June 30 - July 4, 2003
Monday, June 30
Music Industry to Bring Charges Against File Sharers
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The Recording Industry Association of America announced its plans on Wednesday to crack down on illegal file sharing services and the users who supply them with music, warning that in August they will begin filing lawsuits against thousands of people who share songs online. Larry talks with representatives from the music industry and from a peer-to-peer file sharing service about the controversial topic of music piracy on the Internet. Then he takes calls from listeners to discuss different attitudes about the ethics of file sharing and buying other pirated or illegally copied goods like designer clothes and accessories, videos, or DVDs.
Cal Tech Edition
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There's always something fascinating happening at CalTech. In this month's CalTech Edition of AirTalk, host Larry Mantle talks to scientists about sending a probe to the center of the earth and why Hydrogen might be harmful to the ozone layer. Joining Larry in the first half hour is Dave Stevenson, professor of Planetary Science at CalTech. His article Šü“A Modest Proposal: Mission to Earth's CoreŠü¦ appeared in the May issue of Nature. Joining Larry in the second half of the hour are Tracey Tromp, research scientist at CalTech with a specialty in fluid dynamics, and John Eiler, associate professor of geochemistry at CalTech. They co-authored an article in this month's journal Science about the potential environmental impact of a Hydrogen economy on the stratosphere.
Tuesday, July 1
California Budget Woes
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It's a new fiscal year in Sacramento, and legislators have not passed a state budget. Joining host Larry Mantle to discuss the latest on the budget is Mike Montgomery, Capitol Bureau Chief, KXJZ News, Peter Hardash, Vice President for Administrative Services at Pasadena City College, Marty Morgenstern, Director of the Department of Personnel Services for the State of California, and Ramaa Bharadvaj, a classical Indian dancer and a regular dance panelist for the California Arts Council.
Outgoing School Board Members Reflect on the State of LA's Schools
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Caprice Young and Genethia Hudley-Hayes spent their last day as Los Angeles Unified School Board members yesterday. Larry Mantle talks with them about their accomplishments, their legacies, their advice for the two, new School Board members and their thoughts on how to improve LA's huge and extremely diverse public school system.
Las Vegas: Neon Metropolis
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A city of entertainment, Las Vegas produces nothing tangible to speak of, but it generates billions of dollars each year. Its population has exploded, and it is the leading tourist destination in the world. Hal Rothman, professor of history at the University of Nevada, calls Las Vegas Šü“the quintessentially American city,Šü¦ a frontier city of the 21st century. His book is called Neon Metropolis: How Las Vegas Started the Twenty-First Century (Routledge). Hal Rothman joins Larry Mantle to discuss life beneath the lights--labor unions, architecture, the growth of a Latino population and more.
Wednesday, July 2
Iraq Update
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President Bush declared the major military phase of the war in Iraq Šü“overŠü¦ some time ago, but a kind of guerrilla war has arisen in its place. No one knows exactly who is committing acts of sabotage that include blowing up sections of oil pipeline, ambushing American soldiers, and disrupting the power supply. On June 28th, the New York Times reported that Allied officials found Iraqi Intelligence Service documents which outline a specific plan of sabotage in the event of Saddam Hussein's ouster. Joining host Larry Mantle to discuss the military situation inside Iraq, as well as the state of daily life there, is Romesh Ratnesar, Time Staff Writer, who just returned this past Saturday from Baghdad, and Basam Al-Husseini, spokesman for Iraqi-American Council, Southern CA.
Economic Development in California
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Policy analyst Joel Kotkin joins host Larry Mantle to discuss the current economic climate in California and how it became so difficult for business to operate here. Kotkin assigns responsibility for this state of affairs to both parties, but he largely blames the Democrats' hostility towards the private sector, foisting onerous rules and regulations upon it. Unless something changes at the state legislative level, Kotkin sees the formation of economic policy devolving to county and local authorities, whose job it will become to make this state business-friendly once again.
Science Talk
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Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, the director of the Skeptics Society, and an adjunct professor at Occidental College, joins host Larry Mantle to discuss the latest science stories. Topics discussed include the ossuary box hoax surrounding James, "the brother of Jesus," new hominid fossil discoveries, research on the comparison between human and chimpanzee aggression, neuroeconomics, video games and the brain, the Einstein Papers, and more. In addition, Michael Shermer shared his summer science reading list (see top of page).
Thursday, July 3
Fox's Cancels its Charlie Chan Festival
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On Friday, the Fox Movie Channel decided to discontinue a summer film festival of Charlie Chan mystery movies, in reaction to criticism that the films are insensitive to Asian Americans. Fans of Charlie Chan movies disagree. Christine Chen, executive director of the Organization of Chinese Americans, Aki Aleong, President of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Jonathan Kuntz, Visiting Associate Professor at The UCLA School of Film, Television and Digital Media, and David Chute, Free-lance writer, editor, and film critic, join Larry Mantle to discuss the issue.
The Mexican Midterm Elections
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On Sunday, voters go to the polls in Mexico for midterm elections, the first national vote since Mexico's transition to multi-party rule. Polls predict continuing gridlock between PAN, President Vicente Fox's party, and PRI, the old ruling party. Robert Smith, Professor of Sociology at Barnard College, an expert on Mexican immigration and socio-political issues, and Denise Dresser, Visiting Fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy at USC, and Professor at Instituto Technologico Autonomo de Mexico, join Larry Mantle to discuss Mexico's mid-term elections and the impact they may have on US-Mexican relations.
Lisa See's new novel Dragon Bones
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Larry Mantle talks with author Lisa See about her new book Dragon Bones (Random House), a novel about murder and archaeological theft at Three Gorges Dam, the biggest project that China has undertaken since the building of the Great Wall.
Friday, July 4
The Road to American Independence
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Larry Mantle speaks with Robert Šü“RoyŠü¦ Ritchie, the W. M. Keck Foundation Director of Research at the Huntington Library, about the events leading up to the signing of Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July.
The History of BBQ in America
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Larry Mantle speaks with Steven Raichlen, the Šü“Gladiator of Grilling,Šü¦ about the history, traditions and technique of BBQ.
FilmWeek
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Larry Mantle and critics Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com, Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, and
Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of both
CityBeat and ValleyBeat,
discuss this week's new film releases, including Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Swimming Pool, A Woman Is a Woman, and The Girl From Paris. . Larry and the critics also pay tribute to Katharine Hepburn and Buddy Hackett.
Special events: American Cinematheque's Mods and Rockers at the Egyptian; Bunuel in France at LACMA; the Anime Expo in Anaheim.
