Category: Blogosphere

Next week on Virtually Speaking

~ susie

Schedule for Sunday, Jan 8 through Thursday, Jan 12. Gotta Laff, Cliff Schecter, Lenore Skenazy,  Susie Madrak, Stuart Zechman, Jay Ackroyd talk through very current events: public affairs with political analysts, activists, media critics, technologists, historians, etc. We amplify – mainly – progressive voices. Comments and questions courtesy of a digitally present studio audience. Which could include you. (see IRC below) All programs webcast and archived at BlogTalkRadio. Available free at iTunes. (Search Virtually Speaking from the iTunes store.) Miss the Intro?

Sunday, Jan 8 | 9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific |Cliff Schecter and special guest Gotta Laff discuss developments of the week, highlighting what’s been neglected or misrepresented on the Sunday morning broadcasts, drawing from their work of the prior week and the wickedly funny Bobblespeak Translations. Featuring Culture of Truth on the ‘Most Ridiculous Moment’ from the Sunday morning talk shows. Follow @GottaLaff @CliffSchecter @bobblespeak. Listen live and later on BTR

Tuesday, Jan 10 | 9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking Tuesdays | | This week, Susie Madrak and a guest tba consider the impact of current events on working and middle class people. Follow @SusieMadrak Listen live and later on BTR

Thursday, Jan 12 | Double Header

8 pm eastern | 5 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking A-Z: This week in liberalism. | Stuart Zechman and Jay Ackroyd| Follow @Stuart_Zechman @JayAckroyd Listen live on BTR.. Beginning midnight Friday, listen here.

9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking with Jay Ackroyd | Lenore Skenazy comes by to talk about Free Range Kids, popular culture, politics and family life. Last March, they spoke about sensible security, kids and parenting.  Catch our latest ‘What Digby Said’ vid at the bottom of the hour. Follow @FreeRangeKids @JayAckroyd  Listen live and later on BTR.

Controlling the internet

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

At least it can’t happen here. Right?

Iran is mounting new clampdowns on Internet expression, including rules that will impose layers of surveillance in the country’s popular Internet cafes, as Tehran’s political establishment comes under increasing strains from economic turmoil and threats of more international sanctions.

In the most sweeping move, Iran issued regulations giving Internet cafes 15 days to install security cameras, start collecting detailed personal information on customers and document users’ online footprints.

Until now, Iran’s cybercafes have been a youth-culture mainstay of most towns and neighborhoods, used not only by activists but also by other Iranians who believe the security of their home computers is already compromised.

Iranian users also have reported more blocked sites this week, as well as new barriers to accessing social-networking services. Internet connections, too, have bogged down.

The network slowdown likely heralds the arrival of an initiative Iran has been readying—a “halal” domestic intranet that it has said will insulate its citizens from Western ideology and un-Islamic culture, and eventually replace the Internet. This week’s slowdown came amid tests of the Iranian intranet, according to domestic media reports that cited a spokesman for a union of computer-systems firms. He said the intranet is set to go live within a few weeks.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203513604577142713916386248.html#ixzz1igW7PJDJ