Tag: Now

It has been a strange start to the year at work. I returned part-time, but felt more disconnected than if I had not worked at all. Much of the effort was spent on the usual start of year problems, a time when process is pushed.

On the home front, we did not get away, instead doing various things in and around home, whether this be going for rides, playing music together, or catching up with family and friends. This also included going down to Angelsea for a day at the beach. So much is often said about the dangers of water, but it is funny how we forget about the dangers of the sun.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Awkwardness: A Theory by Alexandra Plakias: A philosophical investigation into the nature of social awkwardness, arguing that these cringeworthy moments actually reveal important truths about our social norms.
  • The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown: An exploration of how embracing our insecurities and being authentic is the ultimate key to courage, connection, and a “wholehearted” life.
  • Revolution – Prince, the Band, the Era by Chris Campion: A deep dive into the mid-1980s peak of Prince’s career, focusing on the chemistry of his band, The Revolution, and the cultural explosion of Purple Rain. A exploration of Prince beyond the myth of the “solitary genius”, instead reframing the Purple Rain era as the story of a community, whether it be The Revolution or the numerous side projects that became his laboratory.
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: The foundational Gothic novel about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist whose ambitious attempt to create life results in a tragic struggle between creator and monster.
  • The Empty Honour Board by Richard Flanagan: A searing and reflective essay on Australian identity, leadership, and the historical ghosts that continue to haunt the nation’s narrative.
  • Unbury the Dead by Fiona Hardy: Unbury the Dead takes the reader on a suspenseful journey exploring the world of fixers set in Victoria.
  • A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway: A classic “Lost Generation” novel following an American ambulance driver on the Italian front during WWI and his tragic romance with a nurse.
  • The Happy Life by David Malouf: A lyrical meditation on the search for fulfillment in the modern world, drawing wisdom from both classical philosophy and the simple joys of existence.
  • A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin: The epic opener to the series, where the noble Stark family is pulled into a web of betrayal and power politics in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
  • A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin: The second volume of A Song of Ice and Fire, depicting a continent in chaos as five different kings fight for control of the Iron Throne.

No new acquisitions in regards to music, but I did continue my deep dive into Prince, listening to Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day. This has included exploring other albums from the time to provided more context, including Cyndi Lauper, The Cars, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Madonna and Whitney Houston. I think that I have moved away from “one artist and listening to each album, once a day for a week”, but oh well.

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

At work, we have been winding up the testing associated with the upgrade. This included discovering that we had been referencing the wrong documentation and that was the source of some of our errors.

On the home front, it feels like there is enough happening in December to fill up six months. Carols, break-ups, a party, birthdays, Christmas, New Years. In amongst all the usual hullabaloo, we somehow managed to fit in a performance on Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Bliss by Peter Carey: A darkly satirical novel following Harry Joy, an advertising executive who survives a near-death experience only to realize his “perfect” life is actually a hellish nightmare.
  • Dig If You Will the Picture by Ben Greenman: An insightful exploration of the life, music, and cultural legacy of Prince, examining the enigma behind the artist’s greatest works.
  • Earthquake by Niki Savva: A detailed account of the internal political turmoil within the Australian Liberal Party that led to the ousting of Malcolm Turnbull and the rise of Scott Morrison.
  • The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann: The classic holiday tale about a young girl whose Christmas toy comes to life, leads an army against the Mouse King, and takes her on a magical journey.
  • Love Is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield: A poignant memoir that uses the tracklists of old cassette tapes to chronicle the author’s relationship with his late wife and the healing power of music.

In regards to my vinyl acquisitions, I was lucky enough to get a stack of new vinyl for Christmas:

  • Everyone Else Is A Stranger by Lindstrom
  • Miike Snow by Miike Snow
  • Joy In Repetition by Hot Chip
  • The Man Who by Travis
  • The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens

I continued my deep dive into Prince, listening to Dirty Minds, Controversy and 1999. This has included exploring other albums from the time to provided more context, including Rick James, Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson, Big Star and Robyn Hitchcock.

I also voted in the Triple J Hottest 100.

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

At work, I have been acting as team lead in the midst of an upgrade this month. Into the unknown. I have long wondered about professional develop/support with regards to stepping up to leadership when required – like now – however I wonder if some challenges simply need to be experienced, rather than taught? For example, at which point do you esculate problems and what consequences will this have? Another lesson learnt is that leadership is in part learning to have the confidence to say ‘no’ or not saying yes instantly. I learnt this after receiving a request from another team that was littered with the usual references to ‘ASAP’ and the general manager who raised it. Of course, I had completed the task in a few hours. The person was shocked. The problem is that in ‘not being the blocker’, you risk being the weak point I guess. All in all, the most useful experience was seeing the grass on the other side, as well as appreciating people in a new light.

You’re not awkward — the world is.

Source: The Gray Area with Sean Illing: How to survive awkward encounters

On the home front, everything was about the end of year dance concert. It can be easy to lose track how far we have come. Things such as concert are a testament to this.

With regards to technology, I have been moving more of my workflow to my hand-me-down Mac. This has helped me think about what it is I actually use. The interesting challenge was coming up with a workflow associated with my Samsung phone. My answer, a USB drive.

On jogging, I returned to lumbering up the hill in Brimbank Park avoiding the rabbits and kangaroos. It is a reminder that data ain’t data. It is not always about average time or speed. Always more context. All in all, I clocked up approximately 70kms for the month.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green: An exploration of the different versions of TB, its long history, and the stigma surrounding it, along with its political and social origins.
  • Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton: A novel that interweaves a gripping true-crime murder mystery with a deeply personal exploration of marriage, ambition, and self-deception associated with the ‘storage box of life’.
  • The Beautiful Ones by Prince: A book as much about writing a book about Prince as it is about Prince himself, in part because Prince died before it was complete.
  • Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg: An exegesis into what it means to communicate, whether it be what it is we are communicating, how we feel about it, and who we actually are, all with the overall focus being to connect with others.
  • The Two Towers) and The Return of the King) by J.R.R Tolkien: Books two and three of The Lord of the Rings trilogy read by Andy Serkis.

I was lucky enough to see Arseless Chaps for their album launch, which included Davey Lane shredding his way through FOSAGAWI. I also got my signed copy of the self-titled record, which included the the nice surprise of track transitions not present on the streaming platforms, giving it an almost live feel.

In other music, I have also been listening to Davey Lane’s album Finally, A Party Album, as well as Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory (on the back of Stella Donnelly’s Take5). While I also started a new deep dive, this time into the music of Prince. I have listened to the first two albums so far, For You and Prince self-titled.

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

It has been a strange month at work. We seem to be running a dual operating mode at the moment. On the one hand, we are all in on agile ways of working, while at the same time with the transition to a new platform means there is also an element of ‘whatever it takes’.

Within our area, it has been something of a waiting game with regards to getting access to test various upgrades. While waiting, I have spent time reviewing data to ensure there are no duplicates, as well as following up with missing details in the system. A part of this work also lead to contact schools around services they are paying for but seemingly not necessarily using.

In regards to professional development, we attended a Microsoft CoPilot session. For me, it was being sold as ‘the solution’ as long as you are willing to do the leg work of structuring things to get it to work. This reminded me of ‘templated self’ and the creation of a particular user. It was interesting to contrast this with Anthony Raymond’s Ikigai & Kaizen which we discussed in a bookclub.

With Kaizen, we understand that there is no “high ground” that demarks the end of our march. Our primary objective is the pursuit of continuous improvement itself. No matter our present circumstances, we commit to press on. We take shot, after shot, after shot, after shot. And if we take enough shots, we know that one of them is bound to result in a winning goal.

Source: Ikigai & Kaizen by Anthony Raymond

On the home front, it has felt like another month of both something and nothing. The school holidays were again a balancing act with work. We were reminded how fickle the world can be when we ran out of some medication. We also learnt about what happens when pranks go too far. Sadly, actions are always more consequential in a hyper-online world.

With the release of Taylor Swift’s latest album, we went to the cinema as a family to see the release party. Ironically, there was a glitch in the audio which marred the experience.

I also watched a few films and documentaries, including The Lost City of Melbourne, Touching the Void and The Truman Show. As well as saw our daughter perform as Veronica in a school adaptation of Heathers the Musical.

I only clocked up 20kms, after a bit of a lapse due to being unwell. However, after watching Touching the Void, I realised my excuse for not jogging two days in a row was pretty lame.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: A novel that is less about narrative, than it is about providing a platform to explore the thoughts and relationships of the Ramsay family during two visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
  • The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams: The second book in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, where Arthur Dent and his friends visit a restaurant existing at the end of time and space.
  • The Sound of the Machine by Karl Bartos: Autobiography of Karl Bartos, best known as a member and co-composer in Kraftwerk.
  • Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett: A play featuring two characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), who wait endlessly and in vain for the arrival of someone named Godot.
  • Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen: A play that follows the eponymous character, a newly married woman struggling with societal constraints and her own boredom and manipulative tendencies.
  • A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen: A play exploring the restrictive roles of women in 19th-century marriage through the character of Nora Helmer.
  • An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen: A social drama about a doctor who attempts to expose the truth about his town’s polluted public baths, only to be deemed an “enemy of the state” by the community and press.
  • The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov: A play about an aristocratic Russian family who are unable to prevent the sale of their estate and its beloved cherry orchard to pay off debts.
  • Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov: A play depicting the lives and dashed hopes of three sisters living in a provincial town, dreaming of returning to Moscow.
  • The Seagull by Anton Chekhov: A play about creativity, fame, relationships and life all intertangled.
  • Passing by Nella Larsen: An exploration of racial and sexual identity among two childhood friends, both light-skinned Black women, one of whom ‘passes’ as white.
  • A Man’s Got to Have a Hobby: Long Summers with my Dad by Colin McInnes: A memoir that reflects on the McInnes’ relationship with his father both growing up and as he grew older.
  • Ikigai & Kaizen: The Japanese Strategy to Achieve Personal Happiness and Professional Success by Raymond Anthony: A thought-provoking exploration of goal-setting through the lens of Eastern philosophy.
  • First Love by Ivan Turgenev: A novella that recounts the narrator’s passionate and painful experience of first love as a sixteen-year-old.
  • We by Yevgeny Zamyatin: A dystopian novel set in a highly rational, totalitarian society where citizens are known by numbers, which influenced later works like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
  • What We Can Know by Ian McEwan: A novel exploring our present time, what we can know, what should be remembered.

In regards to music, no new acquisitions, but I have been listening to Paul Dempsey’s Shotgun Karaoke Vol. 2 and Tame Impala’s Deadbeat.

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

Someone at work shared a video about being your own destiny, rather than what is outside the hand. While another colleague lay down the challenge that sometimes we sabotage ourselves by the way we communicate and collaborate across teams. With this in mind, I found a gap in a proposed solution and used my initiative in creating a POC with Apps Script to rename files in Google Drive in bulk. The issue is that I feel that this should really be accounted for within the actual project scope? Is a team of individuals the most efficient approach to project work? I wonder if their is a fine line between ‘total football’ and chaos? Another aspect where this has played out is around problems with past projects, where issues have been raised long after the fact. This all led to time spent trawling through past emails and requests. I guess sometimes it is hard watching children grow up. Outside of all this, I have been doing quite a bit of work around writing tests for the changes associated with the upcoming upgrade.

On the home front, we celebrated Father’s Day. This included attending various school activities, such as spending time in the classroom, as well as a before-school breakfast. The best part, though, is always sharing the bounty—whether it was chocolate or licorice—with the rest of the family.

My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, which included going out to dinner at Russo Winery. (Funny how after so many years living in the same area, you can still find new places.)

I also attended my daughter’s performance of Shakespeare’s Soup.

As it has been school holidays, I took some time off work. While we didn’t get away, we certainly didn’t stop, managing to tick off quite a few projects and outings. Highlights included transforming the ‘kid’s play space’ into a ‘teenage space’, a fascinating visit to Sovereign Hill, a long-overdue trip to IKEA, and a memorable Daddy-Daughter Day exploring the city.

In regards to plogging, I was aiming at 100km, but got to 78km before I hit the wall (or maybe school holidays).

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon: An exploration of the ideas of history, space and knowledge through the lives of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon.
  • Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Arthur Dent discovers that Earth is to be destroyed to make way for a hyper-spatial express route and so his journey begins.
  • Fellowship of the Ring by J.J.R. Tolkien: Frodo Baggins sets out on the journey to destroy the one ring to rule them all, a journey destined only for him, supported by friends and comrades along the way.
  • Howard’s End by E.M. Forster: A probe into the connections between place, class and people.

In regards to my vinyl acquisitions, I added the following records to the mix:

While in support of Bandcamp Friday, I purchased the following album:

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

I once had a colleague from Canada who spoke about ice jams, where ice would build up in a river at a particular point, causing the water to build up and flood.

Ice jams occur when the ice that is drifting down-current in a river comes to a stop, for instance, at a river bend, when it contacts the river bed in a shallow area, or against bridge piers. Doing so increases the resistance to flow, thereby inducing an increase in water level upstream of the jam (referred to as backwater). Ice jams are thus a main cause for flooding during the winter. In addition, when the jam is released, depending on the conditions under which this happens, the amount of water that was retained behind the jam can also lead to flooding downstream of where the jam occurred. Ice jam floods are generally less predictable and can also be faster than open-water floods.

Source: Ice Jams (Wikipedia)

I feel like we have the same thing happening at work where we have become single point sensitive and there are a whole lot of tasks building up. Although it is stated “don’t be a blocker”, it is one thing to identify problems and recommend proposals, beyond that it is often beyond control with complex problems. Associated with this, I wonder if in technology too much time is spent focusing on the what not the why, the technology not the habit?

At home, we have again been balancing things. Cooking. Pick-ups. Appointments. Commitments. This was all brought to ahead when there was an issue with the trains that highlighted how fragile everything is.

On other matters, we met our new nephew. Was the first child I have held since my own children. Not sure why, but it felt strange.

With regards to jogging, I am still struggling to get into a rhythm of things. I managed to clock up approximately 50km, but these are not the numbers I was doing at the start of the year. Maybe it is the weather, the fact that we dog sat this month, or my own expectations?

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad: This novel is a gripping tale of espionage, anarchism, and political intrigue set in London in 1886.
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – Bilbo Baggins quest to reclaim the treasure from the dragon Smaug read by Andy Serkis.
  • This Isn’t Happening: Radiohead’s “Kid A” and the Beginning of the 21st Century by Steve Hyden – Explores Radiohead’s album Kid A and the legacy it has had.
  • Fatherhood by William McInnes: An insightful and humorous collection of stories and reflections on the challenges and joys of being a father.
  • Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism by Fredric Jameson: A seminal work of literary criticism that analyzes postmodernism as the cultural dominant of late capitalism.
  • Fredric Jameson: Live Theory by Ian Buchanan – An exploration of the concepts of Fredric Jameson and how they all operate.
  • Vineland by Thomas Pynchon – A sprawling, comedic novel set in 1980s California that delves into the counterculture of the 1960s and the political paranoia of the Reagan era.
  • Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, read by Benedict Cumberbatch: A surreal and unsettling novella about a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect.
  • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen – A classic novel of manners that contrasts the emotional and rational sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, as they navigate love and society in 19th-century England.
  • Isn’t It Nice We Both Hate the Same Things by Jessica Seaborn – A contemporary novel that dives into the world of Charlie, who is balancing work, family and friendship.
  • The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon – A paranoid and complex novel following Oedipa Maas as she uncovers a secret, centuries-old postal conspiracy while settling a former lover’s estate.
  • On the Road by Jack Kerouac – A roman à clef accounting a series of journeys through America and through life.
  • _Taming Toxic People_ by David Gillespie – A practical self-help guide offering strategies and insights for dealing with difficult individuals in life.

I saw Arseless Chaps (Damian Cowell and Tony Martin) and Twinkle Digitz at the John Curtain Hotel. I also made a few digital purcheses on Bandcamp Friday:

As well as, re-subscribed to RRR after many years absence. It occurred to me that community radio surely is doing more to support artists than platforms such as Spotify.

Going beyond the town square, Pelly suggests that Spotify is best considered as another part of the social media shopping mall where you never quite know what is you and what is the algorithm.

Source: REVIEW: Mood Machine – The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of the Perfect Playlist (Liz Pelly) by Aaron Davis

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

What have I been up to? I always feel like it is nothing, but it is clearly something I guess. Beyond the usual of doing the shopping, cleaning the house, and other trivialities of life, this has been another month of small things, especially during the school holidays. Some such small things included playing rummy with my grandfather, exploring the ruins of Rockbank Inn and a whirlwind visit to Adelaide, staying in Henley Beach. Can I just say, I am always amazed at the different pace of life in Adelaide, especially the proximity of everything.

At work, the next part of the project I am a part of was announced. This review has been years in the making. It has highlighted the future of where we are heading, but it has also shed light on the present problems that often get lost in the everyday work. (They will just disappear if we pretend they are not there, right?) I wonder if with any sort of change, it takes two to tango, that is the past practice and the future state? Or maybe it is better considered a game of snakes and ladders?

Even with all the reviews on current and future states, I still find so much of my work is still trial and error, finding the best solution based on the situation served up. I wonder if this is simply reality? Or a failure of our rollout of the agile methodology? So much of our learning associated with agile is focused on the technology, however I wonder what matters more, the what or the why? I am often left wondering how we form better habits beyond the clicks and whistles?

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire – A novel that provides a different perspective on the Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of Elphaba.
  • Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence – A novel that unpacks the life and relationships of Paul Morel from childhood into adulthood.
  • Postmodernism, Or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism by Fredric Jameson – A critical look at postmodernism, arguing that it is the cultural consequence of a new, globalized phase of capitalism.
  • Jameson Live Theory by Ian Buchanan – An investigation into the ideas of Fredric Jameson, including his influences and an exploration of his key texts.
  • The Trial by Franz Kafka (re-read) – A novel exploring the sense of paranoia and alienation associated with being arrested for an unknown crimes that nobody can really clarify.
  • D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber – A tale that traces the mission to find the lost letter ‘D’ traversing two worlds.
  • Kim by Rudyard Kipling – A novel that follows the life of Kimball O’Hara, an orphaned Irish boy living in Lahore, providing an insight into British India.

Other than Damian Cowell’s new single, no new music this month. Spent a lot of time listening to the holiday playlist curated by my daughter. This actually led to me writing a post wondering about the stages associated with listening to music

Podcasts that stood out this month:

I wonder if some months are longer than others, both mentally and literally? School wise, it has been a long term. With illness associated with the colder season, the focus has become about survival. This includes limited opportunities to get back into jogging.

With that said, we did manage to get away for a mini-getaway over the King’s Birthday Long Weekend down to the Bellarine Peninsula. This involved exploring Point Lonsdale, Fort Queenscliff, going to the Great Ocean Road Chocolataire and Ice-Creamery, and eating out at Jack Rabbit Winery, going to Bells Beach and visiting the Australian National Surfing Museum. Although it was wet, we still managed to have a nice time away.

The big focus at work feels like ‘process’. There is an attempt to double down on who is doing what, especially as we move into a new phase. The dilemma is that processes can be too rigid, therefore preventing movement, or too open, therefore creating inconsistencies. I wonder if the glue within all of this are the relationships between teams.

Associated with this, there has been a push to foster the sharing of skills and knowledge within the organisation. Although I agree with this to a point, as I often benefit from talking through my technical problems with colleagues, the the question I am left with is whether there is a limit to formalising the informal in-lieu of more formal and deliberate training?

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • The Castle by Franz Kafka – A novel that engages with the absurdity associated with engaging with bureaucracy.
  • Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence – A novel which delves into the dichotomy between mind and body through Lady Chatterley’s differing relationships.
  • North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – A novel exploring the world wreaked by the Industrial Revolution.

No new music purchases this month, but I have been listening to the new unapologetic albums from TFS, Montaige and Lorde. I also attended Twinkle Digitz Album Launch Extravaganza.

With regards to my writing, I wrote a post wondering When is Getting Things Done Is Not Actually About Getting Things Done

Podcasts that stood out this month:

At work, I have spent time trying to get on top of duplicate records. This has included diving deeper into SQL to come up with a clearer solution for identifying issues. At the same time, I have found myself revisiting old solutions and finding new more efficient means of achieving them, like I did with an attendance check I had originally created with Google Sheets. I fear though that I am still slave to ‘busyness’, even as the place I work tries to implement and improve its agile practices:

Busy is not your job. Busy doesn’t get you what you seek. Busy isn’t the point. Value creation is.

You only get today once. Your team does too. How will you spend it?

Source: Business/busyness by Seth Godin

On the home front, We got out and about this month, including going to Woodend, playing games at the library. I also spent time with my grandfather going through things after consolidating his life into one room. It was a reminder of the important of lifelong decluttering – Swedish Death Cleaning – and digital spring cleaning.

On the digital, I have been tinkering with Readwise’s Reader app after Pocket announced it is closing down, as well as Micro.Blog’s Epilogue app for recording my books.

Our youngest daughter went on her first school camp, while the camp planned for our eldest was cancelled. Whether it be COVID or time-in-lieu, I feel that camps are a missed opportunity.

Jogging was put on pause. Something happened with my leg. Last time I pushed through it only for it to get much worse. I have however instead appreciated walking and returned to noticing different things, such as the different houses in Keilor or exploring Little Lonsdale St.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Unsettled by Kate Grenville – A memoir tracing Grenville’s family history, while also reflecting on her own experience of growing up and understanding of the land.
  • Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine (33 1/3) by Daphne Carr – A book balancing between context to the album, as well as various reflections on the impact and legacy of the album.
  • Oh Miriam! by Mirian Margolyes – Something of a re-read of Margolyes’ first memoir, This Much is True, where she elaborates on particular stories started or provides a different perspective on others.
  • Pandemic!: Covid-19 Shakes the World By Slavoj Žižek – A reflection on the COVID-19 written early on in the pandemic, wondering about the new possibilities in the process.
  • Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham – a history of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that combines interviews with eyewitnesses and various documents from the disaster.
  • Machines Like Us by Ian McEwan – An exploration of what it actually means to be human through an examination of machines.
  • Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams – A sadly humorous book that pulled back the curtain on the Facebook façade.
  • An Immense World by Ed Yong – A dive into the world of animal senses and their associated unwelt.
  • Our Shadows by Gail Jones – A multi-generational family saga that explores grief, loss, memory, and the impact of the past.
    – King Solomon’s Mine by H. Rider Haggard – A lost world novel into the unexplored Africa in search of a missing traveler and hidden treasures.
  • A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce – A semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel that documents development of Stephen Dedalus.
  • The Hitler Myth by Ian Kershaw – A map of the myth of Hitler and charismatic leadership separate to the historical person.
  • Dubliners by James Joyce – A collection of fifteen vignettes exploring moments in people’s lives.

In support of Bandcamp Friday and revolt against streaming, I purchased the following (digital) albums:

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following long pieces:

Podcasts that stood out this month:

At work, things were a bit quieter this month as it was school holidays and there were a few people away. As a team, we took this opportunity to go to Sri Lankan restaurant Mr Hoppers for lunch. This is something we had been planning for since the start of the year. One interesting development, we started the move to Culture Amp to support goals and development, although apparently we all have the same goals which I still do not get. I also had my first experience of another team actively using AI front and centre to collaboratively complete a task. Although I have used it in passing, this was the first time I had seen how a team starts with AI. I am sure it is not the first time this happened, but in an open planned office it was the first time that it has a part of the open conversation.

As it was the holidays, we managed to cram a lot in without actually going away. There was time spent at grandmas, cooking, bowling, going out for dinner at Okami, gathering together for Easter, TV (Bump), trying things from Too Good To Go, and country driving to Daylesford, which was in the midst of a wasp plague (we were unaware when we planned it).

Personally, I went and saw the Damian Cowell’s latest iteration with Tony Martin, Arseless Chaps, at The Howler. Learnt a new acronym, FOSAGAWI. He was also supported by Twinkle Digitz.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • Listen: On Music, Sound and Us by Michel Faber – A meditation on what it is we talk about when we talk about listening to music.
  • White Teeth by Zadie Smith – A novel that explores the messy realities of multiculturalism, the enduring power of friendship, and the search for identity in a rapidly evolving world.
  • Juice by Tim Winton – A dystopian cli-fi novel set in a stark, climate-ravaged future Australia.
  • Faster than a Cannonball : 1995 and All That by Dylan Jones – An exploration of 1995 in Britain, all that it involved, what led up to it and the subsequent legacy.
  • TISM’s Machiavelli and the Four Seasons by Tyler Jenke – An exploration of each of the tracks on TISM’s Machiavelli And The Four Seasons, as well as an introduction to the band’s legacy.

No new music this month, but decided that the 90s was actually a long time ago, so have started creating a playlist of 90s song that I remember. It is interesting watching Spotify try and make sense of all this with regards to the algorithm.

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following:

I also created a /Colophon page too, which like the /Now page displays the latest Colophon tagged page.

At work, I was (again) challenged by the dilemma of grappling with incidents that have been waiting for traction. A part of a large project, it always feels like there is a limit to what you can do individually. Although you can have processes to improve outcomes, I fears sometimes the focus can be the individual processes, with the overall outcome lost in mix. So often these speedhumps seem to come back to communication, both to the customer and/or colleagues. I wonder if communication is something which feels more visible when it is not there? One of the problems I find is that sometimes ideas get lost in translation. I may explain various processes to share understanding and build capacity, but when something goes wrong I get “your name is all over this, what did you do?” (I was once told, “No good deed goes unpunished”, might be a part of the same idea?) It is interesting to think about this alongside the growth of AI chatbots and answers without deeper understanding. I sometimes wonder if even humans can hallucinate too?

On the personal front, I have reseeded/overseeded the lawn. This involved a lot of clearing and spreading new soil. I never realised how much effort is involved in maintaining a lawn.

On the plogging front, I increased my distances, clocking up 85kms across the month, all while thinking about this quote I read from Jean Baudrillard:

Primitives, when in despair, would commit suicide by swimming out to sea until they could swim no longer. The jogger commits suicide by running up and down the beach. His eyes are wild, saliva drips from his mouth.

Source: America by Jean Baudrillard

In other news, my daughter’s iPad got an error while updating. I rebooted it a number of times to no avail. We took it to the Genius Bar and they did exactly the same thing and it fixed the issue. It was very frustrating, however the staff at the Apple Store did provide a certain level of care and respect that felt like my daughter and I were important. Whether I as the customer was right or wrong is outside of support’s control, but leaving my daughter and I as feeling seen is.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • The Story of India by Michael Wood – An exploration of the rich and complex history of the Indian subcontinent, from the earliest human migrations to the modern era.
  • Mood Machine by Liz Pelly – A book exploring the rise of Spotify, its place and intended purpose.
  • The Sri Lanka Reader edited by John Clifford Holt – An introduction to Sri Lanka’s history and culture through various texts.
  • Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje – A novel that explores the chaos and impact of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
  • Unbury the Dead by Fiona Hardy – A crime novel exploring the world of fixers set in Victoria.
  • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad – A novella exploring the dark side of colonialism in the Belgian Congo.
  • This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes – An autobiography exploring Margolyes’ life on and off the stage.
  • America by Jean Baudrillard – A collection of observations and reflections on American culture.
  • A Fortunate Life by Albert Facey – An autobiography exploring Facey’s early life in Western Australia, his experiences at Gallipoli during World War I and his return to civilian life after the war.
  • Winnicott by Phillips by Adam Phillips – An introduction to the life and legacy of British Psychoanalyst, Donald Winnicott.

In relation to new music, I have been enjoying to Sasami’s Blood On the Silver Screen.

With regards to my long form writing, I punched out a review of Liz Pelly’s Mood Machine.

At work, schools returned, so things have been a bit chaotic. Had an interesting conversation with a colleague who asked if schools were getting better at using the application. I explained that the processes and expectations keep on morphing, meaning that it is not a simple matter of ‘getting better’. With this said, I do think schools are getting better and appreciating the why to it all. The challenge, from a support point of view, are the processes that are in the hand, whether it be effectively triaging problems or trying to bypass the usual steps by ‘just asking a quick question’. Question, is there really ever a quick question?

On a side note, I called a school I had not spoken with for quite a while (probably over five years). I said it was ‘Aaron calling’ and the admin actually remembered me. It really helps having social capital sometimes.

On the personal front, a few things reminded me that I had got out of the loop with my plogging. I subsequently bounced back clocking up more than 50km this month. As we are in the office more now, I have also been doing more lunchtime wellbeing sessions with my colleague, which involves two flâneurs wondering the city.

I also bought a new phone, a Samsung S24, which was on sale, after the screen of my S20+ decided to sporadically start flickering like a strobe light. With it I got a ‘military’ proof case, lets see how that goes? I stuck with Android as Moon Reader has become an integral part of my reading workflow.

Here is a list of books that I read this month:

  • These Foolish Things – A Memoir by Dylan Jones: Jones’ personal memoir reflecting on his life in and out of publishing.
  • After the First Death by Robert Cormier: A novel exploring terrorism and hostage situations from different points of view.
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig: A philosophical exploration of the balance between technology and spirituality, interwoven with a cross-country motorcycle trip.
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding: A novel depicting a group of British boys stranded on a deserted island without any adults who descend into savagery and tribalism.
  • Zen and Now by Mark Richardson: A book exploring Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it serves multiple purposes, in part a travelogue, in part a reflection on Robert Pirsig the person, however it is also a reflection on Richardson’s own therapeutic effort to make sense of the world, including fatherhood.
  • Music and the Mind by Anthony Storr: An examination of the relationship between music and human psychology, exploring how music affects emotions and cognition.
  • The Porpoise by Mark Haddon: A story told through another story, the myth of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, as a means of exploring power, lose and connection.
  • The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: Beyond serving as a document of life in hiding during the war, the Anne Frank’s diary provides the reader an insight into the mind of the author and explore various topics, such as adolescence and sexuality.
  • Night by Elie Wiesel: A memoir on the experience of being taken to and surviving Auschwitz and challenges to faith that this raised.
  • Rememberings by Sinéad O’Connor: A memoir offering a glimpse behind the curtain, reclaiming the narrative of O’Connor’s life in the process.
  • The Ways of Being by James Bridle: An exploration of technology, artificial intelligence, and the interconnectedness of all living things, challenging conventional understandings of intelligence and existence.

In relation to music, I have been spinning Twinkle Digitz’s record which was finally released. While listening, I have been thinking about Liz Pelly’s point in her book on Spotify:

If we keep giving too much power to corporations to shape our lives, and we don’t protect working musicians’ abilities to survive. We are foreclosing that possibility for music to evoke those ephemeral unknowns. We are losing a lot of music that will never be made. We are letting new expressions, emotional articulations, and points of connection slip away.

Source: Mood Machine by Liz Pelly

With regards to my long form writing, I punched out the following:

I am not exactly sure what I want from my ‘Now’ page, but this is a start …

I returned to work a few weeks ago. We have been reviewing the system after the recent upgrade and trying to tie up various loose ends before schools starts. All in all, it has been frustratingly slow as I feel some many things are waiting on others and are out of my control, sadly.

On the home front, other than a few days in San Remo, we stuck to doing various day trips and local activities during the holidays.

Personally, I have been reading quiet a few books on music:

  • Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds
  • Heartbreak is the National Anthem by Rob Sheffield
  • Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield
  • Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
  • How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard
  • The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  • Squat by John Safran
  • Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield

While in regards to my acquisitions, I added the following to the mix:

  • Moments Bend (Architecture in Helsinki)
  • Moon Safari (Air)
  • Dancing in my Dream (Twinkle Digitz)

With regards to my writing, I wrote the following: