Saturday, May 23, 2009

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New TV Season: Start With Jay Leno In Evaluation Top
NEW YORK — For a fourth-place network that hasn't been a threat to anyone but itself the past few years, NBC sure drew a lot of negative attention from its rivals when new fall prime-time schedules were revealed. Maybe they're actually worried. NBC's decision to air a Jay Leno comedy hour every weeknight at 10 o'clock overshadows anything else broadcasters are planning for the fall. It could be an ingenious move, or it could give CBS and ABC a better chance at establishing scripted shows in that hour and bury NBC deeper. Jimmy Kimmel, speaking during ABC's presentation to advertisers, said that NBC wouldn't let Leno jump ship "even if they had to destroy their entire network." Dawn Ostroff, entertainment president of the tiny CW network, reminded advertisers that it had as much scripted programming as NBC. CBS Corp. chief executive Leslie Moonves, as he often has, really knew how to stick the knife in. "There's a difference between the (broadcast TV) model being broken," he said, "and not being able to find any new hit shows for years." NBC is already warning that the Leno move can't be measured like most new fall shows, when two or three weeks make all the difference. Take into account what Leno does all year, particularly when the other networks are showing repeats, said NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker. Because Leno's show will be much cheaper to produce than scripted dramas, it doesn't necessarily have to win in the ratings to be a financial hit. "I understand why our opponents are saying what they are," Zucker said. "I get it. What about the chance that it might work?" Leno may put on the quintessential "aw shucks" demeanor, but he doesn't deny the competitive challenge. "That's what gives you the impetus to go out and do what you do," he told reporters. "To prove people wrong." Finances played a big part in network decisions, like when NBC canceled "My Name is Earl" and CBS axed "The Unit" and "Without a Trace." They'd reached the point where executives considered them too expensive to produce. But a handful of creative trends emerged that may bear watching: _The return of comedy: Broadcast television comedy has been on a slow decline, but NBC is in part selling the Leno move as counterprogramming to blood and guts dramas at 10 p.m. The network will air some prime-time "Weekend Update" segments with the idea that topical comedy is hot. ABC is starting a comedy night on Wednesdays and aired one of its pilots, "Modern Family," in full for advertisers. It's flat-out hilarious. _Friday night lights: Broadcasters have gradually been dimming the lights on Friday, much as they have largely given up on Saturdays. With talked-about series like ABC's "Ugly Betty," NBC's "Southland" and Fox's "Dollhouse" on Friday next fall, there seems to be more of a competitive effort. _Retreads: You may have seen these ideas before. ABC ("Eastwick") and NBC ("Parenthood") are turning movies into series. ABC's "V" remakes a 1980s era science fiction tale. CBS is spinning off "NCIS" and Fox is spinning off "Family Guy" for new series. The CW is making a new "Melrose Place," to join its remake of "90210." Oh, and it has a new series about vampires. Each of the four new comedies that ABC will air on Wednesdays features an actor who has already found fame on a sitcom: Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Ed O'Neill and Courteney Cox. "Like clothing, there are really no new styles," said Shari Ann Brill, analyst for Carat USA. "It's a reinvention of something that was out previously." _Meds: The retirement of "ER" caused networks to search for new heart-pounding, as opposed to heart-melting ("Grey's Anatomy") medical dramas. NBC's "Trauma" follows paramedics in San Francisco. CBS' midseason "Miami Trauma" follows paramedics in, you guessed it. CBS' "Three Rivers" is about organ donation. _Cougars: Cox in "Cougar Town" is an older woman new to the dating scene. Jenna Elfman in CBS' "Accidentally on Purpose" picks up, and keeps, a much younger man. ___ On the Net: http://www.abc.com/ http://www.nbc.com/ http://www.cbs.com/ http://www.fox.com/ ___ EDITOR'S NOTE _ David Bauder can be reached at dbauder(at)ap.org More on CBS
 
US Army Suicide Numbers Continue To Climb Top
It was just past midnight in Afghanistan when Brig. Gen. Mark Milley appeared on the video screen in the Pentagon conference room to brief some of the Army's top generals on a sobering development: his unit's most recent confirmed suicide. A 19-year-old private, working a night shift at his base, had shot himself a few weeks earlier. "There was no indication that he would harm himself, he had not been seen by the chaplain, no intimate relationships," Milley said, running through warning signs.
 
John DeCock: One Small Step for Climate, A Giant Leap for Congress Top
The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) cleared its first hurdle this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee . I guess you need to be more than a little bit wonky to enjoy watching the markup on c-span , but I have to admit it was fun to see the anti-environment committee members fume and bluster as they watched a little progress happen. And by "a little progress" I don't mean to diminish the importance of this action. Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) continue to be true champions of energy and global warming solutions. They have brought forward a very worthwhile bill. And while I see genuine and essential need for improvement in this bill, I also see affirmative progress toward important goals that has not heretofore been on the table. The benchmarks in this bill, as well as the benchmarks articulated by the President do not, in and of themselves, set goals that will be as effective as those which we need to avoid climate catastrophe. But for the first time we have a serious dialogue going that is not about whether or not to do something. It is about how much we need to do and how quickly . Congress is taking steps in this legislation to stand up to the entrenched interests of the old energy economy and do the right and necessary thing. In this regard, this bill represents real progress. Although ACES in its current form represents incremental progress, there is a lot we need to do to strengthen it and that will require that we make our voices heard . We have to be louder and more compelling than the lobbies for coal, oil and nuclear are rich. Among the improvements we'll be looking for are: * Pollution reductions that get the job done and appropriate oversight by the EPA to ensure programs meet their goals; * Provisions for global warming polluters to pay for pollution so that revenue is available to assist consumers and support efficiency, renewables and other clean energy programs; * A renewable energy program that ensures we move quickly to repower the economy * Emphasis on the safest, least expensive and fastest solutions, particularly efficiency; * Not investing limited public resources to further prop up sources of energy that continue to waste and pollute water resources -- in particular coal and nuclear power. ACES represents the seed of action we need on global warming. It's up to us to grow it from here. More on Climate Change
 
Mark Levin Berates Caller: "I Don't Know Why Your Husband Doesn't Put A Gun To His Temple" Top
Conor Friedersdorf at the American Scene transcribes the following exchange from Mark Levin's radio program yesterday afternoon: CALLER: I just wanna say, Obama is a lot smarter than you folks give him credit for. You guys were on a roll, I have to admit, with all those tea parties. Everything was rolling along, the Republicans were gaining momentum. And he managed to change your entire conversational focus. And you let those three hundred thousand people --
 
Christiana Wyly: New York's Green Business Competition Top
Last week I found myself in Brooklyn's Borough Hall sitting behind the courtroom podium, watching passionate young entrepreneurs present their world-changing ideas in competition for first place and grand prize in New York's Green Business Competition. Hosted and organized by Green Spaces, sponsored by Con Edison, GBC was established to support the most innovative small businesses in the state by offering them a cash prize plus services like office space, furniture, PR, and strategic consultation -- things all small businesses need. Fellow judge Graham Hill, eco-online entrepreneur and founder of TreeHugger.com, awarded prize trophies made from recycled glass. The initial 70 applicants were pre-screened by faculty, staff, and students of the NYU Stern School of Business until only five companies remained. These five were diverse in size, stage, scope mission and product, but all met the underlying criteria of being New York-based companies with a focus on green products and services that benefited local and global community. For me, the most powerful part of attending this competition was getting to hear the story behind each business. Take the example of Green Soul Shoes, founded when entrepreneur Alastair Onglingswan visited the Philippines and watched a child cut himself on rusty wire while walking barefoot through a landfill's mountains of used tires. Onglingswan vowed to use the tires to provide footwear for one million of the world's 300 million shoeless children -- one pair donated for every pair sold. It's a noble cause is quite moving. But purpose alone does not guarantee success in today's unpredictable economic climate, where fewer dollars means fewer opportunities for even the noblest of start-ups. The applicants were judged not only by their potential for social and economic impact, but also according to presentation skills, industry analysis, market size, finances, goals, management team and overall business model. Third place went to DBA -- a sustainable high design firm looking to redefine the aesthetics of green design. Their first product being a sleek, sexy 99% biodegradable pen. The second place prize went to E.C.O. Incorporated for living up to their name by reinventing the pizza box (their patented design is made from 100% recycled materials and comes pre-perforated to split into four plates and a tray for leftovers). The grand prize winner and obvious belle of the ball was Gotham Greens, an urban agriculture operation. Futurists have long depicted urban utopias with lush landscapes bursting from the balconies and rooftop vegetable gardens - but Gotham Greens is finally cultivating the soil necessary to bring this vision to fruition (both figuratively and literally). With a 400K grant from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) under Program Opportunity Notice 1236 ("Energy Productivity in Innovative Local Food Production Systems") -- and now their prize package from this competition - they will be producing 30 tons of fresh organic fruits and vegetables a year. Their hydroponic farm, currently under construction will grace 12,000 feet of skyline in Jamaica, Queens. About 70% of produce will go directly to Whole Foods Market's New York stores, who have already signed onto the privilege of becoming their 1st customer. Whole Foods Market will promote them as part of their local food commitment. According to Gotham Greens, New York City imports more than $1 billion in vegetables each year, with a majority for NYC's rapidly growing population. The population increase will bring economic growth but also put pressure on the city's infrastructure, creating challenges in food security and transport, as well as nutrition. NYC is the 4th largest energy user in the US -- with less than 15% of its primary energy requirements met from in-state resources. If Gotham Greens can keep it up, they will be pioneers in a new model for local, sustainable urban food production. Just between all of you and me (wink), I'd keep an eye on one company who went home without a prize. I was particularly inspired by Jonathan Santiago's new company ReFab, a recycled furniture enterprise based in South Bronx. Partnered with Sustainable South Bronx (their founder, celebrated green-jobs advocate Majora Carter, sits on ReFab's advisory board), Santiago's vision is to help revitalize post-industrial communities by creating "green-collar" design and manufacturing jobs while transforming urban waste into valuable consumer products. Through ReFab, entrepreneurship is leveraged to solve two of the greatest human challenges, poverty and pollution. It's hard to overstate the importance of companies like ReFab, which -- like Green Soul Shoes and Gotham Greens - are turning "trash" into useful goods and giving people work in the process. National budgeters predict a 10.5% unemployment rate in a frighteningly near future. Over six hundred thousand people lost their jobs last week, and finding a new livelihood is only getting harder. In January, Van Jones, special advisor on green jobs to the White House, told The New Yorker 's Elizabeth Kolbert: "Your goal has to be to get the greenest solutions to the poorest people. That's the only goal that's morally compelling enough to generate enough energy to pull this transition off. The challenge is making this an everybody movement, so your main icons are Joe Six-Pack - Joe the Plumber - becoming Joe the Solar Guy, or that kid on the street corner putting down his handgun, picking up a caulk gun." Thanks to the opportunities offered by contests like New York's Green Business Competition, and bright and bold entrepreneurs like the contestants, this future is more likely every day. More on Green Living
 
Film Co-Written By Roxana Saberi Wins Cannes Prize Top
CANNES, France — A film co-scripted by U.S.-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi won a prize in one of the Cannes Film Festival competitions on Saturday. "No One Knows About Persian Cats" won a special jury prize in the festival's Un Certain Regard competition. The film is a lively look at Tehran's underground music scene and the risk of censorship and jail faced by Iranian musicians. Saberi shares a screenplay credit on the film, which was directed and-co-written by her romantic partner, Bahman Ghobadi. "Dogtooth," a film about an unusually isolated family by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard competition, which focuses largely on new and emerging filmmakers from around the world. Second prize went to Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu's "Police, Adjective," while "The Father of My Children," by France's Mia Hansen-Love, also won a special prize. Saberi, who worked for news outlets including U.S. National Public Radio and the BBC, was freed from an Iranian prison May 11 after serving four months of an eight-year sentence for allegedly spying for the United States. Cannes' main competition prizes, including the coveted Palme d'Or, will be handed out Sunday. More on Roxana Saberi
 
Sandy Goodman: A Modest Proposal To Permit Everyone To Carry Guns In Public Buildings Top
Amid the welter of depressing news about the Great Recession, the Taliban's successes in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a new rash of bombings in Iraq, there is a single bright spot. Congress has overwhelmingly passed, and the president has signed into law a bill permitting the carrying of loaded and concealed weapons in our national parks. All I can say is it's about time. Several years ago, while my wife and I were driving through Yellowstone National Park, we were frequently delayed - and sometimes felt threatened - by large numbers of bison. Herds of the big, ugly beasts blocked the roads. And I often caught them staring as though they meant to charge our vehicle. Only by gunning the engine could I frighten the creatures away. But now that I can carry a loaded weapon in Yellowstone, I will no longer feel threatened. I can simply gun the beasts down if I sense a threat - or even if they have the chutzpah to slow my passage. And since assault weapons are no longer banned, I can take down several at a time with a few trigger tugs. And maybe knock off a couple of obnoxious tourists while I'm at it. I see the law permitting loaded guns in national parks as just one more step in the lengthy process of our finally reclaiming our Second Amendment rights. The big first step came in June 2008, when the Supreme Court ruled that there is an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. President Obama's decision not to push for another assault weapons ban was another step. And this new law is a third. We gun rights advocates are on a roll! It's clear to me what the next step should be. We should permit--even encourage--the carrying of loaded weapons in all public buildings. They can be concealed, or not (assault rifles and shotguns are, after all, too big to conceal). Democrat elitists will, of course, bitterly complain about this. But pay no attention to their whining. Law enforcement elitists will doubtless join in that whining; the Fraternal Order of Police and a Park Rangers group have already come out against loaded guns in national parks. But let's look at the advantages of permitting citizens to carry loaded weapons in public buildings. Four years ago a defendant on trial for rape in an Atlanta courtroom grabbed a gun from a deputy sheriff and killed the judge and two other people, critically wounded a fourth before escaping. He was later caught. Now imagine if the judge or one or more of the jurors - or anyone else in the courtroom other than the armed deputies - was carrying a weapon. Imagine if, for example, a woman juror happened to be sitting with an assault rifle in her lap. She might have prevented the murders or gunned down the killer then and there. Of course, the juror might have hit more innocent people, especially if she didn't have much practice with a semi-automatic rifle. But - as our military tells us all the time, when it kills innocent Afghans in its air strikes --- sorry, but collateral damage is sometimes unavoidable. In 1998, a man with a .38 pistol killed two policemen at the Capitol in Washington. People panicked because bullets were flying all around. But if Congress members, staffers and tourists were armed, perhaps the killings could have been prevented. And what if more bullets flying around created more victims? Well, sometimes that can't be helped. The Second Amendment sometimes requires human sacrifice. I saw the movie "Milk." Which reminded me that if either San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk or Mayor George Moscone was armed, he might have prevented Dan White from shooting both of them to death at City Hall in 1978. Of course, other people on the scene, like then-Supervisor Dianne Feinstein, might have been hit as well. But so what, today we'd simply have one less liberal Democrat Feminazi senator. And, getting back to national parks, the magazine Politico has pointed out that the White House itself, or at least part of the building and all of the grounds, has been a national park since it was designated one in 1961. The National Park Service calls its 18 acres of gardens and grounds The President's Park, and has a website that says so. Does that mean that White House tourists can bring loaded weapons inside? Well, the measure President Obama just reluctantly signed (as the price of credit card reforms he wanted) makes loaded weapons legal in national parks if "the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state" in which the park is located. Washington, of course, is not a state. But the city has no law that bans guns in national parks within its jurisdiction. So, can I pack heat in the Executive Mansion? A spokesman for the mayor says NO! the legislation "will not apply to the national parks" in Washington. More important, the Secret Service won't hear of it. "We control security at the White House," a spokesman told Politico. "No weapons are permitted." Just a bunch of spoilsports. More on Afghanistan
 

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