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| 03-03-21 06:30am - 1296 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Sheriff's dept. executes search warrant on Tiger Woods' car: 'Trying to determine if a crime was committed' Yahoo Sports Jason Owens March 2, 2021, 10:33 PM The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department executed a search warrant to investigate the black box from the car Tiger Woods crashed last week. Sheriff’s Deputy John Schloegl confirmed the news, telling USA Today on Tuesday that the department sought the data from the car to determine if criminal charges were necessary. “We’re trying to determine if a crime was committed,” Schloegl said, per USA Today. “If somebody is involved in a traffic collision, we’ve got to reconstruct the traffic collision, if there was any reckless driving, if somebody was on their cell phone or something like that. "We determine if there was a crime. If there was no crime, we close out the case, and it was a regular traffic collision.” Schloegl's statement contradicts Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who declared last week that the single-car rollover was "purely an accident." A law enforcement officer looks over a damaged vehicle following a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in the Rancho Palos Verdes suburb of Los Angeles. Woods suffered leg injuries in the one-car accident and was undergoing surgery, authorities and his manager said. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) A law enforcement officer looks over a damaged vehicle following a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in the Rancho Palos Verdes suburb of Los Angeles. Woods suffered leg injuries in the one-car accident and was undergoing surgery, authorities and his manager said. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) Villanueva told reporters on Wednesday that officials would investigate the black box to determine cause, but ruled out charges of reckless driving or otherwise. "No," Villanueva said when asked if Woods could face a reckless driving charge. "A reckless driving charge has a lot of elements into it. This is purely an accident." Villanueva then explained that investigators would seek to determine if a driving infraction was warranted. "Reckless driving is actually more than an infraction," Villanueva continued. "That's a misdemeanor crime that has a lot of elements attached to it. This is nothing like that." Villanueva made that statement a day after the crash and prior to the completion of the investigation, which is still ongoing. The Sheriff's department issued the following statement to USA Today to address the conflicting information provided by Villanueva and Schloegl: “The Sheriff spoke about the information known at that time, and said it appeared to be a traffic accident,” the statement reads, per USA Today. “However, the traffic collision investigation is (on)going and traffic investigators have not made any conclusions as to the cause of the collision.” The Sheriff's Department continues to rule out intoxication playing a role in the crash. Villanueva said on the day of the accident that there "was no evidence of impairment" on the scene. Schloegl told USA Today that law enforcement did not seek a warrant to examine blood that might have been collected from Woods at the hospital. He said that Woods had been cooperative and that there was "no probable" cause for a warrant. Woods underwent emergency surgery to repair multiple fractures of his right leg and a shattered right ankle. The accident took place on a winding stretch of road south of Los Angeles known as a hot spot for accidents. Woods was driving downhill when his car hit a median and rolled several times before coming to a stop in a gully. Woods remained hospitalized over the weekend for followup procedures with his team declaring that he was "recovering and in good spirits." There have been no updates on Woods' condition since he tweeted his thanks on Sunday after his fellow PGA Tour golfers honored him by wearing his trademark red shirt and black pants at the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship. | |
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| 03-03-21 06:21am - 1296 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
These are desperate times. Texas governor has ruled that Texans no longer need to wear masks. Putting the rest of the United States at risk, as Texans can flee the corona virus by running to states outside of Texas. Biden needs to decide: Bomb Texas, to save the rest of the country. Or risk the spread of the disease while playing with his fiddle and letting more people die. Enquiring minds want to know: what is the right moral choice: Bomb Texas, or send in the National Guard to keep Texans inside the State of Texas? Or, maybe Biden can put ex-president Trump in charge of building a wall around Texas, to keep Texans where they belong, in the free state of Texas. ------ ------ Washington Post warns what easing Texas COVID-19 rules may do to rest if the country HuffPost Lee Moran March 3, 2021, 2:01 AM The editorial board of The Washington Post joined the growing chorus of criticism being leveled at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday after he announced the end of the state’s mask mandate and the imminent relaxation of other restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. In a scathing column, the newspaper’s board described the decision ― which comes as daily new infections plateau ― as “premature and reckless.” Abbott was “gambling with the health of his state and beyond,” it said. “The governor’s decision may cheer those feeling rebellious, fatigued and impatient with the year-long pandemic restrictions,” wrote the board. “But the result of opening too soon will be viral spread, and more suffering.” “The winter holidays and the third surge were awful,” it concluded. “A fourth surge — which could spread beyond Texas — is the last thing the country needs just as vaccines are being rolled out. Mr. Abbott is throwing a match on kindling.” Read the full editorial here. Fears over Texas’ relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions were echoed by White House senior adviser Andy Slavitt, who described it to MSNBC’s Ari Melber on Tuesday as “a mistake.” Former White House medical adviser, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, warned Abbott’s move will “endanger the lives of millions of Texas.” “This is his ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment and it is not a good one,” Reiner told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “We’ve seen this movie and doesn’t turn out well.” Austin Mayor Steve Adler (D) suggested Abbott’s decision was not based on data or science: Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), meanwhile, called it a “death warrant for Texas.” This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. | |
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| 03-01-21 09:53am - 1298 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Salma Hayek admits she's a liar. But says God will forgive her because women have the right to fudge their actual weight. ------ ------ Salma Hayek says she lies about her weight, but not her age: 'I like being 54' Yahoo Life Pop Culture Erin Donnelly February 25, 2021, 2:46 PM Salma Hayek tends to celebrate her birthdays with carefree bikini selfies, so it's little surprise that the 54-year-old actress is all about embracing her age. In an interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie for "Six-Minute Marathon," the Frida star was asked about the age she'd choose to be for a week. Hayek responded with her actual age. "I'm excited about my age," the Oscar-nominated actress told Guthrie. "I don't lie about my age." The Today host replied that Hayek seemed to be "possibly reverse-aging," much to the star's delight. "I like my numbers," Hayek continued. "I like being 54. It's an accomplishment." While the body-confident celebrity is leaning into her 50s, she hasn't always been so thrilled to get older. "You know what, I hated it when I turned 30," she admitted. "Oh my God, I had a crisis." Salma Hayek says she's Salma Hayek says she's "excited" about being 54. (Photo: Gisela Schober/Getty Images) While Hayek doesn't lie about her age, she 'fessed up to doing some number-crunching about her weight. "I'm not much of a liar, but I am Mexican so I like to embellish," she told Guthrie, adding that her most recent fib was likely when she "lied yesterday about my weight to my husband." Hayek is married to French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, with whom she shares 13-year-old daughter Valentina. When Guthrie suggested that lying about weight was fair game, Hayek responded, "I agree with you, it's kind of like embellishing in the other direction." The interview also saw the actress opening up about her wellness practices, including meditation and yoga. Hayek added that she swears by a 5-minute workout that she created — but sadly couldn't demonstrate on camera. "I invented an exercise, it's like 5 minutes and it works my entire body," she teased, adding, "I have invented like one little routine that's very weird and it's kind of working. You're sore the next day [but] when you're doing it you don't feel it because you use inertia to do it." Time to drop that workout tape! | |
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| 03-01-21 09:39am - 1298 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Texas attorney general sues electric provider for gouging customers. The electric provider is effectively bankrupt, since Texas took away the provider's customers and denied the provider access to electricity. Way to go, Texas. The state where Ted Cruz, our fightenest Senator, went to Cancun on vacation while millions of Texans were freezing without electricity and water. Also, Donald Trump, our beloved president, revealed that Ted Cruz's father assisted in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But all's fair in love and war. And Trump forgave Ted Cruz for any crimes his father may have committed. ------------ ------------ AG sues Texas utility over customers' sky-high energy bills AOL Associated Press March 1, 2021, 7:48 AM AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' attorney general said Monday he's suing electricity provider Griddy for passing along massive bills to its customers during last month's winter storm. The lawsuit comes days after Texas' power grid manager effectively shut down Griddy by revoking its access to the state's electricity market. Griddy charges $10 a month to give people a way to pay wholesale prices for electricity instead of a fixed rate. But when temperatures plummeted well below freezing last month, wholesale prices spiked and Griddy customers were left with sky-high electricity bills. “Griddy misled Texans and signed them up for services which, in a time of crisis, resulted in individual Texans each losing thousands of dollars," Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement. “As Texans struggled to survive this winter storm, Griddy made the suffering even worse as it debited outrageous amounts each day.” The lawsuit accused Griddy of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks refunds for customers. The unusually heavy winter storm blanketed much of Texas with snow, knocking out electricity to 4 million customers and leaving many struggling to find clean water. Meanwhile, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, shifted about 10,000 Griddy customers to other utilities on Friday. Griddy said in a statement that ERCOT “took our members and have effectively shut down Griddy.” “We have always been transparent and customer-centric at every step. We wanted to continue the fight for our members to get relief and that hasn’t changed,” the statement said. | |
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| 02-25-21 09:48am - 1302 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Article says RabbitsReviews gets over 260,000 daily users. That seems like a huge number. I had no idea the site was that popular. I'd be interested in knowing what the daily user count is for the Porn Users site, if it's at all comparable. https://www.metart.com/blog/20210225/Fin...h_Rabbit___s_Reviews MetArt Find the Porn You Love With Rabbit’s Reviews Feb 25, 2021 - by: Rose Whether you are hunting for the best softcore porn sites or you simply wish to peruse 100s of galleries of artistic nudes, finding the hottest erotica should always be an easy task. You will also want to feel safe when searching online. As we all know, the internet is full of malware and other threats. Thankfully, there is a safe place called RabbitsReviews. Over a Decade of Reliable Porn Reviews RabbitsReviews was started by an aspiring college student back in 2003, who felt there was a lack of authenticity when it came to porn sites delivering on what they promised on their tour pages. More unbiased reporting was needed, so he combined his passion for porn with his personal experience buying memberships and launched a review site dedicated to the truth. Today, they have over 260,000 daily users, who follow the Rabbit down the hole to the hottest porn websites and the deepest discounts. The reviewers are experts at providing detailed accounts of premium sites so that you know exactly what you’re getting before you spend any money. A Brand Based on Honesty, Advocacy and Trust Rabbit’s mission is to lift the veil on which adult sites are worth the cash, what they are offering members and the cost of a monthly and multi-month subscription. They also secure incredible discounts that you won’t find elsewhere. Expect honest reviews that do not sugarcoat anything and are written by experienced people you can trust to have your back as a consumer. Explore Reviews From Amateur to VR With over 50 categories, including Teen, Babes and Softcore, you can explore 1000s of straightforward reviews of popular websites. Find out the number of videos in their library and how many can be viewed in Full HD, 4K or higher. They even verify how a site runs on mobile devices and if there are any kinks to work out. You will also learn how often a site is updating and whether or not you can download the movies, as many sites have restrictions. The reviews also provide valuable insights into the production style and whether or not a site fits the bill when it comes to the category it’s representing. Browse Porn With Peace of Mind It’s no secret that browsing for adult content can be risky, especially if you are inexperienced and don’t know where to go. You can end up clicking on a bad link and then get hit with viruses that can harm your PC or smartphone – or even steal your personal information. You won’t have to worry about any of that with Rabbits. Each site listed has passed a security test. The reviewers sign up to the site as any potential member would and they look out for things like limited trials and pre-checked cross-sales, which if you are not careful, could end up putting extra charges on your monthly bill. Save Big With Deep XXX Discounts You’ll be happy to know that RabbitsReviews has an entire section dedicated to Discounts. There you can explore 1,200+ reviews of premium adult sites, some of which are currently marked 50% off a monthly membership. You can take advantage of these sales every day and during the holidays they add some extra sprinkles on top. During peak times like Christmas, Thanksgiving and even Valentine’s Day, Rabbits runs Flash Sales and you can sign up for as little as $10/month! Signing up for their newsletter is the best way to stay on top of specials. Get Your Porn Membership Insured One of the best things about Rabbit’s Reviews is their Money Back Guarantee, which is like having insurance for your porn subscription. Sites that participate in the program will have a gold icon on the review, which means that if you sign up and things just don't meet your expectations, you can get a full refund. Reach out to the Rabbit team within three days of joining and their reps will do the cancellation for you, no questions asked. All you have to do to take advantage is sign up as a free MyPorn member, which is safe and spam-free. Your Portal to the Hottest Porn Sites Why spend your time surfing the net for premium porn and never getting anywhere? This is why I recommend RabbitsReview’s as the best resource for high-quality adult content featuring all your favorite models – and all our MetArt Network sites, of course! You’ll be in good hands and feel confident shopping thanks to their transparent reviews and reliable customer service. | |
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| 02-21-21 10:06pm - 1306 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
I remember back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I was in junior high, that you could buy a hamburger sandwich for $0.10. Those days are long gone, of course. Dinosaurs no longer roam the Wild West (California, and the Pacific Ocean). And now a simple hamburger can set you back $5 or more. A simple chicken sandwich can cost $5 or more. We are living in an era of stagflation, where prices keep zooming, and money flows to the 1%. ----- ----- Burger King, Wendys ramp up the competition in the chicken sandwich wars Yahoo Finance Brooke DiPalma February 17, 2021, 8:25 AM Burger King (QSR) on Wednesday jumped into the widening chicken wars with a new hand-breaded sandwich -- just as McDonald's is expected to debut its own version, and on the same day Wendy's rolled out an update to its menu item. The battlefield for the hearts and stomachs of consumers is growing more fierce, with a clutch of fast food giants unveiling competitors for Popeye's wildly popular sandwich. As a result, Burger King is planning to release the item nationwide later this year, after a lengthy testing process that began in 2019. Ellie Doty, chief marketing officer of Burger King, North America, told Yahoo Finance in an interview that the company took its time in an effort to "get it right." She added: "For us, hand-breading is to chicken what flame-grilling is to burgers so we’ve been working to perfect this hand-breaded chicken sandwich since 2019 from operations to training procedures, we’re focused on getting it right for our guests.” The company's sandwich includes a white meat chicken breast that is breaded by hand, then served on potato bun with deli pickles, "signature sauce" and available "your way" both original or spicy. Meanwhile, the chicken sandwich war continues to heat up across the fast food industry, with Wendy's (WEN) unveiling a savory newcomer to its chicken sandwich lineup: the Jalapeño Popper Sandwich. The sandwich, available nationwide for a limited time, comes in three iterations: Classic, spicy and grilled. The classic version retails for $5.99, and is slathered with jalapeños and flavored cream cheese, along with three slices of bacon and cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Along with the sandwich, the fast food chain also released a $6.79 fried chicken salad topped with creamy jalapeño ranch. Since the launch of Popeye's chicken sandwich, consumers have also seen competing versions at other fast food chains including KFC (YUM), Arby’s, Jimmy John’s, and McDonald’s (MCD), which is set to debut Feb. 24. Shares of Burger King's parent company, Restaurant Brand International (which is also behind the successful Popeyes's chicken sandwich), is down more than 12 percent from a year ago. Brooke DiPalma is a producer and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma. | |
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| 02-16-21 05:39am - 1311 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Republican senator says the demonstration at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 was a peaceful demonstration in which only a few people died and everyone was having a great time. "It was like a party, which maybe got a little out of hand, but even the people who died died happy," says the Republican. They died for Trump, God's Chosen Leader of the Republican party. The only people who weren't having a great time were a few Democrats. And you know the Democrats. A bunch of party-poopers. ----- ----- Wisconsin GOP senator downplays attack on U.S. Capitol AOL Associated Press February 16, 2021, 1:31 AM MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson downplayed the storming of the U.S. Capitol last month, saying on conservative talk radio Monday that it “didn't seem like an armed insurrection to me.” Johnson's comments on WISN-AM in Milwaukee came after he voted Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Johnson said in the interview that Trump's attorneys “eviscerated” legal arguments made by Democrats seeking to convict Trump for instigating the insurrection. Johnson is one of Trump's most ardent supporters. He is up for reelection in 2022 but hasn't said yet whether he will seek a third term. Johnson condemned the violence and five deaths during the Jan. 6 riot but said what happened was not an armed insurrection. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. “When you hear the word ‘armed,’ don’t you think of firearms?" Johnson said. "Here’s the questions I would have liked to ask — how many firearms were confiscated? How many shots were fired? I’m only aware of one, and I’ll defend that law enforcement officer for taking that shot. It was a tragedy, but I think there was only one. If that was a planned armed insurrection, man, you had really a bunch of idiots.” Law enforcement officials have said in court filings that guns, bombs and other weapons were found on people who stormed the Capitol, in their vehicles and elsewhere. The insurrectionists also used flag poles, stolen police shields, crutches, fire extinguishers, sticks and other objects to attack police officers and force entry into the Capitol. The Senate acquitted Trump of a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after House prosecutors laid out a case that he was an “inciter in chief” who unleashed a mob by stoking a monthslong campaign of spreading debunked conspiracy theories and false violent rhetoric that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Graphic videos played for senators at the trial showed rioters calling out menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and now-former Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the January certification process. “The racial slurs, the attack on police officers, the injuries, the loss of life, nobody condones that, we all condemn it,” Johnson said Monday. But he said Democrats were hypocrites for not speaking out following sometimes violent protests last summer in the wake of police violence against Black people, including in Kenosha after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot by a white officer. “We know who is talking to us and saying how important police officials are when their side is the one that’s been saying defund the police," Johnson said. "So you’re sitting in that trial, you’re listening to all this and you understand it’s just dripping with hypocrisy.” Wisconsin's other senator, Democrat Tammy Baldwin, voted to convict Trump. | |
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| 02-09-21 06:35am - 1318 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
They are talking of sterilization, taking away the native right of reproduction. Hippos, like humans, enjoy making babies. And the cruel scientists are saying: Stop having fun, to these massive beasts. ----- ----- Fear and love surround Escobar’s hippos thriving in Colombia By REGINA GARCIA CANO and FERNANDO VERGARA26 minutes ago A hippo warning stands on the shore of a lagoon near Doral, Colombia, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. The offspring of hippos illegally imported to Colombia by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s are flourishing in the lush area and experts are warning about the dangers of the growing numbers. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) PUERTO TRIUNFO, Colombia (AP) — Tucked between mountain ranges, the sprawling palace of Pablo Escobar was home to kangaroos, giraffes, elephants and other exotic animals — a private zoo of illegally imported animals that was the greatest ostentation of the feared drug kingpin as he reigned over the cocaine trade in Colombia. Escobar and his Medellin Cartel are long dead, but one of the zoo’s prized specimens is flourishing in the tropical countryside and wetlands in and around the palace-turned-theme park — the hippopotamus. Like the man who introduced them to this country after obtaining them from a U.S. zoo, they are a source of endless controversy. Government attempts to control their reproduction have had no real impact on population growth, with the number of hippos increasing in the last eight years from 35 to somewhere between 65 and 80. A group of scientists is now warning that the hippos pose a major threat to the area’s biodiversity and could lead to deadly encounters between the huge animals and humans. They say hippo numbers could reach around 1,500 by 2035 if nothing is done. They say the animals need to be culled. “I believe that it is one of the greatest challenges of invasive species in the world,” said Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez, an ecologist at the University of Quintana Roo in Mexico and lead author of the group’s study. The idea of culling the herd has already drawn some criticism and is likely to see more. There was an outcry years ago when three hippos wandered from the Escobar compound and were causing problems and one was killed by hunters sent after the animals. The humans in this rural area have embraced the hippos as their own, in part because of the tourist dollars they bring in. For outsiders, it can be a puzzling bond, considering the aggressive animals kill more people per year in Africa than any other wildlife species. Here, elementary school students are used to walking past a sign that reads “Danger — hippopotamus present.” But the experts say the government’s attempt to keep down numbers by sterilizing some hippos just isn’t enough. “Everyone asks, ‘Why is this happening?’ Well, imagine a town of 50 people and you perform a vasectomy on one man and in two years on another man, obviously, that is not going to control the reproduction of the entire population,” Castelblanco-Martínez said. The scientists began working on the hippo population forecast last year after one of the animals chased and severely injured a poor farmer. Their study was published in the journal Biological Conservation in January. Another study last year by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found the hippos are changing the quality of the water in which they spend much of their time and defecate. As their population continues to grow, they could end up displacing native animals like the Antillean manatees, Castelblanco-Martinez said. Escobar in the 1980s arranged for three female hippos and one male to be brought to his 5,500-acre (2,225-hectare) estate, Hacienda Napoles. After his death in a shootout with authorities in 1993, most of the exotic animals were relocated or died. But the hippos were abandoned at the estate due to the cost and logistical issues associated with transporting 3-ton animals and the violence that plagued the area at the time. The hippos thrive in the fertile region lying between Medellin and Colombia’s capital, Bogota. They live in the area around the Rio Magdalena — the Mississippi River of Colombia — spending the day mostly in the lakes and waterways and the night roaming endless grass pastures. Unlike in their native Africa, they have no natural predators in Colombia. “About 10 years ago, we realized that we have a giant population of hippopotamuses. We began to learn how the population was constituted, to see if there was an immediate solution,” said David Echeverri-Lopez, a researcher at the regional environmental agency that oversees the hippos. “We really began to realize the dimensions of the problem.” While Echeverri agreed that culling the hippos would be the best solution, he said the animals’ magnetic personality and government regulation may never allow it. After the public criticism erupted more than a decade ago over the killing of the hippo by hunters, touched off by a photo showing soldiers posing with the hippo as a hunting trophy, the government instituted a ban on hunting hippos. It decided to try sterilization, but that is a complex and expensive process. First, an animal must be tricked into entering a huge metal corral to be sedated. Then a team of wildlife experts must spend about three hours cutting through the animal’s thick skin and then try to find its reproductive organs, which is not easy. “The community keeps an eye on us to make sure that we are actually sterilizing (the hippo) and not doing anything else,” said Gina Serna-Trujillo, a veterinarian who has conducted some of the sterilizations. “They love them.” Serna said each procedure can cost around $8,500 — a steep price for the regional environmental agency that oversees the animals. She said a documentary’s production sponsored the cost of one procedure in 2019 and another film will do the same this year. No procedures were conducted in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Echeverri said the agency has conducted 10 sterilizations and relocated four juvenile hippos to Colombian zoos. Zoos in other countries have shown interest, but bureaucratic red tape has gotten in the way. This year, the agency hopes to be able to start carrying out a type of chemical sterilization that has worked on pigs. Castelblanco understands the appeal of hippos, even describing a baby hippo as “the most beautiful thing in the world,” but said the discussions over their future in Colombia should not be ruled by warm feelings the animals generate. “We have other invasive species in Colombia that have undergone normal protocols, and no one ever makes a fuss because they are fishing lionfish,” she said referring to a fish native to the Indo-Pacific that is now an invasive species in the Atlantic Ocean. “You can’t even talk about (culling hippos) because the rejection is staggering. ... I am being called a murderer.” | |
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| 02-07-21 05:54am - 1320 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Wonderful news: You can get re-infected with covid more than once. So if you were infected, or get the vaccine, it doesn't automatically give you a free pass. Living in the new world where the covid is here. ----- ----- Covid reinfections may be 'much more common' than realized NBC Universal JoNel Aleccia, Kaiser Health News February 7, 2021, 6:00 AM Kaitlyn Romoser first caught Covid-19 in March, likely on a trip to Denmark and Sweden, just as the scope of the pandemic was becoming clear. Romoser, who is 23 and a laboratory researcher in College Station, Texas, tested positive and had a few days of mild, coldlike symptoms. In the weeks that followed, she bounced back to what felt like a full recovery. She even got another test, which was negative, in order to join a study as one of the earliest donors of convalescent blood plasma in a bid to help others. Six months later, in September, Romoser got sick again, after a trip to Florida with her dad. This second bout was much worse. She lost her sense of taste and smell and suffered lingering headaches and fatigue. She tested positive for Covid-19 once more — along with her cat. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Romoser believes it was a clear case of reinfection, rather than some mysterious reemergence of the original infection gone dormant. Because the coronavirus, like other viruses, regularly mutates as it multiplies and spreads through a community, a new infection would bear a different genetic fingerprint. But because neither lab had saved her testing samples for genetic sequencing, there was no way to confirm her suspicion. “It would be nice to have proof,” said Romoser. “I’ve literally been straight up called a liar, because people don’t want to believe that it’s possible to be reinfected. Why would I lie about being sick?” As millions of Americans struggle to recover from Covid-19 and millions more scramble for the protection offered by vaccines, U.S. health officials may be overlooking an unsettling subgroup of survivors: those who get infected more than once. Identifying how common reinfection is among people who contracted Covid-19 — as well as how quickly they become vulnerable and why — carries important implications for our understanding of immunity and the nation’s efforts to devise an effective vaccination program. Scientists have confirmed that reinfections after initial illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus are possible, but so far have characterized them as rare. Fewer than 50 cases have been substantiated worldwide, according to a global reinfection tracker. Just five have been substantiated in the U.S., including two detected in California in late January. That sounds like a rather insignificant number. But scientists’ understanding of reinfection has been constrained by the limited number of U.S. labs that retain Covid-19 testing samples or perform genetic sequencing. A KHN review of surveillance efforts finds that many U.S. states aren’t rigorously tracking or investigating suspected cases of reinfection. KHN sent queries about reinfection surveillance to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of 24 responses, fewer than half provided details about suspected or confirmed reinfection cases. Where officials said they’re actively monitoring for reinfection, they have found far more potential cases than previously anticipated. In Washington state, for instance, health officials are investigating nearly 700 cases that meet the criteria for possible reinfection, with three dozen awaiting genetic sequencing and just one case confirmed. In Colorado, officials estimate that possible reinfections make up just 0.1 percent of positive coronavirus cases. But with more than 396,000 cases reported, that means nearly 400 people may have been infected more than once. In Minnesota, officials have investigated more than 150 cases of suspected reinfection, but they lack the genetic material to confirm a diagnosis, a spokesperson said. In Nevada, where the first U.S. case of Covid-19 reinfection was identified last summer, Mark Pandori, director of the state public health lab, said there’s no doubt cases are going undetected. “I predict that we are missing cases of reinfection,” he said. “They are very difficult to ascertain, so you need specialized teams to do that work, or a core lab.” AdChoices Such cases are different from instances of so-called long-haul Covid-19, in which the original infection triggers debilitating symptoms that linger for months and viral particles can continue to be detected. Reinfection occurs when a person is infected with Covid-19, clears that strain and is infected again with a different strain, raising concerns about sustained immunity from the disease. Such reinfections occur regularly with four other coronaviruses that circulate among humans, causing common colds. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines call for investigating for possible reinfection when someone tests positive for Covid-19 at least 90 days after an original infection (or at least 45 days for “highly suspicious” cases). Confirmation of reinfection requires genetic sequencing of paired samples from each episode to tell whether the genomes involved are different. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak But the U.S. lacks the capacity for robust genetic sequencing, the process that identifies the fingerprint of a specific virus so it can be compared with other strains. Jeff Zients, head of the federal Covid task force, noted late last month that the U.S. ranks 43rd in the world in genomic sequencing. To date, only a fraction of positive coronavirus samples has been sequenced, though the Biden administration is working to rapidly expand the effort. On Feb. 1, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters that sequencing has “increased tenfold” in recent weeks, from 251 sequences the week of Jan. 10 to 2,238 the week of Jan. 24. The agency is working with private companies, states and academic labs to ramp up to 6,000 sequences per week by mid-February. Washington’s state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, Dr. Scott Lindquist, said officials have prioritized genetic sequencing at the state laboratory, with plans to begin genotyping 5 percent of all samples collected. That will allow officials to sort through those nearly 700 potential reinfections, Lindquist said. More important, the effort will also help signal the presence of significantly mutated forms of the coronavirus, known as variants, that could affect how easily the virus spreads and, perhaps, how sick Covid-19 makes people. “Those two areas, reinfection and variants, may cross paths,” he said. “We wanted to be in front of it, not behind it.” How long does immunity last? The specter of reinfections complicates one of the central questions of the Covid-19 threat: How long after natural infection or vaccination will people remain immune? Early studies suggested immunity would be short-lived, only a few months, while more recent research finds that certain antibodies and memory cells may persist in Covid-infected patients longer than eight months. “We actually don’t know” the marker that would signal immunity, said Dr. Jason Goldman, an infectious diseases expert at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. “We don’t have the test you could perform to say yes or no, you could be infected.” Goldman and colleagues confirmed a case of reinfection in a Seattle man last fall, and since then have identified six or seven probable cases. “This is a much more common scenario than is being recognized,” he said. The possibility of reinfection means that even patients who’ve had Covid-19 need to remain vigilant about curbing re-exposure, said Dr. Edgar Sanchez, an infectious diseases physician at Orlando Health in Florida. “A lot of patients ask, ‘How long do I have to worry about getting Covid again?’” he said. “I literally tell them this: ‘You are probably safe for a few weeks, maybe even up to a couple of months, but beyond that, it’s really unclear.’” The message is similar for the wider society, said Dr. Bill Messer, an expert in viral genetics at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, who has been pondering the cultural psychology of the Covid-19 response. Evidence suggests there may not be a clear-cut return to normal. “The idea that we will end this pandemic by beating this coronavirus, I don’t think that’s actually the way it’s going to happen,” he said. “I think that it’s more likely that we’re going to learn how to be comfortable living with this new virus circulating among us.” | |
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| 02-01-21 05:56am - 1326 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
If a cop wants to pepper spray a 9-year-old-girl, the cop has the right and authority to act in self defense. Also, shots fired in the back of a suspect, while the suspect is running away, are legal: a cop has the right of self-defense, more than a civilian does. Cops are the law: stand up for Cops, who defend you from thugs and other people of the lower classes. And if the pepper spray did not work to subdue the girl, they should have tasered her. And if that didn't work, they should have emptied a clip of .44 Magnum bullets into the suspect, because she was acting badly. Being 9 years old does not excuse you from obeying the orders of a cop. Power to the people. And to the cops! ------ ------ Police pepper spray 9-year-old girl in New York NBC Universal Tim Stelloh February 1, 2021, 5:21 AM Authorities in Rochester, New York, are investigating a confrontation captured on video that shows police pepper spraying a 9-year-old girl while responding to a report of “family trouble,” officials said Sunday. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said she directed Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan to investigate last Friday's incident, and the city’s police accountability board also will review what happened. “This is not something that any of us should want to justify,” Warren said, adding that she saw “her baby’s face” when she looked at the 9-year-old girl. Police were called after a report that the girl was threatening to harm herself and her mother, Deputy Chief Andre Anderson told reporters. When officers tried to move the girl into a police car to take her to a hospital, she resisted, kicking one of the officers, Anderson said. Body camera video released by the police department Sunday shows authorities handcuffing the girl while she repeatedly screams for her father and refuses to get in the vehicle. “You’re acting like a child,” one of the officers says at one point. “I am a child,” she can be heard responding. In the video, officers can be heard saying that they would pepper spray her if she continued to resist. When an officer did, Anderson said, the “effects of that didn’t work.” It isn't clear what happened before or after the video, which was edited by police, though Anderson said the girl was eventually taken to Rochester General Hospital and released. The officers in the video have not been identified and additional details about the incident weren’t immediately available. A message left with the Rochester Police Department requesting an incident report wasn’t returned Sunday night. The city's police union also did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but in comments cited by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, union president Mike Mazzeo said the officer made a decision to subdue the girl and acted in a way that didn't injure her. "I'm not saying there are not better ways to do things," Mazzeo told the newspaper. "But let's be realistic about what we're facing. ... It's not TV, it's not Hollywood. We don't have a simple (situation), where we can put out our hands and have somebody be instantly handcuffed and comply." The confrontation comes less than a year after Daniel Prude, 41, died while being restrained by Rochester police with a “spit hood” over his head. The police department’s chief and entire command staff resigned after Prude’s death, and the city enacted law enforcement reforms, including moving crisis intervention from the purview of police. The city launched a “person in crisis” response team earlier this month, but it didn’t respond to Friday's confrontation because the initial 911 call didn't warrant it, Warren said. “There were a number of events happening at once at this location, all of which required a police response,” she said. She added that the city aims to provide a joint response between police and the crisis team to “improve how we protect our community.” | |
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| 02-01-21 04:51am - 1326 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
I am posting a reply made by PinkPanther because I think it needs special attention, instead of being lost in the reply section of a comment. The reply was made on 01-30-21. PinkPanther MUCH more than 1/2 the site(Digital Playground) was deleted in the past TWO MONTHs. I did a review of this site on Nov 2, 2020 and I reported 4,278 scenes on the site. The site currently shows 1,340 scenes. So they have deleted almost 3,000 scenes from the site. I've got this site as an add-on so I've got no reason to go anywhere. But I wouldn't recommend joining this site to anyone sane. This is the same bull-shit that I reported them having done with Twisty's and with Babes.com. ----- ----- So anyone joining Babes, Digital Playground, or Twistys, be aware that a massive amount of content from those sites has recently been deleted. | |
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| 01-26-21 08:38am - 1332 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Our great president, Andrew Jackson, is being thrown on the trash heap. No longer will he appear on the $20 bill. Instead, Harriet Tubman, who was never elected President of the United States, will replace Jackson. It's important that our money reflect history, says the Biden administration. But what about the Battle of New Orleans? Shouldn't we honor the US defeat of Britain, which proved American superiority over those English soldiers? Enquiring minds want to know: Is Biden a secret pacifist, who will lay down like a coward before foreign enemies? ------ ------ 01-25-215:31 pm Harriet Tubman will finally replace Andrew Jackson as the face of the $20 bill “It’s important that our money reflect the history and diversity of our country,” President Biden’s press secretary said. Nearly five years after an initiative to put abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the face of the $20 bill was introduced, White House press secretary Jen Psaki informed reporters in a briefing Monday that the Biden administration is “exploring ways to speed up the process” that was stopped during President Trump’s tenure. Replacing Andrew Jackson on the bill caused an explosion of tweets when it was announced in April 2016. The proposed redesign was made public in 2019 and was supposed to have been put into circulation last year on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. However, Trump’s Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, halted the process because he believed that adding security features on the money was more important than changing the face on the bill, adding that the redesign wouldn’t be in circulation until 2028. According to a New York Times report, Psaki said, “The Treasury Department is taking steps to resume efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the front of the new $20 notes. It’s important that our money reflect the history and diversity of our country.” | |
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| 01-25-21 05:47pm - 1333 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Godzilla vs. Kong is scheduled to be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on March 26, 2021. The film was delayed several times, and was previously scheduled to be released in 2020 on March 13, May 22, May 29, November 20, and later pushed to May 21, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odM92ap8_c0 The reigning masters of Mixed Martial Arts are having a knock-down-drag-out fight. Who will be the last man standing? (Or is Godzilla really a female in heat, who is protecting her unborn children?) Fans will be able to cheer for their favorite kaiju monster when Godzilla vs. Kong is released in theaters and on HBO Max on March 26, 2021. The film was delayed several times, and was previously scheduled to be released in 2020 on March 13, May 22, May 29, November 20, and later pushed to May 21, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My heart is thumping for both these creatures, because my heart knows that both creatures have buried inside of them the instincts to protect mankind from itself. Godzilla has evolved over the ages: She now has trans-uranic powers and abilities far beyond anything mortal man can realize. Will Godzilla and King Kong ever learn to be friends? They both wish the best for humankind. Or will they fight for supremacy, because of the instinct that only one can rule the Earth? | |
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| 01-20-21 07:11am - 1338 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Tricky Joe Biden, the man who stole the presidency away from our beloved President Trump, is entering Washington with armed militia and taking over Washington. Never before has our Nation, Under God, been assaulted by the Democratic devils and submitted without a fight. We must remain strong and calm, and endure while Biden rules. And hold fast to our convictions that President Trump will return in glory to make America Great Again!!! God bless America. The land of the White, Free, and Republicans. Amen. | |
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| 01-13-21 10:16pm - 1345 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
In case you missed it, Tom D Admin has posted new changes to the raffle system. The main change is the prize distribution: How are the prizes divided up? 1st Prize: $300 USD 2nd Prize: $200 USD 3rd Prize: $100 USD The rest of the announcement, posted in the "Announcement" section on the home page of PU, "01-12-21 Current Raffle FAQ", repeats the rules of how to win tickets to the raffle: How much cash is given away each drawing? We give away a total of $500 the second Wednesday of every month! How are the prizes divided up? 1st Prize: $300 USD 2nd Prize: $200 USD 3rd Prize: $100 USD How do I earn raffle tickets? Submit an Approved Review: User reviews are our bread and butter on Porn Users. So if you submit a review that meets our criteria and gets approved by our team, you'll receive five entries* into the next raffle. Review Criteria is available here. Earn Extra Entries: If you are the first to review a newly listed site or you do a new review of a site with only expired reviews, you'll be given one additional entry*. Porn Review Feedback: You will earn one entry* into the raffle for every five replies you make on user reviews. We're looking for quality, not just quantity, so your postings need to be relevant and not too short. Reply to Our Two Most Recent User Polls: You will receive one entry* for the first comment you make to the New and Last poll on the homepage. Only your first comment to each poll is eligible and comments to older polls while appreciated will not earn raffle entries. Create an Active Porn-Related Forum Thread: We will give you five entries* if you start a new porn-related forum thread that receives at least 10 decent-quality replies (not just one word or emoticon) from 10 other different Porn Users. *All raffle entries are given at our staff's discretion as a courtesy and are in no way a form of payment or obligation in exchange for users posting to our website or forum. When does the drawing take place? A new drawing takes place the second Wednesday of every month at 12 PM EST. All tickets earned up to that time are included in that drawing, while any earned after 12:01 PM will be applied to the following drawing. How random is the drawing? The goal of our raffles is to give everyone who actively participates on Porn Users a chance to win a prize. At the same time, we recognize that some people contribute more often than others and we want to ensure that these valued members of our community have superior odds of winning, even if we cannot guarantee who will win or how often. The drawings will be entirely random and to that end, here's a link to the web-based tool that will be used to determine the winners. As suggested by their developers, we will utilize triple randomization and also make sure to use a private/incognito window for each drawing to ensure that there is no information from previous draws affecting the current selection process. The list of names from the manual tally will also be sorted randomly in Google sheets before being transferred to the online software. Please note - each random drawing is for entertainment purposes only with no purchase or payment required to enter or win. | |
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| 01-10-21 10:01am - 1348 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Twitter has banned Donald Trump, our glorious President-For-Life-Of-The-Wonderful-World-Of-Trumpland. A foolish and dangerous decision. How will Trump be able to reach out to his followers? How will Twitter survive? Who will bother to read Twitter, since the most important user of Twitter, the man who invented Twitter (Donald Trump), who invented the Twitter Bomb, is barred from his favorite platform? Enquiring minds want to know: Is this the end of Democracy? Will the United States go down in flames and destruction, since we can no longer read tweets from the PRESIDENT-OF-THE-UNITED-STATES? ----- ----- Squelched by Twitter, Trump seeks new online megaphone AOL Associated Press FRANK BAJAK January 10, 2021, 4:49 AM BOSTON (AP) — One Twitter wag joked about lights flickering on and off at the White House being Donald Trump signaling to his followers in Morse code after Twitter and Facebook squelched the president for inciting rebellion. Though deprived of his big online megaphones, Trump does have alternative options of much smaller reach. The far right-friendly Parler may be the leading candidate, though Google and Apple have both removed it from their app stores and Amazon decided to boot it off its web hosting service. That could knock it offline for a week, Parler’s CEO said. Trump may launch his own platform. But that won't happen overnight, and free speech experts anticipate growing pressure on all social media platforms to curb incendiary speech as Americans take stock of Wednesday’s violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol by a Trump-incited mob. Twitter ended Trump’s nearly 12-year run on Friday. In shuttering his account it cited a tweet to his 89 million followers that he planned to skip President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration that it said gave rioters license to converge on Washington once again. Facebook and Instagram have suspended Trump at least until Inauguration Day. Twitch and Snapchat also have disabled Trump’s accounts, while Shopify took down online stores affiliated with the president and Reddit removed a Trump subgroup. Twitter also banned Trump loyalists including former national security advisor Michael Flynn in a sweeping purge of accounts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory and the Capitol insurrection. Some had hundreds of thousands of followers. In a statement Friday, Trump said: "We have been negotiating with various other sites, and will have a big announcement soon, while we also look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future.” Experts had predicted Trump might pop up on Parler, a 2-year-old magnet for the far right that claims more than 12 million users and where his sons Eric and Don Jr. are already active. Parler hit headwinds, though, on Friday as Google yanked its smartphone app from its app store for allowing postings that seek “to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.” Apple followed suit on Saturday evening after giving Parler 24 hours to address complaints it was being used to “plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities.” Public safety issues will need to be resolved before it is restored, Apple said. Amazon struck another blow Saturday, informing Parler it would need to look for a new web-hosting service effective midnight Sunday. It reminded Parler in a letter, first reported by Buzzfeed, that it had informed it in the past few weeks of 98 examples of posts “that clearly encourage and incite violence” and said the platform “poses a very real risk to public safety.” Parler CEO John Matze decried the punishments as “a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace. We were too successful too fast,” he said in a Saturday night post, saying it was possible Parler would be unavailable for up to a week “as we rebuild from scratch.” Earlier, Matze complained of being scapegoated. “Standards not applied to Twitter, Facebook or even Apple themselves, apply to Parler.” He said he “won’t cave to politically motivated companies and those authoritarians who hate free speech.” Losing access to the app stores of Google and Apple — whose operating systems power hundreds of millions of smartphones — severely limits Parler's reach, though it will continue to be accessible via web browser. Losing Amazon Web Services will mean Parler needs to scramble to find another web host — in addition to the re-engineering. Gab is another potential landing spot for Trump. But it, too, has had troubles with internet hosting. Google and Apple both booted it from their app stores in 2017 and it was left internet-homeless for a time the following year due to anti-Semitic posts attributed to the man accused of killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Microsoft also terminated a web-hosting contract. Online speech experts expect social media companies led by Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube to more vigorously police hate speech and incitement in the wake of the Capitol rebellion, as Western democracies led by Nazism-haunted Germany already do. David Kaye, a University of California-Irvine law professor and former U.N. special rapporteur on free speech believes the Parlers of the world will also face pressure from the public and law enforcement as will little-known sites where further pre-inauguration disruption is now apparently being organized. They include MeWe, Wimkin, TheDonald.win and Stormfront, according to a report released Saturday by The Alethea Group, which tracks disinformation. Kaye rejects arguments by U.S. conservatives including the president’s former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, that the Trump ban savaged the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from restricting free expression. “Silencing people, not to mention the President of the US, is what happens in China not our country,” Haley tweeted. “It’s not like the platforms’ rules are draconian. People don’t get caught in violations unless they do something clearly against the rules,” said Kaye. And not just individual citizens have free speech rights. “The companies have their freedom of speech, too.” While initially arguing their need to be neutral on speech, Twitter and Facebook gradually yielded to public pressure drawing the line especially when the so-called Plandemic video emerged early in the COVID-19 pandemic urging people not to wear masks, noted civic media professor Ethan Zuckerman of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Zuckerman expects the Trump de-platforming may spur important online shifts. First, there may be an accelerated splintering of the social media world along ideological lines. "Trump will pull a lot of audience wherever he goes,” he said. That could mean more platforms with smaller, more ideologically isolated audiences. A splintering could push people towards extremes — or make extremism less infectious, he said: Maybe people looking for a video about welding on YouTube will no longer find themselves being offered an unrelated QAnon video. Alternative media systems that are less top-down managed and more self-governing could also emerge. Zuckerman also expects major debate about online speech regulation, including in Congress. “I suspect you will see efforts from the right arguing that there shouldn’t be regulations on acceptable speech,” he said. “I think you will see arguments from the democratic side that speech is a public health issue.” ___ This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Alethea. ___ Associated Press writers Barbara Ortutay in Oakland, California, and Amanda Seitz in Chicago contributed to this report. | |
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| 01-05-21 05:18am - 1353 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Glen Campbell died in 2018. Shortly after his death, his estate, which previously was valued at over $50 million, is now valued at $410,000. What happened, to the money that disappeared? Or is this a trick to reduce taxes on the estate? ----- ----- Glen Campbell estate previously valued at $50 million. Latest estimate: $410,000 Walter F. Roche Jr. For USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Glen Campbell died Aug. 8. April 24, 2018 A court-appointed administrator for the estate of Glen Campbell has come up with a partial preliminary estimate that is but a small fraction of the previous estimates of its value. In a four-page filing in Davidson Probate Court in Nashville, Stanley B. Schneider set the estimated estate assets at $410,221. Prior estimates of Campbell's total estate value totaled some $50 million. The estimate excludes future income rights from royalties. "Appraisal needed," the report states. Schneider served as the legendary singer's accountant and later as his manager. He was appointed "administrator ad litem" in February by Probate Judge David "Randy" Kennedy. More:Court record: Glen Campbell specifically excludes 3 of 8 children from will More:Glen Campbell's wife seeks $506,000 reimbursement for his Alzheimer's care Three of Campbell's children already have served notice that they are contesting Campbell's will, which specifically excludes them from any share of his estate. Campbell died Aug. 8 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. His will names his wife, Kimberly, as executor. She and his five other children are listed as beneficiaries. The Schneider inventory lists two bank accounts with a combined total of $959. The largest single item is a 50 percent stake in the AZPB Limited Partnership. Its value is set at $296,164. A 50 percent interest in the AZ Baseball Broadcast Holdings is valued at $3,464. More:Glen Campbell estate includes stake in Arizona Diamondbacks Prior court filings show Campbell held an ownership interest in the Arizona Diamondbacks. The filing also lists Glen Campbell Music Inc. valued at $25,110, while Glen Campbell Enterprises is listed with a $84,524 value. Campbell was the 100 percent owner of both of those entities. Schneider, who also was charged with keeping track of royalties paid to the estate, listed $42,448 in payments between Aug. 8 and April 20. He said an additional $76,000 in royalties was owed to the estate, while checks totaling $1,776 were awaiting deposit. A payment of $14,246 is expected as a settlement on an insurance claim for water damage on a California property. Schneider listed debts of $118,200, including an estimated $107,000 in state and federal income taxes and $71,000 in legal fees. Reach Walter F. Roche Jr. at wfrochejr999@gmail.com. | |
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| 01-02-21 01:57pm - 1356 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
11 Republican senators announced Saturday they will challenge the outcome of the presidential election. That is their right. The Democrats need to toughen up. They need to assemble a firing squad and execute the 11 Republican senators for treason. The Republican senators are trying to overthrow the US government. The Republicans need to pay for their treason. End of story. ------ ------ Cruz leads 11 GOP senators challenging Biden win over Trump Associated Press LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK January 1, 2021, 10:10 PM WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of 11 Republican senators announced Saturday it will challenge the outcome of the presidential election by voting to reject electors from some states when Congress meets next week to certify the Electoral College results that confirmed President-elect Joe Biden won. President Donald Trump’s extraordinary refusal to accept his election defeat and the effort to subvert the will of the voters has become a defining moment for Republicans and is tearing the party apart. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Republican not to try to overturn the election. The 11 senators, led by Ted Cruz of Texas, said they will vote against certain state electors unless Congress appoints an electoral commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. They acknowledged they are unlikely to change the results of the election. “We intend to vote on January 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not ‘regularly given’ and ‘lawfully certified’ (the statutory requisite), unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed,” they wrote in the statement. “We do not take this action lightly,” they said. In response to Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud, bipartisan election officials and Trump’s then-Attorney General William Barr have said there was no evidence of widespread fraud and the election ran smoothly. The days ahead are expected to do little to change the outcome. Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20 after winning the Electoral College vote 306-232. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was the first to defy McConnell by announcing he would join House Republicans in objecting to the state tallies during Wednesday's joint session of Congress. On the other side of the party’s split, Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska warned such challenges are a “dangerous ploy” threatening the nation’s civic norms. The issue is forcing Republicans to make choices that will set the contours of the post-Trump era and an evolving GOP. Caught in the middle is Vice President Mike Pence, who faces growing pressure and a lawsuit from Trump’s allies over his ceremonial role in presiding over the session Wednesday. “I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,” Sasse wrote in a lengthy social media post. Sasse, a potential 2024 presidential contender, said he was “urging my colleagues also to reject this dangerous ploy.” Trump, the first president to lose a reelection bid in almost 30 years, has attributed his defeat to widespread voter fraud, despite the consensus of nonpartisan election officials that there wasn’t any. Of the roughly 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. He’s also lost twice at the U.S. Supreme Court. Still, the president has pushed Republican senators to pursue his unfounded charges even though the Electoral College has already cemented Biden’s victory and all that’s left is Congress’ formal recognition of the count before the new president is sworn in. “We are letting people vote their conscience,” Sen. John Thune, the second-ranking Republican, told reporters at the Capitol. Thune’s remarks as the GOP whip in charge of rounding up votes show that Republican leadership is not putting its muscle behind Trump’s demands, but allowing senators to choose their course. He noted the gravity of questioning the election outcome. “This is an issue that’s incredibly consequential, incredibly rare historically and very precedent-setting,” he said. “This is a big vote. They are thinking about it.” Pence will be carefully watched as he presides over what is typically a routine vote count in Congress but is now heading toward a prolonged showdown that could extend into Wednesday night, depending on how many challenges are mounted. The vice president is being sued by a group of Republicans who want Pence to have the power to overturn the election results by doing away with an 1887 law that spells out how Congress handles the vote count. Trump’s own Justice Department may have complicated what is already a highly improbable effort to upend the ritualistic count. It asked a federal judge to dismiss the last-gasp lawsuit from Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and a group of Republican electors from Arizona who are seeking to force Pence to step outside mere ceremony and shape the outcome of the vote. In a court filing in Texas, the department said they have “have sued the wrong defendant” and Pence should not be the target of the legal action. “A suit to establish that the Vice President has discretion over the count, filed against the Vice President, is a walking legal contradiction,” the department argues. A judge in Texas dismissed the Gohmert lawsuit Friday night. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump appointee, wrote that the plaintiffs “allege an injury that is not fairly traceable” to Pence, “and is unlikely to be redressed by the requested relief.” To ward off a dramatic unraveling, McConnell convened a conference call with Republican senators Thursday specifically to address the coming joint session and logistics of tallying the vote, according to several Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the private call. The Republican leader pointedly called on Hawley to answer questions about his challenge to Biden’s victory, according to two of the Republicans. But there was no response because Hawley was a no-show, the Republicans said. His office did not respond to a request for comment. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who has acknowledged Biden’s victory and defended his state’s elections systems as valid and accurate, spoke up on the call, objecting to those challenging Pennsylvania’s results and making clear he disagrees with Hawley’s plan to contest the result, his office said in a statement. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues. In essence, lawmakers would be forced to choose between the will of the outgoing president and that of the voters. Several Republicans have indicated they are under pressure from constituents back home to show they are fighting for Trump in his baseless campaign to stay in office. ___ Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Chicago contributed to this report. | |
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| 01-01-21 08:55am - 1357 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
I just saw a discounted offer of $5/month for MetArt. That's the lowest price I've ever seen for one of the finest softcore glamour sites on the internet. Look around, you might see other great offers. But $5/month for MetArt seems like a fantastic deal. That's for a year-long membership, so $60/year (recurring). But for a softcore megasite with a ton of photosets, it's still a great deal. | |
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| 12-30-20 08:03am - 1359 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Lin Qi, the chairman and CEO of Yoozoo Games, died on Christmas Day following a week-long illness that may have stemmed from a poisoned cup of tea. Jaclyn Diaz Dec 28, 2020 at 12:58 am NPR The Chinese billionaire CEO of video game developer Yoozoo Group died on Christmas Day following a suspected colleague's alleged poisoning plot. Lin Qi died at the age of 39, according to Shanghai police. Lin's company, Yoozoo, is best known for its Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming game. Before his death, Lin was attached to an upcoming, high-profile Netflix project. Lin'z Yoozoo Group had purchased the rights to the Chinese sci-fi trilogy The Three Body Problem in 2015. Netflix announced in September it would adapt the internationally bestselling books into an English series with Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Television writer Alexander Woo was also set to write and produce the series, according to Variety. Lin was also involved as executive producer on the project. Lin became sick last week and was hospitalized on Dec. 16, reportedly barely able to walk and with symptoms of "acute illness." He was immediately brought to the ICU for treatment, where he had to be resuscitated after his heart stopped, according to local reports. By Thursday, Dec. 24, Shanghai police said a man was detained for the alleged poisoning of Lin. Police referred to both men by their surnames, but media reports said the detained suspect was Lin's colleague, Xu Yao. The next day, Lin was dead. Xu was a senior executive for Yoozoo's film and television division. Alleged infighting at the company may be the motive behind the attack on Lin, according to reports. Those reports suggested that Lin may have been poisoned by a tainted cup of pu'er, a fermented tea. When Yoozoo purchased the film rights to develop The Three Body Problem series in 2015, plans to develop the movie under its own production team were fraught with problems. That included senior personnel changes throughout the production and difficulties on set, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Eventually, the company gave up on the endeavor and sold the rights for the film to Netflix as well as the video game production for the trilogy to a Chinese company. [Copyright 2020 NPR] | |
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| 12-27-20 06:07pm - 1362 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Daily Cover|Aug 25, 2020,06:30am EDT Trump Has Now Moved $2.3 Million Of Campaign-Donor Money Into His Private Business Dan Alexander Donald Trump continued to shift money from his donors to his business last month, as his reelection campaign paid his private companies for rent, food, lodging and other expenses, according to a review of the latest Federal Election Commission filings. The richest president in American history, who has yet to donate to his 2020 campaign, has now moved $2.3 million of contributions from other people into his private companies. The most recent expenses look familiar. The president accepted $38,000 in rent last month through Trump Tower Commercial LLC, the entity that owns his Fifth Avenue skyscraper. Since Trump took office, his campaign has paid that company $1.5 million, more than any other property in the Trump empire, according to an analysis of federal filings. The Republican National Committee also coordinated with the campaign to pay Trump Tower Commercial LLC an additional $225,000. Trump got another $8,000 in July via the Trump Corporation, a management company that he owns. The precise reason for those payments is unclear. Campaign filings describe the rationale as “legal & IT consulting” but it’s still a mystery why Trump’s management company is providing such services. The Trump Corporation has now taken in $281,000 from the campaign since the president entered the Oval Office. More money went to Trump Restaurants LLC, another company the president owns outright. Those payments may be connected to a kiosk in the basement of Trump Tower that sells campaign memorabilia. It’s hard to imagine that the kiosk has been doing much business amid the coronavirus crisis, but the campaign has continued to pay its rent, $3,000 per month. Trump Restaurants LLC has gotten $117,000 since its owner became president. Trump Hotel Collection, in which Trump also owns a 100% interest, received another $1,000 in July. The campaign has paid Trump’s hotel properties $226,000 since Inauguration Day, according to the analysis of federal filings. Not every company cashed in last month. Forbes found no payments to Mar-a-Lago, the president’s golf clubs, or Trump Plaza LLC—an entity that controls property on Third Avenue in Manhattan and previously collected regular rent from the reelection effort. Trump’s machinations have been going on for years now. Forbes first reported on money moving from his reelection campaign to his business in 2018. The amount has more than doubled since then. The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment. A representative for the Trump campaign ignored a series of questions about the payments and instead issued a broad statement. “The campaign complies with all campaign finance laws and FEC regulations,” the statement said. “The campaign pays fair market value under negotiated rental agreements and other service agreements in compliance with the law. The campaign works closely with campaign counsel to ensure strict compliance in this regard.” In addition to the campaign, the Republican National Committee and the president’s joint-fundraising committees have also paid millions of dollars to Trump’s businesses. Last month, Forbes reported on $4.7 million of payments from those entities since Trump took office. The president’s total haul—from his campaign, party and joint fundraising committees—now stands at more than $6.9 million. Not a meaningless sum, even for a billionaire. With additional reporting by Michela Tindera. | |
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| 12-19-20 10:42am - 1370 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Donald Trump threatened to fire Dr. Fauci. Maybe Trump had good reasons. Can we trust Fauci? Fauci first said that Santa was safe from the virus, and would not spread the disease if he came down the chimney into our homes. But now Fauci says he himself went to the North Pole to vaccinate Santa himself. Which is it? Was Santa naturally immune, and did not require a vaccination? Or did Santa require a vaccination? Also, the two vaccines the US has developed, both require two injections of the vaccine. So, did Fauci give both of the injections? Or did he only give Santa one injection, and Santa needs a second injection before Santa can be considered safe? Enquiring minds want to know: Is Santa safe, or should he be barred from our houses, until the virus has blown away? ------- ------- Fauci says he personally vaccinated Santa Claus against COVID-19 HuffPost Hilary Hanson December 19, 2020, 9:13 AM Dr. Anthony Fauci laid to rest any concerns that kids might have about Santa and COVID-19, announcing that he personally vaccinated the jolly old guy. “I took a trip up there to the North Pole, I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself,” Fauci said Saturday on CNN, responding to multiple queries from worried children. “I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. He can come down the chimney. He can leave the presents, he can leave and you have nothing to worry about.” But wait a minute. Didn’t Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, say only last month that Santa was immune to the novel coronavirus? It’s true that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that even people who have had the virus, and thus may have natural immunity, get the vaccine. That’s because scientists don’t know how long immunity may last after someone has had COVID-19. Even so, when Fauci discussed Santa’s immunity before, he made it sound like Kris Kringle’s “good innate immunity” was sufficient protection for a safe Christmas night. In that case, why give one of the first available vaccines to him, rather than someone more immediately vulnerable? Here are some more questions raised by Santa’s preferential treatment: Did Santa alone get vaccinated? Did his elves — who presumably work close together in their toy factory and whose immunity Fauci has not discussed — also receive doses? Fauci, who had not yet received the vaccine as of this week, does not take public transportation in his home city of Washington, D.C. or socialize outside of his household. Why did he decide a trip to the North Pole was worth the risk, when surely other people qualified to administer a vaccine lived closer? Reindeer are among the kinds of animals that could be susceptible to infection. Is there a safety plan for Dasher, Dancer and the rest? Finally, it’s unclear whether a person vaccinated for the virus can still carry it and infect others. Do families really want to let this potential superspreader down their chimneys? | |
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| 12-18-20 03:33pm - 1371 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Inebriated Press January 24, 2008 · 7:00 am Pam Anderson Sells Spare Breasts on eBay Actress and model Pamela Anderson has listed her spare breasts on the auction website eBay. Reportedly Anderson has put them up with “no reserve” and is willing to get whatever she can for them. The actress has changed breast sizes several times in recent years, usually making them bigger, but did downsize them once before making them bigger again. Reportedly she became tired of having the extra ones lying around the house and decided to sell them off. “I’ve gradually increased the size of my breasts and with it my popularity,” said Anderson, juggling three of her breasts with her hands and jiggling two others currently mounted on her chest. “My back ached from all the weight so I downsized one year, but my popularity went down with it. So I popped the size back up and my popularity popped up too. I just exercise and see a chiropractor for my back now. What can I say; a gal’s got to do what a gal’s got to do.” Not everyone favors the routine modification of ones body or breast size. “Be who you are and be genuine about that, and you’ll be happier,” said Betty Boop, a precocious cartoon character whose modest cup size never slowed her popularity or stopped her from strutting her stuff. “Some guys are all about big jugs but that’s superficial, just like those kinds of guys. I’ve gotten along just fine with my perky little tits and don’t want anybody with a knife slicing away on me.” eBay.com is an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell goods and services worldwide. In its early days it traded almost anything, but eventually began to prohibit the sale of items like firearms, dirty underwear and body parts. Pamela Anderson has been selling her used clothes and other items on eBay since 2004 but this is the first time she’s offered her breasts for sale. “They’re like anything else you’ve got laying around the house,” said Pam, drinking a glass of fresh milk and pondering mammary health. “If you don’t get rid of some stuff pretty soon your place is full of junk you don’t use. I’ve got no more use for those old silicone boobs, so I may as well put them on the world’s biggest garage sale. Maybe I’ll get a couple bucks for them.” In related news, breast milk continues to be popular among babies and used to be traded on eBay but is no longer allowed since it’s not inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture. (C) 2008 InebriatedPress.com | |
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| 12-17-20 10:00pm - 1372 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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I've been seeing some holiday discounts to major porn sites for $10 or less. Some sites offering $7 for the first month. And some sites offering a yearly price of maybe $60. These are major sites, not low-rated junk. The PU and RabbitsReviews should list some of these discounts, but the staff at these sites might be on holiday themselves. So if you're in the market for a new sub, look around. | |
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| 12-16-20 08:31am - 1373 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Salacious woman tries to entice lawful police officers from their duties. Woman also wanted her video shown on TV news channel, in spite of objections from the mayor of Chicago, a city noted for strong ethics and moral discipline. ======================= Lori Lightfoot Tried To Block Video Of Cops Raiding Wrong Home, Cuffing Naked Woman HuffPost Sanjana Karanth December 15, 2020, 6:34 PM The city of Chicago attempted to block a local news station from airing recently obtained body camera footage of police mistakenly raiding the wrong home with guns drawn and handcuffing a distressed, naked woman. CBS2-TV released body camera footage on Monday night of officers forcing their way into the home of Anjanette Young nearly two years ago. The 50-year-old clinical social worker, who helps victims of violence and mentors people of color going into her profession, had just finished her work shift at a hospital and was undressing in her bedroom when a group of male officers broke down her door with a battering ram. “It was so traumatic to hear the thing that was hitting the door,” she told CBS2 in a televised interview as part of Monday’s report. “And it happened so fast, I didn’t have time to put on clothes.” In the disturbing Feb. 21, 2019, footage, officers appear to have their guns drawn while they yell for Young to put her hands up. She can then be seen in the video fully naked with her hands raised, looking terrified and confused (CBS2 blurred parts of the video in which Young was shown naked). One officer puts Young’s hands behind her back and handcuffs her, leaving her with no way to cover herself as police search her home. An officer can be seen attempting to drape a short coat around Young’s shoulders, which still leaves her front fully exposed while police surround her. Someone puts a blanket on her that keeps sliding open because she can’t hold it closed. Eventually, an officer holds the blanket closed on her. Young becomes increasingly and understandably distressed in the footage as officers refuse to tell her why they have raided her home. She asks them repeatedly to let her put clothes on and tells them she believes they have the wrong information. According to CBS2, Young told police at least 43 times that they were in the wrong home. She said that officers responded to her distress in a way that amplified it, telling her not to shout when she’d ask questions. “When I asked them to show me, when I asked them to tell me what they are doing in my house, and their response to me was just ‘shut up and calm down,’” Young told the station, “that’s so disrespectful.” CBS2 found that the officers involved failed to check if they had the correct address before getting their search warrant approved. A confidential informant had told the raid’s lead officer that he’d recently seen a known felon with guns and ammunition at the address, according to the police department’s complaint for a search warrant, which the news station obtained. The informant reportedly gave police the wrong address, and there’s no evidence that officers independently verified the informant’s claim. The person that officers were looking for actually lived in the unit next door to Young at the time of the raid and had no connection to her, CBS2 found. The suspect was also reportedly wearing an electronic monitoring device, making it even easier for officers to track his location. Body camera footage showed officers in a squad car looking at notes and saying, “It wasn’t initially approved or some crap.” “They are adding trauma to people’s lives that will be with them the rest of their lives,” Young told CBS2. “The system is broken.” Young fought for nearly two years to get the footage of the raid on her home released. The Chicago Police Department initially denied her Freedom of Information Act request but eventually turned over the footage after a judge ordered it as part of Young’s lawsuit. Hours before CBS2’s report on Monday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s lawyers filed an emergency motion in federal court to try and stop the station from airing bodycam footage of the raid. The lawyers also wanted Young punished, accusing her of sharing the video with a news outlet despite a confidentiality order. “In open court, Defense Counsel specifically outlined concerns that this video would be shared with the media in a salacious and unfair manner designed to elicit a reactionary response, which carries the risk of poisoning the public’s view of the case,” Lightfoot’s lawyers argued in the filing. They also said the footage, which shows a naked woman in distress begging officers to leave because they raided the wrong home, paints “an inaccurate picture of what happened during the subject search warrant.” CBS2 said it filed a response to the city’s motion calling it unconstitutional and an effort to suppress the station’s reporting. While CBS2 was broadcasting the report, a judge denied the motion by Lightfoot’s lawyers. Chicago police declined to tell HuffPost whether the officers involved in the raid will be penalized, citing an open investigation with the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability. COPA didn’t launch its investigation until nine months after the incident, when CBS2 first broke the story of the raid. “Social workers are trained to have unconditional positive regard for clients,” tweeted Social Service Workers United-Chicago, a group of area social workers who advocate for improved conditions in the field. “CPD’s behavior would not have been justified if they had violently raided the ‘right’ home, because everyone, regardless of what they are accused of, is entitled to constitutional due process.” Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. At a press conference for Chicago’s first COVID-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, a reporter asked Lightfoot why her office attempted to block CBS2 from airing the footage and also punish Young for sharing it. “That was not something that happened on my watch,” the mayor started. “Because of the concern that we saw and was expressed, we changed the protocols for search warrants. It requires now two supervisors, it requires a pre-check of the location. And I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that we’ve solved every problem.” “I watched that video and I put myself in that poor woman’s place and thinking about somebody breaking into your home … and the trauma that that causes,” Lightfoot continued. “I think we have taken steps to address that issue. This case was litigated in federal court. The federal judge put in place an order. There’s allegations she has violated that. But what I’ve directed my law department to is resolve any pending case with respect to Young’s situation.” However, Chicago police have continued to ignore even the small search warrant policy changes Lightfoot made in February of this year, nearly two years after CBS2 began exposing botched Chicago police raids. The mayor also dodged the question on Tuesday of why her law department tried to get a last-minute federal court order to stop CBS2 from airing its story. It's one of those moments where I felt I could have died that night. ... I truly believe they would have shot me.Anjanette Young If the story feels familiar, that’s because it is. Chicago’s previous mayor, Rahm Emanuel, left a stained legacy when he blocked bodycam footage of police fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald for nearly a year until a judge ordered the city to release it. Young’s ordeal also recalls the killing of Breonna Taylor, a young Black woman whom police shot to death earlier this year as part of a botched drug raid meant for someone else. Body camera footage released much later showed officers walking around the apartment as Taylor lay on the floor, bleeding to death. While Taylor’s family received a settlement for the high-profile crime, none of the officers were charged for killing her. Earlier this year, Lightfoot held a citywide moment of silence for Taylor. “It’s one of those moments where I felt I could have died that night,” Young told CBS while wearing a T-Shirt with Taylor’s face. “Like if I would have made one wrong move, it felt like they would have shot me. I truly believe they would have shot me.” | |
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| 12-16-20 07:36am - 1373 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Tom Cruise yells at 'Mission: Impossible 7' crew members for breaking COVID-19 rules: 'If I see you do it again you’re f****** gone' Yahoo Celebrity Raechal Shewfelt December 15, 2020, 6:44 PM New audio appears to capture Tom Cruise ranting at his co-workers on the British set of Mission: Impossible 7 for breaking COVID-19 protocols. The star, who’s also a producer of the blockbuster franchise, threatened to fire anyone not following the guidelines, according to the recording published on The Sun. Cruise was reportedly upset to see people standing too close together. Variety confirmed the incident. Tom Cruise wears a mask while "Mission: Impossible 7" films Nov. 29 in Italy. (Photo: Samantha Zucchi/Insidefoto/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images) Tom Cruise wears a mask while Mission: Impossible 7 films Nov. 29 in Italy. (Photo: Samantha Zucchi/Insidefoto/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images) “If I see you do it again you’re f****** gone,” Cruise can be heard saying. “We are the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. Because they believe in us and what we’re doing. I’m on the phone with every f****** studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf*******. I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!” His said he didn’t want the movie to be shut down. Mission: Impossible 7 was one of the films to halt production early in the year, because of the epidemic. Cruise insisted that there be no apologies: “You can tell it to the people that are losing their f****** homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That’s what I sleep with every night — the future of this f****** industry! So I’m sorry, I am beyond your apologies. I have told you, and now I want it, and if you don’t do it, you’re out. We are not shutting this f****** movie down! Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re f****** gone.” Social media quickly reacted to the audio, with many people saying how glad they were to see Cruise taking the pandemic seriously. They also compared him to Les Grossman, the bullying Hollywood agent that Cruise played in Tropic Thunder, and several people noted the allegations against Scientology, of which Cruise is its most high-profile member. The leaked audio recording came out the same day as a very different story about Cruise and how he sends his his many celeb friends a certain gourmet treat this time each year. | |
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| 12-14-20 12:05am - 1376 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Sia calls Shia LaBeouf a 'pathological liar' who 'conned me into an adulterous relationship' Megan Johnson December 13, 2020, 10:15 AM Singer Sia says she was conned into an adulterous relationship with actor Shia LaBeouf. Australian singer and songwriter Sia says she was manipulated into an affair with actor Shia LaBeouf, and is advising other women to “stay away” from the actor. Sia’s allegations come in the wake of the bombshell New York Times article that revealed singer FKA twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is suing LaBeouf, 34, for “relentless abuse” she allegedly suffered during their relationship, which began in 2018. “I too have been hurt emotionally by Shia, a pathological liar, who conned me into an adulterous relationship claiming to be single,” the singer tweeted on Saturday. “I believe he's very sick and have compassion for him AND his victims. Just know, if you love yourself — stay safe, stay away.” In a follow-up tweet, Sia solidified her support for Barnett. “Also I love you @FKAtwigs. This is very courageous and I'm very proud of you,” she added. Sia did not provide more details about her “adulterous relationship” with LaBeouf, who appeared in her 2015 music video for “Elastic Heart.” LaBeouf wed Mia Goth in 2016, but the couple ultimately divorced in 2018. Sia’s claims came just one day after the New York Times article, in which FKA twigs spoke out on her lawsuit and detailed her allegations of an abusive relationship with LaBeouf, which she calls the “worst thing I’ve ever been through in the whole of my life.” “I don’t think people would ever think that it would happen to me,” said FKA twigs. “But I think that’s the thing. It can happen to anybody.” Sia worked with LaBeouf on her 2015 music video for "Elastic Heart." The singer alleges extensive physical, emotional and mental abuse by LaBeouf, including at one point allegedly waking her up “in the middle of the night, choking her.” In another incident, LaBeouf allegedly drove recklessly, “removing his seatbelt and threatening to crash unless she professed her love for him.” Barnett also claims LaBeouf knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. Ultimately, Barnett planned her escape from the relationship with the help of a therapist, a process she called “both difficult and dangerous,” according to her lawsuit. Barnett is not the only LaBeouf ex included in the lawsuit. A second former girlfriend, Karolyn Pho, whom he dated for two years, alleges he once drunkenly pinned her to a bed and headbutted her, causing her to bleed. LaBeouf was also caught on tape in 2015 threatening his ex-wife Goth, stating he “would’ve killed her” after they got in a serious argument. A representative for LaBeouf did not immediately respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment. However, LaBeouf did issue a statement to the New York Times in response to the article about FKA twigs. “I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel,” wrote LaBeouf. “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.” While LaBeouf said specific allegations “are not true,” he went on to say that he’s “a sober member of a 12-step program” and undergoing therapy. “I am not cured of my PTSD and alcoholism, but I am committed to doing what I need to do to recover, and I will forever be sorry to the people that I may have harmed along the way.” | |
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| 12-07-20 12:56pm - 1382 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Melinda Coleman dies by suicide months after daughter Daisy's death ET Online Paige Gawley Dec 7th 2020 12:59PM Melinda Coleman, the mother of late sexual assault survivor and advocate Daisy Coleman, died by suicide on Sunday. The tragic news comes four months after Daisy, who appeared in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, died by suicide at age 23. SafeBAE, the sexual assault prevention organization Daisy co-founded prior to her death, shared the news of Melinda's passing on Instagram. "We are in shock and disbelief to share with our SafeBAE family, that we lost Melinda Coleman to suicide this evening," the organization wrote on Sunday. "The bottomless grief of losing her husband, [her son,] Tristan, and Daisy was more than she could face most days." The post went on to remember Melinda as a "gifted veterinarian, devoted mother and wife, and talented body builder." "More than anything, she loved and believed in her children. It is no accident that she created some of the most gifted, passionate, and resilient children. Our hearts are forever with Logan & Charlie," the post concluded of Melinda's sons. On Sunday, before Melinda's death, the grieving mom posted about Daisy on Facebook. "There aren’t enough I love yous I could have said when I was holding your cold, broken, dead body," Melinda wrote alongside photos of Daisy. "I held you like a baby anyway, my baby. The baby I held when you first came into this world. It has always been my greatest honor and joy to be your mother and best friend. Mama bear!" Daisy was 14 years old when she alleged in 2012 that she was sexually assaulted at a house party in Missouri after drinking alcohol. Her accusation led to a felony sexual assault charge against teenager Matthew Barnett, which was later dropped, though he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. He claimed their sexual encounter was consensual. The Netflix documentary focused on the backlash Daisy and her family faced in her small town and the cyberbullying she received amid the case. Melinda shared the news of Daisy's suicide in an August Facebook post. "She was my best friend and amazing daughter," Melinda wrote in part. "I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her. I can't. I wish I could have taken the pain from her! She never recovered from what those boys did to her and it's just not fair. My baby girl is gone." If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). | |
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| 12-07-20 05:14am - 1382 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Former Trump Org. exec thinks Trump might leave the country before he leaves office Yahoo TV Stephen Proctor December 6, 2020, 10:44 PM Barbara Res, former executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, appeared on CNN Newsroom With Ana Cabrera on Sunday where she raised questions about how, and where, President Trump will end his term. Trump and his finances, and that of The Trump Organization, are the focus of multiple investigations in the state of New York. Res believes that if it appears those investigations could lead to charges, Trump may decide to leave the country before he leaves office. “I think catastrophe comes except for Donald. You know, as much as it’s almost impossible to think how he’s gonna weasel his way out of it, I think he will,” Res said. “If there are real legitimate charges leveled against him or hanging over his head the minute he becomes a citizen, I think he may leave the country. I think he may leave the country before the end of his presidency.” The president’s niece, Mary Trump, author of Too Much and Never Enough, agreed that Trump leaving the country is a real possibility. “I do also think that’s a possibility. I don’t know if it’s the most likely thing, but again, we don’t know how the next 45 days are gonna play out,” Mary said. “If the walls really do start closing in on him, right before the inauguration will be his last, best opportunity to get away unscathed. So it’s gonna be fascinating, but also pretty terrifying.” If the president stays in the country, Mary Trump doesn’t believe there’s any way he goes to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. “I don’t think there’s anything on the planet that would get him to—one, that would be a concession,” Trump said. “Two, would be an acknowledgement that the incoming administration is legitimate, and Donald wants to avoid that at all cost. And three, it would be missing an opportunity to take the spotlight from President Biden and to himself.” | |
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| 12-06-20 12:31pm - 1383 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Reuters December 6, 2020, 6:22 AM (Reuters) - Mastercard Inc said on Sunday it was investigating allegations against Pornhub.com following a newspaper column which said many videos posted on the adult website depicted child abuse. The New York Times column, written by Nicholas Kristof, described videos on Pornhub that the author said were recordings of assaults on unconscious women and girls. "The issue is not pornography but rape. Let's agree that promoting assaults on children or on anyone without consent is unconscionable," Kristof wrote in the column published on Friday. (https://nyti.ms/2JXiqSw) Pornhub denied the allegations. "Any assertion that we allow CSAM (child sexual abuse material) is irresponsible and flagrantly untrue," it said in a statement emailed to Reuters. Mastercard told Reuters in a statement that it was investigating the allegations with Pornhub's parent MindGeek's bank. "If the claims are substantiated, we will take immediate action," Mastercard said. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman called on Mastercard and Visa Inc to temporarily withhold payments to Pornhub following the newspaper column. Ackman also asked American Express Co to take action, though the company's cards aren't accepted on the site. Visa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. American Express said it has a longstanding global policy that prohibits acceptance of its cards on digital adult content websites. Ackman suggested it should be made illegal for porn sites to post videos before they are reviewed by a monitor, and until the ages and consent of participants have been validated. In its response, Pornhub said it has a vast team of human moderators who manually review "every single upload," as well as automated detection technologies. It did not say how many people were part of its review team. Kristof's column also drew reactions from politicians including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said his government was working with police and security officials to address the issues it raised. In the United States, Senator Josh Hawley said he will introduce legislation to create a federal right to sue for every person "coerced or trafficked or exploited by sites like Pornhub." (Reporting by Shubham Kalia and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis) More From Reuters: | |
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| 12-06-20 08:56am - 1383 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Report finds microwave energy likely made US diplomats ill AOL Associated Press December 6, 2020, 4:17 AM WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report by a National Academy of Sciences committee has found that “directed” microwave radiation is the likely cause of illnesses among American diplomats in Cuba and China. The study commissioned by the State Department and released Saturday is the latest attempt to find a cause for the mysterious illnesses that started to emerge in late 2016 among U.S. personnel in Havana. The study found that “directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible” explanation for symptoms that included intense head pressure, dizziness and cognitive difficulties. It found this explanation was more likely than other previously considered causes such as tropical disease or psychological issues. The study did not name a source for the energy and did not say it came as the result of an attack, though it did note that previous research on this type of injury was done in the former Soviet Union. In its report, the 19-member committee noted that it faced significant challenges in trying to get to the bottom of the medical mystery. Among them, not everyone reported the same symptoms and the National Academy of Sciences research did not have access to all the previous studies on the illnesses, some of which are classified. “The committee found these cases quite concerning, in part because of the plausible role of directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy as a mechanism, but also because of the significant suffering and debility that has occurred in some of these individuals,” said committee chairman David Relman, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. “We as a nation need to address these specific cases as well as the possibility of future cases with a concerted, coordinated, and comprehensive approach.” The health effects were experienced by about two dozen Americans affiliated with the U.S. Embassy in Cuba as well as Canadian diplomats and personnel at the U.S. consulate in Guanghzhou, China, in early 2017. Some of the Americans have been critical of the U.S. government's response to their health complaints and at least one has filed suit against the State Department. Between late 2016 and May 2018, several U.S. and Canadian diplomats in Havana complained of health problems from an unknown cause. One U.S. government count put the number of American personnel affected at 26. Some reported hearing high-pitched sounds similar to crickets while at home or staying in hotels, leading to an early theory of a sonic attack. | |
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| 12-06-20 02:33am - 1383 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Variety Janet W. Lee December 5, 2020, 12:32 PM Actor David Lander, best known as Squiggy on the ABC sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” died Friday evening at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his family confirmed to Variety. He was 73. Lander died of complications related to multiple sclerosis, which he battled for 37 years. Since he went public with his diagnosis in 1999, Lander has worked closely with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, speaking out about his experience at related conferences. The actor was best known as Squiggy from “Laverne & Shirley,” which he starred in opposite Michael McKean, who portrayed Lenny. The characters were developed by the longtime friends and collaborators while they were students at Carnegie Mellon University. On Saturday morning, McKean responded to the news by tweeting an old photo of him and Lander. | |
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| 12-05-20 12:02am - 1385 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Note: for adults only. The scene described is ultra-graphic, and the performers' comments are not endorsed by the PU staff. Watch at your own risk. You could be dis-illusioned on pornography in a mind-altering experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974 The scene following the above video shows a mother's love for her children, cautioning them about the dangers of a career in porn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQFWjsNElKM Edited on Dec 05, 2020, 05:10am | |
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| 12-03-20 12:02pm - 1386 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Variety Dec 3, 2020 10:30am PT Warner Bros. to Debut Entire 2021 Film Slate, Including ‘Dune’ and ‘Matrix 4,’ Both on HBO Max and In Theaters By Rebecca Rubin, Matt Donnelly Dune YouTube Screenshot When Warner Bros. announced that “Wonder Woman 1984” would land on the streaming service HBO Max on Christmas, the same time it debuts in theaters, many expected it to be an isolated case in response to an unprecedented pandemic. Instead, the studio will deploy a similar release strategy for the next 12 months. In a surprising break from industry standards, Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 slate — a list of films that includes “The Matrix 4,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” remake, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical adaptation of “In the Heights,” “Sopranos” prequel “The Many Saints of Newark” and “The Suicide Squad” — will debut both on HBO Max and in theaters on their respective release dates. The shocking move to simultaneously release movies day-and-date underscores the crisis facing movie theaters and the rising importance of streaming services in the wake of a global health crisis that’s decimated the film exhibition community. Related Stories VIP Discovery+ Review: Yet Another ‘Plus’ Brand but With a Lot to Add Oscars Predictions: Best Sound – Can ‘Tenet’ and Warner Bros Be Able to Navigate This Season? Warner Bros.’ 2021 release slate also includes Denzel Washington’s thriller “The Little Things,” biographical drama “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a remake of “Tom and Jerry,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” video game adaptation “Mortal Kombat,” “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Reminiscence,” James Wan’s “Malignant” and sports drama “King Richard.” In the short term, the move will inject some welcome buzz into HBO Max, a Netflix challenger that launched last spring without generating much sizzle. One of WarnerMedia’s key rivals, the Walt Disney Company has strengthened its share price because of its investment in streaming offerings such as Disney Plus even as its core theme parks and film businesses have cratered. WarnerMedia and its corporate parent AT&T are likely making the move with an eye towards pleasing Wall Street. Like “Wonder Woman 1984,” the films that Warner Bros. plans to release in 2021 will be available to HBO Max subscribers for 31 days. After the one-month mark, those movies will only play in theaters until they reach the traditional home entertainment frame. From there, people can rent through online platforms like Amazon, iTunes or Fandango. It’s unclear when the titles will return to HBO Max. WarnerMedia chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff referred to the model as a “unique one-year plan.” Executives at the company have stressed the initiative isn’t expected to continue into 2022 or beyond — it’s considered a temporary solution in response to the ongoing global heath crisis. “We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” Sarnoff said in a statement. “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.” “With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films,” she continued. “We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.” Variety reported earlier this week that Warners. was considering sending several films to HBO Max and theaters day-and-date. But the studio opted to move forward with the rest of its upcoming slate because the film landscape is getting rockier as the pandemic worsens and parts of the United States consider implementing new stay-at-home orders. The idea that people will return to the movies anytime soon is looking more distant as the pandemic nears the one-year mark. It’s also unclear what kind of distribution footprint will await studios on the other end of the pandemic. More than 60% of U.S. theaters have closed down again, and that number could continue to rise if cases continue to spike around the holidays. Those that remain open are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. As a sign of these troubles, just hours before Warner Bros. disclosed its plans, AMC announced that it was selling up to 200 million shares of stock in an effort to raise as much as $834 million and shore up its liquidity. To get theaters on board and allow Warners to break the theatrical contract for “Wonder Woman 1984,” the studio is giving cinemas a more generous cut of ticket sales. Theater chains are receiving as much of 60% of revenues. But sources say that won’t be the case for upcoming releases. Thursday’s announcement from Warner Bros. is yet another example of just how dramatically the coronavirus crisis has shifted the power dynamic between studios and theater operators. Even with effective vaccines starting to be approved, the latest move by Warner Bros. suggests the balance may never return in favor of exhibitors. Months ago, Universal Pictures took an axe to the theatrical window — industry parlance for the amount of time a new release plays exclusively in theaters. But in comparison, Universal’s terms of agreement with movie theater chains AMC and Cinemark make them look like downright martyrs. Under those pacts, the studio can put new movies on premium video-on-demand platforms in as little as 17 days. Films that generate at least $50 million in opening weekend ticket sales, however, will have to play exclusively in theaters for 31 days, or five full weekends. Traditionally, new releases remain on the big screen for 75 to 90 days before they move to digital platforms for a $19.99 rental fee. Universal has agreed to give the two circuits a cut of digital sales to get them to play ball. It’s not clear if theaters will receive any benefits from Warner Bros. Warner Bros., perhaps more than any of its rivals, knows how unforgiving the theatrical market can be amid a pandemic. When the studio released Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” in September in an attempt to revive a nationwide return to moviegoing, the $200 million-budgeted sci-fi epic mostly fell flat. “Tenet” generated substantial ticket sales overseas, but returns were lackluster in the United States. As a result, the movie is expected to lose many millions. In an interview with Variety, studio chief Toby Emmerich said the hybrid plan came about after exploring various options for “Wonder Woman 1984.” The international box office has significantly rebounded and even fielded some big hits in China and Japan. Alternatively, the domestic market hasn’t seen any movie come close to blockbuster levels in terms of ticket sales. HBO Max is only available in the U.S. “We thought it could be a win-win and give the consumers the best choice,” he said. “Unfortunately, the U.S. has been one of the most hobbled markets in terms of theatrical. Outside the U.S., in places like China, South Korea, Japan, parts of Western Europe, our films will only be available in theaters. We think those markets can perform better.” “After considering all available options and the projected state of moviegoing throughout 2021, we came to the conclusion that this was the best way for WarnerMedia’s motion picture business to navigate the next 12 months,” said WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar. “More importantly, we are planning to bring consumers 17 remarkable movies throughout the year, giving them the choice and the power to decide how they want to enjoy these films. Our content is extremely valuable, unless it’s sitting on a shelf not being seen by anyone. We believe this approach serves our fans, supports exhibitors and filmmakers, and enhances the HBO Max experience, creating value for all.” | |
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| 12-03-20 02:01am - 1386 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Hope everything is OK with him. He's one of the most active members at the PU site. Wishing him well, in this time of the covid epidemic. | |
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| 12-01-20 12:24pm - 1388 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Ellen Page is now Elliot Page. Ellen Page is now Elliot Page, a trans person who is now "he/they". Does this mean Elliot Page is really more than one person, since he is now a "they"? "Page uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, and describes himself as transgender and non-binary, meaning that his gender identity is neither man nor woman." Not to be snarky, but if his gender identity is neither man nor woman, why describe himself as "he". I thought "he" referred to a male, not to some person who is neither man or woman. In the modern world, it seems that people are making new classifications and divisions that are still being formed. Is Elliot Page male, female, both, or neither? Or does it depend on the time of day and the mood of the actor? ---------- ---------- Oscar-Nominated ‘Umbrella Academy’ Star Elliot Page Announces He Is Transgender Variety Matt Donnelly December 1, 2020, 9:14 AM Elliot Page, the Oscar-nominated star of “Juno” and Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy,” has announced he is transgender. Elliot, formerly known as Ellen Page, addressed his social media followers saying: “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society,” he wrote. “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better,” Page continued. Page uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, and describes himself as transgender and non-binary, meaning that his gender identity is neither man nor woman. Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media, said “Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people. He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.” Page broke out from his native Canada in 2005 with the revenge thriller “Hard Candy.” Two years later, he starred in Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s landmark indie “Juno,” for which Page received an Academy Award nomination among other accolades. His notable roles include Kitty Pryde in the “X-Men” series, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” “Whip It!” and Sony’s reboot of “Flatliners.” He has produced and starred in films such as “Tallulah” and “Freeheld,” and last year marked his directorial debut examining environmental racism faced by people of color and the First Nations communities of Canada. Prior to transition, Page was one of the most visible out gay actors in Hollywood. The Tuesday announcement further enriches his legacy, and adds him to a small but growing number of out trans creators and stars in Hollywood. This includes performers (Laverne Cox, Trace Lysette, Brian Michael Smith) and creators (The Wachowski Sisters, “Transparent” creator Joey Soloway). Last year, Variety broke the news of the groundbreaking overall content production deal that Netflix signed with Janet Mock, a noted trans storyteller and director of shows like “Pose” and “Hollywood.” | |
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| 12-01-20 04:28am - 1388 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Sean Hannity says Trump needs to pardon himself and his whole family. The US legal system says you are innocent of crimes until proven guilty. So what crimes is Trump guilty of? Or, is Hannity implying you don't need to have committed a crime to be prosecuted, and that the Democrats will pursue Trump just like the Republicans pursued innocent people who opposed the Republican regime? In other words, politics does not follow the traditional ideals of justice? Trump libelled and slandered numerous people under the shield of political speech. But that's not all he did. Can Trump get away from all his illegal actions? A pardon only works for federal crimes. Even with a pardon, Trump can still be pursued for state crimes. Trump, probably the most corrupt president the US has ever had. ================================= Sean Hannity says Trump 'needs to pardon' himself and his 'whole family' HuffPost Mary Papenfuss November 30, 2020, 10:46 PM President Donald Trump “needs to pardon his whole family and himself” as he walks “out the door” of the White House, Fox News host Sean Hannity said on his radio show Monday. “I assume that the power of the pardon is absolute and that he should be able to pardon anybody that he wants to,” Hannity declared as he interviewed fringe lawyer Sidney Powell. Powell was bounced from Trump’s election legal team earlier this month after spouting bizarre conspiracy theories claiming that Venezuela, Cuba, “antifa,” George Soros, the Clinton Foundation and the deceased Hugo Chávez, among others, were responsible for shifting November’s presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. Hannity did not specify what criminal charges Trump or his family could face. He insisted Trump needs to pardon himself and his family to protect him from unspecified “witch hunts.” Powell told Hannity that she didn’t know the details of Trump’s “authority to pardon himself.” But she insisted it wouldn’t be unnecessary because “the president is going to get another four years in office” — despite losing to President-elect Biden. Generally, someone granted a pardon has been convicted of a federal crime and has shown remorse or made reparations. Pardons typically are granted after an application is presented five years after a conviction or release from prison and is approved by the Department of Justice’s pardon attorney. A president has never pardoned himself. In 1974, former President Richard Nixon was pardoned after his resignation by his successor, Gerald Ford. Trump last week pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was represented by Powell, after Flynn had pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about secret calls with Kremlin officials as Trump was coming into office. Flynn was granted a “full and unconditional pardon” from “any and all possible offenses” arising out of the investigation into possible Kremlin collusion by former special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump pardoned Flynn after the Department of Justice failed to get his case thrown out in court. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. | |
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| 11-25-20 05:30am - 1394 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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It took a pandemic to change the movie business Why you can see Wonder Woman 1984 at home on Christmas Day. By Peter Kafka Nov 19, 2020, 1:15pm EST On Christmas Day, you can see Wonder Woman 1984 in movie theaters — if theaters are open where you live — or you can watch it at home on HBO Max. That’s a remarkable thing. It’s the first time you’ve ever been able to decide exactly when and where you want to watch a big, would-be-blockbuster Hollywood movie on opening day. Distribution plans for a superhero movie aren’t the most important news at the moment — we are, after all, battling a pandemic that has killed 250,000 Americans. But it’s also worth noting that this modestly pro-consumer move — giving people the chance to see a comic book movie wherever they want to see it — is only happening because of the pandemic. The move also tells you a lot about the state of both the movie theater business (it’s in a lot of trouble) and the streaming business, which is in a desperate race for scale. Quickish background: Hollywood movie studios and the big movie theater chains have been fighting for years over “windows”: the amount of time between when a movie comes to theaters and when you can watch it at home. Most of the studios have been trying to shrink that window. They want you to be able to rent a big movie at home weeks, not months, after it debuts in theaters. Theaters, for obvious reasons, want to keep that gap as big as possible. And since theaters represent a big chunk of the revenue a movie can generate, they’ve been able to more or less hold the line. You could sometimes see an indie movie at home at the same time it debuted in theaters, but for big movies and big studios, it never happened. Even attempts to experiment with alternative models — in 2011, Universal studios proposed letting you rent Tower Heist, a terrible Eddie Murphy/Ben Stiller movie, for $60 while it was still in theaters — haven’t gone anywhere. Enter the pandemic, which closed theaters and forced studios to try different strategies. Most studios moved most of the big movies they planned to debut this year, like Dune or the latest Fast & Furious sequel, to 2021. Then they experimented a bit with everything else: Universal allowed people to rent Trolls 2 and other movies at home. Other studios took movies that were supposed to go into theaters and folded them into their own streaming services: Hamilton debuted on Disney+, The Witches went to HBO Max. Disney also tried a hybrid option by letting Disney+ subscribers watch Mulan at home — if they paid an extra $30. But until now no one has let you pick if you want to watch a true blockbuster in a theater with other people, or at home with friends and family. (The first Wonder Woman movie, released in 2017, grossed more than $800 million worldwide, which means WarnerMedia, the unit of AT&T that owns both Warner Bros. studio and HBO Max, expect the sequel to be a giant hit as well.) The fact that this is happening now reveals a couple things: The movie theaters have completely lost the leverage they once had. In the past, WarnerMedia would have never tried this because the big theater chains would have made credible threats, including refusing to show the movie in their theaters. (This is why, by the way, you could see Netflix’s The Irishman in theaters last year only in small chains and indie theaters. The big chains, like AMC, simply refused to show the movie because they are angry at and threatened by Netflix in general.) But the big chains can’t threaten the movie studios anymore. That’s because they’re either not open, period, or because people don’t want to see movies in theaters, even when they can. WarnerMedia did try bringing Tenet, a would-be blockbuster, to theaters earlier this year, and pandemic-scarred US audiences simply refused to go. And while movie theaters expect to open again in 2021, they will do so in a very weakened state. They have spent this year bleeding money and trying to stave off bankruptcy. There’s a good chance many of the theater chains will have to close many of their locations in the near future; there’s also a good chance some of them will end up with new owners after filing for Chapter 11. One indication of how weak the theaters are: Earlier this year, Universal cut a deal with AMC, the world’s biggest theater chain, to shorten — but not eliminate — the theater-to-home window. That pact was considered astonishing, and it required Universal to give AMC a cut of its home rental sales. But a PR rep for WarnerMedia says the company isn’t changing its existing deals with theaters in any way for Wonder Woman 1984. The theaters that show it can get the cut of box office revenue they always get, and nothing more. That is: WarnerMedia is betting that the big chains will show the movie, on their terms, which they hate. And that they won’t be able to do anything to retaliate. Big media desperately wants to catch up to Netflix. WarnerMedia executives are fully aware that giving people the chance to watch Wonder Woman 1984 at home means that many people are going to watch Wonder Woman 1984 at home, which means they’re going to sell many fewer tickets. Meaning: This is going to cost WarnerMedia a bunch of money. But the company clearly thinks that giving audiences a reason to subscribe to HBO Max is worth it. The streaming service — a mix of the old HBO plus a bunch of new stuff — got off to a slow start when it launched this spring, and it is hoping that a new, family-friendly superhero movie will be a reason for people to subscribe over the holidays. And WarnerMedia needs a lot of people to do that: Its owner, AT&T, has promised Wall Street that it is going to become one of the dominant streaming services, along with Netflix and Disney. It will ultimately be either rewarded or punished based on that performance, rather than the near-term performance of its studio. So cutting off some movie revenue now — and making theaters upset along the way — will be worth it for WarnerMedia if it can turn HBO Max into a real Netflix competitor. And if it can’t, the money it loses on Wonder Woman 1984 won’t matter much anyway. | |
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| 11-24-20 05:03am - 1395 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the top experts in infectious diseases, is warning that we are not finished with the coronavirus. About 257,000 people in the US have already died from the disease. Because of the holidays ahead, the cold weather, you need to take precautions (wear a face mask, don't congregate in large crowds, etc.). Because the virus is real, and can be deadly. A vaccine should be released soon, but until you get yours, better safe than sorry. ----- ----- Fauci warns of 'stunning number of deaths' from coronavirus Yahoo News Alexander Nazaryan November 24, 2020, 4:24 AM WASHINGTON — The nation is entering “a very vulnerable period” that could see the number of coronavirus deaths rise rapidly, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned in conversation with Yahoo News on Monday. The warning comes at a time when the virus is already causing widespread devastation, averaging close to 1,500 deaths per day, according to the COVID Tracking Project. About 257,000 people have succumbed in the United States to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Asked if that number could double, Fauci expressed concern about the onset of colder weather and the “sequential holiday seasons” of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve. “You do the math on that,” Fauci said. “Two to three thousand deaths a day times a couple of months, and you’re approaching a really stunning number of deaths.” Three thousand deaths per day for the next two months would bring the total number of American deaths to above 400,000, with plenty of devastation still ahead. Although coronavirus vaccinations will begin within a matter of weeks, the inoculations will not stem the viral tide in the near future. That means thousands more could die during the winter months, even as the end of the pandemic starts to come into view. “It isn’t inevitable that that will happen,” said Fauci, a veteran of the HIV/AIDS epidemic whose previous dire predictions about the path of the coronavirus pandemic have come true. He said that people should not panic but ought instead to take basic precautions, such as seeing people outside the household in outdoor settings only and wearing masks. “We can blunt the curve and blunt that trajectory, which is almost exponential,” he said. “It’s possible.” Fauci has been making that case more or less since the pandemic began, but he has routinely been undermined by President Trump, who has dismissed the coronavirus as a minor threat inflated by Democratic foes. He has turned face masks into an object of the divisive culture wars on which he thrives. Fauci excoriated governors who have consistently downplayed the dangers of the coronavirus, even as thousands fall seriously ill and die in their states. The virus has proved a political challenge for elected leaders regardless of party, but Republican governors have, for the most part, been more reluctant than their Democratic counterparts to institute mask mandates or other restrictions that could slow the spread of the virus. “It’s beyond stunning to me, it’s almost incomprehensible, how in places where you have the intensive care beds completely full,” Fauci said, “and intensive care patients needing to be housed in other places, and you have the possibility of pending shortages of staff — that in those same places they’re still saying it’s fake news, it’s a hoax.” Speaking to Yahoo News on Monday, Fauci marveled at those who insisted on such an approach. “How could you possibly do that when it’s staring you right in the face in the place where you live?” he wondered. “That people are dying in intensive care units. I don’t get that. At all.” _____ | |
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| 11-23-20 03:56am - 1396 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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The Weeknd, rising star of American music, shows how strong he is in the face of the Covid epidemic. A broken nose, blackened eyes, bloody lips, and other damages hidden under the bandages will not stop this musical legend from appearing on stage displaying his awesome talent. The damges were fake, but his talent is real. https://www.aol.com/the-weeknd-appears-w...wards-042843731.html ------------ ------------ The Weeknd appears with bizarrely bandaged face at 2020 American Music Awards Yahoo Music Lyndsey Parker Nov 23rd 2020 4:38AM When the Weeknd showed up at August’s MTV Video Music Awards sporting a broken nose, blackened eyes, and a bloody lip, casual fans were concerned that he’d been in some sort of pre-ceremony accident or brawl. Real fans, of course, knew that the reigning method actor of pop was demonstrating his full commitment to the character/narrative from his VMA Video of the Year winner, “Blinding Lights” (in which he is beaten up by bouncers and then gets in a drunk-driving crash, resulting in multiple facial injuries). The Weeknd has actually been rocking the bruised-and-bloodied look ever since he appeared on Saturday Night Live in March, but this Sunday at the American Music Awards, the enveope-pushing singer took his injured aesthetic to a shocking new extreme, with his head and face now totally swathed in mummy bandages as he performed “In Your Eyes” and “Save Your Tears” on a closed-off downtown Los Angeles bridge. (Adding to the overall surreal vibe of the performance was an all-too-brief bridge cameo by sexy saxophonist Kenny G, who appears on an “In Your Eyes” remix that actually cracked the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in October.) Back in April, the Weeknd explained to GQ that he wrote his latest concept album, After Hours, from the perspective of a “character losing his mind in Vegas,” debuting his bloody-faced alter ego in the album’s first music video, “Heartless,” in September 2019. That video’s director, Anton Tammi, has shot every subsequent video from After Hours, including last month’s extremely NSFW short film for “Too Late,” in which the Weeknd’s decapitated head is found by two gauze-wrapped, plastic-surgery-addicted socialites in the middle of the street. The disturbing, bonkers “Too Late” video seems to have inspired the Weeknd’s latest awards show look. At this rate, it looks like the Weeknd might show up in a full body cast at his next two major TV appearances: the Jan. 31 Grammy Awards, where he is expected to be the top nominee, and Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, where he will be the halftime show performer. But regardless of what happens at those events, it’s certain that the Weeknd will keep surprising viewers. On Sunday, as he picked up his first AMAs trophy — for Best Soul/R&B Album, for After Hours — he said, “Last time I received this award [for 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness], it was given to me by the late, great Prince. And you know, he's the reason I get to constantly challenge the genre of R&B. And I'd like to dedicate this award to him.” Speaking of taking risks, while the Weeknd’s pyrotechnic outdoor extravaganza was obviously socially distanced (even if his bandages didn’t cover his nostrils or mouth), and other artists gave remote performances, several seemingly riskier numbers actually took place inside L.A.’s Microsoft Theater, in front of a live audience. This of course raised eyebrows after the controversy surrounding this month’s live, indoor Country Music Association Awards — not to mention the fact that the AMAs took place just three days after L.A. County reported 5,000 new cases in a single day; one day after a nearly statewide California curfew went into effect in an attempt to curb the coronavirus surge; and on the same day that L.A. County public health officials announced that they will suspend outdoor dining at restaurants starting this week. But host Taraji P. Henson, who was thrilled by the “glorious sound of live, in-the-house applause,” insisted that the AMAs show was operating safely, declaring, “We have some special guests here tonight. We invited them in small groups, from the same families. They're all here, socially distanced, wearing masks, COVID-tested. Yes, we're very responsible!” Later, in a bit of a doth-protest-too-much moment, she gave a shoutout to the “small-but-mighty, COVID-free audience,” which according to Rolling Stone comprised “less than 100” people in a venue with a usual capacity of 7,100. (These invited guests seemed to be relegated to the upper level of the theater, while the front rows downstairs were occupied by cardboard cutouts of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Dolly Parton.) “Anyone entering the AMAs footprint is tested in advance, and testing continues with frequency throughout the wrap of production,” a spokesperson told Rolling Stone ahead of Sunday’s ceremony. “Everyone inside our footprint, with the exception of artists onstage who are singing or speaking, will be wearing facial coverings and maintain social distancing at all times. When artists are not on stage singing, presenting, or accepting an award, they will be wearing personal protective equipment. Additionally, we disinfect our set every evening and in between performances during pre-production, rehearsals, and in the live show.” (The awards’ Dick Clark Productions did not respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.) Other notable AMAs appearances Sunday night included the live TV debut of Megan Thee Stallion’s body-positive banger “Body”; Billie Eilish’s first televised performance of her new single “Therefore I Am”; Jennifer Lopez and Maluma’s steamy “'Pa Ti”/“Lonely” duet; Machine Gun Kelly introduced by new girlfriend Megan Fox and accompanied by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker; Katy Perry returning to her “Katheryn” roots with a folksy rendition of her Smile song “Only Love,” accompanied by Darius Rucker and dedicated to her father; Lil Baby’s mental health anthem “Emotionally Scarred”; ‘90s boy band Bell Biv DeVoe doing the New Jack Swing classics “Poison” and “Do Me” while their former manager, Henson herself, twerked up on that Beyoncé cutout; and, closing the show, K-pop boy band BTS, performing “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium in fabulous pastel satin suits. The Weeknd had a big night at the AMAs, taking home three awards, but lost out in the final Artist of the Year category to Taylor Swift. Swift accepted the night’s top honor virtually, explaining that she skipped the ceremony because she’s busy re-recording all of her music, following her fight with her former record label Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun over ownership of her masters. “It's been amazing, and I can't wait for you to hear [the re-recordings],” Swift told her fans watching at home. | |
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| 11-21-20 11:09am - 1398 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
This porn star has filmed too many scenes. She no longer has the energy or enthusiasm required to reach orgasm. But she still wants to get paid. Does she deserve to get paid, for her performance? Enquiring minds want to know: https://imgur.com/gallery/Xr0YwQY | |
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| 11-17-20 02:16pm - 1402 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Proof the virus epidemic is not over. In spite of hopes there will be a vaccine released soon. ------- ------- Variety Nov 16, 2020 1:30pm PT Universal Strikes Deal With Cinemark Allowing Movies to Premiere On-Demand Early Cinemark Theatre in North Hollywood, California. Michael Buckner/Variety Cinemark Theatres and Universal Pictures have forged a landmark agreement to bring theatrical movies more quickly to home entertainment. The deal follows an unexpected arrangement that Universal struck months ago with AMC Theatres, the world’s largest movie theater chain. That pact gave Universal the option to put new movies on digital rental services after 17 days of theatrical release — a decision that sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood because it dramatically shortened the timeframe (typically 75 to 90 days) that films play exclusively on the big screen. In exchange, Universal would share in the digital profits with AMC. Cinemark has agreed to slightly different conditions. Under their terms, any movie that earns more than $50 million in opening weekend ticket sales has to stay in theaters for at least 31 days, or five weekends. All other titles can be made available to rent on digital platforms after just 17 days. According to insiders, those new terms will also extend to AMC. Universal likely wouldn’t opt to shorten the theatrical window — industry parlance for the amount of time a movie plays exclusively in theaters — for commercial hits, or the kind of movie that would gross more than $50 million in a single weekend, anyway. Neither agreement says that new releases will definitively move to premium video-on-demand after three weekends. However, it gives Universal the opportunity to recoup potential losses should a movie underperform in theaters. But blockbuster hopefuls, hailing from franchises like “Jurassic Park” or “Fast & Furious,” are expected to still have lengthy theatrical runs. Anything shorter could cannibalize ticket sales. Universal movies that debut early on-demand won’t be promptly yanked from theaters. Cinema operators will still be able to play them on the big screen, should they want to. The full financial terms of Universal and Cinemark’s deal have not been disclosed. “Universal’s century-long partnership with exhibition is rooted in the theatrical experience, and we are more committed than ever for audiences to experience our movies on the big screen,” said Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Donna Langley, who also orchestrated the studio’s historic deal with AMC. “Mark Zoradi and the team at Cinemark have been outstanding partners, and Peter Levinsohn [Vice Chairman & Chief Distribution Officer, UFEG] has done a remarkable job on the studio’s behalf in making deals that give us the confidence to release our movies in the marketplace, keep the content pipeline moving, and provide consumers with the optionality that they are looking for.” The expedited timeline comes amid the coronavirus pandemic, a heath crisis that’s been devastating to those in the business of showing movies on the big screen. Rival chain Regal, the second-largest circuit in the country, chose to close down all U.S. locations, citing the lack of new movies and weak ticket sales. AMC, on the other hand, said its deal with Universal is the reason why they are able to stay open. (The company has not disclosed any details about the revenue-share.) Universal, compared to other major studios, has been active in debuting movies during the pandemic because of the flexible premium video-on-demand agreement. In the last few weeks, Universal and its specialty label Focus Features have released the slasher film “Freaky,” “Come Play” and “Let Him Go.” Universal’s recent and upcoming releases have been admittedly smaller in scale (read: less financially risky). The studio plans to save its most anticipated titles, such as “Fast & Furious” sequel “F9” and “Jurassic World: Dominion,” for when moviegoing returns to a stronger degree. Before 2020 ends, Universal is opening family film “The Croods: A New Age” on Nov. 25, comedic drama “Half Brothers” and romantic tear-jerker “All My Life” on Nov. 4, and “News of the World” with Tom Hanks and the Focus Features revenge thriller “Promising Young Woman” on Christmas Day. In a statement, Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said the company believes in “a more dynamic theatrical window.” “We are extremely pleased to further enhance our strong partnership with Universal as we evolve the exclusive theatrical window,” Zoradi said. “We believe a more dynamic theatrical window, whereby movie theaters continue to provide an event-sized launching platform for films that maximize box office and bolsters the success of subsequent distribution channels, is in the shared best interests of studios, exhibitors and, most importantly, moviegoers.” Universal is currently the only major studio to reach this kind of agreement with movie theater owners. Yet the arrangement with AMC and Cinemark means that two of the biggest movie theater chains in the country have conceded that the film distribution landscape will look very different when the world emerges from the pandemic. Not all theater chains are ready to surrender to a future that puts a bigger emphasis on digital. Mooky Greidinger, the CEO of Regal’s parent company Cineworld, has been vocally opposed to such drastic changes to the theatrical window. In a recent interview with Variety before Cinemark’s deal was announced, Greidinger said he wouldn’t entirely rule out a similar agreement, but attested that 17 days is “too aggressive and too short.” | |
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| 11-17-20 03:21am - 1402 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Lindsey Graham denies he's a crook. If he does do anything shifty, he's doing it for the good of the country. Lindsey Graham is a solid Republican, Free, White, and over 21. God save America from the socialist Democrats, cries Lindsey, while shedding tears for Trump, our glorious President-For-Life. Trump was robbed. They will have to drag Trump from the White House, which is Trump's home, for now and for evermore. ------ ------ Lindsey Graham denies pressuring Georgia official to toss legal ballots HuffPost US Lydia O'Connor Nov 17th 2020 4:33AM Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) denied claims that he pressured Georgia’s secretary of state to find ways to throw out legal ballots, telling reporters Monday that it’s “ridiculous” to interpret their conversation that way. Graham, one of the Republicans pushing outgoing President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in the Nov. 3 election, commented on the matter after Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gave an interview to The Washington Post saying Graham asked him Friday if Raffensperger could toss out all the mail-in ballots in counties with higher rates of signature-matching issues. Graham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, denied that’s what he said. “I think that’s just ridiculous. If he feels threatened by that conversation, he’s got a problem. I actually thought it was a good conversation,” he said, adding he was only suggesting Georgia enforce a stricter signature verification process. “I never said that,” he said of Raffensperger’s statement. “I said, ‘Do you have power as secretary of state to require bipartisan verification of the signature,’ because right now they don’t. What I want to see happen all over the country, if we’re going to use mail-in voting ... is that when it comes to verifying signatures, that you have a process that’s bipartisan, where both sides can look at the signature. If there’s a dispute about whether or not you think it’s valid, you put it in some kind of appeal system.” Raffensperger, a Republican, told the Post that it was clear to him that Graham was suggesting he find a way to throw out ballots. “It sure looked like he was wanting to go down that road,” he said. After Graham’s response came out, he stood by his assertion on CNN. “The implication is ‘Look hard and see how many ballots you can throw,’” he said. Since Trump lost his bid for reelection, Graham has been part of the GOP chorus questioning the integrity of the electoral process and expressing outrage at the media for calling the winner based on results released by the states, despite that being the case in all modern elections. In 2016, for example, Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton conceded to Trump the day after the election, based on vote projections, even though final tallies were days or even weeks away in several states. “This is a contested election,” Graham said on Fox News last week. “The media doesn’t decide who becomes president. If they did, you would never have a Republican president forever. So we’re discounting them.” He added: “If I were President Trump, I’d take all of this to court. I’d fight back. .... If we don’t fight back in 2020, we’re never going to win again presidentially. A lot’s at stake here.” This article originally appeared on HuffPost. | |
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| 11-14-20 09:21pm - 1405 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
I just watched the movie Primal, with Nicholas Cage and Famke Janssen. I thought the femaie actress was familiar, but was hoping it was not Famke Janssen. Then I checked IMDB, and it was Famke Janssen. But her face looks like a different person. She used to be gorgeous. As a James Bond villainess, Xenia Onatopp. Even a couple of years ago she was still attractive, in her 50s. But what makes women destroy their natural beauty through plastic surgery, hoping to retain their youth, and turning their faces into masks? A real shame. People age with time, and they need to accept it. It seems harder for women to accept the changes, than for men. It must be a cultural effect. But it's god dam dangerous, to let plastic surgeons turn a woman's face into a mask. | |
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| 11-09-20 01:25pm - 1410 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
I was watching an Amazon Prime Movie today. They are free movies that you can watch with a membership in Amazon Prime, a membership that costs you about $130/year. The good news is that before, there were a few ads you had to watch at the start of each movie. Now, they are putting even more ads that you have to watch before each movie. If your life was boring and meaningless before, you now have the chance to watch ads that might bring new meaning to your life. So sit back, drink a few beers, and wait for the movie you have selected to finally start playing. Thank you, Amazon. For servicing your paid membership. They also interrupt the playing of the movie, partway through, with more adds, which is a new feature. Before, once a movie started, it played all the way, after the first ads stopped playing. Now, they insert ads into the middle of the movie. Just like on TV. Edit: It's not just one break in the middle of the movie. They insert several breaks, throughout the movie, with each break including several ads. I guess they are following the YouTube pattern, of inserting ads into videos that play. Before Google took over YouTube, the YouTube videos played without ads. Now they have ads before and during, and sometime after, the each video. Edited on Nov 09, 2020, 02:55pm | |
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| 11-07-20 02:00pm - 1412 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
The Associated Press on Saturday projected Joe Biden has won the 2020 presidential election. As Commander-In-Chief, President Trump has ordered nuclear strikes against the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, states that are in open rebellion against Trump as President-For-Life. With a sad heart, Trump declares that rebels must be punished. The American Civil War taught us that only the strong survive. So Trump, leader of the free world, has ordered a new election, where Americans everywhere can vote in peace and with the knowledge that Trump is the choice of God-fearing peoples. ----- ----- Biden defeats Trump to become 46th president, AP projects Yahoo News Dylan Stableford Nov 7th 2020 11:34AM Joe Biden has won the 2020 presidential election, the Associated Press projected Saturday, sending President Trump to a bitter defeat four years after he shocked the world by winning the White House with a victory over Hillary Clinton. Biden crossed the 270-vote threshold in the Electoral College on Saturday after the AP called Pennsylvania for him. He was also able to capture Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, states that Trump carried in 2016. Other states remain too close to call, and the Trump campaign has filed multiple lawsuits to contest the legitimacy of certain ballots. The fate of those challenges was obscured Thursday after Biden was projected to have won the Electoral College. Biden now holds the record for the most number of votes cast for any presidential candidate in history — more than 73 million — shattering the previous mark (69,500,000) set by Barack Obama in 2008. He leads Trump by nearly 4 million votes nationwide. The former vice president, who turns 78 this month, won his bid for the White House on his third attempt, becoming the oldest person ever elected president in the U.S. His running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is the first Black woman and first Asian American elected vice president in U.S. history. Trump, however, has signaled that he is not likely to concede defeat quickly. In a Wednesday tweet, the president declared without evidence that he had won in Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina. “We have claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (which won’t allow legal observers) the State of Georgia, and the State of North Carolina, each one of which has a BIG Trump lead,” Trump wrote in tweets that were quickly flagged on Twitter as containing disputed or misleading election information. “Additionally, we hereby claim the State of Michigan if, in fact, there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported!” Hours earlier, the Trump campaign announced it would seek a recount in Wisconsin, another state the AP said Biden had won. On Thursday, as it became clear that his early lead in states like Pennsylvania and Georgia was eroding as more ballots were tabulated, Trump posted a dramatic tweet that read, “STOP THE COUNT!” Then in a White House speech without precedent in American history, Trump flailed at the media, pollsters, election officials, mail-in voting, judges and Democrat-led U.S. cities Thursday evening, as his rival Joe Biden continued to inch toward a win in the 2020 election. “If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” Trump said, though no state allows the counting of illegally cast votes. “If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.” The president portrayed the counting of legally cast mail-in ballots as improper — an assault on American democracy by the president himself. “Our numbers started miraculously getting whittled away, in secret,” Trump said, again without evidence. “This is a case where they’re trying to steal an election. They’re trying to rig an election. And we can’t let that happen.” Biden’s election was as much about rallying support among Democrats, independents and even some Republicans with a message of unity as it was a repudiation of Trump, whose approval rating, according to Gallup, never hit 50 percent. In poll after poll leading up to Election Day, large majorities of voters disapproved of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 234,000 Americans and infected more than 9.5 million in the U.S., including him. Throughout the pandemic, Trump sought to downplay the virus, mocking Biden for wearing a mask and falsely claiming that the United States is “rounding the corner” on the pandemic at a time when cases and deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise. As the race for the White House pushed into October and November, the country set a string of new daily records for coronavirus cases and saw a dramatic spike in states that Trump needed to win to secure his reelection. After recovering from his own bout with the disease caused by exposure to the coronavirus — which led to a three-day hospitalization and forced the cancellation of one presidential debate — the president returned to the campaign trail in mid-October, holding rallies where he and many of his supporters eschewed the recommendations from public health officials to wear face masks and follow social distancing guidelines. The Biden campaign offered a sharp contrast, adhering to guidelines from Trump’s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, avoiding large rallies and making attendees at campaign events wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. Biden overcame numerous attacks from Trump on the campaign trail, including claims of cognitive lapses (Trump branded him “Sleepy Joe”) and questions about his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine and China. Trump even called on Attorney General William Barr to launch an investigation into the Bidens just two weeks before Election Day. (Barr did not.) Trump, who sought to paint his opponent as a closet socialist being manipulated by the progressive wing of his party, falsely claimed that Biden wanted to “defund” the police and argued that a Biden presidency would “destroy” the suburbs and embrace antifa. He also floated wild conspiracy theories and disinformation about Biden and other Democratic figures that had been promoted by right-wing activists on social media. But none of the punches managed to land, infuriating the president and the GOP. “If I lose, I will have lost to the worst candidate, the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics,” Trump said at an Oct. 17 campaign rally. The president also accused Democrats of trying to “steal” the election, falsely claiming that mail-in voting would lead to widespread fraud. The pandemic caused many states to expand early-voting options, and a record 101 million ballots were cast either in person or by mail before Election Day. In 2016, Trump won office by riding a populist message against a deeply unpopular establishment candidate in Clinton. But polls showed Biden as far more popular with the electorate than the former secretary of estate, giving him more ways to win the election. Biden, a Scranton, Pa., native, began his presidential campaign in April 2019, joining an already crowded field of Democrats with a video denouncing Trump for his response to the violent white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017. While speaking out against the violent clashes that erupted among white supremacists and counterprotesters, Trump infamously said there were “some very fine people on both sides.” “With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,” Biden said in the video. “And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime.” He carried that message into the general election campaign, promising that his election would “restore the soul of the nation.” Biden shrugged off disappointing performances in early primary and caucus states like Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, gaining his footing after a crucial win in South Carolina, where he was buoyed by the support of African American voters wary of the candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who had emerged as the frontrunner. Biden went on to control of the race, winning 10 of 14 states on Super Tuesday in March. Sanders dropped out of the race and quickly endorsed Biden, paving the way for his nomination. In August, Biden, who had promised to pick a woman as his running mate, announced his choice of Harris shortly before the Democratic convention. The senator from California, who lost her own bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination, had clashed with Biden during the first primary debate by attacking his record on race. But after ending her campaign, she endorsed the former vice president and stumped for him in Michigan ahead of Super Tuesday. While Biden enjoyed a wave of support among Democrats, he was also backed by “Never Trump” Republicans who opposed the president from the start of his term or became disillusioned by what they considered to be his chaotic and divisive style of governing. During the campaign, Biden was endorsed by dozens of Republican former national security officials, U.S. attorneys and governors, including former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, former Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, former Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, the widow of the 2008 Republican nominee for president, Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Biden now faces the enormous challenge of attempting to unify a country deeply divided by partisan politics. While that reality predated Trump’s time in office, it also crystallized over the last four years. | |
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| 11-04-20 01:32am - 1416 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Trump claims victory. Threatens to go to the Supreme Court to stop the voting. President Trump, in an effort to stop the Democrats from stealing the election, has stood up for justice and the American way of life. Trump has vowed to go to the Supreme Court to stop the Communists, the Socialists, and unwashed Mexicans and unwashed Canadians from stealing our votes. Vote today, and keep America free, White, and the nation of God-fearing people. Amen. Note: only registered Republicans can vote today, and in the near future. Votes by Democrats will not be allowed or counted. | |
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| 11-02-20 12:43pm - 1417 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
Variety Nov 2, 2020 7:01am PT U.K. Exhibitors’ Body Calls for More Government Funding as English Cinemas Prepare to Close British film exhibitors’ body, the U.K. Cinema Assn., has called for increased government funding in addition to the £30 million ($38.6 million) being disbursed by the British Film Institute Cultural Recovery Fund to independent cinemas. Cinemas across England will close Nov.5 to Dec. 2 as part of the second national lockdown being undertaken to restrict the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Wales and Northern Ireland are already in lockdown with cinemas shuttered, as are large parts of Scotland. “The announcement that cinemas in England will be required to close from Thursday, coming as it does after similar decisions in Wales and Northern Ireland, and with almost all cinemas in Scotland likewise now shuttered, will be a further blow to the U.K. sector,” said U.K. Cinema Association chief executive Phil Clapp. The existing furlough scheme, due to conclude at the end of October, has now been extended till December. “While we welcome the extension of the furlough scheme, all cinemas will require additional funding support if they are to recover from this, the latest of a series of set-backs,” Clapp said. “While the announcement of £30 million of support for independent cinemas in England (and consequent announcements in the rest of the U.K.) was welcome, those venues need confirmation of their awards now, given the need for them to plan for continuing challenges over the coming months.” “At the same time, we renew our call for government to support those larger cinema companies who are not eligible for the above funding, but are major employers in the sector, as well as making a hugely valuable contribution to their local communities,” Clapp added. The Cineworld chain was already closed, following the postponement of James Bond film “No Time to Die” to Easter 2021. Many screens of the Vue and Odeon chains were operating on weekends only. Employee collective, the Cineworld Action Group, tweeted: “With the announcement that furlough has been extended in light of the English lockdown, we call on @cineworld to do the right thing and place us back on the job retention scheme, with pay backdated to 16th October when the company placed the majority of us on unpaid leave.” “Cutting us off from furlough two weeks before the original end date was in itself a callous decision. Indefinite unpaid leave places many staff members in extremely precarious financial situations. Being placed back on furlough would be a lifeline for us.” | |
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| 11-01-20 06:22pm - 1418 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
The Guardian Sean Connery Positively shocking: Trump's boasts of help from Sean Connery fall apart President claimed Bond actor helped him get planning permission for Scottish resort On Sunday Trump paid tribute to the actor, who has died aged 90. Sun 1 Nov 2020 13.52 EST First published on Sun 1 Nov 2020 09.49 EST It was less licence to kill and more dramatic licence. Donald Trump’s claim that the late Sean Connery assisted him in getting planning applications passed in Scotland fell apart quickly on Sunday when the chair of the planning committee said the James Bond star was not involved. In a series of tweets, two days prior to the US election, Trump paid tribute to Connery, saying he was “highly regarded and respected in Scotland and beyond”. It was announced on Saturday the James Bond actor had died aged 90. But his claim that Connery stepped in and shouted “let him build the damn thing” in connection with a big development raised eyebrows in Scotland. He tweeted that “everything went swimmingly” with his development plans after initially “having a very hard time getting approvals”. In 2008 Connery is reported as saying of the project: “During tough economic times, this is a major vote of confidence in Scotland’s tourist industry and our ability to rise to the challenge. I look forward to seeing a new gem in the north-east that is good for Aberdeenshire and good for Scotland.” But Martin Ford, the Aberdeenshire councillor who was chair of the planning committee that initially refused Trump’s application to build the resort, told the Guardian: “Mr Connery was not involved in the due process that led to the granting of planning permission for a golf resort at Menie. He did not submit a letter of representation to the council, appear at the planning hearing, or at the public local inquiry.” Ford added: “Opinions offered in press articles are not material considerations in decisions on planning applications.” Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said: “Scotland and much of the world is mourning the loss of a great spirit. Sean Connery’s contribution and life’s work was immense, real and lasting and everyone with an ounce of class is reflecting upon just that today. Tributes are great from all sources but this is not a time for tweeting silly claims or indeed responding to them.” David Milne, a near neighbour of the Trump golf course in Scotland, and the US president’s most vocal local critic, said the claim that Connery helped him land planning permission for his golf resort was “utter bollocks”. Milne said Connery had never played the course, despite Trump’s invites. The actor was offered the honour of becoming the first member of Trump’s golf resort at Menie, north of Aberdeen, with membership number 007, which the property mogul built after bulldozing a very rare dune habitat as well as overriding local planning rules. Trump had said that he wanted the star to play the first shot on the course. But when the resort was opened two years later, Trump played first balls with former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie instead. The pair did know each other, however. Connery and Trump were photographed together at several events in New York, including the Johnnie Walker Dressed to Kilt fashion show in the early 2000s. Americans are fighting to vote ...... in the most consequential election in modern US history. But the Trump administration and its supporters are waging an aggressive campaign to discredit and suppress mail-in voting – a crucial method in the midst of a pandemic. This is one of a number of attempts to suppress the votes of Americans – something that has been a stain on US democracy for decades. The Voting Rights Act was passed 55 years ago to undo a web of restrictions designed to block Black Americans from the ballot box. Now, seven years after that law was gutted by the supreme court, the president is actively threatening a free and fair election. Through our Fight to vote project, the Guardian has pledged to put voter suppression at the center of our 2020 coverage. This election will impact every facet of American life. But it will not be a genuine exercise in democracy if American voters are stopped from participating in it. At a time like this, an independent news organisation that fights for truth and holds power to account is not just optional. It is essential. Like many other news organisations, the Guardian has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. We rely to an ever greater extent on our readers, both for the moral force to continue doing journalism at a time like this and for the financial strength to facilitate that reporting. | |
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| 10-31-20 10:26pm - 1419 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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LKLK (0)
Active User Posts: 1,583 Registered: Jun 26, '19 Location: CA |
HuffPost US Ryan Grenoble Oct 31st 2020 9:08AM Sir Thomas Sean Connery, the iconic Scottish actor and Hollywood legend who made a name for himself as the first James Bond, has died, according to multiple outlets. He was 90. Before he was “Bond, James Bond,” Connery was just another kid in a working-class neighborhood in Fountainbridge, Scotland. Born on Aug. 25, 1930, to Joe and Euphamia Connery, “Tommy” ― as he was nicknamed ― spent his first years sleeping in a drawer, as his parents were unable to afford a crib. “My background was harsh,” Connery has acknowledged. “We were poor, but I never knew how poor till years after.” “It sounds strange to say it now,” he recalled in an interview with The Scottish Sun, “but we never realized we lacked anything!” His father worked at a nearby mill, and Connery began working at a young age to help support himself and his family. He began delivering milk at the age of 9 (incidentally, he picked up smoking at about the same age), toting bottles from house to house via horse-drawn cart. At the age of 13, as World War II raged, Connery dropped out of school to work full time and earn his keep at home. “From the time I started working at 13, I always paid my share of the rent, and the attitude at home was the prevalent one in Scotland ― you make your own bed and so you have to lie on it,” he said in a 1965 interview with Playboy. “I didn’t ask for advice and I didn’t get it. I had to make it on my own or not at all.” Connery joined the Royal Navy three years later, working as an armorer. He inked two tattoos while in the service: one that read “Scotland Forever” and another that read “Mum and Dad.” Both lasted longer than his navy career. Though he signed on for a seven-year stint in the navy, he was discharged after only three, sidelined due to a persistent stomach ulcer. Following his discharge from the navy, Connery scraped by doing random jobs, working stints as a bricklayer, lifeguard and coffin polisher. He also spent hours at the gym and posed as a nude model from time to time at the Edinburgh College of Art, which still owns some paintings of him: A gallery assistant looks at a 1952 oil on canvas painting of Scottish actor Sean Connery in the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland on Oct. 25, 2007. Al Fairweather, a student, painted it just before Connery auditioned for the stage production of South Pacific.Sean Connery, at center, poses during a bodybuilding competition. Connery’s first acting job came only after his bodybuilding pursuits led him to a Mr. Universe competition in London in 1953. He placed third at the competition, and while there, a fellow bodybuilder mentioned auditions were being held for the play “South Pacific.” Despite having virtually no experience, Sean decided to go for it (instead of pursuing a career in soccer), and was awarded a small role. “I’d no experience whatever [at acting] and hadn’t even been on a stage before, but it turned out to be one of my more intelligent moves,” he told Playboy in 1965. In his new gig, Connery earned £12.00 a week playing Sergeant Waters, a member of the chorus. He’d lied about his acting abilities during the audition and immersed himself in literature to make up for his shortcomings, reading everything from George Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare to War and Peace and James Joyce. “I read them all,” Connery recalled in a later interview. “I went to the libraries in every town up and down Britain.” At the same time, he began reading aloud into a tape-recorder, playing the tapes back to himself in an attempt to refine his thick Scottish dialect. “I loved him because he had this twinkle all the time … he’s a great, great character,” Millicent Martin, one of the co-stars in “South Pacific,” said. “The only thing was, nobody could understand a word Sean was saying.” Slowly, and with much hard work, Connery overcame the hurdles ― and his indecipherable accent. Following “South Pacific,” he picked up parts in “Another Time, Another Place” in 1958 and “Anna Christie” in 1957, where he met his first wife, Australian actress Diane Cilento, whom he married in 1962. (The marriage ended in 1973; Cilento later said he had been physically abusive, and he once caused controversy by telling Playboy he didn’t think “there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman.”) Connery remarried in 1975 to Tunisian-born French artist Micheline Roquebrune, whom he’d met during a golf tournament in Morocco in 1970. In 1962, to the apparent surprise of both industry insiders and Connery himself, he earned the part of Secret Agent 007 in a film interpretation of Ian Fleming's 1958 novel, Dr. No. Many skeptics believed Connery had been miscast in the role (including Fleming himself, who described the Scotsman as more of "an overgrown stunt-man" than Bond material), a sentiment Connery didn't go out of his way to dispute. "Before I got the part, I might have agreed with them," he told Playboy. "If you had asked any casting director who would be the sort of man to cast as Bond, an Eton-bred Englishman, the last person into the box would have been me, a working-class Scotsman. And I didn't particularly have the face for it; at 16 I looked 30." Sean Connery in a scene from the 1963 film "From Russia With Love." Most of Fleming's choices for the role were either too expensive (in the case of Cary Grant) or turned the part down; some believed the entire "James Bond" concept would flop and wasn't worth the risk. "Anybody that says it was going to be a success is lying," Connery recalled to the UK's Express in 2008. Nevertheless, audiences said yes to "Dr. No." Connery's performance helped nurture a box-office hit, justifying the production of four more Bond films in quick succession, in which Connery played the suave, martini-loving British spy. In addition to 1962's "Dr. No," Connery starred in "From Russia with Love" (1963), "Goldfinger" (1964), "Thunderball" (1965), and "You Only Live Twice" (1967). After a brief hiatus, he returned for a role in "Diamonds are Forever" (1971) before retiring from the Bond series with "Never Say Never Again" (1983). Actor Sean Connery poses as James Bond next to his Aston Martin DB5 in a scene from the United Artists release "Goldfinger" in 1964. Despite the newfound financial success, Connery stayed frugal. He told Playboy he used his “Dr. No” salary of £6,000 (approximately $16,800, or about $133,000 in 2016 dollars) to buy a used Jaguar and a house ― and that’s about it. “Old habits die hard,” Connery said in 1965. “Even today, when I have a big meal in a restaurant, I’m still conscious that the money I’m spending is equal to my dad’s wages for a week. I just can’t get over that ... I’m still the sort of fellow who hates to see a light left on in a room when no one is there.” Successful as the James Bond series had become, Connery was loathe to stay part of it for too long. He welcomed the paychecks, but didn’t want to become a commodity synonymous with the franchise ― especially as the series made increasingly more use of death-defying stunts. “There are a lot of things I did before Bond ― like playing the classics on stage ― that don’t seem to get publicized. So you see,” he told Playboy, “this Bond image is a problem in a way and a bit of a bore, but one has just got to live with it.” “I’m not into hardware, rockets and extraordinary guns that can blow 50 people away at once,” he told “Entertainment Tonight” in a 1995 interview. “I have no real interest in that, it’s what really got me out of the Bond films — they all went in the same direction. It’s a personal thing.” He had good reason: In addition to putting him through scenes that required he swim underwater with sharks, directors once strapped Connery to a table in “Goldfinger” for a hair-raising scene in which a “laser” nearly cut him in half. Lacking real lasers, a crew member armed with an acetylene torch crouched under the table to create a laser-like effect instead, stopping just three inches shy of cutting into the terrified actor's groin. Once, he actually did get hurt. During preparations for "Never Say Never Again," Connery recruited Steven Seagal to help him train for a scene involving martial arts. "I got a little cocky because I thought I knew what I was doing," he told Jay Leno in 1996, "and he broke my wrist.” Connery says he mistakenly thought he'd merely sprained his wrist, only to have it diagnosed many years later as a break. He jokingly told Leno the break wasn't that bad -- the only lingering pain from the incident came when he had to fish his wallet out of his pocket to pay for something. Following the Bond series, Connery played a master swordsman in "Highlander" and a Franciscan friar in "The Name of the Rose," both released in 1986. A year later, Connery took on the affect of Jim Malone in the mobster thriller "The Untouchables," for which he won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best supporting actor. | |
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