Word-whore. I write 'em. I talk 'em. Information, politics, media, and the cybers. I drink. I use bad words. All publication is a political act. All communication is propaganda. All art is pornography. All business is personal. All hail Eris! Vive les poissons rouges sauvages!
Happy New Year! My week of Monday 26 December 2022 to Sunday 1 January 2023 was appropriately lazy for the time of year. I’m thrilled that my crowdfunding campaign reached its first two targets — but the MacBook Pro that is being replaced was put to sleep for the final time, creating one final irritation.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 657: Begone, 2022, and your myriad irritations!”
My week of Monday 18 to Sunday 24 June 2018 wasn’t all that exciting. I’ll list the usual things, but I’ll also keep it brief because my computer just died. Joy.
I also wrote another piece for the Crikey series we’ve been working on. I’m told this series will start appearing in early July.
None, but I really will do these two podcasts soon.
None.
Monday is supposed to be a writing day, but I may spend it arguing with technology. I’ll also do the shopping in Katoomba.
On Tuesday I’ll trek to Sydney. First, I’ll collect a loaner computer from The Rocks. Then it’s off to Apple Castle Towers — where there isn’t even a castle, let alone towers — to start the process of getting the computer fixed. And then it’s back to Wentworth Falls to make all the things work again.
The shape of the rest of the week will depend on how long it takes the repairs to happen, but it will include writing for the usual suspects.
Things I’ve pencilled in, none of which have been confirmed yet:
Update 25 June 2018: Edited to clarify the week’s plans.
[Photo: What the screen of my MacBook Pro looks like right now.]
My week of Monday 2 to Sunday 8 May 2016 was essentially a continuation of the previous week, although the illnesses both physical and digital have ended.
Well, the short-term medical conditions anyway. The long-term conditions are both being addressed more or less according to plan. Ish.
I’ll tell you about the key events another time, however. For now, just the essentials.
I’m quite pleased with this episode, and what little feedback I’ve had about the potential future of this podcast suggests that this magazine format is the way to go — although the Public House Forum episodes also seem popular.
Meanwhile…
Jobs and growth, jobs and growth, jobs and growth. Australia’s federal election has finally been confirmed for Saturday 2 July. We have an eight-week campaign, which means there should be at least two episodes of the Edict.
The mediascape will be filled with the usual commentary and mainstream punditry based on each day’s action. So for my own efforts, in podcasts or elsewhere, I intend to slow down and get outside that bubble.
What will this mean in practice? I don’t know yet. Watch this space.
None.
I’ll be based at Wentworth Falls for most of the week, I believe, and it begins with a day off on Monday.
Remarkably, the rest of the week has no fixed appointments, but I’ve got plenty to do. There’s the usual writing for ZDNet and perhaps Crikey, the geek-for-hire work, and the neverending work to bring my tax affairs up to date. I’ll also have to lock in my podcast and election campaign plans. But I’ll be able to work on these things in the most comfortable order. This pleases me.
The weekend is similarly unplanned. Joy.
On 24-27 May, I’m covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast. Apart from my usual conference coverage, once more I’ll be on the panel for the event’s closing Speed Debate.
[Photo: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces the federal election on 8 May 2016. Screenshot from ABC News24.]
Papua New Guinea suddenly remembers it’s not a colony any more and acts like a real nation. Nicholas Fryer makes some modest proposals. And there’s terror in the streets of Baltimore.
In this episode, there’s talk of hedgehogs and weasels, refugees and terrorism, and more.
Continue reading “The 9pm Victory over the Adult Hedgehog Onesie Bomber”
My week of Monday 25 April to Sunday 1 May 2016 was disrupted — not in that silly fashionable way, but in the traditional annoying way — by failing computer hardware and illness.
My MacBook Pro developed a screen fault, so I lost time moving my work to a loaner machine and organising repairs. Somewhere along the way I got what I presumed was food poisoning but which is clearly something else. Both patients are getting better, the silicon more quickly than the flesh.
The many edits to last week’s Weekly Wrap reflect all the plans made and discarded.
As a result…
None.
None. However an episode of The 9pm Edict is part-produced.
None.
I’m back at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains this week, or at least for most of it.
On Monday, I’m working on geek-for-hire tasks in the morning, and completing that episode of The 9pm Edict podcast in the afternoon and evening.
On Tuesday, I’m making the long commute down to Sydney to cover the inaugural National Fintech Cyber Security Summit. Tuesday night is federal Budget Night in Australia, so I’ll probably stay in Sydney to amuse myself with that rather than spend the evening on the train. Nah, that’s too long a day. I’ll do some bits and pieces in the Blue Mountains instead.
On Wednesday morning, I daresay I’ll be writing something. At midday, it’s my first progress check at the Black Dog Institute, three months into working on the dog of a different colour. I’ll probably have some news. Then I’ll collect my repaired MacBook Pro, and return to the Mountains.
The remainder of the week and the weekend are unplanned, but I know I’ll be writing for ZDNet and doing more geek-for-hire stuff in there somewhere.
On 24-27 May, I’m covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast. Apart from my usual conference coverage, once more I’ll be on the panel for the event’s closing Speed Debate.
Update 2 May 2016: Edited to reflect changed plans for Tuesday.
[Photo: Approaching Sydney. A Qantas Boeing 737-800, I believe, on approach to Sydney airport (SYD) over the inner west suburb of Lilyfield on 25 April 2016.]
My week of Monday 24 to Sunday 30 August 2015 was disrupted by dentistry. A filling broke, quite a large one, and I lost half a day of covering the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit. There were also budgetary impacts. Why do we have teeth?
There was some good news, however. My new MacBook Pro arrived, courtesy of The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh. Migrating everything to the new machine was seamless, and took just over two hours. I’ll report further on its performance in due course.
None, but I’ve done most of the work on a ZDNet column that will be posted on Monday.
None, but a new episode of The 9pm Edict will appear on Tuesday. I’ve already done a lot of the pre-production.
There were three editions of 5at5, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Why not subscribe so you’ll get all the future ones?
It’s the second of two weeks in Sydney, and it starts off hectic. On Monday, I have to finish a ZDNet column, scope out a server upgrade for a client, and complete The 9pm Edict podcast.
On Tuesday, I’ll organise the final technology purchases for The 9pm Urgent Hardware Refresh, and write my bit for the ACCAN National Conference debate on Wednesday. Then at 2030 AEST that night, I’m talking about some recent tech stories on ABC 702 Sydney and Local Radio around NSW.
On Wednesday, I’ll actually be at the ACCAN National Conference, or at least in the afternoon for the panel discussion. The morning is likely to be spent catching up on various background tasks.
On Thursday, I’m writing a column for ZDNet, and turning my UTS lecture from April into a video.
On Friday, I’ll design and test my new podcast recording set-up. I’ll post a description once that’s done.
The weekend will see me not working at all, ideally. No, really.
On Friday 11 September, I’ll be presenting my regular guest lecture at UTS. And then on Saturday 12 September, it’s the recording session for The 9pm Edict Public House Forum, with post-production to be done on the Sunday.
[Photo: Don’t be a cog in the machine, being graffiti photographed somewhere in Sydney on 29 July 2007.]