We'll report the latest updates on the Orange County carjackings and murders and discuss if gun violence is actually on the rise. Also, we'll look at the argument for the medicinal uses of psychedelic drugs, black boxes in cars to track your activity, and if there aren't enough women in comedy. Also, what's going on with Oscars betting? All that and more on AirTalk.
Is gun violence on the rise, or do we just hear about it more in the wake of Newtown?
Early this morning, a man committed a series of carjackings and murders in Orange County before taking his own life. When his rampage ended, four were dead (including the perpetrator) and others were wounded.
In the wake of 2012’s mass killings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut, gun violence is in our consciousness more than ever in recent years. According to Slate.com’s running tally of gun-related deaths in the U.S. since the Newtown shootings, since December 14, 2012, 1,935 Americans have been killed with a firearm. Are we seeing a trend toward more gun violence in our future, or are the recent tragedies outliers? Or could gun-related violence be on our radars more than ever before because it’s creeping into communities where it once was almost nonexistent?
Guests:
Ben Bergman, KPCC’s Orange County reporter
Lawrence Rosenthal, Professor of law at Chapman University in Orange, California
Easing end-of-life anxiety with psychedelic drugs
In the early 1960’s, mind-altering drugs like psilocybin and LSD got a bad rap, thanks largely to experiments that spun out of control. Psychologists Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert notoriously unleashed their “turn on, tune in” philosophy on a culture that was eager to try the new miracle drug, but ill-prepared on their own to handle its effects. As a result, psychedelics were outlawed by 1970 and research into their potential benefits halted. But recently, interest in these drugs for clinical use has been revived.
New studies have shown that the use of LSD and other psychotropic drugs greatly reduces the stress, fear, anxiety and pain associated with advanced cancer, PTSD and other conditions. After just one dose of psilocybin, administered by a doctor under controlled circumstances (which, in a nod to Dr. Leary, can include plush sofas, Persian carpets and sitar music), patients report a sense of euphoria, emotional well-being, peace and optimism that can last a year or more, greatly changing their outlook even in the face of terminal illness. Some doctors and psychologists specializing in palliative care believe that the use of psychedelics can go a long way towards providing what they term a “good death” - one that implies a positive experience, free of end-of-life pain, stress and remorse.
Do psychedelics deserve another look from the medical profession? Would you welcome a mind-bending experience if it would ease the transition to death?
Guests:
Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine
Charles Grob, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
Click here to read research investigating the effects of psilocybin/mystical experience with cancer patients suffering with anxiety and existential distress, co-authored by Charles S. Grob, Anthony P. Bossis and Roland R. Griffiths.
Black boxes in cars
You may not know it, but there’s a plan to get a black box in your car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is pushing for mandatory crash recorders for all cars. Some groups are bristling at this effort, namely the Electronic Frontier Foundation. They are worried that this will lead to tracking and recording of data that encroach on the privacy of drivers. For instance, what if you lend your car to a friend who proceeded to drive like a speed demon up and down the highway? If the data in the black box was accessed, then the information could make it back to your insurance company, resulting in a huge rate hike. And the black box would track more than just your speed, but if airbags are deployed, what seat belts are connected, the position of the brake and accelerator, and more.
With no regulations in place for how much information can be stored, critics of the plan are sincerely worried that these devices could be used for more harm than good. Supporters of the plan, however, point to the fact that most cars already have some form of a crash recorder, and that the amount of data gathered is routinely used to make cars safer for consumers. When it comes to the privacy issue, they indicate that the NHTSA doesn’t have the jurisdiction to access such information anyway.
Should cars have these black boxes in them? Will it really make driving any safer? Or could it be used against us? Are you even aware of whether or not there is one in your car?
Guests:
Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety
Nate Cardozo, Staff Attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Jerry Buss and his effect on the sport and business of Los Angeles
Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers owner who led the team to 10 NBA championships died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday, he was 80. When Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 he had a vision of the ‘showtime’ era and immediately drafted Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson out of Michigan State. Johnson, along with Buss, went on to be part of 10 Lakers Championships as a player and owner. Under Buss’ leadership, the Lakers became part of the landscape of Southern California, bringing in names like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Dwight Howard.
During Buss’ reign, the Lakers were the NBA’s most successful franchise. Many former and current players formed strong bonds with the well-liked Buss. He was regarded as a very generous and highly revered owner. Buss was a trailblazer in the NBA and one of the first owners to sell naming rights to his arena, the forum. He also turned the forum into not only a place to see games, but a place to be seen.
Guests:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 6-Time NBA champion, 6-NBA MVP and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer
Narda Zacchino, editor of "The Los Angeles Lakers: 50 Amazing Years in the City of Angels"(Time Capsule Press)
Why aren't more female comedians booked for comedy shows?
On February 6th, a man set out on a mission. That man’s name is Joe Wagner, and his mission is to see more women on comedy shows in Los Angeles. After seeing one of his female friends complain on Facebook about not enough women being booked on shows, Wagner took it upon himself to launch a campaign of sorts to, from his perspective, raise awareness of the issue.
"I didn't think of it as a crusade, I thought of it as something very personal because I love standup shows, and I's a big fan of the art form," said Wagner. "I particularly like female comics because I see a lot of guy comics and that can get tired."
Wagner looked at his Facebook invites for shows happening every night around town. If there were no women on the bill, then he would point that out and ask for two to be booked. If there was one, he’d ask for one more. Wagner went to great lengths to pose this request in the form of a question or query, and eschewed attaching any sociopolitical bent to it beyond simply enjoying seeing women on stage at shows.
As this carried out on Facebook over a few days, the reaction was mixed. Some comedians supported Wagner's effort as a means to bring more variety to the world of stand-up in Los Angeles.
"I don't think that people are consciously not putting women on their shows," said Brandie Posey, an LA comic and host of the podcast Lady to Lady. "For me, I like diverse shows, I like to see different viewpoints from different kinds of comics and I don't necessarily think bookers are consciously thinking about showing those different voices."
Others were not so bullish. They said this strikes of tokenism, and would actually undermine comedy as a whole by instituting informal quotas. And the female response is not uniform, either. While some appreciate the attention Wagner is focusing on what they perceive to be a systemic problem, others have kindly (and not so kindly) asked Wagner to step aside and drop the white knight act.
And comedy bookers, who already have a ton on their plate with trying to repeatedly book solid shows with different performers, are inclined to take umbrage when told how to do their jobs.
"My reaction to it that it's an imperfect science, it's not necessarily something that's done maliciously," said Jeff Wattenhofer, comedy booker for the weekly show Holy F**k. "The thing that I took offense to with Joe's actions on that week are that it didn't reflect the show as a whole it was just that week's lineup, and in fact tonight's line up has four very funny women. They were booked weeks ago, I think what he's doing is good in the longterm, but bad in the short term."
Is Wagner's campaign patronizing instead of being effective? How are female comics reacting? Is Wagner missing the mark and just trying to bring attention to himself? Do you enjoy seeing women take the mic at shows, or is variety not something you think about as long as the comedians are all funny? Is setting a number the wrong way to go about this? Will other demographic groups need to be considered next?
Guests:
Joe Wagner, comedian, actor, producer and writer, seen in “Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion"
Brandie Posey, comedian and one of the hosts of Lady to Lady, a podcast released every Wednesday and a live show every month at the UCB Theater
Jeff Wattenhofer, comedian and booker at Holy F***, a weekly comedy show on Tuesdays at 9pm at the Downtown Independent Theater
Oscars 2013: The Odds, Betting on Best Picture, and more
As Oscar night gets closer by the minute, Hollywood insiders are busy preparing for their most important night of the year; however, there’s another venue experiencing an upswing of activity… online gambling sites. After the presidential election, the Oscars are the most gambled upon annual non-sporting event in the United States, according to some estimates. Oscar gamblers also tend to skew younger and more female.
Not all odds listings are the same, but this year, most bookmakers name Daniel Day Lewis as most likely to win Best Actor, Jennifer Lawrence to scoop up the Best Actress award, and list "Argo" and "Lincoln" as the two frontrunners for the Best Picture Oscar. Do you bet on the Oscars? What factors most influence how gamblers place their bets?
Guest:
Pat Morrow, Head Oddsmaker at Bovada.lv