Debt & America

According to MSN, the average American household has about $8,000 of credit card debt. While the production values are basic, spend some time with Megan McArdle, author of the blog Asymmetrical Information, as she discusses the historic thread of debt in America and endures The Economist's proposterous set-up of tea. (Come on guys, love the mag, but this tea thing...that's what editing is for.)

Megan McArdle on Debt


Also, Bill Moyers looked at the business of poverty in the August 8 edition of his PBS series. They don't have embed codes up yet but you can watch that clip here.

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Hunger in America

Probably not a video you want to watch on your lunch hour, but check out this short film on about issues of hunger in America. With rising commodity prices around the world this spring, many of us heard about hunger riots in Cameroon and food shortage protests in Haiti. Of course we know that hunger is a problem here in the US, but there is rarely a flashpoint to call our attention to it. This video offers some stats and an interesting story about the DC Central Kitchen.

America's Shocking Hunger Problem

Then take a different look at food with Mark Bittman, food writer and chef who had hosted a PBS cooking series at one point in his past. He talks about what's wrong with what people (who have food) are eating.

Mark Bittman: What's Wrong with What We Eat


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A Diamond in the Wild

Last week I posted the PBS series Guns, Germs and Steel, based on the book by Jared Diamond. Diamond's follow-up to that book is entitled Collapse! He gave a lecture at UC Santa Barbara about the themes of his book and you can watch that lecture here.

Jared Diamond at UC Santa Barbara


He also spoke at CalTech about the book...a slightly more personal presentation divided into three parts. Compare and contrast!

Jared Diamond at CalTech (Part 1 of 4)



Jared Diamond at CalTech (Part 2 of 4)



Jared Diamond at CalTech (Part 3 of 4)



Jared Diamond at CalTech (Part 4 of 4)



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War, Peace, Guns, Germs, Steel...

Ran across this lecture from Thomas Barnett. The dude should be a comedian. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, I think he has something intriguing to say about American foreign policy.

Thomas Barnett: The Pentagon's New Map for War and Peace


Some of Barnett's themes regarding technological superiority are universal. For similarly big thought I found the Jared Diamond's PBS series Guns, Germs and Steel on YouTube...conveniently divided into 18 parts. It's embedded as a playlist below...

Guns, Germs & Steel
Guns, Germs and Steel


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