Danny Puff

By Joseph Pisani, The Associated Press - The Canadian Press


NEW YORK, N.Y. - A picture is worth thousands of dollars for Limelight Extensions.

Phones start ringing at the Farmington Hills, Michigan, salon each time co-owner Miranda Jade Plater posts pictures on photo-sharing app Instagram. Would-be customers call to book appointments or ask questions about hair extensions she posts.

Colorful styles get the most attention. Palmer still gets calls about a photo of herself that she uploaded two months ago. In it, she's wearing long, black curly hair extensions with the ends dyed bright orange. That photo alone has generated about $10,000 in sales.

"Without Instagram I couldn't tell you where we would be right now," she says.

Instagram is an increasingly important part of small businesses' social media strategies. It's helping them drive sales, gain customers and develop their brand. The app is especially helpful to restaurants, bakeries, clothing stores, hair salons and other businesses that sell items that photograph well.

The app, which was founded in 2010 and was bought by social media company Facebook Inc. in 2012, reaches more than 200 million users worldwide. Owners say it's easy to use and like that they can automatically post their Instagram photos on their businesses' other social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter.

PAYING FOR ATTENTION

To boost Limelight Extensions' followers, Palmer pays local models and reality show stars to promote the company on their accounts. Payment is either a percentage of sales, a flat rate or free hair. In return, they post photos of themselves wearing the extensions with a link back to Limelight Extensions' Instagram account. The company has more than 27,000 followers.

Yumbox is trying a similar strategy. The Doylestown, Pennsylvania-based company makes colorful lunch boxes with portioned sections meant to teach kids balanced eating. It recently paid a well-followed health food blogger to post a photo of a food-filled Yumbox. The post spiked traffic to its website and doubled its Instagram followers to nearly 5,000.

Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter allow small businesses to pay to promote their posts and gain followers. Instagram, which declined to comment for this story, doesn't do that yet. On its website, it says it is working on offering advertising to more of its users.

REACHING OUT TO CUSTOMERS

There are cheaper ways to build followers. Yumbox reposts customer photos. Devitt and co-owner Maia Neumann scour Instagram for photos others have posted using Yumbox as a hashtag. (A hashtag is a word or sentence that begins with the pound sign (#), such as #yumbox. Using a hashtag, which is clickable, makes it easier for users to find all the pictures about one topic.)

Devitt says reposting encourages more people to share photos of their own Yumbox, getting the boxes in front of even more eyes.

Women's clothing shop and online store UOI Boutique broadcasts its customers' Instagram photos on its website. When someone uploads a picture of a skirt or top or necklace on Instagram with the hashtag #uoionline, it automatically shows up on uoionline.com. The Sterling, Illinois, company also asks its 25 workers to take at least one photo with their smartphone during their shifts. The best are uploaded to UOI Boutique's Instagram account.

HASHTAG EVERYTHING

The right hashtag can attract customers from far away. Brooke Sacco, the owner of Behind The Moon, a shop that sells used and new kids clothing in Hammonton, New Jersey uploaded a photo of a pair of outfits with the hashtag of the clothing's brand name. A potential customer in Dallas was searching for that brand on Instagram and asked Sacco to send the $7 dress and romper to Texas. It was the first time Sacco had shipped clothing to customers since she opened the store in April.

She tries to post six photos a day, complete with hashtags.

"It's free advertising," Sacco says.

BUILDING A BRAND

But it's not just about posting pictures of products. Dyer and Jenkins, an online seller of men's clothing, reinforces that its jeans and T-shirts are made in America through Instagram. Owner Josey Orr posts three photos a day to the Los Angeles company's Instagram account and has a rule: 20 per cent of the photos are of Dyer and Jenkins clothing and 80 per cent are photos of weathered American flags, classic cars or West Coast highways. The account has more nearly 11,000 followers. (As a comparison, big clothing brands such as J. Crew has more than 500,000 followers and Urban Outfitters has nearly 1.5 million.)

"It's more about the brand and less about selling products," says Orr.

That's also true for Hawaiian hot sauce maker Adoboloco. "We use Instagram to show what we're doing in our lives and outside of the business," says owner Tim Parsons.

He posts photos from the Hawaiian farm where some of the chili peppers used in the sauces are grown. There are also lots of pictures of Maui's sandy beaches and french fries, eggs and other meals drenched with Adoboloco's hot sauce.

Why does Instagram resonate with potential customers? A photo can say more about a business than words. "People process photos faster," says Jesse Redniss, chief strategy officer at Spredfast, which works with brands to build their social media presence.

"Storytelling is paramount for a business to get people to care about who they are," says Redniss. "People are always entranced with a story. It's how people become interested in a brand."

PHOTOGRAPHIC MARKDOWN

Another way to spur sales is to offer discounts. A week before Mother's Day, Las Vegas bakery Peridot Sweets sent a photo of a white Mother's Day cake with a sugary peony flower on top to its nearly 1,800 Instagram followers. The caption offered the cake for $40 a $30 discount.

Owner Tiffany Jones says she sold seven of the cakes to people who saw the photo on Instagram. The photo also automatically posted to the company's Facebook page. She sold six more cakes to Facebook fans.

"It's visual," says Jones about Instagram. "It's perfect for what we do."

ONLINE:

Adoboloco's Instagram account: http://instagram.com/adoboloco

Behind The Moon: http://instagram.com/behindthemoonshop

Dyer And Jenkins: http://instagram.com/dyerandjenkins

Limelight Extensions: http://instagram.com/limelightextensions

Peridot Sweets: http://instagram.com/peridotsweets

UOI Boutique: http://instagram.com/uoionline

Yumbox: http://instagram.com/yumboxlunch

Follow Joseph Pisani at https://twitter.com/josephpisani

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By Alexei Oreskovic - Reuters


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's YouTube said on Tuesday that it plans to launch a paid streaming music service, amid criticism that its existing, free video website might block the music videos of labels that do not agree to its terms.

YouTube has partnered with "hundreds of major and independent" music labels for the new service, the company said in a statement, confirming long-running rumors that the world's most popular online video website will offer a paid music service.

The news comes as some music trade groups have criticized YouTube's plans to potentially block the content of certain labels from appearing on YouTube's free, ad-supported Website unless they sign deals to participate in the new, subscription streaming music service. The deals that YouTube is offering are on "highly unfavorable, and non-negotiable terms," according to a news release issued by the Worldwide Independent Music Industry Network last month.

YouTube declined to comment on the terms of the deals, but said in a statement that the new service would provide new revenue for the music industry.

"We re adding subscription-based features for music on YouTube with this in mind - to bring our music partners new revenue streams in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars YouTube already generates for them each year," YouTube said in a statement.

YouTube has already signed deals for the paid service with 95 percent of the music labels that it previously had deals with for its existing, ad-supported music video webiste, a person familiar with the matter said. Blocking certain music labels' videos from appearing on YouTube's free website might be necessary in order to provide a consistent user experience for the paid service, the person said.

The YouTube service is expected to launch at the end of the summer and will allow users to listen to music without any ads, according to a person familiar with the situation. Among the other features expected are the ability to listen to music offline and the ability to listen to an artist's entire album instead of just individual songs, as is currently the case on YouTube, the person said.

Streaming music services such as Spotify and Pandora are becoming increasingly popular among consumers, as digital music downloads decline. Apple Inc announced plans to acquire streaming music service and premium headphone maker Beats for $3 billion last month.

Google launched the $9.99-per-month Play All Access subscription music service in 2013. The forthcoming YouTube paid music service could potentially work in coordination with the Play service so that consumers aren't forced to subscribe to two separate services, the person familiar with the situation said.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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By The Associated Press - The Canadian Press


JACKSON, Miss. - KFC Corp. says it's investigating allegations that a restaurant employee in Jackson, Mississippi, asked a 3-year-old to leave because her facial injuries disturbed other patrons. The company is also giving $30,000 toward Victoria Wilcher's medical bills, a spokesman said Sunday.

The allegation about KFC was made Thursday on "Victoria's Victories," a Facebook page following Victoria Wilcher's recovery from a pit bull attack in April. The administrator posted a photo showing Victoria smiling shyly in spite of her facial scars and cartoon-decorated eye patch, and wrote, "Does this look scary to you? Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners."

KFC posted an apology the next morning, requesting details.

"As soon as we were notified of this report on Friday, we immediately began an investigation, as this kind of hurtful and disrespectful action would not be tolerated by KFC," spokesman Rick Maynard wrote Sunday in an email to The Associated Press. "Regardless of the outcome of our investigation, we have apologized to Victoria's family and are committed to assisting them. The company is making a $30,000 donation to assist with her medical bills. The entire KFC family is behind Victoria."

Her grandmother Kelly Mullins said Victoria had just been to a doctor's when they stopped at the restaurant. She ordered mashed potatoes for Victoria because she thought the hungry child could swallow the soft food without chewing.

She says she was then approached by an employee. "They just told us, they said, 'We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers,'" she told WAPT-TV (http://bit.ly/1p7ByYo).

Victoria wept all the way home and now is embarrassed by her appearance something that wasn't the case before, Mullins said.

"She won't even look in the mirror anymore," Mullins said. "When we go to a store, she doesn't even want to get out" of the car.

Victoria was attacked by pit bulls at her grandfather's home. The dogs broke her nose, both jaws, cheekbones and right eye socket; the right side of her face is paralyzed and she lost that eye, according to her Facebook site. Her bottom jaw was reconstructed but she needs a feeding tube and must grow more bone in her face before more surgery is possible, it states.

The page's administrator wrote Sunday that "Victoria's Victories" had gone from 250 people praying for Victoria to thousands.

The page had more than 32,500 "likes" on Sunday.

A message posted Friday evening by another Mississippi KFC franchisee, Dick West of West Quality Food Service in Laurel, offered "a big KFC picnic" for the child and her family.

West also wrote that he knows the Jackson restaurant owners "and they have never in the 50 years they have operated in Jackson allowed anyone coming into their restaurants to be treated with dis-respect."

In a message to the AP, he wrote, "I am sure KFC will make their finding public as soon as the facts are in. In the meantime, I offered to treat Victoria to a picnic because regardless of the outcome of the investigation, she has been thru more than any little girl should and I wanted to give her a special treat."

Online: https://www.facebook.com/victoriasvictories

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By Sandy Cohen, The Associated Press - The Canadian Press


LOS ANGELES, Calif. - In a summertime battle of sequels, a pair of kooky cops beat out flying dragons for the top spot at the box office.

The R-rated comedy "22 Jump Street" debuted in first place with $60 million, followed by "How to Train Your Dragon 2" which opened with $50 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"To have two movies that opened to 50-plus, that's really good," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for Fox, which boasts three films in the top 10. "To have a PG-rated, animated film open against a hard R comedy, you gotta love that."

It's rare for two films to open with such big numbers on the same weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. Dergarabedian notes it has happened three times before: last year when "Monsters University" opened against "World War Z"; in 2012 when "Madagascar 3" opened against "Prometheus"; and in 2008 when "WALL-E" opened against "Wanted."

The original versions of "Dragon" and "Jump Street" were springtime releases, and their strong performances then led studios to offer sequels during the hot movie-going months of summer.

"When a studio has ultimate confidence in something, they will put it in that gladiator arena that is the summer season," Dergarabedian said. "A sequel in the summer is like graduating."

Sony's "Jump Street" stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill as bumbling undercover officers who pose as college students to bust a campus drug dealer. Hill also lends a voice to the animated "Dragon," the Fox feature that follows Hiccup and his winged dragon Toothless on an adventure where they discover hundreds of wild dragons and a mysterious dragon master.

Disney's "Maleficent" claimed third place in its third week of release. Warner Bros.' Tom Cruise action romp "Edge of Tomorrow" took the fourth spot, followed by last week's top film, Fox's teen tear-jerker "The Fault in Our Stars."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Rentrak. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. "22 Jump Street," $60 million.

2. "How to Train Your Dragon 2," $50 million.

3. "Maleficent," $19 million.

4. "Edge of Tomorrow," $16.2 million.

5. "The Fault in Our Stars," $15.7 million.

6. "X-Men: Days of Future Past," $9.5 million.

7. "Godzilla," $3.2 million.

8. "A Million Ways to Die in the West," $3.1 million.

9. "Neighbours," $2.5 million.

10. "Chef," $2.3 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.

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

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By Details Magazine - Healthy Living

"This means even television programs depicting the suffering of other people..."
By: Ian Landau


Are others stressing you out? A study by researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig and the Technische Universit t Dresden didn't specifically set out to test if watching tense shows such as 24 or Homeland turns us into quivering masses of stress Jello, but that seems to be the takeaway. More worrisome, perhaps, is that you can "catch" stress just bywatching people confront anxiety-provoking situations onscreen.

Researchers recruited 362 people for the experiment: Everyone was tested in pairs-one sacrificial lamb exposed to a "psychosocial stressor" and one observer. Some of the pairs consisted of intimate couples and some were made up of strangers. While there are an infinite number of sadistic ways to stress people out (toss them into the tiger pit at the Leipzig Zoo? Virtual reality battle with The Mountain from Game of Thrones?), the chosen psychosocial triggers in this case were "difficult mental arithmetic tasks" and a faux job interview. In case people found math and a job interviews relaxing, two people posing as behavior analysts also sat in the room with the subjects (performance anxiety, anyone?).

While one partner did either the math and the interview, the counterpart simply watched the session, either through a one-way mirror or via a video monitor.

Here's what researchers found:

• 95% of the people who did the math and job interview session experienced a rise in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, a physiological indicator that they were, indeed, stressed out.
• Watching through the one-way mirror led to elevated cortisol in 30% of observers.
• Viewing on the video monitor had a slightly less potent effect, with 26% getting vicariously stressed.
• 40% of observers were stressed out by watching their romantic partner endure stress.
• Watching a stranger struggle elicited a cortisol jolt in 10% of observers.
• Finally, researchers found that men and women observers were stressed in equal numbers, so you can't keep telling people that women are hard-wired to be more empathetic than men.

In many ways these results aren't really surprising. We've all yelled at a friend or loved one who was nervously pacing around, "Sit your ass down, you're stressing me out!" We know, intuitively, that being around stressed out people can be stressful, too. But to see it confirmed-"empathic stress" (i.e., "a full-blown physiological stress response that arises solely by observing a target undergo a stressful situation")-is alarming. The researchers were surprised too. "The fact that we could actually measure this empathic stress in the form of a significant hormone release was astonishing," said Veronika Engert, one of the study's lead authors.

Especially surprising was the fact that watching a stressful situation mediated by way of a screen can "contaminate" us with stress. Again, the researchers didn't test subjects as they watched TV shows, but that didn't stop Engert from speculating about how her team's research might apply to that scenario. "This means that even television programs depicting the suffering of other people can transmit that stress to viewers," she said. Let's all start by watching less news

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By Hilary Hagerman - Wide Screen

Chloe Grace Moretz is one of the fastest-rising stars in Hollywood – and she's only 17! The actress was in Toronto on Monday to promote her new film "If I Stay," and she documented her whirlwind day on Yahoo Popped's Instagram. Take a look at what Moretz did during her time in Toronto, and make sure to catch "If I Stay" in theatres on August 22.



Me and the future Madame president Hillary Clinton - @cmoretz #chloegracemoretz #ifistay #toronto


Watch the trailer for "If I Stay" below.

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By Oprah.com - At Home

You've finished dinner and your favorite show is starting soon. Here's how to get everything spotless and put away, so you can be on the couch in time for the opening credits.

By Lynn Andriani


Before you tackle the dishes, deal with the food itself and store the leftovers. That chicken-and-rice casserole has probably been sitting on the table for at least 15 minutes--and at room temperature, bacteria in food can double every 20 minutes. Once you've wrapped and refrigerated tomorrow's lunch, fill extra-greasy pans, or dishes with stuck-on food, with hot, soapy water and set them on the (turned-off) stove to soak. (We'll get back to them in a few minutes, once that soap has had a chance to work on the rice.)

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Clean Mama blogger, Becky Rapinchuk,who is author of The Organically Clean Home loads items in groups to make it easier for her 8-year-old daughter to unload the washer later (e.g., all drinking glasses go in the same row, all kids' plastic cups are together, all large dinner plates are near each other). If you used any utensils that separate from their handles, such as rubber spatulas, pull the pieces apart before loading, or dirty water may collect inside. And just before you turn the machine on, follow this advice from the experts at Mr. Appliance: Run the hot water in the kitchen sink so the cycle will begin with hot water.


The counter, table and stove are the obvious places, but Rapinchuk finds people often forget to hit the faucet or faucets of the sink, which can be some of the dirtiest places in the kitchen (not to mention the sink itself, which, as most of us know, can contain more bacteria than you'd find on the toilets of public bathrooms). Other easily overlooked germ hotspots: the refrigerator door handle, microwave buttons and stove dials.

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Before the buzzer rings, get back to those pots. Rapinchuk balls up a piece of aluminum foil that had been used to cover a dish earlier in the day and uses it as a scrubber, which avoids getting scrub bristles dirty (adding to your list of things to clean). This, she says, is especially effective on reheated leftovers since food that's been warmed twice tends to be harder to remove. Next, the floor. Experts vary in what they like to use, from Swiffers to hand vacuums to brooms, but they all say don't just go under the table and near the stove--sweep the baseboards, too, since crumbs tend to cluster in the little gap between the wall and wood. Finally, tie up the trash, take it out, replace the bag and--ahhh--hit the couch.

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By Health.com - Healthy Living


I have never been a smoker, but many of my clients are current or former smokers. And those who want to kick the habit are often afraid to do so because they're worried about gaining weight. In fact, some purposefully took up smoking as a way to lose weight, so they're convinced that quitting will result in packing on pounds.

A recent study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice found that 53% of smokers gained weight during previous attempts to quit, with an average weight gain of 8 to 14 pounds within the first year. The researchers also found that those who were highly concerned about weight were less likely to seek out treatment to help them kick the habit.

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It's a major barrier, but you should know two things: first, you'd have to gain 100 or more pounds to offset the health benefits of quitting; and second, you can quit successfully without affecting your weight long-term. In fact, research out this year found that on average, quitters don't experience greater weight gain than never-smokers.

Feeling encouraged? I hope so, because quitting smoking is probably the most important thing you can do for your health, and the benefits are immediate. Just 12 hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal, within two weeks your circulation and lung function improve, and within one year, your risk of heart disease is slashed to half of what it was when you smoked.

To reap all of these rewards and maintain your weight, quit strategically, using the following five tricks.

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Go for volume without overdoing it on calories Smoking dulls taste buds and diminishes your sense of smell. When these rebound after quitting, you'll be tasting food in a whole new way, which can make it difficult to keep your portions petite. But, big portions don't necessarily lead to calorie overkill-if you choose wisely. For example, three and a half cups of oil-popped organic popcorn, about the size of three and a half tennis balls, provides about 140 calories, compared to 160 in just 11 wavy potato chips or 12 tortilla chips.


For high-volume lunch and dinner options, make two cups of field greens (30 calories) the foundation of a meal, dressed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, topped with a serving of lean protein and a small scoop of quinoa. Or, re-proportion meals like a stir-fry or pasta, so most of what's on your plate is veggies. For example, sauté a quarter cup each of onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell pepper in olive oil with garlic and herbs, toss with a half cup of brown rice pasta or quinoa, and top with a serving of lean protein (like a half cup of white beans, shrimp, or cubed chicken). You'll get a generously portioned meal (about 3 cups of food!) for well under 500 calories.

Reach for healthy finger foods One of the reasons people nibble more after quitting is to mimic the hand-to-mouth motion of smoking. But delivering a lot of calories every time you bring your hand to your mouth (like with candy, pretzels, or chips…) can definitely up the risk of weight gain. Instead, reach for water-rich low cal veggies, like cucumber slices (16 cals per cup), radishes (19 cals per cup), or grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, and celery sticks (all 30 cals per cup). Pair your veggies with a single-serve hummus, guacamole, or nut butter. You can find each in pre-portioned packages, which are a great idea if you think you might be tempted to keep dipping into a larger container. Other healthy options you can eat with your hands include popcorn, which I've already mentioned, as well as fresh fruit, like grapes, berries, and cherries. Citrus fruits that require peeling, like an orange or tangerine, will also keep your hands occupied and allow you to nibble a little bit at a time. Bonus: if you do slip, a study from Duke University found that eating more produce worsens the taste of cigarettes.

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Rely on natural appetite suppressants Smoking suppresses appetite, so quitting can cause a sudden hunger upswing. Fortunately, certain foods and habits can counter the effect. For example, "good" fats like nuts, seeds, olives, and avocado boost satiety and slow stomach emptying, to keep you fuller longer, and delay the return of hunger. To take advantage of this benefit, include some healthy fat at every meal. For example, whip coconut oil or nut butter into a smoothie, sauté or roast veggies in olive oil rather than using nonstick spray, add avocado to salads and omelets, add a dollop of guacamole to soup, and sprinkle sliced or chopped nuts onto stir-frys.

Rev up your metabolism naturally Smoking slightly boosts metabolism, so when you quit, maximizing your metabolic rate in healthy, natural ways is a smart strategy for preventing weight gain. Research-backed methods include drinking more water and unsweetened green tea (note: if you can't stand it unsweetened add a splash of 100% fruit juice), firing up meals with hot peppers (like fresh jalapenos or dried and ground cayenne or chili pepper), slightly increasing your protein portions, and seasoning meals with spices like ginger, black pepper, garlic, and organic citrus zest. Each of these strategies has also been shown to boost satiety, and flavoring meals with metabolic-boosters can keep your taste buds happy, while helping you avoid excess salt and sugar.

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Up your activity In addition to burning calories, exercise also helps curb cigarette cravings and relieve withdrawal symptoms. The trick is finding fun ways to move. A recent study found that when exercise feels like "work" we tend to compensate by seeking out rewards, like adding "I earned it" treats or eating more, which can cancel out the weight loss benefits of working out. To avoid this effect, choose activities that get your heart rate up, but don't feel like a chore or punishment. Take a dance class, plan a half day hike, or a long bike ride with a friend, try something you've never done but have always wanted to do, like rollerblading, indoor rock climbing, or stand-up paddle boarding, or join a volleyball or dodgeball league. Being active in enjoyable ways can help you connect to a whole new smoke-free you, and strengthen the chances that you'll leave smoking behind forever.

Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, is Health's contributing nutrition editor. She is frequently seen on national TV and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Her latest New York Times best seller is S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches.

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By Derrik J. Lang, The Associated Press - The Canadian Press

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Game makers at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo went for the jugular.

That's not just a metaphor about the competitive spirit of the video game industry at its annual trade show this past week. There were also actual depictions of throats being ripped out — as well as spleens, spines, hearts and testicles — in some of the goriest scenes ever shown off at E3.

Developers of such titles as "Bloodborne," "Let It Die," "Mortal Kombat X," "Dead Island 2" and "Dying Light" weren't shy about harnessing the high-powered graphical capabilities of the latest generation of consoles to portray more realistic decapitations, dismemberments and other grisliness.

Why the apparent boost in high-definition gross-outs?

"I think in the early years of a console launch, you have the so-called early adopters and hardcore fan base," said Shawn Layden, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, which launched the PlayStation 4 last November. "I think they look for the latest gaming experience that takes them to another level from where they've been before, and a lot of our publishing partners are pursuing the new, most impactful experience for gamers."

The parade of carnage kicked off Monday at Microsoft's presentation when the creators of "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" demonstrated a level in which a character's arm is ripped off while attempting to sabotage an enemy aircraft in South Korea. Michael Condrey, co-founder of "Advanced Warfare" developer Sledgehammer Games, later maintained the amputation wasn't only intended to shock.

"We know that war is terrifying," said Condrey. "The military advisers that we work with talk about the horrors of war. 'Call of Duty' isn't just about gratuitous violence. The scene that you saw in Seoul at the Microsoft press conference, that's an impactful story moment. The loss of the arm is really part of the narrative. We showed that for a particular storytelling reason."

Other slaughter on display at E3 included a first-person perspective of a decapitation in a demo of the French Revolution-set "Assassin's Creed: Unity" and several bone-crushing new moves in "Mortal Kombat X," like extreme close-ups of characters snapping their opponents' spines and manhandling their genitals.

"It seems, as time goes on, video games continue to become more violent, realistic and graphic," said Brad J. Bushman, a communication and psychology professor at Ohio State University. "This is a disturbing trend. Unfortunately, I see no signs that it will stop. The research evidence clearly indicates that violent video games increase aggression in players, and can make them numb to the pain and suffering of others."

But it wasn't merely blood and guts on display at E3 this year. The virtual horse that players will mount in the open-world action sequel "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" has been programmed to spontaneously defecate. And in a creepy abandoned mental institution from the Victorian-era thriller "The Order: 1886," there's not just blood smeared across the walls.

Game makers defend that gore aids the narrative, yet many believe a little goes a long way.

"For us, it's more impactful if it's done tastefully," said "The Order" game director Dana Jan. "If you just throw blood all over the place, it's meaningless. ... We have to look at what we think is disturbing or scary and figure out how to do that masterfully without going too over the top."

E3 wasn't completely consumed with bloodshed. This year's show featured a plethora of non-bloody, artsy games that attracted an unprecedented amount of attention. Still, the biggest games at E3 are usually the most hardcore

While violence has long been part of gaming history, and these gory titles are destined to be restricted to adult buyers by the industry's rating board, such footage received visceral reactions from even the most seasoned gamers this year.

"E3 2014, taken as a whole, doesn't feel as obsessed with violence as past shows," wrote Chris Plante, co-founder at the gaming site Polygon. That was before he cut the show's most graphic violence into a one-minute video. "The supercut is dense with blood, organs and unrecognizable viscera," Plante wrote. "It's strange how these things can wash over you but make an impact when taken together. These conferences can be a bit desensitizing."

AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report.
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

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By Anne T. Donahue - Celebrity News

Father's Day is upon us once again, and because holidays are nothing without being tied to television, we've used it as an excuse to rank dads. But not just any dads -- TV dads. The dads that gave us hope and instilled fear and even introduced us to types of resentment. (Here's looking at you, Danny Tanner, who literally defined "micromanagement.")

So without further adieu, here is the definitive ranking of TV dads, from worst to best. Happy Father's Day!

Walter White ("Breaking Bad")
Walter White (Bryan Cranston) may have started his meth empire to ensure his family had money after he died from cancer, but he was a liar (a damned liar). He did it for himself, and he said so himself. (And by "did it," we of course mean "mentally and emotionally abuse his family.")

Ward Cleaver ("Leave it to Beaver")
Honestly, any father who talks down to his kids and his wife as much as Ward (Hugh Beaumont) would be the type most of us would give dirty looks to in the grocery store. What makes you so special, Ward?

Tywin Lannister ("Game of Thrones")
Not only does Tywin (Charles Dance) love his incestuous twins Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Cersei (Lena Headey) more than son Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), he actively blames Tyrion for the death of his wife -- who died in childbirth. You would, you horrible dad. (Plus, even though Tywin accepts Jaime and Cersei, he still exercises far too much control over their lives.)

Dexter Morgan ("Dexter")
Dexter (Michael C. Hall) was a man who neglected his son so he could kill people. Next.

Don Draper ("Mad Men")
Don (Jon Hamm) tries, and he's damaged, sure. But even though he and Sally (Kiernan Shipka) have a beautiful bond, she also saw her father having sex with his neighbour. On the flip side, Don did buy Sally a puppy in season 1 -- but it was because he bailed on her birthday and left Betty serving a frozen Sara Lee. (Shameful.)

Mitch Leery ("Dawson's Creek")
Mitch Leery (John Wesley Shipp) died in a car accident after trying to pick an ice cream cone up from the car floor, presumably to eat it. He may have been the greatest dad in the world, but guess what: nobody cares now.

Fitzgerald Grant ("Scandal")
President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) had a baby with a wife he doesn't love to maintain his political popularity. Yeah, what a winner.

Danny Tanner ("Full House")
He was obsessed with cleanliness which inevitably led to complexes in his children as they got older. (Also: too many "life lesson" speeches. Relax, guy.)

Al Bundy ("Married With Children")
Right smack in the middle. Why? Because Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) is just an average guy trying his best. Kind of. Eh, he's fine.

Tim Taylor ("Home Improvement")
Yes, he was present with his kids (and actually seemed to like them), but Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) needed a lesson or two in feminism and/or the myth of male masculinity. Sports and tools don't make a man -- you can totally take your kids to a musical with your wife, dude.

Martin Crane ("Frasier")
The fact that Martin (John Mahoney) not only puts up with his terrible sons, but also regularly puts them in his place makes him Father of the Year. Give the man a second recliner.

Phil Dunphy ("Modern Family")
He embarrasses his children while trying to be cool because he loves them. On the flip side, he embarrasses his children while trying to be cool (maybe because he secretly hates them, we don't know).

George Jefferson ("The Jeffersons")
The man built a dynasty upon dry cleaning stores, and despite his sometimes-surliness, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) obviously cared. Because here's the thing: anyone with that much drive and family dedication is entitled to being a little tuckered out from time to time. Especially when trying to parent a teenage son.

Bob Belcher ("Bob's Burgers")
He makes delicious burgers and supports his children's dreams. The only downside is his lack of support for Louise's clever burger nicknames. (Just go with them, Bob.)

Louis CK ("Louie")
Louis might actually be one of the most underrated dads on television: trying his best religiously, he gives a realistic glimpse into what raising two daughters is like. It's difficult, rewarding, but more importantly, very entertaining for anyone not involved.

Dan Conner ("Roseanne")
Pro: Dan Conner (John Goodman) was a tolerate, patient, kind dad. Con: the "Roseanne" finale made us question everything we knew, meaning there was a chance he wasn't actually like that at all. Because life is unfair.

Graham Chase ("My So-Called Life")
ABC "But Mr. Chase (Tom Irwin) was an amazing dad!" you argue. "Why wouldn't you place him higher on the list?" Easy: because, if "My So-Called Life" hadn't been prematurely cancelled, it was set up that he might cheat on his wife. And not to judge, but that's Don Draperville, U.S.A.

Cliff Huxtable ("The Cosby Show")
. In one episode, Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) offered a reality check to his children that rivals even the best-written AMC monologue: "This isn't Burger King. You can't have it your way." Ladies and gentlemen, the original mic drop.

Uncle Phil ("Fresh Prince of Bel-Air")
When Will (Will Smith) arrived from West Philadelphia, Uncle Phil (James Avery) stepped up: he was more of a dad than Will's biological father ever was, incorporating Will into a life he wouldn't have known if the then-teen had stayed on the playground, (where he spent most of his days). We miss you, James Avery.

Eric Taylor ("Friday Night Lights")
Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) defines "there." As in "being there." And "there for you." And "there there, stop crying, it's just a TV show, Eric Taylor isn't real." But we sure wish he was.

Homer Simpson ("The Simpsons")
Sure, he's clueless sometimes, but remember the episode where Homer bonded with Bart over the soapbox cars? Or when he tried to attend the opera to impress Lisa? He tries! He's an every-dad! And, according to the post about his nuclear reactor station, he even keeps his horrible job for Maggie. ("Do it for her." Tears.)

Keith Mars ("Veronica Mars")
A single father whose mandate is to do the right thing, Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) not only believes and believes in Veronica (Kristen Bell), he puts her needs above his own -- without being a doormat, or being taken advantage of. A dad for all of us. A dad for the books. A dad who's currently trying to support Veronica's choice to follow in his P.I. footsteps. (If you watched the "Veronica Mars" movie, which is a great Father's Day choice.)

Who do you think is the best (or worst) dad on TV? Sound off in the comments below, and Happy Father's Day!

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