Gatekeepers to the Osama post-mortem pics. The top 10 Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles. Fracking…it’s not just for Battlestar Galactica fans anymore. If you took a personality test, would you fail?
Gatekeepers to the Osama post-mortem pics
The debate continues over whether photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse should be made public. Now major news organizations and some advocacy groups are pushing for access. They argue the photos have news value, so they're using the Freedom of Information Act to get them released. But those same media companies go on to say if they get the images, they might decide against publishing them. The Associated Press spokesperson says it would assess "whether [the photos] could cause harm or danger to others." The question for AirTalk listeners: who should decide whether you see the photos? President Obama made the decision not to release the images citing national security concerns. Do you trust his judgment? If the media is granted access to the photos, should the public have the freedom to access them, too? Or should journalists act as gatekeepers? Who should rule on what you should and should not see?
Guest:
Dick Meyer, Executive Editor for News, NPR in Washington, D.C.
The top 10 Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles
Southern Californians are passionate about Chinese food and will drive miles from one end of the city to the other to sample their favorite specialties. Patric Kuh, restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine talks about his picks of the region’s best Chinese restaurants including his choices for eateries offering the most interesting Chinese specialties - and his guide to what to eat from the dim sum cart. Kuh’s picks are in the magazine’s May issue. Will your favorite be among them?
Guest:
Patric Kuh, contributing writer and restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine and winner of a 2011 James Beard Foundation Award; author of The Last Days of Haute Cuisine: The Coming of Age of American Restaurants
Fracking…it’s not just for Battlestar Galactica fans anymore
Oil companies are using Hydraulic Fracturing or “fracking” more and more to get oil and natural gas out of the ground and into our cars and heaters. Fracking involves shooting high pressured sand, water and a mix of other chemicals into the ground to break up rock and release the gas hidden inside. Unfortunately those “other chemicals” may contaminate groundwater. But we don’t know for sure because very few studies have been done on the practice and a recent editorial in the Los Angeles Times blames political interference. Industry proponents argue that fracking trade secrets should be protected. Is that a fair business concern? Or does the public’s right to know trump that – even though there isn’t conclusive evidence about water contamination? Do you think Sacramento needs a bill that goes further than similar laws in other states, such as Texas?
Guests:
Bob Wieckowski, Democratic Assemblyman from Fremont, CA
Tom Kurth, Partner, Law firm of Haynes and Boone, in Dallas, TX
‘Cause you got…personality
If you took a personality test, could you fail? If you have a life coach, might he bench you? In reality, personality tests are no joke, and have long been used as serious approaches to examine the mental stability of pilots, police officers and others in high-pressure occupations. Recently, there has been a trend to use such tests as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Life Styles Inventory, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 to help people better understand themselves, their relationships and their roles in society. Proponents of personality-typing argue that the tests can be used to help a person find the right job or improve a failing marriage. But, critics claim they are inaccurate, subjective and should not be relied on implicitly. Have you ever taken a personality test? Did it lead to an increased self-awareness or help you in any way? What “type” are you?
Guest:
John D. Mayer, Professor of Psychology, University of New Hampshire; expert on personality testing