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Khloe Kardashian Swears It’s Off With Lamar Odom & Brandi Granville Now Famously Single

khloe kardashian swears its off with lamar odom again 2015 gossipMany people believed that Khloe Kardashian was going to give her marriage with Lamar Odom another shot, when they both agreed to cancel their divorce filing a few weeks back. However, since then Khloe has made it clear that she does not plan on being romantically linked with Lamar again. In fact, the reality star and now author (of new book Strong Looks Better Naked) stepped out with her boyfriend James Harden over the weekend.

On Monday night, at a press event for her new book Khloe explained her decision to call off her divorce. She said, “I’m married for a multitude of reasons, but it’s not intimate reasons. It’s more for medical and also to help with a lot of other things to do medically. With his mental strength and everything like that, it was the best choice to make at the time.”

Khloe went on to say, “Even if [Lamar] was 100 percent better, he has a lot of other issues he has to deal with, I think, before taking on any relationship.”

Later in an interview, Khloe revealed that Lamar is completely aware that she is dating James Harden. However, Lamar has chosen to shield himself away from social media and the news during his recovery. Khloe explained, “He’s aware to a degree but he doesn’t have social media, he doesn’t have his cell phone, he doesn’t watch the news of anything like that, so he is aware from what I tell him or the messages that I give him – all positive and filtered things of course.”

So while Khloe is still invested in Lamar and his recovery, it doesn’t look like the former couple will be rekindling their short-lived romance in the future.

brandi granville famously single 2015 gossipFormer Real Housewife of Beverly Hills Brandi Glanville announced that she was leaving the reality show to move onto bigger and better things in her career. The star was known for starting drama and blurting out her unfiltered, usually off-putting opinions.

Apparently, “bigger and better things” in Brandi’s world means joining the cast of another reality show.  The Celebrity Apprentice alum is joining the cast of E!’s upcoming eight part docu-series called Famously Single.

Basically, the show will follow the lives of eight celebrities living in a house together. Pretty much like a celebrity version of The Surreal Life or Jersey Shore. Speaking of Jersey Shore, former cast mate and DJ, Pauly D will also be living in the house with Brandi.

In addition to Brandi and Pauly, other roommates of the house include Danity Kane’s Aubrey O’Day, The Bachelorette contestant Josh Murray, Celebrity Big Brother UK’s Calum Best and supermodel Jessica White.

So never fear, you will be able to catch Brandi getting herself into more trouble when the new show premieres.

Famously Single is set to air on E! in 2016.

Fantasy Labs NFL Product Review

So, you want to hang with the pros when it comes to daily fantasy football. Me too. But that’s a tough proposition when you have limits on your time, not to mention your embarrassingly flat wallet.

Hard to beat the best minds in DFS when they can devote 30 hours a week to fantasy football while you plug away at a real job for 40 hours and try to fit family and friends into the little free time you may have.

Lucky for guys like you and me there are plenty of expert help websites out there that can somewhat level the playing field. I use a few free sites just like you and even listen to a couple of podcasts to help me with my lineups.

But those sites are available to everyone, so I’m occasionally tempted to try premium sites to bump me up a level or two.

Last month I checked out Fantasy Labs to see it it would help me win more consistently. The site was created by a few fantasy pros, including Peter Jennings (aka CSURAM88) and Jonathan Bales.

fantasy labs peter jennings jonathan balesThe cost? $59 per month. Not cheap, but not a big price tag for those who are putting up a few hundred dollars per week on daily fantasy football.

What’s $59 if it helps you win say 30% more contests which could equal $600 more per month in winnings if you were winning $500 on a weekly basis already?

I didn’t go into this test run on Fantasy Labs with the intention of sticking with it long term. I simply do not bet enough on DraftKings (yes it’s betting and yes should stay legal) to warrant keeping the service longterm.

I just wanted to be able to do a proper review with a full 30 days use.

By the way, Fantasy Labs is applicable to Fanduel, DraftKings, and Yahoo! DFS. Currently, it has features set up to help with NFL, MLB, and the NBA.

I play only on DraftKings, and this review is only for NFL action, so keep that in mind as we move on to the review.

The main thing that will appeal to most DFS players is the player models. The website has pre-installed models that are based on what Bales and Jennings like to use in various contest types. You can also set your own metrics to optimize the lineup models the way you think will work best.

For example, you can start with the Bales model that works best in big money pools (GPPs) then tweak it to make it more relevant to Vegas lines, discounted players, or projected median points. Those are just a few of the options that can be adjusted as you try to beat the sharks in a million dollar contest or just a head to head match with another fish like yourself.

The pre-installed models can be tweaked and renamed to save in your folder. The pro models don’t get removed as you tweak, as they stay in a separate folder.

The models are easy to use and are the biggest time saver I found on Fantasy Labs. If I wanted to use the lineup model I liked best to choose my team for a bunch of head to head games, that would take about ten minutes. That saves a ton of time over researching every scenario throughout the week to see injury reports, trends, weather, etc.

Just relying on the player models is not enough, though.

You still need to make sure the players you pick aren’t late scratches at game time. You do need to consider other news updates as well.

That’s easy to do with the “Player News” tab. @adamlevitan keeps the site updated with relevant events that could make or break your weekly bankroll allotment.

Maybe the most powerful part of Fantasy Labs is the “Trends” feature. This section can lead you down a dark rabbit hole of NFL knowledge or enlighten you so you can hit it big in daily fantasy football. It is more time consuming than the lineup models, but I believe the Trendsfeature could set you apart from the field in a GPP tournament and also allow you to beat the average Joe more consistently. And maybe help you compete with the sharks of DFS.

It would take more time than I had to properly use the Trends to their full potential. I took 30 days use the site, but I have a busy schedule that doesn’t allow me to sit for hours a day on Fantasy Labs.

An hour a day for 30 days could really make the average DFS player three times better in my opinion.

Trends are that powerful and I also think a person who watches no NFL action at all could use Trends and the lineup models to be profitable long term on DFS. If any investor out there would like to deposit $500K into my DraftKings account, I’ll be happy to test that theory for one full year.

fantasy labs movie tv tech geeks 2015 nflThere is a lot of free content on Fantasy Labs. The NFL home section offers player rankings with tabs that show you the bargain players, some upside, trends, etc. You have to know what you’re looking for here, but it’s still very helpful and doesn’t cost $59 per month.

The site has a ton of helpful videos on how to use their NFl product. If you go in without any tutorial at all you will be lost unless you are a spreadsheet guru. My head was spinning with all the data as I jumped in without reading the instructions. I had to backtrack and get some directions so I could use the site to its full potential.

Here’s a few key questions that my trial run answered for me on Fantasy Labs:

What worked best? The player models. I tweaked the lineups only slightly so as to rely on the experts’ data. I had no trouble defeating average players on DraftKings head to head.

Will it do all the work for you? Sorta. It can if you focus on the data only and don’t forget to check injury reports as game time approaches.

Is it easy to use? As long as you take the time to watch the tutorial vids.

Fantasy Labs is a powerful tool overall so you need the time to learn how the site works and how to adjust your player models. Trends mode requires plenty of study time to see all the available factors leading up to weekly matchups.

You also need to track how you are doing in your win / loss column on whatever DFS site you use.

Is Fantasy Labs worth $59 per month? For the right demographic it would be. It’s not worth it to me since I don’t wager more than $15 a week. If I had won $500 or more in a GPP during my 30 day test I would have a different opinion maybe.

If you are betting over $1000 a month already on DFS, then $59 more a month is nothing, especially if it gives you a significant edge.

As for my experience, I was thoroughly impressed with the NFL product over at Fantasy labs. The site was not glitchy or slow. The data is overwhelming, but we are talking fantasy football, so that is the norm.

The guys who put the site together know their business as they are experienced fantasy football players. The site even offers a live chat during normal hours for any questions you may have. I had a couple of questions that were answered in a timely fashion to my satisfaction.

To sum up my review of Fantasy Labs, I’ll simply say that it works if you make use of its powerful features and are wagering enough each NFL week to make the monthly cost irrelevant.

It’s not for the average Joe, but it could make a serious DFS player more money over the long haul and even increase his

“luck” as he tries to become the next DFS millionaire.

4.5 of 5 stars.

NFL Week 9 Recap

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Panthers 37  Packers 29

Roles have been reversed, and now Carolina is the favorite to rep the NFC in the Super Bowl, not the Packers with their hobbled receiving corps.

Carolina got a three TD passing game from Cam Newton to go with his rushing TD as they improved to 8-0. Green Bay has lost two in a row, and they sit at 6-2.

Newton played one of his best games of the year as his team used an aggressive passing attack to get to a big lead early, leading 37-14 at one point. Cam did have a late INT that helped Green Bay have a chance at the end.

Rodgers, who was rocked all game long with 14 hits by the Panthers defense, failed to find a wide open Randall Cobb on fourth down near the end of the game. A TD and two point conversion would have tied it up, but it was not to be.

Carolina is unlikely to finish 16-0 of course. This is the NFL after all and even an easy schedule the next eight weeks won’t allow for a perfect regular season.

Eye-Poppin Stat: Five sacks on Rodgers.

Fantasy Carnage: Either QB in this one.

Chargers 19   Bears 22

Chicago survived a multitude of mistakes and a missing Matt Forte to come back and rip a win away from San Diego on Monday Night Football. Jay Cutler made up for two turnovers earlier in the game with his late game pass to Zach Miller to take the lead with just over three minutes left in the game.

Cutler became the Bears’ all time touchdown leader as a passer as his team moved to 3-5 on the year. The Bears scored 15 points in the fourth and showed once again they are not a doormat, with many of their losses being tight games.

The Chargers were simply unable to hold the lead on another night of their home game looking like a road trip as their fans fade away knowing the team will be on the move to L.A. soon. Rivers was without Keenan Allen of course and had to spread the ball around to make up for his big play wideout being out of the mix. Danny Woodhead carried the load as a runner and receiver in this one.

Eye-Popping Stat: Alshon Jeffery’s ten catches for 151.

Fantasy Carnage: Stack of Cutler and Jeffery in DFS.

Broncos 24  Colts 27

Denver fell from perfection with an unexpected loss to Indianapolis, but this is the NFL. Teams don’t go undefeated, and any club has a chance to upset another on a given Sunday.

Andrew Luck had good numbers in a game that wasn’t a comeback effort on his part unlike most of the year for him. He had 252 yards and two touchdowns. His receivers were able to outplay Denver’s vaunted secondary and the Colts defense picked off Manning as he tried to mount a comeback with a late drive.

Aqib Talib will miss Denver’s next game for his eye poke on Dwayne Allen during the game.

Eye-Popping Stat: Just 35 rushing yards for Denver.

Fantasy Carnage: Luck was good for standard play and for a tight end pick Owen Daniels finally had a decent fantasy outing.

Steelers 38  Raiders 35

The Raiders don’t play boring games. It seems every week they are putting up major points whether they win or not. They were edged by Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown, who dominated the Raiders secondary with 17 catches and 284 yards receiving. Brown failed to get a TD however.

The Raiders secondary is shaky at best despite Charles Woodson having a Pro Bowl type year. Even Woodson gave up big plays in this contest.

The Steelers finished the game without Ben Roethlisberger, who will miss more time with a foot injury that happened in the fourth quarter. DeAngelo Williams carried the weight of the team with 170 yards rushing in place of Le’Veon Bell, who is out for the remainder of the 2015 season.

The Raiders’ Latavius Murray sustained a concussion and is day to day with that protocol.

Eye-Popping Stat: Five fumbles by the Raiders, losing three.

Fantasy Carnage: Williams was the top back in standard play.

Bills 33  Miami  17

The Dolphins have sunk back down to pre interim coach hype levels with another bad loss in the division. The Bills crushed Miami, making the Phins      0 – 4 in the AFC East. They have been outscored 137-52 in those division losses.  Dan Campbell best be ready to coach some more tight ends in 2016.

Sammy Watkins destroyed Miami’s secondary with 168 yards and two scores. He was helped by Tyrod Taylor’s return from injury.

The Bills running game blew up as well. Both Karlos Williams and Shady McCoy went over the century mark.

Eye-Popping Stat: Tyrod needed just 12 passing attempts to do damage along with the rushing game. He was 11 / 12.

Fantasy Carnage: Either Bills running back racked points.

Vikings 21   Rams 18

Adrian Peterson got the best of the superback matchup as he out-gained Todd Gurley by about 35 yards, but both runners did find the end zone.

This game was a defensive struggle that went to overtime to decide the winner. The Rams got a field goal with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie it up, and then Minnesota’s Blair Walsh knocked in a 40 yard FG in overtime to end the game.

Teddy Bridgewater was slap knocked out in this game and didn’t return afterward. Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer went Steve Smith and called out the Rams’ coaching staff for what he called a dirty play. Looked fine to me as it was a glancing blow that happened to catch Bridgewater as he was sliding.

The Vikings are tied with Green Bay for the lead in their division.

Eye-Popping Stat: Nick Foles mediocre 18/31 performance that averaged just 5.1 yards per throw.

Fantasy Carnage: Not much to choose from here, but Greg Zuerlein was good if you needed a kicker.

49ers 17   Falcons 16

Recap Link

Giants 32  Bucs 18

NY got Jason Pierre-Paul back from his hand injury to help shore up their weak defense. JPP appears to be mostly healthy as he played about 75% of the snaps.

The Bucs couldn’t stay in the game as they shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with three turnovers. Winston had another decent game and has avoided interceptions dating back to week four. This game was closer than the final score with the Giants getting a late TD.

Eli had back to back picks as he continues to be up and down. His favorite receiver ODB was targeted 17 times and hauled in nine balls but no TD catches.

Is Victor Cruz ever coming back?

NY is atop the dismal NFC East.

Eye-Popping Stat: 19 targets for Mike Evans and only eight catches.

Fantasy Carnage: Slim pickins….NY’s kicker or Winston.

Patriots 27  Redskins 10

This was another dominant game by New England, who led by 24 until a garbage time TD by Washington. Dion Lewis left the game with a knee injury and will miss the rest of the season. LeGarrette Blount carried the load with 129 yards rushing, and Brandon Bolden was added to the mix as well.

Tom Brady will be the MVP unless everything comes off the tracks in the second half of 2015. The Pats are now 8-0 and the class of the NFL.

Eye-Popping Stat: Brady had more passing attempts (39) than the Skins had rushing yards!

Fantasy Carnage: Blount was a decent play considering he is not a factor in the passing game.

Jets 28  Jaguars 23

This was a sloppy game by NY that would have ended in a loss to most teams. Lucky for Jets fans they were playing Jacksonville. The Jets defense has been a letdown the past few weeks, and Chris Ivory didn’t produce much this week except on the fantasy boards with two short rushing TDs.

Ivory is averaging 1.5 yards per carry the past three games.

As for Jacksonville, they lose another one despite racking up over 480 yards of total offense. Both the Allens averaged over 20 yards per catch for the Jags! However, Bortles threw two picks, and the team had two fumbles that certainly hurt them in the end.

Ryan Fitzpatrick managed a good game despite playing with a bad thumb.

Eye-Popping Stat: Hurns and Robinson racking 240 yards receiving in the loss.

Fantasy Carnage: Either Allen for the Jags at wideout.

Titans 34  Saints 28

Marcus Mariota can play the pro game, and New Orleans is no better than we thought weeks ago.

The Titans got an interim head coaching bump in this game and got the win in overtime. Mariota did get lucky with a couple tipped balls to tight end Delanie Walker, but lucky > good sometimes.

The keys to this win for Tennessee were shutting down Drew Brees in the second half and also protecting their own QB. Mariota was getting killed under the coaching of Ken Whisenhunt, and if interim coach Mike Mularkey can keep their QB1 safer, the Titans just might rack up a few more wins during part two of the NFL regular season.

This game ended on a walk off touchdown in overtime as the Titans never gave the Saints offense a chance in the extra period.

Eye Popping Stat: Zero sacks on Marcus Mariota.

Fantasy Carnage: Mariota was a huge bargain on DraftKings along with Delanie Walker.

Cowboys 27  Eagles 33

Another overtime game in week nine. Another loss for the Romoless Cowboys.

Could Tony Romo win the MVP award for players that didn’t play most of the year?

Matt Cassel was fine in this game, but it just wasn’t enough to get the win. Dez Bryant was back to his dominant ways in his second game back from the injured list. He had a nice TD grab over a couple of defenders and averaged 20 yards on five catches.

The Eagles got a big game from DeMarco Murray, who tallied over 150 yards total. Sam Bradford had a respectable game as well, but this Eagles team doesn’t win without big games from their backfield.

Dallas hopes to get Tony Romo back in a couple of weeks as they sit on their 2-6 record right now. It would take a miracle run to make the playoffs at that point, but they are in a weak division so who knows.

Eye-Popping Stat: Three TD passes and only one INT for Matt Cassel.

Fantasy Carnage: DeMarco Murray was good for DFS or standard leagues.

‘Love & Hip Hop Hollywood’ 210 Man Up

love hip hop hollywood 210 man up 2015 imagesLove and Hip Hop Hollywood was on and popping. Friends become enemies (again), and a husband puts his wife stripping ways to rest.

Miles and Milan finally see each other after weeks of ignoring the other’s calls. Miles sets up a romantic little gathering on the beach. When his boyfriend arrives, it’s almost like he tries to pick a fight with him, but Miles keeps them on track. He tells him what happened with Amber, and it’s clear he is looking for sympathy or at least understanding. All Milan gives him is a hard time, though.

Fizz and Moniece have a conversation, and he compliments her about stepping up with their son. He tells her that he wants to meet Rich especially because he’s heard some stuff about him. He wants to make sure that he isn’t full of it when it comes to Moniece since he is around his son. She agrees and says that she will set it up.

When she speaks to Rich about it, he has some reservations, mainly due to how things went when he met her mother. He feels that the way Marla came at him, for the most part, asking about his history he can get past it. But he is not about having another man question him about stuff on the Internet. Although Rich said that he will meet with Fizz if that’s what he has to do to further show he loves Moniece, she is still irritated by his attitude and tells him if he’s going to have an issue with Fizz then they will not work out.

The time comes for them to meet and Rich really appreciates the way in which Fizz comes at him. There’s no drama, and they speak to each other like men. Fizz tells him what he expects, and Rich tells him what he plans to do. They leave the conversation on a good note. No animosity there. If only the women of the show can work things out like the men.

And it is clear that they can’t work things out as the situation with Teairra Mari (TM), Nikki, Princess and Hazel go from 0 to 100 real quick. Since she is now involved in the fashion show, Hazel E takes it upon herself to invite Princess to feature her designs unbeknownst to TM. Nikki is concerned about her business partner not having her stuff together which she should be as TM shows up to the fitting with only paper designs and no actual pieces. At the fitting is also when TM finds out that her archenemy Princess is now a part of the show. She politely backs out, and Princess goes in on her, causing Teairra to clap back. She then verbally attacks Hazel, who clearly still feels a certain kind of way about the accusations TM slept with her man (she brought it up). Hazel reads the hell out of Teairra Mari, pointing out that she is selfish and has screwed over in some form or fashion every single person involved in the fashion show. They have words and Milan, who is showcasing his men’s underwear line, walks TM out.

Apryl companies Omarion to a radio interview with Big Boi and from that feels a certain kind of way about the fact that she has put her career on the back burner to support her man. Big Boi asks her about what she’s working on, and she really can’t say much as she is not steady with it because of her girlfriend and mother duties.

In the car, this sparks a conversation in which she expresses to Omarion that she doesn’t want to be forgotten. For her, she has always been the person to put others first, and that has caused her to miss out on some things. She just doesn’t want that to happen, which I can understand because sometimes people do it and don’t mean to. He tells her he will have her back like she had his, so she needs to sharpen herself and wait for her time.

Willie finds out, thanks to Fizz and Nikki’s big mouths, at his first little show, by the way, that Shanda has gone back to the pole. Nikki knows because the girl is actually dancing at one of her clubs. Willie pulls his wife to the side and questions her. She tells him she is just doing what she has to do to put food on the table NOW and to pay bills. He checks her, and she doesn’t want to hear it. Willie tells her that if she is going to dance, she can do it alone, to which she hits him in the face and walks out.

In the end, she knows that she is wrong and waits for him outside the venue. She cries to him and apologizes. She says she didn’t want to do it and doesn’t want to but felt she had to since he lied to her about the contract. Willie tells his wife that everything is okay and that she’s not going back to the pole. She says okay.

Everything is building up from so many angles. It’s going to be explosive.

‘Being Mary Jane’ 305 Hotseat & Hooked

being mary jane 305 hotseat 2015 imagesThis week on “Being Mary Jane,” she finally gets what she wants. Well, one of the things she wants, at least.

But first…

Mary Jane gets a blow to her ego and career when Greg tells her that she is out, and Marisol is “in.” He tells he there is nothing that she can do about it but we all know MJ, and that is not going to happen.

She enlists the help of the NAACP by donating some money. She and her NAACP people meet with Greg, and he does not hear anything they have to say. Her lawyer tells him that if he doesn’t put her back on in three to six weeks, they will take the situation to the public. Even in the face of offering the NAACP airtime (they declined) Greg tells him that he will have to think about it.

What the lawyer says he wants, nor Greg’s answer is what MJ wants and tells the NAACP guy, pretty much, he sucks. She takes things into her own hands. As she walks out of the building, when asked by the press when she will return to the air, she tells them, “Monday,” and gives the NAACP lawyer the dirtiest look.

At her house, while she’s on the phone taking back the $5000 donation she made to NAACP, Mark tells her that she is wrong for trying to force SNC’s hand, and it could backfire on her. She knows he is right, but keep is MJ calm.

At her mother’s house, we see that Helen could be sick. She coughs uncontrollably, and her hands shake. Nicey finds her in the kitchen, and she tells her granddaughter not to say anything, “I’m fine.” Patrick walks in to give his mother samples of the products he delivers, and Nicey is super rude to him. He follows her into the living room and tells her about herself.

MJ gets a call from Kara, who is at the office with Greg’s “fat ass.” He wants to see MJ in his office. She gets dressed and goes to SNC. In Greg’s office, he shows her the video of her “statement” to the press. He asks her what that was about, and she tells him she had to do what she had to do. He then pulls out a folder with all the things that she’s done “wrong” since she’s worked there. “Monday late, Tuesday late, Wednesday didn’t do what we asked, Thursday sassy, Friday sassy with attitude.” His keeping track of subordination is only to let her know that he is watching, however. He puts her back on air… Monday.

Nicey’s momma, Jackie played by the beautiful Jill Scott, is in town. She brings her daughter gifts, and Nicey is overjoyed. “I wish you were here more ma,” Jackie tells her that she will work harder on being around for her. Helen walks in on their moment, and it is clear that she is not a fan of Jackie’s.  “I hear you work for a stripper.” Nicey corrects her grandmother, “She doesn’t work for a stripper she does hair for Nicki Minaj.” Oh, grandma. Jackie encourages her daughter to start doing hair so that she can be her own boss.

Nicey and her mother spend some time together, and Jackie puts her in place when Patrick tells her she should have been home sooner since her grandparents watch the kids. Jackie tells her she’s not a child any longer. Nicey remains silent and excuses herself to bed. Jackie and Patrick clearly have a moment and make plans for dinner.

MJ gets a new look for her on-air return and to celebrate going short she calls Mark so that they can have some fun. So he invites her to a club that it allows her to unwind without the presence of paparazzi.

That Monday she kills it. She asks Kara if she thinks Greg set her up with the teleprompter and her friend reassures her he didn’t. She heads home and checks her social media. Everyone loves that she’s back and her new look. She lies down and as she drifts off to sleep, Greg’s words ring in her ear. What he said to her obviously got to her, and she shows up hours before everyone to get her stuff together.

Patrick and Jackie have their dinner and goes back to his apartment. They share memories and then get it on. Watch out now. But not before Jackie tells him that he is too soft on Nicey. “You keep babying her.” He then is very honest with his baby momma. “You need to come around more, a lot more.” They both agree that they each need to do better by their girls, and Jackie confesses that she doesn’t do Nicki’s hair. “I do the dancers hair.” She feels that she messed up their girls. He comforts her… in the bed.

MJ clearly likes the club Mark took her to and returns waiting for Kara, who tells her that she is not going to be able to make it because of the boys.  Mary Jane finds some white chocolate candy, and they have a “good time.”

In the end, MJ tells Mark the next day that she kissed her first white boy. She jokingly tells him, “I feel like I let the ancestors down.” Kara comes in on them with the ratings and MJ doesn’t like the fact that they came in last place. Kara says it’s all good, “We always come in last place.” She encourages MJ, who retreats to her office. “You won,” which is enough for her because she happily drinks whiskey and smokes a cigar poolside later that night.

Oh to be young, gifted, black and his MJ’s case, bold as hell.

Blaine Gabbert & Wes Welker Back in the NFL

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blaine gabbert wes welker back in nfl 2015 imagesMight be time for Colin Kaepernick to find a change of scenery. He’s a big Miami Dolphins fan, right?

Niners backup QB Blaine Gabbert has been named the starter for the team in Week 11 when they take on the Seattle Seahawks after their bye week. This proclamation, of course, came after Gabbert led the team to a 17-16 victory over the struggling Atlanta Falcons. Basically, it took him one week to get half as many wins as Kaep was able to bring home over the first half of the season.

“Blaine did a nice job, did some really good things with his feet and his arm and his brain,” said head coach Jim Tomsula. “Really did a nice job, so congratulations to him.”

I told y’all he’s not horrible. Playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars really isn’t a good measure of anyone’s talent. 185 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions isn’t a perfect stat line, but at least he got the job done.

Gabbert isn’t the only one making a triumphant return to our TV screens—the St. Louis Rams signed Concussion King Wes Welker to a one-year deal amid rumors that Stedman Bailey will be suspended for four games.

“We’ve done physicals, we’ve done everything,” said head coach Jeff Fisher. “I think he’ll eventually move some chains for us.”

The Rams tweeted a photo of Welker smiling while signing the contract with what appears to be a can of dip in his pocket and a water bottle full of the tears of New England Patriots fans after that drop in Super Bowl XLVI. Or maybe it’s LSD. Who really knows?

Nonetheless, the Rams do need someone else that can consistently drop the ball for Nick Foles. Tavon Austin keeps catching it, and Todd Gurley is just way too good.

I kid, but only a little, sadly. The Rams only goals this season should be keeping Fisher in place (because he’s a damn good coach) and doing just well enough to avoid being moved to Los Angeles. If they feel Welker can help them accomplish either of these, then more power to them.

Caitlyn Jenner’s Glamour & Kim Kardashian Talks Cheesecake

glamour honors caitlyn jenner 2015 gossipAnother big night for the women in Hollywood, as plenty of the most notable females in entertainment and fashion made their way to Glamour’s 2015 Women of the Year Awards. The magazine throws the event every year, to honor the women that they feature in the December issue.

This year there were eight different recipients of the enviable title, including Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon, the USA Women’s Soccer Team (FIFA Winners) and Misty Copeland, the first African-American women to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre’s 75-year history. In addition, one of the most talked about women of the year was also honored by Glamour: Caitlyn Jenner.

Caitlyn was seen on the red carpet wearing a custom-made Moschino midnight blue gown, with her hair in an elegant up do. In the women-centric Glamour article Caitlyn explains her feelings on the attention she has been able to bring to the Transgender community. She recounts, “I started thinking, maybe this is why God put me on earth. This issue has been swept under the rug for so long. I need to tell this story on the highest level you can possibly do it. Not just for me but for this entire community.”

Some of the other stars that joined the recipients on the red carpet included model Karlie Kloss, Emmy winner Viola Davis, fashion designer Victoria Beckham and Caitlyn Jenner’s daughter Kylie.

kim kardashian talks cheesecake 2015 gossipOn the other side of the Jenner-Kardashian family is Kim Kardashian, who opened up about her work, life and being pregnant for the second time in a podcast for Vogue.

During the podcast, Kim talked about her highly successful app, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. In the game, fans can play as Kim and try to climb up the social ladder. Kim insists she plays a big role in shaping the game, saying, “It’s not an easy job. There’s so much work put into it, more than people I think even realized.”

Later in the podcast, Kim went on to tell a story about how she took a one-day trip to Paris for a piece of cheesecake. Kim explained, “I don’t like cheesecake but the cheesecake at Hotel Costes…its heaven. I flew in, maybe a couple months ago, just to have a last hoorah of all the food that I’m not going to be able to have or a while. And I get there, and they tell me they didn’t have it. And I was like, ‘you don’t understand! I leave tomorrow!’ I think I flew for one night…and they got it and it really made my day.”

Towards the end, the social media queen opened up about her struggles with her second pregnancy. Kim, who is due in late December, admitted she has finally given up on wearing heels 24/7. She said, “It’s getting hard. A friend of mine emailed me and said, ‘Have you given up?’ and I said, ‘Why, what do you mean?’ and he said, ‘you’re wearing flip-flops. I saw a photo of you in flip flops,’ and I said, ‘Yes, I’ve given up at this point.” However, Kim confessed that she still tries to wear her heels as much as possible, but only for short intervals.

‘The Voice’ 915 Jordan Smith’s Halo Shines While Regina’s Love Gets a Tainted Hello

the voice 915 jordan smith halo shines 2015 imagesNot only did The Voice’s coaches Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani recently make their relationship official, but fans of the show were also gifted with night 1 of The Live Playoffs tonight.

In episode 15 of The Voice’s 9th season, Adam and Gwen’s top five team members, along with one comeback artist, give “the biggest performance of their lives” (as quoted by the hype master himself, Carson Daly) in hopes of earning votes from America and moving on to the next Live Rounds.

The comeback artist is a new addition to the show this year. This allows coaches to bring back a singer that they had sent home during the previous rounds.

So here are the performances from tonight:

Starting with Team Adam…

Blaine Mitchell

“Never Tear Us Apart” by NXS

Blaine, who Adam stole from Blake Shelton, is a rocker at heart who feels emotionally connected to the NXS song. He ends up giving a very dynamic performance. I am not sure if it is just his appearance, but he definitely gave off some Hozier vibes tonight.

Regina Love

“Hello” by Adele

I am sorry Regina, but it was just too soon to cover this Adele hit. She sounded surprisingly unstable and off-pitch when singing, which I did not expect from her (being a powerhouse). Overall, I did not like it. However, she got lots of praise from the [overly nice] judges.

Life Lesson: Just don’t cover Adele songs. Ever.

Keith Semple

“To Be With You” by Mr. Big

Keith is a rock musician from Ireland. Although he can hold a note and has stage presence, I find his voice very unoriginal and found his overall performance boring. Additionally, his arrangement of the song was not a suitable choice for the first week that America gets to vote (i.e. bland and too low-key). Fortunately, Shelton somewhat brought light to Adam’s poor song choice, as he pointed out that it has a lot of gaps and background singing.

Shelby Brown

“You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt

Shelby is Adam’s only country singer. She has a powerful voice, which was played up in the song. However, I thought the chorus fell flat during her performance but she did amp it up a bit with a few drawn-out notes and notable runs.

Now for Team Gwen’s turn…

Korin Bukowski

“Adia” by Sarah McLachlan

Gwen decided to give quirky artist Korin a makeover for her performance by chopping off a few inches of her curly hair. She was able to evoke emotion and dynamics in her performance, but it progressed rather slowly. Again, I was not sold on the song choice for the first Live Round.

After the performance, Blake comments that last time Gwen convinced a singer to cut their hair (Season 7’s Craig Wayne Boyd) they ended up winning the competition. Gwen let out a giggly schoolgirl laugh in response to her new boyfriend.

Ellie Lawrence (Comeback Artist)

“Ex’s & Ohs” by Elle King

Gwen advises Ellie to get theatrical with her performance and infuse some tomboy rock into it. Ellie follows Gwen’s advice and completely owns the stage. Unfortunately, I think her vocals took the backseat to her overall visual performance. Nonetheless, I think she managed to keep herself in the competition for another round.

Jeffrey Austin

“Say You Love Me” by Jessie Ware

Jeffrey was able to perform the ballad and still keep it interesting. He has somewhat of a Sam Smith quality to the way he performs. He definitely got immersed into the lyrics and balanced his strong vocal moments with softer, more vulnerable moments.

Braiden Sunshine

“Everything I Own” by Bread

Braiden, who is the youngest competitor this year, tries to win the audience over with an emotional performance. Unfortunately, he isn’t too successful in doing so and ended up with a very flat performance. Even judge Adam noted he felt that Braiden wanted to do a lot more with the song.

I think this might be the last we see of Braiden.

Back to Team Adam…

 

Amy Vachal

“The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra

Amy’s soft-spoken vocals foster a unique rendition of the jazzy song. Adam compares her vocal qualities to the late Amy Winehouse. In the end, it seems she will be one to look out for in the competition as Pharrell notes her performance seemed almost “effortless.”

And back to Gwen…

 

Viktor Kiraly

“All Around the World” by Lisa Stansfield

Viktor, who Gwen stole from Adam’s team, is an already established pop singer in Hungary. It looks like Blake has some competition to look out for, as Viktor flirtatiously speaks to Gwen in Hungarian. Viktor had a really good performance, highlighting both his stage presence and falsetto.

Afterwards, Blake states that Team Gwen is “whipping the crap” out of Team Adam.

And then lastly, Adam…

 

Chance Pena (Comeback Artist)

“Barton Hollows” by The Civil Wars

Adam advises Chance, his comeback musician, to get rid of the extra frills (such as voice breaks) in his performance and focus on strengthening his true vocal abilities. While it didn’t feel like he listened to Adam necessarily, I thought the little-added elements he put into his performance made him more interesting. Personally, I am hoping he moves forward as I want to see him take on different songs.

Jordan Smith

“Halo” by Beyonce

It’s The Voice, which means we are pretty much obligated to have at least one Adele or Beyonce cover per episode. However, we are provided with both tonight.

Fortunately, Jordan’s rendition was really good. So unlike Regina, his risk paid off. He showcased his crystal clear vocals while also evoking plenty of emotion. I have a feeling he will be going far in this season’s competition.

And that rounds out the performances for tonight.

Next:

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 10th, Coaches Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams will showcase their top 5 performers and comeback artists in the next set of Live Rounds.

‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ 801 Shade Shade Shade Recap

real housewives of atlanta 801 shade shade shades 2015 imagesAlright, folks, Real Housewives of Atlanta is back, and boy was it a doozy. They sure do know how to reel you in and let you have it. Miss NeNe Leakes absence wasn’t even noticed.

A lot of the stuff we have seen in the media and on social media about the cast was in the first episode, which mainly centered around Cynthia’s launch of her new eyewear line. Before all the ladies gathered to support her, which was so great to see because there really wasn’t any drama or major shade thrown at each other… until the end of the episode with the reintroduction of Sheree Whitfield, the show lets us know what each has been up to where they are now.

First of all Cynthia and Peter have it out. He comes home, she gives him the cold shoulder but then tells him how she feels about the video that caught fire via social media. Peter plays it off and says that it’s nothing but she stands firm in the fact that it embarrassed her, among other things. Ultimately, he really doesn’t care.

Phaedra’s storyline looks to be still that of her husband being in prison, but that can’t last the whole season so we will see where that goes. We do find out though that she is going to go ahead and divorce Apollo. If you remember at the season seven reunion, she had not filed any papers.

Porsha is on cloud nine since her satellite radio gig is going very well. She is also excited because, as of the taping of the show, she is in a relationship with a fine young thang from the Buffalo Bills, Duke Williams. They are pretty hot and heavy which sounds right since they have only been together for about a month. She nonetheless looks happy, and I think she truly feels that he could be “the one;” Even though he is about ten years younger than Porsha. But you know what Aaliyah said, “Age ain’t nothing but a number.”

Kenya is moving on up. She finally made her way to Atlanta for good after living in Los Angeles for years. Her approach though with buying a house is different from that of her cast mates. She has decided to get a foreclosure and rehab it in the Peach Tree area. Now a lot of people are making fun of her about that, but it’s a great idea. Buying a house at the fraction of the cost, fixing it up to your standards and having an amazing home? Nothing stupid or even cheap about that. It’s sound thinking.

Of course, this is RHOA so there has to be something juicy brewing and there definitely is. Sheree is back in the picture and one of the first mentions of her in the first episode of season eight is her name in Kenya’s mouth about nothing being able to finish her house. Apparently, neighbors in this upscale community have complained about her house being an eyesore. They also don’t like the fact that it has been three years and still not finished. And Kenya has a lot of fun with that.

Then there is Kandi, and I have to be honest, her storyline is kind of boring right now. I mean yes she and Todd are having a baby, and we know through social media that it is a boy. But other than her husband being pissed off that Phaedra hasn’t paid him the remainder of what she owes him from a workout video, that’s pretty much all there is there.

The real meat and potatoes is what goes down at Cynthia’s launch party. All the ladies show up as well as Kenya’s friend Marlo. They chat it up with Cynthia’s sister Malorie, and when Peter walks in, sparks fly, in particular between him and Kenya. She does not hold back her feelings about the viral video that shows him kissing and fondling a woman at his Charlotte nightclub. They have words and let me just say that the way in which he speaks to women is horrible.

Outside, as they all wait for Cynthia to make her grand entrance, Marlo and Kenya tell them about the incident with Peter and they can’t believe it. Well, they can but instead of saying “I told you so” they just sip their Kermit tea. For whatever reason here, Malorie comes over and tells them about a conversation she had with her sister in which Cynthia, when asked, said that she is not attracted to Peter physically. Why did she give Porsha and them ammunition against her sister? I think it’s the alcohol.

Which clearly got to Sheree. After Cynthia makes her grand entrance, and to say that she looked flawless is an understatement, Sheree makes her way over to the group. Obvious that she is already buzzed, she goes all the way off when Kenya mentions that neighbors have complained about her house. Sheree tells her to mind her business, and Kenya calls her broke, because really, who takes three and a half years to build a house.

The other ladies hold the two in their separate corners, and we have to wait until next week to see what happens. All I can say is NeNe Leakes who? I know she’s popping back in after realizing that her coins are diminishing without Real Housewives of Atlanta, but if this season is proving one thing, it’s these girls don’t need any Leakes to keep me coming back.

 

La Liga Week 11 Soccer Review

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la liga week 11 review las palmas vs real sociedad 2015 images

Newly promoted Las Palmas handed Real Sociedad a 2-0 defeat at home. It turned out to be David Moyes’ last game at the helm of La Real as the Anoeta outfit sacked the former Everton and Manchester United boss after a series of poor results which see the side lying precariously close to the relegation zone in 16th.

Valencia, who had endured a difficult start to their league campaign this season, which has mounted the pressure on their manager Nuno Espirito Santo, gave a ruthless display of attacking football against high-flying Celta Vigo as they handed the Galicians a 5-1 thrashing at Balaidos. Paco Alcacer and Daniel Parejo both grabbed a double for the visitors while 2014 World Cup winning defender Shkodran Mustafi completed the scoring for Los Che. They are now seventh in the standings.

Lucas opened the scoring for Deportivo La Coruna with his strike in the 22nd minute against Levante at the Ciudad de Valencia, but the hosts found an equaliser through Roberto Camarasa in the second half to earn a point from the encounter. However, Levante remains at the bottom in the league table, whereas, the Galicians are now ninth in the standings.

Eibar registered a 3-1 win over Getafe at home. The tiny Basque club, who were relegated last season but were ultimately reinstated after financial troubles of Elche, are now lying in sixth, having won five, drawn four and lost two of their first eleven games in the league thus far.

A Javi Guerra double earned Rayo Vallecano a 2-1 win over Granada at the Vallecas. The win lifted the Madrid side to 12th with a tally of 13 points from their 11 games. Meanwhile, Granada are 19th.

A Ruben Castro strike was enough for Real Betis to help them to a 1-0 win over Malaga at Rosaleda. The newly-promoted outfit has moved to 11th in the league standings as a consequence of their narrow win.

Inaki Williams scored a splendid goal for Athletic Bilbao against Espanyol and Raul Garcia snatched all three points for the Basques with his goal in the second half. Hernan Perez was on the scoresheet for the Catalans.

Neymar and Luis Suarez were in spectacular form for Barcelona as they defeated Villarreal 3-0 at the Camp Nou on Sunday. The Brazil international grabbed a brace from the encounter, including a breathtaking strike late in the second half when he received a pass from Suarez, looped the ball over his head, pirouetted 180 degrees and volleyed the ball past the hapless Villarreal goalkeeper. The win moved the Catalans to the top of the league standings.

Antoine Griezmann continued his heroics for Atletico Madrid as he grabbed a late winner against Sporting Gijon at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season as they lost 3-2 to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez scored the goals for Los Blancos, while Ciro Immobile, Fernando Llorente and Ever Banega were on the scoresheet for the hosts. The defeat for Rafael Benitez’s men has made Barcelona the league leaders.

White Right For H&M & Oprah Up On Kardashians After Rebel Diss

H&M felt the most positive marketing images were with only white models; David Justice swears he never hit Halle Berry in the real world and Oprah Winfrey is obviously looking to lure the Kardashian clan over to OWN by publicly praising them after Rebel Wilson had her words about the family.

white right for h&m 2015 gossip

H&M Seeks to be Positive, Uses Only White Models

So to get this straight, in case anyone is confused, to have a successful launch of an already established retailer, you must only use white models, in order to you know, ensure a “positive image.” Never mind the fact that the demographic is predominately black or in this case, African.

H&M recently launched in South Africa and got a lot of backlash because the models in their displays and advertisements lacked diversity, meaning, they were white. The retailer was called out, on Twitter, of course, by a shopper who complained and it is H&M’s response that took the situation from bad to worse. H&M South African social media team Twitted,

“H&M’s marketing has a major impact, and it is essential for us to convey a positive image… We want out marketing to show our fashion in an inspiring way, to convey a positive feeling.”

There is no doubt that the response was poor judgment, but the sad thing is it is more than likely exactly how they feel even though they are trying to tell us it’s not. Why show black Africans wearing nice clothing, having fun, and in a commercial light, everyone knows they are barbaric tribes people right?

Folks weren’t having it and H&M have issued an apology. But it is halfhearted if you ask me. In a statement to HuffPost UK Style, they said:

“We’re sorry that the reply given by us in social media wasn’t clear enough. By a positive image, we mean that we use a mix of models with different ethnic backgrounds in our campaigns.”

Ugh, come on H&M we know full well that is not what you meant. Stop trying to fool us!

david justice no hitting on halle berry 2015 gossipDavid Justice on Halle Berry Domestic Violence Claims:  “I Never Hit Her.”

It seems that no matter how much time has passed, some people just can’t get over the past. Or at least, in this case, claim that the past never happened.

With Halle Berry is in the news lately about her third failed marriage as she is divorcing Olivier Martinez, it, of course, brought up old stories about her past marriages, in particular, the ugly claim that when she was married to athlete David Justice, he physically abused her. Justice, who has not been coy in the last few weeks speaking about those allegations, continues to maintain he never laid hands on Berry. He told PEOPLE,

“Over the past 20 years, I’ve heard people saying, ‘Isn’t that the dude who hit Halle Berry in the head… “Halle has said that she was in abusive relationships, but she didn’t name who the abuser was, so for many years I know a lot of people thought it was me… All I was trying to do was let the world know that David Justice is not the person who hit her on her head and caused her hearing loss… David Justice never hit her, period.”

I feel him. People are going to say and believe what they want. It is important for him to set the record straight and give his side of the story.

oprah up on kardashians after rebel diss 2015 gossipOprah Winfrey Supports and Defends Kardashians Fame

Well, if you got Oprah in your corner, I guess nothing else really matters. As if they don’t already run the world the Kardashians have found an ally in the media mogul. Kind of.

During a segment on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia, according to US Magazine, Oprah admires the reality TV family and thinks that despite what others have to say, they are indeed… talented.

“I interviewed the Kardashians two years ago, and I can’t believe how hard they work. People don’t understand that… To really create a reality series that looks like something’s actually happening, it means you have to be on all the time…”

It seems that Oprah is most impressed by their work ethic and how they are committed to their brand.

“I went to film them as a family, and I couldn’t believe how hard they worked. We were there for seven hours, and they were going to tape another seven hours after I left. No matter who you are, that is work.”

Oprah gave her take on the Kardashian crew in response to actress Rebel Wilson’s remarks about and the fact that she refused to co-present at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

Premier League Week 12 Soccer Review

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premier league week 12 soccer review 2015 jamie vardy imageThe 12th week of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign kicked off with Newcastle United’s long trip to Bournemouth. The match finished 1-0 in favour of the Magpies and helped them move out of the relegation zone into 17th spot in the table. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe’s side slipped to 18th.

Jamie Vardy continued his scorching form and scored from the spot to help Leicester City beat Watford 2-1 at the King Power Stadium. The win moved the Foxes to third place in the league standings. Watford are now 11th with a haul of 16 points from their 12 games.

A goal each from Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata helped Manchester United to a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford. The Red Devils kept a fourth straight clean sheet in the Premier League and are lying fourth with a haul of 24 points. The Baggies are 13th.

Jonny Howson scored the only goal of the match for Norwich City against Swansea City as the newly-promoted Canaries collected all three points from the encounter. The defeat increased the pressure on the Swans’ boss Garry Monk, whose side now sit 14th, having lost their last two league games.

Dusan Tadic converted from the spot for Southampton as they defeated Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. Ronald Koeman’s men have now moved to seventh in the league table, while the Black Cats dwell in 19th in the standings, having lost six of their last eight league games.

Manuel Lanzini put West Ham United ahead on the half hour mark against Everton, but Romelu Lukaku continued his heroics against the Hammers as he brought the scores level after scoring from a delectable assist from summer signing Gerard Deulofeu. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and West Ham slipped to sixth in the table.

Marko Arnautovic scored for Stoke City against Chelsea to help Mark Hughes’ men register a 1-0 win over the reigning English champions. The defeat is seventh of the league campaign for the Blues and they are lying precariously close to the relegation zone in 16th.

Aston Villa, who have appointed Remi Garde at the helm after sacking Tim Sherwood from the post, grabbed a valuable point from their encounter against league leader Manchester City as they held the visitors to a scoreless draw at Villa Park. However, the Villans are rock-bottom in the league standings.

Harry Kane scored the opening goal in the hotly-anticipated north London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. However, Kieran Gibbs got to the end of a Mesut Ozil cross to help the Gunners secure a point from the encounter as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Yannick Bolasie opened the scoring for Crystal Palace against Liverpool at Anfield. The goal was cancelled before the interval courtesy of a Philippe Coutinho strike; however, Scott Dann grabbed the winner for the visitors at Merseyside as the Eagles continued their great recent record against the Reds and handed Jurgen Klopp his first defeat as Liverpool boss.