We host public conversations about current events and public affairs with political analysts, media critics, technologists, historians, etc. We amplify – mainly – progressive voices. Comments and questions courtesy of a digitally present studio audience. Which could include you. (see IRC below) All programs webcast and archived at BlogTalkRadio. Available free at iTunes. (Search Virtually Speaking from the iTunes store.) I post weekly, so you can go back to previous posts and link through to the juicy stuff.

On Thursdays, Digby provides a topical observation for Virtually Speaking A to Z. Here she discusses the preventative detention provisions attached to the National Defense Authorization Act which allows the Federal government, with no due process, to identify and then confine anyone they label a “terrorist.”

Schedule, Live Sunday, Dec 18 through Thursday, Dec 22.

Sunday, Dec 18 | 9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific | Virtually Speaking Sundays | Avedon Carol and Susie Madrak discuss developments of the week, highlighting recent sessions of the Supreme Court, drawing from their work of the prior week including the wickedly funny Bobblespeak Translations. Featuring Culture of Truth on the Most Ridiculous Moment from the Sunday morning talk shows. Follow @Avedon_Says @SusieMadrak @bobblespeak. Listen live and later on BTR

Tuesday, Dec 20 | 9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking Susie | Susie Madrak talks with Dave Johnson in this repeat of a May conversation where they consider the argument that appealing to the center drives away voters. | Listen live and later on BTR

Wednesday, Dec 21 | 9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking Science | Tom Levenson – Science documentary filmmaker and Director of MIT’s Graduate program in Writing and Humanistic Studies — talks with Tim Ferris – former newspaper reporter and editor of Rolling Stone magazine – about The Science of Liberty: Democracy, Reason, and the Laws of Nature. Listen live and later on BTR.

Thursday, Dec 22 | Double Header

8 pm eastern | 5 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking A-Z: This week in liberalism. | Stuart Zechman and Jay Ackroyd| discuss the truth and lies, clarity and obfuscation, that characterizes our political and media environment. Follow @Stuart_Zechman @JayAckroyd Listen live on BTR. Beginning midnight Friday, listen here.

9 pm eastern | 6 pm pacific |Virtually Speaking with Jay Ackroyd |Jay talks about the concept of hacking journalism with CW Anderson,  CUNY ethnographer who studies the media, and how changes in technology, culture and economics are shaping newsrooms and journalism. Follow @chanders @JayAckroyd Listen live and later on BTR.

With Internet Relay Chat (IRC channel #VSpeak), be part of the conversation: ask questions, chat live with other listeners.

1. Connect to http://webchat.freenode.net/
2. Create a log-in name
3. Enter #vspeak into the channel field.
4. NOTE: ‘Relay Rinq’ is not a person but a bridge to IRC chat.
5. Type into the text field along the bottom of the screen.
6. Begin your question with ‘QUESTION’ so it’s easy to spot.

Show Notes:

The VS Sunday panel draws from Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, Culture of Truth, David Dayen, digby, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, Stuart Zechman and Susie Madrak. From time to time, the make-up of the panel shifts. Every 5 weeks or so, one of our regular panelist invites a guest (e.g., Sam Seder, Dahlia Lithwick, John Amato & Dave Neiwart) to join them.

Virtually Speaking is both a labor of love and an act of political imagination. We couldn’t do it without our guests, our hosts, or our  virtual studio audience.