A white police officer shot a black teenager to death at a gas station in the city next door to Ferguson

A white police officer shot a black teenager to death at a gas station in the city next door to Ferguson, Missouri, touching off clashes early Wednesday between demonstrators and law enforcement.

The mayor said that video from the confrontation, in the city of Berkeley, appeared to show the teenager pointing a gun at the officer, and police said a handgun was recovered at the scene. Police said the officer feared for his life.

"This was not the same as Ferguson," Mayor Theodore Hoskins said.

He took pains to say that the shooting could not be compared to the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson or to the chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York. The mayor, who is black, pointed out that the Berkeley police department is majority-black.

He promised a thorough investigation but said that the video showed it was not a police officer going off "half-cocked." 

"Everybody don't die the same," he told reporters. "Some people die because the policeman initiated. Some people die because they initiated it. And at this point, our review indicates that the police did not initiate this, like Ferguson." 

A woman at the scene who identified herself as Toni Martin told NBC affiliate KSDK that the victim was her son, Antonio Martin, 18.

She said Martin was on his way to meet his girlfriend when the fatal encounter happened and that he was not carrying a gun. "He only just left the house to go see her," she said.

The mother said Antonio turned 18 in September and had attended nearby Jennings High School, and that she was trying to get him enrolled in the Jobs Corps employment program. She spoke as the body still lay covered on the ground outside the Mobil gas station.

"They got my baby laying out there. He's been out there for about two hours," she said.

The shooting took place just after 11 p.m. local time Tuesday. Chief Jon Belmar of the St. Louis County police said that the officer was white and a six-year veteran. The officer's name was not released. He was placed on administrative leave, Belmar said.

He said that the officer fired at least three rounds and that the victim did not fire any.

"These are nothing but tragedies," Belmar said as he offered his condolences to the victim's family. The officer "will have to carry the weight of this for the rest of his life," he said, adding: "There are no winners here." 

Read more http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fatal-cop-shooting-teen-berkeley-missouri-sparks-clashes-n274181

Santa tracker 2014: Follow Santa Claus as he delivers presents around the world

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — NORAD’s Santa Tracker is up and running at noradsanta.org as Santa Clause makes his storybook Christmas Eve flight.

The volunteers will spend Wednesday answering phone calls and emails from children and posting updates on the mythical journey to Facebook, Twitter and http://www.NORADSanta.org.
The Santa Tracker started in 1955 when a newspaper offered a phone number where children could call and find out where in the world Santa was at that moment.
The phone number it listed was for the Continental Aerospace Defense Command, the predecessor to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The officers on duty played along and began passing along reports on Santa’s progress.
These days technology helps children keep track of Ol’ St. Nick.  Updates are posted at noradsanta.org, facebook.com/noradsanta and twitter.com/NoradSanta.

The Stanta Tracker website was launched in 1997 and peaked at 22.3 million in 2012.
Read More http://kdvr.com/2014/12/24/santa-tracker-2014-follow-santa-claus-as-he-delivers-presents-around-the-world/

In Its Strange Journey, 'The Interview' Becomes An Art House Film

The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain will show The Interview starting on Christmas Day.

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

A buddy flick about killing North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un will be shown on Christmas Day after all, at least in about 200 independent theaters. This kind of small-scale distribution model and the politics surrounding The Interview give what was once a big-budget Hollywood release the spirit of an art house film.

In the satirical film, which is at the center of a geopolitical tussle, Seth Rogen and James Franco play television producers who get an interview with Kim but are then hired by the CIA to "take him out."
The reaction to this film from one of the most cutoff countries on Earth — and from its leader — came quickly. North Korea went to the United Nations trying to get the film banned. In November came a hack of Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film, that the FBI links to North Koreans.
Subsequent threats invoking Sept. 11 led major theater chains to say they wouldn't show it. But when Sony pulled the film from release last week, President Obama joined a chorus of Americans expressing their disappointment.
"We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship in the United States," Obama said on Friday.
Then, 48 hours before the film's original opening day, Sony changed its mind. It uncanceled The Interview after independent theater operators started an online petition to show the film.
"It's kinda classic little-guy stuff that we support. I think it's really important that there's small places that can take a stand," says Hadrian Belove, executive director of the Cinefamily, a nonprofit cinema in Los Angeles. The Cinefamily will screen the film.
Now it's the little guys — a couple of hundred independent theaters — that get to run a big-budget film originally set for broad release. The Atlanta's Plaza Theater is among them. So is the Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse chain.
Read more
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/12/24/372765023/in-its-strange-journey-the-interview-becomes-an-art-house-film

'Tis the season for mangling Christmas phrases (+video)

The holiday season offers revelers countless opportunities to stumble over archaic English phrases, unlikely homonyms, and unexamined carol lyrics.

An Arizona woman trims her Christmas tree in her own way, in 1997.

Lo, though centuries dark and deep cometh the yuletide vocabulary donned now by the Google doodle so we can all fa-la-la-la-la our collective Christmas bliss back a few centuries and, in so doing, find comfort and joy in words and phrases that both gain and lose meaning with age.
This leads us to the 12 dazes of Christmas.
1. ‘Tis, it’s, it is and t’is the season for confusion over the spelling, meaning, pronunciation and lyrics using Old (Olde?) English-ish words and phrases that ‘twere in carols and Christmas tales back in the day.

Recommended: How well do you know global Christmas traditions? Take our quiz!

For the record, it’s correctly rendered "‘tis" which is a contraction of "it is." The rule with contractions is that we put the apostrophes where the letters, not the spaces, are missing.

"‘Tis" and "‘twas" largely became verbally extinct in the late 1800s, we bring them back to life each holiday season like dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, with much the same bizarre results.

 

Read more http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2014/1223/Tis-the-season-for-mangling-Christmas-phrases-video

 

 

 

 

Joe Cocker Is Dead at 70; Raspy-Voiced Rock Star With Distinctive Moves

Joe Cocker onstage at Woodstock in 1969. Credit Don Hogan Charles

Joe Cocker, the gravelly British singer who became one of pop’s most recognizable interpreters in the late 1960s and ’70s with passionate, idiosyncratic takes on songs like the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” died on Monday at his home in Crawford, Colo. He was 70.

The cause was lung cancer, his agent, Barrie Marshall, said.

Mr. Cocker had been a journeyman singer in Britain for much of the 1960s, building a reputation as a soulful barreler with full-throated versions of Ray Charles and Chuck Berry songs. But he became a sensation after his performance of “With a Little Help From My Friends” at the Woodstock music festival in 1969.

His appearance there, captured in the 1970 concert film “Woodstock,” established him as one of pop’s most powerful and irrepressible vocalists. With his tie-dyed shirt and shaggy mutton chops soaked in sweat, Mr. Cocker, then 25, pleadingly teased out the song’s verses — “What would you do if I sang out of tune?/Would you stand up and walk out on me?” — and threw himself into repeated climaxes, lunging and gesticulating in ways that seemed to imitate a guitarist in a heroic solo.

On Twitter, Ringo Starr wrote on Monday, “Goodbye and God bless to Joe Cocker from one of his friends.” In a statement, Paul McCartney recalled hearing Mr. Cocker’s record of the song. “It was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem,” he said, “and I was forever grateful for him for having done that.”

After Woodstock, Mr. Cocker toured widely and took his place as perhaps the rock world’s most distinctive interpreter of others’ songs — an art then going out of fashion with the rise of folk-inspired singer-songwriters and groups, like the Beatles, that wrote their own material.

His other hits included a version of the Box Tops’ hit “The Letter” and the standard “Cry Me a River,” both in 1970, and “You Are So Beautiful,” in 1975. His only No. 1 single was “Up Where We Belong,” recorded as a duet with Jennifer Warnes for the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman,” for which he won his only Grammy Award.

More Read

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/23/arts/music/joe-cocker-is-dead-at-70.html?_r=0

Chargers drop 49ers in OT to stay in playoff race

(Photo: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Philip Rivers looked at the 21-point deficit on the scoreboard at halftime and even he wondered whether the San Diego Chargers had it in them to come back. The season depended on it, so Rivers took charge.
He prevailed through a balky back and a sore chest to keep San Diego's slim playoff chances alive, rallying his team to tie it in the final minute and setting up Nick Novak's 40-yard field goal nearly 5 minutes into overtime in a 38-35 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.
"Obviously, an unbelievable finish," coach Mike McCoy said. "We had about as bad a first half as we could possibly play. …You saw a lot of emotion on the sideline throughout that second half — the excitement, the energy, the way we play football."
Rivers found playmakers in Antonio Gates and Eddie Royal when two of San Diego's offensive stars were down with injuries.
Read More http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chargers/2014/12/20/novaks-40-yard-fg-lifts-chargers-past-49ers/20711753/

Today the Sun Stands Still

Happy December solstice! There may be a few more months of this, though.

Photo by Phil Plait

Today is the real reason for the season: It’s the winter solstice! If you’re a purist, then raise your glass at 23:03 UTC (18:03 Eastern US time), because that's the moment the solstice occurs.

There are a lot of ways to look at this, but they all boil down to the Earth’s axis being tilted with respect to its orbit. You’ve seen this with classroom globes; they’re tipped by about 23.5°. As it orbits the Sun, the north pole of the Earth’s axis is always pointed pretty close to Polaris in the sky, which means that sometimes the axis is tipped toward the Sun, sometimes away. When it’s tipped as far from the Sun as it can be, that’s the moment of the winter solstice.
Read more http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/12/21/winter_solstice_dec_21_2014.html

Two N.Y.P.D. Officers Are Killed in Brooklyn Ambush; Suspect Commits Suicide

Two police officers sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn were shot at point-blank range and killed on Saturday afternoon by a man who, officials said, had traveled to the city from Baltimore vowing to kill officers. The suspect then committed suicide with the same gun, the authorities said.

The officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were in the car near Myrtle and Tompkins Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant in the shadow of a tall housing project when the gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, walked up to the passenger-side window and assumed a firing stance, Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said. Mr. Brinsley shot several rounds into the heads and upper bodies of the officers, who never drew their weapons, the authorities said.

Mr. Brinsley, 28, then fled down the street and onto the platform of a nearby subway station, where he killed himself as officers closed in. The police recovered a silver semiautomatic handgun, Mr. Bratton said.

Investigators at the scene where Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot and killed on Saturday. Credit John Minchillo/Associated Press

Mr. Brinsley, who had a long rap sheet of crimes that included robbery and carrying a concealed gun, is believed to have shot his former girlfriend near Baltimore before traveling to Brooklyn, the authorities said. He made statements on social media suggesting that he planned to kill police officers and was angered about the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases.

Authorities in Baltimore sent a warning that Mr. Brinsley had made these threats, but it was received in New York at essentially the same time as the killings, officials said.

The shootings, the chase, the suicide of Mr. Brinsley and the desperate but failed bid to save the lives of the officers — their uniforms soaked in blood — turned a busy commercial intersection on the Saturday before Christmas into a scene of pandemonium.

The manager of a liquor store at the corner, Charlie Hu, said the two police officers were slouched over in the front seat of their patrol car. Both of them appeared to have been shot in the head, Mr. Hu said, and one of the officers had blood spilling out of his face.

“Today two of New York’s finest were shot and killed with no warning, no provocation,” Mr. Bratton said at Woodhull Hospital in Williamsburg, where the officers were declared dead. “They were, quite simply, assassinated — targeted for their uniform and for the responsibility they embraced to keep the people of this city safe.”

“Officer Ramos and Officer Liu never had the opportunity to draw their weapons,” he continued. “They may have never even seen the assailant, their murderer.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio, standing beside the police commissioner, said, “It is an attack on all of us; it’s an attack on everything we hold dear.”

Mr. de Blasio said he had met with the officers’ families, including Officer Ramos’s 13-year-old son, who “couldn’t comprehend what had happened to his father.”

Read More http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/nyregion/two-police-officers-shot-in-their-patrol-car-in-brooklyn.html?_r=0

South Plainfield crowns four champs, wins Morris Knolls title

The South Plainfield High School wrestling team crowned four individual champions and freshman Joe Heilmann had an impressive debut for the Tigers, who captured their eighth consecutive Morris Knolls Invitational Tournament title on Saturday.
The Tigers amassed 218 team points, besting the host school, which tallied 198 points.
Ryan Walsh (126), Kyle Bythell (132) and Dan Hedden (138) strung together individual crowns for South Plainfield, while teammate Jordan Handwerger won the 160-pound title.
Heilmann, the younger brother of former South Plainfield and current University of North Carolina standout Nick, dropped a 3-0 decision in the opening round to West Morris sophomore Shane Metlzer, who InterMat ranks No. 19 in the nation at 106 pounds.
Heilmann rebounded from the defeat, wrestling his way back to third place.
Max Meyer (113), Alex Murray (152) and Ben Gomes (182) finished second for Watchung Hills, which placed fifth as a team with 124 points.
Perth Amboy, which did not boast a finalist, placed seventh.
Team scores: 1. South Plainfield (218); 2. Morris Knolls (198); 3. West Morris (195.5); 4. Montville (148.5); 5. Watchung Hills (124); 6. Seton Hall Prep (123); 7. Perth Amboy (75.5); 8. Newark Academy (67); 9. Wallkill Valley 62; 10. Morris Hills 21.
106—Shane Metzler (West Morris) dec. Austin Perrault (Morris Knolls), 9-3.
113—Garrett O’Shea (Morris Knolls) tech. fall Max Meyer (Watchung Hills), 17-2 (4:47).
120—Dylan Luciano (West Morris) dec. Nick Fierro (Seton Hall Prep), 3-0.
126—Ryan Walsh (South Plainfield) maj.dec. Marco Gaita (West Morris), 11-2.
132—Kyle Bythell (South Plainfield) dec. Michael Glasser (Montville), 6-2.
138—Dan Hedden (South Plainfield) dec. T.J. Calas (Seton Hall Prep), 5-0.
145—David Migliaccio (West Morris) dec. Brandon Seyffried (Newark Academy), 4-1.
152—Anthony Fano (Montville) dec. Alex Murray (Watchung Hills), 7-3.
160—Jordan Handwerger (South Plainfield) dec. Joey Schiele (Morris Hills), 1-0.
170—Luke Drugac (Morris Knolls) tech. fall Charles Austin (Newark Academy), 15-0 (2:53).
182—Dean Drugac (Morris Knolls) pin. Ben Gomes (Watchung Hills), 3:29.
195—Kevin Sears (West Morris) dec. Donovan Monteverdi (Seton Hall Prep), 8-1.
220—Joe Lascala (Montville) dec. Kevin Van Dyne (Morris Knolls), 7-1.
285—Parker Fox (Montville) dec. Jake Baker (Seton Hall Prep), 7-2.
Read More http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2014/12/20/south-plainfield-crowns-four-champs-wins-morris-knolls-title/20707893/

Eye on the East Bay: PG&E comes to rescue of Antioch tree lighting PG&E TO THE RESCUE: Downtown Antioch's Christmas tree lighting wouldn't have been quite so delightful earlier this month without the last-minute intervention of some hard hats and bucket trucks. An electrician who had volunteered to string lights around the approximately 60-foot tree at City Hall earlier in the week became backlogged in his work, and two days before the living decoration was supposed to be ready for prime time as part of Antioch's "Holiday De Lites" festivities, it was still lacking much of its bling. An officer of the Celebrate Antioch Foundation -- a nonprofit that brought the Christmas parade back this year after the recession forced the city to withdraw its financial support for the event in 2010 -- got on the horn to Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which sent several trucks along with six workers to the site that Friday morning. The crew had the job done in about 90 minutes, festooning the tree with LED lights, silver bells and some ornaments made from recycled DVD discs and vinyl banners cut up to resemble snowflakes. Without the utility company, residents would have seen a trimmed-down tree, said Diane Gibson-Gray, who helped with the decorations. "We would have lit up the tiny little lights that we had and said, 'Sorry,' " she said. Read More http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_27168254/eye-east-bay-pg-e-comes-rescue-antioch

Legend of Korra: A Fantastic Finale With a Perfect Ending

Korra's finale is a wild ride, even if it is better suited to end a season rather than conclude a series.

The two-part series finale for Legend of Korra pits the expanded Team Avatar against invading dictator Kuvira and her towering mecha-super-weapon. The massive explosions padded with heartfelt moments are immensely satisfying, but even amid all the destruction, tears, and laughter, Korra never faces the global and emotional stakes Aang did at the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
When The Legend of Korra first began production, it was intended as a single season spin-off of the incredibly popular ATLA . Sometime before the last episode aired, Nickelodeon decided to extend the series, which left creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino in a bit of a difficult position. ATLA began with an established antagonist and plans for Aang's development (along with his friends), enough to carry the show for multiple seasons. With Korra, from the beginning the show restricted itself to a Big Bad each season, and as such its finale doesn't have the impact on the universe ATLA's did. This has been a problem the show has faced since its first season, so if Korra's finale feels a little underwhelming, it's not something we didn't see coming.
Still, "Day of the Colossus" and "The Last Stand" are a fantastic pair of episodes. Studio Mir almost always knocks it out of the park with its animation work, and these episodes are some of its best work yet. On top of that, the music is perfect, as usual. Two tracks in particular stand out - one for Mako and another to close out the finale.
Fans of the fight choreography in LoK and ATLA might be disappointed by this finale. While almost every fight sequence is epic, none are as masterfully laid out or precise as earlier confrontations, such as Suyin facing Kuvira in "Operation Beifong." However, while Kuvira's super-weapon may be over the top, none of the combat reaches DBZ levels of ridiculousness. Mostly, it's small strikes against a massive enemy, supporting the narrative of fighting an authoritarian power.
The final portion of the episode provides a quiet conclusion to the series, and while not everyone gets to say their goodbyes, those that do are fitting. Some of the "surprises" of the episode were telegraphed moments before they occurred (or weeks ago, in some cases), but there should be a couple moments that catch you off guard.
The final two minutes of the episode are so far the most talked about, and rightly so. Legend of Korra and Nickelodeon did something unprecedented in Western children's animation in those moments. It's obviously a huge spoiler, so we'll save discussion of the topic for the next page.
Episodes of Legend of Korra: Book Four are released on Nick's website on Friday mornings, with all of the previous episodes available to view now. The first two seasons are available on Amazon, with Book Three on Vudu.
Read more http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/moviesandtv/reviews/12785-Legend-of-Korra-Series-Finale-Review

Kate Upton wins 'Sexiest Woman' at People Magazine Awards

The 22-year-old model took the stage at the magazine’s first-ever award show Thursday and revealed what ‘sexy’ means to her. 

Kevin Winter/PMA2014/Getty Images for dcp Model Kate Upton wins 'Sexiest Woman' award Thursday at the People Magazine Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Kate Upton was awarded "Sexiest Woman" at the first-ever People Magazine Awards Thursday in Beverly Hills, Calif.ore

Read more  http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/kate-upton-wins-sexiest-woman-article-1.2050992

 

 

 

 

 

Report: Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden engaged

It appears that Cameron Diaz’s reign as Hollywood’s most desired bachelorette has come to an end.
The 42-year-old actress is engaged to Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden, reports Us Weekly.
PHOTOS: Cameron's bikini body
“Everyone thinks it’s wild, but are so happy for them,” said an insider. “Benji always tends to fall in love easily, but this time it’s for real and he landed a great girl. They obviously both make each other incredibly happy and there’s nothing better than that.”
Madden, 35, is said to be more traditional than the “Annie” star. “She really doesn’t care about getting married but wants babies,” the source added. “He wants to get engaged and married first.”
Madden’s twin brother and fellow rocker Joel Madden’s wife, Nicole Richie, set the couple up months ago. She told “Watch What Happens Live” in July, “I approve of anything that’s going to make Benji happy … I’m going to take responsibility for everything!”
PHOTOS: Odd couples
The couple of seven months have spotted on the sunny beaches of Miami and on the bustling streets of New York City.
Read More http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/12/19/report-cameron-diaz-and-benji-madden-engaged/

Serial podcast finale: Mania has propelled podcasts into the cultural mainstream

Simon Usborne finds out who's listening – and what to tune into now that Sarah Koenig has closed her case

A senior colleague of mine, whose age and identity will remain secret, did something telling on Tuesday. Holding out her iPhone a couple of desks away, she turned to a younger member of her team, and said quietly: "Um, can I ask a stupid question... how do I get a podcast?" As anyone who has grappled with the iPhone app and its complicated system of dots and clouds will know, this was not a stupid question. Nor is it a rare one at a time of feverish interest in a once-niche medium that is ending its 10th year on a huge high.
There will be no spoilers here, but it will be a revelation to few people that yesterday was a big one in podcasting – easily the biggest since the birth of the word in 2004. For more than three months, car journeys have been extended, treadmills paused and irons left to burn holes in shirts as millions of people – many of them podcast virgins – consumed Serial with a relish typically reserved for box-set binges. Launched quietly early in October, the gripping armchair investigation into a murder in Baltimore in 1999 ended with its 12th episode. Whether or not you downloaded it or listened on Radio 4 Extra last night (the BBC, itself the world's biggest producer of podcasts, snapped up the American series earlier this month when downloads topped five million), there are still plenty of reasons to be excited about a flourishing form – and plenty more podcasts out there to satisfy listeners with withdrawal symptoms.
But first, are we really streaming our way into a golden era? Is this a resurgence, a coming of age, or just a very successful show hyped by liberal media types who have been on first-name terms with Ira Glass for years? (The unlikely podcast god is the presenter and lifeblood of This American Life, the excellent show from which Serial sprung.) "I went to my cousin's wedding last weekend, and I will definitely let you know the aunts and uncles in my family are not super-familiar with podcasting," Julie Snyder, the producer who works with Serial presenter Sarah Koenig, admitted as the first episode went up.
"You have to be careful about thinking what's important to me and my mates is relevant to the universe at large," says Fiona Sturges, The Independent's radio columnist and a huge podcast consumer. "But the fact that millions of people have listened to Serial is astonishing because, while those numbers aren't that surprising when you look at how the arts are often consumed now [after viral promotion] in the realms of this supposedly marginalised form, it really is a big deal. Finally, people are getting it."
If you're still unsure about podcasts, they are pretty simple – just a way of distributing audio content that emerged shortly after the digital media player (namely the iPod) appeared. Ten years ago, radio shows began to become available to download and listen to anytime, anywhere. The BBC got in early, in 2004, releasing shows or chunks of shows such as In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg and, later, The Archers and Desert Island Discs. Elsewhere, download-only shows, Serial being the best recent example, skip radio entirely (even if they later end up on the BBC).
Be they five-minute word showers or hour-long ear baths, podcasts can be big budget and slick or made by a couple of football fans in a shed. They have brought democracy to the spoken word in the way that YouTube did for video over the same decade, appealing as much to the amateur producer as the global broadcasting corporation.
Simon Mayo is an accidental podcast star. The veteran BBC radio presenter admits that he "didn't really pay attention" when his and Mark Kermode's film-review show on Radio 5 Live first became available to download, in 2005. Now, he says, "we think about it a lot and increasingly people choose the podcast over the live show, or switch off on Friday afternoon so they can download later". Those who do are rewarded with "DVD extras", and none of the traffic updates that punctuate the radio programme. The weekly show now has 1.6 million monthly downloads, with far more younger and international listeners than can or would tune in to 5 Live.
Read More http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/serial-mania-has-propelled-podcasts-into-the-cultural-mainstream-9934634.html

Rajon Rondo is averaging 8.3 points per game this season.

Celtics trade Rajon Rondo to Mavericks

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AP

Rajon Rondo is averaging 8.3 points per game this season.

By Julian BenbowGlobe Staff  December 18, 2014

Trade rumors have followed Rajon Rondo for as long as he’s been in the NBA. They followed him during the Big Three era and in the rebuilding years that followed.
On Thursday, the rumors became reality. The Celtics completed a trade that will send Rondo and little-used forward Dwight Powell to the Dallas Mavericks for budding center Brandan Wright, veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, swingman Jae Crowder, and future first- and second-round picks.
“We would like to thank Rajon for everything that he has done for the Celtics organization and the success we have experienced during his tenure with us,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics president of basketball operations.
The trade, confirmed by the Celtics and Mavericks, ends Rondo’s nine years with the Celtics, a stretch that includes the 2008 NBA championship. It leaves the Celtics clearly positioning themselves for the long-term future with a hefty collection of draft picks. The immediate future, however, will continue to feature a team that will struggle to break .500.
Read More http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/12/18/rajon-rondo-traded/sDkGGBPe9zG7pykywZFWWJ/story.html

American Sniper

"Do you ever think you’ve seen things or done things that you wish you hadn’t?" goes the new trailer for "American Sniper." For those who haven’t, the two-minute sizzle reel is happy to oblige.
Starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, considered one of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, "American Sniper" jumps back and forth between military operations and the marine’s life back at home. He struggles on both fronts. The film costars Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman, Luke Grimes, Navid Negahban and Keir O’Donnell, but seems to entrench itself inside Kyle’s mind as he navigates his noble and peculiar life.
The film comes from Clint Eastwood, the man behind such war pictures as "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters from Iwo Jima," and "Jersey Boys" (maybe that last one just felt that way). The film earned lackluster reviews out of its AFI Fest premiere — our own Drew McWeeny praised Cooper but found Eastwood’s direction underwhelming, calling "American Sniper" a "perfunctory tribute to a man who seems to have lived an anything-but-perfunctory life" — and wound up without any nominations when the Golden Globes rolled around, a snub considering the talent involved. Could "American Sniper" play better to audiences outside Hollywood? That was the case for "Lone Survivor," which overcame negative reviews to gross $125 million at the box office.
Check out the new trailer for "American Sniper" above, which amps up the bombast and splashes the picture with dizzying critic quotes.

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/new-american-sniper-trailer-swells-with-action-music-and-praise-filled-quotes#I4YrqZQ2KeJjZKR1.99

Wassily Kandinsky at 148: a revolutionary Google Doodle star

The great abstract artist’s paintings are spiritual symphonies that reveal hidden truths and speak directly to our senses and feelings

Launelinie, 1927, by Wassily Kandinsky. Photograph: Christie’s Images/Corbis

The fascinating thing about Wassily Kandinsky, whose 148th birthday has got him a Google Doodle today, is how seriously and carefully he evolved from figurative painting to abstract art. Kandinsky did not become an abstract painter lightly. He reached abstraction in a strenuous, thoughtful way that gives his art huge authority.
In his early expressionist paintings villages glow in radiant colours. These landscapes pulse with wild chromatic splendour that resembles the freedom of the fauves. In fact Kandinsky’s expressive landscapes are already partly abstract, in their use of colour. This innovation, that started with the French fauves and was rapidly adopted by the German expressionists, was the first, huge step towards abstraction in 20th-century art. But the wild colours enflaming art in the early years of the century still portray a very recognisable world. Kandinsky took it a revolutionary step further by reaching a logical conclusion – what if painting were pure colour? What if it created its own imaginary world, like the world of a symphony?

Yellow-Red-Blue, 1925, by Wassily Kandinsky. Photograph: Burstein Collection/Corbis

Like symphonies, Kandinsky’s great abstract paintings speak directly to our senses and feelings. Their constellations of mysterious marks are like waves of sound that trigger emotions. For him, the world they pointed towards was a spiritual realm, a hidden truth.
Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian both build cathedrals of the mind in their abstract art – silent cities of spiritual calm. That mystical impulse is connected to mathematics, and in Kandinsky this means a deep consciousness of structure. If his paintings have the expressive colour of Van Gogh’s Starry Night they also have the classical clarity of Poussin.
There is a true grandeur to his concept of painting, and a sense of truth. Whatever we think about his spiritualist beliefs, the result is an art that is at once purely abstract and plainly rooted in a deep feel for the nature of things. A profound, paradoxical and rich achievement. Kandinsky intuits the cosmic complexity of modern physics. His art can be set alongside today’s images of the fabric of the universe.
None of this makes Kandinsky an easy artist.
It makes him a great one.
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http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/dec/16/wassily-kandinsky-148-google-doodle

Cutler, Bears look completely lost as Saints take first place in NFC South

Photo: Brian Kersey/Getty Images

Coming into their Monday night matchup at Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints were dealing with various levels of dysfunction. Aaron Kromer, Chicago's offensive coordinator and New Orleans' former assistant coach from 2008 through 2012, told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport that the team had a case of "buyer's remorse" regarding the seven-year, $126.7 million deal with $54 million guaranteed that quarterback Jay Cutler agreed to in the offseason. That led to a tearful apology to the team and to Cutler, and rumors that Kromer might be headed out the door. Kromer was retained, though after the results of Monday night's game, he may have wished he was job-hunting.
• Catch up on the NFL action in Week 15 with SI.com's news and features
Meanwhile, Saints head coach Sean Payton reacted to his team's 41-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 7 by having meetings with several players and making corresponding roster adjustments. Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan have had it out on the sidelines this season, and New Orleans' 31st-ranked defense (per Football Outsiders, only the Falcons are worse on that side of the ball) has been the cause.
Both of these teams came into this game with 5-8 records, but with different levels of motivation. While the Bears' season has been over for a while, the Saints were angling for first place in the NFL South, this year's version of which may very well be the worst division in NFL history.
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http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/12/15/saints-bears-jay-cutler-drew-brees-nfc-south-nfc-north

Lions' Waddle out for season with knee injury

Detroit Lions tackle LaAdrian Waddle is injured against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014.(Photo: Paul Sancya Associated Press)

Detroit Lions right tackle LaAdrian Waddle's injury-riddled season is over.
Waddle suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee in Sunday's 16-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings and will miss the remainder of the year.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell would not divulge details of Waddle's injury at his news conference today, but he acknowledged, "It doesn't look good."
The Lions plan to place Waddle, who should be ready by the start of 2015 training camp, on season-ending injured reserve.
"That's a big loss," center Dominic Raiola said Sunday. "That's our guy out there. It sucks for him, and we're going to hurt for him. But we're totally confident in (Cornelius Lucas). He's had game experience this year. We look at him as a starter. He goes out there and he transforms into the starter. I'm happy for him, for his opportunity. It sucks for L.A."
Lucas, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas State, will take over as starting right tackle for the 10-4 Lions, who can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Chicago Bears this weekend.
Lucas has started one game at left tackle this year, in place of Riley Reiff, and has filled in several times for Waddle on the right side.
Waddle got hurt on the Lions' third-quarter field goal drive Sunday, when a Vikings defender rolled into his leg. He couldn't put any weight on the leg as he stood up and was carted off the field.
Waddle also has missed time with two concussions, calf and ankle injuries this year. His backup, Corey Hilliard, was lost to a foot injury in Week 1.
Note: Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is among eight finalists for the NFL's new Sportsmanship Award. Also among the finalists are Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald; linebackers Thomas Davis of Carolina and Chad Greenway of Minnesota; safety Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh; defensive end DeMarcus Ware of Denver; quarterback Alex Smith of Kansas City; and special teams ace Matthew Slater of New England. A panel of former players — Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Warrick Dunn, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler — selected the finalists from 32 nominees, one from each team. The winner will be determined by a vote of current NFL players and announced during the "NFL Honors" program Jan. 31.
Read More   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2014/12/15/laadrian-waddle-injury-detroit-lions/20435065/

A State-by-State Look at Exchanges As Obamacare Deadline Looms

Some states have extended their deadlines, but report solid enrollment outcomes. 

Applicants fill out paperwork during a health care enrollment fair at the Bay Area Rescue Mission on March 31, 2014 in Richmond, Calif. Just over 177,000 people applied for health care in California last year.

As the Dec. 15 deadline for signing up for health insurance under Obamacare closes, states are reporting an increase in their enrollment numbers, and some have decided to give consumers more time to pick a health plan. Although Americans have until Feb. 15 to enroll without paying a tax penalty, any applications completed in most states after 3 a.m. – or midnight Pacific time Dec. 15 – will not kick in Jan. 1, 2015, but will instead activated during the following month.
“For the uninsured – many of whom have gone for years without coverage – that means this is the last opportunity to sign up in time to start the new year with the peace of mind that comes with health insurance,” says Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, a non-profit grassroots organization that helps inform and enroll Americans in health plans.
Under the Affordable Care Act, every American must purchase health insurance or pay a tax penalty. Most Americans have coverage through employers, while seniors are covered by Medicare and low-income residents are covered by Medicaid. Those who fall into the gap – such as small-business owners or self-employed Americans – can buy private, government-subsidized health insurance through online marketplaces or exchanges.
Healthcare.gov isn't the site every American can use – there are separate websites for the District of Columbia and 13 states. Open enrollment, the three-month period during which people can sign up for insurance, began Nov. 15 and will last until Feb. 15. There are some variations in deadlines by state. New York, for instance, has extended its deadline to Dec. 20. Other states announced extensions late Monday.
With some exceptions, most people who enrolled in the marketplaces last year will be automatically re-enrolled in coverage by Monday, and those who do not make changes to their old plan likely will see increases in their premium costs. About 70 percent of those who take the time to shop again on the marketplaces could get a cheaper deal, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

[READ: Obamacare Premiums Will Rise, But Officials Optimistic About Site Fixes]
For 37 states, Healthcare.gov is the go-to website for low- and middle-income Americans to enroll in health insurance. The site, currently in its second year, is now experiencing little if any of the glitches that marked its 2013 debut. Nearly 1.4 million Americans have signed up for new insurance or renewed it through Healthcare.gov, meaning they all will have coverage beginning in the new year. Health and government officials have said they are pleased with this year’s enrollment effort.
“Compared to the rough start last year, the experience this year is like night and day,” Filipic says. “The website is more stable, and thanks to a streamlined application, many consumers are able to complete the process with far fewer clicks than during the first open enrollment period.”
The Department of Health and Human Services projects that as many as 9.9 million will enroll in the marketplace this year, a lower estimate than the Congressional Budget Office had projected. Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, tweeted Monday that if history repeats itself, a flooding in enrollment would occur Monday, but that an even bigger one was likely during the first couple of weeks of February.
The federal health agency did not release individual state enrollment numbers, and will not do so until next year, but U.S. News surveyed all 13 individual states and the District of Columbia exchanges to view the progress of each.
California: More than 290,000 new consumers submitted applications and were determined eligible for private health insurance or Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, in the early weeks of open enrollment, Covered California and the California Department of Health Care Services announced Wednesday. Last year’s enrollment and applications after a month totaled just over 177,000.
The site has suffered some glitches, including one Friday that accidentally diverted some consumers to Medi-Cal who qualified for private plans. The agency said it was aware of the problem and was making sure that those who enrolled on time would still be covered, reported UT San Diego.
Colorado: The state's website, Connect for Health Colorado, announced Thursday that 24,811 individuals and families have signed up for private health insurance coverage. About one-third are customers new to the marketplace and the rest are customers re-enrolling in coverage for 2015. In addition, 3,642 Coloradans have enrolled in dental insurance.
The Denver Post reported in early December that some customers were being booted from the site, and agents from the marketplace said they were aware of the issue and working to fix it.
Read More http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/12/15/a-state-by-state-look-at-exchanges-as-obamacare-deadline-looms

 

 

 

 

Kelly Clarkson and mother-in-law Reba McEntire sing 'Fancy'

Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson perform at the American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center on Dec. 15 in Nashville.

How fancy. Near the end of Miranda Lambert and Kelly Clarkson's tribute medley to Reba McEntire during Fox's inaugural American Country Countdown Awards, McEntire strolled to center stage and joined them to perform her '90s smash cover of "Fancy."

See also: Kelly Clarkson Turns Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' Into Soulful Church Song

The Monday night event in Nashville honored McEntire with the NASH Icon Award for her influence on country music. Clarkson, who has been McEntire's daughter-in-law since 2013, and Lambert sang "How Blue" and "Take It Back" before McEntire capped the medley.
Ten more awards were doled out, including Collaboration of the Year and Digital Song of the Year to show hosts Florida Georgia Line for "This Is How We Roll" featuring Luke Bryan.

• Artist of the Year: Jason Aldean
• Male Vocalist: Luke Bryan
• Female Vocalist: Miranda Lambert
• Group/Duo: Florida Georgia Line
• Song: "Beat of the Music," Brett Eldredge
• Collaboration: "This Is How We Roll," Florida Georgia Line / Luke Bryan
• Album: The Outsiders, Eric Church
• Digital Song: "This Is How We Roll," Florida Georgia Line / Luke Bryan
• Breakthrough Artist (fan-voted): Kip Moore
• Groundbreaker Award: Kenny Chesney

Read More http://mashable.com/2014/12/16/kelly-clarkson-reba-mcentire-fancy/

Dottino’s Game Balls, Gassers: Odell Beckham Jr. Playing Out Of His Mind

Odell Beckham Jr. catches a 30-year touchdown strike that was nullified due to penalty in the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium on December 14, 2014. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

By Paul Dottino
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OK, take a breath. If you haven’t been paying attention for the past two months – Giants rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr. really is THAT good.
His record-breaking performance in the 24-13 victory over the Washington Redskins came on a day when the rest of the team’s offense (287 total yards) really couldn’t get any momentum going, requiring him to be a one-man show.
And he wasn’t the only eye-opener: the Giants set a franchise record by registering at least seven sacks in a game for the third consecutive week.
And the Giants recovered an onside kick for the second time this season – they first did so against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11. In this game, the unusual third-quarter kickoff came from the opponents’ 35, thanks to a double-penalty against Washington (more on that in a second).
And Redskins QB Robert Griffin III had an apparent touchdown at the end of the first half taken away when the replay correctly showed he was juggling the ball as he crossed the goal line on a run to the right corner. Angry WR Santana Moss protested the overturned score and drew two separate unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for inappropriate language toward the referees, setting up the unique second-half kickoff at the Washington 35.
GAME BALLS
Offense-WR Odell Beckham Jr. The stats ALMOST tell it all: 12 catches for 143 yards and three TDs. What they don’t show is that he had a fourth touchdown grab – for 30 yards – nullified by RT Justin Pugh’s fourth-quarter holding penalty. The 12 catches are second-most by a WR in team history and made him the sixth Giant to catch that many passes in a game. (Tiki Barber had 13 in January 2000.) In his 10th game, Beckham set a team rookie record with 972 receiving yards for the season. Beckham also became the first-ever Giants rookie to catch three TD passes in a game.
Defense-CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Sure, the Giants’ seven sacks were impressive, but DRC made the most important defensive play of the game when he tracked down WR Andre Roberts from behind on a 61-yard catch-and-run with 6:19 left in the third and the game tied at 10. Griffin beat the Giants on a blitz, firing a strike to Roberts over the middle as S Antrel Rolle took a bad angle. Roberts appeared to have a clear path to the end zone – but DRC took off and somehow closed on him to make the stop at the Giants 28. The Redskins settled for a 38-yard field goal and a 13-10 lead.
Special teams-CB Chandler Fenner. At the start of the third quarter, he recovered the onside kick at the Redskins 17 – after three other Giants missed their chance to grab the ball. The Giants only managed Josh Brown’s 32-yard field goal, but it tied the game at 10.
GASSERS
Offense-RT Justin Pugh. Pugh’s holding penalty — albeit a quick tug on OLB Ryan Kerrigan’s shoulders that often gets overlooked — wiped out a Beckham touchdown. Enough said.
Defense-S Antrel Rolle. His misplay on the Andre Roberts catch nearly cost the Giants’ defense a touchdown. And one play before Griffin’s controversial juggling TD attempt, Rolle reached up and was unable to hold an interception, allowing TE Jordan Reed (who was behind him) to knock away an underthRown ball in the left corner of the end zone.
Special teams-TE Adrien Robinson, S Stevie Brown and LB Spencer Paysinger. Each of them reached for the onside kickoff to start the second half, but had the ball squirm away. Lucky for them, crawling teammate Chandler Fenner was able to cover it.e
Read More
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/12/15/dottinos-game-balls-gassers-odell-beckham-jr-playing-out-of-his-mind/

Dez Bryant carries Cowboys past Eagles and closer to the playoffs

Seven times this season, the Cowboys have ventured out onto the road. All seven times, they've won.
Their latest victory away from home was by far their most important: A 38-27 win over the Eagles, a result that hands Dallas first place in the NFC East with two weeks left. To finish the job and win the division, Jerry Jones' team likely will need to figure out how to be as successful back in Big D. Dallas is 3-4 at home and hosts Indianapolis next week.
A win there and another in Week 17 at Washington and the East belongs to the 'Boys.
• NFL Week 15 Coverage Hub | NFL Playoff Picture after Week 15
Just five teams in NFL history have posted perfect 8-0 road marks in the regular season: the 2007 Patriots, '01 Rams and three 49ers squads (1984, '89 and '90). Four of those teams made it to the Super Bowl.
Is a historic finish like that in the cards for the 2014 Cowboys? Time will tell, but they moved a lot closer to the possibility with Sunday's performance.
Three thoughts on the game:
1. Dez Bryant does it again
All professional athletes, even the most soft-spoken of them, must carry some measure of bravado to succeed at the highest level. So there are few worse feelings for a player than when he simply gets outmatched by an opponent.
That's the reality Philadelphia cornerback Bradley Fletcher had to deal with on Sunday night, as he watched Dez Bryant run circles around him for three touchdown catches. By the time Bryant hauled down that third score, Fletcher wore a glazed, almost emotionless look on his face. There was nothing he could do to slow down Dez.
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http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/12/15/dez-bryant-dallas-cowboys-tony-romo-philadelphia-eagles-mark-sanchez-nfc-east

Green Bay Packers might have lost chance at NFC's top seed

The Packers have had a lot of home games lately, so we’ve gotten used to seeing Aaron Rodgers play just about perfect football.
The Packers, however, are not the same team on the road. And now, they’re in danger of having to go on the road in the playoffs.

Green Bay dropped a low-scoring 21-13 game to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Packers’ offense just never showed up. That’s a big result for the NFC playoff picture, and in particular for whoever wins the NFC West. The 11-3 Arizona Cardinals have a one-game lead over the Packers now. The Seahawks were alive for the No. 1 seed, but they had to win out and take the division title from Arizona, and have the Packers take a loss. They got that Packers loss.
The Packers don’t have an inside track for the No. 1 seed anymore, because of a poor offensive game against a pretty good Bills defense (don’t forget, Peyton Manning didn’t throw a touchdown pass against them last week, either).
Rodgers was uncharacteristically off. Dropped passes didn’t help. Green Bay had six of them. The worst one came in the third quarter when the normally reliable Jordy Nelson just dropped what would have been a 94-yard touchdown. That’s the kind of day it was.
A long Nelson touchdown would have made Rodgers’ numbers look better, and the Packers might have won. But Rodgers didn’t play well. He was 17-of-42 yards for 185 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. It was shocking to see him be off, considering how good he had been. And given one final shot, deep in Green Bay territory trailing 19-13 just inside of the two-minute warning, Rodgers was stripped of the ball by defensive end Mario Williams and the Bills had a game-clinching safety. With Tom Brady and J.J. Watt playing well in Sunday victories on Sunday as MVP voting nears, maybe Rodgers cost himself in that race too.
The road for the Packers gets tougher now. The NFC North race isn’t over, although it would likely take the Lions winning at Lambeau Field in Week 17 to put the Packers into the wild-card race. But given how well the Packers have played, the NFC North wasn’t the goal. Winning the NFC and the Super Bowl was. And if the Packers have to go on the road, especially to Seattle (we all remember the Thursday night season opener), it is a much bigger challenge than doing it from home, where they seem unbeatable.
That cheer you heard? It came from Arizona and Seattle. Whoever wins the division among them might not have to go freeze in Wisconsin in January.
Read more http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/green-bay-packers-might-have-lost-chance-at-nfc-s-top-seed-212004404.html

Sydney siege ends as police raid cafe

Sydney  -- [Breaking news update at 12:14 p.m.]

Australian special forces and police stormed the Lindt cafe in Sydney early Tuesday from two directions, and the hostage-taker was shot and killed, a national security source in the United States told CNN. There were at least nine people in the building at the time, the source said. The gunman was wearing a thick black vest and law enforcement was concerned it could contain explosives, the source said. An ordnance team cleared the building and checked the gunman, the source said. No information was given on whether any explosives were found.

[Previous story, posted at 11:26 a.m.]

 -- Australian police stormed the cafe where a self-styled Muslim cleric had been holding hostages early Tuesday, ending a crisis that had shut down central Sydney for hours.

"Sydney siege is over." New South Wales police announced on Twitter. "More details to follow."

Police have not commented on casualties in the raid, but Australian media reported that some people may have died and others may have been injured. Police have not disclosed the fate of the gunman, identified by an official with direct knowledge of the situation as Man Haron Monis. It was unknown if any police were injured.

Hundreds of police officers, including snipers, surrounded the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Sydney's central business district shortly after the gunman took over the building at 10 a.m. Monday (6 p.m. ET on Sunday).

Chilling images from Australian media on Monday showed people, believed to be hostages, with their hands pressed against the cafe's windows. They were holding up a black flag with Arabic writing on it reading, "There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God."

Five hostages sprinted out of the cafe toward heavily armed police officers several hours into the standoff, sending the gunman into an agitated tirade, according to an Australian reporter.

Chris Reason, a correspondent for CNN affiliate Seven Network, said the gunman became "extremely agitated" when he realized what had happened and "started screaming orders" at the remaining hostages.

Reason said he could see the gunman pacing past the cafe's windows from his vantage point at the network's nearby offices. He described the man as unshaven, wearing a white shirt and black cap and carrying a shotgun.

Read more 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/15/world/asia/australia-sydney-hostage-situation/