My week of Monday 27 July to Sunday 2 August 2015 represented a remarkable turnaround — perhaps the turnaround that I’d been detecting in the winds since June. And then there’s the bushfire. It’s all so complicated!
Why? It was a full week with a properly-working computer — a week spent in a house with a properly-working kitchen, heating, and inspiring view — and that brought back some of the clarity of thought which I’ve been sorely lacking. I got plenty done, the most important in many ways being the launch — finally! — of The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh.
I was very pleased when people started contributing to this crowdfunding campaign just as soon as it was launched. I’m even more pleased to report that as I write this, roughly half-way through the campaign period, we’ve reached 54% of the initial target. That means we’re likely to succeed.
The stress of not having a working computer is subsiding, but I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched.
People who write or perform for a living will also understand the importance of the kind of reassurance that comes with people supporting the plan which, until then, had existed solely in your own head.
That has helped. Thank you. If you haven’t done so already, please check out The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh
Thanks also to the many people who asked whether I was in any danger from this weekend’s bushfire at Wentworth Falls. No, I’m not.
The fire is only 3km from Bunjaree Cottages, but between it and me there’s some significantly challenging terrain, and the wind has been taking the fire in a different direction. More than 100 volunteers from the NSW Rural Fire Service have been keeping us safe.
I’m certainly paying attention to what’s happening, though, and I see that there’s a wind change forecast for Monday. Depending on how the RFS people go with their plans for the rest of today and overnight, well, my risk assessment may change.
Just as I write this, the alert for the fire area has been raised from WATCH AND ACT to EMERGENCY WARNING — the latter being described thusly:
You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.
I must stress again, though, that I am not in the alert area, and I currently face no risk.
Articles
- ACSC publishes first threat report, but… ho hum, ZDNet Australia, 30 July 2015. The Australian Cyber Security Centre lost a real opportunity here.
- Should we let cyber espionage victims hack back?, ZDNet Australia, 31 July 2015. This idea was raised during a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council in Washington, and it horrifies me.
Podcasts
- On Friday, I posted “The 9pm I Can’t Believe It’s Not a Planet”, being The 9pm Edict episode 46. I turned out better than its convoluted production process led me to imagine. I may tell you about that during the week.
Media Appearances
- On Thursday, I spoke about the ACSC cyber threat report on 1395 FIVEaa Adelaide.
5at5
The hiatus has ended. There were two editions, on Thursday and Friday. Why not subscribe so you’ll get all the future ones?
Corporate Largesse
None. But there’s quite a bit scheduled for the coming week.
The Week Ahead
This is going to be a better-structured one, folks.
Monday will be a media production day — but I’ll decide the exact details on the day, depending on the bushfire threat level.
On Tuesday, I’ll be catching the 0706 train to Sydney, because on Tuesday and Wednesday I’ll be covering the ADMA Global Forum, presented by the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising. Also, at 2030 AEST on Tuesday night, I’ll be a guest on ABC Local Radio around NSW. And on Wednesday night, I’ll be going to Text100’s (in)famous Christmas in August event, a preview of their clients’ consumer technology for Christmas.
On Thursday, I’ll be going to a lunchtime briefing by NetSuite, and writing something for ZDNet, before taking the train back to the Blue Mountains. Thursday is also the last day of The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh, with the campaign ending at 2100 AEST that evening.
On Friday, I’ll be confirming what’ll happen with the funds so raised.
[Photo: The Final Redoubt, photographed on 2 August 2015. Should I ever need a final hiding place from a severe bushfire — and everything has happened so quickly that we skipped straight past three levels of warning, the fire jumped the road and railway, and all escape routes were blocked — then this cutting on Railway Parade near Wentworth Falls is where I’d wrap myself in wet woollen items and hope for the best.]
My week of Monday 6 to Sunday 12 July 2015 was the first of two weeks I’ll be spending in Sydney — but it wasn’t just the geography that made it unusual.
