Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2020 was that week in late September or early October when the spring weather takes a brief holiday, and everyone says it’s so surprising. Even though it happens nearly every year. It almost snowed on Friday night.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 539: A duck but no snow, and a podcast”Weekly Wrap 517: Learning to endure the lockdown
My week of Monday 20 to Sunday 26 April 2020 revealed to me how the COVID-19 lockdown is making depression more likely — but also how a long walk in the sun can help with that. And Australia’s COVID-19 contact tracing app became a hot topic.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 517: Learning to endure the lockdown”Weekly Wrap 513: Lockdown week three leads to introspection
When you’re stuck at home by yourself with a lot less work to do, your mind starts to think its way down some curious laneways. That’s what happened in my week of Monday 22 to Sunday 29 March 2020.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 513: Lockdown week three leads to introspection”The 9pm His Plague Diary 3

It’s Day 10 is Stilgherrian’s isolation, at least how he’s counting it. America is doomed, and the Easter Bunnies in Wentworth Falls look very sad indeed.
Continue reading “The 9pm His Plague Diary 3”Weekly Wrap 442: Dominated by digital health, plus ducks
My week of Monday 12 to Sunday 18 November 2018 was dominated by digital health. Mostly Australia’s controversial My Health Record, as the list of articles will show, but also two events that had digital health as a focus.
I also did some planning for future podcasts, and some advisory work on someone’s proposal for a future media project.
Articles
All three are about My Health Record. The politics were moving fast, so maybe hit the last one first. It links back to the others anyway.
- ADHA privacy boss reportedly quits as My Health Record faces first big test, ZDNet Australia, 12 November 2018.
- Hunt finally submits to My Health Record arm-twists as opt-out window extended, ZDNet Australia, 14 November 2018.
- My Health Record remains opt-out as Senate passes privacy amendments, ZDNet Australia, 15 November 2018.
Podcasts, Media Appearances
None.
Corporate Largesse
- On Monday the Health And Aged Care Press Lunch was held at the always-excellent Bentley Restaurant & Bar in Sydney. Clients of Bass PR picked up the tab: Telsyte, Osana, CQR Consulting, BOARD, Collard Maxwell Architects, and 8×8.
- On Tuesday I had lunch at Luke Mangan’s magnificent Glass Brasserie at the Hilton Sydney Hotel, paid for by Aura Information Security.
- On Tuesday evening, CISO Lens covered most of the drinks bill for a meeting they organised.
The Week Ahead
Monday is a writing day for ZDNet. Update 19 November 1930 AEDT: Monday ended up being a day of sleep, which for the moment I’m putting down to Annoying Side Effects from my medication regime.
On Tuesday I’m recording the next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast, co-hosted by Nicholas Fryer. It won’t be streamed live, but will be posted the following day.
From Wednesday through Saturday I’ll be back in Sydney for some more cat-sitting. During that time I’ll be writing, starting off with a piece for ZDNet, I hope, and tidying up a bunch of loose ends. Saturday night is likely to include watching the coverage of Victoria’s state election.
Further Ahead
There don’t seem to be any major commitments between now and Christmas, just some single-day or overnight trips to Sydney for media briefings, end-of-year events, and social activities.
There will be at least one episode of The 9pm Edict wth Nicholas Fryer, however, and perhaps one that’s more of a long-form interview.
[Photo: Ducks escorting a convoy. Ducks and other waterfowl at Wentworth Falls Lake, photographed on 18 November 2018.]
Weekly Wrap 431: Spring, beyond the killing season
I am so, so glad that my week of Monday 27 August to Sunday 2 September 2018 included the end of winter — as did everyone else’s on this half of the planet — and the end of the latest campaign of carpet-bombing attacks on my intestinal biome. Things are returning to “normal”. I think.
Articles
- Australian government moves to improve My Health Record privacy, ZDNet Australia, 29 August 2018.
- My Health Record woes detailed in leaked document: Report, ZDNet Australia, 30 August 2018. The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) took exception to my use of the word “woes”, but I’m sticking by it.
Podcasts, Media Appearances
None, but I will finally be doing a podcast this week. See below.
Corporate Largesse
- On Tuesday I enjoyed the food available at CLOUDSEC Australia 2018, which was held at the Hilton Sydney Hotel.
The Week Ahead
Monday and Tuesday I’m writing for ZDNet and doing some pre-production for the podcast. Then on Wednesday morning I’m catching the train down to Sydney, and then to Cronulla, because…
The next episode of The 9pm Edict will be recorded in Cronulla this Wednesday 5 September at 2100 AEST. Listen on the livestream or on the Spreaker apps, or listen later on the usual feeds.
I’ve chosen Cronulla because that’s at the heart of our new Prime Minister’s electoral base, and because I want to revisit the episode recorded there four years ago, The 9pm Shire.
Thursday will be spent in Sydney, taking care of some medical and personal matters. The remainder of the week is unplanned.
Further Ahead
I’ve pencilled in:
- Flying Sydney to Adelaide in a Vans RV-6 light aircraft registration VH-SOL piloted by Mark Newton, Friday 28 or Saturday 29 September. I’ll be recording things for a podcast en route.
- FireEye Cyber Defense Summit, Washington DC, 1–5 October.
- Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.
- International Association of Privacy Professionals ANZ (iappANZ) Annual Summit, Privacy: Handling the Seismic Shift, Melbourne, 1 November. (TBC)
Update 3 September: Edited to add the top two items to Further Ahead. Update 5 September: Edited to reflect cancellation of podcast for health reasons.
[Photo: InterCity train at Wentworth Falls. A TrainLink NSW V-Set train emerges from the mists at Wentworth Falls station on 27 August 2018.]