My week of Monday 17 to Sunday 23 March 2025 wasn’t hugely productive but I’ve started planning more things. I also thought back to 2018, for some reason. Have a train.
Yes, just like last week I found myself thinking about the past, including a 2018 trip to four cities including Adelaide to give presentations about the near future of surveillance cameras, as well as record some podcasts.
I got so much more done in the Beforetimes, although my lack of productivity since then has nothing to do with covid.
Anyway, this week I finally dropped my intention to insert a solo episode of The 9pm Edict podcast into the calendar, created a more sensible timeline for Another Untitled Music Podcast — sorry it’s so late — and despite the fatigue of fighting off a virus, started being a little productive again.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #60. Australian intelligence review released, news of encrypted messaging apps, new Treasury rules for cryptocurrency, and 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
- My photo of Centrepoint Arcade on Summer Street in Orange was used to illustrate the article 7 Welcoming Towns To Retire In New South Wales.
Podcasts, 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.
Muskwatch
Yeah, it’s another semi-random selection of stories about the world’s richest man (pending an audit). I should stop, but it’s a weakness.
- From The Conversation, How Donald Trump and Elon Musk are waging a deep and wide ‘uncivil war’.
- Pentagon set up briefing for Musk on potential war with China, that being a New York Times gift link.
- “Tesla is recalling nearly all Cybertrucks in the United States to fix an exterior panel that could detach during driving, the latest in a series of call-backs for the pickup truck”.
- Donald Trump’s commerce secretary told Americans to buy stock in Elon Musk’s electric car company, only for shares in Tesla to keep falling.
- A fascinating essay outlining why SpaceX’s Starship was doomed from the start.
- The BBC has an interview with The man with a mind-reading chip in his brain — thanks to Elon Musk.
- And finally from the magnificent Teen Vogue, a very personal story: Vivian Jenna Wilson on being Elon Musk’s estranged daughter, protecting trans youth and taking on the right online.
By the way, I discovered a newsletter tiled Musk Watch. That’s nothing to do with me. We just both chose an obvious title. Looks like it’s worth subscribing.
Some Interesting Links
- Let’s start with a delightful short film, One-Minute Time Machine, “The short film that (probably) helped Rick & Morty win an Emmy”? Yeah dunno about that last claim.
- Patrick Boyle has another excellent backgrounder, Why Are Birthrates Plummeting Worldwide?. I learned a lot from this one.
- I love some of the lines in this video, The Art of Dog Acting.
- ‘Pirate’s Booty’ Founder Goes Rogue, Attempts City Council Coup.
- Woman narrowly avoids jail after plotting to sell dead man’s toes online.
The Week Ahead
Monday is a day of logistics and administrivia, include some errands down in Penrith, plus planning out further podcast episodes.
On Tuesday afternoon I’m recording a podcast with Associate Professor David Smith from the United States Study Centre.
If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 8pm AEDT tomorrow, Monday 24 March. The finished episode will be posted later in the week.
The 9pm Edict and Another Untitled Music Podcast are supported by the generosity of their listeners. You can always throw a few coins into the tip jar or subscribe for special benefits. Please consider.
Tuesday evening I’ll try to catch a Lowy Institute discussion, The future of warfare, although of course it’ll be available online afterwards. Tuesday night is also Budget Night, but I’ll leave my analysis of the budget papers until later in the week — unless someone decides to pay me for it.
Wednesday is about podcast post-production, Thursday is about client work, and Thursday night sees the start of Taskmaster Australia series 4, so I know what I’ll be doing. And then it’s The Weekly Cybers as usual on Friday.
On Saturday I have a social thing in Sydney, before which I might get a haircut. Lovely.
Further Ahead
I’m finally starting to flesh out the schedule again. It’s been a while, eh?
- UPDATED: Another Untitled Music Podcast pilot one posted, Saturday 5 April 2025 (TBC). This is much later than planned, of course, but by this date I will have organised the music license, finished the editing, and migrated the hosting to a platform where I can set up geoblocking. I accept that geoblocking will be annoying for listeners outside Australia and New Zealand, and I understand that there is literally no way you could ever work around it.
- NEW: Sydney days, 18–25 April 2025. Yes, I’m basing myself in Sydney again for a few days.
- UPDATED: Another Untitled Music Podcast pilot two recording, 19 April 2025 (TBC). This is Easter Saturday, so there’s a very good chance that Snarky Platypus and I will be able to coordinate a time. If it’s not this day it’ll be a mere day or two later.
- NEW: He Huang’s White Man’s Burden, Concourse Chatswood, 17 May 2025. I really love He’s work. Look for her on YouTube.
[Photo: A coupled pair of 3000-class diesel railcars at Largs station, Adelaide, photographed on 23 March 2018. Since then, the leading car 3011 has been converted to hybrid diesel-electric, and the trailing car 3006 has been retired.]