Prime News of the World: January 2016

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Angelique Kerber upsets Serena Williams in Australian Open

MELBOURNE At the Australian Open on Saturday, all that stood between Serena Williams and Steffi Graf was Angelique Kerber, who took 33 majors to reach her first Grand Slam final. Kerber was trying to become the first German to win a womens major since Graf won in 1999. Williams was trying to join Graf as a 22-time major winner in singles.

Williams, the world No. 1, was the defending champion and a six-time titlist here. But in the final it was as if she were playing singles against a doubles team of Kerber and Graf. As strong as Williams i

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Charlie Puth: Nine Track Mind review subtly retro, softly burning R&B pop

Fresh from committing crimes againstthe English language with hischart-topping single Marvin Gaye a collaboration with Meghan All About That Bass Trainor that co-opted the soul giants name into one ofthe more grammatically cavalier refrains of recent times Charlie Puth releases his debut album. But there are no repeats of such lyrical misdemeanours here instead the 24-year-old Puth errs on the sideof caution. Taking cues from classic R&B, his subtly retro record makes few concessions tothe present day, and the ones that are there feel perfunctory: Losing My Mind, for example, begins with a looped soul sample that quickly recedes to make way for yet more crooning. But while his traditionalism can feel staid (even Ed Sheeran, Puths UK equivalent when it comes to lovelorn beta-male balladeers, takes a risk once in a while), the standard of his songwriting is consistently high, and his central theme romantic obsession that verges on themasochistic makes for a record that softly burns.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/28/charlie-puth-nine-track-mind-review-subtly-retro-softly-burning-rb-pop

30 years since Challenger: Teacher-in-Space finalists gather

POLL: Did you watch the 1986 Challenger space shuttle launch?

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Dozens of educators who competed alongside Christa McAuliffe to become the first teacher inspacegathered Thursday to remember the seven astronauts who perished aboard Challenger 30 years ago.

McAuliffe"s son, Scott, now 39, also took part in the emotionally charged ceremony, held on a bleak, drizzly morning just six miles from where his mother"sspaceshuttleblasted off for the final time on Jan. 28, 1986.

Many of the teacher-in-space semifinalists are retired now. They have gray hair. A few limp. But they still believe strongly in what McAuliffe hoped to accomplish aboard Challenger before disaster struck during liftoff.

"It"s really hard" to be back, said William Dillon, 77, a retired teacher who represented California in the competition back in the mid-1980s. He was at KennedySpaceCenter for Challenger"s launch and had gotten to know not only McAuliffe, but a few of the other astronauts on the doomed flight.

Linda Preston, 61, also retired as a teacher, choked up as the names of the Challenger dead were read during the memorial service. The formerspaceshuttlepilot reciting the names of all 24 astronauts killed in the line of duty over the years, Jon McBride, had to fight back tears.

"All of a sudden, I couldn"t breathe," Preston later confided to a reporter. She represented Utah in the teacher competition.

About 40 of the 113 remaining semifinalists for teacher-in-space traveled to Cape Canaveral for the anniversary commemoration, the biggest gathering ever for a NASA memorial like this.

"We felt we all wanted to be part of it," said Connecticut semifinalist David Warner, 63, who still teaches science, robotics and rocketry.

Like so many of his colleagues, Warner wanted to see Kennedy"s "Forever Remembered" exhibit that opened last summer. It contains the only piece of Challenger wreckage on public display, a 12-foot section of the left-side body panel complete with the U.S. flag, as well as personal belongings of the Challenger and Columbia crews.

The ceremony was one of several NASA memorials that took place Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery and elsewhere around the country.

At Kennedy, rain moved the ceremony indoors, directly in front of the "Forever Remembered" exhibit. The gathering took place beneath the suspendedshuttleAtlantis, which in 2011 made the finalshuttleflight.

Afterward, McAuliffe and other children of the Challenger dead laid a wreath at the outdoorSpaceMirror Memorial. Each guest received a rose or carnation to attach to the railing in front of the massive granite mirror.

McAuliffe, who works in education technology in Maine, said having his own two sons there with him ages 6 and 8 made it easier. It"s time, he said, that his children see and learn firsthand all about astronauts and thespaceprogram.

Indeed, in a nod to the second generation, June Scobee Rodgers widow of Challenger commander d**k Scobee and longtime spokeswoman for the group passed the torch to daughter Kathie Scobee Fulgham.

Fulgham not Scobee Rodgers was on the stage for the ceremony and introduced guest speaker Barbara Morgan, an Idaho schoolteacher who served as Christa McAuliffe"s backup so long ago.

Morgan recalled how d**k Scobee was "a deep and poetic thinker," and how pilot Michael Smith let her "push the stick" during a training jet flight. She said Christa McAuliffe taught her not to worry about what"s unimportant but rather work harder at what truly counts.

Up until the final day before launch, Morgan noted, Christa McAuliffe took time to write college recommendations for her students.

The rest of the Challenger crew, remembered fondly by Morgan: Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka and Gregory Jarvis.

The crowd of about 500 included family members of astronauts killed in all three of NASA"s spacecraft tragedies: Challenger; Columbia"s catastrophic descent on Feb. 1, 2003; and the Apollo 1 fire on Jan. 27, 1967.

For the astronauts" loved ones, the disasters remain fresh in their minds.

Steven McAuliffe, a federal judge in Concord, New Hampshire, still declines interviews about his late wife Christa. But he noted in a statement that although 30 years have passed, "Challenger will always be an event that occurred just recently. Our thoughts and memories of Christa will always be fresh and comforting."

McAuliffe was presiding over a trial this week in Concord, and so Scott represented his father as well as his younger sister. The McAuliffes normally do not take part in these NASA memorials, so Scott"s presence was especially noteworthy.

Along with the other Challenger families, Scobee Rodgers established the Challenger Center forSpaceScience Education just three months after theshuttledisintegrated in the Florida sky. A leak in the right booster doomed the ship; unusually cold weather that morning left Challenger"s booster rockets with stiff O-ring seals.

Today, there are more than 40 Challenger Learning Centers focusing on science, technology, engineering and math, mostly in the U.S. More are being built.

"They"re not just a field trip for kids. They"re actually lessons learned," said Scobee Rodgers, an educator who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. "That"s why they"ve lasted."

Source: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2016/jan/29/30-years-challenger-teacher--space-finalists-gather/347355/

Andy Murray beats Bernard Tomic: Australian Open as it happened

Good morning/afternoon/evening. Welcome to coverage of the fourth-round match between the second seed, Andy Murray, and the 16th seed, Bernard Tomic. The odds here are stacked firmly in favour of Murray, who has beaten Tomic in their last three meetings without ever losing a set or being made to feel even a smidgin uncomfortable. However, Tomic will have a considerable wind behind him in the form of a boisterous crowd on Rod Laver Arena, who will try to give the Australian No1 a bit more pep in his step as he attempts to put Murray under pressure.

Tomic, who is no stranger to criticism for a perceived lax attitude, appears to be taking this match very seriously indeed and has been thorough in his research. He says he will use Kevin Andersons defeat of Murray in the last 16 of the US Open as motivation. Andy loves playing players that attack. I dont think he likes players like John Isner and Anderson, Tomic said. You have to take the ball to him, play aggressive, but not too aggressive, and rally at the right time. So, perhaps h**l try to draw Murray into attacking the game and look to exploit mistakes rather than push the tempo of rallies himself. A good tactical plan, or would it be folly to give a player of Murrays quality the chance to shape the match? Given, hes lost every set hes ever played against Murray perhaps he knows better than anyone else what he needs to change. For a player as tall as he is, 6ft 5in, he can vary the pace of rallies quite skilfully. He may need to do that today if he is to prevent Murray from getting into the groove.

Tomic has had time to have a pop at Roger Federer too, which doesnt seem the smartest thing to do. Responding to Federers perceived criticism of him in Brisbane earlier in the month when he appeared puzzled by Tomics lack of progress since emerging as a player of rich promise a few years ago, he said: If he believes Im very far away from the top 10, I also believe my prediction that hes nowhere near Novaks tennis right now. Im sure Federer is stinging.

As for Murray, h**l be grateful that his father-in-law, Nigel Sears, has been released from hospital and is well enough to return home to be with Murrays pregnant wife, Kim. he must have been a little shaken in the immediate aftermath of his four-set victory over Joo Sousa. h**l need to focus again and continue to play with the authority that has led to his unruffled progress into the last 16 in Melbourne. Im looking forward to this.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/jan/25/andy-murray-bernard-tomic-australian-open-live

Friday, January 29, 2016

Video Wonder: What a Sonic Boom Sounds Like

Early afternoon on Thursday, flurries of U.S. east coastresidents rushed fearfullyinto the streets, convinced that an earthquakewas making the ground tremble and windows rattle.

Turns out the kerfuffle had nothing to do with an earthquake, but was instead spurred by a series of sonic booms from nearby fighter jets. A sonic boom, in addition to being an animated TV series, is the explosive noise caused by the shock wave from an aircraft zooming forward faster than the speed of sound. One of the jets in question, theF-35C, has a top speed of 1,200 miles per hour.

This video of a U.S. navy jet breaking the sound barrier will familiarize you with the sonic boom, so that next time the navy is conducting supersonic testing, you know exactly what"s up.

Every day we track down a Video Wonder: an audiovisual offering that delights, inspires, and entertains. Have you encountered a video we shouldfeature? Email[emailprotected].

Source: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/video-wonder-breaking-the-speed-of-sound

The Latest: The price of success for Serena Williams

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - The Latest from the Australian Open on Friday (all times local):

12:15 a.m. (Saturday)

Andy Murray and his older brother Jamie have become the first brothers to reach the finals in both the singles and doubles championships at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era.

Andy Murray said that their "parents will be extremely proud. There"s not many tennis players that come out of Scotland."

The No. 2-ranked Andy Murray, who has won two Grand Slam singles titles added, "Hopefully he can get the win tomorrow."

Jamie Murray is playing with Bruno Soares against the team of Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek. Both teams are bidding to win their first Grand Slam doubles title together.

After Andy Murray survived a grueling five-set semifinal against Milos Raonic, his brother tweeted: "Phew! Couldn"t go to sleep until that finished! Great performance and fight from" Andy Murray.

Andy Murray has played in four previous Australian Open finals and never won.

He faces No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has won all five of his finals at Melbourne Park, including three over Andy Murray.

11:45 p.m.

Andy Murray has advanced to his fifth Australian Open final with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2 win over Milos Raonic.

Murray, who lost all four previous finals he has contested at Melbourne Park, will play Novak Djokovic in Sunday"s championship decider.

Five-time champion Djokovic has never lost a final here, including three wins over Murray.

Murray broke Raonic"s serve to open the fifth set, and when Raonic walked back to his chair, he angrily smashed his racket on the hard court surface twice, breaking it. Murray went on a run of winning 20 of 25 points to go ahead 4-0 and all but clinch the match.

Raonic, who made 78 unforced errors in the match to Murray"s 28, received treatment for an upper right leg ailment after the ninth game of the fourth set, and he seemed to hobble at times for the remainder of the 4-hour, 3-minute match.

11:10 p.m.

Andy Murray has leveled his Australian Open semifinal with Milos Raonic by winning the fourth set 6-4.

Raonic won the first set 6-4, Murray the second 7-5 and the Canadian won the third set 7-6 (4).

In the fourth set, Murray broke Raonic"s serve at love in the seventh game, saved one break point in the next game and then two in the 10th.

The match has been going for nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Raonic received treatment for an upper right leg ailment after the ninth game of the fourth set.

The winner will face top-seeded and five-time champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday"s championship match at Rod Laver Arena.

Murray has advanced to the final four times here, but lost each time.

10:15 p.m.

Milos Raonic has won a third-set tiebreaker 7-6 (4) and leads by two sets to one in his Australian Open semifinal against Andy Murray.

Murray, a four-time losing finalist at Melbourne Park, won the second set 7-5 after Raonic took the first 6-4.

Raonic took a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker, allowed Murray to close to 5-4 before winning the final two points on a Murray error into the net and an ace.

The winner will face five-time champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday"s final.

9:45 p.m.

Rod Laver wants some company in the Grand Slam group, and thinks it could be Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal each had seasons when they won three of the four major titles, but couldn"t complete the calendar-year Grand Slam. Djokovic"s only loss in a major last year was in the final of the French Open. He"s a five-time champion in Australia and has already secured his place in the final, where the pursuit of the season Grand Slam must begin.

Laver, who twice completed calendar-year Grand Slams, says it"s good for the sport if somebody else can achieve it.

The Australian great says "This is not a club that I"m a member of - it"s an open course. I think someone like Novak is well on his way to trying to accomplish that."

9:20 p.m.

Andy Murray has leveled his Australian Open semifinal with Milos Raonic, winning the second set 7-5 after Raonic won the first 6-4.

Murray broke Raonic"s service in the last game after setting up set point with a crosscourt forehand winner and sealing it when the Canadian netted a backhand.

Raonic won the first set on his second set point when he challenged an out call on his serve, and replays showed to have hit most of the line.

Murray is trying to advance to the final at Melbourne Park for the fifth time - he"s lost all four previous matches. Raonic is aiming to advance to his first Grand Slam final after losing in the semifinal at Wimbledon in 2014 in his only previous final-four match.

The winner will face top-seeded and five-time champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday"s final.

8:20 p.m.

Milos Raonic broke Andy Murray"s serve at love in the opening game and went on to win the first set of their Australian Open semifinal 6-4 on Friday.

Day-long rain at Melbourne Park subsided before the match began, allowing the roof to be open on Rod Laver Arena.

Raonic won the first set on his second set point when he challenged an out call on his serve, and replays showed to have hit most of the line.

The winner will face top-seeded and five-time champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday"s final. He beat Roger Federer in four sets on Thursday.

7:10 p.m.

Tennis Australia, Roger Federer"s management firm and a Brazilian businessman have combined to establish the Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-style team event expected to pit the top players from Europe against the best players from the rest of the world.

The first event over three days is expected to be staged in 2017 and continue every September except in Olympic years. The venue will not be fixed.

On the current rankings, Europe has nine of the top 10 players - with Kei Nishikori of Japan breaking it up at No. 7.

Laver, the Australian great who twice won the calendar-year Grand Slam, said he was honored to put his name to the new competition and didn"t think it would detract from the existing Davis Cup international men"s team tournament.

"The Davis Cup format was country to country - this is Europe against the rest of the world," he said. "Hopefully, the best players will want to participate."

Jorge Paulo Lemann is the Brazilian businessman behind the venture. He formerly played Davis Cup for Brazil and Switzerland.

6:30 p.m.

The No. 1-ranked team of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza have won the Australian Open doubles title, beating the Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-6 (1), 6-3 to extend their winning streak to 36 matches on the way to a third Grand Slam title together.

Hingis, a three-time singles champion at the Australian Open, and Mirza dominated the first-set tiebreaker preceded by eight service breaks, four by each team.

The winners added to their Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles last year and the pair also won the Brisbane International title three weeks ago. They started playing together at Indian Wells last year.

Hingis is now a four-time doubles champion at the Australian Open. Mirza, who won the 2009 mixed doubles title with fellow Indian player Mahesh Bhupathi, played a later semifinal Friday in mixed doubles with Ivan Dodig of Croatia.

Hlavackova and Hradecka are now 2-3 in Grand Slam doubles finals. They won major doubles titles at the 2011 French Open and 2013 U.S. Open.

4:20 p.m.

American Coco Vandeweghe and Horia Tecau of Romania have advanced to Sunday"s mixed doubles final at Melbourne Park with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Treat Huey of the Philippines.

Vandeweghe and Tecau will play either Sania Mirza of India and Ivan Dodig of Croatia or Russian Elena Vesnina and Bruno Soares of Brazil, who play their semifinal later Friday.

It"ll be a busy day for Mirza, who is teaming with Martina Hingis in the women"s doubles final to follow on Rod Laver Arena. They"ll play the Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka for the championship.

Soares is also teamed with Jamie Murray of Britain in the men"s doubles final on Saturday.

3:50 p.m.

Angelique Kerber checked her phone and confirms she received a text message from Steffi Graf ahead of the Australian Open final against Serena Williams on Saturday.

Kerber summed up the message on Friday: "She told me, "Congrats," and she is happy for me and good luck in the finals."

After winning her semifinal Thursday, Kerber was asked during her on-court interview if she would seek the advice of Graf, who was the last German woman to win the Australian title, on how to beat Serena.

Kerber responded with a laugh and said, "Steffi, write me please."

Williams has won 21 majors and is trying to match Graf"s record of 22 titles in the Open era, which started in 1968.

1:55 p.m.

Serena Williams, who plays Angelique Kerber in the women"s final at the Australian Open on Saturday, says the price of fame means she doesn"t get out much, but she"ll take that scenario as long as she"s at the top of the women"s game.

At her pre-championship news conference on Friday, Williams was asked whether it bothers her that she"s forced to stay in her hotel or house and not be able to wander the streets of Melbourne as she attempts to win her seventh title here.

Williams says "yeah, definitely ... I don"t really leave my house so much, even in Florida or L.A. or Paris. I kind of just stay at home a lot."

She adds: "It will go away soon. But for now, I"d rather have this than something else because it means I"m doing well."

Williams has not dropped a set this year in six matches after winning three of four Grand Slam titles last year. She"ll try to win her seventh final in seven attempts at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

1:20 p.m.

Andy Murray and Milos Raonic are set to meet in a men"s semifinal for the right to play five-time champion Novak Djokovic in an Australian Open men"s final.

The roof was closed over Rod Laver Arena early Friday afternoon with rain showers in the area, but those were expected to clear in time to have an open stadium for the night match.

Djokovic, who has won all five finals he"s played at Melbourne Park, beat Roger Federer in four sets Thursday to advance to Sunday"s championship decider.

The first final of 2016 will be played on Friday afternoon - the women"s doubles championship between the No. 1-ranked team of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza play Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

Source: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31086837/the-latest-the-price-of-success-for-serena-williams

Serena Williams Routs Radwanska and Nears a 22nd Major Title

Photo Serena Williams after winning her Australian Open semifinal match against Agnieszka Radwanska. Credit Jason O"Brien/Reuters

MELBOURNE, Australia As Serena Williams recovered from a run at history that ended with the finish line in sight, Agnieszka Radwanska spent the months following the 2015 United States Open chasing titles all over Asia, winning in Japan, China, the Womens Tennis Association finals in Singapore and, at the start of this year, again in China.

On the strength of her results over the past four months, Radwanska will rise to No. 3 in the new world rankings. All those matches played and won while the world No. 1, Williams, sat recharging her body and mind helped Radwanska not one whit in their Australian Open semifinal on Thursday at Melbourne Park.

Williams, playing in her first individual tournament since her semifinal exit at the United States Open, looked rested, not rusty, in a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Radwanska at Rod Laver Arena. Williams, bidding for her seventh tournament title and her second in a row, played a near-flawless first set, producing 18 winners to Radwanskas one in a 20-minute clinic. There were 20 rallies of four or fewer shots, with Williams winning 16.

Continue reading the main story

I was really hitting just all the right shots, making little to no errors, which is kind of hard to play like that, she said.

It is Williams seventh trip to the final here, but for the first time she has arrived without having dropped a set along the way. She lost 26 games in her first six matches. Williamss most competitive match of the tournament was the opener against Italys Camila Giorgi, who claimed nine games. Did she see a correlation between not playing competitive tennis for four months and then not dropping a set upon her return?

Well, I definitely think I needed the time off, Williams said. Ive been going and going and going for a long time. Been really going hard since probably before the Olympics in 2012. Thats a long time. So I felt like I really committed myself, and I need to commit myself and my body and take some time off, restart.

Williams, 34, will meet the German Angelique Kerber in the final on Saturday. Kerber, who scored a 7-5, 6-2 victory against Johanna Konta in the second semifinal, has lost five of six career matches against Williams.

Actually Im really looking forward to playing against Serena in the final, Kerber said in an on-court interview. Its just amazing to play against No. 1 in the world in the first Grand Slam final of the year.

Armed with the best serve and return in the womens game, Williams on Thursday also showed off a volley as crisp as the seals on the plastic bags on her unused rackets. But what really sets her apart is her homing instinct. When the championship is in her sights, Williams rarely falters. Her semifinal loss to Roberta Vinci at the United States Open represented a rare slip-up for Williams, who is 26-4 in the semifinals of Grand Slam events. Her only losses have been to Vinci and Kim Clijsters at the United States Open, her sister Venus at Wimbledon and Justine Henin at the French Open.

I feel like Im in the semis, only one more match to go, thats how I think, Williams said. I may as well give it my all.

Photo Serena Williams playing inher semifinal match againstAgnieszka Radwanska in the Australian Open. Credit Greg Wood/Agence France-Presse Getty Images

The last time Williams lost to a top-5 player at the Australian Open was in 2008, when she fell to fourth-ranked Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals.

Williams chased perhaps her best set of the tournament with arguably her worst. Her footwork faltered and her level of play dropped like the barometric pressure outside, as bands of rain blew through, causing the roof at Rod Laver to remain closed.

Meantime, on the other side of the net, Radwanska started serving better and hitting her returns deeper. She started playing really well in the second set, Williams said. She started making a lot of great shots, hitting really deep. I was like, I have to figure out something. I have to stay in here and start playing aggressively again and going back to what Ive been doing all week and it kind of worked out.

Radwanskas uptick in her play won her only a short reprieve, as Williams prevailed on the last eight points of the match, including three aces and a net winner to close out Radwanska at love in the final game.

I think everything is stoppable at some point, I guess, Williams said. But right now Im really just trying to stay focused and just play, you know, in myself, not get too far ahead of myself.

If Williams were able to win Saturday and tie Steffi Graf with 22 Grand Slam singles crowns, her career would come full circle. Williamss first Tier 1 title, as a 17-year-old in 1999, came at the expense of Graf at Indian Wells, Calif. Two months after Graf lost to Williams, she won her 22nd Slam at the French Open and retired three months after that.

Does she dwell on what is at stake on Saturday or block it out?

I definitely block it out, Williams said. Alluding to the United States Open, she said, I was one off last year, too. If I dont win on Saturday, Ill still be one off.

At the United States Open, Williams added, I was so stressed out. I dont want to relive that at all.

Correction: January 28, 2016

An earlier version of this article misstated Serena Williamss age when she won her first Tier 1 title in 1999. She was 17, not 16.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/sports/tennis/serena-williams-advances-to-australian-open-final.html

Box office preview: Kung Fu Panda 3 eyes $40+ million opening

With an expected debut of $40 million (or more), Kung Fu Panda 3 could soon be earning 2016s biggest opening yet.

The third installment in the adventures of Po the Panda sees Jack Black reprising his titular role. Its been weeks since weve had a family-friendly animated hit Norm of the North failed to make an impression in early January and Kung Fu Panda 3, which is rolling out in 3,955 theaters, has debuted to solid critical reviews, with a 78 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

If Pandadoes crack $40 million, itll earn the biggest opening of the year so far.Ride Along 2is the current champ with $35.2 million over three days, althoughThe Revenantscored $39.8 million when it expanded to wide release in early January.

Kung Fu Panda 3 may be a lock to claim first place, but the rest of the top five is a bit of a mixed bag. Holdovers like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Revenant are set to battle it out with new releases Fifty Shades of Black and The Finest Hours, and all four are eyeing a weekend in the low double digits.

Heres how this weekends top five might shape up:

1. Kung Fu Panda 3 $40 millionBack in June 2008, the original Kung Fu Panda reached summer blockbuster status by opening to $60.2 million, going on to gross $215.4 million domestically. Three years later, the second movie opened over Memorial Day weekend, taking in $47.7 million over three days and $60.9 million over four. (Its domestic total tapped out at $165.2 million.) This time around, most predictions have Kung Fu Panda 3 opening around $40 million, but others are saying it could actually surpass the second installment to hit $50 million.

2. The Revenant $12 millionEven with a blizzard shutting down most of the East Coast last weekend, The Revenant emerged victorious with $16 million, beating out competition like Ride Along 2 and Star Wars to reach No. 1 for the first time in its five-week run. Still, winter storm Jonas took a bite out of its box office receipts, and Alejandro Gonzlez Irritus revenge drama is expected to fare better this weekend, dipping about 25 percent to $12 million.

3. The Finest Hours $11 millionCraig Gillespies action drama which sees Chris Pine starring asa1950scoast guard captain who braves a massive storm to rescue a stranded ship is headed for a debut somewhere around $10 or $11 million. With mixed reviews (and a 56 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes), The Finest Hours is opening in 3,143 theaters, including more than 2,700 3D locations and 190 IMAX screens.

4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens $10.5 millionAfter six weekends in theaters, the all-time domestic box office champion boasts a total of $883.3 million, but its showing signs of slowing down. Unlike other box office toppers like Avatar and Titanic, The Force Awakens is shedding theaters at a much faster rate, losing about 800 domestic locations this week, and as a result, it wont cross $900 million this weekend. Still, like The Revenant, it should make up ground after last weekends blizzard, and its expected to fall about 25 percent for a seventh weekend around $10.5 million.

5. Fifty Shades of Black $10 millionA little less than a year after Fifty Shades of Grey opened to $85.1 million, Marlon Wayans is spoofing the erotic drama with his own raunchy comedy. There are no critical reviews yet, and it probably wont do as well A Haunted House, a similar Michael Tiddes-directed, Wayans-starring parody that opened to $18.1 million in 2013, but Fifty Shades, which is bowing in 2,075 theaters, is expected to open around $10 million for the weekend.

Outside of the top five, Gavin OConnors western Jane Got a Gun is opening after a long and troubled journey to the big screen. Starring Natalie Portman as the titular gunslinger, Jane has faced departing directors and cast members, and after its distributor, Relativity, filed for bankruptcy, The Weinstein Company stepped up to release it alone. Opening in 1,210 theaters, Jane is expected to debut in the low single digits.

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/28/box-office-preview-kung-fu-panda-3-finest-hours-fifty-shades-of-black

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Republican Debate: Live Updates

PhotoRick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee and Jim Gilmore at the earlyFox News/Google Republican debate at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

For the four Republican presidential candidates relegated to the undercard debate, it was a final chance to make an impression before the Iowa caucuses.

Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Jim Gilmore steered clear of clashing with each other on Thursday night and directed their ire at Democrats and a national media apparatus that they blame for their struggling campaigns.

I dont think its that the message isnt working, its that the message isnt getting out, Mr. Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008, said of his flagging candidacy.

An enraged Mr. Santorum lashed out at Fox News, which hosted the debate, for creating a two-tier process that kept candidates with low poll numbers on a separate stage.

This is what the media has been doing over the past year in trying to segregate and take Iowans out of the process, said Mr. Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania who won the caucuses in 2012.

The candidates also discussed the fight against the Islamic State, tax policy and abortion. They railed against big government. And they accused Democrats of taking the United States in the wrong direction.

Mrs. Fiorina took a page from Donald J. Trumps playbook and assailed Hillary Clinton by highlighting the sexual infidelity of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Accusing Mrs. Clinton of doing anything to gain and hold power, she said, Listen, if my husband did what Bill Clinton did, I would have left him long ago.

The candidates in the early debate are all mired in the single digits in Iowa polls, trailing far behind Mr. Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. Mr. Santorum and Mr. Huckabee were both planning to attend the rally that the billionaire businessman organized on Thursday night after backing out of the prime-time debate.

Mr. Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia, criticized his rivals for participating in Mr. Trumps event, which he considered a sideshow. Excluded from all but one of the previous Republican debates and making his first visit to Iowa, Mr. Gilmore explained that he is focusing his efforts on New Hampshire. He, too, complained that his message has been unfairly silenced.

Media across the country is manipulating and shaping and framing this campaign, Mr. Gilmore said, expressing confidence that if elected he could change this dynamic. This is wrong. It has to change, and when Im president, its going to change.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/live/republican-debate-january-2016/

Amber Rose Responded To Kanye"s Diss And She Didn"t Hold Back At All

Amber Rose hit back hard after Kanye West dragged her into hisepic Twitter feud with Wiz Khalifa.

Quick reminder: West and Rose dated for two years and it would be an understatement to say they are no longer on good terms. Much of this goes back to Rose calling West"s now-wife Kim Kardashian a "homewrecker" in 2012,claiming the reality star was the reason for her split with the rapper.

While the two have traded barbs over the years, West"s insults tend to focus on his ex"s sexual history. Though his tweets could be considered a modern form of theater, he fell back on ugly habits and tried to insult Khalifa (from whom Rosefiled for divorceafter just over a year of marriage in 2014) by referring to their mutual ex as a "stripper" and insinuating she"s a gold digger because the two have a son together.

Not one to stand down when she"s been insulted, Rose didn"t hold back when she clapped back:

Okay, so Rose"s response definitely has a homophobic twinge to it -- which is equally as icky as West"s s**t-shaming tactics -- but we have to say the entire exchange is still one of the most entertaining things to happen in a long time.

Also on HuffPost:

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 28: Blac Chyna and Amber Rose attend the 2015 BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater on June 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 12: Model Amber Rose (L) and host Amy Schumer attendsThe 2015 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 12, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MTV/MTV1415/Getty Images for MTV)

MTV/MTV1415 via Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 01: Amber Rose attended The Psych Ward Skate Shop Flagship Store Opening at The Psych Ward Skate Shop on April 1, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage)

Leon Bennett via Getty Images

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LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 06: Model Amber Rose arrives at 1 OAK Nightclub at The Mirage Hotel & Casino on January 6, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/WireImage)

David Becker via Getty Images

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UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - MAY 07: Amber Rose attends "Sister Code" - Los Angeles premiere at Universal Studios AMC on May 7, 2015 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images)

Maury Phillips via Getty Images

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/01/27/amber-rose-responses-kanye-west-diss_n_9092394.html?ir%3DEntertainment

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Apple Inc. (AAPL)"s $216 Billion Cash Pile Is Not What It Seems

Apple released its latest earnings report on Tuesday, detailing again a giant cash pile as Chief Executive Tim Cook continued to boast about having the mother of all balance sheets. However, in reality, the cash pile is not as big as it looks, says a report from MarketWatch.

Apple has no real cash

Market watchers are very fascinated by the fact that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has more than $215 billion in reserve, and they believe the cash-rich firm will probably go on an acquisition spree or buy back more of its stock.

In contrast, on the conference call Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri promised that the company plans on going further into debt. This left many wondering why. The reason is because the huge cash pile the company has been talking about is not actually cash, nor is it on hand. Above all, it does not even take the companys debt into account.

Apples balance sheet states that it has about $16.7 billion in cash and equivalents. The company has stashed the majority of the assets in its reserve in long-term marketable securities, indicating that it plans to let those funds earn interest for a term longer than a year. Such funds roughly amount to $177.7 billion, the report says.

More importantly, all its cash and securities and proceeds from sales outside the U.S. are stashed overseas, suggesting that the company wont bring them back so as to avoid the huge amount of taxes it would be required to pay in the U.S.On Tuesday, Maestri informed investors that a whopping $200 billion of its reserves, or 93%, are overseas. Cook expressly said that if Apple tries to bring that cash home, it will have to sacrifice 40% of the amount, and this is something it will not do.

Debt in home, surplus overseas

Apple has its cash and securities piling up overseas, but in the U.S., it is piling up the debt. The companys long-term debt obligations are about $53.2 billion, and its non-current liabilities amount to $32.2 billion. This is after executing a series of bond sales. The cash promised to its shareholders is not included in those debts, and the company mostly uses its bond sales for financing them, the report says.

In fourth quarter of 2015, Apple spent more than $8.8 billion on stock repurchases and dividends, and now it is a little more than three-quarters of the way through its $200 billion capital return program. The company has promised another $47 billion to shareholders. To meet such needs, the company plans to take on more debt.

We also plan to be very active in the U.S. and international debt markets in 2016 in order to fund our capital return activities, Maestri said.

Source: http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/01/apple-cash-pile-is-not-what-it-looks/

Report: Former Hawkeye Tyler Sash found to have CTE

Hawk Central staff 9:55 p.m. CST January 26, 2016

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Iowa"s Tyler Sash died last September, and a New York Times report released Tuesday said the football star had CTE.(Photo: Register file photo)Buy Photo

Former NFL and Iowa safety Tyler Sash, who died last September in his Oskaloosa home at age 27, has been diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease found in dozens of former professional football players.

Chris Nowinski of the Boston University-affiliated Concussion Legacy Foundation confirmed the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, on Tuesday night to The Associated Press. The New York Times was the first to report the finding.

CTE, which can be diagnosed only after death, is directly linked to repeated brain trauma. It is associated with symptoms such as memory loss, impaired judgment, depression, and, eventually, progressive dementia.

According to the Times report, the disease had advanced to a stage rarely seen in someone his age.

The Times report says the severity of CTE in Sashs brain was similar to the level found in the brain of former NFL hall-of-famer Junior Seau, who committed suicide in 2012 at age 43.

With Tyler being so young, its very surprising to me, linebacker A.J. Edds, who played at Iowa with Sash in 2008 and 2009, told The Register on Tuesday night. But when you start looking back and connecting the dots, some of the symptoms and signs were there.

Its eye-opening. It tells you about the state and the standing of what football is continuing to do to guys, not just physically but mentally as well.

MORE COVERAGE

Family members had been growing concerned for Sashs safety in recent years, indicating that he had battled memory loss, minor temper issues and bouts of confusion, according to the Times.

It seems to be the story with this CTE stuff, Edds said. Hindsight is 20-20 and in hindsight people will look back and say there are some things that didnt add up, but even when you have stuff like that, you can only do so much to alleviate or rectify any sort of those issues that are going on. Its a tough deal.

Sash, who won a Super Bowl during his rookie season with the New York Giants, was found dead at his home on Sept. 8. The Iowa State Medical Examiners office found he died from an accidental overdose after mixing two powerful pain medications, and a history of painful injuries was a contributing factor.

Months after the Super Bowl victory, Sash was suspended for four games in 2012 for violating the NFLs performance-enhancing substances policy by testing positive for Adderall, a stimulant used primarily to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the sleep disorder narcolepsy. The Giants cut ties with Sash prior to the 2013 opener, reaching an injury settlement after he sustained a concussion in the preseason finale against New England.

Sashs mother, Barnetta, had blamed much of that behavior on prescription drugs he took to combat pain resulting from the shoulder injury.

Doctors grade CTE on a severity scale from 0 to 4; Sash was at stage 2, according to the Times report. In comparing the results to other athletes who died at a similar age as Sash, Ann McKee, the chief of neuropathology at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System and a professor of neurology and pathology at the Boston University School of Medicine, told the Times she had seen only one case, a 25-year-old former ex-college player, with a similar amount of the disease.

McKee told the Times that very classic lesions of CTE found on Sashs brain help explain his inattention, his short fuse and his lack of focus.

Sash was reported to have at least two concussions while with the Giants. But its just not the big hits that worry brain experts less-severe head collisions can also contribute to the onset of CTE. In high-contact sports such as football, those types of traumas frequently go undiagnosed, the Times report said.

Near the time of his death, Tyler Sash was discovered by Barnetta, who went to a neighbors house for help. She had visited her sons home the night before and saw him lying on a couch. When Barnetta returned the following morning, she discovered Sash dead on the couch. Police arrived at Sashs residence at about 10 a.m.

Barnetta Sash told police her son had seemed disoriented, wasnt sleeping well and had been dealing with allergies.

Sashs girlfriend, Heather Dickinson, told police he had injured his shoulder after falling from a ladder. Barnetta told police that one of Tylers shoulders had been out of place and a sister helped him reset it.

At Iowa, Sash started 37 games from 2007-10, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in his final season. He bypassed his fourth year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Barnetta Sash did not immediately return phone calls placed by the Register on Tuesday evening.

Information compiled by The Register"s Danny Lawhon.Register sportswriter Andy Hamilton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Iowa head football coach speaks a day after the death of one of his former players. Chad Leistikow/HawkCentral.com

Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2016/01/26/tyler-sash-cte-new-york-giants-iowa-hawkeyes/79375362/

Blake Griffin Breaks Hand After 2-Piecing A Clippers Staffer

The Los Angeles Clippers have a knack for underachieving, and this wont help fix their reputation. Reportedly, star forward Blake Griffin fractured his right hand after punching a staffer multiple times while out in Toronto.

Reports ESPN:

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin returned home early from his teams five-game road trip after he suffered a suspected fracture in his right hand in an undisclosed team-related incident, ESPN.com has learned.

Sources told ESPN.com that the hand injury unrelated to the torn quadriceps muscle that has sidelined Griffin since Dec. 26 is expected to keep him out a matter of weeks, as opposed to days.

Sources close to the situation said late Monday that the Clippers are still evaluating the severity of the new injury but are expected to provide an update Tuesday.

More info is rolling out, and it seems that Griffin got into a tiffwith a Clippers staffer while out at dinner.

It seems that Griffin went outside, and proceeded to put hands on said staffer.

The struggle is real.

Photo: WENN.com

Source: http://hiphopwired.com/2016/01/26/blake-griffin-breaks-hand-after-2-piecing-a-clippers-staffer/

Zika virus patient is from Nassau County, officials say

One of the three New York patients who has tested positive for the mosquito-borne Zika virus lives in Nassau County, a local health official confirmed Tuesday.

The infection, which can cause serious birth defects, is being spread by mosquitoes in countries throughout many parts of Latin America.

Mary Ellen Laurain, spokeswoman for the Nassau County Department of Health, said a resident had traveled to a country where the infectious agent is proliferating. However, she did not reveal the patients gender, age, place of residence or where the patient had traveled. The virus can be passed only from mosquitoes to people, and is not transmissible person-to-person.

The Nassau Zika patient is among three whose cases were announced late last week by State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. All were said to have contracted the infection while abroad. The other two patients are from Queens and Orange County, health officials say.

Zucker said in a statement that each patients blood test was confirmed positive for the mosquito-transmitted infection by the states Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany.

Global health experts estimate that only one in five people infected with Zika virus actually get sick. The most common symptoms, they say, are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Symptoms typically begin two to seven days after being bitten by a carrier mosquito. Aside from the lack of a medication to treat Zika viral infection, there is no vaccine to prevent it.

The key concern is Zikas propensity to cause severe birth defects, particularly microcephaly, a condition marked by severe brain damage. Thousands of cases have been diagnosed in endemic countries, leading public health officials in Brazil and several other Latin American countries to ask women to avoid pregnancy.

Brazilian health authorities have also linked the infection to Guillain-Barr syndrome, a form of paralysis marked by a turncoat immune response in which the usually protective system attacks and damages the nerves.

Scientists with the World Health Organization describe the virus as native to Africa, where it was first isolated in the 1950s. The pathogen is a member of the flavivirus family, which includes West Nile, dengue and the yellow fever viruses. All are carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. There is no evidence that the virus is being transmitted in New York, Zucker said last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday added the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic to the list of travel destinations with Zika virus outbreaks.

Previously, the CDC recommended that pregnant women should consider postponing trips to 22 destinations. In Latin America, these countries include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela. In the Caribbean: Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Martin and Puerto Rico. Also included are Cape Verde, off the coast of western Africa, and Samoa in the South Pacific.

Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/zika-virus-patient-is-from-nassau-county-officials-say-1.11396696

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Rob Kardashian Might Be Dating Blac Chyna

Rumors are swirling that Rob Kardashian might be dating Blac Chyna!

The 27-year-old model ignited the rumors when she posted a photo on her Instagram account of a tattooed arm wrapped around herself. Fans instantly recognized the tattoos as the ones on Robs arm.

The beginning, she captioned the pic, which you can see below.

Chyna has a history with the Kardashian family as she used to date Tyga and has a three-year-old son with him. When Tyga bought a car for his girlfriend Kylie Jenners birthday, it was speculated that he regifted the car that he had once bought for Chyna.

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Source: http://www.justjared.com/2016/01/25/rob-kardashian-might-be-dating-blac-chyna/?ref%3Dfooter

Fox News Poll: Clinton drops below 50 percent as her lead over Sanders shrinks

Hillary Clintons lead in the Democratic primary race has narrowed to its slimmest margin yet.

The front-runners support has slipped under 50 percent, and cracks may be appearing in what some called her firewall -- the African-American voter bloc.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE NATIONAL POLL RESULTS

Here are the numbers from the latest Fox News national poll:

Forty-nine percent of Democratic primary voters now support Clinton -- down from 54 percent two weeks ago.

Bernie Sanders also drops -- by two points -- to 37 percent. Martin OMalley, down two ticks as well, gets 1 percent.

Ten percent are undecided -- a sign the race is more fluid than it seemed two weeks ago when only two percent were undecided.

Last June, Clinton held a 46-point lead over Sanders. Since then, Sanderss support has grown slowly but steadily, while Clintons support has ebbed and recovered once -- and now appears in danger of another reversal.

Clintons sagging support is due, at least in part, to erosion among black voters. While 67 percent support her, thats down from 78 percent two weeks ago and 84 percent in December.

This comes against a backdrop of extreme volatility in stock markets and increasing pessimism about the economy, says Dana Blanton, vice president of public opinion research for Fox News. For the first time in over three years, more Americans think the economy is getting worse than better.

A year ago, 53 percent thought the economy was getting better and 36 percent said worse. Now 46 percent think its getting worse and 39 percent better.

Sanders says as president he will, Break up the big banks, close the tax loopholes, and make them pay their fair share. He has criticized Clinton for being too close to Wall Street and in the last Democratic debate said the first difference between them is, I dont take money from big banks. I dont get personal speaking fees from Goldman Sachs.

The big dividing line among Democrats continues to be age, with Sanders leading by 26 points among those under 45 and Clinton leading by 42 points among those ages 45 and over.

Sanders voters tend to be dissatisfied (69 percent) with the workings of the federal government, while Clinton voters are about as likely to be satisfied (50 percent) as dissatisfied (47 percent).

About one-quarter (27 percent) of Sanders voters will be pleased if Clinton gets the nomination, while one-fifth (19 percent) would be so dissatisfied theyd stay home in November instead of voting for her.

Clinton voters would be more accepting of Sanders as the nominee -- 43 percent say theyd be satisfied with him, while 13 percent of Clinton voters say they probably wont vote if Bernie is the nominee.

One thing Sanders and Clinton supporters have in common is that theyd rather Joe Biden be the nominee than their candidates current opponent. Half (51 percent) of Clinton supporters and 39 percent of Sanders voters would be satisfied with the vice president as the Democratic nominee.

Honesty (30 percent) is the top quality Democratic primary voters want in their nominee, followed by the right experience (22 percent), caring about people like themselves (17 percent) and the ability to win in November (8 percent).

Among those who say honesty is most important, Sanders leads Clinton by 27 points.

Both Sanders (84 percent) and Clinton (93 percent) supporters overwhelmingly approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. For comparison, 92 percent of Republican front-runner Donald Trumps supporters disapprove of Obama.

Overall, 45 percent of voters approve and 48 percent disapprove of Obamas job performance. This is an improvement from early January when 42 percent approved and 53 percent disapproved.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,009 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from January 18-21, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters, and 5 points for the Democratic primary voter sample (375).

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/26/fox-news-poll-clinton-drops-below-50-percent-as-her-lead-over-sanders-shrinks.html

Monday, January 25, 2016

"Warcraft" Movie Improved With Gaming Sound Effects, Director Duncan Jones Already Planning Sequels? [New Trailer]

While the first full trailer for Warcraft was released to a wider audience during Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the trailer has already seen its first remake and not in a way many people would have expected. In an attempt to improve on the initial trailer, one fan re-dubbed the video with the games original sound effects, resulting in a hilarious version of the original trailer.

The trailer, which can be viewed on Game Sided, includes both music and sounds from the game. This includes generic bird songs, sound effects, and character comments like zug-zugs, which contrast hilariously with the movies serious tone. Although it might not be an improvement, the trailer is sure to bring plenty of laughs and nostalgia to fans of the original game.

The movie is based on the hit video game that was originally released over 20 years ago. The plot centers on the Frostwolf orcs, who are forced to run from the evil Shadow Council. While the main storyline might not match up perfectly with the game, the film is set to include a number of different characters from the game, including Khadgar, Anduin, Durotan, and Garona.

Travis Fimmel in Warcraft. [Image via Legendary Pictures]

Meanwhile, Forbes is reporting that Warcraft may very well become the surprise movie of the new year. While 2016 is set to include a number of blockbusters, including Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Independence Day: Resurgence, and Star Trek Beyond, Warcraft sets itself apart due to its originality.

In fact, Warcraft marks the first time the fantasy world will be brought to the big screens. With a big budget to back it up, the film has a great shot at making a big splash this summer. Whether or not this means that fans will show up in mass to support the new movie is yet to be seen. However, it should have a decent showing, especially considering the games loyal fan base.

Meanwhile, with the new trailer now out for all the world to see, director Duncan Jones has high hopes for Warcraft. According to Design & Trend, Duncan recently talked about some of the expectations that are inherent in a franchise like Warcraft and explained some of the difficulties in adapting the story.

Peter Jackson did a magnificent job of setting the table for Tolkiens universe with his first Lord of the Rings film. I know that my job in this first film is to establish certain characters, places and culture while telling a story that a broad audience can be excited by, Duncan related.

There will be plenty of Orc action in Warcraft. [Image via Legendary Pictures]

At the same time, Duncan also expressed his own excitement about a possible sequel to Warcraft. In his mind, the only thing that would prevent another Warcraft film from being developed is if fans dont show up big at the box office.

Hopefully, if I have done my job right, people will want to know and see more! he shared. There is certainly plenty more to tell! I would love to be part of that process of expanding on the lore that makes up Warcraft, but it will all depend on what you, the audience, think of our first film.

Duncan went on to describe his thought process behind the major plot line of the film. In particular, the director stated that it was important to include the first encounter between the Orcs and humans. Not only was this a great way to launch the story, but it also gave the director a chance to explain the world that many people are not likely familiar with.

Warcraft is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 10, 2016.

Tell us! Are you excited to see Warcraft? Let us know in the comments and check out the official trailer below.

[Image via Legendary Pictures]

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/2707844/warcraft-movie-improved-with-gaming-sound-effects-director-duncan-jones-already-planning-sequels-new-trailer/

School closings and delayed openings for Monday

Two-year-old Gianna Patel peers over a snow bank in the front yard of her family"s Franklin Township home, Sunday, January 24, 2016.(Photo: Jason Towlen/Staff Photographer)Buy Photo

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The Monster Jam scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. at Prudential Center has been postponed to 4:30 p.m

Here is a list of school and municipal closings and delayed openings as of 5p.m. Sunday. Stay with Mycentraljerssey.com for updates as they become available.

All New Jersey ShopRite stores are open as of Sunday.

Hunterdon County

Alexandria Public Schools Closed

Bethlehem Public Schools Closed

Califon Public SchoolsClosed

Town of Clinton Public Schools Closed

Clinton Township schools Closed

Delaware Public Schools Closed

East Amwell Public SchoolsClosed

Flemington-Raritan School DistrictClosed

Frenchtown Public Schools Closed

Kingwood Public Schools Closed

Lebanon Borough Public Schools Closed

Lebanon Township Public Schools Closed

Milford Public Schools Closed

Readington Public Schools Closed

Tewksbury Public Schools Closed

Union Township Public Schools Closed

Middlesex County

Cranbury Public Schools - Closed

Dunellen Public Schools Closed

Edison Piblic Schools Closed

East Brunswick Public Schools Closed

East BrunswickSolid Waste & Recycling Collection is cancelled for Monday. Solid wastenormally picked up on Mondaywill be collected Tuesday. Recyclingnormally picked up on Monday(Recycling District 1)will be collected on Saturday, Jan.30.The Recycling Center will be openon Monday.

Little Earth Shepherds Preschool,East Brunswick Closed

Highland ParkMonday"s regular garbage collection for the Northside and Triangle neighborhoods has been postponed and rescheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27.

Highland Park Public Schools Closed.

Immaculate Conception School, SpotswoodClosed

Jamesburg Public Schools Closed

Metuchen Public Schools - Closed

Middlesex Public Schools Closed

Middlesex Regional Education Services Commission Public Schools Closed

Middlesex County Vo-Tech, East Brunswick - Closed

Milltown Public Schools - Closed

Monroe Public Schools Closed

New Brunswick Public Schools Closed

New Brunswick recycling collection for residents in the Monday Zone onlyis rescheduled for Saturday, Jan.30.

New Brunswick"sLord Stirling Community School, 101 Redmond Street, will again serve as shelter on Sunday night for those without a secure place to weather the cold.The school will reopen at 5 p.m. Anyone without adequate shelter from the cold may go there to keep warm overnight.Anyone in need of housing or social services assistance is encouraged to call 2-1-1.

North Brunswick Public Schools - Closed

Nrth Brunswick Municipal Offices will have a 2 hour delayed opening.

Old Bridge Public Schools Closed

Perth Amboy Public SchoolsClosed

Piscataway Public Schools Closed

Piscataway Vo-Tech - Closed

Plainsboro Public Schools Closed

Sayreville Garbage Fort Grumpy will be closed Monday. The garbage pick up schedule for the week of Jan.25 isMonday pick up will be Tuesday,Tuesday pick up will be Wednesday andWednesday pick up will beThursday.

South Amboy Public SchoolsClosed

South Brunswick Public Schools Closed

South Plainfield Public Schools Closed

South River Public SchoolsClosed

Spotswood Public Schools - Closed

The First Class Child Care,Piscataway Delayed opening 2 1/2 hours late

Woodbridge Public Schools Closed

Somerset County

Bernards Township Schools Closed

Bound Brook Public Schools Closed

Bridgewater-Raritan Public Schools Closed

Franklin Public Schoools Closed

Manville Public Schools Closed

MontgomeryTwp Public Schools -Closed

North Plainfield Public Schools Closed

Somervile Public Schools Closed

Somerset County Vo-Tech, Bridgewater - Closed

South Bound Brook Public Schools - Closed

Warren Twp. Public Schools - Closed

Watchung Public Schools Closed

Union County

Linden Public Schools Closed

Plainfield Public Schools Closed

Rahway Public Schools Closed

The Monster Jam event scheduled for Sunday, January 24 at 2 p.m. at Prudential Center has been postponed to 4:30 p.m. due to the impact of Saturdays storm. The afternoons pre-show pit party and the evening Monster Jam event at 6:30 p.m. have been canceled.

Guests who purchased tickets for either the Sunday afternoon pre-show pit party or the Sunday evening performance can obtain refunds at the point of purchase. Guests who held tickets for the evening show are welcome to purchase tickets for the 4:30 p.m. performance.

Tickets are available for the 4:30 p.m. show via Ticketmaster, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 and Prudential Centers box office.

Read or Share this story: http://mycj.co/1ViwC2C

Source: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/2016/01/24/school-closings-and-delayed-openings-monday/79266770/

Royal Rumble 2016 results: Charlotte beats Becky Lynch, but Sasha Banks gets the last laugh

The Boss thinks she"s the Divas Champion in waiting.

Once again, Charlotte retained the Divas Championship at the Royal Rumble, beating Becky Lynch with the help of her father. But the big story came afterwards when Sasha Banks showed up and beat up both contenders before holding up the belt herself.

Charlotte and Becky came up to the main roster in a team together during painful, though ultimately successful Divas Revolution. Their best friend breakup came as the result of Charlotte decided she"d do anything to win and keep the title, just like her father, Ric Flair. Since that split, Flair has been in his daughter"s corner for all of her matches, regularly cheating for her, including in title matches against Becky. On Raw, Lynch baited Flair Charlotte"s manager into giving Becky a title shot.

Besides some great wrestling, this match featured Ric Flair grabbing Becky Lynch and forcibly kissing her. It was a bad thing.

But it was also a perfect reflection of what this whole feud is about Ric Flair will do anything to make sure his daughter wins, and he cheated to help Charlotte retain the title later in the match. When Lynch put Charlotte in her finisher, the Disarmer, Flair distracted her by throwing his jacket over her face. Once the hold was broken, Charlotte hit a spear for the second time in the match and scored a pin to keep her retain the Divas Championship. The win wasn"t enough either and she delivered a beatdown to Becky afterwards.

That wasn"t the end either. Sasha Banks made a surprise appearance and kicked Becky in the gut. She pretended to congratulate Charlotte, then when the champ turned her head, Sasha put her in the Banks Statement and put her to sleep. We have a new Divas title feud, and it"s going to be great.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/wrestling/2016/1/24/10824554/wwe-royal-rumble-2016-results-charlotte-becky-lynch-divas-championship-sasha-banks

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Ronda Rousey And Cecily Strong Go On Trial For Having A Threesome With Pete Davidson

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SNL received a fair amount of criticism for a sketch last season that turned a high student student (Pete Davidson) into a hero for sleeping with his teacher (Cecily Strong). Responses to Hot for Teacher which failed to mock the double standard of a male student having s*x with his female teacher versus a male teacher doing the same thing with his female student ranged from frustrated anger (Im actually offended by this hot for teacher skit on #SNL sends the wrong message about sexual abuse. Not cool. Not funny) to a straight-up NOPE (Thanks NBC got some free time when I stopped watching/deleted #SNL after statutory rape comedy in first sketch).

So, naturally, SNL brought the sketch back.

Except this time, Strong has a partner: Ronda Rousey, who wasnt asked to do much more than sheepishly whisper so corny. Everything else is the same: Davidson is still like Forrest Gump in that scene where people start following him during his run across America, and Kenan Thompsons proud judge still thinks hes the man (or my man, to quote Denzel Washington).

Its an odd sketch to resurrect, and responses are just disappointed as they were last time. One Twitter user wrote, SNL trivializing sexual harassment, rape, inappropriate student/teacher relationships was appalling. Do better.

Source: http://uproxx.com/tv/teacher-trial-s*x-ronda-rousey-snl/

CONFIRMED: Michigan State Basketball to wear Mean Green Nike Hyper Elite Disruption uniforms vs Maryland

As isportswebs Mike Sterner wroteearlier this week, Michigan State basketball will be wearing a new uniform for this Saturdays game vs Maryland.

Here is the picture from MSU Basketballs instagram account:

From Michigan State Basketballs snapchat:

It appears that incoming 2016 five-star recruit Miles Bridges likes them:

Oh my https://t.co/Jieb32zmbG

Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges01) January 22, 2016

In the poll on Mike Sterners original article (here), MSU fans didnt like the uniforms by a 70% to 30% margin.

Will those resultschange now that the whole jersey is visible? Vote here:

Take Our Poll

Source: http://isportsweb.com/2016/01/22/confirmed-michigan-state-basketball-to-wear-mean-green-nike-hyper-elite-disruption-uniforms-vs-maryland/

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Review: "The Boy," in Which a Doll May be Alive, or the Heroine May Be Mad

Photo A scene from The Boy, a thriller directed by William Brent Bell. Credit David Bukach/STX Entertainment

A creepy doll and a creepy house are the main ingredients of The Boy, a small-cast horror movie that spends a lot of time building itself into a psychological thriller, only to veer in a more literal direction at the end. It still has enough scary moments to satisfy horror fans, but youre left wondering whether it might have been more disturbing had it stayed on its original path.

Lauren Cohan, of The Walking Dead, plays Greta, a young American woman who escapes a bad relationship by traveling to England for a job as a nanny to the son of an older couple (Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle). Only when she arrives at their creaky, sprawling mansion does she learn that the lad, Brahms, is actually a porcelain doll, a surrogate for their son, who is said to have died years earlier in a fire.

Whatever it might look like on the outside, the father tells her, our son is here. He is very much with us.

The parents quickly bolt they desperately need a vacation, they tell Greta leaving her with Brahms and a detailed list of how to care for him. Alone in the giant house, except for an occasional visit from Malcolm (Rupert Evans), who delivers groceries, Greta undergoes a transition from thinking that the couple are bonkers to suspecting that the doll is indeed somehow alive.

Its a classic descent-into-madness setup, and Ms. Cohan does a reasonable job with what shes given. (William Brent Bell directed the script, by Stacey Menear.) There was room to give her more the first hour of the film is a bit sluggish and Ms. Cohan never really gets to finish her exploration of whether Greta has lost her mind because the film takes an abrupt turn. Its one of those twist endings that, though surprising, also feels like a letdown.

The Boy is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for relatively mild gore and violence.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/movies/the-boy-review.html

Celebrate this snow day by making snow cream

By now there should be enough snow outside your East Tennessee door to create a memory making dessert. All it takes is a bowl, a spoon, a gallon of snow and someone brave enough to go outdoors to gather it.

The rest is easy peasy. You"ll need some sugar, vanilla flavoring and a little milk for vanilla snow cream, the addition of chocolate syrup if making chocolate snow cream or you can go rogue by adding orange and vanilla flavoring to create a creamsicle.

Here"s a few recipes to get you started.

CHOCOLATE SNOW CREAM

Yields 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

8-10 cups snow

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate syrup (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add milk, sugar and vanilla in bowl until blended. If desired include chocolate syrup to taste. Stir mixture into a large bowl of snow.

PAULA DEEN SNOW CREAM

Yields 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 cups snow

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls.

Source: Paula Deen/Food Network

Snow Cream (with egg)

Yields 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup white sugar

1 gallon snow

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in snow until mixture reaches desired consistency. Eat at once.

Note: Ingesting raw eggs can be hazardous to your health. Pasteurized eggs recommended.

Source: http://www.knoxnews.com/entertainment/food-and-dining/celebrate-this-snow-day-by-making-snow-cream-29c6eb02-d687-7379-e053-0100007fee7a-365930191.html

Charlotte Rampling: Promoting Diversity In Oscar Nominations Is "Racist To Whites"

Best Actor: Johnny Depp, "Black Mass"

"Black Mass" was supposed to be Johnny Depp"s big comeback. And it did decent business at the box office, but Depp"s portrayal of Boston crime lord Whitey Bulgerhasn"t been an awards favorite. Even the Golden Globes snubbed him. The Golden Globes! As in, the same group that nominated him for "The Tourist!" Oh well. Good thing he doesn"t want an Oscar anyway.

David M. Benett via Getty Images

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Best Supporting Actor: Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation"

One of many performers of color to see their names left off the list, Idris Elba"s commanding turn as a West African warlord won raves on the festival circuit. Butvoters bypassed"Beasts of No Nation," Netflix"s first original feature, altogether, despite the surprising attention it garnered fromthe Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Mike Pont via Getty Images

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Best Supporting Actor: Michael Keaton, "Spotlight"

The "Spotlight" ensemble had too many cooks in the Boston Globe kitchen. Open Road Films campaigned foreveryone in the cast as supporting players, and it seemed like Michael Keaton -- arguably the film"s standout -- could become the guy to beat in this category. But then the SAG Awards snubbed both him and Mark Ruffalo, and BAFTA put him in the lead category, making it apparent that the campaign strategy wasn"t effective. It worked out in Ruffalo"s favor, but Keaton lost his spot to Tom Hardy ("The Revenant").

Theo Wargo via Getty Images

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Best Picture: "Carol"

We seek resolutionsbecause "Carol" was the best movie of 2015 and the Academy is too conventional to recognize its brilliance. In retrospect, it"s not that much of a surprise: The Best Picture race often favorsmore overtly sentimental fare, and "Carol" reportedly left some voters feeling cold.

The Weinstein Company

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Best Supporting Actor: Paul Dano, "Love & Mercy"

Paul Dano is effectively a co-lead in "Love & Mercy,"where he plays Brian Wilson during the recording of the Beach Boys" "Pet Sounds." He"s stunning in the role, butdespite nods from the Golden Globes and Independent Spirit Awards, Dano didn"t have the star power to avoid such category confusion.

Araya Diaz via Getty Images

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Best Picture: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"

"The Martian" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" were always destined to occupy the category"s blockbuster slots, and the Force"s fate was pretty much sealed when the Producers Guild of America left this movie off its awards shortlist. Fingers crossed this won"t damage the box-office potential.

Walt Disney Studios

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Best Supporting Actress: Jane Fonda, "Youth"

This would have been Jane Fonda"s first Oscar nod in 29 years. But she was only in"Youth" for five minutes, and the movie was far too polarizingfor the Academy to single her out. Rachel McAdams" "Spotlight" work took Fonda"s spot.

Araya Diaz via Getty Images

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Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, "The Hateful Eight"

Quentin Tarantino has won this award twice, and he seemed destined to secure at least a nomination this year. But the long, b****y "Hateful Eight" script didn"t register with the Academy. Instead, "Ex Machina" scribe Alex Garland and "Straight Outta Compton" writersJonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff left Tarantino stuck at Minnie"s Haberdashery.

ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images

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Best Picture: "Straight Outta Compton"

This crowd-pleasing NWA biopic stunned enough of the industry to score a Best Ensemble nod at the SAG Awards, but not enough to crack Best Picture.

Universal

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Best Supporting Actor: Jacob Tremblay, "Room"

We will forever look back at the 2016 Oscar race as the time 9-year-old Jacob Tremblay became a star. His remarkable "Room" performance scoreda SAG nod,but he is technically a co-lead in the film, even if A24 thought a supporting nomination would be more feasible. Whether it was category confusion or his age that hurt him, Tremblay will have plenty more opportunities to waltz across the Oscar stage.

Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP

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Best Actor: Will Smith, "Concussion"

Will Smith was always a dicey bet in this derby, especially without that SAG nod. Best Actor was just too much like a dull game of musical chairs this year, and Smith was tasked with oustingthe likes of Johnny Depp, Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks. With overwroughtawards bait like "Concussion," he couldn"t swing it.

Jim Spellman via Getty Images

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Best Original Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "Steve Jobs"

This one"s a real stunner. All 25 pundits on awards-handicapping site GoldDerby predicted Aaron Sorkin would score a nomination, and that looked especially certain after his Golden Globe win on Sunday. Alas, the "Steve Jobs" scribe couldn"t walk and talk his way into the Academy"s affection this time.

Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

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Best Supporting Actress: Kristen Stewart, "Clouds of Sils Maria"

Despite the wise critics" groups that gave Kristen Stewart their supporting-actress prize, this movie was just too under-the-radar for the Academy.

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

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Best Director: Todd Haynes, "Carol"

Once again, Todd Haynes has been blanked for Best Director. "Carol," the best movie of 2015, must have made itself. Good job, "Carol."

Theo Wargo via Getty Images

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Best Original Screenplay: Amy Schumer, "Trainwreck"

Amy Schumer"s debut script made the cutoff with the Writers Guild Awards, but it didn"t rate as favorably with the Academy"s writers branch.

Kevin Mazur via Getty Images

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Best Director: Ridley Scott, "The Martian"

Seen as apacesetter in this category, Ridley Scott missed out on what would have been his third Best Director nomination. It"s a shame, too, because "The Martian" is apiece of craftsmanship.

Michael Kovac via Getty Images

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Best Supporting Actor: Michael Shannon, "99 Homes"

Michael Shannon started awards season as a second-tier contender at best, but after a surprise SAG nomination, he seemed like a viable contender. That didn"t translate to the Oscars, but make no mistake: His "99 Homes" performance is fierce.

John Shearer via Getty Images

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Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan, "Creed"

Sadly, Michael B. Jordan was always on the outskirts of this category -- but a movie lovercan dream, just like Donnie Johnson did in "Creed."

Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

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Best Animated Feature: "The Good Dinosaur"

Pixar movies are often shoo-ins for Best Animated Feature, but "The Good Dinosaur" didn"t enjoythe studio"s typically glowing reviews. The less-conventional "When Marnie Was There" took its spot. But don"t mourn for Pixar too hard: "Inside Out" will probably win this award.

Walt DIsney Studios

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Best Documentary Feature: "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief"

Alex Gibney"s acclaimed expos missed out on a Best Documentary nod, as did "The Hunting Ground," "He Named Me Malala," "Meru," "Best of Enemies" and "Where to Invade Next." Instead, "What Happened, Miss Simone?" and "Winter on Fire" rounded out the category.

HBO

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Best Supporting Actress: Mya Taylor, "Tangerine"

It was always a big ask to get the Academy to recognize this low-budget Sundance dramedy about transgender s*x workers, but if anyone was going to pull it off, it was newcomer Mya Taylor, who won the Gotham Awards" breakthrough-actor prize.

Brent N. Clarke via Getty Images

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/01/22/charlotte-rampling-oscars-diversity_n_9050210.html?ir%3DEntertainment

Front Porch Reflections: Snow cream, anyone?

Now, heres a question for you.

How many remember the snow cream from yesteryear?

A check around the office got mixed results. Some had never heard of it. Some had.

One person, Belinda Webb, said her family still makes that delicious concoction with snow.

My mother routinely made it when we had a substantial snowfall.

In fact, other than not having to go to school, the anticipation of the snow cream was the most exciting part of a big snowfall. It was even above sleigh riding, snow ball fighting and building a snow man.

After a day playing outside in the snow, and that usually meant all day, snow cream was about the best thing imaginable.

We had snow cream every winter, without fail.

What I cant figure out is why this little piece of heaven has been lost over the years.

I remember on several occasions when my children were small thinking about it.

Man, I think Ill make some cream, I told myself. The kids will love it.

But for the life of me, I could not remember how to make it. At that time, of course, we did not have computers or the internet, so such information was simply not available unless you knew someone who had the recipe.

As has often been the case, so many of the recipes for various dishes and treats my ancestors made are lost. Well, they did not have recipes actually written down, they just knew as if by instinct how to create it.

Out of curiosity, I Googled snow cream and plenty of recipes showed up. So its certainly not a lost art at all.

Anyone who has not tried this should do it. Do it today. The recipe is simple, and this is the one that Belinda uses. Either milk or sweet condensed milk can be used, then some vanilla, maybe a teaspoon, a little sugar if you like and then gather a big bowl full of freshly fallen, clean snow.

Kind of fold or mix the milk with the sugar and vanilla into the snow until its evenly spread.

You will be surprised at how great it tastes, kind of like ice cream, only better!

Now, my mother squirted some chocolate syrup into hers, which is the way we liked it.

You can add sprinkles if you want, or about anything for that matter. Experiment until you get the right combination.

Belinda has two daughters and they prefer the chocolate syrup.

With the heavy snow that is predicted today, plenty of bowls of snow cream should be easy to make. And there should be plenty left over for the snowman, snow ball fights and sleigh riding.

By the way, for those parents who think exposure to the cold will cause colds, thats a myth. Catching a virus from another person causes colds.

Playing in the cold is healthy if youre dressed appropriately. No, not like little Richie in A Christmas Story, just common sense clothing, including gloves and hat.

Kids need to be outside playing in the snow. They can watch TV, and eat snow cream, after dark.

You know what? Adults need to be outside playing the snow as well.

Come on, get out there.

Be a kid again.

Enjoy these times.

Make great memories.

And for crying out loud, make some snow cream.

Source: http://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/columns/front-porch-reflections-snow-cream-anyone/article_9232bcca-c05c-11e5-a9dd-bb869daa5cdf.html

Friday, January 22, 2016

Geek"s what to watch this week: DC"s Legends of Tomorrow, Dirty Grandpa, and Turbo Kid

This week, the things we want to watch the most range from a spinoff superhero team series and a Spring Break buddy comedy to a bus-stationed comedy special and a throwback to B-movie flicks of the 70s.

DCs Legends of Tomorrow

Tonight, fans of DC Comics and the Arrowverse created by The CW shows like Arrow and The Flash will finally get to experience the third series in the line when DC Legends of Tomorrow debuts. Rip Hunter leads a team including Hawkman, Hawkgirl, White Canary, Firestorm, Dr. Stein, Heat Wave, Captain Cold, and The Atom as they bounce through time trying to put a stop to Vandal Savages past villainy. The showdebuted this week, and you can watch it on certain streaming venues if you missed it.

Dirty Grandpa

When you think of classic comedy duos, you probably dont think much of Zac Efron and Robert De Niro, but the more we see of Dirty Grandpa, the more we think you might just start. Efrons straight-laced Jason inadvertently drives his recently widowed grandfather to Spring Break just before getting married in a set-up that sounds like something out of the 80s. While not known as a director, Dan Grazer does have writing credits on Sacha Baron Cohen projects ranging from Da Ali G Show to Bruno. Dirty Grandpa debuts today.

NSFW WARNING: F-bombs dropped early in this one.

Crash Test

Human Giant alums Rob Hubel and Paul Scheer joined forces to create Crash Test: a bus-based comedy special. The duo talked to a bunch of their friends and got the likes of Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza from Parks & Rec, Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant from Reno 911, 30 Rocks Jack McBrayer, Natasha Leggero and more. Originally a pay-to-see Vimeo special, Crash Test debuts on Comedy Central tonightat 11:00PM.

NSFW WARNING: This one gets b****y at the end.

Turbo Kid

A love letter to the insane cinema of the 70s and 80s, Turbo Kid is a post-apocalyptic adventure focusing on a young man traversing The Wasteland in an attempt to defeat Zeus (Michael Ironside) after a mysterious girl named Apple encourages him to take up the mantle of his comic book hero Turbo Rider. The Kid hits Netflix streaming on January 25.

Source: http://www.geek.com/news/geeks-what-to-watch-this-week-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-dirty-grandpa-and-turbo-kid-1645291/

Blizzard"s Storm Surge Could Cause As Much Flooding As a Hurricane Landfall

A couple looks at the view of New Jersey from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan on Aug. 28, 2011, as Hurricane Irene hit the region with rain and high winds. Coastal flooding from this week"s blizzard may match or exceed Irene"s levels.

Photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Its blizzard time on the East Coast, and this weeks storm could wind up being one for the ages. But lost in all the discussion of snow looms a coastal flood threat that could rival some of the strongest storms ever to hit the Northeast.

Weather models continue to go all-in on what may wind up being Washington, D.C.s snowiest snowstorm in history, besting a 28-inch snowfall back in 1922. At the moment, the Washington area is in the bulls-eye, with potential for anywhere from 20 to 36 inches, according to the latest models. The storm is currently forecast to be a Top 10 snowstorm for Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City, too. On Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service issued a blizzard watch for the Washington area, warning of life threatening conditions. The NWS will also begin launching weather balloons twice as frequently for the next few days at each of its offices east of the Rocky Mountains in an attempt to gather more data to improve its blizzard forecast.

While the multifoot predicted snowfall amounts are garnering all the headlines, the latest weather model output shows that flooding from this weeks East Coast blizzard may rival some of the worst coastal flooding events in historyespecially in New Jersey and New Yorkputting billions of dollars of oceanfront property at risk. Thats a really big deal for a region still recovering more than three years after Hurricane Sandy.

Before Hurricane Sandy, the second-highest water level ever measured in New York City (after 1960s Hurricane Donna) was from a December 1992 winter storm that produced more than 3 feet of snow in Maryland with drifts up to 20 feet high, hurricane force winds at the New Jersey shore, power outages to hundreds of thousands of people, $2 billion of damage, 25-foot waves offshore, and flooded thoroughfares in Manhattan.

Along with several other infamous winter storms of the past few decades, the 1992 storm is now one of the leading historical analogues for this weeks blizzard. Like the 1992 storm, this weeks blizzard will arrive during a full moon, when hide tide levels are highest. Also like the 1992 storm, the center of this weeks weather system will stall just offshore, maximizing the potential for coastal flooding from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to Long Island as hurricane force wind gusts and 25-foot waves again batter the New Jersey shore and funnel storm surge down the Long Island Sound toward New York City.

A National Weather Service storm surge model forecasts water levels more than 5 feet above normal in parts of New Jersey and New York, rivaling some of the biggest coastal floods in history.

National Weather Service

The storm surge from this weeks blizzard will probably peak about 3 to 6 feet above typical high tide levels, according to the latest model runs. Such flooding would probably rival Hurricane Irenes in New York City, which came within a foot or so of flooding the subway system. Human-caused climate change will contribute about an additional foot to this weeks flooding event, and it may make the difference for whether the subway system floods again or not. (It probably wont, but it will be close.) An analysis by meteorologist Bob Henson breaks apart the effect of sea level rise from climate change and tide cycles on the worst coastal floods in New York City history.

The NWS office with responsibility for the New Jersey shore mentions that water temperatures offshore are about 57 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal right now, near record highs, which will help strengthen the storms winds as it makes its closest approach to shore. In Delaware and southern New Jersey, the NWS says the blizzard may even approach Hurricane Sandys storm surge levels.

The ultimate level of flooding will come down to slight variations in the wind direction. From the NWS:

If its northerly, it reduces the potential for major coastal flooding. If its northeast and gusting to near 60 mph along the nearest couple of miles of New Jersey and Delaware coasts, then we"ve got a big problem on our hands.

In addition to the sheer height of the water, the slow-moving blizzard will cause extensive coastal flooding for three high tide cycles starting on Saturday and Sunday, with the Saturday evening high tide likely the worst. That relentless surf and surge will probably cause additional beach erosion, making the coastline more vulnerable to floodwaters. Again, from the NWS:

Planning should now be taking place to minimize the adverse impact of what "may" be a top 5 coastal flood event in our record keeping, dating back through at least the 1940s.

Chances are this blizzard will be remembered for the snow, not an extensive and devastating coastal flood in New Jersey. But if I were living on the New Jersey shore, I wouldnt want to take my chances.

Source: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/01/20/blizzard_jonas_storm_surge_could_cause_record_flooding.html