I know, right? Will your friends agree?
Share this Link
Ryan Sutter Still Has The Final Rose Trista Gave Him On "The Bachelorette"
https://www.buzzfeed.com/christianzamora/ryan-s...
After 14 years!
Source link
[page_popup id="1"]
I know, right? Will your friends agree?
Share this Link
Ryan Sutter Still Has The Final Rose Trista Gave Him On "The Bachelorette"
[embed]http://a1656.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music3/v4/6a/c9/3a/6ac93a16-2214-200e-d0f9-60a24ed65df0/mzaf_8730780010115027016.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Roberte Mamou & Gerard Oskamp
Announced live in prime time – but, thankfully, without any elimination rounds, women in bikinis or red roses for the winner – President Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat that the Republicans stole from Barack Obama. Gorsuch is currently a judge on the federal appeals court in Colorado and is widely viewed by Republicans as a solid conservative who will be, if confirmed, a suitable replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia.
Put differently, Gorsuch is a pick who should scare the bejesus out of anyone to the left of the radical right.
To quickly recap how we got here, Justice Scalia died almost a year ago, back in the halcyon days when a tyrannical megalomaniac wasn't the U.S. president. Obama, who as president was entitled to fill Supreme Court vacancies, nominated the widely respected moderate federal judge Merrick Garland to fill Scalia's seat. But Senate Republicans, who were at the tail end of spending eight years crushing all of Obama's hope and naiveté, refused to hold hearings for Garland, so his nomination failed.
To this day, we have only eight justices on the Supreme Court. Contrary to some commentary out there, the Supreme Court can function perfectly well with only eight justices. It still hears and decides cases on a regular basis; there's just an increased risk that the justices will deadlock four-four. However, even a four-four decision decides the case – by affirming the lower court decision but making no binding precedent.
Currently, there are four somewhat reliable conservatives and four somewhat reliable liberals on the Supreme Court. Adding Gorsuch as a ninth justice would tilt the ideological balance of power on the Court back to a clear advantage for conservatives. In other words, based on what we know about Gorsuch, his addition to the Court would swing it back to the right – but it shouldn't be worse than when Scalia was on the bench, because a dyed-in-the-wool conservative vote would be replaced by a probably-dyed-in-the-wool conservative vote.
That's still concerning, however. With Justice Scalia, the Roberts Supreme Court was one of the most conservative in history – some say the most conservative. Gorsuch, in many ways, would be very similar to Scalia, but younger. At 49, he's the youngest nominee in decades, and could potentially be on the Court into the 2050s.
That means Gorsuch's view of judging will have long-term effects for the United States. And what we know is that Gorsuch is likely to be a far-right conservative. He has spoken strongly in favor of originalism – the view that the Constitution should be interpreted as it was understood at the time it was adopted, rather than in a way that changes with the times. This view is most prominently associated with conservative justices such as Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who have applied originalism inconsistently but always to produce conservative results. He has also spoken out against using courts to bring about social change, something that is conservative code for opposing overreaching liberal reform.
In terms of specific cases that Gorsuch has decided: He sided with Utah's governor in an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood following misleadingly edited videos released in the summer of 2015, and with Hobby Lobby in the lower court case that led to the Supreme Court's decision against contraception coverage in 2014. (Gorsuch wrote a separate opinion to emphasize that not only Hobby Lobby, but also individual business owners, have religious liberty claims that trump their employees' statutory right to access preventive health care.)
One area where Gorsuch may differ from Scalia is in his view of administrative regulations. The Supreme Court has a long-standing precedent that generally defers to administrative interpretation of the law, which means that the Court will usually side with the expertise of agencies like the EPA and the Department of Labor when they interpret statutes in order to advance their mission. Justice Scalia had largely followed this precedent, but Gorsuch has long questioned it. If his views catch on among the other justices, this could have devastating consequences for environmental, workplace and other regulation. Unclear for now is whether Gorsuch's skepticism of administrative regulations would lead to skepticism of presidential power – sure to be a huge issue in the coming years under Trump.
For hot-button issues, we can look to the Court from before Justice Scalia's death to see what will happen. With Scalia on the Court, the key vote was Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was a reliable conservative, though not nearly as conservative as others. Gorsuch might vote to overturn Roe v. Wade (though that's not certain), but Justice Kennedy's views will still decide abortion cases, and his vote this summer to strike down Texas' restrictive anti-abortion legislation will remain the law of the land. Affirmative action in limited form will still be safe, as will LGBT rights; however, labor and environmental protections will be in danger, immigrants and criminal defendants will have reason to be fearful, and claims of religious liberty as a way to escape anti-discrimination laws will likely be successful.
The bottom line here is that, to the surprise of almost no one, President Trump has nominated a right-wing conservative who, if confirmed, will be very similar to Justice Scalia. Which means that his confirmation is key. Republicans currently control the Senate with a 52-48 majority. If the Democrats don't filibuster, Gorsuch should sail through the confirmation process and join the Court soon.
Some Democrats have made noise about possibly filibustering whomever Trump picks. Sen. Jeff Merkely of Oregon, for instance, said he'll filibuster anyone who isn't Merrick Garland. Whether the Democrats remain united in support of the filibuster – they need to hold 41 votes to support it – is where the uncertainty lies. Although the Democratic base is urging the party to filibuster anyone, both because of the likely nominee's extremism and as payback for Garland, recent reports have indicated that many Democrats are not so keen on doing so. They may be waiting to use that weapon for any subsequent Trump nominee (if there is one) who could tip the balance on the Court further to the right and threaten Roe and same-sex marriage.
If the Democrats do remain united and successfully filibuster Gorsuch, the Republicans have threatened to end the filibuster – the so-called "nuclear option." Many Republicans don't want to do this because they know they'll need the filibuster in the future when they're the minority party. But with the stakes so high, it would be a distinct possibility.
For now, one of the biggest unanswered questions of the Trump presidency is resolved: He's followed through on his campaign promise and nominated a staunch conservative to the Supreme Court. From here, we wait to find out whether the Democrats will pull out all the stops to try to block him.
What’s a Super Bowl without wings? In this chicken wing recipe we are seasoning the wings with Old Bay, a favorite spice blend for crab which works just as well with chicken.
The wings are tossed with in a sauce make with Old Bay, butter, and lemon juice, then baked, broiled, and served with cocktail sauce.
Continue reading "Old Bay Chicken Wings" »
Of course, President Trump is at the center of the map, as he is the locus of the study. Lines then branch out from President Trump to connect to his various other business interests and relationships. The people in the web have bolded names, and each of those people in turn have their own, smaller webs of business interests. The interactive graphic allows people to dig through and learn about any potential conflicts of interest themselves (as opposed to relying on secondhand reports.)
[embed]http://a10.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music3/v4/95/3b/a6/953ba682-09e6-9efa-37cb-8601bda2f282/mzaf_4504121755584428162.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra, Gerd Starke & Jörg Faerber
Want to say, “I woke up like this,” and actually mean it? Now you can with Dominique Bossavy’s micro-color infusion treatment, which makes getting an everyday-flawless look a snap!
With subtle coloring, she can create a natural-makeup look with a process similar to tattooing. The secret? She says there is no bleeding and the clients won’t turn red during the process.
Bossavy is able to fill in eyebrows, create a natural-eyeliner look and even bring back color into the lips in a natural way.
[embed]http://a72.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music3/v4/40/a5/4d/40a54d11-94f4-6025-66ff-85a6b265e17a/mzaf_6713608198203365665.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By The New York Philomusica Winds & A. Robert Johnson
Nina Dobrev is officially back for the series finale of The Vampire Diaries, and we can't help but wonder how she will return. While some fans seem to be dead set that she will come back as her evil doppelgänger Katherine Pierce — this whole season has been about hell, after all — Kevin Williamson's latest set photo has us pretty convinced that she will reprise her role as Elena Gilbert. Not only does Dobrev don her character's signature straight locks and full eyebrows, but we can't help but notice her outfit.
It certainly bares a striking resemblance to the white dress Elena wears to her birthday party during episode one, season three. You know, the scene where Damon gives her Stefan's necklace, aka the exact moment Elena fell in love with him. Does this mean we can expect a Delena reunion in the finale? Even though the finale's title, "I Was Feeling Epic," has a Stelena connection, this whole season has been about connecting that little piece of jewelry to Damon's humanity. Either way, our hearts can't handle this.
POPSUGAR, the #1
independent media and technology company for women. Where more than 75 million women go for
original, inspirational content that feeds their passions and interests.
The collection is offered in four different flavors that include Caramel & Espresso, Sour Cream and Black Pepper, Lightly Salted and Sweet & Salty – each represented by its own color scheme on the packaging. Each individual flavor is also represented by an anthropomorphic animal that was designed to look like London stereotypes -- a cat dressed as a businessman, a squirrel dressed as a construction worker, a deer pushing its child in a stroller while exercising and a fox that looks like an older gentleman.
These popcorn packages were made to ensure that they are able to stand out among similar products in the market.
[embed]http://a966.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music3/v4/79/70/23/79702357-e986-75db-50ab-30fbb83f82b7/mzaf_4932597570753133682.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
I know, right? Will your friends agree?
Share this Link
Jennifer Lawrence Has Responded To President Trump's Refugee Ban
This recipe is the perfect use for prolific producing cherry and grape tomato plants in the summer, or if you have an extra basket of cherry tomatoes lying around. Let this simple recipe inspire you to create other dishes like bruschetta, homemade pizza, pasta and salads. Drying time takes anywhere from 3-5 hours, depending on your oven, so plan accordingly.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of organic cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons of fresh Italian herbs such as, Italian parsley, basil, marjoram or oregano, chopped
6-8 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 250°
Slice tomatoes in half length wise. Place tomatoes in a medium bowl and liberally salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until golden brown about 2 minutes. Add chopped fresh herbs to oil and remove from heat. Toss tomatoes with garlic and herb oil. Add red pepper flakes if desired and toss again.
Arrange tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle any excess oil left in the bowl over the tomatoes and put in oven.
It may take up to 4-5 hours to dry out and intensify the flavors of the tomatoes. Begin tasting tomatoes at about 2 hours for desired flavor. Once the tomatoes have reached the desired flavor, remove them from the oven.
Cook’s note: Once you have made this recipe a few times and know how long it takes for your oven to dry the tomatoes, you can dry them out overnight. You will wake up to an amazing fresh herb, tomato fragrance in the morning.
As always, use as many organic ingredients you can find for optimum flavor and health benefits.
Image: John Klein
The post Oven-Dried Cherry Tomato Recipe appeared first on Organic Authority.
Shortly after President Trump issued his sweeping immigration order Friday evening, questions began to arise about its scope. It clearly suspended the refugee program, and blocked new immigration from residents of seven majority-Muslim countries. But it slowly became clear that it went even further than that.
As agencies confirmed Saturday, the ban on entry into the US also applied to existing US lawful permanent residents from those seven countries — Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. So as many as 500,000 green card holders, many of whom have lived and worked in the US for years, suddenly learned that if they travel outside the country they may not be allowed back in (the White House says they’ll be considered only on a case-by-case basis). Some were in transit when the order was issued and detained at airports across the country upon arrival.
According to CNN’s Evan Perez and Pamela Brown, this shockingly broad move was the brainchild of White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Remarkably, they report that when the order was released Friday, the Department of Homeland Security concluded that it wouldn’t affect green card holders. But “overnight,” this decision was overruled by the White House, with Bannon’s personal involvement. (White House chief of staff Reince Priebus may have walked this back somewhat during a television appearance Sunday, but it’s not entirely clear.)
While refugees are facing more imminent peril and fleeing more desperate situations, in its own way the green card move is immensely worrying too. Because here, Trump was not just preventing new people from coming — he’s changing the rules for people who are already here legally. He is sending the message loud and clear that the United States is no longer a welcoming place for foreign-born people who have lived and worked here for years. Even conservatives sympathetic with Trump’s refugee restrictions were flabbergasted that he applied them to green card holders, with David French of National Review calling it “madness.”
But for those who have followed Bannon’s career and statements over the years, this is no surprise at all. Bannon infamously bragged that his website Breitbart was “the platform” for the racist alt-right movement, and regularly featured lurid tales of crimes committed by immigrants. He’s said the US needs to “take a very, very, very aggressive stance against radical Islam.”
And once, he made clear that he is not particularly enthusiastic even about immigrants who are peaceful, successful, and economically productive.
In November 2015, Steve Bannon interviewed Donald Trump for a Breitbart radio program. One particular part of their exchange was resurfaced and made the rounds late last year, but deserves more attention in the wake of this executive order.
The exchange (which begins around the 17 minute mark here) starts with Trump riffing about how top foreign-born Ivy league graduates should be allowed to stay in America where they can be “job creators.” But then Bannon spoke up to disagree, and he did so in a very revealing way:
TRUMP: We have to keep our talented people in this country.
BANNON: Um—
TRUMP: I think you agree with that. Do you agree with that?
BANNON: Well I got a tougher — you know, when two thirds or three quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia, I think — on, my point is, a country’s more like, [inaudible], a country’s more than an economy. We’re a civic society.
Bannon’s “statistic” that over two-thirds of Silicon Valley CEOs are Asian-born isn’t even close to being true, since only a small minority are. But the bigger takeaway is that Bannon was disturbed enough by this mistaken idea to bring it up. He was evidently trying to choose his words carefully, but he made it crystal clear that he was disturbed by the (fictional) idea of all these Asian-born CEOs running around in America.
Once you keep those views in mind, the method behind the “madness” of the Trump administration’s treatment of green card holders becomes clear. Most Republicans generally profess to love legal immigration. They say they are only concerned with the illegal variety (and Trump himself has said the same).
But some of the people around Trump, like Bannon, top White House policy aide Stephen Miller, and attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, go much further. They want to privilege native-born Americans over even the most entrepreneurial and industrious (and legal) immigrants.
Trump’s new order has blocked Samira Asgari, a 30-year old Iranian woman who was on her way to the US to start a postdoctoral fellowship in genomics at a Harvard-affiliated hospital, from boarding her connecting flight in Frankfurt. It has prevented Nazanin Zinouri, a Clemson engineering graduate of Iranian descent who’d lived in the US for seven years and legally worked at a technology firm, from returning from a trip to visit her parents. It has resulted in Suha Abushamma, a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic with a Sudanese passport, being forced to leave the country.
All this isn’t a bug to Steve Bannon. It’s a feature. As his comments make clear, he doesn’t like it when immigrants are too successful in America. And because he won an internal battle in the Trump administration, US government policy could turn the lives of up to 500,000 green card holders upside down.
Journalist Josh Green, who wrote the definitive pre-White House profile of Bannon, tweeted Saturday night that he asked a friend of Bannon’s to explain what he was thinking with the immigration order. The friend replied: "America first. Americans first.” Indeed.
I know, right? Will your friends agree?
Share this Link
Here's An Exclusive Clip Of *That* Britney Spears Lifetime Movie
[embed]http://a1867.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/179/Music3/v4/35/a7/ed/35a7eda1-d833-a499-1595-99d5cc322ee7/mzaf_6025580337422403085.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Yoga
Ben Affleck announced Monday night that he would not serve as director on the upcoming Batman standalone film The Batman in order to focus on his performance as the Dark Knight in the blockbuster.
"There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions," Affleck said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require."
Affleck first portrayed Batman in 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, taking over the Bruce Wayne role from Christian Bale. Affleck's Batman also appeared briefly in Suicide Squad and will reprise the role in the upcoming Justice League movies.
In April 2016, Warner Bros. announced that Affleck would star in and direct the first standalone Batman film since 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. However, in recent months, Affleck hinted that he was apprehensive about helming The Batman, citing concerns about the script.
"Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film," Affleck said in Monday's statement. "I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world."
Warner Bros. added, "Warner Bros. fully supports Ben Affleck's decision and remains committed to working with him to bring a standalone Batman picture to life."
No release date for the film has been announced, but the blockbuster's villain was revealed to be Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello.
There are some things in the natural world I tend to take for granted, but that reveal true surprises when I look at them more closely. Such is the case with lichens. I’ve known about lichens since childhood, but it turns out I never really knew anything about them at all. I always assumed they were like mosses, vegetable-like things that grew on the ground, rocks, and trees. In fact, lichens are not even one organism; they are a delicate balance of fungi and algae (and in some cases, cyanobacteria) that coexist in the form of what we see as a lichen growth.
More than this astonishing fact, a study of lichens reveals many other surprises, including examples of their extreme hardiness, the myriad of uses to which they are often put, and the fascination they once inspired in a beloved literary figure. I’ve learned that there is much more to lichens than meets the eye.
One is the Hungriest Number
On the most basic level, lichens exist to fill a need for certain types of fungus. Because fungi are unable to produce food for themselves, they have adapted to take advantage of whatever opportunities they find to gather it, either becoming parasites on other organisms or gaining nutrients from decomposing matter. In the case of lichens, fungi use the photosynthesis abilities of algae and/or cyanobacteria to access nourishment. The fungus makes up most of the bulk of a lichen, with the algae or cyanobacteria cells interspersed amongst so-called “fungal filaments.” Because these cells contain chlorophyll, they are able to convert water and carbon dioxide into fuel for the lichen. In return, the fungus acts as a protective covering for the algae and cyanobacteria. In this way, the two (or more) organisms have a symbiotic relationship.
It is estimated that lichens cover about eight percent of the world’s land, and can be found pretty much everywhere there is a stable surface and adequate sunlight. They often grow on surfaces that other organisms would find inhospitable, such as desert sand, bare rock, and arctic tundra. Their four basic forms are: crustose (flat, scaly growths); squamulose (pebble-like growths); foliose (resembling leaves); and fructicose (tube-like branches). Lichens grow extremely slowly, sometimes less than one millimeter per year, and for this reason are helpful to scientists trying to date glacial retreats and other disturbances in the geological record.
Lichens serve as a major food source for many types of animals, including deer, caribou, and reindeer (hence the lichen that’s misleadingly called “reindeer moss”). In addition, some bird and squirrel species use lichens not only as material for building their nests and burrows, but as food (handy in the winter when nothing else is available). Lichens have sometimes been eaten or brewed as tea in some cultures, but the use of lichens for their decorative and medicinal purposes has been much more common in human history. Their unique usefulness is a result of their adaptive abilities; in response to environmental challenges or to deter predators, lichens of different kinds have created more than 500 biochemical compounds. Dyes made from lichens were once commonly used in coloring textiles and continue to be used for preparing litmus paper. Some lichens have been found to have antibiotic properties, and are used as medicinal remedies in various parts of the world. Since they can be extremely sensitive to environmental conditions, lichens have even been used to detect levels of air pollution in Europe and North America.
A Perfect Licheness
An interesting footnote in the story is the involvement of the famous children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter in the early study of lichens. Best known for beloved works such as Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Two Bad Mice, earlier on in her career Potter was commissioned to create scientific drawings of biological specimens, including fungi and lichens. She became so interested in these organisms that she wrote her own scientific treatises on them, and in fact was the first to propose that lichens function as a symbiosis between fungi and algae cells. While she enjoyed her study of lichens, the success of her literary works eventually overshadowed this pursuit.
Lichen Strikes Again
Out of all the interesting facts about lichens, I think the most impressive is their extreme hardiness in harsh conditions. For example, lichens can dry out entirely, but then be restored to their original condition once they take on water again. This ability has served them well in regions where water can be scarce, such as deserts and polar regions.
Putting lichens to the ultimate test, the European Space Agency ran an experiment in 2005 that is mind-boggling in its implications. Researchers directly exposed specimens of two different species of lichen to open space for 14.6 days before returning them to Earth (the lichens were shielded during re-entry). Despite their exposure to the vacuum of space, cosmic radiation, full-spectrum UV light, and intense temperatures, the lichens survived and were able to undergo photosynthesis as before. The success of this experiment may one day help researchers discover the viability of transferring a form of life to other planets such as Mars.
Lichens truly are amazing; with their incredible adaptive abilities, they have managed to thrive in the most barren of settings on Earth, and can even endure the severe conditions of outer space. The unique partnership of fungus with algae (or cyanobacteria) has benefited both organisms; in the case of lichens, two really is better than one. —Morgen Jahnke
[embed]http://a1166.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music3/v4/be/e4/34/bee4342e-0021-0c2a-0c2d-964fb89d6df6/mzaf_328318503283655731.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, Teresa Erbe & Werner Stiefel
Wanna sleep well every night?
Wanna sleep better and wake up refreshed?
Read our tips in Wellness Inc. for great sleep and a powerful brain!
Check out our tips in Wellness Inc. and get great sleep every night for a powerful brain!
That's awesome!
But no one'd say no to even better sleep and greater brain power! Read our tips in Wellness Inc.
But no one'd say no to even better sleep and greater brain power, right? Just check out our tips in Wellness Inc.
[embed]http://a813.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music6/v4/59/7b/43/597b433d-f51a-0856-cfc7-d62fa84c43ab/mzaf_8822666316215732396.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Abbey Simon
The end is near, you guys. In less than two months, we will have to say goodbye to The Vampire Diaries — forever. There are still a few episodes left of the eighth and final season and the cast is busy filming the series finale. Even though it will be hard to let go (who can forget all those shocking moments and sad songs?), we can't help but feel a little excited for the final chapter. If you're curious about what's to come, keep scrolling for everything we know about the last episode of TVD.
The series finale is titled, "I Was Feeling Epic," Lexi's famous line during episode eight, season one. Seeing that she was actually giving advice to Stefan about his love for Elena, we're wondering if that means Stelena could be the end game.
Nina Dobrev's character, Elena, has been showing up in flashbacks this season, but now the actress, who famously left the show after season six, confirmed that she's officially returning for the finale! She did make a promise to Julie Plec to come back and be part of the goodbye, after all. While it's safe to assume that the rest of the season eight cast will appear, Plec also teased that we will see even more returning faces from past seasons. In fact, David Anders, who played Uncle John on the series, recently teased his return by tweeting that he's heading to Atlanta where the show films.
Seeing that Kai put Elena into a potential 60-plus year slumber by linking her life to Bonnie's, the return of Dobrev could mean a time jump. Of course, that's assuming she actually returns as Elena and not Katherine!
Even though Caroline and Stefan are facing some difficulties this season (she basically calls off their engagement because of his ripper ways), Steroline fans should still hold out hope. When we sat down with Plec during Comic-Con, she sounded pretty optimistic that the two would get their June wedding by the end of the season. As fans recall, in the first episode of the series, Caroline told Bonnie that she and Stefan (whom she had just met) were planning a June wedding.
You can catch all the madness when it airs on March 10.
[embed]http://a1078.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music6/v4/f9/f4/39/f9f43916-60fb-5043-e445-794bbb85c17f/mzaf_4781838684877351138.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Markus Stocker & Viktor Yampolsky
I know, right? Will your friends agree?
Share this Link
The Cast Of "Fences" Reacting To Denzel Washington's SAG Win Will Give You All The Feels
[embed]http://a106.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/168/Music6/v4/27/b7/ef/27b7ef14-3f6a-6d74-45da-c8135281fb07/mzaf_8241847499758599998.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Mainz Chamber Orchestra & Gunter Kehr
This month we’re sharing a few recipes from our friend Tess Masters, The Blender Girl! Tess is our go-to gal for fantastic vegan and gluten-free blender recipes. Check out her newest book The Perfect Blend, available now on Amazon.
Have you ever tried making a savory smoothie?
This non-alcoholic, breakfast-worthy spin on a traditional Bloody Mary cocktail is a splendid (s’blended!) introduction to veggie-based smoothies.
Continue reading "Bloody Mary Smoothie" »
[embed]http://a907.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music/v4/d6/c0/ec/d6c0ecee-3692-eaea-4752-8e7114cae193/mzaf_2429893157968815054.aac.m4a[/embed]
By Ty Burhoe, Krishna Das, Manorama, John Friend & Amy Ippoliti
"Prepare the Sistine Chapel."
Move over, "Release the Kraken" – there's a new godlike command in town, and its word is law. (Jude Law, to be precise.) With this order, Pope Pius XIII and The Young Pope alike begin their greatest triumph: an address to the Cardinals delivered in full papal regalia, towering tiara and all. The fact that the Holy Father gets his gear on in a full-fledged dress-up montage soundtracked by LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" doesn't undercut the totalitarian coming-out party that follows; if anything, it enhances it. This man will use every tool at his disposal, right down to his own personal hotness, to beat the faithful into submission. That, or kick their apostate asses out the door – a very, very tiny door he has custom-built for the purpose. He's sacred and he knows it.
Crazy as it sounds, "Sexy and I Know It" is a perfect song for this show, independent of writer-director-creator Paolo Sorrentino's wild mini-music-video approach to watching Pius get dressed for his big speech. Sexy? Sure, that's obvious: Jude Law is, as the man says, "incredibly handsome," and the sensuality of Roman Catholic ritual and iconography has been an open secret for millennia. It's the and I know it that's key – the literal wink at the audience in the opening credits that signals yes, we're aware of we're doing. Keep in mind that when the Pope does describe himself as "incredibly handsome," he prefaces it with "I know," as if he's paraphrasing LMFAO themselves.
But that playful pop confection isn't the only memorable music cue in this episode. The other is pulled straight from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining: "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta III" by composer Bela Bartok. Sorrentino uses the portion of the song heard when poor little Danny Torance is menacingly "comforted" by his increasingly insane father Jack in the bedroom to score the scene in which Pius defeats his rival Cardinal Voiello once and for all.
The scheming Secretary of State had already come to rue his attempt to frame the Holy Father in a sex scandal. While spying on his unwilling minion Ester's failed seduction attempt, the Cardinal discovered that not only was our man legitimately incorruptible, but that his virtue springs from a place of pure pain and fear felt by all members of the clergy. Surrendering his blackmail dossier to Sister Mary, he comes to the Pope to confess … only to learn that Pius already knew everything. The blackmail over Ester's adultery, his threat to expose the Pope's pal Monsignor Gutierrez's alcoholism unless he served as a spy, and God knows what else: "What if I know all your secrets, Your Eminence?" Pius sneers.
By the end of the scene – staged so that the Pope is literally standing on higher ground, shot from below to make the power differential even more visually striking – Voiello is reduced to a sobbing mess, begging for forgiveness at the Holy Father's feet. What other choice does he have? There's no out-politicking a man who has no need to build alliances. "I'm not afraid of losing consensus," Pius says. Then – hilariously, wonderfully, insanely – he refers to himself using the title of the show. "I am the Young Pope. I put no stock in consensus." Through it all we hear that menacing music, creating an atmosphere of madness and dread as oppressive in Vatican City as it was in the Overlook Hotel.
Then comes the episode's high point – which is really, really saying something. Seriously: We haven't even covered Pius and Cardinal Dussolier going AWOL in the middle of the night, chatting with high-priced escorts while wearing track suits. Or their flashbacks to the time they ran away from their orphanage to find Lenny's parents. Or the bit where the Pope orders the Vatican kangaroo to jump … and it does. Or the part where the Holy Father and the entire Vatican power structure break into the rogue stigmatic holy man Tonino Pettola's house, saying "the reason for this visit is that you have busted our balls." The Young Pope is so good that scenes that could make another show's season-long highlight reel barely crack the top 10 in a single episode.
No, the high point is the address to the College of Cardinals, an act of absolutely unsurpassed arrogance and imperial menace. To the visible and audible shock of the assembly, the Pope is carried into the Sistine Chapel on a throne, carried on the shoulders of a dozen priests. Fan-bearers flank him like an actual Roman emperor. His costumery is so ornate and massive that he's all but immobile in it, his head pivoting and malevolent eyes twinkling amid the mountain of cloth and gold like a character out of Alice in Wonderland.
His speech is a dictatorial masterpiece: an outright call to his brother cardinals to purge the Church of all but its most fanatical followers, to act as aloof and above the unfaithful masses as God Himself. It's one of the greatest speeches in TV history, placed at the apex of the best television episode of the year. And it ends with a display of outright dominance: Pius extends his foot, and one by one, his mentor Cardinal Spencer, his best friend Cardinal Dussolier, and his defeated nemesis Cardinal Voiello come forward to kiss it. He is the Young Pope. Bow down.
Previously: Sex and the Single Saint
[embed]http://a433.phobos.apple.com/us/r30/Music6/v4/b2/14/a4/b214a4fe-191e-0852-59c5-9029c5de6aa5/mzaf_4218154631443130484.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
By Utah Symphony Orchestra & Maurice Abravanel
In Dennis Quaid’s new movie, “A Dog’s Purpose,” a devoted dog discovers the meaning of its own existence through the lives of the humans it teaches to laugh and love.
The film made headlines after a video surfaced showing a German Shepherd seemingly being forced into churning water to film a scene for the movie.
“Extra’s” Renee Bargh sat down with Quaid, who plays Ethan in the film. He said he did not witness anything inhumane having to do with the treatment of the animals on set. “We have the Humane Society's seal of approval. They were there. There was no abuse of animals on that set. I would never work on a set that would abuse animals.”
[embed]http://a1011.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/153/Music69/v4/e7/15/e1/e715e169-8eb0-3c4c-70df-d2766124cf77/mzaf_5026376472908802452.plus.aac.p.m4a[/embed]
Your favorite breakfast and mythical creature come together beautifully with the new unicorn doughnut trend. These adorable pastries have become our new obsession for both their sweet taste and irresistible decoration. There are a ton of different twists on this phenomenal trend ranging from sprinkle-topped rings with horns to doughnuts in the shape of a unicorn. Regardless of how you choose to decorate your treats, you can easily make them yourself in any flavor you'd like with our doughnut recipes and finishing your pastries off with sprinkles, icing, and a fondant horn. ChristinasCupcakes has a great video tutorial of how to decorate unicorn doughnuts at home. Scroll on to see the whimsical creations.