Today on AirTalk, we'll take a look at the two-part documentary "California Forever," find out what household clutter says about American culture, discuss the Special Ops group that launched a media campaign admonishing Obama, and figure out why daily deal sites are on the way out.
The story of California’s state parks
California is blessed with a wealth of wildly divergent outdoor experiences: from hiking to off-roading, from surfing to bird-watching to rock climbing. If you’ve ever been to Yosemite, Big Sur, Hearst Castle or Lake Tahoe, you know some of the beauty and diversity of California’s state parks. But do you know their history?
In a new two-part documentary, California Forever, producers David Vassar and Sally Kaplan delve into the beginnings of our vast state park system. The discovery of the giant Sequoias by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852 gave birth to Yosemite, California’s first state park. Since then, it’s grown to nearly 300 parks, encompassing 1.4 million acres, 280 miles of coastline and 3,000 miles of trails. California Forever explores the efforts of the visionaries who worked to ensure the preservation of our beaches, woods, lakes and deserts for all generations.
Lately, however, the future of California’s state parks has been threatened by overuse, growing urban density, lack of funding and bitter conflicts between preservationists and recreationists. The film delves into those challenges as well. As summer winds down, treat yourself to an exploration of California’s as yet unspoiled wilderness.
Guests:
David Vassar, writer/director/co-producer of California Forever; Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning film and television writer, director and producer.
Sally Kaplan, co-producer of California Forever; writer, director, producer for numerous programs and series for Lifetime, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and others.
Elizabeth Goldstein, president, California State Parks Foundation
The ethnoarchaeology of the American home
What does the number of magnets on your refrigerator say about the clutter in your home? What’s the most common, the most costly, yet the most underused home renovation? How many American garages actually house a car?
What we buy, where we store it and how much we use it inform the way we live, and our houses tell the story all too well. In a four-year study, UCLA researchers invaded the homes of 32 middle-class, dual-income Los Angeles families, videotaping their interactions, photographing their rooms and yards, and tracking their comings and goings.
What did they find?
Stacks of clutter, from bathrooms to kitchens to hallways. Freezers, closets and garages stockpiled with Gatorade, frozen pizzas, Ziplock bags. Desks drowning in papers; kids’ rooms knee-deep in toys, precarious piles of laundry, magazines and CDs around every corner.
What emerges is a fascinating snapshot of America’s material culture — a culture of acquiring, but not experiencing; of filling up space instead of using it; of hours spent shifting the messes we’ve created from corner to corner, instead of enjoying our leisure time. If you revel in the well-ordered worlds imagined in Martha Stewart Living and Dwell, this book is sure to give you a scare — yet it’s hard to look away.
What’s your clutter quotient? Do you bring more stuff into your house than you take out? To what extent does managing your possessions interfere with actually living your life?
GUESTS
Jeanne Arnold, lead author of “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors”; professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles
Anthony Graesch, co-author of “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors”; assistant professor of anthropology at Connecticut College
Special forces group goes after President Obama over killing of Osama and security leaks
A group of former U.S. intelligence officers and military operatives launched a media campaign yesterday admonishing President Barack Obama.
The Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund released a 22-minute film which accuses Obama of taking political credit for Osama bin Laden’s death. Also, it goes after the White House for committing intelligence leaks.
One of the talking heads in the film, Ben Smith, is identified as a Navy Seal and says, “Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not.” The group says it is nonpartisan in nature, but some media outlets are reporting that some of those associated with the campaign have ties to the Tea Party.
How legitimate are these accusations? Will these attacks hurt Obama’s campaign like the Swift Boat ads did for 2008 Democratic nominee, John Kerry? Or is this more bluster than bite?
Dishonorable Disclosures
Guests:
Scott Taylor, President of Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, and 2010 candidate for Republican nomination to a Congressional seat in Virginia
David Mark, Editor-in-chief, Politix
Mark R. Jacobson, Spokesman for the Obama campaign; Senior advisor to the Truman National Security project; former Intelligence Officer who has served in the Army and Navy
The certain death of the daily deal
Daily deals seem to be on their way out. Their demise is heralded by the recent fiscal failings of Groupon, the site that sells discounted package deals for anything from spa trips to burgers to reading glasses. Critics of Groupon have been vocal about what they see as an inherently flawed business model.
Articles at varied news outlets like Slate, Forbes, Esquire, and even The Christian Science Monitor have voiced one opinion: Groupon has no future. Most of these critics cite the fact that there’s no barrier for competition. Companies can, and do, exactly what Groupon does. It hasn’t created enough of a niche for itself. These same critiques can be applied to any site that features a daily deal or package sale similar to Groupon.
The main reason for their demise? The competition can’t be helping, but it is the very nature of the deals that dooms them. Groupon and other sites rely heavily on the merchants that provide them with those incredibly discounted offers, and the deal sites have very little to bargain with. Groupon lures businesses—often cash-strapped ones—into the deal by promising increased exposure and customers who will spend more than their coupon amount.
However, the company doesn’t keep any statistics to back up these claims. Businesses usually just end up losing 75% of profits to bargain hunting costumers unlikely to make a return trip. Groupon and others can’t exist without the businesses that provide their deals, and those businesses seem to be getting little out of the partnership.
Are you a daily deals customer? If so, how have you taken advantage of the offers? Do you return to the businesses you get deals from? If you’re a small business owner, have you been affected by Groupon or other such sites? If Groupon is on the brink, what can consumers do to protect themselves if they’re still trying to find a good deal?
Guests:
Matt DeBord, KPCC Reporter; writes the DeBord Report KPCC.org
Rawkesh Agrawal, writer for VentureBeat, appears on Bloomberg TV and CNBC and has contributed to TechCrunch and GigaOm
Read Agrawal's consumer FAQ on Groupon and other daily deal sites here. E-mail Agrawal with any daily deals issues or negative experiences at dailydeals@agrawals.org.