The Dalai Lama: Change Your Mind Change the World

Posted on May 17, 2013 by David

Dalai LamaWatch full-length video from the Dalai Lama’s visit to Madison, Wis. for the Change Your Mind Change the World event.

On Wednesday, May 15, several of the world’s foremost thinkers joined the Dalai Lama in Madison to discuss how neuroscience, environments, economics, and healthcare can combine to make the world a healthier, happier place.

Wisconsin Public Television recorded two panel discussions featuring the Dalai Lama. Watch full-length video of both discussions below.

For more information on the panelists visit the Change Your Mind Change the World website. The event was co-hosted by Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center and the Global Health Institute, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Conversations on Global Health and Well-being
Panelists: The Dalai Lama, Dr. Richard J. Davidson, Dr. Ilona Kickbusch, Dr. Jonathan Patz, Dr. Don Berwick, Richard Layard; Moderated by Daniel Goleman

Conversations on Science, Happiness and Well-being
Panelists: The Dalai Lama, Dr. Richard J. Davidson, Dr. Jonathan Patz, Matthieu Ricard; Moderated by Arianna Huffington

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Next Director’s Cut: Re-Animator Matt Osterman

Posted on May 16, 2013 by David

Written by Director’s Cut guest host John Urban — a writer, photographer and filmmaker, and assistant director on the “Chad Vader” series.

Someone at Wisconsin Public Television made a mistake; they asked me to guest host three episodes of their wonderful show, “Director’s Cut.” (Apparently they never saw my old show. Then again, it turns out not too many people did!)

Directors-Cut-LogoIt was a ton of fun and a great time, and the first show we taped airs this Friday night. I sat down with filmmaker, Matt Osterman to chat about his film, “Ghost From the Machine.”

Now honestly I’m not a fan of scary films. If I won the lottery I would use the money to ban “SAW 8″ from ever being made. But Matt’s film is much more than a scary movie, it’s a suspenseful thriller, with some comedy and even a little romance. All that said, I did actually watch it at night, during a nasty storm and yes I ran out of the basement with my laundry later that night.

The film centers on Cody, a guilt-ridden young man, tasked with raising his younger brother after the death of their parents. Cody plunges himself into the murky science of the supernatural and invents a machine intended to be a conduit to the other side. He eventually reaches an unintended level of success that not only threatens his safety, but also of those around him. He quickly learns that the supernatural isn’t all that super and human nature can even be worse. (taken from the film’s site)

Hope you will join us this Friday night at 10 as we discuss Matt’s film, his filmmaking process, what he has coming up next and who is going to go down into my basement from now on and do my laundry.

Get a quick preview of what’s ahead on this episode of “Director’s Cut” by listening to WPR’s interview with Osterman. Find out how science and a certain prominent inventor inspired the film, and learn whether any on-set paranormal activity occurred while filming the science-fiction thriller.

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Hit the Road with Peter Sagal

Posted on May 13, 2013 by David

Constitution USA premieres 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. Watch the first episode online now.

Constitution USA With Peter Sagal

By no measure is Peter Sagal a household name. But regular listener’s to the NPR quiz show “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” would urge you to watch Constitution USA With Peter Sagal simply because Sagal is associated with it.

On “Wait Wait,” Sagal is masterful at making light of the week’s hard news. So who better to walk you through a four-episode series on the U.S. Constitution?

I know what your thinking; “public television, the Constitution… there’s probably some period reenactments, lots of wigs and stuff like that.” I can’t guarantee you won’t see a reenactment, but I can tell you this series focuses more on the here and now. Sagal is interested in learning how the Constitution works — and how it doesn’t — in the 21st century. And he’s going to find out by traveling the country on a Harley Davidson to visit normal people, much like yourself, to see how they employ the Constitution in their lives and work.

In the first episode, Sagal visits the family farm, albeit a medical marijuana farm, to explore federalism — a delicate balance of power between the states and the federal government that’s hard-wired for disagreement and conflict, as we’re seeing in the debate over medical marijuana dispensaries.

In coming episodes, Sagal explores several stories — ripped from the headlines — that help make sense of the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment. At the end of his travels he assess the likelihood that this 225-year-old document will survive the onslaught of partisanship and money in politics.

In all, Constitution USA With Peter Sagal is an equal balance of U.S. history and contemporary news, which should please loyal “Wait, Wait” listeners who are accustomed  to testing their knowledge of today’s news. If that’s not you, at least give Sagal a chance by watching the first episode now. You just might become a fan of both shows.

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The Invisible War

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Marcus

Watch Independent Lens “The Invisible War” at 9 p.m. Monday, May 13 on Wisconsin Public Television.

The Invisible WarIt’s difficult to imagine we could allow something like this to happen. It almost seems like a story pulled from long ago in the past, but sadly it’s the present. A time when we would all like to think that the world has a good system of checks and balances in place to prevent horrible acts like these from happening in the first place.

Then, to make matters worse, there was another system missing to prevent the gross abuse of power used to cover everything up and create a culture where it was best just to stay quiet. Unfortunately, this type of corruption isn’t unique to the military, but has been uncovered in groups and corporations around the world. I would like to say this is something that will get better with a time and eventually vanish from our society…

Sadly, corruption from power is an age-old tale and has by and large become part of human nature. My hope is that with ever-changing policies and new technologies, we can work towards a future where we successfully diffuse the balance of power so that no one person is ever put into an ideal position to abuse it.

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Watch Live: Dalai Lama in Madison

Posted on May 10, 2013 by David

Dalai-Lama-Change-Your-Mind-Change-the-WorldWednesday, May 15, several of the world’s foremost thinkers will join the Dalai Lama in Madison to discuss how neuroscience, environments, economics, and healthcare can combine to make the world a healthier, happier place.

Wisconsin Public Television will be on hand to record the event, called Change Your Mind Change the World, and will provide a livestream of the following panel discussions at wpt.org.

9:30 a.m. — Conversations on Global Health and Well-being
2 p.m. — Conversations on Science, Happiness and Well-being

Both panel discussions are now available for on-demand viewing.

Among the distinguished leaders joining the Dalai Lama are Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of Huffington Post; Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., author of the New York Times bestseller “Emotional Intelligence” and Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D, founder of UW-Madison’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center.

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