I’ve heard this joke many times before on audio, but nevÂer seen it on video. Here it goes. The Moose Joke apparÂentÂly from 1965.
Stephen Colbert’s New Book Released Early as Audiobook
Here’s a quick heads up: Stephen ColÂbert’s new book — I Am AmerÂiÂca (And So Can You!) — will hit the streets on OctoÂber 9. HowÂevÂer, if you’re realÂly champÂing at the bit, you can downÂload the book earÂly, startÂing today, in audioÂbook forÂmat. The book is narÂratÂed by ColÂbert himÂself, which is a perk, and you can downÂload it from AudiÂble here.
To round things out, let us refer you to this video where ColÂbert, speakÂing at Book Expo AmerÂiÂca, pumps his new book, spars with Khaled HosÂseiÂni (author of The Kite RunÂner and A ThouÂsand SplenÂdid Suns), and trashÂes CorÂmac McCarthy. Have fun.
Animated New Yorker Cartoons: A Funny Twist on Einstein’s Relativity
The New YorkÂer has rolled out a series of aniÂmatÂed carÂtoons, which puts in motion its famous carÂtoons. They can be watched as video podÂcasts or as streamed videos. You should defÂiÂniteÂly head over to The New YorkÂer web site to view the largÂer colÂlecÂtion. But, if you want a litÂtle taste, take a look below:
YouTube Gets Smart: The Launch of New University Channels
UpdatÂed: See full colÂlecÂtion of UniÂverÂsiÂty Video ColÂlecÂtions on YouTube.
I heard rumors someÂthing like this was comÂing, and now it’s here. YouTube has struck deals with major uniÂverÂsiÂties, creÂatÂing dedÂiÂcatÂed chanÂnels from which schools can disÂtribÂute their media conÂtent. Not surÂprisÂingÂly UC BerkeÂley, always at the digÂiÂtal foreÂfront, has takÂen the lead and launched an ambiÂtious chanÂnel with over 300 hours of videoÂtaped coursÂes and events. You can check out their chanÂnel here. The othÂer major uniÂverÂsiÂty to sign on is USC (UniÂverÂsiÂty of SouthÂern CalÂiÂforÂnia).
Back in March, we lamentÂed the sheer dearth of culÂturÂal conÂtent on YouTube. (LisÂten to our radio interÂview here and also see our relatÂed blog post.) Since its incepÂtion, the now Google-owned video serÂvice has been awash with home-brewed videos of guiÂtar riffs, dormÂroom lip sync sesÂsions, and pet tricks. MeanÂwhile, videos of greater culÂturÂal subÂstance have been hardÂer to come by (and that’s why we’ve tried to flag the good ones for you. See here, here & here.) YouTube’s new uniÂverÂsiÂty iniÂtiaÂtive begins to remÂeÂdy that probÂlem. It shows a perÂhaps burÂgeonÂing comÂmitÂment to highÂer-mindÂed media. But let’s not get too carÂried away. When you go to YouTube, it’s not clear how users will find/navigate to these chanÂnels. If you look under CatÂeÂgories, “eduÂcaÂtion” is not an option (although I think it used to be). PerÂhaps YouTube has plans to tweak its navÂiÂgaÂtion. Or is this just a case of letÂting a tree fall in the woods? Let’s stay optiÂmistic and we’ll check back soon.
Please visÂit our colÂlecÂtion of 250 Free Online CoursÂes
Philip Roth’s Exit Ghost: Free Chapters, Podcasts & More
Philip Roth fans didÂn’t have to wait very long for anothÂer novÂel. A short year and a half after pubÂlishÂing EveryÂman, Roth has just put out Exit Ghost. It’s anothÂer book that takes a hard look at aging, and it also marks the ninth and posÂsiÂbly last time that the charÂacÂter Nathan ZuckÂerÂman will inhabÂit Roth’s litÂerÂary creÂations. (For more on the ZukÂerÂman series, see Salon’s oldÂer piece here.) We’ll evenÂtuÂalÂly have more to say about Exit Ghost. But, for now, we wantÂed to point you to some good relatÂed resources. For starters, if you can’t wait to get the book, you can read the first chapÂter online for free here. And you can also catch some very recent interÂviews with Roth. First, AmaÂzon Wired (iTunes — Feed — TranÂscript) feaÂtures him talkÂing about Exit Ghost and offerÂing a very short readÂing from it. Then there is this interÂview by TerÂry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air. (iTunes — Feed — Stream). FinalÂly, here are the first reviews that have rolled out: New York MagÂaÂzine, The New York Sun, The New York Times, The LA Times, The WashÂingÂton Post, and Times Online (UK).
P.S. Here are a couÂple of othÂer Philip Roth goodÂies.
- Philip Roth on “EveryÂman” (Real PlayÂer — Audio)
- Philip Roth on “EveryÂman” and His Approach to WritÂing (mp3 stream)
SubÂscribe to Our Feed and check out our colÂlecÂtion of free audioÂbook podÂcasts.
The iPod Deathclock
How many days, weeks or months before your iPod goes kaput? This web site will give you an estiÂmate. PerÂhaps a handy tool for anyÂone who conÂsumes all of the podÂcasts that we throw your way.
Check out our colÂlecÂtion of Ideas & CulÂture PodÂcasts
Ahmadinejad Spoofed on Saturday Night Live
AhmadineÂjad’s recent appearÂance at ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty genÂerÂatÂed a lot of seriÂous press (watch his speech here), and, quite rightÂly, jourÂnalÂists and comÂmenÂtaÂtors seized on his more outÂlandish asserÂtions — that the HoloÂcaust is not a hisÂtorÂiÂcal givÂen, and that homoÂsexÂuÂals actuÂalÂly don’t exist in Iran. After all of the seriÂous reportÂing was done, SatÂurÂday Night Live got to work and aired this clip that conÂtinÂued its traÂdiÂtion of bitÂing politÂiÂcal satire. Here it goes:
The World Without Us: Author Interview
EarÂliÂer this week I spoke on the phone with Alan WeisÂman, the author of The World WithÂout Us. (See our iniÂtial piece on his book.) Alan was graÂcious enough to take some time out of his pubÂlicÂiÂty schedÂule to share his thoughts on the book, the world, his writÂing process, and more. What folÂlows is an editÂed tranÂscript of our conÂverÂsaÂtion.
Ed: This book addressÂes what on the surÂface seems to be a pretÂty far-fetched hypoÂthetÂiÂcal: that humanÂiÂty might sudÂdenÂly disÂapÂpear. What drew you to this premise in the first place?
Alan: Well, preÂciseÂly that. Most great enviÂronÂmenÂtal writÂing does not get read by a lot of the peoÂple who ought to be learnÂing about it because the nearÂer-term posÂsiÂbilÂiÂties just seem someÂtimes so frightÂenÂing, or so depressÂing, that nobody realÂly wants to pick up a book to read it.
By strucÂturÂing the book the way that I did, I disÂarm the autoÂmatÂic fear that repels a lot of peoÂple from readÂing about the enviÂronÂment. PeoÂple don’t want to read someÂthing that seems too threatÂenÂing. On a subÂconÂscious or even a conÂscious levÂel, they don’t want to be worÂried we’re all going to die. In my book, killing us off in the first couÂple of pages means peoÂple don’t have to worÂry about dying because we’re already dead, and that’s a relief in a sense. The idea of glimpsÂing the future is irreÂsistible to all of us and I estabÂlish pretÂty quickÂly that is not going to just be me specÂuÂlatÂing, it’s going to be some hard sciÂence writÂing based on a lot of reportÂing, of talkÂing to experts or eyeÂwitÂnessÂes whose guessÂes will be far more interÂestÂing than most peoÂples’.
The fact that it is far-fetched is realÂly useÂful because on the one hand realÂly it’s a remote posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty that we would leave, that we would disÂapÂpear tomorÂrow. So peoÂple don’t go into a panÂic over this book, and it realÂly gives peoÂple enough time to think about these things withÂout panÂickÂing about it. So that’s how this device works, and I think it’s been proven to be very effecÂtive. I’m getÂting a lot more peoÂple to read it than just peoÂple who are hung up on the enviÂronÂment.
Kasparov, The Chess Master, Takes on Putin: A New Yorker Podcast
David RemÂnick, the ediÂtor of the New YorkÂer and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning book, Lenin’s Tomb, has recentÂly revisÂitÂed the counÂtry he knows so well. And what he has to show for it is an extenÂsive piece on GarÂry KasÂparov, arguably the best chess playÂer in hisÂtoÂry, and his danÂgerÂous move into the politÂiÂcal areÂna. In Vladimir Putin’s RusÂsia, neiÂther politÂiÂcal disÂsent nor politÂiÂcal oppoÂsiÂtion goes over terÂriÂbly well. Since he took the reins of powÂer in 2000, more than a dozen jourÂnalÂists critÂiÂcal of Putin have turned up dead. So have some politiÂcians. Then there was the draÂmatÂic case of AlexanÂder LitviÂnenko, the forÂmer KGB agent turned Putin critÂic, who died of radiÂaÂtion poiÂsonÂing in LonÂdon last fall. All of the casÂes remain “unreÂsolved.”
At great perÂsonÂal and finanÂcial cost, KasÂparov is tryÂing to lay the founÂdaÂtion for a legitÂiÂmate politÂiÂcal oppoÂsiÂtion. GetÂting there, howÂevÂer, won’t be easy. For one, Putin, havÂing shored up RusÂsiÂa’s econÂoÂmy and nationÂal psyÂche, is immenseÂly popÂuÂlar, havÂing upwards to an 80% popÂuÂlarÂiÂty ratÂing. Even the old disÂsiÂdent AlekÂsanÂdr SolzhenÂitÂsyn likes him. Then, there’s the fact that Putin has almost a tsarist, “L’État, c’est moi” kind of grip on powÂer. In a podÂcastÂed interÂview (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) that grew out of RemÂnickÂ’s artiÂcle, KasÂparov talks about his expecÂtaÂtions for the next presÂiÂdenÂtial elecÂtion in RusÂsia, when Putin is conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂalÂly required to cede presÂiÂdenÂtial powÂers to anothÂer politiÂcian. Here, he tells RemÂnick that Putin will conÂtinÂue callÂing the shots because, as he puts it, RusÂsiÂa’s politÂiÂcal elite is so feckÂless that they would “vote to make Putin’s dog the prime minÂisÂter.” This strikes the lisÂtenÂer as a strange but timeÂly comÂment, espeÂcialÂly in light of Putin’s announceÂment yesÂterÂday that he may seek to become RusÂsiÂa’s prime minÂisÂter, which would essenÂtialÂly give him the chance to conÂtinÂue exerÂcisÂing powÂer from what one diploÂmat has called “a parÂalÂlel strucÂture.” That’s a move that should prove hard for KasÂparov or any othÂer Putin oppoÂnent to parÂry.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
- The New YorkÂer MagÂaÂzine CrossÂes the DigÂiÂtal Divide
- The New YorkÂer MagÂaÂzine’s Famous CarÂtoons Now AvailÂable on PodÂcast
- My Trip to Al QaeÂda: A New YorkÂer Video
The Grey Video: Mixing The Beatles with Jay‑Z
In 2004, DanÂger Mouse released The Grey Album which layÂered the rapÂper Jay-Z’s The Black Album on top of The BeaÂtÂles’ White Album. Black and white makes grey.
Now, on YouTube, you can find The Grey Video, which experÂiÂmenÂtalÂly brings DanÂger Mouse’s conÂcept to video. The video, creÂatÂed by two Swiss direcÂtors, meshÂes clips from The BeaÂtÂles’ film A Hard Day’s Night with footage of Jay‑Z perÂformÂing. Watch it below, and get more info on The Grey Album here. Also check our colÂlecÂtion of MP3 Music Blogs.
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