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Domain: thislife.org

Stories and comments across the archive that link to thislife.org.

Comments · 156

  1. Re:Why I don't watch TV news anymore by ethereal · · Score: 1 · on The New Mediascape

    Don't forget This American Life, which includes perhaps the most low-key but oddly entrancing radio voice you'll ever hear, Ira Glass. It's not news, but it is good. If your station doesn't carry it, it's also available in RA.

  2. Re:Radio is not dead in the US by Slackrat · · Score: 1 · on Douglas Adams Answers (Finally)
    Much agreed. When I listen to music on the radio or the computer, it is just sort of sound to fill the void. Granted, I like music just as much as the next guy, but years of ever increasing information overload has left my senses dulled to the world around me. I hear the music but I'm just not listening.

    And then there was This American Life. Granted, NPR redefines the art of radio every day with great shows like Car Talk, What do you know?, and All Things Considered. This American Life, however, clears the senses like when your friends trick you into eating a big chunk of wasabi for the first time. Ira Glass knows how to tell a story such that the sound coming out of your radio is all that you hear. He is a master.

    Plus all the shows are up on the web. So close up Napster for a little bit and go listen to what free sound is all about. Do it now.

  3. Re:Radio is not dead in the US by mcgregorj · · Score: 3 · on Douglas Adams Answers (Finally)

    In fact, it's really not dead. For a program which looks at American culture in an off-beat way which many Douglas Adams fans (and people who like the stranger things in life) would appreciate, check out This American Life.

    You won't be disappointed.

  4. Mapping the noise around you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1 · on Computers And The Noise They Make

    The radio show, This American Life recently had a story about human-created background noise around us, and what affect it might have on us. It was part of a larger theme of mapping your environment using each of the five senses.

    The segment's creator evaluated the various hums, whirrs and drones created by the hardware in his office and home, and figured out what musical notes they were "playing". He discovered that several of them together were playing various "chords" many of which were either fairly dissonant or in monor keys. Referring to a treatise on music and mood published centuries ago by the Catholic Church, and also to a modern re-evaluation of the same subject, he'd identify the moods that his heater, microwave and coffee maker were tending to create in him in the morning. We all know major keys are supposed to be "happy" and minor ones "sad", but these works went into greater detail.

    It was a very interesting program, and it specifically mentioned the drones his computer and monitor "playing" at him all day. You can go over to the This American Life website and listen to the program, in RealAudio. It is listed as having run 06/16/2000, and was entitled "Mapping".

  5. Mapping the noise around you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1 · on Computers And The Noise They Make

    The radio show, This American Life recently had a story about human-created background noise around us, and what affect it might have on us. It was part of a larger theme of mapping your environment using each of the five senses.

    The segment's creator evaluated the various hums, whirrs and drones created by the hardware in his office and home, and figured out what musical notes they were "playing". He discovered that several of them together were playing various "chords" many of which were either fairly dissonant or in monor keys. Referring to a treatise on music and mood published centuries ago by the Catholic Church, and also to a modern re-evaluation of the same subject, he'd identify the moods that his heater, microwave and coffee maker were tending to create in him in the morning. We all know major keys are supposed to be "happy" and minor ones "sad", but these works went into greater detail.

    It was a very interesting program, and it specifically mentioned the drones his computer and monitor "playing" at him all day. You can go over to the This American Life website and listen to the program, in RealAudio. It is listed as having run 06/16/2000, and was entitled "Mapping".

  6. What we can do by spacey · · Score: 1 · on More Stories From The Hellmouth

    There was an increadible segment on last weekends This American Life. It was the last segment, which dealt with the quelling the genesis of discrimination in very young children. The link above will take you to the home page that has a link to realaudio of the episode, and links to the book itself.

    The segment talks about a book called "You can't say you can't play" where a kindergarten teacher and researcher forbids her students from excluding any of the other children from playing. The results are surprising and encouraging.

    -Peter