Sports

Sports

Whats Up With Those Lakers, and Their Star Players?
Hailey Hurowitz
10/30/12
1A

           Coming into basketball this season does not look good for the Lakers.  Kobe Bryant one of the team's star guards has persistent bruising and spraining on his right foot that threw his status in Tuesday's opener against the Dallas Mavericks into doubt.  Bryant participated in the team shoot-around this afternoon and appears likely to be in the starting five as the Lakers begin their grand experiment with new additions, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.

          Bryant participated in five of the eight Laker preseason games, averaging 20.4 points on 50.0 percent shooting. But with Dwight Howard having played just two preseason games as he recovers from back surgery, the Lakers will have had their complete starting five on the floor together just once ahead of the opener, making the issue of developing team bonding even more difficult.         

          According to L.A. Times beat reporter Mike Bresnahan, Bryant declared himself 85 percent sure he would play on Tuesday against the Mavericks.  That follows a Monday night posting on Bryant's Facebook page in which he said, "Getting stronger,  Not sure what it means for Tuesday night just yet but it's much better than it was a week ago when I could barely walk.  I hate not practicing.  It drives me crazy!"

           The Lakers were 0-8 in the preseason, outscored by an average margin of 15.2 points. They will go from L.A. tonight to Portland for Wednesday’s game, and the back-to-back isn’t quite how coach Mike Brown wants to begin the year. But after that, the Lakers play 11 of their next 15 games at home, and have only two back-to-backs in that span.
link
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--lakers-unsure-kobe-bryant-will-play-in-opener-29321409.html

Health

Health
Sugar is Not So Good For You
Hailey Hurowitz
10/30/12

1A

   
         Experts have said that sugar is a poison that is killing us all.  We need sugar in our bodies, but what we don't need is an excessive amount.  Naturally occurring sugars in fruits, veggies, and milk are perfectly fin for you though.  It is added sugars like sweeteners that are really bad for you.  Some major companies are actually getting on board with this though.  In the past four years, cereal brands have cut back on sugar, the milk industry recently lowered the amounts in chocolate milk served in schools, and Walmart is aiming for 10% less added sugar in select foods by 2015.  
        The love for sugar is in you DNA.  Researchers have found two sweet-receptor genes that can predict a preference for sweets.  The American Heart Association recommends most women get no more than 24 grams of added sugar per day.  Thing is, the average American woman eats about 18 daily teaspoons.  Sugar is hidden in unlikely foods, from salad dressing to crackers, which can push you past 24 grams.  Eating too much sugar can cause fat buildup in the liver, which can lead to health problems.  As sweet as some of foods may taste, they contain relatively small amounts of sugar. Plus, nature's packaging comes with essential vitamins and minerals, along with water and fiber that slow the release of sugars into the bloodstream and prevent insulin spikes.

link
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/30/health/sugar-bad/index.html?hpt=he_c2

, 

Technology

Technology
Changes for Apple
Hailey Hurowitz
10/30/12

1A

          Apple has changed its management team. with two of its top executives being asked to leave.  Scott Forstall is responsible for the iOS software running iPhones and iPads, and is considered an heir-in-waiting to CEO Time Cook, he is the most prominent executive departing.  He will though stick around as an advisor for the rest of this year, then leave the company. 
         The move was actually a surprise.  Forstall was one of the top executives at Apple over the past decade, and his team's software fuels Apple's premiere devices.  Forstall was also behind Apple's Maps software, a debacle that was widely mocked on social media.  The debut of Maps was so disastrous that iCook issued a public apology for the app and recommended rival applications while Apple worked on improvements, including the Google Maps software that is replaced.  Siri, the iPhone and iPad's electronic personal assistant, is also an incomplete product.  The service is down a lot and doesn't really give good answers.  A group of Apple executives will replace Forstall, each sharing some of his responsibilities.  Eddy Cue, head of Apple's iTunes and iCloud services, will take over Siri and Maps. Mac OS chief Craig Federighi will take control of iOS, uniting Apple's two operating systems into one product group. And Jony Ive, Apple's head of hardware design, will be in charge of Apple's software look and feel going forward as well.  Apple made a few other executive changes as well.  As the company searches for an executive to replace Browett, Cook will oversee the retail unit.

link
http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/29/technology/apple-shakeup/index.html

Weekend Release

Fun Size
Chasing Mavericks
The Last Fall
Weekend Release
Hailey Hurowitz
10/26/12
1A

Movie: Fun Size
Summary
      The movie Fun Size is a teen comedy that is about a sarcastic high school senior, Wren (Victoria Justice), who is excited to go away from her weird family by going off to college.  Before she goes off to do that, her mother, Joy, insists that she watch her little brother Albert on Halloween night, so Joy can go to a party with her much younger boyfriend.  When Wren gets distracted by an invitation to the party of the year, Albert disappears into the Halloween, trick or treating night.  Wren, nervous about finding him before her mother finds out, gets help from her sassy best friend, April, and her friend Peng who is a ladies man and co-captin of the debate team, and Peng's best friend, Roosevelt, who is a sweet nerd who has a crush on Wren.  These teens, who are very different from each other set out all Halloween night on high-stakes to find Albert.
Reviews
The movie seems like a good movie for any age.  Here are some reviews from rottentomatoes.com.  One person said, "There's little fun to be had in this foolish Halloween comedy that generates many more eye rolls than laughs."  Another person said on that website, "Though it doesn't always hit the hilarity target, this tween-targeted romp strikes a sweet-but-not-sappy balance."
Grosses
The gross of this movie for the movie's opening weekend is $9.0 million.

Movie: Chasing Mavericks
Summary

     The movie Chasing Mavericks is an inspirational true story of a real life surfing phenom of Jay Moriarity (played by Jonny Weston).  When 15-year-old Jay discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, is not only real, but exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he starts to get help from the local legend Frosty Hesson (played by Gerard Butler) to train him to survive it.  As Jay and Frosty start on their journey to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives, and their journey to control Mavericks becomes about far more than surfing.  Chasing Mavericks was made with the help of some of the biggest names in the surfing world, and shows some of the most mind-blowing real wave footage ever captured on film.
Reviews
This movie seems really inspiring to me, and I love Gerard Butler!  Here are some reviews from rottentomatoes.com.  One person said, "The heart-pounding surfing scenes are epic but the script can barely keep its head above the waves in the dramatized biopic Chasing Mavericks."  Another person said on that website, "They should have just called it Karate Kid: Surf's Up!"
Grosses
The gross of this movie for the movie's opening weekend is $5.0 million.

Movie: The Last Fall
Summary
     The Last Fall tells the story of Kyle Bishop (played by Lance Gross) who is a 25-year-old NFL star who suddenly finds himself out of work, penniless, with no idea what to do next.  Like many unemployed, ex-pros, Bishop returns home where he reconnects with his family and tries to rekindle with old flames with his high school girlfriend, Faith Davies (played by Nicole Beharie).  After a bad start, Bishop finally finds his way back into Faith's life and heart.  Bishop also decides to permanently end his ties with football and start a new life with Faith and her son, Von.  Unfortunately, just when he settles into a new job, and a loving life with Faith, he receives a great offer from a NFL team.  Also, the father of Faith's son, Rell appears and tries to get back with Faith.  Once again, Bishop is torn, and doesn't know what to do.
Reviews
This movie seems like a great movie that I think I would enjoy.  Here are some reviews from rottentomatoes.com.  One person said, "The Last Fall is an honest, heartfelt and authentic film that is filled with a good script, good production values, and fantastic performances."  Another person said on that website, "This is an involving, sympathetic film unafraid to wear its sizable heart on its sleeve."
Grosses
The gross of this movie for the movie's opening weekend is $7.0 million.

Top 3 Movies of the Weekend
1. Paranormal Activity 4
2. Argo
3. Taken 2

Politics

Hailey Hurowitz
Politics
Obama Trying to Legalize Gay Marriage
10/26/12
1A


       


          President Obama on Thursday supported behind ballot measures in Maine, Maryland, and Washington state that would legalize same-sex marriage.  Although the  president first said his general approval for gay marriage in May, he had not previously offered specific endorsements of the three measures.  In each case, the endorsements were issued through the state branches of Obama's reelection campaign.  In Maine, gay-rights put the measure on this year's ballot in hopes of reversing the results of 2009 in which voters rejected a same-sex marriage law passed by the legislature.  In Maryland and Washington, gay-marriage laws were passed by lawmakers and signed by the governors earlier this year, but opponents collected enough signatures to hold off on whether the laws should be upheld or rejected.  Ed Murray, who is an openly gay state senator in Washington has been fighting for years to legalize gay marriage, and is really with Obama all the way on this one.  Chip White of Preserve Marriage Washington, which opposes the gay-marriage law, said he was unsurprised by Obama's action.  If any of the measures are approved, it would be the first time that a state legalized same-sex marriage through a popular vote.  All 32 states voting on gay marriage have rejected it, while the six states that have legalized it did so through legislation or court orders.  In all three states voting on the issue on Nov. 6, the outcome is expected to be close, though the polls up to now have given an edge to gay-marriage supporters.

Local News

Local News
Pervert Arrested
Hailey Hurowitz

10/24/12
1A

                       In Marietta, Georgia the police arrested Jerry Dean Westbrook on Tuesday for three felony counts of sexual battery of a juvenile.  According to the police, 68-year-old Westbrook, of Powder Springs, was a season pass holder of White Water amusement park.  He usually visited the park alone.  In September, Marietta detectives investigated allegations of inappropriate contact that was made towards young girls in White Water's wave pool.  Some witnesses told police they had seen an older man, who was not identified at that time, making contact with young females on several occasions between the end of August and the beginning of September.  The police believe there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward.  Many people are re-leaved that Jerry Dean Westbrook is in jail now though.

link
 http://www.11alive.com/news/article/261721/40/Man-arrested-for-sexual-battery-at-White-Water

Sports

Sports
Hailey Hurowitz
10/24/12
1A

    The Tour de France is where Lance Armstrong got stripped of all seven of his titles this week because of his drug cheats in cycling.  The list of frauds grow daily with regards to Armstrong.  Nike is even shocked by Armstrong's blood-doping too as the rest of us are.  Even Livestrong, his foundation where they are geared toward helping and inspiring cancer patients everywhere, gladly accepted his resignation.  What Armstrong did was destroy his reputation, lie after meticulous lie.  It is not only about the blood doping and steroid-using and clandestine injections, this hardly makes him alone.  It was the denials, the anger at anyone who dared suggest otherwise, the leaning on his recovery from cancer as a weird response to any accusations.  There are few things more damaging than lies and liars. They steal away a sense of what is real and our ability to trust, but mostly though they diminish themselves. This is what Armstrong did when he cheated, when he lied again and again about doing so, when he accused his former teammates as liars, when he bullied and shamed any and all detractors.  Lance Armstrong always will be the guy who beat cancer though.  He was eventually departed by himself, his ego, his hubris, and his lies.

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/cycling/story/lance-armstrong-beat-cancer-but-lies-beat-lance-102312