Rollingstone on the #gfc

The Big TakeoverThe global economic crisis isn’t about money – it’s about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution. by Matt Taibbi is a clear description of where the US Financial system finds itself. The first sentence of the article sums it nicely.

It is my strong opinion that more debt, more bad lending is a short term answer. Crawling out of the mud of the Great Recession will leave none clean and will not happen quickly.

#undercam “IM IN UR INDUSTREE. DEAL”

babbage-email-australia-3

March 24th is international “Countess Ada Lovelace” day.

In light of this special world-wide event, I have a special in-studio guest: the smart industry icon (and a female) Kate Carruthers

Broadcasting at 8:30pm AEST, Tuesday 24th March 2009. There will be themed music on the stream from 7:30pm to get into the mood.

Keep this link handy: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/-undercam. A big thanks to another smart IT industry @dekrazee1 who has agreed to be my meta-backchannel producer.

Note: the above image is on the rear of Countess’ Lovelace’s calling card. This was left behind at a dinner party at Charles Babbage’s. From the Sydney Powerhouse Museum. Consider this video pre-work.

understil Episode 3, “Back to the Future of Self-Immolation in the #gfc”

Thanks to all who watched this episode. Just like Stilgherrian Live in its alpha broadcasts, I am starting to get some central themes and sections for the show sorted out.

Largely ignoring the chat this time was easy thanks to the wonderful @dekrazee1; the meta-backchannel producer. Her role was to watch the chat, and forward on any questions, points or where technical glitches occurred through a special backchannel IM session.

My hobby is the study of history, so researching and talking history is fun. An intellectual challenge, keeping my non-geek synapses firing.

The flow of Episode 3

  • An hour of thematic music (ie: related to show’s topic) from the 1980s
  • Lead in video clip, again thematic and from the 1980s
  • Letters from the Previous Show
  • Luddites vs. Lollards
  • Main Topic of the Show, with a thematic video/advertisement in the middle
  • Close about 5 minutes before Stilgherrian Live’s plinky’s appear

There is a need for a call-to-action somewhere; and deeper questions during the show. Or it might be just cool to leave it as-is so people can randomly chat about random stuff.

For next time:

  • Get the recording correct!
  • Ensure video playback works, even when cued correctly
  • Up the video quality on the broadcast strean when my face is on the camera

Thinking Thursday

In a strange confluence of the digital universe, two of Australia’s leading internet thinkers: Stilgherrian (Stilgherrian Live) and Cameron Reilly (G’Day World Live); conducted live broadcasts last night.

The round out the seriousness, I broadcast and recorded my second “Stilgherrian’s Understudy” show

Some forwarning. I do swear. I do use technical words. Great music is included, and I do dis my present employer. And I have much to learn with this broadcasting caper; including getting thoughts out clearer. Almost scripted. Thanks to @stilgherrian for the inspiration.

Things for next time:

  • Music correctly sequenced at the beginning, and thematic
  • Opening sting of some sort
  • Don’t drop words, and put thoughts into clear linear thoughts.
  • White balance at the beginning
  • Animate and vocalise more
  • Deliver jokes better
  • Determine a mechanism to make it true Q&A (maybe questions beforehand)
  • Learn switching process between videos and camera to make smoother
  • The recording does something weird at 19:34 when I played the music video