1. R.J. Reynolds plans to turn Camel cigarette packs into an homage to Williamsburg for the month of January. According to a spokesperson: “We believe that [Williamsburg] represents a lot of the belief of the Camel brand. It helps illustrate the break-free attitude that Camel is about, breaking free to be your own person.” [via NYDN]
2. Natalie Portman and her friend Laura Moses have been shopping around a script for a raunchy comedy that’s being described as “a female-themed Superbad.” [via LAT]
3. “Working at the warp-speed of a 24/7 news operation, we now add the versatility of being able to develop ideas and investigations that require a different narrative pace suited to the medium of print. And for Newsweek, The Daily Beast is a thriving frontline of breaking news and commentary that will raise the profile of the magazine’s bylines and quicken the pace of a great magazine’s revival.” – Tina Brown on the Newsweek/Daily Beast merger
4. The new Muppet movie may involve Lady Gaga — or at least Eric Stonestreet, John Krasinski, and Ed Helms playing members of her entourage. [via Vulture]
5. Christie‘s is auctioning off one of the very first computers ever made by Apple — more specifically, it was built by Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs‘ garage. It’s considered the first personal computer, and is expected to fetch between $159,800 and $239,700. [via Bits]

Bonus link: Oprah Invites Hundreds Of Lucky Fans To Be Buried With Her In Massive Tomb

Alluring and timeless, Julie Heffernan‘s paintings are self-portraits that place her in an enchanting world of make-believe. Heffernan’s new works on view at Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica, California, portray the artist merged with nature and society in surreal, psychological ways.

In one, she wears a headdress of birds perching in woven branches, holding an extravagantly plumed beast in her hand, while surrounded by construction tractors at her feet. In another, she is woven into a fantastic forest of fruit, while tiny lions and tigers play below. Read More »

As we mentioned earlier, the long list of finalists for the Man Booker International Prize was announced today by judging panel chair Jane Smiley in a press conference held at the New York Public Library. Flavorwire pal Ron Hogan did some great Twittereporting from the conference; there’s a lot of chatter around the scarcity of East Asian and Middle Eastern writers on this and past Booker Int’l lists.

Speaking of lists and Brits, The Times has a piece on 10 literary one-hit wonders. Apparently, “one-hit” refers exclusively to novels, because the list includes Oscar Wilde, J.D. Salinger, and Sylvia Plath. Who needs plays, short stories, or poetry?

Read More »

“George W. Bush never had to answer for his ‘youthful indiscretions.’ Michael Phelps, not so lucky.

Let’s see if I’ve got this right. Phelps isn’t a future Hall of Famer juicing himself with the ‘cream’ and the ‘clear,’ or getting his gluteus maximus pin-cushioned with designer ’roids. He isn’t a doped racehorse, or a testosterone-shooting bike nerd trying to turn his Lycra-Spandexed bum into a blur pedaling across France.

He isn’t even the current president of the United States, who freely admits to having toked his share of tropical trumpets back in his Hawaiian hoodlum days, not to mention tooting some of the Big Island’s finest imported disco dust.

He’s a 23-year-old rock star who got caught smoking pot. How is Phelps going to do the breast stroke covered in tar and feathers?“

— Former publisher of High Times, Mike Edison, writes a compelling and wordy piece on The Daily Beast that we would quote in full if we could. “Phelps might be short on taste, but he ain’t no slacker, and he’s got 14 gold medals to prove it,” he declares, arguing against a society that creates “millionaire frat boys” and then makes them live in fear of losing their support. We’re not sure whether he comes to any substantial conclusion, but hearing something more intelligent than “It’s just pot!” from a Phelps apologist is a treat.

Our take on the situation (in case you were wondering): Next time Phelps feels the need to get wacky, he should drop by the Flavorpill office, and we’ll show him a few of our patented natural high tricks. Also, Kellogg, if you’re looking for someone else to sponsor, we’re a pretty healthy bunch. We do yoga! On Sunday mornings!