1. Vulture reports that super star composers T Bone Burnett and Danny Elfman will join forces to score Gary Ross’s highly-anticipated film adaptation of The Hunger Games. They say that you can expect the soundtrack to be “sophisticated, cerebral, soulful, and rebellious,” which would normally elicit an eye roll from us, but considering their resumes, we’ll make an exception.

2. Fans of Neil Gaiman should not expect HBO’s adaptation of American Gods to follow the book exactly. Says Gaiman: “The plan right now is that the first season would essentially be the first book, with divergences. You don’t want the people who’ve read the book to be able to go, ‘I know everything that’s going to be happening.’ Well, no. You know a lot more than anybody who is starting from here, but we will do things that will surprise you, too.” [via Zap2It]

3. Ai Weiwei’s mom says that Chinese authorities are now seeking nearly $2 million in fines and unpaid taxes from her son, who was recently imprisoned over the issue for three months. Ai’s disputing that number, and demanding that his accountant, who is still being detained, be released in order to help him deal with the situation. [via The Daily Beast]

4. Lil Wayne says that he plans to retire when he hits his 30s — which is only a few years away. “I’m bowing out still on top, I’ll make you all want me when I retire,” he told XXL magazine. “I honestly think [my career] is unfair to my kids. Honestly this is the real truth. So about 30, 31, 32, I got to get ready [to retire].” We’ll believe it when we see it. [via NME]

5. For some reason, this makes us extremely pleased: According to new findings from Ancestry.com, Kate Middleton (or rather, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) and Jane Austen are eleventh cousins, six times removed. [via People]

Bonus link: Screen Rant’s 20 Favorite Movie Robots

We were a little bit late in reading Jorian Polis Schutz’s analysis of manly manes in the last issue of Cabinet, titled “Barbers and Barbarians,” but we’re glad we did. Schultz writes, “The savage impulse must withstand the perennial opposition of forces for shortness — for there is always a national mythology of hair to grow out of and into.” This got us thinking about great writers’ hairstyles through time, from ancient Greek poets to the conceited French intellectuals of today. If hair doth make the man, then the following writers stand against the grain in these times, acting as iconoclastic reminders that one can still be manly (perhaps even more so) with an irrepressible hairdo. So let your hair down and enjoy the following modern scribes’ tangled tresses.

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Recently wed creative power couple Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman decided to give the world “a very Bowie Christmas gift” by recreating a scene from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and posting the clip on YouTube. Amanda (with some badly drawn on Jennifer Connelly-style eyebrows) plays Sara, and Neil has a brief cameo as a mulletted David Bowie (with Christmas ornaments replacing Jareth’s crystal balls). Click through and let us know what you think of their dark twist on the original version.

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Today at Flavorpill, we found solace in the fact that Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” topped Maura Johnston’s list of the 20 worst songs of the year. We played pin the mustache on Hall & Oates and looked at 15 of the greatest mustaches in Coen Brothers history. We read a 6-year-old’s scathing review of the Spider-Man musical. We enjoyed Videogum’s retrospective of the best viral videos of 2010. We were surprised by how drunk the Tri-State Area is. We wondered how much Julian Assange is getting paid by Knopf to write his memoirs. We watched Paula Abdul slur inspirational things in the teaser clip for her upcoming show, Live to Dance. We found it hard to believe that a Blu supporter really vandalized Jeffrey Deitch’s bathroom. We were creeped out by this animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Christmas poem “Nicholas Was…” And finally, we loved the cover of the latest issue of Seattle Weekly so much that we wanted to gay marry it.

According to a recent New York Times article, picture books are losing popularity as over-eager yuppie parents push their toddlers toward “big-kid” alternatives. Although illustrated stories by Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and Maurice Sendak have continued to receive their widespread dues, children’s publishers have been forced to decrease their overall multi-media output and, in turn, the platform for new titles. In protest of this culturally impoverishing trend, here are five stunningly illustrated children’s books that are as engrossing and educational for kids of any age as their text-only counterparts.

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1. T.I. — who is still on probation following his release from prison in March — was arrested with his wife on drug charges last night after deputies say they smelled marijuana. They’re both currently out on bail. [via TMZ]
2. Exciting news: “Twitter for iPad takes advantage of the iPad’s fluid touch interface, letting you move lots of information around smoothly and quickly — without needing to open and close windows or click buttons.”
3. An adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s comic book series The Sandman is coming to TV. A movie version has been in development since the mid-’90s. [via Heat Vision]
4. A 51-year-old woman is suing Diddy, saying that he fired her because of her age two decades after she helped launch his career. [via Yahoo! News]
5. We might keep watching The Office if Harvey Keitel is Steve Carell’s replacement. [via E! Online]

Bonus link: 32 ice cream cone tattoos

Saturday is the first annual International Read a Comic in Public Day, a pseudo-holiday that combines celebration with social activism. Activism to what end? Why, to normalize the idea that comics are for more than sweaty, nerdy shut-ins. With that in mind, we’ve selected titles to suit whichever public locale you choose to let your geek-flag fly. As always, feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments.

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Continuing to push boundaries, Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer tackles a musical sacred cow on her new EP, Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on her Magical Ukelele.

The seven-track offering finds the singer covering “Creep,” “High and Dry,” and other classic Radiohead songs with minimal instrumentation — often using only her ukelele and her voice. “Exit Music (For a Film)” is the sole exception, movingly performed live on piano with a string quartet.

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They are everywhere. Lurking in street corner shadows and hidden among what’s left of the world’s trees. They’re behind highway embankments and new building facades, over the rivers and throughout neighborhoods. They are down the hallway, up the stairs, and in your attic. Mostly though, they’re in bookstores. And their prevalence cannot be denied. They are the Undead. Or, if you prefer a more colorful vernacular: Zombies. And here are nine ways bookworms can hold them close to your hearts.

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While we never would have admitted it back in our school days, we always found required reading lists kind of fun. In fact, outside of shopping for new school supplies, it’s probably the thing that we miss most about childhood. That’s why we’ve asked Stephanie Anderson, manager of WORD (one of our favorite independent bookstores in New York City), to give us her top 10 picks for summer reading. Check what she — and a few intrepid staff members! — came up with after the jump, and feel free to add to her list in the comments.

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