NFL players react to the color-changing dress

Well the internet is all in a tizzy because of some nonesense this morning. On the plus size, the fact that weve spent so much time trying to figure out what colors are is defintive proof that racism has ended. But on the minus side, were wasting so much of our debate-time on such a trival matter that theres not going to be any outrage to use on real issues, like whether Adrian Petersons uniform next year should be gold and purple, or black and white horizontal stripes.

But we took the time to collect the instant reactons of your favorite NFL players and league personaltys in regards to how they see the mystery dress. If you hear of any other dress takes please leave them in the comment section below.

"Pros: Shifty, dyed-in-the-wool type. Cons: True colors come out when the bright lights come on." -Anonmous NFL Scout

"It only matters what color the dress is when no ones watching" -JJ Watt

"Im literaly a billionare 4-time superbowl champion quarteback married to a supermodel I never need to use the internet for anything go f**k yourself" -Tom Brady

"Hello Mr. Goodell, yes Im being asked what color the dress is and I- yes sir- its black and blue? Got it. Thanks." -Peter King

"That dress is so obvously blue. I can tell because I havent completed a pass to it." -Eli Manning

"Stop stitchin" -Aaron Hernendez

"They made a article of clothing where people cant tell the difference between the two colors? Do they design uniforms to? " -Jimmy Haslam

"That dress isnt black enough"- Unnamed Seahawks players

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/2015/2/27/8120025/nfl-players-react-to-the-color-changing-dress

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Is Khloe Kardashian Joining E!'s 'Fashion Police?'

Could Khloe Kardashian be added to the cast of E!s Fashion Police? According to a new report, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is in talks to join the show, possibly replacing Kelly Osbourne on Giuliana Rancic.

As the Inquisitr previously reported, scandal rocked the set of Fashion Police after Rancic was accused of making racist remarks against Zendaya Colemans hair. The incident led Coleman to speak out in an elaborate social media post, and a short time later, Osbourne threatened to quit in a series of tweets.

During the on air diss, someone allegedly claimed Colemans hair may have smelled like weed, to which Osbourne, a friend of Khloe Kardashian, claimed, I DID NOT MAKE THE WEED COMENT. I DO NOT CONDONE RACISM SO AS A RSULT OF THIS IM SEREIOULSY QUESTIONONIG STAYING ON THE SHOW! [sic]

After Colemans post was made, Rancic apologized on air for her comments, and Coleman seemingly accepted her apology in a second post.

On February 27, a source revealed the following regarding Khloe Kardashians possible addition to the show to Radar Online.

[Khloe Kardashian] is now in talks to join Fashion Police as a cast member. Having done several gigs as a special correspondent, Khloe absolutely loves being a part of Fashion Police.

Khloe Kardashian has made guest appearances on the E! show, and the filming staff is reportedly on board with her joining the series.

The crew truly likes working with [Khloe Kardashian] because she doesnt take herself to seriously and is a true professional. With [Khloe Kardashian], there is no drama, she arrives ready to go.

The source revealed that the Kardashian familys newly signed $100 million deal may include an option in [Khloe Kardashians] contract to have a larger role with Fashion Police.

In other Khloe Kardashian news, the reality star is reportedly on the verge of giving her husband, Lamar Odom, a second chance. In a report by E! News this week, it was revealed Odom had recently surfaced in Los Angeles. The former NBA player hadnt been photographed for five months before he was seen hiking at a local park.

Khloe Kardashian married Odom in 2009, and filed for divorce in 2013, months after reports claimed he was using drugs and cheating on her with multiple women.

The couple has yet to address rumors of a possible reconciliation.

Khloe Kardashian returns to E! in Keeping Up With The Kardashians Season 10 on March 15 at 9 p.m.

[Photo via Twitter]

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/1881303/is-khloe-kardashian-joining-es-fashion-police/

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The Real Meaning Of The Blue Black White Gold Dress

A dress that seems to be different colors to different people has all the Internet intrigued - and that's a good thing. It's a good way to understand science and psychology.

There are two hypotheses as to why people see dramatically different things; one is that our brains are constantly being bombarded by information and so we end up making a lot of assumptions and interpretations based on parameters. If you are looking up close at something and infer a blue background, you see the dress differently than people who assume it has an artificial light background, like yellow.

Then there is color constancy. Our retinas use rods and cones which contain a visual pigment embedded in the cell membrane of the photoreceptor to see color or black and white. Rods are sensitive to black, white and shades of gray while the three types of cones are sensitive to red, green and blue. But cones do not work as well in low light so things with varying brightness look different.(1)

Look at the cube on the left, courtesy of AsapSCIENCE.(2) The shadow makes the color of two identical blocks look like different colors.

We compensate to make the same color brown appear lighter in shadows - neuroscientists call that discounting the chromatic bias.

Blue cones are much less sensitive to light, you need twice as much to get the same response as with red and green. So light matters in looking at the blue dress. What is the light source for everyone looking at the dress? A tablet or a PC monitor, all of which have varying levels of brightness being viewed in variously lit rooms on various quality screens. If we were all in the same room using the same light, it would look the same color, but not on tablets and monitors.

It was only a matter of time before someone started making value judgments on the whole dress thing - no, it was not Mother Jones insisting that super-smart liberals see one color while evil Republicans see another (though that is probably in the works), instead it was humanities people elitely lamenting that anyone cared about this.

In actuality, a lot of people got a lot smarter about eyes and color perception because of this. Perhaps not everyone, some people always learn just enough to be wrong, like Mother Jones when it comes to science. In film, learning some color theory is why Michael Bay movies can be so painful to watch - he learned that in color theory, gold and teal are opposites and so will draw the eye's attention to whatever is between them. In 2009's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", he filmed the entire movie hammering everything with those two colors, which meant he was constantly pulling on our brains.

The real mind blower is how other creatures might see that dress.While we have 3 visual pigments plus black and white, a mantis shrimp has 16.They are not just seeing red, green and blue, they can perceive polarized light and multispectral images and can detect five different frequencies just in deep ultraviolet. To a mantis shrimp, that blue dress could be really blue.

The only creature that can truly see a mantis shrimp in all its glory is another mantis shrimp.

NOTES:

(1)

Credit: UCLA

(2)

Source: http://www.science20.com/science_20/the_real_meaning_of_the_blue_black_white_gold_dress-153567

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"Jihadi John" identified as Kuwaiti-born Briton Mohammed Emwazi

Kuwaiti-bornBritishnationalMohammedEmwazi has been identified as the so-called Islamic State militant Jihadi John who has been seen in several videos decapitating captives.

Initially identified by an American newspaper after British media were told not to name him by British security services, his identity has now been confirmed by US government sources.

Emwazi came to Britain as a child and was a member of a wealthy family living in West London before it is believed he became radicalised around 2009 when he graduated. He was then arrested when trying to enter Tanzania. and then interrogated by MI5 in the Netherlands on his return journey.

The following year he was detained again and fingerprinted, and prevented from going to Kuwait where he wanted to marry a local woman.

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2015/02/26/jihadi-john-identified-as-kuwaiti-born-briton-mohammedemwazi/

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Focus: 100 Minutes of Mansplaining

Yes, it's a fun caper movie. But please stop making films like this.

Warner Bros.

Hollywood, that shimmering city upon hills, has a race problem. And a gender problem. And lots of other problems, like earthquakes and mudslides, and abysmally low vaccination rates and Scientology. At first glance, Focus, which stars Will Smith as a 46-year-old Millennial with secret pain, might appear to address at least one of these problemsits based on an original screenplay by directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (the team behind Crazy Stupid Love), and it stars a hugely successful black actor in a role that hardly even glances at race. It has an entertaining, James Bondish-premiseSmiths character, Nicky Spurgeon, is a con man who travels all around the world pursuing a career that looks complicated but essentially involves petty theft.

Related Story

Charm, Offensive: The Casual Misogynies of Hitch

But its also a film so backward in its treatment of women that it makes you wonder if its creators were raised by Trappists. Its a movie that Gamergate participants will unabashedly love, in that there is only one woman in it, she is insanely beautiful, all she does in the film is wear minimal clothing and ask men to impart all their manly wisdom, and all the men do in her presence is talk about hitting that and distract her with sparkly pink flower necklaces and imagine her having s*x with other women and complain that shes having the worlds longest period.

It might surprise you (it does me!) that movies like this still get made without anyone poking their head in to point out that not all wives are nagging shrews, and not all beautiful women are skanks, and not all men are experts whose wisdom women crave with every fiber of their Juicy Coutured beings. And yet here we are. In the movies opening scene, Nicky is quietly enjoying dinner and a bottle of red wine when Jess (Margot Robbie) runs up to his table and asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend, ostensibly because shes on a bad date. He offers her a drink, she asks how he knows so much about difficult things like wine, and they agree that its all very complicated. They retire to her room, her angry husband storms in, and it becomes clear that shes trying to con him. Only he, Nicky Spurgeon, is the worlds most brilliant con man, and he wont give them his money, but he will make fun of them for being so amateur, tell them how much he likes b***s, and then walk away.

After this, Jess decides to ask Nicky if he can train her in his debonair-criminal ways. Tutor me, she says. I was a dyslexic foster kid. Its amazing Im not a hooker right now. He teaches her some basic thievery skills, she follows him to New Orleans and gets inducted into his crew, a high-tech and well-organized band of people who pretend to be artists but are essentially pickpockets. Jess gets dressed up in a neon-pink, skin-tight Barbie gown, whereupon they find that her ability to distract men appears to be useful. One of the things they steal is also neon-pink, the aforementioned flower necklace, and Jess pouts and cries when Nicky wont let her keep it. After they sleep together, she asks him for an exit interview.

Warner Bros.

Following this, there are highs (B.D. Wong playing a mustachioed super-rich playboy with a gambling problem) and there are lows (B.D. Wong hearing Jess try to advise Nicky not to bet so high and telling Nicky that she sounds like my wife). Nicky tells Jess to put some clothes onthere are Australians here. Its never exactly clear whos conning whom, which is what makes things fun. And this is the truly sad partits a fun movie. Smith is vaguely world-weary as Nicky, and his charisma is more than sufficient to carry a goofy 100-minute caper film. A movie predicated on having more twists than the Monte Carlo Grand Prix can often become oddly predictable, because everyone is lying, so nothing is as it seems, so whats actually going on can sometimes be fairly obvious. But Focus does a good job of keeping its final card a mystery. It has glamorous locales (Buenos Aires, NOLA, New York) and clever layers of deception, and its always enjoyable to watch master criminals at work.

Warner Bros.

Supporting actors include Rodrigo Santoro playing Garriga, a spoiled race-team owner whom Jess uses to make Nicky jealous, Gerald McRaney as Garrigas angry associate, and Adrian Martinez as a foulmouthed, sullen, obese thief named Farhad whom Jess inexplicably adores. Santoro and McRaney are enjoyably evil; Martinez seems to have no good reason for being in the film other than to provide visual comedy with his fatness and to mime things women do when he imagines them having s*x with each other. And then theres Robbie, such a dynamic actress in The Wolf of Wall Street, who gets nothing to do here except bat her eyelashes at men and try to imbue her character with humanity. This she does, despite the fact that Jess is a professional thief whos also apparently guileless. Shes the ultimate Cool Girla gorgeous, sweet, supportive, astute piece of eye candy who isnt averse to getting slapped around. I like you honey, says one character to her in a concluding scene. You can take a punch.

Is Jess an exemplar of what men want or of what men think women are actually like? She seduces people because she wants to steal from them. She falls in love with someone because he can teach her things about the world, whether its what wine to drink or which shoulder to tap a person on when youre stealing their wallet. In one scene, Nicky talks about how easy women are to manipulateyou appeal to their emotions, the fuzzy stuff, you buy them gifts that act as talismans and remind them of you, you play on shared connections and past history, and pay attention to body language. But if its so easy to guess what women want, why is this movie so utterly devoid of any of it? This isnt a stereotypically masculine action drama, or a John Wick-esque 90-minute killing spree. Its a caper film, one that has its roots in The Thomas Crown Affair and The Italian Job and the infinitely superior The Brothers Bloom. It is also, according to Wikipedia, a dark romantic comedy. Dark, presumably, because its understanding of 51 percent of the moviegoing population is so archaic it simply belongs to an era that precedes electricity.

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/02/focus-a-fun-caper-movie-for-people-who-hate-women/386414/

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Casserly: Packers can upgrade on AJ Hawk in 2015 NFL Draft

With linebacker A.J. Hawk's release from the Green Bay Packers, the club's need to address the linebacker position in the 2015 NFL Draft suddenly looks a bit different.

Bucky Brooks: Top five prospects by position

And according to former NFL general manager Charley Casserly, the Packers could end up not only improving at the position in the draft, but do so without using their first-round pick. On NFL Network's "Path to the Draft," Casserly identified two names to watch for: Miami's Denzel Perryman and TCU's Paul Dawson.

"Instincts, athletic ability, can cover -- he's an undersized guy, but he doesn't stay blocked," Casserly said of Perryman. "The other guy, Dawson, he didn't run well at the combine -- I timed him at 4.92. But he plays faster and quicker on tape. He's excellent between the tackles, phyical guy, downhill guy. ... These guys could be hanigng around in the draft, definite prospects for the Packers. I'd say they could be upgrades, right away, for A.J. Hawk."

Casserly suggested Perryman's size (5-10) could precipitate a draft slip that could allow the Packers to pick him at the right spot, similar to how Chris Borland slipped last year, allowing the San Francisco 49ers to draft him. Before the combine, Dawson was ranked as NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock's top linebacker in the draft, but questions about his attitude and his slower times at the combine could limit his draft stock.

Both are inside linebackers, though Casserly said Perryman could be the only one of the two who could stay on the field in substitution situations.

Hawk made 89 tackles last year, but his production was off from previous seasons.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread

Source: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000474367/article/casserly-packers-can-upgrade-on-aj-hawk-in-2015-nfl-draft

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Madonna falls off stage at Brits

Madonna tumbled down a set of stairs and landed awkwardly, apparently after a dancer tried to remove a cape she was wearing at the start of her routine, the BBC reports.

But she recovered and returned to continue her song, Living For Love.

The 56-year-old issued a statement later saying she was "fine" and that her cape had been "tied too tight".

See this story on www.bbc.com

Source: http://newsok.com/madonna-falls-off-stage-at-brits/article/5396681

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Glee: Naya Rivera reveals pregnancy

"Were having a baby! Ryan and I feel so blessed and cant wait to welcome the newest member of our family," wrote Rivera on her website. In another message, she posted: BUN IN THE OVEN! XO, The Dorseys.

The Californian plays former cheerleader Santana Lopez in Foxs Golden Globe-winning television musical series.

"We feel truly blessed to be joined as husband and wife," the couple told People magazine. "Our special day was fated and everything we could have ever asked for. True love always prevails."

The expectant couple took to social media to honour the event, with Rivera posting a picture of her and her husband when they were kids.

Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey when they were children

It appears, however, that the couple had not planned to share their information so early Dorsey suggested that the information was leaked.

Glee's series finale will air March 20 on Fox.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11436675/Glee-Naya-Rivera-reveals-pregnancy.html

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Carls Jr model Charlotte McKinney in never-before-seen 2013 bikini photoshoot

ByJustin Enriquez for MailOnlineand Sara Nathan For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:35 EST, 2 February 2015 | Updated: 16:31 EST, 3 February 2015

Her dream is to appear in the Sports Illustated swimsuit issue.

And Charlotte McKinney tried getting an early start on that goal years before breaking out in one of the Super Bowl's most talked about adverts.

In never-before-seen photo the Carl's Jr. commercial star could be seen flaunting her best assets at the age of 19 in a bikini photoshoot on the beach from July 2013.

Scroll down for video...

Ample assets: Model Charlotte McKinney bares all in a never-before-seen 2013 shoot

Charlotte, now 21, put her buxom body on full display as she struck her best poses in different pieces of swimwear during the pictorial along the shoreline.

While in other shots Charlotte went without a bikini entirely as she posed n***d, except for a modest black scarf covering her chest area.

In some tasteful black and white shots, Charlotte is seen wearing just a pair of jeans while striking a pose.

Stripping off: The model goes completely n***d in the shoot, but keeps herself covered thanks to a strategic pose

Siren: Charlotte is seen posing n***d - except for a well-placed black scarf - in another sexy shot

Move over Alessandra! The model also showed off a range of lingerie in the shoot from 2012

Next stop, Sports Illustrated? The curvaceous bombshell is seen modelling swimwear

Tasteful: The black-and-white shoot sees Charlotte modelling a pair of skimpy black jeans

Cheeky! In another shot, the overnight sensation almost exposes her bottom in a pair of low-slung jeans

Swimwear, don't care: The model is seen seductively posing on a white sofa while dressed in a navy one-piece

She could also been seen to be rivaling some of the Victoria's Secret models in other shots, modelling a selections of bras.

The blonde beauty proudly showed off her 32D cleavage in a two-piece featuring a white patterned top and brown string bottom.

She could also be seen in a cheeky black bikini featuring a net around the back as she posed on some rocks and even took a dip in the ocean.

Before the fame: Charlotte McKinney flaunted her enviable figure in a July 2013 bikini photoshoot at the age of 19, one year and a half before starring in a big time Super Bowl commercial

Curvaceous: The now 21-year-old model was just trying to break through in the swimsuit shoot

Svelte: Charlotte donned a patterned white top and brown stringed bottoms in one of the swimwear ensembles for the pictorial

Healthy living: The tanned and toned beauty shows off her wholesome complexion in the shoot

The overnight sensation was also snapped covering up in a white mesh see-through tunic.

Charlotte let her blonde locks down flowing over her shoulders and had natural, complimentary make-up for the shoot as she was trying to break through as a model with the pictorial.

The curvaceous blonde revealed to Daily Mail Online that she is still hoping her dream of appearing in Sports Illustrated's iconic swimsuit issue will come true.

n**e: In the shoot, the model goes completely without clothing as she strikes a pose on the floor

Sexy silhouette: The buxom blonde shows off her slim frame in another sexy shot

Assets: The model has become an overnight sensation thanks to her Carls Jr. advert

Making a splash: The blonde beauty slipped into a black swimsuit for another set of photos during the shoot

Soaking it up: The real life pin-up even ran through the water

What a catch: The black swimwear featured a black net around the back

Natural beauty: The model laid out on the rocks for a few snaps

Enviable: Charlotte showed off her long, slender legs and toned torso during the shoot

Buxom: The model's 32D cleavage was on full display

Slender: Charlotte's dream is to appear in the iconic Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue

Ab-solutely ripped: The natural beauty flaunted her fit physique in a few black and white images

She said: 'That's been my goal my whole life, to me, that's so iconic.'

The model was featured in a high profile advert for American burger chain Carl's Jr. during Sunday's Super Bowl XLIX where she seemingly struts around 'au naturel' through a farmer's market to promote their All-Natural Burger.

At the end of the clip she takes a big bite out of the $4.69 patty boasting no antibiotics, hormones, or steroids while wearing a string bikini top and tiny white shorts.

Bombshell:The model proved she had star quality years before her breakthrough advert

Sheer daring: Charlotte wore her long blonde locks into waves flowing over her shoulders

Showing off: The star later covered up in a see-through mesh tunic

Stunning: Charlotte also had natural, complimentary make-up on her face

What a view: Charlotte's model looks were as breathtaking as the majestic ocean views on the shoot

She told Daily Mail Online she DID eat her burger while filming, saying: 'I ate small bites, as it was a long shoot, but I definitely ate it!'

Meanwhile, it was revealed on Monday that American football championship game has the highest ratings in Super Bowl history.

A total of 114.4 million viewers tuned in on NBC.

Talk of the game: She made her Super Bowl debut Sunday on NBC with her steamy Carl's Jr. commercial

Saucy: Charlotte appeared in the advert for the 'All Natural' Carl's Jr. burger

'I love going all-natural. It just makes me feel better!' In the All-Natural Burger advert, McKinney seemingly struts 'au naturel' through a farmers market

Tasty: The blonde bombshell admitted to actually taking bites of the burger while filming the advert

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2937166/Overnight-sensation-Charlotte-McKinney-flaunts-toned-torso-ample-cleavage-never-seen-2013-bikini-photoshoot.html

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American Horror Story: Actor Ben Woolf Is Dead

This is a sad day for American Horror Story fans, as it has been reported that actor Ben Woolf who played the character, Meep, in the previous season, Freak Show, has died. The actor succumbs to injuries he received after being hit in the head by a car last week.

Police officers have been treating Woolf's case as a terrible accident because he was struck in the head by the side mirror. Since Woolf is little over 4-feet in height, chances are the driver did not see him, which is why officers are not laying down charges.

The only good thing on that sad Thursday night was that the driver chose to stay on the scene instead of fleeing. We can only hope the Internet and fans of Woolf do not begin to throw dirt at the driver because he/she is not at fault unless proven to be.

(Photo : American Horror Story FX | YouTube) Fans mourned the passing of his onscreen character, Meep, and now they gathered to mourn the actor himself after he passed away on Monday from injuries gained via a car accident.

We have to say this because the Internet can be a vile place due to anonymity and freedom of expression.

"We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all over the world for our beloved Ben," his family said in a statement. "He touched so many hearts in his 34 years. His memory will live on within each of us and within his work."

For those who are unaware, Ben Woolf was a teacher before choosing to become an actor full-time. He lived life as a dwarf, and had to experience all the troubles that come with it. He said he was rarely taken seriously due to his height, but he did not allow it to stop him from having a successful life.

Mr. Woolf survived by his parents and siblings. Due to privacy concerns, they have chosen to stay anonymous, so we have no idea what their names are.

Source: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/35008/20150225/american-horror-story-actor-ben-woolf-is-dead.htm

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'American Horror Story' Star Ben Woolf Dead At Age 34

"American Horror Story: Freak Show" star Ben Woolf died on Monday at the age of 34, reports TMZ.

A source close to the actor, who played Meep on the F/X series, told the website that Woolf suffered a stroke at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after he was hit in the head by a passing car's mirror while he was crossing a street in Hollywood last week.

A rep for the actor confirmed his death and told E! News in statement, "Ben was one-of-a-kind, and will never be forgotten. The time we all shared together will be remembered forever."

Woolf's family told TMZ, "We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all over the world for our beloved Ben. He touched so many hearts in his 34 years."

Shortly after news of Woolf's death broke, "American Horror Story" showrunner Ryan Murphy tweeted his condolences:

"AHS: Freak Show" cast member Evan Peters also took to Twitter to express his grief and shared a photo of himself with Woolf:

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/23/american-horror-story-ben-woolf-dead_n_6739930.html?utm_hp_ref%3Dtv%26ir%3DTV

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Watch Common and John Legend Perform 'Glory' at the Oscars

Common and John Legend brought the house down yet again with a performance of their Selma theme Glory.

Two weeks after the song closed the Grammys, the rapper and the singer performed their song at the Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Original Song. After the pairs performance, which featured a chorus marching behind Common and Legend and practically into the audience, several audience members (including Selma star David Oyelowo and Chris Pine) were visibly in tears.

The pair of musicians upped the ante, and ended up winning the trophy for Best Original Song just minutes later. Watch their performance up top.

Read next: Watch John Legend and Commons Stirring Acceptance Speeches at the Oscars

Listen to the most important stories of the day.

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Source: http://time.com/3717222/oscars-2015-common-john-legend-glory-selma/

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Academy Awards 2015: Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore and ALS

A year ago, ALS was a disease that many people only knew through its association with baseball legend Lou Gehrig. The primary challenge in advancing ALS research was to familiarize Americans with this fatal, incurable brain disease.

It's been immensely exciting, then, that things have changed, and ALS is now at the forefront of our cultural conversations through the wild success of last summers Ice Bucket Challenge and vocal support from Oscar winners Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore.

Sunday night, Eddie Redmayne won a Best Actor Oscaron top of his recent Golden Globe and SAG Awardsfor his poignant turn, in "The Theory of Everything," as physicist Stephen Hawking, who has lived with an ALS-like motor neuron disease for decades. Redmayne went so far as to dedicate his Oscar to all those people around the world suffering with ALS.

Best Actress winner Julianne Moore called attention to "Still Alices" writer and co-director Richard Glatzer, who lives with ALS, in her Oscar and Golden Globes acceptance speeches.

But evenespeciallyas ALS receives much-needed attention, we must demand aggressive work toward understanding the disease, and increased money poured into developing rational academic research into effective therapies.

When we founded Project A.L.S. in 1998, we wanted to change the paradigm for brain disease researchto force top scientists from myriad backgrounds to focus on ALS, work together, share data openly, and interrogate all possible avenues toward understanding this complicated disease. We called in experts from all fields to investigate why the brain cells called motor neuronswhich are responsible for sending messages to muscles throughout the bodydie in ALS, and how we might rescue them.

In the past seventeen years, weve achieved measurable results in understanding what goes wrong in this disease and how we might stop its many causes, ranging from rogue genes, to misfolded proteins, to neuroinflammation.

Thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge, we have been able to accelerate this discovery in the past monthsand Project A.L.S. has already committed 100% of monies donated through this viral phenomenon to our research programs.

This has allowed us to undertake the first cutting-edge study of the role lipids play in ALS. We have redoubled our efforts to understand why eye movements remain unaffected in ALS, and to transfer that resilience onto vulnerable motor neuron populations.

We are also able to advance the groundbreaking ALS in a Dish model, which Project A.L.S. pioneered in 2008, and which allows scientists to take skin samples from a person living with ALS, and turn them into motor neurons that show his or her unique genetic information. Now, we are homing in on compounds that rescue these motor neuronsincluding some drugs that are already approved to treat diabetes, epilepsy, and cancerand are working to leverage our discoveries with pharmaceutical companies able to develop therapies for ALS.

We are proud of this progressbut until medicines can help those currently living with ALS, we must fight to further increase understanding of the disease, demand more from our researchers, and pursue strategic partnerships with companies able to get the first effective treatments to patients.

Advances in genetics have taught us that about 5% of cases of ALS are inherited; beyond these familial strains, ALS has no corroborated causes. It cannot be treated, and commands a life expectancy of 2 to 5 years. It's an unrelenting disease, and its neurodegenerative relatives offer similarly bleak prognoses. Every public mention of ALS excites usand by turn, compels us to ask every American who's learned about this terrible disease to support research toward its cure.

ALS is no longer a hidden disease; its ravages are front and center. Now, lets give the media a new story to tell, by working aggressively to stop ALS and related diseases once and for all.

Erin Fleming is Associate Director of Project A.L.S. Find the organization on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/23/academy-awards-2015-eddie-redmayne-julianne-moore-and-als/

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See What American Sniper Chris Kyle's Widow Brought to the Oscars

TIME Entertainment movies See What American Sniper Chris Kyles Widow Brought to the Oscars Kevork DjansezianGetty Images HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 22: Taya Kyle attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California A simple, moving tribute

Taya Kyle, the widow of American Sniper Chris Kyle, not only impressed at the Oscars on Sunday, she also brought with her a small memento to honor the late Navy SEAL: his dog tags.

As she made the rounds on the red carpet, Kyle was spotted clutching the tags and an accompanying metallic cross. She told ABCs Robin Roberts that she wanted to represent her husband and embrace everything that he should be here to do with me.

The appearance at the Academy Awards was not easy for Kyle. In an emotional Facebook message posted hours before the Academy Awards, she wrote, I am blessed to have my beautiful loving sister with me to hold my hand and dry my tears from what is sure to be an emotional evening.

For the past two weeks, Kyle has also been at the murder trial of her husbands killer and plans to continue attending the proceedings that were postponed until Tuesday due to icy weather in North Texas.

American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood, depicts the life of Chris Kyle, one of the U.S. militarys most lethal marksmen. The film has grossed nearly $430 million worldwide and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (losing out to Birdman). It won the award for Best Sound Editing.

Kevork DjansezianGetty ImagesHOLLYWOOD, CA FEBRUARY 22: A detailed view of the purse of Taya Kyle at the 87th annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 22, 2015, in Hollywood 0

Source: http://time.com/3719912/american-sniper-widow-chris-kyle-dog-tags-oscars/

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Movie Mumbles: The Story Behind the 'Interstellar' Dialogue

"What did they say?"

More than a few moviegoers have been left asking that question. From "Birdman" and "Inherent Vice" to "Gone Girl" and "Interstellar," films this Oscar season have seemed more inaudible than ever.

Audiences have always had to deal with the marble mouthed mumblers of cinema Marlon Brando, for instance but something else seemed to be going on this past year. And we're not talking obvious choices like Bill Murray whispering to Scarlett Johansson at the end of "Lost in Translation."

In Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar," in particular, dialogue sounds muffled and obscured in crucial scenes, from a climactic emergency docking to a quiet confessional.

For the most part, the art of cinema sound (beyond the score) is one of those background elements that only become evident when something is wrong.

"Like they said decades ago, nobody goes home humming the sound effects," said veteran sound effects editor Bruce Tanis ("Fury").

"It can be as cool and as obnoxious as it wants to be if it serves the story in the right way," explained Tanis.

However, "if it takes you out of the film as a viewer and you're trying to figure out what this person did to get that sound in there, that's a problem," he added.

The inability to understand what is being said on screen is one of the most infuriating theatrical experiences, especially without the option to rewind, up the volume or turn on the subtitles.

So those paying attention might then have been surprised to see "Interstellar" pick up nominations in both Oscar sound categories: Mixing and Editing.

But according to people behind one of the movies' most creative, underappreciated and misunderstood crafts, if you missed something, it was probably meant to be that way.

For a film like "Interstellar," the process starts with the sound mixer, who records the dialogue and ambient sounds from the scene being shot, including everything from footsteps to acoustics, using overhead boom microphones and body mics, mixing the sounds live on set.

"If I do my job in a natural way, you don't really notice it," explained "Interstellar" sound mixer Mark Weingarten.

Because of director Christopher Nolan's insistence that sets rely more on reality than computer graphics, Weingarten had to overcome a host of challenges in order to get the best sound, including the fact that the actors were wearing real helmets.

"It was a bit of a logistical nightmare, but it all worked out," he said.

Once the shooting is finished, the sound editing team comes in to fill out the rest of the effects, from the noise of the spaceship to the clatter of the old Dodge truck that Matthew McConaughey's character drives. Each requires a new recording.

Nolan challenged "Interstellar" sound editor Richard King to create a visceral and real experience for the audience and not just "nice, polite sound effects."

"One of the things that Chris wanted to do was to find some way to simulate this tremendous physical sensation that you would feel in the vicinity of a black hole," said King. "He wanted to find a way to alter the sound inside the theaters."

King and the editing team settled on an audio frequency where the sound would "hang" in the theaters and actually make the bodies in the theater shake a bit. He called it a "sonic soup."

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/movie-mumbles-story-interstellar-dialogue-29101821

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Why �Citizenfour� Deserved Its Oscar

Laura Poitras, Dirk Wilutzky, Glenn Greenwald, and Lindsay Mills onstage during the Academy Awards.Credit Photograph by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Thank you to Edward Snowden for his courage, Laura Poitras, the director of Citizenfour, said as she accepted the Oscar for best documentary. Neil Patrick Harris, the award shows host, noted that Snowden couldnt be there for some treason. Treason isnt one of the crimes Snowden has been charged withthe government wants to prosecute him under the Espionage Actbut both the praise and the joke point to why this Snowden Oscar mattered. What he did was useful, and dangerous.

That wouldnt have been enough if the movie were bad. But Citizenfour is worth watching, as well as celebrating. One still has to ask where the cinematic romance is. At the Oscars, an answer was provided by the young woman onstage with Poitras: Lindsay Mills, the woman whom Snowden at first left behind when heleft his job and everything else for a hotel room in Hong Kong. One of the minor revelations of Citizenfour was that Mills had joined him in Moscow.

Just walk me through it, Glenn Greenwald tells Edward Snowden, in that Hong Kong hotel room. The guidance Greenwald and his colleagues look for is of three distinct kinds: How do you keep secrets? Why would Snowden tell secrets? And what has the government been hiding?

The first is the most one-sided. Greenwald, as the narration delicately makes clear, initially cant figure out or cant be bothered to set up the encrypted line of communication needed to satisfy the mysterious source who e-mails himthis is why Snowden turns to Laura Poitras, who knows exactly what hes talking about when he asks, in their first exchanges, about her public keys. (George Packer wrote a Profile of Poitras for The New Yorker.) Snowden shows Greenwald how to do it (It seems hard, but its notthis is super-easy), and why he should. Here is one of the practical, paradoxical gifts of the Snowden affair: dont give up on the idea that your words can be secret, at least slightly more secret than is convenient for companies or spies. If you are a little disciplined, you can be freer. There is a lovely shot of Greenwalds face when Snowden, who is about to enter a password, asks for his magic mantle of power, a red sweatshirt, and pulls it over his head, as if he were a man running in the rain, or a teen-ager with a flashlight under his blankets. Looking at him, Greenwald, whom weve already encountered as a big talker, is, for a moment, only quiet and curious, with barely a flicker in his expression before he asks, Is that about the possibility ofoverhead? Greenwald adds that nothing will surprise him anymore. His tone in that instant is one that the film, for all the scenes with angry activists, ultimately shares, and why the film worksneither titillated nor portentous, and just abashed enough to keep its importance from becoming self-importance.

Narcissism is the charge thats thrown at Snowdenthat he thinks he gets to decide whats secret. His character, or, rather, his motivation for leaking, is the second puzzle for Greenwald and for Ewen MacAskill, the Guardian reporter also in the hotel room. Here, it is MacAskills face that is revealing. Greenwald seems sure of what category to put Snowden in, once he is persuaded that the leak is for real and the information is good. (The fearlessness and the f**k you to, like, the bullying tactics has got to be completely pervading everything we do.) MacAskill, though, begins by telling Snowden that he doesnt know anything about him; when Snowden starts talking about the N.S.A.s relation to Booz Allen Hamilton, his on-paper employer, MacAskill stops him: So, I dont know your name. He takes notes; his glances, when he looks up from writing in the scenes that follow, suggest a skeptics trust being earned.

The journalists relationship to Snowden opens up other sets of questions: What obligations do reporters have to their sources? The legal jeopardy in which James Risen, of the Times, found himself when the government moved to prosecute Jeffrey Sterling, a C.I.A. employee who it argued was Risens source, outraged journalists. And rightly so: the Obama Administration, in going after leakers, has pioneered the use of inappropriate legal instruments like the Espionage Act of 1917, which was also used to charge Snowden. (Ben Wizner, of the A.C.L.U., offers a good primer on the Espionage Act in a scene in Citizenfour, in which a group of lawyers meet in Berlin; Wizner also says that their phones should go in the refrigerator while they talk, which is funny but not a joke, the opposite of Neil Patrick Harriss some treason line). The government ultimately decided not to jail Risen, but Sterling was convicted last month, and will be sentenced in April. Last week, after Attorney General Eric Holder bragged about the Administrations press-freedom legacy, Risen went on what was variously called an epic or vitriolic Twitter rant. (I plan to spend the rest of my life fighting to undo damage done to press freedom in the United States by Barack Obama and Eric Holder.) Margaret Sullivan, the Timess public editor, wrote that it was actually a pretty reasonable statement of journalistic principles: Maybe the tenor of Mr. Risens tweets wasnt very Timesian. But the insistence on truth-telling and challenging the powerful is exactly what the Times ought to stand for. Always. The sense that intemperance can be publicly useful is one of Snowdens legacies, and Poitrass film captures it.

In Citizenfour, Snowden has a lot to say for the notebook, blog, and camera. He is pronouncing sentences that he seems to have rehearsed in his mind for months or years. He is a guide in the third area that needs to be charted: What is in these documents, and what does all their technical language mean? The danger here, given the number of documents, is that the film could become one big PowerPoint presentationjust walk me through. Mostly, Poitras avoids that, once the film gets past the first fifteen minutes. She sketches some programs, offers a route into others, and adds in long shots of things that are not only on paper or in code: an N.S.A. building under construction in Utah, the spot on the British coast where cables disappear under water. There is enough here to make a person better-prepared, later this year, when the authorization for the N.S.A.s phone-metadata program is set to expire. President Obamas comment on the matterNo, I dont think Mr. Snowden was a patriotfeels badly off base. The President sounds petty when he insists that he was on top of this without any help from Snowden.

What the country still has to work out is whether the Snowden documents were simply revealing or actually transformative. Thats the question about a good movie, too, though one shouldnt underestimate the value of revelation, or truth, alone. Snowden has his silent moments. There is a scene, when he is getting ready to sneak out of the hotel in Hong Kong, after he has revealed himself, in which he stands in front of a mirror. Wearing a black shirt, he has put in contact lenses, shaved (after debating the amount of stubble that will make him look least like the pictures now playing on television), and, with a handful of foam, tries to slick back his hair. Watching it again on Oscar weekend, one thinks of Poitras and her team, and all the other filmmakers and actors, getting ready to step out. Snowden tries, and expects, to look different. When he sees that he doesnthis hair wont stay downhe crumples a little, and looks as scared as anyone. There is no magic mantle of power. But outside the hotel room, things really did change.

The New Yorkers complete Oscars coverage.

Source: http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/is-citizenfour-worth-celebrating

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Hannah Bagshawe, Eddie Redmayne's Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Publicist Hannah Bagshawe is the wife of Eddie Redmayne and the two married in December 2014. Eddie Redmayne has received a great deal of attention over the past year for his leading role in The Theory Of Everything. And now, hes unintentionally become a heartthrob, with countless women fawning over him. Unfortunately, for them, he is taken by one woman his wife. Read on for all the facts on the love of Redmaynes life, Hannah Bagshawe.

1. Bagshawe Met Redmayne In College

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The two lovebirds reportedly met while studying at Eton College. They started out as friends after meeting at a charity event. Redmayne was part of a senior boys group who performed as models at a charity event at the local girls school Bagshawe was attending. Bagshawe then got a Masters degree in English Literature and French at the University of Edinburgh, while Redmayne attended Trinity College in Cambridge. The two eventually took their relationship further. Redmayne fell in love with his financial publicist girlfriend, who started officially dating the star in January 2012. They made their red carpet debut together at the London premiere of Les Misrables.

Bagshawe and Redmayne currently live together in London.

2. Bagshawe Keeps Redmayne Grounded

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With all the awards and attention surrounding Eddie Redmayne, one might let all the excitement get to their head, but Redmayne says its his wife who keeps him grounded. Redmayne talked about his everyday life with his wife to E! News, saying:

There was a moment yesterday where I was in rehearsal and my wife was calling me because our dishwasher broke down So in the process of trying to focus on my craft, I was dealing with the blocked pipes.

3. She Was Late to Her Own Wedding

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Hannah Bagshawe was late to her wedding, but Redmayne wasnt worried because his wife is always late, according to him. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Redmayne explained:

My wife has never been on time for anything in her life. She was a good half-hour late. Her grandfather had to be some help from going and summoning her. Everyone else was really stressed, but I was kind of relaxed knowing that shed never been on time for pretty much anything in her life.

It was a winter wedding as they held a secret service at private members club Babington House. The affair was reported to be intimate and candlelit, while Redmayne let one little detail out of the bag, stating, We like the hymn In The Bleak Midwinter and wanted an excuse to sing that at a wedding.

4. They Became Engaged Over Memorial Day Weekend 2014

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Redmayne and his wife became engaged Memorial Day weekend 2014 and their engagement announcement read, Mr E.J.D. Redmayne and Miss H.J. Bagshawe. The engagement is announced between Edward, son of Mr and Mrs Richard Redmayne of London, and Hannah, daughter of Mr Nicholas Bagshawe and Mrs Caryl Bagshawe, both of London. When news of Redmaynes engagement began to spread, a source told Us Weekly:

He had been planning on it for a while. They have a very relaxed and supportive relationship they seemed to have always known they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.

5. Redmayne and Bagshawe Spent Their Honeymoon in The Alps

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Because of awards season and Redmaynes many nominations, he and his wife had to cut their honeymoon a little short, but the two did make time to have a little getaway. Redmayne talked about their trip together with Ellen DeGeneres, stating:

We went skiing over Christmas. We went to the Alps, which was such a beautiful idea, but unfortunately there was no snow. But that was just an excuse to take long lunches, drink a lot of red wine, and have a lot of fondue.

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Source: http://heavy.com/entertainment/2015/02/hannah-bagshawe-eddie-redmaynes-wife-wedding-married-to-who-dating/

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Kanye West Slams Ex Amber Rose: I Had To Take 30 Showers After Dating Her

Its probably best not to cross Team Kardashianespecially now that Yeezy is onboard.

On Friday morning, Kanye West sat down for a radio interview on Power 105.1s The Breakfast Club, where he spoke candidly about his forays into the fashion world, his new Yeezy Boost sneakers, his relationship with his wife and the mother of his child, Kim Kardashian, and daughter North Wests recent runway-side crying fit during his New York Fashion Week debut.

But then the topic turned to his ex-girlfriend Amber Rose, and Twitter lost its collective marbles.

You see, Amber Rose has been in a Twitter feud of sorts with Team Kardashianin particular, Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian. Seventeen-year-old Kylie is rumored to be dating rapper Tyga, and Roses best friend is Blac Chyna, the mother of Tygas child. So Rose went after the teenager during an appearance on The Breakfast Club last week.

Kylies a baby, Rose toldThe Breakfast Club. She needs to go to bed at 7 oclock and relax. Its ridiculous. Tyga should be ashamed of himself. Thats how I feel, for sure. He has a beautiful woman and a baby that he left for a 16-year-old who just turned 17.

Then Khloe, good sibling that she is, went to bat for lil sis in a series of Tweets aimed at Rose:

Then Amber Rose went for the jugular and invoked Khloe and Kylies sister (and Wests spouse) Kim Kardashians s*x tape with former flame Ray J.

Now, Yeezy has fired back in his own appearance on The Breakfast Club.

Shes just soaking in the moment, West said of Rose. If Kim had dated me when I wanted, there would be no Amber Rose.

West later doubled-down, saying he had to take 30 showers after dating Rose before anyone else wanted to date him.

West essentially put then-fledgling model Rose on the map when he dated her back in 2008. The couple broke up in 2010, and West began dating reality star Kim Kardashianwhom hed been pursuing for years, even while with Amberin 2012.

And now, Rose has responded. And it ain't pretty. Stay tuned for more fireworks between these two ex-lovebirds...

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/20/kanye-west-slams-ex-amber-rose-i-had-to-take-30-showers-after-dating-her.html

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Heat's Chris Bosh Out For The Season Due To Blood Clots

MIAMI (AP) Not even a week ago, Chris Bosh was talking about how eager he was to get home in an effort to turn the Miami Heat's season around.

His focus will be on something far more important now.

The All-Star forward's season is over, with the Heat announcing Saturday that - as suspected - blood clots were found on one of his lungs. The problem, if it had not been caught, could have killed the 30-year-old Bosh, who had been fighting pain in his side and back for several days.

"He was able to get in front of it early," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said, adding that Bosh's wife, Adrienne, encouraged him to get checked out when the problem wouldn't subside. "That's the good thing that helps all of us sleep at night."

The team said Bosh "is receiving care under the guidance of Miami Heat team physicians" at a hospital, adding that "his prognosis is good."

Bosh posted a photo on social media accounts Saturday night showing him in a hospital gown and bed, with an oxygen tube.

"Thank you for all the messages, love, and support. It has truly lifted my spirits through this tough process," Bosh wrote, adding several hashtags including one that read "Iwillbebacksoon."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sounded upbeat about Bosh's road to recovery. The team received the news Saturday morning, Spoelstra said, and welcomed the clarity after a frightening couple of days.

"His health will be restored," Spoelstra said before Miami's 105-91 home loss to New Orleans. "That's the most important thing. That's bigger than basketball."

Spoelstra and Wade visited Bosh on Saturday.

"It's been very emotional for all of us," Spoelstra said. "I was in constant contact with CB. But he didn't know either until they were able to go through all the tests and see all the specialists. ... I can't imagine how tough it was for Chris and Adrienne."

Bosh is the second NBA player whose final game this season was the All-Star Game. New York's Carmelo Anthony was shut down for knee surgery earlier in the week, a move that was long expected.

Bosh's situation was anything but. It was nothing short of a shock to the Heat, who entered Saturday with a 23-30 record and holding onto the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Losing him becomes the latest - and by far the biggest - blow in a season filled with tumult for the Heat, reminiscent in some ways to when All-Star center Alonzo Mourning was forced to miss most of Miami's 2000-01 season because of a kidney disease that eventually necessitated a transplant.

Mourning was able to return, and helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title. Spoelstra stressed that any talk of when Bosh can resume play can wait.

"We're not even thinking about that right now," Spoelstra said. "The most important thing is he'll be healthy again. We'll get a game plan as we continue to get more information."

Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7 rebounds for the Heat this season, his first in a five-year deal signed this past summer that will pay him $118 million.

Bosh was part of the ballyhooed free-agent haul Miami landed in 2010, when he and LeBron James were brought in to play alongside Wade and form one of the most star-studded trios in league history.

They were together four seasons, the breakup coming this past summer when James elected to go back to Cleveland. They went to the NBA Finals four times, winning two rings, the second of those in 2013 when Bosh made two plays that will forever be etched in Heat history.

On the 3-pointer that Ray Allen hit with 5.2 seconds left of Game 6 of that year's NBA Finals against San Antonio, it was Bosh who fended off Manu Ginobili for the offensive rebound and found Allen backtracking toward the right corner for the tying shot. And to end that game, Bosh blocked Danny Green's potentially game-tying 3-point try as the overtime clock expired.

Those were the glory days. This year has been a far cry, one where the Heat have constantly fought injury and illness, with a constant string of different lineups being assembled.

"What you're seeing now is a group that's becoming more resilient every single day because of all these adversities," Spoelstra said.

In cases like these, it's common for the clots to have worked their way from the legs to the lungs, a dangerous occurrence. Just days ago, such a medical event led to the sudden death of former NBA star Jerome Kersey, who was only 52 and showed no signs of trouble.

Last month, Brooklyn forward Mirza Teletovic was ruled out for the season once clots were found on his lungs. Cleveland's Anderson Varejao went through a similar situation and missed most of the 2012-13 season.

"It probably hasn't hit him yet that he's going to miss the entire season," Wade said. "But right now that's the furthest thing from his mind and all of our minds."

Many athletes have dealt with clots and eventually returned, some better than ever. But the road to recovery is often long, starting with blood-thinning medication being prescribed - and those on that typically have to clear many hurdles before they can resume regular activity.

"Get well soon @chrisbosh you will come back stronger than ever," Heat managing general partner Micky Arison wrote on Twitter. "Your future is very bright."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/21/heat-say-chris-bosh-will-_n_6727774.html

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'Birdman' vs 'Boyhood' Oscar battle heats up after Spirit Awards

By Piya Sinha-Roy

SANTA MONICA, Calif. Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:57pm EST

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Reuters) - Dark showbiz satire "Birdman," and coming-of-age tale "Boyhood," took the top honors at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, a day before Hollywood's biggest night when both will face off in the top Oscars categories.

"Birdman," nominated for nine Oscars on Sunday, won three Spirit Awards, including the top prize of best feature.

"We're threatened as a species into extinction," Alejandro Irritu, director of "Birdman," said of independent filmmakers in his acceptance speech. "These kinds of awards are where we can celebrate the cinema that is being forgotten."

"Birdman" led the nominees with five nods along with jazz drama "Whiplash," which won two accolades, and civil rights drama "Selma," which left empty handed.

"Boyhood," filmed over a span of 12 years and nominated for six Oscars, won the best director award for Richard Linklater and best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.

All four acting categories were won by Oscar-nominated frontrunners, including Michael Keaton for best actor for "Birdman." In his acceptance speech, he called the film "bold cinema," and a "game-changer."

Julianne Moore was named best actress for her portrayal of a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice."

"I was lucky enough to come in at the beginning of the independent film movement and its really shaped my life and career," she said in an emotional acceptance speech.

The 30th annual Spirit Awards, hosted by Film Independent, honors the best achievements across movies made under $20 million and are often an indicator of Academy Award winners, with drama "12 Years a Slave," taking top honors at both the Spirit Awards and Oscars last year.

Unlike the formal glitz of the Oscars, the Spirit Awards opts for a relaxed, boozy lunch in a Santa Monica tent on California's coast. The show, hosted by Kristen Bell and Fred Armisen, was broadcast live for the first time on cable network IFC.

"Hollywood movies may be keeping the industry afloat, but the people in this room are keeping the industry alive," said "Boyhood" star Ethan Hawke as he presented the best supporting female award to Arquette.

J.K. Simmons won best supporting actor for "Whiplash," and thanked his fellow nominees in the category.

Poland's "Ida" won best international film, while "CitizenFour," about National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, won best documentary. Both are nominated for Oscars.

Dan Gilroy, nominated for the best screenplay Oscar, won best screenplay and first feature for "Nightcrawler."

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by G Crosse)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/22/us-awards-independentspirit-idUSKBN0LQ01920150222

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'Slender Man' Interrogation Tapes Reveal Shocking New Details About Alleged ...

In explosive police interrogation tapes, the two young girls accused of stabbing a classmate in an effort to please the fictional internet character, Slender Man, explain in their own words why they believed the character would come after them if they didn't kill their friend.

I didnt want to do this, Morgan Geyser is heard telling a police officer on an interrogation tape. I was afraid of what would happen if I didnt... I didnt want to find out what would happen if we didnt.

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both now 13, were arrested on May, 31, 2014, after allegedly stabbing their then-12-year-old friend Payton Leutner 19 times and leaving her to die in the woods in their hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin. But after being rushed to the hospital with life threatening injuries, Payton survived.

The police interrogation tapes, which were recorded mere hours after both girls were arrested, were shown at a pre-trial hearing for the girls this week.

20/20 has been following the case since it began more than eight months ago. This past May, Payton Leutner went to a sleepover with her friend Morgan, and another girl, Anissa, to celebrate Morgans birthday.

After her arrest, Morgan told police that Payton was her only friend for a long time.

She was my best friend since fourth grade, Morgan is heard telling the officer on the interrogation tape.

Slender Man: Twelve-Year-Old Found Close to Death With 19 Stab Wounds

But when the officer asked Morgan why she decided to hurt Payton, Morgan replied, it was necessary to please Slender Man.

Both Morgan and Anissa were obsessed with the fictional character, who is often depicted in fan fiction stories online as a horror figure who stalks children. In court this week, disturbing drawings depicting Slender Man and dismembered Barbie dolls recovered from Morgans bedroom were shown.

When asked to describe "Slender Man," Morgan told the detective on the interrogation tape that he was a tall, faceless man who preys on children.

He watches you, she added. Ive never seen him. Hes everywhere.

Slender Man: Police Hunt for Young Girls Accused of Stabbing Their Friend

In the interrogation video, the then-12-year-old Anissa said, He can be anywhere from 6 feet to 14 feet tall... he doesnt have a face, his skin is white and at his own will he can um like exploit these tendrils from his back and um like strangle his victims.

Anissa is heard telling police that Morgan suggested they go in search of Slender Man and become his proxies.

Morgan said, Hey Anissa we should be proxies, I was like, OK, how would we do that? Anissa is heard telling a police officer.

Authorities say Morgan repeatedly told detectives it was necessary to kill Payton to become proxies of Slender Man and live with him in his mansion in the woods.

They believed his mansion was in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin. Morgan told police their plan to kill their friend began as early as December 2013.

Girls Attacked Friend to Be Worthy of 'Slender Man'

Anissa told detectives she was excited when Morgan told her of the plan to stab Payton.

I was excited because I wanted proof that he existed because there were a bunch of skeptics out there saying he didnt exist, she said. Morgan and I were going to be like lionesses chasing down a zebra. I was going to tackle her and then Morgan was going to do the stabbing.

Anissa also told the detective that it was Morgan who convinced her that she had to kill or else Slender Man would "kill my whole family in three seconds."

How Some Kids Are Able to Learn About 'Slender Man'

Police said when the girls were caught in 2014, they were carrying clothes, granola bars and water bottles. One of the girls was carrying a picture of her family, telling police she wanted to remember what they looked like after leaving her town for Slender Mans imaginary mansion in the woods.

The girls told police they left Payton to die in the woods, lying to her and saying that help was on the way. Instead they began their journey to find Slender Mans mansion.

On the interrogation tape, Anissa described how she felt about Slender Man when they were apprehended, saying, Im scared. ... I was told if I didnt do something...my family would be in danger.'

Meet the 12-Year-Old Who Survived 'Slender Man' Attack

Both girls have been charged with one count of first-degree intentional attempted homicide. They have not entered pleas. Anissa and Morgan appeared in court this week before a judge who will decide whether to try the girls as adults or send their cases to a juvenile court. That judges decision is expected in March.

I honestly dont know why we did this, Morgan said.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/slender-man-interrogation-tapes-reveal-shocking-details-alleged/story?id%3D29117234

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NBA trades roundup, Feb. 19

Photo: Aaron Gash / Associated Press

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Suns point guard Goran Dragic, attempting a layup over Bucks center Zaza Pachulia in early January, was traded to the Heat before Thursdays trade deadline, one of many point guards dealt.

Photo: Aaron Gash / Associated Press

NBA trades roundup, Feb. 19

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Point guards moving quickly made this trade deadline a transition game.

Goran Dragic, Michael Carter-Williams, Reggie Jackson and Brandon Knight all were dealt Thursday in the final hours that trades were allowed, as a number of teams handed their keys to different drivers.

Kevin Garnett also has a new address his original NBA one. The Timberwolves brought him back to Minnesota by sending Thaddeus Young to Brooklyn. The 38-year-old Garnett spent his first 12 seasons in Minnesota, where he was nicknamed the Big Ticket. He guided the Timberwolves to the only eight playoff appearances in franchise history and won the MVP while leading them to the Western Conference finals in 2004.

There were so many players on the move in deals agreed to shortly before the noon PST deadline that most of the transactions were still awaiting NBA approval hours later.

Phoenix sent Dragic to Miami, getting two first-round picks and a package of players for the Slovenian, a third-team All-NBA selection last season. Zoran Dragic, Gorans brother, also went from Phoenix to Miami.

The Suns filled his spot by acquiring Knight from Milwaukee in a three-team deal, with Carter-Williams moving from the 76ers to the Bucks and a conditional first-round pick going from Phoenix to Philadelphia among other players involved.

Jackson, who began the season replacing an injured Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, now will step in for the sidelined Brandon Jennings in Detroit. The Pistons sent D.J. Augustin and Kyle Singler to the Thunder in a three-team trade, which also moved Kendrick Perkins to Utah and Enes Kanter to Oklahoma City among other players and draft picks.

Even backup point guards seemed in demand, with players such as Augustin, Isaiah Thomas (Boston), Ramon Sessions (Washington), Andre Miller (Sacramento), Norris Cole (New Orleans) and Pablo Prigioni (Houston) getting new homes.

Portland made the first completed deal of the day when it acquired Arron Afflalo from Denver in a five-player deal.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/NBA-trades-roundup-Feb-19-6090694.php

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Iggy Azalea's Striped Top From Steve Madden Campaign: SHOP The Look For ...

First things first, Iggys style is the realest! She posted a picture in a chic black and white knit top and we know just where you can find it. Click below to SHOP!

Now that Iggy Azalea has been bullied off of social media by body shaming, meme making fans, we wont be seeing manypersonal Iggy posts for a whilehowever, were super happy that sheshared herstylish look fromher Steve Madden photo shoot before her hiatus, and we are loving her striped top! What do you think of her look?

Iggy Azaleas Shirt In Instagram PIC From Steve Madden Shoot: SHOP Her Exact Top Under $35

Iggy announced that she would be handing her social media over to her management for a while, andwe hope that they remember to post pics of her one-of-a-kind style while shes on her break! With a new campaign and collaboration with Steve Madden, Iggy is giving us more reasons to have a little style envy.

She looked great in herMINKPINK Montmarte Stripe Top, and best of all, this chic piece goes for just $35.40! Style it with a cute black leather skirt and booties for a trendy, monochrome look or rock it with jeans if you want to keep it casual and dress it down. If youre feeling totally flirty and want to stand out, pair it with a floral flared skirt you cant go wrong mixing and matching prints!

Iggy Azaleas Steve Madden Collection

Iggy has teamed up with Steve Madden, and the results are hot! The collection features bold statement heeled sandals, edgy platforms, and bold metallic colors that totally embody the rap princesss style.

We are so excited to get our hands on Iggys cute top and pair them with one of the rule breaking block heels from her collection.

What do you think of her campaign pics,HollywoodLifers? Share your thoughts below!

Kindra Bailey

Source: http://hollywoodlife.com/2015/02/20/iggy-azalea-shirt-instagram-pic-steve-madden-shoot-striped-outfit/

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Video: Kevin Garnett high school highlights

With so much attention paid to Kevin Garnett this week and his illustrious NBA career, it's awesome to see how he started it in high school.

The 15-time NBA all-star was born in South Carolina, attended Mauldin (S.C.) for three years and then moved to Illinois, where he earned Mr. Basketball honors for his one season at Farragut (Chicago).

That season, Garnett led Farragut to a 28-2 record and averaged 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 6.5 blocks a game. In his four-year prep career, he piled up 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds and 737 blocks.

He was named the Outstanding Player of the McDonald's All-American Game and shortly after declared for the NBA Draft. He was the fifth pick of the 1995 draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, a place he returned on Thursday via trade.

The 2004 NBA MVP left Minnesota in 2007, won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics during seven seasons before moving to the Nets, who Thursday traded him back to Minnesota in order for him to finish out his career.

Check out his highlight tape in high school, which looks a lot like how he dominated players in the NBA.

Source: http://www.maxpreps.com/blogs/maxwire-national-blog/AnNjJJ_XaUCZHKZQeyWQYQ/video--kevin-garnett-high-school-highlights.htm

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Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift Top Kids' Choice Awards ...

TIME Entertainment Music Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift Top Kids Choice Awards Nominations Jason MerrittGetty Images Singer Iggy Azalea attends The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the STAPLES Center on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. All the Song of the Year nominations are performed by women

The tweens have spoken, and the women of the music industry are set to win big at next months Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.

All the nominations for Song of the Year are performed by women, Billboard reports, including Taylor Swifts Shake It Off, Katy Perrys Dark Horse and the Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj collaboration Bang Bang. Another 2014 anthem that made it to the category is Meghan Trainors All About That Bass.

But Australian rapper Iggy Azalea is by far the most popular among Americas adolescents, with her song Fancy and her appearance on Grandes track Problem both getting nominated. Azalea is also nominated for the Favorite New Artist award, along with Trainor and Jessie J.

[Billboard]

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Source: http://time.com/3716100/kids-choice-awards-iggy-azalea-taylor-swift-meghan-trainor-ariana-grande/

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Modric back in Real Madrid training

The ESPN FC crew debate who is the favourite to win this year's Champions League, and Gab Marcotti believes Real Madrid still have plenty more work to do in order to retain their crown.

Luka Modric has returned to training with Real Madrid after three months on the sidelines.

The Croatia playmaker has been out with a thigh muscle tear but the club confirmed he took part in light training as his team-mates had a recovery day following their 2-0 Champions League win over Schalke on Wednesday night.

Modric was injured playing for his country against Italy in a European Championship qualifier in November which finished 1-1.

Source: http://www.espnfc.com/real-madrid/story/2306844/luka-modric-back-training-with-real-madrid-after-thigh-muscle-tear

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Student groups ring in Lunar New Year with Celebrasia

Behind the high-energy dance performances and jaw-dropping yo-yo acts that light up Chinese Student Association and Taiwanese American Students Clubs Celebrasia is the tradition of the Lunar New Year, and participants have been able to connect with their culture through the annual Northwestern event.

The associations Lunar New Year celebration returns this weekend with its Year of the Goat-themed show.

Each year, the celebration brings a variety of acts to entertain its audience. This year, some acts include the hip hop-heavy ReFresH Dance Crew and East and Southeast Asian-inspired Typhoon, Revolution, University of Michigans acclaimed yoyo and diablo team and Poreotics, a former winner of Americas Best Dance Crew, to help ring in Lunar New Year.

Victoria Yang, Taiwanese American Students Club president and Celebrasia executive board member, said that the celebration combines traditional and modern takes on the holiday to showcase different aspects of Asian culture.

We are showing every aspect of Lunar New Year that we can to make it traditional, modern, and fun, Yang said. I think Celebrasia really elevates Lunar New Year because it allows all of the planners and members to really promote Lunar New Year.

The Weinberg junior is also the Midwest District Governor for the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association, where she oversees Asian cultural events throughout the country. She noted thatCelebrasia is one of the largest Asian-American events in the United States, reinforcing the magnitude and reach this event has on campus.

While Yang was used to celebrating Lunar New Year before coming to college, Emily Moy, public relations chair for Celebrasia, joined Chinese Student Association to connect to her heritage and learned more about her own culture through Celebrasia.

Seeing everyone audition brought upon a new cultural awareness, the McCormick freshman said. I was born here and am pretty Americanized, so I havent been able to experience the more traditional culture.

Benedict Dungca, a Weinberg senior and ReFresH artistic director, had a similar experience to Moy, usingCelebrasia as a means of defining Lunar New Year for himself, since he didnt celebrate before coming to college.

(Lunar New Year) is like any kind of New Year celebration its about celebrating life in general, Dungca said. Its celebrating the fact that youre alive with dance. Having Celebrasia on campus where people can go watch a celebration and be a part of it allows Lunar New Year to be a bigger part of their life experience in general. It enriches my cultural experience.

According to Yang, Lunar New Year is about celebrating each other, celebrating the past year, and wishing others good luck for the coming year, making this community-oriented event particularly significant.

For regular New Year, you celebrate the New Year and what goals you have; for Lunar New Year, you celebrate the past year and what you gained from it, sort of like an Asian Thanksgiving, Yang said. Thats why Celebrasia is so important. We share the event; its not just an individual event.

In addition to sharing good luck and appreciation, Moy added that the event also spreads diversity and is a learning experience for all of those who attend.

The bigger message is showing people what Chinese culture is and help people learn outside of the classroom, Moy said.

Email:sophiemann2018@u.northwestern.eduTwitter:@sophiemmann

Source: http://dailynorthwestern.com/2015/02/19/ae/student-groups-ring-in-lunar-new-year-with-celebrasia/

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No paczki at Sutherland's Bakery in Bay City Fat Tuesday, but plans are in ...

Geraldine Rezler at her home in Bay City on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 17.Rob Clark | The Bay City Times

BAY CITY, MI -- For the first time in 67 years, Geraldine Rezler stayed home and relaxed on Fat Tuesday.

Her family's business, Sutherland's Bakery, closed on Christmas Eve after decades of operating at its West Side Bay City location in the Midland Street Historic District, but it's not going away.

About a month after it closed, business partners Troy McCormick and Beth Dore purchased the bakery with hopes of bringing vitality to the business district.

There's not a hard open date at this point, but McCormick hopes to reopen the 102-year-old bakery as soon as possible. And based on the crowds he saw at area bakeries today, he said his business will be ready.

"We're doing what it takes to keep Bay County's oldest bakery ticking," McCormick said. "We're cleaning the old girl up right now and getting her ready for another 100 years. It's all about keeping these historic businesses going."

This marks the first time in the bakery's 102-year-old history that it's closed for an extended period of time.

Phillip and Josephine Wachowski purchase Sutherland's Bakery in Bay City in 1946.Courtesy Photo

Rezler's parents Phillip and Josephine Wachowski bought the Bay City bakery in 1946 after running a similar-sized operation in Detroit for many years. Rezlerworked as the cake decorator and "the fixer-upper."

"I handled the books and any problems that came up," she said.

Geraldine Rezler, now 85, married Edwin Rezler in 1948. She was 18 years old at the time, she said and her husband gave up a job at the Chevrolet plantto be a baker.

"We did that a long time," Rezler said. "We took it over lock, stock and barrel by the mid- to late-1960s."

Geraldine and Edwin Rezler, circa 1998.Courtesy Photo

The couple had two children, Michael and Karin. Edwin Rezler died in 2003.

Michael would go on to own and operate the bakery until the time of its closing, Rezler said.

"It has been bittersweet. That place is my whole life and I'm so glad it's getting a new start," she said."You know, there are a lot of empty places in town. This fella, Troy McCormick and Beth Dore, who I call compadre, theyare working so hard and they are showcasing my mom and dad."

Indeed, thebakery is expected to keep a few remnants of its past, including an original wedding photo of Rezler's parents from 1923 and a pair of boots that Phillip Wachowski wore while serving in World War I.

Michael Rezler coats a tray of paczki with powdered sugar at Sutherland's Bakery in this 2006 photo.MLive File Photo

"The fact that they're showcasing my mom and dad makes me feel really good," Rezlersaid.

McCormick and Dore's plans on Midland Street go beyond the bakery. Dore hopes to refurbish the upper floors of Duso's Bar for apartments.

"I have full confidence in the resurgence of the historic Midland Street," Dore said.

Rezler said she's anxious to see how the place turns out following renovations, but the new owners aren't giving her any sneak peeks.

"He won't let me see it until he's all completely done," Rezler said.

As for her Fat Tuesday, Rezler said she not only didn't make any paczki, she didn't eat one either.

"You know what? I didn't."

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2015/02/no_paczki_at_sutherlands_baker.html

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General manager Rick Spielman expects Adrian Peterson to be back next ...

• 18 February, 2015 //
• Vikings //
• Tags :

By Chris Tomasson

ctomasson@pioneerpress.com

INDIANAPOLIS _ General manager Rick Spielman said Wednesday he expects suspended running back Adrian Peterson to be back with the Vikings next season.

Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf and chief operating officer Kevin Warren said last week they would welcome Peterson back. Speaking at the scouting combine, Spielman took that a step further.

We expect Adrian Peterson to be part of our football team, Spielman said.

Peterson missed the final 15 games last season following an indictment on a felony charge of child abuse. He pleaded no contest in November to misdemeanor reckless assault, and was suspended by the NFL for the final six games.

Peterson cant apply for reinstatement until April 15. The NFL Players Association has sued the NFL on his behalf for immediate reinstatement.

Peterson is under contract next season for $12.75 million, but none of it is guaranteed. There has been speculation Peterson might have to renegotiate his deal to return, but Spielman wouldnt address his contract situation.

I think our whole organization is on that same page (about wanting Peterson back), Spielman said. What team wouldnt want an Adrian Peterson talent? Hes unique player that you dont see come around too often and Adrians been a key part of our organization. Hes made a mistake. Hes doing everything and hes got to follow through and rectify and do the things the NFL is requiring him to do.

Spielman cant talk to Peterson while he is under suspension and said only a few members of the organization are allowed contact. He wouldnt name the individuals but said his belief is Peterson is fulfilling all his NFL-required steps to be reinstated.

Were assuming hes taken all those steps to require to get him back on the field but we cant have communication with him, Spielman said.

Also Wednesday, Spielman would not say whether Matt Cassel will return to the Vikings as the backup quarterback. Cassel is under contract in 2015 for $4.75 million, but he can be released next month without any further financial obligation.

Nothing definitely has been decided for you to know, Spielman said.

However, Spielman spoke well of Cassel. He began last season as the starter before suffering a season-ending broken foot in the third game. Rookie Teddy Bridgewater took over as the starter and remains in that role after a strong season.

We went through our process, Spielman said when asked about Cassel. We evaluated all of our players. We looked at everything from what they bring to our football team in the locker room, off the field, what they bring to us on the field. But we also have to look at where theyre at from a standpoint on their contract, where were at from a cap standpoint. Weve got a lot of unknowns now from that standpoint.

We just assess all our guys. And Matts done a great job. He came in and has won some games when he had to play and hes a great locker room guy and Matt has a lot of value to us.

Follow Chris Tomasson at twitter.com/christomasson

Source: http://blogs.twincities.com/vikings/2015/02/18/general-manager-rick-spielman-expects-adrian-peterson-back-next-season-vikings/

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Former ET Correspondent Leeza Gibbons Wins 'Celebrity Apprentice'

The battle in the boardroom on the season 7 finale of Celebrity Apprentice came down to two TV personalities: Leeza Gibbons and Geraldo Rivera.

While Geraldo was a fierce competitor, Donald Trump ultimately crowned former Entertainment Tonight correspondent and co-host Leeza as the big winner.

NEWS: Celebrity Apprentice Fires Keshia Knight Pulliam for Not Calling Bill Cosby

The final challenge was to put together an advertisement for Universal Studios' Wizarding World of Harry Potter and have a viewing party to collect money and promote vacations. Leeza's team was working to raise money for Leeza's Care Connection, while Geraldo's group was working to collect funds for his charity Life's WORC.

Geraldo had some trouble with his team, with Lorenzo Lamas slamming the team leader, saying, "Geraldo's like a cold wind -- you kind of have to shelter yourself at first because it's snappy."

Leeza's team had less obstacles and was able to get $324,000 from the challenge, as well as a performance by Olivia Newton-John. Meanwhile Geraldo's team raised $146,000, making the challenge, as Trump pointed out, not even close.

NEWS: Joan Rivers Makes 'Amazing' Final Appearance on Celebrity Apprentice

That being said, Geraldo raised overall $725,000 for his charity, while Leeza raised a total of $446,000.

Back in the boardroom, Leeza quipped before her big win, "I really think Geraldo should just concede right now. Because, if he doesn't, Ian [Ziering]'s going to have a meltdown, and we don't want that."

Do you think the right person won Celebrity Apprentice? State your case in the comments and tweet #ETnow.

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Source: http://www.etonline.com/tv/159827_leeza_gibbons_wins_celebrity_apprentice/

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No paczki at Sutherland's Bakery in Bay City this Fat Tuesday, but plans are ...

Geraldine Rezler at her home in Bay City on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 17.Rob Clark | The Bay City Times

BAY CITY, MI -- For the first time in 67 years, Geraldine Rezler stayed home and relaxed on Fat Tuesday.

Her family's business, Sutherland's Bakery, closed on Christmas Eve after decades of operating at its West Side Bay City location in the Midland Street Historic District, but it's not going away.

About a month after it closed, business partners Troy McCormick and Beth Dore purchased the bakery with hopes of bringing vitality to the business district.

There's not a hard open date at this point, but McCormick hopes to reopen the 102-year-old bakery as soon as possible. And based on the crowds he saw at area bakeries today, he said his business will be ready.

"We're doing what it takes to keep Bay County's oldest bakery ticking," McCormick said. "We're cleaning the old girl up right now and getting her ready for another 100 years. It's all about keeping these historic businesses going."

This marks the first time in the bakery's 102-year-old history that it's closed for an extended period of time.

Phillip and Josephine Wachowski purchase Sutherland's Bakery in Bay City in 1946.Courtesy Photo

Rezler's parents Phillip and Josephine Wachowski bought the Bay City bakery in 1946 after running a similar-sized operation in Detroit for many years. Rezlerworked as the cake decorator and "the fixer-upper."

"I handled the books and any problems that came up," she said.

Geraldine Rezler, now 85, married Edwin Rezler in 1948. She was 18 years old at the time, she said and her husband gave up a job at the Chevrolet plantto be a baker.

"We did that a long time," Rezler said. "We took it over lock, stock and barrel by the mid- to late-1960s."

Geraldine and Edwin Rezler, circa 1998.Courtesy Photo

The couple had two children, Michael and Karin. Edwin Rezler died in 2003.

Michael would go on to own and operate the bakery until the time of its closing, Rezler said.

"It has been bittersweet. That place is my whole life and I'm so glad it's getting a new start," she said."You know, there are a lot of empty places in town. This fella, Troy McCormick and Beth Dore, who I call compadre, theyare working so hard and they are showcasing my mom and dad."

Indeed, thebakery is expected to keep a few remnants of its past, including an original wedding photo of Rezler's parents from 1923 and a pair of boots that Phillip Wachowski wore while serving in World War I.

Michael Rezler coats a tray of paczki with powdered sugar at Sutherland's Bakery in this 2006 photo.MLive File Photo

"The fact that they're showcasing my mom and dad makes me feel really good," Rezlersaid.

McCormick and Dore's plans on Midland Street go beyond the bakery. Dore hopes to refurbish the upper floors of Duso's Bar for apartments.

"I have full confidence in the resurgence of the historic Midland Street," Dore said.

Rezler said she's anxious to see how the place turns out following renovations, but the new owners aren't giving her any sneak peeks.

"He won't let me see it until he's all completely done," Rezler said.

As for her Fat Tuesday, Rezler said she not only didn't make any paczki, she didn't eat one either.

"You know what? I didn't."

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2015/02/no_paczki_at_sutherlands_baker.html

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SNL 40 Was a Celebration of Triumphs and Failures

Public opinion on Saturday Night Live tends to lean in one of two directions: Either a.) it was better when you were a kid (sure it was) and is entirely unwatchable now or b.) its comedic legacy is so profound that you couldn't possibly speak ill of it. SNL is aware of both arguments and will spend a full three and a half hours letting you know that yes, it's g*****n legendary and no, it doesn't care if you agree.

Last night's SNL 40, NBC's marathon tribute to forty years of Saturday Night Live, was a celebration and homecoming for SNL cast members, writers and crew, past and present (audience spotting has never been more rewarding). Through endless-seeming montages and cameos, the show highlighted the series' greatest triumphsfrom memorable sketches (Will Ferrell's beloved Celebrity Jeopardy got a particularly fun re-birth) to the best hosts to its most successful breakout stars (with Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon being chief among them).

Even when viewing it through our most cynical lens, Saturday Night Live has a lot to celebrate. Watching last night's show, I couldn't help but well up when considering the brilliance of the late Gilda Radner and Chris Farley or cheer at the resurgence of old favorites like the ever-earnest choir teachers, Marty and Bobbi Mohan-Culp. Shown back to back, the series' accomplishments are indeed remarkable and its place as a cultural touchstone feels entirely deserved. This is the show that gave us The Blues Brothers, Wayne's World and Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, after all.

But for every character or sketch that hits, there are 20 that don't andwhat with self-deprecation being a large part of any successful comedya good portion of SNL 40 was devoted to highlighting the show's own failures. During one bit, Melissa McCarthy made a crack about the overwhelming presence of old white men being honored that night and Chris Rock joked about his severe underuse by writers during his time on the show. Jon Lovitz was prematurely killed off in the In Memoriam reel, Louis C.K. wondered why they even attempt to do the show live at all and Chevy Chase was scripted to appear separately from the other former Weekend Update hostssupposedly because he's the most special, but I say it's more likely that the other cast members couldn't stand being in the same room as him.

Where SNL 40 went wrong (in addition to its insane length) is when their in-joke s**t talking crossed over from charming to smug and self-congratulatory. At one point, Steve Martin remarked that the event was like a reunion at "a high school that's almost all white." The joke, particularly in the hands of someone as capable and adorable as Martin, could have developed into some interesting and humorous cultural commentary, but instead it was just left to hang there as a reminder of yes, this show's history is very, very white. The end.

Later, an appearance by cast alum Ellen Cleghorne during a Jerry Seinfeld q&a turned from a funny bit about the lack of representation of black women in general to a bit about the lack of black women on Seinfeld (still good) to a bizarre dismissal by Seinfeld himself. "Good point, Ellen, we did not do all we could to cure society's ills, you are correct. Uh, mea culpa," he said. "Other questions?"

Thankfully, there was enough worthwhile highlights during the special to come away with an appreciation for the show, even if some bits have aged better than others...

Truth is, Ias full-on comedy nerdwill put value into anything that has given us the gift of such talented and inspiring female comedians over the years. From Gilda, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman in season one to Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon and beyond, this show, even when actively failing its actresses, has provided the world with remarkable talent.

If that (and Will Ferrell) is not a gift from G*d Lorne Michaels, I don't know what is.

Image of Emma Stone as Gilda Radner's Roseanne Rosannadanna via NBC.

Source: http://themuse.jezebel.com/snl-40-was-a-celebration-of-triumphs-and-failures-1686135390

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