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Week 6 Results My 2015 Fantasy Football Blueprint: Watch Me Turn $100 into $0

Week 6 Results My 2015 Fantasy Football Blueprint 2015 nfl imagesI inched my way closer to daily fantasy football bankruptcy this week. I went into week six with lots of pressure, to fail. I only had five more weeks to prove I could waste $100 on DraftKings with nothing to show for it.

Week six was going to be big.

I doubled my money in week five. So back to back winning weeks could have made it look like I was an expert at this stuff. That’s a message I had no intention of sending to the masses looking to me to make all the wrong roster moves, game after game.

If you’re paying attention, you know I have doubled my money twice, so there is no way to lose the entire $100 I set aside at the beginning unless I risk more in week ten. We’ll wait and see how I feel about that when the time comes.

I might decide to just light that extra $20 or $30 on fire instead.

Take a gander at my losses this week. You can see I won only one contest, an H2H. I risked a dollar in that one and won back my dollar plus another .80 cents….DraftKings got their 10%.

fantasy football gpp movie tv tech geeks 2015 (3)Pretty pathetic , I know, but at least you all can learn from my poor draft choices that gained me just 108.88 fantasy points. And yes that was my real total. I’m sure a third grader could have done better this week and maybe there was a middle schooler who whipped me H2H for all I know.

I used the exact same lineup for all my head to head contests. I figured that would keep me from winning $2 here and losing $3 there. All or nothing for high rollers like myself. See the so called team below.

fantasy football gpp movie tv tech geeks 2015 (2)Brady was my highest scorer and I will take 25 points from my QB in any cash game like a H2H or 50/50. Alas all my other players were mediocre except Boldin who was respectable with 18 points on his lower salary.

Duke Johnson was a good thought except he was up against Denver’s tough defense.

Le’Veon Bell could not get going because Arizona stacked the box to stop him since Mike Vick was not a threat. He of one yard passing in a half.

I put a lot of thought into my defense this week. The Jets should have been a great play against Kirk Cousins who throws more picks than Neil O’Donnell after receiving a lump sum payment prior to a Super Bowl.

They netted me six points. Not awful, but a far cry from Miami’s big day on “D.”

I did enter one GPP with a different lineup along with a couple of freebies, including the Hooters deal. See below.

fantasy football gpp movie tv tech geeks 2015 (1)I actually picked a great stack with Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen, who had 63.82 points combined. I was pleased with that but not with the single digit efforts of the Jets and Dion Lewis.

Had I made room for Devonta Freeman in this contest I may have been in the money. Not easy to fit him now that his price tag has gone up steadily since everyone figured out he is not a fluke.

This upcoming week my ten bucks will be split between five GPP contests and five H2Hs. I am going to use Fantasy Labs for the GPP games and a couple head to heads. I will go with general info from other expert sites for the other three H2H matches.

As I was making more notes on this week’s fantasy lineups, I notice my handwriting getting sloppier and sloppier. I imagine this is how Kevin Spacey’s serial killer character in the film “Seven” evolved into a psycho.

He probably started out with too much going on in his everyday life. Began writing in his journal to relieve stress then things just got sideways as he let his mind run away from him.

I don’t see me kidnapping Jay Glazer and leaving him locked in a filthy apartment with Christmas tree air fresheners just to get some fantasy insight.

And I doubt I would force Andy Reid to eat a plate of spaghetti until his stomach exploded just to make sure the Chiefs scored even fewer points next Sunday to boost my DK points.

I can see daily fantasy football taking me for a turn for the worse though. Right now I just feel unorganized with slips of paper that are barely legible. Then there are sticky notes alongside grocery lists that detail Vegas point spreads for week seven.

I’m paying $59 a month for Fantasy Labs which would look a lot like a porn subscription to my wife if she went digging through my Paypal history.

What I’m saying is that daily fantasy football has got me twisted up. Hopefully, it does not make me slice off my own fingerprints to cover up some awful crimes against Devonta Freeman once I finally start trusting him weekly only to have him disappear from the leader board on DraftKings.

Whew…feel like I blacked out for a minute. Whatever. On to week seven, I’ve got $10 burning a hole in my pocket.

Things Just Got More Personal for Microsoft

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things just got more personal for microsoft split 2015 tech imagesJust a few months after Google split itself into several components under Alphabet Holdings, Microsoft did the same. The success of its hardware gamble may have played a large factor in the split or this has been in the works since Satya Nadella took the reins. Microsoft split itself into three segments which include Intelligent Cloud for Windows Server licensing, Azure cloud platform and enterprise services; Productivity and Business Processes for Office and Dynamics CRM; and More Personal Computing, which will handle Windows, Bing and its newly successful hardware business. The purpose is for improved financial reporting to Wall Street and to reorganize the company to focus on what each segment does best.

Microsoft has always been in the software business which is why the More Personal Computing hardware segment sparked much interest. This means that Microsoft is fully into the hardware business aside from the Xbox and Microsoft Intellipoint. The company may have missed its calling as it was partly responsible for transforming the Apple II into a fully competitive business computer via the Z-80 SoftCard add-on. The SoftCard was a logic board that enabled the Apple II to run CP/M and popular CP/M business programs. The Microsoft Mouse along with the Microsoft Natural Keyboard has long been regarded as the best computer peripherals, and the Xbox and Kinect have cemented themselves in the console gaming landscape. These successes, however, matter little in the modern setting.

microsoft splits up company segments 2015 techMicrosoft found itself in a long non-innovative slump that opened doors for Apple, Google and the Linux community. For years, it merely played on the innovations of others by selling me-too products on the market like the recently deceased Zune, the embarrassing pre-Surface tablet during the early years of the tablet industry, the aborted Kin mobile phones, Windows Mobile among others. But now, Microsoft seems bent on changing its image and tearing taking from its competitors as well as coming up with its own innovations—much needed innovations in a stagnated and jaded PC industry.

Sitting on a large sum of money and its enterprise cash cows, Microsoft could afford to gamble and cut its losses. Its release of Windows 8, like some fun and entertaining movies, received mixed to negative reviews. But that’s because they rolled out something literally colorful and different and people’s change receptors are often set to kill. People didn’t know what to make of Windows 8 on non-touch systems sold by OEMs. To make sure that people can accept Windows 8 for what it is, a tablet and desktop operating system, Microsoft produced its own hardware and came up with the Surface line of tablets, the Surface RT (for Windows 8 RT) and Surface Pro. Tablets that are PCs at the same time meant for people who want to be more productive but want the portability of tablets. As a me-too product, the Surface seemed like just another tablet to compete with Apple and everyone else. But the Surface tablets are partnered with colorful, innovative touch keyboard covers, stylus and a kickstand not seen in other tablets which converts the Surface into a fully functioning laptop completely adept for office work. These tablets also antagonized Microsoft’s OEMs as the company sought to compete in the PC industry. Though not well received at first, Microsoft had to suffer the biggest write-offs in its history for the failure of the Surface RT and the Nokia acquisition. But the company pressed on with its vision that instead of branching to another operating system like iOS or Android, Windows will work for tablets.

Just like Windows 3.0, Windows 8 became more acceptable when updated to 8.1. The Surface line improved as well. The Surface Pro 3 had a larger screen, improved kickstand, improved touch keyboard, was thinner and lighter and had improved specs, became a hit. Add Windows 10 into the mix and Surface devices became the perfect mix of hardware and software as MacOS was for Macbooks. Speaking of Apple, the structure of Microsoft’s More Personal Computing is almost the same as Apple that seamlessly integrates hardware and software and also curiously premium, covetable pricing.

“…Of course, we’re competing with Apple…Making premium devices and reinventing categories that essentially puts us in a camp to fundamentally compete with Apple devices…”

–Panos Panay, Microsoft Head of Engineering

The Surface Pro 3 and later the new Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book fit well into Microsoft’s vision for Windows 8 and Windows 10, something OEMs earlier failed to achieve. What was the hallmark of the Surface’s success? The resurgence of clones in the new hybrid industry, and devices that copied some of the Surface’s design aesthetics. Dell, HP, Lenovo and other manufacturers took design hints and jumped into the Surface bandwagon. Even Apple somewhat followed suit with the iPad Pro. Is Microsoft mad? No. Everything happened according to plan. Microsoft taught the industry how to treat and handle Windows. Rolling out Windows and Office in a revitalized PC industry was more important, and its hardware success was an added bonus. Also, the Surface Pro 3 created anticipation for what Microsoft had next in its sleeve. An anticipation almost at par every time Apple announces the coming of a new product. That anticipation gave us the Surface Pro 4 and the surprise introduction of their first laptop, the Surface Book in their last conference this October. Microsoft is also building anticipation with its Windows Holographic or Hololens platform as well as the continuum functions of its new Lumia 950 phones. The Surface Book now enjoys plenty of pre-orders.

Microsoft’s newfound success in hardware leads it to create the More Personal Computing segment to better focus on the hardware aspect of things. However, this creation of a new hardware company makes it a more direct competitor to its OEM partners than it already was. Microsoft is happy with the flattery it’s getting from being copied, but the OEMs are not as ecstatic. No retailer or manufacturer is ever happy when a new player enters the picture especially if that new player is someone that’s supposed to keep them afloat. That new player even strikes a deal to have them sell its devices through their distribution channels. Some agree, but after creating a device one gene short of a total clone (Miix 700), Lenovo took a stand and said no. It even launched its own tabletop Yoga 900 to compete with the new Surface Book and Apple’s iPad Pro. Shortly after the Surface Book introduction, manufacturers also came out with their own spins on the Surface Pro and Surface Book yet stated that they’re not happy.

Many PC users say that PC manufacturers are also to blame by not coming out with more innovative products sooner, slapping on Windows versions on mediocre devices that don’t play well with the OS. It’s more of the same every year, double the memory, double the disk space, a different processor and a dose of bloatware. This led Microsoft (for its own survival) to become more personal with them, to step in and teach them how it’s done. Microsoft succeeded in giving users a product that they really wanted. Windows PCs with real portability that also bridges the gap between consumerism and productivity. Also, Microsoft, playing second fiddle to Apple for some time now has taken advantage of Apple’s current slump on inventiveness and aims to regain first place in the tech industry, competing with Apple directly, making it more personal with them. And users like yours truly now want to have a taste of what it’s like to actually own a Surface Pro 4 or a Surface Book. While I love working on my aging Asus Vivobook with a not so friendly Windows 10, I’d like a more personal experience with a Surface Pro 3 or 4 as the holiday season draws near.

Macy Gray: An Artist Unafraid to Fail

macy gray an artist unafraid 2015 imagesIt’s fair to say that Macy Gray is good at making waves. Often controversial, frequently hilarious, always musically accomplished and occasionally troubled, Macy is one of those artists who – even at the age of 48 – is more than capable of springing a surprise. In celebration of that fact, here are five things you may not know about the inimitable and indomitable Ms. Gray.

Nearly a non-starter

1. Macy’s career almost failed to take off before it had even begun. As a songwriter who didn’t like her own voice, she was a reluctant performer. It was only with the sensational take off of her debut album On How Life Is, and in particular, the single I Try that she was set on a career as a solo artist. An early vocal contribution on the Black Eyed Peas debut album Love Won’t Wait was more in keeping with the naturally reclusive side to her personality.

Blackjack is a not-so secret-passion

2. Macy Gray is a serious card player. She’s admitted to loving the buzz she gets from playing blackjack and poker. Like the rest of us, Macy has honed her skills playing blackjack online. And just as with her music, the former song-writing student recognizes that there is no substitute for working at your game, refining your skills and making sure you have done everything you can to keep your fortune in your own hand. Local sites are the perfect environment to do just that. Some sites have the great merit of being able to play with live dealers for a fully authentic education.

Macy has been happy to admit to winning as much as $28,000 at a single sitting and likewise has made no secret of the fact that whenever she’s in Las Vegas a trip to the strip is always on the agenda. She has appeared on the celebrity poker tournament Celebrity Poker Showdown where she finished third, playing on behalf of the charity Habitat for Humanity.

Bipolar diagnosis

3. if you ever wondered at just what it is that has made Macy Gray such a contradictory character the fact that she has been diagnosed with a bipolar condition may answer some of your questions. As she has frequently admitted in interview, the intensely personal quality of many of her lyrics – and album titles such as On How Life Is and The Id and the Trouble with Being Myself – take on a whole different meaning when you start to appreciate that they reflect a personality that is pulled in wildly contrasting directions. Her much-publicized troubles in terms of coming to terms with her new found wealth and fame once her career catapulted her into the public real in 1999 have their roots in this – once again – intimately personal circumstance.

Musical Foundation

4. No one could ever accuse Macy Gray of not putting her money where her mouth is. A powerful political voice and advocate for the arts, Gray has established her own musical college and foundation. The M. Gray Music Academy is located in North Hollywood, California, and is specifically resourced to assist with underprivileged kids. That’s not bad for someone who was thrown out of school herself. Macy also founded a charity, One by One, to help families affected by the devastation caused in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. She regularly appears at charitable concerts all around the world and is a powerful advocate for causes such as Elton John’s Aids Foundation and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders.

5. Macy Gray is not her ‘real’ name. Natalie Renee McIntyre was the name her parents gave her. The story is that Macy Gray is a name she saw on a street sign as she picked herself out of the gutter following a childhood fall. If the story is true, it represents the perfect summing up of an amazing artist’s career and the occasionally all-too-public fulfillment of a troubled little girl who grew up to become a quite remarkable woman.

Marcell Dareus & Mario Williams Not Happy with Rex Ryan’s Defensive Play Calling

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marcus dareus mario williams not happy with rex ryan 2015 nfl imagesIf you watched the Buffalo Bills take on the Cincinnati Bengals this past weekend, you might have noticed something a bit peculiar—331 pound defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and 292-pounder Mario Williams dropping back into coverage. Most of us just scratched our heads at the sight, but if you’re a Bills fan, your reaction was probably a bit more explicit, and rightfully so.

Williams sounded off about the odd play calls coming from head coach Rex Ryan after the game.

“I think I probably set a record on dropping [back] today,” said Williams. “But that’s part of the scheme for us to go out and be put in a position to win. Whatever’s called, you have to go out and do it.”

Only one problem: the Bills lost 34-21 to the Bengals. So clearly the scheme isn’t putting them in much of a winning position. Dareus resounded Williams comments Tuesday looking back on the loss.

“Hey, like [Mario] said, they pay us a lot of money,” said Dareus, backing up his teammate. “And we want to use our talents the best way we know how. If we’re going to be dropping, we don’t want to get questions about not getting sacks. That’s just how it is.”

They have a point, Rex. Williams signed a $96 million contract back in 2012, and Dareus signed this offseason for $96.5 million. Throw in the $45 million that the Bills gave Jerry Hughes this offseason, and you have a quarter-billion-dollar line which has only managed nine sacks through the first five games of the season.

That’s a lot of money to drop back. 300-pound linemen aren’t exactly known for their Darrelle Revis-esque coverage, so it would probably be better to keep them chasing quarterbacks instead of wide receivers.

“It’s not been a lot of times where there have been all four of us, full tilt, ears pinned back, and we’re going after it,” continued Dareus. “We haven’t had a lot of that this year.”

“Hopefully Rex is going to implement it. There’s nothing we can do.”

Maybe another loss will knock some sense into him. Even Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly called out the coach for his odd formations.

“Dropping Mario Williams into coverage a lot?” said Kelly. “Didn’t we pay him a lot of money to hit the quarterback? And if I’m the opposing quarterback, and I see him dropping into coverage, oh, that’s a big plus. I’d definitely have a smile on my face.”

Stop making opposing QBs smile, Rex.

UPDATE: Lamar Odom: Madison Montag & Love Ranch Dennis Hof’s Changing Story

lamar odom madison montag and dennis hof 2015 gossip

UPDATE:

10/21/2015

2:30 PM ET: It appears that Dennis Hof has done quite a series of interviews covering many aspects of Lamar Odom being found unconscious at his Love Ranch. We’re hearing that some of these are raising eyebrows with law enforcement as his stories are changing somewhat. After we broke the story that Madison Montag was one of the girls who found Lamar, it was picked up and Hof had stated in interviews that the former basketball star had been ‘chatting’ online with Nevada’s first legally licensed transsexual courtesan the week preceding his visit to the brothel. Hof stated in a Sirius XM interview that Odom had intended to meet her and spend some time together.

Hof originally told People Magazine that it was Ryder Cherry and Madison that had found Lamar, but then he changed his story ever so slightly with another media outlet to say that he wound up with Ryder Cherry and Monica Monroe. Our sources say different and that it was Montag he was also with which was also confirmed when we called the Love Ranch early last Wednesday morning. Our source, who understandably wishes to remain anonymous, said that the stories have changed so that it wouldn’t get out Lamar was with Montag too. “Things have gotten out of control there, and that’s why girls are leaving and not coming back,” they said. “The more Hof talks, the worst things keep getting.”

As we predicted, Khloe sent her lawyer to dismiss their divorce case so this whole storyline is right out of the Kardashian playbook for the upcoming season. At least friends of the family won’t have to put out money for another wedding since the court’s backlog kept them from officially divorcing the couple.

Don’t be shocked if the two wind up having a renewal of their vows though as a great ratings draw. Naturally, they’ll say that since they’ve been given a second chance in their relationship, this is only natural; plus that will give E! another wedding special, and the two will have another bonanza of wedding renewal gifts to sort through. Yes, it sounds cynical, but even the most diehard of Kardashian fans know that this is exactly how it will all play out.

END OF UPDATES

What is with all the change ups? That’s my burning question right now in the Lamar Odom situation. The answers to that question solely lie on the owner of the Love Ranch, Denise Hof, whose reputation is working against him and calls into examination the motives behind his behavior.

From the cryptic (and not so cryptic) social media messages by Madison Montag, the missing brothel workers and the name changes of the girls who found Lamar Odom exactly a week ago, something is rotten in Denmark. Or in this case, Nevada… But you knew that already.

How can anyone really believe the stories that are being told? In particular, the original reports of whom found Lamar and called 911. What is being told now conflicts with what was told initially and the source of the confusion is Hof himself. But what more can you expect from a man who is offering patrons of his Love Ranch the opportunity to view the room in which Lamar was found- for $500 a pop?

This has been one whirlwind of a week with Odom going down, looking like he’s not going to make it, making it, being discharged, flown to Los Angeles and as of this reporting, walking. But what really happened, damn it? The more the stories change, the more I want to know.

I am not even going to touch on Lamar’s “recovery” which seems a little too good to be true. Don’t get me wrong I am glad and happy and was pulling for him hard; it’s just… a miracle. We’ve even contacted three doctors who specialize in this field, and they were all unanimous in their surprise at his reported speedy turnaround.

What I do want to bring into focus is the way in which the girls involved have been supposedly treated, per their social media platforms, interviews, and even their own accounts and why the names of the two women first reported having found Odom have changed. The reason that what has happened to these girls since the course of events started to unfold is important because it gives a closer look into what Hof may be hiding. Because honestly, it seems that he is trying to cover things up (now more than ever) and or pass the blame off to someone else, namely one of the three women who have been mentioned in connection with finding Lamar.

Right after Lamar was found and taken to the hospital, Hof was talking eagerly to the press, and when Khloe Kardashian’s press person asked him to step aside, he was very quick to say that “He knew what happened.” Now it looks like he’s run to TMZ (he knows the Sheriff’s Department there will be paying attention to that site too) as some form of PR damage control. After the past 48-hours, it looks like there’s definitely some damage that’s been done.

This is what we know: Madison Montag was one of the women that Hof initially said found Lamar in one of his first interviews with People Magazine, along with Cherry Rider. However, media outlets are now reporting Monica Monroe and Cherry Rider as the two in the room after we published our story on this. Right now if you Google, “Who found Lamar Odom,” as of this writing, stories pop up quoting Monroe saying “I didn’t do anything wrong… I saved his life.” Interestingly, People hasn’t found a need to correct their article, and it’s not looking like they’ll have to.

Our team here at Movie TV Tech Geeks spoke with the Love Ranch very early Wednesday morning, and everything in People regarding the names was confirmed. We were also informed that there was only one Madison who worked there. Some might say maybe Hof got confused when he was talking with People, but this is a guy who’s had a very consistent story to the media, until today, when it appears he’s tossing some of his girls under the bus. It certainly leaves one wondering what exactly happened and was there some form of foul play going on? Several sources who wish to reamin anonymous have been saying that Hof has let it slip that Lamar was enroute to see Montag and had been communicating with her via social media the week before. It’s curious as there were also rumors that the staff at the Love Ranch was required to fill out a nondisclosure agreement, but if Hof’s talking so openly, we can assume he didn’t have to sign it.

There are some very shady things going on behind the scenes here, and while everyone wants to point at Lamar being on the Ranch doing drugs and sexing, I want to point out the suspicious behavior of Hof, after the fact. He has now, according to numerous reports, not only bailed on paying the two women the $37,500 they were supposed to receive for being with Lamar 24/7.  Hof is now casting suspicion on them, namely Madison, as the person who possibly supplied Odom with illegal drugs.

Madison, of course, has sought to distance herself from the situation as much as possible saying via social media:

2015-10-20_14-35-03 madison montag leaves love ranch twitter

“I quit working for @DennisHof and am not affiliated with him or any of his brothels…I’m glad brothel life is over, I was miserable every day I was there. On to the next chapter of my life.”

She was only at the brothel for a two weeks, and no doubt, the attention she has gotten from this situation has been overwhelming.

“Sorry for my absence. Things have been stressful lately. Just wanted to let everyone know I’m safe and hope everyone is doing well.”

Despite all of this, she has never once denied being one of the women who found Lamar, and she has had one Instagram follower leave her a few messages stating: “Killer…U drugged him”

madison montag instagram lamar odom killaMontag tweets how miserable life was at the Love Ranch, but just a few hours before Lamar was found she was happily tweeting out “Let’s party!” These tweets have been deleted, but the screenshots are below.

madison montage 243 tweetIt seems odd that Hof changed the name for other media outlets following People, but it may have been just trying to cover for Lamar if he did choose Montag. She made news earlier this month for being the first transsexual licensed legal courtesan in Nevada. After Kylie Jenner’s, boyfriend, Tyga got hit with allegations of cheating on her with a transgender mistress (Mia Isabella), the Kardashians certainly don’t want another tuss up in the media like this for Lamar. It’s a little odder since Montag has a rather striking resemblance to Kim Kardashian.

kim kardashian with madison montagHis not wanting to pay them what they are due of the $75,000 is janky (messed up, fowl, hot mess) but to say that they are the reason this all happened is reaching. In fact, it is deflecting. What is he trying to hide?

He claims that his business has tripled, but after the Daily Mail released images of Lamar sleeping before he was found unconscious, I’m sure many customers are working up a cold sweat wondering if their image is somewhere deep in Hof’s office ready to surface when the right amount is offered. Losing your most popular girls, plus this fact alone, looks like it could really hurt his bottom line.

Something is definitely amiss in all of this and getting to the bottom of it has a lot of twists and turns. In my twenty plus years on this earth, the only time you send people on a wild goose chase is when you don’t want anyone to find out the truth.

The last odd thing is if you’ve got a few working girls who’ve hightailed it out of your establishment and you’re casting dispersions on them, why would you still keep them listed on your business website as ‘Featured Lovers?’

To read all the articles on Lamar Odom, just click over here.

Additional reporting by: Curt Johnson

‘The Voice’ 910 Knockout Rounds Next

the voice 910 knockouts next emily ann roberts 2015It was the last round (part 4) of the battles on NBC’s The Voice. Judges Gwen Stefani, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams paired up their remaining team members to go against one another in hopes of earning a spot in the knockout rounds. Only the winners get to move on – however, Pharrell still has his save, which means he can steal one singer from another judge’s team who would otherwise be going home.

In addition, there was also a glimpse of next week’s episodes, which feature Rihanna as the key advisor – a role that was previously held by artists such as Taylor Swift and Nate Ruess. In one-on-one interviews, each of the judges comments on Rihanna’s ability to give open, honest feedback, while Rihanna is shown calling Blind Joe “sexy.” She will definitely be bringing her own take to the advisor role.

But until then…here is the recap of this season’s final battles:

  1. Team Adam

Shelby Brown vs. Amanda Ayala

“Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks

Adam paired up his two resident 17-year-old girls, Shelby and Amanda. Amanda identifies as a rock singer while Shelby is one of the few country artists that Blake wasn’t able to get his hands on.

During rehearsals, Shelby was overthinking the performance, as Amanda’s previous experience in a band intimidated her. However, Adam and his advisor John Fogerty assure her that she has her own unique talents and just as much of a chance to win the battle as long as she can immerse herself into the song.

Both girls give powerful vocals during the battle and definitely do the hit song justice. While Amanda further showed her rock vocals, Shelby also established her ability to sing a rock song and seemingly left her country twang behind.

Blake tries to help Adam choose between the two girls, but is amazed by the two singers who are “just 17,” although he seemed to prefer Amanda’s rasp, even if he didn’t admit it.

In the end, Adam chooses to keep Shelby, as she was able to “sass up” her performance. He tells Amanda that they were evenly matched, but unfortunately Shelby was the one to rise to the occasion. Personally, I think he may have kept Shelby (the country artist) just to spite Blake.

  1. Team Pharrell

Amy Vachal vs. Jubal and Amanda (duo)

“To Love Somebody” by The Beegees

Pharrell paired up 26-year-old Amy against duo Jubal, 44, and Amanda, 36. Amy is a soft-spoken singer from New York while Jubal and Amanda are a folk-country duo. You may remember them, as they were the couple that got engaged while on stage during the blind auditions.

Pharrell explains he paired the singers together as they both have folk elements to their voices. His advisor Missy Elliot comments that Jubal and Amanda’s obvious connection is alluring. Pharrell advises Jubal and Amanda to sing together, as it is much more magical than when they are singing separately.

While Amy may have been up against two musicians, she was the one to stick out in the performance. Unfortunately, Amanda and Jubal’s belting and attempted harmonies fell flat and didn’t produce any special moments as Pharrell had hoped.

Amy ends up winning a place in the knockout rounds, and the newlyweds are sent packing.

  1. Team Blake

Emily Ann Roberts vs. Morgan Frazier

“I’m That Kind of Girl” by Patty Loveless

The last battle round for Season 9 was between two Tennessee natives, Emily, 16, and Morgan, 22. Both country artists had impressive auditions, but it was Emily who really stuck out in my mind (she sang “I Hope You Dance”).

Blake asks the girls if they like Patty Loveless and right away they both reply, “oh yeah.” Clearly, their assigned song is right in their wheelhouse (classic country). During the rehearsals, Blake advises Morgan to be weary of the desperation that sometimes comes out in her vocals, especially when she is trying to accurately hit the high notes. Meanwhile, he tells Emily to add a bit more spunk into her performance so that Emily doesn’t drown her out.

Both girls bring some attitude to the song. Morgan’s voice sounded much more mature in comparison to Emily. However, Emily is able to belt out incredibly high notes. So it was definitely a close battle.

In the end, Blake chooses to keep young Emily Ann Roberts. Fortunately, Pharrell still had one save and steals Morgan (getting himself his first country artist).

And that’s it for season 9’s battle rounds…

You can see Rihanna take on the role of key advisor during next week’s knockout rounds. Starting Monday, October 26 on NBC.

Office 2016 Changes: Should You Notice or Even Care?

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office 2016 changes should you notice 2015 tech imagesMicrosoft Office remains the world standard of office suites. Its file formats are now the de facto standard for businesses that even competing office suites need to support them. People who opt for open source still need to set their formats to Microsoft’s in order to do business with the rest of the world. But since competing office suites don’t support them one hundred percent, businesses are forced to have at least one license in order to support the occasional email attachment from everyone else especially those macro-enabled spreadsheets. Microsoft Office is also one of Microsoft’s top cash cows which it needs to constantly improve and tweak in order to keep up with the constant changes in technology and workflow. Microsoft has just released its latest version last September, Office 2016, adding more and more features, foremost of which is improved collaboration. But has MS Office 2016 changed enough for you to notice or care?

Microsoft Office components (graphical versions) have been around as early as 1984 (Word 1.0), 1985 (Excel 1.0) and 1987 (PowerPoint 1.0) and were available only to Apple’s Macintosh computers. The suite itself was marketed as a package in 1989. MS Word was also available for DOS but was poorly received. Excel was initially available for Macintosh users and later overtook Lotus 123 when Lotus failed to port 123 to Windows. When Windows 3.1 and 3.11 took off, MS Office went along for the ride. The interface was elegant and intuitive, and the rest was history. MS Office is now at version 16 better known as MS Office 2016. The version number can be seen when using Windows Explorer to drill down the MS Office folder in Program Files. Office has since changed a lot by adding tons of features and interface changes, good and bad, since its days on the Macintosh.

Should you take notice or care for these changes? Yes, you should because often, Microsoft makes radical changes to this productivity suite in order to keep up with changing times, and many changes may not be to everyone’s liking or even go unnoticed as users don’t often go beyond using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook. One major change Microsoft did was to change the interface, beginning with Office 2007, from using standard icon toolbars and menus to what it calls its ribbon interface which graphically categorizes and groups its functions into a rather large tabbed ‘ribbon’ on top of the screen. This did not sit well for veteran users as they had to re-learn where all their favorite functions were located. This prompted many users to shift to Open Source programs like OpenOffice or LibreOffice, which promoted the familiar Office 2003 interface or to grudgingly accept changes and move on as MS Office remains an unseated standard in the enterprise.

Over time, as a productivity suite, MS Office included several tools and programs apart from the big four, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Home and Student editions today drops Access altogether so if Access or other programs is an important part of a business, it’s important to know which edition you’re purchasing. Below are some major changes to the office suite. Some of which were either loved, despised or sadly useful but unnoticed.

Office Assistant – as MS Office became more feature packed, Microsoft introduced Clippy, an animated paperclip to walk users through tasks they wanted to get done. It was a wizard-based interface where users can enter questions in natural English but actually takes account important keywords. It was present beginning Office 97 up to Office 2003.

Microsoft FrontPage – as the internet took off in the 90s, Microsoft needed to sell its own WYSIWYG website editor and decided to include it in MS Office to further sell the product. FrontPage was included from Office 97 to Office 2003. This was replaced by Microsoft Sharepoint Designer.

Microsoft Infopath – is a useful tool for creating, filing and submitting electronic forms which promoted a more paperless office environment. Progressive offices embraced the idea as it simplified administrative workflow, but it didn’t prove to be popular enough as it was excluded in Office 2016 but will remain supported until the year 2023.

Microsoft Photo Editor – was a useful addition to the Office suite as it was a simple but handy image editor apart from MS Paint. It has since been replaced by the not as useful Microsoft PhotoDraw which was removed as well.

Microsoft Outlook – is a welcome addition to the Office suite which made its debut beginning Office 97 and remains a useful email client until today. It replaced and integrated functions of Microsoft Mail and Microsoft Schedule Plus of previous Office versions.

Ribbon Interface – or Fluent User Interface is a new interface paradigm which is supposed to group and simplify many functions of MS Office and is carried over to other built-in Windows applications such as Explorer, Paint and Wordpad. This change was not well received as it shifted and hid many Office functions and took up more screen space than necessary though the opposite can be said for power users who needed many of Office toolbars to be visible.

Microsoft Visio – formerly a non-Microsoft standalone product, is a very useful diagram and flowcharting tool. Though not bundled with Office, it is branded as a Microsoft Office Product.

Microsoft Publisher – is a simple desktop publishing program for creating flyers, brochures and similar material. It was included in Office beginning Office 97 and remains a part of many Office editions.

XML format – beginning with MS Office 2007, Microsoft adopted the Open Office XML formats. This new format changes common extensions such as DOC to DOCX and XLS to XLSX and allows versions from Office 2007 onwards to work with files without any version issues.

Microsoft OneNote – is a very useful note-taking program where users can enter text, paste images and insert tables anywhere on a page just like a notepad. Initially as a standalone program, it is offered as a core component beginning Office 2013.

MDI to SDI in Excel – this is a very unwelcome change for many Excel power users especially accountants who deal with several open spreadsheets at the same time. This change which started with Office 2013 results in workbooks being open in a separate instance of Excel instead of just one resulting in each open workbook having a ribbon and menu of its own. Though the ribbons can be collapsed, users unaware of this capability are forced to budget their screen space or purchase separate monitors to work more effectively with multiple open spreadsheets.

New in Office 2016 – includes the ability for multiple users to edit a single document at the same time through OneDrive or RealTime Presence, Improved grammar checking, more touch-friendly interface changes, snap functions, smart scrolling and new business intelligence functions in Excel, intelligent recent file attachment in Outlook, the new Clutter folder also in Outlook and the unfortunate exclusion of InfoPath from the suite.

These are just some of the major changes in Office’s long history. There are plenty more changes, tweaks and variances in its many editions. Some of which are useful while others are debilitating, nonetheless, Microsoft Office remains an important application for businesses worldwide and is a significant revenue earner for Microsoft. Should you notice or care? Very much so. For example, components come and go, and some of those components are very useful but unpopular and would remain as part of the suite if usage was promoted. Also, the additional tools and components provide more efficiency at work if used properly. Office users need to emphasize to Microsoft the importance of some tools, features, components and interface elements to prevent them from removing useful ones and improving those that need improvement and to address those with issues. Microsoft should also provide users with more education, tips and tidbits in order for these features to be useful and to bring obscure elements into the forefront by showing tips everywhere from Windows boot-up, intro screens of other apps and occasional pop-ups at the Microsoft and Office website.

NFL Indepth Week 6 Recap & Fantasy Football Carnage

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Falcons 21  Saints 31

Full Recap Link.

Giants 7  Eagles 27

Like fumbles? Enjoy interceptions? Then this week’s Monday Night Football episode was just right for you. I knew this game may suck going in with both teams being inconsistent this year. I was right.

Seven turnovers is not exactly a thing of beauty in the world of football.

The Eagles seem to be turning the corner with their offense although NY is not an impressive defensive unit. DeMarco Murray did gain over 100 yards as the O-line showed improvement.

Eli helped Philly get on a roll by tossing a pick six to Nolan Carroll, and it was downhill from there.

Eye-popping stat: Odell Beckham’s mediocre 61 yards receiving.

Fantasy Carnage: The Eagles defense racked 20 points in standard leagues.

Panthers 27  Seahawks 23

Cam Newton turned in his best performance ever as he brought Carolina back from the dead to get the win over Seattle. The Superman impersonator leads back to back 80-yard drives in the fourth quarter against the vaunted defense of the Northwest.

Newton’s heroics had the Legion of Boom bickering on the field after the last score. Greg Olsen was the better tight end on the day even though Jimmy Graham was finally effective for Seattle. Olsen grabbed the winning touchdown while Graham had 140 yards on eight catches, but no scores.

Seattle is making a habit of losing leads late. Their last five losses all involved losing a lead in the fourth.

Eye-popping stat: Cam’s two picks, but kid somehow finds ways to win.

Fantasy Carnage: Take your pick of Panthers. Cam, Olsen, or Jonathan Stewart.

Broncos 26  Browns 23

Peyton Manning led his team to victory with three interceptions! That is the weekly narrative in 2015. Manning and his offense are being outscored by the Denver defense and special teams, hence the 6-0 record.

Denver got the win over a game Cleveland team in overtime with a field goal from Brandon McManus.

Josh McCown came back to earth from last week’s huge passing day as he threw two interceptions along with his two TD passes. The duck he hung up like a punt in the fourth quarter was inexcusable and easy pickings for the Broncos defense.

DemaryiusThomas had two ugly drops late in the game that did not help his struggling quarterback.

Denver is undefeated but will not stand up to a good playoff team in the dead of winter.

Eye-popping stat: McCown, two INTs and a fumble.

Fantasy Carnage: Denver’s defense is a solid fantasy option every week.

Bengals 34  Bills 21

The Buffalo Bills somehow managed to stir up a QB controversy before this game as Tyrod Taylor sat injured. Concerns about Taylor’s height arouse in pregame reports that may have been fueled by Sammy Watkins’ complaints earlier in the week.

On the field, there was no drama, just an ass kicking by Cincinnati. Andy Dalton had too many weapons and carved up the overrated Bills defense with three TDs and 243 yards passing. Marvin Jones was the go-to guy in this game with 95 yards receiving, and the rushing game totaled 112 yards.

The Bengals are now 6-0.

Watkins can’t stay on the field and left this one on crutches. That may have more to do with his production than any Bills quarterback problem.

Eye-popping stat: Shady McCoy was back with 90 yards on the ground when it looked like he was a wash for 2015 with his hamstring holding him back.

Fantasy Carnage: Dalton. Steady fantasy man.

Packers 27   Chargers 20

Philip Rivers had 503 yards passing, so that tells me right away his team lost. He had no choice but chuck it all over the field after getting behind Green Bay. Keenan Allen had a monster game before leaving the game after the third quarter, ending up with 14 catches.

Green Bay is still winning, but injuries to the receiving corp are catching up to them. Eddie Lacy does not look 100%, but lucky for Pack fans James Starks is always ready with a big game.

Eye-popping stat: Starks nearly doubled San Diego’s team rushing total.

Fantasy Carnage: Keenan Allen handcuffed to Rivers in daily fantasy play.

Steelers 25  Cardinals 13

All of a sudden Arizona is not so hot. Pittsburgh got the win over Carson Palmer and company without a real starting quarterback.

Mike Vick went out of the game with an injury and may not return to the starting role. He has not been trusted to open up the Steelers offense and when Landry Jones came in it was a different game. He threw two TD passes where Vick managed just one yard passing the entire first half!

Palmer had a nice game until a late interception. He had little help from his run game and needed the 400-yard passing day just to stay close.

Le’Veon Bell had a down game as the Card defense just piled up in the box daring Vick to throw it.

Eye-popping stat: Vick’s avg. per throw in the game .8 yards.

Fantasy Carnage: GPP winners likely had Martavis Bryant on their roster. He and Landry Jones must be roommates or something. Vick doesn’t even know the wideout’s name I’m guessing.

Vikings 16  Chiefs 10

Yes, I’m required to recap this yawner. The Chiefs have no offense without Jamaal Charles, and Minnesota didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard.

Why does KC not target Kelce 15 times a game? There are no other options. Maybe they should just run the Notre Dame box with Alex Smith running it 42 times a game.

Teddy Bridgewater was average again, doing enough to beat a team with zero weapons.

Eye popping stat: 16-10 final score. ZZZZ…..

Fantasy Carnage: Stefon Diggs was a dark horse for GPP play.

Jets 34  Redskins 20

Ryan Fitzpatrick ran for one score then tossed two more to get his Jets over the top of Washington.

The Skins were missing six starters, so it’s no surprise how this one turned out. Cousins was not missing, and there is no other option even though he is not playing great. Tally two more INTs for him in this one.

Revis picked Cousins and the DB now has six takeaways in 2015. The Jets defense is in the top three in the League and helped the team overcome three offensive turnovers in the first half alone.

Chris Ivory is a top five back at this time and rolled to 196 total yards against the Redskins.

Eye-popping stat: 221 rushing yards for the Jets.

Fantasy Carnage: Ivory. Glad to have him in my ESPN league.

Lions 37 Bears 34

How could a game between two awful teams be so good? Lots of scoring is entertaining so this one was a fun watch. The Lions ended up winning on a very late FG with just three minutes left in overtime.

Matt Stafford had over 400 yards and Calvin Johnson benefited with 166 of those yards receiving. .

The Bears stayed in the game with always reliable Matt Forte, and they also had Alshon Jeffery back in action. The wideout had 147 yards and a score in the loss.

The lowlight of the game was another rendition of “WTF constitutes a catch in the NFL.” Golden Tate looked to bobble the ball in the end zone, and a Lion defender snatched it out of the air for the INT. However, the ruling was reversed, and Tate credited with a TD catch.

Eye-popping stat: 4 TDs,  1 pick for Stafford. Bad Bears defense gets the credit here.

Fantasy Carnage: Stafford.

Ravens 20     49ers  25

How bad do you have to be to lose to San Francisco? Worse than Michigan’s punter I guess. The Ravens used to have several good receivers. Now, Joe Flacco is a multi-millionaire, and all those receivers are gone, a couple to the Niners side.

Steve Smith is the best receiver Baltimore has, and his back is broken. Still ballin, he had seven catches and a TD. Damn!

This game saw more turf issues at Levi Stadium and, unfortunately, this place will host the Super Bowl this year.

Kaepernick had a decent game with two TD throws, and he didn’t do anything reckless.

Eye-popping stat: Kaepernick’s QB rating of 128.

Fantasy Carnage: Steve Smith is up and down in fantasy play. This week was an up one.

Texans  31   Jaguars  20

The Jags have a nice young offense with a talented quarterback and two very good receivers in Hurns and Robinson. They just are a year away from knowing how to win.

Houston should just send Ryan Mallett packing for the CFL. Hoyer is playing the position like a pro. It may not last, but he is ten times better than Mallett. Hoyer had three touchdown passes and got help from a healthy looking Arian Foster. DeAndre Hopkins is straight killing defenses and had ten more catches in this game to add to his blistering pace this season.

Bortles was Jacksonville’s leading rusher, and that sums up the reason for JAX ‘s loss if no other stats were available.

Eye-popping stat: Hopkins 15 targets again this week.

Fantasy Carnage: Hopkins.

Dolphins 38   Titans 10

Talk about a turnaround on the Miami defense. Firing their coach did wonders for this team. Either that or they got their best defender back from injury as Cameron Wake recorded four sacks by himself.

Lamar Miller decided to put forth an effort and gained over 100 yards on the ground as well. Tennessee never got going, and Mariota was hobbled by a dirty looking hit from a Dolphin pass rusher.

Look for Miami to keep some “interim momentum” in the short term. I’m not sure that will result in more than four wins the rest of the year, however.

The Titans fall to 1-4 and Mariota was pulled from the game after being battered much of the contest that was out of hand.

Eye-popping stat: Tannehill’s two picks on an otherwise decent game.

Fantasy Carnage: Dolphins defense.

Patriots 34   Colts 27

This game could have ended up 300 – 7 according to Jim Rome. Pretty funny but the revenge factor was overplayed this week. It was just another game for Tom Brady. He wants to win every single time he takes the field. This was not much different.

The Colts hung with New England much of the game but eventually fell behind as Brady threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.

Andrew Luck was back for this game and back to himself as he stayed away from turnovers but couldn’t get his team past the bullies of the northeast.

By now you have seen the idiotic trick play attempted by the Colts. I have no idea what they were thinking. Sure it was a bad design, but worse execution. I would have faked insanity had I been the center on that play before I ever snapped the ball.

Eye-popping stat: Colts outrushing New England was shocking.

Fantasy Carnage: Blount and Luck were solid fantasy point providers.

‘Being Mary Jane’ 302: Recovery Recap

being mary jane 302 recovery recap 2015 gabriel union imagesIt’s a double serving with the season 2 premiere of “Being Mary Jane,” MJ is faced with a lot after her accident. From the woman she hit visiting her at home to her job being in jeopardy, she is not having the best of times.

Loretta Divine plays Cecelia, the woman hit by Mary Jane. She visits her to pretty much let MJ know that she needs to pay up or else. “How much do you want,” MJ asks her. “$25,000.” Damn Cecelia. MJ tells her to go use her Obama Care to get her head fixed. But Cece is not a stupid woman. She tells her that the non-disclosure she signed only covers SNC, not Mary Jane. “White folks is something else ain’t they?” MJ stands there listening to Cece tell her that she is her blessing and tells her she’s lost her ever loving mind. Cecelia then gives a speech fit for a G. MJ has to pay up, or everyone will find out she was driving under the influence.

After dealing with her blackmailer, MJ finds out that SNC wants to hold out on bringing her back a little longer to which she says, “Hell no.” She also finds out that the name of her segment has been changed to just Primetime and not Primetime with Mary Jane, another sign that something is up. She asks about her responsibility in the accident, and they say she’s covered by the non-disclosure, which we all know is not true.

MJ realizes that she has to give Cece something to keep her quiet, so she reaches out to friend for  $5000. She also finds out from Kara that SNC want someone that looks like her because Todd did not working out. While they converse, we see a pretty Latina brought in as her new, replace instead. There’s a twist. Kara brings a whole bunch of food to MJ’s, and the reporter has a mini breakdown. “I lost my best friend, I lost my man, I cannot lose my job.” Kara calms her down, and MJ comes up with the idea to get aN ugly black woman… “An amazing opportunity for the facially challenge to get some air time.” This chick is cray, cray. Like Kara tells her, the idea is super offensive, ignorant and stupid.

Patrick deals with his baby momma causing a scene during Deja’s game. She can’t deal with the fact that he’s getting all the shine as her basketball coach and lets him know how she feels- during the game. She reminds him that she went down on other men to get the money they need for their addiction. “You’re still an addict.”

Kara goes back to MJ’s to let her know that her “ugly black woman anchor replacement” idea didn’t go over well. She then drops the ball on her about the pretty little Latina, Marisol, to fill in for her.  As they talk about what Kara would do to the cutie if she had a “lickher” license, Cecelia stops by to collect her money, honey. But MJ doesn’t have it and offers her $5000. “That’s not my blessing,” Cece tells her, and MJ tells her that’s the best she can do since she has to take care of her whole family. Cece doesn’t care and tells her to pay her $5000 every two weeks, “Until I reach my blessing. “

So what happens as MJ waits for her guy to bring the $5000, she and Cecelia “bond” over their interests in black history. Their conversation turns into a “Lazy negros” discussion, and MJ tells her that, yes, she is a “Lazy ass negro.” As they talk, Marisol comes on the TV and MJ is all ears. Cece calls her out feeling salty about her hot replacement who is very “fetching.”

Patrick confesses to his parents and Nicey that he is ready to take that step and change his life. It seems that his baby momma’s comments really got to him.  He tells his parents he wants their help and asks if his dad can get him a job. Paul and Helen hug him, and his dad holds back tears. When they leave out, Niecy confronts him, “Why didn’t you ever fight for me and Nyema like that?” She doesn’t like how he is working to be the perfect dad for Deja. “We could have used a perfect father too.”

In the end, we see Mary Jane practice her opening in the mirror, “Welcome, I’m Mary Jane, and this is Primetime.”

She gets herself together, walks into her job and takes over the meeting like a “boss ass bitch.

‘Being Mary Jane’ 301: Hospital Rush Recap

being mary jane 301 hospital rush 2015 imagesPicking up right where it left off last season, “Being Mary Jane” hit the ground running. MJ is rushed to the hospital after her accident and is beat up… badly. While getting a CT scan, she starts screaming and pancaking. The attending nurse gets her to calm down so that they can get the scan, and she does.

As they bring her out of the scan, she is rolled into her room, and she passes the woman she hit on a stretcher in the hallway. She doesn’t have insurance. David is also there as he tries to console her, and she goes off on him, “Get away from me.” He then explains to her parents, in the middle of the hallway, that he has been fooling around with Lisa. Her father asks for specifics, and David tells him “Out of respect for MJ I” and bam. Her daddy gives him a Louisville slugger to the jaw.

When MJ gets to her room, she sees that Kara covered the mirrors. “Tell me, tell me how bad it is.” Kara tells her to wait for the doctor to tell her. Later as Kara walks out to the room to take a phone call, MJ makes her way to the mirror, tears away the covers and stares at her face.

We see her have plastic surgery on her face. At the same time, we see the people at her job hoping that her alcohol level was high enough to warrant firing her.

While MJ is in surgery, Lisa has a conversation with Helen about what was going on with her and David. “So let me be clear, you needed permission from David to be honest with Mary Jane?” Lisa gives some lame answer and then Helen asks her the ultimate question, “Did you sleep with David?” She remains silent. Momma, don’t like that, so she lets her have it. It’s a very intense scene as Ms. Helen gives a speech that puts her in her place. “Say something,” she says as she pounds her hand on the table.  Lisa doesn’t say a word, and Helen leaves her in tears.

After MJ’s surgery, she pays a visit to the woman she hit, Cecelia. “I am so sorry.” She tells MJ it’s okay, she’s already given her apologies. “Don’t’ worry about me, how you doing.” Mary Jane tells her that she’s just worried about her face. They talk a little more than she leaves Cece to rest. She makes it back to her room, and Kara tells her “You had alcohol in your system. You need to call your lawyer.”

Her momma helps rolls her to the car as she is cleared to leave the hospital, and they are ambushed by reporters. On her way out, she gives an envelope to a nurse and asks him to “Give it to Cecelia.” She opens it, and we see that it is a check for $3000 with the memo, “I’m sorry.”

Once at her house, she meets with her lawyer who tells her that SNC are trying to say she had alcohol in her system. “They are trying to get rid of me.” He tells her it’s cool, stay calm, he’s going to handle it. Later, her momma talks to her about what happened. “I hate to see you like this… I’m talking about David.” Helen tells her to accept the fact that she loved a man that never loved her or really wanted her and “move on.”

Cece meets with SNC as they seek to have her sign “hush” paperwork, and she is not having it. She wants them to pay her $90,000, and they say “no.” She tells them that like MJ, they don’t like her but since Mary Jane is good for business, they deal with her shit. “You are going to tolerate me so you can stay in business.” She breaks it down, and they are impressed. She is talked into signing the paperwork thinking that she will get  $100,000 but as it sounds too good to be true, it is.

PJ visits her because “I had to see it for myself.” She tells him what she wants him to know about what happened with David, and he tells her that she shouldn’t be there alone. He then breaks down for her, the truth about men who are “pretty in the right shade of light.” Silverspoon men will always make you feel like it is a privilege to be with them, but they are really just “bitch made men.” PJ lets her know the deal, and their conversation is the most real one I have ever seen on a TV show between a man and woman about each other. Ultimately, MJ “Fell in love with a buster” and she “deserves more than I love you.” Sigh… little brothers are great.

Patrick shows up at MJ’s door pounding like he’s the police. He has brought bring Lisa, who wants to speak to MJ.

“You want to do this Lisa; you want to do this right now?” MJ then apologizes to her for being a lame ass bitch. “I am sorry that my life is an insult to yours; I am sorry that you are never invited to the parties…” She gets real ugly with her. After MJ says what she has to say, Lisa tells her, “I love you” and Mary Jane simply says, “Okay.”

What a way to start the season.

‘Big Bang Theory’ 905: Touché Recap

big bang theory 905 touche recap images 2015

It’s all about fencing and ‘stalky talk’ on this episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” as Leonard, Raj and Sheldon went to Howard’s office so they could all go to lunch together. Howard told the other guys that Bernadette had gotten him a FitBit to see how much he exercised. Sheldon said thinking about exercising without doing it had health benefits and Leonard said maybe they should all exercise more.

Penny said it was great the guys wanted to exercise more but said Leonard twisted his ankle playing Scrabble, so sports weren’t the best way for him to get exercise. Stuart asked Amy, Bernadette and Penny to come to the comic book store to ask them how to get more women shopping there. Amy said rethinking the artwork would help because the artwork he had hanging up was offensive to women. She also told him to advertise directly to women.

Howard, Raj and Leonard joined their co-worker Barry’s Fencing Club and went to the gym to participate in it. Barry came in to teach them fencing and said he hoped they didn’t think it would be like what they see in Star Wars. He showed them basic fencing positions. While they were practicing Leonard let it slip that Sheldon and Amy broke up. Leonard said Amy deserved to be happy, and Sheldon slapped him with the fencing glove he was wearing. Leonard then told Barry asking Amy out would be a bad idea and Sheldon said he was going to stop it by challenging Barry to a duel in three years’ time.

Stuart said he knew he was the reason women weren’t coming into the store. He said he wasn’t nervous in front of Penny and the girls because he was picturing them naked. He went on to say that the longer he was single, the lonelier he got. Amy said she understood because she was alone for a long time before she met Sheldon.

After Fencing Club, Sheldon, Howard, Raj and Leonard went to a sports bar at Sheldon’s request. He said they were athletes now and that he also belonged in a bar because he was having a problem with women. Raj and Howard encouraged Sheldon to find someone else to date. Then he saw a woman in the bar and said he would make her his girlfriend. Sheldon said ladies love jocks and approached a table of three women to tell them he had been broken up with and needed a date with someone else. Two of the women rejected Sheldon, and he rejected the third woman (a redhead with very light skin).

Amy said turning down a date with Stuart was not something she was used to, and Bernadette said sometimes dates get turned down. Then Amy got a text from Barry asking her on a date. She said she was hoping the next person she would date would be less like Sheldon, but Barry is a lot like him.

Sheldon said he smelled funny and tasted salty. He ran into Amy in the hallway of his apartment building, and she asked him how his day was. Sheldon told Amy that Barry had expressed interest in asking her out on a date and Amy told him that Barry already had. Amy told Sheldon she turned Barry down for a date and Sheldon said that he asked two women out and got turned down. Sheldon told Amy he had been told going on a date with someone else would help him move on.

Bernadette asked Howard why his FitBit said he had run 174 miles the day before.

Lamar Odom Walks & Daniel Radcliffe Strips It Down For Playboy

lamar odom walks with khloe kardashian 2015 gossip

UPDATE:

10:15 PM ET: To continue with another great “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” storyline, rumors are now abounding that since Lamar Odam reportedly took a few steps, Khloe Khardashian is determined to get her husband back on the basketball court, and she won’t stop until he’s out there. It’s going to be interesting to see what the real truth is once all the misinformation campaigns stop, and the real story finally comes out.

It’s been a week since former NBA star Lamar Odom was found unconscious outside of a Vegas brothel. It is now known that the star had taken a potentially fatal mix of drugs – including herbal Viagra and cocaine. However, in the last few days he has made incredible progress towards recovery and yesterday, was moved from Las Vegas to a Los Angeles hospital to continue rehabilitation.

Since the news surfaced, most of the Kardashian clan has stayed private about the matters. Other than a few posts asking for prayers, the famous family has strayed away from posting on their various social media pages – including their individual websites.

However, this morning Khloe Kardashian finally broke her silence and posted a statement on her personal website, which read:

“The past week has been incredibly difficult. I am so thankful to family, friends and fans, which have sent nothing but prayers and well wishes to Lamar. I also want to take a moment to thank everyone at Sunrise Hospital, including the amazing doctors and nurses for their kindness and diligent work. Under their amazing care, incredible strides have been made. You can never be prepared for an experience like this, but without the outpouring of love and endless prayers that Lamar has received and the strength I was given from my loved ones, it would have been difficult to endure. Thank you for your continued support. God is great!!! XOXO, Khloe”

Khloe has remained by Lamar’s side throughout this traumatic situation and reportedly will continue to do so now that he is in L.A.

Lamar’s family are saying that he has taken a few steps since arriving in Los Angeles in what they describe as “miraculous progress.”

In a statement released Tuesday, Odom’s aunt, JaNean Mercer, and the Odom family thanked doctors and nurses who cared for him at a Las Vegas hospital, asking supporters to keep praying for him.

“As Lamar begins a new chapter in his road to recovery, PLEASE continue to uplift him and the family in prayer. He continues to make miraculous progress, taking a few steps in Los Angeles. We couldn’t be more overjoyed!” the statement said. “We realize Lamar’s continued improvement will not be easy. However, his unrelenting strength and faith in GOD will pull him through.”

daniel radcliffe strips it down for playboy 2015 gossipDaniel Radcliffe is featured in Playboy’s latest 20 questions. In it, Daniel explains how he has been able to keep it together throughout his fame and not crash-and-burn like many of his counterparts (i.e. Shia LaBeouf, Lindsay Lohan, etc.).

Daniel explained, “When I did my first non-Potter film, December Boys, I became good friends with one of the makeup and hair teams. After a few weeks, I said, ‘So honestly what did you expect when you were going to get me?’  And said, ‘We thought you were going to be a dick.’ Because that’s the notion people have in their heads of child stars. People expect me to be an absolute a**hole. And when I’m not, that always plays in my favor.”

In terms of staying levelheaded, Radcliffe explained, “the most underrated way I and all the producers on Potter got lucky was that I f***ing loved the work. I’ve seen kids on set who are bored, and I’m like, ‘what are you doing? This is the best place on Earth.’ I loved it form the word go. I loved being on the set. I loved the hours. I loved the people. I loved the crazy, weird s**** I got to do every day.” He went on to say, “Acting was the focus for me, and I wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize being an actor.”

It’s been 14 years since Daniel shot to fame with the release of the first Harry Potter film and he continues to stay on the right path. Most recently, he starred in the BBC movie Game Changers, which was about the creation and controversy surrounding the video game, Grand Theft Auto.