It’s Friday. Geeklawyer is particularly pleased since he will be going to the pub. He has, you see, been teetotal for the whole of January. This act of monumental self control was done not so much for reasons of health or morality, and certainly not due to Ruthie’s endless & tiresome nagging, but as an arbitrary exercise in self-discipline - to see if such an unpleasant thing could be done easily.
It could.
It is over. The time for Mead is imminent and the World seems somehow … shinier, yes, shinier.
Even Ruthie is slightly impressed and will temporarily refrain from nagging on this topic.
She will however start nagging about the conference. Have you told everyone is either the 18th or 25th May? Have you booked the speakers etc etc..
You said you were going to drink Rioja, Geeklawyer. in one of your responses to my comments on your blog… .. I cannot believe that you are suffering from memory loss. I accept that there was no contractual requirement for you to drink Rioja - but you must be pleased to learn that, soon, you will be able to sue for your fees.
I have a hot new patentable idea - see my blawg…. unashamedly trying to bump my traffic up… but… this new patent could make you a household name and a legend in your own lunchtime.
I do hope that my posting on your blog does not affect your chances of being given Silk.
Ruthie… be sure… I am booked to speak at this event… even if I am not asked to give he keynote speech… or, indeed to cut the ribbon to open the event… i shall speak… you may rely on this…
My birthday is 17th May… so… if you hold it on the 18th May I shall be well into the juice by the time I arrive at the venue.
I am happy to confirm that CharonQC is the keynote speaker.
Excellent….. I was not ‘angling’ !..
G.. would you be interested in my bringing along a TV crew… film the main talks and let the World see how British blawgers dio it. I can gurantee your anonymity film wise by filming you in silhouette… or Crime Watch style, from behind. Serious offer. I do a lot of film work now myself and the cameras and lighting is fairly unobtrusive these days. we have moved on from the old Grandstand TV cameras.
This is an interesting idea & one I had considered. I’d like it filmed, without a doubt, but my vanity competes with my desire for anonymity. Not just myself: I think a large number of speakers would want anonymity. This is perhaps a topic to be taken up on the forum.
I’m happy with the idea that it is filmed, firstly as its a UK first and secondly unless we can rustle up a bit more sponsorship all the speakers are attending for free. If you can flog a few DVDs we may at least get our train fare back. But better clear it fist with The Boss. And yes Geeklawyer, I will discuss this on the forum…
On the subject of sponsorship, Geeklawyer is getting sufficiently desperate that he is pimping Ruthie out to law firms. I wouldn’t mind, but 250 quid? I’m sure I’m worth a bit more than that
I have no problem with it being filmed, but surely DVDs are the wrong product?
This is, after all, a blawggers’ conference - should we not be thinking about an almost-live (think Most Haunted) podcast?
DVDs may be a suitable product for CharonQCs company to sell as part of a bundle of some sort. However I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind buying it in its own right. I’d be tempted to ask CharonQC to allow it to be made available as a free download; but I have no objection to a commercial use of such a video.
A (semi)-live feed sounds like a seriously good idea, but how would one square that with anonymous bloggers? Perhaps one could simply not broadcast them live, but it seems a bit of a faf. I’d be tempted just to make a download available with editing.
I don’t want to sell it… i am quite happy to do it free to promote UK blogging… We can stream it on the net… not a problem
Well I do happen to have a mask from a debauched Halloween party still knocking around - I could always lend you that?
Otherwise, a bit of judicious editing may be the only solution. Or post-conference plastic surgery.
I think what I will do is to ask whether speakers want to be pixeled out. If anyone wants to be entirely removed then fine, otherwise they are included but their face is obscured if all they want is their voice heard. That will probably be OK for me, but I don’t assume so for other people.
I was going to suggest that shy speakers could wear a burkha or niqab but given the latest judicial guidance on the wearing of such items of clothing Ruthie sadly has to warn speakers attending wearing such items that Ruthie can order then to be removed if she deems the wearing of such to be adversely affecting the proceedings..