The following audio files were selected from a larger group of 268 for the last week. The link to each podcast is at the highlighted topic and reached by double-clicking or ctrl-clicking the topic. All 22 podcasts converted to 1.5x speed can also be downloaded as a single 159 MB zip file here for four months (vs 786 MB, below). Accumulations of these are discussed at the end of this episode.
Broadband Danville Va 16 mins – “… Danville is located in southern Virginia and was hit hard by the demise of tobacco and the loss of manufacturing jobs. But the municipal utility loaned itself enough capital to build a fiber network connecting the schools — by provisioning its own service, they were able to pay back the loan, make contributions to the general fund, and still have enough money left over to expand the network to connect local businesses. The network has been a tremendous success, attracting new employers and helping existing businesses to expand. And the network is just starting to connect residents in a few neighborhoods. Read our stories about Danville.” At the link locate the title, “Community Broadband Bits 22 – Jason Grey from Danville, Virginia,” right-click “Media files comm-bb-bits-podcast22-jason-grey-ndanville.mp3” at the end of the description and select “Save File As” to download the file.
Birth Control Tactic 65 mins – “Once a kid is born, their genetic fate is pretty much sealed. Or is it? This hour, we [Radiolab] put nature and nurture on a collision course and discover how outside forces can find a way inside us, shaping not just our hearts and minds, but the basic biological blueprint that we pass on to future generations.” A mother pays women to not have babies. At the link locate the title, “Inheritance” and just click “Download” to get the audio file.
Counterfeit Drugs 18 mins – “Last year 125 people died in Pakistan after taking contaminated cardiac medication. The disaster is one example of the dangers of counterfeit and substandard medicines, an issue the WHO is struggling to control. In this podcast we hear from Amir Attaran, Canada research chair in law, population health, and global development policy at the University of Ottawa, on the international wrangling he sees at the political level. And Sania Nishtar, president of Heartfile, an independent think tank based in India, discusses what went wrong in Pakistan, and how to prevent it happening again.” At the link find the title, “Countering counterfeits,” right-click “Media files bmj-podcast-countering-counterfeits.mp3” and select “Save File As” to download.
Take-It-All Politics 57 mins – “In its premiere episode, Moyers & Company dives into one of the most important and controversial issues of our time: How Washington and Big Business colluded to make the super-rich richer and turn their backs on the rest of us. Bill’s guests – Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson, authors of Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer — And Turned Its Back on the Middle Class, argue that America’s vast inequality is no accident, but in fact has been politically engineered. How, in a nation as wealthy as America, can the economy simply stop working for people at large, while super-serving those at the very top? Through exhaustive research and analysis, the political scientists Hacker and Pierson — whom Bill regards as the “Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson” of economics — detail important truths behind a 30-year economic assault against the middle class.” At the link locate the title, “Encore Broadcast: On Winner-Take-All Politics,” right-click “Media files Moyers and Company 108 Podcast.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Crony Capitalism 57 mins – “This weekend, continuing its sharp multi-episode focus on the intersection of money and politics, Moyers & Company explores the tight connection between Wall Street and the White House with David Stockman – yes, that David Stockman — former budget director for President Reagan. Now a businessman who says he was “taken to the woodshed” for telling the truth about the administration’s tax policies, Stockman speaks candidly with Bill Moyers about how money dominates politics, distorting free markets and endangering democracy. “As a result,” Stockman says, “we have neither capitalism nor democracy. We have crony capitalism.” At the link locate the title, “Encore Broadcast: Crony Capitalism,” right-click “Media Files Moyers and Company 109 Podcast.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Bankers in White House 57 mins – “Big banks are rewriting the rules of our economy to the exclusive benefit of their own bottom line. But how did our political and financial class shift the benefits of the economy to the very top, while saddling us with greater debt and tearing new holes in the safety net? Bill Moyers talks with former Citigroup Chairman John Reed and former Senator Byron Dorgan to explore a momentous instance: how the late-90’s merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group – and a friendly Presidential pen — brought down the Glass-Steagall Act, a crucial firewall between banks and investment firms which had protected consumers from financial calamity since the aftermath of the Great Depression. In effect, says Moyers, they “put the watchdog to sleep.” At the link locate the title, “Encore: How Big Banks are Rewriting the Rules of our Economy,” right-click “Media files Moyers and Company 110 Podcast.mp3” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Podcast Microphone 25 mins – Among several other issues this podcast spends ten minutes reviewing…”the Audio Technica AT2005USB ($78 at Amazon) and it’s little brother the ATR2100-USB ($49 at amazon). That solve these issues:1. Dynamic (not condenser microphones that pick up less room noise; 2. No echo issues; 3. Great signal strength 4. Operates as a USB AND an XLR microphone (works with a mixer).” At the link locate the title, “An Affordable Podcast Microphone That Solves All Podcast Issues Audio Technica AT2005USB,” right-click Media files sop312 070212.mp3″ and select “Save File As” to download the file.
Climate Change 23 mins – This podcast has two topics, the second of which concerns climate change: “We are witnesses to unprecedented changes to the earth. Great storms and melting ice caps. Scientists say these events are related to the carbon we are dumping into the atmosphere. But even the scientists are stunned by the speed and scale of melting sea ice and ice caps and sea-level rise. Dr. Bill Hay, professor emeritus of geology at CU-Boulder, talks with us about why scientists haven’t been able to keep up with mother nature.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Health Care Fixes 59 mins – “John Cochrane of the University of Chicago and Stanford University’s Hoover Institution talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how existing regulations distort the market for health care. Cochrane argues that many of the problems in the health care market would go away if these distortions were removed. In this conversation, he explores how the market for health care might work in the United States without those distortions. He also addresses some of the common arguments against a more choice-oriented less top-down approach.” At the link locate the titel, “Cochrane on Health Care,” right-click “Cochranehealth.mp3” by “Media Files” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Guns in America 52 mins – “The US has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in the world. How did this come to be? Was America’s “gun culture” present from the very beginning? On this episode, the History Guys look at who has had access to guns in the U.S., and what those guns have meant to the people who have owned them. They also consider the importance of guns at the time the Second Amendment was drafted, and explore the central role government has played in the dissemination of firearms to citizens. And they pay a visit to a 21st century version of the armories of the past: a gun show.”” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Writing Rules 77 mins – “Steven Pinker – “The Sense of Style: Scientific Communication for the 21st Century” Harvard College Professor, and Johnstone Family Professor, Department of Psychology, Harvard University Abstract: Let’s face it: most scientists are terrible communicators. Why do the world’s most cerebral people find it so hard to convey their ideas? And how can we learn to do better? I suggest that answers can be found in a number of ideas from the modern sciences of mind and language. Among them are: The Tree and the Chain (how multidimensional ideas are mapped onto one-dimensional strings); The Curse of Knowledge (why it’s so hard to imagine what it’s like not to know something you do know); and Long Shadow of Mrs. Grundy (how to distinguish rules of proper usage that are worth keeping from those that are bogus)” At the link the video can be viewed. An audio copy is included in the zip file at the top of this episode.
Feeding Tube Concerns 28 mins -“This week, risky business in health care. Not a science debate over numbers, but stories in which doctors and patients disagree about risk and why.” At the link locate the title, “Taking Risks – Podcast,” right-click “whitecoat 20121114 57533.mp3″ and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Global Warming 60 mins – “Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast, but Naomi Klein says Sandy’s tragic destruction can also be the catalyst for the transformation of politics and our economy. The author of the international bestseller The Shock Doctrine joins Bill to discuss hurricanes, climate change, and democracy. Klein has been in New York visiting the devastated areas — including those where “Occupy Sandy” volunteers are unfolding new models of relief — as part of her reporting for a new book and film on climate change and the future.” View at the link, including many comments. The audio version is in the zip collection at the top of this episode.
Blue Zones 51 mins -“Human longevity is thought to be explained by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. But recent studies show that as much as 90 percent of life expectancy may be determined by habits. Several years ago, a team of National Geographic scientists identified four regions in the world where people live the longest. In these so-called “Blue Zones,” residents experience far lower rates of chronic disease than Americans do. And people who live in these zones share common habits: they eat mostly plants, are spiritual and have strong ties with family and friends. Now, researchers have identified a fifth Blue Zone: the island of Ikaria, Greece. Author and explorer Dan Buettner on lessons for a long life from the world’s oldest people.” You can listen online and view a transcript, but not download the program; however, it’s included with the zipped collection at the top of this edition.
Eisenhower 51 mins – Historian Evan Thomas, journalist and author of “Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World,” talks with Diane about why he believes President Dwight D. Eisenhower saved the world from nuclear holocaust. You can listen online and view a transcript, but not download the program; however, it’s included with the zipped collection at the top of this edition.
Malaria Evolution 8 mins – Dr Mark Crislip discusses a case of malaria with side commentary about the disease impact and its few unexpected benefits. At the link locate “A Gobbet o’ Pus 445. Simple Infection, Complicated Disease,” right click “gop445.mp3” and select “Save File As” to download it.
Boarder Life 52 mins “No writer understands the border culture between Mexico and the United States more intimately than Luis Alberto Urrea, whose life is the stuff of great novels. Son of a Mexican father and Anglo mother, Urrea grew up first in Tijuana and then just across the border in San Diego. Over the years he has produced a series of acclaimed novels, including The Hummingbird’s Daughter, The Devil’s Highway, and his latest, Queen of America — each a rich and revealing account of the people of the borderlands that join and separate our two nations. Earlier this year, a number of books were removed from Tucson, Arizona classrooms when the Tucson school district eliminated a Mexican-American studies program on the accusation it was “divisive.” The program included references to Urrea’s work. Urrea talks with Bill Moyers about that episode as he unfolds the modern reality of life on the border.” View the program at the link, including many comments. The audio version is in the zip collection at the top of this episode.
Money Laundering 17 mins – “One day in the early 1990’s, a man walked into the U.S. embassy in Ecuador. He said he had information somebody would want to hear — information on how to go after some of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world. The man worked as a money changer. He said he was getting a lot of requests from traffickers who had a problem: They had so much cash that they didn’t know what to do with it. They couldn’t figure out how to launder their money. What they needed was an offshore bank to help them. On today’s show, we hear how two U.S. agents — one IRS, one DEA — created a fake offshore bank to catch drug traffickers.” At the link locate the title, ” #418: How The Government Set Up A Fake Bank To Launder Drug Money,” right-click “npr 165612934.mp3″next to “Media files” and select “Save Link As” to download the file.
Torture Report 52 mins – “After 9/11, the U.S. government turned to torture — in defiance of domestic and international laws — to extract information about and from terrorists and others who might follow after them. Were it not for defense attorneys and the work of human rights organizations, these prisoners would be ignored. But that’s changing. The American Civil Liberties Union and the international literary and human rights group PEN have teamed up to comb through 150,000 declassified documents — as well as large collections of articles and transcripts — to produce The Torture Report: What the Documents Say About America’s Post-9/11 Torture Program, written by PEN’s Larry Siems. PEN and the ACLU have also staged readings of excerpts from the documents and first-person testimony at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and Lincoln Center here in New York.” View at the link, including many comments. The audio version is in the zip collection at the top of this episode.
US Drug Development 120 mins – “…the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at Brookings hosted an event examining the outlook and opportunities for biomedical innovation in a challenging fiscal environment. Leaders in the field offered their thoughts on future directions of and policy priorities for the innovation enterprise. Following a brief keynote, a panel of senior thought leaders provided further discussion on actionable next steps to improve biomedical innovation.” At the link go to the Audio tab, right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
US Manufacturing Assessment 117 mins-“A decade into the 21st century, the role of manufacturing in global and metropolitan economies continues to evolve. After 20 years of rapid globalization in which manufacturing production shifted to emerging markets, demand for consumption is growing there, too. Emerging market demand, in fact, has unprecedented momentum as 1.8 billion people enter the global consuming class. At the same time, a robust pipeline of product innovation and manufacturing processes has opened new ways for U.S. manufacturing companies to compete. On November 19, the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings hosted a forum to release a report from the McKinsey Global Institute that examines the role of manufacturing in advanced and developing economies and the choices that manufacturers grapple with in this new era of global competition. Following presentations by the authors, an expert panel discussed the key trends shaping manufacturing competitiveness, global strategies, the next era of manufacturing innovation, and what these changes imply for growth and employment in manufacturing across the globe.” At the link go to the Audio tab, right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Nuclear Arms Reduction 81 mins – “In their new Brookings Focus Book, Brookings Senior Fellows Steven Pifer and Michael O’Hanlon make a strong case for further steps in nuclear arms control, explain in clear and straightforward prose the background to complex arms control issues, and offer practical and realistic proposals for action by the administration in 2013 and beyond.” At the link right-click “Download” and select “Save Link As.”
Over 120 feeds used to prepare this weekly blog are harvested with Feedreader3. The feeds are available in this opm file. A PDF of feeds is also available. Free Commander is used each week to compare old with new downloads and remove any duplicates. MP3SpeedChanger is applied to podcast batches to change playback speed to 1.5x. A speed listening background article is here. Sixty-four podcasts for 2010 and earlier at 1.5x are listed alphabetically in this PDF and can be downloaded in two sections as zip files, Part 1 and Part 2, each holding about 350 MB. For 2011 an alphabetical PDF list of 184 podcasts at 1.5x is available, and can be downloaded in five segments. A similar list and downloads for 362 podcasts for Jan-Jun 2012 is here. Podcasts are grouped into zipped files for easier downloading and segmented due to a 300MB limit on file uploads. A similar group for the last half of 2012 will be available in Jan 2013. A comm-enter recommended this $1.99 iPhone/iPad app for mobile devices; leave a comment if you try it. Please comment on any problems with the links and downloads.
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Media Mining Digest 