Digital Digest: 11/04/2011

The Best Of The Web

America

Funding row

GOP pressure to block federal funding of Planned Parenthood, the country's biggest sexual and reproductive health care provider, has become a sticking point in the race to decide on a budget.

Here, Scarlett Johansson contributes to the campaign to keep the funding flowing with a powerful video message.

ind.pn/PlannedParent

Interview

Calendar girl

Mad Men's Betty Draper, model for Versace: January Jones has had a pretty rosy few years. Here, she poses for Marie Claire, and shares some insights on why she signed up to the acclaimed television drama, her love of time alone and the misconception that she's miserable.

ind.pn/JanJones

Comedy

Back to Black

Amazingly, the Rebecca Black parodies continue to roll in. This one might be the best yet. In "Sunday", singer Sadie B enthuses about the joy of Sunday church visits and the importance of Easter. Oddly suited to Black's wooden performing style and colour-by-number lyrics.

ind.pn/RBParody

Literature

Just sign here...

Insulted by Authors is one man's quest to get past the factory-like procession of authors' readings and signings, so instead of getting writers to sign their books "All the best" or "For XXX", he asks them to inscribe an insult. The results are often hilarious.

ind.pn/InsultedByAuthors

Charity

Japan relief

A collection of artists have created beautiful designs that can be made into origami cranes and a donation to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund will allow you to download a design with instructions. The idea is to raise funds as well as to celebrate Japanese culture and spirit.

ind.pn/1000cranesjapan

Pets

Canine cuisine

This film brings a whole new meaning to the phrase dog's dinner. Shot in one go, the seven-minute video shows two pooches having dinner in a busy restaurant, complete with knives and forks and oddly human arms. Who knew Labradors had such good table manners?

ind.pn/Dogsdinner

Art

There's something about Mona

Artist Mike Ruiz used Adobe Photoshop CS5's "content aware fill tool" to generate a rather special image of the Mona Lisa. Special because...it doesn't have the lady herself in the image. The software guesses what would be in the concealed area based on an interpretation of the picture as a whole.

ind.pn/MonaNoLisa