Tag: stress

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Weekly Wrap 321: Pokémon, a bad trip, and stress reduction

Circular QuayMy week of Monday 18 to Sunday 24 July 2016 was the second of three quite annoying weeks, full of stress and fatigue but little productivity.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that there’s been a few, well, difficult times in my life in recent years. This week falls in a period when my stress levels have been particularly high. “Very severe”, according to one measure. So I’ve been trying to take it easy.

If you’ve got a few stresses in your life, or you’re feeling down, or anxious, you might want to spend the next three minutes doing a DASS-21 assessment. It measures the three related states of depression, anxiety and stress. While it doesn’t provide a diagnosis on its own, it’s a good starting point for a conversation with your GP.

To add injury to insult, as it were, on Saturday evening I tripped and fell into the street, causing some “excellent” grazed elbow, as well as hands and knees.

Podcasts and Articles

None.

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

  • On Thursday, I went to a briefing on ransomware put on by Trend Micro at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. A lovely light breakfast and morning tea were provided, along with the usual branded USB key holding the PR guff.

[Photo: Sydney’s Circular Quay, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House of course, photographed in the late morning of 21 July 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 320: A midwinter shift in focus

Sydney in WinterMy week of Monday 11 to Sunday 17 July 2016 was full of exhaustion.

After finishing an important stage in bringing my tax compliance up to date last week, and after producing a marathon podcast, the stress was reduced a little. I spent a lot of time resting this week.

That said, in between the sleep and the neverending lurgi, I did start to get back into research and writing, and the coming week will see more.

Podcasts

  • “The 9pm One Nation Policy Reading”, being The 9pm Edict episode 61, was posted on Monday night, having been recorded the previous Saturday. You can also listen on SoundCloud and Spreaker. Yes I know I listed this last week, but if other people listed for more than two and a half hours then so can you.

Articles

Media Appearances

Corporate Largesse

None. But there’s plenty in the coming week.

The Week Ahead

I believe I’ll be in Sydney all this week, working through some geek stuff, as well as writing for ZDNet. So far I also have three fixed appointments…

On Wednesday evening, I’ll be doing a radio spot on ABC 774 Melbourne, at either 1900 or 1930 AEST. Check my Twitter stream on the day for the time.

On Thursday, I’ve got a couple of briefings. First thing in the morning, it’s a briefing on the current state of ransomware by folks from Trend Micro. Then in the late afternoon it’s a look at “The Changing Landscape of Cybersecurity” from a legal and risk perspective, with law firm Jones Day, and a panel including Alastair MacGibbon, who’s now the prime minister’s special adviser on cyber security.

Further Ahead

While the following few weeks are still be be organised, I can say that I’ll be going to theGartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, and the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October.

[Photo: Sydney in Winter, photographed from Lilyfield in the late afternoon of 13 July 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 318: Post-election madness, and fatigue, and…

Nom Chomsky, the cat I'm feeding at AshfieldLast week I said that I was emerging from the mysterious illness. Alas, it didn’t last. My week of Monday 27 June to Sunday 3 July 2016 was far less productive than I’d hoped.

That said, I made progress on the much-delayed geek-work, and on the seemingly never-ending tax compliance work, although there’s little to show outwardly. My stress levels were much reduced, but I’m aware that there’s still a lot to go.

Meanwhile, as you’ll read below, there’s been a disturbing development…

Podcasts, Articles, and Media Appearances

None, sadly.

Corporate Largesse

  • On Wednesday, I went to a lunchtime media briefing by VMware, which took place at est. Obviously, there was excellent food and drink.

The Week Ahead

It’ll be another week in Ashfield, Sydney’s inner west.

Monday begins with another batch of tax compliance work. I’m then spending the rest of the day with an old friend and his offspring, who are visiting Sydney.

The rest of the week is another mix of geek-work and more tax compliance work, depending on my mood at the time.

And the disturbing development?

A Special Podcast Episode?

There’s talk of me doing a special post-election episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, consisting of nothing but me downing Bundaberg Rum and reading the full policy agenda of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

I mean, after Saturday’s election she’ll be in the Senate — and the policies aren’t just racist, they’re a mashup of of almost every paranoid conspiracy out there.

Reading all of these policies would take more than two hours. But there’s a groundswell of support for making it happen — including at least five financial contributions so far. It could actually work, if it were streamed live, and people could read along at home and chat amongst themselves.

I will make an announcement about this, one way or another, before 2100 AEST tomorrow night, Monday 4 July 2016. Probably well before that, actually.

If you’d like to make a persuasive contribution before then, do feel free to give me a tip. If your tip is specifically for this project, I’m happy to refund it if this special episode doesn’t go ahead.

Further Ahead

While the following few weeks are still be be organised, I can say that I’ll be going to theGartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, and the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October.

[Photo: Nom Chomsky, the cat who I am duty-bound to feed while at Ashfield, photographed on 2 July 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 305: Unproductive anticipation

Australian Landscape: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 4 to Sunday 10 April 2016 was distinctly unproductive. This Weekly Wrap is running late. I’ll stick to the essential points.

I’ll mention one thing though. I returned to Wentworth Falls on Sunday, after more than three weeks in Sydney. Time flies.

Articles and Podcasts

None. Stand by for more details to be announced on the weekend, however.

Media Appearances

  • On Friday, I was interviewed by Steve Molk for his delightful podcast Humans of Twitter. That episode is expected to appear on Friday 22 April. If you don’t already subscribe to this podcast then you should — at least if you’re Australian, because he’s been concentrating on Australians so far.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

Monday has already been a write-off, spent organising things which had become disorganised, and stressing about them. We shall speak of it no more.

On Tuesday — that is, today — I’m catching a morning train to Sydney, and then the 1212 train to Canberra, scheduled to arrive in the nation’s capital at 1629. I thought it might be an interesting change from flying, even though it takes longer.

On Tuesday evening, it’s drinks before spending Wednesday and Thursday covering the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Conference at the rather drab National Convention Centre. This has become one of the must-attend information security conferences in Australia, and I’m looking forward to meeting and hearing from law enforcement and national security people who we usually don’t hear from.

On Friday, I return to Sydney on the 1153 train, arriving back in the nation’s largest city at around 1600. From there until the end of the weekend, things are unplanned.

Further Ahead

I’m going to the Amazon Web Services Summit Sydney on 27-28 April. And on 24-27 May, I’m covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast.

Update 16 April 2016: Date for Humans of Twitter posting added.

[Photo: Australian Landscape. This photograph was taken while approaching Canberra airport on 7 March 2016, but it could have been taken almost anywhere across south-eastern Australia.]

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Weekly Wrap 296: And now everything changes, again…

Sunrise at Bronte Beach: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 1 to Sunday 7 February 2016 has been very different. Not merely different from a typical Australian’s experience, like last week, but different from even my own smorgasbord of experiences.

It began on Monday with the stress of negotiating certain timelines with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). That was successful, and I was much relieved — although I still have to meet those deadlines in the coming months.

Then Wednesday provided another emotional journey, I’ll call it, with my visit to the Black Dog Institute and the resulting diagnosis.

After all that, I was exhausted.

So even though I achieved two significant milestones right there, when it came to producing the kinds of things I usually list here…

Articles / Podcasts / Media Appearances / 5at5

… there were none.

I did kick off another new geek-for-hire project on Thursday, however, so there’s that. I’ll tell you more about that, and the other projects, in due course.

Corporate Largesse

  • On Friday, I received a package of American snack food — Chex Mix, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Caramel Corn, and the like — from networking vendor Brocade to consume during this weekend’s Super Bowl. Why? Because Brocade did the data networks in Levi’s Stadium.

It’s still only Saturday as I post this, but Sunday 7 February will be a lazy day, so let’s get straight into…

The Week Ahead

It’s going to be a busy one, boys and girls. No, this time it really will be.

On Monday, I’ll be doing the long commute to Sydney for a medical appointment, and to get a haircut. I’ll be dealing with tax documentation and project management en route.

Tuesday will be a quiet one, pottering around the house, and dealing with all manner of loose ends.

The rest of the week is shaped around the Pause Fest in Melbourne.

On Wednesday, I’m catching the 0543 train down to Sydney and then Sydney Airport. At 0900, it’s flight VA824 to Melbourne. Once I’ve checked in to my hotel, I’ll be having lunch with someone. The afternoon is as yet unplanned. The Pause Fest opening party is in the evening, but I need to have an early night. So instead, I’ meeting a friend for drinks, with a break to do a radio spot on ABC 774 Melbourne at 1930 AEDT.

On Thursday, I’m up early to do a spot on ABC TV’s News Breakfast. I think it’s at 0810 AEDT. I’m then spending the rest of the day at Pause Fest’s Tech Day, presumably covering it for ZDNet. I’m on the panel at 1730 AEDT, titled “The security paradox: individual privacy vs digital driftnets”, after which I’m having drinks with some people, and then dinner with someone else.

On Friday, I’ll be writing for ZDNet, then at 1300 it’s lunch in the Melbourne CBD or thereabouts with Andy Nicholson and anyone else who wants in. The afternoon is as yet unplanned. At 2000 it’s Pause Fest’s Speakers Dinner, for speakers only, so you can’t come.

On Saturday, well, I’m open to suggestions for how to spend the morning, and where to have lunch. I’ll then leave for the airport at 1430, and catch my 1600 flight VA859 to Sydney. I’ll probably then catch the train to Wentworth Falls that night, but we’ll see.

Either way, Sunday will be a day of sloth. A very big sloth.

Further Ahead

I suspect that the much-delayed episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will eventually be recorded on Tuesday 16 February, or the day after.

Plans are being hatched for me to return to Melbourne two weeks after that, to cover the APIdays conference on 1-2 March. We shall see. Either way, it’s more than likely that I’ll be in Melbourne 8-11 March for Cisco LIVE!, assuming they’ll have me again.

[Photo: Sunrise at Bronte Beach. For several years, it was my habit to photograph the first sunrise of each new year. Here, the sun rises out of the Pacific Ocean at Bronte Beach, Sydney, on 1 January 2005.]

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A dog of a rather different colour

[This is one of my more personal posts. If they’re not your thing, and you’d rather wait until there’s a podcast or a whinge about the Attorney-General or something, then skip this one, and come back on Monday.]

Black Dog Trot“Arriving at @blackdoginst. I hope mine is a kelpie,” I tweeted as I arrived at the Black Dog Institute on Wednesday morning. Well, I didn’t get a kelpie. But I didn’t get what I’d expected either.

Australia’s Black Dog Institute is a “world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders,” and they’ve developed their own model of depression. So science, yes, but no dog for me at all, kelpie or otherwise.

Continue reading “A dog of a rather different colour”