pop-culture

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Andy Warhol Paints Debbie Harry on an Amiga Computer

So this is nerdy. Here's a video from 1985 in which Andy Warhol digitally paints over a photo of Debbie Harry, at an Amiga computer launch. When they show the Amiga's screen, check out the amazing lifelike graphics! See also: Picasso's "Think Different" Mac ad (though no actual computers are involved). (Via... READ ON

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Winston Churchill Getting Funky

In 1941, Winston Churchill delivered his "Great Declaration," a famous speech about the Nazi threat. He said (in part, and with emphasis added): What tragedies, what horrors, what crimes has Hitler and all that Hitler stands for brought upon Europe and the world! The ruins of Warsaw, of Rotterdam, of Belgrade are monuments which will long recall to future generations the outrage of unopposed air bombing applied with calculated scientific cruelty to helpless populations. Here in London and throughout... READ ON

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Comic Book Heroes in Real Life

Is there something about putting on the costume of a comic book super hero that causes people to become... READ ON

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ENG 371WR: Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era

McSweeney's is running a hilarious piece that pretends to be an "internet-age writing syllabus and course overview" by "instructor" Robert Lanham. The course offers a much-needed review of writing that really matters today -- funny Twitter and Facebook messages, the art of the self-involved status update, and so on. The course description says: "Instant messaging. Twittering. Facebook updates. These 21st-century literary genres are defining a new "Lost Generation" of minimalists who would much rather... READ ON

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The Panic Over Dungeons & Dragons (in 1985)

In the mid 1980s, the U.S. media latched onto a story: teens were committing suicide, and the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons was somehow to blame. As a kid who was himself playing D&D (and not committing suicide) during this media firestorm, I remember the outcry pretty vividly. All the kids I knew who played the game were nerds, just like me. I was vaguely aware that sometimes teens did commit suicide...perhaps even nerds. Was there any connection between nerds playing D&D and nerds committing... READ ON

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More Ladies Playing Ukuleles

Based on the feedback to my original post on Ladies Playing Ukuleles, there's a great hunger for web videos of ladies rocking out on the uke. In an effort to deliver more uke (the folky equivalent of "more cowbell"), here are some more favorites, as suggested by commenters. Kate Micucci - Dear Deer LA superstar Kate Micucci has been popping up all over lately -- on TV's Scrubs as The Gooch, in the band Garfunkel and Oates (ahem), and in the awesome video below, directed by Raul B. Fernandez. See... READ ON

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Twitter from 1937

Blogger David Griner recently came across a "line-a-day" diary kept by his great aunt from 1937 through 1941. Griner's great aunt (Genny Spencer) kept the diary during her early teens, while she lived on a farm in rural Illinois. The entries in the diary are all very brief -- one line a day -- which caused Griner's sister to observe, "This is the Twitter of the 1930s." A bit of planning and programming ensued, and now we've got it -- a day-by-day Twitterstream of entries from more than seventy years... READ ON

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Star Wars, as Retold by a Nonviewer and a Toddler

Please excuse this field trip into total silliness, but the following two videos pretty much made my week. First up, animation genius Joe Nicolosi presents Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it). Yes, people, bask in the hilarious light of the Star Wars trilogy, pieced together from overheard snippets: And now, a 3-year-old explaining the plot of Star Wars: Episode IV. Adorable and educational. Hat tip to Boing Boing for the first... READ ON

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6 Founding Members of the Internet Zoo

Some of the biggest internet sensations have been animals. If the world wide web had a zoo, who would be the founding members? These six, presented in no particular order, would be at the top of the list. 1. Badgers Badgers Badgers The flash animation Badgers was created by Jonti Picking of Weebl's Stuff. It was first published in September of 2003. The popularity of Badgers landed Picking a job with MTV Europe, for which he produced the cartoon series Weebl and Bob. There are now a host of badger... READ ON

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6 Open Letters That Changed the World

Epistolary history is full of open letters, those that are written with the intent that they'll be read by a wide audience. Here we've collected six of the best (or at least, most influential) open letters of all time. 1. Letter from Birmingham Jail Writer: Martin Luther King, Jr. Recipients: "Fellow Clergymen" Key statements: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"; "Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."... READ ON