Tagged: kickstarter

America is no stranger to North Korea in the headlines; South Korea's army is on alert today after a suspected cyberattack by their northern neighbors. The eniamatic empire is still living under the cloud of its departed dictator, Kim Jong Il. Now celebrity ghostwriter Michael Malice is setting his sights on an “unauthorized autobiography” based on late North Korean leader. The late public figure and his country isn’t often associated with comedy these days, but Malice seeks to use humor to elicit understanding amidst a strong cultural divide.

The Eiffel Tower has inspired countless t-shirts, souvenirs and sentimental works of art. A new Kickstarter project aims to turn the iron and lattice landmark into a gigantic instrument. That’s the dream of composer Joseph Bertolozzi, who proved that he can tackle projects on a mammoth scale when he wired and then played New York’s Mid Hudson Bridge.

When Ryan North, the brains behind Dinosaur Comics,  set out to raise money for his new book, a choose your own adventure story based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he turned to Kickstarter. Thirty days later, he managed to successfully raise $580,905; he only asked for $20,000. His campaign is currently the highest funded publishing Kickstarter in the company’s three year history. Ryan joins Brady Carlson to talk Hamlet and why using the word literally is literally dangerous.

For the past 40 years, the Amazing James Randi has served as a crusader for skepticism and rational thinking. The magician-turned-professional-skeptic has squared off against alleged psychics and spirit healers, debunking their claims of supernatural powers. Recently, a documentary chronicling his life was successfully backed on Kickstarter. Documentary filmmaker Justin Weinstein is directing the film, and he joins us to talk about the project.

Running a marathon is a serious commitment, which is likely why those training for one may talk about little else. If you aren’t an avid runner, odds are you’ve seen pictures of friends or family running them; Twitter and Facebook feeds are commonly scattered with captions broadcasting personal best times and training tips.