Well then, my week of Monday 23 to Sunday 29 September 2024 represented quite a change. Last week was good for me. This week less so. Was I fighting some sort of lurgi? Because by the weekend I was sleeping for most of the day and got almost nothing done. And most of the birds abandoned me.
As the photo shows, the cicadas started emerging this week, much earlier in the season that usual. This has meant that the more carnivorous birds are ignoring the food I usually provide and gorging on the fat yummy cicadas. Australian magpies, pied currawongs, grey butcherbirds — all full of cicadas.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #37. A Federal Court win for freedom of information, a rebranding for Australia’s digital ID, Optus outage leads to various changes, yet more on social media age restrictions, 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.
Podcasts, Photos, Videos, Media Appearances, Corporate Largess
None of these. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos appear and when livestreams are scheduled.
Recommendations
The Elon Musk news is all about free speech this week, kind of.
- Al Jazeera compiles some things about Elon Musk which have already been reported into a handy reference: “The billionaire has taken on multiple governments, claiming he’s fighting for free speech. But often, his business interests and political views are in play too.”
- Or he’s just having a sook. Elon Musk hits back at UK government after he is not invited to tech summit. “I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts,” he said.
- ‘Precious genius’ Elon Musk love-bombs ‘beautiful’ Giorgia Meloni at think tank awards.
- What could an alliance between the divisive figures mean for the EU?
- But according to to Reuters, Elon Musk says he is not having affair with Italy’s Meloni after mutual praise at gala.
- “X has suspended three times as many accounts under the reign of Elon Musk than in previous years and has complied with more government requests to remove content.”
- “Donald Trump’s wider ground game operation in crucial battleground states is now largely outsourced to America Pac, the political action committee backed by the billionaire Elon Musk, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.”
- The EU far right wants to give Elon Musk a free speech award.
In other news:
- The Lowy Institute has published this year’s Asia Power Index. It’s always interesting to drill down into the numbers, and in the coming week there’s the first of two livestreams discussing the thing.
- “Underwater robot stumbles across thousands of sharks asleep on the seabed. Experts are trying to figure what’s happening.”
- The invention of European bee shamanism, something that you’ll be shocked to hear is possibly a scam.
- Please enjoy this time lapse video of a slug eating spaghetti.
The Week Ahead
This week I’ll try yet again to get some billable hours done. With good fortune, it might even actually happen. It’s been a while.
On Wednesday I’m recording the first special-guest episode in The 9pm Edict spring series, and it’s about AI, kinda, with David Gerard of the newsletter Pivot to AI. He’s been on the pod before, but talking about cryptocurrency and the blockchain.
If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 7pm AEST this Tuesday 1 October. The finished episode will be posted later in the week.
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On Thursday evening I’ll try to catch the Lowy Institute panel discussion Is Asia multipolar?, or maybe watch it later on YouTube. This is the first of two panels on this year’s Asia Power Index.
This weekend is the long weekend for the King’s Birthday, at least in NSW, but I haven’t planned anything yet.
Further Ahead
- Will China gain uncontested primacy in Asia?, Lowy Institute, Sydney and livestreamed, 10 October 2024.
- Queensland expedition, 13–21 October 2024, which is shaping up rather well. Sunday 13: Fly to Cairns and visit the Australian Armour & Artillery Museum. Monday 14: A Great Barrier Reef tour. Tuesday 15: Kuranda Scenic Railway wildlife experience. Wednesday 16 and overnight: Spirit of Queensland train to Brisbane. Brisbane itinerary TBA. Sunday 20: Train to Gold Coast and explore there a bit. Monday 21: Relaxing morning then fly back to Sydney. More details to come.
- NEW: Competition in cyberspace and the future of US security leadership, US Studies Centre, Sydney, 25 October 2024 (TBC). It’s a conversation with Admiral (ret) Mike Rogers, the former director of the US National Security Agency and former commander of US Cyber Command. I might actually head down to Sydney for this one rather than waiting for the video.
- Sydney Days, 26 October to 18 November 2024 (TBC). The dates have yet to be finalised, but I have another opportunity to base myself in Sydney for a while.
- Australian Internet Governance Forum (auIGF) 2024, formerly known as NetThing, Melbourne and online, 28–29 October 2024 (TBC).
- Victoria expedition, 6–9 December 2024. Includes a friend’s birthday event on the Mornington Peninsula Friday 6 to Sunday 8, heading to Melbourne for social things on Sunday night before flying back to Sydney on Monday evening. This trip will almost burn off the last of my frequent flyer points from the Beforetimes.
[Photo: The head of a greengrocer cicada (Cyclochila australasiae), photographed at Bunjaree Cottages on 25 September 2025. Note its five eyes, just like the Anglosphere: Two big red compound eyes, and three smaller simple eyes.]