My week of Monday 11 to Sunday 17 November 2024 included the making of podcasts and the launching of a crowdfunding campaign. Not much client work, but some much-needed socialising. It’s all about balance, right? And talking smut with Mark Humphries is always fun.
This Weekly Wrap is being posted late, on Monday rather than Sunday, but I think I needed it.
Launching this season’s crowdfunder
Summer is almost here, which means it’s time for the new season’s crowdfunding campaign, The 9pm Summer Series 2024.
The funding goes towards making more special-guest episodes of my inappropriate and often disturbing podcast for grown-ups, The 9pm Edict, and other projects.
At the time of posting we’re already 38% of the way to Target One, which is excellent, thank you.
Please click though, read, and consider. You have until Thursday 5 December.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Gorging on Pornography with Mark Humphries, recorded on Monday afternoon and posted on Wednesday evening. The episode title was his idea, which he now regrets.
- I also recorded a bonus episode with Snarky Platypus, to be posted this coming Tuesday evening.
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. See the crowdfunder mentioned above? You know what to do.
If you miss that deadline you can always throw a few coins into the tip jar or subscribe for special benefits. Please consider.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #44. Australia’s War on Social Media continues, with platforms to be hit with duty-of-care responsibilities as well as age restrictions, but there’s also plenty more.
You can read my previous writing at Authory, where you can also subscribe to an email compilation of any new stories each Sunday morning.
Media Appearances
- I was a guest on LiSTNR’s news and current affairs podcast The Briefing on Friday, How banning kids from social media will affect you. You’ll find it in your podcast app of choice and all over the socials.
- One of my photos of a Sydney tram turned up again on a Time Out story, this time illustrating Sydney’s public transport strikes: here’s everything we know so far.
- Oh, and also on All Sydney light rail services are free to passengers this week. Maybe I should send them a few more images to choose from.
Photos, Videos, Corporate Largesse
None of these. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos appear and when livestreams are scheduled. I know there haven’t been any for a while, sorry.
Recommendations
Well then. Here we are. Musk is in charge, until he isn’t.
- The big news is of course the story that Musk will lead the Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE. Geddit? Although it isn’t actually a government department, because government employees have to disclose their assets and conflicts of interest.
- Elon Musk has turned X into a globally influential media platform – and there’s more to come.
- AI-generated Elon Musk inspiration porn is viral on Facebook.
- “Elon Musk joined Trump on Capitol Hill for a meeting with Republicans — and the president-elect used the opportunity to ridicule the richest man in the world.”
- “Sources said that Musk’s near-constant presence at Mar-a-Lago in the week since Election Day had begun to wear on people who’ve been in Trump’s inner circle.”
- “Tesla vehicles suffer fatal accidents at a rate that’s twice the industry average, according to a new report.”
In other news:
- The US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which runs America’s spy satellites, has a comic book about their work (PDF).
- We’ve Got Uranus All Wrong.
- The Last Pie Cart, a short documentary about Adelaide’s supposedly famous pie carts, made in 2008. That last pie cart closed just two years later.
- The Kates have posted the complete Get Krack!n series 1 on the internet.
- I was reminded that way back in 2008 I used to live-tweet events and sometimes just what was happening around me. One such was Gonzo Twitter 1: Saturday Evening in Newtown.
- Would you like to listen to the relaxing sounds of a forest? Check out Tree.fm.
The Week Ahead
It’s already Monday and I’m about to return to the Blue Mountains! Once there I’ll knock off a little client work.
Tuesday is about editing and posting that podcast with Snarky Platypus and preparing for the next episode. Wednesday will contain some client work too.
Also on Wednesday I’m recording an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast with space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 7pm AEDT tomorrow, Tuesday 19 November.
Thursday is about client work. Friday is about The Weekly Cybers, because there will be a lot to write about this week. Saturday is about podcast editing. And Sunday is a day of rest. Whew!
Further Ahead
- Victoria expedition, 6–9 December 2024. Includes a friend’s birthday event on the Mornington Peninsula Friday 6 to Sunday 8, heading to Melbourne for social things on Sunday night before flying back to Sydney on Monday evening. This trip will almost burn off the last of my frequent flyer points from the Beforetimes, when I used to do a lot more travelling for work.
- Sydney days, 26 December 2024 to 3 January 2025 (TBC). I’m taking every opportunity to spend time in Sydney for reasons which by now you may understand.
[Photo: Surveillance cameras on the corner of Park and Pitt Streets, Sydney, photographed in the small hours of 17 November 2024.]