Your Call 121907 On the Record: Senator Fred Thompson

What does former Senator Fred Thompson's voting record tell us about what kind of president he would be? On the next Your Call, we complete our On The Record series, where we move past the stump speech and campaign promises and instead focus on candidates’ voting records and campaign contributions. This week we examine the record of former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. He has a 100 percent rating from anti-choice groups and the NRA. What do you want to know about Fred Thompson? It’s Your Call, with me, Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Clint Brewer in Nashville.
Executive editor of the Nashville City Paper and president of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Stephen Dinan in Washington DC
National political reporter with the Washington Times.

Click to Listen: On the Record: Senator Fred Thompson

Your Call 121807 How are high school seniors preparing for college?

How are high school seniors preparing for college? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation with high school students about the quality of their education and how it has or hasn’t prepared them for college. We’re constantly hearing about the poor state of California’s education system and low test scores. Rather than talk about reports and studies, we’re going straight to the students to find out what they think about policies like No Child Left Behind and exit exams. What are some of the other issues they’re facing and what can we do to support them? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guest:
Kamal Ghammache-Mansour, senior at Albany High School

Click to Listen: How are high school seniors preparing for college?

Your Call 121707 Go Dance Somewhere Else - The Health Of Nightlife In San Francisco

What do expect from Bay Area nightlife? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the Bay Area’s always changing nightlife culture. The construction boom and gentrification have transformed nightlife in San Francisco but there also plans to revitalize the old neighborhoods like the Fillmore and bring the old San Francisco back to life with new clubs like Yoshi’s. So what do you expect from the city’s nightlife? It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Harrison Chastang is news director at KPOO 89.5 F.M.

Marke Bieschke is the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Cultural editor.

Click to Listen: Go Dance Somewhere Else--The Health Of Nightlife In San Francisco

Your Call 121407 Friday Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call it’s our Friday Media Roundtable where we look at how the news of the week was covered. Did you get all the information you needed about your world? This week we’ll speak with Mother Jones’ new Washington Bureau Chief, David Corn about the torture tapes, debates and the final days of the Iowa campaign. We’ll also speak with Matthew Bajko of the Bay Area Reporter about covering the Bay Area’s growing and diversifying queer community. We’ll also get an update on the Vallejo mayor’s race. What was your story of the week?

Guests:
Matthew Bajko in San Francisco
Staff writer and editor at the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco's oldest and largest local newspaper serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities;

Alexander Cockburn
Together with Jeffrey St. Clair, edits the political newsletter CounterPunch. He also writes the "Beat the Devil" column for The Nation and a weekly syndicated column for the Los Angeles Times;

David Corn, in Washington DC
Mother Jones Washington Bureau Chief, formerly of the Nation.

Click to Listen: Friday Media Roundtable

Your Call 121307 How Can You Talk About Religion At Work?

How you talk about religion in the workplace without offending or pandering? On the next Your Call we break the taboo and talk religion and the workplace. For some Christians, tolerance policies can forbid all discussions about charity or spirituality and replace them with a least common denominator consumerism. For non-christians, how many references can they hear about a happy Kwanzaa or Hanukkah before it begins to feel like pandering not tolerance? Is it possible to have a workplace that allows entire people to show up around the holidays? It’s Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Michelle Goldberg, author of Kingdom Coming: the Rise of Christian Nationalism. Ms Goldberg joins us from San Francisco.
 
Doug Hicks, associate professor of leadership and religion at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. Doug is author of the 2003 book Religion and the Workplace: Pluralism, Spirituality, Leadership and a new book that will come out next year called With God on All Sides: Leadership in a Diverse and Devout America. He joins us from Richmond.

Douglas Rushkoff, NYU professor of communications and author of Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism  and most recently Get Back in the Box: How Being Great at What You Do Is Great for Business.

Click to Listen: How Can You Talk About Religion At Work?

Your Call 121207 Lewis Lapham: Learning from the Past

How can we integrate history into reporting and popular culture? On the next Your Call, we welcome Lewis Lapham, former editor of Harper's Magazine. He’s now the founder and editor of Lapham’s Quarterly. The magazine’s motto is: finding the present in the past, the past in the present. In his essays and reporting, Lapham has long included examples from the past to illuminate the day's events. What historical examples do you think we should be paying attention to today? It's Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Lewis Lapham, Former editor of Harper's and founder of Lapham’s Quarterly

Click to Listen: Lewis Lapham: Learning from the Past

Your Call 121107 On the Record: John Edwards

What do we need to know about the Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards? On the next Your Call, we continue our On the Record series about presidential candidates’ voting records and campaign contributions. Up next: John Edwards, former Democratic Senator from North Carolina. He has taken a populist position on the campaign trail, often talking about “two Americas” and corporate corruption. He also often slams NAFTA and outsourcing. Does his voting record match his rhetoric and promises? It’s Your Call, with me, Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
James Ridgeway, Mother Jones' senior correspondent in Washington D.C.

Bob Geary, staff writer with Independent Weekly in Durham, N.C.

Click to Listen: On the Record: John Edwards

Your Call 121007 Buy Less, Give More

What would it take to convince people to shop less in a country that bases its economic success on consumer spending? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a discussion about the culture of consumption in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Americans are expected to spend $475 billion this year – four percent more than last year. What explains America’s appetite for shopping? What would it take to shop less and give more? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Judith Levine, journalist and author of Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping

Andrew Szasz, chair of Dept. of Sociology at UC Santa Cruz and author of Shopping Our Way to Safety: How We Changed from Protecting the Environment to Protecting Ourselves

John Perry, co-founder of Compact, a group whose members try not to buy anything new except food, medicine and underwear.

Click to Listen: Buy Less, Give More

Your Call 120707 Friday Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call it's our Friday Media Roundtable. This week President Bush’s dire warnings about an Iranian nuclear holocaust were knee-capped by his own intelligence agencies. While American media outlets quoted the president’s rationalizations, who did middle east reporters go to. We’ll speak with NPR reporter Deb Amos in Syria. We’ll also talk with the Boston Globe’s Anna Badkhen about the Russian elections and religion in political reporting with an editor of Beliefnet. What was your story of the week? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Deb Amos, covers Iraq for NPR News

Anna Badkhen, Staff writer for the Boston Globe. Before joining the Globe she was a freelance foreign correspondent with a particular focus on Russia.

Joel Schalit, Independent writer and former editor of both Punk Planet and Tikkun. Joel is finishing up a book about Israel and Palestine called Israel vs. Utopia.

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 120607 Blacks, race and class: Are attitudes of blacks towards blacks changing?

Is class difference dividing African Americans? On the next Your Call we discuss a controversial new poll from Pew and NPR that suggests class trumps race in determining social values. Critics say the poll really measures a decades long effort by conservatives to say racism is dead in America. As more African Americans enter the middle class, is the meaning of blackness changing for the worse or is diversity a sign of the health of black identity in America? It's Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research for the Pew Research Center

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, author and commentator on contemporary American political culture. He is the author of the recently released Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African Americans and Hispanics 

Sherrilyn Ifill, Professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and a commentator on the group blog, BlackProf.com. 

Click to Listen: Blacks, race and class: Are attitudes of blacks towards blacks changing?

Your Call 120507 On the Record: Senator John McCain

What does Arizona Senator John McCain’s voting record tell us about what kind of a president he would be? On the next Your Call, we continue our On the Record series where we look past their stump speeches and hold their votes up to the light. Up Next: Republican Senator, John McCain. He has a reputation as a straight talking maverick. We’ll look at how independent the senator has been in his 25 years on Capitol Hill, on immigration or campaign finance reform, on the war in Iraq and a possible war with Iran. When does McCain vote with his party, and when does he go his own way? It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Matt Stearns, McClatchy newspapers' Washington Bureau reporter

Dan Nowicki, the Arizona Republic's "McCain Central" blog writer and reporter

Click to Listen: On the Record: Senator John McCain

Your Call 120407 What happened to universal health care in California?

Whatever happened to universal health care in California? On the next Your Call we discuss the reform legislation long stalled in Sacramento. At the beginning of the year Speaker Fabian Nuñez and Governor Schwarzenegger were touting competing plans that would have insured every Californian. Insurance companies, consumer groups, even business groups were supporting a solution to the state's rising health care crisis. Why did reform stall and who is fighting to get it moving again? It's Your Call with guest host Ben Temchine and you.

Guests:
Anthony Wright, Executive Director for Health Access California

Donna Gerber, the Director of Government Relations for the California Nurses Association

Anmol S. Mahal, MD, the past president of California Medical Association

Click to Listen: Whatever happened to universal health care in California?

Your Call 113007 Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call it's our Friday Media Roundtable. While all eyes were on Annapolis, what else happened in the world you should know about? Tensions continued to mount on the Turkey-Iraq border. We'll speak with Aliza Marcus there. The economy staggered along and we'll talk with Peter Waldman about the health of economics coverage. We'll also speak with Telemundo political analyst Carlos Rajo about news south of the border. It's Your Call, with me, Sandip Roy, and you.

Guests:
Peter Waldman in San Francisco
Senior writer at Condé Nast Portfolio, a monthly business magazine that launched in May 2007. Waldman joined Condé Nast Portfolio from the Wall Street Journal, where he had worked as a writer and editor for 21 years.  

Aliza Marcus in Washington DC
A journalist based in Washington DC. She reported from Turkey on the Kurdish rebel war and regional conflicts, first as a freelance reporter for the Christian Science Monitor and later as a staff writer for Reuters. Her book Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence is just out.

Carlos Rajo in Los Angeles
Political analyst for Channel 22 & 52, the local affiliates for Telemundo in Los Angeles, from the Middle East to futbol in Buenos Aires. He is an occasional contributor to El Pais in Spain.

Click to Listen: Friday Media Roundtable

Your Call 112907 What makes a good protest song?

What makes a good protest song? On the next Your Call we’re joined by Jeff Chang, Hip Hop Historian. Chang has just returned from a trip to Indonesia where he collected raps in Bahasa. Four years into the war in Iraq, where is the music giving voice and song to the outrage? It’s Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Jeff Chang in San Francisco
Hip Hop historian and chronicler, author of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, the critically acclaimed history of the Hip Hop movement.
 
Dave Marsh in New York City
Dave Marsh cofounded Creem magazine in Detroit, edited two editions of the Rolling Stone Record Guide and also edited the newsletter Rock and Roll Confidential, which morphed into Rock and Rap Confidential. He is the author of more than two dozen music books, including three books on Bruce Springsteen, for whom he is the semiofficial biographer. His latest book is called The Beatles' Second Album.

Click to Listen: What makes a good protest song?

Your Call 112807 What Would Give the Palestinians Leverage?

What would give Palestinians leverage in peace talks? On the next Your Call we talk about what components are needed for a peace process to feel optimistic about. Right now Palestinians face a nuclear power from behind blockaded borders, split between two parties engaged in low grade civil war. Mahmoud Abbas is there as president of Palestine, but who does he represent? Is American support necessary for Palestinian success, or could another coalition be cobbled together? What would a peace process you had faith in need? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi
Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and former Minister of Communication for the Palestinian Authority. 
 
Amjad Shawa,
Palestinian NGO Network coordinator for Gaza
 
Lamia Matta
Middle East International Advocacy Director at the International Crisis Group.

Click to Listen: What Would Give the Palestinians Leverage?

Your Call 112707 The Falling Dollar

What explains the rapidly falling value of the U.S. dollar? On the next Your Call, we'll speak with economists about how the dollar's groundbreaking lows are affecting the U.S. economy. Earlier this month, the dollar dropped to a 26-year low against the British pound. And this past week, it hit a record low against the euro. How does its decreased value affect the U.S. in terms of trade and wages? The dollar is still at the center of financial markets around the world, so how are countries like China responding? It's Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Ronald I. McKinnon
Professor of International Economics, Stanford University
 
James K. Galbraith
Chair in Government/Business Relations at the School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, and chair of Economists for Peace and Security.
 
Click to Listen: The Falling Dollar

Your Call 112607 Not My Day Job--Positive change happening in our backyards

Who is working to improve your neighborhood? On Your Call, we’re kicking off a series sharing some local positive stories coming out of our communities. We hear about the doom and gloom in the world today but we know that’s not the whole story. We want to take the opportunity to recognize the work being done by everyday people right here. After a long day of work, they are spending their energy giving back. What are they up to and what lessons have they learned? It’s Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Francisco Da Costa, Longtime Bayview Activist and Writer
Paul Larudee, Ph.D., Human Rights Activist for peace and justice in Palestine
Gillian Gillett, The San Jose/Guerrero Coalition

Click to Listen: Not My Day Job

Previous Shows: A conversation with Indian activist Vandana Shiva AUDIO NOT POSTED [11.23.07]

Native California [11.22.07]

Your Call 112107 On the Record: Representative Dennis Kucinich

What does Congressman Dennis Kucinich's long voting record tell us about what kind of president he would make? On the next Your Call, we continue our On the Record series where we move beyond the stump speeches and rhetoric and instead focus on candidates’ voting records. What does Congressman Kucinich go to bat for? Who funds his campaigns and why do Cleveland voters keep sending him back to Capitol Hill? What do you want to know about Dennis Kucinich? It’s Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar, and you.
 
Guests:
John Nichols in Madison, Wisconsin
Washington Correspondent for the Nation magazine.

Sabrina Eaton in Silver Spring, MD
Washington Correspondent for the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Click to Listen: On the Record--Representative Dennis Kucinich

Your Call 112007 A Debate about Peak Oil

How worried should we be about "Peak Oil"? On Your Call, we’ll talk about the looming oil crisis with Vijay Vaitheeswaran, author of Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future. We’ll also be joined by Michael Klare, author of Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum. How will "Peak Oil" affect our society? Some say it’s happening now. How should we prepare? It’s Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar and you.       

Guests:
Michael Klare, professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College, and author of Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum.

Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Global Correspondent for The Economist. He is also the author of Power to the People: How the Coming Engery Revolution in the Engergy Revolution Will Change Industry, Change our Lives and Maybe Even Save the Planet.  He also co-authored Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future.

Click to Listen: A Debate about Peak Oil

Your Call 111907 Cross Cultural Care-giving

How do people from different cultures care for aging loved ones? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a discussion about culturally sensitive care giving. The elderly population is growing every year and it is becoming increasingly diverse. What is being done to insure culturally sensitive care? Has awareness changed from generation to generation? Are you receiving support from a caregiver from a different cultural background? Join us on the next Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Rita Hargrave, M.D., is a Fellow of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with Special Qualifications in Geriatric Psychiatry. She is on the staff of the V.A. Hospital in Martinez, Calif., and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California at Davis and keeper of the ethnic elders care network.

Carmen R. Green, MD Director, Pain Research Division, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology University of Michigan Medical School

Wesley Mukoyama, Executive Director of Yu-Ai Kai
Yu-Ai Kai, a Japanese American Community Senior Service, located in Japantown San Jose, committed to serving seniors with an array of activities and programs.

Click to Listen: Cross Cultural Care-giving