Hot Trends: 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' Live Stream — Watch It Online

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/dick-clarks-new-years-rockin-eve-ryan-seacrest-lead.jpg?w=600" width="100%"/><br/><br />Who's ready for a countdown? The New Year's Eve celebration is coming to you live from Times Square, and with performances from Miley Cyrus, Florida Georgia Line, and more, it's going to be the perfect way to say goodbye to 2013. Watch all the action below!<br/><br />Haven't you heard that how you spend New Year's Eve determines how your entire year is going to be? Well don't worry, we've got you covered. <strong>Miley Cyrus</strong>, <strong>Ariana Grande</strong>, <strong>Florida Georgia Line</strong> and many more are all coming together for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, and you can watch the whole thing right here! 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' Live Stream - Watch The Show Online<br/><br /><strong>Dick Clark</strong>'s New Year's show, which has been going on since 1972, has a little something for everyone. Hosted by <strong>Ryan Seacrest</strong> and <strong>Jenny McCarthy</strong>, the celebration will feature globe-spanning performances. Miley Cyruswill be on hand in Times Square, twerking for all the partygoers to see.<br/><br />And in between live performances in NYC, the show will be cutting to concert performances from <strong>Billy Joel</strong> in Brooklyn and Florida Georgia Linein Atlanta.<br/><br />But there's no East Coast bias here. Three hours after the ball drops in NYC, the extravaganza will move to Los Angeles. That portion of the show will be hosted by <strong>Fergie</strong> and will be just as high-flying as part one of the festivities. Ariana Grandewill headline and be joined by <strong>Jason Derulo</strong>, <strong>Fall Out Boy</strong>, <strong>Robin Thicke</strong>, <strong>Jennifer Hudson</strong>, and <strong>Enrique Iglesias</strong>.<br/><br />It's going to be one huge celebration, and lucky for you, you don't have to cram into Times Square for a thousand hours to enjoy it! All you have to do is tune in here starting at 10 p.m. ET! <strong>- Andrew Gruttadaro</strong>Follow @AndrewGruttMore New Year's Eve News: New Year's Eve Outfits - What To Wear When You Ring In 2014 Karrueche Tran & Chris Brown's New Year's Eve Plans Miley Cyrus Invites Kellan Lutz For New Year's Eve Concert</div>

Hot Trends: 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' Live Stream — Watch It Online

Who's ready for a countdown? The New Year's Eve celebration is coming to you live from Times Square, and with performances from Miley Cyrus, Florida Georgia Line, and more, it's going to be the perfect way to say goodbye to 2013. Watch all the action below!Haven't you heard that how you spend New Ye…

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Hot Trends: What The Secondary Ticket Market Tells Us About How Long Billy Joel's ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />When Billy Joel announced his open-ended residency at Madison Square Garden, it was an unprecedented arrangement that effectively made him the house band for the World's Most Famous Arena. With a capacity of 19,500, that kind of commitment has big financial implications, as well as opportunity cost. Starting in January, he'll be putting on one show a month for "as long as the audience demands." Joel has already set a record for the most consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in 2006, with twelve. Given that precedent, we decided to look at the prices and availability of Billy Joel Tickets residency and see if that offers some guidance about how long the run might last.<br/><br />When the residency was announced earlier this month, five shows were scheduled. An additional four have been added since. Based on the secondary market for tickets, his sixth show on June 21 ^st is the most expensive. At an average price of $572, or 509% above the $112.50 average price for tickets directly from the box office. While Ticketmaster.com does have some availability for the first eight shows, they are all single tickets. The only show with pairs available is the September 7 ^th show, which means that MSG isn't having any trouble filling seats. <img height="300" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/jesselawrence/files/2013/12/Screen-Shot-2013-12-31-at-11.29.32-AM.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />The average price trend on the Secondary market, however, may give us some guidance for how long the run could last. While the sixth show, in the peak of the summer concert season, is the most expensive, the eighth and ninth show have an average price decline of 39.8% and 29.7% respectively from that peak. Despite that drop, the cheapest show is still 328% above the average face price, which means that demand is outstripping supply significantly. If you're wondering whether tickets are cheaper just because the event is so far off, it's actually the opposite. In the ticket world, with a very few exceptions, ticket prices drop as the event gets closer. Tickets are after all, a perishable asset, and if the broker is left holding one when the event starts, it's worth nothing. As a result, they tend to keep prices high when the event is farther out and less people are actually buying. As the event gets closer, and they get nervous about getting stuck with tickets, prices get lowered. BCS National Championship tickets are case and point. Over the last week, the average price for the biggest game in college football is down 26%. With over 7,500 tickets still left on the market, those prices are likely to drop further. In the context of Billy Joel, the first four concerts have dropped by an average of 34% over the last week, while the last four shows have had an average price increase of 7% over the last week. All this is to say that brokers will keep prices as high as they can for as long as they can. Below is a chart from our data analytics platform of the price (gray area) and quantity (blue line) for the BCS title game since October. <img height="300" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/jesselawrence/files/2013/12/BCSChart.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Regardless of what's happening on the secondary market, from Madison Square Garden's perspective, as long as people are paying more for the ticket than face price there's demand to continue to run. If we assume that that there is a 30% drop in demand for every nine shows, by the 36 ^th show, the average price on the secondary market would be around $130, or $18 above the face price- marked by the red line below. That's the point at which Madison Square Garden and Joel will likely decide to wind down, as there's nothing sadder, or less financially viable, than a Piano Man playing to an empty house. <img height="300" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/jesselawrence/files/2013/12/Screen-Shot-2013-12-31-at-11.30.08-AM.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Of course, it's also possible that the percentage decline begins to accelerate after say 18 shows, which could mean that the run shuts down at around show 25. After 18 shows, a total of 351,000 tickets would have been sold to the run. That's just about in line with the number of people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that like Billy Joel according to Facebook's advertising audience segmentation tool. Of course, that doesn't factor in the 50 million people that come to visit New York every year as tourists, many of whom are looking to get into a New York State of Mind. Cher is evidence of the power of tourism to sustain a residency. She played over 200 shows at the 4,100-person Coliseum At Caesars Palace and demand for Cher tickets didn't let up. Tourist traffic should be enough to carry the Piano Man past 30. There's also another factor that will come into play when it's announced that the run is coming to an end: scarcity. When it becomes clear that the open-ended run is coming a close, people will surely be rushing back to see the Piano Man one last time, which could mean another 5-10 shows, and a run that lasts into the forties.</div>

Hot Trends: What The Secondary Ticket Market Tells Us About How Long Billy Joel's ...

When Billy Joel announced his open-ended residency at Madison Square Garden, it was an unprecedented arrangement that effectively made him the house band for the World's Most Famous Arena. With a capacity of 19,500, that kind of commitment has big financial implications, as well as opportunity cost.…

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Hot Trends: Happy New Year 2014: Quotes And INFOGRAPHIC

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />2013 has been quite the interesting year both in the world at large, and in the financial world.<br/><br />In just few minutes, people all over the globe will ring in the new year in a variety of ways. Cultures have their own distinct ways of honoring the old year and celebrating the new one, but some themes remain constant, such as reflection, celebration, and a sense of community. Here's a look at what we're doing for New Year's all over the world. <img height="300" src="http://ify.valuewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/New-Year.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br />New Year (2014) Quotes<br/><br />"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words awaits another voice." - T.S. Eliot<br/><br />"A new year was a chance to start over. Maybe even, just maybe, there would be a peace on earth for one entire day." - Dorothea Benton Frank<br/><br />"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties." Helen Keller<br/><br />"I have no way of knowing how people really feel, but the vast majority of those I meet couldn't be nicer. Every once in a while someone barks at me. My New Year's resolution is not to bark back." - Tucker Carlson<br/><br />"If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am." - Cyril Cusack<br/><br />"If you are young and you drink a great deal it will spoil your health, slow your mind, make you fat - in other words, turn you into an adult." - P. J. O'Rourke<br/><br />"Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed." - Cavett Robert<br/><br />"First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." - F. Scott Fitzgerald<br/><br />"Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word." - Goran Persson<br/><br />"All of us every single year, we're a different person. I don't think we're the same person all our lives." - Steven Spielberg New Year (2014) Infographic<br/><br />New Year is marked as a beginning of the fresh New Year or calendar year. Celebrations of New Year take place in all over the world. In Toronto, 'concerts' and 'late night parties' are held at Niagara Falls. People of Mexico, 'decorate their homes' and 'wear clothes' in four colors like 'Red' for lifestyleand love, 'Yellow' for employment conditions, 'Green' for financial circumstances and 'White' for health. While, in European countries like Belgium, New Year's Eve is called as 'Sint Sylvester Vooravond' or 'Oudjaar'. In Austria, all TV and Radio operated by ORF telecasts the sound of 'Pummerin' in Vienna. Pummerin is a bell of St. Stephen's Cathedral. <img height="300" src="http://ify.valuewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/New-Year-Infographic.jpg" width="100%"/><br/></div>

Hot Trends: Happy New Year 2014: Quotes And INFOGRAPHIC

2013 has been quite the interesting year both in the world at large, and in the financial world.In just few minutes, people all over the globe will ring in the new year in a variety of ways. Cultures have their own distinct ways of honoring the old year and celebrating the new one, but some themes r…

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Hot Trends: Ann Cannon: Wishes from Christmases past, resolutions for a new year

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=T8TxjV1e5DHopLm6vRwfFc%24daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYsQQHj2dQqq1T3awdPwgo5QWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF%249l%244uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_CryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&amp;CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />I always take down my Christmas tree on New Year's Day. It seems like an excellent way to say goodbye to the old year and hello to a new one. It also gives me a chance to handle my favorite ornaments one last time before I pack them away.<br/><br />There's the vintage elf, for instance, that hung on the Christmas trees my mother decorated when I was growing up. And the gold paper stars festooned with macaroni noodles my boys made when they were in grade school. And the candy cane horses my grandmother gave us before she passed away.<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/assets/images/newsite/button_print.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />But the ones I treasure the most are the sappy satin ornaments my husband and I bought at Hallmark stores to commemorate the birth of another tiny son. They say sappy Hallmark things like "joy comes into your heart when a Baby Boy comes into your world" or "a Baby Boy is a bundle of pleasure to fill every day with love beyond measure." And of course, the ornaments bear the dates of our kids' births: 1980, 1984, 1986, 1990 and 1993.<br/><br />I love these ornaments because they remind me of Christmases past when my husband and I held babies in our arms and made bright plans for their futures - we would read them "Goodnight Moon" and teach them to ride bikes and swim in the ocean and play catch with them on the front lawn. We would encourage them to be good students so they would go on to college and - who knows - maybe change the world one day.<br/><br />We were no different from other young parents, of course. Who doesn't look at the years ahead and hope for a child's happiness and success?<br/><br />And now here comes the part where I state the obvious: Things don't always turn out the way we want or expect them to where our children are concerned, right?<br/><br />This year my friend's teenage daughter announced to her parents that she was pregnant. Of all the plans she had made for her daughter, this certainly wasn't one of them. But this friend, along with her husband, made a commitment to respond to their daughter with love and support as they all traveled together down an unexpected and difficult road.<br/><br />What took my friend by surprise was how many middle-aged women approached her, saying they had been in the same situation when they were teenagers, too. But their experience was that instead of being buoyed by the kindness of family and friends, they were cast off - emotionally, spiritually, sometimes even physically. They were often pressured to make decisions they didn't want to make for the sake of appearances. They were shamed. And that isolating sense of shame changed everything about their futures, often causing them to cut off contact with their families and to leave their faith communities.<br/><br />At the beginning of another new year, I'm writing this column at the request of my friend, who says she feels heartsick for the women who have shared their stories of abandonment with her. She wants to remind parents that as hurt and disappointed and blind-sided as they may be by a child's situation, it is always better to reach out with love instead of with bitterness and anger.<br/><br />Resolved.</div>

Hot Trends: Ann Cannon: Wishes from Christmases past, resolutions for a new year

I always take down my Christmas tree on New Year's Day. It seems like an excellent way to say goodbye to the old year and hello to a new one. It also gives me a chance to handle my favorite ornaments one last time before I pack them away.There's the vintage elf, for instance, that hung on the Christ…

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Hot Trends: Compile a Personal 'Best Of' Video From Your 2013 Instagram Posts with ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2013/12/memostatigram_blog.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Maybe you thought year-end 'best-of' lists were only for desperate journalists trying to survive the holiday news doldrums or news agencies looking to wow you with the photographs they compiled over the course of the year. Au contraire.<br/><br />Instagram tracking service Statigram has a nifty new service that compiles a short video from the five most popular photos in your Instagram account over the past year. Just like the big photographers do... more or less.<br/><br />The only catch is that you'll need to connect your Instagram account to Statigram, but that's not such a bad thing. The account will provide you with all sorts of valuable metrics on your Instagram use and traffic, which are particularly useful if you're using Instagram to promote a business. <img height="300" src="http://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2013/12/ScreenHunter_277-Dec.-31-09.51.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Once you've signed up, you just have to look for the invitation to compile a "best of 2013″ clip. Statigram will do the analyzing and, after a little bit of time, mail you the completed video.<br/><br />You'll then need to add the clip to your Instagram feed and consider adding the #memostatigram hashtag, currently attached to about 129,000 clips showing everything from honest-to-God art to remarkably duplicative selfies.<br/><br />Try it yourself for a quick and cool addition to your New Year's routine or browse through some of those 129,000 clips by clicking here.<br/><br />(via Statigram via Mashable)</div>

Hot Trends: Compile a Personal 'Best Of' Video From Your 2013 Instagram Posts with ...

Maybe you thought year-end 'best-of' lists were only for desperate journalists trying to survive the holiday news doldrums or news agencies looking to wow you with the photographs they compiled over the course of the year. Au contraire.Instagram tracking service Statigram has a nifty new service tha…

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Hot Trends: What the hell is a 'quenelle'? Why everyone is searching Google for an anti ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.566055.1388439982!/image/2056408385.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_640/2056408385.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />French striker Nicolas Anelka performs the 'quenelle' after scoring a goal. Photo by AFP<br/><br />It's a word that most of us had never heard until this week. Quenelle: a word that sounds like it could be a sophisticated French pastry or obscure breed of exotic bird, or perhaps the latest bizarre celebrity name for a child.<br/><br />On Monday, it was the third-most-searched-for term on Google.<br/><br />As those who did not spend their winter holidays unplugged and are up on the latest online scandals know by now, a quenelle is a gesture that is getting a whole lot of famous people into a lot of trouble. At first glance, it looked innocent enough, and it was hard to see what all the fuss was about. To American eyes, it looks like someone with bad aim is trying to strike the pose of the pledge of allegiance with one hand, while the other arm is somehow paralyzed.<br/><br />Unfortunately, that's far from the true meaning.<br/><br />The word began its journey to becoming infamous last Saturday when a French soccer star Nicolas Anelka who plays for the British team West Bromwich Albion made the gesture in celebration of a goal at a game - and an outcry ensued. He claims that it is merely an 'anti-establishment' gesture popularized by his comedian friend. Others disagreed sharply. On the same day Valerie Fourneyron, France's sports minister tweeted: "Anelka's gesture is a shocking, disgusting provocation. No place for anti-Semitism and incitement to hatred on the football field." A host of other leaders and Jewish groups also protested strongly against the gesture, even asking that Anelka be banned from the field for making a salute "created by a well-known extreme anti-Semite who has displayed his hatred of Jews, mocked the Holocaust and Jewish suffering."<br/><br />And so thousands of us turned to Google in an attempt to figure out exactly what was going on. How bad was this bizarre gesture? Is it merely a rebellious version of the international sign for F--- Y--? Or indeed a subtle way to give a "Heil Hitler" without getting in trouble? This explanation just seemed so illogical. Why would celebrities of African origin embrace a Nazi salute? Do they not understand that Hitler was no fan of dark-skinned folks?<br/><br />The BBC went with this definition:<br/><br />"It is the trademark of the hugely controversial French comedian Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala, who once said he would like to put a quenelle - a rugby-ball-shaped serving of fish or meat paste - up the backside of Zionists."(I read this and thought - Aha - fish or meat paste! I knew it sounded like some kind of food group!)<br/><br />The BBC continued: "Dieudonne made the gesture when he headed his own anti-Zionist campaign in the European elections in 2009. French media trace it further back, to one of his performances in 2005. It came to greater prominence in September when two soldiers were photographed appearing to make the gesture outside a Paris synagogue. There are thousands of examples posted online, some at sensitive sites such as the Auschwitz death camp, and Dieudonne fans can be seen repeating it outside his theatre."<br/><br />Not satisfied with one source, I went to the ultimate authority of our time - Wikipedia. There were two listings for "quenelle." Their description of the dish known as " quenelle" was slightly more appetizing than that of the BBC - "a mixture of creamed fish, chicken, or meat, sometimes combined with breadcrumbs, with a light egg binding...The word quenelle is derived from the German Knödel (noodle or dumpling).Quenelle may also refer to a food item made into an oval or egg shape, such as ice cream, sorbet, or mashed potato quenelles."The Wikipedia description of the quenelle gesture was harder to stomach: "a gesture which is performed by pointing one arm diagonally downwards, while touching that arm's shoulder with the opposite hand. French political activist and comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala is credited with creating and popularizing the gesture, which he first used publicly in 2009 while campaigning as a candidate for the 2009 European Parliament elections at the head of an " anti-Zionist" list.<br/><br />While Dieudonné says the quenelle is "an anti-establishment gesture," it takes the appearance of a Nazi salute in reverse, and critics describe it as an expression of anti semitism. In France, displaying Nazi symbols is illegal if done to cause offense, and the quenelle is viewed by some as an underhanded manner of expressing hatred for Jews without inviting legal prosecution.The negative intent of the gesture, they say, is further underlined by Dieudonné's history of anti-Semitic remarks and racial hatred convictions.The location of a number of photographed quenelle salutes in front of prominent Holocaust landmarks and Jewish institutions further suggests the prejudicial nature of the gesture."<br/><br />According to an expert interviewed in the French newspaper Liberation and cited widely, Jean-Yves Camus, the quenelle salute has become the focus of a "broad movement that is anti-system and prone to conspiracy theories, but which has anti-Semitism as its backbone"with a "conviction is that there is a world order dominated by Washington and Tel Aviv," he said. "Behind speeches that are critical of NATO and global finance, and supportive of [Syrian President] Bashar Assad and [late Venezuelan president] Hugo Chavez, there is the underlying conviction that it is the Jews who are pulling all the strings.<br/><br />Presumably, the sense that they are rebelling against some grand conspiracy against the evil Zionist world order - that they are 'sticking it to the man' is what puts that mischievous little twinkle in the eyes of those making the "upside-down" Nazi salute in selfies online.<br/><br />After turning Europe upside down, the quenelle controversy rapidly spread to the U.S., when basketball star Tony Parker, who has been accused of making the gesture and thus "mainstreaming anti-Semitic hate." He has since apologized.<br/><br />Even the President of the United States has gotten dragged into the mess. In an effort to minimize the gesture, Anelka also tweeted a picture of President Obama making a similar gesture (which turned out to be baseless with proof that Obama's action was instead a move associated with a hip-hop song by Jay-Z.)<br/><br />The more we learn about Dieudonne, the comedian who started it all increasingly sounds like a really fun guy. Even as the quenelle-on-the-soccer-field swirled across the globe, he was getting into yet more hot water, with news breaking that he may be tried for racial incitement for the eighth time with the opening of a criminal investigation regarding possible suspicion of incitement to racial hatred after he made a remark hinting it was a shame that a Jewish journalist doing a story on him didn't end up in a gas chamber.<br/><br />If that's not bad enough, it looks like Dieudonne is hoping to make a profit off all this publicity. The TV station France 24 tells us that he has "been working on launching a range of quenelle-related merchandise and in October 2013 his wife registered the quenelle as a trademark with the French National Industrial Property Institute."<br/><br />T-shirts? Coffee mugs? Whether or not racism turns a profit, it seems that in the near future, nobody will have to Google the word anymore.</div>

Hot Trends: What the hell is a 'quenelle'? Why everyone is searching Google for an anti ...

French striker Nicolas Anelka performs the 'quenelle' after scoring a goal. Photo by AFPIt's a word that most of us had never heard until this week. Quenelle: a word that sounds like it could be a sophisticated French pastry or obscure breed of exotic bird, or perhaps the latest bizarre celebrity na…

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Hot Trends: The Newest Number One App On iPhone Is A Great Way To Recap Your 2013 In ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52c2f0e86bb3f74c4c613ad1-480-/flipagram-3.png" width="100%"/><br/><br />FlipagramFlipagram is a video app that is perfect for remembering some of the best moments of 2013. The app lets you create short videos comprised of pictures from Facebook, Instagram, and the photos stored on your phone.<br/><br />The length of the videos can vary between 15 seconds and 30 seconds ,but you'll have the added benefit of being able to add music to spruce up the story you want to tell.<br/><br />The app is available for free on iPhone and Android.</div>

Hot Trends: The Newest Number One App On iPhone Is A Great Way To Recap Your 2013 In ...

FlipagramFlipagram is a video app that is perfect for remembering some of the best moments of 2013. The app lets you create short videos comprised of pictures from Facebook, Instagram, and the photos stored on your phone.The length of the videos can vary between 15 seconds and 30 seconds ,but you'll…

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Hot Trends: Obama 'La Quenelle' Photo Ignites Furor, Though It's Really Nothing

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/v2_article_large/public/2013/12/31/bcngl9accaapayr.jpg_large.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />The ongoing controversy over French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala's "la quenelle" gesture, which has been described by Jewish advocacy groups as "anti-Semitic" and a "Nazi salute in reverse," continues to rage, bringing President Barack Obama into the frenzy over the weekend in a development that generated attention on New Year's Eve in the American press and on social media sites.</div>

Hot Trends: Obama 'La Quenelle' Photo Ignites Furor, Though It's Really Nothing

The ongoing controversy over French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala's "la quenelle" gesture, which has been described by Jewish advocacy groups as "anti-Semitic" and a "Nazi salute in reverse," continues to rage, bringing President Barack Obama into the frenzy over the weekend in a development that…

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Hot Trends: Frozen out of New Years plans?

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />With a frostbite advisory in place for New Year's Eve in Ottawa, event organizers are summoning the Canadian spirit (and lure of the bar) to encourage revelers to not stay home.<br/><br />The City of Ottawa's frostbite advisory remains in effect Tuesday, with a forecasted high of -14 C during the day and forecasted low of -21 C overnight, without the wind chill.<br/><br />Adding on the wind chill, Environment Canada said it felt like -30 C outside at 6 a.m. ET in Ottawa.<br/><br />Ottawa Public Health says to avoid frostbite, stay indoors when possible.<br/><br />They also recommend layering up socks, gloves and/or mittens and sweaters, along with not drinking alcohol - which narrows blood vessels and can speed frostbite and hypothermia along. Big New Year's parties happening inside and out<br/><br />Organizers of some of Ottawa's biggest New Year's Eve parties said Monday they're confident people will be able to stay warm at their events.<br/><br />"The weather might play a factor, but all of our pubs and restaurants are open and we're encouraging people to come down," said Les Gange, head of the Sparks Street BIA which is hoping to best last year's 20,000-person turnout at their event.<br/><br />"If they get a little cool, they can come inside. But there's lots of people, body heat, hugging - lots to keep them warm down here." <img height="300" src="http://i.cbc.ca/1.2479913.1388491809!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_220/ottawa-new-year-s-prep.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />"It's Canada. It's winter. It's going to be cold. Wrap up," said John Ivison, executive director of the Scottish Society of Ottawa, whose Hogmanay party happens at City Hall.<br/><br />"We've got an indoor bar, we've got a heated outdoor bar... So there are plenty of places to go and take the chill off, have a drink, and come back out again."<br/><br />People hoping to celebrate on the Rideau Canal are out of luck right now, as the National Capital Commission's latest update says the ice is still unsafe.<br/><br />Cold temperatures will continue to start 2014, with a wind chill of -30 C forecasted for Wednesday and highs not leaving the minus-teens until Saturday in Ottawa.<br/><br />Does the bitterly cold weather affect your plans for New Year's Eve?</div>

Hot Trends: Frozen out of New Years plans?

With a frostbite advisory in place for New Year's Eve in Ottawa, event organizers are summoning the Canadian spirit (and lure of the bar) to encourage revelers to not stay home.The City of Ottawa's frostbite advisory remains in effect Tuesday, with a forecasted high of -14 C during the day and forec…

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Hot Trends: HBO Had The Most Pirated Show Of 2013 – Here's Why It's Thrilled

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/52c2ec0f69bedd080e880ea9-1200-924/game-of-thrones-robb-stark-3.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br />HBO / Helen Sloanwe learned last week.<br/><br />But HBO is looking at things in a rather different light - people "steal" "Game of Thrones" due to the show's incredible popularity, and they do it more for "GoT" than they do for other heavyweight hitters like "Breaking Bad" or "The Walking Dead." In short, HBO is looking at things through a scope where piracy equals free marketing.<br/><br />"If you go to people who are watching ["Game of Thrones"] without subs, it's a tremendous word-of-mouth thing ," Jeff Bewkes told Adweek.<br/><br />He's the CEO of HBO's parent company Time Warner. "We've been dealing with this for 20, 30 years-people sharing subs, running wires down the backs of apartment buildings. Our experience is that it leads to more paying subs. I think you're right that Game of Thrones is the most pirated show in the world. That's better than an Emmy."<br/><br />So bottom line?<br/><br />Even if HBO caved to demand and offered its streaming HBO GO service for a monthly fee a la Netflix or allowed you to pay for individual episodes through iTunes the day after air, it wouldn't have much of an affect on piracy. And in a bizarre way, piracy is a good thing for HBO because it drums up buzz for its new shows.</div>

Hot Trends: HBO Had The Most Pirated Show Of 2013 – Here's Why It's Thrilled

HBO / Helen Sloanwe learned last week.But HBO is looking at things in a rather different light - people "steal" "Game of Thrones" due to the show's incredible popularity, and they do it more for "GoT" than they do for other heavyweight hitters like "Breaking Bad" or "The Walking Dead." In short, HBO…

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Hot Trends: Google Doodle remembers computing pioneer Grace Hopper (+video)

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />When, in 1982, David Letterman asked Dr. Hopper how she knew so much about computers, in order to work with Harvard's massive computer, Mark I, she replied, "I didn't. It was the first one."<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2013/1209_hopper/17609597-1-eng-US/1209_hopper_full_380.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Monday's Google Doodle honors computing genius Grace Hopper on what would have been her 107th birthday, doodling her right where she spent much of her time - at the helm of one of the world's first computers.<br/><br />Skip to next paragraph<br/><br /><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/csm-photo-galleries-images/in-pictures-images/2011/08/google-doodles/01evil/10583855-1-eng-US/01evil_thumbnail_90.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Dr. Hopper, remembered as a great pioneer in computing, as well as in women's achievements in science and engineering, was born as Grace Brewster Murray on Dec. 9, 1906, in New York City. She married Vincent Foster Hopper in 1930 (he died in World War II, in 1945), and took his name.<br/><br />Hopper received her PhD in mathematics from Yale in 1934, as one of four woman in a doctoral class of 10, and later taught math at Vassar College, where she had taken her bachelor's degree.<br/><br />In 1943, during World War II, she left the college to join the war effort and enlist in the United States Naval Reserve's Bureau of Ordnance Computation Project at Harvard University. There, she joined a team of programmers working on the Mark I, an electro-mechanical computer 51 feet long, eight feet high, and two feet wide. Its some 756,000 parts weighed more than 10,000 pounds.<br/><br />At Harvard, Hopper would go on to work with the subsequent Mark II and Mark III computers. She is often credited with coining the term "bug" for a computer malfunction: In 1947, she is said to have tweezed from the Mark II computer an actual moth that had been bugging up the machine, caught between Relay #70 and Panel F. She was also at the forefront of designing computers that would communicate to the user in a language similar to English, not in numbers. The language that she and her colleagues produced, Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL), is still in use in 2013.<br/><br />When, in 1982, David Letterman asked her how she knew so much about computers, in order to work with Mark I, her reply was: "I didn't. It was the first one."<br/><br />She retired from the US Navy multiple times, the first time at the age of 60, but each time to rejoin again. She eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral in 1982, one year before she left the armed forces, for the last time, as its oldest active military officer. Until her death in 1992, she worked as a senior consultant to Digital Equipment Corporation.<br/><br />Hopper, who was 37 when she went through army boot camp, was famous for her indelible work ethic. In an interview just after her retirement with Mr. Letterman, who called her "The Queen of Software," Hopper told him that she'd never before seen the show, since it was too late for a person who had to be up at 5 each morning to get to work on time. She also told him that she had not been celebrating at midnight on the 31st of August in 1982, the exact moment at which she officially became a civilian, because she was sleeping.<br/><br />Hopper was also well known as not just a genius - but a witty, charming, and personable one. On the Letterman show, she pulled out an 11.8-inch piece of wire to illustrate what a nanosecond was: "That is the maximum distance that light or electricity can travel in a billionth of a second," she said, of the wire's length. It was also her standard comeback for an admiral who wanted to know why it takes so long to get a message to a satellite: "between her and the satellite, there are a very large number of nanoseconds," she said.<br/><br />Hopper's long list of awards includes the National Medal of Technology, the Data Processing Management Association's "Computer Sciences Man of the Year" award, and the Defense Distinguished Service medal. The USS Hopper is also named for her, and she was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.</div>

Hot Trends: Google Doodle remembers computing pioneer Grace Hopper (+video)

When, in 1982, David Letterman asked Dr. Hopper how she knew so much about computers, in order to work with Harvard's massive computer, Mark I, she replied, "I didn't. It was the first one."Monday's Google Doodle honors computing genius Grace Hopper on what would have been her 107th birthday, doodli…

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Hot Trends: Aéropostale Concept Store Snags ICSC Silver Medal

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />The <strong>International Council of Shopping Centers</strong> has selected <strong>Aéropostale</strong> and its concept store at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York as a silver medal winner at its annual <strong>U.S. Design and Development Awards</strong>.<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://nyocommercialobserver.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/aeropostale.jpg?w=300&h=275" width="100%"/><br/><br />The store, which integrates technology into the shopping experience, mainly through the use of Apple products, won the silver award in the Retail Store category, which recognizes the impact of innovative store design on the success of the overall industry.<br/><br />The store has "revamped the brand's image, creating an emotional connection with their target teenage customer," with "dual notions of community and in-store technology [that] have redefined the shopping experience through old-school style community board posting and new-school iPad's," allowing shoppers to select personal playlists while they shop, an announcement from ICSC stated.<br/><br />The competition was open to shopping center owners, developers, management companies, architects, designers, retailers, or other professionals responsible for any unusual or creative retail project or retail store design, and ICSC announced the winners of the 2013 U.S. Design and Development Awards during an awards ceremony at ICSC's annual CenterBuild Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.<br/><br />The full list of winners in four general categories, including Innovative Design and Construction of a New Project; Renovation or Expansion of an Existing Project; Sustainable Design; and Retail Store Design; can be found on the ICSC website.<br/><br />Gold U.S. Design and Development Award winners are automatically eligible to win ICSC's <strong>VIVA Best-of-the-Best Award</strong>, the winners of which will be presented at the ICSC RECon conference in Vegas in May.<br/><br />Follow Al Barbarino on Twitter or via RSS. abarbarino@observer.com</div>

Hot Trends: Aéropostale Concept Store Snags ICSC Silver Medal

The International Council of Shopping Centers has selected Aéropostale and its concept store at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York as a silver medal winner at its annual U.S. Design and Development Awards.The store, which integrates technology into the shopping experience, mainly through …

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Hot Trends: Raptors send Rudy Gay to Sacramento in blockbuster trade: Report

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>The Toronto Raptors have traded forward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings according to a report by Yahoo Sports. (file photo) (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)<br/><br />The Toronto Raptors have traded forward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings according to a report by Yahoo Sports.<br/><br />The Kings will send point guard Greivis Vasquez, point guard John Salmons, forward Patrick Patterson and forward Chuck Hayes to Toronto in exchange for Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray the report said. More Related to this Story<br/><br />Gay is averaging 19.4 points and 7.4 rebounds with Toronto, who have lost five straight and have slipped to 6-12 ahead of tonight's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. <strong>MORE TO COME</strong> More Related to this Story<br/><br />Topics: <img height="300" src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/64d/incoming/article15804566.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/dallison.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/6e6/globe-investor/personal-finance/financial-road-map/article15769103.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/finrdmaptrain00sr1.JPG" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/3da/sports/basketball/article15818641.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/Rudygay.jpg" width="100%"/><br/></div>

Hot Trends: Raptors send Rudy Gay to Sacramento in blockbuster trade: Report

The Toronto Raptors have traded forward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings according to a report by Yahoo Sports. (file photo) (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)The Toronto Raptors have traded forward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings according to a report by Yahoo Sports.The Kings will send point guard Greivis …

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Hot Trends: Rebecca Black Finally Makes It to the Weekend With 'Saturday' (Video)

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_post_349_width/2012/02/rebecca_black_grammy_red_carpet.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />This story first appeared on Billboard.com.<br/><br />We all know what happens on Friday -- <strong>Rebecca</strong> <strong>Black</strong> made sure of that nearly three years ago, when she and Ark Music Factory released "Friday," the viral sensation that has garnered 61.7 million YouTube views but also received its share (and then some) of criticism, some considering it the worst song ever made. <strong>VIDEO: Rebecca Black Talks About Her New Album</strong><br/><br />In "Friday," Black famously describes the order of the days of the week -- "Tomorrow is Saturday," she sings, "and Sunday comes afterwards. But she never exactly explains what happens after all the partyin' (and the fun fun fun fun) of the beginning of the weekend -- that is, until now.<br/><br />On Saturday, Black released the spiritual successor to her biggest hit, dropping a music video for "Saturday." The singer, now 16, depicts the morning after a Friday banger, but she and her friends are merely licking their wounds and preparing to do it all over again Saturday night.<br/><br />"I don't want this Saturday to end," she sings over an electronic-infused beat and instrumentation. She's joined by fellow YouTube star <strong>Dave</strong> <strong>Days</strong> (with whom Black covered <strong>Rihanna's</strong> "Stay" earlier this year), who croons one of the verses. Black herself has obviously matured as a singer, sounding more sure of herself, her voice seemingly shedding some of the Auto-tuned production on "Friday." There's even a line about "trying to get Friday out of my head." It shouldn't be too hard to figure out what that means. <strong>STORY: Rebecca Black Vows to Make YouTube Videos 'Until the Day I Die'</strong><br/><br />The song itself is a totally passable piece of Radio Disney-esque pop, but this time it's the music video that deserves the brunt of the attention. The clip features a myriad of references to the "Friday" video, including writing the word "fun" on a sleeping guy's face, eating from a bowl of cereal that has "gotta have my bowl" written on its side and a car scene during which she sits in the front seat; our girl's all grown up and has finally decided which seat she can take.<br/><br />Though it's too early to tell whether the song will even dwarf the success of its predecessor, "Saturday" has already racked up more than 6 million views on YouTube since its release.<br/><br />Watch the videos for "Friday" and "Saturday" below.<br/><br /><br/></div>

Hot Trends: Rebecca Black Finally Makes It to the Weekend With 'Saturday' (Video)

This story first appeared on Billboard.com.We all know what happens on Friday -- Rebecca Black made sure of that nearly three years ago, when she and Ark Music Factory released "Friday," the viral sensation that has garnered 61.7 million YouTube views but also received its share (and then some) of c…

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Hot Trends: Bonnie and Clyde: can the History Channel get away with this?

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/12/8/1386532927201/Bonnie-And-Clyde-premiere-008.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />To even think about watching the History Channel's Bonnie and Clyde, you must first accept two unfortunate truths: yes, they really made this and no, at this point in the production cycle, you can't do anything to stop it.<br/><br />What potential viewers must decide - much as they did for NBC's live Sound of Music last week - is exactly what level of desecration they're willing to see visited upon a beloved classic. Is your good sense often overruled by displays of beautiful costumes and a good old-fashioned car chase? Then yes, this is the remake for you.<br/><br />But if you're a fan of the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, stay away. And if you have even a passing familiarity with the real-life story of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker ... stay far, far away.<br/><br />The History Channel's strategy here is to make it as difficult as possible to avoid watching this version. Airing in two parts across Sunday and Monday nights, Bonnie and Clyde is taking over three networks: History, A&E and Lifetime. The cast includes Emile Hirsch as Clyde and Holliday Granger as Bonnie, and Holly Hunter and William Hurt as the Academy Award-winning actors who are presumably being paid very well to lend some sort of credibility to this glossy project.<br/><br />By the end of the first half-hour, you begin to have a sense for how this film was put together: the executives of three networks, having met in a neutral location, agreed to the basics but left it to writers Joe Bateer and John Rice to reverse-engineer enough action to fill four hours of primetime. They were woefully unprepared for the task.<br/><br />Everything in this movie has been done better somewhere else. We have so many good examples of films and TV series that digest the Depression era's crime waves - The Untouchables, the original Bonnie and Clyde, Public Enemies, Boardwalk Empire - that it's impossible not to make comparisons that end poorly for this remake, no matter how pretty the costumes are.<br/><br />But the production isn't even content to confine its thefts to the appropriate era. There's what the writers probably hoped was a charming scene in which Clyde, flush with the money from his first robbery, walks into a fancy clothing store, looking to spend it. A saleswoman takes a look at his farm duds, sniffs her nose and asks him to please not get his grubby hands all over her silks. It's Julia Roberts on Rodeo Drive all over again, but instead of giving the clerk her comeuppance ("Big mistake! Huge!"), he waits until dark and breaks in, to steal the five shirts he wanted.<br/><br />This is four hours of missed opportunities in which a scene is built up, almost tap-dances to a satisfying clap ... and falls apart instead.<br/><br />There are feminist outlines to this Bonnie Parker, who compares herself to Amelia Earhart and makes sure the local reporters know she's in the game every bit as much as Clyde. But she is crippled by writers who seem to have gained their understanding of feminism from frat houses and men's rights forums on the darkest corners of the internet.<br/><br />The subreddit almost writes itself: Clyde loves his parents, his mother especially. It's just that the woman he loves, the woman he's sought since childhood, goads him into this life of crime. She's a vixen who flounces around in her silken lingerie, gets turned on by car chases and friend-zones the local sheriff. ("I've got enough damn friends," he says, shortly after she turns him down.) This Bonnie is a rejected actress who just wants to make a name for herself somehow, and Clyde is too smitten to notice that she doesn't love him nearly as much as he loves her.<br/><br />"I'm not afraid of a commitment," Clyde tells Bonnie at one point. "I ain't afraid of making a baby." She grimaces.<br/><br />There are threads that could have saved the film: Elisabeth Reaser as the journalist who latches on to the story first; Hunter as Bonnie's severe but loving mother; Hurt as a quiet lawman drawn out of retirement to track down the robbers. With four hours to fill, the time was certainly available to devote to tracing these characters. Instead, the extra time is spent lingering on Hirsch and Granger, with their bad Texas accents and near-complete lack of spark.<br/><br />The crime here isn't that they've had the gall to remake Bonnie and Clyde - it's just that they did it so badly.</div>

Hot Trends: Bonnie and Clyde: can the History Channel get away with this?

To even think about watching the History Channel's Bonnie and Clyde, you must first accept two unfortunate truths: yes, they really made this and no, at this point in the production cycle, you can't do anything to stop it.What potential viewers must decide - much as they did for NBC's live Sound of …

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Hot Trends: VGX 2013: The High Points

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://b-i.forbesimg.com/erikkain/files/2013/12/no-mans-sky.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />I didn't watch the Spike VGX 2013 awards last night, and I'm glad I didn't. By all accounts it was an absurd affair, doing little to help lift video games and the people who play them out of the mire of stereotypes that surround the industry and its fans.<br/><br />But if you sift through just the video game announcements themselves and watch a few trailers and avoid the rest of the show, there were at least a few points of light. <strong>No Man's Sky</strong><br/><br />Perhaps the most surprising, intriguing game presented at VGX this year was an indie space exploration sim called No Man's Sky.<br/><br />The game is huge and pretty much entirely procedurally generated. You can go wherever you want, either on foot exploring a new planet, or via spacecraft.<br/><br />Developed by Joe Danger developer Hello Games, the game sends players out to explore the unknown, do battle with one another, and simply immerse themselves in the universe. The whole thing is being built by just four people, which is pretty astounding.<br/><br />"It's a huge game," said Hello Games' Sean Murray. "We wanted to make a game about exploration. And we wanted to make something that was real."<br/><br />The game is coming to "next-gen" and, one suspects, PC. It looks like something you'd want to play using the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.<br/><br />You can-and you should-watch the trailer here. (I'd embed it, but unfortunately the types of videos we can embed here at Forbes are limited.) <strong>The Witcher 3</strong><br/><br />One of my, I don't know, top 5 most anticipated games of 2014 is CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.<br/><br />At VGX, a new trailer gave us yet another brief glimpse into the game's story and immense open-world.<br/><br />In the trailer we see the wraiths, presumably of the titular Wild Hunt, and then see some gameplay footage of Geralt of Rivia exploring the world, engaging in combat that-hopefully-is much better than the previous two games, and another of the game's new monsters.<br/><br />Basically any little peak at this game gets me excited. You can watch the new trailer here. <strong>Telltale Games Takes On Two New Franchises</strong></div>

Hot Trends: VGX 2013: The High Points

I didn't watch the Spike VGX 2013 awards last night, and I'm glad I didn't. By all accounts it was an absurd affair, doing little to help lift video games and the people who play them out of the mire of stereotypes that surround the industry and its fans.But if you sift through just the video game a…

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Hot Trends: Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner spotted leaving New York hotel together - and ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />The 1D star and Kim Kardashian's baby sister were swamped by fans as they made their way across the street<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://i4.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2903386.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Harry-styles-main-2903386.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br />Major gossip alert<br/><br />Oh. Em. GEE.<br/><br />Floppy-haired pop sensation Harry Styles has been snapped leaving a New York hotel with Kim Kardashian's baby sister, Kendall Jenner.<br/><br />The pair, who were snapped leaving a trendy restaurant together last month , were swamped by fans as they walked across the street to get breakfast on Saturday morning.<br/><br />Dressed in a beige duffle coat, a headband, shades and his signature black skinnies, Harry looked his usual trendy self as he made a way through the crowds for Kendall to follow him (such a gent).<br/><br />Kendall was all smiles as she followed the heartthrob (we don't blame her - if we were in a situation where we were leaving a hotel room with Harry, we'd be very happy too).<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2903348.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Harry-Styles-and-Kendall-Jenner-2903348.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br />They look so cute together<br/><br />She was dressed in blue skinny jeans, a tummy-bering top and a green coat. The up-and-coming model looked fresh-faced and as gorgeous as ever as she ran her fingers through her hair numerous times.<br/><br />We really hope this means that they are officially a proper dating couple.<br/><br />When quizzed about his relationship with the brunette beauty by Piers Morgan on 1D Day live, Harry was very coy about what was going on.<br/><br />But the boybander was snapped looking all smug after spending a few nights at Bruce Jenner's beach house .<br/><br />We think this could be the start of something special.<br/><br />3AM has contacted both of the beautiful stars for a comment.<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2903386.ece/ALTERNATES/s1023/Harry-styles-main-2903386.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />View gallery</div>

Hot Trends: Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner spotted leaving New York hotel together - and ...

The 1D star and Kim Kardashian's baby sister were swamped by fans as they made their way across the streetMajor gossip alertOh. Em. GEE.Floppy-haired pop sensation Harry Styles has been snapped leaving a New York hotel with Kim Kardashian's baby sister, Kendall Jenner.The pair, who were snapped leav…

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Hot Trends: Lorde, Macklemore Reflect on a Big Year at Grammy Nominations Concert

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://assets-s3.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/lorde-macklemore-reflect-on-a-big-year-at-grammy-nominations-concert-20131207/1000x600/20131207-robin-x600-1386429293.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images<br/><br />"My Grammy nights are so blurry to me. You get, like, snapshots," the rapper T.I. said backstage at last night's Grammy Nominations Concert in Los Angeles, struggling to recall any details from his three statuette wins over the years.<br/><br />Minutes earlier, the Atlanta rapper had been onstage at the Nokia Theatre with Robin Thicke, recreating for a live television audience their massive summer hit (with Pharrell Williams), "Blurred Lines," this time with the help of Earth, Wind and Fire. The song is up for two prizes, Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in L.A. on January 26th. Jay Z, Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar Dominate 2014 Grammy Nominations<br/><br />Dressed in a gray hoodie and shades, T.I. called the Grammys "the stage of stages" for the music industry and a "celebration of those who got it right this year." Pharrell got more right than most in 2013, earning seven total nominations as a performer and producer. "I'm just glad Pharrell and Robin invited me to the party," T.I. said of joining them on the Number One pop single from Thicke's album of the same name. "It felt like everybody brought their A-game."<br/><br />Only Jay Z got more nominations with nine, including Best Rap Album for Magna Carta...Holy Grail.<br/><br />Also earning seven nominations this year was the Seattle hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, including Best New Artist, for their first studio album as a team, The Heist. The rapper and producer marched through the crowd to open the hour-long show with "Thrift Shop" from that collection, stepping into the opening slot vacated by Drake earlier that day over "scheduling complications."<br/><br />Backstage afterwards, Macklemore was dressed down from his flamboyant stage gear to a gray suit and gold chains as he stood with Lewis contemplating their follow-up to The Heist.<br/><br />"There is a lot of pressure, but I feel that as an artist you have control over how much you tack against that pressure, how much you feed into that," Macklemore said. "There's expectations. I want to take our time. I don't want to rush it. The biggest mistake that a lot of artists make is they feel they need to immediately remain relevant and push out the first music that comes. I need to live a little bit of life."<br/><br />The hip-hop duo counted among their nominations for 2013 the same-sex anthem "Same Love," a Top-10 pop hit that included backing vocals from Mary Lambert, who described the track backstage last night as "a song reflecting where we are culturally."<br/><br />The sentiments of the song, she said, are "a beautiful thing to be a part of as an artist. I feel really lucky to be a part of that - and also to not be apologizing for being gay and getting that across around the world. I didn't get hate mail or shot or anything. People just naturally nominated it for a Grammy, so that's really cool."<br/><br />Presenter Melissa Etheridge hadn't heard of the duo or the song until her daughter played it, telling her: "Oh, you'll like this song, mom." Etheridge said the song's appearance was a revelation, two decades after her own coming out as a lesbian.<br/><br />"To hear that from that genre, from a straight kid like that from Seattle," said Etheridge, holding a hand to her chest. "I said, we've crossed it. We're past it now. That song is super-amazing."<br/><br />Etheridge is a 15-time nominee for the Grammys, and the winner twice for Best Rock Vocal. Happily recalling her first nomination, for "Give Me Some Water" from her 1987 self-titled debut, Etheridge said, "Each time, I remember Stevie Wonder in the audience dancing."<br/><br />The Grammys will be a first-time experience for 17-year-old Lorde, who is up for four awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Royals."<br/><br />The nominations end a busy year for the New Zealand pop singer, who prior to releasing her album Pure Heroine was an unknown teen artist putting her songs online. "It's probably up there with the best years of my life," Lorde said of 2013 with a smile. "My short life."<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here</div>

Hot Trends: Lorde, Macklemore Reflect on a Big Year at Grammy Nominations Concert

Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images"My Grammy nights are so blurry to me. You get, like, snapshots," the rapper T.I. said backstage at last night's Grammy Nominations Concert in Los Angeles, struggling to recall any details from his three statuette wins over the years.Minutes earlier, the Atlanta rapper had…

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Hot Trends: Kendall Jenner and Harry Styles Leave NYC Hotel Together

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2013117/rs_634x1024-131207131417-634.Harry-Styles-Kendall-Jenner-Hotel-Dating.jl.120713.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />247PapsTV / Splash News<br/><br /><strong>Kendall Jenner</strong> and <strong>Harry Styles</strong> have reunited in NYC.<br/><br />After going on a dinner date in West Hollywood, Calif. last month, the duo was spotted out together again Saturday, leaving the Gansevoort hotel in New York City.<br/><br />The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who sported a brown jacket, white sweater and skinny jeans, tried to keep a low profile with the One Direction singer, but that proved to be a difficult feat when fans swarmed them as they tried to leave.<br/><br />A source tells E! News exclusively, Jenner arrived yesterday in NYC for a meeting, adding that she and Styles have been in touch ever since the American Music Awards. <strong>PHOTOS: Kendall Jenner's best Instagram pics</strong> <img height="300" src="http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20131021/rs_634x1024-131121093537-634.kendall-jenner-harry-styles-date.ls.112113.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />NGRE/AKM-GSI<br/><br />The source added that although they were spotted leaving the same together, Jenner is staying at a different hotel than Styles.<br/><br />"I've never seen Kendall happier and more fan friendly," another source told E! News. "They came off the elevator holding hands and then she stood and watched while he posed with fans.<br/><br />Jenner and Styles have both played coy when discussing the circumstances around their relationship.<br/><br />The 18-year-old model told E! News she and Styles are "friends," adding "he's cool." <strong>NEWS: Harry Styles reveals how he knows when a girl's intentions are true</strong> <img height="300" src="http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20131024/rs_560x415-131124174302-1024.Harry-Styles-Kendall-Jenner-jmd-112313.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Getty Images<br/><br />Meanwhile, the 19-year-old boybander quickly tried to change the subject when <strong>Piers Morgan</strong> asked if he and Jenner were dating, saying, "I mean, we went out for dinner, but no, I guess."<br/><br />When Morgan went on to question if the pair's date was actually a budding romance, Styles replied, "dunno...let's move on shall we!"<br/><br />Rumors about their possible romance sparked after they were snapped leaving Craig's restaurant at about 12:15 in the morning Nov. 20. <strong>-Additional reporting by Ken Baker and Michelle Falls</strong> <strong>PHOTOS: Harry Styles' famous friends</strong></div>

Hot Trends: Kendall Jenner and Harry Styles Leave NYC Hotel Together

247PapsTV / Splash NewsKendall Jenner and Harry Styles have reunited in NYC.After going on a dinner date in West Hollywood, Calif. last month, the duo was spotted out together again Saturday, leaving the Gansevoort hotel in New York City.The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who sported a brown …

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Hot Trends: Lorde Rules Our Musical Fantasy At The Grammy Nominations Concert! Watch ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/barron-hilton-lindsay-lohan-vs-doodle__oPt.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Oh no! If these horrific new details are accurate, this story is much worse than we originally realized!!<br/><br />We're hearing <strong>EXCLUSIVE!</strong> new reports about what went on late last night/early this morning between <strong>Paris Hilton</strong>'s younger brother & <strong>Lindsay Lohan</strong> -- NONE of it is good!<br/><br />Apparently it all started when <strong>Barron Hilton</strong> ran into LiLo's model boyfriend at an after party located in the Miami mansion where Lindz was staying!<br/><br />Sources say her BF started talking trash about Lindsay, about how she was crazy and how he couldn't wait to get away from her! Things really got out of control when the 24-year-old Hilton chimed in to agree!<br/><br />LiLo's occasional bestie <strong>Gavin Doyle</strong> supposedly overheard Barron call Lindsay a "joke," which is when the you-know-what hit the fan and splattered all over everyone!<br/><br />Sources say Gavin immediately ran over to the Mean Girls star and informed her of the trash talking. Lindz allegedly "instigated & orchestrated" the beat down that followed by ordering one of her thug to pummel the stuffing out of an unsuspecting Barron!<br/><br />The worst part? Lindsay allegedly</div>

Hot Trends: Lorde Rules Our Musical Fantasy At The Grammy Nominations Concert! Watch ...

Oh no! If these horrific new details are accurate, this story is much worse than we originally realized!!We're hearing EXCLUSIVE! new reports about what went on late last night/early this morning between Paris Hilton's younger brother & Lindsay Lohan -- NONE of it is good!Apparently it all started w…

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Hot Trends: Pittsburgh Penguins' Brooks Orpik stretchered off the ice after sucker punch ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/f0e41e4725731ac63585905d892b7cbe?s=34&d=mm" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://wpmedia.sports.nationalpost.com/2013/12/orpik.jpg?w=620" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />BOSTON - Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik was taken off the ice on a stretcher after being pulled down and punched by Boston's Shawn Thornton in the opening period.<br/><br />Orpik was in a scrum with a few Penguins players with Boston's Gregory Campbell in the Pittsburgh defensive end of the ice with 8:54 left in the period.<br/><br />Boston's Brad Marchand was injured on the other end and Thornton came skating up quickly from centre ice and grabbed Orpik from behind, knocking him down backward before throwing a punch. Orpik appeared to hit his head on the ice when he fell. Thornton was given a match penalty.<br/><br />Players immediately called for medical assistance for Orpik. He was surrounded by members of both team's medical staffs before he was taken off on a stretcher after about a 10-minute delay.<br/><br />Pittsburgh's James Neal was assessed a kneeing penalty for his hit on Marchand.<br/><br />In the game's opening minute, Orpik hit Boston's Loui Eriksson with his shoulder near the winger's head as he turned to move up the ice.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Eriksson was stunned and went to the bench dazed before heading to the dressing room with a trainer taking one arm to help his balance as he got up from the bench.<br/><br />A few minutes later, the Bruins announced in an injury update that he "would not return."<br/><br />A few seconds after Orpik's hit on Eriksson, Boston captain Zdeno Chara charged at the defenceman and drew a cross-checking penalty.<br/><br />Boston forward Milan Lucic also fought the Penguins' Deryk Engelland midway into the period. <img height="300" src="http://wpmedia.sports.nationalpost.com/2013/12/orpik-1.jpg?w=620&h=464" width="100%"/><br/></div>

Hot Trends: Pittsburgh Penguins' Brooks Orpik stretchered off the ice after sucker punch ...

BOSTON - Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik was taken off the ice on a stretcher after being pulled down and punched by Boston's Shawn Thornton in the opening period.Orpik was in a scrum with a few Penguins players with Boston's Gregory Campbell in the Pittsburgh defensive end of the ice wi…

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Hot Trends: Watch The Spike VGX Live, Right Here [UPDATE: It's Over]

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/198a9vo58mokcjpg/ku-xlarge.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />It's Spike VGX time, which means we're in for an afternoon filled with trailers, new game announcements, and a show that will hopefully be less gross than its tagline.<br/><br />The folks behind the show promise that this year's award extravaganza will be a little different than previous years'-instead of red carpets and celebrity skits, we're going to see more awards and more chats with developers, host Geoff Keighley promises. We'll see games like The Witcher 3, Titanfall, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Broken Age, Destiny, and a lot more.<br/><br />The three-hour show starts at 6pm Eastern, and you can watch it all right here. Via Spike, we've got the full schedule right below the livestream, in case you want to know when to tune in for something specific. We'll also be posting all the news on Kotaku as it happens.<br/><br />The schedule, via Spike: <strong>Hour #1</strong> VGX Start - The big show kicks off as hosts Joel McHale and Geoff Keighley take us through what kind of surprises are in store at VGX. Our first secret world premiere - We cant divulge all of our secrets, but trust us, you're going to love this one. Smosh reveals the future of video games - What will video games be like in the future? The game at Smosh reveal all at VGX. Tomb Raider announcement - Get a Tomb Raider announcement, exclusively at VGX. Lara Croft in the flesh - Camilla Luddington, the voice behind Lara Croft, appears at VGX. The Vector Monkey finds a home - We're revealing the winner of either Best Action Adventure or Best Sports Game categories. You tell us which you want to see. Reggie takes the stage - Nintendo of America's fearless leader, Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage for a demo. Another Vector Monkey is awarded - VGX honours another of this year's best games. Quantum Break revealed - VGX is the only place you can get a look into the world of Remedy's next epic title. Get even more Quantum Break - Remedy's Oskari Hakkien stops by VGX to take you deeper into Quantum Break. Bonus world premiere - Another surprise Bonus World Premiere. <strong>Hour #2</strong> South Park and the Stick of Truth - Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny set out on their most epic journey ever. Game of the Year Award - The creators of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, award this year's top honours. Mega 64 - Rocco and Shawn thought we left some awards out, so they filled in some of the gaps. Destiny arrives at VGX - Bungies latest title shines in this exclusive premiere. VICE's Motherboard takes on Donkey Kong - Go behind the scenes and see the biggest rivalry this year's Donkey Kong world championships. A new look at Broken Age - Double Fine's Tim Schafer helps pull back the curtain on his next creation. Rooster Teeth present the pick for Cameo of the Year - You're never going to guess who wins. World premieres as chosen by you - You tell us which world premiere you want to see next: Tom Clancy's The Division or The Withcher 3: Wild Hunt Who will be crowned best indie game? - Find out which little studio takes home the big award. Secret world premiere #2 - Another all-new game, brought to you by VGX. Zombies infect VGX - See if you can survive this demo of Dying Light. VGX welcomes PEWDIEPEW - One of YouTube's biggest names visits VGX. Thief steals the show - Get an exclusive world premiere for the latest entry in this beloved franchise. You choose the award - We're revealing the winner of either Best Shooter or Studio of the Year categiories. You tell us which you want to see. We name the character of the year - You voted, now find out who you chose as your Character of the Year. Another awesome world premiere - We've got some of this year's biggest trailers - only at VGX. One final VGX award - You decide which award you want to see handed out. Titanfall world premiere - VGX welcomes Respawn Entertainment's Vince Zampella for an exclusive look at one of next year's biggest games. Rockstar rocks the house - An exclusive one night only performance of the music of Grand Theft Auto V</div>

Hot Trends: Watch The Spike VGX Live, Right Here [UPDATE: It's Over]

It's Spike VGX time, which means we're in for an afternoon filled with trailers, new game announcements, and a show that will hopefully be less gross than its tagline.The folks behind the show promise that this year's award extravaganza will be a little different than previous years'-instead of red …

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Hot Trends: WATCH: It's 'Saturday.' Yes, Rebecca Black Dared to Release a Follow-Up ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><br/><br />It's the day we've all been waiting for: Saturday. It also happens to be the day that Rebecca Black released her highly anticipated follow-up single to Internet-hate sensation "Friday."<br/><br />The club beat is a bit more tolerable than her notorious single "Friday," which netizens lambasted as the "worst song ever" just a few short years ago, and which Black recently revisited - on Black Friday (get it?). <img height="300" src="http://i1.wp.com/i.huffpost.com/gen/1473478/thumbs/s-MCRIB-154x114.jpg?resize=200%2C133" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/12/131206_SCI_Creativity.jpg.CROP.rectangle-large.jpg?resize=200%2C133" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://i2.wp.com/i.huffpost.com/gen/1472546/thumbs/s-CURVY-GIRL-LINGERIE-154x114.jpg?resize=200%2C133" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://i1.wp.com/img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2013/1312/232_int_mandeladeath_1206.jpg?resize=200%2C133" width="100%"/><br/><br />The World Reacts to Nelson Mandela's Death</div>

Hot Trends: WATCH: It's 'Saturday.' Yes, Rebecca Black Dared to Release a Follow-Up ...

It's the day we've all been waiting for: Saturday. It also happens to be the day that Rebecca Black released her highly anticipated follow-up single to Internet-hate sensation "Friday."The club beat is a bit more tolerable than her notorious single "Friday," which netizens lambasted as the "worst so…

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Hot Trends: After The Crossfire - UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs Silva

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />There's nothing like a great heavyweight fight that brings everyone together.<br/><br /><strong>Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva</strong> threw down in the main event of UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia, and boy, did they put on a show.<br/><br />An old fashioned tussle electrified Australia's Brisbane Entertainment Center as both fighters gave as good as they got.<br/><br />Put this one on the fights of the year short list.<br/><br />I agree that I have NEVER been so happy with a draw in my life! I am happy it was a draw. Winner of that fight is US the fans!!!- Dana White (@danawhite) December 07, 2013<br/><br />Wow!!! The best heavy weight fight in history- Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) December 07, 2013<br/><br />Welcome back to <strong>The Crossfire.</strong> <img height="300" src="http://wpmedia.o.canada.com/2012/03/crossfire_lightblue1-e1354739114737.png?w=620&h=349" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br /><strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Kenai Andrews</strong> steps in for <strong>Cassie Wiseman</strong> to share this thoughts on the main event matchups. <strong>UFC FIGHT NIGHT 33:</strong> <strong>JULIE "FIREBALL" KEDZIE VS BETHE "PITBULL" CORREIA</strong> <strong>WINNER: BETHE CORREIRA VIA SPLIT-DECISION.</strong><br/><br /><strong>Andrews:</strong> Another close fight and another tough loss for Kedzie. She called it a career afterwards and the good thing is this does not diminish her in any way. She's had a solid career and will be recognized as one of the pioneers of women's MMA. Many more good things await her in the media game, including a return to commentating for Invicta FC 7 tonight? <strong>DYLAN "THE VILLAN" ANDREWS VS CLINT "HEADBUSSA" HESTER</strong> <strong>WINNER: CLINT HESTER VIA TKO.</strong><br/><br /><strong>Andrews:</strong> Hard luck for Andrews as a separated shoulder ended his night early. He was doing well with takedowns, but Hester landed a few shots of his own with some some ground-and-pound. <strong>PAT "HD" BARRY VS SOA "THE HULK" PALELEI</strong> <strong>WINNER: SOA PALELEI VIA TKO.</strong><br/><br /><strong>Andrews:</strong> Barry went out on his shield again. His weakness has always been his ground game and Palelei redeemed himself from his gaseous performance in the last fight by smartly taking it to the ground. If he can continue improving his conditioning, Palelei could have a long future in the UFC. <strong>RYAN "DARTH" BADER VS ANTHONY "THE HIPPO" PEROSH</strong> <strong>WINNER: RYAN BADER VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION.</strong><br/><br /><strong>Andrews:</strong> Bader dominated Perosh from pretty much the beginning. Perosh was unable to take Bader down nor avoid the many power shots and elbows like I thought he would. A good win, but no finish. Is Ryan Bader back? I need another win like this to be sure. <strong>#9 "SHOGUN" MAURICIO RUA VS JAMES TE HUNA</strong><br/><br /><strong>Andrews:</strong> That was Shogun in the octagon last night, with that left hook, not Mauricio Rua, the aging legend. Wow! Clearly, he still has it but how can he return to consistency? <strong>MAIN EVENT</strong> <strong>MARK "SUPER SAMOAN" HUNT VS #4 ANTONIO "BIGFOOT" SILVA</strong> <strong>WINNER: DRAW</strong><br/><br /><strong>Andrews:</strong> What a fight! The fighters won, the fans won. Watch the fight, grab a bag of chips and enjoy two heavyweights slugging it out, the way it's supposed to be.<br/><br />Take Our Poll<br/><br />Now, it's the baton is tossed to the flyweights, as champion Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Bonavidez will battle it out at UFC on FOX: <strong>MMA CROSSFIRE RELATED LINKS:</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire - UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs Silva predictions</strong> <strong>After The Crossfire: TUF 18 Finale: Maynard vs Diaz 3</strong> <strong>Official Ultimate Fighter discussion page</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire DVD Roundup</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Kenai Andrews - Official email</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Kenai Andrews - Officlal Twitter</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Cassie Wiseman - Official email</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Cassie Wiseman - Official Twitter</strong> <strong><strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Noel Clubb - Official email</strong> </strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire Celebrity Expert Patrick Muldoon - Official Twitter</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire Expert Noel Clubb - Official Twitter</strong> <strong>MMA Crossfire's official rock band Spewgore - Official MySpace page</strong></div>

Hot Trends: After The Crossfire - UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs Silva

There's nothing like a great heavyweight fight that brings everyone together.Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva threw down in the main event of UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia, and boy, did they put on a show.An old fashioned tussle electrified Australia's Brisbane Entertainment Center as both fighters gav…

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Hot Trends: Robinson Cano to the Mariners: Everyone gets what they want... sort of

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br />A huge deal has the potential to bring the Mariners great rewards and the Yankees great regrets, but the opposite could be true as well.<br/><br />Robinson Cano has signed with the Seattle Mariners for 10 years and $240 million. Everyone got what they wanted, or maybe it's just almost everyone: Jay Z got the big free-agent contract to mount over his mantelpiece, Jack Zduriencik bagged the big game that had eluded him in five years of running the M's, and Robinson Cano gets to be very, very rich. Whether he actually wanted to go to Seattle, a beautiful city that is nonetheless not the media hub that New York is, happens to be about as far from the Dominican Republic as you can get and still be in the major leagues, and boasts a lovely ballpark that kills offense dead, well, that is apparently beside the point.<br/><br />The Yankees' refusal to go far over what was apparently a seven-year, $175 million offer -- a million more per annum (on average) than Cano got from the Mariners, but an apparently critical three years shorter -- was what provoked Cano to make this change. He is now wrapped up through his age-40 season, the undiscovered country from whose bourn no second baseman returns. No doubt you have seen these kinds of lists a million times by now, the ones that show that the list of great seasons by second basemen from age-38 up (the years the Yankees weren't willing to pay for) are pretty much non-existent, consisting of a Nap Lajoie season from (literally) a hundred years ago, a Joe Morgan encore, and odd bits of Jeff Kent and Davey Lopes. Cano is a good enough hitter that by the time he's too old to play a good second base chances are there will still be enough left in his bat that he can slide over to first base or designated hitter and still contribute at a high level, but that's far from a sure thing. <img height="300" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3601525/star.png" width="100%"/><br/><br />More from our team sites <img height="300" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3601525/star.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3601525/star.png" width="100%"/><br/><br />More from our team sites <img height="300" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3601525/star.png" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Bobby Grich and Jeff Kent, two of the best-hitting second basemen in history, made that kind of transition late in their careers, but there is reason to be skeptical that Cano can, first because old is old, and ages 38 and up are years of decline for all players, not just second basemen. Second, while Cano has become moderately more selective in recent years, seeing fractionally more pitches per plate appearance, he's still an inveterate first-pitch swinger -- he was 12 ^th in the AL this season in percentage of plate appearances in which he swung at the first offering -- whose increasing walk totals of recent years are probably more reflective of pitchers giving him a wider berth than of any inclination to be more selective on his part. If you want a third leg to the tripod of doom, it's that while Cano has legitimate power, his current home run rate is a gift of Yankee Stadium III. In his career he averaged a home run every 34 at-bats at the old Stadium, one every 19 at the new one, and one every 29 at-bats everywhere else. He's hit one every 38 at Safeco Field, or about 17 per the 629 at-bats Cano has averaged per 162 games played.<br/><br />The vicious termites of age are the enemy of batting average. Cano is a career .309 hitter, but if we look five years into the future, to the second five years of his contract, we can see that in the post-expansion era (1961 to present), just eight players who had 1,500 or more plate appearances have hit over .300 from age 36 up, and 17 (including Kent) have kept their batting average over .290. Unless Cano keeps adding walks as he loses points on his average, his on-base percentage will slide towards league average. Safeco will help push him there -- according to the park index in the <i>Bill James Handbook</i>, over the last three years, Safeco has suppressed left-handed batting average by 10 percent over (that is below) the average and home runs by 15 percent. Conversely, Yankee Stadium has pumped lefty hitters in those categories by three and 27 percent, respectively. The fences did come in at Safeco in 2013, however, it's hard to glean much from one year of park data.<br/><br />Given that Cano is already slow, there is virtually no chance he will finish out his contract as a second baseman. His range is good now, but he doesn't have a first step to lose.<br/><br />That's all for the future, though. In the short term, the Mariners have a bona fide star, an excellent hitter and fielder who has some small flaws -- that aforementioned tendency to swing at the first pitch and expand the strike zone in key situations (such as the postseason), the occasional rock on the bases, the increasingly infrequent vapor lock in the field -- but then, no player this side of Mike Trout is perfect.<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/3684553/Omar_Infante.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><i>Omar Infante (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY )</i><br/><br />For the Mariners, the big question is what they do for an encore, and if they can swing a deal for David Price or another big-time arm, because Cano -- and perhaps not even Cano <i>and</i> Price -- gets them all the way back to the postseason. Their outfield is basically nonexistent, their bullpen endgame still unsettled, the back of the rotation unproven. For the Yankees, this is a serious blow not wholly offset by the signings of Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann, and even if they sign an interim replacement such as Omar Infante (a .296 hitter over the last five years, but it's a soft average with little in the way of patience or power), they are going to miss Cano badly.<br/><br />Given the way increasing television revenues have inflated player salaries this year, it is possible the Yankees will regret not making the same evaluation the Mariners did, which is to say that they're probably not any more sanguine than the Yankees about the value of those last three years than the Yankees were. Realistically, it's a seven-year deal with a three-year sinecure. Had the Yankees not been so fixated on the $189 million budget mark (which they might yet push beyond), they could have upped Cano's average salary even higher without increasing the number of years.<br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3684537/Carew.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><i>Rod Carew (Getty Images)</i><br/><br />Their intransigence, the result of the suppurating self-inflicted wound that was the Alex Rodriguez deal, is a case of the right lesson being applied to the wrong player. At the risk of appearing to contradict the pessimistic assessment of Cano's later years above, there aren't many comparable players to Cano. Baseball-Reference's similarity scores struggles to find true comparables -- the top two, Nomar Garciaparra and Chase Utley, don't really work . In terms of the post-expansion era, only Rod Carew and Joe Morgan exceed him in offensive impact. The Yankees might have been too familiar with Cano's shortcomings to see just how special he truly is. By the time he's done, we may see him as not just as a Hall of Famer, but one of the all-time greats at his position.<br/><br />The Yankees are now heading into what will almost certainly be the last year of a much-diminished Jeter's career with no Andy Pettitte, no Mariano Rivera, no homegrown stars at all for the first time in many years. The Cano Era having ended before it began, they now (re)enter the Mercenary Era, the "We paid them, so you love them, damn it," era.<br/><br />That leaves Cano and the sense, perhaps inaccurate, that the tail wagged the dog here and ego trumped common sense -- Cano's desire to be treated like a rock star and Jay Z's to have the same celebrity in baseball that he had in music. Cano fit well in New York. It's easy to imagine that he would have been just the second Yankee to have 3,000 hits as well as a symbol of continuity in the post- Derek Jeter, post-Alex Rodriguez years. He was building to a number on the wall and a ranking as one of the team's inner circle of greats. He may yet still get that 3,000 and a trip to the Hall of Fame -- though it's worth wondering if Cano realizes how Adrian Beltre's five years in Safeco might have held him back just enough to keep him out of Cooperstown -- but the special feelings that attach to a franchise player likely won't be there. He'll be just another mercenary who can have whichever logo on his plaque because he's not identified with any team in particular.<br/><br />It takes a certain kind of bravery to sacrifice comfort and adulation for the most money. It also takes bravery to say that you will leave that much money on the table, but only for now, because you have the confidence that you will still be worth a high level of compensation when you are 38, 39, 40. There is no wrong answer there, and given the way any athlete's career is just one bad injury from ending, Cano made the smarter play. Yet, in New York we've seen what a distracted Cano looks like. Five years ago, I began a description of Cano's aberrantly poor 2008 season this way: "A first-pitch swing at a ball out of the strike zone, popping it up to short left field, a disgusted shake of the head and dip of the shoulders, and a futile trot to first base." You still see that from Cano perhaps once a game. If he's unhappy in the Pacific Northwest, you might see even more of it, and then the contract will be a Carl Crawford-style disaster -- right player, right money, wrong place.<br/><br />This could be one of those rare occasions when the baleful old moral, "Got what you wanted, lost what you had," could apply to almost everyone in the story -- the Yankees, the Mariners, Cano (Jay Z gets to point out the head of the Mariners Moose on his wall regardless) -- but there's also a lot of upside here as well. To be continued, Cano-ver and Cano-ver again, until 2023. May you enjoy baseball in good health until then, and for the Mariners' sake, may the same be true of Cano as well.<br/><br />* Mariners, Cano agree to 10-year deal | Newest addition to $200 million club<br/><br />* The Jack Zduriencik All-Stars and trading for David Price<br/><br />* Yelp reviews of the 2013 Blue Jays season<br/><br />* Yanks keep Kuroda & Mets ink Granderson | More rumors<br/><br />* Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison</div>

Hot Trends: Robinson Cano to the Mariners: Everyone gets what they want... sort of

A huge deal has the potential to bring the Mariners great rewards and the Yankees great regrets, but the opposite could be true as well.Robinson Cano has signed with the Seattle Mariners for 10 years and $240 million. Everyone got what they wanted, or maybe it's just almost everyone: Jay Z got the b…

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Hot Trends: Robinson Cano 'didn't want to play for' Yankees manager Joe Girardi

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><br/><br /><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://l.yimg.com/os/388/2013/05/29/DaveBrown70-jpg_181836.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br /><img height="300" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/CPsIun8vlNZNruJZ6PMtDw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2013-12-07/ce415d4b-3bdc-4e5b-b3f1-c01bd5ddbab6_girardijoecanorobbie.jpg" width="100%"/><br/><br /><br/><br />Getty Images<br/><br />Being handed a contract for $240 million is reason enough for Robinson Cano to trade his pinstripes for a compass and play for the Seattle Mariners. But he also reportedly didn't like how he was being utilized by New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, and is happy to be leaving the Bronx for that reason also. So much so, apparently, that he didn't even call the Yankees to give them a chance to match Seattle's big offer:<br/><br />Reporter George A. King III in the New York Pos t has the anonymously sourced details:<br/><br />"Robbie didn't like batting second, he wanted to bat in the middle of the order,'' one person said. "The Yankees wanted him second because that was best for the team. He wanted to hit in the middle of the order to drive in runs [to increase his value].''<br/><br />Through the middle of June, Cano shuttled between second and third in a lineup that didn't have Derek Jeter to hit second or Rodriguez in the cleanup spot.<br/><br />For the season, Cano batted third in 110 games, hitting .319 with 16 homers, 73 RBIs and an OPS of .886. As the No. 2 hitter in 42 games, he hit .308 with 10 homers, 30 RBIs and a .955 OPS.<br/><br />"He told me he didn't want to play for [Girardi],'' a friend of Cano's said.<br/><br />It's not exactly the sensational stuff of a tell-all book, but it's possible that a combination of perceived slights persuaded Cano that the Yankees didn't quite want him enough, even if the money were to be equal. Being reluctant to bat him in the middle of the order; taking a public stance that they wouldn't be willing to pay him much more (relatively speaking) than outsider Jacoby Ellsbury; making Cano the issue, and not other players, in wanting to stay below the $189 million luxury tax threshold.<br/><br />Did King talk to Girardi to get his side of the story - for whatever it might be worth? It does not appear he tried. We'll hear from him in time, though.<br/><br />If the Yankees really wanted Cano, if they really thought he was worth it, if they really thought he was a middle-of-the-order superstar, they wouldn't have made it seem like keeping him was so agonizing to them. So Cano thinks. Maybe. - - - - - - -</div>

Hot Trends: Robinson Cano 'didn't want to play for' Yankees manager Joe Girardi

Getty ImagesBeing handed a contract for $240 million is reason enough for Robinson Cano to trade his pinstripes for a compass and play for the Seattle Mariners. But he also reportedly didn't like how he was being utilized by New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, and is happy to be leaving the Bronx …

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