March For Life & New Media

The Web has changed the News Game. And over the past few years, the Smartphone has changed the way News is transmitted.
One no longer has to rely on local newspapers or Radio and Television Networks to cover a story.
It is DYI Time. It is YOUR Story. In short, YOU Are Your Own Media Outlet. You are The Content Provider. And I have a few tips for you.

You Tube is OVERRATED. You read me correctly. It seems that people are under the misconception that because one uploads a Video to You Tube, one is already famous.

You must be reading too many editions of “You Tube For Dummies” if you fall for the line that you’ll be famous. Please! You Tube is often a Ticket to Utter OBLIVION. Zero is a Number and that is often what occurs on that service unless you have $$$ to shell out for a Viewing Number Enhancement Service. So unless you’re Justin Bieber, you can forget it. Ditto, Alex Jones!

If you must shoot a 15 Minute Video, there is Dailymotion. It is the World’s Second Largest Video Site and chances are quite Good for receiving recognition for your time you put into making that video. I received recognition for recording the 2nd Round of the 2011 Knights Of Columbus International Free Throw Basketball Championship with the Video Coverage on Dailymotion, being carried over the Belgian Website of Europe’s Largest Privately Owned Broadcaster, RTL. Your chances are better than shooting video and uploading it to You Tube & besides, your High Definition Video will actually look like a High Definition Video, in short, will look Professional.
And it is a much better audience, as there aren’t the usual moronics watching Dailymotion.
Vimeo, provided that you have a $9.95 per Month account for Vimeo Plus, is a great option and you also will not have a moronic audience here.

Both Dailymotion and Vimeo upload videos quickly. I recommend either of these two services. In case of uploading to You Tube on the day of the March For Life, expect long waits because of huge numbers of uploaders, which may take awhile.
So forget You Tube if you want your work to be recognized.

We are in the Era of Live Video over the Web. One no longer has to hook a Video Camera to a Mac, PC or Chromebook present live video. One can do this via Smartphone or Tablet. And there are Apps for this function.

There is the Ever Ubiquitous Ustream.tv, the Best Known Live Video Streaming Service, which is on iPhone and Android. It may not be good for Local Pro Life Rallies but CBS News and NBC use this service, so you might not be recognized, though it hooks into Facebook.
An Alternative is internationally known Bambuser, based in Sweden and Finland. The Associated Press is aligned with them and the App is nice and light, not eating up Megabytes. The AP may show interest in your coverage.
Still, another good alternative is Veetle.com in the USA. There is a good audience on this channel and one may hook into Facebook and Twitter as well as paste code into Blogs. iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android are the Platforms here for Smartphones.
Protestant Evangelicals are using Veetle, so I encourage Pro Life Catholics at these Rallies to use Veetle aggressively, as this is Free and an Alternative to You Tube, as is Bambuser.A 3rd Service called Streamera(Streamago) is another thought and is live, though 4G LTE and Wi Fi.

Have A Skype Account handy, as someone may want to plug into your Live Video Streaming Coverage. Also, make sure to have an Unlimited Data Plan. I have Unlimited 4G LTE Coverage on T-Mobile’s Metro PCS, which doesn’t strain the phone the way Sprint’s Virgin Mobile 2.5 GB 4G LTE did. In fact with Unlimited 4G LTE, all will be smooth.

For those who prefer short videos, Vine and Instagram will have your short videos hooked into Facebook. Also, Google+ is good along with Twitter.

Socialcam, on both iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8.1 is hooked into Facebook and You Tube as well as Instagram. Video is uploaded quickly. This was founded by the founders of the pioneering Justin.tv.
Another is Keek, with ability to do short video coverage. iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8.1 and BlackBerry Platforms & a younger audience.

Pro Life Catholics must become more adept at using the New Technology and it is intuitive. There is more to it than You Tube.
iTunes is available for putting your coverage out there.

Get a CNN iReport Account and upload your Videos there. You really get exposure on that site. Vine and Instagram are great for short coverage, picked up on Facebook and Twitter.
Tumblr is great for short videos and Younger Catholics go there more often now.

This is my list of March For Life New Media Services for Catholics. We must use these Services to get the Pro Life Movement Message out there.
For outside of FOX News, we could be forgotten.

Vivat Jesus!
Vivat Christus Rex!

M

WTF On Windows Phone

I had actually considered buying a Windows Phone until one considers the Paucity of Apps. One of those Apps, Veetle, does NOT exist there at all as I do a good # of Live Video Shoots.

And it was part of my plan to swing away from Sprint’s Virgin Mobile to Cricket Wireless on AT&T Mobility. But, eying a better deal on T-Mobile’s Metro PCS, I discovered that I still like Android, especially 5.0.2 Lollipop, where Video is of much higher quality and that Metro PCS offered a better deal than Cricket Wireless. Unlimited 4G LTE is better than only 10 GB for the Same Price at Metro PCS & T-Mobile is a great network.
Strange but Microsoft Office is actually better on iOS and Android than on Windows Phone, makes me realize this One Thing and it is THIS:
Windows STILL Sucks!

M

Via Skype

When the new Bishop of The Roman Catholic Diocese Of Albany, NY, Msgr Edward Bernard Scharfenberger held his 1st Press Conference with Reporters in Brooklyn, a Wireless Link was created from a MacBook Air, via a Service called Skype. While His Excellency was in Albany, the MacBook operated on Wireless Fidelity, and the Press Conference operated via Skype.

Michael J Matt and Christopher A Ferrara, on “The Remnant Forum” operate via Skype. So does Michael Voris when a Guest appears on “Mic’d Up” on ChurchMilitant.com, or when he is doing a report, live.

One can talk to an Associate via Skype from anywhere around the World. A Conference between His Holiness The Pope and the President of Some Nation, can be done via Skype.

Peer To Peer Communication can be done Live and Free. Landline calls are low cost over the Web. Can you dig it?

I Can Dig It, Especially when I go with Unlimited 4G LTE.

And to think I saw the Prototype with the 1st Video Phones at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, except that everything was hardwired in those days.

And Ma Bell doesn’t call all the shots anymore, as for many of us, we’ve “Cut The Cord.”

M

Remember Palm & Windows Mobile?

I remember Palm & Windows Mobile. Both are what are called Personal Digital Assistants. This is often where you got your work done. Then you transferred your work to your work computer.

But it wasn’t always pleasant. You had to enter your information using a pencil like device called a Stylus, which didn’t always feel comfortable in one’s hand. There was no touch screen like there is today. The iPhone ushered in the Era of tapping in information, just by tapping your fingers on the screen. Windows followed Apple and then came Android. The old way was the same with Palm Powered and Windows Mobile Phones. And those same phones had to be attached to a main computer.
But now the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Windows Phones, Windows Tablets and Android Phones and Tablets are basically Mobile Computers, which are independent of Desktop and Notebook Computers. Apple began that trend in 2011.
I guess the Styli are being used for something else. Hors D’Oeurves anyone!
And one’s hands are free from the styli. And that must feel good.

M, Eh!

Remember Palm and Windows Mobile?

I do remember Palm and Windows Mobile. One absolutely had to connect one’s Device to a Mac or PC to start everything up. And Windows Mobile did not play with Mac unless you had an app that allowed this.
Where is Palm? It has been replaced by Apple’s iPhone. There is also Google’s Android OS.
Blackberry, once the Ultimate Smartphone, sometimes called the Crackberry because of people addicted to checking email, has been supplanted by Google and Apple.
And Windows 8 Mobile is mounting a comeback. It will be interesting, these mobile computing wars over the next few years.
To think this all started with Text Messaging!

M, Eh!

“All In A Weekend”(CBC Radio One Montreal)

On Saturday Mornings, CBME FM 88.5 MHz, Montreal(104.7 MHz in the West End of Isle De Montreal), on CBC Radio One, which I listen to via the CBC Android Radio App, has a pleasantly fun radio show called “All In A Weekend.” It reminds me of a pleasant, informative, “Easy On The Ears” Programme called “Rambling With Gambling”, a longtime programme, heard over WOR AM 710 KHz, in New York City. It has News and Local Features of general interest and light music.
It sure beats listening to “The Obnoxious Stream of Callers” to that “Institue For The Intellectually Impeded”, at Sports Radio 660 AM/101.9 FM, WFAN in Lower Manhattan.
I am listening right now to “All In A Weekend.” Get the CBC Radio App for Android or iOS and join in. You might learn something new.

M, Eh!

It is Time for Catholics To Go Beyond You Tube

Years ago, it was Public Access Cable Channels. Eventually, it was the World Wide Web. Then came Vimeo in 2004, followed by Dailymotion and then You Tube. Then the Smartphone Revolution came and one could send a Video into Cyberspace from that Smartphone. Apple came out with the iPod Touch and iPad.
Then, Live Video Streaming Networks came into being. One can make a Good News Piece on the spot.
The Evangelical Christians are using Live Video Streaming Networks for their Wednesday Night and Sunday Services. I see this all the time on Veetle, Bambuser and Ustream.

I have yet to see Lay Catholics doing this. They usually head to You Tube as a matter of habit, though Vimeo is becoming a destination. On Vimeo, it is artists who comment, not imbecilic types who have trouble spelling a 3 letter word, though they have no trouble with the 4 letter kind.

But, one with a Smartphone and the right app, can broadcast any event imaginable.

On Holy Thursday, portions of The Catholic Mass of The Lord’s Supper, were telecast live from Our Lady Queen Of Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Forest Hills, Queens, NY, over Veetle, an Easy to use Service. Views were not bad at all.
On Good Friday, Ustream was used to televise the St. Thomas Apostle to Holy Child Jesus Walk. But, Ustream, which the experts say is THE Place to get lots of viewers, only registered 11 Views in 25 Minutes of Transmission. Ustream is actually for the pros at the Traditional Broadcasting Networks, who may carry a story which is intended for web telecast only.
Easter Vigil at Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church in Forest Hills Queens NY, was carried on Veetle and 31 views were registered. Part of the Tridentine Latin Mass of Easter Sunday, was carried by Veetle, as it handled a weak transmission signal quite well for 14 views in 11 Minutes. The Bambuser Feed failed twice and needs a stronger data signal to handle the transmission.
But two days before Palm Sunday, it handled the telecast of a portion of The Children’s Stations Of The Cross, Live from St. Pancras Roman Catholic Church in Glendale, Queens, NY. It lasted 3 Minutes and 11 Seconds, getting 18 Views.
Those of you who watch “ChurchMillitant.tv”, the show “Mic’d Up” With Michael Voris, is carried Live on Wednesday Nights, with Live Feed on Livestream. Livestream like Ustream, caters to the Pros.

It is time to “Go Live” & preach the Good News. Many of The services are free. The Results will amaze you. You Tube is “So 2005.”

A Catholic Presence is needed.
You are The Media.

Pax Tecum!
Gloria In Excelsis Deo!

M, Eh

From 3.66 & 4.57 Metres, K of C Free Throw Basketball Championship in Canada Always On You Tube? Why is That, Eh?

For those of you living in the USA, those metric measurements translate to 12 Feet and 15 Feet. Those are the Basketball Foul Lines in the Knights Of Columbus International Free Throw Basketball Championship. Canada is very much a part of these competitions. In fact, I suspect that Canadians produce more Free Throw Basketball Coverage, than Americans do.
Sadly, it all goes to only one source and that is You Tube, just like US Coverage.
One Council Coverage on You Tube, actually was on a Cable News Channel in Ontario, making this the 2nd Council to have event coverage on the website of the Cable TV Service, Cogelco in Ontario. This was in 2012.
But, to those Video Producers of The Knights Of Columbus International Free Throw Basketball Championship, there are other options which may be helpful in spreading the digital news about the competition.  There is the World’s 2nd Largest Video Site, Dailymotion, which is international in scope.  Currently on Dailymotion, 4 Rounds of this competition are running after 3 Years. The Coverage was produced and directed by me in 2011. It is a departure from tradition, but Dailymotion Coverage is a nice option. Also, having a Sports Blog on Blogger is a good idea for embedding your coverage.
Here is WHY I did this:
On Dailymotion, one does not get idiotic comment writers. On You Tube, you risk that, but not on Dailymotion. High Definition looks much nicer on Dailymotion. Part of the Round 2 Coverage actually appeared on the Belgian Website of Europe’s largest privately owned Television Network, RTL, which is shorthand for Radio Tele Luxembourg, a company which also owns Fremantle. Fremantle also owns “American Idol”, “X Factor”and “America’s Got Talent”. Because of the Sports Blog called Blogger, coverage via Blogger was linked from Yardbarker.com. Yardbarker is actually a part of FOX Sports Interactive. So I have coverage of the event, once on the website of a major television network in Europe and via the website of a US Television Network. For those of you producing the event in Canada, Blogger is open to you and since most Canadians live within 120 Miles(200 Kilometres)from the US Border, Yardbarker is also a potential view grabber.
Who knows now that CBC Television has lost the NHL Rights to Rogers Sportsnet, maybe CBC may carry your coverage on CBC.ca. I wonder what CBC Resident Curmudgeon, Rex Murphy, would say in a Polysyllabic Rant about that, except to call it “Insipid Babble and Trite Tripe”, while ranting about the loss of the NHL and CFL, putting CBC in danger of being as powerful as a Public Access Cable Channel in Calgary Southwest(Home of PM Stephen Harper).
Perhaps, as this is now the beginning of The Era of Live Web Television for the event, might I recommend using any of the following 3 Broadcast Services, namely Veetle.com, Usteam.tv or Bambuser.com. All you need is the app for these services for iPhone, Android Smartphone and Windows Phone.
Veetle is the smallest of The three, but one may actually garner more direct live views. Ustream links with Facebook and Twitter during the live coverage and can be saved to You Tube as well. Bambuser links to more social sites than the other two services. All 3 can be used easily. All are free.
A 4th, Justin.tv is also useful, though the app on Android is for a small fee. So with live coverage, you are free to do something different from just You Tube.

This applies equally in the USA and Canada, so maybe a change of venue for coverage would be a good idea. Something new is needed to give the competition its’ due. Exposure is important. Going to the same network as everyone else, may have your video ignored.

Break Free!

M, Eh!

BBC London Is Noncommercial Local Radio

They have a Breakfast Show with traffic and transport reports as well as weather and chat, minus adverts. I do find it paced nicely and relaxing.
So there is BBC Local. BBC London Is ok in my book. I can get the local story from them as well as from LBC.
But on LBC there is Telephone Chat. So that works better for me than mere show presenters. Still, because of smartphones apps, I get to listen to stations as if I was living there. And I get to pick up on the local lingo.
Sure beats static on Shortwave Radio, any day.

M, Eh!

“The BBC Is For Tourists” (For Me, It Is LBC London)

Now, why do I say that the BBC is for tourists? I realize that the BBC is the most known Broadcasting Export the United Kingdom has sent to the world, even has commercial channels outside of The British Isles. The BBC is so Internationally Known and listened to or viewed. Yet, if I really want to find out about London, I would trust a more Parochial Source. After all, the BBC is National in scope.
So, I downloaded the London Radio App for Android. On that app are a selection of Radio Stations. Two of the stations are known to me. One is LBC 1152 News and the Other is LBC 97.5 FM Talk.
LBC stands for “London’s Biggest Conversation.” This is talk radio which is commercially supported with Adverts. It is nice and LOCAL.

Local Radio is where you hear the real voices of people. The Chat Shows give voice, not merely to Celebrities but make for a “Vox Populi.”
If you really want to know about London, stop in pubs and brush up on the local lingo and do listen to LBC when in London. The BBC is not everything. LBC would tell you about the best bangers and mash and fish and chips. Local is the way to go.
But, don’t totally eschew the BBC. When I drove around Ireland, I listened on Medium Wave(for you Yanks, it is AM Radio), to two Yank Entertainers who did a fair amount of Producing and Directing in their time. One was from The Bronx and the other, from Brooklyn. For I did listen to both Mel Brooks, originally from Brooklyn and Carl Reiner, originally from The Bronx. I laughed a lot at the “2000 Year Old Man” Sketch.
But, go Local and get to know London.
I learned this in Ireland by listening to local radio such as Century FM, where an Irish Citizen, born in New York City and son of a Famous Sport Journalist, was my audio guide. Bob Galico, Son of the Man who Chronicled Sport in one of the New York City Newspapers, was the voice heard in Ireland. His father, Paul Galico, also wrote the book “The Poseidon Adventure”, which became a movie.
I only followed RTE on television in Ireland. I did actually hear the All Ireland Football Championship on RTE Radio N’a Ghalgachta, in Irish Gaelic, but that was the only time I heard RTE on Radio. For Europe’s Oldest Public Broadcaster, they never had a Shortwave Radio Transmitter. But RTE have Smartphone Apps. And shortwave is not that big as it once was.

When in London, Dublin or Glasgow, do what the Locals do. Don’t be such a tourist, which is being Naive.

M