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Top US holiday toys for each year from 1920 to 2021. "The list was curated using national toy archives and data curated by The Strong National Museum of Play. Some items remain curious relics of the past, while others are essentially as iconic now as they were upon their debut. Each one also functions as a window into American culture."
comment posted at 11:46 AM on Dec-13-22

"In March 1991 Kid Pix 1.0 was released, and things started to get really good. Sales were significantly above expectations and the reviews were exceptional. Very positive reviews appeared in MacUser, The San Jose Mercury News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Whole Earth Review. A MacWorld Magazine review stated, 'Pros: Brilliant; hilarious; innovative; inexpensive. Cons: None.'" Craig Hickman, author of Kid Pix, recounts its prehistory, inspiration, guiding principles, early development, publication by Broderbund, and stunning success.
comment posted at 4:18 PM on Nov-7-19

Donald Fauntleroy Duck, lifelong second banana to Mickey Mouse, star of the Academy Award-winning Der Fuehrer's Face, and wearer of many hats (not just his signature sailor cap), turns 84 years old on June 9.
comment posted at 3:39 PM on Jun-8-18

Collector's Weekly examines How Model Trains Transformed From Cutting-Edge to Quaint.
comment posted at 12:43 PM on Feb-5-17

Why '1984' is a 2017 Must Read by Michiko Kakutani [The New York Times] “1984” shot to No. 1 on Amazon’s best-seller list this week, after Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to President Trump, described demonstrable falsehoods told by the White House press secretary Sean Spicer — regarding the size of inaugural crowds — as “alternative facts.” It was a phrase chillingly reminiscent, for many readers, of the Ministry of Truth’s efforts in “1984” at “reality control.” To Big Brother and the Party, Orwell wrote, “the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense.” Regardless of the facts, “Big Brother is omnipotent” and “the Party is infallible.”
comment posted at 9:03 PM on Feb-2-17

Now, I never paid any attention to this. I had no interest in reading an obscure spy novel just because Trump liked it. But then over Christmas after the election, I was visiting family in Bozeman, Montana. And there it was, in a used bookstore: The Twentieth Day of January. THEORY OF EVERYTHING: And? Is it good? “JOSH GLENN”: No, it’s terrible. The plot is ridiculous.
comment posted at 12:51 PM on Jan-27-17

Marcel Gotlieb est mort à 82 ans. Known as Gotlib, founder of the comic magazine Fluide Glacial, creator of Gai-Luron, SuperDupont and many more. Author of the Rubrique-à-brac serie, considered a masterpiece of french humor.
comment posted at 1:40 PM on Dec-4-16

All 92 episodes of the seminal animated talkshow Space Ghost Coast to Coast are now available for free streaming on Adult Swim.
comment posted at 10:50 AM on Nov-17-16

Leaders of the Oregon refuge standoff have been acquitted.
comment posted at 6:34 PM on Oct-27-16

As the polls (slightly) tightened, Donald Trump surprised everyone by visiting the President of Mexico. While this appeared to signal a long-awaited pivot, Trump pivoted right back with a scathing immigration speech hours later. Trump's surrogates have followed suit, tweeting cartoons of Hillary in blackface and warning of taco trucks on every corner. Later in the week, Trump appealed to to the black community by visiting an African-American church.
comment posted at 9:33 AM on Sep-10-16

76 trombones days to go in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and the candidates have a lot on their minds: Clinton makes a $95 million ad buy; Trump and his band of Steves yearn for calmer days when they'll be able to discuss Morning Joe gossip in peace, as Minion "9/11" Rudy spreads Clinton conspiracy theories; Egg McMuffin continues to do his thing.
comment posted at 12:30 PM on Aug-24-16

Funny or Die Made a Trump Biopic, Starring Johnny Depp [NYT]. The 50-minute comedy is streaming now at Funny or Die. (Head's up: NYT link has spoilers!)
comment posted at 8:15 AM on Feb-10-16

The FBI negotiated further with four armed occupants at a remote federal wildlife refuge in Oregon on Saturday while the holdouts in a video posted online expressed their mistrust of the government and reluctance to leave. (Mega) Previous.
comment posted at 12:00 PM on Jan-31-16
comment posted at 8:40 PM on Jan-31-16

The night that the Berlin Wall collapsed was certainly one of the most dramatic moments in the cascading events of 1989, events that brought the era of Communist rule in Eastern Europe to a close. What follows is an examination of the intersecting developments that led to the collapse of the Communist regimes in 1989.
comment posted at 1:40 PM on Dec-24-15

Here I will seek to establish that Jar Jar Binks, far from being simply the bumbling idiot he portrays himself as, is in fact a highly skilled force user in terms of martial ability and mind control. Furthermore, I assert that he was not, as many people assume, just an unwitting political tool manipulated by Palpatine-- rather, he and Palpatine were likely in collaboration from the very beginning, and it's entirely possible that Palpatine was a subordinate underling to Binks throughout both trilogies. And finally, given the above, I will conclude with an argument as to why I believe it is not only possible, but plausible that Jar Jar will make a profound impact on the upcoming movies, and what his role may be.
comment posted at 9:09 PM on Nov-1-15

Tonight (Thurs., Aug. 6, 2015) is the first official** televised debate for Republican presidential candidates, to be held in two separate events on Fox. First, there's the happy hour debate at 5 PM EST, with the seven candidates who didn't make the final cut*. At 9 PM EST, the Prime Time debate takes place with the top 10 candidates. You can watch online, if you have cable authentication, but you can also participate through Facebook, who are co-presenting the debates. Otherwise, wait until after the show for clips to start surfacing, or you can follow live-blogging a-plenty (NPR | New York Times | The State | Reason), and you can add your two bits with the Fox News Election HQ 2016 App.
comment posted at 8:18 PM on Aug-6-15

Suicide Squad [official trailer]
comment posted at 7:03 PM on Jul-13-15

The Internet's Official Heavy Metal Band Name Generator
comment posted at 1:13 PM on May-20-15

The Dissolve's "Movie of the Week" on this week leading to Halloween has been The Blair Witch Project, which it describes as "the most widely despised great horror movie". They discuss the legacy of the film fifteen years after its release and the future of the genre that it helped to create: found-footage horror. And where are the people who made it these days? Heather Donahue is growing pot. Josh Leonard is still acting (Michael C. Williams less so). And the directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez seem to want to catch that same lightning in a bottle, but with very underwhelming results.
comment posted at 6:46 AM on Oct-30-14

Like Hell.
comment posted at 6:50 AM on Aug-12-14

In Search of Moebius [SLYT]
comment posted at 9:23 AM on Jul-2-14

Dylan Moran on the differences between a weekend with and without kids.
comment posted at 7:01 AM on Jun-22-14
comment posted at 11:20 AM on Jun-22-14

As ‘Top Secret!’ approaches its 30th anniversary, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and Val Kilmer provide an oral history of the making of a comedy classic.
comment posted at 6:32 PM on Jun-21-14

A Maryland gun store owner recently spent the night in his store to guard against retribution for his store's (now-reversed) decision to sell the Armatix iP1 Smart Pistol, the first smart gun to be marketed in the United States. Andy Raymond, co-owner of Engage Armament in Rockville, Maryland, initially supported the iP1 as a way to reach "fence-sitters", but backed down after receiving death threats.
comment posted at 10:13 AM on May-6-14

Simple grid-based movie posters
comment posted at 8:48 AM on May-3-14
comment posted at 8:49 AM on May-3-14
comment posted at 8:02 AM on May-4-14

EC Comics and MAD Magazine cartoonist/editor died on tuesday at age 88. Al Feldstein's covers and artwork for EC Comics great Sci-Fi/Horror books are legendary. Sadly, his singular, clunky, thick, goofy style was phased out after a few years of classic work at EC in favor of the more modern, detailed artists in the stable as he took on more editorial and writing duties. He went on to turn a post Kurtzman MAD Magazine into a phenomenon as its editor.
comment posted at 8:47 AM on May-1-14

"Hard to believe, but Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men") originally shot an opening scene for Gravity that would have radically changed the film. Too bad the brass at Warner Bros. rejected this version." [slyt | no spoilers | watch the last 15 seconds]
comment posted at 11:06 AM on Apr-5-14
comment posted at 11:49 AM on Apr-5-14

This year marks the 25th anniversary of 1989 Batman movie, which is remembered for everything from the logo "that helped set the course for superhero movies" to the ways the movie was true to the comics, or was really a "noir" update to the 1960s Adam West Batman. While preparing yourself for what may come in the lead-up to the June 23 anniversary date, enjoy Batman: The Making of a Hero documentary, a rare 25 minutes behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, from the folks at 1989 Batman, a fansite dedicated to the movie, and its sequel, Batman Returns.
comment posted at 10:40 AM on Feb-20-14

“While we are alive we should sit among colored lights and taste good wines, and discuss our adventures in far places; when we are dead, the opportunity is past.” ― Jack Vance (1916-2013)
comment posted at 5:01 PM on May-29-13

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011).
comment posted at 3:34 PM on May-28-11

Before his death, Mickey Mantle spoke to Sports Illustrated about the effect that alcoholism had on his life and career.
comment posted at 9:38 PM on May-25-11

David Lynch's 2001 film Mulholland Drive is the subject of dozens of interpretive theories. Roger Ebert decided it was impossible to figure out. Part of the mystery of the movie comes from how it was initially planned as a television pilot for ABC; Lynch combined pilot footage with a newly-devised ending to make the film. That pilot's script. The entire 90-minute pilot. If you can't be bothered to watch the whole thing, individual scenes after the jump.
comment posted at 11:33 AM on May-25-11

On April 12th, prior to the Alabama outbreak and about 6 weeks before a tornado tore through the middle of mostly basement-less Joplin, MO, Colleen Bogener wrote a short editorial on the need for public storm shelters in Joplin. There was a short bit of discussion in response.
comment posted at 8:54 AM on May-25-11

They began as a folk duo on the lower east side, doing irreverent versions of songs from the Harry Smith anthology. They became the backing band for The Fugs, had a brush with fame on the soundtrack to Easy Rider, briefly featured playwright Sam Shepard on drums, moved to Oregon and became the uber bar band. After carrying on for more than 40 years, they are still the most underrated band in history, The Holy Modal Rounders.
comment posted at 8:36 AM on May-25-11

False May 21, 2011 Doomsday prophet Harold Camping "deserts" devastated followers, church offers solace (PHOTOS) Doomsday prophet Harold Camping, who predicted that the End of the World would come on May 21, 2011, has gone missing ever since it became increasingly clear that his prediction is going to fail, even as local churches willingly stepped in to provide counseling and help to Camping's devastated followers.
comment posted at 9:39 AM on May-22-11

Smells Like Teen Spirit is probably the most influential song of the early 1990s. It was performed by Nirvana, and was released in September 1991. Nearly twenty years later, 18-year-old Miley Cyrus cites it as one of the songs that inspired her to perform. Here is a video of Miley Cirus performing Smells Like Teen Spirit in Ecuador last weekend.
comment posted at 12:20 PM on May-4-11

President Obama to make important announcement regarding Osama Bin Laden imminently
comment posted at 11:31 AM on May-2-11

Color Me Obsessed is a new documentary about legendary Minneapolis rock band The Replacements. It features over 140 interviews with rockers, journalists and fans (including Colin Meloy, Craig Finn, Tommy Ramone and Robert Christgau) but not one note of the Mats music. Director Gorman Bechard has been documenting the making of the film on his blog and screening it in select cities.
comment posted at 9:10 AM on Apr-18-11

Top Secret! is a 1984 film from the makers of Airplane!, parodying WWII spy movies and Elvis movies amongst other subjects. One of its more famous scenes took place in a Swedish bookstore (proprietor played by Peter "Grand Moff Tarkin" Cushing). The eerie nature of the scene comes from having been created to be watched backwards. Here is that scene, now reversed, as in played forward, and acted backward.
comment posted at 1:48 PM on Mar-14-11

"The plan was money. The architect was money. The designer was money and the builder was money. And if you ever wondered what money would look like if it were left to its own devices, it's Dubai."
comment posted at 3:49 PM on Mar-14-11

Should you be allowed unrestricted knowledge of your own genetic makeup? Or should your doctor be the one to decide how much you can know about your own genes? Currently direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies (such as 23andMe) allow consumers to discover which genes they have inherited. But some influential people are arguing that the general public is harmed by the ability to freely access this type of information. The American Medical Association is urging the FDA to make it so that genomic information is only available to a person through a personal physician or medical counselor. As a counterpoint the geneticists at the Genomes Unzipped website provide a six point statement on why People Have A Right To Access Their Own Genetic Information.
comment posted at 8:33 AM on Mar-13-11

Ron van der Ende is a sculptor living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He specializes in wall mounted bas-relief constructed from found wood. The original color and texture of the wood is utilized to form a gripping and sometimes photo-realistic mosaic. The realism is further enhanced by the perspective built into the relief.
comment posted at 6:32 PM on Mar-10-11

The anchovies are restless. Margaret Atwood, grand dame of Canadian letters, addresses the future of publishing.
comment posted at 10:12 AM on Feb-22-11
comment posted at 10:44 AM on Feb-22-11

Today is the 25th anniversary of the release of The Legend of Zelda. Celebrate by learning about some of its oddities or watching some commercials!
comment posted at 5:17 PM on Feb-21-11