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Jimmy Kimmel helps 'Bachelorette' Kaitlyn pick a wedding dress (and tries on a bridesmaids dress)

By: Akhter Uddin on 10:31 PM / comment : 0

Spoiler alert! This article contains a huge spoiler for the Bachelorette finale. Don’t read if you don’t want to know who Kaitlyn chose! Spoilers start after this old photo of Kaitlyn and the guys.

(ABC/Felicia Graham)
Now that Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth are engaged and headed off to reality TV wedded bliss (whatever that means), it’s time to get down to the really hard part of it all: Wedding planning.
But don’t worry, Jimmy Kimmel, aka the world’s biggest fan of the Bachelor franchise, is here for the happy couple in their time of need. And since The Bachelorette and Jimmy Kimmel Live both air on ABC, what better than a synergy-filled stop on the late-night show for Kaitlyn after the big finale?
The segment contains everything you could ever wish for from a Kimmel/Bachelorette mashup: Kimmel and sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez in bridesmaids dresses, Kimmel trying on Kaitlyn’s leather leggings, Bristowe dressing up for a “hooker ballet” and so much more. Even if you’re not a Bachelorette fan, there’s plenty to love here.

Magnitude-4.2 Earthquake Strikes San Bernardino County

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:16 AM / comment : 0

A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Fontana area in San Bernardino County Saturday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake hit around 5:45 a.m. about 1-mile east-southeast of Fontana, 3 miles west-northwest of Bloomington and 4 miles west of Rialto. USGS initially reported it was a 4.3 magnitude, but it was later downgraded to 4.2.
It hit at a depth of about 2.8 miles, according to USGS.
The temblor’s epicenter was in a residential neighborhood less than a mile from the Fontana Metrolink station and about 3.5 miles from the Auto Club Speedway.
Dozens  of people reported feeling the shallow

Special Olympics World Games To Open Saturday

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:12 AM / comment : 0 ,

LOS ANGELES (CNS/FOX 11) - The Special Olympics World Games begin Saturday with the opening ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and competition at three sites in what the head of the organizing committee said will be "one of the most inspirational events in sports of all time.''

"As you look at our athletes and you learn to love them the way they are, accept them for who they are, you learn to look at other people with
differences and realize we all have value," said Patrick McClenahan, president and chief executive of LA2015, its organizing committee.

The Games' mission is "awareness that leads to acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities,'' McClenahan said. "Every time we get

ESPN personality Colin Cowherd sells Connecticut home at a loss

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:02 AM / comment : 0 , ,

Hot Property: Colin Cowherd 
Sports radio host Colin Cowherd, who on Friday was dropped by ESPN for controversial comments made on his radio show, has sold his home in West Hartford, Conn., for $1.15 million, according to Estately.
He bought the house in 2010 for $1.34 million, records show.
Trimmed in white, the Colonial-style home was built in 2004 and has about 6,100 square feet of space across three floors.

Olympian and Dancing with the Stars champ Shawn Johnson gets engaged at Wrigley Field

By: Akhter Uddin on 12:56 AM / comment : 0

 
Congratulations are in order for Shawn Johnson — the Olympic gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion is engaged.
Johnson was at Chicago’s Wrigley Field Friday to throw out the game’s first pitch when her now-fiancé, NFL player Andrew East, surprised her by getting down on one knee on the field and popping the question.
The 23-year-old shared video of the proposal moment on Instagram: “Well I know it’s not a secret…. But I experienced the greatest surprise a girl could ever ask for

Why This Super Mario Bros Post-Credits Scene Was Cut From ‘Pixels’

By: Akhter Uddin on 12:27 AM / comment : 0

mario pixels movie appearance
Chris Columbus‘ Pixels starring Adam Sandler hits theaters this weekend, but one of the things you won’t see on this movie is a post credits scene. But a post credits “button” was originally written into the script featuring Mario from Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros franchise. Why did Mario end up on the cutting room floor? Find out about the Mario Pixels movie scene that didn’t happen.

First of all, there are no spoilers for Pixels coming up… but if you want to avoid learning if or how Mario might appear in the film until after you see the film, bookmark this story and come back.
One of the many things I was disappointed in the film Pixels was

A Young Woman Gets Possessed by the Devil, Yawn, in The Vatican Tapes

By: Akhter Uddin on 12:22 AM / comment : 0

 
The world needs another exorcism movie like it needs another land war in Asia, but I still had some hope for The Vatican Tapes. Its director, Mark Neveldine, is one-half of the team of Neveldine/Taylor, who gave us the amazing Crank movies, and it wouldn’t have been too foolish to hope that he might have infused this most tired of horror subgenres with some gonzo flair. Unfortunately, The Vatican Tapes is a tired, unscary, incoherent mess.
Let me summarize the plot: A young woman is possessed by the devil. The end.
Okay, fine, there’s a bit more to it than that, but not too much more. Her name is Angela (Olivia Dudley), and she’s preparing to move in with her

Katie Holmes spectacularly loses a game of 'Say Anything' on The Tonight Show

By: Akhter Uddin on 12:17 AM / comment : 0

 

The Tonight Show 

Katie Holmes did not fare so well during a game of “Say Anything” on The Tonight Show on Thursday, but we’ll give her top marks for effort and enthusiasm.
For the uninitiated, the game involves trading random words back and forth as quickly as possible, but “the first person to stumble, blank, or repeat a word loses that round. The winner of that round gets to apply a piece of clear tape to the loser’s face.” Because, at this point, Jimmy Fallon is just a straight-up mad comedy scientist.
The actress, currently guest-starring on Showtime’s Ray Donovan, was more game than you could imagine as Fallon delighted in making her look as ridiculous as possible. Check it out:

Source : ew.com
 

Wet Hot American Summer stars didn't need a gournal to know they had a cult hit

By: Akhter Uddin on 12:12 AM / comment : 0

 

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp 

Amid the red carpet premieres and the all-star cast behind Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, it’s easy to forget that when the original movie opened in 2001, it received lackluster response. It bombed at the box office and failed to impress critics (with EW’s Owen Gleiberman one of the few exceptions).
After a few years, however, Wet Hot American Summer’s reputation began to turn around. At the red carpet premiere for First Day of Camp in New York City, the

Happy National Hot Dog Day

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:48 PM / comment : 0 ,

Hot diggity dog! July is National Hot Dog Month and July 23 is National Hot Dog Day.
During hot dog season (Memorial Day to Labor Day), 818 hotdogs are eaten every second. And on the Fourth of July, Americans devour approximately 150 million hot dogs; that's enough to stretch from coast to coast five times.
Depending on where you are, hot dogs can look and taste completely different. From slaw dogs in the South to Chicago dogs in the Second City to Detroit's Coney dogs, cities take their hot dogs very seriously.
One of the first mentions of cooking sausages can be found in Homer's Odyssey: "As when a man besides a great fire has filled a sausage with fat and blood and turns it this way and that and is very eager to get it quickly roasted."
Hot dogs have come a long way since Homer's days. These days you'll find bacon-wrapped, fried hot dogs and even chicken, turkey and veggie dogs.
As for toppings, a hot dog loves them all. Whether you stick to simple ketchup and mustard, add chili or sauerkraut, hot dogs do not discriminate. So, this month, take some time to experiment with a childhood classic that's all grown up.

Source : edition.cnn.com

Investigation Continues Into Death of Reality TV Lawyer Loredana Nesci; Boyfriend Held on $1M Bail

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:42 PM / comment : 0

An investigation continued Thursday into the death of reality TV lawyer Loredana Nesci, whose boyfriend was being held on $1 million bail in connection with the case.
Police were called to a home in the 1900 block of Nelson Avenue in Redondo Beach after they received a phone call Wednesday from a distraught man, later identified as 51-year-old Robert Reagan.
Arriving officers found the body of a 47-year-old woman who had been either shot or stabbed, according to Sgt. Fabian Saucedo of the Redondo Beach Police Department.
Police have not confirmed the victim’s identity, but Saucedo did say that the victim’s name had been released by neighbors and news media outlets.
Reagan and Nesci, a former Los Angeles police officer who became an attorney and was featured on television, lived together in the home where Nesci’s body was found, the Daily Breeze reported.
Among other family members, Nesci was being mourned by her younger brother, a police lieutenant in Meriden, Connecticut.
“We’ve dedicated the majority of our lives to preventing such senseless crimes, and now we find ourselves faced with this type of senseless crime,” Lt. Salvatore Nesci told WFSB in Hartford.
Nesci’s close friend Toni Moorhead described the victim as a loving mother to her young son.
“In school, he was learning how to write, and he wrote, ‘I love my mommy because she hugs me every day.’ That’s the kind of relationship they had,” Moorhead said. “That’s what I want people to know. First and foremost, she was the mother of a 5-year-old — a little boy that has lost his mother. I just — I don’t understand what happened. ”
Robert Reagan, 51, is seen in an image provided by the Redondo Beach Police Department.

NASA has found a “close cousin” to Earth

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:36 PM / comment : 0 ,

An artist's interpretation of Kepler 452b, believed to be a close cousin of Earth. (NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)
NASA scientists say they have found perhaps the most Earth-like planet ever discovered.
The planet, Kepler-452b, is 1,400 lightyears away from Earth, but its orbit is strikingly similar to our own planet’s. It is roughly as far from the star that it orbits as the Earth is from the Sun. That puts Kepler 452b within its star’s “habitable zone,” the distance at which a planet could contain liquid water—and, thus, life.
“On the 20th anniversary year of the discovery

Amazon (AMZN) Stock Spiking After Earnings Release, Surprise Quarterly Profit

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:26 PM / comment : 0

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Amazon.com Inc  (AMZN - Get Report) were spiking, sharply up 17.87% to $568.35 in after-hours trading Thursday, after the ecommerce giant reported a surprise profit in its latest quarterly earnings results.

For the second quarter ended June, Amazon earned 19 cents per share on revenue of $23.18 billion.
Both figures easily topped analysts' estimates of a loss of 14 cents a share on sales of $22.39 billion for the period, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters.
Amazon's operating margin, a key metric, was 2% versus the 1.1% from last quarter. Operating expenses increased by 17% year over year to $22.1 billion.
Sales of Amazon Web Services, its cloud computing service, increased to $1.82 billion from $1 billion in the previous year.
Last week, the ecommerce giant held its first Amazon Prime Day in an attempt to recreate Black Friday savings in the summer.
S&P Capital IQ equity analyst Tuna Amobi said in a video interview with TheStreet that he was looking for revenue growth to come up to the higher end of the company's guidance of around 17% to 18% growth.
Amobi was expecting a "good quarter" given that it has outperformed Wall Street's expectations in the last several quarters.
Shares of Amazon are up more than 55% so far this year, as it currently trades near record levels.
Seattle-based Amazon.com is an e-commerce company that sells a range of products and services through its various owned and affiliated websites.
Insight from TheStreet's Research Team:
Amazon.com is a part of Bryan Ashenberg's GrowthSeeker.com Portfolio. Here is what Ashenberg had to say about the stock in a recent weekly summary:
Amazon.com (Consumer Discretionary -- AMZN:Nasdaq, $488.10, 41 shares, 4.13%; $550 price target): Amazon's shares rocketed 7% higher this week ahead of its second- quarter earnings release due on Thursday after the market close.
To be clear, expectations are sky-high for Amazon, which is quite a difference relative to how we went into the past few quarterly prints. Nonetheless, this week the markets forgot about Ray Romano and went with "Everyone Loves Amazon." On Tuesday, UBS upgraded the stock to a Buy rating from a Neutral, and increased its price target to $550 from $450. And on Monday, Wedbush raised the stock's rating to Outperform from Neutral and raised its price target to $575 from $435. Not wanting to be left out, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch joined the fray on Monday, bumping its target to $535 from $475 and reiterating its Buy rating.
We also saw Amazon flex the strength of its Prime membership muscles this week when it offered its Prime Day sale to mixed customer reviews. Some negative reviews notwithstanding (and we don't believe the negativity is warranted), Amazon says it sold more units on Prime Day than on the biggest Black Friday it ever had, as customers ordered 34.4 million items and bought a record number of Amazon-branded devices, such as Fire and Kindle. We believe these types of sales will be seen at least annually.
As we head into the quarterly print, we reiterate that even though we are not looking for Amazon to maximize near-term profitability, we believe a focus on profitability needs to continue to be in the forefront of management's efforts. Amazon's first- quarter results and the newfound information on the marked profitability of the Amazon Web Services segment lead us to conclude that the stock remains undervalued.
Despite the company's improved profitability -- and maybe even because of it -- we believe management will continue to spend heavily and invest to dominate the markets in which Amazon does business. And as AWS shows, management knows what they are doing and Wall Street will have to be patient.
We remain long-term bullish on the company as it continues to spend on growth initiatives, including Fire TV, Fire Phone, Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, grocery, international, Sunday delivery, Echo and new fulfillment and sorting centers that enable same-day delivery, at the expense of -- but not with total disregard for -- near- term profits.
- Bryan Ashenberg, 'Growth Seeker Weekly Summary' originally published 7/20/2015 on GrowthSeeker.com.
Want more information like this from Bryan Ashenberg BEFORE your stock moves? Learn more about GrowthSeeker.com now.
Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates AMAZON.COM INC as a Hold with a ratings score of C. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:
"We rate AMAZON.COM INC (AMZN) a HOLD. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed ,some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, robust revenue growth and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and feeble growth in the company's earnings per share."
You can view the full analysis from the report here: AMZN Ratings Report

AMZN Chart
AMZN data by YCharts

Source : thestreet.com

Alan Grayson focusing on Allen West

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:10 PM / comment : 0 ,

Akhter Uddin News : Alan Grayson focusing on Allen West

Apparently the prospects of Democrat U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, Republican U.S. Reps. David Jolly or Ron DeSantis or Republican Lt. Gov. Carlos López-Cantera becoming Florida's next U.S. senator aren't scary enough for some supporters of U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.
So the Democratic congressman from Orlando is warning his supporters that his real rival may be former U.S. Rep. Allen West, a hardline conservative Republican who has every bit the gift for inflammatory rhetoric that makes Grayson so popular among

Astros acquire Scott Kazmir from Oakland for two prospects

By: Akhter Uddin on 3:56 PM / comment : 0

Akhter Uddin news-Astros acquire Scott Kazmir from Oakland for two prospects
Scott Kazmir, who went 15th in the first-round draft to the Mets, talks to the Mets on the phone, as his former bat boy for his Cy Falls high school team, R.J. Powell, 8, listens to the conversation in Kazmir's home Tuesday afternoon. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle).
Three years ago, Scott Kazmir was pitching in independent ball in Sugar Land, unwanted by any major league team. The lefthander later turned his career around with the Indians, and two winters ago considered signing with the Astros — who were prepared to offer more money — but went to the Oakland Athletics.
On Thursday, the former first-round pick out of Cy Falls high school finally made it to

WhatsApp feature means you can mark new messages 'unread'

By: Akhter Uddin on 11:39 PM / comment : 0


Forgetting to reply to WhatsApp messages could be a thing of the past.
In the new update for the Android app, messages can be marked as ‘unread’ by tapping and holding the conversation. They are given a green status, serving as a reminder for users to reply to someone another time.
The read message inside the chat remains unaffected, as does the order of the chat history, according to Android Police.
The messaging service also has a new custom notifications setting, giving users the ability to mute a conversation for eight hours, one week or one year.
Tones, vibration lengths and pop-up notifications can also be customised.
A low data usage option for WhatsApp voice calls has been implemented and the new sections showing Google Drive backup usage suggests that the feature could be returning after it was introduced and deleted earlier this year.
The update can currently only be downloaded manually.

Source : independent.co.uk

Tesla reveals new Model S options including "Ludicrous mode"

By: Akhter Uddin on 9:12 PM / comment : 0


While everyone’s waiting for the Model X, Tesla is offering new tech upgrades for its Model S.

While the world waits for electric car maker Tesla to deliver its next car, the Model X, CEO Elon Musk on Friday announced three new options for the company’s Model S electric car.
They include a longer battery range, a lower priced car, and “Ludicrous mode” for faster acceleration.
Drivers will be able to upgrade their Model S from a 85 kilowatt-hour battery pack to a 90 kilowatt-hour battery. The new extended range will increase the pack energy by 5%, and add about 15 miles of range.
The battery upgrade, which will cost $3,000

The DJ-producer teams up with the Disciples for a fresh sound

By: Akhter Uddin on 9:06 PM / comment : 0


Calvin Harris’ last studio album, 2014’s stagnant Motion, succeeded when he let his guest-stars shine—the Haim team-up “Pray to God” should be textbook EDM-rock fusion—and strayed from the beats for which he’s best known. So it’s a good sign that latest song from the highest-paid DJ in the world, “How Deep Is Your Love,” doesn’t evoke the pummeling build-ups and synthesizer onslaughts of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” or Cheryl Cole’s “Call My Name.” Instead, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend opts for some slow-burning house with the help of London-based producers Disciples and Norwegian songwriter Ina Wroldsen. If his next album sounds this fresh, the love will go pretty deep, actually.

Source : time.com

Early movers: GE, STI, HON, GOOGL, MAT, SLB & more

By: Akhter Uddin on 8:59 PM / comment : 0

New York Stock Exchange.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
General Electric—GE's latest earnings report offered a handful of different earnings numbers, but 28 cents—which matches estimates—is the one that's comparable to analyst forecasts. Separately, GE offered concessions in its bid to win European approval for its proposed $13.5 billion acquisition of Alstom's power unit. The deal for the French company's power business would be GE's biggest-ever acquisition, but it's been running into antitrust concerns. GE did not provide details on exactly what concessions it offered.

SunTrust Banks—The bank earned an adjusted 86 cents per share for its latest quarter, 5 cents above estimates, with revenue also beating forecasts. The beat came despite a drop in the key profitability measure of net interest margin.

Honeywell—The industrial manufacturer beat estimates by 2 cents with quarterly profit of $1.51 per share. Revenue was slightly above forecasts, and the company also raised the low end of its 2015 guidance. Honeywell's results were helped by a drop in costs.

Google—The company reported adjusted quarterly profit of $6.99 per share, 29 cents above estimates, with revenue essentially in line. That comes despite a drop in ad prices and significant investments in existing and potential new businesses.

Mattel—Mattel surprised the Street with an adjusted quarterly profit of 1 cent per share, compared to consensus estimates of a loss of 4 cents per share. Revenue was slightly below forecasts for the toy maker, but investors appear pleased with new CEO Christopher Sinclair's turnaround efforts.

Schlumberger—Schlumberger earned an adjusted 88 cents per share for its latest quarter, 9 cents above estimates, and revenue also came in above Street forecasts. The oilfield services company benefited from reduced expenses, amid a drop in global drilling activity.

Advanced Micro Devices—AMD reported an adjusted quarterly loss of 17 cents per share, matching analyst estimates, but revenue came in below projections, and the chip maker's current quarter revenue forecast is below consensus estimates. AMD is feeling the impact of a continuing decline in personal computer demand.

Hertz Global—Hertz completed a multi-year restatement of its financials, with the auto rental giant trimming 2012 and 2013 profit by more than $50 million. At the same time, Hertz announced plans to cut costs as well as a $1 billion share buyback program.

J.M. Smucker—The food company increased its quarterly dividend to 67 cents per share from 64 cents. The 5 percent increase will be paid on September 1 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 14.

Ericsson—Ericsson reported a 20 percent drop in second quarter profit, even as the wireless equipment maker saw broadband market demand in North America stabilize.

Peabody Energy, Arch Coal—The two were sued by the coal industry's pension plan. The union wants the two to pick up nearly $800 million in pension liabilities of Patriot Coal, which filed for bankruptcy in May. Patriot was created from assets once owned by Peabody and Arch.

Source : cnbc.com

Ex-Reddit Employee Says CEO Ellen Pao Fired Him Because He Had Leukemia

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:46 AM / comment : 0

An ex-Reddit employee is accusing the company’s controversial CEO, Ellen Pao, of firing him because she thought he was too sick to work after his years-long battle with leukemia.

The employee, David Croach, wrote on the Reddit website on Friday that following a meeting with Pao in San Francisco in February, she called to tell him that he “was to be terminated in less than a week.”

“When I asked what the specific reason was, she had roughly stated that ‘because of our discussion, you are too sick to properly fulfill your duties as Community Manager,'” wrote Croach, who posted the entry under his online moniker, Dacvak.

If accurate — and Reddit did not immediately return a request for comment — Pao’s move would be somewhat hypocritical given her high-profile discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, the venture capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins.

Pao sued the company in 2012 claiming that she was fired for gender discrimination. An acrimonious trial ensued, with the company claiming that Pao was fired for performance reasons. A jury sided with Kleiner Perkins and ordered Pao to pay back $276,000 to cover the company’s attorney fees.

Croach’s post comes just days after a popular Reddit employee, Victoria Taylor, was fired under suspicious circumstances. Taylor, who helped monitor the site’s popular “Ask Me Anything” question-and-answer sessions, oversaw one earlier this week with civil rights activist Jesse Jackson. In it, Reddit users asked Jackson numerous confrontational questions to which he responded in a scatter-shot manner. (RELATED: Reddit Ask Me Anything Goes Horribly Wrong For Jesse Jackson)

In his post, Croach described his battle with leukemia and praised Reddit’s now-departed CEO Yishan Wong and former general manager Erik Martin for keeping him on while he went through chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

“Eventually I was cured of leukemia (or so I thought) and was finally able to begin working at reddit. About a year went by while I worked (mostly remotely) for reddit, until I was once again ready to move to their headquarters,” Croach wrote.


He said that he was cancer-free for the next year and was planning, once again, to move to San Francisco to work at Reddit headquarters.

“Unfortunately, weeks before moving, I had relapsed and my leukemia came back, this time harder than ever,” Croach wrote.

Despite that setback, Croach said that Wong and Martin “made the decision to not only keep my job open, but help me by continuing to offer me payment from the company until I was once again ready to return to work.”

Croach said it wasn’t until late last year that he was able to return to work remotely. He lives near Pittsburgh.

But his excitement was soon tempered when Pao, who joined Reddit in 2013, took over following Wong’s departure in November and instituted a new policy that required all employees to work from the San Francisco office.

In January, Croach said he flew out to San Francisco and attended a three-day seminar. He also met with Pao to discuss his future with the company and his moving plans. He said he planned to move to the Bay area two or three months later, and he says she told him she was “100% fine” with that.

But, Croach wrote: “Less than a month later, in February of 2015, I received a call from Ellen stating that I was to be terminated in less than a week.”

“When I asked what the specific reason was, she had roughly stated that ‘because of our discussion, you are too sick to properly fulfill your duties as Community Manager,'” he claimed.

After Croach pleaded with Pao for his job, he said she relented and said that if he received clearance from a doctor to work from San Francisco he could stay on.

“Unfortunately, a day later, she had called and once again stated that I was fired, stating that work would be too demanding for my health,” Croach claimed.

While Croach said he is thankful to Pao for covering his medical insurance for a year as part of his severance package, he said he is devastated.

“I honestly still don’t know why I was let go from reddit, but it was a devastating blow, especially because I was finally able to return to work after so much time,” Croach wrote.

Croach did not immediately respond to an interview request.

Source : dailycaller.com

SONY REPORTS PLAYSTATION NETWORK OUTAGES

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:41 AM / comment : 0

Key parts of the PlayStation Network are currently down for a majority of users.
The PSN Status page shows Account Management, Gaming and Social, PlayStation Video, and the PlayStation Store are all currently experiencing issues on the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation 4.
IGN has reached out to Sony and will update with any additional information. 
Source : ign.com

Serena Williams Avoids Upset at Wimbledon by Heather Watson

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:35 AM / comment : 0 ,


Serena Williams’s year of living very dangerously in the Grand Slam tournaments continued on Friday.

After what seemed a routine opening set against the unseeded British player Heather Watson, Williams soon found herself on the brink of what would have been a massive third-round upset on Centre Court as Watson won the second set and then served for the match at 5-4 in the third.

But Williams, the world’s No. 1 player, again found a way to wriggle free and keep alive her quest for her first calendar-year Grand

Reddit’s Latest Controversy Perfectly Captures Reddit’s Biggest Problem

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:31 AM / comment : 0

reddit

Startups like Uber have an independent contractor problem. Companies like Facebook have a user privacy problem. Twitter has a growth problem.

And Reddit — no surprise — has a moderator problem. And it’s a very loud and noisy one.

The social news service has thousands of loyal, unpaid moderators who produce and curate the lion’s share of content on the site. But a staff firing and the controversy that erupted thereafter yesterday has moderators of some of the most influential and important parts of the site closing off their sections in protest, posing a serious problem for Reddit’s future.

For a complete rundown of what happened, Gawker’s Ashley Feinberg has compiled a detailed and incisive look at full the series of events.

The gist of it is this: Reddit’s comms director

Brandi Glanville Calls Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Costars the C-Word: "I Don't Like Them"

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:11 AM / comment : 0

Brandi GlanvilleBrandi Glanville held nothing back when talking about her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills costars on Howard Stern's radio showCredit: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Brandi uncensored! Brandi Glanville really didn't mince words when she chatted with Howard Stern about her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills costars during an interview for Stern's SiriusXM radio show on Wednesday, July 1.
Asked about her recent announcement that she would not be returning to the Bravo series as a full-time cast member for Season 6, the Drinking and Tweeting author, 42, said she'd struggled with how she was portrayed on the show — as an acerbic troublemaker who didn't get along with veteran Housewives Kyle Richards andLisa Vanderpump. 
"Last year was a really tough year for me, because I felt like I played ball — you know, I gave my all to the show," Glanville told Stern. "And then when it aired, I felt like, 'Oh my god, they did me no favors in the editing room.' And I got really upset and a little depressed because of it."
In part because of that, she was really against doing another season, even though it would have meant a much bigger payday. (According to the interview, she made just $16,000 as a "friend" in Season 2, but earned over $100,000 as a full-time star — and was due for another raise soon.)
"I didn't want to do the show again, 'cause I took so much heat," the Bravo-lebrity told Stern. "I was doing things to my own detriment that I couldn't explain, like throwing wine in someone's face. And then I slapped Vanderpump. I really don't know why." 
All that resulted in "so much hate on social media," which led Glanville to question her role on the series. "I really didn't want to come back, I had other offers to do other things," she shared. "And I said, 'Listen, I will come back if it makes sense, if it's with Yolanda [Foster] or if it's with Kim [Richards]. Otherwise, I don't talk to any of the other ladies, and I don't like them.'"
Glanville went on to note her specific issues with Vanderpump and Richards, recalling how they often refused to shoot with her. She also suggested her costars were behind the rumor that she'd been fired from the show. 
"Here's what sucks, and this is why they're c--ts," she told Stern. "They are. Because they're saying I got fired, I'm in the process of moving, trying to rent a house for my two children, and no one will rent to me because they don't think I have a job. They're like, 'Are you sure you're not fired?' I'm like, 'I have 10 other jobs, I have a new show that I'm gonna be doing that I can't talk about yet, and a development deal with a really big network. So I have jobs, and I wasn't fired from the Housewives.'"
The reality star also got candid about her love life on Wednesday, dishing to Stern about her rocky romance with an unnamed boyfriend. (After her marriage to ex-husband Eddie Cibrian imploded as a result of his affair with now-wife LeAnn Rimes, Glanville romanced a series of men including an NBA player, True Blood actor Mehcad Brooks, Gerard Butler, and real estate agent Jonathan Ruiz, who appeared on the most recent season of RHOBH.)
"The problem is, our physical relationship is so great, but we just don't get along otherwise," she said of her on-again, off-again beau. "Like, if he didn't talk, we would be together forever."
Generally speaking, she added, dating has been difficult since her divorce. "I have serious trust issues, and when I start to have feelings for somebody, I tend to sabotage it and break up with them before they break my heart, because I'm afraid of that again," she admitted, alluding to her divorce from Cibrian, with whom she shares sons Mason, 12, and Jake, 8. "I have to be strong and independent for my kids, and I can't go through that again."
She added: "I dated this guy who was very rich — he had a plane and all this stuff — but he cheated on me, too! And he was short, Jewish, with a hairy back! I was like, 'What the f--k?'"
It's not just her past that interferes with romance, though. "My dating life started to suck when I went on reality TV, because no one wants to date the crazy chick on TV," she quipped. "It's scary for them. They either want to because I'm on TV, or they don't want to at all."

Source : usmagazine.com

Report: Danny Green agrees to four-year, $45 million deal to remain with Spurs

By: Akhter Uddin on 4:02 AM / comment : 0

Danny Green was expected to receive significant interest around the league as an unrestricted free agent. He’s a prototypical three-and-D guy who started in 80 regular season games for a very good Spurs team last year, and averaged career highs in scoring and rebounding while shooting 41.8 percent from three-point distance.
San Antonio knows just how valuable Green is, so they wasted little time in getting him to re-sign.
Sources: Danny Green has agreed to a 4 year, $45 million deal with the Spurs
This is a reasonable deal for what Green provides, and honestly it’s very possible he could’ve earned even more had a change of scenery been a real option.
Locking up Green was necessary, but it puts further strain on the Spurs from a salary cap standpoint, especially as they look to convince a max-level player like LaMarcus Aldridge to join the team’s roster.
San Antonio almost certainly would need to move the $8.25 million contract of Tiago Splitter, and may also now need to part ways with the $3.57 million deal that’s guaranteed to Patty Mills in order to create the necessary space to offer Aldridge the max.
There are ways to do that, but it won’t necessarily be easy. If we do see one or both of those players moved in a deal, it’ll be a strong sign that the Spurs are getting closer to securing a commitment from a max-level player, which would immediately place them in the top tier of teams that would be favorites to contend for a title next season.

The annual deferred payments to Bobby Bonilla actually worked out quite well for the Mets

By: Akhter Uddin on 3:52 AM / comment : 0

If you are a conscious baseball fan, or someone who appreciates irony, or any sort of sentient being, you likely know by now that the New York Mets pay long-retired former player Bobby Bonilla some $1.2 million a year every year on July 1 as part of a deferred payment schedule they negotiated when buying out Bonilla’s $5.9 million contract before the 2000 season. You probably heard about it this morning, or around this time last year, or in 2013, or the year before that, or the year before that, and so on.

When they agreed to the new terms with Bonilla in 2000, the Mets’ owners believed they were receiving outrageous returns on their investment with Bernard Madoff, so the move made financial sense for the club given the information it had. Once Madoff’s Ponzi scheme became public and the Mets fell into financial ruin, Bonilla’s contract became an obvious and, to be fair, hilarious

Sharks acquire Martin Jones from Bruins

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:51 AM / comment : 0

Martin Jones, who only appeared in 15 games last season with the Kings, will likely get more opportunity in the Sharks crease. (Google Images)

The San Jose Sharks found their starting goaltender for next season, acquiring Martin Jones in a trade from the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
The Sharks sent a 2016 first-round pick and unsigned forward prospect Sean Kuraly to the Bruins for Jones, four days after he had been dealt from San Jose's biggest rival Los Angeles to Boston.
"Martin was at the top of our list of players that we had targeted," general manager Doug Wilson said. "We're extremely excited to have him on board."
The Bruins acquired Jones at the draft Friday in a package for left wing Milan Lucic. With Tuukka Rask entrenched as the starter, the Bruins ended up flipping the pending restricted free agent Jones for more young players.
In all, Boston got two first-round picks, defence prospect Colin Miller and Kuraly for Lucic. The Bruins used the pick from the Kings on defenceman Jakub Zboril.
Finding a No. 1 goalie had been one of the top priorities for the Sharks this off-season as they look to get to the post-season after having their 10-year playoff run snapped this past season.
San Jose dealt the negotiating rights to pending unrestricted free agent Antti Niemi to Dallas over the weekend. Niemi had been the starter the past five seasons but the Sharks were looking for a younger, and more consistent, option in goal for next season.
Although the 25-year-old Jones played just 15 games last season, he has been a standout backup for two years in Los Angeles, winning his NHL-record first eight career starts in late 2013 before earning a Stanley Cup ring in 2014.
Jones has played 34 games and started 29 in two seasons as Jonathan Quick's backup on the Kings. He has a 16-11-2 record with a 1.99 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and seven career shutouts.
Jones has a much lengthier record in the minors, having posted an 84-57-10 record with a 2.42 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in parts of four seasons with Manchester in the AHL.
Jones joins a goaltending group that includes last year's backup Alex Stalock and minor league Troy Grosenick. Stalock struggled in intermittent playing time last year with an 8-9-2 record and 2.62 goals-against average. He showed promise the previous year with a 1.87 goals-against average in 24 appearances.
Grosenick had a shutout in one of his two appearances last season, but spent most of the year in the minors or recovering from a concussion.
Kuraly was drafted by San Jose in the fifth round in 2011. He had 19 goals and 10 assists in 40 games for Miami University last season. He is entering his senior season.

Source:  http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/sharks-acquire-martin-jones-from-bruins-1.3133548

Misty Copeland's Historic Rise to Principal

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:29 AM / comment : 0

Misty Copeland was the first African American ballerina to dance the iconic dual role of Odette/Odile with American Ballet Theatre. On June 30, 2015, she was named the company's first ever female African American principal dancer. American Ballet Theatre
The name Misty Copeland has become known far beyond the dance-obsessed circles of bunheads and balletomanes. For the first time in decades, it seems, an American ballerina has broken into mainstream culture. When American Ballet Theatre announced its promotions and new company members Tuesday, she also made history as the first African-American woman to become a principal dancer with the company, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Copeland, born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in San Pedro, California began dancing at 13, which for a female ballet dancer is positively ancient. Nevertheless, she quickly won awards and scholarships and joined ABT’s Studio Company in 2000. Less than a year later, she became a member of the corps de ballet in the main company, and was promoted to soloist in August 2007. At the time of that promotion, she became the company’s first African-American soloist in more than two decades.
In recent years, Copeland has spoken extensively about her path as an African-American woman climbing toward the upper echelons of the ballet world, inspiring young dancers and making herself widely known. She was named National Youth of the Year Ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2013 and was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition in 2014. She is an advisory committee member for ABT’s Project Plie, a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America that aims to “increase racial and ethnic representation in ballet and to diversify America's ballet companies.”

 Over the last several years, Copeland has been the subject of countless stories in dance-specific publications as well as in mainstream media outlets, including an in-depth New Yorker profile. She was also the protagonist in the documentary A Ballerina’s Tale, which screened at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In April of this year, Copeland graced the cover of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015 issue. She has garnered a loyal following on social media, with nearly 50,000 followers on her very active Twitter account and more than half a million on Instagram. Needless to say, Tuesday’s news sparked a slew of congratulations:

Source:  http://www.newsweek.com/misty-copeland-makes-history-first-black-woman-become-principal-dancer-abt-348822
 

California governor signs strict school vaccine legislation

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:15 AM / comment : 0

Otto Coleman, 6, waits outside Calif. Governor Jerry Brown's office Monday, June 29, 2015, with his brother Fenton, 4, and father Joshua, to deliver petitions calling on Brown to veto a measure requiring nearly all the state's students to be vaccinated. Photo Credit: AP

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Jerry Brown wasted no time Tuesday in signing a contentious California bill to impose one of the strictest school vaccination laws in the country following an outbreak of measles at Disneyland late last year.
Brown, a Democrat, issued a signing statement just one day after lawmakers sent him the bill to strike California's personal belief exemption for immunizations, a move that requires nearly all public schoolchildren to be vaccinated. The bill takes effect next year.
"The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases," Brown wrote. "While it's true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community."
California joins Mississippi and West Virginia as the only states with such strict requirements.
Democratic Sens. Richard Pan of Sacramento and Ben Allen of Santa Monica introduced the measure after the outbreak at the theme park in December infected over 100 people in the U.S. and Mexico.
The bill likely would be successful in increasing immunization rates and stopping the spread of disease, pediatric doctors said Monday after the state Senate sent the legislation to the governor.
Medical exemptions would still be granted to children with serious health issues. The measure applies to public and private schools, as well as day care facilities.
The bill has seen heated opposition from parents who have come by the thousand to protest at the Capitol in recent weeks. The topic has drawn such acidic debate that the authors have been added under extra security and a recall effort has been launched against at least two lawmakers who supported the proposal.
Opponents assert that the state is eliminating informed consent and trampling on parental rights. Similar legislation was dropped in Oregon earlier this year because opposition was so fierce.
Despite fervent pushback, the bill passed both the California Legislature with bipartisan support.
Brown said he was able to support the measure because the authors agreed to make it easier to obtain medical exemptions. SB277 was amended to allow doctors to use a family's medical history as an evaluating factor.
The authors also agreed to establish a grandfather clause, allowing students who currently claim a personal belief exemption to maintain it until their next vaccine checkpoint. Checkpoints occur in kindergarten and seventh grade.
Children whose parents refuse vaccination can try to obtain a medical exemption or be homeschooled.

Source:  http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/california-governor-jerry-brown-signs-vaccination-bill-removing-personal-belief-exemption-1.10596051

 

Briton launches crowdfunding campaign to pay off Greece debt

By: Akhter Uddin on 1:04 AM / comment : 0

Thom Feeney says he can see why some might think it’s a joke but he is serious about trying to help the Greek people. Photograph: Niklas Halle/AFP/Getty Images

As the Greek government and its creditors are locked in talks ahead of a deadline for the country to meet a £1.6bn debt repayment, an online crowdfunding campaign started by a London shoe shop worker is aiming to break the impasse by collecting a Greek bailout fund of his own.
Thom Feeney, 29, launched the campaign to raise the money, calling on all Europeans to “chip in a few euro” and end the standoff. As of Tuesday afternoon more than €250,000 (£177,000) had been pledged from almost 15,000 people, or around 0.01% of the total amount.
Indiegogo, the crowdfunding site which is hosting the campaign, went offline on Tuesday, perhaps creaking under the weight of generous donors coming to Greece’s aid. The page has so far been shared 97,000 times on Facebook and had more than 20,000 shares on Twitter.
Despite offering dubious perks for big donations – €3 for a postcard of Alexis Tsipras, or a bottle of Greek wine for €25 – Feeney is adamant the initiative is not a joke.
“I can understand why people might take it as a joke, but crowdfunding can really help because it’s just a case of getting on and doing it,” he said on its website.
“I was fed up of the Greek crisis going round in circles, while politicians are dithering, this is affecting real people. While all the posturing is going on, then it’s easy for the politicians to forget that. I just thought, sod it, I’ll have a crack.”
He confirmed that, as yet, no Greek or other European leader had been in touch regarding the offer. All donations will be refunded if the target is not reached within seven days, Feeney said.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/30/briton-crowdfunding-campaign-greece-debt-thom-feeney
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