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!
My week of Monday 19 to Sunday 23 December 2018 was surprisingly busy. Instead of winding down as it approached Christmas, it wound back up with new things happening.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 447: It’s still way too busy as Christmas looms”
My week of Monday 10 to Sunday 16 December 2018 was dominated by Australia’s new encryption-busting laws, the Assistance & Access Act. Two articles, two radio spots, and yet more in the works.
I have two part-written stories for ZDNet that should be finished in the coming week.
None. Next week, though…
None.
I’ll be in Sydney on Monday, finishing some writing for ZDNet, dealing with some medical imaging, and catching up with friends. The writing continues on Tuesday, after which I return to the Blue Mountains to continue yet more writing on another project.
On Thursday, Nicholas Fryer and I will be recording another joint episode of The 9pm Edict podcast. It should be posted that night.
Friday is probably about writing too. Given that it’s the last day of the last proper working week before Christmas, though, who can say?
The following week begins with Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing day, followed by two alleged working days before the extend New Year long weekend. I’ll be spending nearly all of it cat-sitting in Ashfield, and adding personal and maybe work things ad libitum.
[Photo: Crossing the Nepean. Part of my regular “Crossing the Nepean” series of images, but this time taken from the old road bridge through the a bus window covered in advertising, photographed on 16 December 2018.]
My week of Monday 26 November to Sunday 2 December 2018 was rich and varied, with a little more research and writing than I’d expected.
I’ve also written nearly all of another ZDNet article, which is likely to appear on Monday.
None.
After a slow start, Monday is a writing day, as well as a day of administrivia for the first working day of the month.
On Tuesday I head down to Sydney for a medical appointment, to interview a cybersecurity executive, and to attend a Sydney Ideas evening lecture on White Fragility. I’ll stay in Sydney overnight so can work in Sydney on Wednesday.
I’ll head to Sydney again on Thursday morning, slightly earlier, for a dental appointment, some errands, the ever-dangerous annual Annual Communications & Internet Community Boat Cruise, and dinner with a friend. Once more I’ll stay in Sydney overnight, with Friday as a writing day of some sort.
The weekend is not yet planned.
Nicholas Fryer and I will be recording another joint episode of The 9pm Edict podcast on Thursday 22 December, and it should be posted that night.
[Photo: Looking across Sydney Harbour from Sydney Tower. The view to the north-east from Sydney Tower, with the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Base East in the mid-ground, and out towards Sydney Heads, photographed on 27 November 2018.]
My week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 November 2018 was dominated by a grumpy cat, but I won’t go into that.
I also wrote a piece about the Assistance and Access Bill, which will appear on Monday.
None.
The week will be dominated by action in the Australian Parliament, namely debate over the controversial anti-encryption legislation, the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018.
The powerful Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) is still conducting hearings as part of its inquiry, but home affair minister Peter Dutton is pressuring the committee to hurry up, and prime minister Scott Morrison has said he wants the legislation passed in the next two weeks.
Hearings are now scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Friday this week. I’m writing some analysis for ZDNet for Monday, and we’ll see what happens after that.
Meanwhile, I’ll be in Sydney on Tuesday for a lunchtime briefing on “Countering Advanced Threats” by Cybereason, and on Friday for a media lunch with executives from Symantec.
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: Freelancer Life. Watching the Australian Senate live while grabbing a late breakfast of noodle soup at the Sussex Centre food court in Sydney’s Chinatown, photographed on 14 November 2018. So not this week.]
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.
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.
None.
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.
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.]