February 2024
The Vibe
So 2024 and a 'long' February. I could feel the weight of that extra day 😁!
February kicked off with a return to work and the start of high school for my daughter. Ms A has adapted quickly to high school life, I wish I could say the same about work. It came as a bit of a shock, but one of the great things was that despite a couple of issues coming up while I was away, my team stepped in and solved them while I was away! So my inbox was reading through a bunch of email threads that began "Thanks for all your work on getting that resolved." and me going back through the chain to find out WTF had happened.
Going back to the weekly routine has been a challenge. I got very used to having lots of time to exercise and ponder the world around me. Exercising has mostly consisted of walking the dog in the morning daily, a weekday gym visit, maybe one on the weekend, and an extended hike on Saturday morning. This has aligned with my aims of exercising and getting out into nature - so I'm really happy with how things have gone in that space. I'd like to make more room for the gym, but getting to and from the office, cooking, and chores means there's not a lot of time and energy left.
I've been commuting into the city on the train daily. This has been great as I'm able to write on the way to work and do this every day. I think February has been my most prolific on the blog for ages, and I feel really good about it. I haven't got around to writing much about learning design, which is one of my goals, but every Saturday during my hike, I've been taking voice notes and have been pulling a lot of scattered ideas together. Given that I don't think in words this to me is progress. The words are coming; they're just not all there yet or as coherent as I'd like.
I've been making roads towards my side hustle. I've got a logo, domain and email setup – just need some content now! (If you read this and are curious - DM me, and we can chat).
There was some shocking news from a colleague who had only recently left the team that their partner had died suddenly. It was a massive shock to myself and the team. I am flummoxed on what to do in the face of other people's grief as I know how private and personal that process is and needs to be. We can always share the loss, but not the grief - that's up to us to process, and we all do it differently. I gave to the GoFundMe that popped up as being interstate made it impossible to really do or contribute anything. I'm deeply shocked and emotional about the family and the loss. Anyone losing a parent is a callback to my own experience of losing my dad and the ongoing pangs of grief and sadness that come with it. That mortal coil is a thing and we the fact we are here is always precarious, but damn we get our hooks into those around us and we get ripped apart when they go.
I finished the Focus Course, and you can read up on my notes and progress. I'd happily recommend doing the course and have used a lot of the concepts back at work and I feel much more confident about life the universe and everything. And that's honestly where my vibe is at. Things are moving, and they are good.
Events
So it's officially Mad March here in Adelaide - where we cram in every possible cultural event into the last two weeks of February and three of March. The Fringe is on and I've been to a couple of shows already. I've got my ticket to WOMAD - just a day of the festival this year
Photos
Recommended
Watch
Criminal Record on AppleTV - I enjoyed this series. Loved the play on sympathy and good vs. bad that was covered in the show. Great performances.
Super Rugby - It's back! This is going to be the year of rebuilding Australian Rugby and this is where it all needs to start. There's already been turmoil with clubs on the verge of going bust and a threat to whole competition, but at the same time the game remains the same. Some great matchups coming and looking forward to what comes from this season.
Listened
Chameleon S07 The Michigan Plot - This is another one that questions the tactics of the FBI, but a bit more of a tangled mess. Dealing with a militia plot to kidnap a sitting governor, it's a captivating story full of bumbling fools, untouched bravado, bullshit and horrific casual threats of violence.
Dark Net Diaries - Another great episode on The Pirate Bay. I loved the more philosophical elements of the discussion in the episode. I have always liked Peter Sunde and his coverage in the media. The way he tried to challenge the status quo was admirable, and I loved the discussion of the law in Sweden and the huge differences between it and the US legal system.
Read
Subprime Intelligence - Loved this piece from Ed Zitron. I cleared out a couple of posts from my drafts on AI this week as they'd been bugging me. As soon as I hit publish then along comes Ed with this knock out piece. So many links and research - this is exactly what's needed around AI.
Losing the imitation game - Another AI post, this time from Jennifer Moore. This is a great explainer about the hype and technical operations of AI that seems to get lost in the noise.