To listen, please CLICK the 'POD' icon above.

KGNU "It's The Economy' host, Claudia Cragg, speaks here with Sam Daley-Harris who has been called “one of the certified great social entrepreneurs of the last decades” by Ashoka founder Bill Drayton. Daley-Harris founded RESULTS  in 1980, the Microcredit summit in 1995, the Center for Citizen Empowerment and Transformation in 2012, and mentored the founder of  Citizens Climate Lobby prior to its launch in 2007. For many years now, Sam has committed himself to bridging the gap between citizens and their government.

To listen, please CLICK the 'POD' icon above.

Hustlers, strivers, dealers and call girls are the subject of discussion by KGNU's Claudia Cragg (for 'It's The Economy') with Sudhir Venkatesh about his latest book, 'Floating City. The work is a study both of a changing aspect of New York and its economy but also, some say, a changing aspect of the author (a Columubia sociologist) himself.

Here Venkatesh seems to propose that, unlike in other cities, immigrants wanting to make it big in New York – to transcend traditional barriers and improve their lot, licitly or otherwise – need to learn to “float”. The drug-dealer who wants to graduate to selling cocaine to wealthy upper-middle class clients needs to find a way to “float” into that milieu, via contacts, brokers, connections in new worlds. Those who cannot work their way through, past, over these barriers will fail; a would-be high class escort unable to “appreciate good food [or] discuss politics and the opera” with clients will never achieve her aim.

Venkatesh believes too, though, that there are lessons from New York's less orthodox financial world that others in cities around the States and elsewhere would also do well to learn. 

To listen, please CLICK the 'POD' icon above.

KGNU's Claudia Cragg talks her with Alan Blinder about his book, whose title refers to an infamous remark made in July 2007 by Charles O. Prince III, then the chief executive of Citigroup. “When the music stops, in terms of liquidity,” he said, “things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance. We’re still dancing.” His book, he explains, relates, the sorry tale of fiscal irresponsibility and chaos as well as the ways the Bush and Obama administrations grappled with the unspooling crises,

Furthermore, Blinder believes that that the disaster was years in the making. Starting in the late 1990s and continuing through 2007, he says that, Americans had “built a fragile house of financial cards” that was just waiting to be toppled and that the the “intricate but precarious construction was based on asset-price bubbles, exaggerated by irresponsible leverage, encouraged by crazy compensation schemes and excessive complexity, and aided and abetted by embarrassingly bad underwriting standards, dismal performances by the statistical rating agencies and lax financial regulation.”

A Princeton professor, in 2009 Blinder was inducted into the American Academy of Political and Social Science, "for his distinguished scholarship on fiscal policy, monetary policy and the distribution of income, and for consistently bringing that knowledge to bear on the public arena." He is a strong proponent of free trade and Blinder also has been critical of the public discussion of the US national debt, describing it as generally ranging from "ludicrous to horrific"

Blinder served as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Congressional Budget Office (1975), on President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers (January 1993 - June 1994) and as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from June 1994 to January 1996. As Vice Chairman, he cautioned against raising interest rates too quickly to slow inflation because of the lags in earlier rises feeding through into the economy. He also warned against ignoring the short term costs in terms of unemployment that inflation-fighting could cause. Many have argued that Blinder's stint at the Fed was cut short because of his tendency to challenge chairman Alan Greenspan

Click on 'Pod' Icon Above To Listen

KGNU's Claudia Cragg speaks here with the celebrated scholar Carla Kaplan’s on her cultural biography, Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance. The book focuses with vivid prose, extensive research, and period photographs on white women, collectively called “Miss Anne,” who became Harlem Renaissance insiders.

It is largely the story of unconventional, free-thinking women, some from Manhattan high society, many Jewish, who crossed race lines and defied social conventions to become a part of the culture and heartbeat of Harlem. New York City in the Jazz Age was host to a pulsating artistic and social revolution. Uptown, an unprecedented explosion in black music, literature, dance, and art sparked the Harlem Renaissance. While the history of this African-American awakening has been widely explored, one chapter remains untold: the story of a group of women collectively dubbed "Miss Anne."

Sexualized and sensationalized in the mainstream press—portrayed as monstrous or insane—Miss Anne was sometimes derided within her chosen community of Harlem as well. While it was socially acceptable for white men to head uptown for "exotic" dancers and "hot" jazz, white women who were enthralled by life on West 125th Street took chances. Miss Anne in Harlemintroduces these women—many from New York's wealthiest social echelons—who became patrons of, and romantic participants in, the Harlem Renaissance. They include Barnard College founder Annie Nathan Meyer, Texas heiress Josephine Cogdell Schuyler, British activist Nancy Cunard, philanthropist Charlotte Osgood Mason, educator Lillian E. Wood, and novelist Fannie Hurst—all women of accomplishment and renown in their day. Yet their contributions as hostesses, editors, activists, patrons, writers, friends, and lovers often went unacknowledged and have been lost to history until now.

To Listen Please Click on 'pod' Icon above

David Malone is a UK investigative financial reporter, the author of 'The Debt Generation' and and a BBC filmmaker.

In this interview for KGNU's 'It's The Economy', he discusses here with Claudia Cragg the always especially knotty subject of geopolitics. As in a super-fantastic War of the Worlds, in his opinion, Malone says the French are now teaming up with Qatar versus The House of Saud. This, he believes is to free themselves from the Russian dominance in natural gas. Furthermore, you'll hear him argue that powers outside Syria might even be content to have permanent multi-factional revolutionary foment in the region so nobody ever gets ultimate contol, leaving those with commercial interests free to roam.  It's not' all about NOT oil, he says, but gas gas gas. 

To listen, please CLICK the 'POD' icon above.

Here KGNU's Claudia Cragg speaks with Frederick Forsyth about his latest thriller, 'The Kill List'.

In interesting update (4 Oct 2013) on this interview, former NSA/CIA Chief speaking at a Washington Post Forum on 'Cyber Security, joked about "Putting Edward Snowden on Obama’s Kill List". This goes to show, perhaps, that the once journalist Forsyth's intinct for veritas amidst dissembling is far greater than even he knows. 

Frederick Forsyth is the author of fourteen novels and short story collections, from 1971's The Day of the Jackal to 2003's Avenger. A former pilot and print and television reporter, he has had five movies made from his works, and a television miniseries. He also writes a column for Britain's 'Daily Express' newspaper. This latest work, too, is shortly to be made into a movie directed by Rupert Sanders. 

From Penguin, “In Virginia, there is an agency bearing the bland name of Technical Operations Support Activity, or TOSA. Its one mission is to track, find, and kill those so dangerous to the United States that they are on a short document known as the Kill List. TOSA actually exists. So does The Kill List.

Added to it is a new name: a terrorist of frightening effectiveness called the Preacher, who radicalizes young Muslims abroad to carry out assassinations. Unfortunately for him, one of the kills is a retired Marine general, whose son is TOSA’s top hunter of men.

He has spent the last six years at his job. He knows nothing about his target’s name, face, or location. He realizes his search will take him to places where few could survive. But the Preacher has made it personal now. The hunt is on.”

This is a FIRST. First ever Google Hangout recorded interview with Myanmar award-winning film directors, Khin Khin Hsu, Shunn Lei Swe Yee, Hnin Ei Hlaing in conversation with KGNU's Claudia Cragg, together with the organizer of The Singapore Myanmar Film Festival, Dr Marlar Tun (herself a filmmaker, I Am Myanmar (YouTube).

What is lacks in audio quality (this is Myanmar, this is internet Google Hangouts not a fancy studio) is more than made up for by all the interviewees with their authenticity, veracity and bold spirit.

A polished, more orthodox, conventionally manicured journalistic piece will appear soon and air in the US and elsewhere over more old-fashioned airwaves.

(No apologies! The style of this piece is also orchestrated to make it as accessible here to those for whom English is not their first language).

From The Myanmar Times:

The first-ever Singapore Myanmar Film Festival has drawn rave reviews, both from Myanmar people living in Singapore and foreigners interested in learning more about Myanmar films.

“This year’s festival is dedicated to Myanmar filmmakers” at home or abroad, the festival’s director, Benoit Shaack, told The Myanmar Times. “We want to give Myanmar filmmakers a chance to shine outside of Myanmar.”

In June, a panel of judges announced five winners had been selected from over 30 films submitted for consideration. The winning films were shown July 7 at the Golden Village theatre in Singapore, with the filmmakers being honoured the night before at an evening welcoming party.

First prize at the festival went to The Bamboo Grove by Khin Khin Hsu; second prize went to My Grandfather’s House by Shunn Lei Swe Yee; third prize went to Bungkus by Lay Thida (sadly, not available for this interview; fourth prize went to Burmese Butterfly by Hnin Ei Hlaing; and fifth prize went to The Old Photographer by Thet Oo Maung (also not available for this interview).

The Bamboo Grove, which won the festival’s top award, follows a naïve young city doctor whose first posting after medical school is a rural Kayin community in the Delta. The film portrays the deep-seated feelings of the people living there.

“This film is the true story of the scriptwriter, Dr Aung Min,” said Khin Khin Su, the film’s director.

She said the biggest difficulty when shooting the film in 2010 was the use of actual Kayin residents as actors. Some of them did not speak Myanmar, making communication difficult. But it also lent the film an air of realism which struck a chord with festival-goers.

“This is my first competition film,” Khin Khin Su said. “I never thought I would go to Singapore for a film festival or that my film would win first prize. I can’t describe my happiness.”

It may have been her first trip to the film festival, but she’s already made two more feature films since The Bamboo Grove, so it likely won’t be her last.

Another winner, Hnin Ei Hlaing’s film Burmese Butterfly, is already a veteran of the international film festival circuit, having been showcased in 18 countries.

Burmese Butterfly features 21-year-old hairdresser Phyo Lay looking back on a turbulent childhood and adolescence. A rare glimpse into the emergent gay community in this hitherto-isolated country, it describes how difficult it is to come out in Myanmar.

“I’m happy to win the prize,” said Hnin Ei Hlaing, “But I am more happy that this festival was organised … and that I got a chance to show my film in Singapore. Singapore is very close to our country and a lot of Myanmar people live there.”

Burmese Butterfly started filming in 2009. Before the cameras rolled, however, Hnin Ei Hlaing spent about six months getting to know the film’s lead actor.

“I hung out with Phyo Lay wherever he went, even at his home,” she said. “When I started directing the film, his aunty was pregnant. When the film was finished, she had already delivered her child.”

The film was originally supposed to tell the story of two gay men in Myanmar, one more feminine and one more masculine. But the family of the latter man would not allow shooting, so the film’s script had to be changed, Hnin Ei Hlaing said.

Even though Burmese Butterfly has been given a permit for public showings by the Myanmar Censorship Board, audiences in Singapore have to be 18 or over to see it. Despite the age restriction, Hnin Ei Hlaing is grateful the festival is connecting audiences to her film – and allowing filmmakers to get to know each other.

“We got to know many filmmakers and other technicians through this festival,” she said. “We can connect to each other through our films.”

The Singapore-Myanmar Film Festival was organised and funded by the Singapore Myanmar Exchange Organisation. The theme for this year was “Behind closed doors”. The festival included categories for short films, full-length features, documentaries and more, all made by young independent filmmakers of Myanmar origin.

First and second prize winners were awarded HD professional camcorders, and all filmmakers were given top-end post-production software for use on future projects. The organisers also arranged workshops for the five winners with filmmakers from abroad.

“Next year, we will try to hold an even better festival,” said Daw Marlar Tun, director of the Singapore Myanmar Exchange Organisation and coordinator of the Singapore-Myanmar Film Festival. She added that next year’s festival will also be accepting international submissions.

Last week, a young woman asked me if, after graduating from university, she should become a journalist

I had no answer. I'm not a psychologist, a careers advisor, a seer or a phrenologist prepared to lay my hands on her wickedly bumpy skull for portents.

Then of course I started to think for myself, why in fact had I become a journalist.

Was there was some point at which I had decided that was to be my future. No. Never.

But to answer her question as succinctly as I can, I'd say to the young lady (because she is a 'lady') just listen to this (attached piece) and you'll perhaps see why.

In this sad age of Fox/Sky News, #HackGate and paparazzi this is why. This, the piece you can listen to by simply clicking the iPod icon to the left of the title.

If you don't understand, after little over five minutes of just one of so very many remarkable people's stories over 35 years, I don't think you ever will. 

(TO LISTEN, please click the 'POD' icon above)

The Very Reverend James Jones, 64, till now The Bishop of Liverpool, is retiring imminently from the diocese but will continue his connection with the Hillsborough disaster aftermath. Jones chaired the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which cleared fans of blame for the tragedy in its report of September 2012.

Jones will continue to work in a different role, to be announced later this year and in the meantime will regularly be heard on the BBC. On Monday 22nd July at 8 p.m., there is a new broadcast series on BBC Radio 4 in a new series, 'The Bishop and The Bankers' in which, it is hoped, Jones will equally fearlessly and rigorously explore the morality, mindset and personal stories of individuals in banking and business.

Check the BBC iPlayer schedule for other broadcast times.

However, looking back, in this archive interview for KGNU with Claudia Cragg, the then Bishop of Liverpool discusses politics, politicians and science, the role of the individual, The Eden Project in Lancashire and his personal criticism of radical "end-timers" who allegedly consider global warming as an inevitable stage in a Biblical apocalyptic plan.

His visit at that time was a very brave attempt aimed at trying to enthuse naysaying US conservative evangelicals in Colorado Springs into becoming passionate about environmental concerns.

Rev. Jones has long been known as a champion of environmentalism in Britain and was the author of "Jesus and the Earth". 

Jones says it is appropriate, as many others are now doing, to liken the moral imperative presented by climate change (that he has seen for himself in Switzerland, Africa and India) to that of slavery because the poor are being oppressed by climate changes that are ruining harvests.

(Originally roadcast on KGNU on 12/14/06)

(Image from Operation Noah conference)