marklawrence
@marklawrence.bsky.social
Be brave. Be nice.
Single dad. Cat dad. Plant dad. Bad Asian. Anti racist. Some interests: food, cooking, cats, ceramics, tea, plants, social and climate justice, anti-racism, the beautiful in everyday life. Join your union.
Melbourne, Australia
Single dad. Cat dad. Plant dad. Bad Asian. Anti racist. Some interests: food, cooking, cats, ceramics, tea, plants, social and climate justice, anti-racism, the beautiful in everyday life. Join your union.
Melbourne, Australia
Reposted by marklawrence
Most NDIS participants will lose external avenue to appeal funding amounts under new system, Senate estimates told
Most NDIS participants will lose external avenue to appeal funding amounts under new system, Senate estimates told
Administrative review tribunal no longer authorised to alter a person’s plan or reinstate funding, agency confirmed
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Participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme will in most cases no longer be able to appeal their total amount of funding support to any external review body, executives have confirmed, after revelations about automation to be introduced to the organisation.
The minister for disability and the NDIS, Jenny McAllister, and National Disability Insurance Agency bosses were peppered with questions at Senate estimates on Thursday about changes to the way NDIS support plans will be generated under a new planning model coming into effect from mid-2026. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Most NDIS participants will lose external avenue to appeal funding amounts under new system, Senate estimates told
Reposted by marklawrence
The open letter Garner signed, alongside winners of Bookers, Pulitzers, Nobel prizes, not least the hundreds of the other writers, scholars and researchers that feed the cultural fire of this city, can be seen in full here: saveslv.com
Save the State Library of Victoria
An open letter
saveslv.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:45 PM
The open letter Garner signed, alongside winners of Bookers, Pulitzers, Nobel prizes, not least the hundreds of the other writers, scholars and researchers that feed the cultural fire of this city, can be seen in full here: saveslv.com
Reposted by marklawrence
"Now they’re hacking away at the actual librarians? Shame on them. They bring disgrace on the name of our city.”
Helen Garner says State Library of Victoria turned into ‘party central’, with planned job cuts to ‘bring disgrace’ on Melbourne
Acclaimed author ‘sick’ about 171-year-old institution’s proposed restructure as hundreds of writers sign open letter in protest
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"Now they’re hacking away at the actual librarians? Shame on them. They bring disgrace on the name of our city.”
Reposted by marklawrence
21 sleeps until Christmas.
December 3, 2025 at 9:17 PM
21 sleeps until Christmas.
Anyone got the news on the Silver Review and what it means for the Victorian public service?
December 2, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Anyone got the news on the Silver Review and what it means for the Victorian public service?
Reposted by marklawrence
Post your favourite “Lord of the Rings” character. Wrong answers only.
December 1, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Post your favourite “Lord of the Rings” character. Wrong answers only.
Post your favourite “Lord of the Rings” character. Wrong answers only.
December 1, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Post your favourite “Lord of the Rings” character. Wrong answers only.
Reposted by marklawrence
Death toll passes 1,000 in devastating floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand – latest updates
Death toll passes 1,000 in devastating floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand – latest updates
Hundreds remain missing in Indonesia and Sri Lanka as rescue efforts continue after Cyclone Ditwah
The flooding and landslides that have devastated parts of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka over recent days have killed more than 1,000 people, according to authorities.
The death toll for the floods in Indonesia has risen to 502, the national disaster management agency has said in a new update, with another 508 people missing. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Death toll passes 1,000 in devastating floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand – latest updates
Watched Perks of Being a Wallflower last night and was not expecting that brutalism and painful twist near the end. A moving and good movie.
November 29, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Watched Perks of Being a Wallflower last night and was not expecting that brutalism and painful twist near the end. A moving and good movie.
Reposted by marklawrence
The philosopher Martha Nussbaum on the importance of critical thinking to a free and respectful society:
November 27, 2025 at 11:54 PM
The philosopher Martha Nussbaum on the importance of critical thinking to a free and respectful society:
Reposted by marklawrence
Honestly, the great thing about AI is it’s going to free up so much spare time for us to be misinformed and out of work.
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 28, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Honestly, the great thing about AI is it’s going to free up so much spare time for us to be misinformed and out of work.
Reposted by marklawrence
Autocorrect - are you on drugs
November 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Autocorrect - are you on drugs
Reposted by marklawrence
Press freedom is being destroyed from Gaza to America. Don’t think it can’t happen here | Kerry O'Brien
Press freedom is being destroyed from Gaza to America. Don’t think it can’t happen here | Kerry O'Brien
Anthony Albanese promised to end the ‘culture of secrecy’. With freedom of speech under attack globally, it’s past time he delivered
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First things first. It would be remiss of me not to refer specifically to the appalling and outrageous casualty list of Palestinian journalists and other media workers in Israel’s war on Gaza since the brutal attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens two years ago.
Having excluded independent global media access inside Gaza, leaving us all to rely on local journalists to bear witness to the devastating effect of Israel’s bombardment on the civilian population of Gaza and the famine that has accompanied it, Israel has failed dismally to explain with any credibility why so many journalists have been killed. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Press freedom is being destroyed from Gaza to America. Don’t think it can’t happen here | Kerry O'Brien
Reposted by marklawrence
🎶 O come all ye faithful 🎶
November 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
🎶 O come all ye faithful 🎶
Reposted by marklawrence
About 90,000 Queenslanders are still without power after giant hailstones, destructive winds and intense lightning lashed parts of the state, with more extreme weather on the way.
90,000 Queenslanders still without power after giant hail and fierce winds
About 90,000 Queenslanders are still without power after giant hailstones, destructive winds and intense lightning lashed parts of the state, with more extreme weather on the way.
www.abc.net.au
November 24, 2025 at 9:08 PM
About 90,000 Queenslanders are still without power after giant hailstones, destructive winds and intense lightning lashed parts of the state, with more extreme weather on the way.
Reposted by marklawrence
It would’ve been cheaper to buy everyone in the country an umbrella, Sun hat, scarf & boots than renew the BOM website.
November 24, 2025 at 9:14 PM
It would’ve been cheaper to buy everyone in the country an umbrella, Sun hat, scarf & boots than renew the BOM website.
Reposted by marklawrence
The Albanese government has signed up to a commitment to phase out fossil fuels…and to achieve that goal….it says we need more fossil fuels…FFS
Climate denial is not confined to the hard right of Australian politics
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...
Climate denial is not confined to the hard right of Australian politics
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...
Australia’s gas bonanza is for corporate super-profits, not climate superheroes
The point.com.au
thepoint.com.au
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
The Albanese government has signed up to a commitment to phase out fossil fuels…and to achieve that goal….it says we need more fossil fuels…FFS
Climate denial is not confined to the hard right of Australian politics
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...
Climate denial is not confined to the hard right of Australian politics
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...
Reposted by marklawrence
Another day of the Anthony Albanese Disappointment Advent Calendar
The Albanese government has signed up to a commitment to phase out fossil fuels…and to achieve that goal….it says we need more fossil fuels…FFS
Climate denial is not confined to the hard right of Australian politics
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...
Climate denial is not confined to the hard right of Australian politics
thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...
Australia’s gas bonanza is for corporate super-profits, not climate superheroes
The point.com.au
thepoint.com.au
November 24, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Another day of the Anthony Albanese Disappointment Advent Calendar
Reposted by marklawrence
Contra the latest NYT bit - SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE at rallies and protests in NC. And brave ones - when they and their parents are the ones being profiled and dragged out of their cars, churches, grocery stories, school parking lots.
This is one of my Duke students. High schoolers spoke as well.
This is one of my Duke students. High schoolers spoke as well.
November 24, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Contra the latest NYT bit - SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE at rallies and protests in NC. And brave ones - when they and their parents are the ones being profiled and dragged out of their cars, churches, grocery stories, school parking lots.
This is one of my Duke students. High schoolers spoke as well.
This is one of my Duke students. High schoolers spoke as well.
Reposted by marklawrence
This story should be covered waaaaayy more than it is.
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Nicolas Guillou, French ICC judge sanctioned by the US: 'You are effectively blacklisted by much of the world's banking system'
Six judges and three prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have been sanctioned by the Trump administration. In an interview with Le Monde, Guillou discusses the impact of these measures on ...
www.lemonde.fr
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
This story should be covered waaaaayy more than it is.
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
The US has sanctioned six judges if the international criminal court ICC, because Trump didn’t like them issuing arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Good morning. This Saturday gets a big pot of coffee in bed.
November 21, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Good morning. This Saturday gets a big pot of coffee in bed.
Reposted by marklawrence
Once again, I really hope Aus Labor is watching Mamdani.
Particularly Albo and Rudd, after their complete shit show of a meeting where they handed over all our precious minerals and said the country can be a pseudo US base.
Particularly Albo and Rudd, after their complete shit show of a meeting where they handed over all our precious minerals and said the country can be a pseudo US base.
Q: Just days ago you referred to Trump as a 'despot.' Will you retract?
MAMDANI: We're both very clear on our positions & what I really appreciate about the president is our meeting focused not on places of disagreement but shared purpose we have
TRUMP: I've been called much worse than a despot
MAMDANI: We're both very clear on our positions & what I really appreciate about the president is our meeting focused not on places of disagreement but shared purpose we have
TRUMP: I've been called much worse than a despot
November 21, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Once again, I really hope Aus Labor is watching Mamdani.
Particularly Albo and Rudd, after their complete shit show of a meeting where they handed over all our precious minerals and said the country can be a pseudo US base.
Particularly Albo and Rudd, after their complete shit show of a meeting where they handed over all our precious minerals and said the country can be a pseudo US base.
Reposted by marklawrence
That they’re cutting frontline staff even further is pretty concerning.
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 PM
That they’re cutting frontline staff even further is pretty concerning.
Reposted by marklawrence
It’s true I hadn’t realized that the SLV no longer opened in the evenings. It’s also true that I spent many evening hours there researching a book that turned into my PhD: work I simply could not have done in the daytime with a small child at home. edition.theage.com.au/shortcode/TH...
Sat Nov 22nd 2025 - 1am Edition
State Library to slash staff, services
edition.theage.com.au
November 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
It’s true I hadn’t realized that the SLV no longer opened in the evenings. It’s also true that I spent many evening hours there researching a book that turned into my PhD: work I simply could not have done in the daytime with a small child at home. edition.theage.com.au/shortcode/TH...