Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Engagement Rumors: Usher And Girlfriend Finally Tying The Knot Soon? Grace ...



(Photo : Usher Instagram/Facebook)

Is Usherplanning to stand at the end of the aisle again soon? According to Hip Hollywood, the singer and his longtime girlfriend, Grace Miguel,were spotted out in Miami earlier this week, where it appeared Miguel had an engagement ring on her finger.

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The site reveals that the couple was getting a little tan while leaving the Edition Hotel in Miami to take a nice walk through Miami. In the photos obtained by Hip Hollywood, Usher and Miguel were wearing all black, which made the ring on her finger more noticeable. CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS Usher hasn'tconfirmed if he is getting married again, but the singer didn'tdeny that he is happy. In an interview earlier this year, the singer described his relationship with Grace as "incredible." Usher said, "I have an incredible partner and manager. She has helped me through some of the hardest times in my life and my career. She's someone who has been able to support and understand all of who I am. Not just as a dancer or as a performer or as a singer, but as a humanitarian and a businessman and as a person. One thing that has come from having a great partner like Grace is being able to cherish the places that I've gone." He adds, "We see the monumental sites, go to the museums, eat in the best restaurants. I'm that guy now! In the past I'd do what I have to do and get on the bus to the next city. Life has become a vacation." Back in September, Bossip reportedthat the pair could've already tied the knot. The gossip site claims that Usher talked highly about getting married again, and may have secretly said "I Do" once again. "I've been even more excited about the idea of it," Usher admitted. "It could be the fact that I've spent the last year at everybody's d**n wedding, like I've become d**n near the wedding singer, know what I mean?" Usher, who was married to celebrity stylist and Atlanta Exesstar Tameka Raymond,once said that marrying her was the best "mistake," he ever made. "Most people probably think I regret it because I ended up getting divorced, but it helped me learn that sometimes I think I know more than I actually do," the 35-year-old said. One thing the ex-husband and wife may regret is their rumored s*x tape that has been trying to be produced on a adult film market. When Tameka was asked if there was a s*x tape out thereduring her appearance on The Reallast week, Usher's ex said, "I don't really know how or why or if that's possible." Meanwhile, Usher seems to not be worried about a tape, he's focusing on his tour, which ended it's last concert in America before heading to Europe in the new year.

2014 Mstars News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://www.mstarz.com/articles/44462/20141217/engagement-rumors-usher-and-girlfriend-finally-tying-the-knot-soon-grace-miguel-spotted-with-ring-on-her-wedding-finger-details.htm



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Jeremy Renner's Wife Sonni Pacheco Files For Divorce After 10 Months Of ...



Jeremy Renner speaks during AOL's BUILD Series Presents: Jeremy Renner and Michael Cuesta 'Kill The Messenger' at AOL Studios on October 10, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Desiree Navarro/WireImage) | Desiree Navarro via Getty Images

Jeremy Renner and his wife are headed for divorce after just 10 months of marriage.

TMZ was the first to report that Renner's wife, Sonni Pacheco, filed for divorce earlier this month.

According to documents obtained by E! News, Renner and Pacheo separated on Nov. 29 after marrying in January. She cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce and wants Renner to "immediately return (her) stolen passport, birth certificate, social security card and be restrained from making further efforts to conceal same."

She also wants their prenuptial agreement to be invalidated on the basis of "fraud" and is seeking physical custody of their 21-month-old daughter, Ava.

The 43-year-old wed the Canadian model and actress, who is 20 years his junior, in a secret ceremony. He confirmed their marriage in a September interview with Capitol File.

"I have tried to protect my family's privacy, my wife's privacy. I don't need her to get hammered with my life," he said at the time. "Privacy issues are important because I want her to go about her day without being bothered."

A rep for Renner was not immediately available for further comment.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/30/jeremy-renner-divorce_n_6396762.html



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Future Burns Bright For Clemson Football and Deshaun Watson



Future Burns Bright For Clemson Football and Deshaun Watson | RantSports

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In a truncated season, Deshaun Watson put up noticeable numbers. The Clemson Tigers freshman quarterback completed 68 percent of his passes, tossed 14 touchdowns against two interceptions and maintained an interstellar quarterback rating of 188.6. Thats a spectacular start for the once highly-touted recruit.

Watson wears the retired number of former Tigers great Steve Fuller, but upon Watsons arrival to Clemson, Fuller permitted the quarterback to use his archival No. 4. Its apparent that Steve Fuller understands talent thats as rare now as his was then.

A Watson-less 40-6 stomping of the Oklahoma Sooners in the Russell Athletic Bowl isnt the only indicator that points to promise for the Tigers. Just as Dabo Sweeney landed the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in 2013 (Watson, according to ESPN.com), hes continued to road-warrior his way into building this years No. 4 recruiting class, having already secured the No. 2 ranked offensive tackle in the country, Mitch Hyatt.

Not only is Clemson playing it tough on the recruiting trail, the Tigers are also scrapping together a perennially competitive schedule, a slate that featured the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens and the South Carolina Gamecocks as non-conference matchups in 2014. The Tigers conference draw also included the Louisville Cardinals, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Florida State Seminoles, all experiences Watson and company will draw from when they play guaranteed competitors South Carolina and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2015.

Now just before we look ahead to 2015 for good, lets glance at 2014 one more time. Clemsons leading rusher, Wayne Gallman, is also a freshman. Clemsons leading receiver by yards, Mike Williams, is just a sophomore, and the Tigers leading pass-catcher, Artavis Scott, is a freshman as well. The idea of those three continuing to improve and perform in 2015 is as scary as it is exciting.

Clemsons future is as bright as their hue of orange, and this is good not only for the Tigers, but also for the ACC. With the Big Ten adding Jim Harbaugh into the college football bloodstream, the ACC needs to maintain their edge and continue to build their reputation within the Power 5. Gaining rapport begins with the heavyweights performing well. Clemson impressed against Oklahoma, but now the Tigers leap truly begins starting with Watsons rehab, and hopefully ending in next years College Football Playoff.

Jerry Landryis a writerfor RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter@Jerry2Landry,Likehim on Facebookor add him to your network onGoogle.

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Source: http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-football/2014/12/30/future-burns-bright-for-clemson-football-and-deshaun-watson/



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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Shutdown corner: Alexander backs up his pregame talk and dominates



ORLANDO, FL Clemsons football players took in the full Orlando experience this week, making trips to Disney World and Sea World and taking advantage of the rewards of a bowl trip.

Dont look for MacKensie AlexanderMacKensie AlexanderRS Fr. Cornerback#2 5-11, 190Immokalee, FLView Full Profile in any pictures of their trips, however. Alexander stayed in his hotel room and watched film of Oklahoma, Clemsons opponent in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Alexander put that film work to good use, shutting down speedy Sooner receiver Sterling Shepard, who caught just one pass for a paltry 13 yards. Shepards bad night started in pre-game warmups when he got in Alexanders face to let the talented freshman corner know that he could expect a long night.

Alexander was having none of it and got the last laugh.

My thing is that their receiver number three - I'm not going to pronounce his name, but he came in talking trash before warmups, Alexander told TigerNet after the game. I don't care what ESPN says about you or what the draft people say about you. When you step on the field against me, it's a one on one matchup and I'm going to always win my matchup. I love competition. I enjoy being one on one. If you can beat me one on one, beat me consistently. Show me. Don't be in or be out. As you can see number three did nothing tonight. I don't know what ESPN says or if you're the best, that doesn't matter. He has to show up on game day.

Alexander said that staying late and working overtime are things he learned from his parents. He also said he is going to keep working.

My parents, it's a trait they passed on to me and I'm just doing the same thing they always did which is prepare myself to the best of my ability, he said. I want everybody to know that I'm a hard worker. It's not just talent that's the reason I got here. I've got to work on all aspects of my game. I had a pretty good year this year but I've just got to keep working on everything. You can always get better. I'm never satisfied.

So how does he spend his free time?

I'm watching film. Most people think that's crazy but I look at it like a guy like Peyton Manning, Alexander said. When you see him he's always watching film and he's always into football. It's almost like a life. I have a life outside of football but I put a lot of time into football. It's important to me. I really enjoy the sport and I love what I do. Being a corner, I love my job.

Alexander and the Clemson defense turned the passion into a dominating win over the Sooners, and he said he enjoyed every second he was on the field.

It was good. We were fired up, Alexander said. I looked up and we were up 30 something points and he [Brent Venables] is still pressing on us to keep it going because Oklahoma is traditionally a great team. We knew they could come back and win and we just kept choking them out.

Alexander arrived at Clemson with high expectations but sat out last season after injuries derailed his season in August. However, he said he learned from the experience.

To be honest, it wasn't as big for me. I felt like I was the best corner in the country when I got to Clemson and I still feel the same way now, he said. I know I'm the best corner in the country and there's no doubt. For me, it was ok. I just had to sit and wait. It was a process that I had manage myself. I couldn't walk and I couldn't run and play. I had to be patient. For the coaches you hate that because they knew they had a guy that could help them immediately and I couldn't do that. It was a frustrating situation at the time.

Alexander says he still has plenty to accomplish as a Tiger, but one thing he wants to see happen is for Clemson to be known as DB U.

DB U. You hear a lot of kids talk about DB's and all of that kind of stuff but for me it's about the action and showing it what you can do in the secondary week by week - putting the numbers up, shutting guys down and doing things the right way, he said. I think we do a great job of doing those things. As long as I'm here I'm going to continue to keep that process going and helping the guys understand what the secondary means. I take a lot of pride in that. If a guy catches a ball, I'm mad but I'm still in the game and I'm still playing. I move on really quick. I don't let anything bother me at all.

Source: http://www.tigernet.com/story/football/Shutdown-corner-Alexander-backs-pregame-talk-dominates-13403



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Gallery: Michigan football introduces Jim Harbaugh as football coach



Michigan has its man. The Wolverines introduced Jim Harbaugh, the schools former quarterback, as the 20th head football coach in program history.

Check out our USA Today Sports gallery below.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh smiles at his wife Sarah Harbaugh as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Camera video tapes Jim Harbaugh as he speaks to the media after he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh is seen with his son Jack after he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh shakes hands with Michigan Wolverines interim athletic director Jim Hackett as he is introduced as the new head football coach at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jack and Jackie Harbaugh smiles as their son Jim Harbaugh (not pictured) is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center.

Find out more about: Jim Harbaugh

Source: http://btn.com/2014/12/30/gallery-michigan-football-introduces-jim-harbaugh-as-football-coach/



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Chris Rock seeking joint custody of daughters



Chris Rock with wife Malaak Compton-Rock. (Reuters files)

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Comedian Chris Rock is seeking joint legal and physical custody of his two daughters with his estranged wife after accusing his ex of limiting his visitation following their recent split.

The Grown Ups star filed for divorce to end his marriage to Malaak Compton-Rock in a New Jersey court last week, two days before Christmas.

The split news only became public on Sunday, when Rock's attorney, Robert S. Cohen, confirmed the reports, and now it's been revealed the actor is already fighting with Malaak over access to their kids, 12-year-old Lola and 10-year-old Zahra.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ.com, Rock claims Malaak has been preventing him from seeing their girls on a regular basis, prompting him to request joint custody.

The papers go on to reveal the couple began sorting through the division of property in November as it prepared to formally end its marriage, while Rock also admitted a prenuptial agreement signed before their November, 1996 union had expired as they had been together for just over 18 years.

However, Rock notes his ex has the "ability to work and contribute to her own support", suggesting he is seeking reduced spousal support payments.

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2014/12/29/chris-rock-seeking-joint-custody-of-daughters



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Aaron Rodgers' return saved the Packers



GREEN BAY, Wis. -- As Aaron Rodgers limped across the locker room Sunday evening, tape still wrapped around his injured left calf, receiver Randall Cobb stopped him.

He threw his arms around the Green Bay Packers quarterback.

"You're unbelievable, man," Cobb told him. "Unbelievable."

The two remained locked in an embrace.

"Keep doing your thing," Cobb said.

Few among the 78,408 at Lambeau Field thought that would even be possible after they saw Rodgers ride shotgun on a cart to the locker room late in the second quarter of Sunday's 30-20 victory over the Detroit Lions -- a win that gave the Packers (12-4) the NFC North title for the fourth straight year, the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and a much-needed first-round bye.

A week after Rodgers first pulled his left calf muscle, he did it again, only much worse this time. The previous Sunday at Tampa Bay, he didn't miss a single snap. On this Sunday, however, he missed the Packers' final possession of the first half and first one of the second half. During that time, the Packers saw their 14-0 lead evaporate.

Rodgers' calf seized up as he scrambled to his right, yet he still managed to fling a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cobb with 2:24 left in the second quarter. When he needed help to get up after that play, the stadium went silent.

"I didn't know if he could come back from that," right tackle Bryan Bulaga said. "It looked pretty bad, like he got shot how he went down on that touchdown pass."

No one saw Rodgers at halftime. He was with team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie and the training staff, who applied heat and then tape. Rodgers said he did not take any painkillers.

"I was worried about the severity of the injury and my ability to walk off the field at that point," Rodgers said. "But once I got back in the locker room, I was actually watching the game on TV with some heat on my calf thinking if I could finagle myself to go back in."

With the third quarter already underway, Rodgers waited in the tunnel while backup Matt Flynn handled the first series. When the offense went three-and-out, Rodgers made his way back to the bench as the crowd serenaded him with chants of "MVP, MVP."

"I thought of Willis Reed hobbling on to the court when he came back [to help the New York Knicks win Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals]," Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said.

Like a tag-team wrestler tapping his partner out, Rodgers had a message for Flynn.

"I'm sitting on the bench, and he comes over, taps me on the shoulder and says, 'I've got it,'" Flynn said. "And there he goes."

On his first throw after his return, Rodgers fired a laser to Cobb for a 29-yard gain. He then capped that seven-play, 60-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Cobb. Coach Mike McCarthy kept Rodgers in the shotgun and even used some pistol formations to help limit the distance Rodgers had to cover on handoffs.

As usual, Rodgers thrived. He completed 11-of-13 post-injury passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. For the day, he was 17-of-22 for 226 yards with two touchdowns and not a single interception to close his case for the MVP. His final regular-season numbers looked like this: 38 touchdowns, five interceptions, 4,381 yards and a passer rating of 112.2.

"He's, in my opinion, the most valuable player in the National Football League this year," McCarthy said. "I think what he demonstrated tonight in a must-win game against an excellent opponent, I think it's clear what he means to our football team."

It didn't hurt that Eddie Lacy, with 100 yards on 26 carries, became the first running back this season to reach the century mark against the Lions' top-ranked rushing defense.

Imagine what might have been, had Rodgers been unable to return. A loss would have relegated the Packers to a wild-card game on the road, perhaps as early as Saturday, which would have given Rodgers less than a week to recover. Instead, the Packers will enjoy a week off, followed by a home game Jan. 11 against one of three possible opponents (Dallas, Arizona or Carolina).

"It's critical," McCarthy said of the time off. "He'd be on the same time clock he was on coming from Tampa into this game -- or maybe six days. I don't even know when we would have played this week if it went the other way. I think the two weeks is huge for us."

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/16854/aaron-rodgers-return-saved-the-packers



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Monday, December 29, 2014

Despite superficial similarities, AirAsia and MH370 incidents very different ...



STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • AirAsia investigation unlikely to be as frustrating as MH370 case, analysts say
  • For one, AirAsia disappeared over shallower, more heavily traveled waters
  • AirAsia disappearance is lacking many of the mysterious hallmarks of MH370 case
  • Experts expect plane will be found soon, maybe in next 12 hours of daylight

What happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and will we ever find it? Watch "Vanished: The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370" tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

(CNN) -- An airliner vanishes over the waters of a Southeast Asia ocean. There's no distress call, no wreckage, nothing but water and questions.

So far, the story of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 sounds remarkably similar to that of Malaysia Airlines MH370, which remains missing nearly 10 months after it disappeared from radar screens on a flight between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Beijing.

But it isn't, analysts say.

Here are four ways the two incidents appear to differ:

1. There's not anywhere near as much intrigue.

When MH370 disappeared, the plane's identifying transponders appeared to be intentionally shut off, its pilots stopped making radio transmissions and the airliner made a mysterious turn before possibly traveling for hours until all traces vanished.

AirAsia flight goes missing

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Concerns over hijackings and terror permeated that case, but so far they haven't come up in the AirAsia case.

"In this case you had normal communications with the pilot, a line of weather that appeared to be pretty difficult, severe, and he was asking to climb as high as he could to get out of it," said Peter Goelz, an aviation expert and former National Transportation Safety Board official.

What role did weather play?

2. The water is much shallower and a commonly used shipping channel, making wreckage easier to find.

The area where MH370 is believed to have gone down features extraordinarily deep water. It's also relatively mysterious -- the seabed had never been charted in some places, making getting a fix on the plane's pingers very difficult.

In the AirAsia case, if the plane went down in the water, it likely rests in no more than a few hundred feet of heavily traveled ocean, making the task of locating and recovering it much simpler, analysts say.

3. Airlines and governments have learned a lot since MH370.

In the hours after the Malaysia Airlines jetliner vanished in March, confusion reigned. When officials spoke at all, the information was often contradictory or confusing, and families of passengers and crew complained about how they were treated.

In this case, both government and airline officials appear to be striking a more appropriate tone.

Families of AirAsia flight passengers given support through the 'nightmare'

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted that his "only thought" was the passengers and crew and pledged to do "whatever we can."

Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also tweeted his support: "I will be there with you," he said.

And the search appears to be getting off to a more efficient start. Indonesian officials quickly posted a search plan, indicating ships from its navy, as well as assets from Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, were being called to help.

CNN's Will Ripley said the way Fernandes is handling the crisis is notable.

"What he's doing is something that Malaysia Airlines did not do in the initial hours, the initial days and weeks, which is being very transparent, acknowledging this is a terrible situation," Ripley said.

Goelz agreed.

"In this case, it appears as though the airline and the authorities are in sync, and they really are putting the families first, which is the way to do it."

4. We almost certainly won't be searching for this plane in 10 months.

With a more precise fix on where the plane was when it lost contact, a smaller search area and shallower seas, the airliner almost certainly will be much easier to find, said Steven Wallace, former director of the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Accident Investigations.

It's "very unlikely that we're going to see anything remotely close to what we saw with Malaysia 370," he said.

"It will not surprise me if this airplane is found in the next 12 hours of daylight, because they know to a fairly high degree of certainty where it was, the water is 150 feet deep as opposed to 10- or 20,000 feet deep in the Indian Ocean."

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/28/world/asia/airasia-mh370-differences/



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Super Bowl 2015 Betting Odds: Packers, Patriots, Broncos, Seahawks Lead Way ...



As Week 14 of the 2014 NFL season begins, the favorites to win the 2015 Super Bowl are becoming clearer. While the two teams who faced off in last years championship game still have a good chance of winning it all, two other contenders have surpassed the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.

The Green Bay Packers established themselves as the favorite to win Super Bowl XLIX by defeating the New England Patriots in Week 13. The Packers broke the Patriots seven-game winning streak with a 26-21 victory at Lambeau Field. Despite the loss, New Englands betting odds still have them as the favorites to represent the AFC in the big game.

The Broncos, Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles also have odds of 18/1 or better. Seven teams have better odds than the Arizona Cardinals, who are tied for the NFLs best record.

More than two-thirds of the AFC has a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, as 11 teams have at least seven wins. However, the majority of teams that are considered to have a realistic chance of winning the championship come from the NFC. Eight of the 13 teams with odds of 28/1 or better are in the NFC, including the New Orleans Saints, who are under .500.

At 12/1, the Eagles have the best odds of any franchise that has never won a Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions lead the way at 25/1, among teams that have never even played in the title game.

With just four weeks left, eight teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention. All four teams in the AFC North and the NFC West still have a mathematical chance to reach the Super Bowl. The Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams are tied for the worst odds at 500/1 with just five wins. The Carolina Panthers also have 500/1 odds, and their three victories still have them alive in the NFC South.

Below are 2015 Super Bowlbetting odds for every team still in playoff contention, courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Green Bay Packers 7/2

New England Patriots 15/4

Denver Broncos 17/4

Seattle Seahawks 13/2

Philadelphia Eagles 12/1

Indianapolis Colts 18/1

Detroit Lions 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 28/1

Cincinnati Bengals 28/1

Dallas Cowboys 28/1

New Orleans Saints 28/1

San Diego Chargers 28/1

San Francisco 49ers 28/1

Baltimore Ravens 50/1

Kansas City Chiefs 50/1

Miami Dolphins 50/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 50/1

Atlanta Falcons 66/1

Cleveland Browns 100/1

Buffalo Bills 200/1

Houston Texans 200/1

Carolina Panthers 500/1

Chicago Bears 500/1

St. Louis Rams 500/1

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/super-bowl-2015-betting-odds-packers-patriots-broncos-seahawks-lead-way-entering-week-1733153



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Eminem Admits He's Gay In Hilarious Cameo In 'The Interview' � Watch



The Interview is chock full of hilarious cameos, but none of them top Eminem who admits to being gay during a one-on-one with James Franco in the film. Click inside to WATCH!

Has Eminem, 42, been playing gay peek-a-boo with us all along? In a recently released clip from The Interview, which finally hit theaters on Christmas Day despite terrorist threats from North Korea, Eminem is a guest on James Francos characters talk show in which he admits to being a homosexual. Whoa!

Eminem Admits To Being A Gay Man In The Interview

Surprise!

Eminem is just one of many celebrity cameos in The Interview, but his fake one-on-one is definitely the funniest to watch.

Eminem: Fans Freak Out Over His Gay Confession In The Interview

In what appears to be a very serious interview, despite James try-too-hard TV persona, Eminem talks about things hes afraid of. Some of those things include rapping about women, which he reveals is his way of dealing with his past issues with his mom and his ex-wife.

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Then, out of nowhere, he says: Or, you know, when I say things about gay people and people think that my lyrics are homophobic, you know, its because Im gay.

He continues to talk, but James character is completely flabbergasted. And rightfully so!

Seth Rogen Acts As A Showrunner In The Interview

While James is trying to get Eminem to continue talking about his sexuality, which he randomly said during his interview, we see Seth Rogen in the production room freaking out.

Eminem just said he was gay. Four times! Seth yells as their phones all start ringing and the entire room goes into a frenzy.

This is the greatest moment in gay history!

Um, hilarious! You HAVE to watch the full clip above to see Eminem talk more about his sexuality.

Tell us, HollywoodLifers What do you think? Was Eminems cameo hilarious, or was it boring? Did you see The Interview in theaters? Comment below!

Lauren c*x

More The Interview News:
  • The Interview': YouTube Agrees To Stream Movie On Christmas Eve
  • James Franco & Seth Rogen Celebrate The Release Of The Interview
  • The Interview To Release On Christmas Day
  • Source: http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/12/26/eminem-gay-comes-out-the-interview-cameo-video/



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    Sunday, December 28, 2014

    Dustin Diamond Bar Stabbing: 'Screech' From 'Saved By The Bell' Arrested ...



    Saved by the Bell actor Dustin Diamond was arrested and charged Friday for allegedly stabbing a man after an altercation at a Wisconsin bar, according to media reports. The 37-year-old from Port Washington has been charged with felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety, disorderly conduct and for carrying a concealed weapon.

    The star, who played Screech Powersin the 1990s hit sitcom, was with his girlfriend Amanda Schutz when the incident took place Thursday. According to a criminal complaint, which referred to Diamonds girlfriend as his fiance, the couple was involved in a fight with two men and a woman, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

    The complaint also reportedly said that local police found a switchblade in Diamonds car and that its point was covered in what appeared to be blood. Diamond later admitted to police that he had accidentally stabbed a man while trying to defend his fiance, AP reported, citing the complaint.

    Diamond told police that "there was a group of intoxicated people being rude and insulting," ABC News reported. According to court documents, the man suffered a half-inch wound with substantial bleeding, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

    Diamond is reportedly being held at a bail of $10,000 and a hearing date is scheduled for Dec. 29. Schutz is also reportedly facing a disorderly conduct charge.

    Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/dustin-diamond-bar-stabbing-screech-saved-bell-arrested-faces-felony-charges-1767922



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    Hackers Who Shut Down PSN and Xbox Live Now Attacking Tor



    Uh oh. Lizard Patrol, the hacking group claiming responsibility for the Christmas attacks on PlayStation and Xbox Live, has announced a new target: Tor, the anonymous internet service.

    To clarify, we are no longer attacking PSN or Xbox. We are testing our new Tor 0day.

    Lizard Squad (@LizardMafia) December 26, 2014

    The hacker group appears to be attempting to dominate Tor's relays to the point where it can comprise anonymity. Tor keeps you anonymous by bouncing your communications around a network of volunteer nodes. But if one group is controlling the majority of the nodes, it could be able to eavesdrop on a substantial number of vulnerable users. Which means Lizard Squad could gain the power to track Tor users if it infiltrates enough of the network.

    So far, they have already established over 3000 relays, nearly half of the total number. That's very not good.

    There's a total of ~8,000 Tor relays - @LizardMafia now owns almost half of them. Big implications on Tor anonymity. https://t.co/6RhTLqDS2p

    Nadim Kobeissi (@kaepora) December 26, 2014

    "Someone who claims to be a part of Lizard Squad has set up a large number of Tor relays. That's it," Runa A. Sandvik, an advocate with the Tor project, told me.

    Update: The Tor Project has released a statement about the attack. "This looks like a regular attempt at a Sybil attack: the attackers have signed up many new relays in hopes of becoming a large fraction of the network. But even though they are running thousands of new relays, their relays currently make up less than 1% of the Tor network by capacity. We are working now to remove these relays from the network before they become a threat, and we don't expect any anonymity or performance effects based on what we've seen so far." So hopefully this gets nipped in the trollish bud before anonymity is affected.

    Source: http://gizmodo.com/hackers-who-shut-down-psn-and-xbox-live-now-attacking-t-1675331908



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    A list of Omaha restaurants open on Christmas Day



    For those looking to dine out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, here are some options, listed alphabetically:

    Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs, 2200 River Rd., Council Bluffs, 712-328-8888.

    Christmas Eve:Amerisports is open from 3 to 11 p.m.;Bella's is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.;Bourbon's is open from 4 to 8 p.m.;Heritage Buffet is open its regular hours; Star Club is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

    Christmas:Amerisports is open from 3 to 11 p.m.; Bella's is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Heritage Buffet is open for brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 9 p.m.; Star Club is open from 2 to 8 p.m. The bar will stay open until 11 p.m.

    Aromas Coffeehouse,1033 Jones St. and6051 Maple St., Christmas Eve from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.,402-934-7450 (downtown) and402-916-4190 (Benson).

    Avoli Osteria, 5013 Underwood Ave., Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 402-933-7400.

    B & B Classic Dogs,1020 Lincoln Rd., Bellevue, Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,402-905-9541.

    Big Fred's Pizza Garden, 1101 S. 119th St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 402-333-4414.

    Big Red Restaurant & Sports Bar, 8100 Cass St., Christmas Eve until 5 p.m., Christmas Day from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.,402-390-4245.

    Bliss Old Market Bakery,1031 Jones St., Christmas Eve from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.,402-934-7450.

    Brushi Bistro & Bar, 721 North 132nd St., Christmas Eve from 11 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., 402-884-6878.

    Cascios Restaurant, 1620 S. 10th St., Christmas Eve from 4:30 to 8 p.m., 402-345-8313.

    Chicago Dawg House,3157 Farnam St., Christmas Eve from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.,402-504-1234.

    China Buffet, various locations in Omaha and Lincoln, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., chinabuffetmongoliangrill.net.

    China Road, 4006 Twin Creek Dr., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 402-291-8855.

    Dario's Brasserie, 4920 Underwood Ave., Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 402-933-0799.

    Denny's,3509 South 84th St. and Flying J, 15010 Highway 31, open 24 hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,402-393-7343 (Omaha) and402-332-0400 (Gretna).

    Dudley's Pizza & Tavern,2110 South 67th St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Christmas Day from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.,402-933-7511.

    Harrahs 360 Steakhouse, 1 Harrahs Blvd., Council Bluffs, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 5 to 9 p.m., 712-329-6000.

    Jaipur, 10922 Elm St., Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 5 to 9:30 p.m., 402-392-7331.

    Legends Patio Bar and Grill, 6910 N. 102nd Cir., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Christmas Day from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., 402-884-1006.

    Liberty Tavern, inside Hilton Omaha at 1001 Cass St., Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.,402-998-4321.

    Maharaja Indian Cuisine,617 North 114th St., Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch buffet) and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.,402-505-4488.

    Old Dundee Bar & Grill,4964 Dodge St., Christmas Eve from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Christmas Day from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.,402-558-0801.

    Omaha Prime, 415 S. 11th St., Christmas Eve from 4 to 9 p.m., 402-341-7040.

    Pla Too Thai Cuisine, 12775 Q St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 402-895-7788.

    Ray's Original Buffalo Wings,5423 S 36th St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,402-884-5300.

    Salt 88, 3623 N. 129th St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 402-991-9088.

    Sullivan's Steakhouse, 222 S 15th St.,Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 402-342-0077.

    Szechuan Express,315 N 114th St.,Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (only carry-out after 4 p.m.), 402-330-9779.

    The Bohemian Cafe, 1406 S. 13th St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 402-342-9838.

    The Good Life Sports Bar and Grill, 1203 S. 180th St., Christmas Eve from noon to 7 p.m., Christmas Day from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., 402-933-2947.

    The Grey Plume, 220 S. 31st Ave., Christmas Eve from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 402-763-4447.

    The Mill Bar & Grill,13806 P St., Christmas Day from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.,402-933-6612.

    Vincenzos, 15701 Pacific St., Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 402-498-3889.

    Is your restaurant open Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Email details to Sarah Baker Hansen, sarah.bakerhansen@owh.com and include the name of the restaurant, address and phone number and holiday hours.

    Source: http://www.omaha.com/a-list-of-omaha-restaurants-open-on-christmas-day/article_30a0645c-816b-11e4-85df-fffa210e9eb5.html



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    Harry Potter star David Ryall dies, aged 79



    Harry Potter star David Ryall passed away on Christmas Day (December 25), aged 79.

    Sherlock writer and star Mark Gatiss revealed the news by tweeting his sadness at the passing of his colleague.

    "The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. RIP," Gatiss wrote.

    The actor had a long and successful career across theatre, film and television.

    Ryall appeared in numerous films, including playing the role of Elphias Doge in 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

    He was featured in the first two series of BBC One comedy Outnumbered as Frank, a grandfather who suffers from dementia.

    He also starred in The Village as Britain's oldest man Old Bert, who narrated the series through flashback scenes.

    Other television credits included writer Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective and Andrew Davies's adaptation of the House of Cards series.

    Source: http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a618522/harry-potter-star-david-ryall-dies-aged-79.html



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    Saturday, December 27, 2014

    Dustin Diamond, who played Screech, charged in bar stabbing



    Diamond, 37, faces charges of felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety charge, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon.

    According to the criminal complaint, Diamond told police that he and his fiancee went out to several bars Thursday night in Port Washington, about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. The couple, who lives in Port Washington, got into a tussle with two men and another woman at the Grand Avenue Saloon, the complaint said.

    Port Washington police say they responded at 11:15 p.m. Thursday to a report of a stabbing at a bar. When police caught up with their SUV down the road from the bar, Diamond told police he had a "pen" in his hand when he grabbed one of the men, according to the complaint.

    Port Washington police found in the car a switchblade, the point of which was covered in what appeared to be blood. Diamond later told police he accidentally stabbed the man while trying to defend his fiancee, according to the complaint.

    The man had been stabbed under the armpit and police said he was not seriously injured.

    Diamond appeared Friday afternoon in Ozaukee County court, where bail was set at $10,000. His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29. His fiancee, 27-year-old Amanda Schutz, also faces a disorderly conduct charge.

    His agent declined comment Friday morning, and no attorney was listed in court records.

    Since his decade-long run at Bayside High, Diamond has been sued several times for delinquent taxes and in foreclosure proceedings for missing mortgage payments. He has appeared on reality TV shows, made a s*x tape and most recently produced a tell-all documentary on Lifetime TV called "The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story."

    (Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

    Source: http://abc30.com/entertainment/dustin-diamond-who-played-screech-charged-in-bar-stabbing/451576/



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    Stores open on Christmas day in the CSRA



    Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File

    Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.

    Public File Liaison:

    Judi Tredore (803) 278-1212 ext. 3347

    Station Contact Info:

    Mailing Address:P.O. Box 1212Augusta, GA 30903

    Main Telephone: (803) 278-1212Newsroom: (803) 278-3111 Fax: (803) 442-4561

    Source: http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Stores-open-on-Christmas-day-in-the-CSRA-286835091.html



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    'Screech' - 1990s TV star Dustin Diamond - charged in bar stabbing



    Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on the 1990s TV show "Saved by the Bell," was charged Friday with stabbing a man during a bar fight on Christmas.

    Diamond, 37, faces charges of felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety charge, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon.

    According to the criminal complaint, Diamond told police that he and his fiancee went out to several bars Thursday night in Port Washington, about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. The couple, who lives in Port Washington, got into a tussle with two men and another woman at the Grand Avenue Saloon, the complaint said.

    Port Washington police say they responded at 11:15 p.m. Thursday to a report of a stabbing at a bar. When police caught up with their SUV down the road from the bar, Diamond told police he had a "pen" in his hand when he grabbed one of the men, according to the complaint.

    Port Washington police found in the car a switchblade, the point of which was covered in what appeared to be blood. Diamond later told police he accidentally stabbed the man while trying to defend his fiancee, according to the complaint.

    The man had been stabbed under the armpit and police said he was not seriously injured.

    Diamond appeared Friday afternoon in Ozaukee County court, where bail was set at $10,000. His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29. His fiancee, 27-year-old Amanda Schutz, also faces a disorderly conduct charge.

    His agent declined comment Friday morning, and no attorney was listed in court records.

    Since his decade-long run at Bayside High, Diamond has been sued several times for delinquent taxes and in foreclosure proceedings for missing mortgage payments. He has appeared on reality TV shows, made a s*x tape and most recently produced a tell-all documentary on Lifetime TV called "The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story."

    Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/12/screech_dustin_diamond_-_charg.html



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    Friday, December 26, 2014

    'Into the Woods,' 'Selma,' 'American Sniper,' 'Unbroken': Editors on This Week ...



    Some high-profile Oscar contenders have Christmas releases this year, including director Rob Marshall's musical Into the Woods;Ava DuVernay'shistorical drama,Selma;Clint Eastwood's biographical film American Sniper; and Angelina Jolie's Unbroken. Here, the editors of these movies describe their work. (Warning: Some spoilers follow.)

    For Unbroken, editors Tim Squyres and William Goldenberg said they had to find a balance while telling the heroic true story of WWII vet and Olympian Louie Zamperini. That included balancing epic and quiet moments, and in the case of a tricky scene during which Zamperini is lost at sea on a raft for more than a month, conveying "tedium and boredom without being tedious and boring."

    "There was a lot more stuff on the raft. You have to hit the action beats and suggest the stuff in between," says Squyres, who brought experience trimming a film about someone lost at sea he earned his second Oscar nomination in 2012 for Life of Pi.

    Read more Oscars: 'Boyhood,' 'Whiplash' Editors Reveal Their Secrets

    Squyres added that the pace of the scene also had to fit into the overall structure of the film, which includes scenes of Zamperini with his family, buddies on the base and at various POW camps. "[The raft scene had to] give you time to get one feeling, or the transition to another feeling wouldn't be meaningful."

    The editors also had to calibrate scenes that take place at Japanese prison camps, which needed "enough brutality shown or implied so that you understand he's overcoming it but not so much that the experience of watching the film becomes brutal," Squyres explains, adding, "We took some away; we played some off camera."

    Goldenberg added that the editing was also about letting the audience experience the story from Zamperini's point of view, which benefited from the performance of Jack O'Connell. "There was so much story depth [in the performance]," said Goldenberg, an Oscar winner for Argo. "He's a super talented guy."

    Wyatt Smith, who cut Rob Marshall's adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods, explained that "the challenge of editing anything musical is it's very unnatural to be singing. Rob tries to work with the actors to make it most natural. The hardest is entering the song, finding the moment. You have to pace it so it comes naturally. Also, the dialogue should never double up on what's in the song."

    Read more 'Into the Woods': How Disney Tiptoed Around Johnny Depp's Creepy, Sexualized Song

    Into the Woods features various fairy-tale characters in interweaving storylines, something Smith said was a "blessing and a curse" when it came to the editing. "The first song is a 15-minute musical number," he said. "All of the storylines and characters come at you incredibly quickly, almost at an action pace.

    "The movie naturally moves so quickly, and you reach what you would think is the end, happily ever after," he continued. "Then it gets very slow and very dark, so pacing was tricky. [If the change is too abrupt,] it could feel like you were watching a different movie and take you out of the film."

    "We went to dark visually and with the performances," Smith said, adding that multiple departments contributed to the transition. "We reordered some scenes and added narrative, and musically there were some [new] arrangements. And visual effects did a transition shot."

    Selma centers on Martin Luther King Jr. and the voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.

    "If you pick it apart, it's a real human story within this historical drama," says editor Spencer Averick. "It's a story about a man and his inner conflicts and his fight for human rights. It was important to balance personal, intimate filmmaking in this epic story."

    To do this, the big "action" sequences maintain a lot of close-ups. "Specifically on the bridge scene, on b****y Sunday, getting inside the characters as they are running for their lives," Averick said.

    See more Making 'Into the Woods' With Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt

    This sequence was filmed on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where the police attacked demonstrators during the 1965 march, but Averick and DuVernay strayed from the script when editing to give it added emotion. "Originally, we had b****y Sunday, and then after [the scene was] finished, we showed people watching on their TVs at home," Averick explained. "It was good, but there was something missing. Ava and I are constantly rewriting in the editing room. We decided to see how we feel if we intercut the scenes sort of time jump around with people watching it and their reaction to each club and hit. Once we juxtaposed a few images together, it was evident quickly that this was the way to do it."

    American Sniper opens with the subject of the film, Navy SEALChris Kyle whose skills as a sniper made him a hero by saving countless lives in Iraq at his post when he observes a woman and children walking, then notices the woman is concealing something, then sees her hand a grenade to a 10-year-old boy, presumably intended for use to attack nearby American troops.

    His struggle to make a quick decision as to whether he should pull his trigger provides plenty of character development as well as tension in the film's first minutes. "It's built by the performance of the actors and the length of the cuts. The tension really picks up when you see the women hand the boy the grenade and then cuts back to a close-up of Kyle (Bradley Cooper) watching," said Oscar-winner Joel c*x (Unforgiven), who edited the film with Gary Roach, an Oscar nominee and fellow longtime Eastwood collaborator.

    Added Roach: "Kyle's checking with his superior people, asking if they see what going on. They say its up to him [whether to fire]. In the story of Chris Kyle, this is maybe going to be his first kill and he is looking at a 10-year-old boy and [presumably] his mother. And he is struggling, trying to balance his emotions with what he is trained to do."

    Email: Carolyn.Giardina@THR.comTwitter: @CGinLA

    Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFHO_PXqBIloHae05C5FA6h0PP6tw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778693112217&ei=GB6eVLjzC-v48QHtoIHYAw&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/woods-selma-american-sniper-unbroken-759438



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    McDonald's fries back on the menu in all sizes in Japan



    TOKYO Fri Dec 26, 2014 1:21am EST

    TOKYO Dec 26 (Reuters) - McDonald's customers in Japan willbe able to order french fries in all sizes again from nextmonth, after the fast-food chain limited sales to small servingsbecause of import delays.

    McDonald's Holdings Co (Japan) Ltd said on Fridayit will resume sales of medium- and large-size french fries onJan. 5, as it has secured enough inventory thanks to emergencymeasures.

    The company, owned 49.9 percent by McDonald's Corp,began restricting serving sizes on Dec. 17 after a labourdispute at U.S. West Coast ports led to delays in imports.

    As an emergency step, McDonald's Japan said earlier thismonth that it was importing over 1,000 tonnes of frozen fries byair, and another 1,600 tonnes by ship from ports on the U.S.East Coast.

    The fry rationing capped off a tough year for McDonald'sJapan: the company in October forecast its first annual loss in11 years as sales slid following a food safety scandal at theChinese supplier of chicken for its McNuggets.

    Sales at outlets open at least a year fell 12 percent inNovember, down for the 10th month in a row.

    McDonald's Japan said it continues to face import delays asthe port labour dispute drags on. It said it will monitor thesituation closely and do its best to offer a stable supply offries.

    A company spokesman declined to comment on the fryshortage's impact on earnings. (Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by MuralikumarAnantharaman)

    Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/26/mcdonalds-hldgs-japan-idUSL3N0UA1MZ20141226



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    Thursday, December 25, 2014

    9 Restaurants Open On Christmas 2014



    Chinese food is the classic Christmas-Day fallback for anyone who's not cooking. But if you're looking for more options, you've got them.

    A slew of U.S. restaurant chains will remain open on Thursday, though their hours will vary by location.

    Perhaps lo mein isnt your idea of a warm Christmas dinner. Or maybe you need a peppermint latte to power through gift-giving with your rowdy nephews.

    Heres a list of chains that confirmed to The Huffington Post that they will remain open, at least in some places. Check your local listings before venturing outside, since hours may vary. All of the following quotes are from company spokespeople.

    Applebees

    Some Applebees and IHOP restaurants will be open, and some wont. Consumers need to check with their local restaurants.

    Dennys

    Dennys will be open. In fact, it is one of Americas Diners busiest days of the year.

    Hooters

    Select Hooters locations will be open on Christmas Day. To check for local hours please visit www.hooters.com/locations and call ahead.

    IHOP

    Some Applebees and IHOP restaurants will be open, and some wont. Consumers need to check with their local restaurants.

    KFC

    Some KFC restaurants will be closed on Christmas Day. It is really up to the franchise owner to determine operating hours on the Christmas holiday.

    McDonalds

    McDonald's did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story, but in 2012 the fast-food giant began pushing franchise stores to stay open on Christmas, and this year many locations will be open, according to the International Business Times.

    P.F. Chang's

    Some of P.F. Changs casino and mall locations are open, but guests are encouraged to call ahead.

    Starbucks

    Starbucks stores are a gathering place for the entire community and customers use our stores to connect over coffee in different ways every day. We are happy to welcome customers on Christmas Day in select store locations. Store hours vary by location, and stores will occasionally adjust their hours based on business and customer needs.

    TGI Fridays

    Most TGI Fridays restaurants will be open on Christmas. However, guests should call their local restaurant for holiday hours.

    You might notice some chains are missing from the above list. Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Chipotle told HuffPost they will remain closed on the 25th. Sorry, burrito lovers.

    Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/24/restaurants-open-christmas_n_6377420.html



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    Christmas traditions; 'Elf on the Shelf' watches over children



    FEATURE Its become a holiday tradition for many families an elf that watches over children from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve and reports back to Santa Claus whether they are naughty or nice this overseer is also known as The Elf on the Shelf.

    When a family adopts a scout elf and gives it a name, the scout elf receives its Christmas magic and can fly to the North Pole each night to tell Santa Claus about all the days adventures, according to the Elf on the Shelf website.

    Darius watches over the Hinds family atop a Santa Claus hat, date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of Eva Hinds, St. George News

    The story of the elf began in 2005 and was written by authors Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell. According to The Elf on the Shelf story, the scout elf returns every morning to check on the family and perches in different places around the house.

    One mother, Alayse Roundy, reminisced on her childhood friends having an elf when she was young.

    He would just appear on the clock above the fire place for awhile and then disappear, she said. I remember how excited I was to catch a glimpse of him. I want my kids to have the same feeling of seeing a little magic.

    While some families like to keep their elf subject to good behavior, others like him to be mischievous. Roundy said when her husband is home the elf is put into some troublesome situations, but spends most of the time next to the baby Jesus.

    Various elf activities include leaving a movie for the children to watch the next morning, leaving a mess of packing peanuts for the children to clean up, showing up with googly eyes on pieces of fruit and on himself with a sign saying I got my eyes on you.

    Marsha Nisson, a St. George resident and mother of three young children, said her elf, Bernard, likes to hide in sneaky places or does some fun activities. Bernard also leaves Christmas pajamas for the Nisson children each Christmas to remind them that they have to be fast asleep for the magic to happen, shesaid.

    Today he showed up on a hang glider getting ready to fly out tonight until next year, Nissonsaid.

    While some mothers enjoy their childrens excitement and reactions others say they dont feel it helps them.

    I dont think that its going to help the kids behavior too much, because right before Christmas instead of working on the behavior all year-round isnt really a good parenting technique, Eva Hinds, a mother of two young boys, said.

    Hinds said her mother had a ceramic Elf on the Shelf when she was young that she would keep out all year long and move on occasion. She would not have an elf if her sister-in-law didnt give her one, she said.

    It does help my older nephew, because I say the elf is watching and he straightens up, Hinds said. (My son) James just thinks its fun to find (the elf).

    Washington and Iron Countylocations to adopta scout elfinclude:

    St. George

    • Christensens Department Store, 761 N. Bluff St.
    • Coach House Gifts, in Red Cliffs Mall,1750 E. Red Cliffs Drive #1202
    • Barnes & Noble Book Store, in Red Cliffs Mall, 1720 E. Red Cliffs Drive
    • Target, 275 S. River Road

    Washington City

    • Bed, Bath and Beyond, Inc, 844 W. Telegraph St.

    Hurricane

    • Bucks Ace Hardware, 489 W. State St.

    Cedar City

    • Christensens Department Store, 929 S. Main St.
    • Harmony Home Furnishings & Decor, 111 S. Main St.

    Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

    The Hatt family elf flies a plane through the house, St. George, Utah, Dec. 24, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Jessica Hatt, St. George News

    The Hatt family elf flies a plane through the house, St. George, Utah, Dec. 24, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Jessica Hatt, St. George News

    Bernard the elf prepares to fly to the North Pole on a hang glider, St. George, Utah, Dec. 24, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Marsha Nisson, St. George News

    Bernard the elf prepares to fly to the North Pole on a hang glider, St. George, Utah, Dec. 24, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Marsha Nisson, St. George News

    Bernard the elf watches over Rhett and Marsha Nisson's children from a chandiler, St. George, Utah, circa, December 2014 | Photo courtesy of Marsha Nisson, St. George News

    Darius watches over the Hinds family atop a Santa Claus hat, date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of Eva Hinds, St. George News

    Resources

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    Twitter:@STGnews

    Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

    Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHqxjcYgSaCaU3ZUcuMjIrGsSsYmA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778693222317&ei=OHicVICUI-T78QHQnoHIAQ&url=https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2014/12/25/hrc-christmas-traditions-elf-on-the-shelf-watches-over-children/



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    Rogen, Franco, Others React to 'The Interview' Release



    Celebrities and others react to Sony's announcement Tuesday that it will release Seth Rogen and James Franco's embattled North Korean satire, "The Interview," in some theaters on Christmas:

    ? "The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up! The Interview will be shown at theaters willing to play it on Xmas day!" ? Rogen on Twitter.

    ? "VICTORY!!!!!!! The PEOPLE and THE PRESIDENT have spoken!!! SONY to release THE INTERVIEW in theaters on XMAS DAY! CELEBRATING!!!!! "The Interview" starring Seth Rogen and James Flacco saved by President Obacco! I MEAN PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!! Sorry!!!" ? Franco on Instagram.

    ? "The president applauds Sony's decision to authorize screenings of the film. As the president made clear, we are a country that believes in free speech, and the right of artistic expression. The decision made by Sony and participating theaters allows people to make their own choices about the film, and we welcome that outcome." Eric Schultz, spokesman for President Barack Obama, in a statement.

    ? "...Giving this parody the broadest viewership possible will be the best response to the threats and cyber attacks from the regime of Kim Jong-un. Free expression is the bedrock principle of a democratic society and is especially important in the arts. We must not allow the world's most oppressive dictatorship to have a veto over what American audiences can see at their local theater, or in their own homes." ? U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, in a statement.

    ? "Thanks to everyone who didn't give up on our movie! @Sethrogen & I are humbled & overwhelmed by your support. Hope you enjoy the film!" ? "The Interview" co-writer-director, Evan Goldberg, on Twitter.

    ? "I will be showing "The Interview" at my theater, The Bijou, in Traverse City, beginning on ChristmasDay. #NoCensorshipEver #thankyouSony" ? Documentarian Michael Moore on Twitter.

    ? "Can't wait for Ben Affleck's film about the making, marketing and release of "The Interview." #OscarWatch2019" ? "Night at the Museum" director Shawn Levy on Twitter.

    ? "...Just as I hoped, indie movie theaters step up. Good!" ? Salman Rushdie on Twitter.

    ? "...We are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech." ? Sony Entertainment chief Michael Lynton in a statement.

    ? "Massively proud to have been a part of THE INTERVIEW, which will be shown in theatres willing to play it on Christmas Day." ? Actor Timothy Simons, who has a role in the film, on Twitter.

    ? "''The Interview" to screen Xmas day in Austin & Atlanta. So our free speech is finally safe again. Glad that's over. #Sony" ? Actor Harry Shearer on Twitter.

    ? "This is the best Christmas gift anyone could give us. We, both distributors and exhibitors, have collectively stood firm to our principles and for the right to freedom of expression. Two days til Christmas, and I am proud to be an American." ? Tim League, chief of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema theaters in a statement.

    ? "Glad to see @JamesFrancoTV and @Sethrogen happy and plugged in again. Welcome back guys, we missed you! #TheInterview" ? Rob Lowe on Twitter.

    Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/rogen-franco-react-interview-release-27793518



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    Carolers sing 'Feliz Navidad' to Milwaukee police



    Officers at Milwaukee's District 2 got a festive surprise Tuesday night when a band of carolers serenaded them in a rendition of "Feliz Navidad."

    The performance was captured on video and shared by the department.

    "Our officers are very grateful for the support of the community this holiday season," Lt. Mark Stanmeyer, a department spokesman, said in an email with a link to the video online.

    You can watch the video of the carolers here.

    Source: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/286780041.html



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    Wednesday, December 24, 2014

    Why North Korea's economy can't live without China



    NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

    Not only is North Korea an isolated country, but the key factor complicating a response is its deep economic and diplomatic ties with China, the world's second-largest economy.

    In fact, North Korea's economy is almost completely dependent on China.

    The two Asian nations have been allies since the Korean War in the 1950s. And as North Korea has become increasingly cut off from the rest of the world, China has become its biggest trading partner.

    Food and energy: China provides North Korea with most of its food and energy supplies, and accounts for 60% of the reclusive nation's total trade.

    Related: All Sony wants for Christmas is ...

    Air and land routes: Considered a rogue state by the West, North Korea is able to use air and land routes through China with minimal interference or inspection.

    Cheap labor: For its part, China seems to be interested in its neighbor's natural resources and cheap labor.

    Mining and commodities companies: There are about 200 Chinese companies in operation in North Korea, most of which are involved in mining and the production of commodities.

    Because North Korea cannot finance its trade through borrowing, it has a $1.25 billion deficit with China, according to the Council of Foreign Relations. Beijing is also the largest foreign direct investor, according to the Korea Economic Institute of America.

    Some experts see signs that China might be losing patience with North Korea. For example, China has criticized North Korea's nuclear weapons tests.

    But the Chinese government has also offered its reclusive neighbor a measure of support. In February, Beijing criticized a UN report that accused North Korea of human rights violations, and this month tried unsuccessfully -- together with Russia -- to prevent the UN Security Council discussing the issue.

    -- CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.

    Related: BitTorrent to release 'The Interview'?

    First Published: December 23, 2014: 4:42 AM ET

    Source: http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/23/news/economy/north-korea-china-economic-ties/



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    'American Idol' Alums Casey Abrams, Taylor Hicks, More Remember Joe Cocker



    When Casey Abrams competed on the tenth season of American Idol, he was asked to perform music inspired by their own musical idols. Abrams didnt even have to think about it: he chose Joe Cocker.

    He was one of the first guys I was introduced to that really felt the music as opposed to just hearing it, you know? Abrams tells The Hollywood Reporter. He wasnt just singing it, but the music was pulsating throughout his whole body. His body had to play music and he let it come through him.

    Abrams, who paid tribute to Cocker with his interpretation of The Beatles A Little Help From My Friends," says the singer's Dec. 22 passing at the age of 70 hits hard for fans of music, and adds that Cockers voice was one-of-a-kind. Its grittiness, and its real energy. Its not autotuned."

    Indeed, Cocker's songs were a favorite go-to for Idol finalists. Season-five winner Taylor Hicks was one such devotee: he performed Cockers You Are So Beautiful during the competition. "We spoke at length about life and music," Hicks tells THR. "He wanted to thank me for performing the song. We had worked with some of the same musicians along the way. He was a really cool inspiring person. I hope that everyone will be able to share in his musical joy for a long time."

    In interviews following the singer's death, season-11 winner Phillip Phillips also sang Cocker's praise, telling ABCNewsRadio, There's a lot of people that can change up songs but to make a hit that was already a hit ... an even bigger hit, that's hard to do.

    Season nine alum Crystal Bowersox, who performed alongside Cocker with winner Lee DeWyze, expressed her sadness on Facebook, writing: He was a musical inspiration to me and so many, and was one of the sweetest souls I ever had the pleasure of performing with."

    DeWyze took to Instagram to express his own condolences. "I will never forget how amazing it was to share a stage with him, he wrote. The energy, and emotion that he put into every song...a true talent. I'll never forget our talk."

    Watch Abrams' and Hicks' interpretations of Cocker's music and DeWyze and Bowersox performing alongside the man himself below:

    Twitter: @MicheleAmabile, @Idol_Worship

    Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idols-remember-joe-cocker-760157



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    Miami Heat's Loss to Philadelphia 76ers Cries Out for Josh Smith



    Miami Heats Loss to Philadelphia 76ers Cries Out for Josh Smith | RantSports

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    Getty Images

    Ravaged by injuries and plagued by the abandonment of the NBAsgreatest player, the Miami Heatfound themselves at home against the leagues worst club with top man Chris Bosh in street clothes. The power forward missed his sixth-straight game due to a calf injury and there may be more bad news to come for Heat fans. However, Miami was able to pull off a double-digit victory over the Boston Celticswithout Bosh or Dwyane Wade. So, with Wade back in the lineup, the Philadelphia 76ersshould be an easy victory before the big Christmas showdown.

    It seemed that the Heat had that easy win mindset because it was a letdown as they squandered a fourth-quarter lead and lost to Philly, 91-87. The loss comes just days before Miami hosts LeBron James and only hours after news was revealed that Pat Riley threw his hat into the pool for Josh Smith. With Josh McRoberts out for the season and Boshs return unknown, Smith is deeply needed.

    Smith has drawn plenty attention from across the league including from the Houston Rocketsand Dallas Mavericks, but the Heat are in desperate need of a roster improvement. Unfortunately, the odds that Miami gets Smith for Christmas day, if at all, are not good and with Bosh mostly likely to miss his seventh-straight game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, James will probably get the first laugh.

    Thankfully, the Heat still have three more matchups with the Cavs after Christmas, but if Riley does not complete some type of transaction and improve the roster, all regular-season games between the two teams may just end like I am predicting for Christmas: a blowout. Christmas day may be a lost cause, but the season isnt and Smith could potentially propel Miami to the top four in the East.

    Shane Phillips is an NBA Writer for RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also email Shane at ShaneRantNBA@gmail.com.

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    Source: http://www.rantsports.com/nba/2014/12/23/miami-heats-loss-to-philadelphia-76ers-cries-out-for-josh-smith/



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    Tuesday, December 23, 2014

    Everything Peppermint ('Tis the Season, After All!)



    What is it about this time of year that brings out the sudden urge to have peppermint in all things? Its said that peppermint improves concentration, aids digestion and also might just make you feel fuller after meals. Which is reason enough to indulge in all things pepperminty.

    Most of these products and treats are limited edition or only available seasonally, so make sure to stock up now.

    • Pucker up with limited edition seasonal favorite ChapStick Candy Canewhich is just as scrumptious as the candy canes devoured on Christmas day.Adorable as a stocking stuffer!
    • Chex Mix makes a Peppermint version of their Muddy Buddies snack mix. or if youre feeling extremely virtuous Fiber One offers a limited edition 90 calorie peppermint fudge brownie with peppermint chips and drizzle.(Check grocery stores for availability). Or keep some frozenVitalicious Chocolate Mint VitaTops around. At just 100-calories, theyre packed with fiber, protein and (of course)peppermint.
    • Worried about havingtoo much of a good thing at the holiday meal? Pukka Herbs Three Mint tea is a combination of three mintsspearmint, fieldmint and peppermint. Yummy and refreshing.
    • Looking to wash those holiday cooking smells away? Paul MitchellTea Tree Special Shampoo addsa refreshing tingle as itrids hair of impurities. Special ingredients including thepeppermintlavender and tea tree oil and it smells so great. Visit Loxabeauty.com for full buying info. And Id have a hard time recommending just one of Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint line of products, though for sheer coolness, its hard to beat theTwistedPeppermintSparkling Snowflake Scrub.CosMedix Purity Clean Exfoliating Cleanser is a highly concentrated, exfoliating cleanser infused with cooling peppermintessential oil, calming lavender and clarifying tea tree oil which eliminates cellular debrisanddecongests to keep normal to oily skin healthy and glowing. Or tryDECLEOR Fresh Purifying Gelwhich is designed for oily and combination skin and includes Peppermint Water to calm, soothe and balance skin.
    • Feet tired after all of that holiday shopping?Kiss My FacePeppermintFoot Scrub andPeppermintFoot Crme offer a one/two punch er pamper for tired tootsies. The scrub has walnut shells to exfoliate skin and both have peppermint oil to stimulate tired feet. (Both are available at Whole Foods stores)
    • Im sad to report that the most decadent peppermint bark Ive ever tasted (From Sharis Berries) is sold out, so youll have to wait til next year to get your fix; or try Vermont Nut Frees version for those with allergies and food sensitivities.Peeps makes adorableCandy Cane Flavored Marshmallow Chicks (new for 2014) which cost under $3 and arepeppermintflavored marshmallow chicks. Standard retail price is $1.69 $2.29 for a 10-count package.
    • Are you in charge of bringing dessert to this years soiree?Carvel is partnering with Andes Mints for the first time to dish up ice cream treatsincludingHand-ScoopedPeppermintIce Creammade with chunks of Andes Mints and something called theAndes Mints Sundae Dasher which consists offreshly madepeppermintsoft ice cream with layer upon layer of Andes Mints and topped with hot fudge and whipped cream. (shhh. dont tell anyone, but I already had one!) Check Carvel stores for info. Want to make something at home? Try this recipe for Peppermint-Chocolate Truffles (From Atkins).
    • Or be the coolest kids at the party and bring BerentzenIcemint 100 Proof German Schnapps (Elsa on American Horror Story would approve), the bottle is as cool as the contents!
    • And the folks at YoungLiving.com (makers of pureessential oils) offer these peppermint essential oil tips:
    • Add a drop ofpeppermintessential oil to herbal tea to help aid normal digestion
    • Massage several drops ofpeppermintessential oil on the abdomen, place a drop on wrists, or inhale to soothe the minor stomach discomfort associated with travel
    • Diffuse or inhalepeppermintessential oil mid-morning to curb the desire to snack.
    • Inhalepeppermintessential oil or rub a drop on to your abdomen to soothe minor stomach discomfort.

    Rachel Weingartenis a noted and quoted style expert, personal brand consultant, and formercelebritymakeupartist. Shes the author of three nonfiction books. Tweet with her@rachelcwor like her page onFacebook. Need help style-stalking your favoritecelebritylook? Write to Rachel at [emailprotected]

    Of course the best gift this season is my new book Ancient Prayer!

    Source: http://parade.com/360755/rachelweingarten/everything-peppermint-tis-the-season-after-all/



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    Were hackers behind North Korea outage



    North Koreas tiny corner of the global Internet was knocked offline Monday as U.S. officials hinted about secret responses to Pyongyangs cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, but the temporary outage was likely the result of an attack by hackers rather than any strike by another country.

    Dan Holden, a director at network defense firm Arbor Networks, which tracks Internet attacks around the world, says all the technical evidence shows that the North Korean outage was more likely a denial of service attack an intentional network traffic jam orchestrated by hackers.

    Story Continued Below

    Much like a real-world strike from the U.S., you probably wouldnt know about it until it was too late. This is not the modus operandi of any government work, he wrote in a blog post.

    Late Monday, however, Dyn Research, which monitors global Internet connectivity, tweeted that service was back up in North Korea, after about a 10-hour outage.

    Holden said it was unclear whether North Korea had been knocked offline or had unplugged itself as a defensive measure but either way, the denial of service attack was responsible. It certainly would not be difficult, he said.

    Arbor said it began observing denial of service attacks targeting the approximately 1,000 North Korean Internet addresses on Thursday. Media reports circulated connecting the reclusive Stalinist regime to the massive Nov. 24 hack that crippled Sony Pictures Entertainment, supposedly in retaliation for the Seth Rogen comedy The Interview.

    The outage spurred speculation that it might be part of the proportionate response that President Barack Obama promised over the weekend and U.S. officials did little to tamp it down.

    We arent going to discuss publicly operational details about the possible response options or comment on those kind of reports in any way except to say that as we implement our responses, some will be seen, some may not be seen, said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf in response to questions about the North Korean outage. So I cant confirm those reports, but in general, thats what the president has spoken to.

    White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel declined to comment on the outage, but said the administration wants to send a deterrence message to North Korea and and others that might be tempted to follow the same path.

    This meant that at least part of the response would probably need to be public, he said, or if not public, at least knowable to the North Koreans.

    But much would remain covert, he said. We also may want to be able to just diminish their capacity to carry out these kind of attacks in the future, in which case we may not want them to know everything that we have done to do that, Daniel said.

    Attacks peaked over the weekend according to Arbors data, drawn from nearly 300 Internet service providers that share anonymized traffic data with the Burlington, Mass.-based company.

    Around noon Eastern Time on Monday, the North Korean IP range went out, and did not come back up, said Jim Cowie, chief scientist of Dyn Research, which monitors global Internet connectivity.

    About a day of intermittent connectivity preceded the shutdown, according to Dyn Research and other companies observations. Almost the entirety of the very small North Korean Internet of approximately a thousand Internet protocol addresses is routed through the Chinese state-owned Internet service provider Chinese Unicom, Cowie said. That presents a very small attack surface for anybody who wants to take it out, he added.

    Hackers known as the Lizard Squad, who have a history of launching sophisticated denial of service attacks including against the Sony PlayStation network took credit. North Korea #offline reads a Tweet from @LizardUnit posted Monday afternoon.

    Xbox Live & other targets have way more capacity. North Korea is a piece of cake, the account said shortly afterward.

    In an interview with POLITICO, Holden also noted that the attack accomplished little, if the goal is disruption, since Internet connectivity with the outside world hardly pervades North Korean society.

    But experts say when that Obama described the North Korean attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment as a very expensive act of cyber vandalism rather than an act of war, he laid out important limits on the response.

    Cyber scholars dont agree on what precisely an act of cyber war would look like, but the general consensus is that if it were aimed at a private company rather than the U.S. government, the effects must be catastrophic dead bodies, massive financial ruin or an attack targeting critical infrastructure such as energy grids and water lines. Hacking a movie studio no matter how devastatingly effective doesnt make the cut.

    That means the proportionate response Obama promised is extremely unlikely to include a conventional military strike. Theres no military option on the table. The Sony hack doesnt meet that threshold, said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

    The response might include a cyber counterattack, but if and when Obama were to order such a strike, it would likely be carried out by intelligence agencies whose operations are less legally restricted rather than by uniformed military, former national security officials say.

    Thanks to the way U.S. cyberpower is now organized, however, the same man could be in charge: Adm. Michael Rogers heads both U.S. Cyber Command, the militarys online warriors, and the NSA, whose hackers would likely lead any intelligence cyber operation designed to punish North Korea.

    This is less about Sony and its more about trying to deter North Korea from attacks on critical infrastructure in the future, added Adam Segal, director of the Council on Foreign Relations Cyberspace Policy program.

    The president also has a range of diplomatic options, such as returning North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terrorism and rallying other nations to further isolate the rogue communist state. Secretary of State John Kerry over the weekend asked China for help, and the State Department would also take the lead when weighing sanctions or other diplomatic measures.

    In a normal situation, with a normal country, youd probably call the ambassador into the State Department and tell [him or her] this is very bad and you shouldnt do this kind of thing, said Bruce McConnell, former Homeland Security Department cyber counsel. Of course, North Korea is not a normal country, and that limits your diplomatic impact.

    The attacks against North Korea used a well-known method called reflection attacks that require only a little Internet traffic to overwhelm routers with too many connection requests, a technique typical of hacktivists rather than governments, Holden noted.

    Other cybersecurity experts also cautioned against rushing to assuming that the attack is part of the proportionate response Obama promised last week.

    Its impossible to know how much bandwidth flows into North Korea, but its likely quite small, noted Matthew Prince, CEO of content delivery network provider CloudFlare.

    Its probably risky to speculate that that attack is being launched by any state-based entity, he said. Its much, much more likely that its some 15-year-old in a Guy Fawkes mask.

    Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/north-korea-internet-113746.html



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    Monday, December 22, 2014

    Amy Adams Hosts SNL: Watch Video of Best and Worst Sketches



    The ingredients for Saturday Night Lives Christmas-themed episode hosted by five-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams, with squeal-inducing musical guests One Direction and sketch-rich fodder from this weeks Sony Pictures/North Korea hacking scandal had visions of guffaws dancing in our heads.

    Though anall-over-the-place opening monologue highlighted by a welcome cameo from SNL alum Kristin Wiig (Isnt this the second time youve crashed my monologue? asked Adams) and a cast sing-along of We Need a Little Christmas wasnt exactly memorable, the shows strongest moments managed to create just enough holiday cheer to make it worthwhile.

    Here are my picks for best and worst sketches of the night:

    Best: Cold Open Featuring Dr. EvilShrieks of joy engulfed Studio 8H as A Very Somber Christmas With Sam Smith was pre-empted by none other than Dr. Evil (welcome back, Mike Myers!), who wasted no time in skewering North Korea (Youre one of the most evil countries in the world, and your act of war is to kill a movie?) and Sony Pictures (they havent had a hit since The Walkman) while tossing in a few inevitable Austin Powers classics (what are you gonna do next ask for one million dollars?).

    Best: Serial The Christmas SurpriseReady for a little Christmas magic? Sure, this top-notch pre-taped parody investigating mysterious Christmas gift-giver Chris (or was it Kris?) was perhaps overly long and slightly repetitive at times, but its best (and funniest) moments were in the wealth of subtle details (and of course the brilliant Cecily Strong as Sarah Koenig). Grainy, archival footage, brilliantly odd courtroom sketches, and assorted delightful sound-bites abounded, so rewind and repeat because this is SNL parody at its very best.

    Best: Kim Jong-un on Weekend UpdateIt was all-too-brief, but Bobby Moynihans expected reprise of the North Korean leader was a welcome sight, delivering some biting humor (Im not afraid OK, I got this) highlighted by that ever-expanding barrage of red laser sights dotting his chest. With just enough time to hit the exit, the suddenly spooked Moynihans offered those sharpshooters this little reminder: Whoa, whoa, whoa Im Seth Rogen everybody!

    Worst: A Very Cuban ChristmasOK, there have been far worse SNL sketches, but this one disappointed mostly for sheer wasted potential: Kenan Thompsons Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jay Pharoahs President Obama fell especially flat, with only Kate McKinnons maniacal Diana Nyad (I swam to Cuba 90 miles of open ocean, ya little b***h!) providing a brief flurry of comedic relief.

    Worst: Girlfriends Talk ShowOnce again, there may have been worse sketches tonight, but lets play up the disappointment factor; shouldnt a walk-on cameo from all five One Direction boys amount to more than some very loud in-studio screaming and an all-too random sketch-ending dance party?

    What did you think of this weeks SNL? How would you rate Adams as a host? What was your favorite sketch? Take our poll below, then sound off in the comments!

    Take Our Poll

    Source: http://tvline.com/2014/12/21/amy-adams-saturday-night-live-snl-host-video-recap/



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    Sunday, December 21, 2014

    American Sniper Movie Review



    AMERICAN SNIPER

    Warner Bros.

    Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Grade: B+

    Director: Clint Eastwood

    Screenwriter: Jason Dean Hall, from Chris Kyles book

    Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Max Charles, Jake McDorman

    Screened at: Warner Bros, NYC, 11/21/14

    Opens: December 25, 2014

    When you go to a war movie, you want to root wholeheartedly for the Americans. Fighting Hitler? USA! USA! But when youre dealing with controversial fights such as our role in Vietnam, you cant be blamed for being conflicted. Remember that our armed forces are in a foreign land and are being resisted by the local people. Wed do the same if the enemy were on our shores. So when you see American Seals shooting women and children, and even when taking aim at Iraqi fighters (who undoubtedly consider themselves The Resistance), you might be some squirms coming on in your theater seat. At least, thats the feeling I got in watching Clint Eastwoods American Sniper. Recall that George W. Bushs decision to go to war in that Middle Eastern country because of Saddams alleged but nonexistent weapons of mass destruction may have been more responsible than any other factor for the Democrats capturing the White House in 2008.

    Nonetheless, because of Bradley Coopers superlative acting and Eastwoods flawless direction, American Sniper is an entertaining piece of work if not necessary one that will leave you with a black-and-white feeling that were the good guys and theyreas the SEALs called themsavages. The Arabs come across, maybe, as sinister, because thats the way our side portrays those who join groups like Al Queda. But to them, no doubt the Americans are strange creatures as well.

    If you read the book American Sniper by Chris Kyle, youre aware that the war in Iraq is told from Kyles point of view. Portrayed by Bradley Cooper, who bulked up with an additional forty pounds to give him a look of chunky good health, Kyle is shown knocking off the enemy without missing a shot, ultimately responsible for 165 credited kills, though his real numbers could be one hundred higher. Though the men in his SEALs platoon are not particularly differentiated from one anotherafter all we see only Kyle at home in Californiadirector Eastwood is able to evoke the psychological dimensions of the war. As we all know, when soldiers go into battle, they dont necessarily think of how theyre doing it for their country but are actually fighting for one another. (Nonetheless, Kyle at one point believes that if the Iraqi enemy is not eradicated six thousand miles away, they will somehow take the fight to San Diego.)

    Kyle, who is nicknamed Legend because of his phenomenal success behind the big guns, is shown first as a child, whose father teaches him the manly art of hunting, praising him for an exceptional shot that brings down an animal. Whatever it takes to be a successful sniperwhether a steady arm, a more focused eye, a psychological makeup that dismisses fearKyle had it as no-one else among our fighters had.

    In the opening scene, one that for cinematic purposes does not take us immediately to his childhood, perches on a rooftop with the heavy responsibility of deciding whether a woman and her small boy are fighters. He determines that the kid is about to toss a grenade at the Marines, at which point Eastwood flashes back to Kyles Texas boyhood where among his macho achievements is participating in the rodeo.

    While some may wonder why so much time is spent on his marriage to Taya (Sienna Miller), such exposure is needed to delve into Kyles psyche, to see the difference between his initial flirtations in a bar where Taya at first notes that she would never date a SEAL (arrogant) through the segments in which Taya complains that her husband, who chooses four tours of duty, is not at home even when he is with her and their two children.

    You might dismiss the contact battle scenes as depicting either a shooting gallery or a video game, but they are effective, particularly given the pauses between each kill, the horror at the loss of some American soldiers, and the threat of having your head shot off at any instant. Tensions peak while we in the audience watch Kyle making the decision whether to fire at someone on the ground who appears innocent but may be ready to pick up a grenade or a bazooka.

    Kyle is a gung-ho guy who could have remained relatively safe just behind the lines, hiding on rooftops but who soon enough volunteers to join the men in kicking open doors and threatening inhabitants, some of whom are secretly fighting the Americans. The most satisfying scenes find the men taking down top Al Queda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his right-hand man, the Butcher. We are introduced to Mustafa (Sammy Sheik), himself a sniper but one fighting for the enemy side.

    Technologically bizarre are the phone calls that Kyle makes to his wife Taya while in the midst of battle, allowing her to hear every boom of a grenade and every crack of a rifle, though they are six thousand miles from each other. In the old days, a wife might have to wait weeks for an article of postal mail to reach home from the front. In the storys great irony, Kyle, having killed 165+ of the enemy, is felled himself by a fellow Marine, not by friendly fire but by an emotionally disturbed PTSD Marine whom Kyle is trying to help.

    Rated R. 132 minutes. Harvey Karten, Member, New York Film Critics Online

    Story B+

    Acting B

    Technical A-

    Overall B+

    Source: http://www.shockya.com/news/2014/12/20/american-sniper-movie-review/



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