Preparing for earthquake safety when you're in an unusual location, President Obama's announcement about troops in Afghanistan, Thelonius Monster's Bob Forrest.
US troops to remain in Afghanistan through 2016
American troops stationed across Afghanistan will stay there for now. That was the announcement from President Obama, speaking from the White House Thursday morning.
He said Afghan forces are "fully responsible for securing their country" but US troops are still needed for training and support.
The US was slowly removing troops from Afghanistan until Pres. Obama paused the drawdown earlier this year. Now, about 9,800 American troops will remain in the country through 2016.
Patrick Tucker, a reporter for Defense One, joined Take Two to talk about it.
Press the blue play button above to hear more.
When an earthquake hits, do you know the drill?
Thursday is the day for the "Great California ShakeOut," the annual, state-wide earthquake drill.
Most of us now know the basic drill: "Drop, Cover, and Hold On." There's also the warning not to run or go outside. But what if you already are outside when a quake hits? What if you're asleep in bed? In a car? Or in a store?
Margaret Vinci, manager of the Office of Earthquake Programs at Caltech, says "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" still applies, but there are some more tips to keep in mind that are specific to different locations where you might find yourself when a quake hits:
In a grocery or clothing store?
Get underneath a shopping cart if you can. It will provide some protection from falling objects. Getting inside clothing racks can also give you some protection.
In a big warehouse store like Costco or Home Depot?
If you're in the aisles, take cover inside the bottom level of the racks.
In a parking lot?
If you're in an open areas like a parking lot, drop immediately, crawl into a ball to protect your inner organs, and then put your hand over your head and your hand over your neck. The least amount of movement you make when the earth starts to shake, the safer you're going to be.
Outside of a building?
The facade of the building can come crumbling down, so you don't want to be near the front of the building. You want to be away from glass too, if possible. Also look out for electrical wires that can fall. Get next to a retaining wall or under a park bench if you can.
In bed?
Stay in bed, pull the covers over your head to protect you from glass, and put a pillow over your bed to protect you from falling objects. Don't get out of bed or get under your bed. If you're next to your bed or under it, you're at risk of getting crushed by your bed.
In a car?
If you're driving, you'll feel like your tires are going flat and you'll start to see things sway. Pull over to the side of the road, set your parking brake, lay down on the front seat. Avoid parking under overpasses or bridges, but don't go looking for the perfect place to stop.
Other places that you DON'T want to be in an earthquake?
A lot of people think that stairwells are good places to go because they're sturdy parts of the building, but if you're in a stairwell, you can be thrown down the stairs. You don't want to be in a stairwell. You don't want to be running to the roof either, like they said in the movie "San Andreas." Unless you're being picked up by the Rock, don't head for the roof.
Looking for more tips? Click here.
Bob Forrest on battling addiction, LA in the 1980s and returning to music
The L.A.-based band Thelonious Monster never had huge commercial success, but in the 1980s and 1990s, they exerted a powerful influence on the city's post-punk scene with songs like "Body and Soul."
Bob Forrest was Thelonious Monster's frontman, but his career in music was derailed by drug addiction. He visited rehab facilities more than two dozen times before finally finding sobriety in 1996, and since then he has worked tirelessly to help others struggling with addiction. You may have seen Bob working with Dr. Drew Pinksy on the VH1 show "Celebrity Rehab."
Forrest has written about his experiences in a memoir called "Running with Monsters." His life story was the focus of the documentary "Bob and the Monster." Now, he's released his first-ever solo album titled "Survival Songs."
https://open.spotify.com/album/76cPtLV5lXqGbpPqzrXEHa
Forrest recently joined host Alex Cohen to talk about his new album, addiction and what it was like growing up in the 1980s music scene in L.A. If you'd like to hear the entire conversation, click on the audio embedded at the top of the post.
If you'd like to see Forrest speak about his book, you can do so tonight at Book Soup in West Hollywood.
The Wheel Thing: Telsa adds self-driving features in software upgrade
Telsa announced a major software upgrade that moves its cars a good deal closer toward the goal of being able to drive themselves.
The new package includes a host of "Autopilot" features, that, among other things keeps the car from drifting out of its lane or getting to close to a car in front of it. Press the turn signal, and the car will change lanes when it's safe to do so. The car will even search for an available parking spot, and when it finds one, maneuver the car into the space.
But most impressive, says our Wheel Thing guide, motor critic Susan Carpenter, is what she calls the "hive brain." All the Teslas in the fleet will record road information and send it back to a central server, where it will be analyzed and fed back to the fleet. So every individual Tesla will benefit from the knowledge of all its brothers and sisters.
State of Affairs: Brown's mixed messages, Newsom on gun control, and a look at 2018
On this week's State of Affairs, Gov. Jerry Brown's contradictory decisions on legislation, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes tougher gun control laws in California, and a look ahead to 2018 elections.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- Marisa Lagos, KQED reporter
- Melanie Mason, Los Angeles Times reporter
Lamar Odom: The ups and downs of a beloved NBA star
Lamar Odom remains in a Las Vegas hospital on Thursday after he was found unconscious in nearby brothel two days before.
According to the Nye County Sheriff's Department, Odom had taken cocaine and a Viagra-like medication in the days before he was found by workers at the brothel.
Odom won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, but along with his athletic success, he has had his share of tragedies and personal struggles. By the time he was 27, Odom's mother had died of cancer, and his infant son died of SIDS. Two years ago, he was arrested for DUI and spent three months in alcohol rehab.
"Lamar Odom's life has been steadily spinning out of control for a few years, and it's just ... it's incredibly sad," said
, who spent time covering Odom when he played for the Lakers. "I don't remember the last time I felt this personally sad on a human level watching an athlete go through struggles."
During his time with the Lakers, Kamenetzky remembered Odom as the emotional leader of the team's championships.
"Kobe was the alpha dog, Derek Fisher was their conscience, but Lamar was their heart. He was always this heart-on-the sleeve presence in the locker room, but he was also this very old soul," Kamenetzky said.
Teammates, fans and the media alike loved Odom, but his time with the Lakers came to a halt before the 2012 season, when he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. As an athlete, Odom was never the same, Kamenetzky said.
"He was blindsided by that trade, and unfortunately it coincided right around the same time as an incident where Lamar was in New York for the funeral of his cousin, who had been killed, and the car that he was in ended up getting into an accident. Lamar wasn't driving, but it was an accident that killed this young kid," Kamenetzky said. "I've always felt that that incident triggered a lot of emotions for Lamar ... It was a lot for him to handle, especially away from the Lakers, which were like family to him."
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.