The YearlyKos Convention has started in Chicago and in Second Life (teleport SLURL) It’s amazing seeing the parallel tracks being broadcast in the different meeting areas they have set up in-world, and the avatars gathered to participate virtually. Unlike real conferences, you can instantly teleport around to the different sessions, checking in on a panel…
Category: Politics
Opening Keynote tonight for YearlyKos featuring Dean and Durbin
Dire Lobo, one of the organizers of Second Life section of the YearlyKos Convention, reminds folks that tonight at 5PM SLT Senator Dick Durbin and Governor Howard Dean will be speaking at the opening keynote (teleport SLURL.) I asked Dire how preparations for the convention were going. He reported that they are wrestling with some…
YearlyKos is this weekend!
This weekend, August 2-5, progressive activists, bloggers, and politicians from all over the country (and the world) will be gathering in Chicago for the Yearly Kos convention. Joining them will be all the major Democratic Presidential candidates, as well as Democratic party leaders, so you know its going to be quite the shindig. If like…
Submit a question to the Dem Presidential debate via YouTube
YouTube and CNN are inviting citizens to submit questions to presidential candidates via YouTube video this summer. Get your video in by July 22 so it can be considered for the July 23 Democratic candidate debate on July 23 in Charleston, South Carolina. If your question is selected, you may be flown to Charleston to…
Japan rejects e-democracy in campaign time
Kan Suzuki’s boarded up SL headquarters Interesting article in the BBC about how Japan has instituted a freeze on all web-campaigning before their July 29 national elections. Reportedly, Japanese politicians are not allowed to create new websites or update their existing ones prior to the election. Diet member Kan Suzuki has even had to close…
Net radio saved… negotiations between Sound Exchange and net broadcasters resume
It looks like net radio won’t go dark on July 15 as previously predicted. WIRED’s blog "Listening Post" reports that Sound Exchange, the consortium responsible for enforcing royalties for the music industry, has agreed before Congress that they will not collect fees from net radio stations under the proposed new fee structure until a new…
Ben Scott on why the iPhone sucks (hint, it rhymes with “AT&T”)
Here’s a great run-down by Ben Scott of the non-profit group Free Press of what’s wrong with the iPhone from a public policy perspective. (Recorded by Matt Stoller.) For those who can’t spare the time to watch Ben’s cogent 5 minute explanation, here’s the rundown: Consumer Choice: The iPhone locks consumers into one telephone company,…
NORML opens SL headquarters – virtual potheads say “kewl, dood”
I got the news from Laura Judy that the marijuana legalization non-profit NORML has opened a small office in Second Life (teleport SLURL). You already see a good amount of simulated marijuana use in SL, so it makes sense for NORML to start reaching out to residents here. For those that don’t know, NORML’s mission…
CORRECTION: “Live Earth” event in Second Life tomorrow (July 7)
I got the word from David Alexander that the global climate change concert series "Live Earth" will be simulcast tomorrow an in-world event paralleling the "Live Earth" concerts will take place in the Better World Island sim (teleport SLURL.) Live Earth is a a 24-hour, seven-continent music extravaganza that will bring together more than 150…
Rep Jerry Nadler appears in Second Life to talk about Habeas Corpus
US Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) appeared in-world this afternoon to talk to SL residents about his stance on habeas corpus and civil liberties in light of the "War on Terrorism." This was during a mixed-reality demonstration organized by the ACLU entitled "Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice" held both in the real world…