Kawhi Leonard, Raptors outlast Warriors in thrilling OT win

TORONTO — Not even a dominant Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors could slow down the red-hot Toronto Raptors.

Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 37 points, Pascal Siakam added a career-high 26 and the Raptors overcame a 51-point performance from Durant to beat the Warriors 131-128 in overtime on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to seven.


“We were able to make shots, we were able to get some stops in overtime,” Leonard said. “It’s a building block for us, and I’m happy we got the win.”

Kyle Lowry had 10 points and 12 assists, Serge Ibaka scored 20 points and Danny Green had 13 as the Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak against Golden State and won a contest billed as a potential NBA Finals preview.

“What a game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “An incredible basketball game for the fans to watch. We came up just short.”

Toronto improved its league-leading record to 19-4.

Durant scored 40 or more in three straight for the first time, finishing with his highest total of the season. He also had 11 rebounds and six assists.

“Tonight we were down early, we were down big and I just tried to be aggressive and go get a bucket,” Durant said.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points and Jonas Jerebko had 16 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and overtime, but Golden State had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost to Toronto for the first time since March 2014.

Lowry’s 3-pointer with 55 seconds to go in the fourth quarter put the Raptors up 119-113 but Durant replied with back-to-back 3s of his own, including a game-tying shot with 8.6 seconds left.

“When he’s feeling it, there’s not a whole lot the defense can do,” Kerr said.

Leonard drove and kicked to Ibaka on the final possession, but the Raptors big man couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.

Green hit a tiebreaking 3 with 2:07 left in the extra session, and Toronto added to its lead when Lowry stole the ball from Andre Iguodala, leading to a pair of free throws by Siakam.

Jerebko’s dunk cut the gap to three but Toronto caught another break when Iguodala was called for travelling. Siakam was fouled and made one, with Leonard grabbing the rebound on the missed second shot. Siakam was fouled again, and capped it with another pair from the line.

“His confidence is very high,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of Siakam. “It just keeps inching along.”

The short-handed Warriors were without star guard Stephen Curry, who sat for the 11th straight game because of a strained left groin. Curry is expected to return Saturday at Detroit.

“Obviously we’ve been looking forward to getting him back but I’m proud of the way the guys have fought without him,” Kerr said. “Hopefully Draymond (Green) won’t be too far behind him.”

Green (sprained right toe) and fellow forward Alfonzo McKinnie (sore left foot) both sat for the seventh straight game. Green hopes to be back around the end of the current road trip.

Leonard connected on his first six shots and scored 13 points in the first quarter. Siakam added 10 for the Raptors, who were up by 18 points in the first and led 38-25 after one.

“They did a really good job of throwing that first punch,” Iguodala said.

Thompson scored nine points in the second and Durant added eight as Golden State cut the deficit to 67-58 at the half.

Durant capped an 18-point third quarter with a 32-foot pull-up 3, the final basket in a personal 13-point streak.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State has lost five straight on the road. … Kevon Looney matched a season high with 10 rebounds. … This five-game trip matches Golden State’s longest of their season.

Raptors: Toronto shot 16 for 22 in the first, going 6 of 10 from 3-point range. The Raptors were just 1 of 7 from beyond the arc in the second. … Leonard scored 22 points in the first two quarters, a season high for any half. … Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock sat courtside.

LIFE BEGINS AT 50

Durant reached 50 points for the sixth time in his career and second time with the Warriors.

DRESSED TO THRILL

Nurse wore a bright blue sports coat on the sidelines in a tribute to late sportscaster Craig Sager, but had shed it by the time he came to the podium afterward.

“The rental expired,” Nurse joked.

Kerr, who dressed more conservatively, said Nurse “definitely nailed” his colorful coat.

“I’m always thinking about Craig, especially when we have TNT games,” Kerr said. “I worked with him for eight years. He’s just such a part of the history of this game and a good friend, and we miss him.”

UP NEXT

Warriors: Visit Detroit on Saturday.

Raptors: Visit Cleveland on Saturday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Cavs send Kyle Korver to Jazz for guard Alec Burks, 2 picks

CLEVELAND — Kyle Korver is getting another shot with a contender.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to trade Korver, one of the best deep outside shooters in NBA history, to the Utah Jazz, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. In exchange for Korver, the Cavs will get guard Alec Burks — and his expiring contract — along with two future second-round draft picks, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the swap has to be approved by the NBA. The trade might not become official until Thursday.

For Korver, Cleveland will get Utah’s 2020 second-round selection along with Washington’s 2021 second-rounder. The Cavs also receive an asset in Burks’ expiring contract worth $11.2 million, something they might be able to use in another deal.

ESPN first reported the sharpshooting Korver is on the move.

The Cavs are just 4-14 in their first season since LeBron James left again. They began this season thinking they could compete for a playoff spot while developing young players, but after a coaching change and rash of injuries, Cleveland’s priorities have shifted and the team decided it was time ship Korver elsewhere.

Korver was one of the most coveted players on the market, and the Cavs have been shopping him along with forward J.R. Smith, who agreed to step away from the team after being unhappy with his reduced role this season.

The 37-year-old Korver is headed back to Utah, where he played from 2007-10. At just 9-12 going into Wednesday’s game in Brooklyn, the Jazz have been a disappointment so far. But Korver’s range should open the floor for point guard Donovan Mitchell and others.

Korver has made 2,238 career 3-pointers, fourth-most in NBA history and tops among current players.

The 27-year-old Burks has battled injuries over the past few years. He’s averaging 8.4 points and 15.8 minutes this season.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Ariana Grande in new four-part docu-series on YouTube

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ariana Grande is giving fans an all-access pass into her musical life through a new documentary series on YouTube.

The streaming service says Grande will be featured in “Ariana Grande: Dangerous Woman Diaries.” The four-part series is set to launch Thursday on the “No Tears Left to Cry” singer’s YouTube channel.


The series will show highlights from the making of Grande’s latest album, “Sweetener,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart in August. The documentary will also show new footage from her Dangerous Woman Tour, which was suspended after a terrorist bombing killed 22 and injured more than 500 at Manchester Arena in May 2017.

Parts of Grande’s One Love Manchester concert that helped raise money for the bombing victims will also be shown. AB

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Kyrie Irving’s 26 points lead Boston past Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS— Anthony Davis had just trimmed New Orleans’ deficit to a seemingly surmountable seven points when Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum combined to quickly squash any notion of a comeback.

Irving closed out a 26-point, 10-assist performance with a 3-pointer and a tough baseline fade over Davis, and the Celtics pulled away late for a 124-107 victory over the Pelicans on Monday night.


Tatum, who scored 20, threw down a right-handed dunk while being fouled by Davis with 2:26 left, at which point Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry began subbing out starters and fans started filing out, resigned to just New Orleans’ second loss in 10 home games this season.

“It’s closing time at that point,” Irving said. “We knew that we had the game in control just based upon our defensive schemes that we had out there.



“At winning time like that, I have the confidence in my teammates and confidence in my coaching staff to make the right plays and seek out the mismatches that we want,” Irving added.

Davis finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks, Nikola Mirotic hit six 3s as part of his 25 points, and Julius Randle added 15 points from the bench, but that wasn’t enough to end what is now a four-game losing streak for New Orleans.

Al Horford scored 20 points, and Marcus Morris had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which punished the Pelicans for their 22 turnovers, converting them into 32 points.



“That’s how we’re used to playing. That’s the team we know,” Boston guard Marcus Smart said. “We had different guys diving on the floor and doing multiple things on the defensive end.”

Irving had five steals, while Tatum and Horford each had three.

“We knew most of their plays and contested and used our length to our advantage,” Irving said. “When we’re playing at that type of level, then we’re tough to beat, because offensively it’ll take care of itself. … It felt good tonight to win like that because that’s who we are.”

The Celtics put up 39 3s, hitting 19, a statistic that Gentry thought was as telling as his team’s turnovers.

“It started with turnovers, but we gave up too many uncontested 3s,” Gentry said. “This team is a great 3-point shooting team anyway, so their bigs can shoot them, their perimeter guys can shoot them, and every time we got it within a workable distance, it was either a turnover or they made a 3.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Terry Rozier scored 14 points. He also was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter after he tossed the ball away during a stoppage. … Boston outscored New Orleans 42-34 in the paint. … The Celtics improved to 6-7 on the road.

Pelicans: Jrue Holiday scored 13 points but also finished with eight turnovers. … Forward Solomon Hill saw action for the first time since Nov. 1. He saw no playing time in 12 straight games before his 20 minutes against Boston. He had four rebounds, two points and an assist. … New Orleans was 27 of 29 on three throws, but went 12 of 32 from 3.

SETTING THE TONE

New Orleans trailed nearly the entire game, falling behind early because of eight first-quarter turnovers that led to 11 Celtics points. Holiday, playing point guard instead of shooting guard while Elfrid Payton sits out with a broken finger, turned ball over five times in the opening period.

The Celtics opened up their largest lead with an 11-0 run that began with three straight three-point possessions: Irving’s floater in the lane as he was fouled, Irving’s 3-pointer and Tatum’s driving layup while being fouled.


Rozier’s layup capped the burst and made it 80-60 midway through the third quarter.

Soon after, Randle’s free throws and Darius Miller’s 3 ignited an 11-2 Pelicans run to close the period, trimming Boston’s lead to 10 heading to the fourth.

Davis scored five straight points on a short fade as he was fouled and a pair of free throws to cut it to 93-87 with nearly nine minutes to play.

But Boston never let it get closer than that.

UP NEXT

Celtics host Cleveland on Friday night.

Pelicans host Washington on Wednesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Harris, Gallinari help Clippers edge Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. — Tobias Harris had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-100 on Sunday night.

Danilo Gallinari made the tiebreaking jumper with 47 seconds left and added 17 points for the Clippers.


Damian Lillard scored 30 points for Portland, which led by 13 at halftime but then had to play the second half without starting center Jusuf Nurkic because of a bruised shoulder.

With Portland missing its defensive anchor, the Clippers began the half on a 20-4 run. The Clippers kept the momentum going, outscoring the Blazers 38-16 in the third quarter.

With the game slipping away, Blazers coach Terry Stotts left Lillard in the game to start the fourth quarter, and the star guard’s personal 7-0 run in a span of 12 seconds tied it at 100 with 1:53 left.

But Gallinari made a short pull-up jumper, Portland missed a couple jumpers on the next possession and Patrick Beverley clinched it with a pair of free throws.

The loss ruined Maurice Harkless’ first start of the season. He had returned Wednesday from a knee injury that kept him out since Oct. 29.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Los Angeles improved to 13-6, the best record in the Western Conference. The Clippers have done it with a roster absent of household names, but depth is the reason they are where they are.

“You have seven or eight guys that can start and they do,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “We move it around. But as long as your group is good with that and the changes and we have good group.”

Trail Blazers: After a strong start to the season, the Blazers sputtered in the last two games of their road trip, losing by a combined 71 points. The defense, which was at one point in the top five in the league, has fallen to 16th in defensive efficiency.


“We’ve had three relatively poor defensive games, two of them against very good offensive teams,” coach Terry Stotts said before the game. “I am concerned. It’s not a trend I want to continue. Milwaukee was a train wreck.”

UP NEXT

Clippers: Host Phoenix on Wednesday.

Trail Blazers: Host Orlando on Wednesday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Things You Should Know Before Going for a Second Mortgage in Toronto

If you own a home in Canada then you have probably have heard of a second mortgage at some point in your life. A second mortgage is similar to a first mortgage, in that it is a loan secured by your property. As time passes you will accumulate more and more equity on your property. A second mortgage is primarily intended to use the equity that you’ve accumulated over the years.

According to a report by Business Insider, almost 2 million Canadians have a second mortgage, and nearly as many that have a HELOC. Some Canadians will use their second mortgage in order to avoid having to declare bankruptcy. In any event, a HELOC, for those unaware, is also another form of a second mortgage, because it serves as a line of credit for home equity. In other words, the person will supplement a second loan over their first in order to access their equity. Below are some things that you should know before going for a second mortgage in Toronto.

Different Types of Second Mortgages

A revolving HELOC works similarly to a credit card. That is, the borrower will have access to equity in perpetuity as they continue to pay off the principal (what they owed previously) over the upcoming months and years. Moreover, a HELOC can be modified to become a closed second mortgage, which functions much like a loan for a vehicle. That is, the borrower will receive only one lump sum of money from their equity and they must pay it off in a gradual manner.

It should also be noted that it is difficult to qualify for a HELOC of any kind, because they tend to only be offered to those with an impeccable credit profile and who happen to live in a prosperous urban area. Hence, those who have a poor credit profile or have a meager income will only likely have one option at their disposal—a private mortgage.

The Two Main Reasons Why Second Mortgages are Used

The most popular reason why a second mortgage is used is to pay off a consumer debt that has high interest. Many homeowners will also use a second mortgage in order to upgrade their home for resale or to renovate it for their own recreational purposes. Leveraging a second mortgage is highly recommended at the moment because credit card interest rates are presently 15%. As such, you can save a large sum of money by opting for a second mortgage.

For instance, let us imagine that you owe $30,000 on your credit card. In such a scenario you would have to pay roughly $600 in minimum payments every month; This is of course assuming that a 3% minimum payment is required. Now, if your interest rate was 15% APR then you would owe $4,500 in interest charges after just one year has elapsed. This is before you even get to the principal amount that is owed. As can be seen, interest charges can make or break first time homeowners who aren’t too careful with their fiancees.

Due to the aforementioned problems, many Canadians turn to a second mortgage in order to pay off their credit card debts. The end result is that their interest rates will be reduced because their second mortgage is secured by their home, which serves as the primary asset in this case.

Remember that Your Home Will Be Used as Collateral

If you have decided to take out a second mortgage on your home you must remember that your home will actually be used as collateral to secure the loan. As a result, if you fail to pay it off then the lender can foreclose on your property the same way they could with your first mortgage. However, the tradeoff is in the significantly lower interest rates that you will be charged, as your home will serve as an asset that will back your loan.

Take Advantage of Interest Only Payments

It is possible to only make interest payments with many of the second mortgage products that various lenders offer their clients; this will allow you to have easier and more affordable access to your home before you opt to sell your house to the highest bidder. Your monthly payments will also be significantly lower.

To further illustrate, if you were interested in renovating your home before resale or are interested in renegotiating your first mortgage, then you could remodel your home using the funds procured from the second mortgage. You could also have the option to pay off the interest charges. Then after you are done giving your home a makeover you could then resell it at a higher price and then use some of the money that you’ve made to pay off your second mortgage.

Avoid Private Mortgage Insurance

When a person applies for a standard mortgage in Canada they need to acquire private mortgage insurance if they are unable to put a minimum 20% down payment on their house. The end result is that they will have to pay fees, known as Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation fees, which can actually be quite exorbitant.

For instance, if you were to take out a half a million dollar mortgage with a 5% down payment then you would have to pay 4% worth of Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation fees. In other words, you would need to pay almost $20,000 in fees because you weren’t able to make the minimum 20% down payment.

The good news is you can take out a second mortgage in order to avoid private mortgage insurance. Of course this also means that you will have to add additional expenses to your monthly budget but it can still be a more affordable alternative to having to pay private mortgage insurance fees.

If you would like to learn more about obtaining a second mortgage in Toronto, please visit our website or call us at 1-888-495-4825.

source: northwoodmortgage.com

5 flagship models expected from Samsung in 2019

The Korean smartphone maker may have a total of five flagship devices to release in 2019.

Three of them may come from the next-generation Galaxy S10. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the new devices will split up the standard S10 line into three screen sizes. These will range from a 5.8-inch up to a 6.4-inch display. The smartphones have already been scheduled for a February debut.


The fourth device on the list would be a 5G version of the S10 codenamed “Beyond X.” Spring will be its time of release in the United States and Korea. It will also have six cameras, two up front and four in the back, and a large 6.7-inch display.

The fifth high-end smartphone expected to be released by 2019 is the company’s first foldable-screen device. It came under the spotlight during the Samsung Developer Conference 2018, which ran from Nov. 7 to 8 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, USA. This device will have a 7.3-inch display that closes and opens like a book. The report stated that the device’s final name is still being debated between “Samsung Flex” and “Galaxy Flex.”

Apart from the Galaxy S10, changes could still get implemented with the last two devices, which may push their release to a later date. However, as it is, consumers have big things to expect from the Korean smartphone maker in 2019.  Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

JaVale McGee flourishing in opportunity with LeBron, Lakers

There was a two-season stretch during which JaVale McGee scored a total of 141 points. He was a target of jokes, wildly misunderstood by many in the NBA, almost an afterthought of sorts whose career seemed to be closer to flaming out than taking off.

And in those darkest days, McGee kept asking himself the same question.

“Is it over?”

The answer now is obvious: No, it wasn’t over. Fast forward, and it may just be getting started.

He’s living the life that few in the NBA get to experience. He’s teamed up with the best players of this generation — Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James. He’s won two championships, part of Golden State’s back-to-back titles over the last two seasons. And now he’s the starting center for the Los Angeles Lakers, getting a chance to play big minutes and put up numbers for the first time in nearly a decade.


In his 11th season, McGee has basically gotten a basketball rebirth.

“I played against him in the last two NBA Finals and I wanted him on this team because I know what he brings,” said James, who lobbied the Lakers to get McGee. “It’s his energy, his energy level, his ability at the rim and his ability to protect the rim. If you don’t have that on your team, you’re not going to have much, man. You need to have people with a high IQ, which he’s got. That’s why I wanted JaVale to be part of this.”

McGee’s numbers are so much better this season than what they’ve been. But he cringes at the notion that he’s gotten better.



What the Lakers have given him is a better chance. That’s the difference. And he’s certainly one of the reasons why they’re off to a 10-7 start, winners in six of their last seven games.

McGee’s per-36-minutes averages over his career have been remarkably similar: Never lower than 13.1 points in a full season, the majority of the time between 15 and 18 points per 36 minutes of play. But the numbers are spiking this year because he’s actually getting minutes — the Lakers are starting him and playing him about 25 minutes per night, and he’s responding with averages of 13.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.


He’s showing everyone else what James saw in the NBA Finals the past two years.

"He could have said get anybody,” McGee said. “It’s just a reassuring feeling, a confidence-builder I guess, knowing that you’re going into a situation wanted as an option, like you’re really wanted. That’s pretty dope.”

Away from the court, McGee is a very diverse person — and very private. He doesn’t think much of social media, preferring to keep his inner circle very small and very close.

He makes music on his computer and is serious about that as a vocation. He’s devoted to philanthropy, having built some wells to bring clean water to parts of Uganda. And the irony there is that McGee is a native of Flint, Michigan, a place that has been dealing with a clean-water crisis since 2014 — but his efforts in Uganda are coincidental, since he started that quest before the Flint situation became known.

“It’s all such a humbling experience,” McGee said.

The game has sufficiently humbled McGee at times as well.

In those 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, when McGee was barely playing because of ongoing issues related to a stress fracture in his left leg, he wondered if his career was coming to a premature end. His physical game was failing, his mental game was in trouble as well, and basketball stopped seeming fun.



“Of course, I had all those feelings, all those thoughts,” McGee said. “But what overshadowed all that was me just not being willing to prepare for the worst. I’m just going to keep preparing for the best. So I just kept working like I wasn’t hurting, and it ended up being dealing with pain and the pain going away and then realizing the pain isn’t even there anymore.”

His game has taken off since.

The funny thing about McGee is that he came into the NBA with the skills that big men now are supposed to have — stretch defenses, make shots from the perimeter, have some guard-esque skills. That’s the player he was at Nevada before getting picked by Washington at the No. 18 spot of the 2008 NBA Draft.

But when he entered the NBA, the mandate basically was for a 7-footer like himself to rebound and set screens. In today’s NBA, his versatility is almost required for a big. The Lakers rave about all the things fans notice and a lot of more about what might not be so noticable — like his footwork, his speed down the floor, his hands and his cutting.

“He’s been great,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “He’s been professional. He’s taking care of himself. He’s vocal in the locker rooms and the huddles, he’s been producing for us, obviously his shot-blocking has been a big part of us having some success on defense. We’re very pleased with JaVale.”



Due respect to Walton, he’ll never be McGee’s favorite coach.

His mom has that title on lock.

Pamela McGee won two NCAA titles as a player at USC and an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, was the No. 2 pick in the 1997 WNBA Draft and is in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I used to be Pamela McGee,” she said. “Now I’m JaVale McGee’s mama.”

While many lost faith in her oldest child, she never did. The two titles with the Warriors probably meant as much to Pamela McGee as they did to her son. And now she’s back in familiar surroundings — Los Angeles, where she played, sitting near the floor to watch Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She has flashbacks when James and her kid team up to do something spectacular, like those “Showtime” Lakers did.

“There’s an African proverb that says the teacher will become the student and the student will become the teacher,” she said. “I think we’re there. I was a very strict mother, but now, it doesn’t come from my mouth, it comes from my heart. I’m just extremely proud. Not too many mothers get this opportunity.”

There are goals that McGee still has to accomplish in his career.

He wants to be an All-Star. He wants to average a double-double. He wants to win a blocked-shot title. He’s turning 31 in January, is in great condition and knows he could play several more seasons. And as this season goes along, McGee knows part of his job will be sharing wisdom he’s collected in his two championship runs with those younger Lakers who don’t know what the postseason is about yet.

“We’re having a blast,” McGee said. “And when we start figuring it out, you’re going to see a team that’s having so much fun.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Balloons, blankets at frigid Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

NEW YORK — Bystanders are refusing to let cold temperatures put a damper on watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, breaking out the blankets and sleeping bags to watch the giant balloons go by.

Tony Stout camped out with his extended family since 2 a.m. to make sure they got a good view of his son, who would be in the parade with The Ohio State University marching band. They traveled from Columbus, Ohio, for the parade.


"Ohhh, I’m freezing and numb, but excited,” he said.

Forecasters say it could be the coldest Thanksgiving in well over a century on Thursday, with the National Weather Service projecting temperatures in the low 20s (-4 to -7 Celsius) and sustained winds of up to 20 mph (32 kph) with gusts to 30 mph (48 kph), just inside the safe zone for the balloons to fly.

City officials said the 16 giant character balloons such as SpongeBob and Charlie Brown could fly safely, although their height would be adjusted if necessary.

Diana Ross, John Legend, Martina McBride and the Muppets from “Sesame Street” are slated to perform in the frigid cold.



Thursday has the potential to be New York City’s coldest Thanksgiving since 1901, when the temperature only got as high as 26 degrees (-3.3 Celsius). The coldest on record was in 1871, when the warmest it got was 22 degrees (-5.5 Celsius).

The Macy’s parade didn’t start until 1924.

New York City has issued an extreme cold weather alert and is urging anyone going outside to wear hats, scarves, gloves and layered clothing and to keep their fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered to prevent frostbite.

Police Commissioner James O’Neill said thousands of officers will be stationed along the parade route. They include counterterrorism teams with long guns, plainclothes officers mixed in with the crowd and a new squad of K-9 teams that can sniff out explosives from a few hundred feet away.



The parade runs 46 blocks from the west side of Central Park to Macy’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan.

The parade features about 8,000 marchers, including high school bands from across the country, and two-dozen floats culminating with the arrival of Santa Claus. The performances will be shown on the NBC telecast, which starts at 9 a.m. EST.


Ross, 74, will perform a song from her new Christmas album and will be joined on her float by her some of her family members, including daughter Tracee Ellis Ross, a star of ABC’s “Black-ish,” and actor son Evan Ross.

Others in the lineup include Bad Bunny, Kane Brown and Ella Mai, Pentatonix, Rita Ora, Sugarland, Anika Noni Rose, Barenaked Ladies, Leona Lewis, Fifth Harmony’s Ally Brooke, Bazzi, Ashley Tisdale and Carly Pearce. /ee

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Teen driver who survived horror crash vows to race again

A 17-year-old racing driver who fractured her spine in a horrifying crash at the Formula Three Macau Grand Prix has vowed to return to the sport after surviving surgery lasting nearly half a day.

German Sophia Floersch flew off the track on Sunday, hurtling into marshals and photographers, before being rushed to a Macau hospital in a stable condition.

“I survived the operation which took 11 hours. Hope from now on it only gets better,” she wrote in a Facebook post on her official account late Tuesday.

“I’m going to come back!” she added.

Floersch said she had to stay “a few more days” in Macau until it is possible to transport her elsewhere.

She thanked the medical staff who treated her as well as the people who helped at the scene of the crash for their “encouraging, calming words in these tough minutes in my car”.

Dramatic footage captured gasps from the crowd as the Van Amersfoort Racing driver’s car flew through the air and into safety netting at the Guia Circuit’s Lisboa bend, a sharp right-hander.

Running 16th, she lost control in a contact down the straight, launched off a curb and bounced off Tsuboi’s TOM’s Racing car.

“My thoughts are also with everyone who was involved in the accident. I hope everybody is healthy,” Floersch said in her post.

The International Motoring Federation (FIA) has said it will investigate the crash.

At least three people have died on the Macau Grand Prix circuit.

British rider Daniel Hegarty died last year after hitting a barrier at Fisherman’s Bend during the Macau Grand Prix’s feature motorcycle race.

In 2012, Portuguese motorcyclist Luis Carreira and Hong Kong driver Phillip Yau were killed within two days of each other during the Macau Grand Prix. NVG

source: sports.inquirer.net

Redskins lose Smith for season to broken leg; Mariota hurt

Thirty-three years to the day after the Redskins lost quarterback Joe Theismann to a broken leg, Alex Smith’s season ended on an eerily similar injury in Washington’s 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Smith broke his right tibia and fibula on a sack by Kareem Jackson midway through the third quarter and will require surgery. The veteran quarterback’s leg turned the wrong way, much the way Theismann’s did when he was sacked by Lawrence Taylor on a Monday night game in 1985. Theismann’s injury ended his career.

“I know it was very painful for him and heartbreaking for a lot of people,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “He’s a great guy and hard worker and one of the key leaders on this football team. These things happen in pro football, unfortunately. Just hate to see them happen with a guy like Alex.”

Theismann attended the game and said he turned away after Smith went down.

“It brought back vivid memories,” Theismann said.

Smith wasn’t the only quarterback hurt during Sunday’s early games. The Titans lost quarterback Marcus Mariota in the final minute of the first half of their blowout loss to the Colts when he reinjured his right elbow.

The Texans lost both of their starting guards against Washington — Zach Fulton to a shoulder injury on the first drive and Senio Kelemete to an ankle injury in the second quarter. For the Redskins, defensive lineman Jonathan Allen was evaluated for a concussion but returned.

The Detroit Lions also suffered a blow on offense when rookie running back Kerryon Johnson hurt his left knee against the Carolina Panthers. He left in the third quarter and didn’t return after running for 87 yards on 15 carries.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton suffered an apparent ankle injury against the Lions. He left briefly in the third quarter but returned.

Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, who’s had ankle issues lately, limped off the field twice against the Bengals.

In the Giants’ win over the Buccaneers, New York defensive lineman Kerry Wynn left in the second half with a concussion. Tampa Bay tight end O.J. Howard left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Jaguars right guard A.J. Cann injured a hamstring in Jacksonville’s loss to the Steelers.

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were banged up even more as they were humiliated by the Saints. Center Jason Kelce hurt his elbow in the first quarter, safety Avonte Maddox left early with a knee injury, defensive back Rasul Douglas had to be helped off the field with a left leg injury and long snapper Rick Lovato was evaluated for a concussion.

For the Saints, right guard Larry Watford left in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

The Los Angeles Chargers lost defensive tackle Corey Liuget to a knee injury during the second quarter of their loss to the Broncos, and coach Anthony Lynn said after the game that the eighth-year player might miss the rest of the season. Denver wide receiver DeSean Hamilton hurt a knee in the second quarter, and cornerback Bradley Robey was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter.

Brandon LaFell had a touchdown catch for the Raiders before he left in the second half of their win over the Cardinals with an Achilles tendon injury. Oakland cornerback Leon Hall hurt his back.

Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon left in the second half with a chest injury.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Apple iPad Pro Review 2018 – Best iPad Ever, But Still Only An iPad

iPad Pro 2018 Review: Apple’s latest Pro-line tablet is as close to being a PC as ever

THE QUICK RUNDOWN

Positives

Brilliant, similar design as the iPhone X. This device is packed with amazing features and computing power that beats a lot of PCs. The remodeled Apple Pencil is gorgeously made, and connects magnetically. The Smart Keyboard makes typing as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. It features a USB C port which allows other devices to connect and also charge.

Negatives

Still unable to multitask. A small number of apps and websites are still limited. The Smart Keyboard is quite shaky when placed on the lap. Does not feature a headphone jack (can we all agree that phone and tablet manufacturers need to bring it back already).

THE FULL REVIEW

Apple’s migration from its regular iPads to the 11-inch and 12.9 inch iPad Pro can be compared to the graduation of a college student ready to take on the world. CEO Tim Cook stated that the previous perspective that saw the Apple iPad as a mere tablet has changed, and referred to the iPad as a personal computer. With the new design, and description puts the new iPad in the ranks of the best-selling personal computers in the world.

After a proper assessment and usage of the new iPad Pro 12.9 for a couple of days, it is easy to say that it is an unbiased comparison. With new features that bring about a refreshing and ‘easy’ feeling, it can be easily said that Apple has stepped it up another notch with their newest iPad Pro. This device can be referred to as a “computer” but the question that follows is; is this computer right for you?

As Thin As Can Be

To a lot of people, it is still very strange to see an Apple product without a home button. But like the iPhone XR and other Apple X-series phones the iPad Pro lacks a home button, and as the X-series phone, the screen spans from edge to edge… to edge to edge. The sleek design uses slim black bezels of the same width for all four sides, which makes it difficult to distinguish one side from the other. At times, iOS indicates the position of the power button because, it is correct to think that I don’t know exactly where it is.

The design features a 5.9mm aluminum shell back that revolutionizes the look of the tapered glass which the iPad is prominent for and replaces it with a something a lot stronger. With the new design, the back of the iPad is totally flat as can be, straight to the side. The entire design resembles a remodeled iPhone 5. Also, the shape feels like a tweaked version of the 2011 iPad, with the only irregularity being the totally flat back except for the camera.
It consists of an incredibly large Liquid Retina LCD, which amounts for almost 11 or 13 inches, depending on the model. Every model is beautiful and pixel-packed, and owed to the precision-milled glass which is also featured in the iPhone XR, the edges of the display are rounded, alongside several other enhancements. The iPad has a first-class color definition, and owed to this electrifying and definite colors, it can be used for photoshopping and minute color tweaking if the need arises. (Apple ran complete analysis on the color accuracy of its displays in 160 different points.) Another amazing feature of the Pro is that it adapts the warmth of its display to the lighting in your room.

Just like the new iPhone X, XR and the other new designs, the new iPad Pro features a Face ID which employs several HD cameras, sensors, and algorithms to identify its owner. This new technology challenges the long-standing fingerprint technology and claims to provide more security for devices. It functions properly, without the need of a cut-out notch on the screen which is a requirement of the iPhone. Even if it’s not quirk-free. It is normal to hold our iPhones vertically, in a portrait rather than landscape orientation because it can easily fit into one hand. But with the iPad, you will need both hands almost every time you need to use it, and several times, my hand blocks the Face ID camera when I hold it in a horizontal (landscape) orientation. And if I’m just out somewhere relaxing, my face can’t be captured completely. With time, I have adapted to the new feature, and learnt to place my hands away from the camera, and head in front of the tablet, and this has made using the Face ID very effectual and ultimately secure way of locking my device. I’m not one of those people that bother to leverage on passcode or touch ID functionalities, but the Face ID presents a seamless means which is very attractive and easy at the same time.

Also, the 7-megapixel front camera is great at selfies, Animoji, and video chatting, in as much as you do not cover it with your hand. The 12-megapixel back camera reaches the standards of a typical iPhone, even if it is very clumsy, and outright embarrassing to make videos or take pictures with a 13-inch tablet throughout my stay in San Francisco.  The new iPad Pro features augmented reality thanks to its new camera. I analyzed the interior aspect of a plant to gain knowledge of how it lives using an app called Plantale, and it was refreshing to bring a Lego Ninjago playset to life as an iOS game. During my childhood, I kept my Lego creations for as long as possible, and didn’t want to destroy them. It may have been more fun to blow them up digitally.

Yet As Powerful As a PC

The interior of the iPad Pro is the same as the exterior, simply amazing! It comes with an A12X Bionic chip, which can be compared to a turbocharged version of a processor that is inserted into every iPhone XS and XR. The Pro consists of eight cores: it uses four to carry out very challenging work such as playing Fortnite, and four more for carrying out simple tasks like checking your email. Currently, it can carry out this dual functionality more efficiently, which gives it 2x multi-core performance than before. Also, the graphics chip disseminates about 2x the usual power, and all these functionalities does not affect the 10-hour battery life that is promised.

Apple clearly stated that the iPad Pro beats about 92 percent of all laptops in speed; referring to laptops that were in the market last year. This includes laptops with an Intel Core i7 processor. In addition to this claim, it boasted that the new iPad’s game graphics is in the same ranks as the Xbox One S. Every app I’ve used on the Pro has ran seamlessly without any hitches and benchmark numbers have been impressive.

The iPad Pro offers impressive storage options which makes the device a viable option for photographers and video editors. It comes with a 64GB of storage by default which can be increased to as large as 1TB. And owed to the USB-C port availability, it can be simply connected to a camera, external monitor, or several other accessories. The Pro features only one port. You can expand your options by simply connecting a dongle. Also, you should invest in good wireless headphones as well. Despite Apple’s remodeling of the quad speakers to produce great sound, it completely took off the option of the headphone jack.

Pencil or Keyboard?

Both accessories for the new iPad Pro have been improved upon by Apple. The new Apple Pencil, which costs $129 and the Keyboard Folio which costs $179 got visible upgrades this year. Your choice would determine your love for your new iPad.

To me, the Apple Pencil my most cherished accessory. With the new matte plastic design, which has a flat side which is magnetically attached to either side of the iPad Pro, which probes immediate Bluetooth pairing and charging. This all-new simple magnetic charging is one of the biggest tech treat that was in the new iPad Pro, because it makes it incredibly easy to charge, pair and use the Pencil. (Still check on it every once in a while, it can get detached in your bag.)

I’m terrible at art, but I scribbled quite a lot on the iPad Pro. Even after three years since it was introduced, the Apple Pencil still ranks as the most responsive and definite digital writing tool that I’ve ever used. Trying out different virtual drawing tools is pleasurable, and as a south paw, it is good to know that iPad recognizes this and doesn’t think I’m trying to draw using my palm.

Considering the 12.9-inch size, it is still very big, but owed to the thinner bezels that are used in its design, it is a lot more convenient. Now, it can be compared to the size of a magazine, or sheet of paper as it is often referred to by Apple, which makes it a viable option for reading and writing.

Apple also made some improvements on the Smart Keyboard Folio. Just like the Pencil, it also magnetically snaps onto the back of the tablet with the usual delightful click. The most recent upgrade gives you two angles to choose from, keys that are well-spaced with a good amount of travel, and a firm click. If you have typed on any recent year MacBook Pro, you will feel right at home.

My only complaints? I would appreciate if even more angles were included. Also, due to the size of the new iPad Pro, it is quite unstable on the lap. Lastly, since the camera is located on the left hand size, it becomes taxing to take a good position for a video chat.

The Best Tablet

In every way I can think of it, these are by far the most powerful iPads I’ve ever come across. Their standard is unmatched by any other tablet.

But Apple has begged the question: Is it possible for an 11-inch ($799) or 13-inch ($999) iPad Pro to take the place of your MacBook or Windows PC at your place of work? Possibly, yes. However, the nature of your job matched with great patience and a lot of determination must align for this to work.

I established this fact earlier that the drawing capabilities of the Apple Pencil or the natural feel which it brings about cannot be matched by any laptop. They are not even in the same league. Here, the iPad clearly leads the race.

As a full-time replacement for a work PC, it has its downsides. For instance, this review was written using Google Docs on the Pro, while I opened several web pages on the right side of my screen simultaneously, but I spent several minutes longer than usual trying to do my research and get links – and several other minutes to discover how to perform other tasks. My original intent was to use the normal web version of Docs, however, I had to use the app. The place where I work uses a collaboration tool called Airtable, but that didn’t connect with an iPad browser. Again, I was forced to use the app, which didn’t have the features that I desired. It was an incredibly difficult task to attach certain files with the Gmail app. Furthermore, specific apps like Spotify disallow Split View multitasking for now. It forces you to use them full screen. Lastly, spreadsheets are a lot more difficult to operate in the apps I tried.

I discovered several tweaks and answers for these aforementioned challenges, however, I am sure the issues won’t stop coming. The iPad’s web browsers still have the basic features similar to that of smartphones, and most times the apps that are put in place do not function as well, and several desktop features are unavailable. One can easily say a lot of these are the fault of developers, but Apple takes the blame.

Without a doubt, the world is not set to drop their PCs or see the iPad in the same regard just yet, regardless of how powerful and how easy it is to use. After publicly declaring their new iPad Pro as a PC, it is time for them to adjust the policies on iOS to prompt developers to treat the iPad the same way they treat the MacBook. It’s about time for iOS to get critical upgrades that will make things work.

Finally, the iPad Pro is amongst the most powerful computers one can possess. Matter of fact, it can beat any PC or the Mac, but for the time being, it maintains its role as the most powerful tablet in the universe.
 
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

source: technology.inquirer.net

Woman who made 13-year-old girl walk naked in public arrested

A Florida woman on Thursday was arrested for making a 13-year-old girl walk naked in public as a punishment.

Deputies of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said 34-year-old Rosalie Contreras drove the girl, who was unidentified, to a nearby road. She told the girl to strip naked and walk along it.


When a car passed by, Contreras made the girl retreat into their car. The suspect then abused her by slapping her face and punching her back.

Contreras told deputies that she stripped the girl naked to discipline her, as she was “misbehaving.” The girl sustained bruises.

The suspect was booked into the Pasco county jail on Friday morning after being charged with child abuse. Bail was set at $5,000 (P262,875).  Katrina Hallare /ra

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Center of attention: Bucks’ Brook Lopez lights out from 3

MILWAUKEE — A new nickname for Brook Lopez started floating around Twitter after the Milwaukee Bucks 7-footer had a career night from the 3-point line.

“Splash Mountain .” How appropriate for a self-described Disney aficionado who is quickly developing a reputation as one of the best-shooting big men in the NBA.


“I’m pretty partial to that honestly,” Lopez said with a laugh about the moniker this week. “I’m a pretty big Disney geek … I wear it with pride on my sleeve.”

Keep shooting the way he did on Sunday against the Nuggets and he might challenge the “Splash Brothers” in Golden State for 3-point supremacy.

Lopez hit a career-best eight 3s and scored 28 points to help the Bucks beat Denver to split a four-game Western Conference road trip.

This wasn’t just a one-night-only performance, either.

Entering the Bucks’ game on Wednesday night against Memphis, Lopez was tied for seventh in the league in made 3s (39) and was 14th in attempts (93), shooting 41.9 percent from behind the arc.

A career 34 3-point shooter, Lopez said he had hoped coming into his first season in Milwaukee was to eclipse 40 percent.

“Not necessarily that I’m going in worrying about makes or misses, but that’s a personal goal,” Lopez said. “You have to go in with a mindset, just if you’re open you’re going to shoot your shot.”

It’s a remarkable goal when considering just how far Lopez has come along as a 3-point shooter in such a short period of time.

The 11-year veteran spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Nets after being drafted 10th overall in the first round out of Stanford in the 2008 draft. But he didn’t hit his first 3 until Jan. 10, 2015 , when he was 1 for 2 in a 98-93 loss to the Detroit Pistons.


It was the only 3 he would hit that season. He made just two the following season.

The transformation happened before the 2016-17 season, when Kenny Atkinson became head coach after serving as assistant under then-Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer.

“At the time, it was kind of the system that we ran in Brooklyn,” Lopez recounted in explaining why he took up the 3. “It was something he wanted to implement, and he had great confidence that I could do it.”

Lopez said he was already comfortable hitting mid-range and long jumpers in game situations. Spotting up from behind the arc was something he did in pickup games with friends growing up, but he didn’t have the confidence to shoot 3s in games.

So he put in a lot of work on his shot before the 2016-17 season, working out in team drills where they would practice five-out looks. Personal workouts were devoted to shooting 3s.

“It was a step just from shooting them, and my practice and workouts, and shooting them in games,” Lopez said. “You just have to confidence to shoot them in games.”

Lopez was 3 of 31 combined from 3-point territory over his first eight seasons. He was 134 for 387 (34.6 percent) in 2016-17.

Lopez moved on to the Lakers last season, when he was 112 of 325 from 3 (34.5 percent). He’s well on pace to shatter that his career bests in just 13 games with the Bucks .

Milwaukee is undergoing its own transformation with Budenholzer now coaching of the team. He has instituted a similar system Taking Milwaukee that stresses proper spacing and taking good shots. If a 3 isn’t there, All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo can be unstoppable driving to the lane.

If defenses collapse on Antetokounmpo, he can find open shooters on the perimeter like Lopez.

“You talk to old coaches, old teammates, front-office people that have been around Brook, you almost have to ask him to get off the court” in practice, Budenholzer said.

Appropriately, Lopez took some extra time after practice, shooting 3s with guards Tony Snell and Pat Connaughton before finally wrapping up.

“So the way that he’s grown his game and become just a really effective 3-point shooter, a really effective player, that takes work,” Budenholzer said. “And I think we’re all reaping the benefit of that.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

LOOK: A naked Chiellini photobombs Ronaldo-Bellanova pic

Looks like a win of Juventus over AC Milan last Sunday was not the only one that hit the headlines, as Giorgio Chiellini — in his birthday suit — made it there, too.

A picture of AC Milan’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Raoul Bellanova had circulated like wildfire on social media since a naked Chiellini appeared to have photobombed it.


In the photo posted on Bellanova’s twitter account, he posed for a picture with Ronaldo outside the Juventus dressing room after the game.

However, the frame caught a nude Chiellini seemingly unaware of Bellanova and Ronaldo’s picture-taking. When Bellanova posted the photo on Twitter, it quickly spread over social media and people were quick to point out the gaffe.



Bellanova eventually took down the photo and issued an apology in his Instagram account.

“I am deeply sorry… I apologize first of all with Giorgio Chiellini. It was not my intention.” /kga

source: sports.inquirer.net

World Diabetes Day 2018: Lifestyle changes that may help reduce the risk of diabetes

November 14 marks World Diabetes Day 2018, part of Diabetes Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness of the condition and encourage those who may be at risk to be tested.

With many studies focusing on the lifestyle factors that are associated with diabetes, here we round up some of the recent research which suggests changes we can make to lower our risk of the disease.


Try to take time for yourself

Canadian research which followed 7,065 workers between the ages of 35 and 74 for a period of 12 years found that women who work 45 or more hours a week have a 63 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than women who work between 35 and 40 hours, although no association was found between working hours and diabetes in men. The researchers suggested that women might work longer hours in part due to household chores and family responsibilities, which could prompt a chronic stress response in the body, increasing the risk of hormonal abnormalities and insulin resistance, and that reducing the amount of working hours might help curb the risk of the disease.

Get the optimal amount of sleep

Korean researchers have found that sleeping too much or too little are both linked with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions including elevated waist circumference, high triglyceride levels, low levels of good cholesterol, high blood pressure and high fasting blood sugar. The large-scale study looked at 133,608 participants aged 40 to 69 years, finding that compared to those who slept six to seven hours per day, men who slept less than six hours and men and women who slept more than 10 hours were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which can increase the risk of diabetes.

Get some exercise

A European study found that even in children, physical exercise can reduce the accumulation of risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, possibly lowering the risk of young people developing the conditions later in life. However, children who increased their sedentary behavior showed an increase in the accumulation of risk factors. In addition, United States researchers found earlier this year that women who had a high level of fitness pre-pregnancy had a 21 percent lower risk of developing gestational diabetes than women with a lower level of fitness.

Quit smoking

A large-scale study which looked at 512,891 Chinese adults aged 30 to 79 years found that regular smokers have a 15 to 30 percent higher risk of developing diabetes compared with those who have never smoked. Smoking more cigarettes each day, starting smoking at a younger age, and smoking and being obese were also linked to an even greater risk of developing the condition.

Give your social life a boost


According to Dutch researchers, a good social life could help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. Social isolation is already known to be associated with type 2 diabetes, with the new study also finding that a lack of participation in clubs or other social groups increased the risk of pre-diabetes in women and the risk of type 2 diabetes in both men and women, while having more friends, and more friends who lived close by, helped reduce the risk of the condition. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Federer beats Thiem to get back on track at ATP Finals

LONDON — Sometimes no practice makes perfect — for Roger Federer anyway.

After cancelling his training session a day earlier, Federer produced a much-improved performance to get his campaign for a seventh ATP Finals title back on track with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Dominic Thiem on Tuesday.

Having lost his opening round-robin match to Kei Nishikori, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was still some way from his fluent best but dropped just six points on serve and took advantage of a wayward display from Thiem to break twice in both sets.

“(It) was not about my forehand or my backhand or my serve or anything,” Federer said. “I guess it was my head. For that sometimes you need a break.”

With a 1-1 record in round-robin play, Federer will likely need to defeat Kevin Anderson on Thursday to improve his 14-1 record of reaching the semifinals at the season-ending tournament.

It will be a repeat of a dramatic Wimbledon quarterfinal earlier this season, in which Anderson came from match point down in the third set to win in five on his route to the final.

“I’m happy I’m getting a chance to play him again and have a rematch,” Federer said. “Hopefully I can take my revenge. It was a great match but obviously one that hurt.”

Anderson thrashed Nishikori 6-0, 6-1 earlier Tuesday to move to 2-0, with the lopsided scoreline all but assuring the South African debutant’s place in the last four.

Thiem is facing an opening-round exit at the O2 Arena for a third straight season and will need to defeat Nishikori in straight sets to have any chance of progressing.

“I really want to play a good match,” Thiem said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s the last one here or not.”

As had been the case in both players’ opening-match losses on Sunday, unforced errors flowed early on. While Federer was able to compensate with his serve, Thiem was left exposed.


The Austrian’s forehand gifted Federer a break for a 2-1 lead and then his volley came up short to help the Swiss star extend that advantage to 5-2.

Federer, who is chasing a 100th ATP Tour title, started to play more relaxed and seemed content with simply keeping the ball in play and waiting for mistakes. It worked, as another forehand mistake from Thiem put Federer in complete control in the second set.

A Federer backhand up the line set up match point and Thiem’s 34th unforced error — another volley into the net — ended the day’s second one-sided contest.

“I didn’t feel good out there,” Thiem said. “I was playing very, very bad. Many unusual mistakes.”

The 32-year-old Anderson, who lost just eight points on serve, was on the verge of completing just the second whitewash in the competition’s history until Nishikori won the penultimate game.

“Among the best I’ve played,” Anderson said. “I think I did a really good job constantly applying the pressure and not letting up.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wall, Beal lead Wizards to 117-109 victory over Magic

WASHINGTON — John Wall had 25 points and 10 assists, Bradley Beal added 21 points and the Washington Wizards won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating the Orlando Magic 117-109 on Monday night.

Jeff Green added 18 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting for Washington, which lost at Orlando on Friday night to fall to 2-9 before winning at Miami.

The Wizards made 24 free throws on 33 attempts, 22 more than the Magic earned, and out-rebounded the visitors 41-34.

Terrence Ross scored 21 points off the bench to lead Orlando, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped.

Aaron Gordon had 18 points and 10 rebounds a night after he was scratched with a sprained ankle, and Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Green made his first six field-goal attempts, including two during a decisive 14-4 Washington run. His fourth 3-pointer of the night, from the right wing off Wall’s feed, gave the Wizards a 99-94 lead. He followed that with an alley-oop dunk, also on Wall’s assist, to push the lead to five again.

From there, Wall hit a pair of contested fadeaways and then a pair of free throws to make 108-98 with 4:00 left, Washington’s largest lead of the night.

The Magic pulled only as close as five points down the stretch.

FIT TO BE TIED

Orlando and Washington were tied at the end of each of the first three quarters. It was knotted at 30 after the first, 55 at halftime and 83 after the third.

TIP-INS


Magic: Failed to win three straight for the first time since Feb. 5-8 last season and three straight on the road for the first time since on Oct. 31-Nov. 10, 2017. … A night after his injury scratch, Gordon led all Orlando players in minutes.

Wizards: Waived G Chasson Randle before the game. … Did not commit a turnover until Austin Rivers’ errant pass with 10:41 left in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Wizards: Host Cleveland on Wednesday night in the second game of a five-game homestand.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Stan Lee, Marvel Comics legend, dead at 95

LOS ANGELES — Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday. He was 95.

Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee.


As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book.

He revived the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action craved by younger readers while insisting on sophisticated plots, college-level dialogue, satire, science fiction, even philosophy.

Millions responded to the unlikely mix of realistic fantasy, and many of his characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and X-Men went on to become stars of blockbuster films.

Recent projects he helped make possible range from the films “Black Panther” and “Doctor Strange” to such TV series as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”



“I think everybody loves things that are bigger than life. … I think of them as fairy tales for grown-ups,” he told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. “We all grew up with giants and ogres and witches. Well, you get a little bit older and you’re too old to read fairy tales. But I don’t think you ever outgrow your love for those kind of things, things that are bigger than life and magical and very imaginative.”

Lee considered the comic-book medium an art form and he was prolific: By some accounts, he came up with a new comic book every day for 10 years.

“I wrote so many I don’t even know. I wrote either hundreds or thousands of them,” he told the AP in 2006.



He hit his stride in the 1960s when he brought the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man and numerous others to life.

“It was like there was something in the air. I couldn’t do anything wrong,” he recalled.


His heroes, meanwhile, were a far cry from virtuous do-gooders such as rival DC Comics’ Superman.

The Fantastic Four fought with each other. Spider-Man was goaded into superhero work by his alter ego, Peter Parker, who suffered from unrequited crushes, money problems and dandruff.

The Silver Surfer, an alien doomed to wander Earth’s atmosphere, waxed about the woeful nature of man. The Hulk was marked by self-loathing. Daredevil was blind and Iron Man had a weak heart.

“The beauty of Stan Lee’s characters is that they were characters first and superheroes next,” Jeff Kline, executive producer of the “Men in Black” animated television series, told The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, in 1998.

Some of Lee’s creations became symbols of social change — the inner turmoil of Spider-Man represented ’60s America, for example, while The Black Panther and The Savage She-Hulk mirrored the travails of minorities and women.


Lee scripted most of Marvel’s superhero comics himself during the ’60s, including the Avengers and the X-Men, two of the most enduring.

In 1972, he became Marvel’s publisher and editorial director; four years later, 72 million copies of Spider-Man were sold.

“He’s become our Mickey Mouse,” he once said of the masked, web-crawling crusader.

Lee also published several books, including “The Superhero Women” in 1977 and “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” the following year, when he was named publisher of the year by the Periodical and Book Association of America.

CBS turned the Hulk into a successful TV series, with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno portraying the doomed scientist from 1978-82. A Spider-Man series ran briefly in 1978. Both characters were featured in animated TV series as well.

The first big-budget movie based on Lee’s characters, “X-Men,” was a smash in 2000, earning more than $130 million at North American theaters. “Spider-Man” did even better, taking in more than $400 million in 2002. /atm

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Harden’s 40 lifts Rockets to 1st home win over Pacers

HOUSTON — It’s more than three weeks into the season and the Houston Rockets finally got their first home win on Sunday night.

With the hole they’re in early, they’ll need plenty more to dig their way out.

James Harden scored a season-high 40 points and Chris Paul added 26 to help the Rockets to a 115-103 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

“It’s nice to get a win,” Paul said. “We’ve obviously been struggling … but we’ve got to keep building.”

The Rockets, who had lost the last two games of a season-long five-game road trip, dropped their first four home games. They’re 5-7 this season and in 12th place in the Western Conference.

Houston was up by 10 with about four minutes left after five quick points by the Pacers, but Harden made two free throws after that to stretch the lead. The Pacers got within 8 on a basket by Cory Joseph with about 90 seconds left, but Paul made a layup a few seconds later to put the game out of reach.

Victor Oladipo had 22 for the Pacers, who have lost three of their last four games.

“We knew they were very capable of getting hot even though they hadn’t shot the ball well early this season,” Indiana coach Nate McMillan said. “We knew they were very capable and tonight they did. It was tough matchups trying to stop those guys.”

The win comes as the Rockets deal with a disappointing start to the season and rumors and reports about Carmelo Anthony’s status and future with the team. Anthony, who is in his first year in Houston, sat out for the second straight game with an undisclosed illness on a day the New York Times had a sourced report that said he had been told he would soon be waived.

General manager Daryl Morey said before the game that the report was “inaccurate” and that singling Anthony out as the cause of Houston’s struggles was unfair.

The Rockets, who entered the game ranking near the bottom of the league with a 3-point shooting percentage of just 31.7, shot 42.6 percent from long-range and made a season-high 20 3s on Sunday night. Harden had eight and Paul added five to lead the way.



“When we’re like that we’re going to score a bunch of points and if … our defense can keep improving then we’re the team that we want to be,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.

Houston had a big lead for most of the second half and was up by 21 entering the fourth quarter after Paul and Harden had piled up 55 points combined in the first three quarters.

The Pacers opened the fourth with an 11-2 run, with the last five points from Oladipo to cut the lead to 104-92 with about 7 ½ minutes left.

But Harden, who finished with nine assists and seven rebounds, made all of Houston’s points in a 5-2 run to stretch the lead and 109-94.

The Rockets led by 22 at halftime but Indiana scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to cut the lead to 76-65. Darren Collison made two 3-pointers in that span and Oladipo added another one.

Houston finally scored its first points of the second half when P.J. Tucker made a 3-pointer with about 9 ½ minutes left in the third.

But the Rockets couldn’t get much going after that and the Pacers scored five straight points later in the period to cut the lead to 84-74 with about five minutes remaining in the third.

Harden got hot after that, making 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to power a 12-3 spurt that extended the lead 97-77 about three minutes later.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Oladipo received a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing with a referee after fouling Paul. … Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 points and had six assists. … Collison had 13 points.

Rockets: Clint Capela had 18 points and seven rebounds. He bruised his knee in a collision with Oladipo, but D’Antoni said he should be OK. … Gerald Green sat out with a sprained right ankle. … Nene, who has not played this season, remains out with a strained right calf.

THEY SAID IT

Paul on what he’s seen from Anthony in his time in Houston: “Melo’s been great here. That’s like a brother to me. I don’t know what’s being said or whatnot but Melo’s been great working hard every day.”

UP NEXT

Pacers: Host Miami on Friday night.

Rockets: Visit Denver on Tuesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rich or not, homeowners await word of California wildfire’s toll

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rich or not, famous or not, there was little reprieve Saturday from the California wildfires sweeping through towns as different as the star-filled oceanside enclave of Malibu and the modest communities nearby and in the state’s north.

Lady Gaga, Martin Sheen and Kim Kardashian West were among the celebrities who joined thousands of others in evacuating from the affluent coastal city that is as well-known as its residents. Stars went online to share their worries, with some able to follow up with good news Saturday.


Alyssa Milano, who on Friday tweeted that her house was “in jeopardy” but she had gotten needed help to evacuate her horses and that her children were safe, was among the lucky ones.

“My house is still standing. I’m on my way to bring firefighters water and food,” she tweeted. She previously said her heart was with others facing “this awful disaster.”

Others were left to wait.

“I am thinking so deeply for everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones,” Lady Gaga tweeted. “I’m sitting here with many of you wondering if my home will burst into flames. All we can do is pray together & for each other. God Bless You.”

There were shout-outs as well to the firefighters struggling to contain the fires in what were described as especially difficult conditions.

“These guys are heroes,” filmmaker Guillermo del Toro posted on Twitter. His so-called “Bleak House,” which contains his collection of items too scary to be kept in the family home, was endangered.

Shannen Doherty, who’d been out of town when the fire broke out, said online that friends staying at her Malibu house evacuated safely with her dogs. She expressed gratitude to firefighters “putting their lives on the line for all of us” and sympathy for others affected by the fire.

Sheen (“The West Wing,” ”Apocalypse Now”), interviewed by a TV station on the beach Friday night after fleeing his home, said the fire was the worst he has ever seen. He said he expects his house was destroyed.

The interview occurred after his son, actor Charlie Sheen, tweeted that he’d been unable to contact his father, and the Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV tracked him down. Martin Sheen gave a shoutout to his family to let them know he and his wife, Janet, were safe and planned to sleep in their car by the beach.

The status of Martin Sheen’s home was unknown Saturday.

“Beverly Hills, 90210” star Doherty said her “heart is ripped apart” by the loss of a Malibu home where she and husband Kurt Iswarienko were married in 2011, posting on Instagram a wedding-day photo of the smiling couple on a tree-lined path at the property apparently owned by a friend.

She had previously found refuge in the house when her father died in 2010, Doherty wrote.

“It’s the place I felt my dad with me. It’s gone. Fire has taken it away. I’m devastated by all that’s happening,” she said.

The blaze started Thursday night and by Friday had pushed toward Malibu and the Pacific Ocean, prompting evacuations in Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills and other nearby areas. Authorities said Saturday that two people were found dead in the fire zone and at least 150 homes burned.

Officials stressed late Saturday that high winds are expected to resume on Sunday and mandatory evacuations must remain in place.

In Northern California, the small inland town of Paradise was virtually wiped out by a fast-moving blaze that destroyed more than 6,700 buildings and claimed nine lives as of Saturday.

Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight on “The Office,” indicated online that he and his family were away when flames “roared down the creek bed behind our house and missed it by a dozen yards!”

“Thousands of others have lost homes and pets and precious belongings. Especially the residents of Paradise who have lost lives,” he tweeted.

Although the fatalities overshadowed any loss of property, Malibu’s fame inevitably called attention to the state of its multimillion-dollar homes, including one made famous in ABC’s reality dating series “The Bachelor.”

The show’s producers said in a statement Saturday that, with the area closed to traffic, they didn’t know the condition of what is primarily a private residence. They said their main concern “is with the family who has been displaced, their neighbors, and all the communities impacted by this tragic fire.”

Also left waiting was Caitlyn Jenner, whose hilltop home appeared intact when it was shot by a photographer for The Associated Press on Saturday morning. Jenner’s representative noted that the Olympic gold medalist wouldn’t know the extent of any damage to the home until she was allowed to return to it.

Even outside the evacuation zone, the impact of the fire was being felt by others in the entertainment industry.

“The world is literally on fire right now. And unfortunately it’s becoming more and more common here in California,” actress Natalie Portman said Friday night in Hollywood at an American Film Institute Fest premiere of her film “Vox Lux.”

She said she was hoping for the best for friends and everyone else affected by the blaze. She said she’d spoken to her own two children about the fires because “they need to feel safe” and also understand that there are broad regional effects, like poor air quality.

Paramount Pictures canceled Sunday’s premiere of the film “Instant Family” in Los Angeles due to the wildfire. The studio said it would donate food ordered for the after party to the American Red Cross, and would screen the film at an evacuation center.

Kardashian West posted a video on Instagram of an area on fire with a message “Pray for Calabasas.” She said she landed back home, spent one hour packing and evacuated shortly afterward.

In addition to homes destroyed, Paramount Ranch’s “Western Town,” a landmark film location dating back to 1927 that included a jail, hotel and saloon, burned to the ground. The TV series “Westworld” is among the many productions that have filmed at the ranch in the mountains west of Los Angeles. NVG

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Man survives California, Las Vegas shootings one year apart

One man who lived through the mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, had another brush with death when he survived a mass shooting at a college bar in Thousand Oaks, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Brendan Kelly was inside the Borderline Bar and Grill on Wednesday night when former US Marine Ian David Long opened fire, killing 12 people in the process, including Ventura County Sgt. Ron Helus. As per ABC News on Nov. 8, Long used a .45-caliber handgun, Glock 21, and had with him an extended ammunition magazine.


Kelly is a regular at the bar and was inside for around an hour when he heard the first shots. “Pop pop,” Kelly was quoted as describing the gun shots as per ABC7-New York on Nov. 8. “Being in the military, being in the Marine Corps, I’m aware of what that sounds like, especially in an enclosed area.”

Upon hearing the gunshots, he immediately grabbed people around him and brought them to the ground for cover.

“As soon as I identified where the target was or where the threat was, I grabbed at least two people around me and yanked them as hard as I could to get to the nearest exit,” he said in the report.

After escaping, Kelly made a call to his family to tell them of the news, the kind he never thought he would ever have to make again following the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017.

As injured victims started to surface from the bar, Kelly immediately came to their aid and performed a tourniquet to one friend’s arm with his belt.

“I wanted to help as best I could,” Kelly said. “If we could be the first level of first responders before they got there, then you do all you can do instead of standing around not doing much.”  Cody Cepeda /ra

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Google outlines steps to tackle workplace harassment

Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week.

“We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that,” chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a message to employees, a copy of which was shared with AFP.


“It’s clear we need to make some changes.”

Arbitration of harassment claims will be optional instead of obligatory, according to Pichai, a move that could end anonymous settlements that fail to identify those accused of harassment.

“Google has never required confidentiality in the arbitration process and it still may be the best path for a number of reasons (e.g. personal privacy, predictability of process), but, we recognize that the choice should be up to you,” he said in the memo.


Pichai promised that Google will be more transparent with how concerns are handled, and provide better support and care to those who raise such issues with the company.

Google will provide “more granularity,” regarding sexual harassment investigations and their outcomes, according to Pichai.

A section of an internal “Investigations Report” will focus on sexual harassment to show numbers of substantiated concerns as well as trends and disciplinary actions, according to the California-based company.

He also said Google is consolidating the complaint system and that the process for handling concerns will include providing support people and counselors.



Google CEO Sundar Pichai promised more transparency in dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct. Image: Getty/Justin Sullivan via AFP

Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week.

“We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that,” chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a message to employees, a copy of which was shared with AFP.


“It’s clear we need to make some changes.”

Arbitration of harassment claims will be optional instead of obligatory, according to Pichai, a move that could end anonymous settlements that fail to identify those accused of harassment.

“Google has never required confidentiality in the arbitration process and it still may be the best path for a number of reasons (e.g. personal privacy, predictability of process), but, we recognize that the choice should be up to you,” he said in the memo.



Pichai promised that Google will be more transparent with how concerns are handled, and provide better support and care to those who raise such issues with the company.

Google will provide “more granularity,” regarding sexual harassment investigations and their outcomes, according to Pichai.

A section of an internal “Investigations Report” will focus on sexual harassment to show numbers of substantiated concerns as well as trends and disciplinary actions, according to the California-based company.

He also said Google is consolidating the complaint system and that the process for handling concerns will include providing support people and counselors.



Google will update its mandatory sexual harassment training, and require it annually instead of every two years as had been the case.

Less booze

Google is also putting the onus on team leaders to tighten the tap on booze at company events, on or off campus, to curtail the potential for drunken misbehavior.

“Harassment is never acceptable and alcohol is never an excuse,” Google said in a released action statement.



“But, one of the most common factors among the harassment complaints made today at Google is that the perpetrator had been drinking.”

Google policy already bans excessive consumption of alcohol on the job; while on company business, or at work-related events.

Some teams at the company have already instituted two-drink limits at events or use ticket systems, Google said.

Google executives overseeing events will be expected to strongly discourage excessive drinking, according to the company, which vowed “onerous actions” if problems persisted.

The company also promised to “recommit” to improving workplace diversity through hiring, retention, and career advancement.’

“Googleplex” walkout

Thousands of Google employees joined a coordinated worldwide walkout a week ago to protest the US tech giant’s handling of sexual harassment.

A massive turnout at the “Googleplex” in Silicon Valley was the final stage of a global walkout that began in Asia and spread to Google offices in Europe.

Some 20,000 Google employees and contractors participated in the protest in 50 cities around the world, according to organizers.



Demma Rodriguez, head of equity engineering and a seven-year Google employee, said during the walkout that it was an important part of bringing fairness to the technology colossus.

“We have an aspiration to be the best company in the world,” Rodriguez said.

“But we also have goals as a company and we can’t decide we are going to miss those.”

The protest took shape after Google said it had fired 48 employees in the past two years — including 13 senior executives — as a result of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Demands posted by organizers included an end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination for all current and future employees, along with a right for every Google worker to bring a co-worker, representative, or supporter when filing a harassment claim.

In a statement organizers commended Google for the response, but said more changes are needed.

“We demand a truly equitable culture, and Google leadership can achieve this by putting employee representation on the board and giving full rights and protections to contract workers,” organizer Stephanie Parker said in the statement.



Along with sexual harassment, Google needs to address racism and discrimination that includes inequity in pay and promotions, organizers said.

“They all have the same root cause, which is a concentration of power and a lack of accountability at the top,” Parker said. CC

source: business.inquirer.net