As expected, the Great Sog of La Niña continued through the week of Monday 6 to Sunday 12 December 2021, at least until the weekend. It was a productive week with actual social activities — but I’m already behind schedule so let’s get straight into the business.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Extra: Vertical Hold episode 358, “Australia considers adopting digital currencies, cracking down on crypto and BNPL cowboys”, recorded on Thursday and posted on Friday.
I was also on the panel for the recording of a new podcast, talking tech policy from the Australian National University, but that hasn’t been published yet.
Articles
- No surprise: NSW iVote fails during local council elections, ZDNet, 6 December 2021. The article also mentions nose-beans. What’s that about? Please see Beans and Noses from 2015.
You can read my previous writing at Authory, where you can also subscribe to an email compilation of any new stories each Sunday morning.
Media Appearances
- On Wednesday I spoke about the hack of CS Energy on ABC Adelaide.
- On Friday I spoke about a whole bunch of fintech things on Vertical Hold, but I also cross-posted that to The 9pm Edict as already mentioned.
- Cacatua distrugge il dispositivo anti uccello nell’edificio, it says at Italian animal news site Universo Animali. Yes, that destructive sulphur-crested cockatoo at Katoomba is still news after more than two years.
Photos
- I stumbled across and photographed a bunch of slime mould which I currently believe to be Paradiachea cylindrica.
- I have of course updated my Waratah sequence 2021 for another week. The photos now span 103 days. Wait. No. Only 102 days, because I didn’t do one today.
Videos, Corporate Largesse
None. However you can subscribe to my YouTube channel for when new videos do appear.
Recommendations
- As expected, the Lowy Institute event “In Conversation with Taiwan’s Digital Minister Audrey Tang” was fascinating. Here it is in video and audio.
- Also amazing is Maria Ressa, the Philippine journalist who was one of the people awarded The Nobel Peace Prize. Here’s her Nobel Lecture in video and text.
- Here’s a great Twitter thread explaining why denouncing NFTs is good and honourable.
- Now here’s a restaurant review worth reading and, indeed, savouring. Bros., Lecce: We Eat at The Worst Michelin Starred Restaurant, Ever. Go on, read it. You’ll be glad you did.
- And then check out this write-up, which includes a reply from the restaurant titled Declaration by Chef Floriano Pellegrino.
- Some of you may know that I’ve been getting into the podcast Loremen. I’ve listened to around 60 episodes in the last 10 days. Anyway, someone has written a bot that generates Loremen-style folklore. Check it out.
- Chinese fuzzwords and slanguage of the year 2021, from Language Log.
- It’s what it says: Mid-century modern architecture & infrastructure featured in various Looney Tunes backgrounds: a brief thread. The archive may be easier to read.
The Week Ahead
Things have started to wind down for the year, which means it will soon be the time of year that freelancers hate: the holidays. I’m therefore going to concentrate on locking in some more revenue before everything shuts down.
That will primarily be geek-work, because it pays better, but also some writing for ZDNet.
On Tuesday night I’ll be launching another Pozible crowdfunding campaign, with the surprising title The 9pm Summer Series 2022. It’ll be the usual stuff, but there will also be some new things.
This will be accompanied by a bonus edition of The 9pm Edict podcast, somehow, but that will probably happen later in the week. Update 16 December 2021: Definitely later in the week. Saturday, in fact.
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. You can always subscribe for special benefits or throw a few coins into the tip jar. Please consider.
On Thursday I’ll try to catch the US Studies Centre livestream, A conversation with The New Yorker‘s Evan Osnos, author of Wildland: The making of America’s fury.
Further Ahead
- Changed dates: Catsitting in Sydney, 20–29 December 2021. This runs over the Christmas period, but I’ll also load it up with all the things I’ve been meaning to do in Sydney but have delayed due to the Quarantimes.
- TwoSet Violin 2021 Virtual World Tour, online, 28 December 2021.
- The 8pm Quiz of the Year 2021, online, 30 December 2021. This will be a video livestream along the lines of The 8pm Quiz episodes I did earlier in the year. Stay tuned for more details.
- linux.conf.au 2022, online, 14–16 January 2022 (TBC).
- APRICOT 2022 / APNIC 53, 28 February to 3 March 2022.
[Photo: A male Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) eating from someone’s hand at Bunjaree Cottages on 7 December 2021.]