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As heard on May 20 - May 24, 2002 on Talk of the City
Monday, May 20
Football in LA?
Historically football hasnt succeeded in LA - the Rams and the Raiders are case in point - but why not? As LA sits poised to host another
NFL team, guest host Diana Nyad takes a look back at the history of the NFL in LA, and asks whether or not the past can tell us what to
expect with yet another LA football team. Guests include LA Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke and Vice President of Communications
for the Football Hall of Fame, Joe Horrigan.
The Search for the Cure for Malaria
Malaria is the third biggest killer in the world today, killing 10 million people in the past 10 years - double the amount who have died from
AIDS. Yet a cure is a distant reality. Author and journalist, Mark Honigsbaum joins Diana to discuss the history of the search for a cure,
all of which is documented in his latest book, The Fever Trail: In Search of the Cure for Malaria.
Israeli Refuser Movement
Jailed last summer for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories, Israeli soldier Ishai Sagi along with other refusenicks have come to the
US to tell their stories. Ishai Sagi joins guest host Diana Nyad to talk about the growing numbers of reservists and conscripts who are part of the
military refuser movement. Sagi is a Lieutenant in the IDF Artillery, active member of Yesh Gvul, and signer on the Ometz Le'sarev or
Courage to Refuse list. Ishai Sagi speaks with fellow refusenick, Ram Rahat tonight at
7 p.m. at Temple Emmanuel at 8844 Burton Way in Beverly Hills. For more information, call The Progressive Jewish Alliance at
323-761-8350.
Tuesday, May 21
Valley Secession Update
Tomorrow, LAFCO decides whether or not Valley secession should be placed on the November ballot.
Guest host Diana Nyad talks with KPCC reporter Frank Stoltze about tomorrows decision and the details on
a last minute push by Mayor Hahn to keep Los Angeles together.
Lusting after Luxury
Although the economy is down, the American quest for luxury products still rages. Author James Twitchell joins guest
host Diana Nyad to talk about the history of our acquisitive desires, the topic of his latest book, Living it Up: Our Love Affair with Luxury.
Photographer Catherine Opie
Noted photographer since the late 1980s, Catherine Opie joins guest host Diana Nyad for a discussion of her latest exhibit at the Regan
Projects in West Hollywood. Opie is best known for her pictures documenting the identities of the people and places that characterize
America. Much of her past work has centered on Los Angeles, including a documentary of the master-planned community of Valencia,
mansions in Beverly Hills and Bel-Air, and - quintessential Los Angeles - a series on local mini-malls and another on LA freeways.
Opie currently teaches photography at UCLA. Her exhibit ²IcehousesÓ is currently on view through June 15 at Regen
Projects at 629 N. Almont Drive in West Hollywood. For more information, call 310-276-5424.
Wednesday, May 22
Extraordinary News of Ordinary People
Guest host Steve Hartman has created a niche for himself in network TV news by seeking and making compelling the stories of ordinary people
randomly selected by throwing a dart at a map. He is the exception. Why are stories about everyday people and their everyday struggles so rare in
the media? Marketplace commentator Marty Kaplan answers this question from a media perspective. They are joined by Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and
Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, who discusses the surprising response to her reports of a year spent living on a minimum wage income.
The Power of our Flag
After her retrospective of portrayals of the flag in pre and post September 11 America were deemed ²too incendiaryÓ for a local
television show, Carol Wells, founder of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics,
knew it was time to take the exhibit directly to the public. The resulting show at the Armory Northwest challenges the purity and
symbolism of the flag at a time when patriotism is seemingly at an all time high. The exhibit, Show:The Flag, is at the
Armory Northwest located at 965 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena through June 16. For more information, call 626-792-5101.
Thursday, May 23
E3/Video Game Conference
Mat Kaplan gets a report from the front line of the E3 Video Game Conference at the L.A. Convention Center. Mat speaks with editor in chief of
Gameslice.com, Geoff Keighly about whats hot, the latest trends, and whats in the future for the video game industry. Hell also speak with the producer
of the E3 Conference Program, Curt Feldman, about the issues addressed and discussions held at E3.
Stan Lee
Easily the most legendary name in the history of comic books Stan Lee is much more than just the man behind Spiderman. As the leading
force behind Marvel comics he brought to life The Incredible Hulk, the X Men and a legion of other superheroes and villains. From an impoverished
childhood in Manhattan to his recent adventures in Hollywood, Stan Lee discusses his comic-book-like rise to fame and fortune. His most recent book is
called Excelsior!.
The Story of Maria Guardado
Maria Guardado, an activist here in Los Angeles, is the focus of a new documentary by local filmmaker and actor Randy Vasquez.
During the 80s, Guardado survived kidnapping and torture by Salvadoran death squads before coming to Los Angeles. In the film, Vasquez
documents her return to El Salvador to revisit and to reflect on how she recovered from her personal horror and how she
continues her life as a political activist. Testimony: The Maria Guardado Story will be screened on Saturday, May 25 at 7pm at Midnight
Special Bookstore at 1318 Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. For more information, call 310-393-2923. It will also be shown
on Wednesday, May 29 at 7pm at Tia Chuchas located at 12737 Glenoaks Boulevard #22 in Sylmar. For more information, call 818-362-7060.
Friday, May 24
The State of Managed Care in CA - Will it Get Worse Before it Gets Better?
Three years ago Gov. Davis signed a 22 bill package of reforms aimed at making healthcare more affordable, and creating the Department
of Managed Care. Guest host Mat Kaplan convenes a blue ribbon panel of diverse voices to navigate the complexities of the new CA
managed care landscape and to look at where we are headed. Guests include Dr. Hal Hunter, director of the Health Care
Administration Program at Cal State Long Beach; Jamie Court, executive director of the
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and co-author of
Making a Killing: HMOs and the Threat to Your Health; William Wehrle, Vice President of legislative affairs for
California Association of Health Plans. For more information, our guests recommend the
following resources: the State HMO Help Center which can be reached at 888-466-2219 and the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
HDTV: Electric Wonder or Techno Scam?
It's becoming increasingly clear that the American approach to High-definition TV is not everything it was cracked up to be.
The pictures aren't so great, broadcasters are loathe to implement it, and new technology, including copy protection, may make
many current, expensive receivers obsolete. Guest host Mat Kaplan gets the latest on the technology from Mat Schubin, a columnist for
Videograhy magazine and HDTV supporter, and radio personality Harry Shearer who makes a point to criticize the technology every week
on his program, LeShow.
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