How Mexican drug violence is affecting tourism. The U.S. military takes heat for "spiritual fitness" tests. Author Karen Armstrong's (very timely) call to compassion. FilmWeek: The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, and Every Day. TGI-FilmWeek! Location, location, location! Los Angeles is a great place to make movies.
Traveling to Mexico – too risky a business?
The Los Angeles Times reported today that two of the largest cruise lines are shipping out of Southern California for good. With news of increasing violence in Mexico, that country’s popularity as a travel destination has taken a dive. Now, Royal Carribbean and Texas Norwegian Star have both canceled Mexican destinations and are taking their ships to other ports. Mexico has long been a favorite getaway for southland residents. In light of the perceived dangers, have you rethought your vacation plans south of the border? How will the loss of these cruise giants affect our economy?
Guests:
Paul Lasley, editor of OnTravel.com (hosts travel show on American Forces Radio)
Arturo Carmona, Executive Director, COFEM
Army under fire over “spiritual fitness” test
The Army is facing criticism for requiring at least 800,000 uniformed soldiers to answer a “spiritual fitness” questionnaire. The Global Assessment Test (GAT) is part of a $125-million soldier fitness program, intended to combat suicide and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The computerized survey asks soldiers to rank themselves on statements such as: “I am a spiritual person” and “In difficult times, I pray or meditate.” Military officials say the GAT questions pertain to the domain of the human spirit and aren’t religious. Critics disagree. One self-identified Army Lieutenant wrote on the DOD web site, “The GAT asks rather intrusive questions about soldiers’ spirituality – coming perilously close to violating the 1st Amendment. There was no option to avoid the questions, leaving our atheist soldiers to wonder if their beliefs are tolerated in today’s increasingly religious army.” Following the test, some soldiers are being told they need counseling. Suggested solutions include church, prayer and a higher power. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, has demanded that the Army cease and desist forcing soldiers to take the survey. Is the test a smokescreen for religion? Is it discriminatory against atheists, agnostics and non-believers? Or might it be a useful tool to help struggling soldiers?
Karen Armstrong’s (very timely) call to compassion
In his memorial speech honoring the victims of the Tucson shootings, President Obama urged the nation to put an end to vitriolic dialogue by “talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” The loss of these lives should give us all reason to be better, he said. But why do we need a national tragedy to inspire us to compassion? From Confucius to Jesus, Oprah to Obama, people have been preaching compassion for centuries, yet we still find it a challenge to put it into daily practice. In her new book, Karen Armstrong, one of the country’s most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world, offers the tools to build a more compassionate life, including self-examination, empathy, mindfulness and action.
Guest:
Karen Armstrong, author of Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life (Knopf)
FilmWeek: The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, and Every Day
KPCC film critics Peter Rainer and Lael Loewenstein join Larry to review the week’s new film releases including The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, and Every Day, plus the latest and best movies from DVD-land. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and The Christian Science Monitor Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety
Live tweeting this week's reviews:
Location, location, location! Los Angeles is a great place to make movies
Since the dawn of the industry, movie studios have taken advantage of Los Angeles’ favorable climate and versatile architecture and topography to portray every conceivable location. Downtown lofts become Manhattan; Universal City stands in for the hills of Alabama; not to mention the countless times the City of Angels has played itself on the big screen. A trip around LA is a veritable walk through the history of film. Triple threat Hollywood historians Karie Bible, Marc Wanamaker and Harry Medved provide a delightful example of that history in their new book Location Filming in Los Angeles. The authors combine their extensive knowledge of film locations and archival photographs to tell the story of where all the magic happened. Do you have a favorite LA spot made famous on film?
Guests:
Marc Wanamaker, owner of Bison Archives and co-author of “Location Filming in Los Angeles”
Harry Medved, spokesperson for Fandango and co-author of “Location Filming in Los Angeles”
Karie Bible, editor of FilmRadar.com; official tour guide of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and co-author of “Location Filming in Los Angeles”