Archive for June, 2016
All modern producers are quite well aware of the art of sampling. Some producers do it, while others are strictly against it. But regardless of your view, some of the most iconic records in Hip Hop history were created using samples. Check it out as VinRican showcases classic samples that were used on jay-z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ album.
From time to time we enjoy posting some of the latest happenings in science on this blog, but it has come to our attention that a particular little future female scientists wanted some simpler things to read. Most of the science stuff is rather adult, but brining home-style science to younger readers is “elementary”… so here are 10 top home made science experiments that young ones can do at home.
Two months after surprise-dropping her stunning visual album Lemonade, Beyoncé has shared its fourth track “Sorry” as a standalone video.
Like in the original film, the short finds Bey and her body painted clique overtaking an expansive southern mansion and a city bus. Tennis pro Serena Williams pops up for a cameo in one of its most buzzed about scenes, twerking alongside Queen B as she resides in a regal throne.
The black-and-white clip, directed by Dikayl Rimmasch, finds a braided Bey throwing her middle fingers up and bopping on a bus with a tribe of dancers rocking Yoruba-inspired face and body paint. Tennis icon Serena Williams also twerks in the clip as Beyonce sings away her relationship woes upon her throne. “Sorry,” of course, also features the viral remark, “You better call Becky with the good hair.”
“She told me that she just wants me to dance, like just be really free and just dance like nobody’s looking and go all out,” Williams said in a May interview about her cameo. “So that wasn’t easy in the beginning, but then it got easier. … I thought that particular song on the visual album was really a strong song, and it was also really fun at the same time.”
Check out the video below!
It doesn’t have to be a Wednesday for the writers to have a woman crush. The ever so lovely Jessica Marie was brought to our attention recently, and her photos are quite stunning. She says she’s always had a passion for being in front of the camera, and her desire sure does show. Check out some of her work.
There are few trailers that have the visually stunning appeal to get me personally interested in something I have no general interest in, and as I may not deep into the world of high fashion, ‘The Neon Demon’ kept my attention the entire way through. This well lit, beautiful shot filled trailer hopefully pails in comparison to Nicolas Winding Refn’s full film, but check out the trailer and the official synopsis below.
When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will use any means necessary to get what she has in The Neon Demon, the new horror thriller from Nicolas Winding Refn. The Neon Demon stars Elle Fanning (Maleficent, Super 8), Jena Malone (Inherent Vice, The Hunger Games series), Bella Heathcote (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dark Shadows), Abbey Lee (Gods of Egypt, Max Max: Fury Road), Karl Glusman (Love, Stonewall), Keanu Reeves (John Wick, The Matrix series), Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men,” Drive), Desmond Harrington (“Dexter,” The Dark Knight Rises), Alessandro Nivola (A Most Violent Year, American Hustle), and Charles Baker (“Breaking Bad,” Wild).
WB has just released a batch of new Suicide Squad character portraits to promote the film. It seems the marketing campaign really wants to reinforce the tattoo motif. Will “skin-ink” actually factor into the plot of David Ayer’s story? And what of Common’s mysterious villain? We’re roughly two months away from the release of the film yet (thankfully) we still don’t know a whole lot about what Deadshot (Will Smith) and co. will be facing other than a crazed Joker (Jared Leto).
YG has been quite the outspoken artist since his arrival on the hip hop scene with the single ‘Toot It And Boot It’. But it seems as though recently, his words about Donald Trump have him in a bit of hot water. In a recent interview with Mass Appeal, YG discusses his issues with the secret service, his break between albums, and his new single Still Brazy. Check the method.
As a person who uses obscenities on a fairly regular basis, (besides when I’m on radio) I was extremely enthused to hear some swear words from my old home. The United Kingdom.
Check out the new track ‘Acapulco Gold’ by Phil Phlaymz and GOV.
We’ve been big fans of Viktor Miller-Gausa, and his photoshop portraits for quite some time. His work with simple strokes, and expressive ember effects brings a unique, and unmistakable quality to his art. Check the method.
Off-hand, one might not think of an ancient Bulgarian town at the foot of the Pirin Mountains as the location of a night club whose design was inspired by the Disney science fiction movie TRON:Legacy. Yet the Flash Club in Bansko fits right in with the smart set of this European ski resort that is also known for its jazz and pop music scene. Sofia, Bulgaria-based Studio Mode with chief designer and founder Svetoslav Todorov at the helm created an eerie pulsating and swirling atmosphere through the use of reflecting surfaces and massive circular forms. State-of-the art sound and lighting schemes complete the illusion of an otherworldly experience . VIP podiums link up with the bar through beams of light while the reflections off the surfaces amplify the space and produce an impression of infinity.
The movie ‘Central Intelligence’ would at first glance, appear from it’s trailers to yet another run-of-the-mill buddy cop comedy featuring Kevin Hart’s character from Ride Along. Luckily this isn’t (exactly) the truth. The film has a consistent underlying message about the problem of adolescent bullying, the issues it leaves people with later in life, and the effects that simple kind acts can have on a person. This message is rather cleverly draped in a story about a disenfranchised overweight boy Robbie Weirdicht (Dwayne Johnson) and high school all star Calvin ‘The Golden Jet’ Joyner (Kevin Hart). The circumstances of their reuniting 20 years after high school is a bit contrived, but believable, due to a simple act of kindness committed by Joyner.
What ensues after they reunite is an interesting romp that sends Joyner ping ponging back and forth between the CIA and Dwayne’s character (who renamed himself Bob Stone shortly after high school.) Neither Joyner nor the audience knows exactly who to believe at any given time, and the supporting characters help move the story along quite nicely. All in all, the movie isn’t as “by the numbers” as one would expect, and much better of a picture than ‘Ride Along’ or its sequel.
When delving into specifics, the first thing to be noticed is “Fat Rob”, in the first two seconds, the CG effects that put The Rock’s face onto an amorphous adolescent body, seem a bit off, but quickly get better for the short amount of time they’re needed. Retrospectively, it’s difficult to tell weather Kevin Hart’s de-aging is done digitally or is just a result of him shaving off his facial hair, and good make up.
Aside from the look of the characters as their teenaged selves, their behavior two decades later is strangely indicative of who they were in the past. The film’s trailer makes The Rock’s “Bob Stone” seem like a well put together CIA warrior, when he’s actually still very much the odd, bumbling nerd he was in high school, just in a different physical frame. Johnson’s strangeness can be a bit off putting at times, but when balanced with Kevin Hart’s “dimmed down high school star” persona, it works quite well. There are quite a few moments that are unexpectedly funny due to the duo’s comedic chemistry.
Aside from Johnson and Hart, there are two or three surprise cameos in the film that the media screening enjoyed, and some well placed jokes that aren’t in the trailers. That being said however, the plot seems like it could take some well welcomed twists, and is blandly predictable at times. When big name actors show up for only two minutes and disappear again, you know they’ll return at some point later on in the film, making things fairly easy to predict. The most off putting attribute however, was an overtly obnoxious mindset that high school defines you.
The entire movie has a thematic hue suggesting that high school is the precipice on which your entire life will be determined, which (to any high schoolers reading this) is completely untrue. There are also a few action set pieces that are a bit off the mark. At one point Dwayne Johnson’s character places a bullet in exactly the right place with perfect accuracy, but has trouble shooting anyone throughout the rest of the film. The movie also harkens back to 1984’s ’16 Candles’ multiple times for comedic effect, but if you’ve never seen ’16 Candles’ those jokes would make no sense.
When everything is said and done, ‘Central Intelligence’ is a movie worth checking out if you have a free weekend, and definitely will be remembered when discussing the film credits of both Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. Their on screen chemistry is reflective of their being friends in real life, and only adds to the strengths of the film. The film leans a bit on typical action tropes, but still delivers a solid message against the trend of bullying in schools, and doing whatever kinda acts you can to help someone in need. ‘Central Intelligence’ comes out in theaters this Friday the 17th in the U.S.
The CKIE online shop is filled with amazing trinkets, but the Reveal watch caught my eye this morning. The time is always in the present. This 33mm timekeeper reveals the current time through a looking glass while fading the past and the future. (Also available in a 40mm model). If you are a person of the present, this watch is made specifically for you.
Iskra Lawrence is may be one of the very many lovely women who have Instagram entranced, but she is quite unique in more ways than one. The 25-year-old model from Worcestershire, England, is technically a plus-sized model in the industry. But she’s turned that into an asset for herself and others, making a name for herself with realistic ads and empowering female body-image campaigns. She explained the complexities of being labeled a plus-sized model last year to Cosmo. Check out some more of her photos, and her powerful words below.
Absolutely every time I’ve ever met anyone and I’ve told them I’m a plus-size model, [I get told I’m not plus-size enough] without fail! Even when I’ve booked jobs and I’m on set, stylists and hair and makeup artists have commented that I don’t look big enough to be a plus model. I try to re-educate them about what a plus-size model means. Many of us lead healthy lifestyles, train in the gym regularly, and are in great shape. We represent a huge range of not only sizes, but also shapes, which I find really beautiful. I’m very proud to say I’m a plus model. I’ve learned to love my body and be proud of all my curves, and I’m so, so grateful every day to be able to work in the industry I love at my natural size.It’s frustrating that society is so set on categorizing everyone. But in the fashion industry it is difficult—most samples of straight-size are a 0 to 4 and plus is 14 to 16. It costs more to produce a range of different sample sizes. It would just be nice if everyone could accept a range of different size models without having to label them all—we are models, not numbers.
The visual artist Valentin Leonida, better known as Valle has an incredibly unique illustration style. The Canadian illustrator utilizes simplistic strokes and lining to create incredibly complex, and detailed pieces, that stand away from the generic subjects that others may draw. You can get prints of his work from his online shop by clicking right here.
Valle’s art style is reminiscent of the line work on American money. Below are some alternate looks at his most prominent pieces. And once again, you can get prints of his work from his online shop by clicking right here. Check the method.
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