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Everything You Need To Know Before 'Mad Men' Returns

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"Mad Men" returns for its final seven episodes on Sunday night. The first half of Season 7 was a difficult climb back to the top for Don, and a lot happened along the way. There was Bert Cooper's death (and beautiful musical send-off) in the mid-season finale, the moon landing and even Michael Ginsberg's shocking self-mutilation. Before we pick back up with "Mad Men," here's where everyone left off:

Don Draper
don
Don had a rocky ride through the first half of Season 7. He was unemployed and kept it from Megan and Sally, finally returned to Sterling Cooper & Partners, but had to start from the bottom. Then he almost got fired for good for breaching his contract. But Don eventually got sober, did his work, had a touching moment of honesty with Sally and gave Peggy her much deserved chance to shine for Burger Chef.

Peggy Olson
peggy
Peggy finally got to tell Don what to do this season when Lou Avery assigned him to Burger Chef, but her confidence was dampened when they chose Don to present at the big meeting. Finally, though, Peggy and Don shared a poignant moment and even a slow dance. Peggy's awesome Burger Chef pitch won her the account.

Pete Campbell
pete
Pete spent most of Season 7A getting very tan in Los Angeles with his real-estate girlfriend. But the mid-season finale ended with Pete back in New York and winning over Burger Chef with the help of Peggy and Don.

Roger Sterling
roger
Roger came through and saved Don's job by negotiating with McCann Erickson. Although McCann was formerly the major competition, the company ended up buying Sterling Cooper & Partners. As far as his personal life goes, Roger's daughter Margaret, who know goes by Marigold , was last seen living upstate on a commune. Meanwhile, Roger watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon with his ex-wife Mona, brother-in-law and grandchild.

Joan Harris
joan
Joan had a major and surprising proposition at the end of last season: Bob Benson showed up and asked her to marry him. But Joan wants true love, and knows Bob is gay, so she turned him down.

Megan Draper
megan
Megan and Don finally called it quits, with her continuing to pursue her acting career in L.A. It's hard to predict what will happen with her storyline next, but we can definitely count out the Megan-Draper-as-Sharon-Tate theory.

Betty Francis
betty
Betty had one of her best, though incredibly rare, good mother moments when she volunteered to chaperone Bobby's farm field trip. She smiled through it rather genuinely and seemed to enjoy spending time with her son, but then she threw a fit when he gave her sandwich away.

Sally Draper
sally
Sally grew up a lot over the last season. She and Don finally addressed that moment when she caught him cheating and the two opened up to each other at a diner. She told her dad, "I love you," stood up to Betty after getting her nose broken in a school fight and even kissed a boy.



Questions we still have
  • What year will the new episodes take place in?

  • Will Harry Crane ever be a partner?

  • What actually happened with Ginsberg?

  • Are Ted and Peggy going to address their previous affair (or her awkward call about the Valentine's Day mix-up)?

  • Will Peggy and Pete ever talk about their romance from back in the day?

  • Will Don and Megan get back together?

  • Will the series end with that "Mad Women" theory?

  • Will Roger's daughter ever return to her family?

  • Will Roger end up alone or will he finally be a part of Joan and Kevin's life?

  • Will we see Glen Bishop again?

  • Will we catch up with Paul Kinsey -- did he actually go to L.A. to be a writer?

  • Will Ken ever pursue his sci-fi novels?

  • Is Don going to become D.B. Cooper?



"Mad Men" returns on Sunday, April 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET on AMC.

'House Of Cards' Season 4 Will Air In 2016

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It only takes 10 seconds to crush a man's ambitions, but basically a full year to get new episodes of "House of Cards." As tweeted by the official "House of Cards" Twitter account, the show will return for a fourth season in 2016




Season 3 of "House of Cards" is available now on Netflix.

Stirring Photographs Document The Many Women Imprisoned In Afghanistan

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women



Most women incarcerated in Afghanistan have been convicted of so-called "moral crimes." Examples of such indiscretions include sex out of wedlock and running away from forced marriages, prostitution, domestic slavery, physical violence generally conducted by their husbands, and rape or involuntary pregnancy. Most often, the assailants involved continue life without facing any consequences.

In 2010, Polish-Canadian photographer Gabriela Maj visited one of the various women's prisons in Afghanistan and was overwhelmed by the inmates' desires to share their stories, sometimes for the first time. This visit turned into a five-year photography project, capturing portraits of the remarkable women trapped in an unjust system. Even in the most wrongful of circumstances, many of the women Maj encountered remained positive, open and hopeful of their futures.

almond

Maj's portraits document women in the spaces they've turned their own. Although Afghanistan's prisons, adorned with bright colors and personal tchotchkes, look more like teenager's bedrooms than Western prisons, they still contain horrific realities for their inmates, who often suffer from physical and emotional trauma, as well as the very real fear that when they're released, they will no longer have the support of their families.

The compelling and heartbreaking visual journey will be available in its entirety in Maj's upcoming book Almond Garden, published by Daylight Books. At once a historical archive, a moving portrait and a call to action, the photographic series captures the beauty of the human spirit even in the most nightmarish of circumstances. In an interview with the photographer, we chatted about the experience of photographing women incarcerated across the globe:

What initially drew you to women's prisons in Afghanistan?

I was in Afghanistan in 2010 and I was sent on an assignment to women's prisons on the outside of Kabul. It started off like any other assignment. I wasn't expecting it to turn into the five-year project that it became.

It was such an impactful experience. The women that I met on that visit, I had never met a group of individuals that had survived so much in terms of violence. Gone through so much suffering and at the same time maintained this incredible connection to the everyday, to the mundane and these larger desires for education, for a better future for their kids. I was leveled by that first visit and after a few months I decided to go back to Afghanistan to continue the project and it kind of built up from there.

maj

Was it difficult to gain access to the prisons?

Over the course of five years I made numerous visits to women's prisons all around the country and every situation was unique. Sometimes I would gain access from the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Interior. Other times I would have a meeting with an official from the army who I would have to convince and they'd grant me the access. Sometimes I would meet with governors of provinces or the directors of the institutions themselves. But, I have to tell you, over the course of five years, the amount of times I was denied access far surpassed the number of times I was allowed access. The project took as long as it did mainly because of how hard it was to get into these places.

day

What was the reaction of the women upon seeing you? Would you define it as suspicious, open?

It varied from facility to facility and woman to woman. I would say that the reason I embarked on this project is because of how many women I found at the beginning stages of the project who were really enthusiastic about sharing their stories. I think in many of these cases they had never had someone ask them, "Tell me your story in your words." I was surprised and inspired by this reaction. So many people wanting to share what had happened to them. To express their feelings about their incarceration or their arrest. The ideas they had about their country, the culture from which they'd come. Most often it was a very positive experience.

I'd come to the prison and go into one of the cells. The cells aren't what you'd think of them in North America. They don't have bars or anything. Five to ten women women share them. I would go into one of these rooms. The prisons are open, they can go wherever they want within the facility. I would sit on the floor with one woman or three or five and we'd just speak. Some women would come in or out along the way. And they were great conversations, not only between me and the women but also amongst the women themselves.

There were definitely situations in which I was not welcome. For many of these women, who had a rural upbringing, you just don't spend time with strangers, talking to people you don't know. You don't speak about your life, the things that have happened to you. You keep it to yourself.

maj

What was your impression of the domesticated aesthetic of the cells?

That's something that strikes many people. These spaces don't look like prison at all. They look like a bedroom, with curtains and things. Besides that, the women don't wear uniforms; they wear their own clothing. Their families visit so they can maintain relationships with them. They can have food and personal items brought it, like mirrors or plastic flowers. A lot of the time you'll see photographs, magazine cutouts of Hollywood stars.

One example of something that stuck with me was a makeshift baby cradle. This one woman took what was a broomstick essentially and wrapped fabric around it and had the fabric going off in four directions like the four sides of a bed. It was an improvised cradle she could rock her baby in. All of these elements would not be out of place in a personal space of any kind. I was very interested in the way these women would create a space for themselves inside this larger prison environment.

What do you hope to communicate or change through the images?

I hope that there is an awareness through this work of the vital need for the international community to support women's rights and gender equality in Afghanistan. While producing this work, I felt that me and the women participating in this project were creating a record. Of certain individuals who exist in a certain time and space, and the human rights violations that are very much a part of their story. My hope is very much that these records will create positive change in the future, for women and girls in the country.



What Your Astrological Sign Says About You, According To Tumblr

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For some reason, Tumblr has become increasingly obsessed with astrology, filling our dash with creative interpretations of celestial bodies' relative positions in the universe. Your astrological sign, for example, may predict what your mermaid tail would look like, how you'd fare if you were a "Hunger Games" character, what type of fruit you are and much more. Who knew?

We put together a guide to astrology, according to different Tumblr blogs (click on the X to visit each one). Take a look below to see what your sign says about you.




Aries



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be spiky and shark-like. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Maya Angelou. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you keep stepping on twigs and stuff that reveals your location. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is not putting trash where it belongs. [X]

  5. You're the mom who helps her kid get a fake ID. [X]

  6. You're the dad who bails his kid out of jail without telling Mom. [X]

  7. You are sunrise. [X]

  8. You can hold a grudge for one day, tops. [X]

  9. You get no sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd definitely get the confession. [X]

  11. You are watermelon. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are lemongrass, fairy lights, red lipstick, old books, knitted scarves, balloons and minimalism. [X]




Taurus



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be forest green with soft, black edges. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Shakespeare. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you have a really short temper. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is eating out of boredom. [X]

  5. You're the mom who always packs extra snacks. [X]

  6. You're the dad who makes dinner and expects everyone to eat at the table. [X]

  7. You are mid-morning. [X]

  8. You can hold a grudge even after your own death. [X]

  9. You get a lot of sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd nail down the timeline. [X]

  11. You are banana. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are collared shirts, wanderlust, mist rising in the sky, architecture and cherry blossoms. [X]




Gemini



  1. If you were a mermaid, you'd have a long, thin tail with glimmering orangey scales. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you'd literally stab people in the back. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is interrupting people. [X]

  5. You're the mom who has tons of good stories about growing up. [X]

  6. You're the dad who tells tall tales about how he "fought a bear wearing skis in the Swiss Alps." [X]

  7. You are twilight. [X]

  8. You will hold a grudge for about 30 seconds. [X]

  9. You get very little sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd document every part of the case. [X]

  11. You are orange, the fruit. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are the color black, existential quotes and random words in foreign languages. [X]





Cancer



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be short, becoming a more intense shade of violet toward the end. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Dan Brown. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you can't kill anything. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is saying "umm." [X]

  5. You're the mom who takes lots of pictures at small life milestones. [X]

  6. You're the dad who embarrasses his kids in front of their friends on accident. [X]

  7. You are the night. [X]

  8. You hold grudges for years. [X]

  9. You get no sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd easily figure out the criminal's motive. [X]

  11. You are cherry. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are Microsoft paint, paper lanterns, fluffy socks, abandoned places, clothes with pockets and floral patterns. [X]




Leo



  1. If you were a mermaid, you'd have a long, golden tail that fans out into a crown shape. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be J.K. Rowling. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you can't forgive others for wronging you. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is driving recklessly. [X]

  5. You're the mom who gives lectures until she's talked herself hoarse. [X]

  6. You're the dad who makes Dad Jokes. [X]

  7. You are midday. [X]

  8. You hold grudges until the end of time as we know it. [X]

  9. You get a lot of sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd be the best at reading facial expressions. [X]

  11. You are strawberry. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are vintage, stars, symmetry, polaroids, vanilla, willow trees and high ceilings. [X]




Virgo



  1. If you were a mermaid, you'd have a long, royal blue tail with precise edges that only stands out in the water because of its shimmer. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Agatha Christie. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you'd make others do your dirty work. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is biting your nails. [X]

  5. You're the mom who cleans her kids' room when they're not home. [X]

  6. You're the dad who makes sure his kids aren't wearing their PJs when they leave for school. [X]

  7. You are morning. [X]

  8. You hold a grudge for a couple of months. [X]

  9. You get very little sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd tear apart the criminal's alibi. [X]

  11. You are pear. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are clouds, lace, photography, tattoos, monochrome, calligraphy and tea. [X]





Libra



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be long and neon green, with fanned out flukes that sparkle in the sun. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Oscar Wilde. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you'd manipulate others into doing something dangerous and get them killed. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is binge-watching TV. [X]

  5. You're the mom who nags her kids about their school crushes. [X]

  6. You're the dad who makes plans to do stuff but always cancels. [X]

  7. You are sunset. [X]

  8. You'll hold a grudge for a microsecond, unless someone really messed up. [X]

  9. You get a moderate amount of sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd get the witnesses to open up. [X]

  11. You are peach. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are pastels, sunsets, fresh-cut grass, pixel art and perfect eyeliner. [X]




Scorpio



  1. If you were a mermaid, you'd have a matte-black tail that is long, graceful and reflects moonlight. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Sylvia Plath. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you'd betray others when they least expect it. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is swearing. [X]

  5. You're the mom who sets up playdates but never tells her kids when they are. [X]

  6. You're the dad who doesn't ask where his kids were when they get home late. [X]

  7. You are dawn. [X]

  8. You'll hold a grudge for all of eternity. [X]

  9. You get a moderate amount of sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd notice the small details. [X]

  11. You are lemon. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are rain, burning wood, melted chocolate, scented candles and dyed hair. [X]




Sagittarius



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be bright purple with jagged edges. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Jane Austen. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because your plan would end up getting everyone killed. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is not hanging up your wet towel after you take a shower. [X]

  5. You're the mom who lets kids do whatever they want. [X]

  6. You're the dad who doesn't care, because parents can be such a bummer. [X]

  7. You are afternoon. [X]

  8. You hold a grudge for exactly two days. [X]

  9. You get no sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd know how to ask exactly the right questions. [X]

  11. You are dragon fruit. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are graph paper, oversized hoodies, Chapstick, peppermint and flower crowns. [X]





Capricorn



  1. If you were a mermaid, you'd have a broad and muscular indigo-colored tail that shows you mean business. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you'd be Edgar Allan Poe. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you'd murder someone as soon as they started to bore you. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is procrastination. [X]

  5. You're the mom with really strict rules who breaks them in front of the kids. [X]

  6. You're the dad who lets his kids watch scary movies about kidnappers so they stop going places by themselves. [X]

  7. You are evening. [X]

  8. You'll hold a grudge no matter what. [X]

  9. You get a moderate amount of sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd put all the pieces together. [X]

  11. You are apple. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are gauzy curtains, the smell of cinnamon, teal, poinsettias and backyard greenhouses. [X]




Aquarius



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be a hologram. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you are Virginia Woolf. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd make a bad ally because you'd expect others to keep watch while you sleep all night. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is biting your lip. [X]

  5. You're the mom who rags on her kids in front of their friends. [X]

  6. You're the dad who embarrasses his kids in front of their friends on purpose. [X]

  7. You are dusk. [X]

  8. You'll hold a grudge for exactly one year. [X]

  9. You get very little sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd use your computer hacking skills to solve the crime. [X]

  11. You are kiwi. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are mismatched socks, piano music, brown eyes, potted plants and chlorinated pool water. [X]




Pisces



  1. If you were a mermaid, your tail would be multicolored and unique to you. [X]

  2. As a famous writer, you're Anais Nin. [X]

  3. In "The Hunger Games," you'd be a bad ally because you'd steal things while others aren't looking. [X]

  4. Your bad habit is sleeping in. [X]

  5. You're the mom who cries when other people are crying. [X]

  6. You're the dad who hugs his kids when they don't want a hug. [X]

  7. You are midnight. [X]

  8. You'll hold a grudge for two months, maybe. [X]

  9. You get a lot of sleep. [X]

  10. As a detective, you'd just know who did it. [X]

  11. You are raspberry. [X]

  12. Aesthetically, you are dandelions, plaid, gradients, space, coffee and brand-new pens. [X]

A Thrillingly Colorful Vision of Istanbul

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Yener Torun, 32, is an architect-turned-photographer who has lived in Istanbul since he was 14, and has now decided to show an unconventional side of his city. His minimalist street photography shows Turkey's capital from a new perspective: one that is less traditionally Middle Eastern and more modern, industrial and geometric.

istanbul

In contrast to the mosques and arabesques at the city's center, Torun's photos display the architecture of the city’s suburbs, which, despite their leanings toward modernism, do still retain the contemporary flavor of the Middle East. Bright colors and sparkling shades illuminate staircases and buildings in the city's more modern areas.

"I dig every corner of the city to unearth these colorful gems,” Torun explained to The Washington Post. “It really is not an easy task because majority of the new buildings are grey and dull, and finding these places in this grey mass is quite like a treasure hunt. These developing areas are usually very far from the city center.”

Torun's passion was born by accident and shared via Instagram. The photographer hopes to bring his talent for creating jewel-like photographs to other cities.

"I do this with my own financial means," he added, "And creating a series for each city would take long time this way. I plan to start to look for sponsors or other kinds of partnerships to speed up this process."

Check out Torun's stunning vision of Istanbul below.

This post originally appeared on HuffPost Italy and was translated into English. It was edited for an American audience.

5 Things Nigel Barker Wants You To Know About Taking Family Photos

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"America's Next Top Model" fans know Nigel Barker for his stunning images of aspiring supermodels. But the noted fashion photographer and father of two is also an expert on what makes a great family photo.

nigel barker

"I take an incessant amount of family photographs," Barker told The Huffington Post, adding, "probably too many, my kids would say." As dad to 9-year-old Jack and 6-year-old Jasmine, the photographer has relished in capturing special moments in his children's lives, like his son's first steps. "I position cameras all over my house, he said. "They're everywhere, so I don't miss a moment and have to go running for my camera."

To celebrate springtime and the many family gatherings it brings -- like Easter and Passover -- Barker teamed up with Gymboree and Shutterfly to offer some tips for taking great family photo and encourage parents to share their favorite shots for the #PicturePerfectSpring photo contest.

nigel barker

When it comes to photographing his own children, the photographer said he loves knowing that he's been "the treasurer of the moment, always looking through [his] lens." Barker told The Huffington Post, "People often say to me, 'You're never in the photos!' But I'm in every photo I've ever taken. I'm in their eyes."

Without further ado, here are five things Nigel Barker wants you to know when taking pictures of your kids:

1. Bring your camera down to your kids' level.

Barker urges parents to try "actually getting yourself down on your hands and knees" to photograph your children. "All of the sudden a little child no longer necessarily looks so little. It's just as they see the world. They can be like giants," he said, adding, "When you see a little child walking for the first time, your instinct is to shoot down at them, but if you get right on the ground and shoot up at them, these little children look like really enormous. It makes these really grand types of pictures."

2. Don't interrupt magic moments.

"When those special family moments happen, you often find people being contrived about them," Barker said. "For example, when the grandparents are reading a story with the kids on their lap -- instead of calling it out and saying 'Oh that's wonderful! Everyone stop and look at me!' -- just try and quietly look at it. Allow it to continue happening, and just zoom in and capture that little moment. And that's really how you get that beautiful, candid kind of shot."

3. With big group shots, try to keep it natural.

"Sometimes you have the whole family there and you're not going to get them all being candid at once. You still want it to look good and natural," the photographer explained, recommending that you "constantly shoot through the moment" as everyone is gathering into their positions. "Often it's the 'unsettled' moments at the beginning and end which are the best shots -- when everyone has relaxed and taken a breath." Barker also recommends injecting "humorous elements" into the group shot. "You can have them do something fun or silly, like ask everyone to jump or ask the child in the middle to tickle someone," he said. "And that little bit mayhem in the middle causes a sort of ruckus. Ad again, that breath goes out and everyone relaxes into it and you capture a very special shot."

4. Be mindful of lighting.

"With a family shot, you want to get as even of lighting as possible. That way, everyone looks their best, and it's really more about the people versus the lighting," Barker explained, citing famed portrait photographer Richard Avedon's simple approach. Specifically, Barker suggests avoiding direct sunlight and looking for an area where the sun is "behind you, but not backlighting you." He added, "That way you get a really beautifully lit shot where everyone looks spectacular, and your eyes will light up because the sky in front of you will be lit by the sun that's behind you."

5. Consider going black and white.

"If you get that picture back and it looks a bit like a bit of a disaster because there's so much color or there's all kind of craziness in it, flipping something to black and white is one of the simplest tricks in the world," Barker said, adding, "It's worked for generations and in this day of digital, we've forgotten all about it because everything is in color. But go back to that basic root and find a shot that perhaps doesn't look memorable can suddenly look iconic."



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These 10 Spring Photos From The Department Of The Interior's Instagram Will Warm Your Soul

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Winter was brutal, but thankfully, we're (mostly) done with the cold.

Cue spring! The Department of the Interior's rapidly growing Instagram account has been featuring photographs of America's stunning landscapes and adorable wildlife as the country thaws and wildflowers bloom. The agency overseas nearly one-fifth of the landmass of the United States, including 59 national parks.

The National Park Service, a division of the DOI, is celebrating its centennial anniversary next year with a new campaign to encourage adventurers to get out there and "Find Your Park." There are more than 400 sites overseen by the NPS (you can find one near you here), and the Interior Department manages more than 500 million acres of public lands, so there's plenty to photograph.

Take a look at the spectacular spring-themed photos posted to the Department's account over the past few weeks below. You can follow along throughout the year @usinterior.

'Mania Days' Boasts Katie Holmes' Best Performance In Years

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Lately, Katie Holmes' resume has languished in a sort of limbo. Supporting roles in already-forgotten tripe like "Jack and Jill" and "The Giver" belie the fact that Holmes' turns in "Go," "Wonder Boys" and "Pieces of April," for example, gave her film career one of the most promising starts of the early 2000s. Time has not been the kindest to Holmes' filmography since, but "Mania Days," which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival last month, signals the start of a fresh chapter for the 36-year-old actress.

Homes plays Carla, a poet with bipolar disorder who struggles to cope with her condition and understand its power. Carla's mother (Christine Lahti) often doesn't know how to help her, and when Carla admits herself to a psychiatric hospital in order to review her records, the hospital decides to deny her initial release. Stuck there, she meets a fellow New Yorker, Marco (Luke Kirby), who is also afflicted with bipolar disorder and romanticizes the creativity that the condition can inspire, awakening in Carla a sense of wonder that she didn't know she had. Their mercurial conditions make it difficult to navigate a life together outside of the hospital, especially once Carla discovers she is pregnant.

Bipolar disorder has lingered in the background of Oscar-nominated performances from Nicole Kidman ("The Hours"), Tom Wilkinson ("Michael Clayton") and Natalie Wood ("Splendor in the Grass"), but rarely is it the cornerstone of any film. Bradley Cooper's character in "Silver Linings Playbook" may represent the most well-rounded portrayal in recent memory, but the framework of "Mania Days" offers a rare exploration of the condition's erraticism. Written, directed, edited and scored by Paul Dalio, who suffers from bipolar disorder and sees himself in both Carla and Marco, the film spotlights the characters' peaks and valleys not as mere mood swings, but as a true emotional battle that rages inside of them.

Holmes and Kirby, best known previously for his role in "Take This Waltz," deal competently with that struggle, showcasing a heaviness that proliferates as the hospital, their parents and their unpredictable circumstances all work to keep Carla and Marco apart. After reuniting once released from doctors' care, they go off their meds and galavant through parks and fountains. Dalio captures the liberation of their unencumbered free minds with a heightened color spectrum. The effect doubles as an ode to the beleaguered artists who Marco champions as geniuses not in spite of their condition but because of it. Marco is inspired by the likes of Vincent van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway, to whom, among others, the film is dedicated.

But Holmes is the real treasure. She captures a gravitas that hopefully flags the second coming of her film career. If she devotes time to indies like this and avoids the disappointing studio fare that's commandeered her time in recent years, we may discover the Katie Holmes that's been buried for the better part of the last decade.

These Are Probably The Most Exciting Ice Cubes You'll Ever See, And It's Thanks To 3D Printing

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To construct the coolest new thing in 3D printing, just add water.

Tokyo-based advertising agency TBWA\HAKUHODO created the most gorgeous ice cubes you'll ever see. It's all part of an ad campaign for Japanese Whisky, and it recently won 6 awards at this year's Asia Pacific Ad Festival (commonly know as AdFest) in Thailand.

Technically, the creation of these tiny ice sculptures is more like "3D milling" than 3D printing, according to the ad agency's website, but the concept is similar. Rather than building up an object from layers of plastic, the 3D mill shaves the ice away to create a desired shape. Like a 3D printer, the 3D mill is connected to a computer and even uses a 3D-printing app.

The only thing we don't love about these ice cubes is that they melt.



Here's a video of the 3D mill in action:



H/T BGR

Here's What Legendary Rock Bands Look Like Morphed Into One Face -- And It's Kinda Spooky

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Like the Beatles song goes, we've just seen a face we can't forget. But it isn't one of the Fab Four -- it's all of them mashed together.

Below are famous rock bands, each blended into one composite facial image of its members.

West Coast Shaving, a company that's all about men's faces, is behind the "Average Faces Of Rock" project. "Often times the lead singer of a rock band is known as the 'face' of the group," staff wrote in a blog post, "but what if you were to combine each of the members into one person?"



According to a rep, the staff "had to find clear head shots of every single member in each band, and with 30 bands you can imagine the time this took. Once the images were compiled they used a software program that combined the photos and created the composites."

The company wrote that it had to make a few omissions. "We wanted to include KISS with makeup, however the result was just a white and black mess. As for ZZ Top, that image was simple a mashup of sunglasses and facial hair."

Maybe next time.

Modern Movies And TV Shows Get The 80s VHS Covers You Didn't Know They Needed

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Longing for the low-fi days of past decades, one Parisian hipster decided to take a stand: He would only watch modern television and movies on VHS.

At least, that's what artist Julien Knez wanted us to believe on April Fools' Day. The artist's prank was one for the books -- Knez designed and assembled VHS cassettes for modern favorites like "Game of Thrones," "Breaking Bad," "Interstellar" and more. Pretending to find inspiration in the 2008 Jack Black comedy "Be Kind Rewind," Knez's alter-ego, "Stan," claimed he'd founded a club called Videotapes Are Not Dead for fellow videophiles.

"Every Thursday, instead of going for after-work drinks with my colleagues," "Stan" told Golem 13, "I meet other videotapes lovers to watch movies and series on my Continental Edison TV, bought at a flea market for three Euros!" (Commence eye-rolling sequence.)

Regardless of whether Stan is real or fake, Knaz's attention to detail in these 80s renditions of modern shows is incredible. Take a look below, and let this be your soundtrack.





















All images republished with permission.

Krewella Is Ready To Challenge EDM's Male Dominance

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Yasmine and Jahan Yousaf -- the Chicago-raised sisters, vocalists, songwriters and DJs who make up EDM superstar duo Krewella -- have a stronger bond than most, and not just because they’re related.

“There are so many moments onstage where I just look at her, and if I’m scared or nervous, I’m just like, ‘I’m good.’ She’s there,” says Yasmine Yousaf. “She’s holding it down for me, and I’m holding it down for her.”

The two have recently made news less for their music and more for being the targets of misogynistic comments from their male peers (and their troll-army of haters) on social media after a public fallout with former member Kris “Rain Man” Trindl in 2014.

krewella

The irony of the situation is especially cruel given the PLUR message that dominates the heart of the modern dance music scene. PLUR -- short for “peace, love, unity, respect” -- is a mantra that embodies the inclusivity and community of dance music enthusiasts.

So why is it that a community built on the global concept of positivity and self-expression has taken such a negative turn against some of its members? Without giving further lip service to the much-discussed trolling Krewella’s received from fellow producer Deadmau5 after the departure of their bandmate, the message was loud and clear: There’s no room for you onstage without your male producer.

“It’s a boys' club, I get that,” says Yasmine, “but we’re trying to change that.” And nobody knows the power of the music community like Krewella -- regardless of the size of their number one hater’s Twitter following. Yasmine and Jahan sat down with us after debuting their live set at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival to talk about the recent challenges they’ve faced, the power of perseverance, and a bond with each other (and their fans) that’s kept them at the top of the dance charts.

krewella

They recently spoke out about cyberbullying and the ongoing sexism they faced in the industry, and even published an op-ed in Billboard that highlights the vitriolic comments targeted at them on social media. Now, the two seem more determined than ever to overcome any hurdles in their way, and have set the tone for a strong launch back into their new music.

The recent release of their new single "Somewhere to Run" seems to take their sound to the next level, incorporating rock elements alongside their trademark soaring vocals and dance beats.

“We went back to the roots for that one,” says Yasmine. “The reason why we fell in love with dance music is people like Daft Punk, Justice, MSTRKRFT ... all those people were doing this grungy, punk-y dance stuff and we wanted to channel that for the new song that’s out.”

Jahan says they knew this new sound would be a risk, but that the early success of "Somewhere to Run" on the iTunes dance charts was a “pleasant surprise.” The audience at Ultra certainly seemed to enjoy their rock and roll experiment, singing along and throwing bass hands up by the thousands.

krewella

Watching the two finish each others’ sentences, it’s hard to believe the band was ever anything but the duo they are today. Their strong connection to each other -- and their fans -- is apparent both on and offstage. The two iterated the importance of family and the support system they’ve created in the wake of all the drama. “We’re super blessed,” says Jahan, “We’ve been through a lot in the past year, and if we didn’t have each other…”

“I would fall apart if I didn’t have her,” says Yasmine.

It should be no surprise that after persevering through a band breakup and the subsequent chauvinist noise, the two are proudly finding their voice. Fans can expect to see their new guitarist and drummer onstage as part of the live set, and Yasmine and Jahan are busy writing new material for a body of work they hope to have finished in time for a 2016 tour. But even with a packed house at Ultra and the support of a pumped up crowd -- their critics just couldn’t give it up. During their set, Deadmau5 was back at it, accusing the duo of faking their performance by using equipment that wasn’t plugged in. (It was.)

This isn’t the dance community that festival goers and fans come to experience. This isn’t peace or love, and it’s definitely not unity or respect.

But if there’s any good to come out of baseless allegations like this, it’s that the women of Krewella now have more reason than ever to crush the competition. And even though they’re in the minority of a male-dominated dance scene, the two are hoping it doesn’t stay that way for long.

“To all the ladies out there trying to be a part of this industry,” says Yasmine, “Honestly, do not ever let anybody take advantage of you and make you feel like you’re not worth as much because of your gender. And keep persevering because you can do big, huge things. There need to be more ladies in this scene because they fucking rock it.”

Let's Remake 'Gone Girl' With The Cast Of 'Mad Men'

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From the files of what might have been: Page Six reported this week that Jon Hamm could have starred as Nick Dunne in "Gone Girl" were it not for his "Mad Men" contract. (Reps for Hamm did not respond to requests for comment.) Ben Affleck was perfect in David Fincher's twisty thriller, but damn: we would have seen "Gone Girl" with Hamm in the lead role another 12 times. The near miss got us thinking: Who else from "Mad Men" would have been a good fit for "Gone Girl"? As it turns out, nearly everyone. Ahead, our remake of "Gone Girl" using the cast from "Mad Men."

Behold, The Strangely Mesmerizing World Of Sphinx Cats

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"They are odd, they are rare, they are not popular for being 'beautiful,'" photographer Alicia Rius mused. "So I wanted to show people that these creatures are stoic, elegant and above all, wonderful."

We could give you 20 guesses, but you might not make it to the animal she's attempting to describe. Stoic, elegant, wonderful -- these are likely not the words that spring to mind when you envision her chosen subject matter. At first glance, her models are something closer to bizarre, with their piercing eyes, wrinkled bodies and knack for placing themselves in jarring positions. Yet, when you let your eyes linger on the alien forms, framed in shadows to reveal every curve and expression, it's easier to see the beauty hiding in such tiny, naked frames.

Behold, the sphynx:

sphynx


Rius began her series, devoted to the unconventional beauty of the Sphynx, last year. After moving to Amsterdam in 2012, she decided that she would "reinvent" herself by quitting her job in marketing to pursue what she loved most: animal photography. Pretty soon, she wound her way to the world of sphynxes, those hairless cats known for their extroverted personalities, energy, intelligence and penchant for showering their owners with affection.

These are the same qualities that made Rius' photo shoots that much more challenging. "It takes patience," she said. "I make them play, jump and sit still, but they will also start grooming themselves and then the pose and body shape is great and that was unexpected. I always have some shoots I want to get but I always leave with photos I didn't think about and they are great."

Her images capture moments of these cats' lives, frozen in front of a black backdrop that accentuates every crevice of their bodies, every flicker of their green and blue eyes. While some snapshots reveal a side of the felines viewers likely see quite often -- a wiry tale, a puckered stomach -- others manage to feature a snarl here and a wave of a paw there that showcase how utterly remarkable the breed can be. "Without fluffy and fancy coats, this breed shows what a true cat is," the artist wrote on Bored Panda. "Everything is raw, exposed, vulnerable."

"When I started to do the series I wanted the viewers to experiment the same mixture of feelings I feel," she concluded to HuffPost, "to awaken their curiosity to want to know more about the hairless cats and to leave the viewer in bewilderment. Although many people will still dislike these cats, I hope they can take the time to appreciate their majestic look and unique beauty."

For more on the artist, check out her Facebook page here.

New Study Says Art School Students Have More Sex

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This article originally appeared on artnet News.

gimrs

A new study reveals (unsurprisingly) that students studying the arts have more sex than those majoring in computer science and dentistry, reports the Daily Mail.

According to a survey by British student newspaper The Tab, 10 percent of computer scientists currently in higher education are still virgins whereas only one percent of students in the arts haven't, well, you know.

In the survey, 11,549 students were asked about their bedroom activity, which was then broken down into which subject each student was majoring in.

Fifteen percent of students polled said they had had intercourse before the legal age of 15, while 19 percent said they were 17 years of age when they first had sex, and 22 percent said they were 18-years-old.

The highest percentage of virgins went to computer science while nine percent of physics students were still holding out. Dentistry clocked in five percent, and chemistry, law, engineering, geography and medicine were at four percent. The national average of virgins in Britain is five percent.

Art and sociology pupils were most likely to have had sex with one percent retaining virgin status, while history of art, philosophy, languages, business, and politics followed with just two percent of students disclosing their virginity. In the same survey, it was also revealed that by the time students reached the middle of their higher education, they already have had an average of 8.2 sexual partners.

But for the science majors, the payoff takes a few more years. Although the survey shows being geeky in university doesn't make you the most successful in acquiring sexual conquests it definitely rewards in (actual) dividends later. According to Forbes, the highest earning college degree is engineering and computer science, with humanities and social sciences (re: arts) at the bottom.



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How A 'White Man In My Pocket' Can Help You Understand Privilege

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"Privilege is plastic," artist Kenya (Robinson) explained in an interview. "Just like 'race' is a plastic material. It's totally made up. It's a story. It has no space in reality."

Kenya carries a white man in her pocket. Not a living, breathing human being, but a small figurine, something you'd pick up at a discount store. It was gifted to her by an old boss at the Brooklyn Children's Museum and it reminds her of a very important message: you are more privileged than you think, no matter your gender, socioeconomic status or the color of your skin.

"It was the first time I had a black woman as a boss," Kenya explained. "After the day was done we would meet and debrief about what we were going to do next. Somehow the conversation veered -- she asked me if I had a boyfriend. And I was like, 'Noooo, but I want one!' And she said, 'You know what, Kenya? You need a white man.' I could tell she was leading somewhere. Then she says, 'I have a white man.'"

"She pulls this sucker out, a figurine you could get from a discount school supply store. It comes in a set of six, I believe. He was this little businessman, still in the plastic. She said, 'You know what, I think you could use him.'"

Thus the project #WHITEMANINMYPOCKET was born.



For Kenya, the unorthodox exchange between coworkers happened at the most fortuitous of times. "There was all this bullshit happening with white people apologizing for things they had said. Steve Martin had tweeted something offensive and Paula Dean made her comment. I thought, you know what? You've been getting so out of pocket I'm going to put you in my pocket. And I took him out of the wrapper and I put him in my pocket. And that's what started it."

The artist imagined that the male figurine clad in business casual could serve a variety of purposes. For one, the miniature flips is capable of flipping any power dynamic, theoretically restoring a sense of agency to those silenced and stymied by patriarchy and prejudice. But the stoic little men, first and foremost, serve as a reminder of the illusory makeup of privilege -- an invisible commodity available to those who step up and own it.

#whitemaninmypocket

A photo posted by kenya9 (@kenya9) on







"As someone who strongly identifies as a black, American person, all of the violence inflicted upon black bodies -- verbally, emotionally, physically, spiritually -- it's really overwhelming. I needed something. I needed to create privilege for myself because every message that I was receiving told me I wasn't privileged at all. But, you know what? I am breathing. I am able to express myself in a positive way. That is a big privilege, but sometimes I forget that."

When Kenya began the project, her white man lived publicly online -- primarily on Instagram -- through a thorough photography archive that documented its daily goings on. She soon noticed that strangers who caught a glimpse of the #WHITEMANINMYPOCKET often reacted viscerally and conspicuously. "There's this Chinese bakery that I've been going to for years," said Kenya. "One day, I'm looking for change and I pull out my white man and put him on the counter. Normally this place is all business, but the woman at the counter, she just started laughing out loud. I then realized this thing had power."

kenya

So Kenya decided to extend her project beyond Instagram, making a tiny army of pocket-sized white men. Her first idea, inspired by the Terra Cotta soldiers in China, was to construct a multitude of ceramic figurines and then bury them. She then changed gears a bit, opting instead to create her diminutive crowd from chalk -- a material she likes for being "really white white" in hue. For an upcoming June exhibition (location to be announced), she plans to make thousands of them.

"I've been wanting to really expand the sense of scale," Kenya explained. "I am not going to make what I call a 'big dick' sculpture. But I can make so many multiples that it feels overwhelming in the space."

keny

In the meantime, Kenya hopes that even saying the words "white man in my pocket" in anticipation of the exhibition will mobilize others to strive for change, and own their inner privilege. "Black people often times whisper the word white. It's like, if you can't say the word then what hope do you have of changing the conversation? You have none. I wanted to create something where, at least, people will practice saying 'White man'... We're not talking about race. We're talking about the relationship between black people and white people. And when we use words that are confusing, it's blocking the real conversation."

The miniature figurines, she believes, can serve as visible, tangible reminders of that abstract idea of privilege, a word that's commonly used but perhaps not too often understood. "You already have more privilege than you think you have," she said. "Privilege is plastic material anyway; it's just a made up thing. If you say it enough, people will agree."

Stay tuned for more on Kenya's project. In the meantime, you can check out the history of #WHITEMANINMYPOCKET on Instagram here.

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8 Dead White Male Artists You Should Know

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Throughout the history of art, many brave and creative spirits have exposed their souls, their imaginations and their ideas about the world through the power of visual expression. Today, we're honoring eight individuals whose artistic expression has transformed the conversation surrounding representation, the role of the artist, the relationship between figuration and abstraction, and the power of art. The most inspirational part is, they managed to explore these issues and more, as white men.

Behold, eight dead, white, male artists who blow us away with their talent as well as their modesty.***

1. Claude Monet (1840-1926)
"My life has been nothing but a failure."

monet

The work of French painter Claude Monet (pronounced Mo-Nay) isknown for his paintings of water lilies in the idyllic gardens of Giverny. Sadly, his work remains confined to institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Musée d'Orsay, and sells for millions of dollars. IMHO, those canvases are whimsical enough to warrant billion dollar price tags.


2. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
"I have offended God and mankind because my work didn't reach the quality it should have."

da

Leonardo has been dubbed a "genius," as well as the "Renaissance humanist ideal." There are forums dedicated to whether or not he was the most talented person that has ever lived. One of his most celebrated paintings, the "Mona Lisa," is likely the most famous portrait of all time, but it's also the most parodied, and sometimes that stuff gets mean spirited.


3. Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
"It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else."

henri matisse

Matisse (pronounced Muh-Tees) is known as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, as well as the leader of the Fauvists, French for "wild beasts," a group of artists who privileged intense and unnatural color, sometimes straight from the tube. In 2005 one of his pieces sold for $25 million to the Museum of Modern Art. It's not even one of the super famous ones.


4. Édouard Manet (1832-1883)
"This woman's work is exceptional. Too bad she's not a man."

m

In the mid-19th century, Manet (pronounced Man-ehh?) painted provocative artworks such as "The Luncheon on the Grass," and "Olympia," both radical for their use of a nude subject staring straight at the viewer without shame. Some say his career sparked the beginning of modern art. Also, his name sounds a lot like Monet (see #1 on list) who is slightly more famous, which, we can only imagine, must have been frustrating.


5. Michelangelo (1475-1564)
"If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all."

portrait

The Encyclopedia Britannica subtly states: "Michelangelo was considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime, and ever since then he has been held to be one of the greatest artists of all time." He's responsible for works like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the "Pietà," and yet we're still left wondering: but who is Michelangelo?


6. Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
"My mother said to me, 'If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.' Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso."

picasso photo

As Norman Mailer once put it: "By general consensus, Pablo Picasso is the most brilliant and influential artist of this century." Among other things, he co-founded Cubism, invented constructed sculpture and helped popularize collage. Sadly, however, many individuals still hurl disparaging comments at him, like "my five-year-old could do that."


7. Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
"We never really know what stupidity is until we have experimented on ourselves."

gaug

Gauguin (pronounced Go-gan) is a key figure in Symbolist, Post-Impressionist and Primitivist art. He's also, perhaps less widely, known as the former stockbroker who left his wife and five children to embark on a hunt to "discover the primitive." In other words, he moved to Tahiti and took adolescent girls for wives. Get this guy a reality show!


8. Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do."

degas

Degas (pronounced Day-gah) is known for his weightless depictions of ballerinas in motion, combining on-stage performances with awkward behind-the-scenes moments. He's also known as one of the founders of Impressionism. His bronze sculpture creepily titled "Little Dancer of Fourteen Years" was estimated to draw between $25 million and $35 million during a Christie's auction in 2009. There were no bids. It did not sell.








***This is a satirical post. For coverage on the art world outside of dead white European males (DWEM), check out our site on a daily basis.

How A Musical Tradition Of Islamic Mysticism Found An Unlikely Home In Texas

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Interfaith awareness is at the heart of Texas-based music ensemble Riyaaz Qawwali, which has a story that starts roughly 700 years ago in a shrine in Delhi, India.

Qawwali is a musical tradition credited to Amir Khusrow, a 14th-century Sufi poet who wrote musical compositions dedicated to his teacher, the saint Nizamuddin. These compositions, as well as those by other qawwali poets who came after Khusrow, have been passed down for generations, and in 2006, a group of South Asian-American college students at the University of Texas in Austin began reinterpreting the tradition in a modern context.

Sonny, a 31-year-old Houston native who goes by just his first name, is the artistic director, lead vocalist and harmonium player of Riyaaz Qawwali, which released its second album on March 21. The group is made up of about 10 musicians who play a combination of harmonium, dholak, qawwali tabla, violin, tambourine, pianika and cajon, in addition to singing. Most of the members are from Houston or Austin, and they trace their heritage to different countries and religious traditions in South Asia.

Riyaaz Qawwali celebrates its interfaith makeup. Islamic, Hindu, Christian, agnostic and atheist traditions are represented in the group -- but the members prefer not to be identified by their personal backgrounds.

"What I usually hope to avoid is getting into who is exactly from where and who is what religion because I think it takes away from the ambiguity that we really want," Sonny said in an interview with The Huffington Post.

That ambiguity allows them to explore different genres and spiritual traditions in their music, giving rise to an eclectic sound that audiences from Texas to the White House have found compelling.

"Qawwali tradition is supposed to be a practice of ecstasy to bring people into an intellectual conversation," he said. "It's supposed to be a conversation between an audience and performers."

For Sonny, the intellectual aspect of qawwali comes in the form of the poems and sayings on which the tradition is based. Each qawwali, as the individual songs and performances of the tradition are also called, begins with a traditional poem in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi or Persian and then evolves into lyrical and rhythmic improvisation based on whatever the musicians feel compelled to express.

In this way, Sonny said, qawwalis share information with the audience about the poetic roots of the traditions while also engaging them in a "conversation" on modern topics.

"We're not just taking a South Asian saying and duplicating it," he explained. "We're really thinking about how our environment will accept it."

This historical sensitivity came across to Syed Akbar Hyder, an associate professor of Asian Studies and Islamic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, who became the group's unofficial mentor as they were forming in 2006. Hyder teaches a class exclusively on qawwali, which he said comes from the Arabic word, "qaul," which means "saying" or "axiom." When the founding members of Riyaaz Qawwali approached him for advice, he was impressed by the "remarkably sharp and sensitive men" involved.

"Usually when student groups come to me for feedback they're asking very basic questions," the professor told HuffPost over the phone. "Here they already had done their homework so they were asking me questions about poetry, about etiquette, what makes a particular qawwali generate a 'bravo' from the audience."

Today, Hyder incorporates Riyaaz Qawwali into his lessons to demonstrate "how a tradition that came into being in the early 14th century in Delhi... has been kept alive at an institution like the University of Texas."

The diverse nature of the group complements the interfaith origins of qawwali, Hyder said. The tradition came into being at the Delhi shrine of Sufi saint Nizamuddin, who the professor said is equally revered by Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Sikhs in the city.

"I can't think of any other shrine or site that has the ecumenical appeal that the shrine has," he said. "It's at that shrine that the tradition was born."

The qawwali tradition is looked down on by some religious leaders in South Asia who feel the music undermines their authority, Hyder noted. Nonetheless, "qawwalis have never stopped," he said.

Qawwali music can be heard emanating from Sufi shrines throughout India and Pakistan on a weekly basis, the professor said, which is a testament to its integrity. The members of Riyaaz Qawwali are keeping the tradition alive in their own ways, as well.

"What they bring to the tradition is their sensibilities that are very much formed by the context of the United States and the spirit of pluralism in this country," Hyder said. "The fact that these members identify with different religious communities or none speaks to the ecumenical power of the qawwali tradition. It takes people in its embrace who do not subscribe to any kind of exclusivist spirituality."

That doesn't mean Riyaaz Qawwali avoids difficult topics in its performances, however. Sonny frequently uses the improvisational segments of each composition to poetically comment on issues important to the group, taking care to translate everything into English so the audience can understand it. During the group's Jan. 11 performance at globalFEST in New York City, Sonny interjected during one of the songs to acknowledge the tragic shootings in Paris that began at the office of Charlie Hebdo just a few days earlier.

"There are real conversations music can have," he told HuffPost. "That's the point of art, to get you talking."

ISIS Releases Video Of Militants Smashing Artifacts Iraq's Hatra

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BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State extremists at Iraq's ancient city of Hatra destroyed the archaeological site by smashing sledgehammers into its walls and shooting Kalashnikov assault rifles at priceless statues, a new militant video purportedly from the group shows.

Militants attacked Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, last month, officials and local residents said, though the extent of the damage remains unclear as it is in territory still controlled by the Islamic State group.

hatra
A militant hammers away at a face on a wall in Hatra, Iraq, in this screenshot from an ISIS video, April 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Militant video)


The video, released overnight Friday, shows a militant on a ladder using a sledgehammer to bang repeatedly on the back of one of the carved faces until it crashes to the ground and breaks into pieces. The video also shows a militant firing a Kalashnikov rifle at another, while men chop away the bases of some of the larger wall sculptures.

The video corresponded with Associated Press reporting on the attack and was posted to a militant website frequently used by the group.

One of the militants, who speaks Arabic with a distinct Gulf accent on the video, declares they destroyed the site because it is "worshipped instead of God." The Islamic State group, which holds a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate, has been destroying ancient relics they say promote idolatry that violates their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law. Authorities also believe they've sold others on the black market to fund their atrocities.

hatra
A militant hammers away at a face on a wall in Hatra, Iraq, in this screenshot from an ISIS video, April 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Militant video)


Local government officials told the AP last month the militant group had looted and destroyed several ancient sites, including the 3,000 year-old Nimrud, another UNESCO World Heritage site. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called the Nimrud attack "a war crime."

Another video released in February showed militants smashing artifacts in the Mosul Museum and in January, the group burned hundreds of books from the Mosul library and Mosul University, including many rare manuscripts. The majority of the artifacts destroyed in the Mosul Museum attack were from Hatra.

hatra
A militant fires his weapon at faces on a wall in Hatra, Iraq, in this screenshot from an ISIS video, April 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Militant video)


Hatra, located 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul, was a large fortified city during the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab kingdom. The site is said to have withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and A.D. 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. The ancient trading center spanned 6 kilometers (4 miles) in circumference and was supported by more than 160 towers. At its heart are a series of temples with a grand temple at the center — a structure supported by columns that once rose to 100 feet.

The video's release comes after the Iraqi government this week claimed victory against the Islamic State group in Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit. Tikrit is 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Baghdad on the main highway to Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. Seizing Tikrit was key to an eventual campaign to retake Mosul — and the historic sites near it.

hatra
An aerial view of Hatra, Iraq, in this screenshot from an ISIS video, April 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Militant video)

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.

1950s New York Photos Remind Us It's Still The Greatest City On Earth

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