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Naya Rivera stuns in barely-there dress

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 31 Oktober 2014 | 20.50

Naya Rivera turned heads at Thursday night's UNICEF Next Generation 2nd Annual Masquerade Ball in Los Angeles.

The 27-year-old "Glee" star was the ultimate sex kitten as her black gown featured a plunging neckline, a mile-high slit up to her hip bone and two tiny spaghetti straps that crossed on her exposed back.

Rivera pulled her looked together with messy hair and black heels.

She attended the swanky event, held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with her new husband Ryan Dorsey.

The pair quietly wed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on July 19, just three months after she ended her highly publicized engagement to rapper Big Sean.


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NYPD chief of department ‘resigns’

Chief of Department Philip Banks has resigned from his position, he told the New York Post, Friday morning.

Banks was promoted to Chief of Department in 2013.

A spokesperson for the NYPD said Banks has not yet resigned from his position.

He was to accept a position to First Deputy Commissioner just this week.

The 28-year-veteran was picked to replace retired First Deputy Rafael Pinero.

An announcement released by the NYPD stated Chief of Patrol, James O'Neill, was set to take over for Chief of Department as Banks moved up the ranks.

Chief Carlos Gomez of the Housing Bureau was to replace O'Neill.

The resignation was first reported by NY1.


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Mexico police questioned in murder of 3 Americans

MATAMOROS, Mexico — Authorities are investigating a possible police connection to the killing of three U.S. citizens visiting their father in Mexico who were found shot to death along with a Mexican friend more than two weeks after going missing.

Parents of the three siblings, whose bodies were identified Thursday, have said witnesses reported they were seized by men dressed in police gear calling themselves "Hercules," a tactical security unit in the violent border city of Matamoros heavily racked by cartel infighting. Nine of the unit's 40 officers are being questioned, Tamaulipas state Attorney General Ismael Quintanilla Acosta said.

It would be the third recent case of alleged abuse and killings by Mexican security forces and the first to involve Americans.

The country already is engulfed in the case of 43 teachers college students missing in southern Guerrero state at the hands of a mayor and police working with a drug cartel. Fifty-six people are under arrest, including dozens of police officers. In June, soldiers killed 22 suspected gang members in Mexico state, then altered the scene and intimidated witnesses to hide the fact that most of the dead were executed after they surrendered, a National Commission on Human Rights report said last week. Three soldiers face murder charges.

"We will apply the full force of the law and zero tolerance," Tamaulipas Gov. Egidio Torre Cantu said, lamenting the death of the three Americans and a Mexican citizen, even though their identities had yet to be confirmed by DNA.

Presidential spokesman Eduardo Sanchez declined comment when asked about the newest case. The U.S. Embassy said it was aware of the reports but had no information to share "due to privacy considerations."

The father of the three Americans, Pedro Alvarado, identified his children from photographs of the bodies showing tattoos, Quintanilla told Radio Formula. Clothing found with the bodies also matched that of Erica Alvarado Rivera, 26, and brothers, Alex, 22, and Jose Angel, 21, who disappeared Oct. 13 along with Jose Guadalupe Castaneda Benitez, Erica Alvarado's 32-year-old boyfriend.

Each was shot in the head and the bodies were burned, most likely from lying in the hot sun for so long, Quintanilla said.

Tamaulipas authorities said it could take 24 to 48 hours for DNA tests to confirm that the bodies were those of the Alvarado siblings, who were last seen in El Control, a small town near the Texas border west of Matamoros, about to return home to Progreso, Texas.

"They were good kids," said an aunt, Nohemi Gonzalez. "I don't know why they did that to them."

The three siblings shared their mother's modest brick home on a quiet street in Progreso less than three miles from the border. Erica, who has four children between the ages of 3 and 9, had been scheduled to begin studying to become a nursing assistant next month.

Brothers Jose Angel and Alex had been scheduled to make their annual pilgrimage to Missouri as migrant farm workers more than a week ago, Gonzalez said. When they weren't on the road, they divided their time between their mother's house in Texas and their father's Mexico.

Officials have not commented on the events that led up to the disappearances, but the families' informal inquiries produced this version:

On Sunday, Oct. 12, Erica drove her black Jeep Cherokee across the border to El Control. She dropped it at her father's house and went to visit with her boyfriend.

Her mother, Raquel Alvarado, had told her to be back in Progreso by early Monday morning, because Raquel had to work and Erica's kids had to get to school. Raquel put the kids to bed Sunday night and awoke at 4 a.m. to see Erica was not home. She began calling her daughter's cellphone, but got no answer. At that point, it appears Erica was fine.

She continued calling through the morning of Oct. 13. "I'm always worried about her when she goes over there," the mother said.

Around 1 p.m., she reached her former husband. He told her Erica had called her brothers and asked them to bring her Jeep to a roadside restaurant under a bridge near El Control where she was eating with her boyfriend. One brother drove her Jeep and the other drove his Chevrolet Tahoe because they all planned to return to Progreso from there.

According to Raquel Alvarado, witnesses told family members that the brothers arrived around 12:30 p.m. and saw members of the police unit called Hercules pushing their sister and Castaneda and hitting Erica. When the brothers intervened, the police took all four of them, along with their vehicles. The witnesses said the armed men identified themselves as members of the Hercules unit and warned against intervening.

A September news release from the city about Hercules showed an armed force in fatigues and face paint. Mayor Leticia Salazar officially introduced Hercules as a group with particular skills to confront crime in high-risk operations. They have passed background checks and are trained by the state, Quintanilla said.

Neither Salazar nor the city's spokeswoman returned messages seeking comment Thursday.


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Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn are sexy ‘Sons of Anarchy’

Like mother, like daughter.

Kate Hudson and mom Goldie Hawn went sexy for Halloween. The 35-year-old actress flaunted her toned abs in a "Sons of Anarchy" inspired costume, she shared on Instagram Thursday, while Hawn, 68, wore a top that read "Mother of Anarchy."

"The Hudsons unite! Thank u @hudsonjeans_pk @hudsonjeans for making these killer costumes a reality," she captioned one picture with her hand on her hip as she clung to friend Peter Kim.

Hudson also posed with a group of friends who were all dressed in tight leather and biker hats for the occasion.

"Mother of Anarchy is taking her daughters to a little party… #happyhalloween @Hudsonjeans_pk #Hudsons #partytime," she captioned that snapshot.


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Woman charged with sexually assaulting husband’s friend

Megan Davis Hoelting has been arrested and charged after allegedly breaking into the home of her husband's friend and sexually assaulting him while he was asleep.

Hoelting, who has been arrested four times this month, told Williamson County Sheriff's Office that she broke into the home of her husband's friend and, just wearing a nightgown, snuck into his bedroom and found him asleep on Monday, The Smoking Gun reported.

Photo: Williamson County Sheriff's Office

The 31-year-old then told a deputy that she took off her nightgown and climbed into the man's bed wearing only her panties.

She then said she wrapped her legs around the man's waist and kissed him.

The victim told Sheriff's deputies that he awoke to the feeling that someone was "on top of him, fondling his genitals and attempting to perform fellatio upon him."

The victim said that he looked for a flashlight to try and see who was sexually assaulting him, and eventually used a flashlight application on his smartphone.

He saw the woman's breasts exposed and recognised her as his friend's wife.

He then alleges he told the woman to get off him and go home. When she refused, he called Williamson County Sheriff's Office.

Hoelting was arrested and allegedly admitted entering the man's back yard through an unlocked gate, entering his home through the back door and that she got into bed with the man.

Hoelting, who has been held in Williamson County Jail since the offence, was charged with burglary with the intent of sexual offence.

Jail records show that Hoelting has been arrested on October 14 for theft, October 16 for assault and October 21 for public intoxication.

This article originally appeared on News.com.au.


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Man allegedly sexually abused 3 underage girls at military base

A Queens man claimed to federal agents on Thursday that he had a perfect excuse for coercing three young girls into having sex with him at Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton Military base, saying "not all 12-year-old girls are the same."

Fausto Bonifaz, 39, was arrested Thursday and charged with having sex romps with the three girls at the Bay Ridge base between September 2009 and September 2010 when the alleged victims were 12 to 13 years old.

He was allowed onto the heavily guarded base after befriending one of the victim's mothers, whom he worked with at a local Kohl's and whose husband was on active military duty oversees, prosecutors said.

The mother routinely had Bonifaz stay over and watch her children, unaware that he would ultimately seduce the girl into having sex with him. Bonifaz would later have sex with two of the girl's friends, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court.

His first alleged victim reported the abuse to a counselor years later, leading to Bonifaz's arrest. During an interview with FBI agents Thursday, Bonifaz claimed being a "father figure" to his friend's daughter but also admitted having oral sex and other sexual activity with her.

In our society, not all 12 years olds are the same. - Fausto Bonifaz


He denied having sex with the other girls but did document some of his alleged dirty deeds in a sworn statement.

Bonifaz faces a minimum of 10 years in prison after being charged with sexually abusing minors and enticing three minors to engage in sexual activity.

Following his arrest, he seemed stunned that what he did was wrong, telling one of the agents, "I can't believe they have sentences for what happened." The agent replied, "you sexually abused two 12 year olds and a 13 year old," according to court papers.

Bonifaz then said, "in our society, not all 12 year olds are the same." The agent responded, "are you saying it's okay to f— some 12-year-olds but not others?" Bonifaz did not respond.


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School safety agent arrested for possession of guns and pot

An off-duty NYPD school safety agent and his brother were busted for drugs and guns in their Brooklyn pad Wednesday, cops said.

Police were executing a search warrant in the Fort Greene home of school employee Edward Fant, 36, and found a gun and marijuana, authorities said.

Fant's brother, Furdell, 41, was also taken into custody.

Both were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of marijuana, cops said.


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Thunder’s Westbrook breaks hand, later has altercation with fan

LOS ANGELES — First, the Thunder lose Kevin Durant, and now it looks like Russell Westbrook will be out for awhile.

The high-scoring guard suffered a small fracture of the second metacarpal in his right hand in the second quarter of the Thunder's 93-90 loss to the Clippers Thursday night, coach Scott Brooks told reporters.

The result also wasn't any better for the 0-2 Thunder as Blake Griffin scored 23 points, making two free throws with five seconds left, and Chris Paul added 22 to lead Los Angeles to victory in its season opener to usher in a new era under owner Steve Ballmer.

Westbrook appeared to hurt his hand while going for a rebound in a crowd. He didn't return and finished with two points and four assists in eight minutes. He appeared to have a verbal exchange with a fan while exiting through the tunnel.

Westbrook had X-rays taken at Staples Center and was set to be re-evaluated Friday, according to ESPN.com.

Brooks was asked about the possibility of Durant and Westbrook both being out for an extended period of time.

"I don't want to start thinking about that yet," he told reporters. "I'll think about that tonight as I leave the arena."


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Jury confused over who swindled counterfeit drawings

It's an art forgery case with a twist.

A worthless pile of 22 counterfeit drawings that were supposed to be by the late Russian avant-garde master Kazimir Malevich is sitting in a Manhattan courthouse this week while a jury puzzles over the question — who's the swindler?

It's either the grey-ponytailed Connecticut dealer Lev Nussberg who claims to have kept a stash of Malevich works at his home for decades before selling them to gallery in 2006, or the bald Manhattan gallery owner Gary Tatintsian who bought the pieces from Nussberg then sold them to Russian oligarchs, who later determined they were fakes.

Nussberg says he sold a $3 million trove of real ones starting in 2006 and the gallery owner swapped them for fakes when he sold them off to Russians oligarchs.

"They had no idea who had possession of these drawings while they were in Russian," Nussberg's lawyer, Frank Franzino, told the 10-person jury in Manhattan Supreme Court earlier this week.

Franzino added that some of Tatintsian's clients even exhibited some of the disputed works in shows around the globe.

But Tatintsian, the gallery owner says he was duped from the start.

"The art is fake and that's why we're here," Tatintsian's attorney Gregory Clarick said during opening statements.

"Mr. Nussberg owes Gary and his gallery millions of dollars," Clarick said.

Tatintsian is also repped by legendary Manhattan attorney Edward Hayes, recently depicted in the Broadway show "Lucky Guy" starring Tom Hanks.

Malevich, a Pablo Picasso acolyte, was thrown in prison by Joseph Stalin in 1929 and his works were hidden by friends.

Nussberg, who fled the Soviet Union and emigrated to the U.S. in 1980, claims he was given the Malevich sketches as gifts.

But when Clarick cross-examined Nussberg on the witness stand Thursday, the dealer admitted that he never gave Tatintsian any provenance documents.

Nussberg first sued Tatintsian in 2009 when the Manhattan dealer failed to pay him the $800,000 balance for the $3 million of artwork he had sold from his collection.

Next week Tatintsian's lawyers will put an art forensics expert, who works with the FBI, on the stand to testify that he detected synthetic chemicals in the sold sketches that were "unavailable until long after their purported creation."


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Private garbage truck strikes & kills man: cops

A man was fatally struck by a private garbage truck whose driver fled the scene in lower Manhattan Thursday night, cops said.

The 32-year-old victim, whose name wasn't released, was hit by the green carting truck on ­Canal Street near Centre Street at about 9:30 p.m., ­authorities said.

"He was laying there on Canal Street. It was awful," said a witness, Jace Brick.

"The fireman came up and checked his pulse, but he was already dead."

Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene, authorities said.

Police were still searching for the truck and its driver.


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Dylan McDermott and Maggie Q mix business with pleasure

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 29 Oktober 2014 | 20.50

Dylan McDermott and Maggie Q may be creating their own storyline off screen.

The "Stalker" co-stars were seen sharing a romantic dinner at Santa Barbara's Olio e Limone on Saturday night, reports Us Weekly.

A source tells the magazine that McDermott, 53, and Q, 35, sat next to each other at dinner and were all hands on during the private moment.

"They were very flirty, smiling at each other, canoodling," said an insider. "At one point she was feeding him at the table."

McDermott, who was married for 14 years, ended his relationship with Shiva Rose in 2009. They have two daughters together, Collette, 17, and Charlotte, 9.

Requests for comment were not immediately returned.


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Johnny Cash’s son arrested for stripping at airport

John Carter Cash, son of the late famous musical duo Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, found himself in serious trouble in Newfoundland on Monday.

The musician and producer, 44, was arrested in Deer Lake for stripping down to his underwear at the airport, reports CBC.

Cash, who was in town on a hunting trip, was preparing to fly home to Tennessee when the incident occurred.

He appeared to have been drinking.

Royal Canadian Mountain Police convinced Cash to put his clothes back on before police could arrive.

Cash was said to have been held until Tuesday morning when he could catch a flight home after sobering up.

Charges will not be filed against Cash.


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Creepy sexed-up animatronic robot lands in L.A.

A creepy, sexy robot that bewitched the art world this year has found a home in mega collector Eli Broad's nearly 2,000-piece collection.

In March, artist Jordan Wolfson unveiled an animatronic robot at David Zwirner gallery that dances—and looks like "a curvaceous, scantily clad woman covered in dirty… wearing a witch mask."

Reactions ranged from "terrifying" and "unnerving" to "will haunt your dreams."

On Tuesday, the 81-year-old billionaire Broad and his wife, Edythe, made a surprise announcement that they'd acquired the extremely edgy piece, "Female Figure," for their in-the-works museum in LA.

The news came at an upscale Le Cirque luncheon for the museum in advance of next year's opening.


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Missing Broncos fan’s odd explanation after turning up safely

The Colorado dad who vanished without a trace during a Denver Broncos game last week has been found unharmed — more than 100 miles away from Mile High Stadium.

Paul Kitterman told police Tuesday night that he was so fed up with watching NFL players toss the pigskin last Thursday that he decided to abandon his 20-year-old stepson and find a nice warm place to relax.

When cops finally tracked down the 53-year-old's whereabouts on Tuesday night, he was standing outside a K-Mart in Pueblo, approximately 110 miles south of Denver, local FOX affiliate KDVR reports.

Police referred all other questions to Kitterman's family, who thanked everyone for their help and asked for privacy on the "Help find Paul Kitterman" Facebook page.

The family of Paul Kitterman would like to thank each and everyone of you for your support and kindness. We cannot thank you all enough and will be forever grateful to all of you. The family is happy to report Paul has been found and they are now with him and he is safe. The family wanted to hold of reporting that Paul was located due to the fact they wanted to ensure it was Paul that was located and not someone else. The family is very much part of this page and read the comments on here. We know there are many questions that some of you may have but for the time being we are asking that you respect there privacy as they have been through a lot. We love all of you and we will never forget your kindness, compassion, and your willingness to help us find Paul. God Bless all of you….

The 53-year-old was at his first Broncos game at Sports Authority stadium with his stepson, Jarod Tonneson, who had scored free tickets with his dad from family friend Tia Bakke.

The plan during halftime was for Tonneson to meet his dad back at their seats after using the bathroom, only Kitterman was nowhere to be found.

On Monday, Denver police reviewed stadium surveillance footage and said they had spotted Kitterman during the third quarter of the game, but were unable to pinpoint his location.

When a person outside the Pueblo K-Mart saw him standing in the parking lot, they quickly notified police, who approached him just before 6:30 pm, according to Denver's Channel 9.

Kitterman's explanation for deserting his son was that he simply wanted to get away and enjoy some time alone in the warmth of the Colorado sun — but he refused to explain his means of transportation.

Family and friends insist that Kitterman does not have any history of medical issues, mental illness or drug use.


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Are you driving America’s ‘least reliable’ car?

Consumer Reports has named the Fiat 500 L the least reliable car on sale today.

The compact crossover received the lowest score in the organization's annual owner survey, while Fiat came in last overall among brands.

Respondents noted a litany of issues ranging from a rough-shifting automatic transmission to poor heating and an unimpressive infotainment system.

Ironically, whether it's coincidental or the cause of its apparent woes, the 500 L is manufactured at a Fiat factory in Serbia that once produced the Yugo GV, considered by many to be one of, if not the worst car ever sold in the United States.

Fiat has spent approximately $1.5 billion updating the facility, but reviews of the 500 L regularly cite its low-quality feel.

This article originally appeared on Fox News.


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Ned Yost: Royals will force World Series Game 7

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 28 Oktober 2014 | 20.50

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ned Yost didn't guarantee the Royals are going to win Game 6 Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium but he is very confident there will be a deciding Game 7 Wednesday evening.

Monday, the Royals manager explained being down 3-2 in the best-of-seven Series doesn't feel like his club's back is against the wall.

"Because I think we're going to win. I mean, that's the way I feel. I've got that much confidence in our team. I've got that much confidence in [Game 6 starter] Yordano Ventura. I just think we're going to go to Game 7,'' Yost said.

In order for that to happen, the Royals will need to score more than they have recently. And in facing Jake Peavy they might break out since they hit him in Game 2.

They were blanked by Madison Bumgarner in Game 5, scored all four runs in Game 4 in the third inning and didn't score in the final three frames of Game 3. So, in the last 21 innings the Royals have scored in just one of them.

"The key is, I don't care how many runs we score, just score one more run than they do. Get us into that sixth or seventh inning with a one- or two-run lead and turn it over to the bullpen. That's the plan. I don't care,'' Yost said.

It would help if Alex Gordon (2-for-20) and Mike Moustakas (3-for-16) came alive at the plate.

"People say, well, this guy's hitting .140 or he's hitting .130, I don't care," Yost said. "Everybody that is struggling to a point is still a threat. They can step up there in a big situation with one swing and change the ballgame.

"That's all I look for. Just score one more run than they do. I don't care how we do it.''


Yost is going back to the lineup he used in Games 1 and 2 when the DH was in play. That means Billy Butler will be the DH and Nori Aoki returns to right field after Jarrod Dyson played center and Lorenzo Cain shifted to right.

"We're going back to those players. Nori will be back in right field. Billy will be back in the DH spot. I don't know, I'm debating, I don't know if Moose (Moustakas) is going to hit ninth or not, but the same players will be involved,'' Yost said. "We're still kind of mulling it, we might move Moose up a little bit because he is swinging the bat better, but we might not, too.

"I think it's a big boost getting Nori's offense back in there. And obviously, it's a big boost getting Billy back in there. We all know what Billy does in our lineup. He's a pretty key component to our offensive lineup, so it's big getting him back in there.''

Butler had one at-bat as a pinch-hitter in the three games in San Francisco.


Madison Bumgarner dominated Game 5.Photo: Getty Images

Bruce Bochy didn't rule out Madison Bumgarner helping in Tuesday night's Game 6, two days after his complete-game shutout.

"I'm sure he's going to say he's OK to go. That's who he is. He's going to say, 'Hey, if you need me at any point tomorrow, please use me.' He's done that before,'' Bochy said. "He really bounces back well, and we wouldn't ask him to do a lot, but if I needed to get an out or something, I'm sure he'll say he's available.''


Ventura was friends with Oscar Taveras, the 22-year-old Cardinals outfielder who was killed in car crash Sunday in the Dominican Republic, and recalled playing against him in the minor leagues.

"I know him very well. … When we would play against each other, we'd go over to each other's houses and hang out during the minor league season,'' Ventura said. "I consider myself a friend of his, and my thoughts are with the family and of all of those who know him. It's a very difficult time. And such is life, things like this happen.''

Jake Peavy started his press conference off by talking about the loss of Taveras.

"Before I start, I just want to send out our deepest condolences to the Taveras family. That was really hard to hear, and all the jubilation, and the excitement and joy that we were in, that was really tough to hear that news. Devastated, obviously. Didn't know him, but obviously we're a fraternity,'' Peavy said. "When you meet somebody who does what you do, you get the news obviously we got, it's beyond heartbreaking when you don't even know him. Spoke to a couple guys who played with him and sent out our regards.

"But, yeah, just want to make this clear that we are obviously thinking about the St. Louis Cardinals and the Taveras family and our MLB family.


Tuesday night Peavy has a chance to pitch in a World Series clincher, an opportunity he cherishes.

"I can't imagine anything being any sweeter than that. That's what you play for, to be in the World Series and to win it. To be the guy that gets the ball with that opportunity. It's a special opportunity,'' said Peavy, who gave up four runs and six hits in five-plus innings in Game 2 that was won by the Royals. "I understand that. Just got to do all I can do to be in the moment, to think about executing pitches, to find any way, anyhow for the San Francisco Giants to win this game, and I promise you, I'm going to exhaust every option.''

Bochy was thinking about starting Juan Perez in left field against Ventura after using the left-handed hitting Travis Ishikawa in Game 2 against the right-hander.

"There is a good chance we could go with the same lineup, but Juan Perez is playing very well. So we're talking about that,'' Bochy said.


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Israeli cult leader jailed for 30 years for sex crimes

An Israeli court sentenced a polygamous cult leader to 30 years' imprisonment on Tuesday for sex crimes against his wives and daughters as part of what prosecutors described as a mind-boggling saga of dominance and delusions of deity.

The defendant, Goel Ratzon, 64, had denied the charges of rape and indecent assault. Tel Aviv District Court had acquitted him of separate counts of enslavement regarding 21 spouses and 38 children he had kept in various homes around the city.

Sporting shoulder-length white hair and a beard, Ratzon had argued that the women, many of whom had his name and portrait tattooed on their bodies, lived with him of their own accord.

One of the wives, identified only as Maayan, welcomed the sentence in an interview to Israel's Army Radio, saying it would prevent another Ratzon cult "rising from the depths" of the daughters' generation.


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Sean Hayes engaged to longtime partner

Sean Hayes and his longtime partner Scott Icenogle are engaged.

Hayes' rep confirmed the engagement to E! News.

Hayes, 44, is best known for playing Jack McFarland on "Will & Grace" for eight seasons. He sparked rumors when he made several appearances wearing a ring on his left hand.

His rep told RumorFix on Monday, "Sean Hayes and Scott Icenogle have been together for eight years. They are not yet married but they have been engaged for quite some time."

According to Icenogle's Twitter page, he is a Los Angeles based music producer and composer. His music credits include Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man," Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine," the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and more.


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South Korea spies say Kim Jong Un had ankle surgery

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's spy agency says it has an explanation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's mysterious 6-week-long public absence.

An aide for a South Korean lawmaker says the National Intelligence Agency told legislators on Tuesday that a foreign doctor operated on Kim in September or October to remove a cyst from his right ankle.

The aide to opposition lawmaker Shin Kyung-min said the spy agency disclosed the information in a closed-door briefing.

Kim's lengthy absence from public view triggered speculation about his health. He reappeared in state media earlier this month hobbling with a cane.

It wasn't immediately clear how the spy agency obtained the information. It has a spotty track record of analyzing developments in opaque North Korea.


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2nd nurse to contract Ebola to leave hospital

Amber Vinson at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.Photo: AP

Amber Vinson, the second nurse to contract Ebola after treating Thomas Duncan at a Texas hospital, will be going home Tuesday.

Vinson, 29, will be discharged from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, which had confirmed that she was free of the virus Oct. 24, two days after her family said the virus could not be detected in her blood.

She became symptomatic Oct. 14, a day after flying on a commercial flight from Cleveland to Dallas. She tested positive for the disease and was flown to Emory on Oct. 15.

Three people remain in quarantine in Ohio and 163 are being monitored for symptoms after her trip to visit her family and plan her wedding.

None of the people who had contact with Vinson have shown signs of the virus and officials anticipate her Ohio contacts will be removed from the contact list between Oct. 31 and Nov. 4, according to reports.

Vinson's family has said that she decided to fly back to Dallas the day before she fell ill after consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She was one of two nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who contracted the virus while treating Duncan, the first person diagnosed with the disease in the US. He died Oct. 8.

The other nurse, Nina Pham, was treated at Presbyterian before being relocated to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., on Oct. 16.

Pham was discharged Oct. 24 after she recovered and hugged President Obama in the Oval Office in a well-publicized photo op.

It remains unclear exactly how the nurses became infected.

Vinson attended to Duncan on Sept. 30, the day he tested positive for Ebola, according to medical records that Duncan's family released to The Associated Press.

The reports note that she wore protective gear and a face shield, hazardous materials suit and protective footwear.


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Kim Kardashian talks social media at tech conference

It's high tech vs. low tech in a California conference war.

The Wall Street Journal had Jack Ma and Tim Cook speaking while Digital media destination Re/code offered up Kim Kardashian.

The new Mrs. West was talking social media and Kardashian's effect on mobile platforms at a Half Moon Bay resort Monday night.

Meanwhile, WSJ.D had Alibaba CEO Ma and Apple CEO Cook scheduled to discuss the Chinese tech boom and Apple's next chapter at the same time in back-to-back sessions at the The Montage, Laguna Beach, just south of Los Angeles.

Re/code bosses Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher — both formerly of WSJ.D — are keeping the schedule tightly under wraps but according to its agenda had T-Mobile CEO John Legere on board as well as YouTube cosmetics star Michelle Phan with YouTube boss Susan Wojcicki.

Rival conference WSJ.D is serving up a host of big shots Tuesday, including Universal Music Group's Lucian Grainge and DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg.


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Pedal and pour in the Napa Valley

Temps are in the high 90s as I pedal up yet another rolling hill in the California heat. I glance down at my GPS watch, wondering if this 6-mile interval is nearly over and if it's almost time for a pit stop. Thankfully, it is. A few minutes later, we pull off the main road, but it's not Gatorade or even water that will quench our thirst. It's a crisp glass of chardonnay and a plate of local cheese and charcuterie.

When it comes to California wine tasting, the most obvious options for getting around are: a) driving yourself, or b) paying for a pricey limo to transport you from winery to winery. While both do have the advantage of air-conditioning, biking between wineries is another alternative for (slightly) adventurous and athletic types looking to work off a few of those tasting calories.

And, along with great wines and scenic vistas, Sonoma County has some beautiful riding.

"This area is world-famous for cycling," says Richard Peacock, owner of Spoke Folk Cyclery in the quaint Sonoma town of Healdsburg. There, bike rentals range from $38/day for a simple commuter bike to $100/day for a high-end race bike.

While the riding is pretty great throughout Napa and Sonoma, Peacock says his town is tops because of the easy access and the availability of lodging at various price points. "You roll out of Healdsburg and within 10 minutes you're out in the country," he says.

That's just what I and a group of a half-dozen friends did this past summer. Our ages ranged from mid-20s to mid-30s and our athletic abilities varied from Boston marathoner to avid football watcher.

After renting 21-speed hybrid bikes from Spoke Folk — a shop that stocks plenty of spandex and clips for serious cyclists, as well as rentals for the casual biker — we head out into the country on West Side Road. After about 6 miles and 30 minutes or so of pedaling, we hit our first stop in Healdsburg: Rochioli Vineyards ($10 tasting fee, refunded with purchase).

It has a friendly, casual tasting room and is known for its French-style chardonnays — no buttery Napa chards here — and its sauvignon blanc, which is on the wine list at Per Se. Plus, it comes with a nice picnic area to boot. After tasting, we buy a bottle of the robust-but-refreshing pinot noir rosé, and break out some gourmet sandwiches we've brought along from Healdsburg's Dry Creek General Store.

Drop by Porter Creek Vineyards' cozy tasting room.Photo: David DiGrazia

From Rochioli, it's less than 3 miles to our next winery, Porter Creek Vineyards ($10 tasting fee, refunded with purchase). There, a hilariously surly Scotsman, Paul Berman, oversees a cozy, rustic tasting room — it was once a tractor barn — and a tasting list with no less than a dozen wines. As I make my way down the list, the estate pinot noir blurring into the reserve pinot noir, I remember to be a good girl and use the spit bucket — we've still got hours of biking to go.

Peacock says this is key. "It's really important to sip or spit," he advises. "In California, you can get a DUI [while biking], and it goes against your driving record… you shouldn't be renting bikes just to drink more." He recommends visiting no more than three wineries in a biking day.

Wine buzz aside, cycling in this area does feel quite safe. The roads were recently repaved and, while there are no bike lanes, cars are typically respectful of cyclists.

Wells Guthrie.

We bike another hour or so to cross the Russian River and head up East Side Road. Our final stop is Wells Guthrie's Copain ($20 tasting fee includes cheese and charcuterie pairings, not refunded with purchase; reservations required), a winery known for its pinot noir and syrah, the latter of which is served at New York's Batard restaurant and the French Laundry in Napa.

After a sit-down tasting of about six wines, we wander outside for an informal tour, sipping chilled glasses of the winery's P2 — a light, summery pinot noir — as we take in views of rolling vineyards.

It's a solid 7 miles back to the bike shop. Some in my group are lagging, but I'm still thrilling at the scenery, the mileage, the feel of a light hybrid bike beneath me that charges easily up the hills. I contemplate the economics of trading in my Citi Bike membership for a fancier ride.

By the time we get back to the bike shop, we've somehow done over 24 miles, according to my GPS watch. Some of us head to Healdsburg's excellent Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar to refuel, while others are too tuckered out for a treat.

For first-timers, Peacock says he typically recommends shorter 14-mile loop, rather than the 20-mile-plus loop we did.

"If you're a walks or a hiker, you can easily do 14-15 miles on one of our bikes," he assures me. "You just need to be active." Cheers to that!


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Checking in: Ventana Inn & Spa in Big Sur

What: A 60-suite hotel (plus one cottage) on 243 lush forested acres that's so exclusive that you have to practically win the lottery to book a room. Most accommodations include a terrace and/or deck; the spa suites are outfitted with a hot tub, wicker chairs and hammock on the deck. The hotel also has Japanese hot baths, a spa and two outdoor pools, one clothing-optional.

Where: High above the wavy Pacific Coast Highway, 28 miles south of Carmel, in the tawny hills of Big Sur.

When: Whenever. California's climate is so dry and inviting — and the persistent drought means no winter rainy season.

Why: Because Ventana offers the kind of rustic luxury so readily found in Big Sur, one of the most pristine and seductively gorgeous regions of the nation's most beautiful state. The air is crystal clear and softly scented with eucalyptus and pine.

Working Well: Paul Corsentino is the new executive chef at the Restaurant at Ventana. He showcases the seasonal bounty of West Coast cuisine by changing the menu daily, from a Dungeness crab appetizer to a main course of Alaskan halibut with wicked desserts such as pear tarte tatin and old-fashioned staples like chocolate pudding cake. The four-course tasting menu is a reasonable is $75. You have the choice of eating on the heated outdoor patio, nestled in the hillside that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, or in the wood-paneled indoor dining room where a continental breakfast is also served.

Needs Work: Getting to the restaurant is an adventure. You must walk along a winding pebbled path through a forest to find it. It seems sublime on the way in, as you pass a pair of rocking chairs that look out on redwoods and live oaks, but coming back in the dark is tricky, even though the restaurant provides flashlights. More illumination, please.

Must Try: Just down the road from Ventana is the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. You will regret it the rest of your life if you don't park your car and check out the short hiking trail off the southbound lane of PCH. It offers a view of the stunning McWay falls, where teal-colored waves crash on the rocky beach and the only visitors are the local birds. You'll thank the deity of your choice that Donald Trump never found his way out here to ruin everything.

Competitive Edge: The Ventana's outdoor patio has several levels that extend over the property and offer panoramic views of the Pacific. There are comfortable couches for visitors to relax and enjoy the last rays of an autumn day.

Details: From $600; ventanainn.com


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Palm Springs transitions from desert retreat to hipster haven

Baby boomers have been flocking to Palm Springs for its racket- and club-swinging recreations, its warm, dry weather, its trademark mid-century modern architecture and design. The slow and easy lifestyle prompted many to buy second homes and retire here.

But that community is witnessing a significant change in their desert oasis bubble. New restaurants are serving craft beer and flaunting edgy design. Golden Era hotels are going under the knife with dramatically modern face-lifts. And canyon hiking trails are trodden by bearded urbanites in designer sunglasses and neckerchiefs.

A new Palm Springs is taking shape, one where a feverish, youthful energy is almost palpable in the desert heat as millennials swarm to festivals like Coachella, Joshua Tree Music Festival and the more recent Splash House, and to frequent the spate of cool new boutique hotels and bars.

Here's a look at the future Palm Springs.

Nightlife

A DJ holds court at Splash House Music Festival.Photo: Oliver Walker, Splash House Music Festival

"Five years ago, the Ace Hotel was the only option I considered when meeting with friends," says 30-year-old Donovan Funkey, who grew up in Palm Springs. But now friends come to him. In February 2013, Donovan opened Bar, a cocktail lounge with an indoor/outdoor performance space for DJs and live bands. It filled a void between staid hotel bars and not-so-glam watering holes for the swelling hipster scene.

Brunch at Hacienda Cantina.Photo: Dre Naylor

The resurgence of the town has attracted Splash House Music Festival, an annual weekend pool party that happens in August and spans multiple locations, including the new Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs and The Saguaro hotel, as well as Hacienda Cantina & Beach Club, an 8,000-square-foot outdoor venue with pool, cabanas, three bars and a sprawling lawn.

Thanks to its partnership with Goldenvoice — a division of AEG that has produced the world's most famous music festival, Coachella — Splash House features top acts like Moby, Cut Copy and Chromeo. All Splash House venues are still party houses throughout the year, joining the ranks of notoriously trendy, DJ-fronted weekend-resort pool scenes like Ace Hotel, Riviera Palm Springs and Skylark.

Hotels

Lena Headey.Photo: KYLE ROVER/startraksphoto.com

There's a slew of trendy hotels touting cool pools to woo the young jet-set. The hotel-of-the-moment, Sparrows Lodge (from $139), opened last winter, attracting starlets like Clea DuVall, of "Argo" and "American Horror Story," and Lena Headey of "Game of Thrones." Tucked away on East Palm Canyon Drive, the "board and batten" architectural style of the 20-room hotel feels more like a reimagined, rustic-chic farm than a desert-themed getaway: The main lodge is an al fresco barn that doubles up as the bar and front desk. All ground-floor rooms sport vaulted ceilings, stone floors and floor-to-ceiling windows with shutters.

Guests are provided with keys to the front gate (staff leave at 9 p.m.), while the communal, saltwater pool becomes night-cap territory for fashion designers, musicians and artists. While there's not a proper restaurant, one of the hotel's investors, Thomas Keller (yes, the Thomas Keller), has, according to staff, shown promising interest in creating some bites.

And storied hotels are getting modern makeovers to lure design- and style-savvy travelers. La Quinta Resort & Club, a Waldorf Astoria resort (from $169), opened in 1926; it's debuting a multimillion-dollar restoration next month with spruced-up guest casitas and a complete redesign to public spaces.

Also jumping onto the millennial train is Renaissance Esmeralda (from $184), which is introducing 10 new suites this fall. Each suite will flaunt original artwork commissioned by emerging Chicago-based artist Patrick Skoff.

Enjoy laps of luxury at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage's pool.Photo: The Ritz-Carlton

Reopened this past spring after being closed for eight years, Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage (from $279) sits on a 650-foot bluff overlooking the valley and offers a quiet sanctuary for young families and honeymooners alike.

Food

Dining in Palm Springs deserves attention thanks to more stylish restaurants with notable eats to boot. Over in Indian Wells, Eureka Restaurant opened its ninth restaurant last summer, dishing out American comfort food to the country club set. (All staff are required to take a craft beer exam, if that's any indication of who's coming for dinner.)

Purple Palm at Colony Palms Hotel introduced in June a new young chef, Greg Stillman, who's serving up globally inspired cuisine, and the resto recently underwent a complete redesign (wallpapered ceilings, Moroccan-themed chandeliers) by celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

Just this month, young, Michelin-starred Patrice Martineau packed his knives for Viceroy Palm Springs, while celebrity chef Kerry Simon opened Simon Kitchen + Bar at the Hard Rock.

And Patrick Service, who worked for Danny Meyer at Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Park Hotel, ditched the Big Apple to open Appetito with consulting chef Chad Shadner. The Cal-Italian counter-service restaurant with house-made pastas and seasonally inspired plates has already won over the hipsterati with its retro-modern interiors, groovy staff and inexpensive eats.


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7 island retreats to visit this winter

So teenyboppers continue to swoon over the Islamic State as if that little circle-y thing on their black flag is Justin Bieber's face.

Come on, man! It's Jihadi John, not Jihadi Jonas.

Whatever. ISIS, schmISIS — it's time to get your shiz together and join god's true army: the Island-ic State. Radical when it comes to roti, fanatical when it comes to flip-flops, zealous when it comes to Z's caught in whichever hammock will have you, the Caribbean is a cali-phat, dear brothers and sisters.

Here, 7 reasons you should convert to Sunny-ism this winter and declare spree-hād in the friendly neighborhood tropics (where the only thing you'll be cutting open are ooey, gooey coconuts). Resplendent or die!

Gansevoort Dominican Republic, Playa Imbert

G-voort has dipped a second toe in the Caribbean with its shiny new, 48-room Playa Imbert, swinging open its doors Dec. 15. Trying to bring luxe-lifestylin' to wild-child Puerta Plata may be a fool's errand, but they're giving it the old college try from its one-bedroom suites up to its four-bedroom penthouses, a three-tiered cascading, infinity pool, haute cuisine, a "world-class" day spa and ocean views a-gogo. Come to GPI for perks like floor-to-ceiling windows, tech-happy kitchens, walk-in showers, custom tubs and natural stone finishes, stay for the crescent-curved beach.

The BodyHoliday, St. Lucia

Putting aside that Ebola you caught sitting next to a snotting, sneezing bloke on your last transatlantic flight, travel can actually be good for you. So-called wellness travel is more than just wishful thinking, and it doesn't have to suck. Here, you get customizable getaways like spinning in a glass treehouse and, better yet, spa treatments. This fall and early 2015, The BodyHoliday is launching a BodyScience program, which combines cutting-edge scientific testing (DNA samples) and preventative Eastern practices ('sup on-site Ayurvedic doctor). Also, a Quadrathlon challenge: a 50-minute bike ride along St. Lucia's coast + a 15-minute hill climb + a 100-foot rappel + swimming + a 2½-mile kayak trip. Get turnt up: Octoba Yoga runs through Nov. 2.

Hotel El Convento, Puerto Rico

Ain't no party like a nunnery party. Some Tri-Delts for Jesus were members of a 360-year-old Carmelite convent in San Juan, which is now the oldest of the Historic Hotels of America. This fall, Hotel El Convento is urging guests to travel back to those good ol' days with their "Glimpse Into The Past" package, offering up to $100 in savings for parking, dining and "activities." Make the most of those scare quotes.

Hyatt Regency Aruba

**BREAKING** Auntie Anne's spawned an outpost in Aruba's Reina Beatrix Airport in July! But pretzels in paradise are just the first of many twisted fantasies that await you in the ABC island's sole vowel. The Hyatt Regency Aruba's Sunshine on Sale promo, based on a five-night minimum stay, gives you said fifth night free. Currently, the Spanish fly resort is chic-ifying its rooms with new décor, aiming at those "with panache taste." No sprechen Sie panache? A lively pool, bar and casino scene is here, as well.

Gansevoort Turks & Caicos

The OG Gansevoort in the islands is ringing in five years of sleeky chicness on Provo's Grace Bay next month by participating in the 4th Annual Caribbean Food & Wine Festival. Onsite resto Stelle will join in all the fun as part of the Gourmet Safari dine-around.

Rendezvous, Saint Lucia

Let's face it: Marriage needs all the help it can get. But skipzo the couples therapy and hit up shy and idyllic Rendezvous instead. Its "Ever After" Wedding Collection promises to transform "over-the-top wedding fantasies into reality," with an assist from its 2-mile stretch of bone-white beach and 7 acres of tropical gardens. Except "beautifully themed wedding concepts," like Exotic Oasis, Island Romance, Elope, Romance in Bloom, and Romance by the Sea. If that doesn't keep you parting till death, nothing will.

Doubletree Hilton San Juan, Puerto Rico

Maybe all the Dub Trees you've come across stateside were little more than hooker hotels with bellhops. Not this guy — here in San Juan, they aim for a more mellow, upscale vibe. Helping the cause this fall is the recently opened, Tibetan monk-inspired Yelo Spa, whose "Pampered in Paradise" program includes manicures, pedicures, 30-minute (legit) rub downs and (legit) facials.


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Ebola nurse to be released from Newark quarantine

Written By Unknown on Senin, 27 Oktober 2014 | 20.50

TRENTON, N.J.  — New Jersey officials say a nurse who was quarantined after working in West Africa with Ebola patients is being released.

The state Health Department said in a statement Monday that Kaci Hickox had been symptom-free for 24 hours and would be taken on a private carrier to Maine.

Hickox has complained about her treatment in New Jersey and was talking about suing. She was the first person forced into a mandatory quarantine in the state, announced Friday by. Gov. Chris Christie for people arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport from three West African countries.


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‘Drunk’ homophobe taken down by Texas airport passengers

A "crazed" homophobe who kicked a man he thought was gay was tackled by passengers at a Texas airport.

Video of the incident shows the unidentified attacker shouting slurs at a man wearing a pink T-shirt before being confronted by another traveler at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The concerned onlooker asked the aggressive man what he was angry about.

"Queers is what I am upset about! This f****t right here!" he shouted.

The apparently drunk man then kicked the man in the pink shirt before a number of bystanders leapt in to tackle him. They held him down until officials arrived.

Neil Kennedy, whose brother Andrew filmed the incident, said the attacker "looked crazy".

"We saw a very troubled man," he told WTSP. "We hope that he was under the influence of some kind of substance, because if he wasn't and that's his true personality, then he's going to have a long road in front of him."

The man was arrested.

This article originally appeared on News.com.au.


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Does Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ live up to the hype?

After months of hype and rumor, Taylor Swift's fifth album "1989" is finally here. The 13 songs were finally released on iTunes at 12am on Monday. But was it worth the wait?

Here's our track-by-track guide.

'Welcome to New York'

★★★½

"Everybody here was someone else before," sings Swift on the buoyant opener. Ain't that the truth; country's little girl ain't a girl no more and it's obvious that Tennessean is taking to her new life in New York with wide-eyed zeal. A great start to the album.

'Blank Space'

★★½

There's a touch of Timbaland to the R&B bounce of "Blank Space" and Swift shows a surprisingly self-aware and witty side as she pokes fun of her public perception as a serial break-up artist looking for the next emotional drama.

'Style'

★★★

"Style" couldn't have been named anything else, because it has it in spades. Slick new-wave production, funky Hall and Oates guitars and Swift's breathy chorus helps to make this one of the most sophisticated sounding works she has yet produced.

'Out of the Woods'

★★★½

Jack Antonoff's John Hughes-inspired side-project Bleachers bleeds all over "Out of the Woods" in the best possible way.

The drama of Swift's failed relationship with Harry Styles simmers in the details of the verses before the bombast of the chorus brings the pay-off. A brilliantly crafted track on every level.

'All You Had to Do Was Stay'

★★

The remnants of another relationship are picked over by Swift and while the chorus is solid, the rest of the "All You Had to Do Was Stay" feels generic and uninspired. The first trace of filler, but definitely not the last.

'Shake It Off'

★½

When the album's lead single was revealed in August, most of us were willing to play along with its playful, anti-hater spirit but the breakdown in which Swift tries her hand at schoolyard rapping gets more cringe-worthy on every listen.

In a few years, she's going to be thoroughly embarrassed by it…if she isn't already.

'I Wish You Would'

★★

Another Antonoff collaboration which sounds directly influenced by the circling beats and spearing guitars of New Order's sublime 1987 single "True Faith." But Swift's regretful lyrics aren't especially engaging and the song passes largely without incident or interest.

'Bad Blood'

The pre-release buzz for "1989" had this pegged as a potential Katy Perry smack down and while there's definitely beef here, it's delivered in plastic jerky form instead of prime sirloin.

The lyrics are clunky ("now we got bad blood, you know we used to be mad love") and the electro hip-hop beats are weak. Disappointing stuff for someone like Swift who usually produces her best stuff when singing (or scowling) from the heart.

'Wildest Dreams'

★★

Memories of relationship are recalled on wistfully on "Wildest Dreams" with a heartbeat rhythm, some wispy production and echoing vocals.

Eroticism is not usually a part of Swift's vocabulary but she gets tantalizingly close here when she sings "no one has to know what we do, his hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room." It's perfect fodder for those Harry Styles fan-fiction writers.

'How You Get The Girl'

★½

Swift has stated that she's not dating currently but the hopeless romantic lives on in this track that's written almost as an advice column on keeping the flame of love alive. It's lyrically sweet but musically uninspired.

'This Love'

★★

The idea of Taylor turning her back on her down-home roots isn't completely true. The album's first ballad starts with a lone acoustic guitar and even though it's soon overtaken by electronic production, the long-distance yearning of "This Love" is pure country. Not a bad thing at all.

'I Know Places'

★½

The paparazzi have been a constant in Swift's life recently and this is her answer. On the pedestrian "I Know Places," she envisions a future courtship held away from prying eyes and long lenses but it's a sentiment that doesn't quite ring true.

The gossip machine has undoubtedly propelled Swift's career further than it would ever have gone on merely music alone. At this point, Swift can't have her cake and eat it too.

'Clean'

★★½

Water metaphors flood the final track as Swift again examines the remnants of love gone awry. But the melodic power and incandescent instrumentation of "Clean" (co-written by Imogen Heap) stops the rot in the album's underwhelming final third and ends "1989" serenely.

FINAL VERDICT

★★½

Reinvention is strong word for "1989."

Her decision to collaborate with producer de jours such as Max Martin, Shellback and Ryan Tedder to create a more pop-orientated sound works well when the songs are solid (see "Welcome To New York" and "Out Of The Woods") but frequently takes her into generic Top 40 territory.

Swift's lyrical evolution meanwhile is much slower – and it's partly by design. As a young pop star, she wants us all to talk about her and "1989" is an album that will encourage fans and non-fans alike to comb the lyrics and throw around opinions.

There are nuggets of personal information about her life, knowingly coy lyrical references to her detractors and many contradictory attitudes to love that will inspire sympathy and annoyance in equal measures.

The music's good, at times great, but the overall intrigue is what makes Taylor Swift such a phenomenon. Wisely, she's left that alone. They might be coated differently to her 2012 album "Red" but once again, Swift has thrown her Scooby Snacks at us and we're all going to bite, one way or another.


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George and Amal have second wedding

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin partied with numerous close friends and family at a second wedding celebration on Saturday.

Aladuddin's parents Baria and Ramzi Alamuddin coordinated the bash at the Danesfield House Hotel in the UK, which also welcomed some of Clooney's relatives from Buffalo, New York, , Us Weekly reports.

Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and a three-course meal at the swanky event that featured black table linens, centerpieces designed with cut trees and white dried Gypsophila flowers placed throughout the event space, an insider told the magazine.

A general view of the wedding reception of George and Amal Clooney at Danesfield House Hotel And Spa.Photo: Getty

One of the special moments from the evening were "Him" and "Her" cocktails named after the couple.

Although there was a big party on Saturday, Clooney, 53, and Alamuddin, 36, hosted an initiate dinner at their new Berkshire home for close family on Friday evening with guests staying until about 11:30 p.m.

Baria told The Telegraph that Saturday's reception was a special occasion. "We are all very happy," she said. "We're so looking forward to celebrating Amal and George's marriage here. This is a lovely place for it. It will be very special."

She also mentioned that she's frequently asked about her daughter's lavish three-day Italian wedding on September 27. "People keep asking us about the wedding and about Amal and her husband," she added. "I suppose we'll have to get used to it. I guess we're famous now."


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Why did 1st US Ebola patient die while 8 others survived?

DALLAS — Of the nine people who have been treated for Ebola in the United States, only one has died.

Family members of Thomas Eric Duncan, who was diagnosed with the virus in Dallas after arriving from Liberia, say he did not get all the help they wanted before he died Oct. 8. They now question why his care was different in some ways than that of other patients treated in the U.S.

Here are some of the questions raised about his care and answers from health officials.

Q: How quickly was Duncan diagnosed?

A: Duncan was misdiagnosed with a sinus infection after first arriving at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas on Sept. 25. He returned in far worse shape on Sept. 28, when a doctor quickly flagged Duncan as a possible Ebola victim. But the misdiagnosis meant Duncan did not get care for Ebola as quickly as possible.

Q: Did Duncan get a blood transfusion from an Ebola survivor?

A: No. The Dallas hospital couldn't find a survivor with a matching blood type for Duncan. As a result, Duncan could not get a transfusion of blood plasma containing antibodies from an Ebola survivor. That tactic has been used as an experimental treatment.

Q: How about experimental drugs?

A: Duncan received an experimental antiviral drug called brincidofovir six days after doctors first suspected he had Ebola, according to his medical records. American video journalist Ashoka Mukpo received the same drug and recovered. Other patients have been treated with ZMapp and TKM-Ebola, which are the only antivirals proven to protect nonhuman primates from Ebola, according to Dr. Thomas Geisbert, an Ebola expert at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. A manufacturer has run out of ZMapp doses, though limited doses of TKM-Ebola are available.

The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.Photo: AP

Q: Would using other drugs or treatments have made a difference?

A: Experts disagree, but they acknowledge it's hard to know anything for certain because so little data is available.

Q: Why wasn't Duncan moved to a hospital specially equipped to treat highly infectious diseases like Ebola?

A: Duncan's relatives say they wanted him sent to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, which has a special isolation unit and had experience treating Ebola patients. It's not clear who made the decision to keep Duncan at the Dallas hospital. His records don't mention a move. A spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services said the decision not to move Duncan came from Presbyterian Hospital and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Hospital spokesman Wendell Watson said the hospital raised the possibility with the CDC of transferring Mr. Duncan to another hospital such as Emory. But CDC felt that would be unnecessary, Watson said. CDC spokesman Thomas Skinner said the decision to treat Duncan in Dallas was made by the hospital, doctors and the patient.


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Cipriani’s Pasta and Sauce files countersuit against Cipriani Group

A Chicago mom-and-pop joint called Cipriani has been accused of trying to profit off the Manhattan food empire of the same name, but its owner says that's a crock — because, frankly, her food is better.

Annette Johnson, owner of Cipriani's Pasta and Sauce of Chicago Heights, sniffs in a countersuit against the Cipriani Group that she has no desire to be associated or confused with the larger firm.

"The [Chicago] Ciprianis' pasta was and continues to be made by hand and is air-dried naturally, which gives the pasta more character and flavor and results in a higher-quality product compared to commercial pasta which is heat-dried," she says in papers recently filed in Manhattan federal court.

Johnson's filing was in response to a $1 million-plus trademark-infringement lawsuit that the Cipriani Group slapped Cipriani's Pasta and Sauce with in August.

The Cipriani Group's suit alleges that its own upscale eateries, including its Midtown and Wall Street locations, attract such A-listers as Derek Jeter, Kim Kardashian and Robert De Niro — and that the Chicago business is trying to profit off that reputation by making "a concerted effort to associate their inferior," cheaper wares with its own fancier foods.

Both businesses sell Cipriani-branded products in grocery stores, supermarkets and online.

But Johnson says in the papers that if anyone is deceiving customers, it's the Cipriani Group — causing Midwesterners to believe its products are affiliated with her popular local enterprise.

She's now seeking a court order prohibiting the Manhattan-based powerhouse — which operates eateries, banquet halls and other businesses worldwide — from hawking its products in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

She also wants it to stop "doing any other act likely to confuse, mislead or deceive others into believing that CGI or its products and services are affiliated with, connected with, sponsored by, approved by CP&S or its products,'' according to the papers.

Johnson says in her countersuit that the Cipriani Group's trademarks dates only to 1985 — "long after" Cipriani's Pasta and Sauce opened a trademarked business.

Her business began as a small Italian restaurant in Chicago Heights opened by John and Mary Cipriani in 1929.

The couple expanded in 1955 by selling their homemade pasta and sauces in regional stores. Decades later, sales went online. Johnson bought the business in 2004.

Through her lawyer, Ira Glauber, Johnson declined to comment. Messages left with Cipriani Group lawyers were not returned.

Harry Cipriani Fifth Avenue in Midtown and other Cipriani Group establishments are an offshoot of Harry's Bar, a famous Venice, Italy, tavern opened in the 1930s by Giuseppe Cipriani.


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Letterman writer behind cue-card man’s firing opens up

"Don't hate me."

That's the plea from "Late Show with David Letterman" writer Bill Scheft, whose backstage spat with cue-card man Tony Mendez led to the popular sign-holder's termination.

After The Post broke the story last week, Scheft went into hiding — where he has apparently been reading every word and comment about the brouhaha, with most readers taking Mendez's side.

"Being in the news cycle for 36 hours and reading not just every account, but every single comment," Scheft wrote last week on his blog. "If it ever happens to you, don't do that. Just don't. You'll thank me."

In a separate post on his blog, he simply wrote: "Don't hate me."

Still, the hubbub hasn't stopped the scribe from taking to Twitter to promote his latest novel, "Shrink Thyself," which he expects to trumpet even more Monday on comedian Mark Maron's podcast.

Mendez admitted he grabbed Scheft by the collar and pushed him on Oct. 9 after they argued the previous day.

"Bill was always undermining me — making himself out as Dave's No. 1," Mendez said.


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Manager claims tenant who bowled with Ebola doctor is under home quarantine

The manager of a Brooklyn apartment building where a resident is under quarantine for possible exposure to Ebola complained Sunday that the feds have kept everyone else there in the dark since visiting last week.

The building manager, who gave her name only as Monica, said she thinks she knows which tenant went bowling with Ebola patient Dr. Craig Spencer before his diagnosis with the deadly virus last week.

She said workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited the building without notice on Friday.

But she said that "the CDC is not even informing me. They are keeping it confidential, and I don't think it's right because it's in my building and I think I have the right to know.

"I have been trying to contact him myself via e-mail and phone call, telling him it's very important. I can't get him," she added.

A neighbor in the building said he was told by a city official that tenant is a doctor who hasn't suffered any symptoms of the virus.

The neighbor said he was also told that the man had voluntarily quarantined himself, but noted that the official he spoke with was carrying "several pairs of plastic handcuffs."

A second Brooklyn resident is also under quarantine after spending time with Spencer.

The CDC declined to comment.

Meanwhile, a Health Department worker dropped off a black duffel bag full of supplies Sunday morning for Spencer's fiancée, Morgan Dixon, who's quarantined inside the couple's Harlem apartment.

Cops were also standing guard outside the building, where Dixon returned after being discharged Saturday from Bellevue Hospital, where Spencer is being treated inside a special Ebola ward.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

School crossing guards plan pay-disparity lawsuit

The union representing New York's 2,000 mostly female school crossing guards plans to sue the city for discrimination, citing pay disparity with NYPD traffic-enforcement cops, The Post has learned.

The federal lawsuit will argue that crossing guards are paid $4 less per hour than the city's primarily male traffic-enforcement agents for comparable work, which they argue violates the federal Equal Pay Act and the city Human Rights Law.

Both traffic-enforcement agents and school crossing guards work for the NYPD. Traffic-enforcement agents are full time workers, while crossing guards are part-time, typically 25 hours per week.

"This lawsuit is our first step to raise the pay of thousands of public-school and NYPD employees who don't make $15 per hour, and don't work a 40-hour week. Fighting inequality must start with the city's own employees," said Local 372 president Shaun Francois, who represents crossing guards and other school support workers.

Traffic-enforcement agents make $17.40 an hour.

Local 372, part of District Council 37, has a new contract through 2016.

Under the prior contract, crossing guards made $10.26 to $13.43 per hour, depending on when they were hired. The top crossing-guard salary will jump to $14.30 in 2016.

"School crossing guards are largely women and are limited to 25 hours per week. They suffer not only from a pay rate which the city won't allow contractors to pay, they get treated worse than the largely male traffic cops simply because they are female," said Local 372 lawyer Arthur Schwartz. "It is a vestige of past discriminatory practices that Mayor de Blasio has to address."

One veteran crossing guard said enough is enough.

"We have crossing guards who get hit by cars to keep kids safe. We navigate potholes and breathe in fumes that make us sick. We should be considered equal to the traffic agents," she said.

City Hall downplayed the dispute.

"We're proud to have negotiated a fair contract with DC37 that respects our workforce and protects taxpayers," said de Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell.


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Sign-language interpreter goes viral after press conference

Sign-language interpreter Jonathan Lamberton stole the Ebola show from Mayor de Blasio, with his dramatic facial expressions going viral on You Tube.

Summing up social media's take on Lamberton, Kathy Liu tweeted, "I am so distracted by the NYC mayor's sign language guy at this press conference on Ebola. It's so mesmerizing."

Lamberton was the front man of a sign-language dynamic duo that translated de Blasio's event on Friday.

He was seated next to New York hospital chief Dr. Ram Raju and de Blasio — and took all of his cues from a fellow interpreter, seated in the front row, facing the panelists.

Using two interpreters is not uncommon, especially with such an important subject.

"It's always good and wise to have two interpreters in that kind of setting, so they can support each other and convey the message properly," said Timothy Owens, president of the American Sign Language Teachers Association.

Lamberton's rise to fame is akin to that of former Mayor Bloomberg's spirited sign-language interpreter Lydia Callis, who won fans in the days after Hurricane Katrina.


18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

2nd Deutsche Bank exec’s death ruled a suicide

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 26 Oktober 2014 | 20.50

A prominent Deutsche Bank executive's Manhattan death has been ruled a suicide, a spokeswoman for New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner said late Friday.

The hanging death of Calogero Gambino, 41, a Deutsche lawyer and managing director, was discovered by his wife on Monday morning.

Gambino was found hanging by the neck from a stairway banister in their Manhattan home, according to police reports.

Gambino, an 11-year bank executive, was working with US regulators probing Deutsche's involvement in Libor rigging scandal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"Charlie was a beloved and respected colleague who we will miss," said a spokeswoman for Deutsche. "Our thoughts and sympathy are with his friends and family."

Deutsche and six other banks were fined by European regulators late last year for rigging the benchmark London interbank offered rate, Libor, used globally to set lending interest rates.

Deutsche, Germany's largest lender, announced Friday it expects to record a $1.13 billion charge for litigation expenses in the third quarter. The bank's legal costs totaled $3.8 billion last year.

Earlier this year, former Deutsche Bank Senior Managing Director William Broeksmit, who had close ties to co-CEO Anshu Jain, was found by his wife hanged in his South Kensington, London home.

Medical authorities in London ruled Broeksmit's death was a suicide after a coroner's inquest.

Broeksmit, 58, worked with senior executives in assessing the banks risks on its balance sheet.

The London coroner's report in March cited Broeksmit as being anxious about the bank's exposure as a result of Libor probes by European Union financial authorities prior to the suicide.


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‘Law & Order’ actress, beautician look to expand makeup bar

Stephanie March, the actress known for her role as ADA Alex Calbot on "Law & Order SVU," knows a thing or two about getting arresting looks.

March and her longtime makeup artist on the show, Rebecca Perkins, have opened Rouge New York, a makeup bar, and are looking to expand in the US, Julie Earle-Levine reports.

March and Perkins launched Rouge in Soho in December. There, women can get their faces done by professional makeup artists. Women get to choose from "looks" that include "You — Only Better," which is natural, light makeup, or "Total Polish," a glamorous evening look.

Perkins says many of the clients do not enjoy the traditional "beauty-counter experience," where women can have makeup applied, not always by experts, and then get "the hard sell" to buy products.

Rouge charges $50 for the natural or polished look. Most customers come in for makeup for weddings, job interviews and dates, but some give it a whirl without an event to go to.

The duo, who for seven years worked together on the "SUV" set, where Perkins was the makeup department head, are preparing to open a second Manhattan salon Uptown in 2015. They have spent several hundred thousand dollars to date.

Rouge will also do Halloween styling that costs $90 for an hour-long session to create a goblin, witch or any other scary character, with authentic-looking wounds, scabs and scars if need be.

Perkins, has also worked with Katharine McPhee and Jemima Kirke and on "Law & Order" with Hilary Duff, Cynthia Nixon and Mischa Barton.


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Pepsi, SodaStream deal comes after Super Bowl ad

What a difference a year makes.

Home carbonation maker SodaStream earlier this year produced a television ad that was to air during the last Super Bowl. The spot slammed giant soda rivals Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for producing too much sugar and too many bottles, Josh Kosman reports.

In it, actress Scarlett Johansson says she and SodaStream are going to change the world. "Sorry, Coke and Pepsi," she adds at the end.

Fox — airing the Super Bowl — banned the ad, believing it was too tough on its rivals.

PepsiCo is the NFL's official soft drink.

On Friday, PepsiCo and SodaStream announced a deal to launch Pepsi soda caps (or syrup pods) made for the newer SodaStream machines.

Perhaps SodaStream will run an ad for this year's Super Bowl in which it just says, "Sorry, Coke." That might be easier for the NFL to swallow.


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Rush for ‘luxury’ domain names continues

Luxury may no longer be a dirty word.

The rush for domain names that end in the word "luxury" shows no signs of slowing, according to Monica Kirchner, CEO and co-founder of a new tech company that is helping brands create platforms to define themselves in the luxury category.

Kirchner, a former COO of Lehman Brothers, told Julie Earle-Levine that she and her partners won an auction for the domain rights and are selling them to companies.

Tiffany, Armani, Four Seasons, Bitcoin, Berkshire Hathaway and Hermès are among 1,250 companies that have signed on to dot-luxury (www.join.luxury) and will use the luxury domain extension instead of, or together with ".com."

Kirchner says luxury retailers — hotels and real estate, interior design and fashion companies — are buying not just to sell product but also for specific launches, and to target advertising campaigns and reach consumers in a way most relevant to their message.

The LA-based team spent $185,000 to apply for ".luxury," and an undisclosed amount to win the top-level domain in a private auction.


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The go-to shop for the New York City’s witches and wizards

"The most popular request I get — maybe because there are so many artists in the neighborhood — is help in pushing forward their creative potential," says Phil English, co-owner of the Bushwick occult store Catland.

Makes sense. Many of life's less abstract necessities that used to be left up to spells and potions can now be handled by the iPhone. Want love? Tinder. Want sustenance? Seamless. Alacazam.

Molly Burkett reads tarot cards for customers at Catland Books on Wednesdays and Saturdays.Photo: Lizzy Snaps Sullivan

And yet, Catland has established itself as one of the city's go-to destinations for witches and wizards. Co-owner Joe Petersen says the city's occult community is "large and growing," and that supernatural references are becoming more mainstream. People joke about Jay Z being a member of the Illuminati, for example. There's now a style of dark electronic music called "witch house."

"There are a lot of young folks who are feeling alienated from the upbringing of their parents, whether it be atheist, secular or Christian, and are looking to get answers about the world around them," says English, who was raised in a "hippie" Florida family that worshipped Norse gods.

You might expect a place like Catland to be located in a spooky old Victorian house. Instead, it opened last year on an industrial stretch of Flushing Avenue, taking the place of a plumbing supply store.

Many of Catland's customers are from the neighborhood, and Petersen, 26, says they come in "all ages and races." And business does pick up a bit this time of year. It's the pagan holy season, and Catland also gets its share of civilians wandering in looking for authentically witchy Hallow's Eve supplies.

The interior of the shop is dim and dusty, its red walls dotted with skulls, cat statues and goblets. In the back is a room where oil mixtures are prepared; up front, a rotating cast of tarot readers are available for consultations. One, Molly Burkett, is involved with Moon Church, a Bushwick-based group of magic-making women.

There are a lot of young folks who are feeling alienated… and are looking to get answers about the world around them. - Phil English

Among the store's selection of rare books is a tome called "The Dragon Book of Essex," which collects the rituals of Cultus Sabbati, a secretive British group that practices medieval magic rituals. Though the book isn't for sale, the owners say they would consider an offer in the thousands.

Magicians without J.K. Rowling money might opt for something simpler.

"Candles are probably the top-seller," English, 29, says. "They're sort of the easiest thing to make magic with."

Candles can be scented with oils or carved with sigils — magical symbols — then burned to cast a spell. Ones related to love and money are popular. And this stuff works, the proprietors claim.

Petersen, who was raised Catholic but got into magic after reading about British occultist Aleister Crowley, says spells have brought him tangible benefits. He used one to win a coveted internship. Another time, he cast a spell to bring him pet cats.

Jessica Swanson gets a tarot card reading from Phil English at Catland Books.Photo: Zandy Mangold

When he got home, "there, right on my steps, two kittens ran in front of me," he says. "They've lived with me ever since."

Some customers do come in looking to curse an enemy, but English says he instead suggests an alternative.

"When they're asking for that, it usually means they're afraid of someone for some reason," he says. "What they really want is protection."

On Oct. 31, the store will host a celebration of Samhain, a Gaelic holiday that marks the beginning of winter, organized by local Wiccan group the Temple of Hecate.

But if you're thinking of jumping onto the magic bandwagon to impress others, say, at a Halloween party, be warned.

"Being a magician has yet to be a turn on," English admits.


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2nd Deutsche Bank exec’s death ruled a suicide

A prominent Deutsche Bank executive's Manhattan death has been ruled a suicide, a spokeswoman for New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner said late Friday.

The hanging death of Calogero Gambino, 41, a Deutsche lawyer and managing director, was discovered by his wife on Monday morning.

Gambino was found hanging by the neck from a stairway banister in their Manhattan home, according to police reports.

Gambino, an 11-year bank executive, was working with US regulators probing Deutsche's involvement in Libor rigging scandal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"Charlie was a beloved and respected colleague who we will miss," said a spokeswoman for Deutsche. "Our thoughts and sympathy are with his friends and family."

Deutsche and six other banks were fined by European regulators late last year for rigging the benchmark London interbank offered rate, Libor, used globally to set lending interest rates.

Deutsche, Germany's largest lender, announced Friday it expects to record a $1.13 billion charge for litigation expenses in the third quarter. The bank's legal costs totaled $3.8 billion last year.

Earlier this year, former Deutsche Bank Senior Managing Director William Broeksmit, who had close ties to co-CEO Anshu Jain, was found by his wife hanged in his South Kensington, London home.

Medical authorities in London ruled Broeksmit's death was a suicide after a coroner's inquest.

Broeksmit, 58, worked with senior executives in assessing the banks risks on its balance sheet.

The London coroner's report in March cited Broeksmit as being anxious about the bank's exposure as a result of Libor probes by European Union financial authorities prior to the suicide.


18.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Law & Order’ actress, beautician look to expand makeup bar

Stephanie March, the actress known for her role as ADA Alex Calbot on "Law & Order SVU," knows a thing or two about getting arresting looks.

March and her longtime makeup artist on the show, Rebecca Perkins, have opened Rouge New York, a makeup bar, and are looking to expand in the US, Julie Earle-Levine reports.

March and Perkins launched Rouge in Soho in December. There, women can get their faces done by professional makeup artists. Women get to choose from "looks" that include "You — Only Better," which is natural, light makeup, or "Total Polish," a glamorous evening look.

Perkins says many of the clients do not enjoy the traditional "beauty-counter experience," where women can have makeup applied, not always by experts, and then get "the hard sell" to buy products.

Rouge charges $50 for the natural or polished look. Most customers come in for makeup for weddings, job interviews and dates, but some give it a whirl without an event to go to.

The duo, who for seven years worked together on the "SUV" set, where Perkins was the makeup department head, are preparing to open a second Manhattan salon Uptown in 2015. They have spent several hundred thousand dollars to date.

Rouge will also do Halloween styling that costs $90 for an hour-long session to create a goblin, witch or any other scary character, with authentic-looking wounds, scabs and scars if need be.

Perkins, has also worked with Katharine McPhee and Jemima Kirke and on "Law & Order" with Hilary Duff, Cynthia Nixon and Mischa Barton.


18.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pepsi, SodaStream deal comes after Super Bowl ad

What a difference a year makes.

Home carbonation maker SodaStream earlier this year produced a television ad that was to air during the last Super Bowl. The spot slammed giant soda rivals Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for producing too much sugar and too many bottles, Josh Kosman reports.

In it, actress Scarlett Johansson says she and SodaStream are going to change the world. "Sorry, Coke and Pepsi," she adds at the end.

Fox — airing the Super Bowl — banned the ad, believing it was too tough on its rivals.

PepsiCo is the NFL's official soft drink.

On Friday, PepsiCo and SodaStream announced a deal to launch Pepsi soda caps (or syrup pods) made for the newer SodaStream machines.

Perhaps SodaStream will run an ad for this year's Super Bowl in which it just says, "Sorry, Coke." That might be easier for the NFL to swallow.


18.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rush for ‘luxury’ domain names continues

Luxury may no longer be a dirty word.

The rush for domain names that end in the word "luxury" shows no signs of slowing, according to Monica Kirchner, CEO and co-founder of a new tech company that is helping brands create platforms to define themselves in the luxury category.

Kirchner, a former COO of Lehman Brothers, told Julie Earle-Levine that she and her partners won an auction for the domain rights and are selling them to companies.

Tiffany, Armani, Four Seasons, Bitcoin, Berkshire Hathaway and Hermès are among 1,250 companies that have signed on to dot-luxury (www.join.luxury) and will use the luxury domain extension instead of, or together with ".com."

Kirchner says luxury retailers — hotels and real estate, interior design and fashion companies — are buying not just to sell product but also for specific launches, and to target advertising campaigns and reach consumers in a way most relevant to their message.

The LA-based team spent $185,000 to apply for ".luxury," and an undisclosed amount to win the top-level domain in a private auction.


18.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

The go-to shop for the New York City’s witches and wizards

"The most popular request I get — maybe because there are so many artists in the neighborhood — is help in pushing forward their creative potential," says Phil English, co-owner of the Bushwick occult store Catland.

Makes sense. Many of life's less abstract necessities that used to be left up to spells and potions can now be handled by the iPhone. Want love? Tinder. Want sustenance? Seamless. Alacazam.

Molly Burkett reads tarot cards for customers at Catland Books on Wednesdays and Saturdays.Photo: Lizzy Snaps Sullivan

And yet, Catland has established itself as one of the city's go-to destinations for witches and wizards. Co-owner Joe Petersen says the city's occult community is "large and growing," and that supernatural references are becoming more mainstream. People joke about Jay Z being a member of the Illuminati, for example. There's now a style of dark electronic music called "witch house."

"There are a lot of young folks who are feeling alienated from the upbringing of their parents, whether it be atheist, secular or Christian, and are looking to get answers about the world around them," says English, who was raised in a "hippie" Florida family that worshipped Norse gods.

You might expect a place like Catland to be located in a spooky old Victorian house. Instead, it opened last year on an industrial stretch of Flushing Avenue, taking the place of a plumbing supply store.

Many of Catland's customers are from the neighborhood, and Petersen, 26, says they come in "all ages and races." And business does pick up a bit this time of year. It's the pagan holy season, and Catland also gets its share of civilians wandering in looking for authentically witchy Hallow's Eve supplies.

The interior of the shop is dim and dusty, its red walls dotted with skulls, cat statues and goblets. In the back is a room where oil mixtures are prepared; up front, a rotating cast of tarot readers are available for consultations. One, Molly Burkett, is involved with Moon Church, a Bushwick-based group of magic-making women.

There are a lot of young folks who are feeling alienated… and are looking to get answers about the world around them. - Phil English

Among the store's selection of rare books is a tome called "The Dragon Book of Essex," which collects the rituals of Cultus Sabbati, a secretive British group that practices medieval magic rituals. Though the book isn't for sale, the owners say they would consider an offer in the thousands.

Magicians without J.K. Rowling money might opt for something simpler.

"Candles are probably the top-seller," English, 29, says. "They're sort of the easiest thing to make magic with."

Candles can be scented with oils or carved with sigils — magical symbols — then burned to cast a spell. Ones related to love and money are popular. And this stuff works, the proprietors claim.

Petersen, who was raised Catholic but got into magic after reading about British occultist Aleister Crowley, says spells have brought him tangible benefits. He used one to win a coveted internship. Another time, he cast a spell to bring him pet cats.

Jessica Swanson gets a tarot card reading from Phil English at Catland Books.Photo: Zandy Mangold

When he got home, "there, right on my steps, two kittens ran in front of me," he says. "They've lived with me ever since."

Some customers do come in looking to curse an enemy, but English says he instead suggests an alternative.

"When they're asking for that, it usually means they're afraid of someone for some reason," he says. "What they really want is protection."

On Oct. 31, the store will host a celebration of Samhain, a Gaelic holiday that marks the beginning of winter, organized by local Wiccan group the Temple of Hecate.

But if you're thinking of jumping onto the magic bandwagon to impress others, say, at a Halloween party, be warned.

"Being a magician has yet to be a turn on," English admits.


18.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Willow Smith wows the crowd at Fader Fort

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 25 Oktober 2014 | 20.49

The Fresh Prince has spawned a Fresh Princess.

13-year-old Willow Smith wowed a packed crowd in Brooklyn on Friday night with a brief set of woozy soul at the Fader Fort presented by Converse – a specially created venue for the CMJ Music Festival.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's youngest was also joined by her older brother Jaden who performed a guest rap on a track called "5." Additionally, R&B singer SZA also made a guest appearance and gave the rising starlet a ringing endorsement by praising her vocal talents and calling her "the future."

The show was Willow's first performance in three years and although she used most of it to debut material from her upcoming EP "3" (which is due to hit iTunes on November 10), the teenager closed out the show with her 2010 breakout hit "I Whip My Hair Back And Forth" which was recorded when she was just nine-years-old.

Although mom and dad were not in attendance, Willow's grandmother and family friend Kendall Jenner were on hand to lend moral support.


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Benihana owner’s widow to hire power lawyer

The widow of Benihana founder Rocky Aoki is serving up another course in her long-running legal battle with her stepkids for control of the Japanese steakhouse empire.

Keiko Aoki, who controls the international franchise rights, is set to hire high-powered lawyer Seth Waxman, a former US Solicitor General and Supreme Court advocate, to press the next phase of her case, Keiko told The Post in an exclusive interview.

The stakes are high. Whoever wins the next round will control the assets Rocky left behind, including nearly two dozen franchise restaurants in Asia, Canada and Europe.

In May, Keiko was dealt a major blow when the state Surrogate Court of Appeals ruled that she would lose control of the family's Benihana assets once the restaurateur's model daughter Devon; Aoki, 32; and DJ son Steve, 36, hit 45.

Keiko, who sat down for an interview at her new restaurant, Koa, in Manhattan's Flatiron District, said she's seeking to reverse the decision because that's what her late husband would have wanted.

"Rocky was a great guy. He believed that a company should have one voice," said Keiko, a former Miss Tokyo who wore a Chanel jacket to dinner. "I have a responsibility to keep the company together."

Rocky "loved his kids," but he wanted her to run the business, she said.

"They have different opinions," she said referring to his six children. "They are going to fight."

Rocky's children — from two different marriages — have long disputed Keiko's version of events. They depict her in court documents as a gold-digger who poisoned their father against them and brainwashed him into changing his estate plan to give her control.

Keiko has portrayed them as spoiled brats who messed up the company when given a chance, and were more concerned about cash than preserving their father's legacy.

Ken Podziba, a representative for the kids and Rocky's former best friend, declined to comment.

The family has been on the rocks for so long that New York magazine wrote a story in 2006, titled "Rocky's Family Horror Show." That year Rocky tried to boot four of his six kids from having any part in the company.

His death in 2008 started the latest legal battle.

In 2010, Keiko won partial control of the assets, which included a large stake in Benihana Inc., which runs the US franchise and has since been sold. Two years later, she was granted complete control of the assets until her death. Then came the May decision, which said the assets would revert back to two of Rocky's kids.

Keiko said she will be fine financially and otherwise if that decisions stands.

"If I get 25 [percent] or zero, my life is still the same," she said.


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Citi Bike operator bought up by new company

A real estate company has bought the company that owns and operates the troubled Citi Bike program, a report said Friday.

REQX Ventures will own all of Alta Bicycle Share once the deal is completed and plans to double the number of bikes to 12,000, sources told Capital New York.

The price for an annual pass — currently $95 — is also expected to rise.

Neither company or the mayor's office would comment, the Web site said.

REQX owns bike share programs across the US and in Canada and Australia.

When the Citi Bike program was introduced, then-Mayor Bloomberg promised it wouldn't cost taxpayers any money.


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Jerry Lee Lewis excites the crowd in Times Square

There wasn't a whole lot of shakin' going on at B.B. Kings Blues Club and Grill on Friday night, but Jerry Lee Lewis' short and sweet set at the Times Square venue nevertheless provided enough excitement to ensure his status as a rock 'n' roll pioneer remains cast in stone.

The Louisiana man is currently in the city promoting the new book about his life "His Own Story" (by biographer Rick Bragg) and album "Rock 'n' Roll Time." While here, New Yorkers have been gifted the chance to see him at two rare shows, (he plays again at B.B. King's on Thursday October 30).

The reason for his general lack of live activity was immediately obvious as he took the stage. Now 79-years-old, "The Killer" is frail, speaks with a slur, and sat rigidly at the piano as he led his four-piece band through rickety, warbling versions of the early hit "You Win Again" and the Stick McGhee song "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee." It was an underwhelming sight and an anaemic sound that made the memories of him scandalizing America with his overtly physical performances in the late 1950s feel even more distant than they are.

But thankfully, it turned out that the visceral power of Lewis music hadn't disappeared entirely but instead, was just slumbering. Steadily, the beast was awoken. A version of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" gave the show the jolt it so badly needed, as Lewis began to hammer at his piano, jabbing at the high notes and sliding up and down the keys in his signature style. The rising excitement in the crowd and the sheer effort of playing "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" forced him to take a moment and mop his brow. Having blown off the dust and now reaching full-speed, the familiar Jerry Lee Lewis shriek began to pierce the room on "Great Balls of Fire" and with that, he was done. It's easy to think that 35 minutes was all he could muster but like all showbiz mainstays, Lewis knows that a good performer always leaves them wanting more. There's plenty of life left in "The Killer" yet.


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