Mandatory News

Thursday, January 15, 2015

PSA: PlayStation Network Down For Maintenance January 15

Sony has announced that its online gaming service forPS4, PS Vita, and PS3 will be down in Europe and North America on January 15. The maintenance period will run from 5pm - 9pm GMT tomorrow, and 9am - 1pm Pacific Time in North America.

During those times multiple services will not be available including PlayStation Store on all devices, PlayStation Network Account Management, PlayStation Network Account Registration, and various Sony Entertainment services.

Online gameplay will still be possible during the maintenance period if you are already signed into your SEN account via the relevant device before the maintenance begins. You'll also be able to use services such as Netflix during that time.

Sony says that this maintenance period will "deploy a series of back-end improvements to the network."

For more information check out Sony PlayStation Community page.

Source: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2015/01/14/psa-playstation-network-down-maintenance-january-15

Ship Your Enemies Glitter will cover your nemesis's home in hard-to-clean ...

I think I fundamentally misunderstand the purpose ofShipyourenemiesglitter.com, a small website that for 10 bucks will ship your enemy an envelope full of glitter, the tiny, sparkly material that your parents just can't seem to get out of their craft closet. I don't know; that doesn't sound so bad.

Sure, it's tough to get rid of glitter, whether it's embedded in the carpet or stuck on your skin. Why would you want to though? Glitter is the best. In a world of bland neutral tones, glitter is colorful and shiny. Glitter is so wonderful, it inspired the title for Mariah Carey's film. A thin layer of glitter across New York City would go a long way to make its inhabitants not so gloomy every winter. Look at that guy up top. He's covered in glitter and couldn't be happier. That could be us but you playing.

Maybe, beneath their hardened exteriors, the creators of this glitter bomb website are ooey-gooey softies. They use nasty language to conceal their true intentions: to convince the public that sending their enemies glitter is some sort of revenge and not a shimmering, beautifying olive branch. Or maybe it's just a scam.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/tldr/2015/1/13/7537345/ship-your-enemies-glitter

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Naya Rivera Apologizes for White People Showering Comment: "It Was ...

Who knew showering was such a hot-button topic? After inciting controversy on Tuesday, Jan. 13, with her remark that showering daily is "such a white people thing," Naya Rivera attempted to wash away some of her bad karma with an apology.

The Glee star, 28, returned to the scene of the crime The View as a guest host on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and offered a mea culpa to viewers who took offense to her previous comments.

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"Showering. Biggest topic in pop culture today, in my opinion. Thanks to me, unfortunately," she quipped during the show's Hot Topics segment. "Yesterday, we were talking about a study that says you're supposed to shower once or twice every three days. I had an opinion on it that was supposed to be a joke. Apparently it didn't go over so well."

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(That might be an understatement. Viewers took Rivera to task for the offhand remark, sharing their own opinions of her opinion on Twitter. "When YOU tell the world YOU shower every 3 days that says more about YOU not us Naya Rivera," one person wrote, adding that "some things are better left unsaid.")

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Rivera claimed on Wednesday that she was kidding at the time, saying, "It was supposed to be a joke, but I apologize if anyone was offended." She went on to quote some of the tweets she'd received, including one from user @retiredfilth that said, "Now white people gonna think we don't shower cuz of Naya Rivera."

The View co-host Nicolle Wallace, for one, said the actress deserved a break. "Back off of Naya," Wallace told viewers. "She's very clean."

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Fellow co-host Rosie O'Donnell piped in, too, saying she'd read something about how "doctors say that you should take a bath" anyway. "Thank you, that's what I do," she quipped.

Guest host Samantha Ponder was appalled. "No. A bath? You sit in your own filth when you take a bath!" she protested, prompting Wallace to joke, "Oh my G*d, you're gonna be in trouble now, too!"

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/naya-rivera-apologizes-for-shower-comment-says-it-was-a-joke-2015141

Hasbro Reveals Avengers: Age of Ultron Toys

Toy lines are great for catching a glimpse at future blockbusters, and Hasbro doesnt disappoint in Yahoo!s preview of their Avengers: Age of Ultron line, which gives us a detailed look at what Ultron, his sub-Ultron minions, War Machine, and Avengers Tower (might) look like in the anticipated sequel. Were particularly excited about the Avengers Tower playset, which includes a Hulk containment room as well as places for several characters to park their rides, and harkens back to playsets of old. Check out all the pics in our gallery below!

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earths Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvels Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill and Stellan Skarsgrd as Erik Selvig, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain h**l-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvels Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series The Avengers, first published in 1963. Louis DEsposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee and Jon Favreau serve as executive producers. Marvels Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters on May 1, 2015.

Source: http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/399485-hasbro-reveals-avengers-age-of-ultron-toys

No, You Can't Have That Gorgeous Shade Of Ford GT Blue

Besides being amazeballs, the three Ford performance cars that dropped in Detroit yesterday the Ford GT, the Mustang GT350R, and the 2017 Raptor all had one thing in common: a very lovely shade of blue paint. Want it on your Fiesta ST? You can't have it. Sorry.

Our friends over at Road & Track write that this color, known as Liquid Blue and the designated color of the Ford Performance lineup, is not a production paint color. Lame! Sad face! Angry noises! WHARRGARBL INTERNET COMMENTING!

Ford explained to us that "Liquid Blue" is a show-car color only, and that it's actually multiple layers of paint on the display cars. Now, Ford also said that in the past, special show colors have made the transition to the production-car pallette, but right now Liquid Blue isn't in the running.

The pub does note that if you really love Liquid Blue, you can email Ford (I think it's Ford@Hotmail.com) and ask real nicely for it. Maybe then they'll change their minds and make it available to the public.

Come on, Ford, give us the paint. It's not like we're asking for something totally outrageous and unreasonable, like a Lincoln that isn't lame.

Source: http://jalopnik.com/no-you-cant-have-that-gorgeous-shade-of-ford-gt-blue-1679302070

'Parks and Recreation': What the Cast Will Miss About Their Characters

AsParks and Recreation begins its farewell season on NBC, its not just the fans who have to come to terms with the shows end. Its also the cast.

Leave it to Jerry to sum it up best: I think most of us have always been very very appreciative of this job, but even more so than ever now, says Jim OHeir.

With the show coming to a close, Variety asked the stars of Parks and Recreations final season what theyll miss most about their characters.

Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope)I had the greatest job because I would go in in the morning and basically my job as Leslie was to stand in front of all of my friends and tell them how wonderful they were. And also tell them the plans for the day. It combined two things I really enjoy: telling my friends how much I love them and also telling them what to do.

Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson)Ive never had a role where they let me be so silent. Ive been angling for it my whole life and everyone keeps saying, Talk faster! Why are you taking a pause? For some reason these writers said, We think its funny when you just make a face. Hopefully Ive opened the door so others in the future will let me be silent.

Jim OHeir (Jerry Gergich)Jerry can put a smile on his face after horribly embarrassing moments. He still somehow can just walk away fine. I dont do that in life, I get p****d. Jerry also doesnt have road rage, I have crazy road rage.

Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate)Its really nice to have a gig where you can show up in the morning and be in a terrible mood or hungover or tired and be able to deliver your lines just so, and not have to do anything. Hating everyone is a quality I will miss in April Ludgate. You dont get that in a lot of characters.

Retta (Donna Meagle)Everyone always says to me I dont get a lot to say, but when I get to say something it has an impact. (Donna) has a moral code and shes loyal. Even though she can be put off, she always still cares.

Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt)Mike (Schur) and I didnt know each other at all when I started on the show. I felt like he was using some special powers to get inside my brain because I immediately connected with the character and what he was writing. It just felt so right and it never wavered.

Aziz Ansari (Tom Haverford)(Tom) was such a silly, fun character to play. It was always fun to pick his clothes with the costume department, just deciding what he would wear.

Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer)Im not gonna miss anything about the character so much because I can always just watch it on TV if I want to. The thing Ill miss the most is the creative, ad-libby, improvisational looseness to this process with this specific, exceptional, and wonderfully talented group of comedians. Thats what Im gonna miss, being in the heat of the moment and sparring back and forth.

Source: http://variety.com/2015/tv/spotlight/parks-and-recreation-what-the-cast-will-miss-about-their-characters-1201402864/

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Charlie Hebdo mocks Muhammad, #JeSuisCharlie on comeback cover

PARIS Since Charlie Hebdo lost eight staff members in a terrorist attack last week, millions of people have declared their support to the French satirical magazine with the slogan Je Suis Charlie.

Now the often-caustic publication, faced with the challenge of reconciling its new status as a cause clbre with its reflex to mock, ridicule and offend, is putting a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad on the cover of what is likely to be their most-read issue ever.

Distributors said Monday they were preparing to print as many as three million copies of Wednesdays issue, 50 times the normal circulation. That is raising pressure on a small outlet known for skewering all forms of authority including some that have rushed to its defense.

Last weeks attack has turned Charlie Hebdo into an emblem for freedom of expression. Millions of people took to the streets on Sunday across France, chanting the magazines name. Production of the issue itself has become a media event, with other journalists gathering at the offices of left-wing daily Libration, which has hosted Charlie Hebdo since the attack.

Its been extremely moving and also hypocritical, said Laurent Lger, a reporter for the magazine who survived the shooting. All of a sudden, we are supported by the entire world. Whereas for years we were completely alone.

Charlie Hebdo isnt pulling any punches. The caricature of Muhammad on the cover is the same transgression that one of the alleged assailants in last weeks attack said had motivated the killings. This time he is carrying a sign saying Je Suis Charlie under the headline All is forgiven.

Another target for this weeks issue is likely to be Sundays solidarity march in France, surviving staff members said. The massive rally became a magnet for French and international political figures that have been a mainstay in Charlie Hebdos pages. Attendees included dignitaries from Turkey, Egypt, and Russia, countries that it has criticized for curbing free speech.

All those dictators at a march celebrating liberty, Lger said. We of course are going to continue the mockery. Well see if it makes them jump.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/charlie-hebdo-mocks-muhammad-jesuischarlie-on-comeback-cover-2015-01-13