My week of Monday 4 to Sunday 10 August 2025 saw the production of a podcast and some work on my websites, as well as quite a bit of sleep. So, an ordinary week. I also made an unexpected trip to Mount Victoria before Monday had even properly begun.
Podcasts
- AUMP 00002: Songs with ‘Stay’, being an episode of Another Untitled Music Podcast, in which Snarky Platypus and I choose some songs with “stay” in the title and judge someone’s musical tastes. Recorded on 2 August and posted on Thursday.
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. There’s also some specific benefits for supporting AUMP — although that page is currently a bit rough. Please consider.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #80. The Productivity Commission and the Treasurer side with tech bros on AI regulation, NBN goes with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OpenAI launches GPT-5, 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
As Tesla shares plummet, the company’s board gives Elon Musk billions of dollars to stay, I have never pretended to understating this kind of high finance.
- From The Conversation, “Elon Musk’s plans for a new political party will likely be derailed by a US political system hostile to new voices”.
- Just two weeks in, Tesla Diner has already axed most of its menu.
- Still, Elon Musk has become even richer after Tesla awarded him $US29 billion in shares ($44 billion) worth of shares.
- Although Tesla and Musk are being sued by shareholders over his Robotaxi claims.
- Elon Musk has been voted the least liked public figure in a new Gallup poll, at least in the US.
Some Interesting Links
- A Beginner’s Guide To The Dissolution of the Monasteries by J Draper is excellent, a fun retelling of the importance of Henry VIII’s actions.
- Dan Toomey is also worth watching this week, but for very different reasons: Is ChatGPT therapy a horrible idea?. Which of course it is.
- 830km lightning megaflash recorded in US by satellites is the longest yet.
- The USA is fortunate to have one of the world’s most dignified statesmen as its leader.
The Week Ahead
[Update 11.30pm: Just a few hours after posting I’m already having to change the plans.]
This is one of those weeks when each day has a distinct theme. Monday is about errands and reading. Tuesday and now Wednesday as well will be about client work and more reading.
Wednesday is about a day trip to Sydney for various health-related appointments and even a haircut.
On Thursday I’m recording an episode of The 9pm Edict with Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson, authors of Conspiracy Nation. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 8pm AEST this Tuesday 12 August.
The finished episode will be posted on Friday, I hope, but as usual the main priority will be The Weekly Cybers.
Thursday’s Mandarin Live Webinar, the interview with Services Australia CEO David Hazlehurst, now clashes with my podcast recording, so I’ll have to watch it later. But you’re still free to watch it live.
On Saturday I’ll be heading to the Hunter Valley for TechLeaders 2025, which runs through to Monday.
Further Ahead
It looks like I need to lock in a few more podcast recordings and the next season’s crowdfunding campaign, among other things. But for now this is what we have.
- A curious evening of drinks and nibbles to which you are not invited, Darlinghurst, Sydney, 29 August 2025.
- NEW: RAAF Richmond Airshow 2025, 27-28 September 2025 (TBC).
- Sam Campbell: Window Sucker, Sydney, 31 October 2025.
[Photo: Mount Victoria signal box, built 1911 and only decommissioned in 2022, photographed at 1.49am on 4 August 2025. I’d fallen asleep on the last Blue Mountains line train out of Sydney on Sunday night and this is where it terminated.]