tagged w/ Mariana van Zeller
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Join us tonight at 10pm for a special preview of the upcoming Vanguard season. Correspondent Adam Yamaguchi takes us through some of the best from the archive and all the great stories we have to look forward to in the weeks ahead.
Don't forget to mark your calendars: Vanguard premieres next Wednesday at 10pm with "The OxyContin Express", correspondent Mariana van Zeller's powerful look into prescription drug abuse.
Channel guide:
In the U.S.
DIRECTV 358
Comcast Nationwide 107
Dish Network 196
Time Warner: NY 103
Time Warner: LA 142
Time Warner: Other Cities: check local listings
AT&T U-verse Nationwide 189
Verizon FIOS 130
In the U.K.
Sky 183
Virgin Media 155
In Italy
Sky Italia 130Join us tonight at 10pm for a special preview of the upcoming Vanguard season. ... more
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Laura Ling opened Vanguard's live event in Italy with a great statement on Vanguard's mission. Vanguard launches its new season on Oct. 14 at 10pm (9 central).
Laura Ling opened Vanguard's live event in Italy with a great statement on... more
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Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller went to Dr. Phil today to tape an upcoming show about prescription drug abuse. The show will feature "The OxyContin Express", Vanguard's powerful one hour doc on the issue which launches the new season on Oct. 14. Dr. Phil's show will air earlier the same day.
Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller went to Dr. Phil today to tape an upcoming... more
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The Vanguard page on current.com got a brand new make over and it's just in time for our new season, which launches Oct. 14.
A couple of things to point out :
You'll find a place to subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog so you can keep on top of all Vanguard news and events. (It's located just under the very Hollywood photo of our correspondents. Yes, that's how they look after we shower'em up when they return from the field). In the main player is the Vanguard season promo and below that in the "featured videos" section are a few sneak peaks at our upcoming episodes.
We're really excited for the new season and have been working hard to meet our deadlines, just ask our editor Yasu, who we're just barely keeping conscious with a steady feed of coffee and red bull.
Below is the line up. All premieres are 10pm (9 central) on Current TV. See you then!
The Oxycontin Express : 10/14/09
Mariana van Zeller travels to South Florida, the "Colombia of prescription drugs".
Cuba: Waiting for a Revolution : 10/21/09
Adrian Baschuk searches for seeds of a homegrown revolution in Cuba.
Forest of Ecstasy : 10/28/09
Adam Yamaguchi investigates how demand for the party drug is destroying Cambodian forests.
Notes from a War on Terror : 11/04/09
Mariana van Zeller examines how Sri Lanka put an end to its 25-year conflict.
Porn 2.0 : 11/11/09
Christof Putzel looks at how technology is reshaping the Porn industry.
Prison Contraband : 11/16/09
Janet Choi investigates the black market trade behind bars.
Remote Control War : 12/02/09
Kaj Larsen explores the future of battle.
European Coke Trail : 12/09/09
Christof Putzel steps into a turf war for control of the Old Continent's drug trade.The Vanguard page on current.com got a brand new make over and it's just in time... more
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President Obama made his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa this week. In his speech in Ghana, he called for a renewed relationship between the US and the continent. But he also sprinkled in a little tough love (fast becoming a trademark of the new president's overseas appearances). While accepting some blame on behalf of the West for some of Africa's problems, Obama also held up the mirror, calling on Africans to rid themselves of the corruption, conflict, dependence on oil and other commodities, etc that have stood in the way of meaningful growth. Here's a few Vanguard pieces that cover some of the issues that Obama addressed in his speech:
Oil and Corruption
HIV
Conflict
And for good measure, we'll throw in a little China...
President Obama made his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa this week. In his... more
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Hello! And welcome to our shiny new blog.
We decided to kick this thing off while we're in the thick of it, which is a good thing because there's nothing worse than having nothing to blog about. From now on, this is where you'll be able to keep track of all things Vanguard, like what we have hitting the airwaves and internets, what we have in production, where we are in the world, what the hell we're doing there, etc. We really don't have to tell you what a blog is for, so let's get straight to it.
Last Wednesday, we launched "Vanguard's Economic Stimulus Package". It's our take on the sad (and no so sad) state of our economy. We started it off with "Lost Vegas", Laura Ling's tour of the wreckage of Sin City, which did really well when times were good, but is getting clobbered now that the economy has hit the skids. Tonight we're premiering Adam Yamaguchi's "Outsourcing Unemployment", a look at what happens when instead of jobs the US starts outsourcing unemployment to China. And because good things come in threes, the last of our economy trilogy will premiere next week with "Thank You Recession", where Vanguard travels 5,000 miles from Wall Street to Argentina looking for inspiration in these troubled times.
Adam Yamaguchi's "Outsourcing Unemployment" on Current.com
While our awesome editors have been chugging red bulls and coffee (yes, sometimes mixed together) to meet deadlines, our producers and correspondents are deep into production for our next run. (Like all good blockbusters, we're scheduled for Summer '09).
Here's a quick look at what we got cooking up:
Mariana van Zeller and Darren Foster just returned from Sri Lanka, where they were reporting on what may be the most brutal chapter in the island nation's 25-year conflict.
Adam Yamaguchi and Joanne Shen are off to the rainforests of Cambodia this week and will hopefully be checking in here from time to time.
Christof Putzel will be heading to Europe, where btw Vanguard is HUGE. (We're like the Baywatch of documentary programs). Christof will be on the European Coke Trail.
Kaj Larsen and Lauren Cerre are looking into next generation warfare, which is as fascinating as it is scary.
There's much, much more and to keep track of it all, you can check in here. Or become a fan of us on facebook. Or both.
Thanks! The Vanguard Team, over and out...Hello! And welcome to our shiny new blog.
We decided to kick this thing off while... more
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[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="marijuana joint by Torben Bjørn Hansen on flickr"][/caption]
While the New Jersey legislature deliberates plans to legalize medical marijuana, and become the 14th state in the nation to do so, larger debates continue to looms. In one corner, defenders of legalization point to people like convicted MS-sufferer John Wilson, jailed for first degree maintaining or operating a drug production facility. His motivation for growing 17 pot plants in his backyard stemmed largely from his inability to afford the monthly cost of $2000 for prescription pain relief.
On the other side of the spectrum, medical and ethical questions have been raised. Does marijuana use cause cancer? What message does this send to children? Sure, it's a difficult debate to navigate, and in order to get anywhere in these murky waters, one must ask some other complex questions. Where does marijuana fall on the spectrum of recreational drug use? Is it any more egregious in comparison to alcohol or cigarette smoking? The desire to ease pain and suffering is an understandable argument, but it's also tough to justify in context of legalized substance use. And abuse.
Consider other legalized prescription drugs that have been co-opted for recreational use, and in turn resulted in an epidemic. I'm thinking, of course, of the overabundance of legal oxycontin and pain pill mills in South Florida which result in trafficking to areas like the Appalachian Mountains.
Our own Mariana Van Zeller filed a report on South Florida based oxycontin pill mills last October for Vanguard. One of the subjects in Mariana's report was Todd, an oxycontin addict whose family had been impacted by oxy abuse several times. Shortly after filming, Todd decided to quit abusing prescription drugs altogether. Through therapy and hard work, Todd has managed to stay oxy free. However, Todd still thinks about using, and frequently smokes marijuana.
Visit Vanguard on Current to watch the full episode of The OxyContin Express
Which brings us back to the legalization debate, and the values of marijuana for prescription use.
Certainly, nobody wants to see a replication of the pill mills in South Florida, but would the same situation develop with marijuana legalization? Amanda Reiman PhD from UC Berkeley has a supportive perspective regarding marijuana use based on findings that 65% of the people at the Berkeley Patient's Group use marijuana because it has less adverse side effects than alcohol, illicit or prescription pills.
“Substituting cannabis for alcohol has been described as a radical alcohol treatment protocol,” said Reiman. “This approach could be used to address heavy alcohol use. People might substitute cannabis, a potentially safer drug than alcohol with less negative side effects, if it were socially acceptable and available.”
We'll wait and see if New Jersey manages to push the medical marijuana legalization initiative through, until then John Wilson remains in prison awaiting trial, still suffering from the pains associated with MS. Sen. Lesniak has stated that he is going to urge Governor Jon Corzine to pardon Wilson before his trial begins.[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"... more
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Yay! October 14th is finally here, and tonight we'll unleash season 3 of our documentary series Vanguard, followed by the first of our six part music special, Embedded.
Here is everything you need to know about our Current TV premiere night:
Tell Your Friends!
Tonight is as good as any to gather a group together and turn the dial to Current.
Get Directions
Make sure you know where to find Current TV on your cable/satellite service. Here's a list of channel numbers where you can find us: DIRECTV 358 | COMCAST 107 | DISH NETWORK 196 | TIME WARNER (check local listings).
Have A Backup Plan
What? You can't make it? Well, alright. There are plenty of ways to watch. Here are a few: Set your DVR! No DVR? Join the Vanguard and the Embedded groups on Current.com and the full episodes will be available shortly. You can even login using Facebook!
Be Prepared
Pop some popcorn, but also have some tissues on standby. Seriously, tonight will be a rollercoaster ride. I expected tears (and was correct in doing so) while watching Mariana Van Zeller's "The OxyContin Express" during our Current SF screening party, but I was also surprised by the humor, too. Conversely, I anticipated laughs during Embedded with Mos Def, but was taken aback by the layers behind the mask. With both of these shows, you never know where you're going to go -- emotionally and philosophically.
After Vanguard and Embedded Air
Share!
Did you like the episodes? If so, you're definitely on the inside track, so why not show off a little? We have plenty of options to help spread the word, here are a couple: Share Vanguard (requires login) and Embedded (requires login) on Current.com. You can also find our shows on iTunes, and tell a friend from there.
Interview Mariana Van Zeller
Did "The OxyContin Express" leave you with a few biting questions? Or, do you have a general interest in the nuts and bolts of our Vanguard journalism team? Well, you're in luck! We're planning an interview with Mariana right here on the Current.com blog, and we want YOU to provide the questions! Get all the details here.
Embed Embedded
We need your help getting the word out about our new Current Music Special, Embedded. Each week, we will release a clip from the upcoming show. If you choose to help out, you will get first look at this exclusive clip, and a chance to score some limited edition Embedded swag! All you have to do is embed the unique embed code for the exclusive clip (found here -- requires login via Current or Facebook) on your blog, MySpace, Tumblr, or other site that allows embeddable video content. (NOTE: Posting to your Facebook stream will not work, as your unique embed code will not be used in the Facebook news stream). You can get the full scoop here. Help us please? Thanks in advance!
More importantly, thanks for tuning in tonight, and let us know what you think (Leave a comment, or shoot us a tweet with the hashtags #Embedded and #Vanguard!Yay! October 14th is finally here, and tonight we'll unleash season 3 of our... more
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6:05pm -- Current SF reactions:
5:12pm -- Snagged some video of staff reactions to the episode. I'll post shortly.
4:58pm -- Episode credits. Lights are back up. I'm going to ask people what they thought.
4:57pm -- This just rocked me.
"That's what moms do."
4:55pm -- Todd and Drew's mom is amazing. She's checking up on Todd, I don't know what we're going to find.
4:53pm -- Most pain clinics refused to speak to @MarianaVZ.
4:52pm -- The Sheriff has a great point about taking the Hippocratic Oath. Sickening.
4:51pm -- BUSTED in 30 minutes. Out of 150 pills, only 52 left in the bottle.
"This is not my lifestyle."
4:48pm -- @MarianaVZ is following a unit supporting an undercover detective attempting to get people to offer pills to him for sale.
4:45pm -- Some of these "pill billies" are mothers. Now @MarianaVZ is talking to their families.
4:43pm -- Now we're in county lockup, talking to so-called "pill billies."
4:40pm -- See? More humor! This time from a "worn down old Sheriff." You guys will love this guy.
4:39pm -- Don't be fooled, this isn't just about the addicts -- "Hillbilly Heroin" is a business.
4:37pm -- The Vanguard team does such a great job of balancing the seriousness of this subject with the characters involved. It's equal parts tension and character study.
4:35pm -- I just learned what the titular "Oxy Express" is. I thought it was just a title...don't worry, I won't spoil it.
4:33pm -- Florida has basically become a pain pill distribution hub for the US.
4:31pm -- Now @MarianaVZ is entering a pain clinic with a pen camera on. She never ceases to amaze even her co-workers, everyone in the room is on the edge of their seats.
4:30pm -- And here's the question, are these places in business solely to cater to pill addicts? Oh wait, @MarianaVZ just asked that in VO.
4:28pm -- Pain clinic closed down. Guy sitting outside is handing out maps to the new location. At the new location @MarianaVZ and @fineyoungman filmed for a few minutes when a black SUV chased them away. The SUV followed them for 25 minutes.
4:25pm -- @MarianaVZ is watching someone get high off of oxycontin...he's explaining the high. Chilling.
4:24pm -- Todd is walking Mariana through doctor shopping techniques. This is insane.
4:21pm -- I'll never be able to look at those pain management advertisements in the back of weeklies the same again.
4:20pm -- The benefit of company viewing parties? No commercials.
4:18pm -- Todd again:
"My wife died right there, November 22nd, 12:59am."
This kills me.
4:15pm -- Mariana van Zeller is talking to the Parkinson family. It's amazing how many pills their son Drew was able to get via a prescription. Drew's younger brother Todd says:
"You think it would make me want to stop, but it made me want to get more addicted to keep from dealing with the pain."
4:13pm -- We were greeted with a Current branded compass and a viewing party invite on our desks this morning. here's a picture.
4:10pm -- A few announcements out of the way, and Vanguard is on the screen. Paul Levine is loving the chips and salsa.6:05pm -- Current SF reactions:
5:12pm -- Snagged some video of staff... more
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It's an exciting time around these parts. For those of you who regularly read our posts, there are two things that may hold true:
You're well acquainted with my weekly Around the Blogs posts where I recap some of the posts on our other Current blogs: News, Movies, Music, Green, Tech, and Comedy.
You're growing tired of the rather bland layout of our blogs. Admittedly, these were a patchwork effort when they launched, but now that we're picking up a little steam...
Join me, for a very special "BEHOLD! A STYLISH NEW BLOG LAYOUT!" edition of Around the Blogs. Here's a round-up of recent posts from our blogs, but do yourself a favor and check out the new layout for each blog. Let us know what you think!
// Vanguard Blog //
Speaking of Vanguard...the team put together a Season III Preview which aired on Current TV last night. Did you miss it? Don't worry! According to our new TV Schedule, the Vanguard Season III Preview will be re-airing on Saturday October 10th 4:30/7:30c.
On October 1st, the Vanguard crew did a special presentation for Current Italy. Here are some highlights:
Laura Ling opened the live show with some thoughts about Vanguard's mission.
Mariana van Zeller flexed one of her five spoken languages, acting as host and translator for the rest of the team during the show. What CAN'T she do?
// Current Music Blog //
Have you embedded Embedded yet? Don't look at me like that. Seriously, if you have a website, blog, MySpace account, or any other home on the Internet that takes video embeds, now is your time. Current Music is looking for help raising awareness for their upcoming special, Embedded.
This is where you come in, I'll let Shana's words do the talking:
Embed Embedded is a viral game in which users get a unique embed code for a sneak peek video from our new six part music special. The user who generates the highest number of video views during a one-week period gets a limited edition poster for the show designed by legendary music artist Justin Hampton. Each week we’ll put up a new video and you have a new chance to be our mastermind of viral videos.
When you log in (hey, we have Facebook Connect login BTW) and visit Embed Embedded on Current each week, you'll find a different video clip to embed. The code to the video on the Embed Embedded page is unique to you. The user with the most views on their video will become the top embed user for the week, and will be showered with praise in the Current Music blog. So what are you waiting for? Start embedding your unique embed code, help us spread the word, and get the opportunity to score some exclusive Embedded swag.
I'll even help you out. My bet for video views would be to embed your unique embed code on your blog, then submit the link to your blog post to Digg, Reddit, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Yahoo! Buzz, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
Well, what are you waiting for?
// Current News //
Lightening round for the News blog:
Love in Gaza: A Palestinian couple marries against all odds
"Der Spiegel has a great story of a Palestinian couple, he in Gaza and she in the West Bank, who came together despite the blockade and travel restrictions. How? The bride crawled through a smugglers’ tunnel out of Egypt."
Read the rest of the story here
Did the US capture an Iranian nuclear scientist? - Reasons to think they did
"Crazy accusations from a regime known for its bending of the truth? Perhaps. But Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker wrote a controversial article last year disclosing the Bush Administrations secret plans to go to war with Iran, and also pointing out a rise in clandestine activities by the US in the Islamic Republic. Additionally, at a talk in Minnesota in March, Hersh went into a little more detail. While he made headlines with a claim that the Bush Administration had “an executive assassination ring”, he also described secret US efforts to capture an Iranian nuclear scientist inside of Iran and use that person to make the case that Iran was secretly building a bomb. So perhaps not such a crazy claim."
Read more here.
Fighting IEDs with advertising
"With IED deaths rising in Afghanistan, what new, futuristic counter-insurgency strategies will the military unleash? How about anti-IED ads?"
Read the full post here.
// Current Movies Blog //
A couple of quick tidbits from the Current Movies blog, as John is wrapping up his coverage of the New York Film Festival.
This week he took a look at Pedro Almodóvar's latest, Broken Embraces and reports back from the press conference featuring both Almodovar and Penélope Cruz. Take a look, it features some of Lichman's finest doodles.
Before that, he took a look at the Palme d'Or snatching film from Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon. Here's a snippet:
"On one hand, it is every bit as brutal and bleak as Caché–almost to a startling degree to some fellow viewers sitting around the first few rows. But on the other hand, If you want proof the Cannes Film Festival is a joke, then look no further than this Children of the Corn remake that won."
Ouch.
Last but not least, Ellen Fox walked us through Fame by the numbers. Here's a taste:
As for the original Fame, it combined the surging hormones of high school and the ache of young artists into a wonderfully frizzy, perspiring, autumn-colored postcard from a New York that’s not around anymore.
New York in 1980 – Graffiti on the subway, no AIDS ransacking the performing arts and not one, but TWO Howard Johnson’s in Times Square. The original’s where a supposedly street-smart Irene Cara meets a sleazy predator. (It’s also where my parents went on their first date).
If you’re like me, and you like to daydream that you’re a serious, emotional teenage dancer (yes, say it with me, dancer!) who lives life at the dance studio, you’ll probably love it. The leg-warmers, the artfully mismatched outfits, the boobs. This look wasn’t invented by American Apparel, ya know.
You can read her full post (and you should) on the Current Movies blog.
// Current Tech Blog //
Things you need to know:
Hunch and Simler are cool. And they sound better than Facebook and Twitter when you talk to your friends.
The future of healthcare is online
Sarah found a walkthrough of the last 30 years in Apple mouse history. You're welcome.
// Current Green Blog //
Leah keeps the Current Green blog stocked fresh with food for thought. Here are a few things you may have missed:
Healthy Food, Healthy Thought -- from guest blogger Joti Levy!
Today, I witnessed a trauma, a trauma that happens every day in Bayview-Hunters Point. I’m not talking about Uganda, but 94124. San Francisco, one of the liberal hubs of the universe. A Superfund toxic site, a modern-day ghetto where the normal pedestrian has to travel miles to get to a grocery store with “healthy” produce — AKA fresh vegetables.
Leah found a DIY on a nickel and dime way to use sink water to flush your toilet, and decided to ask What's your Green It Yourself idea?
Is "frugal" the latest sexy trend?
"But is “extreme frugality” the latest emerging trend? Have we come to a place where we understand that (gasp) resources are limited: and the limited resources in our wallet could be the best metaphor to understand the limited resources on the planet?"
// Current Comedy Blog //
Sometimes FAILs are FAILs. Other times, they aren't. Josh lives for the opportunity to analyze and re-evaluate FAILs.
So here he is, with part 3 in his ongoing series of "Some FAILs, that I don't think are FAILs".
It's important to stay informed, and Josh is doing his part. So take a look at some PSAs (that aren't real), and don't say he didn't warn you.It's an exciting time around these parts. For those of you who regularly read our... more
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Everyone on this side of the fence has been working hard in preparation for next week. Vanguard returns to Current TV next Wednesday October 14 10/9c for a third season chock full of all new episodes. Kicking it all off is Mariana van Zeller's investigation of the prescription drug use in Florida, "The OxyContin Express."
Today on the Hulu blog, Mariana chats with Editor Rebecca Harper about the episode. She answers questions about Vanguard, how she got started in journalism, and the decision to investigate prescription drugs for the season premiere.
Of course, the best part of all of this? Well, sometimes pictures speak louder than words.
Mariana and Vanguard featured on the Hulu homepageEveryone on this side of the fence has been working hard in preparation for next week.... more
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It's time, once again, for another Current blogs round-up. Sit back, let the tea steep, and let's dig in, shall we?
Current News
According to bansheewail's post earlier this week, prescription drug related deaths have actually overtaken traffic fatalities in 16 states. Andrew took a closer look on the Current News blog, and according to the CDC, that number has been on the rise lately. The question is, why? The AP points to changes in the way doctors prescribe painkillers, and this actually coincides with the season premiere of Vanguard on October 14th. In "The Oxycontin Express," Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller travels to Florida, "the epicenter of the prescription drug boom." Be sure to check it out.
Mariana van Zeller travels to Florida to investigate the prescription drug boom in Vanguard's premiere, "The Oxycontin Express"
Some of biggest news this week came out of the South Pacific, where a pair of earthquakes and a tsunami ravaged the Samoa Islands and Indonesia. Andrew pulled together raw video intel and followed the story closely. Take a look.
Current Music
The Current Music team is racing to the finish line in preparation for the premiere of Embedded, immediately following the season premiere of Vanguard on October 14th. Shana took a minute to share progress on the six-part special on the Current Music blog: apparently the team is knee-deep in post-production on the six episodes, as well as preparation for online distribution.
Also, Alex posted photos from The Dodo's show at the El Rey. Alex always takes amazing photos at shows, so head over to the blog and check them out. If you have a few extra minutes to spare, give this a look as well.
Current Movies
John has continued to make due on his festival coverage with dispatches from the New York Film Festival. A couple of excellent posts this week, one covering some of the influences and inspirations behind Harmony Korine's latest, Trash Humpers.
Additionally, John finally screens Lars Von Trier's Antichrist, the film that compelled Cannes audiences to collectively question, "Why?" Additionally, Von Trier went on record with this film, proclaim that "I am the best filmmaker in the world." Check out John's review here.
Current Tech
Over on Current Tech, Sarah Lane shed a little light on her shopping addiction with her exploration of your best online shopping options and deals. As community member aaronights pointed out, "No wonder you're always low on cash!"
In a far less costly post, Sarah takes a look at another obsession that is apparently taking over the world: Twitter Apps. More specifically, OneForty -- the Twitter App store that Twitter forgot to build. Seriously, take a look.
Current Green
Leah spent some time chatting with Colin Beavan (you may know him as No Impact Man from his Twitter account, blog, and the trailer of his new movie), and discusses the dedication it takes for someone like No Impact Man to commit to a lifestyle change of this extreme magnitude. All in the name of "green." It's quite remarkable.
Keeping in theme with environmental heroism, Leah caught up with photographer Ian Shive -- the man dedicated to saving our National Parks one photo at a time. If you haven't checked out "Photos Across America" yet, be sure to give this post a read.
Current Comedy
Thursday nights mean a new episode of infoMania. In case you missed it, you have Josh to thank because Fridays are "Hey check out what happened on infoMania" days on the Current Comedy blog.
Josh likes to combat claims of failure. In fact, you might even call him a FAIL adjuster. In the FAILspace, he is what an auditor is to accounting. Once again he's worked up another account of why some supposed FAILS are, in fact, not FAILS. Peep them here.
Vanguard
An added bonus this week, our friends in Vanguard are ramping up their blogging efforts, and to kick things off they've posted a couple gems for you to take a look at. First up, Vanguard correspondent Laura Ling shared her thoughts on Vanguard's mission during a live event in Italy. As an added treat, the full broadcast of the Italy event is embedded on the post, so if you've ever wanted to hear Mariana van Zeller speak Italian, make sure to watch beyond the intro.
Speaking of Mariana, her piece "The Oxycontin Express" is going to be our season premiere for Vanguard on October 14th, and as an added bonus the team was invited to tape an episode of Dr. Phil and discuss both her documentary and the prevalence of prescription drugs. Darren posted some photos from the visit to Dr. Phil, so go check it out. The Dr. Phil episode with Mariana will air on the same day as our Vanguard season premiere, October 14th.It's time, once again, for another Current blogs round-up. Sit back, let the tea... more
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A few members of our Vanguard team (Adam Yamaguchi, Mariana van Zeller, and Christof Putzel) joined producer Joanne Shen in Current SF today to give us a sneak peek of the upcoming third season of Vanguard.
Don't forget, the new season for Vanguard premieres on Current TV on October 14th 10/9c. Based on what the team has been passing around, you definitely won't want to miss this season.
I snagged some video during the presentation, and thought you guys might like to get a look at some of this stuff. While it was really nice of Current to feed us during the presentation, it did make it a little tough to eat while watching Adam and Joanne get attacked by leeches in the Cambodian jungles.
Fair warning, these videos were shot from the front row on an iPhone, so they're a little shaky.
Adam Yamaguchi introduces the Vanguard team
Adam Yamaguchi introduces a clip from Forest of Ecstasy, an upcoming Vanguard episode
Christof introduces a clip from Cocaine Mafia, an upcoming Vanguard episode
Mariana introduces clips from The Oxycontin Express, an upcoming Vanguard episode
A couple of interesting stories stuck with me from the presentation.
The first is this, the Vanguard team is 100% unflinchingly committed to spending copious amounts of time researching and telling the stories that no one else is touching. It's one thing to say this, but it's an entirely different thing to actually live it. They do.
The team opened the floor up to Q&A, and when asked how they get people to share their stories, Christof had this to say:
"That's the biggest challenge we face. When you're telling the stories that no one else is telling, a lot of times those stories are not being told because people don't want them to be told. so the struggle is, how do you get people to talk to you"
Mariana insightfully compared her recent experience on the set of Dr. Phil, during which he attempts to engage guests on a deeply personal level in front of large audiences with huge cameras and lights, to Vanguard's own approach -- small teams, small number of cameras, and extremely personal and private scenarios. They go out into the field and engage people one-to-one, which is a completely different environment altogether.
Amusingly, someone asked Adam what was next in the "eating bizarre things" repertoire. Christof joked that they'd had an intervention with Adam, who then responded that he'd had to curb the trend because when you intentionally start seeking out gross things to eat, you have to up the ante with each new accomplishment. He confessed, "I'm afraid of what might be next."
So there you go, I know the teams in the Current SF offices were pretty floored with what we saw, and I personally cannot wait to see the new season. Oh, and just in case you haven't had a chance to see them, here's a list of episode titles from the upcoming season:
The Oxycontin Express : 10/14/09
Cuba: Waiting for a Revolution : 10/21/09
Forest of Ecstasy : 10/28/09
Sri Lanka: Notes from a War on Terror : 11/04/09
Porn 2.0 : 11/11/09
Prison Contraband : 11/16/09
Remote Control War : 12/02/09
Cocaine Mafia : 12/09/09
You can find promos, episodes, show schedule, correspondent bios, and the official Vanguard blog on our Vanguard page on Current.com.A few members of our Vanguard team (Adam Yamaguchi, Mariana van Zeller, and Christof... more
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As Darren points out over on the Vanguard blog, Vanguard has a new look on Current.com. Just in time for the premiere of the new season on October 14th, too!
Darren's post will run you through some of the finer points, and he even has an episode breakdown for you, so head over there and check it out.
If you haven't visited the new Vanguard page, please do. I've spent most of the past hour digging through some of the sneak peeks to episodes from the upcoming season, and they look amazing. I know, I work here and I'm still floored by the things these guys accomplish. I'll leave the individual sneak peek clips for you to discover on the new page (hint: you'll find them in the featured videos section).
For now, here's the Season 3 promo to whet your appetite:
Vanguard returns to Current TV on October 14thAs Darren points out over on the Vanguard blog, Vanguard has a new look on... more
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Cuba rocks to huge peace concert
Havana has hosted the biggest open-air concert since the 1959 revolution, featuring some 15 top Latin American, Spanish and Cuban performers.
An estimated one million people - many wearing white - attended the free event in Revolution Square, Havana.
Colombian singer Juanes, who organized the Peace without Borders concert, received death threats from Miami-based critics of the Cuban regime.
But he had the support from 20 high-profile jailed dissidents inside Cuba.
Air America: Republican revives racist Obama-as-monkey campaign themeAccording to a post over on the Air America blog, former Minority Whip Roy Blunt crossed the line, sharing an anecdote at a Values Voter Summit on Friday, in which President Obama is ultimately compared to a monkey. It feels like we've gone over this at least once or twice before. Anyway, here's what he had to say:
"Almost from the day the first ball was hit on this golf course something happened they didn't anticipate: monkeys would come running out of the jungle and then grab the golf balls. And if it was in the fairway, they might throw it in the rough. And if it was in the rough, they might throw it -- they might throw it back at you! And I can point to great and long detail about how many things they tried to eliminate the monkey problem, but they never got it done.
So finally for this golf course and this golf course only, they passed a rule and the rule was, you have to play the ball where the monkey throws it. And that is the rule in Washington all the time."
Parents sue Wal-Mart after children taken away over bath time photos
"Our family is very open and comfortable. We don't want our children to feel inhibited in their own house," A.J. Demaree said. "If they want to run around in their underwear, if they want to go run and grab an old Halloween costume and throw that on and run around the house, or if they want to run around the house naked and play around, that's what we encourage."
The police and Child Protective Services saw it very differently.
The three children, ages 1½, 4 and 5 at the time the pictures were taken, were removed from the home and placed into the care of Child Protective Services. It would be a month before A.J. and Lisa could regain custody of them.
From the Demarees perspective, the damage was already done.
"We went on a central registry of sex offenders. Our names went on that registry," Lisa said.
Atheists in America are the most widely mistrusted groupOver on Psychology Today, Gad Saad Ph.D digs into a recent article published in the American Sociological Review in which atheists favored poorly in the "trust" department.
In a recent article published in the American Sociological Review, Penny Edgell, Joseph Gerteis, and Douglas Hartmann reported their findings, on how atheists are perceived, based on data from a national survey. To the question, "This group does not at all agree with my vision of American society," ten groups were listed as options: religious groups (Muslims, conservative Christians, Jews), racial groups (Hispanics, Asian Americans, African Americans, and White Americans), homosexuals, recent immigrants, and atheists. By far, the most "detested" group were the atheists. To the question, "I would disapprove if my child wanted to marry a member of this group," eight of the latter groups were included (homosexuals and recent immigrants were excluded). Again, the least desired group were the atheists. This might be one of the saddest scientific findings that I have ever read.
Scandinavia steps up the fight against female genital mutilation
"When she was 11, a Swedish-born girl was taken on vacation to her mother’s native Somalia. The mother wanted to “make her daughter clean” and paid a man to cut off her daughter’s clitoris and labia while two women held her down. Afterward, the girl was stitched to her urethra. No anesthesia was used."
Vanguard's Mariana van Zeller has covered the practices of female genital cutting in Africa before, specifically in Sierra Leone while on assignment. If you haven't had the chance to see her report, give it a view:
Vanguard's Mariana van Zeller on Female Genital Cutting
Cuba rocks to huge peace concert
Havana has hosted the biggest open-air concert... more
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Here's another Current TV host top favorite stories countdown. This time around we pulled together Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller's top 14 Current TV videos, and gathered them here, for your delight.
Mariana's countdown is going to air today, at 6pm E / 3pm P on Current TV, so be sure to tune and join Mariana as she walks you through each story. What? You can't make it tonight? Don't worry, her countdown will re-air on Monday 9/21 at 1pm E / 10am P, so you could always set your DVR(s) to record.
For now, get a sneak peek at what she'll be covering in the special. These are some pretty memorable stories, and they've obviously left an impression on Mariana. Feel free to add links to some of your own favorite moments in Current TV in the comments.
Living Library
Here's Mariana's top 14 -- enjoy!
Living Library
The Internets Dumbest How To Videos -- Viral Video Film School on infoMania
Sierra Leone AAA from Vanguard
Kenya from Vanguard
F*ck My Facebook on Tech Report on infoMania
Ode to a Toothpaste from Vanguard
Toxic Seas from Vanguard
Medicine from Target Women on infoMania
War Wounds from Vanguard
Suicide in Japan
Camel Milk Bar from Vanguard
Old Lady Hip Hop
African Gun Market -- Wanna Buy an AK-47? from Vanguard
African Exodus from Vanguard
Here's another Current TV host top favorite stories countdown. This time around... more
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What's the only thing that can tarnish your Presidential campaign as the leader who brought the end of a thirty year civil war? Is it allegations of human rights abuses? No, it's being challenged by the only other person who has a better claim to that title: your top general.
That's what's happening in Sri Lanka right now as voters head to the polls tomorrow. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is facing off against General Sarath Fonseka, the former commander of the Army. The poll so far has been marred by violence:
More than 800 violent incidents and five deaths have been recorded in the run-up to the election, according to the independent Centre for Monitoring Election Violence.
What the poll seems not to have been marred by, however, is any sort of criticism of the government's conduct of the end of the war with the Tamil Tigers. Or of their so-far sketchy plans to provide resettlement to the thousands of Tamil refugees currently living in camps.
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence is mapping reports of violence during the poll. (h/t Global Voices)
View Presidential Elections - January 2010 (Violence during campaign) in a larger map
For some background on the situation Sri Lanka finds itself in as it casts its vote for a new leader, this is Vanguard: Sri Lanka: Notes from a War on Terror:
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- Commentary: Roe v. Wade turns 37 - Lily Bixler
- The world's first suicide bomber comedy
- Hillary creates China kerfuffle over internet freedom speech
- How people are helping Haiti
- Supreme Court opens doors to corporate moneyWhat's the only thing that can tarnish your Presidential campaign as the leader... more
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Sri Lanka's government just won its own long-fought war on terror. After 30 years of bloodshed the army finally defeated the militant insurgency of the Tamil Tigers. But as Mariana van Zeller reported in Vanguard: Sri Lanka: Notes from a War on Terror, critics say it wasn't really a clean victory. One example of this was a video shot at the very end of the war that seemed to show Sri Lankan soldiers executing prisoners. The government has insisted the footage was fabricated. The video is here, however be warned, it is very graphic.
When the video came to light in August, producer Darren Foster was just wrapping up the Vanguard episode about Sri Lanka. He wrote this about the video:
During the last months of the war, independent journalists were banned from reporting in the conflict zone and there were many rumors and leaked videos of atrocities. But this footage would seem to be the worst evidence of war crimes to have emerged thus far.
Well today, the UN said they had verified the video's authenticity and called for a war crimes investigation.
Mr Alston said that three independent experts had confirmed the video was authentic.
"The conclusion clearly is that the video is authentic," he said on Thursday.
He named the three investigators as Peter Diaczuk, an expert in firearms evidence, Daniel Spitz, a prominent forensic pathologist, and Jeff Spivack, an expert in forensic video analysis.
The Sri Lankan government has strongly rebuffed the UN's allegations, but this is likely to spur more calls for investigations into their conduct during the war.
To understand a bit more about Sri Lanka and its conflict - check out Vanguard: Sri Lanka: Notes From a War on Terror.
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- Christmas, Drug Wars and Juarez - guest post by: Jeff Antebi
- Inter-religious violence strikes Egypt
- Slackers in Pakistan
- China's record snowfall - Photos
- Al Qaeda and FARC: BFF?Sri Lanka's government just won its own long-fought war on terror. After 30 years... more
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Tonight is the premiere of the final episode of the Vanguard season: Cocaine Mafia. Christof Putzel travels to Europe to see how they're feeding their growing appetite for the drug.
This Week on Vanguard: Cocaine Mafia (Video)
This season of Vanguard has been a really great one - so we'll be featuring a lot of the previous shows today and the rest of the week on the Current News page. You can watch them all online, you know - so if you missed one - get caught up! Watch Adam Yamaguchi tromping through the Cambodian rainforest in Forest of Ecstasy or Mariana van Zeller following the pain pill pipeline in The Oxycontin Express.
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- Who will pay for climate change? - Copenhagen
- Obama lays out plan for jobs; Meeting lawmakers tomorrow
- Photography in conflict: Jeff Antebi covers the Afghanistan election
- Iran students' day of protest
- Copenhagen backgrounder - A roundup of pre-conference readingTonight is the premiere of the final episode of the Vanguard season: Cocaine Mafia.... more
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Angola, with tens of thousands ex-patriate Chinese workers, is seeing a series of "mafia-style" violent attacks targeting the Chinese. From the BBC:
Last month robbers reportedly poured boiling water on three Chinese workers in Luanda.
In September businessman Xu Tonggou was murdered trying to resist a robbery.
On the same day six armed men robbed the offices of a construction company, beating workers with batons and threatening them with AK-47s.
Mariana van Zeller went to Angola to look at growing Chinese investment in the country in Chinatown, Africa.
Chinatown, Africa (Video)
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- Water on the moon!
- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to be tried in New York for 9/11
- Porn 2.0 - Christof Putzel's Vanguard documentary
- Does Ciudad Juarez need UN peacekeepers?
- Who are the basij? A look at Iran's hard-line militiaAngola, with tens of thousands ex-patriate Chinese workers, is seeing a series of... more
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