John Birmingham

@birmo

I write for food and shelter.

1.154 Folgt9.054 Follower2.784 Posts

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John Birmingham@birmo· 11d

Right

John Birmingham@birmo· 13d

They are

John Birmingham@birmo· 13d

“Goodnight, mate.” “Goodnight, buddy.”

JB’s dog and cat wishing each other goodnight as they snuggle into bed together.

John Birmingham@birmo· 15d

After months of researching my essay on the new/far/alt right in Australia, diving into neoliberal think tanks, polling data & focus groups, funding sources for the Atlas Network, academic papers on the algorithm & epistemic collapse, I finally placed arse to Aeron yesterday & wrote my opening pars.

You can leave your hometown, but you can never escape it. I sometimes feel as though Ipswich has followed me across oceans and decades, and I wonder why, because all it has to do is wait a while and I’ll be back. I was back for winter this year, flying up the freeway past the abandoned insane asylum on the other side of the train tracks, letting the car do most of the driving, wondering if anybody still cut laps in town, and how many laps I’d have to cut in an electric Volvo before somebody picked a fight.
Three laps, I reckon.
Three circuits of Limestone Street, up past the opshop and McDonald’s, a hairpin right around the bottlo at the Federal, down Brisbane Street past Vogels Sports Store, where I got my first Grey Nick and…
No, wait.

John Birmingham@birmo· 20d

Had lunch with relatives. They asked me what I was working on. “A Quarterly Essay about the rise of the New Right in Australia…” Me 45 minutes later

John Birmingham@birmo· 29d

TFD is on its way. Don't tell anybody I showed you the cover. WW 3.4 shortly after that. But you're gonna have to wait until next year for Smith and Cady.

John Birmingham@birmo· Jul 5

Loggers Rest was a great B&B. Zest is a nice bakery cafe. The Summit is pretty cool for mulled wine and open fires.

John Birmingham@birmo· Jul 3

A black Volvo EX30 charges at a fast charger before dawn, its bright LED headlights cutting through the darkness while the charging station glows red behind it. The empty EV bays, quiet suburban surroundings, and faint glow on the horizon capture the stillness of an early morning departure. Taken during a road trip to Stanthorpe, the image reflects one of the small rituals of long distance EV travel, stopping to recharge while the rest of the world is still asleep.

John Birmingham@birmo· Jun 30

The loneliness of the long distance EV driver. (Me. I’m the driver).

A black Volvo EX30 charges at a fast charging station in the quiet pre dawn darkness of a shopping centre car park in Mittagong. The nearly empty car park is lit by streetlights and the glowing signs of stores in the distance, while the charging cable connects the SUV to the charger. The scene captures the calm rhythm of a long distance EV road trip, an early morning pause between Melbourne and Brisbane, with the world still asleep and only the soft hum of the charger marking the journey north.

John Birmingham@birmo· Jun 23

Just finished reading Anna Goldsworthy’s Quarterly Essay on AI. JFC what an amazing piece of work.

A copy of the latest Quarterly Essay Rests on JBs knee while his dog snores in front of the heater on a cold winter day

John Birmingham@birmo· Jun 20

I’m at Saint Marthe in Mt Tambourine for lunch and this is the very first Cosmopolitan I have ever had. It’s very nice.

A close up of a blush pink Cosmo served in an elegant coupe glass, topped with a thin slice of dried citrus. The drink sits on a polished wooden table beside a frosty glass of lime and mint, with a sparkling water bottle and restaurant scene softly blurred in the background. The shallow focus gives everything a relaxed, indulgent afternoon glow, capturing the precise moment when JB gets his drink on.

John Birmingham@birmo· Jun 10

LOL’ing at ‘extreme violence’. Top-shelf copywriting from the marketing mavens at Random House.

John Birmingham@birmo· May 28

shes much happier now the storm is over

Maggie, a pale yellow Labrador, sleeps deeply on an oversized grey dog bed while a small electric fireplace glows warmly nearby. Sunlight spills across polished wooden floors and soft furnishings, giving the room a calm, post storm coziness. A little side table with books and a potted plant adds to the peaceful atmosphere. Maggie appears utterly content, stretched out in the universal pose of a dog who has decided the crisis is over and further vigilance can safely be delegated to JB

John Birmingham@birmo· May 25

A glass car? Oh, Sir Jony, you've done it again! Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant, sir. Why has nobody thought of this before!

John Birmingham@birmo· May 24

John Birmingham@birmo· May 22

John Birmingham@birmo· May 21

Okay. Ready to write my column.

A crystal martini glass sits beside an open box of dark chocolates dusted with sea salt, arranged neatly on a black desk in front of a softly glowing laptop screen. The background falls out of focus, creating a late night writer’s workspace atmosphere, equal parts disciplined productivity and “just one more paragraph, and maybe one more chocolate.” A turquoise booklet labeled Praline Library rests beside the box, adding a splash of colour to the otherwise dark, cinematic scene.

John Birmingham@birmo· May 20

It’s me, in my data centre.

JB sits in a leather armchair before towering floor to ceiling bookshelves, wearing a red satin smoking jacket and reading a bright green copy of The Tasmanian Babes Fiasco. Warm sunlight spills across the room, illuminating rows of meticulously arranged hardcovers, a globe on a polished wooden cabinet, and a framed family photograph nearby.

John Birmingham@birmo· May 16

Fantastic, great move. Well done, Angus. open.substack.com/pub/aliensid...

John Birmingham@birmo· May 15

I pride myself on writing the sort of political analysis you just cant get from the Gallery. open.substack.com/pub/aliensid...

John Birmingham@birmo· May 2

Just spent a pleasant Saturday arvo channeling Raymond Chandler for the opening pars of World War 3.4

John Birmingham@birmo· Apr 20

Sat down this morning to compose a brief courtesy email to my editor regarding my initial thoughts on the outline for the essay I'm writing on the rise of the Far Right. Four hours later...

Crazy conspiracy wall guy explains it all.

John Birmingham@birmo· Mar 27

I had lunch in that place a few weeks ago. It's great. All this for less than ten bucks.

John Birmingham@birmo· Mar 27

Canavan glaring at the pump, because it won't drop lumps of frozen coal like the converted ice dispenser in his beer fridge. Bridgey, wondering if she should give Angus the atomic wedgie Canavan paid for with a fresh lump of freezer coal. Angus thinking, 'Fantastic, well done. Great job, Angus.'

John Birmingham@birmo· Mar 24

Sorry, coach. Can’t work out today. Gym’s busy.

Willow the cat totally owning the bench in JBs home gym.

John Birmingham@birmo· Mar 13

Editor cat has a few concerns about this draft.

John Birmingham@birmo· Mar 10

Alrighty then. Better wrap this research job up if I’m gonna get back home to run the Nats.

John Birmingham@birmo· Mar 10

Could this guy be any more of a fuckwit?