Hard Road to Oscar: Producer Matt Baer On ‘Unbroken’, Louis Zamperini’s 57-Year Long Movie Biopic Odyssey

Among the Hollywood notables who passed in 2014 is Louis Zamperini, who only recently became relevant to movie audiences with the release of his life story Unbroken, the Angelina Jolie-directed Universal Pictures film which stars Jack O'Connell and Takamasa Ishihara. Zamperini, who first made a movie deal for his remarkable life story 57 years ago, didn't live long enough to see Unbroken gross over $51 million domestic since its Christmas Day release. He died July 3 at…

Click here to view full content

Edward Herrmann Dies; ‘Gilmore Girls’ Regular Won Emmy & Tony In 40-Year Career

Edward Herrmann, an Emmy-winning character actor best known for his seven-season run on Gilmore Girls and his long run as the voice of the History Channel, died today at a New York hospital where he was being treated for brain cancer. He was 71. The actor's manager, Robbie Kass, told Deadline Herrmann died a year after being diagnosed with a Stage 4 glioblastoma brain tumor. “Besides being an accomplished actor, Ed was also a true gentleman and a scholar, as well as being…

Click here to view full content

SAG Health Plan Lost $10 Million Last Year

EXCLUSIVE: The net value of the SAG Health Plan fell by more than $10 million last year, according to the plan's latest annual report. The value of its assets fell from $303 million on January 1, 2013, to $293 million as of December 31, 2013. The annual report for 2014 won't be made available until this time next year.
Part of the loss is due to the fact the plan spent $5.2 million more on health benefits for actors and their beneficiaries in 2013 than it did in 2012 —…

Click here to view full content

Paul F. Tompkins Teases ‘Mr. Show’ Reunion In 2015

Could there be a Mr. Show reunion in our near future? David Cross, Bob Odenkirk and Brian Posehn, creators and stars of the landmark sketch comedy series that ran on HBO from 1995-98, have done mini-reunions over the years, most recently a six-city tour last year. The group previously promised a larger anniversary tour in 2015. Perhaps this tweet from Mr. Show's Paul F. Tompkins is a hint that it's in the works?



Eight men out… of the 1990s. Maybe something new coming…

Click here to view full content

Edward Herrmann Has Died

The prolific actor, who starred on all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, was 71.




















Getty Images Andrew H. Walker














Edward Herrmann — star of The Lost Boys and Gilmore Girls — has died, his manager told News.

"Having valiantly braved months of treatment for brain cancer, Edward Herrmann passed peacefully at 8:30 a.m. today at Sloan Kettering hospital in New York City," Herrmann's talent agent, Robyn Stecher, wrote in a prepared statement. He was 71.

The Tony and Emmy winner had most recently appeared on The Good Wife, ABC's Black Box, and How I Met Your Mother.

While Herrmann was celebrated for his stage work and his performance as Franklin D. Roosevelt in a trio of TV movies, he is, perhaps, most beloved for playing Richard Gilmore, the stern but lovable patriarch on Gilmore Girls.

































"Edward Herrmann was one of the finest human beings I've ever met. Besides being a consummate actor, he was kind and funny, fair and honest and always willing to join in the game. We shared a love of acting and of being working actors and I suspect he was secretly grateful for all the opportunity and success he enjoyed ... and deserved. His brother told me Ed never stopped learning; he was always curious. When I think of my dear friend, a phrase comes to mind: 'A hale fellow, well met.' And I am so lucky to have met him.'"







View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

13 Crazy Inventions Our Favorite Artists Want To See In 2015

We asked, “What would you like to see invented in 2015?” Here’s how they answered.




















































































View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

20 Young Celebs That Were 2014 AF

Love them or hate them, the barely legal basically ran 2014.













Disclosure




The young duo took over every radio station you listened to this year and went platinum in five different countries with their hit "Latch" ft. Sam S...

Click here to view full content

11 Things Everybody Made Fun Of But Secretly Loved In 2014

Cuz the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.













Iggy Azalea



Don't even act like you didn't turn the volume all the way up and pronounce "fancy" like 'fan-say." You can hate all you want, but every single one of us jammed out to her songs this year.


youtu.be

















The Ice Bucket Challenge



It was the stupid trend of the summer... up until the moment someone challenged you.


youtu.be

















Taylor Swift



You can make fun of "Shake It Off," but once you hear it, you'll be singing it all day long. She's right, you know, we do love the game.


youtu.be

















Saying The Word "Basic"



Sure, we might hate it now, but we all used "basic" to describe ourselves and/or our friends, and pretty much everything else around us. #Basic


.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

GOP Congressman: Scalise Blamed For Speaking To Racists, But Obama Gets Pass On Jeremiah Wright

“You want to talk about double standards, there’s the double standard.”





















w.soundcloud.com














Republican Rep. Tom McClintock says there is a media double standard when it comes to the amount of scrutiny his fellow congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana has received for admitting he spoke to a white supremacist organization in 2002.

"With respect to Steve Scalise, I know him, he is no racist. Apparently twelve years ago, he was invited to speak to a local group of—uh—he came there to talk about taxes, the group was it turns out was affiliated with a white racist named David Duke, who by the way, Scalise had repeatedly publicly denounced during that period of time and somehow this is a major scandal," said the California Republican in a radio interview Wednesday.

McClintock cited President Obama's ties to pastor Jeremiah Wright as an example of what he called the double standard.

"But then you have Barack Obama who attends many, many years of sermons by black racist Jeremiah Wright, whom he never denounced, who he often lauded, and that's perfectly okay," McClintock said. "You want to talk about double standards, there's the double standard."

"I think this thing is being blown way out of proportion and again you want to speak about double standards, look at some of the outrageous statements made by leading democrats that are clearly racist."

Scalise admitted to speaking at a gathering of the white supremacist group European-American Unity and Rights Organization in 2002.

"It was a mistake I regret, and I emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views groups like these hold," Scalise has said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to former EURO and KKK leader David Duke, Scalise was invited to the conference by his political advisor Kenny Knight.

Knight, however, has told Slate Scalise wasn't aware it was a gathering of a white supremacists and that he actually spoke at a pre-gathering before the EURO conference that was hosted by a civic association.




Click here to view full content

Jones Relieved To Let His Real Persona Out

  “I’ve been pretty resistant. No one wants to be the bad guy. But at...
The post Jones Relieved To Let His Real Persona Out appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Dana White: Jones-Cormier a perfect fight, Cerrone-Jury underrated

Dana White joins APG to preview the main and co-main events at UFC 182.
The post Dana White: Jones-Cormier a perfect fight, Cerrone-Jury underrated appeared first on BJPENN.COM.


Click here to view full content

Ricardo Lamas: ‘I could finish McGregor easily’

“I don’t hate the guy. I don’t have anything against the guy, but every single...
The post Ricardo Lamas: ‘I could finish McGregor easily’ appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

“Camp Starts Tomorrow”

UFC bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is set to defend her title against undefeated challenger...
The post “Camp Starts Tomorrow” appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

UFC Confident About Lesnar & GSP Returns

UFC President Dana White breaks down the likelihood we will see Brock Lesnar and Georges...
The post UFC Confident About Lesnar & GSP Returns appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

“EMBRACE THE BAD GUY”

UFC President Dana White believes it’s in Jon Jones’ best interest to just embrace his...
The post “EMBRACE THE BAD GUY” appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Jon Jones Defends His Words, Says He Didn’t Lie To The NSAC

“I saw that: ‘Technically, you lied under oath. I didn’t. I had several months left...
The post Jon Jones Defends His Words, Says He Didn’t Lie To The NSAC appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Rockhold: ‘It looks like Machida’s next’

An interesting middleweight bout with serious title implications is looking close to locked. Both Luke...
The post Rockhold: ‘It looks like Machida’s next’ appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Cormier: “This is the ultimate testing ground”

“I love this sport because at the end of it, they lock us inside of...
The post Cormier: “This is the ultimate testing ground” appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Jones: “I want to be the best champion of all time”

“I do believe I’m one of the better fighters that’s ever played the sport, just...
The post Jones: “I want to be the best champion of all time” appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

35 People Reportedly Dead After New Year's Eve Stampede In Shanghai

At least 42 others were injured in the stampede, which took place 25 minutes before midnight, local media reported.













Thirty-five people died and 42 others were injured after a stampede at Shanghai's crowded New Year's Eve celebration, local media reported.







instagram.com





















This overhead view shows emergency vehicles amongst the crowd after a stampede by New Year's revelers in Shanghai's historic riverfront in Shanghai on January 1, 2015.


AFP / Getty Images STR




































View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Brazilian Man Survives Being Stabbed In The Head With 11-Inch Knife

Look at this X-ray at your own risk.


























UPI and Sky News reported that Nunes de Oliveira then drove himself two hours to a hospital in the capital city of Teresina.

"I thought I would die and only came to believe when I saw what happened to me, because if someone told me I would not have believed it," Nunes de Oliveira said.

Doctors told G1 that although the procedure to remove the knife was very difficult, the blade miraculously missed Nunes de Oliveira's left eye and he is recovering well.

A police investigation into the attack remains ongoing.




Click here to view full content

The Final Tally: It Cost America $9.3 Billion to Save GM and Chrysler

General Motors and Chrysler are profitable, healthy businesses cranking out some of their best products in decades. And they should be—the government intervention to rescue them from bankruptcy cost American taxpayers $9.3 billion. That’s the final number from the U.S. Treasury’s Automotive Industry Financing Program, and amounts to all the money spent to float GM, Chrysler, GM’s […]

Click here to view full content

2015 Ram ProMaster City First Drive: From Fiat with Love

After decades of rectangular boxes, the shape of urban commercial hauling is evolving, and here is its latest manifestation, fresh from Italy via Chrysler’s Ram Truck division. In Europe, this vehicle is known as the Doblò, a successful Fiat offering that has recently freshly embarked on its third generation. In Ram dealerships it’s the ProMaster […]

Click here to view full content

LaFerrari, Tesla, Mustang, and More: Our 45 Hottest Photos of the Year!

You want car porn? These photos are the very definition of the term.

Click here to view full content

The Long, Sordid Tale of Our Road Trip Through Frozen Hell with the Best and Worst Station Wagons in the World

Those of you who follow our 24 Hours of LeMons coverage should be familiar with the harrowing, yearlong tale of the worst car in LeMons racing history (and, perhaps, in human history). Short version, this 1986 Plymouth Reliant-K station wagon crisscrossed the continent in 2013, racking up more than 26,000 road miles, 4678 race miles, […]

Click here to view full content

Every Drake Track From 2014, Ranked From Worst To Best

A year in Drizzy.




















Getty Images / Stephen Lovekin

















OB O'Brien feat. Drake "2 On / Thotful"




Man, you know I hate to wait / That's why I get it first and you get it late

This remix of Tinashe's "2 On" was an early showcase of new OVO artist OB O'Brien. It's a lesser version of the tonal shift in "0 to 100 / The Catch Up," which doesn't make it bad, it's just that this beat works best with Tinashe and not on this mixtape track.


w.soundcloud.com

















P Reign feat. Drake & Future, "DnF"



If you not drinking with me you force me to turn up alone

This song is best listened to without the video, because the skit at the video is probably one of the most WTF things Drake has ever done. Once you get into the song, it sounds like one of those jams that comes on in the club that makes you go request the song you actually wanna hear from the DJ.


youtube.com

















OB O'Brien feat. Drake & P Reign, "Schemin' Up"




I used to drive the Acura to school / Now I don't touch the wheel unless it's new

This song first leaked as Rich Homie Quan's "Tell Me Why," but Drake lifted his verse and put it on this track with OB O'Brien. The original version is reportedly supposed to appear on Rich Gang 2, but this a much better use of Drake's version with an assist from OB that greatly improves on his "2 On" freestyle.


w.soundcloud.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Snapchat Has Raised $485 Million More From 23 Investors, At Valuation Of At Least $10B

 Back in the day, we reported that messaging app Snapchat* was raising over $100 million in a round led by Kleiner Perkins. And then the WSJ reported that it was $20 million, which left us wondering why a growth round would be so small in terms of total principle. Well, it turns out it’s not. Snapchat has raised a much bigger amount: Nearly $500 million in aggregate, according to an… Read More

Click here to view full content

With Electronic Arts In The Lead, Media Stocks Trail Overall Market In 2014

If you doubt that the stock market is no place for the faint of heart, then consider this: Two of 2014's worst performing stocks among the media and tech companies we track (DreamWorks Animation and Pandora) ranked among the biggest gainers in 2013 , and three of this year's best bets (RealD, Barnes & Noble, and Apple) were underperformers in 2013.
The general results reflect investors' growing reluctance to invest in media as a sector, focusing instead on the quirks of…

Click here to view full content

Hollywood Unions: What’s Ahead In 2015

Hollywood is a union town, and the state of the unions is good, with room for improvement. Annual financial reports the unions file with the U.S. Department of Labor show that the big five - SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, the DGA, IATSE and Teamsters Local 399 - are all on solid financial footing. They could all cut back on non-essential expenses, however, such as flower arrangements and office parties.
There weren't any major industry strikes in 2014, and none is expected next…

Click here to view full content

Hedwig & Sally Bowles Ruled 2014 As Larry David, Helen Mirren & Elisabeth Moss Lead Broadway Into The New Year

Stars, revivals, and musicals conjured from films will continue to dominate Broadway in the coming months, as sure as rising ticket prices and limited runs. The resulting high expectations were frequently met in 2014, if sometimes with accompanying scratching of head and furrowing of brow. Jez Butterworth's slim provocation The River--despite or possibly because of Hugh Jackman's performance in one of Broadway's smallest theaters--is a good example.
Playing Janus, I'll…

Click here to view full content

2015 Is Shaping Up To Be The Key Year For Venture Capital

 Eye-popping is the only word that comes close to describing the numbers we saw this year from venture finance. The valuations accelerated rapidly, with companies like Slack jumping past the billion dollar mark in less than a year of the launch of...

Click here to view full content

Ten Ways The World Changed In 2014

 Editor’s Note: David Hirsch is a founder of Metamorphic Ventures. The firm is an investor in TalkSpace, Boxbee, Snowball, Voyat and Thrive Market. .  1) We Went From People Searching For Things To Things Finding People Companies are leveraging data in order to serve people with relevant content, commerce, and ads based on situations and locations. In content, a good example of this is… Read More

Click here to view full content

Comcast Customer Spends Four Hours Canceling His Account

 A Comcast user named Mike posted a portion of a four-hour call with the company to cancel his account. The resulting back and forth — full of long, pregnant pauses and corporate rigamarole — isn’t nearly as exciting as Ryan Block’s Kafkaesque hell: Mike’s story is about patience, perseverance and poorly trained customer service providers whereas Ryan’s… Read More

Click here to view full content

7 Venture Capitalists Predict What Will Happen In 2015

 From cloud wars to the certainty that there will be hacks, venture capitalists believe that 2015 will be a year of tumult and (in public markets anyway) triumph for the startup world. Here are the visions that the general partners, managing direc...

Click here to view full content

CES 2015: Samsung's new Ativ One 7 PC will bring the curves to CES

Samsung has ensured that its CES 2015 hype train left the station early with a slew of announcements this week, the latest of which is the Windows 8.1-powered Ativ One 7 Curved all-in-one curved PC.The company says it's the first curved all-in-one PC, with a 27-inch "full HD display, smart connectivity and advanced sound features."The announcement also highlights the display's color capabilities and wide 178-degree viewing angles, its "metallic deco frame" ("with complimentary stand"), and the PC's cross-device content sharing and Samsung phone connectivity features through SideSync 3.0 and Samsung Link 2.0.As far as specs, the Ativ One 7 Curved packs Intel's Core i5 chip, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB flash drive, and Bluetooth Music Play 3.0, which lets users connect Bluetooth devices to the PC's dual 10W speakers even when it's turned off.The Samsung Ativ One 7 Curved PC will launch in the first quarter of 2015 at $1,300 (about £830, AU$1,600). Watch out for more coverage at CES next week.Samsung this week also introduced a set of alien-looking speakers and curved soundbars, a more powerful Galaxy Note 4, a virtual reality streaming service, and a fanless MacBook Air competitor.You'll want to read TechRadar's Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review

Click here to view full content

17 Hits From 2014 You Wish You Could Never Hear Again

We don’t mean to be “Rude,” but we could use a break from these songs.













MAGIC!, "Rude"



C'mon.


http://youtube.com

















The Chainsmokers, "#Selfie"



#stop


http://youtube.com

















Meghan Trainor, "All About That Bass"



We're all about not hearing this one again for a long time.


http://youtube.com

















Taylor Swift, "Shake It Off"



"Turn It Off"!


http://giphy.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

This Vine Of A Woman On An NYC Train When Her Favorite Song Comes On Is Everything

Get it!













Trying to be low key but this is YOUR song.







Via vine.co

















Click here to view full content

The Ultimate 2014 Party Playlist

Let us be your DJ tonight.




















Kelley Dunlap /














1. Tinashe and Schoolboy Q's murky "2 On."

2. Teen star Becky G gets a mature, mid-tempo makeover on "Can't Stop Dancing."

3. Gwen Stefani's reggae-tinged comeback single "Baby Don't Lie."

4. The rave-ready "Bad (ft. Vassy)" from EDM superstars David Guetta and Showtek.

5. Avicii's soaring, anthemic "The Nights."

6. The Chainsmokers skittering remix of Tove Lo's "Habits (Stay High)."

7. Tampa-based rapper Dominique Young Unique's clattering, claustrophobic "Throw It Down"

8. DJ Snake and Lil Jon's massive club-banger "Turn Down For What."












































Universal Music




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

24 Breakout Stars In Music In 2014

The year’s best new singers, songwriters and producers. In no particular order.













Sam Smith



By the time Sam Smith stood on stage at Saturday Night Live in March, he already had you hooked. You may not have recognized his face then or known his name, but you'd certainly heard his angelic voice anchoring Disclosure's dance hit "Latch." Now, he's obviously a giant star, and his haunting, gospel-tinged breakup lament "Stay With Me" is one of the undisputed biggest hits of the year. It was first played on Zane Lowe's BBC on radio show on March 25, and it hasn't been done with our ears since. We're not complaining.


Getty Images for GQ Jason Merritt

















Ed Sheeran



Ed Sheeran bolstered his songwriting career with credits on songs for One Direction and Taylor Swift, but he made a triumphant return to his primary gig with his latest chart-topping album X. Sheeran went beyond his voice and his guitar on X, flirting with Justin Timberlake-styled pop 'n B on lead single "Sing" and rapping on "Don't." What’s next for Ed Sheeran in 2015? He’ll continue his X tour, which will take him to Europe, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. Not bad for a guy who came to LA in 2010 with no Hollywood connections.


Jason Merritt / Getty Images

















DJ Mustard



The 24-year-old super producer's signature sound grew from a hip-hop subgenre ("ratchet") to radio ubiquity via hits including but not limited to Tinashe's "2 On," Big Sean's "I Don't Fuck With You," and Fergie's "L.A. Love (La La)." But the real sign that DJ Mustard was the producer to beat in 2014? Even the hits he didn't produce (Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," Migos' "Fight Night") bore his unmistakable influence.


David J. Bertozzi / .

















Meghan Trainor



It seems inconceivable now but Meghan Trainor and writing partner Kevin Kadish spent months trying to shop around her summer smash “All About That Bass” to no avail. Trainor was working as a songwriter in Nashville at the time and hadn’t considered cutting the song herself. All that changed when legendary record exec L.A. Reid heard the song, he knew immediately that “Bass” would be hit and Trainor a star. The doo wop-inspired ode to booty ultimately spent eight weeks at #1 in the U.S. and topped the charts in an astounding 58 countries. While the prospect of being a one-hit wonder loomed large, Trainor’s cheery follow-up single “Lips Are Movin” is climbing up the charts and the genre-bending singer-songwriter is poised for genuine pop stardom.


Isaac Brekken / Getty Images




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

YC-Backed Omniref Is Rap Genius For Code

 While the open source movement has made getting up and running with a software project incredibly easy for those who know what to look for, the reality is that not every project can be updated to support the latest versions of the code they’re built on. Over time, this means that you see thousands of projects running on some old version of a library that seemingly no one is familiar… Read More

Click here to view full content

Netflix Helps You Trick Kids Into Thinking Midnight Came Early With An On-Demand Countdown

 Netflix, with a nod and wink to weary parents everywhere, has introduced a clever way to trick the kids into thinking New Year’s Eve came early. The service is offering a three-minute long countdown to the New Year featuring DreamWorks’ animated characters – King Julien and friends – which parents can call up any time they choose. The idea is to offer families a way… Read More

Click here to view full content

How We Celebrate New Year’s Eve On Social Media Around The World

 From Smartphone selfie sticks to pyrotechnics, this is how we digitally ring in 2015 around the world: Twitter: Happy New Year from Sydney, Australia pic.twitter.com/wkRNKV5wax — Best Earth Pics (@BestEarthPix) December 31, 2014 Happy New Year from #Dubai, United Arab Emirates! #NYE #2015 pic.twitter.com/7rsbqYLvoG — Beautiful Pictures (@BEAUTIFULPlCS) December 31, 2014… Read More

Click here to view full content

This Cybersecurity Medicine Might Be Tough To Swallow

 Imagine you’re the CEO of a thriving company and you’ve been horrified by the news of the Sony hack, the Target breach and the litany of security issues that have plagued big companies in recent years. You swear you’re going to do whatever’s necessary to make sure it won’t happen to your company. But do you realize what that really means? Read More

Click here to view full content

‘Kennedy Center Honors’ Ratings Up Sharply, Helps CBS Win Night

Taking the Kennedy Center Honors special away from football helped the annual special rebound from last year's all-time low ratings. The 37th edition of the honors last night drew a 1.2 in adults 18-49, up 33 percent from last year, when the special aired on Sunday against NBC's Sunday Night Football. (In total viewers, the special logged 9.2 million viewers, 3 million more than last year). The Kennedy Center Honors was the only original offering on the English language…

Click here to view full content

The Year In TV: Networks Grew Narrower To Get Bigger In 2014

For years, TV networks have been striving to expand the scope of their original programming offerings. AMC started off with miniseries before adding scripted dramas and then unscripted series. Similarly, USA, for years known for its hourlong (mostly light) dramas, in the past few years added unscripted and half-hour comedy series. Drama network TNT started airing reality series. Meanwhile, a slew of networks known for reality fare expanded into scripted including A&E…

Click here to view full content

12 Sobering Resolutions From Uganda

Photographers Álvaro Laiz and David Rengel ask a simple question: “What are your future plans?” The answers are sobering and tragic.




























The war in northern Uganda began in 1986 and has been marked by the LRA's well-documented brutality against civilians, including the seizure of children to be used as fighters and sex slaves, and the widespread use of mutilation.




















I would like a good house on my own land.



"In the LRA they beat me constantly because I couldn't understand their language, and when I came back my brother disowned me for bearing a child to the rebels. What choice did I have in both cases? Was it my fault?"


Álvaro Laiz / David Rengel

















To obtain counseling and guidance.



"The only lives spared were those of children too young to be kidnapped and pregnant women, who were allowed to stay so that they would look after the children who could be kidnapped in the future. When they finished, we were obliged to clap. Only one year after they came back and took me"


Álvaro Laiz / David Rengel




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

The EU Is Plotting A New TV Channel To Counter Russian Propaganda In Europe

“Russian TV, particularly for the last couple of years, has been very aggressive,” the foreign minister of Latvia tells News.




















Kommersant Photo/Kommersant via Getty Images














RIGA, Latvia — European Union leaders are considering creating a new Russian-language television channel aimed at combating Russian propaganda, an EU foreign minister said in an interview with News.

"Russian TV, particularly for the last couple of years, has been very aggressive in what can no longer be considered normal news or normal journalism, but is more information warfare and propaganda," the foreign minister of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, said.

The proposal being discussed, he said, is "to invest jointly in alternative sources of information — not alternative propaganda sources, but an alternative normal European TV channel, with entertainment, with news, but with very factually accurate news."

Rinkevics said that between between 13 and 15 EU member states have informally expressed support for the idea, from smaller countries on the EU's eastern border to Scandinavian countries, Poland, and Great Britain.

The notion of alternative Russian-language information has been the subject of discussion in Washington and European capitals since Putin began consolidating control over the Russian media a decade ago. The focus has intensified recently as Russia used its control of the media to shape domestic support for the February invasion of Ukraine, painting the overthrow of the country's Russia-backed president as a U.S.-devised plot to put "Nazis" in power. The Kremlin is also increasing its reach into English-language propaganda, using everything from Russia Today to the newly-formed Sputnik news agency, to spread its message abroad. It uses all the tools at its disposal to stir domestic antagonism both toward the US and EU in general, and toward neighbors like Estonia and Latvia.

Latvia and its neighbor Estonia have the largest proportion of Russian-speakers of any European Union country — hundreds of thousands of citizens and residents for whom Russia's major broadcasters have, according to figures from Latvian Television, become a growing share of their media consumption. Those two countries in particular have post-Soviet histories of difficult relationships with Russia over the status of those minorities, many of whom arrived during the Soviet occupation and were not granted citizenship when the Baltic States became independent. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both countries have ramped up their spending on local Russian-language media — but they are dwarfed by the lavishly-funded Russian TV networks that dominate Russian-language media with an almost uniform Kremlin line.

"We can't compete on resources," said Rita Ruduša, the commissioning editor for news, current affairs, and documentaries at Latvian Television, the national public broadcaster. She said that the Russian channels sometimes spend on a single, lavish prime-time show more than the public broadcaster spends on Russian-language programming — which is placed amid Latvian programs — in a year.

The discussions in the EU are preliminary, and the project could go in different directions, people involved said, from a full-on Russian channel — with the EU paying both for original programming and for licensing non-political entertainment — to a combination of programs and grants that would allow national broadcasters in Latvia and elsewhere to expand their Russian offerings.

"The conversation is about funding, and it's about content — this shouldn't be another propaganda tool," said Rinkevics, adding that the timeline is uncertain: "As everything in the EU, things take time."

An EU-backed NGO, the European Endowment for Democracy, is one of the groups developing proposals for the Russian-language broadcsting. Officials there could not be reached for comment during the holidays.

The Europeans, however, aren't alone in trying to create a new Russian media. One group of leading Russian journalists who have decamped to Riga to start an independent news site, Meduza.io.

And Washington has its own revived stream of Russian-language content. US-government funded funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in October launched a well-produced half-hour news show called "Current Time"— its slogan is "facts, not lies" — which is being carried by national broadcasters in Lithuania and Georgia, among other outlets. (The show can also be seen on YouTube, though view counts mostly hover in the hundreds.)

However the American effort has met some resistance. Latvian Television turned it down, though it is airing on a smaller private channel there, and it has no outlet yet in Estonia.

"It looked one-sided and sounded more like strategic communication than public service. It didn't resemble public broadcasting in the European understanding," said Ruduša, of the Latvian national broadcaster. "It is very well produced but really the other side of what we were getting from Russia."

Jeff Trimble, the deputy director of the international broadcasting bureau at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the US international broadcasters, said the programming isn't intended to simply be counter-propaganda, but simply "a western style news program in the best tradition of that.

"It's not giving a single perspective to counter the Russian perspective — it's giving the complete story," he said. He also said the US is open to partnerships with a Europeans and the states on Russia's borders

But, Trimble said, "in the absence of consensus and a working plan to come up with a truly coordinated international effort … we've started to do new programing and new projects that might become part of a new international effort if other countries were to step up their game."




Click here to view full content

This Teen Wrote A Heartbreaking Blog Post About Her Teacher On The AirAsia Plane

“I want to let everyone see who you really are, as a teacher, as a person, as our friend.”



































Ting


etherealpeonies.blogspot.sg














"Never ever, would i have imagined that someone i knew would be on that flight," Ting wrote on her blog on Monday.

"An hour later, our class whatsapp chat was flooded with news that our form teacher, Miss Tina was on that flight."

"Miss Tina" is 26-year-old Florentina Maria Widodo, who was nicknamed Tina by her family and friends.

"It just didn't seem real that you were really on that flight, Miss Tina, it didn't," wrote Ting.

In the blog post, Ting called Tina her favorite teacher. They first met when Tina was still training, and to Ting, she seemed "quiet" and "reserved." The 26-year-old then went on to become a biology teacher at the school, and worked with Ting for many months.

"We had loads of fun in class," Ting wrote in her heartbreaking post.

















"And for telling us how dashing/pretty we looked that day. I could see how proud you were of us, for making it through all the way till where we are today."







View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

This Timeline Will Make Azalea Vs. Azealia Perfectly Clear

The tweet beef between Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea has become part of the larger discussion of race in America. But it can be hard to keep track of.













Bad feelings between these two go back years but the conflict went to another level...

Click here to view full content

8 Celebrity Tweets You Missed Today

Here’s what happened today!
































































View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

A Look At Some Of The 162 People On AirAsia Flight QZ8501

Some faces behind the numbers.


























Captain Iriyanto had clocked 6,053 hours with AirAsia when he took off on Flight QZ8501.

"He's so clever," Iriyanto's 76-year-old father, Suwarto, said about his son. "And his experience in fighter jets makes him very able to fly commercial planes."

Iriyanto's parents said have been heartbroken since the plane captained by their son vanished on Saturday; their other son died of diabetes just 10 days ago.

Suwarto said he saw Iriyanto just days before the plane took off, at his other son's funeral, The Independent reported.

"I want my son to come back alive and well but if that's not meant to be, if God doesn't want that, it's in the hands of fate," Suwarto said.

"My son, he's not alone on the plane. If this is God's will then so be it."

Iriyanto's daughter posted a picture of the two of them to her Facebook account. "Papa pulang. Kakak masih butuh papa. Kembalikan papaku. Papa pulang pa, papa harus ketemu," she wrote, which translates to, "Papa come home. I still need you. Return my papa to me. Papa come back, we have to meet."



























http://Facebook.com / Via independent.co.uk

















Oscar Desano is a "proud steward" with AirAsia, the Daily Telegraph reported. He's also a father-to-be.






Twitter: @ochanky




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Oliver Stone Says Ukraine's Revolution Was Actually A CIA Plot

The director of JFK and other classic movies made the claim in a Facebook post on Tuesday after interviewing Ukraine’s former president.

















Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, right, and director Oliver Stone


Oliver Stone / Via Facebook: TheOliverStone














Acclaimed film director Oliver Stone on Tuesday claimed that the overthrow of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych earlier this year was the result of an American plot.

Stone, who is known for his left-wing politics, made the claim via a post on his Facebook page. In it, he revealed that he'd spoken to the ousted ruler for "4 hours in Moscow for new English language documentary produced by Ukrainians." Stone did not provide many details on the documentary but said it "seems clear that the so-called 'shooters' who killed 14 police men, wounded some 85, and killed 45 protesting civilians, were outside third party agitators."

"Many witnesses, including Yanukovych and police officials, believe these foreign elements were introduced by pro-Western factions-- with CIA fingerprints on it," Stone wrote.

Stone compared the Maidan protests, which started in late 2013 as part of a backlash to Yanukovych's pro-Russian, anti-European policies and eventually led to his overthrow, to protest incidents in Venezuela in 2002 and earlier this year. "Create enough chaos, as the CIA did in Iran '53, Chile '73, and countless other coups, and the legitimate Government can be toppled," Stone wrote. "It's America's soft power technique called 'Regime Change 101.'"

In Stone's telling, the deal that Yanukovych agreed to that would keep him in power was tossed aside "when well-armed, neo-Nazi radicals forced Yanukovych to flee the country with repeated assassination attempts. By the next day, a new pro-Western government was established and immediately recognized by the US (as in the Chavez 2002 coup)."

In actuality, the Ukrainian parliament voted to remove Yanukovych from office. For days afterwards, from the Russian city where he had fled after the vote, Yanukovych insisted that he remained in charge of Ukraine, even as new elections were called.







































View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

The Cruelty Of The Kremlin

“This is the most painful option for me.”

















The Navalny brothers: Oleg in the cage; Alexey standing beside it.


Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters














Oleg Navalny is spending the night in Butyrka, a Tsarist-era prison in central Moscow that for centuries has held Russian criminals, dissidents, and revolutionaries. The writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn spent time inside its cold fortress walls, as did Yevgeniya Ginzburg, who wrote movingly of the Stalinist purges that saw vast swathes of the country's population jailed in the 1930s.

Oleg Navalny isn't anyone particularly notable. He's a 31-year-old father of two who has spent much of his adult life working for the post office. He's never written a major novel, come out against the Kremlin, or tried to overthrow the government.

































Oleg Navalny is going to jail because he was born the younger brother of Alexey Navalny, the anti-corruption crusader who has become the main opposition figure supported by young, tech-savvy Russians who want to see their country modernize in the face of the Kremlin's medieval politics. On Tuesday, a Moscow court found both brothers guilty of trumped up fraud charges. Alexey was given a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence. Oleg went to Butyrka, where he will await transit to a Russian penal colony and serve the same amount of time.

The court's move — likely directed from inside the Kremlin — is unspeakably cruel and cunning. The Russian state is known for its brute, heavy, and messy steps — see: the annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine, the wacky propaganda of outlets like Russia Today, and much, much more. But when it comes to crushing individuals — breaking them down in the most destructive way possible — it has few rivals.

For decades, it built one of the most cruel — and most effective — security services in the world, first known as the Cheka, then the KGB, and today the FSB. Those security services are now in power, completely unchecked, championed by former FSB chief Vladimir Putin.

To jail Alexey Navalny would be to turn him into a martyr — a cause for Russians to rally around at home, and for world leaders to needle Putin about abroad. Instead, the state has slowly attempted to crush him, piling on court case after court case, placing him under house arrest, divorcing him from the internet that is his lifeblood, and generally making his life a host of hurdles to jump through so he has no time left to devote himself to the anti-Kremlin cause that drives him. But he hasn't stopped. He continues to release investigations into official corruption. After having his internet access restored, he continues to use Twitter and his blog to launch acerbic attacks on those in power, and continue to grow his following (which still, it should be noted, remains pretty damn small when compared with all of Russia).

And that's when they went after his family.

"I'm not going to lie, this is the most painful option for me," Navalny wrote on his blog after the sentencing. "It's the most vile of all possible sentences. Each person chooses his own fate — but no one chooses their own relatives." The decision to go after his brother, Navalny wrote, shows the "'quality of human material' that comprises those who have seized power in our country. And that is, maybe, the main reason that this government should not exist." Navalny will now have to live out the next few days, weeks, months, and years knowing that his brother has been torn from his life and family because of him.

In his new book on Russia, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible, Peter Pomerantsev showed how Russia's bribe-ridden culture (he notes, in particular, the bribes needed to avoid obligatory military service) breeds highly personalized guilt. "This is the genius of the system: even if you manage to avoid the draft, you, your mother, and your family become part of the network of bribes and fears and simulations; you learn to become an actor playing out his different roles in his relationship with the state, knowing already that the state is the great colonizer you fear and want to avoid or cheat or buy off. Already you are semilegal, a transgressor." Navalny will now live life being guilty without being guilty.







View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Which Member Of Sonic Youth Are You?

Hey kool thing, sit down beside me, there’s something I gotta ask you. I just wanna know, are you Thurston, Kim, Lee, or Steve?














Click here to view full content

The 29 Most Life-Changing One Direction Moments Of 2014

It was truly a great year to be a Directioner.





























































When they met Prince William and Kate Middleton and you weren't sure who the actual royals were:






Pool / Reuters




View Ent...

Click here to view full content

Macklemore Got Real About White Privilege And Appropriation In Hip-Hop In A Radio Interview

“This is not a culture that white people started.”













After taking an extended hiatus to record a follow-up to his 2013 smash The Heist, Macklemore resurfaced last night via an extensive interview with Hot 97. In it, he spoke candidly about being a successful white rapper in a historically black genre.






Frazer Harrison / Getty Images














This, to me, is what it comes down to: You need to know your place in the culture. Are you taking or are you contributing? ... You need to listen, you need to be humble. This is a whole debate, but this is not my culture to begin with. This is not a culture that white people started. I do believe that as much as I have honed my craft and put in years of dedication into the music that I love, I need to know my place.

















Why am I safe? Why can I cuss on a record, have a parental advisory sticker on the cover of my album, and yet parents are still like, 'You're the only rap album I let my kids listen to'? Why can I wear a hoodie and not be labeled a thug? Why can I sag my pants and not be labeled a gangbanger? Why am I on Ellen's couch and Good Morning America? If I was black, what would my [past] drug addiction look like? It would be twisted into something else rather than people being like, 'Get back on your feet!' To me, the privilege that exists in the music industry is the same privilege that exists in America as a whole… It's white privilege.























View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Putting IBM's $25 Billion Stock Price Crash In Perspective

IBM is an icon of the technology industry. Or at least it was.




















Paul Morigi / Getty Images for FORTUNE














IBM once stood alongside Microsoft and Intel as icons at the forefront of the technology industry. But now, it's on its way to making history — and not in the good way.

The technology company is sent to end 2014 as the worst performing stock among the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average. And this would be the second consecutive year the company finished last among the blue chip stocks of the Dow -- an achievement that, according to the Wall Street Journal, was last pulled off by Bethlehem Steel in 1995 and 1996.

For those paying attention to the technology industry, this doesn't come as a huge surprise: IBM has long been playing a desperate game of catch-up. In 2014 alone, IBM lost more than $25 billion in value, despite IBM's aggressive share buyback programs, which typically raises the value of outstanding shares.

Just how bad is that decline? Let's put it in perspective:




















In the same year IBM lost $25 billion in value, Facebook's valuation rose by about $68.7 billion.






Stephen Lam / Reuters














Since going public in 2012, Facebook has quickly found its footing as a mobile advertising company, creating several lucrative lines of business. It also recently launched Atlas, a new flagship advertising product, that should expand its advertising footprint even further. Already, Facebook has surpassed many of the old guard technology companies and is well on its way to being among the highest-valued technology companies in the world.







View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

America Might Have The Best Military, But It Keeps Losing Wars

The longest war in American history just ended. Do you anyone who fought in it? No? Well, that explains why we lost it. In other words, the ever-increasing disconnect between the public and the military is having a detrimental impact on America’s effectiveness in war. When the public isn’t as connected with the military, it […]
America Might Have The Best Military, But It Keeps Losing Wars

Click here to view full content

Rep. Peter King: Cops Shouldn't Create Sympathy For De Blasio By Turning Their Backs

“I think they’ve made their points, and I understand why they did it, but I don’t want it to be creating sympathy for de Blasio either.”





















w.soundcloud.com














Republican Rep. Peter King, a staunch and outspoken supporter of the New York Police Department, says cops shouldn't be turning their backs to Mayor de Blasio because it could create sympathy for the embattled New York City mayor.

"I wouldn't have done it," the Long Island congressman told WABC radio on Tuesday. "My father was a cop, I've known cops my whole life. I've never seen such anger among cops. You really have not just anger but also a sense of betrayal. But I think they've made their points, and I understand why they did it, but I don't want it to be creating sympathy for de Blasio either."

During de Blasio's speech, some police officers watching the service on screens outside the church turned their backs on the mayor as he spoke at the funeral for NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos.

"I think it's important right now for him to sit down with the unions, with the police commissioner, and try to resolve this," King added, saying de Blasio should show he stands by police.

Here's the video of cops turning their backs on the mayor:



























youtube.com

Click here to view full content

REPLAY! Jones, D.C. Verbally Spar On Sports Center

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier do their best to play nice during their return to...
The post REPLAY! Jones, D.C. Verbally Spar On Sports Center appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

UFC 182: The Journey – Daniel Cormier

After ascending to status as a heavyweight, Daniel Cormier dropped down to 205 pounds...
The post UFC 182: The Journey – Daniel Cormier appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

QUICK TWITT | Askren Clowns Wrestling Credentials Of Jon Jones

OneFC welterweight champion, “Funky” Ben Askren isn’t one to shy away from a proper insult,...
The post QUICK TWITT | Askren Clowns Wrestling Credentials Of Jon Jones appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

PHOTO | Fedor, Wanderlei, and “Huggy Bear”

The man set on “Shutting down the heavyweight division” in 2015, Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett,...
The post PHOTO | Fedor, Wanderlei, and “Huggy Bear” appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

FIGHT WEEK! Cerrone Flips, Does Stunts While Flying A Plane

A video posted by Donald Cerrone (@cowboycerrone) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:28pm PST Don’t...
The post FIGHT WEEK! Cerrone Flips, Does Stunts While Flying A Plane appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Jon Jones: Who cares if I’m fake? I win fights”

“No one wants to be the bad guy, but a the same time, people tag...
The post Jon Jones: Who cares if I’m fake? I win fights” appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Danny Castillo Discusses His Future After Fighting-Exclusive

UFC lightweight, Danny ‘Last Call’ Castillo, will fight on Jan. 3 at UFC 182, but...
The post Danny Castillo Discusses His Future After Fighting-Exclusive appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Scientists Get Birds Drunk To Prove They Slur Their ‘Words’ Like Humans

Slurred speech is one of the most prevalent side effects of excessive intoxication. Why this happens isn’t very clear, however, largely because the animals usually used for alcohol experiments are void of speech. Birds, on the other hand, learn to sing in a manner very similar to the way humans learn to talk. A recent […]
Scientists Get Birds Drunk To Prove They Slur Their ‘Words’ Like Humans

Click here to view full content

Cause Of Ebola Outbreak In Africa May Have Been Kids Playing Near Bats

Scientists believe the Ebola outbreak began with a 2-year-old boy who was infected by bats while playing in a hollow tree. A team led by Dr. Fabian Leendertz of Germany’s Robert Koch Institute went to Guinea for four weeks beginning last April, the BBC reports. Locals from the village of Meliandou, made up of just […]
Cause Of Ebola Outbreak In Africa May Have Been Kids Playing Near Bats

Click here to view full content

The Newest Taxi In Russia Is A Badass Soviet Armored Car (Video)

The owner of a reconnaissance vehicle from the former Soviet Union has been granted a permit to use the armored car as a taxi. St. Petersburg officials made the allowance under the condition that the vehicle’s camouflage was painted red, the same shade of the city’s fire trucks. It costs a little less than the […]
The Newest Taxi In Russia Is A Badass Soviet Armored Car (Video)

Click here to view full content

Hubble Telescope Sees Awesome Galaxy 60 Million Light-Years Away (Photo)

NASA’s Hubble Telescope has captured a spectacular sideways view of a galaxy 60 million light-years away. According to the Huffington Post, the 45-light-year-long galaxy, known as IC 335, is one of four star systems located in the Fornax Dwarf Galaxy. There are three types of galaxies: elliptical, spiral and irregular. Classifying IC 335 is difficult […]
Hubble Telescope Sees Awesome Galaxy 60 Million Light-Years Away (Photo)

Click here to view full content

Daily Picdump #1271

Daily Picdump #1271






























Continue to Daily Picdump #1270 >>>


Click here to view full content

To the Extreme: The Quickest, Slowest, Thirstiest, Lightest—and Much More—Cars We Tested This Year

This is how the hundreds of cars we tested in 2014 stack up—at the extremes.

Click here to view full content

Beastly: Ford Trademarks EcoBeast Name, Possibly for 2016 Raptor

Ford has trademarked the name “EcoBeast,” and to our ears, it sounds tailor-made for the next Raptor pickup. The trademark filing on December 22, first reported by the blog Motrolix, appears to be a new take on Ford’s turbocharged EcoBoost engines that power nearly every Blue Oval product. But the nickname isn’t really new. F-150 […]

Click here to view full content

Piero Ferrari “Excited about Generational Change” Underway at Ferrari

While the automotive world is in a snit about the changes being made at supercar maker and racing powerhouse (well, former powerhouse, anyway) Ferrari, the guy you’d think would have the most sentimental attachment to the company doesn’t seem to have a problem with them. According to a report on Fox Sports, which in turn […]

Click here to view full content

Because Snow Falls on the Rich, Too: Aston Martin to Host Instructional Winter Getaway for Owners

This year, Aston Martin hosted a retreat for owners in the Colorado Rockies, teaching performance ice driving and advanced low-traction handling skills. The company termed the inaugural event “hugely successful,” so now there’s a repeat. In early 2015, 10 acres of ice will be groomed for sideways Aston antics near Crested Butte. On the menu: […]

Click here to view full content

2015 Lexus RC350 F Sport – Instrumented Test

Click here to view full content

2015 Lexus RC350 F Sport Tested: Don’t Let the Musculature Fool You

Sure, it sports bulging fender flares, Porsche 959–esque slatted vents in its rear quarters, and a menacing spindle-shaped maw that looks like it inhales pavement by the slab, but don’t let the plumage fool you. The F Sport iteration of the new Lexus RC350 is really a smooth operator and more of a spiritual successor […]

Click here to view full content

The 25 Most Fab Celebrity Looks Of 2014

As voted by you.




















Jenny Chang /

















Kristen Bell At The Film Independent Spirit Awards

With 1,899 votes.




Danny Moloshok / Reuters / Via .com

















Ashley Greene At Oakley’s Disruptive Event

With 1,909 votes.




Parisa/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES / Via .com

















Anna Kendrick At The UNICEF Ball

With 1,915 votes.




Parisa/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES / Via .com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Tell Us About Yourself(ie): AnnaLynne McCord

Michael Buckner / Getty. Chris Ritter / .




What's your wallpaper on your phone and/or computer?A picture of me and my girls in Cambodia laughing; they're the queens of selfies on my iPhone.When you walk into a bar, what do you typically order?Ideally, Evian. If not, then whatever H20 they offer. I'm notorious for "getting drunk on water." You kinda have to be there.
























What's the one word you are guilty of using too often?"Ohwow." Coined by my bestie and composer for my short film, Chloe Flower, it's two words said in a loud whisper, really fast and ideally with a healthy dose of judgment. What is the last thing you searched for on Google?NFL... Everything. 'Tis the season. Who is the last person that called or texted you?My ex. You asked. We're friends :)What was the last awkward situation you were in and how did you handle it?I don't often find myself in awkward situations, but I certainly relish creating them for others. I am Master of "Mind in the Gutter" and being as "Inappropriate as Possible at the Most Inopportune Times."When is the last time you went to a theater?
























Saw John Wick. Alone. I'm sad.What TV show should everyone be watching?If they haven't seen it, then they should binge-watch Dexter.And what is your TV guilty pleasure?See above. Michael C. Hall is EVERYTHING. Intelligent and dark? Dexter is so hot!! #TwistedMindsWhat's the first CD you bought?Pretty sure that would have been "Hit Me Baby One More Time," by Ms. Britney Spears.What is the one food you cannot resist?
























In-N-Out burgers. Can't help myself. Dream about them when I'm out of town.What music are you currently listening to?I'm currently sitting in silence answering these interview questions. ;-) - Last listened to... "Gods and Monsters" by Lana Del Rey.What drives you absolutely crazy?I'm someone who can handle pretty much anything you throw at me, but if someone does something that is, in my opinion, just plain stupid lacking common sense ...I might go Female Hulk on them. Red is more my color over green. Pick one: Kittens or puppies?Kittens. Obvs. I have two.New York or Los Angeles?
























NYC people. L.A. weather.Comedy or drama?Drama.Bacon or Nutella?Allergic to hazelnut. I know, so sad. Bacon, it is.Coffee or tea?Tea all the way.'80s or '90s?Eh, not the best decades, but I was born in the '80s. So, '80s.
























NSYNC or BSB?I guess I'm old — now the most recent thing I've googled is this question. OK, this is my era lol. Not a big boy band fan clearly — NSYNC, I guess?Hannah Montana or Lizzie McGuire?Miley Cyrus. And finally: Tell us a secret.What're you gonna do for me?OK... So... During football season, when I'm alone... I... may or may not... watch NFL naked. I know. I know. It's weird. That's why it is a secret. Or why it was. Football fans are superstitious. #JustSayin
























Get involved in AnnaLynne's charities: IChoose and NewSomalyFund.​




Click here to view full content

17 Times Sofia Vergara & Joe Manganiello Were The Hottest Humans In Existence

And now, soon-to-be the most beautiful married couple in the world.













In case you need to be reminded, this stunning, talented, and fabulously sassy actress is Sofia Vergara.






Getty Images Jason Merritt

















And this is the sexy, studly actor made of steel, Joe Manganiello.






Twitter: @JoeManganiello

















The painfully beautiful couple just got engaged over the holidays, and as you can see, have officially been crowned the Hottest Couple In The World*.




*Awarded to them by me, because it's true.


instagram.com

















They are truly a walking pair of perfection. And in this dark and cruel world, they are the light that reminds us all that true love still exists.




????


instagram.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Is It Gonna Be Forever, Or Is It Gonna Go Down In Flames?

We’ll let you know in advance whether or not the high is worth the pain.














Click here to view full content

16 Mesmerizing Reasons The World Is Ready For A Ja Rule Comeback

He’s always there when you call.













When you think of pop-rap in the 2000s, one name comes to mind: Ja Rule.



Nelly is a close second.


Frank Micelotta / ImageDirect / Via Getty Images

















And the ingredients are all present for him to come back in full force in 2015.






The Island Def Jam Music Group / Via youtube.com

















MTV is producing a reality TV show about his family called Follow the Rules.




Actual quote from Ja on the show: “Family tradition will never be the same b*tch… Lmao!!!”


instagram.com

















He released a memoir this year called Unruly, about growing up in Queens, hip-hop, fatherhood, and his time in prison.






HarperCollins Publishers / Via allhiphop.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

10 Life Lessons We Learned From "Life Of Ryan"

Today is Ryan Sheckler’s birthday, so let’s remember one of MTV’s greatest shows.













Remember this show?






MTV / mtv.rs

















Well, this is Ryan Sheckler now:



Pretty much the same.


Getty Images Brendon Thorne

















And today he turns 25!




(Aw snap!!!)


instagram.com

















So, in honor of Ryan, we decided to put together a list of all the things he taught us on his reality show...






MTV / images1.fanpop.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Ten One Design’s Mountie Clip Is Perfect For Duet’s iPad Display App

 Your mobile two-screen setup just got a lot more perfect: Ten One Design has launched the Mountie, a two-sided clip that securely mounts an iPad, iPhone or any other mobile device to your MacBook or iMac’s bezel, while remaining small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or laptop case accessory compartment. The Mountie isn’t the first gadget to do what it does, but it does appear to… Read More

Click here to view full content

The Kairos T-Band Turns Your Dumb Watch Into A Smart Watch

 Another day, another wearable design. This time it’s something called the Kairos T-Band, a watch band that connects to your normal watch and enables all sorts of exciting things like step tracking and notifications. I’ve seen a few of these sorts of things over the past year – one company hid everything inside a nice leather band and didn’t include a screen – and… Read More

Click here to view full content

In Cybercrime, What’s Old Is New Again

 Like most cases, this one started with a frantic call from a restaurant owner. The panic and uncertainty bled through the phone. He had just been notified his business suffered a payment card data breach and his acquiring bank mandated he hire an investigator to determine what happened. The on-site setup was typical for a small, medium-sized restaurant – a few point of sale (POS)… Read More

Click here to view full content

Manufacturing Reboots Talent Engine In A New Age Of Digital Disruption

 In the context of winning in today’s marketplace, businesses can either disrupt or be disrupted. But how can a business disrupt the market when its talent engine has stalled? Whether a company makes clothing, household cleaning products, cars, healthcare or nearly anything else, they need people with the right skills. Like other businesses, today’s manufacturers are going… Read More

Click here to view full content

Grocery Delivery Startup Instacart Raises $210 Million More

 Grocery delivery startup Instacart has raised an additional $210 million, according to an SEC filing on Monday. The filing confirms a Series C funding round reported earlier this month, which values the company at more than $2 billion. Kleiner Pe...

Click here to view full content

Sponsor // Get 50% Off the Craftsy Online Class ‘Sketchbooks: Drawing the Everyday’

Masterpieces are born in the artist’s sketchbook, but are your drawing skills up to the challenge? Luckily, Craftsy is here to help. For a limited time, get 50% off the online Craftsy class Sketchbooks: Drawing the Everyday — a special offer for Colossal readers — with guidance from internationally renowned artist Paul Heaston. In these […]

Click here to view full content

Bone Music: How Banned Western Music in the Soviet Union Was Printed on Repurposed X-Ray Records

Photos via Jozsef Hajdu and Ksenia Vytuleva Photos via Jozsef Hajdu If you asked me when the history of bootleg music began, I would have assumed it arrived with the invention of the cassette tape, something small, inexpensive and portable that was easily duplicated in any garage from deck A to deck B. In reality, […]

Click here to view full content

How Two Brothers Survived A Tsunami And Became Millionaires

There is perhaps nothing more resilient than the human spirit. We can lose everything that we hold dear, and still strive forward in the world. No matter how bad things may seem today, tomorrow is just around the corner. Those who have endured tragedy understand this notion better than anyone. On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 […]
How Two Brothers Survived A Tsunami And Became Millionaires

Click here to view full content

Jones: ‘I’m giving DC what he wanted’

“Daniel Cormier’s been asking for this fight for a long time. He beat Dan Henderson,...
The post Jones: ‘I’m giving DC what he wanted’ appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Condit Interested In Nick Diaz Rematch

“You know, Nick Diaz is back in the picture and I was thinking about maybe...
The post Condit Interested In Nick Diaz Rematch appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

UFC 182 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 1

On episode #1 of UFC 182 Embedded, two bitter rivals zero in on the task...
The post UFC 182 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 1 appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

RELEASED!

Charlie Brenneman has announced that his second stint with the UFC has come to a...
The post RELEASED! appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Hendo Fires Back At Jones

When a fan recently fired off at Jon Jones for his defamatory comments about Dan...
The post Hendo Fires Back At Jones appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Jones Compliments Cormier’s Ability To Compete With His Body Type

“I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s anything I like about him. I do respect that he’s...
The post Jones Compliments Cormier’s Ability To Compete With His Body Type appeared first on BJPENN.COM.

Click here to view full content

Dominic Patten’s Top 10 New TV Shows Of 2014 (Part One)

In an era when options for watching (and producing and distributing) great TV came from seemingly everywhere, I had lots to choose from in pulling together my year-end choices for the top 10 best new shows for 2014.
In the video above, I talk about the bottom half of that top 10. I have to confess that, with all the great choices out there, I did cheat a bit in how many made the bottom “half.” We have a tie at No. 6 with two vibrant period pieces that, as I say, leave Down…

Click here to view full content

Howard Schultz, Creator Of ‘Dating Naked’, ‘Extreme Makeover’, Dies

Howard Schultz, executive producer and creator of Dating Naked, Extreme Makeover, and other reality shows, and founder and CEO of Lighthearted Entertainment, died unexpectedly Monday while vacationing with his family in Hawaii. He was 61.
Schultz formed Lighthearted Entertainment in 1992, where he created and produced a string of shows including Bedroom Buddies, Goodnight America, Jones & Jury, The Smarter Sex, The George and Alana Show, and The Big Date, which ran for…

Click here to view full content

18 Covers Of Pop Songs That Breathe New Life Into The Originals

Because it never hurts to mix things up a little.













"Use Somebody," Scala & Kolacny Brothers



This soft, sweet piano and choral arrangement makes Kings of Leon's rock anthem sound like something straight out of Downton Abbey.


Via http://youtube.com

















“Baby One More Time," Bowling for Soup



Britney Spears' bubblegum debut gets a brand new attitude in this darker, punky remake.


Via http://youtube.com

















“Hot in Herre," Jenny Owen Youngs



The folk singer shows her fun side by taking on Nelly's sexy-fied hip-hop romp.


Via http://youtube.com

















“I Knew You Were Trouble," Walk off the Earth



These quirky Canadians love putting their unique spin on pop songs. Here they take on Taylor Swift with a damn fun a cappella arrangement.


Via http://youtube.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

From Internet To Internets

 Over the past few days, China has blocked access to servers required to use Gmail through its Great Firewall. Earlier this month, Spain passed a law that requires Google to pay fees to publishers for every single snippet of a news article the company uses with Google News. Russia blocked the websites of several of Vladimir Putin’s critics, and also convinced Facebook to block the page of… Read More

Click here to view full content

Latest Snowden Revelations Expose Scope Of NSA Interceptions

 Over the weekend, German news outlet Spiegel published a story about the NSA’s ability to crack encrypted forms of communication, exposing the agency’s routine interception of SSL/TLS, which are used by web servers to transmit sensitive information. The report also exposed the fact that the agency has the ability to decrypt a virtual private network. Read More

Click here to view full content

Microsoft Is Rumored To Be Building A New Browser That Is Not Internet Explorer

 Remember when Chrome was fast? Microsoft might, if ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley’s recent report that the software company is building a lightweight browser, codenamed “Spartan,” bears out. According to Foley, Spartan is “new” and “isn’t [Internet Explorer].” Her post notes that it could be set free inside of the Windows 10 release schedule. In… Read More

Click here to view full content

Google X’s Astro Teller Says Wearables Still Need A Killer App

 Back in November, I had a chance to visit Google’s Mountain View headquarters to chat with Astro Teller, the head of Google X’s so-called “moonshot” projects, about the past, present, and future of wearables. Read More

Click here to view full content

15 "Iggy Freestyle" Posts That Prove Tumblr Has No Chill

“Iggy give us a freestyle.”













Iggy Of Waverley Place






Via vodkaclifford.tumblr.com

















GREENS






Via playbillpimp.tumblr.com

















It's Iggy from State Farm.






Via nohomophil.tumblr.com

















Theme songs always make good freestyles.






Via prince0fvenus.tumblr.com




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

White House Police Task Force To Meet Before State Of The Union

The task force is expected to meet amid heightened tensions between protesters, politicians, and police officers following the murder of two New York City police officers.




















Stephanie Keith / Reuters














WASHINGTON — The special policing task force appointed by the White House is expected to meet before President Obama's State of the Union address as additional officer-involved shootings, including fallout from the assassination of two NYPD officers in Brooklyn, have sparked added tension between police and civilians.

Two events — the shooting of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in Brooklyn, and the shooting death of 18-year-old Antonio Martin at a gas station in Berkeley, Mo., — made national headlines after Obama signed an Executive Order to create the Task Force on 21st Century Policing earlier this month.

The task force, which will examine "how to strengthen public trust and foster strong relationships between local law enforcement and the communities that they protect," follows tensions over police tactics and scrutiny of the use of military-grade equipment by local forces.

The recent events serve to sharpen the focus of the task force's goals, an official with knowledge of the proceeding told News. The official said the NYPD shootings were "an incredible tragedy and reaction on both sides is a reflection on how emotional these issues are on both sides, but especially for the people who are concerned about the deaths of the two policemen."

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the task force, said one of the most effective steps the group will take will be looking at how officer-involved shootings are investigated, due to public distrust in how police handle those investigations. The key to strengthening relationships between the police and communities, the official said, is to examine policies and procedure and to create concrete dialogue between police and communities.

"We're going to be looking at what we can see in terms of solutions looking forward," the official said. "It's got to be a path forward that we build in a very constructive way."

The NYPD shootings have also underscored the importance of officer safety and the vital role it plays in criminal justice, the official said.

The official said, more broadly, changes in how police are trained in matters like de-escalation of conflict and dealing with the mentally ill are key factors in making sure that officers are safer on the streets.

Said the official, defending Holder's record on the safety police officers, "It's a balanced approach."




Click here to view full content

Windows 10 could come with a brand new Microsoft browser

We've heard lots and lots of rumors about Windows 10, but until now there's been little word about what browser the new operating system will use.According to ZDNet's sources Microsoft is building a completely new browser to replace the ubiquitous but oft-maligned Internet Explorer.This new Windows browser is being called "Spartan," and it seems it's a completely new browser not based on Internet Explorer at all.This is pretty surprising, considering how long Microsoft has stuck with Internet Explorer, but what isn't shocking is that the new browser will reportedly look and feel more like Chrome and Firefox.Future revelationsPreview builds of Windows 10 have included a desktop version of Internet Explorer, though granted an old version that was always bound to be replaced in future Windows 10 builds.Microsoft creating a new browser from scratch would explain why they haven't fit a new version into any Windows 10 previews so far.However the new browser will reportedly use Microsoft's Chakra JavaScript and Trident engines rather than the common WebKit, just like IE does, and Windows 10 may actually ship with both Spartan and the existing version of Internet Explorer 11 (or one slightly updated) for backward compatibility's sake."Spartan" for now is just a codename, but we may find out exactly what the new Windows browser will be called at Microsoft's impending January event.The Nexus 6 is Google's best Nexus yet

Click here to view full content

Argentina President Adopts A Jewish Boy So He Won’t Become A Werewolf

The president of Argentina has adopted a Jewish boy as her godson to prevent him from transforming into a werewolf. According to the Independent, Argentinian folklore says the seventh son of any family will become “el lobison” on the Friday after his 13th birthday. The boy then transforms into a werewolf at midnight whenever there […]
Argentina President Adopts A Jewish Boy So He Won’t Become A Werewolf

Click here to view full content

Couple Perfectly Responds To Person Who Left Homophobic Slur On Door

As a kid, you may have been taught bullies thrive on their victims’ reactions, and that the best way to get rid of a bully is to ignore him or her. One couple decided to handle the situation in a different way when a pathetic, homophobic idiot cruelly scrawled “faggots” on their door. They responded in the […]
Couple Perfectly Responds To Person Who Left Homophobic Slur On Door

Click here to view full content

Man Survives Freezing Alaska Wild And Fights Off Wolverines For 3 Days

Here’s a story seemingly straight out of a Hollywood movie. An Alaskan man named Craig Johnson survived for three days after being stranded in the remote Alaskan wilderness. Johnson was making an 80-mile journey by snowmobile to see his family for Christmas when his vehicle broke through the ice. He was able to climb out of […]
Man Survives Freezing Alaska Wild And Fights Off Wolverines For 3 Days

Click here to view full content

US Cities Are Burning Old Money To Provide Electricity For Homes

Old paper currency is usually either shredded and brought to landfills or recycled to make other materials. But not in Philadelphia. An official from the city’s Federal Reserve Bank has revealed that any paper money rendered unacceptable is burned and converted into electricity. According to Gizmodo, what used to be sent to landfills now goes […]
US Cities Are Burning Old Money To Provide Electricity For Homes

Click here to view full content

14-Year-Old Escapes ISIS By Volunteering To Be Suicide Bomber

Syria’s Usaid Barho ran away from home on his way to school one day to join the Islamic State. Jihadists recruiting outside of a mosque convinced the 14-year-old Sunni that their militant group was fighting a righteous religious battle. The boy said, I believed in Islam. They told him that if he did not help […]
14-Year-Old Escapes ISIS By Volunteering To Be Suicide Bomber

Click here to view full content

These Firefighters Just Released A Calendar Full Of Hot Men And Puppies (Photos)

Christmas may be over, but the Fire Department of Charleston, South Carolina just blessed the world with one final holiday gift — the release of its annual calendar featuring half-naked firemen cozying up to pint-sized puppies and kittens. These firemen aren’t your ordinary rescue workers, either. They’re like, the Ryan Goslings of the firefighting world. In essence, […]
These Firefighters Just Released A Calendar Full Of Hot Men And Puppies (Photos)

Click here to view full content

Soldiers Were Forced To Relocate Their Wedding So Obama Could Golf

Natalie Heimel and Edward Mallue, Jr. had the president in mind in the days leading up to their Hawaii wedding. The two Army captains knew Barack Obama spends Christmas in the Aloha state, so they sent him an invitation to their wedding at the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course, located on the Marine Corps Base Hawaii. […]
Soldiers Were Forced To Relocate Their Wedding So Obama Could Golf

Click here to view full content

‘Undercover Boss’ Rewards Waitress With Boob Job She Always Wanted

It’s said that in Texas, everything is bigger. That sentiment certainly applies when it comes to Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, a restaurant made popular by the waitress’ skimpy bikini uniforms. CBS’s “Undercover Boss” recently featured the restaurant chain in an episode, in which the restaurant’s CEO and founder Doug Guller went undercover to learn […]
‘Undercover Boss’ Rewards Waitress With Boob Job She Always Wanted

Click here to view full content

The 5 Best Long-Wear Lip Colors To Get You Through The Holiday Season

We already know all about the transformative power of makeup, but what about everyday wear? Which products offer the most bang for your buck and have the power to take your look from zero to 100 in just one application? Answer: lip color. There is nothing quite as “notice me” as a colorful, bold lip — and […]
The 5 Best Long-Wear Lip Colors To Get You Through The Holiday Season

Click here to view full content

5 Sparkly Nail Polishes To Make Your New Year’s Eve Shine Bright

Beauty trends emerge and disappear just as fashion does: in a cyclical manner, with new trends often standing in stark contrast to the tired ones they’re replacing. And as 2014 comes to a close, so will one of the year’s biggest trends: Nail art. 2015 will instead favor clean, simple manicures, with opaque hues and […]
5 Sparkly Nail Polishes To Make Your New Year’s Eve Shine Bright

Click here to view full content

What Anxiety Actually Is, Since It’s Certainly Not ‘Just Worrying’

Anxiety disorder is far more extensive than an ailment of someone who just worries too much. It is reflective of complete panic and it affects every aspect of life for those who suffer from it. Anxiety has always been a part of my life. It isn’t something I talk about often, I suppose due to […]
What Anxiety Actually Is, Since It’s Certainly Not ‘Just Worrying’

Click here to view full content

Name That Shifter, No. 211

It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to present this week’s shifter. You’ll have until midday Wednesday to identify the make and model of the vehicle whence this shifter came. The first person to respond correctly in the Backfires section below will win a Save the Manuals button and sticker.* Good luck! (* Offer open […]

Click here to view full content

The Final Countdown: The 13 Worst-Selling Cars of 2014

The list of the year's top-selling cars rarely surprises. It’s the cars that finish the year on the other end of the list that have a story to tell, and their tale is not always a sad one.

Click here to view full content

Last Call: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Final Concept Ups Output to 473 hp

Mitsubishi has been taking the legendary Evo X on a farewell tour of sorts, pumping out muscular special editions before canceling the AWD sedan and replacing it with some type of hybrid crossover. Clearly, Mitsu saved the best for last—witness the Evo X Concept Final, the most powerful Evo to ever roll off the assembly line, bringing […]

Click here to view full content

BMW 2002

Click here to view full content

Vacation’s Over for the Stig, As New Top Gear Season Nears

Top Gear has been in the news lately thanks to some dust-ups surrounding the show’s Patagonia special. But things will soon be back to normal–or as “normal” as anything involving Clarkson, May, and Hammond can be–when Season 22 of the pokey motoring show debuts. Here’s the BBC’s latest teaser to whet your appetite for automotive mayhem. It seems Top Gear‘s […]

Click here to view full content

Uncanny Moments on the Streets of China Photographed by Water Meter Reader Tao Liu

The 32-year old Tao Liu knows the city of Hefei like his backyard. Since 2005 he’s traveled up, down and across the city in Eastern China on his motorbike reading water meters for a local utilities company. The job was tedious, exhausting and unrewarding, until he picked up a camera. For the past 3 years […]

Click here to view full content

8 Things We Learned About Shake Shack From Its IPO Filing

From Manhattan’s unique love affair with the Shackburger to concerns about the fate of Moscow’s Shake Shacks amid Western sanctions, there was plenty to learn in the company’s SEC filing.




















M. Bitter / Via flic.kr







































Danny Meyer, chief founder of the Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack.


AFP / Getty Images NICHOLAS KAMM














That's equivalent to about 1.5 million of their $4.95 Shackburgers, which would equal more than 4,000 burgers sold each day, per location. Manhattan is the star market for the chain, with average store sales almost double that of non-Manhattan outlets.







View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

100 Basic Things That Perfectly Sum Up The Year 2014

Yes, 2014 was a year unlike any we’ve seen in a very long time. It was the year social media decided to exploit every single possible thing under the guise of bringing it greater awareness. Selfies may have been around prior to this year, but as everyone knows, this was the time they really blew up. Celebrity scandals […]
100 Basic Things That Perfectly Sum Up The Year 2014

Click here to view full content

7 Types Of Girls You Will Absolutely Come Across On New Year’s Eve

Ah, a new year is upon us… … and the inevitable overflow of teenage to 20-something girls, gallivanting through Forever 21 to find the “perfect NYE outfit.” At 25, I’ve seen my fair share of New Year’s Eve bashes. From clubs in the city to low-key house parties, I’ve gathered an array of knowledge to […]
7 Types Of Girls You Will Absolutely Come Across On New Year’s Eve

Click here to view full content

4 Ways We All Secretly Judge Everyone Getting Engaged On Facebook

There are three holidays when “surprise” engagements flood our Facebooks and take over our Instagrams: Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Valentines Day. So far, we have survived the Christmas influx. That being said, seeing our Facebook friends popping the question right as we graduate fills us with mild anxiety. For those of us who are […]
4 Ways We All Secretly Judge Everyone Getting Engaged On Facebook

Click here to view full content

How I Really Feel About Your Engagement News On Facebook

To All of My Facebook Friends Who Just Got Engaged, I understand you’ve been dating your significant other for five years (or six months) and you’re madly in love, and you’ve just received a $4,000 diamond ring that you just have to show off to everyone you know because ohmygod, you’re engaged (!!!). But, forgive […]
How I Really Feel About Your Engagement News On Facebook

Click here to view full content

New Year’s Resolution Remix: 15 Things To Stop Doing In 2015

My favorite thing about the New Year is that it allows for a magical sense of renewal and a chance to start fresh. It is the day we resolve to leave the past behind and move forward. It is the day we fill ourselves up with courage and tell ourselves this is the year we […]
New Year’s Resolution Remix: 15 Things To Stop Doing In 2015

Click here to view full content

Patient In Scotland Has Ebola

The person recently visited Sierra Leone. This is the first confirmed case in the U.K.




















CDC file, via Associated Press














The patient, a female healthcare worker who returned from Sierra Leone on Sunday, is being treated at Gartnavel Hospital, the BBC reported.

The patient flew on a British Airways flight via Casablanca and Heathrow airport in London before landing in Glasgow around 11:30 p.m, according to a statement by the Scottish Government. She was placed in isolation at 7:50 a.m on Monday.

"All possible contacts with the patient are now being investigated and anyone deemed to be at risk will be contacted and closely monitored," the Scottish government said.

This is the first confirmed case of Ebola in the United Kingdom. The deadly virus has killed nearly 7,900 in West Africa. Although several cases have been reported in the United States and Spain, only one Ebola patient has died in the West.

















LINK: Here’s How Many People Have Died From Ebola So Far







Click here to view full content

DirecTV Price Hikes Target Its Priciest Packages As Consumers Look For Value

Those with the biggest packages will see the steepest increases according to the rate plans that will take effect on February 5. The Ultimate plan is up 6% to $86.99 and Premier is +5.4% to $136.99  Yet the basic Entertainment package will just rise 3.5% to $59.99, DirecTV says.
This year's annual price hike is especially tricky for DirecTV. It doesn't want to alarm the the FCC or Justice Department, which are reviewing its planned merger with AT&T.  Execs also fear that…

Click here to view full content

‘Sunday Night Football’ Wraps Season, ‘The Mentalist’ Ends Sunday Run

Last night's Cincinnati Bengals-Pittsburgh Steelers game marked the season finale of NBC's Sunday Night Football. The game between the two teams that had already secured playoff berths drew a 12.7 rating from 8:30-11:30 PM ET in metered market households. That was down significantly from last year's Week 17 game (16.8), a “win or go home” matchup between popular NFL team the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. Versus the last Week 17 game that was not “win or go…

Click here to view full content