New podcasts in June 2009 - Anne is a Man

Should I make a podcast of my own? It has been suggested over and over again. I must say I cannot even get done with simple audio promos for this blog. (Who will make a new one? There is only one so far)

But here is another idea. I could set up a feed for podcasts I especially recommend. You could subscribe in iTunes or any other podcatcher you use and get those recommendations in one list. Would you be interested in that? Comment or send mail to let me know.

There are several ways open. I could make a feed for everything I listen to (up to 4 podcasts a day), make one for every podcast I review (around 1 or 2 a day), give special recommendations (1 or 2 per week) or make separate feeds. A history feed, a philosophy feed, a Dutch, German and Hebrew feed etc. Give me your input and some time in July this feed (or these feeds) will come into place. And if you are willing to beta-test, all the better.

In the mean time, let us list the podcasts that have been given a first review this month:

Philosophy:
Isaiah Berlin Centenary (Oxford) (review, Oxford on iTunes, feed)
Series of lectures to commemorate a hundred years since the birth of Isaiah Berlin. One lecture about him, the rest recordings from lectures by Berlin in the 1950s.

Ethics Bites (BBC, Open University) (review, site, feed)
An ethics series by the makers of Philosophy Bites. The feed has not been updated since 2008, but ethics can never be podfaded, can it?

Reith Lectures 2009 (BBC) (review, site, feed)
An excellent series of four lectures by Micheal Sandel about a new citizenship. Fresh insights about morality in market, politics and bio-medical technology.

History:
Early American Social History (Warwick) (review, page in iTunes, feed in iTunes)
Extensive lecture series about US History before 1870. Mind the low audio that comes with live recorded lectures.

Georgian Britain (Warwick) (review, page in iTunes, feed in iTunes)
Series of thematic monologues about Britain during 1714-1830.

Guns and Rubles (Warwick) (review, page in iTunes, feed in iTunes)
A couple of short podcasts about the Soviets and their military industrial complex.

Drinking matters (Warwick) (review, page in iTunes, feed in iTunes)
The history of early modern pubs in Europe and their influence on the history of Europe.

Environmental History Videocast (review, site, feed)
A vodcast that goes along with the audio podcast Exploring Environmental History. The videos are not playable on iPod.

Antisemitism (USHMM) (review, site, feed in iTunes)
Scholarly lectures about antisemitism, held at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Other:
Cat Crave (review, site, feed)
A podcast for fans of the Carolina Panthers - American Football.

Masters of None (review, site, feed)
A conversational podcast in which, among others, comics and movies are discussed

BMS World Mission (review, site, feed)
A show made for the partners of the Baptist Mission world wide. A rather light radio style program with items related to missionary work.

An introduction to Biological Anthropology (Berkeley) (review, site, feed)
University lecture series that takes on human anthropology from the perspective of evolution and genetics.

Psyconoclasm (review, site, feed)
A psychology podcast that explores psychology in as vast as the definition takes and needs to be met with skepticism.

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I love to get new podcast recommendations. You can let me know your preferences by commenting on the blog or sending mail to Anne is a Man at: Anne Frid de Vries (in one word) AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk

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The Podcast Parlor.

Fragility and Humanity - Speaking of Faith

At Speaking of Faith Krista Tippett spoke with geo-physicist and thinker Xavier Le Pichon. This is a wonderful podcast that gives but an indication to a fascinating conversation that can also be heard in full (unedited interview with Le Pichon - mp3 download).

If you decide you will listen to the podcast or the complete interview, you may want to take this from my experience: Quite important is the concept of fragility, which, for some reason, is pronounced by Tippett as fergility. It may sound silly, but it took me through half the program to finally figure this out.

The importance of fragility is this. It is Le Pinchon's view (and discovery) that contrary to natural instincts, humanity puts fragility in the center. It doesn't leave the weak behind, but rather makes them important to be treated - provided we talk of the humane side of humanity of course. This is elevating, in his opinion, because by taking in the weak in society, we allow ourselves to learn from the weak. It is his belief we always learn from each other, we can only learn in community. And by not driving away the vulnerable and value only on merit, we actually enrich ourselves. Moreover, it is now that our knowledge and technology has truly made is into one humanity, we have the chance to fully enjoy this togetherness. Provided we take the chance of course.

More Speaking of Faith:
The Sunni-Shia divide and the future of Islam,
Wangari Maathai,
Rumi,
The story and God,
The Buddha in the world.