Jock Serong
@jockserong.bsky.social
jockserong.com
nocturnal mammal
Gunditjmara country, southwest Vic
Rep'd Melanie Ostell Literary / Booked Out Speakers
nocturnal mammal
Gunditjmara country, southwest Vic
Rep'd Melanie Ostell Literary / Booked Out Speakers
Reposted by Jock Serong
Spotify is garbage on every count: Its treatment of artists, its ICE advertising, the CEO's investment in military AI, its leading role in the commodification and AI slopification of music, its terrible audio quality—you name it.
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
How to quit Spotify
This Black Friday, here's a guide to finding the best Spotify alternative
www.bloodinthemachine.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Spotify is garbage on every count: Its treatment of artists, its ICE advertising, the CEO's investment in military AI, its leading role in the commodification and AI slopification of music, its terrible audio quality—you name it.
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
I walked today to the spot where JS Prout made his 1846 painting of Wybalenna on Flinders Island. You can see the chapel in the centre of both frames and Prime Seal Island across the water. A beautiful place that’s steeped in tragedy.
November 30, 2025 at 9:49 AM
I walked today to the spot where JS Prout made his 1846 painting of Wybalenna on Flinders Island. You can see the chapel in the centre of both frames and Prime Seal Island across the water. A beautiful place that’s steeped in tragedy.
Politics is endlessly dispiriting, so when it throws up a gem, I’m shouting about it. Moyne Shire - our lot in western Vic- have just made progressive local Jordy Lockett mayor (Myra Murrihy deputy). Good times ahead. First official act: replacing the gavel with clap-sticks.
November 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Politics is endlessly dispiriting, so when it throws up a gem, I’m shouting about it. Moyne Shire - our lot in western Vic- have just made progressive local Jordy Lockett mayor (Myra Murrihy deputy). Good times ahead. First official act: replacing the gavel with clap-sticks.
This is the image our regional paper, The Standard, used to illustrate a story about road safety on the Great Ocean Road, Given we drive on the left side of the road, I wonder if the use of AI here was journalistic best practice.
November 11, 2025 at 1:17 AM
This is the image our regional paper, The Standard, used to illustrate a story about road safety on the Great Ocean Road, Given we drive on the left side of the road, I wonder if the use of AI here was journalistic best practice.
Offset Alpine Offset Alpine Offset Alpine
November 8, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Offset Alpine Offset Alpine Offset Alpine
News Corpse CEO Robert Thomson strides through the media release sludge with a barrage of five-dollar words: 'non-pareil,' 'inflexion point,' and my personal fave, 'efficacious.' Writes like a swollen bollock.
Lachlan Murdoch’s top adviser Siobhan McKenna resigns from News Corp
Company’s Australian broadcast chief, who was involved in negotiations over Murdoch family’s succession plans, to depart media giant
www.theguardian.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:04 AM
News Corpse CEO Robert Thomson strides through the media release sludge with a barrage of five-dollar words: 'non-pareil,' 'inflexion point,' and my personal fave, 'efficacious.' Writes like a swollen bollock.
Reposted by Jock Serong
“Tell your children who the cowards were.”
October 27, 2025 at 10:19 PM
“Tell your children who the cowards were.”
ffs every news story has some boggle-eyed American screaming ‘weaponise’ Are there any other serviceable verbs we could be using here, people?
October 8, 2025 at 7:57 AM
ffs every news story has some boggle-eyed American screaming ‘weaponise’ Are there any other serviceable verbs we could be using here, people?
Just got a participant survey from Bendigo Writers' Festival. A naïve part of me thought good - looks like they're reflecting. Nope. Not a word of contrition. Not even a mention of Codes of Conduct, Gaza or external lobbying. 'How was your festival experience?' Don't waste my time.
October 7, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Just got a participant survey from Bendigo Writers' Festival. A naïve part of me thought good - looks like they're reflecting. Nope. Not a word of contrition. Not even a mention of Codes of Conduct, Gaza or external lobbying. 'How was your festival experience?' Don't waste my time.
BREAKING: First images of Tony Abbott's new "mothership" concept for UK asylum seekers.
October 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
BREAKING: First images of Tony Abbott's new "mothership" concept for UK asylum seekers.
Reposted by Jock Serong
What’s this? Yet more research concluding that robust public investment in the arts yields economic benefits?
A great outcome for Ireland, and a rebuke to all those tired cliches about freeloading artists sapping the resources of the state.
But also, art enriches us all, economic benefits or no.
A great outcome for Ireland, and a rebuke to all those tired cliches about freeloading artists sapping the resources of the state.
But also, art enriches us all, economic benefits or no.
Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
October 7, 2025 at 4:14 AM
What’s this? Yet more research concluding that robust public investment in the arts yields economic benefits?
A great outcome for Ireland, and a rebuke to all those tired cliches about freeloading artists sapping the resources of the state.
But also, art enriches us all, economic benefits or no.
A great outcome for Ireland, and a rebuke to all those tired cliches about freeloading artists sapping the resources of the state.
But also, art enriches us all, economic benefits or no.
Christ on a bike - Dan Tehan just managed to tether nuclear power to AI and the US government. What could possibly go wrong with that combo?
October 1, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Christ on a bike - Dan Tehan just managed to tether nuclear power to AI and the US government. What could possibly go wrong with that combo?
Manuscript's gone to the publisher. Every living witness interviewed, every rabbit chased down each burrow. And then... 'oh, would this box of 250 Kodachrome slides be any use?' Unseen for sixty, seventy years. A treasure trove...
September 23, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Manuscript's gone to the publisher. Every living witness interviewed, every rabbit chased down each burrow. And then... 'oh, would this box of 250 Kodachrome slides be any use?' Unseen for sixty, seventy years. A treasure trove...
It’s fascinating that, given a clear choice, Americans have binned the first amendment and not the second.
September 18, 2025 at 3:09 AM
It’s fascinating that, given a clear choice, Americans have binned the first amendment and not the second.
A thousand speechwriters couldn’t come up with a better endorsement of a policy
September 4, 2025 at 4:42 AM
A thousand speechwriters couldn’t come up with a better endorsement of a policy
Got to say, the universities are really excelling themselves at supporting Aus lit right now
September 4, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Got to say, the universities are really excelling themselves at supporting Aus lit right now
And here’s me thinking Drax was the bad guy on an Arctic whaler
I thought James Bond sorted out that rotter
Drax investigated by UK watchdog over biomass sourcing
August 28, 2025 at 8:45 AM
And here’s me thinking Drax was the bad guy on an Arctic whaler
If you don't want to surrender to AI's relentless enshittification, never refer to yourself as a 'content creator.' Or a 'creative.' You're a writer. Take some fucking pride in it.
August 26, 2025 at 10:28 AM
If you don't want to surrender to AI's relentless enshittification, never refer to yourself as a 'content creator.' Or a 'creative.' You're a writer. Take some fucking pride in it.
Rummaging for other things, I found a photo I took in 1997 at the Wittenoom asbestos mine. The sign was meant as a workplace speed limit, but it stands as an unintended confession.
August 19, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Rummaging for other things, I found a photo I took in 1997 at the Wittenoom asbestos mine. The sign was meant as a workplace speed limit, but it stands as an unintended confession.
"Publishers are in the business of stories, so they must be fluent in numbers, but they need at least ostensibly to give primacy to words, or they may as well be in the far more lucrative business of shoes or weapons manufacturing."
Grim realities, beautifully woven, by @radiomoderation.bsky.social
Grim realities, beautifully woven, by @radiomoderation.bsky.social
Finally logging in after months for some shameless self-promotion: something about numbers and value, stories and endings, and a lament about an industry not fit for purpose www.killyourdarlings.com.au/article/the-...
The Angel in the House
An experienced senior editor explores the dire state of the publishing industry.
www.killyourdarlings.com.au
August 18, 2025 at 5:42 AM
"Publishers are in the business of stories, so they must be fluent in numbers, but they need at least ostensibly to give primacy to words, or they may as well be in the far more lucrative business of shoes or weapons manufacturing."
Grim realities, beautifully woven, by @radiomoderation.bsky.social
Grim realities, beautifully woven, by @radiomoderation.bsky.social
Reposted by Jock Serong
Well there you go. Bendigo Writers Festival has been absolutely played, forced to do the dirty work of lobbyists by their sponsor. When these threats come knocking, academic institutions should be doing everything to protect and defend this country’s cultural events, not become Israel’s enforcer.
Pro-Israel group lobbied La Trobe and Bendigo Writers Festival over Palestinian academic's institution
A leaked letter reveals pressure from a pro-Israel group in the lead up to the Festival
www.deepcutnews.com
August 17, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Well there you go. Bendigo Writers Festival has been absolutely played, forced to do the dirty work of lobbyists by their sponsor. When these threats come knocking, academic institutions should be doing everything to protect and defend this country’s cultural events, not become Israel’s enforcer.
Absolutely right. It’s one thing to grossly misread the room. It’s quite another to lie about it. Never seen a single instance of a “code of conduct” anywhere, ever.
Then you can apologise for lying when you said "codes of conduct" are common at writers festivals. I have been to most writers festivals in the country more than once and I have never seen such a code of conduct for speakers.
August 15, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Absolutely right. It’s one thing to grossly misread the room. It’s quite another to lie about it. Never seen a single instance of a “code of conduct” anywhere, ever.
So disappointed to discover the Bendigo Writers Festival thinks our words are just ‘content,’ to be forced into alignment with corporate values. Writers are there to pursue difficult conversations. That’s the job. If that makes you nervous, you may as well play pre-recorded music out of a speaker.
August 14, 2025 at 10:37 PM
So disappointed to discover the Bendigo Writers Festival thinks our words are just ‘content,’ to be forced into alignment with corporate values. Writers are there to pursue difficult conversations. That’s the job. If that makes you nervous, you may as well play pre-recorded music out of a speaker.
Murray Watt's got a knack for doing mournful face when asked about disasters like SA's algal bloom. "Terrible," "tragic," yada yada. Someone bloody PUSH HIM on the link between these events and his ongoing approval of fossil fuel projects.
August 12, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Murray Watt's got a knack for doing mournful face when asked about disasters like SA's algal bloom. "Terrible," "tragic," yada yada. Someone bloody PUSH HIM on the link between these events and his ongoing approval of fossil fuel projects.
Reposted by Jock Serong
External journalists aren’t allowed into Gaza and the entire @aljazeera.com team in Gaza has been murdered by Israel with the killing of Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal today
Every day they try to hide the truth of the genocide they are committing
Every day they try to hide the truth of the genocide they are committing
August 10, 2025 at 9:52 PM
External journalists aren’t allowed into Gaza and the entire @aljazeera.com team in Gaza has been murdered by Israel with the killing of Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal today
Every day they try to hide the truth of the genocide they are committing
Every day they try to hide the truth of the genocide they are committing