Hillary Duff is Pregnant!
Not sure where and when Hillary Duff (aka Lizzie McGuire aka Wendy from Casper Meets Wendy) grew up, but it looks like she has. Duff, 23, announced yesterday that she and her hockey-playing husband of one year, Mike Comrie, are expecting their first child. OH EM GEE.
Is it just me or does it seem like she was just feuding over Aaron Carter with Lindsay Lohan? I guess that was all “So Yesterday“ since apparently now the two girls are totes over it. Ah, young love.
But enough of Hillz’s dark past. She is an icon and Lizzie McGuire was an inspiration. I mean, don’t even tell me that the Lizzie McGuire Movie didn’t win an Oscar; It did in my heart. Mistaken for half an Italian pop duo Paolo & Isabella, Lizzie galavants around Rome posing as Isabella and eventually uncovers the not-so-nice truth about Paolo, and of course, falls in love.
Her cartoon inner-psyche would bounce around the screen telling us all what Lizzie was REALLY thinking, usually something profound like, “Nooooo” or “Ethan Craft just said ‘hi’ to me!!!” But more important than her profound declarations in cartoon form is the fact that Lizzie is and was a trendsetter. Perhaps Lizzie’s unmatching clothes weren’t understood at the time, but today, most likely due to Lizzie McGuire’s forward thinking fashion, mixing patterns are a fashion do.
Lizzie tackled the tough issues of the day like, eating disorders, hanging out with the wrong crowd, sneaking into R-rated movies, family issues, and growing up.
Now that Nick has brought back its 90’s classics – All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug – what about Disney? Bring back Lizzie McGuire!!! Oh, and maybe even throw in a little Even Stevens, The Famous Jett Jackson, So Weird, and Kim Possible.
I miss you, Lizzie. I really do. XOXO
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I’m a fan of the revenge movies such as V for Vendetta (all time favorite), Count of Monte Cristo, Memento, and Man on Fire; just to name a few. However, after reading The Millennium trilogy and watching the 2009 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo starring Noomi Rapace as the epic Lisbeth Salander and Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist, I was hooked on this series and finished with The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest.
Mind you these movies were written and produced in Swedish, but when I heard that they were bringing it to America to re-make, I didn’t know if I should rejoice or be scared out of my mind.
The 2011 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo teaser trailer…was nothing less than epic. Can’t get over the Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” reproduced by Trent Reznor (NIN) and Karen O (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s). I am still nervous about Rooney Mara portraying the damaged Lisbeth Salander and I hope Daniel Craig can do Mikael Blomkvist justice as well. Very happy to see Christopher Plummer in the cast list though. The teaser trailer gives me hope for the movies and I am very excited and a little impatient for December to roll around.
If you have not already looked into this trilogy via movie or books (the books are ALWAYS better), you need to. I’m being very serious…you really need to step away from the computer or better yet hit up amazon that way you never have to leave your seat, and purchase the books.
Fair warning, these are very dark and twisted books with heavy rape, violence, and language; but we are all big kids here right?
You will enjoy it all the same because Lisbeth is just so badass.
It Books Acquires Brad Goreski’s Debut Title
Part style guide, part memoir, and full of inspiration!
NEW YORK, NY (August 4, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today that it has acquired Born to Be Brad: Life and Style Lessons from the Front Lines of Fashion, by TV and fashion personality Brad Goreski. The publication of the book will coincide with Goreski’s premiere season on BRAVO’s “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” produced by Shed Media and Television 360, in 2012.
Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins, acquired North American rights for It Books from Farley Chase of the Waxman Literary Agency. Amy Bendell will edit the book. Collaborating with Goreski is writer Mickey Rapkin, former editor at GQ and author of Pitch Perfect (2008), now in development from Universal Pictures.
Fans know Brad Goreski as a top celebrity stylist, fashion trendsetter, and the fun-loving former assistant to Rachel Zoe, but few know the story of how he got there. The book will recount Goreski’s childhood in Port Perry, Ontario, where he escaped the taunts of bullies by reading fashion magazines, performing in the local children’s theater group and playing stylist to Barbie. Moving to Toronto and landing an internship, and later a job at Vogue, helped him break into the competitive fashion world and eventually capture the hearts of millions as the quirky and endearing assistant on BRAVO’s The Rachel Zoe Project. Along with the moving story of his road to success, he will offer a glimpse into his world now, filled with insider access to behind-the-scenes photo shoots and the countless red carpets and awards shows. And of course, the book will also feature his fashion advice and style tips and tricks, complete with color photos.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the creative team at It Books and to tell my story to my fans. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is be true to yourself. I hope that Born to be Brad will inspire others to pursue their dreams, because to make dreams come true we have to listen to our hearts and not be afraid to fail,” said Brad Goreski.
“There’s no one out there like Brad, and this book will be as unique and creative as the style trendsetter Brad has become. Fans everywhere will be empowered by his moving life story, and entertained by his wit,” said Lisa Sharkey.
About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern and Red by Sammy Hagar as well as Getting the Pretty Back by MollyRingwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis. It Books is an imprint HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Coming Soon
From our guest blogger Leanne Miller from playittoday.org
One of the most eagerly anticipated film trailers of 2011 hit the web recently in the form of the fourth entry in Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible franchise – and it seems there are plenty of new reasons to get excited about its release.
Five reasons to get excited about the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol film trailer
Overall, it looks like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, to give its full title, promises the same high octane action we’ve come to expect from the series.
A brand new director – in more ways than one…
The film news websites and blogs went crazy with excitement last May when it was confirmed that Brad Bird had been selected to direct the fourth Mission Impossible movie. But questions were raised as to what fans could expect. Ghost Protocol won’t be Bird’s directorial debut, but with only animated features like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille to his name, everyone is looking forward to seeing what he can do with a live action feature.
A brand new Tom Cruise?
In addition to starring as Hawkeye in Marvel’s upcoming superhero-athon The Avengers, Jeremy Renner has been added to the Mission Impossible 4 cast and many have suggested he could return as the replacement for Cruise as lead character Ethan Hawke if the series continues. Speaking to Collider.com, co-star Simon Pegg even commented: “[Mission Impossible 4] certainly sets up a new IMF agent who can return and who is an Ethan-level player.”
Two brand new – but familiar – faces
Fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its two made-for-TV sequels will already know the face of Michael Nyqvist. As Mikael Blomkvist (the role being taken on by Daniel Craig in the upcoming remake), he was the investigative journalist who partnered with the trilogy’s eponymous female, but here he’s playing the bad guy. Another familiar name that has been added to the Mission Impossible cast is Lost star Josh Holloway. Although not too much is known about his part, it seems he’ll be on the side of the good guys.
A brand new love interest?
Special Agent Ethan Hawke hasn’t had much luck with his female co-stars in the previous films. But following in the footsteps of femmes fatales and love interests like Emmanuelle Beart, Thandie Newton and Michelle Monaghan, Paula Patton (Precious) and Lea Seydoux (Inglourious Basterds) will be the ladies we’ll be watching in Mission Impossible 4. Will there be romance? Will there be double-crossing? Well, only time will tell – but my guess is yes!
Cowboys & Aliens Sweepstakes
Enter for your chance to win:
Cowboys & Aliens Prize Pack
Set in The Old West: an era when all a man could depend on was his horse and his six-gun, and settlers and Indians fought it out for territory on the last American frontier. Invaders from another planet have crash-landed, and cowboys and Indians alike must put aside their differences to drive the aliens off the sovereign soil of planet Earth.
Russell Brand’s Tribute to Amy Winehouse
It’s been a few days since Amy Winehouse’s untimely passing, and the web is full of remembrances, well-wishes, and the like. One that has particularly stuck with this blogger is from comedian Russell Brand, who posted an honest, poignant, and compelling look back at his relationship with Amy through his eyes as a former addict. From his first meeting with her:
Carl Barrat told me that “Winehouse” (which I usually called her and got a kick out of cos it’s kind of funny to call a girl by her surname) was a jazz singer, which struck me as bizarrely anomalous in that crowd. To me with my limited musical knowledge this information placed Amy beyond an invisible boundary of relevance; “Jazz singer? She must be some kind of eccentric” I thought. I chatted to her anyway though, she was after all, a girl, and she was sweet and peculiar but most of all vulnerable.
To when he realized her musical genius:
Entering the space I saw Amy on stage with Weller and his band; and then the awe. The awe that envelops when witnessing a genius. From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness. A voice that was filled with such power and pain that it was at once entirely human yet laced with the divine. My ears, my mouth, my heart and mind all instantly opened. Winehouse. Winehouse? Winehouse! That twerp, all eyeliner and lager dithering up Chalk Farm Road under a back-combed barnet, the lips that I’d only seen clenching a fishwife fag and dribbling curses now a portal for this holy sound. So now I knew. She wasn’t just some hapless wannabe, yet another pissed up nit who was never gonna make it, nor was she even a ten-a-penny-chanteuse enjoying her fifteen minutes. She was a f*cking genius.
I strongly recommend you read his post in full here. If you want to read more of Russell’s story through fame, addiction, and recovery in his own unique voice, check out his books My Booky Wook and My Booky Wook 2.
We’ll leave you with classic jazz-y Amy, in “Back to Black”:
Once More, With Feeling
It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another: if I were trapped on a desert island that magically had electricity and a television, but could only bring one TV series to watch, what would it be? I decided to take it a step further: what if I could only bring a single episode of a TV show?
In addition to being awesome, it would need to possess certain qualities:
- Satisfying to watch repeatedly
- Enough of a relationship to the rest of the show that hours of entertainment could be had by discussing (with yourself or your volleyball) the larger significance of the episode
- Not a cliffhanger. How evil would that be?
For me, the answer is, hands down, the Buffy musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling.”
For those of you who have seen it, I know that you know what I’m talking about. This is clearly the right choice.
For everyone else: First off, I can tell that you’re thinking, “A musical episode of a show about high school students who fight demons? How could that be good?”* Well, I’m not the only one who thinks so. It was nominated for an Emmy, and received rave reviews, like “‘Once More, with Feeling’ is rhapsodic, original, deeply affecting, and ultimately, transcendental. Quite simply, television at its best.” (The Toronto Star) Also, if you’re a fan of Glee, just think: wouldn’t Glee be even better with a few vampires and Joss Whedon’s writing?**
The basic premise is that a demon (a dancing demon…no, something isn’t right there) shows up in Sunnydale, and suddenly everyone is singing and dancing about anything and everything: dry cleaning, parking tickets, the difficulty of feeling connected to life when you’ve been brought back from the dead by your well-intentioned friends, secret plans for leaving town, bunny conspiracy theories. You know, the usual. It doesn’t sound too demonic until you realize that A) some people are dancing until they burst into flames and B) nobody has any control over what they’re singing, so they end up spilling their innermost secrets.
In terms of desert island appeal:
- Think of the weeks of entertainment that could be gained by learning all of the songs (if, um, one didn’t already know them) and the corresponding dance moves.
- The execution is brilliant; hours could be spent marveling over how well the songs move the action forward. The songs are a realistic (within the Buffyverse) way of having secrets come into the open all at once–how cool a premise is that?
- Because of that, there are many major plot points happening within this episode, so there’s tons of stuff to analyze. (To be fair, this would only be helpful if you had seen, at a minimum, the first part of the season.)
There are a number of jokes that are easy to miss the first time or five around, so it only gets better the more you watch.- Spike. (Swoon.)
- Perhaps most importantly, if you are stuck on an island watching a single episode of anything over and over again, you need an episode that will motivate you to get your butt in gear, build a raft and/or signal fire, and figure out how to get off the island already.*** Buffy’s struggle to reconnect with her own life should resonate with you and motivate you in your time of need.
So–if you had to pick only one hour of TV to bring to your island, what would it be?
*Technically, because this episode is in the 6th season, only Dawn is still a high school student. The others graduated in epic Sunnydale style at the end of Season 3. Speaking of which–Alyssa Rosenberg has an excellent post about graduation & after here.
**Yes.
***It seems like Lost or Survivor might also have episodes that would be good for this particular purpose. But do they have singing and dancing? No. No, they do not.
The 90′s are BACK!
The 90′s are back but in the best possible way!
As a child born in the late 80′s and raised in the 90′s I feel it is my duty, nay, my honor to share with you the joy that Nickelodeon gave to me in my childhood years (dramatic much?). This week Teen Nick launched “90′s Are All That” promoting the late night 90′s shows that are now back at Nickelodeon. These shows include: All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug (a personal favorite).
It is rumored that the executives over at Nick are open to suggestions for other 90′s favorites to be added to the late night list. Personally, I wouldn’t mind Rugrats, CatDog, Hey Arnold!, The Secret World of Alex Mack, or my favorite, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, to be added to the line-up.
Did I stay up late last night giggling like the child I was over the epic shorts from All That?
You bet your bottom dollar I did!
If you are like myself, and many other kids of the 90′s, then what are some of your favorite shows from way back when?
Don’t Dream It, Be It
When I was an aspiring punk kid in the 80s, regular pilgrimages to St. Mark’s Place were a must. This was the punk girl’s (and boy’s) Ladies’ Mile, where all the important stores were. I was never prouder than the day I acquired my pleather bustier from Trash and Vaudeville. And of course no proto punk was complete until you’d bleached your hair to a crisp and then MANIC PANICed the hell out of it. (My color of choice: Lagoon Blue.) The shop and its namesake hair-dye line were started by sisters Tish and Snooky (no, not that Snooki), members of Blondie’s earliest incarnation, and denizens of the East Village scene. The original St. Mark’s boutique is long gone—a victim of the upward mobility of the East Village in particular, and Manhattan in general, along with other alt.culture mainstays like, CBs, Unique, and Zoot—but now for a limited time only you can capture that retro 80s look in all its Liquid Sky glory with a new line of MANIC PANIC cosmetics: Creature of the Night. What better to wear to that Missing Persons reunion show?
Cowboys & Aliens: Read It Before You See It!
There are only a few days until the official US release of Cowboys & Aliens on July 29! The 2,000 lucky ducks who find Cowboys & Aliens gold bricks in San Diego this week for Comic-Con will have a first crack at the film’s world premiere on Saturday, but for the rest of us regular folk, here’s some pre-movie homework: check out the inspiration for the movie, the original Cowboys & Aliens graphic novel so you can compare how the project evolved from page to screen! [/end shameless plug]
The graphic novel was created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg of Platinum Studios and published this year by us at It Books. Browse the first few pages here:
Then check out the movie trailer below, and showtimes in your local theater:
Bonus: director Jon Favreau conducted a bunch of interviews with his stars, posted on the CowboysAliensIntrvws YouTube channel. Here’s a clip with Harrison Ford talking about his character Colonel Dolarhyde’s cowboy hat, and how he vetoed the whip originally written in the script (no Indy redux!). Wow, he sounds like a cowboy even when he’s just chatting with his direction!
Cowboys & Aliens opens on Friday, July 29, 2011 from Universal Pictures. The graphic novel is in stores now; click below to buy, or stop by your favorite store. Also available as an e-book.
So You Wanna Be a Pop $tar
In major news this week, Rebecca Black’s new single “My Moment” came out. It actually, bizarrely, made me miss “Friday,” which had a charming level of innocence (and left me giving thanks to the digital gods that broadband did not exist when I was in high school). But although I think she looks gorgeous in the new video, upping the production level seems to have cheapened the effect. It’s just not as fun, fun, fun, fun as her breakout hit.
Still, quality aside, I have to give this fourteen year old props for continuing to cash in. “Friday” didn’t make as much as many people thought—Slate.com used their better-than-a-book-editor-with-a-calculator math skills to run the numbers and figured she netted $20K or less from the whole deal (full rundown here). I’m not sure what the minimum dollar value would be for me to agree to let professionals dress me up and teach me some dance moves, but I would probably do it for $20K. (Hear that, music pros? Call me.*) In fact…just how many downloads would I have to sell in order to make a living as an internet pop star?
Well. On InformationIsBeautiful.net, data visualization ninja (and author of The Visual Miscellaneum**) David McCandless decided to tackle the question of how much money musicians actually make online—and just how many downloads it would take them to make minimum wage. Check it out (full post here):
Conclusion: After a careful review of the numbers, I’ll leave the music career to Rebecca Black—but I’ll happily edit her memoir when the day comes! (Hear that, Rebecca? Call me.***)
*If anyone has a copy of my 8th grade play video, please do not share it with the music pros, or they will never attempt to teach me dance moves.
**Full disclosure: I’m the editor, and the book is mind-blowingly awesome, thanks entirely to David. You can view more of his visualizations here.
***Seriously.
The Hunger Games
If you don’t know what The Hunger Games is then you should know that this is definitely a bandwagon worth hopping on. Those dealing with “P.P.D.” (Post Potter Depression) can look forward to a new series that could be the next Harry Potter. Though these two series are vastly different, the underground fan following of Suzanne Collins’ book trilogy The Hunger Games is much larger than anyone has yet to see.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Now that Lionsgate has announced the movie to be released March 23, 2012 it has sent the fans into a frenzy and thirsting for more. Jennifer Lawrence, who recently played Raven/Mystique on the big screens X-Men: First Class, has been announced as the beloved heroine, Katniss Everdeen, for the Hunger Games movie. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have also been added to the casting list as the fans favorites Peeta (Hutcherson) and Gale (Hemsworth).
Lawrence has my vote!
As we await the 200+ days until the movie arrives, check out the Official Hunger Games movie website to grab their HOT poster widget and movie countdown.
Things are going to start heating up really quick.
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts.
“Gone too soon. Appreciated too little. Treasured by those who followed it. That was Friday Night Lights.” – Robert Mays, Grantland
I’ll admit that I didn’t start watching ‘Friday Night Lights’ until I found out it was cancelled, which seems to be a general theme with my TV show-watching experiences (Arrested Development, I miss you). After being snubbed for the past four years at the Emmys (the New York Times called it “their most egregious wrong of the last four years”) the show was finally given a few nominations, including best drama, best actor Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor), and best actress Connie Britton (Tami Taylor). Chandler and Britton were also both nominated in 2010.
Based on the book by H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and the movie based on it, Friday Night Lights, the show just wrapped up its fifth and final season. Peter Berg, the second cousin of Bissinger, directed the movie version but wanted to do more exploration of the deep interpersonal topics from the book that he didn’t have time for in the film. So, he turned to television.
Berg envisioned a rather revolutionary way of TV filmmaking: They never rehearsed, the camera operators were trained to follow the actors rather than have them stand in one spot and have the cameras around them, the show used hundreds of local people as extras, everything was done in one shot at once (no cutting, little blocking) to keep an authentic feel, and the actors were allowed to change things that they thought weren’t true to their characters.
Critically acclaimed for its honest potrayl of middle America and exploration of its central characters, it’s definitely a show worth watching. It’s not just a show about football – it’s a show centered around a family and their life in a small Texas town. The show tackled contemporary issues, such as lack of economic opportunities, racism, drugs, and abortion. In addition to the recent Emmy nods, the show was awarded a Peabody Award, a Humanitas Prize, and a Television Critics Association Award, as well as several technical Primetime Emmy Awards.
The show overcame some hefty odds and low numbers. After airtime on NBC, the show struck a deal with DirecTV to offset some of the production costs. After season 3, they thought the show was for sure over, but they managed to push through to get two more seasons. You can catch Friday Night Lights seasons 1 through 4 on Netflix streaming and season 5 on Hulu Plus.
And as the lights turned off for ‘Friday Night Lights,’ Vulture prepared an homage to the many words of wisdom by Coach Taylor.
Clear eyes, full hearts. Texas Forever.
Emmy Award Nominations
Nominations for the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards were announced this morning, with HBO leading all other channels in nominations (104!). Modern Family was the most nominated sitcom, and my personal favorite, 30 Rock, was close behind them.
The Emmy’s are taking place this year on September 18th. Here are a few of the nominations that were announced this morning for the major categories:
–Nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series include 30 Rock, Modern Family, Glee, and the Office.
–Nominations for Outstanding Drama Series include Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, and The Good Wife.
–Nominations for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series include The Colbert Report, SNL, and my two favorite late night shows, Conan and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
–Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series include Matt LeBlanc (he’s on TV again??), Steve Carell, Alec Baldwin (30 Rock!), and Jim Parsons, while Lead Actor in a Drama Series includes Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, and Steve Buscemi.
–As for Actress in a Comedy Series, Melissa McCarthy, Edie Falco, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey were nominated. For Drama, Mariska Hargitay, Connie Britton, and Elisabeth Moss were among those nominated.
Did your favorites make the list?
Year of the Geek Girl
Chinese astrologers may claim that 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit, but I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. The omens are clear for the Year of the Geek Girl:
- In early 2011, kickass website TheMarySue.com launched, with the goals of “highlighting women in the geek world, and providing a prominent place for the voices of geek women.”
- GeekGirlCon, a nonprofit organization and convention celebrating the female geek, will have its first event October 8-9.
- Leslie Simon’s new book, Geek Girls Unite: How Fangirls, Bookworms, Indie Chicks, and Other Misfits Are Taking Over the World, goes on sale October 18. (Full disclosure: I’m the editor.)
One of my favorite things about getting to work on Leslie’s book has been finding out about the countless incredible women who are shaking things up across a variety of industries, like comics, video games, literature, music, film, comedy, home decorating, and more. And Leslie is going to be blogging about the most inpiring with a new Geek Girl of the Week feature on her site! Check out her initial posts on Bonnie Burton and Bjork here. (And, no, it’s not limited to geekettes whose names start with “B.”)
Finally, super important note: I only mentioned three of them here, but there are dozens or possibly even hundreds of other great sites, twitter feeds, Facebook groups, and Google+ circles (OK, maybe not that) aimed at extraordinary women. Please let us know your site or your favorite site in the comments, and we’ll make sure to keep everyone posted on book launch events and giveaways!
In Permanent Ink
Enthusiasts around the world have shown their admiration in many different ways for the things they love most. However nothing seems as intense as permanently inking your body with symbols or designs honoring your favorite sport, movie, celebrity, hobby, etc. Some call it crazy, some call it awesome, and some call it just-plain-idiotic. Whatever label you put on it, it is what it is; “fan”atical tattoos.
The history of tattoos goes back thousands of years. Though how this artistic trend came about is hazy, the evolution of the tattoo is sometimes extreme. So to honor the crazy, the awesome, and the just-plain-idiotic (you can decide for yourself) enjoy this collection of “fan”actical tattoos.
Music for Bastille Day
Although our American independence celebrations have just passed, the French have their very own coming up this week. July 14th marks Bastille Day or La Fête Nationale, a day which celebrates the anniversary of the beginning of the French Revolution.
In college, I spent a month gallivanting around France “studying” abroad and loving life in a carbohydrate-induced coma from eating 5 million too many baugettes and croissants. I grew to really love France – the culture, the language, and of course, the food. Through my infantile knowledge of French phrases (“Oui!”, “Eiffel Tower!”, “Café Au Lait, s’il vous plait”, etc.), I spent some time on my trip trying to strike up conversations with French youth to get some hip, cool French music. My plan was foiled quickly. Everyone I talked to recommended bands and musicians that sung only in English – Soundgarden, Justin Nozuka, and Hannah Montana (Seriously, France? Hannah Montana?). It wasn’t until I took two semesters worth of French courses after my trip that my two teachers, Courtney and Mathilde, introduced me to some wonderful French music.
To start off Bastille Day week right, here are some of our French musical recommendations. Happy Monday!
Quelqu’un m’dit by Carla Bruni
Before she was the French president Nicholas Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni was not only a supermodel but also an aspiring folk singer. Check out her beautifully raspy voice in “Quelqu’un m’a dit,” which translates to mean “Someone told me.” Some may know the song, as it was featured on the movie soundtrack for (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (soon to be a published author with It Books) and Zooey Deschanel. You can also check out Ms. Bruni in Woody Allen’s latest “Midnight in Paris.”
Non, non, non by Camelia Jordana
At just 18, Camelia Jordana is just starting to make a name for herself in France. After participating in Nouvelle Star, the French version of American Idol, where she came in third, Jordana signed a deal with Sony Music. Check out her debut single, “Non, Non, Non.”
La meme Histoire by Feist
You probably know the lovely Leslie Feist by her hit song “1,2,3,4”, but you may have not known that the Candian singer also sings in French! Feist is also known for her quirky choreography in her videos. She has been on the music scene for some time, as a member of Broken Social Scene. Check out her song “La Meme Histoire” featured in the film Paris Je’Taime.
BB Brunes “Dis Moi”
Known as part of the “new French rock scene,” BB Brunes formed in 2007. Influenced by The Strokes, Amy Winehouse, The Clash, David Bowie, Ray Charles and the legendary Serge Gainsbourg (whose daughter, Charlotte, is also a singer and actress), this band makes some catchy tunes.
Attention New Orleans: Get Ready to Swoon
I’ve been obsessed with street art for as long as I’ve lived in New York. I can remember walking around the East Village in the nineties spotting OBEY GIANT stickers and posters everywhere 
and trying to figure out what it all meant. Years later, Shepherd Fairey is probably second only to Banksy as the world’s most-recognized street artist thanks to the campaign poster that helped galvinize Obama’s base during the 2008 election; but he’s far from the only one transforming wheat paste and paper into transitory, unexpected moments of joy. (And isn’t that the best thing about street art? Stumbling across a thing of beauty–and often provocation–left as a gift in the most unlikely of places, and suffering at the mercy of weather, municipal agencies, and competing provacateurs.)
Among my favorite artists working today is Swoon, a former painting student at Pratt and a Brooklyn resident, she makes life-size wheatpaste prints and paper cutouts inspired equally by the German Expressionists and folk art.
Swoon Poster Art
She’s also known for her more interactive and site specific projects, such as The Miss Rockaway Armada, in which a group of performers and musicians floated down the length of the Mississippi River on rafts made from scavenged and recycled materials. Now she’s turned her eye to New Orleans and along with a group of artists and musicans across the nation is setting out to create a permant sculputural installation out of the remains of a Creole Cottage in the Bywater District. Called The Dithyrambalina, it will look like a house, function like a musical instrument, and be open to all. And while it’s meant as a permanent gift to the city, like the best street art, lord knows how its fortunes will bear out…
Scale Model of the Dithyrambalina
http://www.dithyrambalina.com/blog/
and here:
There’s an app for that
The summer’s only half way over, so there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the warm weather, fun nights out with friends, and travel plans you’ve been considering, but haven’t quite gotten around to. Here are 5 free apps to download on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to help you get the most out of your summer and make your plans run a little bit smoother:
1. Gas Buddy: We all know that one of the most painful things to pay for this summer is filling up your gas tank. With gas prices constantly changing, this app will show you the cheapest place to find gas wherever you are. (Network/Wi-Fi needed)
2. Mixology™ Drink Recipes: Even if you’re not a bartender, this app gives you access to thousands of drink mixes to impress your friends. It allows you to search in several ways, depending on what you want to make, and gives enough options to be sure to please everyone you’re entertaining!
3. Urbanspoon: Finding a restaurant (especially while on vacation) can be somewhat of a hassle, trying to please everyone and find somewhere you don’t go every week. This app can help! Urbanspoon allows you to do an open search of restaurants in your area or a specific search where you can dictate price, neighborhood, and type of food you want to eat. (Network/Wi-Fi needed)
4. Lose it!: Has this been the summer you were going to lose weight… but it hasn’t happened yet? This app can help you get on track. It allows you to set personal goals and food choices. Each day, record your food intake and the amount of exercise you do to stay within your previously set goals, and start to lose the weight you want.
5. Fandango Movies: Tickets and Times: With the amount of movies that are coming out this summer, download this app to make sure you never miss one. This app shows the times of the movies you want to see at a theater near you… plus allows you to purchase tickets in advance! (Network/Wi-Fi needed)
Anything that comes up this summer, remember… there’s an app to help!
You Don’t Know Jack
You can never go wrong with snark and trivia games. That’s why I was so glad to see the modern classic You Don’t Know Jack available again for the 21st century! “The irreverent trivia party game,” YDKJ originally came out in 1995 for the PC and was a hit because of its sarcastic host and cleverly-worded questions. (If you choose to skip the directions, host Cookie Masterson defensively quips, “I’m sorry, was I talking too much?”) They’ve kept both the host and the witty writing, and updated the questions for today’s Gaga-riffic world.
These questions cover stuff you learned in school at some point, as well as things you pick up from modern pop culture, making it hipper than Jeopardy and less obscure than Trivial Pursuit. For instance:
(Marky Mark’s got a what?)
(Answer: #sharp)
In addition to the standard multiple choice question format, there’s “Dis or Dat”, where you distinguish a Tweet from Taylor Swift from one by the Dalai Lama (“Others have the right to happiness, just like yourself”; “Japan is amazing”), or the title of a film by the Three Stooges from one by porn star Jenna Jameson (“Rockin’ in the Rockies”; “4 for Texas”). Is the Crypts of Lieberkuhn a body part–or a Harry Potter location?
(Answer: body part.)
The game’s available for the major home gaming consoles, as well as in a scaled-down iOS version. Try the free lite version for your iPhone and try not to burst out laughing in public.
And if you’re feeling generous, YDKJ would appreciate your rating it in the App Store:
Awesome People Read
The headlines about Daniel Radcliffe’s GQ interview (upcoming in their August edition) are all about his decision to stop drinking, but I had a different takeaway. Check it out:
“I’d just rather sit at home and read, or talk to somebody that makes me laugh,” [Radcliffe] added. “There’s no shame in enjoying the quiet life.” (from Yahoo’s OMG! blog, full post here)
Turns out Radcliffe isn’t the only celeb who’s a fan of this “reading” thing. In fact, my favorite new tumblr, appropriately titled Awesome People Reading, is dedicated to photos of, well, you know. A few of the best:
Marilyn Monroe reading
Muhammad Ali reading
Bob Marley reading
Enter to Win a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Prize Pack
Enter for your chance to win:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Prize Pack
Your It List and IMAX have teamed up to offer you the chance to enjoy a spectacular Harry Potter film experience. 10 lucky winners will be chosen to receive a pair of tickets to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in IMAX 3D; a Deathly Hallows – Part 2 IMAX movie poster; and a copy of the book Harry Potter Film Wizardry, which takes readers behind the scenes of the most successful film franchise of all time.
To enter the sweepstakes just head right over to the Your It List fan page on Facebook, click “enter sweepstakes” and follow the instructions.
About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2:
Opening Date: July 15, 2011. Rated: PG-13. The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes, but when Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.
Happy National Kissing Day
Kiss: to express a thought, feeling, love, passion, etc., by a contact of the lips.
Today is National Kissing Day (or International Kissing Day) so grab someone and lay a big smackeroo on them. It is said to be originally started in the United Kingdom however it was quickly adopted by the rest of the world because, hey, who doesn’t love a good smooch on the lips? Let us appreciate the intimacy we get from a good kiss and not take one for granted by participating in this treasured day for years to come.
Take this as a reminder, or perhaps a warning to some of you, that kissing will be occurring and it may happen to you.
In the mean time enjoy this collection of famous kisses from the past.
“A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point.
That’s basic spelling that every woman ought to know.”
Mistinguett (Jeanne Bourgeois), Theatre Arts, December 1955
“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.”
Ingrid Bergman
hitRECord + It Books + Tiny Stories
It Books and hitRECord Partner to Publish The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Series
The first book in a three-book partnership to hit stores in December 2011
NEW YORK, NY (July 5, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today that it has acquired publishing rights to the Tiny Book of Tiny Stories series with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s open collaborative production company hitRECord. The new book titled The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume I is scheduled to be published in December.
The ‘tiny’ book will feature a number of (very) short stories and illustrations developed through hitRECord. With the help of his entire creative collective, Gordon-Levitt will cull, edit and curate the massive number of contributions into a finely-tuned collection.
“It’s very exciting for me and hitRECord – now more than 45,000 artists strong – to be working with It Books and HarperCollins to bring ‘Tiny Stories’ to the mainstream – a dream come true, really,” says Gordon-Levitt.
“We think what hitRECord is doing is new and groundbreaking. We’re thrilled by the prospect of working with them to capture this mass collaborative art in book form,” says Mauro DiPreta, Vice President and Associate Publisher for It Books. He acquired the project from Creative Artists Agency.
Throughout the month of July, Gordon-Levitt is inviting the worldwide creative community to join in on the Tiny Stories collaboration. Artists can participate by submitting their writing and illustrations, and they’re also encouraged to edit and remix others’ contributions. The ‘Tiny Stories’ collaboration is already a hive of activity and can be found at the hitRECord website at: http://hitrecord.org/records/407384.
Click HERE to see a video of Joseph Gordon-Levitt announcing the Tiny Stories partnership (starts at approximately 9 mins).
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About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern and Red by Sammy Hagar as well as Getting the Pretty Back by MollyRingwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucciand The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis.
It Books is an imprint HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.
About hitRECord: Founded and directed by Golden Globe-nominated actor and artist Joseph Gordon-Levitt, hitRECord is an open collaborative production company where members can contribute their work in various forms including music, videos, text and drawings. Members are then encouraged to add, edit, remix and collaborate with each other. HitRECord currently has over 45,000 active members worldwide. Over 1,000 creative contributions are added daily and over 100 new artists join hitRECord each day. As with all of hitRECord’s money-making productions, profits for ‘The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories’ will be split 50-50 between hitRECord and the book’s contributing artists.
• hitRECord website: www.hitrecord.org
Tiny Stories collaboration page: http://hitrecord.org/records/407384
• hitRECord Twitter: www.twitter.com/hitrecord
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Twitter: www.twitter.com/hitRECordJoe
