Renée Zellweger's First Movie In Four Years May Be 'The Whole Truth,' Opposite Daniel Craig

March 7, 2014, 7:45 am

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Renée Zellweger is set to return to the big screen with her first movie in four years.

The Oscar-winning actress is in talks to star opposite Daniel Craig in the courtroom drama "The Whole Truth," according to The Hollywood Reporter. HuffPost Entertainment contacted Zellweger's reps to confirm the news and will update this post upon receiving a response.

The plot details are under wraps, but THR notes that Craig will play a district attorney in the thriller. Courtney Hunt, who's helmed episodes of "Law & Order: SVU" and the 2008 movie "Frozen River," will direct from a script written by Nicholas Kazan ("Matilda," "Bicentennial Man").

This is big news for Zellweger because she hasn't appeared in a movie since 2010's "My Own Love Song," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival but went straight to DVD the following year. It's been an upward battle for the celebrated actress to reprise the successful string of movies she made in the late '90s and early 2000s, such as "Jerry Maguire," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Chicago." Her most recent acclaim came for Ron Howard's 2005 boxing flick "Cinderella Man," which won glowing reviews but saw poor box office reception.

In the wake of Zellweger's big-screen absence, much fuss has been made over her evolving appearance. Most of the Internet did a double take when she appeared at a screening of "Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story" in November looking decidedly different than she did when she was the "it" girl a decade ago.

Will this be the comeback Zellweger deserves? The 44-year-old actress needs a splashy film to weave her way back onto Hollywood's A-list. Chime in below and tell us what you think of Zellweger's future career trajectory.

UPDATE, 1:15 p.m. -- Zellweger's rep confirmed to HuffPost Entertainment that she is indeed in talks for the role.

[via THR]

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10 Reimagined Disney Posters Bring Your Favorite Childhood Characters Back To Life

March 7, 2014, 9:01 am

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We dare you to reminisce about your younger years without letting visions of Simba, Cruella de Vil and the Mad Hatter fill your head. It's simply impossible to wax nostalgic about our days as burgeoning human beings without remembering the cartoon characters that taught us life's little lessons, from the hassles of pet care to the tragic emotions connected with losing a loved one.

So, when we came across "Nothing's Impossible," a series of reimagined Disney posters that pay tribute to the animated heroes and heroines that made childhood that much better, our inner kid did a cartwheel. Organized by Mondo, Austin, TX's haven for movie poster design, the collection consists of limited edition artworks inspired by films like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," bringing beloved bits of pop culture back to life. We're exclusively premiering our personal favorite, a "Jungle Book" poster by British artist Olly Moss, below:





In celebration of the series' debut, showcased in partnership with Disney's "Oh My Disney" blog," we give you a preview of the throwback exhibition, on view during this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival at Mondo Gallery, below. Let us know your favorite film homage in the comments.



Posters are compliments of Mondo & Oh My Disney

Tensnake On 'Glow,' His Mod Adolescence And Why Disco Never Died

March 7, 2014, 9:23 am

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Marco Niemerski produces sleek, melodic club music as Tensnake, but the German artist didn't start out behind a turntable. He first had to get over his mod period.

"I'm glad that no records exist," the producer laughed during a recent interview with The Huffington Post. "I tried to play guitar when I was young and we had a cover band that did The Who. At school, I'm almost embarrassed to say, but we had a Ramones cover band too. In a suburb of Hamburg, so you can imagine that it wasn't that glam."

After graduating, Niemerski struck out into the music industry, doing public relations work for labels like Strictly Rhythm and eventually settling into advertising. ("It was very, very boring," he said.) He's come a long way, though: On March 11, he'll release "Glow," a studio album that features the likes of Nile Rodgers, Jamie Lidell, MNEK, Fiora and Jacques Lu Cont.

The LP makes for a good start-to-finish listen, with a good mix of timeless sounds ("See Right Through") and contemporary takes on post-club mood music ("Holla"). In advance of the record's release, a tour and an opening gig for Giorgio Moroder and Chic at the Hollywood Bowl in May, we spoke with Niemerski about his inspirations, working with Rodgers and his somewhat controversial views on modern R&B.

You're fond of saying that disco never died. Who are some of the artists you've been enjoying for the past few years?
Over the past couple of years I sort of rediscovered my love for it from Tim Sweeney's Beats in Space show. Then there was this wave of not "nu disco," because I don't like that word at all, but Scandinavians like Todd Terje, Prins Thomas and others who did this type of sound. That inspired me a lot, and obviously DFA Records with LCD Soundsystem's disco influence.

Some of your earlier stuff, like "Coma Cat," sounds like it could have been made this year, but it's almost four years old now.
Yeah, I was a bit too early!

Through that lens, is it interesting to see groups like Disclosure taking off now?
Of course, I'm happy. I remember when I made "Coma Cat" I was quite unsatisfied with the sound in the clubs. It was very minimal, with no vocals, and to me it was missing the fun and the melodies. Back then, I wasn't sure if I should put it out at all, because no one was doing club vocals. But now there are so many club bands with vocals that you almost have to have them. If "Coma Cat" helped bring that back, then of course I'm happy.

Do you think there's a space for the type of music you make on pop radio?
I'm not afraid of pop music, I grew up on it. I grew up in the suburbs of Hamburg, and there wasn't so many things to do. Music was very important to escape that life when you were young. I grew up on '80s radio music, so I was confronted with the big pop song very early. Some people are strictly underground and I don't know if they're afraid of making more money or reaching more people, but I'm not like that. What is underground? Underground is just not selling records -- the less you sell, the more underground you are.

I can definitely say that I had to get used to playing in front of more and more people in bigger clubs, but only because the dominant, main sound in those places is made for masses. The place I come from isn't necessarily what the masses like. It's changing, though. Because in my mind, I think that I come from an underground space but it's more and more mainstream. In the States, for so many years you had hip-hop and rock, and that was it. Then you had this explosion of EDM, and hopefully they're discovering some new sounds. It's getting more diverse.

Between performing and recording, which do you prefer?
The most fun for me is sitting in the studio and the production. The creative process of making music is what's tickling my brain. It makes me happy and it takes me on a journey. To stand in front of people, I had to really get used to playing festivals, because you're very far away from people and it's very hard to connect. But over time, I've come to also enjoy it because you reach a lot of new audiences and I can also hear a lot of bands.

The sets are usually also just so short at festivals.
Yeah, very often you're just playing one hour, and you have to start with a climax. Every DJ wants to be the best at a festival, so you don't have a choice but to play hard from the start.

When did you actually start working on the album?
To be honest, it was years ago. One of the first songs that I finished was "Feel of Love," and it's my bow-down to Prince. Hopefully it sounds Prince-ish without too much copying. The Nile Rodgers song, "Love Sublime," was done in March of last year. All of that was before "Get Lucky" came out. I think the whole process took me about two years and it got signed to the label a year ago. Everything takes ages.

Was there a broad vision for the album?
No, there wasn't a master plan. But all I knew is that I didn't want it to have a collection of tracks, I wanted it to work from the beginning to end and make it sound a bit like we were back in the '90s. Sometimes you would buy a CD or vinyl for one song, but you'd discover a lot more. That was the main goal, to make something that people would listen before they go out, when they return from the clubs. During the creative process, you might think it doesn't make sense, but when you're putting it together in the end, it does.

Did you think that people already had certain expectations of your sound?
I wanted to show myself that I could produce different types of music. I try not to think about it, because there are people who want "Coma Cat" part two or three or four, then there are people who say Tensnake is too commercial so they want the first release from six years back. I try just not to think about that.

Did you and Nile have any studio time together?
No, we didn't unfortunately. We met for dinner a couple of times and were together on stage in Ibiza. Suddenly his management called and said, "Nile is in Hamburg for two days, do you want to record?" I wanted to but I had a DJ booking somewhere else. I sent him some stuff and when he was back in New York in his studio, we did a Skype session. He just told me, "Dude, I'm just your session guitar player." So you can imagine. But he makes it easy!

He's also such an amazing storyteller.
Yeah, that's what happened in Miami when we were at Joe's Stone Crab which is a classic place. It was just my management and his management and some people. It's like I wasn't even there, because it was so surreal. He was telling us stories about Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and a bit about the Daft Punk thing.

Was there a particular production of his that really inspired you?
I love "Get Lucky." It's a genius track, and the whole Daft Punk album is so original. It's very important to do something else -- they could have very easily done a sure shot, and this wasn't one.

You're keen on viewing what you do as proper songwriting, not just a means to an end for dancing. How does your process work with vocalists?
Mainly I'm finishing the instrumental and I send it over. Except where Fiora is featured, because we worked on "See Right Through" and she sent me her track the next day. I was very impressed because the background track is very boring, it's kind of like a tech house loop. I then invited her to the studio, and she's someone who really cares about lyrics. I'm usually not even listening to lyrics. My brain works more with melody. We finished the rest of the tracks together.

Are you fond of the direction that dance music is moving, in terms of the more popular content?
I'm super excited. I think now, more than ever, good electronic music is becoming very popular. People are hungry for something new, and there's so much attention from the media because it's generating so much money. I grew up on music that was made in America, so I'm looking forward to moving to L.A. for three months. I came up on '90s R&B, which I don't really think exists so much anymore. I would like to work with some people and come see if I can get involved in helping bring R&B back a bit more.

Who would you like to work with?
I'd love to work with artists like James Fauntelroy, and the guy who produced the Frank Ocean. Los Angeles in general is a great place for pop music, so I'm excited to learn.

Putin Butt Plug Lets You Stick It To Russian Leader

March 7, 2014, 9:30 am

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Directions: Take this sex toy and Putin your butt.

Graphic designer Fernando Sosa is blowing up on Reddit with his newest 3D printed work of art: a figurine of Russian President Vladimir Putin that's not-quite-perfect for some self-loving, but it a way to stick it to the country's anti-gay politics.



While these aren't the first political-related sexual devices, this might be one of the best.

Sosa explained his inspiration on his Imgur page:

"This is the second of my political oriented figurines. As many of you guys know, Russia is bringing an all-out war against the civil rights of gay people in Russia. Leading the charge is Mr. Putin and his homophobic leadership. I wanted to ridicule Mr. Putin so I wanted to make a voodo[o]-like doll of him so people could do whatever they wanted to Mr. Putin in the privacy of their own home. However, what a better way to attack Mr. Putin's shirtless bear wrestling reputation? Make him into the shape of a butt plug."

Putin's anti-gay policies also inspired the "Send A Sex Toy To Vladimir Putin" Facebook campaign.

Politics aside, it's pretty hilarious, and greatly detailed. And despite the aim of Sosa's joke, it should be noted that heterosexuals and homosexuals partake in anal sex.

However, we should give you a word of warning: Don't actually stick it up any orifices. Perhaps in the cruelest joke of all, the Putin butt plug is made entirely of sandstone.

"Emp[ha]sis on the sandstone," Sosa said in a Reddit comment.

That doesn't mean Sosa isn't trying to improve his product.

"I'm looking for a few people to help me buy raw materials like skin safe silicone or rubber," Sosa said on his website.

The artist is currently selling the novelty plugs for a modest $23.

As an added bonus, Sosa has a pretty great sculpture of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.






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'Sesame Street' Parodies 'Les Misérables' By Subtracting Revolution And Adding Cookies

March 7, 2014, 9:31 am

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It's the story of Jean Bon-Bon, a French man on a desperate search for cookies who then learns how to share them with his friends. Featuring hit songs:

"Look Down, Look Down... No Cookies Anywhere"

"There Is A Cookie On A Cloud"

"Own My Own... Wishing I Had Cookies"

And our personal favorite:

"One Day S'more"

This video is part of a Sesame Workshop series that aims to teach kids about self regulation. See more of our favorite clips here!

U2 Postpones New Album, Tour Until 2015

March 7, 2014, 9:42 am

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Billboard reports that U2 will not unveil a new album until 2015, despite a tentative release planned for this summer. The band also decided to reschedule a tour, originally slated to begin in September, for summer 2015 so they can continue to work on the album in additional sessions scheduled with producers Ryan Tedder and Paul Epworth.

"It seems to be taking longer for them to finish an album as they get older, but the great thing about U2 is that the whole of a record is always better than the sum of its parts," a source close to the project reportedly said. "That magic that the band always seems to capture ... they have yet to capture it."

Read more about U2's delay on Billboard.

11 Remarkable Ways Detroit Changed The World For The Better

March 7, 2014, 9:56 am

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HuffPost's Good News USA series showcases both past and present ways cities across the country have created a positive impact worldwide and within their own communities.

The 2013 version of Detroit may be bankrupt and beginning to rebuild, but the city is drawing from its tremendous wealth of history as it looks ahead. From music and industry to sports and invention, Detroit has led the way since being founded by explorer Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac in 1701. The city's geographic location on the Detroit River helped the settlement grow into a thriving fur-trapping and trade hub.

Detroit's contributions to American and international history are significant, in part because of its shared border with the Canadian city of Windsor. Detroit was the last stop for many slaves who passed through the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada. That border also made Detroit a natural center for hatching liquor-running schemes during Prohibition.

Here are 11 incredible ways Detroit has changed the world for the better.

1. When Martin Luther King Jr. previewed the "I Have A Dream" speech.



Before the March on Washington, 25,000 Detroiters gathered in Cobo Hall to hear a preview of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech on June 23, 1963. Known as the "Detroit Walk to Freedom," MLK Jr. marched down Woodward Avenue with Walter Reuther, the Reverend C.L. Franklin and 125,000 other civil rights believers. For the 50th anniversary in June 2013, thousands gathered to walk down Woodward Avenue in remembrance. Wendell Anthony, Detroit NAACP president, told WJBK that the march signified "that the work for freedom and justice must continue."

2. When the Red Wings won the first Stanley Cup in 42 years.



The Detroit Red Wings' journey to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1997 and 1998 ended one of the longest cup droughts in NHL history. A million people showed up to celebrate the team at a parade down Woodward Avenue in 1997. The Red Wings' first championship in 42 years gave some credence to the nickname "Hockeytown," that Detroit had adopted. It set the stage for greatness behind the Red Wings bench and on the ice (22 straight playoff appearances!), leading some to dub them the greatest franchise in pro sports. The team's integration of European and Soviet-style hockey strategies, best expressed by the famous Russian Five lineup, led the push to make hockey a truly international game.

3. When Hazen S. Pingree's potato patch inspired the nation to feed the hungry.



He was the greatest mayor Detroit would ever know. Hazen S. Pingree, an avowed social reformer and enemy of major corporations and monopolies, fought during his 1890-1897 tenure to expose corruption and negotiate fair costs for Detroiters. But Pingree is best remembered for his potato patch. The Panic of 1893 hit Detroit hard, and by late 1894, there was no money left to care for the poor. Pingree mounted an unprecedented public works campaign and opened the city’s massive holdings of vacant land for garden plots and potato patches. "Pingree’s potato patches broke the back of hunger," the Detroit Free Press later wrote, according to Historic Detroit. "They were nationally acclaimed and copied. They revealed a city of boundless energy and industry unwilling to live on doles."

4. When Berry Gordy dreamed up a record company that would spread the Motown Sound to the world.




In 1959, a songwriter named Berry Gordy had already written a number of hits for Jackie Wilson. But he still didn't have the financial means to open his own business, Gordy told "Oprah’s Master Class" last year. He asked his family for $1,000, but they could only afford $800. That modest sum bought the small photo studio on Detroit’s Grand Blvd. that the world came to know as "Hitsville USA" -- home to Motown Records, and dozens of hit singles by the Temptations, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and more.

5. When Diego Rivera's industry murals challenged the status quo.



Diego Rivera's bold, vivid frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement in the United States, and his public art-making became the biggest inspiration for Franklin Roosevelt's WPA program during the Depression. It was the political messages entwined with the murals that made Rivera, husband of Frida Kahlo, such a controversial figure in American art. He was an avowed atheist and Marxist; these views led one of his murals to be removed from New York City's Rockefeller Center. Rivera painted his 27-panel mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts over 11 months in 1932 and 1933. His meditations on industry and its consequences, along with his portrayal of workers, are considered the artist's greatest American work, though it was condemned as pornographic and sacrilegious. Although Edsel Ford was pressured to remove the mural, he refused. During the height of McCarthyism, a sign was hung in Rivera Court condemning the artist's views but championing the murals.

6. When the city honored the first African-American national hero.



This 8,000-pound, 24-foot-long sculpture of Joe Louis' fist sits proudly in the center of the city. Joe Louis was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1937 to 1950 and is regarded as one of the first African-American national heroes. "The Fist" has become a symbol of pride and determination for the people of Detroit. It was paid for by a $350,000 commission from Sports Illustrated magazine and was sculpted by Robert Graham.

7. When the "Bad Boy era" made physical basketball an acceptable practice.



The Pistons hit the jackpot when they scored the #2 pick in the 1981 NBA draft: Isiah Thomas, who would go on to become one of the greatest NBA point guards. They then hired Chuck Daly as head coach in 1983, guiding the team to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. Thomas and Daly led the Pistons into what is referred to as the "Bad Boy era," which changed the way athletes imposed their will on the competition. For the first time in basketball history, players were using strength, brute force and intimidation to dominate their opponents. "Detroit has my basketball soul and is a city that has always persevered against the odds," Thomas told The Huffington Post. "Detroit is a city that has impacted the world through its music, sports and motor vehicles. I love Detroit!"

8. When a young inventor (Henry Ford) founded his own automobile company.



A young Henry Ford assembled his first engine-powered vehicle, the Quadricycle, in secret at his rented home on Bagley Avenue. Three years later, in 1899, Ford founded the Detroit Automobile Company, an automobile manufacturer, with backing from investors. The company closed down January 1901, but it didn’t take long for Ford’s idea to make a comeback. It was reorganized into the Henry Ford Company on Nov. 30, 1901, changing the automobile industry forever.

9. When three kids helped make the city the birthplace of techno.



Techno may have taken over the world, but like Motown music, it was invented in Detroit. Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson were high school friends who became known locally as "The Belleville Three," for their work shaping and building electronic music. The techno they helped create is more than a genre: it's a sonic perspective exploring the post-industrial city and the future it holds. Electronic music still takes center stage every summer at the annual Movement festival downtown.

10. When Detroit paved its way to a better future.



Not only was Detroit known for automobiles, but it also created the first mile of concrete highway in the nation in 1909. It cost $13,537 and ran on Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile roads. Detroit paved the way for other states to build concrete highways: Road builders came from everywhere to see how the concrete held up after a substantial number of cars drove on it. The nation's first four-way electric traffic light was at the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. The light was the invention of Detroit police officer William Potts.

11. When the first regularly scheduled programs were broadcast over the radio.



While there is debate surrounding who started the nation's first radio station, Detroit's 8MK was founded on Aug. 20, 1920, and claims to be the first radio station to broadcast regularly scheduled news reports, as well as religious broadcasts and play-by-play sports reports. Founded by the Scripps family and licensed to the Detroit Evening News, it was later renamed WWJ.

'Vagina Stadium' Architect Faces Firestorm For Saying Deadly World Cup Working Conditions Aren't Her Problem

March 7, 2014, 10:03 am

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If people are predicted to die constructing a building you designed, what would you do?

This is the question facing architect Zaha Hadid, whose Al Wakrah is the most famous of the stadiums rising out of the desert for the 2022 World Cup. Its fame isn’t for the high-profile matches it will host, nor for its size (Al Wakrah is neither the largest nor most critical of the dozen sites for the Qatar games), but for its shape. Though the stadium is meant to reference a traditional Arabic fishing boat, when the designs were revealed last year, everyone from Jon Stewart to the feminist site Jezebel had a chuckle over how much it looks like a vulva.



The notoriety of the design may be why Hadid -- and not, say, Norman Foster or Albert Speer Jr., starchitects who also won World Cup bids -- is enmeshed in a far more serious scandal: a rash of deaths in the name of the tournament.

Hadid -- an Iraqi-born British icon and the first woman to win the famed Pritzker Prize -- is also arguably the best known architect of the bunch. Her stadium is also scheduled to be completed first. While reports indicate that advance construction on her site began in January, it is not known whether any workers have died at Al Wakrah specifically.

Hadid's office did not respond to several requests for comment this week on the World Cup-worker deaths.

According to a recent investigation by The Guardian, since 2012, nearly 900 immigrant workers from India and Nepal have died from circumstances largely related to 2022 World Cup labor. If present conditions persist, up to 4,000 more may die “before a ball is kicked in 2022,” according to the International Trade Union Confederation, which monitors workers’ rights across the globe.

As of last fall, more than half of the dead had succumbed to workplace accidents or heart attacks triggered by the heat of the desert, coupled with squalid living quarters that often drive laborers to sleep on their roofs. One laborer told The Guardian he was physically assaulted by his employer after being forced to work for more than 36 hours on no food.

This in a country so oil rich it’s spending $200 billion on a sports event. That’s $100,00 per capita, versus the $350 per capita lavished on the pricey Sochi Olympic Games, $73 per capita estimated for Brazil’s World Cup, and $54 per capita spent by South Africa when it hosted the tournament (not counting Qatar’s likely hidden costs, in the form of alleged bribes to win the bid in the first place.)

“The overall picture is of one of the richest nations exploiting one of the poorest to get ready for the world's most popular sporting tournament,” The Guardian report concludes.

How does Hadid fit into this mess? By claiming she doesn’t.

The architect drew outrage and criticism last week when she told The Guardian that she has “nothing to do with the workers.”

“I think that's an issue the government –- if there's a problem –- should pick up,” she added. “Hopefully, these things will be resolved … It's not my duty as an architect to look at it … I have no power to do anything about it."

She wasn’t helped by that qualifier -- “if there’s a problem” -- the casualness of which hardly relayed caution or concern. Hundreds of deaths is certainly a problem. The backlash has been widespread, and the headlines rough: “Zaha Hadid Is An Awful Human Being,” starts one, on the art world news site Hyperallergic.

But is Hadid correct?

According to architect Phillip H. Gerou, yes, technically speaking. Gerou, a past member of the ethics board for the American Institute of Architects, told The Huffington Post that architectural ethics codes typically ascribe the “duty” of caring for worker safety to the contractor.

“The contractor necessarily needs to keep control of his construction site and take responsibility for that,” Gerou said. “I cannot think of an instance where an architect would be held responsible for something that happens at the construction site.”

In Hadid’s case, there is no contractor yet. Though construction on Al Wakrah has begun, the main contractor won’t be announced until spring.

But Gerou says prior knowledge is the exception to the rule of onsite duty: If an architect has “recognized a hazardous condition” beforehand, the ethical norm would be to address it. The numerous reports of worker deaths certainly establishes a precedent indicating more laborers will die before construction is done.

The architect had reason to believe the risks for workers were dire even before The Guardian investigation, for reasons that have nothing to do with the potential complexity of her design. Qatar is one of many Arab countries in the Persian Gulf to practice the labor system known as “kafala.” In this legal arrangement, workers are beholden to employers who oversee their visa applications and legal status. The setup explains why so many workers can’t escape their situation -- employers often hold their passports hostage.

Given the amount of ink shed on kafala in the last decade by organizations like Human Rights Watch, it’s unlikely anyone contracting with the country would be new to the concept or its likeness to slavery (a comparison made even by the Labor Minister of Bahrain, whose country banned the practice only in 2008).

A caveat issued on Hadid’s website after she won the bid last year dances around the issue:

All construction contracts for the stadium will be issued in line with the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee’s Workers’ Charter and Standards -- developed in consultation with international human rights organizations -- which will enforce best practice, in line with the government’s vision for worker welfare, and cement the tournament as a catalyst to the improvement of workers’ welfare within Qatar and the region.

But reality hasn’t worked out according to such neat terms. The new charter Hadid promised has been declared a “sham” by the ITUC, a characterization backed up by the death count. Yet Qatar’s still-brutal conditions aren’t stopping recruits: An average of 20 people every hour are moving to the small peninsula nation, primarily to work on the World Cup, according to a recent Amnesty International report.

Given this grim background, is Hadid still correct in her assertion that she is not responsible for laborers working to make her design a reality?

The crux of this question propels much debate in architecture. Should ethics temper ambition? International architects like Richard Rogers might say Hadid never should have bid for the contract in the first place. “We have a responsibility to society,” Rogers told Dezeen Magazine last year, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Blaming the dog-eat-dog standards of modern architecture for obscuring that principle, he suggested that professional duty extends “not just to the client but also to the passer-by and society as a whole."

Gerou, the former member of the ethics board for the American Institute of Architects takes a more utilitarian view. “Someone always makes a bid," he said.

With Hadid’s iconic status, she “potentially [has] the power to influence the Qatari government” to make meaningful reforms by speaking out now, Gerou says. For all Hadid’s claims of “no power,” she was crowned one of Time’s 100 most powerful people just a few years ago.

If she wants to take on more duty, Gerou says, she could. “Some matters,” he pointed out, “are up to the architect’s own conscience.”

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Father's Beautiful Photos Reveal The Wonder of Childhood

March 7, 2014, 10:20 am

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To remember the wonder of the world, one only needs to remember childhood.

Such a reminder exists in French photographer Alain Laboile's stunning collection, "La Famille." The photo album captures his six children at their bucolic home, where sticks become swords, antlers become crowns and wild animals become the best of friends.

Because his children vary in age, the collection navigates the vast landscape of growing up -- from bathing in a suds bucket to applying eyeliner at the breakfast table.

"Day to day I create a family album that constitutes a legacy that I will pass on to my children," wrote Laboile in a statement about the collection. "My work reflects our way of life, revolving around their childhood."

The Laboile family's way of life appears to be a blissfully chaotic one filled with adventure, imagination and running naked through the mud. And though elements like the child nudity in the collection may raise questions, it seems that was just what Laboile intended.

"Fed everyday and shared with the world via the Internet, my photographic production has become a mean of communication, leading to a questioning about freedom, nudity, being and having," he wrote.

Take a look at Laboile's collection below, or see it in person at dnj Gallery in Santa Monica, Calif.

These Stylized Hijabs Show A Muslim Tradition In A Beautiful New Light (PHOTOS)

March 7, 2014, 1:24 pm

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While the debate over the hijab as a symbol of personal choice versus oppression is nothing new, that one can be fashioned as an artistic, creative expression is bringing a fresh perspective to the dialogue.

Didn't expect the hijab to be stylized? Take a look at British artist Sara Shamsavari's beautiful photo series in which unconventional veils challenge stereotypes and invite conversation.



Shamsavari, who is a non-Muslim of Iranian descent, told The Huffington Post she wants her project to discuss the hijab "beyond differences."

"I have no attachment to the hijab specifically, I just believe that a person should have the right to choose their expression and it seems this group of people are targeted with a lot of prejudice and abuse in the west," she said. "The work is neither as a critic nor an advocate of the hijab but exists rather to recognize and celebrate its participants as strong, vital individuals who manage to shine, despite the struggles of youth, womanhood and prejudice they may receive as a result of the visibility of their faith."



During her most recent trip to New York City, Shamsavari was approached by photographer Brandon Stanton of the immensely popular "Humans of New York" blog. Stanton was on his way to the gym when he noticed her taking photographs. Shamsavari says he became inspired to share her work, something he told her "doesn't usually do with his audience."


Humans of New York

"It was special and totally unanticipated," Shamsavari said. "Brandon has visited Iran and his work resonates with my own in the sense that it is about elevation rather than exploitation of humans."

Shamsavari's photo series further proves the hijab and fashion are not mutually exclusive -- in fact, Muslim women can use it to express themselves in a way most fashion bloggers can't.

Take a look at more of Shamsavari's work below:

Google Celebrates International Women's Day With Creative Doodle Video

March 7, 2014, 1:54 pm

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International Women's Day is March 8th, and this year Google is marking the occasion with a very special doodle. Well, not so much a doodle as a video.

Watch above to see women of all different backgrounds, ethnicities, occupations and ages wish you a happy holiday in their native tongue.

Kendrick Lamar Gets Trippy With Tame Impala On 'Backwards'

March 7, 2014, 1:56 pm

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We saw Kendrick Lamar's first experiment in the indie-rock realm with his Imagine Dragons collaboration, but his track with psychedelic rockers Tame Impala, "Backwards," from the film "Divergent," takes his discography to a trippier level. A remix of Tame Impala's "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards," K. Dot's lines sear with anger, his voice coming out louder and fiercer than it ever has before.

Listen to the outlandish, but totally awesome, collaboration below, and stream the full "Divergent" soundtrack here.

'Memory Wound' Will Cut Through Site Of Norway's Massacre : The Two-Way : NPR

March 7, 2014, 2:08 pm

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If you've had a chance to visit the September 11 memorials at Ground Zero in Manhattan, the Pentagon and western Pennsylvania — or perhaps have been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. — then you have a sense of the powerful emotions that such places can stir up.

This week, the design was chosen for a memorial to the victims of the July 22, 2011, attacks in Norway that left 77 people dead and several hundred more wounded. Swedish artist Jonas Dahlberg's vision for what's being called a "memory wound" seems likely to join the list of such memorials that evoke strong feelings.

11 Pieces Of TV Parenting Advice Worth Sharing

March 7, 2014, 2:37 pm

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Sometimes it's hard to find the right thing to say to your kids.

But whether it's advice about following your dreams, a stern grandmotherly talking to about moving on or a "birds and the bees" lecture, here are 10 pieces of advice worth sharing from our favorite TV parents:

"As long as you're not hurting anybody, you can do anything you want to do." -- Danny Tanner, "Full House"



"Trust me, throwing yourself at a new guy is the not the way to get over the old one." -- Ashley Marin, "Pretty Little Liars"



"Your job is to be yourself. And my job is to love you no matter what." -- Burt Hummel, "Glee"



"You're a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do." -- Violet Crawley, "Downton Abbey"



"Tonight if you get the urge to dance, I want you to walk up to a girl, and I want you to look her in the eye, and I want you to say, 'Hi, I'm Max Braverman, your president. Would you like to dance with me?' ... and in the highly unlikely situation that she says no, you say, 'Thank you very much. Maybe next time.'" -- Kristina Braverman, "Parenthood"



"I think what you really need to do today is wallow ... Oh yeah, get back in your pajamas, go to bed, eat nothing but gallons of ice cream and tons of pizza, don’t take a shower or shave your legs or put on any kind of make up at all and just sit in the dark and watch a really sad movie and have a good long cry and just wallow. You need to wallow." -- Lorelai Gilmore, "Gilmore Girls"



"My job as a father isn't to give you the whole picture. Because the truth is, I can't see it myself. My job is to try and help and every now and then, fit a piece of the puzzle ... your future, your expectations -- they belong to you. Don't let anybody stand in the way. Not even me." -- Mitch Leery, "Dawson's Creek"



"Sometimes the things you are most afraid of are the things that make you the happiest." -- Nora Walker, "Brothers & Sisters"



"Well, you have a curfew, and we have to know where you're going and with whom, and you can't do any drinking, and you can't get in a car with a boy who's done any drinking, and your father and I have to meet him first, whoever he is." -- Patty Chase, "My So-Called Life"



"You're thinking about [having sex]. Are you thinking about pregnancy, are you thinking about sexually transmitted diseases?" -- Tami Taylor, "Friday Night Lights"



BONUS PARENT: "If you let people's perception of you dictate your behavior, you'll never grow as a person." -- Mr. Feeny, "Boy Meets World"

Conan O'Brien Gives Body-Slam Filled Review Of The WWE 2K14 Video Game

March 7, 2014, 3:45 pm

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In Conan O'Brien's most recent edition of his "Clueless Gamer" series, the TV host sat down with Aaron Blair to play WWE 2K14.

The pair played consecutive matches, the second of which Conan went head-to-head with The Rock while playing with his own personal character.

"I love how realistic this game is because I would kick the CRAP out of The Rock!" Conan says. Overall, the comedian declared the graphics pretty good, and insisted the game was worth it under one special condition...

Watch the video above to find out what that condition is.

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This Guy's Acapella Version Of Mike Tyson's 'Punch Out' Will Make You Nostalgic (VIDEO)

March 7, 2014, 4:03 pm

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In 1987, Nintendo came out with the "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" video game. Nearly thirty years later, it is still beloved and remembered.

This week, YouTube user Smooth McGroove uploaded a video of him performing the game's iconic theme song with layered acapella tracks of himself singing.

WARNING: Serious nostalgia inside.

10 Comics That Depict Your Darkest Feelings With Freakish Accuracy

March 8, 2014, 1:22 am

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There was a time when a majority of comics covered epic topics like swooping superheroes, maniacal villains and damsels in distress. These days, they prefer more, erm, ordinary subject matter, such as attempting to read on the subway or pushing out poisonous thoughts.

But that's not to say for one second that these contemporary themes are unoriginal or unimaginative. In fact, we're shocked again and again at just how beautifully a perfect stranger can express the dark, secret fears that plague our minds in those personal moments falling asleep, falling in (unrequited) love, or inappropriately burning with envy.



Few artists embody this new comic era like Anne Emond, a Brooklyn-based illustrator whose works capture those minute moments of crisis we know all too well, but rarely talk about. From tossing and turning in the wee hours of the night to morphing into a bird and taking flight, Emond's works flip from banal to surreal without warning, showing the importance and sincerity of both realms. Immensely personal, with the proper dose of humor and seriousness, Emond renders your most insecure moments in ink so accurately you'll swear she was your long lost BFF. We reached out to learn more about her truthful and hilarious works.





Your drawings ring so true it's almost unreal. Are these illustrations based on your life experiences?

My ideas pretty much all come from real life, even the more surreal comics are just an expression of particular emotional states. Sometimes if I have a feeling that needs purging, drawing it out can be an effective cure. The comics I've done which have proven to be the most popular tend to be the ones I'm the most ambivalent about sharing, sometimes because I perceive them as revealing deeply personal failings, or else I'm afraid of coming off as whiny or self-indulgent. But those are usually the comics that people seem to relate or respond to the most, which is gratifying and, frankly, validating.





What is your brainstorming process like? How long does it take to come up with a comic?

The best ideas usually come while I'm occupied with something else. Mindless tasks are the best: puttering around on my lunch break at my day job, showering, washing dishes, taking a walk, these things let my mind wander. Sometimes I can come up with ideas if I sit at my desk aimlessly doodling, but those are much less satisfying. Coming up with the ideas is the difficult part for me; once I've got the idea, executing it can be frustrating but mostly is a total pleasure.





We spend a lot of time covering gender inequality in the art world. What has your experience been as a woman in the comic world?

My experience has been that so many women are making so many incredible comics these days, and it is a constant thrill being surrounded by their work. I know I have been lucky in that I have not been subject to the kind of online harassment that some of my female peers have dealt with. But a great thing about posting art online is that you don't have to rely on a middleman to expose your work to other people; your audience will find you.





Who are your favorite comics now? What about when you were growing up?

Most recently I've been getting into Tove Jansson's "Moomin" comics and finally understand what all the fuss is about; they're utterly charming and at same time totally unsentimental. Also, lately, reading comics by Kerascoet and Joann Sfar. Some other younger comics artists whose work I admire and follow online include Ines Estrada, Lauren Albert, Emily Carroll, Hellen Jo, and Eleanor Davis. Growing up I loved old New Yorker cartoons, particularly artists like Saul Steinberg and Mary Petty, and also Matt Groening's "Life in Hell." But my central, formative comics love is undoubtedly Lynda Barry. I've been obsessing over her work since I was in high school.

15 Kickass Female Artists We're Eternally Grateful For This International Women's Day

March 8, 2014, 1:22 am

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It's International Women's Day and here at Huff Post Arts & Culture we're expressing endless gratitude for the dazzling female artists who've inspired us with their bravery, creativity and fierce dedication to art.

Last year we assembled playing cards for some of our favorite "key players" in the art world -- we know, bad joke -- and because our love for them hasn't waned, we're revisiting the creative forces today. From Artemisia Gentileschi's 17th century boldness to Cindy Sherman's endless contemporary influence, these are 15 of the artists we're sending mad love to on this holiest of days. Enjoy and happy International Women's Day everyone!

Adrain Chesser, Photographer Who Shot Reactions To HIV Diagnosis, Discusses Project

March 8, 2014, 6:17 am

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Photographer Adrian Chesser joined HuffPost Live this week to discuss "I have something to tell you," his powerful photo series capturing his friends and family at the moment he revealed he was HIV positive.

The Florida-born Chesser said the project came to him at "an epiphany moment," as he was feeling anxious about revealing the diagnosis to his loved ones.

"When I had to think about telling my friends and family, I would have this really extreme emotional reaction, that would be like this very visceral reaction," he said. "[It was] really based in fear of abandonment from my childhood."

Eventually, he decided to "create a ritual around the telling," noting that he hoped to "possibly transform this fear of abandonment from my childhood into something else as an adult."

He concluded, "It was an attempt to heal myself."

Last month, Chesser told The Huffington Post that, years later, he's actually healthier now than he's ever been, and the photography project might have something to do with it.

"Of course it’s not all due to my emotional state but it is a huge part of it," he said.

View a selection of Chesser's photos below:

Tension In Crimea, The Paralympics And Snakes For Lunch: The Week In Photos, March 2 - 9

March 8, 2014, 7:29 am

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Nothing quite compares to the power of a photograph to communicate the goings on in the world, captured in the thick of things. Ranging from the serious to the silly, these photos offer peeks into various events around the world this week.

1. A Brazilian dancer performs in the samba parade during the Rio de Janeiro Carnival on March 2, 2014.

(Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

2. Snakes are collected and rolled before being put in the oven in the village of Kertasura, Indonesia on March 2, 2014.

(Nurcholis Anhari Lubis/Getty Images)

3. A Ukrainian soldier kisses his girlfriend Svetlana through the gates of the Belbek military base in Lubimovka, Crimea on March 3, 2014.

(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

4. Actors perform at the Fisht Olympic stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, March 7, 2014.

(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

5. South Korean new military officers cheer during the joint commission ceremony of 5,860 new officers of the army, navy, air force and marines on March 6, 2014.

(Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)

6. As President Assad is finalizing his campaign for reelection, a Syrian man runs as flames rise from buildings that were attacked by Syrian government airstrikes.

(AP Photo/Coordination Committee In Kfar Takharim)

7. A Thai anti-government protester gets tattooed by his friend at Lumpini Park in Bangkok on March 3, 2014.

(AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)


8. A burqa-clad Afghan refugee woman makes a carpet at the Khorasan refugee camp near Peshawar on March 7, 2014, ahead of International Women's Day.

(A. Majeed/AFP/Getty Images)

9. Oscar Pistorius cradles his head in his hands on the fifth day of his trial in Pretoria, South Africa.

(AP Photo/Theana Breugem, Pool)

10. Children of Christian families pose at a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) outside the Bossangoa Catholic Church in the Central African Republic, on March 6, 2014, while the UN Security Council debated the crisis in New York.

(Sia Kambou/AFP/Getty Images)