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March 5 - 9, 2007
Monday, March 5
March Election - What's At Stake?
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While elections are held in a dozen Southland cities tomorrow, races for seats on the LAUSD Board of Education and a measure imposing several reforms on that same board are among the most watched contests. Who is supporting whom? What's really at stake?
A Lesson in Irony
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According to Jon Winokur, one of the most ironic things about irony is that many people misunderstand its various meanings, one of which is actually the misunderstanding of the meaning of words. Got that? If not, his new book, The Big Book of Irony (St. Martin's Press), attempts to clear up such perplexities. He joins Patt to clarify the true definition of irony and why it remains one of the most queried words on Dictionary.com.
Tuesday, March 6
Libby is Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty
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A jury convicted Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff on four of five counts of lying and obstructing a leak investigation today. Lewis Libby has become the highest-ranking former White House official to be convicted of a felony since the mid-1980s.
U.S. Attorneys in D.C.
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United States Attorneys usually ask the tough questions. But Tuesday on Capitol Hill, they will answer them before a Congressional committee. Lawmakers hope to find more about the reasons why eight prosecutors were fired last month, in what Democrats say is a partisan move. Southern California has two big vacancies to fill - one is the seat of Debra Wong Yang, who resigned her post shortly before the handful of dismissals. The second is the San Diego spot previously occupied by Carol Lam, who helped bring down crooked Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. How are these jobs filled and how do people keep them?
Primary Moves
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California lawmakers are expected to move the state's presidential primary from June to February today, positioning the state as a compulsory campaign stop for White House contenders.
Wednesday, March 7
On the Wealth of Nations
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Have you ever wanted to know more about the Adam Smith's seminal work An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations but never wanted to drudge through the original 900-page book? Or maybe you already have read it but are still unclear about real versus nominal value or the concept of the invisible hand. Now in a humorous new book, On the Wealth of Nations (Atlantic Monthly Press), P.J. O'Rourke dissects the fundamental work of economics and relates it to current topics such as outsourcing to India and trade with China.
Thursday, March 8
Daylight Savings and the Dawn of New Problems
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Early Sunday morning, the United States and Canada will set clocks one hour ahead. The change was made by Congress, which hoped giving Americans more daylight earlier in the year would save energy. But the shift is threatening to play havoc across modern life, throwing off computers, Blackberrys and even medical devices. We'll look at why this is being done and what effect it may have.
Ask the Chief
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Since declaring a renewed fight against gangs one month ago, LAPD Chief William Bratton has landed a series of blows against the department's rivals. He has booked two of the LAPD's most wanted gang members and arrested hundreds of other suspects. Bratton will talk about what effects this quick start has had, and we'll also ask him about new complaints about policing on skid row and hundreds of veteran officers retiring under a new program.
- LAPD Chief William Bratton
The Battle of Thermopylae on the Big Screen
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Hollywood, armed with a blue screen and computer-generated special effects, has taken another historical battle and reeled it onto the big screen with the release of 300 tomorrow. The movie retells the epic battle between a small band of Spartan soldiers who fought, and eventually lost to, a much larger contingent of invading Persian soldiers at the mountain pass Thermopylae. Paul Cartledge, author of Thermopylae: The Battle that Changed the World (Overlook Press), talks about where 300 falls short and where it succeeds in recapturing a pyrrhic victory for the Persian army while retelling one of history's most celebrated battles.
Friday, March 9
The State of Military Healthcare
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The scandalous conditions at the Army's Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. have triggered new scrutiny for military medical facilities nationwide. What's being done, and what's being left undone, for the nation's war wounded? We discuss the issue with military experts, and with active servicemen and women and veterans. AND we take calls from listeners with their experiences.
For more information please visit the California Department of Veterans Affairs
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