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‘Distasteful’ Robin Williams Autopsy Documentary Causes Uproar

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robin williams autopsy documentary

Channel 5 is currently under fire for a “distasteful” documentary program about Robin Williams’ last hours. Instead of shedding some light into the cause of the actor’s suicide, the documentary entitled Autopsy: The Last Hours of Robin Williams elicited all sorts of negative reactions from mourning fans.

On social media, grieving fans of the late actor expressed their disapproval over the documentary. One Twitter user found the documentary to be particularly disturbing. She tweeted, “The self harm footage acted out by a Robin Williams lookalike was so distasteful & disturbing.” Another thought that it was too graphic and “unnecessary.”

Other social media users also said that Channel 5’s program isn’t exactly a good way to commemorate Williams. A fan tweeted, “Watching Autopsy: Robin Williams… I hate shows like this they should just let him rest in peace & remember him by the true legend what he is.”

Another fan felt the same way as she wrote, “Robin Williams seemed to keep a lot to himself and I can’t help but think how he would feel about them making a show on his death. Idk man.” Most of Williams’ fans also thought that the show was released way too soon. People are still recovering from the actor’s tragic death especially his friends and family.

One of Williams’ close family friends spoke out against the show, calling out the producers of Channel 5 by saying that they “should be ashamed of themselves.” The friend explained that Williams’ family is still having a hard time coping with the loss and that the program isn’t doing them any good.

“With each passing day the pain for Robin’s family eases just a fraction but something as disturbing as this just takes them backwards. Why anyone would want to make such a program is beyond comprehension. His wife and family will be utterly dismayed that someone is seeking to profit from Robin’s death in such a grotesque way,” the friend said.

The only response that Channel 5 made was a statement through their spokesman, claiming that the show “celebrates Robin’s career and talent, and within that the tragic details of his death are part of that story.”

The documentary, which aired on April 22, revealed some shocking findings about Williams’ last evening. The show claimed that before hanging himself, the actor cleaned up his own blood after slashing his wrists. It also depicted a dramatization of Williams stuffing his watches into a sock and giving it to a friend for safekeeping.

[Image via Wochit Ent]

‘Distasteful’ Robin Williams Autopsy Documentary Causes Uproar is an article from: The Inquisitr News


Giggling Child Perturbs Neighbor, Warns He’ll Call The Police On The Child For Laughing Too Much

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Spring air, open windows, birds chirping, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, and children at play in their yards after a long cold winter. While that image would portray happy times for many, not so for one angry neighbor that decided he’d enough of hearing a child laugh. In fact, he warned, if the parents didn’t stop the child, he was going to call the police and report the child for laughing too much. The Arizona father of the boy was outraged when he found the letter stuffed in his mailbox, claiming that his preschool child should be allowed outside just fifteen minutes a day.

“Every day this week, when weather has been nice and windows are open, you proceed to let your small child run free in your backyard and laugh and giggle and carry on without end. This is very disruptive for my two dogs and my bird who sits next to the window. … Perhaps you could ask him to tone it down a bit, or at least limit his outside time to 15-20 minutes a day. If this behavior continues I WILL CALL THE POLICE [sic]”

It wasn’t long before a friend of the family posted the unbelievable letter on Reddit and it was shared thousands of times.

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Naturally, there are now laws about laughing children. Etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore says the note crosses a line and has unreasonable expectations of living around other people, which may include other children. She also offered that the correct way to confront the issue would be to address the neighbor face to face and explain why the child’s laughter is bothersome. An anonymous note seems not only cowardly but somewhat threatening. Whitmore has advice for the father of the child.

“I’m sure the child’s father can figure out who wrote the note based on the clues about the dogs and the bird. But he should not stoop to the neighbor’s level in his reaction. He should take the high road and try to be as polite as possible.”

Many Reddit users did not agree, with one saying the father should make a 24-hour soundtrack of his child laughing and play it in the backyard. While it’s understandable that people like peace and quiet, it’s not reasonable to live next to people and not hear any noise.

Amy Morin, a psychotherapist, says the father should continue to go about his life and allow his son to play as he always has.

“The sound and sight of children playing in their own yard isn’t something that normally offends people. The father doesn’t need to please his neighbor. He needs to do what’s best for his child.”

There seem to be many instances of anonymous letters sent to people about strange things. You can read more about that here.

How would you reply to a note like this?

[Photos Courtesy of Yahoo! s Prixdaus]

Giggling Child Perturbs Neighbor, Warns He’ll Call The Police On The Child For Laughing Too Much is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Taco Cannon: One College’s Hockey Games Will Soon Have High-Flying Mexican Food

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A Taco Will Be Launched Out Of A Cannon

You’ve heard of T-shirts and hot dogs being shot out of a cannon, but what about a taco? Well, get ready, because it’s going to happen sooner than you think.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, Voodoo Taco in Omaha, Nebraska, has come up with the idea and plans to introduce it at hockey games for the University of Nebraska, Omaha in the fall. Owner Eric Newton said he was “looking at air cannons” when he came up with the idea.

“I thought, ‘We could fly a taco out of that.'”

The cannon is still in the developing phase, but Newton said he is hoping that tacos will be able to stay together as they launch into the audience.

“We want them to hold up, stay hot, and taste like they do at the restaurant.”

At this point, Newton noted that it is likely the company will start launching chicken and steak tacos first. This idea comes as the university is planning to open a new arena before next hockey season, according to KETV.

The taco cannon became a hot discussion on Twitter, even beating out Earth Day as the number one trending topic.

Newton added that the taco may not be as “restaurant quality” at the sporting events after it is shot out of a cannon, but people will still be able to eat it. He also mentioned that his team doesn’t have any plans to cheapen their food with this new method.

“We’re going to make a good taco come out of the cannon. We’re not going to just put some fake thing in there because [people] are going to talk about it. ‘How’s the taco?’ ‘It sucks.’ And then they’ll tell the guys next to them, so we don’t want that.”

And how are people responding to the idea of a taco cannon? A lot can’t wait to see what it’s like.

But there are some who have their doubts.

What do you think of the taco cannon?

[Image via Twitter]

Taco Cannon: One College’s Hockey Games Will Soon Have High-Flying Mexican Food is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Enter ‘Game Of Thrones’ With ‘Friday Knight Fights!’ – Russian MMA Has An Armored Knights Division [Video]

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Knights Battling

Over the past decade, MMA has become a premier fighting sport that, to many, has surpassed many other fighting sports due to its violent aggressiveness and style diversity. UFC is probably the organization responsible for bringing MMA to prominence by being the first to air on mainstream television. They are also the organization responsible for bringing prominence to women’s MMA primarily through Ronda Rousey.

Now there is news of MMA now expanding their horizons beyond wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As a matter of fact, it may have come about due to the popularity of the premier television series Game of Thrones. Apparently, Russian MMA now has knight battles in the ring complete with armor, sword, and shield.

M-1 Medieval (also known as Friday Knight Fights) is an organization that pairs fighters to battle like knights, reminiscent of duels seen in television shows such as Game of Thrones and Camelot. Each battle consists of three rounds, three minutes long, in which the knights – fully armored in chain mail and metal plating – swing swords and defend with shields. Though the danger is real, there are rules and regulations incorporated for safety. For example, swords are blunted and knights are not allowed to use the point of the blade for stabbing.

It should be also noted that M-1 Medieval spawned off of Russia’s biggest MMA organization, M-1 Global. The reason why is because knight duels were originally a part of MMA matches. According to Fansided, MMA fighters would dress up as knights and go into the ring to face off to the delight of MMA fans. This only happened in between fights as filler. As time went by, the knight duels established their own following, resulting in the creation of an organization that caters to men in full-body armor squaring off in Medieval fashion.

The most recent duel during Friday Knight Fights has been attached above. Check it out and decide for yourself if the hype surrounding M-1 Medieval is truly warranted.

[Image via Denis Doyle/Stringer]

Enter ‘Game Of Thrones’ With ‘Friday Knight Fights!’ – Russian MMA Has An Armored Knights Division [Video] is an article from: The Inquisitr News

WWE News: When Former TNA Star Samoa Joe Is Set To Make His WWE NXT Debut

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Samoa Joe

When former TNA Star Samoa Joe left the company, many were shocked. Joe had been so loyal for the last number of years despite several issues with the company. However, everyone can see that TNA is going through a change right now. Some of that might be good, but other parts of the change simply didn’t fit into Joe’s plans it seems. This on top of the rumored pay issues TNA has gone through lately.

Once Joe left TNA, rumors of a possible WWE move were rampant. However, Joe is 36 years old, and most of the time WWE does not even consider hiring people at such an age. However, WWE is going through a change as well with former WWE Superstar Triple H running Talent Relations. Triple H happens to be a huge Samoa Joe fan. This knowledge led many to speculate that Samoa Joe would be going to WWE once he had the chance.

Not only did the rumors of this get going, but Joe himself confirmed that he was going to be attempting a WWE career to people at Indy shows. He even ended his Ring of Honor run early so that he could make his way to WWE. Many assumed that Joe would just walk in and show up on WWE NXT right away. Sadly, this is WWE. It doesn’t quite work that way.

It is said that Joe did work out for WWE. However, he also has to pass WWE’s medical testing. Once he does the testing and passes, he will be able to get a WWE contract. Usually this takes a few months to get going. That being said, Samoa Joe was never really set to make a WWE appearance in April despite being available. WWE may have wanted to hold off on having him show up on WWE programming until he was under a WWE deal. If he could not pass medical testing or WWE didn’t think he was worthy of a hire, it wouldn’t make sense for him to just appear on a show despite how much Triple H likes him.

The Wrestling Observer reports that we could see Samoa Joe make his WWE NXT debut this June. There is a shot that we could see him at the end of May due to WWE having a live special for NXT then on the WWE Network. This would be a perfect time for Joe to debut. Of course, this all depends on medical testing coming back clear as well as WWE still wanting to offer him a WWE deal.

Samoa Joe is a fan favorite and when he does show up on WWE NXT, the place will go nuts. WWE probably wouldn’t keep him in NXT very long as due to his age, WWE will have to use him as much as they can. He only has a short window according to many, so WWE will have to use him as much as possible in his first few years with the company.

[IMG Credit: Mindofcarnage.com]

WWE News: When Former TNA Star Samoa Joe Is Set To Make His WWE NXT Debut is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Marvel’s Iceman Is Gay, There’s More To The Storyline Says Writer

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iceman gay marvel comics

Over the years, numerous Hollywood personalities have come out of the closet, but who would have ever thought that a Marvel superhero would do the same? Male Marvel superheroes have long been depicted in print and film as mighty, fearless, and manly, but in a recent issue of All-New X-Men, one of our favorite superheroes broke that image by admitting a secret that he has long kept.

In All-New X-Men #40 which was just released today, Bobby Drake – popularly known as Iceman – came out with being “full gay.” In one part of the issue, a teenage version of Drake was having a conversation with his fellow mutant Jean Grey.

Drake opened up about his teacher Magik whom he thinks is hot. This surprised Grey because being a telepath, she knew of Drake’s true sexuality. Wondering, she asked Drake why he is saying that another woman is hot when in fact, he isn’t attracted to them in that way.

After much debate, the young Iceman finally resolved to admitting that maybe he is bisexual. Grey agreed that it might be a possibility but nonetheless, she pointed out that she thinks he is “more – full gay.” Drake then responded, “Yeah… I know.”

This shocking revelation made some Marvel fans uneasy. “It gets awkward when you apply gayness on a character that has presented themselves as straight since 1963,” Josh Siegel wrote in an online geek community site.

However, there are also some that are quite supportive of Iceman’s coming out. One of these is Tristan Cooper who asserted, “You can cry ‘Iceman isn’t gay!!’ all you want, but the fact is, it’s there on the page. It happened. If it doesn’t make any sense to you, maybe you should find something else to read that doesn’t include superhumans who can read minds and shoot lasers out of their eyes.”

Displeased fans should indeed find other comic series to read as the issue’s writer Brian Michael Bendis hinted that there is more to come. “This is just the first little chapter of a much larger story that will be told,” he said.

Bendis also explained why he opted for such a twist. The comic writer said, “There are thousands if not millions of stories of people who, for many different reasons, felt the need to hide their sexuality.” He emphasized that the X-Men gives readers a “fascinating platform” in which they can carefully observe these “personal journeys.”

In 1963, Iceman appeared in the very first issue of the X-men comic series making him one of the team’s original members.

[Image via WatchMojo YouTube]

Marvel’s Iceman Is Gay, There’s More To The Storyline Says Writer is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Dr. Mehmet Oz Talks Back To Doctors Who Demanded His Ouster From Columbia University

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Dr. Mehmet Oz answers critics

Last week, a group of doctors unaffiliated with Columbia University lobbied the institution to cut ties with the vice-chairman of its surgery department, Dr. Mehmet Oz. In their letter, the doctors said Oz “has repeatedly shown disdain for science and for evidence-based medicine, as well as baseless and relentless opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops.”

Dr. Oz has responded in a Time op-ed, published online in advance of his expected reply to the criticisms on his show Thursday. Oz identified several of the doctors who wrote the letter as either advocates for GMO foods or practitioners with a shady history. He explained his choice to explore non-traditional medical practices on his program and clarified his stance on GMO foods.

“My exploration of alternative medicine has never been intended to take the place of conventional medicine, but rather as additive. Critics often imply that any exploration of alternative methods means abandoning conventional approaches. It does not. In fact, many institutions like mine use the names ‘complementary’ or ‘integrative’ medicine, which is also appropriate.

“These doctors criticized my ‘baseless and relentless opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops,’ which is another false accusation. Whether you support genetically engineered crops or not, the freedom to make an informed choice should belong to consumers. The bill in Congress this month proposing to block states from independently requiring labeling offers a coup to pro-GMO groups.”

Columbia University responded to the letter from the doctors by saying it respects the expression rights of all of its faculty.

“[Columbia University is] committed to the principle of academic freedom and to upholding faculty members’ freedom of expression for statements they make in public discussion.”

Dr. Oz was called before a senate hearing last year that was intended to stem the tide of fake weight-loss products. In those hearings, Oz said he used “flowery language” to increase enthusiasm for weight loss. He defended himself by saying he believes in the products he promotes on the show and has himself been the victim of advertisers who use his image without permission.

“You know … the biggest disservice I have done for my audience? It’s that I never told then where to go to buy the products…. [it created a market for] fake stuff, real stuff, it doesn’t frankly matter and [they] start to use my name to start to sell.”

In Dr. Oz’s opinion piece in Time, he explained his methodology behind the show.

“I started my show to give TV audiences advice on how to find a good life, not to practice medicine on air. This means celebrating them wherever they are in their search for health, and offering tools to nudge them along in the right direction.”

[Dr. Mehmet Oz image courtesy of Getty]

Dr. Mehmet Oz Talks Back To Doctors Who Demanded His Ouster From Columbia University is an article from: The Inquisitr News

House Sold By Lottery Ticket In Crisis-Driven Spain

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Lottery

Back in 2008, the bottom fell out of the property market in Spain. Since then the financial crisis has caused unemployment, evictions and homelessness, and it has become extremely difficult to sell a property. That is until now, after the first house sold by lottery ticket has been announced.

It was the owners that came up with the ideal solution. According to the Local, the Bolumar family set up Lotohome.es, a scheme whereby an owner can get their house sold by lottery ticket.

What this means is that almost everyone can afford to participate and possibly win the home of their dreams for a mere 10 euros ($11).

Apparently, it took a huge amount of red tape, a bureaucratic nightmare, and more than a year to get the scheme off the ground, but on the last Sunday of March this year, the lottery draw was held and now the lucky winner is the proud owner of a 4-bedroom townhouse in Segorbe near Castellón in Spain.

The house, worth an estimated €90,000 ($99,256) ending up bringing in an extra 10,000 euros for the previous owner, after administrative costs

The Bolumar family that came up with the idea after they tried to sell the house, inherited from an elderly relative who passed away two years ago, without success. With little hope of finding a buyer, or indeed a bank willing to give someone a mortgage on the home, Pepe Bolumar said they realized they had to try something different.

“When we put it on the market, a few people showed an interest but no bank was willing to issue a mortgage.”

“So one day I came up with the idea of raffling off the property.”

He told the Spanish language newspaper El Mundo that, “For the price of just €10 someone has won a house in perfect condition and they won’t have to pay a cent more because all the costs are included.”

As the idea has worked so well for their own property, the Bolumar family has decided to continue the scheme and will act as consultants for anyone else who is desperate to have their house sold by lottery ticket.

Bolumar says they were the first to do this in Spain and he believes that under a scheme where a house is sold by lottery ticket not only the seller of the house, but the lottery winner themselves can benefit.

In other, less lucky, Spanish news, the Inquisitr reports that a man was gored in his buttocks by a bull at a recent festival.

[Image: CC BY-NC 2.0 Jeremy Brooks]

House Sold By Lottery Ticket In Crisis-Driven Spain is an article from: The Inquisitr News


Japanese Woman Catches Boyfriend Cheating, Throws Boyfriend’s Apple Products In The Tub [Pics]

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Japanese woman throws boyfriend's apple products in bathtub

A large sum of Twitter users are praising a Japanese woman for drowning her cheating boyfriend’s Apple products in a bathtub filled with water. Apparently, she caught him with another woman, and in lieu of being mature by breaking up with him and moving on, she decided to get even.

The heartbroken woman dumped her boyfriend’s Apple products in the bathtub at her home, which consisted of the iPhone, iMac, iPad, and other expensive accessories. Afterward she took pictures of the ruthless act and without hesitation, she sent the pictures to her boyfriend’s phone.

When the unidentified man reached for his phone and viewed her message, he received the shock of his life. Two pictures were sent to him showing his entire Apple collection submerged under water in his girlfriend’s home – completely ruined, not even the rice trick could have saved his Apple collection.

His reaction after seeing his products drowned in the tub is unknown, but it’s evident he wasn’t too thrilled as he turned to Twitter for support by sharing the photos on his account, which has since gone viral. His tweet has been retweeted more than 15,000 times, and the reactions were shocking.

Although the tweet was written in Japanese, an Asian woman was kind enough to explain what was being said. After decoding the tweet, Twitter users responded as follows.

Most Twitter users are condoning his girlfriend’s actions, and saying “that’s what cheaters get” and “best revenge ever.”

Some of their responses appeared to be on the boyfriend’s side, though, but the mass majority of them were those that were huge fans of Apple products, and also aware of how expensive their iMacs, iPhones, iPad, and other accessories can be.

According to Apple, iMac computers start at $2,400, and the cheapest product they have starts at $899.

It appears that the unnamed man had an entire Apple collection, which he evidently spent an arm and a long for. If he didn’t purchase the Apple Care, – which is insurance for Apple’s products – he’d have to have to do some serious damage to his bank account in the near or far future.

Do you think the girlfriend went overboard by throwing her boyfriend’s apple products in a bathtub filled with water over infidelity? Share your thoughts.

[Images courtesy of Adam Matthew/Flickr]

Japanese Woman Catches Boyfriend Cheating, Throws Boyfriend’s Apple Products In The Tub [Pics] is an article from: The Inquisitr News

EBay, Paypal Prepare For Divorce And Life After

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eBay

EBay and Paypal will officially sever ties later during the third quarter this year.

According to Forbes, the first quarter was very good to Paypal, but just okay to eBay. Still, both companies are listed as one entity, and as a combined unit, eBay beat expectations, and gained 5 percent overall value in after-hours trading.

Though it was stated earlier in the year by eBay that the company would split during the second half of 2015, eBay CEO John Donahoe specified that the split would take place within the third quarter of this year. During a conference call, Donahoe, who will become CEO of Paypal after the split, spoke little, leaving the majority of the call to current Paypal CEO Dan Schulman and incoming eBay CEO Devin Wenig.

“We are in one of the most exciting periods in the history of financial services,” said Schulman, a former American Express executive who’s now overseeing a payments arm where revenue rose 14% year-over-year. “The online and offline payments worlds are digitizing and converging on mobile.”

Separately, however, the companies show signs of going in different directions. Paypal, for the first quarter, earned eBay $2.11 billion whereas eBay’s merchandising and selling earned $2.07 billion. This was attributed to 3.6 million more active Paypal users generating more than $61 million, a gain of 18 percent. Some analysts have Paypal, as a separate entity, valued at around $40 billion.

Fortune is reporting that Paypal even outsold eBay, selling $2.1 billion for the first quarter, a gain of 14 percent. compared to the 4 percent falloff at eBay, with sales of $2 billion. Many are attributing the sales decline at eBay to competition from other websites, such as Amazon.

For some time now, Paypal was eBay’s fastest growing arm of the company. With increases in digital and mobile payments, it was inevitable. Couple that with the decrease in purchasing products from eBay, and it shows that eBay has more ground to gain after the split.

Donahoe explained that the symbiotic relationship ebay and Paypal shared had grown weaker, and rumblings from the stockholders, specifically investor Carl Icahn, for the two companies to separate. It was thus decided that the two companies should part ways.

This does make eBay seem a bit weaker, and possibly a target for acquisition, perhaps from Chinese superseller Alibaba. Further, Wenig stated that Google had changed its search engine algorithms, and the change was adversely effecting eBay item listings in the search engine. Wenig says a fix for that is being investigated.

The one thing eBay doesn’t have to worry about is competition from Paypal. According to the terms of the split, neither company can compete against the other. It was not disclosed if there is a time limit on these restrictions.

[Image courtesy of Protege Solutions]

EBay, Paypal Prepare For Divorce And Life After is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Watch IPL 2015 Cricket Live Online: Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs. Rajasthan Royals

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IPL 2015 Live online Royal Challengers Bangalore Rajasthan Royals

Cricket fans can watch the 22nd IPL 2015 match live online as league-leading Rajasthan Royals welcome basement-dwellers Royal Challengers Bangalore at Sardar Partel Stadium in Ahmedabad. For the first time, the Royals will be coming off a loss and looking to rebound, while Bangalore remains the worst underperforming team in the Indian Premier League.

Information on how to watch the Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Royals match live online can be found below.

After streaking to a 5-0 record out of the gate, Rajasthan finally stumbled on Tuesday, but it took Kings XI Punjab into a Super Over to finally stop the Royals’ rampage when the teams’ 20 overs ended with each side at a 192 total.

In a deciding Super Over, each team is allowed two wickets — and Kings XI fast bowler Mitchell Johnson took both to give Punjab the match and knock Rajasthan out of the win column for the first time in six matches.

No such luck for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who are still sitting on just a single victory, falling on Wednesday to Chennai Super Kings — despite an impressive return to cricket for Australia’s World Cup winning left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc.

Starc missed the first two weeks of the 2015 IPL tournament with a sore knee, but he showed no signs of discomfort Wednesday. Unfortunately, Bangalore Captain Virat Kolhi and Coach Daniel Vettori elected to sit Chris Gayle in order to put Starc into the lineup.

As solidly as Starc bowled in the match, the trade-off of batting for bowling backfired, as RCB mustered just 154 for 8, falling a full 28 runs short of the 182 required to win the match.

Kohli must find a way to get both Starc and Gayle into the side in order to have a fighting chance against the table toppers.

The India-based site Cric HD will stream the match live online at this link. But viewers should be aware that the site carries large amounts of both pop-up and embedded ads that could cause browser crashes and other online slowdowns.

For the most reliable live online stream of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Royals, cricket fans can purchase a subscription to ESPN Cricket. For access, visit this link.

Viewers in India should try Star Sports to follow the Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Royals match live online while Cricket Gateway also carries the match outside the United States by clicking here. First ball is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. United States Eastern Time, 7:30 a.m. Pacific.

[Image: NDTV.com]

Watch IPL 2015 Cricket Live Online: Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs. Rajasthan Royals is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Co-stars, Hollywood React To ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Actor’s Suicide

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ELR

The tight knit cast and creator of classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond spoke out Thursday night on the apparent suicide death of fellow Raymond castmate, Sawyer Sweeten. Raymond lead Ray Romano stated:

“I’m shocked, and terribly saddened, by the news about Sawyer. He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family, and his friends during this very difficult time.”

Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal called the Sweeten siblings, “charming” and “an integral part of our TV family,” also stating that he was “loved” and “never failed to make us laugh or remind us how we feel about our own children.”

Sweeten’s sister Madylin who played his older sister Ally on Raymond confirmed his death earlier in the day by releasing a statement requesting privacy for the family. In a message on Facebook, she reminded everyone to “reach out” to those they love.

Patricia Heaton who portrayed Sawyer’s mother on Everybody Loves Raymond took to Twitter to express her grief, as did Mean Girls actress Lacy Chabert and celebrity gossiper Perez Hilton:

Everybody Loves Raymond ran from 1996 to 2005. Over that nine-year period, Raymond won thirteen Emmys, one SAG award, and a Writer’s Guild of America award. Based on the real life of comedian Ray Romano, the comedy was a critical and audience success. The parts of Raymond Barrone’s twins were originally played by triplets Amber, Justin, and Drew Ferreira in the pilot episode, but because the pilot took so long to air, Raymond‘s twins were eventually recast with Sawyer and his twin brother Sullivan.

In 2010, the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond reunited at the TV Land Awards to receive the Impact Award. While Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton would go on to other projects including Parenthood and The Middle, the children of Everybody Loves Raymond appeared to keep low profiles.

Sawyer Sweeten was 19-years-old at the time of his death, just weeks from celebrating his 20th birthday. As his family mourn their loss, fans are able to honor his memory through Everybody Loves Raymond reruns airing globally and on Netflix.

[Image courtesy of Matthew Simmons/Getty Images]

Co-stars, Hollywood React To ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Actor’s Suicide is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Lil Wayne: The Ultimate Name Drop — Used As A Fame Comparison Tool

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Lil Wayne is back and being name dropped as a way to level up other celebrities.

It is a well-known fact that Lil Wayne is back on top after a long period of time being silenced by his label. Now Lil Wayne’s name is being dropped everywhere around the end of April as a way to show how famous another celebrity is.

Whether Lil Wayne is mentioned in conjunction with other celebrities as part of their inner circle or as a way of making other celebrities look better — it is clear that Lil Wayne is always being name dropped with the best in the business.

Hot on the heels of releasing a new video for “HollyWeezy,” Lil Wayne’s current leveling-up of influence is especially apparent when it is used to describe where newer rappers rank in comparison.

A good example is a recent L.A, Weekly article that talks about Tyler the Creator’s April release of Cherry Bomb. In describing where Tyler the Creator is as far as his ascent to fame, Lil Wayne and Jay Z are used as comparison tools. L.A. Weekly states the following opinion about Lil Wayne.

“… but there’s much more to Cherry Bomb than just Tyler’s fandom. He’s never been a better rapper, and makes excellent use of his resources as someone who’s already a young industry vet. The fact that Tyler’s style hangs perfectly between Kanye West and Lil Wayne shows how much he’s arrived.”

Lil Wayne is also associated with the greatest minds in the music industry. For instance, Fader published an article about Lil Wayn’s relationship with Vinylz A.K.A. Anderson Hernandez, a 25-year-old producer.

Fader states, “His [Vinylz] résumé is spotless, with major hits built on his cavernous hybrid of ’90s boom-bap and contemporary R&B haze for just about every important rap star:Kanye West, Drake, Jay Z, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and Nicki Minaj.”

Are there any other signs that Lil Wayne is one of the best names to name-drop? Clearly, if you want to add intrigue to an event, a pop-up from Lil Wayne is the icing on the cake. Exemplifying that point is Today South Africa. They were quick to point out that one of the highlights of watching the May 3 boxing showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was that Lil Wayne might be there.

In discussing the upcoming boxing match, the writers hinted that there was a possibility that Lil Wayne or other celebrities could show up to support the match and end up in the ring. About Lil Wayne helping it to become a “fight of the century,” they state the following.

“We have seen Justin Bieber and Lil’ Wayne get in the ring with Mayweather in the past and it will be no surprise if they turn up to support him on the night…. All these celebs under one roof adds to the sense of occasion.”

Regardless, in the opinion of some fans, the only way Lil Wayne can top all of this is if he actually releases the #FWA (Free Weezy Album) in April.

[Feature image via Getty Images.]

Lil Wayne: The Ultimate Name Drop — Used As A Fame Comparison Tool is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Grandfather Troy Gibbs Pulls Gun At Softball Game When Granddaughter Doesn’t Get To Play

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Troy Gibbs Charged With Pulling Gun At Softball Game

Grandfather Troy Gibbs is under fire tonight after losing his temper at a softball game and pulling a gun that he pointed at spectators and children because of an argument that broke out over his granddaughter’s playing time.

The Chandler, Oklahoma, man caused individuals at the game to dial 9-1-1. When he realized the extent of trouble he was in, he left the facility but police later caught up with him and charged him with pointing a firearm and disturbing the peace.

They also said more charges could be forthcoming, KOCO notes.

Troy Gibbs, 45, started fighting with his granddaughter’s coach after becoming agitated by the little girl sitting on the bench. At one point, he left the field and went out to the parking lot. When he came back, he pointed the gun at the coach’s face and then began pointing it at some of the children in the parking lot.

“We have our few arguments, disagreements, here and there at these games that we respond to, but we’ve never had nothing of this magnitude,” said Chandler Police Chief Matthew Mattheyer. ”

“Davenport and Chandler have always had a little thing about rivals, but our girls after the game did the walk-through, clapped their hands, good game. I think the next morning is when it really hit that, you know, the things that could have happened,” Chandler Softball Association president Kari Hulsey said in comments to the news site.

Gibbs later apologized to police for his actions, but at this point, they affirmed, the damage has already been done.

“This is not behavior that’s acceptable to any of us — Davenport, or Chandler, or any of the softball leagues in Lincoln County,” Hulsey said. “This is far, far away from what we teach our girls.”

While stories of angry dads and family members go hand-in-hand with little league, most commenters felt this went well beyond typical behavior.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it! jail time for this hater,” wrote one commenter. “Why didn’t he get beat up or shot?” wrote another. “Way to set the example for your grand children. Just pathetic!”

Some made a point of tying the man’s behavior to the gun control issue.

“And you gun nuts wonder why we want more control on who can carry?”

What do you think of the actions of Troy Gibbs? Should this grandfather do serious jail time for his behaviors? What is a fitting punishment? Sound off in the comments section below.

[Image via KOCO, linked above]

Grandfather Troy Gibbs Pulls Gun At Softball Game When Granddaughter Doesn’t Get To Play is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Scientists Link Drilling To Earthquakes, Next Big One Might Be Man-Made

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Drilling Earthquakes

The recent U.S. drilling boom is almost certainly causing earthquakes; that’s the conclusion of a growing number of reports including a recent study from the U.S. Geological Survey. Although the earthquakes have been minor so far, scientists warn that disturbing the ancient faults could set off a much larger disaster.

According to the AP, the earthquakes are mostly caused by companies injecting wastewater deep underground, activating dormant faults. A few of the quakes are also caused by hydraulic fracturing, where companies pump a combination of water, sand and other chemicals into rock formations to free up gas and oil.

Up until now, the oil and gas industry has said more research was required to prove a connection between the earthquake swarms and new drilling.

The U.S. Geographical Survey report says that eight states have been affected by small drilling earthquakes: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. It’s the first comprehensive map showing the exact locations where drilling is causing an increase in earthquakes.

The state hardest hit has been Oklahoma.

In 2011, the state suffered a 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the largest tremblor in the state since 1952. Although no one was seriously injured, the quake damaged a large number of buildings according to CNN.

Yahoo News also reports Oklahoma has beaten out California for the most 3.0 magnitude earthquakes.

Oklahoma has already taken steps to prevent future quakes. State regulators now require a seismic review for all disposal well sites. Likewise, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, has ordered many disposal wells to stop drilling operations.

Nevertheless, predicting risk, and thereby regulating drilling practices, is still difficult.

The report states, “difficulties in assessing seismic hazard arise from a lack of relevant technical information on human industrial activity (that is, pumping data for injection wells).”

Still, people have apparantly been able to stop earthquakes through policy decisions. According to the New York Times, in at least two areas, policy planners managed to stop the earthquakes almost entirely by ending wastewater injections: once north of Denver int he 1970s and again in central Arkansas in 2011.

Another factor that’s difficult to assess is the potential size of a man-made earthquake. Mark Petersen, lead author of the Geological Survey report explained dramatic earthquakes are unlike, but possible.

“I’m not necessarily saying that we’re going to have a 7 in Oklahoma. But I don’t think we can rule that out.”

Scientists blamed a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan, China on human activity, although it wasn’t from drilling, but water built up behind a dam.

[Image Credit: Getty Images]

Scientists Link Drilling To Earthquakes, Next Big One Might Be Man-Made is an article from: The Inquisitr News


Giuliana Rancic Says Jerry O’Connell Cheated On Her With Ginger Spice, Reveals In Memoir

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57th GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

Instead of jumping at the chance to trash his ex-girlfriend Giuliana Rancic, actor Jerry O’Connell took the high road and refused to bad mouth his former lover.

Just recently, Rancic released her memoir entitled Going Off Script: How I Survived a Crazy Childhood, Cancer and Clooney’s 32 On-Screen Rejections. Upon its debut, the E! News host’s literary masterpiece made its way on The New York Times Bestseller List in not only one, but three different categories. This spelled good news for Rancic and bad news for O’Connell.

In the book, Rancic blatantly accused O’Connell of cheating while they were dating from 2003 to 2004. She also cited several incidences where he treated her with insensitivity. Rancic wrote of an instance where she discovered that O’Connell was cheating on her with Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. Astounded, the host asked her ex-boyfriend, “I was being two-timed for one of the lesser Spices?”

According to her account, O’Connell’s response was completely crass. He told her, “Yeah, I know. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened.” Rancic wrote that when he gave that apology, he had “as much emotion as the customer-service representative who tells you your bags missed the flight.”

Nonetheless, the two persisted on making their relationship work and they even contemplated marriage. However, in a Maxim party in 2004, Rancic revealed that O’Connell had strayed once again. This time, the actor got himself involved with Rebecca Romjin.

“Little did I know he was in the VIP area, talking up Rebecca. As a prelude to feeling up Rebecca,” the host wrote on her memoir. She related that after a week, the actor flew to Las Vegas and stopped communicating with her.

Rancic headed to his home hoping to confront O’Connell about his behavior but the actor refused to talk to her. Instead, he gave her another callous apology saying, “Nope. Sorry, homegirl. Things change, but you take care, OK?”

With these shocking revelations, spectators were eager to get O’Connell’s side. They finally got it when the actor appeared last Thursday on Watch What Happens Live. Dressed as a gentleman, O’Connell also acted the part by playing his statements safe.

“I don’t want to say anything negative,” he said. “She was a very nice girl. We had a very fun time. It was decades ago.” He didn’t confirm or deny Rancic’s allegations.

Earlier this month, Rancic had her hands busy with promoting her book. Her memoir is now available on sale.

[Image by Neilson Barnard, Getty images]

Giuliana Rancic Says Jerry O’Connell Cheated On Her With Ginger Spice, Reveals In Memoir is an article from: The Inquisitr News

New Spider-Man Animated Movie Has Been Announced

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new-spider-man-animated-movie-coming-in-2018-lego-movie-21-jump-street-directors-attached

Just when comic book fans couldn’t get enough of record-breaking adaptations of their favourite superheroes, a recent report from The Guardian has announced that a new animated Spider-Man movie will be coming out in 2018.

The news was made public by Sony Pictures who are interested in rebooting the Marvel web-slinger, but as an animation instead of a live-action movie. Sony Pictures chairman Tom Roth made the announcement himself at last week’s CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas. According to Roth, the new movie will co-exist in the same Spider-Man live-action universe.

[We] are taking Spider-Man back to his graphic roots with the first-of-its-kind animated Spider-Man feature…The film will exist independently of the projects in the live-action Spider-Man universe, all of which are continuing.

A report from /FILM says the new Spider-Man flick will be handed over to directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who worked on the popular Lego Movie released last year, as well as 21 Jump Street. While Lord and Miller are not attached to direct the animated movie, they will be writing the treatment and producing the film.

Alongside an animated adaptation, a new live-action Spider-Man flick is also in the works, according to the official press release.

Spider-Man will next appear in a live-action Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, a live-action film being produced by Kevin Feige at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. The animated film from Lord & Miller, dated July 20, 2018, has Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Pascal also serving as producers.

Despite The Amazing Spider-Man 2 being the lowest grossing adaptation in the film’s history (receiving a meta-score of 53/100), Spider-Man is the biggest Sony Pictures franchise of all time, grossing billions worldwide in the space of five movies.

It was also announced earlier this year that a deal had been signed by Sony Pictures to allow Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His first appearance in a Marvel adaptation will be in Captain America: Civil War, which will be released on May 6, 2016.

Spider-Man is one of the world’s most popular superhero characters, making his first appearance for Marvel Comics in 1962. The web-slinger is no stranger to animation either, having starred in his first cartoon series between 1967 and 1970. The new animated Spider-Man movie being released by Sony Pictures is bound to be a hit with old and new fans alike.

[Image source: Flicksided.com]

New Spider-Man Animated Movie Has Been Announced is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Paralyzed Patient Walks: 17-Year-Old Walks To Nurse, Surprises Her [Video]

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Paralyzed patient walks

A paralyzed patient walks toward her favorite nurse in an effort to surprise her, and it totally worked!

According to AOL, a Texas teen named Bailey Murrill, 17, became inexplicably paralyzed, and had been in the care of medical staff at a local facility for 11 days. On that eleventh day, Murrill regained feeling in her legs, and her feet, and was able to stand up and walk around. While overcome with so much relief, the teen really wanted to do something special to surprise one of her nurses that she had formed a bond with. So, she didn’t tell her that she could walk again… she showed her.

Bailey’s mom, Becky, took a video of the special moment.

According to the New York Daily News, Murrill was rough housing with her dad when she fell, and “landed awkwardly” on her back. She soon realized that she couldn’t feel the lower half of her body. She was taken to the hospital, and began physical therapy, but doctors weren’t sure what was wrong, or if Murrill would ever be able to walk again. She says that she turned to God after her injury, and her nurse said that she had been praying too.

When the paralyzed patient walks to her nurse in the hallway, there was a lot of screaming as the nurse was clearly overjoyed, and so emotional. She took Bailey in her arms, and the two embraced and cried together for several seconds. It appeared as though everyone around the two women were crying too!

“She had brought me so much joy at a time I needed it that I decided to bring her some,” said Bailey.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, over 3.8 million people have viewed the video online.

Bailey was released from the hospital on April 14. Doctors still aren’t exactly sure what caused her paralysis.

[Photo via YouTube]

Paralyzed Patient Walks: 17-Year-Old Walks To Nurse, Surprises Her [Video] is an article from: The Inquisitr News

Caterina Scorsone On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Shocker And Future Storylines: ‘It Will Not Be Boring’

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Caterina Scorsone of 'Grey's Anatomy'

Grey’s Anatomy may have said goodbye to a member of the original cast Thursday night, but actor Caterina Scorsone told fans there is plenty more Grey’s to come. Scorsone, who plays Amelia, the sister of Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd, told The Hollywood Reporter the characters will manage following Shepherd’s death.

Viewers watched as Shepherd was struck by a truck after leaving the scene of a car accident where he saved lives. He was treated at a hospital by doctors without the capacity to save him. Shepherd’s wife Meredith chose to terminate life support.

Scorsone said the loss of Derek will directly impact Amelia.

“It’s a devastating blow to Amelia. He is arguably the most important person that’s ever been a part of her life… She’s had such a history of loss, especially with the men in her life that she has loved. This is going to be a huge, devastating blow to Amelia. We will have to see how she handles it; it will not be boring.”

Show runner Shonda Rhimes released a statement that reinforced the idea of the characters transitioning into new territory.

“[The loss of Derek] will be felt by all. Now, Meredith and the entire ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ family are about to enter uncharted territory as we head into this new chapter of her life.”

This season is Grey’s Anatomy‘s eleventh. It was the first season without Sandra Oh, who played Meredith’s best friend Christina Yang. The death of Derek leaves Meredith as a single mother to their two children.

Scorsone refused to reveal when the cast was told that Patrick Dempsey was leaving the program, insisting it is “personal family stuff.” She also said her last conversation with Patrick was not to be discussed, calling it “private brother-sister stuff.”

Variety reported that Dempsey’s departure comes well in advance of the end of his contract, which would have seen him stay with the show through the end of the 2015-2016 season. Nonetheless, his character’s absence from most of this season as well as a November, 2014, interview in which Dempsey said he was leaving “very soon,” heightened speculation of an early exit.

When Entertainment Weekly prodded Dempsey of the incongruity between his contract extension and his departure, he was coy about the reason behind it.

“Yes. you’re right. (He pauses) It just sort of evolved. It’s just kind of happened. It really was something that was kind of surprising that unfolded, and it just naturally came to be. Which was pretty good. I like the way it has all played out.”

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursday nights on ABC.

[Caterina Scorsone picture courtesy of Getty]

Caterina Scorsone On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Shocker And Future Storylines: ‘It Will Not Be Boring’ is an article from: The Inquisitr News

False Testimony By FBI Examiners Convicted Innocent People

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False Testimony By FBI Examiners

The FBI formally acknowledged giving false testimony in 257 trials for more than twenty years. Remarkably, flawed testimony by FBI forensic examiners included cases where 32 defendants were sentenced to death.

Fourteen of those prisoners were either executed or died in prison as a result of false testimony and evidence provided by FBI analysts and examiners.

In nearly every trial, for more than a two-decade period before 2000, the FBI and the United States Justice Department declared that nearly every elite FBI forensic examiner gave flawed testimony against criminal defendants.

Since 1989, hair and bite-mark comparisons provided by FBI forensic examiners led to wrongful convictions in more than twenty-five percent of 329 cases involving DNA-exoneration cases, according to a Washington Post article.

In April 2012, the Washington Post reported Justice Department officials were aware of the fact that flawed forensic analysis might result in innocent individuals being convicted of crimes they did not commit.

Later that year, Nanda Chitre, a Justice Department spokesperson, announced that they would conduct a review.

“The Department and the FBI are in the process of identifying historical cases for review where a microscopic hair examination conducted by the FBI was among the evidence in a case that resulted in a conviction. We have dedicated considerable time and resources to addressing these issues, with the goal of reaching final determinations in the coming months.”

So far, results from the review actually confirm FBI experts gave false testimony in court, citing misleading and incomplete statistics of hair matches found at crime scenes.

False Testimony By FBI Forensics Examiners

Chart of flawed forensic hair testimony from FBI Lab. (Photo via National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Innocence Project)

Last week, the Justice Department and FBI said they would continue addressing all cases and they “are committed to ensuring that affected defendants are notified of past errors and that justice is done in every instance. The Department and the FBI are also committed to ensuring the accuracy of future hair analysis testimony, as well as the application of all disciplines of forensic science.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a former prosecutor summoned the Justice Department and FBI to contact every defendant in all 2,500 cases involving FBI hair match analysis, and gather more information on each case.

Sen. Blumenthal shared his concern about the false testimony and evidence provided by FBI examiners.

“These findings are appalling and chilling in their indictment of our criminal justice system, not only for potentially innocent defendants who have been wrongly imprisoned and even executed, but for prosecutors who have relied on fabricated and false evidence despite their intentions to faithfully enforce the law.”

Testimony by FBI forensic examiners lacked scientific evidence in about 90 percent of cases, including 34 cases involving death-sentences.

The FBI said they are close to completing their review of about 900 lab reports and 350 trial testimonies; however, they have nearly 1,200 more cases to review. The agency stated it’s been difficult for them to gather information on 700 cases because prosecutors and police have not responded to the bureau’s request for more information.

Additionally, the FBI said it’s been difficult in trying to review cases before 1985, since the files are not computerized.

Peter Neufeld, co-founder of the Innocence Project expressed his concern.

“The FBI’s three-decade use of microscopic hair analysis to incriminate defendants was a complete disaster. We need an exhaustive investigation that looks at how the FBI, state governments that relied on examiners trained by the FBI and the courts allowed this to happen and why it wasn’t stopped much sooner.”

According to the Washington Post, the FBI examiners who gave false testimony and whose work is currently under review actually taught local and state crime lab analysts to testify in court, in the same manner.

The false testimony by FBI examiners does not signify there was a lack of evidence to find a defendant guilty. Defendants in earlier trials may have received a guilty verdict based on other evidence submitted by police and the prosecution.

Nonetheless, in the one of the United States’ largest forensic scandals, officials are continuing their efforts in notifying federal and state prosecutors, as well as defendants in Washington D.C. and 46 states to determine if there are grounds for appeals.

[Featured image via Alex Wong/Getty Images]

False Testimony By FBI Examiners Convicted Innocent People is an article from: The Inquisitr News

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