Mandatory News

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Seattle Seahawks expected to be in close game against Carolina

The Seattle Seahawks have been tough at the end of the season, and even tougher at the end of games.

The defending Super Bowl champions, who sputtered early in the fall, have won their past six games and haven't allowed a fourth-quarter point during that stretch, allowing an average of just 66.0 yards rushing and 136.2 passing to finish with the NFL's top-ranked defense for the second consecutive year.

"We finish better than anybody," Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "It's a mind-set of tackling, finishing. It kind of signifies what we are as a team. We always talk about finishing, and having nobody score in the fourth quarter is a key component to that."

Carolina is certainly finishing better than it started. The Panthers went 1-8-1 during one 10-game stretch, and were the first team to make the playoffs after going more than two months without a victory. However, the Panthers ended the season with four wins in a row, and last weekend beat Arizona in a wild-card game.

Still, knocking off Seattle will take more.

"We have to play better than we have," said Panthers Coach Ron Rivera, whose team lost at home to Seattle, 13-9, in Week 8. "We just have to be smarter than some of the things we did out there [in the first-round game]. We have to protect the football."

Seattle is looking for its fifth consecutive victory over Carolina in the past five seasons. In the last three of those games combined, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton directed his team to just one touchdown.

Ready to dance

In 2010, Pete Carroll's first season as Seattle's coach, the Seahawks finished 7-9 but won the NFC West to become the NFL's first team to make the playoffs with a losing record.

This season, the Panthers finished 7-8-1 to become the second such team.

"It isn't the prettiest thing, but we got a date to the prom at the end of the day," Carolina safety Roman Harper said. "We're here. She's probably not the best-looking one; she's not going to win prom queen. But we'll have a good time."

Always elusive

Seattle's Marshawn Lynch has gotten plenty of attention for his bruising ability to run the football. But Carolina's Jonathan Stewart has been brutally effective, too. Since replacing the injured DeAngelo Williams in Week 13, Stewart has led the NFL with a rushing average of 101.5 yards per game.

Stewart grew up in Lacey, Wash., and once played a Pop Warner game on the Seahawks' home field, back when the team played in the long-since-imploded Kingdome.

"He looks like he did running in high school," Carroll told reporters this week. "I watched him and recruited and tried to get him way back then."

Stewart chose Oregon over USC. Asked how well he got to know him when he was coach of the Trojans, Carroll said: "Not well enough. We didn't get him."

By the numbers

; CAR;SEA

Points scored; 21.2 (19); 24.6 (10)

Points allowed; 23.4 (21); 15.9 (1)

Pass offense; 219.4 (19); 203.1 (27)

Rush offense; 127.2 (7); 172.6 (1)

Pass defense; 227.8 (11); 185.6 (1)

Rush defense; 112.0 (16); 81.5 (3)

Sacks; 40 (13); 37 (20)

Penalty yards; 47.5 (5); 38.3 (1)

Turnovers; +3 (13); +9 (4)

Farmer's pick

This game should be pretty close, and pits similar teams on both sides of the ball. Neither team will be able to run the ball as well as they're accustomed to. The quarterbacks are going to try to run, and Russell Wilson is a lot quicker and more agile than Newton. If the Seahawks can pressure Newton, and they will, they'll force him to throw when his feet aren't set, and he'll make mistakes. Watch for him to turn the ball over at least three times.

SEAHAWKS 17

PANTHERS 10

Source: http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-seahawks-panthers-matchup-20150110-story.html

Taken 3, review: 'a tragedy'

Director: Olivier Megaton. Starring: Lian Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Forest Whitaker, Dougray Scott. Certificate: 12A. Running time: 109 minutes

Liam Neesons new film is the latest instalment in the Taken series of action movies, but theres no particular reason it should be. Though Taken 3 was co-written by franchise stalwarts Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, there's no obvious connection to Takens passim other than its focus on a middle-aged man wholl punch or shoot anyone with a Slavic accent.

Elaborate kidnappings and grimy European locations are out, while a nondescript wrong-man murder case that plays out amid the Californian urban sprawl is in. Did Besson and Kamen, along with their director, the occasionally combustible Olivier Megaton, perhaps take an unrelated thriller premise and Takenise it, in pursuit of greater box-office returns? Or did they really think the next chapter in the life of Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), the retired CIA operative with a very particular set of skills, should see him framed for the murder of his ex-wife by a brand new troupe of Russian scumbags, just when hes managed to shake the Albanians off?

Either way, since the events here are wholly unrelated to the previous films, Taken 3 makes Bryan seem less like a reluctant hero pressed back into service one last time than just stunningly unfortunate. He pops out for warm bagels, then comes home to find poor Lenore (Famke Janssen) spreadeagled on the futon with her throat slit. Maybe in Taken 4, Bryans car will be hit by a meteor, or a grand piano will fall on his head. If its a Serbian grand piano, its probably already being loaded on to a helicopter.

With nothing taken as such, other than arguably the biscuit, Bryan is faced with an unfamiliar new task: solving a murder while evading the Los Angeles Police Department, who are convinced hes the killer. Never mind that the victim was going through a messy split from her current husband (Dougray Scott), whos a wealthy arms dealer with links to the Russian mob. It must have been the motiveless ex-secret service guy! The police chase him all over town, but hes mostly able to get on with things, even finding the time to pop to a corner shop frequented by his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) and stick a reassuring Post-it note on the Yakult.

Unlike Bryan, the film never works out where its off to next. Theres a smidgen of R.E.D. in the way our hero temporarily teams up with other retired agents to infiltrate an oligarchs lair (the half-hearted evil decor stretches to a stuffed and mounted crocodile on the coffee table), and a splodge or two of The Fugitive, not least of all in a scene in which Bryan escapes through a storm drain.

But each individual moment in the film barely seems to be on speaking terms with the rest. Theres a car chase out in the desert which might as well have been cut and pasted from a completely different movie: it takes the plot nowhere and ends with the chief henchman neglecting to check the wreckage of Bryans car for his body because its time to get drunk, which might as well be a direct quote from the writers room.

This is all a far cry from the original Taken film, the sheepish fun of which lay in seeing Neesons primal, fatherly rage being shaken out of retirement. Back then he was still Aslan, Kinsey, Rob Roy, Oskar Schindler, and the violence visceral and transgressive, rather than the bloodless, 12A-rated shoot-em-up stuff here felt like the eruption of a long-dormant volcano. Now its just Liam Neeson hitting people again. What a tragedy thats become boring.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11326925/Taken-3-review-a-tragedy.html

Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting Forgot to Thank Husband at People's Choice Awards ...

After failing to thank her man during her speech, Kaley got ex-boyfriend yep, these two dated for two years back in 2007 and co-star Johnny Galecki to smooth things over. She returned to her stage with her entire cast to accept the award for Favorite TV Show and had Johnny apologize for the oops-worthy moment.

Hey, just real quick, Id like to take a brief moment, because Kaley forgot during her speech to thank her husband, Ryan, Johnny said before hamming it up. You are my heart, and I cant imagine what Id be without you.

Were sure Sheldon was not pleased by this turn of events.

Do you think this was a simple mistake or does it mean something more? Hit the comments below and sound off with your opinion!

Source: Us Weekly

Source: http://www.wetpaint.com/peoples-choice-awards/articles/2015-01-08-kaley-cuoco-sweeting-forgot-thank

Bagel b***s Roll Into West Village With Opening Of Bantam Bagels

Step aside, Squagel; there's a new bagel innovation in town. Say hello to the Bantam, an orbed bagel bite stuffedinstead of schmearedwith a variety of fillings from flavored cream cheeses to butter to lox and tomato. This latest carby creation comes from Bantam Bagels, a brand new bagelry that opened its doors in the West Village this morning. Owners Nick and Elyse Oleksak hope to reinvent the bagel gut-bomb into something easier to eat on the go and less calorically devastating.

All the classic combinations are represented in Bantam form, like Bantams filled with veggie cream cheese, and cinnamon raisin Bantams filled with sweet walnut cream cheese. Flavors go beyond breakfast, like the kid-friendly Box Lunch (plain Bantam topped with crushed, roasted peanuts and filled with peanut butter and strawberry jam); the Grandma JoJo (Italian-spiced Bantam filled with basil pesto cream cheese and topped with a marinated tomato); and the street cart riff Hot Pretzel (pretzel bagel topped with sea salt and filled with Dijon mustard and sharp cheddar cream cheese).

A single Bantam sets you back just $1.35, and you can also order them in large batches, ideal for a picnic brunch or a really aggressive hangover.

Source: http://gothamist.com/2013/09/03/bagel_balls_roll_into_west_village.php

Friday, January 9, 2015

Gospel legend Andrae Crouch dead at 72

Andrae Crouch, often described as the father of modern gospel music, died Thursday in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack last week, according to news reports. Crouch has been hospitalized in recent years for a variety of health issues, including diabetes and cancer.

Today my twin brother, womb-mate and best friend went home to be with the Lord, his twin sister, Sandra Couch, said in statement via the Los Angeles Times. Please keep me, my family and our church family in your prayers. I tried to keep him here but G*d loved him best.

Crouch won seven Grammy awards during his career and is credited with blending traditional black gospel music with R&B, pop and Christian music. Crouch led choirs that appeared on massive pop hits such as Michael Jacksons Man in the Mirror and Madonnas Like A Prayer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his compositions for The Color Purple, and his music can be heard in The Lion King musical, too.

His achievements were all the more remarkable his dyslexia made it impossible for him to read music. The notes would look upside down, he said.I memorized everything through sight, the shape of the word, Crouch told The Associated Press in 2011. Some things that I write, youll see a page with cartoon pictures or a drawing of a car like a Ford or a flag. I still do it on an occasion when a word is strange to me.So when I finish a song, I thank G*d for bringing me through, he continued. You have to press on and know your calling. Thats what Ive been doing for all my life. I just went forward.

Writing for Christianity Today, Robert Darden, former gospel editor of Billboard, elaborated on what made Crouch such a prolific force:

Crouch was an innovator, a path-finder, a precursor in an industry noted for its conservative, often derivative approach to popular music. He combined gospel and rock, flavored it with jazz and calypso as the mood struck him and the song called for it, and is even one of the founders of what is now called praise and worship music. He took risks with his art and was very, very funky when he wanted to be.

His music, simple and direct, many times has the soothing melodies of a pop song rather than a hymn, Washington Post critic Hollie West wrote of the young Crouch in 1977.

It also can be fervent and raucous in the style of current disco music. His music is generations and cultural styles apart-from traditional gospel.Crouch is a personality not a musical stylist, West wrote of Crouch, saying the singer provided a neutral blend of pop, rock and gospel. Even his reassuring lyrics convey a bland mixture of love, salvation and the second coming.

West noted that Crouch tailored his performances differently for black and white audiences. I phrase things a little bit differently, Crouch explained. I may even sing Jesus differently. For blacks I put a little more emphasis on the first syllable. With my people I want to scream and get down.

Crouch and his twin sister were pastors of the New Christ Memorial Church in San Fernando, Calif. Their parents founded Christ Memorial Church in Pacoima, a Los Angeles suburb. Crouch and Sandra took over after losing both parents and a brother within months of each other in 1994. They renamed their parents church after Crouch made his sister a co-pastor at a time when it was verboten to ordain women in the Church of G*d in Christ.

Crouch started his music career before he was in his teens. He toldDecision, the magazine of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,that his mother bought him a cardboard keyboard when he was 11, and he taught himself to play piano by accompanying the choir at a church where his father used to preach all improvisation. He composed The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, or simply The Blood, when he was just 14. Its now considered a standard. In 1965, heformedAndra Crouch and the Disciples.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said the most segregated hour in Christian America was 11 a.m. Sunday morning. Crouchs talent transcended that. His songs could be found in the hymn books of white and black churches alike. Paul Simon recorded Jesus is the Answer, a Crouch composition, on his album Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin. Elvis recorded Ive Got Confidence, also by Crouch, for his 1972 gospel album. Like Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland, Crouch was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In a career that spanned more than half a century, Crouch wrote dozens of songs, including gospel favorites such as The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To G*d Be the Glory) and Soon and Very Soon, See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/ap/entertainment/andrae-crouch-legendary-gospel-figure-dies-at-72/njjrP/#sthash.9jrx2qA6.dpuf

In a career that spanned more than half a century, Crouch wrote dozens of songs, including gospel favorites such as The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To G*d Be the Glory) and Soon and Very Soon, which was sung at a public memorial to Jackson. See more at: http://www.whio.com/news/ap/entertainment/andrae-crouch-legendary-gospel-figure-dies-at-72/njjrP/#sthash.9jrx2qA6.dpuf

Heres Crouch singing Take Me Back:

A rousing rendition of The Blood from Crouchs church choir:

And the backing choir to Like A Prayer:

Crouchs fans and contemporaries offered their tributes on social media:

Fred Barbash, the editor of Morning Mix, is a former National Editor and London Bureau Chief for the Washington Post.

Soraya Nadia McDonald covers arts, entertainment and culture for the Washington Post with a focus on race and gender issues.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/08/reports-gospel-legend-andrae-crouch-dead-at-72/

Fox hits it big with 'Empire'

Fox had high expectations for its new series Empire, which premiered Wednesday night to nearly 10 million viewers.

Consider those expectations met.

The entire Fox team supercharged this show on some crazy level, as far as making it sexy, Hollywood heavyweight Brian Grazer, an Empire producer, told me Thursday. They actualized the hype in a world where its so hard to make anything distinctive.

On Empire, Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson lead an ensemble cast in this tale of a dying music mogul (Howard), his conniving ex-wife (Henson) and their three sons (Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray and Trai Byers) battling for control of the family empire.

Empire also snared a 3.8 among adults 18-49 beating its American Idol lead-in (3.2) and tying ABCs How to Get Away With Murder (Viola Davis) as the seasons best series premiere in that much-ballyhooed demo.

Weve created really engaging characters and offer the audience a lot of surprises, Grazer says. Theres nothing predictable within the lives of these characters.

Its like an upscale version of Dynasty.

Michael UriePhoto: Marion Curtis/Startraksphoto

Urie goes to h**l (Mich.)

Former Ugly Betty star Michael Urie is directing a new Web comedy series called Whats Your Emergency with some high-octane guest stars, including Uries former Betty co-star, America Ferrera, Alan c*****g, Richard Kind and David Krumholtz.

The six-episode series, which premieres Jan. 27 on Stage17.TV, takes place in town called h**l, Mich. chronicling the misadventures of the towns inept 911 call center.

So how did Urie get all those A-listers to appear?

Ive slept with all of them, he jokes. Kidding, not ALL. Actors love to be in perilous situations, and few can resist playing near-death emergencies especially when theyre funny ones. Basically we sent them the pages and they were like, h**l yes. Ill choke on a peach pit for you!

Series regulars include Broadway vets Sierra Boggess, Reed Birney and Debra Monk.

More TV news: Morgan Langley, the executive producer of Jail: Las Vegas premiering Saturday on Spike TV (9 p.m.) says youd be surprised at how many of the troublemakers featured on the show, which chronicles a real-life Sin City jail, agree to be on TV.

Everybody signs a release [to be shown on TV], he says. Believe it or not, they sign up enthusiastically and often ask us if we can e-mail them when their segment is going to air. Nowadays were living in the reality TV universe.

This marks the first time that Jail will spend an entire season (22 episodes) at one facility. Vegas is like Americas Jail with tourists and bizarre stuff, Langley says. It was a challenge convincing them we could do an entire season without stepping on too many toes.

Source: http://nypost.com/2015/01/09/fox-hits-it-big-with-empire/

'Empire' scores big ratings for Fox. But can it soar while other TV musicals ...

Empire, Foxs new drama starring Terrence Howard as a hip-hop mogul and Taraji P. Henson as his ex-wife and competitor, is looking like a potential triumph for the network: About 10 million people tuned in the premiere on Wednesday night. According to Entertainment Weekly, that figure ties How to Get Away With Murder as the most-watched freshman show debut of the season.

While the numbers may have gotten a bump with the premiere of American Idol, its still a big win for the TV musical genre. Music-themed shows used to be all the rage, mostly due to the red-hot popularity of Glee, but the category has cooled off dramatically: Smash was canceled, while Nashville is quickly fading.

Now, Empire shows theres still an appetite for a musical series though as we have seen time and time again, its easy for this kind of show to go awry. Here are some ways that Empire (executive produced by The Butler team of Lee Daniels and Danny Strong) can avoid the pitfalls that turn a great singing series into an unwatchable one:

* Keep music a priority.

Seems easy, right? So many times, unfortunately, the songs seem like an afterthought as the writers prefer to concentrate on ridiculous drama. Empire which also hopes for a boost by selling the shows soundtrack on iTunes has some catchy songs already from music executive producer Timabland, and should stick with them instead of drowning in too many soap-opera story lines.

* Try to get the music executives to stick around as long as possible.

Speaking of Timbaland, producers should urge him to stick around for awhile, as hes proven he knows what will stick. One of the biggest blows to Nashville was when superstar producer T. Bone Burnett (and husband of the shows creator, Callie Khouri) left after Season 1. While some songs remained pretty solid, the overall quality notably suffered.

* Dont introduce too many side characters and plot lines.

We cannot overemphasize how important this is. Nashville started a downward spiral in its third season by introducing all kinds of indistinguishable, tertiary characters (sorry, Gunnars ex-girlfriend-who-lied-about-having-his-baby, we just cannot begin to care about you). It distracted from the main arc of the story, and the show is now shedding viewers in the process.

Empire seems similarly at risk of sprawling all over the place, as viewers already have to keep track of a large number of plot lines: Lucious Lyon (Howard) trying to run his label while grappling with a terminal illness; his ex-wife, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) getting out of jail; the battle between his three sons, Andre, Jamal and Hakeem, who all want to run the company; competition between Jamal and Hakeems albums; Cookie managing Jamals career; Lucious shooting his best friend at the end of the episode. And so on. While all of those stories could go somewhere, on other shows such plots have wound up detracting from the music and making everything more complicated.

* Dont over-explain the song significance.

During a big scene in the Empire pilot, Jamal a talented singer whose homophobic father has never accepted him sings a song in the club called Good Enough. Cue the multiple flashbacks of Lucious doing horrible things, such as punishing little Jamal for trying on his moms high heels by dumping him in a trashcan. Obviously, the song was inspired by that sort of trauma, but its much more powerful than when the show lets the music speak for itself.

* Actually share secrets about the music industry.

Some of the most fascinating scenes on Nashville have to do with insider details about the music biz, and the boardroom scenes on Empire had a lot of promise as well. For some reason, the Nashville writers have drifted away from those kind of scenes. But part of the fun of music shows is getting a look into the gritty details of the industry, and writers could take advantage of that.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/01/08/empire-scores-big-ratings-for-fox-but-can-it-soar-while-other-tv-musicals-flail/