Stilgherrian – Stilgherrian

17 November 2025

Weekly Wrap 807: All the podcasts, all the trains

Looking along a railway station platform shortly before sunset. A Sydney Trains V-Set stands on the right, stretching along the platform towards left, where its distant nose is just short of a signal glowing red over red. The forward part of its shiny fluted steel sides glisten in under the platform’s illumination, although the car nearest us is mostly in the shadows, its two levels of windows glowing yellow and highlighting the purple upholstery within, The only person to be seen is the driver walking up to the front of the train, a tiny figure in the distance.

It was very busy, my week of Monday 10 to Sunday 16 November 2025, despite sleeping all day on Tuesday due to a suspected mild virus. Lots of podcast work, some client work catch-ups, and a very busy weekend. Many trains were involved, so I’ve decided to post a photo of a soon-to-be scrapped V-Set. I will not miss them.

13 November 2025

The 9pm Offworld Colonies with Dr Alice Gorman and Rami Mandow

Left: Dr Alice Gorman. (Photo: Simon Royal/ABC) Right: Rami Mandow. (Photo: Supplied; Post-processing: Stilgherrian). Not the best ALT text, I know, but yeah a white women and a man "of Middle-Eastern appearance". — *Left: Dr Alice Gorman. (Photo: Simon Royal/ABC) Right: Rami Mandow. (Photo: Supplied; Post-processing: Stilgherrian)*

No one under the age of 25 has ever known a time when there haven’t been humans in space — although to be fair, not many humans. To mark the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station’s inhabitation, and other space news, we chat once more with Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk and astrophysicist Rami Mandow.

09 November 202512 November 2025

Weekly Wrap 806: The Kookaburra of Consideration

Sitting on a slender lichen-riddled branch, with a background of sunlit trees and bushes, is a laughing kookaburra, its right side toward us and looking down to the right. It’s a chunky medium-sized bird with off-white head and underparts, and brown wings with a pale blue flash, and on its head are brown streaks back from the eyes and along the middle of the crown. Its tail is lighter brown with black bands. It leans forward, its big beak prominent, concentrating on what might appear on the ground below. Yes, it’s about to pounce!

My week of Monday 3 to Sunday 9 November 2025 saw me invent a new podcast sub-project, and then manage not to post the two full podcasts I’d planned. For various reasons. Oh well. The rest of it was reasonably productive, so I’m happy with that.

02 November 202509 November 2025

Weekly Wrap 805: Cruising through spring in the Sydney suburb of Campsie

A suburban street in Sydney’s inner south-west. A two-storey red-brick building is labelled “1912” and ”Fire Station” in early 20th century typography in maroon on cream. Two big garage doors hide a modern fire engine and an empty garage respectively. A sign on the lower left reads: “Smoke alarms save lives. Spring is here. Emergency 000.” On the right, a young man wearing lack strides into the frame. Overhead, rainclouds loom.

I am happy with my week of Monday 27 October to Sunday 2 November 2025. While I didn’t push out the podcasts I’d intended, Certain Things were sorted out. And here’s a photo of a fire station from last century.

26 October 202531 October 2025

Weekly Wrap 804: Endeavouring to plan podcasts (not sorry)

A NSW TrainLink Endeavour railcar at Blacktown station. It’s a diesel multiple unit (DMU) although we can only see the first of two cars, facing to the left. It’s made of fluted silver metal sides with a black band running along the windows. The front end is painted dark blue with a bright yellow band below the driver’s window, and it has bright yellow doors. The underparts and black, and the entire train is filthy and in need of a good wash. Its number is 2854.

Despite being down with a random virus on Wednesday, my week of Monday 20 to Sunday 26 October 2025 was remarkably productive. I produced one podcast, planned four others, and continued to assist with the property hunting. I also took photos of trains, one of which is included with this post.

23 October 202513 November 2025

The 9pm Bongbong in the Region with Erin Cook

A white woman with her long brown hair tied back wears a yellow and black top, sunglasses, and a smile like the Mona Lisa. Behind her stretches out a view of a tropical landscape and, eventually, the ocean. It?s Erin Cook! — *Journalist Erin Cook towers above South-East Asia. (Photo: Supplied)*

We’re halfway through spring and this, finally, is the first episode of the spring series. In the Philippines, there’s typhoons and floods and earthquakes and political protests. So to look at what’s happening in that country, we’re joined by journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia.