Page 629 – Movie TV Tech Geeks News

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Oliver Hudson Abandoned & Caitlyn Jenner’s Pride

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June 29, 2015

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Oliver Hudson Abandoned & Caitlyn Jenner’s Pride

A week after Oliver Hudson posted an Instagram picture expressing his feelings of abandonment by his father Bill Hudson, the latter has chosen to respond in a bold way. In an interview Bill explained that Goldie Hawn, the ex-wife and the mother of both Oliver and Kate, began portraying Bill as “the big, bad wolf” right after she began dating Kurt Russell. He explains that Goldie would exaggerate and even lie about Bill as a father and husband in order to “make a better story.”

Bill’s response to Oliver’s public feelings of abandonment by him didn’t stop there. He went on to express his feelings of hurt from Oliver’s post on Instagram. This included going on to say that he had five birth children but now feels that he is just the father to three. He explained that he no longer recognizes Oliver and Kate to be his own and would even like them to stop using his last name, Hudson.

Surprisingly, this isn’t even the worst of what Bill publicly proclaimed as he went on to say:

“He [Oliver] is dead to me now. As is Kate. I am mourning their loss even though they are still walking this earth.”

It is unfortunate that the matters of this dysfunctional family are being played out so publicly.

Oliver Hudson, Instagram post:

Happy abandonment day… @katehudson

A photo posted by Oliver Hudson (@theoliverhudson) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:18pm PDT

We’ve seen Drake and Nina Dobrev run up the ranks following their roles on Degrassi. Now, joining them is Aislinn Paul, who played the role of Claire for the past few seasons of the show. Aislinn took to Instagram to announce her new role on NBC’s Heroes Reborn, which is a continuation of their series from a few years back, Heroes.

The show will focus on a new group of everyday people with extraordinary abilities, but it has been confirmed that actor Jack Coleman will be reprising his role as Noah Bennet on the series reboot.

Aislin Paul, Instagram post:

I am so excited to tell you guys that I have officially joined the @nbcheroesreborn family!!! It's surreal, I can't believe it. I was a huge fan of the original show and I can't explain how amazing it feels to be part of the new chapter. I can't wait to share all of this with you guys ???

A post shared by Aislinn Paul (@aislinnpaul) on Jun 26, 2015 at 4:58pm PDT

Caitlyn Jenner was officially in attendance at the NYC Pride Event. Pictures and video have surfaced of her making a grand entrance into the PH-D Rooftop Lounge in the Dream Downtown Hotel to watch the 2015 Gay Pride Parade.

With a crowd cheering her name, Caitlyn was all smiles donning curling locks and a basic white tee. Onlookers have reported that cameras were following Caitlyn and filming for her upcoming docu-series on E! I am Cait, which premieres July 26th, 2015.

When Police Become the Hackers

Tech News

Marius Manuella

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June 29, 2015

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Special police squads or teams are a staple of movies and television like CSI, The Mod Squad, and Miami Vice. Whether they’re real or not, they make law enforcement seem pretty cool and more exciting. The most exciting real police team I know of is SWAT. But now in the modern era, there are plenty of threats and crimes such as online prostitution, phishing, identity theft, ransomware, cyber-terrorism, online drug sales such as Silk Road; the list goes on. There are already several special police and federal teams assigned to handle such problems; but now a new team has to be formed due to a serious change in the cyberworld. Get ready because the police will soon be required to become professional hackers.

With the recent clipping of the NSA’s wings by the USA Freedom Act, and the encouragement of tech companies for users to employ encryption (also due to the NSA), law enforcement is currently in a bind as it’s more difficult to monitor encrypted communications than ordinary ones. If ordinary users can easily use encrypted communications as peddled by tech companies, criminals can too. It will be tougher for law enforcement to track illegal drug traffickers, gun runners, online pimps and human traffickers. In fact, they could be using Snapchat right now, automatically dissolving vital communication evidence. But since news came out that the popular online messaging service was actually keeping the data, the best move criminals can take is to use other means, like encryption.

So what’s law enforcement to do if it can no longer monitor everybody? The answer is to monitor or focus on known somebodies and wait for them to slip. But they can’t do that if all they see is garbage resulting from encryption; encryption meant to be used by ordinary people. In the UK, legislation is being prepared to force companies to hand over keys to encrypted transmission, but since legislation takes ages, police is eying the use of computer network exploitation (CNE) in layman’s terms, hacking. Since intelligence agencies already have their hands full trying to monitor and intercept terrorism, law enforcement is coming up shorthanded when it comes to other forms of cybercrime. Police departments are therefore considering training themselves in the art of CNE. Instead of waiting for other intelligence agencies to decipher encrypted criminal messages, police can try to do it themselves.

Police departments can either train themselves or hire professional hackers otherwise known as white hats as consultants. Without the proper keys or hints, encryption is very difficult to break. Police can try to determine their target’s account name and password or determine vulnerabilities in their target’s software. If basement hackers can find vulnerabilities every other Tuesday, the police with enough resources can as well. Speaking of resources, it’s high time for the police, not just in the UK, but the whole world to invest in cyber-security and CNE skills to help combat the ever increasing crime rate in cyberspace or the use of cyberspace in real-world crimes.

Only two thing stands in the way of this important, well-meaning but intrusive component in law-enforcement. Privacy issues and ethics. Police cannot just barge into someone’s home without a search warrant and the same goes when hacking into someone’s computer whether he/she is a criminal or not. The difference between white hat hackers and black hats is that white hats are paid to do it by the same people they hack into in order to find vulnerabilities in the system, patch them and make them more secure. Black hats do it for attention, vengeance, principle and/or personal gain. Everyone is still presumed innocent until proven guilty so unless there’s enough reason to be suspected, authorities are still required to issue search warrants in search of evidence.

Of course the intrusive nature of hacking, again leads to the question of privacy. The possibility of abuse of CNE cannot be discounted. Without a sufficient legal framework, police can hack into anyone they deem as a suspect to a crime. They can hack into anyone just for kicks or they’d just become extra arms of the supposedly crippled intelligence agencies for mass surveillance. So like the legislation for the surrender of cryptography codes that needs to be prepared, legislation and guidelines for the safe and fair use of CNE by police should be prepared as well.

It’s not a bad idea letting the police take a crack at cracking since everyone is getting savvier and savvier with current technologies including criminal elements that can use encryption in hiding their activities. The use of encryption standards is completely legal, breaking them without a warrant to do so is not. Authorities can only work within the confines of the law, therefore a law that balances law enforcement and privacy concerns need to be made first before nerds in uniform can become regular fixtures in any police department.

Novak Djokovic Eyeing Third Wimbledon Title As He Enters Round Two

Jackie Warner

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June 29, 2015

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Novak Djokovic Eyeing Third Wimbledon Title As He Enters Round Two

Novak Djokovic is already planting his feet deep in the grass courts of Wimbledon to hold on to that title after beating Germany’s Philipp Kohschreiber in straight sets on Monday 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The Serb will face Jarkko Nieminen in the second round.

Djokovic, 28, was playing his first competitive match since losing to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final.

The World No. 1 opened play on the famed Centre Court with a win as he bids to claim his third Wimbledon title and equal his coach Boris Becker, who won here in 1985-86 and ’89.

“I thought [the] return was exceptionally well, good from my side; serving efficiently,” said Djokovic. “Overall a great performance against a quality opponent.”

Djokovic fired 12 aces and hit 36 winners in the match, which clocked in at just over two hours.

“He can be very tricky on all the surfaces, especially grass, and had nothing to lose but I managed to stay composed,” the world number one said. “I made the crucial breaks at 5-4 in all three sets, so hopefully it can stay that way for me.”

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“Honestly I think the only little, little, little chance was when I had the chance to go up a break in the first set,” said Kohlschreiber. “I missed quite a good opportunity pretty close. After that he was in his mode. He was winning his service games easier, more chances. Overall I think he played just a better match than I did.”

Last year, the top seed won his second Wimbledon title, defeating Roger Federer in a five-set final. He became the first top seed to win Wimbledon since Federer did so in 2007 and the 11^th man to win multiple Wimbledon crowns in the Open Era.

“I thought it was great to be back in Wimbledon and to play on the untouched grass and open the Wimbledon 2015 campaign on Centre Court as the defending champion,” Djokovic added. “It is a special feeling, completely different from any other tournaments. The tradition and history is nurtured here, respected. You can instantly sense that when you’re stepping on the Centre Court.”

Prior to his first-round win, the 28-year-old Serb was last seen in the final of Roland Garros, where he lost to Stan Wawrinka in four sets.

In the last Wimbledon for both players, 33-year-old Nieminen prevailed over 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 11-9. The two battled in a 95-minute fifth set for a spot in the second round to face the defending champion.

The former quarter-finalist (2006) hit 62 winners and converted 10 of his 22 break point chances to beat the 34-year-old Australian.

Hewitt exited No. 2 Court to a standing ovation from fans and Nieminen after his defeat.

Dumbest NFL News

Shane Mclendon

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June 29, 2015

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Slow news weeks in the NFL produce some weak stories and some dumb comments can make the front page of NFL.com. It’s the middle of summer so there isn’t much going on in the League obviously. We’re just waiting to see if Tom Brady gets off the hook or if he has the stones to take his case to the real courts where he will likely find true justice. Until that happens we are stuck with the following stories. No really, these were front page stories on the official NFL website.

The Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders telling a kid that the Patriots shouldn’t be Super Bowl Champions. I’m sure this guy is bitter that his quarterback was nearly ready for a nursing home by time the playoffs rolled around last year, but preaching to kids about the evil doers from New England is just petty. Sanders should focus less on the Patriots and more on not getting killed on the field.

New Falcons coach Dan Quinn having to tell the media he was kidding about saving a spot for Herschel Walker if the former Georgia great really wanted to make a comeback at age 53. Quinn is finding out just how ridiculous the media can be, especially the local guys with nothing to talk about in late June but a stretch of 100 degree baseball games in Atlanta. One local sports show I check out in the truck actually discussed the possibility of Walker being able to make the team. If Walker was good enough to play in the NFL no comeback would be necessary. #34 didn’t leave the league to make time for some fly fishing. He didn’t have what it took to make a roster! Good grief.

Michael Bennett has managed to turn fans against him in a very short amount of time. He was a radio row favorite for his jolly nature leading up to the Super Bowl, but that turned to bitterness after the loss in the big game. Bennett is trying to lock up a better deal from the Seahawks in the offseason. That’s not going great and he is threatening some sort of holdout. “Hawaii’s weather is great, so I’ll just keep it at that,” Bennett said as he vacationed in paradise, hinting that he will just relax on the island until a better deal is done. We all know how these holdouts go. The teams hold all the cards and if Mr. Bennet wants to be able to afford future trips to Hawaii instead of a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina he best get his big ass to training camp when the time comes.

I have to admit that seeing Aaron Rodgers handling a samurai sword along with his lady Olivia Munn is pretty interesting. Front page news? Not really. Now if Munn had accidentally chopped off Rodgers arm then that would be a story. Relax Packers fans, I’m talking about his non-throwing arm.

Yes Giants punter Steve Weatherford knows how to sculpt his body. Dude is ripped….but a punter nonetheless. It’s not a good look for NFL guys to criticize players on other teams, especially if your only job is to punt the football. Weatherford took it upon himself to insult the Eagles’ lackluster stable of quarterbacks. OK I just did the same thing, but I can do so. I’m not a punter!

“Johnny Manziel needs more time,” says Bengals Defensive coordinator. That’s great intel there Paul Guenther. Clearly the kid needs more time. He sucked last year and spent a great deal of time in a rehab facility once his season came to a merciful conclusion. What’s he going to tell us next? Cleveland is cursed? Mike Pettine is a bald man? We don’t need useless information Paul. It’s a good thing this guy is a defensive coordinator and not a QB coach.

And finally news of an FSU quarterback (De’Andre Johnson) allegedly punching a woman in the face at a bar. I know this is shocking news to many of you out there. After all Florida State is known for their upstanding ballers, especially at the QB position. Maybe Jameis Winston can make time for a sit down with this young man (who’s not been charged) to try and get him on the straight and narrow.

If any other exciting NFL news breaks in the next few hours I’ll be on top of it. I’m sure there is a player just looking for a microphone so he can say something either really dumb or really unnecessary.

Wimbledon 2015 Betting Odds

Shane Lambert

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June 29, 2015

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Wimbledon 2015 will take place from the All England Club between June 29th and July 12th this year., for the second time in his career, will be the defending champion when play gets underway at the grass court Grand Slam. Not surprisingly, the World No. 1 is the betting favourite on the eve of the start of tennis’s most prestigious tournament.

Here’s a look at the top eight favourites to win the title outright along with their betting odds:

1. Novak Djokovic, Bwin (7/5; +140)
2. Andy Murray, William Hill (11/4; +275)
3. Roger Federer, William Hill (7/1; +700)
4. Stan Wawrinka, Betway (16/1; +1600)
5. Rafael Nadal, Bwin (22/1, +2200)
6. Tomas Berdych, William Hill (40/1, +4000)
7. Milos Raonic, BetVictor (45/1, +4500)
8. Kei Nishikori, William Hill (50/1, +5000)

Djokovic doesn’t look like that bad of a pick at +140 except that he has not been active on tour since losing in the championship match at Roland Garros a few weeks ago. The World No. 1 did play in the The Boodles, an exhibition tournament that serves as a final tune-up for the grass court Slam. In that event he defeated Richard Gasquet but lost to Alexander Zverev, the latter being a player I spotlighted as a future star back in April.

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In my opinion, Djokovic priced at +140 is a questionable risk and instead those looking for a value line should look at the other favourites.

Andy Murray for example, at +275 with William Hill, appears to be the best bet to take. He does a share a draw to the final with both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer however the former appears to be well-off his best form while the latter will soon be 34 years old. Federer has not done that much in Grand Slams since making the 2014 Wimbledon final and five-set tennis against much younger players could prove too challenging now.

Wawrinka, as the fourth favourite, could easily be over-rated too. The French Open champion was not that active during the recent grass court tournaments. His only result saw him lose to Kevin Anderson in straight sets. In my view, it’s unclear where Wawrinka’s drive is right now: is he looking to put an exclamation point on his career with a Wimbledon title or is he somewhat relaxed or satisfied following his monumental achievement in Paris?

Berdych and Raonic, at long odds, are both tempting picks. Berdych, a former finalist, and Raonic, a semifinalist from last year, are both players that could win Wimbledon if there are surprise upsets.

However the knock against the Czech remains that he’s seemingly always a quarterfinalist, semifinalist, or runner-up with very few titles to his credit. With Raonic, you have to wonder if everything is fine with his body. A close look at the Canadian shows that he does not have that many good wins this season. Furthermore, Raonic lost to Gilles Simon, a very peripheral threat on grass, at the recently completed AEGON Championships.

Overall, I do not think that Wimbledon 2015 has a clear favourite. That said, my opinion is that the opening rounds will be very telling. My recommendation, if you are not going to take Murray, is to hold off of betting pre-tournament and to instead pay close attention to the line scores in the opening rounds.

Look for a player who moves through the first two rounds with minimal effort and straight-set victories. Likewise, if you see a player struggle a little, even in winning, then take it to mean that he should be avoided.

Fabricio Werdum: UFC’s Baddest Underdog on the Planet

Sports
UFC

Shane Mclendon

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June 29, 2015

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Fabricio Werdum: UFC’s Baddest Underdog on the Planet

Few underdogs could ever claim they are the baddest man on the planet. Fabricio Werdum is the amazing exception to that rule. The new UFC Heavyweight Champion should not have had to even deal with the underdog label after big wins leading up to his victory over Cain Velasquez. He had done plenty to at least be considered a threat to win the belt from Velasquez, but respect comes hard in the UFC evidently.

Werdum is no stranger to shaking up the MMA world, having submitted the legendary Fedor Emelianenko back in 2010. The new UFC champion got credit at the time for beating the seemingly invincible Fedor, but many saw it as a fluke and others said Fedor was in decline. This despite the fact that Fedor was considered by most experts the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world at the time. Yes the big Russian did lose two more fights right after his loss to Werdum, but it was Werdum who got him first. That counts for something in my book. It’s a lot easier for a fighter to knock off a legend once he has chinks in the armor. It’s a bit more challenging to beat a man that was riding a win streak that stretched back to the year 2000!

Werdum went on to rack up wins against Mike Russow and Roy Nelson once he made it back to the UFC from Strikeforce. Nelson may look like an out of shape Duck Dynasty family member, but he is a damn good fighter. Werdum’s next victim as he climbed his way up the UFC ladder was legendary Minotauro Nogueira. Werdum submitted him in the second round to set up a big fight with rising star Travis Browne in 2014.
Browne was being hyped as some new age MMA badass that other fighters were going to have to adapt to in the Octagon. The guy was ferocious no doubt and likely took Werdum a bit lightly. Once you have everyone around you, including MMA experts, telling you how great you are, you start to believe your own hype. Fabricio Werdum didn’t have to worry about anyone hyping him. No one believed he would beat Travis Browne and no one was telling him how great he was 24/7. That could have been the difference in that career changing fight. Werdum was a hungry junkyard dog. Travis Browne was hungry as well, but forgot he had to take care of the business directly in front of him instead of looking ahead to bigger names. Werdum simply beat Browne up for five full rounds leaving no doubt in the minds’ of the judges.

That win over Browne set the stage for a battle against Mark Hunt for the interim UFC Heavyweight Belt. Again Werdum delivered as he TKO’d Hunt in the second round after a vicious knee to the face then some ground and pound to wrap up the interim title.

Everyone was proud of the 37 year old Werdum at that point. There were lots of pats on the back and “atta boys.” There was no fear of the interim champ ever becoming the real UFC Heavyweight Champion though. Everyone figured that once Cain Velasquez recovered from his injury, he would put a stop to this underdog’s assent to the top of the mountain. Folks felt like Werdum had been a nice little story, but reality would have to catch up to him just like it does to most other Cinderella stories.

From tiny schools in the NCAA tournament who go on nice runs only to be eventually ousted from the big dance, to boxers who put up a great fight for a few rounds only to be knocked out once the champion realizes he is in a real fight. The clock always sounds at midnight and the fairy tale ends. Werdum intended to take his fairy tale way past midnight, and did so as he forced Velasquez to admit Werdum was the baddest man in that Octagon as he tapped out for mercy. With that guillotine choke, Fabricio Werdum became the real UFC Heavyweight Champion and the baddest underdog on the planet.
We have no idea how long Werdum can hold onto the heavyweight belt. He has endured tough fights already to get to the top and he isn’t getting any younger obviously. The competition won’t get any easier as Junior Dos Santos sits at the number two heavyweight contender spot and of course Velasquez will get a rematch at some point in the near future.

Hopefully this underdog story doesn’t end in a Buster Douglas fashion with Werdum getting fat and embarrassed in his first title defense. I don’t see that happening, but no matter what happens next, Fabricio Werdum has made his mark on the UFC forever. It would have been easy to hang it up a few years back after some disappointing losses, but that’s not what champions do. They rise up from their situations, making no excuses along the way.

The greatest underdog ever was Muhammad Ali as he shocked Sonny Liston along with the rest of the world. Ali went on to decades of brilliance after he shed his underdog status. No one can expect Werdum to come close to what Ali did as a champion. But whatever success Werdum has going forward will just be icing on the cake. The guy has nothing left to prove, but I hope he is still hungry as hell so we get to see more from this perpetual underdog.

Cain Velasquez vs Fabricio Werdum Highlights

POWER 203: Like We’re Any Other Couple

The Curvy Girl Diva

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June 29, 2015

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Power continues to show just why so many people are addicted to the sleek, sexy drama. There was so much going on this week and the best part about it is that all of it was for a reason.

Ghost/Jamie and Angela are having the time of their lives in South Beach. Not only are they enjoying the freedom of being able to walk around town and act like they are really together, they are doing so in one of the hottest places on earth.

Of course the work doesn’t stop for either of them even though they are a thousand miles away from home. Ghost is there to get one of the most popular nightclubs to bow to Stern and join the ranks. At the same time, he is on a mission to find the girl assassin who tried to kill him. Angela secretly continues her investigation of Tommy and things really heat up when she gets a phone call from Greg who accuses her of logging into his computer, which she did. She has no choice but to fess up to it and somehow, I guess using her womanly charms, get Greg to keep quite about it because is so close to officially nailing Tommy as Ghost.

Back in the big apple, Tommy and Kanan spend some quality time together. Of course this is K’s way of getting info out of Tommy. He plays the old high school friend card to get him to tell him everything he wants and needs to know about Ghost and his operation.

When he is not spending time with Tommy, he is giving his son advice about how to deal with Tasha. He sees right through her telling Shawn he needs to watch out around her because “a bitch that knows she’s fine is dangerous.” He takes his father’s words to heart.

The next time Shawn is around Tasha he plays it cool. Being at the house to help one of the boys out with his science project, Tasha comes in and sees them saying, “Shawn I didn’t know you were coming by.” He nonchalantly points out that he’s helping Tariq with school. She sees this as a prime opportunity to… IDK… seduce him. She tells her son to go do his laundry (which she somehow knew he had not done) and while Shawn is not looking, zips down her blouse and asks him to help her put something up on a top shelf. He obliges but remembering what his daddy told him, he doesn’t even entertain her “advances” telling her that he sees Tariq as his little brother and her as a sister. This shakes her. He leaves out and she is left dumbfounded.

By the way, her situation with her husband and not really feeling loved and wanted the way he should because he is playing house is a typical scenario. The man is out cheating on a fine ass woman with a kind of fine ass woman causing the one at home to doubt everything about herself. While I don’t think that she should try to move on to poor old Shawn, IF she did decided to go out and get herself some, would that be so bad?

The next day, Lakisha is over talking with Tasha and Shawn is also there. He Kisha chum it up and Tasha is all kinds of bothered. She is irritated, yelling at the kids to shut up all while keeping her eye on the two at the table. Then when Shawn offers to take Lakisha home, she tries everything in the book (or it seems) to nip that shit in the bud. But alas, she can’t and the two leave together.

Kanan and Tommy are stilling hanging out. They wind up at a hole in the wall playing pool with some dudes, one of which is Rollo’s (the guy Ghost killed in the first season) brother. They talk to him to find out some info and he’s not having it. He accuses Tommy of taking out his brother and even suggests, in his own way, that maybe it was Kanan. K isn’t having it and ends up shooting him in his mouth. They kill everyone else there (no witnesses) and dips out.

Back in Miami, the two lovebirds continue to thrive. Ghost even tells Angela that he wants them to move to Miami. She asks “what about Tasha” and he says that he will make her a very rich woman, she will be okay. Angela goes to see if the job that was waiting on her is still available. It is so things are looking up. She, however, ends up telling Ghost what she does for a living, letting him know that she is investigating Tommy. She asks him if she should be worried about him and he says no.

In the end, they eat at a little restaurant and the girl he is chasing shows up to order some food. Their eyes meet. She bolts and he excuses himself to the “bathroom” to chase her. Kanan’s guy gets to her first, stabbing her in the stomach. Ghost gets to her too late. Before she dies, he asks her if Logos sent her? She says no but before she can say it was Kanan, she breathes her last.

It was deep this week, and I can’t wait to go even deeper next week.

POWER 202: No Friends on the Street

The Curvy Girl Diva

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June 29, 2015

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This week on Power, the action is slow, steady and worth it. The way they build the characters and the story line draws you in and now more than ever, you think through who could be or what will happen.

It started out with Ghost/Jamie and Angela in bed (he spent the night at her place) and of course you know I have to say something about this. It does burn me up that he is having this ongoing affair with this woman. I don’t care that they were in love all these years ago and “fate” has brought them back together. Tasha is bad and has been riding with him from the beginning. He really needs to stop. Anyway, off my soapbox for now.

Jamie continues his investigation of Angela as he follows her during her run and sees her talking to Greg, an FBI agent and her ex boyfriend. He wants to go a little wacko but keeps it cool.

Tommy is still all kinds of gone with Holly even moving her into his place. She is weak and can’t really do much for herself but that doesn’t stop her from snooping around to “find answers.”

Back at the house, Tasha and Jamie are surprised to see Kanan. They didn’t know he was getting out. He comes in and sees their big place and everything they have and he tell them they living “Like George and Weezy.” He offers to help Ghost find the girl who tried to kill him, but Jamie tells him that he’s on it. Later, we see that Kanan takes things into his own hand and kills her boss for not having the right answers. Let me say here too that it seems 50 Cent has gotten some acting lessons. Good for him. Tommy comes in and is super hype to see Kanan and they make plans to throw him a coming home party.

Ghost tells Tasha to keep an eye on Holly because she knows who he really is. She pays her a visit at Tommy’s apartment bringing her food, etc. She tells Holly that she is with Tommy so she is family and that whatever happened before is in the past. It is clear here that Tasha is trying to make a connection but Holly is guarded to the point of almost being rude. She ask Tasha what happened at the club and she tells her the same story that Tommy told her. This prompts her to question him when he gets home later and she threats to leave him when she feel that he is not telling her everything. He gives in and tells her the truth about the girl trying to kill Ghost.

At the club, Ghost deals with the fact that Simon Stern owns Truth (in some capacity). He meets with him and they work out a deal that if Ghost can get the club running at a 20% profit, he will make an offer for Jamie to buy Truth back. Of course Stern has some things up his sleeves as this is the episode that Ghost gets a new boss in the form of Santos, his former club employee.

Stern also sends Ghost to Miami to take care of some work for him and you already know it, Jamie takes the time to bring his whore with him. Angela, however, for whatever reason, tells him that she can’t go and it probably has something to do with the fact that she is low key still working on the case that her boss told her to let go.

Angela gets Isabel, her former informant’s girlfriend, to finish the half done suspect sketch because she knows his face. It looks like Tommy, which prompts her to hack into Greg’s computer to see the FBI database. Tommy’s name comes up which also makes her question if Ghost has some involvement, who is at her house looking through her shit to see what she knows.

Jamie gets a tip that the assassin girl is in Miami so this makes the trip two fold, well really three fold with Angela coming and all. At home while packing, Tasha asks him where he is going and he tells her just about everything except the Angela part, even saying to her “Angela isn’t going.” Tasha doesn’t believe him but doesn’t fight it. Instead she turns real sexy, gets on top of Ghost and rides him.

Jamie arrives to take his private jet to Miami and right before boarding the plane he asks Shawn, his driver and Kanan’s son, if he knew his dad was getting out. He genuinely tells him no. Ghost gets on the plane and who’s there to greet him? Angela.

It is definitely heating up and I can’t wait to see what next week will bring.

POWER 201 Catching Up with Consequences

The Curvy Girl Diva

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June 29, 2015

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If you think Empire is the only show to serve up black love, intricate plot lines, men with too much influence, drugs and women who won’t stop to get and secure what’s theirs, let me hip you to a little show called Power.

The 50 Cent back Starz drama is the precursor to the Fox hit but doesn’t really get the shine that Empire does it seems. Regardless, it is grittier, more sophisticated and more stylishly executed than the network show. So to get you caught up on what happened last season and in the first episode of this season, let’s do a little recap.

The show revolves around James (Jamie) St. Patrick , played by Omari Hardiwck, who is a drug dealer turned night club owner but still drug dealer. His name on the streets is Ghost and the only people who know who he really is are the ones closest to him. His right hand man Tommy (Joseph Skora) pretty much does all the dirty work for him. He goes along with Ghost’s desire to get out of the drug game but still relishes in their side dealings.

So here is the thick of the plot and what happened last season. Ghost opened up a club, Truth, as both a way out and a guise to cover up his dealings in the drug world. His wife, Tasha, played by Naturi Naughton knows everything that goes down with her husband and like Tommy, indulges his club side venture. She really doesn’t want him to stop selling drugs because it pays for the lavish lifestyle that they live.

One day, a chance run in brings Ghost in contact with a childhood flame Angela Valdes played by Lela Loren. She just so happens to be a federal prosecutor. The sparks between them are obvious and of course they start a torrid affair. The twist in their relationship is neither one knows what the other does because if they did, that would cause major problems for both of them.

As Ghost continues on with his extra marital affair, it seems he is finally happy in his personal life, but that does not stop the drama and danger of his “work” life. It is not long before Tasha gets a whiff of what her husband is doing with Angela, not quite able to put her finger on exactly who in the beginning, she acts out in her own way.

Ghost keeps everything in order as best as he can but things are stirred up when his mentor Kanan, played by 50 Cent, devises a plan while he is in prison to get Ghost out of the picture. He plants all kinds of lies and obstacles and even gets Ghost to believe that one of the most loyal members of his crew betrays him. Ghost kills him for betrayal, which further sets Kanan’s plan in motion since he is about to be a free man.

Meanwhile Tommy falls in love with some trailer trash thief named Holly who works at the club now. Tasha nor Ghost trusts her but you know how it goes when men are pussy whipped. Tommy doesn’t see these things and almost forsakes his relationship with his childhood friends to keep the girl in his life.

Things really heat up as the time comes closer for Kanan to get out of prison. He hires a Latina female fatale to take care of Ghost and everything is supposed to go down on the day of a very important party for one of his potential clients at Truth. The night is going just as planned for Ghost and his club when the hit girl pulls out her gun to shoot him. She misses and the bullet hits Holly instead. Tommy wasn’t there because he was taking care of, unbeknownst to him, Angela’s informant. Right as he finishes doing the job, Angela shows up because she got a voicemail from the guy that he was in trouble. As she sees him lying on the floor, she calls for backup stating her name and Tommy, who is hiding around a corner, hears her and in disbelief, backs away.

End of the first season.

Season 2 Episode 1 recap

The first episode of the new season picks right back up. Ghost is questioned by police, while still in his bloodstained suit, about the shooting and asked if there was anyone who might want to kill him. He says he doesn’t know of course lying. The hit girl calls her people to let them know that it didn’t go as planned and they are, obviously, not happy to hear that.

Tommy, who is all kinds of messed up because he knows who Angela is, doesn’t trust Ghost anymore. We see him in a house, at night getting money out of a secret place when all of a sudden he is hit in the head with a baseball bat.

Angela is reprimanded for losing her lead and asks her boss for help who pretty much tells her she is on her own. She ends up having to answer to a guy that she was once in charge of as a kind of punishment.

Tasha, who is very clear on Angela and Ghost’s affair (she know exactly who the other woman is), takes measures to secure her and her kids’ financial future if need be. Kanan makes his rounds as his son, who is also Ghost’s driver, takes him where he needs to go. He’s with him when he finds out about that Ghost is still alive and is very much bothered by it but keeps it to himself.

Ghost looks for Tommy who doesn’t know that Holly was shot (which by the way, she is in the hospital fighting for her life). He looks high and low for his missing friend, even calling Tommy’s mom’s house. She says that he’s not there and that she hasn’t seen him, which we know is a lie because it was her house he was stealing from and she is the one who hit him with the bat.

Ghost doesn’t believe her and makes a trip out to see her. He brings her some drugs as a peace offering and makes him way in to the house. Tommy roughs him up, pulls a gun out and accuses him of knowing about Angela. Ghost denies it and Tommy realizes he’s telling the truth. He suggests killing her, and Ghost is not about to do that.

In the end, Tommy rushes to the hospital to lay with Holly and Ghost goes to Angela house. The episodes finishes with him sitting in a chair asking her, “How was work?”

There, we are caught up.

LOVE & HIP HOP ATLANTA 409: I Deserve

The Curvy Girl Diva

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June 29, 2015

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Here we go again this week and it is all kinds of “are you serious” on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta.

It starts with Mimi being honest with the person who she says she should have been in the beginning and we find out it is…. Stevie J. She has him over and tells him that she was, in essence, she played a huge part in leaking the tape. He is blown away.

Stevie checks her right quick but tells her he’s not mad at her. “I’ve done worst things…. But it’s not the mistakes you make it’s what you do afterward to clean it up.” You can really see his growth here. During her confessional, she says that she is going to break the news before Nikko does.

Scrappy and Ernest meet at the elder’s request. He tells “The Prince of the South” that he is willing to do whatever he needs to do to get back in Jazmine’s, Scrappy’s sister, good graces. He tells him that he plans to marry Momma Dee and that he wants to put everything behind them.

Later Ernest proclaims his love before for Momma Dee in front of a church congregation and asks her to marry him. She break down crying and accepts the ring this time around. First of all, why did she have on a dress showing her mid drift in church and then choir sings her song. It was just too much, but good for them.

Tony and Kalenna are up. He didn’t come home last night but waltz himself in at 10am in the morning. He tries to deflect the issues on her and says, “here we go with the same shit.” She has a right to feel this way because he’s acting just how he did when he cheated on her before while working with the same dude Kevin. He tells her to “shut the fuck up” and tells her that everything he does can’t be around her. He tells her that the management shit for him (in regards to her) is over because he’s trying to work on getting the money up. She breaks a plate and he walks about and saying, “I’m done with this shit.” Wow… what a way to treat your WIFE.

Then there is Joc. This fool is at Sina’s house and she is just as delusional as Tara Wallace was in Love and Hip Hop New York. She says that she hopes that he has come to his senses and that “miss piggy” is gone so that they can go on with their lives as a family. Bitch, you not even his wife. You are just a side chick. Stop being so thirsty. He says he loves the both and wishes he can have both women.

Ariane helps out Margo with her art show. She is totally naked with a painted art design on her bare ass. Nikko shows up to support his wife and Ariane is there. He compliments her, which she does not want to hear. He walks out and the show goes on. But then guess what, Mimi shows up.

She apologizes to her friend and Margo comes over to say hi. Mimi is cordial and asks if she can talk to her privately. She tells Margo “how this whole thing got started.” And Ariane hears her tell the truth. Margo doesn’t really care that she confessed because she still thinks Mimi is crazy. Ariane interrupts them before they “fight” and they walk out to “talk it out.” Ariane calls her stupid for doing it. Mimi yes, “ I was a stupid as bitch”… ahem… among other things Mimi.

Joseline and Stevie J perform at club Kapture, Tony and Kalenna’s new investment and… um… it is mediocre at best. I mean what can you expect though from someone who is coasting off of a reality TV show and fake body parts? Tony and his wife are still not on the same page and she shares with Rasheeda what happened. Kalenna breaks down and Rasheeda tells her to talk to Deb.

In light of Mimi telling her truth, Margo feels that she should tells hers and goes to her husband to do so. She apologizes to him for cheating on him some time back. He says that he needed to hear that and then asks her what she wants. She says she things they should separate. He didn’t see that coming and bows his head. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.” She breaks downs and he kind of does too. “We’re just so toxic” she tells him.

Khadyiah is still dealing with Joc, kind of. He shows up at her at her request and she tells him that they need to take a pregnancy test. So she does, while he’s there and it is negative. Joc holds in his excitement because he’s “super overjoyed.” She tells him that she wants to be with a man that loves her for her not because of a baby and that he can leave if she wants.

Next week, it looks like things blow up even more for the characters and you know I’m going to have the low down for you.

ABOUT LOVE & HIP HOP ATLANTA

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta follows the lives of Atlanta’s hip-hop elite as they take on the trials and tribulations of juggling both their professional and personal lives…which often intersect and unravel for the whole world to see! After 3 seasons of ups and downs in both personal and professional pursuits, the cast of Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta have either learned from the ATL game of mixing business and pleasure, or are about to have the same game turned on them! With artists rising and falling, and families growing or being torn apart, the cast members are about to have their lives changed in ways they never imagined…for better or worse! Nothing is off limits as they explore the good, the bad, and sometimes even the naughty side of love, passion, fame, and hip-hop!

ATL’s hip-hop scene is ever evolving, and this season our cast is looking to continue to be on the cutting edge of what’s hot in this music mecca. The Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta ladies have evolved from aspirational artists and businesswomen into savvy entrepreneurs, mothers, wives, and lovers who still struggle to deal with all of the challenges their fast-paced lives throw at them. After seasons full of infidelity/deceit towards their female counterparts, the men of ATL are seriously about to learn what goes around DEFINITELY comes right back around! The substance abuse, infidelity, and legal issues affecting the male cast will no longer just be blog fodder; they will learn that karma is a “biznayee!”

Stevie J’s “Life Partner Gang” is back in full-force! After Mimi’s tumultuous breakup with Nikko, she is looking for the professional and personal redemption she needs post-sex tape. Mimi is concentrating on her and her daughter’s future, and is ready to profit from her autobiography Let’s Have Some Wine. However, Stevie’s support is not guaranteed, especially when he has to face the legal ramifications in his own life story!

Meanwhile, after the events that occurred in New York (at the Season 3 reunion), Joseline has taken a break from Atlanta for self-reflection. When Joseline returns to ATL, she may have to support Stevie through his personal/professional issues as Stevie plans to build his musical comeback, and leave his rockstar lifestyle behind to avoid jail time!

Just when Mimi thought she gotten rid of her ex-lover Nikko for good, he’s found a way to keep a foothold in her life by reminding her he’s attached to her upcoming book deal – demanding his 25% stake. Since his separation from Mimi, Nikko has reunited with his heretofore secret of a wife, Margeaux, who is making her debut this season. Margeaux is still trying to learn how to forgive her estranged husband for his involvement in the sex tape with Mimi and she has moved down to Atlanta to see if their marriage is worth salvaging. However, Margeaux is none-too-pleased to know Nikko is still dealing with Mimi – even if it’s not personal, but all business this time.

Scrappy returns this season seemingly comfortably settled in with girlfriend Bambi, and out of the dog house! This on-again, off-again, homie/lover/friend pair are looking to see if they can make it past the “Friendship, Promise, Love” ring stage of their relationship to something more lasting. Unlike Bambi, Erica Dixon is feuding with Scrappy over support of their daughter. Erica feels its time to hold Scrappy accountable, and goes after him with a vengeance! However, Scrappy has his own side of the story, protesting he’s not only financially responsible for his daughter, but he’s a great father and is tired of being made to look like a deadbeat dad. Aside from being the best father he can be, Scrappy is also fighting to prove himself as an artist as he looks to regain his status as a force on the Atlanta music scene. Ironically, Scrappy is feeling pressure from an unexpected source; his own mother, Momma Dee, who had her own surprise hit with her song debut, “I Deserve”.

Notorious for meddling in her son’s affairs, Momma Dee may be too wrapped up in her own love-life having reunited with her ex-husband, Ernest, who has spent the last seven years in prison. However, Momma Dee’s tumultuous and traumatic past with Ernest may be too much for Scrappy and his sister Jasmine to want to re-visit.

Rasheeda and Kirk’s personal life seems to be back on the right track until new secrets in come to the surface. Rasheeda is adamant on opening up her ImBossy/Poiz storefront in Atlanta and will no longer take Kirk’s refusal! However, with secret properties and a sexy new female artist named Ashley Nicole, Kirk may get tired of Rasheeda’s constant push back and go back to his old “I do me” type ways!

Singer/entrepreneur Karlie Redd is on the top of the world right now, re-fashioning herself as a triple threat, actress, businesswoman, and recording artist – she has a hit single (“Heartbreakers”), a blockbuster movie (Top Five), and is planning on opening a store for her cosmetic and lingerie lines. In the spirit of onwards and upwards, Karlie Redd is over her past high profile relationship with rapper Yung Joc, and is proudly “married to her checks” at the moment! Messy Karlie is about her business and is not afraid to burn any bridge that doesn’t lead to her success.

After a year of living in Atlanta, a very pregnant Kalenna is ready to pop out both her new album AND her baby in the next few months! However, Kalenna is plagued with anxiety about her music and baby coming out into the world, especially when her and her husband Tony Vick are in a financial crisis. Kalenna is struggling to finish her ‘Black Orchid’ album, and wants her “husband-ger” Tony to step it up to help her career! However, when Tony decides to invest their life savings in a club, and put Kalenna’s career on the back burner, Kalenna may be forced to choose between her marriage and her career.

Veteran rapper Yung Joc has learned the hard way about the ups and downs of hip-hop, and this year, the pendulum continues to swing for this ATL native and hip-hop scene fixture! Yung Joc’s arrangement with mother of his 1-year old twins Sina, and his current girlfriend, Khadiyah, is a disaster in the making! With a career to revive along with his brood of children, their mothers, and Khadiyah to provide for and keep satisfied, Joc has his plate extra full.

Also, with the additions of fashion entrepreneur PreMadonna (the owner of the world famous “Waist Gang Society” waist trainers), Joseline’s former stripper friend Jessica “Dimepiece”, and hip-hop star Tiffany Foxx, the veteran cast may be given a run for their money by the new girls in town! Jessica Dimepiece & Tiffany Foxx share a lot in common – both moved to Atlanta for a new beginning, both are rap artists, and both are determined to be on top. As Mimi attempts to represent both women on MF Management, Mimi will get caught in a rivalry between these two fierce and opinionated artists!

LOVE & HIP HOP ATLANTA 408: The Truth Hurts

The Curvy Girl Diva

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June 29, 2015

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LOVE & HIP HOP ATLANTA 408: The Truth Hurts

The drama and temperatures flaring have risen to hellish proportions on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta, my, my, my. Things, words and feelings were thrown all over the place and it was action packed for sure.

It all started with Tony Vick and Kalenna looking at the club that Tony wants to put all their money into. After the see it, the couple talk on the side and somehow Tony talks her into it and Kalenna relents. “I’m in.”

Then Margo invites Ariane to talk about what happened between her and Mimi the first and last time they met. She tells her pretty much that Mimi is a liar and that she is about to be exposed so she needs to get ready.

The biggest story of the night is Joc, the mother of his children and his suga momma… ahem… woman, KayDee. The momma’s all get along pretty well. Carla and Sina were actually pregnant at the same time and both gave birth to twin. Damn! They drink and smoke hookah and agree that Khadiyah is his “sponsor.” Alex,, the one he is still married to is cool and collected. When Jock comes in, of course Sina doesn’t like the fact that Khadiyah came and it seems tnone of them knew she was coming. Joc is all smiley and smooth, giving each woman flowers and it’s all just a big joke. Like I don’t know, the dick must be really good for KayDee to put up with all of this.

All of a sudden, Kaydee, while saying hi to all the mommas, says, “Hello Hoe Sina… I mean baby momma number four” and that’s when it goes down hill. Joc doesn’t say anything as they argue. Three of them take her into the bathroom to calm her down and Alex is the only one with a level head. She tells Sina to watch herself and don’t let “that bitch” have power over her. It is just so much going on. I do feel a certain way for Kaydee because she was put in a situation by Joc, but she didn’t have to come at them the way she did. In the end, he takes his baby mommas’ side and tell Kaydee “fuck you, get out.”

Laster, Joc goes to the condo and the locks are changed. He knocks and KayDee lets him in. They argue and you can really see that KayDee is hurt, especially during her confessional; she can’t stop crying. She tells him that he needs to think about ways to get me back and he says let me contemplate if I even want to do that. She doesn’t like what she hears, kicks him out and throws his shit over the balcony all while saying, “I’m a good woman, I don’t deserve this.” He just walks away and tells her “you gotta clean this shit up.”

Now Kirk is acting like he has a backbone and finally says something to Ashley Nicole. He points out to her that she was wrong about the way she spoke to Rasheeda and all she can say is “she’s jealous, she’s old blah, blah, blah.” Kirk checks her and tells her if she keeps it up, she’s going to get dropped because Rasheeda is going to win hands down. Good to see him finally taking his wife’s side, but there should have never been any question. He should have checked that young bitch in the driveway when she first came at Rasheeda side ways.

Ariane goes to Mimi’s house to have conversation with her. She tells her about her meeting with Margo. She asks her about some of the things Margo alleged and Mimi obviously feels a certain kind of way. She then asks her to tell her up front if she leaked the tape. Mimi says she agreed to do the tape but it was all Nikko that leaked it. Ariane asks her about the brokerage of the tape and Mimi goes off. Ariane sees how defensive Mimi is, which makes her think Margo was telling the truth. She then drops the bomb on her that she is working with Margo and Mimi tells her “That’s fucking amazing” and kicks her out. The bitch walks her to the door and slams it in her face.

Then there is the over indulgent, thinks way more than she should of herself Joseline and Stevie J. Like really, this bitch is crazy. Even Stevie says it. She is so elusive when he asks her why she did what she did and she said it can be for anything. What?

She tells him she doesn’t give a fuck about other artists “Stop entertaining those raggedy bitches and we can have a better life.” He tells her straight up that he wants to be powerful with him come back and make a name for himself in the industry again. Their relationship is soooo crazy. He tells her, whatever she wants he’ll do.

Rasheeda meets with Ashlee Nicole and lets her have it. She tells her that everything is her fault and that she needs to take responsibility. Ashley Nicole tells her that she understands where she’s coming from, but she should take some responsibility. Rasheeda is not hearing it. Ashley Nicole swallows her pride and humbles herself to Rasheeda. She invites her to her next performance and the boss lady says I will come… if I can make it. “I have to see.”

The episode ends with Mimi talking about how she hates that everyone is only talking about the sex tape so she is taking back her control to speak her truth by starting with the person she should have been honest with from the start.

We don’t see who it is but my guess is either Margo or Stevie. Either way, we will see next week.