Must watch interview with the "napalm girl" from the 1972 Pulitzer-winning photo

Remember the Napalm Girl from the Vietnamese War?

Per Wikipedia:

In this Vietnamese name, the family name is Phan. According to Vietnamese custom, this person should properly be referred to by the given name Kim Phúc.

Phan Thị Kim Phúc OOnt, born April 6, 1963), referred to informally as the Napalm girl, is a South Vietnamese-born Canadian woman best known as the nine-year-old child depicted in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken at Trảng Bàng during the Vietnam War on June 8, 1972. The well-known photo, by AP photographer Nick Ut, shows her at nine years of age running naked on a road after being severely burned on her back by a South Vietnamese napalm attack.

Watch this interview.

"I was in agony. Naked. So ugly. I wish that picture wasn’t taken." Phan Thị Kim Phúc’s life changed forever when she became known as “the napalm girl” in a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.

She offers her Brief But Spectacular take on forgiveness and that girl in the picture. pic.twitter.com/H4zglrxkfk

— CBC Docs (@cbcdocs) January 16, 2020

Here's her wiki. More here, and here's the photographer remembering that day: My picture led to end of the Vietnam war: ‘Napalm Girl' photographer Nick Ut tells TNM.

Friday links

A selection of weird nativity sets.

Pachelbel's Canon In D Performed By Train Horns.

National Geographic’s 100 best photos from 2019.

One of my favorite Christmas stories - 'Twas the Overnight Before Christmas: The Merry Tale of How Air Cargo Deregulation Led To Amazon.

How robocalls became America's most prevalent crime.

Darwin Awards: a cumulative list.

ICYMI, most recent links are here, and include advice from c. 1200 on surviving the winter (spoiler -  lay off the purging and blood-letting, and keep your hands and feet covered in wolf grease), the anniversary of Australia's Great Emu War, the pre-Seinfeld origins of Festivus, and a pairing guide for pop-tarts and fine whiskies.

This Feb. 5, 1865 photo of President Abraham Lincoln in Washington is the last one taken of him.

This Sunday, Feb. 5, 1865, photo made available by the Library of Congress shows President Abraham Lincoln in Washington. This image is the last photo in the president's last photo session during his life. 

(AP Photo/Library of Congress, Alexander Gardner)

h/t Hot Mic

This 1861 photo by Matthew Brady was taken in 1861 - it's from this set of gorgeous remastered and colorized images from the Civil War era, including Lincoln and Mark Twain (this related book gets excellent reviews: The Civil War in Color: A Photographic Reenactment of the War Between the States.):

Related posts and links:

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 (this post has a different photo that claims to be Lincoln's last - I don't know which is accurate). Related: In 1956, an eyewitness (Samuel Seymour) to the Lincoln assassination appeared on TV.

Here' a  photo of Lincoln's first inauguration.

The Gettysburg Address was delivered on November 19, 1863: history, photos, videos and more.

The first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter.

Santa Claus enters the fray on the side of the Union.

Lincoln's 1858 speech on the meaning of Independence Day: Let us stick to it then. Let us stand firmly by it then.

Friday links

For Buffy the Vampire Slayer's birthday, here's a list of her birthday catastrophes.

If Cooties Were Real, What Disease Would They Be?

Weird Beauty Hacks of Yesteryear.

On January 21 - It's Stonewall Jackson's birthday - here's the story of his left arm's separate grave. Also, French King Louis XVI was guillotined on January 21, 1793 - here's Allan Sherman.

Adults Trying To Recreate Childhood Photos.

How Apple Pie Became 'American'.

ICYMI, Wednesday's links are here, and include how to build an igloo, what Alexa and OK Google are doing with your family's personal information, Ben Franklin's birthday, and a set of 1906 photos illustrating women's self-defense moves.

Friday links

Happy Cinco de Mayo. And here's an illustrated history of Tex-Mex food.

Europe’s Bog Bodies Are Starting to Reveal Their Secrets.

Nazi Board Games of World War II.

Gorgeous X-Ray Photographs of Plants and Animals.

McDonald’s introduces fry-fork utensil with new sandwiches

Take Me Out to the Ball Game: The story of Baseball's National Anthem.

ICYMI, Thursday's links are here, and include International Respect for Chickens Day and Star Wars Day, how to develop Jason Bourne-level situational awareness, the legend of Ludgar the War Wolf, King of the Trebuchets. and a 16th century warning about herb-caused brain scorpions: Take heede therefore ye smellers of Basil.

What's wrong with society

via

A glitch in the Matrix

AKA deja vu all over again or alternate reality:

via Reddit

Photograph of Lincoln's First Inauguration

Credit: Library of Congress

This vintage photograph is of Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration on March 4, 1861. The image, one of only three known to exist, shows a large crowd gathered outside the east side of the US Capitol to attend Lincoln’s swearing-in ceremony. Maine’s Bowdoin College Museum of Art recently acquired one copy - the two two other copies are in a Smithsonian Institution collection and the Library of Congress.

It’s thought to have been taken by renowned Scottish-American photographer Alexander Gardner (wiki), known for his work during the US Civil War.

Credit: Library of Congress

 Per Gizmodo: 

The sheer existence of this 156-year-old photo is a small miracle unto itself. Photos this old, without proper care, will undergo various stages of decay. Photos, slides, and negatives are made by using chemicals that are sensitive to moisture, light, and changes in temperature. As time passes, these chemicals degrade and the image starts to fade away, typically turning yellow and developing cracks. Other factors, such as exposure to oil, dust, dirt and some gases also contribute to picture deterioration.

The type of camera used to take this photograph is not known, but given the time period, it was likely a camera that used a “wet plate” negative process, an important development that allowed for a theoretically unlimited number of positive prints on paper. Despite the blurry, ghost-like features in the photograph, this method was considered fast at the time, requiring only a few seconds for exposure.

More at Gizmodo 

Tuesday links

Where Dead Whales Go To Live: Smithsonian Whale Warehouse.

Amish Commerce: Costco in Lancaster, PA has stalls reserved for horse and buggy parking.

8 Countries With Fascinating Baby Naming Laws.

It's Fred Astaire's birthday: here are a few clips of his best dance scenes.

How Common Is Your Birthday? Consult This Chart And Find Out.

Gallery: Scary Faces of Olympic Divers.

ICYMI, Monday's links are here, and include the 2016 Audubon Photography Awards winners, why the Army needs foam goat heads, and the physics of using a magnifying glass and moonlight to light a fire.

2016 Audubon Photography Awards Winners

I've pasted a few of the winners below - go to Audubon.org for the whole set (larger!) and further information on each photo. The Grand Prize winner is quite extraordinary.

 Grand Prize Winner - Bonnie Block:

Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons. Photo: Bonnie Block/Audubon Photography Awards

Professional Winner -  Dick Dickinson:

Osprey. Photo: Dick Dickinson/Audubon Photography Awards

Fine Art Winner - Barbara Driscoll:

Green Violetear. Photo: Barbara Driscoll/Audubon Photography Awards

Amateur Honorable Mention  - Colleen Gara:

Common Ravens. Photo: Colleen Gara/Audubon Photography Awards

The 2016 Audubon Photography Awards Winners.

Thursday links

Happy Cinco do Mayo!

The Ten Longest Wars in History.

Medieval Pet Names.

What phrases commonly used today are derived from obsolete technologies? (spoiler - lots of them)

The Doorway Effect: Why Do We Forget What We’re Doing the Minute We Enter a Room?

Colorized vintage photos of landmarks being built.

ICYMI, Wednesday's links are here, and include the physics of peacock feathers, Star Wars Day, a video compilation of small dogs trying to get onto or off of big couches, how your devices are spying on you, and the American who placed a $1 million bounty on Hitler the year before we entered WWII. 

Thursday links

Watch (and listen to) this goat eating Doritos, with bonus goat links.

How long would it take for a single person to fill up an entire swimming pool with their own saliva?

10 Real-Life Technologies Inspired By Video Games

Finalists from Smithsonian’s Annual Photo Contest - and you can vote for the Readers Choice awards.

How Many Nobel Prizes Could Sir Isaac Newton Win?

10 of History's Most Famous Prostitutes.

ICYMI, Monday's links are here, and include a video tour of the Museum of Bad Art, the unexpected math behind Van Gogh's "Starry Night", $8.4 million for Michelangelo’s Tuscan villa, how not to get killed by a cow (and the Brit farmer who turned Nazi super cows into sausage because they were too aggressive, and Picasso’s self portraits from age 15 to age 90.

Finalists from Smithsonian’s Annual Photo Contest announced - vote for Readers Choice awards.

Smithsonian has just announced the 70 finalists for their 13th annual photo contest and voting is now open from now until March 21, 2016 for the Readers’ Choice Winner. The Grand Prize, Readers’ Choice, and seven category winners (a total of nine awards) will be announced on March 22, and the 14th Annual Photo Contest will open for submissions that same day.

A selection is below, but go to the Smithsonian site to see all of the finalists - this same link has the winners of each previous year.

© Albert Ivan Damanik. All rights reserved

Remaining on the Slopes of Mount Sinabung

Volcanic material flows from the Mount Sinabung, as seen from the village of Jeraya, North Sumatra, Indonesia on June 26, 2015. Indonesia's Mount Sinabung Mount intermittently spewed burning ash and gas, a week after authorities told residents to evacuate the danger zone within a radius of seven kilometers.

© Simone Sbaraglia. All rights reserved

 Catching Fish

This photograph was taken in January 2015 on Lake Kerkini, Greece. The dalmatian pelicans that inhabit that area have grown accustomed to humans since fishermen have fed them for hundreds of years. Their presence helps maintain a balanced ecosystem.

© ARCHNA SINGH. All rights reserved

Muscle Power

These two sub-adult tiger cubs, aged around 21 months, are engaged in a mock fight, a part of their learning process to acquire stalking and self-defense skills. Taking advantage of the fact that a sibling’s attention was diverted for a moment, the other charged her and what was witnessed was a sheer moment of awe when these beautiful and magnificent animals were standing upright just for a moment and you could see the rippling muscles and the power that these biggest cats hold. No more than a few seconds and it was all over where one of the siblings is seen lying down in a submissive position – a pose that tells the opponent that the rival has surrendered. Definitely a rare moment to be captured in the wild, these playful lessons that the siblings engage in are a crucial learning lesson for their adult life.

© Valery Romanov. All rights reserved

Three Black Cows

After evening rain and a foggy morning, the sun rose over the autumn plain, and three black cows appeared through the mist.

© Ricardo Cisneros. All rights reserved

Wildebeest Leap

This photograph was taken in Kenya at the Maasai Mara reserve during the annual wildebeest migration.

© Tuan Nguyen Manh. All rights reserved.

Catch the sunset

The fishermen are tossing the net under the sunset.

Previous post: Finalists for the 2012 Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Dog picture of the day - Cornered

Best dog photo I've seen in a while. ;-)

via Fark.com

Chinese restaurant menu of the day (and a few extras)

I was planning on posting just this first picture (from BadMenu), but I made the mistake of looking further, and couldn't resist:

Not a translation fail, but I don't know what the hell this is about:

Want more? Google search for similar images.

Awkward glamour photos

There are approximately a billion of these available online: I ran out of time/energy to choose the best, so if you find better examples of the genre, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Related post: These awkward Christmas photos are a hoot