Videos for: hawk jensen |
|
Sweden: A Supermodel for America?
|
To the American mind there may be nothing more quintessentially Swedish than the leggy, blond supermodel. But there's another Swedish model that inspires almost as much admiration—the Swedish economic model. With a generous welfare state and high living standards, Sweden seems to prove that socialism works. Much of the hope that swept Barack Obama into the White House rests on the belief that America could reach new heights under a regime of enlightened progressivism, that we could be more like the Swedes. Not so fast, warns Stockholm University sociologist Charlotta Stern: "If an American told me that the US should be more like Sweden I would say I don't think it's possible." The United States can centralize its health care system and pass other laws that mimic Sweden's welfare state polices, says Stern, but it's impossible to replicate a culture that allows those policies to operate about as smoothly as possible. Swedish bureaucracies inspire trust, but their American counterparts (DMV, TSA, IRS) inspire punch lines, if not outrage. But America could emulate some of the Swedish policies that don't require extensive bureaucracies. Take school vouchers. Teachers unions in America regard the idea as free-market radicalism, but families in Sweden enjoy universal school choice. Sweden adopted its famously progressive policies during the 1970s, but after years of sluggish economic growth the land of ABBA altered its course in the 1990s, adopting a host of free-market reforms <b>...</b> |
Views:
13361
316
ratings |
| Time:
06:15 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
How to Save a Dying Ocean
|
The Gulf of Mexico continues to gush oil just as a whaling controversy threatens to land Australia and Japan in international court for killing protected species. Meanwhile, another less-publicized but arguably more cataclysmic oceanic disaster continues to worsen. Overfishing threatens to destroy most of the world's fisheries within a matter of decades. But while it's proven difficult to save the gulf or save the whales, we know how to save the fish: Stop treating the ocean like a public bathroom, says Christopher Costello, a professor of natural resource economics at UC Santa Barbara. Director Louis Psihoyos and his team of filmmakers embarked on an elaborate sting operation to expose Japan's illegal dolphin hunters. The result is a documentary called The Cove, which took home the Oscar for best documentary. And days after the Academy Awards Psihoyos was back stirring things up. Using the same cameras that were used to expose illegal dolphin hunters, Psihoyos and his team busted The Hump, a Santa Monica, California restaurant that had secretly been serving sushi made from the endangered sei whale. "Everything in the ocean from the great whales to dolphins to plankton is being jeopardized," Psihoyos tells Reason.tv. "We're raping and harvesting the ocean unsustainably." Overfishing "could mean the end of certain species," agrees UC-Santa Barbara's Costello. He points out that about a third of the world's fisheries have already collapsed, and many more are heading toward <b>...</b> |
Views:
13864
236
ratings |
| Time:
06:00 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Welcome to Oaksterdam! The Epicenter of the Marijuana Legalization Movement
|
Located in the pot-friendly "Oaksterdam" section of Oakland, California, Oaksterdam University aims to teach its students the fundamentals of growing and marketing marijuana. The curriculum covers everything from law and politics to business and horticulture. The university also provides training for entrepreneurs in the medical pot industry as well as several dispensaries, a Bulldog Coffeeshop, and a gift shop. University founder Richard Lee tells Reason.tv that he and other Bay Area activists were inspired by the example of Amsterdam, a city with some of the most liberal marijuana policies in the world. As he put it, "We went to Amsterdam and said you know, hey, we can do this here; it shows it can work. Oaksterdam University is one of the major sponsors of the Tax and Regulate initiative that will be on the ballot in California this November. If passed, marijuana would be legalized and regulated like alcohol. Produced by Paul Feine; shot by Alex Manning, edited by Hawk Jensen and Alex Manning.Approximately 8 minutes long. Go to reason.tv for downloadable iPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube page and receive automatic notification when new material goes live. |
Views:
103
2
ratings |
| Time:
07:59 |
More in
Education |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
More Taxes or More Jobs? California Shows We Can't Have Both
|
It's hard to find a politician who isn't eager to "do something" about high unemployment. Turns out California has found one way to save and create certain kinds of jobs—spend like mad and raise taxes. That job-creation strategy has worked quite well for government-sector workers. Problem is the statewide unemployment rate is still among the highest in the nation, and many private-sector employers are heading to states like Texas, where taxes are lower and regulations are lighter. "I would love to have companies calling me saying, 'We'd like to move to California, can you help us with that relocation?' I get none of those calls," says business relocation coach Joe Vranich. "The calls I do get are, 'Hello, we want to move out of California, can you help us do that?'" Vranich says there's no one reason why businesses leave. He calls it "death by a thousand cuts," where job creators get fed up with everything from high taxes to traffic gridlock and legal hassles. Take Rick and Jack Newcombe, the father-son team that runs Creators Syndicate. A long legal battle with the city of Los Angles might end up being their company's final cut. The Newcombes say the city arbitrarily stuck the company into a higher tax category and officials are applying the hike retroactively. City officials are demanding $400000 in back taxes, but Rick Newcombe calls the whole episode "legalized theft," adding that a tax penalty of that size would force the company to lay off 10 employees. It's ironic <b>...</b> |
Views:
25216
351
ratings |
| Time:
07:01 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
New Hampshire Nannies: Why is the "Live Free or Die" State Banning Fish Pedicures?
|
The always-expanding Nanny State does more than treat adults like children, it can also smother job creation—even in the "live free or die" state of New Hampshire. So as the national debate "pivots" from health care to jobs, Reason.tv suggests that politicians looking to"do something" about the stubbornly high unemployment rate first undo the regulations that ensnare entrepreneurs like Kim Ong. Ong's parents brought her family from Vietnam to the United States in 1985. "They said this is a country of freedom, a country of opportunities," recalls Ong, who took their words to heart and now owns Kim's Spa & Nails in Derry, New Hampshire. When the recession hit she began looking for new ways to generate business. Her thoughts turned to a luxurious practice that's popular in parts of Asia—fish pedicures.Ong spent over $6000 to purchase fish and equipment, a big investment for the small business owner. However, her gamble paid off when she saw how much customers loved having their feet exfoliated by tiny fish. Soon Ong had a waiting list for this hip new service. But instead of hiring more employees, Ong hired a lawyer to plead her case to state regulators who questioned the safety and hygeine of fish pedicures. Unfortunately for Ong and her customers, New Hampshire's Board of Barbering, Cosmetology, and Esthetics banned the practice. That's right, the state that lets adults motorcycle without a helmet or drive without a seat belt won't tolerate tiny fish nibbling at the dead <b>...</b> |
Views:
27480
373
ratings |
| Time:
05:40 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Virginia Postrel: How to Reform Health Care Without Killing Innovation
|
Former Reason magazine Editor in Chief Virginia Postrel has seen the strengths and the shortcomings of the American health care system both as a kidney donor and a breast cancer survivor. She argues that individuals should be free to sell their organs, and that encouraging organ markets may be the best way to save the lives of the more than 100000 Americans currently awaiting transplants. A 2009 article Postrel wrote for the Atlantic Monthly highlights her experience with the ultra-expensive wonder drug, Herceptin, and the perils of centrally controlling health care costs. Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Postrel to discuss organ markets, wonder drugs, and how to reform health care without squashing innovation. Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Hawk Jensen and Paul Detrick. Edited by Paul Detrick. Music: "Something New" by Very Large Array (Magnatune Records). Approximately nine-and-a-half minutes. Go to reason.tv fordownloadable iPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos. To see Reason.tv's health care play-list, go here. Postrel, the editor in chief of the blog Deep Glamour, talks to Reason.tv about politics, style, and voter expectations at http Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live. And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part <b>...</b> |
Views:
8476
136
ratings |
| Time:
09:35 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Virginia Postrel: Glamour, Politics, & Voter Expectations
|
Glamour is "not just about movie stars," says Virginia Postrel. The editor in chief of Deepglamour.net and former Editor in Chief of Reason magazine points out that glamour, which originally meant a literal magic spell "that promises to to transcend ordinary life and make the ideal real," is especially powerful when applied to the world of politics. Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Virginia Postrel to find out how glamour fuels voters' expectations, which modern political figures are glamourous (Barack is, Sarah isn't), and why glamour is both an advantage and a burden. Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Hawk Jensen and Paul Detrick. Edited by Paul Detrick. Music: "You Got Something" by Grayson Wray (Magnatune Records). About eight minutes. Go to reason.tv for downloabableiPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos. Postrel, an organ donor and cancer survivor, talks to Reason.tv about health care reform in a separate video, available at youtube.com Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live. And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series. |
Views:
2357
98
ratings |
| Time:
08:14 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Pork Party House: Where DC insiders go for taxpayer-subsidized fun
|
First Rep. Charlie Rangel (DN.Y.) surrenders his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee amid an ethics investigation. Now Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) proposes an idea that she hopes will help her make good on her promise to help lead "the most ethical Congress in history"—a party-wide ban on earmarks. Will it happen? Don't bet on it. Reason.tv's "Pork Party House" helps explain why neither party can resist the pull of pork. If you're a politician, lobbyist, or insider and you're in the mood to party, check out a Washington DC mansion called the Sewall-Belmont House. Party with senators and celebrities at thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraisers! You might even get to ride a mechanical bull! The Sewall-Belmont House hosts so many A-list events, you might be surprised to find out that your tax dollars help fund this hotspot for Washington insiders. "Over the last 10 years, the Sewall-Belmont House has gotten over $3.4 million in earmarks," says Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste. Reporters often highlight the most ridiculous examples, but politicians have learned how to make their pork projects sound uncontroversial, even appealing. Just say your project will help children, senior citizens, or—if you really want to slip under the radar—direct taxpayer dough to a museum. "Museums are one of the biggies because they sound so good," says Paige. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) used that angle to direct a million-dollar earmark to the Sewall-Belmont House (after <b>...</b> |
Views:
13556
255
ratings |
| Time:
06:24 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Judge Jim Gray on The Six Groups Who Benefit From Drug Prohibition
|
In 1992, Jim Gray, a conservative judge in conservative Orange County, California, held a press conference during which he recommended that we rethink our drug laws. Back then, it took a great deal of courage to suggest that the war on drugs was a failed policy. Today, more and more Americans are coming to the realization that prohibition's costs—whether measured in lives and liberties lost or dollars wasted—far exceed any possible or claimed benefits. Reason.tv's Paul Feine interviewed Gray about drug policy and the prospects for reform. The interview was shot by Alex Manning and edited by Hawk Jensen. Judge Jim Gray is the author of Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs. Approximately 8.30 minutes. Go to reason.tv for downloadable iPod, HD, and audio versions. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel and receive automatic notifications when new material goes live. And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series. |
Views:
50385
1000
ratings |
| Time:
08:43 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Eugene Volokh on Gun Rights, Free Expression, and the Nanny State
|
Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Eugene Volokh, professor of law at the UCLA School of Law and founder of The Volokh Conspiracy, to discuss gun rights, free expression, and the Nanny State. Find out what Volokh thinks the biggest threats to free expression are, and whether today's muzzlers come mostly from the left or right. Volokh also explains what the landmark Supreme Court case, DC vs. Heller, has done to gun control and whether he agrees with the "more guns, less crime" thesis. Other topics include: media bias and gun rights, Alabama's prohibition on selling sex toys, and whether judges can be nannies. Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Alex Manning and Hawk Jensen. Edited by Paul Detrick. Approximately nine-and-a-half minutes. |
Views:
7768
172
ratings |
| Time:
09:36 |
More in
News & Politics |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Hawk Town - Pilot
|
The Hawk Town guys have been animating clips from their favorite scenes in Hawk Town over the last couple years and have woven them together to create this story. Enjoy. Created by Ed Zipco & Mike Force. Written by Ed Zipco. Illustrated by Mike Force. Animation Director: Taige Jensen. Voices: Taige Jensen, Katie Bruggeman, Alex Smith, Mike Force. Animated by Jun Zee Meyers, Dustin Bolton, Taige Jensen and Mike Force. |
Views:
88842
274
ratings |
| Time:
07:40 |
More in
Film & Animation |
[ play video ]
| | |
|
Hawk Town - I Can't Remember For the Life of Me
|
This is our 8 minute pilot. We have been animating clips from our favorite scenes in Hawk Town over the last couple years and have woven them together to create this story. Enjoy. Created by Ed Zipco & Mike Force. Written by Ed Zipco. Illustrated by Mike Force. Animation Director: Taige Jensen. Voices: Taige Jensen, Katie Bruggeman, Alex Smith, Mike Force. Animated by Jun Zee Meyers, Dustin Bolton, Taige Jensen and Mike Force. |
Views:
905
8
ratings |
| Time:
07:54 |
More in
Comedy |
[ play video ]
| |
|
