My week of Monday 2 to Sunday 8 June 2025 saw the start of The 9pm Edict podcast’s mid-2025 series, some productivity on client projects, and on Sunday a trip on the Parramatta light rail — although the photo is from a couple of weeks back.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Australia’s Most Important Relationship is with Indonesia with Erin Cook, recorded on Wednesday evening and posted on Saturday evening. This is the first episode in the mid-2025 series.
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Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #71. Services Australia says AI and automation will be deployed with empathy, Apple faces pressure to open up app sales, HMAS Canberra kills Kiwi wi-fi, 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 Appearances, 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
Well then. The Musk-Trump alliance exploded most spectacularly this week. Here’s some of the pieces I’ve found most useful — although the situation is changing hourly.
- “Impeachment, Epstein and bitter acrimony: Trump and Musk joust in astonishing social media duel.”
- Trump says Musk has ‘lost his mind’ but says he is not focusing on row, from a BBC liveblog on the whole thing.
- Donald Trump shuns call with Elon Musk and considers selling Tesla.
- Trump says Elon Musk will face ‘very serious consequences’ if he funds Democratic candidates.
- And of course Patrick Boyle’s video essay The Trump Musk Blowup! is magnificent.
- From WIRED, There’s a very simple pattern to Elon Musk’s broken promises.
- Finally, it’s worth reading this week’s Musk Watch, the newsletter, not this list.
Some Interesting Links
- Therapy chatbot tells recovering addict to have a little meth as a treat. “Pedro, it’s absolutely clear you need a small hit of meth to get through this week.”
- Scientists create ‘world’s smallest violin’.
- Check out this discussion of the Sydney railway maps that copied the style of Harry Beck’s famous maps of the London Underground.
- And while we’re on the topic, here’s a history of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Railway.
The Week Ahead
Monday is the public holiday for the King’s Birthday. The weather forecast no longer includes the possibility of snow, but I’ll still be spending the day at home.
Tuesday sees a day trip Sydney for a variety of personal and business appointments.
On Wednesday evening I’m recording an episode of The 9pm Edict with space archaeologist Dr Alice Gorman aka Dr Space Junk and astrophysicist Rami Mandow. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please get them to me by 8pm AEST this Tuesday 10 June.
The finished episode will be posted on the weekend, because during the week I have a whole bunch of client work to do.
Further Ahead
- Adelaide expedition, 26 June to 2 July 2025, with Snarky Platypus.
- 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 Adelaide and nearby locations. 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.
- NEW: The 9pm Edict podcast recording with Sam Roggeveen, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute and author of The Echidna Strategy, an alternative view of Australia’s defence needs, 9 July 2025. Read this review to get the flavour. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please get them to me by 8pm AEST on Tuesday 8 July. No need to mention AUKUS because we’ll definitely be talking about that.
- 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.
- NEW: Sam Campbell: Window Sucker, Sydney, 31 October 2025.
[Photo: An Urbos 100 light rail vehicle crosses the Parramatta River at Church Street, Parramatta, which is part of the Parramatta Light Rail line, on 24 May 2025.]