Will Congress be able to finalize a fiscal cliff deal before the New Year? We discuss who has the clout to make progress before it's too late. We'll also consider the psychology of the NRA, talk about the filmography of 'The Hobbit,' and look back on the best science stories of the year. Later, a guide to holiday tipping. All that and more, on AirTalk, guest hosted today by David Lazarus.
Who has the clout to make a fiscal cliff deal before the end of the year?
President Obama had stern words for congressional leaders Friday when he urged them to approve legislation before the New Year to prevent tax increases on millions of middle class Americans and an expiration of long-term unemployment benefits.
After House speaker Rep. John Boehner was unable to convince members of his own party who staunchly oppose tax increases to back his ‘Plan B’ legislation last week, Obama said he still wants a bill that requires the wealthiest American to pay more. The key players made the rounds on Sunday talk shows but there’s still no sign they’re closer to a deal.
With Republicans not buying into Boehner’s plan, who does the President negotiate with? Meanwhile, economists fear the looming fiscal cliff could deliver a blow to the U.S. economy. Will Congress finalize a deal before the New Year?
Guests:
Steven Sloan, Senior Tax Reporter for POLITICO
Arnold Steinberg, veteran political strategist and analyst
The NRA shoots from the hip
The infamously reticent National Rifle Association held a press event on Friday to react to the Newtown shootings. After a period of silence from the group following the massacre at Sandy Hook, many were expecting the NRA to strike a conciliatory tone.
Discussion of gun control reform is flooding the media, and Democratic politicians have increased pressure on the NRA. At Friday’s press conference, NRA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre suggested that a plan be put in place to introduce armed guards at every school in the country. Critics of the NRA claim that LaPierre is simply trying to shift the blame from his organization and its concentrated, decades-long effort to relax or eliminate gun control laws.
Those who agree with LaPierre argue that tighter restrictions won’t prevent tragedy, but trained, armed “good guys” will. Despite growing opposition from gun control advocates, the NRA continues to be one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the country.
Should arming schools be considered an alternative to gun regulation? Is the NRA instilling a climate of fear, or offering a reasoned and logical solution to a national problem? Can -- and should -- their ideas take hold?
Guest:
Richard Feldman, president, Independent Firearm Owners Association
Too Real?: Middle Earth and 'The Hobbit' at 48 frames per second
Peter Jackson is known in Hollywood and around the world for making visually captivating films including The Lord of the Rings films, an updated version of King Kong, and most recently “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” While Jackson’s latest film, the first of three following Bilbo Baggins’ fantastical journey, has garnered a lot of attention, not all of it has been positive.
In order to fully understand why, a little Film School 101 is required. Most feature films are recorded at the standard film projection rate of 24 image frames per second because seeing that number of images per second is enough to trick the human brain into processing flickering still images as actual movement. Jackson, however, decided to not only film “The Hobbit” in 3D, but also at 48 frames per second – twice the normal rate.
This may sound impressive, but audiences and film critics alike are having mixed reactions. New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane remarked “HD has the unfortunate effect of turning every film into what appears to be a documentary about a film set, not just warts-and-all but carefully supplying extra warts where a wart has no right to be.”
According to scientists and researchers in the field of consciousness perception, the human brain perceives reality at a rate somewhere between 24 fps and 48 fps, and there’s a “sweet spot” somewhere in between. Going beyond that rate, they say, spoils the perception of reality. If you’ve seen “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” at 48 frames per second, what did you think? Did you find that it bring you closer to the action? Do all those extra frames diminish the cinematic experience?
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today
James Kerwin, film and theatre director whose credits include the feature film "Yesterday Was a Lie,” and a frequent lecturer on the science of film perception and frame rates.
Looking back at the top Science Stories of 2012
Looking back at the top Science Stories of 2012: Exotic particles made headlines again and again in 2012, making it no surprise that the scientific breakthrough of the year was a big physics finding in a small package: confirmation of the Higgs boson. Hypothesized more than 40 years ago, the elusive particle completes the standard model of physics, and could be the key to how other fundamental particles obtain mass. The only mystery that remains is whether its discovery marks a new dawn for particle physics or the final stretch of a friend that has run its course.
In other big news, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover landed on the red planet after ‘Seven Minutes of Terror,’ and a $2.5 billion mission. And chicks in the egg have demonstrated the first ever example of prenatal learning.
What were your top science stories from this year?
Guests:
Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and Executive Director of the Skeptics Society
Phil Yam, Managing Editor, Online for Scientific American
Gavin Newsom speaks up for legal marijuana in California
In the November Colorado and Washington passed legislation that will make recreational marijuana legal, leaving the two states to navigate the issues of enforcing state laws that are different from federal laws. Marijuana may be legal on a state level, but it’s still outlawed by the federal government.
In California, where medical marijuana is already legal, and the punishment for being caught with recreational marijuana is relatively lax, the drug is everywhere. California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his support for reforms to California marijuana laws, saying. “It’s shocking, from my perspective, the number of people that we all know who are recreational marijuana users… these are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people. Increasingly, people are willing to share how they use it and not be ashamed of it.”
Should California adopt marijuana laws that more accurately reflect citizen’s attitudes towards the drug? What difference would such laws make, considering marijuana’s current status in the state? How could it benefit or harm California to be a leader in drug law reform?
Guest:
Bruce Margolin, California NORML Deputy Director
Holiday tipping: Does Santa deserve 20 percent?
How should you tip during the holidays? During the season of giving, many people find themselves asking whether to give something extra to the people who work for them: mail carriers, housecleaners, nannies, dog-walkers. This year, we have a guide for how to gift outside of family and friends circles – who to tip, and how much.
Do you treat the people who work for you to something extra during the holidays? When it comes to employees and service people, is money more appropriate than a thoughtful gift? How do you give back? David runs through a holiday how-to and opens the phones for listeners to answer age-old questions of holiday giving.