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Weekly Wrap 324: Back to the pain, causing chaos

Stripes in KL: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 8 to Sunday 14 August 2016 did not go to plan at all. I had to cancel everything from Wednesday onwards thanks to severe back pain.

Podcasts

Articles

None.

Media Appearances

None, though the Census disaster would have generated a few media appearances had I not been in pain. Messages started coming in from 0600 the morning after, and eventually totalled requests for nine or more radio spots and three TV spots — not that I could have done them all.

Corporate Largesse

  • CrowdStrike sent me a couple of their handy little webcam covers.

The Week Ahead

It’s yet another week in Sydney, which will make it 12 weeks in a row. I’m kinda glad I’ve avoided being in the Blue Mountains during the coldest part of winter.

It’s also another jumbled week of updating all the geek projects, writing for ZDNet, and trying to sort out my never-ending cashflow disaster. Details via Twitter each day.

On Thursday evening, I’ll be going to Text100’s infamous Xmas in August event, where they preview their clients’ products for Christmas and no-one ever drinks any alcohol whatsoever. On Friday, I’ll migrate to Ashfield in Sydney’s inner west, where once more I’ll be cat-sitting.

The weekend is unplanned.

Further Ahead

I’ll be going to the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Summit in Sydney on 22 September, the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, and the Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October.

[Photo: Stripes in KL. A snapshot of contrasting stripes taken when I was wandering the streets of Kuala Lumpur on 12 September 2011.]

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Weekly Wrap 323: It rains as Australia’s Census looms

Norton Street in the Rain: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 1 to Sunday 7 August 2016 saw a visible return to productivity, a week that was dominated by the forthcoming national census in Australia.

I wrote two columns and did two radio spots related to the census, and there’s more to come, although logistical problems meant that I had to turn down a TV spot.

That said, my “very severe” stress level continued, along with their health effects. Once more, I’ve been trying to take it easy.

If you’ve got a few stresses in your life, or you’re feeling down, or anxious, you might want to spend the next three minutes doing a DASS-21 assessment. It measures the three related states of depression, anxiety and stress. While it doesn’t provide a diagnosis on its own, it’s a good starting point for a conversation with your GP.

Articles

Podcasts

None, as it turns out, because The 9pm Edict was delayed. But see below…

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

It’s another week in Sydney.

On Monday, I’ll be writing for ZDNet, updating all the geek projects, and trying to sort out my current cashflow disaster.

Tuesday is dedicated to producing an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast. Yes, I know I said that last week, but this time it’s actually happening. I’ll livestream the podcast at 2100 AEST, although some segments or even the entire podcast may be pre-recorded. Since that’s Census Night in Australia, this episode will have some sort of Census theme. Sort of.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll be covering the ADMA Global Forum, ADMA being the Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising. I daresay I’ll be writing something about it on Friday.

The weekend is unplanned.

Further Ahead

I’ll be going to the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, and Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October.

[Photo: Norton Street in the Rain. A rainy afternoon on Norton Street, Leichhardt, photographed from the Leichhardt Hotel on 3 August 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 322: Fewer Pokémon, more stress reduction

Theme and variations in Kuhne Major: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 25 to Sunday 31 July 2016 was much the same as last week, so I won’t repeat all that. Let’s look to the future.

That said, I did get a bunch of stuff done on those much-delayed geek projects. I’ll tell you more about them as they emerge into the light over the coming weeks.

Podcasts, Articles, Media Appearances, and Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

I believe I’ll be in Sydney for the next four weeks, perhaps even longer. It was always part of The Plan to slowly wind down the arrangement which had me based in the Blue Mountains, but things are still flexible.

On Monday, I’m writing a column for ZDNet about the emerging privacy controversy over Australia’s national Census, as well as fleshing out the structure of a client website. The latter work continues on Tuesday. And Wednesday.

Tuesday Wednesdayis Some later day will be dedicated to producing an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast. At this stage I plan to livestream the recording session at 2100 AEST. But if I do pre-record some segments, or even the entire podcast, I’ll still livestream it when it’s ready to create that live audience vibe on the Twitter.

The rest of the week will continue to be a mix of geek work and writing for ZDNet, depending on my mood. The weekend is unplanned.

Further Ahead

I’ll be going to the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, and Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October.

Update 2 August 2016: Edited to reflect schedule changes. Update 3 August 2016: Edited again to reflect schedule changes.

[Photo: Theme and variations in Kuhne Major. Sydney’s Darling Park towers, designed by American-born British architect architect Eric Kuhne, photographed from Pyrmont Bridge on a gorgeous winter day, 29 July 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 321: Pokémon, a bad trip, and stress reduction

Circular QuayMy week of Monday 18 to Sunday 24 July 2016 was the second of three quite annoying weeks, full of stress and fatigue but little productivity.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that there’s been a few, well, difficult times in my life in recent years. This week falls in a period when my stress levels have been particularly high. “Very severe”, according to one measure. So I’ve been trying to take it easy.

If you’ve got a few stresses in your life, or you’re feeling down, or anxious, you might want to spend the next three minutes doing a DASS-21 assessment. It measures the three related states of depression, anxiety and stress. While it doesn’t provide a diagnosis on its own, it’s a good starting point for a conversation with your GP.

To add injury to insult, as it were, on Saturday evening I tripped and fell into the street, causing some “excellent” grazed elbow, as well as hands and knees.

Podcasts and Articles

None.

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

  • On Thursday, I went to a briefing on ransomware put on by Trend Micro at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. A lovely light breakfast and morning tea were provided, along with the usual branded USB key holding the PR guff.

[Photo: Sydney’s Circular Quay, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House of course, photographed in the late morning of 21 July 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 320: A midwinter shift in focus

Sydney in WinterMy week of Monday 11 to Sunday 17 July 2016 was full of exhaustion.

After finishing an important stage in bringing my tax compliance up to date last week, and after producing a marathon podcast, the stress was reduced a little. I spent a lot of time resting this week.

That said, in between the sleep and the neverending lurgi, I did start to get back into research and writing, and the coming week will see more.

Podcasts

  • “The 9pm One Nation Policy Reading”, being The 9pm Edict episode 61, was posted on Monday night, having been recorded the previous Saturday. You can also listen on SoundCloud and Spreaker. Yes I know I listed this last week, but if other people listed for more than two and a half hours then so can you.

Articles

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

None. But there’s plenty in the coming week.

The Week Ahead

I believe I’ll be in Sydney all this week, working through some geek stuff, as well as writing for ZDNet. So far I also have three fixed appointments…

On Wednesday evening, I’ll be doing a radio spot on ABC 774 Melbourne, at either 1900 or 1930 AEST. Check my Twitter stream on the day for the time.

On Thursday, I’ve got a couple of briefings. First thing in the morning, it’s a briefing on the current state of ransomware by folks from Trend Micro. Then in the late afternoon it’s a look at “The Changing Landscape of Cybersecurity” from a legal and risk perspective, with law firm Jones Day, and a panel including Alastair MacGibbon, who’s now the prime minister’s special adviser on cyber security.

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 in Winter, photographed from Lilyfield in the late afternoon of 13 July 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 319: Progress and a change of pace

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Milsons Point Wharf: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 4 to Sunday 10 July 2016 was full of significance.

First, the last batch of documentation needed to bring my tax compliance disaster up to date was sent to my accountant. There’s still plenty to go in this saga, but that’s the first phase done.

Second, I stepped outside my planned production schedule to create the special podcast episode listed immediately below. It was both fun and scary.

Podcasts

Articles, Media Appearances, and Corporate Largesse

None, sadly. But all will return in the coming weeks.

The Week Ahead

On Monday, which is almost finished as I write this, I’ll be shifting mental gears away from tax compliance to other things. I’ll be writing for ZDNet, wrapping up the post-production for The 9pm Edict, and then migrating from Ashfield to Lilyfield.

Tuesday is all about a certain interview. Research in the morning, conducting the interview at 1300, then writing something based in that interview for ZDNet.

On Wednesday, I’ll be helping a client automate a routine administration process in their business, and returning to the other much-delayed geek-for-hire projects. That work is likely to continue for the rest of the week.

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 Bridge from Milsons Point Wharf, photographed at dusk on 4 July 2016.]