FORA.tv - Video Program of the Week
A weekly full-length video podcast from FORA.tv.News , Society & Culture
Video Episodes:
57 Views
17:32:12 06/11/10
Adam Black - The Glorious World Cup: A Fanatic's Guide
[LESS INFO] 57 VIEWS | ADDED 17:32:12 06/11/10
Author and soccer columnist Adam Black explains the ins and outs of the world's most popular sporting event. This program was recorded in collaboration with The Booksmith, in San Francisco, CA, on June 1, 2010.
The global frenzy has already begun for the historic World Cup starting on June 11 in Johannesburg, South Africa. With the frenzy comes the competition, the trash-talk, the strategy, the high hopes, the dedication, and the downright madness that accompanies the once-every-four-years tournament. The Glorious World Cup brings everything World cup, with a solid dose of humor.
For one month, billions of people are glued to TV sets, radios, and sports pages, waiting with bated breath for their teams’ advancement. There are tears of elation and sorrow. Pints are drunk. Knuckles are bruised. Noses are broken. And it's all in the name of a universal love of the biggest game on the planet.
Alan Black and co-writer David Henry Sterry take the piss from past to present: filled with tall tales, stats, photos, hilarity, famous-player profiles, hooligans, maniacs, commentary from famous fans, a look back at the greatest World Cup Finals, and so much more. It's the ultimate fan guide for what’s certain to be the biggest, ballsiest, most epic World Cup yet. Begin the countdown to June 11 with Black, contributor Po Bronson, and us this evening! - The Booksmith
Alan Black, as a kid, wrote his first book on the sidewalk with chalk. It was a bestseller with feet. He writes for various platforms, some low and some high. He is a columnist at www.goal.com, the web's leading soccer site. He's a featured blogger at www.sfgate.com, and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. His most recent book is Kick the Balls: A Bruising Season in the Life of a Suburban Soccer Coach.
69 Views
20:00:43 06/04/10
Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Nomad: From Islam to America
[LESS INFO] 69 VIEWS | ADDED 20:00:43 06/04/10
Activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali discusses her book, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations, in a conversation with author Susanne Pari. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley, on May 18, 2010.
A former member of the Dutch parliament and longtime human rights advocate, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has lived in constant threat for her outspoken beliefs and collaboration with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was murdered by a radical Islamist).
Her journey continues as she discusses starting her new life in America, reconciling with her Islamic past, and learning to adapt to Western values. - Commonwealth Club of California
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an outspoken defender of women's rights in Islamic societies. Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She escaped an arranged marriage by immigrating to the Netherlands in 1992, and served as a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006.
In parliament, she worked on furthering the integration of non-Western immigrants into Dutch society, and on defending the rights of women in Dutch Muslim society. In 2004, together with director Theo van Gogh, she made "Submission," a film about the oppression of women in conservative Islamic cultures.
Susanne Pari's novel, The Fortune Catcher, is a love story and a painless history lesson on the Iran-America situation. It has been translated into six languages. She was an advisor to Edgework Press and the Program Director for their Literary Salons. She has contributed to The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, and Voice of America.
103 Views
20:00:43 06/04/10
Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Nomad: From Islam to America
[LESS INFO] 103 VIEWS | ADDED 20:00:43 06/04/10
Activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali discusses her book, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations, in a conversation with author Susanne Pari. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley, on May 18, 2010.
A former member of the Dutch parliament and longtime human rights advocate, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has lived in constant threat for her outspoken beliefs and collaboration with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was murdered by a radical Islamist).
Her journey continues as she discusses starting her new life in America, reconciling with her Islamic past, and learning to adapt to Western values. - Commonwealth Club of California
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an outspoken defender of women's rights in Islamic societies. Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She escaped an arranged marriage by immigrating to the Netherlands in 1992, and served as a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006.
In parliament, she worked on furthering the integration of non-Western immigrants into Dutch society, and on defending the rights of women in Dutch Muslim society. In 2004, together with director Theo van Gogh, she made "Submission," a film about the oppression of women in conservative Islamic cultures.
Susanne Pari's novel, The Fortune Catcher, is a love story and a painless history lesson on the Iran-America situation. It has been translated into six languages. She was an advisor to Edgework Press and the Program Director for their Literary Salons. She has contributed to The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, and Voice of America.
121 Views
23:52:32 05/28/10
Peter Nowak - Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology
[LESS INFO] 121 VIEWS | ADDED 23:52:32 05/28/10
Technology journalist Peter Nowak talks about his book, Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology As We Know It. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, on March 7, 2010.
What forces are driving the rapid technological developments that continue to shape our world? According to author Peter Nowak it is a very un-holy trinity; the war, porn and fast food industries.
In this talk at Gleebooks, Nowak brands the internet as "military made, porn perfected" and explains his thesis and looking at how these industries drive technological change. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Peter Nowak is a senior science and technology writer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's online news division. He is the author of Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology As We Know It.
A well-known face and voice nationally, Peter Blasina, otherwise known as "The Gadget Guy", frequently appears in mainstream newspaper dailies, key technology magazines, on broadcasting vehicles such as public broadcaster ABC Radio, and TV station Channel Seven and in his own publications.
205 Views
23:52:32 05/28/10
Peter Nowak - Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology
[LESS INFO] 205 VIEWS | ADDED 23:52:32 05/28/10
Technology journalist Peter Nowak talks about his book, Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology As We Know It. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, on March 7, 2010.
What forces are driving the rapid technological developments that continue to shape our world? According to author Peter Nowak it is a very un-holy trinity; the war, porn and fast food industries.
In this talk at Gleebooks, Nowak brands the internet as "military made, porn perfected" and explains his thesis and looking at how these industries drive technological change. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Peter Nowak is a senior science and technology writer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's online news division. He is the author of Sex, Bombs and Burgers: How War, Porn and Fast Food Created Technology As We Know It.
A well-known face and voice nationally, Peter Blasina, otherwise known as "The Gadget Guy", frequently appears in mainstream newspaper dailies, key technology magazines, on broadcasting vehicles such as public broadcaster ABC Radio, and TV station Channel Seven and in his own publications.
84 Views
22:20:32 05/21/10
Stephen Batchelor: Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
[LESS INFO] 84 VIEWS | ADDED 22:20:32 05/21/10
Stephen Batchelor talks about his book, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. This program was recorded in collaboration with Book Passage bookstore, on March 19, 2010.
Stephen Batchelor discusses Confession of a Buddhist Atheist.
According to Batchelor, the outlook of the Buddha was far removed from the religiosity that has come to define much of Buddhism as we know it today. He argues that the Buddha was a man more focused on life in this world than the afterlife.
Stephen Batchelor is an author and Buddhist scholar whose works include Living with the Devil, Meditation for Life, and Buddhism without Beliefs.
129 Views
22:20:32 05/21/10
Stephen Batchelor: Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
[LESS INFO] 129 VIEWS | ADDED 22:20:32 05/21/10
Stephen Batchelor talks about his book, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. This program was recorded in collaboration with Book Passage bookstore, on March 19, 2010.
Stephen Batchelor discusses Confession of a Buddhist Atheist.
According to Batchelor, the outlook of the Buddha was far removed from the religiosity that has come to define much of Buddhism as we know it today. He argues that the Buddha was a man more focused on life in this world than the afterlife.
Stephen Batchelor is an author and Buddhist scholar whose works include Living with the Devil, Meditation for Life, and Buddhism without Beliefs.
103 Views
18:22:53 05/14/10
Debunking 2012 Myths with NASA's David Morrison
[LESS INFO] 103 VIEWS | ADDED 18:22:53 05/14/10
NASA scientist David Morrison delivers a lecture titled, "Doomsday 2012: Nibiru / Planet X, Pole Shifts, Planetary Alignments, and the End of the World." This program was recorded in collaboration with the SkeptiCal Conference, on April 24, 2010.
Dr. David Morrison is the Director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute and Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at the NASA Ames Research Center. He holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard and is internationally known for his research on small bodies in the solar system, including advocacy for developing plans to defend the Earth from impacts by comets and asteroids.
A Fellow of CSI, he has written extensively on such fringe science topics as Velikovsky, cosmic catastrophes, UFOs, the creation science movement, and most recently the climate crisis caused by global warming. For the past two years he has been the primary scientist critic of the widespread fear that the world will end in 2012, and of the doomsday sleaze artists who use the Internet, blogs, and cable TV to frighten people for profit.
Dr. Morrison's discussion largely centers around the hoax of 2012. - SkeptiCal Conference
David Morrison is the senior scientist at the NASA Astrobiology Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., where he participates in a variety of research programs in astrobiology -- the study of the living universe.
Dr. Morrison obtained his doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University. He is the author of more than 155 technical papers and has published a dozen books. He has been a science investigator on NASA's Mariner, Voyager and Galileo space missions. Morrison is recipient of the Dryden Medal for research of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Sagan Medal of the American Astronomical Society for public communication, and the Klumpke-Roberts award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for contributions to science education. He has received two NASA Outstanding Leadership medals and he was awarded the Presidential Meritorious Rank for his work as director of space at NASA Ames. Morrison was a founder of the multidisciplinary field of astrobiology, and he provides on-line answers to questions from the public sent to "Ask an Astrobiologist," found at: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/astrobio/
Morrison is perhaps best known for his leadership since 1991 in defining the hazard of asteroid impacts and seeking ways to mitigate this risk. Asteroid 2410 Morrison is named in his honor.
41 Views
18:25:32 05/07/10
Ayelet Waldman - Bad Mother
[LESS INFO] 41 VIEWS | ADDED 18:25:32 05/07/10
Author and journalist Ayelet Waldman reads from her book, Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace. This program was recorded in collaboration with Books Inc bookstore, on June 16, 2009.
Covering topics as diverse as the hysteria of competitive parenting, the relentless pursuits of the Bad Mother police, balancing the work-family dynamic, and the bane of every mother's existence, Bad Mother illuminates the anxieties that riddle motherhood today, while providing women with the encouragement they need to give themselves a break. - Books Inc
Ayelet Waldman is the author of Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace, a collection of essays. Ayelet is also the author of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Daughter's Keeper and the Mommy-Track Mysteries. Her essays have appeared in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers.
The film version of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits is now in the post-production, with Don Roos as screenwriter and director, and Natalie Portman in the lead role.
54 Views
18:25:32 05/07/10
Ayelet Waldman - Bad Mother
[LESS INFO] 54 VIEWS | ADDED 18:25:32 05/07/10
Author and journalist Ayelet Waldman reads from her book, Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace. This program was recorded in collaboration with Books Inc bookstore, on June 16, 2009.
Covering topics as diverse as the hysteria of competitive parenting, the relentless pursuits of the Bad Mother police, balancing the work-family dynamic, and the bane of every mother's existence, Bad Mother illuminates the anxieties that riddle motherhood today, while providing women with the encouragement they need to give themselves a break. - Books Inc
Ayelet Waldman is the author of Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace, a collection of essays. Ayelet is also the author of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Daughter's Keeper and the Mommy-Track Mysteries. Her essays have appeared in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers.
The film version of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits is now in the post-production, with Don Roos as screenwriter and director, and Natalie Portman in the lead role.
61 Views
20:09:02 04/30/10
David Shenk - The Genius in All of Us
[LESS INFO] 61 VIEWS | ADDED 20:09:02 04/30/10
David Shenk discusses his book, The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club of California, on March 18, 2010.
With irresistibly persuasive vigor, David Shenk, author of The Genius in All of Us, debunks the long-standing notion of genetic "giftedness."
Forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence. In recent years, a mountain of scientific evidence has emerged suggesting a completely new paradigm: not talent scarcity, but latent talent abundance. Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines
78 Views
20:09:02 04/30/10
David Shenk - The Genius in All of Us
[LESS INFO] 78 VIEWS | ADDED 20:09:02 04/30/10
David Shenk discusses his book, The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club of California, on March 18, 2010.
With irresistibly persuasive vigor, David Shenk, author of The Genius in All of Us, debunks the long-standing notion of genetic "giftedness."
Forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence. In recent years, a mountain of scientific evidence has emerged suggesting a completely new paradigm: not talent scarcity, but latent talent abundance. Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines—cognitive science, genetics, biology, child development—Shenk and The Genius in All of Us portrays a highly-optimistic new view of human potential. Genes are not a "blueprint" that doom some and bless others. Instead, genes are dynamic actors in a complex developmental process—dynamics that we can influence. - Commonwealth Club of California
David Shenk is the national bestselling author of five previous books, including The Forgetting, Data Smog and The Immortal Game. He is a correspondent for TheAtlantic.com, and has contributed to National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, Gourmet, Harper's, The New Yorker, NPR, and PBS.
Shenk's new book, The Genius in All of Us was published by Doubleday on March 9, 2010.
Shenk's book The Immortal Game: A History of Chess (Doubleday, 2006), was hailed as "superb," by The Wall Street Journal, "fresh and fascinating" by The Chicago Sun-Times, "engaging" by The Washington Post, and "a thrilling tour" by Entertainment Weekly. Shenk speaks frequently on the history, biology and social urgency of Alzheimer's disease. He has also advised the President's Council on Bioethics on dementia-related issues.
Prior to that, Shenk published two books and dozens of essays on the emotional, social and political ramifications of the information revolution.
74 Views
20:36:26 04/23/10
David Eagleman - Six Easy Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization
[LESS INFO] 74 VIEWS | ADDED 20:36:26 04/23/10
Neuroscientist and fiction writer David Eagleman presents "Six Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization."
Civilizations always think they're immortal, Eagleman says, but they nearly always perish, leaving "nothing but ruins and scattered genetics." It takes luck and new technology to survive. We may be particularly lucky to have Internet technology to help manage the six requirements of a durable civilization:
1. "Try not to cough on one another."
2. "Don't lose things."
3. "Tell each other faster."
4. "Mitigate tyranny."
5. "Get more brains involved in solving problems."
6. "Try not to run out of energy."
But if the Net is so crucial, what happens if the Net goes down? It may have to go down a few times before we learn how to defend it properly, before we catch on that civilization depends on it for survival. - The Long Now Foundation
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and a fiction writer. During the day, he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law at Baylor College of Medicine. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw. His debut work of fiction, Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, became an international bestseller and is published in 22 languages.
Stewart Brand is a co-founder and managing director of Global Business Network, founded and runs the GBN Book Club, and is the president of The Long Now Foundation.
157 Views
20:36:26 04/23/10
David Eagleman - Six Easy Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization
[LESS INFO] 157 VIEWS | ADDED 20:36:26 04/23/10
Neuroscientist and fiction writer David Eagleman presents "Six Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization."
Civilizations always think they're immortal, Eagleman says, but they nearly always perish, leaving "nothing but ruins and scattered genetics." It takes luck and new technology to survive. We may be particularly lucky to have Internet technology to help manage the six requirements of a durable civilization:
1. "Try not to cough on one another."
2. "Don't lose things."
3. "Tell each other faster."
4. "Mitigate tyranny."
5. "Get more brains involved in solving problems."
6. "Try not to run out of energy."
But if the Net is so crucial, what happens if the Net goes down? It may have to go down a few times before we learn how to defend it properly, before we catch on that civilization depends on it for survival. - The Long Now Foundation
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and a fiction writer. During the day, he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law at Baylor College of Medicine. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw. His debut work of fiction, Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, became an international bestseller and is published in 22 languages.
Stewart Brand is a co-founder and managing director of Global Business Network, founded and runs the GBN Book Club, and is the president of The Long Now Foundation.
56 Views
16:47:01 04/16/10
Nancy Pelosi - Affordable Healthcare for America
[LESS INFO] 56 VIEWS | ADDED 16:47:01 04/16/10
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, discusses the recently-passed comprehensive healthcare reform package. This program was recorded in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club of California, on April 6, 2010.
San Francisco's Pelosi is in her second term as speaker of the House of Representatives, having made history in 2007 when she was elected first woman to serve in this capacity.
President Obama has lauded her as "an extraordinary leader for the American people," and following the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, England's Guardian observed that "Pelosi is being heralded as the most powerful woman in American history and the most powerful speaker of the House of Representatives in a century." Come and ask your questions of one of Washington's most powerful insiders. - Commonwealth Club of California
Since 1987, Nancy Pelosi has represented California's Eighth District in the House of Representatives. The Eighth District includes most of the City of San Francisco, including Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and many of the diverse neighborhoods that make San Francisco a vibrant and prosperous community.
Overwhelmingly elected by her colleagues in the fall of 2002 as Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress. Before being elected leader, she served as House Democratic Whip for one year and was responsible for the party's legislative strategy in the House. On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Gloria Duffy is President and CEO of The Commonwealth Club of California. Duffy previously served as US Special Coordinator for Cooperative Threat Reduction and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Clinton Administration. In years prior, she was the first Executive Director of Ploughshares Fund; Assistant Director of the Arms Control Association; editor of Arms Control Today, and a resident consultant at the RAND Corporation.
51 Views
19:32:01 04/09/10
The E-Reader Wars: What's Next for Digital Books?
[LESS INFO] 51 VIEWS | ADDED 19:32:01 04/09/10
The Paley Center for Media hosts a panel discussion titled "Innovation in an Era of Upheaval: The E-Reader Wars." This program was recorded in New York, NY, on March 24, 2010.
Companies across the media industry are racing to get their eReaders in the hands of consumers, which means big change for the publishing industry and the media business overall. Organizations are scrambling to ensure that their readership is not lost as the reading habits of their long-time consumers are redefined by the upheaval caused by the new wave of eReaders.
With Apple's iPad release scheduled for April 3, the Paley Center gathered a group of senior media executives to discuss strategies for how the media industry can most effectively retain consumer loyalty as well as capitalize on one of the most talked about new gadgets of 2010.
Moderator: Josh Quittner, Editor-at-Large, TIME
Panelists: Brooke Gladstone, Host and Managing Editor, On The Media, NPR
Keith McAllister, Online Editor, Reuters
Scott R. Singer, Managing Director and Head of Media and Entertainment, The Bank Street Group, and author, How To Hit A Curveball: Confront and Overcome the Unexpected in Business
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, Chief Marketing Officer, Skiff
03/05/10