Here’s a quick fyi for iPhone users: The PubÂlic Radio Tuner, a free app availÂable on iTunes, gives you (free) access to hunÂdreds of pubÂlic radio streams from across the US. Released in late JanÂuÂary, the Tuner brings togethÂer feeds from NPR, AmerÂiÂcan PubÂlic Media, and PRI, among othÂers. This is a handy way to lisÂten wireÂlessÂly to local news and culÂturÂal proÂgramÂming, plus many well-known shows (All Things ConÂsidÂered, Fresh Air, Car Talk, etc.) So far, the app works like a charm. You can downÂload it here, or visÂit this web site to learn more about this new iniÂtiaÂtive.
What’s the main news stoÂry of the day? It depends on where you live.
NewÂseÂum has a handy web page that let’s you visuÂalÂly scan the front page of over 700 newsÂpaÂpers across 80 counÂtries. Open this web page, click on a conÂtiÂnent, then click on a dot withÂin a parÂticÂuÂlar geoÂgraphÂic area, and you’ll see what an indiÂvidÂual paper thinks matÂters most today, tomorÂrow and the next day. It’s a pretÂty handy tool.
SadÂly, as I looked at these maps, I couldÂn’t help but wonÂder (givÂen the state of newsÂpaÂper busiÂness) how many of these dots will disÂapÂpear over time. Or, as my colÂleague put it, how long is it before the newsÂpaÂper, as we know it, becomes an actuÂal relÂic of a museÂum. “NewÂseÂum” may realÂly become a newÂseÂum.
If you want to track the grim demise of the print indusÂtry, you can folÂlow The Media is Dying on TwitÂter. On an hour-to-hour basis, it records the grim unwindÂing of varÂiÂous newsÂpaÂpers and magÂaÂzines. And, while you’re at it, you can folÂlow our TwitÂter feed here, too. It’s a hapÂpiÂer feed, I promise.
Thanks Denise for the heads up on this one. Got a cool piece of culÂturÂal media? Send it our way.
Through his books and docÂuÂmenÂtaries, Simon Schama, a British born hisÂtoÂriÂan, has covÂered a lot of ferÂtile ground. The French RevÂoÂluÂtion, the slave trade, the powÂer of art, RemÂbrandt, earÂly modÂern Dutch culÂture, the hisÂtoÂry of Britain — Schama has covÂered it all. And now he has pulled a TocÂqueville on us. He spent the betÂter part of a year travÂelÂing across AmerÂiÂca, sizÂing it up, and proÂducÂing a lengthy TV docÂuÂmenÂtary (now availÂable on DVD) and a relatÂed book (not availÂable in the US yet) called The AmerÂiÂcan Future: A HisÂtoÂry. His analyÂsis of AmerÂiÂca, of its past and its future, takes into account sevÂerÂal major themes: reliÂgion, immiÂgraÂtion, land and resources, and war. In this recent conÂverÂsaÂtion with Bill MoyÂers, Schama talks at length about AmerÂiÂca and where it finds itself today. The first 15 minÂutes focus on ObaÂma and the chalÂlenges he faces. The remainÂing part gets into themes disÂcussed in The AmerÂiÂcan Future. You can access it here: iTunes — Feed — Web Site.
P.S. I am realÂly sorÂry about the frusÂtratÂing downÂtime this mornÂing. My hostÂing serÂvice — Dreamhost — had some “issues.” HopeÂfulÂly this was an excepÂtion.
SomeÂhow my mind turned back today to this clasÂsic scene from Annie Hall — Woody Allen’s 1977 AcadÂeÂmy AwardÂing-winÂning film. The scene feaÂtures Woody, Diane Keaton, and a cameo by MarÂshall McLuhan, who gave us media theÂoÂry and the expresÂsion “the mediÂum is the mesÂsage.” The bit is always good for a laugh.
A quick fyi: This mornÂing, StanÂford ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies opened up regÂisÂtraÂtion for its spring lineÂup of online writÂing coursÂes. Offered in partÂnerÂship with the StanÂford CreÂative WritÂing ProÂgram (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.
As you will see, there are a couÂple of coursÂes offered in conÂjuncÂtion with The New York Times. The idea here is that you’ll learn writÂing from a StanÂford writÂing instrucÂtor and then get your work reviewed by a Times book critÂic. Quite a perk, I must say.
For more inforÂmaÂtion, click here, or sepÂaÂrateÂly check out the FAQ.
Caveat empÂtor: These classÂes are not free, and I helped set them up. So while I wholeÂheartÂedÂly believe in these coursÂes, you can take my views with a grain of salt.
Bill Ayers, founder of the WeathÂer UnderÂground and favorite whipÂping boy of the failed McCain camÂpaign, gives a primer on the sumÂmer of ’68, disÂcussÂes his favorite tatÂtoo, and explains how the ChicaÂgo Police DepartÂment now loves him. The interÂview was conÂductÂed by a colÂleague of mine, Scott Hutchins, and you have to like the ironÂic way it begins:
…our interÂview [startÂed] with a bomb scare. We sat down on the couch in a busy hotel lobÂby and a worÂried secuÂriÂty guard approached. “Is that your bag?” she asked, pointÂing to a backÂpack and coat that were defÂiÂniteÂly not ours. “Nope,” we said. “Oh boy,” she said. She asked a few othÂer peoÂple. The ownÂer was not there. She radioed in. I conÂsidÂered the irony of being blown up while interÂviewÂing Bill Ayers. I figÂured it would at least get me a wikipedia entry.
U2’s next album, No Line on the HoriÂzon, will be released interÂnaÂtionÂalÂly in earÂly March. But not terÂriÂbly surÂprisÂingÂly the album is already being cirÂcuÂlatÂed (not legalÂly) on BitÂTorÂrent. And this has motiÂvatÂed the band to give fans free access to a streamed verÂsion on MySpace. To lisÂten, just click here, scroll down to the music playÂer, and togÂgle the “FeaÂture Playlist” to No Line on the HoriÂzon. You should be able to access the album in its entireÂty.
SomeÂwhere back in the 1970s, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez teamed up again to sing Blowin’ in the Wind. Quite the duet, which we’ve added to our YouTube Favorites. As menÂtioned a few weeks back, Dylan recentÂly agreed to lend this clasÂsic song to a TV comÂmerÂcial for an ethÂiÂcal bankÂing and retail group in the UK. You can now see this rare comÂmerÂcialÂizaÂtion of a Dylan song over at the Guardian. Thanks Stephen for flagÂging that.
I didÂn’t think it would be posÂsiÂble, but it hapÂpened. I found my two least favorite intelÂlecÂtuÂals togethÂer on the same stage, and King’s ColÂlege in NYC made it all posÂsiÂble. So, to mark the occaÂsion, I bring you Dinesh D’Souza, the acadÂeÂmy’s dressed up verÂsion of Ann CoulÂter, debatÂing the ever surly ChristoÂpher Hitchens. The topÂic is faith and atheÂism. The debate is heatÂed. And as you watch, you’ll see the charmÂing perÂsonÂalÂiÂties come out. The video conÂtinÂues with Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, and Part 10. 90 minÂutes in total.
HarÂvard hisÂtoÂriÂan Niall FerÂguÂson has writÂten extenÂsiveÂly about the rise and fall of great empires and finanÂcial sysÂtems. WritÂing for ForÂeign PolÂiÂcy, FerÂguÂson now warns that the spiÂralÂing ecoÂnomÂic criÂsis may soon pose seriÂous threats to interÂnaÂtionÂal peace and AmerÂiÂcan secuÂriÂty. As we saw durÂing the late 1930s, ecoÂnomÂic criÂsis often sets the stage for full-blown politÂiÂcal and posÂsiÂbly milÂiÂtary criÂsis, and we’re already seeÂing the risk of upheaval in nine counÂtries, includÂing SomaÂlia, RusÂsia, and MexÂiÂco. FerÂguÂson closÂes by sayÂing: “EcoÂnomÂic volatilÂiÂty, plus ethÂnic disÂinÂteÂgraÂtion, plus an empire in decline: That comÂbiÂnaÂtion is about the most lethal in geopolÂiÂtics. We now have all three. The age of upheaval starts now.”
When we first creÂatÂed our TwitÂter feed, my hopes weren’t espeÂcialÂly high. And while I’m still not comÂpleteÂly sold on the perÂsonÂal uses of TwitÂter, I’m defÂiÂniteÂly likÂing the way that it works for a blogÂger. For starters, TwitÂter has givÂen us insight into who actuÂalÂly reads Open CulÂture. Since we startÂed things in OctoÂber 2006, I haven’t known much about who visÂits the site. I’ve been flyÂing in the dark, to be honÂest. But now TwitÂter gives us a snapÂshot of our regÂuÂlar readÂers. Because you can see who subÂscribes to your TwitÂter feed (someÂthing that doesÂn’t hapÂpen with RSS feeds), you can get a feel for readÂers’ geoÂgraphÂiÂcal locaÂtion, their genÂerÂal age range, and most imporÂtantÂly their proÂfesÂsionÂal and perÂsonÂal interÂests — all of which helps us taiÂlor the blog’s conÂtent a bit betÂter.
Still more perks come from our subÂscribers. TwitÂter gives you the abilÂiÂty to see who your “folÂlowÂers” also folÂlow. And that inevitably means that your subÂscribers, sharÂing simÂiÂlar tastes, will turn you on to new and difÂferÂent sources of information/inspiration. EssenÂtialÂly, your subÂscribers help you develÂop intelÂlecÂtuÂal affinÂiÂty groups that proÂvide good grist for the mill. In addiÂtion, our readÂers also do their own microblogÂging on TwitÂter, and, here again, their short, pithy 140 word “posts” have surÂfaced interÂestÂing conÂtent that we bring back to you … with propÂer attriÂbuÂtion, of course.
Based on our brief time with TwitÂter, we’ve put togethÂer an iniÂtial list of culÂturÂalÂly-redeemÂing TwitÂter feeds. Have a look, and feel free to let us know if we’re missÂing some good ones. Of course, this list will grow over time.
LastÂly, if you’re not on TwitÂter, it’s time to get on and see if it works for you. Join here. And if you want to subÂscribe to our feed, click here and then click “FolÂlow.”
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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.
EarÂliÂer in the month, we 
