Last week, we featured a rather prescient video clip highlighting Peter Schiff and his warnings in 2006-07 that that our economy is in deep trouble. Since then, many have wondered where Schiff sees things going next. So NPR’s Planet Money (iTunes — Rss Feed — Stream) caught up with him on Friday and asked him just that: The upshot is nowhere good. We’ve got some deep, underlying problems — problems that go well beyond asset bubbles. We’re headed for another Depression. And it’s in part because all of the government intervention is hurting, not helping, things. There’s nothing very hopeful here. But, if Schiff is right again, it could pay to listen and get his take on what the future could look like.
The White Album Turns 40
The Beatles’ White Album turned 40 last week. And that put the classic album back in the spotlight, leading critics to revisit the band’s most experimental and controversial work. Was it their masterpiece or biggest mess? (Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments below.) For one look back, you can listen to this podcast from WNYC’s Sound Check (iTunes — Feed — MP3). And, for good measure, we’re throwing in some video clips from the album’s studio sessions.
Related Content:
The Beatles: Podcasts from Yesterday
What New Yorkers Heard on the Radio the Night John Lennon was Shot
The Grey Video: Mixing The Beatles with Jay‑Z
Bruce Lee Plays Ping Pong with Nunchucks
Nope, this is not exactly another piece of vintage YouTube goodness. From what I can piece together, Nokia is marketing a Bruce Lee cell phone in China, and this is the commercial that’s backing their promotion. Needless to say, there are some digital enhancements going on here. But it’s amusing nonetheless.
Malcolm Gladwell and The Secret of Success
Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point and Blink, has a new book out. And it’s almost guaranteed to be another bestseller. Outliers: The Story of Success takes on an idea at the center of American mythology, the concept of the “self-made man.” For Gladwell, success stories aren’t largely the product of smarts and hard work, as we’re repeatedly told. More often, they’re “the product of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow [successful individuals] to learn and work hard.” And, as you’ll hear in this interview (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), good timing (including the month and decade of your birth), circumstance, and luck also play a fairly important role. You can buy the new book in print here, or download the audio book from Audible for as little as $7.49.
As a quick aside, The Leonard Lopate show (where we found this interview) appears in our Ideas & Culture Podcast collection, which you thinking types might enjoy.
Hitler’s Real Estate Downfall
What happens when you take the 2004, Academy award-nominated German film Der Untergang (The Downfall) and turn it into a spoof? Here, the “downfall” is all about the decline of the housing market, and how Hitler becomes just another man with a home under water. There are some classic lines here, particularly if you looked to buy a home in recent years. Thanks Bob for the tip.
Monty Python Channel Launches on YouTube
The Monty Python Channel on YouTube was launched with these words:
“For three years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them up on YouTube… We know who you are … we know where you live … and we could come after you in ways too horrible to mention…” “But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we’ve figured out a better way to get our own back. It’s time to take matters in our own hands by launching our very own Monty Python channel on YouTube.”
The videos are offered in high quality, straight from the Monty Python vault. Down the road, you’ll get a comprehensive, well organized collection. Below, we’ve added one of the videos that you’ll find in the mix, the classic Monty Python bit, “Every Sperm is Sacred.” And we’ve also added the Python channel (if you don’t object) to our collection: Intelligent Life at YouTube: 80 Cultural Video Collections.
Google Brings Massive LIFE Photo Archive to The Web
A good days for fans of open culture: Google is bringing the massive LIFE photo archive online. 2 million photos are already uploaded, and another 8 million will be coming online soon. The current archive moves from The American Civil War to present, and it includes a large number of photos never seen before. Here’s one of MLK Jr, another of Pablo Picasso, and then one of FDR. All of these images will be added to Google Image Search, but if you want to peruse the collection, you can simply access it here. You can also read more about this ambitious undertaking on Google’s corporate blog.
Unlocking the European Film Vault
Thanks to Europa Film Treasures, you can spend hours looking back through an archive of European film. Theses films range from “comedy to science fiction, from westerns to animation, from erotic to ethnological movies.” And all films come with a fair amount of background information. And yes, of course, you can stream these films online and watch them in the comfort of your own home.
For a taste of what this archive is all about, watch Jön az öcsém, a 1919 film by Michael Curtiz, who later went on to direct Casablanca! For more, enter the general collection here.
Support Us
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Receive our Daily Email
About Us
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
Advertise With Us
