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2:09 pm

Fri November 9, 2012

Squeezebox Brutality: Murder Ballads From Finland

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Credit Courtesy of the artist

Two legendary 19th century Finnish murderers grace the cover to Kimmo Pohjonen's Murhaballadeja.

Credit Vertti Terasvuori

Kimmo Pohjonen.

By editor

Originally published on Fri November 16, 2012 9:17 am

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Murhaballadeja features a striking photo on the cover: Two beefy, big-jawed men with cruel eyes are in prison garb, shackled with heavy chains at the neck, wrists, knees and feet. Turns out they're legendary 19th century murderers from Finland. These are the kinds of characters you'll find in a collection of murder ballads from Kimmo Pohjonen.

Movie Interviews

2:09 pm

Fri November 9, 2012

Daniel Day-Lewis On Creating A Voice From The Past

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Credit David James / DreamWorks

Day-Lewis used firsthand accounts of Abraham Lincoln's speeches, along with his personal letters, to develop a voice and a style for Steven Spielberg's biographical drama.

Credit Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

Daniel Day-Lewis is known for his intense preparation for roles in films such as There Will Be Blood.

By editor

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 12:29 pm

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Daniel Day-Lewis has won two Academy Awards for fully immersing himself in his characters in There Will Be Blood and My Left Foot.

Now the British actor is taking on one of America's most iconic figures in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, playing the 16th president during the final months of his life. Day-Lewis tells NPR's Melissa Block that it was a daunting prospect — but that ultimately Lincoln was a surprisingly accessible figure.

Interview Highlights

On playing such an iconic figure

The Two-Way

12:57 pm

Fri November 9, 2012

CIA Director Petraeus Resigns, Citing Extramarital Affair

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Former Central Intelligence Agency Director, David Petraeus, in Sept. 2011.

By editor

Originally published on Fri November 16, 2012 9:17 am

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The director of the Central Intelligence Agency David Petraeus submitted his resignation today, citing an extramarital affair.

"After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair," Petraeus, 60, said in a message sent to CIA staff. "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation."

The Picture Show

12:53 pm

Fri November 9, 2012

The Art Of Chinese Propaganda

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Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Beloved Chairman Mao, we are loyal to you forever." 1967

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Long live Leninism, Marxism and Mao Zedong Thought!" 1971

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Long live victory of Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Army." 1951

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Silver ping-pong ball carries friendship." (Ping Pong Diplomacy) 1972

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Founding of the People's Republic of China," 1st edition, 1953. (Note senior party official Gao Gang, who stands at the far right.)

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Founding of the People's Republic of China," 3rd edition, 1978. (Note Gao Gang has disappeared. He was purged from the party and committed suicide in 1954.)

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin. 1951

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Firmly support U.S. people against U.S. imperialism invading Vietnam." 1966

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"The Tibetan people welcome the People's Liberation Army." (Tibet was essentially autonomous for decades before Chinese communist troops entered in 1950.)

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"John rides the ox and I am on the horse, what a shame if he wins the game." (Great Leap Forward) 1958

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Keep on alert." 1971

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Thoroughly smash the reactionary organization of 'proletarian union.' " 1967

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"The Red Detachment of Women (Modern Revolutionary Ballet)." 1970

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Make contribution for the modernization of science and technology." 1978

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Develop coal mining in the lower Yangtze Village to change the situation of transporting coal only from north to south." 1972

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Mutual aid and mutual love to produce more actively." 1954

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

An example of a Shanghai Lady poster from the 1930s

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Pond is full of fish." 1987

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

"Be ready always." 1989

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

A 1967 poster declares, "Beloved Chairman Mao, we are loyal to you forever."

Credit Courtesy of the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

A poster at the museum shows a Chinese man on horseback racing past a portly British soldier. The caption reads, "John rides the ox and I am the horse, what a shame if he wins the game."

By Frank Langfitt

Originally published on Fri November 16, 2012 9:17 am

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The Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center lies buried in an unmarked apartment building off the tree-lined streets of the city's former French Concession. There are no signs. You have to wend your way through apartment blocks, down a staircase and into a basement to discover one of Shanghai's most obscure and remarkable museums.

The Two-Way

12:50 pm

Fri November 9, 2012

Supreme Court To Weigh Constitutionality Of Voting Rights Act

Credit National Archives / Getty Images

Aug. 6, 1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson presents one of the pens used to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to James Farmer, Director of the Congress of Racial Equality.

By Mark Memmott

The Supreme Court has agreed to weigh the constitutionality of the decision by Congress in 2006 to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, the landmark Civil Rights legislation enacted in 1965 that let millions of African-Americans cast ballots for the first time in states that had long blocked them from voting booths.

According to Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSBlog:

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