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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Mark Ogge @markogge.bsky.social · 1d

Finally a member of the Australian Government calling for Australia to reassert our sovereignty over our own resources, rather than letting Japan dictate our energy policy and endlessly rip us off.

Thank you @edhusicmp.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 1d

What happens when quantum computing takes off?
Will those data warehouses still be needed, or will they go the same way as those room-sized IBMs?

Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 1d

Tomorrow: The AI Bubble is built on impossible promises. GPUs die in 5 years, nobody has built a 1GW data center, and they have the power to do so. Stargate Abilene won't have enough power before 2028.

Here's a link for $10 off premium.

edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo...

Everybody is very casual with how they talk about Sam Altman’s theoretical promises of trillions of dollars of data center infrastructure, and I'm not sure anybody realizes how difficult even the very basics of this plan will be.
Nevertheless, everybody is happily publishing stories about how “Stargate Abilene Texas - OpenAI’s massive data center with Oracle - is open,” by which they mean two buildings, and I’m not even confident both of them are providing compute to OpenAI yet. There are six more of them that need to get built for this thing to start rocking at 1.2GW - even though it’s only 1.1GW according to my sources in Abilene.
But, hey, sorry - one minute - while we’re on that subject, did anybody visiting Abilene in the last week or so ever ask whether they’ll have enough power there?
Don’t worry, you don’t need to look - I’m sure you were just about to, and had simply been busy! - but I did the hard work for you and read up on it, and it turns out that Stargate Abilene only has 200 megawatts of power - a 200 megawatt substation that, according to my sources, has only been built within the last couple of months, with 350 Megawatt of gas turbine generators that connect to a natural gas power plant that might get built by the end of the year in the event that one of the multiple construction firms involved . Said turbine is extremely expensive, featuring volatile pricing (for context, volatility fell in Q2 2025…to 69% annualized, meaning that if you had these prices across the entirety of a year you’d see swings of 69% up or down) and even more volatile environmental consequences, and is, while permitted for it (this will download the PDF of the permit), impractical and expensive to use long-term.
Analyst James van Geelen, founder of Citrini Research recently said on Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast that these are “not the really good natural gas turbines” because the really good ones would take seven years to deliver due to a natural gas turbine shortage.
But th…

$Stargate Abilene does not have sufficient power to run at even half of its supposed IT load of 1.2GW, and at its present capacity - assuming that the gas turbines function at full power - can only hope to run 370MW to 460MW of IT load. I’ve seen article after article about the gas turbines and their use of fracked gas - a disgusting and wasteful act typical of OpenAI - but nobody appears to have asked “how much power does a 1.2GW data center require?” and then chased it with “how much power does Stargate Abilene have?” The answer is not enough, and the significance of said “not enough” is remarkable. Today, I’m going to tell you, at length, how impossible the future of generative AI is. Gigawatt data centers are a ridiculous pipe dream, one that runs face-first into the walls of reality. The world’s governments and media have been far too cavalier with the term “gigawatt,” casually breezing by the fact that Altman’s plans require 17 or more nuclear reactors’ worth of power, as if building power is quick and easy and cheap and just happens. I believe that many of you think that this is an issue of permitting - of simply throwing enough money at the problem - when we are in the midst of a shortage in the electrical grade steel and transformers required to expand America (and the world’s) power grid. I realize it’s easy to get blinded by the constant drumbeat of “gargoyle-like tycoon cabal builds 1 gigawatt data center” and feel that they will simply overwhelm the problem with money, but no, I’m afraid that isn’t the case at all, and all of this is so silly, so ridiculous, so cartoonishly bad that it threatens even the seemingly-infinite wealth of Elon Musk, with xAI burning over a billion dollars a month and planning to spend tens of billions of dollars building the Colossus 2 data center, dragging two billion dollars from SpaceX in his desperate quest to burn as much money as possible for no reason. This is the age of hubris - a time in which we are going to watc…$

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 1d

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 1d

Imagine kicking the former national rugby captain out of your sports club instead of the gambling lobby.

To paraphrase Groucho Marx, who'd want to belong to a club that would accept Responsible Wagering Australia as one of its sponsors?

Bill Browne @browne90.bsky.social · 1d

Making his point for him -- just asking about the power of the gambling lobby gets Senator David Pocock booted from sports club the Prime Minister heads. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Former Wallabies star David Pocock booted from parliamentary sports club

Exclusive: Senator accused of bringing social club into disrepute after raising concerns about its association with betting lobby

www.theguardian.com

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 2d

Good facts based piece on immigration.
A rarity these days
www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Who really wants a ‘Big Australia’? Ignore the slogans, look at the evidence

Our analysis shows that while both major parties have influenced policy, long-term growth in migration – especially temporary migration – has been driven more by Coalition governments.

www.smh.com.au

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 3d

As the Kiwis generally do

Shane Oliver @shaneoliver.bsky.social · 3d

RBNZ cut 0.5% to 2.5%, due to “prolonged spare capacity” & to boost to spending. Guidance was dovish with the money mkt allowing for 1 or 2 more 0.25% cuts. RBNZ has now cut by more than other major central banks, as it overdid the tightening.
(Macquarie Macro Strategy chart)

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Shane Oliver @shaneoliver.bsky.social · 3d

www.amp.com.au/resources/in...

Oliver's insights - Bubble trouble – is AI enthusiasm driving a bubble in shares? - AMP

Rich share market valuations are warning of the risk of a pullback in shares amidst fears of a bubble and it’s possible that enthusiasm for AI has run ahead of itself. But the fundamentals behind this...

www.amp.com.au

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Paul Eric Scannell @pauleric70.bsky.social · 3d

This bird just found out that golf balls bounce on concrete, and he’s having the time of his life 😂

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Alex @purplechrain.bsky.social · 3d

ICE shooting an unarmed priest in the head from a rooftop, at a distance where the unarmed priest couldn’t have posed a threat to them even if he had tried.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 3d

Here’s video of the incident

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 3d

Sack more people and all will be good, according to the Economist

The Economist @economist.com · 3d

The difficulty of firing staff—a reality of corporate life—steers Europe’s biggest firms away from making risky bets in innovative fields. This is catastrophic for the continent’s economy

How Europe crushes innovation

Labour rules devised in the 20th century are hobbling Europe in the 21st

econ.st

Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 3d

Everyone deserves a decent affordable home, work that gives us enough to get by on, and where we all have enough to afford the bills.

Politicians can make the right decisions today to build a better future for us all 🗣️

Read our report: www.jrf.org.uk/poverty-in-scotland-2025 3/3

Poverty in Scotland 2025

Poverty is still too high, people are feeling overlooked and ignored by politicians — the next Scottish Parliament is vital for a better future for children in Scotland.

www.jrf.org.uk

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 3d

Panantir
The evil eye

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 3d

ICE will reportedly hire contractors to surveil social media platforms 24/7 to target people for deportations.

The information would then be funneled into an existing ICE database built by Palantir (founded by Trump ally Peter Thiel).

"The party of small government,” folks.

Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 3d

Here we go again. Another patch up job for chronic skills shortages via temporary visas. This will only degrade job quality in care services & discourage ppl from work there.
These are *longterm* skills shortages. Solutions are training & permanent migration.

www.ceda.com.au/news-and-res...

Australia needs an essential skills visa to fix the aged-care worker shortage

www.ceda.com.au

Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

David C. Simon @davidcsimon.bsky.social · 9d

Crimson Rosella in the late afternoon sun.
#birds

Photograph of a small bright red parrot with blue and black wings and tail feathers, and blue cheeks. It is perched on a twisty eucalypt branch with out of focus leaves and sky in the background. The bird is facing the sun, which is creating a hilight in the bird's eye.

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Michael Klapdor @mklapdor.bsky.social · 8d

e61 Chief Executive Michael Brennan writing on the decline in cash transfer spending and the rise in spending on in-kind benefits. Expresses concern at a shift away from means-testing toward universal supports.
Does not discuss poorly targeted tax concessions. www.afr.com/politics/fed...

Screenshot of AFR article text:
'Here is a stark fact: while the size of government has grown since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the amounts spent by government on direct cash transfers – to pensioners, the unemployed and low-income families – is actually lower as a share of GDP than it was then. Bigger government is not due to rising welfare dependency.

It is due to the significant expansion of in-kind services: areas such as health, aged care, childcare and NDIS, where government pays for services on our behalf. Research by e61 and UNSW shows that these in-kind social assistance benefits rose from 0.8 per cent of GDP in the 1960s to 6.8 per cent today.'

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 11d

All the key economic data supported another interest rate cut, which would have given them much-needed relief after three years of pain.

@grogsgamut.bsky.social describes the decision as “very cruel”, ensuring more pain for those struggling with high mortgage repayments and more job losses. #auspol

RBA banks on higher unemployment, more pain

Today's decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia to keep interest rates on hold will force more Australians into unemployment and, ultimately, into poverty.

australiainstitute.org.au

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 11d

It certainly appears the United States murdered an innocent fisherman who was a husband and father to four children, claimed he was a "narco-terrorist," posted a video of the execution, and then made jokes about it

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 11d

New vlog👇The hottest topic at #LabourPartyConference is whether the PM will announce scrapping the cruel & counterproductive 2 child limit in his speech today. Here’s why he should ⬇️ @trusselluk.bsky.social

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 11d

'That structural challenge involves climbing spending commitments that have to be met with an ever-rising tax take, the burden of which increasingly falls on younger workers.'
Not so: young peoples' share of income tax has declined over the last 3 decades.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Jim Chalmers’ budget victory lap outpaces reality as Australia’s debt continues to climb

The treasurer celebrated an outcome that could have been worse, but a structural challenge remains as workers are left with the burden of repair

www.theguardian.com

Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 11d

‘Unemployment still too low for RBA's comfort’
This heading summarises all that’s wrong with current monetary policy settings.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

One 'noisy' number taking a rate cut off the table

With markets pricing next to no chance of an interest rate cut today, what are the chances of another RBA move before year's end?

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Dr Liz Allen @drdemography.com · 12d

What is it with privileged, powerful people in this country?! They appear to assume the rules simply don’t apply to them. And in so many respects the rules aren’t applied to them. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Anti-corruption chief kept consulting role after saying he had resigned

The head of the national anti-corruption commission told a Senate inquiry he had resigned his role at the defence force's investigative arm. But the ABC has learned he continued consulting for them, a...

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Dr Peter Davidson

Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 12d

Little tip: if you want to know what is wrong with Australia's tax system, just read the wealth advice column in the AFR:

"If you sell a property resulting in surplus cash to invest, there’s no better place than the low/no-tax environment of superannuation."

The one-time strategy wealthy Australians use to get more into super
Colin Lewis Contributor
Sep 25, 2025 – 5.00am

If you sell a property resulting in surplus cash to invest, there’s no better place than the low/no-tax environment of superannuation.

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 15d

Spot on.
The Australian economy has been mired in mediocrity for a decade.
We can't boost investment & productivity coz growth is throttled, we can't have growth coz people worry about low productivity.
And so it goes .. the cycle of mediocrity.
www.theguardian.com/business/gro...

Australia, along with other OECD countries, is mired in mediocrity – and the RBA seems intent on keeping us there | Greg Jericho

If the Reserve Bank won’t drop interest rates next week, it will be another example of one of our institutions aiming low

www.theguardian.com

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 17d

All true but the ppl who need the pension most are the ones forced to retire early. People with disabilities, carers, ppl with low quals who lost jobs & can’t get another.
Many languishing on Jobseeker.
www.smh.com.au/business/the...

More Boomers are choosing not to retire. Why? They don’t want to

One in four 70-year-old men are still working, up from one in ten 20 years ago. And about 10 per cent of men in their late 70s are still working.

www.smh.com.au

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Dr Peter Davidson @pagdavidson.bsky.social · 18d

Ironic and worrying that their first target is antifascism.

Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 18d

Also they'll use it to take away the tax exempt status of NGOs.