popturf

pop culture locations from movies, music, tv & more...

jet propulsion laboratory

from mars rovers, nasa, space exploration posted in technology by corporate_sunshine

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center that specializes in the creation of robotic planetary spacecraft, Earth-orbit and astronomy missions, as well as NASA's Deep Space Network. Located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles, JPL is on the border of the cities of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena. JPL is jointly managed by the California Institute of Techology (CalTech) for NASA.

JPL has been responsible for many of the unmanned spacecraft that have explored the solar system: Ranger and Surveyor programs (Moon-60's), Viking program (Mars- mid 70's), Voyager program (Leaving the solar system, still in progress) and many more.

On August 6, 2012, JPL's most advanced rover to date (named Curiosity) will land on Mars. The lab had to develop a new "skycrane" method of deployment to accommodate the enhanced rover (check out a sweet animation here).

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andy kaufman’s childhood home

from andy kaufman posted in television by ratsnamgod

Andy Kaufman's home in 1950's and 1960's. He would first perform in this West Egg home, which may explain his obsession with The Great Gatsby.

"While all the other kids were out playing ball and stuff, I used to stay in my room and imagine that there was a camera in the wall. And I used to really believe that I was putting on a television show and that it was going out to somewhere in the world." - Andy Kaufman

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el segundo high school

from wargames, superbad, joe dirt posted in movies by chewing_the_scenery

Besides being that place where Q-Tip left his wallet, El Segundo, California is also home to El Segundo High School which has been used as a filming location for dozens of tv shows and movies including WarGames (as Snohomish High School), Superbad (as Clark Secondary School), Joe Dirt, 90210, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and 24.

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la chascona

from pablo neruda posted in literature by corporate_sunshine

At the bottom of San Cristobal Hill, in the Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, is one of the three houses that the poet Pablo Neruda occupied in Chile.

In 1953, Neruda started to build a home for his secret love, Matilde Urrutia. He named the home La Chascona ("wild hair"), the same nickname he had for Urrutia because of her abundant red hair. Neruda moved in after separating from his wife in February 1955.

Neruda died on September 23rd, 1973, only days after the military coup by Pinochet. The home was vandalized, but Urrutia was determined to have the funeral in the home. She spent the night with friends in the living room surrounded by broken windows.

Urrutia lived in the home until she died in 1985. Today it's a museum and is open to the public.

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la sebastiana

from pablo neruda posted in literature by corporate_sunshine

“I feel the tiredness of Santiago. I want to find in Valparaiso a little house to live and write quietly. It must have some conditions. It can’t be located to high or to low. It should be solitary but not in excess. With neighbours hopefully invisibles. They shouldn’t be seen or heard. Original, but not uncomfortable. With many wings, but strong. Neither too big or too small. Far from everything but close to the transportation. Independent, but close to the commerce. Besides it has to be very cheap. Do you think I would find a house like that in Valparaiso?- Pablo Neruda in a letter to friends, 1959.

Although his list of demands for a home was impressive, in 1959 Pablo Neruda's friends found this mansion on Florida Hill that fit the poet's desires. Neruda ultimately felt the home was too big; he split the home and sold the bottom two floors to the sculptor Marie Martner and her husband, Dr. Francisco Velasco. Neruda retained the third and fourth floor and a tower.

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