Google's Lightning-fast Fiber Network Now Live in Kansas City

By Melanie Pinola, PCWorld  

Google is launching its ultra-fast 1Gb-per-second Google Fiber Internet and Fiber TV service today in Kansas City.

Google announced last week that the gigabit network was coming, and here it is. Lucky residents of Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, can pre-register now at the Google Fiber websiteand rally their neighbors to pre-register to get Google Fiber (Google is building the network by demand).

Google Fiber promises to be 100 times faster than the average American broadband speed. To put this into perspective, using Google Fiber is sort of like driving from New York City to San Francisco in under a half hour.

The Google Fiber network box that comes with the service has four 1Gb Ethernet ports, but you can also connect your computers over Wi-Fi at 360Mb per second. The network box also offers a gigabit firewall.

Google is offering three plans. The Gigabit + TV service is $120 a month, with a $300 construction fee waived if you sign a two-year contract. The Fiber TV service offers a large selection of network and some cable channels in HD, including Showtime and Starz. Along with the package, Google is throwing in a free Nexus 7 (which isn't easy to find) and a TV box that records up to 500 hours and eight shows at once on its two terabytes of storage.

If you only want the Internet service, that'll run you $70 a month, again with the waived $300 construction fee with contract.

A free plan is also offered, but limits you to 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds, and requires the $300 construction fee. This might work if you can't afford the gigabit service, since the average Internet speed is only 5.8Mbps anyway, but it's difficult to give up a service that's 100 times faster.

Imagine: instantaneous downloads, video uploading in the blink of an eye, and immediate file sharing.

Google also suggests Google Fiber customers pick up a Chromebook, such as the refreshed Samsung Chromebook Series 5. With an Internet connection that fast, the inexpensive web-centric laptop may make a lot more sense.

'Bachelorette' Recap: Emily Maynard picks a prince, breaks a heart

By Abigail Forget

Emily Maynard (X17 ONLINE)

The season finale of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” Sunday was unlike any other of its kind. 

Contrary to the proposals that took place on dramatic mountaintops or cliffs overlooking the ocean in seasons past, the climax of this season’s last episode took place on a quaint street corner in the Caribbean island of Curacao.

And on that corner, southern belle Bachelorette Emily Maynard said yes – to Jef Holm, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Utah, who remained a consistent frontrunner for his edgy style and witty personality throughout the season. 

“I’m so grateful that you came here and put your heart on the line one more time,” Jef said. “What I’m about to ask you aren’t just empty words. What I’m about to ask you is a forever thing.”

Jef then dropped down to one knee with a Neil Lane diamond and popped the question, to which the blonde beauty responded: “Yes.”

The underlying theme of this season involved Emily’s 7-year-old daughter, Ricki, whom she gave birth to shortly after the sudden death of her fiancé, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick. Emily stressed to the contenders throughout the season that this was not just about marriage, but about completing her family. 

So, it only seemed fitting that little Ricki rushed around the corner following Jef’s proposal to her mother and joined the pair, walking down the street hand in hand into the distance.

But, the episode was far from smooth sailing.

Although Jef and runner-up Arie Luyendyk Jr. were both well received when meeting Emily’s parents, the Bachelorette’s date with Jef in which she let the suitor meet Ricki for the first time sealed the deal. 

In a teary conversation injected into the middle of the show, Emily disclosed to host Chris Harrison that she had already made her decision.  No final date was necessary with Arie, and she was going to spare him the embarrassment of proposing by sending him home a day early.

“It’s just not fair to him,” Emily said choking up.  “As much as I love him, I’ve fallen in love with someone else just a little bit more.”

The Bachelorette headed to her date with Arie to send him home – Arie didn’t see it coming.

“Tomorrow, I’m getting engaged,” he said beaming in his testimonial, as he completed a love potion with a local resident to give to Emily.

No, seriously.

“I feel like when I tell her I love her I can see it in her eyes,” he said. 

Emily’s expression upon her arrival quickly shed light on her decision. 

“I don’t know what to do and I don’t know what to say,” she said sobbing. “For so long I thought it was going to be me and you.”

“Thank you for sparing me the embarrassment tomorrow,” Arie responded sarcastically before walking away. “I appreciate that.”

Emily was able to sit down and speak with Arie on Monday, however.

In another new move, “The Bachelorette” finale featured a live “After the Final Rose” special – instead of its typically pre-taped version – which aired immediately after the finale.

In a sit-down interview, Arie said that speaking with Emily and Jef on the phone after taping was over helped with his healing process.

“Just hearing how they were doing helped to give me closure,” he said.

Next, Jef was finally able to join Emily on stage for their first public appearance. 

“He inspires me to do better and he makes me laugh,” Emily said, never letting go of her fiancé’s hand. 

“She’s the most amazing girl in the world,” Jef said. “We’re so perfect for each other.”

“And now that everyone knows…” he added, grabbing Emily and going in for a long kiss.

The couple announced that Jef is going to move to Emily’s hometown of Charlotte and get his own apartment, as they begin to plan their wedding.

Emily did not give a specific time frame, because “people will hold [them] to it.”

“But I would like a spring wedding,” she said smiling.

“Bachelor” fans get no break from the franchise, with the new season of “Bachelor Pad” kicking off Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The Finding Nemo 2-John Carter Connection: Could the Beloved Fish Be Cursed?

Disney/Pixar; Frank Carter/Disney

Look who's ready to take the plunge again!

Disney is still smarting from the colossal bomb that was John Carter, a whopper of a stinker that cost upward of $250 million, grossed an embarrassingly paltry $73 million domestically, seemingly cost the Mouse House's studio boss his job, and earned a hallowed spot among themost notorious movie failures in Hollywood history.

But if there's one thing we know, it's that Hollywood has a short memory, because now comes word that John Carter's director, Andrew Stanton, is apparently back in Disney's good graces. He's reportedly on board to helm a sequel to Finding Nemo.

Deadline is reporting that Stanton has signed on to direct Finding Nemo 2, which could provide exactly the kind of redemption that the director needs right now.

Stanton won an Oscar for helming the first Finding Nemo, Disney-Pixar's beloved 2003 maritime fable that went on to gross $876 million worldwide and score some of the best reviews for the vaunted animated studio. (A third Nemo installment is also on the drawing board, but no word yet on who will be directing that one.)

The original fishy flick still ranks as Pixar's second-highest-grossing movie, right behind Toy Story 3, and is widely considered the project that put Stanton on the map. (He later directedWall-E, which nabbed him another Oscar.)

"It's the Pixar brand that trumps everything," says Hollywood.com box-office president Paul Dergarabedian of the sequel's prospects. "Every Pixar movie has opened at No. 1, so I think the track record will be maintained, and I think it's great news for fans."

Dergarabedian also notes that one box-office misfire doesn't necessary translate into a death knell for a director's career.

"Everyone's entitled to a bomb in their careers," he explains. "And [Stanton's] totally in his wheelhouse with Finding Nemo 2. I don't think that audiences buy a ticket based on the director's track record. They base it on the brand, and how that brand resonates with them over the years. And I think that Andrew Stanton is a terrific director, and if he directs Finding Nemo 2, they'll be lining up, just like audiences have for every other Pixar movie."

Stanton's also got one other thing going for him: Finding Nemo will be rereleased in 3-D this September, which should hopefully juice up excitement for a sequel.

Could Finding Nemo 2 finally signal some smooth sailing ahead for Stanton and Disney, post–John Carter?

Perhaps. But if anything, it at least proves that the studio ain't done trying to fish for a hit from this Oscar-winning director.

Tom Hardy packed on 30 pounds to become villain Bane in 'The Dark Rises

The actor also fainted in the summer swelter while he filmed a key scene of the Christopher Nolan Batman flick

By Ethan Sacks / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tom Hardy as Bane in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

IT WASN’T all bang! bam! pow! for actor Tom Hardy while playing the hulking villain Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.”

One scene still sticks in his mind.

Hardy as Bane climbed atop the Batmobile to rally a throng of escaped prisoners — and then promptly crumpled.

The actor, who packed on 30 pounds of muscle for the film, had fainted in the sweltering summer heat.

“I was wearing that big long gray coat and my body armor,” he told The News at Monday’s similarly wilting world premiere of the epic finale of Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy.

“Not that dissimilar to today’s weather. Anyway, I passed out. I was unconscious for most of the afternoon.”

Other than that brief setback, however, not much has stood in Hardy’s way.

Not the physically grueling training.

Not the tight mask that was molded for his face, which Bane uses to continually pump gas to alleviate otherwise crippling pain.

And not the shadow of the late Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance as Batman’s last arch-nemesis, the Joker, in 2008’s “The Dark Knight.”

Nolan and his screenwriters, Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer, deliberately chose Bane as the villain because he was so strikingly different from the Joker.

While Goyer told Empire magazine that some studio execs suggested the Riddler early on, the filmmakers had no interest in being derivative.

Where the Joker wanted to mess with Batman’s head, Bane is trying to tear it from the superhero’s shoulders.

This is a villain, created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench and artist Graham Nolan, who rocked comic book fans’ worlds in his 1993 debut by breaking Batman’s back during a fight.

“Bane is the first adversary who you recognize could physically destroy Batman,” says the Dark Knight himself, actor Christian Bale.

Although he’s soon to be a name on the lips of millions of moviegoers, it turns out the creators of the comic book character originally were planning on calling him Venom — until an editor phoned back with some bad news.

“We were embarrassed to find out Spider-Man already had a high-profile villain named Venom,” says Moench. “We didn’t know. Chuck pulled thesaurus and found “Bane” was one of the synonyms for poison and it’s a great sounding name.”

A great sounding name for a muscular intimidator who seemed right out a Mexican wrestling ring. Which is unfortunately a look that doesn’t translate well onto the big screen. (Exhibit A is the cartoonish Bane played by Jeep Swenson, and mercifully with little screen time, in 1997’s “Batman & Robin.”)

Hardy’s version would be much, much different.

“The Lucha Libre mask? Nolan said ignore that, I have an idea,” says Hardy, laughing. “His idea was a lateral take on it, and I didn’t wear the Lucha mask and I didn’t wear the Lycra pants.”

With or without Lycra pants, Hardy trained relentlessly for four months to fill his costume before cameras started rolling on “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“Tom is one of those actors who’s a transformative actor,” says producer Emma Thomas. “When we were doing costume fittings for Bane, for example, he’d come in — and this is before he had put on much of the bulk — he would walk in and he’d look quite slim and slender… then he would hold his body in a different way and sort of stick his gut out, do something with his shoulders and suddenly you’d see exactly what it is he’s going to do.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tom-hardy-packed-30-pounds-villain-bane-dark-knight-rises-article-1.1117794#ixzz21CRc9B

British Open 2012: Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson Struggle On Friday At Open Championship

By Jeff Babineau, Golfweek

Rory McIlroy walks to the 11th tee during the second
 round of the British Open Golf Championship, Lytham
 St Annes, England, Friday, July 20, 2012.

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- There are some things in life that are just plain difficult to explain. Like why some parents with dark hair bear blonde-haired children. Like why pitcher Mariano Rivera is so unhittable. Like why those flying swallows don’t take one summer and visit a destination other than Capistrano.

Rory McIlroy spent roughly half his Friday at the 141st Open Championship immersed in some of Royal Lytham’s 205 bunkers, so when he sighed and declared it “just one of those days,” everyone within earshot knew exactly what he meant. Ditto Phil Mickelson. Having chopped his way around in 78 strokes, his highest score in relation to par at this tournament since the Carnoustie craziness of 1999, Mickelson threw his hands up in surrender and didn’t really know what to say.

Thus, about 8-10 times mere minutes after he finished, Mickelson would ponder his growing summer woes, pause, and state, “I don’t know what to say right now.”
Strangely enough, we understand. Outside of American Brandt Snedeker (64) blistering the storied links at Lytham Friday, mostly with his red-hot putter, not many of the 156 players could sustain success at Royal Lytham. It was difficult to pinpoint why, exactly, that was. Yes, the course was tricky. Yes, there was the standing water in several bunkers. Sure, some hole locations were difficult to access. And though the early northwest winds never did dial up to typical Open strength, they blew in from a direction that was opposite a day earlier.

“It felt like every hole we played was into the wind,” McIlroy said.

A day after jumping out to a promising start with 67, McIlroy shot 75, hovering near the potential cut line down the homestretch. Thursday, he’d had but one blemish on his card; a day later, he was loose and all over the place. He made five bogeys and tacked on a double at the par-3 ninth when it required two swipes to escape one of the five bunkers he found.

He said the ninth was a turning point, and not for the good. “I couldn’t really recover from that,” he admitted.

He could have, of course, but he did not, making three bogeys and needing 39 strokes on the way in. The darling of last summer’s U.S. Open at Congressional, where he blitzed the field by eight, McIlroy has struggled in trying to land a second major. In four major starts since Congressional, he has yet to finish better than T-25; at the U.S. Open at Olympic, he didn’t make the cut.

“It’s tough when you’re trying to get something going and it’s just not quite happening,” McIlroy said. He was speaking about Friday, but it seemed applicable to a bigger picture. “You’re just sort of trying to force it a little bit.”

Mickelson, who began his day at 3 over and needed to play well just to make the cut, said he hit the ball more solidly than he had a day earlier, but he struggled to get anything out of his round. When he doubled the par-4 13th and then tacked on another double at 14, where he had to play out backwards from a greenside bunker, his fate was sealed.

“I felt I was going to have a little better round than I did,” said Mickelson, who’d worked late into the evening Thursday with instructor Butch Harmon to address a few flaws, including his ball position. In two days, he hit only 12 fairways and 15/36 greens. “It (the round) certainly got away from me the last five holes. I don’t know what to say.”

There, he said it again. Mickelson’s dossier at this championship is quite pedestrian (only two top 10s in 18 previous starts), but he usually works the weekend. This was his only his second missed cut at the Open since 1999. In fact, Mickelson had made the cut in each of his last 18 major championship starts. South African Charles Schwartzel was the only other player who’d survived the cut in each of the last 11 majors consecutively. (Mickelson did not play the 2009 Open at Turnberry.)

Next stop for Mickelson will be the WGC-Bridgestone in Akron in two weeks. There’s a good deal of work to do before then if he is to emerge from his post-Masters funk.

“I’ll work with Butch here in the next week and see if I can get some direction, and see if I can get into a little better play heading into these next two months, because we have some big tournaments,” he said.

As for McIlroy, he’ll have two more days at Lytham to right his game.

Quick story: Thursday, McIlroy struck a fan named Jason Blue in the head with an errant drive at the 15th hole, the ball bounding out of bounds. Later in the day, McIlroy and his management team were able to get in touch with the 16-year-old from Bristol and move Blue from his damp tent accommodations into the cozy comforts of a nearby hotel. McIlroy even peeled off 100 pounds and change for young Blue and his buddy to enjoy a nice meal.

“Nice touch,” said McIlroy’s manager, Conor Ridge.

Explained McIlroy, “It was the least I could do. If someone gave me a big hole in my head, I wouldn’t be too happy.”

Before he headed to the practice tee Friday, McIlroy met with the smiling lad, posed for some pictures, and wished him well. “Are you here for the weekend?” McIlroy asked Blue. Blue said he was. “Then enjoy the next couple of days.”

McIlroy hopes he can do the same. And Mickelson wishes he’d had the opportunity.

Gustav Klimt 'The Kiss' Google Logo Honors Artist's 150th Birthday (PHOTO)

Google is paying homage to Austrian artistGustav Klimt with a "Google Doodle" of one of his most popular paintings: "The Kiss."

Born on July 14, 1862, Gustav worked with gold leaf in some of his most well-known pieces, such as "The Kiss" and the "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." Today would mark the artist's 150th birthday.

"The Kiss" was created between 1907 and 1908, during the "highpoint" of the artist's "Golden Period," according to the Klimt Museum. The piece incorporates oil paint and gold leaf and is currently on display at the Belvedere in Vienna.

In the past, Klimt's pieces have sold for $135 million. The "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" was bought for New York's Neue Galerie at the record price in 2006, theNew York Times reports. Ronald S. Lauder purchased the painting, which features the wife of a Jewish sugar industrialist.

Although the artist died in 1918, his paintings are still reproduced on prints, shirts, jewelry and other products, Mashable notes.

Google regularly honors some of the world's greatest minds with "doodles" displayed on the search engine's page.

The company recently featured an interactive homepage logo for Dr. Robert Moog's 78th birthday, in which users could press keys and share their musical creations with family and friends.

Learn more about Gustav Klimt and his works by visiting HuffPost Arts.

It’s Friday the 13th, the last for 2012

Today is Friday the 13th, the third and last of three this year.
Of course, most folks know that today is supposed to be unlucky, but why is lost in the mists of time and misfortune.
Still, the superstition persists and is so widespread that experts have come up with two names for the fear of Friday the 13th - friggatriskaidekaphobia and paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Talk about mouthfuls. (The irrational fear of things associated with the number 13 is known as triskaidekaphobia.)
It is hard to find an awful major event that occurred on a Friday the 13th, but that has not stopped many from believing that bad things could happen to them on the day.
According to Donald Dossey, the behavioral scientist who coined paraskevidekatriaphobia, as many as 21 million Americans have some measure of fear for Friday the 13th.
Dossey, who runs the Management Center/Phobia Institute in Asheville, N.C., estimates that fear costs the economy hundreds of millions of dollars because those afraid of Friday the 13th are inclined to stay home and do nothing rather than tempting the fates by venturing out.
That means they don't drive, fly, eat at restaurants or even go to work.
There is no Friday the 13th on the calendar until September, 2013, 14 months from now.

Pro-GLBT supporters picket Chick-Fil-A

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- Some supporters of gay rights say they have a beef with Chick-Fil-A.

During Friday's lunch rush, a group of pro-gay rights supporters, dressed like cows, picketed the Chick-Fil-A restaurant on Capital Circle Northeast. Protestors say they're drawing attention to the company's discriminatory practices.

Equality Matters reports that Chick-Fil-A has contributed millions of dollars to anti-LGBT organizations, including $2 million to anti-gay groups in 2010. Those donations were reportedly given to groups that incldue Focus On The Family, Exodus International, and the Family Research Council.

Protestors say the company's actions are not only discrimination, but goes against the teachings of the bible. Chick-Fil-A leaders are open about their company's Christian practices including closing all restaurants on Sundays.

"You say you're a Christian organization. I don't think Jesus Christ would choose a certain group of people to discriminate against so instead of spending money in that direction why don't we spend money to feed hungry and take care of the poor," said Fran Sullivan-Fahs, a gay rights supporter.

Pro-gay rights supporters chose to protest Chick-Fil-A on Friday because that was the company's "Cow Appreciation Day". Customers who dressed up like a cow would receive free food. Those like Sullivan-Fahs dressed like cows and plan to donate the free food they receive to The Homeless Shelter.

Jerry Johnston, a Chick-Fil-A spokesman, released the following statement to WTXL: "Chick-fil-A is a family-owned and family-led company, dedicated to supporting and enhancing the communities in which we operate. Chick-fil-A restaurants are locally owned and operated, and we have a 65-year history of providing genuine hospitality for all of our guests. We strive to treat everyone with honor, dignity and respect, regardless of their beliefs and opinions.
We value everyone, and we strive to show a caring spirit as we serve almost 2 million guests every day.

We are not interested in engaging in political or policy debate. Our mission is simple: to serve great food, provide genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A."


Protestors plan to picket the Chick Fil A on North Monroe Street at 5:30 p.m. until the close. 

 

Rashard Lewis joins Miami Heat, reunites with ex-Sonics teammate Ray Allen

BY BARRY JACKSON

BJACKSON@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Rashard Lewis broke out a wide smile Wednesday when he explained his vision for the Heat’s offense.

“You’ve got to double-team LeBron James, you have to double-team Dwyane Wade, you’ve got to double-team Chris Bosh,” he said. “Then you think they’re going to leave Ray Allen open? They’ve got to leave somebody open. So I have to go shoot a million jumpers tonight and go knock them down.”

Lewis, who ranks eighth in NBA history with 1,690 three-pointers, was so impressed with the Heat’s presentation Sunday that he said he made his decision in a Miami hotel that night and canceled a Tuesday meeting with Atlanta, which could have paid him considerably more than the two-year, $2.8 million deal he signed with the Heat on Wednesday.

“When Pat Riley is having a conversation with you and talking about winning a championship, he puts you into the conversation, puts you into that lineup,” said Lewis, who will pocket $13.7 million in buyout money from New Orleans next season.

Lewis’ decision pleased not only Riley, but also new Heat teammate Ray Allen, with whom he played five seasons in Seattle (2003-07).

“Ray told me that’s the best news he heard in weeks,” Lewis said. “We’re real close. I know the chemistry is there.”

At 32 and coming off two injury-plagued seasons, Lewis said his focus is squarely on winning a title. He played on an Orlando team that lost to the Lakers in the 2009 Finals.

“I thought this was a perfect fit for what I’m trying to do,” he said. “I’m not looking to re-establish my career and make the All-Star team and score 20 points a night. I want to help the team make the run they’re trying to go on.

“I’m at a point where I’ve been on All-Star teams, played for 14 years, made a pretty good amount of my money. I’m hungry just to win. I will do whatever it takes, [if that’s] coming off the bench, if that’s playing five to 10 minutes or 30 minutes.”

Lewis was limited to 57 games in 2010-11 because of quadriceps tendinitis and 28 games last season (none after the All-Star break) because of tendinitis in his right knee and a bone bruise in his left knee.

“The past “year-and-half in Washington was rough for me,” he said. “I was battered by injuries.”

He said he is now 90 percent healthy: “I feel good. I’ve been working out with a trainer to try to get my body back in top condition.”

Lewis, who has averaged 16.1 points in his career but 7.8 last season, has produced rebounding numbers (5.6 per game) that are modest for a starting player of his size (6-10).

He said he played exclusively small forward in nine years in Seattle, but primarily power forward in 3 1/2 seasons with Orlando.

He likely will play mostly power forward here.

“With the way I shoot, I can open it up a little for [Wade, James and Bosh] in the middle of the paint,” he said.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said his staff gave him 90 minutes of tape of Lewis, “and about 40 percent was from Seattle, so I could see he and Ray together on the court. Rashard is a winner. The more we can become position-less, the more exciting it can be. He really adds a dimension to that.”

With the Heat content using Bosh at center, Riley said, “We’re getting to the point with this team, until the next center comes along who we can throw it to on a regular basis, this is how we’re going to play.”

MOVES ON HOLD

With 13 players signed to guaranteed contracts, Riley doesn’t expect any more acquisitions for a while.

“We want to hold right now,” he said. “We have a bunch of eager, young, hungry guys [on the summer-league team]. What we do with those final two spots will be determined by summer league, by what happens late in the summer in free agency.

“We’re not exploring [trades] hard now. We feel very good about our roster,” Riley said.

• Riley said Mike Miller will meet with a doctor this week “and then they’re going to take the second step” in determining whether he needs back surgery.

• When the Heat won the 2006 championship, Riley’s additions that offseason were limited to the likes ofChris Quinn and Robert Hite.

“What we didn’t do back then is add people like Ray or Rashard, or like last year, we added Shane Battier,” Riley said.

“That was my mistake. Sometimes you just want to bring the group back and let the group repeat. You’ve got to keep adding pieces to it.”

TURN $2 INTO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

Reading this, you can change your lifestyle! It turned mine around and I am here
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*Liberty-Reserve Account: open one if you don’t have. It is free to open. Just
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send/post this text to 10 different forums or news groups. 

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ATTENTION
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U0856797<- account number 1<br />U5288688 <- account number 2<br />
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U5288688<- account number 1 <br />Uxxxxxxx <- account number 2 ( your account number)<br />
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SOME USEFUL TIPS
1. The first thing to do, is to highlight and SAVE this entire article in your MS Word
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DirecTV-Viacom Dispute May Affect Access for 20 Million Customers

By BRIAN STELTER

The business strategies of television distributors and programmers, including the bundling of channels and the online streaming of TV shows, were back under the microscope on Tuesday because of a contract dispute between two of the biggest such companies, DirecTV and Viacom.

On Monday night and into Tuesday morning, the dispute was publicized by both sides, first by Viacom, which warned DirecTV customers that they could lose access to Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and its other cable channels early Wednesday morning because contract talks with DirecTV had “reached an impasse.” DirecTV, in turn, said in a statement that it had offered Viacom “increased fees for their networks going forward; we just can’t afford the extreme increases they are asking for.”

In YouTube videos and blog posts, Viacom used characters from some of its most popular franchises, like “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Jersey Shore,” to persuade fans to register their complaints with DirecTV. “No Daily Show, no Colbert, and no Snooki,” one of its Web sites warned.

On Tuesday evening, neither company publicly commented on the status of the contract negotiations, suggesting that a channel blackout was still possible after midnight Eastern time on Wednesday.

Fights over programming fees crop up from time to time; this one involves 17 channels and affects almost one-fifth of the households that subscribe to cable or satellite television in the United States — 20 million total.

Some of the 17 channels are well known among customers: Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, BET, CMT, TV Land, Comedy Central, Spike. But some of the others bundled with them are not, including Nick@Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, NickToons, VH1 Classic, Logo, Tr3s, Centric and Palladia.

Programmers have traditionally sold channels to distributors this way, in a big bundle, but as distributors try to resist price increases, they are increasingly challenging this strategy in a public way.

“Programmers like Viacom typically won’t allow anyone to buy their channels individually, but we hope to change that,” DirecTV said in its statement on Tuesday morning. “We currently pay them hundreds of millions of dollars every year already, and if Viacom thinks their networks are worth a billion more, then you have to be able to select what’s most important in your own living room. It’s your money, so you should be able to decide.”

The debate about bundling comes as the practice is being examined by government regulators and lawyers for evidence of anticompetitive behavior. Some regulators are concerned that the practice inhibits innovation by online video upstarts and other companies.

One of DirecTV’s competitors, the Dish Network, spoke out about bundling in a different way last month when it announced that it was taking three channels owned by AMC Networks — AMC, IFC and WE TV — off its television lineup. It said at the time, “AMC Networks requires us to carry low-rated channels like IFC and WE to access a few popular AMC shows. The math is simple: it’s not a good value for our customers.”

That said, distributors like DirecTV and Dish generally do not want to sell channels on an à la carte or individual basis to customers. They just want more control over what they put in the packages they sell to customers.

Both DirecTV and Dish, in their separate spats, have also pointed out that some popular cable programming is now available on the Internet on a time-delayed basis. That is a big change from 2005, the last time Viacom and DirecTV signed a big carriage contract. On Tuesday, DirecTV promoted a tool, “Other Ways to Watch,” that linked to Web sites where Viacom-owned programs are available.

Analysts noted that DirecTV may feel emboldened by the fact that Nickelodeon has suffered from some ratings weakness in recent months. The channel remains, however, the most-watched cable network among DirecTV customers, according to Viacom.

Notwithstanding the current fights, a vast majority of negotiations between programmers and distributors are never even publicized. The last public feud between Viacom and a distributor was at the end of 2008, when the company warned Time Warner Cable customers of a possible blackout starting on New Year’s Day. But the two companies came to a new deal without any interruption in programming — the most common outcome in cases like this one.

Fielder Wins Home Run Derby, Cano Booed by KC Fans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --Prince Fielder made a splash at the All-Star Home Run Derby. Eight of them.

The Detroit slugger joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple titles, thrilling the crowd at Kauffman Stadium with several shots into the right-field fountain and beating Toronto's Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final Monday night.

Prince Fielder hugs his children after winning the Home Run derby. (AP)

''Just being mentioned with him is real special,'' said Fielder, who spent time at Griffey's house when he was a kid. ''My dad would let me go over and play video games all day. He always took care of me when I was a kid.''

On a night when the Yankees' Robinson Cano was repeatedly booed and went homerless, Fielder put on the most powerful display among baseball's big boppers. Winner at St. Louis' Busch Stadium three years ago, Fielder had a total of 28 home runs over three rounds to cap the main event on the eve of the All-Star game. He hit the four longest drives of the night, including a pair at 476 feet.

''They were far,'' he said. ''That's not easy to hit it out there.''

While the ball stayed out of McCovey Cove during the 2007 Derby at San Francisco's AT&T Park and the right-field swimming pool last year at Chase Field in Phoenix, there was plenty of aquatic activity in Kansas City, second only to Rome for most fountains in cities around the world.

After three splash shots among his five homers in the first round, Fielder started off the second round as the setting sun lit up clouds in a pretty pink behind the left-field wall. His mop of dreadlocks visible as he hit without a helmet, Fielder deposited four more balls into the 322-foot-wide water spectacular, which by then was illuminated in the twilight.

He added another water drive in the final round, then leaned against one of his sons while he watched Bautista swing.

''I'm a little disappointed,'' Bautista said. ''I'm capable of doing more. I had a lot of fun doing it.''

When he won three years ago in St. Louis, Fielder's 23 homers included a 503-foot drive that disappeared between two sections of bleachers in right-center. Griffey won titles in 1994 at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, 1998 at Denver's Coors Field and 1999 at Boston's Fenway Park.

Cano set a final-round record of 12 en route to last year's title in Phoenix, where he hit 32 overall. This year he was the object of loud booing throughout by fans upset he didn't select the Royals' Billy Butler after promising to take a hometown player for his derby team.

Fans chanted ''Bil-ly Butler!'' in between their boos. When it was over, Cano got hugs from Boston's David Ortiz and Yankees teammates Curtis Granderson and CC Sabathia.

''I was criticized before I got here. If you play for the Yankees you get booed everywhere you go,'' Cano said.

It was the 17th time a player went homerless in the Derby, the first since Detroit's Brandon Inge in 2009.

''that was the most interesting reaction to a home rum derby i've ever seen, but the fans were excited which is all that counts,'' Granderson tweeted.

Carlos Gonzalez and Andrew McCutchen (four each) and Matt Kemp (one) also were dropped after the first round.

Carlos Beltran (12) was dropped after the second round, when Mark Trumbo and Bautista were tied with 13 apiece, leading to a swingoff won by Bautista 2-1.

Trumbo and Bautista each managed to put a drive into the small fountain beyond the left-field wall. Trumbo also hit a pair of shots over the Royals Hall of Fame in left, toward Interstate 70.

Katy Perry: Part of Me

Peeling back Katy’s candied coating
By Stephanie Merry
Thursday, July 5, 2012

If the 3-D documentary “Katy Perry: Part of Me” can be trusted, the record-setting pop star is not just a blue-haired doll-person but also a goofy, sweet and spacey-yet-savvy singer whose main concern is turning average people into candy-coated smile flowers.

As a piece of pro-Perry propaganda, the entertaining and disarmingly poignant movie from directors and reality television vets Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz is a startling success. Although there are moments when the filmmakers’ fingerprints are nearly visible on the manipulated putty of an audience, the scenes aren’t enough to break the fruit-flavored spell.­­­

The main thread of the movie follows the “Firework” singer during 2011. It was a particularly eventful year for Perry, who globe-trotted for her sold-out California Dreams Tour and also ended her 14-month marriage to scraggly British comedian Russell Brand. Backstage footage shares screen time with concert numbers, old home movies and interviews that chronicle Perry's relatively slow rise to success. It's a compelling story that mixes onstage moments — including the terrifying spectacle of screaming, crying fans — and behind-the-scenes glances, such as Perry's visit to her brassy grandmother, who is humorously less sugary sweet than her progeny.

Perry’s back story as the gospel-crooning daughter of Pentecostal ministers makes for a diverting plot, especially considering her first smash hit, “I Kissed a Girl.” The singer’s thwarted attempts at fame after moving to Los Angeles are equally absorbing. She comes across as smiley yet scrappy, the little engine that could write enough rousing hits to soundtrack a super-size spinning class.

Most noteworthy is the film’s ability to summon emotion. In a bit of dramatic irony, thanks to People magazine and Us Weekly, the audience knows Perry’s marriage is over while she’s still murmuring on-screen over having found the love of her life. Celebrity marriages, with their orchestrations and short life spans, can seem trivial, but the breakup actually causes a palpable sorrow.

Of course, discussions of the divorce feel awfully one-sided. There are frequent mentions of Perry’s long-haul trips to visit her husband, although he purportedly didn’t return the favor. It’s just one example of the filmmakers’ more overt machinations, which tend to distract, raising questions about what’s real and what’s hyperbole.

Speaking of drawbacks, the use of 3-D doesn’t add much to anything but ticket prices. A few moments during the concerts, when lasers or a spray of whipped cream make a convincing entry into the audience, aren’t enough to warrant wearing special glasses for 90 minutes. Besides, Perry doesn’t need any help popping off the screen, whether she’s wearing a costume with a pair of eye-catching spinning peppermints or headgear to embody her dorky alter ego, Kathy Beth Terry. She isn’t afraid to look like a goofball, which might be why her army of devotees adores her.

But fan or not, it’s hard not to give in to Perry’s endearing charms. The filmmakers clearly want the audience to like the singer -- and is that such a bad thing? She is, after all, cute as a cotton-candy-pink button.

Nash persuades Suns to send him to Lakers

By BOB BAUM (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 3 hours ago

PHOENIX (AP) -- Steve Nash wanted to go to the Los Angeles Lakers. He just needed an assist.

The Phoenix Suns would have to reach a sign-and-trade deal to facilitate the move and, according to Nash, they were reluctant.

Eventually, they relented and the two-time MVP point guard is going to the Pacific Division rival he tried so hard to beat, with little success, in his eight seasons with the Suns.

In one of those odd NBA twists, the Lakers' trade of Lamar Odom to Dallas before last season paved the way for Nash's arrival. Los Angeles used the trade exception it got in the Odom deal to make the Nash move work.

The 38-year-old Nash was a free agent, but a sign-and-trade agreement was necessary for the Lakers to afford him. He agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract. In return, the Suns get four draft picks - first-rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second-rounders in 2013 and 2014.

Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, said the deal was completed Wednesday about 9 p.m., EDT.

In a statement released by Duffy, Nash said that after he and the Suns agreed to part ways, he went back to the team and asked it to pursue a sign-and-trade deal with Los Angeles ''because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family,'' who live in Phoenix.

''They were very apprehensive and didn't want to do it,'' Nash said. ''Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had, and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better.''

There had been sign-and-trade talks with New York and a lucrative free agent offer from Toronto.

The deal will put Nash on the floor with the team he tried to unseat as a Western Conference power, teaming him with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. That could be enough to lift the Lakers back into title contention.

The Suns at least get something for the loss of their longtime leader and one of the city's most popular athletes, although no one to help immediately, unless some or all of the picks are used in future trades.

Nash's Phoenix teammate Jared Dudley tweeted that Nash ''has not only been the best but the most unselfish player I ever played with. I only wish him the best. He deserves everything. Steve Nash has made many players millions. Only fitting to trade to a team that has a chance to win the ship and pay what he deserves.''

Nash has never made it to the NBA Finals. He was last in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers in 2010, when the Suns lost in six games and Los Angeles went on to win the NBA title.

The Suns drafted Nash in 1998, but traded him to Dallas after two seasons because Phoenix already had Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd at the position. Nash played six seasons for Dallas, but bolted when owner Mark Cuban declined to spend big money to keep him. Then-Suns owner Jerry Colangelo brought a plane load of Phoenix players and officials to Dallas to woo Nash.

Nash thrived in Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun system, earning MVP honors in 2005, when he averaged 15.5 points and 11.5 assists, and again in 2006, when he averaged a career-high 18.8 points and 10.5 assists. Nash averaged fewer than 10 assists only once, 9.7 in 2008-09, and topped 11 per game five times in his eight years with Phoenix.

Despite his age and the fact his team failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row, Nash was second in the NBA in assists last season at 10.7 and averaged 12.7 points. His 53 percent shooting rate was a career high.

He is one of the most accurate free throw shooters in NBA history at 90.4 percent. His 9,916 assists rank him fifth in NBA history behind all-time leader John Stockton, Kidd, Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson.

The Suns resisted trading Nash during his final season and insisted they were interested in bringing him back, but they never seriously were in the discussion. Toronto and New York dominated the talk until the Lakers came on quickly Tuesday.

Nash's arrival should rejuvenate the Lakers, who lost in the second round for the second straight postseason after their back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. The Lakers struggled to move on from departed coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense to new coach Mike Brown's system during the lockout-shortened season, with four-time All-Star forward Gasol particularly failing to fit in while getting pushed to the third option on offense most nights.

Nash's peerless playmaking abilities and veteran presence could smooth over those problems, particularly after a full training camp to define the Lakers' roles in Brown's offense.

The draft picks probably don't mean too much to the Lakers, who have traded away their first-round picks the past three seasons. They haven't drafted a regular starter since 2005.

Nash's deal was part of a busy 24 hours for the Suns, who are looking to get younger and more athletic.

On Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the talks, they agreed to a four-year, $58 million offer with restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon, although the Hornets say they will match it.

After the Nash agreement Wednesday night, according to a source who requested anonymity because deals can't be announced until July 11, the Suns reached a three-year, $18 million deal with free agent forward Michael Beasley. Then, an hour or so before midnight, they reached an agreement to bring back point Goran Dragic in a three-year, $30 million deal that can reach $34 million with incentives. The fourth year is a player option.

Suns fans anticipated Nash's departure. They gave him a roaring standing ovation when he took the court in Phoenix's regular-season finale. They knew he was probably headed somewhere. They doubtless would prefer it was not the hated Lakers.

---(equals)

AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed to this report.