During my week of Monday 9 to Sunday 15 December 2024 a certain king parrot decided that I am now his feeding perch. I finally wrapped up the spring series of The 9pm Edict podcast. And my injuries continued to heal quite quickly. I’ll definitely tell you more about them soon.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Chickens of Cyber Necromancy with Justin Warren, recorded on Wednesday morning and posted on Thursday evening. This is the final spring series episode, but the summer series kicks off in just a few days. Because it’s already summer.
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. You can always throw a few coins into the tip jar or subscribe for special benefits. Please consider, especially as the holidays season looms. It’s such a terrible time for freelancers.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #48. A new way to make big online platforms pay for news, yet another call to break open encrypted communications, and 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
- One of my photos of a new NSW TrainLink Mariyung D-Set train was used by the UK’s Daily Express to illustrate their story Australia’s incredible £2bn rail project slammed as passengers make huge complaint. Not only is that headline misleading, they repeat the garbage story about the trains being “too wide”, a political myth that’s trivial to debunk.
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.
Recommendations
As promised, a double dose this week. As usual there’s a ton about that Elon Musk fellow, much of it about his new role as America’s “First Buddy”. I assume Rule 34 applies.
- “President-elect Donald Trump tells TIME in his Person of the Year interview that he may reject spending bills sent to him from Congress if they do not match the cuts prescribed by a cost-cutting plan being drafted by billionaire advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.”
- “The friendship between Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Elon Musk is the talk of Italy, and increasingly so since the latter secured a key role in the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump.”
- Elon Musk’s six major conflicts of interest with the federal government.
- How Elon Musk’s relationship with China could shield Tesla from a Trump trade war.
- Trump team wants to scrap car-crash reporting rule that Tesla opposes.
- How Elon Musk’s partnership with Trump could shape science in the US — and beyond.
- “Elon Musk wants to give Nigel Farage US$100 million — this is the funding loophole that makes it legal.” For his party, Farage says this isn’t a thing.
- Trump wants SpaceX customer Jared Isaacman as next NASA boss.
- Elon Musk is on the weight loss drug bandwagon.
- Elon Musk now has more money than anyone has ever had, he being the first person to reach $US400 billion ($628 billion) in net worth.
- But not everything goes Musk’s way. Elon Musk’s $56bn Tesla pay package rejected again by US judge.
- And finally, a solid feature from Seth Abramson, The Truth About Musk, From His Biographer.
Also in the news:
- I mentioned this on the podcast but it’s worth mentioning again. The BBC’s Strong Message Here features journalist Helen Lewis and satirist Armando Iannucci talking about how politicians use language. Brilliant stuff.
- The BBC has complained to Apple after the latter’s AI news summary made up a headline, which was wrong.
- As some of you may know, I’m a bit of a fan of musical comedy duo TwoSet Violin, who announced in October that they’d no longer be performing under that name. Well, as a final thank-you for their huge fanbase, and as described in the New York Times, they’re doing a short series of videos under their semi-parody band name, B²TSM.
- Cracking the Code on Hallmark Christmas Movies from comedian Don McMillan.
The Week Ahead
Even though this week doesn’t technically contain the final working days before Christmas — there’s Monday and Tuesday next week as well — I understand Australia. I know everyone will be wrapping up their working year this Friday, if not before. So I’ll try to do the same.
I am doing some work across the so-called holiday season, however, so in the first part of the week I’ll confirm with clients what needs to be done. You won’t be part of that, unless you’re a client. I’ll also pencil in some podcast episodes.
[Update 19 December 2024: I’ve adjusted the timing for some of these later events.]
Mid-week On Thursday I’ll record a brief solo episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, in part to set the scene for the rest of summer, in part to run through various personal things, including the fascinating injuries I’ve suffered recently.
I’ll write The Weekly Cybers as usual on Friday, and that will be the final edition for 2024.
Late in the week — probably on the weekend On Friday evening I’ll record the first special-guest episode of the summer series with Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous to talk about everything that happened in 2024. Every single thing. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 9pm AEDT this Thursday 19 December 8am AEDT this Friday 20 December. I’ll post that episode on the weekend some time.
Further Ahead
- Sydney days, 26 December 2024 to 3 January 2025. I’m taking every opportunity to spend time in Sydney for reasons which by now you may understand.
- NEW: Podcast recording with Snarky Platypus, 27 December 2024. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by midday AEDT that day, which is a Friday. We’ll be looking back at our 2024 bingo cards.
More podcast recording dates will be added next week.
[Photo: A male Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) who has recently become quite insistent on being fed separately from all the other birds, perched on my hand on 12 December 2024.]