A middle-aged white man with stubble and a hat gazes into the distance. It's John Birmingham! Behind him, the cover of a book looms large. — *John Birmingham is haunted by the cover of one of his popular techno-thrillers. (Photo: Supplied)*

As the summer series grinds on we’re joined once again — well, after a gap of more than a year — by author and columnist John Birmingham.

In this episode we talk, inevitably, about the nexus between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. But we also chat about Brisbane and the good old days, cancer, the Apple Vision Pro, World Expo 88, digital locks, physical fitness, and the links between hypermasculinity, Gamergate, and fascism.

It also sees the return of the chia seed protein pudding, and yet more mentions of Umberto Eco.

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Episode Links

01. John Birmingham - Wikipedia

John Birmingham (born 7 August 1964) is a British-born Australian author, known for the 1994 memoir He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, and his Axis of Time trilogy.
02. John Birmingham's CheeseburgerGothic

I write books and things. This is sort of like my private club where anyone can hang out to talk about that stuff. So, okay, not that private. I’ll let you know about the stuff I’m doing, the stuff I love, and more importantly, the sort of things I think you might love too. For once, it’s not all about me.
03. AFR editor apologises to WA readers for 'World is Fukt' front page - Mumbrella

[24 April 2014] The editor-in-chief of the Australian Financial Review has apologised for a headline that ran on the front page of its Western Australian edition today stating: “ARMS BUILDUP | BUYS PLANES | WORLD IS FUKT.”
04. Aaron Rupar - Bluesky

[12 February 2025] REPORTER: Are you policing yourself for conflicts of interest? What are the checks and balances? MUSK: We post our actions to the DOGE handle on X.
05. Elon Musk at the White House: FULL NEWS CONFERENCE - YouTube

[13 February 2025] President Donald Trump and Elon Musk came together in the White House on Tuesday for Trump to sign an executive order concerning the billionaire’s work leading the Department of Government Efficiency and wanting federal agencies to work with him.
06. Elon Musk's Kid Keeps Saying Weird Stuff About Trump

[13 February 2025] Little X appeared to tell Trump "shush your mouth" in the Oval Office.
07. Italian leftist student group 'hangs' Elon Musk effigy in square where Mussolini was strung up | Euronews

[22 January 2025] Students protesting against Elon Musk's extremism have hung him in effigy in Milan's Piazzale Loreto, stringing up a fake body upside down in an imitation of the hanging of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's corpse in the very same square in 1945.
08. The 9pm Probe: Mike Godwin, attorney and author – Stilgherrian

[28 October 2018] While I was in Washington DC recently, I recorded an interview with attorney and author Mike Godwin, he of Godwin’s Law fame.
09. Umberto Eco's List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism | Open Culture

[1 November 2024] While Eco is firm in claiming “There was only one Nazism,” he says, “the fascist game can be played in many forms, and the name of the game does not change.” Eco reduces the qualities of what he calls “Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism” down to 14 “typical” features.
10. Ur-Fascism | Umberto Eco | The New York Review of Books

[22 June 1995] Freedom and liberation are an unending task.
11. Law and Order Voice Intro DUN DUN HD Lyrics - YouTube

"In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories."
12. U.S. intelligence, law enforcement candidates face Trump loyalty test - The Washington Post

[9 February 2025] Candidates for top intelligence and law enforcement jobs were asked to give “yes” or “no” responses to questions such as: Was Jan. 6 “an inside job?”
13. Brent Terhune

Search for him on your social media app of choice.