My week of Monday 6 to Sunday 12 November 2023 was remarkably productive, though some of it took quite a long time. Two podcasts, and a bunch of research. Plus I fed two cats, one of whom is pictured here. I’m so exhausted from that.
Crowdfunding Update
Yes, it’s time yet again to organise more special guest episodes of my inappropriate and often disturbing podcast for grown-ups The 9pm Edict and other projects.
Target One will get you four special-guest episodes of the Edict. Target Two gets you two more. And then I’m considering a four-part series of The 8pm Quiz video livestream, like last year. Or maybe some other projects. We’ll see.
Please click through for all the details and to pledge your support.
At the time of posting we’re 26% of the way to Target One. The campaign ends on 30 November 2023 at 9pm AEDT.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Hungry Like the Wolf in Bali (Virtually) with Snarky Platypus, recorded on Saturday afternoon and posted on Sunday evening.
- The 9pm Extra: Vertical Hold episode 454, “Optus Apocalypse: What went wrong?”, recorded on Thursday evening and posted on Friday.
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. Please support The 9pm Summer Series 2023 just described.
If you miss the deadline, you can always subscribe for special benefits or throw a few coins into the tip jar.
Articles
- Digital developments from Canberra 61. Victor Dominello heads a new task force to sort out Services Australia’s digital customer services. There’s plenty of other news in that vicinity too, as well as stories about AI, and new guidelines for censoring computer games.
You can read my previous writing at Authory, where you can also subscribe to an email compilation of any new stories each Sunday morning.
Videos, Photos, Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse
None of these. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos appear.
Recommendations
This week’s Elon Musk headlines paint a delightful picture. Everything is going smoothly.
- Elon Musk enters the AI arms race … with a cocaine recipe.
- SpaceX worker injuries rise as Elon Musk accelerates Mars mission, report says.
- Totally unrelated I’m sure, Elon Musk told SpaceX workers not to wear safety clothes because he doesn’t like bright colors.
- Elon Musk Wants to Put This Tiny Chip in Your Brain.
- Grimes chased Elon Musk across at least 12 locations to serve him custody papers, including X headquarters and a horse farm.
- Elon Musk biopic to be directed by Black Swan film-maker Darren Aronofsky.
- Who Should Play Elon Musk in A24’s Biopic? Nicolas Cage, Rami Malek, Kathy Bates and More Picks.
In other news:
- The European Space Agency’s Euclid shows us “a spectacularly panoramic and detailed view of the Horsehead Nebula, also known as Barnard 33 and part of the constellation Orion”.
- Nearing Her 109th Birthday, and Still Waiting for Her Day in Court. Lessie Benningfield Randle survived the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. Her lawyers are making what they say is a final bid to keep her case alive.
- From J Draper, Boudica, or, How Present-Day Politics Changes The Past. Apart from learning about Boudica, you’ll also hear a great explanation of why all history is political and how historiography is intertwined with our society.
- From Sydney Metro, a short video: Metro train completes first journey from Tallawong to Sydenham.
- Why San Francisco Fell in Love With the Ferry Building, and I must admit I really like it too.
- B-21 Raider Has Flown For The First Time (Updated), with some fantastic photos.
- And finally, the winners of the 2023 BirdLife Australia Photography Awards.
The Week Ahead
On Thursday I’m recording a podcast with Yun Jiang, the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) China Matters Fellow. She’s been on the pod before. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by midday AEDT this Wednesday 15 November.
On Thursday evening I’m doing ABC RN Drive’s “Big Tech” spot at 1650 AEDT and, through the magic of technology, that same time in your local Australian timezone. Or on the ABC Listen app. Or you can listen to the recording later.
At this stage I’m not sure whether I’ll edit and post the podcast on Friday or Saturday, but either way that wraps up the spring series.
Further Ahead
- End of The 9pm Summer Series 2023 crowdfunding campaign, 30 November 2023, 9pm AEDT.
- The War On 2023: Annual Comedy Gala, Bathurst, 5 December 2023. For reasons which are not entirely clear, Snarky Platypus and I will be taking the train to Bathurst to see The Chaser’s end of year show there rather than in Sydney. We’re then continuing on to Orange the next day, returning to our respective starting points the day after.
- I’ve decided that if the crowdfunding goes well I’ll do some live-streamed episodes of The 8pm Quiz during the holiday season. I’ve pencilled in some dates in my own calendar, but I will announce them on 1 December.
[Photo: Stevie the Cat photographed at Ashfield NSW on 9 November 2023.]