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Friday, June 7, 2013
Hollywood star, swimmer Esther Williams dies
Celebs 
2 hours ago
Everett Collection
Esther Williams in "On An Island With You" in 1948.
Esther Williams, a swimming champion who dove into success in Hollywood "aqua-movie" musicals geared to showing off her skills, has died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at 91, her spokesperson has confirmed to NBC News.
She had not been ill, but had been experiencing health issues related to her age, Harlan Boll said. She passed away in her sleep early Thursday morning.
Her stepson Lorenzo Lamas also tweeted a confirmation. Fernando Lamas was her third husband; they were married from 1969 until his death in 1982.
In a statement to NBC News, Lamas called Williams his "soul mom."
"As a little boy struggling with the back and forth of being the product of divorce, Essie was my rock," Lamas said. "She filled in the gaps with love and humor. She was the bridge to my father's heart and the best swim coach on the planet."
Esther Williams was one of the rare athletes who managed to turn physical skill -- her swimming grace and seemingly unlimited ability to stay underwater -- into a Hollywood career. Born in California, she set national and regional swimming records before she was out of her teens while competing as a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. She would have been a natural at the Olympics, but the 1940 event was canceled due to the outbreak of World War II. Instead, she joined a traveling swimming show and attracted Hollywood's attention, specifically studio reps from MGM -- the home of the big, glitzy musicals of mid-last century.
Once in Hollywood, Williams became one of the biggest box office stars of the 1940s and 1950s, with films tailored to fit her specific talents: Swimming and staying under water. The musicals often featured elaborately-choreographed swim routines, sparklers, multiple swimmers arranged in artful designs (filmed from above for maximum effect) and underwater "dances." "Million Dollar Mermaid" (1952) became a calling card; not only was it reportedly her nickname at the studio, her autobiography was called, "The Million Dollar Mermaid."
She was married four times, and met future husband Lamas on the set of "Dangerous When Wet." She had three children with second husband Ben Gage, and and lived with fourth husband Edward Bell at the time of her passing.
Still, she reportedly became tired of the repetitive nature of the musicals, reportedly saying, "All they ever did for me at MGM was change my leading man and the water in my pool."
Williams retired from acting in the early 1960s.
"The life she had goes without saying," said Boll, who had worked with her for 15 years. "She stood out among other people. She's the godmother of synchronized swimming and is the reason it became an Olympic sport."
Williams also achieved something only nine other American women have: Her career was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution. ?Her MGM scrapbooks, which are huge and amazing, are all there," Boll said.
Fred Prouser / Reuters file
Esther Williams celebrates the 80th birthday with a Hollywood sign cake in 2003.
In her later years, Williams put her name on a line of retro swimwear, featured on her website. "Women worldwide are fighting a thing called gravity,'' she told the New York Times in 1999. ''I say to women when I talk to them, 'You girls of 18 have until about 25, 30 at the most, and then you have to report to me.' My suits are quality fabric.''
In that interview she also discussed Lamas' controlling during the time they were together (her three children were disallowed from living with them), and her therapeutic use of LSD in the late 1950s.
Boll said he will really miss Williams? "bawdy personality. She could use colorful metaphors in a way no one expected. She loved to tease me, to tease everybody. My favorite part was her stories. She?d have me for lunch and she?d just telling me stories and say, 'This is your book, you?re gonna write one day.'"
She was excited about the Broadway show, ?A Million Dollar Mermaid,? which he said was in the works and based on her life.
?Sadly, she won?t get to see it,? he said..
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Thursday, June 6, 2013
NAACP protest against NC GOP draws 1,000, over 100 arrested
NAACP protest:?The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been holding weekly?protests?in Raleigh since mid-April, and what started with 17 arrests and tens of supporters back then has grown every week, bringing the total number of arrests to nearly 300 after five weeks of?protests.
The Rev. William Barber (l.) of the NC NAACP and Pastor Mary Petty of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church (c.) wave at a rally on Halifax Mall as the Monday protests are held at the General Assembly in Raleigh, NC on June 3. More than 100 people have been arrested in the largest demonstrations yet in the state chapter of the NAACP's campaign against the Republican-led General Assembly.
Chris Seward/The News & Observer/AP
EnlargeMore than 100 people were arrested Monday at the largest demonstration yet of the North Carolina?NAACP's?weeks-long?protest?of the conservative policies of the Republican-led General Assembly.
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Police estimated that roughly 1,000 people attended a rally late Monday afternoon behind the Legislative Building on Halifax Mall. Hundreds then entered the building. Upwards of 150 people were arrested outside the doors to the state Senate chambers, where demonstrators chanted, sang and delivered speeches decrying what they called a regressive agenda that neglects the poor.
Activist groups estimated the crowd at about 1,600.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been holding weekly?protests?in Raleigh since mid-April, and what started with 17 arrests and tens of supporters back then has grown every week, bringing the total number of arrests to nearly 300 after five weeks of?protests.
Groups ranging from abortion-rights supporters to environmentalists and public educators have joined the rallies, which have attracted people from Greensboro to Rocky Mount.
Protesters have been seeking to call attention to the rightward shift of the state legislature, which was dominated for decades by moderate Democrats.
In the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans captured both chambers of the legislature for the first time in more than 100 years. They've since built veto-proof majorities and taken control of the governor's mansion while lawmakers have pushed a conservative agenda on social programs, criminal justice, taxes, education, voting rights and other areas.
Demonstrators complain that Republicans have overstepped their mandate from voters, hurtling the state back to another era.
Darren Hunicutt, 33, an accountant from Chapel Hill, said he brought his wife and 8-year-old twin boys to the demonstrations because he believes decisions to block a Medicaid expansion, cut the number of teacher assistants, limit eligibility for pre-kindergarten and expand sales taxes go too far.
"The Republicans have taken a progressive state that prioritizes education for young people, prioritizes economic justice, prioritizes access to health care and basically in the last six to 12 months done a complete 180," he said.
Among those who stood outside the state Senate's door awaiting arrest was George Gresham, president of the Service Employees International Union's United Healthcare Workers East, which represents nearly 400,000 members from Florida to Massachusetts. He said the state's policies go against the working poor, and the growing momentum of the?NAACP's?demonstrations will catch fire elsewhere.
"We need this fight in the whole country, and if we're going to begin in North Carolina, so be it," Gresham said.
Republican leaders have mostly dismissed the?protests, saying lawmakers are doing exactly what they campaigned on and that the protesters don't represent a majority of North Carolina residents.
Unlike in past weeks, police couldn't clear out all those being arrested before the Senate's Monday floor session began, which led to some grumbling from lawmakers who had to work around the rotunda filled with police and demonstrators. Other lawmakers who came out for the?protests?complained about being forced to stay behind police checkpoints with members of the media.
"What am I obstructing? I'm elected to be here," said Rep. Garland Pierce, D-Scotland.
Pierce said he believes diverse crowds of people are coming out in greater numbers because the issues cut across racial and political lines. "I think that people are beginning to read and see that this present administration is toxic," he said.
Those arrested have been charged with second-degree trespassing, failure to disperse and violations of building rules. The?NAACP?chapter president, the Rev. William Barber, has said his group is researching challenges to those arrests based in part on constitutional provisions that say citizens have a right to "instruct" their legislators.
Barber is among those arrested in the first wave of?protests?headed to court in late June.
Adam Sandler Is Ready To Ball For 'Grown Ups 2' MTV First
There are few people who you can listen for 30 minutes and still find entertaining by the end of the interview. One of those guys is Adam Sandler, who just so happens to be sitting down with MTV News' Josh Horowitz for an exclusive first look at his upcoming comedy, "Grown Ups 2." Starting at [...]
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/06/05/adam-sandler-grown-ups-2-clip/
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Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Grand Theft Auto 3 gets updated for the iPhone 5 display and iCloud game saves
Grand Theft Auto 3 for iOS just got a nice little update that brings proper widescreen support now for the iPhone 5, iCloud game saves and custom music playlists. For such a major title, it's a little disappointing it's taken so long for it to support the 4-inch display on the iPhone 5, but better late, than never.
iCloud game save support is a pretty big addition, and is a big deal if you want to seamlessly switch between playing on your iPhone and your iPad. We haven't tried it out yet, but if it works as well as we hope it does, GTA 3 is back on the playlist.
Speaking of playlists, the latest update now allows for custom music playlist creation for listening to while your driving around shooting things. Create a playlist in iTunes called "GTA3" and you'll be able to listen to your music as you roam around Liberty City. If you've already downloaded, be sure to tell us how the new features are working out for you. Does the iCloud syncing work as well as it should?
- $4.99 - Download Now
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/C3Mv3i2RWSc/story01.htm
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China skeptical of expanded US role in the Pacific
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel listens to the opening address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue, or IISS Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Friday, May 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel listens to the opening address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue, or IISS Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Friday, May 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivers his keynote address on "The US Approach to Regional Security" at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue, or IISS Asia Security Summit, Saturday, June 1, 2013 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, left, attend the opening of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue, or IISS Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Friday, May 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivers his keynote address on "The US Approach to Regional Security" at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue, or IISS Asia Security Summit on Saturday, June 1, 2013 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
SINGAPORE (AP) ? A Chinese military leader on Saturday pointedly questioned the expanded U.S. role in the Pacific after the Pentagon chief said he hoped for better military ties between the two powers.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, in a speech at a security conference in Singapore, also warned China about cyberattacks seemingly linked to Beijing.
He said the U.S. has expressed its concerns about "the growing threat of cyberintrusions, some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military."
Other U.S. officials have publicly blamed China for computer-based attacks that steal data from the U.S. government and corporations, but Hagel's rebuke came in China's backyard and in front of a Chinese delegation.
Maj. Gen. Yao Yunzhu, director of the Center for China-America Defense Relations at the People's Liberation Army's Academy of Military Science, challenged Hagel to better explain America's intentions for its military buildup across the region.
"Thank you for mentioning China several times," she said in the question-and-answer session after Hagel's speech.
She said the Obama administration's new focus on the Pacific has been widely interpreted as an "attempt to counter China's rising influence and to offset the increasing military capabilities of the Chinese PLA. However, China is not convinced."
She asked Hagel how he can assure China that the increased U.S. deployments to the region are part of an effort to build a more positive relationship with Beijing.
"That's really the whole point behind closer military-to-military relationships," Hagel responded. "We don't want miscalculations and misunderstandings and misinterpretations. And the only way you do that is you talk to each other."
The U.S. welcomes a strong and emerging China that takes on responsibilities for security in the region, Hagel said, adding that the countries have to be inclusive and direct with each other. "I think we've made continued progress," he said. "And we'll make more progress."
These matters, and the overall U.S.-China relationship, will be on the agenda for President Barack Obama's meeting next week in California with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It will be their first meeting since Obama's re-election and Xi's promotion to Communist Party chief.
U.S. defense officials said Hagel also broadly raised the issue of cybersecurity in a brief and informal meeting with Lt. Gen. Qi Jianguo, PLA deputy chief, on Friday evening.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to publicly discuss the content of the meeting, said Hagel mentioned plans for the formation of a cyberworking group.
In his speech, Hagel said the U.S. is determined to work closely with China and others to establish appropriate standards for behavior in cyberspace.
The U.S. also is looking to China for help in resolving problems with North Korea, which has raised tensions with a series of rocket launches, an underground nuclear test and threats of nuclear strikes against the U.S. and its allies.
Hagel spoke of the need for "a continuous and respectful dialogue" and said the U.S. and China must build trust in order to avoid military miscalculations.
Much of the speech, however, was designed as a follow-up to last year's gathering, when then-U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta first detailed what has been called the U.S. military's new pivot to the Pacific.
Hagel assured Asian nations that despite sharp budget cuts, the Pentagon will continue to shift troops, ships and aircraft to the Pacific region.
Where Panetta had laid out promises, Hagel was able to point to results. U.S. Marines have been sent to Darwin, Australia, while a U.S. combat ship has arrived in Singapore and plans are unfolding for U.S. Army units to rotate in and out of the region.
Hagel suggested that the Pentagon's five-year budget plan continues to anticipate additional F-22 Raptor fighter jets and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in the region, along with a fourth fast-attack submarine deployed to Guam.
He provided a glimpse into the broad review he ordered to determine whether budget cuts will force the U.S. military strategy to change, a year after Panetta unveiled it.
International leaders have been watching the deliberations in Washington closely to see what the roughly $487 billion in automatic spending cuts over the next 10 years will mean to America's commitment's abroad.
Already the military services have curtailed flight and combat training for many units, grounded some Air Force squadrons and delayed or canceled some ship deployments.
The Pentagon also has said it will furlough about 680,000 civilian employees for up to 11 days through the end of the fiscal year.
The initial report on the strategy review was due to Hagel on Friday, and while he said the outcome is not final, it should reflect the rise of Asia.
"For the region, this means I can assure you that coming out of this review, the United States will continue to implement the rebalance and prioritize our posture, activities and investments in Asia-Pacific," he said.
The Asia-Pacific, Hagel said, is at the epicenter of historic changes around the world and the U.S. is committed to strengthening its military, economic and diplomatic partnerships with nations across the region.
As part of that he noted that the U.S. will set aside $100 million to expand its military exercises in the region.
Just finishing his third month as Pentagon Chief, Hagel used the speech to introduce himself on a more personal level to the audience. For many he is a familiar face. He was one of the founders of the conference in 2002, and as a U.S. senator, was a speaker at the first three gatherings.
He talked about his long ties to the region, including his father's service in World War II flying B-25 bombers in the South Pacific, and his own service in Vietnam with his brother. Hagel was wounded and twice received the Purple Heart.
Later, he traveled to Asia as the co-founder of a cellular telephone company and then, as a Republican senator from Nebraska, he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"What I took away from all these experiences," Hagel said, "was a firm belief that the arc of the 21st century would be shaped by events here in Asia."
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