My week of Monday 20 to Sunday 26 May 2024 was a slight improvement over the previous week, with two podcasts recorded and one posted, a trip to Sydney for back maintenance — which was much needed! — and rather a lot of catching up on sleep.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Dream Cheese of Digital Tyranny with Justin Warren, recorded on Tuesday and posted on Sunday evening.
- On Monday I recorded an episode with Esther Anatolitis, editor of literary quarterly Meanjin and other things. It’ll be posted this coming Friday.
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. You can throw a few coins into the tip jar or subscribe for special benefits. Please consider.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #19. MediSecure data posted for sale, News Corp signs content deal with OpenAI, age assurance tech hits The Discourse, IPA lashes the eSafety Commissioner, and much more.
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, Photos, Videos, Corporate Largesse
None of these. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos appear and when livestreams are scheduled.
Recommendations
Not much for me on the Musk front this week, although it does seem that Google News is returning weird results — for example a “this week” search is delivering stories from months ago. Well done, Google.
- The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) has made a landmark ruling that the X Corp can be held liable for hate speech published on its platform.
- Tesla boss Elon Musk criticises US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
- He also reckons that desalination is the key to tackle the global water crisis. He was speaking at the World Water Forum in Indonesia, for some reason.
In other news:
- Between 1949 and 1954, animator Tex Avery made a series of four short cartoons for MGM, World of Tomorrow. Looking back from 2024 they’re rather sexist and racist, but they’re also an interesting insight into the fears of the immediate post-WW2 America.
- Pioneering instant messaging program ICQ is finally shutting down after nearly 30 years, on 26 June. Farewell.
- It’s a polemic full of personal insults, but it may amuse: If Kevin Roose Was ChatGPT With A Spray-On Beard, Could Anyone Tell?.
- It makes a nice companion piece to Sam Altman Is Full Of Shit. Which he is,
- And from 2015, Gerry Adams trampolines naked with his dog. “Mr Adams said: ‘I don’t do it with any great expertise, just the joy of it —the dog does it with me. It saves me taking him for a walk. We just go out and bounce for a while.'”
The Week Ahead
Monday through Wednesday will be when I try to focus on some billable hours. Wish me luck. Although I’ll also try to lock in the final autumn series podcast, and start planning the winter series and it’s associated crowdfunding campaign.
Thursday is about podcast editing, and Friday is about The Weekly Cybers and other end-of-week tasks. And Saturday will see some actual socialisation in Katoomba.
Further Ahead
Autumn ends this coming Friday, However as happened last season, the autumn series of The 9pm Edict podcast will overflow into winter. Slightly.
- NEW: The 9pm Edict recording with Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, 8 June 2024. We’re bound to talk about the UK Elections, but if you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for that episode, please get them to me by 7pm AEST on Friday 7 June.
- TechLeaders 2024, Hunter Valley, 11–12 August 2024.
- The Sydney Dialogue, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Sydney and online, 2–3 September 2024 (TBC).
[Photo: The Rag & Famish Hotel in North Sydney, photographed on the rather wet afternoon of Sunday 5 May 2024. I know I posted a photo of a pub last week, but I really haven’t been doing much photography lately. Maybe I should fix that.]