Timelapse videos are always really soothing and fascinating to watch. If you agree, allow me to introduce you to hyperlapse video. This is kind of awesome. Enjoy even more here.
We are all aware that speeches and addresses from the president and other high-ranking officials are carefully worded. If not written out and prepared in advance, they are at least parsed to be as politically correct (in the literal sense) as possible. Maybe it's that awareness that makes moments like the one captured in the video above so charming.
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were caught on a live microphone in between their speeches at a ceremony today for the slain ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. A rare moment of whispered courtesy.
When was the last time you tried to vogue? Last Word staffers and I have literally been striking poses around the office today after watching this amazing video of Shaun Sperling from his 1992 Bar Mitzvah.
Sperling chose this momentous occasion, a celebration marking the beginning of manhood in the Jewish religion, to perform Madonna's "Vogue" in front of all his friends and family. To complete the look, he wore a white button down shirt with Madonna's face plastered on the back.
HuffPost Live conducted an interview with Sperling, all these years later. He's still got the poses down.
The folks over at PBS are at it again. Following their recent viral video featuring a remix of Mister Rogers, today they released a new remix featuring Julia Child. It's just in time to celebrate what would have been the TV chef, author, and the overall master of French cuisine's 100th birthday on Wednesday. "Bring on the roasted potatoes" indeed.
Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo
Paging Professor Albus Dumbledore. AP Photographer Carolyn Kaster snapped this picture of President Obama putting memories into a pensieve giving a speech yesterday in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Get a load of that ball of light. This is an un-Photoshopped image, FYI. He’s been on a three day bus tour through the Hawkeye State.
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One of this year's biggest blockbusters, The Avengers, comes out on BluRay and DVD next month. If you're like me, and I know I am, I'll be buying it immediately.
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But for those of you who really can't wait, you can go on the Internets and probably find a way to get your mitts on a bootleg. For example, this Chinese bootleg floating around now. But the fun thing about this particular bootleg is the really, really, really bad translation you get when using the English subtitles.
Plenty more after the jump...
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See them all at Bileto's Tumblr page.
ht io9
Two new adorable cheetah cubs have just made their debut at the National Zoo in Washington.
Neither cub has been named because the zoo plans to name their after the fastest American male and female athletes in the 100-meter dash at this summer's London Olympics.
NBC Washington reports that the cubs were hand raised after a risky cesarean section saved their lives and their mother's life. That left them in intensive care for several days after they were born. But clearly they're doing quite well, now.
Zookeepers say the cubs are adjusting well to their new outdoor surroundings.
National Zoo
Several of us around The Last Word HQ are big fans of Batman, and we cannot wait for the release later this month of the last installment in Christopher Nolan's trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.
So you can bet we're all really getting a kick out of this version of the film's trailer. All of the voices were done by Pee-Wee Herman for a bit last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Ourit Ben Haim, Underground New York Public Library
All of us who live in New York City and commute via the subway know that a book is essential riding material. For many of us the distance we live from work is directly proportional to the number of books we read in a month or a year. We also know, being nosy New Yorkers, the frustration of trying to figure out what the person across the car is reading when they are holding their book at a difficult angle.
Of course we could just ask, but let's not be crazy; it's the subway. (People sell baby sharks on the subway for crying out loud!)
Fret no more, reading-riders. Thanks to a blog called Underground New York Public Library you can find out what everyone in New York City is reading on the subway. Ourit Ben-Haim, the blog's creator, takes photographs of people reading on the subway, identifies the book and author, and posts it for the world to see. Check out the link above. Pretty cool.
Who knows, maybe you'll pop up on there one day. Oh, and if you're wondering what the guy is reading in the photo above, it's Rabbit, Run by John Updike.
As the show's self-appointed Cookie Monster correspondent, imagine my delight today when co-worker Nick Ramsey sent me this little gem. It's Mr. Monster himself singing "Share it Maybe" — a parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe."
Yes, yes I know EVERYONE has done their own versions of "Call Me Maybe" — The Harvard Baseball team, Jimmy Fallon, Justin Bieber and even some very talented Corgis. However, I might have to rule this as the greatest version yet.
Not only does Cookie Monster show off some serious vocal ability (check out his "bad..bad..bad" riff at 2:17), he includes health-conscious lyrics such as "let's get skim milk flowing, we'll start this snack going baby." And honestly, who can't relate to REALLY wanting to share someone's cookie. I totally get where he's coming from.
It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood after watching this remix of Mister Rogers.
As a way to encourage donations from the public, PBS Digital Studios played the nostalgia card (he's holding an '80s cassette player!) by releasing a mashup of our cardigan-loving childhood friend.
A sampling of the lyrics, assembled courtesy of Symphony of Science's John Boswell: "Did you ever grow anything in the garden of your mind? You can grow ideas, in the garden of your mind. It's good to be curious, about many things. You can think about things and make believe. All you have to do is think."
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell airs at 10pm ET, Monday through Thursday on MSNBC. The show channels O'Donnell's extensive background in politics and entertainment.
