Mad Dog Vachon; Famed wrestler 'Mad Dog' Vachon dies at 84

Maurice Vachon

Maurice Vachon was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Mad Dog" Vachon. He is the brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestler Luna Vachon.

Born: September 14, 1929, Ville-Émard, Canada

Died: November 21, 2013

Height: 1.75 m

Weight: 104 kg

Siblings: Paul Vachon, Vivian Vachon

TV shows: AWA All-Star Wrestling

 

Maurice (Mad Dog) Vachon wrestled for 44 years, had about 13,000 matches and once said he did everything he could to make people hate him.

"I failed miserably," he grinningly admitted of his attempts to arouse dislike.

That's probably an understatement for the growling tough guy who achieved folk-hero status in his home province of Quebec as he pioneered the now-familiar trash-talking of opponents straight into the TV camera.

Vachon died in his sleep early Thursday at his home in Nebraska. He was 84.

One of 13 children, including his brother and sometime tag-team partner Paul (The Butcher) and wrestling sister Vivian, Maurice Vachon went on to alternate between being a ring villain and underdog hero.

While Vachon will be best remembered for his evil grins and grappling in the ring, Theriault said there's a big difference between Mad Dog and the man himself.

"He wasn't a bad guy," he said. "He had a heart as big as the world."

 

Brittany Murphy's cause of death challenged by father

The father of actress Brittany Murphy, who died in late 2009, is challenging the official cause of death.

Nearly four years after Brittany Murphy's death, the father of the Hollywood starlet has challenged the official cause amid speculation that the actress could have been poisoned.

Katy Perry 

 

Katheryn Elizabeth "Katy" Hudson, better known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, philanthropist, and actress. She was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. 

Born: October 25, 1984 (age 29), Santa Barbara, California, United States

Spouse: Russell Brand (m. 2010–2012)

Movies and TV shows: The Smurfs 2, Good Morning America, More

Parents: Keith Hudson, Mary Perry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the release of her latest album, Prism, Perry is hitting the road early next year for what she is calling the Prismatic World Tour. So far, only a handful of dates in the U.K. have been unveiled, though Perry promises this is merely the tip of the candy iceberg. “DON’T WORRY – more GLOBAL tour dates coming soon! I can’t wait to get closer to ALL of you than ever before!” she tweeted.
Icona Pop will serve as the opening act across the first 11 concerts, which means they’ll be having a busy new year –they’re also booked to open up Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz tour, which launches in February.
When EW spoke to Perry about the tour, she played it relatively close to the vest, but did hint at what fans might be in store for. “I always try to take it to the next level,” she told EW. “I think people will realize what the tour is going to be like when they listen to the music.” And like her tweet, she promised some sort of intimacy. “Let’s just say I’m going to be very close to people,” she said.
 

Doris Lessing;a model for every writer coming from the back of beyond

Doris Lessing

Novelist

Doris May Lessing CH was a British novelist, poet, playwright, librettist, biographer and short story writer.

Born: October 22, 1919, Kermanshah, Iran

Died: November 17, 2013, London, United Kingdom

Children: Peter Lessing, Jean Wisdom, John Wisdom

Spouse: Gottfried Lessing (m. 1945–1949), Frank Wisdom (m. 1939–1943)

Awards: Nobel Prize in Literature, Somerset Maugham Award

Inventive, brave, down-to-earth – she never hedged her bets or pulled her punches, doing everything with all her heart.
 

Wonderful Doris Lessing has died. You never expect such rock-solid features of the literary landscape to simply vanish. It's a shock.

I first encountered Lessing on a park bench in Paris in 1963. I was a student, living on baguettes, oranges and cheese, as one did, and suffering from a stomach ailment, as one did. My pal Alison Cunningham and I had been barred from our hostel during the day, so Alison was soothing my prostrate self by reading from The Golden Notebook, which was all the rage among such as us. Who knew we were reading a book that was soon to become iconic?

As we age, we face a choice of caricatures; for women writers vis à vis younger ones, it's Cruella De Vil versus Glinda the Good. I encountered my share of Cruellas along the way, but Doris Lessing was one of the Glindas. In that respect, she was an estimable model. And she was a model also for every writer coming from the back of beyond, demonstrating – as she so signally did – that you can be a nobody from nowhere, but, with talent, courage, perseverance through hard times, and a dollop of luck, you can scale the topmost storyheights.

George Zimmerman; George Zimmerman Under Arrest Again

George Zimmerman has been charged with assault after his girlfriend called deputies to the home where they were living and claimed he pointed a shotgun at her during an argument, authorities said.

The girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, called 911 early afternoon Monday (local time) to say that Zimmerman had smashed a glass table, threatened her with the shotgun and ultimately pushed her out of the house, according to an arrest report. After pushing her out, Zimmerman barricaded the door with furniture and refused to leave, saying that he would talk to police by phone, authorities said.

The arrest was the latest legal problem for Zimmerman since he was acquitted last summer of criminal charges in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen. The trial stoked a discussion on racial profiling across the country.

"You point your gun at my fricking face," Samantha Scheibe is heard telling Zimmerman on a 911 call. "Get out of my house. Do not push me out of my house. Please get out of my house."

Seconds later, she told the dispatcher, "You kidding me? He pushed me out of my house and locked me out. ... He knows how to do this. He knows how to play this game." 

George Zimmerman's new mugshot from Nov. 18, 2013.

Brittany Murphy; Was Brittany Murphy murdered?

Brittany Murphy

Actress

Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack, known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American film and stage actress, singer, producer and voice artist.

Born: November 10, 1977, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Died: December 20, 2009, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States

Spouse: Simon Monjack (m. 2007–2009)

TV shows: King of the Hill, Boy Meets World, Sister, Sister, More

Parents: Angelo Bertolotti, Sharon Murphy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was Brittany Murphy murdered?

Actress Brittany Murphy may have been murdered, a new toxicology report suggests.

Murphy, 32, of Clueless fame, was found dead by her mother in her home in California on December 20, 2009.

The Los Angeles Coroner originally attributed her death to pneumonia and anaemia.

Hydro One; Strong winds cause damage and power outages

High winds cause damage

High winds cause damage

High winds cause damage

Thousands of people were still left in the dark Monday morning after strong winds swept across Central and Southern Ontario – including Simcoe County, York Region and Muskoka.

The heavy rain and wind gusts rolled in late Sunday evening and continued overnight causing damage and power outages across the region.

Wind gust were measured up to 104 km/h along the Georgian Bay shoreline and up to 90 km/h inland.

In Tiny Township, large trees were uprooted and came crashing down on powerlines and roadways.

"I saw the hydro lines split in half and of course boom no power, it took only seconds," said Patricia Lefaive after she watched her neighbours tree come crashing down on power lines this morning.

At the height of the storm, Hydro One says more than 100,000 customers were without power.

Hydro crews have been working around the clock assessing the damage and restoring power. Some service had been restored this morning but  by the noon hour more than 18 thousand customers were still without power across Central Ontario.

According to Hydro One, Hunstville is one of the hardest hit areas with nearly 4, 000 customers still in the dark.

Hyrdo crews were also busy today working to restore power in Aurora, Barrie, Bolton, Muskoka, Orangeville, Orillia, Parry Sound and communities in the Georgian Bay area.

At this point hydro officials don't know when power is expected to be fully restored.

Bitcoin;Bitcoin gets its day in the limelight

Bitcoin was so off the radar a year ago that Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz knew nothing of the virtual currency until it was woven into the plot of a popular American television show.

“I first heard about it on The Good Wife,” Mr. Poloz said during a September visit to the central bank’s Calgary office, referring to the CBS legal drama, which produced an episode inspired by the mysterious origins of Bitcoin in early 2012.

 

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a completely decentralized form of virtual currency that enables direct payment over the internet by skipping the middleman, which is usually a bank or credit card company. Transactions are safe due to cryptography used to prevent double spending, counterfeiting, or theft. Users can use bitcoins for a variety of real transactions.

How does Bitcoin work?

Before a Bitcoin can be purchased, a user must install a virtual 'wallet' onto a personal computer or mobile device. The wallet is similar to personal finance software and keeps track of Bitcoin balance and transactions.

The user then pays for bitcoins, either through a credit card, bank account or anonymously with cash. Bitcoins are transferred directly into a Bitcoin account, and the user can send and receive payments directly to a buyer or seller.

Similar to trading stocks, a buyer can place an order for a Bitcoin through an exchange program once the funds are available. Bitcoins can also be purchased from third parties.

Strictly Come Dancing: hottest romances

Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev

The champions of 2010's Strictly Come Dancing celebrated their win with a passionate kiss. The lovebirds met after being partnered together and dazzled viewers with their onscreen chemistry, and moved into a north London flat together soon after. For the 2011 competition, Artem was partnered with Australian model and actress Holly Valance but the pair admited they had been squabbling in practice. Artem was partnered with Natalie Gumede for the 2013 competiton, and the strict teacher may just have met his match in the training room, as she is just as fierce!

Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna

They might not have won the 2009 competition but the ex-Hollyoaks actress and her all-American professional partner were certainly winners in love. Presenter Tess Daly admitted they made her "feel like Cilla Black". After Strictly they performed together in Burn the Floor, a sizzling West End dance show, before ending their relationship October 2010.

 

Almost Human;Your first 'Almost Human' crazy theory: Karl Urban is actually a robot

Fox's newest fall drama Almost Human finally premiered tonight, introducing viewers to J.J. Abrams' latest addition in his plan to single-handedly take over the entertainment world. Starring Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, and Minka Kelly, Almost Human is a series set thirty-five years in the future when humans in the Los Angeles Police Department are paired up with lifelike androids. (Think Robocop, but with a lot less armor, and a lot more heart.)

We're intrigued to know your thoughts on Abrams' newest venture into the sci-fi sanctum. Did Almost Human leave you in awe or was it just plan awful? That is the question we're asking you in our latest Save It or Sink It poll... 

 

Almost a hit, or almost a miss?

The future doesn’t look good. The streets are awash in drugs and weapons supplied by an elusive but ruthlessly efficient criminal organisation with corporate ties. The crime rate has ballooned by 400%. The police are undermanned to the extent they need to turn to technology for help. Enter the advanced combat model android. That’s the set-up for Robocop, the 1987 Paul Verhoeven film whose widely un-anticipated reboot appears early next year. By an amazing coincidence, it’s also the foundation on which Almost Human, the new man-and-machine buddy cop TV series from JJ Abrams’ genre assembly line, is built.

The embattled Toronto mayor is speaking to U.S. cable news networks prior to the debut of his own show, "Ford Nation."

 

Toronto mayor Rob Ford is chatting with U.S. cable news networks ahead of his new 

Canadian television show debut this week.

The ongoing saga of Rob Ford — the embattled Toronto mayor who admitted to smoking crack — is the kind of thing Saturday Night Live writers dream of. But Rob Ford is no pipe dream.

If this had happened during the Chris Farley era of SNL, we all know who would have been enlisted to play the role of Ford. But Bobby Moynihan gallantly stepped up to the plate, dusting off his best Canadian accent, his best crazy-eyed stare and his best all-around erraticism to bring new life to the disgraced mayor.

The sketch kicked off last night’s episode (hosted by Lady Gaga) and, of course, smoked Ford. But another target of the SNL writers’ snark was 60 Minutes, the show that will apparently believe just about anything anyone says — even Ford, who’s known, shall we say, to bend the truth.

UFC 167: Georges St-Pierre survives Johny Hendricks onslaught to retain Welterweight title

Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, left, poses with No. 1 challenger Johny (Bigg Rigg) Hendricks ahead of their UFC 167 showdown, in Las Vegas on Thursday. 

Toronto Maple Leafs get forwards Peter Holland, Brad Staubitz from Anaheim Ducks for Jesse Blacker, draft picks

The Toronto Maple Leafs hope they have plugged a hole at centre with the acquisition of Peter Holland from Anaheim on Saturday.

The former first-round pick -- one of the Ducks top young prospects -- is expected to play on one of Toronto's top lines on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Leafs got Holland, a 22-year-old from Caledon, Ont., along with minor leaguer Brad Staubitz for defenceman Jesse Blacker of the Marlies and a couple of draft picks -- a third round pick in 2014, which could become a second rounder if certain conditions are met, and the return of Anaheim's 2014 seventh round pick (which the Leafs had acquired in the David Steckel trade).

Blacker played five games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season collecting one goal and four penalty minutes. He was originally selected 58th overall by the Leafs in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Holland was originally Anaheim’s first choice, selected 15th overall in the 2009 entry draft. This season, the 6-2, 194-pound centre played four games for Anaheim scoring one goal and adding two penalty minutes. In 10 games with the AHL’s Norfork Admirals he registered a team leading nine points (five goals, four assists) along with 22 penalty minutes. In 29 career NHL games he has earned five goals, two assists and eight minutes in penalties.

Maple Leafs acquire Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz from the Anaheim Ducks

Sephora; Sephora pulls Kat Von D lipstick over 'degrading' name

Some people just aren't buying a particular shade of Kat Von D lipstick.

A color called "Celebutard" has been pulled from Sephora shelves after disability advocates and angry consumers spoke out via blog posts and online petitions and comments. The name, a term for a not-so-bright celebrity that references "retard," is plain offensive, says Faith Bodnar, the executive director of Inclusion BC, a non-profit that promotes the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in community life.

"It should have never been on the shelves to begin with," Bodnar told CTV News. "It's degrading, and there's no place for it."

The famous tattoo artist's Sephora lipstick line, Painted Love, also includes names such as "Underage Red," "Hellbent," "Backstage Bambi" and "Lolita."

Jumping in on damage control, Sephora told CTV that the offending shade would no longer be included in the collection. "It has come to our attention that the name of one shade of lipstick we carry has caused offense to some of our clients and others. We are deeply sorry for that," the statement said.

The Guardian Lorde; Lorde's song Royals deserves nuanced critique

The New Zealander's song is a direct response to the sensation of being overwhelmed by overseas culture - something which doesn't always translate abroad

 

Lorde performs live for fans at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia. 

Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty

'She's not supporting other women': Lingerie-clad Selena Gomez hits back at singer Lorde after she accuses ex-Disney stars of being 'anti-feminist'

New Zealand singer Lorde recently dissed her song Come And Get It, accusing it of being 'anti-feminist' and sending a bad message to fans.

And Selena Gomez is certainly not taking the teen's comments lying down, slamming the 17-year-old in return.

Speaking to Flaunt magazine, the 21-year-old took a swing at the Royals star, saying she would no longer be covering her hit song in any of her shows. 

Hitting back: In a new interview with Flaunt magazine, Selena Gomez hits back at New Zealand singer Lorde as she poses in a racy photo shoot

Sexy: The pop star poses in series of sexy ensembles in the images taken by Amanda de Cadenet

Philippines;Typhoon Haiyan slams Philippines

The strongest typhoon this year slammed into the Philippines on Friday, setting off landslides, knocking out power in several province and cutting communications in the country's central region of island provinces. Four people died.
Telephone lines appeared down as it was difficult to get through to the landfall site 650 kilometres southeast of Manila where Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the southern tip of Samar island before barrelling on to Leyte Island.

Two people were electrocuted in storm-related accidents, one person was killed by a fallen tree and another was struck by lightning, official reports said. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III speaks in a nationally televised address at the Malacanang palace in Manila, Philippines on Thursday. Thousands of people were removed from villages in the central Philippines before the typhoon struck. (The Associated Press)

Lululemon;I Am a Plus-Size Woman Who Has Never Ripped a Pair of Pants

Lululemon founder Chip Wilson has decided to blame women for the fact that there is "sheerness" through their popular yoga pants. He has not taken responsibility for the fabric or the way they are made, but rather decided to say that, "Frankly, some women's bodies just actually don't work [for the yoga pants]." He also said, "It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, and how much they use it."

Now, these are yoga pants. Yoga pants are supposed to be the most comfortable and durable pants out there. So I told my wife about this story and told her I was going to try on a pair of Lululemon yoga pants to put it to the test. My wife looked at me and kind of smiled. She told me I would not fit into a pair of Lululemon yoga pants.

I told her that was crazy! I wear men's medium shirts and pants. I lost over 200 pounds. Heck, I ran 10 miles today. I could fit into a pair of those pants no problem.

So I looked at the largest size, which was a 12. I was thinking I would be more like an eight or a 10. I mean, Jessica Simpson was a size eight and people called her plus-size. Plus-size models are usually between eight and 18 for women. So I went to Target to try on a pair of size eight yoga pants. I held it up to me and did not even try. Then I went to try on the size 12. It would not even go up my whole leg.

Not that I would ever wear women's yoga pants, but I was bummed. How is it that I wear size medium men's everything and I cannot even fit into a pair of yoga pants? Then I started to wonder what size I actually am in women's clothes.

I now knew I was a "plus-size" woman. So I needed to go to a "plus-size" store. I went to a store called The Avenue Plus. I walked in, and they were not busy. I am glad they were not busy. I went right up to an associate and asked her a simple question:

"What size do you think I am?"

I did not have a chance to tell her I was a writer or I was trying to write about the Lululemon yoga pants. She quickly said:

"Size 20."

TWENTY! I got mad and told her she was crazy. There is no way in the world that I was a size 20! I wore all medium clothes. I ran 10 miles and I lost over 200 pounds.

She told me I had large hips and big legs. She said that with my shoulders there was no way I could fit into anything but a size 20. She held up a few dresses to me to prove that she was right.

She was right.

I thanked her and walked out. While I was in the car I thought about how unfair women's sizes are to men's sizes. I do not wear anything that is considered a large. No one makes comments about my size anymore. I have not ripped or gone through a pair of pants in years.

Yet if I was a woman I would have to shop at "plus-size" stores. I would be too large to be a true "plus-size" model. I would be looked upon as the problem for obesity instead of the solution that some see me as.

And that bothered me.

There is a double standard for men and women. Chip Wilson is way wrong about his pants. They are made wrong; it has nothing to do with the thighs or the hips.

Take it from me. I am a plus-size woman who has never ripped a pair of pants.

VIDEO: Justin Bieber filmed sleeping by, erm, lady of the night

Since this snippet of sleeping Bieber was posted on YouTube Wednesday, it has racked up some two and a half million views. I've personally watched it five times to try to figure out what Justin is holding while he's sleeping. At first I thought it was a teddy bear, but now I realize it's just the tattoos on his arm.

See, ladies, this is what comes from A) using portrait mode when surreptitiously filming your . . . erm . . . friends, and B) not focusing properly.

Also, I was under the impression that anyone let within a meter of Justin had to sign triplicate vows of silence and hand over their phones, but perhaps the rules don't aren't enforced for everyone.

Some commenters on YouTube argue that the lady with the camera was a maid, but you can make up your own mind.

Earlier in the week, photos surfaced of Justin being escorted out of a Brazilian brothel, cleverly covered in a sheet. He reportedly brought two ladies with him.

However, TMZ says that the young lady wielding the camera phone was a party guest.

While in Brazil, "JB threw an after-party and invited roughly 50 people. At some point during the shindig, Justin fell asleep on a couch and one of the partygoers shot footage of the singer sleeping. Bieber is telling friends . . . he is completely creeped out by the video and is disappointed that he now has to defend himself against false hooker claims." 

As lovely young woman leaves Justin's room in the morning, she makes sure she has a memento

 

Costco; The Best Things to Buy at Costco: Options

Costco Wholesale, seller of giant cans of tuna fish and massive tubs of detergent, is trading like Twitter in the options market.

Investors are paying top-dollar to buy Costco (ticker: COST) calls as the stock pushes to new highs. Twitter (TWTR), which went public Thursday, should be so lucky to attract as much bullish call trading when its options are listed Nov. 15.

The interest in Costco was sparked by better-than-expected October same-store sales. Sales rose 3%, beating the 2.6% expectation. A lot of money was wagered on the report.

On Wednesday, investors traded more than 19,100 Costco calls, more than double Costco's usual options market volume. The November $125 calls were, and remain, the hot Costco trade. With the stock around $123, investors are maintaining those positions in anticipation the stock pushes forward into record territory.

If there is one caution signal flashing in the options market it is the absence of a continued bullish follow-through. That the calls are pegged to the same-store-sales report suggests investors are treating Costco like an event-driven trading opportunity, rather than as a fundamental investment.

The options trading pattern, while unusually strong, suggests positioning for Costco to decline. But the recent strong report, coupled with positive fundamentals, makes it hard not to want to own shares into earnings and another same-stores-sales report.

Rather than just buying puts that would increase in value if the stock pushes lower, consider selling January $123 puts for $3.25 and buying the January $125 call for $2.29 (options priced when Costco traded at $123.23).

Costco trades at 22 times forward earnings, which is not unreasonable for a company that is growing sales and paying a slight 1% dividend. The company is scheduled to report earnings Dec. 11.

If the stock rallies higher, the January $125 call will increase in value. At $130, the call is worth $5. Should the advance occur, the money for selling the put can be kept. Under this best of all possible scenarios, the options market will have paid investors 96 cents to bullishly speculate on Costco's advance.

If the stock declines below the put strike price, investors are obligated to buy the stock, which should not hurt given that Costco is one of those places people walk into planning to buy toilet paper and walk out of $500 lighter.

Walmart; Wal-Mart cancels absurdly low-priced orders after website snafu

Largest Civil Disobedience In Walmart History Leads To More Than 50 Arrests

 

Surrounded by about 100 police officers in riot gear and a helicopter circling above, more than 50 Walmart workers and supporters were arrested in downtown Los Angeles Thursday night as they sat in the street protesting what they called the retailer's "poverty wages."

 

Organizers said it was the largest single act of civil disobedience in Walmart's 50-year history. The 54 arrestees, with about 500 protesting Walmart workers, clergy and supporters, demonstrated outside LA's Chinatown Walmart. Those who refused police orders to clear the street after their permit expired were arrested without incident. Those who fail to post $5,000 bail would be jailed overnight, Detective Gus Villanueva, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman, told The Huffington Post.

Their primary demand to Walmart: pay every full-time worker at least $25,000 a year.

One of the protesting Walmart workers, Anthony Goytia, a 31-year-old father of two, said he believes he will make about $12,000 this year. It's a daily struggle, he said, "to make sure my family doesn't go hungry."

"The power went out at my house yesterday because I couldn't afford the bill," Goytia told HuffPost. "I had to run around and get two payday loans to pay for my rent from the first" of the month. "Yesterday we went to a food bank."

 

Google Drive for iOS adds support for multiple accounts, single sign-in, and printing

The official iOS app for the Google Drive cloud storage service has just been updated to add iOS 7 support and a slate of other new features.

First up, version 2.1 of the app now offers support for multiple accounts so you can easily switch back between a personal and work account, for example.

And with the single sign-in feature, signing in to Google Drive will automatically sign users into other apps like YouTube, Google Maps, Chrome, and Google+.

Finally, users will be able to now print their files with Google’s Cloud Print Service or Apple’s AirPrint standard.

A universal app designed for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad/iPad mini, Google Drive can be downloaded now in the App Store for free. While users can take advantage of 15GB of free storage, extra space can be purchased directly in the app.

Before today’s update, the last major release to the app came with version 2.0 in September. That brought an iOS 7-inspired design and a new thumbnail view of documents.

Carrie Underwood Stuns With Every Wardrobe Change at the 2013 CMA Awards—Take a Look!

Short, long, fluffy, sleek, sequin, metallic—you name it and Carrie Underwood probably wore it during the 2013 CMA Awards tonight.

The singer and cohost of the big award show in Nashville had multiple wardrobe changes throughout the broadcast (even more than what you see here), but whether she was posing on the red carpet, making fun of Miley Cyrus or simply strutting a different number, Underwood looked gorgeous.

Carrie first turned heads on the red carpet prior to the event, wearing a nude sequin mini dress with a sheer overlay that covered her sexy gams (don't worry, she shows them off later on).

However during the CMAs, Underwood opened with a layered metallic zip dress that seemed a little strange at first glance, but the more you stared at it, the better it began to look. Plus, if anyone can pull something like that off, it's this blond beauty.

After that outfit, the country crooner donned a handful of dresses, including a bright pink floral gown that made her look like she was part of a pretty bouquet and a crop top with pants (yes, pants!) when spoofing Miley (guess the nude outfit from the VMAs didn't seem appealing).

Twitter; Twitter IPO turns founders into billionaires

 

The Twitter logo is displayed on a banner outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on November 

7, 2013 in New York City. Twitter goes public on the NYSE today. 

But there’s no shortage of skepticism about the debut, with many calling it a throw back to the hype of the dotcom bubble of 1999 and suggesting that the price creates risk for investors.

Now, Twitter has to deliver.

Shares in the money losing social media network soared in their stock market debut Thursday to value the San Francisco company at more than $25 billion (U.S.) That’s richer than long-established enterprises like Kellogg and implies a multiple of sales nearly double the ratio at rivals Facebook Inc. and LinkedIn Corp.

Listing under the symbol TWTR, the stock opened at $43.10, 73 per cent above a $26 IPO that had already been repriced higher, with demand outstripping supply by 30 to one and the 70 million shares of the offering snapped up by noon. The stock closed at $44.90 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Investors are betting on potential growth at the seven year-old micro blog service, one that that allows average people to interact with world leaders, entertainers and sports stars, with the company striking while demand for Internet stocks is hot.

 

Toronto Star: Rob Ford caught on video in violent rant

Rob Ford , the mayor of Canada’s largest city, has been caught on video in an impaired rant saying he is going to kill someone and “rip his f---ing throat out.”

Ford slurs his words as he staggers around an unknown dining room, apparently high, ranting gibberish and gesticulating wildly.

“I’m gonna kill that f---ing guy. I’m telling you, it’s first-degree murder,” Ford rages as someone in the room secretly uses a cellphone to film the chief magistrate’s addled tirade.

Moments after the Star published the video online, Ford emerged from his office and apologized.

A new video showing a visibly outraged Rob Ford in an expletive-laced tirade threatening to kill someone is extremely embarrassing, the embattled mayor said Thursday.

As he has done previously, Ford told a crush of reporters outside his office he was drunk at the time, and called the outburst a mistake.

“Obviously, I was extremely, extremely inebriated,” Ford said within minutes of the video being made public.

“I’ve made mistakes. I don’t know what to say.”

The context of the video is unknown and it’s unclear who the target of Ford’s wrath is.

The mayor called the video “extremely embarrassing” without explaining exactly why he was so enraged, although he said he didn’t wish anyone to be in a similar state of intoxication.

 The full clip can be see at The Toronto Star.

'Sons of Anarchy' Season 6 Episode 9 Recap; The Truth Will Set You Free

It's been a season of lies on Sons of Anarchy, but in this episode, it was all about telling the truth or hearing it. Oh, and pussy. Sweet holy pussy. How many times did you rewind that crazy Clay scene? Did you stop it before he bit the dude's nose off? Kurt Sutter explained that, among other things, in our postmortem. Let's dig in.

 

We opened with shirtless Jax running water over his face and staring at his Abel tattoo on his chest, thereby giving us permission to stare at his chest, too. Thank you. Thomas started crying, so Jax went and got his bottle ready and passed him off to Tara. Over at Gemma's, Nero awoke in her bed and didn't comment on the fact that Gemma was kneeling and praying. Clearly he needed coffee, which she made him as he moved to the kitchen to read the newspaper. "Hopefully we didn't make the front page today," she joked. Ha. She hadn't wanted to ruin his homecoming last night by telling him the headline involving her and Tara, but he's had a few hours of peace now. Once he heard what had happened, he told Gemma she was going to need more than the word of Wendy, a guilt-ridden junkie Jax hates, if she's going to convince Jax that Tara betrayed him. Nero didn't doubt Gemma's innocence. He can see that she has deep secrets that weigh her down, but he knows she'd never spin the truth when it comes to her kids. (Well...)

As she came clean, Jax was once again being honest with Tara. He told her the reason Clay is still alive inside is that the Irish want him to be point for guns in Cali. They plan to bust him out when he's transported next week (in SOA time, who knows when that'll happen). Tara's feeling guilty, too -- she tried to get Jax to stop telling her things, presumably so she wouldn't be tempted to write them down for her case against him parenting their boys. Jax, however, just thought she was putting distance between them because of her charges. He can't figure out how to help her with those, but he can keep his promise as a husband and be honest with her. He'd been trying to protect her from things, which he realizes hasn't worked at all. They shared a rare kiss on the lips. He finally vocalized what we've all noticed: Ever since she's gotten out of Stockton, she hasn't been able to say "I love you" to him. He's going to stop saying it to her so she doesn't feel bad about it (how considerate), but he wanted her to know it's what he feels.

The DA paid Eli a somber visit to tell him she's giving him three extra units so he can have Jax tailed 24/7. Jax arrived at the new clubhouse on his bike and passed what I thought was the Homeless Woman who recurs on the show suddenly looking damn good. And younger. She just had a backpack, which made me think of the school shooting. (We'd find out later it wasn't her.) Happy is back and reporting that most of their buyers will be cool with the personnel change after they talk to Clay. So Chibs is working on getting Clay a phone inside. Bobby said the Italians could be a problem. (What Italians?) Unser showed up and Bobby had a warm greeting for him: "Wow. You didn't die yet?" (Foreshadowing? Or just a cancer joke?) "A little every day," Unser said.

While the guys went upstairs, Jax and Unser had a chat. Jax thanked him for all he's done for Tara and the boys. If the young woman hadn't taken a pipe wrench to a bike and then thrown it through the window of the clubhouse, Unser probably would have tried to get Jax to show mercy on his mom. But Jax darted out after the girl and grabbed her when he caught up to her. He asked who she was and why she'd done that. She yelled "Rape! Rape!" and he had to let her go as the townsfolk gathered.

Driver killed in collision near Tiger Mountain

A collision between a large truck and a smaller vehicle has killed at least one person at an intersection near Tiger Mountain.

King County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Cindi West said the driver of the smaller vehicle  died at the scene of the 2:48 p.m. accident at Issaquah-Hobart Road Southeast and Southeast May Valley Road.

An elderly man killed in the accident was reportedly driving erratically before the collision, possibly due to a medical issue, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

2013 election: 5 interesting outcomes from Michigan

 Here are five interesting outcomes from different elections across Michigan:

1. Detroit mayor: Mike Duggan will become the next mayor of Detroit with 55 percent of the vote, beating Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon who got 45 percent. Duggan will take office in January, but will likely have little authority since a state-appointed emergency manager will be in office until November 2014.
2. It's noteworthy any time an incumbent mayor is beat. And last night in Jackson, Mayor Martin Griffin lost to Jason Smith by 12 points. Griffin said that the councilvoted to suspend leaf pickup for the year may have hurt his re-election.
3. Marijuana decriminalization: Three communities passed ordiances to decriminalize marijuana in their communities. Ferndale, Jackson and Lansing
4. An attempt to consolidate two West Michigan lakeshore communities was defeated. Voters in Saugatuck and Douglas voted to not consolidate their cities. 63 percent of voters in Douglas voted to turn down the option, in Saugatuck, 58 percent of voters were against consolidation.
5. Traverse City Mayor gets reelected: The day before the election he pleads guilty to a lesser charge of drunken driving and on election day dash cam footage was released of the arrest. But on Election Day, Incumbent Mayor Michael Estes won with about 57 percent of the vote.

Big Brother Australia; Tim Dormer set for big things after winning Big Brother 2013

HIS biggest claim to fame before entering Big Brother was streaking nude on a plane, but the sky is now the limit for series winner Tim Dormer after he clinched the title and $250,000 cash prize.

The Nova radio prankster outlasted 18 housemates - including grand finalists Jade Pietrantonio and Tahan Lew-Fatt - and survived 101 days inside the BB house. He won the closely-fought battle by just two per cent of the final public vote.

In the marathon finale which felt like it lasted as long as this year's season, Dormer was confirmed as the winner by claiming 36 per cent of the votes to win, with Pietrantonio runner-up at 34 per cent and Lew-Fatt the first to go with 30 per cent of the vote.

The 29-year-old victor from Sydney was reluctant to leave the BB bubble, telling his TV puppeteer: "this is my house, this is my dream house ... I don't want to go."

He told host Sonia Kruger he had won the mental war by playing with his head not his heart.