Google Has a Secret Reference Desk. Here’s How to Use It.

SM at Custom House

Sorry, is anyone tired of hearing about Spain? Because I'm not. I can never have too much integrity & decency in my life, in my timeline.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the conflict in the Middle East was another example of the failing world order, as he called on Australia to work with Canada to build a new system of middle-power coalitions to replace the ruptured status quo of great-power rivalry.

“Middle powers like Canada, and I would suggest Australia, should recognise that the rupture in the international system represents just that … a clear break from the past, and we need to act decisively to secure our shared future,” Carney said in a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Wednesday evening.

“Middle powers, working together, cannot only build true sovereignty. We can also help shape the next global order. Australia and Canada can’t compel, like the great powers, but we can convene. We can set the agenda, shape the rules, and organise and build capacity through coalitions that deliver results at speed and global scale” 

Carney urges Australia to join middle power bloc

Spain to Trump: "Spain opposes this catastrophe … governments are there to improve people's lives … not to worsen them .. it is absolutely unacceptable that leaders who are incapable of fulfilling this task use the smokescreen of war to mask their incompetence $ line the pockets of a select few."

After the U.S. senators and the Prime Minister of Spain, now the President of France, Macron, has also opposed Trump and Netanyahu’s aggression against Iran. The military actions by the U.S. and Israel against Iran have been carried out beyond the limits of international law, which we cannot endorse

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has lashed out at the American-Israeli strikes, underlining his refusal to participate even after President Trump threatened Madrid with economic retaliation.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on the Iran War: "Spain's position at this juncture is clear and forceful. It is the same position we have maintained in Ukraine and also in Gaza. No to the breaking of international law that protects us all, especially the most defenceless - the civilian population."

Spain’s Leader, Rejecting Iran War, Escalates Long Feud With Trump

A paraphrase of Heidegger?

Jimi Hendrix as systems engineer

NYT on the possible Nevis charter city

 New teen mental health problems in Australia?

Jacinda Ardern is moving to Australia (NYT)

Google Has a Secret Reference Desk. Here’s How to Use It. – 40 Google features to find exactly what you need, the alternative search engines that do things Google won’t, and the reference desk framework underneath all of it. Hana Lee Goldin, MLIS –

 “Most of us search Google the same way we always have: type a few words, scroll, click something that looks close enough, and hope. For a while, that worked. Google handed us a list of links and let us take it from there. What’s happening now is something different. A 2024 study by SparkToro found that nearly 60% of Google searches end without anyone clicking through to a website, and the trend has accelerated since. 

By February 2026, Ahrefs found that queries triggering AI Overviews now see a 58% reduction in clicks. Google has been systematically inserting itself between you and the original source, answering questions with AI-generated summaries before you ever reach the page those answers came from. The results you do see are filtered through an algorithm that weighs your search history, your location, and the billions of dollars advertisers have spent to appear for particular queries. 

Two people searching identical phrases on the same day can get meaningfully different results without either of them knowing it. And because Google controls roughly 90% of the world’s search traffic, most people have no frame of reference for what a less mediated search experience would even look like…”

Don’t Build Your House on Rented Land: Why Writers Should Avoid Platform Dependency and How They Can Do So

Via LLRX – Don’t Build Your House on Rented Land: Why Writers Should Avoid Platform Dependency and How They Can Do So – Over the past several years, platforms such as Substack have become increasingly attractive to writers seeking to establish themselves as an independent voice. The appeal is obvious. They are easy to use and can turn a writer into a publisher overnight. No web developer is required. Payment systems are integrated, and distribution is built in. Substack markets itself as a refuge for writers who prefer autonomy to corporate hierarchy. There are good reasons to use Substack and similar businesses, but there are also risks. These platforms are not inherently malign, but they are fragile. This article by Jerry Lawson will focus on Substack, the currently trendy platform, but the key ideas apply to many other platforms.