The 9pm Autumn Series 2021 continues with blockchain and crypotocurrency realist David Gerard, author of Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain and Libra Shrugged: How Facebook Tried to Take Over the Money.
Continue reading “The 9pm Dumb Anarcho-Capitalist Blockchain Scams with David Gerard”Weekly Wrap 204: Libertarian troll beach abortion, yeah?
My week of Monday 28 April to Sunday 4 May 2014 was yet another solid performer — which, to be honest, surprises me. But here we are. Praise be.
The entire week was spent at Wentworth Falls, apart from a day trip to Sydney — but despite the rapidly dropping temperatures as winter starts to bite, and despite Mistress Insomnia’s continuing persistent calls for attention, my mood holds up.
Articles
- Enjoy your Ubergasm, but don’t expect respect in the morning, ZDNet Australia, 30 April 2014. Needless to say, this latest contribution to my battle against the mindless fandom of Silicon Valley’s libertarian arseholes met with a mixed reception.
Podcasts
The big chunky piece of joy for me this week was resurrecting The 9pm Edict. The first episode, “The 9pm Shire” should have been appearing tonight — and the photo at the head of this post was taken during the recording expedition — but for reasons already explained that’s been postponed until this coming Tuesday 6 May or thereabouts.
Media Appearances
- On Tuesday I was interviewed by The Wire, the daily current affairs program of Australia’s community radio stations, about internet security — but that’s being held over to the coming week.
5at5
Four out of five this week. But why don’t you subscribe to 5at5, and then I don’t need to keep telling you about it.
- 5at5 number 42, 28 April 2013.
- 5at5 number 43, 30 April 2013.
- 5at5 number 44, 1 May 2013.
- 5at5 number 45, 2 May 2013.
Corporate Largesse
- On Thursday I had coffee with someone from LivePerson, a company that provides technology for online customer service. Their PR company paid for the coffee.
- Also on Thursday I went to Good Technology’s Sydney Mobile Summit, all about the state of the art of mobile security — or at least as framed by their products and PR messaging. It was held at the Sheraton on the park, and lunch and afternoon tea was provided.
The Week Ahead
Next week is already completely packed out, and it also sees me heading to the United States yet again.
On Monday I’ll be heading to Sydney to complete my recordings at Cronulla and deal with a few errands.
I’ll be staying in Sydney overnight, because on Tuesday I’m going to a breakfast briefing that starts at 0730 — this is how businesses treat their staff, apparently — as well as doing a couple of interviews. I’ll head back to the Blue Mountains on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, it’s a day trip to Sydney for a lunchtime briefing by AVG Technologies on some research they’ve done into the security of the Internet of Things (IoT). “There isn’t any,” I assume to be the answer, but with additional wine.
Thursday is a writing day. Then on Friday it’s back to Sydney again for a bunch of errands and then the Optus IT Journalism Awards, in which I am a finalist. Then I stay in Sydney overnight before flying to San Francisco on Saturday.
On Sunday I’m visiting some wineries in the Sonoma region, thanks to NetSuite, who are also paying for that US trip. But I’ll write more about that in due course.
[Photo: Fisherman at North Cronulla Beach, photographed shortly before sunset on Saturday 3 May 2014.]
Weekly Wrap 194: Brandis, Bitcoin and many medias
My week of Monday 17 to Sunday 23 February 2014 began with a busy time on the Gold Coast at the Tech Leaders Forum, but when I returned to Wentworth Falls mid-week I descended into food poisoning and related depths. I shall not be drawing a diagram. You shall be grateful.
Nevertheless I got quite a bit done, and I shall now list some of it. But I won’t say much more, because this week ended almost a week ago and I’m moving on.
Articles
I deliberately cut back on the number of written pieces I produced this month, their place in the budget having been filled by the discussion on digital privacy for Hitachi Data Systems. But I’m happy with what I wrote, including this column.
- And the digital Antoinettes cried ‘Unemployed? Let them cut code’, ZDNet Australia, 21 February 2014. Contains the line: “the usual-suspect digital libertarian princesses — in the non-gender-specific sense — flouncing around as if they’re Marie Antoinette”.
Media Appearances
This was a ridiculous week for media spots. I did a total of seven radio interviews — and that’s after I’d turned down a couple of others, as well as a TV spot.
- On Monday I spoke about Bitcoin on ABC 666 Canberra, but I screwed up the recording. Sorry.
- On Tuesday I spoke about digital copyright on Spoke, the weekly social issues program on 3RRR.
- That evening I spoke about digital copyright with Dom Knight on ABC Radio 702 Sydney, but I didn’t manage to get a recording of that one either.
- Wednesday was the big day. First up, at around lunchtime, I spoke about the Internet of Things on ABC Gold Coast.
- In the middle of Wednesday afternoon I spoke about the rumours of an Apple Car on 1395 FIVEaa Adelaide, which led to another lightheartedly cynical discussion of the Internet of Things.
- On Wednesday afternoon I spoke about digital copyright on ABC 105.7 Darwin.
- And later on Wednesday afternoon I spoke about Bitcoin again, this time on ABC Sunshine Coast.
5at5
Oh dear. It seems that 5at5, the “email letter” that I started three weeks ago, has started to get a bit wobbly. I only managed three issues this week. Sorry.
- 5at5 number 11, 17 February 2014.
- 5at5 number 12, 20 February 2014.
- 5at5 number 13, 21 February 2014.
Corporate Largesse
- The Tech Leaders Forum 2014, formerly known as Kickstart Forum, on the Gold Coast ran from Sunday to Tuesday. The organisers, Media Connect, covered my flights from Sydney, airport transfers, and two nights accommodation at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove. Then there were various freebies. Avaya: a 4GB USB key containing media assets. Emerson Network Power: a combination max-min thermometer-hygrometer; and an 8GB USB key containing media assets. NEC: an 8GB USB key; and a little battery-powered Bluetooth audio speaker. Riverbed: a Power Bank model A5 2600mAh external battery with all the connectors; and a 4GB USB key containing media assets, on a bright orange lanyard. Symantec: two bottles of orange juice.
[Photo: Stilgherrian juggling the invisible things at Tech Leaders Forum, 16 February 2014, with freelance journalist Claire Porter on the right. Photograph by Munir Kotadia. This is just crying out for some Photoshop work.]
Talking Bitcoin on ABC Sunshine Coast
I did two radio interviews about Bitcoin last week, but unfortunately only one survives. This one, the poorer of the two.
The first one, on Monday 17 February for ABC 666 Canberra, was sharp, and I pulled off what I remember as being good impromptu explanations. But I stuffed up the recording. This second one, for ABC Sunshine Coast on Wednesday 19 February, was done after I’d followed the bottle of Sangiovese Barbera with a couple pints of cider after a long day of work. It’s less focussed.
This conversation with presenter Mary-Lou Stephens includes the word “cryptolibertarian”. It’s all a bit much. I even squeeze in a mention of Honest Beef.
The audio is also presented here without an introduction or a back-announce, because that’s how it was posted on SoundCloud.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.4MB)
The audio is of course ©2014 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.