8 things gamers can be thankful for in 2017
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A lot of terrible stuff has happened in 2017, but as far as video games are concerned, it has been one of the most interesting years in recent memory. Acclaimed classics like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released, sequels to mediocre games managed to catch us by surprise with their innovative new features, and most importantly, we learned a lot more about the anatomy of one of our most beloved characters. From the triumphant to the trivial, let’s look back at the stories that gamers can be thankful for this year.
1. The Nintendo Switch is a success
Nintendo’s Wii U console was a complete and utter failure. Neither casual and hardcore players found much to love in the tablet-based system, so they let it collect dust on store shelves. With its new console, the Nintendo Switch, it seems Nintendo is back on top.
Not only has the console outsold analysts’ expectations by a considerable margin, it has also seen a consistently strong stream of games supporting it throughout 2017. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an absolute classic, and this summer’s Splatoon 2 and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle helped to keep players glued to their Joy-Con controllers. Super Mario Odyssey is just the icing on the cake. Speaking of which …
2. Mario’s nipples
For too long, the mystery of what hid under Mario’s overalls had been tearing the gaming community apart. Nintendo stood by and did nothing as our collective psyche gradually eroded into nothing more than some Splatoon ink and a few mushrooms.
But then, we witnessed a miracle. During a Nintendo Direct, we saw gameplay footage of Mario running around in a pair of boxer shorts on the beach. And there they were, in all their glory: Mario’s nipples on his perfectly waxed chest. Few moments have brought the collective gaming community together, but this revelation managed to do it. The gaming world marveled at how Nintendo had managed to keep a secret for this long, and memed the revelation to high heaven. Eventually, the celebration led to a new question about Mario’s biology: Why doesn’t he have a belly button?
Poll: Many dread political talk at Thanksgiving
More than one-third of Americans dread the prospect of talking politics over Thanksgiving dinner, according to an Associated Press poll released Thursday.
The poll shows just two in 10 Americans are eager to talk politics, while four in 10 people don’t feel strongly either way.
About 39 percent of Democrats hope to avoid talking politics, compared to 33 percent of Republicans.
Women are also more likely to say they’d rather not talk politics, with 41 percent of women saying they dread the idea compared 31 percent of men.
The poll surveyed 1,070 adults from Nov. 15-19. The margin of error is 4.2 percentage points.
The Associated Press poll comes on the heels of a study showing that politically divided families spent, on average, 20 to 30 minutes less time around the Thanksgiving dinner table in 2016 than in 2015.
The results follow a year of politics that saw a presidential campaign between two intensely disliked candidates that resulted in the election of a president who has seen low favorability ratings to date, according to polls.
An August 2016 survey showed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a favorability rating of 42 percent, while 35 percent of people viewed then-candidate Donald Trump favorably.
The latest polls have shown Trump with his lowest approval ratings to date. A poll last week showed 41 percent of people approve of Trump’s performance, while 59 percent disapprove.
How playing the slot no one wanted made the Dallas Cowboys the most profitable team in the NFL
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Ronald Martinez | Getty Images
Alfred Morris #46 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on November 19, 2017 in Arlington, Texas.
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On Thanksgiving, you can count on two things: Turkey and football.
And every year, a team that's virtually guaranteed to take the field is the Dallas Cowboys, who played their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1966. The Detroit Lions were the first team to play on the holiday, hosting their inaugural game in 1934 as a way to drum up increased interest in the team. Although the Lions lost, the game sold out with more than 26,000 fans packing into the stadium.
Thanks to the Lions' success, in the 1960's the National Football League decided it wanted to put on another Turkey Day game but had trouble getting a team to agree to play, as it would be a huge risk for anyone who signed on. Weeknight games were still rare and an evening slot on Thanksgiving would interrupt a lot of families' dinners. Most teams shied away.
But Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm recognized this would be a prime marketing opportunity for his team.
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J. Kamin-Oncea | Getty Images
A portrait of Dallas Cowboys General Manager Tex Schramm in 1981. Tex Schramm was the Cowboys president and general manager from 1960 to 1989.
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The Cowboys were still relatively new, just in their seventh season in the NFL, and Schramm believed a Thanksgiving Day game would provide much-needed publicity for the young team, which was struggling under head coach Tom Landry at the time, Mental Floss reports.
Even the NFL doubted if the Cowboys could generate ticket sales. It guaranteed a minimum gate revenue if the team agreed to play.
In the end, Schramm's intuition paid off. More than 80,000 fans showed, shattering the team's previous attendance record. The Cowboys beat the Cleveland Browns, winning 26 to 14
From that point, the Cowboys' popularity continued to grow, earning them the nickname "America's Team," which Schramm later helped popularize.
They've played on every Thanksgiving since 1966, except two, 1975 and 1977, when the NFL tried alternating years with the St. Louis Cardinals. But after two harrowing losses for the Cards, Thanksgiving play returned permanently to the Cowboys.
Today, Dallas is the most valuable team in the NFL, worth $4.8 billion. They earned $350 million in profits last season and generate more than $150 million annually from sponsors, according to Forbes.
Teenager charged after stealing BMW in Liverpool, caught in police pursuit | UPDATE
A teenager has been charged after a pursuit in Liverpool.
About 9.40am on Thursday, police attempted to stop a stolen BMW on Elizabeth Drive.
The vehicle failed to stop and the pursuit continued through some back streets, before the vehicle became stuck between a fence and a pole on Hoxton Park Road, Liverpool.
The 17-year-old male driver was arrested at the scene.
A search of the vehicle uncovered stolen property.
The boy was taken to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with taking and driving without consent of owner; driving without consent of owner; police pursuit (Skye’s Law); driving in a dangerous manner; negligent driving; never licensed person driving a vehicle on road; goods in custody (x2); and taken without consent of owner.
He was refused bail to appear at a Children’s Court on Friday, November 24.
10.55am:
A teenager is in custody after being caught during an intense police pursuit in south-west Sydney.
About 9.40am today on Thursday November 23, police attempted to stop a stolen BMW on Elizabeth Drive, Liverpool.
The boy, 17, driving the vehicle failed to stop and the pursuit continued through some back streets, before the vehicle became stuck between a fence and a pole at Hoxton Park Road, Liverpool.
The driver was arrested at the scene and a search of the vehicle uncovered stolen property.
He was taken to Liverpool Police Station where he is assisted with inquiries and later charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, police pursuit (Skye’s Law), drive manner dangerous, negligent driving, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, goods in custody (x2), and be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner.
He was refused bail to appear at a Children’s Court on Friday, November 24.
- Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
PS4 Black Friday 2017 Deal Gets You PS Plus Membership For Cheap Right Now
PS4 Black Friday 2017 Deal Gets You PS Plus Membership For Cheap Right Now
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| The PlayStation Store Black Friday sale features some huge discounts |
Black Friday is a bargain hunter's paradise, and this year is set to be no different as scores of big retailers drop their prices ahead of the Christmas rush. The PlayStation Store has revealed its own Black Friday deals on a large number of digital PS4 games, with savings of up to 75%.
The sale begins on November 23 until November 27, and includes some very recent releases like Call of Duty WWII and FIFA 18.
Those with a paid PlayStation Plus subscription get early access to the deals right now. If you don't have a PS Plus account, there's also 25% off a 1 Year subscription to the service . This offer ends on November 28.
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| There's 40% off Middle Earth: Shadow of War |
You can access the deals on the console's Store menu, or head to the PS Store website. If your PS4 is in rest mode and has automatic downloads enabled, any purchase you make on the website will begin to download remotely to your console at home.
Conte urges Chelsea to ease pressure with Qarabag triumph
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| Chelsea players train ahead of the clash in Azerbaijan against Qarabag. A win for the Blues will seal their place in the Champions League last 16 |
Chelsea must seal progression to the Champions League knockout stages with a crucial win over Qarabag on Wednesday to help ease the pressure during a congested fixture schedule, manager Antonio Conte has said.
Premier League champions Chelsea are second in their Champions League group and need one win to seal their spot in the knockout stages with two group fixtures remaining.
Conte has urged his side to get the job done in Azerbaijan and avoid the tension of battling for progression during a busy schedule that sees the London outfit play 11 matches, after Wednesday’s fixture, before the end of the year.
“We have to play the most important game of the season from the start until now,” Conte told reporters.
“If we are able to win against Qarabag, we can go through to the next round of the Champions League and this is very important because this period from now until January is very busy, so it is very important to win the game.
“It won’t be easy because in the last two games they drew twice against Atletico Madrid… it is very important to be focused, to work and to try to win the game.”
Chelsea are nine points behind leaders Manchester City in third position and travel to fifth-placed Liverpool in the league on Saturday.
David Cassidy
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| Cassidy in 1974 |
David Bruce Cassidy[1] (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother Shirley Jones), in the 1970s musical-sitcom The Partridge Family, which led to his becoming one of popular culture's teen idols and pop singers of the 1970s. He later had a career in both acting and music.
Early life
Cassidy was born at Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City, the son of singer and actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward.[1][2] His father was of half Irish and half German ancestry, and his mother was decended from Colonial Americans of Irish and Swiss origin.[3] Some of his mother's ancestors were among the founders of Newark, New Jersey.[3]
As his parents were frequently touring on the road, he spent his early years being raised by his maternal grandparents in a middle-class neighborhood in West Orange, New Jersey.[4] In 1956, he found out from neighbors' children that his parents had been divorced for over two years and had not told him.[5] David's parents had decided because he was at such a young age, it would be better for his emotional stability to not discuss it at that time.[citation needed] They were gone often with theater productions and home life remained the same.
In 1956, Cassidy's father married singer and actress Shirley Jones. They had three children: David's half-brothers Shaun (1958), Patrick (1962), and Ryan (1966). In 1968, after completing one final session of summer school to obtain credits necessary to get a high-school diploma, David moved into the rental home of Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones in Irvington, New York, where his half-brothers also resided.[6] David remained there seeking fame as an actor/musician while simultaneously working half-days in the mailroom of a textile firm.[7] He moved out when his career began to flourish.
Cassidy's father, Jack, is credited with setting his son up with his first manager. After signing with Universal Studios in 1969, Jack introduced him to former table tennis champion and close friend Ruth Aarons, who later found her niche as a talent manager, given her theater background.[8] Aarons had represented Jack and Shirley Jones for several years prior, and later represented Cassidy's half-brother Shaun. Aarons became an authority figure and close friend to Cassidy, and was the driving force behind his on-screen success. After making small wages from Screen Gems for his work on The Partridge Family during season one, Aarons discovered a loophole in his contract and renegotiated it with far superior terms, and a four-year duration, a rare stipulation at the time.[9]
Career
1960s
On January 2, 1969, Cassidy made his professional debut in the Broadway musical The Fig Leaves Are Falling. It closed after four performances,[10] but a casting director saw the show and asked Cassidy to make a screen test. In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles.[10] After signing with Universal Studios in 1969, Cassidy was featured in episodes of the television series Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D., Adam-12 and Bonanza.
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| Publicity photo for The Partridge Family, 1972 |
1970s
In 1970, Cassidy took the role of Keith Partridge, son of Shirley Partridge, who was played by Cassidy's real stepmother and series lead Shirley Jones. The Partridge Family series creator Bernard Slade and producers Paul Junger Wittand Bob Claver did not care whether Cassidy could sing, knowing only that his androgynous good looks would guarantee success.[citation needed] Shortly after production began, though, Cassidy convinced music producer Wes Farrell that he was good enough, and he was promoted to lead singer for the series' recordings.
Once "I Think I Love You" became a hit, Cassidy began work on solo albums, as well. Within the first year, he had produced his own single, "Cherish" (from the album of the same title), which reached number nine in the United States, number two in the United Kingdom, and number one in Australia and New Zealand. He began tours that featured Partridge tunes and his own hits. Though he wanted to become a respected rock musician along the lines of Mick Jagger, his channel to stardom launched him into the ranks of teen idol, a brand he loathed until much later in life, when he managed to come to terms with his bubblegum pop beginnings.[citation needed]
Ten albums by The Partridge Family and five solo albums were produced during the series, with most selling more than a million copies each. Internationally, Cassidy's solo career eclipsed the already phenomenal success of The Partridge Family. He became an instant drawcard, with sellout concert successes in major arenas around the world. These concerts produced mass hysteria, resulting in the media coining the term "Cassidymania". By way of example, he played to two sellout crowds of 56,000 each at the Houston Astrodome in Texas over one weekend in 1972.[11] His concert in New York's Madison Square Garden sold out in one day and resulted in riots after the show.[12] His concert tours of the United Kingdom included sellout concerts at Wembley Stadium in 1973.[citation needed] In Australia in 1974, the mass hysteria was such that calls were made to have him deported from the country, especially after the madness at his 33,000-person audience concert at Melbourne Cricket Ground.[13][14]
John Aldridge: This Liverpool team is stronger than 2005 - but lack two key men that made Reds European champions
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| Jurgen Klopp |
THE Liverpool squad that will take on Sevilla tonight is stronger than the pool of players that were crowned as European champions back in 2005 – but that does not mean Champions League glory beckons for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
When you look at the substitutes Klopp had at his disposal for the convincing 3-0 win against Southampton at Anfield, it confirms that the class of 2017 are, in fact, in a different league to the team that pulled off a miracle in Istanbul 12 years ago.
Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Emre Can, James Milner and Daniel Sturridge were in reserve for Klopp on Saturday and Adam Lallana is also knocking on the door of a first team return.
It made for impressive reading and with so many of Liverpool’s long-term injured getting out of the treatment room, Klopp has a chance to put right the problems that have undermined his team’s efforts in the opening weeks of this season.
The Liverpool team that came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan had some real weak links and Rafa Benitez did a great job guiding a squad that relied on the likes of Igor Biscan, Josemi, Djimi Traore and a half-fit Harry Kewell to Champions League glory.
When I look at this current Liverpool team in comparison, they lack the two players who gave the 2005 version star quality.
If Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher in their prime were dropped into Klopp’s line-up now, I believe they would have a real chance of challenging for the Champions League this season, with those two homegrown heroes carrying that team to improbable success.
A world-class player like Gerrard would drive what is already an excellent Liverpool attacking unit to new heights now and Carragher would be the perfect character to organise a defence that cracked under pressure far too often during Klopp’s time at the club.
So while I expect to see Liverpool frightening a few of Europe’s big-hitters in the latter stages of the Champions League, I believe they will come up short in the ultimate dream of winning the club’s sixth European title.
The first priority has to be seeing off a Sevilla side who were there for the taking until Liverpool committed defensive errors against them at Anfield back in September. If they make it through to the knock-out stages, the opposition may well play into the hands of Klopp’s side.
Aside from last month’s 4-1 defeat against Tottenham in Wembley and the 5-0 drubbing against Man City when we were reduced to ten men a few weeks before that, this Liverpool side has done well against teams that come out and attack them in a straight game of football.
Klopp has a good record home and away against top six rivals and the teams Liverpool will come up against in the second phase of the Champions League will play with ambition to attack.
Top sides don’t tend to sit back and play for 0-0 draws (unless they are managed by Jose Mourinho!) and Liverpool have shown that their attacking line featuring the in-form Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho are a threat for any defence.
The trouble will come at the other end of the pitch. While Dejan Lovren had his best game of the season against Southampton’s Shane Long on Saturday, how will he cope if Lionel Messi, Neymar or Cristiano Ronaldo are coming at him in a Champions League quarter-final?
I suspect I know the answer to that question and it means Liverpool’s only hope of winning this season’s competition will be outscoring opponents who have a proven track record of coming out on top in a straight scoring battle.
Klopp could sign a powerful centre-half like Virgil van Dijk in January who could go some way to curing their defensive problems, but it may be asking too much for all the pieces of the jigsaw to fall into place for Liverpool to challenge for the Champions League in 2018.
The opponents Liverpool will come up against at the back end of this season’s competition are much stronger than they were back in 2005.
While I would love to see Klopp’s side defying the odds, anything beyond a run to the quarter-finals would have been viewed as a bonus this time around.
Herald Sport
Rockford band ready for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Rockford band ready for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — In the midst of the millions of people who will be lining the streets of New York City, a sea of black and orange will proudly play a performance they have been working towards for more than a year.
Rockford High School’s marching band will be one of seven high school bands to march in the 91st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“They’re ready. They’re ready mentally, they’re ready physically,” band director Brian Phillips said about his students. “We just have to put a few more finishing touches to it and we’ll be good to go.”
Rockford was chosen out of 175 high school marching bands across the country as one of seven to perform in the 2017 parade. They are the first from West Michigan to join the parade’s rich history and only the third from the state.
“I was thinking as it got closer it would feel more real to me,” junior drum major Britney Nicholson said before the bands final rehearsal at Rockford. “It still doesn’t feel real to me actually.”
It will be as real as it gets for all 308 Rockford students when the parade kicks off at 9 a.m. on WOOD TV8 Thanksgiving morning.
“I would watched other bands perform and saw what they did and said, ‘yes, we’ll put that together,’” Phillips said. “Then we started talking with our designers and said, ‘wow, there’s a lot more to this than we had really thought.’”
Phillips worked with their design team to collaborate a performance unlike the state marching band champions had ever done.
Even harder for the students is keeping that performance a secret. They say it’s the rules of the parade: what’s seen on TV can’t been seen by anyone outside of the band before it hits the national airwaves.
“It’s actually pretty hard. It’s harder than I thought it would be because as I’ve seen it come to life,” Nicholson said. “I want to talk more and more about it because to me it’s so exciting to see everything come together. I’m excited that now I don’t have to keep it so much of a secret because we’re going there and it’s going to be put on.”
Phillips was very tight lipped about what the millions of people will see from the Rams, but gave about all he could about the performance.
“When we hit 34th Street, our theme is “Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” While I can’t go into too much detail, our overall theme is the holiday tradition of trimming a Christmas tree,” Phillips said. “That’s what we’ll visually give you.”
Phillips touted the support from the community. The band started a fundraiser to try and reach its $500,000 goal — the cost to bring such a large band to New York City.
He acknowledged they never imagined being able to fund raise that much money, but said the $100,000 they were able to receive is a huge relief for those heading to the parade.
“The community has been really supportive. We really couldn’t ask for more,” Phillips said. “Parents, students, just general community members have stepped up to help out. Both financially and with helping hands whenever we needed it with different things.”
There are nearly 1,100 people traveling from Rockford to New York City for the parade — from band members to staff, chaperones, friends and family. They will spend Thanksgiving morning like the millions at home, watching the magic of Macy’s march through the streets.
“This is one of the pinnacles. It really is,” Phillips said with a smile. “There’s not much more that you can present your students than being in NYC for the Thanksgiving parade. It’s just something that they will be able to see on TV for years to come and say I did that.”
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