Weekly Wrap – Stilgherrian

03 August 2026

Weekly Wrap 844: Secret productivity, so have another pub

A red brick Australian suburban pub in the bright winter sunlight. On the left, the pub’s front, it’s a semi-circular arrangement with a balcony topped by a series of sculpted pegasuses, and right at the top a lighthouse-like structure — which once was an actual lighthouse! It’s on the other side of the highway from us. On its left is a tall mast for traffic lights. On the right, a pair of wooden utility poles for electricity, telephone, and internet.

Monday 27 July to Sunday 2 August 2026 was a busy week, and I’m very happy with that — although there isn’t much that I can show you right now. So much administrivia! And yet so handy for reducing stress.

26 July 202626 July 2026

Weekly Wrap 843: Happy productivity, unhappy graffiti

On a cream-coloured wall is scrawled in black the graffiti "Instagram the ghost AI empire", and the same again in red. On the left, a young man with a red backpack is disappearing out of frame.

Monday 20 to Sunday 26 July 2026 was another productive week, which pleases me. I don’t have that much else to day, apart from that I’m happy. So here’s a photo of some graffiti over in Burwood.

20 July 202620 July 2026

Weekly Wrap 842: I rode some trains but here’s a pub

A Sydney suburban pub lit by the late afternoon sun. The ground floor is tiled in yellow. The upper floor is red brick with matching yellow trim around the windows and elsewhere. The roof is red tiles. The sign reads: General Gordon Hotel.

My week of Monday 13 to Sunday 19 July 2026 was moderately productive. I posted a podcast, did some client work, continued working on my compensation claim — it’s so close to being ready to file! — and even spent a lovely afternoon riding Sydney’s train network with David Feng.

13 July 202616 July 2026

Weekly Wrap 841: Enjoying Wollongong, but heaps late

Looking out over the Pacific Ocean. On the right-hand side of the photo, riding the mackerel blue waters, are two big black bulk carrier ships, their red hulls high out of the water, their bows pointing to the right. On the far left, closer to us, is a small fishing boat. In the immediate foreground, waves break on the shore. Above are lumpy clouds, and in the in distance there is rain.

I had another couple of days off this week, Monday 6 to Sunday 12 July 2026, visiting Wollongong after a gap of 21 years. Very enjoyable. But when combined with my lovely time in Newcastle last week, it means I’m now well behind where I wanted to be this month.

06 July 202613 July 2026

Weekly Wrap 840: Darting up to Newcastle to see a darter

A bird stands on the rough river wall of the Port of Newcastle, its wings outstretched to warm and dry in the sun, the green estuary water behind. it. He’s black, for yes he is a male of the species, apart from a white streak down the side of its head and neck, and a long snake-like neck.

What a week! From Monday 29 June 2026 to Tuesday I was suffering quite a bit of back pain, for which I received treatment on Tuesday. But from Friday afternoon through to Sunday 5 July I was in Newcastle, where I did a lot of walking and caught up with a couple of friends. There was wine. At various times during the week I finished producing one podcast, recorded another, and even got some client work done. Very happy-making.

29 June 202601 July 2026

Weekly Wrap 839: Podcasts and pain, what a week!

It’s a bright sunny day on a suburban street. We’re looking at what has obviously been a corner shop for a century or more, a two-storey building which has been re-rendered in buff-coloured plaster or concrete or something. On the righthand end there’s an open door, above which a blue awning reads “1 STOP SUPERMARKET” with various square photos of food and groceries. The centre part of the wall has two big panels with similar photos. On the left-hand end is a roller door-closed. The upper floor has windows of various shapes, the larger ones with roller shutters. At the right-hand end what was once a balcony is now enclosed. In front of it all is parked a small silver sedan — a car, not a chair.

I ended my week of Monday 22 to Sunday 28 June 2026 with back pain from a rather nasty series of spasms, which kicked in on Saturday and are kinda still with me as I write this on Monday. I’d recorded two podcasts, but didn’t have the energy to edit them. I haven’t taken many photos lately, which is why there’s a random local shop at the top of the page.