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
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:
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.
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:
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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