Speaking engagements are like buses and this is the week where (!)four come at once.

I’ve done the first, reprising a talk I gave last term on using IT systems safely and securely in a research context. It went well although I found that, despite having reworked some of the slides yesterday I didn’t have the flow of subjects as firmly in my grasp as the previous time. I suppose that is because, last time I gave the talk, it was the only one to have been flying round the inside of my head for the past week while, in this iteration, it was the “easy” one of the four.

Tomorrow I’m giving a demo of some new software at a meeting; the main challenge there will be time as I’m the last item on the agenda; I think the new system is worth pursuing but I have the odds stacked against me in getting that across. Then, at lunchtime, I’m helping lead the ukulele group with a short concert and demonstration of some techniques. That should be relatively easy although I’m cautious not to take it for granted.

Finally, I’m talking on the benefits of thinking like a geek on Thursday lunchtime. That one is very much a case of throwing my standard onto the field and then leaping forward to defend it. Death or glory! Anyway, although that one is rattling round inside my head I’ve still got another two presentations to give before I can worry about the details of that one. Onwards and upwards!