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Adele’s ‘Hello’ Flips People Out & Louis Tomlinson Girl Group Dreams

Ricki Reay
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Adele’s ‘Hello’ Flips People Out & Louis Tomlinson Girl Group Dreams

louis tomlinson girl band dream with simon cowell 2015 gossipEarlier in the year, boy band One Direction announced that they are planning to go on a hiatus in 2016.

Band member Louis Tomlinson explained the decision to Billboard saying, “Five years, five albums, four tours…I’m sure it appears alarming when we say we’re going on a break, but in reality, it’s such a normal thing. If you look at other bands and other artists they [go on breaks] all the time. It really isn’t as big and dramatic as it’s been made out, but our intention and our love is for the band, and that’s always going to be the case.”

Since their announcement, fans have been wondering what the musicians will be doing while on break. Recently, Louis sat down with Rochelle Hulmes and Melvin Odoom on the X Factor YouTube channel and revealed that he already has started up a new project with mentor Simon Cowell.

Louis explained, “I’ve got a little label imprint, so I’m trying to work with that at the moment. I’m lucky enough to be working with Simon. We’ve got a few different projects going on at the moment one of which is we’re trying to put a girl band together.”

He went on to say, “It’s really exciting to be involved in the different side of it, the background.”

Therefore, we will have to wait and see if Simon and Louis will have the same magic touch that they had with One Direction when it comes to creating an all-girl group.

adeles hello flips people out 2015 gossipWhile Adele’s new song “Hello” has been getting massive praise from fans and other artists, people are still managing to find things to pick apart when it comes to the music video. In the video, Adele is seen making phone calls on a flip phone, which has caused quite a stir on social media.

Adele Flip Phone, Tweets:

On Friday afternoon, the Canadian film director Xavier Dolan explained that he didn’t put too much thought into the flip phone. He went on to say, “when I heard the song I saw a story right away, just this idea of taking the phone and calling your past. [The video] is highly unoriginal. The lyrics are ‘Hello, it’s me’ then you see someone picking up a phone. I’m not good at imagining super-conceptual videos. I just thought it would be nice to have her walk around the house and make phone calls and end up in the forest, with maybe some flashbacks in it.”


He then addressed the flip phone controversy, saying, “I could see the GIFs [of the flip phone] on Twitter. I’m like ‘guys, get over it. It doesn’t matter.’ But the real explanation is that I never like filming modern phones or cars. They’re so implanted in our lives that when you see them in movies you’re reminded you’re in reality. If you see an iPhone or a Toyota in a movie, they’re anti-narrative; they take you out of the story. If I put an iPhone or a modern car in a movie it feels like I’m making a commercial.”

Nonetheless, even with a flip phone, Adele’s ‘Hello’ music video is breaking records – in the first 24 hours, the video was viewed over 25 million times. Thus, beating Taylor Swifts record with ‘Bad Blood’, where she got 20.1 million views in the first 24 hours.

Additionally, the 25 million views record fits pretty well with Adele’s comeback, considering her upcoming album is titled 25.

‘Step It Up’ 102 Fake Sweat

The Curvy Girl Diva
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‘Step It Up’ 102 Fake Sweat

step it up 102 fake sweat 2015 recap imagesIn the second episode of Step it Up, the team has been invited by the Chamber of Commerce of Miami to perform for a lot of art dignitaries and other big wigs in the city. “The who’s who of Miami” is what Traci calls it.

She holds an open audition, which means both the Reps and the Company dancers (reps are higher up on the dance scale) can try out for the performances for the special day. The only catch is that they can audition if they can do a triple pirouette. If not, she doesn’t want to see them. Damn Traci!

It’s important for Traci to have a balance in her life, so she spends some time with one of her oldest friends. They catch up and talk about her life, in particular, she asks Traci how she has been since the passing of her mother. She asks her if she has been thinking about having a baby since her mother really wanted her to. Traci brushes it off, but her girl gets very serious. She suggests that she and Jean see a doctor to make sure everything is good. Traci never thought about the possibility of them having trouble conceiving, even though they have been having sex regularly and haven’t gotten pregnant yet. So she agrees and sets an appointment.

At the next practice, she sends the company through the pirouettes and most of them are cut. Dontae, an enthusiastic member of the Company, makes it, which is a big deal for him because the triple is his weakness area. So that means he has the opportunity to try out. He gives his dance of choice a lot of thought since he knows that he has to perform at the highest standards to secure his spot.

Later, she and Jean visit the studio so that she can see the progress. Let me just interject here. Jean is a good husband because he is focused on giving Traci what she wants. From what they show on TV, she doesn’t always speak to him in the best tone, but he still works to make her happy. And the studio is what will make her happy, so he puts in the work to make it happen. We see that the studio is coming along but not as quickly as she wants. She tells him he’s not doing enough and orders him to do better. She even says that there shouldn’t be a day when the contractors are not working. Bish!

The day of tryouts come, and she lets’ everyone pick what dance they want to try out for- ballet, jazz or West African. Dontae picks the latter, which is clearly the hardest of the three. Jakirah and her brother Antonio, who is also a part of the Company, choose jazz. There are some good ones and some not so good ones, and you know with Traci, she is going to pick only the dancers that make her look great. Of all the people who tried out, along with nine others, Jakirah, Antonio and Dontae all make it.

Putting the dancing stuff aside, Traci and Jean go to a fertility clinic to make sure nothing is wrong with them. They meet with a doctor who talks them through the process, and they cross their fingers that everything is okay.

The day of the event is here. The dancers are excited and a little overwhelmed, but Traci tells them not to be intimidated. She is greeted by two of the organizers, and they pretty much tell her they need her involvement in the event to go over without a glitch. Of course, she’s got it.

The kids perform each dance genre, and they kill it. Everyone loves the variety of the dances and how the kids performed. Traci is also very proud. YCDT love the attention and the compliments and take in the splendor the event has to offer. Attendees even ask Traci for her contact information because they were impressed with the kids work. Afterward, they walk away with their heads lifted high and smiles on their faces.

Traci is thankful and proud because she knew her teams would kill it, but she does have a lot of on her plate outside of YCDT. Especially with getting the studio together and she and Jean trying to make a baby.

But she is a diva and a go-getter, and despite her over the top approach at times, she handles her business.

‘Shark Tank’ 705: Skinny Mirrors & Three Jerks Recap

Ricki Reay
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‘Shark Tank’ 705: Skinny Mirrors & Three Jerks Recap

shark tank 705 three jerks 2015 recap imagesSeason 7 of ABC’s Shark Tank continued with episode 5 tonight. The multi-million and billionaire business tycoons (aka the sharks) featured in this episode were Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban. These five sharks listened to four pitches from up-and-coming business owners who were looking for an investment in return for a stake in their innovative businesses.

So here is the recap of tonight’s tank:

  1. Three Jerks Beef Jerky

Asking: $100,000 for 15%

Founders Daniel Fogelson and Jordan Barrocas came into the tank with their product, Three Jerks Beef Jerky. It is a specific type of jerky made from prime cuts of filet mignon that offers a slightly more sophisticated taste profile than what is currently being offered in terms of jerky selection.

Right away, the sharks were curious as to why they named the company “Three Jerks,” in which Daniel and Jordan explained that there used to be three of them behind the business, but they had a seemingly bitter split with their former partner.

Daniel and Jordan tell the sharks of their margins, as they sell the jerky for $11.00 a pack while it cost them $3.12 to make it. In the past 12 months, the company has made about $350,000 in sales.

All of the sharks really enjoy the product, and Kevin, of course, goes on about being a connoisseur of fine wines, explaining how he would eat the jerky with some expensive wine. Unfortunately, the sharks also identify how tough the jerky business is and how a few key players dominate it.

Nonetheless, O’Leary starts the bidding at $100,000 for 33%. Cuban drops out. Robert steps into the ring at $100,000 for 20%. Both Lori and Daymond decide to offer them the exact same deal as Robert ($100,000 for 20%). This leads Kevin to increase his valuation to $125,000 for 33%.

After the two owners express interest in Kevin’s experience, Daymond gets antsy and lowers his deal to 17% and then 15%. Thus, Daniel and Jordan close a deal with Daymond at $100,000 for 15% (exactly what they came in looking for).

shark tank 705 skinny mirrors and three jerks 2015 images

  1. The Skinny Mirror

Asking: $200,000 for 20%

Definitely an interesting concept behind this business…Belinda Jasmine created The Skinny Mirror as a product meant to inspire people to feel confident with their appearance. The Skinny Mirror is a mirror that is designed to create a subtle slimming effect, thus making people appear leaner than they really are while looking in the mirror.

Both Daymond and Lori give the mirror a go and agree that the mirror definitely does what the name implies. Belinda explains that she has sold about 350 units, which has generated revenue of about $85,000.

Soon after, Kevin criticizes the idea and says that it is a scam. He goes on to explain that people should have to deal with what they actually look like and make real lifestyle changes if they really want to see a difference. He drops out.

All of the other sharks agree on some level or another with Kevin’s reasoning and drop out. Thus, Belinda leaves the tank without a deal.

  1. The Switch Witch

Asking: $55,000 for 25%

Rob Bouley and Lara Spear Riley enter the tank with their idea of The Switch Witch. Their product kind of rides on the coat tails of products such as the “Elf on the Shelf” and the “Mench on the Bench.” The premise behind the witch is that parents exchange the witch and a present for an allotted portion of their kids candy after they have returned from trick-or-treating.

The website further explains, “Rob understands the joy of a sweet treat. As a parent, he understands the task of teaching children about moderation and responsible eating habits. On Halloween night of 2013, Rob learned about Switch Witches who switch kids’ Halloween candy into gifts! Immediately he, though: ‘What if families everywhere could have their own Switch Witch? What if I could help make that happen?’”

Kevin is the first to criticize the idea, saying that the seasonality of the product is “brutal.” Cuban also notes that the whole idea seems forced. In the end, the other sharks also can’t get behind the idea and drop out. Although Daymond says that he thinks the product has potential and at this point it seems like a pretty good hobby for Rob and Lara that could grow into something more.

Thus, Switch Witch leaves without a deal.

  1. XCraft – X PlusOne

Asking: $500,000 for 20%

JD Claridge and Charles Manning came to the tank to pitch their ultimate drone, the X PlusOne. Their company XCraft created this particular drone to offer consumers precision when it comes to both landing and hovering capabilities.

Regarding finances, the two men explain that the drones cost $400 to make, and they sell them for $1800. Needless to say, this gets all of the sharks listening. JD and Charles then explain that they are looking for the half-million investment to scale down the production of the PlusOne drone and finish up their latest innovation, the phone drone, which can be controlled by a smartphone.

The bidding starts with Kevin, who offers $750,000 for 25%. However, Daymond is quick to top his deal by offering $1 million for 25%. He too is outdone, when Lori comes in at $1 million for 20%, which Kevin right away matches. Subsequently, JD and Charles suggest that the sharks come in on a joint deal.

The sharks end up closing a deal with the two entrepreneurs at $300,000 each for 5% equity. Thus, all five sharks get a 5% stake in the drone company, and the total investment adds up to $1.5 million.

Next Week:

Check out next week’s Shark Tank to see guest shark, Google executive Chris Sacca, as four new company ideas are pitched: a tech-education company, a specialized home rental website, a unique twist on a popular hot drink, and a device that can inflate objects in seconds. Tune in Friday, October 30 at 9/8c on ABC.

Dennis Hof Showing No Love for Lamar Odom Or Kardashians & Jeremy Renner Not Up With Women

The Curvy Girl Diva
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Dennis Hof Showing No Love for Lamar Odom Or Kardashians & Jeremy Renner Not Up With Women

Love Ranch owner Dennis Hof, spilled the tea all over Lamar Odom in interviews this week, and now he’s threatening to sue both he and Khloe Kardashian if his $75K bill isn’t taken care of. Jeremy Renner can’t be bothered swing over to help fellow actresses get equal pay, and Rick Ross claims that he settled the dispute with Meek Mill and Wale.

dennis hof threating lamar odom kardashians 2015 gossipdennis hof threating lamar odom kardashians 2015 gossip

Dennis Hof Threatens to Sue Lamar and or Khloe for $75,000 Brothel Bill

What can you really say about a man as sleazy as Dennis Hoff? From capitalizing on Lamar Odom’s near death experience to cheating the women of the Love Ranch, who have not been pay for their services, he is a piece of work. He took to interviews on Sirium XM to let it be known that Lamar had been chatting online with Madison Montag, his transsexual worker that he publicized highly in October, and was all intent in meeting her when he came to the Love Ranch. Then there were those photos of Lamar sleeping that were ‘leaked’ to the Daily Mail showing future customers that if they want privacy, the Love Ranch is not the place to go in Nevada. Thankfully for those people, there’s plenty of other brothels where you can have the anonymity you crave.

And his latest “masterpiece” has everything to do with he bill that Lamar supposedly still owes. According to what he told TheWrap, Odom’s credit card may not authorize the charges and if he can take care of his bill, his wife should.

“He paid his credit card but then I got a call from Boulevard Management asking all these questions, ‘What were these charges for?’ and such. So, in my mind, are they trying a way not to pay the bill… If he doesn’t, I’m going after Khloe and her husband.”

How can he even be that petty right now? From what I understand, the results of Lamar’s drug test haven’t come back yet or haven’t been released. Shouldn’t he be more worried about that? I mean yes, $75,000 is a lot of money, but what’s going to happen if he’s shut down because of the use of illegal drugs on his premises. He gets no money then.

To top it all off, as if there is a need for it to get any more grimy, Hof goes on to suggest that Khloe paying Odom’s Love Ranch bill would not be the first time she’s had to take care of his brothel visits. He says that she use to pay for his trips to the Cathouse, a Nevada brothel that was the subject of an HBO late night TV show.

I literally have no words, especially since he went on further to say that, “They need to do the honorable thing.” This guy has no room and no right to talk about anyone being honorable.

women not jeremy renners problems 2015 gossipJeremy Renner says Closing the Hollywood Gender Pay Gap is Not His Job

When it comes mega stars using their influence for good, you don’t always get the actions you’d like to see. And as far as Jeremy Renner is concerned, he’s okay with that.

The actor says that he is all for women’s rights and equal pay, but when it comes to his involvement in helping to make that happen, it’s not really on his radar. When asked by Business Insider if he’s willing to do like Bradley Cooper and negotiate alongside his female co-stars he said,

“That’s not my job…I don’t know contracts and money and all that sort of stuff… I’m a performer, and I know human behavior. When it comes to that sort of stuff, I let other people deal with that…”I do what I’m good at; that’s what I focus on.”

A part of me feels like he is right because he doesn’t handle that aspect of his career (from what he tells us) but a bigger part of me feels like he should care enough about his part in helping to change a system that affects so many. But that is just my two cents?

rick ross stops meek mill wale beef 2015 gossipRick Ross Squashes Meek vs. Wale Beef

So you know the beef that happened between Meek Mill and Wale? Oh, you didn’t. That’s because Rick Ross stopped it before it elevated to a very familiar rap beef of which we are often reminded.

When Wale spoke on the Meek Mill/Drake beef from the summer, Meek did not like the fact that he made it seem like the Phily rapper lost. He took to Instagram to not only let Wale and the rest of the world know how he felt, but he also used his rant as a time to throw all kinds of shade at his fellow Maybach Music Group label mate. In particular, he said that he, Meek Milly, is cutting Wale from MMG.

“He not MMG, I’m making that call.”

We all know that Rick Ross runs the show and after Meek’s tirade, Ricky Rozay showed his support for Wale and took to social media himself to set the record straight. In a video posted to TMZ, Ross says that he’s happy to address the situation.

“Young Meek Mill, Young Wale … family good, ya dig?! Y’all know how I do it… All I know is winning. All I know is love; ya dig?”

I hear you Rick Ross, but something tells me that Meek is feeling himself a little too much right now and because he obviously has a big ego, I’ll hold my breath on that collaboration.

Aaron Hernandez Tainted Jury Hearing Ends

Jackie Warner
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Aaron Hernandez Tainted Jury Hearing Ends

aaron hernandez tainted jury hearing 2015 nfl images

It’s becoming the trial that won’t end with former New England Patriots star, Aaron Hernandez, as he appeared in court Friday. This time is was for an anonymous tipster who brought up the possibility that one juror who convicted him of murder may have been tainted by the case. Unlike everything prior to this, which was very public, this hearing was closed to the public leaving the results as a mystery.

But it was not immediately clear what happened. The courtroom at Fall River Superior Court was closed by the order of Judge Susan Garsh, and prosecutors and Hernandez’s lawyers would not answer questions about the proceedings, citing a gag order imposed by the judge.

Hernandez, who grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, was convicted in April of the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He is awaiting trial on murder charges in Boston, where he’s accused of gunning down two men outside a nightclub in 2012. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

Hernandez’s lawyer James Sultan has said in court documents that an anonymous tipster called him several times after Hernandez was convicted. Sultan said the woman told him she worked with one of the jurors, and the juror was present for a discussion about the Boston killings. Mention of that case was barred at trial in the Lloyd killing case.

Sultan said what the woman told him raised the possibility the juror was “untruthful.”

The tipster and the juror haven’t been publicly identified.

In previous court filings, prosecutors questioned the tipster’s credibility and motives. They said she lied about her job and level of contact with the juror. They also said she wrote Hernandez sexually explicit letters before and during the trial and her father served time in jail with him.

Hernandez’s lawyers had argued there was no down side in allowing the woman to be questioned under oath, and the judge allowed it. That was the purpose of Friday’s hearing.

It’s unclear when the judge will make a decision on how to proceed.

‘How to Get Away with Murder’ 205: Meet Bonnie Recap

The Curvy Girl Diva
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‘How to Get Away with Murder’ 205: Meet Bonnie Recap

how to get away with murder 205 meet bonnie 2015 recap imagesHow to Get Away with Murder was something else this week. It is refreshing that a show doesn’t go so far off of the bounds of reality that you can actually enjoy it without the validity of the storylines distracting you. And I’m Just going to leave that right there.

So much was revealed this week. I love how with each passing episode we get just a little bit more of what happened that fateful night. This episode is three weeks before ADA’s killing and Annie’s stabbing at the Hapstall’s Mansion.

Bonnie’s confession that she killed Sam really puts Asher in a hard place. She tells him that Sam tried to rape her, and she went a little crazy and killed him. Her story causes Asher to back out of testifying for ADA Sinclair, who wanted to use his testimony for permission to wiretap Annalise’s house. He instead confesses to her and his father that he knows how killed Sam. Come on Asher.

Back at the house, the Keating Four still whirl since they believe it’s just a matter of time before they are arrested as they feel something is just not right.  While they discuss having an orgy, Bonnie tells Annalise and Frank what is going on with Asher. Annie drills her for telling THAT story, and as she does, Asher shows up. Annalise corroborates Bonnie’s story to which he says that doesn’t constitute murder. Annie then lets him know about his privilege not only because he’s white but because he’s a man and asks him not to say anything. He tells her he’ll think about it.

Annalise is then whisked away to a meeting with the judge and ADA Sinclair, who has submitted the testimony of the Hapstall’s dead aunt into evidence two minutes before the deadline, unbeknownst to Annalise. This poses an issue because Annie can’t cross-examine her testimony. The judge agrees and gives her until 5 pm to come up with something that will make her change her mind.

She rushes back to the house putting the team to work on finding anything they can to get the testimony dismissed. Meanwhile, West still works with Levi (Michaela’s jump off, Rebecca’s foster brother, and Eggs911) and they think they are close to finding out what happened to Rebecca. They believe they have traced their information to one of Frank’s friends who gave Frank a storage key to “use” on the night of Rebecca’s murder.

What they don’t know about this piece of information, which really shows how committed Frank is to Annalise, is that he, Annie and Bonnie were tipped off that West is up to something thanks to Annie seeing him and Nate at the hospital. She told her ex-lover that she knows they are doing something behind her back, and he comes clean about what West and his new “partner in crime” is doing. So the key that Frank “accidentally” left lying around was a to draw them in.

Because Frank is a beast, when Michaela, Connor, Laurel and West make their way to the storage unit, what they find is a suitcase full of money, which makes West look like a crazy man in front of his fellow students who not only just found the money but right before witnessed Levi get arrested for having meth in his trunk. Hmm, I wonder how it got there. That Frank is something else. Levi’s arrest and the suitcase full of cash supports the notion that he is a drug addict, and they turn their backs on West, so to speak, as they tell him to leave Rebecca’s disappearance alone.

Asher decides that he is going to tell ADA Sinclair, who killed Sam as he found out that he father also made a deal with her for his named to be cleared as well in the Trotter Lake incident. Bonnie pleads with him at a bar not to do it, breaking down in tears, and he tells her he has to do it. She calls Annalise in self-deprecation and Annie, as usual, takes care of it. She pays a visit to Asher, who doesn’t want to see her. She barges her way into his apartment anyway and makes him watch a video of a little being forced to have sex with her father. We find out it’s Bonnie.

The Keating Four unearth a video showing the Hapstall’s aunt raging on the morning her brother and sister-in-law were found murdered that Catherine and Caleb killed them because they, pretty much, weren’t white. Annalise uses the video later that day at 5 pm in a hearing with the judge and ADA Sinclair but because she can’t show support that she obtained it legally, the judge sides with the ADA and allows the dead aunt’s testimony into evidence.

In the end, we see Bonnie and Asher drive away from the Hapstall’s mansion the night of Annalise’s stabbing. Bonnie stops at a gas station to Asher’s anxiousness and goes into the bathroom. We see her wash blood off her clothes, and when she comes back out, Asher is nowhere to be found; that’s because he’s gone to the police… “to give a statement.”

Heidi Klum’s Halloween Reveal & Brandi Glanville Plots Her RHOBV Scenes

Ricki Reay
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Heidi Klum’s Halloween Reveal & Brandi Glanville Plots Her RHOBV Scenes

heidi klums halloween costume reveal 2015 gossipIn a little over a week, fans will find out what Heidi Klum‘s mysterious Halloween costume will be this year. Every year the supermodel throws a star-studded Halloween bash and always comes in an over-the-top costume.

The 42-year-old shared with People magazine some more behind-the-scenes pictures of the creation process of her costume. In the pictures, Heidi is seen flashing a smile while two men attach prosthetic enhancements to her curves. Another picture shows the supermodel holding up a glittery gold fabric that will be made into a dress. She revealed that designer Christian Siriano, Project Runway season 4 winner, would be designing the gown. She explained, “He’s designed amazing red carpet looks for me over the years, even for the Emmys. When I came up with this year’s costume, I knew Christian would help make it extra fierce.”

Heidi tells People, “This is my 16th year hosting Halloween, and I’ve had 17 costumes, like Lady Godiva, the “Visible Woman” to a 95-year-old version of myself. I like to switch it up every year and surprise people.”

At this point the only hint she was willing to give was, “this year’s costume is sort of a male’s fantasy. That’s all I’m going to say!”

The butt and boob enhancements have fans wondering if Heidi is dressing up as social media queen Kim Kardashian or perhaps Sasha Fierce herself, Beyonce.

brandi glanville plotting her rhobh scenes 2015 gossipWhile she may not be a regular cast member on the show anymore, Brandi Glanville isn’t quitting Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cold turkey. E! revealed that the dramatic housewife has filmed several scenes for the upcoming season.

A source explained, “[Brandi] is not returning as a cast member but she’s making some small appearances here and there on the new season, but that’s it.” Additionally, other former cast members will also be making brief appearances in the upcoming season, including Adrienne Maloof and Camille Grammar.

Back in July, Brandi announced on her podcast and Instagram that she would no longer be a regular cast member of the Bravo reality show. She goes on to explain that she is looking to show everyone a “more well-rounded” representation of who she really is.

Brandi Glanville, Instagram post:

While both Brandi and her pal Kim Richards are not returning full time to the show, the new season will feature returning members Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Yolanda Foster, Eileen Davidson, as well as newbies Erika Jayne and Kathryn Evans.

Even with just a few appearances, I have a feeling Brandi will still manage to bring plenty of drama to Real Housewives.

 

Manchester United vs Manchester City Soccer Preview

Luka Alario
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Manchester United vs Manchester City Soccer Preview

manchester united vs manchester city preview 2015 soccer imagesThe first Manchester derby of the 2015 – 16 Premier League season is upon us as the Premier League leaders, Manchester City, travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Both the teams have started well this season and many new names will get the first taste of the Manchester derby at the weekend. Manchester United have accumulated 19 points in 9 games but are still two points behind Pellegrini’s men. The Citizens have earned 21 points so far after winning seven and losing two matches this season. The Red Devils can climb above City if they manage to beat the former champions but City have the opportunity to steer five points clear of their arch rivals.

United’s Dutch boss, Louis van Gaal, has stated that their noisy neighbours are the favourites for the clash on Sunday.

He said: “You have to ask the fans who the favourites are. It’s not important who are favourites.

“When you look at the facts, they are first and we are third. They are first so they are the favourites, I think.

“If we win, we are first in the table. That doesn’t mean we are the champions. That’s decided in May. It’s a big step when we win but still you have to continue.”

Van Gaal’s men were held to a 1 – 1 draw in the midweek Champions League tie at CSKA Moscow while their opponents at the weekend scrapped a narrow 2 – 1 win over Unai Emery’s Sevilla. City played at home on Wednesday while the 20-time English champions had to take a long flight back to Manchester, which can affect their performance at the weekend.

Manchester City has injury concerns ahead of the match at Old Trafford. Two of their most influential players, Silva and Aguero, are ruled out of the big derby game. LVG has no major worries as most of his squad is fit.

City’s new signings have settled in very well at the Etihad and are frequently contributing in the goal scoring department. Ex-Chelsea player, Kevin de Bruyne was Bundesliga Player of the 2014 – 15 season and he has carried his form to England. According to Whoscored.com, De Bruyne has recorded three goals and three assists in his four Premier League appearances for City this season.  The Belgian midfielder also netted the late winner in his side’s win over Sevilla on Wednesday and he can certainly step in Aguero’s shoes to earn three more points for his side, this Sunday. However the 24-year-old believes that the derby result will have little significance on who wins the title in May.

“If you take a point or even lose, it’s not ideal but there are still almost 30 games to go so this result won’t be the deciding factor in who wins the title. There are still many points to be won and lost in the coming months,” De Bruyne was quoted as saying by British media.

“We shouldn’t play defensive because our main strength lies going forward though we need to stay disciplined,” De Bruyne said.

“We know it will be difficult. Man United have been a top team for a long time and the rivalry between us and them obviously runs deep, but the season is very long — that said, we know what it means to our supporters and it would be nice if we could go there and get three points,” he added.

United supporters will be hoping for yet another match winning performance from Anthony Martial. The Frenchman, who scored on his debut against Liverpool, might once again shine against one of the best teams in the Premier League.

Donald Trump’s Not the Swamp, He’s Just Emerging From It

Shane Lambert
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Donald Trump’s Not the Swamp, He’s Just Emerging From It

donald trump not the swamp 2015 opinionRex Murphy, a Canadian political commentator, wrote an article on the topic of Donald Trump for the National Post’s website a few months back. “Don’t blame Trump…blame America” the headline read. In the article, Murphy argued that someone like Donald Trump, a presidential candidate seemingly loathed by large portions of the American population, is the result of American society overall as opposed to just being an individual phenomenon.

As Murphy put it in July: “Trump is not the swamp: he is the creature emerging from it.”

Politics have also been front and central in Canada for the last couple of months. Stephen Harper, Canada’s Prime Minister for much of the last decade, also seemed to be loathed by much of the population.

Accordingly, Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, and Thomas Mulcair, leader of the New Democratic Party, both worked over the last few months to supplant Harper as leader of Canada. Long political campaigns all culminated on Monday, October 19th when Trudeau won a majority government, and Harper resigned as leader of his political party a short time later.

Trudeau, during his successful campaign, never made comments that seemed to offend immigrants to Canada. In fact, the newly elected Prime Minister promised to help reunite families separated by red tape. Trump, in contrast, has touched several nerves among American immigrants, especially in Latin American communities, with his positions taken on immigrants and their roles in American society.

Furthermore, Trudeau did not touch any nerves with women voters. The new Prime Minister’s cabinet will reportedly be “Gender Balanced” (Huffington Post). Trump, in contrast, has touched many nerves among women in American society with statements over the years that have been taken as politically incorrect or offensive.

Due to his ability to offend, many see Trump as the new low in American politics. But Murphy, who is an outsider to America, asks if Trump is really any worse than the American political scene that we’re already used to seeing. Murphy’s views do not read as tacit support for Trump but rather as a lament or bubble-burster for those that think Trump is ruining American politics.

According to Murphy:

“Donald Trump and his campaign have a lot of catching up to do before he can be seen as more ridiculous, more frustrating, more crazy than the reality of American politics as it was before he entered it, and which itself both fostered and enabled a candidate such as he to become the force he now is.”

Bad politics in the USA certainly did not start with Donald Trump entering the presidential race. Yet, whether you regard bad politics as Democratic or Republican, you would probably not call Barrack Obama or George Bush boorish or rude. Criticisms of those two would generally be more political in nature.

But, “a boor” is exactly what Murphy calls Trump and perhaps that’s where the Canadian commentator contradicts himself. That insult suggests that “Trump and his campaign” do NOT “have a lot of catching up to before he can be seen as more ridiculous…than the reality of American politics” pre-Trump.

Murphy, in his article, concluded that:

“it is not Trump who should bear the responsibility for his success. It is the practice of politics itself and the political class…that has for so long abandoned honest representation of ideas, facing difficult issues with real language, which has so professionalized campaigns and elections that the sound of a human voice saying something it actually means is so rare.”

Personally, I think that Murphy, in emphasizing looking at the big picture, made a fair point when he said that “Trump is not the swamp” but “the creature emerging from it.” However, I don’t think Murphy said much about what it is that the American swamp contains that is so conducive to producing someone like Trump.

Dishonesty is one political malady, but those that want truth in political discourse as a way to solve problems presuppose that people will act on it. In a society, like America, where huge populations live in poverty there are so many people so concerned with solving their day-to-day problems that both looking at big picture politics and acting to correct wrongs are often too difficult. The swamp that produces political monsters has poverty-induced voter apathy in it.

Canada just de-elected our own swamp-thing in favor of a Liberal, who I would actually argue offered a left-winged platform instead of a centrist one. Perhaps in agreement with this, Canadians showed up to the ballot box more so in 2015 than in the elections that Harper won.

Americans that really want to prevent Trump, his potty-mouth, and, arguably more importantly, his right-wing economics from strangling the gigantic American middle (and low) class will need to follow Canada’s example come election time in the USA.

Americans need to show up to vote in increased numbers to make sure their dislike for Trump’s views are represented in ballot counts.

The Oculus Grift

Marius Manuella
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The Oculus Grift

the oculus grift 2015 tech imagesIf you want something good, you have to pay the price. Reception and anticipation for the new VR platform, the Oculus Rift has been quite positive, and Oculus expects sales to be high once the device goes mainstream in 2016. The current development kit, DK2, is priced at 350 US dollars which is already quite high for a gaming peripheral. Because it has yet to prove itself to the public, it needs to get its foot in the door, and one way to do that is to have a competitive price range. Expectations are that it would stay at the 350 dollar mark, but Oculus CEO Palmer Lucky begs to disagree. There goes the foot.

“It would really suck if you put something out there and people were like ‘Ah man… the Rift is good, but it’s not quite there, you know? If only it was a little better, if the lenses were a little better, if the resolution was a little better, if the screens had been a little bit better, then it would be great because you’d say God, we could have just charged a little more and put a little bit more money into custom hardware and actually achieve that.’… I can’t tell you that it’s going to be $350, and I would say I think people are going to be happy with what they get for the price because I really do think it’s going to be that best VR headset you can buy.”

–Palmer Lucky, CEO Oculus Rift

Basically, what he’s saying here is that he wants to make sure he’s going to release a very good product from the get-go, unlike the Ouya which suffered from poor engineering. The Ouya had a lot of potential, but shoddy initial releases ruined its reputation. Like the Oculus, the Ouya was funded by Kickstarter. So how can Mr. Lucky achieve the goal of releasing a product that won’t be an embarrassment? Especially when several competitors are waiting in the wings for a flaw they can take advantage of before releasing their own. The device needs to be perfect from the start with better graphics than the current DK2 and lighter materials to prevent neck strain. For that, the man has to invest in a lot of R&D, better engineering, better materials and maybe engineer some great launch titles upon release. The rumored price would be 400 dollars or even more.

However, many would disagree with the additional investment thing. What was the Facebook acquisition for then? Wasn’t Facebook supposed to provide the additional funding for all the jazz and snazz that Oculus Rift needs instead of depending on Kickstarter? Should the device become a success, Facebook would earn back their investment and more. Critics suspect that greed is in the air. Many think that 350 is already reasonable price for such a device that will still depend on gamers having a PC. If more money is needed, 400 should be reasonable enough and not a penny more. Such a scheme is partly the reason for the lukewarm reception to the Apple Watch. Lower prices and a much longer battery life and it could have been the next big thing.

The Oculus has a good thing going for it. It unleashed renewed interest in VR, spurring a race between major tech companies to release their own and even made Microsoft announce a top secret project to prematurely compete with it. Its release is highly anticipated by many gamers and niche application developers. Let’s not jinx it by saying it might cost a fortune. Again, pricing needs to be competitive as several other companies are poised to release their own headsets such as Sony’s PlayStation VR, HTC’s Vive, Sega VR, Samsung Gear VR and Microsoft’s Hololens. Google even has the super affordable Cardboard and all one needs is a handy phone with a 6-inch screen. 2016 should be a very interesting year.

But if it’s not greed, we could only guess the reasons for the Oculus Rift’s potential price increase. For the company’s sake, the price shouldn’t exceed 400 dollars unless they’re just aiming for the premium audience like Apple does. But even then Apple makes a killing on the average consumer as well. But that’s because of quality production values (so far), and fanboys swear by it as well as most consumers. But that’s just what Mr. Lucky is promising; a version much better than the last. A great, quality platform that will give consumers an entirely different experience in gaming and education. That may also be what he’s counting on as he’ll be one of the first to give the public this entirely new experience, exploring new worlds, at least for people who don’t own six-inch Samsung Galaxy phones.

With great quality lies great spending. It’s always the case. It’s rare to find something cheap that’s good. The public can only hope that Oculus doesn’t embarrass itself with its initial release as many first version products often do.

Has Percy Harvin Played His Last Down of Football?

Chris Maurice
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Has Percy Harvin Played His Last Down of Football?

has percy harvin played his last down of football 2015 nfl images

Remember when Percy Harvin took the second half kickoff back 87 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVIII? Remember when he missed nearly the entire season that year with a torn labrum in his hip? And then of course all the migraine headaches that have cost him games since his early days with the Minnesota Vikings?

Harvin’s career has been filled with explosive highlights and more than his fair share of pains. Unfortunately, that career may be over now due to a lingering hip injury that has been bothering him since preseason.

Harvin was a no go in the Buffalo Bills 34-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday, and he did not travel to London with the team in preparation for their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

“I’m not going to touch any of it,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “I’ll just leave it where it is right now.”

I guess Rex is tired of the whole situation. Despite his reports that Harvin missed for “personal reasons,” multiple sources including Buffalo News and FOXSports have confirmed that Harvin is talking with friends and family about the possibility of retirement.

Sure, Harvin had some locker room problems and attitude issues which resulting in his playing for four different teams over the last four seasons, but at the end of the day the Florida standout is one of the most explosive players in the league when he’s about to get out on the field.

Everyone remembers his standout years with the Vikings, where he originally made a name as one of the top kickoff returners in the game. With 3,184 yards and five return touchdowns in 54 games with the Vikings, Harvin was quite the fan favorite at one point.

Harvin’s 2015 campaign with the Bills has been less than impressive so far with only 19 receptions for 218 yards and one touchdown, but I imagine it’s hard to do great things out there with a messed up hip.

All I know is retiring early would cost Harvin about $4.5 million. He may be better off just sitting back with free medical care and a nice check coming in the mail.

Adele Says ‘Hello’ With Hot New Video & ‘I Am Cait’ Gets Second Season on E!

Ricki Reay
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Adele Says ‘Hello’ With Hot New Video & ‘I Am Cait’ Gets Second Season on E!

i am cait jenner renewed second seasaon 2015 gossipE! broke the news today that their docu-series I Am Cait will be returning for a second season. The show featured Caitlyn Jenner as she transitioned into a woman and discovered her new normal. It also dealt with the obstacles and issues that those in the trans-community face.

In a statement, Caitlyn Jenner said, “I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation.”

Jeff Olde, an executive at E! went on to say, “Caitlyn’s story has ignited a global conversation on the transgender community on a scale that has never been seen before. We are honored Caitlyn has chosen to continue to share her ongoing story with our viewers around the world.”

While the ratings for I Am Cait’s pilot were notable, the show continued to lose popularity as it went on. It will be interesting to see what tactics (i.e. bringing in a Kardashian to feud with) the producers decide to use this time to maintain a steady viewership.

Additionally, at the end of the last season, Caitlyn’s relationship with her best friend and fellow transgender Candis Cayne was still going strong, and viewers were left believing that there may be a romantic connection between two. With another season on the way, I Am Cait might finally address whether or not these beliefs have any truth behind them.

adele latest video drops 2015 gossip

It has been four years since Adele released her massively successful album 21. Fortunately, on Wednesday she took to her Facebook page to announce that she will be releasing a new album, 25.

The singer’s length post states:

“…My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make-up record. I’m making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. But I haven’t got time to hold onto the crumbs of my past like I used to. What’s done is done. Turning 25 was a turning point for me, slap bang in the middle of my twenties. Teetering on the edge of being an old adolescent and a fully-fledged adult, I made the decision to go into becoming who I’m going to be forever without a removal van full of my old junk.”

She goes on to add, “25 is about getting to know who I’ve become without realizing. And I’m so sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened.” Since her previous album, the 27-year-old has gotten engaged to Simon Konecki and also gave birth to their son.


It is rumored that Adele collaborates with such artists as Max Martin and Ryan Tedder (One Republic) on the upcoming album. However, she has not confirmed or denied these claims.

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