Character actor and former cop starred in "Midnight Run," "Law & Order" and HBO's doomed "Luck."
Actor Dennis Farina, a real-life Chicago police officer who went on to play a detective on NBC's Law & Order, has died at 69.
According
to his publicist, Lori De Waal, Farina died Monday morning in a
Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital after suffering a blood clot in his lung.
"I was stunned and saddened to hear about Dennis' unexpected passing this morning," Law & Order creator Dick Wolf said in a statement on Monday. "The Law & Order family extends sympathy and condolences to his family. He was a great guy."
The mustachioed Farina was accustomed to playing characters on either side of the law, such Lt. Mike Torello on TV's Crime Story as well as mobsters like Jimmy Serrano in 1998's Midnight Run and Albert Lombard on Miami Vice. He had a fruitful partnership with that show's creator, Michael Mann, having also starred in his films Thief and Manhunter.
Though
cops-and-robbers parts were his bread and butter, Farina did venture
out of his comfort zone, taking on comedy work in 1997's That Old Feeling and a period drama in 1998's Saving Private Ryan.
The
1990s were a prolific period for Farina. In addition to Steven
Spielberg, Farina also worked with directors Steven Soderbergh (1998's Out of Sight) and Barry Sonnenfeld (1995's Get Shorty).
By the time he was chosen to replace the late Jerry Orbach on Law & Order
in 2004, Farina had transitioned from a "hey-it's-that-guy" character
actor to being recognized in his own right. His character, Det. Joe
Fontana, drew heavily from Farina's own life in Chicago, even sharing
the same neighborhood and alma mater.
After leaving Law & Order in 2006, he went on to host NBC's resurgent Unsolved Mysteries, as well as starring opposite Alan Rickman in 2008's Bottle Shock.
He also had a major role in HBO's doomed horse-racing drama, Luck, which was canceled after animals died during the production.
Most recently, he had guest-starred on the Fox sitcom New Girl as the con-man father of Nick (Jake Johnson). He had two more films in the pipeline, as well — Authors Anonymous, currently in post-production, and Lucky Stiff, which was in the midst of filming.
Farina
is survived by partner Marianne Cahill and three sons from his marriage
to Patricia. They were married 10 years before they divorced in 1980.
LONDON. It's a boy for Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
The former Kate Middleton gave birth to the couple's first child, a son, on Monday afternoon at a London hospital.
The
birth was announced via a formal press release issued by Kensington
Palace, which stated that the duchess "was safely delivered of a son" at
4:24 p.m., local time, weighing 8 lbs., 6 oz.
"The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth," the statement
added. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The
Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been
informed and are delighted with the news."
Mother and son are both doing well, the palace said, and will remain in the hospital overnight.
"We
could not be happier," Prince William said via a palace spokesperson.
He will be spending the night at the hospital with his wife and new
baby.
A palace source tells CBS News that William was
with the duchess throughout her labor, and called the queen, Prince
Charles, Prince Harry and the Middletons with the news.
In a statement, Charles said he and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are "overjoyed" by the baby's birth.
"Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless
kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and
happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking
forward to seeing the baby in the near future," he said.
A
bulletin containing details of the birth was taken by car to Buckingham
Palace and placed on an easel at the palace gates for the public to
see. Initially, officials had planned to place the bulletin on the easel
before issuing the news electronically, but changed course shortly
before the birth was announced.
Right across the country and indeed right across the Commonwealth
people will be celebrating and wishing the royal couple well," Prime
Minister David Cameron told waiting reporters in front of 10 Downing
Street. "It is an important moment in the life of our nation but I
suppose above all it's a wonderful moment for a warm and loving couple
who got a brand new baby boy. It's been a remarkable few years for our
royal family -- a royal wedding that captured people's hearts, that
extraordinary and magnificent Jubilee and now this royal birth, all from
a family that have given this nation so much incredible service, and
they can know that a proud nation is celebrating with a very proud and
happy couple tonight."
The royal couple's child will officially be known as His Royal Highness Prince [Name] of Cambridge.
The title follows the dukedom bestowed on William by his grandmother,
Queen Elizabeth II, on his wedding day in 2011. Earlier this year, the
queen issued a royal decree allowing this royal baby -- and all of
William and Kate's children -- to be titled prince or princess. The
decree said "that all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of
Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of royal
highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to
their Christian names or with such other titles of honour."
The world may have to wait considerably longer to learn the baby's
name -- the royal family will reveal it in an official statement in the
coming hours or days. Harry's name was made public on the day he was
born. It took about a week for the palace to reveal William's name, and
nearly a month before their father's name was uttered outside of palace
walls.
Prince William was with his wife when she was
brought by car from Kensington Palace to St. Mary's Hospital in London
before 6 a.m. local time in the early stages of labor.
Kate gave birth in the hospital's private Lindo Wing, where Princess Diana gave birth to William in 1982 and Harry in 1984.
The new baby -- the first for William and Kate, who married in 2011
after a long courtship -- will be third in line to the British throne,
behind Prince Charles and William. William is second in line, right
behind his father, Prince Charles. The baby moves ahead of Prince Harry,
who's now fourth in line.
Plenty of excitement has
surrounded the royal birth. In the days leading up to the big day,
reporters and photographers from the four corners of the globe staked
out St. Mary's Hospital. The Royal Mint has minted 2,013 silver coins
bearing a shield of the Royal Arms, to be given to newborns who share
their birthday with the third in line to the British throne. Souvenirs
and commemorative memorabilia are expected to flood Britain's stores.
Buzz
has been building ever since the royal couple revealed the baby news on
Dec. 3, 2012, with the following statement: "Their Royal Highnesses The
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The
Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby. The Queen, The Duke of
Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry
and members of both families are delighted with the news."
At that time, the Duchess of Cambridge was suffering from hyperemesis
gravidarum, a potentially dangerous type of morning sickness in which
vomiting can be so severe that no food or liquid can be kept down. She
was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London the same day the
pregnancy was announced. Three days later, Kate was photographed leaving
the hospital, alongside William, holding a bouquet of flowers.
From
January into the spring, Kate made several public appearances as the
world watched her baby bump grow. She attended a horse race, formally
named a cruise ship and paid an official visit to Windsor Castle. In
June, she withdrew from her public duties to get ready for the birth.
The
former Kate Middleton and William became engaged in October 2010 during
a trip to Kenya and were married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster
Abbey on April 29, 2011.
Tiger Woods began the final round of the 142nd British Open two shots behind leader Lee Westwood at Muirfield Golf Club.
Both
were trying to end major droughts: Westwood was 0-for-61 in majors
entering this championship, and Woods, a 14-time major champion, was 0
for his last 16.
Westwood (-3), plays with Hunter Mahan (-1), and Woods (-1) tees off
with Masters champion Adam Scott (even). ESPN has the live TV broadcast.
No. 9, 554 yards, par 5:
Woods is likely finished, but Scott is coming off back-to-back birdies
and right in the mix here. Woods' second lands well short and runs over
the green. Woods' chip for eagle is really, really bad ... never had a
chance, and now birdie is not a sure thing. Scott has a good look at
eagle, but it comes up short. He will have a tap-in for birdie to get to
-1. Woods does make birdie to get back to +1.
Westwood:
His tee shot at 8 rolls into the thick rough. Westwood needs to settle
now ... 175 to get past the cross bunkers, and that's where he ends up.
From the bunker 40 yards in front of the green is chopped out and now he
will have about 30 feet from in front of the green to save par.
Westwood misses the long par saver and has 4 feet for bogey ... he makes
that one, but now he has gone bogey-bogey and is at -1, with Henrik
Stenson and Scott.
Elsewhere: Henrik Stenson is in position for birdie again at No. 10. Stenson lips it out and will stay at -1.
No. 8, 441 yards, par 4:
Woods finds the fairway off the tee and knocks his second to within
about 8 feet for birdie. Has to make this birdie putt to have any
chance, slim though it may be, to stay in this. Scott from about 35 feet
for birdie, and he drains it to get back to even par. Here comes the
Masters champ. It's all over but the crying for Woods, who misses the
birdie putt. The putter has been lousy on Sunday. He will stay at +2.
Westwood:
Finds a front bunker on the par-3 seventh, and the ball is buried. He
has a chance to get out OK, but par will be a test. Ouch. Westwood
doesn't get it out far enough, and it rolls right back in. The good news
is it didn't end up in the footprint and the lie is better. Now he's
hitting three. Beautiful out this time will give him a solid chance to
save bogey. Westwood saves his bogey, losing only one shot, but at -2
his lead is only one.
Elsewhere: Henrik Stenson makes birdie at the par-5 ninth to get back to -1. Phil Mickelson makes bogey at 10 to drop back to +1.
No. 7, 184 yards, par 3:
Woods' tee shot is on the green but short, 40 feet short. Scott has a
solid birdie try. Woods makes a good putt for an easy par putt. Scott
rams home his birdie putt to get back to +1.
Westwood: Hits
the green but it was a long birdie putt ... He did knock it up close
for a tap-in par. Still at -3. Mahan continues his downward slide.
Elsewhere: Ian Poulter bogeys 16 to drop back to +1.
No. 6, 461 yards, par 4:
Time to make a move ... even if that move is a safe par. Woods' tee
shot finds the fairway bunker, and he chips out leaving a long third to
the green. Now he will have 25 feet to save par. Woods is going in the
wrong direction. Scott slides his birdie putt past but will tap in for
par to stay at +2. Another bogey for Woods, and he is now at +2, +3 for
the round.
Westwood: The tee shot into the fairway bunker
at No. 5 will not cost him ... a solid 3-iron into the wind from 207
will give him about 10 feet for birdie. Mahan also is in birdie range.
Westwood knocks in his birdie putt to get back to -3. Mahan makes par.
Elsewhere: Henrik Stenson bogeys 8 to fall back to even par. Phil Mickelson birdies 9 to get to even par, -2 for the day ...
No. 5, 559 yards, par 5:
Woods with driver off the tee, misses the fairway left into the rough.
Woods chops out about 140 yards into the center of the fairway. Woods'
struggles continue ... a poor third will leave him very little chance
for birdie on the par-5. The camera and microphone picked up the
frustration loud and clear. Major No. 15 is getting farther and farther
away. From about 60 feet, Woods rolls it about 3 feet past. Not bad
really ... as long as he makes the par putt. Scott put himself in solid
position for birdie but couldn't get it down. Pars for both; Woods at
+1, Scott at +2.
Westwood: The leader is now at the par-3
fourth ... 221 right into the wind. He hits a good one and is on the
green safely. Mahan missed left into the rough. Par for Westwood,
another bogey for Mahan. Off the fifth tee, however, Westwood finds a
fairway bunker. Westwood chops out and is now in the fairway.
No. 4, 226 yards, par 3:
The wind seems to be blowing harder than it has all week. Scott's tee
shot is well left, and he will tap in for bogey. Woods makes another
bogey ... more poor work from the putter ... and he is now +1. Scot
drops to +2.
Westwood: From the deeper rough at 3, the
leader chops it out low and left, way left. And he hits it int he
gallery. Mahan's second from the fairway was on line but short. Westwood
found his ball in the tramped down rough and then hits a solid third to
about 8 feet for par. Can't get it down, however. Bogey for Westwood to
drop to -2. Mahan makes par.
Elsewhere: Ian Poulter goes eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie to get to even par overall, through 12 holes.
No. 3, 377 yards, par 4:
Woods' tee shot ends up in the right rough. Scott is in the fairway.
It's getting late early out there for Woods ... the scoring holes are
early, and it gets tougher later. There's plenty of green for Woods, but
the pin is tucked front right ... no way to get to it from where he is.
He chops out and misses the green just to the right. Can still get up
and down. Scott from 101 yards finds the center of the green and will
have a look at birdie. Woods got a drop because a sprinkler head was in
his putting line (local rule) and now he will putt from 65 feet. His
putt goes only about 60 feet. Scott from 18 feet for birdie bent too
much and spins about 3 feet past. Woods saves par to stay at even. Scott
makes his par putt to stay at +1.
Westwood: His second at
No. 2 is solid. Mahan blasts out of the bunker, then hits his third to
about 20 feet. Mahan makes a nice putt, but he will end up with bogey.
So me misses a good birdie try at 1, then bogeys 2. Westwood misses his
birdie putt but makes a comfortable par. Westwood at No. 3 tee is into
the deep rough. Three holes, three missed fairways.
Elsewhere: Mickelson birdies No. 5 to get to +1. Ian Poulter goes eagle-birdie-birdie at 9, 10 and 11 to get to +1.
BIPS, a Bitcoin payment processor based in Canada and Denmark, has just announced a new service: Danske Bitcoin, allowing users with Danske Bank’s MobilePay service to instantly buy bitcoins from their phone. MobilePay an iPhone and Android
application that allows anyone with a Danish bank account and credit
card (and is over 15 years of age) to send money to other users
instantly. MobilePay is currently making an introductory offer of no
fees until January 1, 2014, at which point, DanskeBank’s Mobilepay page reports,
DanskeBank may add a fee that “will be a competitive price that
reflects the costs of running the solution”. Users need not be
specifically in Denmark to buy bitcoins; as long as one’s Danish bank
account and credit card is active, the service works from all over the
world, and the money will be immediately credited to one’s BIPS account.
As of July 14, the service is not released yet, but should come online
soon.
The process to buy bitcoins with Danske Bitcoin is as follows:
Install DanskeBank’s MobilePay app to your phone from the iPhone App Store or Google Play.
Insert your bank account and credit card info on the BIPS website, as well as the number of the phone that you have installed MobilePay on
Go into the application, go to “Send” and send any amount to BIPS’s phone number (36965694)
You should receive the equivalent in BTC credited to your BIPS account very soon
BIPS has not seen nearly as much attention in the Bitcoin merchant processing space as its major competitors BitPay and Coinbase,
but it has been seeing considerable growth particularly in Denmark,
where the service’s co-funder Kris Henriksen is located. The service is
used by a number of businesses in Denmark, notably the popular online
dating site single.dk, and also recently announced its latest customer: Flattr. Flattr is a service based in Sweden founded by Peter Sunde (best known
for his work in The Pirate Bay) and Linus Olsson that allows users to
easily donate small amounts to content creators on the internet. Users
set an amount that they want to donate every month, and then while
browsing they can click a button to tip individual creators. The monthly
donation is evenly split among everyone tipped at the end of the month.
Payment
processing with BIPS is free if merchants wish to cash out directly in
bitcoin, but charges a 2.5% fee in the form of a lower exchange rate for
converting the bitcoins to a cash deposit in one’s bank account.
Merchants can opt to pass the fee on to customers (default), or absorb
the fee themselves. BIPS also offers a number of additional features for
a small fee, including MtGox integration and secure cold storage. BIPS
can also be used to buy and sell bitcoins, and with this integration of
DanskeBank’s services using BIPS to buy bitcoins just got considerably
easier for Danish users. Denmark remains one of the countries where
Bitcoin is less widespread, with Google Trends showing a score
of 49% compared to an average of 50%-70% across Europe, but thanks to
the efforts of BIPS (and, to a lesser extent, Lasse Birk Olesen’s Bitcoin Nordic) the community is growing. Hopefully we will continue seeing more interest from Denmark in the months to come.
LOS ANGELES – Police were
investigating a scuffle Friday between rapper Kanye West and a cameraman
at Los Angeles International Airport, where paparazzi are known to lurk
in hopes of snapping shots of celebrities.
Numerous witnesses were interviewed about the afternoon incident to
compile a report for detectives to investigate, LAX Police Sgt. Steve
Savala said.
TMZ
posted a video of the tussle, showing West being thronged by cameras
while trying to get into a white Mercedes Benz waiting curbside.
As flashbulbs illuminate his face, West accuses the paparazzi of
trying to provoke him "so I have to pay you, like, $250,000." He then
lunges at a photographer's camera and tries to wrestle it away.
West has had similar run-ins with paparazzi at LAX before, trading barbs with photographers who follow his every move.
The rapper's critically beloved album "Yeezus" debuted at No. 1 on
the Billboard 200 charts last month, but sales have dropped off in weeks
since. West's other recent debut -- his daughter, North, with reality
television star Kim Kardashian -- turned 1 month old this week.
The singer did just that when she took the stage to kick off the 2013
Premios Juventud Awards at the Bank United Center in Miami on Thursday.
Of course, she did have a little help from Pitbull, who joined the gorgeous gal on a medley of tunes that included "On the Floor," "Dance Again" and "Live It Up."
And let's just say the two made quite a splash—literally—at the end
of their performance when they jumped into a pool, clothes and all.
Later in the show, Lopez was presented with the World Icon Award.
"When
I see all these images and your beautiful face, I feel very fortunate
to be here tonight," she told the crowd. "What I have always wanted to
do with my life is to create, dance, act and entertain; and be a good
person."
She added, "I love what I do. I'm an artist. And I know that being a
role model to my community means to be responsible for my actions. I too
am human, and I make mistakes. But I promise you that when I fall, I
get up again. When I make a mistake, I learn the lesson and I am ready
to confront the next challenge.
"I accept this award with a lot of humility and I am enormously grateful."
The film would rather remind viewers that it's 'real' than it would scare or entertain them.
The pretense to realism can be enjoyable as part of horror. In 'The
Conjuring,' it's an incessant theme that Director James Wan mistakenly
seems to believe can carry the entire film.
The Conjuring is a fairly standard-issue Hollywood horror
possession film. There's a dog that does the usual thing dogs do in
horror films. There's a doll that does what dolls usually do in horror
films. There's some eerie TV static, some doors banging, some ghost
hunters with motion detectors and UV lights, and some creepy ghosts who
appear on cue when you expect to least expect them, complete with
ominous music and the spooky makeup that all ghosts wear so you can
identify them. And there's an eerie whispered catch phrase, because the
supernatural loves memes (in this case it's "look what you made me do.")
There's only one difference between this film and all those other films.
(Dramatic pause. Eerie whisper voice.)
This one... is real.
When I say "it's real," I mean several things. First, and most
obviously, the film is based to some degree on real events. It tells the
story of the Perron family, who moved into a supposedly haunted
farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971. The Perrons contacted well-known
ghost hunters Ed and Lorrain Warren to help them rid their home of evil
spirits (after which Ed began the long journey through the netherworld
of development hell to bring the story to the big screen.)
But the "reality" of the story in the end has little to do with its
no doubt extremely loose basis in fact, and a lot to with its thematic
concerns. Which is to say, the movie is in a lot of ways less focused on
the supernatural than it is on its own reality, and on demonstrating
its own reality.
Some of these demonstrations are quite charming--like the period
hairstyles, or the selection of the
relatively-homely-by-Hollywood-standards Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston
to play the Perron parents. Other assertions of truthiness, though, are
less enjoyable. There are, of course, the newspaper clippings and actual
photos that play over the end credits. And then, at the other end of
the film, before we even get to our main haunted house, we have scenes
of the Warrens (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) working other cases,
and answering questions in lecture halls to underline their expertise
and truthiness. We even see a case later on where they ostentatiously
prove that the haunting is just some creaky floorboards and uneven
heating, to show that they don't certify just any ghosts. Hauntings
overwhelmingly have a "rational explanation," Lorraine assures the
relieved family, before we trundle back off to the Perrons and their
checklist of movie horrors.
In some sense, that checklist works against the reality. The
situations and the spooks and the characters (noble ghost fighters,
loving mother, confused but sturdy dad) are all so well-worn that it's
hard to take the suggestion that we're seeing "truth" as anything but a
deliberate joke. You half expect the next door to bang open to reveal a
prostitute with a heart of gold, or a crusty but cunning police chief.
Why don't they just throw in all the tropes and be done with it?
The thing is, the assertion "this is true" is every bit as much a
familiar tent-pole of exorcism horror as the chair lifting off the floor
or the catch phrases. Some recent films, like The Last Exorcism or the excellent The Devil Inside, use the found-footage genre to get that requisite feeling of verite. The Conjuring
isn't that clever; its claim to truth boils down to repetition and
assertion--and maybe the odd bodily assault on the skeptical police guy
to show him the error of his ways.
The Conjuring, then, is not convincingly real. This isn't a
bad thing in itself; hardly anybody goes to a horror film expecting to
see documentary realism any more than you listen to campfire ghost
stories to get factual information about guys with hooks for hands. It's
the pretense to realism, not the realism per se, that's enjoyable.
Or at least, the pretense to realism can be enjoyable as part of a horror movie. In The Conjuring,
though, the pretense is more than just a part--it's an insistent and
constant drumbeat, an incessant theme that Director James Wan mistakenly
seems to believe can carry the entire film. On the strength "based on a
true story", he has forsworn interesting characters, an inventive plot,
and memorable villains.
As a result, all we're left with at the conclusion is some
sentimentality and a real quote from the real Ed Warren warning us that
demonic powers are real and our moral choices matter. Which may or may
not be the case. But if evil and moral choices were what the filmmakers
cared about, I wish they'd made a movie about them. Instead, The Conjuring
is dedicated to the completely pointless task of encouraging its
viewers over and over, in various ways, to pretend that the derivative
nonsense on screen actually happened. That isn't scary. It's not even
startling. It's just banal.
Where
authoritarian government control and restrictions on individual
liberties appear to be the strongest, the Bitcoin community is still
growing and in some cases thriving. Just this week Coin Ava
launched as the first Iranian Website open for Iranians to buy and sell
Bitcoins. While Iranian leadership is known for tight regulations on
citizens in particular for those seeking to utilize the internet and
community with the rest of the world, Iranians have found a way around
onerous authoritarian restrictions through the Bitcoin currency.
Last year, Bloomberg Businessweek pushed out an article, “Dollar-Less Iranians Discover Virtual Currency” to
conclude, “For now, Iranians are using bitcoins to maintain a fragile
connection to the outside world.” Iranian citizens are able to use the
Bitcoin currency as a gateway to purchase products around the world and
through the Bitcoin currency are not confined to a devalued Rial. As
the Iranian regime continues to move forward with an illicit nuclear
program despite international sanctions and pleas from leaders around
the world to cease uranium enrichment, Iranian citizens are put in a
tough situation. In the end of the day, Iranian President, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, and Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, while claiming to
act in the best interest of Iranians are actually compromising the
financial health and well being of all Iranian citizens. Bitcoin
provides a ray of hope for many Iranians in light of Iranian
Authoritarian Leadership’s blatant disregard of international
standards.
As a former Foreign Policy staff member for a Member of
the US Congress, I understand the hesitancy some might have to
applauding the growth of Bitcoin in Iran. Whereas it is evident that
the current regime in Iran has violated international law through
disregarding International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards and
frequently utilizing hate-filled rhetoric, it is also true that there is
a sizable group of Iranian citizens who oppose the totalitarian actions
of their government and are working to reform their country. The
Iranian Bitcoin question is a touchy subject for most, but can be worked
through if viewed through lenses centered on the purpose of the Bitcoin
currency.
Whereas Bitcoin is a digital, decentralized currency, it
serves as a source of empowerment for individuals around the world to
take the initiative to control personal finances and become financially
independent from a centralized source of control. In some nations, the
desire to be independent from a central bank is not as strong as not all
nations have authoritarian leadership and high inflation rates. Yet
for some nations Bitcoin provides a source of financial security and
promise outside of any centralized currency to citizens. Coin Ava’s
launch this week has prompted dialogue once again over the many
purposes of the Bitcoin currency and the intrinsic value this digital,
decentralized currency holds of citizens living under the auspices of an
authoritarian government. From the perspective of a former Capitol
Hill staffer who ardently opposses Iranian nuclear development, hate
speech, and human rights violations, I see the growth of the Bitcoin
currency in Iran as a direct affront and slap in the face of the Iranian
authoritarian government. Where there is a will, there is a way, and
Iranian citizens have worked to combat Iranian leadership’s poor
decision making with the Bitcoin currency.
Messages left by supporters are seen on a poster of former South African President Nelson Mandela outside his Soweto home.
(Jerome Delay / Associated Press / July 18, 2013)
SOWETO, South Africa -- In this sprawling Johannesburg suburb, a
crowd lined up to write birthday greetings on a huge poster outside the
modest house that Nelson Mandela once called home, part of a national outpouring for the anti-apartheid hero who turned 95 on Thursday.
Posters of Mandela, who celebrated his birthday in a
Pretoria hospital, decorated nearly every lamp post in Soweto, which was
a product of the rigid segregation policies of South Africa’s former
white rulers. Traders did swift business selling shirts and paintings
emblazoned with Mandela’s image to tourists.
Vilakazi Street is famous because two Nobel Laureates lived here in
decades past: Mandela and former Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
For some longtime residents, Mandela’s birthday was a chance to remember and give thanks.
“Thank you for being my father,” Nthabiseng Moloi, a 41-year-old unemployed mother of eight wrote on the poster.
She was drawn to Vilakazi Street, she said, because she wanted to feel Mandela’s spirit.
“Because it’s Mandela’s birthday, I just felt like coming here to
remember him once more,” she said. “Just to feel his spirit in a
traditional way.
”You know, a lot of things happened around here,” she said, looking
around, shivering slightly. “It was a very long journey. I remember when
I was young, when we struggled [against apartheid], how it hurt to
hear that somebody you knew was shot, how my uncle was arrested for
being one of the activists.”
Remembering it all, she had a strong sense of Mandela’s presence.
"I feel it,” she said. “He means life. He brought us so much."
A chilly winter wind blew in from the valley, and life carried on as
usual. A man went from house to house, toting brooms on his shoulder.
Boys kicked a soccer ball on a street corner. Women with babies on their
backs and bundles on their heads toiled up a hill. Unemployed people
gathered in clusters, while a group of homeless squatters huddled under
blankets in the sun.
GULLANE, Scotland — Only at the British Open could perfect weather —
in collusion with a few thorny pin placements — wreak havoc on the
field.
On another Scotland scorcher off the Firth of Forth, where
the umbrellas fended off sunshine instead of the inclement weather Open
players typically battle, tempers rose as the unseasonably dry Scottish
weather continued to bake Muirfield Golf Club, leaving a few players
plenty hot under the collar after Thursday's first round of the 142nd
British Open.
ROUND 1: Zach Johnson takes charge
With
wind only a minor impediment — again, unusual for these parts — Zach
Johnson shot 5-under-par 66 to grab a one-shot lead on Rafael
Cabrera-Bello and 1998 Open winner Mark O'Meara, who is doing his best
work these days on the Champions Tour. As is Tom Lehman, the 1996 Open
winner, who is in a group with Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker at 68.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson each shot 69, and reigning
Masters champion Adam Scott had a 71.
TIGER WOODS: Better as the day wears on
On the other end of the scoreboard, U.S. Open champ Justin Rose fired 75, Rory McIlroy a 79, Luke Donald an 80.
It
was the day's pin placements, more daunting for the afternoon tee times
on the crispy course, that drew much of the attention. McIlroy putted a
ball into a pot bunker behind the 15th green. Woods putted a ball off
the 14th green.
LEADERBOARD: 142nd British Open
"And it really wasn't that bad a putt," Woods said. "Anything that goes 4 feet by, it's gone. It was tough."
The setup drew the ire of several players, including Ian Poulter and Mickelson.
Poulter
shot 72 and said some of the greens reminded him of a miniature golf
course. Taking to twitter, he wrote, "Unfortunately the guys this
afternoon will struggle with a few pin positions. 8th hole is a joke,
18th needs a windmill & clown face."
Mickelson, the winner last week in the Scottish Open, suggested tournament officials should put their egos in an ice box.
"I
think the R&A was really worried about the scores going too low,
and there are some really funky pin placements," said Mickelson, who
ended his day with a three-putt from 12 feet. " … You got (to) let go of
your ego sometimes and just set the course up the way the best players
can win.
"… I got very lucky to play early because as the day
wore on and we got to the back nine, about a third of every green
started to die and became brown. And the pins were very edgy, on the
slopes and whatnot."
R&A chief executive Peter Dawson made no
apologies, telling the BBC, "We're very happy with the scoring. It's
about what we would expect," Dawson said.
Futuristic giant robots may be designed to defeat monsters, but they seem to be no match for a bunch of middle-aged comics.
"Grown Ups 2" headed into the weekend tracking ahead of Guillermo del Toro's ambitious sci-fi effort "Pacific Rim"
at the box office with a $16-million take Friday night compared with
$14.6 million for "Pacific Rim." Those who have seen early ticket sales
numbers estimate that "Grown Ups 2" could amass a weekend total of $46
million while "Pacific Rim" is estimated to bring in $37 million
The prospective total marks a vindication of sorts for the Adam Sandler-led comedy, which also features fellow veteran comics David Spade, Kevin James and Chris Rock.
Heading into the weekend, "Grown Ups 2" received some of the most
negative reviews of the summer with just a 7% score on the aggregation
site Rotten Tomatoes.
Perhaps significantly, the same website indicated a markedly different
reception from the viewer perspective with a 90% audience approval
rating from more than 50,000 respondents.
By contrast, "Pacific Rim" opened to mostly positive reviews but
stands to come in at third this weekend behind a still-strong
"Despicable Me 2," which is on track for an estimated weekend earnings
of another $43 million. The total should push the sequel to the 2010
animated film over the $200-million mark in its second week since
opening on July 4.
"The Heat" is expected to come in fourth this weekend with an estimated take of $4.2 million on Friday, which pushed the Paul Feig-directed
comedy over $100 million. Disney's "The Lone Ranger" continued to
underperform and looks poised to round out the top five while taking in
an estimated $3.4 million on Friday.
BELFAST, United Kingdom (AFP) – Police
in Belfast were attacked with petrol bombs in a second night of
violence by Protestant rioters in the Northern Irish capital.
Bricks,
bottles, furniture and other missiles were also hurled on Saturday
following riots that left 32 officers injured and a politician
hospitalised on Friday.
Hooded youths, some with British flags covering their faces, were involved in the clashes in the north of the city.
Police responded by firing baton rounds and deploying water cannon.
The
unrest was not as intense as on Friday night, when crowds attacked
police with petrol bombs, sticks, fireworks, bricks, bottles, masonry
and even a sword.
More than 600 police from mainland Britain had
been sent to Northern Ireland in anticipation of tensions over the
traditional Twelfth of July parades, the pinnacle of the Protestant
Orange Order's marching season.
A further 400 were sent for Saturday following riots the night before.
Trouble
flared Friday after police tried to enforce a decision by an
adjudication body banning the Orange Order from marching through a
Catholic republican area of Belfast.
"The scenes were both
shameful and disgraceful," Chief Constable Matt Baggott of the Police
Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told reporters.
He criticised
leaders in the Orange Order who had called for protests against the
decision to block their march through the republican Ardoyne area.
"Some
of their language was emotive and having called thousands of people to
protest they had no plan and no control," Baggott said.
"Rather than being responsible, I think the word for that is reckless."
The
PSNI said 32 officers were injured in Friday night's violence. Leading
Protestant politician Nigel Dodds was taken to hospital after being hit
on the head with a brick and knocked out.
Dodds, who represents
North Belfast in the British parliament, had been trying to calm the
crowds down. He was discharged from hospital early on Saturday.
The
July 12 parade marks the victory of Protestant king William III of
Orange over the deposed Catholic king James II at the Battle of the
Boyne in 1690.
It is a flashpoint for tensions between the
Protestant and Catholic communities in the province, which was
devastated by three decades of sectarian violence in the 1970s, 1980s
and 1990s.
The 1998 Good Friday peace accords largely brought an
end to the unrest, known as The Troubles, although sporadic violence and
bomb threats continue.
Cory Monteith, who played heart throb Finn Hudson in the Fox hit
"Glee," was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room Saturday, Vancouver
police said. He was 31.
Police said the cause of death was not immediately apparent, but they ruled out foul play.
Medical examiners will conduct an autopsy on Monday.
Monteith's body was
discovered Saturday noon by staff members at the Fairmont Pacific Rim
Hotel after he missed his checkout time, acting Chief Constable Doug
LePard told reporters.
He had checked into his room July 6.
The actor apparently had
several people over to his room at one point Friday night, but LePard
said Monteith was seen on hotel surveillance video returning to his room
in the early morning hours by himself.
One of his castmates on "Glee," Mark Salling, tweeted a simple "no" after police held their news conference.
"We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss," his publicist, Melissa Kates, said in an e-mail.
Monteith spent time in rehab early this year, checking into a drug addiction treatment facility in April.
He had been frank about
his struggles with substance abuse, telling Parade magazine in 2011 that
he began using drugs at 13, and by 19 went into rehab after his mother
and friends intervened.
Monteith had been on the musical comedy show since it began in 2009.
In 2011, he won a Teen
Choice award for top actor in a comedy. The show's cast won a Screen
Actors Guild award for an ensemble in a comedy the prior year.
didn't watch Sharknado, Syfy's latest made-for-TV movie? Do you feel like the nerd at the sleepover who fell asleep first?
If there's one thing people love and fear in equal measure, it's sharks (Hello, Shark Week!), which means Sharknado, a TV movie starring Tara Reid,
already had a lot going for it. But they decided to go that extra mile
and combine sharks and tornadoes, an irresistible combination judging
from Sharknado's social media domination on Thursday night.
In fact, even some celebrities got in on the fun, taking a bite out of Sharknado and sharing their amusing thoughts with their followers as they watched the insanity go down...
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola wants to sign Barcelona midfielder
Thiago Alcantara - who is a reported target for Manchester United.
The Spanish playmaker, 22, was handed his Barcelona debut by Guardiola at the age of 18 in May 2009.
Guardiola said: "It is either Thiago or nothing.
"I don't know what's going to happen. We have to wait. But I know him very well. He is a super, super player."
"He can play in three, four or five positions," he added.
Guardiola is hoping Thiago will leave Spain's La Liga champions to increase his chances of making next summer's World Cup.
Thiago captained Spain to the European Under-21 Championship in June and
scored a first-half hat-trick against Italy in the final.
He is said to have a £15.5m release clause at Barcelona.
Champions League winners Bayern Munich have already
signed forward Mario Gotze
and defender Jan Kirkhhoff this summer.
Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski is also
expected to join the Bundesliga champions at the end of the season on a
free transfer.
Nick Young signed with the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday, the team announced.
Young, 28, spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 10.6 points and 23.9 minutes a game.
"At 6'7", Nick's size, ability to create his own shot and athleticism
make him a versatile player who will give our lineup multiple looks on
the floor," said general manager Mitch Kupchak in a statement. "He's an
exciting player, and we're excited to have him on our roster."
The free-agent guard signed a one-year deal at the veteran's minimum with the Lakers, according to USA Today.
"It's great for Nick and great for the Lakers," Young's agent, Mark
Bartelstein, told the Los Angeles Times. "He could've waited and got
more money in the free-agent market but his dream has always been to
play for the Lakers."
Country music stars and fans joined together to urge prayers for
Randy Travis overnight as he recovered from brain surgery following a
stroke at a Texas hospital.
Travis remained in critical condition
after surgery Wednesday night to relieve pressure on his brain,
publicist Kirt Webster said. The 54-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer
had been improving while being treated for heart failure caused by a
viral infection when he had the stroke.
Steady concern for Travis,
a popular and pivotal figure in country music, turned to active support
as stars like Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum and Martina McBride and
the Grand Ole Opry used Twitter to join Webster's call for prayers.
Hundreds of users reached out using the hashtag PrayforRandy.
"We're all pulling for you Randy," Brad Paisley said via Twitter.
The
setback occurred hours after doctors said Travis was showing signs of
improvement since the start of treatment Sunday for congestive heart
failure.
It was not clear what kind of stroke Travis suffered. The
most common type of stroke is caused by a blood clot that travels to
the brain. The other kind happens when a blood vessel in the head bursts
or leaks. Stroke patients who get treatment quickly are usually given a
drug to dissolve the clot that caused the stroke.
William Gray
and Michael Mack of the Baylor Health Care System in Texas described
Travis' condition and hospitalization in a video statement earlier
Wednesday.
"His condition has stabilized, and he has shown signs
of improvement," Mack said in the video. "On behalf of Mr. Travis'
family, friends and associates, we would like to express our extreme
gratitude for the overwhelming affection and support that Mr. Travis has
received."
The Three Wooden Crosses singer was in good
health until three weeks before he was hospitalized, when he contracted a
viral upper respiratory infection, Gray said.
The viral illness led to a weakened heart muscle that eventually worsened into heart failure.
Travis
was admitted to Baylor Medical Center McKinney near his home in Tioga,
about 60 miles north of Dallas, through the emergency room Sunday. The
singer underwent a procedure to have a pump inserted by catheter that
helps increase blood flow before being transferred to The Heart Hospital
Baylor Plano.
Travis' illness comes as he's been trying to put
his life back together following a series of embarrassing public
incidents involving alcohol. Travis pleaded guilty to driving while
intoxicated in January following an arrest last year and received two
years of probation and a $2,000 fine. He was required to spend at least
30 days at an alcohol treatment facility and complete 100 hours of
community service.
He recently made several public appearances,
including a spot on the Country Music Association Festival's nightly
concert lineup and a poignant performance at George Jones' funeral.
Webster
said from the hospital Travis' fiancee Mary Beougher was at his side
and that he is surrounded by family and friends, including his brother,
Dennis Traywick, and his pastor, Jeff Perry. Kenny Rogers, the Oak Ridge
Boys, Chuck Norris and several others have called to check in on
Travis.
The North Carolina-born Travis is a traditional country purist known for hits Forever and Ever, Amen and I Told You So. His 1986 Warner Bros. debut album Storms of Life sold 4 million copies, and helped return country music to the sound of Hank Williams and George Jones.
"I
always feel like he's part of our family, he's in our family," Keith
Urban said in an interview Wednesday morning in Nashville. "And I was
one of those guys in Australia that bought Storms of Life and became a Randy fan very quickly in late '80s, and I really feel for him right now."
Response
from fellow country county aritists was swift on Wednesday night as
news spread that Travis was in surgery, with Twitter posts beginning
minutes after the news was announced.
@RodneyAtkins: Just heard
@randytravis had a stroke and is in surgery. Praying for Randy, the
medical staff and his family. #PrayForRandy
@JoeNichols : Praying for @randytravis today. Y'all do the same. #countrylegend
Grand Ole Opry @opry: Please continue praying for @randytravis. RT #PrayersForRandy
Hillary Scott @HillaryScottLA: Praying myself, and asking all to pray for Randy Travis.
Lee Greenwood @TheLeeGreenwood: God be with the medical team that's working with @randytravis this evening.
Martina McBride @martinamcbride: Praying for Randy Travis..
posted a video of the tussle, showing West being thronged by cameras
while trying to get into a white Mercedes Benz waiting curbside.
