Airtalk for Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

Contact: Producers Karen Fritsche & Jasmin Tuffaha

626-583-5100

 

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

Patt Morrison sits in for Larry

 

11:06 –11:30
(Break at 11:19)
Topic:  TBD
Guest:  


11:41:30 -11:58:30
Topic:  Will Britain really withdraw from the European Union? The European Union (EU) was established to unite the continent of Europe, but now the EU may be losing membership from one of the region’s most influential nations, The United Kingdom of Great Britain (UK). Hostility toward the EU among the British is on the rise and some government officials, including UK Independence Party councilor Peter Reeve, are calling for the country to cut ties with the EU before the alliance transforms into a Soviet Union type regime. European leaders have recently proposed increasing the EU budget, which is funded by member states, but UK Prime Minister David Cameron of the Conservative Party has pushed back against this proposal, saying it would be “picking the pockets” of British taxpayers. Moreover, with member state Greece still bogged down in economic turmoil, some insist that the EU is dragging the UK’s economy down with it. Others in the UK are concerned about the limits of the EU’s legal, judicial and health-and-safety regulations that trump British laws. What is the underlying cause of tension between the EU and the UK? Is British policy different enough from the rest of Europe to warrant a withdrawal from the EU? How would British withdrawal from the EU impact the United States?

Guest: Andrew Gumbel, British journalist for the Guardian and the Independent

BY PHONE

UNCONFIRMED
Guest: Nicholas Cull, professor of Public Diplomacy and Director of the Masters Program in Public Diplomacy, USC

BY PHONE


12:06 – 12:26:30
Topic: TBD
Guest:


12:26:49 - 12:39
Topic:  Joe Mozingo chronicles the ‘Mozingo’ name from Jamestown slave to KKK members “The Fiddler on Pantico Run” is author Joe Mozingo’s quest to discover the origins of his father’s family, and the shocking discoveries he made along the way. After initially believing that Mozingo was a French or Basque name, a college professor suggested that it was most likely of African origins. This came as a shock to the blue eyed, very Caucasian Mozingo, but spawned a search for his family’s origins. Eventually, Mozingo was able to trace his ancestry back to Edward Mozingo, an African slave brought to Jamestown in 1644, who eventually earned his freedom and married a white woman. The discovery of Edward Mozingo, however, is only the beginning of the family history laid out in The Fiddler on Pantico Run. Joe Mozingo searches for Edward’s roots in Africa, but also traces how the family evolved in America from Edward’s initial mixed race marriage. Mozingo meets distant relatives all over the country, some white, some black, some somewhere in between, all with distinct family histories. Some had become abolitionists during the Civil War period, while others had fought for the Confederacy and joined the KKK. To this day, some remained open about race, while others still harbored a blatantly racist worldview. Through all of these discoveries within his own family, Mozingo’s book paints a masterful portrait of America’s tenuous racial past, and complicated racial future.

Guest: Joe Mozingo, author of “The Fiddler on Pantico Run: An African Warrior, His White Descendents, A Search For Family” (Free Press)

 

ON TAPE


12:41:30-1:00
Topic: An in-depth look at the King of Pop: “Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson” is a biography of the ‘King of Pop’ with unprecedented insight. Acclaimed journalist Randall Sullivan’s latest work paints an in-depth portrait of Michael Jackson sourced from previously  inaccessible material – access to those who were closest to Jackson in life and in business. Sullivan’s biography delves into Jackson’s mysterious final years and scandals from his past, in what the Los Angeles Times calls the “first deep-dive narrative” on the star’s life and death. “Untouchable” offers a more significant, evaluative look at Jackson’s childhood abuse, pedophilia allegations, personal relationships, and professional decisions. Finally, Jackson’s famous mask has been partially lifted.

Guest: Randall Sullivan, author of Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson (Grove Press); contributing editor to both Rolling Stone and Men's Journal

IN STUDIO                                                  

Airtalk for Monday, November 26th, 2012 - RESENDING WITH CORRECTED SPELLING OF STROMPOLOS

Contact: Producers Karen Fritsche & Jasmin Tuffaha

626-583-5100

 

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Monday, November 26, 2012

 

PATT MORRISON SITS IN FOR LARRY

11:06 –11:30
Topic:  TBD
Guest:  


11:29-ish - 11:35-ish
Topic:  Long-dead WWII airborne agent carries secret message from the past: It’s the stuff of wartime spy thrillers like “Casablanca” and “The 39 Steps” -- the body of a secret agent is found under mysterious circumstances, with a coded message that defies cracking by experts.  This courier was no stool pigeon - but it was a pigeon, one of some 250,000 enlisted during World War II by the U.K.’s National Pigeon Service to carry messages from behind enemy lines in Germany, France and elsewhere.  Around 30 of the brave birds were awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in battle, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.  The skeleton of this particular pigeon was recently found in the chimney of a home in Surrey, England, on an estate that was used by decryption experts during the war. Strapped to its leg was a tiny red canister containing a handwritten message: 27 five-letter codes listed in columns.  Code breakers at Britain’s super-secret communications intelligence agency, GCHQ, have been poring over the missive, but have admitted they can’t crack the code.  What was this avian agent’s mission?  Was it ever accomplished?

Guest: TBD


11:30 -12:00
Topic: Big Man on Campus: LAUSD’s Superintendent John Deasy As students across LA head back to school from their Thanksgiving break, LAUSD’s John Deasy will head back to his office with a lot of decisions to make after Proposition 30 passed on the November ballot. With the state receiving an additional $6 billion in revenue, LAUSD has voted to restore its classroom calendar to the standard 180 days for the first time in five years of budget cutting, which Deasy publicly supported. The district will also rescind 10 furlough days teachers had agreed to, and will talk to other, much smaller employee unions about rescinding their furlough days. The LAUSD school board also voted ot keep John Deasy in his role as superintendent through 2015. The LAUSD is also applying for high profile “Race to the Top” grants that the federal government will distribute, but the LA teachers’ union is opposed to the grant on the grounds that it could overextend the district financially.

Guest: John Deasy (“daisy”), Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

IN STUDIO         

12:06 – 12:25ish
Topic: E-mail privacy reforms cause back-and-forth on Capitol Hill: The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was a statue enacted in 1986 as a means to set privacy parameters on new and growing technologies. As one might imagine, any phone, computer or other device from 1986 would be woefully out-of-date in today’s society. Some politicians and many technological experts feel the same way about the ECPA itself. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), has taken it upon himself to tackle this issue, and has drafted an amended version of the ECPA. Leahy’s version specifically alters the rules of access law enforcement agencies have over private e-mail accounts, requiring them to obtain a court-approved warrant as opposed to an administrative subpoena. Unsurprisingly, groups such as the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National District Attorneys’ Association and the U.S. Department of Justice voiced their displeasure of Leahy’s changes. After this, tech website CNET made a report that Leahy again altered the bill, allowing for searches without a warrant. With an air of confusion now surrounding Leahy’s proposal and stark opponents on both sides of the issue, it is clearer than ever than some substantial changes must be made to bring this old law kicking and screaming into the 21st century. What are the concerns for those who want the ECPA to stay as is? What about those calling for reform? How will Leahy be able to navigate this thorny topic in a particularly contentious political environment?

Guest: Declan McCullagh, chief political correspondent, CNET News.com

BY PHONE

2^ND Guest: TBD


12:24:40 -12:39
Topic: Does the rise of women mean the fall of men?: Hanna Rosin’s “The End of Men” is part of a recent swath of gender-related discussion. Women have become breadwinners in their families, they are attending college in higher numbers, and this year, they made up a majority of the electorate. Media and literature has adapted to reflect these changes, and to speculate about how they will resonate in the future. Rosin’s book follows an attention-grabbing article of the same title that she published in a 2012 issue of The Atlantic, and serves as a more in-depth analysis of the fall of the dominant sex. Is the rise of women a new thing? Is gender equality the “end of men,” or are men being eclipsed by women? What will these changes mean for future generations?

Guest: Hanna Rosin, author of The End of Men: And the Rise of Women (Riverhead)

ON TAPE


12:40-1:00
Topic: The story of ‘The Story of Greatest Fan Film Ever Made: Raiders!’ Alan Eisenstock’s Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made follows how two kids, 12-year-old Eric Zala and 11-year-old Chris Strompolos, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi decided to remake the Indiana Jones film ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ Over the next seven years, the two made a complete remake of the movie, with every scene and every stunt. The final product was considered an undisputed fan film masterpiece. The story of how the movie was made serves as a backdrop for Eisenstock, who chronicles the maturation of Zala and Strompolos during the movie’s making: how the two kids grew up and dealt with their own respective hardships, and how their boyhood friendship eventually dissolved. The film was the center of their youth, but it was also the biggest, and eventually unbearable, burden on their friendship. From their devotion to their film, to their ruined friendship, to the eventual redemption of their relationship and current directing cooperation, Eisenstock writes of youth, maturation, and the boundless energy and hope contained in a young person’s dream.

Guest: Alan Eisenstock, author, Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (Thomas Dunne Books)

IN STUDIO                                                              

Guest: Eric Zala, co-author, Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (Thomas Dunne Books), director of the film remake, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation,’ chronicled in the book, and portrays Dr. Rene Belloq in the remake

IN STUDIO                                                              

Airtalk for Monday, November 26th, 2012

Contact: Producers Karen Fritsche & Jasmin Tuffaha

626-583-5100

 

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Monday, November 26, 2012

 

PATT MORRISON SITS IN FOR LARRY

11:06 –11:30
Topic:  TBD
Guest:  


11:29-ish - 11:35-ish
Topic:  Long-dead WWII airborne agent carries secret message from the past: It’s the stuff of wartime spy thrillers like “Casablanca” and “The 39 Steps” -- the body of a secret agent is found under mysterious circumstances, with a coded message that defies cracking by experts.  This courier was no stool pigeon - but it was a pigeon, one of some 250,000 enlisted during World War II by the U.K.’s National Pigeon Service to carry messages from behind enemy lines in Germany, France and elsewhere.  Around 30 of the brave birds were awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in battle, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.  The skeleton of this particular pigeon was recently found in the chimney of a home in Surrey, England, on an estate that was used by decryption experts during the war. Strapped to its leg was a tiny red canister containing a handwritten message: 27 five-letter codes listed in columns.  Code breakers at Britain’s super-secret communications intelligence agency, GCHQ, have been poring over the missive, but have admitted they can’t crack the code.  What was this avian agent’s mission?  Was it ever accomplished?

Guest: TBD


11:30 -12:00
Topic: Big Man on Campus: LAUSD’s Superintendent John Deasy As students across LA head back to school from their Thanksgiving break, LAUSD’s John Deasy will head back to his office with a lot of decisions to make after Proposition 30 passed on the November ballot. With the state receiving an additional $6 billion in revenue, LAUSD has voted to restore its classroom calendar to the standard 180 days for the first time in five years of budget cutting, which Deasy publicly supported. The district will also rescind 10 furlough days teachers had agreed to, and will talk to other, much smaller employee unions about rescinding their furlough days. The LAUSD school board also voted ot keep John Deasy in his role as superintendent through 2015. The LAUSD is also applying for high profile “Race to the Top” grants that the federal government will distribute, but the LA teachers’ union is opposed to the grant on the grounds that it could overextend the district financially.

Guest: John Deasy (“daisy”), Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

IN STUDIO         

12:06 – 12:25ish
Topic: E-mail privacy reforms cause back-and-forth on Capitol Hill: The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was a statue enacted in 1986 as a means to set privacy parameters on new and growing technologies. As one might imagine, any phone, computer or other device from 1986 would be woefully out-of-date in today’s society. Some politicians and many technological experts feel the same way about the ECPA itself. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), has taken it upon himself to tackle this issue, and has drafted an amended version of the ECPA. Leahy’s version specifically alters the rules of access law enforcement agencies have over private e-mail accounts, requiring them to obtain a court-approved warrant as opposed to an administrative subpoena. Unsurprisingly, groups such as the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National District Attorneys’ Association and the U.S. Department of Justice voiced their displeasure of Leahy’s changes. After this, tech website CNET made a report that Leahy again altered the bill, allowing for searches without a warrant. With an air of confusion now surrounding Leahy’s proposal and stark opponents on both sides of the issue, it is clearer than ever than some substantial changes must be made to bring this old law kicking and screaming into the 21st century. What are the concerns for those who want the ECPA to stay as is? What about those calling for reform? How will Leahy be able to navigate this thorny topic in a particularly contentious political environment?

Guest: Declan McCullagh, chief political correspondent, CNET News.com

BY PHONE

2^ND Guest: TBD


12:24:40 -12:39
Topic: Does the rise of women mean the fall of men?: Hanna Rosin’s “The End of Men” is part of a recent swath of gender-related discussion. Women have become breadwinners in their families, they are attending college in higher numbers, and this year, they made up a majority of the electorate. Media and literature has adapted to reflect these changes, and to speculate about how they will resonate in the future. Rosin’s book follows an attention-grabbing article of the same title that she published in a 2012 issue of The Atlantic, and serves as a more in-depth analysis of the fall of the dominant sex. Is the rise of women a new thing? Is gender equality the “end of men,” or are men being eclipsed by women? What will these changes mean for future generations?

Guest: Hanna Rosin, author of The End of Men: And the Rise of Women (Riverhead)

ON TAPE


12:40-1:00
Topic: The story of ‘The Story of Greatest Fan Film Ever Made: Raiders!’ Alan Eisenstock’s Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made follows how two kids, 12-year-old Eric Zala and 11-year-old Chris Stromopolos, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi decided to remake the Indiana Jones film ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ Over the next seven years, the two made a complete remake of the movie, with every scene and every stunt. The final product was considered an undisputed fan film masterpiece. The story of how the movie was made serves as a backdrop for Eisenstock, who chronicles the maturation of Zala and Stromopolos during the movie’s making: how the two kids grew up and dealt with their own respective hardships, and how their boyhood friendship eventually dissolved. The film was the center of their youth, but it was also the biggest, and eventually unbearable, burden on their friendship. From their devotion to their film, to their ruined friendship, to the eventual redemption of their relationship and current directing cooperation, Eisenstock writes of youth, maturation, and the boundless energy and hope contained in a young person’s dream.

Guest: Alan Eisenstock, author, Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (Thomas Dunne Books)

IN STUDIO                                                              

Guest: Eric Zala, co-author, Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (Thomas Dunne Books), director of the film remake, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation,’ chronicled in the book, and portrays Dr. Rene Belloq in the remake

IN STUDIO                                                              

Before There Was Mayor Sam...

THE BOOZOO COMICS
_______________________________________________________________
AUGUST 1, 1995  VOL I, NO. 1
EDITED BY MICHAEL HIGBY
MHI...@PRIMENET.COM
_______________________________________________________________

WOW! A BRAND NEW ONLINE NEWSLETTER
But Hopefully Something Different

Welcome to the Boozoo Comics.  What the hell is a Boozoo?  I have no idea.  Its
just a word I made up because Larry Harmon took the name I really wanted.

The Boozoo Comics is the place where I will tell you about the things I'm
interested in.  Mostly politics, popular culture, the internet, the entertainment
business, etc.  Some other things here and there.

For now, the Boozoo will be a text only newsletter, posted to relevant newsgroups
and sent via e-mail to anyone who wants it.  We'll publish every few days or so,
until we get our stuff together and get regular (and for anyone who wants to get
regular, I recommend Metamucil.).

In the future, we'll have a web page, hard copy edition sent via snail mail, a hotline
and our own brand of hoof polish.  We really do want to grow, so we need you.

Please feel free to send all comments, suggestions and questions to me at
MHi...@primenet.com.

We of course are very interested in receiving any submissions you want to
include.  We can't pay for them, but if you're real nice, when we get big, if we like
your stuff, we'll give you a job.  E-mail your submissions to the above e-mail
address.

In the meantime, we now present Boozoo Comics.
_______________________________________________________________
SUBSCIBE TO BOOZOO COMICS - E-MAIL TO MICHAEL HIGBY AT
MHI...@PRIMENET.COM
_______________________________________________________________
BREAKING NEWS!
WESTINGHOUSE TO BUY CBS

According to reports on CNBC, Westinghouse, a leading appliance maker and
longtime owner of Westinghouse Broadcasting, is going to buy the Tiffany
Network. A news conference will be held this afternoon to announce the deal.

If shareholders go for it, and the folks who want to do this deal can get the money
for it, Westinghouse will spend $5.4 billion to buy CBS, offering $81 a share.
Apparently Westinghouse has committments from JP Morgan and Chemical Bank
for a cool billion in loans.

Government approval will be needed too.  Westinghouse and CBS own radio and
television stations in some of the same markets, so under FCC laws, they will
have to sell.  Here in LA, Westinghouse owns newsradio KFWB and CBS owns
their competition, news station KNX-AM.  One will have to be sold.  One will have
to be sold, and my guess is on KFWB.  Someone should buy KFWB and turn it
into a news, talk and rock format  That's my idea for a brand new radio format.

Anyway, another network sold in the last two days, since Disney bought ABC
yesterday.  Now NBC must be shaking in their boots and hope that Ted Turner
doesn't try to buy them.

* * *
NBC FOR SALE?

Now that CBS and ABC have been sold, who do you think should buy NBC?  We
asked people on the streets in New York, LA and Bartolo, Texas.  Here's their
thoughts:

        "Ross Perot" - Harley Bobcat - Texas
        "Captain Caveman" - Shoshana Bernstein - Studio City, CA
        "Jello Pudding" - Bryan Arcola - Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City
        "My mother" - Sarah Rapshel - Texas
        "Federal Express"  - Harrison Bocksingwortoning - Manhattan, New York
        "Barney" - Sunshine Gomez - Santa Monica, CA

According to the experts, those possibly interested in NBC are Sony.  But that
depends if GE wants to sell.  Since they got rid of David Letterman, they don't
sweat as much.

By the way, you've heard that the guy who runs Westinghouse is Michael Jordan?
Well, its not the basketball player Michael Jordan.  Its another guy.

* * *

Bonehead of the Day Award

A few weeks back I wrote to my US Senators, Dianne Feinstein & Barbara Boxer,
expressing my opposition to the Communcations Act amendment to the
Telecommunications Act of 1995 (S. 652), authored by Nebraska dinosaur,
Senator James Exon (D-NE).  He had some help from Dan Quayle's replacement,
Senator Dan Coats (R-IN).

Senator Boxer's office called me and said she would oppose it.  Well, I finally got a
letter back from DiFi and here it is, in its entirety:

United States Senate
Dianne Feinstein - California
Washington DC 20510-0504

July 16, 1995

Mr. Michael Higby
(address deleted)

Dear Mr. Higby:

        Thank you so much for contacting me about the Decency Act amendment
to the Telecommunications Act of 1995 (S. 652).  I appreciate hearing from you.

        During debate on the Telecommunications Act, the Senate overwhelming
adopted by 84 to 16 a bi-partisan amendment offered by Senators James Exon
(D-NE) and Dan Coats (R-IN) that would ban obscene telecommunications.  I
voted in favor of the amendment.  Specifically, the amendment would make it
unlawful to use electronic mail, a fax machine or other telecommunications device
to harass another person with obscene, lewd or indencent material.

        The amendment also would make it unlawful to make available obscene
material to anyone, or indecent material to minors, via computers.

        The Exon/Coats amendment replaced an alternative amendment offered
by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) which would have provided for a study of legal
and technical issues of restricting obscenity on telecommunications systems.

        Once again, thank you for your letter.  I value and respect your opinion
and hope that you will continue to share your thoughts and ideas with me.

        If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or
Matthew De La O of my Washington DC staff at 202/224-3841.

        With warmest regards.

                        Sincerely,
                       
                        Dianne Feinstein
                        United States Senator

DF:mpd

What a bonehead!  Senator DiFi has made it clear in the past that she hates
computers, fax machines, etc.  And this is the kind of mentality pervading
Washington right now, in both parties, from people who know nothing about
computers or free speech for that matter.

Senator Patrick Leahy has done a wonderful job of standing up for the first
amendment and even has a web page where you can get more information.

Well, strike a blow for liberty and be sure to let your senators and congressmen
know that you oppose the amendment to S. 652, as well as President Clinton.
And while you're at it, why not call Matt De La O and tell him what you think.

Therefore, Dianne Feinstein has been awarded our bonehead of the day award.
Congratulations!

* * *

BONEHEAD OF THE WEEK AWARD

Goes to our old buddy, LA County Supervisor Zev Yarovslasky, who wants to take
money from the Los Angeles MTA subway system to pay for hospitalizing
indigents, since they ran the county dry, and now its broke.

The problem here, is that the subway has enough problems, and that the money
comes from a special tax, that voters passed several years ago, that is specifically
earmarked for transit.  To take it and spend it on other county functions is a
breach of the voters trust, and to all those who have paid this tax.

LA is desperately in need of a rail transit system and the sooner the better.  To
delay it five years as Zev wants, is going to make a bad situation even worse.
Yes, people need health care, but the county can take other steps.

So, congratulations, Zev, bonehead of the week.

* * *

OTHER NEWS

INTERNET HAPS: Here's what they're talking about on alt.showbiz.gossip.
Thought you might like to know:

        Is Charles Perez Gay? (someone said he was a gay man's lover on MTV's
                                    "The Real World!"  I have no idea.)
        These Stars Are Gay
        Is Rosie O'Donnell Gay
        Real Stinky Celebs
        Michael Jackson's Skin

PEPSI CHALLENGE: Little bits of metal have apparently been found in some
cans of Pepsi.  Here are the lot numbers, if you have one, you can take it back to
the store where you bought it and get a replacement or refund:

        1800 to 2359 071154
        0000 to 0400 071254

* * *

That's it for now!  Send your comments, suggestions, submissions, etc. to
MHi...@primenet.com.