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Wednesday’s Weekly Reader: Long Commute Edition
On 13, May 2010 | No Comments | In Design Life | By Lorraine
It seems as though my commute lengthens with each passing day of nice weather. When I used to take the El every day, I would simply pack a book or something else to occupy myself with…but I hear that is frowned upon when driving a car on the highway. Luckily, a couple of weeks ago I rediscovered iTunes U and also broadened my list of Podcasts. Bam! Interesting commute + not falling asleep in all of the bumper-to-bumper traffic = a good drive had by all. Plus, it has the added bonus of helping me achieve some of this year’s Design Resolutions. The best part is that they are all free! Below are a few of my favorites from the past two weeks:
Stuff You Should Know
podcast, random
iTunes | site
Josh and Chuck crack me up: they’re like your two favorite guy-friends who hang out all the time talking about random things like the history of the Muppets. Except they have a podcast. They actually DO have an episode on the history of the Muppets that a friend sent to me…and then I found myself listening to them banter about ninjas, Tourette Syndrome, castles, pirates, the history of Braille…
Stuff You Missed in History Class
podcast, history
iTunes
Also from HowStuffWorks.com, this podcast focuses on all of the fun parts of history class minus the pop quizes. You know…the stuff they never teach you because it would be too interesting. The episodes on the Book of Kells and Michelangelo are particularly interesting if you’re an art history buff.
USF’s Lit2Go
literature
iTunes | site
The University of South Florida has created audiobooks for hundreds of classic titles. If you like classic literature, I highly recommend this as a resource. Currently, I’m listening to Peter Pan since I’ve never actually read it.
Oxford University’s Lectures from Medieval English
literature, linguistics, art history
iTunes
Dr. Stuart D. Lee’s lectures on Old English in literature and in context are fascinating to me. They are a great mix of linguistics, art history (pertaining to illuminated manuscripts), world history, and literature. Plus, I love seeing the similarities between Old English and modern German.
Building a Business
economics
iTunes
Also from Oxford, this lecture series focuses on starting your own company. Although mainly geared towards the technology industry, the lecture can apply to any business sector. The first episode on taxes and accounting was a little dry and didn’t pertain to entrepreneurs in the States, but the following episodes are of interest.