Monday, March 17, 2014

Anchors take cover after 4.4 magnitude quak


LOS ANGELES (AP) - A pre-dawn earthquake rolled across the Los Angeles basin on Monday, rattling residents from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.
The quake's magnitude was 4.4 and it was centered 15 miles west-northwest of the downtown civic center, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles police and fire officials said there were no immediate reports of damage.
"It rocked and rolled for about 10 or 12 seconds. I'm surprised nothing fell off the walls or broke - and nothing did - but it was quite a shaker," said Brian Bland, a retired AP Radio correspondent who lives in suburban Santa Monica.
The 6:25 a.m. quake occurred at a depth of about 5 miles.
The epicenter was near Sepulveda Pass in the Santa Monica Mountains, about 6 miles from Beverly Hills and 7 miles from Universal City, the USGS said.
All Metro rail lines were expected to experience minor delays this morning as crews inspect tracks for possible damage, according to Metro.
It was one of the largest quakes to hit Los Angeles since the 6.7-magnitude Northridge quake killed several dozen and caused $25 billion in damage two decades ago, Dr. Lucy Jones, a USGS seismologist, told KABC-TV.
"It's not that large by California terms. It's the size of earthquake we have across the state once every couple of months," Jones said. "But we haven't had one like this in LA for quite a while."
A magnitude 4.7 quake struck near Inglewood in 2009, she said.

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/03/17/anchors-take-cover-after-4-4-magnitude-quake/20851493/?ncid=webmail10

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Taylor Swift Tops Billboard's 2014 Money Makers List

Taylor Swift is used to topping the Billboard charts, but this time it's for her cash flow. The singer is No. 1 on Billboard's Top 40 Money Makers list, bringing in a cool $39,699,575.60.
Swift's Red Tour, album sales and sponsorships all contributed to the high earnings in 2013, according to Billboard's methodology. No stranger to the list, Swift was also the highest paid musician on Billboard's Top 40 Money Makers list in 2012 after touring for her second album, "Fearless."
Check out the top 10 musical acts who earned big in 2013 below and head over to Billboard for the full list.
  • 1 Taylor Swift
    Getty Images
    2013 Earnings: $39,699,575.60
  • 2
    Kenny Chesney
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    2013 Earnings: $32,956,240.70
  • 3
    Justin Timberlake
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    2013 Earnings: $31,463,297.03
  • 4
    Bon Jovi
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    $29,436,801.04
  • 5
    The Rolling Stones
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    2013 Earnings: $26,225,121.71
  • 6
    Beyonce
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    2013 Earnings: $24,429,176.86
  • 7
    Maroon 5
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    2013 Earnings: $22,284,754.07
  • 8
    Luke Bryan
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    2013 Earnings: $22,142,235.98
  • 9
    Pink
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    2013 Earnings: $20,072,072.32
  • 10
    Fleetwood Mac
     

Monday, March 10, 2014

'Kardashian' mid-season finale: Khloe files for divorce


It was the heartbreaking moment we all knew was coming on the mid-season finale of 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' -- Khloe filed for divorce from Lamar Odom.

KHLOE: 'How long do you feel guilty for?'
KIM: 'I mean, I literally felt guilty for ... a year.'
KHLOE: 'This is torture. I can't.'
KHLOE: 'It's definitely sh***y. It's not a good feeling at all.'

'It's hard for all of us,' Kris said, 'because we were all in love with Lamar.'

This was the first time we really heard Kim open up about her divorce from Kris Humphries, and, naturally, Kris chimed in ... making it about herself. 'I still remember the first time I got divorced like it was yesterday.'

The emotional episode had fans trending the show and 'Khloe and Lamar' on Twitter.

The Stir called it 'gut-wrenching.'

'I mean, they basically ended the show with a black-and-white montage dedicated to Lamar that wasn't in any way different from the one they did for Scott's mom last week. You know, the woman who actually died. Awkward.'

Still, Hollywood Life agreed with Kim and Kris: this was the right decision for Khloe.

'It's understandable that she is experiencing a range of emotions - including guilt - but we hope Khloe will eventually forgive herself because she did everything she could to save Lamar and their marriage!'

What do you think? Are you a fan of the show, or are you totally over the Kardashian Kraze?

Adam Lanza's father speaks out: 'He would've killed me'

Second Report On Sandy Hook Shootings Released
NEWTOWN, CT - UNSPECIFED DATE: In this handout crime scene evidence photo provided by the Connecticut State Police, shows a document seized following the December 14, 2012 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School, taken on an unspecified date in Newtown, Connecticut. A second report was released December 27, 2013 by Connecticut State Attorney Stephen Sedensky III gave more details of the the Newtown school shooting by Adam Lanza that left 20 children and six women educators dead inside Sandy Hook Elementary School after killing his mother at their home. (Photo by Connecticut State Police via Getty Images)


Peter Lanza hadn't seen his son in two years at the time of the shooting. He says he wishes he would've pushed harder to see him, but that he thinks what happened would've been impossible to predict.

He spoke exclusively with The New Yorker, saying, 'You can't get any more evil ... How much do I beat up on myself about the fact that he's my son? A lot.'

Peter Lanza says that he's come to accept that from that day in December 2012 on, Adam was not the little boy he once knew - he'd become an entirely different person.

'With hindsight, I know Adam would have killed me in a heartbeat, if he'd had the chance. I don't question that for a minute. The reason he shot Nancy four times was one for each of us: one for Nancy; one for him; one for Ryan; one for me.'

Ryan is the family's other son, Nancy is the boys' mother - Peter's ex-wife - who Adam shot and killed, ABC reports.

Nancy was reportedly 'a woman that relatives say would've done anything to help her son if she knew he needed help.'

Peter agrees with that, saying he believes Nancy did not realize just how dangerous their son was.

He does say there were signs Adam was problematic from a young age - at first he seemed like a 'normal little weird kid,' but by middle school it was 'crystal clear something was wrong.'

Adam had anxiety issues and was unable to sleep, CBS reports. He'd exhibited interested in violence at that point. Nancy and Peter tried to get him professional help, but things got worse - eventually Adam cut off contact with Peter.

Now, Peter has nightmares about Adam, and ultimately says he wishes Adam had never been born.

You can read the article in its entirety on The New Yorker's website

Friday, March 7, 2014

Pharrell Has Inspiring Words for Kid With Cancer That We Could All Learn From


If you ask us, listening to Pharrell Williams's infectious song "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 is pretty much the perfect way to start any day. But for 4th grader Damon Billeck of San Antonio, Texas, it's what's getting him through life—one day at a time.
That's because young Damon was recently diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of bone cancer, and his days are now filled with treatments and doctor visits instead of what they should be—playing outside with his friends and other everyday kid stuff. Rather than looking at his diagnosis the way most of us might, though—with sadness and fear—he's looking it straight in the eye, and choosing to be happy, in spite of it all. To do so, Damon's been listening to Pharrell's song on loop for months to lift his spirits. And according to his parents, it's definitely working.
Now all that would be a sweet little story in and of itself, but it gets even better. Damon's dad was so moved by his son's optimism and bravery that he put in a call to some friends, who then put in a few calls of their own ... until someone finally reached Pharrell's manager.
What they got back is nothing short of amazing...
If you didn't already love Pharrell, consider yourself now in love. His powerful message to always remember that the "present" is a gift, and that life is always just beginning, is something we could all use a lesson in, no matter where we are in our lives.

 http://mom.me/toddler/11356-pharrell-has-inspiring-words-kid-cancer-we-could-all-learn/?ncid=webmail30

Time Magazine Cover Shows Breathtaking View From Top Of 1 World Trade Center

The cover of the latest issue of Time magazine is simply stunning.
The new cover features a 360 degree panorama view from the top of 1 World Trade Center in New York City. The building is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, and Time described the photo as "unprecedented" in a post Thursday.
The image contains "567 pictures that were then stitched together digitally," and the result is breathtaking:
time cover
The magazine said that it took "months" of negotiations to gain access to the antenna-spire at the top of the building, and then eight more months to design and construct an apparatus to capture the image. Visit Time for the magazine's comments about the cover.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

See Rare Photos of Lupita Nyong'o Onstage at Yale

 Lupita Nyong'o Acting at Yale – Rare Photos
Before she nabbed the Best Supporting Actress award for 12 Years A Slave at the 2014 Oscars – and became one of Hollywood's rising style icons in the process – Lupita Nyong'o honed her craft at the Yale School of Drama.

Yale's Chair of the Acting Department Ron Van Lieu, who auditioned Nyong'o, says the Oscar-winner relied on "instinct and an innate sense of truthfulness" when she first started. "She's incapable of lying as an actor, so she had all of that but very little technique."

Mexican-born and Kenyan-raised Nyong'o, 31, was hit by the acting bug after watching Steven Spielberg's 1984 film The Color Purple starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

"I was 9 when I watched The Color Purple," Nyong'o tells PEOPLE. "It was the first time I remember seeing people who look like me onscreen, my textured hair and complexion. It struck me that I might want to do that someday."

Keep up with your favorite celebs in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.


She went on to study acting at
Hampshire College and later enrolled in Yale, where she starred in numerous productions that ultimately got her the audition for 12 Years.

Here are rarely seen photos of the Oscar winner on stage during her grad school days.

See Rare Photos of Lupita Nyong'o Onstage at Yale| Oscars 2014, 12 Years a Slave, The Color Purple, Doctor Faustus, Taming of the Shrew, Uncle Vanya, Lupita Nyong'o, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg
Nyong'o in Uncle Vanya in 2010
Matt Otto
Van Lieu directed Nyong'o as Sonya in this 2010 production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. "The quality of her acting became very clear. She brought a deep understanding of the spirituality by which that character had learned to survive ... somewhat of the same quality she was able to bring to 12 Years A Slave," he says.



See Rare Photos of Lupita Nyong'o Onstage at Yale| Oscars 2014, 12 Years a Slave, The Color Purple, Doctor Faustus, Taming of the Shrew, Uncle Vanya, Lupita Nyong'o, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg
Nyong'o in Doctor Faustus Lights The Lights in 2011
T Charles Erickson
"She was a member of an ensemble," Van Lieu says of the 2011 adaptation of the Gertrude Stein poem Doctor Faustus Lights The Lights. "It's a really abstract work, but she's an extraordinarily good team player."

See Rare Photos of Lupita Nyong'o Onstage at Yale| Oscars 2014, 12 Years a Slave, The Color Purple, Doctor Faustus, Taming of the Shrew, Uncle Vanya, Lupita Nyong'o, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg
Nyong'o in The Taming of The Shrew in 2011
T Charles Erickson
Nyong'o dominated the stage in 2011 as the headstrong Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew says Van Lieu. "It was a no-holds-barred performance," he says. "It was an interpretation of the play in which Katherine ends up poisoning everyone at the end. You always assume she is undone by the end of the play, but she made her a survivor."

For more on Nyong'o's life before the Oscars, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday