Latest on Link http://www.linktv.org/about/blog en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:39:33 -0800 http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/325/war-on-opium-interview-with-the-afghan-director-siddiq-barmak 89f0fd5c927d466d6ec9a21b9ac34ffa Link TV editor Kyung Lee reports from the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea.  Currently the biggest film festival in Asia, PIFF showcases new talents and films from the Asian countries.  This blog offers rare interviews with Asian directors who discuss their filmmaking experiences in their native countries.   The current situation of Afghanistan is hard for outsiders to grasp.  Almost every day we hear the news of heightened insurgency in the country, but little beyond that.  In this extremely uncertain situation, there is a filmmaker who has managed to make films that reflect the reality of Afghanistan. Siddiq Barmak is currently one of only a few filmmakers in Afghanistan who is able to make feature films in his native country.  His first feature film, "Osama", portrays a young girl who is forced to don a disguise as a boy in order to support her mother in the Taliban era.  The film won a Golden Globe Award, and made a great demonstration of Afghanistan's film heritage and its possible future to the world.Siddiq, who was born in Afghanistan and studied film in Moscow, was exiled to Pakistan during the Taliban regime from 1996 to 2002.  The current reemergence of the insurgency is a reminder for him that another dark time may be ahead.  He was at the <a href="http://www.piff.org/intro/default.asp" target="_blank">Pusan International Film Festival</a> this year to present his second feature film "Opium War" which is, according to the director, "an exact reflection of the situation."  I was able to catch the director and asked a few questions on the current state in Afghanistan.     Learn more at about the films <a href="http://www.finecut.co.kr/renew/library/synopsis.asp?num=53" target="_blank">Opium War</a> and <a href="http://www.unitedartists.com/osama/" target="_blank">Osama</a>. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:11:48 -0800 Link Media, Inc. Middle East Asia http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/320/celebrate-veterans-day-with-explores-latest-film-fish-out-of-water 320722549d1751cf3f247855f937b982 In recognition of Veterans Day, <a href="http://explore.org" target="_blank">explore </a>has released a new short called "Fish Out of Water", a documentary about the effects of war on the thousands of U.S. soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. To help these selfless heroes cope with the trauma they've suffered -- often in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, or loss of limbs and other physical injuries -- <a href="http://www.svasp.org/" target="_blank">Sun Valley Adaptive Sports</a> in Idaho hosts stunning and peace-filled nature trips through their "Wounded Warrior Veterans Program", where vets can meditate through fishing and convene with their natural surroundings. This moving film illustrates how the body may heal its injuries over time, but often the mind takes much longer to recover.Take a moment to watch this film - it is a beautiful tribute to those serving our country so selflessly.   Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800 Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/319/link-tv-and-corporate-social-responsibility 8d3bba7425e7c98c50f52ca1b52d3735 Link TV appreciates you, our discerning viewers, as being active intellectually, culturally, and in your community. We know you care who our friends are and how we stay credible. Link <a href="/About-CSR-Sponsorship">has launched a new initiative</a> to work with corporate sponsors which are actively supporting philanthropic efforts, whereby we will tell the story of these projects on our website.Staying committed to our values, Link TV vets its corporate partners for their Corporate Social Responsibility achievements  -  Socially responsible companies honor the people and planet that help them make a profit.  We seek to work with companies that have demonstrable projects impacting their employees, community and the environment in a positive way.<a href="/deansbeans">Dean's Beans</a> is our first corporate sponsor - one which is both profitable and doing "good" for the global community in which it conducts its business.Which companies do you admire and why? Does it really matter to consumers if the business is socially responsible? <a href="/realconversations/7">Discuss on Real Conversations</a> with Dean's Beans Founder and CEO, Dean Cycon. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:20:30 -0800 Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/310/who-speaks-for-islam 06eb61b839a0cefee4967c67ccb099dc This weekend saw the premiere of a compelling original production by Link TV, <a href="/wsfi">Who Speaks for Islam?</a> Hosted by Ray Suarez, the series explores the diversity of Islam in an age when Muslim extremists are laying claim to the religion. The first installment is <a href="/wsfi">available online</a>.Suarez interviews a panel of researchers, scholars, Hollywood producers and actors, that includes Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of the groundbreaking book Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, and author Reza Aslan (No god But God; How to Win a Cosmic War).   Support for such illuminating content is percolating among a variety of media outlets: <a href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/arts/television/24islam.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> applauds the "density of information" in the program. On <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dalia-mogahed/who-speaks-for-islam_b_332686.html" target="_blank">the Huffington Post</a>, Dalia Mogahed emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and understanding different views by examining the warm reception of President Obama in Cairo earlier this year: "Obama's success in Cairo provides a valuable lesson in diplomacy: understanding perspectives we may not agree with makes us stronger, not weaker."San Francisco Chronicle blogger Tim Goodman is <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/tgoodman/detail?&entry_id=50239" target="_blank">enthusiastic towards the second installment</a> of the program, <a href="/wsfi">Muslims on Screen</a>, which examines the role of Muslims in American film and television. Goodman writes, "...the discussion on media portrayals and influence is so relevant and timely. Hell, even Jack Bauer seems to be a changed man on the issues." The program features interviews with actors, writers and producers, including Howard Gordon, Executive Producer of 24 and Kamran Pasha, former writer of Showtime's series, Sleeper Cell, about Hollywood's evolving portrayal of Muslims.Muslims on Screen premieres Sunday, November 1, on Link TV, and also will air in New York City on CUNY TV on Monday, November 2 at 9:00 am, 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET, and in Los Angeles on LA36 on Monday, November 2 at 7:00 pm PT.   Watch <a href="/wsfi">What a Billion Muslims Really Think</a> online:   <a href="/wsfi"></a> Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:40:53 -0700 Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/309/international-day-of-climate-action--october-24 eddea82ad2755b24c4e168c5fc2ebd40 All around the world today people are coming together to call for international action against climate change. The focus has been on the number 350, which is the parts-per-million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that scientists, including the UN's top climate scientist <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/26/pachauri-350ppm-breakthrough-climate" target="_blank">Rajendra Pachauri</a>, believe we need to stay below in order to avert disaster. <a href="http://www.350.org/" target="_blank">350.org</a> has organized a series of events around the world calling attention to the target, and they're giving visitors and participants alike some real time gratification through Twitter feeds and Flickr slideshows. We've blogged about <a href="/about/blog/post/305/underwater-activism-maldivian-officials-hold-meeting-under-the-sea">Maldivian officials holding a cabinet meeting underwater</a> to raise awareness of rising oceans, and now the <a href="http://dam.org.mv/event.php?id=7" target="_blank">Divers Association of the Maldives</a> is hosting an underwater rally with the goal of having 350 divers stay underwater in teams for 24 hours. You can find out what's going on near you at <a href="http://www.350.org/" target="_blank">350.org</a>.   At Link TV we've been exploring how climate change is already having an impact in the US and elsewhere through a series of short videos called <a href="/climatechange">Climate Change Hits Home</a>.     Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:24:28 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North Africa Europe Oceania Sub-Saharan Africa Middle East South Asia Asia South America North America Central America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/305/underwater-activism-maldivian-officials-hold-meeting-under-the-sea 496e05e1aea0a9c4655800e8a7b9ea28 Many environmental activists claim to be neck-deep in their work, but few go so far as to submerge themselves completely; officials of The Republic of Maldives recently held a cabinet meeting underwater in an effort to raise awareness about the imminent threats of climate change.     The Republic of Maldives has been cited as a potential victim of rising sea levels, theoretically being completely submerged by 2100, <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55753" target="_blank">according to CNS News</a>. The Maldives' own <a href="http://www.miadhu.com.mv/2009/10/local-news/every-maldivian-should-talk-about-global-warming-president/" target="_blank">Miadhu News</a> talked with President Mohammad Nasheed, who asserted that "the work of drawing to the attention of the world the problems Maldives face due to climate change, should be something every Maldivian should do for the country."   Amy Goodman <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/19/island_nation_of_maldives_holds_cabinet" target="_blank">discussed the event on Democracy Now</a>, including President Nasheed's comments on the eve of UN General Assembly opening session:     Here at Link TV, we are trying to raise awareness about the immediate effects of climate change with our new bite-sized series: <a href="/climate">Climate Change Hits Home</a>. Learn how the environment has been affected in your neck of the woods and how you can activate yourself. The latest episode highlights the problem of <a href="/video/4487/climate-change-hits-home-arctic-sea-ice">melting polar ice, which will, of course, raise sea levels.</a>You don't even need to learn how to scuba. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:16:53 -0700 Link Media, Inc. Oceania http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/301/michael-pollan-on-industrialized-agriculture 34ed066df378efacc9b924ec161e7639 Organic! Green! Fair trade! All natural! We are bombarded in grocery stores and eateries by nebulous terms that assuage our consciences and health concerns, but is it all just marketing magic? Or is our system of industrialized agriculture really making progress?<a href="/programs/michael-pollan-deep-agriculture">In this Link TV special</a>, author Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food) takes on the U.S. food system and delves into the dramatic solutions that may wane the American addiction to mechanized agriculture and processed foods. The problem exceeds the bounds of health epidemics such as obesity and diabetes and heart disease; the well-being of Earth itself is at risk, from the massive amounts of natural resources required to produce, distribute, and refrigerate our food."When we eat from the modern industrial food system," Pollan says, "we are eating fossil fuel and spewing greenhouse gas." Watch online:   <a href="/programs/michael-pollan-deep-agriculture"></a>   Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:01:20 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/300/october-16th-is-world-food-day 94f6d7e04a4d452035300f18b984988c For World Food Day 2009 (which is tomorrow, October 16th!), Link TV is helping to promote a campaign called <a href="http://standagainstpoverty.org/" target="_blank">Stand Up, Take Action</a>, a movement now four years in the running. As part of the framework for the UN Millennium Development Goals adopted by global leaders in the year 2000, worldwide hunger and poverty must be eradicated by the year 2015. A lofty endeavor, you say? Maybe. But millions of global citizens are demanding that this promise be kept, or at the very least, kept a priority. Each year, through events organized by <a href="http://standagainstpoverty.org/" target="_blank">Stand Up, Take Action</a>, attention is called to this ongoing issue, and the movement is growing. Last year, it broke its own Guinness World Record for the largest mobilization around a single cause in recorded history. <a href="http://standagainstpoverty.org/take-action" target="_blank">Click here for events taking place this weekend in your area</a>.Watch this video and join the countdown to World Food Day! Link TV has a lot of great food and hunger related programming, that can be found on our <a href="/food">ISSUE: Food</a> page, like a new Michael Pollan special called <a href="/programs/michael-pollan-deep-agriculture">&ldquo;Deep Agriculture&rdquo;</a>, and more. Also, learn about the coffee industry and Fair Trade practices that are effecting small farmers in poor countries around the world from <a href="/deansbeans">Dean Cycon, Founder and CEO of Dean&rsquo;s Beans.</a>   Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North Africa Europe Oceania Sub-Saharan Africa Middle East South Asia Asia South America North America Central America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/298/the-planet 26e359e83860db1d11b6acca57d8ea88 <a href="/programs/special_planet1">Check out</a> this amazing four-part documentary on the effects of climate change, overpopulation, the extinction of animal and plant species, growing consumption and industrialized farming. A Link viewer favorite, this series lays out the impending dangers to our biosphere, and paints a sweeping picture of how these changes are affecting all life around the globe. Among the many experts interviewed in The Planet is the incredible Jared Diamond, professor and writer of "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed." Visit The Planet program page by <a href="/programs/special_planet1">clicking here.</a>   This series is now available as a gift for your contribution to Link! For more details, <a href="/contribute">click here.</a> Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/297/michael-moore-speaks-out-on-link-tv 9fd81843ad7f202f26c1a174c7357585 Right on the heels of the release of his latest documentary, <a href="http://www.capitalismalovestory.com/" target="_blank">Capitalism: A Love Story</a>, Oscar-winning filmmaker <a href="/programs/michael-moore-on-obama-the-media-and-his-new-movie">Michael Moore stirs up controversy again on Link TV</a>, taking on Obama, the media, and America's very financial underpinnings. Link's special features Michael Moore's standing-room only talk at the Commonwealth Club of California, as he gives insight into his new film while getting in his trademark jabs at the rich. What makes his latest movie a love story, a "romantic documentary", as Moore calls it? "It is a love story. It's about the wealthy, who love their money. Except the movie has a twist - they not only love their money, but they love our money too. And they want all of it."The critics have weighed in with fairly positive reviews of Capitalism: A Love Story, though <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/movies/23capitalism.html" target="_blank">Manohla Dargis in the New York Times</a> takes Moore to task for his lack of "any real answers... which tends to be true of most socially minded directors in the commercial mainstream." And while some of Moore's cinematic decisions left Rolling Stone <a href="http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/06/michael-moores-problems-are-our-fault/" target="_blank">writer Matt Taibb</a><a href="http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/06/michael-moores-problems-are-our-fault/" target="_blank">i</a><a href="http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/06/michael-moores-problems-are-our-fault/" target="_blank">, blogging on the website True/Slant</a>, a bit perplexed, he was nevertheless impressed that the film addressed "a taboo subject for every other major media outlet in the country": a society undergoing a "rapid peasant-ization."Need Moore? Check out this <a href="/programs/shaheen-michael-moore">interview with Blanche Shaheen</a> (who has appeared recently as a host on Link TV), where the filmmaker reveals his premonition that the economic "house of cards was about to come down" even before the global economy officially tanked. And he pulls no punches for the capitalists, who he depicts as continually concocting new schemes to part working folk from their cash: "In capitalism, for the wealthy, there's no such thing as the word "enough". "Enough" is the dirtiest word in capitalism."   What do you think? Does Moore speak the truth, and does he have the answers? What do you think the repercussions will be after Moore's exposé of Wall Street and the capitalist system? Be sure to <a href="/programs/michael-moore-on-obama-the-media-and-his-new-movie">watch Link's special</a> and let us know! Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:47:38 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/293/climate-change-hits-home 53c3bce66e43be4f209556518c2fcb54 It seems that more and more people are talking climate change these days, but why is it important? How will global warming really affect us? Moving the global warming conversation from the esoteric to one that requires everyone's immediate attention, Link TV's new series <a href="/climatechange">Climate Change Hits Home</a> brings you weekly stories of climate change's direct effects on us. As we inch closer to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, <a href="/climatechange">check out the facts, videos and action ideas</a> for improving the adverse impact of climate change on our planet.   Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:28:24 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/289/health-care-bestselling-author-tr-reid-speaks-out-video 839ab46820b524afda05122893c2fe8e In this must-see speech author T.R. Reid touches on the many points brought up in his <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/books/bestseller/besthardnonfiction.html?scp=3&sq=the%20healing%20of%20america&st=cse" target="_blank">New York Times Bestseller</a> &ldquo;The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care.&rdquo;Moving and humorous at turns, Reid begins by posing the question: How come all the other advanced, industrialized, free market democracies -- countries just like us -- manage to provide health care for everybody, of high quality, and still spend half as much as we do?He then retells his own experiences traveling the world, interviewing everyone from health ministers and leaders of state to doctors and patients about the realities of their own health care systems.We&rsquo;re so used to seeing the health care debate chopped down into sound bites or insults, or talked around in political speeches. But take a moment for this serious topic, one that -- as Reid argues --  is just as much about our own sense of morality as it is about economics or politics.     You can also catch excerpts from the new documentary by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room), Money-Driven Medicine, which is airing as part of the Link TV special <a href="/programs/special-can-we-really-fix-us-health-care">Can We Really Fix U.S. Health Care?</a> Money-Driven Medicine provides the essential introduction Americans need to become knowledgeable participants in health care reform, and asks the central question: Can a health system designed to turn a profit also meet the needs of the people it serves?   Also, check out Reid's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html" target="_blank">"Five Myths About Health Care in the Rest of the World"</a> from The Washington Post.     Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:54:03 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/288/news-u-brings-know-the-news-to-expanding-roster-of-classrooms 48aedb8880cab8c45637abc7493ecddd Earlier this year Link TV's <a href="/knowthenews">Know the News</a> project joined with the Poynter Institute's <a href="http://www.newsu.org/" target="_blank">NewsU.org</a> to bring our unique video editing tool to more classrooms. The online course, called <a href="http://www.newsu.org/courses/course_detail.aspx?id=nwsu_remixer09" target="_blank">Video News Editing: The Remixer Game</a>, allows students to learn about media spin by comparing and editing new stories from broadcasters worldwide.The start of the school year has brought many new schools and organizations to the Know the News remixer thanks to the partnership.Here's a list of schools and orgs now using Know the News, which is funded by the <a href="http://www.knightfoundation.org/" target="_blank">John S. & James L. Knight Foundation</a>: Schools:Lynchburg CollegeIllinois State UniversityAmarillo CollegeUnion CollegeLyndon State CollegeUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity of GeorgiaCalifornia State University, FresnoNorthwest UniversityMaricopa Community CollegeKaplan UniversitySyracuse UniversityTulsa Community CollegeUniversity of FloridaDaytona State CollegeUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireJohn Paul II High SchoolGettysburg Area High SchoolFairfax County Public SchoolsAcademy of Broadcasting CorporationMagnolia High SchoolSt. Martin's Episcopal SchoolGrosse Pointe North High SchoolHarlandale High SchoolNorthern BC Distance EducationSt. Mary's High SchoolPinellas Park High SchoolOrganizations:SMG Africatbt* Tampa Bay TimesNorth Bay NuggetIndo Asian News ServicePhilippine Daily Inquirer   Check out the Remixer Game at <a href="http://www.newsu.org/courses/course_detail.aspx?id=nwsu_remixer09" target="_blank">NewsU.org</a>. For more information on the tools visit <a href="/knowthenews">Know the News</a>.   Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:34:39 -0700 Link Media, Inc. http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/287/new-special-with-author-of-the-omnivores-dilemma-and-in-defense-of-food 918317b57931b6b7a7d29490fe5ec9f9 The industrialization of the U.S. food system is multiplying rates of obesity and preventable illness. Our planet is suffering as well: the massive amounts of oil, coal and natural gas needed to produce, distribute and refrigerate our food is putting further strain on the planet's limited resources. I recently heard that a grocery chain that touts themselves as "green" flies their salmon to Japan to be filleted, then flies it back to the U.S. for sale in their stores! Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, says: "When we eat from the modern industrial food system," Pollan says, "we are eating fossil fuel and spewing greenhouse gas."   Though this situation seems abysmal, Pollan offers real alternatives to our current system; alternatives and solutions for a healthier, safer and more environmentally-friendly food supply. Watch the premiere of Michael Pollan: Deep Agriculture tonight at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific: <a href="/programs/michael-pollan-deep-agriculture">click here</a> for more information. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:03:16 -0700 Link Media, Inc. North America http://www.linktv.org./about/blog/post/286/the-yes-men-come-to-link-tv 16a5cdae362b8d27a1d8f8c7b78b4330 It's been a busy week for <a href="http://www.theyesmen.org/" target="_blank">The Yes Men</a> - an arrest on Tuesday hot on the heels of their enviro New York Post hoax on Monday. Ten months after their fake satirical <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/11/12/fake_new_york_times_hits_readers.php" target="_blank">New York Times issue</a>, the faux-Post concerns itself with the current environmental crisis, and the tabloid-style headline is perhaps more accurate than usual for the notorious Post - "WE'RE SCREWED." The issue details, in fluent Murdoch-speak, the tragic and scary events scientists say are about to unfold thanks to our failure to move on climate change and other unchecked environmental damage, and was released to coincide with the U.N. meeting on climate change. Check out the complete issue, available online <a href="http://nypost-se.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. The group says nearly a million copies were distributed.   You can also watch this video of The Yes Men discussing the hoax:     Just the next day, Yes Men co-founder Andy Bichlbaum was <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/09/22/yes_man_arrested_ny_post_flattered.php?gallery0Pic=2" target="_blank">arrested in New York</a> while demonstrating their SurvivaBall which, according to their promotional materials, is "a self-contained living system&mdash;truly, a gated community for one. If you have a SurvivaBall, even if everyone else is dying, at least you can weather all storms."   Unfamiliar with The Yes Men? Here's the group's mission: "Impersonating big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them. Targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else." The Yes Men have released two films of their hijinks, and the first <a href="/programs/the-yes-men-return">The Yes Men</a> will be airing on Link TV, along with clips from the latest film <a href="http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/" target="_blank">The Yes Men Fix the World</a> which will be released in theaters on October 7. We'll also be interviewing the recently arrested Andy Bichlbaum. <a href="/programs/the-yes-men-return">Click here for airdates.</a>   Also, check out these videos of other classic Yes Men moments:   Dow Spokesman Hoax       Trailer for The Yes Men Fix the World   Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Link Media, Inc. Europe North America http://www.linktv.org/rss/linktv_rss.gif http://www.linktv.org/about/blog