WebProNews

Author: Val Powell

  • Anderson Silva Says He’s Coming Back To UFC

    Anderson Silva Says He’s Coming Back To UFC

    MMA fans will be glad to know that Brazilian fighter Anderson Silva, who suffered a devastating—and some said career-breaking—injury at UFC 168 is doing exceptionally well in his rehabilitation. In a Twitter post, he uploaded an old photo of him doing some grappling exercises. It was captioned “Estou voltando,” which means “I’m coming back.”

    It has almost been two months since the former UFC middleweight champ got seriously injured in a match against current champion Chris Weidman. Silva positioned himself for a left kick, but Weidman checked it, causing Silva to snap his lower left leg bone. Silva’s fibula  (calf bone) was reset but he had to undergo orthopedic surgery to stabilize his tibia (shin bone).

    At that point, it looked like Silva was on his way to retirement.

    UFC president Dana White believes this is not so, and that Silva will once again fight his way in the Octagon. This is confirmed by no less than the Brazilian fighter himself, during an interview on Sunday, February 16. He shared how difficult the recovery process is, and the excruciating pain he experiences. He is making a great effort to understand why the injury happened, and resolves to return.

    (image)

    Silva is still in the early stages of recovery, but his managers Ed Soares and Jorge Guimaraes are already musing on a match between him and former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre. The two managers, who have guided Silva since his UFC debut eight years ago, are hopeful about the match, especially when they see Silva doing well in his physical therapy. According to Silva’s orthopedic surgeon, the fighter can return to his training in six months at the very least.

    Silva will be 39 years old when he decides to return to the MMA. He may never put his full weight on his left leg. His doctors may not even let him return to fighting. These are the uncertainties facing Silva’s career, but these do not weaken his determination to fight again. And he is not going to retire, not just yet. He says he still has a lot to accomplish, “and I have no such intention of stopping.”

    Anderson Silva Breaks Leg [Graphic]

    http://youtu.be/L1ISYrjuyf0

    Main images via YouTube , Silva with crutch via Facebook

  • Jeff Gordon May Retire From Racing in 2014

    In the last NASCAR media tour, Jeff Gordon mentioned the possibility of retiring from his career if he wins the 2014 NASCAR championship. The stock car racing driver said he was jokingly serious about his statement.

    The 42-year-old racer has already won four NASCAR championships under the Winston Cup. He won in 1995, 1997, 1998, and in 2001. In 2004, Nextel/Sprint started sponsoring the NASCAR races. According to Gordon, his trophies won’t be complete until he has one that reads Sprint Cup, which is his last goal before he retires and spends time with his family.

    Gordon began racing at the young age of 5 and gained interest in sprint car racing when he was just 13 years old. His family then moved to California to support his love of racing, as there were more opportunities for young racers there. Before he was 18 years old, he had already won the USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year. At 20 years old, Gordon was named the youngest racer to have won the season championship for the United States Auto Club.

    Gordon has 88 cup winnings to date, and has had only two winless seasons since 1993. A section of the interstate highway in North Carolina was also named the Jeff Gordon Expressway in 2012 to commemorate his 85th career win.

    Last Thursday, the NASCAR Media Day was held in Daytona Beach. The press had the chance to ask Gordon about how serious he was about his statement in last month’s media tour. The racer replied by saying that winning the championship may trigger him to retire, as he wanted to end his career on a high note.

    The only thing that is holding him back from retiring now is his love of the sport, and of course, a Sprint Cup trophy.

    Jeff Gordon: Champion

    http://youtu.be/Ue-3W_Zy7Bc

    Image via Facebook

     

  • Brett Rossi: Porn Actress Engaged To Charlie Sheen

    Former “Two and a Half Men” TV star Charlie Sheen proposed to former adult film actress Brett Rossi in Hawaii, the day after Valentine’s Day. The newly engaged couple was seen being very affectionate with each other while strolling down the beach.

    The 48-year-old Sheen whisked away his 24-year-old fiancée in a private jet to Hawaii to spend some quality time together on Valentine’s Day. According to Rossi, they both watched the sunrise early in the morning, after which Sheen got down on one knee and popped the question.

    (image)

    Photo of Sheen and Rossi

    The couple both took to Twitter to showcase their blissful vacation photos as well as announce the happy moment. Sheen’s publicist Jeff Ballard confirmed the engagement to People Magazine and Rossi also spoke to E! regarding the details of the proposal. The photos included a picture of the engagement ring, which clearly showed a sizable rock although no specifics have been released about it.

    If the wedding goes through, this will be Sheen’s fourth marriage. His first was with Donna Peele, to whom he was married from 1995 to 1996. They had their marriage annulled after the divorce, making Sheen a two-time married man on paper. His second marriage was in 2002 with film actress Denise Richards, which lasted four years. Their divorce was highly publicized due to a messy custody dispute over their two daughters. Sheen’s alcohol and drug abuse only added more attention to the divorce. In 2008 he married Brooke Mueller with whom he has twin sons. After divorcing in 2010, they are currently embroiled in a bitter custody dispute over their children.

    Rossi, whom Sheen fondly calls “Scottie”, started publicly dating the actor last November. Photos of the two lovebirds kissing in Cabo San Lucas surfaced around that time, as well as a picture of Sheen’s “gag proposal” to Rossi in Reykjavik, Iceland on New Year’s Day. No date has been set for their wedding as of press time.

    Brett Rossi: Porn Star

    http://youtu.be/hA4gm0MA8bg

    Image via YouTube, article image via Instagram

  • Lindsey Jacobellis Tries, Falls Again

    Bad luck seems to hound Team USA snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis every time she takes a shot at Olympic gold. She has tried twice before the Sochi Games: in Turin in 2006, and Vancouver in 2010. The gold was hers for the taking in Turin, until an unnecessary trick made her fall, and she went home with the silver instead. During the semifinals in Vancouver, she crashed into a gate and was disqualified.

    For Jacobellis, the phrase “third time lucky” just didn’t apply to her, when she overshot a landing during this year’s Olympic semifinal round. Her miscalculated landing resulted in a nasty fall. She recovered but there was no way to catch up.

    It was an awfully bad stroke of luck, since she had actually posted the second-fastest time during the event’s time trial held at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. Though her Olympics reputation shows otherwise, she really is an exceptional athlete. To date, she has won a total of eight gold medals in the X Games.

    Jacobellis wipes out in Turin 2006

    Jacobellis, however, isn’t being superstitious about not winning a gold medal at Sochi.  She believes what happened was “just a fluke”. Considering what happened eight years ago, she had already braced herself for how people would take the news of her loss. She knows some people will be disappointed and might even act negatively. She thinks some may have even been expecting to see her fail once again.

    “People don’t understand how much pressure is put on her,” said snowboarder Faye Gulini of Team USA. Gulini is well aware of the extreme pressure that gets placed on prominent athletes, and she knows how difficult it must be for her teammate.

    Jacobellis took things in stride this time, and said that there are worse things in life than not winning. Naysayers will say what they want, but Lindsey Jacobellis maintains a positive attitude and looks toward the future.

    Image via YouTube

     

  • Alfonso Cuarón Wins Best Director BAFTA Award For Gravity

    Alfonso Cuarón, who directed such films as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, A Little Princess, and Y Tu Mama Tambien, has just won the Best Director award at this year’s BAFTA ceremony for the science-fiction space drama, Gravity.

    It is the director’s first BAFTA win for the category. Cuarón beat major talents in the directing field including Martin Scorsese, Paul Greengrass, David O. Russell, and Steve McQueen. He also produced the film with his Harry Potter co-producer, David Heyman.

    Cuarón worked with Framestore, a visual effects studio in London, for Gravity’s special effects that took more than 3 years to complete. The director wanted to depict a realistic view of outer space but also stated that the scientific inaccuracies in the film were needed to keep the story intact. Besides, he was doing a work of fiction and not a documentary.

    The screenplay for the Gravity movie was written by Cuarón and his eldest son, Jonas. The film features Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts on a Space Shuttle mission on board the Explorer. The shuttle is destroyed by space debris, and the two fight to survive.

    The film was nominated for 11 categories including Best Actress, and Best Picture. Gravity bagged 6 awards total: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Best Direction, and Best British Film. The film also got praises from veteran director James Cameron who says that it’s the best space film that has ever been done.

    Cuarón was in disbelief over his win and saluted his son for being his inspiration and teacher in life. During his speech, the award-winning director also praised the artistic and technical staff that helped make the film possible.

    Cuarón seems to be on a bit of a winning streak. In January, he also won Best Director for Gravity at the Golden Globe Awards.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Noriaki Kasai: Veteran Ski Jumper Wins Silver Medal

    In Sochi, Noriaki Kasai is proving to everyone that age doesn’t matter – especially in death-defying sports. The 41-year-old ski jumper from Japan outshone most of his younger competitors in the men’s large hill competition, earning him a silver medal. He is now the oldest Olympic medalist in ski jump history.

    Kasai made a clean landing on both jumps, which measured 139 meters and 133.5 meters, respectively. He earned a final score of 277.4, and was barely edged out by Polish ski jumper Kamil Stoch, who got the gold medal.

    The Sapporo native competed at the Olympics for the first time in the 1992 Winter Olympics held in Albertville, France. He participated and made his mark in the World Cup and holds multiple records, which include the longest jump for athletes over 35 and the most number of individual and team World Cup performances.

    Kasai’s silver medal in Sochi now marks his second Olympic medal. In 1994, he won alongside his teammates in the team large hill event at the Winter Olympics held in Lillehammer, Norway. Kasai’s collective achievements secured his position as the captain of Japan’s Olympic team.

    Before the games in Sochi began, Kasai promised to win a medal in honor of his sister, Kumiko Maekawa. She is currently confined to a hospital in Hokkaido for complications caused by hypoplastic anemia. Kasai says that despite the long wait after his first Olympic medal, he is ecstatic to win the silver for his sister.

    Kasai’s age does not seem to faze him as he intends to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics, which is due to be held in South Korea. He is definitely the embodiment of the famed resilience and strong work ethic of the Japanese culture. Kasai said that he still dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal and that his failure to do so in Sochi has fueled his desire for a gold medal even more.

    See Noriaki Kasai in action

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • John Wall Claims NBA Slam Dunk Throne, But Fans Are Confused

    Whenever East meets West, there is a battle to be won. John Wall of the Washington Wizards showed off his impressive skills during All-Star Saturday’s 2014 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in New Orleans. Wall’s reverse dunk move, which he did after taking the ball from the Wizards mascot G-Man and moving it between his legs, will definitely be the talk of basketball-crazed fans for weeks to come. The move cemented Team East’s win over the West, and was enough to make fans vote for him as the Sprite Dunker of the Night.

    The extraordinary feat was probably the best thing the contest had, because after Wall was declared as the night’s top dunker, the contest ended, leaving fans somewhat dazed. Many of the viewers felt that the competition ended too soon, calling the new format “whack,” which is slang for awful, shocking, or sickening—or all of the above.

    The contest’s new format was hoped to give players and fans a boost, but only resulted in confusion and frustration. What the NBA did was to give each conference a 90-second freestyle round, after which the one-on-one battles would ensue. Players can only use one type of dunk in the man-versus-man battle, judges vote which player executed it better, and the team gets a point. As there are only three players for each team, the first team to get three points wins. The new format, instead of reinvigorating the contest, had fans clamoring for the old one.

    Before the new format came along, individual players were given the stage to shine. It was something the fans enjoyed watching, as they could see their favorite players perform solo slams. Now, with the team element making up half of the competition, what used to be an entertaining night—a basketball-themed talent show, if you will—has turned into something that may be considered monotonous and lacking inspiration and the feeling of seeing one man against all odds, something that the old format had and the new one obviously does not.

    Watch John Wall’s impressive slam dunk

    http://youtu.be/GIz-TwKciY8

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Beetlejuice 2’ Being Discussed By Michael Keaton And Tim Burton

    The immensely popular 1988 fantasy film, Beetlejuice is considered by many as a hallmark of the era, and fans have been wondering if and when a sequel will come out. Fans of the film may now have good reason to be hopeful. Michael Keaton, the film’s lead star, has released a statement about the possibility of getting back together with director Tim Burton to make Beetlejuice 2.

    The RoboCop star has been very vocal about his love for Beetlejuice several times over the years. In a 2011 interview with The Times, Keaton said that Beetlejuice is “incomparable” in terms of capturing the imagination of Tim Burton. A sequel was thought to have been in the works in 2012 as scriptwriter Seth Grahame-Smith had already started working on a script around the same time. Grahame-Smith has more than enough experience working with Burton – he was involved in the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which Burton produced and Dark Shadows, which Burton directed.

    Reporters at the Robocop press junket in Los Angeles were asking Keaton questions about another Burton collaboration for the Batman franchise, when the subject of “Beetlejuice 2” was introduced. Keaton said that he has exchanged a few emails with both Tim Burton and the writer regarding the preliminary stages of the film. He also said that Burton’s participation is required if the project indeed pushes through.

    Keaton’s acting career has shot up recently, with roles in the blockbuster hit RoboCop as well as upcoming movies Birdman and Need for Speed. On the other hand, Burton has just wrapped up the filming of Big Eyes, which stars Oscar winner Christoph Waltz and Golden Globe awardee Amy Adams. If the Beetlejuice 2 script is not finalized soon, Burton might be working on the film adaptation of the book, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which will be officially released in 2015.

    Director Tim Burton Discusses Beetlejuice 2

    Image via YouTube

  • Mitt Romney: Hillary Should Be Judged On Her Own Record

    Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney had this to say about Hillary Clinton: “If ever she takes the road to presidential candidacy, her own record as the United States Secretary of State should be judged, and not her husband’s history.” This was his response to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s statement that if Hillary Clinton seeks to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, her husband ex-President Bill Clinton’s scandalous affair with Monica Lewinsky must be re-examined.

    Romney believes that in her case, the voting population will look at her record, and examine what matters: whether the U.S. relations with other nations elevated America and its interests or not. Whatever her husband did to embarrass the nation should not pull down her own merits, and it should also not be her responsibility to explain. After all, he says, Hillary Clinton has her own plans for America.

    Bill Clinton admits to affair with Monica Lewinsky

    Where is Monica Lewinsky now?

    Sen. Rand Paul has been pressing the issue, suggesting that if ever Hillary wins, the former president would be placed in the White House again. Romney was firm when he said that Bill Clinton is not relevant in Hillary’s record.

    When asked whether he would consider seeking a presidential nomination again, he said no, but he will surely give his support to the candidate he thinks will have the best chance of defeating the Democrat nominee.

    Mitt Romney served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 2002-2006. One of his major projects as governor was to develop and enact into law the state’s health care reform legislation. The legislation served to provide constituents with access to an almost universal health insurance by tapping into state-level subsidies, as well as individual mandates, to purchase insurance.

    After his term, he campaigned for a Republican Party nomination in the presidential election, but lost to Arizona Senator John McCain. He tried again in 2012 and won the nomination, but was defeated by current Democratic President Barack Obama in the election held in November.

    Hillary Clinton’s 2016 plans

    Image via YouTube

  • Jim Henson’s Son Dies Of Heart Attack At Age 48

    John Henson died at his home in Saugerties, New York on Friday. According to his sister Cheryl Henson, he died of a sudden heart attack after building an igloo with his daughter. Henson was 48.

    John Henson was the fourth child of the late Muppets creator, Jim Henson and Jane Nabel Henson. He appeared in Sesame Street and Numerosity during his childhood years and went on to follow in his father’s footsteps with a career in puppetry. In the late 1980’s Henson replaced Richard Hunt as the body suit for Sweetums, a hairy ogre with bushy eyebrows. He continued to play the character for more than ten years. The last performance he did as the character was in 2005 for The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz TV movie.

    Henson also appeared as the Coca-Cola Polar Bear that skied and sled at Coca-Cola PR events.

    Aside from taking on roles in movies and television, Henson also appeared as Sweetums on several live Muppets events, such as the unveiling of Kermit the Frog’s star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, the musical tribute to his father, and the MuppetFest weekend. Henson was also a board member and a stakeholder at the Jim Henson Company, together with his brother and 3 sisters.

    Unknown to many, Henson was also a sculptor. In the 1980’s Henson, together with John Kahn, created “The Great Hot Air Balloon Circus”, a metal and wood hot air balloon sculpture that consisted of Muppets figures made of PVC. The sculpture was placed in the old headquarters of the Jim Henson Company. More of his brass sculptures can be found at the company’s New York offices.

    The Muppets will be back in cinemas in March with the upcoming movie entitled Muppets Most Wanted.

    John Henson left his wife Gyongyi and 2 daughters Katrina, 15, and Sydney, 10. The family is planning a private service for the late puppeteer.

    Watch Muppets Most Wanted Trailer

    Image via YouTube

  • Seattle Mammoth Tusk Discovered At Construction Site

    Experts from the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture claim that a recently discovered mammoth tusk might be the largest found in the entire Seattle area. The tusk, which is also believed to have come from an Ice Age mammoth, was unearthed by several construction workers conducting an excavation in the Lake Union area of Seattle.

    According to a report given by Seattle’s television network KIRO-TV, the construction workers immediately stopped digging as soon as they spotted the tusk and informed the Burke Museum of their find. After recovering the fossil and studying it, vertebrate paleontology curator Christian Sidor says that they are almost certain that it belonged to a mammoth from the Ice Age.

    The fossil was buried underneath privately owned land, so the owner has full discretion over the tusk. It has since been turned over by the landowner to the Burke Museum, so the staff can now make it accessible to other experts and scientists who are interested in examining it. There is currently no state law in Washington that restricts people from doing what they want with their land, so museums are required to seek the owners’ consent before excavating artifacts from their land.

    Acclaimed paleontologist Jack Horner of the Museum of the Rockies says that Mammoths inhabited numerous areas around the United States thousands of years ago. Finding any intact remnants of these colossal animals is rare, though, according to Horner as they are often shattered by construction machines and equipment.

    Mastodons and other prehistoric elephant relatives were said to live in Washington around 10,000 years ago. Geologist David Williams said that both Mammoths and Mastodons roamed the state right after the ice thawed. He also said that dental fossils would serve as better proof of these creatures’ existence as they are more accurate samples for DNA identification than ancient skeletal remains.

    http://youtu.be/EaR6kdLo5Pk

    Image via YouTube

  • Drake Upset About Getting Bumped For Rolling Stone Cover

    Canadian recording artist and rapper Drake says he is “disgusted” at Rolling Stone magazine for replacing him on the March issue cover at the last minute. Rolling Stone ran the print with Philip Seymour Hoffman on the front cover instead.

    The magazine decided to pay homage to the award-winning actor, Hoffman, after his sudden death following a reported heroin overdose on February 2 in his Manhattan office apartment. The March issue features highlights of the late actor’s life and achievements that he had throughout his 46 years of life.

    Rolling Stone’s spokesperson, Melissa Bruno, stated on a phone interview with CBC News that the magazine does not comment on their decisions for cover images.

    Twitter users also commented and accused the rapper for being childish about him being replaced on the cover. The harsh comments towards Drake were also defended by some of his fans saying that the press always twists conversations and that they still love him.

    The cover is not the only issue Drake has with the magazine. On his Twitter page, he ranted about an interview the magazine conducted, and said that he never made any ill comments on Kanye West’s album Yeezus, and was misquoted by the magazine. Drake allegedly said that some of West’s raps were questionable. On one of his tweets, Drake also said the press is evil. He has later deleted the tweets regarding the interview and the cover.

    Drake never outright denied saying those things about Kanye West. He just stated that he never made those comments during the interview portion. The comments were probably said off-the-record, but the magazine included it on print.

    On his last tweet, Drake says that he just wants people to listen to his music so he can accurately get his message across. He also says that he is done doing magazine interviews.

    Drake: Worst Behavior

    Image via YouTube

  • Noelle Pikus-Pace: Sliding For Gold

    Noelle Pikus-Pace was all set to retire from skeleton racing, but the universe must have willed her not to—at least, not until she bags some Olympic gold. The American athlete has been on the sled since she was fifteen.

    Pikus-Pace finished one-tenth of a second away from the bronze at the Vancouver Olympics four years ago. Now, after two runs, she is currently in second place. Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain leads with .44 seconds, and Elena Nikitina of Russia is right on Pikus-Pace’s heels only 0.11 seconds away. Katie Uhlaender, who is also competing under the Stars and Stripes, is in fourth place and is .14 seconds behind Nikitina.

    Pikus-Pace has only had two training runs out of six. She had to skip the last four runs due to back pains—she has three herniated disks, and she overworked her back during an unofficial training run. She recovered by relaxing and spending time with her family. When she first thought of retirement, that was what she wanted to do: spend quality time with her kids Lacee and Traycen, and husband Janson.

    On the first run of the women’s skeleton, Pikus-Pace posted a run time of 58.68 seconds, .20 seconds behind Nikitina’s time. Yarnold finished her first run in 58.43 seconds, setting a track record. Pikus-Pace isn’t known for her starts, which have been observed to be among the slowest in the event, but she does have expert skills when it comes to driving down the track. This was seen during the second run, when she drove fast enough to beat Nikitina for second.

    The racers are all set to meet again on Friday for their final two runs at the Sanki Sliding Center. Hopefully, for Pikus-Pace, it will be the last runs of her career, and she can go home with her family, Olympic medal in tow.

    Watch Noelle Pikus-Pace win in Park City

    Image via Facebook

  • Edward Snowden: NSA Memo Confirms He Stole Co-Worker’s Password

    According to a memo issued by the National Security Agency to members of Congress, former contractor Edward Snowden may have resorted to stealing his coworkers’ login credentials in order to gain entry to the agency’s highly classified database.  Snowden has denied the accusation and claimed the report to be incorrect.

    The memo also relates how Snowden obtained the Public Key Infrastructure password of an NSA civilian employee by getting him to type it on his work computer. The unnamed employee was not aware that Snowden was able to secure the password, thereby providing him with complete access to confidential NSA information. After a temporary suspension of his security clearance, the agency made it permanent toward the end of last year. The NSA civilian handed his official resignation last month after informing the FBI of the oversight.

    The NSA has also revoked the security clearance of two other individuals connected with the agency due to their involvement in the controversial leakage. The memo also states that one of them is a military member in active duty and the other is an unnamed contractor. They have also been banned from using their official workstations, although their employers maintain discretion over the extent of their accountability.

    Edward Snowden is responsible for what is considered the most important information leak in the history of the United States, according to author Daniel Ellsberg. A computer systems administrator by profession, Snowden used to work for the Central Intelligence Agency and the NSA. He started exposing highly confidential agency data on June 2013 to such well-known publications as The Washington Post and The Guardian.

    Snowden is currently residing in Russia on a yearlong temporary asylum. The US government regards him as a fugitive from justice and his charges include theft of government property and espionage. The NSA memo was first released through the NBC News website and has since been included by the agency in their report to the Judiciary Committee.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tupac Shakur Biopic To Be Directed By John Singleton

    No, it wasn’t just a rumor: there really will be a biopic of rapper Tupac Shakur. What makes it more real now is that it finally has a producer by the name of John Singleton, who is best known for his directorial debut “Boyz N The Hood,” released in 1991. Singleton will not only produce, but rewrite and direct the biopic as well.

    Tupac Shakur died in 1996 at the age of 25. He was fatally wounded during a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, reportedly due to an earlier altercation between him and another crew. The brawl, captured on CCTV, showed Shakur and several other men from Death Row Records assaulting Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson at the lobby of the MGM Grand. Anderson and his crew were said to have robbed one of the members of the Death Row entourage at a store, and so Shakur and his crew acted in revenge. Later that night after leaving a club, Shakur was shot while driving his car. He died six days later. The murder remains unsolved.

    Tupac Shakur is known for his outspoken personality and controversial lyrics, and it will likely be a challenge to capture his spirit on film. The biopic is expected to show Shakur’s rise not only as a rapper but also as an actor. In 1993, he starred in “Poetic Justice,” a romantic movie, alongside Janet Jackson. Singleton directed the film, which was created around the work of writer Maya Angelou. This makes Singleton a good primary source of reference for what Shakur was like as an actor, and who Tupac was behind the scenes.

    http://youtu.be/6OPuoivIlbI

    Singleton was actually involved in the project when it was being conceptualized. Unfortunately, the deal didn’t push through, and there had been other factors that stalled the project. Now, with Morgan Creek Productions and Emmett Furla Oasis Films on board, the biopic is definitely a go. Singleton will first work on the screenplay, with production slated for this summer.

    Image via Tupac Shakur,Twitter

  • Evgeni Plushenko Bows Out Of Sochi Olympics and Skating Career

    Evgeni Plushenko from Team Russia retired from his competitive skating career on Thursday right after withdrawing from the men’s short program skating event. The 31-year-old figure skater had just won a gold medal over the weekend for the team figure skating event.

    Plushenko opted out of the competition due to medical concerns. During warm-ups, he fell doing a triple axel and hurt himself after a bad landing. The figure skater then loosened up by skating around the rink a few times before attempting to do another axel. Again, he was unsuccessful. Plushenko pushed himself to perform in the competition, as there are only two events left – the short and long program. However, after botching two axels during warm-ups, he felt stabbing pains on his back that made him decide to withdraw after consulting his coach, Alexei Mishin.

    After his name was called, Plushenko skated to the referee to withdraw from the event. He waved to the spectators and placed his right hand over his heart, as if to apologize for not competing.

    Plushenko has had 12 surgeries done mostly on his knees, but just last year, the gold-medalist had a surgery wherein 4 screws were implanted on his back.

    Plushenko says he wishes he was healthy but he isn’t. He also says that it is God’s way of saying that he has had enough of skating. This was not the first time he took a break from skating. In 2006, he took a two-year hiatus mainly because of his injuries. The figure skater is considered the only modern-period skater who has won medals in four Olympics – a gold in 2006, silvers in 2002 and 2010, and just last weekend, another gold with his teammates.

    Russia will not be having a finisher in the event, as they only had one male spot that was filled by Plushenko.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Al Roker Berates Mayor De Blasio Via Twitter

    New York City experienced blizzards on Thursday, and schools were kept open by the NYC administration. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was criticized for not following New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lead, when Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency.

    Elected officials and teacher’s unions called de Blasio’s decision to keep schools open a mistake, as the city was preparing to be engulfed in more than a foot of snow. Al Roker, the NBC weather anchor, published tweets complaining about this, even while he was busy covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

    The Today show weather anchor started with a tweet where he questioned why the other schools surrounding NYC were closed. He also expressed worry that a child may have to be hurt in the blizzard before NYC changes their “goofball policy”. His next tweet was addressed to New York City schools and the New York City Mayor’s office, and he mentioned that his daughter’s NYC public school was being let out, and he ended with asking NYC schools and the NYC Mayor’s office if it was worth endangering the children?

    Mayor de Blasio stated in a press conference Thursday morning that New York is unlike other cities, and it doesn’t shut down in the face of adversity. He defended his decision to keep the schools open, by explaining the State’s declaration. He explains that when NY Gov. Cuomo declared the state of emergency, it meant that the state and the city is allowed to do certain things regarding the situation. He continued by saying that with the information that they had, they knew clearly that the city was functioning properly, and that city agencies were doing their job.

    With all of this information, the Mayor’s office decided to keep schools open, since parents would need their children in school so they could go to work.

    Roker tweeted a forecast, predicting that de Blasio would only have one term in in office as New York Mayor.

     

     

     

    Image via YouTube

  • 44-Year-Old Fetus Found Inside Elderly Brazilian Woman

    Doctors were left shocked and bewildered when they discovered a “stone baby” inside the womb of an 84-year-old Brazilian woman. The “stone baby” is an actual fetus that was a result of a botched pregnancy she had 44 years ago.

    The elderly woman was admitted to a hospital in the central state of Tocantins when she complained of dizziness and severe stomach pain. After getting a routine X-ray, doctors saw the figure of a fetus that was estimated to be 20 to 28 weeks old. The woman was immediately transferred to Porto Nacional Hospital to undergo more tests.

    According to the doctors, the woman claimed to have fallen pregnant more than 40 years ago. She experienced unbearable pain during the pregnancy and visited a witch doctor in order to eliminate her discomfort. The healer then gave her medication, which provided her instant relief. Soon after, her belly stopped growing and the movement inside also ceased. Attending gynecologist Gesneria Saraiva Kratka says that the woman believed the baby had already been aborted.

    Kratka also said that the fetus managed to stay in the woman’s abdomen for more than 40 years because it developed a calcified exterior over time, protecting the woman from suffering complications brought about by dead tissue. “Stone babies” – otherwise called lithopedions – result from dead fetuses that are unable to be reabsorbed by the mother’s body due to its size. Other cases of documented lithopedions include a 92-year-old Chinese woman with a 60-year-old fetus inside her body and a Colombian woman with a 40-year-old fetus in her womb.

    Despite Kratka’s advice to undergo surgery, the Brazilian woman was said to have no plans of getting rid of her “stone baby” any time soon. She is due to undergo further tests and scans to get more information about the fetus, after which the doctors will consult with the woman’s family members regarding the operation.

    ‘Stone baby’ also found in Colombian woman last year

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  • 3,600-Year-Old Mummy Unearthed In Luxor Egypt

    A routine dig in Luxor, Egypt has resulted in the discovery of a sarcophagus – with a mummy inside and intact. The team of Egyptian and Spanish archeologists that led the excavation were working on a tomb when they unearthed an elaborately painted and well preserved sarcophagus carved with a human face. It is believed to be 3,600 years old.

    According to Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the burial took place in 1600 BC during the reign of the Pharaonic 17th Dynasty. The country’s Antiquities Minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, added that the mummy used to be a government official based on the titles etched in the 6 ½-foot sarcophagus. In addition, the ornate design and detailed inscriptions may signify that the official held a high position. Archeologists have yet to determine the precise identity of the mummy.

    Sarcophagi are common burial vessels used by Ancient Egyptians to protect their dead royals. They were carved and decorated according to the physical attributes of the deceased so that they can be distinguished from one another. Alabaster and limestone are common materials used to make sarcophagi in Ancient Egypt. Other ancient cultures like the Greeks and Romans made use of sarcophagi to commemorate their dead.

    The same Spanish-Egyptian team conducted another dig at the Draa Abul-Naga necropolis also in Luxor, and discovered two additional burials. However, both sarcophagi were empty. Al-Ahram, the country’s state-run newspaper,  says that the tombs may have been robbed in ancient times.

    Egyptian prosecution has been addressing the problem of smuggling and damaging ancient relics by charging both local and foreign thieves. Three German nationals have recently been brought to criminal court for conspiring with six Egyptians in smuggling antiquities. The Germans pretended to be researchers to gain easier access to the stolen relics. They have since fled back to Germany although Egyptian authorities plan to work with the German government in order to recover the pieces.

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  • Vicki Kennedy Nominated For USPS Board Of Governors

    Vicki Kennedy has been nominated to an advisory position by President Barack Obama. She is being considered for a position on the eleven-member Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.

    Vicki Kennedy hails from Crowley, Louisiana. Her parents, Doris Ann Boustany and Edmund Reggie, were actively involved in the politics and business in the area. Her father was a banker and a judge while her mother was a Democratic National Committeewoman. The Reggies were supporters of John F. Kennedy and shared a social relationship with him. Edmund Reggie rallied support for JFK at the Democratic National Convention in 1956 when JFK pursued, unsuccessfully, the vice-presidential nomination.

    Vicky Anne Reggie earned her degree in English, graduating magna cum laude from the Newcomb College in New Orleans. She went on to study law at the Tulane University Law School, where she graduated summa cum laude when she received her Juris Doctor degree.

    Vicki Anne Reggie became Vicki Kennedy when she married Senator Ted Kennedy on July 3, 1992. She has two children from her previous marriage to Grier C. Raclin. She divorced Raclin in 1990. Former Senator Ted Kennedy passed away in 2009.

    In 2008, the Kennedys lent their support to Barack Obama in his first bid for the Presidency of the United States.

    Vicki Kennedy’s nomination is one of the nine positions that are appointed by the President of the United States for the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Office. The duty of selecting the Postmaster General is placed in the hands of the Board. The Postmaster General will also become a member of the board of governors, and will be involved in the selection of the board’s 11th member, the Deputy Postmaster General.

    Attorney Vicki Kennedy is currently on the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees. She is also credited for being the co-founder of Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.

    http://youtu.be/4ppKVpipyBc

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  • Ray Nagin: Former New Orleans Mayor Is Now A Convict

    Ray Nagin, former mayor of New Orleans, is now a convict. A federal jury found him guilty of corruption charges on Wednesday, February 12. Nagin left office in 2010 after serving two terms as mayor.

    In January 2013, Nagin was indicted on charges that he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes and payoffs. He was also charged with accepting truckloads of granite for his personal enterprise in exchange for supporting and promoting businessman Frank Fradella’s projects. The indictment included the services Nagin and his family received in exchange for his nod to businesses pursuing contracts in the city. More than $5 million in city contracts were reported to have been the result of these transactions.

    The jury deemed Nagin guilty of 20 of the 21 counts against him. These include six counts of bribery, four counts of filing false tax returns, one count of overarching conspiracy, nine counts of wire fraud, and one money laundering conspiracy count. He was found not guilty of one count of bribery. The trial lasted for two weeks, during which prosecutors brought forth some of the businessmen who stepped forward to plead guilty to bribing the former mayor.

    In his testimony, Nagin said that what the prosecution’s key witness said was false, and that the evidence were all misinterpreted by the prosecutors. In addition, Nagin’s lawyer remarked that there is no proof that his client was given money. The granite, though sent to the family business, was actually tied to projects for the city, he said. During the cross-examination, however, Nagin seemed to dig a deeper hole for himself when he said he couldn’t remember who paid for a trip or perk he received.

    It was during Nagin’s first term as mayor when Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005. During that time, there were doubts as to whether the taxpayer money being sent to the city was being used for the right purposes, considering that the state had a long history of corruption. Nagin, who was elected to mayorship only a few years before the disaster, was ready to reassure the people and put their suspicions of corruption to rest. He reportedly said that anyone was free to do a Google search on him, adding, “You’re not going to find any of that in my record.”

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