Shanghai Scrap

[UPDATED: This post was originally intended as a public service to folks in China who don't have access to a television broadcast of the Obama Town Hall. But then I spent the last hour listening to the boneheads in charge of the audio for the broadcast inadvertently beam their voices, f-bombs - and overall lack of awareness - to the world, via the White House Facebook page. Most amazing part was that Macon Philips, the White House Director of New Media, commented on the White House Facebook page that the live stream was up temporarily, and would be going down --- and it kept running for another 30 minutes. I mean, just who's in charge around here, anyway? Sheesh. Complete details in the two updated sections, below.]

Somebody’s got a case of cold feet, so it looks like the Obama Town Hall in Shanghai is going to be broadcast in Shanghai, only. But fear not, Shanghai Scrap is here to help: If you’re out of Shanghai, and you’d like to watch the show (featuring several hundred well-rehearsed university students), go here. Alternatively, if you’re running a website/blog, and you’d like to “host” the meeting on your site, you can find the video embed code, here, and the audio embed, here – both courtesy of the White House (those rebels). I’m tied up today and tomorrow, so – !viva la revolucion¡ and I’ll see you mid-week.

[UPDATED 9:30: I'm all for media transparency, but somebody really needs to tell the White House AV staff that the sound check is being broadcast live on the White House facebook page. In the space of ten minutes, staffers dropped two F-bombs, announced that "I can speak Japanese, Korea - Chinese should be easy!," and shifted - briefly - into a Charlie Chan accent. Not cool.]

[UPDATED 9:50: Okay, it’s official: the White House AV staff clearly doesn’t know that its mics are live. A few moments ago, Mr “Chinese Should Be Easy” (referenced above) said: “I’m speaking into this. Nobody can hear me.” After a few more mangled attempts to say zhongwen, that sounded like “Joe En” he finally gave up with a “Joe Jesus!” Then, a few seconds later, when the Secret Service or somebody requested that the room be cleared for a security sweep, he let loose his finale, broadcasting to the world: “Everybody leave. Everybody please leave. Leave the ROOOOOOM. FIRE!” Catching himself, he added: “No fire. No, no, no, no.”

Ladies and gentlemen: America at its best.