WebProNews

Tag: YouTube

  • Dick Bavetta Officiates 2,633 NBA Games Straight

    During the Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks game Wednesday night, NBA referee Dick Bavetta officiated his 2,633rd consecutive regular season game, which beat MLB Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripkin Jr.’s long-standing record for the longest back-to-back participation in an American professional sporting event.

    Richard T. “Dick” Bavetta, 74, got his start as an NBA referee in 1975, and he has never missed an assigned game since. He began officiating after his brother Joe, a ref for the American Basketball Association at the time, convinced him that it would be a good career. Bavetta was a stock broker on Wall Street during those days, and began officiating games between fellow brokers in the Wall Street League, played at New York’s Downtown Athletic Club.

    Bavetta went on to referee high school games, before moving on to the Continental Basketball Association. In the mid-1960s, for nine years straight he was rejected during NBA referee tryouts, mainly due to his small, unimposing stature, though was finally hired on in 1975. His debut was on December 2, 1975 at Madison Square Garden in an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics. He soon became seen as a referee of the lowest tier, and led the league in technical fouls and ejections called.

    Bavetta eventually went on to become the highest paid ref in the NBA, raking in about $200,000 a year. His most well-known game was between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics in the 1980’s. Celtics forward Larry Bird and 76ers guard Julius Erving began to strangle each other and were ejected by Bavetta.

    Here’s the clip:

    Commenting on what his record means to him, Bavetta said, “Well it means that I am here and alive and happy. And it doesn’t end here as they say. After tonight there is another game. That is what we do. I am just blessed that the ironman streak has been broken here (at Madison Square Garden), I couldn’t ask for something any better.”

    Regarding any plans for retirement, Bavetta said, “I can’t think of any reason unless it’s an act of God with weather problems and things like that, but I’ve been blessed by the good Lord above with good health. So that has enabled me to stay healthy over the years and I think it’s symbolic of our profession.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Fort Hood Shooting Not Linked to Terrorism

    A senior Department of Homeland Security spokesperson has stated that the shooting that occurred Wednesday at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas was a “soldier on soldier” incident, and that no links to terrorism have yet been suspected. The Homeland Security source added that there was “currently no (counter terrorism) nexus” and that the shooter killed himself.

    The shooter has been identified as Army Specialist Ivan Lopez, who was incidentally present at the scene of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting which killed 13. Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly that the “knowledge I have is he (Lopez) was a truck driver.”

    Officials at the Scott & White Temple Hospital in Temple, Texas, said that the facility had received four patients from the shooting and that another two were being driven in. The conditions of those injured ranged from stable to critical, and included gunshot wounds to the abdomen, chest, neck and extremities.

    An employee of the Fort Hood Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center stated that two patients were being treated in that facility, and that more were expected to arrive. A witness outside the hospital told Fox News, “It’s chaos. I see lots of ambulances coming in. There are helicopters everywhere.”

    The Fort Hood Press Center has issued and alert that the facility is still on lock down, and posted to Twitter that “All personnel on post are asked to shelter in place.”

    Fort Hood added an update on the shooting via its Facebook page:

    UPDATE: Fort Hood’s Directorate of Emergency Services has an initial report that a shooter is dead but this is unconfirmed. The injured personnel are being transported to Carl R. Darnall Medical Center and other local hospitals. Numerous law enforcement agencies are in support and on the scene. The number of injured are not confirmed at this time. No further details are known at this time. There has been a shooting at Fort Hood and injuries are reported. Emergency crews are on the scene. No further details are known at this time.

    President Obama said the U.S. government is doing everything it can to make sure all personnel are secure. “We’re heartbroken that something like this might’ve happened again,” Obama said.

    Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel comments on the attack:

    In 2009, U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan, a psychiatrist who had converted to radical Islam while serving in the military, killed 13 people and shot dozens more at Fort Hood. Hasan, who represented himself at a military trial, was sentenced to death in August.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Shoe Stabbing Murder Trial Pushes Forward

    The jury trial of a Houston, Texas woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death with a stiletto heel in June has entered the third day of testimony. Ana Trujillo, 45, stabbed Alf Stefan Andersson, 59, at least 25 times in the face according to detectives. The incident took place in Andersson’s ritzy condo, and Trujillo claims she had used the shoe to defend herself during a drunken argument surrounding jealousy. On Tuesday, jurors were shown the blue suede shoe Trujillo used to murder her mate.

    On Wednesday Harris County jurors were scheduled to watch Trujillo’s police interrogation concerning the night of the slaying. During the interrogation, Trujillo told detectives Andersson was a heavy drinker and was mentally abusive. She said Andersson had been pestering her into marrying him, and that she eventually grew to care for him, but resisted sleeping with him, as it was akin to “sleeping with my grandfather.”

    Trujillo might have taken some cues from the 1992 thriller Single White Female:

    After a night of drinking in a bar, Andersson grew jealous of another man buying Trujillo a drink, and was further agitated when Trujillo told him she’d planned to go visit family in Waco, Texas the next morning. Andersson became fearful that Trujillo was leaving him, and the argument escalated.

    Trujillo testified that Andersson’s “face got red and he became infuriated. And then he came toward me, (and said) ‘You are not going to leave me, ever.’” The two began to wrestle, and Trujillo began stabbing him with the stiletto, while asking him to “please stop.” Trujillo claims she hit Andersson “a couple of times” and then he grabbed her hand and she dropped the shoe. “At first I didn’t know there was blood coming out of him,” she said. “He didn’t even seem like he was hurt.”

    “It got too much for me,” Trujillo explained. The trial is expected to last at least another week. If convicted, Trujillo faces up to life in prison.

    Image via YouTube

  • Chile Earthquake Evacuees Return Home

    Citizens of the Chilean city of Iquique were permitted to return home Wednesday morning, after an April 1st magnitude 8.2 earthquake generated a tsunami which produced 6.9 foot waves. Similar sized waves were also reported in the coastal towns Pisagua and Arica.

    The death toll so far due to the quake is six. According to officials, one firefighter and one woman were killed by collapsing walls, and four men died of heart attacks. Minimal damage was reported, as Chile, a country prone to massive earthquakes has developed an infrastructure that is resistant to seismic activity.

    The quake hit at 23:46 UTC off the coast of Chile, and the epicenter was approximately 59 miles northwest of Iquique. The main tremor was preceded by a number of mid-sized quakes that hit in the same region in the preceding weeks. These events are associated with the boundary of the Nazca Plate and the South America Plate. The U.S. Geological Survey stated that the earthquake was shallow at 12.5 miles below the seabed, and struck roughly 950 miles from capital Santiago.

    Here’ a clip from a restaurant in Chile shot during the time of the quake:

    Chilean president Michelle Bachelet declared parts of the country’s north as a disaster zone, and military and troops and police reinforcements were dispatched to maintain order while landslide-blocked roads are cleared and damage was repaired. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of the destruction.

    Steven Godby, an expert in disaster management at Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England, commented, “The government of Chile has been working hard to improve the awareness of people living along the coast to the threat from tsunamis and on what to do if one is approaching. Several tsunami drills have taken place since the (earthquake and) tsunami that killed an estimated 500 plus Chileans in February 2010, and recent earthquakes in the region have helped to keep the threat firmly in people’s minds.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Tyler Summitt Now Head Coach at LA Tech

    It’s been reported that Athletics Director Tommy McClelland will introduce Tyler Summitt as the latest head coach of the Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team. Summitt, son of legendary Tennessee Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt, is to become the sixth head coach in Lady Techster history.

    A press conference in the Jarrell Room of the Charles Wyly Athletic Center is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, and is open to all Louisiana Tech fans. Media has been asked to arrive and get set up by 11:45 a.m.

    Tyler Summitt, 23, played two seasons at University of Tennessee, and went on to serve as a student assistant coach under his mother Pat for the Lady Vols. Summitt then worked as an assistant coach under Terri Mitchell at Marquette for two seasons, overseeing the team’s offense.

    The storied Lady Techsters program has won 3 National Championships and has competed in 13 Final Fours, 23 Sweet Sixteens and 27 NCAA tournaments. The Lady Techsters have included 3 Wade Trophy winners, 5 olympic medalists, 6 members of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, 16 All-Americans and 21 WNBA players. The program boasts an all-time record of 1029–247, with a .806 winning percentage, which is the second-best all-time winning percentage of any NCAA Division I program.

    Here’s a clip entitled The Pat Summitt Story: Tyler and Pat Summitt:

    Fans took to Twitter regarding Summitt’s new coaching gig:

    Tyler Summitt posted to Twitter, possibly referring to his new job:

    Pat Summitt, 61, presently serves as the head coach emeritus of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program, and holds the all-time record for wins for a coach in NCAA basketball history, for either a men’s or women’s team in any division. During her tenure from 1974 to 2012, Summitt won eight NCAA national championships, and is the only coach in NCAA history with over 1,000 victories. In August 2011, Summitt announced that she had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and stepped down from head coaching duties.

    Image via Twitter

  • Peru Volcano Prompts Evacuations

    Peru Volcano Prompts Evacuations

    A volcano in southwestern Peru called Ubinas began ejecting pyroclastic material into the sky in 2006, after over four decades of lying dormant. Recent volcanic activity has prompted officials to evacuate 60 residents of Querapi, a village near its base. The last state of emergency due to Ubinas activity occurred on April 23, 2006.

    Ubinas town mayor Pascual Coaquira said the villagers were relocated Saturday, and that residents of the town of Ubinas have been distributed masks and goggles, as the building ash content in the air has made it difficult for some to breathe.

    Portions of Peru lie in the Andean Volcanic Belt, which is comprised of four main volcanic zones. The stratovolcano Ubinas lies in the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ) of the belt, a series of volcanoes formed due to subduction of the Nazca Plate under western South America along the Peru-Chile Trench.

    Here Ubinas displays some activity in 2013:

    Ubinas is situated in southwestern Peru, and its upper slopes are primarily made up of of Pleistocene andesitic lava flows, and steepen to nearly 45 degrees. The steep walls allowed for the debris-avalanche from the collapse of the southeast flank of volcano to extend 6.2 miles. In the larger Moquegua region, including Arequipa and Tacna, there are roughly 40 volcanoes, most of which are inactive.

    Coaquira added, “We are readying a shelter for refugees from the blasts. The volcano has been emitting a lot of ash all day, the people in the town (of Ubinas) are having some problems breathing.”

    Ingemmet, Peru’s geological and mining agency, stated that lava had been building up in recent weeks, and warned locals they should prepare for the possibility of more evacuations. Fortunately, the type of lava from the stratovolcano is viscous and moves very slowly, while cooling and hardening quickly.

    The Ubinas volcano is located in the Moquegua region, roughly 43 miles from the city of Arequipa.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Katy Perry Spotted with Riff Raff

    Pop star Katy Perry was recently seen out on a “date” with rapper and performance artist Riff Raff, also known as Horst Christian Simco. Perry had abruptly dumped singer John Mayer last month, after Mayer allegedly cheated on her with General Hospital actress Kelly Monaco.

    A source had commented that Mayer and Monaco “hooked up immediately. She was open to the things that John’s into, like sexy toys, tying each other up and threesomes. He couldn’t get enough. Kelly was still on his mind. He would text her and try and get her to meet him either at his place in L.A. or a hotel out in the Valley.”

    Mayer, who once described Jessica Simpson as being “sexual napalm,” apparently didn’t understand the concept of using a burner phone to communicate with his paramours, and was busted and promptly let go. “Katy found texts on his phone. She was devastated and realized he’s a sex fiend who isn’t capable of telling the truth.”

    Perry then posted a shot of her with Riff Raff to Instagram on March 20th, taken during an outing which included sushi, bowling and a couple of drinks after a Skrillex party.

    Riff Raff took to Twitter to comment on the rendezvous:

    Mr. Raff had told TMZ that he is open for another date, which he referred to as “round two.” Perry meanwhile traveled to Belgium soon after the bowling outing.

    Here Riff Raff shows off his Brazilian House, featuring the Tiffany-inspired chandelier he’d bought from Mike Tyson:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNB_ntQCN98

    Though, there is a possibility that Perry and Riff Raff are merely collaborating on his oft-delayed new record entitled Neon Icon, which is set to be released this month. Other rumored collaborators include Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, YG, Snoop Dogg, Future, Juicy J, Bun B, Paul Wall, Action Bronson, Asher Roth, Mike Posner, Big Sean and 2 Chainz.

    Here the Neon Icon, a.k.a Neonardo DiCaprio, displays his new berry-flavored hairdo:

    Perry was recently quoted saying she wants to dye her hair “slime green,” so perhaps she shares a deeper bond with Simco.

    Image via Instagram

  • Sumatran Rhino ‘Suci’ Dies at Zoo

    A rare female Sumatran rhinoceros called Suci died at the Cincinnati Zoo Sunday, putting a big damper on the breeding program that had been implemented to help save the critically endangered species. Suci was one of ten Sumatran rhinos in captivity worldwide, and the only female in Cincinnati.

    The rhino had been showing symptoms indicative of the same disease that killed her mother, though zoo officials won’t be sure until necropsy results come in, which might take months.

    Sumatran rhinos are very critically endangered, with only six populations existing in the wild – four in Sumatra, one in Borneo and one in the Malay Peninsula. They’re difficult to count, because they’re a solitary species and are scattered across a wide range, but their numbers are estimated to be less than 275. The decline of the Sumatran rhinoceros is due primarily to poaching for their horns, which go for up to $30,000 a kilo on the black market. The horns are greatly valued in Chinese traditional medicine.

    Here’s a clip featuring Suci:

    The zoo had attempted to inbreed Suci with a sibling, younger brother Harapan, who is now the only Sumatran rhino in North America, after a summit in Singapore deemed that as few as 100 Sumatran rhinoceroses comprise the Indonesian and Malaysian populations. Andalas, the other male born at the zoo, was sent to Sumatra in 2007 to jump start a breeding program there, and has produced a male calf with a wild-born mother.

    Here’s some footage of Harapan:

    Zoo staff had been waiting on Harapan to reach sexual maturity, but a few months ago Suci developed hemochromatosis, also known as iron storage disease. The female rhino was initially responding to therapy, and regaining weight, though her condition began to deteriorate rapidly on Sunday.

    Terri Roth, director of the Lindner Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife said in a statement Monday, “Suci was a symbol of hope for her entire species, one that is quickly losing ground in the wild, and her absence will leave a hole in our hearts.” The Cincinnati Zoo has yet to form a new plan to reestablish the breeding program, but remains committed to saving the species.

    Roth added, “If we don’t act quickly and boldly, the loss of this magnificent animal will be among the great tragedies of our time.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • January Jones Plays Prank on Ex-Boyfriend

    January Jones Plays Prank on Ex-Boyfriend

    During her segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Friday, actress January Jones recounted how she’d pulled a fast one on her high school ex- boyfriend, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Realtor Tony Erickson.

    The preemptive April Fool’s prank began on Thursday, when Erickson noticed a few missed calls from a Los Angeles area code at his Hegg ReaItors office. When he’d finally picked up, it was Jones, 36, at the other end, a fellow Roosevelt High School alum. Erickson commented, “This is the last person I thought would be calling me. I hadn’t talked to her in 20 years.”

    Jones told him she was flying into Sioux Falls on Friday with the intention of buying some property, and wanted Erickson to meet her at Sioux Falls Regional Airport with some options put together. Erickson compiled some $1 million to $2 million property listings and went to the airport.

    “I really didn’t know what to think. It kind of took me off guard,” Erickson said. “So I asked her more what she was looking for. She played along with it well. Obviously, she’s a fantastic actress.”

    When Erickson arrived at the airport, he was met by five fellow employees, one of which had paper over her face with an image of Jones on it. Erickson then realized he’d been tricked, and Jones texted him to tell him to tune into her Fallon appearance on Friday. Jones sure enough began describing the prank, adding that “He (Erickson) broke my heart 20 years ago. He deserved it.”

    Erickson’s wife Christine, who was in on the prank, said “Nobody deserves it more than he does. He’s sent people from his office on wild goose chases.” Tony Erickson added, “It was pretty funny. She did a great job. But as soon as Jimmy Fallon said my name the first time, I thought that was it. And right away I’m getting texts and Facebook messages, and it’s still pretty crazy.”

    January Jones is best known for playing Betty Draper on AMC’s critically acclaimed hit series Mad Men, which will commence its final season on April 13th.

    Image via YouTube

  • YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn & Twitter Are All Better Than Facebook For Post-Click Engagement [Report]

    YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn & Twitter Are All Better Than Facebook For Post-Click Engagement [Report]

    Shareaholic has a new report out called “Social Referrals That Matter,” which looks at the average visit duration, pages per visit, and bounce rates for visitors to its network of sites from the top 8 social media platforms.

    The report is based on data from over 200,000 sites, reaching over 250 million unique monthly visitors over a span of six months (September 2013 – February 2014). Specifically, it looks at data from YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, reddit, and StumbleUpon.

    The study found that YouTube beats all others for both average time on site and average pages per visit. Interestingly. Bounce rate is lower than all others as well.

    Google+ comes in second for post-click engagement, with pretty good numbers in all three categories. Interestingly, Facebook is all the way down at number 5.

    Shareaholic’s Danny Wong writes, “Why are visitors from YouTube so engaged? …because video itself is so engaging and viewers are likely to maintain a similar level of engagement with related content. Therefore, video watchers are especially receptive to links within video descriptions which complement the audio+visual content they just consumed. Another reason YouTube takes home the crown is because viewers are simply used to spending minutes — perhaps, hours — educating and entertaining themselves with awesome video and may have fewer qualms about taking extra time to discover more great content post-click.”

    “Although Google+ and LinkedIn drive the fewest social referrals, they bring in some of the best visitors. Google+ users, on average, find themselves spending north of 3 minutes diving into things shared by connections in their circles,” he adds. “They also visit 2.45 pages during each visit, and bounce only 50.63% of the time. LinkedIn users generally spend 2 minutes and 13 seconds on each link they click, viewing 2.23 pages with each visit and bouncing 51.28% of the time. Although many sites see minimal traffic from both Google+ and LinkedIn, now may be the time to invest in building communities within those networks if engagement really matters to your business.”

    Well, we certainly know businesses are growing increasingly frustrated with a certain other social network that has been decrasing the reach of their posts. In fact, one brand just announced that they’re so fed up with Facebook’s practices, they’re leaving the network entirely.

    It also just so happens that YouTube just released a new Creator playbook for brands.

    Both of these things make Shareaholic’s report all the more timely.

    Image via Shareaholic

  • Yellowstone Earthquake Causes Little Damage

    A magnitude 4.8 earthquake rattled Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on Sunday near the Montana border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Several aftershocks with a magnitude over 3 were also recorded.

    USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory spokesman Peter Cervelli noted that the epicenter of the quake was situated in the middle of park, near the Norris Geyser Basin. Cervilli added that no damage was reported, and that there were not many visitors during the time of the event.

    The park sits atop of the Yellowstone Caldera, sometimes called the Yellowstone Supervolcano, a volcanic caldera. Seismic activity is commonplace in the region, and the Yellowstone Caldera sees between 1000 and 2000 measurable earthquakes a year, though most register a magnitude 3 or less. On occasion, a flurry of earthquakes is detected in rapid succession, an event called an earthquake swarm.

    Here’s some information on the caldera:

    Cervilli pointed out that Sunday’s quake, which occurred at 12:34 am GMT, will likely generate more secondary shockwaves in addition to the three already recorded, though noted that volcanic activity isn’t expected. Yet, Sunday’s earthquake was the most powerful recorded in the park since 1985, when seismologists logged 3,000 events up to magnitude 4.9 during a three-month period.

    The last major eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano was the Lava Creek event which occurred 640,000 years ago, which ejected approximately 240 cubic miles of pyroclastic detritus into the air. A repeat of an eruption of that magnitude today might render a large portion of the western United States uninhabitable for at least a decade.

    Geologists have closely monitored the rise of the Yellowstone Plateau, which has seen an accelerated upward movement of almost 3 inches per year between 2004 and 2008. This rise is indicative of an increase in magma chamber pressure. Seismologist Robert B. Smith, lead author of the study and professor of geophysics at the University of Utah, commented,”Our best evidence is that the crustal magma chamber is filling with molten rock. But we have no idea how long this process goes on before there either is an eruption or the inflow of molten rock stops and the caldera deflates again.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • YouTube Gives Brands Their Own Creator Playbook

    Google announced on Monday that it has created a new YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands.

    YouTube has had a “Creator Playbook” for years. It includes tips, best practices and strategies to help marketers build their audiences on the world’s largest video site. Now, brands get their own version.

    The Playbook is 100 pages long. Among its contents are: an introduction; steps to build a content plan; guiding principles; fundamentals to create content people love; tips on developing a programming strategy; optimization tips (metadata, thumbnails, annotations, playlists, channel experience); tips for promoting with paid media; tips for amplifying content through social media; tips for measuring; tracking tools overview; and glossary.

    In a blog post announcing the new Playbook, Vanessa Pappas, Global Head of Audience Development at YouTube does some mythbusting. Common myths, she says, include: Virality is the only measure of YouTube success; I can only be successful on my own; All videos must provide utility; People will watch my video where I want them to; and To keep viewers interested, I need to constantly reinvent my videos.

    “The most successful creators release episodic series to generate high sharing and viral activity, as one video will often break out and then introduce massive audiences to the entire series,” she says. While you should optimize your own channel for discovery, authentic collaborations with YouTube creators can be a hugely impactful way to help new viewers discover your brand.”

    “Don’t get us wrong, how-to and informational videos play a key role in a content strategy, but tapping into the cultural moments and memes that your audience is a part of on YouTube is an integral part of reaching new viewers,” Pappas says. “In reality, a significant percentage of your audience will discover your video from a social feed, search result, or a related video placement. You’ll know you’ve done your job when every episode of your show can be fully appreciated by a first time viewer.”

    This is a sample of the types of advice you can expect to find in the Playbook.

    Google says the original Playbook has helped over 2 million creators crow their audiences.

    Image via Google

  • Nikki Reed Spotted Post-Separation from McDonald

    Nikki Reed Spotted Post-Separation from McDonald

    Twilight saga actress Nikki Reed was spotted exiting a Los Angeles gym on Saturday, following the announcement of her split from husband Paul McDonald.

    Reed’s representative initially revealed news of the separation Saturday morning, stating that “After much consideration, Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald are ending their marriage. They have been living separately for the past six months due to work obligations.”

    The rep added, “They will continue to share their love of music, and are still working on their debut album, I’m Not Falling, releasing in 2014. They remain best friends and look forward to their continued journey together.”

    Nicole Houston “Nikki” Reed, 25, began her career co-writing and starring in Catherine Hardwicke’s 2003 drama Thirteen. The script was written in six days, and was a semi-autobiographical take on Reed’s life. Though critically acclaimed, the film courted a bit of controversy due to its portrayal of drug and alcohol abuse, underage sexual behavior and self-harm.

    Here’s the trailer:

    Reed shot to international fame after director Hardwicke helped to get her cast as the character Rosalie Hale in the first installment of the Twilight saga in 2008. In December 2011, it was announced that Reed joined the cast of Pawn, an indie crime thriller starring Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Common, Michael Chiklis, Sean Faris, Stephen Lang, Marton Csokas and Jessica Szohr.
    In July 2013, Reed signed on to the independent sports comedy Intramural, starring Jake Lacy, Kate McKinnon, Beck Bennett and Jay Pharoah.

    The actress met McDonald, a singer-songwriter and season 10 American Idol contestant, at the premiere of Red Riding Hood in March, 2011. At the MTV Movie Awards on June 5, 2011, Reed was seen wearing an engagement ring, and the couple married on October 16, 2011 in Malibu.

    Here’s the estranged couple’s video for Now That I’ve Found You:

    Image via YouTube

  • Alzheimer’s May Be Predicted by Brain Plaques

    According to a new study conducted by Duke Medicine, brain scans using radioactive dye may help to predict an impending development of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as future cognitive decline in otherwise healthy adults.

    In an article published in the online journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers revealed that identification of residue that forms in the brain called silent beta-amyloid plaque could help direct treatment options for patients at risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Lead author P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the neurocognitive disorders program at Duke commented, “Our research found that healthy adults and those with mild memory loss who have a positive scan for these plaques have a much faster rate of decline on memory, language, and reasoning over three years.”

    Information describing how PET scans are conducted:

    Alzheimer’s disease is typically diagnosed based on the patient’s history, history from relatives and an assessment of the patient’s behaviors. The affliction is the most common form of dementia, and is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people worldwide by 2050. There is no cure for the disease, and is progressive, eventually leading to death. While AD is mostly seen in patients over 65 years old, it can manifest in much younger patients. There presently is no cure, and is the most expensive disease in the United States.

    The Duke study comprised 152 adults aged 50 or older, and was intended to discern if positron emission tomography (PET) scans could predict cognitive decline. Radioactive dye called florbetapir (Amyvid) was used during the PET scans, which binds to the beta-amyloid plaques that are indicative of Alzheimer’s. The dye allowed researchers to discern what regions of the brain plaques were forming. The PET scans were then rated as positive or negative.

    Of the participants who had positive scans, 35 percent progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s, compared to 10 percent who had negative scans. Ninety percent of those with negative scans, who had displayed mild cognitive impairment at the beginning of the study did not progress to Alzheimer’s. The study has revealed the value of PET imaging in identifying patients who aren’t likely to see a progressive cognitive decline.

    Doraiswamy commented, “Having a negative scan could reassure people that they are not likely to be at risk for progression in the near future.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bald Eagle Egg Hatches in Pittsburgh

    Bald Eagle Egg Hatches in Pittsburgh

    The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed that the first of three bald eagle eggs had hatched Friday in a nest sitting in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhood. Roughly an hour later, the adult male and female eagles were seen tending to the eaglet via a webcam put in place by the commission using PixController.

    The nest was built in the Hays section of Pittsburgh, near the Monongahela river. The Game Commission commented that the second egg might hatch in about three days, and the last egg might hatch within a week. According to Commission Officer Gary Fujak, the 5.5-year-old female eagle will stay on top of the hatchling while she continues to incubate the other two eggs for the next several days. Fujak commented, “Generally, the first eaglet that hatches will have the best chance. The mortality rate can be as high as 50 percent within the first year,” though added that three eaglets in Crescent Township, Allegheny County survived last year.

    Here’s the clip of the first eaglet hatching in the Pittsburgh Hays nest:

    In the 1800’s, the Carnegie Steel Homestead site sat along the Monongahela River, severely polluting the water, as industrialization was yet to be regulated during that era. Fish populations were essentially destroyed, and during a survey in 1967, a researcher could only find one bluegill. As bald eagles rely on fish to survive, experts have noted that it’d likely been 250 years since the birds of prey were nesting along Pittsburgh’s three rivers, before being reintroduced three decades ago alongside efforts to clean up the waterways.

    At present, there are now 76 species of fish in the Monongahela. With assistance from the Canadian government and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are now more than 200 eagle’s nests existing in the region. Fujak commented, “This is great. It is showing how adaptive wildlife is and how resilient they are.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Kurt Cobain Suicide: 35 New Photos Released

    With the impending 20-year anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s April 8, 1994 death, interest in the late Nirvana frontman has hit fever pitch. Seattle police have recently stated that they won’t be reopening the case regarding the death of the iconic singer, after years of speculation and numerous conspiracy theories concerning some unknown cause of Cobain’s passing. The SPD insists that it was a gunshot wound to the head, and have now released dozens of never-before-seen pictures taken during the initial investigation.

    Seattle Police Department Cold Case Detective Mike Ciesynski had commented, “We knew with the 20th anniversary coming up and we knew there was going to be a lot of media interest.” Referring to all of the conspiracy media produced regarding Cobain over two decades, Ciesynski adds, “They’re all very interesting. I can see why people have questions (about the case), but you can always point to something and say ‘what if.’” The only thing that Ciesynski found odd about the case was that four rolls of film taken at the scene were never developed, though believes that since investigators “felt it was a suicide and already had polaroids and photos from the medical examiner,” there was no need for more pictures. Ciesynski ended up having the rolls developed regardless.

    Here’s an image of Cobain’s driver’s license:

    cobain

    Before the advent of digital photography and smartphones, photos were taken with 35mm and Polaroid camera systems at crime scenes. The 35mm film was so old that degradation has tinged the developed photographs with a greenish hue. Ciesynski commented, “I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at that (undeveloped film) because there were some conspiracy theories that we (SPD) were hiding the film.”

    The only piece of furniture in the greenhouse where Cobain’s body was found was a wooden stool:

    cobain

    Various drug paraphernalia:

    cobain

    Cobain’s suicide note:

    cobain
    cobain

    During the later portion of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, an undiagnosed illness and depression. He had also found it hard to cope with his fame and public image. He was found dead by an electrician in his Seattle home. He was 27.

    Images via YouTube

  • Peanut Butter Dumped in Landfill, Thank Costco

    Peanut Butter Dumped in Landfill, Thank Costco

    Roughly one million jars of peanut butter are being dumped into Curry County landfill in Clovis, New Mexico to speed up the bankruptcy of Sunland Inc., the peanut processing plant that was the source of a September, 2012 salmonella outbreak which caused 41 cases in 20 states, prompting a nationwide recall. Sunland was forced to file a Chapter 7 after membership-only warehouse club Costco declined to accept a large shipment.

    Bankruptcy trustee Clarke Coll said that Costco also refused an option to allow the completely safe peanut butter to be donated, or even repackaged for sale to institutions like mental hospitals and prisons. Coll commented, “We considered all options. They didn’t agree.”

    After extensive testing of the peanut butter to confirm it was free of salmonella, Costco had initially accepted the order which was made with $2.8 million worth of Valencia peanuts. Yet after receiving eight loads, the retailer rejected further shipments, calling the peanut butter “not merchantable,” due to leaking peanut oil. The remaining jars had been sitting in the Sunland warehouse since.

    Here a clip concerning the process of making peanut butter:

    Court records show that on March 19, Costco’s stance on the matter was that “it would not agree to any disposition, other than destruction.” Coll commented that “all parties agreed there’s nothing wrong with the peanut butter from a health and safety issue.”

    Sonya Warwick, a spokesperson for Roadrunner Food Bank, New Mexico’s largest, said that salvaged food comprised 74 percent of what was distributed across New Mexico in 2013. “Our fleet picks up rescued food from hundreds of locations weekly and brings it back to the food bank,” she said, adding, “Before distributing it, volunteers help label, sort or repack it for distribution to partner agencies across the state. Access to rescued food allows us to provide a more well-rounded and balanced meal to New Mexicans experiencing hunger.”

    Instead of putting the peanut butter to good use, Sunland has spent $60,000 to transport 58 truckloads of jars, or roughly 25 tons worth to the landfill, where public works director Clint Bunch says it “will go in with our regular waste and covered with dirt.” The peanut butter is said to be worth $2.6 million, and should have been completely dumped as of Friday.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Michael Chiklis Joins Cast of American Horror Story

    The creators of FX’s American Horror Story revealed Friday that the Emmy Golden Globe award-winning actor Michael Chiklis will be joining the cast of season four, entitled Freakshow.

    Freakshow will be set in Jupiter, Florida in 1950 and will star Jessica Lange. For this chapter of the America Horror Story anthology, Lange will play a German expatriate managing one of the last remaining freakshows in the U.S.

    The cast of American Horror Story: Coven gathered for the closing night of Paleyfest at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and creator Ryan Murphy revealed that all who were on the panel will be returning for Freakshow. Chilkis was also introduced for his role as a season four character who will be the ex-husband of Kathy Bates’ character, and the father of Even Peters’ character. Here’s the full clip:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie9wDi0pUCk

    Confirmed returning cast members include include Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Jamie Brewer, Frances Conroy and Kathy Bates, and they’ll portray freakshow performers that Lange’s character has rescued. Denis O’Hare and Emma Roberts are also negotiating a return for AHS season 4.

    Here’s a promo for Freakshow:

    Twitter intrigue regarding the casting of Chiklis:

    Chiklis, 50, is best known for his roles including include Commissioner Tony Scali on the ABC police comedy-drama The Commish, LAPD Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama The Shield, the Thing in the Fantastic Four film series and as Jim Powell on the ABC science-fiction comedy-drama No Ordinary Family. He also appeared as Vincent Savino in the CBS Crime drama Vegas.

    Image via YouTube

  • Vitamix Blender Spoof with Fallon, Schwarzenegger

    While aping the popular home shopping network QVC Monday, former California governor and action star Arnold Schwarzenegger joined The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon to demonstrate a Vitamix blender, as well as a “Slap Chop” slicing and dicing utensil.

    Schwarzenegger was also promoting his latest fundraising venture, which involves the Sabotage star running over things in an old Austrian tank. Schwarzenegger explained, “This is the actual tank I drove in the Austrian army when I was 18 years old. Now we are using it for fundraising, as I am very passionate about after school programs.”

    Regarding the QVC spoof, Schwarzenegger told Fallon during his interview, “When I see a product I really love, I really get into it, I get behind it, I want it to be successful and to sell it- that’s just me.” That was the segue into a skit called Now We’re Cookin’ With Zach Striker, which starred a blonde-wigged Fallon and Schwarzenegger as a famous and Slap Chop-obsessed foodie.

    An increasingly impatient Schwarzenegger, drawing upon his acting experience from 1987’s sci-fi epic Predator, repeatedly exclaimed, “Let’s Get to the Chopper!,” while growing ever impatient with Fallon’s Vitamix blender presentation:

    Here’s the clip:

    After flipping the demonstration table over, Schwarzenegger warns, “I’ll be back,” one his most famous lines, taken from James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi classic The Terminator.

    Here’s the trailer for Schwarzenegger’s latest film, Sabotage:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeHpSdQSH0c

    Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, and is an Austrian American actor, politician, businessman, investor and former professional bodybuilder. Schwarzenegger served two terms as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011, won the Mr. Universe title at age 20, and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest seven times. Schwarzenegger is also considered to be a Hollywood icon, starring in major hits including Conan the Barbarian (1982), Commando (1985), Predator (1987), Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) and True Lies (1994).

    Image via YouTube

  • YouTube Ban in Turkey Days Before Elections

    Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan blocked the use of YouTube in the country on Thursday, just three days before local elections are to take place, and just one week after measures were taken against the use of Twitter in Turkey.

    The Turkish government appears to have blocked the video-sharing site after a recording was posted on YouTube that reportedly showed government officials discussing potentially taking military action in Syria.

    The TIB, the Turkish telecoms authority, said it had taken an “administrative measure” to block the site, but some in Turkey are still able to access it.

    In its statement, the TIB said: “After technical analysis and legal consideration…. an administrative measure has been taken for this website.”

    The search engine Google, which owns YouTube, confirmed that some users were unable to access YouTube in Turkey.

    “There is no technical issue on our side and we’re looking into the situation,” a Google Inc. spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

    Erdogan faces an important election Sunday, and accused social media of spreading misinformation. The Prime Minister suggested earlier that bans could be applied to both YouTube and Facebook.

    Measures to ban YouTube occurred Thursday, despite a court ruling Wednesday in which a Turkish court ordered the country lift the ban on Twitter that was imposed last week.

    The Turkey Bar Association challenged the government ban of Twitter Monday, and on Wednesday, a court in Ankara ordered that TIB lift the ban. The Turkish deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said of the ruling:

    “We abide by the court rulings, that’s what the constitution orders. We may not like them, but we abide by them. If this decision is genuine…then what TIB needs to do is obvious.”

    Arinc asked the TIB to abide by the court order and lift the ban on Twitter, but it could take weeks to take effect.

    It was not immediately clear whether the YouTube leak was genuine.

    At a rally in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir on Thursday, Erdogan allegedly confirmed that the latest audio leak was genuine.

    “They even leaked a national security meeting,” Erdogan said.

    “This is villainous, this is dishonesty… Who are you serving by doing audio surveillance of such an important meeting?” he continued.

    Following reports of the block on YouTube in Turkey Thursday morning, the term #youtubeblockedinturkey began trending worldwide on Twitter by Thursday afternoon.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Hammerhead Sharks Make Appearances in Florida and YouTube

    Florida has been the location of two YouTube videos of students catching hammerhead sharks. Viktor Hluben of Florida Atlantic University posted a video of his live catch and release of one just last week.

    “It was extremely exciting, an adrenaline rush. It’s two apex predators going at it,” he told the Sun Sentinel, describing how they hauled it 50 yards of the beach, “We saw a giant dorsal fin. Then it made another run out.”

    After dragging it close enough, they attached a rope to the shark’s tail, shot the video, and cut it loose: “The only thing running through my mind is as soon as the shark lands on the beach we’ve got to be diligent and get it back into the water fast. We are all about releasing them.”

    Just a few days ago, another Florida Atlantic University student was towed in his kayak by a hammerhead shark for two hours and twelve miles after hooking it with fishing line. Adam Fisk, the 22 year old student, posted a video of his adventure to his YouTube account:

    “Adam has reported in with a good one this time!” Fisk’s company’s website, Team Rebel Fishing posted, “Adam Fisk has set the bar pretty high once again, after being towed for 2 hours and 12 miles by an estimated 10-11ft hammerhead in his KAYAK. That’s right, in the kayak! Kudos to Fisk on his accomplishment.” The company also posted an instragram photo of the event:

    Others, like NOAA Fisheries’ research biologist John Carlson, were less enthusiastic. “I’m sure he had the best intentions in mind … but I would predict the animal was stressed out,” he told the Palm Beach Post, “For what? Two hours. That’s quite a long time, especially for a species like a hammerhead that has to swim to breathe.” He added that animals that struggle with fishing line for over 85 minutes are at risk of death from stress hormone overdose and lack of oxygen.

    Image via Adam Fisk, YouTube