Time's New Photo Blog LIGHTBOX

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From Time

"LightBox, a new blog by TIME’s photo department, will explore how photography, video and the culture of images define today’s world.

This blog will be our opportunity to give you a daily behind-the-scenes look at our photography as well as inspiring new projects. We want to immerse you in the visual side of the news and highlight photography that pushes boundaries in the art world. As part of our regular features, we’ll include the backstory from photo shoots, firsthand accounts from photographers in the field, profiles of legendary imagemakers, photo essays and more.

In the magazine, we’ve always tried to showcase the best photojournalism — letting readers witness what’s happening on the front lines and giving them a chance to examine, through portraits, the faces of the people who are changing history. LightBox will also draw on our rich tradition of working with the most iconic imagemakers of the day, from Walker Evans to James Nachtwey, to provide exclusive content from our global network of contributors."

I TOTALLY MEANT TO DO THAT

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Jane Borden is a hybrid too horrifying to exist: a hipster-debutante. She was reared in a propert Southern home in Greensboro, North Carolina, sent to boarding school in Virginia, and then went on to join a sorority in Chapel Hill. She next moved to New York and discovered that none of this grooming meant a lick to anyone. In fact, she hid her upbringing for many years--it was easier than explaining what a debutante "does" (the short answer: not much).

Anyone who has moved away from home or lived in (or dreamed of living in) New York will appreciate the hilarity of Jane's musings on the intersections of and altercations between Southern hospitality and Gotham cool.

Washington State's Ferry Workers May Have To Give Up 'Vomit Pay'

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From NBC

Andy Warhol Portrait of Elizabeth Taylor Heads To Auction

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From IB Times

A portrait of the late actress Elizabeth Taylor by famous artist Andy Warhol will be auctioned in New York. The portrait is expected to go for as much as $30 million, according to auctioneers Phillips de Pury.

"Liz #5" was painted in 1963 and is "a dazzling tribute to Elizabeth Taylor," the auction house said in a statement according to MSNBC.

"Liz #5 is a pristine gem," said Michael McGinnis, head of contemporary art at Phillips de Pury. "It is Warhol at his very best with a perfect screen, glowing colors, and impeccable provenance. She is classic yet every bit as cutting edge as she was when Warhol painted her nearly 50 years ago."

According to the company, the portrait "embodies the most important themes of Warhol's oeuvre including celebrity, wealth, scandal, sex, death and Hollywood. The epitome of old-world Hollywood style and glamour, Liz Taylor was one of Warhol's most famous inspirations alongside Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy."

Silvio Berlusconi Sex Parties

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Rebecca Black's, Epically Bad, FRIDAY Video

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From Pop Eater by Kelly Fisher

After earning more than 16 million YouTube views, becoming a top Twitter Trending Topic and landing at No. 31 on the iTunes Top 100, Black should be celebrating. Instead, she claims she's found herself as the target of hurtful online bullying -- something she's trying not to let bother her.

Black was interviewed on 'Good Morning America' and spoke out on her fast rise to fame and the hurtful comments she's received.

When asked if the past week or so has seemed like a dream, Black replied, "I really do. I can't tell whether I'm awake or not."

She continued, "After seeing it go form 4,000 views to 70,000 views in one night and then waking up to see it was at 200,000 views, that's when I knew it was going to be big."

Her parents shelled out an unspecified amount of money for her to record the song and video with the Ark Music Factory, according to GMA.

NHL Governors Approve New Banning Head Shots Rule

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From Fox Sports by Boca Raton

NHL general managers have decided against recommending a ban on head shots to curb concussions. Instead, they will propose tighter enforcement of rules on charging and boarding.

The general managers also will propose longer suspensions for illegal head hits and repeat offenders.

Following a second day of meetings Tuesday to discuss concussions, general managers decided against rule revisions that would slow the game.

A rise in head injuries this season, including high-profile cases such as the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and the Canadiens' Max Pacioretty, put the issue at the top of the GMs' agenda. But Commissioner Gary Bettman said there wasn't widespread support for a ban on all head shots.

Blindside hits to the head were banned last year.

Amanda Seyfried Sings L'IL RED RIDING HOOD

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SWAN!!!

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From Performance Space 122

The same people who brought the smashing success NOTES!!! (their incredibly dramatic parodied reading of Notes on a Scandal) returns with SWAN!!! (their even more incredibly dramatic parodied reading of this years dance away smash: Black Swan).

Nina (Jenn Harris) is freaking out. She is freaking out because she really wants to play the Swan Queen in the new production of Swan Lake. She is also freaking out because she is crazy. And so is her mother (Randy Harrison). And so is the choreographer (Christian Coulson) she works under, and we mean works under. And so is the former prima ballerina Winona Ryder, we mean Beth (Matthew Wilkas).

The pressure is a lot and she finds a little release, and we mean release, when she meets hot new bad ballet girl in town, Lily (Jack Ferver). However she gets a little more than nervous when it seems Lily may want her part. Things boil up and over and there is self-mutilation and violence towards MOM and cunnilingus and jetés.

The show is currently SOLD OUT.

Netflix Confirms Kevin Spacey's TV Show HOUSE OF CARDS

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From CG by Kyle Thibout

There were about rumors of Netflix’s venture into original content production. The rumors were confirmed that Netflix had won the exclusive rights to stream 26 original episodes of House of Cards to their customers.

House of Cards will make its way into US and Canadian homes starting in late 2012. Kevin Spacey stars in the show about ruthless politics as an “ambitious politician”.

“House of Cards represents a slightly more risky approach [then Netflix's current operations]; while we aren’t producing the show and don’t own it, we are agreeing to license it before it is successfully produced,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

By signing up for 26 episodes of House of Cards, Netflix will have something no one else has, and since they already deliver 61% of all digital video, it won’t be hard for people to access the show. The company says it “may” sign on more exclusive series’ in the future, too.

Tom Waits's ROCK & ROLL HALL Of FAME Acceptance Speech

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Tibetan Mastiff Dog Sold For More Than A Milllion U.S Dollars

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From MSN

Genghis Khan had one, legend says. So did the Buddha.

And now, the prized red Tibetan mastiff, thought to be one of the world’s oldest and most venerable breeds, has another distinction: One of the massive, fluffy dogs has become the most expensive dog ever sold.

An 11-month old pup named Big Splash (“Hong Dong” in Chinese) recently sold in the Chinese city of Qingdao for 10 million yuan — about $1.5 million in U.S. dollars.

The 3-foot-tall, 180-pound dog is one of a breed that has been around since time immemorial. Tibetan mastiffs are said to have guarded nomad camps and monasteries, and are rarely seen outside of Tibet.

President Barack Obama Makes His Picks For 2011 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

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From ESPN

SPLIT CELL KIDNEY BAG By ThreeASFOUR

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From NY Times

ThreeASFOUR — the science-obsessed label designed by Adi Gil, Gabriel Asfour and Angela Donhouser— is synonymous with geometric bags. “It all started when Adi dreamt of the bag,” says Asfour, referring to the label’s kidney-shaped bag. Adds Donhouser, “The kidney reflects our fascination with human anatomy.” To celebrate its new e-commerce site, which goes live tomorrow, threeASFOUR is issuing the bag in two styles — a metal chain link version ($666) in black or pale gold snakeskin leather, and a split cell variety ($555) in bone or black canvas or leather. They join its perennially popular circle bag ($555). Available at planetofstyle.com.

Oxycodone and Cocaine Use Surpassing Sex with Youth

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From The Fresno Bee\By Marc Benjamin

"In the last two or three years, we have seen a 20% increase in minors reporting the use of Vicodin and OxyContin, especially OxyContin," said Susan Murdock, who heads the unit.

Seventeen percent of Fresno County's 11th-graders and 13% of the county's 9th-graders reported they had used prescription painkillers to get high at least once. The same percentages were reported statewide for 11th- and 9th-graders.

Among teens, 5.2% of admissions were for prescription painkillers, nearly a ninefold increase from 1998, said the study by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The New York Observer\by Nate Freeman

On a recent Friday night, a 22-year-old in his first year of living in New York hosted a late get-together in his Little Italy apartment. Everyone there would call it a good party, but it decidedly lacked a climax.

Until 10 in the morning, a dozen attractive men and women—day laborers in film, public relations, media, fashion—drank Peroni, smoked cigarettes and indulged in cocaine as someone with an iPhone 4 blasted songs through the speakers. A girl sitting next to a Harvard M.B.A. student looked through a coffee table book of Todd Selby’s photography. There was a conversation going on about Twitter—most of those present kept a vigorously updated account.

Then came the sun—the traditional cue that one should choose a member of the opposite sex and set off for his or her apartment, to sleep together. Instead attendees departed alone. They peeled off instead of pairing up. No one at the party got laid that night and, even worse, no one gave a fuck.

Source: ABCNews

Kim Kardashian's TURN IT UP

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Justin Bieber's Hair Sells for Over $40,000!

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From I Village

After the teen king chopped his signature locks, he gave a piece to Ellen DeGeneres -- and she auctioned it off for charity.

Biebs donated a container of his freshly chopped hair to The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Feb. 23.

"We're doing something special," he told the host. "We want you to donate it to whichever charity you want."

After putting the coveted tresses up for auction, GoldenPalace.com came in with the highest bid -- a staggering $40,668! DeGeneres will now donate the money to The Gentle Barn Foundation, which rescues and rehabilitates animals in need of care.

Coco Crisp Arrested on DUI Charges

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From SFGate
Here is the [Oakland] A's statement: "Coco Crisp was arrested and detained early this morning under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released from the City of Scottsdale Jail this morning and arrived at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on time for team pre-game drills. The A's are aware of the situation and take such matters seriously. The team and Coco will have no further comment until further details are available."
From USA Today

"I'm just sorry (and) that sorry is genuine," Crisp said. "A lot of people look up to me and, obviously, this was a decision that was not the right decision. One thing I don't want to ever be -- and that I am right now -- I feel that I'm a distraction and the sooner this can get out of the clubhouse, the better.

"Obviously, I'm embarrassed. I don't want it to be a distraction for any other players who have to answer questions for myself."

THE MARY SUE.COM: A Guide To Girl Geek Culture

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From Dan Abrams

ABC 's Legal Analyst, Dan Abrams and editor Susana Polo were interviewed by Poynter about the launch of the newest site in the Abrams Media Network — The Mary Sue.com, a tech site aimed specifically at girl geeks. Abrams and Polo both said they thought ladygeeks were an untapped Internet market, and that the site would be celebratory of female geekdom rather than one with an axe to grind.

Movie: HAPPY THANK YOU MORE PLEASE

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RANGO Animated Critter Fantasy Film

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Aubrey Plaza on PARKS AND RECREATION

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From NBC by April Ludgate

[PARKS AND RECREATION is] mockumentary that looks at the exciting world of local government. The new half-hour comedy will examine the mundane but necessary ways that people interact with their government, and ask why it's frequently so complicated -- as everyone knows from standing in line at the DMV, applying for home construction permits, or trying to get the city to fix a pothole.

The documentary cameras follow Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, NBC's "Saturday Night Live," "Baby Mama") a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana. In an attempt to beautify her town -- and advance her career -- Leslie takes on what should be a fairly simple project: help local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones, NBC's "The Office," "Unhitched") turn an abandoned construction pit into a community park.

Leslie is alternately helped and undermined by her colleague, Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari, "Human Giant," "Scrubs"), who cheerfully exploits his government position for personal gain. She is also thwarted by her boss Ron Swanson, who is philosophically opposed to government in any form.

If they can pull it off, Leslie hopes that she also will have inspired her uninterested college intern April (Aubrey Plaza, "Mayne Street") and April's whole generation - all the while moving one step closer to her ultimate goal: becoming the first female president of the United States.

Charles Ferguson's INSIDE JOB On DVD

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Andrew Myers’ Screw Portraits

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From Andrew Myers and Koi

California-based artist Andrew Meyers drives thousands screws at various depths, creating unique 3D images. Once the screws are in at the correct depth, (from 7,000 to 10,000 holes by hand) he paints over each head individually to create the finished product,which looks more like a portrait than a sculpture.

Space Shuttle Launch Viewed from Commercial Airplane (30,000 Feet)

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Literary Magazine OPEN CITY Is Closing

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From Open City

Open City Magazine is closing after twenty years. Open City Books, a mere tyke at ten years, continues. Starting with its first issue in 1991, Open City has made an important mark on the American literary scene, publishing a slew of debut writers, undiscovered posthumous gems, and hosting wildly successful readings and parties in New York City and beyond. Not just a publisher, Open City, true to its name, is a vibrant community of writers, artists, and readers.

Highlights from twenty years of the magazine will be collected in an anthology, THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN: An Open City Reader (June 2011, Open City Books).

The final issue of the magazine, Open City #30, was published in December 2010 and is available in stores and online at opencity.org. The issue features stories by Ed Park, Ann Packer, Sigrid Nunez, Karan Mahajan, nonfiction by Louis B. Jones, and poetry by Alissa Quart and Yusef Komunyakaa. Joanna Yas remarked "When we were putting it together, we didn't realize it would be the last issue, so it's a beautiful coincidence that it's one of our best ever, not to mention that we landed on number thirty, which feels right for many reasons."

The magazine was founded in 1990 by Thomas Beller and Daniel Pinchbeck. They were joined by Robert Bingham in 1993. In 1999, Joanna Yas became managing editor, and subsequently became co-editor with Thomas Beller.

McKinsey's Rajat Gupta Accused of Insider Trading

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From The Daily Beast by Allan D. Frank

Rajat Gupta was trusted by McKinsey, Goldman, and AMR. But the SEC says he shared insider secrets so a hedge fund could make millions improperly in the market.

The reputation of McKinsey, the world’s most important consulting firm, is built on the perception that its high-priced consultants are the brightest and most trustworthy group available anywhere. Now Rajat Gupta, who served as McKinsey’s global managing director for nearly a decade, is enmeshed in Wall Street’s biggest insider trading scandal ever.

According to the Securities & Exchange Commission administrative filing, Gupta—as a board member of Goldman Sachs—learned on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, that Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett was going to pump $5 billion into Goldman during Wall Street’s dark hours barely a week after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

“Mr. Gupta was honored with the highest trust of leading public companies, and he betrayed that trust by disclosing their most sensitive and valuable secrets,” said SEC director of enforcement Robert Khuzami in a statement.

Keith Richard's Daughter Theodora Arressted

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From The Daily News

The wife of Rolling Stone rocker Keith Richards handed out Mother of The Year Awards in New York Thursday [at the American Cancer Society]- a day after the couple's wayward daughter was busted for tagging a convent.

Her daughter Theodora Richards, 25, was busted Tuesday night for Vicodin possession and leaving graffiti on the wall of St. Anthony's Convent on Prince Street.

Cops also found Richards was carrying a small envelope of marijuana when she scribbled "T \[heart\] A" in one inch-high letters on the building's wall.

She was released from her overnight stay behind bars without bail Wednesday, and is due back in court April 21.

If convicted, the long-legged blonde faces up to a year behind bars on misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, graffiti and possession of a graffiti instrument.

Beauty Queen Stripped Of Title For "Eating Too Many Tacos"

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Wheel of Fortune Contestants Fail

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Coca-Cola's Original Recipe

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From TAL by Ira Glass

Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Hates Derek Jeter's Florida Mansion

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From NP by George A King III

TAMPA -- George Steinbrenner is gone, but his legacy is alive and well at the ballpark that bears his name.

Owner Hank Stenbrenner, talking about how focused the Yankees have been compared to last year, when they were defending World Series champions, fractured the tranquility around George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"Sometimes you celebrate too much, players concentrating on building mansions and not concentrating on winning," Steinbrenner said in a hallway following yesterday's workout.

Steinbrenner said he wasn't fingering Derek Jeter as the reason the Yankees didn't reach last year's World Series, but it was clear he didn't have Ramiro Pena in mind.

Because Jeter recently finished building a colossal house in the Tampa neighborhood of Davis Islands, Steinbrenner was asked if any other player was doing the same.

"I am not singling anybody out, but maybe riding the wave of '09 was too much," Steinbrenner said of the aftermath of the Yankees winning their 27th World Series title by beating the Phillies.

What moved Steinbrenner to allude to Jeter?

A lack of concentration has never been a fault of Jeter, who had the worst season of his career last year when he batted .270. And it's not like Jeter started building the house the day after the Canyon of Heroes parade in November 2009. In the spring of 2009, construction was well under way.

Tampa Bay Online reported the city of Tampa issued a certificate of occupancy on Jan. 19 for the 30,875-square foot home. The mansion, dubbed St. Jetersburg by locals, dwarfs the surrounding homes with its seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms and a reported construction cost of $1.75 million.

Reportedly the largest house in Hillsborough County, the waterfront mansion sits on what previously were three lots, totaling 1.6 acres, which Jeter purchased for $7.7 million. It features two three-car garages, an entertainment room, a billiard room, and a memorabilia room.

HBO's Documentary Film THE BATTLE FOR MARJAH

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The Last Roll of Kodachrome Frame by Frame by Steve McCurry

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From VF by David Friend

Two years ago, photographer Steve McCurry heard the whispers. Due to the digital-photography revolution, Kodak was considering discontinuing one of the most legendary film stocks of all time: Kodachrome, a film which was to color slides what the saxophone was to jazz. McCurry spoke with Kodak’s worldwide-marketing wizard Audrey Jonckheer, hoping to persuade Kodak to bequeath him the very last roll that came off the assembly line in Rochester, New York. They readily agreed. And recently, McCurry—most famous for his National Geographic cover of an Afghan girl in a refugee camp, shot on Kodachrome—loaded his Nikon F6 with the 36-exposure spool and headed east, intending to concentrate on visual artists like himself, relying on his typical mix of portraiture, photojournalism, and street photography.

Stephen Mallon's Harlem River Bridge Time-Lapse Video

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A Bridge Delivered from stephen mallon on Vimeo.

Kate Middleton Lacks Style, Says Vivienne Westwood

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From Stylelist by Beth Cooney

Scratch Dame Vivienne Westwood off the list of potential royal couturiers. (And quite possibly, the list of 1800 royal wedding invitations too.)

The blunt and eccentric British fashion designer has confirmed she's not in the running to make Kate Middleton's wedding dress. That's probably a good thing, because although she's British fashion royalty, she doesn't consider 29-year-old Middleton much of a style queen.

"I would have loved to have dressed Kate Middleton but I have to wait until she kind of catches up a bit somewhere with style," Westwood told The Daily Mail at her London Fashion Week show at the city's Royal Courts of Justice. "When people ask me where she's going to get the dress from -- she's definitely not going to get it from me, or I would have heard."

Getty/Ian Gavin