With Carson Wentz Rolling, Eagles Are Best Team in NFC Least

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) throws a pass to Alshon Jeffery (17) for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Over the past several days, we’ve learned a couple of things about the NFC East.

The first is that the division isn’t especially good. Entering Week 6, there was all of one team in the NFC East playing .500 football—and that was a 2-2 Washington Redskins team that just got pounded into paste on Monday night by the New Orleans Saints.

The second is that those Washington Redskins are not the best team in what might be the NFL‘s worst division in 2018. That honor belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles, who demolished a hapless New York Giants team 34-13 to move to 3-3 on the year.

And if the Eagles are going to make another deep playoff run and get back to the Super Bowl, it will be because quarterback Carson Wentz carries them there.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Wentz, who missed the first two games of this season while recovering from the torn ACL that ended his 2017 season, had a second straight stellar effort. After lighting up the Minnesota Vikings for 311 yards and two touchdowns last week, Wentz went one better—278 yards, three scores and a passer rating of 122.2 on 26-of-36 passing.

The third-year pro was positively lethal on third down. He was 10-of-10 on his first 10 attempts on third down for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

That’s called getting it done in crunch time.

In some respects, a quarterback is only as good as the receivers catching his passes, and Wentz had plenty of help. Tight end Zach Ertz was his typically stellar self, hauling in seven passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. Nelson Agholor had a season-high 91 receiving yards—including a 32-yard reception that looked like something out of a backyard game.

Bleacher Report NFL @BR_NFL

.@nelsonagholor getting it done by any means

(via @thecheckdown) https://t.co/0AVWSr3m0M

The big winner on the night was wideout Alshon Jeffery. For the second time in three games, Jeffery was a huge part of the Eagles’ passing game, reeling in eight passes for 74 yards and a pair of touchdowns—including a nifty 13-yard strike in the back of the end zone.

NFL @NFL

.@cj_wentz scrambles and finds Alshon Jeffery in the back of the end zone!

TOUCHDOWN, @Eagles. #FlyEaglesFly #PHIvsNYG

: @nflnetwork + @NFLonFOX
+: https://t.co/DJUityQHC9 https://t.co/MgTuaud3Il

Wentz has steadily improved since taking the field for the first time at home against the Indianapolis Colts back in Week 3. Where he looked tentative and more than a little rusty against Indy, Wentz was decisive and sharp against the Giants.

While speaking with Erin Andrews of Fox after the game, Wentz credited a fast start against New York for helping the team find its rhythm.

“I thought it was big for us to come out early and get on the board,” Wentz said. “The defense made a heck of a play on that first drive, we had great field position and capitalized early. That’s something we preach all the time is starting fast, and we were able to do that tonight.”

Long story short, Wentz looked like Wentz on Thursday—like the young quarterback who was an MVP front-runner before tearing his ACL in December. And the Eagles looked less like the herky-jerky offense of a month ago and more like the unit that moved up and down the field with impunity against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 11: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Corey Clement #30 of the Philadelphia Eagles congratulate Zach Ertz #86 of the Philadelphia Eagles after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second qu

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

The Eagles gained a relatively modest 379 total yards against the Giants, but the team made the most of them. Philly was an outstanding 9-of-16 on third down, largely because Wentz just didn’t miss when it mattered. The Eagles scored more points in the first half against the G-Men than they had in any full game this season.

Wentz told Andrews after the game that the key to the offensive turnaround was simple—better execution.

“There’s just [been] lots of little mistakes,” he said. “Obviously we played some good teams that did some things. But we had a lot of little mistakes. There’s still some things we’ve got to clean up, but man, it feels good to get back in the win column.”

Wentz is right. One win over a bad team doesn’t fix all that ails the Eagles. There’s a reason they entered the game 2-3, and before anyone starts making travel plans for Atlanta, there are problems that need to be addressed.

A ground game that lost Jay Ajayi for the season in last week’s home loss to the Vikings struggled a bit against the Giants, gaining just 108 yards and averaging only 3.5 yards a carry. The pass defense (or more specifically, the part of the pass defense named Jalen Mills) continues to be inconsistent. And an offensive line that keeps letting Wentz take more than a few shots lost starting tackle Jason Peters to a biceps injury.

Given how quickly Peters was ruled out for the remainder of the game, there’s reason to think that could be a multiweek injury, although he told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer that his biceps is “OK.”

To say this team is ready to take on the Los Angeles Rams or New Orleans Saints right now is stretching it.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 07: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles heads back onto the field against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Vikings won 23-21

Corey Perrine/Getty Images

Saying that the Eagles are the best team in their division, however, is not. The Giants are a dumpster fire that’s occasionally interrupted by a Saquon Barkley highlight. The Dallas Cowboys wouldn’t have the best wide receivers in the Big Ten. And the Redskins can’t seem to decide whether they want to be good or bad, instead settling on mediocre.

The 2018 Eagles might not be as good as the 2017 iteration (at least right now), but Thursday night they looked better than they have all season. They looked like the team to beat in the NFC East.

And they looked that way for one primary reason.

Their franchise signal-caller appears to have gotten his groove back.

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2OTJ0wZ
via IFTTT

Anwar Ibrahim bids to return to heart of Malaysian politics

Port Dickson, Malaysia – On a soggy evening in a small town just south of Kuala Lumpur’s international airport, Anwar Ibrahim fires up the crowd.

Bounding up to the stage he talks mostly in Malay, peppering his speech with English and delighting the mainly Chinese crowd with a few words of Mandarin.

He tells them he will fight for all Malaysians, regardless of where they come from: “We are all family.”

The few hundred-strong crowd, seated beneath a giant canopy next to shuttered shops, claps and cheers.

Pardoned of a sodomy conviction that put him behind bars for a third time in 2015, Anwar is taking his first steps back to power, standing in a specially engineered by-election on Saturday that could eventually allow him to take over from Mahathir Mohamad – his ally-turned-nemesis-turned-ally – and become Malaysia’s eighth prime minister.

“If [Anwar] wins, it brings him back into the political mainstream of Malaysia,” said Keith Leong, head of research at the KRA Group in Kuala Lumpur. “It allows him to be in contention to succeed Mahathir. [But] if he loses, it will be a significant blow to his credibility and his claim on the premiership.”

While the by-election in Port Dickson appears to be Anwar’s to lose – the representative who stepped down to allow Anwar to contest won a 17,710 majority in May’s general election – any margin of victory will be closely watched given the potential implications for the country’s leadership.

Malaysia’s opposition pulls off shocking election win

“[A] convincing victory is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for a smooth transition and political stability,” said Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist at the Penang Institute.

“Necessary because a weak victory for Anwar will invite some to try blocking his ascendance and the succession battle will be wide open. Not sufficient because it depends on the arrangement between Mahathir and Anwar. There needs to be a clear division of labour between Mahathir and Anwar.”

Rebuild the nation

The two men gave little away when they campaigned together in the seaside town earlier this week. It was the first time they had appeared together at a political rally in more than 20 years – when Mahathir sacked and jailed his one-time protege.

Thousands turned out for the event, according to the local Star newspaper. “I hope that we can work together,” the paper quoted Mahathir saying. “Not for Anwar. Not for Mahathir, but for our beloved country and the Malaysians who entrusted us with this opportunity to rebuild the nation.”

A multicultural country of more than 30 million people, Malaysia’s population is mostly Malay Muslim, but has substantial communities of ethnic Chinese and Indian, as well as numerous indigenous people. Government policies that favour the Malays have left many minorities feeling bitter, while some worry that increasing religious conservatism risks further undermining national cohesion.

Analysts say Anwar, who got his break in politics in the 1970s as leader of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia, known by its Malay acronym ABIM, may be best placed to tackle the issue.

“Religion has become so divisive as a factor in Malaysian society,” said Kee Thuan Chye, author of a forthcoming book on the May election, The People’s Victory. “He will have to moderate it and he is the best person to do that because of his Islamic credentials. If he’s to do this country a favour then he must use this credibility to bring about a Malaysia that is less fundamentalist in its approach to Islam.”

Malaysia: New government sworn in after 61-year party rule

It was those religious credentials that persuaded Mahathir, then in his first stint as premier, that Anwar would be a useful ally. In the 1980s, he persuaded the man US officials had called a “firebrand” and had already served time in prison under the Internal Security Act, to join him in the ruling party. Under Mahathir’s tutelage Anwar rose quickly, becoming education minister, then finance minister and finally deputy prime minister and heir apparent.

‘It will be like before’

Over a breakfast of thosai (an Indian pancake) and curry, in a voice made hoarse by days of campaigning, Anwar urges local residents to vote – there are some 75,000 people in the constituency with seven candidates on the ballot – and promises to work hard for everyone.

Thaharma Kamaurddin, 67, a retired airline pilot, is finishing up his breakfast with a friend at a nearby table. He jumps up to shake Anwar’s hand, almost missing the chance in the crowd of supporters and security.

“From what I hear and see, I think he will bring the races together and that’s what we want,” he says. “It will be like before.”

Across town, Stevie Chan, 51, is taking a break from campaigning at a park by the waterfront. The independent candidate has worn out one pair of shoes already in his bid for election.

Anwar Ibrahim campaigns for election in the seaside town of Port Dickson in Malaysia [Kate Mayberry/Al Jazeera]

Chan threw his hat into the ring because he believes that Anwar should have waited for a seat to become available rather than deliberately triggering an election by having a loyal party member resign. While not illegal under Malaysian election law, Chan believes the move is unethical.

A Pakatan supporter in the May election, he says he is committed to the coalition’s reform agenda, but he has doubts about the myths that he says have grown up around Anwar.

“The tragic hero and all that,” Chan said. “I don’t buy these things. I don’t like all that.”

A prime minister-in-waiting during Malaysia’s boom years of the 1990s, Anwar’s spectacular fall from grace came in the midst of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998. Thousands of Malaysians poured onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur when he was sacked and accused of sodomy, demanding reform. His appearance in court with a black eye – the result of a beating from the then chief of police – only fed their anger and hunger for change.

After a lengthy and lurid trial that was criticised internationally, Anwar was eventually found guilty and jailed.

It was only once Mahathir had resigned that Anwar was freed. Thousands thronged his house in an upmarket Kuala Lumpur suburb on the night in 2004 when he returned home, an early indication that while Anwar had been gone, he had not been forgotten. Unable to return to politics until 2008, he took up teaching in universities overseas.

Anwar supporters condemn Malaysian court verdict

‘Willing to run the gauntlet’

New sodomy allegations emerged in 2008, but that didn’t stop Anwar from standing for election and becoming leader of the opposition, where he called for political reforms.

Acquitted of the charges four years later after the High Court found the DNA evidence unreliable, it seemed the case had gone away. But in 2014, the decision was suddenly overturned and Anwar found himself facing five years in prison. The country’s top court upheld the verdict in 2015 and he was once again out of politics and behind bars.

“He had an opportunity to leave and do anything he wanted, but he chose to stay in Malaysia and to make that choice speaks volumes of his character,” observed Charles Allers, author of The Making of a Muslim Democrat, a biography of Anwar that was published in 2011.

“They had put him in jail once and could do it again. Knowing that was a possibility he was still willing to run the gauntlet whatever the personal cost might be.”

Anwar remained imprisoned throughout the 2018 election, but as his party’s de facto leader, his support was crucial to the coalition’s decision to stand behind Mahathir.

Brought together by a joint determination to oust former prime minister Najib Razak, now on trial in connection with billions of dollars that went missing from state fund 1MDB, the two reached a pact. Anwar would back Mahathir while the 93-year-old would ensure Anwar was pardoned and released from jail. He also agreed to step down within two years to allow the younger man to take over.

After so many decades in the tumult of Malaysian politics, it seems Anwar’s time may finally have arrived.

“This is the most historic by-election in the history of Malaysia,” Lim Kit Siang, a veteran of Malaysia’s long struggle for democracy, told the crowd as Anwar said his goodbyes.

“It’s about whether we continue what we did in May 9. Whether we continue to build a better Malaysia.”

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2NCi6Vq
via IFTTT

Odell Beckham Jr. Walks to Giants Locker Room Before 1st Half Is Over

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham warms up before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had enough of the second quarter of Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles and headed to the locker room before the halftime whistle:

Bleacher Report NFL @BR_NFL

OBJ got a head start to the locker room https://t.co/z9DfNkO3Mz

Michael Fabiano of NFL Media said the receiver was “in anything but a good mood” as he left the field before his teammates at MetLife Stadium. Philadelphia entered the locker room with a 24-6 advantage.

After the game Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said Beckham Jr. went to the locker room to receive IVs, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Beckham had just two catches for 12 yards in the first half and was largely a non-factor for an offense that struggled to move the ball unless it was in running back Saquon Barkley’s hands (71 rushing yards and 78 receiving yards).

This comes after the Giants fined the receiver for critical comments he made about the team during an interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the news of the fine and previously noted head coach Pat Shurmur was “absolutely livid” with Beckham. The coach then had the receiver apologize to his teammates.

“So a lot of it has to do with the energy that we have, that we don’t bring every single day,” Beckham said during the interview (h/t Neil Best of Newsday). “And you know me, I’m a passionate, energetic person. I always have to have that. If I don’t, it’s going to be a problem for me. And just playing with some heart, like we just need to play with some heart.”

Beckham told the Giants after the interview he sent the “wrong message,” per Glazer.

While New York appears well on its way to a 1-5 record, Beckham’s on-field performance hasn’t been the issue, considering he topped 100 receiving yards in three of the first five games. However, his off-field actions continue to generate headlines for the NFC East’s last-place team.

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2ymjmrl
via IFTTT

Report: Pat Riley Called Tom Thibodeau ‘Motherf–ker’ in Jimmy Butler Trade Talk

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 18: Miami Heat president Pat Riley attends Day Two of the NBA Draft Combine at Quest MultiSport Complex on May 18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Two places the word “motherf–ker” has been uttered recently: the White House and trade talks between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat.

ESPN’s Jorge Sedano shared a story of how the Heat’s near-trade for Jimmy Butler fell apart, with Pat Riley dropping the big MF on Tom Thibodeau (transcript via Deadspin):

“There’s been a couple of different incarnations of this deal. The first one, the Heat didn’t want to take back Gorgui Dieng. Then, the next incarnation of the deal was ‘OK forget it, let’s just do it straight up, just for Jimmy on your end.’ They finally relented on Josh Richardson, they were giving them Josh Richardson, then Dion Waiters was going to be the cap filler, and then a protected first-round pick. The medicals were exchanged, which generally in the NBA means this is a done deal. And then, Thibs called back and wanted more picks. And Pat Riley literally—I was told—called him a motherbleeper and hung up the phone.”

The Heat and Timberwolves have been negotiating for weeks following Butler’s trade request. Miami is considered the only serious suitor at this time, but it appears talks have gone dormant as the regular season draws closer.

If you follow the story Sedano weaves, it’s not hard to see why Riley grew frustrated. The Heat seem to have relented on nearly every demand the Wolves had—aside from taking on Gorgui Dieng—only for Thibodeau to demand more.

Thibodeau has all of the reason to want to hang onto Butler. It’s clear his power within the organization is in a tenuous spot. Owner Glen Taylor has put a mandate on the organization to trade Butler, though it appears Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden have been taking their time in the process.

Butler infamously returned to practice Wednesday, insulting his teammates and then going on ESPN to discuss his displeasure in Minnesota.

So odds are Riley isn’t the only one who is a little frustrated with the way things are going.

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2NEeimO
via IFTTT

Singaporean artist jailed after peaceful protest

Singapore – A 34-year-old performance artist is serving a two-week jail sentence for what he and his supporters consider a peaceful one-man protest.

Human rights groups and arts supporters are calling for the release of Seelan Palay, who was sentenced under Singapore’s tough public order law. Defenders see the law as a necessary deterrent to public disorder in the strict city-state.

Palay was sentenced by a Singapore court on October 3 following a performance titled “32 Years: The Interrogation of A Mirror,” commemorating Singapore’s longest held political prisoner, Chia Thye Poh, who spent 32 years in detention until his release in 1998.

A district court ruled Palay staged a demonstration without a permit in violation of the Public Order Act, designed to protect national security.

Human rights groups denounced the sentencing as an affront to free speech and called for Palay’s immediate release.

“The conviction of artist and activist Seelan Palay for being ‘a threat to public order’ is absurd and highlights the lengths the Singaporean authorities are willing to go to silence dissent,” Josef Benedict, a researcher with the NGO Civicus, told Al Jazeera.

“The right to peaceful protest is an essential part of a democracy, which Singapore claims it is, and should be respected instead of criminalised”.

Singapore summit: Discussing human rights

Amnesty International said in a statement, “The organisation considers the conviction a violation of the right to freedom of expression and calls for the quashing of the conviction and sentence.”

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders “calls on the authorities of Singapore to immediately and unconditionally release Mr Seelan Palay and end all acts of judicial harassment against him and all human rights defenders in the country”.

Human rights watchers earlier accused Singapore of using its Public Order Act to restrict freedom of expression.

‘Art without fear’

The arts groups Freemuse and Artists at Risk Connection said in a joint statement: “We … ask that the authorities work to uphold the human right to freedom of expression to enable artists like Mr Palay to create art without fear, as freedom of expression and peaceful protest are essential components in the creation of a functioning and vibrant society.”

But others defend Singapore’s stress on public order, saying it goes back to its political fragility as a new nation in 1965. Freedom of speech and assembly are included in Singapore’s constitution, but the Public Order Act allows authorities to regulate assemblies and processions in public places when they deem necessary, legal experts say.

“In Singapore, there is little tolerance for disorder, and the racial riots in 1950s and 1960s have been attributed to assemblies and processions becoming unruly and prone to disturbance,” Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at Singapore Management University, told Al Jazeera.

“As such, Singapore authorities make no apology for the uncompromising approach, and the public has accorded legitimacy to such restrictions.”

Palay’s sentencing came one year after his performance on Oct 1, 2017. He had applied for and received a license to hold an event at Hong Lim Park, the location of Speakers’ Corner, the former British colony’s version of London’s Hyde Park Corner.

At the event, Palay spoke to some 20 to 30 attendees, and quoted Chia on his 32-year detention.

“My ideal has not been dampened after more than 30 years under detention. In fact, prison life can only make a person more determined to fight against oppression and for a just, fair and democratic society.”

While the permit for his performance was restricted to Speakers’ Corner, Palay left for a solo procession to the nearby National Gallery and then Parliament House, where he stood at an entrance holding up a mirror as a prop.

Singapore: Asia’s greenest city

Police told Palay he was committing an offence under the Public Order Act and asked him to leave. He was arrested after he refused.

Immoral act?

A district court found him guilty of conducting a procession without a permit under Section 7 of the Public Order Act. Palay was fined SGD$2,500 ($1,800) but because he refused to pay, he must serve two weeks in jail instead.

“The accused had set out to deliberately break the law that day,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Dwayne Lum told the court.

Lum unsuccessfully sought the maximum sentence of a $3,000 fine, sayingPalay had been charged three times in 2010 on similar charges, and each time served jail terms in lieu of paying fines imposed by courts.

Chia Thye Poh seen here in 1998 after his release [File: Ng Han Guan/AP]

Representing himself, Palay told the court: “I would like to reiterate that I did not threaten Singapore’s public order, national security, relations with other countries, or commit an immoral act.”

Palay has sought to bring attention to the plight of Chia Thye Poh, who in October 1966 was arrested for anti-government activities and imprisoned under Singapore’s Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial.

He was imprisoned for a total of 32 years – 23 years in detention without trial followed by another nine years of house arrest – becoming the city-state’s longest held political prisoner.

Chia was nominated by supporters in 2015 for the Nobel Peace Prize to highlight his efforts to champion political freedom. Supporters noted his 32 years in detention was longer than South Africa’s 27-year imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Follow Tom Benner on Twitter: @tgbenner

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2OScoDS
via IFTTT

Shane Dawson somehow gets you to feel bad for Jake Paul in part 6 of his docu-series

Breaking: Jake Paul is a real human being with feelings.

It took until episode five of his docu-series for Shane Dawson to finally show his subject. The latest installation hinted at a more innocent, softer side of Jake, but it barely scratched the surface.

In The Secrets of Jake Paul, the 21-year-old vlogger finally seems to relax. Part 6 shows a more gentle Jake who piles Team 10 into his massive SUV for a surprisingly wholesome quest for camping supplies.

“You guys wanna go to Walmart?” he asks the camera. “I’ve never taken a break so I don’t know what to do.”

Jake, who took September off from vlogging at the insistence of his girlfriend, Erica Costell, has become something of a pariah in the YouTube community. He describes vlogging culture as “cliquey” and admits that he sat by himself during the YouTube creator summit while everyone else socialized.

“I’m one of the biggest YouTubers, right?” Jake says. But instead of coming off as arrogant, he sounds vulnerable. “So you’d think someone would come up and be like ‘Hey man, nice to meet you’ … I was kind of the elephant in the room.”

Despite his signature song “Everyday Bro” proclaiming himself as a self-absorbed asshole, Jake is capable of reflection. When Shane asks about his former assistant Meg’s assault allegations against Faze Banks, his ex-girlfriend Alissa Violet’s new boyfriend, Jake describes his reaction as “immature.”

“We should have looked into it more before speaking on it,” he says, acknowledging the fact that releasing a video about it with Meg’s bruise as the thumbnail was kind of grimy. Thinking back on it, capitalizing on a woman’s trauma for views “seems like, thirsty.”

Overall, Jake seems to be very over YouTube’s possessive fandom culture. In response to the video accusing Faze Banks of strangling Jake’s assistant, rivaling fans accused Team 10 of faking the police report and drugging Faze Bank’s drink. Jake lost 60,000 subscribers after a former Team 10 member reneged on his support for Meg and claimed the assault never happened.

“It’s very cliquey,” Jake tells Shane. “There’s a lot of cliques on YouTube.”

They laugh when Shane very pointedly looks at the massive Team 10 sign hanging over the stairs.

the new shane dawson jake paul episode feels like when you get partnered with an asshole football player for a project and when he’s away from his friends and image he turns out to be a mostly decent human being

— young & tragic (@emdianajones) October 11, 2018

Me at start of the Jake Paul / Shane Dawson series: omg I’m never going to feel sorry for Jake Paul, wtf is Shane doing

Me now: you know what maybe I do like Jake now pic.twitter.com/qNpWRieGrg

— H (@Haliemjames) October 11, 2018

To Erica, Jake has just been “fucked over so many times” by his friends and family.

“Could you picture being around someone after something like that happened to you?” she asks Shane.

As the series unfolds, Jake has been portrayed less as a subscriber-hungry monster preying on little kids to buy merch, and more as a guy who wants to be normal. In a clip featured in an earlier episode, Jake gifts his mother a necklace for her birthday and she immediately begins recording.

“I’m glad that we can have real connections now,” he intones over a video chat. “It’s just … both of each other vlogging.”

In another clip featured in Part 6, Jakes brother Logan and their father Greg record themselves setting mouse traps off on their hands. In the background, Jake can be heard complaining, “Guys, we’re supposed to be opening gifts.”

Erica worries that the pressure to provide for his loved ones — from getting the massive mansion they live in to running the company that employs them — is taking a toll on him.

“When you wake up every morning and everybody’s relying on you to live,” she says in a one-on-one conversation with Shane. “That’s a lot of energy being taken from you. That’s a lot of pressure.”

And after observing Jake and the way he interacts with his Team 10 friends/roommates/employees, therapist Kati Morton concludes that at his core, he’s a genuinely good kid.

“He really gives to people — he bought a huge home [and] has everybody living in it essentially for free,” Kati says at the end of the video. “I think he’s a simple guy and he wants people around him who he loves, and he’ll spend whatever he has to make that happen.”

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2QJjkQU
via IFTTT

Johnny Depp Defends His Own Casting In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald

Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

Like it or not, Johnny Depp is starring in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and he is not backing down from the vocal Harry Potter loyalists who protested his continued casting in light of domestic abuse allegations from ex-wife Amber Heard. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor addresses the controversy that’s become the film’s darkest cloud.

When asked how he felt about the fallout, Depp’s first thought went to the magical world’s creator, J.K. Rowling. “I’ll be honest with you, I felt bad for J.K. having to field all these various feelings from people out there. I felt bad that she had to take that,” he said.

Warner Bros Pictures

Despite support from Rowling and the studio, Depp acknowledged that “ultimately, there is real controversy,” and doubled down on his own self-defense. “The fact remains I was falsely accused, which is why I’m suing the Sun newspaper for defamation for repeating false accusations,” he said. “J.K. has seen the evidence and therefore knows I was falsely accused, and that’s why she has publicly supported me. She doesn’t take things lightly. She would not stand up if she didn’t know the truth. So that’s really it.”

Rowling, for her part, released a statement defending Depp last December, noting that “the inability to speak openly to fans about this issue has been difficult, frustrating and at times painful,” but after many conversations, she remained “genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”

In the same interview, Depp addressed another (way less personal) controversy — how the film would portray young Dumbledore’s (played by Jude Law) sexuality. Fans have been eager to see interactions between Grindelwald and the Hogwarts headmaster ever since learning that the two were romantically linked once upon a time, and were understandably disappointed when director David Yates said that Dumbledore is “not explicitly” gay in the second installment of the five-movie series.

“I think it should be left up to the audience to feel it first, and when the time comes … It makes the situation with Dumbledore all the more intense,” Depp said after recognizing that “there’s probably a lot of residue left over from days gone by.”

Warner Bros Pictures

He also hints that, at this point in their long history, their passion is still very much alive — it just expresses itself differently than it once did. “When you loved someone, and cared for someone, and it arrives into a [combative] arena — as it has with Dumbledore and Grindelwald — it’s very dangerous when it becomes personal.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters November 16.

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2A5MPag
via IFTTT

Facebook now lets you post hyper-realistic 3D photos

Your News Feed is about to get a lot more lifelike.

Facebook just began rolling out support for its 3D photos, which make portrait mode images look much more realistic.

The feature is possible thanks to the dual-camera setups that have become common on flagship smartphones. With 3D photos, when you post a portrait-style image, Facebook is able to separate the subject of the photo from the background and create a more layered look.

The result is a startlingly lifelike image that appears to “move” as you scroll (you can also tilt your phone to adjust the view).

You can see it in action in the video below.

The feature isn’t perfect, and, depending on the photo, some attempts look better than others. According to Facebook, it works best with images that have a significant amount of contrast between the background and the foreground. It certainly offers a whole new way of looking at portrait mode images.

Anyone can view the 3D photos on Facebook right now, but the ability to post them will be rolling out much more slowly. Once it’s live, you’ll see it in the standard post options. It supports Portrait Mode photos from the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and iPhone XS for now.

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2Cbo65J
via IFTTT

Even this futuristic Boston Dynamics robot can’t make parkour cool

Somewhere, a solitary suburban teenage boy is impressed.

He’s just watched the latest YouTube video from Boston Dynamics, which shows off the Atlas robot doing some siiiiiiiick parkour moves. The robot can jump over a log (dude!), and up a few platforms (wicked!).

It’s everything a 14-year-old in 2001 could have hoped for.

While previous demos from the Boston Dynamics team have inspired a measure of caution in those fearing the robot uprising, this latest addition to the company’s oeuvre doesn’t quite carry the same weight. It does, however, serve to remind us just how dorky parkour is.

So hey, don’t say robots never did anything for you.

from Daily Trends Hunter https://ift.tt/2CDq3ZG
via IFTTT

Eagles vs. Giants: Live Updates, Score and Highlights for Thursday Night Football

Clock Iconless than a minute ago

The Checkdown @thecheckdown
Clock Iconless than a minute ago

Eagles Take Early Lead!

The Eagles turned an early interception of Giants QB Eli Manning into seven points, as Carson Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for a 13-yard touchdown after the turnover. Philadelphia’s offense needed only three plays to convert the takeaway into a 7-0 lead.
Clock Icon1 minute ago

via Twitter
Clock Icon2 minutes ago

Doug Farrar @NFL_DougFarrar

Pretty much. https://t.co/IzcXSl6DIJ
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

NFL @NFL

Early turnover!

@Eagles LB @K_grugierhill comes up with the pick. #FlyEaglesFly

: @nflnetwork + @NFLonFOX
+: https://t.co/DJUityQHC9 https://t.co/cQAnng7hhA
Clock Iconless than a minute ago

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Clock Iconless than a minute ago

Paul Domowitch @pdomo
Clock Icon1 minute ago

Zach Berman @ZBerm
Clock Icon5 minutes ago

via Twitter
Clock Icon12 minutes ago

via Bleacher Report
Clock Icon20 minutes ago

NFL @NFL

Ready to rock. #GiantsPride

#PHIvsNYG https://t.co/ZWcWYPAzZp
Clock Icon1 minute ago

New Account @ftbeard_17
Clock Icon1 minute ago

Michele Steele @ESPNMichele
Clock Icon1 minute ago

Reuben Frank @RoobNBCS
Clock Icon23 minutes ago

NFL Network @nflnetwork

NFC East rivals go head-to-head! @Eagles face the @Giants on #TNF! Who ya got?

Kickoff is NEXT on NFLN | @NFLonFOX | @PrimeVideo!

#FlyEaglesFly | #GiantsPride https://t.co/gOazMCMtJ4
Clock Icon16 minutes ago

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

OBJ wants in on all the points

(via @thecheckdown) https://t.co/POvW7WQwdc
Clock Icon12 minutes ago

via Steelers Wire
Clock Icon1 minute ago

The Checkdown @thecheckdown
Clock Icon1 minute ago

Dave Spadaro @EaglesInsider
Clock Icon1 minute ago

Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles
October 11, 2018
Clock Iconabout 1 hour ago

Complex Sneakers @ComplexSneakers

.@OBJ’s flood-red Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro 3 Uptempo pregame cleats for Thursday Night Football. https://t.co/ltzHsc6Ah8
Clock Iconabout 1 hour ago

Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles

Here they come.

#PHIvsNYG | #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/Z0BRQXAFqH
Clock Icon11:17 pm

Ralph Vacchiano @RVacchianoSNY

Fun Saquon Barkley fact: He has 150 yards on four carries. And he has 158 yards on his other 67 carries.
October 12, 2018
Clock Icon1 minute ago

BleedingGreenNation @BleedingGreen
Clock Icon1 minute ago

StatsCentre @StatsCentre
Clock Icon2 minutes ago

Paul Domowitch @pdomo
October 11, 2018
Clock Icon11:09 pm

Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles

#PHIvsNYG https://t.co/QUAu8EZzV7
Clock Icon11:08 pm

Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles

#PHIvsNYG Inactives: LB Alexander, LB Gerry, S Graham, T Mailata, DT Ngata, G Pryor, RB Sproles
Clock Icon11:07 pm

New York Giants @Giants

.@oliviervernon54 is ACTIVE!

#PHIvsNYG Inactives:
TE Evan Engram
WR Russell Shepard
QB Kyle Lauletta
TE Rhett Ellison
S Kamrin Moore
C Evan Brown
DT John Jenkins https://t.co/nMy4hfn6hv
October 12, 2018
Clock Icon2 minutes ago

BleedingGreenNation @BleedingGreen
Clock Icon2 minutes ago

Ed Kracz @kracze
Clock Icon12 minutes ago

via Bleacher Report
October 11, 2018
Clock Icon10:54 pm

Dave Zangaro @DZangaroNBCS

#Eagles inactives

Darren Sproles (hamstring)
Haloti Ngata (calf)
Nate Gerry (ankle, knee)
Corey Graham (hamstring)
D.J. Alexander (quad)
Jordan Mailata
Matt Pryor
October 12, 2018
Clock Icon2 minutes ago

Ed Kracz @kracze
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

trey wingo @wingoz
October 11, 2018
Clock Icon10:45 pm

via Bleacher Report
Clock Icon10:00 pm

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

The Giants can never catch a break when they play the Eagles

(via @nflthrowback) https://t.co/BYNP7khrai
October 12, 2018
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Sports Illustrated @SInow
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Les Bowen @LesBowen
October 11, 2018
Clock Icon10:42 pm

via ProFootballTalk
Clock Icon9:56 pm

Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles

East Rutherford, NJ

#PHIvsNYG | #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/IlJDubr8vq
October 12, 2018
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Don Bell @DonBellonCBS3
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Marc Sessler @MarcSesslerNFL
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Jeff McLane @Jeff_McLane
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

PhillySportsNetwork @PhiladelphiaSN
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Ike Reese @Ike58Reese
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Geoff Mosher @GeoffMosherNFL
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

BleedingGreenNation @BleedingGreen
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Nick Fierro @NickFierro
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Paul Domowitch @pdomo
Clock Icon3 minutes ago

Andrew Brandt @AndrewBrandt
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

Philadelphia Eagles @Eagles
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

Dianna Russini @diannaESPN
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

J Reid @JReidNFL
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

Ike Reese @Ike58Reese
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

Reuben Frank @RoobNBCS
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

Ed Benkin @EdBenkin
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

Eliot Shorr-Parks @EliotShorrParks
Clock Icon4 minutes ago

NFL Research @NFLResearch
Clock Icon5 minutes ago

Big Blue View @bigblueview