Tom Hardy is definitely a dude who digs dogs. At the premier of his new movie Legend his dog Woodstock chased a pigeon on the red carpet and ended up stealing the show. The 37-year-old actor took his labrador-cross Woody to the London event where he was snapped jumping up on his owner before darting off to chase a pigeon. It is well-known how much Tom loves pets and he starred in a campaign poster for PETA alongside Woody after adopting the pooch. Last September, he also took his pit bull co-star Zora from the movie The Drop on a number of red carpets while promoting the film.
*Please note the dog above is not Woodstock.
Little America, Helmand
Once upon a time, in a bleak stretch of Afghan desert, American engineers oversaw the largest development program in Afghanistan's history, constructing two huge earthen dams, 300 miles of irrigation canals and 1,200 miles of gravel roads.
The settlement served as the headquarters of a sweeping American Cold War effort to wean Afghans from Soviet influence in the 1950s. Afghans called it "Little America."
The families lived in white stucco homes. The men wore coats and ties, and the women dressed as they did back home, with knee-length skirts. There was a clubhouse where the adults played cards and drinks were served by a Filipino bartender.
The kids played tennis, attended a co-ed school and escaped the heat by frolicking along the banks of the Helmand River. There were cottages in the mountains for weekend getaways, where the men would hunt gazelle and the kids would play games and sing.
The project soon lost its innocence with an unforseen by-product: deadly poppy blooms harvested for opium. Afghanistan currently produces 85% of the world's opium, the key ingredient in heroin. Now over 1 million Afghans – around 3% of the population – have an opium or heroin habit.
Can I get an Amen up in here?
Following Miley's inspired performance at the VMA's surrounded by a sea of drag queens, the Drag Race phenomenon is proving to be an unstoppable juggernaut. Resistance is futile: drag is back.
Sweet Molly passes away
Anderson Cooper is hurting over the loss of his faithful friend.
The newsman's beloved Welsh springer spaniel, Molly, died on Tuesday. He shared the news on Instagram along with a photo tribute to the 11-year-old pooch, which he referred as his "sweet dog."
Cooper, who is cuddling up to his the brown-and-white fur ball in the photo, was often seen with Molly around New York City. She also appeared on his daytime talk show, Anderson, making her debut in 2011. The canine was a little nervous for her big moment and nervously nuzzled her owner's leg.
Ron Jude
Ron Jude’s new book Lago, published by Mackbooks UK, comes out this fall. Ron Jude is a well known, highly regarded US photographer and this is his latest work. It’s about the Salton Sea area of the California desert. It’s highly anticipated and Mack is one of the hottest publishers around now; all of their books are coveted and beautiful. It was started by Michael Mack (formerly of Steidl) and its titles – always by the coolest artists - are always on “best of” lists and consistently sought after. ronjude.com
Gehry revealed as designer for LA River masterplan
LA-based architect Frank Gehry’s vision to revitalize the LA River hinges on turning it into what is mostly overflow from treatment plants and run-off from Angelenos watering their lawns into a water-reclamation project. Transforming the river will be a grand exercise in modern ecosystem manipulation. This is the beginning of a golden era for the LA River. lariver.org
Esalen: community and conscious capitalism
Perched on a windswept rocky promontory on California's scenic Big Sur, Esalen opened its doors in 1962. It recently featured in the final episode of Mad Men. The most significant campus renovation in its 53-year history is in full swing. With Silicon Valley engineer and entrepreneur Ben Tauber at the helm, the conscious business movement is gaining momentum. esalen.org
Chicago Biennial
The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, North America’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture, kicks off next month. Four new kiosks are being designed to be permanently installed on Chicago’s lakefront: one, decided through an international competition, and the other three, created through collaborations between local architecture programs and internationally-renowned architects.
October 3, 2015-January 3, 2016; chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org