text
stringlengths 5
144k
| label
int64 0
9
| id
int64 0
100k
| label_text
stringclasses 10
values |
|---|---|---|---|
CNN's Rene Marsh reports on the sharp increase on bomb threats being made against planes. The FBI is now investigating. | 5 | 4,500 | news |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- It's often been said that his innate ability to win trumps his football skills. Well, Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow was up to his old tricks during Wednesday's pro-am events at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Maybe Tebow's NFL career didn't pan out, but he's still got some mojo. Tebow won the Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory, where a number of familiar faces competed on the 16 th hole to land a tee shot closest to the cup. With former Florida and current Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer by his side, Tebow nailed a shot 11 feet, 3 inches from the hole. | 1 | 4,501 | sports |
Austrian photographer Peter Mathis has been a sports and outdoor photographer since the mid-1980s. But Mathis is also known for his landscape shots, for which he prefers black and white. He spent between 2009 and 2012 in the Italian Alps taking pictures for his latest book about the Dolomites. We accompany him on one of his shoots. | 8 | 4,502 | video |
Bill Gates promised to "substantially increase" his time at Microsoft last year, but his involvement at the company he founded in 1975 has been a mystery ever since. When he's not busy guest editing The Verge , Gates revealed in a Reddit AMA today that he is currently working on a "Personal Agent" project at the software giant. "One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to," says Gates. "The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not the efficient model - the agent will help solve this." It sounds a lot like Cortana It sounds a lot like something Cortana could potentially handle, Microsoft's digital assistant that works on Windows Phone and is coming to Windows 10 later this year. Microsoft is constantly improving Cortana, and the company regularly updates the assistant with new functionality monthly. Gates' mention of a cross-platform approach to the mysterious Personal Agent suggests this particular service will be available on devices that run Windows, iOS, and Android. It's also possible that this Personal Agent could be linked to Microsoft's Office software. Gates is a big fan of Office and he is trying to make it "dramatically better" at Microsoft. Gates also revealed that he thinks HoloLens is "pretty amazing" and that Microsoft has "put a lot into the chips and the software." Microsoft is planning to release its HoloLens software and headset at the same time the company launches Windows 10 later this year. "It will take a few years of software applications being built to realize the full promise of this," admits Gates. We're expecting to hear a lot more about Microsoft's plans for HoloLens apps at its Build developer conference in April. | 5 | 4,503 | news |
David Beckham is "looking forward" to turning 40. The 39-year-old star, who is set to celebrate the milestone on 2 May, doesn't want to have a big party for the occasion, but insists he isn't afraid of getting older. He said: "I'm not worried about turning 40. People keeping turning around and saying, 'You're turning 40 - how do you feel?' And I'm like, 'I feel fine. I'm looking forward to it.' I just don't want a big party because I don't like that kind of attention, but I'll do a quiet dinner with friends." The retired soccer star, who models underwear for H&M, also laughed off suggestions of a rivalry between him and new Calvin Klein model Justin Bieber, 20, because he is "slightly older." Asked what he thinks of the younger star's debut ad campaign for the brand, he told E! News: "Not bad, not bad, not bad. He looks good in his underwear ads. He looks very good."David launched his new single-grain Scotch whisky, Haig Club, in the US this week, but was reluctant to promote alcohol in the past because he "didn't feel it was the right thing to do" as a professional athlete. He explained: "I can enjoy a drink now during the week without worrying about, 'Oh, I'm playing this weekend or I'm training in the morning.' I kind of enjoy a glass of wine or a glass of whiskey without kind of thinking, 'Oh, I have to get up really early and run around the field tomorrow.'" But he had to convince his wife Victoria Beckham, 40, who isn't the "biggest drinker in the world," to support his first first foray into the beverage industry by making her a special cocktail. He said: "She was actually very impressed that I had come up with this cocktail, which I made her believe I actually came up with. She liked it. Now she's a whisky drinker." | 6 | 4,504 | entertainment |
A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday gave a prosecutor more time to investigate whether actress Lindsay Lohan failed to complete her community service requirements in a reckless driving case. Santa Monica city prosecutor Terry White will present his findings in court on Feb. 18 after disputing Lohan's claim that she completed her sentence while living in London, Lohan's attorney, Shawn Holley, said. The 28-year-old Mean Girls star was ordered to complete 30 days of community service in addition to rehabilitation and therapy as part of a 2013 plea deal after she crashed her Porsche into dump truck near Los Angeles en route to the set of TV movie Liz & Dick and later lied to police. The former child star known more for her legal troubles than big-screen roles has been living in London where Holley says she has completed her community service. White alleges Lohan, who was not at the hearing, received credit for a "meet-and-greet" with fans as well as letting two young people shadow her while at work, according to City News Service. Lohan has been arrested in the past for drunk driving and theft before the 2012 car crash. She has been on probation since 2007 and gone to rehab six times. | 6 | 4,505 | entertainment |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Top-ranked South Carolina puts one of the most experienced and accomplished starting lineups on the floor each game. The action really picks up, though, when the Gamecocks go to the bench. South Carolina has used its tall, talented reserves to roll to a 19-0 record and looks to win its 20th straight game when it faces Alabama (12-10, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) on Thursday night. The backups include second-leading scorer in 6-foot-5 A'ja Wilson and top rebounder in 6-4 Alaina Coates, who by the way was last year's SEC freshman of the year. Wilson, the nation's top college prospect last season, could have started at most other programs in the country. But she's content to come off the bench to help the team succeed. ''Of course everyone wants to start, but you can only start five,'' said Wilson, second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points a game and rebounding at 7.2 boards a game. ''You have to learn that when your name is called, you got to play your best while you're out there.'' South Carolina's reserves have certainly done that. They were instrumental in swatting down No. 12 Texas A&M 79-61 this past Monday night, outscoring the Aggies' bench 41-8 and outrebounding them 28-14. Wilson and Coates were a big part of that disparity. Wilson had 17 points and nine rebounds while Coates had 12 points and 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double this season. South Carolina's bench also features a McDonald's All-American point guard in Bianca Cuevas and three-point ace Tina Roy. Cuevas is a lightning-quick player with a fierce-minded approach to defense - she's fourth on the Gamecocks with 24 steals - in the image of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. ''I don't think anybody has what we have coming off the bench,'' Staley said. ''It's not only scoring. They rebound. They block shots. They pressure the basketball. We are almost a different basketball team when we go deep into our bench. It's a beautiful thing to see how this is unfolding.'' And many times, the subs outdo the starters - South Carolina's bench has outscored its starting five 10 times this season. Staley tried several different combinations of starters early in the season before settling on a group of five seniors and juniors. That unit includes last year's SEC player of the year Tiffany Mitchell, all-SEC first teamer Aleighsa Welch and Elem Ibiam, who was second last season in SEC blocks and made the league's all-defensive team. Mitchell is a quietly, consistent performer who turned the tide in the Texas A&M, driving to the basket and getting fouled on consecutive possessions. Her four free throws that resulted began a 27-8 run the Gamecocks used to pull away from the Aggies. ''I think they set the tone for the rest of the game. They set the example as to how we need to play,'' Staley said of her starters. ''Then the people that are coming in off the bench, they see the game a little bit clearer. It's clear to them that our players that start the game have been here, they understand it and they know and they do their jobs at the beginning of the game.'' Texas A&M coach Gary Blair complimented Staley on the success she's had getting highly skilled players like Wilson and Coates to take on secondary roles, even if they wind up putting in more minutes than the Gamecock starters. Staley sees it as all her players buying into a vision to achieve the biggest dreams they can in college and win a national championship. Wilson, who passed on Connecticut, North Carolina and Tennessee to join the Gamecocks, made a mature decision to accept her role, Staley said. ''Once she had the performances she had after she didn't start, she felt good about it,'' the coach said. ''I just told her that we are better served if she comes off the bench.'' | 1 | 4,506 | sports |
The Ainsworth in New York City, has a wide selection of foods and drinks to please any fan while watching the big game | 0 | 4,507 | foodanddrink |
Sen. John Boozman has yet to draw so much as a whisper of a serious challenger from the conservative Right or the Democratic field. But the Arkansas Republican isn't idly hoping his luck holds out: He's building the kind of political war machine aimed not just at defeating potential opponents, but intimidating them out of running in the first place. Boozman's small team of aides and consultants are, more than 20 months before the 2016 election, busily lining up an aggressive fundraising schedule for the spring, according to interviews, and they plan to hire a campaign manager by March. They're committed to keeping up the momentum they think the first-term senator built during last year's midterm elections, when Boozman's battery of campaign rallies, Lincoln Day dinners, and tens of thousands of dollars worth of PAC contributions helped lift the Arkansas GOP to a sweep of victories. It's an aggressive agenda for a senator considered a near lock to win reelection, but it's one that Senate Republicans hope is the norm for members whose terms expire in 2016. Party leaders say they are optimistic that after a recent past littered with incumbents unwilling or incapable of mounting even threadbare reelection efforts the current class of senators is taking the necessary steps to avoid being caught off guard in a primary. "That last thing you want to do is appear vulnerable and get caught flat-footed like we've seen from several members the last few cycles," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a consultant for Boozman helping him plot his reelection strategy. The early preparations aren't solely a response to the high-profile defeats or near-defeats of members like former Sen. Richard Lugar in 2012 or Sen. Pat Roberts in 2014, Republican operatives say. It's a reflection, they say, of a caucus that's simply more politically wired than it used to be. "Every single Republican senator is putting serious campaign teams in place months, and in some cases years, before their previous campaigns whether they need it or not," said Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "It is much less attractive for challengers to charge the hill if there is an army waiting for them at the top." Senate Republicans aren't guaranteed to make themselves invulnerable to primary challenges often, the cracks in reelection campaigns don't appear until the stress of a hard-fought primary. Few observers, for instance, knew how poorly former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's campaign had been run in the months before his shock defeat in 2014. And not every senator has erased concerns about the future: Sen. Dan Coats in Indiana has continued to flirt with retirement and had just $752,000 on hand to end last year's third-quarter fundraising period. But conversations with operatives working across the 2016 Senate map indicate the vast majority of incumbents have successfully focused on, at minimum, presenting an intimidating reelection organization. Most commonly, incumbents are stocking their war chests. Earlier this week Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Roy Blunt of Missouri each reported strong fourth-quarter fundraising hauls. And Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama takes the cake for financial intimidation, boasting more than $18 million in the bank. They've also taken the added step of pushing the numbers out to the press, receiving plenty of attention among political watchers. Other members once speculated to be considering retirement have declared they're not only running, but have already started building a campaign. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa recently boasted to Roll Call that he'd started his reelection campaign last year, and Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois has said he's running " come hell or high water ." More drastic efforts include those of Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a likely target for a primary challenge, whose allies formed their own super PAC to systematically unseat his detractors in the state party from influential roles as precinct committeemen. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio whose support for gay marriage has stirred talk of a primary challenge rolled out his reelection bid with not only a $5.8 million stockpile , but also a 250-name endorsement list of Republican officials in his state. Portman, Kirk, and to a lesser extent McCain and Blunt are likely to face serious Democratic opponents in 2016, making their own early preparations less surprising. But Republicans who aren't top-tier Democratic targets are nonetheless preparing in earnest and taking inspiration from colleagues who have gone through it before like Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. The third-term senator and former presidential candidate was a natural tea-party target in 2014 based on his moderate record, but he managed to dissuade the credible opponents in his state from running years in advance. When Alexander's race was hit by a late wave of tea-party support following Cantor's defeat, all that was left for the movement to rally around was a little-known state assemblyman who had already been big-footed out a House race. "Most incumbents get in trouble not because of votes they cast, but because of the perception or the fact that they've stopped paying attention to the people they work for," said Alexander, who began his own reelection effort more than two years early. Before he'd even announced his intentions to run at the state executive committee, Alexander recruited his state's entire Republican delegation to join his campaign committee. "The most credible candidates who could have run against me in a Republican primary were cochairmen of my campaign, and so were the 13 persons who would be the best campaign managers against me in a primary the former Republican state chairmen," Alexander said. As senators facing voters in 2016 prepare their campaigns, they're looking to Alexander and other members of their party who've successfully navigated challenges. "I learned a long time ago that experience is the best teacher, so I've asked a lot of questions," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican up next cycle. "Lamar's a great friend, Lindsey [Graham] is a great friend, Pat Roberts is a great friend, Thad Cochran is a great friend I've sought experience and advice from all of them because that's the way to be prepared." Isakson rolled out his own campaign with a rally at the Georgia statehouse, flanked by members of his delegation who some saw as his strongest would-be challengers. Boozman, whose aides say has fully recovered from emergency heart surgery last year, hasn't had a reelection rally yet, but last week he sent his closest supporters letters letting them know that he'll be running again in 2016, according to Rex Terry, a county GOP chairman in Arkansas. Terry, for his part, hasn't heard anyone talk seriously about challenging Boozman. But he understands the rush to begin raising money and building a campaign anyway. "I think it's just prudent on his part," Terry said. "But I don't think he's got a problem." | 5 | 4,508 | news |
Does keeping tight control of blood pressure during pregnancy help prevent serious complications? | 7 | 4,509 | health |
More young adults are being diagnosed with colon cancer, new study finds | 7 | 4,510 | health |
HOUSTON (AP) Former Houston Astros star Jeff Bagwell will join the team at spring training as a guest instructor. The Astros aren't sure when he'll travel to Kissimmee, Florida to help out. They say he'll be there for several days. It will be the first time Bagwell has worked with the team since a stint as Houston's hitting coach for the second half of the 2010 season. The 46-year-old Bagwell spent his entire 15-year playing career with the Astros, hitting 449 home runs with 1,529 RBIs before retiring after the 2005 season. Bagwell fell short of the 75 percent needed for election to the Hall of Fame this year in his fifth year on the ballot with 55.7 percent, up from 54.3 percent a year ago. | 1 | 4,511 | sports |
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) Two people with knowledge of the agreement say Wade Phillips is returning to Denver as Gary Kubiak's defensive coordinator. The two spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn't immediately announce the hiring, which was first reported by KDCO-AM and FM Mile High Sports Radio in Denver. Phillips, 67, interviewed for the position Tuesday. He was Kubiak's defensive coordinator in Houston from 2011-13 and replaced him as interim coach when Kubiak was fired by the Texans in December 2013. Phillips has also coached the Saints, Cowboys, Bills and Broncos, where he went 16-16 from 1993-94. He was out of football last season for the first time since 1975. --- AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL | 1 | 4,512 | sports |
A group of women watch famous Super Bowl commercials and guess what they are advertising. | 8 | 4,513 | video |
Our Thursday rumor of the day comes very very early in the day: #BlueJays making a strong push to sign free-agent reliever Ronald Belisario , sources say. He's represented by Jim McNamara. Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 29, 2015 Belisario had a rough time in 2014, putting up a 5.56 ERA in 62 games. In 66.1 innings he allowed 78 hits, 18 walks and 47 strikeouts. He was much better in 2013 (3.97 ERA in 77 games) and 2012 (2.54 ERA in 68 games. He's 32, right-handed, big guy (6'3", 240). He throws hard, averaged 93.9 on his fastball last year. Pretty much a fastball/slider pitcher. We really could use another right-hander for the pen, I guess Belisario is as good as any of the guys that are left out there on the free agent market (at least among those that would fit in the budget that the Jays have left). | 1 | 4,514 | sports |
PHOENIX When the Phoenix Suns' big lead was fading away fast in the fourth quarter, P.J. Tucker put a stop to the collapse. The Suns' forward, not usually a big part of the high-scoring team's offense, scored 10 of his 12 points and grabbed seven of his 10 rebounds in the fourth quarter to help Phoenix hold on for a 106-98 victory over the worn-out Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. "P.J. doesn't get a lot of opportunities," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "But late in the games, he really gets tuned in." Goran Dragic scored 20 points to lead five Phoenix players in double figures. The Wizards trailed by 22 in the first half and 18 early in the fourth quarter before twice cutting it to four. "It was our fourth game in five nights and we were playing teams that were pretty fast," Washington's John Wall said, "Denver and L.A. and now them, so it was tough. I'm not looking for excuses but we definitely didn't have the same energy as we usually do." The Wizards' Otto Porter scored eight consecutive points to slice the lead to 101-97 with 1:17 left, but Markieff Morris' high-arching 15-footer with 23.9 seconds to go put Phoenix up 103-97. But it was Tucker from long-range and on the boards that pulled this one out. "He drilled two big 3s to extend the lead back out there," Hornacek said, "and then P.J. does what he usually does gets big rebounds at the end of games." Phoenix, which hadn't played since Sunday, improved to 5-2 with one to go in its franchise-record eight-game home stand. Isaiah Thomas had 18 and Morris 16 for the Suns. Porter and Marcin Gortat scored 14 each for the Wizards. Washington's standout backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal were a combined 10-for-31 shooting. Beal was 5 of 15 for 13 points. Wall, who tweaked his ankle the previous night against the Lakers and has been bothered by migraines, missed his first five shots and finished 5 for 16 for 11 points. Brandan Wright scored 13, his most since coming to Phoenix. "We let our inefficiency from an offensive standpoint drain our energy in the first half," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "You can't do that missing some easy layups, missing some easy shots. It just kind of sucked the energy out of us." Washington scored the first seven of the second half, then later mounted a 9-0 run to cut it to 62-57 on Paul Pierce's driving layup with 6:39 left in the third. Consecutive 3s by Dragic, Thomas and Marcus Morris restored the lead to 76-59 and the Suns were up 80-66 after three. A lineup entirely made up of Washington reserves went on a 17-3 run to cut the lead to 91-87 with 6:58 left. The Suns scored the next eight, four by Tucker, to go up 99-87, but Porter's scoring binge made it close one last time. "They had their bench come off with some energy, some unexpected energy," Tucker said. "But you expect them to make a run. In those type of games, when they're making runs you got to get offensive rebounds and make sure you secure defensive rebounds and make free throws." The Suns swept the season series from Washington for the sixth time in eight seasons. TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT Coach Jeff Hornacek has softened his no-technical policy. Trying to eliminate the flurry of technical fouls his players draw, he decided to bench anyone who got one for the rest of that game. Dragic and Markieff Morris did and sat as Phoenix lost the last two. Now the benching is at Hornacek's discretion. He wants the players to police each other. TIP-INS Wizards: Nene sat out the game with a sore right foot. ... Paul Pierce returned after missing the Lakers game with a sore right big toe. ... Washington is 8-4 in the second of back-to-back games. Suns: Phoenix is 15-6 since going with a starting lineup of Bledsoe, Dragic, P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris and Alex Len at Charlotte on Dec. 17. ... Suns are 8-1 when playing on two days' rest. ... Suns practiced at owner Robert Sarver's house when US Airways Center was being used for Super Bowl media day on Tuesday. UP NEXT Wizards: Return home to meet Raptors on Saturday. Suns: Conclude eight-game homestand against Bulls on Friday. | 1 | 4,515 | sports |
Global drinks brand Diageo (DGE-GB) posted disappointing sales for the first half on Thursday, after a slump in Asia Pacific, but the CEO insisted that the business was "solid" in developed markets. The world's biggest spirit maker, which owns brands such as Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Baileys and Guinness, reported that net sales fell 1 percent to £5.9 billion ($8.9 billion) in the six months to December 31 the company's fiscal first half. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected revenue of £6 billion. Sales slipped 4 percent in Europe and a slowdown in emerging markets saw sales tank 39 percent in the Asia Pacific region. But Ivan Menezes, chief executive officer of Diageo, told CNBC Europe's "Squawk Box" that the results were "solid" and showed that the business had momentum. "Our second quarter was stronger than our first quarter, but the world is choppy out there in the emerging markets in places like Nigeria, Venezuela and Russia. However our business is solid in the developed world," he said. Menezes added that business had improved in two-thirds of emerging markets and was also doing well in established markets like the U.S. Sales in the U.S. were down 1 percent, but rose 38 percent in Africa. He also said he was confident that momentum in China dented by a government clampdown on ostentatious wealth and official gift giving -- would return. In mainland China, scotch sales were down 22 percent, Diageo said. "I am confident that the consumer momentum in China will come back as we get into the second half of this year and into 2016," Menezes added. "What you saw in our business and other spirit players was a correction that happened through the austerity drive over the past couple of years, but we're coming through that and we will be back in good growth." The company raised its interim dividend to 21.5 pence per share, up 9 percent from the same period a year ago. Earnings per share before exceptional items were 53.7 pence. - By CNBC's Holly Ellyatt, follow her on Twitter @HollyEllyatt . Follow us on Twitter: @CNBCWorld | 3 | 4,516 | finance |
Energy group Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday announced an eight-percent drop in annual net profits owing to a slump in global oil prices and said it would accelerate spending cuts. Profit after tax dropped to $15.05 billion (13.3 billion euros) in 2014 compared with the Anglo-Dutch company's performance one year earlier, dragged down by plunging earnings in the fourth quarter as the cost of crude tumbled. "Compared with the fourth quarter 2013, earnings... were impacted by the significant decline in (the price of) oil," Shell said in a statement. Fourth-quarter net profit plunged 57 percent to $773 million compared with the final three months of 2013. Shell said it would slash spending by more than $15.0 billion over the next three years. "The agenda we set out in early 2014 to balance growth and returns has positioned us well for the current oil market downturn," said Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden. "We are taking a prudent approach here and we must be careful not to over-react to the recent fall in oil prices. Shell is taking structured decisions to balance growth and returns," he added in the results statement. Shell noted that lower prices created opportunities for the group to cut costs. It added that deferring spending in many areas and driving costs down in the supply chain "should result in reduction of potential capital investment for 2015-17 of over $15 billion". | 3 | 4,517 | finance |
These facts are simply ameowzing! | 4 | 4,518 | lifestyle |
Helen Mirren, Simon Cowell, Benedict Cumberbatch and the cast of Monty Python (dead and alive) may be national treasures, but when it comes to guaranteed bang for your buck, no one beats Wills and Kate. According to the Centre for Retail Research, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding was worth an estimated £527.1m to UK retailers, while the birth of Prince George saw cash registers ringing to the sound of £247m. The royal couple's global appeal is also staggering. An impressive two billion people worldwide tuned in to watch the royal couple tie the knot in 2011 and almost every item of clothing or accessory the Duchess so much as glances at sells like hot cakes, or is furiously copied by fashion outlets around the world. The dress she wore when she announced her engagement sold out almost immediately in the US it even has its own Wikipedia page. The export value of brand Wills and Kate hasn't gone unnoticed by small business owners, who have been keen to capitalise on the couple's international popularity. Artist Lydia Leith found overnight success around the world after designing an unusual souvenir to mark the wedding. After feeling increasingly queasy from the non-stop media coverage of the event, Leith created a commemorative sick bag as an antidote. It wasn't long before the novelty souvenir, featuring an illustration of the couple in the outfits they wore when they announced their engagement, was noticed by the international press and the first batch of limited-edition Throne Up bags sold out immediately. Much to Leith's surprise, what started out as a joke around the dinner table was now a thriving business. Since then, the accidental entrepreneur has continued her range of royal-themed products, from more sick bags to mark the birth of Prince George and the Duchess's new pregnancy to tattoos and a jelly mold of the Queen to mark her jubilee in 2012. Her main markets outside of the UK are Germany, Canada, the US and Australia. The secret to her products' success, she says, is that they appeal to royalist and republican alike. She says: "People like the funny side of it, saying the royal family do actually make them feel sick, or think 'I'll make a jelly of the Queen and chop her head off'. For others, it becomes part of a celebration. "People around the world like to follow the stories of the royal family and the humour that is in some of the products makes them stand out, no matter where you happen to live." Officials at the time of the wedding were keen to crack down on unofficial souvenirs, which weren't seen by Buckingham Palace as "permanent and significant". While the royal family may have seen the funny side of Leith's quirky products, it is wise to tread carefully if trying to sell something off the back of the monarchy's soaring popularity. Jenny Mclaughlin, director of Gemious Ltd, has been using the hype around the royal baby and the Duchess's current pregnancy to sell teething products. The company, which has seen sales rocket in America and Australia, got its big break after showcasing the best baby buys for the royal birth on daytime TV show This Morning. But while one of Mclaughlin's biggest selling teething necklaces, The Duchess, has been popular thanks to its royal theme, she admits they are wary about associating it too closely with the Wills and Kate brand, despite the obvious boost in sales any direct link to the couple would generate. "Even before the baby, anything that Kate wore was sold out in seconds," she admits. "If she was to get hold of our products and be seen with them, that's it. I could retire to the Caribbean. "But you have got to have a level of ethics about you, and I would certainly never overstep that mark. Our new baby teething 'crown' will say it is inspired by the royal birth but we certainly won't say that Buckingham Palace love it. I wish we could, but we can't." The Queen's diamond jubilee proved to be the most successful commemorative event for British ceramics manufacturer Emma Bridgewater, with retail sales at £3.25m and more than 50,000 mugs flying off the shelves. The royal wedding also brought in more than £1m. Co-owner Matthew Rice says the two combined events generated 20 or 30 jobs in their Stoke-on-Trent factory. He explains that the ceramics industry has a long history of creating items that celebrate royal events: the appeal of the Duke and Duchess at home and internationally has helped commercially. The US has taken the biggest interest in their products and the Netherlands, which has its own monarchy, is another popular market. While souvenir shops and online retailers are saturated with kitsch mugs and keyrings featuring the Duke and Duchess, Rice says Emma Bridgewater's tasteful designs stand out because they are a British brand. "Internationally, it should be one of the many reasons why people buy products such as ours," Rice says. "Too many English brands are made elsewhere and there's no point in saying 'England' on the product if you don't mean 'Made in England'." Small businesses around the country have been quick to take advantage of the international popularity of the royal family, in particular the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, whose recent visit to the US raised millions for charity and further boosted brand Wills and Kate across the pond. And their appeal looks unlikely to wane any time soon, with another little prince or princess on the way. If the thought of another year of royal gushing makes you gag, though, Leith's latest creation might come in handy. Pass the sick bag please. | 5 | 4,519 | news |
A strong core is essential for just about any physical activity imaginable, so start your New Year off right by kicking your core into action - strong and sleek abs are just one of the many positive side effects of this quick and effective circuit. The 20-minute workout is perfect prep for what is to come in our Get Fit 2015 challenge. The workouts build on each other and get more challenging as you progress through the month. Your core will be involved in every workout from cardio to yoga, so let's work it! Directions: Warm up with three minutes of light cardio. Perform each three-exercise circuit twice. Cool down with three minutes of stretching. Circuit One: Cat Cow Series Reps: Five in each position. Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders with hips and knees aligned. First, inhale to look up to arch your back for the "cow" portion of the move; then, exhale, pulling the abs to the spine and rounding your back like a scared cat. Repeat for a total of five reps. Next, keeping your spine parallel to the floor, bend sideways to look at your butt, and then switch sides. Repeat for a total of five reps.Finish the series twisting the spine by reaching your right arm toward the ceiling on an inhale. Exhale and rotate through your ribs to reach your arm toward the left. Repeat for a total of five reps, and then switch sides. This series is great for creating spinal mobility, warming up your back, and waking up your core muscles. Circuit One: Bird Dog Reps: 10 each side. Begin on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Bring your abs to your spine to keep your torso stable as you reach your right arm forward and left leg back. Reach through your left heel to engage the muscles on the back of the leg and your butt. Bend your arm and leg to touch your right elbow to your left knee under your torso. This completes one rep. After completing 10, switch sides. The simple move, also known as quadruped, works your abs and back simultaneously, making it one of the simplest core exercises around. Circuit One: Alternating Backward Lunge With Side Stretch Reps: 20, alternating legs. Stand with your hands at your waist, and step back with your right leg into a deep lunge. Increase the stretch by lifting your right arm overhead and reaching to the left. Press through your left heel as you return to standing to fire up the glutes, and repeat this move on the other side. This move stretches the front of the hips while testing your balance and working your glutes. Circuit Two: Elbow Plank Side Step Reps: 20, alternating sides. Start in an elbow plank. Keep your pelvis stable as you reach your left leg out to the left, gently tapping your toes on the ground. Bring your foot back into a plank. Repeat the same movement with your right leg. Challenge your plank by stepping your leg to the side. To modify this exercise, just hold the elbow plank for 30 seconds. Circuit Two: Squat With Overhead Reach Reps: 15. Begin with your feet slightly wider than hip's width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Raise your arms up until your upper arms are even with your ears. Keeping your weight in your heels, sit back into your deep squat. Make sure your knees do not go beyond your toes or roll in or out of alignment. Keep your abs engaged as you squat. Deepen your abdominal engagement as you press through your heels to return to standing to complete one rep. Do 15 reps.Your core is challenged more by keeping the arms overhead. Circuit Two: Rotating Deadlift Reps: 12, each side. Stand on your left leg with the right leg behind you with a bit of weight on your toes for balance; both knees are slightly bent. Place your hands behind head.Pull your abs toward your spine and keep your back straight as you hinge forward from your hips until your torso is almost parallel to floor. With a flat back, press through your left heel and return to standing as you twist your ribs and shoulders to the left. Your pelvis should stay still. This completes one rep.Do 12 reps, and then switch sides. The addition of the twist while standing works the obliques and waist. Circuit Three: Single-Leg Touch Reps: 15, each side. Begin standing with all your weight on your left foot.Keeping your spine long, reach forward, bending your left knee and touching your right fingers to the ground. Keep your abs engaged to keep your torso stable. Your right leg will go behind you to help you balance. Press your left heel into the ground as you lift your torso up to return to standing, bringing the right toes to touch next to the left foot. This completes one rep. Do 15 reps on each side. Strong glutes will help keep your pelvis stable in many activities, and your abs will need to be working to maintain your balance in this move! Circuit Three: Side Elbow Plank Reps: Hold for 30 seconds, working up to 60 seconds. Place your right elbow on the ground. Extend both legs out so that your body is in one straight line. Flex both feet so that you're balancing on the outside edge of your right foot. To modify, bend your left knee and place the sole of your left foot on the floor for extra support. Place your left hand behind your head. Reach your bottom inner thigh to the ceiling to help keep your waist lifting away from the floor. Maintain this position without letting the hips sag toward the floor. This move is great for toning and tightening the sides of your waist and helps with lateral stability. Circuit Three: Full-Body Bridge Reps: 15. Begin seated with your hands behind you and your fingers pointed away from you. Press the heels of your feet and hands into the ground as you raise your pelvis off the floor until it is in line with your shoulders and knees. Keep your torso in one solid piece as you lower your pelvis back to the ground to complete one rep. Do 15 reps. A strong back is part of a strong core! This exercise is great for working the muscles that stabilize the lower back. | 7 | 4,520 | health |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- With just a few minutes left in their first game back from the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Kings appeared to be headed to yet another frustrating one-goal loss. When that championship drive finally awoke inside the Kings, not even the Chicago Blackhawks could shut it down. Jake Muzzin scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:37 to play, Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist, and the Kings roared back to snap their four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory Wednesday night. Tyler Toffoli tied it with 6:11 left for the defending Stanley Cup winners, who made a dynamic rally in their first game back after stumbling into the break in ninth place in the Western Conference after losing seven of eight. Jonathan Quick made 26 saves, thwarting a huge Blackhawks surge in front of Los Angeles' net in the final minute. "I think we needed a win real bad, and to get it against a team like Chicago is real good," Toffoli said. "Tonight was a night that we wanted to prove to ourselves that we could win big games, and we did it." Andrew Shaw slipped a tricky shot past Quick for his ninth goal of the season 2:25 into the third, but Toffoli eventually answered with his 13th goal, scoring from the slot to highlight a strong first game back from a six-game absence with mononucleosis. Moments later, Muzzin got a shot from the blue line past Corey Crawford with an apparent deflection off the stick of Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson. Crawford refused to speculate on whether he had faced interference on the last goal. "I'm not going to talk about that, because I'd probably get fined or something," said Crawford, who stopped 23 shots. Quick's big finish capped another memorable meeting between the teams that have won the last three Stanley Cup titles and four of five. The Kings eliminated the Blackhawks in an epic conference finals last summer, winning Game 7 in overtime in Chicago with Alec Martinez's deflected goal off Nick Leddy. "They're a top team, and they have been for a long time," Carter said. "Hopefully it's a big confidence boost for us. After having some ups and downs, hopefully we can build off it and keep going." Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist apiece in the first period for the Blackhawks, who had won four straight regular-season games over Los Angeles. Chicago opened a six-game road trip with just its second loss in 10 games at Staples Center. "It's disappointing. We played 55 solid minutes of hockey," captain Jonathan Toews said. "We just made some mistakes that ended up in our own net. ... We knew it was going to be a tough game, and we hung in there. It was looking pretty good for us with that 3-2 lead late in the third, but we found a way to blow it." The Kings played their first regular-season game since December 2011 without $69 million center Mike Richards, who was waived on Monday and demoted to the AHL on Tuesday after managing just five goals in the first 47 games. Perhaps not coincidentally, Los Angeles got a monster performance from Carter, Richards' longtime teammate in Philadelphia and again in Los Angeles. Carter had just his second multigoal game of the season, along with numerous near-misses and big plays. Carter scored his first goal while skating backward after stickhandling adroitly through traffic. He tied it again in the second period after winning a puck battle with Toews and wiring a shot over prone defenseman Brent Seabrook. Although the clubs played a penalty-free third period, the Blackhawks lamented a few borderline calls that weren't made. "I think (the officials) were kind of maybe playing catch-up after we got a few power plays," Kane said. "I think we may have sat back a little bit and waited for (the Kings) to come at us. And usually when we do that, bad things happen, as you could see." NOTES: Richards' streak of 224 consecutive games played for the Kings ended. He is making $7 million this season and is under contract until 2020. ... The Kings open their annual Grammys road trip on Saturday, a five-game stretch beginning in Boston. ... The Blackhawks are on the road until Feb. 9 while Disney on Ice takes over the United Center. | 1 | 4,521 | sports |
We give 120 Seconds of Glory to the volunteers that shoveled the snow off the finish line at the Boston Marathon. | 1 | 4,522 | sports |
Unlike many American startups, Uber was not founded in someone's garage, but was conceived instead on a cold night in Paris, when two tech entrepreneurs could not find a taxi. Uber chief Travis Kalanick and co-founder Garrett Camp were attending the technology conference Le Web in late 2008, where they were brainstorming ideas for a new venture -- in Kalanick's terms, "jamming" like jazz musicians. "There are two cities in the world that I think are the worst to get a cab -- Paris and San Francisco," Kalanick, now 38, said at a 2012 presentation in Chicago. "The idea of pushing a button and getting a ride was a magical one," he said at another event. The plan that began as a "timeshare limousine" service using luxury vehicles has allowed San Francisco-based Uber to grow into one of the world's largest startups, valued at some $40 billion, with operations in more than 200 cities in 54 countries around the world. But Uber's growth has also generated frictions with existing taxi operations, and posed challenges for regulators. While the idea began as a way for Kalanick and his friends to get a high-class ride, Uber and its chief now see their venture as a crusade against an entrenched taxi industry that, according to the startup, fails to serve consumers. In cities around the world, the regulated taxi industry "feels threatened by our high quality service and quick response time," Kalanick said in a 2013 interview with AFP. In most areas, "the taxi industry is used to being protected by rules and lobbying efforts that shield them from competition," he said. - Disruptive force - Uber does not employ drivers or own its vehicles, but instead uses independent contractors with their own cars. As such it has become a key player in the "sharing economy", which allows the drivers to operate their own business, along with its risks and profits. A study commissioned by Uber and led by Princeton economist Alan Kreuger found Uber drivers "generally receive higher earnings" than taxi drivers -- about $6 per hour more in the United States -- but that comparison is difficult because Uber drivers must pay certain expenses. The study concluded that "most driver-partners do not turn to Uber out of desperation or because they face an absence of other opportunities in the job market... but rather because the nature of the work, the flexibility, and the compensation appeals to them." Uber allows consumers to use a smartphone app to locate a driver -- in some cities with several classes of service -- and instantly book a ride. The company motto vows to be "everyone's private driver". Since launching in 2010, Uber has also been the prime example of a "disruptive" economic force. Taxi drivers in dozens of cities have staged protests against Uber, and regulators in many cities have sought to shut it down. New Delhi banned Uber from operating in the Indian capital after a passenger accused one of its drivers of rape. South Korea indicted Uber's founder for operating illegally. The company has also seen its image tarnished by executives' gaffes, and concerns about privacy. Critics argue that Uber has fallen short on issues such as liability insurance and criminal background checks. In December, Uber said it would step up its safety measures. John Breyault of the National Consumers League said firms like Uber "don't fall neatly into the regulatory buckets we've seen in the past century. So it's difficult to see how to deal with events like in what happened in New Delhi, and to know where liability lies." Despite that uncertainty, Uber raised a fresh $1.2 billion in venture funding in December to push its market value to $40 billion, and it now looks to continue expansion around the world. - Math and logistics - While a number of taxi and ride-share apps are also competing in the market, Kalanick said Uber has succeeded because of its investment in technology. "People see they can push a button and a Town Car magically appears, but they don't realize all the math and logistics in making that occur," he told AFP. Kalanick says Uber has been a positive force, and in 2015 "will generate over one million jobs in cities around the world." He brushes aside criticism of its business model. In Europe, where Uber faces numerous regulatory issues, Kalanick claims the company can take 400,000 cars off the road and create 50,000 jobs in the next year. "When you do something successful, not everybody is happy, and the older the industry you are tackling, the more protected it is by corruption or by government or by both," he said at a 2012 event at Stanford University. "I'm not sure who gets hurt from this other than a particular incumbent industry." | 5 | 4,523 | news |
The son of a Nevada rancher who was at the center of an armed stand-off with federal agents in a dispute over cattle grazing rights last year has been arrested in Utah, officials said. Ryan Bundy, 42, was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies serving an arrest warrant while he was at the Iron County Justice Court for a separate case on Tuesday, the Iron County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Bundy physically and verbally resisted the deputies, who eventually subdued him and booked him into county jail on the warrant for interfering with an officer and the additional charge of resisting arrest, the statement said. The Bundy family ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada some 80 miles (129 km) northeast of Las Vegas, was the site of an armed protest against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management last April. The stand-off gained nationwide attention as the agency sought to seize cattle because elder Bundy, Cliven Bundy, refused to pay grazing fees. The federal agents ultimately backed down, citing safety concerns, and gave back hundreds of Bundy's cattle which they had rounded up. Another Bundy child, Cliven Lance Bundy, was arrested in Las Vegas on a probation violation last August, stemming from a guilty plea he made a year prior to counts of burglary and theft of a firearm. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Toby Chopra) | 5 | 4,524 | news |
These spicy, savoury sweetcorn fritters are a perfect example of how to make a dish from store-cupboard staples, made more exciting with some fresh herbs and chilli, and a yogurt dip. | 0 | 4,525 | foodanddrink |
Nothing about Ichiro Suzuki suggests "minor signing." He is a 10-time All-Star with a Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player award to accompany 10 Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. Nonetheless, Suzuki - one of the game's top leading men for more than a decade - has been cast in a supporting role with the Miami Marlins. Suzuki playing behind a Giancarlo Stanton-Marcell Ozuna-Christian Yelich outfield all but eliminates him from best actor contention. Yet keep in mind even perennial leading men like Jack Nicholson and Denzel Washington have Oscars for Best Actor in a supporting role on their curricula vitae. The Marlins are getting a twilight year of the future Hall of Famer for about $1.5 million over the new $505,700 major league minimum. Suzuki, 41, during his first 14 seasons averaged an annual salary of about $10.6 million. Based on projected playing time and being 156 hits shy, the Suzuki countdown to 3,000 is unlikely to begin in earnest until 2016. "When I met these team executives [Wednesday] I felt the incredible enthusiasm," said Suzuki, adding he was extremely humbled Marlins' officials traveled to Tokyo for the press conference. "My feeling then was that somehow I really wanted to respond to them. I believe that's something I've been looking for the last two years. I'm needed by this great organization as a player. That's the most important aspect to me and also a very good driving force to be a good player for this team." While the Marlins aren't counting on benefitting from the publicity that will accompany that pursuit, having Suzuki in their uniform no doubt will help their brand in the Pacific Rim, a part of the world where they've had a minimal presence. "It's no secret we were one of the last few teams to have a Japanese player," team president David Samson said via conference call late Wednesday night, before team officials joined Suzuki to address Japanese media. "The reason we came to Tokyo is MLB and the new commissioner, Mr. [Rob] Manfred, such an important initiative is international baseball. Baseball is so important in Japan and so important for the worldwide growth of baseball. To not come here and give it the proper import would not have been smart for the Marlins or Major League Baseball. "From our standpoint, the number one thing he brings is the quality of player he is. It's a bonus the quality of person he is. It's a bonus he's a Hall of Famer and a Japanese player, but the way we evaluated him was he would give us the best chance to win as many games as possible." President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill said after the first of the year the possibility of landing Suzuki increased and negotiations intensified. While Suzuki will get a handful of starts when manager Mike Redmond feels one of the aforementioned three is in need of a mental break, most of his at-bats are likely to come as a pinch-hitter and perhaps as a designated hitter during interleague road games. His experience in a pinch-hitting capacity is limited. Of Suzuki's 9,581 career major league plate appearances, just 47 have come as a pinch-hitter. In those turns he's hit .286 with no extra-base hits, four walks, seven strikeouts and a .634 on-base plus slugging percentage. With the Yankees in 2014, Suzuki went 6-for-13 (.462) when called upon in those situations. "[Suzuki] understands going into camp he'll be valued as a left-handed bat off the bench and fourth outfielder," general manager Dan Jennings said. "This guy's age says he's 41. His body says he's about 30 or less. Tremendous shape...He can help you if it's pinch-hitting late, if it's pinch-running late, if it's double switches or starting in any of the three outfield spots." Added Hill: "He prepares himself every day to play and we have zero reservations that when we do put him in the lineup he'll be the player he's always been...You never can predict what's going to happen over the course of 162 games. The bottom line, we wanted to create the deepest 25-man roster we possibly could. When you can add one of the greatest all-time Japanese players ever to play the game, it made so much sense for us." With Marlins' pitchers and catchers reporting Feb. 20, Hill said he was happy with the composition of the roster so far, to which Jennings added: "We're always flipping rocks looking for the next deal." [email protected] or @JCRMarlinsbeat on Twitter. | 1 | 4,526 | sports |
Watford, an unprepossessing commuter town outside London, doesn't seem like the most natural birthplace for the new head of McDonald's (MCD) , that quintessentially American company. Yet Steve Easterbrook, the company's current senior executive vice president and chief brand officer, has come a long way from his British roots. He's also not, of course, the first McDonald's CEO to be born outside the U.S. - Australian Charlie Bell claimed that title back in 2004. Easterbrook studied at Watford Grammar School for Boys, a partially academically selective government-run high school, which he followed with a degree in natural sciences at Durham University, U.K., and a stint as an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (now PwC). As the former head of McDonald's U.K. business, Easterbrook surprised many when he left to run U.K.-chain Pizza Express in 2011. After less than a year there, he moved on to Japanese noodle chain Wagamama, before returning to the bosom of the McFamily in June 2013. An appearance on BBC's "Newsnight" opposite Eric Schlosser, the author of anti-fast food polemic "Fast Food Nation", just after he started as McDonalds' U.K. CEO, showed a willingness to engage with critics of the chain. During his nearly two decades at the U.K. business, he was credited with reinvigorating the McDonald's brand in the U.K., introducing healthier menus and making sure staff were better-trained via new apprenticeship schemes. McDonald's investors will be hoping he can wave the same magic wand over plummeting U.S. sales. | 3 | 4,527 | finance |
Everyone wants gorgeous, glowy, perfect skin. Sure, you can spend hours upon hours (and dollars upon dollars) on a complicated routine that requires multiple steps and products to achieve said flawless look but who has the time, money, or patience for all that? We certainly don't. That's why we're always looking for new ways to incorporate simple, time-saving tricks into our daily beauty routine. Ahead, top Chicago beauty experts share quick and easy tips for attaining complexion perfection, minimal effort required. Follow these 10 golden rules, and you'll see clearer, more radiant skin without any lasers or expensive treatments. Ditch The Washcloth It's your skin's worst enemy not only can the scratchy texture lead to unsightly irritation and redness, it's also a breeding ground for bacteria. A better bet? A Konjac cleansing sponge, according to Leah Chavie, founder and owner of Leah Chavie Skincare Boutique. "The sponge softens when wet, and the all-natural fibers gently exfoliate clogged pores with minimal effort." It works well with virtually any cleanser and is disposable, so be sure to replace it every 30 days. The Konjac Sponge Company My Konjac Sponge, $16, available at Leah Chavie Skincare . Use Wipes The Right Way If your preferred face-washing method is a cleansing wipe, consider this the official thumbs-up to go ahead and keep using them with one caveat. "Many of these wipes contain high levels of preservatives that can cause irritation and dryness if left on the skin," explains Chicago dermatologist Peter Lio, MD. But, don't stress, there's no need to wash your face post-wiping. Just a quick rinse will do the trick. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths, $7.49, available at Cetaphil . Change Your Pillowcase Swap your standard cotton option for silk the smooth fabric glides easily against your skin, so you won't wake up with those lines and creases that sleeping on traditional fabrics may cause. For an even greater beauty boost, look for pillowcases made with copper threads. "The copper-oxide ions deliver anti-aging benefits and can actually smooth out fine lines over time," explains Jenny Patinkin, Chicago-based makeup artist and founder of Lazy Perfection. Talk about beauty sleep. Iluminage Skin Rejuvenating Pillowcases with Copper Oxide, $60, available at Iluminage Beauty . Maximize Moisturizer On days when your regular face cream just isn't cutting it (you know, like in the dead of a Chicago winter), there's no need to pile on layers of extra products. "Dampen your skin [to help it absorb product better], then apply a lotion that contains hyaluronic acid immediately afterward," says Dr. Bethanee J. Schlosser, Director of the Women's Skin Health Program at the Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "The water-retaining molecule seals in the added moisture." Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream Extra Dry, $19.99, available at Walgreens . Slough In The Shower Regular exfoliation is a must for a radiant, glowing complexion. The easiest way to do it? Exfoliate in the shower when skin is more supple, advises Fred Goudy, lead aesthetician at Bliss Spa Chicago. The steam also helps soften gunk in your pores, making any kind of sloughing more effective. To make it even easier, skip the mechanical scrubs and just apply a leave-on serum with chemical exfoliants. Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum, $65, available at Sephora . Make Your Own Mist A skin spray is a great way to score a quick boost of moisture, but store-bought options can be pricey. Try making your own, which takes less than five minutes, says Leah Chavie. "Fill a clean spray bottle with distilled water, and add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil," she advises, noting that if you're blemish-prone, consider peppermint, which contains salicylic acid that helps fight pimples. Another benefit: A spritz of your new DIY mist is a great way to refresh your makeup mid-day, without reapplication. The Vitamin Shoppe Peppermint Essential Oil, $8.49, available at The Vitamin Shoppe . Keep Your Head Up Instead of wasting precious minutes trying to depuff swollen eyes with lotions and potions every morning, prevent the problem by altering your sleeping position. "Keep your head elevated on at least one or more pillows," says Dr. Schlosser. It's a simple and easy way to prevent blood and fluids from pooling around the eyes. Pick Pre-Cut Masks "Skin care products that require precision, measuring, timing, or rinsing are the enemy of the lazy," says Patinkin and we couldn't agree more. Her suggestion? Pre-cut face and eye masks. They take seconds to apply, can be left on for as long as you like, and require no rinsing once you take them off. Plus, since they don't drip, you can multitask while you treat your skin. SK-II Facial Treatment Mask, $135, available at Sephora . Sunscreen Up, STAT Even for the laziest among us, there's no excuse for skimping on daily sun protection. While it's okay to use a moisturizer with SPF first thing in the morning (to save you the extra step of applying a second product, of course), Dr. Schlosser reminds us that for maximum protection, you should still reapply every two hours. Keep a powder sunscreen on hand; you can quickly dust it on anytime, anywhere, and it works just as well on other exposed areas like your hands and chest. Colorescience Sunforgettable Mineral Sunscreen Brush SPF 50, $62, available at Colorescience . Fake It With Foundation When all else fails, a little makeup magic is the best way to fake a flawless finish. But, applying foundation with your fingers can leave streaks, and using a brush takes time and precision. Try using a BeautyBlender instead, says Marguerite Preston, a makeup artist at Goldplaited salon in Lakeview. "Dampen it slightly so that it doesn't absorb too much of the product, then dip it into the foundation and buff across your skin." Not only will the coverage look super-natural, but because the sponge has more surface area than a brush, it will take just seconds to cover your whole face. BeautyBlender Blending Sponge, $19.95, available at Sephora . | 4 | 4,528 | lifestyle |
Companies replacing older PCs are increasingly choosing ones with high-end features aimed at improved security and employee efficiency, according to a senior Intel Corp executive. Intel's "vPro" processors account for a fifth of the chipmaker's corporate PC business and that proportion is growing, Tom Garrison, Intel's vice president and general manager of business client platforms, recently told Reuters. With a recovery in the PC industry driven in part by consumers buying cheap, low-end laptops, corporations buying top-tier devices for their workers are an important sweet spot for Intel and manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard and Dell. Shipments of Intel's vPro processors, which are more profitable for the Santa Clara, California, company than many of its other PC chips, are increasing compared with overall demand for desktop and laptop computers, he said. "We're growing at double digits from 2014 over 2013," Garrison said. "There are 100 million vPros installed in businesses today." Earlier in January, Intel said it expects the overall PC market to be about flat this year and for average prices to decline slightly. In its newest vPro offering, based on the company's recently launched 5th generation Core chips and announced on Thursday, Intel is touting features aimed at eliminating time wasted at the start of conference-room meetings. vPro computers can use wifi to connect directly to overhead projectors and other large screens without having to fiddle with cables. The new chips use the similar technology to eliminate the need for docking stations used at office workstations to connect laptops to monitors and keyboards. vPro chips are used for laptops, desktops and convertible devices. Similar features are already available for consumer devices but the versions used on vPro chips offer better security and reliability, Garrison said. (Reporting by Noel Randewich; Editing by Diane Craft) | 5 | 4,529 | news |
Royal Dutch Shell cited writedowns and forex losses for making almost no money in oil production, its most powerful division, in the last quarter of 2014, causing the company to miss profit forecasts by more than 20 percent. Shell, the largest of the European energy majors, also announced a relatively modest three-year, $15 billion cut in spending to help it weather the plunge in oil prices. "We are taking a prudent approach here and we must be careful not to over-react to the recent fall in oil prices," Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said. The company also kept dividends unchanged to soothe investors but its shares fell four percent, hit by the earnings shortfall. The company's fourth-quarter 2014 adjusted net income of $3.3 billion was weighed down by weaker than expected earnings from oil and gas production, known as upstream. "Upstream earnings of $1.7 billion were well below our and consensus expectations of $2.8 billion," Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note. "Integrated gas accounted for $1.6 billion of this profits, implying that Shell's remaining upstream activities were generating almost no earnings with Brent still averaging $75 per barrel in the fourth quarter." Chief Financial Officer Simon Henry blamed the miss on a number of one-off items, including forex losses, exploration write-offs in North America and increased estimates of future decommissioning liabilities worldwide. He said those one-offs were unlikely to be repeated in future quarters. The $15 billion spending cut, which will involve cancelling and deferring projects through 2017, represents a 14 percent cut per year from 2014 capital investment of $35 billion. It is a change of course after Shell, which has one of the largest capital investment programs in the industry, said in October it would keep its 2015 spending unchanged. "Shell is considering further reductions to capital spending should the evolving market outlook warrant that step, but is aiming to retain growth potential for the medium term," it said. DIVIDEND MAINTAINED Shell maintained its fourth-quarter dividend unchanged from the previous quarter at $0.47 per share and in a rare move pledged to pay the same amount in the first quarter of 2015. It has never cut its dividend since 1945. Oil majors including rivals BP and Total have said they do not intend to cut their dividends, a key attraction for investors, even if oil prices remain low. Most have already announced cuts in capital expenditure of around 10-15 percent and sold assets worth dozens of billions of dollars. But they have warned against cutting too much as it could derail long-term projects, destroy the value of companies and potentially even lead to an oil shortage in the future. Oil prices have fallen to below $50 per barrel because of weak global demand and a boom in U.S. shale production. OPEC in November decided not to cut output as the group of oil producing nations hopes to force other producers to trim production. Van Beurden said prices should reach a "long-term equilibrium" of $90 per barrel but did not say when he expected them to return to those levels. Lower income from oil and gas production was offset by a near tripling of earnings from the refining and trading division to $1.55 billion. Low borrowing ratio of 12 percent at the end of 2014 leaves room for raising more debt, placing Shell in a strong position to deal with the lower oil prices, according to Raymond James analyst Bertran Hodee. | 3 | 4,530 | finance |
If you're serving an appetizer where shrimp is the star, then you're going to need a solid gin martini to complement the flavor profile. Tom Colicchio shows you how to craft the classic cocktail | 0 | 4,531 | foodanddrink |
LOS ANGELES - Corey Crawford's broken stick that was discarded in a corner outside the Blackhawks' dressing room told the story. It was a frustrating end to the Hawks' first game following a six-day break for the NHL All-Star Game as they surrendered three one-goal leads and eventually fell to the Kings 4-3 on Wednesday night at Staples Center. "It sucks," Crawford said shortly after Jake Muzzin scored the game-winner off a deflected shot to cap the Kings' comebacks. "It's frustrating. I thought we played a good game. They got two quick ones at the end. I guess everyone can pretty much tell how we feel about that one so there's no point in explaining it." The tying goal came off the stick of Tyler Toffoli a split-second after Jeff Carter buzzed through the slot and appeared to bump Crawford. When no goaltender interference was call, Crawford smashed his stick over the crossbar. "I'm not going to talk about that because I'm probably going to get ... fined or something so move on to another question," Crawford said afterward when asked about the play. The win snapped a four-game losing skid for the Kings, who got two goals and an assist from Carter, a goal and an assist from Toffoli and a strong effort in goal from Jonathan Quick. Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp each had a goal and an assist and Andrew Shaw also scored for the Hawks but Crawford couldn't hold three leads and suffered the loss. The Hawks had their two-game winning streak ended as they continued a stretch of seven games in a row on the road. "We played 55 solid minutes of hockey and our line is obviously looking at ourselves after that one," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said of the trio of himself, Brandon Saad and Marian Hossa-all of whom were on the ice for the Kings' final two goals. "All three of us could have been a little more intelligent in our zone, getting the puck out and not giving them those chances to score late in the game." The Hawks jumped out to an early lead on Kane's 23rd goal of the season. David Rundblad fired a shot toward the net that Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb deflected with his glove right to Kane, who pounced on the puck and flipped it into the net. Midway through the opening period, Carter knotted the score at 1-1 with his first goal of the night, a rocket from the slot that eluded Crawford. Three minutes later, Sharp took a slick feed from Kane while on the power play and beat Quick from the left dot to put the Hawks ahead. Late in the second, the Kings cashed in on the power play when Carter found the back of the net to tie things up. Early in the third, Teuvo Teravainen carried the puck into the Kings zone and fed Shaw with a pass and the forward flicked a wrist shot past Quick for ninth goal of the season and the Hawks had the lead. It disappeared when Toffoli and Muzzin scored to keep the Hawks in third place in the Central Division with a 30-16-2 record. "We had a perfect spot, we had a perfect third period going," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We don't get the puck out when we should have gotten it clearly out, and they got the momentum back on that play and they scored off the faceoff. It was definitely a tough loss." [email protected] Twitter @ChrisKuc | 1 | 4,532 | sports |
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to its lowest level in nearly 15 years, adding to bullish signals on the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000 for the week ended Jan. 24, the lowest since April 2000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. It was the biggest weekly decline since November 2012. The decline, which far exceeded economists' expectations for a drop to only 300,000, probably exaggerates the strength of the jobs market as the data included the Martin Luther King holiday, which means fewer claims were likely processed. It unwound the prior weeks' increases, which had pushed claims above the key 300,000 threshold. Economists had largely dismissed that rise as "noise," noting difficulties adjusting the data for seasonal fluctuations at the start of the year. The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 8,250 last week to 298,500. The latest decline in applications for unemployment aid bolsters views of tightening labor market conditions and comes a day after the Federal Reserve maintained its upbeat assessment of the jobs market and said a range of labor indicators suggested slack continued to diminish. The claims report showed the number of people still receiving benefits after an initial week of aid fell 71,000 to 2.39 million in the week ended Jan. 17. The so-called continuing claims covered the period during which the government surveyed households for the unemployment rate. Continuing claims fell 22,000 between the December and January survey periods, suggesting another decline in the jobless rate, which is currently at a 6-1/2-year low of 5.6 percent. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci) | 3 | 4,533 | finance |
Tomas Berdych was in a sour mood after missing his chance to make his first Australian Open final as Andy Murray charged on in the tournament on Thursday. The Czech seventh seed, who went in with a 6-4 winning record over the Scot and had won their last two meetings, could not reproduce his heroics from his previous round upset of Rafael Nadal and bowed out in a fusilade of errors. While Berdych did not serve one double fault against Nadal, he spluttered with six in his semi-final with Murray. He served more double-faults than aces. Yet again the Czech came up short at the semi-final stage after losing to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in four tight sets at last year's Australian Open. "I'm really not happy and not really in a good mood. I'm very disappointed to lose this match," Berdych said. "It was a big match. But I just need to come back stronger and get myself better for it, and that's it." According to Berdych the difference against Murray was his poor second set after taking the marathon opening set in a tiebreaker. "I had one bad set for the second set, and that's it. I was just trying to get my chances, trying to fight for it, but it was not enough and I'm very disappointed with it. "I handled better the first set. He just took advantage of me not having a great second set, and that's it." Berdych brushed aside talk of ill-feeling with the Scot over the Czech's decision to employ former Murray team member Dani Vallverdu as his new coach. "No. It was a big match. That's how it is, I mean, when you're playing Andy Murray for a semi-final of a slam what else do you need to get more attention?" he said. "If you start to work with someone new, probably there would be talk around it. But really it's not important at all. It's how it is now. I mean, that's it." | 1 | 4,534 | sports |
Having a new baby is supposed to be a joyful experience -- but for many women, it comes with some significant mental health challenges. While up to 70 percent of women report some experience of "baby blues" after giving birth, postpartum depression affects roughly 16 percent of new mothers. But there is a wide variety in how women experience postpartum depression. New University of North Carolina research breaks down postpartum depression into three distinct subtypes. According to the study , some women experience the onset of depressive symptoms during pregnancy, which can result in a greater risk of developing the most severe type of postpartum depression. Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody of UNC's Perinatal Psychiatry Program said that it's important that doctors be aware of the various ways that postpartum depression presents itself. "A thorough assessment of a women's history is necessary to guide appropriate clinical and treatment decisions," Meltzer-Brody said in a statement . "We now understand that postpartum depression can have onset of symptoms that may begin in pregnancy. Improved understanding of the differences in clinical presentation of postpartum depression impacts the implementation and interpretation of screening, diagnosis, treatment, and research of perinatal mood disorders. We are now working to apply our findings from this work to future biological and genetic studies of depression in women across the perinatal period." The study analyzed data from more than 10,000 women collected during previous studies, using a common technique in psychiatry called latent class analysis. This statistical method is employed to create subgroups within a class, in this case, women with postpartum depression. Based on the data analysis, the researchers divided up postpartum depression into class 1, class 2 and class 3, looking specifically at severity of symptoms, timing of onset, suicidal ideation and comorbid anxiety. Class 1 had the least severe symptoms, followed by class 2 and then class 3. The third tier classification was found to be heavily associated with onset of symptoms during pregnancy (rather than during the month following childbirth), as well as anxiety, poor mood, obstetric complications and suicidal ideation. In addition to clinicians being knowledgeable about the various ways that postpartum depression presents itself, it's also important for expecting moths to be away of the risk factors for developing this condition. It's long been known that women who have suffered from depression are at a higher risk for developing postpartum depression, in addition to younger women and women who have had children previously. Recently, research has revealed other important and previously unknown risk factors for postpartum depression. Northwestern University research linked controlling the pain of childbirth and post-delivery to a reduced risk of developing postpartum depression. The study showed that postpartum depression rates were doubled for women who didn't have an epidural. A Finnish study also found that women diagnosed with fear of childbirth are at a three times higher risk of postpartum depression. The findings were present at a recent consortium, Postpartum Depression: Action Towards Causes and Treatment (PACT), and are published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry . | 7 | 4,535 | health |
Former Wimbledon champion will take on either Djokovic for defending champion Wawrinka. Former Wimbledon champion will take on either Djokovic for defending champion Wawrinka. Andy Murray advanced to his fourth Australian Open final and a chance to win his third Grand Slam title with a 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 semi-final win over Tomas Berdych.Murray broke Berdych's serve in the 11th game of the final set and clinched the match with an ace to advance to Sunday's final against either Novak Djokovic or defending champion Stan Wawrinka.Murray's former coach, Dani Vallverdu, was hired by Berdych a few weeks after Murray cut ties with the Venezuelan.On Thursday, there appeared to be several verbal exchanges between the players and the coaching boxes.Murray lost Australian Open finals to Roger Federer in 2010 and Djokovic in 2011, both in straight sets, and again to Djokovic in four sets in 2013."I was obviously disappointed to lose the first set," Murray said in a courtside interview. "But I started to feel better and stick to my game and I was more aggressive in the second set."I was trying to get him running more, which was important because I needed to change the momentum." | 1 | 4,536 | sports |
The Bocuse d'Or held every two years in Lyons, France, is known as the Olympics of cooking competitions, where 24 teams from 24 countries around the world send their best chefs to compete in one of the world's most prestigious cook-offs. This year, for the first time ever, Team USA placed second, with Sweden finishing in third, and the perennial favorite Norway winning the whole competition. The chefs on Team USA were led by their coaches, chefs Grant Achatz, Gavin Kaysen, and Gabriel Kreuther; and the Bocuse d'Or USA board was led by Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Jerome Bocuse, among others. Team USA worked together to present the judges with a stunning meat platter, consisting of barrel-oak roasted guinea hen with sausage of guinea leg confit, white corn mousse, and black winter truffle; "Garden of Sweet Peas" with French Laundry garden blossoms and herbs, sugar snap peas, and black trumpet mushroom panade; a "Beehive" with boudin of smoked guinea liver, grapevine honey, pistachio "Pain des Genes," wild fennel buds, and topaz wine glaze; black truffle consommé with ragout of gizzard and heart "confit," steamed custard, and flowering cress; white corn "nest" with buttered corn pudding, crisped corn silk, and "petit" popcorn, and preserved chanterelles with salad of frisée and garden blossoms, pickled huckleberry, and "foie gras" jus. Team USA is recruited, trained, and funded by the ment'or BKB Foundation , a nonprofit organization devoted to "inspiring culinary excellence in young professionals." "I'm honored to have represented the USA at one of the most well-respected culinary competitions in the world, surrounded by esteemed culinary talent from all over the globe," said team member chef Phil Tessier in a statement. "Training for the Bocuse d'Or was a humbling process, and we diligently prepared as best we could." | 0 | 4,537 | foodanddrink |
See this dreamy, half-up wedding hairstyle come to life in seconds in a special stop-motion animation from BRIDES. Watch the whole series to find your favorite wedding look. | 4 | 4,538 | lifestyle |
Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin confused supporters with her speech at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. | 8 | 4,539 | video |
After three heart-breaking trips to the final, Andy Murray secured another shot at Australian Open glory by overhauling Tomas Berdych on Thursday after women's top seed Serena Williams set up a blockbuster title-decider with Maria Sharapova. Edged in a marathon first set, Murray fired up after a frosty exchange with the hard-hitting Czech and blazed to a 6-7(6) 6-0 6-3 7-5 victory under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. The sixth-seeded Scot will contest his first grand slam final since his emotional triumph at Wimbledon in 2013. His next opponent will be decided in Friday's semi-final between world number one Novak Djokovic and champion Stan Wawrinka. Murray's clinical disposal of Rafa Nadal's conqueror sent an ominous signal to his eventual challenger and thrilled the center court crowd after the women's semi-finals were earlier wrapped up in straight sets. With his former assistant coach Dani Vallverdu sitting in Berdych's player's box, Murray made redundant any plans the two might have hatched by taming the Czech's monster serve and cutting him to pieces in the baseline exchanges. "I changed tactics a little bit (after the first set) but also I was getting more comfortable with the conditions and Tomas's ball," Murray said courtside on a chilly, breezy night. "I made him do most of the running ... which was important." Murray sealed the match with a thumping ace down the 'T' after three hours and 26 minutes. Arguably the match was won when the rangy Czech poked the Scottish bear at the change of ends after winning a tense first set. Glaring at Murray, the Czech muttered a few words and earned a gentle rebuke from French chair umpire Pascal Maria. The Scot returned to the court a raging bull, throwing Berdych from side to side and returning every baseline rocket with interest. The late match followed on from some fierce skirmishes earlier in the day when top seed Williams brushed aside teenager Madison Keys, the latest member of 'generation next' trying to steal her crown. Williams was pushed hard by her 19-year-old challenger in a duel between two of the game's hardest hitters before triumphing 7-6(5) 6-2 to reach her first Melbourne Park final in five years. NEXT TORCHBEARER Keys burnished her credentials as the next torchbearer for American tennis, defiantly saving eight match points as her opponent roared in frustration before Williams sealed the contest with an ace down the middle. "She's obviously a great player," Williams said courtside, still suffering a cold and breaking into coughs. "I think she's going to be winning this tournament very soon and lots of other grand slams. "I was really happy to see her do so well and be such a great sport at the same time." Williams, who retains her world number one ranking by reaching the final, will face the woman she has tormented for over a decade in 27-year-old Sharapova, who trounced Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-2 in the first semi-final. Five-times grand slam champion Sharapova will be hoping a 15-match losing streak against her American nemesis, stretching back to 2004, will have no bearing come Saturday. Sharapova, a 2008 champion at Melbourne Park, lost to Williams in the 2007 final and again in the final at the 2013 French Open. Most streaks are eventually broken and Sharapova, fit and in ominous form, took heart from her win over Makarova. "I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a grand slam no matter who I'm facing against and whether I've had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone," she said. "It doesn't matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot." As with her quarter-final trouncing of Eugenie Bouchard, Sharapova's game-plan was devastatingly simple -- winding up the forehand and bludgeoning anything remotely short of the baseline. Sharapova will be busy before Saturday's final working out how to beat Williams. "I think her power and her aggressiveness, I think that's always made me a little bit too aggressive, maybe going for a little bit more than I had to," said the Russian, whose overall win-loss record against Williams stands at 2-16. "She's great at making players hit that shot that you don't necessarily have to go for. "It's been a really difficult matchup for me but I am a competitor." (Editing by Peter Rutherford and Pritha Sarkar) | 1 | 4,540 | sports |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) For the third consecutive year, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka will play each other at the Australian Open. Based on the previous two outcomes, expect it to last for a while. No. 1-ranked and four-time Australian titleholder Djokovic and defending champion Wawrinka will play a semifinal at Rod Laver Arena on Friday evening, with the winner to take on Andy Murray in Sunday's final. It'll be a decider of sorts between the two at Melbourne Park. In 2013, Djokovic beat Wawrinka in five sets - 12-10 in the final set - in the fourth round and went on to win the title. Last year, Wawrinka beat Djokovic in five sets - 9-7 in the final set - in exactly 4 hours in the quarterfinals. That ended a host of Djokovic streaks, including the Serbian's 28 match wins in a row, 14 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals and, most importantly, his unbeaten run in Australia. Even Murray foreshadowed a lengthy match after he advanced to the final by beating Tomas Berdych on Thursday. ''I'll definitely watch it, but judging by their matches the past couple of years here, I might be in bed before they finish,'' Murray said. Also on the schedule Friday is the women's doubles final between Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic against Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan and Zheng Jie of China. Here are some things to watch in Friday's men's semifinal: --- CAREER DOMINANCE: Djokovic has a big advantage in their 19 meetings, winning 16. Wawrinka beat Djokovic two out of the first times they met in 2006, then lost 14 in a row leading into the quarterfinals here last year. Djokovic beat Wawrinka in straight sets in the round-robin phase of the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November in their last meeting. The last time the pair met at a Grand Slam other than the Australian Open was the 2013 U.S. Open semifinals when Djokovic won in, no surprise, five sets. --- GETTING THERE: Djokovic hasn't dropped a set and has had his service broken just once. His toughest match came in the third round when No. 31 Fernando Verdasco took him to a first-set tiebreaker that Djokovic won 10-8. He beat Gilles Muller in the fourth round and Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals. Wawrinka didn't face a seeded player until he beat No. 5 Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals, but got a tough test from Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the fourth round when he needed four sets, including two tiebreakers, to advance. --- STAN SPEAKS: On No Pressure: ''As I said before the tournament, I don't feel pressure by defending the title because I didn't come here to defend it. I came here as a new challenge, a new Grand Slam. On Playing Djokovic Again: ''We've had some crazy matches in Grand Slams in the past. When you play Novak, especially in semifinal in a Grand Slam, you have to play your best game. So far I'm playing great. I'm confident with my game. --- NOVAK SPEAKS: On Friendship with Wawrinka: ''I've known him for a long time. Stan is two years older than me, but we did play some junior events together. He loves this sport. He's out there working hard. All these years we all knew that he has great quality tennis game, but mentally he didn't believe enough that he can win Grand Slams. I think that changed in last two years.'' On Their Traditionally Long Matches: ''I'm sure we both are very much aware of that fact, and it's why we get to play on a high level against each other and we push each other to the limit in a way. It's a very physical battle, as well. But I haven't had too many long matches during this tournament. I'm ready for it.'' On Coach Boris Becker: ''Because he was the No. 1 player in the world, multiple Grand Slam winner, he understands exactly the kind of obstacles and challenges, mental challenges, I have to go through and I'm facing during a match.'' | 1 | 4,541 | sports |
Wondering where to begin when it comes to paths and pavers? If you're choosing materials or designing a path or walkway, start with our Paths and Pavers Design Guide: We've explored the pros and cons of using materials such as bluestone , limestone , brick , decomposed granite , concrete , and gravel . Maybe curb appeal is your greatest concern. Or how a path feels underfoot. Or matching the style of your house. For prices and facts and design tips to maximize curb appeal here are 17 of our most popular posts about paths and pavers: Design Guidelines Above: a crushed stone path is permeable, adding drainage and if properly graded can divert water away from a foundation. For more, see Design Sleuth: An Elegant Gravel Path . A front path is the first impression your house makes to a visitor. Make sure it's a welcoming width (from 4 to 6 feet wide) and that it points the way clearly to your front door. Should it be a solid path or stepping stones? Straight or curvy? What paver material will best suit the style of your house? For everything you need to know about designing a front path, see Hardscaping 101: Front Paths . Side paths are another story. Depending on how you use a side walkway, you can make it ramble or pave it in a whimsical material. To see some of our favorites, see 5 Favorites: Rambling Paths and Uneven Pavers . Materials: Decomposed Granite Above: Decomposed granite is available in a number of colors and sizes. For more, see Hardscaping 101: Decomposed Granite . Decomposed granite or DG, as it is referred to commonly is like gravel, but finer and less likely to wash away. An inexpensive material for pathways, it feels soft underfoot and its permeability makes it an environmentally friendly choice. Above: Flanked by globe boxwoods, a pea gravel path designed by landscape designer Deborah Nevins has inset stepping stones. For more, see Hedge Fun: At Home with Designer Deborah Nevins . Is pea gravel the right material for your path? See Hardscaping 101: Pea Gravel . Boxwood is a handsome edging plant for a path. For more ways to use boxwood, see Shrub Facts: For the Love of Boxwood . Materials: Bricks Above: Bluestone meets brick on a path at Sissinghurst, where Vita Sackville-West loved the play of mixed textures and surfaces. Photograph by Kendra Wilson . Above: Bricks are made of clay soil, combined with lime and sand. Depending on the proportions, colors will vary. For brick types, prices, and patterns, see Hardscaping 101: Bricks . Materials: Bluestone Above: Dutch garden designer Martin Veltkamp abuts a bluestone path with a gravel walkway with metal edging. For more, see A Classical Approach to a Minimalist Dutch Garden . Above: If you are considering bluestone for a path, there are lots of choices to make about color, texture, size, edging, and patterns. For everything you need to know about bluestone, see Hardscaping 101: Bluestone . Materials: Limestone Pavers Above: Irish plantswoman Helen Dillon laid limestone pavers to create a walkway around her garden pond. For more of her garden, see At Home in Dublin with Helen Dillon . When the poet W. H. Auden tried to imagine paradise, he wrote, "What I see is a limestone landscape." So do we. Or at least a limestone path. Among the most luxurious of hardscaping materials, limestone is three times as expensive as bluestone. But it will last forever. Dense, durable, and available in a wide range of colors, it's a serious investment. Is it right for your path? Explore the pros and cons at Hardscaping 101: Limestone Pavers . Materials: Concrete Pavers Above: For clients working within a strict budget, LA-based garden designer Naomi Sanders came up with a solution: a stylish front walkway of pre-cast 18-by-18-inch square pre-cast concrete pavers set in crushed gravel. For more of the project, see LA Confidential: A Private Courtyard Budget Goes Luxe on a Budget . Concrete pavers are affordable, durable, and easy to install( and replace). Is concrete the right material for your path? For the pros and cons, see Hardscaping 101: Concrete Pavers . Pathway Lighting Design Above: Photograph via Pedersen Associates Landscape Architecture. Canopy garden lights that direct light downward are typically from 18 to 24 inches tall. Avoid a runway effect by staggering their placement alongside a path or walkway. For more tips on how to choose pathway lighting, see Hardscaping 101: Garden and Pathway Lighting . | 4 | 4,542 | lifestyle |
Gil Luria, Wedbush Securities, dives deep into the online retailers quarterly numbers and the falloff from "Singles Day," and China's Alibaba probe. | 3 | 4,543 | finance |
More so than at any point in the past, being a top-tier head coach in college football is about as financially rewarding as coaching in the NFL. That was brought to the forefront when Michigan doled out countless millions to pull Jim Harbaugh from the NFL ranks earlier this month. Now comes news that Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher's extension (agreed to last month) will be worth at least $44 million over the eight years of the deal. The Tallahassee Democrat was the first to report the financials of the ridiculous extension. Fisher will get paid $225,000 in base salary over the course of the season every two weeks until 2022, and will be paid $4,775,000 in "additional compensation" for the 2015 season. The additional compensation total will increase by $100,000 every season until the end of the contract. Fisher will also make $1.2 million if he stays at Florida State until the contract ends. Fisher could earn a $100,000 bonus if FSU finishes first in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division and plays in the ACC title game; wins the ACC title game; is a participating team in the College Football Playoff; in any of the CFP bowls games during a year that game does not decide the CFP; and finishes the season in the Top 10 of the final CFP poll. The paper goes on to indicate that Fisher will earn $50,000 if the team plays in any non-playoff bowl, $75,000 is he's named AP Coach of the Year, $200,000 if the team wins the National Championship and a total of $250,000 if Florida State's football program meets self-imposed GPA requirements. Those incentives are all in addition to the bare-minimum of $44 million Fisher is set to make over the eight years. Talk about being in the money. | 1 | 4,544 | sports |
It's only been a few weeks since Microsoft released the preview versions of Office for Android , but the software giant is finally ready to bring the final version of those apps to Google Play. Starting some time Thursday morning -- we're hearing from around 10 a.m. ET onwards -- you'll be able to download the finished versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint to your Android tablet. As before, the requirements for downloading said apps include having a tablet that's 7-inches or larger that's also running Android 4.4 KitKat or newer. They also have to have an ARM-based processor and 1GB of RAM or above. I had a chance to take a brief early look at the Office for Android apps, and I have to say Microsoft did a pretty good job in porting over its Office apps from desktop to the tablet. However, the first thing you'll be asked to do when you launch any of the apps is to sign up or log in to your Microsoft account -- that's the only way you can edit, save or print documents. It's a bit of annoyance, but seeing as the apps are free to download, I'll acquiesce. If you wish to use the app on screens that are 10.1 inches or larger, you'll have to pony up $6.99 a month or more for an Office 365 subscription. A subscription also offers premium features such as tracking changes in Word and getting the "Presenter View" in PowerPoint. You're also able to sync documents across devices if you have a subscription. All of the Office apps have a similar home screen. Recently opened documents reside on the left column while templates for new documents sit on the right. At the bottom of that left column is a link to open other documents. You can store your files either locally on your device, on your Microsoft OneDrive account, at a SharePoint location or on Dropbox. The interface for each app is strikingly similar to that of their desktop cousins. As far as I can tell at first glance, the layout and functions on the apps are the same -- everything from editing slides in PowerPoint to creating charts and tables in Excel. I was a little skeptical that the apps would register my taps accurately, especially on a complicated spreadsheet on Excel, but they did. Resizing tables, text and images was easy and I didn't encounter too many bugs in general. Indeed, there were a few functions that actually benefited from a touch interface -- the ability to doodle and draw circles right on the PowerPoint slide with your finger is pretty great. It's worth noting here that while Word and Excel work in both portrait and landscape modes, PowerPoint is strictly landscape-only. That's not really a big dealbreaker though, as you would want your presentation slides to be in that format anyway. We'll need a little more time to test these apps to really suss out their worth in day-to-day use, but at first glance, they're not too bad at all. Some of you must have thought so too, as Microsoft tells us that the previews alone generated more than 250,000 downloads across 33 languages and more than 110 countries. It's obvious that a lot of folks are Office aficionados who also happen to own an Android tablet. If that applies to you, stay tuned to that Google Play store, download the apps and let us know what you think. Here's hoping the Windows version of these tablet apps are as good or better. Word (Google Play) Excel (Google Play) PowerPoint (Google Play) | 5 | 4,545 | news |
WASHINGTON Not only does a feature of a popular Google Inc. mobile app put police officers' lives in danger, it also interferes with law enforcement's ability to carry out its speeding ticket mission, a leading group of sheriffs said Wednesday. The National Sheriffs' Association had previously focused its campaign against Waze on police safety after the fatal shootings of two New York police officers in December. It broadened its campaign with a new statement criticizing Google's software as hampering the use of speed traps. The trade association said radar guns and other speed enforcement techniques have reduced highways deaths. "This app will hamper those activities by locating law enforcement officers and puts the public at risk," the group said. In the Waze app, which operates like a free GPS navigation tool, users can tag the locations of parked police vehicles, accidents, congestion, traffic cameras, potholes and more, so that other drivers using Waze are warned as they approach the same location. In a twist, the newly expressed concern about speeding is also Google's own defense of its software. "Most users tend to drive more carefully when they believe law enforcement is nearby," Waze spokeswoman Julie Mossler said. Waze actually gained popularity in the last week since The Associated Press first disclosed law enforcement's concerns, climbing four positions to No. 8 on Apple's ranking of the top free mobile apps. The Los Angeles Police chief and the executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police have echoed the sheriffs' concerns about police safety but have not said anything about the app interfering with catching speeders. Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat, who in 2011 raised issues with mobile apps that identified drunken driving checkpoints, is concerned about the Waze app police-reporting feature, according to his office. Other major police trade groups had not yet formally joined the sheriffs' campaign. Some police departments near San Francisco, where Google is headquartered, did not share the same concerns. Heather Randol, a spokeswoman for the San Jose Police Department, said the department does not have much information about the software's impact. "However, part of our police model includes a highly visible police presence to reduce crime," Randol said. Waze users mark locations of police vehicles which are generally stopped in public spaces on maps without much distinction other than "visible" or "hidden." Users driving nearby see a police icon, but it's not immediately clear whether police are there for a speed trap, a sobriety check or a lunch break. Police objections to Waze add new complexity to the debate about technology and privacy. Some Waze supporters lashed out at outspoken sheriffs on social media, pointing to the irony of police concerns about being watched amid sensational disclosures about police and government surveillance of citizens. Sheriff Mike Brown of Bedford County, Virginia, said states might pass laws to prevent people from revealing the locations of parked police cruisers. Privacy advocates, however, said First Amendment protections will stand in the way. "Waze represents person-to person information in the public square," said Nuala O'Connor, head of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington civil liberties group, who said she uses the software. "And that's long been a U.S. right under the Constitution." There are no known connections between any violent attack on police and the Waze software. But Brown and others believe it is only a matter of time. ___ Follow Eileen Sullivan on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/esullivanap | 9 | 4,546 | autos |
Traditional toys face heightened competition from electronic devices | 3 | 4,547 | finance |
One reason Florida general manager Dale Tallon brought in established veteran players with championship credentials this offseason was evident Wednesday morning. As the team stretched on the ice at BB&T Center, Derek MacKenzie cracked jokes as Willie Mitchell, Shawn Thornton and Dave Bolland chirped in as well. That light atmosphere allowed younger players to loosen up before what turned into a long midweek practice session. The Panthers sure didn't look like a team in the throes of a five-game losing streak - which was the point. Thornton, who won the Cup with Boston in 2011 and Anaheim four years prior, said this is the time for Florida to make its stand. "This is the time when you see the good teams really start winning and teams that aren't so good start showing some inconsistencies," Thornton said. "You can't hit the panic button but there needs to be a sense of urgency. There isn't much movement in the standings at this time of year. We need to take advantage of every opportunity you can. It gets tougher and tougher to catch up." Florida goes into Thursday's game seven points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Thanks to other losses, the Panthers didn't lose any ground despite Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Red Wings - yet didn't gain any either. "Right now is our playoff. The games down the stretch don't mean a thing if we don't win now," said Mitchell, who was part of Los Angeles' Stanley Cup championship teams in 2012 and '14. "You want to be uncomfortably comfortable which means you're prepared, are doing every with a purpose and know what you're doing. But you're doing it outside your comfort zone, are pushing your limits." Coach Gerard Gallant, who pulled his team into a far corner of the arena after the workout for a private chat, again stressed his team can't make up ground in one night. For the Panthers to get back into the mix, they're going to need to chip away on their deficit one night at a time. "It's a fine line in whether you want a team loose or real uptight and I would rather them be loose," Gallant said. "There's nothing you can do about last night or the four behind that. Move on. Let's play the next one and try and get back in the race." Petrovic returns Florida's recent soft defensive play led the team to recalling Alex Petrovic on Wednesday. The 22-year-old defenseman recently took part in the AHL All-Star game and has 19 points in 39 games for San Antonio. Petrovic has played in 13 games with the Panthers over the previous two seasons and is expected to play Thursday - perhaps in place of the struggling Dylan Olsen. -The Panthers are also expected to have Thornton back in the lineup Thursday. Thornton has been out since Dec. 6 with a lingering groin injury. "It's been a while so I'm excited," Thornton said. "Jimmy [Hayes] told me today to settle things down a little. I was a little too jumpy. I have eight weeks of energy going." With Thornton activated and Petrovic recalled, the Panthers would go into Thursday's game at the roster maximum of 23 - meaning three players will be scratched against the Blue Jackets. -Gallant said he expected Roberto Luongo would be back in net Thursday after being pulled during the second period of Tuesday's loss. Luongo gave up five goals - four in the second period - but wasn't blamed for the porous defense played in front of him. Al Montoya came in and stopped all 10 shots faced allowing the Panthers to claw back into the game. -Florida won't find the road to breaking its losing streak easy come . The Panthers are 0-1-1 against Columbus this season and have lost 10 in a row to the Blue Jackets.The Panthers haven't beaten Columbus at home since Gallant coached the Jackets back in 2004. | 1 | 4,548 | sports |
BERKELEY, Calif. Charles H. Townes' inspiration for the predecessor of the laser came to him while sitting on a park bench, waiting for a restaurant to open for breakfast. On the tranquil morning hours of April 26, 1951, Townes scribbled a theory on scrap paper that would lead to the laser, the invention he's known for and which transformed everyday life and led to other scientific discoveries. Townes, who was also known for his strong spiritual faith, famously compared that moment to a religious revelation. The 99-year-old Nobel Prize-winning physicist died Tuesday. In 1954, that theory was realized when Townes and his students developed the laser's predecessor, the maser (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). "I realized there would be many applications for the laser," Townes told Esquire magazine in 2001, "but it never occurred to me we'd get such power from it." The laser paved the way for other scientific discoveries that revolutionize everything from medicine to manufacturing, but also has a huge array of applications today: DVD players, gun sights, printers, computer networks, metal cutters, tattoo removal and vision correction are just some of the tools and technologies that rely on lasers. "Charlie Townes had an enormous impact on physics and society in general," Steven Boggs, the chairman of the physics department at Berkeley, said Wednesday. A devoted member of the United Church of Christ, Townes drew praise and skepticism later in his career with a series of speeches and essays investigating the similarities between science and religion. "Science tries to understand what our universe is like and how it works, including us humans," Townes wrote in 2005 upon being awarded the Templeton Prize for his contributions in "affirming life's spiritual dimension." "My own view is that, while science and religion may seem different, they have many similarities, and should interact and enlighten each other," he wrote. Townes was a faculty member at Columbia University when he did most of the work that would make him one of three scientists to share the 1964 Nobel Prize in physics for research leading to the creation of the laser. The others were Russian physicists Aleksandr M. Prokhorov and Nicolai G. Basov. Townes' research applied the microwave technique used in wartime radar research to the study of spectroscopy, the dispersion of an object's light into its component colors. He envisioned that would provide a new window into the structure of atoms and molecules and a new basis for controlling electromagnetic waves. His insights eventually led to the first laser. Born on July 28, 1915, in Greenville, S.C., to Baptist parents who embraced an open-minded interpretation of theology, Townes found his calling during his sophomore year at Furman University and went on to earn a master's degree from Duke University in physics and a doctorate at the California Institute of Technology. He married his wife, Frances Hildreth Townes, in 1941, and during World War II designed radar bombing systems for Bell Laboratories. Demonstrating that masers could be made to operate in optical and infrared capacities, Townes and his brother-in-law, the late Stanford professor Arthur L. Schawlow, jointly published a theory in 1958 on the feasibility of optical and infrared masers, or lasers. A laser controls the way that energized atoms release photons, or light particles. Today, they perform tasks ranging from cutting metal to vision correction and tattoo removal, but its inventors say they didn't foresee any of that. Others built the first working lasers, but Townes shared the Nobel Prize in 1964 with the two Russians for his work leading to its creation. "I feel that very rarely have I done any work in my life," he told Esquire. "I have a good time. I'm exploring. I'm playing a game, solving puzzles, and having fun, and for some reason people have been willing to pay me for it. Officially, I was supposed to retire years ago, but retire from what? Why stop having a good time?" In 1966, he published an article entitled "The Convergence of Science and Religion" in the IBM journal THINK. The difference between science and religion "are largely superficial," he wrote, "the two become almost indistinguishable if we look at the real nature of each." In an era when many scientists steadfastly avoided ties to religion, the views expressed in the piece were seen as blasphemy by people in both communities. Over the years, he wrote and spoke often on the subject, and in 2005, he won the Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities. The award, billed as the world's richest religion prize, was worth more than $1.5 million, and past recipients have included Mother Teresa. "Many people don't realize that science basically involves assumptions and faith. But nothing is absolutely proved," Townes said at the time. "Wonderful things in both science and religion come from our efforts based on observations, thoughtful assumptions, faith and logic." Townes lived in Berkeley and is survived by his wife and four daughters, Linda Rosenwein, Ellen Townes-Anderson, Carla Kessler, and Holly Townes. | 3 | 4,549 | finance |
San Francisco police on Wednesday discovered human body parts stuffed inside a suitcase that had been ditched on the sidewalk of a downtown street, officials said. Police closed off blocks around the package around 4:15 p.m. and found more remains after searching the area, police spokeswoman Grace Gatpandan said in a statement. The city medical examiner confirmed that the remains were human, but could not determine whether they belonged to one person or multiple victims, Gatpandan said. Police are seeking a person of interest in the case, but declined to release information on the suspect as the homicide investigation was ongoing. The suitcase was found within blocks of social media company Twitter Inc's headquarters. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Crispian Balmer) | 5 | 4,550 | news |
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) A treasure hunter who vanished two years ago while he was in a dispute over one of the greatest deep-sea hauls in American history was in court Thursday, appearing ready to defend himself and saying he was in an "extreme medical situation." Tommy Thompson, 62, was taken into custody Wednesday at a Florida hotel, where U.S. Marshals said he had been hiding in a two-room suite with his girlfriend for two years. An arrest warrant was issued in Ohio in 2012 when Thompson didn't show up to a hearing in a lawsuit claiming he cheated investors out of their share of $50 million in gold bars and coins he recovered from a 19th century shipwreck. He was charged with criminal contempt. Though Thompson's hearing Thursday lasted just 12 minutes, he suggested deep awareness of the accusations against him and a willingness to fight going to Ohio. He even briefly tried to explain to the judge the ownership details of a company involved in his treasure hunt. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dave Lee Brannon advised him the case was garnering worldwide attention "You made the BBC" and that anything he said could be widely circulated. Still, Thompson persisted. "Do you really want to talk about that case here now?" the judge said, saying it was only a preliminary hearing. Shackled, curly-haired and bearded, and wearing a navy jump suit and black Crocs, Thompson was escorted into court by U.S. Marshals and smiled at two relatives. He told Brannon he's "been very ill for a number of years" with a type of encephalitis, an overactive immune system and sensitivities and allergies that would be exacerbated if he is taken north. "I'm a citizen of Florida and there's very strong reasons why I haven't left here since 2005," Thompson said. "It's very major for me to be exposed to things up north." Thompson said he had not yet been able to hire an attorney. He was ordered back into custody. Another hearing was set for Wednesday. Thomson pulled off an amazing feat in 1988 finding the S.S. Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, which sank in a hurricane about 200 miles off the South Carolina coast in September 1857. Four hundred and twenty-five people drowned and thousands of pounds of California gold were lost, contributing to an economic panic. Much of the gold was sold to a gold marketing group in 2000 for about $50 million. The 161 investors who paid Thompson $12.7 million to find the ship never saw returns from the sale. Two of them sued: a now-deceased investment firm president and the Dispatch Printing Company, which publishes The Columbus Dispatch newspaper and had invested about $1 million. Thompson went into seclusion in 2006, moving into a mansion called Gracewood in Vero Beach, Florida. Six years later, after the arrest warrant was issued, Thompson vanished. Ted Thomas, a cousin who came to the court hearing, said Thompson was driven to the treasure hunt by his love of science and technology and unattainable feats, but that it ultimately ruined his life. "If he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't do it," said Thomas, who said he hadn't seen his cousin in three years. "You don't throw away your life for something that's yellow and weighs a lot." Thompson was taken into custody with his longtime companion, Alison Antekeier. ___ Follow Matt Sedensky on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sedensky | 5 | 4,551 | news |
Colleen McCullough , the Australian author of 1977 bestseller, The Thorn Birds , which served as the basis for one of the most popular TV miniseries ever, died today on Australia's Norfolk Island. The novelist had suffered poor health in recent years. She was 77. McCullough was born in New South Wales in 1937 and worked as a neuroscientist before writing the first of her 25 books, Tim . Published in 1974, it was later made into a feature starring Mel Gibson and Piper Laurie. But she became best known internationally for her second novel, The Thorn Birds . Set primarily on the Cleary family's Drogheda sheep farm in the Australian outback, the epic traces three generations over 40+ years and centers on the forbidden love between a young woman and an ambitious Catholic priest. Paperback rights to the novel were sold at auction for $1.9M a record at the time in the U.S. It went on to sell 30 million copies, making it the highest-selling Australian book ever. Interest in the novel was further spurred on by the wildly successful 1983 ABC miniseries. Richard Chamberlain , Rachel Ward, Bryan Brown and Barbara Stanwyck starred in the saga that, in its day, became the second most-viewed miniseries in the U.S. behind Roots . It won four Golden Globes and six Primetime Emmys. In 1996, CBS aired a follow-up, The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years , with Chamberlain reprising his role as Father Ralph de Bricassart. McCullough's last book, Bittersweet , came out in 2013. Publisher Harper Collins Australia tweeted the below this morning: Colleen McCullough's contribution to Australian writing and to readers around the world has been immense. She will be greatly missed. HarperCollins Aus (@HarperCollinsAU) January 29, 2015 Publishing Director Shona Martyn 'For all of us at HarperCollins, it was a privilege to work with Col. The world is a less colourful place.' HarperCollins Aus (@HarperCollinsAU) January 29, 2015 | 6 | 4,552 | entertainment |
A fossilized human jawbone discovered by a Taiwanese fisherman could reveal a new kind of prehistoric human. | 8 | 4,553 | video |
Time Warner Cable Inc (TWC.N), the second-largest U.S. cable TV operator, reported lower-than-expected revenue as more customers switch to internet streaming services offered by companies such as Netflix Inc (NFLX.O). The company, which is being bought by market leader Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) for $45.3 billion, lost net 38,000 residential video customers in the quarter. The company lost net 85,000 residential video subscribers a year earlier. Video streaming service Netflix pulled in 1.9 million streaming U.S. customers in the fourth quarter and forecast signing up 1.8 million more in the current quarter. As of Dec. 31, Time Warner Cable had 10.8 million household video subscribers, down from 11.1 million a year earlier. Net income attributable to common shareholders rose to $554 million, or $1.95 per share, from $540 million, or $1.89 per share. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $2.03 per share. Revenue rose to $5.79 billion from $5.58 billion. Analysts on average had expected earnings of $2.08 per share on revenue of $5.81 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Time Warner Cable's shares closed at $139.1 on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. | 3 | 4,554 | finance |
Kanye and Kim Kardashian West with daughter North Kanye West wants as many kids as Kim Kardashian West desires. The 37-year-old rapper has admitted he just goes along with his wife's wishes when it comes to having children and backed up the reality TV star's recent revelation that the couple have been attempting to conceive a brother or sister for their 19-month-old daughter North. Speaking on tonight's (29.01.15) 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', he says: "Yeah, we're trying. I just want whatever Kim wants."The usually outspoken star also admits he has learned to "shut up more" since marrying Kim last year and he insists having both her and their baby daughter has helped him to become a better person. He added: "I've definitely learned how to compromise more, which is something you have to understand when you partner with people in business."And I've learned how to shut up more. I think I'm a better human being because of [Kim] and because of my daughter. "And I have always someone to think about going home to and you know something for me to be brave for what I want to do for humanity, but also to be more protective of myself for my family too."Cause there are things I've done in the past that were considered negative, but I was really jumping in front of the tank for other people or for culture in a way so now I always have to have that in my mind that I have a family that I have to protect too."Brand new 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' airs Thursdays at 9pm on 4Music - Freeview 18, Sky 360 and Virgin 330. Watch online at www.4music.com/watchnow or stream live from The Box Plus app. | 6 | 4,555 | entertainment |
Apple's stock was up over $6 to $115 on Wednesday. It was a nice move but it would not surprise me to see the shares work their higher over the next month or two as analysts and portfolio managers update their models and compare owning Apple's shares vs. other companies, especially other large tech companies. (Note that I own Apple shares). Many investment firms investment process is to decide to overweight, equal-weight or underweight a sector and then make determinations on which stocks to own. Given Apple's financial outperformance, increasing estimates and very reasonable valuation I expect many firms to increase their holdings of the shares. The bulk of Apple's sell-side analysts are positive on the shares. I have compiled nine of them with some of their revenue and EPS estimates, how they calculate their price targets and some of their overall views. It is interesting to compare them to analysts who are bearish on the stock, which is available via this link. Baird's Power has an Outperform rating and increased his target from $129 to $134 Baird's Bill Power increased his fiscal 2015 revenue estimate from $211.6 to $221.3 billion and his EPS from $7.60 to $8.28. His fiscal 2016 EPS estimate is $8.70. Power's $134 price target is based on 13x his calendar 2015 EPS estimate ($8.44) plus current net cash per share of $24.07. I believe it is aggressive to use all the net cash per share since the international cash would have about a 30% tax haircut and I assume Apple needs to keep $10 billion to run the business. This drops the cash that could be used for share buybacks to $14.50 per share so I'd drop Power's price target to $124 (but I could see a PE multiple that is 1 to 2 multiples higher than his 13x estimate and make up for this adjustment). Baird expects "several updates in April, including the Watch launch, March quarter earnings and the capital return update, to support shares during the seasonally weaker spring period." He is projecting that Apple could sell 16.9 million Watches in calendar 2015. Barclay's Reitzes has an Overweight rating and raised his target from $140 to $150 Barclay's Ben Reitzes raised his fiscal 2015 revenue estimate from $215 to $225 billion and EPS from $7.76 to $8.56. He is projecting fiscal 2016 revenue of $236 billion and EPS of $9.37. Reitzes is using a 16x PE multiple on fiscal 2016 EPS of $9.37 to arrive at his target of $150. Reitzes wrote "While respecting seasonality, we believe that iPhone momentum could continue into other new product launches like the Apple Watch which is slated to come in April, during a typical "quiet" quarter. We are impressed by the gross margin performance into 2015, given a volatile currency environment." He added "Looking forward we see the Apple Watch as a potential catalyst into the 2015 year-end holidays with prospects for increased cash returns a more immediate catalyst in April. With currency and mature categories hurting so much of the large cap tech peer group, we believe Apple should be rewarded with at least a market multiple or higher." Bernstein's Sacconaghi has an Outperform rating and raised his target from $122 to $135 Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi increased his fiscal 2015 revenue estimate from $203.5 to $221.8 billion and his EPS estimate from $7.53 to $8.58 which included estimates for Apple's Watch for the first time (7.5 million units generating $3.3 billion in revenue in fiscal 2015). His $135 price target is 15.7x his fiscal 2015 EPS estimate of $8.58 and is 14.6x his fiscal 2016 $9.26 EPS estimate. Sacconaghi is one of the best analysts on Apple and his companies. I believe he has a very accurate and balanced view on the stock. He says that in the near-term estimates are likely to meaningfully increase which enhances the shares already attractive valuation, that March quarter guidance looks to have limited risk, excitement about the Watch is likely to increase (my comment: Apple may be the best on how to build excitement on a new product) and increased buybacks could ratchet up EPS growth by 300 to 400 basis points per year. However he believes Apple's shares are a tougher call in the long-term. Sacconaghi is cognizant of the bear case that the high-end smartphone market is fairly mature with little to no growth, replacement cycles are likely to elongate and that the company's size limits its ability to deliver operating profit growth. These are partially offset by strong iPhone results in emerging markets and those potential customers should move into higher income brackets over time. Cowen's Arcuri has an Outperform rating and raised his target from $113 to $115 Cowen's Timothy Arcuri increased his fiscal 2015 revenue estimate from $221 billion to $229.5 billion and increased his EPS estimate from $8.31 to $8.84. Note that with an Outperform rating his fiscal 2016 revenue is up less than 1% year over year and his EPS projection actually decreases to $8.81. Since the shares are at $115 at some point, sooner rather than later, he will have to increase his price target (but he had his chance yesterday) or lower his rating. His $115 price target is based on an average of his calendar 2015 and 2016 EPS estimates of $8.61 and $8.81, respectively, with a 10x PE multiple after subtracting net cash. Similar to Baird's Bill Power I believe Arcuri is being too aggressive with using all of Apple's net cash in his valuation analysis but that is overcome by increasing his PE multiple assumption to 12x. Arcuri wrote "At the end of the day, we do see potential for a longer 6/6+ tail than prior product cycles and a new 4″ 6S ("6C"?) should "refresh" the low-end of the product line as well. From here, capital return is the next catalyst and we are optimistic about the Watch, but more so the 2.0 version this fall. Apple Pay is a great new piece of the narrative, but it will probably take another 12-24mos for the use case to start impacting hardware sales." Below is a chart of Apple's forward PE multiple over the past five years. While the current multiple is slightly above the 5 year average given the December quarter results and outlook it deserves to be above the average. Goldman Sachs' Shope has a Buy rating and a $130 target Goldman Sachs' Bill Shope increased his fiscal 2015 revenue estimate from $208.6 to $223.8 billion and his EPS from $7.85 to $8.52. His $130 price target is based on a 15x PE multiple on his calendar 2015 EPS projection of $8.64. Regarding the bear case on Apple Shope wrote "A key bear argument for Apple's stock in recent years has been that its product momentum would not easily translate to emerging regions due to its premium price points, aggressive local competitors, and limited iOS ecosystem value in foreign markets. These debates won't go away, but this quarter's performance certainly put a dent in the bear case. For instance, consider the following data from the quarter: 1) iPhone sales doubled versus the prior year in China, despite only being available since mid-October, 2) unit sales were up 97% in the BRIC countries, and 3) online sales in China for the quarter were greater than the past five years combined." He added "All of this occurred in a quarter where the average selling price for the iPhone reached a new record. Overall, we think the arguments that Apple will need to lower its prices dramatically to effectively compete in emerging markets misses the fact that phablets represent the highest growing category in these countries. Indeed, Apple's iPhone 6 plus has put the company in a leadership position here." Morgan Stanley's Huberty has an Overweight rating and increased her target from $126 to $133 Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty projects fiscal 2015 revenue of $222.3 billion and increased her EPS estimate from $7.89 to $8.58. Her $135 target is 15x her calendar 2015 EPS projection of $8.86. Huberty wrote "We point to the following as evidence that the December quarter fundamentals will continue into 2015, pushing the stock higher. 1) iPhone and Mac channel inventory fell Q/Q and ended the quarter below target levels, leaving room for channel build during 2015. We estimate 4 weeks of iPhone channel inventory at the end of December versus a target of 5-7 weeks. 2) March quarter revenue guidance beat our model despite incremental FX headwind and no Watch contribution (we previously modeled 3 million units). 3) Apple's Other Current Assets line, which includes Inventory Component Prepayments increased at above seasonal rates for the second quarter in a row and supports management's bullish forward looking comments. 4) Management noted low-teens upgrade rate of the current iPhone installed base, which is consistent with data from our December AlphaWise US smartphone survey, and points to the current upgrade cycle to larger screen iPhones lasting through 2016." Oppenheimer's Uerkwitz has an Outperform rating and a $130 target Oppenheimer's Andrew Uerkwitz increased his fiscal 2015 revenue from $226.7 to $230.9 billion and his EPS from $8.13 to $8.67. His $130 price target is a 15x multiple on his 2015 EPS estimate. Uerkwitz wrote "Judging from results and management comments, we believe that our thesis on Apple is playing out, that Apple's ecosystem will drive share gain over OEMs focusing on specs. We see record level new customers, Android switchers and growth in China as strong support for our thesis. We expect Apple to keep beating expectations in coming quarters as new products and services grow in 2015 to strengthen its ecosystem." Piper Jaffray's Munster has an Overweight rating and a $135 target Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster increased his fiscal 2015 revenue from $211.2 to 220.9 billion and EPS from $7.52 to $8.23. His $135 target is 16x his calendar 2015 EPS estimate of $8.42. Munster wrote "Looking into the iPhone 6S cycle (fiscal year 2016), we are modeling for iPhone units to be down 2% year over year, which leads to increased investor focus on the tough comps. We believe what gets lost in that focus is the longer term importance of a 74.5 million unit iPhone quarter. We expect over the next few months a second group of investors will emerge that believes in the power of the platform that Apple is building and creating an annuity (90% plus iPhone re-buy rates) with customers that upgrade multiple devices over many years. Looking longer-term into the iPhone 7, which is likely to be a bigger product cycle than the 6S, we could see a case for even higher numbers for Apple." Munster is projecting Apple will sell 8 million Watches in calendar 2015 with an average selling price (ASP) of $500. UBS' Milunovich has a Buy rating and raised his target price from $125 to $130 UBS' Steve Milunovich increased his fiscal 2015 revenue from $224.5 to $230.1 billion and his EPS from $8.46 to $9.00. His $130 price target is a 15x PE multiple on his $9 in EPS or 12x when you exclude $25 in net cash per share (which is too high of a net cash number to subtract in my opinion). Milunovich wrote "The iPhone 6 upgrade cycle is turning out to be even greater than expected. A low-teens portion of the installed base is upgrading and Android switchers are at a high. The gross margin is being buoyed by improved costs and the iPhone 6 Plus, which we estimate at 30% of units. The phone cycle should carry the stock through the Mar/June quarters with the Apple Watch then kicking in. We do worry about phone comparisons late this year but think it premature at this time and price to prevent investors from owning the stock. While Apple primarily monetizes through hardware, its ecosystem and brand value make a sudden fall from grace unlikely." | 3 | 4,556 | finance |
WASHINGTON Never mind dropping oil prices. U.S. producers are pushing harder than ever for the right to sell U.S. crude oil overseas. It might seem counterintuitive: Oil prices are as low as they have been at any point since 2009 and the height of the Great Recession, and some say they could drop even further. But oil producers are playing a longer game, betting that long-term demand will be strong and new markets offer lucrative rewards for U.S. producers. Supporters see possible inroads in a Congress controlled by Republicans who generally are considered more receptive to oil exports, as well as some signs that the Obama administration may at least be open to consider changes to longstanding policy, which bans the export of raw crude. The ban was put in place in the 1970s after the OPEC oil embargo led to fuel rationing, high prices and iconic images of long lines of cars waiting to fuel up. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's top lobbying arm, is running TV ads highlighting the growth of the U.S. shale oil industry as evidence that the there's enough oil for both domestic and overseas markets. The organization lists overturning the ban as its top priority for 2015. Jack Gerard, the organization's president, said the policy is the result of "a politically motivated disconnect between today's much-changed energy landscape and the political orthodoxy of some who continue to push for arbitrary and unfair limits or an outright ban." Besides the financial incentive, Gerard and supporters argue that lifting the ban would help control prices for consumers and give the U.S. a stronger hand in foreign policy. Opponents argue just the opposite: They say exporting oil now would result in higher gas prices and prevent the U.S. from achieving a goal of energy independence. Opponents include many domestic oil refiners, which stand to lose business if crude oil is exported. "The oil markets and the markets for various petroleum products are extremely complicated and I think that to mess with this upsets the equilibrium that's there," said Jay Hauk, executive director of Consumers and Refiners United for Domestic Energy, or CRUDE, which represents a group of oil refiners. Hauck said the policy shouldn't change while the U.S. continues to import great quantities of oil. The U.S. imported 9.9 million barrels of oil per day in 2013, from some 80 countries, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Simply increasing U.S. production to eliminate imports is not that simple, though. Different types of oil have different uses, and U.S. production is predominantly lighter, "sweet" crude oil. Many U.S. refineries are equipped to handle heavier crude produced by countries like Mexico and Canada. Producers argue that shipping to countries in Europe and Asia, where refineries are equipped to more efficiently handle lighter oil, makes economic sense until more U.S. refineries can efficiently process lighter oil. "The reason for allowing exports is primarily that not all oil is the same," argued a 2014 report by the Aspen Institute, which backed lifting the ban. But even some supporters say it is too early to push for an up or down vote on lifting the ban. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, proposed an amendment that would link lifting the ban with passage of legislation allowing the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline to move forward. Soon afterward, two supporters of lifting the ban Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. said the amendment might be too much, too soon. Dozens of members of Congress have not taken a public stance on the oil exporting issue. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., has said the policy should be examined, but stopped short of pushing for legislation. But other members have pushed for a vote: Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, plans to re-introduce legislation to lift the ban. Senate backers include members of Republican leadership: Cornyn and Rep. John Barrasso, of Wyoming, and Lisa Murkowski, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee. Among Democrats, North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, whose state is the nation's second leading oil producer, is the biggest proponent of lifting the ban. The Obama administration has made some recent adjustments on oil exports. Last year, it allowed increased exports of so-called condensate, a lightly refined, lighter form of crude. Administration officials, including Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, have said overall policy at least needs to be examined, though no action is pending. | 3 | 4,557 | finance |
The UFC 183 main event this weekend pitting former middleweight king Anderson Silva against Nick Diaz has to be one of the most intriguing fights the promotion has ever put together although it does come along with a few question marks as well. Silva is a former champion at 185-pounds, who also dabbled at light heavyweight for a trio of fights in the UFC -- all of which he won by knockout or TKO including a victory over former champion Forrest Griffin. Diaz on the other hand has never fought at middleweight before, although he has gone up in weight for two previous fights. Diaz actually has more experience at lower weights when he dropped down to 155-pounds for a few fights before returning to his more natural weight at 170. Regardless of past experience or weight class, both Silva and Diaz were on board to accept this fight and make it happen for the main event on Saturday night. As it turns out, this fight between Silva and Diaz is a bout nearly three years in the making. So how did we get here? Let's take a closer look. July 27, 2012 - Nick Diaz's coach asks for a fight against Anderson Silva Following a loss to Carlos Condit earlier in the year, Diaz through his coach Cesar Gracie requests a fight against middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Diaz had twice gone up in weight while in Strikeforce -- once at 179-pounds, another at 180-pounds -- and he was entertaining the idea of going up again for the chance to face the fighter recognized at the time as the best pound-for-pound competitor in the sport. "Nick has stated that he would like to take fights "that matter". Since GSP will be fighting Condit, he has to look elsewhere. He will respectfully ask for a fight with Anderson Silva, a fighter he respects and would like to challenge. Silva's camp has been speaking of a fight with GSP, possibly even at a catch weight. Nick will take that fight in a minute but has told me that should Silva decide not to drop at all, he will move up to 185lbs to face the champ." July 28, 2012 - Ed Soares, Anderson Silva's manager likes the idea of Silva vs. Diaz Following Gracie's post on behalf of Diaz, Anderson Silva's manager Ed Soares takes to Twitter and responds. It sounds like the middleweight champion and his team are on board for the potential matchup with Diaz. "I think the idea of (Silva vs. Diaz) is pretty good," Soares said. "Let's see what the UFC thinks?" August 2, 2012 - UFC president Dana White laughs at the idea that Silva vs. Diaz should even be enterained At a pre-fight event prior to the UFC on FOX event in Los Angeles just days after Diaz's coach and Silva's manager discuss the possibility of the two fighters squaring off, UFC president Dana White quickly throws water on the idea all together. At the time, Silva was the middleweight champion of the world and Diaz was off a loss while still at welterweight. He just didn't see anyway making Silva vs. Diaz as good business. "Nick Diaz makes no sense," White said when asked about matching him up with Anderson Silva. "I know that sounds fun 'yeah throw Nick Diaz in there!'. If you look at it, Nick Diaz just lost to (Carlos) Condit at 170 so that gives him the opportunity to move up to 185 and fight the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world? In what f--king universe does that make sense?" October 4, 2012 - Nick Diaz not a fan of Anderson Silva accepting a fight against Stephan Bonnar Silva ends up taking a late notice fight against former Ultimate Fighter finalist Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153. Diaz doesn't understand the logic in the matchmaking nor why Silva would even bother facing someone like Bonnar, who wasn't even on the same level much less the same weight class. "If I was making a joke, like, 'Who are they gonna get to fight Anderson Silva, right now? Me or Stephan Bonnar?' it would have been a big, laughing matter. It's a joke," Diaz said. "But, you know, that's what's happening at this point in time. So, that's fine. But, if I was Anderson Silva, and I'm on my way out of this sport, at 37 or whatever, I'm looking to do a couple more fights, if that. I'd want to fulfill my legacy. I'm not gonna be able to do that with Stephan Bonnar. That's just the way I see it." November 26, 2012 - Cesar Gracie says that Anderson Silva's team is on board for the fight Despite White's previous statement about the fight, Gracie fires back with the notion that not only is Silva and his team on board with the potential matchup against Diaz, but the fans would overwhelmingly support the idea. The biggest hurdle at the time was White and he wasn't going to budge on making a fight he thought, at the time, was ludicrous. "[Silva's] people are into it. We're into it. The fans, I think, would be into it," Gracie said. "We've got convince Dana [White] about it now. Obviously the fight that makes sense to them, and I don't disagree, is Anderson-GSP, and like I said, I would watch that fight. That would be great to watch. But let's get real. If GSP just absolutely says no, then what? You can't make a guy fight. That's the thing. And Anderson, if they want to promote a superfight and if the stars align, I think Nick would be into it." March 3, 2013 - Nick Diaz mocks Georges St-Pierre for never asking to fight Anderson Silva Ahead of his title bout against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158, Diaz calls into question a proposed super fight pitting the welterweight champion against Silva that never came to fruition. Diaz was most puzzled by the fact that St-Pierre never tried to prove himself as the best fighter in the world by challenging Silva in the Octagon. It's a fight Diaz asked for and would have gladly accepted if it was offered. "I started (competing at) like from 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 (years old). By 23, I'm fighting No. 1 people in the world. I will tell you right now I'll fight the No. 1 guy in the world. I've always said, that I want to fight the No. 1 fighter," Diaz said. "Georges has never said that. That's the only thing I've ever said negative about Georges, that if I were in his place, I'd be asking for the Anderson Silva fight. I wouldn't let that blow away. That's crazy." March 16, 2013 - Nick Diaz retires from mixed martial arts Diaz loses a unanimous decision to St-Pierre and after the fight states that he's probably walking away from the sport for good. Diaz had flirted with retirement before, but it appeared this time he was more serious than any previous time in his career. With no big fights on the horizon and no chance at competing for a belt, Diaz seemed happy to fade into the background and do something else besides punch people inside a cage. December 28, 2013 - Anderson Silva injured Anderson Silva loses to Chris Weidman in July 2013 in one of the most shocking upsets in UFC history. Silva returns to action and he's granted an immediate rematch against Weidman at UFC 168 in December. In the middle of the second round, Silva throws a leg kick and Weidman blocks with his knee. Silva's leg bends around Weidman's in a horrific and gruesome injury rarely seen in mixed martial arts or combat sports in general. Silva lays on the canvas in pain for several minutes as paramedics attend to him. Silva is taken out on a stretcher and immediately rushed into surgery to repair his broken leg. While many believe Silva's career may have come to an end at that exact moment, the former middleweight champion was already asking his doctor when he'd be able to get back into training so he could return to fighting. February 25, 2014 - Nick Diaz says he's a better stand up fighter than Anderson Silva For several years, Silva had tossed around the idea of boxing former world champion Roy Jones Jr although the UFC often times stated the bout would likely never happened. Following Silva's injury, Diaz spoke up about possibly stepping up and taking the fight with Jones while also proclaiming that he was the superior striker anyways. "Me calling out Roy Jones is disrespectful," Diaz said. "But if they want to do that, want to do something like that, [combining] sports [in a boxing match], I'll do it. I feel I'm a better stand-up fighter than Anderson Silva, who has talked about fighting Jones too." June 12, 2014 - Nick Diaz tells Anderson Silva to fire his coach, learn how to box Nick Diaz critiques Silva's performance in his last fight against Weidman where his leg ended up breaking. Diaz believes the problems with Silva's loss started with a lacking boxing game. Diaz pulls no punches when saying that Silva should just go ahead and fire his coach so he can find someone to really teach him how to box. "I'll tell you what, I think he should fire his trainer and hire himself a boxing trainer that teaches him how to put punches out. I don't talk no s--t. I aint trying to talk no s--t. Of course he's got as many fights as he wants to have, but people saying s--t like, 'He should retire. He's not going to be the same.' I'm like, 'Fire your coach and get somebody to train your punches," Diaz said. "His last fight, he had punches for (Weidman), but he didn't have no punches. Know what I'm saying? That was the key. Putting punches out there but (Silva) had no punches for that guy. So then he started lobbing kicks out there and you saw what happened to his leg. He didn't have no answer for it." July 3, 2014 - Anderson Silva thinks a fight with Diaz could be 'interesting' Anderson Silva still recovering from his broken leg is asked about a potential fight with Diaz. Rumors have abounded for weeks that Silva could be ready to fight again by the end of the year and he's already entertaining ideas for who he might face when he comes back. "Well, if everybody is saying that it would be an interesting fight, what am I going to say? It could be an interesting fight," Silva said. July 24, 2014 - Nick Diaz announces his return During his absence from the sport, Diaz turned down several fights against different opponents including a rematch against Carlos Condit. Diaz seemed happy to stay retired and he even dabbled in fight promotion while he was not actively competing. Eventually the UFC came to the table with an offer that was just too enticing to turn down. Diaz signed a new three fight deal with the promotion with rumors already swirling about his next possibly matchup in the Octagon July 29, 2014 - Silva vs. Diaz is official UFC president Dana White announces on ESPN's SportsCenter that Anderson Silva will return against Nick Diaz on January 31, 2015. The fight is made official just five days after Diaz signed a lucrative new contract with the promotion. "The greatest of all time Anderson Silva is back, his doctor gave him clearance to fight, and the fight that the fans have been waiting for, the fight that the fans have been screaming for, also back is Nick Diaz. So we have made Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz, January 31 in Las Vegas," White said. October 14, 2014 - Anderson Silva warns Nick Diaz about trash talking him In a pre-fight press conference meant to address his recovery after the broken leg, Silva takes questions from the media regarding a number of subjects including his next opponent. Silva knows that throughout his career Diaz is an infamous trash talker -- especially inside the cage. Silva never threatens to retaliate against Diaz, but does leave an ominous warning looming overhead just in case the Stockton, California bad boy decided to open his mouth a little too wide. "I'm very easygoing," Silva said. "I'm in a radical sport, for a lot of people it's a violent sport, but I'm a very easygoing guy. "I think my work has nothing to do with my personality, but I don't like to be disrespected as a man. I think you need to have respect as an athlete and as a man. If he disrespects me, things are going to happen as they need to happen." November 3, 2014 - Anderson Silva goes to the hospital with back pains Anderson Silva goes to a hospital in Brazil after experience severe pains in his lower back. Silva is told to rest for a few days before returning to training, but he suffered no serious injuries or set backs. January 7, 2015 - Dana White proclaims Anderson Silva gets a title shot with a win at UFC 183 Silva and Diaz are the main event at UFC 183, but now the stakes are even higher for the matchup. UFC president Dana White appears on FOX Sports Live and says that if Silva gets a win over Diaz, he will then earn another crack at the middleweight title against the victor of the UFC 184 main event between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort. Silva has two losses to Weidman on his record while he holds a knockout victory over Belfort. "Diaz and Anderson Silva are fighting, and obviously if Anderson Silva wins that fight, and whether Vitor or Weidman win, then you have Anderson Silva versus either one of those guys," White said. January 27, 2015 - Nick Diaz misses his flight to Las Vegas for UFC 183 Diaz no-shows a flight to Las Vegas, putting everyone on red alert about him arriving on time for the fight against Silva. A day later Diaz arrives, smiles and even signs a few autographs. Disaster averted. January 31, 2015 - Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz The main event goes down on Saturday night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Five rounds in the middleweight division. To make sure you catch all of the action from UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz check out our viewing and schedule guide for everything going down in Las Vegas. | 1 | 4,558 | sports |
Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet have been cast in the new Steve Jobs biopic. Universal Pictures has confirmed Fassbender will take on the lead role in the Danny Boyle-directed movie, while Rogen will play Jobs's earlier collaborator at Apple Steve Wozniak, with Winslet playing Macintosh marketing expert Joanna Hoffman. In a statement previewing the movie, Universal Pictures said: ''Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, the film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicentre.'' Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin is writing the new film - which also features Jeff Daniels as ex-Apple CEO John Sculley - based on Walter Isaacson's biography on Jobs. Production of the film - which follows the 2013 biopic 'Jobs' starring Ashton Kutcher - is already underway in San Francisco, but the studio has still to confirm a specific release date. A number of Hollywood heavyweights were linked to the role of Jobs before it was handed to Fassbender, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale. The movie was originally due to be released by Sony, but was dropped by the studio in November. | 6 | 4,559 | entertainment |
Justin Bieber admits he has been "arrogant and conceited". The 'Boyfriend' singer has made an apology video to fans in which he admitted he has been "pretending" to be someone else and is struggling with "growing up in this business" following a "nervous" taping of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'. In the clip, posted on Facebook, the softly-spoken star said: "I was really nervous, and I think I was nervous because I was afraid of what people are thinking about me right now." It's been a minute since I've been in a public appearance and I didn't want to come off arrogant or conceited - or basically how I've been acting the past year or a year and a half. I'm not who I was pretending to be. And where I say pretending - often we pretend to be something we're not as a cover-up of what we're truly feeling inside."" Just being young and growing up in this business is hard. Growing up in general is hard." As well as feeling remorseful for his past conduct - which has included wild parties, egging of a neighbor's house and arrests for driving offenses - Justin, 20, wants people to know how much he "genuinely cares" and wants to be a good person. He added: "I really wanted people to know how much I care. How much I care about people. And how I'm not that person to say that 'I don't give a f**k." I'm a person that genuinely cares. And although what's happened in the past has happened, I just want to make the best impression on people and be kind and loving and gentle and soft." His appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' will air on 29 January. | 6 | 4,560 | entertainment |
Top seed Serena Williams said Thursday she was delighted to renew her one-sided rivalry with Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final after defeating fellow American Madison Keys to reach the decider. The 18-time Grand Slam champion's hard-fought 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 semi-final win over Keys will pit the world's top two players against one another at Melbourne Park with a major on the line. Williams, 33, responded enthusiastically when asked if the clash between the first and second seeds was similar to a boxing title fight to determine the champion of the world. "It's great for women's tennis," she said. "I think it's good for me and Maria. I'm excited. I love playing her. I look forward to it." If the tournament final was a boxing bout, the tale of the tape would be all in Williams' favour -- she has a daunting 16-2 record over the world number two and Sharapova has not landed a glove on her in more than a decade. The American, who will become the oldest woman to contest an Australian final in the Open Era, said she knew Sharapova would be desperate for a win but insisted she was relaxed and having fun at Melbourne Park. "I think she really wants this. I can see that she wants to do well," Williams said of Sharapova, who owns five-time Grand Slam titles. "She wants to improve her game. She wants to take it to the next level. So, you know, I have to know that she wants to win probably a lot. "It's going to be important for me to get off to a good start, I think. With that being said, if not, I'm going to be ready to fight." - Still number one - Williams has made the Australian Open final five times previously and won every time, including a victory in 2007 over Sharapova. By advancing to the decider, she ensures she will retain the world number one ranking that she has held for more than 100 weeks, regardless of the outcome of Saturday's match. Williams had to summon her renowned fighting qualities to quash a strong challenge from 19-year-old Keys, who was not intimidated appearing in her first Slam semi-final and pushed the veteran hard. The teenager came out swinging in a match that featured 25 aces from two of the biggest hitters in the women's game, taking the first set to a tie-break. Williams struggled with the power of Keys' groundstrokes but showed her guile to lob the teen on several occasions when she came to the net prematurely. After taking the first set, Williams went up a break early in the second and Keys resistance appeared to finally be crumbling as she gave away another break with a double fault to make it 4-1. But she made a stand serving at 5-1, saving seven match points to force Williams to serve it out. Keys managed to save one more match point off Williams' serve before the veteran ended it with an ace to advance to the final. | 1 | 4,561 | sports |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's budget will call for an increase in U.S. domestic and military spending that would end spending caps known as 'sequestration,' a White House official said, setting up a new source of conflict with Republicans in Congress. Obama intends to announce his plans during a meeting with congressional Democrats in Philadelphia on Thursday. The fiscal 2016 budget, which the White House intends to unveil on Monday, would fund a host of programs that Republicans are unlikely to support. It is the latest salvo by the Democratic president lobbed at a Congress controlled by the opposition party and follows a defiant State of the Union address last week that critics said betrayed an unwillingness to seek compromise. The White House rejects that criticism and hopes Obama can find common ground with lawmakers from both parties to prevent sequester cuts from going back into full force when the next fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. Obama's budget, which is as much a political document as a fiscal road map, would do that by trimming "inefficient spending programs" and eliminating tax loopholes, the official said. It proposes a roughly 7 percent spending increase over the sequester limits. That includes $530 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, which is $37 billion above the caps, and $561 billion in defense outlays, which is $38 billion above the caps. "The president will propose to end the across-the-board sequester cuts that threaten our economy and our military," the official said. "The ... budget will fully reverse those cuts for domestic priorities, and match those investments dollar-for-dollar with the resources our troops need to keep America safe." His proposals got an early brush-aside from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office, which noted the administration had tried unsuccessfully to do away with the cuts before. "This is not a surprise," said Don Stewart, McConnell's deputy chief of staff, in an email. "Previous budgets submitted by the president have purported to reverse the bipartisan spending limits through tax increases that the Congress, even under Democrats, could never accept." The automatic spending cuts went into effect in 2013 but were lessened in 2014 and 2015 under a bipartisan bill negotiated by Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington state and Republican Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. That compromise bill ends with the current fiscal year on Sept. 30. A spokesman for Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said Obama's solution of raising taxes for some would not fly. "Republicans believe there are smarter ways to cut spending than the sequester and have passed legislation to replace it multiple times, only to see the president continue to demand tax hikes," said Cory Fritz. "Until he gets serious about solving our long-term spending problem it's hard to take him seriously." The budget will likely propose spending increases that would help fund infrastructure projects as well as research and development initiatives. Following through on Obama's State of the Union address, it will propose raising taxes on the wealthy to cover tax credits and educational programs for the middle class. That drew praise from Democrats. "The president's plan to replace the sequester with a budget that creates jobs and opportunities for the middle class is just what the American people need," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. | 5 | 4,562 | news |
This delicious turkey is brined and brushed with a fresh herb butter for extra juiciness. | 0 | 4,563 | foodanddrink |
American teenager Madison Keys said she was hungry for more Grand Slam success Thursday after a breakthrough Australian Open when she pushed top seed Serena Williams in the semi-finals. The big-hitting 19-year-old has already been tipped as a future Grand Slam champion by Williams and lived up to the hype in a final four clash with the 18-time major winner that she lost 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 after saving eight match points. "I'm really happy to have gotten this far in a tournament," she said after becoming the only unseeded player to reach the semis. "It's my first one. Just looking forward to having more. Hopefully I'll have a couple where I'm with the trophy at the end of the week." Venus Williams declared "the sky's the limit" for Keys after the teen beat her in a tight three-set quarter-final at Melbourne Park and Serena was equally impressed after their last four match. "She's obviously a great player, she's going to be winning this tournament very soon and lots of other Grand Slams," said the younger Williams sister, who hugged Keys at the end of play. Williams said it was a relief to see a new potential standard bearer for US tennis, as her and Venus are now both in their 30s, although she clarified her retirement was not imminent as she chases a 19th Slam. "It great to see her do so well as an American," she said "Myself and my sister, we've been fighting so long. Now she's coming up. "So many other Americans, as well. But her in particular, just doing so well consistently. She just has this desire to be the best. That's what it takes." Even Williams' opponent in the Australian Open decider, Russian second seed Maria Sharapova, said she had been monitoring the potential threat of Keys for some time. "I've watched her for a few years now kind of rising up the rankings," the world number two said. "And, yeah, I think this is her real breakthrough. The potential she has is tremendous." Keys, who is coached by former Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport, said her stirring run at Melbourne Park had showed her she could compete with the best at the majors. "I can play the number one player in the world in a pretty close match," she said. "So for me that's inspiration for every time I'm on a practice court to keep working, keep getting better so I can have more and more weeks like that." Keys, whose ranking is set to break the top 20 after the tournament, also showed she was staying grounded when asked about statistics showing she had the fastest groundstrokes of any player, male or female, currently on tour. "The fact that it's coming off my racquet hard is nice, but I had that stat at the French Open and lost first round, so it doesn't really say much," she said. | 1 | 4,564 | sports |
If you've never heard of an AUMF - an authorization for use of military force - you could hardly be blamed. It's presently used as the justification for a range of military action aboard. Athena Jones explains. | 8 | 4,565 | video |
MANCHESTER, England (AP) Chelsea has had an eight-point lead in the English Premier League wiped out by title rival Manchester City once already this season. Don't expect it to happen again. That means all the pressure will be on City when the defending champions travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, looking to avoid a loss to Chelsea that would restore the eight-point gap with 15 games remaining. In fact, for City manager Manuel Pellegrini, only a victory will do. ''We must close the gap to two points,'' Pellegrini said of the biggest match of the season so far. Having worked so hard in December to get back on level terms with Chelsea, City has allowed its rival to pull five points clear in the title race after drawing at Everton and losing at home to Arsenal in its last two league games. Throw in a home loss to second-tier Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last weekend and City's form has plummeted - despite star striker Sergio Aguero being back in the team after injury. Chelsea was also humbled in the FA Cup on Saturday - by third-tier Bradford - but recovered quickly by beating Liverpool on Tuesday to reach the League Cup final. That win was marred, however, by Chelsea striker Diego Costa stamping on an opponent's leg, leaving the Spain international facing a three-game ban that would rule him out of the City fixture. With question marks also hanging over the fitness of key center midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who came off with a hamstring injury against Liverpool, Chelsea could be without arguably its two best players this season. Here are some other things to know about the 23rd round of matches in the Premier League: --- NO IVORIANS FOR CITY Ivory Coast's progress to the knockout stage of the African Cup of Nations on Wednesday was bad news for City. It dashed any faint hopes the champions had of having star midfielder Yaya Toure and new signing Wilfried Bony available for the game against Chelsea. City hasn't won since Toure, the team's driving force in midfield and a regular source of goals, left for international duty. With Aguero searching for full fitness after more than a month out injured, goals have suddenly become a problem for City, which has scored only once in three games. --- FORMATION FORMULA Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal must decide whether to stick to his preferred 3-5-2 formation or go with a 4-4-2 set-up demanded by the club's increasingly frustrated fans when the 20-time champions host Leicester on Saturday. Van Gaal says he finds it uncomfortable to watch United when it plays four at the back, but results show the team is more effective when it lines up in that formation. He changed to a 4-4-2 midway through United's last league game when the score was 0-0 against Queens Park Rangers - and the move paid off in a 2-0 win. United has won only two of its last six games in all competitions, and is reeling from being held 0-0 by fourth-tier Cambridge in the FA Cup on Friday. --- ARSENAL'S ATTACKING RICHES A torrent of injuries has deprived Arsenal of so many of its best players this season. Now, though, manager Arsene Wenger has a very different kind of selection dilemma. With Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey back after long-term problems and playmaker Tomas Rosicky in brilliant form, Wenger has a wealth of attacking riches at his disposal as his fifth-place team looks to climb back into the Champions League positions. Arsenal - with four straight wins in all competitions - is one point behind United going into the weekend, when it hosts struggling Aston Villa on Sunday. --- THE PULIS EFFECT Want a sure way of avoiding relegation from the Premier League? Hire Tony Pulis. West Bromwich Albion had slumped to within a point and a place of the relegation zone and was on a run of just one win in 10 matches when it appointed Pulis as a replacement for Alan Irvine at the start of January. Pulis has never been relegated in his 23 years as a manager, and kept Crystal Palace up last season after taking over a team bottom of the Premier League. And he is already working wonders at The Hawthorns, with West Brom winning three and drawing the other in his four games in charge, conceding one goal. On Saturday, West Brom hosts Tottenham, which is fresh off reaching the League Cup final. | 1 | 4,566 | sports |
Slack wants to knock down some walls. The messaging startup, which launched last year and already sports a $1.2 billion valuation , wants a bigger piece of the enterprise communication market, projected to reach $23 billion by 2019. To do so, it's adding new features to its platform and exploring ways for users to communicate with people outside their companies. "In Slack, communication is generally restricted to people on the same team, though there are restricted and guest accounts, and more cross-team functionality is planned," cofounder and CEO Stewart Butterfield tells Quartz. (For the record, we use Slack here at Quartz.) Slack quickly became a darling of the tech world as modern-day workers griped about overloaded email inboxes. The service allows users to chat with coworkers in channels or directly in real time, eradicating the need for endless email chains and burgeoning cc fields. With the acquisition of Screenhero announced yesterday which will allow it to add voice calls, video chat, and screensharing to its platform Slack is also taking aim at tools like Skype and Google Hangouts. While Slack helps cut down on email clutter from inside your company, it does nothing to stop incessant emails from outside. When it does knock down those virtual walls, the company will move us closer to an email-free future. There's one big asterisk though: That future is attainable only if all the people you talk to are on Slack. So far, the company counts 365,000 active users across 45,000 companies. One can dream. | 5 | 4,567 | news |
FIFA boss Joseph Blatter on Thursday submitted his candidature for a fifth term as president of world football's governing body. "Today (Thursday) is a key date in the electoral calendar. I've made my submission, now the electoral committee follow a process," the 78-year-old Swiss wrote on his Twitter account. The deadline for nominees to announce their candidacies falls at midnight on Thursday. Blatter, who has held the post since 1998, had already indicated his intention to seek another term, and has wide support in Asia, Africa and Oceania. Among his challengers are former Portugal and Real Madrid winger Luis Figo, Dutch football boss Michael Van Praag, Asian Football Confederation vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, ex-FIFA executive Jerome Champagne and former France winger David Ginola. "It's very difficult to beat Blatter, I know, but I think the world of football is with me," said Ginola, 47, who is being paid £250,000 by betting company Paddy Power to throw his hat into the ring. Ginola said the challengers were looking for "more democracy and more transparency" in football's world governing body. "It can't be that football is the most popular sport, but the most inaccessible politically speaking," Ginola told Spanish sports daily Marca. Candidates must have played an active role in football administration for two of the past five years and be publicly nominated by five of FIFA's 209 member associations. Blatter's reign has been tarnished by accusations of corruption stemming from the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively. Although the deadline is on Thursday, FIFA official Domenico Scala said it could take time before the names of the candidates are revealed. "We cannot make a statement at the time of the date limit," said Scala, president of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee. "A certain time will be needed before the ad hoc electoral commission are in a position to announce the candidates." The election will take place in Zurich on May 29. | 1 | 4,568 | sports |
U.S. stocks fluctuated amid corporate results and a resume in crude's selloff. Treasuries slid with gold, while the dollar extended gains on the prospects for a rise in borrowing costs this year. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell less than 0.1 percent at 12:01 p.m. in New York, poised for its first back-to-back monthly slide since May 2012. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.4 percent as McDonald's Corp. rallied. Qualcomm Inc. sank 11 percent after cutting its 2015 forecast for revenue and profit. U.S. crude fell below $44 a barrel. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index lost 0.1 percent, paring its best start to a year since 1989. The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose three basis points to 1.75 percent. Gold slid 2.1 percent. The strongest dollar in a decade is making American goods and services more expensive overseas. Federal Reserve policy makers on Wednesday boosted their assessment of the economy as the job market improved and fuel costs dropped, driving speculation on the timing of higher borrowing costs. Data showed the fewest Americans in almost 15 years filed applications for unemployment benefits, while contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes unexpectedly fell in December by the most in a year. "Earnings season is in full force and lackluster numbers on top-line as well as bottom line are strong indications that the U.S. dollar as well as the U.S. economy is not showing signs of great ebullience," Chad Morganlander, a money manager at St. Louis-based Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., which oversees about $160 billion, said in a phone interview. "Many investors are trying to understand the negative feedback loop of the strong dollar and the implications to U.S. earnings as well as revenue growth." Dollar, Denmark The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the currency's performance against 10 major peers, rose 0.6 percent amid speculation the Federal Reserve is the only developed-nations' central bank considering raising interest rates this year. Denmark's central bank cut its benchmark rate for the third time in 10 days in an effort to defend the nation's currency peg. Last week, the European Central Bank said it would purchase more than $1 trillion in bonds to help fight the threat of deflation and stoke growth. Data Thursday showed Germany's inflation rate turned negative in January for the first time in more than five years, aggravating a slump in consumer prices in the euro area. U.S. equities investors are seeking cues from economic reports on the timing of any rate increase, a day after the Fed's latest policy decision roiled U.S. markets. Training Wheels "The thing that's changed through most of last year was the sense that the Fed was behind the markets and people didn't really worry about fundamentals," Bruce McCain, who helps oversee more than $25 billion as chief investment strategist at the private-banking unit of KeyCorp in Cleveland, said by phone. "Now that the training wheels are off, people are looking more at the fundamentals, which are mixed enough not to confirm current valuations." Treasuries halted two days of gains, pushing bond yields up from record lows, as the jobless data supported the Fed's outlook that the labor market is strengthening. Equities trading has become more volatile amid signs that the plunging price of crude and a stronger dollar are eroding corporate profits. The S&P 500 dropped 1.4 percent Wednesday, bringing its slide this month to 2.8 percent, the most since January 2014. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index jumped 32 percent in the previous two days, its biggest gain in almost seven weeks. The VIX was little changed Thursday. Earnings Lineup Google Inc., Visa Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are among 52 S&P 500 companies scheduled to post results on Thursday. The Dow tumbled 1.7 percent on Tuesday as companies from Procter & Gamble Co. to DuPont Co. and Pfizer Inc. cited the greenback's strength as a major headwind for profits. McDonald's Corp. rallied 4.4 percent Thursday, the most since 2011. The world's largest restaurant chain said it will replace Chief Executive Officer Don Thompson with one of his top lieutenants following the company's worst U.S. sales slump in more than a decade. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. fell 9.5 percent after revenue missed estimates. Yahoo! Inc., which holds 16 percent of Alibaba, tumbled 6.3 percent. Harman International Industries Inc. surged 17 percent as profit beat estimates. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 pared its gain this month to 7.7 percent, leaving it on pace for the biggest rally since October 2011. German prices fell 0.5 percent in January, the lowest rate since September 2009. Greece's ASE Index rose 3.2 percent after losing 15 percent in the previous three days. ECB Supervisory Board Chair Daniele Nouy said in an interview with Bloomberg Television that while banks face a difficult situation they are "pretty strong" after having their balance sheets bolstered. Europe Equities Deutsche Bank AG climbed 2.6 percent after swinging to a profit as the investment bank posted fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst estimates. Raiffeisen Bank International AG rallied 12 percent after eastern Europe's second-biggest lender said it will shrink by at least 20 percent to boost capital ratios. Royal Dutch Shell Plc slipped 4.3 percent after reporting that fourth-quarter profit rose less than analysts had predicted. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index headed for the steepest drop since Dec. 16, declining 1.5 percent. The slide pared this month's gain to 1.4 percent. Lira, Ruble The Turkish lira dropped as much as 1.3 percent to 2.4155 versus the dollar after the nation's central bank said it may hold an emergency meeting next week to lower interest rates. Russia's the ruble weakened 1.6 percent, leaving it 12 percent lower this year following a 46 percent depreciation in 2014 as sanctions over Ukraine and declining oil prices leave the economy on the brink of recession. The dollar-denominated RTS dropped 1.2 percent and is down 4.4 percent in 2015. The U.S. said it's ready to intensify pressure against Russia for supporting rebels who've stepped up attacks on Ukrainian troops as European Union foreign ministers prepared to meet in Brussels over new penalties in the face of opposition from Greece. The Shanghai Composite Index declined 1.3 percent amid speculation increased regulatory scrutiny of margin loans will spur some leveraged investors to reduce holdings. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index of mainland companies listed in Hong Kong dropped 1.9 percent. China Regulators China's securities regulator will start a new round of checks into the margin-lending businesses of brokerages, looking for any irregularities in the funding that has helped to drive a stock market boom. The assessments will be of a remaining 46 firms, after an initial 45 were checked, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday night. The China Securities Regulatory Commission said the checks were routine and shouldn't be over-interpreted, Xinhua reported. Metals declined as investors weighed the prospect of higher interest rates in the U.S. Gold slipped 0.5 percent to $1,280.50 an ounce, silver lost 2.7 percent and copper slid 1.7 percent. The Bloomberg Commodities Index extended its slump, falling as much as 0.4 percent to the lowest level since August 2012. | 5 | 4,569 | news |
After recording the biggest quarterly profit by any company ever, Apple might have earned itself another accolade: world's largest smartphone vendor. It's clear that the iPhone maker had a bumper quarter, reporting record sales of 74.5 million smartphones. However, Samsung is only saying that it sold 95 million total handsets, of which, it says, somewhere between 71 million and 75 million (the "high 70 percent") were smartphones. If Samsung sold more phones it would probably be keen to say so So has Apple finally beaten Samsung? It's impossible to say with absolute certainty. Samsung isn't likely to give up any more information on the topic, and analysts and industry experts are hedging their bets accordingly. Some are marking it as a dead heat while others are claiming Apple as the winner. Counterpoint Research, which polls global distributors for its figures, says the iPhone-maker is definitely ahead pegging Samsung's shipments at only 73.8 million. Ben Bajarin, an analyst for Creative Strategies also gives the win to Apple (see chart above), but Strategy Analytics claims both vendors shipped 74.5 million smartphones in the fourth quarter last year. However, even if we mark this a draw Apple still wins. Not only did the company sell a record number of iPhones last quarter it also increased the average selling price of its devices by $50 from the previous year. That's a massive win whether it's the world's largest smartphone vendor or not. | 3 | 4,570 | finance |
Lil Wayne is suing record label Cash Money for $51 million. The 32-year-old rapper has filed a lawsuit, which has been obtained by gossip website TMZ, against the company, whose CEO is fellow rapper Birdman, claiming they owe him millions of dollars for his upcoming album 'Tha Carter V'. As a result of the alleged withholding of funds, Wayne is looking to leave the record label and is also keen for a judge to declare he is the joint copyright holder for everything released on his Cash Money imprint, record label Young Money, which includes Nicki Minaj and Drake recordings. Sources connected to the 'Lollipop' hitmaker claim that Wayne was due to receive $8 million in advance of recording the album, which he started in December 2013, and then a further $2 million when he finished the record last year - but they insist he hasn't received the money. The insiders added that 'Tha Carter V', which was initially due to be released last May before being delayed until December 2014 and still not released, will drop if Birdman pays up. Just last month Wayne hit out at Cash Money in a Twitter outburst in which he claimed the record label were "refusing" to put out the record and insisted he wanted to leave the company because he felt like a "prisoner". In a series of tweets, he wrote: "To all my fans, I want u to know that my album won't and hasn't been released bekuz Baby & Cash Money Rec. refuse to release it." This is not my fault. I am truly and deeply sorry to all my fans but most of all to myself and my family for putting us in this situation." I want off this label and nothing to do with these people but unfortunately it ain't that easy. I am a prisoner and so is my creativity. Again,I am truly sorry and I don't blame ya if ya fed up with waiting 4 me & this album. But thk u"Pray." However, shortly after his Twitter outburst, Wayne's manager Cortez Bryant insisted he wasn't going to leave the record label. | 6 | 4,571 | entertainment |
Remember the days when Facebook was criticised for failing to make enough money from mobile advertising? The social network's latest financial results emphasised how far in the past those days are. Here's what we learned from the results, and the ensuing earnings call with financial analysts. 1. No Facebook-flight just yet Despite regular predictions that Facebook is about to peak and (possibly) head into a Myspace-like decline, it continues to grow. "Time spent per person per day across our services [grew] this quarter by more 10% compared to last year," said Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg. "And that doesn't even include WhatsApp, which joined us late last year." Last quarter, Facebook had 1.39 billion monthly active users and 890 million daily active users up 13% and 18% respectively compared to a year ago, even if its quarterly increases are smaller these days than they were. 2. Video is growing fast for Facebook Watch out, YouTube: Facebook is parking its tanks on your lawn. "Video grew significantly this year, to an average of more than 3bn video views per day on Facebook," said Zuckerberg. Startling, considering that when his company last announced a video milestone in September 2014, it was 1bn daily views. These are views of videos uploaded directly to Facebook, too; they don't include views of embedded YouTube videos, for example. "Today, over 50% of people in the US who come to Facebook daily watch at least one video per day and globally over 65% of Facebook video views occur on mobile," said the chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg. "We are certainly exploring some premium content." She adds that the video being uploaded by Facebook users (including celebrities and brands) is providing plenty of growth for now. 3. Mobile is still driving Facebook's business Facebook had 1.19 billion mobile monthly active users in the final quarter of 2014, which equates to more than 85% of its total users, and it counts 745 million people as mobile daily active users. "Mobile remains the primary driver of our growth," David Wehner, chief financial officer, told analysts. Mobile accounted for 69% of the company's $3.59bn of advertising revenues in the quarter, up from 53% a year ago. There's even more potential in Facebook's 300 million Instagram users, who could soon see video ads, 500 million Facebook Messenger users and 700 million WhatsApp users too. 4. Watch out for Facebook's search ambitions Facebook's next battleground could be search. It's clearly a long-term priority, with Zuckerberg describing it as "another important effort that we expect to create a lot of value over the next few years". "We're on this multi-year voyage to basically index all the content and make it available to people and rank it well," he said. That will put it on a collision course with Google, if plans for video domination haven't already. Zuckerberg talked up its billion-a-day searches, Graph search and Post search, all small fry in Google terms, so far. 5. Facebook in virtual reality Having spent $2bn on the company , Zuckerberg is hell-bent on persuading westerners to buy and use Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets. But it won't be any time soon as it falls into the "10-year plans". "Oculus continues to make progress towards the future of immersive VR experiences that are part of daily life for millions of people," said Zuckerberg, failing to give any information on when non-developers will be able to actually buy one. How Facebook is going to actually plug into a VR headset is still as clear as mud. 6. Connecting the next billion people Facebook's other long-term plan is its Internet.org initiative, which is aimed at getting the next billion people who don't have access to the internet online. Zuckerberg pointed to Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya and Colombia as flagship countries for Internet.org, saying Facebook has already got six million people online who previously had no internet access. That sounds noble, but for Facebook to continue growing beyond the 20% of the world's population it already claims, it'll need more people online. 7. How much are you worth to Facebook? The financial reports also tell us how much each person on Facebook is worth to the company, which varies by country. A user in the US or Canada was worth $9 in the final quarter of 2014, but Europeans were only worth $3.45 and users in Asia-Pacific $1.27. Users in the rest of the world including Africa and Latin America which is the big potential growth area were only worth 94 cents. Of course, as advertising revenue grows, each person outside the US might be worth more, though users themselves are unlikely to benefit: the time has not yet come when they can cash out their work to Facebook. • Facebook earnings surpass expectations boosted by mobile advertising | 3 | 4,572 | finance |
No matter if your team is playing in this year's Super Bowl or not, you can still win by keeping your diet on track throughout the festivities. Sure, everything is OK in moderation, but how many holidays have we tortured our bodies with already this winter? Here are some swaps for your favorite football foods to tackle those viewing parties. Mozzarella Sticks Alternative: Instead of eating fried mozzarella sticks, bake your own! Take a pack of part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks, cut them in half, dip them in a beaten egg and sprinkle with whole-wheat bread crumbs, dried parsley, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, then bake in the oven until golden brown. Nutrition facts: 80 calories for two pieces, 3.5 grams of fat. What you save: 140 calories, 18.5 grams of fat. What you gain: 8 grams of protein and 20 percent percent of your daily calcium. Wings Alternative: Instead of the kind that's battered, fried and loaded with fat and sauce, bake your own wings for a touchdown on taste and nutrition. Take chicken drumettes or even diced up chicken breast and boil them; remove from the water when finished with tongs and place on a baking sheet. Cover with a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth, minced garlic and hot sauce. Broil until brown on both sides. Nutrition facts: 120 calories, 8 grams of fat. What you save: 93 calories, 10 grams of fat. What you gain : 9 grams of filling protein. Fried Zucchini Alternative: Sure you could prepare your zucchini just like the baked mozzarella sticks, but why not get a little more creative with your palate and make tiny zucchini pizzas for your guests? Slice up a large zucchini into discs and bake for a few minutes, then flip and bake for a few more. Top with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese; bake until golden on top and enjoy your low-carb, gluten-free snacks. Nutrition facts: 20 calories, 1 gram of fat. What you save: 310 calories, 17 grams of fat. What you gain: A low-carbohydrate (the fried version has 26 grams of carbs!) unexpected change to the menu lineup. Nachos Alternative: Rather than having artificial liquid cheese, opt for a high-fiber bean dip. Mix together diced peppers and red onion, drained, rinsed black beans, kidney beans and corn. Add a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar, sprinkle some black pepper on and use black bean chips to scoop. Nutrition fats for six to eight chips with dip: 110 calories, 6 grams of fat. What you save: 498 calories, 28 grams of fat. What you gain: 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of vegan protein that's like two field goals in one recipe! Chili Alternative: Instead of a traditional beef chili, make your own vegan chili for a fiber-filled, low fat soup that will not leave you feeling heavy. Mix crushed tomatoes with drained, rinsed black beans, corn, and kidney beans with diced zucchini and onion. Add in cumin, chili pepper, and garlic powder to flavor and enjoy a whole cup for only 150 calories, 1 gram of fat. What you save: 64 calories, 12 grams of fat What you gain: 8 additional grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and a spicy new player on your menu! Potato Skins Alternative: Instead of loaded potato skins which are actually "loaded" with calories and fat switch a few key ingredients around for a delicious and healthy alternative. Take your favorite loaded potato skin recipe and replace the white potato with a sweet potato and the sour cream with nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and add low-fat shredded cheese and as many veggies as your heart desires. Nutrition facts: 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat. What you save: 1,310 calories, 76.5 grams of fat. What you gain: 220 percent of your daily vitamin A per half potato, 12 grams of protein and not a fumble of calories and fat. Chicken Fingers Alternative: Instead of fried chicken fingers, try these they have just as much crunch, without the guilt. Take raw chicken breast cut into tenders and dip in a bowl of beaten egg, coat with whole-wheat flour, dip back in the egg and into whole-wheat panko crumbs and whatever spices you would like. Bake until crispy, and you have yourself 150 calories and 15 grams of fat for two chicken tenders. What you save: 100 calories, 11.5 grams of fat What you gain: 18 grams of lean protein to keep you full until overtime. Spinach Artichoke Dip Alternative: Swap out the fatty dip with a deceiving title for healthy fats in this skinny guacamole. Take a steamed, diced zucchini, two diced avocados, some diced tomatoes, diced red onion, a splash of orange juice, a splash of lime juice, chopped garlic and cilantro, and you have a better green dip for your party guests. Two tablespoons yields 46 calories and 4 grams of fat. What you save: 264 calories, 15 grams of fat. What you gain: A healthy dip greener than the grass at the University of Phoenix Stadium. So before your team takes the field this Sunday, remember your own nutrition playbook while the competition may be rough, your diet can still stay smooth. Run the surprise nutritional onside, and go for two healthy snacks over one fried, beer-battered, calorie-laden fumble you'll be the real MVP! Ellen Zegarelli contributed to this blog. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 7 | 4,573 | health |
Google (GOOGL) shareholders are reckoning with an unfamiliar concept to start 2015: Downgrades. Analysts at Stifel Financial and Atlantic Equities dropped their "buy" ratings on Google this month ahead of fourth-quarter earnings, which the Mountain View, California-based company will report after the closing bell on Thursday. The percentage of analysts with "buy" recommendations on the stock fell in January to 79 from 84 in December, the first monthly decline in bullishness since November 2013, according to FactSet . The tech giant's stock has dropped 8.8 percent in the past year to $512.43 at Wednesday's close, while the S&P 500 (.INX) has climbed 12 percent. Slowing growth in Internet search, a business that Google dominates with some of the highest profit margins in technology, is causing the consternation. For all of the company's ambitious forays into business software, wearable computing, social networking and fiber optic networking, search still drives earnings and is the one market where Google has an undisputed advantage over all its competitors. Analysts expect Google to report fourth-quarter gross revenue growth of 17 percent to $18.5 billion and an increase in earnings per share to $7.11 from $6.01 a year earlier, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters. Estimates have come down of late because of the rising dollar and presumed pain it will cause Google, which generates well over half its revenue overseas. Piper Jaffray (PJC) , for example, lowered its estimate for quarterly sales growth last week by 2 percent "to reflect the current global currency environment." The dollar's rally is just the latest reason for skepticism. Atlantic Equities predicts that growth in Google's core search business will decelerate to 12 percent a year through 2016 from the high teens in the last few years. More consumer activity is taking place on smartphones, where search is less lucrative, and while Google is working hard to improve the mobile search experience and maintain its market share, investors are waiting to see results. "Concern regarding this slowing growth profile has been one factor weighing on the stock's performance over the last couple of months, but we believe this will remain an overhang until search trends improve, something we believe could take a number of quarters," wrote James Cordwell , an analyst at Atlantic Equities, in a Jan. 12 report. "Google's initiatives to improve mobile search monetization could take some time to gain traction." Cordwell cut his rating to "neutral" and lowered his price target to $560 from $692. Four days earlier, Stifel analyst Scott Devitt reduced his rating on Google shares to "hold." For Devitt, the problem is that Google's higher-growth businesses like YouTube and the Google Play store bring with them lower margins. Devitt predicts Google's operating margin will drop from 29 percent in 2013 to between 26 percent and 27 percent from 2014 through 2016. With younger companies like Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TWTR) vying for mobile ad dollars, brands can spread their spending and force Google to compete on price. "Google was the undoubted leader of the online advertising subsector in the last Internet cycle," Devitt wrote. "However, Google is now joined by companies such as Facebook, which is increasingly taking share of the incremental ad dollars that are transitioning from offline to online." A Google spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment. Even with bearishness on the rise, analysts remain overwhelmingly positive on Google shares, according to FactSet data. That's partly because the selloff in the company's stock over the past year has cut its price-to-earnings ratio to 27 from 31 at the end of 2013. BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis , in a report on Monday, called Google "one of the most attractive investment opportunities in our coverage." Gillis's "buy" rating has a $650 price target. In addition to having one of the better currency hedging strategies, Google will do fine because "the stronger U.S. holiday season may help offset the negative impact from currency," Gillis wrote Disclaimer | 3 | 4,574 | finance |
10 Flowers You Didn't Know You Could Eat As humans, it's in our nature to look at something and wonder if we can eat it. Sometimes this curiosity gets us into troublesome situations, like eating a questionable mushroom found in the woods, but other times it can be pretty exciting. Case in point: flowers. We bet you didn't know that these 10 flowers were completely edible. Violets Violets are most commonly used to make jelly and tea, and can also be candied. They make for a nice garnish, but also add a burst of color to salads. Lilacs Lilacs are among the best-smelling flowers, and they taste just like they smell. They can be used in ice creams, sorbets, and jams, and when infused into simple syrup, they can be part of a great cocktail. Dandelions The blossoms from this humble weed have been used to make tea, syrups, and even wine, and the greens are incredibly healthy since they're high in antioxidants, minerals, and potassium. Carnations Carnations are sweet, and can be eaten as-is or even steeped in wine. They also work well as a cake decoration. Daylilies Daylilies are sweet and can be eaten raw, and the buds are a good source of vitamin C and carotene. Even the roots are edible. Tulips With the pistils and stamens removed, tulips make for great edible bowls. Fill them up with everything from ice cream to grain salads and munch away. Sunflowers With a mild, grassy flavor, sunflower petals are incredibly versatile; they can be baked into breads, tossed into salads, mixed with grain salads, or used as a charming garnish. Apple Blossoms Apple blossoms add a subtle, apple-y essence to anything they're added to, from desserts to salads. Add them to ice cream, cakes and pies, pastries, and anything you'd typically add apples to. Begonias The bright color of begonias makes for a stunning garnish, and are best mixed into salads. | 0 | 4,575 | foodanddrink |
There's nothing wrong with grabbing Italian food and alternating between watching action films and romantic comedies, but shaking up your going-out routine with an extreme date night can be the ultimate turn on and the best way to keep your relationship exciting. Paint With Your Bodies This idea gives body art an entirely different meaning, and you don't have to be an art-school grad to make this abstract masterpiece. All you need are open minds and experimental attitudes. Why? You'll slather nontoxic paint all over your naked bodies and roll around on a canvas or sheet, using every inch of it to capture your movements. Paint splatters never looked (or felt) so good, and when you hang your art at home, you can keep the names of the mystery artists a secret or not! But use paints that are easily washed off and also put down a tarp, or you could unintentionally redecorate your house or apartment. You can get this Love is Art kit that comes with everything you need to get colorful. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Hit the Beach Sans Suit You don't have to head to Cannes or the Caribbean to enjoy the water in your birthday suit. There are many secluded beaches that are clothing optional right here in the US from coast to coast, such as Sandy Hook, New Jersey or Black's Beach in La Jolla, California, where you and your honey can swim in the buff in a safe and discreet place without having an indecent brush with the law. Locals (and hotel concierges) know the quiet, hidden spots. Go for a sexy dip in the water around sunset when you won't risk burning your booty. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Fly Through the Air We don't mean hopping on a flight to some island paradise. We're talking about jumping off a platform yes, taking a flying trapeze class. There's nothing that says "You can do it, babe!" like giving your partner the confidence to climb up a 22-foot ladder, grab onto a swing and propel into thin air. You'll want to psyche yourself out, but you'll be surprised at how much you can achieve in a short amount of time, and how you'll go from shaking as you climb each rung of the ladder to swinging upside down, all in a matter of a couple of hours. Like marriage, no experience is required. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Try Out an Open Mic Night We dare you to go on stage in front of a room full of strangers and tell your most embarrassing or personal secrets. You and your partner might even find out something about one another you hadn't shared before. This is cliff diving and bungee jumping of the emotional kind. No-holds-barred storytelling can be very freeing. Some storytelling events even let you sign up and compete against other participants, but any open mic night at a comedy club or bar will do. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Dine in the Dark Remember the first time you laid eyes on your love or even your favorite plate of pasta? (It's okay to admit that they were both just as good.) Tasting and touching in a pitch-black room can be another eye-opening opportunity and just as delicious. A number of restaurants around the country invite you to eat using your other senses. At Opaque restaurant, with several locations across the US, mystery entrées, appetizers and desserts are served in a dark dining area after you order off the menu in a lit room. You can pull the curtains and turn off the lights in your own home to recreate a blacked-out dining experience and feed each other for a hands-on meal. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Set Up a Boudoir Photo Shoot For your eyes only and your photographer. Take a cue from many brides-to-be who are taking it off in front of the camera as a gift to their significant others. But instead, you and your partner can bare it all together in a professional photo session that will artistically show off all your assets. Don't have the extra cash to spend on a pro to light and take pretty pics of the goods? Just select the most flattering filters on your cell phone camera and strike a pose for a couple sexy selfies you won't be sharing. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Go to the Prom - Again! The prom is wasted on teens, and maybe your own prom night didn't live up to the hype anyway. After all, adults really know have to have more fun, and tend to have a few more bucks to pay for it. So pretend you're going to the prom again, but do it up in style. Rock a killer dress and suit. You don't have to spend your paycheck on the looks a Badgley Mischka rental gown is less than $100 on RenttheRunway.com. Hire a car and driver for the night, but nix the corsage (you hated it when you were 16, why wear it now?). No dry chicken from a catering hall should ever be eaten again when you're in your 20s or 30s. Instead, head to your favorite upscale restaurant and order from the tasting menu, and let that be the start of a night that's full of surprises. Stay up until dawn and watch the sunrise from the shore, a rooftop or any favorite spot. The cheap version of all this? Make out on your parents' couch on a night you know they won't be home. Get to third base. But remember: Senior citizens come home early. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! Go to a Burlesque Show Want to learn how to be the ultimate tease? Just go to a burlesque show. Those performers know seduction. With costumes using barely there feathers, tassels and glitter, stage names like Legs Malone, and acts that combine acrobatic feats with dance, wit, comedy and entertaining props, you'll see a show you won't soon forget, not to mention pick up some tips to recreate your own Moulin Rouge at home. Burlesque shows are easy to find in or near major cities. For example, on the East Coast, Wasabassco Burlesque bills itself as a traveling show with couples-friendly entertainment. For a '50s, Bourbon Street vibe, there's Bustout Burlesque in New Orleans. Love this? Follow us on Pinterest! | 4 | 4,576 | lifestyle |
LaMarcus Aldridge opted to delay surgery after tearing a ligament in his thumb and has averaged 32 points in two games since. Brian Geltzeiler lets us know what has made Aldridge so effective. | 1 | 4,577 | sports |
Just last week McDonald's CEO Don Thompson made the case for more time to turnaround the troubled company during his year-end earnings calls. His board, it appears, gave him a resounding no. Yesterday Thompson announced he will step down from the job after two and a half years, a period marked by sliding sales and mounting pressure on the brand. Fortune chronicled McDonald's MCD woes in November, which you can read about here . The company's stock was up more than 3% in after-hours trading yesterday. The official word out of McDonald's Oak Brook, Ill., headquarters is that Thompson, 51, is "retiring." But it's pretty clear that he didn't make this choice alone. When the company reported earnings last week, 2014 became the first year since 2002 that the fast-food behemoth suffered a global decline in sales at outlets open for at least a year. As Sanford Bernstein analyst Sara Senatore wrote in a note today: "While we understand that the timing was determined by Thompson there is no doubt in our mind that he was under increasing scrutiny by investors and therefore the board." So after five quarters of declining same-store sales in the U.S. market, why now? Nonexecutive chairman Andrew McKenna told Fortune in the fall, "We're very supportive of Don. We see the leadership team moving forward with a sense of urgency, which is good." But McKenna and his fellow directors were starting to feel the pressure as the press increasingly focused on its role in the company's struggles. On Friday, for example, Jim Cramer took the board to task on CNBC, demanding, "When will someone finally be held accountable for this kind of sub-par performance and why do corporate boards tolerate these mistakes, keeping the flailing CEOs of these two companies [McDonald's and UPS] around for still more earnings seasons?" He concluded that both companies would create value immediately if their CEOs left. Thompson's successor, SVP and chief brand officer Steve Easterbrook, joined the company in 1993 but left in 2011 to become CEO first of Pizza Express and then Wagamama, both UK-based restaurant brands. Thompson brought him back in 2013, telling Fortune in October, "I love the fact that he had experience sitting in a CEO chair. It broadened his purview of business in general." Two years away may very well give him an outsider's perspective at a notoriously insular company like McDonald's, but it might not be enough time away to give him the kind of fresh thinking that the chain needs to accomplish an incredibly daunting task. As we wrote in November: (McDonald's) has risen to the top of the fast-food chain by being comfortably, familiarly, iconically "mass market" and so ubiquitous as to be the Platonic ideal of "convenient." Neither of these selling points, however, is as high as it was even a decade ago on Americans' list of dining priorities. A growing segment of restaurant goers are choosing "fresh and healthy" over "fast and convenient," and McDonald's is having trouble convincing consumers that it's both. Or even can be both. In recent months, as the problems became more evident, Thompson took the tack of trying everything all at once. He was pushing digital investments, a build-your-own-burger platform, and a simplified menu, while also also allowing regions to localize their offerings. To be fair, Thompson inherited plenty of the company's issues, like menu bloat, but he certainly didn't make them better and made some of them, like issues involving pricing, he made worse. One big advantage Easterbrook has over Thompson is that he faces a completely different set of expectations. Thompson had the unenviable job of taking over the company after it enjoyed an incredible run. His predecessor, Jim Skinner, had eight years of consecutive positive same-store sales growth, a nearly 50% increase in revenue, and a more than doubling of profits. In 2011 McDonald's was the top-performing stock in the Dow for the one- and five-year periods. By contrast, Easterbrook takes the helm during an historically abysmal time for the brand. As Nation's Restaurant News has reported, this year was the first time in at least 30 years that sales at the company's U.S. business declined, ending the longest run ever of domestic restaurant sales growth for a single chain. On his very first earnings call after he was announced as CEO in 2012, Thompson was asked what he thought his legacy would be. "First of all, I hope that retirement point is quite a few years down the road. Otherwise, that might mean it was induced by something other than me," he said, adding, "I've been around McDonald's for over 20 years now and I think what's most important for everyone is to understand that a change in leadership doesn't mean a change in strategy." This time, investors have to hope, a change in leadership will mean a change in strategy. | 3 | 4,578 | finance |
France is looking to decide this year on how it might tax US online giants Google, Amazon and Netflix to help fund its heavily subsidised film and television sector in response to changes brought on by Internet video streaming. Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin told Les Echos business newspaper in an interview published Thursday "different paths" were being looked at on the French and EU levels to make sure the Internet majors contributed, and she wanted "to find a solution" by the end of this year. "It's an urgent issue for the financing of French production, which they (the US Internet companies) profit from because they are also advertisers," she said. "I have no doubt the solutions France will come up with will also interest Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland." The comments were the latest sign that France is determined to protect its audiovisual sector, and will counter any attempts by the big American companies to avoid French taxes used to support domestic productions. French President Francois Hollande said in October that European laws on audiovisual services should be overhauled so that digital companies based outside of Europe but streaming to European customers are subject to the same taxes as European firms. France has already taken a first step this year by changing its laws to compel online companies located outside of the country but selling to French consumers to pay sales tax. That measure notably hits Netflix, which started streaming to French customers in September 2014. Its European headquarters are moving this year from Luxembourg to The Netherlands. Google is increasingly making inroads into streaming commercial movies and TV shows through its YouTube subsidiary, and online retail giant Amazon is also getting in on the act with its Amazon Prime Instant Video service, which this month signed up Woody Allen for his own series. - Netflix, Amazon 'shaking up' sector - "Globally, the sector is reconfiguring itself and the emergence of new actors like Netflix and Amazon are shaking up the production and distribution landscape," Pellerin said. France has a vibrant film and television sector thanks to a system that requires television networks to hand over a proportion of their turnover to back domestic production, on top of a series of public grants and funds. The result is a diverse field of many small- to mid-size production companies, unlike in the United States, where studios and listed entertainment conglomerates dominate. In terms of quality, French films are well-regarded. In this year's Oscars race, 13 French films or co-productions with other countries are in the running. But Pellerin said that while France should maintain its diversity, it also needs to restructure its audiovisual sector to create companies "that better perform internationally, able to compete with the big foreign groups like HBO". | 6 | 4,579 | entertainment |
James Temple for Re/code Ugh. They sit in stacks in my desk drawer. I know they're there, but I refuse to acknowledge them until I absolutely can't ignore them anymore, like an ex who shows up at a party. I'm talking about the piles of expense receipts and snarls of business cards, which might just be the last holdout of the analog age. The sad thing is that I know that taking the time to scan them would offer great returns. But the task of having to scan documents and manually enter information is so tedious and time-consuming that I'd rather deal with them jamming my drawers and fattening up my wallet than actually doing something about them. Understanding that this is a pain point for many people, Evernote has launched a new app called Scannable. Using your smartphone's camera, Scannable captures and digitizes various paper documents, which you can then save to a specified location or share with others. So what makes Scannable better than the dozens of other document-scanning apps out there, like CamScanner, Doc Scan and Jot Not? Evernote says the difference between Scannable and the competition is its speed and simplicity. (It's also free.) In my testing, I found this to be true, and with my iPhone 5, I managed to scan several dozen business cards, a handful of documents, and about 20 receipts. But the app may be a little too limited for some people. First off, it's only available for iOS 8 devices. The company says it wants to work on perfecting the iOS app before moving onto other platforms, like Android. There are no document collaboration tools, and you can't add notes to scanned business cards from within the app. So if you need these things, this isn't the app for you. Bonnie Cha for Re/code But if you're looking for a quick and easy solution to digitize paperwork, I'd recommend Scannable. I should also note that while Scannable can connect with Evernote's note-taking and archiving app, an account is not required to use it. Once you install the app, you can start scanning documents immediately. As you begin using the different functions, the app may ask for permission to access your contacts, calendar, Evernote, LinkedIn and other social networking accounts, depending on whether you want to link them all or not. (You can view Evernote's privacy policy here for more information on the type of data it collects and why.) The app scans various types of documents, including letters, receipts, business cards and Post-it notes. Unlike some of its competitors, Scannable doesn't require that you align the edges of the document with rulers, tap the screen to focus, or press a capture button to start scanning. It does its best to automate that whole process. I started with documents and receipts. You just point your iPhone or iPad's camera at the document, and Scannable handles everything from detecting the image, cropping and adjusting brightness to converting it into a high-quality digital copy all within a matter of a few seconds. If the app has a problem recognizing a document, you can switch to manual mode and capture it yourself. In my experience, Scannable was quick and reliable. I used CamScanner and Doc Scan to scan a few different documents to see how they compared in speed Scannable was easier and faster. I was also impressed with the quality of scans. The app does best when you place the document on a contrasting background and with decent lighting. But even when I tried it in dimmer environments or against various backgrounds, Scannable did a good job of producing a readable document. Files can be saved either as a JPG image file or a PDF. Bonnie Cha for Re/code Once you have the scanned document, you can tap on it for more options (or you can continue scanning). You can give the file a new name, or share it via email or text message. There are also shortcuts to export and save a file to iCloud, Google Drive, Evernote, your camera roll and more. I thought one of the smartest features of the app was the ability to share scanned documents with meeting attendees. If you've given Scannable access to your calendar, it knows when you're in a meeting, and will automatically populate an email with all the attendees' addresses if you want to share a document with them. But as I mentioned before, there are no built-in collaboration or editing tools, so you can't mark them up with notes or make changes once you've captured an image. Scannable was a little more powerful when it came to scanning business cards. It can pull details from the card phone number, address, email, title, even a LinkedIn profile if available and convert that into a digital contact card that you can add to your address book or export to Evernote. For me, this is the killer feature of Scannable. I meet with a lot of people in my line of work, and I always mean to add their information to my digital Rolodex after I get their business card. Instead, the cards end up shoved in notebooks or my desk. Then I curse myself when I have to get in touch with them, and can't find their information. Scannable made quick work of digitizing stacks of collected cards. But it wasn't without problems. I ran into multiple issues when scanning "nontraditional" business cards. These included those that were printed on dark backgrounds, used hard-to-read fonts, or weren't a standard size. For example, Scannable couldn't pull any information from a couple of cards printed on plastic. Also, a cursive "k" on a business card was translated as an "h" in the app, and the angle brackets on my business card created errors in the name field. You can correct mistakes before saving it to another location, but you can't add new fields. One other key feature I'd like to see is the ability to assign notes or tags within the Scannable app. I work with a lot of public relations companies that represent numerous clients, so it would be nice if I could add just a brief note to say, "this contact represents company X." Evernote said this has been a frequently requested feature, so it may roll it out in a future update. The company is also working on improvements for capturing information from cards of different layouts and sizes. Evernote Scannable may not be the most feature-rich document scanning app, but it's simple, fast, and one of the best free solutions for helping you go paperless. | 5 | 4,580 | news |
LOS ANGELES (AP) William Shatner is back as a shrewd, unflappable travel expert in his latest TV commercial for an online company. But in real life, even Shatner can't avoid the perils of getting through airport security lines. "I got patted down one time, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and my pants fell down. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life," Shatner said, recalling the incident at Los Angeles International Airport. Shatner returns as the priceline.com Negotiator in a new ad campaign that launches Sunday, with Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting ("The Big Bang Theory") again playing the travel pro's daughter. He's unfazed that fans recognize him for the long-running commercial gig as well as the "Star Trek" TV series and movies and his Golden Globe-winning role on "Boston Legal." "This is a form of creativity," he said of collaborating on the TV spots. "It is like an acting job." Working with priceline.com is only part of what keeps Shatner busy as he nears his 84th birthday in March. The original Capt. James T. Kirk just wrapped a national tour of his one-man stage show and is planning for another. He's got what he calls an "unusual" summer series for NBC in the works; is in the upcoming fact-based movie "The Sunday Horse"; and is collaborating with a custom motorcycle manufacturer on designing a new three-wheeled vehicle. Shatner, an avid motorcyclist, plans a Chicago-to-Los Angeles charity ride to launch the bike this summer. Another longtime passion is horses, which he rides competitively and which help him keep fit. "I get out and ride five, six horses in a session, and might spend three hours riding very hard," he said. "I feel great. I don't even think of age." | 6 | 4,581 | entertainment |
Architects are creating living spaces that allow homeowners to get up close and personal with everything from birds of prey to big game. Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack for The Wall Street Journal | 8 | 4,582 | video |
Pep Guardiola has received some disappointing news from the treatment table in the build-up to Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg on Friday evening as he will have to make do without the services of Franck Ribery due to injury. The former France international picked up a knock in training on Wednesday and will consequently be out of action for an estimated two weeks. "Ribery tore a muscle in the back of his right thigh and will definitely miss three matches: Friday's clash with the team lying second in the table, the home meeting with Schalke the following Tuesday and the trip to Stuttgart four days later," a statement on the club's official website reads. "The 31-year-old Frenchman will be unable to train for the next few days but should be fit enough to go jogging from next Wednesday. If all goes according to plan, Ribery should be able to resume the squad program at the start of the week after next." Meanwhile, Brazilian defender Rafinha has also been ruled out of Friday's encounter with Wolfsburg after he sprained the lateral collateral ligament in his left ankle, which will also sideline him for around a fortnight. Bayern currently sits atop of the Bundesliga table, holding an 11-point lead over second-placed Wolfsburg. | 1 | 4,583 | sports |
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. NASA has scrubbed the launch of an Earth-observing satellite because of wind conditions over California. The Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite had been scheduled for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base before dawn Thursday, but upper-level winds exceeded limits for the Delta 2 rocket. The launch has been rescheduled for Friday morning. The $916 million mission, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is designed to track the amount of water locked in soil. | 5 | 4,584 | news |
It has been nearly nine years since the Federal Reserve last raised interest rates , and many investors are uncertain about how inevitable hikes will impact the market. Certainly, accommodative monetary policies have contributed to the current bull market. Businesses have taken advantage of low borrowing rates. In fact, U.S. corporate debt issuance hit an all time high of $1.5 trillion in 2014. Many soothsayers have attempted to predict when the increase will happen, but have been proven wrong. Fed Chair Janet Yellen has indicated rates will likely rise sometime in 2015, as long as the economy is healthy enough to withstand monetary tightening. Investors are becoming nervous because raising interest rates temper economic growth as borrowing becomes more costly. Viewed in isolation, rising rates do not benefit the stock market. However, the underlying reasons for increasing rates do bode well for the economy and will likely outweigh any negative headwinds from Fed actions. These factors bode particularly well for active managers and small-cap stocks. U.S. gross domestic product in the third quarter grew at a 5 percent pace, the fastest it has in 11 years. This follows a 4.6 percent growth rate in the second quarter. Consumer spending, which accounts for the bulk of GDP, grew by 3.2 percent, and business investment increased by 8.9 percent. Both point to increasing confidence and reflect an improving job market. Falling energy prices will provide a tailwind for consumers and businesses that are net consumers of energy. This will likely continue to support the growth of the U.S. economy. The job market is growing at the fastest pace in 15 years. In 2014, the unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent, as 2.95 million Americans found employment. According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, there are currently 5 million job openings in the U.S. This is the highest level since 2001 and will likely remain robust, as increasing levels of business confidence indicate more hiring. Concerns over layoffs in the energy sector appear overblown and will not cause a material disruption to employment growth. The entire U.S. oil and gas extraction industry accounts for less than 0.5 percent of total private sector employment, or about 500,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage growth is likely to accelerate in 2015. A persistent stain on the impressive growth in employment has been stagnant wages. Over the past five years, the average wage has only increased at an annual rate of 0.7 percent. Though explanations abound, normally upward pressure on wages does not materialize until the labor market tightens to the point companies must compete for talent. Historically, that is when unemployment declines below 5.5 percent. We are just on the cusp. As job growth continues to improve in 2015, wages are likely to show signs of improvement. Economic growth will drive the market higher, but active managers will benefit the most. Since 1958, the Fed has raised rates 14 different times. The average annual return for the Standard & Poor's 500 index was 9.6 percent during those periods. Active managers on average beat the index by 1.5 percent per year in a rising rate environment, while underperforming by about 2 percent annually when rates are falling. Falling rates encourage investors to pay higher multiples for all stocks, and even unprofitable businesses benefit from the rising tide. Said another way, this dispersion narrows and the differences between the best and worst performing stocks are minimal. When rates increase, stock reactions are more correlated to their underlying fundamentals and dispersion widens. Selectively picking more profitable businesses, and excluding the unprofitable ones, will help active managers generate alpha as the market becomes more discerning. Small-cap stocks tend to outperform during rising rate environments. This appears counterintuitive, but illustrates why the market will continue to grow. Investors like small companies because of their high earnings-growth potential. To determine a stock's worth they estimate the value of those future earnings today. To do this, future earnings are discounted, using prevailing interest rates. So, in theory, a higher interest rate means future earnings are discounted at a higher rate, and thus the value of those earnings today should be less. A different characteristic of small-cap stocks provides an explanation for the outperformance. Small-cap stocks tend to benefit from a strengthening economy more than large-cap stocks. The rationale is exactly the same as for the entire economy, though it is more pronounced in small caps. The future earnings of small companies will be higher because of the stronger economy, which more than offsets the higher discount rate. Because active managers tend to favor small-cap stocks, this phenomenon could partially explain why they outperform during rising rate environments. The Fed uses monetary policy to stabilize the economy. When economic growth deteriorates, the Fed loosens monetary policy to reignite growth. A tightening policy is indicative of a healthy economy, and thus a healthy stock market, especially early in the rate-hiking cycle. Typically, it is shortly after the Fed stops increasing rates that the market declines. About a year after they stopped raising rates in 2006, the financial crisis hit. Though the recent sell off in oil and the ongoing struggles in the Euro zone indicate slowing global growth, the U.S. economy is proving resilient and economic indicators point to a robust recovery. As the unemployment rate continues to fall, wages will begin to rise and consumers will continue to support GDP growth. This should more than offset any headwinds, as the Fed tightens monetary policy. The drivers of equity performance will revert to fundamentals, which will pave the way for active managers to generate alpha. Concerns of slowing growth have not been validated by recent economic data. Fearful investors who shift to conservative strategies in order to reduce volatility will likely miss opportunities in 2015. A better approach would be to selectively focus on individual companies that are continuing to demonstrate robust earnings growth with solid balance sheets. Advisory services offered through CWM, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine what is appropriate for you, consult a qualified professional. International and emerging market investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuations and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. The prices of small-cap stocks are generally more volatile than large cap stocks. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Brett Carson , CFA, is the director of research for Carson Institutional Alliance where, as portfolio manager, he is directly responsible for managing several strategies, including perennial growth, long-term trend and write income. Additionally, the Omaha-based research department conducts thorough analyses of companies to identify undervalued stocks that carry attractive upside potential. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 3 | 4,585 | finance |
Home buying cooled in December, but is still stronger than it was a year ago. A monthly index from the National Association of Realtors measuring signed contracts to buy existing homes fell 3.7 percent from a downwardly revised November reading, but it is 6.1 percent above December of 2013. This, after closed sales in December (contracts signed one to two months earlier) rose 2.4 percent from November. "Total inventory fell in December for the first time in 16 months, resulting in fewer choices for buyers and a modest uptick in price growth in markets throughout the country," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the association. "With interest rates at lows not seen since early 2013, the strength in existing sales in upcoming months will largely depend on the willingness of current homeowners to realize their equity gains from the past couple years and trade up." Conversely, a reading by the U.S. Census of signed contracts to buy newly built homes rose over 11 percent in December, and both Realtors and home builders have been noting increased buyer traffic in the past few months. One of the nation's largest home builders, PulteGroup (PHM) , reported better-than-expected fourth quarter 2014 earnings Thursday. "We are optimistic heading into 2015 as buyer sentiment began improving in late November, supporting stronger traffic and signup levels throughout December and into January," said Richard J. Dugas, Jr., President and CEO of PulteGroup. Dugas pointed to an improving economy, rising employment, lower mortgage rates and lower energy costs for the increased interest in home buying. The Realtors' index dropped most in the Northeast, down 7.5 percent month-to-month. It was down 2.8 percent in the Midwest, and down 2.6 percent in the South. In the West, which has been seeing stronger sales lately, the index fell 4.6 percent. The Realtors are predicting 2015 total sales to increase by 6.6 percent from 2014 to 5.26 million. Total sales in 2014 were lower than 2013. | 3 | 4,586 | finance |
TOLEDO, Ohio Returning six tigers and five other exotic animals to the sanctuary where they were seized near Toledo would threaten the creatures' health and the safety of people nearby, the state argued Thursday as it responded to a judge's order. The state removed the animals Wednesday after denying the owner a permit to keep them and raising concerns that the cages and fencing at the property could allow some of them to escape. Hours later, a county judge ordered the state to return all 11 the tigers, a bear, a lion, a cougar, a black leopard and a liger "commensurate with safety to the animals." The state argues that the animals would have to be put under anesthesia twice more and that doing so would pose unacceptable risks to their health and safety. The animals also need to be evaluated for possible medical problems after being held in "inhumane conditions" with wet beds and no access to drinking water, the state veterinarian said in an affidavit. "The animals cannot safely be returned ... without posing an unreasonable danger to the health of the animals, the safety of the individuals transporting the animals, and the persons living in the vicinity," the state said in its court filing Thursday. A message seeking comment was left with the owner's attorney on Thursday. Inspectors who visited the animal sanctuary in November found that the tigers could stand on top of their housing and get near the top of their cages, according to a letter sent two weeks ago from the Ohio Department of Agriculture to site's owner. "This makes it alarmingly easy for the animals to escape should they become properly motivated," the department said. Inspectors also noted there were unsecured padlocks and chains on the cages, fencing that could be easily separated by the animals and not enough fencing around an enclosure holding a tiger and black leopard. The animals, which were up and moving around Thursday after being tranquilized and transported a day earlier, were being housed in a high security building just outside Columbus. The facility was designed specifically to temporarily house creatures confiscated under a new Ohio law that requires owners to register exotic animals. The law came about after a suicidal eastern Ohio man released dozens of bears, mountain lions and tigers from his farm in 2011 near Zanesville. Authorities killed 48 of the animals out of fear for the public's safety. Part of the law also required exotic animal owners to have or apply for a permit by the beginning of 2014. Kenny Hetrick, who has operated the animal sanctuary near Toledo for more than 30 years, didn't apply for a permit until October nine months after the deadline when he received a notice from the state saying he needed to voluntarily surrender the animals because he had failed to get the necessary permits, Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Erica Hawkins said. The state had tried to notify him about the permit earlier but received no response, Hawkins said. Hetrick said Wednesday that he was angry the animals were seized. "I should have had a hearing, and I never got one," he told The Blade newspaper in Toledo. Hetrick told the state he had made a number of changes at his facility when he submitted a permit application and asked inspectors to visit the site, Hawkins said. But according to the letter sent to Hetrick, they found many problems with the enclosures and a handful of issues related to animal care. Some of the meat being fed to the animals appeared to be spoiled and the water was not clean, the letter said. The state notified Hetrick in the letter on Jan. 13 that it was denying his permit and that he had 30 days to appeal. Hawkins said the state was within its rights to seize the animals as long as it maintains them until the appeals process is completed. "We didn't feel comfortable in leaving those animals there any longer than we needed to," she said. | 5 | 4,587 | news |
WASHINGTON Ahmed Abdulateef's gift for music made him a target in his hometown of Baghdad, where his father smashed his guitar and militants held a gun to his head for daring to follow a passion that has no place in their rigid brand of Islam. He kept playing in defiance of his family's disapproval, with clandestine jam sessions his only outlet until the day he was selected for a monthlong U.S. cultural program that would allow him to perform in California, New Mexico and other states he'd heard about only in movies. Once in the United States, he reveled in the ability to walk down a street without raising the suspicions of gunmen, his oud, a lute-like Middle Eastern instrument, slung across his back. "Here, for the first time, I'm Ahmed," he said. So precious was that newfound freedom that on Nov. 24 he applied for asylum in the United States, joining a surge of Iraqis seeking asylum since the Islamic State group's rise. It might be a long wait for approval, however, perhaps years. The processing pipeline for asylum requests from people who fear for their lives if they return to their homelands has grown clogged from the worsening conflicts of the Middle East. Islamic State has made matters worse, immigration attorneys say, because administrators are warier than ever about approving asylum for fear of extremists slipping into the United States. "I don't have a plan B," Abdulateef said. "This is a new life, a whole new life, and it's worth fighting to stay here." Abdulateef's case might seem like a no-brainer: Isn't the goal of the asylum program to give sanctuary to foreigners who face grave threats for political, religious or artistic expression? Plus, he'd already gone through extensive security checks before he received a U.S. visa in the first place. His fluency in English is another advantage. But Washington immigration attorney David Garfield, who took Abdulateef's case pro bono, said a compelling story and grave peril didn't make approval a slam-dunk. Other Iraqis Garfield represents include female doctors fleeing kidnapping threats, a man who faces persecution for apostasy because he comes from a Muslim family that converted to Christianity, and a man who helped U.S. forces sort through evidence against members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. Their cases have languished for nearly a year, their lives unsettled as they await the news that could change their futures. "It looks like they're just sitting on the Iraqi cases," Garfield said. "All these letters, they just don't get responded to. There's been no decisions no denials, no approvals." According to figures from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the subset of the Department of Homeland Security that handles asylum cases, the number of Iraqi asylum requests rose to 1,133 in fiscal year 2014, most likely the result of Islamic State offensives in that period, up from 788 the previous fiscal year. And while the number of individual approvals increased, the overall approval rate fell slightly from 84 to 82 percent and the number of pending cases at the end of the year doubled. The most recent figures show that more than 1,300 Iraqi asylum cases remain open. A representative of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said there'd been no procedural changes for handling Iraqi asylum cases. However, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in accordance with the agency's protocol, acknowledged a need for more asylum officers, citing a diversion of resources to deal with the surge in unaccompanied children entering over the southern U.S. border. The representative said the agency didn't track average processing times, so there are no handy statistics to confirm what attorneys and refugee advocates say: that a slowdown in Iraqi asylum processing is noticeable and most likely a result of closer scrutiny because of the fear of extremist infiltration. The representative agreed that the process can clog because of extensive law enforcement screenings, including through the FBI, the Departments of State and Defense, and other agencies. "Each asylum applicant must pass extensive biometric and biographic security checks," the representative said. It's indisputable that Abdulateef, 23, faces life-threatening dangers if he returns to Iraq, where militiamen have a well-documented penchant for silencing musicians and other artists whose work they deem forbidden under Islamic law. His trip to the United States may even have made things worse. He delighted American musicians by playing Metallica on his oud, and they introduced him to the mandolin and the Appalachian dulcimer. But the cultural exchange that brought him to the United States was sponsored mostly by the State Department, linking him to the U.S. government in the eyes of extremists. Still, he's likely to remain in limbo for months, maybe years, before hearing whether he'll get to build a new life in the United States or return to Iraq and what he describes as "playing music until someone comes and kills me." He shuttles between Washington and South Carolina, crashing with friends in both places, trying to stay optimistic despite the uncertainty that colors his daily routine. The waiting won't be easy, Abdulateef said. But at least it's an extension of his reprieve from Baghdad, a city he loves with little reciprocity. Religious extremism and lawlessness have made life very difficult for musicians across Iraq, a cruel turn of events given the country's history of musical contributions, which stretches back centuries. Abdulateef and other musicians were confronted by gunmen when they tried to play at the children's cancer ward of a Baghdad hospital during the holy month of Ramadan. He didn't leave home for two weeks after that, according to the affidavit in his asylum application. Another time, religious pilgrims marching in a mourning ceremony spotted Abdulateef with his oud and took offense at an instrument associated with a celebration. They smashed it, according to the affidavit, and Abdulateef wrote that he "was lucky to escape without serious injury." He hid his instruments at his friends' houses, bringing them out only occasionally to jam with friends on Baghdad's Mutanabbi Street, one of the last refuges of the country's battered, shrinking creative class. One of his friends in that circle told him about a program in which a U.S. nonprofit sponsors young musicians abroad to share their talents at concerts and other events in the United States. Abdulateef applied just before the deadline and spent all last spring awaiting word. "I did nothing but check my email and refresh," Abdulateef said. "All of March there was no email. Then I opened my email on April 28." There it was: confirmation that he'd been selected as one of just 25 fellows from 1,500 applicants; he was the only one from Iraq. "No words can describe that moment," he said. But Abdulateef had very few people with whom he could share his good news. He told his parents but they didn't believe him and, once convinced that it was true, his father was so irate at discovering Abdulateef's undercover life as a musician that he disowned him. Kicked out of the family home, Abdulateef spent two weeks sleeping in parks, dangerous for a young Sunni Muslim man alone in a place teeming with Shiite militiamen. Abdulateef said he had no intention of applying for asylum when he arrived in the United States on Oct. 6; he said he didn't even know how the process worked. He learned of the asylum route through conversations with American friends who steered him to Garfield, the immigration attorney, who is also handling the asylum case of an Iraqi reporter who worked in McClatchy's Baghdad bureau. The affidavit Abdulateef submitted through his attorney is both singular in his experiences and emblematic of the dashed dreams of many Iraqis who hope to live in a country where basic freedoms are protected. He said he hoped the asylum officers who eventually consider his case would agree that he could do more to advance Iraqi musicianship outside the country, at least for now. "All I want is to be safe from fear and be able to continue my musical career, which incorporates the concepts of collectivity, collaboration, cross-cultural understanding and tolerance," Abdulateef's affidavit says. "Unfortunately, these principles are not welcome in my country at the moment." | 5 | 4,588 | news |
Researchers are working on technologies to replace the audio descriptions that help visually impaired people enjoy TV shows and films. Dr Mariana Lopez, from Anglia Ruskin University, is leading the study to explore how a story can be told without the need for a track describing events. Her team is using surround-sound and other audio technologies. Initial trials with volunteers with sight loss have been successful, said Dr Lopez. "One of the problems with traditional audio description is that it is not part of the creative process," she said. "The interpretation of the film provided in the audio-described track does not necessarily represent the artistic vision of the film-maker." It is, she thinks, time for an overhaul. "Audio description has been around for a few decades and since then we have had some wonderful sound techniques and audio technology but we are not applying them for accessibility." Murder weapon A special audio film based on a short story by Roald Dahl called Lamb to the Slaughter was created to prove that it was possible to listen to a film and follow the action without a narration track. Surround-sound, sound effects, sound-layering and adding acoustical information to a recording such as an echo to indicate someone is in a large space - have been used to help listeners identify different elements of the film. "The murder weapon was a leg of frozen lamb so we had to find a way to use sound to give a sense of something heavy and frozen and then the sound of a body hitting the ground," explained Dr Lopez. So-called soundmarks can also be used to denote place - a cuckoo clock, for example, was used to suggest the characters were in a living room. The audio film was played to a group of volunteers recruited with the help of Action for Blind People, the Royal National Institute of Blind people, Cam Sight and the British Computer Association. The response was good with volunteers saying that they had enjoyed the experience. The next stage of the research will be to apply the same techniques to an existing film. "My aim is to create an enhanced version of audio description that allows both sighted and visually impaired audiences to experience the same soundtrack and, as a result, bridge the gap between the two and encourage social inclusivity," said Dr Lopez. | 5 | 4,589 | news |
Here are six love lessons to help you to get love into your life. Lessons in love Life can be fantastic as a single when you don't want the hassle of a relationship. But for those who long to find love, Valentine's Day can be lonely, so follow these tips to get yourself a date just in time for the 14th. Here are six love lessons to help you to get love into your life. Treat every chance encounter as a speed date Time to develop a 'winner-at-love' mind-set and be prepared for the idea that around the next corner is Mr Potential. This means you're ready with a smile plus confident posture radiating positivity that will attract his interest. Treating each encounter like a speed date means you give your best. Standing hunched over, staring at the floor is a big no-no! But saying something neutral that creates a shared experience is a fab start. For instance, as you both wait for the elevator in your office building, smile and say: "This lift can take forever." You immediately create that shared experience. Of course play it safe - don't give your number to any old guy - but be ready at work, at the sandwich shop, or even at the dentist's to signal you're approachable. Beware of 'chemical' attraction Make sure the intense sexual chemistry you have with a particular man isn't leading you down the wrong path. Sexual chemistry is great - and yes, couples need a spark - but some women repeatedly get swept off their feet by charismatic men who only want a fling. If you're looking for love rather than a bit of fun, learn to tell the guys only after one thing apart from those who can offer you more. Those who only expect sex - and aren't interested in love - tend to ring at the last minute, flirt like mad and use loads of sexual innuendo when with you. And then you don't hear from them until it suits them. Don't waste your time with them! Dump your normal 'type' It's easy to get stuck always dating the same 'type'. You figure you've always liked sporty guys, or outgoing guys, so you always go for them. The problem is you miss lots of other good men because they don't look sporty or they aren't the most outgoing in the group. But think about it logically (I know, hard to do when it comes to love!) and you will realize you could be jeopardizing your chances of finding love because if you haven't found it yet with your supposed 'type' - maybe that type isn't for you. Be daring, break this relationship bad-habit and go for the opposite type. Try dating that quieter guy or the lanky one who doesn't look sporty. You might find your Mr. Right after all. Widen your circle of opportunity You're already enhancing your opportunities by treating every chance encounter like a speed date. Now you've got to reconsider your 'circle of opportunity'. Research shows we have a set geographical and emotional 'circle' we operate in - taking the same route to work, going to the same pub after work, always seeing the same friends and doing the same things. Seeing as your circle of opportunity hasn't brought you the love of your life, it needs changing. Start widening it to maximise love-opportunities. Take new routes to work, go to new places, take a selection of evening classes, enlist a friend to try new bars and clubs with you, and check out some of the singles events in your area as well as internet dating. Make your love-mascot work for you Sometimes we need inspiration from outside of ourselves. Taking on board a personal love-mascot - in this case someone who's successful in love - can be super-helpful. Think about someone you admire from your life who has a really good relationship. Or celebrities who have found love, like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Turn them into your private love-mascot. Imagine how Angelina approaches her relationship. Can you visualise her confidently chatting up her Mr. Right when they first met? If she can do it, so can you. Think of her attitude and her natural ease around men, and grab some of it for yourself every time you walk out of your front door. Be aware of that little devil on your shoulder The final - and maybe most important - Love Lesson is banishing that little devil on your shoulder that talks you down. You know, that negative voice that whines on and on telling you things like you're not attractive enough, you're a failure at love, no one's going to ever want you... When your internal dialogue - that little devil - consists of all that negativity it's hard to hide it. And whereas confidence is highly attractive, a severe lack of confidence and lots of insecurity that you're not good enough for love is a turn-off. Challenge that voice whenever it starts. Stop it and start telling yourself that you have lots to offer and that you will find love. | 4 | 4,590 | lifestyle |
NEW YORK (AP) -- Former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya is leaving his job as senior vice president of the San Diego Padres to become a special adviser to union head Tony Clark. Minaya started in baseball management as a scout for the Texas Rangers, where he helped sign Sammy Sosa. Born in the Dominican Republic, Minaya became the major leagues' first Hispanic general manager with the Montreal Expos from 2002 to 2004. He left the Expos to become GM of his hometown Mets, who fired him after the 2010 season. He was hired by the Padres in December 2011. Minaya is following the path of Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who left his job as executive vice president/senior adviser of the Padres after a dozen years in December 2013 to become a special assistant to Clark at the Major League Baseball Players Association. The 56-year-old Minaya is reversing the path of former major leaguer Tony Bernazard, who was a special assistant for the union from 1992 until he left to work the Minaya and the Mets from 2004-09. | 1 | 4,591 | sports |
Shonda Rhimes, the producer behind Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder and Scandal, is known for creating shocking moments on her shows, but how have none of those surprising twists and turns leaked? | 8 | 4,592 | video |
YouTube's most famous farmer is back to dazzle the Internet with his cow wrangling abilities, this time using drones and feed to create 'cow art.' Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) explains. | 8 | 4,593 | video |
NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Are you willing to move to give your career a boost? Some of the best job opportunities are located in small and mid-sized metro areas rather than large cities, especially those along the coasts. ZipRecruiter , a company that simplifies the hiring process for hundreds of thousands of small businesses, undertook the task of finding out where the best job opportunities are in the U.S. by analyzing its database of applicant-to-employer ratios, applications-to-job posting ratios, as well as U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, among other things. The top cities with job opportunities are all located in states with unemployment rates below the national average of 5.6%, according to the latest BLS data. Here are the best cities to get a job in 2015. Be sure to also check out which jobs are the best professions in America . 10. Minneapolis Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (as of December) Encompassing 11 counties in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the metro area boasts its Chamber of Commerce boasts its diverse economy, including agriculture, food processing, computing, printing and publishing, large- and small-scale manufacturing, health care, arts and entertainment as well as medical instruments, education and finance. Which industries are hiring: Professional services lead the charge, accounting for around 33% of all new positions created according the Star Tribune. Health and life sciences , agriculture and water technology, advanced manufacturing and financial services are also strong industries in the area. 9. Boulder, Colo. Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 4% (as of December) Just 40 minutes outside of Denver, Boulder is the state's 11th largest city. As the home to Colorado University at Boulder, the city has long been an affluent, vibrant center of research and education, with multiple national labs and tech concerns helping to contribute an unemployment rate that's 2.5 points lower than the national average. Besides the university, Boulder's top industries include aerospace, bioscience, nanotechnology, natural and organic products, renewable energy and energy research, software, and tourism , among others, according to the Boulder Economic Council. Which industries are hiring: Education, government, tech, and manufacturing are the key industries, with small and medium sized businesses making an outsized contribution to hiring. Must Read: 12 Best Jobs in America: Glassdoor's Top 2015 Professions 8. Fort Collins, Colo. Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 4% (as of December) Roughly one hour north of Denver, Fort Collins is the regional economic center for Northern Colorado. Fort Collins capitalizes on the presence of Colorado State University, which is helping to drive innovation through research and development as well as jobs in the local economy. The town is also the home to the Budweiser touring plant, where the brewer's famous Clydesdales horses reside. Which industries are hiring: Key sectors supporting the economy include manufacturing, high tech, higher education and the state and federal government. Other sectors of note include geospatial, water innovation, clean energy and bioscience, the Chamber of Commerce notes. 7. Omaha, Neb. Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (as of December) Warren Buffett may have put Omaha on the map but this town has become the poster child for vibrant Midwest towns, with its low unemployment rate, strong economy, solid population growth, particularly from young professionals , and continued livability to set a gold standard. Which industries are hiring: Financial services industry provides perennial growth, as well as agribusiness, military and defense and logistics. However, ZipRecruiter said health care, technology, and telecom sectors also contributing to Omaha's strong job creation rate. 6. Provo, Utah Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (as of December) Provo, Utah is the third largest city in the state and roughly 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City. It's the hometown of collegiate powerhouse Brigham Young University which provides Provo with a highly educated workforce, and has helped attract and retain companies like Google GOOGL Fiber, Novell , Ancestry.com , and Adobe ADBE as employers in the area. - Provo was recently named Outside Magazine's No. 2 Best Town in America , based on its vibrant economy and access to outdoor recreation. Which industries are hiring: Education, software and technology, health care are all experiencing healthy growth, with the Latter Day Saints Church also chipping in with strong hiring, ZipRecruiter said. 5. Odessa, Texas Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (as of December) Oil is the lifeblood of Odessa, Texas, which is probably best known to most Americans for its rich high school football tradition. Recently pegged by Forbes as one of the fastest growing small cities in the U.S., this small West Texas city has impressive job creation rate continues to outpace the expansion of its burgeoning population. Which industries are hiring: Energy services and construction lead employment growth in Odessa, with strong showings by the health care and service industries, according to ZipRecruiter. 4. Sioux Falls, S.D. Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (as of December) Less than three hours from Omaha, fast-growing Sioux Falls is a regional economic engine which consistently ranks in the top tier of small cities for job growth. Though popular for financial services companies due to its lack of state corporate income tax, the state's largest city has been diversifying beyond that. Which industries are hiring: Health care and medical research and development for juvenile diabetes and breast cancer are two areas of focus for companies in the area, says Amy Smolik, a spokeswoman for the city's Chamber of Commerce. In addition, manufacturing and agriculture services still have a strong footprint in the city, Smolik said. 3. Rochester, Minn. Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (as of December) Health care dominates Rochester, Minn., the state's third-largest city. Rochester, located less than two hours south of Minneapolis, is home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Which industries are hiring: Rochester is a major center of health care hiring , and stands to add thousands of construction jobs once the Mayo Clinic breaks ground on its billion dollar, decades-long expansion project. Wholesale and retail trade is the second largest employment sector in the county, with agriculture also still playing a major role in the local economy. 2. Fargo, N.D. Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (as of December) Fargo is North Dakota's largest city. The city's job growth and income gains have outpaced the national average. Most impressively, job growth has kept pace with Fargo's double digit population growth over the last decade. Which industries are hiring: While Fargo has been a major beneficiary of the region's oil boom production, education and health care are the main drivers of job growth in Fargo, with agriculture and manufacturing also contributing to the region's stellar job creation rate, ZipRecruiter found. 1. Lincoln, Neb. Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (as of November) State Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (as of December) Nebraska's second largest city is also its capital. Lincoln is ranked No. 6 on Forbes' list of Best Places for Business and Careers and takes ZipRecruiter's No. 1 position in best cities to get a job in 2015. The city, located approximately one hour from Omaha, has a "killer combination" of low unemployment, strong job growth and low ratio of applicants to open jobs. Which industries are hiring: Lincoln's employment growth is outpacing the nation in construction, financial services, state government, manufacturing and health care. | 3 | 4,594 | finance |
Martin Brodeur, who has three Stanley Cup rings as the NHL's winningest goalie, will now try to win one in management. The 22-year veteran officially announced his retirement on Thursday and was named senior adviser to St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. "I'm excited to start a new chapter in my hockey career," he said during a news conference in St. Louis. "This is something I've been thinking about for a long time." Brodeur, 42, holds the NHL record for victories (691) and shutouts (125). Three of those wins and one of those shutouts came with the Blues, where he was a member for six weeks after spending his 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils. He was signed in early December after Blues goalie Brian Elliott went down with an injury. Brodeur said he wanted to prove he could still play and that he could still have fun in the game and he says he showed both. "I'm leaving the game with a big smile on my face, and I don't think if I had done that (retired) last year, that would have the case," he said. The end came when Elliott returned and Brodeur was relegated to the sidelines. He last played on Jan. 2 and being a competitive person, he found it hard to be the third goalie and took a leave of absence to decide his future. "At one point, I just felt in the way a little bit," he said, adding, "It was almost dangerous for me to practice and not get run over by the line rushes." Brodeur will travel with the team and learn the ropes of management. He's committed to that role through the end of the season. "There's no commitment, one way or the other, that I'll go back to New Jersey or stay in St. Louis," he said. "I just want to make sure I enjoy what I do and I'll make a decision when it's time." Brodeur said he is intrigued by the Blues' potential in the playoffs, and the fact that he didn't return to New Jersey doesn't indicate a rift with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello. "For anyone who thinks that me and Lou are not on the same page, everybody's wrong," he said. "We stayed in contact before I signed with St. Louis, during when I was playing and while I was hanging out in Florida (making his decision). "He agreed with me that his was probably the best opportunity and this was something he was not able to give me at this time, and I'm really excited to be here." Brodeur's 691 wins are 140 more than Hall of Famer Patrick Roy. Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo leads active goalies with 390. "691 is not too bad," he joked. "It would have been nice to be at 700, but it is what it is. I wish I could have played more games. All these lockouts, I got killed on it." PHOTOS: Martin Brodeur through the years | 1 | 4,595 | sports |
By Dan Carson, Bleacher Report Trending Lead Writer "Get your Deflategate! Hot deflated balls here! A nickel a dozen! Limp as a pita!" Nope. We're all full up on crazy, thank you. We'll take a Super Bowl and a large Farva hold the ball-truthering, please. Indeed, anything but actual football has dominated NFL headlines recently. At this juncture, most of us are scanning below the sink for a way out of the unending veil of conspiracy theories. I can't make Sunday get here any faster, but what I can do is give you Super Bowl doppelgangers to pass the time. Some lookalikes are better than others all are better than the snow photos you'd otherwise be perusing. Click through and enjoy! Richard Sherman -- Busta Rymes Richard Sherman's appearance harkens back to a mid-'90s Busta Rhymes, before Busta started collaborating with Lil Wayne and freebasing yak pheromones. Sherman has all the Busta features: the vapor trail mustache, the go-to-hell dreads and a mouth capable of downing an entire sleeve of cookie dough. All of this amounts to an incredibly mushable face, which Sherman uses to bait his opponents at all times. Julian Edelman -- Bryce Harper Like two space shuttles racing for the hipster troposphere, Julian Edelman and Bryce Harper's hairstyles share an almost identical trajectory on the Mackle-Beard spectrum. Inevitably, one of these men will go up in a smoldering fireball of Got2B Glued. Russell Wilson -- Tristan Wilds One is an actor whose roles sometimes involve killing scores of people. The other is a Super Bowl champion who'd probably like to help you shave a second or two off that Soap Box Derby car. Russell Wilson and Tristan Wilds aren't much alike, aside from their astonishingly similar facial features and the fact they'll both look like they're 30 years old upon reaching the age of Social Security. Jimmy Garoppolo -- New Brawny Man The 21st century reboot of the iconic Brawny man is both a horrible thing and a chilling reminder that everything cool and good will one day be replaced by a newer, neutered version that tested well with 20- to 35-year-old Groupon patrons. On an unrelated and less tragic note, the new Brawny man also looks like he could be Jimmy Garoppolo's older brother the one who's good with grout and owns a pair of perpetually wet golden retrievers. Earl Thomas -- Angry Bird Every time Earl Thomas brings someone to the ground, an angry, digital descendant of the dodo bird nods in silent approval. Danny Amendola -- Bryan Abrams Danny Amendola is a lunch pail warrior a diamond forged in the crucible of the offensive seam. He has the hands of a wood elf and the chassis of an Ortolan steeped in fine Hennessy. His collar was blue before he covered it in five layers of elbow grease and Texas gumption. None of this correlates to singer Bryan Abrams in any way, but you're not getting through this slideshow without a Color Me Badd comparison. Vince Wilfork -- Uncle Phil Vince Wilfork and Uncle Phil look like they could be brothers, and if you don't agree with that, at least admit that just the sight of them next to each other stirs something deep and primordial inside your heart. Russell Okung -- Maseo Maseo was a member of the sublime '90s hip hop group De La Soul. Russell Okung is an offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks. Both are disappointed the cafeteria ran out of green Jell-O. Dan Connolly -- Chris Pratt If Chris Pratt had an older brother who volunteered his spare time to do electrical work at the local church, he would look exactly like Dan Connolly. Side note: These men should meet. Pete Carroll -- Jane Lynch I'm sorry, Mr. Carroll. I didn't have a choice. I had to do it. You are Jane Lynch. Jane Lynch is you. Be at peace. Tom Brady -- Gary Johnston As American as apple pie and collateral damage, Tom Brady and Gary Johnston understand that the real threat to the USA's unipolar moment is bad hair and radical extremism. Stephen Gostkowski -- Johnny Knoxville If Johnny Knoxville hadn't spent the better part of his life throwing his body around and stapling himself to himself, he'd look even more like Stephen Gostkowski. Just go with it. Luke Willson -- Zach Braff If Riley Cooper and Zach Braff conspired in some sort of crowdfunded gene-splicing experiment that produced a child with Cooper's Flying J hairstyle and Braff's pastry shell complexion, the result would be Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson. Don't focus on the process. Just visualize the product. Marshawn Lynch -- The Predator I'm just including this comparison so I fulfill my topical joke quota and don't get fined. Jon Ryan -- Steve the Pirate Jon Ryan won over a nation with his passing touchdown at the NFC Championship game or more specifically, the face Ryan made while attempting said pass will live in the hearts of football fans forever. It was like watching a pelican birth a boccie ball mid-flight. And despite this watershed moment in sport, Ryan's 2011 stint as Seattle's resident Steve the Pirate remains the punter's strongest work to date. Alan Tudyk would be proud. | 1 | 4,596 | sports |
Comcast is very sorry for a very rude thing it did this week. Ricardo and Lisa Brown, a couple from Spokane, WA, were going about their day when their monthly Comcast bill arrived addressed to an entirely different Brown family member. Ricardo's name had been changed to "A**hole." Comcast had literally sent out a bill addressed to "A**hole Brown." Talk about a #facepalm fail. Steve Kipp, Comcast's regional vice president of communications, issued an apology stating: "We have spoken with our customer and apologized for this completely unacceptable and inappropriate name change." He told consumer advocate Christopher Elliott that Comcast has "zero tolerance for this type of disrespectful behavior and are conducting a thorough investigation to determine what happened." The Browns don't know exactly what prompted the company to refer to Mr. Brown as "A**hole." All Mrs. Brown was trying to do was cancel the cable portion of her service when she declined an offer to stay on. That, of course, doesn't warrant the moniker swap. C'mon Comcast! You had one job! ( CBS News ) | 3 | 4,597 | finance |
Sherilyn Fenn is celebrating her 50th birthday Can you believe Sherilyn Fenn is 50? The gorgeous actress is best known for playing Audrey Horne, Twin Peak's resident troublemaker. She was infatuated with Special Agent Dale Cooper (played by Kyle MacLachlan) and managed to discover several secrets about the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer, such as the fact that Audrey's father was having an affair with the victim before her death. The TV series made Sherilyn a star and led to big-screen roles in Boxing Helena and Fatal Instinct. But she largely failed to capitalise on her fame after the series ended in 1991, and remains best known for Twin Peaks. Although not confirmed, there have been multiple reports that Sherilyn will return for the series reboot. That would mean reviving her (presumably) dead character, but this is David Lynch and Twin Peaks, so anything is possible! Kyle MacLachlan / Special Agent Dale Cooper Kyle MacLachlan played FBI Agent Dale Cooper who leads the investigation into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer. Twin Peaks was the actor's first TV role but he went on to have success in Sex and the City (as Charlotte's husband Trey) and Desperate Housewives (as Bree's husband Orson). He currently stars in the US sitcom Portlandia. Kyle confirmed he's taking part of the reboot when he tweeted: "Better fire up that percolator and find my black suit :-) #Twinpeaks" Sheryl Lee / Laura Palmer Sheryl Lee played murdered schoolgirl Laura Palmer and her lookalike cousin Maddy Ferguson. As Maddy, she has premonitions and attempts to help solve the mystery. Sheryl appeared in the 1992 film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and had further success with a recurring role in One Tree Hill and a supporting role in Winter's Bone opposite Jennifer Lawrence. It's thought she will also be returning for the reboot. Michael Ontkean / Sheriff Harry S. Truman Michael Ontkean played Twin Peak's sheriff, Harry S Truman, who assists in the murder investigation. His down-to-earth demeanour is very different to the FBI Agent's eccentricity, but they make a good team. After the series ended he was to star in the spin-off movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, but his scenes were cut from the final edit. Now 68, he continues to work solidly; his most memorable recent role was opposite George Clooney in The Descendants. Mädchen Amick / Shelly Johnson Madchen Amick played Shelly Johnson, a waitress at the Double R Diner. She has an abusive husband and was having an affair with Laura's boyfriend, Bobby Briggs, before she died. Madchen has worked consistently in television since Twin Peaks ended, and had a recurring role on ER and Gilmore Girls. She currently stars in the supernatural drama Witches of East End with Julia Ormond and Jenna Dewan Tatum. Ray Wise / Leland Palmer Ray Wise played Leland Palmer, the father of murdered Laura. Following his daughter's death he suffered several breakdowns and it's later revealed that he sexually-abused Laura while she was growing up. The 67-year-old went on to have many memorable roles after Twin Peaks; he played the Devil in the TV series Reaper and Hal Gardner in 24. Lara Flynn Boyle / Donna Hayward Lara Flynn Boyle played Donna Hayward, Laura's best friend. After the murder she begins a relationship with James Hurley, Laura's secret boyfriend. Following Twin Peaks, Lara starred in The Practice for eight years. She also had a supporting role in Men in Black II. Dana Ashbrook / Bobby Briggs Dana Ashbrook played Bobby Briggs, Laura's boyfriend at the time of her death. He was also the local drug dealer and was secretly seeing waitress Shelly Johnson at the same time. Dana remains best known for Twin Peaks and the movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, but he's also had bit parts on TV shows such as Charmed, Dawson's Creek and Hostages. Richard Beymer / Benjamin Horne Richard Beymer played cut-throat businessman Ben Horne, the richest person in Twin Peaks. Now 76, the majority of Beymer's work came before Twin Peaks: he starred in the film versions of West Side Story and The Diary of Anne Frank. More recently, he's stepped behind the camera to make documentaries. Peggy Lipton / Norma Jennings Peggy Lipton played Norma Jennings, the owner of the Double R Diner. She is married to Hank but is having an affair with her high school sweetheart, Big Ed Hurley. Lipton rose to fame the popular 60s series The Mod Squad and most of her success occurred before she took a role in Twin Peaks. More recently, she's had small roles in Rules of Engagement and House of Lies. Jack Nance / Pete Martell Jack Nance took on the role of Pete Martell, an unhappily married lumberjack who discovers Laura's body. He created the show's most famous catchphrase "She's dead…wrapped in plastic," but his fate is left uncertain at the end of the show when a bomb goes off. Twin Peaks was one of Jack's last roles; his wife committed suicide at the end of 1991 and Jack died six years later from a brain haemorrhage caused during a brawl outside a doughnut shop. His best known role was in 1977's Eraserhead (pictured) where he first met Twin Peaks' director David Lynch and formed a lifelong friendship with him. Joan Chen / Jocelyn Packard Joan Chen starred as Josie Packard, the manipulative, femme fatale character who comes to own the Packard Sawmill after her husband Andrew's death in a boating accident and later a love interest for Sheriff Truman. Spoiler alert: she also shoots Agent Cooper and her soul becomes trapped in a doorknob. Joan has been in a huge number of Chinese language films, but also in popular Hollywood actions movies such as Sly Stallone's sci-fi flick Judge Dredd in 1995. Her last big role was in Ang Lee's acclaimed romantic thriller Lust, Caution in 2007, but Joan has lots of other films in production. Kimmy Robertson / Lucy Moran Kimmy Robertson (pictured above with Twin Peaks' director David Lynch) played receptionist Lucy Moran, who was dating the town's sweet-natured deputy sheriff Andy Brennan. Kimmy's did some film work straight after Twin Peaks, like Don't Tell Mum the Babysitter's Dead with Christina Applegate, but she's mainly stuck to voicework including the feather duster in Disney's Beauty and the Beast and most recently on American Dad. Like many other Twin Peaks alumni, Kimmy also appeared on US crime-comedy show Psych. Grace Zabriskie / Sarah Palmer Laura's mother was played by Grace Zabriskie; already a little unstable before her daughter's murder, Sarah's paranormal powers caused torment for her afterwards when she saw snippets of the future and characters no one else could see. Lots of appearances on the small screen followed for Grace, including Susan's mother Mrs Ross in Seinfeld, and parts in The West Wing and HBO's Big Love. Most recently Grace could be seen in the US remake of Danish drama The Killing. James Marshall / James Hurley James Marshall was the brooding, motorcycle riding James Hurley who was the secret boyfriend of Laura Palmer. Like most of the cast, James starred in the Twin Peaks prequel movie and then scored a role in Aaron Sorkin's drama A Few Good Men as Private Louden Downey, but he's since disappeared from the acting scene. James took time out from his career to recover from a bowel disease and is now working as a singer-songwriter. Heather Graham / Annie Blackburn Heather Graham played Annie Blackburn, sister of Double R Diner owner Norma Jennings, and subsequent waitress in the diner after she returned from a stint in a convent following her suicide attempt. Heather's had a hugely successful career after Twin Peaks and its prequel; she's starred in Boogie Nights, Austin Powers and most recently The Hangover. Heather's next to appear in the film Horns with Daniel Radcliffe. | 6 | 4,598 | entertainment |
Let's just collectively refer to these ads as 'money not well spent' SalesGenie - "Chinese Pandas" Commercials that play off bad ethnic stereotypes are a bad idea to begin with, but doing so for the biggest TV audience of the year is a recipe for disaster, backlash and and eventual mea culpa. VIDEO: WATCH THE WORST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS OF ALL TIME LifeMinders.com - "The Worst Commercial" The perfect example of when irony goes wrong and you accidentally just end up hitting the nail on the head with your lackluster Super Bowl ad. Apple - "Lemmings" A year prior, Apple produced what many consider to be the greatest commercial of all-time, in the iconic '1984' ad. The follow-up, like many sequels, was a massive flop. 1985 was a particularly bad year for Apple, as shortly after this commercial aired, the company also decided to fire founder Steve Jobs. Dirt Devil - "Fred Astaire" Note to all companies: Don't use footage of beloved dead celebrities to shill for your product. GM - "Robot" A light-hearted take on unemployment, depression AND suicide? I can't believe this commercial from GM wasn't received better by an audience who just wanted to watch a football game on a Sunday night. Holiday Inn - "Bob Johnson" Comparing your product's renovation to that of a transgender woman and thinking that was an acceptable idea? The 90s were a different time... Miller Lite - "Evil Beaver" This ad wasn't so much bad as it was just truly bizarre, and it certainly didn't leave the audience wanting to go out to the store to pick up some Miller Lite. AT&T - "Paul Reiser" Repetition to point of nausea is never the best strategy for getting the word out about your new brand initiatives. Noxzema - "Cream Your Face" The most famous example of using over the top sexual innuendo to get people talking and buy your product. Outpost.com - "Gerbil Cannon" Because you want your company forever associated with firing poor defenseless gerbils out of a cannon straight into a wall. Gillette - "Fusion" Wait, what was that all for again? A razor? Sony Ericsson Experia Play - "Thumbs" There has to be a better way to sell phones than by grossing out your audience with the sight of dismembered thumbs. Cash4Gold - "MC Hammer and Ed McMahon" Celebrities poking fun at themselves are a time-honored tradition in commercials, but casting a spotlight on the financial troubles of these two just seemed exploitative. GoDaddy - "Too Hot for TV" GoDaddy knows how to get people talking about their ads around the water cooler, which I guess is the point, but the family-friendly Super Bowl audience saw this as shock value and nothing else. Bud Light - "Classroom" Dear companies advertising at the Super Bowl, please repeat after me: I will not use racial and ethnic stereotypes to sell my product. I will not use racial and ethnic stereotypes to sell my product. I will not use racial and ethnic stereoty... Just For Feet - "Kenya Mission" How bad was this commercial? Just For Feet sued the advertising agency responsible for it after the spot garnered serious backlash after airing at the 1999 Super Bowl. Chatter.com - "Will.i.am" Proof that you can't just throw any familiar face (or even a CGI'd version of that famous face) into a spot and have it be a success. VIDEO: WATCH THE WORST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS OF ALL TIME | 1 | 4,599 | sports |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.