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CSI CYBER 203: Brown Eyes Blue Eyes Recap

csi cyber 203 brown eyes recap 2015 imagesIt’s all ‘Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes’ on this episode of CSI: Cyber, and it began when a man named Derek Noels was videotaped being held at gunpoint. Agent Ryan said she’d been awake for three days. Raven showed Agent Ryan the video after it went viral on the Internet. After twelve hours, it had millions of hits on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. There were protests in the street after Derek Noels body was missing. The Ashdale police department in the neighborhood where Noels had lost security footage after their system was hacked into. Agent Ryan told Raven to stay in the office to track any suspicious activity while she went to investigate. She and Russell went to the police department and told them the FBI needed full access to all their department information in order to solve this crime. The chief of police refused to cooperate.

Their first goal was to identify the officer that was in the video and shot Noels. Agent Ryan talked to Noels’s mother and asked about his previous arrests. She said Noels used drugs more than he sold them, but he still didn’t deserve to die. Nelson determined that the chief of police, Chief Richards, was not the one who deleted the footage showing Noels’s murderer. Raven got access to a list of every police officer that worked for the Ashdale police. Russell analyzed the way each cop ran in video footage and used that information to put names to faces, using biometrics. He determined Officer Dean Cosley was a suspect in the case and Agent Ryan, and Nelson went to question him. His lawyer would not let him answer any questions Agent Ryan asked. He finally admitted he was the cop that roughed up Derek Noels but that nobody died that night, including Noels.

Russell and Agent Mundo went to the place where Noels was videotaped being murdered. Back at the office Raven discovered that someone had faked the video of Noels being shot, but she said that didn’t mean Officer Cosley was innocent. The guilty party was using ToggleFly.com to put Officer Cosley’s image in the video as the officer that shot Noels.

Daniel called Agent Ryan at Cosley’s house and told her that someone had released Cosley’s address on the Internet. Protestors were then seen outside the house. Agent Ryan made Cosley hand his gun over to her as the police were dispatched to the house. The mob of protestors was trying to hurt anyone in Cosley’s house. Cosley was then put into protective custody. Agent Ryan said she hated that someone with a criminal record was being protected. Agent Ryan said whoever did this was trying to cause controlled chaos.

Agent Mundo got back to the office to see everyone applauding him. Daniel figured out how the police department’s security system was hacked into. He said malware was inserted into the charger for the video camera than then took over the security system. Daniel got the IP address of the hacker and Agents Ryan and Mundo went there. The location was a church that was vandalized and burned down. Nelson reported back to Raven that the church, which was used as a community center, had been destroyed. Nelson told Agent Ryan the hacker redirected the security footage so the police would never see it. This led them to a college campus and the office of Professor Ganes. Daniel found a USB drive in the professor’s computer that would wipe out the hard drive. They found out that Professor Ganes and Officer Cosley were brothers. Agent Ryan said Professor Ganes wrote a famous book about racial issues between blacks and whites, which led the team to believe he was socially engineering racism just to write a thesis for his Doctorate. Agent Mundo and Nelson argued about racism, and Nelson found text on the Internet that attacked the black community, which offended him as a black man. The team figured out where Professor Ganes was, and Agents Mundo and Ryan went to apprehend him.

Agent Ryan questioned Professor Ganes. She told him she read his thesis and knew what he was doing. He said he had been able to predict the chain of events that led him to Agent Ryan. Ganes told Ryan he met Derek months before, and Derek had told him cops had beaten him and gotten away with it. Agent Ryan said his plot was all about vengeance because he hated his brother. Chief Richards told Agent Ryan that Officer Cosley’s secret location had been revealed. Agent Ryan contacted Cosley and told him he was being tracked by his brother.

A riot broke out, and Agent Mundo found Crowley and led him to safety. Derek Noels surfaced in the crowd and introduced himself. He screamed at the crowd to stop rioting.

Indianapolis Colts ‘Trick’ Play Confuses Media, Fans, Patriots & Themselves

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indianapolis colts fake punt confuses 2015 nfl imagesDo you all remember when the Indianapolis Colts traded a first-round pick for Trent Richardson? Well, it only took them a little over two years to top that in terms of stupidity.

In what has been deemed by many as the “Worst Play in NFL History,” the Colts tried to run a fake punt…I think…no one really knows, which is part of the problem. I’ll do my best to walk you through what happened:

So it’s Sunday Night Football, and the Colts are trailing the New England Patriots 27-21 toward the end of the third quarter. It’s 4th & 3 from their own 37. The Colts line up in punt formation. Simple enough.

Now things start to get silly.

The entire team shifts to the right, putting nine players—including the entire offensive line and punter Pat McAfee—over by the Colts’ sideline. The odd two out are wide receiver Griff Whalen who lines up as a makeshift center and safety Colt Anderson who goes under-center.

If they were trying to confuse the Pats, they definitely do. Did they fool them, though? Of course not. The Patriots just adjusted with them, lining up two people over Whalen.

That’s when everything, including all the hopes and dreams of Colts’ fans around the world, crumbled. Whalen snapped the ball to Anderson, hesitated for a second seemingly forgetting that the center is supposed to block too, and then watched as Anderson was gang-tackled by a number of white jerseys.

As a result, the Colts turned it over on downs, leading to a Pats’ touchdown six plays later.

“It turned out to be one of the worst failed fakes probably of all time,” said McAfee.

Yeah, basically. One of the worst plays in general of all time. Pete Carroll must have been pretty relieved to see this happen because it makes his goal line call against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX look like pure, unadulterated genius.

“I didn’t do a good enough job of coaching it during the week,” said head coach Chuck Pagano after the 34-21 loss to the Patriots in the Deflategate AFC Championship Game rematch. Pagano can also be seen mouthing “Why did you snap that?” to Whalen as he came to the sideline after the debacle.

The best part of the play—the Colts were penalized for illegal formation because no one over by the sideline was lined up on the line of scrimmage.

Maybe next time.

NCAA College Football Week 7 Winners & Losers

ncaa college football winners losers christian mccaffrey 2015 nflOnce again, watching college football during Week 7 was an absolute treat for fans. An unbelievable finish in Ann Arbor, an upset in Memphis, and a number of clashes between ranked opponents were just part of the excitement of the college football weekend. Here’s a look at those who won and lost in Week 7 of the 2015 college football season.

WINNERS

If you are a college football fan, you won this weekend. Fans in attendance at the Big House or who viewed it from the comforts of home on national television saw the most incredible finish since the Auburn “Kick Six” field goal return at the Iron Bowl at the end of the 2013 season. Needing to punt the ball away with just 10 seconds remaining and holding on to a 23-21 lead, the Michigan Wolverines gave up an inopportune mistake to the benefit of Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State Spartans. Blake O’Neill stood calmly at his 40-yard line ready to punt the ball to the Spartans who would likely have little time and a lot of ground to cover in an attempt to have any chance at a game-winning field goal. O’Neill misplayed the snap from center and in the ensuing melee, the Spartans Jalen Watts-Jenkins scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown with no time remaining on the clock. The play will be talked about the entire season and was an absolute joy to watch.

Stanford lost its opener to Northwestern and appeared headed for a long season. After laying waste to UCLA, 56-35, last Thursday, the Cardinal are now 5-1 and ranked No. 10 in the country. A large part of the win over the Bruins was the play of running back Christian McCaffrey. The 6-1, 200-pound sophomore carried the ball 25 times for 243 yards and four touchdowns. He caught one pass for four yards and returned two kickoffs, one for 96 yards, to total 369 all-purpose yards. McCaffrey is the Cardinal’s leading rusher with 844 yards on the season and a big reason why Stanford appears headed for a Pac-12 Conference Championship game.

It’s been a long time since Memphis has done anything in college football. On Saturday, the Tigers made a huge statement with a 37-24 win over Ole Miss that really wasn’t as close as the score may indicate. Head coach Justin Fuentes team is now 6-0 and primed to win another American Athletic Conference title. This year, they will have the opportunity to play in the first-ever AAC Championship game.

Alabama was led by running back Derrick Henry in its 41-23 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. Henry rushed 32 times for 236 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first time that an A&M defense has given up a 200-yard rusher since 2003. The Crimson Tide defense also rose to the occasion picking off three passes and returning them all for touchdowns. Alabama is now 6-1 and a heavy favorite in the SEC West.

LOSERS

It’s hard to think of Boise State as a loser, but they were just that on Friday night in a dismal 52-26 loss to Utah State. The Broncos turned the ball over eight times – three interceptions and five fumbles. Four of the turnovers occurred in Boise State territory and led directly to points for the Aggies. The first half ended as Utah State picked off Broncos QB Brett Rypien and returned the interception for a touchdown. In their previous six games this year, Boise State had committed just six turnovers.

Indiana is a basketball state, but head coach Kevin Wilson has the football Hoosiers producing some points. Indiana has one of the more prolific offenses in college football and it helped Wilson’s Hoosiers get out to a 52-27 lead in the second half on Saturday against Rutgers. Indiana scored four straight touchdowns in the third quarter to build that lead. Unfortunately, they would not score again. Rutgers would outscore Indiana 22-0 in the fourth quarter and Kyle Federico’s field goal in the final seconds would give the Scarlet Knights a 55-52 win.

After firing head coach Steve Sarkisian, USC had to travel to rival Notre Dame with interim coach Clay Helton. The Trojans would battle the Irish pulling a few trick plays out of the bag but eventually falling 41-31. Prior to the start of the season, many thought that USC might be a College Football Playoff contender. Now, they are 3-3 and will be lucky to get bowl eligible.

The Michigan-Michigan State game on Saturday featured an epic finish and for sophomore Jalen Watts-Jenkins, a moment that he will never forget. Watts-Jenkins was, of course, the Spartan player who returned the fumble for a touchdown on the game’s final play. Watts-Jenkins was tackled hard in the end zone and then most of his Spartan teammates piled on him in celebration. When it was all said and done, Watts-Jenkins had suffered an injured hip which required surgery that was performed Sunday. While it is likely the greatest play of the sophomore’s young career, he may miss the rest of the season.

Ben Carson: The Smart Stupid Principle

ben carson smart stupid principle 2015 imagesIn the race for the 2016 presidency, there are some familiar faces as well as some new ones thrown in the mix. Within those parameters, some of the familiar faces seem out of place. Donald Trump is an obvious one with his forte being more suited for running businesses and firing people. The other is without a doubt, Ben Carson, a candidate that continually causes me to scratch my head and wonder, “hmm.” Now with the smart stupid principle, I am talking about people who are obviously very smart, but then they turn around and say the most stupid things. Carson easily falls into that category.

Now this “hmm” is for several reasons. In my quest to understand a person who is running for something as influential as the presidency, I have to know the facts. Too many people jump on bandwagons and sing the song of candidates that they don’t really know.

I will be honest here, before digging more into what Ben Carson believes and just seeing him as is, t I was like, “all hells nah.” Just the very thought that he’s a black conservative Republican put him in the same category as Herman Cain– a joke. But putting those preconceived notions aside, Ben Carson has a much better track record and background than I expected, (which doesn’t change how I feel about him). I totally get some of his views and hell, sometimes the old conservative republican in me rears its head, and I find myself saying, “Oh now that’s not so bad.”

Here is the truth though, and I have gained this from my research on him; his views on some of the hot topics- separation of church and state, taxes, religion, etc. – does not warrant the support of Republicans and his views on the “tried and true” topics- abortion, homosexuality, etc. – do. But we are passed spending all of our energies on fighting over social issues that affect only a few.

Gay people can happily marry in every state. That is not going to change. Abortions are legal. Leave Planned Parenthood and other clinics alone. These topics don’t affect my life. I am not gay, and I am in a position to have a baby if I get pregnant so going back and forth about those things don’t matter to me. What I need to know is where does he stand on the things that affect me daily, the things that affect EVERY American daily- healthcare, the economy, national security; because those things hit me right where I am. I believe that a lot of Americans feel the same way, and that’s what we need to know- where does he stand?

With that, any hope that he has to get the Republican nomination, despite a hint of validity on certain issues, is tremendously hindered by the comments he makes in his interviews and through other commentary about a lot of things that have happened.

If I am a strong believer in the right to bear arms at all costs, you lose me when you say historical events could have been curtailed if victims were equipped with weapons. You also can’t tell me that the tax code in the country is screwed up and then turn around and say that Congress should raise the government’s debt ceiling. Furthermore, his views on the Affordable Care Act are offensive and misguided. Is the ability for healthcare to be accessible to all Americans is as damaging to this country as slavery? That is a slap in the face. Nothing, in my mind, is as bad a slavery, except for the things that went on in the south during the years after. His outlook on these and more events and issues is uneven, disturbing and out of touch with reality.

Therein lies my concern with Carson. His stance on these things, which is communicated to us when he speaks to them, makes me nervous about what he will do as president on other pertinent issues. Also, it is one thing to be a commentator and speak on political issues. It’s a whole different ball game when you are the one making the choices. And I am not comfortable with the choices he might make.

Finally, another reason I don’t see him getting the presidency is he doesn’t have the presence. In an age where how, you present yourself and how eloquent you are matters just as much as what you believe (thanks, Obama) he doesn’t make the cut. He is not engaging, he doesn’t hold your attention and it all comes down to his delivery, which falls flat.

I was raised conservative, and I have voted Republican. And I am actually not opposed to voting in that way again but I have yet to hear of a candidate on the right who has a healthy, sane balance on the issues that matter most. And that includes Ben Carson.

Selena Gomez Pleads with Andy Cohen & Oprah Saves Weight Watchers

oprah winfrey saves weight watchers 2015 gossipThe widely successful diet franchise Weight Watchers announced on its Facebook page that media mogul Oprah Winfrey had bought partial ownership of the company. In the statement, Weight Watchers said:

“We’re thrilled to share some big news today – Oprah Winfrey has joined our board and is part owner of Weight Watchers! She’s a Member on her own personal journey toward success, and she believes so much in what we do and our mission that she wants to work with us to inspire people around the world to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. We are thrilled to count one of the world’s most inspiring women among our #WWFamily and we are so excited for what the future holds! ‘O’ it’s an exciting day!”

According to Reuters, Oprah now has her own seat on the company’s board and will own 10 percent of the company, as she paid $43.2 million for 6.4 million shares.

Oprah has already worked her magic as shares went from $6.79 at market close on Friday to $10.96 during trading on Monday.

Over the years, Oprah has been vocal about her battle with weight loss and hosted numerous episodes of her talk shows that dealt with the issue. In a statement, Oprah explained her new investment:

“Weight Watchers has given me the tools to begin to make the lasting shift that I and so many of us who are struggling with weight have longed for. I believe in the program so much I decided to invest in the company and partner in its evolution.”

selena gomez pleads with andy cohen 2015 gossipOn Sunday, pop star Selena Gomez appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live to promote her new album Revival and get grilled by host, Andy Cohen.

During the interview, Selena admitted to having a crush on Captain America: Civil War star Chris Evans. Selena gushed, “He’s very cute.” Later going on to say that this was the first time she admitted her infatuation with him publicly.

Gomez was also subjected to a round of Plead the Fifth, where the 23-year-old singer could only refuse to answer one out of three questions. The first question Andy asked regarded Taylor Swift’s reported feud with Katy Perry. Andy asked Selena if Taylor had written “Bad Blood” about Perry, in which Selena immediately plead the fifth.


Next, Cohen asked Selena if her “close friendship” with Taylor had caused her to drift away from her former best-friend Demi Lovato. Selena replied saying it “absolutely” did not, adding, “You’re kids, you know what I mean? You grow up together.”

The final question Cohen asked her was. “On a scale of 1 to 10 – 10 being as gay as me – how gay is Nick Jonas?” Initially, Selena made a funny face and then quipped back, “I dated him…like, zero!”

Santa Claus Drones Are Coming To Town: FAA Cringes

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santa claus drones are coming to town faa 2015 tech imagesLast month, we discussed the proliferation of drones and the need to have solid laws about them. With regards to proliferation, it’s almost time for the holidays, and officers of the Federal Aviation Authority are going to be up to their necks in dealing with more drones in the skies. There are more than a million drones on order for the season, and that’s a lot of unmanned aircraft the FAA has to deal with; not to mention a lot of unlicensed and inexperienced pilots flying them and some whackjobs that are.

This coming holiday season, one of the best gifts anyone can buy for male kids (and adults) these days are drones such as those from DJI Phantom, Axis Aerius, Blade Nano and Parrot Bebop. As technology continues to improve, these drones are coming along for the ride offering new features, crisp video, easier controls, longer battery life, and greater range. The last two items are of concern to the FAA as drones could compete with birds and private aircraft in affecting commercial flight paths. There have already been hundreds of reports of near misses with planes this year alone. Speaking of birds, drones can also be a danger to native wildlife as they can also collide with birds while in flight.

Technology has brought the number of unmanned remote controlled vehicles to unprecedented numbers not only through advancements but because of affordability. What used to be the realm of hobbyists with expensive remote controlled planes with the required licenses and discipline has now become everyone else’s. Anyone with enough money can buy a drone for themselves or send them as birthday or holiday presents. Batteries not included, no registration and no pilot’s license required. And better yet, no rules until next year that is. We can only expect aerial chaos with skies full of drones adding to and possibly disrupting the already fully booked quagmire of commercial flights this holiday season.

For beginners, piloting drones is not the same nor is it easy as flying a kite. Despite the simple layout for most controls, control of the drone itself needs time, so they’re not recommended for small children. Some practice time may be needed inside an empty hall or room before outdoor use. But even then, drone owners have to be informed of outdoor rules and restrictions. It’s not the drones themselves that are the problem but their overzealous operators. Those that don’t know how to fly well and those that do but don’t know where. The FAA launched a ‘know before you fly’ information campaign and instructed Walmart to have their employees properly orient drone buyers.

Very recently in the UK, the Department of Transportation issued an order that drones need to be registered upon purchase, and all purchased drones need to be with the department. Implementation is expected to be done by year’s end in order to regulate drone flight by irresponsible owners as drones have started to become a public nuisance. The US FAA has also yet to issue standard regulations for drone use. Expected in spring 2016, these rules will regulate drone use and open airspaces for commercial drones like those to be used for item delivery by Amazon. The US followed suit just last week that non-toy grade drones must be registered by their owners. The registration system is being worked out by the US Department of Transportation with drone manufacturers and vendors and should be ready before the end of the year.

This recent announcement means that the government means business in putting order back to the skies. Drones are to be registered by their owners with their local DMV. Registration is but the first step. A timely one at that as more drones will hatch out of their gift boxes. So the government will know you have a drone, then what? Rules, rules and more rules, the most basic of which is to keep at least two miles away from the nearest airport or facility with a restricted airspace. A US senator also recently filed a bill that would charge offenders of said rule with a misdemeanor subject to a fine or up to one year in jail. It will be like owning a car where you’ll get a parking ticket once you beat a red light. If your drone goes near an airport or flies too high, all registered drones in that area will be narrowed down to the owner.

It’s not the end of the world for drone owners once these laws are in place. They just can’t fly anywhere they want or use their drones in ways they’re not intended and compromise everyone else’s safety. It could be a relative in that plane your drone is buzzing. Drone owners just need to play nice with Uncle Sam, so Santa’s drone delivery goes smoothly. Maybe next year, Santa might just use drones to deliver gifts instead of going down chimneys himself.

NFL Week 6 Winners & Losers

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nfl week 6 winners losers cam newton 2015 imagesHow was the Bears-Lions game that entertaining? Even though both teams are not going anywhere near the playoffs, they did have a compelling shootout in one of the early games.

Denver and Cleveland had a great contest also. Any guesses on how that one turned out, given one team is cursed?

Lots to get to so step back as we tally up the winners and losers from week six.

Grown Man of the Week: Cam Newton makes few friends with his over the top TD celebrations, yet he deserved to celebrate Sunday after bringing his Panthers back against Seattle. Cam had back to back fourth quarter touchdown drives that put Carolina ahead in the end, 27-23. Seattle continued their bad habit of giving up leads in the fourth, but to be fair nothing was given. This lead was taken from them by Newton.

NFL Child of the Week: The NFL Rules Committee. Is there no one that can simplify the ruling on what a catch is and is not? This rule has become an issue almost every single week, and fans are sick of it. Catches have not been judged consistently because no one can tell us what a freaking catch is! Golden Tate’s bobbled catch and pick ended up being ruled a real catch even though there was no difference in the “football move” or amount of time he held the ball compared to Devonta Freeman last week or Calvin Johnson a couple years back.

Winner: Being an interim head coach in the NFL is not easy. It sucks in fact. Usually, you are there as just a placeholder until management can find a better option at the end of the year. Being in charge of an underachieving team is no fun either. That said, Dan Campbell had a nice debut with Miami. They rolled over Tennessee and showed why more was expected from this team. A hot start is typical for an interim head coach. Sustaining that effort from the guys is the hard part once another loss happens.

Loser: The Kansas City Chiefs lost their offense when Jamaal Charles went down for the year with a knee injury. The Chiefs were a pitiful offensive display on Sunday, scoring 10 points in a loss to Minnesota. Alex Smith can’t throw, and the fill in running backs gained 57 total rushing yards. The only offense for KC came from Travis Kelce with 88 receiving yards, but no touchdowns.

Winner: Ben Watson went off on Thursday NIght Football, racking ten catches against the formerly undefeated Falcons. Brees went to Watson anytime he needed 12.7 yards. Now according to one skeptical Falcons fan, they are likely to go 5-11 the rest of the way. Not what I want to hear.

Loser: Peyton Manning. Denver continues to rely on their defense with old #18 and his arm now being sponsored by Ramen Noodles. Denver’s defense and special teams are outscoring the offense on the year. The Broncos stayed undefeated against Cleveland, but Peyton was not an asset once again.

Winner: Ricardo Lockett of the Seahawks had the catch of the day on a flea-flicker TD. He snatched the ball away from the DB like a health conscious parent yanking an ice cream away from a fat kid.

Loser: Emmanuel Sanders. Know the clock situation! You can’t just run to the end zone to soak up the glory of a big catch when your team has no timeouts and needs to spike the ball. Again his team got the “W” but he looked clownish in the process.

Winner: DeAndre Hopkins and his Texans who got a much needed win against  slump busting Jacksonville. Hopkins is being fed more than any receiver in the League, and he’s making those targets count. Hopkins had ten catches on 15 targets, and Hoyer hit him for two scores.

Loser: Sammy Watkins hurt his ankle against the Bengals and did not return to the game. The Bills receiver made noise this past week about not getting enough balls thrown his way and now his status for next week is up in the air.

Winner: Chris Ivory is proving to be a workhorse for the Jets. Racking up 146 yards for another big day, Ivory helped the Jets to a win over Washington. When he goes well, the Jets win. When he is not getting off, there’s too much pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Loser: The Colts. To the Patriots. Shocking? Clearly not.

Winner: Tom Brady in this so called “revenge game” against Indianapolis. Brady can’t push his desire to win above where it always is, even against the team that got the DeflateGate debacle started. The revenge factor was just amped up by the media, as if fans need extra incentive to watch the defending Super Bowl Champs.

Loser: The Legion of Boom arguing over who let Greg Olsen score at the end of the game. The cracks are starting to become bigger in this Super Bowl regular. Contract issues, lack of offense, Lynch injuries, and now on the field bickering. Hard to stay on top ain’t it fellas?

Winner: Andy Dalton ended the game against Buffalo with a 118.6 passer rating. More importantly the Cincinnati quarterback has led his Bengals to a 6-0 record.

Loser: Ryan Mallett can get comfortable on the bench. He will be there for a while with Brian Hoyer throwing three touchdown passes against Jacksonville. Hoyer gives the Texans an actual chance to win and I have no idea how Mallett got the starting nod from this coaching staff to start the season.

THE WALKING DEAD 602: JSS or Carol Shows Herself Recap

the walking dead 602 jss carol in wolves recap 2015Spoiler alert: JSS stands for “Just Survive Somehow,” on this episode of The Walking Dead. We get this little mystery as the episode begins, showing how Enid came to live in Alexandria. The initials made a statement about her mindset, but the biggest mystery is whether she was part of the Wolves or maybe even another group that has been scouting Alexandria.

What we do know is Enid is one tough girl. Most folks couldn’t eat a turtle raw. How do you even kill a turtle? She is willing to do whatever it takes to make it to each tomorrow evidently.

This episode will be hard to beat the rest of this half season. I know we still have the Walker herd to contend with, but the Wolves’ assault on Alexandria was nothing short of awesome. Carol was just playing her role with the other townies who stayed behind as Rick and crew rounded up the zombie horde. She did get real with little Sam, telling him to basically get over his SOB of a dad being killed.

We see Jessie trying to get through to Ron about Pete, but this teenager isn’t going to listen even though he felt the abuse from his old man himself.

There were very few capable people left in Alexandria as the Walker roundup was going on. This episode is set at the same time as episode one, with the focus inside the walls of course.

Carl is jealous of Enid talking to Ron, but I think Rick’s boy will win her over if he gets a decent haircut this season. He has dropped his floppy hat so that’s a big step that should up his game with the few ladies left on the planet.

The action started early and never let up. Carol’s warning to the smoker came into play as the woman was the first to get whacked by an attacker. The Wolves are a brutal gang and seem to have no purpose other than to hack up people who are not in their group. This was a rough episode in terms of human on human crime.

The Wolves are rough, but they are at a disadvantage to Grimes Inc. The pack has no guns, and they are pretty disorganized. What they lack in uniformity, they make up for with sheer violence, though.

The horn that jacked up the herding process turned out to be that of a big rig truck that the Wolves used to slam into the lookout tower. Morgan returned to finally cut the horn off so maybe most of the herd can be put back in line behind Daryl.

This herding ordeal may take up three more episodes as a backdrop to the Wolves situation.

I didn’t care for the hospital scene with the former psychiatrist. Yes, she needs practice, but in the middle of a battle? There was a much better use of all their time since the patient never had a chance.

The best part of this week’s show was Carol rocking it Assassins Creed style. She is a real chameleon now, and that may be her greatest strength. Well, besides being totally without fear.

I don’t know what happened to Morgan out in the world, but his Gandhi act is not going to cut it. These attackers are some of the worst savages we as viewers have seen. If Morgan can’t stomach executing guys like these, then who is deserving of death?

All life is not precious sir. Not in this universe. Morgan is a hell of a fighter. He is going to have to finish people off, though, just like he would a zombie. There’s little difference.

the walking dead 602 jss recap images 2015

We got to see Jessie get rid of her pent up anger when she stabbed one of the Wolves with her barber tools. Ron looked appalled, and that attitude will get the boy eaten soon.

The Wolves seem to have a weird philosophy as stated by one of Morgan’s prisoners, “We’re freeing you from this trap.” I assume he means civilization. Carol didn’t give him time to expound on that thought as she erased his existence with a bullet to the head.

Hopefully, they don’t drag the issue out about Carol not liking the killing she has to do. Morgan brought it up to her, but I don’t see it. She has been pretty cold blooded in the past couple seasons. I don’t need a therapy session with this assassin who is maybe my favorite character right now.

Aaron finds his old satchel full of photos of Alexandria, and we immediately learn that this could have helped the Wolves get inside easier. I’m sure he will blame himself, but as Enid said, the place is too big to defend. Some group was going to eventually test the Alexandrians.

At the end of the episode, it appears that Enid has bounced, leaving Carl a note reading “Just Survive Somehow.” Maybe she is part of the Wolves. There were hints to that effect. Maybe she is a loner who would leave at the first site of trouble.

Morgan ends up having to kill an opponent who wouldn’t tap out. Maybe that will be the end of his humanity when it comes to killers. Can’t save these monsters with good intentions.

A few things to point out from episode two.

  • Carol was plenty to carry the weight of the entire program with Rick and Daryl not even in one scene. Melissa McBride is amazing all on her own when need be.
  • How formidable can these Wolves be if they were run off without Rick, Daryl, or Michonne on hand to help fight? They slaughtered a good many townies, but I’m still not impressed.
  • The Wolves now know there are guns to be had in Alexandria so they will be back of course. However, this was their best shot. I don’t think the best defenders will be off herding 5,000 Walkers again.
  • Deanna looks terrible. I wouldn’t be surprised if she died of natural causes next week. She’s taking Reg’s death pretty hard.

Next week’s WD should be interesting as our group of heroes deal with the undead herd and figure out what to do about the Wolves. The town is certainly not out of danger, but that was a given. These folks are dealing with an apocalypse, not a vacation at Disney World.

BRIDGE OF SPIES Movie Review (2015)

bridge of spies movie review 2015 imagesIn the world of Hollywood, you can almost always do no wrong with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg attached to a movie. And Bridge of Spies proved that notion perfectly. Based on a true story, it is just an all-around good movie.

Bridge of Spies gives the account of the Cold War incident in which U.S pilot, Francis Gary Powers’ (played by Austin Stowell) plane was shot down while conducting reconnaissance in 1960 of Soviet land. He was captured and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Enter James Donavon played by Tom Hanks.

The unfolding of the story sucks you in from the beginning, which is riddled with mystery. We are first introduced to Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a supposed Russian spy, who is solemn and intriguing throughout the entirety of the film. We are taken through retro Brooklyn subway stations and neighborhoods to the ultimate capturing of the Russian spy. From there Hanks’ character takes center stage.

I liked the way in which he portrays Donavon. He is a smart man who knows how to negotiate and get the job done, but he is also caring, and that shines forth in his character. Donavon was tasked with the heart-wrenching job of defending Abel, and he does. At the same time, the story of Powers’ capture and the trial is also told and the way in which these two intertwine makes for an intense storytelling.

Bridge of Spies is captivating, and the cinematography is one to be mentioned. I mean seeing a snowy eastern Germany as it recovers from the ruins of war is amazing. I love the fact that it shows historical moments like the building of Berlin Wall, the way in which American schools taught how to survive a nuclear war and in particular, the devastating effects of WWII on Germany.

A strong portrayal in the film is that of American’s attitude about the treatment spies or as Abel was referred to in the movie, traitors. It is done in such a way that it is almost unbelievable. From Donavan riding on a train and being stared at by everyone reading a newspaper to a police officer investigating the bullet holes in the Donavan’s windows (drive by shooting) and getting belligerent with him because he disagreed with his representing Abel. The sentiment of outrage during that time, according to the movie, is quite real.

Perhaps is it a true representation of how people felt and acted. Perhaps it is just amped up for the film, either way, at times, I feel like it was too much. We know that Hollywood loves to over dramatize certain elements in history with biographical movies.

Another aspect that took away from the movie somewhat is the portrayal of CIA agent Hoffman. Played by Scott Shepherd, his stark rebuttal to Donavan’s insistence on negotiating tries too hard to make Hanks’ character the hero. Without a doubt he is, but Hoffman telling him to stick to their plan and only negotiate for Powers without any regard for Fredric Pryor, the student captured and held in Germany, painted him as more than an insensitive person. It made him feel not real because who is going to say, “We’ll get Pryor some other time” if they have an opportunity to get him the first time?

His lack of emotion is the other source of criticism I have. It’s just emotion period. Too many characters lacked the emotion you’d think people would have in their situations. Donavan’s children, the lawyers at his firm, Allen Dulles (played by Peter McRobbie) who tells James that he’s going in there alone without any help or a way out if things go wrong. Maybe the situation truly did go down that way, and Donavan was told those things, but without any earnest? I just don’t imagine so.

In sentiment, I feel like James Donavan was too emotional. He built a “relationship,” based on his portrayal, with Rudolph Abel so much so that he almost looked sad to see him go at the end of the movie. His connection to him just didn’t seem true because who would get that close or have that much care for a supposed Russian spy unless they themselves had some form of empathy for their cause? I am not saying that he did in the movie, just using that as an example to explain his attachment.

Other than those two observations, it is a very worthwhile movie. It is not your usual over the top action piece, but it goes at a pace that keeps your attention. I give it 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

Film Review: ‘Bridge of Spies’

Reviewed at New York Film Festival, Oct. 4, 2015. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 141 MIN.

PRODUCTION: A Touchstone Pictures release of a DreamWorks Pictures, Fox 2000 Pictures, Reliance Entertainment presentation, in association with Participant Media, in co-production between Afterworks Limited, Studio Babelsberg, of an Amblin Entertainment/Marc Platt production. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger. Co-producers, Christoph Fisser, Henning Molfenter, Charlie Woebcken. Executive producers, Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King.

CREW: Directed by Steven Spielberg. Screenplay, Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen. Camera (color, widescreen), Janusz Kaminski; editor, Michael Kahn; music, Thomas Newman; production designer, Adam Stockhausen; supervising art directors, Marco Bittner Rosser, Kim Jennings; art directors, Scott Dougan, Anja Mueller; costume designer, Kasia Walicka-Maimone; sound (Dolby Digital), Drew Kunin; supervising sound editor, Richard Hymns; re-recording mixer, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom; visual effects supervisors, Charlie Noble, Sven Martin, Dinesh K. Bishnoi; visual effects, Pixomondo, Double Negative; special effects supervisor, Gerd Nefzer; stunt coordinators, Mark Fichera, Sandra Barger; assistant director, Adam Somner; casting, Ellen Lewis.

WITH: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Eve Hewson, Peter McRobbie, Billy Magnussen, Austin Stowell, Domenick Lombardozzi, Michael Gaston, Sebastian Koch, Marko Caka, Noah Schnapp, Dakin Matthews, Ashlie Atkinson, Will Rogers. (English, German, Russian dialogue)

Kim Kardashian Power For Lamar Odom & Gwen Stefani Over Gavin Rossdal

gwen stefani used to love you for gavin rossdale 2015 gossipIn August, The Voice coach Gwen Stefani filed for divorce from her husband, Gavin Rossdale. The couple had been together for 13 years and have three children together – Kingston, 9, Zuma, 6, and Apollo, 1.

For the past few months, Gwen has continued to be relatively private about the split and has been focusing on her career. However, on Saturday Gwen debuted a new ballad titled “Used to Love You,” at the MasterCard Priceless Surprises concert in New York City, which seemed to be based on her relationship with Gavin.

Before sharing the song, Gwen announced, “I just want to share a song that I wrote recently. This song is really special. I think this gonna be the new single.”

 

Lyrics of the song included, “Yeah, boy/ Thought this would happen/ I let it sink in/ you’re gone.” And “I don’t know why I cry/ But I think its cause I remembered for the first time/ since I hated you/ that I used to love you.”

In 1996, Gwen also capitalized on her breakup with her bassist Tony Kanal. After they split she co-wrote No Doubt’s hit song “Don’t Speak.” Therefore, it seems like she is trying to create another hit out of her heartbreak ala Taylor Swift, who’s created a cottage industry from this.

kim kardashian power for lamar odom 2015 gossipOn Friday, it was revealed that Lamar Odom had made incredible progress in his recovery. Last week, the former NBA star was found unconscious outside a brothel in Las Vegas. After running tests, doctors were able to determine that there were multiple drugs in his system, including a dangerous amount of herbal Viagra and cocaine. In addition, the doctors also reported that Odom had suffered an “ischemic stroke,” which is when a blood clot prevents blood flow to the brain.

Sources close to the basketball player noted that he appears to be “neurologically intact,” however his doctors won’t know the severity of his brain damage (if any) until he if fully awake.

On Friday, Khloe Kardashian and her sisters posted on their blogs that they were going dark on social media, but Kylie Jenner broke that within a day and Kim did too. Old habits are very hard to break, especially when it comes to social media and the Kardashian clan.

On Saturday, Lamar’s sisters-in-law Kim and Kendall flew out to visit him after they received the news that he had gained consciousness. Kim broke her silence on social media, tweeting out a moment she shared with Lamar while in his hospital room.

Kim said, “I believe in the power of prayer! Thx 4 all ur prayers. Lammy – So happy Kendall & I could make u smile 2day!”

Kim Kardashian, Twitter post:

Since Lamar was hospitalized (last Tuesday), sources claim that his wife Khloe Kardashian has not left his side. She is reportedly sleeping on a pull out bed beside him (not on the floor as some silly websites have claimed) and is ensuring that he is getting the best care possible. Additionally, she flew out Lamar’s children and ex-wife.

Lamar Odom Kardashian Conspiracy Hoax Theories Hit

lamar odom khloe kardahian conspiracy hits 2015People have a lot to say about Lamar Odom coming out of his coma and being able to speak. Reports claim a number of things, and they have people experiencing all kinds of emotions; Joy, happiness, relief and doubt. Just as quickly as the ‘sources close to’ the Kardashian family have claimed that Lamar has said things like ‘Hey, baby,’ to Khloe, to he’s able to text, talk, sing, etc.; those same sources are just as quick to say ‘he’s not out of the woods yet.’

Yes, there are folks that say it is just too damn good to be true that Lamar, the NBA star who was fighting for his life and clinging to the world by a hair, has made what looks like to be a full recovery. How is it that he has come from the grips of death to texting and expressing his love for his estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian?

You can imagine that because of the skepticism some might have about what really happened, there are all kinds of conspiracy theories. From entertaining ideas to actual chain of events that sound as though they could be true, the internet, and social media abound with these “what if” notions.

To note, anything mentioned in this article about conspiracies or hoaxes is not a reflection of the views of Movie, TV, Tech Geeks, but are simply stories and theories that we have heard and are presenting to you.

lamar odom kardashian conspiracy hoax theories hit 2015 imagesWith that, probably the biggest theory that people are using to “explain” this situation is the one about the Kardashians/Jenner’s involvement with The Illuminati. If you don’t know who the Illuminati is said to be, just understand that it supposedly is a group of unknown people who run the world, control everything from the money to catastrophic events to diseases, and most of the biggest celebrities and riches people are believed to be a part of it.

According to those who trust in the existence of this secret society that dates back to the 1700’s, the Kardashians are not only long-time members of the Illuminati but high ranking members as well. A friend of mind also shared this with me this week as we chatted about Lamar Odom’s condition. Since Lamar was married to Khloe, he knows secrets about the family and the society. According to Illuminati conspiracy theorist, he was tired of hiding the truth and was about to “let the cat out of the bag.” They (The Illuminati) caught wind of it had him “taken care of.” Now, I first encountered this story Thursday so at that time, by the media’s account, Lamar had a slim chance of making it. So I guess now with him being out of his coma, conscious and able to speak, maybe he has learned his lesson and ready to play nice, so they let him live by giving him a secret serum that cures all ailments, even “accidental” overdose? I mean hey, it could be the case.

The other theory that is floating around out there is that the Kardashians planned all of this in preparation for the new season of the Keeping Up with the Kardashians. As the story goes, the rumors about them having a camera crew in the hospital are actually true, and this will be a major storyline to be used as a huge ratings draw for their upcoming season.

Along with that, and this one to me is the most outrageous of them all, the whole thing is a total hoax. Lamar Odom’s life was never in real jeopardy, and he was in on the whole thing all along. How else do you explain his “miraculous” recovery?

To put all these things in perspective, I’d like to think that people are not this way. That people are not so strung out on power, that they stage a massive scheme to set themselves up for a good storyline on a reality TV show. Because, ya know, we are a little more evolved than that. I look at this situation and the accusations from that standpoint, and that is how I approach it.

As far as I am concerned, all of the theories mentioned above are exactly that- theories and they don’t hold any weight for me. It is just interesting that people are that cynical they can’t believe a group of folks like the Kardashians can have real, human moments even though they are always caught up in scandal and attention whoring.

We just report what we hear no matter how far out there it may sometimes seem. The one site that’s continually claimed that the Kardashian clan is tied to the highest levels of the Illuminati, Alex Jones, Infowars.com, has been oddly silent throughout this saga.

HEROES & ZEROS: Bradley Cooper & Soulja Boy

bradley cooper hero movie tv tech geeksHero- Bradley Cooper

I remember this man as Will Tippin on Alias way back in 2002, the friend to Jennifer Garner’s Sydney Bristow character and I thought the world of him those five years the show was on TV. Since then, he has grown into a super A- list actor with movies like American Hustle, Guardians of the Galaxy and Silver Linings Playbook under his belt. He is in high demand and thankfully, is a man that understands the power of his influence.

He is this week’s Hero because he has decided to team up with his female costars in negotiating their paychecks for the movies in which is stars. Yes, he is taking a stand and unlike other men in power who give their sexist reasons why women can’t lead countries …ahem, T.I., Bradley is using his position as a leading man to help his female costars get equal pay for the work that they do.

Hello Hollywood, this is not the golden age of cinema where starlets like Judy Garland and Lana Turner were under contract to studios and had to do whatever they were told and accept whatever execs wanted to give them. Women draw just as many people to theaters as men, and it’s time that it shows in their paychecks.

After the Sony email leaks last year revealed that Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams made 2% less of back end compensation than Cooper and the other male actors in American Hustle, the conversation about Hollywood’s wage gap, once again, shot to the forefront of everyone’s minds, as it should.

Cooper’s step is much like that of small screen actors from shows like Friends (my fave) who stood together to ensure everyone got equal pay (a reported $1 million an episode).

“I don’t know where it’s changing otherwise, but that’s something that I could do, Cooper told Reuters.

Bradley gets the power of one and is leading the way for other actors to do the same. For this reason and so many more, he is this week’s Hero.

soulja boy zero movie tv tech geeksZero- Soulja Boy

To say that this dude is a joke is an understatement. Not only has he made a fool of himself and his “girlfriend” Nia Riley on this season of Love and Hip Hop Hollywood, he continues to show his no good, sexist, whack ass, and it is getting really old.

Soulja Boy is what I call a lamey, lame loser. I don’t care that you have hit records. I don’t care that people know your name. If you are shady and have backward ass thinking, especially when it comes to how you treat women, you are a loser in my book.

This week, Nia finally let the world know that she is done with the 25-year-old rapper for good, and I for one am happy to hear it. This guy just was not a good look for the daughter of a legend like Teddy Riley. She took to social media to let her fans know.

“So sad when people don’t realize what they have…or had. I was trying to be a good God fearing woman. Now, let me charge my phone… Single people can do as they please. Myself included.”

Well, because Soulja Boy is a narcissistic attention whore (yes men can be that as well) he posted a picture on Snapcaht of his backyard with a nice Jacuzzi and a big pool with the caption, “I’m going to die soon. I enjoyed my life.” Ugh, what does that even mean?

If you have seen him on LHHH, you know that he as sociopath tendencies. To top it all off, not only does he appear on the show with Nia Riley and is caught in a love triangle with her and her ex-friend Nas, he is also involved with BET’s newest show The Westboorks, a show about five sisters who are all social media stars. He was in the first episode for India Love’s storyline.

A man that gets his knocks off by confusing and mistreating women’s emotions, appearing on reality TV shows with different chicks, posting cryptic messages that insinuate he’s suicidal and sees nothing wrong with the way in which he lives his life in this matter, is a zero all day every day in my book.