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America wants to win the World Championship of American Football. Hawkins is the guy trying to lead them. We talked to him about putting together his squad and the competition.

You know the sport everybody else in the world calls "football" has a World Cup, but so does the sport we call "football." The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) will hold its World Championship in Canton, Ohio, from July 9-18. A squad of American players will try to take the gold medal, proving America is still the best at its most popular sport.

It's tough assembling a roster. The game is gaining popularity across the globe, and America's best -- NFL and Division I players -- aren't available to play. In 2007, the host nation Japan pushed America to double OT in the gold medal game. But Team USA won that tournament, and won in Austria in 2011, and now they're looking for a three-peat.

Former Boise State and Colorado coach Dan Hawkins is the head coach of this year's squad. We asked him about why he got involved, what he's looking forward to, and how he assembled a roster worthy of representing the United States.

What goes into selecting Team USA?

It's a little bit like recruiting in college. I certainly call a lot of players that I know, call a lot of coaches that I know, call places and see if their guys might fit in. I talk to a lot of NFL scouts and NFL coaches, a number of the guys that we have are guys that just missed on NFL teams or been in and out of NFL teams and rosters. A number of the guys are playing internationally, so we're scouting the international scene and seeing which Americans are playing over there. Some are out in Canadian leagues, some are out in arena leagues. We wait until the draft and free-agent signing period gets over, because there's a number of players that if they don't have an opportunity to play professionally will play in this.

What's your pitch to come play for USA Football?

I think it's a chance again to play football. Some guys want to get in film, some guys want to keep their career alive. Part of it is playing for the United States. It's a chance to play for a gold medal in football, and sort of the Olympics of football, which is a unique opportunity. Primarily, it's just keep your career alive, to play for the United States, to support football internationally, to be a good ambassador. You make connections around the globe, and who knows where that may lead where there's football opportunities or just friendships. We're looking for a well-rounded guy that wants a well-rounded experience.

What do you expect from the teams you're going up against?

I think it's very competitive. Japan has won this thing, Australia, they have a ton of great players and are looking to improve. Football [around the globe] is a lot better than most people think. Those coaches travel over here and have contacts over here. A lot of those teams have American coaches, so it should be a good showcase for those countries and the football played there.

Why did you get involved with USA Football? How did you decide to take on the responsibility of being the head coach of the USA's national football team?

I had seen the team play in Austria [in the 2011 World Championship] in Innsbruck. I went to the championship game. My son was on that team. I was watching football in Sweden where he was playing. He and I went down to Australia last year and coached their junior national team. I've had former coaches who have coached internationally, I've got a lot of ex-players who have played internationally, and they love it. It's a combination of getting back to the game, helping support football internationally, which is actually growing, and big in many spots.

What did your son tell you about his experience playing?

He loved it. He thought all the guys on the team were great. They all really loved to play. The guys that were playing weren't just football players -- they were ambassadors for the United States, ambassadors for football. You're looking for a well-rounded person. Cody had a blast. He loved every second of it. When we went to the game in Innsbruck, they had huge tailgaters, a lot of people running around, a lot of excitement, a pretty big stadium, and a pretty good crowd!

Do you find out what types of guys you have, and then go from there? Or do you pick players with a certain strategy and playing style in mind?

A little bit of both. You need to do things that your quarterbacks are familiar with. As we figure out our roster, we solicit good ideas and things they like and things they're comfortable with. Whoever ends up being the primary quarterback will have a huge say in that, because it starts with the kind of players that you get. [Editor's note: the team's three quarterbacks are former Army QB Trent Steelman, former Southern Miss QB Dylan Favre -- yes, Brett's nephew -- and former Mt. Union QB Kevin Burke.]

If you go into an American football competition and you're Team USA, you're expected to win, because you're the country that has the most experience, the most infrastructure. How do you expect to handle being the team everyone's gunning for?

I don't care what level of football you play, you're always just trying to play your best, put your best foot forward and that'll be the message. Practice great, play great, give a great effort, do the things football teams do. That'll be the message. At the end of the day, if you get the gold medal, that's great. But we're just going to worry about being good, being fundamental football players, taking care of the things that they can take care of.

Are you looking forward to coaching again?

I love the whole thing. I've got some guys coming from other teams around the globe that I know, and it'll be good to see those people, good to connect with the international coaches, with the players, being part of that community and support of IFAF and the international game. I love to coach. I still want to coach. This is an opportunity to put a good practice together, be around a bunch of guys and go out and compete. That's always great.

ThinkGeek has released a sexy, officially licensed pair of Velvet Chewbacca Leggings that are designed to make any Star Wars fan’s legs look a lot like the legendary Wookiee from planet Kashyyyk. They are available to purchase online.

What was Han without Chewbacca, his faithful co-pilot and companion? Without Chewie he would he have gained his bad-boy smuggler image? His swagger? Without Chewie would Han have wandered aimlessly, lost in the galaxy? Probably! It is really one of the all-time, best-known, worthy-of-hyphens, sci-fi partnerships.

Honor good ol’ Chewie by putting him on your legs. These velvety leggings feature his fur and his bandolier on the right hip. Made from a 100% polyester fabric, they’re super-stretchy for maximum comfort.

images via ThinkGeek

In a new Reddit AMA, Gordon-Levitt talks about the "certain amount of invention" that's happening to bring "Sandman" to the big screen.

gifak-net:

video:  Stray Kitten Befriends Wildlife Photographer

Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, showrunners on Marvel’s Agent Carter, are the new writers of Captain Marvel! Plus our first look at the art for their stories.

First off, Marvel, high-five.

When news broke over the weekend of Kelly Sue DeConnick exiting the title, many fans were crushed. DeConnick is not only a fantastic human being but a talented creator who ushered in a resurgence of the character that launched a whole new wave of comic fans and pleased old favorites.

But now, I think it’s safe to say fans can rest easy knowing their beloved Carol is in excellent hands once again. Fast Company posted an interview revealing Marvel’s new creative team choice for our beloved Carol Danvers, Agent Carter’s Butters and Fazekas. They report:

“It’s been really fun playing in a world where you can do anything,” says Butters about the transition from TV writing to comics. “In comics, there is no budget.” This includes working with series artist Kris Anka on designs whose only limit is imagination—such as for the space station that will be Captain Marvel’s new headquarters. The new series begins eight months in narrative time after the end of Secret Wars, Marvel’s current line-wide event that will change the status quo for most of the Marvel Universe’s characters and teams.

“Marvel really wanted us to design what her mission is within the universe,” says Fazekas. “We know what S.H.I.E.L.D.’s mission is, we know what the Avengers’ mission is, we know what Guardians of the Galaxy’s mission is. So how does Captain Marvel fit into all that?”

That new mission has Captain Marvel as Earth’s first line of defense against extraterrestrial threats.

And while Captain Marvel’s costume will largely stay the same, the new creative team decided to make a few alterations to her look:

Butters and Fazekas have also collaborated with Anka to tweak Captain Marvel’s character design to align with her mission. “We’ve slightly modified her costume to kind of reflect her new status quo,” says Butters. They’ve also given her a new haircut. “There’s been a lot of controversy about Carol Danvers’ haircut,” she says. “We really wanted to make sure it was consistent and streamlined. Last year I think a lot of people couldn’t get her hairstyle—sometimes it was short, sometimes it was long—so we went in and designed exactly what she would look like. Kris really wanted to go shorter, because he felt it aligned with what her new look is all about.”

“She’s military,” says Fazekas. “She’s not going to have this huge mane of hair. It needs to be practical.”

But if you’re concerned about Carol changing as a character, fear not. “We’re not so much changing anything as building on what already is there,” said Fazekas.

You can check out the rest of the interview at Fast Company.

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OED Word of the Day: havelock, n. Protection for the head and shoulders against the sun

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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scifrey:

why-i-love-comics:

Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #7 - “ Bullets and Bracelets” (2014)

written by Sean E. Williams
art by Marguerite Sauvage

Dear thedoubleclicks; please write “Bullets and Bracelets” next. :)

	Courtney shared this story from Local News:
	Now the truly committed will homeschool...not realizing their kids, geniuses that they are, are going to have to be vaccinated to attend college

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Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday ended months of speculation by signing off on contentious legislation -- Senate Bill 277 -- that requires almost all California schoolchildren to by fully vaccinated in order to attend public or private school, regardless of their parents' personal or religious beliefs.

Courtney shared this story from Super Opinionated.

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"First and foremost, we're continuing to look more and more at doing things in the space that make sense on their own. Because we don't really control who in the mobile space is going to decide to play your game." ...

Welp.

BirthMoviesDeath spoke to Kevin Feige recently and inquired about a few burning questions they had about Marvel’s Doctor Strange film.

You may recall our report on Tilda Swinton being in talks to play the “Ancient One,” a traditionally male, Tibetan character from Marvel Comics. On one hand: awesome genderswapping! On the other: not-so-awesome subtraction of much needed diversity.

While Feige didn’t confirm to them whether or not Swinton definitely has the role, he did talk about how they’re looking at the character and the leeway they felt they had in casting.

“As we were developing this film we looked at The Ancient One as a mantle more than a specific person,” Feige told BMD. “The sorcerers have been around for millennia, protecting us from things we didn’t know about until this story. There have been multiple [Ancient Ones], even if this one has been around for five hundred years, there were others. This is a mantle, and therefore felt we had leeway to cast in interesting ways.”

Thankfully BMD pushed a bit further, asking specifically about Tibet’s involvement:

BMD: So you’re removing the sorcerers from the phony Tibetan mysticism that Stan Lee used because he probably didn’t really research Tibet in any real way?

Feige: Not entirely. The phony mysticism is part of what makes Doctor Strange interesting!

BMD: But are you tying it into that specific culture?

Feige: Not Tibet. Strange leaves New York in search of something and heads east.

This isn’t great news for those who had concerns about cultural erasure in general or the idea that Marvel was specifically avoiding Tibet in order to appease China, a huge film distribution market and a country which, to put it mildly, doesn’t like Tibet. This doesn’t look good no matter how you view it.

The outlet also got a tiny bit more about Doctor Strange’s Greenwich Village townhouse, in case you were wondering: “The Sanctum [Sanctorum] is on Bleeker Street, the modern day Bleeker Street,” Feige said, “He will be the strangest thing walking out onto that street.”

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via http://sbiii.com/cyclops/cyclops.html#sitendex

alternative first two panels: waking up at 1pm, returning to bed at 8pm.

optional: mom glowering from top of stairs

Susanna Hesselberg, “When My Father Died It Was Like a Whole Library Had Burned Down” (2015) / Photo by Claire Voon for Hyperallergic

For her entry into the biannual Sculpture by the Sea in Aarhus, Denmark, Swedish artist Susanna Hesselberg installed this ominous library that plumments into the ground like a mining shaft. While visually arresting, the piece has a somewhat somber intention. Titled “When My Father Died It Was Like a Whole Library Had Burned Down,” the artwork makes reference to lyrics from Laurie Anderson’s song World Without End. The piece joins an additional 55 sculptures on display right now at the 2015 Sculpture by the Sea through July 5, 2015. (via Hyperallergic)

Fallout Shelter, Bethesda's new free-to-play mobile game, has added its first character from Fallout 4 today.

Preston Garvey, the leader of the Commonwealth Minutemen in Fallout 4, is now available in Shelter. Additionally, the Laser Musket weapon he uses in Fallout 4 (pictured above) is now available in the game for your Vault dwellers to brandish.

However, you won't find Garvey wandering around your Vault the next time you open up the game. He's categorized as a Legendary Dweller, and you'll need to open a lunchbox in order to obtain him.

Lunchboxes are special items rewarded to players from time to time that can also be purchased with real-world money. These are Bethesda's lone way of generating revenue from the game, but as it's already stated, Shelter "is not about making money."

Shelter is currently available only on iOS, though an Android version is in the works. Bethesda deliberately waited until after revealing Fallout 4 to announce it, as it worried that fans would react negatively if they assumed Shelter had been created at the expense of a proper Fallout follow-up.

Fallout 4 is due out on November 10 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

comedycentral:

Click here to watch Larry Wilmore discuss marriage equality with Guy Branum, Janet Mock and Jordan Carlos on The Nightly Show

At least 550 people — many of whom were unarmed and/or mentally ill — have been killed by police in the first six months of the year. A Guardian database, which puts the figure at 545, shows Caucasians have been killed more than any other race or ethnic group this year, but blacks and Latinos have been killed at higher rates. Nearly 120 people were unarmed. And by the Washington Post’s count, 461 people have been shot and killed by an on-duty officer.

In June alone, cops killed 75 people. At least 60 of those people were shot.

The growing count is alarming, yet there’s also been a proliferation of databases tracking lethal police encounters more closely than ever. Law enforcement has been killing people for decades, however a dearth of reliable national data obscured the number deaths caused by police in years past. But with police brutality becoming more visible, thanks to social media and traditional news media, the need to catalog relevant demographic and geographic information about victims has quickly become a national priority.

You can read about some of the more egregious cases in February, March, April, and May, but here are some of the heinous incidents from the past month.

Deng Manyoun; Louisville, KY: One of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” who immigrated to the U.S. to escape a brutal civil war, Manyoun was shot and killed for rushing at an officer with a 7-foot flag pole. The 35-year-old was stumbling on a sidewalk when he was approached by Officer Nathan Blanford, who was driving by in a squad car. Surveillance footage shows the two arguing before Manyoun disappears and returns with the pole. Manyoun then swings the pole at Blanford, who fires his weapon twice. Manyoun died of gunshot wounds, at a local hospital.

Amid public backlash, Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad maintains Blanford’s actions were justified. But protesters argue the officer should have used non-lethal force, especially since Manyoun was visibly intoxicated.

You can watch the video here:

Spencer Lee McCain; Owing Mills, MD: The unarmed black man was shot and killed by three Baltimore County police officers responding to a domestic disturbance call. When they arrived at the home of Shannon Sulton, officers reported they heard screams and forced their way into the house. All three fired, later saying McCain was in a “defensive position” and moving in a way that signaled he had a weapon. Nineteen shell cases were found after the shooting, although no weapon was discovered. Sulton was bruised and cut.

Two children, including a 10-year-old who initially called and alerted his grandmother about the disturbance, were present at the time of the shooting — highlighting another major flaw in modern-day policing. Due to inadequate training, police who confront parents in the presence of their kids wind up traumatizing the children, especially when officers are responding to domestic violence calls. Experts say cops should refrain from drawing their weapons or cuffing suspects in front of children. But officers who do use forceful tactics wind up exacerbating children’s emotional distress, making them “feel helpless” and “blame themselves for not preventing the violence, or for causing it.”

Walter William DeLeon; Los Feliz, CA: An unarmed 48-year-old man was shot in the head and killed by Officer Cairo Palacios because the cop thought a towel wrapped around the victim’s hand was concealing a weapon. Then the man was rolled over and handcuffed. Both the officer involved and his partner allege they were stuck in traffic when DeLeon walked in their direction. His arms were extended and covered by a cloth, and he didn’t obey the officers when they exited their vehicle and commanded him to “drop the gun,” the officers say. Palacios fired when DeLeon continued walking in their direction. DeLeon’s son later explained that his dad usually carried the towel to wipe off sweat. The victim may have been flagging down the officers for help, but the reason for doing so is unclear.

“At first, I thought it was like a random person that did it,” said 18-year-old William DeLeon. “Then I found out it was the cops. I didn’t understand why, because I know my dad wouldn’t do anything to provoke it.”

The post This Is How Many People Police Have Killed So Far This Year appeared first on ThinkProgress.

Even Boston's most exclusive clubs don't want him as a member now.

TOO FAMOUS: Tom Brady and his wife want to join The Country Club, one of those super exclusive places where rich white people play golf (this club didn't admit a black member until 1994!). The club isn't so sure they'll let Brady join because of the attention he brings. Poor guy will just have to be satisfied with his places in Los Angeles, New York, Europe, etc.

GUNSLINGER: Brett Favre thinks he can still play football. Hey, the Bills could use a quarterback ... Of course, Jim Kelly is apparently still throwing the ball pretty well too.

MARY JANE: The NFL has a double standard on drugs. More and more players are using marijuana to cope with injuries, but the league doesn't allow it. The NFL does allow teams to dispense dangerous and highly addictive opioid painkillers though.

THE NEXT BROWNS QB: What if Russell Wilson played for the Browns ... or any other NFL team? Would he be as good as he is in Seattle? Wilson was talking about his contract on the air again Tuesday. More importantly, he also talked about Ciara.

POWER LUNCH: Dean Spanos and Mark Davis met with the mayor of Los Angeles this week. Wait, why were the owners of the Chargers and Raiders, who are attached to a stadium plan in Carson, talking to the mayor of L.A.? Could it have to do with yet another stadium option in that city?

PLATOON SITUATION: Will the Bills use a platoon at quarterback this season? Even more frightening perhaps, will they make Tyrod Taylor their starter?

OVERLOOKED: You can make a solid argument that Broncos legendary running back Terrell Davis should have been in this year's Hall of Fame class with Jerome Bettis.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: The Atlanta Falcons turned 50 yesterday. Did you get them anything?

SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT: The NFL announced this week that the supplemental draft will be held on July 9.

HOW MUCH IS HE WORTH: The Colts are going to have to strike a deal with T.Y. Hilton soon. How much will his contract extension be worth?

Portland will lock up its star point guard through the foreseeable future.

Point guard Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have reached an agreement on a five-year max extension worth more than $120 million, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The deal, which is being signed a year early, will go into effect starting in 2016-17 and keep Lillard with the team through the 2020-21 season. The extension is expected to be fall into the $125 million to $129 million range, according to Spears.

Lillard, 24, became Portland's top priority once the team discovered that its other All-Star, LaMarcus Aldridge, plans to leave as a free agent this summer. Lillard is still under contract for next season on a $5.7 million team option -- the last year of his rookie contract -- but would've been eligible to hit restricted free agency in a year, something the Blazers unsurprisingly wanted to avoid.

Instead of waiting to let Lillard's situation play out more, he's getting the full five-year maximum extension from the team a year before it'll even go into effect. It's more than anyone else could've paid him on an offer sheet next summer, but shows the level of commitment that the Blazers have to their franchise point guard.

After a breakout sophomore season in 2013-14, Lillard continued his ascent by leading Portland to a second straight 50-win season in 2014-15. He averaged 21 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 82 games. The point guard hasn't missed a game yet as a pro, starting all 246 possible games in three seasons. A two-time All-Star, Lillard was also named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2015.

In the wake of the Charleston shooting and the ongoing debate over whether the Confederate flag should still be flown in the U.S., NASCAR has decided, during Independence Day weekend, to give a U.S. flag to anyone who trades in a Confederate flag at Daytona.

#NASCAR will give American flag to anyone who trades in a Confederate flag at Daytona this Independence Day weekend. pic.twitter.com/xq404DJvZ5

— Coy Wire (@CoyWire) July 1, 2015

This comes after NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France said that the organization would take steps to eliminate the Confederate flag's presence at their events. Team owner Brad Daugherty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have both expressed offense at the Confederate flag in recent weeks.

And Hope Solo admitting clearly that she stalled Sasic. And not get a yellow for that #USWNT pic.twitter.com/IG0HOEwAv6

— Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) July 1, 2015

Hahahaha Hope Solo admitted she stalled to mess with Celia Šašić's head before her stunning, critical penalty miss during the USWNT's 2-0 win at the Women's World Cup semifinal.

I would love to share with you guys my mindset but unfortunately — or fortunately — we have one more game going into the final. I did the stall tactic. It worked.

Šašić', the top goal-scorer in the Women's World Cup, was unable to give Germany a 59th-minute lead.

It's a bold strategy to admit to stalling after a match! Solo likely didn't care if she got a yellow card because she'd still be allowed to play in the final.

At any rate ...

GOOD MORNING GERMANY HEY REMINDER THIS IS THE PROPER WAY TO TAKE A PK LOL pic.twitter.com/VJUsv14Ru3

— Michael Katz (@KatzM) July 1, 2015

Cheerleaders in California are set to receive minimum wage, overtime pay and sick leave.

California state senate is set to enact a bill that will guarantee worker protections for cheerleaders in the state, which is believed to be the first legislation of its kind, according to the Associated Press.

With the new protections, cheerleaders for professional teams will be guaranteed at least minimum wage and overtime pay, as well as sick leave. Previously, cheerleaders for a few teams raised lawsuits for work that amounted to less than minimum wage, including suits against the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills.

While Raiders cheerleaders were paid $1,250 per season on a contract that includes game day performances, rehearsals and other community appearances, Bills cheerleaders were reportedly unpaid altogether. The New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have all been sued for cheerleader pay as well.

The new law in California seeks to ensure cheerleaders in the state are guaranteed the minimum wage, but some aren't convinced it will do much to change things. Via Sudhin Thalawala of the Associated Press:

"It's nice to have clarifying legislation, but I don't think it changes the state of the law at all," said attorney Sharon Vinick, who represented former Raiders cheerleaders in a lawsuit against the team.

Many teams classify cheerleaders as independent contractors, although Vinick has contested that due to the strict guidelines and requirements asked by teams.

The bill was approved on Monday and will next be sent to California governor Jerry Brown to be approved before it becomes law.

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "The Dictionary Definition of Adjunct" - originally published 7/1/2015 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

For years, Washington college students have been arguing that the best form of financial aid is low tuition. This year, Washington legislators agreed with them.

In its 2015-17 budget, the Legislature cut four-year college tuition costs by 15 to 20 percent by 2016 — making Washington the only state in the country to lower tuition for public universities and colleges next year. Community-college tuition will drop by 5 percent.

The rollback will save University of Washington junior Austin Wright-Pettibone $1,611 in 2016, when the biggest cut takes place. That’s the equivalent of one-quarter’s worth of a maximum-sized subsidized federal loan, said Wright-Pettibone, who has been lobbying the Legislature all session for the change as the government-relations director for UW student government.
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A woman was knocked unconscious Sunday when she was struck by a small drone during the Pride parade in downtown Seattle.

The 25-year-old woman was standing near Fourth Avenue and Madison Street when the 18-inch-by-18-inch drone crashed into a building and fell into the crowd, striking the woman in the head, according to Seattle police. The woman’s boyfriend caught her as she fell to the ground.
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