Physics: where to start?

Hi /sci/,

I'm a math nerd but of late have become exasperated with how little my field seems to apply to reality.  Plus what I've seen and heard about theoretical physics (NOVA specials lol) is interesting as fuck.

My background is limited: 2 semesters of shitty "general physics" (collegiate plug and chug) and I've read Einstein's "Relativity: The Special & General Theory". 

So my question is, where do I start?  Are there any good, comprehensive sources for actually learning physics?  Any books suitable for self-study (if this is even possible) but still hard science?  I want to learn more about a lot of this stuff - QM, E&M, astrophysics, classical mechanics - but I don't want a Stephen Hawking-esque "Oh lol I understand physics" feeling, I want to understand the motivation for the theory and how and why the experimental data supports it.  I feel like an emphasis on the math would be helpful for me, too.

So yeah, if anyone can help a brother out, I'd appreciate it.  Thanks in advance.

>>1
Start with a general Physics text (Calculus based, natch!).  It's as good as any.  If you're past your collegiate semesters in it, it's still a good idea to get such a book again and then familiarize yourself with the basics of what the mainstreamers claim is "Physics".

Once you are solid on those basics, get this book:

"Music, Physics and Engineering" by Harry Olson

In this fantastic book, Olson draws the correct correlations between electrical, mechanical and musical "circuits".  They all resonate and radiate.  They are all described by the SAME formulae in Physics.  That realization after the stark demonstration will help you sense much more strongly how Physics is universal and useful.

I'm sure a few engineering books would help that process along.  I found ancient engineering efforts fascinating myself, as well as the history of measurement (where did we come up with all those units of measure?), so I read quite a bit in those directions.

Once you get a sense of putting all Physics together into a more cohesive whole, then you're ready for the Grand Master, Feynman.  Get his "Lectures on Physics", and things like "The Nature of Physical Law".  They Lectures are a pricey set of books, but well worth it if you want to be a truly knowledgeable practitioner of the physical art of natural philosophy.