RE: Patt Morrison for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

GUEST HOST:  DAVID LAZARUS

 

1:06 –1:39 OPEN

 

1:41:30- – 1:58:30

Obama and GOP lawmakers clash over nominee for new consumer bureau
Unsurprisingly, Republican senators recently blocked a vote on whether to approve President Obama’s nominee, Attorney General Richard Cordray, to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The primary reason given by Republicans for the block is that they want the law that created the regulatory agency to be re-written, making the bureau more accountable, before leadership is appointed. The establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has become a major point of contention in Washington in the wake of one of the worst economic recessions in U.S. history, which is widely thought to have originated from predatory lending practices conducted by banks and financial firms that the new watchdog agency is charged with monitoring. Reportedly, Obama may try to install Cordray as director of the bureau in a recess appointment in January as a counter tactic to the recent Republican block. Round one in the battle over the direction of the bureau appears to have been won by Republicans, but apparently the White House is primed for round two. Who stands to gain the most from the delayed appointment of the future director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? How urgently do consumers need protection from financial companies?

Guests:
Pedro Morillas, legislative director, Cal Pirg, California Public Interest Research Group  

UNCONFIRMED

Representative from Cato or Heritage

2:06 – 2:30

“Lost in Transition”: How American society has failed emerging adults

Take a moment to reflect back on your college years. Ah, the enthusiasm.  The freedom.  The dating pool! Today’s young adults, however, have to deal with new, complex 21st-century problems, at least according to Christian Smith, professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame. In his book, “Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood,” Smith and his co-authors,  Kari Christoffersen, Hilary Davidson, and Patricia Snell Herzog, point to five major problems for emerging adults (ages 18-23): confused moral reasoning, routine intoxication, materialistic life goals, regrettable sexual experiences, and a disengagement from civic and political life. This group is really just a symptom, however. Smith wants older adults to recognize and accept responsibility for creating a culture of rampant consumer capitalism, hyper-individualism, moral relativism and educational failure.

If you’re thirty-plus, what do you think of the emerging generation? If you’re 18-23, do you feel Smith’s portrayal is accurate, or overblown? Regardless, what’s the best way to engage these emerging adults?

 

Guest:

Christian Smith, professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame. His books include “Souls in Transition,” “Moral,” “Believing Animals,” and “Soul Searching.”

 

2:30 – 2:58:30

The sexiest woman ever… is… Jennifer Aniston?
How many magazines, calendars, swimsuit issues, World War II pinups, television shows and movies have inspired men to wax prophetically about which lovely lady should hold the coveted title of “Sexiest Woman Ever?” Men’s Health magazine recently polled their readers and compiled a list of the top one hundred sexiest women. Most surprising was that America’s favorite girl next door, Jennifer Aniston, took the top spot - over Marilyn, Raquel, Angelina, Sophia and a host of other women whose legendary physical attributes warrant that they can be recognized by their first name only… as well as many more who may be more recognizable by their sultry eyes, hourglass figures or shapely legs. But is a knockout girl next door sexier than a come-hither vixen? Is Jennifer Aniston the sexiest woman ever?

 

Guests:

Lois Banner, professor of history and gender studies at USC