A.Connector

Free Screencast: useful web app

I tend to be reluctant about commenting on the newest shiny objects of Web 2.0 since many are so much more focused on that than me. I do however like to promote useful things that I come across. Free Screencast is one of them. It is an excellent application(Windows only at present) for recording what is on your screen and what you are doing on your computer. Very intuitive and excellent service by Jason, the applications developer I believe. The reason I know is, I had a problem and e-mailed Jason. I received his reply almost instantly. Love when you get prompt and cogent response. The problem I had and Jason will address in UI shortly is that the api login (you need to download a desktop app for synching with site) asks for user name when in fact it wants user e-mail, while the site wants user name at login. Here is my demo at A.Connector. Please try and let me know what you think.

Fear Factor

My friend and collaborator at Depth Charge Len Edgerly had an interesting conversation earlier via Skype that motivated me to think through and write this post.

We were discussing the hope and optimism cased by Barack Obama’s message and style and similar feelings for Larry Lessig (who happens to be a Barack supporter) and Lessig’s attempt to bring the balance of the political machine back to the people from the special interest groups. I have been an admirer of Lessig’s for a while. Obama is certainly starting to get some traction in my mind share. Yet I digress.

I mentioned to Len the concern I had about Obama being a target of special interest groups for assassination, and they’d probably use a white supremacist type to do it. Len admonished this line of thought saying that, “fear of him getting offed has the effect of enfeebling our hope and energy, which needs to run pell-mell to the future. If he dies, by a bus, a virus, or any other means, the nation will mourn more deeply than it did for the Kennedys and MLK. I pray every morning for his safety, and that of the other candidates. “

Len then went on to say, “I heard interesting comment by NYT editor on podcast who covered Mandela and Gorbachov, saying what was exhilarating in both cases was to see a leader help his nation come out from under the shackles of fear into the light. That’s what Obama can do here, I hope. We’re ready. Roosevelt did it. perhaps every great leader in their own way does it, except for the ones like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin - who lead by feeding the fear and controlling the people with it as a bloody tool.”

I agree with Len on the point of fear. It is an excellent albeit it wicked motivational tool. It saddens me deeply to see how this device has been employed to a great degree in the US that is hailed in it’s national anthem as “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”

I sure hope the next US President helps us get back on track US to being the “Land of the Free” once again.

Catching Up

Sorry it’s been a while since I posted. have been very busy getting caught up on several business related and personal projects. Finally, all major holidays are over so I can just focus on the year ahead. Nice to not be rushing to finish out one year then start then stop for the Lunar New year here. Oh well reality is always going to be there just up to us to deal with it and learn how to not get overwhelmed by it, right?

Some interesting new media projects going on with friends in the US and China. The business projects are between US and China for the most part and involve some of the new services my company added to it’s menu.Hoping to help some great US destinations get some more exposure for outbound China travel.

Have recently hooked up again with some old friends which is always nice. Good to have continuity among the connected connectors. New camera has been wonderful disruptive factor and I’ve been taking some photo video walks to and from work the last several days. I can’t emphasize enough how vital it is sometimes to slow down and take more notice of the people and world around you. What is in your world that you’re excited about right now?

Depth Charge Debut

Depth Charge Discussions is a new video project entered into by myself and Len Edgerly, another indie media friend hailing from Cambridge,MA and Denver,CO. You can watch our first video here dealing with the topic of Len’s experiences with racism growing up in Boston. The next episode will be me sharing on my own experiences growing up in Brooklyn, NY.