I was wonÂderÂing how I’d evenÂtuÂalÂly work sports into Open CulÂture, and I’ve finalÂly done it.
Let’s set the scene. It’s 1974. In Zaire. MuhamÂmad Ali takes on George ForeÂman in the clasÂsic “RumÂble in the JunÂgle.” NorÂman MailÂer, the great writer and boxÂing enthuÂsiÂast (who recentÂly left us), narÂrates how the fight went down. This is an outÂtake from the great docÂuÂmenÂtary When We Were Kings. (We added the video clip to our YouTube Playlist, to which you can subÂscribe.)
The Atlantic MonthÂly has been around a long time. Since 1857 to be exact. And, over the many years, it has pubÂlished works by legÂendary authors. Quite niceÂly, The Atlantic web site makes availÂable some of these clasÂsic writÂings for free (although if you’re a subÂscriber you’ll get access to much more). Here are a few that we uncovÂered:
DurÂing a week when uniÂverÂsiÂty podÂcasts received wideÂspread attenÂtion (thanks to a very popÂuÂlar artiÂcle in the NY Times), we’ve kept a close eye on the high-rankÂing podÂcasts on iTuneÂsU. Quite conÂsisÂtentÂly, one podÂcast — How Did HanÂniÂbal Cross the Alps? — has ranked at the top. It curÂrentÂly sits in the #2 posiÂtion, right behind What is ExisÂtenÂtialÂism?.
The HanÂniÂbal lecÂture was preÂsentÂed at StanÂford by Patrick Hunt, an archaeÂolÂoÂgist who recentÂly wrote Ten DisÂcovÂerÂies That Rewrote HisÂtoÂry (see relatÂed post) and whose long term project is to figÂure out how the great milÂiÂtary leader crossed the Alps in 218 BCE with his large army, which includÂed dozens of war eleÂphants. I had a chance to catch up with Patrick and ask him why, over 2,000 years latÂer, the advenÂtures of HanÂniÂbal still manÂage to capÂture our imagÂiÂnaÂtion. Here is what he had to say:
“Here are some reaÂsons I think the HanÂniÂbal topÂic is mesÂmerÂizÂing. First, the logisÂtics of movÂing a large army — at least 25,000 surÂvivÂing solÂdiers — over someÂtimes terÂriÂfyÂing mounÂtain barÂriÂers is very dauntÂing and immenseÂly chalÂlengÂing. SecÂond, this is expoÂnenÂtialÂly comÂpoundÂed by the fact that even with able scouts the increasÂingÂly steep terÂrain and bad weathÂer en route to the sumÂmit were threatÂenÂingÂly unfaÂmilÂiar to the vast majorÂiÂty of HanÂniÂbal’s army in this earÂly winÂter of 218 BCE. Even in sumÂmer, the weathÂer can be harsh and wildÂly unpreÂdictable. In winÂter, it can be that much worse. Third, there were Celtic tribes to conÂtend with, who would roll boulÂders down on troops and ambush them from (more…)
In case you’re not familÂiar with it, FORA.tv hosts a large and conÂstantÂly growÂing colÂlecÂtion of videos that feaÂture imporÂtant thinkers grapÂpling with conÂtemÂpoÂrary culÂturÂal, social and politÂiÂcal quesÂtions. Or, put simÂply, it’s YouTube made intelÂliÂgent. As you’ll see, their misÂsion is rather simÂiÂlar to our own. So I was pleased when they asked me to be “a guest” for the week and highÂlight some of my favorite videos from their video trove. Here is what I selectÂed:
SegÂments of FORA’s talks are also availÂable by audio and video podÂcast. (Get more info here.) Also, on a relatÂed note, PrinceÂton UniÂverÂsiÂty spearÂheads a someÂwhat simÂiÂlar video serÂvice, except that it is more specifÂiÂcalÂly dedÂiÂcatÂed to pubÂlic affairs. It’s called UChanÂnel. (Have a look here.) FinalÂly, if you like what FORA and UChanÂnel have to offer, you may also want to spend some time with our Ideas & CulÂture PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion. Our full podÂcast library is here.
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple ComÂputÂer, delivÂered this speech at StanÂford’s comÂmenceÂment cerÂeÂmoÂny in June 2005. I someÂhow doubt that the gradÂuÂatÂing class could have truÂly appreÂciÂatÂed what Jobs is sayÂing here. (At that age, I couldÂn’t have.) But if you’re a litÂtle furÂther down the road, you’ll underÂstand that Jobs (who ironÂiÂcalÂly nevÂer gradÂuÂatÂed from colÂlege) points to a simÂple set of guideÂlines that can make the difÂferÂence between livÂing a fasÂciÂnatÂing and so-so life. SadÂly, these prinÂciÂples get lost all too often in the noise, inerÂtia and blur of everyÂday life.
By the way, the podÂcast verÂsion of this speech conÂsisÂtentÂly remains the numÂber #1 podÂcast on StanÂford’s iTunes site. You can downÂload it in video here, or audio here.
With last year being the 250th anniverÂsary of Mozart’s birth, there was no shortÂage of podÂcasts dedÂiÂcatÂed to Mozart’s masÂterÂpieces. First, Radio SweÂden (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) reisÂsued a digÂiÂtal archive of Mozart recordÂings by the RoyÂal Swedish Opera from the 1940s and 1950s. And, along very simÂiÂlar lines, DanÂmarks Radio (Feed — Web Site) issued podÂcasts of nine Mozart symÂphonies recordÂed by the DanÂish Radio SymÂphoÂny
OrchesÂtra. (You’ll find here symÂphonies numÂbers 15, 17, 23, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, and 41. Since the web site is in DanÂish, we’d recÂomÂmend accessÂing these high qualÂiÂty MP3’s through the rss feed listÂed above.) LastÂly, we should menÂtion here that, as part of last year’s fesÂtivÂiÂties, The InterÂnaÂtionÂal Mozart FounÂdaÂtion pubÂlished online for the first time the entireÂty of of Mozart’s musiÂcal scores.
Along with Mozart, you can find plenÂty of Beethoven. We have highÂlightÂed here before, but it’s worth notÂing again, Deutsche Welle’s podÂcastcolÂlecÂtion called BeethovenÂfest (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). You’ll want to give it a look, and also see the podÂcast colÂlecÂtion put togethÂer by the Boston SymÂphoÂny OrchesÂtra ConÂserÂvaÂtoÂry (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). This eduÂcaÂtionÂal series offers an extenÂsive overview and recordÂings of Beethoven’s work, as well as that of Arnold SchoenÂberg. You can also catch more Beethoven (as well as a litÂtle Mozart and Bach) with the podÂcast series called The ConÂcert (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), which feaÂtures recordÂings from the IsabelÂla StewÂart GardÂner MuseÂum in Boston.
SpeakÂing of Bach, you may want to give some time to these two podÂcasts: Bach PodÂcast from Magnatune.com (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) and Bach FesÂtiÂval of PhiladelÂphia(Feed — Web Site).
Let’s now leave you with a few othÂer good finds: WagÂnÂer Operas PodÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) lets you lisÂten in on recordÂings from the annuÂal Bayreuth FesÂtiÂval, plus more. An IntiÂmate Tour Through the Music of Yo-Yo Ma (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) offers essenÂtialÂly what the title says. FinalÂly, we’d recÂomÂmend ClasÂsiÂcal PerÂforÂmance (iTunesFeedWeb Site), which conÂsists of clasÂsiÂcal music perÂforÂmances from WGBÂH’s StuÂdio One in Boston; The New York PhiÂlaÂharÂmonÂic PodÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) which introÂduces you to the music and perÂformÂers feaÂtured in the conÂcerts of the New York PhilÂharÂmonÂic; and From the Top. Live from Carnegie Hall Video PodÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), a podÂcast that showÂcasÂes the top-notch skills and comÂpelling stoÂries of AmerÂiÂca’s best young clasÂsiÂcal musiÂcians.
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