This is worth a quick menÂtion: If you’re tryÂing to make sense of our rapidÂly changÂing (and these days deteÂriÂoÂratÂing) econÂoÂmy, then you’ll want to spend some time with NPR’s PlanÂet MonÂey. The podÂcast has been takÂing an expert look at the day-to-day breakÂdown of the finanÂcial sysÂtem and govÂernÂment efforts to bail it out. Plus, it’s been keepÂing an eye on how the fiasÂco potenÂtialÂly affects you. To stay on top of things, you can grab the podÂcast here: iTunes — Rss Feed. Also see the PlanÂet MonÂey PodÂcast web site here.
Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, Read by Neil Gaiman
Sci-fi author Neil Gaiman has the right idea. After makÂing his well-known novÂel AmerÂiÂcan Gods freely availÂable online last year, he has gone the extra mile again in releasÂing his new novÂel, The GraveÂYard Book. In brief, he has just kicked off a nine day book tour, and each day he’s readÂing a chapÂter that you can latÂer watch on the web. You can watch all of the videos above. And find more readÂings here:
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Now and Then: More Poetry in Motion
BilÂly Collins, forÂmer US Poet LauÂreÂate and one of AmerÂiÂca’s best-sellÂing poets, reads his poem “Now and Then” with aniÂmaÂtion by Eun-ha Paek of Milky EleÂphant. (Yup, it’s added to our YouTube playlist and also see the preÂviÂous aniÂmatÂed BilÂly Collins poem.)
The Web According to Google in 2001
Google recentÂly turned 10, and, as part of the celÂeÂbraÂtion, it has re-pubÂlished its first search engine index from 2001. A mere 1.3 bilÂlion pages. Now, go ahead and do your vanÂiÂty search and see if you show up. Me, I’m bareÂly there. You?
Depression Humor Revived
You know things are lookÂing bleak when comÂeÂdy starts makÂing fodÂder out of depresÂsion themes. Here’s a bit that tells you how to go from office workÂer to homeÂless drifter in sevÂen easy steps. (Video courÂtesy of HowÂcast)
via ValÂleyÂwag
Dave Eggers in Conversation with Chris Elliott
“ComeÂdiÂan, actor and satirist Chris Elliott has made a career of blurÂring truth and absurÂdiÂty. Elliott wrote and perÂformed for Late Night With David LetÂterÂman, and went on to perÂform in othÂer teleÂviÂsion proÂgrams, includÂing SatÂurÂday Night Live.” Here he is in conÂverÂsaÂtion with writer Dave Eggers (A HeartÂbreakÂing Work of StagÂgerÂing Genius). The video is courÂtesy of Fora.TV, and you can watch it here.
Jonathan Franzen Reads
In a quick three minÂutes, you can watch the someÂtimes cocky author of The CorÂrecÂtions read from an essay on bird watchÂing, courÂtesy of BigThink.com, where you can also find more videos with intelÂlecÂtuÂal heft.
For more thoughtÂful video, also see our YouTube playlist and the relatÂed colÂlecÂtion: IntelÂliÂgent Life at YouTube: 70 EduÂcaÂtionÂal Video ColÂlecÂtions.
China’s Space Walk: Fresh Footage
As US stock declines, ChiÂna’s stock keeps going up. It’s the stoÂry of the decade, realÂly. Here’s footage from ChiÂna’s first space walk this past week …
What Happens on Mars
From The DaiÂly Dish:
“Clouds move across the sky on Mars. The sun risÂes. Snow falls — but nevÂer touchÂes the ground.”
George Orwell’s 1984: Download Free Audio Book Version
I first postÂed this one durÂing the dead of sumÂmer, so it seemed worth revisÂitÂing this now that we’re all a bit more focused .…
Over at the InterÂnet Archive, you can find George Orwell’s clasÂsic, 1984, availÂable as a free audio book. As you’ll see, the recordÂing is proÂfesÂsionÂalÂly done. You can downÂload the full zip file here. Or alterÂnaÂtiveÂly you can get the indiÂvidÂual mp3 files, or stream them, from this page. On a more perÂmaÂnent basis, you can find Orwell’s 1949 work housed in our Free Audio Book ColÂlecÂtion along with lots of othÂer free texts. Or see it on our list of Life ChangÂing Books.
New Fiction in Five Parts
This post is a twofer. First, I get to tell you about FiveChapters.com, a web site that posts new ficÂtion in kind of a novÂel way. Almost a throwÂback to the 19th cenÂtuÂry, FiveChapÂters pubÂlishÂes short ficÂtion in serÂiÂal forÂmat. Each week, they present a stoÂry in five parts, and you can folÂlow along as the week unfolds. Now (and here’s the secÂond part), let me menÂtion that FiveChapÂters showÂcased last week a stoÂry from Scott Hutchins, a good writer and colÂleague of mine. It’s called $30,000. Here it goes.
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