The Pirate Hour grows its viewership with a widening range of guests

The Pirate Hour, a production of the California Pirate Party, hosted by Etopia News founder Marc Strassman, is growing in popularity even as it brings in a more diverse list of featured guests.

“The goal of the Pirate Hour is,” in the words of its web page, “to speak with intellectuals and public figures in a democratic open space to share ideas and information.”

Guests so far have included:

1.       David Bollier, activist of the commons

2.       Joe Mathews, protean journalist and commentator

3.       William Kelleher and Alan Dechert, Internet voting advocates

4.       Angela Keaton, libertarian stalwart

5.       Russell Dalton, political scientist and researcher of “apartisanship”

6.       Eric Maag, teachers’ union official

Judge James P. Gray, the Libertarian Vice-Presidential candidate, is scheduled to appear as a guest on the show at its regular 9:00 pm PDT time slot on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

David Brin, scientist and science fiction writer, an expert on transparency, and, most recently, the author of EXISTENCE, is booked to appear sometime in October, 2012.

The Pirate Hour is produced online using the Google+ Hangouts On Air videoconferencing, broadcast, and recording system.  The shows are viewable live on YouTube and are archived there for later viewing.

The program features Q & A between the host and the guest, followed by questions from the virtual in-studio audience, and then free-form discussion of the issues raised by the guest and audience.

The program is being promoted on Facebook, Twitter, and the California Pirate Party web site. 

Sherman highlights Berman’s Iraq War support as key to Republican and Independent endorsements

Brad Sherman and Howard Berman both want to represent California’s new 30^th Congressional District.  Sherman beat Berman by 10 points in the June primary, but they are facing-off again in November according to the new rules about “top 2” primaries.  They are both Democrats. 

The Democrats in the district may all have already made up their minds about whom to support, but that still leaves Republicans with a possible key role in determining who represents the overwhelmingly-Democratic district in Congress.

Two Republican Senators, John McCain and Lindsay Graham, and Independent Joseph Lieberman today endorsed Berman for the seat.  Here’s what Sherman’s office had to say in response:

“THREE SENATORS BACK BERMAN:

“CITE HIS STRONG SUPPORT OF THE IRAQ WAR

“Senator's COS confirms endorsements are a result of Sherman questioning Berman's pro-Iraq War stance.

“Today the Howard Berman campaign released endorsements from Senators John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Joseph Lieberman.

“The Sherman campaign spoke to the Chief of Staff of one of the Senators this morning and was told: ‘We have seen the mailers you sent out attacking Howard Berman on Iraq.  Iraq is very important to us.’ 

 “As the Almanac of American Politics explains: 

“Berman played a critical role in winning passage by a wide margin of the Iraq War Resolution in October 2002. He strongly supported military action in Iraq, and in September came out from behind the scenes and organized a group of Democrats who shared his views. They broke off from the negotiations between Republicans and John Spratt (a moderate Democrat and senior member of the Armed Services Committee) who ended up offering up an alternative to the administration’s resolution, and [Berman] talked directly to the Bush Administration. He didn’t seek the permission of Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, but Berman’s discussions led to Gephardt’s agreement with the administration on the terms of the resolution -- talks that undercut the demands of Spratt, Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph Biden.

“’It seems odd that Berman wants to highlight his role in initiating the Iraq War fiasco,’ stated Sherman campaign consultant Parke Skelton.  ‘Berman was the key organizer in the House for the passage of the resolution and worked with the Bush Administration to undermine Democratic efforts to prevent or limit the scope of the war.  When Brad Sherman offered the Sherman Amendment in the Foreign Affairs Committee to prevent the war if Hussein allowed unfettered weapons inspections, Berman voted No.’

“Berman was one of the very last Democrats in Congress supporting the Iraq War, voting in lockstep with the Bush Administration until mid-2007.”

Will Republicans who supported the Iraq War now be more likely to support Berman on the basis of their shared support for that undertaking?  Or will anti-Iraq War Democrats be reminded of Berman's role in the instigation of that conflict, losing him more Democratic votes than he gains from like-minded Republicans?

The election is on November 6th.

David Brin talks about “EXISTENCE”

David Brin discusses themes and ideas from his new hard science-fiction novel, EXISTENCE, recorded remotely on September 7, 2012.

 

Online voter registration in California is undergoing “final testing”

According to a spokesperson for the California Secretary of State’s office, the much-anticipated web site allowing eligible California voters to register online to vote, or to change their registration information, while “not yet” operating, is close to launching.

 “We are in [the] final stages of testing,” the spokesperson wrote to Etopia News this afternoon.

Once the system is in place, California voters will have until October 22 to register if they want to be eligible to vote on November 6^th.

According to the official state elections calendar, October 22, 2012, is the:

“Last day to register to vote in the General Election. The Voter Registration Form shall be mailed (postmarked by this date) or delivered to the county elections official by this date and is effective upon receipt. The Voter Registration Form may also be submitted by this date to the Department of Motor Vehicles or any National Voter Registration Act designated agency.”

 

Chuck Kirkpatrick talks about ThePeoplesVote.com

Chuck Kirkpatrick, CEO of ThePeoplesVote.com, talks about a “Civic Engagement and Political Communication System” that allows citizens to vote on “Advisory Propositions” and have their views forwarded to their lawmakers, recorded from Palm Bay, Florida, on August 15, 2012.

Mike Smith talks about converting duckweed to energy

Mike Smith, CEO of CEG (Ceres Energy Group) Power and Gas, talks about the company and the process it uses to generate bio-gas and electricity from the duckweed plant, recorded from Cape May, New Jersey, on August 13, 2012.