Possum
@pollytics.bsky.social
Political, economic and policy stuff. An unrepentant guitar gear hoarder. You know who I am.
A social democrat on the beats - a libertarian between the human, civil and political rights sheets.
The stupidity in this country is exhausting.
Moreton Bay
A social democrat on the beats - a libertarian between the human, civil and political rights sheets.
The stupidity in this country is exhausting.
Moreton Bay
Doing weird paperwork stuff tonight. My Boganmobile drove exactly 722 km in calendar year 2025. It is kind of weird when you go and get petrol once a quarter and only put in a third of a tank so it doesn't sit and become stale and create those dramas.
February 8, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Doing weird paperwork stuff tonight. My Boganmobile drove exactly 722 km in calendar year 2025. It is kind of weird when you go and get petrol once a quarter and only put in a third of a tank so it doesn't sit and become stale and create those dramas.
Reposted by Possum
i forget who made it but it cracks me up lol
February 8, 2026 at 10:54 AM
i forget who made it but it cracks me up lol
Reposted by Possum
Crikey. Japan's diet usually requires coalitions to form Governments, and these are normally* headed by the LDP. Looks like the LDP will be able to get a majority in their own right.
*Almost certainly.
*Almost certainly.
🗳️ sondage sorti des urnes ANN au Japon : le PLD de la Première ministre Sanae Takaichi obtiendrait une très large victoire.
February 8, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Crikey. Japan's diet usually requires coalitions to form Governments, and these are normally* headed by the LDP. Looks like the LDP will be able to get a majority in their own right.
*Almost certainly.
*Almost certainly.
Oh Gawd. Someone just reminded me of this from back in 2007 from the old blog after seeing the pollercoaster. Cringey as fuck, but piss funny and would do again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNW...
Pollytics.com
YouTube video by PossumComitatus
www.youtube.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Oh Gawd. Someone just reminded me of this from back in 2007 from the old blog after seeing the pollercoaster. Cringey as fuck, but piss funny and would do again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNW...
Rebekha Sharkie: We need to ban the burning of our flag!
Australians: We are making stir fry from the animals on our coat of arms. Go fuck yourself and the performative emu you rode in on.
Australians: We are making stir fry from the animals on our coat of arms. Go fuck yourself and the performative emu you rode in on.
My view is that people should be allowed to burn their own national symbol as an expression of disgust. (Not however if it is done in a fashion designed to incite or vilify). I see it as an important safety valve that people be allowed to express disgust that strongly.
February 8, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Rebekha Sharkie: We need to ban the burning of our flag!
Australians: We are making stir fry from the animals on our coat of arms. Go fuck yourself and the performative emu you rode in on.
Australians: We are making stir fry from the animals on our coat of arms. Go fuck yourself and the performative emu you rode in on.
You folks have all been funny fuckers tonight - good work! 😂
February 8, 2026 at 11:58 AM
You folks have all been funny fuckers tonight - good work! 😂
Reposted by Possum
New rule. You can only spaff on about polical polls for the purposes of cracking jokes. No exceptions.
February 8, 2026 at 11:11 AM
New rule. You can only spaff on about polical polls for the purposes of cracking jokes. No exceptions.
Oh no - Ley's satisfaction is now worse than The Caverns of Crean!
For you young'ns - a 17 year old vid from the old blog that tracks ALP polling from 2000 to 2007 via a statistically accurate rollercoaster, cause that's the way we used to roll and poll 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgbg...
For you young'ns - a 17 year old vid from the old blog that tracks ALP polling from 2000 to 2007 via a statistically accurate rollercoaster, cause that's the way we used to roll and poll 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgbg...
Pollercoaster
YouTube video by PossumComitatus
www.youtube.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Oh no - Ley's satisfaction is now worse than The Caverns of Crean!
For you young'ns - a 17 year old vid from the old blog that tracks ALP polling from 2000 to 2007 via a statistically accurate rollercoaster, cause that's the way we used to roll and poll 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgbg...
For you young'ns - a 17 year old vid from the old blog that tracks ALP polling from 2000 to 2007 via a statistically accurate rollercoaster, cause that's the way we used to roll and poll 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgbg...
Also funny that the party on 15% is on 15% because they've been led around by the nose like a stupid bull by a party on 3% that is looking to be wiped out. The Qld LNP makes it even worse. People should be encouraged to leave an abusive relationship.
#Newspoll No official 2PP (for the first time since 2002)
ALP 33
ON 27
L/NP 18 (includes Nat 3)
Greens 12
Ind/others 10
My 2PP estimate 56.0 to ALP
My shadow-2PP estimate 54.4 to ALP vs ON
ALP 33
ON 27
L/NP 18 (includes Nat 3)
Greens 12
Ind/others 10
My 2PP estimate 56.0 to ALP
My shadow-2PP estimate 54.4 to ALP vs ON
February 8, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Also funny that the party on 15% is on 15% because they've been led around by the nose like a stupid bull by a party on 3% that is looking to be wiped out. The Qld LNP makes it even worse. People should be encouraged to leave an abusive relationship.
Getting to that joke point of where "How do we get to a decent primary vote?" gives you the answer of "well, I wouldn't start from here" territory
#Newspoll federal
TPP: Not calculated
Primaries: ALP 33 (+1) L/NP 18 (-3 LIB 15 NAT 3) ON 27 (+5) GRN 12 (0) Others 10 (-3)
Preferred PM: Albanese 49 (-2) Ley 30 (-1)
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/polit... ($) #auspol
TPP: Not calculated
Primaries: ALP 33 (+1) L/NP 18 (-3 LIB 15 NAT 3) ON 27 (+5) GRN 12 (0) Others 10 (-3)
Preferred PM: Albanese 49 (-2) Ley 30 (-1)
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/polit... ($) #auspol
www.theaustralian.com.au
February 8, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Getting to that joke point of where "How do we get to a decent primary vote?" gives you the answer of "well, I wouldn't start from here" territory
The reason these sorts of soft foreign influence operations undertaken by the willing and the gullible alike will never work, is that you can't infantilise the public in an age of information ubiquity. You end up sounding like cranks and being laughed at.
Combatting Antisemitism Czar™️, Jillian Segal's, hand-picked University Report card independent assessor - Greg Craven - brings novel views and thoughts to the position.
February 8, 2026 at 7:10 AM
The reason these sorts of soft foreign influence operations undertaken by the willing and the gullible alike will never work, is that you can't infantilise the public in an age of information ubiquity. You end up sounding like cranks and being laughed at.
Reposted by Possum
Combatting Antisemitism Czar™️, Jillian Segal's, hand-picked University Report card independent assessor - Greg Craven - brings novel views and thoughts to the position.
February 8, 2026 at 4:41 AM
Combatting Antisemitism Czar™️, Jillian Segal's, hand-picked University Report card independent assessor - Greg Craven - brings novel views and thoughts to the position.
This is weird niche guitar stuff. I have stupid amounts of gear that I can pretend to still rationalise - but for fun, you should use it all. I made a spreadsheet which will output two random amps, a guitar, and a pedal board of 6 pedals (fuzz, 2 gain stages, modulation, reverb, delay)...
February 7, 2026 at 2:53 PM
This is weird niche guitar stuff. I have stupid amounts of gear that I can pretend to still rationalise - but for fun, you should use it all. I made a spreadsheet which will output two random amps, a guitar, and a pedal board of 6 pedals (fuzz, 2 gain stages, modulation, reverb, delay)...
Reposted by Possum
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.
Great work everyone.
Great work everyone.
February 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.
Great work everyone.
Great work everyone.
Reposted by Possum
Reposted by Possum
On this day in 1992, George H.W. Bush sent a memo to all White House staff about how fat his dog was
February 6, 2026 at 10:06 PM
On this day in 1992, George H.W. Bush sent a memo to all White House staff about how fat his dog was
Reposted by Possum
This is an immensely significant document that continues to get virtually no attention in US media—but lots abroad. In Jul 2015, Epstein arranged a meeting between a known highest-level Russian intel operative, Sergey Belyakov and Peter Thiel,
February 6, 2026 at 9:55 PM
This is an immensely significant document that continues to get virtually no attention in US media—but lots abroad. In Jul 2015, Epstein arranged a meeting between a known highest-level Russian intel operative, Sergey Belyakov and Peter Thiel,
The next UK general election is *THREE AND A HALF YEARS AWAY*. How broken is British politics when you have more time left to get your act together than an entire term of Australian government, but everyone in UK Labour and politics has decided to shit the bed instead. You're all an embarassment.
February 6, 2026 at 2:59 PM
The next UK general election is *THREE AND A HALF YEARS AWAY*. How broken is British politics when you have more time left to get your act together than an entire term of Australian government, but everyone in UK Labour and politics has decided to shit the bed instead. You're all an embarassment.
Is this the most perfectly Norwegian thing ever? The Princess was Epsteining and her husband is now looking after their family.
<Caveat: The French knew how to deal with monarchism>
<Caveat: The French knew how to deal with monarchism>
Norway's crown prince says he is looking after the family reut.rs/3M9j5B4
Norway's crown prince says he is looking after the family
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon said on Friday that the most important thing in recent days has been to look after his family at a difficult time.
reut.rs
February 6, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Is this the most perfectly Norwegian thing ever? The Princess was Epsteining and her husband is now looking after their family.
<Caveat: The French knew how to deal with monarchism>
<Caveat: The French knew how to deal with monarchism>
Bluesky: -89 (or something)
Trump job approval rating by news platform
🟢 Twitter/X: +9
🔴 Facebook: -7
🔴 Cable TV: -10
🔴 Podcasts/YouTube: -14
🔴 Local TV: -17
🔴 Instagram: -21
🔴 Broadcast TV: -28
🔴 TikTok: -28
🔴 Newspapers/news sites: -33
🔴 Reddit: -40
www.theargumentmag.com/p/twitter-is...
🟢 Twitter/X: +9
🔴 Facebook: -7
🔴 Cable TV: -10
🔴 Podcasts/YouTube: -14
🔴 Local TV: -17
🔴 Instagram: -21
🔴 Broadcast TV: -28
🔴 TikTok: -28
🔴 Newspapers/news sites: -33
🔴 Reddit: -40
www.theargumentmag.com/p/twitter-is...
February 6, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Bluesky: -89 (or something)
Mamdani is such an extraordinary political talent.
Child at the podium: “A woo woo woo.”
Mamdani: That’s how I felt when we came up with this plan. Together, we will expand the idea of what is possible in our city—and what sounds and noises we can make at a press conference.
Mamdani: That’s how I felt when we came up with this plan. Together, we will expand the idea of what is possible in our city—and what sounds and noises we can make at a press conference.
February 6, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Mamdani is such an extraordinary political talent.
Reposted by Possum
Maybe the Coalition shouldn't get back together after all
February 6, 2026 at 6:52 AM
Maybe the Coalition shouldn't get back together after all
Reposted by Possum
Originally Coorey story had if CGT was changed to the old way of just accounting for inflation, that it could mean the discount could drop from 50% to 3.8% (the current inflation)
And well no. That's not how you calculate real gains.
The line has now been deleted.
And well no. That's not how you calculate real gains.
The line has now been deleted.
February 6, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Originally Coorey story had if CGT was changed to the old way of just accounting for inflation, that it could mean the discount could drop from 50% to 3.8% (the current inflation)
And well no. That's not how you calculate real gains.
The line has now been deleted.
And well no. That's not how you calculate real gains.
The line has now been deleted.
Reposted by Possum
For reasons that continue to puzzle me we seem determined to not be interested in Indonesia
But this is big and important
But this is big and important
Albanese arrives in Jakarta to sign major security treaty with Indonesia
Albanese arrives in Jakarta to sign major security treaty with Indonesia
The prime minister billed the pact as a "watershed moment in the Australia-Indonesia relationship".
www.sbs.com.au
February 6, 2026 at 12:14 AM
For reasons that continue to puzzle me we seem determined to not be interested in Indonesia
But this is big and important
But this is big and important
Reposted by Possum
While reporting this, I had something happen that's never happened. A comms rep for one of the co's disputed my reporting and said what I was telling them was untrue because it was not in Grok, xAI's chatbot.
I was looking directly at the files. And this person was using AI to challenge the truth.
I was looking directly at the files. And this person was using AI to challenge the truth.
Epstein had many known connections to Silicon Valley CEOs, but less known was how he made money from those relationships.
We did a deep dive into how he got dealflow in Silicon Valley, giving him shots to invest in Coinbase, Palantir, SpaceX and other companies.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
We did a deep dive into how he got dealflow in Silicon Valley, giving him shots to invest in Coinbase, Palantir, SpaceX and other companies.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Mingled With Silicon Valley Start-Ups
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:38 PM
While reporting this, I had something happen that's never happened. A comms rep for one of the co's disputed my reporting and said what I was telling them was untrue because it was not in Grok, xAI's chatbot.
I was looking directly at the files. And this person was using AI to challenge the truth.
I was looking directly at the files. And this person was using AI to challenge the truth.