Eight Items or Less: Hip-Hop Meets LEGOs, P. Diddy Tones it Down and Paterson Taxes Non-Diet Soft Drinks

1. Twenty classic hip-hop album covers re-created with LEGOs here.

2. P. Diddy is feelin' the credit crunch: "Out of respect, I've been trying to dress less flashy. It's one thing to be stylish, it's another to be over the top. You got to know when to hold back and not to rub it in." (via The Guardian)

3. It looks like Diddy won't be staying at the Palazzo Versace in Dubai. The hotel plans to create a refrigerated beach so guests can walk comfortably on the sand on hot days. The hotel's owner claims that, "This is the kind of luxury that top people want." (via The Australian)

4. NYC's Standard Hotel is now scheduled to open on December 21 due to "construction delays."

5. American Idol announced an increase in its semi-final contestants from 24 to 36 and the return of a "wild card" round. Both changes begin in 2009.

6. As part of his plan to cover New York's budget deficit, former SNL fan Governor Paterson has proposed a tax on non-diet soft drinks.