I ended my week of Monday 15 to Sunday 21 June 2026 by losing my keys. Possibly at the pub — not the one on the photo but another local — or possibly in the street. Very annoying. Maybe I’ll find them again? Either way, that topped off a somewhat stressful week, although I still got quite a bit done. Anti-stress procedures have been activated.
As for the ongoing crowdfunder and The Great Unboxening and The Lost Module, there’s no further news this week either. However the coming week will see a small flood of new information as I try to wrap up as much as possible before the end of the financial year.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Hometown Visit to Gawler, the core material of which was recorded nearly a year ago on 29 June 2025 and which was finally posted this Wednesday. It’s a bit different. I hope you like it.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #122. UK to develop its own teen social media ban, US bans export of Anthropic’s most powerful AI model, Gina Rinehart spends big on SpaceX, and more.
Media Appearances
- One of my photos of the waratah (Telopea speciosissima), the state flower of New South Wales, was used in a collection of images at KnowYourWeeds.com. I now feel obliged to mention my photo album Waratah sequence 2021, in which I tracked the entire life cycle of a single waratah flower from bud to seeds.
Photos, Videos, Corporate Largesse
None of these. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos appear and when the occasional livestreams are scheduled.
Some Interesting Links
Just a few things this week because I’m running late (again).
- New from Map Men, The first TWO voyages around the world.
- I haven’t tried to make it, but here’s cocktail in honour of recent events in Washington DC, the Reflecting Pool.
- This week’s suggested follow: ”Auralnauts is comedy overdubs, sound design, music production, and a concerning number of Star Wars opinions,” they say. I can generally do without Star Wars opinions, but every now and then this mob produces magic like Cassette Deck Vader – Episode 1.
The Week Ahead
Much of the week will be about trying to shift things in The Great Unboxening. Follow my socials for the latest details of that, at either Bluesky or Mastodon. There’s also a lot of administrivia to be done, including pushing for my compensation for The Lost Module.
Yes, that’s exactly what I said last week and it remains true — although I’ve also got some client work to poke at.
On Wednesday I’m recording an episode of The 9pm Edict with Swiss-Chinese train enthusiast David Feng. David assures me that he’s cleaned up his YouTube channel. Either way, he has lots of material all over the place, including on Bluesky. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 8pm AEST on Tuesday 23 June.
I’ll edit and post that podcast on Thursday,
The Weekly Cybers newsletter will appear as usual on Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, Snarky Platypus and I will record a half-time update of our 2026 Bingo Card, to be posted as an episode of The 9pm Edict next Tuesday 30 June. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, because we will talk about other things as well, please let me know by 12 midday AEST this Saturday 27 June.
Further Ahead
- Newcastle visit, 3–5 July 2025. This was Snarky Platypus’s idea, and I think it’s a good one. I will record a podcast while I’m up there, namely…
- The 9pm Edict podcast recording with Newcastle’s own Carol Duncan OAM, 21st Freeman of the City, Newcastle, 4 July 2026. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 10am AEST on Saturday 4 July.
- NEW: Wollongong visit, 9–10 July 2026. Another fantastic idea from Snarky Platypus. I’ll flesh out the details next week.
- UPDATED: Podcast recording or excursion or meet-up or something with Swiss-Chinese train enthusiast David Feng, Sydney, 14 July 2026 (TBC). We’re not sure exactly what we’re going to be doing yet, although we’ll certainly be catching the Sydney Metro out to Tallawong. Stay tuned.
- Six-month checkup, 11 August 2026. This is part of the medical trial I’m taking part in, the one for a new trivalent vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPV-3). Given that I came down wth RSV in May, I’m guessing that whatever I was injected with didn’t contain the RSV vaccine component.
- NEW: TechLeaders 2026, Bowral, 23–24 August 2026.
[Photo: The Oasis on Beamish pub in Campsie, Sydney, photographed on 20 June 2026. On this occasion I did not enter.]