Texas Police Officer Gives Weed Smoker A Chance To Dodge Jail With 200 Push-Ups Every now and then you come across a good cop who actually wants to HELP the citizens he patrols. Enter officer Eric Bell of the Arlington Police Department. When he caught a young man smokin’ that loud in front of a local movie theater (how dumb is THAT?!), he took advantage of the teachable moment and did something that the lifted loiterer will probably never forget for the rest of his life… Too bad we don’t see more cops like Eric Bell… Image via YouTube
For those of us watching television Stateside, Chewing Gum probably became one of your favorite shows this year after making its debut on Netflix in late October. But the series actually premiered in 2015 on the British TV channel E4. In case you missed the greatness of this six-episode series, it’s focused on Tracey Gordon. She is the virginal daughter of a religious mother who is trying to see more of the world — and have some sex.Tracey, played by Michaela Coel, who both created and writes the series, ended up winning two BAFTA Awards earlier this year for her work. She took home Best Female Comedy Performance and Breakthrough Talent for writing the comedy. With that much success not only across the pond but a bubbling influence here in the United States, you knew a second season had to be on the way. [ madamenoire ] $5 Million Class-Action Lawsuit Accuses St. Ives Apricot Scrub Of Damaging Skin In the $5 million class-action lawsuit, the women state that dermatological research warns that the walnut shells in the scrub can cause inflammation, which leads to breakouts and accelerated aging. The women’s specific issue though is that the St. Ives product says it’s “dermatologist tested.” While it may be, it’s misleading to put that information on the product considering that the ingredients in their products are not recommended by dermatologists. [ madamenoire ] #CallYoPresident: Black Motorist Leaves Trump Supporter Stranded In Snow Troy Brown might have gotten some lumps of coal in his stocking this past Christmas, this after he left a Donald Trump supporter stranded in their car in the middle of an Ohio snowstorm. Brown posted a video of him passing the motorist by to his Facebook page, which has since gone viral and drew out the racists of course. Brown posted the video two weeks ago when Ohio was slammed by a heavy snowstorm. Using the clever hashtag “#CallYoPresident,” he then posted the video of him explaining the situation with a photo of the stranded vehicle. Naturally, Trump types and your garden variety racist trolls found the public post and began hurling racial slurs and threats common for those hiding behind keyboards. “Wow, pretty low move, and to brag? Lol. I’m sorry your morals are so misguided,” said one person. Another just went straight for the jugular and called Brown a “black piece of sh*t.” Other gems included, “And that’s what’s wrong with people nowadays I was raised to help everyone in need no matter what but what do I know I’m just a gun owning patriotic American and you sir are a piece of sh*t.” Brown got plenty of support from the other side and amped up his stances by placing a comment that read, ” A list of people Trump voters can call for help: 1. Yo president 2. Exxon Mobil CEO 3. General Flynn’s son 4. The gunman at Comet pizza in D.C.” [ hiphopwired ] Carrie Fisher’s Autopsy on Hold [ tmz ] Rihanna Steps Out in Floral Bliss While In Barbados [ hellobeautiful ] Pink Welcomes Son, Jameson Moon, With Husband Carey Hart [ huffingtonpost ] Teen Runaway Saved From Prostitution — by Uber Driver [ iheartradio ] Former NFL Safety Keion Carpenter Dies [ balleralert ]
As previously reported, George Michael is dead at the age of 53. The unexpected passing of this pop music icon was made public by Michael’s publicist on Sunday night, with Connie Filippello issuing the following brief statement to The BBC: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period. “The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.” At the time of this sad announcement, most media outlets speculated that George Michael died of heart failure. And this speculation has now been confirmed by the singer’s longtime manager, Michael Lippman. “I’m devastated,” Lippman said told The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he received a call on Christmas morning notifying him that Michael had been found “in bed, lying peacefully.” The precise time of death is not known at this time, but there was “no foul play whatsoever,” says Lippman. Expect funeral plans to be announced shortly. While Michael had battled a few health problems over the years, this fatal incident of heart failure was not expected. There was no signs in the days leading up to the artist’s death that he was gravely ill. The Thames Valley Police, has referred to the the death as “unexplained but not suspicious,” sending The Hollywood Reporter a statement that reads as follows: “Thames Valley Police were called to a property in Goring-on-Thames shortly before 2pm Christmas Day. Sadly, a 53-year-old man was confirmed deceased at the scene. “At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A post mortem will be undertaken in due course. “There will be no further updates from Thames Valley Police until the post mortem has taken place.” Michael rose to fame in the 1980s as part of Wham!, the duo created with his good friend Andrew Ridgeley. As a solo artist and as a member of this tandem, he was responsible for 10 number-one hits on the Billboard 100 chart. Among his best known and most beloved? “Faith,” “I Want Your Sex,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try” and “Careless Whisper.” Overall, Michael released five solo albums: Faith, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, Older, Songs From the Last Century (a covers/standards albums) and Patience. He also came out with a pair of greatest hits sets. His first live album, Symphonica, ended up being his final album; it released in 2014. In the wake of his passing, an endless array of stars took to social media in order to express their condolences: View Slideshow: George Michael: Mourned, Remembered by Stars Everywhere But great friend and frequent collaborator Elton John stands out, having recorded many times with Michael over the years and having admired him as a friend and as a singer. “I am in deep shock,” he wrote on social media alongside a photo of the stars, adding: “I have lost a beloved friend—the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans. #RIP.” We did not know Michael personally, but we also send along our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones. The world of music has lost yet another legend far before his time, when he had many years remaining to release many more influential singles and albums. Moreover, Hollywood has lost yet another legend in general. Click below for a tragic look at all the stars who died in 2016. May they rest in peace… Celebrities Who Died in 2016: A Tribute
George Michael, the influential British singer and cultural icon, suddenly passed away over the Christmas holiday, his publicist confirms. He was 53. Michael’s London-based publicist, Connie Filippello, issued a brief statement to the BBC, the first publication to report Michael’s death. “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.” “The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.” The music great’s cause of death was heart failure, according to multiple media reports, though this has yet to be independently confirmed. It is not clear when exactly Michael passed away. Immediately, his maby fans, family and friends reacted to the latest stunning celebrity death of 2016, a year that cannot end fast enough. “I am in deep shock,” Elton John wrote on Instagram. “I have lost a beloved friend, the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist.” “My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans.” Michael’s career began back in the ’80s, both as the frontman for the British teen idols Wham! and then as a hugely successful solo artist. He leaves a legacy of tremendous musical achievements, and also of well-documented professional struggles and personal scandals. Michael’s first solo album, 1987’s Faith , was a cultural milestone thanks to huge hits in the title track, “I Want Your Sex,” “Father Figure” and more. The album’s blend of pop, funk and soul created a sound that endures uniquely and powerful to this day and cemented his legendary status. View Slideshow: 25 Shocking Celebrity Deaths He became the first Caucasian artist to reach the top position on Billboard’s R&B chart, and he remained a fixture on the charts for years. Michael wrote and produced almost all of his wildly successful work, setting a new standard for popular music stars and acts of his caliber. Faith’s follow-up albums, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, did not match his debut, but produced considerable hits and sales. In 2004, the Radio Academy declared that Michael’s music had been played on British radio more than that of any artist from 1984-2004. Michael’s career would be overshadowed, however, by his tabloid exploits, as questions of the singer’s sexual orientation came to the forefront. Most notably, thanks to an infamous moment in 1998. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten That year, he was arrested for lewd behavior after revealing himself to a man, who turned out to be a police officer, in a public restroom. Michael later became open about his homosexuality. He was arrested several additional times between 2006-2010 for possession of drugs and driving under the influence, and battled health issues. We will have more on Michael’s tragic passing as information becomes available, and on the music world’s reaction to the loss of a legend. Our thoughts are with the singer’s family and friends.
SMH! An off-duty officer shot a Russian ambassador dead, live on Television, in revenge for the Syrian conflict . Via MailOnline : The Russian ambassador to Turkey was last night shot dead by an off-duty Turkish police officer at an art gallery in Ankara in ‘revenge’ for the conflict in Syria. Ambassador Andrei Karlov, 62, was shot several times from behind by a gunman shouting: ‘Allahu Akbar (God is Great). We die in Aleppo, you die here!’ He also screamed: ‘Only death will take me out of here.’ The shooter, who was wearing a suit and tie, has been identified as Mevlüt Mert Altintas, 22, a member of Ankara’s police riot squad. He reportedly fired into the air before taking aim at the ambassador. Wow… DailyMail
Vanderpump Rules Season 5 Episode 6 was all about pride, in the best possible way in the wake of a national tragedy from this spring. Watch Vanderpump Rules Season 5 Episode 6 Online After terrorism struck the Florida gay community in the form of Omar Mateen , West Hollywood’s pride parade took on even more meaning. Her goal was bringing the community together; Tom and Ariana, meanwhile, struggled to stay together after the worst fight of their relationship. Elsewhere, Stassi planned a birthday trip to Montauk and James began to doubt his friendship with Lala for reasons that aren’t shocking. If you watch Vanderpump Rules online , well, let’s just say that Lala, for all her positive attributes, can play fast and loose with the truth. More than anything, though, this week was about pride. Lisa Vanderpump rode on a float during Pride Day, feeling that it was necessary to bring the community together after such a tragedy. The staff, however, didn’t have quite as much courage. Upon hearing the news of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando , Katie Maloney opted out of working at SUR on this special occasion. That isn’t to say the events didn’t impact her greatly. On the contrary. She met with Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz and Stassi Schroeder at her apartment, where they discussed the terrorism. There were a lot of tears and raw emotions. Tom Sandoval seemed to be the most shaken up, but following their discussion and impromptu group therapy session, he went to work. If you don’t do that, then they win, right? Unfortunately for Tom, this wasn’t the only mental battle he fought this week, as his jealousy over Ariana‘s new bartending book was palpable. This caused one the most surprising – and biggest – fights we’ve ever seen from a couple we love and who is by all accounts so stable. The gist of the couple’s conflict is this: View Slideshow: Lala Kent: Best Instagram Pics of Vanderpump Rules’ Newest Star Ariana was offered a deal to make a bartending book; Tom wanted to be involved; Ariana basically called him out for craving attention. A huge and bitter argument ensued. Thanks to Lala Kent, who played the unlikely role of mediator here, the couple was able to work it out and move forward. Thank goodness. As for Lala, she had her own issues, however. James got frustrated over the fact that Lala’s stories about her rich boyfriend to whom Lala gives good dome are constantly changing. How did she react to the intense scrutiny? View Slideshow: 37 Classic Vanderpump Rules Moments in GIFs Finally, Stassi started planning her birthday trip to Montauk, which is on Long Island and which Scheana Marie did not know existed. We suppose it’s not that surprising that Scheana had never heard of it … what would be more shocking is if anyone actually attended. Because … it’s Stassi. Her birthday party seems like it would be one of the most miserable things in human history, though who knows. Anyway, that’s that! Watch it all above!
Brandon Marshall Has Knelt In Protest Of Police Misconduct At Football Games NFLer Brandon Marshall is speaking out after a racist troll sent him a letter that threatened his life and warned him to “go back to the jungle.” An unknown racist sent a letter Friday to the New York Jets wide receiver, calling him the n-word several times and criticizing him over his decision to join fellow player Colin Kaepernick in a protest against police brutality by kneeling during the National Anthem at games. “If you are sooo (sic) unhappy with America, turn in your “millions” and move back to the jungle,” the letter, which was exclusively obtained by BOSSIP, read. “We hate you and your “kind” of n****rs!” But the player refused to be cowed by the shocking show of racism but said it illustrated why he and others are demonstrating against it. “The hatred by some against people of color is one of the reasons why where we’re at in the world today, and they wonder why we feel the way we do and take the stances we take,” Marshall wrote on Instagram Friday. “I received this letter at work.” Marshall has been on the receiving end of a volley of trash talk ever since he sided with Kaepernick in his campaign against police violence, but none of the take downs have been as vitriolic as this letter. The ominous letter ends with “Your time is coming, watch out n****r!”
Welcome to the world, male babies born in 2016! While we celebrate the miracles of life that have come to recently be, it's time to share a rundown of the most popular boy baby names from the past 12 months. Along with the celebrities we assume inspired these names. Courtesy of BabyCenter.com, the 19 most popular boy baby names of 2016, in descending order, were… 19. Alexander Alexander Skarsgard may have influenced some of these parents, but let’s be real: this is all about Alexander Hamilton. 18. Logan Logan and Veronica Mars, forever! 17. Jayden Wow. Sorry, Jaden Smith. We’ll never make fun of you again. 16. James Always a classic. We choose to believe it was most influenced in 2016 by James Corden. 15. Carter We mean… Carter Capps is a pretty good relief pitcher. 14. Benjamin You could do a lot worse than have your son grow up to look like Benjamin Bratt. View Slideshow
Common Talks 13th , Social Activism Common is really living up to his original rap name “Common Sense” these days. The rapper’s activism anthem “Letter to the Free” is the end-title track on 13th and has already been nominated for a 2016 Critics’ Choice Documentary Award for “Best Song in a Documentary.” The song’s lyrics tackle America’s racial divide and reflect the film’s focus on the prison system as a new form of slavery in America. It’s also featured on Common’s own latest album, “Black America Again.” Take a listen: We caught up with Common to chat about the single, his invovlement with the project, and how his affiliation with Ava Duvernay movies have shaped his musical direction and activism… What made you want to become involved with 13th in the way that you have? 13th hit me in a way…it was like I know some of this, I didn’t know about this ALEC stuff, I didn’t even know the 13th amendment said that — I’ll be honest — I didn’t even realize that the 13th amendment said that if you’re a “criminal,” you can [legally] be a slave. So all that information, I’m still continuing to learn. It’s been an awakening for the country. This is part of American history and the same way we teach our kids about the people who came to revolutionize this country, we need to teach them about slavery too. We need to teach them about slavery and how that ties into where we are now. If they can see that, they would be able to put two and two together and start functioning differently. Your name has become more and more synonymous with “wokeness” in a sense since your involvement in Selma a few years back. How do you feel that movie experience prepared you for projects like 13th and even placing some of the messages you have in your latest album? Well, Selma was definitely one of the moments that changed my life forever. One of the greatest experiences of my life. One of the reasons is being introduced to the Civil Rights Movement in another way. It’s more than just researching and reading it in textbooks. You’re talking to people. Ambassador Andrew Young came and had a talk the first day of our rehearsal and said “What are you willing to die for? Live for that.” He said that was the whole mentality of the people of the Civil Rights movement. “We’re willing to die for freedom, so we’re going to live for freedom. We’re dedicating each day toward that.” One of the practical things I was able to connect with was the fact that each and every person that was a part of that movement, each day they contributed something towards fighting for that freedom. They dedicated their lives to saying “okay, some part of my day will be dedicated towards that.” I felt like, I have been doing things and putting my spirit and energy into wanting to see change, but I had to do more. I had to contribute my days into being more active and more present — not only in the music. So then, aside from the music, what ways did you begin pursuing to be more active? That made me think about things, and question how can I use my creativity not only towards the art that I’m doing that is socio-political work, but how can I use my mind towards these communities. So that made me start going into communities and start to listen and made me more political than I had ever been. Before I would think — “Okay, I need to vote for the president.” And “I’ll vote for this person I know about.” But now, I need to know. If I have a problem with police injustice and police killing Black people, I need to know what things I can do policy-wise to help change things. Who is the person that selects the police chief? Who is the person that sets up the training for the policemen in this state and that state? Not that I’m going to know everything, but even if it’s connecting with groups that do know, so that I can get that information and see how I can contribute my name, celebrity, whatever access I have, and creativity towards that change. What action has 13th pushed you to take? With this movie, I’ll put it this way: If I’m going to talk it and rap it, I’ll have to be it. So I will be at somebody’s prison — just building with brothers and sisters about getting out and what life will be like getting out and trying to provide help in that way. I even realized this morning from Kim Fox, the State’s Attorney of Chicago — she comes from Cabrini-Green in Chicago so she’s for the people, she comes from it — she says one of the biggest issues is, they don’t assist people when they’re about to get out of jail, so when they come out, they’re shocked. And it’s hard to get jobs, hard to get housing, you can’t vote in certain places, so then you feel second-class, and then you end up going back to that same cycle. So, if someone has been convicted of a crime, when they’re about to get out, when do we start training them to work on that? I want to help with figuring that out. Nice! Great to see a celeb taking his influence and really focusing on making a positive impact with it, right? Have YOU taken a listen to “Black America Again?” What did you think? Splash
