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Jon Stewart Makes Up To $30 Million For 'The Daily Show'

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the daily show jon stewart

Network television may be bringing in younger talent from Jimmy Fallon to Seth Meyers to boost ratings; however, TV's highest-paid late-night host is Jon Stewart over on cable. 

According to TV Guide's annual salary report, "The Daily Show" host makes anywhere from $25-$30 million per year for the Comedy Central show. In 2012, TV Guide reported his salary at $16 million.

That number blows network hosts out of the water. The average salary for the late-night hosts hovers around $10 million. The only one who comes close to Stewart's reported pay check is David Letterman at $20 million per year.

Here are the numbers via TV Guide:

Late-night PersonalityNetworkSalary per year
1. Jon StewartComedy Central$25-$30 million
2. David LettermanCBS$20 million
3. Conan O'BrienTBS$12 million
4. Jimmy FallonNBC$11 million
6. Chelsea HandlerNetflix$10 million
6. Jimmy KimmelABC$10 million
7. John OliverHBO$2 million

Stewart has been hosting "The Daily Show" since 1999. The show averaged slightly above half a million viewers weekly in the spring.

According to Fox News, “Jimmy Kimmel” and “The Late Show with David Letterman” averaged 2.7 million and 2.85 million viewers, respectively, as of April.

Jimmy Fallon has been receiving an average of 4.3 million views on "The Tonight Show." 

SEE ALSO: Kevin Spacey is making $500,000 per episode on "House of Cards"

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Step Inside Celine Dion's Lavish Florida Compound, Now On Sale For A Discounted $62 Million

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attached image

Celine Dion has slashed the price of her gorgeous property on Florida's Jupiter Island to $62.5 million after it languished on the market for over a year.

According to The New York Daily News, Dion's compound was discounted by $10 million after originally being listed for $72.5 million back in August 2013.

The home, which is jointly listed by Sotheby's International Realty agents Joseph Montanaro and Cristina Condon, was custom-built and designed in 2010 by Celine Dion herself.

She and her manager husband Reneé Angélil bought the lot of land in 2005 for $12.5 million and the adjacent mansion in 2008 for $7 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. They then razed to build the current spread.

The five-and-a-half-acre property has views of the Atlantic Ocean, a four-bedroom guest house, a simulated golf range, pool house, and three separate pools.

The main residence alone measures close to 10,000 square feet, with five bedrooms and a custom-designed, walk-in closet with automated rack for clothing and automated carousel for shoes.

In 2012, Dion listed her home on a private island in Quebec for $29.3 million; it's still on the market.

Welcome to Celine Dion's 5.5-acre compound on Jupiter Island in Florida.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



The singer is selling the property for $62.5 million.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



She and her husband custom-designed the property themselves after buying two lots and razing one of the existing homes.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



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Nintendo Unveils Redesigned 3DS Consoles

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nintendo 3ds 1

Nintendo on Friday announced new versions of its bestselling 3DS and 3DS XL handheld gaming devices.

In Japan this morning, it unveiled the new 3DS models, which include new colored buttons honoring the old SNES console, as well as a new “C-stick” analog pad directly above the face buttons on the right hand side. 

As Joystiq points out, Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata compared the new analog C-stick on the 3DS to the old yellow C-stick on its GameCube controllers.

The new handhelds also have new dimensions compared to the older models. The new Nintendo 3DS will be slightly bigger, slightly thicker, and 18 grams heavier than the older model. Both new handhelds include a beefier CPU, so a few upcoming games — like Nintendo's newly announced "Xenoblade Chronicles" title— will be exclusive to the new 3DS consoles because of the enhanced CPU.

nintendo 3ds 2

The new 3DS XL, on the other hand, will be slightly thinner, slightly bigger, and 7 grams lighter. Both new consoles also include a new Micro SD slot underneath the base cover.

nintendo 3ds XL

Both consoles have moved the cartridge slot for games to the front of the device, which leaves room in the back for more buttons: The new 3DS handhelds include new R, ZR, L, and ZL buttons on the back side, and the power adapter has moved to the back center of the devices.

The 3DS boasts extended battery life between 3.5 and 6 hours, while the new 3DS XL will provide between 3.5 and 7 hours of power.

For the first time, Nintendo’s new 3DS consoles will also include built-in near-field communication (NFC) technologies, which will allow the devices to communicate with the company’s line of interactive figurines called “Amiibo.” Nintendo’s Amiibo concept is similar to Disney’s uber-successful Infinity platform, which will allow gamers to buy iconic Nintendo characters like Mario, Kirby, or Pikachu, and enter them into various compatible Nintendo games. 

nintendo 3ds 3

Unlike the Wii U, which requires gamers use the console’s GamePad controller to transfer their Amiibo characters into the games, the 3DS will be able to able to do that directly.

Nintendo will also offer customizable front and rear plates for its 3DS systems. The company currently has 38 different "Kisekae Plate" designs available, which will retail for 1,500 yen (~$15) each.

nintendo kisekae plates

Nintendo will sell the new 3DS for 16,000 yen (~$154) and the new 3DS XL for 18,800 yen ($181).

nintendo 3ds xl announcement

The new 3DS models will first become available starting October 11 in Japan; we have no word yet on when the consoles will arrive in North America, but we’ll update the post as soon as we learn that information.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Is Stuck In The Mud Because Of The Wii U, And 'Mario Kart' Isn't Helping Much

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A Concert Promoter Realized The Ticketing System Was Broken, So He Decided To Fix It Himself

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Matt Jones, CrowdSurge

When Matt Jones was a teenager, he used to host concerts all around the UK. He managed bands, had a record label, and started an online magazine.

He was also putting on shows for not-yet-big celebrities like Adele, Mumford and Sons, and Ellie Goulding.

But after realizing he was doing about 400 shows a year, Jones decided to pivot. As a concert promoter, he had witnessed the ins and outs of the business and came to understand that the system, in his opinion, was "broken." He decided he would be the one to change that.

"As a promoter you lean on these third-party platforms to get you exposure and marketing, but there isn’t really anything there," Jones told Business Insider. "You don’t go to Ticketmaster and say, 'Oh what show should I go to tonight?' You’re pointed there. You were listening to it on Spotify, or you’re reading about it, or your friend told you about it, and then you go to a destination.

"It just felt like that extra step wasn’t adding any value," he said. "Why can’t you just go to the source where it’s just like I want to go to a Coldplay show I’m going to go to coldplay.com."

Paul McCartney 12-12-12 concertAnd so in 2008, Jones created CrowdSurge, a company that lets artists take control of their tickets and sell directly to their fans on their site.

The company is currently working with 300 artists, including big names like Arcade Fire, Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, and Macklemore. And they're selling tickets in 57 different countries. 

In 2013, CrowdSurge sold tickets for 5,218 different events. Six months into 2014, they had already sold tickets for 4,762 events. The company wouldn't share exact numbers, but they said they've sold millions of tickets.

In addition to providing the behind-the-scenes technology for ticketing, CrowdSurge also helps artists come up with fun ways to engage their fans — like letting fans vote on where a band should perform and then routing the concert tour based on the results.

But the most important thing CrowdSurge provides for artists is independence from third parties and the ability to control their relationship with fans.

"When I was a concert promoter I used to go to every single show," Jones said. "I have a relationship with these artists. We’re the only company in the space that thinks of our client as the artist. Everyone else thinks it’s the building or promoter. But you don’t go to Madison Square Garden to go to Madison Square Garden, you go because Coldplay is playing."

SEE ALSO: This Company Raised $2 Million For A Universal Music Streaming Service

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Jon Stewart's Directorial Debut 'Rosewater' Already Looks Like An Oscar Contender

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rosewater movie

Last year, Jon Stewart took three months off from his late-night series “The Daily Show” to work on his directorial debut. 

Now, the first trailer for his film, “Rosewater,” is out and it already looks like a potential Oscar contender. 

Based on the 2011 book “Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity and Survival” by Maziar Bahari and Aimee Molloy, Stewart wrote the screenplay about Bahari, a journalist who was captured, imprisoned, and tortured while on a trip to cover Iran's presidential elections. The only way in which he can identify his captor is by the scent of rosewater. 

Early reviews for the film are mostly positive. According to the New York Times, "Rosewater" is estimated to cost between $30-$40 million to make. 

The film, from distributor Open Road Films, will have a limited release in theaters November 7.

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart makes up to $30 million as "The Daily Show" host

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Netflix Knows What We Really Want, And It's An Alcoholic Talking Horse

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BoJack Horseman

Given Netflix's incomparably vast data on viewer preferences, we assume the company knows what it's doing when it green-lights a cartoon featuring an alcoholic talking horse and multiple instances of bestiality.

"BoJack Horseman," debuted on Netflix streaming last week to some very positive and some very negative reviewsAlthough the company shares almost no data about viewership, it was apparently confident enough to renew the show for a second season.

The show, which takes place in a world in which animals are interchangeable with humans, tells the story of a talking horse, BoJack, who used to have a sitcom and now lives a pathetic life in Los Angeles.

Created by comedian Raphael Bob-Waksberg, "BoJack" brings together elements of various shows thought to be popular on Netflix. It stars Will Arnett, a favorite actor from "Arrested Development," which was so popular on streaming that Netflix produced an exclusive fourth season. It guest-stars Aaron Paul, whose "Breaking Bad" is notoriously popular among binge-watchers. As a wry cartoon for adults, the show is a successor to "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers."

It's not like the show was created in a secret Netflix laboratory — it was actually developed over a few years by Bob-Waksberg and animator Lisa Hanawalt — but Reed Hasting's company knew what it was doing when it bought the show in 2013.

Netflix, which is still primarily a subscription service for non-original video, tracks a wealth of data about its over 50 million users, including not only show popularity and ratings but also every click, pause, skip or closing of the windowSenior data scientist Mohammad Sabah has speculated that the company may begin to “consider things such as volume, colors, and scenery" in the future, reports Gigaom's Derrik Harris.

Netflix's recommendation algorithm, which tells users what to watch, is the most obvious use of this data, but the company has also acknowledged using it to inform its original content — and why wouldn't the company use this powerful tool?

House of CardsDavid Carr at the New York Times reported last year that Netflix drew from user data when considering "House of Cards," directed by David Fincher and starring Kevin Spacey, which would go on to be a major commercial and critical hit. Netflix "already knew that a healthy share had streamed the work of Mr. Fincher, the director of 'The Social Network,' from beginning to end. And films featuring Mr. Spacey had always done well, as had the British version of 'House of Cards,'" he wrote.

Netflix has an impressive hit rate when it comes to original content. Its 11 original shows and continuations received 45 Emmy nominations in the past two years, with massive critical acclaim for "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black," as well as success for "Lilyhammer," "Arrested Development," "Hemlock Grove," Derek," and others.

TV networks, working from relatively tiny market samples and old fashioned human intuition, are at a huge disadvantage. No wonder around 65% of new TV shows are canceled within a season.

Another advantage for Netflix is the ability to target niche audiences. Things as bizarre as "BoJack" or melancholy as "Derek" would never sustain a broad enough audience for network TV, but they work online where all interested viewers can find the content on their own time. The company has already proven that it can take shows that were considered failures via traditional TV models and breathe new life into them. The company revived Fox's critical darling "Arrested Development" and more recently AMC's fallen kidnapping drama "The Killing."

Other online media providers have adopted the same approach, such as when Yahoo picked up NBC's "Community."

netflix arrested developementIf that weren't enough, Netflix has also shown it's willing and able to spend lots of money to get good content.

"The cheapest show is $3.8 million an episode," CAA TV literary agent Peter Micelli said at a panel last year, as reported by Variety's Andrew Wallenstein. "House of Cards’ started at $4.5 million and Fincher took it way above that. The next series is ‘Hemlock Grove’ and they’re doing that for about $4 million an episode. 'Orange is the New Black’ is just under $4 million as well. They’re huge budgets shows, they’re doing things in a huge way."

Kevin Spacey reportedly makes over $500,000 per episode on "House of Cards," while talk show host Chelsea Handler will make a whopping $1o million for her upcoming Netflix show.

Although Netflix did not win any major Emmys this year, the network has been brazenly touting itself as the entertainment of today— and that claim is getting stronger every year.

Netflix stock is up around 790% in the past two years, with profits jumping to $71 million in the second quarter of 2014 compared to $30 million the year before.

SEE ALSO: Why 'Modern Family' Keeps Winning Emmys Over Better Shows

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How A Comedian Tricks Small-Business Owners Into Outrageous Marketing Ideas On 'Nathan For You'

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Nathan Fielder Nathan For You

Nathan Fielder, the 31-year-old Canadian comedian behind stunts like the "Dumb Starbucks" prank, just wrapped up Season 2 of his Comedy Central show, "Nathan For You."

In the show, a deadpan Fielder offers outrageous advice to business owners, trying to help them increase revenue, but through the most extreme means. 

In the show's intro, Fielder explains: "I graduated from one of Canada's top business schools with really good grades. Now, I'm using my knowledge to help struggling small-business owners make it in this competitive world."  

We broke down one segment from last week's Season 2 finale to show just how far Fielder's comedic business and marketing strategies can go in the real world.

Nathan Fielder is a 31-year-old comedian from Canada whose Comedy Central show "Nathan For You" offers outlandish advice to struggling small-business owners.



In the Season 2 finale, we meet Mark Rappaport, owner of Marky Sparky Toys.



In a voice-over, Nathan says: "Of all the products Mark has invented ... "



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Stunning Time-Lapse Video Shows Just How Huge Burning Man Really Is

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RTR4413JBurning Man is underway this week, out in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada. For those of us who have never been to the week-long festival of free spirits, it's hard to get a grasp on just how massive the festivities really are.

Musician, photographer, and Burning Man devotee Roy Two Thousand recently released a video, titled "Lake of Dreams," featuring gorgeous footage from last year's Burning Man. Using time-lapse technology and wide angles, we can see just how massive and busy the party really is.

The video begins by setting the scene, showing Black Rock Desert before any Burners arrive. We can see here how massive the landscape is.burning man 3Burning man 4Soon, though, festivalgoers arrive. burning man 6We already see the massive pyramid-like structure, known that year as the "The Temple of Whollyness," that had been designed and built for the festival.Burning man 5Here, we can see one of the many massive sculptures and art installations, present at every Burning Man.burning man 7As the sun sets and the night moves in, the activity picks up.burning man 9burning man 11Soon, the actual burning, which gives Burning Man its name, begins.burning man 14burning man 13But, at some point, the party has to end. Not for long, though. The sun rises over the desert and the festivities begin again.burning man 15burning man 16You can check out the full video here:

SEE ALSO: 12 Stunning Images Of Intricate Art Pieces In The Middle Of The Desert At Burning Man

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JOB OF THE WEEK: Senior Director, Marketing Technology Solutions

Here's A Video Of A Japanese Baseball Player Trying To Hit A 186 MPH Fastball

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Takeshi Yamasaki, a former Nippon Pro baseball player, gave his best shot at hitting an insane 186mph fastball for a Japanese game show recently, and his performance was about the same as it would be if you were up at bat.

Yamasaki racked up 403 home runs over his 25-year career according to CBS Sports, but that doesn't really matter when a ball is coming at twice its normal speed from a pitching machine. In the video uploaded to YouTube, Yamasaki just laughs after barely moving his bat as the ball whizzes right by him.

Here it is (the actual 186mph pitch happens around 4:30):

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Here's What Happens When You Have A Competitive Gamer Running Your Push Notifications

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Sometimes the people who develop video games are as competitive as the people actually playing them. 

And it seems like a developer behind the game "Simon Circles" got a little feisty this week. 

"Simon Circles" is a game that "challenges your dexterity and speed," according to its app store description. You tap on circles in the order shown. 

When you download "Simon Circles" from the App Store — much like with other apps — it gives you the option to receive push notifications. This can range from new content you can download, to reminders, and even deals on in-app purchases. 

The developer behind "Simon Circles," though, took the power of sending push notifications to a whole new level. 

Reddit user Time_Wasted_Me shared a screenshot of a push notification he got from the game. 

Simone_Circles

It reads, "Bro seriously? You cheating?" And then about 15 minutes later, it says, "We would like to apologize for our developer Chad, who has been sending push notifications to players that beat his high score."

Nice one, Chad. 

You can download "Simon Circles" for Android and iOS

SEE ALSO: 10 incredible "Super Mario Bros." cheats you've been missing out on for decades

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What's New On Netflix Streaming In September

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school of rock cello

Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of the latest and greatest from the world of Netflix streaming. Every month, a bunch of new movies and television shows are added, and we've got the full listing of what's in store.

Among our favorites: "Cool Runnings," a fictionalized but still enjoyable account of the Jamaican bobsled team with John Candy as their coach. There are some other notable comedies like "School of Rock," a hilarious film starring Jack Black as a substitute teacher passing on his musical knowledge to kids, and the wonderful film "Good Morning, Vietnam" which stars an absolutely hilarious Robin Williams as the famous Saigon-based Air Force DJ Adrian Cronauer.

Here's the full list:

Available on Sep. 1:

  • A Simple Plan (1998)
  • Californication: Seasons 1-7
  • Chasing UFOs: Season 1
  • Cool Runnings (1993)
  • Crocodile Dundee (1986)
  • Detention (2011)
  • Doomsday Preppers: Seasons 1-3
  • Flubber (1997)
  • Girl Rising (2013)
  • Girlfight (2000)
  • Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
  • Guess Who (2005)
  • Hinterland: Season 1
  • Hoodwinked (2005)
  • Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie (2013)
  • Lords of Dogtown (2005)
  • Mirage Men (2012)
  • School of Rock (2003)
  • Small Apartments (2012)
  • Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
  • The Believers (1987)
  • The Blue Lagoon (1980)
  • The Unbelievers (2013)
  • Unsealed: Alien Files: Season 1
  • Zero Hour: Seasons 1-3

Available on Sep. 2:

  • The League: Season 5

Available on Sep. 5:

  • All is Lost (2013)
  • Trailer Park Boys: Season 8

Available on Sep. 6:

  • Kid Cannabis (2014)
  • Le Week-End (2014)
  • Refuge (2012)
  • Your Sister’s Sister (2011)

Available on Sep. 7:

  • The Blacklist: Season 1 (2013)

Available on Sep. 9:

  • Who Is Dayani Cristal? (2013)

Available on Sep. 10:

  • Crash & Bernstein: Season 2
  • Deadly Code (2013)

Available on Sep. 11:

  • A Single Man (2009)
  • Dennis Miller: America 180 (2014)
  • Filth (2014)
  • The Moment (2013)

Available on Sep. 12:

  • Grace Unplugged (2013)

Available on Sep. 13:

  • Justin and the Knights of Valor (2013)

Available on Sep. 14:

  • About a Boy: Season 1
  • Arrow: Season 2

Available on Sep. 16:

  • Beginners (2011)
  • Bones: Season 9
  • New Girl: Season 3
  • One Day (2011)
  • Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Available on Sep. 17:

  • 3 Days to Kill (2014)
  • The Fosters: Season 2

Available on Sep. 22:

  • Revolution: Season 2

Available on Sep. 26:

  • How I Met Your Mother: Season 9

Available on Sep. 25:

  • The Double (2013)

Available on Sep. 26:

  • Parks and Recreation: Season 6

Available on Sep. 27:

  • Bad Grandpa (2013)

Available on Sep. 28:

  • Comic Book Men: Season 3
  • The Walking Dead: Season 4

Available on Sep. 29:

  • Lullaby (2014)

Available on Sep. 30:

  • Killing Them Softly (2012)

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One Of The Best Songs In ‘Frozen’ Almost Didn’t Make It Into The Movie

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do you want to build a snowman

If you’ve seen Disney’s animated movie “Frozen” — and even if you haven’t — you know two songs from the film: Oscar-winning“Let It Go” and the song any child who has seen the film knows by heart, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” 

According to a new special airing on ABC Tuesday, September 2 called “The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic,” everyone’s favorite snowman song nearly didn’t make it into the film’s final cut. 

“Frozen” producer Peter Del Vecho reveals there was a screening of the film in February 2013 and “although the individual parts were strong and working, it just didn’t add up.”  

Del Vecho says the “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?” segment was taken out at one point and was in and out of the film a few times.

frozen snowmando you want to build a snowman frozen

Songwriter Robert Lopez recalls emails coming down the Disney chain of command asking why the song was missing from the film. 

“It was not put back in the film until the witching hour before we released it,” says Kristen Bell, who voices Anna in the animated picture. 

“Thankfully, at the very last moment, someone made the call of putting it back in,” she added. “I think it’s one of the best songs in the movie.” 

"Frozen" went on to make more than $1.2 billion at theaters after it opened in theaters November 2013. The making of “Frozen” special will air on ABC Tuesday at 8 p.m. 

Watch the segment below and listen to the song below:

SEE ALSO: Photos of wrestler Dave Bautista's 5-hour "Guardians of the Galaxy" makeup process

AND: Photos of Lee Pace transforming into the "Guardians of the Galaxy" villain

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Watch A Beautiful $266,000 Art Sculpture Burn To The Ground Friday At Burning Man

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On Friday, a giant sculpture of a man and woman titled "Embrace" was burned to the ground at Burning Man.

Made from 160,000 lbs of wood, "Embrace" is a 72-foot-tall wooden cathedral-like sculpture on the same scale as the Statue of Liberty.

Built by The Pier Group with help from a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $52,000, the giant sculpture is meant to be a "celebration of all our relationships." All in, "Embrace" took about $266,000 and tons of volunteers to create.

Burning Man 2014 sculpture

But the area where sunlight previously streamed through the eyes of the 26-foot head was replaced by fire on Friday as the structure was ceremoniously burned to the ground.

Burning Man GIF 2

It wasn't long before the entire statue was engulfed in flames.

Burning Man GIF 4

Here's a view from further away, showing how much distance was actually between the burning structure and the people on the playa.

Burning Man GIF 6

While many art sculptures are ignited at Burning Man, material must first be placed on a preapproved "burn platform," elevated from the playa surface for the land's protection.

As part of Burning Man's "Leave No Trace Policy," all remnants of the burn must be cleaned up and removed from the land at the end of the festival.

Watch the full video below (burn begins at 6:45).


When the "Embrace" Kickstarter first launched, lead artist Matthew Schultz explained: "We've already raised about $106,000, but we still need to raise another $160,000."

According to the "Embrace" website, it wasn't easy to raise the extra money:

"To make this whole operation happen we have independently raised funds, held fundraisers, used coordinators/volunteers, sold swag, operated a website, run advertising, created proposals, written grants, solicited transportation; engaged design, build team and lighting crews. In all, it has taken thousands of people-hours."

burning man embrace 2burning man embrace See how "Embrace" was built below:

burning man embrace 3

SEE ALSO: 12 Stunning Images Of Intricate Art Pieces In The Middle Of The Desert At Burning Man

MORE: Watch a livestream from Burning Man

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Why 'Modern Family' Keeps Winning Emmys Over Better Shows

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modern family emmys ABC's "Modern Family" won its fifth-consecutive Emmy for Best Comedy Series on Monday night, joining "Frasier" (1994-1998) as the only comedy to win so many in a row.

But does the show really deserve its status as a five-time Best Comedy Series champ?

"Modern Family" wasn't even on the radar for most critics guessing Emmy winners, as FX's "Louie" and controversial Netflix comedy entry "Orange is the New Black" (it's a drama, right?) were expected to take top honors.

But after Netflix made history last year by being the first non-TV network to win an award (three awards, to be exact), perhaps Emmy voters got scared that streaming sites would take their viewers and their accolades. Even Seth Meyers poked fun at Netflix's dominance in his opening monologue of the night.

Perhaps voters also preferred to stick with a network selection over cable competition, which also included HBO's "Silicon Valley" and "Veep."

Emmy voters are members of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, who have applied and been approved by a "peer group." Those accepted include actors, casting directors, producers, directors, and tons of behind-the-scenes people who have been in the 'biz for a very long time and likely want to see network television prevail.

Emmy voters quickly recognized "Modern Family" as a safe choice.

When the show first premiered in 2009, it quickly had mass appeal. Combining three family units including a gay couple with an adopted daughter, an older man with a hot Colombian wife, and a traditional suburban family — it was like "8 Simple Rules" meets "Three's Company" mixed with some "George Lopez."

modern family promo poster season oneAfter two seasons, the show had a combination of 33 Emmy nods and 11 wins.

By 2012, it was so popular that NBC tried — and failed — to duplicate its success with look-alike show "The New Normal."

But already the "Modern" characters were starting to feel stale to some critics.

"As 'Modern Family' has gotten older, its characters, and their dynamics, have settled into grooves, some more discordant than others," Salon's Willa Paskin wrote in 2012.

Meanwhile, where storylines in older episodes would tie together brilliantly, some new episodes feature disappointingly unconnected plot lines. They also feel increasingly formulaic.

That's why the latest Emmy win generated tweets like this (from Buzzfeed's entertainment editor and a filmmaker):

The viewership for the series, while still high, isn't as large as it once was. The ratings for "Modern Family" by its season average nearly make a bell curve.

modern family ratings by season average

A look at fan reception of every episode to date shows a gradual decline in viewer interest. The series hits a low note near the end of season 4. 

Via Graph TV:

modern family audience receptionmodern family reviews

Despite the recent slump, the series' most positively reviewed episode actually came this past season when the family took a trip to Las Vegas. Taking the family out of their normal setting invigorated the episode, and all the storylines come together for a more satisfying end that was reminiscent of the show's earlier seasons.

That's probably why the episode won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. "Las Vegas" and the positive reception of one other stand-out episode from season 5 titled "Message Received" may have helped Emmy voters give it a win. 

This is not the only time the Emmy's has awarded a show that's past its prime.

Just look at how long "Two and a Half Men" kept winning Emmys after its prime. While fan ratings and TV ratings plunged after Charlie Sheen left in season 9, that didn't stop the show from receiving 14 more Emmys nominations, with co-star Jon Cryer receiving four more nominations and securing two wins.  

More often than not, when it comes to comedies, the Emmys play it safe giving the awards to a network TV show over cable. Since the Emmys' inception there has only been one time a cable channel has won the Outstanding Comedy series. That honor is held by HBO, as "Sex and the City" won Best Comedy in 2001.

Even if the Emmys are playing favorites with "Modern Family," the ABC show is not as popular as it once was with the Awards' show. The amount of Emmy nominations the series has received and won over the years has slowly been on the decline. 

  "Modern Family" Emmy Nods/Wins

YearEmmy NominationsWins
2010166
2011175
2012145
2013122
2014103

With the show starting its sixth season, it may be time to pass the torch on to another show.

SEE ALSO: Netflix Was Completely Shut Out At The Emmys

AND: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul made each other tear up during their Emmy speeches

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12 Stunning Images Of Intricate Art Pieces In The Middle Of The Desert At Burning Man

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Burning Man Art

The 27th annual Burning Man  a crazy, weeklong festival in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada  is well underway.

In honor of the Labor Day weekend festival, a new book "Burning Man: Art of Fire" details the elaborate art structures displayed throughout the past years of the event.

The book, by author Jennifer Raiser with photography by Scott London and Sidney Erthal, is the only authorized collection of the best of Burning Man art with incredible photography.

The book contains more than 200 striking photos and interviews with the artists about their inspiration and how they transport such large structures to the middle of the desert.

With permission from Race Point Publishing, we have 12 of the stunning images here.

Every August, over 50,000 people gather to celebrate artistic expression and social freedom in Nevada's barren Black Rock Desert. In extreme elements, over 200 works of art are created and intended to delight, provoke, involve, or amaze.



New book "Burning Man: Art of Fire" details the many art pieces in the desert, like this piece titled "Evolution Man," which was made entirely of irregularly shaped wooden triangles intended to represent the chaos at the heart of life.

There is ritual surrounding every aspect of the Man’s creation and destruction. He is traditionally 40 feet tall, standing on a tall wooden base that participants can enter and climb. The blueprints for his construction are a closely guarded secret, provided only to the carefully selected crew, largely volunteers, who gather at Burning Man’s Nevada work ranch in June for the process of carefully cutting, assembling, joining, and sanding of the Man with a level of craftsmanship befitting an antique piece of fine furniture.

Burning Man Art(Photo: Courtesy Race Point Publishing/Sidney Erthal and Scott London Photography)



Artist Marco Cochrane's "Truth is Beauty" 2013 structure of the female body was held up with steel and mesh.

Cochrane credits the open-minded culture of Burning Man for inspiring the sculptures. He says: “I’m trying to demystify nudity. I see how free women are on the playa, how they can possess a playful energy here that they cannot do in real life.”

Burning Man Art(Photo: Courtesy Race Point Publishing/Sidney Erthal and Scott London Photography)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 Stunning Images Of Intricate Art Pieces In The Middle Of The Desert At Burning Man

0
0

Burning Man Art

The 27th annual Burning Man  a crazy, weeklong festival in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada  is well underway.

In honor of the Labor Day weekend festival, a new book "Burning Man: Art of Fire" details the elaborate art structures displayed throughout the past years of the event.

The book, by author Jennifer Raiser with photography by Scott London and Sidney Erthal, is the only authorized collection of the best of Burning Man art with incredible photography.

The book contains more than 200 striking photos and interviews with the artists about their inspiration and how they transport such large structures to the middle of the desert.

With permission from Race Point Publishing, we have 12 of the stunning images here.

Every August, over 50,000 people gather to celebrate artistic expression and social freedom in Nevada's barren Black Rock Desert. In extreme elements, over 200 works of art are created and intended to delight, provoke, involve, or amaze.



New book "Burning Man: Art of Fire" details the many art pieces in the desert, like this piece titled "Evolution Man," which was made entirely of irregularly shaped wooden triangles intended to represent the chaos at the heart of life.

There is ritual surrounding every aspect of the Man’s creation and destruction. He is traditionally 40 feet tall, standing on a tall wooden base that participants can enter and climb. The blueprints for his construction are a closely guarded secret, provided only to the carefully selected crew, largely volunteers, who gather at Burning Man’s Nevada work ranch in June for the process of carefully cutting, assembling, joining, and sanding of the Man with a level of craftsmanship befitting an antique piece of fine furniture.

Burning Man Art(Photo: Courtesy Race Point Publishing/Sidney Erthal and Scott London Photography)



Artist Marco Cochrane's "Truth is Beauty" 2013 structure of the female body was held up with steel and mesh.

Cochrane credits the open-minded culture of Burning Man for inspiring the sculptures. He says: “I’m trying to demystify nudity. I see how free women are on the playa, how they can possess a playful energy here that they cannot do in real life.”

Burning Man Art(Photo: Courtesy Race Point Publishing/Sidney Erthal and Scott London Photography)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






What 21 Actors Were Like In High School

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jennifer lawrence high school yearbook

Before they were famous, Hollywood's elite were just normal, pizza-faced kids trying to make it through high school.

Well, that's not entirely true.

Tom Cruise studied at a Catholic seminary for a year before dropping out to pursue other interests (AKA "women"). Meanwhile, brainiac Natalie Portman juggled the title role in Broadway's "The Diary of Anne Frank" all while competing in the nation's most elite high school research competition.

See who else might surprise you.

Aaron Paul was an avid snowboarder. Just before high school, he took a career aptitude test and matched “the arts.” “There wasn’t a room to go to ask questions for that,” Paul said.

Sources: ESPN, Vulture



Jennifer Aniston’s name topped many playbills during her four years at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, the school that inspired “Fame.”

Sources: Biography.com, Wikipedia



Ben Affleck said he and buddy Matt Damon would engage in such extracurricular activities as “underage drinking, pot smoking, and all the attendant shenanigans,” and sometimes plot their paths to Hollywood.

Sources: People.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Remembering Princess Diana: 30 Iconic Photos Of The Princess Of Wales

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princess diana child

Aug. 31 marks the 17th anniversary of the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales and the "Queen of People's Hearts."

The year of her death, 1997, was highlighted by trips to Angola and Bosnia in her high-profile campaign against land mines and Mediterranean holidays with her sons and companion, Emad Mohamed al-Fayed.

Seventeen years after her death, Princess Diana is remembered for her compassion and commitment to her causes. These photos display her endless supply of charm and generosity.

Lady Diana Spencer as a toddler on the Norfolk, England, property where she grew up. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her father, an earl, won custody.



Riding in style at the Park House in 1962. Her family rented the property, owned by Queen Elizabeth II, and arranged occasional playdates with Prince Albert and Prince Edward when Diana was young.



She kept a Shetland pony, named Souffle, at her mother's Scotland home.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Album Sales In America Just Hit An All-Time Low

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Iggy Azalea Ariana Grande

U.S. album sales hit 3.97-million last week, the smallest weekly total for album sales since Nielsen SoundScan first began tracking data in 1991, Billboard's Ed Christman and Glenn Peoples report.

It's also the first time during that period that weekly sales have fallen below 4 million, they write.

Sales for the week ending August 25 fell 18.6%. The best seller was rapper Whiz Khalifa's "Blacc Hollywood" which debuted with 90,000 units, Billboard says. For the first time in more than a year,  sales for the soundtrack to Disney's "Frozen" fell below 100,000 units.

CD sales have practically vanished, down 19.2% year-over-year, with sales at mass merchants and chains down mass merchants and chains have fallen 23 percent and 25.6 percent, respectively.

And even digital sales are faltering, with digital album sales off 11.7% and track sales down 12.8%.

"This year the bottom fell out of digital sales to a degree that we never anticipated, which is why many companies are not meeting this year's revenue projections," one indie distribution executive told Billboard.

Revenue from streaming has not been able to compensate. Although streaming sales climbed 39% in 2013 and now make up a fifth of the marketplace according to MusicWeek, as ReCode's Peter Kafka recently observed, lots of people are still freeriding on music streaming platforms.

"The problem for the music business is that most music streamers — around 80 percent of them — are free music streamers, relying on services like YouTube, Pandora and SoundCloud for the tunes, says Midia Research," he writes. "And those ad-supported businesses generate about 10 percent of the revenue per user that subscription businesses do."

Here's Midia's chart:

music streaming survey midia research

SEE ALSO: The Most Dominant Songs Of The Summer Of All Time

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