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The Politics of 'Avatar'; Balloon Boy's Parents Sentenced
Aired December 23, 2009 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Making news right now on your national conversation: They thought they were safely on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The next thing I know, the plane went across the roadway, crashed.
VELSHI: Now do you understand now why they say remain seated with your seat belt secure until the plane has come to a complete stop?
Like an addict without a drug, BlackBerry users like me everywhere last night in withdrawal. I'm finding out what went wrong again.
VELSHI: Some are calling it a space Western. Others say it has a political message.
STEPHEN LANG, ACTOR: Think of a Western that's done completely from the Indians' point of view.
VELSHI: One of the stars from the new movie "Avatar" explains the hype.
And Roland Martin cuts through hype around health care and the Christmas Eve vote.
SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: What is the reason to do it this fast? We are doing it for a political reason.
VELSHI: Seventeen hours until the Senate votes, your truly national conversation for Wednesday, December 23, starts right now. Let's go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI: Hello again, everybody, Ali Velshi here in for Rick Sanchez for another hour of the next generation of news. It is a conversation, not a speech, and it's your turn to get involved.
Some news in just now -- Bernard Madoff, convicted fraudster, we are learning now has been transferred to a medical unit in the North Carolina prison unit, Butner, North Carolina. That the prison that he has been incarcerated in since his sentencing. He was sentenced to 150 years. We are learning now that he was transferred on December 18 to the medical facility at that prison.
Prison officials won't tell us what he was transferred for. They consider that personal information. We are reaching out to his lawyer to find out what the trouble is that has resulted in Bernie Madoff being transferred, but we have confirmed that convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff has been transferred to a medical facility at the medium security federal prison in Butner, North Carolina. If we get more on that, we will give it to you.
Now, there are two ways to look at last night's American Airlines incident in Jamaica. One, a busted-up airline and frightened people on stretchers is a horrific sight, especially with so many people are flying somewhere this week. Look at that picture.
On the other hand, wow, 154 people survived this accident. Some, about 40, were hurt. Witnesses say the flight landed in Kingston, Jamaica, but then did not stop. The 737 rolled off the runway, crashed through a fence, cracked up. An engine came off. The landing gear on one side crumbled.
And, finally, the airliner skidded to a stop -- get this -- 10 or 15 feet from the edge of the water. This all happened in pitch dark and in blinding rain.
Let's talk with our meteorologist Chad Myers.
Chad, you know, we all travel a lot, and we wonder, haven't we overcome the effects of rain when we land and take off planes?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, a couple things were telling, as bad as the weather was. When the plane landed, the people, the passengers actually clapped for the landing, and then the plane didn't stop.
You know, I have been on enough planes to realize most people don't clap when the plane comes down. Most people just assume that it's going to come down.
VELSHI: That is included in your ticket.
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: That's included in the price of -- yes, the destination, to land and be good. And so, the weather really must have been terrible in the area for the people to realize and to clap for the pilot, saying, hey, great landing.
But let's take a look what we have for you. Here's Kingston, Jamaica, a long enough runway, almost 8,900 feet. But it is right at the water's edge, I mean literally. They're coming in on runway 12 here and flying down. A number of things could have happened. There's no way to know whether the pilot maybe missed half the runway and landed late, could not get the plane to slow down, whether there was possibly wind coming in from behind him due to thunderstorms. We would call that wind shear.
Sometimes, wind shear can make a plane crash. But if the wind came in after the plane was already on the ground, you think you have a headwind, you think you are actually going to get the plane to slow down with the wind, but when the plane goes with the wind, you know, that can actually kind of almost seem to be picking up speed, rather than blowing up against it.
So, here is what we are actually talking about, a number of things. Did the plane come in too late and not have enough braking distance, and ending up right there on the water? That could have happened. Another thing that could have happened, as the plane came down and was landing and doing a very nice roll down the runway, rather than wind coming in here, if there was a downburst of a thunderstorm, and that blew the plane this way, you get an 45- or 50-mile-per-hour wind blowing you down the runway, you don't get to stop in time. And that ended up on the runway, too.
There's also some indications from passengers of pops and bangs. And you never know what a pop and bang is. Was it the pop and bang when it hit the fence here? And did that move on down? Or could that have been maybe a malfunction in the braking system or the anti -- the reverse thrusters as it came down? Maybe one thruster didn't deploy properly or lost something.
This is all very speculative. And where this goes from here, the FAA and all of the people down there, American Airlines, they will absolutely figure this out.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Yes.
MYERS: Planes -- it was closed for a while. Planes were diverted to Montego Bay, but now things seem to be doing all right at this point.
VELSHI: Yes, it is a busy week. And it's always just -- it's another piece of stress to add on to people's worries about travel.
But thank you for -- you know a lot about this stuff. Thank you for...
MYERS: You know, I have been to a number of airports, and I just don't like it when the runway ends right there at the water.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I know. I like the kind where there is land all around.
MYERS: Coming into Charlotte Amalie is a lot like that, too, and the Virgin Islands, like, really, is there going to be a runway? Then all of a sudden it's there.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: It's like that even when you come into La Guardia. You are down over the water until runway that shows up.
MYERS: Absolutely. Right. Right.
VELSHI: Thank you, my friend, Chad Myers. Listen, there was another runway incident. This one was in Scotland, in Glasgow. This is a 737, skidded off the runway. Apparently, it was icy. It skidded off the runway. This was a couple of hours right after the Jamaican incident. It was a Ryanair plane. There it is right there. It came to a stop in the grass -- 129 passengers were on that plane, no injuries there. So, that is the good news. That is the way I like to look at it. It is not all that bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD HEENE, FATHER OF FALCON HEENE: Most of what I wanted to say is in that letter, but I do want to reiterate, I'm very, very sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: The balloon boy's dad appears to choke up as he apologizes for his actions. Then again, we have seen him appear emotional before. Did the judge buy it? Well, how is this for an answer? The balloon boy's parents are getting jail time.
And say it ain't so. BlackBerry users outraged by the second data outage in a week. I guess they don't call them CrackBerrys for nothing.
And don't forget the other way to participate in this national conversation. Call us in the United States. The number, 877-742- 5751.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Rick. This is Sheila (ph) in Texas.
I think it is very dumb to fly in bad weather, and I am sure they did have something to do with those accidents, if it was weather involved, weather in the area. I was an air traffic controller for 30 years. I have seen first-hand effects of flying through bad weather, and I think it is a really stupid thing to do. Thanks.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Now the reality show nobody wanted. We all watched the drama live right here on this program, a silver balloon drifting across Colorado, lawmen chasing below, believing that a 6-year-old boy was trapped inside.
Then we learned it was a stunt for a reality show that the parents dreamed up. Well, today, reality hit them both square in the face in a Colorado courtroom.
Watch dad Richard Heene's almost tearful apology right before the judge threw the book at him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEENE: I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there and the people that got involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: But the judge called it, saying -- quote -- "This was all about the money" -- end quote. He sentenced Heene to three months in jail and four months probation, although, given the time he has -- some other considerations, he is only going to end up being about 30 days in jail.
We did not hear a peep from mom Mayumi Heene. She didn't even -- well, she didn't talk, but she didn't get off completely lightly, even though she fessed up early. She's going to report to the county lockup for 20 days after her husband gets out. And possibly the biggest blow of all, no show. They can't cash in on the drama and might have to pony up almost $50,000 to pay for the balloon chase.
Well, a homecoming that has been years in the making, but what is keeping this father and his young son from being reunited before the holidays? That is ahead.
And next: BlackBerry users forced to put down their devices. Talk about upset customers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: I almost feel like I should recuse myself from this conversation, because this is my BlackBerry, and this is my BlackBerry. I have two of them.
BlackBerry addicts, take a deep breath. That is what I had to do. We know that you had a rough few hours overnight. You didn't have e- mail. You didn't have Internet access. You couldn't tweet or update your Facebook without actually logging on to a real computer.
For almost eight hours, BlackBerry users were forced to interact with live human beings, communicate with spoken language. Now, fortunately, for them and me and for you, if the shoe fits -- well, look, the worst has passed.
Most BlackBerry-based services in North and South America are restored, although the company says there are still some hiccups and some people are still catching up to some of the e-mails they didn't get.
So, what happened? BlackBerry, Research In Motion, the company that runs it, isn't saying much more than this mea culpa -- quote -- "RIM" -- Research In Motion -- "continues to monitor its system to maintain normal service levels and apologizes for any inconvenience to customers."
Research In Motion is a company that sells and make BlackBerry devices and claim more than 36 million subscribers. Users, including me, endured a similar BlackBerry service outage last Thursday. We didn't get an altogether clear explanation about that either.
Ian Austen is a "New York Times" reporter. He's on the line from Ottawa.
Ian, what is going on at BlackBerry, at RIM? I think we can all deal with the fact that this kind of thing happens every now and then, but twice in a week makes us think it might be something more. What is going on?
IAN AUSTEN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, as you said, RIM is not the most transparent of companies, so we don't exactly know what has happened.
But it seems to be once again a situation where they have upgraded some software, and things didn't work out as planned.
VELSHI: Well, they seem to be back on track, but there is something to be -- I think what happens, when it happens twice in a week, we learn how dependent we are on these things, whether it is a BlackBerry or you use some other palm-type device or you use an iPhone. The reality is, this felt like a phone outage would have felt 10 or 15 years ago.
AUSTEN: Well, it seems like a power outage for some people, doesn't it, or loss of your tap water.
VELSHI: Right.
AUSTEN: The two incidents seem to have been different. The one that happened last night was much more extensive than the one last Thursday.
But whether or not this is a long-term thing, it is difficult to say. The problem with the BlackBerry is that it is so reliable...
VELSHI: Right.
AUSTEN: ... that, whenever it fails, it is big news, whereas, you know, there's kind of constant running reports for example of how poor iPhone service can be in some metropolitan areas on AT&T's network, but we just don't write about that, because that happens every day.
VELSHI: All right. So, for now, you're not -- as somebody who follows this sort of thing, you're not altogether alarmed; you think it was a couple of hiccups in a week, and we should just move on, and remember how to actually make phone calls and talk to people in case we have to do it?
AUSTEN: Well, perhaps.
But you pay a premium to have a BlackBerry. And what you are paying that premium for is its unique e-mail service, which is, generally speaking, much more reliable.
But the problem is, it gets that reliability by being highly centralized. RIM runs its own networks, which are more efficient, when they work. When they don't work, it affects a lot of people.
The other services, well, they generally don't work as well, but they don't crash spectacularly, as we saw last night happen with BlackBerry.
VELSHI: All right, we will keep an eye out, you will keep an eye out, and if we some kind of word from Research In Motion about what exactly happened, we will share that with our audience.
Thanks for joining us, Ian. I appreciate it. Stay warm up there in Ottawa.
Well, look, first, there was -- let me take a look at this. A lot of people were not able to BlackBerry, but you were still able to tweet, even though if you used your BlackBerry to do it, you may had trouble.
Curious1966: "I can't help but wonder if President Obama said what the hell when he tried to use his BlackBerry this morning."
You're right. He uses a BlackBerry.
Curious1966 again: "I hate the smirk Madoff always seemed to have on his face. I want to wring his neck for what he did to so many people."
Bobbysgirl1972: "Heene is not sorry. It's just another act. Glad the judge saw through him. I feel for his kids. Hope they grow up with a normal life."
And I have got one right here on mine from Grossman (ph). He says: "Ali Velshi, why do your suits law look like you were dressed by a blind guy picking fabrics in a rainbow factory?"
You know what, Grossman? No likey, no looky.
Commercial, they pay the bills here and my salary, so why does it seem that so many commercials are so loud? You know what I mean? You are watching a show, and then, bam, a commercial comes on. The volume jumps up. So, why would it take an act of Congress to change this?
Here's CNN's Louise Schiavone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don't deny it. Advertisements louder than the program in which they appear, TV commercials like these get on your nerves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time you try to watch a show, you have these really loud commercials.
SCHIAVONE: You might have thought there ought to be a law. Actually, there might be one soon. Approved in the house and awaiting action in the senate, legislation mandating that TV commercials are no louder than the programs in which they appear.
MARK HUGHES, MEDIA ANALYST: This is kind of a dumb bill, but I love it.
SCHIAVONE: Media analyst Mark Hughes says it's obviously not a world class political issue, but for irritated Americans, it rings a bell.
HUGHES: It's important I don't wake the kids while they're sleeping or tick off my wife when she says to turn it down and then it's high volume.
SCHIAVONE: It's a back handed compliment the bill's author will take it.
REP. ANNA ESHOO (D), CALIFORNIA: I have never said this is going to solve the huge challenges that face us. I had no idea that people across the country would relate to it and be drawn to the legislation and I mean, I have gotten more mail, e-mails, telephone calls, saying at a girl, do it. It might even save my marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The show goes off, commercials go on, it's blasted up.
SCHIAVONE: Political strategist John Ashford says it's a neat little issue when the big challenges aren't that tidy.
JOHN ASHFORD, HAWTHORN GROUP: When Congress can't solve big problems like Iraq and Afghanistan and ten percent unemployment and how to implement this health care bill they're trying to pass, they turn to small problems like blasting television commercials.
SCHIAVONE: The bill gives one year to advertisers and production houses to adopt industry technology that modulates and sets sound levels and apply it to television commercials.
Sources at the FCC say that for the most part issues associated with the Internet have been topic a over there, but if Congress sends them a bill to regulate the sound of TV commercials, they'll implement it.
Louise Schiavone, for CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI: I have got a few more tweets from folks here. We were just having this conversation with Ian Austen about BlackBerry. We did ask them for an interview. They declined. And they have not been as forthcoming with their explanations as we would like.
But Lady Kayaker does points out on Twitter: "BlackBerry has a remarkable up time record, which is why it is so disorienting for you guys when they do go down."
And that is actually a point that Ian made, that it is such a reliable service that when it goes down it feel likes your power going out or your phone going down or your water not running. You're just used to it being there all the time. Still, we would like to figure out why there were two major outages inside of a year (sic).
We got one from somebody whose name I don't know how to say. And I have learned from all of you people that if I don't know how to say it, don't say it. "IPhones don't get outages because e-mails are not pushed through one e-mail server through all users." Interesting point, but, again, as Ian and I discussed, you have service issues with BlackBerrys. They just don't get the service in some places that BlackBerrys do -- however, different issue.
So, those are some of the comments that we are getting from you. And I do have somebody who is defending my dressing, after Grossman said that it really didn't look all that good.
All right. First, there was Abe Lincoln in a Cheeto. Then there was Jesus on the iron, but a Grinch in a house plant? We are going to let you decide on that one.
After a five-year battle, by the way, a U.S. dad is finally given custody of his son who was taken to Brazil, but now there is a new twist in the case that could again delay the boy's return home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Well, it is a tale of love, loss and international law.
We have been watching it together and it just might be finally coming to an end. He is not home free yet, but David Goldman is one giant step closer to getting his son back. Brazil's chief justice says the boy's Brazilian relatives have to hand him over. Their lawyer tells CNN they will do it, but they are not rushing.
The lawyer is meeting with a middleman to set things up. He want the boy's grandmother to meet with Goldman first, so she can tell him what his son likes to eat and do.
The battle over 9-year-old Sean Goldman started five years ago when his mother took him home to Brazil for a vacation and she never returned. She married another man, but died in childbirth last year. David Goldman has been trying to get Sean from the step-dad ever since, only to have his hopes raised and dashed again and again.
The handover is to supposed to happen by 9:00 tomorrow morning. We will bring you the reunion if and when it happens.
Well, the holidays are stressful. Well, it's a stressful time of year for everyone, people to see, places to go, things to buy. Well, that is Lisa Furst, who you are about to see on TV. Now -- well, you know what? I lied. But Lisa Furst is in front of a camera, and you are going to see her in a minute. She will tell you how to keep that stress from making you depressed.
That is coming up next. And, remember, you can join us for the national conversation whenever you visit Atlanta. Well, you won't visit me, but you will visit Rick. Just call 1-877-4CNN-TOUR.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: All right.
It is two days until Christmas. You still have presents to buy, no clue what to cook for Christmas dinner, parties to attend, maybe nothing to wear. And your mother-in-law is arriving tonight.
If you are feeling stressed, well, Lisa Furst is here to help. She's from the Mental Health Association of New York City.
Lisa, thank you for being with us.
LISA FURST, MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK CITY: Pleasure to be here.
VELSHI: I am never one to worry too much about it, but I do meet people who get very, very stressed about this thing. And it seems to feeds off itself.
FURST: Yes. Yes.
VELSHI: So, you are trying to gather your gifts. You are trying to figure out whether you are driving or flying somewhere. And by the time you get there, you are probably not a whole lot of fun. What do you do? How do you think about it?
FURST: I think the best way to think about it, we at the Mental Health Association of New York City find that when people work to manage their time, their money and their expectations for the holiday, they tend to end up having a much better time.
VELSHI: Well, how do you manage that, though? Because you would think that people have been doing this for a long time. Why does it fall apart?
FURST: It falls apart because people's expectations of the holiday may not match where they really are. They may have a desire to overspend, buy the perfect gift, have the perfect holiday experience.
And in reality they find that when they check their expectations, look at their budget, manage their time successfully and come to the holiday with realistic expectations, that they end up doing better.
VELSHI: What do you think the biggest stressors? Is it money? Is it the travel? Is it the interaction with families that you are not used to dealing with? What really seems to trigger people the most?
FURST: It could really be a combination of all of those things. All of these things come into play for some people. If they are experiencing budgetary issues, money could come to the fore.
VELSHI: And that's a bigger deal this year, probably, for a lot of people.
FURST: For some people, it certainly is. So, sticking to a budget and really committing to that and avoiding impulse buying and that sort of thing can be really helpful with that...
(CROSSTALK)
FURST: ... problem.
VELSHI: So, here is some stuff we can talk about for people right now.
FURST: Yes.
VELSHI: We're days away from Christmas. We know that in some parts of the country, the weather stopped people from buying things. So, the impulse might be, I have now got to get it done. The budget has got to go out the window.
FURST: Yes.
VELSHI: This might be a good time to take control of it again and say that is not what it is about.
FURST: Absolutely right.
In fact, when you're pressed for time, the impulse to do more and do better grows. But that is actually a time to take a moment in your busy schedule to stop, pause, reflect, see what you can really do, and work with that, rather than an outsized set of expectations.
VELSHI: Now, what happens is, people get stressed because of what you just said, because of the money, because of maybe the travel or the hassle of cooking or getting everything ready.
And then, in the moment in which it's supposed to culminate, the gathering of the family...
FURST: Yes.
VELSHI: ... the time together, that is when it kind of comes out, when, in fact, what should be coming out there is love and warmth.
FURST: Yes.
And, again, that is the challenge that some people have with matching their expectations to what is really happening. If we thing we got to achieve the perfect gift, the perfect meal, and the perfect holiday experience, that's a pretty high standard to live up to.
And so, scaling it back to having a good time, and enjoying the people that you're with and enjoying what's really there and letting go of the small stuff. If the roast isn't perfect, let it be. You can still have a wonderful holiday.
VELSHI: You know, I tend to like to do that, but one thing I find is whenever I give that advice to somebody who's stressing out about it at the moment, that doesn't altogether go over that well. When it doesn't, I don't worry about it. It's fine.
FURST: Yes.
VELSHI: That's not entirely what they want to hear. So, what do you -- what do you say to people who you are around people who are stressed...
FURST: Yes. VELSHI: ... to try and bring the tension level down when you see it bubbling up, if it's your family members or friends?
FURST: Well, you want to help acknowledge that expectation is there. Oh, I know you wanted this to be so perfect and we're all going to have a really great time. Thank you so much for your effort. This is wonderful. So, emphasizing the positive of what's already there and acknowledge the expectation without trying to expect someone to live up to it.
VELSHI: How do you deal with -- and I mean, as we're getting closer obviously to Christmas, there are fewer of these -- but the schedule tends to get a little packed, people, there are some people who like to accept in every invitation they're given to do things, and yet, there are some things that matter more than others.
FURST: Absolutely. You hit it right there on the head. And what I would say to people is, you know what, you can pick and choose the events that fill the most important to people you most want to spend time with, and enjoy the most, give priority to that. You don't have to accept every single invitation.
VELSHI: I wasn't even stressed and you've relaxed me about the whole thing.
FURST: Glad to know.
VELSHI: You made me want this to last longer, you know?
FURST: Oh, great.
VELSHI: That's what people should want. They should want to enjoy it so much. So, thanks so much. You know it sounds so obvious some of the stuff you're saying, but it's times like this where we kind of forget them a little bit.
FURST: That's right.
VELSHI: Thank you very much for being with us.
FURST: A pleasure.
VELSHI: Lisa Furst is with the Mental Health Association of New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN LANG, ACTOR, "AVATAR": Some people have referred to this as a space western. And, you know, in some ways, the Navee, who are the indigenous blue creatures on the planet...
VELSHI: Right.
LANG: ... they are not unlike Native Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VELSHI: Well, by now, I'm sure you've at least seen some of the previous or thrillers or heard about this new movie "Avatar." But there are political messages laced within the movie. I'm going to tell you about that next.
And don't forget the other way to participate in this national conversation is to give us a call. Here in the United States, the number is 1877-742-5751.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Out there beyond that fence, every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for juju beads. It is my job to keep you alive. I will not succeed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: By now, you've heard the half billion dollar James Cameron production of "Avatar." It's a 3D extravaganza, a feast for your eyes, your film-going eyes.
There's another aspect of the film critics are sure to call your attention to. The movie has an underlying political message about a war, big guy versus little guy, who is here first, who has the rights to a land's natural resource?
Well, I spoke about it all with actor Stephen Lang who plays a central role as the colonel of the security forces in the movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CNN'S CAMPBELL BROWN)
VELSHI: A lot of talk about this movie and its special effects, and they really are quite fascinating. Are you more surprised that people are talking about the political undertones that could be coming out of this movie, the messages in the movie?
STEPHEN LANG, ACTOR, "AVATAR": I'm not surprise at all. I think that the concerns, the themes of the movie, the environmental themes of the film, are so overt that it would -- I'd be shocked if people didn't remark on it.
VELSHI: Typically in movies where there are humans and other, the audience is rooting for humans. In this case, the audience finds themselves rooting for the other, the alien -- the planet that's being invaded for this mineral that humanity needs. A very interesting change in the normal construct that we're used to.
LANG: I see that some people have referred to this as a space western. And, you know, in some ways, the Navee, who are the indigenous blue creatures of the planet...
VELSHI: Yes. LANG: ... they are not unlike Native Americans, and the hell's gate which is where the humans hang out, is not unlike Fort Apache. So, think of a western that's done completely from the Indian's point of view...
VELSHI: Right.
LANG: ... and you might have a -- or where the sympathies are totally with the Indians, and it might give you some idea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Well, if you can agree with the politics or not, plenty of people went to see "Avatar's" opening weekend. It did $73 million at the box office in the United States, even more overseas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully, our generation will learn from these mistakes that led up to the recession. We won't be going out and buying outrageous houses that we can't afford and getting mortgages. And we really appreciate our jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Words of wisdom from a young generation as they try to find jobs in this economy. You are not going to want to miss my interview with folks who are jumping head first into one of the worst job markets in decades.
And Prince William the Pauper spending the night in the city streets to raise awareness about the homeless.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: OK. Some great tweets from you about a few of the stories we've been doing. The holiday stress story seems to be attracting some of your attention.
Curious 1966, "I would have no stress if I didn't have any in-laws. Oops, did I say that out loud?"
Bone1969, "Stress during holidays is caused by not long-term planning than executing laid plans." I don't know what that means.
Curious 1966 back, "I can't help but to buy, buy, buy and when the bill comes in, I hide, hide, hide." Apparently, you tweet, tweet, tweet a lot, too.
And Janieo says, "Stress is self created. It's called simplify." Right.
OK. Hold on, I got to throw some numbers out there. I'm the finance guy.
Personal income, personal spending, both of those numbers are up. Not quite as much as expected, but they are still up. These are numbers that are brought to us by the Commerce Department. They release their report on income and spending.
It says that American personal income -- that's your income from all sources -- averaged now across all Americans, rose by almost half of 1 percent in November. That's about $50 billion extra that we took in. That's a generally good sign. But you probably not going to feel it because, like I said, it's averaged out over everybody, but it means the trend is in the right direction.
All right. All this week, every day right here, our conversation has been about recovery, economic recovery and whether we are really pointed in that direction. I'm not just talking it, I'm walking it -- well, I'm riding it actually.
We hit the road a few days ago in the CNN Express, canvassing the country, looking for indications that the worst is behind us, but accepting what was brought in front of us. Imagine grabbing your college diploma and jumping head first into this job market. A lot of fresh university grads are nervously doing just that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: You're all of a generation where you've not seen this in your lives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not really.
VELSHI: It's not -- I mean, a lot of people haven't seen this in their lives. This is -- so this is serious.
NEDRICK RIVERS, ADVERTISING MAJOR: This is a very competitive world -- a very competitive field. I wasn't prepared for that, basically. So now, I'm coming at it with a totally different angle now. I mean, like, I have to like become a soldier now basically, you know? I wanted to come out where, you know, my head up high, you know? All right, I got all of my credentials and the internships and (INAUDIBLE). So, you know, I'm going to get a job, it's not like that.
VELSHI: Aja, you're working in an industry that's been hit very hard during this recession, in tourism and hospitality. Have you got work lined up?
AJA SANDERS, TOURISM & HOTEL MANAGEMENT MAJOR: I do. I have a job.
VELSHI: And what kind of job is it? Tell me.
SANDERS: It is an hourly job, which is kind of -- hey, what can you do.
VELSHI: Nice. And how do you feel about that?
SANDERS: I mean, a job is a job. I mean, I got to pay my rent, and everything. So, I can't complain, which, you know, like I told them, I was like I hope that I can move up pretty quickly, and, say, in a couple of months, I should be able to maybe start getting into the MIT program.
VELSHI: That's the manager in training program.
SANDERS: Right. We got to school, you for four years. And most of us don't hope to be paid hourly. But you know, we hope to have a salary job. But I really can't complain right now. A lot of people don't have jobs.
VELSHI: Does that hurt your confidence?
SANDERS: Nobody is too great to take a little thing job. And then people, I mean, this is really American. I mean, people start from low and they go up really high. You know, you just have to start somewhere.
CATHERINE MCABEE, PHARMACOLOGY MAJOR: Well, and, hopefully, our generation will learn from these mistakes that led up to the recession. We won't be going out and buying outrageous houses that we can't afford and getting mortgages. And we will appreciate our jobs.
VELSHI: That sounds like it. That sounds like it. But do you think that your generation, or at least your class for these last couple years, will have a different appreciation of money and spending it?
MCABEE: Definitely. Definitely. After you see, you know, these people losing their homes and I mean, family, their own families losing their homes.
VELSHI: How are you different than somebody who graduated five years ago?
SANDERS: I think that they had it a little bit better than we did. Definitely, five years ago -- five years ago, I mean, I was in high school. Everything was great in high school. I mean, like the money was flowing. I had a job in high school as well. And, you know, everybody was, you know, happy and all this.
I mean, I graduated in the depression. I mean, not like just economic depression like everybody is depressed.
VELSHI: Anybody having disagreements with their families, their siblings, their friends, about the direction that they're going in, or do they find your network is very supportive?
DANIELLE MCQUEEN, RETAIL & FASHION MERCHANDISING MAJOR: I was a nursing major for three years. And when I changed my major to retail, everybody was like, what are you doing?
VELSHI: Nursing is one of the biggest growing jobs in the country?
MCQUEEN: Nursing wasn't my passion. My passion was retail and fashion merchandising. So, you know, I'm just going of my faith and that's what I really want to do.
VELSHI: And you'd rather struggle a little bit and do the thing that you want to do. MCQUEEN: That I want to do, because it will fulfill me.
VELSHI: And I can see why someone might look at you and say, "What, you gave up nursing?" But that's interesting. You're going to succeed. You're confident that you'll make it?
MCQUEEN: Uh-hum.
SANDERS: Money doesn't make you happy though. I mean, you can see a lot of people who are really, really rich, and really, really sad.
I understand that there are majors that pay more, but if it doesn't make you happen and you go to work hating your job, then there really was no point of you doing it. Because I would rather go to work everyday and be happy and be paid less, than go to work and be miserable and hate my life for the rest of my life and less than four years doing something I hate. I just can't do that. It's not going to work.
VELSHI: Catherine, you're largely on the track that you wanted to be.
MCABEE: Yes.
VELSHI: In other words, while the economy has affected your industry and some of your colleagues who have not been able to get a job, you're largely where you would have been in a good economy?
MCABEE: Right. Exactly.
VELSHI: And that sets you on a good track to be where you want to be.
MCABEE: Yes, I'm very fortunate, I feel, because not everyone in my class is in the same situation right now. But I'm very lucky.
VELSHI: And, Jeff, would you say the same thing? That you are your situation has worked in spite of the fact that the economy is a little weaker, even in your industry?
JEFF BARNHILL, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR: Absolutely. I mean, I have no doubt that I have the job that I have now because I kind of got in while the getting was good -- for lack of a better term. You know, I started the internships back in, you know, '05 and '06, when they were intent on hiring a lot of people and kind of stayed with it. And if I didn't have that, I would probably be in the same boat as most other people now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: All right. Check me out on this pretty webcam. It's pretty cool, especially, a lot of people are talking about webcams and how they are not created equal. Some of them might actually be a little bit racist. Yes, you heard me right. I'm going to tell you about that when we come back.
And don't forget to visit Rick in the studio when you are in Atlanta. Got to CNN.com/tour for more details. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: OK. Do not adjust your TV set. I just want to see if this is working. I'm coming back to you via webcam.
This is -- this is the wave of the future. This is how we're all going to somehow communicate in the future. It's pretty cool. It's actually a pretty good connection, right? Well, in this case, but it's not always that way.
It's time to look at today's "Las Fotos del Dia."
(MUSIC)
VELSHI: Texas -- two coworkers made this video to pose a question. Can Hewlett-Packard's motion tracking webcams see black people? Look at this. First, this man in front of the camera, it seems to have a hard time tracking him when he moves. The woman steps to view and everything is fine, the camera follows here. So, it doesn't follow him and then she steps in in a second, you'll see her and it follows her just find.
This has been on YouTube. It's been referred to by some as a racist webcam. Not sure that's true. Others blame bad lighting.
Hewlett-Packard tells CNN the camera might have a contrast recognition problem. See, look at, look at, she moves around, follows here just fine.
To England now, remember the story of the prince and the pauper? Well, apparently, Prince William knows it and turned pauper for one night, anyway. He left his posh quarters to spend a cold night on the streets of London. He tried to go incognito to experience what it's like to be homeless and he almost got run over by a street sweeper. Imagine that headline?
After a sleepless night, the prince went to a shelter and cooked breakfast for several homeless people.
Oh, that tricky Grinch stealing Christmas from the Whos in Whoville, then having a literal change of heart, which inspired the most memorable holiday I'm sure Whoville has ever seen. Well, now, he is spreading the Christmas cheer in Florida. Huh?
Look at it. Come on. Look closely. OK, how about now? People in Florida say the Grinch's face can be seen in this staghorn fern. Looks like E.T. to me, but, whatever, to each is own.
(MUSIC)
VELSHI: Look at that man, look at that good-looking man on the right there. That's Roland Martin.
Democrat's jumping ship, voting on health care before the holidays, and he's dancing to "Las Fotos del Dia" music. Questions about constitutionality of this health care reform bill. There's a lot from my friend Roland Martin to get fired up about. He joins me next.
Finish that e-mail, Roland, you're coming right back on TV.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CALLER: Hey, Rick, this is Betty from Mississippi and I just want to say that I am so happy that something is getting done about health care in this country. I've been in emergency rooms and I have seen the poor suffering. People there, and I am so glad that I've had insurance but I am so happy to think that there's going to be some coverage and taxpayers are not going to have to pick up emergency bills.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Politics at the end of 2009 is all about health care. There is no other way to say it. The two topics are interchangeable.
Senators are set to vote on the reform bill tomorrow morning, Christmas Eve, with Democrats hoping that this is it.
And even though we hate to mention polls too much, a new CNN/Opinion Research survey shows Americans think congressional Democrats have an advantage over congressional Republicans on the issue of overall policy direction. It's a squeaker, though. Fifty-one percent of those polled say the Democrats' policies are good for the country.
Go to CNN.com/Ticker to see that survey in full. And for those of you who are about to tweet me about it, check it out.
How about this man? He is not one of those that are impressed by Democrats in Congress. Alabama Representative Parker Griffith was one of them until now. Griffith announced yesterday that he is jumping the aisle. He's switching to the GOP ASAP.
The reason? He's fed up with his party on stimulus, environmental issues and, yes, on health care reform.
Roland Martin, who can't possibly have anything to add on any of these subjects, so, he'll just sit there quietly.
Roland, what's up with Parker Griffith?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Me? Me, quiet? Come on. First of all, Ali, you know, I'm not happy, I'm slumming today. I see you got the stripes and...
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: I know, I'm holding it up for both of us, my friend.
MARTIN: Yes, I got you. I got you. But you need the pockets square.
First of all, let's jump right to Griffith. VELSHI: Yes.
MARTIN: He is an absolute political opportunist. He is a hypocrite. He is no different than Senator Arlen Specter who switched from Republican Party to the Democratic Party. Now, all of a sudden, Congressman Griffith, he doesn't like Democrats.
Oh, but he didn't mind the $1 million Democrats gave to his election campaign last year when he won that special election over a Republican, 51 to 48 in Alabama. He didn't mind the $10,000 Congressman Steny Hoyer of the majority, you know, who is the majority leader in the House order 4 grand, Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave to his campaign.
I think that this turn coat should give all that money back the Democrats put into his campaign to get his butt in Congress. He would have no job without their $1 million.
VELSHI: Roland, I want you to hang on for a second. We've got some breaking news that we want to bring you and this is from Withville (ph). I hope I'm saying that right. It might be Wytheville, Virginia.
Wytheville, Virginia, a disabled man has entered a postal facility there -- this according to the mayor, around 2:30 this afternoon. He fired one shot. He's holding three postal workers and two customers hostage at a postal facility in Wytheville, Virginia.
There are unconfirmed reports that this man may have some sort of device on him. That's what we know about it. His car is outside the post office. It also appears to be equipped with some sort of device.
As of now, we're hearing that no one has been injured and police are negotiating with the man. But as of now, it does appear that there is a hostage situation, a postal facility in Wytheville, Virginia.
We're working to get more information on this situation and we will bring that to you as it becomes available. We will keep you posted on that.
Roland, back to you for a second. Now, what happens? This guy has been voting against everything that his party has been doing.
MARTIN: No, actually, that's not true. He is voting with the Democrats 85 percent of the time.
VELSHI: But just not on the big stuff.
MARTIN: So, you voted with Democrats 85 percent of the time...
VELSHI: Yes.
MARTIN: ... against 15 percent. Oh, but now your conscience is just so hurt by this nonsense.
It's a political opportunist because he's thinking he cannot get re- elected as a Democrat when they have election next year. So, he, all of a sudden, is trying to say, "Oh, I want to protect my job."
VELSHI: You think a guy like that has a future?
MARTIN: Well, first of all, as long as Democrats are in control of Congress, the House and the Senate, oh, he has no future because he's going to the minority party. I mean, he's going to be a back-bencher on the minority side.
So, that's great. You can go on the other side -- but you know what, dude, guess what? You know, you're going to have no juice, no power whatsoever. But you protect your nice, cushy, congressional job. As it's all about -- same with Republican Arlen Specter.
VELSHI: Roland, you know, as we follow developments in health care, we think the biggest development is going to be tomorrow morning if that vote goes up, the time that it passes in the Senate.
MARTIN: Right.
VELSHI: But now, there is a new tactic that the Republicans who have come up with all sort of tactics to try and block this have come up with it. They're crying foul about the constitutionality of this bill. Senator John Ensign from Nevada, Georgia Governor Sunny Purdue is in on this.
What do you think?
MARTIN: That's not going anywhere. First of all, these are the same folks who had an opportunity early on to discuss the constitutionality. But some Republicans were negotiating with the president on health care reform. So, now, you don't like it, now you want to focus on the Constitution.
Here's the reality: it's not -- it's going to fail. Democrats will pass it. And if there is going to be a constitutional challenge, it will happen after it is signed into law, likely someone then files a lawsuit. It may go to the Supreme Court, go to the federal court system.
VELSHI: But it could -- I mean, that could happen, that could work.
MARTIN: Well, first of all -- first of all, any law passed by Congress, someone could declare it unconstitutional and file a lawsuit.
VELSHI: Right.
MARTIN: The Supreme Court is the final authority of all laws in this country and it gets to them. But this little stunt by Senator John Ensign, frankly, is not going to go anywhere. And so, it's a last- ditch effort. Republicans have no other option. They know the Democrats have 60 votes to get it done.
VELSHI: All right. What's your view then? What do you think it's going to happen? It's going to pass in the Senate. MARTIN: OK. Keep in mind, tomorrow is only the Senate vote. If it passes, now it goes to conference. Whatever comes out of conference the House has to then vote...
VELSHI: Right.
MARTIN: ... on that and the Senate must come back. So, tomorrow's only round two. You still have round three and then round four...
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: And what do you think it's going to look like when it gets through round three and four?
MARTIN: Well, first of all, we don't know -- look, it looks better than bruised from what it came out of the House. The House had a public option. There's no public option in the Senate.
And so, we have no idea what it's going to look like. There's no doubt there's going to be changes because, look, the whole argument of abortion. Stupak in the House says he wants it stronger. Senator Boxer said no, it's not going to be stronger. So, we don't frankly know. This is just the latest round.
And so, I would say, folks, don't get too excited and don't get all enamored. It's a long way to go before this thing even gets to the president's desk.
VELSHI: Roland, good to see you, my friend. Stay well.
MARTIN: All right, man.
VELSHI: If I don't see you before Christmas, have a great one, you and your family, all right?
MARTIN: Of course, I'm going to play golf. What do you think?
VELSHI: Roland Martin in his home state of Texas.
And that is it for us. Let's take it over to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Suzanne Malveaux.
