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Watch Lorde's 'Team' Video Right Now: 'Holla Acne!'

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Lorde has released the new music video to her song, "Team," the latest single of her smash-hit album, "Pure Heroine." The video, which was shot in Red Hook, Brooklyn and directed by Young Replicant (The xx), is one of Lorde's favorites. "Probably the diversity of the casting!" Lorde said on Twitter when asked why she loved the "Team" video so much. "It was important to me that we cast real people with real faces. [H]olla acne!"

Lorde took to Facebook to publicize the new clip, explaining her inspiration for the video.

This video was born from a dream I had a few months ago about teenagers in their own world, a world with hierarchies and initiations, where the boy who was second in command had acne on his face, and so did the girl who was queen. I dreamt about this world being so different to anything anyone had ever seen, a dark world full of tropical plants and ruins and sweat. And of this world, I dreamt about tests that didn't need to be passed in order to be allowed in: sometimes the person who loses is stronger.


Watch the "Team" video below.


Billy Joel To Play Madison Square Garden Residency

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NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Joel will perform once a month at Madison Square Garden — as long as the fans will have him.

The Grammy Award-winning icon announced Tuesday that he'll perform a residency at the famed NYC venue every month for as long as New Yorkers demand. He's set to perform sold-out shows on Jan. 27, Feb. 3, March 21 and April 28. He will also perform on his 65th birthday, which is May 9. Tickets go on sale Saturday. "We're gonna dust off some stuff. We're gonna feature more of the album tracks, more obscure songs. We'll still do some songs people are familiar with and like, but we're gonna change it up. It gives you an edge," he said in an interview after the press conference.

Joel was introduced by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who called the singer a "worldwide superstar who values most that he is a hometown hero," citing Joel's participation in the Concert for New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks and the 12-12-12 concert for Hurricane Sandy relief.

The Bronx-born Joel first performed at MSG in 1978. Since then, he has played at the venue 46 times.

"I said it in '78, and I'll say it again, there is no better venue in the world," he said.

Joel will perform at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on New Year's Eve. He said that show and previous shows are prepping him for his MSG run.

"We did a series of gigs in England and Ireland and they went well. That's kind of how we warmed up to this," he said.

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Online:


http://www.billyjoel.com


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Follow John Carucci on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jacarucci

Walt Disney's Chicago Birthplace Will Be Restored, Turned Into Museum By New Buyers

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The nondescript Chicago two-flat where, according to historians, famed cartoonist Walt Disney was born in 1901 is set to be developed into a museum and kid-focused community resource center.

The home, located at 2156 North Tripp Ave. in the city's Hermosa neighborhood, was sold to Dina Benadon and Brent Young, of the Hollywood-based amusement park firm Super 78, earlier this year, according to Crain's Chicago.

"Their goal is to protect and preserve the location and to open it as a museum to the public," a spokesman for Benadon and Young told Crain's.


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The New York Times notes many others have aimed to "get people to care" about the 1893 home for decades, but the home was previously denied landmark status by a city committee due to the home's architectural insignificance and Disney's own controversial past when it came to matters of race and ethnicity.

Then-alderman (and current Cook County Board President) Toni Preckwinkle was one of the committee members who declined to grant the home landmark status in 1997.

"I think we have to be careful of who we choose as our heroes," Preckwinkle previously said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I don't find Walt Disney to be a hero. He was not only a well-known anti-Semite. He was racist and anti-labor."

Ground will be broken on the restoration at the Disney home on Thursday, which would have been the animation legend's 112th birthday, according to ABC Chicago.

Curbed Chicago notes Mayor Rahm Emanuel will also designate Thursday as "Walt Disney Day" in honor of the occasion.

As Yesterland noted in a 2008 article, few of the other places associated with Disney's childhood -- he lived in the city until the age of four and again from the age of 16-18 -- remain, having been replaced or destroyed over the years.

The 20 Best Websites For Unique Gifts, Stocking Stuffers And More (PHOTOS)

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We all want to give a unique gift that will be remembered year-round. Yet, when push comes to shove, we also have a tendency to completely blank out and forget what our recipients really want. Or what they don't have. Thus begins the yearly cycle of buying random scarves, candles and body lotions in a panic (which we know will only end up getting regifted). Let's put an end to this stressful tradition this year, with these 20 websites and online stores that pretty much do the thinking for you.



Middle Schooler Sends A$AP Rocky The Most Adorable Letter

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Posted earlier by Noisey, a North Carolina middle schooler sent an adorable letter to A$AP Rocky, informing the rapper that he is "probably" his number one fan. Unfortunately, the letter never made it to Rocky because Graceson accidentally sent it to the office of Miskha, a New York-based clothing company. However, Mishka's Ray The Destroyer posted the note to Instagram for all to see.

"I am writing this fan letter for a grade. Were doing a project at [my middle school] also because I love you'r [sic] music," the youngster wrote in the letter, which contains an expert knowledge of Rocky's life. (The student even acknowledges that Rocky has admitted to selling drugs.) Head to Noisey to check out the note, and let's all hope that Rocky sends this superfan a CD or something.

[via Noisey]

Watch DJ Earworm's United State Of Pop 2013 Mashup

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DJ Earworm has released his annual mashup of the year's biggest pop songs, debuting "United State of Pop 2013." The five-minute number features singles from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Britney Spears, Robin Thicke, Katy Perry, and Macklemore. Check out the video above and the full list of the included songs below.

Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up
Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man
Capital Cities - Safe & Sound
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky
Eminem feat. Rihanna - The Monster
Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly - Cruise
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
Imagine Dragons - Demons
Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail
Justin Timberlake - Mirrors
Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z - Suit & Tie
Katy Perry - Roar
Lady Gaga - Applause
Lorde - Royals
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton - Can't Hold Us
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz - Thrift Shop
Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop
OneRepublic - Counting Stars
P!nk feat. Nate Ruess - Just Give Me A Reason
Rihanna - Stay
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. - Blurred Lines
Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble
Will.I.Am feat. Britney Spears - Scream And Shout

Huffington Issue 78: Racism At Barneys, Ballet Dancers Off-Duty And Much More

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This week in Huffington magazine, we follow up on accusations of racial profiling at Barneys' department stores by speaking to current and former employees, who share some surprising anecdotes. Elsewhere in the issue, we track down would-be mothers struggling with an unusual condition: secondary infertility. On the lighter side, see what New York City Ballet dancers dress like off-stage, and find out what America's favorite vodka is.

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Download it free in the App Store today and spend a little more time with Huffington.

'Fast & Furious 7' Production Delayed Following Paul Walker's Death

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Production on "Fast & Furious 7" is on hold following the death of star Paul Walker.

Shooting on the film had been scheduled to resume this week in Atlanta but was canceled Monday and Tuesday. A spokesman for Universal Pictures declined to say when shooting will resume. Production on the latest installment of the franchise began in September. While a large portion of the film has been shot, the movie is incomplete.

It's scheduled for release July 11, a date that could be difficult to meet with any lengthy delay. Universal Pictures is expected to go forward with the film, but it has not announced how it will adjust the movie or handle Walker's unfinished performance.

The franchise, which has starred Walker in all but one installment, is particularly lucrative for Universal. "Fast & Furious 6," released in May, was the highest grossing film in the series, earning more than $788 million worldwide.

The manner of Walker's death — a fiery car crash in a specialty sports car — was also so reminiscent of the films that made him famous that "Fast & Furious 7" will be under particular scrutiny for how it portrays the fatal risks of street car racing.

Police investigators are examining the cause of the crash that killed Walker, 40, and his friend and fellow fast-car enthusiast Roger Rodas on Saturday north of Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has said witnesses described the car "traveling alone at a high rate of speed" before the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT smashed into a light pole and tree, and then exploded in flames.

On Monday night, a private memorial for survivors and the cast and crew of the "Fast & Furious" movies was held inside a white tent erected around the crash site in Valencia. When it was over, Walker's co-star Vin Diesel emerged to thank fans for paying their respects to the actor.

Walker left behind two completed films that will be released.

He stars in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama "Hours," which Lionsgate's Pantelion Films will release Dec. 13 in limited theaters and on video-on-demand, as previously planned. Walker is a producer on the film, something he hadn't previously done.

Walker also stars in "Brick Mansions," a remake of the French action film "District B13" that Relativity plans to release early next year.

The New York City Subway Map, 'Super Mario World' Style (VIDEO)

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Actor and comedian Robert Bacon has re-imagined the New York City subway map as a a Super Mario World-scape.

Bacon, who previously designed a Donkey Kong-inspired Chicago neighborhood map, wrote on his blog that it took him two months to to make the 16-bit pixel by pixel recreation. Mapping the New York CIty subway system, after all, with its 840 miles of track and more than 450 stations, is a tedious task.

Of note on the map: AsCurbed points out, Princess Peach is being kept on Staten Island.

The poster is available for sale via RIPT Apparel and it makes a wonderful Christmas gift for the classic gaming nerd in your life.

[VIA Curbed]

'Inside Llewyn Davis' Review: The First Word On The Coens' New Film

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In an alley behind a cafe in New York's Greenwich Village, an unidentified stranger knocks singer Llewyn Davis to his knees. Within the first 10 minutes of the Coen brothers' latest dark comedy, the filmmakers acquaint us with the curiously obscure, as violent fits are not usually associated with folk music.

The genesis of this animosity is left unanswered until the final moments of the film, leaving the lingering off-kilter question: Why would anyone beat up a folk singer? Thus, we have the perfect onset for this bleak and witty tale of a striving musician. Here the Coen brothers pluck at the beatnik scene of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Helmed by long-time Coen collaborator T Bone Burnett, the tunes in this film — which are performed live — bare morbid undertones that correspond with the foremost concepts of the story: poverty, abortion, disappointment and death.

As the film opens, we are introduced to our guitar-strumming lead, Llewyn Davis, who is onstage in a smoke-filled dive. He is played to grungy, dark and handsome perfection by the stylish and calm Juilliard-trained Oscar Isaac. This marks the first time the Miami-bred Guatemalan-born 33-year-old has anchored a feature and he carries it off with infectious grace and grit. When he sings "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" in these initial moments, we're both seduced and heartbroken.

But for his character, a deep tune isn't enough to win over an audience. He is struggling to make it as a solo artist after his bandmate committed suicide, and his dismal hymns fail to propel him out of dire straits. Unable to afford his own place, he crashes on the couches of friends around town. Yet he's determined to keep his guitar close by and not sell out.

It seems we'll have no problem feeling sorry for Llewyn. Only the fact that he's an egotistical jackass makes it impossible to feel solidly empathetic toward him. His tenacity is admirable, though painstakingly impractical, which his married lover, Jean, played by Carey Mulligan, never fails to point out. The motley actress, who also played Isaac's love interest in "Drive," is deliciously abrasive in this role as Llewyn's best friend's wife, who just might be carrying Llewyn's baby.

Unlike her glamorous turn as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" earlier this year, here Mulligan is pared down in tame turtlenecks and blunt brown bangs. This practical look is the perfect contrast to her sassy tongue. Jean is disgusted with Llewyn's casual nature and lack of desire for the stable suburban lifestyle, yet she's attracted to his rough edges. Their back-and-forth dustups speed up the film's otherwise drowsy pace and offer the most intriguing, and hilarious, exchanges.

Justin Timberlake, as bearded musician Jim, who is married to Jean, has good comedic timing. He's convincingly quirky and naive, especially when he attempts to record a loony track about President Kennedy with a straight face. And "Girls" star Adam Driver, as the cowboy hat-wearing folk singer Al Cody, is a riot when adding absurd sound effects to Jim's soon-to-be hit.

Luck never seems to be on Llewyn's side. If he gains a couple of bucks, he quickly loses them. He's unable to nab a proper coat and boots in the freezing New York winter. And his sister has tossed the papers needed to return to the seaman's union, his backup plan. Isaac's masters every intricate expression, but disappointment is his grand mask.

When Llewyn hitches a ride to Chicago for a last-chance meeting with stoic music manager Bud Grossman (portrayed by the ever-magnetic F. Murray Abraham) he is told his music isn't sellable. His traveling companions, bizarre Southern jazz musician Roland Turner, played with raw perfection by Coen regular John Goodman and the aloof leather coat-wearing stud Johnny Five (a quiet, captivating Garrett Hedlund), turn out to be a headache when one almost overdoses on drugs and another is arrested.

Indeed, the film is a heavy downer and its consistent gray-hue enhances the bleakness. But the Coen brothers never fail to weave in bits of saucy irony, giving way for essential comical moments that bring everything full-circle.

Now back to that alley beat-down: Despite what Llewyn goes through, it becomes clear he deserved it.

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"Inside Llewyn Davis," from CBS Films, is rated R for language including some sexual references. Running time: 105 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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

Grammy 2014 Predictions: Lorde, Macklemore, Pharrell Williams

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This is a great year to be a Grammy Awards prognosticator.

There's been a lot of excellent music, but there are clear favorites as The Recording Academy prepares to unveil nominees Friday (a handful will be unveiled during a CBS special and the rest announced after it airs). The trends are pretty easy to define: — HOMECOMING DANCE: Remember how it felt in high school when you just knew who would be elected homecoming king and queen long before the big dance? The Grammy nominations have that feel with Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake a virtual lock to be two of the night's most popular picks, and probably top nominees. Swift's "Red" has sold 6 million copies, and though it came out in November 2012, it's had staying power right on through the late 2013 awards season. And while fan fervor diminished a bit as Timberlake released the second installment of "The 20/20 Experience," there's no question it will remain in the forefront in voters' thoughts Friday.

— BREAKOUT STAR: We offer up Lorde as this year's other likely multiple nominee. The 17-year-old from New Zealand stood in stark opposition to the swag-flavored atmosphere of this year's singles market, offering up "Royals." The song is a catchy refutation of popular culture that became something of an anthem for the dispossessed. Grammy voters love precocious teens and smart pop songs. Mix those things together and you've got Lorde.

— UNLIKELY RAP STARS: Seattle-based Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have been the rap sensations of the pop world this year with hits like the quirky "Thrift Shop" and the same-sex acceptance song "Same Love." They are strong contenders for record and song of the year, but will they dominate in rap categories along names like Drake and Kendrick Lamar?

— THE SINGLES: Two of the contenders for record and song of the year share a common denominator: Pharrell Williams. He helped Robin Thicke make "Blurred Lines" an inescapable part of 2013 and took a starring turn on Daft Punk's mind candy "Get Lucky." Will he end up competing against himself if both are nominated for song or record of the year?

— THE NEWCOMERS: Besides Lorde, Florida Georgia Line are strong contenders to be nominated for best new artist thanks to the success of "Cruise," with Nelly. There could be two rap contenders: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kendrick Lamar, the platinum-selling critical darling of the rap world. Other potential names that could make it on the list include Imagine Dragons, Haim, Kacey Musgraves and big-voiced teen Ariana Grande.

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Online:


http://grammy.org


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Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

'Blues Brothers' Mall Car Chase Scene In Legos Is As Epic As The Original

Hagia Sophia Mosque? Turkish Leaders Call For Conversion Of Istanbul Landmark, Alarming Religious Minorities

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ISTANBUL (RNS) In this ancient city, there are few sights more iconic than the dome of the Hagia Sophia, towering over the old city for more than 1,400 years.

But recent conversions of former Byzantine-era churches from museums into mosques, encouraged by religious and political leaders, have caused alarm among religious minorities and Turkey’s Christian neighbors.

“We currently stand next to the Hagia Sophia Mosque,” Turkey’s deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc, remarked last month during a dedication of a museum of Caucasus carpets and rugs in the Hagia Sophia complex. “We are looking at a sad Hagia Sophia but hopefully we will see it smiling again soon.”

Arinc, also a senior Cabinet minister from the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party, mentioned two recent conversions of smaller Byzantine-era museums — in Trabzon in the northeast and Iznik near Istanbul — that have become working mosques.

The speech was just the latest call for the building to be converted into a mosque after a sermon in October by the imam of the neighboring Sultan Ahmet mosque. He told worshippers a conversion must take place, echoing a campaign launched by the far-right National Turkish Student Association.

Reaction from the Greek Foreign Ministry to the Arinc speech was swift, calling the speech “an insult to the religious sensibilities of millions of Christians and actions that are anachronistic and incomprehensible from a state that declares it wants to participate as a full member in the European Union.”

“If it is to reopen as a house of worship, then it should open as a Christian church,” the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew — the Archbishop of Constantinople — told Turkish newspaper Milliyet in February, saying that the Hagia Sophia had served as a Christian church for hundreds of years before Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

“It was built as a church and not a mosque,” he added.

The Hagia Sophia has been standing since 360, when the first church was constructed soon after the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Two more churches were built on the same site in 415 and in 532.

The Ottoman conquerors refurbished the building into a mosque in 1453. It became a museum after a decree by the founder of Turkey’s secular republic, Kemal Mustafa Ataturk, in 1935.

Some critics say the spate of conversions of Byzantine-era Christian houses of worship from museums to mosques reflects the government’s payback against Turkey’s former secular military elite, which has historically jailed leaders of religious parties and staged coups against elected governments.

“It is mostly a challenge to the secular rulers of Turkish republic,” said Engin Akyurek, a professor of Byzantine art at Istanbul University.

The government “re-converts church-mosques which were used as museums during the republican era so it is related to the domestic politics,” he said.

Still, despite concerns, the conversions continue.

In recent weeks it was announced that the Monastery of Stoudios — the largest Byzantine-era monastery in Istanbul — would be converted into a mosque next year. Part of the former monastery complex became a mosque in the 15th century but fell into disrepair, and after being gutted by two fires, it was abandoned in 1920.

Historians say this will destroy one of Istanbul’s earliest Byzantine monuments.

“To use this building for some function, a mosque or anything else, would mean to reconstruct almost 80 percent of the building,” said Akyurek. “So, it will not be a fifth-century building anymore. It will be a catastrophe for that building.”

With provincial elections slated for March — and expected to be a crucial test of the government’s decade-long rule — some see the museum-to-mosque conversions as a way for the Justice and Development Party to shore up its religiously conservative base, especially in the face of large protests earlier this year challenging its conservative policies, such as a tightening of the sale of alcohol.

Still, others are wary that the party’s political strategy to court religious voters will do irreparable damage to the country’s cultural and religious monuments and antagonize other religions.

“Supporting the reopening of Hagia Sophia has become the litmus test of the true believer,” said Professor Robert Ousterhout, director of the Center for Ancient Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. “Protests by the academic community have fallen on deaf ears.”

Ian McKellen Tells Jon Stewart Why He Became An Actor And It Makes Us Love Him Even More

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Ian McKellen already can do no wrong in our eyes -- what with his wit, talent, humor and unadulterated friendship with Patrick Stewart. But when he came on as a guest on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" Monday (Dec. 2), McKellen managed to surprise us and make us love him even more.







'Urban Explorer' Photographs Chicago From Places You're Not Supposed To Go

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CHICAGO — For many tourists, the Chicago skyline is best viewed from Willis Tower's Skydeck Ledge, their feet appearing to float above the city below, but firmly, securely planted on glass.

Bradley Garrett would rather go without the glass.

Garrett is a University of Oxford researcher and self-described "urban explorer" who has made a career out of photographing his adventures in going places you're not supposed to — including dangling his feet off the edge of the 72-story Legacy Tower overlooking Millennium Park.

Watch This Incredible LEGO Re-Enactment Of The Famous Mall-Chase Scene From 'Blues Brothers'

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It's well known that "The Blues Brothers" are well loved around Illinois, but one Australian Lego builder who counts himself among the BB diehards has taken his affection for Jake and Elwood to another level.

"I've been a fan of the "Blues Brothers" since I was really young" says Bricktease founder Duncan McConchie in a "making of" video for his latest hit (embedded above). "The chase through the shopping mall has always been a favorite."

To create the iconic clip from the (now-demolished) Dixie Square Mall, McConchie says he re-watched the scene "loads" of times, plotted a rough map and began pulling together pieces to make the figures.

In all, it took between 8-10 hours to put the set together, 2,400 photos to make the scenes, more than 70 total hours of filming and more than 5,000 individual bricks for the set -- though McConcie notes, "I'm sure the number is actually much higher than that, but I didn't count them all."

Through Bricktease, his site devoted to all things Lego, McConchie has released hit videos that include the opening scene of "Casino Royale" and a music video of Coldplay's "The Hardest Part."

You can check out the clip that inspired the Lego Blues Brothers below, or view McConchie's side-by-side version.

'Vaginal Knitting' Is Here To Make Everyone Afraid Of Performance Art Once Again (NSFW)

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Two words: Vaginal. Knitting.

This curious form of performance art comes to us courtesy of feminist artist Casey Jenkins, a self-professed "craftivist" who is knitting using wool placed -- you guessed it -- inside her vagina.

"I'm spending 28 days knitting from wool that I've inserted in my vagina," the Melbourne-based artist explains in the video above. "Everyday I take a new skein of wool that's been wound so that it will unravel from the centre and I stick it up inside me... and then I pull out the thread and knit."

vaginal knitting

The work is officially called "Casting Off My Womb," but was lovingly dubbed "Vaginal Knitting" by the Australian TV channel SBS2Australia. Taking place in Darwin, Australia, the performance project aims to address taboos surrounding female genitals and a woman's body in general, similar to the many provocative endeavors spearheaded by Jenkin's art activism group, Craft Cartel.

Unsurprisingly, the idea of vaginal performance has left more than a few people with their mouths agape. Jenkins has described the piece as (let out sarcastic gasp here) "arousing" and promises to work non-stop during the days she's knitting, come hell or high water... or menstruation. Cue predictable, cringe-worthy responses.





Jenkins is not the first female artist to test the limits of the public's uneasiness with the naked female form. Marina Abramovic explored pagan rituals associated with a woman's body in "Balkan Erotic Epic,” Yoko Ono dared audiences to literally cut off her clothes in "Cut Piece," and Marni Kotak, well, she gave birth in an art gallery. And that's just naming a few veterans. More recently, the Brooklyn-based artist Christine Cha challenged woman to "Rub Out" together in support of female masturbation.

Should we be concerned, though, that "Vagina [Insert Performance Act Here]" still ruffles the feathers of art admirers? Gawker probably said it best: "Perhaps [the project's] power lies in the fact that the same feminist themes and visuals that shocked us in the '60s and '70s still shock us today."

Watch the video above for more information and let us know your thoughts on the art happening in the comments.

Sundance Film Festival 2014 U.S. Competition Entries Feature Kristen Stewart, John Slattery, Lena Dunham

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Our first major glimpse of next year's indie darlings is here, thanks to the newly unveiled lineup for the Sundance Film Festival. Among the offerings for U.S. competition at next year's fest are the first feature film directed by "Mad Men" star John Slattery, a big-screen return from Lena Dunham and the reliable presence of festival-circuit favorites like John Hawkes and director Joe Swanberg ("Drinking Buddies," "LOL").

The competition is also lathered with genre flicks, from the horrific "Cold in July" and "Life After Beth" to the dramedy trappings of "The Skeleton Twins," which stars Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell. Still, A-listers like Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Aaron Paul are among the featured players, so we can count on the festival to maintain its usual confluence of obscure movies with ever-popular stars.

Here are the 16 movies screening in the U.S. competition. All are receiving their world premieres at Sundance.

"Camp X-Ray"
Director and screenwriter: Peter Sattler
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Payman Maadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria, John Carroll Lynch
A young woman is stationed as a guard in Guantanamo Bay, where she forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees.

"Cold in July"
Director: Jim Mickle; Screenwriters: Jim Mickle, Nick Damici
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Don Johnson, Sam Shepard, Vinessa Shaw, Nick Damici, Wyatt Russell
After killing a home intruder, a small town Texas man's life unravels into a dark underworld of corruption and violence.

"Dear White People"
Director and screenwriter: Justin Simien
Cast: Tyler Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell
Four black students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an “African American” themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in postracial America while weaving a story about forging one's unique path in the world.

"Fishing Without Nets"
Director: Cutter Hodierne; Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey, David Burkman
Cast: Abdikani Muktar, Abdi Siad, Abduwhali Faarah, Abdikhadir Hassan, Reda Kateb, Idil Ibrahim
A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of a struggling, young Somali fisherman.

"God's Pocket"
Director: John Slattery; Screenwriters: John Slattery, Alex Metcalf
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks, John Turturro
When Mickey's stepson Leon is killed in a construction "accident," Mickey tries to bury the bad news with the body. But when the boy's mother demands the truth, Mickey finds himself stuck between a body he can’t bury, a wife he can’t please, and a debt he can’t pay.

"Happy Christmas"
Director and screenwriter: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, Joe Swanberg.
After a breakup with her boyfriend, a young woman moves in with her older brother, his wife, and their 2-year-old son.

"Hellion"
Director and screenwriter: Kat Candler
Cast: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner, Jonny Mars, Walt Roberts
When motocross and heavy metal obsessed, 13-year-old Jacob's delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother Wes with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father must finally take responsibility for their actions and each other in order to bring Wes home.

"Infinitely Polar Bear"
Director and screenwriter: Maya Forbes
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide
A manic-depressive mess of a father tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters, who don't make the overwhelming task any easier.

"Jamie Marks is Dead"
Director and screenwriter: Carter Smith
Cast: Cameron Monaghan, Noah Silver, Morgan Saylor, Judy Greer, Madisen Beaty, Liv Tyler
No one seemed to care about Jamie Marks until after his death. Hoping to find the love and friendship he never had in life, Jamie’s ghost visits former classmate Adam McCormick, drawing him into the bleak world between the living and the dead.

"Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter"
Director: David Zellner; Screenwriters: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Cast: Rinko Kikuchi
A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune.

"Life After Beth"
Director and screenwriter: Jeff Baena
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser
Zach is devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth. When she mysteriously returns, he gets a second chance at love. Soon his whole world turns upside down.

"Low Down"
Director: Jeff Preiss, Screenwriters: Amy Albany, Topper Lilien
Cast: John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Flea
Based on Amy Jo Albany's memoir, Low Down explores her heart-wrenching journey to adulthood while being raised by her father, bebop pianist Joe Albany, as he teeters between incarceration and addiction in the urban decay and waning bohemia of Hollywood in the 1970s.

"The Skeleton Twins"
Director: Craig Johnson; Screenwriters: Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman
Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Joanna Gleason
Estranged twins Maggie and Milo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront the reasons their lives went so wrong. As the twins' reunion reinvigorates them, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.

"The Sleepwalker"
Director: Mona Fastvold; Screenwriters: Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet
Cast: Gitte Witt, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Stephanie Ellis
A young couple, Kaia and Andrew, are renovating Kaia´s secluded family estate. Their lives are violently interrupted when unexpected guests arrive. The Sleepwalker chronicles the unraveling of the lives of four disparate characters as it transcends genre conventions and narrative contrivance to reveal something much more disturbing.

Song One
Director and screenwriter: Kate Barker-Froyland
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Rosenfield
Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring musician, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives.

"Whiplash"
Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons
Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.

This Fox And Hound Are Here To Ask You Not To Wear Fur

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We'd like you to meet Sniffer and Tinni, a pair of best friends that met while they were both strolling thorough a Norwegian forest.

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Tinni the dog and Sniffer the fox became quick friends, prompting the pooch's owner Torgeir Berge to start a campaign against the highly controversial fur trade after he noticed "how similar foxes and dogs actually are," calling the fox the "dog of the forest."

Berge and his friend Berit Helberg plan to release a book sometime next year chronicling the duo, because "no animals should be living like the animals in the fur industry are living." According to animal advocacy group PETA, many creatures bound for the fur industry are allegedly kept in small, restrictive cages for their entire lives.

Berge and Helberg said they plan to donate a portion of the proceeds to help save the Sniffers of the world, and we can totally see why.

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The pair put their motivation quite simply in a description of the project: "Why [should] some animals be in small, narrow, claustrophobic cages without freedom just because ... human kind wants to look good?"

If you want to stay away from fur, the Humane Society keeps an up-to-date list of fur-free retailers around the country, which you can see here. For now, take a look at more photos of the pair below, and head on over to Berge's Facebook page to see more moments from Tinni and Sniffer's touching friendship.

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Phil Collins Is Working On New Music For First Time Since 2010 Retirement

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MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Phil Collins, whose earnest ballads made him a solo star in the 1980s, is penning songs again. Although he dreads the idea of extended touring because it would take him away from his five children, the former Genesis frontman says he has missed the creativity of music since he retired in 2010.

Collins spoke at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach on Wednesday. He was in town to promote the expansion of his nonprofit Little Dreams Foundation, which he co-founded with his now ex-wife Orianne Collins to help youth realize their artistic, musical and athletic dreams. "I've decided I kind of missed that writing creative stuff, so I'm trying to get back into writing, and that's getting into a certain headspace and personal drive," he said.

There's no magic for getting into the groove, "just banging away at it," he said. Sometimes the lyrics come first, sometimes the music.

"I've got some lyrical ideas on paper that are good. I've started to thrash around at the piano. A lot of it is hit and miss," he said. "All you need is something to hang an idea on and you're off."

Collins got his start as the drummer for Genesis in the 1970s before becoming a solo star with hits such as "In the Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds."

Collins said putting on live shows is fun, but he doesn't like missing his children's birthdays.

"I've been like that pretty much most of my life, and I don't want to do that anymore," he said.

Collins has three adult children from his first two marriages and two young sons with Orianne. They divorced in 2008.

Pressed when he might it the road again, he said it wouldn't be before the end of next year. He didn't say whether it would be a solo show or a Genesis reunion.

Collins said he gets a kick out of watching his concerts with his young sons Nicholas and Matthew.

He said they ask him tough questions, like why he makes a crazy laugh on the single "Mama" from Genesis' 1983 self-titled album. The answer: It was tribute to the granddaddy of hip hop Grandmaster Flash.

"But they don't know who Grandmaster Flash is," he said. Collins credits his boys' interest in his concerts for encouraging him to even consider getting back on the stage.

Critics also give him pause about returning.

"I can't believe that amount of hate that is out there," he said, referring to the online reaction to his declaration earlier this year that he might consider touring.

Even after all these years, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist still takes critics to heart. Over the years, they've often panned his pop tunes for being safe, bland and overproduced.

"Knowing that I'm just thinking of it, and someone saying, 'No, God, please don't do that!' It kind of undermines your confidence," he said. "We're all sensitive chaps, you know."

Collins said he was pleasantly surprised at how certain songs have held up over time, such as "Easy Lover" and "In the Air Tonight," which was featured in the 1980's hit TV show "Miami Vice."

"That's going to be on my headstone. He came. He wrote 'In the Air Tonight.' He ... died."

As for his charity, Collins said he often used to receive letters from kids asking how to break into the music business, so he and Orianne decided to create the nonprofit to help those without resources get coaching, training and advice. At first, they turned to their friends in the music industry to serve as mentors and later expanded to sports and visual arts.

The Miami chapter is the first in the U.S. Children are selected based on talent, motivation and enthusiasm. Once accepted, they work with mentors, who have in the past included Tina Turner, Natalie Cole and others.

Collins doesn't promise the 10 or so youth who will be selected each year a guaranteed path to fame.

"But we're giving kids with the same kinds of ambitions I had solid ways to prepare," he said.

Collins said he was a lucky man.

"All I set out to do was to earn a living playing drums, you know? And as luck would have it, I've surpassed that."
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