Gettysburg in Four Minutes

Pickett's Charge

During the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863, ending on July 3, the date of Pickett’s Charge. The three-day battle between Union and Confederate armies was the largest military fight in North American history. Additionally, it was an important turning point in the war and led to ten famous sentences by President Abraham Lincoln.

In the video below, Historian Garry Adelman recounts the story of the battle on the fields of Pennsylvania, including how the conflict started by accident. And he does it all in less than five minutes. Check it out.

For more about Gettysburg, check out this video about the soldiers who gathered for the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the battle.

Painting: “Hancock at Gettysburg” by Thure de Thulstrup, showing Pickett’s Charge, restored by Adam Cuerden.

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    “I Am Chris Farley” Trailer

    Chris Farley Movie
    A new documentary I Am Chris Farley recalls the life and laughs of Chris Farley. The film examines Farley’s amazing talent as well as the demons that led to his death at the young age of 33 in 1997.

    I Am Chris Farley features many of Farley’s colleagues and friends, including David Spade, Adam Sandler, Dan Aykroyd and Lorne Michaels. Check out the trailer for the film about the Saturday Night Live alum.

    You will find I Am Chris Farley in theaters down by the river starting on July 31, 2015.

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    Song of the Day: “Birds Fly South” from The Mastersons

    The Mastersons

    There’s something about real-life lovers singing about relationships where you know you have a good chance of getting down to something truthful and raw, as in the best work by bands like Fleetwood Mac. And when the couple is married or in a committed relationship, you know you had better listen. The work by the duo of Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore, otherwise known as The Mastersons, brings some heartfelt lyrics to their great voices in songs like “Birds Fly South.”

    “Birds Fly South” is the title track from the 2012 debut album by The Mastersons. In the song about escape, the singer asks “Will you be right by my side?” but later in the song the request turns into a plea. Check out this performance from the Spring 2012 Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin.

    The Mastersons, who started out in Texas and are now based in Austin, lived in Brooklyn for awhile, hence the reference to escaping the city. They have also played as part of Steve Earle’s band, The Dukes. Their most recent album is Good Luck Charm“ (2014).

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    What a Beautiful Day!

    Song Gay Marriage
    Hearing Jim Obergefell on CNN today talking about the Supreme Court decision holding the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage could melt the hardest of hearts. The case had started out with Obergefell seeking to have his name on the death certificate of his partner of twenty years. His fight came out of his love, which made the victory all the more sweet.

    So, tonight even though up until President Obama we have never had a president say that they supported gay marriage, we have a White House lit up in rainbow colors. And it is hard not only to think of those who can now get married, but also to think of those through the years who did not live long enough to see this day. And one hopes that this decision will aid the ongoing progress, helping teenagers who have historically felt ostracized.

    I cannot think of a better song for the day than “What a Beautiful Day,” by Australian singer-songwriter Brett Every and featuring Belinda Crawford. The song and video recounts a beautiful day of two people proclaiming their love while supported by friends and family.

    “What a Beautiful Day” is from Brett Every’s album Tales of Ten Men (2012). The song won the Outmusic Awards 2012 Love Song Of The Year.

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    Childhood Summers In the Movies

    Slate has put together a movie montage supercut featuring scenes of childhood summers from various films. Along with the sound of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” the video Nostalgia of Summer is sure to take you back to your childhood . . . or at least make you remember some of these movies. Although it skews toward more recent movies, it still is a nice nostalgia trip.

    [2024 Update: Unfortunately the video is not presently available.]

    What is your favorite movie featuring children in the summer? Of course, Stand by Me (1986) is a great movie about childhood, but so is To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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