Tag: spring

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Weekly Wrap 387: Roses, rain, wine, and cybers

Antique Roses at The AlexMy week of Monday 23 to Sunday 29 October 2017 was adequate. I’ve been having a relaxed Sunday, though, and I don’t want to spoil that, so let’s get on with the show.

Articles

Podcasts

Media Appearances

  • On Tuesday, I spoke about the targeting of advertising on social media on ABC Canberra.
  • On Wednesday, I spoke about encryption policies and, briefly, Nazis for the next episode of the Covert Contact podcast, which will appear very soon. If you haven’t done so, you can still listen to my first appearance, the episode about Australian Cyber Policy.
  • My story about an Australian defence contractor’s data breach from a couple of weeks ago was picked up by a Ukrainian news site, and a site in Italian that I didn’t investigate further.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

Monday will definitely be a jumbled day of editorial planning, research, story pitches, and administrivia. I’m glad I’ve already sketched out the rest of the week.

On Tuesday I’m heading to Sydney for a couple meetings, but I’ve got room for more. I’m also doing a radio spot on ABC Melbourne at 1930 AEDT.

Wednesday will be a day of writing, as will most of the rest of the week.

At some point, I’ll also announce a new crowdfunding campaign. It’s been more than a year since my last concentrated ask-for-money burst, and the gods know my budget needs it. But there’s been some changes in the crowdfunding landscape since then, so I don’t want to rush it. Stay tuned for details.

Further Ahead

At this stage, I haven’t locked in anything specific for the rest of the calendar year. Please feel free to make some suggestions.

[Photo: Antique Roses at The Alex. The back bar of the Alexandra Hotel, Leura, was decorated with a bouquet of antique roses taken from the pub’s own garden. Photographed on 26 October 2017.]

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Weekly Wrap 382: Spring springs, Melbourne looms

Laneway GirlThe week of Monday 18 to Sunday 24 September 2017 saw a solid surge into spring. It’s frightening.

Friday 22 September was the hottest September day ever recorded in Sydney and across much of NSW. That night, at least up here in the Blue Mountains, the overnight minimum was so far above average that it was a degree warmer than the average maximum for that day.

The planet is not broken.

Podcasts

  • “The 9pm End of the World, But More So”, being The 9pm Edict episode 68, was finally produced on Thursday night. You can also listen to it on SoundCloud and Spreaker. Be warned, the pace of the news cycle means that some of it has already been overtaken by events.

Articles

I’ve also part-written a piece for ZDNet that’ll appear on Monday.

Corporate Largesse, Media Appearances

None, but that changes next week.

The Week Ahead

Monday sees me on a day trip to Sydney for routine back maintenance. Beforehand, I’ll finish a yarn for ZDNet. En route and afterwards, I’ll work on my presentation for Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, I’ll catch an early train to Sydney to cover the first day of SINET61, the second annual joint conference of the Security Innovation Network and Australia’s Data61. I’ll stay in Sydney overnight.

On Wednesday, I’m flying down to Melbourne. That evening I’m speaking at Digital Manipulation of Democracy, part of the Victorian Fabians’ Spring Series of events on “Digitisation and Democracy”.

I’m staying in Melbourne through to Saturday afternoon. On Thursday evening, I’m talking about cybers or tech or something on ABC Melbourne. That’s probably at 1930 AEST, but check Twitter on the day. The rest is unplanned, but I’ll think of something. Or you will.

Further Ahead

Events I’m covering or speaking at include:

If there’s anything I should add in there, please let me know.

Update 28 September: Edited to reflect cancellation of ABC Melbourne spot.

[Photo: Laneway Girl. A mural outside a nightclub on Earl Street in Sydney’s Kings Cross, photographed on 9 September 2017.]

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Weekly Wrap 381: Hasn’t everything been lovely! No?

Hanging SwampThis Weekly Wrap covers two weeks, Monday 4 to Sunday 17 September 2017. Thank the gods, spring is rolling on, and I’ll be back to weekly posting soon.

The fortnight’s achievements included wrapping up work on that SEKRIT editorial project — I’ll post separately about that on Monday — and the news that I probably don’t have skin cancer.

“Say what?”

So yeah, a spot on my leg that’s been there for years had recently started growing. I did what all of you should do. Rather than ignoring it, I showed it to my GP. He was fairly sure it was nothing to worry about, but to be sure, we sought specialist advice.

A lovely dermatologist chappie quickly identified it as a traumatised angioma, as shown in figures 16 and 17. Mine isn’t as visually prominent as that one, and only half the length.

My GP’s response was dismissive. “Oh, so it’s a scratch,” he said.

He’s been my GP for more than 20 years. He takes liberties. Like eating sandwiches during consultations.

Anyway, on with the show… such that it is.

Articles, Podcasts, Corporate Largesse

None, but see below.

Media Appearances

  • On Tuesday 5 September, I spoke about the fragility of the internet on ABC Adelaide. As has been usual lately, I probably won’t post the audio.
  • On Thursday 14 September, Tim Burrowes and I spoke about Facebooks’s new advertising policies on ABC Radio’s The World Today.

The Week Ahead

The next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will finally be recorded this Thursday 21 September at 2100 AEST. No really. As has become traditional, it’ll be streamed live via stilgherrian.com/edict/live/. You still have time to support this podcast with a one-off contribution.

Apart from that, I’ll be doing the usual mix of writing and complaining and stuff.

Further Ahead

Events I’m covering or speaking at include:

If there’s anything I should add in there, please let me know.

[Photo: Hanging Swamp. The view down into a valley at the terrain known locally as a hanging swamp. This example is at the side of the main track at Bunjaree Cottages, near Wentworth Falls. Photographed on 13 September 2017.]

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Weekly Wrap 330: More spring, more cybers, less pain

Ascent: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 September 2016 was the first in more than three weeks where I spent a day without any painkillers. Four days, in fact.

Whether it was that, some of the other medical activities, the continuing springing of Spring, certain other factors, or some combination thereof, it was also more productive that recent weeks — despite the stress continuing much as usual.

The week also way the beginnings of Certain Plans being made, but those details are for another time.

Articles

Podcasts

None.

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

  • On Thursday, I covered the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Summit, so obviously there was food and drink.

The Week Ahead

I’m back in Sydney’s inner west again, where I’ll probably be based for a few weeks.

On Monday, I’m writing for ZDNet, bringing my geek-for-hire projects up to date, and negotiating my next moves with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). That stuff continues into Tuesday.

On Tuesday Wednesday, I’m recording and streaming an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast. That’s scheduled for 2100 AEST, but before that I’ll be launching a new crowdfunding campaign. I also have a number of meetings in the city.

Thursday is about bookkeeping and medical appointments. Friday is about writing and the like. And then it’s the Labour Day long weekend.

Further Ahead

I’m going to the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, the Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October, the iappANZ Trust In Privacy Annual Summit in Sydney on 14 November.

I plan to record the next Public House Forum episode of the Edict on Saturday 15 October somewhere in or near Sydney.

Update 27 September 2016: Edited to reflect schedule changes.

[Photo: Ascent, being a photograph of the railway overpass on Blaxland Road, Wentworth Falls, taken on 20 September 2016. It’s a bit muddy, so maybe I should try to improve that image.]

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Weekly Wrap 329: Plenty of cybers as spring unfolds

Almond blossom and eucalypts in the gentle Sunday rain: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 12 to Sunday 18 September 2016 started to see a return to productivity after the pain of previous weeks.

There were also some shifts on the personal front, but I’ll keep them to myself for the time being. On with the show…

Articles

Both of these pieces came out of the SINET61 cyber innovation conference. More will follow.

Podcasts

None.

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

The Week Ahead

On Monday, I’m writing for ZDNet, doing some data-wrangling for a client, then re-planning the coming weeks because my mid-October trip to Melbourne has been cancelled.

Tuesday and Wednesday will be a combination of geek work, research, writing, and preparing my next crowdfunding campaign, ordered as the mood takes me.

Thursday, though, is a long one. I’m looking at early train down to Sydney, then the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Summit through to lunchtime. I’ve got medical appointments from 1415, and then a radio spot on ABC 774 Melbourne at 2000 AEST. I’ll stay in Sydney overnight.

On Friday, I’ll probably have some meetings or write for ZDNet, before catching the train back up to the Mountains. I’m still juggling that one.

On Saturday, I’ll bump out of Bunjaree Cottages and head down to Sydney, and once more I’ll be based there for a while. Sunday is a day of rest, allegedly.

Further Ahead

The next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded on the evening of Tuesday 27 September. I plan to record the next Public House Forum on Saturday 15 October somewhere in or near Sydney, but the one planned for Melbourne on 19 November is cancelled for the time being.

I’m going to the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, and the Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October.

Update 20 September 2016: Edited to reflect some schedule clarifications.

[Photo: Almond blossom and eucalypts in the gentle Sunday rain, yet another photo taken at Bunjaree Cottages near Wentworth Falls, 100km west of Sydney. This one is from the rainy afternoon of 18 September 2016. I’ve previously posted images of the almond blossom emerging.]

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Weekly Wrap 328: Spring goes on, pain goes on, life goes on

Almond Blossom at Bunjaree Cottages, Day Nine: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 5 to Sunday 11 September 2016 was consumed by a second week of pain — slightly less pain than last week, and the rapidly-blooming spring helped make it bearable.

Podcasts

Articles

None.

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

Monday should be a relatively quiet day, a mix of production planning and administrivia. If the pain subsides a bit more, though, I might do some writing.

On Tuesday, I’ll be taking an early train down to Sydney, where I’ll stay for a couple of nights. On Tuesday and Wednesday I’m covering the SINET61 cyber innovation conference at Australian Technology Park. On Thursday it’s meetings and medical appointments, before a late-ish train back to the Mountains.

Friday is likely to include some writing, and then the weekend is unplanned.

Further Ahead

The next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded on 27 September, despite what I said in this week’s episode. I plan to record the next Public House Forum on Saturday 15 October somewhere in or near Sydney, and then another in Melbourne on 19 November.

I’m going to the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Summit in Sydney on 22 September, the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, the Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October, and an event in Melbourne I can’t tell you about yet on 17 November.

[Photo: Almond Blossom at Bunjaree Cottages, Day Nine, one in a series of daily photos of an almond tree at Bunjaree Cottages near Wentworth Falls, 100km west of Sydney — although the images are of different parts of the tree. This one was taken on 7 September 2016.]