People held demonstrations across the country last week and over the weekend protesting the George Zimmerman trial verdict. But what do protests actually do? Can they really spur a change in policy? Then, dozens of hikers have been injured at Eaton Canyon. Is there any way to minimize the danger there? Later, should we have to "opt-in" to view porn online? And should there be an ingredients label for wine? Then, are people dressing too casually for work these days?
Are protesters trying to effect measurable change or just make symbolic stands?
This weekend, demonstrators across the country continued to protest the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Some leaders, like Pasadena assemblyman Chris Holden, called for a boycott against Florida tourism to send a message. The combination of protests and calls for boycott keeps the trial in the media, but is it doing anything to change policies? During the Occupy Movement, sit-ins and demonstrations continued for months across the country. But what impact did it actually have for measurable change? Facebook, twitter, and online petitions like Change.org can spread a movement quicker than just word of mouth. When local lifeguards lost their job because of a parody of the "Gangnam Style." video, it was the online movement on Facebook that got their job back. It could be argued that demonstrations from the 1960s truly brought historic change, but does collective activism today still produce an effect?
Do protests still work? What impact do they have on actual laws and policies? Were protests stronger in the past, than they are today? What role does social media play in protesting? Is an online petition just as effective as a written one?
Guests:
Rory McVeigh, director of the center for the study of social movements at the university of Notre Dame and Professor of Sociology
Karen North, Director of the Annenberg Program on Online Communities at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
What will save Altadena hikers from themselves at Eaton Canyon?
Southern California is blessed with gorgeous hikes. Just north of Pasadena, is one so alluring it tempts people to an uncertain fate. More and more locals have a cautionary awareness about Eaton Canyon and the so-called Second Waterfall. Still it continues to attract inexperienced hikers - dozens have been injured in just the last couple of years. Four have died since 2011.
Not only is the terrain a nightmare, as a new article in Pasadena Magazine explains, the multi-jurisdictional responsibility is a bit of a nightmare, too. L.A. County is responsible for the park land, but the U.S. Forest Service is responsible for the terrain beyond the park. A volunteer crew, the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team, looks after many rescues. And they have their own ideas of how to fix the problem. Agencies continue to talk about it, but nothing is changing.
Should it be a costly, well-engineered trail? Is a fence the answer, or signage? Is there any way to eliminate or minimize danger at Eaton Canyon?
Guests:
Matthew Fleischer, Freelance Writer who wrote “The Second Waterfall” for July/August issue of Pasadena Magazine. Public Service Announcement about the Second Waterfall
Richard DeLeon, Captain, Altadena Mountain Rescue Team
Should we have to 'opt in' to view porn online?
Let’s say you like porn…a little too much. Would it help to have a company block your access? What if that was a country-wide mandate?
That’s what’s happening in the UK, where Prime Minister David Cameron wants internet providers to block access to porn in all homes unless customers opt in. Such a move would probably never happen here in the United States where personal choice is seemingly sacred. But more and more, companies that provide porn blocking technology, originally aimed at protecting children, are finding a new market in adults.
There’s even a lawsuit against Apple by a man who wants the company to “sell all of its devices on ‘safe mode,’ with software preset to filter out pornographic content.” Chris Sevier, who blames the failure of his marriage on his “addiction” to porn, plans to seek damages “due to the content he accessed through the Apple products,” which he says led to a downward smut spiral.
But is the company really to blame for his porn problems? Who should be liable if exposure to porn destroys one’s life? For addicts, does carrying an iPhone make it as hard to quit porn as carrying a pack of cigarettes would make it hard to quit smoking? How helpful are voluntary porn blockers?
Guest:
Tracy Clark-Flory, staff writer for Salon.com; freelance writer for Elle, Marie Claire, Women's Health, San Francisco and the yearly “Best Sex Writing” anthology
Uncorking the 'secret' ingredients in wine
One of the true beauties of wine is its simplicity...grapes, oak, and time. Well, not so fast. What many vinophiles don’t realize is that most wines aren’t nearly that simple.
In the pursuit of exactly the right flavor, most vintners add ingredients to wine in an attempt to shape what comes out of the bottle. Sulphur dioxide gives it longer shelf life, enzymes make it dryer, sugar lengthens the fermentation process, and sturgeon bladder clarifies the color. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg that is the recipe for a great glass of chardonnay or shiraz.
So why, then, with all that’s being added, aren’t wineries required to list these ingredients on their bottles? A few wines already do it, but the majority of winemakers would rather not. Do they have something to hide? Or do they just think we’d rather not know? Do you think an ingredients label on a $50 bottle of pinot noir makes it more or less drinkable?
Guest:
Jon Bonné, Wine Editor, “San Francisco Chronicle;” Author of forthcoming “The New California Wine”
Wardrobe etiquette from 9 to 5
The office dress code has slackened over the years. It’s not so surprising nowadays to see folks wearing flip-flops or baring some of their tattoos in the office. Still, how much sartorial latitude a worker has depends largely on where one works. A judge in Tennessee decided that he has seen enough women attorneys rocking sleeveless dresses and low-cut blouses and fired off a memo in June to local bar associations on the topic.
“The unanimous opinion was that the women attorneys were not being held to the same standard as the men,” Judge Taylor wrote in the memo. “I have advised some women attorneys that a jacket with sleeves below the elbow is appropriate or a professional dress equivalent…Your personal appearance in court is a reflection upon the entire legal profession.”
What do you think of his memo? What dress code horror stories do you have? Are people dressing too casually for work?
Guest:
Samantha Maxwell, President, CYA Human Resources in Los Angeles