To honor the Team Mamba family, these Limited Edition Kobe Bryant Tribute Cookies (6x per set) are now available to order.
All of the proceeds will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, an organization that “exists to further Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s legacy through charitable endeavors in sports.”
To place an order please click on the “CONTACT” button in the top right corner. When filling out the form please be sure to write how many sets you would like.
[TMZ] Richard Ramirez — aka The Night Stalker — who went on a rape-murder spree in Los Angeles in the mid-80s and terrorized the entire city — is dead at 53 … but we’re getting conflicting info on the cause.
Ramirez killed at least 13 people and attempted 5 more … by climbing in the windows of homes. He also committed 11 sexual assaults, and probably more.
Ramirez was convicted and sentenced to death in 1989, and sat on San Quentin’s death row ever since. The death sentence was not carried out because of endless appeals.
A San Quentin spokesperson reportedly says Ramirez died of natural causes … HOWEVER … a prison official told TMZ … the murderer died from Hepatitis C, which some doctors say can be transmitted through sexual contact. Hep C is verifiably contracted through IV drug use and blood transfusions.
Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden – a milestone accomplishment for President Barack Obama who ordered a top-secret Navy SEALs raid of the Al Qaeda leader’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Here’s POLITICO’s look back at what political figures have said about the killing of the mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that shocked the nation more than a decade ago:
It has been two years since America changed forever. Life is full of doubt, conspiracy, and uncertainly. Questions have been raised, answers have been given, and speculation will continue – possibly forever.
This letter casts all that aside to simply say thank you. You are a group of SEALS who volunteered, trained for years, pushed passed the pain, and prepared to die. There are very few people who would die for someone they love, and even fewer for a complete stranger. You were willing to pay the ultimate price and possibly remain forever an unnamed hero who went up against the biggest terrorist of our time, and got him.
The president made the call to go after bin Laden. That was a risky decision, and it’s the kind of decision only a president can make; he deserves all the credit he’s getting right now and so do you. You were able to turn a 60% chance into a 100% completed mission.
I dare anyone to start second guessing the judgment call made when you went in and carried out this operation. The judgment call that ended with 4 letters that would change the course of America’s history forever – EKIA. No victory lap, that is not who we are. Even in death America afforded bin Laden far more respect that he gave any of his victims on 9/11.
On behalf of one unquestionably grateful nation, thank you; you certainly didn’t let us down. And if we ever learn your names, I am also certain you will never have to buy your own drinks again. God Bless America & God Bless each and every one of you.
Award Winning Films:
ZERODARKTHIRTY: The Greatest Manhunt In History
SEAL TEAM 6: THE RAID ON OSAMA BIN LADEN
You Got Jokes and Quotes?
1. “The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al Qaeda. … Today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people. – President Barack Obama, announcing bin Laden’s death in East Room of the White House
2. “Osama bin Laden is dead, and the World Trade Center site is teeming with new life. Osama bin Laden is dead and lower Manhattan is pulsing with new activity. Osama bin Laden is dead, and New York City’s spirit has never been stronger.” – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
3. “When I found out it was bin Laden being captured, there was a certain sense of relief and a sense of satisfaction that justice has been brought to this man who has done unspeakable horror and evils. It may seem like it took a long time, but sometimes justice takes a while.” – Rudy Giuliani, who was New York City mayor at the time of Sept. 11 attacks
4. “I give the president full credit for this, it took a lot of guts. … He’s the commander-in-chief, he was the guy who put it on the line. There was no guarantee — none — that this would work.” – Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee
5. “You can go back 500 years. You cannot find a more audacious plan. Never knowing for certain. We never had more than a 48 percent probability that he was there.” – Vice President Joe Biden at a fundraiser in New Jersey on the decision to kill bin Laden
6. “The world is a better and more just place now that Osama bin Laden is no longer in it. I hope the families of the victims of the September 11th attacks will sleep easier tonight and every night hence knowing that justice has been done.” – Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
7. “This was a ‘mission accomplished’ moment President Bush could have only dreamed of.” – Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)
8. “This is a great victory for lovers of freedom and justice everywhere. Congratulations to our intelligence community, our military and the president. My thoughts are with the families of Osama bin Laden’s many thousands of victims, and the brave servicemen and women who have laid down their lives in pursuit of this murderous terrorist.” – Mitt Romney
9. “Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today, it may have even greater resonance. You cannot wait us out. You cannot defeat us …” – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Treaty Room of the State Department
10. “I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude … The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” – Former President George W. Bush on his phone call with Obama after bin Laden’s death
11. “There is hardly a life that has gone untouched in New Jersey by the horrifying assault on American soil that took place on September 11th and today, after years of waiting, justice has finally been delivered.” – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
12. “Look, he knew what would happen. Suppose the Navy SEALs had gone in there and it hadn’t been bin Laden. Suppose they’d been captured and killed … He took the harder and the more honorable path and the one that produced, in my opinion, the best result.” – Former President Bill Clinton in an Obama campaign video
13. “Today, the message our forces have sent is clear — if you attack the United States, we will find you and bring you to justice.” – Former Vice President Dick Cheney
14. “Just imagine, a small group of brave men, dropped by helicopter, half a world away in the dead of night … into unknown danger inside the lair of the most sought after man in the world.” – First lady Michelle Obama on the Navy SEALs who captured bin Laden in a commencement address at the University of Northern Iowa
[Warning: The following photo contains graphic images. Discretion is advised]
3:35 PM PT — President Obama addressed the attacks, saying:
“We still do not know who did this or why … but make no mistake: We will get to the bottom of (this). … Any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”
2:47 PM PT — Police are reportedly guarding a possible suspect in the hospital, where he’s being treated for injuries. CBS says surveillance tape shows a man carrying backpacks into the area about 20 minutes before the blasts.
2:19 PM PT — Fox News says a person of interest is in custody.
2:10 PM PT — The number of injured has climbed into the 60s, according to several reports.
2:05 PM PT — Authorities are scrambling … cell phone services are down to prevent any further remote destinations … security has been stepped up at the White House … the FAA has established a no-fly zone over the scene …
1:43 PM PT — Reuters now saying that a fire at the JFK Library, a ways from the marathon finish line, is unrelated.
1:08 PM PT — Police say at least two are dead and 23 are injured. The AP is reporting that two additional explosive devices have been found.
12:59 PM PT — Boston Marathon officials are now calling them bombs. There are reports of police responding to additional undetonated devices in the area, but nothing’s confirmed. The BPD has called in all off-duty officers.
12:40 PM PT — Three people have reportedly been killed by the explosions. Dozens have reportedly been injured. Some are saying they were bombs … but that hasn’t been confirmed. There’s blood everywhere.
[TMZ] Terrible news … a pair of explosions rocked the finish line of the Boston Marathon this afternoon … and the injuries are gruesome.
It’s total chaos right now … the photos going around don’t look good. It’s still not clear who’s responsible.
Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders just tweeted, “Can anyone tell us what happen near the marathon? Felt two BIG booms that shook our hotel and saw smoke on Boylston.” Twitter is on fire … read other celeb reactions here.
New Kids on the Block member and Boston native Joey McIntyre was running in the race and just tweeted that he crossed the finish line just ahead of the dual blasts. “There was an explosion by the finish line about 5 minutes after I finished- I’m ok but I’m sure there are many hurt,” he tweeted.
SALT LAKE CITY — Give those Harvard kids an A-plus in another subject: Bracketbusting 101. The school known for producing U.S. presidents, Supreme Court justices and Nobel Prize winners earned its first NCAA tournament victory Thursday night — a 68-62 upset of No. 3 seed New Mexico — and it didn’t feel like a fluke.
Wesley Saunders scored 18 points and Laurent Rivard made five 3-pointers to help the 14th-seeded Crimson pull the biggest surprise of March Madness so far.
Reaction came quickly, and from various corners.
“America, we are sorry for messing up your brackets and also your financial system and everything else,” tweeted the jokesters at the Harvard Lampoon.
And this from Harvard’s most famous hoops alum, Jeremy Lin: “YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!! HARVARD winssss!!! hahahahhah i told you,” he tweeted shortly after the victory.
Everybody ready for Crimsonsanity?
Next up for Harvard (20-9), a meeting with sixth-seeded Arizona, which beat Belmont 81-64 earlier in the West Region.
“This is the No. 1 moment in my career,” said Harvard senior Christian Webster, who finished with 11 points. “The thought came to mind that this could be the last game. We showed a lot of toughness, just persevering.” Indeed.
The Ivy Leaguers put the clamps down on New Mexico’s Tony Snell, holding him to nine points on 4-for-12 shooting after he dominated in the Mountain West Conference tournament. They banged inside with Lobos big men Cameron Bairstow and Alex Kirk, whose 22 points provided New Mexico’s only consistent offense.
Mostly, they showed none of the jitters that marked their trip to the tournament last year, a 79-70 loss to Vanderbilt in the Crimson’s first NCAA appearance since 1946.
Rivard went 6 of 7 from 3 in that one — played on New Mexico’s home court in The Pit — and was clearly pumped for an encore against the Lobos themselves. He was 5 of 9 this time, with three of them coming in the first half, while Harvard was holding a small lead and, more importantly, answering every surge the Lobos (29-6) could muster. Rivard finished with 17 points.
“I hit my first one, and you know, you hit the shot and then you keep shooting after that, and then I hit another one, so I knew it was going to be a good game after that,” Rivard said.
Coach Tommy Amaker called Rivard the best 3-point shooter in Boston this side of former Celtic Ray Allen.
Webster can also shoot the 3. He was more of a role player last year, but jumped to the fore in 2013; he made three 3s and gestured after each one of them, even pointing to his forehead after swishing one from the corner in the first half.
Yep, these smart kids really can play.
“We battled a really good basketball team in a tough environment,” Amaker said. “I’m very proud of our guys.”
Amaker outcoached his contemporary, Steve Alford, exacting revenge of sorts for the time Alford’s Indiana team beat Amaker and Duke back in the 1987 regional semifinals.
“I’ve got all the respect in the world for Tommy. He does it the right way,” Alford said. “His staff was very well prepared. They had a good game plan and they executed it well.”
Based on their regular-season and conference tournament victories, the Lobos were a popular pick to head to the Final Four this season. The school even gave Alford a new, 10-year contract Wednesday that called for a $125,000 bonus for a Final Four trip.
They’ll save the money but feel the pain.
The Mountain West Conference, judged one of the top two leagues in college basketball all season, fell to 1/3 so far this week.
Meanwhile, the Ivy League moves on for the first time since Cornell made the regional semifinals in 2010. This year’s standard-bearer is Harvard — that school we’ve all heard of, but not usually this time of year.
Still, this season’s Harvard story is not all about the warm-and-fuzzies.
The team lost its two co-captains before the season began because of an academic scandal that involved more than 100 students.
Amaker, who had plenty of experience in rebuilding projects when he coached a Michigan team recovering from NCAA violations, didn’t wave the white flag. He simply asked his team for more.
In stepped freshman point guard Siyani Chambers, who played like a veteran. He wasn’t great against the Lobos, finishing with five points and seven assists, but he kept his team under control, poised and found open players.
The Crimson shot 52 percent for the game — that’s almost 15 percent better than New Mexico’s stingy defense normally allows. New Mexico, meanwhile, shot only 37 percent.
“We can’t shoot for them,” Alford said. “We’ve had games like that, several games where we haven’t shot the ball well. It’s a glaring weakness on this basketball team.”
It allowed Harvard to take a lead for good with about 6 minutes left. When Kenyatta Smith made an 8-foot, left-handed shot to put the Crimson up 59-53 with 4:40 left, Alford called timeout and Amaker ran onto the court to calm his kids down.
They acted like they belonged down the stretch, making five free throws and hanging onto the ball. The buzzer sounded and they stormed the court like any 14 would after beating a 3. But just as quickly, it was over.
“We mentioned to our kids coming into the tournament, we talked about how meaningful this season has been, how they adjusted and adapted and believed,” Amaker said. “This adds to that.”
– CLICK HERE for Seth MacFarlane’s Opening Monologue
– Did William Shatner out Seth MacFarlane during the opening monologue?
– Channing Tatum & Charlize Theron need to do DWTS
– A-D-E-L-E performs “Skyfall”!!!!
– Charlize Theron helped an Oscar security guard who suffered a seizure
– Who knew Hollywood was once nothing more than cocaine trees as far as the eyes could see?!
– Jennifer Lawrence & the fall seen around the world
– Meryl Streep wasted no time announcing Actor In a Leading Role (DDL)
– D-E-N-Z-E-L!!!!
– I have never been so happy to see Jack Nickolson in all my life
– Ben Affleck should consider being an auctioneer if he wants a job change. I have never seen someone rattle off a list of people to thank so fast. Ever.
– Michelle Obama helps present Best Picture… Say what…
– “The Losers” song at the end was the best. I’m not sure if it was the actual song, or the fact that it was signaling The END.
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. During Lent if you’re Catholic you don’t eat meat and/or you give up a particular vice for the duration of the 40 days.
Suggestions For Celebrities On What To Give Up For Lent:
Lebron James: A Championship Ring
Lets be honest, who has held more championship rings… Kim Kardashian or Lebron James?
James Franco: The Oscars.
Done. Thank You Billy Crystal!
Kanye West: All of the mirrors in his house I think he could deserve 40 days of humility.
Kim Kardashian: Marriage
Done. Next year we’ll work on divorce.
Miley Cyrus: Birth control pills
Because how hilarious would that be? We haven’t had a good teen pregnancy since Jamie Lynn Spears and she was like Z list.
Jersey Shore: The Situation
Ashton Kutcher: Two and A Half Men
Ryan Gosling:Eva Mendes
Ladies (and some men) you know your with me on this one.
Ryan Seacrest: His Beard.
The other one.
Tyler Perry: His day job
Please become a preacher. Can I get an “Amen!”
CLICK HERE if you missed his speech at Whitney Houston’ funeral.
Beyonce and Jay Z: Baby talk
You had a baby, not the Messiah.
Rihanna:Men
Starting with Chris-Beat-Her-Down-Brown
The Kardashians: Reality. TV. Dignity… All of the above
To their credit, most of these have long been given up.
[Chicago Tribune] On this frigid morning, in an unheated brick garage at 2122 N. Clark St., seven men were lined up against a whitewashed wall and pumped with 90 bullets from submachine guns, shotguns and a revolver. It was the most infamous of all gangland slayings in America, and it savagely achieved its purpose–the elimination of the last challenge to Al Capone for the mantle of crime boss in Chicago. By 1929, Capone’s only real threat was George “Bugs” Moran, who headed his own gang and what was left of Dion O’Banion’s band of bootleggers. Moran had long despised Capone, mockingly referring to him as “The Beast.”
At about 10:30 a.m., four men burst into the SMC Cartage Co. garage that Moran used for his illegal business. Two of the men were dressed as police officers. The quartet presumably announced a raid and ordered the seven men inside the garage to line up against a wall. Then they opened fire. Witnesses, alerted by the rat-a-tat staccato of submachine guns, watched as the gunmen sped off in a black Cadillac touring car that looked like the kind police used, complete with siren, gong and rifle rack.The victims, killed outright or left dying in the garage, included Frank “Hock” Gusenberg, Moran’s enforcer, and his brother, Peter “Goosy” Gusenberg. Four of the other victims were Moran gangsters, but the seventh dead man was Dr. Reinhardt Schwimmer, an optician who cavorted with criminals for thrills. Missing that morning was Capone’s prize, Moran, who slept in.
Capone missed the excitement too. Vacationing at his retreat at Palm Island, Fla., he had an alibi for his whereabouts and disclaimed knowledge of the coldblooded killings. Few believed him. No one ever went to jail for pulling a trigger in the Clark Street garage, which was demolished in 1967.
Although Moran survived the massacre, he was finished as a big criminal. For decades to come, only one mob, that of Capone and his successors, would run organized crime in Chicago. But the Valentine’s Day Massacre shocked a city that had been numbed by “Roaring ’20s” gang warfare over control of illegal beer and whiskey distribution.
“These murders went out of the comprehension of a civilized city,” the Tribune editorialized. “The butchering of seven men by open daylight raises this question for Chicago: Is it helpless?”
In the following years, Capone and his henchmen were to become the targets of ambitious prosecutors.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger” fun., “We Are Young”
Gotye, “Somebody I Used To Know”
Frank Ocean, “Thinkin Bout You”
Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Black Keys, El Camino
fun., Some Nights
Mumford & Sons, Babel Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Jack White, Blunderbuss
BEST NEW ARTIST
Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers Frank Ocean
SONG OF THE YEAR
Ed Sheeran, “The A Team”
Miguel, “Adorn”
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger” fun., “We Are Young”
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE Adele, “Set Fire To The Rain (Live)”
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger”
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”
Katy Perry, “Wide Awake”
Rihanna, “Where Have You Been”
BEST POP/DUO PERFORMANCE
Florence + The Machine, “Shake It Out”
fun., “We Are Young”
Gotye, “Somebody I Used To Know”
LMFAO, “Sexy And I Know It” Maroon 5, “Payphone”
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
fun., Some Nights Maroon 5, Overexposed
P!nk, The Truth About Love
BEST DANCE RECORDING
Avicii, “Levels” Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo, “Let’s Go”
Skrillex, “Bangarang”
Swedish House Mafia, “Don’t You Worry Child”
Al Walser, “I Can’t Live Without You”
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
Alabama Shakes, “Hold On”
The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy” Coldplay, “Charlie Brown”
Mumford & Sons, “I Will Wait”
Bruce Springsteen, “We Take Care Of Our Own”
BEST ROCK SONG
Jack White, “Freedom At 21″
Mumford & Sons, “I Will Wait”
The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”
Muse, “Madness” Bruce Springsteen, “We Take Care Of Our Own”
BEST ROCK ALBUM
The Black Keys, El Camino Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Muse, The 2nd Law
Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
Jack White, Blunderbuss
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel…
Bjork, Biophilia
Gotye, Making Mirrors M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Tom Waits, Bad As Me
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE Estelle, “Thank You”
Robert Glasper Experiment, “Gonna Be Alright”
Luke James, “I Want You”
Miguel, “Adorn”
Usher, “Climax”
BEST R&B SONG Miguel, “Adorn”
Tamia, “Beautiful Surprise”
Trey Songz, “Heart Attack”
Anthony Hamilton, “Pray For Me”
Elle Varner, “Perfectly Imperfect”
BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Chris Brown, Fortune
Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
BEST R&B ALBUM
Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio
Anthony Hamilton, Back To Love
R. Kelly, Write Me Back
Tamia, Beautiful Surprise Tyrese, Open Invitation
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
Drake feat. Lil Wayne, “HYFR”
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “N****** In Paris”
Nas, “Daughters” Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha-T & 2 Chainz, “Mercy”
Young Jeezy feat. Jay-Z & Andre 3000, “I Do”
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION Flo Rida feat. Sia, “Wild Ones”
Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream, “No Church In The Wild”
John Legend feat. Ludacris, “Tonight”
Nas feat. Amy Winehouse, “Cherry Wine”
Rihanna feat. Jay-Z, “Talk That Talk”
BEST RAP SONG
Nas, “Daughters”
Wale feat. Miguel, “Lotus Flower Bomb”
Kanye West, “Mercy” Drake, “The Motto”
Jay-Z & Kanye West, “N***** In Paris”
Snoop Dogg feat. Bruno Mars, “Young, Wild & Free”
BEST RAP ALBUM
Drake, Take Care
Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor II
Nas, Life Is Good
The Roots, Undun Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don’t
2 Chainz, Based On A T.R.U. Story
For a complete list of ALL of the nominees in ALL EIGHTY-ONE (!!!) categories, head on over to Grammy.com.
NEW ORLEANS — [NFL] A power outage at the Super Bowl put the nation’s biggest sporting event on hold for more than a half-hour Sunday, interrupting an otherwise electric, back-and-forth game that ended with Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens as NFL champions thanks to a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Flacco, voted the MVP, threw three first-half touchdown passes to cap an 11-TD, zero-interception postseason. Jacoby Jones returned the second-half kickoff 108 yards, a Super Bowl record, to give Baltimore a 28-6 lead.
Moments later, lights lining the indoor arena faded, making it difficult to see. When action resumed, Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers scored 17 consecutive points, getting as close as 31-29.
But Baltimore stopped San Francisco on fourth-and-goal from the 5 with under 2 minutes left when Kaepernick’s pass sailed beyond Michael Crabtree in the end zone.
The biggest deficit a team has ever overcome to win a Super Bowl is 10 points, and there were moments were it appeared San Francisco had a chance to better that mark. Instead, the 49ers lost for the first time in six trips to the Super Bowl.
The AFC champion Ravens (14-6), a franchise that moved from Cleveland to Baltimore 17 years ago, improved to 2-0 in the big game. They also won the championship in 2001, when linebacker Ray Lewis was voted the game’s MVP. Lewis was not a major factor this time, but he was a center of attention, playing in the final game of his 17-year career before retiring.
The 49ers struggled early in the first Super Bowl coaching matchup between brothers: Baltimore’s John Harbaugh is 15 months older than San Francisco’s Jim Harbaugh.
Baltimore led 28-6 after Jones opened the second half with the longest kickoff return in a Super Bowl, his eyes glancing up at the videoboard, presumably to watch himself sprint to the end zone. The 49ers showed they were capable of a comeback in their previous game: They trailed by 17 against the Atlanta Falcons before winning the NFC championship game.
Shortly following Jones’ return, the sudden, odd power outage arrived. Escalators weren’t working. Officials stopped play about 1½ minutes into the third quarter, and the bizarre delay lasted 34 minutes in real time before action resumed. Some players sat. Others stretched. Some fans chanted, “Let’s go, Ravens!” Others passed time by doing the wave.
This was the 10th time New Orleans hosted the big game — tying Miami for most in a city — and first since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Big Easy in August 2005.
[Yahoo] After two weeks of hype, Super Bowl XLVII is almost here. The San Francisco 49ers will be looking for a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship while the Baltimore Ravens will be looking to send Ray Lewis into retirement with the second title in franchise history.
Here’s what you need to know to watch the big game:
Super Bowl XLVII — Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
Game time: Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 PT.
Location: Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Line: San Francisco -3.5 points, over/under 47.5
Where to watch/listen: The Super Bowl will be televised on CBS (check your local listings) and will streamed live on Yahoo! Sports with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms handling the broadcasting duties. Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason will broadcast the game on radio for Dial Global (check your local listings) and on Sirius XM channel 88. Univision will broadcast the game on television in Spanish.
National anthem: Alicia Keys
Pregame show: CBS will feature over 7 1/2 hours of pregame coverage starting with “Road To The Super Bowl” at 11 a.m. ET. Highlights include a Scott Pelley interview with President Barack Obama. The NFL Network will also feature a live pregame show from New Orleans starting at 9 a.m. ET and will include former quarterback Brett Favre in his first broadcasting venture.
[FX] The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Phillip (Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Russell), who have two children who know nothing about their parents true identity, grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control. Complicating their relationship further is Phillip’s growing sense of affinity for America’s values and way of life. Tensions also heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan (Emmerich), an FBI agent working in counter intelligence.
[Fox News] OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens, each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional, what makes us America is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Today we continue a never ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they’ve never been self-executing. That while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by his people here on earth.
The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few, or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a republic, a government of, and by, and for the people. Entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. And for more than 200 years we have. Through blood drawn by lash, and blood drawn by sword, we noted that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half slave, and half free.
OBAMA: We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. Together we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers. Together we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together we resolve that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune. Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all societies ills can be cured through government alone. Our celebration of initiative and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character. For we have always understood that when times change, so must we, that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges, that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world be acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future. Or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.
OBAMA: Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And economic recovery has begun.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive, diversity and openness, of endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work, when the wages of honest labor will liberate families from the brink of hardship.We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. So we must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work hard or learn more, reach higher. But while the means will change, our purpose endures. A nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American, that is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed. We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative.They strengthen us.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: They do not make us a nation of takers. They free us to take the risks that make this country great.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But American cannot resist this transition. We must lead it.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries. We must claim its promise. That’s how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure, our forests and waterways, our crop lands and snow capped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.
OBAMA: We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our brave men and women in uniform tempered by the flames of battle are unmatched in skill and courage.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our citizens seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace, and not just the war. Who turn sworn enemies into the surest of friends. And we must carry those lessons into this time as well. We will defend our people, and uphold our values through strength of arms, and the rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully. Not because we are naive about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe. And we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad. For no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice.
OBAMA: Not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes; tolerance and opportunity, human dignity
and justice. We the people declare today that the most evident of truth that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear
a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began, for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their
efforts.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one
another must be equal, as well.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and
engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.That is our generation’s task, to make these works, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness Progress does not compel us to settle century’s long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: For now, decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned
debate.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We must act. We must act knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here
in four years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction. And we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride. They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time, not only with the votes we cast, but the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient
values and enduring ideas.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Let us each of us now embrace with solemn duty, and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.
Thank you. God bless you. And may He forever bless these United States of America.
President Barack Obama has been sworn in to his second term in office.
[Huffington Post] During a quiet ceremony in the Blue Room of the White House, Obama took the official oath of office at approximately 11:55 a.m. Obama’s family attended, along with several members of the media.
The ceremony occurred because of a Constitutional requirement that the president begins his second term by noon on Jan. 20. Obama will be sworn in a second time on Monday, when he takes the oath of office in front of thousands of people at the U.S. Capitol.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office. Roberts will also administer the oath of office during Monday’s Inauguration ceremonies.
[He did take a moment to hug his wife and daughters, exclaiming: I did it!]
Roberts famously flubbed the oath of office during the 2009 Inauguration, misspeaking while leading Obama without notes. The swearing-in ceremony was repeated “out of an abundance of caution” in the Map Room of the White House the following day.
After Obama swears in for the final time on Monday, he will have matched President Franklin Roosevelt’s record of being sworn in as the nation’s leader four times.
CLICK HERE for the 2013 Presidential Inauguration full coverage and Live Streaming.
[CNN] Coverage will begin with the private ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 20. Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper will be joined by John Berman, Kate Bolduan, Gloria Borger, Erin Burnett, Candy Crowley, John King, Don Lemon, Piers Morgan and Soledad O’Brien starting at 10am ET and leading up to a primetime special at 8pm. Inauguration eve special editions of Piers Morgan Tonight and Anderson Cooper 360 will follow.
On Jan. 21, Early Start With John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin and Starting Point With Soledad O’Brien begin CNN’s coverage at 5am ET. At 9am ET, Wolf Blitzer will be joined by John Berman, Kate Bolduan, Soledad O’Brien and Jessica Yellin, live from the U.S. Capitol West Front, while Anderson Cooper will be on the National Mall with Gloria Borger, David Gergen, John King, Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon. HLN’s Robin Meade and Christi Paul will be reporting for both CNN and HLN from the National Mall.
On Monday, Candy Crowley will report from the inauguration ceremony platform. The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer will be live from 4pm-7pm from Lafayette Park, the location of the presidential viewing stands. From 7pm-10pm, Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan and Erin Burnett will co-anchor special coverage. Cooper will be live from the Mall, while Morgan and Burnett will be live from inside the inaugural balls. At 10pm, Anderson Cooper 360 will broadcast live to wrap up the day’s events.
On Jan. 21 from 10:30am-1:30pm, CNN will offer unrestricted access to the network’s TV broadcast and inauguration programming via the CNN.com homepage and CNN’s apps for iPhone and iPad. Users can watch alternative inaugural festivities at CNN.com/live.
FLASHBACK: 2009 Obama Inauguration
Everyone deserves a second chance, right Ch. Justice Roberts? Fingers crossed…
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler 2013 Golden Globes Opening Monologue
Full list of winners for the 2013 Golden Globe Awards
FILM
Best Motion Picture – Drama:
“Argo”– WINNER
“Django Unchained”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical:
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
“Les Miserables”– WINNER
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama:
Jessica Chastain – “Zero Dark Thirty”– WINNER
Marion Cotillard – “Rust and Bone”
Helen Mirren – “Hitchcock”
Naomi Watts – “The Impossible”
Rachel Weisz – “The Deep Blue Sea”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama:
Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”– WINNER
Richard Gere – “Arbitrage”
John Hawkes – “The Sessions”
Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
Denzel Washington – “Flight”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical:
Emily Blunt – “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
Judi Dench – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook” — WINNER
Maggie Smith – “Quartet”
Meryl Streep – “Hope Springs”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical:
Jack Black – “Bernie”
Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Hugh Jackman – “Les Miserables”– WINNER
Bill Murray – “Hyde Park on Hudson”
Ewan McGregor – “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Amy Adams – “The Master”
Sally Field – “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables” — WINNER
Helen Hunt – “The Sessions”
Nicole Kidman – “The Paperboy”
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Alan Arkin – “Argo”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “Django Unchained”
Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz – “Django Unchained” — WINNER
Best Director – Motion Picture:
Ben Affleck – “Argo”– WINNER
Kathryn Bigelow – “Zero Dark Thirty”
Ang Lee – “Life of Pi”
Steven Spielberg – “Lincoln”
Quentin Tarantino – “Django Unchained”
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture:
“Zero Dark Thirty” – Mark Boal
“Lincoln” – Tony Kushner
“Silver Linings Playbook” – David O. Russell
“Django Unchained” – Quentin Tarantino — WINNER
“Argo” – Chris Terrio
Best Original Score – Motion Picture:
“Life of Pi” – Mychael Danna — WINNER
“Argo” – Alexandre Desplat
“Anna Karenina” – Dario Marianelli
“Cloud Atlas” – Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil
“Lincoln” – John Williams
Best Original Song – Motion Picture:
Monty Powell, Keith Urban – “For You” – from “Act of Valor”
Jon Bon Jovi – “Not Running Anymore” from “Stand Up Guys”
Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams and T Bone Burnett – “Safe & Sound” from “The Hunger Games”
Adele, Paul Epworth – “Skyfall” from “Skyfall” — WINNER
Alain Boubil, Claude-Michel Schonberg – “Suddenly” from “Les Miserables”
Best Animated Feature Film:
“Brave” — WINNER
“Frankenweenie”
“Hotel Transylvania”
“Rise of the Guardians”
“Wreck-It Ralph”
Best Foreign Language Film:
“Amour” (Austria) — WINNER
“A Royal Affair” (Denmark)
“The Intouchables” (France)
“Kon-Tiki (Norway / UK / Denmark)
“Rust and Bone” (France)
TELEVISION
Best Television Series – Drama:
“Boardwalk Empire”
”Breaking Bad”
”Downton Abbey”
”Homeland” — WINNER
“The Newsroom”
Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical:
“The Big Bang Theory”
”Episodes”
”Girls”– WINNER
”Modern Family”
“Smash”
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama:
Connie Britton – “Nashville”
Glenn Close – “Damages”
Claire Danes – “Homeland” — WINNER
Michelle Dockery – “Downton Abbey”
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife”
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama:
Steve Buscemi – “Boardwalk Empire”
Bryan Cranston – “Breaking Bad”
Jeff Daniels – “The Newsroom”
Jon Hamm – “Mad Men”
Damian Lewis – “Homeland” — WINNER
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:
Zooey Deschanel – “New Girl”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – “Veep”
Lena Dunham – “Girls”– WINNER
Tina Fey – “30 Rock”
Amy Poehler – “Parks and Recreation”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:
Alec Baldwin – “30 Rock”
Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” — WINNER
Louis C.K. – “Louie”
Matt LeBlanc – “Episodes”
Jim Parsons – “The Big Bang Theory”
Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television:
“Game Change” — WINNER
“The Girl”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
“The Hour”
“Political Animals”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Nicole Kidman – “Hemingway & Gellhorn”
Jessica Lange – “American Horror Story: Asylum”
Sienna Miller – “The Girl”
Julianne Moore – “Game Change” — WINNER
Sigourney Weaver – “Political Animals”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Kevin Costner – “Hatfields & McCoys” — WINNER
Benedict Cumberbatch – “Sherlock (Masterpiece)”
Woody Harrelson – “Game Change”
Toby Jones – “The Girl”
Clive Owen – “Hemingway & Gellhorn”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Hayden Panettiere – “Nashville”
Archie Panjabi – “The Good Wife”
Sarah Paulson – “Game Change”
Maggie Smith – “Downton Abbey” (season 2) — WINNER
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:
Max Greenfield – “New Girl”
Ed Harris – “Game Change” — WINNER
Danny Huston – “Magic City”
Mandy Patinkin – “Homeland”
Eric Stonestreet – “Modern Family”
Jodie Foster’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Lifetime Achievement Award speech [Full Transcript]
[Reuters] Academy Award Winning (beating out ex hubby James Cameron!) Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal turn “Zero Dark Thirty” into a more complex look at the decade-long hunt for the al Qaeda leader. A frank presentation of U.S. torture and previously undisclosed details of the mission to hunt down the man behind the September 11 attacks and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.
1st time’s a charm: Kanye West announce Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy
[Huffington Post] Kim Kardashian was just as surprised as the rest of the world when rapper Kanye West publicly announcement that they are expecting a baby, TMZ reports.
On Sunday night at Atlantic City’s Revel Resort Ovation Hall, West announced that Kardashian is pregnant to a packed crowd of more than 5,000 fans. His reality-star girlfriend was also in the audience.
The rapper paused in the middle of his set to reveal the big news. “Stop the music for a second. Stop the music,” he said. “Can we make some noise for my baby mama right quick?” The crowd erupted in wild cheers, and the news quickly went viral. He asked concertgoers to congratulate his baby mama, according to the Associated Press, adding that this was “most amazing thing.”
Kardashian reportedly had “no idea” West would make the pregnancy announcement on stage Sunday, according to TMZ. She and the 35-year-old “Clique” rapper had not discussed announcing the news and were reportedly going to wait until she started showing, TMZ notes. Kardashian’s best friend and her mom, as well as several members of West’s family were also at the show.
After West revealed the news, the Kardashian clan also confirmed the reality star is expecting her first child with the Chicago-born rapper, whom she has been dating since the spring. “Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!! LOVE is everything!!!!” tweeted Khloe Kardashian. Kim Kardashian is about 12 weeks pregnant, according to E! News.
Twitter Reactions:
Lamar Odom: “I’m excited for Kanye and my sister! There’s nothing like bringing life into this world! Let’s keep Gods blessings coming!”
Demi Lovato: “So happy for you @KimKardashian.. Love you SO much and I’m so excited to babysit!! Miss you girly.. Once again… SO happy for you!!! Xox”
Khloé Kardashian Odom: “Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!! LOVE is everything!!!!”
Kourtney Kardashian: “Been wanting to shout from the rooftops with joy and now I can! Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!”
Ryan Seacrest: “It’s true 🙂 @KimKardashian & @KanyeWest are having a baby! congrats u guys”
Kendall Jenner: “whos excited about the KIMYE babbyyy?! 😀 weeee”
Kylie Jenner: “Congrats to this beautiful couple. I love you guys”
Jonathan Cheban: “I better be the godfather…LOL!!”
Brittny Gastineau: “I am so beyonnnnnnd excited no words….#crying #emotional #bffforever @KimKardashian”
Loren Ridinger: “Congrats to my sis @KimKardashian – am sooo happy for u and @kanyewest Blessings and love for our new baby on the way!!!!! Xoxo”
Tamar Braxton: “What a baby boom! Happy for Kim&Kanye :-)”
Larsa Pippen: “Congrats @KimKardashian. You’re gonna be the best mom ever!! Can’t wait”
Russell Simmons: “Congrats to Kim and Kanye. Happy for both of them… bit.ly/YE4Uzh”
Crystal Harris: “Congratulations on your pregnancy @KimKardashian!”
Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris Get Married at Playboy Mansion
[E!] Hugh Hefner is ringing in the new year as a married man! The 86-year-old Playboy founder tied the knot with 26-year-old girlfriend Crystal Harris tonight at—where else—the Playboy Mansion in front of a select group of family and friends, Playboy confirms to E! News. The bride, who is now going by Crystal Hefner on Twitter, posted photos earlier in the evening of the wedding set-up, including a close-up of the flowers lining the altar inside.
“Today is the day I become Mrs. Hugh Hefner. Feeling very happy, lucky, and blessed,” the missus wrote. Hef’s New Year’s Eve nuptials come about a year and a half after they were first supposed to swap vows—and less than a month after Harris revealed that they were reengaged.
Though Harris spared no gory detail in explaining her decision to break up with Hef in June 2011, when asked more recently why she called the whole thing off just days before their wedding, she explained that it just wasn’t their time yet.
Crystal: “I moved into the Mansion really young. I was 21 or 22,” she told Us Weekly at her bridal shower, held Dec. 19 at Femme Fatale, the lingerie store and party venue she opened with a friend in Studio City, Calif. “I needed to explore out there and take the time away. The time away really helped make me realize that where I’m meant to be is here with Hef. Hef cares for me so much, and I care for him so much. We love each other. I felt like I needed to be home and this is home for me.”
Her fiancé even got her a brand new sparkly engagement ring after she sold the 3.39-carat diamond he gave her the first time around. This is Hefner’s third marriage. He has four children, two with each ex-wife. Celebrity guests in attendance included Gene Simmons and wife and Playmate Shannon Tweed, Jon Lovitz, Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney and 2005’s Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon.
A private reception, during which Hefner and Harris cut the wedding cake, followed the ceremony and guests later celebrated with the newlyweds at the Mansion’s annual New Year’s Eve party, which was an Art Deco styled nightclub with performances by jazz and blues singer Brenna Whitaker and her band.
“In Times Square the ball is suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the new year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by.
To remember both our triumphs and our missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt because that is what New Years is all about- getting another chance.
A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what would be.
So when that ball drops at midnight, and it will drop, let’s remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long.”
“This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families.
We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a president, but as anybody else would as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.
The majority of those who died today were children — beautiful, little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.
So our hearts are broken today for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost.
Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors, as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early and there are no words that will ease their pain.
As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it is an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago, these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.
This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter, and we’ll tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight, and they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans, and I will do everything in my power as president to help, because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need, to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories, but also in ours.
May God bless the memory of the victims and, in the words of Scripture, heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.”
[tvline] Fitz takes Liv to task for playing the Hemings/Jefferson “race card,” saying, “Don’t belittle us like that…. Don’t drive me away.”
Liv launches into a great bit, saying, “You are away. I smile at [Mellie] and I take my clothes off for you. I wait for you, I watch for you…. You own me, you control me.”
Fitz counters, “What about me? You control me, I belong to you. I’m in love with you, you’re the love of my life, I can’t breathe without you. I wait for you, I watch for you, I exist for you…. There’s no Sally and Thomas here…. We’re in this together.”
[Amazon Instant Video] Brad and Kate have been together three years, in love, having fun, doing all sorts of things together with no intention of marriage or children. Christmas morning, they’re on their way to Fiji, having told their two sets of divorced parents that they’re off to do charity work. Through a fluke, they have no choice but to visit each of their four idiosyncratic parents. As the day progresses, Brad and Kate remember growing up, each learns more about the other, and Kate realizes that her life may not be as good as it could be. Do they know each other well enough to weather the storms families bring?
3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
[Amazon Instant Video] It’s Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark’s continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
2. The Christmas List
*
[Full Movie Stream] Perfume saleslady Melody Parris feels like her life is in neutral. Her stick-in-the mud boyfriend won’t commit and she gets passed over for a promotion at the store where she works. She decides to make a Christmas list. After it’s deposited in Santa’s mailbox at the store, she starts getting everything she wanted, but it doesn’t always turn out as she expected.
1. Bad Santa
[Amazon Instant Video] Bad Santa is the story of two conmen who go on a road trip to malls dressed as Santa and his elf. Rather than spreading good cheer, the duo’s motive is to rob each establishment, a strategy that becomes complicated when they encounter an 8-year-old who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas.
Somewhere along the way, Black Friday went from biggest shopping day of the year to biggest “pulverize a senior citizen for a discount on some chintzy piece of crap you’d never buy at full price” day of the year. Here are five horrifying headlines that make us glad we spent yesterday like normal human beings: eating pie for breakfast.
We come into the world with empty hands, but when we go back we take all the love that people on earth have for us along. As you sit down to dinner be thankful to God to have created so many people around you who love you. May you have plenty of reasons to be thankful to God this Thanksgiving.
Obama got one of the rarest things in life: a second chance.
God Bless America.
XXOO Jenn
President Barack Obama gave a rousing victory speech to supporters in Chicago, Ill., early Wednesday morning. Here are five of the president’s best lines:
1. “Tonight more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.”
2. “We are an American family and we rise and fall as one nation and as one people.”
3. “Tonight in the election, you the American people reminded us that while our road has been hard, while or journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.”
4. “We need to go forward, but progress isn’t always a straight line or a smooth path.”
5. “Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.” [Politico]
President Barack Obama’s speech in Chicago after his re-election Tuesday night, as transcribed by Roll Call: Thank you so much. Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.
It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.
Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.
I want to thank every American who participated in this election, whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time. By the way, we have to fix that. Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone, whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference.
I just spoke with Gov. Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is the legacy that we honor and applaud tonight. In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Gov. Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.
I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden.
And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s first lady. Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you’re growing up to become two strong, smart beautiful young women, just like your mom. And I’m so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now one dog’s probably enough.
To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics. The best. The best ever. Some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning. But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together and you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way, through every hill, through every valley. You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you put in.
I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym, or saw folks working late in a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else.
You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who’s working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home.
That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.
That won’t change after tonight, and it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.
But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers. A country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation, with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow.
We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this—this world has ever known. But also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war, to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.
We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag. To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president—that’s the future we hope for. That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go—forward. That’s where we need to go.
Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond is where we must begin.
Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over. And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.
Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit. Reforming our tax code. Fixing our immigration system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do.
But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us. It’s about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of self-government. That’s the principle we were founded on.
This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great.
I am hopeful tonight because I’ve seen the spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who reenlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back.
I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. And I saw just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter, whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care.
I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father, but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes, because we knew that little girl could be our own. And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president.
And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.
I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.
America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.
And together with your help and God’s grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth.
Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.
Thank you. I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters.
This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.
I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done for our campaign and for our country. Besides my wife, Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve ever made. And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his commitment to principle will continue to contribute to the good of our nation.
I also want to thank Ann, the love of my life. She would have been a wonderful first lady. She’s — she has been that and more to me and to our family and to the many people that she has touched with her compassion and her care.
I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign, and thank their wives and children for taking up the slack as their husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home.
I want to thank Matt Rhoades and the dedicated campaign team he led. They have made an extraordinary effort not just for me, but also for the country that we love.
And to you here tonight, and to the team across the country — the volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors, the surrogates — I don’t believe that there’s ever been an effort in our party that can compare with what you have done over these past years. Thank you so very much.
Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances, for the resources and for the prayers. You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently. And you inspired us and you humbled us. You’ve been the very best we could have imagined.
The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to rise to the occasion.
We look to our teachers and professors, we count on you not just to teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our parents, for in the final analysis everything depends on the success of our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We’re counting on you to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics.
I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness.
Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign.
I so wish — I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.
Thank you, and God bless America. You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys.
4. Four Christmases
