STREAMING VIDEO with CAPTIONS from ORLANDO

Streaming video from Orlando's AARP Conference (American Association of Retired Persons)has had some of my attention these days. I've also been blog tracking Cowtown Pattie at "Texas Trifles" and Frank Paynter at "Listics." They're sharing their experience as attendees.

I virtually attended an hour long Orlando session in real time featuring Mary Matalin and James Carville. They gave some serious commentary from opposite sides of the political spectrum regarding the upcoming November elections and what the results might portend for the future, including the Presidential election in two more years.

Carville says the Democrats need to just let the Republicans talk and thinks they'll talk themselves out of winning the election. He says a third party, with the Tea Pots (my term,) as an example are "...like bees...they sting and then they die."

Matalin bantered about their personal life as a husband and wife with opposing political views. There was lots of humor in the mix as she commented with words to the effect that she "...didn't consider divorce, but she did often consider murder."

The session's moderator asked, "How does tweeting, etc. change the country to you?" Carville compared the change now to that of being as profound as when we had the first printing press, later radio, then television. He spoke of politics being "...about framing...not how you communicate, but what you communicate."

Matalin spoke of the technology as allowing organization. She then made this alarming observation, that now that we have so many information sources, often of questionable value, more disorganized, that sorting out the credible has become more difficult. She noted that the more of this mixed information we receive, the more likely people are to react in herd-like behavior. I would suggest that we have certainly seen that happening.

I'm anticipating an early morning session with Whoopi Goldberg -- early for me on the West Coast because of the three hour time difference. In case you haven't noticed by my choice of sessions to attend, I prefer a good dose of humor infused with any serious topics.

All of these sessions, and many more on various topics pertinent to Elders, including health, caregiving, remain available on the Orlando50+ The Digital Experience site, If you miss the live streaming video a replay is available beginning 24 hours after they occur and will continue to be accessible for a period of time. Those with hearing limitations may find the sessions captioned speech helpful.

If you've never tried participating in a virtual conference, you might enjoy doing so. Anyone with a camera and microphone, as many computers today often have built-in, may actually interact with a person at some of the virtual AARP site locations other than those sessions.

(Next Day Note: AARP reported they regretted contractual limitations resulted in their being unable to present live streaming audio/video of the Whoopi Goldberg and Larry King portion of the session I had expected to see.)