'Girls' Season 3, Episode 8 Recap: 'Incidentals'

February 23, 2014, 7:30 pm

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Note: Do not read on if you have not yet seen Episode 8 of "Girls" Season 3, titled "Incidentals."

After last week's summery, narcissistic "Girls" episode, I was a little worried that the season would only go downhill from there. Luckily, I was wrong.

Sure, there were no choreographed dance routines in "Incidentals," but it was still a top-notch episode. We got to see all the girls together again, Patti Lupone showed up and Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna were at their best ... and worst.

With 10 being the most self-involved and 1 being the least, see how each of the girls scored in Season 3, Episode 8 of "Girls" titled "Incidentals."

Hannah:

The episode opens with Hannah sitting at a restaurant waiting for Patti Lupone to show up. She's pretty impressed with herself, much to the annoyance of the waitress, who has no idea who Patti Lupone is. Unfortunately Hannah never gets to show her off to the waitress because Patti fails to show up, so Hannah goes on a mission to find her. She's on deadline, after all -- she can't let GQ down!

Hannah finds Patti at rehearsal, where she agrees to give Hannah five minutes. The two of them discuss the bone density drug that supposedly worked miracles on Patti's faux-Osteoporosis for about a minute before bonding over their hatred of exercise. Halfway through, Hannah gets a call from Adam: He got cast in a Broadway show!

Patti isn't exactly jumping for joy at Hannah's news. Good luck, she cries -- he'll become an asshole! He'll cheat! Hannah tries to reassure Patti (and herself) that Adam is actually very funny looking, but Patti isn't convinced.

“The elephant man got laid a lot," she says.

Meanwhile, back at GQ, Janice & Co. are working on a listicle: 16 Reasons Why We’d Love To Stay At The Gramercy. And she's picked Hannah to spend the night there with her friends. Even better, she just got her first check from GQ. And it's more than her rent! So she decides to head to the meatpacking district and "make it rain" before hosting a party at the Gramercy for Adam, his new Broadway pal Desi and all of her friends. Looks like working in advertorial isn't too shabby after all.

She didn't do anything extraordinarily wonderful, but compared to last week Hannah was a saint.

Overall self-involvement: 5.



Marnie:

Well folks, it's another rough week in Marnie-ville. While she's innocently piling some mochi onto her yogurt, Soo Jin from her Booth Jonathan days appears behind her. Unlike Marnie, Soo Jin's doing well. She's opening her own gallery in NoHo because, she explains, she seriously like DGAF (doesn't give a fuuuuucckkk).

Their interaction is a little awkward, and Marnie makes it more awkward when she gives Soo Jin a sideways hug that she holds for a little too long as she says "I'm so happy for you."

She heads over to Ray's later with some pizza, where he swiftly breaks up with her. "I want a girlfriend, Marnie. Like a legitimate girlfriend," he says, adding, "I realize this doesn't make sense biologically."

“Was this your plan the whole time, Ray? To humiliate the girl you couldn’t get in high school?” she screeches.

Things start to look up when she makes her way to the Gramercy, receives a heartfelt hug from Hannah and becomes enchanted by Desi. The two start to hum a few tunes together, and it's pretty cute.

Also, Marnie has an AOL email address.

Overall self-involvement: 6.



Jessa:

Just last week, Jessa was spouting inspirational happiness quotes and turning down alcohol. This week, she's doing coke with her British rehab friend Jasper.

Jasper found her at her place of work, Sweet Emma. I'm confused both by how Sweet Emma stays in business and how Jasper found her, but he did, and despite Jessa's halfhearted protest -- “I have a job, I eat lunch every day .. I’m healthy! And the last thing I need is to be hanging out with you” -- it doesn't take him long to convince her to do a little coke with him.

Jasper and Jessa show up high at the Gramercy hotel where Hannah notes that she probably shouldn't have taken Jessa out of rehab, but Shoshanna's just excited to be able to have a conversation with people who talk as fast as fast as she does.

Well, Jessa's off the bandwagon. And it's not looking good.

Overall self-involvement: 9.

Shoshanna:

Last week's outburst was cool, but it looks like Shosh is back to her old self. She doesn't say anything extraordinarily stupid, but she does deliver one of the best lines of the episode:

“I recognize you from your part in 'One Tree Hill.' You played Lennon the disabled hockey player,” she says to Desi in complete awe.

As for Hannah, she shares Patti Lupone's worry also worry that her friend's relationship is doomed. "Oh my god, are you scared he’s gonna leave you for Sutton Foster?" she asks.

She may not have seemed like the brightest crayon in the box, but rest assured that Shoshanna is not intellectually unstimulating. Jessa saw her read the newspaper on her phone once.

Overall self-involvement: 4.

Girls" airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on HBO.

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This Trippy Video Shows Exactly What It Feels Like To Rely On Sleeping Pills

February 25, 2014, 4:23 am

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More Americans have trouble sleeping every year. For visual artist Emanuele Kabu, a string of sleepless nights led him to pop a strong brand of melatonin -- the natural sleep aid du jour -- called Moon. The drug didn't exactly solve Kabu's problem, but the limbo state it plunged him into did inspire him to try to animate his condition. The resulting video, titled It's Called 'Moon,' has been making the rounds online. Presumably it strikes a nerve with all those insomniacs out there:

It's Called "Moon" from Emanuele Kabu on Vimeo.

Those spidery lines are meant to represent the phenomenon known as pressure phosphenes (the effect that happens when you press your closed eye and see patterns). At the very least, it's an appropriate visual to remember the next time you can't fall asleep.

This Is What Happens When You Put Pit Bulls In A Photo Booth

February 25, 2014, 4:42 am

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Kelly Garrison swears this picture isn't photoshopped:






Bumper, the licker, "went to kiss" Willis, the lickee, Garrison says. And photographer Lynn Terry "got the shot. She got just the perfect trigger time."

This picture is so perfect it's been shared tens of thousands of times on social media in the last few days. More than 200,000 people liked the photo on one site alone, the official Facebook page for a Chihuahua, pit bull and doberman threesome who use their YouTube fame to advocate for animal welfare.

The administrator of that page -- we're guessing the Chihuahua? -- said it "may be the greatest photo booth session of all time," which seems entirely right. And the photo gets even better when you find out more about the dogs who are in it.

Bumper is a pit bull who "came from a not-so-great area of St. Louis," says Garrison. A "gentleman tried to fight her. She wouldn't engage." A little boy "lured her away" and got the dog to Mutts n Stuff, a local pit bull rescue.

Garrison and her husband Jason had had Bumper about 1.5 years, she says, when they felt ready to take in a foster dog. They were matched with another pit bull, then six months old, who had been part of of a 500-dog fighting ring that was raided in the summer of 2009.

"The largest pit bull fighting bust in U.S. history," says Garrison. Willis' mother was pregnant at the time of the bust; Willis himself was, Garrison says, "born about two weeks after the rescue."

It didn't take long for the block-headed pup to become a permanent member of the family. All the Garrisons had fallen in love with him. That includes Bumper.

"She mothers him," says Garrison. "She's constantly giving him kisses."



Lynn Terry, the photographer, tells HuffPost that for her part, she's been working with animals for about 10 years, and especially likes pit bulls because "I have a personal affinity for the breed. They are the underdog and I want to do what I can to change public opinion about the breed."

She says they also "make some of the best faces," which is professionally satisfying, as you can see in her first pit bull photo booth pic, from a few years ago, of two more Mutts n Stuff dogs named Tucker and Pitunia:




"They got right on set and started licking each other. I could instantly relate it to new lovers who stepped into the privacy of a photo booth and locked lips," says Terry. "I knew right away I, or rather they, had made magic. It's been the shot of shots to live up to but I think with the new series it has met its match."

"I love them, I love them, they're my whole world," says Garrison of Willis and Bumper, who she does not worry, with all this attention, will get big heads. Especially since Willis, in particular, already has one.

"You can see it in the picture," she says. "Friends texted, 'I don't think his head can get any bigger.'"

'Morning Phase' Album Review: Beck's Latest Shines

February 25, 2014, 5:27 am

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Beck, "Morning Phase" (Capitol)

It's hard to put a finger on Beck. He can steer into many moods, as he has in the two decades since he had a breakthrough with the commercial success of "Mellow Gold." On "Morning Phase," his first studio album in six years, Beck takes us to an intimate, gray landscape that is haunting and beautiful.

The 13 songs are complex tapestries, woven from the same hue. They are slow, mostly, and touched with melancholy. Even when simple, such as on "Turn Away," they are rich. Spare guitar work is spun into vocal layers and orchestration that mixes the sounds into blurs.

The effect is gorgeous.

Beck's straightforward vocals speak of separation and isolation. The melodies and harmonic pairings quietly stir up deep swirls of darkness and light. The musical combinations are brilliant, such as on "Say Goodbye," where even the normally plucky banjo becomes quiet and moody, or on "Waking Light," with its ethereal stretches that take one floating up before diving into a quiet collapse.

How The 'Ghostbusters' Firehouse Paid Tribute To Harold Ramis

February 25, 2014, 5:30 am

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New York City Fire Department personnel at Hook & Ladder 8 have paid tribute to Harold Ramis by hanging up a sign from "Ghostbusters II" outside their firehouse. The famed Tribeca location was used as home base for Ramis' Dr. Egon Spengler and the other Ghostbusters in "Ghostbusters" and its 1989 sequel. Both films were co-written by Ramis, who died on Monday at the age of 69.

FDNY Hook & Ladder 8, the Ghostbusters house: pic.twitter.com/Xw81GC8YTK

— Billy Goldfeder (@BillyGoldfeder) February 25, 2014

In addition to the sign, a small memorial was set up outside Hook & Ladder 8, featuring a photo of Ramis in "Ghostbusters," flowers and a package of Twinkies, a reference to one of Spengler's monologues in the film.

Songwriters Hall Of Fame To Honor Kenneth Gamble And Leon Huff

February 25, 2014, 5:35 am

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NEW YORK (AP) — Writing duo Gamble and Huff will receive the Johnny Mercer award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony.

The organization announced Tuesday that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff will be honored with the top prize June 12 in New York City. Elton John and Bernie Taupin earned the honor last year. Philadelphia-based Gamble and Huff have written and produced many hits, including Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and the O'Jays' "Love Train." They also wrote the "Soul Train" theme song, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)."

The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995.

Ray Davies, Donovan and songwriters Jim Weatherly, Graham Gouldman and Mark James make up the 2014 Songwriters Hall of Fame class.

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Online:

http://songhall.org/

Harold Ramis' Comedies Include 'Animal House,' 'Ghostbusters'

February 25, 2014, 5:53 am

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NEW YORK (AP) — You may not know his name or remember his face, but you have surely heard of at least some of the movies that Harold Ramis directed, helped write or appeared in. Here are five smash comedies created in part by Ramis, who died Monday at age 69:

— "Animal House": Fond of quoting from this all-time frat house favorite? Chances are you're quoting at least something written by Ramis, who worked on the screenplay with Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. — "Caddyshack": Another classic that fans can recite from memory. Give Ramis a lot of the credit. He was the director and collaborated on the script with Kenney and Brian Doyle-Murray for this comic showcase for Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Chevy Chase and Ramis' pal Bill Murray as Carl Spackler, golf's most dangerous groundskeeper.

— "Ghostbusters": He was Dr. Egon Spengler, the quiet Ghostbuster alongside Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray in one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. He also wrote the screenplay along with Aykroyd and an uncredited Rick Moranis.

— "Stripes": Another high point for Murray watchers, with Ramis co-starring as a fellow military recruit and assisting on the script.

— "Groundhog Day": This unforgettable comedy about a weatherman who lives through the same day over and over was a breakthrough for Murray as an actor and stands 20 years later as a pop culture fixture. And Ramis, once again, helped make it happen. He directed and co-wrote the script with Danny Rubin.

Angelina Jolie: 'Unbroken' Is 'The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done'

February 25, 2014, 5:54 am

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Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but even she has difficulty getting projects off the ground. Case in point: "Unbroken," the upcoming historical drama about the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian and World War II hero who survived at sea for 47 days following a plane crash, only to be captured by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

"This has been the hardest thing I've ever done," Jolie, who directed "Unbroken," told Tom Brokaw in an interview with NBC that was broadcast on Tuesday. "I had these hours of phone calls. I made all these boards. I took glue and tape and pictures off the internet. I put all my boards in a garbage bag, and carried them to Universal myself and I put them out. I pitched my butt off."

Jolie was convincing: "Unbroken," which Universal will release on Dec. 25, is her second effort as a director, following 2011's "In the Land of Blood and Honey." The script, written by Joel and Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson, is based off the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand, which told Zamperini's story. The veteran is now 97 years old.

"[It's] very personal. Such a huge responsibility to get it right," Jolie told Brokaw in the interview. "Because I love him so much, and because he's helped me so much in my life. [...] For my children, and for everybody, I want to be able to say, it can seem dark and it came hopeless and it came seem very overwhelming, but the resilience and strength of the human spirit is an extraordinary thing."

Watch Brokaw's segment on Jolie and Zamperini and their unlikely friendship in the video above. The latest teaser for "Unbroken" is below.

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Daily Life In Paraguay: Photos Capture Unseen Side Of South America

February 25, 2014, 6:04 am

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Welcome to Daily Life! Each week HuffPost World will transport you to one of the corners of the Earth through images that expose the beauty and tragedy of worlds you may have never before seen.


CAPTION: Paraguay's Cabildo Cultural Museum is illuminated with magenta lights as dawn breaks in Asuncion, Paraguay, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. (Jorge Saenz/AP)


CAPTION: Mennonite girls look back as they ride in a horse drawn cart along a dirt road near the town of Nueva Durango in the department of San Pedro in Paraguay, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012. Mennonites began migrating to Paraguay around 1926 from Mexico and Canada and are Paraguay's largest dairy producers. (Jorge Saenz/AP)


CAPTION: People take shelter in a bus stop from a flooded street under a heavy downpour in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. (Jorge Saenz/AP)


CAPTION: Giovanni Benitez, 6, unravels a fish from a fish net on the banks of the Paraguay River in the early morning in Chaco'i town, Paraguay, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. (Jorge Saenz/AP)


CAPTION: A man sleeps by the "Paraguayan Heroes" pantheon in Asuncion, Monday, Feb. 16, 2009. (Jorge Saenz/AP)


CAPTION: A man plays the ball during a "soccer five" game under a heavy downpour in Asuncion , Paraguay, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. (Jorge Saenz/AP)

Man Gets Spider Tattoo To Combat Arachnophobia

February 25, 2014, 6:05 am

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Eric Rico Ortiz definitely sticks out in a crowd.

Having a huge spider tattoo on your right cheek will do that to a man.

Ortiz, 24, isn't a fan of the creatures. Just the sight of one spider creeps him out and makes him run away in fear.

But the part-time landscaper from Deltona, Fla., doesn't want his arachnophobia to be a monkey on his back, so last year he decided to confront his fear head on by having a spider tattooed onto his face, Miami New Times reported.

As you might expect, Ortiz gets lots of reactions for the spider tat.

“Everybody looks at it like, 'Damn spider,' ’cause if you’re going around your house, you know what I’m saying, you see those spiders, you’re going to jump, you’re going to jump, so putting one on my face, I say you know what, I’m going to see what people think,” Ortiz told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Ortiz added that some people are bugged by it, but others are less judgmental.

“Some people say, ‘Why did you get it? You’re never going to get a job,'” Ortiz told the paper. “Some people say, 'It’s cool, man. The tattoo on the face, I would never get it but that one came out cool.’”

One person who didn't think it came out cool: Ortiz's girlfriend, who dumped him shortly after he got the spider tat, Gawker reported.

Friends on Facebook don't seem that supportive, either, comments ranging from, "Your an ass cuz for real how the f*** u gonna put that on your face u gonna regret that some day we all got to grow up u a father act look u got some mother f***in sense wait tell I see u... Ima kick ya ass" to a simple "smh [shaking my head]."

Ortiz' unique appearance came to light after a reporter for the Daytona Beach News-Journal saw him in felony court, where he was dealing with a driver's license suspension. He also has charges of burglary of a conveyance, domestic battery, possession of schedule 4 substance, retail theft, violation of injunction for protection and loitering and prowling on his record.

Shakira's 'Empire' Trades Gyrating Dance Beat For A Power Anthem

February 25, 2014, 6:27 am

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The second single from Shakira's forthcoming self-titled album sounds more like a '90s singer-songwriter power anthem than it does a gyration-inducing dance track. As if Tori Amos and Liz Phair joined a Michelle Branch recording session, "Empire" is lacking the usual Latin influences heard on Shakira hits such as "Hips Don't Lie" and "Whenever, Wherever." Still, the lyrics make it a love song in the vein typical of Shakira releases, including her current hit with Rihanna, "Can't Remember to Forget You."



"Shakira" is slated for a March 25 release in the U.S., one day after its U.K. debut. Check out the album's artwork below.

10 Facts Only 'Lord Of The Rings' Super Fans Know

February 25, 2014, 6:46 am

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Have you read The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings -- and seen the extended editions of the movies -- multiple times? Is Shadowfax your fave fictional horse? Do you have strong feelings about Tom Bombadil being left out of Peter Jackson's "Fellowship"? Does the eventual marriage of Pippin and Sam's offspring seem like super-basic trivia to you? Are you Stephen Colbert, IRL?

If you answered "no" to all of these questions, the following may not make a lot of sense to you. (But I picked out some really good GIFs, so maybe you should read it anyway.) For everyone else: I, too, am a LOTR superfan. I read The Silmarillion and appendices. I learned a lot of weird stuff. Let's talk about it.

1. Arwen is Aragorn's cousin.





... sixty-three times removed. Aragorn is a descendant of Elros, who was Elrond's brother. Elrond and Elros were part of a race called "halfelves," which gave them the power to choose between elven and human lives. Elros picked life as a mortal man, because he's a badass, while Elrond set up shop in Rivendell as a glowy, immortal elf. This is why Aragorn got to live way longer than normal men. It's also (probably) why Elrond let him move in with the elves and have a super emo relationship with his daughter.


2. Thranduil's dad was the elf responsible for abandoning Dol Goldur, before Sauron moved in.





Maybe that's why Thranduil is such a D? (It's not.) They abandoned it because they were having territory disputes with Lórien and Moria. Honestly, a lot of The Simarillion is about sh*tty things the elves did to each other, so don't buy into the myth that they are a superior species. Google "Kinslaying Silmarillion." They kill each other a lot.


3. Legolas might not actually have had Orlando Bloom's luscious, long, blonde locks.





We do know his dad, Thranduil, had golden hair (as did most elves described throughout the books, besides Elrond's fam), but Tolkien never actually described Legolas's appearance in detail. Why would he tell us what every other elf looked like, but not our main Woodland-born archer? There's only one conclusion I have decided to draw from this: Legolas is a secret redhead. There is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.


4. The three elven rings, Nenya, Narya and Vilya, were not forged by Sauron, but by an elf-lord named Celebrimbor.





He also helped Sauron with the other rings of power, except for the One. Celebrimbor thought to himself, "Nards! I don't really trust this Sauron guy. So, I will help him with rings for dwarves and men, but the rings for my people will be forged secretly!" As a result, the One does not hold the same sway over the Three as, for example, it does the Nine. If, like me, you have ever wondered, "How is it that this eye thingy can control the ringwraiths completely, but has no idea that Elrond and Galadriel are mind-communicating about the location of the one thing it is looking for?" Tolkien invented an answer for you.


5. Celebrimbor also designed the door to the mines of Moria.





The gate showcases the stars of the Seven Sons of Feanor, and if you googled the Kinslayer thing, you would know that they murdered a bunch of other Elves. Feanor was an important elf who created the three Silmarils, and made the Palantir. It was nice that Peter Jackson kept the door in the movie.


6. Durin's Bane, the Balrog who took the epic fall with Gandalf in The Fellowship, probably had wings.





He possibly forgot to use them. Besides not being brightest, he was also not the scariest of his kin. There was a Lord of the Balrogs named Gothmog, who commanded a brutal army of Balrogs, Orcs and Dragons in The Silmarillion for an evil dude name Morgoth. More on him soon.


7. The 5 wizards are part of a race called Maiar, who can change forms.





This means Ganders doesn't always look like Ian McKellan. Sad face.


8. Sauron is not the Very Most Evil of Middle Earth.





He was once a vassal of Morgoth, who was one of the Ainur. Ainur means Holy Ones in Quenya, which is one of the two Elven languages that Tolkien made up. (Sindarin is the elvish spoken commonly in the movies and Books. Quenya is basically High Elvish and based off Finnish, whereas Sindarin is based off Welsh.)

Morgoth, who is not Sauron, is basically Satan. The Valar (a subset of Ainur who have entered the physical world) actually sent Gandalf and the other wizards to Middle Earth to protect it from Morgoth's shenanigans.

Fun fact: Durin's Bane is most likely one of the Maiar who was corrupted by Morgoth!


9. Shelob is not just any spider.





She is the daughter of Ungoliant, a weird spirit thing that predates time like Tom Bombadil but that is 1. evil and 2. chooses to take the form of a spider, which I don't get. Ungoliant spent a lot of time flitting about with Morgoth. All the large spiders in Middle Earth are descended from her, because she would mate with regular spiders and then eat her offspring. Disappointingly, how and why a spider/spirit mating works is not explained in detail.


10. The Silmarillion is a pretty tricksy text.





Since his son, Christopher, compiled The Silmarillion posthumously, the information it contains sometimes differs from what is found elsewhere in Tolkien lore. For example, there are multiple accounts of the origins of orcs. This means that whatever you -- or I -- write or say about The Silmarillion, our fellow nerds will probably argue that we are incorrect.


Sidney Jones was a contributing writer for this piece. Sidney works in higher education and enjoys knitting, her cat (named Gandalf) and pretending she is in the Misty Mountains -- not Caradhras -- when she backpacks.

Watch 'Basically,' A Short Film Starring Rachel Brosnahan From 'House Of Cards'

February 25, 2014, 6:47 am

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"House of Cards" fans who didn't get to see enough of Rachel Posner during the show's second season would be wise to watch Ari Aster's newest short film. Called "Basically," the mini-feature is the first of a 12-part, short-film series by Aster, which the director describes as "an idiosyncratic collection of monologue-driven character profiles" of Los Angeles residents. Different actors will appear in each film, but the first stars Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Posner on "House of Cards," as an actress dealing with an array of personal issues, including her domineering mother and the fate of an ex-boyfriend.

Aster, who previously directed the 30-minute short "The Stranger Thing About The Johnsons," is set to start work on his feature film debut later this year. "Basically," which premiered at the New York Film Festival last fall, can be seen in full below. (Warning: Strong language.)

Benedict Cumberbatch Crawls Around Like Smaug In New 'Hobbit' Featurette

February 25, 2014, 6:49 am

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If you want to see Benedict Cumberbatch crawl around on the floor while acting like a dragon, look no further. Peter Jackson's visual effects company, Weta Digital, released a featurette from the forthcoming Blu-ray release of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" that chronicles how the title creature was brought to life. It involves a lot of CGI, of course, plus Cumberbatch wearing a motion-capture suit and acting like a dragon.

"Having Benedict in a mo-cap suit was lots of fun -- for us, and hopefully for him, too -- and seemed to help get him immersed and hone in on the character," animation supervisor David Clayton says in narrating the clip. "The translation of performance from Benedict to Smaug wasn't a one-to-one match like you'd get from a humanoid creature. They have very different physiologies." (You know, in case you weren't aware that humans aren't dragons.)

Learn about the making of "Smaug" below. The DVD and Blu-ray arrive April 8.

'Pitch Perfect' Reunion Unites Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Kelley Jakle

February 25, 2014, 7:07 am

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Anna Kendrick staged a totally aca-amazing "Pitch Perfect" reunion this weekend, hitting Las Vegas with Brittany Snow and Kelley Jakle, her co-stars from the film. Kendrick, Snow and Jakle, who played Barden Bellas singers Beca, Chloe and Jessica, respectively, were in the city of sin to take in a Britney Spears concert.

Kendrick and Snow, who posted photos from the weekend to Instagram, have already signed on for the upcoming sequel to the breakout comedy, with Elizabeth Banks directing and Rebel Wilson reprising her role of Fat Amy for the film as well.

Check out personal shots from the trio's Vegas trip below.

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7 People Who Turned This 'Worthless' College Major Into Successful Careers

February 25, 2014, 7:11 am

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Last week, President Obama apologized for his flippant remark about the value of an art history degree, but he was hardly the first person to question the merits of that particular college major.

The stereotype of the art history major -- affluent, self-centered, exempt from the pressure of eventually finding a job -- has helped make art history the “favorite punching bag” among liberal arts majors, as Bloomberg’s Virginia Postrel put it.

But of course, this doesn’t do justice to the richness and rigor of studying art history. “It’s an intellectually demanding major, requiring the memorization and mastery of a large body of visual material, a facility of foreign languages, and the ability to write clearly and persuasively,” Postrel wrote. And while art history’s skills may not feed directly into a predetermined career path, plenty of very successful people have applied those skills to a range of careers.

Here are seven incredibly successful people who started out with an art history education.

Jake Hooker

New York Times journalist Jake Hooker’s career began at Dartmouth College where he studied art history. Following graduation he ventured to China as a Peace Corps volunteer to teach middle school English. His writing in subsequent years earned him the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for his investigative reporting piece, “A Toxic Pipeline,” which exposed severe health problems revolving around the Chinese pharmaceutical industry.

Dagen McDowell

Before pursuing a career in financial journalism, Dagen McDowell spent her undergraduate years studying art history at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. She’s now an anchor on the Fox Business Network and a business correspondent for Fox News.

Meghan McCain



Upon completing her bachelor’s degree in art history at Columbia University in 2007, Meghan McCain took to the presidential campaign trail alongside her father, Senator John McCain. While on the road, she channeled her love of fashion and music into her blog, McCain Blogette, establishing her writing career. She has since authored three books and joined The Daily Beast and MSNBC as a contributing author.

Jessica Kagan Cushman

Raised by a famous furniture designer and needlework queen, Jessica Kagan Cushman channeled her natural creativity into her art history studies at Smith College. She took her education a step further after graduating and studied jewelry making at the Jewelry Arts Institute in New York and Silvermine Guild in Connecticut before breaking into the design business. She attributes her scrimshaw skills to her father, which can be seen in her antique, ivory bracelet creations.

Michael Lewis



The financial journalist Michael Lewis pursued his passion for art history at Princeton University before earning his master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics. He left his subsequent job as a junior bond salesman for Salomon Brothers to write his first book Liar’s Poker and become a financial journalist. He had no problem in telling students in his 2012 Princeton commencement speech that his art history major helped him throughout the course of his life.

James B. Lee

James B. Lee didn’t choose between practicality and creativity when it came to his college education—instead, he snagged the best of both worlds. Double majoring in economics and art history at Williams College, Lee graduated in 1975 with an investment banking job in the bag. Now after almost 40 years in the industry, he serves as vice chairman for JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Abigail Folger

Abigail Folger of the famous coffee family earned an art history degree from Harvard and went on to become involved in politics and the civil rights movement. Known as a talented painter and piano player, Folger worked on a variety of community projects in Los Angeles and New York City before her tragic murder by members of the Charles Manson “family” in 1969.

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs Adjusts To Her Influence

February 26, 2014, 5:08 am

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — When Bette Davis became the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1941, it's believed she was met with such opposition by the predominantly male organization that she resigned after two months.

The motion picture academy has seen only two other women in the top post since then: writer-producer Fay Kanin in 1979 and now film executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who has also become the organization's first black president. Seven months into her new position, Isaacs is still adjusting to the excitement of her appointment and the weight it has within the film community.

"It's different being a minority in a majority space," said Isaacs in her office at the Beverly Hills headquarters of the academy, long known as being predominantly white, male and over 50.

A poster of Oscar Micheaux's 1931 film "The Exile" hangs on the red accent wall across from her desk. The words "Mighty Modern All Talking Epic of Negro Life" are emblazoned across the top of the placard. "My parent's favorite phrase was 'Just get above it' and I must say that I have to put that into practice here," she said. "But it doesn't stop your personal self-doubts."

As the face now representing the 6,100-member academy, Isaacs knows there's a lot riding on her decisions and responses. "I really try to get to the reality of a situation and have a conversation with myself and ask 'Are you being reactive? Are you being defensive?'" said the 64-year-old, who became a member of the academy in 1988 after launching her career as a publicist at Columbia Pictures in 1977.

"There are things you can't do," she added. "You can't get angry because then you are just an angry black woman. As women we do have that and then being a minority, there is this extra layer."

As a teenager growing up in western Massachusetts in the 1960s, Isaacs looked up to her older brother Ashley, who worked as an advertising and publicity executive at United Artists in New York. "He was hip and would come home with 16 mm films and screen them in the dining room," she recalled, citing her brother, who died of cancer in 1994, as fostering her love of film. When Ashley moved to Los Angeles, Isaacs followed.

"I was living in San Francisco working as a stewardess for Pan American and I needed to get serious," recalled the Whittier College graduate. "I knocked on doors and started at Columbia."

In 1984, she became the director of publicity at Paramount Pictures and in 1997 she transitioned to New Line Cinema, becoming the studio's first black president of theatrical marketing.

"The thing I like most is strategy," said Isaacs, who ran the publicity campaigns for "Forrest Gump," ''Braveheart" and "Rush Hour." ''At New Line, I was involved with filmmakers that were diverse and it really gave a nice perspective."

Diversity is at the heart of how she'll make her mark at the academy. "I am active in our member engagement and am seeking diverse talent domestically as well as internationally," said Isaacs, who was recently inducted into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Hall of Fame. She also plans to boost the academy's mentoring programs, the student academy awards and the scientific and technical council.

"Having Cheryl as president shows that the opportunities are widening," says Cori Murray, Essence magazine's entertainment director. Essence will honor Isaacs with the trailblazer award at the annual Women in Hollywood Luncheon on Feb. 27. "She is an inspiration," added Murray.

Lately, the film world has seen growing diversity within its ranks, from the 2013 appointment of the first black and openly gay president of the Directors Guild, to the many artists of color up for Oscars this season. "When we get a chance to participate we do really well," said Isaacs. "This year is going to show that."

In January, the academy's hardnosed decision to rescind the nomination of "Alone Yet Not Alone" because the composer lobbied fellow voting members via email, set the tone for Isaac's tenure. "It was a difficult situation, but needed," she said. "We must stay vigilant and stand firm with our principles. That matters in voting and in life."

Other key decisions by Isaacs have included steering plans for the $300 million movie museum the academy is scheduled to open in Los Angeles in 2017 and hiring Ellen DeGeneres as the host of the Academy Awards on March 2.

After critics berated Seth MacFarlane, the host of the 85th Oscars, it seemed like DeGeneres was the safe choice. "She is really great at staying on her toes," noted Isaacs. "But I love all of the conversation about the awards, even when it's critical."

Stepping on stage on Hollywood's most celebrated evening will be "a little scary," Isaacs admitted. She had practice speaking in front of millions when announcing the Oscar nominations alongside actor Chris Hemsworth last month. "I had Thor there, so I felt at home," she joked. "But the Oscars, that's going to be big!"

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jessica Herndon on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SomeKind

Drake & Rihanna Performed 'Take Care' In Paris

February 26, 2014, 5:22 am

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Would you like a steamy interaction between Drake and Rihanna that includes grinding and coy smiles? Great! At the Paris stop on Drake's Would You Like A Tour? on Tuesday, the Toronto rapper and Rihanna performed "Take Care," the title track from Drake's 2011 album. It looked like this:

Drake And Rihanna Dancing #WYLAT #Paris #Bercy pic.twitter.com/v56OLErlTC

— Word On Road (@WordOnRd) February 25, 2014

And this:



Afterward, Drake posted this photo to Instagram with the caption "paRIH."



Video of the pair's "Take Care" duet is below, but be careful since it might melt your computer. Rihanna also sang "Pour It Up" for Drake's audience.

10 Delicious Works Of Art To Stimulate Your Eyes And Appetite

February 26, 2014, 5:30 am

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Locking eyes with a truly tantalizing artwork can feel like gazing longingly at a delectable dish. Your heart beats faster, drooling may occur, and it becomes nearly impossible to focus on anything but the intoxicating colors and textures just beyond your grasp. Both visual experiences can result in a fierce and unshakeable bodily reaction, turning the rest of the world's stimuli into an irrelevant blur. But when the prospective artwork is itself about food, you're really in trouble.


Peter Blume (1906-1992), Vegetable Dinner, 1927, Oil on canvas, Art © The Educational Alliance, Inc./Estate of Peter Blume/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum Purchase



A new exhibition at the Amon Carter Museum in Texas, entitled "Art and Appetite," explores the magical chemistry that takes place when edibles meet acrylics -- or oils, watercolors, etc. The exhibition spans American artists' longtime obsession with food and the culture that surrounds it, from gluttonous Baroque feasts to sterile columns of pristine confections.

Yet the culinary-centric depictions tackle a broader subject matter than just what's on the menu. In many works, food serves as a lens through which to analyze political, social, cultural and economic relations in the air. While Norman Rockwell's "Freedom From Want" hints at the socioeconomic hardships of the era, Roy Lichtenstein's "Turkey" glorifies the alien beauty of a classic, American consumer good. We have to admit, even a two-dimensional Pop Art turkey looks pretty delicious.


Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), Turkey, 1961, Oil on canvas, © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein, Private collection



The exhibition contains 60 mouthwatering works, including classics like Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans" and Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks." Whether you like your dinner Cubist, realist or a tad surreal, you won't be disappointed. Check out a preview of the exhibition below to get a taste of the delicacies that await you.


Richard Estes (b. 1932), Food City, 1967, Oil on Masonite, © Richard Estes, courtesy Marlborough Gallery, New York, Akron Art Museum, Museum Acquisition Fund


William J. McCloskey (1859-1941), Wrapped Oranges, 1889, Oil on canvas, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, acquisition in memory of Katrine Deakins, Trustee, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 1961-1985


Raphaelle Peale (1774-1825), Still Life-Strawberries, Nuts, and Citrus, 1822, Oil on wood panel, Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Jamee J. and Marshall Field


Edward Hopper (1882-1967), Nighthawks, 1942, Oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection


Gerald Murphy (1888-1964), Cocktail, 1927, Oil on canvas, Art © Estate of Honoria Murphy Donnelly/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY, Whitney Museum of American Art. Purchase, with funds from Evelyn and Leonard A. Lauder, Thomas H. Lee and the Modern Painting and Sculpture Committee


Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), Freedom from Want, 1942, Oil on canvas, © SEPS by Curtis Licensing. All Rights Reserved.
Lent Courtesy of the Norman Rockwell Art Collection Trust



Wayne Thiebaud (b. 1920), Salad, Sandwiches and Dessert, 1960, Oil on canvas, Art © Wayne Thiebaud/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY, Lent by the Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NAA–Thomas C. Woods Memorial


Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004), Still Life No. 15, 1962, Oil, printed papers, photograph on canvas, Art © Estate of Tom Wesselmann/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY, Lent by the Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, UNL–Gift of Mrs. Olga N. Sheldon

"Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture, and Cuisine" runs until May 18, 2014 at the Amon Carter Museum in Texas.

21 Signs You Were An Orchestra Nerd

February 26, 2014, 5:38 am

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When we wax nostalgic about the days of high school, some tell stories of their athletic glory, others of their theatrical prowess, others of their audio-visual domination. But a select group, once nestled in the corners of amphitheaters and rehearsal nooks with their cellos, violas, violins and basses, harken back to their days as orchestra nerds. Here are 21 signs you were -- and probably still are -- that nerd:

1. You've spent a good amount of time stuffed into a closet-like space with another human being. Hello, private lessons and seating auditions. You still give me nervous stomach pains just thinking about you.





2. Your brain is full of more minuets, fantasias, preludes and nocturnes than top 40 hits. A handy skill later in life.

3. You still can't listen to pop music without identifying key changes and time signatures. Who doesn't love a good quintuple meter?





4. Your closet was (and, perhaps, is) chock full of plain, all black ensembles. Ladies, you were probably unfortunate enough to endure a billowy dress flattering on NO ONE. Gents, where my cummerbunds at?

5. Forget air guitars, you air conduct. Driving in a car, riding the subway, lounging poolside -- you can't help but wield an imaginary baton, whether you're immersed in Beyonce or Bach.





6. You spent your high school weekends at Youth Symphony rehearsals. You tried out, you got in, and you carpooled with a select few of your classmates every Sunday to sit through a four-hour rehearsal. Pure bliss.

7. Symphony trips. Remember that time you went to San Francisco with the perfect combination of orchestra nerds and band geeks and you unabashedly painted the town red with limited parental supervision and zero oversight from judgmental classmates? Oh, the memories!

8. You had orchestra-specific friends and crushes all throughout your younger years. Forget the varsity soccer player, yearbook photographer and swing dance club founder. All that mattered in the orchestra classroom was violinist, second violinist, cellist and bassist.





9. You have at some point lost track of a rock stop, mute, or shoulder rest. And realized it just seconds before the oboe starting tuning on performance night.

10. You still balk at concert goers who clap between movements at your local symphony. Ok, we can all become a bit enchanted after a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 6, Pathétique." In most cases though, it's just not right.

11. You weren't in a garage band, but you were in a quartet. And you played "The Bird," like, a thousand times.





12. You could play "Pomp and Circumstance" in your sleep. Visions of graduation ceremonies past are probably flying through your brain. You had to sit through so. many. names.

13. Your idols growing up were people like Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Hilary Hahn.





14. Your idea of competition consists of fighting for a chair. First chair to be exact. Or a I rating at All State Orchestra. Or a solo concerto spot.

15. You may or may not have a treble (or bass or tenor) clef tattooed on your body.





16. You took a music theory class and -- to this day -- claim it was harder than physics, chemistry and calculus combined.

17. You never fail to name the famous classical pieces that become ear worms thanks to funny commercials or epic cinematic moments. "William Tell Overture," "Ride of the Valkyries," "Beethoven's #5." You got this.

18. You still carry around an extra pencil. Just in case you have to mark dynamic changes or finger positions in a new piece.




19. You have enviable posture. Thanks, hours-long rehearsals on the edge of our seats!

20. You can still spend hours with nothing but an iPod full of Mahler, Chopin and Ravel. Years of balancing your attention between a music stand and a chaotic conductor has left you with an enduring respect for moments of zen.

21. You still dream of the day when you take Carnegie Hall's stage as a soloist. And, every once in a while, you imagine yourself as the principal musician at the Phil.