SEAL BEACH >> Black smoke filled the sky and flames burned bright orange Friday morning as a fire inside the closed Rubys Diner at the end of the Seal Beach Pier burned for more than an hour.
PHOTOS: Blaze erupts at abandoned Rubys Diner on Seal Beach Pier
A fire started around 7:35 a.m. inside the restaurant, and firefighters were pumping water through standpipes at the end of the pier to try to contain the fire, but it spread underneath, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.
Four fire boats from Long Beach Fire Department, one from the Orange County Sheriffs Department and Seal Beach Marine Safety responded to assist from the ocean, Concialdi said. Originally eight boats were called to help, but some didnt make it.
About 70 firefighters from OCFA, Long Beach and Huntington Beach also responded.
The fire was initially knocked down at 9:05 a.m., Concialdi said, but flames re-emerged around 10:45 a.m.
The pier does not have stability issues, but the structure has been destroyed, Concialdi said.
At some point Friday morning, a standpipe at the end of the pier malfunctioned, causing firefighters to rely more heavily on about 2,000 feet of hoses to battle the flames, Concialdi said.
The pier is a quarter-mile long, OCFA Capt. Larry Kurtz said. (Firefighters) have to lay down hose all the way to the building by hand and each of those rolls weighs about 90 pounds. Its very taxing work.
A firefighter was injured while battling the blaze and was taken to Los Alamitos Medical Center, Concialdi said.
OCFA and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators began examining the charred remains of Rubys Diner and an adjacent structure around 11:30 a.m., although the buildings were still smoldering and roofs completely caved in.
Fire officials were investigating the remains of the building after the flames were extinguished. It was unclear how long it would take to determine a cause.
Electrical, gas and water lines run under the piers wooden planks and it was an electrical wiring short that caused a fire that badly burned the pier on May 15, 1992.
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Rubys Diner closed in January 2013, and the building has been vacant and fenced off since then.
Michael Pless Jr., one of the owners of M&M Surfing School based in Seal Beach, said he was surfing when he smelled smoke before seeing flames under the pier.
Do I smell something cooking? he said he thought when he smelled the fire.
Shortly after, Pless said he saw six firefighters hanging off a Seal Beach Police Department patrol car speeding toward the fire.
David Gillispie, 26, was surfing with Pless and was about 200 feet away from the pier when the fire started.
There were chunks of wood falling into the water, Gillispie said.
Robert Christiansen, 61 of Anaheim was sitting on his beach chair facing the ocean when he spotted the smoke.
I thought Maybe theyre doing some sort of control cleanup fire; I hope its not what I think it is, he said.
But then he saw the smoke building up and emergency crews arriving.
Firefighters told the fishermen and pedestrians on the pier to vacate as the smoke continued to build.
Its pretty serious; hopefully theyll get it under control, Christiansen said.
Rachel Kuryan, who lives nearby, walked out to see the fire with her dog and a friend.
She said some of her fondest childhood memories involve going to the Seal Beach Pier with her family.
(Rubys) is where my mom would come for her birthday, Kuryan said. She doesnt even like hamburgers.
Kuryan hopes the pier, which is the second longest wooden pier in California, will be restored.
The good news, its a small section of the pier and hopefully it will be open very soon, Kurtz said.
Weve had barely a second for the dustofCaptain America: Civil Warhype to settle and were already setting our sights onThor: Ragnarok, which announced an insane supplemental cast to its already impressive line-up. Names like Jeff Goldblum, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, and Karl Urban. Oh, and good ol Hulk is gonna be in this one, too, weve gotten officially confirmed at last. Hooray!
The news came viaan official release via the Marvel website, where we not only got the names of the newest cast members, but also their roles. Are you ready to speculate wildly as to what it all means? Because there are some real doozies getting set up in this film. Blanchett will play Hela, a mysterious new villain; Goldblum will tackle the role of The Grandmaster (something werevery excited about); Tessa Thompson is the badass Valkyrie, and Karl Urban will be Skurge.
Now, if youre unfamiliar with these names and want to remain as such, nows the perfect time to scoot on out of this post. If you want to know more, however, check out the new concept art they also sent our way:
OK, ready? Now, the name were most excited about round herebecause how could we not be?is the one, the only, the blum. Goldblums character, The Grandmaster, already has major familial connections to the MCU. Hes the brother of The Collector (aka Benecio del Toros character we saw inGuardians of the Galaxy) andand oh G*d, we are going to need to see those two team up on screen immediately. Playing one of the elders of the universe, Goldblum is perfect for this role, his eccentricities making him the most aptweirdo for the part.
Per our own Dan Casey, heres what he had to say:
The Grandmaster is one of the more complicated characters in Marvels canon. One of the Elders of the Universe, the Grandmaster is the blue-skinned survivor of an ancient race of intelligent life that formed shortly after the Big Bang. Virtually immortal, the mega-powerful being is best known for being addicted to high stakes gaming; no, not League of Legends this guy makes people fight as his champions against other cosmic badasses for sport, which was most famously chronicled in the 1982 Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions storyline. Now picture that guy as Jeff Goldblum. Youre welcome, Internet.
I cant imagine adding anything else to this, so Ill let the Collector do it for me:
Blanchetts character, Hela, is a villain with incredibly interesting originsshes Lokis daughter. Shes the one who, alongside her dear ol dad, tries to bring on the Asgardian end of days known as Ragnark, so it feels safe to assume shell be a major player in the film. Power-hungry and mischievous as all get-out, Blanchett in the MCU has us tingling with anticipation. Oh, what a double act her and Loki will be. Though some fans may be disappointed, as theyd speculated that Kat Dennings Darcy would somehow fill that part.
Valkyrie, Tessa Thompsons character, is another badass entirely.Otherwise known by her real name Brunnhilde, (or Barbara Denton-Norriss, or Samantha Parrington, or Sian Bowen, and or Annabelle Rigg), Valkyrie is hand-chosen by Odin to lead the Valkyrioraka the badass warrior goddesses of Asgard that ride on winged horses in the war between Odin and Hela for rule of Valhalla. Thats right: Tessa Thompsons probably going to have a badass squad of ladies riding winged horses. UM, YES PLEASE?
And then theres Skurge, Karl Urbans character. This ones a straight-up baddie in the battle for Valhalla, having previously aligned himself with Hela/Loki in the past (Andspoiler alertgetting put permanently on Thors bad side after he tried to take out Jane Foster, and not in a date way). A mortal executioner with Frost Giant and Asgardian blood boiling in his veins, and a regular ally of the Enchantress, Skurge will likely go at it with Hulk in some sort of intense battle (either before or after he goes on the hunt for Valkyrie). Is there a chance for this guy to turn around? Of course: this is the world of comic books and also hes had to align with Thor in the past.
Needless to say, were positively giddy over the idea ofThor: Ragnarok. What do you think of the new characters? Let us know in the comments below.
Images: Marvel
Alicia Lutes is the managing editor of Nerdist and co-host of Fangirling. Find her on Twitter (@alicialutes).
NASHVILLE Blake Shelton quit Googling himself a long time ago. The country singer said he was tired of the lies. If fans want the truth about whats happened in his life over the past 18 months, he reasoned, they need to pick up his new album, If Im Honest,which is available Friday.
I dont even know how to talk about this album as a piece of music as I do just kind of a timeline, Shelton said in an exclusive interview with The Tennessean. As country artists go, I think were supposed to sing about our life experiences, and Ive done that before, but not to this extent.
Shelton endured a widely publicized divorce from singer Miranda Lambertinsummer 2015. If Im Honestplods through the devastation of the breakupand into the hope of new love,with a full spectrum of relationship songs.
This album spans such an emotional roller coaster for him, said Sheltons producer Scott Hendricks, executive vice president of A&R at Warner Music Nashville. Every single one of these songs hassomething to do with the ride. They arent just songs Blake thought were a hit. Hes very happy right now, but hes been through a lot.
The album kicks off with upbeat drinking tune Straight Outta Cold Beer,which signifies Sheltons normal life before his divorce. The song trails off the singer described it as the bottom falling out leading into the angry heartbreak of Shes Got a Way with Words,then lonely aching in Bet You Still Think About Mebefore the album starts to turn a corner five songs in with its first single, Came Here to Forget.
I love that it kind of has a dark feel to it, but theres a little, tiny glimmer of hope in there, too, Shelton said of his Top 5 hit. Thats a good one to throw out there first because it touches on both subjects, going through the breakup trying to forget about them and now Im meeting the person thats helping me get there.
Shelton found his glimmer of hope in fellow VoicecoachGwen Stefani.Like Shelton, Stefanialso was in the midst of a high-profile divorce last summer. The pair formed a fast friendship and found comfort in their shared experience withunraveling marriages under the scrutiny of the public eye.
Sometimes when you think things couldnt be worse and you cant make it through another day, you never know whats right around the corner that can save your life thats literally what happened for me, Shelton said. The fact that we were able to be there for each other and relate to each other in that way like nobody else on earth. Theres so much out there that is crazy, to have a shoulder and somebody that can be there for you and relate and understand, it literally saved my life.
Over the course of many weeks, the pairs friendship blossomed into territory that Shelton didnt understand but he did want to impress Stefani, so last fall he started writing a song inspired by their relationship, he said.
The first thing that comes in your mind is, Golly, I just got out of a relationship. Do I really want to jump right into this again? And, can I even trust you? Are we going to do this right? Shelton recalled. Coming out of our situations, we both had trouble letting our walls down and we both had trust issues.
Shelton funneled those questions into Go Ahead and Break My Heart.He had about half of the song finished when he sang it into the voice memo on his phone and texted it to her.About two days later, Stefani texted him back the nearly finished song, which is track nine of 15 on If Im Honest.
Theres nothing about this song that isnt 100%the truth, he said.
A few weeks later in November, the couple went public with their relationship.
What makes Blake as successful as he has been is his ability to know exactly who he is and exactly what he wants to say, Hendricks said. This album has a very thought out theme from song one to song 15. There are songwriters who wondered why he turned down their hit. Now we know why. It didnt fit his life for the past 18 months.
Later songs on the album include Doing It to Country Songs,whichpresented Shelton with the opportunity to work with some of his heroes the Oak Ridge Boys. The idea to include the Country Music Hall of Famers on the party song was hatched via text between Shelton and Oaks member Joe Bonsall. Shelton flew to Nashville to be a part of the recording session, which Bonsall called "epic."
Blake is a great character and a great person, and hes been like a brother to us for many, many years, Bonsall said. Theres even a duet with me and Blake on two lines. We could be like the new Brooks & Dunn, a Moe & Joe.
The albums last song, Saviors Shadow,is a gospel song released on Christian radio that came to Shelton in a dream late last spring.
Lyrics include: Im standing in my saviors shadow/ He is watching over me/ I feel the rain/ I hear the thunder as he cries for me.
Shelton had heard songs in dreams before, but never remembered them when the dream was over. This time when he woke up, he grabbed his phone and sang the first verse into his voice memo. A few days later, the song popped into his head again and he was confused by what it meant.
I had kind of decided this song is saying that G*d feels so sorry for me that my life is such absolute c**p that even he cries when he looks at me and thinks about me, Shelton recalls. Thats how sad I am.
By the end of the summer, Shelton had shifted his thinking to believe that G*d was telling him he was journeying alongside him. Shelton finished the second verse with excitement and pride and out of a sense of responsibility to the song, and passed it along to successful songwriting couple Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall to finish.
When Blake sent us the first part, we both felt like it was Blakes Why Me, Lord," Alexander said. It came from such a raw place. We just felt like, Oh my gosh, we get to help you do this?
When the couple finished writing the song, Randall sang the lyrics into voice memo and texted them to Shelton. The singer listened to it three times and said he cried as if someone I loved just died in front of me.
I feel like I was given this song for a reason and I need to do something with it, he said. We tried our best to get it out to as many people as we can. And so far, the reaction has been really special.
In addition to his album, Sheltonalso is wrapping upseason 10 of NBCs The Voicea winner will be crowned next week. Shelton co-wrote a song for, and willvoice a character in, The Angry BirdsMovie,whichwill be released to theaters Friday. His exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, "Blake Shelton: Based on a True Story,"will open May 27.
In between high-profile events, Shelton is focused on living his life and enjoying his relationship with Stefani as far out of the spotlight as possible which he admits isnt very far.
Theres not a lot you can do, he said. You cant help it if you have 100 people following you taking pictures. I dont know what to do about it. It just is what it is.
However, Shelton is honestly happy.
FollowCindy Watts on Twitter: @CindyNWatts
Shelton"s "Angry Birds" inspiration
Blake Shelton might have 21 No. 1 country songs to his credit, but he cant just sit down and write a song.He needs inspiration. When the opportunity arose to write a song for The Angry Birds Movie,the country singer thought the perimeters of the 3-D animated comedy might give him the creative push to get off the ground. Producer John Cohen gave Shelton the scenario, and the singer watched a bit of the movie then reached out to frequent collaborator Jessi Alexander for co-writing support.
Together they penned Friends,which Shelton said comes at a pivotal turning point in The Angry Birds Movie,whichopens in theaters nationwide Friday. The songalso is on Sheltons new album, If Im Honest,which will be in stores Friday.
I told Jessi, if the movie people dont like it Im going to put it on my record anyway, Shelton recalled. Im superexcited.
He didnt need to worry. Shelton said when he played it for Cohen, the movie executive told him they couldnt have come up with a better thing.
In addition to writing a song for the soundtrack, Shelton also portrays Earl the Big in The Angry Birds,although he joked that if someone wasnt sitting beside him in the theater, they would never know he was in the movie.
Id be like, Thats me.I just said, Yee haw,""Shelton quipped. I have a few lines, not a whole lot.
The actress and fan favorite said farewell to the Shondaland medical drama Thursday after 10 seasons.
ABC"s Grey"s Anatomy and primetime TV is losing a key character.
Star Sara Ramirez announced Thursday that she was exiting the Shondaland medical drama following a 10-season run as Dr. Callie Torres to take "some welcome time off." Her exit leaves both the Shondaland medical soap as well as primetime TV without one of its most influential characters, as Ramirez"s Callie has become an example of how to expertly portray both bisexuality and same-s*x relationships via the character"s romance with Arizona (Jessica Capshaw).
While Callie and Arizona split up in more recent seasons, the season 12 finale (which will stand as Ramirez"s final episode) seemed to leave the door open for the actress to return to reprise her role. (Executive producer Shonda Rhimes also noted that Ramirez would "always have a home at Shondaland.)
While Callie has certainly had her ups and downs (divorce, car crashes, losing loved ones), she"s been a pioneer for LGBT viewers across the globe, with Ramirez also serving as a champion for equality.
Here, THR takes a look at six of Ramirez"s most influential scenes as the beloved Callie Torres.
Callie and Arizona"s first kiss.
The kiss that launched "Calzona."
Callie and Arizona get married.
I"m not crying, you are.
Being so good that Erica Hahn "saw leaves"
While Callie may not have reacted well, there isn"t a member of the LGBT community who hasn"t experienced this same moment in their own lives.
The first time Arizona and Callie said I love you.
Simple. Perfect. Complete and total acceptance. This is how we"re remembering Callie and Arizona.
When Callie came out of her coma and Ramirez slayed Brandi Carlile"s "The Story."
OK, so the musical may not have been one of Grey"s Anatomy"s best episodes, but nobody can deny Ramirez"s pipes and her gutting performance here.
When Callie stands up to her father: "You can"t pray away the gay."
Preach.
These are just a few of our favorite scenes with Ramirez as Callie Torres. What are your favorite moments? Sound off in the comments, below.
Christina Milian performs Jennifer Lopez"s "Waiting For Tonight" | Lip Sync Battle
Christina Milian has been a topic of conversation on Twitter because so many of her fans are sad that Grandfathered got canceled, and there will be less of her character Vanessa in their lives.
Although Vulture and Variety gave great reviews about the finale of Grandfathered, they gave little insight into what Christina Milian has coming up for the summer.
Unfortunately, it appears that her fans may be experiencing a Christina Milian drought in 2016. As it stands, there are several potential projects on the horizon, but after the immediate future, it might not be until Halloween that any of Christina Milians fans will see her on television.
On Facebook, Christina Milian announced that she is still on TV for a bit longer after Grandfathered, and she is using her stage skills with her former Grandfathered co-star, Josh Peck, for Lip Sync Battle on May 19 on Spike TV.
About Lip Sync Battle, Billboard writes that Christina Milian fired up the stage the week before with her choreographed version of Jennifer Lopezs Waiting for Tonight.
After Lip Sync Battle, unfortunately, it might be a long and hot summer without Christina Milian. This can be harsh for fans because Christina Milian was a big part of TV in 2015 and early 2016 because of her show, Turned Up on the E! Network.
Regardless, there have not been any announcements about a new season of her reality TV series despite the fact that the announcements of the first two seasons were fairly immediate and predictable.
For instance, the first season of Christina Milians show premiered on January 18, 2015, after starting production as early as March 2014. Following a successful first season, it was announced in April 2015 that there would be a second season for Christina Milian Turned Up which premiered several months later on November 3, 2015.
Christina Milian may not be on TV much this summer, but that does not mean she will not be working hard on upcoming projects like her role in Rocky Horror on FOX. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
While Turned Up Season 2 was immediately picked up, unfortunately, the same news was not announced for Christina Milian fans for Season 3.
In the meantime, what has been announced on the E! Network instead of Christina Milians show is Mariah Careys new reality series, and they already have a teaser, according to Bella Naija.
This means there many be no rhyme or reason to predicting when the announcement by the E! Network about Christina Milian Turned Up having a Season 3 will happen.
Unless another project is announced, the next likely option to see Christina Milian acting might be when she plays Magenta in Rocky Horror Picture Show that debuts on FOX on Halloween.
Outside of acting and singing, Christina Milian is a business woman and owns a fashion line called We Are Pop Culture. While she may launch a new app at any time or promote a product she loves (such as her Viva Diva Wines), it is likely that fashion is the only way Christina Milian fans can hope to see more of her this summer.
After all, Christina Milian spent a majority of the summer of 2015 managing pop-up stores for We Are Pop Culture in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, according to Daily Mail.
In some ways, it does seem that Christina Milian could be teasing about potential We Are Pop Culture fashion lines. For example, on May 14, Christina Milian was photographed wearing a bold shirt with screen-printed guns, according to Mirror.
Christina Milian stunned in a black gown for the May 12 AltaMed gala in Beverly Hills. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AltaMed)
On May 13, Christina Milian was photographed by Daily Mail wearing a stunning black evening gown for the AltaMed Power Up, We Are The Future Gala in Beverly Hills.
Whatever is next, people continue to be fascinated with almost every aspect of Christina Milians life including her take on motherhood. For example, when Christina Milian graced the cover of Georgie magazine, The YBF quotes her stating the following.
The only thing that I stress out about is, how am I going to make sure that I balance out my time for motherhood? How am I going to make this work? Because my daughter that time means everything to her and to us. Shes all I got. We could work really hard but we could watch time fly, you know? Tomorrows not promised.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning. 2016 NHL Playoffs. ECF. Game 3. 05.18.2016. (HD)
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
May 19th, 2016 BY Mike Necciai
General Manager Jim Rutherford announced today that the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled two defensemen, five forwards and one goalie from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Steve Oleksy and Tim Erixon are the two defensemen Pittsburgh added to their NHL club with Daniel Sprong, Dominik Simon, Jean-Sebastien Dea, Josh Archibald and Kael Mouillierat rounding out the forward group. Pittsburgh also brought Tristan Jarry back who had already served as backup to Jeff Zatkoff early in round one.
The mass recall is possible due to Wilkes-Barre being eliminated from the AHL playoffs earlier this week. There is no salary cap for NHL teams in the postseason, so Pittsburgh doesnt need to worry about financial implications.
Its unlikely that anyone from this group will see the ice, though Patric Hornqvists hand injury could mean someone slotting in if hes forced to miss time. The most notable name is rookie Daniel Sprong who played 18 games for the Penguins this season prior to being sent back to juniors. When his QMJHL team was eliminated from the playoffs, he joined Wilkes-Barre for their postseasonrun.
He scored two goals with the Penguins earlier this year. After joining Wilkes-Barre for the playoffs, he tallied five goals and seven points in 10 games.
A man of few words, Mahesh Babu is not your quintessential star. Straight, solemn and shy the actor almost appears uneasy while promoting his upcoming family entertainer Brahmotsavam. While giving nothing away about the film or character, with Wait until Friday being his standard response, Mahesh says the film will live up to its billing as a colourful family entertainer.
Right from the start, we have been very clear about how we wanted to project this film. Those who have seen the trailer will know exactly what to expect from it, and we havent deviated from that image, says Mahesh who is riding high on the phenomenal success of Srimanthudu (2015), one of last years biggest blockbusters.
Even as comparisons are being made between his character in Brahmotsavam and the ones he played in Srimanthudu and Arjun (2004), Mahesh insists that all such comparisons are baseless.
Brahmotsavam is a fresh concept and I play a new character. There is no similarity with Srimanthudu or any other film. In fact, while shooting for Srimanthudu, Srikanth Addala (Brahmotsavams director) narrated the script to me and I loved it. The groundwork for this film was laid even as I was filming for Srimanthudu. Im lucky to get to do such films back-to-back, he says.
Even after being in the industry for more than a decade, Brahmotsavam is a film of firsts for Mahesh Babu. Its the first time Im working on a film with such a huge star cast. There were about 20-25 characters on the sets. Initially, I was a bit overwhelmed, but as the shoot went on, I got used to it. It was a great experience because you get to learn a lot from senior actors and it helps you grow as an artiste, Mahesh observes.
Would you do an out-and-out love story? Mahesh quips, Im doing it with Brahmotsavam. Even with such a big cast, the film is essentially a love story. Also, I have never done so many outdoor shoots for a film. We shot in Haridwar and Udaipur and the whole experience was hectic, but invigorating, the actor gushes.
Mahesh has teamed up with director Srikanth Addala for the second time after Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013) and he says the film has turned out just how he imagined it.
Srikanth Addala has a distinct style of filmmaking which I like a lot. Filming for Brahmotsavam was a huge learning process. I have been doing films for 16 years and there are very few roles where you shouldnt act but instead live the character. My role in Brahmotsavam is one of them. My character in this film is also very different from the one I played in SVSC, he says.
Bilinguals and multilinguals seem to be the norm, with southern superstars seeking to explore different markets and establish their presence outside their home states. Films like Baahubali (2015) and Thozha (2016) have reaped rewards at the box-office and Mahesh says he too would like to explore other markets in the south.
My next film is a bilingual. I will be working with director AR Murgadoss and working with him is a dream come true. Thats one film Im really looking forward to, the actor gushes.
As of now, Mahesh is focused only on Brahmotsavam and says the film will remind people of their long-forgotten values in a world full of hustle-bustle. The film is about simple values which people tend to forget in the modern world. People are so engrossed in the fast-paced world of hectic deadlines and work assignments that they forget simple values of life; Brahmotsavam will be a reminder to them, Mahesh smiles.
Directed by Srikanth Addala, Brahmotsavam features Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Pranitha Subhash as female leads, and is slated to hit screens this Friday, May 20.
Filming was a huge learning process. I have been doing films for 16 years and there are very few roles where you shouldnt act but instead live the character. My role in Brahmotsavam is one of them Mahesh Babu, actor
