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Best Of :: People & Places
It's rare to find a public information officer as good-humored and helpful as ICE's Vinnie Picard — and that's while you're yelling at him. The guy's no doormat, but as a good PIO is supposed to, he feels journalists' pain, massages their egos, and points them in the right direction. You may dislike ICE's bureaucracy (and dislike what ICE actually does in deporting people), but it's difficult to dislike Vinnie, who is ready with a quote when you need one and never blows you off, even if you're on ICE's case in the worst way. He'll also take the time to explain policy and will call you up to disabuse you of a misconception. A reporter can't ask for much more. Well, ending ICE's deportation policy would be nice, but the man's not God, for Chrissakes. Or Homeland Security czar (and ultimate ICE boss) Janet Napolitano, for that matter.
Want an original piece of art but can't afford the hefty price tag? Enter the Art-o-mat, a restored vintage cigarette machine that poops out handcrafted art pieces as if they were gumball-machine trinkets. The project began in 1997, when North Carolina artist Clark Whittington displayed his black-and-white photos like old-school ciggies. People loved them so much that the display became a permanent fixture and the idea blossomed into a national network of machines (though this is the only one in Arizona). Pop your cash in the slot, pull the old-timey plastic knob and out comes a work of art from the project's huge roster. Most are pretty amusing. Recent sightings at the slick chrome machine include Bearded Bunnies by William Hessian, Victorian vignettes, and Julie Graces' "Peep Show" secret spy mini-telescopes. You're obviously not going to get a Van Gogh-quality oil painting here, but for $5, any piece of art better than a line drawing is a steal.
Those Christian Louboutin kicks looked damn cute when you saw them on sale at Barney's — and even cuter when you wore 'em — but honestly, that's hardly practical footwear for an evening of walking around Old Town. Easy on the eyes, murder on the feet. Since your pocketbook's emptier than Lady Gaga's head, following your latest shoe-gasm, we've got a suggestion that's equally chic and cheap: Hop aboard one of the four Bunny Rides street-legal golf carts puttering from club to club. Operated by entrepreneur Aaron Lipson, these eight-passenger rides provide complimentary jaunts (although tips are appreciated) from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. every Thursday through Saturday night. Decorated in electric pink livery and pumping out Top 40 tracks via built-in stereos, Bunny Rides are hard to miss, even after dark. Lipson's crew cruises a service area encompassing Old Town (which stretches south from Chaparral to Thomas roads, and east between 68th Street and Hayden Road), which means schlepping slews of drunken divas and dudes to danceterias, as well as back to nearby hotels. "People get loud and crazy, girls show their boobs, you name it," Lipson says. "It's like a party on wheels." Some caveats: They won't take you home, and those appearing to be overintoxicated aren't permitted to ride. "We don't wanna get sued if people fall out," he says. Besides, why risk the chance of scuffing up your $500 babies? Reach Bunny Rides at 602-405-2106.
We've long thought Phoenix's skyline was pretty — if a little odd. Why do there appear to be two downtowns, and why does one lone skyscraper — the building formerly known as the Dial Tower — rise up from the earth between them? Then we learned something about our skyline that got us asking another question. Why are we so short? Here's a telling fact: At 483 feet, Chase Tower is Arizona's tallest building. Okay, maybe that number doesn't mean anything to you, so let's put it in perspective. Arkansas has a building that's 546 feet high. We're talking about Arkansas, the land of Walmart and rampant shoelessness. Actually, such less-urbanized and less-populous states as Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska all have buildings taller than the biggest and best of Arizona. Chase Tower wouldn't be one of the 20 tallest buildings in Texas, and that state isn't exactly known for passionate urban planning. Actually, of the country's 10 largest cities, only San Jose, California, has a tallest building shorter than Chase Tower, and, let's be honest: No one knows how or why San Jose is one of the country's 10 largest cities.
As a former New Yorker who's lived in the Valley for a decade, Marshall Shore may know a lot more about Phoenix history than most natives. Like the fact that Mr. Lucky's was intended to be Arizona's first casino or that Wayne Newton was a regular performer at Bill Johnson's Big Apple. Shore, who calls himself an information curator, deals hour-long doses of local lore each month at the Phoenix Retro Spectacular. For a fiver, listeners and fellow tale-tellers can sip wine and lounge on vintage furniture at Phoenix Metro Retro while Shore, through stories and images, shares his understanding of Phoenix antiquity and the importance of saving it.
Photo booths are always cool, like black T-shirts and motorcycles. They practically invite rebellion, so we give ourselves permission to act up. We contort our bodies with those of our friends and family as we try to get everyone in the frame. In short, we ham it up. So what could be better than a traveling photo booth? Enter Mr. Fun Booth, where you can take as many digital pictures as you like with a nifty remote control inside the 2-by-2-by-6-foot box. Renting Mr. Fun Booth comes with delivery within 50 miles of Central Phoenix, setup and teardown of the booth, three hours of shooting time, and a webpage for viewing and/or purchasing prints. Call 480-588-2778, and have fun.


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Kip Moore excited & honored about first CMA nomination
Listen to Kip Moore on iHeartRadio
Kip Moore say he's "truly honored" to be in the running for a Country Music Association award.
The singer admits it's been "a long road" to get to this point in his career, but he "wouldn't trade" any of it "for the quick and easy route."
Kip adds that the nomination is providing him with "a little extra inspiration" as he finishes up his follow up to his debut album, Up All Night.
Moore is among the hopefuls for New Artist of the Year, along with Lee Brice, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, and top nominee Kacey Musgraves.
The 47th annual CMA Awards will be presented in Nashville on November 6th. ABC will air the event live.
Photo Credit Getty Images

subset: commoncrawl


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Russia: Troops are staying put
(NEWSER) – Russian troops won't leave the Ukraine until the situation is "normalized," foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said today, arguing that Russia was defending its own citizens by invading. The people who ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych "intend to make use of the fruits of their victory to attack human rights and fundamental freedoms of minorities," Lavrov said in Geneva, according to the BBC. Russia appears to be tightening its grip on Crimea, with thousands of troops now in the region and large Ukrainian military bases surrounded. Russian troops have also secured a large ferry terminal, raising fears that yet more soldiers are on the way.
In the latest developments:
- No shots have been fired yet, but Ukraine's acting prime minster says armed conflict is a definite possibility and the country's armed forces have been mobilized, reports the Washington Post. If Vladimir Putin wants war, "he has reached that target within a few inches," he said.
- All eyes are on President Obama, who has condemned Russia's "breach of international law," sent John Kerry to Kiev, and approved economic sanctions designed to, in one official's words, "make it hurt," the New York Timesreports. "It's the most important, most difficult foreign policy test of his presidency," says one career diplomat. "There's no one in Europe who can approach him in power. He's going to have to lead."


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Stop Hillary PAC prepares for 2016
Hillary Clinton hasn't announced whether she'll seek the presidency in 2016, but there's already one political action committee trying to pre-empt even the possibility of her candidacy, CNN reports.
Stop Hillary PAC was incorporated in May and stepped into the public sphere this Monday by announcing its leadership. Ted Harvey, a Republican Colorado state senator, will spearhead the effort. Joining him will be media strategist Garrett Marquis, attorney and lobbyist Dan Backer, and political strategist Jacob Leis among others.
According to Marquis, the group plans to release a video later this week "that will get a lot of attention." If Clinton decides to run, the group plans "to make noise" wherever she goes, targeting the airwaves in key primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
"We're supporting anything that is the opposite of Hillary," Marquis told CNN. "We will play however needed, wherever Hillary is playing. If she endorses in the Virginia governor's race, we will go there. Assuming she is active in Iowa, we will be there, too, and we will make some considerable noise."
The PAC is distinct from Stop Hillary 2016, a project steered by Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign manager, Matt Rhoades. However, like Stop Hillary 2016, the group represents a sharp ideological counterpoint to Ready for Hillary, a pro-Clinton PAC that has already established a strong foundation of supporters and volunteers.


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People Are Using Instagram to Sell Their Guns...and It's Mostly Legal
Among all the sneakers, dresses, paintings, and dogs being filtered and sold through ad-hoc negotiations on Instagram, there is one outlier: guns.
A simple search on the increasingly popular photography app, which Facebook bought in April 2012 for $1 billion, reveals a web of semi-anonymous private and professional dealers who are advertising, negotiating, and selling firearms over Instagram.
Users of Instagram, which has no explicit policy prohibiting the sale of firearms, can easily find a chrome-plated antique Colt, a custom MK12-inspired AR-15 tricked-out with "all best of the best parts possible," and an HK416D .22LR rifle by simply combining terms like #rifle or #ar15 with #forsale. These are handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, and everything in between being sold in an open, pseudo-anonymous online marketplace. With no federal law banning online sales and differing, loophole-ridden state laws, many gun control advocates are concerned about the public safety consequences of this unregulated market.
A typical gun-toting Instagram post goes something like this: "'LWRC 10' SBR FOR SALE!!! Come get it! Includes AAC suppressor tip, ergo grip, 3 magpul pmags, 2 40 round mags, bungee sling, and about 500 rounds of .556. Message me if interested."
The negotiation then unfolds in the comments.
"Great setup," a user says, indicating his or her interest. "Asking $3000 for everything," the seller replies. "I'm really trying to get a package deal. Don't need want to part it all out."
From there, the conversation leaves Instagram's public-facing comments, and commences over more private channels, such as through email or a phone call, where background checks, license verifications, and age confirmations are left to the whims of the seller.
Not being a commerce site like, say, Craigslist, which has a policy prohibiting the sale of firearms, Instagram has no stated policy against gun sales. It isn't in the business of monitoring every user-to-user conversation on its platform. Without demonstrating a clear intent to harm, or otherwise attracting the attention of the site's community moderators, the posts are permitted to stay. Plus, while the laws around online gun sales are complicated, Instagram users trying to sell their guns really aren't doing anything illegal.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) authority doesn't extend to the private sale of guns between private persons, which are largely permitted by law (as long as said persons aren't making transactions on a regular basis). The ATF encourages the involved parties to finalize the sale through a licensed gun dealer who can run a background check, but whether or not this step is required depends on the state. While individuals are largely permitted to freely sell guns to other private citizens within their state, it is a crime to sell a firearm to any individual known to be prohibited from possessing such items (such as convicts, fugitives, and drug addicts). Federal law also prohibits so called "straw purchases," when a buyer is purchasing the firearm from a federal firearms license holder for somebody else—as long as it isn't a bona fide gift.
Even so, gun-control advocates—as well as some federal officials—are concerned by the possible consequences of private transactions not explicitly governed or prohibited by the law.
"We are definitely concerned about the public safety implications of unregulated online gun sales, primarily the ability of sellers to skirt background checks and trafficking in firearms—both legal and illegal guns—to prohibited persons," says Sam Hoover, a staff attorney with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive legal expertise in support of gun violence prevention & smarter gun laws, who expressed an unfamiliarity with the specific firearms sales happening on Instagram.
Read The Full Article On The Daily Beast
More articles from The Daily Beast:
- A Few Good Bits in a Pretty Bad Jobs Report
- Six Key Parts of a New Report That May Change Your View on Drones
- Another Journalist Joins the Obama Administration
© 2013 Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC


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Are Motorcycle Clubs a Public Menace?
Until some of its members appeared in the viral video of bikers terrorizing a young Manhattan family out for a Sunday drive, the Frontline Soldiers Motorcycle Club seemed the very opposite of the Hells Angels.
"In no shape or form, under any circumstances will this MC take part in any sort of criminal activity," the club's website announced even before the incident. "Furthermore, FLS is never to function as, be known as, or act as an outlaw club, gang or organized crime group from now until the end of time."
The website adds: "This MC will promote fellowship among motorcycle riders/clubs and improve the relationships between the general public and motorcycle riders."
In keeping with that stated goal, the Front Line Soldiers hosted a picnic in August for patients at a Veterans Administration health care facility in Lyons, New Jersey. The recreation therapy department afterwards sent the club a thank you note.
"The picnic was a big success and the patients enjoyed all the delicious food that was served," the September 18 letter reads. "The live DJ made the picnic extra special for the patients who later expressed to us how much they enjoyed being able to spend time with your members."
The club could even boast at least one and perhaps as many as four NYPD officers in its ranks. That includes the off-duty undercover detective who was among members of the club who were apparently part of a larger group that swarmed the Manhattan family on September 29, just 11 days after the date of the VA thank you note.
The NYPD is investigating whether a second off-duty cop was also present. A senior department official says he does not believe that any officers were involved in the actual assault that occurred at the end of the chase.
However many cops were present, there remains the question of how any officer could have failed to intervene as Alexian Lien was dragged from behind the wheel of his Range Rover, beaten, and left bleeding in the street. A 51-year-old passerby named Sergio Consuegra later told reporters that the assailants even tried to pull out the wife, Rosalyn Ng.
"She had the baby in her arms, I guess she was protecting the baby from all the glass that was flying inside and outside," Consuegra says. "At that moment, nobody's stepping in."
Consuegra decided that it was up to him.
"I said, 'Oh, I gotta do something, there's a family in danger here,'" Consuegra added.
He had been on his way to a prayer meeting. He recalls that he felt God was with him as he stepped up and extended his arms. He was the very opposite of a cowardly mob.
"That's it, guys, let it go, " he cried out. "Let it go."
He recalls meeting the gaze of the assailants—him peering into their eyes, them peering into his for a tense and eternal moment. They backed down and it was over.
"Somehow, they stopped," he later told reporters.
Consuegra had been armed only with his courage, and that added to the shock when the news broke later in the week that at least one off-duty cop had been present. The cop had waited three days to inform his superiors, andreportedly told them that he had been afraid of blowing his cover as an undercover operative with the intelligence division, which seeks to safeguard against terrorists. He had further insisted that he had only arrived on the scene of the assault after somebody called the police and the family was out of danger.
Read The Full Article On The Daily Beast
More articles from The Daily Beast:
Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Political Parties
Republican Debt-Ceiling 'Truthers' Are Risking Financial Disaster
Libya Fears Jihadist Retaliation After al-Liby Raid
© 2013 Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC


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WATCH: Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake perform 'The Evolution of End Zone Dancing'
Listen to Jimmy Fallon on iHeartRadio | Listen to Justin Timberlake on iHeartRadio
Nothing says "TOUCHDOWN!" like a good endzone dance, and Jimmy Fallon capitalized on that with a little help from his friend Justin Timberlake. The pair celebrated the beginning of pigskin season with a parody of the popular "Evolution of Dance" viral video.
It's no "Evolution of Rap," but it's still pretty good.
Check out JF and JT performing "The Evolution of Endzone Dancing" on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."


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Jason Aldean's DVD captures a meaningful show
Listen to Jason Aldean on iHeartRadio
Jason Aldean says a Georgia Bulldogs home football game just isn't the same for him. Earlier this year the country star performed at the team's field - the University of Georgia's Stanford Stadium - and he tells CMT.com when he watches a game now he remembers his show.
Jason admits he's a longtime Georgia football fan, so it's "a big deal" to him that he's now "forever linked" to the team through his show. He explains that "college football and the Georgia Bulldogs are like a religion there," and Stanford Stadium is "probably one of the most sacred places in the state." Aldean says it's also "pretty cool" that he played the first concert ever staged at the sports venue.
Jason says the show itself was very exciting and special as well, since it was in his home state. He recalls that it "got crazy" just before he took the stage. The singer says the crowd "sounded like a tornado out there," and it was one of those "goose bump feelings backstage." Aldean's "Night Train To Georgia" DVD is in stores now.


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Founder Institute Information Session
|Bitmaker Labs, 220 King St West, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 1K4
Enrollment for this event is closed. Get updates on new events.
Who Should Attend?
- Anyone who has an idea for a startup or an early-stage company
- Anyone that is interested in joining a new startup or looking for a co-founder
- Anyone interested in learning about the Founder Institute program
What is the Agenda?
- Welcome and Socializing
- Introduction to the Founder Institute
- Question and Answer
- Attendee Introductions
- Discussion and Drinks at a Local Bar or Restaurant
This event is free to attend. Join us for a fun evening! For more free startup events, visit http://fi.co/events.


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If you're a Twitter user, you might be interested to know that new Browns Eric Barton and Abraham Elam also use the social networking site.
You can find Barton here. Elam can be found here.
Barton's is a little more active and he interacts with fans. Oddly, he follows the tweets of Kirstie Alley.
Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository has a good story today on Joe Thomas, who is quietly becoming a superstar.
In it, Thomas talks about the Browns running the ball more often in 2009 and adding extra weight to his frame.
But there's a quote in it that really sticks out:
Last Friday news of former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar filing for bankruptcy came out.
It was a sad tale. Kosar's Chapter 11 filing Friday lists assets between $1 million and $10 million and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million.
That includes owing almost $1.5 million to the Browns, the team he legendarily quarterbacked from 1985 to 1993.
But Kosar's saga is much worse beneath the surface, as described by Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald.
Le Batard was with Kosar as he signed his bankruptcy papers, chronicling the 45-year-old's downfall.
Kosar has a mangled body – a perpetually bent throwing arm, crooked fingers, creaky knees and a bad back. Even his hip needs replaced following the rough life of professional football.
That, however, is only part of Kosar's life. He's in the midst of a divorce from his estranged wife Babette. There are rumors of addiction.
Even worse for Kosar has been every day life following football. He's so used to being just a football player he has seemingly never known how to be a man.
With a guitar as a weapon, he chased after a boy interested in one of his daughters. He uses a saw to cut French bread. He doesn't know how to run a dishwasher or a clothes washer.
"I was 25 and everyone was telling me that I was the smartest; now I'm 45 and realize I'm an idiot," Kosar said. "I'm 45 and immature. I don't like being 45."
Many of Kosar's problems were brought upon by himself, some by others. Regardless, it's a tragic tale of a man will always be a legend in Cleveland sports.
He clearly still has a passion for football. Just listen to the way he calls Browns preseason games or when he calls into local radio stations.
Now, hopefully, he can begin to channel that passion into the rest of his life.
Christopher Lyons, the attorney for Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth, disputed the public consensus that Stallworth's fame and weath allowed him to get off easy after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter.
With his plea bargain Tuesday, Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 10 years probation, the first two years under community control, and the loss of driving privileges for life. He will be allowed to work without electronic monitoring during the first two years and can apply for a hardship license after five years.To read more or comment...
Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth was suspended indefinitely without pay by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday, two days after Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and began serving a 30-day jail sentence.
According to a statement released by the league, Stallworth's suspension is effective immediately. When he is released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, perhaps after 24 days, he will be prohibited from visiting the Browns' facility or participating in team activities.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth has been indefinitely suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Stallworth's suspension is effective immediately and is without pay.
Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter on Tuesday and received a 30-day jail sentence, two years of ''community control'' and eight more years of probation.
"The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable," Goodell wrote in a letter to Stallworth. "While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsbility as NFL Commissioner to determine appropriate league discipline for your actions, which have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL."
According to a report by ESPN, Goodell is expected to meet with Stallworth sometime in the near future.
The Browns signed Stallworth to a seven-year, $35 million contract last year. In his only season with the Browns, Stallworth caught 17 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.
Stallworth reached a confidential settlement with the family of 59-year-old Mario Reyes, who was struck and killed by Stallworth March 14 in Florida. Stallworth was driving drunk.
"There is no reasonable dispute that your continued eligibility for participation at this time would undermine the integrity of and public confidence in our league," Goodell said.
The Browns were awarded linebacker Blake Costanzo off of waivers from the Bills.
Costanzo came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Jets in 2006 but was waived prior to the season. In 2007, he was Buffalo's practice squad until seeing time on special teams in the final three games of the season.
Last season Constanzo was a reserve for the Bills for all 16 games. He led the team with 26 special teams tackles.
You can see Constanzo singing "Six geese a laying" in the video below. No word yet if he'll audition to sing "Brady, Brady," a remake of the late-80s classic "Bernie, Bernie."
File this one under eye-rolling stupidity (unless, of course, it comes to fruition). This is merely a rumor that is completely unsubstantiated. Why am I sharing it? Mostly to get some thought on if this would be a good move for the Browns. So, here we go:
Mike Florio, the newest edition to NBC Sports and head word slinger at Pro Football Talk, writes about rumblings of troubled Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall being traded to the Browns. Florio, take it away:
From AP:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.: Former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage will be Alabama's football color analyst.
Crimson Tide Sports Marketing general manager Jim Carabin announced Monday that Savage will replace Ken Stabler in the fall.
Savage was senior vice president and general manager during four seasons with the Browns after nine years with the Baltimore Ravens.
Savage got a dress rehearsal when he handled analyst duties for Alabama's spring game.
The Mobile native spent three seasons as a graduate assistant for the Tide under coach Bill Curry and worked under offensive coordinator Homer Smith in 1988-89.
Stabler did not return to the booth after his arrest on a drunken-driving charge a year ago. He was found not guilty by a Robertsdale judge.
Find more on this from the Tuscaloosa News.
An NFL source said commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to discipline Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth before the start of training camp after he pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter Tuesday.
The Browns report to camp July 31 and hold their first practice on Aug. 1.To read more or comment...
Bryan Williams' dream of playing for his hometown Browns lasted only 45 days.
The defensive back from Buchtel High School and the University of Akron was waived Monday, a day after the conclusion of the Browns' final minicamp. He said general manager George Kokinis didn't offer much insight when he told him the news.
A running back, defensive back and kick returner for the Zips, Williams was signed on May 1.
There is no better reading on a Monday than Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback. It's always packed with insight and opinion.
This week, he had a quick thought on the Browns' quarterback battle:
Browns quarterback Derek Anderson sat out the second of two mandatory minicamp practices Friday with an apparent leg injury. The team would not give details afterward.
Anderson came up limping after scrambling to find an open receiver in the morning session, but was able to finish the practice.To read more or comment...
One of the more intriguing predicaments the Browns face heading into the 2009 season is the right side of the offensive line.
Being tried out at right guard and tackle are Ryan Tucker, George Foster, John St. Clair and Floyd Womack. All have been starters at the NFL level. Here's a look at each:
Tucker (6'6, 315 pounds): In 134 career games, Tucker has started 102. However, he only played in one game last season, a win against the Giants. In 2007, Tucker started eight games at guard. He's been referred to as the heart of the offensive line and the unit seems to run more efficiently when he's healthy.
Foster (6'5, 338 pounds): Foster is the newest Brown, signing with the team last week. He's played tackle for Detroit and Denver. He started just three games for the Lions last year, but played very well at left tackle for the Broncos early in his career. Head coach Eric Mangini told reporters Foster is only working out at tackle.
This is an uncredited AP story I figured some would find interesting from today's mini camp:
BEREA: The Cleveland Browns have a small cluster of players who were happy to show up for new coach Eric Mangini's mandatory minicamp on Thursday even though they're far from pleased with their contracts.
Kicker Phil Dawson, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and special teamer Josh Cribbs are all seeking new deals.
Jackson, entering the final year of his contract, hasn't let it stop him from practicing, while Cribbs skipped some voluntary workouts last month before eventually reporting.
Dawson's appearance Thursday was his first since the end of the season. He skipped the voluntary workouts last month to protest his contract, which pays him $1 million this season and next. One of the league's most accurate kickers, Dawson wants to be paid like one.
Cincinnati tagged Shayne Graham as its franchise player in February, assuring him a salary of $2.483 million — the average salary of the top five kickers in the NFL last year. Dawson will make less than half of that.
He returned to the Browns' rain-soaked practice field on Thursday, but not to talk money.
"I'm not going to get into all of that," Dawson said. "I'm here today and it's good to see my teammates again. There's a time and place for all that, but now is not it."
Dawson heads into the season with a career 82.8 percent field goal percentage, the best mark in franchise history and fourth all-time in the NFL. With Dawson absent from the voluntary workouts, the Browns signed South Dakota State rookie kicker Parker Douglass to a two-year deal. Douglass has impressed at times and flashed a powerful leg, but Mangini was pleased to have Dawson back in camp.
"He looked good in the field goal drill," Mangini said. "It's good to have everybody back. It's good to be operating with a full group."
Jackson will make $640,000 this year after his 154 tackles last season led the NFL. But Jackson participated in the voluntary workouts, saying he needed to be at all the camps to prove his worth to the new coaching staff.
"It's what I produce on the field," Jackson said. "These coaches don't know me from anybody. All they know is some tape. They don't know what kind of person I am. They don't know how I conduct myself. It's my duty as a player to come in and show what I am capable of. Am I worth what I say I am?"
Despite rain that turned heavy at times, Mangini kept Thursday's two-hour morning session outdoors, watched by eight Green Berets who were invited by the coach.
There also were a few players who were only observing.
Running back Jamal Lewis, who has been held out for most of the offseason drills, is still taking it slow following offseason ankle surgery.
Receiver Braylon Edwards, who made the Pro Bowl two seasons ago but slipped in 2008, also spent Thursday's practice on a stationary bike with an undisclosed injury. Both Edwards and Mangini said it wasn't serious, and Mangini added that Edwards is expected to participate fully in the team's training camp in July.
"Coach Mangini is just taking precaution," Edwards said. "I'm just enjoying my time on the side. It's on coach's terms right now."
Looking to add depth to the secondary, the Browns had former Bears safety Mike Brown in for a visit this week. Brown went to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and started 15 games last year before being placed on injured reserve.
"Mike is a guy I have watched for a long time," Mangini said. "With any of these guys we bring in, sometimes we sign them right away, sometimes it's during training camp and sometimes we don't. It's to gather information and to be able to put ourselves in a position to make decisions."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.To read more or comment...
Browns kicker Phil Dawson attended the team's mandatory minicamp Thursday after missing two prior voluntary minicamps and off-season training activities, apparently because he's unhappy with his contract.
Dawson would not confirm that he's seeking to renegotiate his current deal, which runs through 2010 and reportedly pays him $1 million the next two years. According to ESPN.com, his agent Neil Cornrich approached the Browns last year, but was told by then-general manager Phil Savage that the Browns were at their budget. Dawson signed a five-year, $7.1 million extension in 2005.To read more or comment...
Former Browns quarterback Charlie Frye, a University of Akron product, has signed a free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders, according to the team's web site. Terms were not disclosed.
Frye, a Willard, Ohio native who turns 28 in August, is one of six quarterbacks on the Raiders' roster. He joins JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia, Bruce Gradkowski, Danny Southwick and Andrew Walter. Frye is expected to battle Gradkowski, Southwick and Walter for the No. 3 job.To read more or comment...
Former Browns defensive lineman Pio Sagapolutele died Sunday at age 39 from a brain aneurysm, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sagapolutele had been living in Phoenix for the past few months with his wife Yvonne and four children, the Star-Bulletin said.To read more or comment...
Charlie Frye, Cleveland's third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, has signed with the Oakland Raiders.
Frye spent the two previous seasons on Seattle as the third-string quarterback. He is Oakland's sixth quarterback, in a group that includes starter JaMarcus Russell, backup Jeff Garcia, veterans Andrew Walter and Bruce Gradkowski and rookie Danny Southwick.
Frye has the dubious distinction of being the only quarterback in league history who began the season as the starter and was traded after one game.
In his rookie year, Frye played in seven games, starting five. In 2006, Frye started 13 games and went 252-392 passing for 2,454 yards with 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
The following year, in 2007, Frye and Derek Anderson were put in a quarterback competition. And how else do you decide the most important component of a multi-million dollar business? By flipping a coin, of course!
Frye won the coin flip, but quickly lost his job in the first game of the year, going 4-10 passing for 34 yards and an interception against Pittsbugh. He was traded to Seattle for a sixth-round pick. That selection ended up being defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin, who is part of the teams front-line rotation.
Frye came to Cleveland with some fanfare after starring at the University of Akron and growing up a fan of Bernie Kosar.
These comments made Thursday by Browns coach Eric Mangini about outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley are getting overlooked in the media. Check them out:
Sporting News magazine employs a group of ex-NFL scouts, collectively known as "RealScouts." Most recently, they rated the head coaches in the NFL.
Out of 32 teams, new Browns coach Eric Mangini ranks 25th. First is New England's Bill Belichick and last is Denver's Josh McDaniels.
Marty Lauzon, with the Browns since 1999 and head trainer for the past four seasons, has resigned, the team announced in a press release. The release cited personal and family reasons.
Joe Sheehan, who spent last year as the coordinator of athletic training and sports medicine at the University of Arkansas, will take over Lauzon's post. Sheehan had worked on the Jacksonville Jaguars' training staff for the previous 11 years.To read more or comment...
The Browns have spent a portion of their practice this week during voluntary OTA's (organizational training activities) reviewing what new head coach Eric Mangini called "situational work."
SItuations such as Brian Westbrook's heads-up play against the Dallas Cowboys late in a Week 15 game. Westbrook passed up a sure touchdown to down the ball at the 1-yard line so that his Philadelphia Eagles would maintain possession longer and eat up the remaining time on the clock.To read more or comment...
To read more or comment...
When the Browns finally decide on a starting quarterback, it won't be until late in the preseason.
That was the big news from head coach Eric Mangini at today's minicamp. Mangini told reporters he wants to see how Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn perform before deciding.
So when Quinn was receiving playing time with the first team last month, it didn't mean much. Mangini will look at presence in the huddle when making his choice.
"The big (criteria) for me is huddle presence and the ability to run the offense, so who can most effectively run the offense, who can look at the defense, understand what the coverage is and throw to the right place, who can see a blitz look and put us in the right play, who can do the check-with-me's where you have two plays called and understand this is the better of the two selections," Mangini told reporters.
Any deception in naming a starting quarterback could be purposeful on Mangini's part. It could be in an effort to confuse opponents heading into the regular season.
"One of the things that's tough defensively is not knowing who the starting quarterback's going to be," Mangini said. "I hated when I didn't know who the starting quarterback of the other team was. A huge, huge headache."
Notes... Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository reports that Anderson had to run a lap today after a false start penalty. A quarterback getting that penalty is crazy.
The Plain Dealer has a nice gallery of shots from today's minicamp.
In today's news there is a lot written about Alex Hall, Don Carey, the quarterbacks and David Bowens. Here's one slightly overlooked tidbit on rookie wide receiver Brian Robiskie from head coach Eric Mangini:
The Orange and Brown report's Layne Adkins talks about the quarterbacks. You have to be an OBR subscriber for Adkins' insights. If you are, this is a must-read story.
Hat tip to Barry McBride of the OBR for pointing out the latest Super Bowl odds. The Browns are at a fairly pathetic 50/1 to make the Super Bowl. Only four teams – Cincinnati, Oakland, St. Louis and Detroit – have worse odds. (Miami at 25/1? Yes, please)
And yet more from the Scout.com team. NFL writer Ed Thompson interviews rookie cornerback Don Carey. The small-school product is an intriguing player who reportedly looked very good during mini camp. Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer has some Browns thoughts in his Sunday column. TP covers a wide range of topics from Eric Steinbach's weight, to obscure stats to Phil Dawson and Josh Cribbs.
Browns Gab dishes on the Browns' deal with the Ohio Lottery. Mostly this item is worth mentioning because of the comment that accompanies it.
The Waiting for Next Year guys take a look at Phil Dawson's holdout. They have a really good line in the item:


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Sorry girls: fellow females hate your sexy profile shot, according to a new study. Researchers at Oregon State University found that women were more likely to look down on those who post provocative images online, branding them as less competent than those who cover up.
Elizabeth Daniels, assistant professor of psychology, studies the relationship between the media and girls' body image. She conducted the project by creating two identical Facebook profiles for the fictitious Amanda Johnson, with one crucial difference: Hot Mandy's picture featured her in a split-thigh red dress (garter and all), while Responsible Mandy's photo saw her wearing jeans and a tee, with a scarf covering her breasts. Suffice to say, the lady in the red dress did not impress her female peers. Sensible, cleavage-free Amanda was responded to far more positively.
"This is a clear indictment of sexy social media photos," Daniels said. "There is so much pressure on teen girls and young women to portray themselves as sexy, but sharing those sexy photos online may have more negative consequences than positive."118 women participated in the study—58 of whom were teenagers aged 13-18, and 60 of whom were young adults aged 17-25. Candidates were assigned one of Amanda's profiles at random and asked a series of questions on how they perceived her, with physical attractiveness, likeability, and competence being ranked. Both pages listed the same information, with Amanda's interests including Twilight, Lady Gaga, and The Notebook.
The non-sexy profile scored higher on every count, confirming that people always judge a book by its cover—especially when that cover's a little scandalous. Indeed, the biggest dip in the rankings was the response to the competency question, where participants were asked how capable Amanda seemed of being able to perform a task. Her risqué get-up obviously made it challenging for people to believe that she had any abilities at all.
Read The Full Article On The Daily Beast
More articles from The Daily Beast:
- This Anti-Heroin Drug Is Now King of the Jailhouse Drug Trade
- Five Young Palestinians on What It's Like to Live and Die in Gaza
© 2014 Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC
Picture by: Splash News


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Katy Perry's AMA Geisha outfit sparks backlash
Listen to Katy Perry on iHeartRadio
Katy Perry is stirring up some controversy over what's being called a "geisha-inspired" performance at the American Music Awards Sunday night.
The star opened the show performing "Unconditionally" and transformed the stage in an ancient Orient theme. She was dressed in a long-sleeved pastel-colored robe with a white face and red lips, matching her dozens of background dancers who used traditional umbrellas as props.
Twitter lit up with comments from viewers, some of whom called the performance "horribly, obviously racist" and "mind-numbingly ignorant."
Bloggers on sites like "Vulture" and "Cosmopolitan" also called out the pop star on her performance. The women's magazine noted that Katy seemed "confused," as her robe copied the Japanese kimono look while others aspects of the performance like the cherry blossoms and fan dance are traditionally Chinese.
Katy has yet to address the criticism. Before the show however, she tweeted that she would be taking fans "on a trip."
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Transient students are students who attend another institution and choose to enroll at Francis Marion for one term to take courses needed for their programs of study.
Admission to undergraduate courses for one semester or summer session may be granted to students from other colleges and universities whose courses of study have been approved by their academic deans or registrars.
To be admitted as a transient student:
- Complete an undergraduate Application for Admission and submit the $41 application fee.
- Send a completed transient permission form from your institution (this typically can be obtained from your Registrar's Office, or Academic Advisor) to:
Francis Marion University
Office of Admissions
PO Box 100547
Florence, SC 29502
Fax: 843-661-4635
After receiving the above information, you will be admitted to attend Francis Marion for one semester for only the courses provided on your transient permission form.
To see which courses are available to transient students, click here.


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Father, Son Kidnap Ex-Wife for Exorcism: Cops
(NEWSER) – A California father and son were arrested yesterday after police say they kidnapped the father's ex-wife. But they also have another act to answer for: Police say 42-year-old Jose Farias and his 20-year-old son, Victor, kidnapped Farias' ex-wife and then forced her to undergo an exorcism. They allegedly picked up two priests, and police say the priests doused her with "sacred oil" in a religious ritual to "purify her." Newsy reports:


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Arcadia, CA, Oct. 29 -- The legendary Zenyatta captivated the racing world during a spectacular career, and HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, will present a poignant documentary on the impeccable mare when "Zenyatta" premieres on Friday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. ET.
The half-hour offering is perfectly placed between the two-day, 29th running of the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park, a world stage where Zenyatta punctuated her place in the racing history. While the HRTV broadcast is thirty minutes, it represents part of an in-depth 60-minute DVD that will be released for the holiday season by Zenyatta.com <http://zenyatta.com/> , featuring extensive bonus features and additional footage.
Zenyatta's illustrious career totaled 19 wins in 20 starts, Horse of the Year recognition in 2010, and more than $7.3 million in earnings.
Produced for HRTV by the accomplished Kristen Rocky, whose credits include working the 2012 Olympics and Tour de France for NBC, the emotional documentary underscores the essence of Zenyatta's connection with the racing world, and her uncanny ability to cultivate even casual observers.
Affectionately nicknamed "The Queen," many believe she is the most charismatic champion since the wondrous Secretariat. During her remarkable four-year racing campaign, Zenyatta's "fan club" seemed to quickly blossom and grow exponentially with each impressive victory.
Zenyatta's connections -- owners, Jerry and Ann Moss, along with trainer John Shirreffs, racing manager Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, and jockey Mike Smith -- are interviewed extensively and offer their candid, heartfelt recollections on a once-in-a-lifetime journey experience with racing royalty.
From the daughter of Street Cry's undistinguished presence in the sales ring, to wins that snowballed into Zenyatta becoming a racing immortal, to a short-lived retirement, to Zenyatta's first foal, the Zenyatta team witnessed the making of a superstar from the inside -- and cherished every minute.
Also included in the documentary are exercise rider Steve Willard, and erstwhile groom Mario Espinoza.
About HRTV
HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, is a television-based multimedia network dedicated to equine sports. HRTV's programming features horseracing from top U.S. and international racetracks, as well as a wide range of world-class English and Western horse competitions, news, original programming and award-winning documentaries covering the world of horse sports. The live stream of HRTV is available on a subscription basis to high-speed Internet users worldwide at www.tvg2.com <http://www.tvg2.com/> . In the U.S., the HRTV television network is available via telco, cable and satellite in over 19 million homes.
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Clippers soar to win after Sterling ban
(NEWSER) – "It was almost like everybody wanted to exhale tonight, and it was good," LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers said last night when the team soared to a 113-103 victory over the Golden State Warriors just hours after the NBA banned owner Donald Sterling for life over racist remarks. With the cloud of controversy lifted, the Clippers "played as if on wings, flying around with hustle and heart" before ecstatic fans who gave a standing ovation when two fans wearing T-shirts with Sterling's face crossed out appeared on the video screen, writes Bill Plaschke at theLos Angeles Times. More:
- If the NBA hadn't chucked Sterling, the game would never have happened, because both teams had planned to walk off the court in protest moments before it was supposed to begin, Sports Illustrated reveals. "It was a real option," says Warriors coach Mark Jackson.
- V. Stiviano, the woman Sterling was recorded making racist remarks to, is "saddened" by the owner's lifetime ban and is "devastated" that the recording was released, her lawyer tells the Los Angeles Times. He says that his client wasn't Sterling's girlfriend and never had a romantic relationship with him. The lawyer says she was hired as an "archivist"—an archivist who received $1.8 million in gifts from Sterling, according to a lawsuit filed by his wife of more than 50 years.
Read the full story on Newser.com


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Mariah Carey shows up to interview in a negligee
Listen to Mariah Carey on iHeartRadio
When you're Mariah Carey, you can pretty much do anything you want and get away with it — including wearing sexy sleepwear to official press commitments.
This week, Mimi showed up for an interview with Z100 to promote her new single, "You're Mine,"wearing nothing but a hot pink négligée, heels, and long black ball-gown gloves.
Your first thought might be that Mariah was just running late that morning and didn't have time to change out of her nightie, but judging by her perfectly put together hair and make up, it looks like this diva had plenty of time to get ready.
Don't ever change, Mimi.
Check out the full interview below!
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Obamacare's racial divide
The post-shutdown bounce for Democrats has disappeared, and Obamacare looks like the reason why. According to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll a plurality of Americans want Republicans to run Congress, a 10-point swing in just two months (PDF). As a result, Democrats are again confronted by the demographics that usually typify midterm elections, in which older and white voters dominate and younger and minority voters recede from their presidential election year peaks. In 2014, this generational and racial ebb could tip control of the Senate to Mitch McConnell and the GOP.
Democrats face a huge problem with Obamacare so unpopular among whites, with the President so distrusted by whites, and with both the President Obama and Majority Leader Reid facing the "six-year itch where the party that controls the White House is expected to lose congressional seats just for being in power for so long.
To be sure, the white vote alone no longer determines who wins the presidency. Lyndon Johnson was the last Democrat to win a majority of white votes and White House. Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all made it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by cobbling together a coalition of the polychromatic. But midterm elections are a different story, as white voters remain a driving force as to which party gets to run Congress.
The elections of 2010 and 2012 tell the story. In 2010, whites comprised 77 percent of the electorate and went Republican by better than three-to-two. As a result, the GOP recaptured the House. In contrast, last year whites voted Republican by the same 20-point margin but Mitt Romney still lost to the president—as minorities cast a larger proportion of ballots and blacks showed "a significant increase between the 2008 and 2012 elections in the likelihood of voting," per the Census' post-election survey.
That brings us to Obamacare. White voters may be feeling as if they are Obamacare's victims more than its beneficiaries. Whites comprise 64.3 percent of the overall population, but are only 45.3 percent of America's uninsured and have an uninsurance rate of little more than 11 percent.
Read The Full Article On The Daily Beast
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- The Next President Won't Save Us
- Al Qaeda-Linked Jihadists Are Hunting and Killing Moderate Syrian Rebels
© 2013 Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC


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If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, you can return your order to the warehouse for a full refund (Bottles must be unopened, in the state you received them, and in the original packaging). We believe that in order to have the best possible online shopping experience, our customers should not have to pay for domestic return shipping. So if you're not happy with your purchase, just contact us right away and we will provide you with details for returning the unopened bottles - your domestic shipping costs are prepaid by us.
With the WineChateau.com 365 day return policy, there are no special catches or exceptions. All we ask is that you send the items back to us in the original packaging, unopened, and in the same condition you received them.
Have questions? Prefer to order by Phone? The Wine Chateau Customer Loyalty Team (WCCLT) is happy to help!
Call WCCLT Monday - Friday 10am - 7pm EST:
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Email Wine Chateau Customer Loyalty Team
The U.S. is home to thousands of wineries and boasts some of the best growing regions and wine production in the world. In addition to our extensive selection of domestic wines, we at Wine Chateau bring you wines from around the world to enjoy a more diverse sampling of the world's wines.
Our selection of imported wine covers everything from the most famous growing regions to some unexpected choices. Test your palate and create your own international tasting tour with whites, reds, and rosés, including still, sparkling, and ice wines to give you an assortment of styles.
Shop imported wines from around the world, including old world varieties and practices from France, Italy and Spain, the leaders in production. For new world practices or a blend of new and old, try wines from Australia, Chile and South Africa.
Browse our selection of imported international wines from the best bottles in the world to something a little more reasonably priced. Keep an eye out for discounts and deal on free shipping to order your favorites by the bottle or by the case.


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Lamar Odom speaks out: Khloe & I are 'unbreakable'
Divorce is not an option for the Odoms and they are working on their marriage.
Lamar Odom spoke to Us Weekly exclusively and said that he and Khloe are as dedicated to their marriage as ever. "We're wonderful. We're unbreakable," the NBA player said. "That's why I wear my wedding ring."
"It is a beautiful ring," he noted. "From a beautiful wife."
When asked how he is personally doing, Odom told Us, "I'm good."
For the most part, Khloe has stayed quiet about her marital problems over the past few months, and has only shared messages on Twitter that hint at her feelings. On Thursday, Oct. 31, she wrote:
Act as if you trust people.... But know you can only trust yourself. I control my destiny— Khloé (@KhloeKardashian) October 31, 2013
She also posted a quote by Buddha on Instagram:
The couple is on the cover of this week's Us Weekly dishing on their reconciliation and plans for the future.
Photo Credit getty Images


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It's definitely not as brilliant as its original, since it's the same type of exercise but with a few different ideas added in, but MW2 is still a brilliant game in its own merits and stands proudly head up high above most other FPS shooters.
Super Gamer Dude
Xbox 360
Call of Duty has been a prominent first-person shooter throughout the years. The gripping action and heart-racing missions have proven to be addictive amongst players. Now with Modern Warfare 2, all the factors have been improved and will surely make fans and gamers begging for more in the end.
Modern Warfare 2 continues the legacy of the Call of Duty saga but this version is the least traditional among the other Call of Duty games. The main game package is divided into three pillars of gameplay. Fans who like single-player games will still have their main campaign, gamers who like to cooperate with other players either through a local or online connection will have the new Special Operations mode, and last is the multiplayer which got even better. Each mode is 100 % standalone that it does not have any connection with the other modes, so you actually get to have three different experiences in one game.
Gamers should definitely try the single-player campaign mode first, which is absolutely back and more intense than past campaign modes. Fans will truly appreciate the improvement in the mode as they are thrown into the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro, the very cold mountains of Kazakhstan, the very dusty roads of Afghanistan and a whole lot more destinations. Modern Warfare also offers stunning visuals that are steps over Call of Duty 4 and World at War. There is an emphasis on intricate terrains in the environment, interesting weather effects, and a whole lot that adds improvement to the chaos and action of the entire game. A great audio also accompanies the stunning visuals with effects from returning weapons and a very captivating score by Hans Zimmer that will truly complement some game scenes. With the dazzling visuals and a captivating audio, you would feel like you are watching an action film when playing the game.
The campaign mode has its issues, though. For newbies, it's quite short. But despite its shortness, Modern Warfare 2 is definitely more chaotic; brought by better visual effects, upgraded production values, and very tough scenario designs. Realism is even more exemplified in Modern Warfare 2 with better visuals, which is more pronounced when it comes to bloody scenes. There surely were effects in previous versions that showed blood with the screen getting red. But this time, blood splatter can truly be noticed as more real-looking on your screen throughout the game. Though others find this as a distraction, it's still quite amazingly awesome.
Modern Warfare 2 is also the debut of the Special Operations or Spec Ops mode. This mode is actually an arcade-inspired challenge mode. The mode can be played with a single player for the most part, but is actually intended to be around two people's team play. The Spec Ops mode is divided into 5 tiers that have missions where there are three possible stars to gain based on the level of difficulty in each of the 23 missions in the game. Fans and gamers will truly be surprised with this mode because of its entertainment value and is actually longer than the single player campaign mode.
The multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 got even better, as well. Being the front bearer in the Call of Duty saga, Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer visuals and effects indeed got a good boost. You are guaranteed to be in for an engaging experience with the multiplayer mode enhancements.
Overall, Modern Warfare 2 really proves to be one of the best first-person shooter games out in the market. But there's a catch for those who prefer to play the single-player campaign mode. It is really short and it only forms part of the entire Modern Warfare experience. If you opt to immerse on all three modes, then you will definitely have one hell of an experience and action with Modern Warfare 2.
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Feb 22, 2014
Nov 1, 2014
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Nov 1, 2014


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Did Washington Name Our Country?
(NEWSER) – It makes sense that the father of our country would have named it, too—and new evidence suggests that may just be the case. History hasn't quite settled on who coined the term "the United States of America," though in 1998, experts announced that it was Thomas Jefferson (he wrote those words in a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence around June 11, 1776). But a letter written by one of George Washington's top military aides suggests otherwise. The letter from Stephen Moylan to Col. Joseph Reed, dated Jan. 2, 1776, discusses bringing the "full and ample powers from the United States of America" to Europe in search of backing for the revolution.


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Council in Rapid City, S.D., fights to keep prayer at meetings
Mexican Fiesta will no longer give discounts to attend Catholic Mass
March 7 -- Urbana, Illinois
Freethought Books
2012 Student Essay Contest
FFRF Brian Bolton Graduate/Mature Student Essay Contest for Grad Students and Students Age 25 and Older
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has awarded graduate students (or any students 25 or older) $9,100 in this year's essay competition. Students were asked to describe "Why God and Government Are a Dangerous Mix – Especially in an Election Year," in 850-1,000 words. There were six major winners with a tie for fourth place, plus seven honorable mentions. The winners are:
- First place ($3,000): Elizabeth Pipal, Harvard Graduate School of Design.
- Second place ($2,000): Wilson Melón, Purdue University.
- Third place ($1,000): Lynn Wilhelm, North Carolina State University.
- Fourth place ($500): Bryan Johnson, Colorado State University.
- Fourth place ($500): Vicky Weber, Colorado State University.
- Fifth place ($300): Jemille Bailey, Columbia University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Anastassia Smorodinskaya, Columbia University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Antwon Kennedy, Kennesaw State University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Ashley Miller, University of South Carolina.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Justin Vacula, Marywood University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Kristina Beverlin, University of Kansas.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Maria Rodriguez, University of Connecticut School of Law.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Wanda Thompson, Western Governor's University.
The awards are made possible by the generosity of FFRF Lifetime Member Brian Bolton, a retired psychologist, humanist minister and university professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas. FFRF would also like to extend a warm thank you to FFRF members Dean and Dorea Schramm for providing the honorable mention awardees with a $50 bonus.
FFRF Michael Hakeem Memorial College Essay Contest
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has awarded $7,800 to 10 college students in this year's essay competition. Students were asked to describe "Why I am an out of the closet atheist (freethinker)," in 750-900 words. There were five major winners, plus five honorable mentions. The top five essays can be found on pages 12-14 of the September issue of Freethought Today. The winners are:
- First place ($3,000): Laila Shalikar, University of California at Berkeley.
- Second place ($2,000): Savannah Roland, College of Charleston.
- Third place ($1,000): Casimir Klim, Columbia University.
- Fourth place ($500): Anna Biela, Purdue University.
- Fifth place ($300): Eric Ouellet, Carleton University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Kate Heetland, University of Northern Iowa.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Leah Aeby, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Lukas Deem, University of Central Arkansas.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Michaelyn Everhart, University of Kansas.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Omar De Los Santos, Yale University.
This year's awards were made possible by the Michael Hakeem Memorial, endowed by his bequest. Mr. Hakeem was a well-known sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an FFRF officer and active atheist. FFRF would also like to extend a special thank you to FFRF members Dean and Dorea Schramm for providing each student with a $50 bonus.
FFRF Herbert Bushong Annual Essay Contest for High School Seniors Who Are College-Bound in the Fall
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased to announce the 2012 Herbert Bushong High School Essay Award Winners. FFRF has awarded $11,250 to 13 college-bound high school seniors in this year's essay competition. Seniors were asked to "describe a moment when they stood up for Freethought and/or that made them proud to be a freethinker," in 500-700 words. There were seven winners in the top five, with two ties for fourth and fifth place, plus six honorable mentions. Their essays can be found on pages 11-15 in the August Freethought Today. The winners are:
- First place ($3,000): Jordan Halpern, University of California-Davis.
- Second place ($2,000): Danielle Kelly, University of Montana in Missoula.
- Third place ($1,000): Joseph Price, UCLA.
- Fourth place tie ($500): Nicole Schreiber, New York University.
- Fourth place tie ($500): Sarah Hedge, Northwestern.
- Fifth place tie ($300): Rebecca Ratero, Rutgers.
- Fifth place tie ($300): Samantha Biatch, Smith College.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Abigail Dove, Swarthmore College.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Amedee Martella, University of Colorado-Boulder.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Cheyenne Tessier, The George Washington University (Cheyenne will defer her university enrollment for a year to do humanitarian service in Senegal with Global Citizen).
- Honorable Mention ($200): Jarrett Browne, Wright State University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Kaitlin Holden, Winthrop University.
- Honorable Mention ($200): Zach Gowan, USC Upstate.
Nonagenarian Herbert "Harry" Bushong has endowed this year's contest. FFRF would also like to extend a special thank you to FFRF member John Moe for endowing the honorable mention awards of $200 and FFRF members Dean and Dorea Schramm for providing each student with a $50 bonus.
Sixth Circuit censors criticism of religion in FFRF case
An appeals court ruled today that a Michigan mayor can censor nonreligious speech, while continuing to endorse a nativity scene in the city atrium.
A 3-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled against the Freedom From Religion Foundation's fight against city hall censorship at Christmastime.
"The Sixth Circuit incorrectly characterized this case as a religious-symbol-on-government-property case, when in reality this case is about free speech," noted FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert.
Mayor James Fouts of Warren, Mich., routinely placed a nativity scene in the Warren Civic Center, a primary municipal building also containing the public library. FFRF and one of its members, Douglas Marshall of Warren, wrote letters protesting the display. On Dec. 8, 2010, Fouts wrote FFRF that "all religions are welcome to celebrate their religious seasons with a display in city hall." Marshall tried in vain repeatedly to obtain permission to place an FFRF winter solstice sign in the city hall atrium.
FFRF's winter solstice sign, specifically coined to counter religious displays on government property, reads:
"At this season of the Winter Solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
In December 2012, Fouts called FFRF's sign "highly offensive," and compared FFRF's request to place its sign saying "there are no gods," to putting up a "sandwich board saying that there is no Santa Claus." Fouts stated: "I cannot and will not sanction the desecration of religion in the Warren City hall atrium."
"We are not a Christian nation. Under our secular constitution, city governments should be forbidden to endorse one religion over another, or religion over nonreligion, much less sitting in judgment of what is or isn't a 'desecration' of religion," said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
FFRF filed the lawsuit after the mayor invited other individuals and organizations to place items in the atrium of city hall, and after the mayor denied FFRF's request based solely on its Winter Solstice message — a fact completely ignored by the 3-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit.
The panel found the holiday display to be government speech, but fails to reconcile this decision with its recently-decided Satawa ruling in May 2012, which allowed a private individual to erect a large nativity scene on the median of a highway in Michigan, calling it a public forum. Douglas Marshall placed a banner last December on the median, although it was tampered with, then stolen.
Judge Sutton, who wrote the opinion, is considered one of the most conservative judges on the Sixth Circuit.
All three judges were appointed either by Bush I or Bush II. A New York Times analysis of appeals court appointees last fall showed that 63% of the appointments on it were made by Republican presidents.
FFRF asked the court to enjoin the mayor from barring the FFRF sign, and find that the city had violated the rights of FFRF and its member.
Sutton wrote that "a government may provide benefits to faith-based entities if the benefits are available to secular and religious entities alike," clearly contradicted by Fouts' action, or "may invoke the divine through words and symbols if they have religious and historical meanings or faith-based and solemnizing effects, and in the process offer at most incidental benefits to any one faith or to faith in general."
The decision makes no note of Fouts' declaration of the atrium as a public forum for religion, but decides the case based on the Lynch v. Donnelly decision (reindeer by a nativity display supposedly removes the religious message). Sutton also quotes Justice William O. Douglas declaring, "We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being" in a 1952 case. But Sutton failed to add that in the very next sentence, Douglas added: "We guarantee the freedom to worship as one chooses. We make room for as wide a variety of beliefs and creeds as the spiritual needs of man deem necessary." Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. at 313-314.
Justice Douglas explained his statement in McGowan v. Maryland, 366 U.S. 420, 563 (1961):
"[I]f a religious leaven is to be worked into the affairs of our people, it is to be done by individuals and groups, not by the Government. This necessarily means, first, that the dogma, creed, scruples, or practices of no religious group or sect are to be preferred over those of any others...
The First Amendment commands government to have no interest in theology or ritual; it admonishes government to be interested in allowing religious freedom to flourish — whether the result is to produce Catholics, Jews, or Protestants, or to turn the people toward the path of Buddha, or to end in a predominantly Moslem nation, or to produce in the long run atheists or agnostics. On matters of this kind government must be neutral."
In 2004, FFRF won a solid victory in the Sixth Circuit in Doe v. Porter, a case successfully challenging devotional religious insruction in Dayton, Tennessee elementary schools, conducted by bible students.
"We extend our our warmest gratitude to plaintiff Douglas Marshall, and to our pro bono counsel Danielle Hessell," said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. FFRF intends to seek review by the entire Sixth Circuit panel.
Read original complaint with exhibits of Fout statement
Freethought Radio - February 23, 2013 Broadcast
FFRF member, Mexican Fiesta settle civil rights dispute
Mexican Fiesta will no longer give discounts for attending Catholic Mass per the terms of a settlement with Richard Halasz, a Freedom From Religion Foundation member from Milwaukee.
Mexican Fiesta, an annual festival held each summer in Milwaukee on the Summerfest grounds, had advertised a discount for attending a Catholic Mass that was held on the festival grounds prior to the opening of the festival. The regular rate at the gate was $13 but Mass attendees were charged only $5. FFRF first objected to the discriminatory discount on August 14, 2012, informing festival organizers that it was a violation of Wisconsin's public accommodations law to charge attendees of Mass a lower rate. On August 21, FFRF advised festival organizers that it would file a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division if the festival went forward with the discount.
Halasz, an atheist, attended Mexican Fiesta on August 26, 2012, and was not able to obtain the discount that Mass attendees received. FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott filed a complaint with the state's Equal Rights Division for violating Wis. Stat. 106.52(3)(a)(2), which prohibits places of public accommodation from providing preferential treatment on the basis of creed.
The settlement agreement provides that "future Mexican Fiesta promotions will not be timed to coincide with times of entry or exit of the annual Mass." Mexican Fiesta issued an apology to Halasz for his experience at last year's festival and issued an $8 refund. Halasz agreed to withdraw his complaint and he and FFRF agreed to waive the recovery of any attorneys' fees.
Halasz shared his appreciation of FFRF, saying, "I am thankful to the Freedom From Religion Foundation for standing up for our First Amendment and civil rights!"
Elliott added, "I'm glad to see that this could be mutually resolved and that all attendees will be treated on an equal basis this year."


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Best Of :: Food & Drink
Whenever we need a reminder of just how good we have it here in the Valley of the Sun, we have to head to T. Cook's spectacular Sunday brunch to put ourselves in the right frame of mind. Just setting foot on the Royal Palms property is enough to lighten our hearts — certainly one doesn't need to be a guest at the resort to appreciate its lush landscaping, stunning views of Camelback Mountain, and romantic Mediterranean courtyards. And inside T. Cook's, the energy is soothing and sophisticated, with sunlight brightening the elegant dining room as a classical guitar player serenades guests.
The buffet is as gorgeous as it gets, a decadent, all-you-can-eat spread, with artfully arranged platters of smoked salmon, egg dishes, roasted and grilled vegetables, shrimp cocktail in martini glasses, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and several kinds of soft rolls and bread. Just as delightful (or maybe more so, if you have a sweet tooth) are pastry chef Pierino Jermonti's exquisite tarts, cakes, cookies, and bonbons, which take up a few tables of their own. Thanks to T. Cook's, Sunday's our favorite day of the week.
Who says kids get to have all the fun? The best merry-go-round in Phoenix just happens to be a grown-up playground, a place where you can eat an upscale dinner while watching the world go by. It's the Compass Restaurant, a revolving eatery at the top of downtown's Hyatt Regency. There are 360-degree views to go along with executive chef Troy Knapp's Southwestern-tinged contemporary menu. Highlights include grilled bison and garden gazpacho with cornbread croutons; smoked salmon "enchiladas" with Vidalia crema, savory lemon curd, and micro basil; and baked chilaquiles with grilled nopales, roasted peppers, and smoked tomato butter. We promise the Compass spins so slowly that you won't experience vertigo. Go crazy with the award-winning wine list, however, and all bets are off.
Harold's Cave Creek Corral has long billed itself as "the original Wild West Saloon and Restaurant," but back in the day, the proprietors took the roaring good time in a whole different direction.
Harold and Ruth Gavagan, who'd bought Cave Creek Corral in 1950 and added "Harold's" to the name, held daily a cowboy show in front of the restaurant for years, but decided to switch things up when a guy named Carl Mulhauser started working for the restaurant in the late '60s. Turns out, Mulhauser was a former circus lion tamer with connections to obtain some animals.
The Gavagans' daughter, Janet, was a teenager at the time and recalls her late parents' decision to let Mulhauser buy two or three lions and do a circus-style performance every afternoon. The animals lived in a cage right behind the restaurant.
"Prior to that, there was no thought of having lions or tigers, but it was a way to stand out from the other steakhouses in the Valley at the time," she says. "My dad was very inventive when it came to hiring people."
Mulhauser took care of the animals and did the shows for a couple of years, but when he moved on, so did the lions. A few years later, in the mid-'70s, he came back, this time performing with tigers. It was all over by the end of the decade, and nobody's quite sure whether the lions and tigers ended up in a zoo or a flashy Las Vegas show. But for some locals, it made a lasting impression.
Michael Seitts, a Scottsdale native who's spent plenty of time at Harold's over the years, says he's still amazed that anybody pulled it off.
"It was crazy," he says. "Like something out of Monty Python."
The animals are gone, but the restaurant's still around.
A carnival ain't a carnival unless your dining options include some manner of foodstuff that's been placed on a stick. In fact, on our last visit to the midway, our repast consisted of individually skewered deep-fried Twinkies, tasty egg rolls, and the undisputed king of impaled edibles, the corn dog. And outside the carnival circuit, the best place we've found this deep-fried delight of a flavorful frank covered in cornmeal is at the Gilbert location of Al's Chicago Style. We've forgone the kind of middling corn dogs available at places like Sonic or am/pm in favor of a juicy, all-beef Chicago-style wiener covered in crispy and delicious batter that just melts in our mouth. If you're feeling daring, try adding a few helpings of jalapeño pepper hot sauce or Tabasco onto your dog instead of the usual ketchup and mustard, but keep a cool drink handy.
Besides corn dogs, funnel cakes, or any other foodstuff that's been cooked in an unhealthful amount of grease or lard, a longtime staple of local carnivals, fairs, or street festivals has been Indian fry bread. And much to our doctor's chagrin, we've eaten more than our fair share of this doughy, deep-fried Native American specialty, and it's usually been covered with such toppings as honey and powdered sugar or sumptuous meats and chilies. So whenever we've got a hankering for this debaucherous deliciousness (and a fair or carnival isn't readily available), we head for the Fry Bread House, where owner Cecelia Miller has been clogging our arteries for more than 15 years. Miller and company offer a variety of flavorful fillings atop their chewy and flaky fry bread (which is the size of a LP record), ranging from the standard "Indian taco" (homemade refried beans, lettuce, and cheese) to chorizo, chilies, and ground beef. We've noshed there twice this week alone, but we swear, doc, we'll atone for it with a few extra rounds of cardio this week at the gym. Promise.
You won't find any wacky mirrors in this funhouse, although House of Tricks does have a way of skewing one's perspective — in a good way. Once you set foot into the outdoor patio, sheltered by huge leafy trees and decked out with tiny white lights, all feels right with the world. Your mood is bound to improve even more once you find something on the interesting wine list. Inside, the charm of this 1920s cottage starts to work its magic on you, and expert service only heightens the feeling that life is grand, indeed. As for the New American menu — well, that will make you smile, too. Options run the gamut from black tea-spiced ahi tuna to pistachio-crusted rack of lamb to smoked chile-glazed hanger steak. Nope, House of Tricks isn't the typical funhouse. But, hey, it's a restaurant in an old house — and eating here sure is fun.


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Reports: American-born 'jihadist rapper' killed in shootout with terror group
One of the FBI's most wanted terrorists, Alabama-born Omar Shafik Hammami, has been killed in a shootout with fellow al-Shabab militants, according to reports by the Associated Press and Agence France-Press.
Known as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki or "the American," Hammami was one of the most prominent foreign fighters in Somalia. He quickly moved up the ranks when he moved to the country in 2006, making propaganda recordings and rap videos in English to try and recruit other Westerners, according to the LA Times.
The FBI offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture or conviction in any country. The FBI says he allegedly provided material support to terrorists as early as 2006, and on Dec. 13, 2007, a federal warrant was issued by the United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama, for his arrest.


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Rick Perry: Being gay like being an alcoholic
(NEWSER) – Rick Perry met with the Commonwealth Club of California yesterday and spoke on everything from Eric Cantor's defeat to homosexuality—in particular, sharing his belief that the latter can be overcome. "Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that," the potential 2016 candidate said. "I may have the genetic coding that I'm inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way." The comments were in response to a moderator question on whether he thought being gay is a disorder, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Read the full story on Newser.com


text:
Wireless Security: Beyond the Basics
Available On Demand
Duration 60min
Bill Prout
Wireless and Network Security
Bill Prout
Bill Prout is a Senior Sales Engineer at Sophos, where he specializes in Network and Wireless Security. He utilizes more than 15 years' experience with networking and network security solutions to assist and advise both partners and customers on the best way to protect their networks and users.
It isn't hard to set up security for the wireless router in your house – all you need to do is change the SSID, pick a strong password and perhaps install VPN software for remote access. But securing wireless networks in a business environment is much more demanding.
Attend this webinar to learn how to:
- Ensure that wireless access points are secure from unauthorized access
- Provide controlled access for guests
- Integrate wireless traffic into your network security infrastructure
Register for this webinar to join Bill Prout, wireless and network security expert at Sophos, and learn the best practices that can help you go beyond the basics of wireless security to provide advanced security, manageability and accessibility.
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text:
Folk music legend Pete Seeger dies at 94
Listen to Pete Seeger on iHeartRadio
The "Father of American Folk Music" has died.
The New York Times says Pete Seeger passed away Monday at the age of 94. Seeger's grandson, Kitama Cahill Jackson, says the iconic singer-songwriter and activist died of natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Throughout his lengthy career -- which saw him perform into his 90s -- Seeger served as a champion of folk music with classics like "This Land Is Your Land," "We Shall Overcome," "If I Had a Hammer," and "Turn, Turn, Turn."
But he was equally known for using that music to help bring about social change. His many political activities ranged from standing up to Congress and getting convicted for contempt after defying the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s, to lending his voice to civil rights marches in the 1960s. And in 2009, he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to sing at the inauguration concert for President Obama.


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- Nounจี เมลจี เมล
The following Thai words were found by doing a reverse lookup of the Thai > English dictionary for , excluding the direct translations already shown above. It's usually best to use the direct translations instead, but words found by reverse lookup can provide useful alternative suggestions too. However, they may be words that are more infrequently used, obscure or limited in use.


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WATCH: How does Eddie Cibrian feel about his upcoming reality show with LeAnn Rimes?
Listen to LeAnn Rimes on iHeartRadio
Eddie Cibrian appeared on Wednesday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote The Best Man Holiday, but it was the ongoing feud between LeAnn Rimes and Brandi Glanville that ended up being the main topic of conversation.
Asked about the drama between his wife and ex-wife, the actor shared, "I think there's just some people who are kind of born to create drama and then capitalize on it."
"And you married both of them," interjected Kimmel.
Cibrian laughed and told the host, "Not true, not true. I learned from my first marriage not to do that on my second."
[Listen to Jimmy Kimmel Live The Morning After on iHeartRadio]
Later in the sitdown, Kimmel warned the star about he and Rimes' upcoming VH1 reality show "LeAnn & Eddie."
"I think this reality show could turn out to be a terrible, terrible idea," the host said.
Cibrian admitted, "It probably will."
Check out the video below!


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Men's Nike Free Trainer 5.0 Super Bowl 48 Edition Cross Training Shoes
Cross training calls for more than just a great pair of running shoes, it calls for athletic shoes that can handle all types of movements, like the innovative Nike Free Trainer 5.0. The barefoot-like feel you expect from a Nike Free is combined with DiamondFLX traction for multidirectional movements.
Whether you're a gym rat, outdoor trainer or you like to switch it up, these cross trainers are the ideal choice for their versatility and style. Intertwined pliable bands on the mesh and synthetic upper offer a dynamic fit that adapts to your foot, while the interior sockliner keeps your feet comfortable. The heel and forefoot feature no-sew overlays for seamless comfort, while the Phylon foam midsole provides lightweight cushioning and a resilient ride for all types of workouts. Deep Nike Free sipes on the ultra-light outsole and DiamondFLX traction ensure that you have a free range of motion without slippage.
No matter how you train, the Nike Free Trainer 5.0 is designed to offer you support without bulk in a stylish package.
- UPPER: Synthetic and mesh with no-sew overlays and Dynamic Fit intertwined pliable bands
- MIDSOLE: Phylon foam cushioning
- OUTSOLE: Solid rubber pods, deep Nike flex grooves and DiamondFLX traction


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Obama holds Obamacare sales meeting with celebrities
President Barack Obama on Monday dropped by a star-studded meeting at the White House that brought celebrities such as actress Amy Poehler, singer Jennifer Hudson and "Funny or Die's" Mike Farah together to talk about how to promote Obamacare to young people.
Actor (and former White House official) Kal Penn, "Royal Pains" creator Andrew Lenchewski, YouTube Comedy's Daniel Kellison, as well as representatives for Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, the Grammys and Latin Grammys also attended, according to a White House official.
Senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett hosted the meeting, which included several top White House communications strategists, the official said.
"The president stopped by the meeting to engage artists who expressed an interest in helping to educate the public about the benefits of the health law," the official said. "The reach of these national stars spreads beyond the Beltway to fans of their television shows, movies and music—and the power of these artists to speak through social media is especially critical."


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Britney Spears hints at new song title in Instagram post
Listen to Britney Spears on iHeartRadio
Britney Spears is sharing some sexy photos from what appears to be the set of her new music video.
In pictures posted on Instagram over the weekend, the pop star makes reference to the "WorkBitch" set, leaving fans wondering if that may also be the title of her new song.
Online, Britney has been teasing fans for weeks now with her "All Eyes On Me" countdown clock that's set to run out on September 17th. That's also the same day she's scheduled to make an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" to make a big announcement.
The new Instagram photos build on earlier speculation about a possible release date for Britney's new album. But fans are also waiting to hear more about the longheld rumors about a possible Las Vegas residency.


text:
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text:
Arcadia, CA, June 24, 2014 -- HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, is proud to announce that its online platform, HRTV.com, will offer exclusive live HD streaming of the Lake Placid Horse Show, produced by ShowNet Vision, beginning on Wednesday, June 25 at 8 a.m ET.
This is the first series of significant U.S. Jumping events in the "HRTV Summer of Shows -- Jumping," that will run through September. The series will offer Hunter and Show Jumping events from high-caliber horse shows this Summer, including: the Lake Placid Horse Shows (Lake Placid, NY), Horse Shows by the Bay (Traverse, MI), the Hampton Classic Horse Show (Bridgehampton, NY), and HITS (Saugerties, NY).
The opening three weeks of outstanding competition comprise a trio of events which fall under the Lake Placid Horse Shows designation -- the original Lake Placid Horse Show, along with the I Love New York Horse Show, and the inaugural Adirondack Horse Show.
Now entering its 45th season, the Lake Placid Horse Show opened on June 24, with HRTV's live HD stream beginning on June 25, covering all the action from the Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix Ring. The highlight of the Lake Placid Horse Show is the $75,000 Devoucoux Grand Prix of Lake Placid, Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC, on June 29.
"Jumping events are among the most popular events we carry on our network," said Scott Daruty, President of HRTV. "HRTV is pleased to announce that our online platform will carry exclusive live HD coverage of all the events taking place in the Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix Ring as the Lake Placid Horse Shows kick off our summer series."
Richard M. Feldman, Lake Placid Horse Show Association Chairman, added "HRTV, as The Network for Horse Sports, is the ideal partner to carry the excitement and athleticism displayed by the participants at our shows to a larger audience of horse fans throughout the world."
Live streaming of the I Love New York Horse Show will be conducted from Wednesday, July 2 through Sunday, July 6. Highlighting the week is the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, Presented by Eastern Hay and Purina Animal Nutrition, and the $75,000 I Love New York Grand Prix, Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC.
Coverage of the inaugural Adirondack Horse Show will run from Wednesday, July 9 through Sunday, July 13, and the highlighted event is the $100,000 Woodlea Farms Adirondack Grand Prix.
Fans may go www.tvg2.com each day of the horse show to view all shows in the "HRTV Summer of Shows -- Jumping."
Replays of selected events from the Lake Placid Horse Shows will also be available at www.tvg2.com for video on demand (VOD) viewing for fans that may have missed the live event.
Daily tune-in notices and results will be posted on HRTV's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HRTVnetwork.
Further information on the Lake Placid Horse Shows, Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC, is available by calling the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at 518-523-9625, or online at www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.
About HRTV
HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, is a television-based multimedia network dedicated to equine sports. HRTV's programming features horse racing from top U.S. and international racetracks, as well as a wide range of world-class English horse riding and Western horse riding competitions, news, original programming and award-winning documentaries covering the world of horse sports. The live stream of HRTV is available on a subscription basis to high-speed Internet users worldwide at www.tvg2.com. In the U.S., the HRTV television network is available via telco, cable and satellite in over 19 million homes.
Contact: Scott Cooper, HRTV, 609-391-8166
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Do notation considered harmful
From HaskellWiki
(→Criticism: Added a link)
(→Useful applications: fix an error as per stackoverflow.com/a/22054707/849891)
|Line 222:
|Line 222:
getRight :: Either a b -> Maybe b
getRight :: Either a b -> Maybe b
getRight y =
getRight y =
do Right x <- y
do Right x <- y
return x
return x
|Line 246:
|Line 246:
return ((x,y,z),x+y+z))
return ((x,y,z),x+y+z))
== See also ==
== See also ==
Revision as of 20:03, 27 February 2014
1 Criticism
Haskell's do notation is popular and ubiquitous. However we shall not ignore that there are several problems. Here we like to shed some light on aspects you may not have thought about, so far.
1.1 DidacticsThe
This is wanted in order to simplify writing imperative style code fragments. The downsides are
- that, since notation is used almost everywhere, wheredotakes place, newcomers quickly believe that theIOnotation is necessary for doingdo,IO
- that newcomers think, that is somehow special and non-functional, in contrast to the advertisement for Haskell being purely functional,IO
- and that newcomers think, that the order of statements determines the order of execution.
These misunderstandings let people write clumsy code like
do putStrLn "text"
instead of
putStrLn "text"
do text <- getLine return text
instead of
do text <- readFile "foo" writeFile "bar" text
instead of
readFile "foo" >>= writeFile "bar"
The order of statements is also not the criterion for the evaluation order. Also here only the data dependencies count. See for instance
do x <- Just (3+5) y <- Just (5*7) return (x-y)
Or consider
do x <- Just (3+5) y <- Nothing return (x-y)
1.2 Library designUnfortunately, the
See for instance the Binary package.It contains the
Even more unfortunate, the applicative functors were introduced to Haskell's standard libraries only after monads and arrows,thus many types are instances of
There is no special syntax for applicative functors because it is hardly necessary. You just write
data Header = Header Char Int Bool readHeader :: Get Header readHeader = liftA3 Header get get get
readHeader = Header <$> get <*> get <*> get
Consider a generator of unique identifiers.First you might think of a
run :: State Int a -> a run m = evalState m 0 newId :: State Int Int newId = do n <- get modify succ return n example :: (Int -> Int -> a) -> a example f = run $ do x <- newId y <- newId return (f x y)
The following is like a
If you are confident, that you will not need the counter state at the end and that you will not combine blocks of code using the counter (where the second block needs the state at the end of the first block), you can enforce a more strict scheme of usage.
Alternatively you can view it as Continuation monad.
newtype T a = T (Int -> a) run :: T a -> a run (T f) = f 0 newId :: (Int -> T a) -> T a newId f = T $ \i -> case f i of T g -> g (succ i) example :: (Int -> Int -> T a) -> a example f = run $ newId $ \a -> newId $ \b -> f a b
1.3 Safety
- This page addresses an aspect of Haskell style, which is to some extent a matter of taste. Just pick what you find appropriate for you and ignore the rest.
The silent neglect of return values of functions. In an imperative language it is common to return an error code and provide the real work by side effects. In Haskell this cannot happen, because functions have no side effects. If you ignore the result of a Haskell function the function will even not be evaluated.The situation is different for
You can write
do getLine putStrLn "text"
The same applies to
do System.Cmd.system "echo foo >bar"
Is this behaviour wanted?
In safety oriented languages there are possibilities to explicitly ignore return values
EVAL in Modula-3).
Haskell does not need this, because you can already write
do _ <- System.Cmd.system "echo foo >bar" return ()
(>>) :: m () -> m a -> m a
New developments:
- GHC since version 6.12 emits a warning when you silently ignore a return value
- There is a new function called that makes ignoring of return values explicit: GHC ticket 3292void
2 Happy with less sugar
2.1 Additional combinators
Using the infix combinators for writing functions simplifies the addition of new combinators. Consider for instance a monad for random distributions.This monad cannot be an instance of
However we would like to write the following:
do f <- family guard (existsBoy f) return f
we can rewrite this easily:
family >>=? existsBoy
but it seems that we have to live with that problem.
2.2 Alternative combinatorsIf you are used to write monadic function using infix combinators
you can easily switch to a different set of combinators.This is useful when there is a monadic structure that does not fit into the current
where the monadic result type cannot be constrained. This is e.g. useful for the Set data type, where the element type must have a total order.
3 Useful applicationsIt shall be mentioned that the
E.g. in
getRight :: Either a b -> Maybe b getRight y = do Right x <- return y return x
mdo x <- f x y z y <- g x y z z <- h x y z return (x+y+z)
mfix (\ ~( ~(x,y,z), _) -> do x <- f x y z y <- g x y z z <- h x y z return ((x,y,z),x+y+z))
4 See also
- Paul Hudak in Haskell-Cafe: A regressive view of support for imperative programming in Haskell
- Data.Syntaxfree on Wordpress: Do-notation considered harmful
- Things to avoid#do notation


text:
Now Walmart Dumps Paula Deen
(NEWSER) – Her tears on Today weren't enough to sway Walmart: The nation's biggest retailer said today it is severing ties with her company, reports the Eater blog. Walmart sold Deen's cookware, some food products, and even her style of eyeglasses, but it won't place new orders once the current stuff runs out. Deen's n-word flap has now cost her business with the Food Network, Smithfield Foods, and Caesars restaurants.