A very interesting report from Will Page and Morgan Harrington about Aussie music, and its "decline". Interesting because it talk about unique problems that "English-speaking countries that aren't America" are having with an influx of American content; yet we don't really see that in podcasting really. I wonder why.

@josh #australia #music

https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/australian-music-streaming/

#SydneyNSW, #Australia - Why Buy When You Can Borrow?

"The #Sydney #LibraryOfThings is a not-for-profit service that provides the local community with access to a collection of extremely useful but only occasionally used items that can be loaned out for a short period of time.

We’re like a normal library but with things instead of books! Joining your enables you to borrow from ALL of our branches and you don’t have to live in the local area of the branch you want to join! Find out more about subscriptions and how it works here.

We hope that by encouraging people to borrow instead of buying or throwing away their unwanted items, together we can create a better connected, more sustainable and stronger community.
Did you know we also deliver #RepairCafes and run a #ToyLibrary? Check out #FixItHub Waverton, #TheFixery Cromer and The Lane Cove Toy Library.

We acknowledge the original custodians of the lands we work from, and pay respect to Elders past and present and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."

FMI - https://thesydneylibraryofthings.org.au/

#SolarPunkSunday #BorrowDontBuy #FixIt #Australia #Decolonise #Degrowth #Decapitalise #LibraryOfThingsAustralia

#introduction:

I'm an independent reporter based in #Australia and heading into my final year of law school next year. After becoming more interested in #privacy and #cybersecurity, I also (impulsively) enrolled in a computer science minor to learn more.

I've covered topics including refugee and immigration policy, bushfire management, animal rights, weapons companies' involvement in Australia's education system, and the incoming social media age ban.

My commitment to journalism stems from a conviction that information should be free, and my quest to understand technology better has given me hope that we can seize the means of communication and create a better news and information ecosystem.

I have a statement on journalism ethics that outlines how I approach my work, and why I do what I do. You can read that here: https://ivanadaskalovic.com/on-journalism-ethics/

#community #news #tech #law

I do not want Australia's Social Media age ID child ban to come to Canada. I urge Australia to do what's good for the world and repeal it today!

#politics #socialmedia #privacy #Australia

#auspol #australia #socialmedia

🚨 World's first social media ban begins: Australian & under‑16? Your social media account is now locked. 🚨

What's next? From Dec 27 #AgeVerification checks for search engines like #Google.

BUT - Once your data is in the system, what's stopping it from being used for surveillance?

And what happened to #Privacy? 🧐

#DigitalID #Australia

YouTube already has it ➡️ https://tuta.com/blog/how-to-turn-off-youtube-ai-age-verification

Oh yes, and then there is this! 😄

"Leading facial #AgeEstimation tools were easily fooled by a $22 "old man" mask, a Guy Fawkes mask, and other cheap party costumes, researchers have found."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-02/social-media-ban-vpns-masks-age-checks-disguises/105836134

#AgeVerification #DigitalRights #privacy #Australia #SocialMediaBan

Meanwhile, in #Australia…

The claw of a male Southern Cassowary!

Photo by Palaeontology PhD researcher, Sarah Davis. Via ABC Perth.

#MeanwhileInAustralia

A day after a world-first social media ban on under-16s went live, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the rollout was always going to be bumpy but would ultimately save lives. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/11/asia-pacific/society/australia-social-media-teens/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #society #australia #socialmedia #tiktok #meta #instagram #alphabet #youtube #snapchat #lemon8 #yope

A new report urges Japan and Australia to divide up efforts to help Pacific island nations, as the quasi-allies look to maintain supply lines and prevent China from gaining a military foothold in the region in any war. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/11/japan/australia-japan-sea-lanes-report/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #australia #australiajapanrelations #china #pla #defense #pacificislands

I do not want Australia's Social Media age ID child ban to come to Canada. I urge Australia to do what's good for the world and repeal it today!

#politics #socialmedia #privacy #Australia

I don't reflect upon this often enough, but I am SO stoked to live within #Australia's medical system, as flawed as it is.

Public health gender services at #RWBH in #Brisbane took a trauma-minimising approach toward my #transition. Rather than taking the intervention that my naieve 37-year-old had presumed - top surgery & breast implants - they gently educated me that maybe #hormones would be worth thinking about, and that oestrogen doesn't impact testosterone production or erectile function at low doses.

Cut to 4.5 years later and I am living joyfully and fully integrated in my #enby #trans body - no prosthetics, natural 'A' cup #breasts - taking 6.75mg oestrogen & 200mg progesterone daily. My hormonal system is that of a "normal" cis female. My sex drive was decimated in years 2-3, but I have learned to drive this new vehicle in ways that have surprised and delighted me.

Thanks, 'Straya. You're fucked up, but in this aspect you've done me a great service.

Being trans costs me about $60/mo, and if I were still just doing E that number would be halved 🤟🏻

Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/australia-social-media-ban-takes-effect-world-first-2025-12-09/

#HackerNews #Australia #Social #Media #Ban #Teen #Safety #Digital #Policy #Innovation

#auspol #australia #socialmedia

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles is confident Australia will meet a 2027 deadline that forms part of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, despite the “enormous uplift” required. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/10/asia-pacific/politics/australis-aukus-submarine-timeline/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #aukus #australia #richardmarles #elbridgecolby #submarines

Oh yes, and then there is this! 😄

"Leading facial #AgeEstimation tools were easily fooled by a $22 "old man" mask, a Guy Fawkes mask, and other cheap party costumes, researchers have found."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-02/social-media-ban-vpns-masks-age-checks-disguises/105836134

#AgeVerification #DigitalRights #privacy #Australia #SocialMediaBan

🚨 World's first social media ban begins: Australian & under‑16? Your social media account is now locked. 🚨

What's next? From Dec 27 #AgeVerification checks for search engines like #Google.

BUT - Once your data is in the system, what's stopping it from being used for surveillance?

And what happened to #Privacy? 🧐

#DigitalID #Australia

YouTube already has it ➡️ https://tuta.com/blog/how-to-turn-off-youtube-ai-age-verification

Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/10/asia-pacific/society/australia-teen-social-media-ban/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #society #australia #children #socialmedia #internet #twitter #facebook #tiktok #tech

I put in a bid for an APRA award (Grammy) for my score in The Correspondent & they didn’t even acknowledge the submission which was a big Fuck You Award.

So I’m happy/stressed that the music score just got a nomination for an AACTA (Oscar). That’s a 1/4 chance now.

Whether or not I deserve it - it’s a win for a fully electronic film score and that’s a cool thing for all of us making bloops so please send positive brain bribes to the judges. Bless. #musicproduction #australia

On Australia's social media ban for under-16s: The downsides of the age-restricted internet are obvious, but at this point I just think we all need to wait and see whether it works at all https://youtu.be/Qf4uVSFwyOE #australia #censorship #socialmedia #vpns