Marilyn Monroe before she was famous

THERE'S something deathly satisfying about seeing a celebrity before they were pruned and cut to stardom perfection.

But even before she hit her peak, Marilyn Monroe's star quality was well above other stars before they were discovered.

These unpublished photos of the actress were taken when she was training to become the celebrity she would eventually be.

The photographer was LIFE's J R Eyerman and it was early 1949, before Monroe hit fame.

Eyerman must have seen Monoroe's special glimmer to capture her training that day.

A LIFE correspondent sent the photos along with this note: "Marilyn trains herself for hoped-for movie stardom by consulting specialists in singing, dancing and drama and how she is worked on by them in the effort to produce a wrapped-up package of talent to back up her photogenic sex appeal.”

Amazing.

Read and see more here.

Underground Park in Manhattan

Is this the beginning of underground cities?

SLEEK: Architect James Ramsey wants to build this underground park.

A design for a an underground park in Manhattan has been proposed by architect James Ramsey, Time has reported.

Ramsey's plan is to convert an abandoned trolley terminal in the Lower East Side into an underground park covering about one acre.

"Remote skylights" will be used to light the subterannean space which has been named Delancey Park.

COOL: This is the trolley terminal that could be turned into an underground park.

While humans have been known to build structures up towards the sky, some through out history have also been known to build down.

One of the oldest underground dwellings is the French city The Barry Troglodyte Village (below).

Archaelogical evidence shows the city built onto and inside a cliff was inhabited continuously for 1500 years.

CLIMBING: This French underground city was home for people once upon a time.

An even more curioser case comes in the form of Derinkuyu (below).

TUNNELS: An artist's interpretation of Derinkuyu.

This ancient underground city located in Turkey was five floors deep, extending 60m in width and could house more than 2000 people.

Scholars believe the city was built by Persians in the 8th or 7th century and used as a refugee settlement.

The complex had all its usual amnemities commonly found in Turkish underground dwellings such as stables, cellars, oil presses, storage rooms and chapels.

The city was connected to other underground cities through miles of underground tunnels.

Today about half the city is open to the public.

EERIE: Inside Derinkuyu.

Cooper Pedy, a small opal-mining town in South Australia, still has a large amount of houses based underground.

When opal was discovered at Cooper Pedy in the early 1900's, mining families built underground homes to escape the seering heat of the Australian summer.

Temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius during the Summer months and to survive above ground requires a good working air conditioner. The homes underground however stay at a cool 24 degrees.

HOME?: Cooper Pedy locals still live underground.

Ramsey is not the first modern architect to suggest an underground structure.

In 2008 Amsterdam architects suggested creating a giant underground city to fix the Dutch capital's parking and development problems.

If approved the plan would have seen the city's canals drained to build the underground labyrinth which would house parking, cinemas, sports stadiums cables, ducts and supply facilities.

While it wasn't approved, it's still a funny notion to dwell up isn't it? Maybe one day we will be living underground. It's either that or the moon.

HI-TECH: Amsterdam's underground city would have been cool.

Men who love plastic ponies

My Little Pony's new fans are men.... aged over 20.

No this guy is not selling his daughter's old My Little Pony collection at a garage sale.

He's a "Brony" - a fully fledged fan of the popular Hasbro toy which first hit shelves in the 1980s.

And he's not alone.

PROUD: A Brony at the 2012 Bronycon.

The term Brony, is a mash-up of the words Brother and Pony. Get it?

In recent years thousands of males aged 20+ have become unexpected Bronies - fans of the pastel ponies originally targeted at young girls.


A quick search on Google will reveal various fan sites where Bronies can share fanfics, fan art and participate in general discussions on MLP.

COLOURFUL: A Brony in all his glory.

The Bronies even have an annual convention, Bronycon, which was held in New York for the second time this year and attracted 4000 fans.

Why are they fans? Most cite their interests in MLP were sparked by the animated TV series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic which premiered in 2010.

CUTE: The latest MLP characters to hit the TV screen.

Luke Allen (below), a thirty-something self-confessed Brony, told Wired.com that he loves his daily fix of the TV series.

“First we can’t believe this show is so good, then we can’t believe we’ve become fans for life, then we can’t believe we’re walking down the pink aisle at Toys R Us or asking for the girl’s toy in our Happy Meal,” he explained to Wired.

Creators of Friendship is Magic wanted the show to reboot the My Little Pony franchise and appeal to a larger audience.

Enter Lauren Faust (below), an American animator, who had worked on shows like the Powerpuff Girls,.

As creative director Faust wanted to challenge the established "girly" nature of the existing My Little Pony line, creating more in-depth characters and adventurous settings.

She came up with Equestria: a land where MLP characters Twilight Sparkle, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie get up to all sorts of magical adventures.

SMART: The brains behind Friendship is Magic.

While many are quick to negatively label the show's interest from the male demographic, Faust is among those who defend the new fans.

At this year's Bronycon, Faust said Bronies were forward-thinkers helping to change society's negative attitudes towards females.

“We live in a society where saying that something is for girls is the equivalent to saying that something is stupid, or saying that something isn’t worthwhile,” Faust said.

“I think that’s awful and I think that kind of attitude needs to be changed,” she said. “And these men are doing it. … They’re proud that they’re forward-thinking and modern enough to look past this misogynistic attitude.”

TRAILBLAZER? : A Brony shows off the latest addition to his collection.

Faust might see them as trailblazers, but Bronies have also gotten under the skin of a lot of original MLP fans.

Summer Hayes (below), an original MLP collector told Collector's Weekly that collectors don't like the attention Bronies have received of late.

“(Collectors) feel that they put so much time and effort into this niche collecting community, and then all of a sudden bronies come out and start getting all this attention. And it’s like, hey, well, what about us? We’ve been here forever, and nobody seemed to care. But now that there are all these guys in their 20s that are crazy about it, it’s suddenly important and it means something," Hayes said.

PONY PEOPLE: Males and females of all ages at a Brony meet.

Fan or not of the Bronies, if Bronycon's attendance rates are anything to go by, they're here to stay.

Last year at the inaugaral convention only 100 fans attended - this year the event reached capacity at 4000.

Zac North of Dayton Ohio traveled to New Jersey to attend Bronycon and told CmdStore why he was a fan.

“It’s colorful and innocent, which is something I don’t have in my life,”  North explained.

The 26-year-old dressed as his favourite MLP, Discord, and donned a multi-colored costume compete with dragon tail.

He was not alone.

YOUR TURN: Weird or Fantastic?

The new Jersey Shore?

THINK beaches, bikinis, tans, toss in some lovely Australian accents and a huge dose of drama/reality and you've got The Shire.

This show, set to air on Australian TV screens tonight, will follow the highs and lows of a group of 20-somethings who live and work in the sandy Sydney paradise, Sutherland Shire.

TANNED: The girls of The Shire.

It's been referred to as Australia's answer to Jersey Shore and like the latter has sparked contraversy before it's even hit the screens.

The filming location, the Sutherland Shire, already gained an infamous reputation before the show's inception.

Located in Southern Sydney, the Sutherland Shire was home to one of Australia's most infamous race-related riots between youths of Australian and Lebanese descent.

The riots on Cronulla Beach, located in Sutherland Shire, lasted a few days and caused minor property damage in the area and resulted in one non-fatal stabbing.

TENSION: A photo taken in 2005 at the Cronulla riots shows the anger of local youths.

The riots were a media frenzy and for those of us sitting at home, we got the impression the Shire was a cultural melting pot waiting to explode.

The creators behind the show say they chose the Shire for its "colour".

To say the local government representatives are unhappy about the "colour" the show will display about their council area would be an understatement.

When footage of the show was leaked on Youtube, the Shire's mayor voiced his disappointment stating the show would have a "negative" effect on their council.

Politics aside, it looks like it would be a bit of a hoot.

BUFFED: Boys of The SHire.

And if reality TV trends are anything to go by, viewers are really into "learning" more about youth sub-cultures that they would never truly experience.

We followed a group of party-hunting Italian Americans through Seaside, learnt what chavs were in Geordie Shore but will we learn more about the inner workings of the young Australian through The Shire?

Probably not, but it would be great to see what Bogans get up to in Sydney, no?

On a side note: The show creators have also been quick to clarify unlike Jersey Shore, their show is a "dramality" that like The Hills which placed real people in structured situations.

Lesson of the day: TV is never real.

BONUS: Here's a funny spoof of the show.

UPDATE:

Signed into Facebook after watching the show and this is what I saw!

The perfect denim shorts

Coco Chanel once said: "Fashion fades, only style remains the same."

These profound words strikes a cord with many a female, who with determination search for that perfect red lip, those denim jeans that fit like a glove and the little black dress that will serve as a go-to outfit for various events on their social calendar.

As time passes, trends really do fade, (how quick did we see the colour blocking phase explode then disappear on the fashion radar?) but certain items will remain a clear necessity in our wardrobe.

While at first it may have been classified a trend, the denim shorts have survived through fashion adversity and has become a must-have for many of those going for a chic look.

But if you're searching for a perfect pair (one that can look grungy, classy or casual depending how you style and accessorize your look) the going is tough on the online shopping world.

Sizes run out, the fit is different to what's pictured or after a few washes the denim fades.

Alas my fashion lovers, I can't help much with this. But what I can do is show you some lovely finds I have stumbled upon that may help you along your path to finding the perfect denim shorts.

High-waisted @ Miss Selfridge:

This pair of shorts from Miss Selfridge will be a winter and summer winner. The good thing about Miss Selfridge is it caters to petite sisters like myself by stocking size 4. Their quality items makes up for the steeper price tags. If you're not from the UK though, I do warn that at times their shipping takes a bit longer than online retail UK giant ASOS... but if you're looking for an exclusive item that you won't see walking down the street; it's probably worth it.

Boho chic @ The Iconic:

The Iconic is an Australian online apparel store which offers a serious selection of brands and styles. But I won't lie to you, their selection of denim shorts is scarce. Even worse if you're looking for a petite size. But where they lack in selection, they make up for in quality. This pair of Boho style shorts are cute and would add a bit of quirk to any outfit.

Cute crochet @ Topshop:

For a pair of cute summery shorts (which could easily be turned into winter shorts) head down to Topshop online or in-store. Topshop has a great range to choose from at hip-pocket friendly prices. Think $50+ mark. Again, shipping does take a bit longer than usual because I think they source their items from their UK stocks. So if you're not from the UK bear this in mind if you're ordering online.

BONUS, Ebay find:

Distressed denim? Check. High Waisted? Check? Low price? Check. It's amazing what you can find on Ebay if you know where to search. These shorts (for a gobsmacking AUD $22.95) are from an Australian seller which ships internationally. My tip for the day, at the risk of sounding a little bit cliché; Get on it!

Dorothy fell in love with the Scarecrow

Wizard of Oz: What could of been and what was.

Oz before.

Oz now.

A PRE-QUEL to the beloved tale The Wizard of Oz will hit the silver screen next year.

The film, Oz the Great and Powerful, will follow the Wizard on his journey from small-time magician from Kansas to the ruler of the magical kingdom Oz.

The wizard will be played by James Franco, while Michelle Williams will play the Good Witch. And the Bad Witch, who doesn't seem to be all that bad, will be played by Mila Kunis.

While I'm looking forward to this new angle of a land we all grew up wishing to visit, I for one remain a dedicated fan to the original.

Here are some fun facts about the 1939 original you may or may not know:

1. Dorothy's slippers were meant to be silver.

In the novel by L. Frank Baum, the slippers were silver but the producers behind the film wanted to take advantage of the new Technicolor process and changed the slippers to the vivid ruby color we know today. Multiple pairs were made for the filming of The Wizard of Oz but it's said only five remain in tact today. One pair was stolen in 2005 and have never been recovered. Various designs were made of the Ruby Slipper too and one of those designs, a "curled toe" Arabian style, which never made it on screen, sold for $510,000 at an auction last year.

2. Dorothy was supposed to be blonde.

Judy Garland initially wore a blonde wig for the part of Dorothy until the directors decided against it a few days into filming. Dorothy's iconic blue gingham dress was chosen for it's "blurring effects" on Garland's figure.

3. Dorothy and the Scarecrow were to fall in love.

A concluding scene back in Kansas after Dorothy's return was removed before final script approval and never filmed. If it had, we would look at Dorothy's relationship with the bumbling Scarecrow quite differently. In the end scene, Hunk (the Kansan version of the Scarecrow) is about to leave for agricultural college and asks Dorothy to write to him. This scene apperently was meant to imply that a romance would develop between the two. This is said to explain Dorothy's preference for the Scarecrow over her other two companions in Oz. Traces of this plot idea can still be noticed throughout the film however, particularly when Dorothy is about to leave Oz and tells the Scarecrow, "I think I'll miss you most of all."

4. The munchkins' singing voices were dubbed.

About 130 little people were cast as munchkins. The songs we're all familiar with, such as that by the Lollypop Guild, do not actually feature the voice's of the munchkins but various singers and vocal groups. As of today only three of the original cast of munchkins are known to be alive.

5. Good woman, bad witch.

The Wicked Witch of the West is one of the world's most recognisable villians and is today used as a protocol for what witches should look like. But the woman who played the character Margaret Hamilton, a former school teacher, loved children and gave to charities. When asked about her experiences during filmin, Hamilton said she often worried what the effect her character would have on children. On a side note: Hamilton played three characters in the film, not two as most would think. She played the Wicked Witch of the West, her Kansan alter-ego Almira Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the East. Although not credited, Hamilton played the latter role in the tornado sequence where she is undoubtedly the Witch of the East as she is wearing the Ruby Slippers.

Here's a funny alternate ending Mad TV came up with a while back. Just for laughs!

Lol, just lol.

Draco was going to be hot, but then his head got really huge.