My week of Monday 13 to Sunday 19 December 2021 ended with me realising something: the holiday season is upon is and I should stop worrying about getting things done. Because no one else is. I can’t be fucked posting this Weekly Wrap on Sunday night, I thought, because I’m enjoying my conversation with friends. So here we are, on Monday.
The most important thing this week was the launch of The 9pm Summer Series 2022 Pozible crowdfunding campaign, which of course will fund some more special-guest episodes of The 9pm Edict podcast.
At the time of writing we’re already 78% of the way to Target One, which is fantastic, thank you. If things continue at this rate we’ll hit that target before Christmas, and then I’ll add some more interesting rewards.
The campaign ends on Thursday 6 January 2022.
Meanwhile, you know that podcast Vertical Hold that I’m on sometimes? This week it won the category “Best Independent Media” in the 2021 Samsung Australia IT Journalism Awards aka The Lizzies. Which is wonderful. Especially as I appeared on one of the episodes that they included in their submission: Google Pixel 4a v Samsung Note 20 v Huawei P40 Pro, Australia’s cybersecurity overhaul: Vertical Hold ep 290. Congratulations to Adam Turner ands Alex Kidman.
Another highlight of the week was a change in my relationship to the sulphur-crested cockatoos, but I’ll tell you about that in the next podcast.
Podcasts
None, but I’m recording a solo episode before Christmas.
I’m still waiting for the new Australian National University podcast talking tech policy to be published, but they’re waiting on Apple’s catalog for some reason.
Articles
None. But 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 major content platforms and your (lack of) rights on ABC Brisbane.
Photos
- I have of course updated my Waratah sequence 2021 for another week. The photos now span 110 days. There will be a break now, however, and the series will resume once I’m back in the Blue Mountains on 29 December.
Videos, Corporate Largesse
None. However you can subscribe to my YouTube channel for when new videos do appear. I’ll probably edit and upload some videos across the holidays.
Recommendations
- The Atlantic recently published a somewhat bleak article, Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun. The author Bart Gellman discussed the possibilities on a Lawfare Podcast episode, Bart Gellman on Trump’s Next Coup. Both are worth it.
- Also a bit bleak, North Korea Executes People for Watching K-Pop, Rights Group Says.
- Meanwhile, John Birmingham muses on the fate of Alan Jones in Sad trombone for a fallen parrot.
- Would you like to see a horrendous-looking website with useful data? How about an index to all the video clips on ABC TV’s Countdown?
- The results of this year’s Aussie Backyard Bird Count are out.
- A naked man in a bath with two octopuses: Yushi Li’s best photograph.
- And finally a reminder, you can leap over many paywalls using 12ft.io.
Next Sunday is Boxing Day. I’ll post the Weekly Wrap early and include a huge list of recommendations for your holiday enjoyment.
The Week Ahead
I’m now in Sydney for the next nine days, catsitting in Ashfield across the Christmas period. Friday is Christmas Eve, Saturday is Christmas Day, and Sunday is Boxing Day. Currently I have no plans for any of these holidays.
Before then…
I’m recording an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast at some point, as mentioned.
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. Please consider pledging your support to The 9pm Summer Series 2022 crowdfunding campaign. You have until 6 January 2022.
Tuesday and Wednesday is mostly a mix of medical appointments and social engagements, and Tuesday night is the Summer Solstice so I might do something to mark that.
After that I might poke at some of the non-urgent work that piled up toward the end of the year. Or I might not. We are now in CBF territory.
Further Ahead
SAVE THE DATE: The 8pm Quiz of the Year 2021 is on Thursday 30 December at 8pm AEDT. Remember both the bad and the even worse of a fabulous year for no prizes whatsoever.
- 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.
- linux.conf.au 2022, online, 14–16 January 2022 (TBC).
- APRICOT 2022 / APNIC 53, 28 February to 3 March 2022.
[Photo: A dung beetle of some sort, probably, photographed at Bunjaree Cottages on 17 December 2021. We have quite a lot of beetles there.]