We’re takÂing you back to 1980, to the evening when John Lennon was shot in New York City. This sound file lets you lisÂten in on what New YorkÂers heard that evening — DecemÂber 8 — as they switched from one radio staÂtion to anothÂer. The event was covÂered across the radio dial, and you hear the news media startÂing to piece togethÂer exactÂly what hapÂpened at the DakoÂta. This recordÂing was put online by Beware of the Blog, which we indexed in our list of MP3 Music Blogs.
AmerÂiÂcan Rhetoric has comÂpiled its list of the top 100 AmerÂiÂcan speechÂes, all of which can be conÂveÂnientÂly accessed as mp3 files. Most of the speechÂes listÂed here are known for their eloÂquence, and many for the pivÂotal role they played in effectÂing major politÂiÂcal and social change. The comÂpiÂlaÂtion lets you lisÂten to F.D.R. leadÂing the US through the DepresÂsion ( “There is nothÂing to fear but fear itself” ) as well as through World War II with his FireÂside Chats. Then, there is TruÂman and Kennedy ( “Ich bin ein BerlinÂer” ) fightÂing the Cold War, Nixon bolÂsterÂing supÂport for the VietÂnam War with his “Great Silent MajorÂiÂty” speech, and MarÂtin Luther King ( “I Have a Dream” ) and MalÂcolm X ( “The BalÂlot or the BulÂlet” ) pressÂing for civÂil rights in their difÂferÂent ways.
The speechÂes can be heard largeÂly in full, and, while most are politÂiÂcal in conÂtent, some gems are not. Take for examÂple William FaulknÂer’s Nobel Prize accepÂtance speech, Lou Gehrig’s Farewell Address, UrsuÂla Le Guin’s “A Left-HandÂed ComÂmenceÂment Address,” and Elie Wiesel’s “The PerÂils of IndifÂferÂence.” Give these speechÂes some time, and it might be a while before you come back up for air.
Geared toward beginÂners, this series of videos creÂatÂed by Wine Library TV offers an introÂducÂtion to the basics of wine tastÂing. In these nine videos, you’ll learn how to taste wine and train your palate, why the temÂperÂaÂture of wine matÂters, how wine glassÂes can affect the taste of wine, and how to decant it. Plus, you will learn someÂthing about the difÂferÂence between “new world” and “old world” wines and a litÂtle about wine ratÂings too. The host has his own unique style. It’s a litÂtle Jim Cramer-esque, to my mind. But if it works for you, the videos can help you move from simÂply drinkÂing wine to tastÂing it with a litÂtle insight and perÂspecÂtive.
While on this subÂject, we should refer you back to an item menÂtioned in one of our more popÂuÂlar pieces, 10 UnexÂpectÂed Uses of the iPod. Here, we menÂtioned that you can use your MP3 playÂer to take a series of wine tastÂing coursÂes (“EnjoyÂing Wine,” “SelectÂing Wine,” and “Wine Regions”). Each costs $35. You can downÂload a free demo from the venÂdor’s homeÂpage and see if it works for you.
But if you preÂfer some good free resources, head over to VinogÂraÂphy. This big wine blog feaÂtures on the left-hand navÂiÂgaÂtion bar (scroll down a litÂtle) a long list of free wine podÂcasts and speÂcialÂized blogs. While you’re there, you may parÂticÂuÂlarÂly want to check out their wine aroÂma card, which is handÂiÂly pubÂlished in EngÂlish, SpanÂish and ItalÂian. An impresÂsive site, to be sure.
The advent of digÂiÂtal camÂeras has changed phoÂtogÂraÂphy as we know it. It has draÂmatÂiÂcalÂly lowÂered the cost of phoÂtogÂraÂphy, and we’re now snapÂping more phoÂtos than ever before. But we’re not necÂesÂsarÂiÂly takÂing betÂter picÂtures.
This is where Nikon steps in. Their camÂeras make casuÂal phoÂtogÂraÂphers immenseÂly betÂter than they actuÂalÂly are. (Trust me, I know.) And Nikon has now set up a free DigÂiÂtal LearnÂing CenÂter that offers tutoÂriÂals and tips for takÂing a range of difÂferÂent picÂtures — porÂtraits, travÂel phoÂtos, nature phoÂtogÂraÂphy, etc. QuesÂtions that get tackÂled here include, but are not limÂitÂed, to: “How can I take betÂter porÂtraits?” “How can I take phoÂtos at dusk withÂout havÂing them look comÂpleteÂly dark?” “How do I get true-to-life skin tones?” “How can I get the movÂing figÂures in my phoÂtos to look like they’re in motion and not frozen?” “My porÂtraits have red eyes. How can I preÂvent this?” Give a tour of the LearnÂing CenÂter here. And thanks to LifeÂhackÂer for putting this on our radar screen.
If you’d like to learn about digÂiÂtal phoÂtogÂraÂphy using podÂcasts, check out DigÂiÂtal PhoÂtogÂraÂphy Tips from the Top Floor (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). And, for that matÂter, if you need to learn how to use a podÂcast, spend some time with our PodÂcast Primer here.
Also Slate recentÂly put togethÂer a nice gallery of images feaÂturÂing the work of HenÂri CartiÂer-BresÂson, a masÂter phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer who is conÂsidÂered the father of modÂern phoÂtoÂjourÂnalÂism.
FinalÂly, NPR’s Fresh Air just aired an interÂview with phoÂtoÂjourÂnalÂist Paul WatÂson on WitÂnessÂing War (iTunesFeedWeb Site). It’s an intriguÂing but also quite hauntÂing conÂverÂsaÂtion.
And now we bring you a pubÂlic serÂvice announceÂment.…
Below, you can watch Al Gore talk about tanÂgiÂble ways that you can be a good enviÂronÂmenÂtal citÂiÂzen. The first 5 minÂutes start with some wit and banÂter that would have served him well in 2000; the next 10 minÂutes get down to some busiÂness.
In case you missed it, The New York Times pubÂlished a lengthy artiÂcle —The PolÂiÂtics of God— last weekÂend which essenÂtialÂly traces how the thought of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and othÂer major politÂiÂcal philosoÂphers gave us secÂuÂlar polÂiÂtics, and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly the sepÂaÂraÂtion of Church and State. They’re innoÂvaÂtions with many upsides, but also the downÂside that they put us at an intelÂlecÂtuÂal disÂtance from entire regions where faith still govÂerns politÂiÂcal affairs. This includes large swathes of the MidÂdle East and othÂer areas withÂin the “MusÂlim orbit.” It’s a good piece to read if you’ve ever wonÂdered how phiÂlosÂoÂphy tanÂgiÂbly shapes our modÂern world. WritÂten by Mark LilÂla, a ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty proÂfesÂsor, the highÂly-readÂable artiÂcle is adaptÂed from his new book, The StillÂborn God: ReliÂgion, PolÂiÂtics, and the ModÂern West. Get the artiÂcle here, and don’t forÂget to subÂscribe to our feed.
Google Earth added new funcÂtionÂalÂiÂty this week that lets you search the world by geoÂgraphÂiÂcal locaÂtion and find books that refÂerÂence that locaÂtion. So, for examÂple, if you open Google Earth and type “LonÂdon,” you will be preÂsentÂed with numerÂous yelÂlow book icons. Click on any one of them, and Google will show you instances where books specifÂiÂcalÂly refÂerÂence “LonÂdon.” (In this case, I found works by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, two of EngÂland’s most imporÂtant politÂiÂcal thinkers.) All of the books preÂsentÂed here are in the pubÂlic domain, which means that you can conÂtinÂue to explore the comÂplete text, courÂtesy of Google, should you want to. A nice touch.
There is a cerÂtain “gee whiz” facÂtor to this new appliÂcaÂtion, no doubt. But how wideÂly it will be used is anothÂer stoÂry. Search for “Boston” and you will get more book icons than you can hanÂdle. And will you want to mouse over each one to find a potenÂtialÂly useÂful text? DoubtÂful. And the probÂlem will only get worse as Google Book Search, a partÂner in the project, digÂiÂtizes more texts. A more effecÂtive soluÂtion, it seems, is simÂply to head over to Google Book Search and conÂduct a good, old fashÂioned search, then read through the more legÂiÂbly-preÂsentÂed and ranked search results. That’s so 1990s, I know.
Please note that to use this new funcÂtionÂalÂiÂty, you should downÂload a recent verÂsion of Google Earth, and check off “Google Book Search” in the “FeaÂtured ConÂtent” secÂtion under “LayÂers.” You can get more inforÂmaÂtion from Google here and here.
If I am missÂing someÂthing imporÂtant about this new feaÂture — that is, if I’m wrong about its utilÂiÂty — feel free to say so. The Google folks are smart, and I wouldÂn’t be surÂprised if they’re seeÂing someÂthing that I’m not. The jury on GeoMapÂping books remains out for now.
Just a quick heads up: StartÂing today, you can sign up for online writÂing coursÂes from StanÂford. Offered by StanÂford ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies and the StanÂford CreÂative WritÂing ProÂgram (which is one of the most disÂtinÂguished writÂing proÂgrams in the counÂtry), these online coursÂes give beginÂning and advanced writÂers, no matÂter where they live, the chance to refine their craft with giftÂed writÂing instrucÂtors and smart peers. RegÂisÂtraÂtion starts today, and coursÂes will go from June 25 to August 17. You can find the list of coursÂes below. For more inforÂmaÂtion, click here, or sepÂaÂrateÂly check out the FAQ.
(Full disÂcloÂsure: I helped set up these coursÂes and think they’re a great eduÂcaÂtionÂal opporÂtuÂniÂty. But nonetheÂless take my opinÂion with a grain of salt.)
William GibÂson, who launched the cyberÂpunk genre with the 1984 clasÂsic NeuÂroÂmancer, hasÂn’t lost any steam. PatÂtern RecogÂniÂtion, pubÂlished a good 20+ years latÂer, won wide praise in 2005. Now, he’s come out with Spook CounÂtry, and it’s curÂrentÂly #66 on the AmaÂzon bestÂseller list. Below, you can catch GibÂson readÂing from his new work in SecÂond Life. What can be more fitting?Also, you may want to check out BoingÂBoÂing’s “nerdgasÂmic” interÂview with GibÂson (iTunes — Feed — MP3 Stream), plus Cory DocÂtorÂrow’s revÂerÂenÂtial review of the new work. And finalÂly, if you need more, you can watch GibÂson give a book talk at Cody’s in BerkeÂley CA, courÂtesy of Fora.Tv.For your daiÂly dose of digÂiÂtal culÂture, subÂscribe to our feed.
Here’s a quick fyi for clasÂsiÂcal music lovers…
OnClassical.com has just relaunched its webÂsite, and you may want to give a look. If you don’t already know about it, OnClasÂsiÂcal is an indeÂpenÂdent clasÂsiÂcal music label based in Italy that feaÂtures interÂnaÂtionÂalÂly-acclaimed artists. They offer a “maniÂaÂcalÂly high sound levÂel” and proÂduce their recordÂings withÂout sharÂing profÂits with interÂmeÂdiÂaries … which stands to benÂeÂfit artists and conÂsumers. Their audio is DRM-free and, what is more, their albums can be entireÂly preÂviewed for free under a CreÂative ComÂmons license (read more here).
It didÂn’t seem like an obviÂous blockÂbuster at first — at least not to me — but The GramÂmar Girl (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) has remained one of the most downÂloaded eduÂcaÂtionÂal podÂcasts on iTunes. To be preÂcise, each week, about 100,000 peoÂple downÂload these short podÂcasts that offer “quick and dirty tips” for cleanÂing up your writÂing. And thanks to the endurÂing popÂuÂlarÂiÂty of her free audio lessons, plus an appearÂance on Oprah, Mignon FogÂaÂrÂty, the creÂator of the GramÂmar Girl, has also manÂaged to spin-off an audioÂbook ($9.95) that has driÂven strong sales. Plus she’s got a good, old-fashÂioned pulp book someÂwhere still in the pipeline.
It was perÂhaps, then, only a matÂter of time before FogÂaÂrÂty faced some friendÂly comÂpeÂtiÂtion. The GramÂmar Grater (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) is a new podÂcast that approachÂes lanÂguage issues from a slightÂly difÂferÂent angle. It focusÂes on “EngÂlish words, gramÂmar and usage for the InforÂmaÂtion Age,” which is to say that it deals with gramÂmar issues that often arise when we write emails, blog posts, instant mesÂsages and beyond. Luke TayÂlor is the host, and, with him, you get a well-proÂduced, often enterÂtainÂing, podÂcast that touchÂes on gramÂmar issues that you’re bound to encounter in your daiÂly elecÂtronÂic writÂing. Give the Girl and the Grater both a lisÂten and you’ll almost cerÂtainÂly learn small bits that’ll make a big difÂferÂence.
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