Mereja

Author: Chris Richardson

  • One More Breaking Bad Trailer To Tide You Over Until Sunday

    Five more days. That’s not so bad, is it? I mean, what’s a 120-plus more hours when you’ve been waiting almost a year? Good thing AMC understands how these waits can hurt, and so, they’ve been releasing balms and salves to tide you over, and even though the wait is almost over, AMC has once again delivered another dose of preview material. Granted, the “Say My Name” trailer is designed to encourage the hunger, as well as temporarily satisfy your cravings, so proceed with caution. Your desire to see the new Breaking Bad may just overwhelm you if you binge:


    I’m curious to see if the premiere of Breaking Bad’s final chapter gets close to Sharknado in the tweets per minute category. Considering the show’s not currently being aired, and yet it is still a popular topic of conversation, as in at the time of this writing, it’s quite possible the return of Breaking Bad could be one of those television events that spawns follow-up articles discussing its overwhelming Twitter impact.

    If you don’t know by now, you’re probably not interested, but the final episodes of Breaking Bad begin on Sunday at 9 PM Eastern.

  • Riley Cooper Returns To Team, Practices

    After taking some time away from his team following his oft-documented adventures in racism at that fateful Kenny Chesney concert, Riley Cooper has officially rejoined the Philadelphia Eagles, which obviously includes him rejoining the teammates he offended with his drunken behavior. While some may be expecting some public backlash against the Eagles receiver, it appears as if another avenue is being traveled: genuine forgiveness.

    The news of Cooper’s return to the Eagles came courtesy of Chris Mortensen’s Twitter:

    As for the forgiving attitude towards Cooper, it is perhaps best captured by Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column, which contains the following quote from Mike Vick, a player who knows a thing or two about public forgiveness:

    “Just because he made that one mistake doesn’t mean he can’t overcome it,” Vick said. “Or he can’t be condemned for it. Everybody deserves a second chance … Just for one second, expand your mind. Expand your mind and have supernatural thinking about it. Everything doesn’t have to be negative. Everything can be fixed. So many people forgave me. And it took time. It’s still taking time.”

    There was also an interesting point offered by ex-Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, and while that may be somewhat unexpected, it doesn’t make his statements any less compelling, especially when he discusses the morass surrounding the infamous word itself:


    It was, however, Adam Scheffter who encapsulated the entire NFL offseason by tweeting about one simple picture he posted on his Instagram account:

    Tebow, Cooper, Hernandez

    For those who aren’t sure, that’s Tim Tebow, Riley Cooper, and Aaron Hernandez when they played for the Florida Gators. I’m sure Urban Meyer would look at that particular picture with the same kind of pride a father has for his daughter’s first recital.

    Lead image courtesy

  • Asteroid 1998 QE2 Has Its Own Moon, Will Pass ‘Close’ to Earth

    While NASA promises us the latest asteroid to pass close to our planet is no threat, the fact that a moon was discovered in rotation around Asteroid 1998 QE2, does give us an idea of just how big the traveling asteroid really is. According to a report from Space.com, 1998 QE2 is about 1.7 miles across and the rock caught in it gravitational pull, acting as its moon, is about 2000 feet wide, and you can see it in the lead image. As for the threat level of such a massive space rock, the article assures us:

    1998 QE2 poses no threat of hitting Earth during the flyby, space agency officials assure. Its closest approach will occur at 4:59 EDT on Friday (May 31) and it is expected to pass at least 3.6 million miles (5.8 million kilometers) away from the planet.

    For those who would like to watch our impending doom the asteroid pass our planet on a live feed, Space.com will be providing the video. Hopefully, Harry Stamper and his crew will have planted the necessary nuclear devices by then. For those of you who don’t know what I’m referring to, this should help:


    Granted, that was a fictional account, but what would happen if a sizable space rock hit the planet near a major populated area, like, say, New York City? The following video (which is unfortunately, without sound) gives us a visual idea:


    The description from the video offers this explanation:

    The impact completely wipes out most of New York, and leaves the majority of the east coast in flames. An initial dome-shaped shock wave propagates outward from the impact, flattening everything in its path. Debris from the impact is scattered into the upper atmosphere & beyond, some of it achieving a temporary earth orbit. Over time, some of that material forms rings around the earth which would gradually vanish as that material either falls back and burns up in the atmosphere as shooting stars, or travels further out into a space, leaving Earth.

    Which sounds like a great time for all involved.

  • Did Google Street View Catch A Break Up Scene?

    Ever since Google has introduced the “Street View” function to its Maps service, there have been all kinds of discoveries and finds by users all over the globe. So much so, in fact, a multitude of publications–this one included–have leveraged these finds for content. A great example of this is the StreetViewFun blog, which, as the name implies, catalogs some of these moments.

    Well, if the Reddit thread where the following image comes from is accurate, we may have another find for the Street View Hall of Fame; or, it just may be a young lady cleaning out her car. Observe:

    Street View Breakup
    Click for full size

    What say you? Is that the scene from a dramatic, “get your shit and get out” breakup, or is she just cleaning up? As you can imagine, the Reddit comments had a field day with this, and the most upvoted comment gets straight to the point:

    With her floormats on the street I’m going to go ahead and say this is just a girl cleaning out her car and OP is a filthy liar.

    It should be noted the user who submitted it used the following title: “Google Streetview captures the glorious moment when my buddy kicks his now ex-gf out of his house.” Now, there’s really no way to be sure what is going on unless the person in the image steps up and clears the air. That being said, the user who submitted the image in question did post the following response:

    A little backstory: this picture was taken a couple years ago since they have been broken up for a while now. My buddy no longer lives in the same town as me but I became aware of this recently by his brother who is currently my coworker…

    So, did the Reddit user who netted this high karma submission submit a random find under the guise of his buddy getting dumped or is it the real deal? Let us know what you think.

  • Nicki Minaj Actually Ends A Feud Instead of Prolonging It

    When you look up the words “Nicki Minaj” and “feud,” you rarely find anything about peace being brokered between the pop star and those she’s at odds with. While the Nicki/Mariah hubbub predominated the topic, there were other feuds connected to the American Idol judge(?). Well, it appears as if she can cross one of these beefs off of her list, thanks to “clear the air” meeting with Hot 97 DJ, Peter Rosenberg.

    The feud started last summer, when, during the Hot 97 Summer Jam, Rosenberg said Minaj’s music wasn’t “real” hip-hop. From there, the two took to the social media airwaves to talk poorly about one another. Well, mainly Nicki, but social media was involved. Fast forward to 2013, and Minaj agreed to appear on Rosenberg’s show to officially put the spat to bed. Naturally, the radio station videotaped the entire thing and put it up on YouTube.


    It’s worth nothing that since the video was posted two days ago (5/28/2013), it has already amassed over 300,000 views, which means people really seem to care about these meaningless feuds. During the make-up session, both sides spoke their piece, with Rosenberg indicating he was not trying to personally attack Minaj, while she responded with, “It’s water under the bridge. I mean it’s so long ago. I can’t even act like I care anymore.”

    Of course, the “peace pipe offering” mood of this particular meeting did not stop Minaj from taking an additional stab at Rosenberg by saying, “I just don’t know your resume. I never found you funny, I never found you entertaining, I never found you smart. I just found you annoying.” With that in mind, it’s doubtful Rosenberg and Minaj will be singing “Kumbaya” together anytime soon.

  • Disneyland’s Toontown Evacuated After Apparent Dry Ice Explosion

    While details are still coming in, reports reveal an explosion at Disneyland’s Toontown has caused the attraction to be evacuated. The Anaheim Police Department were part of the first responders, and based on their observations, the explosion was caused by placing dry ice in plastic bottle.

    Apparently, a bomb squad from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department continued the investigation. As indicated, further details have been sparse, however, Twitter has been active with updates, including some featuring images of patrons leaving in an orderly manner:


    For those who are wondering what such a reaction would be like, the following video demonstrates why the authorities cleared the area:


    So yeah, the wunderkinds who left their little prank in a Toontown garbage can had better hope no one caught them on tape.

  • Kelly Osbourne Calls Lady Gaga A Big Hypocrite

    Apparently, these celebrity spats are serious business. Just ask Kelly Osbourne, who, after appearing in the July edition of Cosmopolitan, decided to reignite a “feud” that had already fizzled out; considering it started early last year (2012). Osbourne, when asked about it, instead of brushing the subject aside, seemed eager to discuss it in the article accompanying her latest pictorial.

    During the discussion, the person who was made famous because of her father’s historic antics pulled no punches while talking about the ring leader of the Little Monsters. “I loved Lady Gaga. I totally believed in everything she stood for, until I realized she’s a great big hypocrite. Don’t say, ‘When you see bullying, intervene,’ while letting your fans send me death threats. If my fans did that, I would not stand for it. You can say whatever you want with your millions of monsters. I know the truth. You bells and whistles mean nothing to me. You’re feeding on the freaks and geeks to further your career? Do you really care about the gay community? Because if you did, you’d stand up for it more than you do.”

    While this particular spat will go the way of many celebrity stories–that is, soon to be forgotten–is it noteworthy that Osbourne’s invocation of Lady Gaga brought the eccentric artist back into the limelight? A quick look at the Google Trends results for “Lady Gaga” clearly reveals the amount of conversation surrounding her has decreased. Granted it has been almost two years since her last studio effort, which would help explain the reduction in conversation. However, if you follow the “any publicity is good publicity” strategy–considering Gaga’s outrageous fashion sense, she’s already well aware of this approach–Osbourne actually did Gaga a favor, as the singer prepares to release her latest creation, Artpop.

    One last thing, considering Osbourne was ripped by Gaga fans when she last went toe-to-toe with her, how bad do you think the reaction will be this time? Undoubtedly, Osbourne’s Twitter will tell the upcoming tale.

  • Obama Has A Laugh, Explains Lipstick On His Collar

    While hosting an event for the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month celebration at the White House, President Obama, while speaking to the celebration’s attendees, took a second to explain the noticeable stain on his collar. For those of you who were hoping for a presidential scandal, I have some bad news. The mark, which happens to be lipstick, was courtesy of a friendly greeting. President Obama was quick to clear any misconceptions up, apparently in an effort to avoid being restricted to the Presidential Couch when it comes to sleeping arrangements.

    A transcript of the President’s humorous exchange:

    “I want to thank everybody who’s here for the incredible warmth of the reception. A sign of the warmth is the lipstick on my collar. I have to say I think I know the culprit. Where’s Jessica Sanchez? It wasn’t Jessica. It was her aunt. Where is she? Auntie, right there. Look at this. Look at this. I just want everybody to witness. I do not want to get in trouble with Michelle, so I’m calling you out right in front of everybody.”

    For being called out like that, I’m sure Jessica, like everyone else it seems, said “Thanks, Obama.” Considering the pockets of vitriol surrounding Obama’s second term, the fact that his sense of humor is securely intact is perhaps a little surprising to some.

    Video courtesy of CBS News.

  • Oakland Raiders Draft Pick D.J. Hayden Hospitalized

    After the Oakland Raiders took D.J. Hayden in the first round, a pick NFL.com correspondents referred to as the one that shocked the world, all eyes (at least those that follow the NFL) were watching to see if the risk would yield some kind of reward. The risk related to Hayden involves an injury he suffered while playing in college, a ruptured vena cava, an injury that has a high fatality rate:

    [Oakland Raiders coach Dennis] Allen said he isn’t sure whether there’s any correlation between Hayden’s current situation and the ruptured vein Hayden suffered last November during a practice at the University of Houston.

    “We can’t rule that out, obviously, but right now I don’t know exactly what the correlation is to it,” Allen said. “But we don’t anticipate it being an issue.”

    Hayden underwent surgery to repair the ruptured vena cava, which supplies blood to the heart from the lower body. He was cleared by doctors to resume football activities last month after surviving an injury that is 95 percent fatal, by some accounts.

    With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Hayden’s health is of concern to football fans, and when news about Hayden having to be hospitalized because of abdominal pain, thoughts about lingering complications surfaced, which culminated when Hayden sent following tweet:

  • Does J.C. Penny’s Billboard Look Like Hitler?

    A J.C. Penny billboard appearing in California has been raising some eyebrows for the apparent similarity to one history’s most infamous characters. The news about the billboard, which is located around the 405 freeway near Culver City, in Southern Californiastarted making the rounds after it was popularized on Reddit, which was then referenced by an article in The Telegraph, which, in turn, also gained popularity on the aforementioned Reddit, as the story completed its Inception-like journey. The billboard in question appears in the lead image, and in the original Reddit that started it all, the post’s title says, “This Kettle looks Like Hitler.”

    With that in mind, what say you? Can you see the resemblance? When asked about it on Twitter, the J.C. Penny account replied as follows:


    While many people see the similarities–especially when the image is blurred–it seems like a bit of stretch. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped the topic from growing legs and jumping into the (fleeting?) world of Internet trends, especially on Twitter. Apparently, it was a slow work day back after all that Memorial Day fun. Whatever the case, if you happen to own one of these kettles–use the following image to correctly identify it:

    JC Penny Kettle

    And it starts annexing other parts of your cabinets for personal use, then perhaps the people who noticed the similarity were on to something.

  • F-15 Fighter Crashes in Okinawa, Japan

    According to multiple publications, a United States Air Force F-15 operating out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan has crashed. The report, generated by the Associated Press, also indicates the pilot ejected and survived the incident:

    A U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter crashed off the southern Japan island of Okinawa early Tuesday after the aircraft developed problems in flight. The pilot ejected and was recovered safely.

    The Wikipedia entry for Kadena reveals the base has been open since 1945, and is the home of the USAF’s largest combat wing, and there are two squadrons responsible for the F-15C Eagles used by this particular wing branch. For those who haven’t seen the F-15 in action in either video or an air show, here’s an idea of just how impressive these machines really are.

    Also, keep in mind you’re watching an aircraft that, as of 2008, has a 104-0 air-to-air combat record, which is much better than your favorite sports team:

  • Kentucky Police Officer Killed in Ambush

    A Bardstown, Kentucky police officer was shot and killed on Saturday, May 25, in what is being termed as a potential ambush. Details about the homicide are still being filled in, as the police officer, Jason Ellis, was not using a dashboard camera, nor did he radio his dispatch before he stopped his car. Reports reveals the officer shot “multiple times” with a shotgun:

    Nelson County Coroner Rayfield Houghlin told The Courier-Journal that Ellis was shot “multiple times” with a 12-gauge shotgun. Houghlin said the officer’s service weapon was in its holster, suggesting the possibility of an ambush.

    The Kentucky State Police indicated in a televised interview that they were not sure Ellis was even the target:

    The Bardstown Police Department took to the social media universe to help inform the public, posting an announcement about Officer Ellis’ death on their Facebook page later that morning:

    It is with a heavy heart that we announce the loss of one of our finest officers. Officer Jason Ellis started his Police career in 2006 at the Bardstown Police Department. He was our K-9 Officer. He was active in the community and quickly earned the respect of his peers. He served Bardstown with dignity and honor. He wore the uniform well and he will be missed more than mere words can express. We ask for your prayers and that you pray for his wife and two children…

    Currently, the assailant is still at large. If you have any information concerning Officer Ellis’ death, you can contact the Kentucky State Police’s Text a Tip line at 67283. Earlier this evening, Bardstown held a candlelight vigil for their fallen policeman, and the funeral is scheduled for Thursday of this week.

  • Rolling Thunder Memorial Day Ride Returns to Washington D.C.

    Keeping with the spirit behind the Memorial Day celebration, the Rolling Thunder “Ride For Freedom” event is another fantastic way to honor those who have served for the United States. The focus, however, of the Rolling Thunder event is to draw attention to those soldiers who are either Missing In Action or listed as Prisoners of War, and it’s pretty clear the 2013 ride, the organization’s 26th annual, was a smashing success.

    According to local news reports, over 500,000 riders participated in the Ride For Freedom. One spectator was able grab about two-plus minutes of the ride’s footage–which is obviously not near enough to capture all of the riders who participated–but it does give you a good idea of why the event got its name:


    Because many of the group’s members are themselves veterans, the meaning behind the ride is very dear to them:

    Standing alongside his Harley-Davidson, Pete Clark, 65, said this was his first year riding with Rolling Thunder and his first visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. As a Vietnam veteran himself, the McKinney, Texas, resident said he spent several hours at the memorial wall Saturday.

    “It was emotional,” said Mr. Clark, who served as a staff sergeant in the Army. Despite the heartache, Mr. Clark said he was glad he traveled the hundreds of miles to be a part of Rolling Thunder.

    “I just texted my wife to tell her I’m going to do this every year now,” he said.

    If you need further indication of the event’s importance to those who are involved, a simple trip through the Washington Post’s photo gallery should suffice.

  • President Obama Heckled During Recent Speeches

    Apparently, this is the week to get your two cents in with Obama:

    During a speech given at Ohio State University, President Obama had to deal with hecklers, as respect for the position he holds continues to erode in the eyes of those who believe differently. The Commander in Chief had to deal with audience member interruptions one more than one occasion, as one audience member challenged the President to read a book he was holding. The lead video reveals the exchange quite clearly, and Politco.com has also transcribed the exchange:

    “Sir, I’m here to speak to these folks. You can hold your own rally. You’re being rude. … I’m trying to talk to these people… I’ll be happy to read your book. If you want to give me your book, I’ll be happy to read it but don’t interrupt my conversation with these folks. Show me some courtesy. I’ll be happy to take your book, but don’t interrupt everybody else. Alright?”

    The President then instructed his aides to retrieve the book, and while no one outside of that particular circle will ever truly know what happens to the book (or the hecklers), it appears as if they obliged. As for the additional hecklers, they are unhappy with what’s going on with the Keystone XL project, which Politco describes as:

    Obama’s visit to a state [Oklahoma] where he lost all 77 counties four years ago will be to tout TransCanada’s plans to build the southern portion of the Keystone XL that would be intended to relieve a surplus of oil stored here in Cushing down to Texas refineries.

    Considering the recent outcry, some may be surprised to find Obama’s approval ratings remain steady.

    The President was also heckled during a press conference when he was discussing Guantanamo.

    The BBC also has additional footage (non-embeddable) where the President discusses the concepts of the First Amendment with the female heckler, who has been identified as Medea Benjamin an activist and founder of Code Pink, an organization that is firmly against war.

    Lead image courtesy

  • Benedict Cumberbatch’s Deleted Scene from Star Trek Into Darkness

    Before he leaves the shores of the Star Trek franchise to takeover the upcoming Star Wars sequel, J.J. Abrams is having to do a little bit of damage control with his latest installment for the universe Gene Roddenberry created. The hubbub surrounds what is being deemed as a gratuitous shot of the striking Alice Eve while she was changing uniforms, which can seen here:

    Alice Eve

    Apparently, showing a woman’s body while galloping around the cosmos is frowned upon, isn’t that right, Orion Slave Girl? The Alice Eve kerfuffle has, however, introduced a deleted scene from Star Trek Into Darkness, which came to light while Abrams was on the Conan O’Brien show discussing the “controversy” around Eve’s revealing attire (Conan approved of the scene, by the way). During his interview, Abrams pointed that Kirk/Christopher Pine also appeared in the movie without his shirt, and the director had done that with the idea of it being a trade off between that and Alice Eve’s popular scene.

    From here, the deleted scene in question–which features the movie’s antagonist, Benedict Cumberbatch, taking a shower–was brought and shown by Conan:


    For those of you who don’t feel like listening the conversation, the scene in question shows up at the 1:30 mark, so you can either fast forward the video, or click here to see the movie’s villain in all of his shirtless, dripping wet glory.

    So, do two shots of shirtless guys make up for one scene of Alice Eve in underwear? Granted, Cumberbatch’s scene wasn’t in the movie, but now that it’s hit the web, it won’t be hard to find.

  • Bill Murray Imitating Crying Baby Wins The Internet

    Let’s face it. Bill Murray is more awesome than you, me, your friends, my friends, our families. He more awesome than Garfield and Ghostbusters 3. Just ask Dan Aykroyd about that. Anyway, Murray’s commitment to being awesome (and succeeding at it) was again confirmed today by the great Reasons My Son Is Crying Tumblr blog.

    The reason for this particular round of tears from his son? Meeting Bill Murray. Not be outdone by a crying baby, Bill Murray did what any awesome Bill Murray would do: he simply won the day:

    Bill Murray Crying
    Click for full size

    There’s not much for me to add after that, but I will offer this as a way of demonstrating the images popularity: It has almost 10,000 notes attached to it, which, in Tumblr land means reblogs and likes. And now, the fantastic image has crossed over into full-blown viral territory, which is where it belongs. Something that awesome should be seen by as many people as possible.

  • Cartoon Network’s Annoying Orange Creators Sued

    Dane Boedigheimer and Spencer Grove, the creators of the Cartoon Network show, Annoying Orange, have been named in a lawsuit claiming the duo copied their citrus from a previous ad campaign for the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Reports indicate the creative team is being sued by H2M, an ad agency based in Fargo, North Dakota. As upcoming videos indicate, the crux of the lawsuit is that Boedigheimer and Grove copied their Annoying Orange character from a similar character H2M created for aforementioned NDDOT ad push.

    The lawsuit states:

    “Defendants Dane Boedigheimer and Spencer Grove were raised, resided, educated, attended film school, were employed and first obtained access to ‘The Talking Orange’ in North Dakota and western Minnesota — the same area where Plaintiff H2M’s ‘The Talking Orange’ and its derivatives, were widely disseminated on cable television….”

    Here are some examples of the H2M’s creations with the character in question:


    And just in case the lead image didn’t jog your memory, here’s a video of the Annoying Orange:


    Oh, and there’s a trailer for the fruit’s upcoming return to Cartoon Network:


    Another aspect of the lawsuit states the infringement is, in part, based on the fact that both characters use a voice that is “perfectly in sync with the movement of the actor’s mouth, lips, teeth and tongue…”

    The obvious difference comes from the eyes, of course, but is that enough to claim Annoying Orange is, if not an original creation, different enough to be considered fair use or, perhaps a satirical recreation? Or is this just a case of an ad agency seeing something similar to their creation take off in ways they didn’t imagine, and now they simply want a piece of that Cartoon Network pie that helps sustain Boedigheimer and Grove?

    The fact that the two resided in the same area the Talking Orange campaign hits, however, does seem to imply some kind of inspiration for their popular Annoying Orange character? With that in mind, what are the chances Cartoon Network just settles with Fargo ad agency and moves on with minimal change to their popular fruit character?

  • Naturally, The Westboro Baptist Church Trolls Oklahoma Tornado Victims

    In what may be one of the most non-surprising “news” of the year, members of the Westboro Baptist Church, professional life trolls that they are, have blamed the Oklahoma tornado tragedy on Kevin Durant, among other things.

    Well, of course they did.

    I mean, why else would destructive weather carve up the Midwest of the United States, if not for Durant’s support of Jason Collins? Had the Oklahoma City Thunder’s star kept his mouth shut about “glorifying gays” or something, the tornado cells that plagued the middle of the country would not have even happened. At least, that’s the gospel according to Fred Phelps, Jr, son of Pastor Fred Phelps, as you can probably guess. I’ll let his Twitter post fill in whatever blanks you may have:


    If these bastions of dignity decide to picket any of the upcoming memorial services related to the tornadoes, would anyone really be surprised? In other news, how insecure does one have to be to go to such extremes just to stay relevant? By now, it’s obvious this pleasant group does not care about perception. They only want the attention that follows their pathetic trolling attempts. Instead of getting upset by them, it’s also clear the best way to deal with such nonsense is to mercilessly mock it, much like the guy in the lead image is doing. If you’re a hacker, or know how to use hacker tools, I guess the Anonymous communication strategy, at least when it comes to entities they don’t like, is an option as well.

    Not that we would condone anything like that.

  • The Vatican Denies Pope Performed Exorcism

    Did Pope Francis, the latest to ascend to the Catholic throne, perform an exorcist on a wheelchair-bound young man this past Sunday? According to those who know what the ritual entails–beyond the movies, anyway–it appears as if the prayer the Pope performed over the man was done for exorcism purposes. There is video of the incident in question:


    As indicated, those who have seen the video say yes, it was an exorcism prayer:

    “Exorcists who have seen the footage have no doubt – this was a prayer for liberation from Evil, an actual exorcism,” said TV2000, which is owned by the Italian Bishops Conference. The station gathered a panel of clergy specialising in exorcisms who scrutinised the footage and concluded that the pope had performed an exorcism. (link added)

    However, the Vatican is taking another point of view concerning Pope Francis and his healing hands:

    “The Holy Father did not intend to carry out any exorcism,” said Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. “Instead, as he often does for sick and suffering people, he simply intended to pray for a person who was presented to him.”

    These words, however, did not go unanswered, at least by Father Gabriele Amorth, who, according to reports, is the head of the International Association of Exorcists. Father Amorth says, “It was a real exorcism. If the Vatican has denied this, it shows that they understand nothing.” Of course, it could also be the case that the Vatican is just having fun with semantics and not stoking the fires of exorcism. The Vatican’s explanation was purposely vague, reducing the action to a simple prayer. If, however, you read the Catholic Encyclopedia’s definition of the word “exorcism,” it’s easy to see how vague semantics will let avoid the “exorcism” word without lying about what Pope Francis did (or did not do):

    Exorcism is (1) the act of driving out, or warding off, demons, or evil spirits, from persons, places, or things, which are believed to be possessed or infested by them, or are liable to become victims or instruments of their malice; (2) the means employed for this purpose, especially the solemn and authoritative adjuration of the demon, in the name of God, or any of the higher power in which he is subject.

    With that in mind, it would be very easy to replace the terms “demon” and “evil spirits” with a vague terms like “sick and suffering people” and while there’s obfuscation, no outright lie has been told. So, did Pope Francis actually perform a quick-and-easy exorcism, or was he just praying for the sick young man?

  • Is ESPN Starting A Round of Layoffs?

    Is the worldwide leader in sports getting ready to start cutting some of their fat? If the report at Deadspin is to be believed, the answer is, it certainly looks that way. In fact, the report indicates “hundreds” will be meeting the ax, which, considering the popularity of, well, everything related to sports–especially in the social media world–the move comes as something of a surprise. Regardless of the moves Fox Sports makes (or are in the process of making), the fact is, ESPN is pretty much a monopoly. Sure, there are sports on other channels, but when it comes to brand proliferation, no other televised sports entity compares. So what would cause the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports to consider layoffs, especially in a world where they set the tone, at least regarding sports conversation?

    The Deadspin article features snippets from recently-departed employees who offer the following insight:

    I was laid off from ESPN today after 9 and a half years. Completely out of the blue, no warning at all. I was told it was 10% across the board, which would be roughly 400. I was told the reason was they needed to make their profit margin and they chose to do that via layoff of staff… we were told that the layoffs ARE tied to the profit margin that ESPN needs to meet and the fact they haven’t met that number. Your comments about them buying all of these live rights and now needed to reduce overhead costs is dead on.

    As an example, here are two of the “live rights” deals being discussed in these emails to Deadspin:

    – ESPN spends $825 million over 11 years to gain exclusive rights to the US Open (tennis, not golf).

    – ESPN extended its partnership with SEC until 2034, which gives ESPN ownership of the upcoming SEC Network. While the terms of the contract were undisclosed, the two entities will split the SEC Network profits evenly.

    Are these two business acquisitions/partnerships the reason why these layoffs are happening in Bristol, Connecticut? It’s hard to come up with any other conclusion, although, Disney (ESPN’s parent company) has been laying off employees as well. Maybe ESPN is trying to keep with their owners.