My old home town in time lapse video. Thanks Ian for the excelÂlent find. Have a good weekÂend all.
Christopher Hitchens Revises the Ten Commandments
ChristoÂpher Hitchens — he’s an irriÂtant to the left (a big defendÂer of the bunÂgled Iraq war) and to the right (an atheÂist who wrote the conÂtroÂverÂsial bestÂseller God is Not Great). He’s an equal opporÂtuÂniÂty polemiÂcist. Now, in the April ediÂtion of VanÂiÂty Fair, he’s back. This time, he’s deconÂstructÂing the Ten ComÂmandÂments and offerÂing his own updatÂed set of comÂmandÂments for our modÂern times. I’m norÂmalÂly not the biggest Hitchens fan. But, I’m on board with the gist of his guidÂing prinÂciÂples.
via @KirstinButler
Twilight Zone Radio: Download Free Episodes
The TwiÂlight Zone aired between 1959 and 1964, and it became one of AmerÂiÂca’s iconÂic teleÂviÂsion shows. Although the proÂgram endÂed long ago, the show lives on today … on the radio. AirÂing on 200 staÂtions across the US, TwiÂlight Zone Radio draÂmaÂtizes Rod SerÂling’s clasÂsic scripts for today’s radio audiÂences. And it does it with help of actor StaÂcy Keach, the show’s host, and celebriÂties (Jason AlexanÂder, Ed BegÂley Jr., etc.) playÂing lead roles in the draÂmas. You can catch the show on the radio (find your local radio staÂtion here). Or, right now, you can downÂload three free episodes of past shows. Each runs about 40 minÂutes, and, if you find yourÂself hunÂgerÂing for more, you can always purÂchase indiÂvidÂual episodes from the TwiÂlight Zone Radio archive for $1.95.
On a relatÂed note, be sure to see our preÂviÂous post: Orson Welles VinÂtage Radio
Logorama: The Oscar Winning Animated Short Now Online
Note: Some lanÂguage is NOT safe for work…
This past weekÂend, François Alaux and Herve de CreÂcy’s 17 minute film, LogoÂraÂma, won the Oscar for the best Short Film (AniÂmatÂed). The plot comes basiÂcalÂly boils down to this: “In a world made up entireÂly of tradeÂmarks and brand names, MicheÂlin Man cops purÂsue a crimÂiÂnal Ronald McDonÂald.” ObviÂousÂly, there is some comÂmenÂtary here on how corÂpoÂraÂtions perÂmeÂate AmerÂiÂcan sociÂety. The film has been brought online by GarageTV. For more films, check out our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
via @dylanschenkler and theflickcast.com
Avant-Garde Media: The UbuWeb Collection
Fans of avant-garde art, take note. UbuWeb hosts a vast archive of online avant-garde media, and they’ve been doing it since 1996. The site feaÂtures a large mp3 sound archive, alongÂside an extenÂsive film/video colÂlecÂtion where you’ll find some vinÂtage clips. Take these items for examÂple:
- Four AmerÂiÂcan ComÂposers: Philip Glass — Peter GreenÂaway’s docÂuÂmenÂtary from 1983 takes you inside the work of John Cage, Philip Glass, MeredÂith Monk, & Robert AshÂley. The clip here feaÂtures the Glass segÂment.
- Jorge Luis Borges: The MirÂror Man — This 47 minute docÂuÂmenÂtary focusÂes on ArgentiÂna’s beloved author. As UBU writes, the docÂuÂmenÂtary is a bit of everyÂthing — “part biogÂraÂphy, part litÂerÂary critÂiÂcism, part hero-worÂship, part book readÂing, and part psyÂcholÂoÂgy.”
- La vilÂla SanÂto Sospir — Jean Cocteau, the French poet, novÂelÂist and dramaÂtist, also shot a movie or two. Here’s his 35-minute colÂor film from 1952…
- Scenes from Allen’s Last Three Days on Earth as a SpirÂit — A video diary of beat writer Allen GinsÂberg’s final days before death, and the days folÂlowÂing.
- The VioÂlence of the Image — Jean BauÂdrillard lecÂtures at the EuroÂpean GradÂuÂate School.
- Un Chant d’Amour — French writer Jean Genet’s only film from 1950. Because of its explicÂit (though artisÂtiÂcalÂly preÂsentÂed) homoÂsexÂuÂal conÂtent, the 26-minute movie was banned and disÂowned by Genet latÂer in his life, says UBU.
- Warhol’s CinÂeÂma — A MirÂror for the SixÂties — A 64-minute docÂuÂmenÂtary on Andy Warhol’s cinÂeÂma of the sixÂties, made in assoÂciÂaÂtion with The FacÂtoÂry, MOMA and the WhitÂney MuseÂum of Art.
This is just a quick samÂple of what UBU has to offer. You can dig deepÂer into their avant-garde media colÂlecÂtion here. As you’ll see, the video qualÂiÂty can be a litÂtle uneven. But if you can’t get to a real arts cinÂeÂma, then this is not a bad fallÂback resource.
Making the Case Against Laptops … With Liquid Nitrogen
ProÂfesÂsors are increasÂingÂly sourÂing on stuÂdents bringÂing their lapÂtops to class. Some are banÂning them. (The WashÂingÂton Post has more on that.) And some are banÂning them emphatÂiÂcalÂly. Like the physics proÂfesÂsor from the UniÂverÂsiÂty of OklaÂhoma. (Watch the video above.) What’s the soluÂtion? Maybe this stuÂdent has the right idea (said in jest).
Getting Smart During Your Daily Commute
The averÂage AmerÂiÂcan spends a good 100 minÂutes per day comÂmutÂing to and from work. (More on that here.) That amounts to about 433 hours per year! Now imagÂine using that time to learn someÂthing new — to read a great book, to take a class from a top uniÂverÂsiÂty, to learn a new lanÂguage. To make a sharpÂer you. Below, we highÂlight our free audio resources that will maxÂiÂmize your driÂve time. Before getÂting startÂed, make sure you have a big mp3 playÂer and a way to lisÂten to your mp3 playÂer over your car speakÂers. Unless you comÂmute by subÂway or bus, using earÂbuds is genÂerÂalÂly unsafe, and often illeÂgal.
Free Resources:
Free Audio Books: What betÂter way to spend your driÂve time than lisÂtenÂing to some of the greatÂest books ever writÂten? This page conÂtains a vast numÂber of free audio books, includÂing works by Arthur Conan Doyle, F. Scott FitzgerÂald, James Joyce, Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, George Orwell and many more. You can downÂload these clasÂsic books straight to your mp3 playÂer, then lisÂten as you driÂve.
Free CoursÂes: This list brings togethÂer over 275 free coursÂes from leadÂing uniÂverÂsiÂties, includÂing StanÂford, Yale, MIT, UC BerkeÂley, Oxford and beyond. These full-fledged coursÂes range across all disÂciÂplines. As you driÂve, you can immerse yourÂself in free coursÂes in hisÂtoÂry, physics, phiÂlosÂoÂphy, psyÂcholÂoÂgy and beyond. All of these coursÂes are availÂable in audio.
Free LanÂguage Lessons: PerÂhaps learnÂing a new lanÂguage is high on your perÂsonÂal check list. Well, here is a great way to do it. Take your pick of 37 lanÂguages, includÂing SpanÂish, French, ItalÂian, ManÂdarin, EngÂlish, RussÂian, Dutch, even Finnish and EsperanÂto. These lessons are all free and ready for your driÂve. You’ll start speakÂing that new lanÂguage in no time.
Ideas & CulÂture ProÂgrams: In this audio colÂlecÂtion, we have gathÂered some of the most intelÂlecÂtuÂalÂly stimÂuÂlatÂing proÂgrams, covÂerÂing the worlds of thought, film, music, books, etc. These proÂgrams will keep you thinkÂing and culÂturÂalÂly up-to-date. Most proÂgrams feaÂture new daiÂly episodes.
SciÂence PodÂcasts: Maybe you’re already steeped in the libÂerÂal arts and want to get more comÂfortÂable with the world of sciÂence. Here’s a good place to start. This page includes a long list of enterÂtainÂing sciÂence proÂgrams. NeuÂroÂscience, astronÂoÂmy, medÂiÂcine, EinÂstein, NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic. They’re all here, waitÂing for you.
Open CulÂture iPhone App: A litÂtle someÂthing speÂcial for iPhone users. When you downÂload our free iPhone app, you can take with you, wherÂevÂer you go, the items listÂed above. Just conÂnect to Wi-Fi (Apple says so), downÂload as many audio files as you want, then take them on the road, and you’re good to go.
Paid Resources: We love all things free. You know that. But someÂtimes paid resources delivÂer the goods. Here are two paid resources that I freÂquentÂly end up using durÂing my travÂels.
Audible.com: If you’re into conÂtemÂpoÂrary books, then give AudiÂble a visÂit. They have the widest colÂlecÂtion of new books on the marÂket, and they make it easy to downÂload books to your mp3 playÂer. In fact, they supÂport iPod, iPhone, BlackÂberÂry and 500 othÂer devices. Books can be bought a la carte, or through an annuÂal subÂscripÂtion. If you start a free triÂal with Audible.com, you can downÂload a free audio book of your choice. At the end of the free triÂal, you can decide whether to stick with the subÂscripÂtion plan or not. RegardÂless of your deciÂsion, you can keep the free audio book. It’s a no risk way of tryÂing out AudiÂble’s serÂvice.
This post was inspired by LifeÂhackÂer’s piece from earÂliÂer today: Top 10 Tips and Tools for ComÂmuters.
GoodReads
A quick heads up for book lovers: Goodreads is a large social netÂwork for readÂers, with over 3,000,000 memÂbers who review, recÂomÂmend and swap books. The site also feaÂtures “book-give-aways” for its memÂbers. This month you can enter to win a free copy of If You FolÂlow Me, a novÂel by MaleÂna Watrous, a talÂentÂed colÂleague of mine at StanÂford. About the book one reviewÂer said: It’s “the kind of book you finÂish and then clutch to your heart as you run around telling everyÂone you know that they have to read it.” The book is hitÂting the bookÂstore shelves today, and you can sign up to win a free copy until March 16.
PS MaleÂna will be teachÂing an online writÂing course through StanÂford ConÂtinÂuÂing StudÂies this spring. The course, called The CreÂative WritÂing Coach, is open to all. MeanÂwhile, we’re also pilotÂing our first online humanÂiÂties course, a phiÂlosÂoÂphy course called EnviÂsionÂing the Good Life. Watch the video introÂducÂtion for the course here.
Great Theatre for Free
A quick pubÂlic serÂvice announceÂment:
BeginÂning SatÂurÂday, March 13, L.A. TheÂatre Works Radio TheÂatre Series will air FallÂen Angels by Noel CowÂard, starÂring Annette BenÂing, HarÂriÂet HarÂris, Judith Ivey, Joe ManÂtegÂna, John RubinÂstein, and KristofÂfer Tabori. The broadÂcast can be heard localÂly in SouthÂern CalÂiÂforÂnia on SatÂurÂday from 10 pm to midÂnight on 89.3 KPCC, and can also be streamed on demand at https://www.latw.org/.
LA TheÂatre Works stages numerÂous audio plays each year, feaÂturÂing leadÂing actors and actressÂes. You can access their othÂer recent proÂducÂtions here: iTunes – Web Site
Lawrence Lessig: What Conservatives Can Teach Us About Free Culture
Here’s one of the first videos to emerge from this weekÂend’s indie TED conÂferÂence in New York City. More videos will evenÂtuÂalÂly be postÂed on the TEDxTalks YouTube ChanÂnel, which we’re adding to our Smart YouTube colÂlecÂtion. In case you’re not familÂiar with him, Lawrence Lessig, a HarÂvard law proÂfesÂsor, has been a driÂving force behind the “free culÂture” moveÂment and CreÂative ComÂmons. This talks offers a quick introÂducÂtion to his thinkÂing … and his disÂtincÂtive (and always engagÂing) manÂner of preÂsenÂtaÂtion.
The Milky Way in Time-Lapse Video
This humÂbling footage of the Milky Way was filmed on MauÂna Kea in Hawaii, the same locaÂtion that recentÂly gave us footage of stars orbitÂing a black hole. This is, of course, not a coinÂciÂdence. MauÂna Kea hosts the world’s largest obserÂvaÂtoÂry for optiÂcal, infrared, and subÂmilÂlimeÂter astronÂoÂmy. Thanks Robert for sendÂing this our way.
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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.
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