EffecÂtive at midÂnight, The New York Times will make the “TimesÂSÂeÂlect” secÂtion of its webÂsite entireÂly free. (It used to cost subÂscribers $49.95 a year.) And it will also free up “its archives from 1987 to the present … , as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the pubÂlic domain.”
In makÂing this move, the paper will be givÂing up $10 milÂlion in annuÂal subÂscripÂtion revÂenue. But it will likeÂly make up that monÂey (and then some) by using ads to monÂeÂtize those pages. For more info, read the full artiÂcle here. And click here to see what forÂmerÂly closed-off conÂtent will now become freely availÂable.
Update: Have a look at DeeplinkÂing’s piece called MinÂing the New York Times Archive. It pulls out of the archive some interÂestÂing finds, includÂing reviews of James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) and Oscar Wilde’s DisÂgrace (1895), plus artiÂcles that surÂvey the dynamÂic art scene of the earÂly 20th cenÂtuÂry.
Wikipedia is now the 9th most freÂquentÂed site on the web, and it hosts over 7 milÂlion artiÂcles in over 200 lanÂguages. Like it or not, Wikipedia is here to stay.
RecÂogÂnizÂing this, some innoÂvÂaÂtive proÂgramÂmers have startÂed develÂopÂing ways to shore up WikipediÂa’s someÂtimes shaky founÂdaÂtions. In parÂticÂuÂlar, they’re findÂing ways to monÂiÂtor Wikipedia entries for tamÂperÂing and parÂtiÂsan manipÂuÂlaÂtion. A couÂple weeks ago, we menÂtioned a new site called Wikipedia ScanÂner, which allows users to deterÂmine whether parÂtiÂsans have editÂed parÂticÂuÂlar wiki entries by matchÂing the entries against IP addressÂes. Now, anothÂer site, WikiÂrage, lets you track the pages on “Wikipedia which are receivÂing the most edits per unique ediÂtor over varÂiÂous periÂods of time.” This is a nice feaÂture partÂly because it pinÂpoints which topics/entries are genÂerÂatÂing buzz at the moment (today it is BlackÂwaÂter USA, Michael B. Mukasey, Fred ThompÂson, the UnitÂed States ConÂstiÂtuÂtion and Dane Cooke — a logÂiÂcal sequence, to be sure.) But WikiÂrage is also handy because it highÂlights which entries “have high reviÂsion, vanÂdalÂism or undo rates.” The upshot is that milÂlions of peoÂple have built Wikipedia. But it’s smart proÂgramÂming, mixed with some manÂpowÂer, that’s keepÂing the whole enterÂprise a litÂtle more honÂest and reliÂable. Stay tuned for more on how this works out.
See LifeÂhackÂer for the 10 Top Wikipedia tricks, and to find the most popÂuÂlar pages on Wikipedia in absolute terms, click here.
at least accordÂing to Rolling Stone. (Get the list here). Yes, these lists are always highÂly subÂjecÂtive. But if I were the arbiter of musiÂcal taste, I’d pick many of the same, so here it is.
StewÂart Brand, the creÂator of the iconÂic Whole Earth CatÂaÂlog, heads up the The Long Now FounÂdaÂtion, an orgaÂniÂzaÂtion comÂmitÂted to culÂtiÂvatÂing “slower/better” thinkÂing and fosÂterÂing greater responÂsiÂbilÂiÂty over “the next 10,000 years.” (Yes, they’re ambiÂtious.) To help bring this about, Brand hosts a monthÂly speakÂing series that you can downÂload as a podÂcast (iTunes — Feed — MP3s), and, in late June, he brought in FranÂcis FukuyaÂma to speak. FukuyaÂma, a proÂfesÂsor of interÂnaÂtionÂal politÂiÂcal econÂoÂmy at Johns HopÂkins, first made a name for himÂself in 1989 when, durÂing the wanÂing days of the Cold War, he pubÂlished an essay called “The End of HisÂtoÂry?” (LatÂer, he would turn it into a bestÂselling book, The End of HisÂtoÂry and the Last Man.) StealÂing a page from Karl Marx, FukuyaÂma mainÂtained that hisÂtoÂry had a direcÂtion to it. It flowed with purÂpose, always bringÂing progress. But the end point wasÂn’t comÂmuÂnist utopia. It was libÂerÂal democÂraÂcy mixed with free marÂket ecoÂnomÂics. That’s where humanÂiÂty was colÂlecÂtiveÂly headÂing, with a vicÂtoÂriÂous AmerÂiÂca leadÂing the way. (In his origÂiÂnal essay, he wrote, “What we may be witÂnessÂing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passÂing of a parÂticÂuÂlar periÂod of post-war hisÂtoÂry, but the end of hisÂtoÂry as such: that is, the end point of mankind’s ideÂoÂlogÂiÂcal evoÂluÂtion and the uniÂverÂsalÂizaÂtion of WestÂern libÂerÂal democÂraÂcy as the final form of human govÂernÂment.”)
In the interÂvenÂing years, the world’s moveÂment toward westÂern democÂraÂcy hasÂn’t exactÂly folÂlowed a straight line, and the 9/11 attacks and the ensuÂing “War on TerÂror” have seemÂingÂly lent creÂdence to a dimÂmer worldÂview, one outÂlined by Samuel HuntÂingÂton in the conÂtroÂverÂsial book, The Clash of CivÂiÂlizaÂtions and the RemakÂing of World Order. SpeakÂing 18 years after the pubÂliÂcaÂtion of his origÂiÂnal essay (iTunes — Feed — MP3 — Blog), FukuyaÂma revisÂits, clarÂiÂfies and largeÂly defends his theÂsis that libÂerÂal democÂraÂcy is still on track to preÂvail. And that’s because, in his mind, there are deep ecoÂnomÂic, sciÂenÂtifÂic and techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal trends in motion that driÂve almost inexÂorably toward these politÂiÂcal ends. Whether he is right or wrong, it’s imposÂsiÂble to say. RegardÂless, his talk is smart, hardÂly dogÂmatÂic, and worth your time.
Below, we have some links recÂomÂmendÂed by our readÂers. Feel free to send othÂer good bits our way. The more we give, the more we get:
Sean Penn reads an excerpt from Bob Dylan’s autoÂbiÂogÂraÂphy, ChronÂiÂcles, here. (Or check out the full audioÂbook verÂsion.)
Jared DiaÂmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel and ColÂlapse speaks at The Long Now FounÂdaÂtion about why civÂiÂlizaÂtions have hisÂtorÂiÂcalÂly endured or failed. Two imporÂtant facÂtors include how they manÂaged their natÂurÂal resources and dealt with cliÂmate change. Does this ring any bells? Get the lecÂture here: (iTunes — Feed — MP3s)
InterÂview with Hal VarÂiÂan, Chief EconÂoÂmist at Google (and UC BerkeÂley ProÂfesÂsor), who talks (iTunes - Feed — MP3 — Web Site) about the interÂnet as an “engine for democÂraÂcy.”
AppearÂing in The New York Review of Books, this piece, entiÂtled CitÂiÂzen Gore, takes a look a Al Gore’s new book, The Assault on ReaÂson, and how Gore, being freed up from polÂiÂtics, has been remarkÂably able to prod the conÂscience of the nation. For some, howÂevÂer, it’s not enough. Hence the recent “Draft Al Gore” camÂpaign that has gotÂten underÂway.
Check out the Voodoo Music FesÂtiÂval comÂing up on OctoÂber 26, 27 & 28 in New Orleans. The lineÂup of artists includes Rage Against The Machine, ComÂmon, Tiesto, The SmashÂing PumpÂkins, Black Rebel MotorÂcyÂcle Club, M.I.A., Ben HarpÂer, Wilco and more. To win passÂes to the show and some travÂel monÂey, you can enter a conÂtest here.
Lenny Bruce (born Leonard Alfred SchneiÂder) introÂduced a strongÂly satirÂiÂcal, taboo-breakÂing form of comÂeÂdy durÂing the 1950s and 1960s, which paved the way for some of America’s great comeÂdiÂans — Richard PryÂor, George CarÂlin, Chris Rock, even John StewÂart. And for ushÂerÂing in this new era of comÂeÂdy, Bruce paid a heavy perÂsonÂal price. In 1961, San FranÂcisÂco authorÂiÂties arrestÂed Bruce on obscenÂiÂty charges. Then, in 1964, Bruce found himÂself in the crosshairs of Manhattan’s DisÂtrict AttorÂney, Frank HorÂgan. A six month triÂal folÂlowed, which raised imporÂtant First AmendÂment issues, and which also brought Woody Allen, Bob Dylan, Allen GinsÂberg, NorÂman MailÂer, and William StyÂron to Bruce’s defense. (Dylan would latÂer write a song about the affair.) But, regardÂless, the triÂal endÂed badÂly for Bruce, and, two years latÂer, the impovÂerÂished comeÂdiÂan would die of a heroÂin overÂdose.
For Bruce’s legaÂcy, things have gotÂten a litÂtle betÂter. In 2003, GovÂerÂnor George PataÂki grantÂed New York’s first posthuÂmous parÂdon to the satirist, callÂing it “a decÂlaÂraÂtion of New York’s comÂmitÂment to upholdÂing the First AmendÂment.” MeanÂwhile, legal scholÂars have writÂten books that paint Bruce and his First AmendÂment batÂtles in a rather symÂpaÂthetÂic light. Below you can find a video clip of Lenny Bruce appearÂing on the very popÂuÂlar Steve Allen Show. It gives you a pretÂty good look at the brand of comÂeÂdy that Bruce preÂsentÂed to the wider nation. (You can access Part II of the video here.) Beyond this, you may also want to check out the actuÂal FBI file that was kept on Bruce. It’s been pubÂlished thanks to the FreeÂdom of InforÂmaÂtion Act. And if you’re up for more video footage, here is a clearÂly deflatÂed Bruce using his triÂal as fodÂder for comÂeÂdy.
Quick note: As part of the new lineÂup, the iPod ClasÂsic feaÂtures a new 160 GB modÂel for $349. It apparÂentÂly holds 40,000 songs (twice as many as the preÂviÂous modÂel), which transÂlates to three conÂtinÂuÂous months of lisÂtenÂing enterÂtainÂment. ImagÂine how many mind-expandÂing podÂcasts that could include.
Below we have “R.E.M. Live, recordÂed on the Around the World Tour, which proÂmotÂed Around the Sun, a stuÂdio album from 2004. It is to be released OctoÂber 16.” (Thanks to Justin for the clarÂiÂfiÂcaÂtion.)
On the anniverÂsary of the SepÂtemÂber 11th attacks, it seems fitÂting to call attenÂtion to Don DeLilÂlo’s Falling Man, a recent addiÂtion to the growÂing body of ficÂtion now known as “9/11 novÂel.” HowÂevÂer you may feel about DeLilÂlo’s writÂing style (we often find that it grates), Falling Man adeptÂly capÂtures the emoÂtionÂal and physÂiÂcal haze that surÂroundÂed NYC in the wake of the attacks. In interÂviews with GuerÂniÂca and NPR’s All Things ConÂsidÂered, DeLilÂlo talks about the influÂences that led him to explore the attacks and their afterÂmath from the perÂspecÂtive of both a terÂrorÂist and a surÂvivor. If lisÂtenÂing to the book is more your speed, check out the audio verÂsion at AmaÂzon or the downÂload at AudiÂble.
HBO just startÂed airÂing the sixth seaÂson of Curb Your EnthuÂsiÂasm, so it seemed fitÂting to serve up this lengthy interÂview with LarÂry David. The talk is very funÂny. No shock there. But it also gets into some good subÂstance. How LarÂry got into comÂeÂdy; how he strugÂgled durÂing his earÂly standup years and had to scratch togethÂer monÂey for a can of Chef Boyardee; how he approachÂes writÂing comÂeÂdy; how he has genÂerÂatÂed ideas for the most memÂoÂrable episodes of “Curb” and SeinÂfeld — it all gets touched on here.
We have includÂed the first part below, plus links to the othÂer sevÂen segÂments. For more LarÂry David interÂviews, check out the 60 MinÂutes piece on LarÂry from this past weekÂend. You can watch it online here.
A few weeks ago, our readÂers conÂtributed to creÂatÂing a list of books that left an indeliÂble mark on their lives. You can review the origÂiÂnal post here. But we figÂured why not add them to our “My Library” page on Google, a new prodÂuct that we briefly menÂtioned yesÂterÂday. You can access the colÂlecÂtion here (or get it by rss feed). And, as you’ll see, we also importÂed to the list all of our users’ comÂments on the indiÂvidÂual books. Explore the list, find a great read, and pass it along to a worÂthy friend.
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EffecÂtive at midÂnight, The New York Times will make the “TimesÂSÂeÂlect” secÂtion of its webÂsite entireÂly free. (It used to cost subÂscribers $49.95 a year.) And it will also free up “its archives from 1987 to the present … , as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the pubÂlic domain.”
