Culture & Media, page 3
History, society, film, books, internet culture, travel, places. 148 links, newest first. Page 3 of 3.
Links 101 to 148
Funny answers from children's school tests
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #104
Riffs on a candy-bar word problem and a diabetes joke
Summary
A comedy compilation of humorous answers children gave on school tests. Examples include a candy bar word problem answered with a joke about diabetes and a spelling exercise about words the child can and cannot spell. The clip has no commentary and contains no further information.
Key points- Riffs on a candy-bar word problem and a diabetes joke
- Ends with a prompt to write five words you can and cannot spell
If It Were My Home: Compare Living Conditions Across Countries
Tool · ifitweremyhome.com · Issue #103
IfItWereMyHome.com asks how your life would differ if you had been born in another country.
Summary
IfItWereMyHome.com asks how your life would differ if you had been born in another country. Users pick a region on a map and compare living conditions with another country. The site also has a disaster visualization tool, with the Pakistan flood and the BP oil spill as examples, and a weekly Country of the Week feature.
How to Conquer Spicy Food (Hot Ones Challenge)
Watch · youtube.com · 30 min · Issue #99
A Food Theory video from May 2023 tests unusual ways to stop the burn from a spicy wing during the Hot Ones Challenge by First We Feast.
Summary
A Food Theory video from May 2023 tests unusual ways to stop the burn from a spicy wing during the Hot Ones Challenge by First We Feast. It ends with a sauce the description calls far hotter than Last Dab. The creators are Matthew Patrick, Santi Massa and Brittany Leigh Turnbull.
The Film Theorists
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #99
The Film Theorists is a YouTube channel that explores hidden meanings and secrets behind movies and TV shows.
Summary
The Film Theorists is a YouTube channel that explores hidden meanings and secrets behind movies and TV shows. Its videos cover film monster survival, superhero lore and indie horror series. It belongs to a network with Game Theory, Food Theory and Style Theory.
Behind the Name: Jakub
Tool · behindthename.com · Issue #95
Behind the Name is a name reference that lists Jakub as the Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Jacob, with the diminutive Kuba.
Summary
Behind the Name is a name reference that lists Jakub as the Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Jacob, with the diminutive Kuba. The entry covers the name's meaning, variants in other languages and recent popularity rankings, including ninth place in Poland in 2025. The page is credited to Mike Campbell and appears to be free to read.
Adam Sandler Acceptance Speech, 2023 Mark Twain Prize
Watch · youtube.com · 11 min · Issue #92
The Kennedy Center's March 2023 upload of Adam Sandler's acceptance speech for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Summary
The Kennedy Center's March 2023 upload of Adam Sandler's acceptance speech for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The gala on March 19, 2023 featured comedians including Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien and Ben Stiller, and aired nationally on CNN. The description quotes Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter praising three decades of Sandler's work in film, music and SNL.
Whose Line Is It Anyway improv recommendation
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #91
A recommendation of the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Summary
A recommendation of the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Parity
Tool · abefehr.com · Issue #89
Parity is a numbers puzzle game that its page describes as addicting.
Summary
Parity is a numbers puzzle game that its page describes as addicting. The page shows a grid of 4s and a level indicator, but it does not explain the rules, name a creator or say whether the game is free.
A Good Tunnel Is Hard to Dig
Tool · alan.draknek.org · Issue #88
A PuzzleScript game by Alan Hazelden, made for Ludum Dare 32.
Summary
A PuzzleScript game by Alan Hazelden, made for Ludum Dare 32. The player digs through levels with the arrow keys, undoes moves with Z and resets a level with R. The page links to the game's source in the PuzzleScript online editor so players can modify it. The page.
Albums were an industry invention for profit
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #87
Twelve songs fit on one vinyl at the same manufacturing cost
Summary
Albums were invented by the record industry, which can sell twelve songs on one vinyl for far more at the same cost.
The speaker argues that the album was a commercial invention. Putting 12 songs on one vinyl cost the same to press, but the record could be sold at a higher price, so the album became a product. The speaker says technology has not changed this, and that music will keep being made according to how it can be sold.
Key points- Twelve songs fit on one vinyl at the same manufacturing cost
- The industry sells it for twelve times more because the buyer gets twelve times the value
- The speaker says music will keep being made based on how it can be sold
Hot Ones: David Blaine Does Magic While Eating Spicy Wings
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #87
A Hot Ones episode from September 2022, hosted by Sean Evans, in which magician David Blaine eats spicy wings and performs tricks involving Carolina Reaper peppers.
Summary
A Hot Ones episode from September 2022, hosted by Sean Evans, in which magician David Blaine eats spicy wings and performs tricks involving Carolina Reaper peppers. The description says he discusses his origin story, advice from David Copperfield and his closest calls. It also promotes his Las Vegas show, David Blaine in Spades.
Never Too Small: Scandi-Style 42 sqm Apartment in Poznań
Watch · youtube.com · 7 min · Issue #86
A NEVER TOO SMALL video from 2023 tours a 42 sqm new-build apartment in Poznań, designed by architect and owner Alicja Szmal-Baehr.
Summary
A NEVER TOO SMALL video from 2023 tours a 42 sqm new-build apartment in Poznań, designed by architect and owner Alicja Szmal-Baehr. It uses natural materials and earthy colors, with built-in cabinetry, a wooden kitchen island, a hidden kitchen and two chaise lounges that double as a guest bed. The credits name Colin Chee as creator.
Silicone earplugs and zinc spray for travel
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #84
Silicone earplugs plaster over the ear, block more sound, and allow side sleeping
Summary
Travel kit tips include silicone earplugs, a rubbing ball for feet, zinc spray, and vitamin C hourly while awake.
Tim Ferriss shares three travel items. Silicone earplugs sit over the ear rather than inside it and block more sound, a spiky rubber ball helps release tension in the feet, legs, hips and back, and sprayable zinc is used on travel days along with 1 g vitamin C tablets taken hourly while awake.
Key points- Silicone earplugs plaster over the ear, block more sound, and allow side sleeping
- A spiky rubbing ball rolled under the feet before and after travel eases tension
- Vitamin C at 1 g every waking hour, and zinc spray on travel days
Psychologist Debunks 8 Myths of Mass Scale
Watch · youtube.com · 31 min · Issue #80
Psychologist Todd Rose argues that collective illusions, shared false assumptions about society, have existed for millennia and are more common today because of social media and technology.
Summary
Psychologist Todd Rose argues that collective illusions, shared false assumptions about society, have existed for millennia and are more common today because of social media and technology. He disputes that most people want fame, wealth and power, and that the U.S. is irredeemably divided. His remedy is becoming a more authentic individual. The video is part of a 9-part series produced with Stand Together.
Ultimate Book List: What Thought Leaders Read
Tool · ultimatebooklist.com · Issue #79
Ultimate Book List collects book recommendations from celebrities and thought leaders, with thousands of recommendations listed.
Summary
Ultimate Book List collects book recommendations from celebrities and thought leaders, with thousands of recommendations listed. Bill Gates has the most with 345, followed by Oprah Winfrey with 250 and Reese Witherspoon with 204. Popular recommended books include Sapiens, Zero to One, Principles, Thinking, Fast and Slow and Meditations. Users can track their reading and get personalized suggestions.
A farm parable on judging outcomes
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #78
The horse runs off, and the son calls it a nightmare for the farm
Summary
A farm parable shows that a bad-looking event can turn out good, and that the outcome cannot be judged at first.
The speaker retells a parable about a farmer whose horse runs off, then returns with fifty wild stallions, and whose son is later injured by one of them. Each event seems good or bad to the family, while the old father repeatedly says he cannot tell what it means. When an army comes to draft men, the son's injured leg means he is left behind.
Key points- The horse runs off, and the son calls it a nightmare for the farm
- The old father says he cannot call it, since it may not be a nightmare
- Days later the horse returns with 50 wild stallions, and the family becomes rich
Witty aphorisms on taxes and childhood
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #78
Taxes are a yearly subscription to your country
Summary
A short list of witty aphorisms. Taxes are described as a yearly subscription to the country you live in, and childhood as the free trial. Asking someone's name is likened to asking what sound will get their attention. The last line says people spend their lives gathering guests for their own funeral.
Key points- Taxes are a yearly subscription to your country
- Childhood is the free trial
A conspiracy-style story about raw milk
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #75
Claims a new, expensive machine pushed 99% of small dairy farms out
Summary
The speaker claims Rockefeller lobbied to outlaw raw milk, pushing small dairy farms out of business in 1933.
The speaker tells a satirical story in which a 1933 industrialist lobbies to outlaw raw milk after pasteurization machinery appears, pushing small dairy farms out of business and rural workers into cities. The speaker presents the result as a deliberate psyop lasting generations, with raw milk now illegal to sell in many states. The account is a conspiracy-style interpretation rather than documented history.
Key points- Claims a new, expensive machine pushed 99% of small dairy farms out
- Says raw milk sales are now illegal in many states after lobbying
- Calls the outcome a psyop lasting several generations
An AI podcast imitating Jobs and Rogan
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #73
The creator says the voice and transcript were generated from online presence
Summary
An AI-generated podcast mimicking Steve Jobs and Joe Rogan shows a future where humans guide AI to make content.
The speaker describes a 20-minute podcast said to be generated by AI, imitating the late Steve Jobs and Joe Rogan using their voices and a language model trained on their public presence. The speaker expects future content to be AI-generated but guided by humans. Listed cons include lack of consent, profiting from someone's likeness, and manipulation, while pros include easier learning and saving time.
Key points- The creator says the voice and transcript were generated from online presence
- Says the most creative work will depend on articulating ideas to the machine
- Describes telling an AI assistant to create a video of him at his desk
Robert Kelly on Childhood, Ward of the State and Sobriety
Watch · youtube.com · 15 min · Issue #69
A 15-minute clip from The Joe Rogan Experience episode 1886, posted by the PowerfulJRE channel.
Summary
A 15-minute clip from The Joe Rogan Experience episode 1886, posted by the PowerfulJRE channel. Comedian Robert Kelly talks about a difficult childhood, time as a ward of the state, and getting sober at 15. The description links only to the full episode on Spotify.
What's Wrong with Taking the Back Streets?
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #65
A vlogbrothers video, about 4 minutes long, published in August 2020 by John and Hank Green.
Summary
A vlogbrothers video, about 4 minutes long, published in August 2020 by John and Hank Green. The description only says John tries to draw circles while discussing circles and counting to 170,000.
Logan Paul: I Took 4,120 Polaroids in 99 Days
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #63
Logan Paul describes a 99-day trip starting August 21, 2021, covering 84,029 miles with a Polaroid camera.
Summary
Logan Paul describes a 99-day trip starting August 21, 2021, covering 84,029 miles with a Polaroid camera. The trip produced 99 one-of-one prints he calls '99 Originals', sold through originals.com. The description says the period included injuries, family conflict, substance addiction and travel with wealthy people.
Talk to Books (Google)
Tool · books.google.com · Issue #60
A Google experiment built on machine learning that lets people explore ideas and discover books, with sample searches showing archived results.
Summary
A Google experiment built on machine learning that lets people explore ideas and discover books, with sample searches showing archived results. The page describes it in the past tense, suggesting it may no longer be available.
Inside a Miracle: The 1980 U.S. Hockey Team
Read · fs.blog · Issue #57
Shane Parrish's Farnam Street article retelling the U.S.
Summary
Shane Parrish's Farnam Street article retelling the U.S. men's hockey upset of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, drawing heavily on Wayne Gretzky's book 99. The U.S. team, built by coach Herb Brooks from college players, won 4-3 in the medal round after trailing early. The article suggests ordinary players can achieve extraordinary results under the right conditions.
Shark Tank, but With Your Girlfriend
Watch · youtube.com · 4 min · Issue #56
A 2020 comedy video by Stevie Emerson, co-written and starring Nikki Howard, with a title that riffs on the TV show Shark Tank.
Summary
A 2020 comedy video by Stevie Emerson, co-written and starring Nikki Howard, with a title that riffs on the TV show Shark Tank. Emerson also directed and edited it.
Hoodmaps: New York City Neighborhood Map
Tool · hoodmaps.com · Issue #53
A crowd-sourced, humorous map of New York City neighborhoods, where each area carries a short, often stereotyped one-liner that users upvote.
Summary
A crowd-sourced, humorous map of New York City neighborhoods, where each area carries a short, often stereotyped one-liner that users upvote. The top-voted entries include NYU students and the September 11 attacks, and many tags refer to ethnic groups, celebrities and food.
Anonymity Online Is Winning
Read · theatlantic.com · 6 min · Issue #51
An Atlantic article from 2022 on Gen Z's shift away from building a personal brand online.
Summary
An Atlantic article from 2022 on Gen Z's shift away from building a personal brand online. The newsletter notes that the article suggests younger users prefer to stay anonymous on the internet.
r/interestingasfuck
Tool · reddit.com · Issue #49
The all-time top posts of the Reddit community r/interestingasfuck.
Summary
The all-time top posts of the Reddit community r/interestingasfuck. Posts from Reddit have appeared in the newsletter several times.
A comedic bad first date sketch
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #45
A comedic sketch of a bad first date uses lines such as admitting the profile photo was heavily edited, saying they would rather sleep than go out, and drinking to get through it.
Summary
A comedic sketch of a bad first date uses lines such as admitting the profile photo was heavily edited, saying they would rather sleep than go out, and drinking to get through it. It also mentions an ex, and ends with the speaker planning to fake a phone call to ghost the date and finish their drink.
What Historical Figures Might Look Like Today
Watch · youtube.com · 8 min · Issue #43
Mystery Scoop's February 2022 video, 8 minutes 24 seconds long, shows modern versions of historical figures created with AI by Brazilian digital artist Hidreley Diao.
Summary
Mystery Scoop's February 2022 video, 8 minutes 24 seconds long, shows modern versions of historical figures created with AI by Brazilian digital artist Hidreley Diao. Each image keeps the figure's main facial features and imagines how modern life might have changed their appearance. Figures include Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, Joan of Arc, Beethoven, and Marcus Aurelius.
The Entire History of r/place
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #41
Ludwig Ahgren's April 2022 gaming video, 8 minutes 46 seconds long, traces the history of Reddit's r/place, the collaborative pixel canvas where users placed one pixel at a time.
Summary
Ludwig Ahgren's April 2022 gaming video, 8 minutes 46 seconds long, traces the history of Reddit's r/place, the collaborative pixel canvas where users placed one pixel at a time.
Sadhguru on the Lost Concept of Heaven
Watch · youtube.com · 15 min · Issue #39
A clip from episode JRE #1791 with Sadhguru, posted by the PowerfulJRE channel in March 2022.
Summary
A clip from episode JRE #1791 with Sadhguru, posted by the PowerfulJRE channel in March 2022. Its title suggests Sadhguru discusses why the idea of heaven has lost its meaning for many people.
Entertainment marketing can turn firms around
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #34
A home builder's brand failed until a woman in a red dress stood by an A-frame sign
Summary
Entertainment-based marketing and a provocative brand can turn a failing company around, since money follows attention.
A speaker who runs a hard money lending company says they turn failing businesses around with entertainment-based marketing paired with a call to action. In their example, a home builder's provocative model-home ad angered many people, and the speaker says the backlash brought six sales the next day. The speaker says attention drives money, though they would not go that far with an ordinary company.
Key points- A home builder's brand failed until a woman in a red dress stood by an A-frame sign
- Provocative messaging angered critics, and six houses sold the next day
- The speaker says that company now sells 350 homes a year, and money follows attention
The Position of Fuck You (The Gambler Clip)
Read · youtube.com · Issue #34
A one-minute clip from The Gambler featuring John Goodman, posted by Omid Malekan in 2015.
Summary
A one-minute clip from The Gambler featuring John Goodman, posted by Omid Malekan in 2015. It is shared as the film the term "fuck you money" comes from.
Soft White Underbelly (YouTube Channel)
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #30
Soft White Underbelly is a YouTube channel of interviews and portraits of the human condition, created by photographer Mark Laita.
Summary
Soft White Underbelly is a YouTube channel of interviews and portraits of the human condition, created by photographer Mark Laita. People can apply to be interviewed by emailing a short version of their story, their location, and a 15 to 30 second video of themselves. An ad-free, uncensored version of the videos is available through a separate subscription channel.
What's Available Where on Netflix (uNoGS)
Tool · unogs.com · Issue #29
uNoGS is an unofficial Netflix search site for finding which titles are available in each country.
Summary
uNoGS is an unofficial Netflix search site for finding which titles are available in each country. It offers advanced search with filters for IMDb rating, year, type, audio, subtitles, and genre, plus top-250 lists. Users can submit titles the scrapers missed through a form or API so they are added to a chosen country's catalog.
Weaponizing Data: How Location Data Exposes People
Read · vice.com · Issue #29
Joseph Cox, writing for VICE in 2021, argues that phone app location data has become a tool for exposing individuals, since data brokers sell it cheaply.
Summary
Joseph Cox, writing for VICE in 2021, argues that phone app location data has become a tool for exposing individuals, since data brokers sell it cheaply. He describes how The Pillar used Grindr-linked location data to trace Msgr. Jeffrey Burrill, who then resigned, and cites a $11.7 million Norwegian fine against Grindr and re-identification research. Senator Ron Wyden called on the FTC to investigate the data broker industry.
The Pixar Theory
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #23
Bloop Animation, narrated by Evyatar Gour, argues in this 2014 video that all Pixar movies take place in the same universe at different times.
Summary
Bloop Animation, narrated by Evyatar Gour, argues in this 2014 video that all Pixar movies take place in the same universe at different times. The video is based on Jon Negroni's essay The Pixar Theory and opens by asking what it would mean if all Pixar films were connected.
31 Posters That Teach You Something
Read · buzzfeed.com · Issue #22
A 2016 BuzzFeed listicle by Maitland Quitmeyer presents 31 wall posters that teach something, such as a coffee brewing guide, a seasonal vegetable chart, a pasta shape guide, and a periodic table of Game of Thrones families.
Summary
A 2016 BuzzFeed listicle by Maitland Quitmeyer presents 31 wall posters that teach something, such as a coffee brewing guide, a seasonal vegetable chart, a pasta shape guide, and a periodic table of Game of Thrones families. Each entry pairs the poster with a seller and price, mostly on Etsy, Society6, and Pop Chart Lab.
A brief lesson on diversity
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #16
A short TikTok lesson on diversity.
Summary
A short TikTok lesson on diversity.
The Joe Rogan Experience channel
Short · youtube.com · Issue #13
The YouTube channel of the Joe Rogan Experience.
Summary
The YouTube channel of the Joe Rogan Experience.
Gen Z moves the progressive line further
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #12
Millennials fought for gay marriage and saw that as progressive
Summary
Millennials thought backing gay marriage made them progressive, but the speaker says Gen Z has moved the line further.
The speaker jokes that millennials thought they were progressive for fighting for gay marriage, while Gen Z goes further, saying gender is a myth, sexuality is fluid, and a couple can include up to nine people. The punchline is that the older generation now looks conservative by comparison.
Key points- Millennials fought for gay marriage and saw that as progressive
- The speaker says Gen Z now talks about gender as a myth and sexuality as fluid
- The joke closes by saying Gen Z drives a hard bargain
Lobbying and campaign money write laws
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #9
Lobbyists write bill language, which politicians pass after campaign money and job offers
Summary
Lobbying and campaign money let special interests write laws, and the speaker says this corruption is legal and should be made illegal.
The speaker describes how lobbyists fund politicians' campaigns, offer them lucrative jobs, and write the bill that gets passed. Citing figures, the speaker says the 200 most politically active companies spent $5.8 billion on influence over five years and received $4.4 trillion in taxpayer support. The speaker argues the problem predates the 2010 Citizens United ruling and promotes a plan to bypass Congress.
Key points- Lobbyists write bill language, which politicians pass after campaign money and job offers
- The top 200 political companies spent 5.8 billion dollars influencing government in five years
- Those same companies received 4.4 trillion dollars in taxpayer support over that period
Elites shape US laws more than citizens
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #9
Researchers studied over 20 years of data on public support and passed laws
Summary
A Princeton study found that U.S. law tracks the views of elites and business interests, while average citizens' preferences have almost no impact.
The speaker discusses a Princeton study of more than 20 years of data on whether Congress passes laws that reflect public opinion. Ideas with no public support had about a 30 percent chance of becoming federal law, the same as the most popular ideas. The study found the average American had a near-zero effect on policy, while economic elites and business interests had far more influence.
Key points- Researchers studied over 20 years of data on public support and passed laws
- Ideas nobody supports and the most popular idea each have about a 30 percent chance of law
- The average American's preferences had a minuscule, statistically insignificant impact on policy
EmuOS: A Simulated Retro Computer by Emupedia
Tool · emupedia.net · Issue #9
Emupedia, a nonprofit hub focused on preserving video games and software, offers EmuOS, a simulated retro computer.
Summary
Emupedia, a nonprofit hub focused on preserving video games and software, offers EmuOS, a simulated retro computer. The page shows a 1997 BIOS boot screen for a simulated Pentium Pro system, along with a theme selector. The site aims to archive software and make it playable online through interfaces that imitate retro operating systems, for educational purposes.
I Never Wash My Pants (Why You Shouldn't Either)
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #5
In this 10-minute vlog, minimalism creator Matt D'Avella argues that jeans are not worth washing as often as people usually do.
Summary
In this 10-minute vlog, minimalism creator Matt D'Avella argues that jeans are not worth washing as often as people usually do. The video has over 950,000 views.
Back to the 90s
Tool · my90stv.com · Issue #3
The author shares a nostalgic site for revisiting the 1990s and says they are very happy with the find.
Summary
The author shares a nostalgic site for revisiting the 1990s and says they are very happy with the find.
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