Author: Stilgherrian

Posted on

Analysing The 9pm Edict’s Hidden Costs

Hero Image of distorted chartI’ve been analysing the time it takes to produce each episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, and the results are disturbing.

Well, they disturbed me.

The Short Version

Audio recording is a relatively small part of the process. My workflows are inefficient, because I’m always playing with the format rather than settling into a routine, let alone automating things.

On a personal note, lack of confidence sometimes slows the creative process. Thanks, brain. I also spend more time fussing over the audio mix than is probably warranted.

The time taken to produce each episode is usually 10x or even 20x longer than the finished podcast. The crowdfunded budget falls way short of proper compensation. And that doesn’t even take into account the time taken to do that crowdfunding.

The Long Version

What I just said, but with charts, and much more background information.
Continue reading “Analysing The 9pm Edict’s Hidden Costs”

Posted on

Announcing “The 9pm One Nation Policy Reading”

[This literary tour de force will be streamed live from stilgherrian.com/edict/live4/, at Spreaker, and via Spreaker apps.]

Pauline Hanson on Channel Nine's Today, 3 July 2016

On Saturday night, I’m recording and streaming live a special edition of The 9pm Edict podcast the likes of which you’ve never heard before. The voters of Australia are to blame. I need your help to undo some of the damage.

The 9pm Edict cover art version 2, 150 pixels

The results of Australia’s federal election held last Saturday are not yet clear. One of the few certainties, however, is that Queensland’s voters have propelled the red-headed figurehead of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation into the Senate.

Senator Pauline Hanson. Get used to it, Australia.

One Nation’s full policy agenda isn’t just racist and anti-Islamic. Sure, it includes banning the burqa and niquab in public, banning halal certification, and a Royal Commission into Islam, but there’s much more.

How about scrapping all international treaties? Introducing Citizens Initiated Referenda, compensation for wind turbine syndrome, and euthanasia? Re-introducing trade tariffs? The list goes on.

Hanson is assertive. Treating her as just an amusing sideshow would be a mistake. She’ll push her party’s agenda in the Senate, so we’ll need to push back.

We need to understand.

We need to take a closer look.

We need to go inside the mind or Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:03 — 3.3MB)

One Nation’s Policies Presented As They Should Be

This Saturday 9 July at 2000 AEST, I will start drinking Queensland’s own Bundaberg Rum and read to you, verbatim, the entire One Nation policy agenda. Every word.

This literary tour de force will be streamed live from stilgherrian.com/edict/live4/, and via Spreaker.

Continue reading “Announcing “The 9pm One Nation Policy Reading””
Posted on

Weekly Wrap 318: Post-election madness, and fatigue, and…

Nom Chomsky, the cat I'm feeding at AshfieldLast week I said that I was emerging from the mysterious illness. Alas, it didn’t last. My week of Monday 27 June to Sunday 3 July 2016 was far less productive than I’d hoped.

That said, I made progress on the much-delayed geek-work, and on the seemingly never-ending tax compliance work, although there’s little to show outwardly. My stress levels were much reduced, but I’m aware that there’s still a lot to go.

Meanwhile, as you’ll read below, there’s been a disturbing development…

Podcasts, Articles, and Media Appearances

None, sadly.

Corporate Largesse

  • On Wednesday, I went to a lunchtime media briefing by VMware, which took place at est. Obviously, there was excellent food and drink.

The Week Ahead

It’ll be another week in Ashfield, Sydney’s inner west.

Monday begins with another batch of tax compliance work. I’m then spending the rest of the day with an old friend and his offspring, who are visiting Sydney.

The rest of the week is another mix of geek-work and more tax compliance work, depending on my mood at the time.

And the disturbing development?

A Special Podcast Episode?

There’s talk of me doing a special post-election episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, consisting of nothing but me downing Bundaberg Rum and reading the full policy agenda of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

I mean, after Saturday’s election she’ll be in the Senate — and the policies aren’t just racist, they’re a mashup of of almost every paranoid conspiracy out there.

Reading all of these policies would take more than two hours. But there’s a groundswell of support for making it happen — including at least five financial contributions so far. It could actually work, if it were streamed live, and people could read along at home and chat amongst themselves.

I will make an announcement about this, one way or another, before 2100 AEST tomorrow night, Monday 4 July 2016. Probably well before that, actually.

If you’d like to make a persuasive contribution before then, do feel free to give me a tip. If your tip is specifically for this project, I’m happy to refund it if this special episode doesn’t go ahead.

Further Ahead

While the following few weeks are still be be organised, I can say that I’ll be going to theGartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, and the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October.

[Photo: Nom Chomsky, the cat who I am duty-bound to feed while at Ashfield, photographed on 2 July 2016.]

Posted on

Weekly Wrap 317: Does the Solstice herald a good new year?

Sydney Harbour at sunset: click to embiggenMy week Monday 20 to Sunday 26 June 2016 saw me emerging from the mysterious illness, and starting to get back into work. Still, I made good progress on most work fronts, even if there’s nothing much to report

Podcasts

This is the final episode of what I’ve called “series 4” of the Edict. There’s a new series and a new schedule from 1 July. I haven’t announced that yet, however, except to say that there’ll be one episode during July. Stay tuned for details.

Media Appearances

Articles and Corporate Largesse

None. For obvious reasons.

The Week Ahead

I’m spending this week in Ashfield, in Sydney’s inner west, but Monday will be a day of travel: errands to Enmore and Lilyfield, then the long commute up to Wentworth Falls and back. Why? To collect some documents I need for my neverending tax compliance catch-up.

Tuesday will see me working with those documents.

On Wednesday, there’s a lunchtime briefing by VMware in the SydneyCBD, after which I’ve got a meeting related to a SEKRIT media project.

On Thursday I’m recording an interview in the morning, then heading to the Sydney CBD to get a haircut, pre-vote for Saturday’s federal election, and get a democracy sausage.

Friday will be a mix of research, writing, and more tax compliance work, depending on my mood at the time.

There’s also geek work scattered through the whole week, but I won’t go into the details here.

Saturday is federal election day in Australia. While I’m not sure what I’ll be doing during the day, the evening will doubtless be spent watching to election specials on TV. It’ll be a close result, by all accounts, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Further Ahead

While the following few weeks are still be be organised, I can say that I’ll be going to theGartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, and the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October.

[Photo: Sydney Harbour at sunset, photographed on 22 June 2016 while crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.]

Posted on

Weekly Wrap 316: Coughing as the Solstice approaches

Sydney, five minutes before dawn: click to embiggenMy week Monday 13 to Sunday 19 June 2016 was miserable. Why? Was it a cold? Was is a throat infection? Was it a gut infection? Was it all these things? Who can say?

I got nothing done, apart from some excellent lying in bed coughing. I do not recommend this as a way of life.

Media Appearances

Podcasts, Articles, and Corporate Largesse

None. For obvious reasons.

The Week Ahead

On Monday, I’ll be producing an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, and then celebrating in a private ceremony the Winter Solstice and the Full Moon. This will continue into Tuesday, because the Solstice itself is actually at 0834 AEST, well after the 0700 AEST sunrise.

The remainder of the week will see me in Sydney, working on the seemingly-endless tax compliance work, as well as the much-delayed geek-for-hire work. That’s enough for now, right?

[Photo: Sydney, five minutes before dawn, being the view of the Sydney CBD on 11 June 2016.]