Friday, July 31, 2015

Lynn Anderson releases first album in a decade

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PLA MEDIA

Wearing a silver bedazzled hat, Brentwood resident Lynn Anderson sits with her hands clasped, as she candidly talks about her first album in more than a decade.

The 67-year-old country star has only added to her genre repertoire with her newest gospel album "Bridges" that released in the beginning of June.

The Grammy winner is best known for her song "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." Billboard also recognized her as "Artist of the Decade" for 1970-1980.

"A lot of people asked me why I didn"t have a gospel album," she said. "But I got baptized in the Rio Grande [River] and started going to the church in New Mexico I go to regularly. It seemed like a natural thing I needed to do."

Songwriters pitched Anderson their ideas for potential melodies and lyrics that could land on the album.

"I think the most interesting part was finding the songs," Anderson said after taking a sip of Diet Coke. "We had a big meeting at an office downtown. I was amazed by how sensitive the songs are. We didn"t do the songs we sang from the Baptist hymnal. Almost all of these are brand new. It"s a different feeling."

Anderson set out to sing a 12-song album about redemption and salvation. The Oak Ridge Boys and The Martins also accompany her on some of her new music.

Her favorites so far are the title track and "Drift Away," written by her boyfriend Mentor Williams, which is the first single on the record.

"The song has been a standard for pop music field and number one in country," Anderson said. "Only thing it hasn"t been is as gospel."

The name seemed kind of hard to come up with. Many of the album"s executives sat around a table and went through several options.

The title track of "Bridges" stuck out the most, with several variations strewn out on the table.

"This album is all about the gap between country and gospel and taking that step that I"ve taken to become that member of the church," Anderson said. "There were several names thrown about, and I said "Just The Bridge or Bridges" and that"s what it came to be."

Coming out again in a different genre after decades of music played differently means something for Anderson. She"s trying to connect with a younger fan base who might not have heard of her.

"There"s a whole generation since I had big hit records," she said. "This is a foray into a strange market. So it is a challenge."

Her new album is available on centersoundproductions.com/lynn/.

Fans can get her new work digitally and two forms of hard copy through CD and red vinyl.

Emily West covers Franklin for Home Page Media Group. Contact her at emily@franklinhomepage.com. Follow her on Twitter via @emwest22.

Source: http://www.franklinhomepage.com/lynn-anderson-releases-first-album-in-a-decade-cms-20893

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Box-office preview: "Mission: Impossible" to accept top spot

"Mission: Impossible" to accept top spot at weekend box office - L.A. Biz

"Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" is expected to cruise to $40 million this more

Prognosticators are expecting a relatively slow start to August despite the arrival of another installment in a $2 billion franchise starring Tom Cruise.

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With $4 million in its coffers from Thursday previews, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is tracking at around $40 million on the low end for the nearly 20-year-old series. The first three films all bowed to more than $45 million, and Ghost Protocol the Brad Bird-directed episode credited with revitalizing the brand after flagging interest in M:I III was an anomaly, launching in a limited Imax run to $12.8 million but adding $29.6 million on its second weekend in December 2011.

Working in Rogue Nations favor is its 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, so dont be surprised if it outpaces expectations on positive word of mouth. Even so, the weekend overall will have a hard time matching the comparable time frame last year, which saw $186 million in ticket sales led by the boffo bow of The Guardians of the Galaxy with a whopping $94 million. Year-to-date, 2015 leads last year by 8.3 percent and is ahead of the record 2013 by 0.8 percent.

Cruise returns in M:I V as Ethan Hunt, along with Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames, with Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson joining as a formidable foil. Playing in 3,956 theaters, Paramounts PG-13 actioner, which cost $150 million to make, also opens in 40 foreign markets including the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico and South Korea, with the important Chinese market coming online Sept. 8.

Road-tripping to 3,411 locations, Warner Bros. Vacation sequel starring Ed Helms as Rusty Griswold and Christina Applegate as his long-suffering wife got a jump on the IMF by opening on Wednesday. With 25 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the R-rated comedy with a $31 million pricetag is looking at up to $35 million over the five-day frame.

In limited release, the Weinstein Companys YA adventure The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet travels to 100 cinemas. And Radius-TWCs doc A Lego Brickumentary builds in 93 theaters.

In addition, A24s David Foster Wallace biopic The End of the Tour starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg road trips into four theaters including the ArcLight and Landmark in Los Angeles. Magnolias documentary Best of Enemies debates in five movie houses including the Landmark in West L.A. before platforming to about 70 more venues. And Showtime Networks documentary Listen to Me Marlon starts out in two dozen cinemas with 40 more to come.

Also, IFCs lesbian romantic comedy Jennys Wedding starring Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel walks down the aisle at the Sundance Sunset in West Hollywood and the IFC Center in New York with more dates to come. Virgil Films documentary I Am Chris Farley plays in four theaters including the Laemmle NoHo in North Hollywood with about a dozen more engagements over the next couple of weeks. Samuel Goldwyns doc That Sugar Film sprinkles in 11 movie houses including the Sundance Sunset in West Hollywood. And Music Boxs biopic Paulo Coelhos Best Story journeys into five theaters including the Musical Hall 3 in Beverly Hills.

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Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2015/07/31/box-office-preview-mission-impossible-to-accept.html

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Local Reaction to Deadly Cincinnati Shooting

LACKAWANNA COUNTY Security officers at Marywood University in Lackawanna County are not armed, but they are trained to deal with problems and call area police when they need to and they are allowed to make traffic stops on campus.

In most cases, there are passive ways to go about it and we have our protocol of keeping the situation as safe as we possibly can and if need be, we do have the authority to restrain the individual, said Sergeant Kyle Frick of Marywood University Security.

A University of Cincinnati police officer made a traffic stop near that schools campus recently and investigators say the officer ended up shooting the unarmed driver in the head, killing him. The university officer is charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter.

I think this whole thing is horrible. I really didnt know that most campus police officers have guns and when I saw the video, I was in shock because I couldnt imagine him asking for his license, and when he said no, all of a sudden he reacted when he tried to run with his car and all of a sudden he just shot the man and then he ran off, said Patricia Mota, of East Stroudsburg.

At East Stroudsburg University in Monroe County, campus police are armed. A parent of one student told Newswatch 16 that makes her feel more comfortable.

It makes me feel safer knowing hes here and they can protect him, said Chris Emery of Douglassville, a mother of an ESU student.

East Stroudsburg University police officials were not available to speak with Newswatch 16.

Some students said what happened in Cincinnati has them thinking about things a little differently.

I more so think of, do they have the right training and the right focus and moral values to know what is OK and what isnt OK? said Yiran Dacres, an East Stroudsburg University student.

Source: http://wnep.com/2015/07/30/local-reaction-to-deadly-cincinnati-shooting/

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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Cincinnati shooting tests "blue wall of silence"

As a growing number of police departments are equipping officers with digital body cameras, the so-called blue wall of silence, the unwritten rule that officers never speak ill of one another to outsiders, is being tested perhaps like never before. The police-involved shooting in Cincinnati and specifically, the role of two officers who may have lied about what happened to their colleague is a case in point.

Ray Tensing, who was a University of Cincinnati police officer until this week, appeared at his first court hearing Thursday after being indicted for murder and voluntary manslaughter in the death of an unarmed motorist on July 19. He pleaded not guilty.

In the case, Mr. Tensing, who is white, alleges that Samuel DuBose, a black man who had been stopped for a missing front license plate, put his life in danger by starting the car, which began to roll forward. The officer said he feared he was going to get pulled under the car.

His account is corroborated by testimony from two other officers. In a report written the day after the shooting, they said that Tensing had small injuries that supported his assertion that he was somehow dragged.

But prosecutors say Tensings body camera suggests another scenario. In the video, Mr. DuBose is starting the car and slowly rolling away when Tensing appears to suddenly fire a single shot. Tensing, officials say, fell backward after firing his gun, causing some scuffs on his shirt and pants. DuBose appears nonconfrontational in the video.

It is these sorts of discrepancies that America is now parsing as it watches police interactions more closely than ever in some cases, with the help of body cameras.

This whole incident [in Cincinnati] is a classic illustration of the problem, where you have [other officers] reflexively supporting the officer [Tensing], says Samuel Walker, a professor emeritus of criminology and a police accountability expert at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. Theres a lot of concern about police lying whats called testi-lying in court and there are a lot of people who dont believe that occurs, and if it does, its just a couple of bad cops. This incident dramatizes the seriousness of the problem, and it comes as no surprise to a lot of us who have been working on police misconduct.

According to a recent presidential task force on policing reform, body cameras should be part of a major thrust toward making police work more transparent and, thus, more trustworthy in the eyes of Americans, especially in poorer, crime-ridden areas.

Moreover, body cameras are widely seen as an effective way to illuminate incidents in order to protect both citizens and police officers. Video has been crucial in some investigations into questionable policing that led to citizen deaths over the past year, though it"s also not always been conclusive.

In that light, the Cincinnati shooting is one of a number of emerging cases that could show how body cameras can help reform police culture, even in the midst of what Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell called the most difficult policing environment in the history of our nation.

A tendency among police to cover up bad behavior in the ranks has a long history, and many Americans see such impulses as understandable. Police, after all, do a difficult, dangerous job for relatively little pay and even less thanks. Attacks on police integrity are often viewed by union leaders as baseless griping by miscreants.

But cop solidarity has also gone wrong. That fact has come to light in places like North Charleston, S.C., where an officer has been charged with murder in the shooting of an unarmed black man. In the aftermath of the shooting, other officers arrived more concerned about the officer involved in the incident, even as no one administered medical care to the man on the ground, who had been shot in the back.

Officials acknowledged that only a cellphone video led to the arrest of the officer in North Charleston.

Similarly, immediately after the Cincinnati shooting, officers listened to Tensing characterize the danger he faced and describe his alleged injuries. Nobody offered medical care to the man who had been shot in the car.

Officer [Phillip] Kidd told me that he witnessed the Honda Accord drag Officer Tensing, and that he witnessed Officer Tensing fire a single shot, Officer Eric Weibels report reads.

Tensing"s lawyer, Stewart Mathews, says the former University of Cincinnati officer is innocent.

"He was afraid that he was going to lose his own life," Mr. Mathews told reporters. "He thought he was going to be run over by Mr. DuBose"s car. It sped away."

When asked if Tensing, backed up by other officers, was trying to mislead investigators, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said, Yes. He added, "I think he was making an excuse for a purposeful killing."

To be sure, body cameras are far from a panacea for police misconduct. And video isnt always decisive. Despite cellphone video showing the chokehold death of Eric Garner last year, a grand jury decided that the officer was not responsible.

But video can also give prosecutors the hard evidence they need to override deflections by police officers who go beyond the constitutional protections they enjoy. Those protections include US Supreme Court rulings that give officers wide leeway to make mistakes as they make split-second life-or-death decisions.

"People want to believe that Mr. DuBose had done something violent towards the officer he did not. He did not at all. I feel so sorry for his family and what they lost, and I feel sorry for the community, too," Mr. Deters said.

The shooting has also put a spotlight on the fractured nature of policing in the United States, especially as it relates to university police departments and police training. Some university police focus mostly on misbehaving college students in rural towns. Others, like those for the University of Cincinnati, have different responsibilities, including protecting the campus and tuition-paying young people from local ruffians.

But whatever department an officer serves, the blue wall of silence has emerged partly out of necessity, as police officers create a tightknit fraternity for their safety and job protection.

In some recent police shootings, police union heads, who represent officers, have blamed the media, social activists, and citizens themselves for the problems, rarely putting the blame on officers.

For example, after defending the officers" actions in the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland last year, union head Jeffrey Follmer said the officers bore no responsibility, even though Tamir was shot within two seconds of them pulling up to the park where he was playing with an Airsoft gun.

According to a Washington Post database, at least 550 Americans have been shot and killed by police officers in 2015. Many of those shootings were undoubtedly justified, but just three officers have been charged with crimes two of the cases being in Cincinnati and North Charleston, where video evidence has been key.

Police reformers have recently focused on creating policies that would more closely track police shootings and other incidents, as well as reform police union contracts that give officers far more protection than a citizen would have in the wake of misconduct allegations.

We have to bring some sunlight into this, expose this, and discuss the cost, because there are social costs, an impact on police-community relations, and a financial cost, says Dr. Walker at the University of Nebraska. This is an extremely important incident, and it highlights a pervasive problem.

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2015/0730/Cincinnati-shooting-tests-blue-wall-of-silence

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"Once in a Blue Moon" Happens on Friday -- Why?

On Friday, much of the world will have the opportunity to observe a Blue Moon: A somewhat rare occurrence that doesn"t have anything to do with the moon"s color.

During most years, the Earth experiences 12 full moons, one in each month. But some years, such as 2015, have 13 full moons, and one of those "extra" lunar displays gets the label of Blue Moon.

Moonwalkers: Stunning Photos from Apollo 11

The lunar or synodic month (full moon to full moon) averages 29.530589 days, which is shorter than every calendar month in the year except for February. Those extra one-half or one-and-one-half days accumulate over the year, causing some years to have 13 full moons rather than 12. [Video: What"s a Blue Moon, Is It REALLY Blue?]

To see what I mean, here is a list of full-moon dates in 2015: Jan. 5, Feb. 3, March 5, April 4, May 4, June 2, July 2, July 31, Aug. 29, Sept. 28, Oct. 27, Nov. 25 and Dec. 25. In 2016, the first full moon falls on Jan. 23, and each calendar month has only one full moon.

The expression "once in a blue moon" has a long history of being used to describe rare events; but it was also used in the Maine Farmers" Almanac to describe the third full moon in a season that has four (normally, a three-month season will only have three full moons).

In 1946, Sky & Telescope magazine published an article that misinterpreted the older definition, defining a Blue Moon as the second full moon in a calendar month. This has become the most recent and perhaps most widely accepted definition of a Blue Moon. And hence, the full moon on July 31 is referred to as a Blue Moon, because it was preceded by the full moon on July 2. By this definition, a Blue Moon occurs roughly once every 2.7 years.

ANALYSIS: "Blood Moon" Myths: Superstitions in the Skies

The full moon appears to last for at least the length of one night, but technically speaking, it is an instantaneous event: It occurs when the sun, Earth and moon fall close to a straight line. It takes place at the same instant everywhere in the world, whether the moon is above or below the horizon.

The full moon on July 31 occurs at exactly 6:43 a.m. EDT (1043 GMT).

So, when you look at the Blue Moon on Friday morning, don"t expect to see a different color scheme (although it is possible for the moon to appear to have a bluish hue). Just be aware that the so-called Blue Moon is a byproduct of the contrast between the calendar month and the lunar month.

More from SPACE.com:

Original article on Space.com. Copyright 2015 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/once-in-a-blue-moon-happens-on-friday-why-150730.htm

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Ben Affleck Has Been Dating Nanny Christine Ouzounian

Nearly one month after announcing the end of his 10-year marriage to Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck has begun to move on. And the two-time Oscar winner, 42, didnt have to look far to find a new romance. In the new issue of Us Weekly, multiple sources reveal Affleck has been dating 28-year-old California native Christine Ouzounian, a woman he and Garner hired as a nanny for their three kids this spring. The issue also features exclusive photos of the two.

PHOTOS: Ben and Jen, the way they were

When Ouzounian an employee at a high-end Beverly Hills nanny agency first started caring for Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and Samuel, 3, Affleck and Garner, 43, were in the midst of a secret 10-month trial separation. The Arizona State University communications grad soon developed an attraction to the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star.

PHOTOS: Celeb splits in 2015

They would hang out without the kids, explains an Ouzounian pal. And they were very flirty.

When Garner discovered there was something going on between her estranged husband and Ouzounian, she let the babysitter go. But the ex-sorority girl wasn"t cut from Afflecks life.

PHOTOS: Jen Garner through the years

The pair spent time together at Afflecks new L.A.-area rental on July 17 and, says the Ouzounian pal, were in constant contact over text and email. She says Ben really, really likes her, says the friend. Shes saying this is true love. (A rep for Affleck tells Us all allegations of a romantic relationship are baseless and untrue. Ouzounian couldnt be reached for comment.)

PHOTOS: Celeb couples and how they met

For more details on how the romance began and Garners reaction pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now!

Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics, and more delivered straight to your inbox!

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ben-affleck-has-been-dating-nanny-christine-ouzounian-2015297

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Lacey motel linked to outbreak of Legionnaires" disease agrees to close ...

The Super 8 motel on College Street in Lacey.

Lacey motel linked to outbreak of Legionnaires disease agrees to closetemporarily

The Super 8 motel on College Street in Lacey.

LACEY, Wash. The Super 8 Motel at 112 College St. SE in Lacey announced Thursday it will voluntarily close due to an outbreak investigation of Legionnaires disease, the Thurston County Health Department said.

The county said motel is working with Dr. Rachel Wood, a Thurston County health officer, and will remain temporarily closed until further notice.

Within the past month, three cases of Legionnaires disease have been confirmed with possible connection to the motel.

The Health Department said Legionnaires disease is a serious form of pneumonia that is caused by Legionella bacteria. People get Legionnaires disease when they breathe in water mist or vapor that has been contaminated with the bacteria.

The Health Department is asking guests, staff and contractors of the motel to monitor their health for symptoms of the disease and to contact their health care provider if they become ill. The time period between the time of exposure to the bacteria and illness is from 2 to 10 days, typically 5 to 6 days.

Symptoms of Legionnaires disease include:

  • Fever, tiredness, body aches and headache
  • Cough
  • Chest pain
  • Occasionally diarrhea

People at increased risk for Legionnaires disease include those over 50 years of age and those with certain medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and those with lowered immune systems.

The department said people who stayed at the motel are not at risk of spreading Legionnaires disease to other people. The bacteria are not spread from person to person.

Hotel whirlpools, showers, and air conditioning units have previously been shown to be sources of Legionnaires disease outbreaks.

The Super 8 motel has contracted with a laboratory to complete an environmental assessment of the motel to determine the possible source of the bacteria, the county said. The laboratory is certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Thurston County Health Department is working to contact guests, staff and contractors who have recently been at the motel to inform them of the outbreak. These individuals can reach Department staff by calling the Nurse Line at 360-867-2672. Though the Department is closed for general business over the holiday weekend, disease investigation staff will be available July 3-5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Source: http://q13fox.com/2015/07/02/lacey-motel-linked-to-outbreak-of-legionnaires-disease-agrees-to-close-temporarily/

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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Drake "Back to Back Freestyle"

Published Jul 29, 2015

Following accusations from Meek Mill that Drake doesn"t write his own raps, fellow Torontonians like Councillor Norm Kelly and producer Noah "40" Shebib have jumped to Drizzy"s defence. Now, the Toronto rapper has fired back in his own words with another diss track titled "Back to Back Freestyle." Not bothering to wait for a response to Mill, the new track follows Drake"s "Charged Up," but takes a definitively less subtle approach this time around.Despite noting that "When I look back, I might be mad that I gave this attention," Drake goes on to fire verbal shots at Mill like: "Is that a world tour or your girl"s tour?" Aptly enough, Mill"s girlfriend Nicki Minaj rolled through Toronto last night (July 28) as part of her Pinkprint Tour (on which Mill is the opening act).The track is accompanied by a photo of Toronto baseball legend Joe Carter from the Blue Jays" 1993 World Series victory a game that earned the team back to back titles, and also saw them defeat Mill"s home team, the Philadelphia Phillies.It looks like the ball"s in Mill"s court now, though due to his lack of response so far, Drizzy may have already hit this one over the fence.

Source: http://exclaim.ca/music/article/drake-back_to_back_freestyle

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Khloe Kardashian Has A Closet Devoted To Workout Clothes, And It"s Stunning

So this is what it looks like when Lululemon and Bergdorf Goodman have a closet baby.

For Khloe Kardashian"s Self magazine shoot, the mag partnered with Lisa Adams, CEO of LA Closet Design, to make over Kardashian"s 150-square-footcloset devoted to workout clothes. With rows of Kardashian"s colorful sneakers front and center, racks of workout gear lining the walls and kettlebells and plates on display, it"s like walking intothe most luxurious fitness store imaginable.

"Im in love with my fitness closet! Its my favorite closet," said Kardashian in the interview. "I genuinely show it off to all of my friends when they are over." We would too, Khlo!

Check out the pics below and be sure to head over to Self to see the rest of the shoot.

Also on HuffPost:

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/khloe-kardashian-workout-fitness-closet_55b8d16ee4b0074ba5a6cdcb

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Bachelorette Fans Michael Sheen, Sarah Silverman Think the Wrong Man Won

The latest celebrity to come out as a proud supporter of Bachelor Nation? That would be Michael Sheen, star of Showtime"s Masters of s*x -- and it"s all Sarah Silverman"s fault.

The actor confessed to Us Weekly the morning after Kaitlyn Bristowe made her fateful decision that he and his girlfriend are hardcore devotees of the show.

PHOTOS: Biggest Bachelor and Bachelorette villains

"I watched the final [episode] of The Bachelorette last night, which was a big, big night," Sheen, 46, said with a laugh. "I was very glad to finish work in time yesterday to be able get home in time to watch that!"

Unfortunately, Sheen"s favorite suitor did not get Bristowe"s final rose, which ultimately went to personal trainer Shawn Booth. "I mean, look -- I dont want to be negative about anyone, but things didnt go the way we were hoping, lets say that," he confessed.

PHOTOS: Meet Bachelorette Kaitlyn"s suitors!

Yes, Silverman is the one who introduced Sheen to the show -- but now he"s an even bigger fan than she is. "Sarah got me into it and I complained kicking and screaming," Sheen revealed, "and now Im the one whos obsessed."

Michael Sheen said The Bachelorette finale didn"t turn out the way he was hoping it would.Credit: James Devaney/GC Images

As a newly minted Bachelor fan, Sheen has plenty of thoughts as to who should look for love next.

PHOTOS: The Bachelorette -- what happened after the final rose?

"I want Tony the healer to be the next Bachelor," Sheen said. "Either Tony the healer or horned-up Ryan! I have to say, I did from the very beginning have a soft spot for Ben Z. so that would be good."

Actually, in the interest of fairness, Sheen suggested that there be two Bachelor hopefuls.

PHOTOS: The Bachelor: Where are they now?

"I think the one thing that definitely should happen is there should be two of them. Why should there be two women and not two men? So that the two women are made to feel insecure? Because you cant let one woman be in control from the beginning youve got to, you know, make sure there are two women so they never feel quite secure enough!"

He continued, "So if you do that you have to have two men as well, and I plead G*d, let Tony the healer be one of them!"

Masters of s*x airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

Can"t get enough of Us? Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter packed with the latest celeb news, hot pics, and more!

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/michael-sheen-sarah-silverman-think-wrong-man-won-the-bachelorette-2015287

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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj Show Off Major PDA in "All Eyes on You" Video

etonline-yahoopartner:

Nicki and Meek, sittin in a tree

Hip-hop power couple Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill are showing off some serious PDA in Mills new video for All Eyes on You. The duo gets kiss-y, lick-y, and even a little grab a*s-y in the clip, which debuted today via MTV. Chris Brown is also featured on the track, but hes definitely the third wheel in this scenario.

Watch below.

All Eyes On You Video

Meek Mills #AllEyesOnYouVideo ft. Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown is finally here!

Posted by MTV on Monday, July 27, 2015

Yep, Minaj also snuck in a blink-and-youll-miss-it t*****s moment. (Its at 01:54 if you did, in fact, blink and miss it.)

The video comes on the heels of a headline-making performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where both Mill and Minaj took jabs at Drake after the former publicly accused the latter of not writing his own lyrics. Drake responded with a diss track titled Charged Up on Saturday evening.

NEWS: Meek Mill Calls Out Drake: He Dont Write His Own Raps

I was doing my album and I asked [Drake] to give me a verse for my album, but [Drake] gave me a verse that he didnt write, that another wrote, Mill told the crowd, according to Billboard. The rapper called Drakes response track very soft, baby lotion soft.

Minaj also chimed in, telling the audience that she too writes all her own verses. Yall dont even know how to pronounce the motherf**king words in my motherf**king rap, b***h, she told the audience.

NEWS: Drake Responds to Meek Mill Slam: I Signed Up for Greatness

Earlier this summer, Minaj hilariously sparred with her beau on Twitter after he commented Nicki aint pregnant, but I wish in a radio interview. No matter wut he, or anyone else says, Onika Tanya Maraj wont be pushing anyone1 out her vajayjay, until shes married. Now check that, Minaj tweeted.

Of course, weve always known this superstar to have a wicked sense of humor. See her impersonating Beyonce and Kim Kardashian on Saturday Night Live in the video below.

Brooke Burke & Her Look-a-Like Daughter Show Off In Skimpy BikinisKatherine McPhee Flaunts Her Flaweless BodyCarmen Electras Bikini Body Is On Point Past 40

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFYHYG9OJxlvS8KF6VycFWEprU2nQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778906711951&ei=DTG4VYD3AtTT8gHPnYvYBw&url=https://uk.celebrity.yahoo.com/post/125184823849/meek-mill-and-nicki-minaj-show-off-major-pda-in

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Roundup: Tom Cruise Lip-Sync Battle & Mike Huckabee Doubles Down on "Oven" Comment

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Blake Lively, because you miss Gossip Girl, right? father goes to jail for his son after taking blame for hit and run; two years later, he fesses up good thing this guy was strapped Men who have fled servitude on fishing boats recount beatings and worse as nets are cast for the catch that will become pet food and livestock feed extremely sad story of gruesome attack in Philadelphia in which a woman and her youngwere stabbed man bitten by a rattlesnake while taking a selfie things you cant make up: Putin thinks Blatter deserves a Nobel Prize Mike Huckabee isnt backing down from using the phrase, marching Israelis to the door of the oven with Millennials watching less TV, Comcast feels it needs to make a new media deal A Young Mother Burns to Death; Next Generation Pays a Toll Daily Beast goes after Donald Trump for a 25-year old incident with his ex-wife, Ivana Trump Twitter is Deleting Stolen Jokes for Copyright Reasons

Interesting look at how ESPNs dwindling subscriber numbers may have pushed the NFL playoff game back to ABC. [Sports Media Watch]

Tell us how you really feel, Phil Mushnick: And if Cowherd could not be suffered, the lowest, most vulgar, most women-trashing, weapons-worshipping, N-wording rappers have long been beckoned by ESPN as this Disney networks most cherished, promoted sports pals! [NY Post]

Sorry for the ESPN overdose, but Disney CEO Bob Iger said he thinks he could see ESPN sold the way HBO is one day, but it wont happen in the next five years. [CNBC]

Who are the 50 most influential people in soccer worldwide? Theres only one player in the Top 5. [ESPN FC]

Denver Post columnist thinks the Denver Broncos are going to win the Super Bowl. [Post]

Should the San Francisco Giants retire the jersey of Barry Bonds? [Mercury News]

Chances Sam Bradford injures his ACL again? Only 10-12 percent according to the Eagles independent research. [Philly Mag]

If youve ever collected sports cards, youll enjoy this story. [Sports Collectors Daily]

Be careful with those escort services: Police said investigators found a cache of weapons in his trunk. Falls had several axes, a shovel, bleach, knives, a machete and other items in his vehicle. Falls also had handcuffs and a pistol in his pocket. [KPTV]

Former First Take host wanted to participate more and go back and forth so she left the show for SportsCenter. [Newsday]

Jonathan Martin, the former Stanford offensive lineman, has retired at the age of 25. [Charlotte Observer]

This police office has been suspended for tossing peanuts to a handcuffed homeless man. The homeless man later picks them up from the floor with his mouth.

I didnt know extreme sailing was a thing, but this crash and the crew members hanging on was pretty neat.

Is it me or was this Tom Cruise lip-sync battle pretty weak? Had to be his choice of songs.

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Source: http://thebiglead.com/2015/07/28/tom-cruise-lip-sync-battle-mike-huckabee-oven/

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Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj give fans a glimpse into their home life in new "All ...

After teasing the video for weeks, hip-hop power coupleMeek Mill and Nicki Minaj released the video for their new track All Eyes on You, featuring Chris Brown.

The video features the two posing, canoodling and generally showing off their love (and their endorsed products) while third wheel Brown awkwardly croons the chorus off to the side.

The release of the steamy video will hopefully take all eyes off the couples recent Twitter feuds and put the focus back on their music.

Minaj recently got into it with Taylor Swiftover VMA nominations, but the two have thankfully made up. Meek called out Drake for not writing his own raps, and Drizzy recently responded to the allegations in a new track Charged Up.

Source: http://national.suntimes.com/national-entertainment/7/72/1539036/meek-mill-nicki-minaj-new-eyes-on-you-video/

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Monday, July 27, 2015

George Hamilton Reveals The Best City To Get A Lasting Tan

As a man who is as well known for his perpetually tanned skin as he is for his lengthy acting career, George Hamilton is a formidable authority on the art of the suntan. What started as a calculated way for Hamilton to pick up girls in his teens has since become a part of the 75-year-old"s legacy, and now he"s sharing some of his own tanning advice with "Oprah: Where Are They Now -- Extra."

First and foremost, Hamilton clarifies that his need to tan is more than skin-deep. "It"s not the spray tan that I"m after," he says in the above video. "It"s the actual "plug-in" to the sun that I feel when I"m in it."

While science clearly outlines the risks of too much UV exposure, Hamilton believes that getting at least a little bit of sun has its benefits.

"It"s always been a kind of health thing -- and I know there are a lot of conflicting views about that," he says. "I think there"s a lot of people who have Vitamin D deficiency now... I think you need 15 minutes in the sun every day. Everyone. Maybe not the direct sun, but everyone needs it."

Hamilton has spent his fair share of time sunning himself in cities around the world, but only one place stands out as his favorite for getting beautifully bronzed skin that really lasts -- and it"s not Hawaii. "By the time you get back on the plane from Hawaii, you"re already faded! It doesn"t last. I peeled once and underneath it I had an old tan from 1959," he jokes.

Instead, Hamilton points to a California city as offering a much better "investment."

"I would say the best place to get a tan, for me, is Palm Springs," he says. "It"s the best tan. It stays."

Some of Hamilton"s companions have enjoyed tanning almost as much as he does, including the late Elizabeth Taylor. ("She could actually out-suntan me," he says.) In the same "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" interview, Hamilton recalls what happened when a paparazzi snapped t*****s tanning photos of Taylor while the couple dated back in the 80s.

"Oprah: Where Are They Now -- Extra" is a digital series from the OWN show "Oprah: Where Are They Now?"

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/16/george-hamilton-best-city-to-get-a-tan_n_7804596.html

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Draya Michele Still Wearing Engagement Ring After Orlando Scandrick Split [PHOTOS]

(Photo : Getty Images: Charley Gallay)

Is Draya Michelenot over her ex-fianc Orlando Scandrickyet? MStars News has learned that the Basketball Wives LAstar is still wearing her engagement ring even after an ugly breakup with the Dallas Cowboysplayer.

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In the snapshots below, Draya was spotted with her huge engagement ring during her Mint Swim fashion show over the weekend.

In the first image, Draya had her followers guessing the status of her on-again, off-again relationship when she wrote:"I love this pic mostly because it was taken at 11pm but looks like 11am." If you take a close look, you will can see the huge rock Orlando previously gave her back in June.

In the next photo, you can see a clear shot, showing that Draya is still rocking her ring, as she looks on during the fashion show.

According to The YBF,Draya"s ring is worth $400k. It seems to be a little strange that Draya would still wear a ring that has caused her so much drama and pain in the last few weeks.

MStars News previously reportedthat Orlando decided to call off his engagement to the reality star and fashion designer, claiming that the entire thing was a "poor decision." After commenting on his breakup,Orlando also filed a restraining order against Draya, claiming that she threatened him.

However, if you ask Michele"s Basketball Wives co-star, Mehgan James, what she thinks on the entire engagement chaos, she claims it"s a publicity stunt, to keep her name in the headlines.

"I think it"s all fake. They"re still together. She"s still living in his house, still driving his car," James previously said."It"s a publicity stunt." Mehgan continued, "The breakup, the makeup, the re-breakup, the makeup before that and the breakup before that, it"s fake."

Maybe James is right, because everyone is talking about Draya still wearing that ring!

Do you think Draya will speak up soon and let everyone know if she and Orlando have decided to get back together, or if she"s just wearing that beautiful diamond just to accessorize her outfits?

2015 Mstars News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://www.mstarz.com/articles/77468/20150727/draya-michele-still-wearing-engagement-ring-orlando-scandrick-split-photos.htm

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PHOTOS: Joey Lawrence, "Celebrity Family Feud | Heavy.com

The Lawrence brothers are back on TV, slated to appear in Sunday night"s latest episode of Celebrity Family Feud. Of course, the trio has long been a mainstay in pop culture, ever since Joey Lawrence uttered his famous "WHOA" on Blossom. Now, as the former teenage heartthrob gets ready to square off against Mario Lopez on the summertime hit, get to know the whole Lawrence family. Click through the gallery to see some of the brother"s best moments and meet the rest of their Feud team. (Getty) Next Image: Joey Lawrence Celebrates 36th Birthday With Brothers At Disneyland Jazz Jennings I Am Jazz": 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

The YouTube star and transgender activist is set to document her life as gender dysphoric in the TLC series I Am Jazz. Get to know her more here.

Click here to read more

Source: http://heavy.com/entertainment/2015/07/joey-lawrence-celebrity-family-feud-brothers-matthew-andrew-andy-mom-wife-photos-pictures-steve-harvey/

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Cory Joseph Just Signed With Raptors, Already Got Shout Out From Drake on ...

Earlier this month, former Spurs guard Cory Josephwho was drafted by San Antonio in 2011 and won a title with the team in 2014decided to take his talents to the Raptors. And while most people didn"t bat an eye when the Pickering, Ontario native signed a four-year, $30 million deal with Toronto, it seems Drake took notice.

On "Charged Up," the track that Drizzy dropped on his Beats 1 radio show OVO Sound today, Drake gave one of his most random sports-related shout outs ever when he name-dropped Joseph in the middle of the song.

"We gon" make sure you get your bread and you know the ropes," Drake raps, "I get a ring and I bring it home like I"m Cory Joe."

Yo, already?!The ink isn"t even dry on his contract yet! We weren"t the only ones who caught the "Cory Joe" reference, either:

Wow. *waits for every free agent to sign with Toronto next season*

Send all complaints, compliments, and tips tosportstips@complex.com.

Source: http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/07/cory-joseph-signed-with-raptors-shout-out-from-drake-charged-up

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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Randy Johnson expresses gratitude for teams that gave him a chance in Hall of ...

Randy Johnson has always been known asa stoic man of few words, but he made sure that all six teams he played for during his 22 years in the majorsknew of his gratitude.

Johnson ticked off the teams and people who helped him throughout his pitching career, starting with the firstmajor league team that drafted him out of college,the Montreal Expos, to which he said he was "forever indebted."

MORE: The most memorable moments of Randy Johnson"s career

"My minor league career was not stellar.It took me four years in the minor leagues to finally get a call up in 1988 ... I relish that moment getting to pitch in Montreal," Johnson said.

It wasn"t until Johnson was traded to the Mariners in 1989 that his career really took off, a move that he called his "apprenticeshipfor the next 10 years."

Twomonths with the Astros in 1998, during which he went 10-1,set Johnson up for his first tenure with the Diamondbacks, which led him to winning three games in the World Series and becoming co-MVP with Curt Schilling after the team clinched the title.

"Individual accomplishments are great, but in 2001 we had a team that in spring training we were all on the same page and we never deviated or wavered from that," Johnson said. "And that led us tothe World Series against the greatest team of all time, the New York Yankees.

"Those are some very memorable moments there in Arizona. I"m so grateful for everyone I played with and the franchise."

Johnson also thanked the Yankees and the Giants for taking him on, especially while recovering from significant injuries.

Throughout the trades and injuries, Johnson"s main motivation were the baseball fans, whether they were cheering him on orjeering at him.

"If I was a visiting player coming in to pitch against your team, you motivated me by screaming at me," Johnson said. "If you were rooting for me, I wouldrun through a brick wall for you and throw as many pitches as I needed to throw to get that game and get us a victory."

Johnson also made sure to thank the Wounded Warriors Project, an organization he has worked closely with since his 2009 retirement from baseball,and the United States armed services.

Given the nickname "the Big Unit" for his 6-10 frame, Johnson boastsof a 303-166 career record.The five-time Cy Young Award winnerledthe league in strikeouts nine times and recorded 4,875 strikeouts, the most for anyleft-handedpitcher and thesecondmost ever. He"s the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game at age 40and defeated every major league team at least once.

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2015-07-26/baseball-hall-of-fame-2015-randy-johnson-speech-diamondbacks-mariners-mlb-expos-astros

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Bryan Caraway didn"t want Miesha Tate to corner him at UFC on FOX 16 | MMAjunkie

CHICAGO Bryan Caraway and Miesha Tate are in a situation almost no one can relate to.After all, not many relationships involve two professional fighters, let alone two who have competed in the UFC octagon on the same night.

Caraway (20-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC)both competed Saturday night at UFC on FOX 16. Not only did both pick up wins, but they worked each others corner during the event. With a title shot on the line for Tate, it seemed a risky move for her to go through the emotional rollercoaster of cornering her boyfriend earlier in the night.

But Tate had no plans to avoid the corner for Caraways win over former WEC champion Eddie Wineland (21-11-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC).

I was prepared to put it behind me either way, Tate told MMAjunkie at the post-fight press conference. Once he won, it was great. But I knew that, no matter what happened, I was going to separate my fight from his fight emotionally. Thats something we get a lot of practice with anyway, being a couple inside the gym. We have to separate things. Its something that I feel like Im really good at. Its not the first time we fought on the same card together. But it is the first time that we fought in the UFC together and cornered each other on the same night. It was a little more stressful than normal, but we were both super motivated. And I felt like I had a lot of positive energy.

Tate fought in the co-main event of the evening, facing Jessica Eye (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC)in a No. 1 contender fight. The winner was to receive a shot at the winner of Ronda Rouseys UFC 190 title defense against Bethe Correia.

Tate pulled off an impressive victory, dropping Eye multiple times en route to a wide unanimous decision victory. UFC President Dana White confirmed that Tate was up next for a title shot following the bout.

The stakes of that fight had Caraway wanting Tate to take a pass on working his corner, but he knew better than to fight with Tate.

I actually didnt want her to corner me, Caraway said. I was worried. I didnt want her to have an adrenaline dump at all. Just from the crowd or seeing everything or if something happened during my fight. I didnt want her to worry. Even if she was mentally okay I didnt want that natural hormone to have that adrenaline dump and affect her in her fight. But she told me, Youve always been there for me and Im going to be there for you, no matter what. I wasnt going to argue with her. You dont argue with her.

For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 16, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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Source: http://mmajunkie.com/2015/07/bryan-caraway-didnt-want-miesha-tate-to-corner-him-at-ufc-on-fox-16

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Bryan Caraway compares TJ Dillashaw to Lieutenant Dan

Bryan Caraway spoke with the media about his friendship with T.J. Dillashaw following his victory at UFC on FOX 16, comparing the bantamweight champion to a beloved character from Forrest Gump.

Bryan Caraway and T.J. Dillashaw go way back, dating back to their time togetheron TheUltimate Fighter. The duo of extremely talented fighters has also trained together with Team Alpha Male.

Caraway touched on their relationship following his unanimous decision victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC on Fox 16 on Saturday. Whendoing so, he revealed a nickname that him and his fellowtraining partners have for the reigning bantamweight champion.

Hes almost a psycho, Caraway said. As kind of a funny joke, Team Alpha Male started calling him Lieutenant Dan because hed snap. If he didnt have a training partner or someone wasnt there, hed just freak out. Id be like dude calm down. It was like his life depended on it. And I knew that great things were going to come out of him.

Lieutenant Dan refers to the comically irritable character from the critically-acclaimed film, Forrest Gump.On a more serious note, Caraway described how Dillashaws recent success and constant drive has inspired him to become a better fighter.

Now its awesome. Ive been an old dog in this sport for a long time. Ive been fighting for 12 years. To see somebody young and hungry come in after Ive already fought in the WCF, already fought in Showtime, already fought in Strike ForceTo see him come in with that kind of energy and see his hard work propel him past me to a world championship, he was a big motivation to me. Training with him when he was below me when I used to beat him up, to coming up and being a world champion now, I was like, thats the s I need to do."

Given his recent victory over Wineland, the No. 6 ranked fighter in the bantamweight class, Caraway could geta shot at his good friend and competitor in the near future.

Tags: Bryan Caraway TJ Dillashaw UFC UFC On FOX

Source: http://fansided.com/2015/07/25/bryan-caraway-compares-t-j-dillashaw-lieutenant-dan/

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Saturday, July 25, 2015

ESPN host Colin Cowherd off-air following on-air Dominican Republic comments

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ESPN has parted ways with radio host Colin Cowherd.

Radio host Colin Cowherd will no longer appear on ESPN following insensitive remarks he made about baseball players from Dominican Republic.

"Colin Cowherd"s comments over the past two days do not reflect the values of ESPN or our employees," ESPN said in a statement. "Colin will no longer appear on ESPN."

Cowherd, who it was announced earlier is leaving ESPN to join Fox Sports, had said while hosting his national radio show The Herd on Thursday he did not believe baseball was complex and that a third of the sport was from the Dominican Republic.

He added that the Caribbean nation had "not been known, in my lifetime, as having, you know, world-class academic abilities".

His remarks were condemned by Major League Baseball and Players Association as "offensive".

Cowherd had been discussing whether a general manager in baseball had the ability to step down from an executive position to take over managerial duties, following Dan Jennings" move in that direction with the Miami Marlins in May.

"It"s baseball," Cowherd said. "You don"t think a general manager can manage? Like it"s impossible? The game is too complex?

"I"ve never bought into that, "Baseball"s just too complex." Really? A third of the sport is from the Dominican Republic."

Cowherd"s comments sparked an immediate reaction with Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, a Dominican Republic native, tweeting: "Dear Mr. @ESPN_Colin before i rip you a new one i would like for you to explain what u meant to say about baseball and dominicans, please."

On Friday, Major League Baseball said in a statement that it "condemns the remarks made by Colin Cowherd, which were inappropriate, offensive and completely inconsistent with the values of our game".

MLB added: "Mr. Cowherd owes our players of Dominican origin, and Dominican people generally, an apology."

Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said: "As a veteran of 15 MLB seasons, I can assure you that our sport is infinitely more complex than some in the media would have you believe.

"To suggest otherwise is ignorant, and to make an ignorant point by denigrating the intelligence of our Dominican members was not "clunky" -- it was offensive."

Cowherd issued an apology via Twitter on Friday: "I did not intend to offend anyone with my comments. I realise my choice of words was poor and not reflective of who I am. I am sorry."

-Reuters

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/70543759/ESPN-host-Colin-Cowherd-off-air-following-on-air-Dominican-Republic-comments

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Amy Poehler: Wet Hot American Summer prequel is "the right amount of dirty and ...

We are fast approaching thehalfway markof summer, but for some people, the season of sun wont officially begin until July 31, when Netflix will release Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. Created by David Wain and Michael Showalter, the eight-episodeprequel to 2001s big-screen cult favorite Wet Hot American Summer welcomes backall of theoriginaladult cast membersyes, including Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Ruddand introduces a bevy ofnew characters played by famous folks like Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig and Jason Schwartzman. You can learn all about the return to Camp Firewood in the latest issue of EW, but right here, you can check out aQ&A with Poehler, who spoke to EW during our February visit to the WHAS: FDOC set. (While the movie was shot at Camp Towanda in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, the set was recreated at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu for the prequel.)Read on to see what the Parks and Recreation alum had to say about revisiting her Wet Hotrole of hard-edged thespian Susie, what to expect from Susie and Benin the coming season, and her interest in shootingeven more episodesdown the country road.

Its a little cold out there today. Did that remind you of the old days of shooting the movie?

Weve been in this cold warehouse and outside and it reminded me exactly of exactly when we shot [the movie in Pennsylvania], which was rainy and cold and we were all in shorts. The only difference was that then we were staying where we were shooting so you could actually go back to your bunk. There are so many different things about shooting now and then. One is that were all 15 years older. The other is that there were no cell phones when we shot the movie There was just one payphone and no one was on a laptop.

When people werent on their cell phones and laptops, what has been the vibe on set?

Its been really cool. Because the people that are shooting the series love the movie. It does have that vibe, that feeling of, Can we pull this off?, which I think can be important in comedy. Its so much better than it being this gigantic, luxurious, indulgent production. You can feel a scrappiness to it that was in the original film, which was good. And its just the right amount of dirty and weird.Its just been a lot of us laughing and talking about the past 15 years. Its very strange that you get to punctuate your life in that way, circle back around and be like, Look at these same people! Just like the shooting of the film, it feels really fun, and also no one is taking it too seriously, which is important. I mean, were saying ridiculous things.

Everyone talks about it feeling like a reunion.

Very class-reunion-y. Everyone is feeling super happy to be there. Everyone is lot older and little bit more relaxed. And everyone is a little less hungover. Maybe. I cant speak for everyone. [Theres] lot more sharing pictures of kids and dogs, a lot more of Where are we going to dinner? whereas 15 years ago, it was a lot of smoking and sneaking around and going into town to buy booze. And its really nice. Ive been lucky to work with David and Michael [Wain and Showalter, the shows creators] in various ways through the years, but I think that it was nice to be reminded: The legacy of that movie is in many ways the cast that was assembled, so it was nice to assemble them again.

What was it like to slipback into this character for the first time?

It was weird. The entire experience of Wet Hot from beginning to end almost feels like a bonus track. The fact that we got to do it, the fact that it was made, the fact that it was good, the fact that people continue to like it, and now were doing thist all feels like extra cool stuff. It was just really fun and silly to be back in the outfits When I turned the corner to the set and saw the replica, I was overwhelmed. I was like, Whoa. It was really cool. Really cool.

Michael Showalter said it took him a couple takes of a scene to get back into Coops skin. How about you?

I dont even know if Im even in it, to be honest with you. I dont think I gave the character of Susie much thought. [laughs]But when I was with Bradley today, it really came back. Today we were backstage, we had to dress up like raggedy Ann and Andy and do a dance routine and Bradley and I were just going over the steps. And it was like Oh, yeah, I remember this taking themselves really seriously and being really into the idea of American theater. Its really funny. Susie is a toughie. She just does not take s. There is a funny line we were shooting today where [a character] just screws up and she was like, We dont make mistakes here. Youre out! [laughs] That was fun. So I dont know if Im in the wig and the outfit help.

What did you and Bradley say when you first saweach other in costume today?

Whats been nice is Ive seen him over the past couple months and been like, Oh, Ill see you at Wet Hot. Honestly, Im just really excited everyone has made it back. Its so exciting and cool.We were in the trailer and we were just laughing and looking at old pictures of ourselves and Bradley was like, Dude, were hanging in there! Fifteen years later but were looking pretty good! And I was like, Thats true! Not bad. Things could be worse. Im wearing a wig, which I want a lot of people to know, because my hair is not as short or as blonde as it used to be. Theres a lot of men wearing wigs, but Im also wearing a wig. Honestly if given the chance, I will always go with wig.

I thought the feathered hair looked great.

Even though this takes places in the 80s, I feel like Susie is a little behind the times.

Did Bradley snap back into ittoo?

Yes, I have to say that Bradley seemed like he snapped right in. The man has excellent training. I saw his Broadway training at work. It was fun that we were makingjokes like, Heres how you do it on Broadway,and then I was like, Oh. Bradley actually is on Broadway. [laughs]He does know.

You were there for the cast live-readin 2012 at SF Sketchfest, whichwas the last time you were technically in the role. But what was it like to get a call from David saying that they were actually going to do moreWet Hot?Was it just, Sure, why not? Sounds fun!?

Totally. In between that time, David and Paul [Rudd]and I went and made a movie They Came Together. And during that time, David was like, I think were gonna do something with Wet Hot, and it was like, Oh my G*d That idea of getting everybody together again everybody was excited. I was certainly excited. And then when I heard it was for Netflix, I was like, Thats perfect. It was a perfect way to not only just logistically be able to get everybody, but alsofrom the point of view of being able to parcel it out in a way I dont think another feature would have been the way to go. And I think everybody is really excited to watch these episodes in a row, like how people watch television now.

So, what new sides of Susie will we see?

Were going to see that shes a sexual person. Maybe in the movie, you were like, Whats her deal? And then in the show, you realize, Ahh, shes not getting laid. And its bothering her. Shes like, Why doesnt my boyfriend like me? Her boyfriend, played by Bradley, is just not into it. And then enter Claude Dumet [a Broadway director played byJohn Slattery who comes to Camp Firewood to stage a staff musical]. Shes very impressed by his long list of credits.

If there isa season 2, wouldyou do it?

Oh, for sure. David and Michael and Netflix do it the way I like to do it, which is just fun and fast.

Related StoriesNetflixs first Wet Hot American Summer full trailer released Wet Hot American Summer: A first look at the Netflix prequelWet Hot American Summer creator David Wain says there could be more Netflix episodes

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/22/amy-poehler-wet-hot-american-summer-prequel

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Vine Star Carter Reynolds Attempts Statutory Rape in Video, Is Shamed By His ...

The popular Vine star, with over 4.3 million followers, appeared in a video that leaked online trying to pressure a visibly uncomfortable 16-year-old girl into having s*x with him.

I should have never have put the relationship out on social media, first of all, Carter Reynolds said to his YouNow audience back in December.

The popular Vine star, with over 4.3 million followers on the looping video site (and another 2.3 million on Twitter) was addressing rumors that were swirling about his relationship with fellow social media star Maggie Lindemann.

As he waited for more people to log in to see him make his announcement, he twisted his head from side to side, in a bored and arrogant gesture, eventually cracking it so hard he cried out. Bad stuff happens when you put your relationship out on social media, he continued, Especially when you like, uhhh, have a lot of followers.

Bad stuff indeed. On Monday night, a NSFW video, supposedly stolen from Reynoldss iCloud account, leaked of him pressuring Lindemann (who appears to be intoxicated) to have s*x, though she repeatedly says she doesnt want to.

The cringeworthy dialogue reads as follows:

Lindemann: This makes me so uncomfortable.Reynolds: Do it.Lindemann: Im really uncomfortable. She shuffles off to the side, drops her head down.Reynolds: Stop, stop. Just act like nothings there.Lindemann: Carter, thats a giant lie.Reynolds: [Laughs] Want me to turn the light off?Lindemann: I dont know if I can.Reynolds: Want me to turn the light off?Lindemann: I dont think I can.Reynolds: Oh my gosh, Maggie. Oh my gosh.

To make all of this worse, Reynolds is 19 and Lindeman is only 16, which in most states is below the age of consent. Reynolds lives in Los Angeles, where the age of consent is 18, meaning that if the act occurred in his home state, he was attempting statutory rape (namely, unlawful oral copulation and sexual intercourse with a minor).

Before Monday, the two teenagers had a fairly typical teen romance: boy teen star meets girl teen star, they date, they make cute videos, he allegedly sexts another girl, she gets angry, they get back together, they break up. Their Twitter followers and YouTube commentators watched all of this closely and intensely with the same fervor typically reserved for the Kardashians. But unlike that well-oiled family machine, which never seems to make a misstep, Reynolds has tarnished his reputation with this s*x scandal, which is a surprisingly familiar story for a lot of social media stars.

Reynolds reaction to the leak was a mixture of obvious panic and misguided attempts to remedy the situation. He started with denial (or at least, not explaining anything):

Then he went to stalling:

Making empty promises that he hoped would explain everything:

Not delivering on those promises:

Acting like hes the victim here:

To finally giving a lame excuse that explains nothing (because really, its quite straightforward), and that basically just reinforced the notion that Reynolds is totally unaware that a lot of likes on social media do not, in fact, make you a good person or give you permission to force a girl to have s*x with you, even if shes your girlfriend.

Though Reynolds was having a Twitter meltdown, he did receive his fair share of misguided support. The #WeLoveYouCarter went massively viral on Twitter Wednesday after Reynolds started it (he has since deleted his post begging for users to use the hashtag from his Twitter account):

But actually, the majority of the tweets with the hashtag seemed to be shocked and angry reactions that anyone could support him and that he would dare ask for such support.

On Wednesday night, Reynolds seemed to be in the depressed stage of his grief, tweeting out woe-is-me messages like:

The main source of his happiness, we can only assume, must be the adoration of his army of devoted Twitter followers, which even if it isnt totally lost, is irreparably damaged.

Perhaps hes finally learned that the hate he once expressed for his fans can go both ways.

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/24/vine-star-carter-reynolds-attempts-statutory-rape-in-video-is-shamed-by-his-own-twitter-hashtag.html

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Friday, July 24, 2015

Behind the Mic: Bill Simmons Lands at HBO; Colin Cowherd Headed From ESPN to ...

Behind the Mic: Bill Simmons Lands at HBO; Colin Cowherd Headed From ESPN to Fox

Bill Simmons has officially landed at HBO. The former ESPN personality and Grantland founding Editor will now call HBO his exclusive television home, including weekly television series set to debut in 2016 on HBO, HBO GO, and HBO NOW that will feature feature stories and guests from across the sports and cultural landscapes. Simmons will also have a production deal to produce content and assets for the network and its digital platforms, delivering video podcasts and features. In addition, Simmons will be consulting with HBO Sports, working closely with HBO Sports president Ken Hershman on non-boxing-related programming, including the development of shows and documentary films for the network.

According to SI.coms Richard Deitsch, Simmons HBO TV Deal does not cover his digital writing and he is likely to land another deal on that front. The sports columnist/TV host/NBA analyst/New York Times bestselling author/Emmy-Award-winning documentary film executive/podcaster previously served as an analyst on ESPNs NBA Countdown, founding editor Grantland.com, columnist of Sports Guy for the past 14 years for ESPN, executive producer of the 30 for 30 documentary series, and host of the podcast The B.S. Report, (the #1 sports podcast on iTunes last year). Simmons began writing for ESPN.com in 2001, and starting in 2002, was the lead columnist for ESPN The Magazine for seven years. He also served as a writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC from 2002 to 2004

In other ESPN departure news, Colin Cowherd will also be leaving the network and is set to join Fox Sports. Cowherd is likely to have a regular presence on Fox Sports 1 and has confirmed he will have a simultcast of SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He is also rumored to be the positioned to host Foxs new 11 a.m NFL show that will lead into the NFL Sunday pregame. (The Big Lead, Washington Post)

Longtime ESPN personalities and NFL studio show hosts Suzy Kolber and Trey Wingo have reached new long-term extensions to remain with the company. During the upcoming NFL season, both will expand their roles as part of their new deals.

Kolber, who joined ESPN in 1993, has been a sideline reporter on Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, as well as a studio host. This season, she becomes the new full-time host of ESPNs Monday Night Countdown pregame show. The past year and a half, Kolber covered a majority of the games as her close friend and colleague Stuart Scott courageously battled cancer. Kolber will travel to the site of each weeks MNF game where she will appear alongside Trent Dilfer, Ray Lewis and Steve Young. Kolber will continue to host weekday editions of ESPNs NFL Insiders, the daily pro football show featuring veteran reporters and league insiders, including Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen and Bill Polian. She will also continue to be part of ESPNs annual NFL Draft and Super Bowl week coverage.

Wingo, who joined ESPN in 1997, has been the face of NFL Live since it debuted in July 2003. He will continue to host the popular weekday afternoon news and information show, as well as the NFL PrimeTime highlights show on Mondays. A host on ESPNs annual NFL Draft telecast and Super Bowl week shows including conducting SportsCenters postgame interview with the Super Bowl MVP, Wingo will expand his role to include a new Sunday morning pregame show. This fall, ESPN is adding NFL Insiders: Sunday edition (10 a.m. ET) to its Sunday pro football lineup. Beginning September 13, Wingo will host the new one-hour show alongside Schefter, Mortensen and NFL Front Office Insider Louis Riddick. The program will have all the latest information on NFL game days and will lead into Sunday NFL Countdown

Analyst Joel Klatt joins play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson to become FOX Sports lead college football broadcast team this season. Klatt takes over for Charles Davis, who moves to the NFL on FOX. A standout quarterback who set 44 school records at Colorado from 2002 to 2005, Klatt teams with Johnson, who has served as FOX Sports lead college football play-by-play voice since joining the network in 2001, and sideline reporter Molly McGrath. Klatt has with FOX Sports since 2007 when he worked as a studio host for FOX Sports Southwests college football coverage. In 2009, he was assigned a package of games for FOX Sports Net, and in 2013, coinciding with the launch of FOX Sports 1, he moved to the national stage as a studio and game analyst for the network. Klatt has called Thursday and Friday college football games on FOX Sports 1 and worked in studio for college football pregame, halftime and postgame shows on FOX Sports 1 and FOX broadcast network. He has also covered the NFL, serving as the host of FOX Sports 1s FOX NFL KICKOFF. Additionally, Klatt has enhanced his presence as a respected NFL Draft analyst and has been a regular contributor to FOX Sports 1s flagship studio news programs AMERICAS PREGAME and FOX SPORTS LIVE.

Having made his debut as a broadcaster in the booth for college football and NFL on FOX in 2014, former two-time Notre Dame All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist Brady Quinn, who set 36 school records while under center for the Fighting Irish, receives a full slate of college assignments this season and moves to the NFL booth once the collegiate season is complete. During the 2015 college season, Quinn teams with play by play announcer Joe Davis and sideline reporter Kris Budden.

Also returning to call games for FOX Sports this season is veteran college football and college basketball play-by-play broadcaster Tim Brando, who joined the network prior to the 2014 campaign.

Taking over for Klatt at the studio desk is Matt Leinart, a two-time All-American, national champion and Heisman Trophy winner (2004) at USC. Leinart becomes a permanent fixture on the FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME, halftime and postgame shows, joining former NCAA and NFL head coach Dave Wannstedt and host Rob Stone in the studio. Leinart made his debut with FOX Sports in 2014, serving as an analyst on the Friday night college football preview show, FOX SPORTS LIVE: COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF.

College football insiders Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel and Clay Travis, analyst Petros Papadakis and rules expert Mike Pereira will also contribute to FOX Sports college football coverage

Host Rece Davis joining ESPN College GameDay this fall (replacing longtime hos Crhis Fowler) sets in motion several changes to ESPNs college football studio coverage this fall with new roles for hosts Adnan Virk and Chris Cotter, as well as analysts Joey Galloway, Danny Kanell and Mark May. On College GameDay, Davis will be joined by familiar faces in analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack, as well as contributors Samantha Ponder, Tom Rinaldi and Gene Wojciechowski each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN.

The ABC and ESPN studios will also see changes for 2015. John Saunders will continue to anchor Saturdays ABC studio coverage, along with second-year analyst Mack Brown and 10-year ESPN analyst Mark May, who will make the switch from ESPNs studio. ESPNs new studio trio features host Adnan Virk with analysts Joey Galloway and Danny Kanell, who will handle pre-game, halftime and post-game reporting on Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the season.

Analysts Butch Davis and Robert Smith will again team up to add to ESPN2s Saturday studio coverage with new host Chris Cotter. SEC Nation host and veteran play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore will return to Bristol, Conn., each Saturday night to host College Football Final Presented by AT&T following the conclusion of the days games. ESPNUs studio shows from Charlotte will be hosted by Matt Schick and Brendan Fitzgerald, along with analysts Charles Arbuckle and Kevin Carter

ESPN New York 98.7FM has signed veteran New York City broadcaster Michael Kay to a three-year contract extension that will keep the longtime radio voice with the station through 2018. The successful team of Kay, host of The Michael Kay Show, and partner Don LaGreca has been an afternoon drive mainstay in New York since 2002. The Michael Kay Show will continue to be simulcast on the YES Network, as it has been since February 2014

Premier Boxing Champions returns in primetime this Saturday, July 25 at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN, at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., as Kenny Albert makes his network TV boxing debut as blow-by-blow announcer, joined by analysts Sugar Ray Leonard and Steve Cunningham, with Kenny Rice reporting from ring-side

Three-time Super Bowl Champion and ESPN Analyst Mark Schlereth has launched his own podcast entitled The Stinkin Truth on PodcastOne. The weekly show will have his thoughts on the NFL, sports in general, and more (Radio Ink)

SiriusXM and Pro Football Focus have teamed up to create a new daily show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. Hosted by Pro Football Focus Fantasy Director and Managing Editor Mike Clay, Pro Football Focus on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio debuts this week and will air every weekday from 10:00 to 11:00 am ET on satellite radios (XM channel 87, Sirius channel 210) on the SiriusXM app and online at SiriusXM.com. The show will feature regular contributions from former Pro Bowl wide receiver, Emmy award-winning broadcaster and Pro Football Focus analyst Cris Collinsworth, as well as other experts from the PFF staff.

Source: http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2015/07/behind-the-mic-bill-simmons-lands-at-hbo-colin-cowherd-headed-from-espn-to-fox/

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Allen West Demands That Obama Issue an Executive Order Ending Gun-Free Zones ...

Following the murder of four unarmed Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday, Lt. Col. Allen West called on President Obama toimmediately issue an executive orderending gun-free zones at U.S. military sites.

During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Friday,West was adamant:

The battlefield is here. And its just a simple act of leadership, a change in policy to enable [military personnel] to be able to defend themselves.

He is the commander-in-chief, and how many more of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines have to lose their lives here in the United States of America, the place where theyre supposed to be able to have respite away from a combat zone, before he takes action?

Hecited past shootings at military facilities, including the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, during which Army Maj. Nidal Hasan shot and killed 13 unarmed people and wounded 32 others.

Twitter responded to the gun-free-zone controversy as wellincluding Townhalls Katie Pavlich and The Blazes Dana Loesch:

The gun-free zone policy dates back to a 1992Defense (DoD) Directive which was reissued in 2011. It says, in part:

The authorization to carry firearms shall be issued only to qualified personnel when there is a reasonable expectation that life or DoD assets will be jeopardized if firearms are not carried.

Clearly, the time to realize the reasonable expectation that members of our military arenow in jeopardy has arrived, and provideour brave men and women with the capability to defend themselves.

PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0ibWlkX2FydGljbGUgIiBpZD0ibWdhLWFkLWNvbnRlbnRfbWlkX2FydGljbGUiICBkYXRhLXBvc2l0aW9uPSIxIiA+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0icHVibmF0aW9uIiBkYXRhLXRhcmdldD0idGJ4MDEiIHN0eWxlPSJ2aXNpYmlsaXR5OiBoaWRkZW47Ij5yZXBvcnQgdGhpcyBhZDwvZGl2Pgo8IS0tIFRhYm9vbGFYIE5lZWRzIFRoaXMgSGVyZSAtLT4KPC9kaXY+

Source: http://www.ijreview.com/2015/07/370760-allen-west-demands-that-obama-issue-an-executive-order-ending-gun-free-zones-at-u-s-military-sites/

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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Action Bronson Apologizes to Ghostface After Fierce Video Diss

Radio.com Staff

The war is on.

Many wondered whether legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah would respond to the comments of rapper Action Bronson, who appeared on ESPNs SportsNationand dissedthe rapper early last week.

Bronson, who many say sounds similar to Ghostface, said he was honored to be compared to a legend like Ghostface. But, right after that comment, he said something that many interpreted as a diss after SportsNation host Max Kellerman called Ghost one of his personal favorites.

[Ghostface] isnt rapping like this no more.

Related:Action Bronson Threw a Fan Off Stage Again, and It Was Hilarious

It took a week and a half but Ghostfaces response is herein video form and with a Teddy Pendergrass song playing in the background.

While we can describe the video to a tee, we will let you enjoy it for yourself. You must be warned, it is definitely not suitable for work so put your headphones on.

Check out the video here.

Update: Action Bronson just went on Twitter and apologized.

Source: http://radio.com/2015/07/20/ghostface-killah-disses-action-bronson/

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Breaking Down How the James Harden-Ty Lawson Pairing Will Work for Houston ...

Ty Lawson is heading to the Houston Rockets, and James Harden has to be happy with it.

The pairing of Lawson and Harden should push the Rockets back up to contender status, keeping up with the changes made by the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs.

The Rockets acquired Lawson for almost nothing, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: Houston will send Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson and a lottery-protected 2016 first-round draft pick to Denver, sources said. Along with Lawson, the Nuggets will send a 2017 second-round pick to Houston.

Allow me to go first-person on this for a moment. I have been on record as saying it was unrealistic for the Rockets to get Lawson. Clearly, I was wrong. Ill own that. Feel free to mock and ridicule me in the comments section.

Houston Is a Fit for Lawson

Lets address the elephant in the room: Lawsons value fell after being arrested for a second DUI in less than a year. He is currently in an alcohol treatment program, and hopefully that will take, not just for the Rockets sake, but for Lawsons.

There are a few reasons Houston is a perfect destination from Lawsons end of things.

John Lucas, who has done tremendous work as a life coach, has a rehab center in Houston and a history of working with star athletes. He can help Lawson. Marc Stein of ESPN reported that Houston is already working on making that happen:

Houston also has a history of protecting its players. When Dwight Howard came to Space City amid a cloud of criticism regarding his departure from Los Angeles, the team and fans were quick to defend him. When the James Harden defense video went viral, Morey had his back. When Josh Smith got dumped by the Detroit Pistons last December, the Rockets helped him resurrect his career.

And according to Happy Walters, Lawsons agent, via Calvin Watkins of ESPN, theres a good relationship already between Lawson and some of Houstons core players:

Yeah, theyre tight, Walters told ESPN of the relationship between Lawson and (James) Harden. He played with Corey [Brewer] in Denver. They know each other well. He knows Dwight [Howard] -- hes our client, Corey is our client. Ty has been in this league, and he knows what"s up, and hes taking care of himself.

Everything here is predicated on Lawsons ability to bounce back from his off-court issues. Just in case things dont work out, though, according to Grantlands Zach Lowe, Lawson agreed to allow the Rockets to have a team option on the final year of his contract as a condition of his trade:

At worst, the Rockets gave up some players who arent in the rotation. At best, they got a player who can land them in the Finals with a very realistic chance of a title. That risk-reward scenario is easy math.

He Fits a Need

Patrick Beverley was last years starter, and while hes an unrelenting defender and decent spot-up shooter, hes not up to snuff as a shot-creator, either for himself or others. He averaged 3.4 assists per game and, according to Basketball-Reference.com, only 1.3 unassisted field goals.

When last season ended, Watkins reported on James Hardens desire for the offseason:

Harden said he has plans to speak with general manager Daryl Morey about either getting a point guard in free agency or using the ones currently on the roster to help with the ballhandling.

Yeah, definitely, thats one of the conversations that me and Daryl are going to have, and the coaches, is one of the pieces we need to have, Harden said. Thats a later conversation, but well be all right. Were very confident in the group that we have and this summer we got to work hard and be ready for next year.

And Ty Lawson fits that bill better than Harden could have possibly hoped.

Look at the top playmakers, consisting of points and points generated by assist (from each players profile page at Basektball-Reference.com). These are the top 10 point producers from last season:

Harden was first, and Lawson was seventh. Since there is only one ball to go around, both players are likely to see some decline in their overall numbers this year. But both of them should also see an increase in their scoring efficiency, as the other will help prevent double-teams.

The Rockets were in major need of another shot-creator. Lawson is one of the 10 best in the league. That certainly fills the need.

He Fits the System

Lawson doesnt just fit the need in Space City; he fits the system extremely well.

Thats mainly because hes a driving point guard. In fact, according to NBA.com, among players with at least 30 games, Harden led the league with 14.3 team points per game off drives, and Lawson was second with 13.9.

Lawson doesnt rely on speed and athleticism to get into the paint but uses craftiness, subtle changes of speed and excellent ball-handling skills to shift past defenders. And while he has a little more of a tendency to take mid-range shots than Houston likes, hes very effective near the rim, as illustrated by his heat map from NBASavant.com:

Whats more important to Houston, though, is where he passes the ball. His real strength is that when he gets penetration, most of his assists either go to the roll man inside the restricted area or kick-outs to three-point shooters.

A look at his assist chart shows just how well he fits in with Morey Ball, which emphasizes those areas:

The Nuggets effective field-goal percentage off Lawsons passes wasnt fantastic, but that has a lot to do with his not having shooters to pass to. In fact, he led the NBA in assist opportunities per game, meaning no one set the table more than he did; his teammates just couldnt clean their plates.

His passing did produce more efficient results, though. Based on its assist dashboard at NBA.com, Denver shot an effective field-goal percentage of 49.5 percent when Lawson passed the ball and 47.6 percent when someone else did. By comparison, Houstons effective field-goal percentage off passes last season was 51.5 percent.

And while Harden had the ball in his hands most of the time for Houston, dont confuse that with not being able to play off the ball. His effective field-goal percentage on catch-and-shoots was 59.6. Trevor Arizas was 54.1 percent.

As the roll man in the pick-and-roll, Dwight Howard scored 1.35 points per play, good for the 95th percentile. Terrence Jones was even better with 1.43 (99th percentile).

Where the Houston starters like to catch the ball and where Lawson prefers to pass it make a perfect fit.

He Fits with Harden

The fit with Harden and Lawson is impressive. Coach Nick from BBallBreakdown showed several ways the two can work together:

While Lawsons uptempo style fits in well with the Rockets emphasis on transition points, it is his half-court abilities where theyll see the most benefit. Lawson has a tremendous basketball IQ and almost always makes the right reads.

Ditto with Harden. Having two intelligent basketball players who can penetrate and are willing passers is gold in the NBA.

Lawsons ability to feed the ball to his bigs in traffic is amazing. Its easy to see him doing this with Donatas Motiejunas, Jones or Howard:

His ability to do that will create opportunities for perimeter players.

Witness this play:

Now imagine this is Harden catching the ball here:

How often do you see him having that much space to operate? He could either take the shot or drive the lane. The reverse situation can work, with Harden breaking down the lane and then Lawson getting all kinds of room to operate.

Lowe made that argument:

Sure, Lawson needs the ball, but that doesnt mean hes ineffective in a secondary role. h**l touch it plenty; Harden sucks entire defenses toward him as he dribbles up high on the pick-and-roll, and if he spots Lawsons defender tiptoeing into the paint, Harden can whip the ball to his new teammate. Give Lawson a head start like that, and youre toast. Diversity is healthy, anyway. Houston badly needs a secondary creator so that Harden can play fewer minutes and do less heavy lifting when hes on the floor. He can be a capable spot-up shooter, too.

Lawson and Harden are dangerous enough breaking down opponents by themselves. Giving them opportunities for secondary drives on already collapsing defenses should be exponentially lethal.

Even when Harden isnt on the court, its great for Harden. Last season, the Rockets offense scored 14 fewer points per 100 possessions when he wasnt on the court. Whether Lawson ultimately starts or comes off the bench, the rotation can be staggered so that one of them is almost always playing. Harden can actually rest when he rests.

***

I dont want to suggest that there are no potential kinks. Lawson is a diminutive player, which will have consequences on defense, particularly since the Rockets like to switch. Lawson is going to struggle to guard anyone who isnt a point guard.

And there is this risk with his off-court issues and the possibility it might not work out.

But the overall potential of this deal to work out well, the explosiveness of the new backcourt and the incredibly low price that Morey paid are easily worth the risk.

Stats for this article were obtained from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com and NBASavant.com.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2528035-breaking-down-how-the-james-harden-ty-lawson-pairing-will-work-for-houston

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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Jimmy Fallon and Adam Sandler flip flips on Tonight Show | EW.com

It was a battle of the lips and SNL alums when Adam Sandler stopped by The Tonight Show to promote his new movie, Pixels. Bored with Jimmy Fallons interview, Sandler decided to flip the tables and interview the host himself by participating in a fungame of Lip Flip.

While Fallon tried to help Sandler promote his film, the comedian managed to get in a jab about Fallons injured handin a way that wasnt entirely safe for work.Thats what I get for tryingit with my left hand, Sandler joked, causing Fallon to crack up.

Sandlercontinuedto roastFallon, mocking his hospital stay and talking about his sponge bath, before launching into a rendition of Willie Nelsons All The Girls Ive Loved Before which Fallon gamely joined in to duet on.

Related Stories Jimmy Fallon almost lost his finger because he tripped over a braided rug Amy Schumer has a condescending, slightly tipsy interview with Jimmy Fallon

Source: http://www.ew.com/2015/07/21/jimmy-fallon-adam-sandler-lip-flip

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Ex-NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal now working at hair salon, still says she"s ...

Rachel Dolezal is back in the news weeks after stepping down as head of Spokane, Washington"s NAACP chapter.

The 37-year-old "transracial" woman, who was outed by her white parents after years of insisting she is black, told Vanity Fair magazine she still sees herself as black.

"It"s not a costume," she told the publication. "It"s not something that I can put on and take off anymore. Like I said, I"ve had my years of confusion and wondering who I really (was) and why and how do I live my life and make sense of it all, but I"m not confused about that any longer. I think the world might be -- but I"m not."

Dolezal"s parents told a local newspaper in June that she was born white, prompting local criticism over her involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. When she said in a TV interview that she identifies as black, the clip went viral and she resigned over growing backlash as it reportedly emerged she once tried to sue the historically black Howard University for discrimination because she was white.

She also lost her job at Eastern Washington University. According to the New York Post, she worked as an adjunct at the college and once taught a course on the politics of black hair.

Dolezal is now working in a hair salon just to make ends meet, braiding and weaving hair for black women. She takes appointments three times a week, but her income has taken a hit.

"My last paycheck was like $1,800 in June," she told Vanity Fair. "[I lost] friends and the jobs and the work and oh, my G*d so much at the same time."

CNN reports Dolezal next plans to write a book about her experiences with identity, "as opposed to having to continue explaining." She hopes it will help her get back involved with her previous career in the "racial social-justice movement."

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2015/07/rachel_dolezal_hair_salon_naacp_black.html

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WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 7/20/2015: WWE Battleground 2015 Edition

WWE Battleground 2015 is in the books, and the WWE Superstar Power Rankings have seen some significant changes. One major change is the fact that there"s a new No. 1, and it may not be who you expect (or it could be obvious; who knows...).

Even setting aside Battleground, it was a big week in WWE. The Divas division got a major infusion of talent from NXT, as NXT Women"s Champion Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte all debuted on the main roster.

Also, intercontinental champion Ryback was temporarily sidelined with a staph infection. That means his match at Battleground, in which he was set to defend his championship against both The Miz and Big Show, was cancelled. In its place, a Divas Triple Threat match took place that saw Charlotte defeat Brie Bella and Sasha Banks.

Anyway, we"ll get into this past week"s action, including Battleground, in more detail throughout the following slides. But beforehand,please read how these rankings are determined.

These rankings are not a popularity contest and are not designed to determine who has the best matches or the most ability. These rankings are strictlyin-storylinepower rankings.

All activeSuperstars and Divas on the WWE roster are considered, excluding talents who primarily or exclusively perform in NXT.Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, but any NXT Superstar deemed eligible for these rankings will remain on the Watch List until officially named as a part of the WWE main roster.

Holding a championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding a Money in the Bank briefcase counts for much of a wrestler"s ranking, andthese honors are therefore the most heavily weighed components in the rankings.

If a wrestler is deemed to be tied with another, holding a title will be the primary tiebreaker. However, holdinga championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding the Money in the Bank briefcase in no way guarantees a spot in the top 10.

Wins and losses account for the bulk of the week-to-week movementand, after championships, are the most important components of the rankings.The quality and rank of a wrestler"s opponents are considered in the week-to-week movement.

Getting the better of someonesuch as beating someone downalso counts, though not nearly as much as wins and losses.Being over with the fans(i.e., getting a strong reaction) is not heavily weighted in the ranking decisions; it is effectively the last tiebreaker.Pay-per-view wins and losses take on added importance.

Only the top 10 wrestlers are ranked. Wrestlers on the Watch List were considered for top-10 status but were ultimately nixed. They are unranked, and their listing is in no particular order.

Generally speaking,these rankingsdo not break kayfabe.However, any major non-storyline informationserious injury, WWE Wellness Policy violations, suspensions, legitimate hirings, firings, contract information and "sabbaticals"may be taken into consideration, but generally only if WWE confirms or addresses it publicly.

WWE"s non-televised domestic and internationallive events arenot includedin these rankingsunless WWE incorporates them into television storylines or acknowledges them on WWE television. Also, nothing that could be explicitly considered a spoiler is included unless WWE acknowledges it as well.

In short, all WWE main-roster showstelevised or digitally distributed, as well as anything from WWE.com, the WWE App, the WWE Network and any WWE or Superstar accounts on social media that don"t break kayfabemay be taken into consideration.

These may include but are not limited toWWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, WWE Main Event, WWE Superstars, NXT, WWE pay-per-views and any storyline-driven content from the WWE Network.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2526526-wwe-superstar-power-rankings-for-7202015-wwe-battleground-2015-edition

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Jordan Spieth sat through Open playoff and was 1st to congratulate Zach Johnson

Instead of getting the h**l out of St. Andrews, Jordan Spieth waits through the British Open playoff and is there to greet Zach Johnson as he walks off the 18th green.

Jordan Spieth won the first two majors of the year and missed going to a playoff in the third by inches. A win would have put him in the company of Ben Hogan, the last golfer to win these first three legs of a Grand Slam in a single season in 1953.

You might think Spieth would be furious, incredulous, depressed and not sit around the extra hour or so and wait for the three-man four-hole playoff to finish. But he, and his caddie Michael Greller, were among the first people not in the actual playoff on the 18th green to greet winner Zach Johnson.

After the round, he called Johnson a role model.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2015/7/20/9006405/jordan-spieth-congratulates-zach-johnson-british-open

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Monday, July 20, 2015

Early Odds to Win the 2015 PGA Championship Post-British Open Edition ...

Chris Tilley/Associated Press

Odds to win: 33-1

Bubba Watson was never in contention on Monday at St Andrews. In fact, thanks to opening rounds of 71 and 76, he didnt even make the cut.

Those rounds come off as an anomaly, though, when you expand your lens to look at Watsons season as a whole. This year, he has earned three top-five finishes, including a playoff victory at the Travelers Championship, a tie for second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a third-place finish at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Understandable skepticism comes into play, though, when you focus on his major results this year: a T-38 at the Masters followed by two missed cuts. Theres not a lot of confidence to be found in that record.

Historically, Watson hasnt fared badly at the PGA Championshiphe even came in second in 2010but his proponents will be leaning heavily on his 2012 and 2014 Masters victories as supporting evidence for favorable odds at Whistling Straits.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2527086-early-odds-to-win-the-2015-pga-championship-post-british-open-edition

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