Blog – Stilgherrian

20 September 202620 September 2026

Weekly Wrap 851: The Raven of Spring Productivity

A black bird stands side-on to us on top of a bright red "No Stopping" sign in front of a bright blue sky. It's an Australian raven! Their beak is open as they croak, and the shaggy "beard" feathers are delightfully shaggy indeed. Their feathers are very glossy black. Either side, out of focus in the background, are some medium-rise apartment buildings.

My week of Monday 14 to Sunday 20 September 2026 was sunny, productive, and full of birds — especially a very glossy Australian raven who followed me down a street in Canterbury. And I kicked off the spring series of The 9pm Edict podcast. Hurrah!

FIX

13 September 202618 September 2026

Weekly Wrap 850: I am a space computer, no really

A street corner in suburban Sydney. We’re looking diagonally across the intersection to an inter-war commercial building, probably 1930s by my guess, which has been converted into a pub. The ground level is painted cream with a lower section of dark green tiles. Above are two floors of cream-painted walls, topped with the legend “Station House”. The awning also reads “Station House Hotel”, and is hung with red Chinese lanterns. Either side of the image are London plane tree, bare of leaves because it’s only the very start of spring. A blue and white bus is pulling up from the left.

My week of Monday 7 to Sunday 13 September 2026 was relatively ordinary. I didn’t get a lot done, but it wasn’t a disaster either. I ate fish. But most importantly, a fun little film was released, one in which I’d played a small part. The photo of the pub is totally unrelated.

07 September 202613 September 2026

Weekly Wrap 849: How much wood could a wood duck duck?

On a green lawn stand five ducks, black and grey and a little speckled white, all facing to the right.

How about five of them? Quack! My week of Monday 31 August to Sunday 6 September 2026 was a mixed bag of naps and minor victories. I had hoped to get a lot more planning and organising done, but there was a lot more to sort through than I’d estimated. It was stressful.

30 August 202631 August 2026

Weekly Wrap 848: This shaggy raven is nothing to crow about

A shaggy black bird looks at us as it perches on a wooden fence railing, along which are entwined the leafless branches of a vine, probably a grape vine. In the background are the trees and well-manicured pawns of a gold course.

My week of Monday 24 to Sunday 30 August 2026 began at a conference in Bowral, where I managed to check out the local bird life as well as learning things. Once back n Sydney, I got some client work done. I fed two cats while their humans were away. And there was progress of a sort in the saga of The Lost Module.

23 August 202628 August 2026

Weekly Wrap 847: The Moon is evil and must be destroyed

A bright blue cloudless sky. A long tube — is it metal? is it concrete? — extends from the lower left and thrusts upwards to the right, where it points directly at the half-full Moon. Yes, it does look like a giant Anti-Moon Cannon, but it’s really a ventilation device of some sort.

My week of Monday 17 to Sunday 23 August 2026 was both productive and entertaining. I posted a podcast, I got a bunch of client work done, I saw the wonderful Takashi Wakasugi in an intimate comedy venue, and I ended the week at a delightful retreat in Bowral for the TechLeaders 2026 conference.

17 August 202622 August 2026

Weekly Wrap 846: Transformations, but few details

A two-storey Victorian commercial building glows in the late afternoon light. It’s painted a faded creamy yellow. The upper level, with an ornate facade, reads “Books and Videos” in somewhat faded text, and in even older text “1889 James Castle & Sons Art Metal Workers”. There’s more text, but it’s obscured by graffiti. The awning has faded signage for the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, The Sun-Herald, and, finally, “Gould’s Books & Video, Records & Cassettes Bought & Sold”. At street level the Gould’s signage is repeated. Bicycles are locked to some parking signs. And on the right of the building there’s a door into which winds a queue of young people waiting to get in.

My week of Monday 10 to Sunday 16 August 2026 was a good week. Productive. Filled with decent food, some of which I cooked myself. And there was wine. Let’s leave it there.