Keith Drummond

This is not good.

a graph of the year-on-year change in us tech emploment

Here's a longer-term chart of US tech employment growth—the only thing that compares to the scale and length of current job losses is the dot-com bust

a graph of year-on-year change in US tech employment

Brutal numbers for US tech sector jobs released today—overall, employment decreased by 12k last month and is down 57k over the last year

That's now nearly as bad as the worst of the 2024 tech-cession, and significantly worse than either the 2008 or 2020 recessions

Somebody should tell the Gardai and @ucddublin.bsky.social that Proton can be convinced to hand over the information of who is behind sending those awful emails.

@news.rte.ie

The key question for markets is whether that means the Straits of Hormuz and energy infrastructure in the Gulf will continue to be under threat through September. Because that is NOT priced in right now.

Trump’s Iran gamble carries a political cost The decision to go to war was a dangerous wager that force could achieve what diplomacy couldn’t — and it’ll likely cause the president trouble come November.

Clear assessment of what has happened so far with Iran.

www.politico.eu/article/dona...

What 1000xRESIST is not:
❌ a game with combat
❌ an emotionally cozy game
❌ a quick story

What 1000xRESIST is:
✅ a doomed yuri simulator
✅ a game that will break your heart (& maybe not put it back together)
✅ a story you won’t forget anytime soon

Get it for 40% off! ⬇️

Here's what we know about the new US military operations in Ecuador. Comes after 1) Ecuadorian voters rejected reopening foreign bases and 2) US announced in December it was sending troops to Ecuador for a temporary deployment to fight drug groups.

New from me:

Image-based abuse left me 'shattered,' UCD medical student says | Prime Time YouTube video by RTÉ News

My daughter attends UCD and has been following this case as it developed. It has deeply upset her.

I’m shocked by how @ucddublin.bsky.social appears to have handled this.

The possibility the person responsible may now enter the medical profession is troubling.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbr...

Europe unites to build sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure Europe announces a new cloud empire to end dependence on the US and China.

Good news story in all this chaos.

www.euronews.com/next/2026/03...

Public Consultation on the Cost of Disability

The Irish Department of Social Protection is inviting submissions on the Cost of Disability.

If this is an issue that affects you or your family, it’s an opportunity to shape future policy.

Consultation details here: www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

Solicitor (Administrative Officer) in the Guardian ad litem National Service - Department of Children, Disability and Equality Find the latest vacancies across both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland for solicitors, barristers and other legal professionals.

A solicitor (administrative officer) is sought for the new Guardian ad litem National Service.

Greenman OPEN February update (2 Mar 2026):

Q2 portfolio sale “on track”
No material change to prior timelines
Subscriptions expected to reopen Aug 2026
Redemption Gate expected to lift in 2027
Order-matching liquidity tool planned for Q4 2026

No update indicating that redemptions have commenced.

If this drags on for 6+ months nations could see a healthy spike in tax income this year.

Beijing will be watching.

Sustained operations burn through hardware, stockpiles and readiness cycles faster than public messaging suggests — especially with ongoing commitments elsewhere. Even the US has limits.

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” — Sun Tzu

Starmer's ability to find the exact sweetspot which pisses off everyone is extraordinary. He's a savant.

🫡 🇮🇪 Irish Battalion: Imigh Leat is rolling!

We’re raising funds for a NAFO Bus 3.0 for the 118th Brigade (157 Separate Batt of TD, aerial recon) 🇺🇦

🔗 Join this campaign: www.help99.co/patches/iris...

25% funded (€5,268.55 / €20,500)
Donate €100+ → limited NAFO patch

Let’s boost this campaign! 😎

“War is not abstract. It costs American blood and treasure. The Founders placed the power to initiate it in Congress precisely to ensure those costs are confronted and debated before the country walks into battle,” says Cato Institute’s Katherine Thompson.

Hypothetical.

Iran hits back at the US.
Trump asks NATO to trigger Article 5.

Europe and NATO faces a serious decision.

Then — in the “new security environment” — he pivots to Greenland.

Elections also put on hold.

The next few years are going to be wild.

All to avoid talking about Epstein.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand comes to mind.

Building supportive housing for those who would otherwise be homeless is the right moral thing to do. It’s also the right financial thing to do, since it actually saves public money. It’s a no brainer, so don’t let wrong-headed ideology get in the way.

Tell your leaders to build supportive housing.

Několik nemovitostních fondů zaměřených na Německo zastavilo výplaty - Super-trefa.cz Podle zpráv agentury Bloomberg několik nemovitostníchfondů zaměřených na Německo zastavilo výběry prostředků. Společnost Fokus Wohnen Deutschland, která spravuje hrubá aktiva v hodnotě téměř 1 mld. EU...

A Greenman OPEN update:

Now several Germany-focused property funds have suspended redemptions. This isn’t a single-fund issue — it’s sector-wide liquidity stress.

Open-ended structures + illiquid assets + rising rates = gates.

The real test now is transparency.

super-trefa.cz/nekolik-nemo...

Ireland also had record breaking homeless numbers this week.

The arrow of time is only going in one direction.

Governments can not be the last to wake up to this and start planning for what the AI future looks like.

Reeves and Svantesson: Don’t believe Putin’s lies. Economic pressure is working Ukraine’s allies must double down — including with the EU’s promised €90bn loan, Britain and Sweden’s finance ministers write.

Signs are pointing to a man who can not end or continue the war if he wants to survive.

But his bubble is insulating him from reality.

www.politico.eu/article/rach...

Anthropic's spineless utopianism

Silicon Valley thought it was building a republic, and brave new worlds.

The State was waiting for it to become infrastructure.

Ozymandias is smiling at it all.

unherd.com/2026/02/anth...

OpenAI uncovers global Chinese intimidation operation through one official’s use of ChatGPT | CNN Politics A sprawling Chinese influence operation — accidentally revealed by a Chinese law enforcement official’s use of ChatGPT — focused on intimidating Chinese dissidents abroad, including by impersonating U...

A sprawling Chinese influence operation — accidentally revealed by a Chinese law enforcement official’s use of ChatGPT — focused on intimidating Chinese dissidents abroad, including by impersonating US immigration officials, according to a new report from ChatGPT-maker OpenAI: https://cnn.it/4cIj0Py

💥BREAKING: Viktor Orbán ordered the military deployed to guard “key energy facilities,” citing a possible Ukrainian “attack” to disrupt Hungary’s energy system. The move fuels fears of a staged national security emergency or false-flag incident ahead of the April 12 elections. This is really scary.

As @JustinWolfers points out — when Trump boasts about the market being up he fails to mention other markets around the world are up way higher in the same period of time 🤷🏼

Help us report: How are journalists in Ireland using AI these days? We're curious what you're using it for, and what you think about that.

Will you help us report by filling out a short survey? If you're a journalist working in Ireland, we're curious what you're using AI for (if anything), and what you think about that.