Disappointed that no food outlets seem to have yet removed the credit card surcharges which will be banned in October. I do hope we don't have to spend months after that arguing with cafe staff etc to remove them.
... however:
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It’s tempting to offload your thinking to AI. Cognitive science shows why that’s a bad idea https://theconversation.com/its-tempting-to-offload-your-thinking-to-ai-cognitive-science-shows-why-thats-a-bad-idea-276766
This article explains a lot about the appeal of AI for many people.
#AI https://www.techlearning.com/news/people-hate-to-think-says-research-what-does-that-mean-for-teachers
What is terrifying the AI firms is that the vast majority of people not only have no interest in using AI agents, but they never will.
RE: https://social.chinwag.org/@abc_bot/117096909705390926
Crikey. First mushrooms, now coffee...
Fun read:
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‘We get 200 tourists a day’: when your house becomes a TV star
#tv #travel https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/aug/14/famous-tv-show-homes-real-residents-ted-lasso-sopranos
Staying in Cairns last week, I noticed that many cafe waiters and most of the reception staff at hotels were working holiday visa holders. That's the problem with trying to cut immigration - how do you do it without causing harm to industries which rely on it?
#auspol #immigration https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-quietly-pauses-working-holidaymaker-visas-as-stoush-over-backpackers-brews-20260814-p60obm.html
Entertaining interview with Chris Chung, who plays Roddy Ho in Slow Horses:
#TV https://observer.co.uk/style/features/article/chris-chung-interview-people-are-astounded-im-not-obnoxious
New at my Patreon... I've encountered street artist ROA's art in multiple cities across three continents. So I was not at all surprised to be walking along a back street of Townsville, Queensland, and see towering above me a creature in ROA's distinctive style:
https://www.patreon.com/timrichards/posts/image-of-week-on-166711235
"The ppl of the West are faced with a confusing juxtaposition. Nearly everyone agrees about what architecture is beautiful and which cities are nice ... Yet the world keeps churning out architecture that is not beautiful and cities that are not nice." https://www.bensouthwood.co.uk/p/eight-architecture-myths-busted-by | nitter
https://nitter.net/DouthatNYT/status/2087222355739230697#m
"You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young."
"Why, what did she tell you?"
"I don't know, I didn't listen."
Well unfortunately the joke candidate got up.
#Clacton #binface4clacton
Interesting read; tabloid media doesn't help by keeping people scared of crime when the figures are actually trending downwards.
#UKpol https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/14/andy-burnham-prisons-crisis-honest-public-crime
For #FensterFreitag - Romanesque arched windows within Goulburn railway station in New South Wales, Australia.
Went to Cinema Nova with @NarrelleMHarris today to see the movie 'Tuner'. Entertaining drama about a young piano tuner whose acoustic talents get co-opted by a gang of safe-breakers. Nicely paced, well cast - good to see some relatively new talented young actors, plus Dustin Hoffman in a supporting role. Recommended.
One of Australia's longest-serving editors dies aged 96 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-14/robin-letts-editor-of-buloke-times-dies-aged-96/106943368 #MediaIndustry #DeathandDying #PrintMedia #Journalism #History
Slop.
My @smh @theage cartoon.
My reasons for avoiding LLMs at all costs and why I don’t trust the work of anyone who uses them.
#AI #Luddite #Writing https://www.davidtoddmccarty.com/how-i-learned-to-hate-ai/
A third near-miss at Sydney airport under investigation https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/third-runway-incident-sydney-airport/dxjbqkox6 #Australia