Nerdist 774: Quentin Tarantino

December 18, 2015

Quentin Tarantino (director, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) chats with Chris and Matt about going to Comic-Con back in the day, what movies inspired him as a kid, and how he turns everything he reads and sees into a movie in his head. He also talks about his process while directing and writing, things that almost made it into his movies, and what to expect with The Hateful Eight!
 
Source.

Dadawan: The Force Awakens

Welcome to episode five of Dadawan, a podcast covering the Star Wars universe from a GeekDad perspective. It’s here! After months of speculation, we finally have the answers. This week, our full review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens!


Source.

FULL: 3rd Democratic Presidential Debate (ABC news Debate) Sanders, Clinton, O'Malley 12/19/ 2015 HD

Streamed live on Dec 20, 2015

Saturday night, ABC News will host the third Democratic Party debate for the 2016 primary season. Establishment frontrunner Hillary Clinton will be challenged by former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. The event will be held on the campus of St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire, just weeks before the official state primary on February 9.

ABC News’ David Muir and Martha Raddatz will be the moderators for the event, which is cosponsored by the New Hampshire Union Leader.

The event begins on ABC Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET, and viewers can also tune in at ABCNews.com. Additionally, the ABC News app and other mobile platforms will carry the New Hampshire debate as well.

#DemDebate will focus on national security and foreign policy in wake of #ParisAttacks: https://t.co/A2NsjRPnCB pic.twitter.com/UCQhuJizPx


This is the third debate for the Democrats and the timing could not be any more dramatic for the candidates on the left. On Friday, the Sanders campaign formerly sued the Democratic National Committee after they restricted access to important voter data for the Senator’s camp. The move came after a young Sanders staffer was caught breaching a database of Clinton campaign information. While the DNC imposed restrictions on Sanders, the self-described Democratic-Socialist’s campaign alleges that the Committee and its Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz are simply favoring conditions for a Clinton surge.

Find out how to watch the debate live online here, and check back for Mediaite coverage throughout tomorrow night’s events.

Source.

12/15/2015 CNN Republican Presidential Debate for 2016

Published on Dec 15, 2015

with Closed Captioning

GOP Primary Debate for the Nomination

CNN-Facebook

December 15, 2015
Las Vegas, NV

Who will be the nominee to face against the infamous Hillary Clinton?

Source.

IQ2US: The Equal Protection Clause Forbids Racial Preferences in State University Admissions

Thursday, December 3, 2015

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that: "No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Yet many state universities give substantial preferences to certain races in their admissions decisions. In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978), the Supreme Court approved such preferences, but the case was close, and controversial, and the question will be back before the Supreme Court this term. One side may argue that these preferences level the playing field, remedy prior discrimination, and enhance diversity within the classroom, thus redeeming the true promise of equal protection. But the other may say that these preferences – in favor of some races, at the expense of others – are racial discrimination pure and simple, the precise evil that the Equal Protection Clause was intended to forbid.

Source.

IQ2US: Central Banks Can Print Prosperity

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Central banks all around the world have been printing money. This policy, known as quantitative easing in banker jargon, has driven up the price of stocks and bonds. But will it lead to real and sustainable increases in global growth, or is it sowing the seeds of future inflation?


Source.

George R.R. Martin Interview (Game of Thrones) - [43 mins]

Published on Nov 14, 2015

Interview with Game of Thrones author, George R.R. Martin. (2015)

Source.

CBS Democratic Debate FULL VIDEO, 2nd Presidential Debate

Published on Nov 14, 2015

2nd Democratic Presidential Debate: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley Hosted by CBS. Face The Nation host John Dickerson and CBS’ Nancy Cordes are the co-moderators for tonight’s Democratic Presidential Debate on CBS, joined by Kathie Obradovich and Kevin Cooney, which kicks of at 9 p.m. EST.
Rivals at Democratic Debate Attack Hillary Clinton
Second Democratic Debate Highlight: The Best Lines
Candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley began the debate with a moment of silence in the debate hall at Drake University. The Second Democratic Debate Was a Great Night for Republicans
Source.

IQ2US: U.S. Prosecutors Have Too Much Power

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Today, a national debate rages about the functioning of our criminal justice system. Is it fair? Does it serve the ends of justice and public safety? Does it apply equally to all? Prosecutors, endowed with both autonomy and immunity, hold immense power within this system. They control secret grand jury proceedings, who will be prosecuted, and the specifics of charges. Moreover, those charges are often based on complex laws -- and enforced by long mandatory minimum prison sentences -- creating strong incentives for defendants to capitulate to lesser charges, perhaps even to crimes they did not commit. Indeed, more than 90% of both federal and state court cases never go trial, but instead are resolved through plea bargaining. Autonomy and secrecy, complex criminal code and mandatory minimums -- in combination, these factors have given prosecutors enormous leverage, and the opportunity to wield it relentlessly and selectively. The results, critics charge, are the undermining of the right to jury trial, mass incarceration, public skepticism regarding equal justice, and immense pressure on every defendant.

Yet there can be no justice without empowered prosecutors. And is abuse really endemic? Isn't the national crime rate down over the long-term, showing that these powers work? And would changes reducing the leverage of prosecutors in the criminal justice system weaken their critical responsibility to prosecute crimes of great complexity, keep communities and the nation safe, and secure justice? Do prosecutors have too much power?

Source.

IQ2US: College Students Should Be Allowed to Take Smart Drugs

Monday, November 2, 2015

If you could take a pill that would help you study and get better grades, would you? Off-label use of “smart drugs” – pharmaceuticals meant to treat disorders like ADHD, narcolepsy, and Alzheimer’s – are becoming increasingly popular among college students hoping to get ahead, by helping them to stay focused and alert for longer periods of time. But is this cheating? Should their use as cognitive enhancers be approved by the FDA, the medical community, and society at large? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Source.

4th Republican GOP Debate Nov. 10th | FULL

Interview with Rob Dougherty of Star Realms

10/22/15

Bernie got to interview Rob Dougherty.  They talk about Epic Card Game, Star Realms, Magic the Gathering, and the new Star Wars movie.  Enjoy!

Source.

IQ2US: Raise the Federal Gas Tax to Fund Infrastructure

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Highway Trust Fund provides funding for road, bridge, and mass transit projects across the country – and it’s running out of money. Its revenue source, the federal gas tax, at 18.4 cents a gallon, has not been raised in over two decades. Congress has been kicking this can down the road for years. There are many arguments for a leaner fund, among them, the idea that scaling back the program would force government to prioritize projects and eliminate waste. But proponents of the tax say that it still plays a vital role in supporting infrastructure, and that perpetual shortfalls have led to construction delays and uncertainty. Should Congress raise the federal gas tax?

Source.

GOP Debate: Main Event (Full Debate) | CNBC

10/28/2015 GOP Debate

Source.

GBBP 33: ‘Star Wars’ Author Roundtable

The Great Big Beautiful Podcast, Episode 33: Star Wars Author Roundtable
This week is a week of firsts. It’s our first episode with multiple guests at once. It’s our first episode with a returning guest. And it’s our first week with two episodes (stay tuned)!
For this author roundtable episode, we’re joined by Alexandra Bracken, Adam Gidwitz, and Tom Angleberger, who all recently wrote middle grade novel retellings of the original Star Wars trilogy. (GeekDad’s own Jonathan Liu included them in his weekly column here.)
Bracken took on A New Hope with The Princess, The Scoundrel, and The Farm Boy. Gidwitz bravely retold The Empire Strikes Back (in the second person!) with So You Want to be a Jedi? And Tom Angleberger wrote the heck out of Return of the Jedi in Beware the Power of the Dark Side! 
The conversation among them is fantastic, and it’s easy to see why each of them brought such a unique, personal spin to the stories. They’re all remarkably different authors, and we had a blast with this episode.
In the episode, I reference a beautiful article Alex wrote about her late father for StarWars.com. That article is here. I encourage you all to go read it right now. Go on; I’ll wait.
I also call attention to a specific photo of her because it bears a striking resemblance to a photo I have of my daughter. Here you go. What do you think?


Source.

IQ2US: China and the U.S. Are Long-term Enemies

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Is China’s ascendancy a threat to the U.S.? China’s rise as an economic and military power, coupled with its aggression in the South China Sea, have led some to call for a major rebalance of U.S. policy and strategy. Can China be trusted to act as a responsible global stakeholder? And will they be a long-term ally, or adversary?

Source.

Democratic Primary Debate 2015

Published on Oct 13, 2015

Thanks to CNN, for Sharing this Video.
Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee, and Martin O'Malley debate in Las Vegas.

Source.

IQ2US: Courts, Not Campuses, Should Decide Sexual Assault Cases

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

High-profile cases have recently put campus sexual assault in the spotlight. One question that has repeatedly come up: why are these cases being handled by campuses at all? Title IX requires that every school receiving federal aid must take concrete steps to deal with hostile environments and sexual assault. This leaves colleges and universities with the task of figuring out what policies and procedures to enforce. Proponents say that campus investigations serve a real need, forcing schools to respond to violence and protecting the interests of victims in ways that the criminal justice system may fail. Can schools provide due process for defendants and adequate justice for victims, or do these cases belong in the courts?

Source.

Diane Rehm: Using Brain Science To Understand The Terrible Teens

September 10, 2015

If you think your teenagers are moody, impulsive and overly concerned about what others think, you’re right. But don’t blame them. Blame their brains. Over the last several years, neuroscience has revealed a number of striking things about the teenage brain. The part in charge of planning and judgment is not as developed as in adults. And yet, the portion of the brain that experiences pleasure is larger than at any other time of life. Understanding this, experts say, can have a profound effect on how we teach and parent teens, as well as on public policy regarding everything from the driving age to juvenile justice. We look at the science behind the “terrible teens.”

 

Source.

IQ2US: Containment Is Not Enough: ISIS Must Be Defeated

Sunday, August 9, 2015

In June 2014, the Sunni militant group ISIS declared that it had established a new caliphate spanning territory in Syria and Iraq. Since then, the region under its control has expanded, despite airstrikes and the deployment of U.S. military advisors, and Jihadist groups across the Muslim world have pledged their allegiance. What should the Obama administration’s next steps be? Should the U.S. goal be containment, or can ISIS be defeated?

Source.

OCC Kid Town: Special Needs Training, Part 2

Source.  (Password: kidtowntraining)

OCC Kid Town: Special Needs Training, Part 1

Source.  (Password: kidtowntraining)

Dan Gilbert: The surprising science of happiness

Published on Apr 26, 2012

http://www.ted.com Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that we'll be miserable if we don't get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don't go as planned.
Source.

Adam Savage Interviews 'The Martian' Author Andy Weir - The Talking Room

Published on Jun 11, 2015

Adam Savage welcomes author Andy Weir to The Talking Room! Andy wrote 'The Martian', the story of an astronaut stranded on Mars--it's a book we can't recommend enough. Adam and Andy talk about the research that went into writing the book, the portrayal of astronauts in fiction, and the upcoming film adaptation!

Thanks to Andy Weir! Find out more about his books at http://www.andyweirauthor.com/Source.

IQ2US: The Equal Protection Clause Does Not Require States To License Same-Sex Marriages

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides: “No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
And now, the Supreme Court is poised to answer the question of whether this Clause requires States to license marriages between two people of the same sex. The best guess is that the Court will decide the question in late June. Does the Equal Protection Clause require States to license same-sex marriages, or will they decide that marriage should be between a man and a woman?

Source.

IQ2US: Obama's Iran Deal Is Good For America

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

In April 2015, the P5+1, the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, negotiated an interim nuclear accord with Iran. Among the key parameters: Iran’s enrichment capacity, enrichment levels, and stockpile would be limited; its Fordow site converted into a research center; and the Arak heavy water reactor redesigned. In return, the IAEA would gain greater access for inspections, and U.S. and EU sanctions would be lifted. Many in the U.S. fear that a deal as outlined would not go far enough and, instead of being a benefit, would strengthen Iran’s hand in the Middle East. Not to mention the important question of trust. Is this agreement a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to halt nuclear proliferation, or does President Obama have this wrong?

Source.

'Tomorrowland': A City Within Reach? Ft. Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson | Fiction Fast Forward | GE

Published on May 20, 2015

Sally Le Page embarks upon a quest to find Tomorrowland: city of the future. On her journey she meets with experts, including Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson, to discuss how invention and technology shape the world around us. But if invention inspires invention, will technology one day surpass human potential? Her travels take her from Walt Disney’s spirit of optimism to Ray Kurzweil’s Theory of Singularity, as she explores the possibilities in director Brad Bird's vision of the tomorrow.

Disney's Tomorrowland comes to theaters May 22, 2015! Watch the full trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNzuk...

Subscribe to the GE Channel: http://invent.ge/1eGgvZK

GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works.

Connect with GE Online:
Visit GE's Website: http://invent.ge
Find GE on Google +: http://invent.ge/1dPUUN5
Find GE on Tumblr: http://invent.ge/17syCNf
Find GE on Facebook: http://invent.ge/1929rzT
Follow GE on Twitter: http://invent.ge/XJAX15
Follow GE on Pinterest: http://invent.ge/16JjInY
Follow GE on Instagram: http://invent.ge/1a9XZGb
Find GE on LinkedIn: http://invent.ge/1gtUi3e

'Tomorrowland': A City Within Reach? Ft. Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson | Fiction Fast Forward | GE

 
Source.

IQ2US: Smart Technology Is Making Us Dumb

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Smart technology grants us unprecedented, immediate access to knowledge and to each other—a ubiquitous and seamless presence in everyday life. But is there a downside to all of this connectivity? It’s been said that smart technology creates dependency on devices, narrows our world to echo chambers, and impairs cognitive skills through shortcuts and distraction. Are smart tech devices guiding so much of our decision making that we are losing autonomy without even realizing it? Or are these concerns an overstatement of the negative effects of high-tech consumption?

Source.

Radiolab S2E2: Behaves So Strangely

We'll kick off the chase with Diana Deutsch, a professor specializing in the Psychology of Music, who could extract song out even the most monotonous of drones. (Think Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller. Bueller.)

For those of us who have trouble staying in tune when we sing, Deutsch has some exciting news. The problem might not be your ears, but your language. She tells us about tone languages, such as Mandarin and Vietnamese, which rely on pitch to convey the meaning of a word. Turns out speakers of tone languages are exponentially more inclined to have absolute (AKA 'perfect') pitch. And, nope, English isn't one of them.

What is perfect pitch anyway? And who cares? Deutsch, along with Jad and Robert, will duke it out over the merits of perfect pitch. A sign of genius, a nuisance, or an evolutionary superpower? You decide. (We can't).

Source.

IQ2US: Abolish the Death Penalty

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A recent Gallup poll found that Americans are still largely supportive of the death penalty, with 6 in 10 in favor as punishment for murder. Legal in 32 states, it has come under renewed scrutiny in light of several botched executions in 2014. At the heart of the debate are many complicated questions. Within a flawed criminal justice system, is it possible to know every person’s guilt with a sufficient degree of certainty? Does the fear of death reduce crime? Are there race and class biases in sentencing? Are some crimes so heinous in nature that punishment by death is the only appropriate measure, or is capital punishment always immoral? Should we abolish the death penalty?

Source.

Jim Bohannon: Friday, April 17, 2015

America In The Morning with Jim Bohannon
Episode for 4/17/2015.

Source.

IQ2US: The President Has Exceeded His Constitutional Authority by Waging War Without Congressional Authorization

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The President has launched a sustained, long-term military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But did he have constitutional power to do so? The Constitution carefully divides the war powers of the United States between Congress and the President. Article II provides that “The President shall be Commander in Chief.” But Article I provides that “The Congress shall have Power … To Declare War.” In this case, Congress has not declared war; the President ordered the attacks unilaterally. Did he exceed his authority and violate the Constitution?
Source.

Patricia Nan Anderson: Children's Behavior Makes Sense

Children's Behavior Makes Sense
Don't believe me? Listen to this
slightly-longer than 5-minute conversation.

Source. (From email.)

IQ2US: The U.S. Should Adopt the 'Right to Be Forgotten' Online

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

In 2014, the European Union’s Court of Justice determined that individuals have a right to be forgotten, “the right—under certain conditions—to ask search engines to remove links with personal information about them.” It is not absolute, but meant to be balanced against other fundamental rights, like freedom of expression. In a half year following the Court’s decision, Google received over 180,000 removal requests. Of those reviewed and processed, 40.5% were granted. Largely seen as a victory in Europe, in the U.S., the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. Was this ruling a blow to free speech and public information, or a win for privacy and human dignity?

Source.

IQ2US: Liberals Are Stifling Intellectual Diversity On Campus

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

What is college for? For many, it’s a time for personal and intellectual growth, to meet new people, and to explore ideas and philosophies that challenge their beliefs. Or is it? Recent cancellations of conservative speakers, rescinded honorary degrees, and scrutiny of certain campus groups have heightened perceptions that there is pervasive liberal intolerance on campuses. Are liberals shutting down speech and debate on campus? Or is this theory a myth, based on the preponderance of liberals at universities rather than intentionally discriminatory actions?

Source.

IQ2US: Declinists Be Damned: Bet on America

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

America owes $6 trillion to China, our sprawling military complex often appears helpless against disparate threats abroad, and the War on Terror has stripped us of the moral high ground. Washington is paralyzed by bitter partisanship, our children are falling behind their international peers, and our middle class is no longer the world’s most affluent. But we’ve been warned about America’s decline before. Remember Sputnik? Yes, times are tough, but America is recovering from the Great Recession faster than almost any other advanced country, an energy boom could add billions to the GDP, we’re still a leader in technological innovation, and our military strength and geopolitical advantages remain unrivaled. Are our best days behind us, or should the world still bet on America?

Source.

IQ2US: Amazon Is The Reader's Friend

Thursday, January 15, 2015

In late 2014, Amazon and the publishing house Hachette settled a months-long dispute over who should set the price for e-books. In Amazon’s view, lower prices mean more sales and more readers, and that benefits everyone. But for publishers, the price of an e-book must reflect the investment made, from the author’s advance to a book’s production. The conflict, resolved for now, has only raised more questions about the value of books, Amazon’s business practices, and the role of publishers. Is book publishing an oligopoly, a dinosaur in need of disruption? Is Amazon, which accounts for 41% of all new book and 67% of all e-book sales, a monopoly? Who is doing right by readers and the future of books?

Source.