Author: Stilgherrian

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Weekly Wrap 441: The joy of a calm spring week

Suburban JoyMy week of Monday 5 to Sunday 11 November 2018 went as planned. I’ll tell you more about that another time. Maybe.

It was very much the calm before another couple of very busy weeks.

Articles

Podcasts, Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse

None. As I said last week, these categories tend to come in waves. But there’ll be new podcasts soon, as detailed below.

The Week Ahead

On Monday I return to Sydney, writing for ZDNet en route, then heading to a lunchtime briefing on technology in health and aged care, then getting some back repairs.

I’ll remain in Sydney to cover a Tuesday morning session on the Future of Health, at an event sponsored by the Commonwealth Bank, then lunch meeting, then an evening meeting. There should also be more My Health Record action in the Senate, so I’ll be writing about that.

I return to the Mountains on Wednesday evening, after a day of writing. Thursday is likely to be about writing and the shopping. On Friday there’s another Senate hearing on the Assistance and Access Bill, the anti-encryption legislation, so I’ll be keeping an ear on that.

After all that I’ll want a quiet weekend.

Further Ahead

The following week will begin with more writing, then from Wednesday through Saturday I’ll be back in Sydney for some cat-sitting.

The next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 November. It won’t be streamed live, but it will be posted the following day.

[Photo: Suburban Joy, being a rather bleak playground in Ashfield, Sydney, photographed on 11 November 2018.]

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Weekly Wrap 440: A pause before the next burst, with ants

AntworksMy week of Monday 29 October to Sunday 4 November 2018 was relatively quiet, reflecting a sensible reaction to my hectic schedule in the weeks beforehand.

Also, as I mentioned in the update to last week’s Wrap, I was dealing with what I have dubbed Banker Flu.

Articles

Podcasts, Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse

None. These categories seem to come in waves. But there’ll be new podcasts soon.

The Week Ahead

Monday is all about planning my work between now and the end of the year. Suggestions welcome.

Tuesday is Melbourne Cup Day, and while it isn’t a holiday in NSW it does tend to dominate the day throughout the country. I’ll take advantage of that by getting some writing done while everyone else is at the pub. Wednesday will be a social day, followed by routine shopping in the evening.

Thursday and Friday will be an as-yet-unstructured mix of writing and podcast production. Watch my Twitter feed for updates.

I’m spending Saturday afternoon and night in Sydney, where cat-sitting in Ashfield will be part of the agenda. Sunday is Remembrance Day, so I’ll attend one of the 11am ceremonies somewhere and have a relaxed lunch before getting the train back to the Blue Mountains.

Further Ahead

I suspect I’ll have more on this next week.

[Photo: Antworks, photographed at Bunjaree Cottages on 29 October 2018.]

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The 9pm Probe: Mike Godwin, attorney and author

Washington Monument at dusk

While I was in Washington DC recently, I recorded an interview with attorney and author Mike Godwin, he of Godwin’s Law fame.

We spoke about Godwin’s Law, of course, as well as nationalism, concentration camps, human rights, privacy, the fragility of democracy, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, libertarianism, Australia’s My Health Record, and more.

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Weekly Wrap 438: Digging into the legislation, mostly

Waratah at Bunjaree CottagesAfter two weeks of travel, my week of Monday 15 to Sunday 21 October 2018 was less hectic. My main focus for writing was legislation making its way through the Australian parliament.

Oh, and finally getting to the podcast production. That’s a good thing, right?

Podcasts

  • “The 9pm Arch Window into the Soul”, being The 9pm Edict episode 79. It’s also on Spreaker and SoundCloud. This one’s a bit different, with Nicholas Fryer asking the questions. Let me know what you think.

Articles

Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

I’m spending the week in Sydney covering SWIFT’s Sibos global financial services conference on Monday to Thursday, then doing some writing and dealing with a medical appointment on Friday.

On the weekend I’ll post another podcast, based on the long interview I recorded with the remarkable Mike Godwin in Washington DC. And then I’ll collapse.

Further Ahead

The following week I’m covering the McAfee MPOWER Cyber Security Summit in Sydney on Tuesday, as well as a little more podcast production.

There’s nothing specific pencilled in right through to the end of the year, so I should probably do something about that. Suggestions are more than welcome.

[Photo: Waratah at Bunjaree Cottages. Despite the heavy rain, this Waratah at Bunjaree Cottages is flowering again this year. I am pleased. Photographed on 21 October 2018.]

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The 9pm Arch Window into the Soul

Adelaide Railway Station

This podcast returns to my hometown of Adelaide and turns thing inside out, with The Arch Window’s Nicholas Fryer asking me questions. Some of them dig into my past.

We talk about internet influencers, internet advertising, the role of the ABC as Australia’s national broadcaster, the shift in focus of The Australian and other Rupert Murdoch media outlets, Malcolm Turnbull, Korean boy band BTS, The Veronicas, Bipolar II Disorder, the nature of being a writer, Sky News Australia, bourbon, repressed memories, getting older, and the importance of fear.

Continue reading “The 9pm Arch Window into the Soul”