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!
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull becomes the conduit, no, the tunnel of love. We revisit the economic wisdom of Joe Hockey. Euroterrorism sprouts from Brussels. And guess who’s back?
In this episode, there’s talk of lizards and leeches, homeless people and hapless riflemen, Nicholas Fryer takes us through The Arch Window, and much more.
Continue reading “The 9pm Let the Fun Begin”
Monday 4 to Sunday 10 January 2016 was a reminder that the world, and especially the humans that infect it, move to their own natural cycles and patterns. It’s easier to move in rhythm with these than try to work against them, for better or for worse.
Australia shuts down between Christmas and New Year, yes. But despite the claims that we now live in a 24/7 ever-on ever-connected cycle, the reality is that much of Australia still operates to its traditional annual cycle. Shut down just before Christmas, operate in summer holiday mode through to Australia Day on 26 January.
You just have to face the fact that nothing substantial can get done in the first week of January, and that you’ll have trouble getting up to speed on any substantial projects right through to the end of the month.
Individual humans have their own patterns and habits as well, and it’s also tough to change them. You can’t teach a duck to dance, they say. But when the duck is smarter and more stubborn than you are, what hope can there be?
So it with those observations that I introduce this week’s humble list of achievements, and note a few of the necessary changes to The Plan.
None.
None.
None. But should 5at5 eventually reappear, you’ll know about it if you subscribe.
None. The year has not yet started.
It’s another week at Wentworth Falls, and broadly speaking it’ll be much the same as its predecessor — but with achievements rather than distractions. He says boldly.
What’s definite is that the next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded on Thursday night 14 January, streamed live through Spreaker from 2100 AEDT.
I’ll also be making a day trip to Sydney for a medical appointment at some point. I won’t know when that will be until Monday. That’ll be on Wednesday. I’ll have plenty of free time during the day, so if we need to catch up then let me know.
Apart from that, I’ll continue to work on designing a website and a matching email template for a client; writing that episode of The 9pm Edict; updating some of the stuff I use to explain what it is that I actually do; typing up the loose ends from my crowdfunding projects; thinking about my future accommodation needs; and bringing my bookkeeping up to date so I can file five years of outstanding tax returns.
On 10 to 12 February, I’ll be in Melbourne for the Pause Fest. I’m on a panel on Thursday 11 titled “The security paradox: individual privacy vs digital driftnets”. I’ll be staying in Melbourne until Saturday. If you’d like to catch up, let me know.
I’ve dumped plans to go to Geelong to cover Linux.conf.au in the first week of February. Sorry, but I need to keep that week flexible and close to Sydney for personal reasons.
For the same reason, my bold intention to record The 9pm Edict’s Public House Forum on Saturday 23 January is also dumped. I need a clearer plan for what I’m actually doing with my various podcasts. They can’t just be an indulgent drain on my time, and despite the inexplicable generosity of those who’ve been supporting me, the numbers don’t quite add up yet. Stand by for more thoughts about that in the not-too-distant future.
Some things that remain on The Plan include Tech Leaders in Leura on 13-14 March; the Australian Cyber Security Centre Conference in Canberra on 12-14 April; NetSuite’s SuiteWorld in San Jose on 16-19 May; the AusCERT Conference on the Gold Coast on 24-27 May; the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August; and the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October.
What else should I add to that list?
Apart from anything else, the first thing I notice about it is that nearly everything is in Australia. Have my horizons contracted?
Update 11 January 2016: Edited to reflect minor schedule changes.
[Photo: Ducks on the Parramatta River, photographed on 15 September 2012. I spent quite a lot of time watching these ducks on the banks for Sydney’s Parramatta river that spring afternoon before they’d finally had enough of me, formed convoy, and departed.]
Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is the savour of the trade union movement, apparently. Indeed, it looks like Turnbull is laying out the groundwork and strategy for an early election in the new year.
In this abbreviated New Year’s Eve episode of The 9pm Edict, there’s talk of Soapy’s bookshelves, alcohol, and not a lot else, really.
Continue reading “The 9pm Topsy Turnbull Land”
My week of Monday 21 Sunday 27 December 2015 started badly. At 0823 I received an SMS message from my bank, asking about a suspect transaction. Within minutes, the card number was cancelled, and a new card organised — but not before hundreds of dollars had been siphoned out in a series of transactions to PlayStation Network GBR.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 290: A cash-based Christmas”
Do you wink at powerful men? Apparently winking at powerful men is a thing, and we hear more about this and other tips for success in this rather odd episode of The 9pm Edict.
The panellists are, in order of introduction:
My week of Monday 7 Sunday 13 December 2015 went more or less according to plan, with plenty of geek-for-hire work in addition to the media stuff listed here.
I even managed to have an actual weekend.
There’s also been some progress in my plans to tackle the black dog of depression with more vigour than in the past: I’ve been accepted into the Depression Clinic at the highly-respected Black Dog Institute. I’m looking forward to having some up-to-date science being brought to bear, but the clinic is so heavily subscribed that my appointment isn’t until February.
Should 5at5 eventually reappear, you’ll know about it if you subscribe.
None.
The week begins with an amorphous but busy couple of days. Between now and Wednesday morning, I’ll need to organise some podcast-related things for the remainder of December, write for ZDNet, design a logo, and do various geek-for-hire work. And to add to the need for flexibility, I’m still not sure which days I’ll be in Sydney, and which in Wentworth Falls.
On Wednesday, I’ll be going to a lunchtime briefing by Hitachi Data Systems, and then a medical appointment. On Thursday, I’ll be writing for ZDNet, I think. And on Friday, I’ll be migrating to Ashfield for ten days, amongst other things.
Somehere in there, I want to record a “2015 Wrap” episode of Corrupted Nerds, though it may have to slide into next week.
On Saturday, I’m recording The 9pm Public House Forum #2, similar to the first one. I’ll post it onto the internets on Sunday, I think.
I’ll produce “2015 Wrap” episode of the Edict some time between Christmas and New Year.
[Photo: Tea tree flowers. Flowers of some Leptospermum species, photographed at Bunjaree Cottages, near Wentworth Falls, 100km west of Sydney, on 8 December 2015.]