Things I am interested in…

These are my links for January 24th:

• Free Speculative Fiction Online: Links to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stories Online –
• http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/homepage.php –
• Trickcyclists.co.uk – Revision notes, OSCEs, MCQs, and Exam preparation for MRCPsych candidates –
• Plucker, the best offline HTML and ebook reader for Palm devices –
• Handango – Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry and Symbian Smartphone Software Downloads –
• PalmGear.com: Download Palm Software for your Treo 650/600, Tungsten, LifeDrive or other Palm OS Device –
• PDA and SmartPhone Reviews and News –
• BBC – Science & Nature – Human Body and Mind – Surveys –
• IQ Test & Personality Tests – 3SmartCubes.com –
• MacArthur Research –
• The Digital Home – Don Reisinger’s take on the tech closest to home – CNET Blogs –
• Tweet – About – The music tagging utility for creating great playlists. –
• PC World – PC World Downloads – iTunes Folder Watch Beta –
• EditPad Lite – Free Text Editor for Windows –
• MusicIP Mixer –
• I Can Has Rezearch Papar? by Cyle Gage –

Beef – it’s what’s for dinner!

Today I found the website of the US Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. How did I achieve this remarkable feat?!

The story began when I was listening to a podcast from the BBC – Digital Planet – while riding the inter hospital shuttle bus. One of the stories was about a classical music website, where one can listen to various types of classical music and decide what one likes. Once I arrived back at work I checked this website out, and eventually came across Aaron Copland. I have been interested in his work for years, but only recognise the most famous – Fanfare for the Common Man. Desirous of learning more, I did what I usually do in circumstances where I’m looking for more information about something quickly, and happen to be sitting in front of a computer – I went to Wikipedia…

General enquiry about Copland, led to specific investigation of one of his ballets (Rodeo, 1942). The most famous piece of music from Rodeo is the “Hoe-Down”. I wondered if I had ever heard this piece before (actually, I though I must have, but just didn’t know it was called Hoe-Down), so I scanned down the Wikipedia entry about this, and there it was!

“Hoe-Down”, the ballet’s final section, was prominently used by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for television commercials in the US.

Instant connection…

There are a million strange and serendipitous web-surfing stories in the naked city… this has been one of them!

(or other uses for your iPod besides listening to that awful music)

What is a podcast you ask? The term is derived from iPOD broadCAST, and further defined here. As the iPod dominates the portable MP3 player market (~85% at the present time), the name has stuck, although it is generic, and most podcasts can be listened to on any player (they are just MP3s, or the equivalent, when you get right down to it).

Podcasts are great. I listen to podcasts a lot, on a variety of subjects.

In no particular order, here is a selection:

• This Week in Tech (TWiT) – fairly prototypical, and often very amusing. It is generally about tech news, though the panel has been known to digress from time to time (make that, invariably digresses!) Run by Leo Laporte, who is somewhat of a podcasting personality, and very active in the field. Here is his home page.
• Cory Doctorow’s podcasts – from craphound.com and BoingBoing.net. At the moment he is one of the people I find most interesting to listen to, about copyright, DRM, etc… He also writes some good sf.
• Science information – the best of these is the weekly Scientific American podcast. The host, Steve Mirsky, is from the Bronx, and is also often wryly amusing. I’ve learnt more about beavers and turkeys than I ever thought I’d need to know. Others on my playlist include Digital Planet (more IT technology) from the BBC World Service, and the New Scientist podcast, though the brash intro music is somewhat off-putting.
• Movie and entertainment news – until the end of last year I was a keen listener to Ebert & Roeper‘s podcast, but this seems to have gone on hold (I guess while Roger Ebert continues to recover from his recent surgery). However, I have found a worthy alternative to take its place. Mark Kermode is witty, opinionated, and often quite scathing in his pithy reviews. Another excellent offering from the BBC.

There are a lot more, but this is something to be getting on with… Now I have to go to the gym.