My week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 May 2025 began with a solid burst of productivity, and then it rained a bunch, and then it all ended as I wished. I even scored a very special purchase, but I’m not telling you about that yet. The pigeon is from last week. And I know it isn’t actually winter yet.
Podcasts
- Another Untitled Music Podcast pilot two, recorded back on 4 May, was finally posted on Monday evening — and there’s more coming, as you’ll see below. Please do listen and let us know what you think.
The 9pm Edict and Another Untitled Music Podcast are supported by the generosity of their listeners. You might like to throw a few coins into the tip jar or subscribe for special benefits. Please consider.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #69. ASIO and AFP are back with home affairs, the OAIC’s inquiry into children’s online privacy actually asks children, 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.
Photos, Videos, Media Appearance, 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
There’s been some major sookage from Elon Musk this week as we learn more about how everyone who has to deal with him can’t stand the arsehole.
- From Daily Beast, “Elon Musk went on a furious posting spree in response into a damning profile detailing his diminishing influence in the White House.”
- The piece in question was in The Atlantic, The Decline and Fall of Elon Musk. It’s behind a paywall, but I’m sure you know how to do the needful.
- Elon Musk’s DOGE prompts New York leaders to take aim at Tesla.
- From News.com.au, “Elon Musk has laughed off Tesla’s plunging sales, furious shareholders, and questions over his commitment to the company, declaring he’ll stay chief executive officer of Tesla for the next five years unless he dies.” Tempting fate?
- And from the Guardian, Fear, hope and loathing in Elon Musk’s new city: ‘It’s the wild, wild west and the future’.
Some Interesting Links
- The Sizzle has a free edition this week, “AI’s use and abuse, posting drought, Immutable and mega AWS government contract”. As Cam Wilson writes, “What if AI’s problem is the people using and abusing it?”
- Quolls reintroduced to the Flinders Ranges are thriving.
- This week I was working in the Blue Mountains City Library in Katoomba and met their new MetaCat robots. They’re very cute, and more convenient for a library’s story time sessions than a real cat.
- A reminder via Snarky Platypus that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) produces good high-level country information reports. The most recently updated ones are Türkiye, Myanmar, and Pakistan.
- Some advertising executives disagree, but I really like this TV commercial, MILKRUN. Milk it for 10,000+ grocery items delivered in minutes.
The Week Ahead
It’s a simple plan this week. My main focus is on client work. On Friday it’s The Weekly Cybers as usual. I may produce a brief solo podcast, but there’s plenty coming up so I might restrict my podcast work to planning. And then I’ll have another quiet weekend at home. Unless I get a better offer.
Further Ahead
- UPDATED: The 9pm Edict recording with Erin Cook, 4 June 2025. We’ll be looking at the Australia-Indonesia relationship and other news from South-East Asia. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please get them to me by 6pm AEST on Tuesday 3 June. Yeah, we’ll also be talking about the cat.
- Adelaide expedition, 26 June to 2 July 2025, with Snarky Platypus.
- UPDATED: The 9pm Edict recording with me, Stilgherrian. For a change, Snarky Platypus will be interviewing me about South Australia, my life, my thoughts, and more as we walk around the city. TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for that episode? By 8pm AEST on Friday 27 June please.
- The 9pm Edict recording with Snarky Platypus, the bingo card half-year review episode, 28 June 2025 (TBC). We’ll record this at some point while in Adelaide, and it’ll be posted around 5 July.
- Another Untitled Music Podcast episode 1 recording, 12 July 2025, with the completed episode to be posted a few days later.
- Another Untitled Music Podcast episode 2 recording, 26 July 2025, with the completed episode to be posted a few days later.
- TechLeaders 2025, Hunter Valley, 16–18 August 2025.
[Photo: Winter bin pigeon, being a random rock dove or common pigeon (Columba livia) fluffed up against the cold in Belmore Park, Sydney, on 18 May 2025.]