How Did World War I Start?

World War I

World War I is often overlooked in comparison to the more recent World War II and the fascinating U.S. Civil War. Because in the U.S. the first world war seems to get less coverage, it has become more interesting to me in recent years. But another reason we may know less about World War I today is that it is so darn complicated. Yeah, we know the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had something to do with it, but how did so many countries end up going to war?

To address this problem and in light of the 100th anniversary of the start of the war, video and podcast producer Chris Wade put together a short video for Slate about how World War I began. Although it goes fast so you have to play close attention, your focus for less than four minutes will be rewarded. At least it takes less time than reading a book. So check out “The July Crisis: How World War I Began.”

Photo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand via Public Domain. What do you find interesting about World War I? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Marty Brown Takes a Ride on the “Love Swing”

    In this video from Marty Brown’s backyard, the country singer is joined by his wife Shellie on another Marty Brown original, “Love Swing.” As Brown explains in the video posted on his Facebook page, the real-life swing where they sit inspired the catchy song, which appears on his independently sold CD, Country Strong.

    Brown also seems to be having a fun time making the video for us fans. Check it out.

    What do you think of “Love Swing”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    New Song from Stevie Nicks: “The Dealer”

    stevie nicks the vault

    Stevie Nicks     is getting ready to release a new solo album, 24 Karat Gold — Songs From the Vault, her first since 2011. In anticipation, she has released the official video for one of the songs, “The Dealer.”

    Nicks wrote “The Dealer” in the late 1970s when she was with Fleetwood Mac, but the song has never seen an offical release until now. 24 Carat Gold will feature other songs from “the vault.” Check out the “new” song.

    Warner Bros. will release the album 24 Karat Gold — Songs From the Vault on October 7, 2014, with pre-orders starting already and an earlier vinyl release. Starting in September, Nicks will begin a reunion tour with Fleetwood Mac, so look for her to come to your neighborhood.

    What do you think of the new Stevie Nicks song “The Dealer”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    The Civil Wars Break Up . . . and All I Got Was a Song

    The Civil Wars album

    The Civil Wars duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White officially announced that the band is no more. Fans already knew there had been a loss of real-life harmony between the two and that they had gone on hiatus in 2012. They then put out a self-titled album, which gave some hope, despite the dark clouds on the cover. But on their website now they have announced they will not be creating another. The website notes, “The difficult decision ends a tumultuous period for the four-time Grammy Award-winning band, who has been on indefinite hiatus since late 2012.”

    In consolation, Williams and White announced they are giving away a free download of “You Are My Sunshine” that was recorded in 2010. The track was originally released in 2011 as a B-side to the limited edition Barton Hollow 7” vinyl release. So, you are getting no more music from The Civil Wars, but you can go to their website for this goodbye gift.

    For some more music from The Civil Wars, check out these other songs from Barton Hollow (2011). We wish Williams and White well and look forward to whatever music they make by themselves in the future. RIP Civil Wars.



    Are you disappointed The Civil Wars broke up? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    “High Maintenance” Shows the Potential of a Web Series

    High Maintenance

    The New Yorker recently had a story “Taster’s Choice” about the web series High Maintenance. The series stars the show’s co-creator Ben Sinclair as a nameless pot dealer. Each episode, which runs only around 6-15 minutes, features the dealer dropping off weed to a customer in New York. There is no ongoing storyline, and each episode is a complete short story on its own, featuring different characters getting a delivery by the dealer.

    While the professionally made show is about a pot dealer, it is about more than marijuana. And while the shortness of each episode means we are not talking about War & Peace here, there is a completeness to each tale. So watching episodes becomes like sitting down with a bag of potato chips: Each bite is satisfying but also leading you to try one more.

    Some episodes will make you laugh, and some are poignant slices of life, like the episode below that is entitled “Brad Pitts.” There is a sadness to the story but also something redeeming. Check it out. It only takes less than nine minutes.

    High Maintenance // Brad Pitts from Janky Clown Productions on Vimeo.

    Three episodes of High Maintenance are released every few months on Vimeo, where they stream for free. Although the episodes have been mostly funded by Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld (Sinclair’s wife and the show’s co-creator/co-writer/co-director/casting director), Vimeo plans to provide funding for upcoming shows. So it will be interesting to see what comes next for Sinclair, Blichfeld, and High Maintenance.

    Thanks to Executive Producer Russell Gregory for a correction to an earlier version of this post. What do you think of High Maintenance? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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