Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:56:49 GMT

And Now An Important Message From Chris Brown

Chris Brown, perhaps the inspiration for "Boom Boom Pow," has resurfaced with two very important messages - in YouTube form, natch. Above, the singer clarifies any confusion about his reputation, noting that he is not, in fact, a monster. This is independently verified by Bow Wow, who has long stood as the preeminent character witness of the hip-hop, nay, artistic community.

After the jump, Chris"s second video, which, I tell you, certainly puts ME to shame.

Via D-Listed Posted by: B-Side      Read more     Source

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:44:01 GMT

Learning To Shave Your Lady Region

Tonight"s a brand spanking new edition of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and hopefully, some sparks might start flying with these ladies. In the meantime, here"s a clip of resident battle ax Caroline forcing her daughter to learn the finer art of pubic waxing. After the jump, two bonus clips that I honestly haven"t seen (they weren"t working on the Bravo website, but hopefully they"ll embed fine here). I don"t really know what they"re about, but I"m sure they"re horrifying and embarrassing for all parties involved..... Posted by: B-Side      Read more     Source

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:05:17 GMT

MIA DVDs 3-D

By Craig Phillips Yet another in my series of fully biased reports on movies that are frustratingly absent a current DVD release here in the United States (the other two lists are here, and here.) Here are ten more neglected films -- and this is one article I wouldn"t mind seeing become dated, when/if these films finally do arrive on disc:

The List of Adrian Messenger: I"ll confess that I haven"t seen this one since I was a pre-teen (on television one night), but it was one of the first mystery films I both really loved and even understood, aside from the 70s all-star Agatha Christie films. Even if there"s a chance it"s now dated, the pedigree -- director John Huston, actors Kirk Douglas, George C. Scott, Robert Mitchum, et al -- should alone be enough to get this one its due on DVD. A real head-scratcher that it"s not.

A Taxing Woman: Juzo Itami"s wonderful film has long been OOP on DVD, which seems to occur to me every year on tax day. The titular tax agent is played by Itami"s wife. Was followed by a sequel, also not on DVD in the States. Someone do an audit and find out why.

Posted by: cphillips      Read more     Source

March 30, 2009, 5:13 AM CT

Action video games improve vision

Video games that involve high levels of action, such as first-person-shooter games, increase a player's real-world vision, according to research in today's Nature Neuroscience

The ability to discern slight differences in shades of gray has long been thought to be an attribute of the human visual system that cannot be improved. But Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, has discovered that very practiced action gamers become 58 percent better at perceiving fine differences in contrast.

"Normally, improving contrast sensitivity means getting glasses or eye surgerysomehow changing the optics of the eye," says Bavelier. "But we've found that action video games train the brain to process the existing visual information more efficiently, and the improvements last for months after game play stopped".

The finding builds on Bavelier's past work that has shown that action video games decrease visual crowding and increases visual attention. Contrast sensitivity, she says, is the primary limiting factor in how well a person can see. Bavelier says that the findings show that action video game training may be a useful complement to eye-correction techniques, since game training may teach the visual cortex to make better use of the information it receives......... Posted by: Gina      Read more         Source

March 22, 2009, 9:59 PM CT

Language of music really is universal

Native African people who have never even listened to the radio before can nonetheless pick up on happy, sad, and fearful emotions in Western music, as per a new report published online on March 19th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The result shows that the expression of those three basic emotions in music can be universally recognized, the scientists said.

"These findings could explain why Western music has been so successful in global music distribution, even in music cultures that do not as strongly emphasize the role of emotional expression in their music," said Thomas Fritz of the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.

The expression of emotions is a basic feature of Western music, and the capacity of music to convey emotional expressions is often regarded as a prerequisite to its appreciation in Western cultures, the scientists explained. In other musical traditions, however, music is often appreciated for other qualities, such as group coordination in rituals.

In the newly released study, Fritz, Stefan Koelsch, and their colleagues wanted to find out whether the emotional aspects of Western music could be appreciated by people who had no previous exposure to it. Prior studies had asked similar questions about people with little experience with a particular musical form, for instance Westerners listening to Hindustani music, they said. But to really get at musical universals requires participants who are completely nave to Western music......... Posted by: Gina      Read more         Source

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:49:44 GMT

Web Snob 3-13-2009

All About the Pretty knows your hair will thank her for introducing you to John Frieda"s Hair Glaze.

Allie is Wired has the video for Britney Spears"s controversial song "If U Seek Amy."

Bag Snob is giving away the ultimate handbag: the iconic
CHANEL classic flap!

Beauty Snob splurges on luxe hand cream from Natura Bisse!

Couture Snob - Pearls and Lace does a Lady Make!

Fab Sugar - Victoria Beckham is this weeks Fab Favorite.

Fashion Pulse Daily delves into the world of eco-fashion via Summer Rayne Oakes" new fabulous tome, Style, Naturally.

KRISTOPHER is wanting, wearing, and hating Trind natural nail care.

Second City Style interviews stylist Louise Roe about the three hottest sandal trends for summer.

Shopping and Info loves the new floral trend on everything!

Shrimpton Couture pits Vintage Halston against Spring 2009 Halston

Stiletto Jungle goes girly-glam with polka dots.

StyleBakery.com is loving spring"s fresh floral trend

Stylehive found 10 pairs of pretty spring sandals, and they"re under $100....just don"t forget that pedicure!

The Beauty Stop takes a look at the brand new Victoria"s Secret Pink Body Collection.

The Fashion Bomb gets her feet wet with Paris Fashion Week, and brings style, videos, and show reviews from Yves Saint Laurent, John Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen!

The Shoe Goddess was very impressed with YSL"s Fall 2009 collection!

TheMakeupGirl gets her spa on and visits the Ted Gibson/Hela Spa in Washington DC.

Tot Snob - Jewlery with a statement.

Posted by: Tina      Read more     Source

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:45:02 GMT

Tyson Beckford and Linda Evangelista

I don"t usually have much to say about male models but this eye wear ad from DSquared2 really demands some special attention doesn"t it?

There"s been a lot written about the tendency of some in the industry to fetishize and glamourize violence against women in fashion. While it may be easier for some to write off ads that depict women fighting each other (as in DS2"s clothing ads with Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista,) adding a man to the mix changes the tone abruptly.

I mean, I don"t even know what to say about this one except, what was everyone involved thinking? I look at DS2"s "sexy" domestic violence and wonder what the target audience is. I guess being controversial for the sake of being controversial is the low budget way of generating press in a bad economy. Posted by: Brigitte      Read more     Source

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:25:56 GMT

Lliving room computer gets the retro VCR treatment

This Barebone Media PC comes with an Intel motherboard, 7.1 surround sound, digital TV card, WiFi card and 1GB of RAM in a box which looks almost, but not quite, like a JVC VHS cassette recorder of 1978 vintage. For this reason, I am going to tag it as retro, even though the manufacturer clearly believes it is the height of modern fashionista drooliness. Just add your choice of hard drive and DVD burner for a full-on PVR experience. £149.99.

 Ultimate entertainment for your living room # Advanced stylish barebone media entertainment PC # Attractive silver and piano black glossy design # Watch TV as you like: the digital video recorder (PVR) let you pause, record and replay from TV # Comfortable recording of your favourite TV programmes with electronic programme guide # Put everything at your fingertips - instantly access TV, DVDs, movies, home videos, music, photos # Store video, music, data and TV and then record it with a DVD R/RW drive # Enjoy digital or analogue surround sound with the Intel High Definition Audio with 7.1 surround sound Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:11:09 GMT

VUDU now selling HD downloads

VUDU are continuing to push the boundries of set top box entertainment, even after their latest price cut, by beginning to offer HDX (a blu-ray rivaling format, apparently) downloads to OWN of films. Costing around $20 each, which isn't that bad considering the quality, you can download them, which may well take a while, but after that you do own them forever. It's not a bad price, but how many movies will a normal VUDU hold in this format? Surely it can't be that many..... Posted by: Jordan Grodecki      Read more     Source

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:38:22 GMT

THE HILLS - SEASON #5 TRAILER

good morning! even though we all know the hills is about as real as santa claus - i just can"t help getting wrapped up in all the faux drama - i got all teary eyed watching the emotionally charged trailer for the new season (#5) it looks like heidi montag and lauren conrad finally may be able to put their friendship back together - although i am not a fan of ms. montag at all i would like to see her patch things up with LC! there"s also drama over douchebag spencer pratt flirting with a bartender - i"d love for heidi to break up with spencer (along with her mom) but i doubt that"s going to happen anytime soon - the new episodes start airing on MTV in the spring which is right around the corner! popbytes over & out for now .... xoxo
Posted by: Popbytes      Read more     Source

February 24, 2009, 6:17 AM CT

Don't skip that commercial

We all complain about commercials, and a number of people invest in technology to eliminate them. But a surprising newly released study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that, contrary to popular belief, commercials improve television viewing in a number of cases.

"Eventhough consumers have difficulty predicting this, their enjoyment of television shows tends to gradually diminish during the viewing experience. That is, viewers adapt to the show, making every minute slightly less enjoyable than the prior one," write authors Leif D. Nelson (University of California, San Diego), Tom Meyvis, and Jeff Galak (both New York University).

The scientists conducted six studies where participants watched and reviewed either continuous or disrupted versions of programs. In the first study, participants watched an episode of the sitcom "Taxi." Eventhough the participants disliked the commercials, those who watched the show with commercials liked it better than those who watched it without. A second study observed that people enjoyed a short animated clip more when it was interrupted by a commercial than when it played continuously.

A third study observed that participants who watched an interrupted version of a nature documentary not only enjoyed the documentary more, but were also willing to donate more to a nature charity after viewing......... Posted by: Gina      Read more         Source

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:38:09 GMT

The Submarines Bring a Little Sunshine to TO

I swore I wouldn"t use the word "cute" in this review. It"s going to be hard, because Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti of the Submarines are absolutely adorable. They played a bright and breezy set at the Drake Underground this past Sunday night. Posted by: Jen Ford      Read more     Source

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:35:39 GMT

WHO WANTS TO BUY MICHAEL JACKSON'S SOCKS?

good morning boys & girls! we all know the former king of pop oddball michael jackson is desperate for money - rather than trying to mount a new comeback album or tour (which would probably be unsuccessful) mr. jackson is auctioning off a bunch of his prized personal possessions (a few items are pictured below) like a pair of rhinestone encrusted socks and that infamous glittered glove that first appeared in the billie jean video - hoping to raise some much needed cash (you can even buy the gates to neverland ranch) recently he"s been plagued with ailing health rumors - again - this time he supposedly has a staph infection that sounds quite serious - he apparently contracted it after yet another attempt at reconstructing his nose which we all know has been a mess for years now - hopefully he"ll recover and maybe he"ll finally leave his nose alone - or it"s bound to completely fall off! i"d love to see him making music again but i"m certainly not going to hold my breathe nor should anyone else .... popbytes over & out for now - xoxo

PHOTOS | SPLASH NEWS Posted by: Popbytes      Read more     Source

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:34:21 GMT

CYNDI LAUPER - SET YOUR HEART

hey hey! i"m in slightly better spirits than i was yesterday - besides all the recent drama i had to deal with - the weather has been so crappy in los angeles - i"m freezing - yet thankfully the rain has stopped! but of course pop icon cyndi lauper always puts me in a great mood - i"ve got her brand new video (directed by the talented karl giant) for a mashup track off her upcoming remix album - it"s her classic tune girls just wanna have fun mashed with set your heart - a kick-ass track off her most recent (grammy nominated) album bring ya to the brink which secured a spot in my top favorite albums of 2008! i"ll check you guys later - i may decide to twitter while the grammy awards are on tonight - i can"t wait to see some of the performances! popbytes over & out for now....xoxo

Posted by: Popbytes      Read more     Source

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:24:37 GMT

Theophilus London!

Ever listen to Whitney Houston"s "I Will Always Love You" and wonder, "where the booty remix at"? Well wonder no more because smartly-dressed Brooklyn rapper Theophilus London has dropped a club version of the seminal ballad on his new mixtape, "This Charming Mixtape". Available for free download, the mix is peppered with feel-good R&B and gospel references, notably "O Happy Day" from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. But the highlight is easily "Always Love U", which turns Whitney"s silky smooth vocal performance into cracked-out wedding DJ music. Posted by: Kevin      Read more     Source

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:40:03 GMT

Casualty of War

It"s a shame that Gail Simmons had to leave Top Chef so early this season because last night she missed the one and only RESTAURANT WARS!!! That"s right. With only eight contestants left, the chefs were split into two teams and forced to create a restaurant experience in twenty four hours. In one corner was Radhika and her beautifully-named restaurant, Sahana. In the other corner was Leah, whose menu and name, The Sunset Lounge, felt less than inspired. It seemed like Leah would be going down - and not just on Hosea - after she served up some undercooked fish to the judges. However, the diners just marginally enjoyed the Sunset Lounge experience more, thus affording them a very, very lucky pass this week.

As a result, Team Sahana faced the judges, and man was Tom Colicchio mad. The combination of Radhika"s indecisive and generally absent leadership mixed with Carla"s wack-a-doodle answers seemed to royally piss him off. I thought at one point he was gonna punch both women. Sadly, despite consistently delivering solid and often mouth-watering dishes, Radhika was sent packing. On the plus side, I"m glad to have Carla around longer (seriously - how many desserts can she bungle?), but annoyed that yet another talented chef went home at the expense of Leah. Oh well. Posted by: B-Side      Read more     Source

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:55:23 GMT

O'Day Blasts 'Negative' Bloggers

Former Danity Kane star Aubrey O"Day has attacked online gossip blogs - accusing them of spreading "negativity" on the internet.

The singer occasionally updates her personal MySpace.com page with news entries for fans - but she draws the line at excessive amounts of online posting, especially when snide remarks are made about other people.

Let"s put something good out there in the world, and if we can have Barack Obama as our president, we can get the new Perez Hilton. The positive Perez Hilton. I"d like to see that in 2009.

She tells Mtv.com, "I think that we have become obsessed with Internet blogging. And I think that there is so much negativity out there, and it"s doing no one any good. It"s not doing the people that sit there and think of the nasty thoughts and spend the 10 to 20 hours of their Day typing them up (any good).

"It"s not doing the people that read them any good (either), because it"s just consistently putting negativity in the air. It"s not really doing anyone any good, and, you know, we are all so addicted to it. And maybe sit back and ask yourself why."

And she has singled out celebrity blogger Perez Hilton out for particular criticism, and has urged him to tone down his online rants against certain stars: "Let"s put something good out there in the world, and if we can have Obama as our president, we can get the new Perez Hilton. The positive Perez Hilton. I"d like to see that in 2009."

And O"Day stands by her word, challenging someone "to go out there and start a blog that just focuses on the positive things people are doing (and) create a positive place for people to go and feel good about themselves."
Tags: Perez Hilton, Barack Obama Posted by: Melissa      Read more     Source

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:08:13 GMT

Carousel - Week Ending 16th January 2009

James Jean (above!) is amazing!

Thom Kerr is my new best friend. We had dinner in a treehouse last weekend & he just happens to be an incredible photographer. Check out his ladies & fantasy work, swoon-o-rama!

My friend Peter, a fashion designer & all-round creative person living in New York cut down his email checking to twice a day, & reports back on what changes it has incurred in his life. His blog is good too, you should subscribe, he is very interesting with some great insights!

Aries Spears is absolutely hilarious. Check out the bottom right-hand corner of his site for his impersonations of LL Cool J, Jay-Z & DMX. They made me laugh so hard I could barely breathe. “Pawdan me I had ta laff at that!” His Jay-Z laugh is uncanny & all that stuff about LL Cool J makin’ it sexy was unbelievably funny.

Pretty.

Rachel Hills wrote an article about the fear of dating for Cleo & she featured me in it!

“New Zealand born blogger and proud non-dater Gala Darling, 25, who recently moved to New York, suggests making the process a bit more unpredictable. "You can turn the date into some kind of adventure, which makes things much more fun and less intimidating. After all, if the two of you are experiencing something novel and different, that makes you feel less inhibited and self-conscious – you can just concentrate on having a good time." “Darling says a picnic, meeting at 2am on a fire escape or going chocolate taste-testing are great ideas. "You can do whatever appeals to you, just be sure to make an effort. It"ll help you form a more sincere bond, and if all else fails, at least you"ll have a good story to tell." And in that spirit, we"ll see how I go in 2009.” Russell Grant does Youtube horoscopes every day. He is odd but kind of endearing in his strange, messy way. I am a SoulGarden girl from way back but Russell does a great job & he is my second port of call if I ever feel I need it!

Cutest photo ever.

Leading thinkers offer predictions of ‘next big thing’ from the Telegraph. Radiotelepathy? Um, YES!

If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, you were exposed to more testosterone in the womb, meaning that compared to most people, you are more confident & viligant, happier taking risks & have fast reactions. Apparently! My ring finger is longer than my index, how about yours? & do you think there’s any truth to it?

Part two of my interview at Good Prattle is up!

I love New York, & conversations like this.

Paris Hilton cracks me up. Case in point: 1 (“eat your heart out Meryl Streep”!). 2 (“she really is too much”). 3. She is just so fantastically ridiculous, I’m all over it.

Amber wrote a guide to Auckland for visitors to NZ! (I totally concur with Unity Books, World Deluxe, Raw Power, Tanuki’s Cave & Rakinos!) The rest of her blog is pretty neat too, I subscribed!

Sheila Bocchine (above!) is a pinhole photograher & she does super work.

Scouting New York is a cool, interesting blog from a New York-based location scout, with lots of good pictures & random loveliness. (I saw this!)

Fafi has a blog!

Creative workspaces courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Gavin Strange (aka JamFactory) is awesome. He’s a designer from Bristol with an affinity for good hip-hop & great taste! I actually discovered him through Flickr, he made a graphic using some lyrics from a Doomtree track, & I contacted him to say what a great job he’d done! Anyway, I dig his blog (which he should update more) & he designs sweet shirts, which, at only £5 a pop, are almost essential buying.

By the way, have I linked here before?! Offbeat Bride is the ultimate resource for fabulous, unconventional brides. (P.S. Congratulations, Yasemin!)

Jessica emailed me on Wednesday to tell me that January the 27th is Lewis Carroll’s birthday! She pasted this from some random location, & it sounds like fun! (She also signed off Hope your day is sparkling, but not in the lame Twilight vampire boy way & it made me laugh!)

January 27th is the birthday of Lewis Carrol, author of ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. Alice fell down a rabbit hole into a place where everything had changed and none of the rules could be counted on to apply anymore. I say, let’s do the same: January 27th should be the Annual LiveJournal Rabbit Hole Day. When you post on that day, instead of the normal daily life and work and news and politics, write about the strange new world you have found yourself in for the day, with its strange new life and work and news and politics. Let’s have a day where nobody’s life makes sense anymore, where any random LJ you click on will bring you some strange new tale. Let’s all fall down the Rabbit Hole for 24 hours and see what’s there. It will be beautiful. E. Jean’s Dope Astrology is nutty but sweet. Like a Snickers bar. “Completely made-up omens which will probably come true”, ooh yes!

Photoshopped Subway Ads Get Exposed In Berlin. So funny, I love this!

Harmony Korine on Letterman, he is so awesome. “How you doin’?” “Nice.”

Free cosmetics — this is not a joke!

My sweet friend from Wiscaaaaansin, Leif Brostrom, has good music taste, & what’s better is that he likes to share. Yay! Click his name for lots of links to free mixes.

Strategic Change: how to reinvent your personality, from Psychology Today.

The Prescription for Self-Doubt: Watch This Video. Thanks, Mr Ferriss. This is good too: The Power of Less: Changing Behavior with Leo Babauta.

Okay, so it seems like I watched a lot of good videos this week!


Hoopnotica!
& again!
Lantern festival.
Where the hell is Matt?
(Thanks, Sarah!)
Katt Williams: Every Day I’m Hustlin’.
Ohhh this made me laugh so hard.
Robin Williams on Whose Line Is It Anyway?
An oldie but a goodie.
George Carlin: “Pro-Life Is Anti-Woman”.
Consider yourself warned! Posted by: Gala      Read more     Source

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:29:11 GMT

Win Tickets to The Canadian Opera Company's Fidelio

The Canadian Opera Company is ready to commence their winter season, which will feature two passionately romantic productions, Fidelio and Rusalka.

These intense love stories are sure to heat up the cold winter months, and we"ve got a pair of tickets for one lucky reader to attend the Jan. 27th performance of Beethoven"s only opera, Fidelio, at the magnificent Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts. Posted by: Corina      Read more     Source

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:50:01 GMT

The Year in Culture

"At the risk of sounding stoned on hope, I offer the following heresy: The movies are fine. Sometimes they"re great; occasionally they"re magnificent." Opening with an exchange from Happy-Go-Lucky, which appears on both her and AO Scott"s list of the "Top Movies of 2008," and then listing many of the reasons to be concerned about the state of the art, Manohla Dargis tries on something new: "There is, of course, perverse pleasure in ending the year with an angry rant, as I have proven in the past, if only to myself. But given the clanging of so much bad news, I thought I would try a change of pace. I"m not sure if optimism becomes me, but it sure feels nice." Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:13:17 GMT

The Book Lady

The Book Lady is a new documentary that tracks the Canadian launch of Dolly Parton"s "Imagination Library" childrens literacy program. It will air on Canadian channels CBC and Bravo! next year.

Posted by: Kevin      Read more     Source

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:09:49 GMT

Retro Holiday Entertainment

My friend Luke over at Batman Smells, posted a link to a very quirky site that is perfect for having on in the background while you decorate cookies or wrap presents. Pour yourself a drink, grab some snacks and enjoy the wacky and wonderful entertainment from Christmases past at Betamaxmas.com. Posted by: danamccauley      Read more     Source

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:52:02 GMT

Bellysonic speaker pouch plays music to baby

The benefits of reading and playing music to babies have long been documented, but few satisfactory solutions have been designed to attach a music player to a pregnant woman"s stomach.

The Bellysonic is a new speaker pouch designed to change all that. It includes a speaker splitter so both you and your baby can listen to the same song at the same time via your MP3 player (or CD player, if that"s the way you roll). It costs $79.99.

If you don"t fancy splashing out on the Bellysonic though, you could do what my friends and I always did when listening to tapes together and put one headphone in your ear, and give the other to the baby.

Via Chip Chick Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:38:54 GMT

Goya Award to Jess Franco

The Spanish Academy of Art and Cinematographic Sciences will present the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Goya Award to Jess Franco, notes Robert Monell. Via filmtagebuch.

"After winning the grand prize at the Montreal World Film Festival and the bid to become Japan''s submission to the best foreign film category in the Oscars, Okuribito [Departures] is fulfilling the promises of its ad copy to become the best film of the year." Marie Iida at Neojaponisme, via Jason Gray. Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:30:57 GMT

Carole Lombard

"Mobilizing a heart-shaped face that might have been carved from alabaster were it not quite so elastic, oversized eyes that flicked from wide-open innocence to heavy-lidded allure, and a voice that, though velvety on command, more often gushed forth in a high, tinkling rush, Carole Lombard seemed to play with the properties of celluloid as if they were finger paints." In the Voice, Hazel-Dawn Dumpert previews the Film Forum series running from Friday through December 2.

"An earthly deity of the silver screen, she was more than just blonde and beautiful - she also possessed a quick wit and daffy lunacy that remains unsurpassed over 70 years later," writes Cullen Gallagher in the L Magazine.

Updated through 11/20. Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source