the jay-z you DIDNT know

did you know that when shawn carter was 12 he shot his older brother eric? apparently eric was a drug addict and was trying to steal a beautiful ring from the young hova when he was shot.

dont mess with jay-z. ever. via.

from ellen degeneres

"For this photo, they lined up their family: tallest to most accident prone."


@theellenshow

bringing Buffy back from the great beyond

warner brothers is going to reboot the buffy the vampire slayer franchise with a fresh movie reportedly dealing with a more grown up post high school titular heroine.

now i love the original movie, and i adore sarah michelle gellar and the joss whedon WB classic tv series, but that doesn't mean that im going to dismiss this movie out of hand. so go for it warner brothers! via

mr whedon on the otherhand is less than enthusiastic.

sorry this is about rihanna again

if my review made you want to buy LOUD, you should know that groupon is selling it for only $5

buy it here.

non- rihanna related music post

swiss miss :: spiderman, turn off the dark

have you seen any of the pics from the upcoming broadway behemoth that is spiderman turn off the dark. check it out. bonkers.

Napoleon I, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

via

stupa!

via

that's a pancake.

here's how.

thx liz!

nErD aLeRt! / what are you doing tonight?

bun-bun, g,animalz, and i are going to see liz + ric lecture at the cooper union. they're my favorite architecture firm, jicyww. i'll try to remember to let you know what they say.

"one of the werewolves got beat up!"

Four men, who were allegedly drunk guests at a nearby wedding in the same venue, attacked Pelletier in the men's room of a Hilton hotel where he was a main attraction at 'Eternal Twilight 4,' a fan expo packed with teenage girls in Birmingham, about 120 miles from London (Peter Facinelli was the biggest 'Twilight' star originally booked to appear, but was ultimately a no-show).

Pelletier suffered a broken nose in the confrontation, during which the men reportedly struck and headbutted him until he was able to escape. Police chased the suspects, and witnesses say cops used a Taser to restrain one. All four were arrested on suspicion of assault; two have since been released and two were granted bail, pending further investigation. The motive for the attack has not been made public.

from melissa

daily ri ri

seven minutes and thirty four seconds of perfection on abc last night.

what is jazzy doing?

becoming an internet sensation. look what i found over on space shuttle.

some things never change.

did everyone see the title of today's DISUNION post? joel and i both read it as "drama in midgeville".

story of all of our lives, amirightladies?!!?

rihanna :: LOUD :: review

New Rihanna is good! Overall this album is pretty inconsistent, but because of that we get some really awesome new songs, and a couple that you can just forget about. That being said, there is a lot to like, and I really look forward to sitting with it for a while and adding it to my Riri playlist. Personally I don't think this album is as good as Rated R, but I think I liked that one a little more than most people. The critics have given LOUD favorable reviews, and most of them are pleased that she is back having fun and moving on from her "personal troubles." Rihanna said it best herself: "I'm gonna miss the Rated R era too, but nothing compares to the album I just made," she said, adding, "I made sure not to let you down with my music. You guys are always defending me, so now you’ve got some great songs to justify it. I didn’t want to go backward and remake Good Girl Gone Bad. I wanted the next step in the evolution of Rihanna, and it’s perfect for us"

1. S&M (****) This is a fun upbeat track to start off the album. It doesn't quite reach the heights of her greatest hits, but you're going to like this one, I promise. "I may be bad, but i'm perfectly good at it!"
2. What's My Name (*****) featuring (adorable) Drake. This one is hot 2 death! Drake and Rihanna suit each other on this track, and it smolders with natural chemistry and sexiness. Both of these hot young artists are in their element here. "You're just my type oooo na NA na NA."
3. Cheers (Drink to That) (****) This one was completely unexpected. Based on an Avril Lavigne sample (I'm With You) this one is about getting out there, feeling good and having fun with your friends. "Cheers to the freakin' weekend, I'll drink to that."
4. Fading (***) For me, this is the first miss on an otherwise strong start to the album. It sounds like several of Riri's other songs watered down and thinned out. No real punch, but nothing really bad either. "Go on, be gone, ta ta, so long."
5. Only Girl (In the World) (*****) An instant classic, the first single released from the album, and probably its defining track. Rihanna has characterized LOUD as move away from the darker edge from Rated R, but without just recreating her sound from Good Girl Gone Bad. This is the best example of her success in that regard. Fun, club friendly, car friendly, (and cat friendly - addition by kylie) Rihanna at her best. "Let me take you by surprise, make it last all night."
6. California King Bed (***) Slow jam about cuddling. Not what I'm looking for from you, Riri. "How come when I reach out my fingers, It seems like more than distance between us."
7. Man Down (***) Another low point. This one is sort of an island groove affected slow jam about Rihanna shooting someone. Police sirens and steel drums? "Oh Mama, I just shot a man down in Central Station in front of a big ole crowd."
8. Raining Men (****) This track featuring Nicki Minaj is such a relief after getting through the two snoozers that precede it. Nicki is another natural collaborator for Rihanna. She is like the urban rap star that Rihanna's Barbadian heritage would never let her be. These two are clearly having fun, and so am I when this one comes on. "I ain't even worried bout you homie, cuz theres plenty more fish in the sea."
9. Complicated (****) This features a strong vocal, allowing Rihanna to actually belt and sing a little. Its a shame the rest of the song is a little weak, because with a little more pep in the musical arrangements I think this could have been one of the best songs on the album. Waiting for the dancehall remix. "If you really want to be alone, I throw my hands up cuz baby i tried"
10. Skin (***) I've got to be honest that I don't really know what to do with this one. I want to like it more than I do, and maybe it will grow on me with repeated listens, but there is definitely something there that interests me. "No heels, no shirt, no skirt, all im in is just skin"
11. Love the Way You Lie (****) This song works as a slow burning ballad. The Eminem contribution is just fine. Rihanna sounds pretty, but I think the original has a little more heat.
12. Love the Way You Lie (Piano Version) I would have preferred to have another new song than just get a different version of a song that was a response to an Eminem song. More Rihanna plz.

happy (sad) JFK assasination day

new snuffles video.

thx snuffles. you look really cute.

also, click here to watch him lookin' like ke$ha's estranged brother on jimmy fallon.

duncan zowie jones : source code

from the david bowie's son who directed moon, this one has jake gyllenhaal