My week of Monday 2 to Sunday 8 October 2026 was productive and fun, especially with the podcast and some client work, and the food at the Nepal Festival on Saturday. I also embarked on a significant new health adventure.
On Friday I started taking Wegovy, the GLP-1 semaglutide packaged for weight loss. I’ll explain more in the coming days — there will be video! — but the short version is that it’s to break the nexus of weight / sleep apnoea / fatigue / exercise since a CPAP machine trial a few years back was unsuccessful. I thrash about a lot in bed and I kept dragging it off the bedside table, which led to anxiety and poor sleep.
I’m only three days into it, so trying to make any definitive statement would be silly. But I’m pleased to report that there’s been no adverse side effects so far.
I’m also managing to stick with my exercise plans, so I’m feeling optimistic.
Meanwhile, The 9pm Spring Series 2026 crowdfunder is now 80% of the way to the second target, and we’re in the final week before the deadline I’d set, Sunday 15 November. If you haven’t already done so, please consider. Pledge your support now.
As for the saga of The Lost Module, I prodded the storage company via email on Tuesday but got no reply. I’ll give them another prod this Tuesday — with a much sharper stick.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Cruel Philosophy of AI with Patrick Stokes, recorded on Wednesday and posted on Thursday night. It’s a fun conversation.
Articles
- The Weekly Cybers #141. Teen social media ban battle hits the High Court, Binance did indeed lose US$6.36 billion in history’s biggest heist, the government is sleepwalking into another robodebt, and Google launches its first space data centre. It’s tiny.
Media Appearance
- One of my photos of an empty egg aisle during the Covid Times was used as a background image in someone’s Instagram story about interest rates. I continue to be fascinated by where my open-licensed images turn up.
Photos, Videos, Corporate Largesse
None of these this week. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos appear and when the occasional livestreams are scheduled.
Some Interesting Links
- “The answers were unambiguous: self-centred men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car such as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes.”
- “Some hawkmoths fend off bat predators by emitting noise from their genitals,” but only some of them.
- “Doctors pull knife from man’s eye that went through his brain — and he’s fine now.”
- “Juan Atkins, pioneer of Detroit techno sound, dies aged 64.”
- This week’s suggested follow: I love historian Indy Neidell’s with with TimeGhost TV, what with his chronological series on WW2 and the Korean War. I’m therefore looking forward Tok his new series starting in February 2027, The Roman Empire With Indy Neidell. Apparently it’s going to run for about ten years!
The Week Ahead
FrogID Week continues, and I really must get out there one evening to record some frogs.
Monday is a jumbled day of admin, and catching up by posting this very Weekly Wrap and client work and shipping and stuff. Tuesday will be a more focussed day on client work, followed by drinks and, presumably, dinner with a friend in Newtown.
NEW: On Wednesday I’m recording a solo podcast to chat about a few things. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by midday AEDT this Wednesday 11 November. I’ll also shoot a brief video.
Thursday is about whatever needs doing, especially some client work. it’ll probably include some early work on a certain newsletter because…
On Friday we’ll be up early so that some electrical work on the apartment can begin at 7am. A gas cooker is being replaced with an induction stovetop, and that means a new 32A circuit and associated work. If all goes well, and even if it doesn’t, The Weekly Cybers newsletter will appear on Friday afternoon as usual. Or possibly a little late.
We have some choices for community festivals on Saturday. There’s the Greek Street Fair in Burwood, the Diwali Festival of Lights in Harris Park’s Little India, an Eat Drink Night in Bankstown, an probably others I haven’t found yet.
Further Ahead
- The 9pm Edict recording with high-speed rail enthusiast David Feng who was on the pod in July, 19 November 2026. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 8pm AEDT on Wednesday 18 November.
- The 9pm Edict recording with author John Birmingham, who’s been on the pod many times, but not for nearly two years! He’s about to publish a Quarterly Essay on Pauline Hanson’s One Nation. If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 8pm AEDT on Thursday 19 November.
- NEW: The 9pm Edict recording with satirist and entertainer Mark Humphries, 26 November 2026. He’s been on the pod before but not for two whole years! If you’re a supporter with TRIGGER WORDS or a CONVERSATION TOPIC for this episode, please let me know by 8pm AEDT on Wednesday 25 November.
[Photo: The Nepal Festival at Tumbalong Park, Sydney, on 7 November 2026.]