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Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 tips on how to write a short story

Jun 28, 2015

From Kurt Vonnegut’s introduction to his short story anthology, Bagombo Snuff Box, here are his 8 tips on how to write a good short story.

Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
Every sentence must do one of two things–reveal character or advance the action.
Start as close to the end as possible.
Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

1-Minute Ad About Water Conservation Will Change How You See The World

Jun 28, 2015

This simple advertisement takes a minute to watch, but it will change the way you see the world.

‘Find The Fish’, The Classic Surreal Intermission Sketch From Monty Python’s 1983 Film ‘The Meaning of Life’

Jun 27, 2015

Here’s the Find The Fish scene, taken from Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life called “The Middle Of The Film.” Terry Jones picked this as part of his Top 10 Monty Python Movie Moments for Esquire Magazine. He says, “Originally, we were going to have a load of stars—like Sean Connery and Julie Andrews—saying, ‘This is the middle of the film,’ but it was too hard to organize. But it turned out all right, because this is the inside of the Battersea Power Station, with those beautiful parquet floor and magnificent ceiling, and it doesn’t exist anymore. I think this is Python at its surreal best.”

After a brief, surreal piece in which a drag queen (Graham Chapman), a gangly long-armed man (Terry Jones), and an elephant-headed butler eerily challenge the audience to find a fish in the scene, all six members of Monty Python appear as fish swimming and chatting to each other in a restaurant fish tank.

https://youtu.be/lW5RD90o3WA

Video: The Tefifon, an 8-track tape and vinyl record combo

Jun 27, 2015

The Tefifon is a German-developed and manufactured audio playback format that utilizes cartridges loaded with an endlessly looped reel of plastic tape (much like the later 4-track and 8-track magnetic audio tape cartridges) with grooves embossed on it, similar to the ones on a phonograph record. The grooves were embossed in a helical fashion across the width of the tape, much similar to Dictaphone’s Dictabelt format, and are read with a stylus and amplified pickup in the player’s transport. A Tefifon cartridge can hold up to four hours of music, therefore, most releases for the format are usually compilations of popular hits or dance music, operas and operettas.

Video: Pregnant newscaster has some words with a bully

Jun 27, 2015

On this March 26 edition of the News Hour Plus, the Global BC anchors discuss how to deal with hecklers after Kristi Gordon received a hurtful letter from an unhappy viewer. And then another one. And more. WHO DOES THIS?

“Global is actually GOL..”

The Greatest Soccer Trick During A Game I’ve Ever Seen

Jun 27, 2015

Without ruining the surprise too much, let’s just say Notts County gives some artful misdirection to score a goal.

That Time Stanley Kubrick Snuck Onto James Bond Set To Work

Jun 27, 2015

In 1977, Ken Adam was working as Production Designer for the James Bond film, “The Spy Who Loved Me.” One of the sets included the villain’s secret lair that was located inside of an enormous tanker ship. Adam struggled with lighting the massive set, and called in a favor from his old boss… Stanley Kubrick. Under an agreement of total secrecy, Kubrick was snuck onto the empty set, where he spent 4 hours setting lighting and advising Ken Adam.

https://youtu.be/MFI-UvmxN1Q

John Legend serenades his dogs at their very own wedding

Jun 27, 2015

Want to see the most adorable wedding that John Legend has ever sung at? Check out Puddy and Pippa’s ceremony, where the multi-platinum singer serenades his pooches. He’s actually doing this for a good cause: raising money for a school in Springfield, MO. This specific cause campaign is over, but a small donation, you can enter a raffle to win amazing opportunities like Ty Burrell will be your Dad for the Day, and be there for the final taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

So, HAS Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott Ever Poured Sugar On Someone? Yup.

Jun 27, 2015

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was at Q103 radio station in Albany, New York recently and was asked if he has ever poured sugar on anyone. Joe responded:

“No. But when the [Def Leppard] song [‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’] first came out… It [was] kind of a ‘mishit,’ really. When it first went to radio in 1987, it kind of got ignored, but in 1988, it took off again. And then it became the most important song on the record and we started shifting silly amounts of records and tickets and stuff, and by then, the song was, like, top of the charts, and people were throwing packets of sugar at us on stage. I mean, it was like trying to avoid shrapnel. It was kind of comical, really.

“Actually, I think once we did a competition, in fairness… I’m just thinking now, ’cause you catch me cold with questions like that. I think we once had a competition backstage to actually pour, like, a pound of sugar over some poor girl’s head who had been saturated in hot water. It was written in the contract that it had to be done, no doubt. So, yeah, I think maybe about 25 years ago, we did it at one time.

“She seemed to enjoy it, from what I can remember. You know, sugar is better than coal. [Laughs]”

Here’s the original song and still great video. Gotta give props to a band who wears their own concert tour shirts on stage. Love IS like a bomb, baby, come and get it on.