Today on AirTalk, we'll discuss the debt ceiling in relation to the fiscal cliff, look at the perks and problems of being a centegenerian, and consider the role of humanoid robots. Later, on FilmWeek, guest host David Lazarus and the critics look back on the best films of the year, revisit Snow White on the film's 75th anniversary, and remember some of the industry's best character actors.
Up against the ceiling and over the cliff: end of year economics
The United States government will hit its debt limit on December 31 and is set to turn to “extraordinary measures,” says Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Economists predict the $200 billion in overhead funding will last the federal government about two months.
This is not the first time the debt ceiling has posed a threat – this time last year the U.S. approached the limit, coming dangerously close to defaulting on the debt. Special measures were taken to continue paying bills while Congress passed legislation to raise the debt ceiling. Despite advance warnings that the U.S. would approach the debt ceiling again at the end of this year, not much progress has been made. Congress will again work with the limited timeframe allowed by the overhead budget to pay government bills while negotiating a new debt ceiling.
This year though, more unpredictable circumstances related to the fiscal cliff may complicate arrangements for a new debt ceiling. Depending on whether or not a fiscal cliff deal is finalized before the end of the year, Congress could have different amounts of time to spend the $200 billion. If a deal doesn’t pass and the U.S. goes over the fiscal cliff, the immediate tax increase will mean that the government is spending less money, thus allowing longer negotiations for a new debt ceiling. The timeframe for debt ceiling plans could vary depending on what kind of fiscal cliff deal, if any, passes.
Some analysts have called for the end of the limit on government debt, arguing that the frenzy to raise the debt ceiling to avoid defaulting on obligations is harmful to domestic politics and international relations. How should Congress deal with the debt ceiling during fiscal cliff negotiations? What should the government prioritize? Should there be a debt ceiling at all?
Guest:
Dave Clarke, Financial Services Editor for POLITICO
115-year-old man becomes oldest man in history
It may be difficult to fit 116 candles on a birthday cake, but the loved ones of Jiroemon Kimura, the oldest man in recorded history, may have to do exactly that as the 115-year-old Japanese citizen inches closer to his next birthday. Kimura was born on April 10th, 1897 in Kamiukawa, Japan when Queen Victoria still reigned over the British Empire, according to birth records. As of December 17, 2012 he is the oldest man currently living, according to Guinness. Japan is home to many of the world’s oldest people and the remote Japanese island of Okinawa has one of the top three oldest populations worldwide.
Residents of Loma Linda, California also regularly live for more than 100 years, making it one of the oldest populations in the world as well. Many health experts attribute the longevity of Loma Linda’s population to their healthy diet and lifestyle.
The oldest living person on record was a French woman named Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122.
What explains extraordinary longevity? What can be done to improve the likelihood of living for more than 100 years? Why do people in certain communities live significantly longer than others?
Guests:
Mark Lachs, M.D. , Director of Geriatrics for the New York Presbyterian Health Care System; physician, scientist, and gerontologist at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City; author of What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Getting Older: An Insider’s Survival Manual for Outsmarting the Health-Care System
Jay Olshansky, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
Could 'Roboys' be our future caregivers?
The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zurich is working on a humanoid robot designed to move as fluidly as a person. The project, called Roboy, uses tendons to allow for more human movement and actions. A team of scientists and engineers began working on Roboy in June and are set to finish the project by March of 2013. Roboy is designed to do work, and will come programmed to do chores – scientists and engineers aim to eventually program robots that could do human jobs.
Anthropomorphic robots of the past have been characterized by their jerky movements, and serve as inspiration for imitations of robot voice and the “robot dance.” But modern technology has advanced robotics to a new level. Many smartphone users are already familiar with the more human voice of the robots that complete basic search tasks. Developments to soft robots have proven that robots can move flexibly into places that would be unsafe or impossible for humans to access. Defense drones can be programmed to be autonomous; medical robots can even to “read the minds” of users.
As robotic technology becomes more ubiquitous in the fields of defense and medicine, it’s natural to see the same advanced programming in day-to-day life. What kind of changes would a robot like Roboy bring? Should robotic technology mimick the human form? Would it be useful to use robots to do human work?
Guest:
Maja Mataric, Professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at University of Southern California & Founding Director, of USC's Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems
FilmWeek: Promised Land, Parental Guidance and more
Guest host David Lazarus is joined by KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan from dearhenrysheehan.com and Lael Loewenstein from Variety to review the week’s new film releases including Promised Land, Parental Guidance and more. Plus, the critics and David look back at the films of 2012 to highlight the best overlooked films of the year. TGI-FilmWeek!
Promised Land
Parental Guidance
Best Overlooked Films of 2012
- Holy Motors
- Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
- Burn
- Deadfall
- Damsels in Distress
- Goon
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety
Henry Sheehan
, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.comThe original Disney princess: 75th anniversary of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Even at 75, the answer is still the original Disney princess, Snow White. In 1937, Walt Disney produced his first full length feature production, kicking off what would become the largest entertainment franchise in history.
While everyone knows Snow White and the lovable dwarfs, most people don’t know that Disney had the entire future of his career riding on the film’s success. Obviously, the gamble paid off. To celebrate, Disney created the Cathay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater at which the film originally premiered 75 years ago.
What did the movie do for Disney and his company? What did it do to legitimize animation as a film genre? What do you love most about this historic and timeless film?
Guest:
Charles Solomon, film critic and animation historian for KPCC, author for amazon.com
Facial Recognition: A look at Hollywood's greatest character actors
Star wattage and marquee value are all well and good, but what truly brings reality to the screen? The loss this week of Jack Klugman and Charles Durning reminds us of how important great character actors are to the history of film.
"The character actors have been with us for so long and they're so valuable and sometimes they say they make the picture. " said film critic Henry Sheehan on AirTalk. "'12 Angry Men' was Henry Fonda and 11 character actors. they had to put the camera on him a lot just to keep him from being upstaged."
Character actors can be immensely talented, and their performances are frequently praised and awarded. You’ve seen their faces in dozens, maybe hundreds of films, but do you know their names? Despite their on-screen shine, the actors who play, “just one of the guys,” manage to stay out of the limelight.
"There's a certain familiarity that they bring with them, so for instance the actor James Rebhorn, who was in 'Independence Day,'" said film critic Lael Loewenstein. "That's the tough thing with character actors, is rarely can we put a name to them, but you see them you know them they bring in that little touch of what it is they do...Every now and then you get a character actor who's elevated to a leading actor status, like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who used to be pretty much known as a character actor."
What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety
Henry Sheehan
, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com