Willow Smith has hailed her famous parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as her greatest inspirations in life.
The 15-year-old appears alongside her brother Jaden, 18, in the September issue of Interview magazine, for which they sat down for a chat with Pharrell Williams, and Willow admits she has always looked up to their parents.
"Growing up, all I saw was my parents trying to be the best people they could be, and people coming to them for wisdom, coming to them for guidance, and them not putting themselves on a pedestal, but literally being face-to-face with these people and saying, 'I'm no better than you, but the fact that you're coming to me to reach some sort of enlightenment or to shine a light on something, that makes me feel love and gratitude for you,'" Willow recalled. "They always give back what people give to them."
Jaden echoed his sister's thoughts, adding: "I 100% agree with Willow on that one. My parents are definitely my biggest role models. And that's where me and Willow both pull all of our inspiration from to change the world. It all comes from a concept of affecting the world in a positive way and leaving it better than it was than when we came. I feel like that enters into all types of different areas because there are so many different outlets that life has to offer for us. That goes into technology, into music. That goes into science, into spirituality, into education."
Both Willow and Jaden are very active on social media, and frequently use it as a medium to get across their latest campaign. And one thing the pair can always be sure of is that they are being their true selves - something that is severely lacking on many online profiles, according to Willow.
"I know so many kids who literally are, like, Instagram-famous. They have done nothing but post pictures on Instagram," Willow said. "And they have followings. People love to see them in person, but it's only because they post on their Instagram. It's literally crazy. Kids will paint a picture of themselves that is so far beyond who they actually are. It's like they're wearing someone else's skin."
Jaden concurred, proving the pair's incredibly close bond transcends into their beliefs and thoughts on a daily basis.
Speaking about their connection, Willow admitted she finds it "crazy" that she loves her brother so much.
"It's crazy, the sibling dynamic," she remarked. "Throughout us realizing ourselves and realizing each other, we just opened our eyes and were like, 'Damn, you are the yin to my yang.' Not a lot of siblings have that opportunity, because they're always being pushed together so much. They need their time apart in order to realize themselves and realize who they are."


Willow Smith has hailed her famous parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as her greatest inspirations in life.


Model Sara Sampaio attends the 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards at the Hammerstein Ballroom on June 6, 2016 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images/AFP
Model and New Victoria's Secret Angel Sara Sampaio from Portugal walks the runway during the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Lexington Avenue Armory on November 10, 2015 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret/AFP
2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at The New York Armory - Runway Featuring: Sara Sampaio Where: New York, New York, United States When: 10 Nov 2015 Credit: Jeff Grossman/WENN.com
Model Sara Sampaio attends the BALMAIN X H&M Collection Launch at 23 Wall Street on October 20, 2015 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for H&M/AFP
Model Sara Sampaio attends the premiere of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 in New York on November 18, 2015. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY
2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at The New York Armory - Backstage Featuring: Sara Sampaio Where: New York, New York, United States When: 10 Nov 2015 Credit: Jeff Grossman/WENN.com
In this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 photo, Victoria's Secret model Sara Sampaio poses for a portrait in New York. Sampaio walked in the Victoria�s Secret fashion show on Tuesday for the third year in a row. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)
Model Sara Sampaio poses backstage prior to the Alberta Ferretti Limited Edition Fall/Winter 2016-2017 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 3, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
Model Sara Sampaio is one of the newer Victoria's Secret Angels, and is also well-known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues. Originally from Portugal, the 25-year-old model continues to build up her portfolio.
Portuguese model Sara Sampaio has accused the paparazzi of invading her privacy after snapping her topless while vacationing on a yacht.
The Victoria's Secret Angel has been relaxing in the South of France with her boyfriend Oliver Ripley, and she recently ditched her bikini top to avoid tan lines while sunbathing onboard a private boat.
However, an eagle-eyed photographer recognized the topless beauty and snapped away from a distance, and now the images have surfaced online, much to Sara's disgust.
A thought on privacy and an open letter to the paparazzi and press https://t.co/J5ZAQJqH6G — Sara Sampaio (@SaraSampaio) August 27, 2016
The 25-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit star took to Facebook over the weekend to address the controversy, claiming she was "privately minding her own business" when the pictures were taken.
"I had no idea that there was someone far away with a big telescopic lens taking pictures of me," she explained to fans. "Some of you may say that I'm a public figure and it comes with my job. Others that I'm used to being photographed in swimsuits. There is a difference though."
She then addressed the paparazzi directly, fuming, "How would you feel if you woke up one morning to find pictures of your 25yr (year) old daughter topless all over the Internet?"

Model Sara Sampaio blasts paparazzi for topless photos


Portuguese model Sara Sampaio has accused the paparazzi of invading her privacy after snapping her topless while vacationing on a yacht.


Last year, Albertans tossed the Progressive Conservatives from office.
The PCs had bet Albertans’ jobs on a never-ending boom, then abandoned them in the bust.
They emptied their Heritage Fund.
Fixed rules so CEOs pay the same tax rate as secretaries.
Spent public money flying friends and family.
Cut education and health care.
That gang wants back. And they’ve written their play – “Jason Kenney, Alberta Uniter.”
After 26 years in Ottawa, Kenney’s shed his Ottawa power suit and minister’s car.
He’s in new jeans, driving a bright blue Dodge Ram pickup – and talking about uniting Albertans behind the PCs, with him as leader.
But it’s not going according to script.
How can it? His entire life, Kenney – anti-abortion crusader, anti-tax lobbyist, social conservative – has been a polarizing and divisive politician.
Kenney’s political life hasn’t been dedicated to unifying anything except power.
No summer script can erase what’s been burned into voters’ psyche over 26 years.
Kenney polarizes Albertans and has little room to grow.
So says a recent poll by ThinkHQ.
Only 4% of NDP supporters approve of Kenney, 74% disapprove. No growth there.
Compared to Kenney, about 75% of Wildrose supporters prefer current Wildrose Leader Brian Jean – who Kenney aims to depose. So blocked there.
Overall, Kenney holds a 2% net approval rating, albeit higher than any other potential PC leadership contender.
But a Kenney-led PC party would still run third. Rachel Notley’s governing NDP would hold first.
Even if thunder bolts wiped out all memory of Kenney’s 26 polarizing years, this summer’s script creates new doubts.
In past provincial elections, Kenney cheered for Wildrose.
Now he’s switched to the PCs, the party he wants to lead, then destroy by merging it with Wildrose.
The PC leadership campaign officially starts in October and candidates can’t register until then.
But Kenney’s found a way to give himself a head start.
He’s set up Unite Alberta Inc., a corporation which can take donations and spend money.
Elections Alberta says there’s nothing they can do about it.
There’s the hypocrisy.
Kenney used to denounce double-dipping politicians.
But he’s going to keep taking his $12,000 per month MP paycheque until October, even though he spends his days campaigning across Alberta.
He doesn’t need the money.
He’s a single guy with none of the costs of raising kids.
Elected at 29, for 20 years he’s been an MP – for 10 of them as minister, who are currently topped up to $240,000 a year.
He already qualifies for a potential $6.3 million in pension payments to age 90.
Then there’s his Trump-like policy inconsistency.
Kenney’s against deficits, but voted for 10 of them as a Conservative minister.
He wants pipeline development, but his and the federal Conservative government’s climate-denying approach didn’t build one mile of it.
He doesn’t want a price on carbon, but once suggested a “small sales tax” in Alberta.
He favours more trade deals, but cheered Brexit.
He was strongly against abortion and gay marriage, now doesn’t want to talk about them.
Kenney polarizes because he feels like a slick huckster.
This isn’t about uniting Alberta.
It’s a play to return the old gang to power – the crew who dug a deep hole, took anything valuable from it, shoved Albertans down it, and now criticize them as they try to climb out. Kenney’s their man.


Last year, Albertans tossed the Progressive
Conservatives from office.


LOS ANGELES — The horror movie Don’t Breathe has reason to let out a big sigh of relief. Audiences turned out in droves for the late summer thriller, which brought in US$26.1 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
That’s more than double the early predictions for how the scary pic would perform and far above the modest production budget, which was reportedly less than $10 million. Stage 6 Films produced and Sony’s Screen Gems oversaw distribution.
Don’t Breathe is about a group of Detroit teens who chose the wrong house to rob — that of a blind, vengeful veteran. It stars Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette and was directed by Fede Alvarez, who is known for the Evil Dead remake.
Sony Pictures Marketing Chief Josh Greenstein noted how rare it was for a film in this genre to have resonated so deeply with critics. The current Rotten Tomatoes score is a very fresh 86%. It also continues Sony’s summer of seeing successes with original films that cost very little to make.
“This marks a string of very profitable hits for Sony with very modest budgets. The Shallows, Sausage Party and now Don’t Breathe were all incredibly profitable because they were made for modest budgets and did incredibly well at the box office,” Greenstein said.
It’s also the latest horror success for Hollywood this summer, which has seen films like Lights Out, The Conjuring 2, and The Purge: Election Year thrive while their bigger budget, spectacle-driven counterparts flailed.
“As it turns out horror is the least scary genre this summer, especially to the bean counters in Hollywood,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for box office tracker comScore. “(They) can almost always be counted on to make money.”
Horror films, Dergarabedian said, perform very well on home video too.
Don’t Breathe effectively unseated Suicide Squad from its three-week run atop the box office. This weekend, the comic book film Suicide Squad grossed $12.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $282.9 million.
Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings took third place in its second weekend in theatres with $7.9 million. The $60 million film has now earned $24.8 million domestically.
Sausage Party, meanwhile, continued to have a ball at the box office, earning $7.7 million for a fourth place finish and an $80 million domestic total.
The poorly reviewed Jason Statham-led sequel “Mechanic: Resurrection,” meanwhile, placed fifth in its opening weekend with $7.5 million, according to Lionsgate. The first film opened to $11.4 million in 2011.
Among specialty releases, the Barack and Michelle Obama first-date movie Southside With You launched in 813 theatres to an estimated $3.1 million, while The Weinstein Company’s Roberto Duran boxing biopic Hands of Stone opened in 810 theatres to $1.7 million.
Overall the box office was up 32 per cent from this weekend last year when Straight Outta Compton opened. Next weekend closes out the summer movie season with the release of the sci-fi film “Morgan” and the romantic drama The Light Between Oceans.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. Don’t Breathe, $26.1 million ($1.9 million international).
2. Suicide Squad, $12.1 million ($19.6 million international).
3. Kubo and the Two Strings, $7.9 million ($1.5 million international).
4. Sausage Party, $7.7 million ($1.6 million international).
5. Mechanic: Resurrection, $7.5 million ($6.1 million international).
6. Pete’s Dragon, $7.3 million ($3.5 million international).
7. War Dogs, $7.3 million ($5.3 million international).
8. Bad Moms, $5.8 million ($6.3 million international).
9. Jason Bourne, $5.2 million ($56.8 million international).
10. Ben-Hur, $4.5 million ($6.3 million international).
———
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. Jason Bourne, $56.8 million.
2. Ice Age: Collision Course, $50 million.
3. The Secret Life of Pets, $24.6 million.
4. Suicide Squad, $19.6 million.
5. Lights Out, $9.6 million.
6. Bad Moms and Ben-Hur, $6.3 million.
7. Mechanic: Resurrection, Finding Dory, and The Shallows, $6.1 million.
8. Tunnel, $5.7 million.
9. War Dogs, $5.3 million.
10. Line Walker, $4.8 million.
———
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
———

'Don't Breathe' scares away the competition


The horror movie Don't Breathe has reason to let out a big sigh of relief. Audiences turned out in droves for the late summer thriller, which brought in US$26.1 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.


The derailment of a freight train in the middle of Toronto last Sunday is an urgent warning for us to rethink how dangerous goods are shipped through the most populated neighbourhoods in Canada.
We need immediate action by the federal government to improve rail safety – action which would also improve public transit.
Quite simply, we need a viable plan to separate freight and passenger rail traffic in Canada.
A plan to keep dangerous goods out of urban centres which would also increase the capacity to run more public transit on existing rail lines in urban centres.
It’s 2016 and our Canadian cities have expanded and grown. More people live closer to freight train lines than ever before.
This same train that derailed in Toronto travelled through Mississauga, Ontario’s third largest city.
In the 1800s railways were used to connect our provinces and cities and allowed us to create a Canada.
Cities used railway trains as the engines of their economies to connect people and products. Major cities expanded through the use of trains.
But in today’s modern digital economy we need those same railway lines to move people within an urban centre and between cities, while keeping freight and dangerous goods outside of the urban core.
Last year there was a plan announced by some local governments to fix this problem but there has yet to be urgent action to make it a reality.
The plan is called the “Missing Link”.
In 2015, the cities of Brampton, Cambridge, Guelph, Milton, Mississauga, Toronto, Kitchener and Waterloo developed a business case for the Missing Link.
It is a new rail corridor to connect two exiting freight lines.
The result removes freight traffic from the southern CP and Canadian National Rail (CN) lines, and diverts it to a freight-only rail line.
Then the existing CN and CP freight lines would be free for more commuter service by GO Transit and VIA Rail.
It is a simple plan -- the Missing Link diverts dangerous freight from many cities while expanding commuter transit.
All-day, two-way electrified GO Train service on the Milton and Kitchener lines would become possible, as would high-speed rail.
This idea is not a new one or unique to Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. It can be implemented in other urban centres across Canada.
In the 1970s new freight-only rail lines were built north of Toronto.
This was done to increase capacity for passenger lines along the shore of Lake Ontario.
This led to development of the Golden Horseshoe and now the Lakeshore rail line is the busiest passenger rail line in Canada.
Population growth in the biggest cities like Toronto has led to unaffordable housing prices combined with some of the worst traffic in the world.
Government knows this growth will only continue.
Yes, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an enormous infrastructure program. New programs for subways, street cars and other critical infrastructure will start to follow. Those plans will help.
But gridlock is a growing and complex problem.
And sometimes, the most complex problems can have the simplest solutions.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie told me the Missing Link would allow the Ontario government to achieve its vision for Regional Express Rail.
"Dangerous freight would no longer travel through communities, and most importantly, residents could arrive to their destination more quickly and easily.
“The Missing Link is an ambitious project, but one that will fundamentally change how we live and work in the GTA for a generation to come,” said Crombie.
The federal Liberals need to act now to make the best use of existing rail lines to move more people efficiently, while protecting them from potentially dangerous train derailments in the process.
Warren is a Liberal political strategist and media commentator. He worked for former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman and former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and is currently a principal at grgadvisors.ca and CEO of Riseley Gaming Inc.

Time to separate freight and passenger rail lines


The derailment of a freight train in the middle of Toronto last Sunday is an urgent warning for us to rethink how dangerous goods are shipped through the most populated neighbourhoods in Canada.


OTTAWA -- The Liberal government is putting the United Nations on notice that Canada is ready to provide money and, more importantly, troops for peacekeeping missions around the world.
Up to 600 Canadian soldiers -- including engineers and medical units -- are being committed to future peacekeeping operations, as well as equipment such as helicopters and planes, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said Friday.
"It is time for Canada to choose engagement over isolation," Dion told a news conference in Saguenay, Que., where Liberal MPs are taking part in a two-day caucus retreat.
"(It is) time to act with responsible conviction as a determined peacebuilder."
The additional soldiers represent a dramatic increase over the 19 Canadian troops deployed on peacekeeping missions at the end of July, bringing the total more in line with the number of Canadian blue berets deployed in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Sajjan said Friday's announcement signals that Canada is committed to re-engaging in a full spectrum of multilateral peace operations, but he also warned that the landscape has changed dramatically in the last 20 years.
"Around the world, the nature of conflict is changing and it's more complex than ever," Sajjan said.
"Today, peace support operations are conducted where there may be no peace to keep, or where the fragile peace constantly teeters on the edge of violence. We need to understand conflict better. We need to look at the root cause of conflict, and think of innovative ways to move forward."
The government is also setting aside $450 million over three years for projects that promote peace and security around the world, including the deployment of police officers and civilian experts.
The UN says 75 Canadian police officers and nine military experts were participating in missions at the end of July.
The commitments are being announced in advance of a major conference in London. Countries are required to make a tangible pledge in order to attend. Canada did not attend last year's summit in Washington, which was organized by U.S. President Barack Obama.
But the big question, which the government has yet to answer, is where Canadian troops would actually end up. The government says no decision has been made, but it's believed Canada will participate in more than one country.
Speculation has been rife that the Liberals are eyeing a mission in Mali, the Central African Republic, South Sudan or the Democratic Republic of Congo. But all four represent complex and dangerous environments, with no easy solutions.
In Mali, for example, 86 peacekeepers have been killed since April 2013. The UN missions in the DRC and South Sudan, meanwhile, have been accused of not doing enough to protect civilians. The political situations in those countries are also extremely volatile.
The Liberals promised during last year's election campaign to return Canada to peacekeeping after more than a decade of dwindling participation. In July, Canada ranked 67th out of 121 nations in terms of the number of troops and police deployed on peacekeeping missions.
Some have questioned the Liberal government's emphasis on peacekeeping given that many UN missions involve dealing with terrorist groups and other non-state actors. There have also been concerns that the military, which also has a large mission in Iraq and will be soon going to Latvia, is being stretched thin.
Sajjan has said the government won't task the military with anything that commanders believe they can't handle.

Liberals pledge up to 600 soldiers, $450-million for UN peacekeeping operations


The Liberal government is putting the
United Nations on notice that Canada is
ready to provide money and, more
importantly, troops for peacekeeping
missions around the world.


As viral marketing ideas go, it’s a Deathstroke of genius.
Ben Affleck – the Bruce Wayne and Batman of the DC Comics cinematic universe – dropped an unexpected surprise on his social media followers Monday morning, posting a video that appears to confirm fan-favourite DC Comics villain Deathstroke will be in next year’s Justice League movie. Or in Affleck’s upcoming standalone Batman movie. Or maybe both.
In a short, silent video clip apparently shot off a film set monitor, we see Deathstroke, aka seasoned mercenary Slade Wilson, striding through what’s believed to be the cargo bay of the Justice League’s airborne command post.
Will the black-and-orange-armoured villain be a major part of Justice League? Is he working against Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the team, as they prepare to face down the alien baddie Steppenwolf? Or is he working with them, recruited by a desperate Dark Knight? Will his appearance simply serve to set him up as the main heavy in the upcoming Batman solo flick?
And most importantly, who the heck is behind that mask?
Revealing a video of a new character in a major superhero movie without actually announcing who’s playing the role is kind of unprecedented. So here are five actors – in decreasing order of likelihood – who we think could suit up as Slade.
Joe Manganiello
Last year, when rumours were rampant that Deathstroke would be one of the characters in this month’s Suicide Squad, True Blood’s Joe Manganiello was said to be the frontrunner for the role. Deathstroke never materialized in the movie, and Manganiello took to Twitter in April of last year to quash the hearsay: “That’s not the character I was in talks for,” he wrote.
But given the strength and persistence of those rumours, it feels like there could be something there. And if Manganiello is saying he was never in talks for Deathstroke specifically in Suicide Squad, he technically wouldn’t be lying if he played the character in Justice League and/or the new Batman. Frankly, he’d be an awesome choice.
Scott Eastwood
When director David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was in production, the revelation that Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride, son of Clint) was joining the cast had some fans speculating Eastwood would be playing Deathstroke, who joins up with Task Force X in the comics.
Turns out Eastwood simply plays an army lieutenant named Edwards, who accompanies Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and the gang on their mission and meets an untimely demise. But it seems odd that Ayer actively courted Eastwood for such a minor and inconsequential role, and maybe the plan is for Lieut. Edwards to somehow survive and transform into the menacing mercenary for future films.
Manu Bennett
It’s a shame that DC is adopting a different strategy from Marvel and keeping their TV and film universes at arm’s length from one another, because plenty of fans would love to see actors from the so-called Arrowverse show up on the big screen. Deathstroke, for instance, is played in TV’s Arrow by New Zealand actor Manu Bennett, who also did the motion-capture performance for the fearsome orc chieftain Azog in the Hobbit movies (and who, oddly, bears a passing resemblance to Joe Manganiello.) Why not keep the universes consistent and have these characters cross over with the actors intact?
Michael Hogan
If we go back a little further in DC Comics-based TV shows to the Clark Kent series Smallville, it was Canadian actor Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica) who played army general Slade Wilson, a vocal supporter of the Vigilante Registration Act. At 66, Hogan is a bit old for the role from a practical action standpoint, but the character is a grizzled, grey-haired older man in the comics, and Hogan was an age-appropriate actor for the part. He’s also a funny guy in real life who happens to play very menacing badasses on screen.
Ryan Reynolds
OK, yeah, no chance of this happening in a million years. But how awesome would it be? Deadpool’s Wade Wilson – created by Marvel’s Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, and played by Reynolds in this year’s box office hit movie – is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Deathstroke’s Slade Wilson, one of Liefeld’s favourite DC Comics characters.
Having Deathstroke remove his mask to reveal Reynolds underneath is just the sort of fourth wall-breaking, universe-blending madness that Deadpool would love. Sadly, Hollywood studios probably don’t share his sense of humour.
Twitter: @stevetilley
STilley@postmedia.com

Ben Affleck teases Deathstroke: Who should play the DC villain?


As viral marketing ideas go, it’s a Deathstroke of genius.


Everyone knows that people often pair up at work.
You can attribute the phenomenon to shared interests, career parallels, proximity or simple laziness, but people who work together often fall in love.
That goes for celebrities, too.
Look at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, or, more recently, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. There seem to be a lot of actors who fall in love with fellow actors at work.
Or with grips or directors or cinematographers — guess there are all kinds of likely romantic prospects on a movie set.
A lot of musicians fall in love at work, too, but they don’t seem to have such good results.
Which brings us to Drake and Rihanna … and how their on-again/off-again relationship seems switched back to ‘on’.
So we have to ask: What is it about the world o’ music that has it littered with so many ruined relationships? Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony used to be a couple and so did Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, and we all know where that went.
Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale no doubt aimed for happily-ever-after, as did Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert; those plans changed for everybody somewhere along the way.
(As for the busted-up Shelton and Lambert, country singers are in a special category all their own. It may be related to composing and singing songs about heartbreak, cheatin’, d-i-v-o-r-c-e, and hurtin’ in general, but start with Tammy Wynette and George Jones and move along to Shania Twain and Mutt Lange or Trisha Yearwood and Robert Reynolds and then to the former relationships of singers such as Kenny Chesney, Randy Travis, Leann Rimes, etc: It’s like an epidemic.)
In music, there’s no end to spectacular failures — Carly Simon and James Taylor, Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, J. Lo and Puffy, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, John Mayer and Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris and Rita Ora, Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas, Rihanna and Chris Brown. Remember all that?
Beyonce and Jay-Z appear to be the exception in this, although her songs about his infidelity on Lemonade will continue to keep everyone guessing.
Meanwhile, if we had to guess the origin of all that couple wreckage, we’d say irreconcilable similarities. You can only have so many swelled heads under the same roof.
But back to Drake and Rihanna. These two have collaborated on a few tunes — What’s My Name, Take Care, Work, Too Good.
Ever since the New York Post reported them kissing in a bowling alley bar seven years ago, Drake and Rihanna have certainly seemed to have had something going on. They have plenty of history.
If you’ve seen them on-stage together then you know their chemistry is undeniable. And yet, nothing permanent ever seems to materialize. Remember the donnybrook between Drake and Chris Brown in that New York club in 2012? There was plenty of speculation about what they were fighting over.
Drake keeps turning up in Rihanna’s concerts, in Miami, in Manchester, in L.A. Then she was onstage for his OVO Fest in Toronto this summer, where she called him “baby.”
Is that her face tattooed on his arm?
Things have seemed to be heating up for over a year now.
And now everybody heard him speak of his feelings earlier this week at the MTV VMAs:
“She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old. She’s one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life, I’ve looked up to her even though she’s younger than me.”
Later that night Drake posted an Instagram of the two of them together, with the CN Tower in the background.
Rihanna posted videos on her Snapchat of Drake hanging backstage with her and her family, including her mom and her grandfather.
It all looks very cozy.
A lot of young people we know think Drake and RiRi are the greatest couple since Romeo and Juliet.
Others are not so sure. There are interesting differences between people who grow up where there are four seasons (and snow) with which to contend and those who grow up where the sun is always shining. We just made that up, but still.
And then there’s that bleak music world landscape, littered with broken hearts — which everyone will tell you is the ideal atmosphere for song-writing. Alas.
Nobody writes songs when he or she is happy.
May all concerned proceed with caution.
Twitter: @LizBraunSun
LBraun@postmedia.com

Drake and Rihanna and the pitfalls of being a celebrity couple


Everyone knows that people often pair up at work.


I would like to take a moment to join all Canadians in expressing our utmost respect and warm wishes to Prime Minister Stephen Harper as he steps back from his role as the Member of Parliament for Calgary Heritage, and the Canadian political stage.
In 2003, Stephen Harper was at the forefront of the movement to unite conservative Canadians across this country under one banner. It would mark the beginning of more than a decade of his principled leadership.
The record Prime Minister Harper leaves in office is a proud one. Under his leadership, Canada’s foreign policy was clear-eyed and robust, and our nation’s principles were never for sale. He was the first Canadian Prime Minister in history to address the Knesset in Israel — a strong show of support for a democratic nation that remains our best and strongest ally in a turbulent part of the world. It was Prime Minister Harper who stood up to Vladimir Putin and led the charge to have Russia removed from the G8. Under Prime Minister Harper, Canada was an active ally in the global fight against terrorism. And he helped usher in a new era of greater respect for Canada’s men and women in uniform.
Here in Canada, his economic record speaks volumes. During his leadership Canada emerged from the global recession faster and stronger than any country in the G7, which included a net gain of 1.3 million new jobs, a balanced budget, and the wealthiest middle class anywhere on the globe. His time in office saw an ambitious free trade agenda open up markets around the world for Canadian businesses, and free trade deals now signed with over 40 countries.
At the heart of that record was a recognition of the everyday challenges facing hardworking families. We proudly note that it was thanks to his principled guidance that Canadians enjoyed the lowest tax burden in 50 years — including a lower GST, income splitting for couples, and tax free savings accounts.
Finally, Canada under Stephen Harper was committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society. His leadership saw sweeping changes to strengthen child protection laws and the introduction of the Victims Bill of Rights, which once and for all put the rights of victims ahead of the rights of criminals. The creation of the Universal Child Care Benefit helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty, and the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health initiative has helped save the lives of millions of mothers and babies around the world.
I spoke with Prime Minister Harper upon news of his departure, and I took the opportunity to personally thank him for everything he has done — for the people of Calgary Heritage and Calgary Southwest before that, for proud conservatives everywhere, and for all Canadians.
I also expressed congratulations for the recent honour bestowed upon him by Ukrainian President Poroshenko. The Order of Liberty, one of Ukraine’s highest honours, recognizes Prime Minister Harper’s contributions to the strengthening of Ukraine’s sovereignty. This is only the latest demonstration of the lasting legacy with which Mr. Harper departs political life.
More than anything, Prime Minister Harper loves his family, and we thank Laureen, Ben and Rachel for sharing him with us for over 20 years. We also thank Laureen Harper for her devotion to so many charitable causes and our country.
Thank you Stephen Harper for your immense contributions to Canada and we wish you well in your future endeavours.
- Ambrose is Leader of the Official Opposition and MP for Sturgeon River–Parkland.


I would like to take a moment to join
all Canadians in expressing our utmost
respect and warm wishes to Prime
Minister Stephen Harper as he steps
back from his role as the Member of
Parliament for Calgary Heritage, and
the Canadian political stage.


Charlize Theron has split fans on social media by letting her adopted son dress up as Frozen queen Elsa.
The Mad Max: Fury Road star and her kid Jackson hit the streets of Los Angeles on an errand run earlier this week when snappers caught the boy in his Disney costume.
His look, which featured a blue dress and braided blonde hair, won Charlize applause from some forward-thinking parents, who congratulated her for allowing her son to wear the outfit of his choice, but other Twitter users weren't quite so kind.
One user raged: "How is this legal", while another wrote: "Is @CharlizeAfrica crazy?? What kind of parent does this to a child?? Why would you adopt this young black boy and then degrade him??", and one more added: "Why did Charlize Theron have her little 5 year old boy in a dress and wig? He's too young to know what a transgender is. She's confusing him."
Who think this is ok?? Why?? What kind of mother are you??@CharlizeAfrica pic.twitter.com/8o9P1dQtKi — Lesboja78 (@lesboja1978) August 24, 2016
Why did Charlize Theron have her little 5 year old boy in a dress and wig? He's too young to know what a transgender is. She's confusing him — Mama Nibiru (@MadamSophie88) August 24, 2016
One of the more positive reactions came from @sixmyths, who tweeted: "Here's a thought: maybe Charlize Theron's son WANTED to wear the dress? Crazy, I know. Letting him have his own identity and all", while another fan wrote: "Everyone's upset wit Charlize Theron for letting her adopted son wear wigs/dresses..let them live.'".

Charlize Theron criticized for letting her son wear a dress


Charlize Theron has split fans on social media by letting her adopted son dress up as Frozen queen Elsa.


NASHVILLE -- A Nashville judge dismissed pop star Taylor Swift as a potential juror in an aggravated rape and kidnapping case on Monday, Davidson County District Attorney General's Office spokesman Ken Whitehouse said.
"She asked to be left off out of concern for an upcoming trial in Denver where she was -- she used the term 'groped' -- by a fan at a meet-and-greet," Whitehouse said.
Swift told the judge she would be more than willing to serve on a jury in any other type of case, he said.
In the Denver case, Swift filed a counterclaim last year after a former radio host sued her.
David Mueller claimed he lost his job after a member of Swift's security team falsely accused him of grabbing the singer's buttocks backstage during a 2013 photo session. Muller claimed the person who assaulted Swift was actually one of his superiors.
Swift's counterclaim states, "Ms. Swift knows exactly who committed the assault."
Before Swift was dismissed from the jury pool on Monday, she took time to chat and take selfies with other potential jurors.
Bryan Merville, who owns a technology infrastructure company, said he took a photo with Swift for his daughters, who are huge fans. He said he was one of about 140 people waiting in a holding area Monday morning before they were called to separate courtrooms. About 15-20 asked Swift for a photo or autograph.
"She's about as famous as they come, but she couldn't have been nicer," Merville said. "She took the time to talk to every person who asked her for a picture."

Taylor Swift reports to jury duty in Nashville, gets dismissed


A Nashville judge dismissed pop star Taylor Swift as a potential juror in an aggravated rape and kidnapping case on Monday, Davidson County District Attorney General's Office spokesman Ken Whitehouse said.


SEATTLE -- Authorities say the husband of Heart lead singer Ann Wilson is being held on investigation of assaulting two relatives during the group's show in suburban Seattle.
The Seattle Times is reporting that 65-year-old Dean Stuart Wetter appeared in King County District Court on Monday. Bail was set at $10,000.
The paper says that according to court records, the two boys were watching the show from backstage when they left to walk around. They were walking past the tour buses when they saw Ann Wilson's new tour bus and wanted to look inside.
Documents say Wetter started yelling after they left the door open and allegedly punched one of the boys in the back of the head before grabbing him by the throat.
When the other boy stepped in, Wetter allegedly also grabbed his throat.
Wetter is scheduled to appear in court again Wednesday. He married Ann Wilson in 2015.

Husband of Heart singer Ann Wilson arrested for assault


Authorities say the husband of Heart lead singer Ann Wilson is being held on investigation of assaulting two relatives during the group's show in suburban Seattle.


NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Drake presents Rihanna with the The Video Vanguard Award during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Jimmy Fallon presents Beyonce with "Video of the Year" for "Formation" onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Drake presents Rihanna with the The Video Vanguard Award during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers and Halsey perform onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Drake presents Rihanna with the The Video Vanguard Award during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Fifth Harmony and Ty Dolla $ign (C) accept the award for Best Collaboration during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards August 28, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York. / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMADJEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Rihanna performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Music Video Awards at Madison Square Gareden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Jimmy Fallon presents the Video of the Year award during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
G-Eazy, and Britney Spears perform at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Britney Spears performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Beyonce and mothers of gun violence attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Rihanna performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Michael Phelps presents onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele perform onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Beyonce accepts the Best Female Video award presented by Madison Kocian, Aly Raisman, and Simone Biles onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Kanye West performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Britney Spears and G Eazy perform onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Madison Kocian, Aly Raisman, Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez present Best Female Video onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Michael Phelps, left, and Nicole Johnson arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Britney Spears performs onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Ariana Grande, left, and Nicki Minaj perform at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Rihanna, center, performs at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Ariana Grande performs at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Beyonce (C) attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Alicia Keys attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Jeremy Scott, left, and Stella Maxwell arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Nev Schulman, right, and Laura Perlongo arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Hailey Baldwin arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Lance Bass wears a jacket with the slogan "Love Trumps Hate" as he arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Contestants from "RuPaul's Drag Race" TV show arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Farrah Abraham arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Beyonce, left, and her daughter Blue Ivy arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Desiigner arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
DJ Khaled, left, and Nicole Tuck arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Amber Rose arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Nicki Minaj, left, and Meek Mill arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Lance Bass, left, and Robert Sepulveda Jr. arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
From Kanye West's rant, to Britney's return and Beyonce's epic entrance and performance, here are photos from the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
NEW YORK -- Beyonce owned the MTV Video Music Awards by winning video of the year and giving a 16-minute performance featuring her recent hits from "Lemonade," working various stages with strong, layered vocals, skilled dance moves and even an outfit change -- all as the audience watched in awe and cheered her on.
Beyonce won the top prize for "Formation," besting Adele, Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Drake.
"First of all I'd like to thank my beautiful daughter and my incredible husband for all of their support," said Beyonce, who walked the carpet with Blue Ivy by her side. "I dedicate this award to the people of New Orleans."
Beyonce is now the most awarded artist in #VMAs history with 23 awards.
Long live Queen Bey. https://t.co/aW4tTHPFfF — Def Pen™ (@defpen) August 29, 2016
Queen B kicked of her strong set with "Pray You Catch Me" as blue lights beamed onstage. She was wearing white, but later stripped down to a black leotard with full sleeves as she sang "Hold Up" and "Sorry." She grew angry and twerked while performing "Don't Hurt Yourself" and ended with the anthemic "Formation."
"If y'all came to slay, sing along with me," she said.
The audience at Madison Square Garden watched intensely Sunday, at times recording the performance with their phones.
It was reminiscent of the 2014 VMAs, when Beyonce also performed for 16 minutes and accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award. This year it is being awarded to Rihanna, who split up her performances throughout the night, singing hits such as "Work," "We Found Love" and "Love on the Brain."
But the biggest moment for Rihanna came when Drake -- in a tuxedo -- presented the award to his former girlfriend. He said he met Rihanna in 2005 on the set of her first music video for "Pon De Replay."
"She's someone I've been in love with her since I was 22 years old," Drake said as Rihanna blushed and the audience cheered loudly. "She's one of my best friends in the world. All of my adult life I've looked up to her even though she's younger than me."
Rihanna, 28, thanked her family, friends and hometown of Saint Michael, Barbados for helping her succeed in her 11-year-career.
"All I can think of is my country, they're gonna be so proud, this is the first Vanguard to land anywhere near my country," she said. "My success started as my dream, but now my success is not my own. It's my family, my fans, my country ... it's women, it's black women."
Beyonce's top-notch performance starkly contrasted with that of Britney Spears, who returned to the VMA stage after 10 years. Not only did she lip sync, in typical fashion, but she did so badly. Spears performed her hit "Make Me..." and danced slickly, but she didn't actually sing a word of the song live. She was joined by rapper G-Eazy -- and she lip synched the hook to his hit song, "Me, Myself and I."
Beyonce won best female video for "Hold Up," presented to her by four of the Final Five gymnasts, excluding Gabby Douglas, who is hospitalized for a mouth infection.
"Thank you to my fans. I love you," Beyonce said. "Have a beautiful night."
In typical and true Kanye West fashion, the rapper ranted onstage, touching on subjects from music to his beef with Taylor Swift to violence in his hometown Chicago before he debuted his music video for "Fade." He talked about his "Famous" video which features what appear to be naked images of West, Swift, Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump and more. He even pointed to former girlfriend Amber Rose, who was in the audience and is also in the video.
"It was an expression of our now, our fame right now, us on the inside of the TV, you know, the audacity to put Anna Wintour right next to Donald Trump," he said.
"I put Ray J in it bro," he said, referring to Kardashian's ex with whom she did a sex tape.
"But if you think about last week it was 22 people murdered in Chicago," he continued. "You know, people come up to me like, 'Man, that's right! Take, tell Taylor this. Bro, like I love all y'all."
"That's why I called her," he said with a laugh, referring to his recent drama with the pop star, who didn't attend the VMAs and was not nominated.
Other performers including Ariana Grande, who brought spin class to the VMA stage when she sang the reggae-tinged "Side to Side" with Nicki Minaj. Grande cycled while singing and was backed by female dancers imitating her, while her male dancers lifted dumbbells and did other exercises. At the end of their performance, Grande and Minaj put their male dancers' faces in front their crotches.
In another ode to the Olympic Games just past, Michael Phelps said he's been inspired by hip-hop music before introducing Future, who Phelps said he listened to before swimming and making the grimace that went viral. The rapper-singer-producer performed his hit "(Expletive) Up Some Commas."
Drake won the first award for the night -- best hip hop video for "Hotline Bling." Puff Daddy, who presented the award, said Drake was stuck in traffic. Calvin Harris won best male video -- beating West's "Famous" -- for "This is What You Came For," which featured Rihanna and was co-written with former girlfriend Swift. Harris accepted the award in a video message.
David Bowie -- who died from cancer earlier this year -- received four nominations for "Lazarus" and won best art direction. The music video, which shows him looking frail in bed with bandaged eyes, was released just days before the icon's Jan. 10 death.
Fifth Harmony and Ty Dollar $ign won best collaboration video for "Work from Home." The girl group also won song of the summer for "All In My Head (Flex)." The pop band DNCE, led by Joe Jonas, won best new artist.
Beyonce, was the top nominee with 11, arrived angel-winged and green-feathered with daughter Blue Ivy in tow along with Sybrina Fulton, Lezley McSpadden and Gwen Carr, the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, among others. They appeared in videos for Beyonce's "Lemonade" visual album and also make up the Mothers of the Movement, women of colour who lost children to violence.
Jimmy Fallon introduced the top nominees and dressed as Ryan Lochte, with platinum blonde hair. As Lochte, who is dealing with trouble after filing a false robbery report over an incident during the Rio Olympics, Fallon lied onstage about writing Justin Bieber's "Sorry" and directing the videos nominated for video of the year.
Adele was behind Beyonce with eight nominations, but the British singer did not attend the show.
Winners of Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, presented at Madison Square Garden in New York:

MTV Video Music Awards: Beyonce slays, Kanye rants and Rihanna recognized


Beyonce owned the MTV Video Music Awards by winning video of the year and giving a 16-minute performance featuring her recent hits from


Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s spin doctors need to think back to when they were kids.
And to recall if it ever worked to complain to Mom and Dad, when they were caught doing something stupid, that “all the other guys were doing it, too.”
Remember what Mom and Dad used to say, Liberal spin doctors?
They would say: “And if all the other guys jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?”
That’s why their latest attempt to bury the limo and vanity photographers’ expense controversy involving Liberal cabinet ministers, by claiming the Conservatives did it too, and they were even worse, is so dumb.
First, feeding this information to The Hill Times just keeps the story alive.
Second, of course the Tories spent more. They were in power for almost a decade, compared to nine months for the Liberals.
Third, the New Democrats have compiled a helpful record of quotes from Liberals reacting to Tory ministerial spending when they were in power.
On Bev Oda’s $16 orange juice:
“It reveals a government that’s off its game, quite frankly, and taking liberties with the public’s patience and the public’s purse.” (Then Liberal deputy leader Ralph Goodale, April 23, 2012, Postmedia News.)
On Conservative cabinet ministers using photographers:
“The money spent by Conservatives on vanity photographers could have kept the Veterans Affairs office in Cape Breton open.” (Liberal MP Mark Eyking, iPolitics, Feb. 19, 2015)
On what type of vehicles Conservative cabinet ministers were using:
“They’re afraid to roll into Parliament in their black little limos today.” (Liberal MP Scott Andrews, Huffington Post, May 3, 2012).
Do the Liberals -- the party that gave us former cabinet minister David Dingwall unforgettably saying he was “entitled to my entitlements” regarding his job at the Royal Canadian Mint -- really want to drag this out?
Is their argument the Lexus ES 300 luxury sedan Health Minister Jane Philpott was being chauffered around in isn’t a limo, really the hill they want to die on?
Or that Environment Minister Catherine McKenna saved taxpayers’ money by spending $6,600 for a photographer in Paris, instead of bringing one from Canada?
Seriously, federal Liberals. Seriously.
We can almost hear Mom and Dad sending you to your room without supper, right now.

Liberals: Have some cheese with that whine


Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s spin doctors need to think back to when they were kids.


Blue Jays left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning which Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler miss-played, resulting in a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory for Toronto.
With one out in the eighth and the Jays trailing 7-6, Upton launched a Ryan Pressly offering to right that Kepler failed to field cleanly. Kevin Pillar, who hit a double, scored from second to tie the game and Upton made it all the way home on Kepler’s error to give the Jays the lead and ultimately the win.
Jays’ closer Roberto Osuna came in to pitch a perfect ninth inning to preserve the victory while picking up his 29th save.
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Jays starter Marcus Stroman gave up nine hits through six innings, the majority of them grounders that found holes though the infield. Stroman’s downfall was allowing the lead-off runner to reach base in four of the six innings he pitched. The Twins jumped ahead 5-0 after the top half of the fourth and the Jays chipped away, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth, two in the sixth, three in the seventh and two in the eighth courtesy of Upton’s heroics.
With Toronto trailing 5-1 in the sixth, first baseman Edwin Encarnacion hammered a 1-1 offering from Minnesota starter Ervin Santana over the wall in left centre to score two runs and bring the Jays to within two, his 36th homer of the season. Josh Donaldson had previously walked.
Stroman was replaced by Bo Schultz to start the seventh and while Schultz managed to get the first two hitters, he walked outfielder Max Kepler and then gave up a home run to third baseman Trevor Plouffe to right field on a 3-2 pitch, a 96-MPH fastball, the Twins taking a 7-3 lead.
Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, batting lead off, went 3-for-5 with two RBI.
The Twins jumped into a 1-0 lead in the first as lead-off hitter Brian Dozier smacked a single to right, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice fly and then with Kepler batting, scored on a wild pitch by Stroman. Stroman dug himself out of a big jam in the third, giving up a lead off single by No.9 hitter Danny Santana followed by a single by Dozier. He then got Joe Mauer to hit into a 1-6-3 double play and enticed Kepler to ground out to first to end the inning with no runs allowed.
Plouffe lead off the fourth for the Twins with a walk and then moved to third on a single by Eddie Rosario and scored on a Miguel Sano single. Rosario then scored on a double to right by Eduardo Escobar, all with none out. After getting the next two batters out, Stroman gave up a double to Dozier down the left field line to score two more, the Twins taking a 5-0 lead.
The Jays finally got to Minnesota starter Ervin Santana in the fourth when Edwin Encarnacion walked with one out and was hit home via a Michael Saunders two-out double to the corner in right field. A fan tried to grab the ball (which would have resulted in a ground rule double) but missed allowing Encarnacion to score.
Down 7-3 in the seventh in the bottom of the seventh, third baseman Donaldson came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out, prompting Twins manager Paul Molitor to pull Santana, who had thrown 111 pitches, for right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly. Donaldson then smacked a single to gap in right centre, scoring Melvin Upton Jr. from third and Devon Travis from second, moving Jose Bautista to third. After fouling off a couple of Pressly offerings on a 3-2 count, Encarnacion hit a single to left to score Bautista, moving Donaldson to third. Troy Tulowitzki lined out to second to end the inning with the score 7-6 Minnesota.

Kepler's failed fielding puts Blue Jays over Twins


Blue Jays left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning which Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler miss-played, resulting in a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory for Toronto.


OTTAWA -- Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers.
The tentative settlement came the same day that calls for direct federal government action in the matter had grown louder.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had again been asked to get personally involved, this time by a group of prominent women from across the country who called on the prime minister to direct the Crown corporation to live up to its legal obligations on pay equity.
A day earlier, small businesses that rely on web-based sales were encouraged to write Trudeau and demand legislation to break the impasse.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers -- most of whom are women -- and urban letter carriers has been at the forefront of contract talks between Canada Post and its biggest union.
An open letter sent to the prime minister Tuesday called on Trudeau to keep his promise to support equal pay for work of equal value.
"We are asking you to use your influence to ensure that rural and suburban mail carriers achieve pay equity with (urban) letter carriers."
It is not known what the tentative deals contain in regards to the pay equity issue.
Trudeau is in China this week for a formal state visit.
Tuesday's letter was signed by 200 women primarily from English-speaking Canada, including actress Sarah Polley, author Naomi Klein and social activists Maude Barlow and Judy Rebick.

Canada Post, postal union avert job action, reach tentative deals


Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.


TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays will have a familiar face in their lineup as they prepare for another post-season run.
The Jays reacquired catcher Dioner Navarro from the Chicago White Sox on Friday night for left-handed pitcher Colton Turner.
The 32-year-old Navarro returns to Toronto after signing with the White Sox in the off-season. He spent two years with the Blue Jays and recorded a .267 average with 17 home runs and 89 runs-batted in 193 games over that period.
The Venezuelan is batting .210 with six home runs and 32 RBI in 85 games this season.
Turner is 3-1 with a 1.33 earned-run average in 44 relief appearances this year between three minor league levels, including double-A New Hampshire. The 25-year-old was selected in the 21st round of the 2012 MLB draft by Toronto and is 12-9 with a 2.76 ERA in 106 games over four seasons in the Blue Jays system.
Toronto entered the opener of its three-game series with the Minnesota Twins on Friday night in a tie for first place in the American League East division with the Boston Red Sox.

Blue Jays reacquire catcher Navarro from White Sox


TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays will have a familiar face in their lineup as they prepare for another post-season run.


Jimmy Fallon shocked at the MTV Video Music Awards by dressing up as Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.
The talk show host was tasked with presenting the Video of the Year award at the annual ceremony on Sunday night, but stole the spotlight himself with a controversial impression of the disgraced athlete.
Jimmy, 41, stepped out in a tracksuit, a gold medal around his neck and a bleach blonde wig, then proceeded to make a series of risky jokes while pretending to be Ryan, who hit headlines when he claimed he was robbed at gunpoint at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
"Is it too late now to say sorry?" Jimmy quizzed the audience, citing Justin Bieber's hit track Sorry to mock the sportsman.
He continued to list various spoof lies as Ryan, who on Friday was charged with a false report after admitting he was in fact intoxicated when he claimed he and his teammates were held at gunpoint by criminals in Brazil.
Jimmy joked he was responsible for all the videos up for the Video of the Year gong, adding, "I had a 30-way with Kanye West. I made Lemonade with Queen Bey. I'm Reezy with the good hair!", in reference to Beyonce's famous lyric which hinted at her husband Jay Z's infidelity.
It didn't stop there though as Jimmy even made comments aimed at Ryan's exaggerated claim by asking the audience who had the best video of the year.
"I can't tell you that," he quipped. "I couldn't tell you even if there was a gun to my head, which there isn't, but I still couldn't choose."
Fellow Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who presented earlier in the evening, couldn't hide his shock at Jimmy's performance as he was caught on camera saying, "Oh my God!" However he appeared to see the funny side of things, even taking his phone out to document the shenanigans.
"I couldn't tell you even if there was a gun to my head." 🙊#VMAs https://t.co/L55barVLKU — MTV (@MTV) August 29, 2016

Jimmy Fallon shocks with his Ryan Lochte impression at MTV Video Music Awards


Jimmy Fallon shocked at the MTV Video Music Awards by dressing up as Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.


Travelling to India? Leave your skirt at home, says Mahesh Sharma, the country's minister of culture and tourism.
While promoting a new guide on the weekend that will be given to tourists after arriving in the country, Sharma said travellers are "given dos and don’ts... very small things like, they should not venture out alone at night in small places, or wear skirts."
According to the Guardian, he added “For their own safety, women foreign tourists should not wear short dresses and skirts... Indian culture is different from the western.”
Sharma has since apologized for his remarks, telling reporters on Monday "I am a father of two daughters... I would never tell women what they should wear or not."
The new guide is geared toward female travellers who may be uneasy visiting the country after a number of high-profile attacks on women, including the rape and murder of a Delhi student earlier this year.

Travelling to India? Female tourists should not wear skirts, says tourism minist


Travelling to India? Leave your skirt at home, says Mahesh Sharma, the country's minister of culture and tourism.


Police say they've finally captured an elusive Chinese serial killer who killed 11 women and girls who were all targeted because they wore the colour red.
The killings all happened between 1988 and 2002 in northern China. The youngest victim was eight years old.
Police say the killer would find a woman dressed in red, follow her home, rape her and then kill her, often by slitting her throat.
He often mutilated the bodies -- disembowelling some of his victims, or cutting off various body parts -- earning him the reputation as China's Jack the Ripper.
"The suspect has a sexual perversion and hates women. He's reclusive and unsociable, but patient," police said in 2004, the first time police had linked all the killings to the same suspect.
Gao Chengyong, 52, was arrested Friday in a grocery store in Baiyin, home to nine of the killings.
A new round of DNA testing using modern techniques reportedly allowed police to re-examine their evidence and list of suspects.
The China Daily newspaper reports Chengyong confessed to all 11 murders.
Neighbours and friends were shocked to learn the quiet father of two is suspected of being the monster that had women fearing to walk the streets alone at night.
Gao's youngest son told the South China Morning Post that he was shocked, but that his father experienced "bitter suffering" when he couldn't train to be a pilot in his youth due to "political reasons."
The sister of one victims -- Cui Jinping, who was stabbed 22 times, her throat cut and her hands cut off -- told China Daily she'd feared her sister's killer would never be found.
Cui Xiangping said her mother couldn't stop trying upon hearing of Goa's arrest.
He now faces 11 murder charges, each punishable by death if found guilty.

China's 'Jack the Ripper' targeted women who wore red


Police say they've finally captured an elusive Chinese serial killer who killed 11 women and girls who were all targeted because they wore the colour red.


OTTAWA -- The federal government ran a deficit of $1.0 billion for the first quarter of its fiscal year, down from a surplus of $5.0 billion in the same period last year.
The Finance Department released its fiscal monitor today showing the state of Ottawa's finances.
For June, the federal government ran a deficit of $1.1 billion as revenue fell and spending increased.
The shortfall compared with a surplus of $1.1 billion in the same month last year.
Revenue fell $500 million or 2.2 per cent in June due to lower corporate income tax revenue, non-resident income tax and excise taxes and duties.
Program spending grew by $1.6 billion that month, an increase of 7.5 per cent, due to growth in major transfers to other levels of government and direct program expenses, though that was partially offset by a drop in major transfers to people.
Public debt charges increased by $100 million or 3.1 per cent, mainly due to higher consumer price index adjustments on real return bonds.

Federal government runs $1-billion deficit in first quarter


The federal government ran a deficit of $1.0 billion for the first quarter of its fiscal year, down from a surplus of $5.0 billion in the same period last year.


Bill Harris' TV must-sees for the week of Aug. 28:
1. Motive
Series finale
The only motive that remains is to wrap it all up for this steady performer that lasted four seasons. Several years after a killer got away, the team – including Angie (Kristin Lehman), Oscar (Louis Ferreira), Paula (Karen LeBlanc), Brian (Brendan Penny) and Betty (Lauren Holly) – reunites to close the case.
When: Tuesday, Aug. 30 on CTV
2. Narcos
Season-2 debut
This series continues to chronicle the real-life stories of the infamous drug kingpins of the late 1980s, when cocaine was as common as "new Coke." Or at least that's how we remember it now, anyway. Having lived through the '80s myself, apparently I wasn't nearly as high as I could have been.
When: Friday, Sept. 2 on Netflix
3. The Strain
Season-3 debut
The Strigoi – a.k.a. Vampires – are evolving, and the bio-weapon designed by Eph (Corey Stoll) is failing. That cannot be a good combination. Meanwhile, Fet (Kevin Durand) helps a Navy SEAL team on a deadly mission in New York, even though the rest of the world has written off the Big Apple.
When: Sunday, Aug. 28 on FX
4. MTV Video Music Awards
Live
This year's festivities are taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York for the first time in the show’s 33-year history. Canadian nominees include Drake, Justin Bieber, Alessia Cara and The Weeknd. There will be performances by Britney Spears and Nick Jonas, and Rihanna will receive the Video Vanguard Award.
When: Sunday, Aug. 28 on MTV
5. Ice Road Truckers
Season-10 debut
This show has been around for a decade? Really? That's a lot of trucks and a lot of ice. But I guess just like everywhere, there's not as much ice as there used to be. As the new campaign commences, experts predict one of the shortest and warmest winters on record. As a result, companies risk financial ruin.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 31 on History
6. Pretty Little Liars
Season-7 finale
The girls face off with their enemies – there's a seemingly endless supply of foes – in a chaotic fight that ends fatally. Eep. Simultaneously, someone learns a secret about their past that changes everything, while someone else gets a life-altering glimpse into the future. Crave serenity and stability? Find another show.
When: Tuesday, Aug. 30 on Bravo (Freeform in the U.S.)
7. You're the Worst
Season-3 debut
Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) adjust to life after “I love you,” which you'd think should make things easier, at least theoretically, but frequently does not. Also, Lindsey (Kether Donohue) discovers a new hobby, and Edgar (Desmin Borges) experiences some delicate sexual problems.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 31 on FXX
8. Milwaukee Blacksmith
Canadian debut
Beginning with back-to-back episodes, this reality series focuses on a man named Kent Knapp who is trying to forge a living as a blacksmith in modern times. Kent has made it his mission to pass the trade down to his children, but as often is the case, the younger members of the family have their own wills of steel.
When: Tuesday, Aug. 30 on History
9. Almost President: The Agony of Defeat
Debut
This doc features several people who lost presidential elections – including Mitt Romney, John McCain and Michael Dukakis – talking about their journeys, analyzing their own mistakes and detailing the impact on their families. It's basically a primer on the sad fate that awaits either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 31 on CNN
10. Daily Planet
Boldly Go Week
The 22nd season kicks off with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. There will be segments exploring the visions of the future that germinated from the franchise. Sounds like a great week for co-hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin, as well as Ensign Smith. Uh-oh ... I worry about Ensign Smith.
When: Monday, Aug. 29 to Friday, Sept. 2 on Discovery
Twitter: @billharris_tv
bharris@postmedia.com

'Motive,' 'Narcos,' 'The Strain' and the MTV VMAs top this week's TV must-sees


Bill Harris' TV must-sees for the week of Aug. 28:


More NFL players and head coaches are weighing in on Colin Kaepernick’s controversial decision to continue not standing at attention during the pregame playing of the U.S. national anthem.
Most say they support Kap’s right to do it but either don’t agree, or don’t necessarily agree, with his decision to do it.
Rookie New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, for instance, said, “I’d be disappointed if one of our guys chose not to stand. It’s their choice, it’s not mandatory, but we feel it’s important.”
For a short time on Monday afternoon, Kap’s former head coach on the San Francisco 49ers -- Jim Harbaugh, now the University of Michigan’s head coach -- became the first to criticize Kaepernick’s motivation for the boycott. Which is to protest how minorities are treated in the U.S.
“I acknowledge his right to do that,” Harbaugh said at his team’s Week 1 news conference, “but I don’t respect the motivation or the action.”
Many construed that as, at best, racially insensitive. Twitter exploded. Within an hour, however, Harbaugh walked it all the way back, tweeting:
“I apologize for misspeaking my true sentiments. To clarify, I support Colin’s motivation. It’s his method of action that I take exception to.”
I apologize for misspeaking my true sentiments. To clarify, I support Colin's motivation. It's his method of action that I take exception to — Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) August 29, 2016
One of the NFL’s most thoughtful, intelligent and also outspoken players, Seattle CB Richard Sherman, on Monday offered this insightful take, after summarizing the history of oppression of African-Americans:
“There is some depth and some truth into what he was doing. I think he could have picked a better platform and a better way to do it, but every day they say athletes are so robotic and do everything by the book. Then when somebody takes a stand like that he gets his head chopped off.”

More coaches, players weigh in on Kaepernick's anthem protest


More NFL players and head coaches are weighing in on Colin Kaepernick’s controversial decision to continue not standing at attention during the pregame playing of the U.S. national anthem.


WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- How do you steal 500 cows?
Probably not all at once. That's according to New Zealand police, who said Tuesday that they were investigating reports of the unlikely crime at a South Island farm.
Locals said they'd never before heard of cattle rustling on such a massive scale. And that's in a nation that's home to some 10 million cows, more than double the number of people.
The farmer involved is feeling too sheepish to talk about what happened, according to friend Willy Leferink.
"He's absolutely gobsmacked, and deeply embarrassed," Leferink said. "If you had three-quarters of a million dollars go missing, you wouldn't want to talk about it either."
Leferink said each milking cow was worth about 1,500 New Zealand dollars ($1,090) and weighed more than half a ton. He said the cows could have been taken from the herd of 1,300 near the town of Ashburton anytime between early July, when they were last counted, and late August.
He said the cows weren't being milked because it was winter, but the farmer did notice they weren't chewing through as much feed as normal.
Police said the incident came as a reminder to farmers that they should be checking their fences and counting their stock regularly.
"It's unlikely the theft of hundreds of animals could be completed at once, and is more likely that multiple thefts could be carried out over a period of time," Senior Sgt. Scott Banfield said in a statement.
Leferink said a trailer-truck would need to be loaded 13 times over to move all the cattle.
"There have to be a number of people involved," Leferink said. "That's the biggest chance we have, of somebody cracking at some stage."
He said the thieves would face a tough time trying to fence the cows, because each one comes with an electronic identification tag in its ear. He said the tags could be removed, but that an honest dealer wouldn't buy a cow without a tag.
Leferink said farmers can sometimes be relaxed about security.
"They're good-natured and haven't got evil thoughts in them," he said. "This is very hard to deal with."

500 cows stolen from New Zealand farm in unusual case


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- It was in early morning darkness that officers scrambled to sort out the chaos at an Albuquerque apartment complex where a couple had reportedly been attacked, the woman bleeding from a head injury and the man sporting a black eye and wearing blood-stained shorts.
The woman told officers her 10-year-old daughter was still inside apartment number 808 from which they had escaped.
What the officers didn't know was that the child was already dead, her battered and dismembered body partially wrapped in a blanket and set ablaze.
With the fire alarm blaring, they busted in the front door and searched the smoke-filled apartment for Victoria Martens. In the bathroom, the real crime began to come into focus.
Investigators took into custody the girl's mother, her boyfriend and his cousin.
The community was left struggling to understand how a blossoming elementary school student who loved swimming and gymnastics could have been the target of such violence.
Details of what New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and law enforcement officials described as an unspeakable crime emerged in a criminal complaint made public Thursday. Police said Victoria was injected with methamphetamine, sexually assaulted, strangled and stabbed before being dismembered.
The killing happened on the day Victoria was going to celebrate her 10th birthday.
"This homicide is the most gruesome act of evil I have ever seen in my career," Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden Jr. said.
The girl's mother, 35-year-old Michelle Martens, her 31-year-old boyfriend, Fabian Gonzales, and his 31-year-old cousin, Jessica Kelley, face charges of child abuse resulting in death, kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Gonzales and Kelley also face charges of criminal sexual penetration of a minor.
Gonzales denied having involvement with Victoria's death while reporters yelled questions at him as he was led out of the police station in handcuffs late Wednesday. The girl's mother said nothing as she was taken from the police station to a police cruiser and driven away.
Police said Kelley was hospitalized and will be booked after she's released. No details were disclosed about why she was hospitalized.
Bail was set at $1 million each for Martens and Gonzales at their first court appearance Thursday afternoon. The two did not speak in court, and the public defence lawyer who represented them did not comment about the allegations.
As news spread about Victoria's death, neighbours and friends built a makeshift memorial under a tree near the apartment complex, adorning it with stuffed animals and candles. Some hugged while others cried and prayed.
In the evening, dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil and the shrine grew.
Christie Zamora said Victoria attended her gymnastics class every Saturday and always seemed happy.
"She was incredibly social," Zamora said. "It's just so tragic."
Another shrine was erected at Petroglyph Elementary School, where Victoria had just started the new school year.
School officials said in a statement that, like the rest of the community, their hearts ache. "Victoria is in our thoughts and prayers as we hold our children just a little tighter on this sad day," the statement read.
Neighbours said Victoria's mother worked at a nearby grocery store deli and they were shocked to see a mugshot of her in an orange jail jumpsuit.
Mugshots of Martens and Gonzales released by police showed them with bruises on their faces. According to the complaint, Gonzales said his cousin hit him and Martens with an iron, prompting him to jump over the balcony and run to a neighbouring apartment for help. Martens also found her way outside.
Police initially went to the apartment complex early Wednesday after the neighbour reported the disturbance.
Victoria's mother told police she met Gonzales online about a month ago and that he drugged the girl so he could calm her down and have sex with her, the complaint said.
Gonzales has a New Mexico arrest record stretching back to 2004, including a felony child abuse charge, driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. He pleaded no contest to a charge of child abandonment in 2015.
Kelley's record includes battery, domestic violence and drug charges.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that in one case, Kelley acted as a lookout while a woman allegedly raped another inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in September 2012. Kelley pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit criminal sexual penetration and was sentenced to three years in prison minus nearly a year for time served.
Martens told police Kelley had recently got out of prison and that she allowed her to stay at the apartment.
Online court records show no criminal history in New Mexico for Martens.

'The most gruesome act of evil I have ever seen'; Neighbours shocked by girl's '


It was in early morning darkness that
officers scrambled to sort out the
chaos at an Albuquerque apartment
complex where a couple had reportedly
been attacked, the woman bleeding from
a head injury and the man sporting a
black eye and wearing blood-stained
shorts.


Dear Amy: My wife and I have been together for about 14 years. We have four children, ranging in age from teens to a toddler. We are both 36.
Over the past year or so we have had a few bumps in the road, including having an unexpected child who was born with health problems, my wife's family moving in with us (we later had to evict them), an arrest (mine), and her having a manic episode and being committed to a mental hospital for six days. She has been regulated on her meds and seems to be doing a lot better with everything.
She's a stay-at-home mom. When I get home I give her a break; she goes into her room and listens to music, writes in her journal or goes on social media sites.
While this is fine with me, over the last few weeks it's becoming an issue. I feel ignored.
I did something I shouldn't have done, and I read her journal. I had to see what was wrong with her.
Her journal noted that she has always had self-esteem issues. It also stated that she has been trying to make herself more attractive, because she craves attention (which I try to give her), that she has become bored, and sees risky behaviour approaching.
She didn't write anything more for two days. The next entry was about how I was jealous of a male friend of ours because they message a lot on Facebook. She wrote that she has no interest in him or anyone else. She said that I need to get past it.
I believe all of this is leading us to a path of divorce, lies and cheating.
Should I bring this all up? Should I try to change something I'm doing? I don't know where to go from here and how to fix this.
I honestly feel she still loves me but maybe isn't in love with me anymore. I want her to be happy. Thoughts? -- Worried
Dear Worried: My first thought is that the main thing you can change is to get your face out of your wife's private diary. If you are concerned about lying and cheating, perhaps you should look in the mirror. Reading her diary is disrespect of the first order.
Your wife might be approaching another manic episode. If you are worried about this, you should discuss it with her. If you are jealous of her friendship with another man, you should be honest about it, and then consider trusting her if she says she isn't into him.
You have glossed over your own actions -- you mention you were arrested, but you don't say why.
She is expressing some things in her diary that she should (also) express to you, but she has the right to her private thoughts and expressions. You two should see a therapist together to discuss your considerable family stressors and work on how to communicate more effectively and respectfully.
Dear Amy: I have a friend I have been seeing once a week for coffee. It feels like a one-sided friendship to me, in that she spends most of the time talking about herself.
I am a good listener and ask her questions, but sometimes I feel like I'm more her therapist than her friend.
I've decided after months of this that I was going to make myself less available, and that has worked out.
I had not seen her for several months until a few weeks ago, and the same pattern is there, but the rub is this: She will barely look me in the eyes! I don't know what to make of it. I keep thinking if she didn't want to see me, she'd make excuses, but she doesn't.
But whether she's talking about herself or listening to me, she won't make eye contact. It's just really weird, and it makes me feel like something is wrong with me. I'm thinking about just coming right out and asking her. What would you suggest? -- Friend
Dear Friend: Eye contact is a sign of intimacy and comfort.
By all means, ask your friend why she won't meet your eye.
Dear Amy: "Sad" was an older sister who was worried about her teen sister's use of the drug "Molly."
I appreciated your answer, but you weren't strong enough. A girl in our town overdosed on this drug. It is very dangerous. -- Worried
Dear Worried: New and synthetic drugs seem to be flooding into our communities. It is terrifying.


Dear Amy: My wife and I have been together for about 14 years. We have four children, ranging in age from teens to a toddler. We are both 36.


Don Cherry has decided to wade into the fallout over San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit down during the U.S. anthem in his team's first three NFL preseason games.
Kaepernick explained on Sunday that he was taking a stand on race relations in America and challenging authority following the deaths of black people at the hands of police.
“The fact that it has blown up like this, I think it’s a good thing. It brings awareness,” Kaepernick said Sunday. “Now, I think people are really talking about it. Having conversations about how to make change. What’s really going on in this country. And we can move forward. ...There is police brutality. People of colour have been targeted by police.”
But Cherry, the longtime Hockey Night in Canada commentator, didn't see it that way, posting a response Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.
My thoughts on the Colin Kaepernick controversy... https://t.co/7EXEI9ogv3 — Don Cherry (@CoachsCornerCBC) August 30, 2016
"It's funny how athletes when they know they are finished they all of a sudden take a stand. For instance, the 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He knows he’s not going to beat out the 49ers quarterback (Blaine) Gabbert. So all of a sudden he takes a stand on the Star Spangled Banner and not stand up to honour the flag.
"And believe it or not some people compare him to Muhammed Ali. So very wrong. If you remember, Ali took a stand in the prime of his career and lost 3 good years.
"If Colin Kaepernick really wanted to make a statement he should have done it during the Super Bowl. And make no mistake he has made things tougher for the organization that has made him millions.
"Besides, if he feels so strongly about these issues why does he not take the money he’s going to, I was going to say earn, but I will say get, and give it to his causes."
Cherry is one of many to give their two cents on the controversy.
Jim Harbaugh, Kaepernick's former head coach who now leads Michigan football, disagreed with his tactics while supporting his right to sit.
I apologize for misspeaking my true sentiments. To clarify, I support Colin's motivation. It's his method of action that I take exception to — Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) August 29, 2016
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who played 16 seasons with the 49ers, was also critical of Kaepernick.
All lives matter. So much going on in this world today.Can we all just get along! Colin,I respect your stance but don't disrespect the Flag. — Jerry Rice (@JerryRice) August 30, 2016
"All lives matter," Rice wrote on Twitter. "So much going on in this world today. Can we all just get along! Colin, I respect your stance but don't disrespect the Flag."
Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman understood where Kaepernick was coming from.
"I thought that was interesting," said Sherman. "Obviously, what he meant was in a good place. He wanted to make a stand. Obviously, anytime you don’t stand during the national anthem, people are going to criticize it. And that’s the unfortunate part of it. You can’t ever stand against the flag. A lot of people have sacrificed for it.
"But there is also a deeper meaning to what he did. He’s talking about the oppression of African Americans in this country. And that has been going on for a long time. I think a lot of the focus has shifted away from his message and shifted to some people, rightfully so, to him taking a stand against the nation ..."
- with files from Associated Press

Don Cherry questions Colin Kaepernick's motives for sitting during U.S. anthem


Don Cherry has decided to wade into the fallout over San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit down during the U.S. anthem in his team's first three NFL preseason games.


Looking to take a cruise anytime soon? Avoid Wednesdays, but set your alarm on Thursday morning.
According to a study by CruiseWatch.com, prices for cruises drop the most on Thursdays. The cruise search engine analyzed more than 600,000 cruise price reductions during the last year. The data suggested there were more than twice as many price drops on Thursdays than on the slowest day, Sunday.
The study found that Wednesday had 34% more price hikes than any day of the week, while weekends were quiet.
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"Cruise prices fluctuate with demand and supply," said Britta Bernhard, co-founder of CruiseWatch.com, in a statement. “When a sailing is not sold out, most cruise lines will discount the cabins rather than sailing empty. These price drops can make for some incredible deals. But you need to find them and book quickly."
CruiseCritic.com editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer Brown suggests booking a cruise as early as possible or just before sailing to save money.
“Beyond any particular day of the week, the tried and true tip for scoring the best deal is to either book as early as possible, or just before the cruise,” she said via email. “If you want added-value extras – like airfare, gratuities or cabin upgrades – bundled into your fare, book early. If you’re after the cheapest possible price and don’t care what kind of cabin you have – or whether you have access to sold-out restaurants and tours – then book late to take advantage of last-minute deals.”
As with travel in general, booking during so-called “shoulder seasons” is often a great way to save on a cruise. With the kids out of school in summer, cruises in July and August can be quite expensive. But September and October are often quieter, with better deals. January, February and March are also high season for folks wanting to escape Canada for the Caribbean, so choosing a warm-weather cruise for April could save you a ton of money.
jim@jimbyerstravel.com

Why you should only book a cruise on a Thursday


Looking to take a cruise anytime soon? Avoid Wednesdays, but set your alarm on Thursday morning.


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The first commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than a half century is scheduled to fly from Fort Lauderdale to the central city of Santa Clara on Wednesday morning, re-establishing regular air service severed at the height of the Cold War.
JetBlue Flight 387 was set to take off at 9:45 a.m. EDT for a 72-minute journey that will open a new era of U.S.-Cuba travel, with about 300 flights a week connecting the U.S. with an island cut off from most Americans by the 55-year-old trade embargo on Cuba and formal ban on U.S. citizens engaging in tourism on the island.
"Seeing the American airlines landing routinely around the island will drive a sense of openness, integration and normality. That has a huge psychological impact," said Richard Feinberg, author of the new book "Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy."
The restart of commercial travel between the two countries is one of the most important steps in President Barack Obama's two-year-old policy of normalizing relations with the island. Historians disagree on the exact date of the last commercial flight but it appears to have been after Cuba banned incoming flights during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Twitter that the last commercial flight was in 1961.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes and a specially selected five-member crew of Cuban-Americans were slated to be on board the 150-seat Airbus A320.
"It's a positive step and a concrete contribution to the process of improving relations between the two countries," Cuba's vice minister of transportation Eduardo Rodriguez told journalists Monday.
U.S. travel to Cuba is on track to triple this year to more than 300,000 visitors in the wake of the 2014 declaration of detente. Cuba's cash-starved centrally planned economy has been bolstered by the boom in U.S. visitors, along with hundreds of thousands of travellers from other nations hoping to see Cuba before more Americans arrive.
Commercial flights are expected to significantly increase the number of American visitors, although it's not clear by how much. Many of the air routes are currently used by expensive charter flights that are largely expected to go out of business with the advent of regularly scheduled service from the U.S.
Hundreds of thousands of Cuban-born Americans fly to the island each year with the chaotic, understaffed charter companies, which require four-hour check-in waits and charge high rates for any luggage in excess of restrictive baggage allowances. Americans without ties to Cuba have found it hard to negotiate the charters, most of which don't accept online bookings or help travellers navigate the federal affidavit still required for U.S. travellers to Cuba.
Cuban officials insist the continuing U.S. ban on tourism will limit the impact of commercial flights to Cuba, but some experts believe the drastic reduction in the difficulty of flying to Cuba could turn the surge in U.S. visitors into a tidal wave. Americans are allowed to visit the island on "people-to-people" cultural and educational visits, among other reasons.
Americans who fit one of 12 categories will now be able to fill out a federal affidavit by clicking a box on an online form and, in many cases, buy their Cuban tourist visa near the check-in counters of U.S. airports. Within weeks, Americans will be able to fly direct from cities including Chicago, Philadelphia and Minneapolis, Miami and Fort Lauderdale to eight Cuban cities and two beach resorts.
The final announcement of routes to Havana, which could be announced Wednesday and start before December, is slated to include flights from Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and Houston, among others.

Historic flight from U.S. to Cuba set to take off


The first commercial flight between
the United States and Cuba in more
than a half century is scheduled to
fly from Fort Lauderdale to the
central city of Santa Clara on
Wednesday morning, re-establishing
regular air service severed at the
height of the Cold War.