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Big Match Premier League Preview: Manchester City vs Chelsea

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manchester city vs chelsea preview images soccer 2015On Sunday, the former Premier League champions play host to the newly crowned kings of England. Jose Mourinho’s men didn’t get off to a perfect start in the league as Garry Monk’s Swansea City held them 2 – 2 at the Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City, on the other hand, played flawlessly for the entire ninety minutes against Tony Pulis’s West Brom. Manuel Pellegrini was expected to be sacked following a series of losses and draws in the second half of the last season. But the Chilean manager is still at the helm of the club and will allegedly be replaced by Pep Guardiola next year. Pellegrini has brought in Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph and is quite adamant to sign former Chelsea player Kevin de Bryune. The transfer window will be closed on September 1 and we can certainly expect some movement at the club. Nickolas Ottamendi and Barcelona’s Pedro are also believed to be on City’s radar and only time will tell that on which side of Manchester they’ll land in.

Chelsea are more or less comfortable with the transfer business they’ve done so far and it seems unlikely that the Blues will do some major changes to the side. Radamel Falcao hasn’t looked anywhere near impressive as his heydays at Porto and Atletico Madrid. The Colombian skipper flopped at Manchester United last season and following his performances in pre-season friendlies with Chelsea, one’s only conjecture would be his imminent failure in London. If Diego Costa, yet again, struggles with injuries this season and Loic Remy fails to deliver, the Blues can have a big goal scoring problem ahead of them.

Looking at their last three league meetings, City are marginally ahead of their title rivals. Both the Premier League clashes last season ended in 1 – 1 draw while the FA Cup fixture in February 2014 ended 2 – 0 in favour of the Citizens. Either of the sides will lose points at the weekend, but Chelsea losing will already put them five points behind City. Chelsea’s Portuguese boss will be hoping to play safe and satisfy himself with one more point. Pellegrini might go for a win but a point in the bag won’t be a big disappointment against arguably the best team in the country.

Yaya Toure looked sharp in City’s opening fixture of the league as he assisted one and scored one. The Ivory Coast international had a great 2013/14 campaign but he couldn’t replicate similar performances in the 2014/15 season. Toure has started well and he’d definitely be a big asset to the club if he keeps similar form until the end of this season. David Silva was unsurprisingly outstanding against the Hawthorns. The Spaniard is one of the best players in the Premier League and on his day he can be a big threat to any great club side in the world. Last but certainly not the least, Sergio Aguero looked lethal in the first match, although he didn’t get on the score sheet after coming off the bench.

Asmir Begovic will get his Premier League debut for Chelsea on Sunday as Thirbaut Courtois remains suspended following the red card against Swansea last weekend.

Raheem Sterling came close to getting his first goal for City last week but if he manages to make an impact against Chelsea, he’d get on the good side of City faithful as early as now.

SENSE8 107: W.W.N. Double D? Recap

sense8 107 sun in prison 2015 imagesThe seventh episode of “Sense8,” “W.W.N. Double D?” or “What would Nancy Drew Do?” continues the series’ slow approach when it comes to the sci-fi elements. Disappointingly enough, the majority of the 7th episode is filled with slow-paced scenes that continue building the problems each character faces.

This episode begins with Sun being put into her prison cell with three other women. Initially the cellmates question Sun’s actions and decision to embezzle and almost ruin her family’s company (although it was all actually her brother’s doings), but soon the three women warm up to Sun and begin telling her their own stories.

All three of the women had to take back their power in some way or another against a man in their lives. Whether it be poisoning their husband or pushing their father down a elevator shaft, these women make it clear that they needed to escape abusive situations. One of the more powerful lines of the scene comes from an inmate who explains that the only place to find a brave and honest woman is in prison. This statement shed a different light on Sun’s decision to take the blame for her brother’s mistakes.

sense8 wwn double d 107 lito hit by ex 2015 imagesConcurrently, Lito, his actual boyfriend Hernando and his Hollywood “girlfriend” Daniela, return home from a dinner. They are surprised to find Daniela’s ex-boyfriend visibly upset with Daniela’s decision to leave him and expresses a jealousy over her and Lito’s newfound companionship.

Not long after, as Lito, Hernando and Daniela are hanging out at their apartment, Lito gets a text from Daniela’s phone. The text includes an explicit picture of Lito and Hernando having sex that Daniela had saved on her phone and it becomes clear that Daniela’s ex had stolen her cellular and now has the ability to ruin Lito’s career and reputation in Hollywood (as he portrays himself as a heterosexual in the public eye). The explicit picture, we understand, is therefore a blackmail photo.

Over in Kenya, Capheus is continuing to transport Silas’ daughter to and from the hospital for her leukemia treatments. He is just about to drop her off when he is informed that Silas is actually there this time to greet his daughter and talk to Corpheus.

Corpheus and Silas’ daughter are lead up to a roof top celebration. Silas had set up a party filled with family, friends and presents for his daughter. Silas smiles as he explains just how much his daughter means to him to Corpheus.

The celebratory tone however does not last long as Silas escorts Corpheus down to a baron room where Silas’ associates are surrounding a man with a bag over his head. Silas explains this man to be the person who formerly had Corpheus’ position in his company. He goes on to tell Corpheus that he was disappointed because this former employee of his was greedy and jeopardized his company’s integrity. Silas shows his ruthlessness to Corpheus as he ties a butcher’s apron onto himself and cuts the hands off of the man whom Corpheus has now replaced.

I think this gave Corpheus a bit of a reality check into what he has gotten himself into. He realizes he is not simply a chauffeur to Silas’ daughter.

In this episode, there was also another “visit” between Kala and Wolfgang, who have had an obvious romantic tension between them in previous episodes. They discuss their opposing views and beliefs on science, religion and faith, yet find themselves almost sharing a kiss as they have an undeniable connection with one another. I think with scenes like this, Sense8 is aggressively trying to express a message to be accepting of each other’s differences.

Wolfgang’s scenes in this episode are unfortunately not all love-filled. Later in the episode, we see Wolfgang questioning his partner as he panics to close up their shop. His partner expresses concern as one of their business associates is failing to communicate and he has a feeling that they are in danger. Moments later, Wolfgang is shocked as his partner is shot through the window of the store by a gang driving by.

Meanwhile, Nomi reveals to her girlfriend Amanita that she had a past of crime and was only let off easy because of her family’s wealth. However, this connection allowed her to reach out to a former friend Bug, who sets her up with hacking equipment so that Nomi can track her doctor’s phone.

Nomi is successful in cloning Dr. Metzger’s phone and is able to call his most recent contact “Dr. Matheson,” an off-putting bearded man who was present in the first episode’s scene with Angelica.

Nomi and Amanita are able to get enough information off of Metzger’s phone to find his apartment and snoop around trying to figure out what is really going on. As they are at his apartment, “Dr. Matheson” shows up, taking on the form of one of Dr. Metzger’s lobotomized patients. This is when Nomi gets a “visit” from Jonas who warns Nomi of “Dr. Matheson,” whom he identifies as Whispers, and instills in her that he is an extremely dangerous man.

While there are some interesting build-ups, until this point Sense8 has seemed more like a drama than a sci-fi series. It is filled with various stories that have unique problems but they aren’t quite the unearthly stories that I was hoping for. While the characters pop in and out of each other’s lives every so often, their connection to each other has only had some minimal impacts on the stories being told. My only hope at this point is in Nomi’s story and this mysterious man named Whispers who has just entered the picture.

Detroit Lions Suffer Massive Defensive Bleeding & Fail to Bolster Overrated Offense

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detroit lions suffer defensive bleeding nfl 2015 images2014 was a tough year for the Detroit Lions and their fans. The team did really well for the majority of the season, but ended up losing out on the division championship that they were frontrunners to win for a while. They made the playoffs; but after leading for the majority of the game, they had the W stolen from them on arguably the worst picked-up flag incident in NFL history.

Things didn’t get much better this offseason. Detroit lost a lot of talent and weren’t able to recover nearly as much in free agency—especially on defense.

Saying the Lions’ defense carried the team in 2014 would be an understatement. Through the first half of the season, the Lions defense was actually better than that of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Ndamukong Suh held down the entire defensive line, making them one of the top in the NFL easily, especially in run stuffing.

Well, Suh left to join the Miami Dolphins. Then Nick Fairley left. Then C.J. Mosley left. Talk about leaving a void. The Lions basically went from top-3 defensive lines in professional football to nothing overnight.

The front office did their best to stop the bleeding by bringing in Baltimore Ravens star Haloti Ngata, which was a great pickup. Ngata is 31, but he is still a dominant force in the league. On top of that, Ziggy Ansah is still there. Between Ansah, Ngata, and the additional signing of Tyrunn Walker, the Lions won’t be nearly as good on the line, but at least they can compete.

The Lions’ offense is about the same as last season, and although it should be fantastic, it probably won’t be. History says that it’ll fizzle out and not even come close to the high expectations.

Making the playoffs will probably be a long shot for the Lions in 2015. The first five weeks will be critical either way, as the Lions open up against the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos. If the Lions start out 2-3 or 1-4 because of these games, it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season. Don’t forget they still need to matchup against the Green Bay Packers twice.

The Lions should be able to win about eight or nine games this season, but in the NFC that doesn’t necessarily translate to a playoff appearance. They’ll need to do a lot better than that if they want to go anywhere come January.

Chicago Bears Still Suffering from Jay Cutler’s Absolutely Apathetic Attitude

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jay cutler suffers chicago bears with attitude nfl 2015 imagesAfter becoming the latest on a long list of overpaid players, Jay Cutler was absolutely dreadful yet again in 2014. As a result, the Chicago Bears finished 5-11, despite boasting the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL last season.

No one was surprised when the general manager was fired.

The problem with Cutler is that he just couldn’t care less about the Bears or whether they win or lose. He’s not a competitor, he’s just an employee. Football is a job to him.

The Bears did all they could to unload Cutler this offseason, but no team in their right mind would pick up a player for $20 million a season that can’t seem to win a single game. So now they’re stuck with him yet again. There’s a reason USA Today predicted Chicago to finish with a league-worst 2-14 record.

But this really isn’t news. Cutler sucks. He’ll throw ugly passes to avoid getting hit and toss easily interceptable balls when he gets tired of being on the field. Let’s talk about the rest of the offense:

Although Cutler deserves the brunt of the blame, the Bears offensive line wasn’t exactly praiseworthy. Kyle Long and Matt Slauson will be back in 2015, but unless Jermon Bushrod can return to his old form they’ll continue to have some issues.

Despite a subpar line and QB, the Bears may be one of the most talented offensive units in the league. Brandon Marshall was traded away, but Chicago still boasts Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and now Kevin White and Eddie Royal. If these guys were playing with Peyton Manning, this would be my fantasy football lineup, but they aren’t that lucky.

Forte is arguably the best running back in the NFL right now. His numbers regressed a bit in 2014, but that is most likely do to the injuries on the offensive line. With White and Royal added to Jeffery, teams will have to start respecting the pass even with Cutler throwing it, leaving more running room and lanes for Forte to burst through.

I wouldn’t give the Bears more than six or seven wins in 2015, but with any luck and maybe less than 18 interceptions this time around by Cutler, they just may be able to prove USA Today wrong.

Michael Sam’s NFL Window Closing

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michael sam closing window on nfl teams 2015Michael Sam has had a lot of firsts in his football career. Being taken in the NFL draft is no small accomplishment. Facing the heat of being the first openly gay player drafted certainly tested the man. The NFL didn’t work out for the former Missouri Tigers standout, but his professional career isn’t over just yet. Sam became the first openly gay player to appear in a Canadian Football League game this past weekend.

Let’s not get this game confused with a monumental event that will change the game of football. I’m sure this game was important for those in the gay community that want role models in the game of football. But the average fan is not going to be blown away by Michael Sam recording no tackles, no sacks, and just entering the game for 12 total plays. Hope you didn’t have the guy in your CFL fantasy league. Actually, I hope there’s no such CFL fantasy league available.

Sam did not even dress out for his Montreal Alouettes for the first five games of the season. That’s not a positive sign for his football future obviously. Football teams don’t get very excited about players that don’t dress out then get zero tackles once they do make it onto the field.

Now there seems to be a fair amount of resentment in the CFL over Sam. “Michael Sam hasn’t played a down of football north of the border and he has gotten a thousand times more recognition than Randy Chevrier, who won the Tom Pate Award [for outstanding sportsmanship and someone who has made a significant contribution to his team, his community and CFLPA]. That’s pathetic. You guys [in the media] should be embarrassed,” one anonymous source said.

Anonymous quotes aren’t the most reliable or damning news items normally. But there seems to be too much resentment aimed at Michael Sam to ignore. Players have no choice but go along with a top tier player getting special treatment. That’s the way of the world. For a guy that has barely seen the field to be getting perceived benefit of the doubt is quite another.

Of course Sam is going to get attention. That was inevitable once he stepped out of the closet. That doesn’t mean he should get any extra leeway though. Either he can play or he cannot. Gay or straight, pro football teams need players that can make an impact. If things continue in this fashion, Sam is not long for the game, even though he is signed to a two year deal.

Michael Sam can play football. You don’t just win defensive player of the year in the SEC with blind luck. The kid was voted the best defensive player in the best conference in college football. That’s an honor than any football player would love to receive, but it doesn’t guarantee success at the next level. How many successful college players have hit the wall once they made it to the NFL? The name “Tim Tebow” mean anything to you? Does RGII or Trent Richardson ring a disappointing bell?

Sam hit that wall in the NFL and may hit another one soon in the CFL. If he can’t cut it there, he best freshen up his resume. There aren’t many options past the Canadian Football League so he will be selling insurance sooner or later.

I realize many people were pulling for Michael Sam. But he can’t just be a feel good story. He has to be able to help a team win games. If not dressing out for most of the season then being a nonfactor once he got a shot last weekend is any indication, Sam’s window will soon be shut.

I can envision the reaction when and if Michael Sam is no longer on any professional football team. Many will blame teams for not wanting to deal with a gay player. I’m certain some teams don’t want those issues to contend with, but let me assure you all that if Sam was averaging two sacks a game and seven tackles, no GM would care that he prefers men over women.

It’s not over for Michael Sam just yet, but he won’t be given the benefit of the doubt forever. Being a great college player only buys you so much time as a professional football player. Gotta be able to do the same thing in the pros as you did in college. So far Sam has not shown any signs that he can make that happen.

CATFISH 412 Recap: Bye Falesha

catfish 412 recap bye falesha 2015Episode 12 is the final episode of season 4 of MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show” revolves around Falesha, who discovered a mysterious profile of a girl named “Jacqueline,” someone who was using her pictures (Falesha’s) throughout a social media profile.

Falesha, a 19-year-old girl from a small town just outside of Pittsburgh, emails Nev and Max as she is concerned about having her identity stolen. While communicating with them she recounts her experience five years ago when she discovered a fake profile, where a girl who called herself Jacqueline used her pictures and would harass people at her high school. Eventually, “Jacqueline” even changed her name to Falesha on the site stealing even more of her identity.

For the past four years Jacqueline had stopped and therefore Falesha just left the incident as it was.

First, Nev and Max video-chat with the real Falesha, who is asking for their help. She explains how it all began, telling Nev and Max that she noticed the profile when she was around 14-15 years old. Initially, using her pictures, “Jacqueline” would post very explicit sexual and vulgar posts. Then it progressed as “Jacqueline” changed her name to Falesha and began adding students and teachers from the real Falesha’s school.

Falesha tells Max and Nev she had a hard time in high school as many people had a hard time believing Falesha it wasn’t actually her, posting and messaging them inappropriate things. She also reveals that the person who set up the account has called Falesha, so she knows it is a girl. In addition, her mother was able to track down the phone number to somewhere in Maryland.

The team head off to Pittsburgh to meet with Falesha and hopefully sort this whole mess out.

Nev and Max make it to Falesha’s house and meet with her and her mother, Christy. Max establishes that this isn’t the usual situation they deal with on the show; this is a “copy catfish.”

Since the profile has resurfaced, Falesha was able to report the fake profile and luckily it got taken down quickly. However, the fact that the profile has been once again active in harassing people all over the Internet scares Falesha.

Nev and Max decide it is time to stop this fake profile right in its tracks before something serious happens (considering the account has been bullying people across the country).

So the journey begins…

Nev and Max first go through the messages the real Falesha had received from people telling her all the horrible things “Jacqueline” had done.

 

They eventually contact a girl named Jennifer who lives in North Carolina. She said Jacqueline used to post insults all over her photos. Once other victims told Jennifer that the account was fake, she decided to create a fake guy profile and flirt with Jacqueline to find out who she really was (otherwise known as “catfishing the catfish”).

Jennifer was successful and eventually got Jacqueline’s account information, where she figured out her real name was Tracey Barbie. Jennifer changed all the account settings and closed the account.

The guys are impressed with Jennifer’s cyber-hunting skills, but are shocked and anxious to tell Falesha what they have discovered about Jacqueline.

Nev and Max meet up with Falesha and show her the profile of “Tracey Barbie,” the girl who is apparently behind all of this. Not surprisingly, Falesha does not recognize her.

Nev goes right into calling Tracey who answers and right away admits to making the fake Jacqueline account (even laughs while confessing). Nev, noticeably unimpressed with her relentless giggling, asks to meet up with Tracey so they can discuss the wide effect her little online roleplaying has had. She agrees, seemingly un-phased by being called out for her horrible actions (she basically is so giddy during the phone call that she comes off as a psychopath).

So Nev, Max and Falesha drive out to Maryland to meet Tracey – someone who is insane.

Tracey sees Falesha standing behind Nev in the driveway and says, “Ew, I don’t like her, because she stole all of Jacqueline’s friends.” It’s safe to say Falesha is pissed overhearing this and Tracey has made it pretty clear she is crazy.

They go into Tracey’s house and Tracey explains the reason behind Jacqueline, saying “I was bored with my life, so I wanted to be someone else. Like the whole Jacqueline thing was like the whole Miley-Hannah thing…”

She then goes on to tell them that she thinks Falesha deserves all the hate she has gotten due to the fake Jacqueline account, because “she thinks she’s a model and thinks she’s all that.

Max comes straight out and asks Tracey “do you take drugs?” which she denies while going into a laughing fit (not too convincing).

Nev asks Tracey how she would feel if someone committed suicide because of her cyber-bulling, in which Tracey boldly states “I woudn’t cry! Like, would you want me to cry?! It’s not my fault…”

The team abruptly leaves as Tracey just keeps getting crazier and Max establishes there is “no point,” as it was obvious there was no hope in getting through to her.

But, they haven’t given up on Tracey yet, so the next day they give it another shot, this time meeting both Tracey and her mom.

Tracey’s mom is aware of Tracey’s fake account, but wasn’t aware of the severity of the messages Tracey was sending (i.e. go kill yourself).

This is when it is revealed that Tracey’s father used to be really strict on her, but he fell sick and was no longer to control her anymore. This is when Tracey decided to create the Jacqueline account and “do whatever she wants.”

Nev, Max and Falesha sit down and tell her that she can be charged with cyber-bullying. Although she continues to giggle, it seems that Tracey finally somewhat accepts the severity of her behavior.

Tracey decides to apologize to Falesha, which gives Falesha the opportunity to lecture Tracey about her actions and hopefully drive home the whole point of their meeting.

Two months later, there has been no activity on the Jacqueline account and Falesha is moving on with her life. Tracey says she has stopped cyber-bullying and is now in a relationship where she is able to talk about how she feels.

Unfortunately, her overly-giddy behavior is still present, but hopefully her craziness is now contained to her life and not to numerous others.

TOTAL DIVAS 405: Tea Mode & Eva Marie’s Bruise Cover Up

Past love and bruises were the big topics on this week’s episode of “Total Divas” the divas prepared for their overseas tour. Alicia Fox admitted she still loves ex-boyfriend Wade Barrett even though he has a girlfriend. Alicia Fox met a basketball player backstage at RAW that she was attracted to.

Eva Marie said she was feeling more confident now that she is training again. Brie said she and Daniel Bryan wouldn’t be together on their first wedding anniversary because they were being sent to different places for the overseas tour. Alicia Fox said that she knows Wade Barrett and his girlfriend are having issues and that she would be able to tell Wade she still loves him.

Eva Marie went to a body paint artist so he could cover up her bruises from training. After she posted a photo on Instagram of her with bruises she said people thought her husband was beating her. She and Jonathan went out to a restaurant and someone at the restaurant offered her help if she was being abused. Eva Marie felt awkward after that so they left the restaurant.

eva marie jonathan bruise cover up total divas 2015 405

In Ireland Alicia Fox and Natalya talked about Alicia’s feelings for Wade Barrett. Rosa said Alicia should move forward and not think about the past. Alicia said she wanted to tell Wade she still loves him but she is afraid of being rejected. Natalya kept pushing Alicia to talk to Wade to give herself closure.

Alicia knocked on Wade’s hotel room door while Natalya and Naomi hid from sight. She then freaked out and ran away before he could answer the door.

Brie and Nikki got ready for tea time with Paige. Nikki said tea time was fun but Paige didn’t seem to like it. She said she felt stupid and tea time wasn’t for her. After Paige left Nikki speculated that she did something wrong. Paige went to a bar and hung out with Lana and Naomi. Paige accused Nikki of being phony at tea time and Nikki said she was a bitch for it.

Paige talked to Brie about how Paige didn’t like tea time even though Nikki did. Paige said she and Nikki are in two different stages of life right now.

Nikki and John Cena took Brie out to celebrate her wedding anniversary since Daniel Bryan wasn’t with her. Nikki talked about how she always wanted to be glamorous when she was younger.

Rosa Mendes called Alicia a homewrecker for pursing Wade Barrett even though he has a girlfriend.

The divas arrived in London for a show and Alicia spotted Wade Barrett and his new girlfriend backstage. She said she only wants the best for Wade but it killed her to be nice to his girlfriend.

Paige apologized to Nikki for disliking tea time. Nikki said that the way Paige acted hurt her but she understood she and Paige were different.

Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox went to a bar after the show and Alicia said it was time for her to put herself out there and meet someone.

BIG BROTHER 1721 Vanessa Feels Becky’s Game

big brother 1721 vanessa feels becky game play 2015 imagesVanessa said she didn’t think Becky had any game in her last week, but she felt it hit her hard on tonight’s episode of “Big Brother.” Steve said he and Becky don’t get along so since he’s up for eviction this week he hopes she goes up for eviction next week. Shelli said she was alone now and was going into the game guns a blazin’. Vanessa told Shelli she is the only one in the game she trusts. Shelli said she should tell Vanessa she’s a target for eviction but that isn’t good for Shelli’s game. Vanessa asked Steve to pick her for this week’s power of veto. John said he needed to be close with Shelli because he doesn’t have many allies in the game. He also said their goal was to send Vanessa home. Shelli said now that Clay is gone from the game she is leaning on John because she really needs him, Steve said he wanted to help Vanessa by making himself a target instead of her. John said no one was going after Steve even though Steve didn’t realize that. Steve and John said they were trusting each other. They agreed Vanessa is the smartest person in the game and she needs to go.

Liz said her relationship with Austin is growing because his personality has finally won her over. Becky picked Austin and Shelli chose Vanessa to participate in this week’s power of veto competition. Steve chose Meg for the competition. Steve and John were upset Shelli chose Vanessa for the power of veto competition this week. Shelli said John looked unhappy he wasn’t chosen for the competition.

This week’s power of veto competition was for one player at a time. Each player had to ride a zipline, look at a wall of comic books and memorize the order of the titles to replicate the order on a life sized computer screen. Shelli said Becky told her she’s not a target this week but Shelli still wanted to win power of veto to keep herself safe in the game. Steve said he wanted to win power of veto because you never know what could happen when you’re up for eviction. He complained Becky kept screwing him over in this game. Vanessa said she needed to win power of veto to protect herself.

big brother 1721 vanessa blindsided by becky 2015Becky said it would be horrible if Vanessa wins power of veto. Steve ended up winning power of veto for the week and Becky was ecstatic over this because it kept her from getting into a sticky situation in the game. James said Becky seemed like a straight shooter. He also said he was trying to stay out of everything this week. Vanessa said she got extra blood on her hands keeping her word to Becky and Vanessa thought Becky owed her for that. Becky said she didn’t owe Vanessa anything.

Vanessa said she and Becky speak two different languages but they have a deal in place. Meg declared that Vanessa was going home this week. Steve put on the power of veto necklace and called the veto meeting to order. He used the power of veto for himself so Becky named Vanessa as her replacement. Becky said she never knew who Vanessa was with and who she was against and that she dropped her support of other housemates whenever it suited her needs and that’s why she was chosen to go up for eviction. Shelli said she had to make sure Vanessa went home. John said it was about time Vanessa was up for eviction because she had put so many other people up for eviction.

BALLERS 108: Gaslighting & This Show Needs More Gas

ballers 108 charles pushing truck images 2015Lucky for “Ballers viewers, Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson) is going to be fine. His brain is intact according to his doctor. An early demise by Spencer and this show would not make it on Youtube, much less HBO. I will give credit where it’s due.  This episode eight was not terrible. I guess that’s a compliment at this point.

Spencer is still not living the best possible life from a health standpoint. He is still having some psychological issues and still turns to that little brown bottle when things get stressful. He does leave the doctor’s office feeling great and singing along with the radio. The Rock must have the biggest smile in show biz today. Even a phone call from Vernon can’t throw him off after the good medical news. Vernon is wearing a robe fit for a king or a fool, you pick. He is stressed about his contract and those pictures that are still in the hands of vengeful Angela.

How did A-Rod and Jeter get tossed under the bus in this episode? Ricky is called classless by his buddy and compared to A-Rod for his bathroom escapades. Jeter wasn’t hit too hard, and maybe gift baskets are a good way to say farewell to a one night or couple week stand. This is an even numbered episode so I guess that is the pattern for a changed Ricky. Look for episode nine to be more scummy behavior from old #18.

I can see where Spencer and Joe’s boss would be upset about the yacht party. I can see how his other clients could get nervous about having their financial lives tied up with a business that allows drug fueled orgies on their sea vessels. I don’t know if shutting the operation down is a level headed move, but the guy owns a yacht so I’m guessing he knows his business.

The boss makes it clear he never wanted Spencer aboard anyway so he best fix the situation pronto. Spencer didn’t back down, making it clear he was the bridge to NFL type clients. Corporate guys would never stand a chance of signing guys like Victor Cruz, Ricky Jerret, or Vernon Littlefield. Spence sees himself as some kind of knucklehead whisperer I guess.

Stop me if you’ve heard this story line before. Joe wants to set up his own shop along with Spencer. Mad Men anyone? Ari Gold anyone? It’s cool though. I don’t know where the show should go from here so what’s the harm.

Clearly Charles Greane has what it takes to still make an NFL team. Pushing a full sized truck while in neutral is a feat only an All Pro lineman can perform. Actually it can be done by any moron who runs out of gas. The SUV push up the ramp was more impressive and Charles really did seem fired up. The guy loves the spirit of competition so he’s not long for the car dealership gig.

Ricky makes a bold, yet still insane move by buying Bella a $400K ring. Girl is one bad lady, but half a mil? I’m not sure she couldn’t have been replaced a bit cheaper with a newer model. Either way she was unhappy with the effort so she tossed the rock into a fountain. Ricky looked like a buffoon as he searched the water for a ring that would feed a third world village in Detroit for a year.

Spencer’s good day continued as his lady friend Tracy gave him some good advice on dealing with Angela. Tracy doesn’t know how many pills her guy is eating daily or she would not have been so free with her praise.

It took me a second to realize Joe was listening to some rap tunes as he was driving and getting ready to poach Victor Cruz from his soon to be former boss. He manages to get Cruz to agree to come over to the new shop once open, but is required to get a tattoo of Cruz doing the salsa. Probably hard to explain that one to any ladies in the future. Cruz empathizes with Joe not having a boss that appreciates his hard work. Cruz will really feel the same once N.Y. has to give Odell Beckham a fat contract that will leave Cruz on the chopping block in real life.
ballers 108 dwayne johnson bulge with gaslighting woman 2015 imagesSpencer’s meeting with Angela went OK once he apologized to her for making her feel “passed around.” They had built her character up to be pretty damn unreasonable, and she caves that easy? Well, she did get a nice payday in the process. Vernon is safe for the moment until the next dumb move. He best sign a deal with Dallas before Reggie gets him in another mess.

Ballers has two episodes left to make a major impact on the audience in preparation for 2016. I need to see much more of the positive points and a lot less of the weak ass characters like Reggie in order to keep my DVR set to catch the show next year.

Google Plus Minus YouTube: Is Google Plus Done For Now?

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google plus minus youtube service tech 2015 imagesAfter forcing users to sign up for a Google Plus account before being able to comment on videos, Google has announced that it needs to rethink the controversial move. That forcing their users to link their YouTube account with Google Plus was a bad idea. So recently they decoupled YouTube and Google Plus. YouTube comments will no longer appear on user’s timelines, as they should have been in the first place. With YouTube’s uncoupling, along with other reversals, many now speculate that Google’s struggling social network is now taking its last gasps before sinking into the internet’s dark forgotten depths.

Due to Facebook’s meteoric rise in the last decade, Google saw it fit to create a social media platform of their own. Unfortunately, Google’s efforts have failed to gain the critical mass it was hoping for. Google Plus continues to rank below Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in social networking, messaging, marketing and business use. As of April 2015, one social media statistic site ranks Google Plus below Reddit in the number of unique users. Google Plus, for many users exists as a shadow of their YouTube and Gmail account. It’s only there because they need one and they don’t have to use it. With Facebook’s dominance, it’s difficult for users to consider even having more than one Social Media website with the same purpose. During the site’s invite-only phase, I was a bit excited not knowing what I’ll find. I was invited by a friend but found the site bland and unappealing. Besides, everything was happening on Facebook and Twitter. I had no need for another social media platform. I don’t even have Instagram. I didn’t even have Google Plus to turn to when Facebook accidentally kicked me out. For that I turned to Ello, an artist-centric social media site unbound by corporate interest which unfortunately now shares Google Plus’ fate when it comes to my browsing habits. I had to get back to Facebook because everyone I knew was there. Google Plus apparently reinvented itself with a Pinterest-like presentation and has become interest-oriented. It worked for eBay after all. But even then I’m not compelled to jump in because I already have Pinterest for that. Pinterest now exceeds Facebook in my browsing sessions.

google plus splits from youtube 2015 techBut this is not about me and many might agree with my sentiment to Google Plus. Perhaps, during the heat of things with Facebook and Twitter, Google Plus shouldn’t have been invite only in the first place. Many could have joined in. Now the site is struggling to keep or grab the attention of its current users. Currently, the social media site is somewhere above or below 30 percent in user percentage but actual usage is something else. Perhaps logging into Gmail or YouTube counts as usage. Now that Gmail and YouTube have been detached from Google Plus, the network’s use percentage rating could further dip, hence the takedown rumors.

Many users welcome Google’s ‘rethinking’. Having a Google Plus account shouldn’t be a prerequisite to praise or slam some YouTube video nor should it be necessary to create a YouTube channel. YouTube was a social media platform by itself before getting bought by Google. Besides, no one likes being forced to create another social media account they’ll never use anyway. For people already heavily invested in Facebook, Google Plus seems redundant. For Google, it’s a waste of resources.

To each his own though as many call Google Plus their home instead of Facebook. Many who appreciate Google’s other services like Gmail and Google Apps might as well stick closer to home. But even they would rather have separate personas when it comes to real life and as a YouTube celebrity or commenter. Spewing expletives at a YouTube video that deserves vitriol and seeing that appear in the Google Plus timeline can be embarrassing. Praising, agreeing or simply liking a potentially offensive or non-politically correct video can have implications when it appears in the Google Plus timeline. Gmail integrated with Google Plus may be handy but feels like a security risk. Besides, homemade email didn’t work for Facebook. The email address Facebook gave me, never used it once. So yes, removing integration is a good idea.

So after this, where is Google Plus headed? To that better place, or to a real better place now that Google is getting its act together and reorganizing to improve its focus, which has come under critique for some time now. Google is now separate from its other ventures but all come under the new Alphabet umbrella. Ideas, that’s what they’re good at and a focused idea is better than throwing mud at the wall and use what sticks. With that, Google Plus may have a future because somewhere about 30 percent of social media users still think so.

Lamar Odom Hunts Down Khloe Kardashian & Ariel Winter Downsized

lamar odom hunts down khloe kardashian at gym 2015 gossipTMZ broke the story today that Lamar Odom confronted ex-wife Khloe Kardashian around 7 am Wednesday morning as she was entering SoulCycle in Beverly Hills.

The reality star was shocked by Lamar’s appearance and apparently began yelling at him immediately as she realized he was approaching her. Eyewitnesses tell TMZ that Lamar was demanding that Khloe talked to him. However, Khloe was noticeably distraught and kept walking. Lamar was able to catch up to her and touched her arm, when she screamed, “Get off of me, get off of me. Stop, Stop.”

Another witness at the scene asked Khloe if she wanted them to call the cops, however Lamar interjected saying, “You’re not going to call the cops on Lamar Odom.”

The last thing heard was Khloe asking Lamar how he knew she would be there. Moments later, Khloe dashed off to her car and drove away.

The couple finally signed divorce papers last month, after a messy break-up. Just recently, Khloe has opened up about always loving Lamar, but his erratic behavior (drug use, going missing, etc.) eventually led to their split.

ariel winter breast surgery 2015 gossipModern Family’s 17-year-old Ariel Winter opened up in an interview with Glamour magazine about her decision to get breast reduction surgery. The star went down to a 34D from her natural 32F that she felt was causing numerous problems within her life and career.

The star explains that her chest often overshadowed the acting work she was doing, saying:

“That’s pretty much all I was known for and that upset me. It made me feel really uncomfortable, because as women in the industry, we are totally oversexualized and treated like objects. Every article that has to do with me on a red carpet always had to do with ‘Ariel Winter’s Crazy Cleavage!’ or ‘Ariel Winter Shows Huge Boob at An Event!’ That’s all people would recognize me by, not, ‘Oh, she does great work on Modern Family.”

On top of issues with her career, she also struggled physically because of her breast size. Ariel explains:

“It was so painful. I had a lot of back problems. I really couldn’t stand up straight for a long period of time. It started to hurt so bad that I couldn’t take the pain. My neck was hurting so bad and I actually had some problems with my spine..”

The star also revealed that she has gotten a lot of support from her fellow Modern Family cast members. Ariel recounts:

“I [only] told Julie Bowen (Ariel’s TV mom) because I had talked to her before about my desire to have the surgery. She was really supportive and understanding. I just say Sofia [Vergara] the other day and she was like, ‘Oh my God! I love them! They’re great!’ I was like, ‘This is hilarious.’ It’s funny, it’s like the guys don’t want to say anything, so they don’t and they just like [think] ‘There’s a change.’ Which is good I mean [laughs], but it’s funny now for them to notice and see the reactions. Everyone is really happy for me and have been super supportive. They understand I’ve been struggling with this for so many years.”

In the past, Ariel has had to hide her developed chest on Modern Family with big sweaters or “strapping [herself] down.” However, she reveals that this was difficult to do everyday and is more confident moving forward after her surgery.

Geno Smith Gets Broken Jaw over $600 But New York Jets QB Situation is Real Punchline

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geno smith broken jaw new york jets 2015As if things couldn’t get any worse for the New York Jets, quarterback Geno Smith will be out 6-10 weeks with a broken jaw that resulted from a locker room dispute with linebacker IK Enemkpali.

Enemkpali purchased a $600 plane ticket for Smith to fly out to Pflugerville, Texas and attend his football camp on July 11. Smith accepted the ticket; however, he did not make it to the camp due to the death of a close friend a few days before. IK wasn’t too happy about that, and Smith agreed to reimburse him the $600. Well, as of Tuesday (August 11), Smith had made no attempt to give Enemkpali his cash.

Enemkpali confronted Smith in the locker room, and the situation escalated to a one-hit KO and a broken jaw for the team’s QB.

Good luck explaining that to head coach Todd Bowles.

“It had nothing to do with football. It was something very childish,” said Bowles. “He got cold-cocked, sucker-punched, whatever you want to call it, in the jaw. He has a broken jaw, fractured jaw. The team knows it’s something we don’t tolerate, something we can’t stand. You don’t walk up to a man and punch him in the face.”

Apparently the NFL is becoming more violent on the field too (yes, that was a shot at Ray Rice, Junior Galette, and Adrian Peterson).

new york jets geno smith punched out of nfl games 2015To be fair to Enemkpali, it was also reported by former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark that Geno egged him on by putting fingers in his face and telling him he isn’t going to do anything about it. That’s like telling a madman with a knife, ‘what are you going to do, stab me?’

Talk about a new low for an already-sad franchise.

Things were starting to look up, too. Smith was actually starting to show improvement coming into 2015. That’s right, I said it. Hear me out before you stop reading:

The Jets just brought in Brandon Marshall, drafted Devin Smith, and retained Eric Decker. A little help from Chris Ivory and new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, and maybe—just maybe—Smith could have surprised a few people this season. The defense will generate some turnovers, and so it was all looking up.

Breaking your jaw in a locker room fight with a teammate is the kind of thing that would ruin your momentum though.

In other news, guess which subpar quarterback just earned yet another starting job? That’s right, Ryan Fitzpatrick is back!

After orchestrating the Houston Texans to his first winning season as a starter in the NFL despite many failed attempts with just about every other team imaginable, Fitzpatrick has been declared “our starter” by Bowles already. Telling you that Fitzpatrick only did slightly better than Geno Smith in 2014 should be all you need to know about him.

Ever since the rapid decline of Mark Sanchez and the addition of the word ‘buttfumble’ into the dictionary, the Jets’ quarterback situation has been laughable. Smith, Tim Tebow, an old Michael Vick, and now Ryan Fitzpatrick have all been a part of the attempt to clean it up, and (spoiler alert) they all failed.

The Jets only have one other quarterback on the roster with Smith out, but rookie Bryce Petty has been struggling greatly at training camp. Their solution? Reach out to former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman…

C’mon, Jets.

No, I don’t have a better idea, but it’s not my job to fix their problems. My job is to make fun of them when they make their problems worse.

Let’s just pray nothing happens to Eli Manning.