History is a Bitch - a weblog by Jeanne Kalogridis

Despite its name, Bookslut isn't slutty at all, but I suppose "bibliophile" and "book lover" have been taken. I stumbled onto this blog last week and have enjoyed keeping up with it. The blogger, Jessa Crispin, writes knowledgeably about books and publishing, and gives constant industry news updates. She's also suggested some interesting titles to read. Besides, she works in a bookstore -- isn't that reason enough to love her? Highly recommended.

Want to visit a website that:

1. offers 75 free university courses, and
2. offers hundreds o free foreign language courses in Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian... (shall I continue with the rest of the alphabet?) and
3. offers hundreds of free jazz and classical music (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven), and
4. offers hundreds of free audiobooks, and
5. offers hundreds of free videos (including all eight seasons of THE DAILY SHOW), and
6. offers a bazillion other really cool free educational/fun brainbits?

Welcome to Open Culture. As the FAQ explains,

Open Culture explores cultural and educational media (podcasts, videos, online courses, etc.) that’s freely available on the web, and that makes learning dynamic, productive, and fun. We sift through all the media, highlight the good and jettison the bad, and centralize it in one place. Trust us, you’ll find engaging content here that will keep you learning and sharp. And you will find it much more efficiently than if you spend your time searching with Google, Yahoo or iTunes.

If you love learning, go. Check it out, because this site is so dazzlingly comprehensive, I can't begin to tell you all the neat stuff it contains. I stumbled onto it by accident, and could easily spend the rest of my life here without scratching the surface.

I stumbled upon two this week that are worth checking out: Melisende's Women of History and Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon.

The fires in our area are all under control now; the air is breathable again. A good thing, since my itty bitty baby puppy is now forty-seven pounds and desperate for some major outdoor exercise.