I know I haven’t been very communicative since my #FODI spot, and am continuing so, but I’m quite thoughtful tonight and will enjoy that.
Back at the SEKRIT base, plugging things in so they recharge.
Wandering through the empty CBD on a holiday weekend… always a melancholy experience.
So that’s that #FODI instagr.am/p/QJl-DyiFqi/
The terrible, terrible view from the green room #FODI instagr.am/p/QJUyYDCFg-/
I think that worked. #FODI
Backstage. One minute to video package roll. #FODI instagr.am/p/QJKfKEiFpF/
@expectproblems I’m not stuck. There’s plenty of wine. And she’s on stage now.
So, they’re fitting me with, well, a corset of sorts and fixing the other problem with gaffer tape. #FODI
Victoria Doidge discusses the finer points of some shit with @mumbrella during soundcheck. #FODI instagr.am/p/QJHJHtiFmK/
En route to sound check. The Magic of the Theatre! #FODI instagr.am/p/QJGjeMiFlX/
So it begins with Germaine Greer and red wine in the green room. Ah, breakfast! #FODI
Hellgate du jour. #FODI instagr.am/p/QJCM_uiFhN/
So much is sold out! Not us, though, because we’re too special for these people. #FODI instagr.am/p/QJB6suiFg6/
All bound for Mu-Mu land… instagr.am/p/QJBVj_CFgP/
RT @swearyanthony @chrisjrn @stilgherrian No no Pesce is a hyperanarchist [Tru dat.]
Destination in sight! #FODI instagr.am/p/QJAcfLCFvc/
@furry_jen Oh well fancy biscuits make it very different, obviously!
Coining useful phrases in my head. Like “hyperlibertarian whack job”.
@furry_jen My true value has been determined, though I reckon you’re over-charging. #FODI
RT @furry_jen 2 tickets to I Share Therefore I Am at #FODI at 1pm today going for the cheap price of, like, I dunno, a biscuit? In Newtown.
TeachersFed @smh to live stream ‘Abolish Private Schools’ debate from #FODI 3:45 this afternoon. See smh.com.au We will also tweet from venue.
@lewellyn Oh, I’m second speaker on a panel of two, so I know not to over-script my intro. I tend to write chunks, but only glance at them.
Mobile: Light rail to Central; heavy rail to Circular Quay; walk to Sydney Opera House. Plenty of thinking en route.
So, with just over two hours ‘til showtime my brain is filled with the usual mix of too many anecdotes to tell and a fear of unpreparedness.
The things one sees in public…
Please point to the place on the dolly where the feminist touched you.
@SnarkyPlatypus @glengyron Non, Germaine me… me touchait. Aussi https://t.co/w10mVvrD Je suis émotionnellement confus.
@SnarkyPlatypus Bonjour. J’ai survécu le contact physique avec la féministe antique et fais mes plans pour détruire la bourgeoisie. Et vous?
Sun plan, previewed, unordered: Edit “Patch Monday” podcast; write for @crikey_news; client data migration project; Sunday roast.
Sat plan: Final prep for Festival of Dangerous Ideas; 1200 call Sydney Opera House for 1300 http://t.co/BnR10KOo; socialising ad lib. #FODI
RT: Me at @CSO_Australia: “Fake-police ransomware reaches Australia” http://t.co/b0NqHLpB
So @kcarruthers found this photo of her, @NickHodgeMSFT and me and notes the phones in use. http://t.co/aaIvl4MO Ping @ApostrophePong
RT: Me on this week’s @DownloadABC with @jendudley: “Google Seaview, iLost, Myspace, Berlin Startups” http://t.co/WVTP2nZW
@sylmobile @mpesce Oh, lovely. Nah, I don’t need those tricks. Last night’s after party reminded me of the audience they have. ;)
@mpesce “Where?” you ask? I have no idea. I’ll just arrive at the stage door and minions will guide me. That’s how it works, right?
@mpesce No, The Playhouse. Seats a smidgeon under 400. Again, a comfortable venue.
@mpesce Thanks so much. I’m amused that while it’s an easy panel to do, the “nation’s flagship performing arts venue” aspect adds stress.
Sat plan, draft: Tidy desk; finish presentation notes; breakfast; 1300 “I Share Therefore I Am”, Sydney Opera House #FODI; remainder TBA.
For ordinary people, this is a three-day weekend. For me, Sat and Sun are work days and Mon and Tue will be mostly non-work days.
Hello, Saturday, you dirty little thing, you.
@CarolynLake Thanks. I’ll be fine. This is all very familiar territory for me.
@CarolynLake Wine does help, it’s true, but I don’t have any handy. I’ve resorted to prescription drugs.
Me on this week’s @DownloadABC with @jendudley: “Google Seaview, iLost, Myspace, Berlin Startups” http://t.co/WVTP2nZW
@people_skills Some things simply cannot be explained.
Me at @CSO_Australia: “Fake-police ransomware reaches Australia” http://t.co/b0NqHLpB
@miranda_maybe I suspect that the longer people complain the longer the avatar stays. I just can’t resist.
Right, well after all that it’s going to take me a while to unwind. Mistress Insomnia, please go away.
That was a narrow escape.
I am trapped by the deluge at Sydney Opera House. The solid food has run out. There is only endless Chandon and Germaine Greer for solace.
Germaine keeps touching me.
@TheRealMickyT Excellent. My work here is done. #worsethangravenimages
That man is here. I knew he would be. But now I can see him. Quite close.
Stairway to Drinks #FODI instagr.am/p/QHctmNCFl9/
Wisdom abandoned #FODI instagr.am/p/QHa7Z6CFlE/
@jplonie “You can’t teach ducks to dance”?
There is a book signing now, in the foyer. But elsewhere there are drinks.
@QuixoticGuy Tomorrow at this event? I’ll be free for drinks after I’ve done my bit.
@duncanriley I think I have always been this way. Today has just been a coming-out.
RT @ataraxite Wait, what? It’s #grattanavatarday? Why did no-one tell me? [The day is still young. Revel in it.]
@QuixoticGuy Indeed it is, thank you.
I’m dangerously sober.
He actually seemed quite rootable until he opened his mouth.
So here’s @SamHarrisOrg talking about a pain in his hip. #FODI instagr.am/p/QHYcWVCFkH/
@GLRooster Surely you find me erotic?
Applause. Q&A time. About a dozen surge towards the microphones. #FODI
I suppose I’ll have to fire up Grindr… #FODI
@BrigadierSlog Don’t worry, that’s just a trick of the light.
Is there anyone in the #FODI audience or nearby who wants to dump their date and join me at the after party? #RI a bonus.
@swearyanthony @RealNickHodge That dangerous idea doesn’t fit the topic of my panel. Clearly defined areas of danger only.
@QuixoticGuy Well, there’s still time for someone to be my plus-one to the after show drinks… ;) #twitterdecides #FODI
@jeamland @swearyanthony If this is selling out then I’m the cheapest of whores. Oh wait.
@swearyanthony Erm, I’m on the #FODI program tomorrow. Do try to keep up.
@MorgankStorey I’m old enough to remember when mocking people’s established beliefs was considered disrespectful and tasteless. #fodi
RT @MorgankStorey I shed a tear of joy when fellow sydneysiders laughed @SamHarrisOrg quip about the absurdity of religion #fodi [Really?]
@QuixoticGuy Sadly not. Thought I did but it fell apart too late to find another. I’ll attend the after party alone.
@ataraxite This @SamHarrisOrg is one of the atheist “Four Horsemen”. Audience will be full of militant atheist arsehats. #FODI
RT @marshontap @stilgherrian And omits Deniliquin Ute Muster. Elitist travesty. #FODI [True. But this is where it is.]
@IdeasattheHouse Your retweets are saying “RT username”twice. This disturbs me. #FODI
+1 RT @TomTilley Does anyone else think @SamHarrisOrg looks like Ben Stiller? #FODI
I’d never heard of @SamHarrisOrg before. The audience is full of fans. To be honest it feels creepy. #FODI
Atheist fanboy applause at the mention of Richard Dawkins. Did someone go “Woop!”? Sigh. #FODI
Simon Longstaff tries to equate #FODI as the third great cultural event this weekend along with the two football finals. Yeah good luck.
I arrived too late to have a pre-show drink. And this is philosophy. How will this even work? #FODI
In pour the disciples, to worship at the shrine of rationality. #FODI instagr.am/p/QHQBaqCFhG/
@expectproblems Heading to the box office to get my tickets…
It looms. instagr.am/p/QHNMCZCFgS/
@AnnabelAstbury I know. I imagine all sorts of things. Constantly.
@expectproblems I am a few minutes away. Traffic permitting.
@AnnabelAstbury Makeup?
Some people have noted that my avatar is confusing. Yes. It is.
Taxi boarded. This’ll be tight.
Taxi booked. Sadly, the schedule is too tight for public transport.
@badgirlofrockxx Thanks very much.
Next steps: Back up all the data; freshen up; make my way to Sydney Opera House.
And the recording is done. Imperva’s Tal Be’ery on the changing face of DDoS, for the “Patch Monday (on Tuesday)” podcast.
Back at Lilyfield. The air smells like incipient rain. The sky looks like incipient thunderstorm. This pleases me.
Either I need a holiday or the #RI on this tram is considerable.
Noticing once more that, as usual, my own pattern of work to leisure to holiday is out of sync with the bulk of society. It is my world.
Fri plan, remainder: Return to desk and prep; 1700 record “Patch Monday” podcast; 1900 Sydney Opera House for http://t.co/vhoRK71k #FODI
@ataraxite @balkandishlex @SnarkyPlatypus Great minds think alike. Well, obviously that iosn’t true but you know what I mean.
RT @ben_hr: Brilliant letter MT @Tony_Burke: It’s real. Apparently the Liberal party believe the tigers are real too. via @roblaroc http …
@SnarkyPlatypus All mobile networks fill up as those annoying customers insist on using them. There’s an obvious solution, of course.
Mind you, the call dropped out twice. Samsung Galaxy S III on Telstra Next G in Haymarket.
Just had a lovely phone call from @mumbrella, who’s moderating tomorrow’s panel. This is going to be fun. http://t.co/BnR10KOo #FODI
De-sweating with the aid of a cold ale before taking the tram back to the Table of Creative Writing.
Apparently @mpesce is going to demonstrate his new special prothesis “down there” live on stage at @webdirections.
Right. So now we’re angry that all the common people didn’t do journalism school and just talk on the internet the way they always have?
@bengrubb Are you really, really sure about that?
Sweating, but shorn. Also, I think I might just be able to make everything fit into my schedule these next few days.
Fuck. They seem to have dusted central Sydney with some sort of nerve gas, killing everyone. Oh. No, sorry, just wishful thinking.
@ryancross Looking 90% yes. Sorry for not getting back. Weird day.
Fuck. Running late. Mobile.
RT @S7U: Dangerous idea: @stilgherrian is the Judith Lucy of tech Journalists. [Yes. That is dangerous idea. For you.]
RT @jendudley: Melting Las Vegas, finding Nemo and resurrecting MySpace? @marcfennell, @stilgherrian and I tackle it on @DownloadABC: ht …
Oh hear. I think my brain just exploded. #FODI
Sudden eureka moment! I can treat the Festival of Dangerous Ideas as a giant live episode of “The 9pm Edict”! Sorted! #FODI
@Prohairetic @glengyron Now that’s not such a bad idea. But I’m not sure yet whether I’ll use images. And copyright, y’see.
@RealNickHodge Which is all well and good, and true, but that’s not what I’m going to be talking about.
RT @SnarkyPlatypus: @stilgherrian Strip off your mask and reveal that you are, in fact, Michelle Grattan. [Or, I could just strip off.]
@LucasJamesAU I’m not across this Conroy unfettered story, so I’ll have to come back to you on that.
I’m trolling the #FODI stage for “I Share Therefore I Am”, 1pm tomorrow, The Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. http://t.co/BnR10KOo
@bleeters @Prohairetic That sounds more like a troll of the event rather than the audience. Still…
RT @hailants: Entitle your talk: “How to be a child porn addict (and do so anonymously.)” [Alas the title has been set. I’ll save that one.]
Wondering how much and in what way(s) to troll the audience at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas tomorrow. I’ve been told to be controversial.
@kristinmoore2 @bleeters I often think of removing the word “geek” from my bio. I get typecast as a “tech writer” when I do other stuff.
So @AppDotNet has announced a Developer Incentive Program… http://t.co/DSbRj7WM
RT @paulkidd: @STiyou combine HST’s 7337 coding skills with Dilbert’s appetite for recreational drugs? [Probably not the best cross-match.]
Someone just forwarded me an email in which I was described as “a cross between Dilbert and Hunter S Thompson”. I am amused.
RT @bleeters: @stilgherrian @jeamland LSD is for m4 [Ain’t that the truth!]
RT @jeamland: GOOD GOD MAN, ARE YOU MAD?! _METH_ is for zone files. Coffee is for sendmail.cf. Or is that smack? [There’s a blog post…]
Oh. And I’ve just been told that I’m migrating a website now. I think I’ll have a coffee before editing DNS zone files.
@thomasking @mgherman @stufromoz @bleeters @19bk69 @joshrowe There shall be no explanations, no mercy.
Fri plan: Write #FODI presentation http://t.co/BnR10KOo; haircut; errands; 1700 record “Patch Monday” podcast; 1900 http://t.co/vhoRK71k
@expectproblems I am going to Sam Harris at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas tonight. Which reminds me. I haven’t sorted my date yet.
No, I can’t add in this extra thing today and still stay sane (shoosh), so we can now lock in the plan…
Oh. A potential story commission has come in. For today. And it was already a busy day. Can I make this fit, I wonder?
Story filed for @CSO_Australia, the first of quite a few media objects to appear today.
@servantofchaos @paulwallbank @stufromoz @miss_shiny Look, you folks are all a tad fragile. Harden up!
People whose out-of-office emails don’t say who’s doing their job while they’re away. #IceMoonPrison
“Chinese hackers linked to breach of control systems used in electric grids,” writes @gcluley, reassuringly. http://t.co/6VFwU5b7
RT @paulwallbank: Great guide from @BernardKeane on how to demolish junk reports. I probably get 6 of these a day. bit.ly/PXJXx1
@SnarkyPlatypus Je suis bien sûr envie de vos voyages et déçu que je ne serai pas vous rejoindre. Bonne chance!
@QuixoticGuy Some things shall not be explained. And some things are inexplicable.
I see everyone using Twitter is understanding “due process”, “innocent until proven guilty” and “sub judice” these past 24 hours. Bravo.
@SnarkyPlatypus Bonjour. Je ne suis un peu stressé à la veille de ma performance. Un petit peu. Et vous?
@ataraxite Good morning. Yes, I take on many forms… especially when it’s going to be a hectic Friday.
Fri plan, draft: Write for @CSO_Australia, Festival of Dangerous Ideas; haircut; record “Patch Monday” podcast; #FODI opening night.
It is Friday, and I choose to begin it at this time and in this manner.
@franksting Oh bother. That’s what I get for trusting a source. I cry now.
@ryancross @NathanaelB Ah! Well, I did just finally email a couple friends, but if there’s no takers my 0900 tomorrow you’re on.
Annoying forgotten audio editing completed.
Suddenly remembering some audio editing I had to do today. Unimpressed.
@michaelmeloni Well, I suppose it might have been more fruitful if I’d actually looked properly.
Hmmm. I still need a date for the Festival of Dangerous Ideas opening event tomorrow night. http://t.co/vhoRK71k
@snerdish Can you draw me a diagram of that?
@engochick I live in a strange fantasy world, inhabited by trolling rosellas and a little too much wine.
“AFP led team seize fake credit cards worth $37.5 million”? No, Minister, that’s their potential fraud value. http://t.co/OfRizrUI
Plodding through this cesspit of email. That’s a comment on my ability to empty it rather than on the emails I get sent. Mostly.
Lunch ends.
Seems I’ve arrived early instagr.am/p/QD6Z57iFhV/
@abctech @faldo @jendudley Cool, I’ll have to check it out another time tho. I have errands and a lunch now.
And the @DownloadABCÂ recording is done.
They’re not letting @jendudley into the Brisbane studio. Can’t say I blame them.
You see all sorts of weird people in the ABC foyer.
@riskybusiness @joshgnosis You should stop this fact-checking immediately. It’s terribly old-fashioned. We crowdsource all the facts now.
@jendudley You are just so wrong, Miss Jennifer. @dr_nic @DownloadABC @marcfennell
Lurking in the ABC foyer because early. Ping @marcfennell
@pc0 @608Harris I won’t have time, sorry. Errands then 1200 lunch elsewhere. Raincheck?
@dr_nic @DownloadABC @jendudley @marcfennell Now now, I know how to do radio. And how to fit a media outlet’s style. Mostly.
Making my way gently to ABC Ultimo, there to record @DownloadABC with @marcfennell and @jendudley … and I’ll have some food on the way.
Hotmail limits passwords to 16 characters, even if you type in more. Clever, what? http://t.co/7v3kWbrd
@grechj Oh I’m sure that’s not the reason. The US defence establishment is pure as the driven snow!
US generals agree cybersecurity is a most dangerous threat, but many openly admit to knowing little about it. http://t.co/fQ7uLpSF
@ozjimbob Possibly we are in furious agreement. Those questions were talking points for @DownloadABC. Check the blog post I tweeted.
@chrisbrownie Well if I’ll be the first to go under the new regime, why should I bother changing my behaviour? @bigmac
@chrisbrownie So you’re one of Them, Chris? Explains a few things. @bigmac
@leslienassar They’re going to send the van around for you later this morning.
RT @bigmac: Hackers cost business thousands | News | NT News buff.ly/PnAkGS [sometimes I just enjoy reading the comments!!] [True.]
@ozjimbob Hang on. I don’t think anyone’s saying there isn’t a “scene”. Open-ended “How’s it doing?” then “How can we improve?”
RT @leslienassar Negafeelpinions toward Startup Kulcha will dissipate on exposure to the Sacred Flower of Promises. BRING US THE POLLENIZER!
@TenguTech See, you should probably be ashamed of yourself now.
@michaelmeloni @chieftech Indeed. No rule says a new business on the internet has to be done a certain way. Don’t tell them that though.
@BrigadierSlog Friendship is one thing. Redefining the entire field of electrochemistry could be somewhat trickier. But your plan has merit.
@chieftech Well, I’ve heard that opinion before, but I don’t think it’s a very sensible opinion for me to have.
RT @BrigadierSlog: Dare I suggest a start-up to automatically filter out and destroy superfluous start-ups? [Dare? I recommend it!]
See also my post from March 2008, “Jason Calacanis and the Evil Cult of the Internet Start-up” http://t.co/NNI65IQL
I mean, if someone opens a new restaurant or a trucking company, we don’t call it a “start-up” and take on all that fast-growth malarkey.
Maybe I’ll just explain that the start-up scene generally is a toxic, dangerous cult and should be bulldozed into a landfill.
Oh. I have no opinion on “How’s the start-up scene in Australia? What could we do to improve it?” Had anyone got one they can lend me?
@voiceofapollo Well, in Jan 2012 Myspace had more traffic (unique browsers) than Tumblr or Google+ so not dead. Looks interesting now.
@SnarkyPlatypus Ah yes, the sort of people of whom I am generally not a fan. They should all be bulldozed into landfill.
@SnarkyPlatypus I choose to assume that’s not me you’re talking about. I don’t think I could do anything “relentlessly”.
Since I have to wait for the Australian Federal Police to wake up, I might as well prepare my Opinions for @DownloadABC.
Thu plan: Write for @CSO_Australia; 1030 @DownloadABC recording; 1200 Alcatel-Lucent lunch; post-lunch research; a night of MOAR MEAT.
@RealNickHodge @SnarkyPlatypus It’s a Panda Centipede! is.gd/OYsWvx
@RealNickHodge @SnarkyPlatypus Est-ce un euphémisme?