Nigel Tufnel, lead guiÂtarist for Spinal Tap (wink, wink) sets the stage for you. This afterÂnoon (March 3), Berklee Music will hold what it hopes will be the largest online guiÂtar lesÂson ever. It all starts at 1:30 EST. Get details and join in here.
Revolutions in the Middle East: Head of Al Jazeera Speaks at TED
Where will the MidÂdle East go from here? Towards democÂraÂcy, as many hope? Towards a more theoÂcratÂic modÂel, as some despair? Or, towards more of the same disÂilÂluÂsionÂing autocÂraÂcy?
On the first day of the big TED conÂferÂence, Wadah KhanÂfar, the head of Al Jazeera, offered a supremeÂly optiÂmistic take on the revÂoÂluÂtions transÂformÂing Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and perÂhaps beyond. ThroughÂout the past few weeks, many WestÂernÂers have tuned into Al JazeerÂa’s live EngÂlish-lanÂguage covÂerÂage on the web and found themÂselves pleasÂantÂly surÂprised by the balÂance and depth of their reportÂing. Now you get 17 upbeat minÂutes with the leader of the Qatar-based news orgaÂniÂzaÂtion …
NASA Captures Giant Solar Storm
Last ThursÂday, the sun delivÂered the goods, unleashÂing a beauÂtiÂful solar flare. The erupÂtions lastÂed someÂwhere around 90 minÂutes, and the plasÂma flares were all capÂtured in high def by NASA’s Solar DynamÂics ObserÂvaÂtoÂry, a project dedÂiÂcatÂed to studyÂing the sun and its impact on space weathÂer. This footage comes soon after anothÂer groundÂbreakÂing NASA video – the First 360 Degree View of the Sun.
The Restoration of a Masterpiece, as Narrated by Martin Scorsese
This week, some of the world’s greatÂest thinkers (and biggest spenders) are gathÂered in Palm Springs and Long Beach, CalÂiÂforÂnia for TED’s annuÂal conÂferÂence. In case your inviÂtaÂtion to TED2011 got lost in the mail along with ours, you can still keep up with the conÂferÂence through TED’s homeÂpage. Some highÂlights so far include an openÂing address beamed in from outÂer space, physiÂcist JanÂna LevÂin’s disÂcusÂsion of what she calls the soundÂtrack of the uniÂverse, and finalÂly, a stunÂning video docÂuÂmentÂing the restoraÂtion of LuchiÂno VisÂconÂti’s 1963 clasÂsic film, The LeopÂard. Even betÂter, the video is narÂratÂed by MarÂtin ScorsÂese, uber-direcÂtor, cinÂeÂma hisÂtoÂriÂan, and founder of The Film FounÂdaÂtion, one of the many orgaÂniÂzaÂtions involved with the restoraÂtion.
By the way, Scorcese gave a fasÂciÂnatÂing talk about film restoraÂtion last year at LACMA. You can watch it here. For a comÂplete list of films his founÂdaÂtion has been involved in restorÂing or preÂservÂing, click here.
50 Years Ago Today: JFK Authorizes Peace Corps
On March 1, 1961, PresÂiÂdent John F. Kennedy signed ExecÂuÂtive Order 10924, offiÂcialÂly authoÂrizÂing the estabÂlishÂment of an “agency in the DepartÂment of State which shall be known as the Peace Corps.” Fifty years latÂer, that Agency has sent more than 200,000 volÂunÂteers to over 93 counÂtries.
A note: If you’ve ever wonÂdered about all those CIA-Peace Corps conÂspirÂaÂcy theÂoÂries, lisÂten to the NationÂal Archives’ fasÂciÂnatÂing audio and tranÂscript of a conÂverÂsaÂtion between JFK and his brothÂer-in-law R. SarÂgent ShrivÂer, the Peace Corps’ first DirecÂtor (and Maria Shriver’s grandÂfaÂther), disÂcussing “posÂsiÂble CIA penÂeÂtraÂtion” of the Agency.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Jane Russell (RIP) Stars in “Outlawed” Western
PubÂlicÂiÂty can be terÂriÂble. But only if you don’t have any. - Jane RusÂsell
Jane RusÂsell learned the powÂer of notoÂriÂety at an earÂly age. DirecÂtor Howard HughÂes (the recluÂsive bilÂlionÂaire) had cast the volupÂtuous 19-year-old in his epic WestÂern The OutÂlaw (1943), with the full intenÂtion of makÂing her a sex symÂbol. HughÂes essenÂtialÂly made her conÂsidÂerÂable assets the star of the film, even going so far as to design a speÂcial canÂtilevered push-up bra for her to wear durÂing shootÂing.
HughÂes did his job almost too well. The promiÂnent disÂplay of cleavÂage in both the film and its trailÂer unnerved cenÂsors and kept The OutÂlaw out of theÂaters until nearÂly 1950. (You can watch the full movie above.) The conÂtroÂverÂsy also launched RusÂselÂl’s career as a WWII pin-up girl, but she conÂtinÂued to perÂform in films, evenÂtuÂalÂly provÂing to be a fine actress and singer. Today she is perÂhaps best rememÂbered for her conÂfiÂdent, sexy, perÂforÂmance oppoÂsite MarÂiÂlyn MonÂroe in the 1953 comÂeÂdy GenÂtleÂman PreÂfer Blondes, and espeÂcialÂly for her showÂstopÂping numÂber, “Ain’t AnyÂone Here For Love?”
A botched illeÂgal aborÂtion at the age of 19 left the actress unable to bear chilÂdren, and she was a vocal anti-aborÂtion activist and advoÂcate for adopÂtion. Also a proud RepubÂliÂcan, she described herÂself to an interÂviewÂer in 2003 as a “a teeÂtoÂtal, mean-spirÂitÂed, right-wing, narÂrow-mindÂed, conÂserÂvÂaÂtive ChrisÂtÂian bigÂot — but not a racist.”
Ms. RusÂsell died yesÂterÂday of a lung-relatÂed illÂness at her home in SanÂta Maria, CalÂiÂforÂnia. She was 89 years old.
You can see The OutÂlaw in our free movies colÂlecÂtion.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The Big Apple in Incredible Time Lapse Video
In this beauÂtiÂful time lapse video, Josh Owens (aka MinÂdrelÂic) shows us New York City as we’ve nevÂer seen it before. We begin with an unasÂsumÂing shot of a boat in a harÂbor, but then the action picks up. We pass quickÂly through iconÂic landÂmarks of the city – Times Square, the BrookÂlyn Bridge, the HolÂland TunÂnel, and the New York Stock Exchange – right before seeÂing the city from the vanÂtage point of a pasÂsenÂger in an NYC cab.
The footage was shot over mulÂtiÂple days using the Canon 5d Mark II dSLR and the folÂlowÂing lensÂes: Canon 14mm 2.8L, Canon 24mm 1.4L, Canon 50mm 1.2L, and Canon 70–200mm 2.8L. The video is one of the best time lapsÂes out there, a stunÂning tribÂute to the city that nevÂer sleeps.
Eugene Buchko is a blogÂger and phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer livÂing in Atlanta, GA. He mainÂtains a phoÂtoÂblog, EruÂdite ExpresÂsions, and writes about what he reads on his readÂing blog.
The New Yorker: Finger Drumming Keith Moon
SomeÂhow this flew below my radar. Back in NovemÂber, James Wood, the HarÂvard lit proÂfesÂsor and New YorkÂer staff writer, revisÂitÂed his childÂhood idol — KeiÂth Moon, the longÂtime (though now departÂed) drumÂmer for The Who. In “The New YorkÂer Out Loud” podÂcast, Wood demonÂstrates – using his finÂgers – what makes Moon’s style so disÂtincÂtive. (LisÂten here.) And, as an added bonus, we give you Wood finÂger drumÂming on his kitchen table at home. At least one of these clips will make your day…
Alan Davies: How Long is a Piece of String?
YesÂterÂday’s lackÂlusÂter AcadÂeÂmy Awards cerÂeÂmoÂny may have affordÂed you some unexÂpectÂed time for conÂtemÂplatÂing life’s more urgent quesÂtions, such as the one British comeÂdiÂan Alan Davies purÂsues above: How long is a piece of string? Watch Davies, who is also a freÂquent panÂelist on the popÂuÂlar Stephen Fry-hostÂed quiz show Quite InterÂestÂing, explore the ridÂdle’s philoÂsophÂiÂcal impliÂcaÂtions and inevitable conÂnecÂtion to string theÂoÂry with the help of physics, quanÂtum mechanÂics, and finalÂly a visÂit with mathÂeÂmatiÂcian MarÂcus de Sautoy. Fans of the Davies/du Sautoy interÂacÂtion may also want to check out Du Sautoy’s TED talk on SymÂmeÂtry, as well as the debates in that video’s comÂments secÂtion. More docs can be found in our colÂlecÂtion of 200+ Free DocÂuÂmenÂtaries, part of our largÂer colÂlecÂtion, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great ClasÂsics, Indies, Noir, WestÂerns, DocÂuÂmenÂtaries & More.
Gay Talese: Drinking at New York Times Put Mad Men to Shame
Mad Men brings us back to a bygone era, the earÂly 60s, when alcoÂhol flowed freely throughÂout the workÂing day. (Watch this monÂtage to get up to speed.) An act of hisÂtorÂiÂcal reviÂsionÂism, many might think. But, apparÂentÂly not so. AccordÂing to a piece in The New York Times, the show basiÂcalÂly gets it right. AlcoÂhol was as comÂmon in offices as office supÂplies. And then we have this: Gay Talese, the bestÂselling author and jourÂnalÂist, rememÂberÂing the Times newsÂroom durÂing the same era – a crew bareÂly fit to pubÂlish the news that’s fit to print.
Discovery’s Final Launch Viewed from Airplane
A rather difÂferÂent angle on the DisÂcovÂery’s final launch. The view from 35,000 feet.…
via BoingÂBoÂing
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