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Hot News: Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://videos.usatoday.net/Brightcove2/29906170001/2014/11/29906170001_3913911092001_video-still-for-video-3913819273001.jpg" width="100%"/> Taking advantage of earlier and longer promotions this season, fewer shoppers were in stores or purchasing online over the holiday weekend compared to last year, a trend that's expected to continue into Cyber Monday. National Retail Federation expects about 127 million people to shop online for Cyber Monday, down from about 131 million who planned to shop online last year. NRF CEO Matthew Shay attributes the shift in shopping patterns to the fact that some consumers may feel better about the economy and are less frantic about chasing deals, combined with shoppers recognizing they can get online deals all season long. Black Friday promotions started a week or more beforehand in some cases this year and most major retailers offered Black Friday prices both in stores and online over the weekend. Cyber Monday will last multiple days and up to a week at retailers including Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Staples, J.C. Penney and Kohl's, all of which started offering deals over the weekend. The nature of 24/7 online shopping may be decreasing the need to head to stores for deals, some data show. Behind convenience and avoiding crowds, 77% of online shoppers went to the Web over the holiday weekend because they found better or comparable deals, according to data from Consumer Electronics Association. For the remainder of the season, 'every day is going to be Black Friday, every minute is going to be Cyber Monday,' Shay says. '(Retailers) can't let up for an instant because of the competitive nature of what's happening out there.' IBM Smarter Commerce, which tracks online sales data for retailers, still expects Cyber Monday to be the peak online shopping day of the year. 'Retailers are holding back some inventory and working on new promotions to (entice) consumers to continue to shop Monday and throughout the whole week,' says Jay Henderson, director of IBM Smarter Commerce. Online and mobile shopping soared over Thanksgiving and Black Friday and many retailers already broke online records when shoppers started spending on Thanksgiving. Target said it experienced a more than 40% increase in online orders and sales on Thanksgiving. Walmart had its highest three-day stretch of online traffic and orders ever from Thanksgiving through Saturday. Overall, IBM reported online sales on Thanksgiving were up 14.3% over last year, driven by significant mobile use: smartphones and tablets accounted for more than half of all online traffic on Thursday. Shoppers seek out sale priced socks on Black Friday at Fred Meyer in Roseburg, Ore., Friday Nov. 28, 2014.(Photo: Michael Sullivan, AP) That's likely to shift on Monday when more people are expected to shop on desktops or laptops while at work, Henderson says. Walmart hopes it will see more shoppers than last year on Cyber Monday, says Fernando Madeira, CEO of Walmart.com. Cyber Monday was its biggest online shopping day of the year in 2013. This year, it has doubled the number of deals that will be available online, and is offering exclusive promotions on items available for same-day pickup, as well as a round of evening-only deals aimed at people shopping after work. 'We believe we're well positioned to capture the traffic,' Madeira says. 'We expect more momentum.' Overall, fewer people shopped in stores and online over the holiday weekend, according to NRF. Traffic was down 5.2% from 2013 and total spending was expected to reach $50.9 billion by Sunday, down from $57.4 billion estimated for the same period last year. 'Shoppers have changed the way they view exclusive deals,' Shay says. 'They have this expectation that it's going to be there all the time.' Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1y0kKFF Post By http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/11/30/cyber-week-sales-black-friday-recap/19700745/</div>

Hot News: Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday

Taking advantage of earlier and longer promotions this season, fewer shoppers were in stores or purchasing online over the holiday weekend compared to last year, a trend that's expected to continue into Cyber Monday.National Retail Federation expects about 127 million people to shop online for Cyber…

Nov 30, 2014

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf Claims He Was Raped During His 'IAMSORRY' Art Project

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/shia-lebeouf-rape-accusations-spl-lead.jpg?w=600" width="100%"/>So shocking. In a revealing new interview, actor Shia LaBeouf claims he was raped by a woman at his #IAMSORRY art exhibit in Feb. 2014. His description of the ordeal is absolutely horrifying. This is something we never expected to hear out of Shia LaBeouf's latest interview with Dazed magazine. The Fury actor claims he was raped during his #IAMSORRY art exhibit in Feb. 2014. He details the 'painful' trauma he experienced and how his girlfriend Mia Goth found out about it. Shia LaBeouf Raped? Actor Claims Sexual Assault At 'IAMSORRY' Exhibit Shia's been through a lot this year, and now he's alleging that he was raped during his #IAMSORRY art show in Feb. 2014. The five-day exhibit featured Shia alone in a room with a paper bag over his head, and visitors could come sit with him one-on-one. That's where he claims the sexual assault happened. Here is the excerpt from his interview: One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me... There were hundreds of people in line when she walked out with disheveled hair and smudged lipstick. It was no good, not just for me but her man as well. On top of that my girl was in line to see me, because it was Valentine's Day and I was living in the gallery for the duration of the event - we were separated for five days, no communication. So it really hurt her as well, as I guess the news of it travelled through the line. When she came in she asked for an explanation, and I couldn't speak, so we both sat with this unexplained trauma silently. It was painful. Whoa. That's terrifying. Shia has never spoken of his private ordeal until now. A few months after the alleged rape, Shia was arrested during the June 26 Broadway play, Cabaret. The actor was taken away in handcuffs after smoking and appearing drunk, reported. Just two days later, Shia caused quite a scene at The Local Peasant, a Sherman Oaks restaurant. He was caught peeing on the walls outside the establishment. Since then, Shia's been on the up-and-up. His incredible role in Fury is garnering lots of buzz. We sincerely hope Shia's gets passed this ordeal. HollywoodLife.com has reached out to Shia's rep for comment. - Avery Thompson More Shia LaBeouf News: Shia LaBeouf Poses In Nothing But A Towel for 'Interview' - See Pic Shia LaBeouf Explains 'Cabaret' Arrest & Grabbing Alan Cummings' Butt Shia LaBeouf On Terrifying Jail Time: 'They Put Me In A Hannibal Mask' Post By http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/11/28/shia-labeouf-raped-sexual-assault-i-am-sorry-art-project/</div>

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf Claims He Was Raped During His 'IAMSORRY' Art Project

So shocking. In a revealing new interview, actor Shia LaBeouf claims he was raped by a woman at his #IAMSORRY art exhibit in Feb. 2014. His description of the ordeal is absolutely horrifying.This is something we never expected to hear out of Shia LaBeouf's latest interview with Dazed magazine. The F…

Nov 30, 2014

Best Nikon COOLPIX S6500 Digital Camera

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><center> <h2>Best Nikon COOLPIX S6500 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 12x Zoom - Red (Certified Refurbished)</h2> <a href='http://tinyurl.com/onmkshx' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><img alt="Nikon COOLPIX" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rm77s0G3L._SL2000_.jpg" vspace="0"/> </a> </center> <div style='clear:both;text-align:center;' class='separator'><a href='http://tinyurl.com/onmkshx' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><img border="0" height="53" src="http://goo.gl/l551sS" width="320"/> </a> </div> <h3>This is My Opinion About This Product</h3> After I buy this New Nikon COOLPIX S6500 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 12x Zoom (Black) (OLD MODEL) (Electronics) <div class='reviewText'>I recently got the camera at a local store; although, it was cheaper at Amazon, I needed it right away. After going through all the cameras in my price range; I found that this camera has features found on much more expensive cameras that I was looking at. Its compact size makes it easy to carry around. The ability to take good quality pictures as well as Full HD video eliminates the need to also carry a video camera. The camera has several shooting modes to select from such as Portrait, Panorama, etc... Pictures look realistic, they are sharp and the colors are vivid and natural. The image stabilization helps take sharp photos; I found this especially useful when using the zoom for long distance. As they claim, the pictures at low-light are very good, much better than I expected. At my daughters dance show, they allowed the audience to take photograph without flash. The pictures and videos came out real good considering the distance that I had to zoom and the low light. The built in HD video camera (CMOS) recording quality is very good. There is a separate button to record videos. You can also pause the video recording so you don't end up with a bunch of short clips. The camera has editing features to do things like lighten skin tones, whiten teeth, whiten eyes, reduce dark circles beneath the eyes, and apply a blush-like effect to cheeks. With the built-in wireless you can quickly send your pictures and video to your smart phone, tablet, etc... to email them to your friends and family, or post them online. This beats having to take your memory card out of the camera or plug the camera to a computer to share your pictures. You are also supposed to be able to control the camera with your smart phone; however, I haven't tried that yet. Options for Image size: 16MP - 4608 x 3456, 8MP - 3264 x 2448, 4MP - 2272 x 1704, 2MP - 1600 x 1200, VGA - 640 x 480, 16:9 (12MP) 4608 x 2592</div> </div>

Best Nikon COOLPIX S6500 Digital Camera

Best Nikon COOLPIX S6500 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 12x Zoom - Red (Certified Refurbished) This is My Opinion About This ProductAfter I buy this New Nikon COOLPIX S6500 Wi-Fi Digital Camera with 12x Zoom (Black) (OLD MODEL) (Electronics)I recently got the camera at a local store; although, it was …

Nov 30, 2014

Hot News: Mickey Rourke wins exhibition boxing match at 62

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03122/mickey-rourke_3122425c.jpg" width="100%"/> He has said he plans to hold another four fights in Russia. Rourke prepared in a dressing room in front of a shrine featuring candles, images of saints, and photographs of his dogs. Rourke said he had been in mourning for his recently-deceased Chihuahua. He took to the ring in a stetson hat, a red-and-gold robe and shiny gold gloves, repeatedly crossing himself. Rourke, who had said he lost 35lbs (16 kilograms) to prepare to the fight, was much thinner than in his best-known cinematic fighting persona, when he bulked up to play the title character in 2008's 'The Wrestler.' His shorts bore his ring nickname from the 1990s, Marielito, with a Spanish-language message reading 'always handsome.' The fight was held at a pedestrian pace, with both Rourke and Seymour frequently backing away from one another and letting down their guard. Several of Rourke's punches appeared illegal. His final punch struck the stumbling Seymour on the buttocks and the 29-year-old went down to all fours until the referee stopped the contest. The Russian crowd chanted 'Misha,' a short form of the Russian name Mikhail, in Rourke's honour. Seymour, a former California Golden Gloves champion with a 1-9 pro record, did not land any significant blows on Rourke, whose previous boxing career left him with injuries that he has previously said necessitated extensive plastic surgery to his face. Following the fight, the crowd was treated to a concert by Grigory Leps, a Russian rock singer who has been barred from entering the United States due to alleged mafia connections. On the undercard, Olympic light-heavyweight champion Egor Mekhontsev continued his unbeaten start to his professional career, moving to a 7-0 record with a win over Ugandan fighter Joey Vegas. Russia's Eduard Troyanovsky knocked out Jose Agustin Feria of Colombia in the first round for the WBA intercontinental lightweight title, moving to a 20-0 record. Post By http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11262499/Mickey-Rourke-wins-exhibition-boxing-match-at-62.html</div>

Hot News: Mickey Rourke wins exhibition boxing match at 62

He has said he plans to hold another four fights in Russia.Rourke prepared in a dressing room in front of a shrine featuring candles, images of saints, and photographs of his dogs. Rourke said he had been in mourning for his recently-deceased Chihuahua.He took to the ring in a stetson hat, a red-and…

Nov 30, 2014

Hot News: Black Friday Embrace by British Retailers Brings Discounts and Disorder

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/11/28/multimedia/black-friday-world/black-friday-world-videoSixteenByNine540.jpg" width="100%"/> LONDON - Black Friday, virtually unknown here just a few years ago, has tightened its grip on British retailing, bringing with it scenes of disorder and chaos, at least two arrests and police criticism of the big stores that encourage shopper frenzy. Officers were called out in several cities across Britain on Friday as thousands of shoppers stampeded into stores lured by large discounts. A Tesco store in Stretford, near Manchester in northern England, was closed after fights broke out between shoppers, and a woman suffered minor injuries after being hit by a falling television. The police were also called to restore order at three Tesco stores in London, and there were reports of other incidents in cities including Cardiff, Wales. Black Friday is not as obvious a fixture in Britain as it is in the United States, where it follows the Thanksgiving holiday. But while some of Britain's most exclusive stores have stood aloof, a growing number of retailers have imported the idea as a way to kick-start the Christmas spending spree on the fourth Friday of November. The innovation has paid off, prompting a one-day sales surge of around 10 percent for British retail sales, experts say. Visa, the credit card association, predicted that on Friday in Britain about 360,000 pounds, or $568,000, would be spent every minute - or about £6,000 every second - using its cards. Visa also predicted a big upward spike in online sales, saying it expected to process 8.5 million British online transactions, which would be an increase of more than one-fifth over the same day a year ago. But the new marketing push came at the cost of some disorder early in the day, particularly in and around Manchester, where the police made two arrests after being called to seven Tesco stores around midnight as the discount offers began. The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Peter Fahy, described the problems as 'totally predictable' and added that he was 'disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty.' 'This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers,' he said in a statement. 'It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched.' Tesco, one of Britain's biggest retailers, said it had offered Black Friday price reductions of up to 70 percent in some of its larger stores for the first time this year, after testing online discounts successfully in 2013. Of around 600 stores that took part, only a small number experienced problems, said Felicity Callaghan, a spokeswoman for Tesco. 'Black Friday is gaining in awareness in the United Kingdom,' Ms. Callaghan said. 'This is when Christmas shopping starts and our customers can get some great deals before Christmas.' Amazon, the multinational online retailer, is often cited as having imported Black Friday into Britain in 2010 when it first offered reductions on the fourth Friday of November. But according to Joshua Bamfield, director of the Center for Retail Research, an independent organization in Nottingham that studies the sector, the retail chain Woolworths experimented with the Black Friday idea in Britain before it went out of business in 2009. Mr. Bamfield said that Black Friday discount promotions had added around £100 million to overall physical and online sales of around £900 million on the fourth Friday of November in Britain last year and were expected to add £200 million this year, with more than a dozen big retailers thought to be taking part. Kevin Jenkins, managing director responsible for the United Kingdom and Ireland at Visa Europe, said in a statement that Black Friday had become 'the U.K.'s biggest online shopping day,' adding that 'following a jump last year, retailers are making a bigger Friday push this time around.' Not all retailers are convinced of the benefits, and some are reluctant to discount before the big Christmas rush has even begun. But many big chain stores see Black Friday as an opportunity to spur spending at a time when there is usually a plateau in shopping before December, Mr. Bamfield said. He noted, though, that the facts that Britain does not have a Thanksgiving holiday and that many Britons are still unfamiliar with the term Black Friday meant that the event did not have an intuitive feel. The etymology of the term in a retailing context in the United States is not entirely clear. But in recent decades the assumed meaning is that this big shopping day is when many merchants hope to break into the black - turn profitable - for the year. 'Black Friday sounds to many here like a day of stock market crashes, or of rain, snow or drizzle,' Mr. Bamfield said. 'Perhaps it would be better to call it Pink or Rosy Friday.' Post By http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/business/international/british-retailers-embrace-of-black-friday-brings-discounts-and-disorder.html</div>

Hot News: Black Friday Embrace by British Retailers Brings Discounts and Disorder

LONDON - Black Friday, virtually unknown here just a few years ago, has tightened its grip on British retailing, bringing with it scenes of disorder and chaos, at least two arrests and police criticism of the big stores that encourage shopper frenzy.Officers were called out in several cities across …

Nov 30, 2014

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf Claims He Was Raped During His 'IAMSORRY' Art Project

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf Claims He Was Raped During His 'IAMSORRY' Art Project

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: 'The Force Awakens' in Lego: New 'Star Wars' trailer in bricks

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://cnet2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2014/11/29/6c0ebcfb-5ad8-4b00-8279-ff21477de11e/resize/770x578/5f2d54eaa38db74f1e8348ab27c46cc6/legoawakens6.jpg" width="100%"/> There has been a Lego awakening. Have you felt it? Watch the new teaser trailer for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' painstakingly re-created brick by brick. Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET When Disney and Lucasfilm gave us a quick sneak peek at what's to come in the new 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' teaser trailer yesterday, fans everywhere showed their excitement online, dissected the trailer image by image and a few even debated the new lightsaber design. With all the fan hullabaloo over the cast appearances, new lightsaber and the ball-rolling astromech, it's comforting to know that you can rewatch the entire teaser trailer lovingly remade in Lego. Everything from appearances of 'Star Wars' newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac to the iconic Millennium Falcon's exciting flyby is recreated brick by brick in Lego form. Even the cameo of the new lightsaber design gets its own Lego likeness. Lego tributes to 'Star Wars' have always been popular online, so when the first official photo of some of the main cast of the new 'Star Wars' film was released in April, it was quickly re-created in Lego. In '‪ Lego Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer‬' by Youtube user Snooperking, we see cast members, including the Stormtroopers, in minifigure form, plus Lego builds of X-wings and the Millennium Falcon. 'I had nothing to do yesterday so I started once the trailer came out so I built the Falcon, the X-wing, the speeder bike, a mini TIE fighter, tried to build all the sets, and get all my minifigures put together,' Snooperking stated on his Youtube page. 'Then just filming took forever, especially the special effects.' To make the special effects in the video, Snooperking attempted using a makeshift green screen but decided in the end to use a thread to move the TIE fighter around the Falcon. Post By http://www.cnet.com/news/the-force-awakens-in-lego-new-star-wars-teaser-trailer-in-bricks/</div>

Hot News: 'The Force Awakens' in Lego: New 'Star Wars' trailer in bricks

There has been a Lego awakening. Have you felt it? Watch the new teaser trailer for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' painstakingly re-created brick by brick. Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNETWhen Disney and Lucasfilm gave us a quick sneak peek at what's to come in the new 'Star Wars: The Force A…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Revealed: the best Cyber Monday deals

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://money.aol.co.uk/mod_pagespeed_static/1.Hy2LQaukh5.gif" width="100%"/> Shoppers are expected to spend an incredible £649.6 million this Cyber Monday, according to figures from the Centre for Retail Research. The online equivalent of Black Friday, which took place on November 28 - Cyber Monday is a great time to snap up a bargain. But where can you find the best deals? Let's find out... What is Cyber Monday? Cyber Monday started in the US and is the first Monday after the country's Thanksgiving celebrations. Crucially, however, it is also the first Monday after most people's last pre-Christmas payday. And that makes it a huge day for online retailers in the UK too, which is why many of them offer discounts to entice shoppers away from the competition. This year, Cyber Monday falls on Monday, December 1. Where can I find the best deals? There will be lots of special online offers available on Monday. Here is a selection of some of the best. Amazon Internet giant Amazon is planning to release hundreds of limited 'Lightning Deals', which offer discounts for a specific period, with new offers coming online every 10 minutes. Details of Amazon's Lightning Deals are only released as the offers become available. However, recent Lightning Deals have included up to 50% off Scalextric sets and up to 60% off diamond jewellery, and deals on the day are expected to include discounts on TomTom Sat Navs, ruby jewellery and the Harry Potter Hogwarts Collection DVD. Amazon said: 'Cyber Monday is fast approaching and we are excited to bring you deals in electronics, video games, clothing, toys, and more.' Apple Feeling charitable? If you are, Cyber Monday is a great time to shop on the Apple website, as the company is running a promotion that involves it donating money to the fight against AIDS for every purchase made. The offer is being run to mark World AIDS Day, also on December 1. Apple said: 'We'll contribute a portion of the proceeds from every product, accessory and gift card we sell to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.' ASOS The online fashion store is offering 20% off everything until 8am on Tuesday, December 2. All you have to do is enter the code CYBERWKND20 to claim the discount on your Cyber Monday purchases. Game The site is promising a range of Cyber Monday deals along the same lines as its Black Friday weekend offers, which include Playstation 4 and Xbox One packages for £299.99. The best of the rest Many of the Black Friday deals offered by retailers last until Cyber Monday - and even beyond. John Lewis, for example, is offering £150 cash back on Bosch appliances bought before December 12, plus an extra £50 back if you buy a a washing machine and a tumble dryer. Elsewhere, Microsoft's digital content sale lasts until Monday, with Xbox Live Gold members able to get a whopping 75% off games. And mobile operator O2 is offering Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals that last all week, including the chance to get £99 off a Samsung Galaxy S5 by signing up to its £33-a-month tariff. Related articles...Beware the Black Friday pitfallsSupermarkets making massive loss from online shoppingTesco slashes champagne to £8 Post By http://money.aol.co.uk/2014/11/29/revealed-the-best-cyber-monday-deals/</div>

Hot News: Revealed: the best Cyber Monday deals

Shoppers are expected to spend an incredible £649.6 million this Cyber Monday, according to figures from the Centre for Retail Research.The online equivalent of Black Friday, which took place on November 28 - Cyber Monday is a great time to snap up a bargain.But where can you find the best deals? Le…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Piers Morgan Goes On An Angry Twitter Rant Regarding Shia LaBeouf's Claims ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/piers-morgan-goes-on-an-angry-twitter-rant-regarding-shia-lebeoufs-claims-that-he-was-raped__oPt.jpg" width="100%"/> Shia LaBeouf shocked the world when he said that he was raped during his one-man performance art show, but at least one other celebrity is NOT sympathizing with the actor. And that person is Piers Morgan! Shia LaBeouf had revealed in an interview that one woman had 'whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me' at the one man show he did earlier this year in Los Angeles. [ Related: Shia LaBeouf Says He Was Raped During His Performance Art Exhibit - One Woman Turned The Experience Into Trauma ] But Piers Morgan recently took to Twitter to share how he felt about Shia's claims, and they were NOT pretty! Here's what he wrote: 'Shia LaBeouf's claim to have been 'raped' is truly pathetic & demeans real rape victims. Grow up, you silly little man...A Hollywood actor sitting with a paper bag over his head who did nothing as he claims a woman 'raped' him has not been raped...People are actually defending Shia LaBeouf. The world's gone mad...He's invented a supposed 'rape' for cheap PR - utterly shameful...Shia LaBeouf invited people to do they want to him, then let a woman 'rape' him without doing or saying a word? Utterly ridiculous...The supposed 'rapist' is easily traceable, this was a public event. I suggest Mr LaBeouf now calls the police to report his 'rape'...LaBeouf wants us to believe his girlfriend came in after the 'rape' but he didn't say a word to her in the name of 'art'. REALLY??' Wow! We guess Piers really does NOT believe Shia about his claims! Many of Piers's followers on Twitter have called him out for victim shaming Shia, and certain magazines seem to agree with that, as well. Piers Morgan should use his journalism experience and do a bit more digging into this matter! Maybe call Shia LeBeouf up and talk to him for himself!!! Now that'd be some real journalism! [ Image via STS/WENN.] Tags: art, celebrity feuds, comments, performance, piers morgan, piers morgan photo, public, rape, shia labeouf, shia labeouf photo, slams, twitter Post By http://perezhilton.com/2014-11-29-piers-morgan-slams-shia-lebeouf-rape-claims</div>

Hot News: Piers Morgan Goes On An Angry Twitter Rant Regarding Shia LaBeouf's Claims ...

Shia LaBeouf shocked the world when he said that he was raped during his one-man performance art show, but at least one other celebrity is NOT sympathizing with the actor.And that person is Piers Morgan!Shia LaBeouf had revealed in an interview that one woman had 'whipped my legs for ten minutes and…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: New 'Star Wars' Trailer A Force Among Fans — And An Inspiration For Lego ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/a1988468331b372ee5ab1062611a6d47?s=60&d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D60&r=G" width="100%"/> Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter <a rel='nofollow'>@howellspace</a> or contact her at <a href='http://www.elizabethhowell.ca' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>her website</a>. Just how fast can X-wings hope of Star Wars fans go? In the first day since the new Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens trailer was released, the YouTube channel racked up more than 19 million views, inspiring discussion about how good the new films could be. You can watch the trailer above. Below (with minor spoilers) is a roundup of the coverage and a cute Lego-inspired parody from a fan. Entertainment Weekly published seven things that Star Wars fans have learned from the trailer, including the fact that no outer space is featured (!), none of the old-time stars are present yet (why?) and how the new lightsaber actually has a Game of Thrones look. Ars Technica declared the trailer ' definitely looks like Star Wars' because it includes the familiar elements we have been accustomed to since 1977, ranging from stormtroopers to the Millennium Falcon. 'One of the challenges ... in reviving the Star Wars movie franchise is winning over hardcore fans and washing away the bad taste of the critically reviled prequel films, and there's no better way to start doing that than by appealing to nostalgia,' the mini-review read. The Verge cleverly finds a Lego-themed parody of the Star Wars trailer and appears to like the bricked lightsaber more than the one showed in the trailer. And yes, the famous bricks are important to the franchise due to the immensely popular Lego video game series based on Star Wars. IGN covers what it considers ' the major talking points ' of the trailer, including the fact that we're on Tatooine, John Boyega 'looks a little anxious' for a stormtrooper, and questions about some of the junk lurking in the background of one of the shots. Business Insider finds the ultimate Easter egg for Star Wars fans. No, we're not going to spoil the surprise - you're going to have to click through to see it. The Telegraph collects a bunch of fake trailers for those who haven't had enough of the real thing. You can see one of them below. Star Wars Fanpedia fulfills our destiny for even MORE fan-made trailers. Expect to see more as the release date comes up in about a year. Mashable has some amusing asides based on what we see in the trailer. Our favorite: 'There's one piece of writing in the trailer, on the X-wing pilot's uniform, written in the language of the Star Wars universe, known as Aurebesh. And what does it say? Star Wars nerds had that answer almost immediately: 'Pull to inflate.' ' Carscoops watches the trailer with perhaps the best unique angle ever: what if the characters had to drive cars? What would they look like? Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website. Post By http://www.universetoday.com/116810/new-star-wars-trailer-a-force-among-fans-and-an-inspiration-for-lego-parody/</div>

Hot News: New 'Star Wars' Trailer A Force Among Fans — And An Inspiration For Lego ...

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated M…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Toronto Blue Jays newcomer Josh Donaldson is a proven winner: 'Ever since I ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://wpmedia.sports.nationalpost.com/2014/11/aptopix_blue_jays_athletics_baseball.jpg?w=620&h=464" width="100%"/> Josh Donaldson's talent is unquestionable. He hits for power, delivers with runners in scoring position, plays superb defence at third base and can steal a base when necessary. But perhaps as important to the Blue Jays, given their current circumstance, is what Donaldson calls his 'sixth tool.' 'Ever since I was five years old, my teams have won,' he said. 'I'm not saying that it's necessarily just me that's causing that, but I think there's a mentality about winning ... I just hope to be able to come in and instill that winning mentality, and the guys can see that.' This is the second time in a week that general manager Alex Anthopoulos had added a proven winner to a team that has not won anything in more than two decades. In his three seasons with the Oakland A's, Donaldson went to the playoffs three times. Free-agent catcher Russell Martin, who signed for a ton of cash last week, has gone to the playoffs in seven of his nine seasons. Experience of that sort doesn't figure into a player's WAR rating, but many in baseball - rightly or wrongly - insist that it makes a difference to a team's culture, that it contributes to a belief system that says, 'We can win.' While several players on the current Jays roster have a modicum of post-season experience, most of it in the distant past, it has been largely absent from their clubhouse for a long time. In his public pronouncements, Anthopoulos has only hinted that finding that missing ingredient is a priority at the same time as he improves the team by adding skilled players. His most recent acquisitions fulfill both criteria. Donaldson and Martin are exceptional players, and they are winners. Their attitude and their ethic might just be contagious. It is fashionable to call this changing the clubhouse culture. That may exaggerate the perceived problems of the past, but this much is certain: between Anthopoulos, the five-year GM, and the players he has put in that clubhouse, the Blue Jays have not figured out how to win. Less than 24 hours after he became a Blue Jay in a four-for-one trade that sent tarnished Canadian wunderkind Brett Lawrie to Oakland, Donaldson spoke by phone with Toronto reporters, offering an outsider's perspective on his new team. 'Russell Martin is a winner,' he said, pointing first to another man who has not played a game for Toronto. 'I feel like this team is so talented. It's going to be nice. And it's also going to be interesting to see what happens because, well, I feel like it's going to be a pretty fun year.' Translation: Whatever Anthopoulos has tried before hasn't worked. Maybe he's finally on to something. More to come from Donaldson's conference call with Toronto reporters ... Post By http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/11/29/toronto-blue-jays-newcomer-josh-donaldson-is-a-proven-winner-ever-since-i-was-five-years-old-my-teams-have-won/</div>

Hot News: Toronto Blue Jays newcomer Josh Donaldson is a proven winner: 'Ever since I ...

Josh Donaldson's talent is unquestionable. He hits for power, delivers with runners in scoring position, plays superb defence at third base and can steal a base when necessary.But perhaps as important to the Blue Jays, given their current circumstance, is what Donaldson calls his 'sixth tool.''Ever …

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: UFC poll: Fans pick Frankie Edgar over Conor McGregor for next title shot ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/On1rZR5AHqvd6kbymS6k9dAXeMg=/0x140:1899x1406/730x487/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44236742/usa-today-7338229.0.jpg" width="100%"/> Who deserves the next UFC featherweight title shot? According to a recent UFC poll, it's Frankie Edgar, not Conor McGregor. Frankie Edgar's victory at UFC Fight Night 57 was the kind of performance that garners most people a title shot, but the No. 2-ranked featherweight is not taking any chances. Immediately after submitting Cub Swanson late in the fifth round, Edgar said he hoped to have earned a title shot against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. In fact, Edgar took it one step further and picked the time, place, and venue. Now, he just needs the champ to agree and matchmaker Joe Silva to book it. Via Twitter: Frankie edgar vs jose aldo @ufc @UFCONFOX April 18 main event in my backyard @danawhite @lorenzofertitta how does that sound? Edgar is also trying to make his case for the fight with a screenshot from UFC.com's own poll, his point being that 'the numbers don't lie' about who mixed martial arts (MMA) fans want to see. The numbers don't lie. I do it with my fighting not my talking. @ufc @danawhite @lorenzofertitta pic.twitter.com/PlaQULhlNG - Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) November 26, 2014 Well fight fans, what say you? Is Edgar next in line for a title shot, or are you in the 47 percent who think that McGregor would be the more interesting fight? Assuming, of course, Dennis Siver doesn't have something to say about that, first? Post By http://www.mmamania.com/2014/11/29/7287747/ufc-poll-fans-pick-frankie-edgar-over-conor-mcgregor-next-title-shot-jose-aldo-mma</div>

Hot News: UFC poll: Fans pick Frankie Edgar over Conor McGregor for next title shot ...

Who deserves the next UFC featherweight title shot? According to a recent UFC poll, it's Frankie Edgar, not Conor McGregor.Frankie Edgar's victory at UFC Fight Night 57 was the kind of performance that garners most people a title shot, but the No. 2-ranked featherweight is not taking any chances.Imm…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Mickey Rourke, 62, Wins Boxing Match Against Opponent 33 Years Younger ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://assets-s3.usmagazine.com/uploads/assets/articles/80360-mickey-rourke-62-wins-boxing-match-against-opponent-33-years-younger/1417283207_mickey-rourke-g.jpg" width="100%"/> Making a comeback! Mickey Rourke returned to the boxing ring in a big way in Moscow on Friday, Nov. 28. The Wrestler actor won against an opponent 33 years his junior after just two rounds. PHOTOS: Celeb weight fluctuations Rourke, 62, beat out Pasadena native Elliot Seymour, 29, but not without controversy. During the fight, viewers took to Twitter claiming that some of the actor's punches were illegal. One of the questionable moves included a final punch to Seymour's buttocks. PHOTOS: Unforgettable sports scandals Supporters, however, couldn't believe how ripped (those abs!) and in shape Rourke is. According to the Associated Press, he lost 35 pounds while training for the competition. PHOTOS: Celebrity workout buddies 'I've got some things going on in my life so that (boxing has) sort of saved me from myself,' Rourke told Russian TV, via AP. 'And for a man like me, it's better to live in fear than go on in shame.' PHOTOS: Celeb workout clothes and style Rourke's win was his first fight in 20 years. He's previously won six matches and two draws in his three-year boxing career. Post By http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/mickey-rourke-62-wins-boxing-match-against-opponent-33-years-younger-20142911</div>

Hot News: Mickey Rourke, 62, Wins Boxing Match Against Opponent 33 Years Younger ...

Making a comeback! Mickey Rourke returned to the boxing ring in a big way in Moscow on Friday, Nov. 28. The Wrestler actor won against an opponent 33 years his junior after just two rounds. PHOTOS: Celeb weight fluctuationsRourke, 62, beat out Pasadena native Elliot Seymour, 29, but not without cont…

Nov 29, 2014

Best Nikon COOLPIX Digital Certified Refurbished

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><center> <h2>Best Nikon COOLPIX L620 18.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 14x Zoom Lens and Full 1080p HD Video (Black) (Certified Refurbished)</h2> <a href='http://tinyurl.com/qxpjnpg' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><img alt="Nikon COOLPIX" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Hwa90y3PL._SL2000_.jpg" vspace="0"/> </a> </center> <div style='clear:both;text-align:center;' class='separator'><a href='http://tinyurl.com/qxpjnpg' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><img border="0" height="53" src="http://goo.gl/l551sS" width="320"/> </a> </div> <h3>This is My Opinion About This Product</h3> After I buy this New Nikon COOLPIX L620 18.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 14x Zoom Lens and Full 1080p HD Video (Red) (Old Model) (Electronics) <div class='reviewText'>We purchased the Nikon Coolpix L620 on August 30, 2013 to replace our 2008 vintage Coolpix which was lost in a white water spill after 5 years of great pictures. Several days after receiving the L620 we headed off to Great Smokey Mountains National Park for a week of relaxation and pictures. Several hundred pictures later in a variety of compositions and lighting we return giving the L620 high marks. Needless to say the 18MP images render a sharp crisp picture. We didn't buy this camera to take low rez pictures so all of ours were at full resolution. In non flash situations the camera was able to recycle in less than a second between independent pictures. When a flash was used, often as a fill flash which produced amazing results, there is a noticeable time between pictures approaching 2 seconds which was not a problem at all. The 14x zoom was great when taking wildlife pictures although the automatic settings resulted in a slower than desired shutter speed resulting in a few blurred images. Perhaps the most impressive result was the vibrancy of the colors, exceeding expectations for a camera of this size and price. Performance in low light and foggy situations was notably good. Now for the rational for the 4 rather than 5 stars. We purchased the L620 in part because it uses 2 AA batteries rather than rectangular customs. With our last camera on several occasions we found ourselves without a spare battery so the ready availability of AA's made dealing with the lesser battery life a reasonable compromise: carrying an extra set in our pocket is easy. In a variety of lighting situations ours averaged 73 pictures (again at max resolution and mixed flash) over the trip (Duracell NiMH 2450mAh). Not bad performance. What was surprising is the lack of warning that you were about to run dry. In our previous 2 Coolpix a warning appeared in the view finder several pictures prior to the battery running dry. With the 620L there was little warning and in two cases the batteries died with none at all (yes there is a little battery in the view finder but it is not at all precise). For a company of Nikon's reputation this is a miss that needs correction. One suggestion, get a high capacity/quality memory card (we used a 32GB SanDisk Extreme) as it is worth cost for the capacity. All in all I would give the L620 a strong recommendation and look forward to years of use.</div> </div>

Best Nikon COOLPIX Digital Certified Refurbished

Best Nikon COOLPIX L620 18.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 14x Zoom Lens and Full 1080p HD Video (Black) (Certified Refurbished) This is My Opinion About This ProductAfter I buy this New Nikon COOLPIX L620 18.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 14x Zoom Lens and Full 1080p HD Video (Red) (Old Model) (Ele…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Stores extend Black Friday sales, shoppers see the difference in lines

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://localtvkfor.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/bf.jpeg?w=400&h=225&crop=1" width="100%"/> OKLAHOMA CITY - It's Black Friday and some eager shoppers have been hitting the stores as early as Thanksgiving night, searching for the best deals for the holidays. Our crews went to stores all over the metro and despite a few lines here and there, some folks said it was a relaxing Black Friday. Some shoppers think it's because stores have extended their hours, starting sales on Thanksgiving. 'They're spreading out the time that they have specials across the week and they're also spreading out the products,' said shopper Hans Schroeder. There were those who still had to wait for bargains. At Game Stop, the lines went around the building. People shuffled in for deals on x-box, headsets, and games. At Old Navy, their sales began on Thanksgiving, with 50% off the entire store. 'I have my own little notebook and I put down what we want to buy at each store and what we want to get. Yes, there's a lot of planning that goes into it,' said shopper Deborah Goad. Of course, some shoppers can't help but look back at some Black Friday horror stories. 'Last year, one person in our group got choked in the mall. Yes, we had to give her the Heimlich. The year before that, a person got ran over in Walmart by a cart,' said Tosia Maples. Luckily, our crews didn't run into anything dangerous, just happy shoppers. Don't forget Saturday is 'Small Business Saturday' a great way for Oklahomans to shop local and get some discounts. Post By http://kfor.com/2014/11/28/stores-extend-black-friday-sales-shoppers-see-the-difference-in-lines/</div>

Hot News: Stores extend Black Friday sales, shoppers see the difference in lines

OKLAHOMA CITY - It's Black Friday and some eager shoppers have been hitting the stores as early as Thanksgiving night, searching for the best deals for the holidays.Our crews went to stores all over the metro and despite a few lines here and there, some folks said it was a relaxing Black Friday.Some…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf: I was raped during performance art project

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/2/20/1392909768460/615d7aec-9a3c-4cfe-bb1d-cdd2200ae651-620x372.jpeg" width="100%"/> The actor Shia LaBeouf has claimed a woman raped him during the performance of his one-man art piece #IAMSORRY earlier this year. Speaking to Dazed magazine in an email interview, he wrote: 'One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for 10 minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me.' #IAMSORRY consisted of LaBeouf sitting silently with a paper bag on his head, bearing the legend 'I am not famous anymore' - members of the public queued to be able to sit in front of him in the one-on-one piece. It ran for five days in February at a Los Angeles gallery. LaBeouf said that news of the incident 'travelled through the line' of people waiting, and reached LaBeouf's girlfriend. 'When she came in she asked for an explanation, and I couldn't speak, so we both sat with this unexplained trauma silently. It was painful.' The piece was part of a wider series of performance art events by the actor, triggered by what he calls a 'genuine existential crisis' after he was accused of plagiarism when he lifted portions of a Daniel Clowes short story for a film he was working on. LaBeouf wrote streams of bizarre tweets, quoting notorious apologies from famous individuals, and hired a skywriting plane to etch an apology across the Los Angeles sky. He also wore a paper bag to the Berlin premiere of Lars Von Trier's film Nymphomaniac, and said he would be retiring from all public life. In the Dazed interview, LaBeouf seems to regret some of these responses, saying: 'I am a deeply ironic, cynical person. I was raised on The Simpsons and South Park, it's my default setting... [our generation] want to change things, we want to have hope, we just don't know how or where to look.' Of the assertion he would withdraw from public life, he explained: 'The 80s and 90s fucked us; our culture became a product to be sold, and anyone in a tabloid is a product - an object. American culture is just about blowjobs and golf. I wanted to take back ownership. Fuck the money, that was never the impetus. I wanted purpose.' His initial cynicism dissipated, and he began performance art in earnest - projects included writing #STARTCREATING with further skywriters, and running 144 laps around an Amsterdam museum. Following the Dazed email interview, his and journalist Aimee Cliff's face-to-face interview was conducted in silence, with each filming the other. In the emails he also skirts further controversy in a discussion of masculinity centred around his current second world war film Fury. 'Every primitive culture has a puberty ceremony where children become men. Jews still have it, but it's all religious nostalgia,' he says. 'I think the withholding of a puberty ceremony from young men in our society is a scheme which has been cunningly devised to make young men go to war.' The actor is currently undergoing treatment for addiction, following his June arrest for disorderly conduct and harassment after he interrupted a performance of Cabaret with obscene language. Post By http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/28/shia-labeouf-raped-performance-art-project-dazed</div>

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf: I was raped during performance art project

The actor Shia LaBeouf has claimed a woman raped him during the performance of his one-man art piece #IAMSORRY earlier this year.Speaking to Dazed magazine in an email interview, he wrote: 'One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for 10 min…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: How Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/gty_online_shopping_mt_141126_16x9_608.jpg" width="100%"/> Besides the obvious difference of shopping in the comfort of your home, Cyber Monday differs from Black Friday as a key bargain-hunting day in significant ways. Traditionally, Cyber Monday emphasized deals on electronic goods, but these days it has turned into a mammoth Cyber Week event, with online sales on clothes, books and more. 11 Things Not to Buy on Black Friday 3 Tips for Outlet Holiday Shopping Here are some major differences between Cyber Monday 2014, which falls on Dec. 1 this year, and Black Friday: 1. More People Buy Later in the Day Maybe America's worker bees can't sneak in time to shop online during Cyber Monday. Last year, Cyber Monday online sales peaked between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time, with sales that hour totaling $150 million, according to Adobe Digital Index Market Research. On Black Friday last year, online shopping sales peaked from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., bringing in the same $150 million for retailers. 2. Shoppers Do More Research According to an AOL survey, 83 percent of Cyber Monday shoppers reported researching online before shopping, compared with 64 percent of Black Friday shoppers. 3. Fewer Ads While retailers notify shoppers and the media of their Black Friday deals days or sometimes weeks in advance, there is less notice on Cyber Monday deals. 'Retailers want to tempt you with as many deals as possible, without discouraging early shopping,' writes Josie Rubio of DealNews. 4. People May Spend More The average shopper spends $468 on Cyber Monday, compared with $309 on Black Friday, according to an AOL survey. 5. Slightly More People May Shop, With Gender Differences According to a Nielsen study, 52 percent of all survey respondents said they plan to shop on Black Friday this year, with men slightly more enthusiastic than women: 53 percent of men said they plan to shop in-store, compared with 50 percent of women. The 1,150 respondents were 18 years and older. Slightly more shoppers (55 percent) plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year than Black Friday. But women will be more active on Cyber Monday: 60 percent of women plan to shop Cyber Monday versus 50 percent of men. Post By http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2014/11/how-cyber-monday-is-different-from-black-friday/</div>

Hot News: How Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday

Besides the obvious difference of shopping in the comfort of your home, Cyber Monday differs from Black Friday as a key bargain-hunting day in significant ways.Traditionally, Cyber Monday emphasized deals on electronic goods, but these days it has turned into a mammoth Cyber Week event, with online …

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: 62-Year-Old Mickey Rourke Wins Propaganda Boxing Match in Mo...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5478e4bf5afbd3bb618b4567-800/afp-toned-tattooed-mickey-rourke-returns-to-ring-at-62----and-wins.jpg" width="100%"/> © AFP Alexander NemenovMoscow (AFP) - Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke picked up his boxing career on Friday night in Moscow at 62 years old -- and beat his far younger opponent in the second round. Rourke, wearing red trunks with a Russian flag, unleashed a barrage of blows against 29-year-old Elliot Seymour, an American professional boxer, and the bout was halted. It had been set to go five rounds of two and a half minutes each but in the end lasted about four minutes. Prior to the match, wearing only a cowboy hat and turquoise boxer shorts, the actor had showed off his tanned, tattooed and muscly physique to a cheering crowd as he weighed in at 81.3 kilos (179.2 pounds), the same as his rival. 'I'm very happy to be back to the boxing ring. Thank God for letting me do this,' Rourke told AFP ahead of the fight. The organisers said the boxers were receiving 'large amounts of money' in fees, declining to give details but saying 'everyone is happy'. Rourke was an amateur boxer before his Hollywood career took off and he became a sex symbol star in films such as '9 1/2 Weeks'. He returned to boxing as a professional for eight matches in the 1990s, causing damage to his face that necessitated surgery and changed his appearance. In 2008 he starred in 'The Wrestler' about a washed-up professional wrestler making a comeback, winning a Golden Globe for best actor. - 'I wanna fight again' - Rourke said he was 'terrible' when he made his own comeback in the ring. 'Before, when I fought 18 years ago, I smoked, I didn't run, I got by on my natural ability,' he told journalists in Moscow. He said a boxing match between Russian Ruslan Provodnikov and American Tim Bradley inspired him to take on the challenge of returning to the ring. 'I went to the gym and I was terrible: smoking, you know, drinking,' Rourke said. His conditioning coach, Jordan Feramisco, 'broke my ass every day'. 'And then one day I said: 'Fuck this. If I'm gonna do it. I think I'm strong enough, I can do it.'' - Other fights in Russia - The actor is a frequent visitor to Russia and has been romantically linked to a Russian-born model, Anastassija Makarenko. He also played a Russian villain in the film 'Iron Man 2'. On a visit to central Moscow in August, he bought and wore a T-shirt sporting a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'I met Putin... and he seems to be a very good guy,' he said at the time, according to popular Russian daily Komsomolskaïa Pravda. Rourke says he always dreamed of fighting in Russia. He hopes to do four more fights, all in Russia. 'I think I'm strong enough,' the actor said ahead of Friday's bout. 'We train hard as we can, but in the end it's in God's hands.' Post By http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-toned-tattooed-mickey-rourke-returns-to-ring-at-62----and-wins-2014-11</div>

Hot News: 62-Year-Old Mickey Rourke Wins Propaganda Boxing Match in Mo...

© AFP Alexander NemenovMoscow (AFP) - Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke picked up his boxing career on Friday night in Moscow at 62 years old -- and beat his far younger opponent in the second round.Rourke, wearing red trunks with a Russian flag, unleashed a barrage of blows against 29-year-old Elliot S…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Instant Reaction: Thoughts on the Josh Donaldson trade

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R_AiRWlFhqZDxhAarJE6ADBO2FI=/0x0:3565x2377/730x487/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44247138/usa-today-8079702.0.jpg" width="100%"/> If you're reading this then you most certainly know about the trade that became official a short time ago between the Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics. Heading to the A's are Brett Lawrie, Franklin Barreto, Kendall Graveman, and Sean Nolin, while the Blue Jays receive All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson in return. The trade is yet another sign that Alex Anthopoulos and company are very serious about going all in for the next few seasons and have had enough of building up solid farm systems to come up short time and time again. By trading away essentially three top 12 prospects as well as the former Canadian third baseman of the future, Anthopoulos has risked his job and a large part of the franchise's fate on this trade and the Russell Martin signing earlier this month. For all of the people that were slowly losing faith in the ability of the front office to make moves like this, it is certainly a massive reminder that Alex Anthopoulos is always capable of pulling off a crazy deal at any time. As he said after the signing of Martin, the majority of the moves made during the rest of the offseason would be trades as he's always much preferred building teams through swaps with other teams instead of expensive free agent signings. It sounds like the initial opinion among Blue Jays fans is that Anthopoulos is back to his old 'ninja' ways and he pulled a fast one on the most well-known general manager in baseball. Once you step back and assess the deal you realize that it is more of a win-win than a straight steal as many are making it out to be. Donaldson is a Super Two player and will very quickly become much more expensive than Lawrie in arbitration thanks to his massive production the past few seasons. Rogers has clearly given the team enough financial backing to handle this pay raise due for Donaldson, while the A's always have to be mindful of where they spend their limited funds (even more limited after signing Billy Butler). Billy Beane also takes on the upside of three extremely talented prospects in Barreto, Graveman, and Nolin. Barreto could develop into a solid offensive shortstop or he could move elsewhere and still hit enough to provide solid value. Graveman and Nolin are already nearly bumping their heads on their respective ceilings and could provide extremely attractive value to Oakland in the near-future. The trade will likely come out looking very good for Toronto in the next season or two as Donaldson is projected to outpace Lawrie quite handily. The eventual performances of the three prospects will end up determining how history will remember the deal, but even if all three become major league regulars the Blue Jays still traded for Donaldson with the intention of going for the World Series now. With many of their stars in their prime, the team clearly wasn't prepared to wait for players like Barreto to develop not knowing who would still be around when he was ready. I often find myself straddling the middle on big trades like this because I hate seeing players in the Blue Jays system get shipped to other teams. Although I'm not about to yell from the rooftops that Alex Anthopoulos just stole Josh Donaldson from Billy Beane, I'm extremely pleased that the Blue Jays general manager made a strong move to put the team in a position to win in 2015 and beyond. It cost a lot of talent, as big moves usually do, but the end result is a major league team that looks stronger than it did when we woke up this morning. If that doesn't get you counting down the days until Spring Training then I don't know what will. Post By http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2014/11/28/7304927/instant-reaction-thoughts-on-the-josh-donaldson-trade</div>

Hot News: Instant Reaction: Thoughts on the Josh Donaldson trade

If you're reading this then you most certainly know about the trade that became official a short time ago between the Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics. Heading to the A's are Brett Lawrie, Franklin Barreto, Kendall Graveman, and Sean Nolin, while the Blue Jays receive All-Star third baseman J…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf says he was raped during #IAMSORRY performance

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/f2095aff2fed83480616c863370f4089?s=34&d=mm" width="100%"/><img height="300" src="http://wpmedia.arts.nationalpost.com/2014/02/sorry-labeouf.jpg?w=620" width="100%"/> Actor Shia LaBeouf has said he was raped by a woman during his performance art piece #IAMSORRY in February, according to an interview published by Dazed. 'One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me,' LaBeouf said of the apparent assault, which took place during a performance that saw the actor sat in a room with his head covered with a paper bag reading '#IAMSORRY,' refusing to speak with or interact with visitors. 'There were hundreds of people in line when she walked out with dishevelled hair and smudged lipstick. It was no good, not just for me but her man as well.' LaBeouf goes on to say that his girlfriend was in attendance at the gallery that day - it was Valentine's Day - and that he didn't break character when she entered the room to see him. 'On top of that my girl was in line to see me, because it was Valentine's Day and I was living in the gallery for the duration of the event - we were separated for five days, no communication,' he said. 'So it really hurt her as well, as I guess the news of it travelled through the line. When she came in she asked for an explanation, and I couldn't speak, so we both sat with this unexplained trauma silently. It was painful.' In the interview, LaBeouf also discusses his views on masculinity, metamodernism and his own artistic evolution, which he says began as a 'full-blown existential crisis' after he was accused of plagiarizing the work of comic artist Daniel Clowes and turned into 'a full blown existential exploration.' 'I'm in a nice position in that I don't think the studios look to me to sell a film anymore,' he told Dazed. 'So the work I wind up doing has little or nothing to do with my public persona and everything to do with my performance. Persona acting has little to nothing to do with ability and everything to do with charisma and ticket sales ... After five years of that your dreams die. So in a sense I went on strike. I rebelled.' Read the full interview here. Post By http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/11/28/shia-labeouf-says-he-was-raped-during-iamsorry-performance/</div>

Hot News: Shia LaBeouf says he was raped during #IAMSORRY performance

Actor Shia LaBeouf has said he was raped by a woman during his performance art piece #IAMSORRY in February, according to an interview published by Dazed.'One woman who came with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped my clothing …

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Gun sales boom on Black Friday: Almost 3 background checks per second

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130607160959-gun-sales-story-top.jpg" width="100%"/> (CNN) -- The busiest shopping day of the year also saw a major boom for gun sales, with the federal background check system expected to set a record of more than 144,000 background checks Friday, according to the FBI. The staggering number of checks -- an average of almost three per second, nearly three times the daily average -- falls on the shoulders of 600 FBI and contract call center employees who will endure 17-hour workdays in an attempt to complete the background reviews in three business days, as required by law, FBI spokesman Stephen Fischer said. 'Traditionally, Black Friday is one of our busiest days for transaction volume,' Fischer said. On average, more than 500 gun background checks a day fail because of incomplete information required for a decision, according to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is responsible for checks on firearm purchases from federally licensed shops. Officials estimate that about 3,000, or 2%, of the more than 144,000 Black Friday background checks will not be completed because of insufficient information from records such as court documents. Employees of the background check agency, who work every day but Christmas, will work through the weekend to vet Friday's purchases. As of 2 p.m. Friday, the agency had processed more than 94,000 transactions, on pace to surpass last year's 144,758, Fischer said 'We are averaging three checks per second,' he said. 'The challenge is to have staff keep up with this volume. We do that by limiting personal leave, asking employees to work extra shifts and reutilizing former ... employees to serve in NICS during this busy period.' The agency brings in 100 extra employees to deal with the increase. 'This means saving lives and protecting people from harm -- by not letting guns fall into the wrong hands,' FBI Manager Kimberly Del Greco said in a statement. 'It also ensures the timely transfer of firearms to eligible gun buyers.' Overall, about 186,000 background checks a year cannot be completed, according to the FBI. It's difficult to know exactly how many gun sales are authorized from that number because whether to make the sale is ultimately in the hands of the shop owner. Last year, the agency completed 21 million background checks, and about 1.1% of those purchases were denied, the agency said. Firearm background checks have doubled from the more than 9 million conducted when the system was implemented in 1999. Ten factors can disqualify a purchase: felony conviction, arrest warrant, documented drug problem, mental illness, undocumented immigration status, dishonorable military discharge, renunciation of U.S. citizenship, restraining order, history of domestic violence or indictment for any crime punishable by longer than one year of prison. Gun purchasers are required to fill out a form from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with basic identification information and questions about the 10 disqualifying factors. The gun shop can read the information to the background check agency over the phone or run the information through a secure Internet connection. The check sometimes involves calling courthouses to get records and dispositions. 'We won't make a determination unless we are absolutely sure,' Fischer said. However, the agency cannot deny a transaction based on an arrest without knowing the disposition of a case. After the three business days have passed, completion of the sale becomes the prerogative of the licensed gun shop owner, according to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1998 Fischer said major retailers such as Walmart, Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabela's and Gander Mountain usually won't go through with the sale without complete information. Post By http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/28/us/black-friday-gun-sales/</div>

Hot News: Gun sales boom on Black Friday: Almost 3 background checks per second

(CNN) -- The busiest shopping day of the year also saw a major boom for gun sales, with the federal background check system expected to set a record of more than 144,000 background checks Friday, according to the FBI.The staggering number of checks -- an average of almost three per second, nearly th…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Phillip Hughes fans pay tribute with moving #putoutyourbats campaign

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/11/28/1417150467484/c92fe4be-a9ea-4435-9a3f-3d2017df0436-620x323.png" width="100%"/> Fans around the world have been paying tributes to Phillip Hughes via a touching social media campaign by leaving their cricket bats out and sharing a picture on Twitter. The first picture was posted by Paul Taylor with the message #putoutyourbats and the poignant memorial has quickly spread across the globe. Hughes died in hospital on Thursday after he was struck on the head by a short delivery during a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney on Tuesday. - Paul D. Taylor (@Squizabilly) #RIPPhillipHughes #putoutyourbats pic.twitter.com/qqbrtOr93A Taylor, a Sydney man, declined media requests for interviews but explained his campaign on Twitter: - Paul D. Taylor (@Squizabilly) ....we've all grown up with a bat and ball. This is our way to connect and show our sadness. Thoughts also must go to Sean Abbott. Thank you - Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) #RIPHughesy. #Putoutyourbat http://t.co/XA0UAeroOU - Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) My 1989 Ashes bat.. Norman on security watch #RIPHughesy #putoutyourbats pic.twitter.com/8aTDRuVDyx - Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) A lone bat out the front of the SCG that reads 'RIP P.Hughes 63n.o forever' #putoutyourbats pic.twitter.com/OaMev7nb0c - Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) From the Gilly kids xxx #PutOutYourBats #RIPPhillipHughes pic.twitter.com/aeheTLw5dI - Andrew Gilchrist (@agilchrist_) Terrific tribute to Phil Hughes. Forever 63 not out. #putoutyourbat @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/U3mWh2UIsN - Jonathan Trott (@Trotty) What more can I say... #putoutyourbats pic.twitter.com/R8tCyzOINk - Paul D. Taylor (@Squizabilly) #RIPPhillipHughes #putoutyourbats pic.twitter.com/qqbrtOr93A - Anna Meares (@AnnaMeares) She's a bit worse for wear, But this bat has brought much happiness #putoutyourbats #PhilHughes #63notoutforever pic.twitter.com/Q1WybiQKUr And Google Australia joined the cause on Friday. Many said #putoutyourbats proves the power of social media to comfort a grieving community. - Jane Merrick (@janemerrick23) The silent poignancy of #putoutyourbats is a beautiful thing - Tom Scott (@TomScott1) #putoutyourbats is a lovely idea. Social media at its best. - Kyle Andrews (@KyleHAndrews) The #PutOutYourBats tribute to Hughes is absolutely wonderful. So simple yet so powerful. Follow the tributes on Twitter here. Post By http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/27/fans-pay-tribute-to-phillip-hughes-with-online-campaign</div>

Hot News: Phillip Hughes fans pay tribute with moving #putoutyourbats campaign

Fans around the world have been paying tributes to Phillip Hughes via a touching social media campaign by leaving their cricket bats out and sharing a picture on Twitter.The first picture was posted by Paul Taylor with the message #putoutyourbats and the poignant memorial has quickly spread across t…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer – eight things we learned

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/11/28/1417189500831/Star-Wars-The-Force-Awake-010.jpg" width="100%"/> Where else to kick off a new Star Wars trilogy than the home world of Luke and Anakin Skywalker, the desert planet which features heavily in both 1977's Star Wars and (sorry) 1999's The Phantom Menace? Persistent Force Awakens rumours have suggested the storyline for JJ Abrams' movie concerns two young adventurers (played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley) from Tatooine who begin their journey amongst the sand dunes before heading off in search of our heroes from the original trilogy, Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo. So far, so spot on. Where else to kick off a new Star Wars trilogy than the home world of Luke and Anakin Skywalker, the desert planet which features heavily in both 1977's Star Wars and (sorry) 1999's The Phantom Menace? Persistent Force Awakens rumours have suggested the storyline for JJ Abrams' movie concerns two young adventurers (played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley) from Tatooine who begin their journey amongst the sand dunes before heading off in search of our heroes from the original trilogy, Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo. So far, so spot on. Max Von Sydow knows his Force Do we detect a Swedish lilt discussing the return of the Force in the manner of Obi Wan Kenobi? If so, we have to assume he's playing a Sith, a Jedi or perhaps one of the new Inquisitor baddies that were recently introduced in spin-off TV show Star Wars Rebels. It's an unbroken Star Wars rule (at least in the original trilogy) that only characters skilled in the use of the Force ever discuss it in any kind of detail. One rumour is that Von Sydow plays an Imperial leader who has stepped into the power vacuum left by the demise of Emperor Palpatine. Lightsabers have had a makeover ... The Phantom Menace (again, sorry) gave us the double-edged lightsaber, and Samuel L Jackson got a purple job in Attack of the Clones. The new teaser shows a shadowy, cloaked figure wielding a crucifix-effect number. Whether this innovation has any particular purpose will no doubt be revealed, but it suggests Abrams already has the confidence to tinker with canonical furniture that would once have been the exclusive preserve of Lucas. As radical shifts go, it's a whole lot better than retrofitting Jabba the Hutt with the ability to perambulate. ... and R2-D2 could be in need of one While the original Star Wars trilogy took place in a time of struggle, with a once-prosperous society devolved into chaos and division, it still seems remarkable that the future of the galaxy was entrusted on more than once occasion to a trundling tin can and his garrulous golden sidekick. The new teaser offers a glimpse of the next generation of droids, who seem to have taken a leaf out of the Back to the Future book. Where The Force Awakens is going, they don't need wheels, and indeed this is exactly the kind of outdated tech that could cause extreme traffic chaos on planets where the nearest thing to a road is a flattened sand dune. Still, R2's going to look like a Morris Minor in a Formula One race when he eventually turns up. Can this be a good thing? Oscar Isaac's X-Wing pilot may not be long for this galaxy The trailer's brief glimpse of the Inside Llewyn Davis actor shot face first in the new, upgraded X-Wing is enough to get the hairs standing up on the back of any self-respecting Star Wars fan's neck. But might this mean Isaac is only getting a bit-part as an airborne Rebel grunt? Apart from Luke Skywalker himself, X-Wing pilots were Star Wars' equivalent of Star Trek's red-shirted engineering corps, cannon fodder who were always getting killed off by Imperial forces just as they thought they might have a chance of blowing up the Death Star. Then again, this is a Star Wars universe in which a Stormtrooper looks set to play a vital role: what price that an X-Wing pilot could also be set to move centre stage? The Millennium Falcon can still make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs It's already been caught on camera by over-zealous pilots taking a day trip over Pinewood Studios, but the teaser trailer offers proof that the Star Wars universe's most iconic spacecraft is about to get its first run out since Return of the Jedi. And she's still looking pretty zippy. Is that Han Solo in the cockpit, excusing himself from culpability for yet another failure to jump to light speed as he fends off Imperial fire? John Boyega is indeed a Stormtrooper Here's another rumour apparently confirmed, that the British star of Attack the Block plays an Imperial Stormtrooper turned to the good side of the force (or at least with Rebel sympathies). And there he is, centre stage in the first few seconds of the trailer. Could this be a typical Abrams curveball? After all, the first time Luke met Leia it was in the guise of a diminutive member of the Empire's ivory-suited clone-based army. Does this revelation torpedo the rumour that The Force Awakens opens with a severed robot hand (possibly belonging to Luke Skywalker) tumbling from space? Reports of the death of CGI have been greatly exaggerated Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy is not the only Star Wars head honcho to have talked up a return to the use of real sets and models, rather than the over-reliance on CGI which pretty much ruined the prequel trilogy, for The Force Awakens. Still, don't try to tell me that droid wasn't born on a computer, or that the Falcon doesn't look suspiciously shiny. Not that there's anything wrong with that: most Star Wars fans have no problem with digital effects being used sparingly in combination with more realistic techniques, they just don't want to see appalling computer game aliens parachuted incongruously into non-digital scenes (as with the remastered versions of the original trilogy). There's a balance to be struck here: too little CGI, and The Force Awakens might take on a depressingly retro vibe. Too much, and the knives will be out for Star Wars' new boss man chief. But at first glance, Abrams looks like he can be trusted to get it right. Post By http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/nov/28/star-wars-the-force-awakens-teaser-trailer-eight-things-we-learned</div>

Hot News: Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer – eight things we learned

Where else to kick off a new Star Wars trilogy than the home world of Luke and Anakin Skywalker, the desert planet which features heavily in both 1977's Star Wars and (sorry) 1999's The Phantom Menace? Persistent Force Awakens rumours have suggested the storyline for JJ Abrams' movie concerns two yo…

Nov 29, 2014

Hot News: The winners and losers from crashing oil prices — for now

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://vipmedia.globalnews.ca/2014/10/oil-rig.jpg?w=282&h=188&crop=1" width="100%"/> ; Oil prices have been sent into a freefall this week, shedding 13 per cent since Monday. A decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to keep output at 30 million barrels a day rather than cut back and put a floor under prices, there's not much to buoy crude in the near term. Here's a look at how the plunge is - and will - impact various areas of the economy, and the economy itself. MORE: Oil extends slide, taking loonie along for ride Winners AirlinesFuel costs can consume as much as a third of an airline's expenses or more. Jet fuel costs were down around 20 per cent before this week's fall in oil prices and carriers should be saving even more as a result of the most recent plunge. Those savings will give Air Canada and WestJet room to adjust prices lower too if they see customer demand slowing. Consumers (for now)The biggest beneficiaries, in the short term anyway, are consumers, who are about to see noticeably lower fuel prices at the pump. U.S. estimates suggest households will save as much as $400 a year in gas fees they can use on other things, or save for a rainy day. Fuel prices are expected to drop by at least two cents a litre this weekend, with further declines to come. MORE: Gas plummets toward a $1 - or lower - across Canada Local tourism As a net exporter of oil, Canada's dollar swings up and down with crude prices. As oil has fallen, so too has the loonie - trading down now around 87 cents U.S. The downdraft in the currency is making cross-border trips or journeys abroad less attractive for Canadians, and trips to Canada more attractive to foreigners whose currency can suddenly buy more here. 'The recent decline in the value of the Canadian dollar will provide a much-needed boost to domestic,' David Madani at Capital Economics says. Retailers 'What is saved at the pumps will be spent at the malls,' is how CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld put it. And the timing of events perhaps couldn't be better, with the holiday shopping season now underway. One caveat: Consumer confidence, already not altogether upbeat, could be rattled further by the calamity in oil markets. MORE: Will oil's fall stoke holiday shopping higher? Ontario, Quebec Canada's two most populous provinces are already benefiting from a stronger U.S. economy, a lower dollar and lower energy costs at the pump. If oil's decline gives more cash back to the U.S. consumer and stirs up more demand from them, industry and consumers alike in Ontario and Quebec will see their fortunes resurrected further. Losers Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland The corollary to Ontario and Quebec's reversal of fortunes (for the moment) is the dented fortunes for oil producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland. BMO said Friday those provinces - who have posted red-hot economic growth in recent years compared to the rest of the country - could see grow revert next year if oil remains low. Economic growth could even trail other provinces like Ontario, BMO chief economist Doug Porter said. Oilpatch investors Energy shares have bled this week, with stock prices among TSX-listed oil producers falling by double digits. Ouch. Loonie The Canadian dollar has slide to five-year low this week of 87.5 cents U.S. And it could have been worse. 'Arguably, the surprise is that the currency has not suffered even more,' BMO's Porter said. BMO estimates the loonie weakens by three to five cents for every $10 drop in oil. 'The only thing holding the currency back from even deeper damage has been a run of surprisingly upbeat domestic data,' like robust jobs gains and economic growth through September and October. MORE: The economy is growing faster than expected. Here's why Canada 'Real GDP growth will get dinged,' Porter said. In the economically all-important oil patch, project development will slow as cheap oil makes investment hard to justify. That means lower job gains, and maybe losses ahead for the oil sector and the many industries it feeds. For every 10 per cent drop in oil sheds, economic growth is shaved by 0.1 per cent. That means means 0.35 of economic growth, or a sizable chunk, is current disappearing. Not quit recessionary, but it could push growth below 2.0 per cent (read: sluggish). 'Corporate profits, government revenues, and even personal income growth will be pinched by the drop,' BMO said. Post By http://globalnews.ca/news/1698459/heres-the-winners-and-losers-from-crashing-oil-prices-for-now/</div>

Hot News: The winners and losers from crashing oil prices — for now

;Oil prices have been sent into a freefall this week, shedding 13 per cent since Monday.A decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to keep output at 30 million barrels a day rather than cut back and put a floor under prices, there's not much to buoy crude in the near term.Here's…

Nov 28, 2014

Hot News: Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer out today

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.cbc.ca/1.2674412.1402656427!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/harrison-ford-han-solo-star-wars.jpg" width="100%"/> The trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit Apple iTunes Friday morning sending millions fans into a frenzy. People were poised around their devices in anticipation of the much-hyped first look at the seventh film in the franchise, and the initial reaction is overwhelmingly positive. 'There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?' asks an ominous voice as the trailer begins. Then the camera pans over a sandy landscape, that looks like the desert planet Tatooine, and actor John Boyega pops into frame as a panicked-looking stormtrooper. The iconic X-wing Starfighters and the Millennium Falcon also appear and the familiar notes of the iconic Star Wars theme. 'I'm excited,' admits CBC film critic Eli Glasner moments after viewing the 88-second tease. 'It looks like [director] J.J. Abrams has pulled of an impressive balancing act, by giving us the Star Wars retro-futuristic feel, while at the same time updating the franchise's style.' Special theatre engagement Disney and Lucasfilm are also releasing the trailer in a special engagement at 30 North American theatres to coincide with the American Thanksgiving holiday, and people are lining up outside to be among the first to see it on the big screen. The teaser will play ahead of every movie from Friday morning until Sunday, but only two Canadian theatres are participating. The Yonge and Dundas Cineplex in Toronto. The Riverport Cineplex in Vancouver. Earlier this month, Lucasfilm confirmed that principal photography for the film was completed. The studio also revealed that Star Wars Episode VII would be called The Force Awakens, triggering an outpouring of jokes online. The latest instalment in the Star Wars saga is set 30 years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and features original Star Wars actors, including Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa and Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Earlier this year, 72-year-old Ford broke his ankle during filming, reportedly on the door of the Millennium Falcon spacecraft. The Force Awakens is slated for wide release on Dec. 15. Post By http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/star-wars-the-force-awakens-trailer-out-today-1.2853439</div>

Hot News: Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer out today

The trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit Apple iTunes Friday morning sending millions fans into a frenzy. People were poised around their devices in anticipation of the much-hyped first look at the seventh film in the franchise, and the initial reaction is overwhelmingly positive.'There has …

Nov 28, 2014

Hot News: The Upshot|Oil Prices Are Plunging. Here's Who Wins and Who Loses.

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/03/upshot/29UP-Commodities/29UP-Commodities-master675.jpg" width="100%"/> While Americans were stuffing their faces with poultry Thursday, global oil markets were in chaos. And the implications are far-reaching. The price of oil was down more than 9.9 percent Friday afternoon after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided it would not cut back production significantly in the months ahead. In other words, even amid a sluggish global economy and a boom in oil production in the United States, oil-producing countries from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria to Venezuela are going to keep pumping rather than pull back on output in hopes of pumping prices back up. The latest decline pushes oil prices in the United States under $70 a barrel, off 34 percent since June 30. And the latest OPEC move (or non-move, as it were) suggests that it isn't going to reverse anytime soon. The reporting out of Vienna, where OPEC met, points to the cartel's playing a long-term game in which it tries to obliterate some of its American competition by letting prices fall in the hope that some American producers go bankrupt. Indeed, the falling price of oil looks likely to be one of the dominant forces shaping the global economy in 2015. Here is an early guide to the winners and losers. The list is hardly exhaustive - though perhaps no list would be, given the unpredictable ripples caused by swings in the price of the world's most economically important commodity. Winner: Global consumers. Anybody who drives a car or flies on airplanes is a winner, as lower oil prices are already translating into lower prices for gasoline and jet fuel. Lower transportation costs will also give manufacturers and retailers less urgency to raise prices, as their costs fall. This is, in effect, a global supply shock, the reverse of what happened with energy in the 1970s (or, to a smaller degree, the mid-2000s) when petroleum shortages and embargoes led to a sharp rise in prices. It may not last forever, but for now consumers in the United States and beyond will be winners. Loser: American oil producers. One of the big open questions is just how many of the small, independent producers in the American heartland have cost structures that make them viable with oil prices in the $60s rather than the $100s. Many have relied on borrowed money, and bankruptcies are possible. But because the companies tend to be privately held (their financial details not publicly released), analysts are doing guesswork in projecting how severe the pain will be. Loser: Oil-producing state economies. As the American economy has struggled to recover in the last few years, the exceptions have been oil-rich states like Texas and North Dakota, which have enjoyed low unemployment and strong real estate markets. But is the 'Texas Economic Miracle' just an artifact of high energy prices and improving technologies to extract petroleum from the ground? Or is Texas' low-tax, low-regulation approach really the recipe for economic success. Seeing how the Texas economy fares now that prices are slumping will be a test. Loser: Vladimir Putin. Russia's economy is already facing its sharpest challenges in years, as Western sanctions imposed after Russian aggression toward Ukraine crimp the nation's ability to be integrated in the global economy. Russia is a major energy producer, and the falling price of oil compounds the challenge facing its president, Vladimir Putin. Winner and Loser: Central bankers. Anybody who has fretted that years of money-printing by global central banks will create out-of-control inflation has some egg on his or her face right now. Plummeting prices for energy and other commodities are dragging down inflation to levels that are, if anything, too low. The falling commodity prices are actually making these authorities' jobs harder. The overwhelming urgency across the advanced world - in the eurozone, the United States and Japan - has been to try to get inflation higher, to reach the 2 percent annual target central banks in all three places have set. In the short run, central banks tend to look through big swings in commodity prices, viewing them as one-time events rather than permanent shifts in the rate of price increases. But to the degree those one-time shifts change peoples' expectations about future inflation, and lead people to doubt the credibility of the central banks' promises to keep inflation at 2 percent, it is a problem. That's particularly true when inflation expectations are already below where the likes of Mario Draghi, Janet Yellen and Haruhiko Kuroda would prefer. Potential Loser: The environment. As a general rule, the cheaper fossil fuels become, the more challenging it will be for cleaner forms of energy like solar and wind power to be competitive on price. That said, the picture is a bit more complicated with this particular sell-off. Solar and wind power are sources for electricity, whereas fluctuations in oil prices most directly affect the price of transportation fuels like gasoline and jet fuel. Unless or until more Americans use electric cars, they are largely separate markets, so there's no reason that cheaper oil should cause a major reduction in investment in renewables. But to the degree cheaper oil means people drive more miles and take more airplane flights, the falling prices will mean more carbon emissions. Post By http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/upshot/oil-prices-are-tumbling-heres-who-wins-and-who-loses.html</div>

Hot News: The Upshot|Oil Prices Are Plunging. Here's Who Wins and Who Loses.

While Americans were stuffing their faces with poultry Thursday, global oil markets were in chaos. And the implications are far-reaching.The price of oil was down more than 9.9 percent Friday afternoon after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided it would not cut back producti…

Nov 28, 2014

New HP 110 430 Desktop Intel Celeron

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><center> <h2>New HP 110-430 Desktop (Intel Celeron J1800, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD)</h2> <a href='http://tinyurl.com/kh3ls58' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><img alt="HP 110430" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31QHHkYFmzL._SL2000_.jpg" vspace="0"/> </a> </center> <div style='clear:both;text-align:center;' class='separator'><a href='http://tinyurl.com/kh3ls58' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><img border="0" height="53" src="http://goo.gl/l551sS" width="320"/> </a> </div> <h3>This is My Opinion About This Product</h3> After I buy this New HP 110-430 Desktop (Intel Celeron J1800, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) (Personal Computers) <div class='reviewText'>Released in September of 2014, this is a low-end PC that can work for everyday users. The tower comes with a wired mouse and keyboard, and all you have to do is connect a monitor to get going. It ships with Windows 8.1 installed. It's not fast, nor is it feature rich, but it is cheap and works as expected. This PC is a fair choice for students, retirees, or users looking for a computer that can allow them to check email, work on homework or office tasks, watch streaming media, play online games, shop online or similar. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS PC It's cheap and it works as expected. Unless you go with a HP Chromebox CB1-014 Desktop (White), which has its limitations but works wel, you will be hard pressed to find a more inexpensive desktop PC unless it's on special as a closeout or Black Friday special. This PC isn't going to win any races, but it's not slow. When connected wirelessly or wired to the Internet, it performs well. Unless you are looking for ultra-fast gaming, you'll be satisfied with this one when doing everyday tasks like emailing and listening to streaming music. The PC has 4GB of memory installed, but with (2) slots it can be upgraded to 8GB on Windows 8 64-bit systems; which this one is. The upgrade isn't terribly expensive or hard to do, and offers a mild boost in performance when working with multiple applications, however the installed 4GB is adequate for basic computing. The memory combined with the 500 GB hard drive running at 7200 RPMs (faster than the 5400 RPM that tends to be standard in lower end PCs), makes Windows 8.1 perform as expected. The DVD drive reads and writes to DVD and CD, and works well. Watching movies via DVD can be easily done with this PC. This PC has (1) USB 3.0 port on the back! This is sometimes forgotten by HP on their current desktop PCs - even those which are priced higher than this one. You have the option for DVI-D or VGA connectivity for a monitor, and (5) total USB 2.0 ports on the front and back of this PC. This PC comes with a 7-in-1 media card reader on the front panel. This makes it easy to take a media card out of your camera or phone, and transfer files between your PC and the media. WHAT I DON'T LIKE The PC has integrated graphics and video; not uncommon in lower end PCs, which makes it OK for everyday tasks, but not ideal for entertainment. You can hook up headphones or speakers to enjoy enhanced sound, but it's limited. Video will be OK when streaming media or watching DVDs, but that depends upon the monitor used. This PC lacks a HDMI connection. Not surprising, but disappointing none the less. A HDMI port would allow you to hook up the PC to your HDTV, or to connect high definition inputs like an XBox to your PC. It also lacks wireless Internet connectivity. A terrible omission! It's also really unusual at any price point in Windows PCs today. You can connect it to a wired internet source, and you can add a wireless adapter via USB like this one: TP-LINK TL-WN725N Wireless N Nano USB Adapter, 150Mbps, Miniature Design, Plug in and Forget, Support Windows XP/Vista/7/8. They are pretty cheap, and this would allow you to use this PC in any room with a wireless signal. CONCLUSION This is not a bad everyday PC at this low price, but for only a little bit more money, you can get a much better PC with wireless connectivity and HDMI. This PC is not one I'd buy for myself or a family member, but I know that it could be suitable for users on a budget with minimal computing needs. I like the Lenovo H30 Desktop (90C2000FUS) much better for its specs, and it's about the same price as this one. NOTE: You get 30 Days of FREE McAfee Antivirus with this PC.</div> </div>

New HP 110 430 Desktop Intel Celeron

New HP 110-430 Desktop (Intel Celeron J1800, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) This is My Opinion About This ProductAfter I buy this New HP 110-430 Desktop (Intel Celeron J1800, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) (Personal Computers)Released in September of 2014, this is a low-end PC that can work for everyday users. The tow…

Nov 28, 2014

Hot News: Quiet, respectful, fearless: the Phillip Hughes I knew

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03120/hughesx_3120324c.jpg" width="100%"/> I know a lot of people were talking very positively about how he was developing his cricket. He was moulding his game to Test cricket. He batted beautifully, and responsibly, against us at Trent Bridge last year. He was a dangerous player that you wanted to get out early because you knew if he stayed in for a whole session he would score quickly. Players like that can win Test matches in a short space of time with one devastating innings. He dealt with the short ball every day of his career and he played it pretty well. He was a good hooker and puller of the ball so we would look at more conventional ways of dismissing him by bowling around the wicket to nick him off to the slip cordon, but you also knew the margin of error was so small. If you gave him any width at all he would carve the ball to the boundary. He would attack any error in line. Phillip Hughes' cricket career - by numbers He was very quiet and respectful on the field. He used to stand at short leg or silly point, or run around at extra cover, but rarely would he say a word to the batsman. He just seemed like a lovely guy. As batsmen we know the dangers. Cricket is a perilous sport. If you get hit on the head you know it is going to hurt. It can be incredibly intimidating at times to go to the crease knowing you will face a hostile spell of bouncers. It can be frightening if a player has any kind of problem against the short ball and as cricketers it is horrible to see people hit and go down hurt. But it is a part of the game that has been around for ages and you develop a coping mechanism. I've been hit on the head a couple of times and it is not nice. Your head is the most vulnerable part of your body. If you get hit on the head it rocks your foundations. It is a hazard of the job. The bouncer is a big part of the game which is why it was brought back into one-day cricket. It makes the batters respect bowlers a little bit more. But this is not the time to have a debate about banning bouncers or introducing new safety measures. It is time to let his family and friends have space for the healing process and grief. The man who really needs our support at the moment is Sean Abbott. He needs a lot of strong people around him to encourage him to continue playing our great game and understand this was a freak accident. I know Australians are strong characters. It is a great country. They are proud and look after their fellow Australians so I am sure Sean will receive lots and lots of help going forward. This is a sad and horrible time, but we need to encourage him to stay strong, and have a good career for Australia. It is what Phillip Hughes would have wanted. Phillip Hughes in action for Australia Photo: Reuters Post By http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/11258547/Quiet-respectful-fearless-the-Phillip-Hughes-I-knew.html</div>

Hot News: Quiet, respectful, fearless: the Phillip Hughes I knew

I know a lot of people were talking very positively about how he was developing his cricket. He was moulding his game to Test cricket. He batted beautifully, and responsibly, against us at Trent Bridge last year.He was a dangerous player that you wanted to get out early because you knew if he stayed…

Nov 28, 2014

Hot News: Best Buy's website goes down on Black Friday

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://fortunedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/156846017.jpg?w=1024" width="100%"/> Electronics retailer Best Buy's online website is currently down, a technology glitch that the company blamed on a concentrated spike in mobile traffic. A visit to the Best Buy website says the following: 'We're sorry. BestBuy.com is currently unavailable. Check back soon.' Best Buy spokeswoman Amy von Walter said a spike in mobile traffic triggered issues that led Best Buy to shut down the website 'in order to take proactive measures to restore full performance.' 'Our customers can return to BestBuy.com in the next several hours to take advantage of today's door busters,' von Walter said in an e-mail statement. The glitch comes at a critical time for the company as it aims to compete for more than $50 billion in sales that are generated for the Thanksgiving weekend. The holiday shopping season is highly competitive, especially for the Black Friday weekend when retailers like Best Buy aim to lure consumers with door buster deals. Such promotions are often popular in the consumer electronics space, where deals focus on televisions, tablets and other tech gadgets. Online sales are important for Best Buy, with that business reporting nearly 20% growth in the U.S. for the fiscal year ended February 1. The online business is also a component of Best Buy's fairly new ship-from-store feature-a capability that allows the retailer to fill online merchandise sales by using inventory at the company's brick-and-mortar retail stores. Post By http://fortune.com/2014/11/28/best-buys-website-down/</div>

Hot News: Best Buy's website goes down on Black Friday

Electronics retailer Best Buy's online website is currently down, a technology glitch that the company blamed on a concentrated spike in mobile traffic.A visit to the Best Buy website says the following: 'We're sorry. BestBuy.com is currently unavailable. Check back soon.'Best Buy spokeswoman Amy vo…

Nov 28, 2014

Hot News: NB Power outages spark debate over avoiding future problems

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img height="300" src="http://i.cbc.ca/1.2853753.1417195418!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/nb-power-line-worker.jpg" width="100%"/> This week's spike in power outages after a snow storm has sparked a debate on how to protect electricity users from prolonged outages in the future. NB Power had more than 48,000 customers without power at its peak this week and the majority of those outages were in the Fredericton area. In the last year, there have been a series of major storms, including post-tropical storm Arthur, that have left tens of thousands of people without electricity and raised questions about what can be done in the future to reduce the impact of these storms. Tony O'Hara, the chief technology officer and vice-president of engineering at NB Power, said trees are still to blame for the extent of the outages. He said the wet, heavy snow continues to topple trees onto power lines in these storms. He said NB Power is ramping up its tree-trimming plans, which should alleviate some of the problems. But O'Hara said the utility is also in the process of re-evaluating how it designates the standards for equipment and other infrastructure in different parts of the province. O'Hara said the entire province has been categorized as 'heavy loading,' which means the utility has to factor in a certain amount of ice buildup and wind on power lines. The NB Power executive said that could change in northern and coastal parts of the province. 'It looks like what we are going to be doing is re-establishing a portion of the province to be considered extreme loading,' he said. That would mean equipment in those regions would be built to a higher standard in those areas. More line workers needed While NB Power is looking at its future equipment needs, the union representing line workers believes the utility should consider beefing up the number of staff who are responsible for reconnecting power when it goes out. Ross Galbraith, the business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 37, said there are 170 line workers at NB Power compared to more than 300 roughly 20 years ago. He said NB Power should consider adding another 30 line workers and then doubling the amount of apprentices that it funds each year. 'Utilities have come to rely on each other as a way of saving money,' he said. 'None of these utilities staff up with enough people to deal with a huge storm situation. But it also means that a lot of utilities are starting to run lean. As the weather changes and we are seeing more extreme events, it tells us that running lean, we are probably running too lean.' Galbraith said the number of power line technician apprenticeships in Atlantic Canada declined by about 24 per cent between 2001 and 2005. He said only 12 to 15 students a year can enrol in the line technician apprenticeship program. So he said it is necessary to starting boosting that number now to meet future needs. NB Power officials have been travelling around the province in recent weeks and warning customers to prepare for longer electrical outages in the future. The information sessions were designed to tell people how to deal with extreme weather conditions. Post By http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-outages-spark-debate-over-avoiding-future-problems-1.2853731</div>

Hot News: NB Power outages spark debate over avoiding future problems

This week's spike in power outages after a snow storm has sparked a debate on how to protect electricity users from prolonged outages in the future.NB Power had more than 48,000 customers without power at its peak this week and the majority of those outages were in the Fredericton area.In the last y…

Nov 28, 2014

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