I went to the last one just as I was thinking of taking the plunge to go freelance last year. The people and the sessions were pretty much the same but it’s good to get into a room with 100+ other freelancers, perhaps it’s just the safety in numbers. Hearing the panelists on the freelancing session talk, about experiencing the same things you have, is great for morale. There was plenty of advice (both working and financially) and I certainly felt I got a lot out of it.

Aleks Krotoski was the headline speaker for Enterprise Thursday who joined the fair for the evening session. I haven’t made the time to watch her BBC documentary “The Virtual Revolution” yet but since even my mum has recommended it I guess I will have to. Dr. Aleks is infectiously enthusiastic, and had the energy to give well thought out, passionate answers to the questions posed. Bit dissapointed that she considers “Bits” to be an albatros, but then although she’s a journalist, academic and TV presenter, she was never a geeky teenage boy.

That’s one of the best Thursday evenings I’ve had in a while and Thursdays are my favourite day! Came out of the event ready to do battle with the programming world once more and confident of victory (and met some lovely people).

This was a flash video I made a few years later in my final year at uni. We were given the song and told to make a video to accompany it. I don’t agree with all of the song, but the tone does resonate with me.

My NPWA Flash Video

The imagery at the end was taken from the protests at the G8 summit in Geneva 2001 – and I decided to dedicate it to Carol Giuliani who was killed during them.

Back in 1999 the greatest fear in the zeitgesit was that unfettered capitalism would turn into a monster. Naomi Klein’s No Logo (2001) explained how we were right to be worried – but just when it seemed that world governments would be forced to respond to the growing clamour for an ethical form of capitalism, 9/11 happened. Since late 2001 the “War on Terror” has had centre stage in our imaginations (something that probably won’t affect you, but would be terrible if it did, gets more mindshare than something that will definitely affect you, but probably in a subtle way – that’s just the way our brains deal with risk). But now that the recession is starting to affect people directly (myself included) the workings of the global economy are back in the spotlight. One thing that has changed in the intervening years is that our right to protest has been heavily eroded; the chances that police will use their new “terror” powers to discourage protest against the government seem pretty high.

My friend Benji is photographing the protests today so I’m hoping to be able to put up some links to them when he gets back.

It’s a packed train on a cold day. I get the same train every day and recognise the faces of roughly half the other commuters. Man1 is a new face to me, tall and smart with a one length beard and haircut style. Man2 is a regular on the train, a short broad man who seems to be putting a lot of pressure on his pinstripe suit and open collared shirt.

Man1 : Gets up from his seat opposite Man 2 and moves to another part of the carriage.

Man2 : Looks pointedly at Man 1.

Man1: (surprised) “Oh – you coughed in my face, should really put your hand over you mouth.”

Man2: “Well you ought to shut your mouth. You should shut up”

Man1: (still calmly) “You coughed in my face, I don’t want to catch your germs.”

Man2: “Well you ought to shave, that’s unhygenic”

Man1: “What are you talking… You silly Bugger”.

(there’s a pointed silence where Man2 stares intently at Man1)

Man2: (obviously not happy with the way the previous exchange had peetered out) “You should be careful who you speak to. You’ll get yourself in trouble opening your loudmouth like that. And you had your feet on the seats.”

Man1: “No I didn’t, you’re just making things up now.”

Man2: (embarassing himself even further) “You’re just embarassing yourself even further, you should aplogise.”

Man1: (surprisingly still calm) “I am sorry, that you coughed in my face.”

Man2: (surprisingly at a loss for words since he really should have seen that coming) “Well.” (Subdued he returned to his paper, which was the Telegraph of course.)

Calm returned to the train and we all carried on, relieved that they hadn’t come to blows. I shall be sure to move seats if Man2 ever sits opposite me in the future.