The John Batchelor Show

Friday 28 September 2012

Air Date: 
September 28, 2012

 

(Photo: Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli 2008. Leading Matriarch (Marianna). Killed By Poachers, 2009. © Nick Brandt 2011)

905P: Richard Epstein, Hoover, re Chicago School Strike and Collective Bargaining.

920P Epstein continued Charter School and Obama education policy.

935P: Tunku Varadarajan, Around the World in Eight Plus Minutes.

950P: Andrew Revkin, in re Save the Elephants of Kenya from China trade.

Founded in September 2010 by photographer Nick Brandt in urgent response to the recent dramatic escalation in poaching across much of Africa, Big Life Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Africa’s wildlife and ecosystems.  With one of the most spectacular elephant populations in Africa being rapidly diminished by poachers, the Amboseli ecosystem that straddles both Kenya and Tanzania became the Foundation's large-scale pilot project.  Multiple fully-equipped teams of anti-poaching rangers are being placed in newly-built outposts in the critical areas throughout the two million acre + area.  Currently, Big Life has 12 ranger outposts (and counting), an equivalent number of patrol vehicles across the ecosystem in both countries.

1005P Michael Vlahos, HuffPo, in re the Ottomans, the Arab Spring and Renovatio.

Ottoman Porte, (Sublime Porte, High Porte, Ottoman Turkish Bab-ý Ali) used to refer to the Divan (court) of the Ottoman Empire where government policies were established

The particular term was used in the context of diplomacy by the western states, as their diplomats were received at "porte" (meaning gate). During the constitution period (see Young Turk Revolution) the functions of the Divan were replaced by the imperial government, and "porte" came to refer to the Foreign Ministry. During this period Grand vizier came to refer to the position of a president and viziers became the Ottoman Senate. The Sublime Porte was the name of the open court of the sultan, led by the Grand Vizier. It got its name from the gate to the headquarters of the Grand Vizier in Topkapý Palace, where the sultan held the greeting ceremony for foreign ambassadors. It was an ancient Oriental practice to make the gates of cities and kings' palaces places of assembly.  Later the name came to refer to the Foreign Ministry and in contemporary times the office of the governor (Vali) of Istanbul Province. This name has also been interpreted as referring to the Empire's position as gateway between Europe and Asia. The High Porte, in contrast, referred to the private court of the sultan. Porte is French for "gate"; therefore, the term High Porte is a bilingual combination of English High and French Porte that is equivalent to Bab-ý Ali.

1020P: Michael Vlahos, HuffPo, continued, Ottomans, Arab Spring, and Renovatio; Obama goes to Tehran.

1035P: Jay Root, Texas Tribune, in re What happened to Rick Perry presidential campaign, oops?

1050P: Jim Glanz, NYT, in re internet storage not sustainable, and the demands of power and space grow toward overwhelming numbers soon.

1105P: Abe Katsman, Republicans Abroad Israel, in re the Republican vote in Israel for 2012.

1120P: David Weidner, Marketwatch, in re what happened to Meredith Whitney prediction of Muni Bond Market collapse?

1135P: John Markoff, NYT, in re robots ready for consumers, the next generation of robotics at home and work.

Vaca Muerta, Argentina, the new oil and gas discovery.

1150P: Bud Weinstein, Bush Institute, in re Argentina and nationalizing or privatizing Vaca Muerta oil and gas field?

The Vaca Muerta oil field, located in Neuquén Province in Argentina. It began production in 2011 and produces oil. The total proven reserves of the Vaca Muerta oil field are around 927 million barrels (126×106tonnes), and production is centered around 5,000 barrels per day (790 m3/d).[1] In February 2012, oil company YPF SA raised its estimate of oil reserves to 22.5 billion barrels.

1205A: Matthew Kaminski, WSJ, in re Angela Merkel, the Iron Chancellor, ruling Germany masterfully, how?

1220A: Craig Unger, author, Boss Rove, in re why does Rove fret about Bob Bauer, Sally Thompson, Don Seligman?

1235A: Lauren Goodrich, Stratfor.com, in re the Caucasus trouble and Russia.

1255: Adam Satariano, the New IPhone,5, what magic, what problems, is it a marketing invader into our lives? What about maps what about?  What about supply chain and the riots at Foxconn?

Music (using New York City broadcast times): 9:00 hour:  Legion; 10:00 hour:  Centurion; 11:00 hour:  Eagle; midnight hour:  Game of Thrones.

Elephant Drinking (Igor), Amboseli, 2007. Killed by Poachers, 2009. © Nick Brandt 2011.