Unix scripts are all well and good, but more important would be a description of what on earth you're trying to download...
Connections & The Day the Universe Changed are late-1970's short television series that examine the links between history, science, & technology. I think they are a bit too tidy, but they are entertaining.
This might help, too:
http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=5782.0
http://clickcaster.com/users/jamesburke
http://clickcaster.com/connections
http://clickcaster.com/daytheuniversechanged