politics

List

11 Nineteenth-Century VP Candidates Who Vaguely Resemble Famous Actors

In the unlikely event someone wants to make a blockbuster movie about James Polk's vice president or the running mate of the guy who lost to Franklin Pierce, we have the perfect actors. 1. John Breckinridge and Matthew... READ ON

Article

Morbid Road Trip: The Scattered Artifacts of Lincoln’s Assassination

Almost every item even remotely connected to Lincoln’s assassination, death, and funeral later found its way into some special collection. Many wound up in the hands of museums, historical societies, or the government, and are available for public viewing. Many more in private collections occasionally get loaned out for display. If I ever convince my girlfriend to go on an Assassination Vacation-esque Lincoln road trip, here’s what’s on my must-see list: The Contents of Lincoln's... READ ON

Article

Werner Herzog's "On Death Row" Premieres Tonight

Werner Herzog premieres a four-part miniseries tonight (Friday, March 9) on Investigation Discovery at 10pm ET/PT. It's dark, and smart, and well worth your time -- as long as there are no kids in the room. A Question of Retribution On Death Row is the story of five death row inmates, as told through in-person interviews by Werner Herzog. Herzog seems fascinated by these people, who are almost by definition unreliable witnesses to their own lives. He treats them with respect, gently... READ ON

Article

8 of Adlai Stevenson's Awful 1952 TV Campaign Ads

Are you sick of attack ads, Super PAC ads, and even ads in color? Then let's turn to a cornier, gentler time -- the election of 1952, when the original "Egghead" Adlai Stevenson ran against Eisenhower, running a series of remarkably unremarkable TV ads. Well, it probably wasn't just the TV ads that did Stevenson in, but the rest is history. Happy Presidents' Day, everyone! 1. "Endorsement: Women" A man for all the people. Even women. 2. "Ike...Bob" An adapted radio ad. Sort of... READ ON

Article

Lectures for a New Year: Philip Glass Performs "Mad Rush"

In 1979, Philip Glass wrote a solo piano piece called "Mad Rush" (a piece of "indefinite length") in honor of the 14th Dalai Lama's visit to North America. I find the piece very moving -- there's something simultaneously contemplative and urgent about the music. I listen to it a lot while writing, in its 13-minute version from Glass's album Solo Piano -- the whole album is terrific, and nerds may recognize one piece from its appearance on Battlestar Galactica (apparently Kara Thrace's dad was Philip... READ ON

List

The Most Amusing Images from the SOPA Strike

On January 18th, websites across the internet went on strike to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the related Protect IP Act (PIPA). Some sites were completely blocked; others added censorship graphics to their banners, and some posted about the strike. The point was to make all internet users aware of the bills before Congress and to encourage reader participation. A few sites went above and beyond the call of duty and made the strike itself entertaining. If you didn't see them, I saved a few... READ ON

List

11 Lesser-Known 2012 Presidential Candidates

If you haven't fallen in love with any of this year's candidates, don't worry. Obama, Romney, Paul and company aren't your only options. There are hundreds of people running for president. We've rounded up eleven of them. 1. Vermin Supreme wears a boot on his head, carries a giant toothbrush, and last month glitterbombed Randall Terry at the Lesser Known Candidate Debate. His Democratic campaign promises ponies for everyone, strict toothbrushing laws, and funding for time travel research. On a more... READ ON

Article

Happy Franksgiving: Why FDR Rescheduled Turkey Day

On Thanksgiving Day 1924, when Santa Claus showed up in Herald Square at the end of the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, an unwritten agreement was struck between retailers and consumers: Christmas would not come to the stores before Santa did. For years after that first parade, stores waited until the day after Thanksgiving, which was then the last Thursday of the month, to bring out their Christmas decorations, launch their Christmas ad campaigns and remind everyone incessantly that they had so much... READ ON

List

12 Creative Campaign Slogans to Inspire the 2012 Candidates

Christine Lusey runs Retro Campaigns, the internet's premier source for historical campaign t-shirts and memorabilia. We asked if she could compile some memorable slogans from past elections. She did not disappoint. These days it seems like every campaign slogan is just a series of political buzzwords: Hope! Change! Values! Newt! But it wasn't always this way. Here are a dozen old slogans we hope will inspire the current crop of candidates to go with something unique. 1. Al Smith... READ ON

Article

The Lesser-Known Military Careers of 11 U.S. Presidents

We know the good ones: Washington coaxing his tattered troops through the winter at Valley Forge, Andrew Jackson bidding the Redcoats adieu in New Orleans, Ike masterminding the invasion of Normandy. Throughout history, American presidents have more often than not been former leaders of the military. Here's a list of eleven presidents and their service records you might not have known about. 1. James... READ ON