Ever wanted to sit in on someone else's yearly job review? Well, had you been on Accordion Guy's blog this afternoon from 7pm BST, you would have. Although sans sound. Which sucked. But still, it's nice to see someone else's career and job prospects under the hammer. So nice, in fact, that we watched it over dinner. (Er… you think I'm joking?)
Here are edited highlights:
“If you don't like the working conditions, you know where the door is.”
“Oh, I'm fucked.” Joey looks alarmed as boss Ross looks serioss.
“And it would be this easy for me to just pluck your head from your shoulders. Bwah ha haaa”
Joey tries a tune from The Sound of Music to try and win over Boss Ross.
“My god! You were right! The alien nanotechnology has escaped the containment fields and is taking over the world! I'll give you a bonus if you promise not to tell on me.”
“Of course, if you do tell on me, this is what will happen to your neck.”
“Heh heh. You think that scares me? Nothing scares me. I have a sheaf of papers and am therefore safe from your evil threats.”
(Note: I'm sure Joey's Boss Ross and Ross's Boss Noss are all lovely people. No, really.)
I appear to be having a bit of a run on visits to London at the moment. Not that I'm complaining – it's a good excuse to escape Dorset.
On 27th May I'll be going up to see digital rights expert and author of Free Culture Lawrence Lessig speak to the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) Business Arts Forum. I am particularly looking forward to the lecture, not just because Euan is involved with LIFT and anything he endorses is bound to be worthwhile, but also because I was a part of AKMA's Free Culture audio book project. I have been quietly keeping an eye on the whole copyright/digital rights issue so this lecture should be very interesting.
If you're in London on the 27th, you really should come along:
Creative Commons in a Connected World
a lecture by Professor Lawrence Lessig, US Attorney
Thursday 27 May, 7.30pm
Venue: Ondaatje Theatre, Royal Geographical Society, SW7
Tickets: £10 (£5 concession)
Bookings: 020 7863 8012
“Never in our history have fewer exercised more control over the production and transformation of culture than now… never” – Lawrence Lessig
Lawrence Lessig is a founder and lead advocate of the Creative Commons copyright and a champion of civil and constitutional rights. Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and a leading commentator on legal aspects of new communication technologies, Lessig is a popular figure amongst new media designers and creatives. He teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law, high technology and internet regulation.
In his book, The Future of Ideas – The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World, he asserts that innovation itself is threatened by a combination of punitive copyright laws and the unintended consequences of software development.
In this lecture, Lessig will put forward the hypothesis that innovation and experimentation thrive when ideas and culture can be freely circulated and freely exchanged. These freedoms are under threat. He proposes that the erosion of constitutional and civil rights carries with it profound consequences for all those involved in the arts and the business of ideas.
I shall also be in London on the 12th May for what is turning out to be a bit of a mega blogger meet-up. I think at least 30 of the people listed as interested on the wiki page have confirmed their attendance at this do, and I suspect we may get a few more turning up than that.
With so many people going, and so little time to mingle, I do have a shortlist of bloggers I'd like the opportunity to meet, regardless of whether anyone introduces me. So if you're going, prepare to be accosted by a strange blonde.
Looks like I will be going up to London tomorrow to meet Doc Searls, Euan, Gary, Matt and everyone else who'll be there. I had been pleading poverty, but I had my arm twisted quite successfully by Kevin Marks this morning in #joiito. (Thanks Kevin!)
I'm looking forward to it, I must admit. Not only is it another night away from here, but it will also be quite wonderful to be surrounded by so many interesting, articulate conversationalists. I'll report back when I get a chance.
