The 19 Best Cities To See Street Art In The United States

June 16, 2015, 11:52 am

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Summer has nearly descended upon the Northern Hemisphere, bringing visions of barbecues, pool parties and long walks on the beach. For those in the United States, this often means one thing: vacation. Whether you're flying from one city to another in the confines of coach, or breaking out the analog map for a cross-country road trip, your sights are set on travel.

But which cities will you visit? Some of us want great food, some need nightlife, others just want a short stroll to a body of water. Then, there are the vacationers who want to see some good art -- especially street art. What better time of the year to plan a bucket list of street art attractions than the summer, when the sun is out, the weather is warm and the saturated gleam of spray paint and wheat pastes is more appealing than ever?

So, if you're still dropping hypothetical pins onto an ideal summer Google map, here are some cities we'd suggest -- purely based on their ephemeral street art aesthetic. From Philly to Baltimore, Atlanta to Portland, these are the urban centers you should visit and ogle some open air art while you're there.

1. Miami, FL Neighborhood: Wynwood


Mural by Entes and Jade Rivera in the Wynwood area of Miami in 2012. (Photo courtesy AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

2. Philadelphia, PA Neighborhood: Fishtown


A postal worker walks past a 1987 mural titled "We The Youth" by artist Keith Haring in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

3. Seattle, WA Neighborhood: Rainier Avenue South and Pioneer Square


Mural by Jeff “Weirdo” Jacobsen and Joey Nix in Seattle in 2014. (Photo courtesy Chris Christian/Flickr)

4. San Francisco, CA Neighborhood: The Mission


A man walks in front of a colorful mural along Market Street on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

5. St. Louis, MO Neighborhood: The Grove and Cherokee Street


Grace McCammond's "Evolution of the Bike" mural in 2012. (Photo courtesy Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

6. Cleveland, OH Neighborhood: Collinwood


A mural of a whale in Cleveland in 2012. (Photo courtesy AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

7. Detroit, MI Neighborhood: McDougall-Hunt


A traffic light adorned with art similar to the Heidelberg Project's Polka Dot House in Detroit in 2006. (Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

8. Atlanta, GA Neighborhood: Old Fourth Ward and Krog Street Tunnel


A person walks past a mural along the Atlanta Beltline. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

9. Washington, DC Neighborhood: Columbia Heights


Alex Brewer, aka Hense, covered a former church in a multi-colored mural in 2012.

10. Denver, CO Neighborhood: Lower Highlands


"I Know You Know That I Know" mural by Sandra Fettingis in Denver in 2014. (Photo courtesy Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post)

11. Boston, MA Neighborhood: Somerville and Cambridge (outside Boston)


An Os Gêmeos mural in Boston in 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

12. Chicago, IL Neighborhood: West Loop


(Photo courtesy Chicago Street Art Flickr)

13. Pittsburgh, PA Neighborhood: Braddock & North Braddock and Lawrenceville


A Romare Bearden mural pictured in Pittsburgh in 2008. (Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

14. Honolulu, HI Neighborhood: Kaka'ako


Rone and Wonder during Pow! Wow! Hawaii in Honolulu. (Photo via Brooklyn Street Art © Yoav Litvin)

15. Los Angeles, CA Neighborhood: EVERYWHERE


A Shepard Fairey mural in West Hollywood, Los Angeles in 2011. (Photo courtesy Konrad Fiedler/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

16. Austin, TX Neighborhood: Baylor Street


The famous "Hi, How Are You" mural by Daniel Johnston in Austin in 2004. (Photo courtesy AP Photo/Harry Cabluck, File)

17. Indianapolis, IN Neighborhood: Broad Ripple Village and Massachusetts Avenue


A Kurt Vonnegut mural is pictured in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

18. Portland, OR Neighborhood: Humboldt


United Refrigeration Mural by Klutch and Friends. (Photo by Chris Christian/Flickr)

19. New York, NY Neighborhood: EVERYWHERE


Maya Hayuk's mural on the Bowery Wall in New York City in 2014. (Photo courtesy Luna Park)

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All The Sex And Nudity In Season 5 Of 'Game Of Thrones' (NSFW)

June 16, 2015, 3:00 pm

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Warning: The following video contains sexual content and many "Game of Thrones" spoilers. Those under 18 should not view it. Thank you.

On Sunday, "Game of Thrones" finished its fifth season, which means it’s once again time for a Huffington Post tradition: Our scholarly video round-up of all the sex and nudity on Season 5.

With roughly 6 minutes and 40 seconds of sex scenes and/or nakedness, the critically acclaimed show came back from its Season 4 “adult content” low of under 6 minutes. Still, it was unable to compete with the first three seasons' excessive nudity, which inspired TV critic Myles McNutt to coin the term “sexposition”

In terms of the nature of the naughty, as is often the case with "Game of Thrones," it was a mix of tantalizing and horrifying. Fortunately, perhaps learning from their previous experience, the showrunners spared us from witnessing the season’s most vile sex act –- the rape of Sansa Stark -- on camera. But there were still plenty of uncomfortable moments, most notably Cersei Lannister’s dehumanizing “walk of shame.” It’s a sequence responsible for nearly a third of the nudity this season, and some very conflicting emotions for "Game of Thrones" fans in a love/hate relationship with the Queen Regent.

Check out the full, very NSFW collection in the video below. Hopefully all the body heat can keep you warm during the long winter before the premiere of Season 6.





You can also watch the "Game of Thrones" Seasons 1 and 2 sex and nudity compilation, the Season 3 compilation and the Season 4 compilation.

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Matt McGorry Is Trying To Turn Guys Like Him Into Feminists

June 17, 2015, 7:52 am

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Matt McGorry is a rising Hollywood star, with leading roles in Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black" and ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder." He also happens to be a vocal feminist. 

McGorry's publicly-documented feminist education began in March, when he posted the definition of "feminism" on his Facebook wall. "I'm embarrassed to admit that I only recently discovered the ACTUAL definition of 'feminism,'" he wrote. "The fact that the term is sometimes clouded with anything other than pure support and positivity in our society is very tragic." 

 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I only recently discovered the ACTUAL definition of "feminism". The fact that the term is...

Posted by Matt McGorry on Thursday, March 5, 2015

Since then he's shut down people who think the wage gap is a myth, read Lean In, coined the hashtag #FeministBeastMode and educated his Twitter followers on the right (and wrong) way to talk about Caitlyn Jenner.

He recently spoke with Jezebel's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd about feminism, how he became so invested in the cause of gender equality and the potential allies he's trying to educate by speaking up.

There's no question that he's damn enthusiastic about spreading the feminist gospel -- and that he recognizes the platform he has as a famous white man. 

"The definition of feminism is so simple, and this many people are this excited and stimulated by it," he told Jezebel. "I have a unique position as a heterosexual white male, also, and there aren’t a lot who make this their thing, and this needs to be. The Emma Watson speech was huge, and now I’m, for lack of a better term, I’m balls-out."

McGorry urged people to allow others the ability to "f**k up" a little when it comes to feminist activism -- and then do better the next time. McGorry said that as he learns more about intersectionality he approaches friends of his for feedback before he posts things so that he can continue to learn, and be as sensitive as possible. 

 

Discussing 2 of life's most important issues: feminism and coffee #FeministAsFuck #leanintogether #heforshe #IAmAFeminist

A photo posted by Matt McGorry (@mattmcgorry) on May 19, 2015 at 12:40pm PDT

The actor also made it clear that the people he's targeting with his Facebook posts and tweets are men who aren't feminists out of ignorance. 

"The people I feel like I’m trying to go after are the good people who just maybe have blind spots about gender inequality like I did," McGorry said. "You know, a guy who’s a bigot who hates women is not gonna care what feminism means anyway, so I don’t need to go after him. But I’m trying to incorporate an easy way in for those people that don’t know a lot about it."

And best of all, he seems to really appreciate the badass women in his life. "I am surrounded by so many really strong, powerful, empowered women and that’s really wonderful and refreshing." 

We're just glad to have you as a part of this conversation, Matt.

To read the full interview, head over to Jezebel. 

 

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The Universal Sex Appeal Of 'OITNB’s' Ruby Rose

June 17, 2015, 7:52 am

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This post contains light spoilers from Season 3 of "Orange Is The New Black."

Like thousands of other Netflix enthusiasts, I spent any spare moment I had over the past weekend binge-watching the third season of the hit show "Orange Is The New Black." As I lost myself in another series of stories about the women serving time at Litchfield Penitentiary, I sporadically scanned Twitter to see what others thought of the season.

One sentiment I saw echoed over and over and over again was about how sexy actress and model Ruby Rose -- a.k.a. new inmate and Piper love interest Stella Carlin -- is. And many of the people Tweeting about her sex appeal were self-identified straight women (along with a few gay men). It seems that just about everyone is in love with Ruby Rose.

me: i'm straight ruby rose: *exists* me: nevermind

— tay (@taylormishelll) June 15, 2015

I think I would go straight for @RubyRose #stella #OITNBSeason3

— Tanner ✌ (@T_rem2) June 15, 2015

boy or girl, gay or straight, you're lying if you say you don't have a huge crush on Ruby Rose pic.twitter.com/u9o2dAfGdy

— kt (@ralph_katie) June 15, 2015

Even as a woman who considers herself straight (with a bit of wiggle room on the Kinsey scale), I hate the phrase "I'd go gay for fill-in-name-here." It most often serves as a way for straight people to try on queerness like a temporary tattoo, a nod to the fact that the person expressing the sentiment can see that another man or woman is super duper attractive, while still maintaining straight privilege. But the sentiment behind many of the Tweets I saw -- that you can have a specific sexual identity and still have sexual attractions that occasionally confound that identity -- rang true. 

There seems to be something in particular about androgynous characters -- and the actors who portray them -- that transcends sexual binaries. The reaction to fictional people like Stella Carlin, "The L Word's" Shane McCutcheon (played by Katherine Moennig) and pretty much every character Ian Somerhalder has ever played helps expose the cracks in the way we try to pigeonhole desire, gender and sexual identity into neat little boxes. (After all, attraction is some messy, confusing sh*t.)

 

A photo posted by Nikki Santana (@cosmic_nerd) on Jun 15, 2015 at 10:11am PDT

 

So exactly what is it about Stella that makes her so damn appealing, especially to people who wouldn't normally date women? (Though it's important to note that both Ruby Rose and the character she plays identify as somewhat gender-fluid.) Talking it over with my colleagues, a solid mix of both men and women, gay and straight, we concluded that much of her hotness comes down to attitude. She's assertive, confident to a fault, takes no bullshit, knows she's sexy as hell -- and owns it. 

"She has that powerful sexuality that’s not designed to appeal to male heterosexuality exclusively," Elizabeth J. Meyer, Assistant Professor at the School of Education California Polytechnic State University, told The Huffington Post, comparing Stella's sex appeal with Angelina Jolie's in "Tomb Raider." "It's more broadly desirable. 'I know who I am, I know what I want.' I think that’s very alluring to straight women and gay men who might want someone who has that strong, powerful personality that gives them the sense of being desired."

Androgyny also challenges conventional ideas about gender identity. When intensely beautiful, desirable characters play with aspects of both masculinity and femininity so visibly, it allows viewers to imagine their own desires in a more fluid way.

"Everybody wants to feel desirable and that’s what that androgynous character can do," said Meyer. "Anyone can feel that potential for desire with the absence of gender as the restrictive category." 

http://6thseason.tumblr.com/post/121541786706

And that's the transgressive power of televised fiction. When we see characters on-screen who challenge the way we categorize gender and sexuality, it allows us to play with our own attractions -- if for only an episode.

Ruby Rose's Stella certainly isn't the first androgynously sexy character on TV, but she might be the most accessible. "The L Word's" Shane was on television for six seasons from 2004-2009, but only on Showtime, a premium cable channel. And before she played Shane, Katherine Moennig and Ian Somerhalder were actually each other's gender-bending love interests (yes, seriously!) -- but only for one low-rated summer season of "Young Americans" on The WB in 2000. (If you haven't seen it, just check out the scenes those two are in together. It's hard to say who's more attractive.) 

"'The L Word' lived in an ivory tower of the entertainment industry," said Meyer. "Now, ['OITNB'] being on Netflix, it completely democratizes who can and will engage with it."

As of January 2015, Netflix reported 57 million subscribers worldwide. That's a hell of an audience, most of whom can hop on Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram after watching to talk about it. And that is damn powerful.

Here's to you, Stella. Thanks for doing your part to expose just how complex sexuality is -- and for makin' us feel all the feels. 

Here's lookin' at you, Stella.

Also on HuffPost...

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We're Getting Closer To Official Cheese, Hot Dog And Eye-Roll Emojis

June 17, 2015, 8:18 am

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Your prayers have been answered. The supreme rulers at Unicode (the organization that writes the codes that become emojis) have spoken. Unicode announced Wednesday that it's created the code behind a bunch of new emojis. Here's what you can look forward to:

• Bottle with popping cork


• Burrito


• Cheese wedge


• Hot dog


• Popcorn


• Taco


• Turkey


• Unicorn face


• Badminton racquet


• Cricket bat and ball


• Field hockey stick and ball


• Ice hockey stick and puck


• Table tennis paddle and ball


• Volleyball


• Upside-down face


• Face with rolling eyes


• Zipper-mouth face


• Money-mouth face


• Face with thermometer


• Nerd face


• Thinking face


• Face with head bandage


• Robot face


• Hugging face


• Sign of the horns


• Amphora


• Crab


• Bow and arrow


• Lion face


• Scorpion


• Prayer beads


• Kaaba


• Mosque


• Synagogue


• Menorah with nine branches


• Place of worship

Cheese? Taco? Unicorn? ROLLING EYES? We're in heaven!

We'll likely have to wait a while, though. Unicode writing the code for an emoji is just the first step. Then Apple, Microsoft and Google have to create the images to go with the code -- and it's up to them which ones they create. Just because Unicode made it possible for you to have a cheese emoji, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll get one.

But keep praying and keep making lists on which emojis you want. Unicode is obviously listening!

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20 Photos That Show What It's Like To Be A Stay-At-Home Dad

June 17, 2015, 9:28 am

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According to 2014 reports from Pew Research Center, stay-at-home dads account for more than 16 percent of at-home parents -- up from just 10% in 1989.

This is not surprising, as studies have shown that dads are more involved in their children's lives than ever -- a far cry from the "bumbling dad" stereotype that is long overdue for retirement.

In honor of Father's Day, we asked the stay-at-home dads of the HuffPost Parents Facebook community for photos that capture their experience.

Here are 20 photos that show what it looks like to be a stay-at-home dad. (Click here to for a look at what some working dads had to share about their experiences.)





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14 Muslims On Instagram That You Need To Follow This Ramadan

June 17, 2015, 9:46 am

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Muslims are making a big splash on Instagram as they use the app to share beautifully crafted photos of food, fashion and faith.

We found these 14 Muslims from around the world particularly interesting, and hope they might provide inspiration during Ramadan for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

@ibtihajmuhammad

Happiness can be found in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn to the light ✨ Jummah Mubarak!

A photo posted by Ibtihaj Muhammad (@ibtihajmuhammad) on May 8, 2015 at 1:33pm PDT

Ibtihaj Muhammad is an internationally renowned fencing champion. She started fencing when she was 13 years old, attracted by the fact that fencers are fully covered while they compete -- which ties in nicely with her religious practice. She’s currently training for the 2016 Olympic Games in London, where she’s slated to become the first representative from Team USA to compete while wearing a hijab. Muhammad is also the founder of Louella, a fashion company for women looking for modest clothing.


@khd_uae

Light Of Faith #أحادي_انستقرامي

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Khalid Al Hammadi (@khd_uae) on Oct 14, 2014 at 1:12am PDT

Khalid Al Hammadi calls himself an amateur photographer in his bio, but his pictures tell another story. His shots from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, are stunning.


@dilmunicouple

Thanks to Gulf Daily News for covering part of our adventure "walking around Bahrain in 5 days" Link: www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=395278 شكرا لل GDN على تغطيتها لمغامرة المشي حول البحرين خلال ٥ أيام. #Bahrain #Travel #DilmuniBahrain #WalkBahrain #DiscoverBahrain

A photo posted by Hussain & Mariam حسين و مريم (@dilmunicouple) on Feb 8, 2015 at 9:24am PST

Hussain and Mariam are a husband-wife pair from Bahrain. They’ve acquired quite a few stamps on their passports ever since they decided to make traveling their full-time job. They’re currently journeying through Iran.


@aymanm

Jan 17, 2015 | Beit Hanon, Gaza Strip. Reporting on a street that literally didn't have a single building intact. Entire neighborhoods that were reduced to rubble remain unlivable and yet people have no choice but to live amidst the ruins. #latergram photo courtesy NBC News' @samedwajjeh #gaza #israel #roadmapmsnbc

A photo posted by Ayman Mohyeldin (@aymanm) on Jan 17, 2015 at 5:59am PST

Ayman Mohyeldin is a foreign correspondent for NBC News. His Instagram feed has gritty and haunting images from the Middle East, where he’s covered the trial of Saddam Hussein, the Arab Spring and the outbreak of war in Gaza.





@salehnass

#99Names

A photo posted by Saleh Nass صالح ناس (@salehnass) on Jun 14, 2015 at 7:07am PDT

Saleh Nass is a film director and producer who shares photos from all over the Middle East.


@hasanminhaj

I woke up like dis.

A photo posted by Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) on Jun 4, 2015 at 6:24am PDT

The ridiculously funny Hasan Minhaj is currently a cast member on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” where he recently made headlines with his tongue-in-cheek sketch on how Muslims can be less scary.


@habdullah39

Locked in. A clean pic/edit from @65tptphotog #ChiefsKingdom

A photo posted by Husain Abdullah (@habdullah39) on Feb 16, 2015 at 4:21pm PST

Husain Abdullah, who plays safety for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, dedicates himself to the Ramadan fast every year -- even during football season.

"I'm putting nothing before God, nothing before my religion," Abdullah told The Associated Press. "This is something I choose to do, not something I have to do. So I'm always going to fast."


@nashplateful

Such a great honor to see my pictures at the @seemydoha expo at Souq Waqif Art Center. And that too as a jury member this year from being a finalist last time, ha. What an amazing journey it has been. Feeling blessed. Thank you SO much @mariannehope @mojaidah @chevyqatar @seemycity!

A photo posted by Nashira Usef (@nashplateful) on May 29, 2015 at 4:33am PDT

Nashira Abdul Hameed is a food blogger with an incredible eye for photos. She’s originally from Kerala, India, and is now living in and sharing photos from Doha, Qatar.



@withloveleena

Hey girls!! Here are a few of my recent favorites from the blog. Tell me your fave! 1, 2, or 3? It's raining here all week so I can't take any new pics

A photo posted by Leena (@withloveleena) on Jun 16, 2015 at 12:41pm PDT

Leena Asad is a nursing student who posts gorgeous photos of her outfits and her travels. She’s engaged and slated to tie the knot in about a year, so follow along as she plans her big Texas wedding.


@Imansalam

{Nepal} "We are the life we lead" #faith Day 7

A photo posted by F A I T H F U L L Y Y O U R S (@imansalam) on Apr 16, 2015 at 6:48pm PDT

@Imansalam is a blogger from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, whose Instagram feed is a mix of fashion and inspiring quotes.


@amandasplate

What a WILD ride! @masterchefonfox lol whose watching? #TeamAmandaSaab

A photo posted by Amanda Saab (@amandasplate) on Jun 3, 2015 at 8:26pm PDT

Amanda Saab is a social worker by day and a serious foodie by night. She was selected as a contestant on Fox’s cooking competition "Master Chef" -- and may be the first hijabi to enter an American cooking show.



@zamaaan

Sudan,1970s, السودان

A photo posted by zamaaan (@zamaaan) on May 2, 2015 at 4:13am PDT

@zamaan posts a fascinating mix of vintage, crowd-sourced family photos of the Muslim world.


@maraakil

Everything about #TheGameChangers #ESSENCEMag shoot was PERFECT!!! This is dedicated to @jamesknox, our stylist for the shoot! He had a vision and pulled us ALL together and made us feel and look stunning!! THANK YOU, JAMES!!!

A photo posted by @maraakil on Apr 18, 2015 at 4:22pm PDT

Mara Brock Akil is a television writer and producer whose credits range from “South Central” to “Being Mary Jane.” BET has called her a “trailblazer for women in television.”


@ummahwide

Life is in the details #beauty #Ihsan #Strive #Allah

A photo posted by Ummah Wide (@ummahwide) on Apr 25, 2015 at 8:33pm PDT

Ummah Wide is a media startup company that aims to tell stories that “transcend the global borders and boundaries of the Muslim, Interfaith, and Human family.” Follow their Instagram account for breathtaking photos of Muslim life around the world.



Did we miss any of your favorite Muslim Instagrammers? Tell us in the comments below.

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Lawyers Ready Evidence That Could Free Imprisoned Rapper 'Mac' Phipps

June 17, 2015, 10:49 am

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Rapper McKinley Phipps, who was known by the stage name "Mac the Camouflage Assassin," was convicted just days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the shooting death of a teenage fan at one of his shows.

Now, after five prosecution witnesses told The Huffington Post that police and prosecutors in Louisiana bullied them into fingering the once-promising hip-hop artist as the gunman, his lawyers say they have enough evidence to prove what Phipps has been saying the past 15 years: that he was the victim of a runaway, overaggressive prosecution.

"There is an undeniable pattern of irregularities that is very easy to see," Covington-based defense attorney Buddy Spell told The Huffington Post. "We're talking about major flaws in the testimony that was presented to the jury -- testimony that no longer stands up."

• Rapper Killer Mike Deplores Prosecution Of McKinley Phipps


• Prosecutor Used Hip-Hop As A Weapon To Convict Mac Phipps


• Eyewitnesses Join Family In Plea For New Trial


• Witnesses: DA Bullied Testimony That Put Rapper Away For 30 Years


• More McKinley "Mac" Phipps Coverage

Phipps, serving 30 years for manslaughter in the Feb. 21, 2000, shooting death of a fan at a concert in St. Tammany Parish, was convicted by a jury that heard from an eyewitness who told HuffPost in an exclusive interview that she lied when she fingered him as the gunman because prosecutors threatened to charge her. Four other witnesses to the shooting told HuffPost they also were threatened, intimidated or outright ignored by investigators.

The witnesses in recent months have signed sworn affidavits and met with Phipps' legal team, which includes Spell and his partner, Tara Zeller.

MAC PERFORMING ON STAGE: (Story Continues Below)


At the time of Phipps' arrest, he was a 22-year-old rising star in the New Orleans area. Master P had signed him to No Limit Records, alongside Snoop Dogg and Mystikal. He had recently released "World War III," featuring cuts such as "Assassin Nation," "Genocide" and "War Party."

When Phipps went to trial, St. Tammany Parish Assistant District Attorney Bruce Dearing misleadingly spliced together lyrics from two of Phipps' songs, according to a Huffington Post review of Phipps' conviction published earlier this year.

Spell declined to comment on Dearing, but he did say he found "using Mac's lyrics against him -- his art -- was offensive."

Dearing worked under former St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed, who left office in January. Reed, who was first elected to office in 1984, has since been indicted by a federal grand jury on 18 counts, including charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

McKinley Phipps Jr., left, with his father McKinley Phipps Sr.

Contacted by HuffPost on Monday, Lisa Frazier Page, a spokeswoman for the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney's Office, said District Attorney Warren Montgomery "will fulfill his responsibility to respond to the allegations" when he meets with Phipps' legal team. However, Spell said he expects Montgomery to recuse himself. "He did in fact indicate to me that is likely what he's going to do because he did look into the case himself before he became district attorney," Spell said.

According to Spell, Phipps' parents had approached Montgomery when he was operating a private practice. Montgomery confirmed the meeting in a recent interview with The New Orleans Advocate.

"I anticipate I will be dealing with the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office when we present the case," Spell said. "We have a very good working relationship with that office, so we look forward to reaching some sort of resolution."

The Mac Story (Story Continues Below)




For his part, Phipps says he is trying to stay positive. "I just want to be out with my family and my son," he told HuffPost. "Over the years, there have been several times when I really thought that I would be exonerated. I don't know what will ultimately happen, but I've always thought it can't possibly rain forever."

Spell said he expects to present Phipps' case to the prosecution in mid-July. "We visited with Mac last week and we also met another witness that further confirmed Mac did not receive a fair trial," he said. "We are looking forward to working with the state to bring this matter to a more just conclusion as quickly as possible."

For Phipps' family, that meeting can't come soon enough. "After 15 years of fighting for my son's innocence, this is the first time my family and I feel confident about his legal team," Phipps' mom, Sheila Phipps, told HuffPost.

"I am very confident in the legal prowess of both Mr. Spell and Ms. Zeller," added McKinley Phipps' fiancee, Angelique Christina. "I trust that they will be able to quickly right this very unforgivable wrong in the most amicable way possible."





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Dads Of Daughters Show They Can Do The Whole Hair Thing In Sweet Ad

June 17, 2015, 10:49 am

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Given that men in Western society typically have short hair, dads of daughters are often not as prepared for one small aspect of parenthood -- helping little girls with their curls, braids, ponytails, pigtails, updos and the like.

But that doesn't mean they can't step up to the plate.

To celebrate Father's Day, Goody Hair decided to give some dads of daughters a little extra guidance with their "Dad Beauty School." The hairstyles that the little girls reveal at the end of the video show that dads, like moms, can tackle any parenting challenge head-on.



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Little Boy Rockin' A Sparkly Fedora Shows Up Pharrell On Stage At Concert

June 17, 2015, 11:37 am

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Getchya life, little dude!

At a Pharrell concert in Leeds, England last Friday, 7-year-old Dylan Barraclough totally stole the show with some spectacular dance moves.

Pharrell invited youngsters at the show to come on stage for his performance of "Happy," and Dylan really went for it. Watch him in the video above showing off some sweet spins, turns and a killer moonwalk -- all while wearing a super fly, sparkly black fedora. Yas, Dylan!

Dylan’s dad, who took the video, can be heard in the background whooping it up for his son, calling out “That’s my boy! That’s my boy!”

“I must admit I got a little lost in the moment,” he wrote on YouTube. “I do feel slightly embarrassed when watching it back now but let's be honest....it's not everyday your child gets to dance on stage with a global superstar and wow the audience.”

Wow the audience, he did. And Dylan knows he’s got the moves.

“I was a little bit excited and I thought it was really good for my first gig,” the 7-year-old told Yorkshire Evening Post. “I just made it up as I went along, and Pharrell gave me a high-five at the end.”

We can all just sit down now.

H/T Mashable

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Dad Gives Newborn Photos A Twist With Creative Special Effects

June 17, 2015, 12:40 pm

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Johannesburg dad Marc Kornberger has some truly imaginative ideas when it comes to newborn photography.

When his son Aidan was just 3-months-old, the new dad put his budding Photoshop skills to the test and created a series of fantasy-themed images. "I had seen all the usual boring pics parents were sharing of their kids," he told The Huffington Post, adding, "I wanted to do something different that utilized my creativity."

Filled with effects, many of Kornberger's photos are inspired by real parenting experiences. For example, the image of Aidan on the changing table is based on an rather messy projectile moment during a diaper change. "Now I understand where unconditional love comes from," the dad joked. The photo that casts Kornberger as a juggler symbolizes "the amount of juggling that had to be done as a parent," he added.



Kornberger says many people asked him where he found the time as a new father to put together this series. But, he added, "that was exactly it -- I had a new influx of awake time." Struggling to fall back asleep after the baby woke up multiple times each night, he sometimes played around with pictures on Photoshop during those wee hours.

"I realized that despite the demands of new parenthood, that I could still tap into my most creative side to not only bond with my son, but also have something he will always be able to look back on and laugh and remember what a spazz (ahem, I mean cool dad) he had," he said.

Kornberger hopes that other parents who see his photos will feel a sense of wonder in taking a brief break from their day-to-day schedules. "Being a new parent is tough. Sometimes I felt like a butler looking after this little human day in, day out," he said.

"It’s not the mundane routine of changing nappies and feeding bottles parents will remember, it’s the unique moments they create in between that make it all worthwhile and something to remember."



H/T BoredPanda



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8 Gorgeous Portraits Show That Fighting Fires Is Women's Work

June 17, 2015, 12:49 pm

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“There’s an old saying about the fire department: ‘150 years of tradition unimpeded by progress,’” says Captain Tracey Chin, who’s been an Oakland firefighter for 16 years. “But here, that culture has changed.”

Three years ago, Teresa Deloach Reed was named Oakland’s fire chief, becoming the first black woman in the country to lead a major fire department. Since then, the 28-year firefighting veteran has made it her mission to bring more women into the ranks. The department currently employs 43 women -- 10 percent of the force, more than double the national average -- but the chief hopes to increase those numbers during her tenure. “I think everybody here has a story or two about someone questioning whether you can do the job,” says Chin. But Reed brushes off gender stereotypes. “Men can be just as comforting as women,” she says. “All this ‘caring’ stuff is secondary.”

To give a boost to aspiring probies preparing for the grueling Candidate Physical Ability Test, the department recently invested in a range of training equipment, from sledgehammers to StairMasters. “The recruitment effort is really, really critical right now,” says Reed. “When the time comes for me to retire, I want to make sure there are women of color who will step up.”

Zoraida Diaz (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Tracey Chin (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Lisa Baker (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Candice Koshman (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Paula Vaughan (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Jamie M. Knudsen (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Nicole McCall (Photo: Margo Moritz)

Shonda Leary (Photo: Margo Moritz)

This story originally appeared in San Francisco Magazine.

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This Is What Happens When Photographers Go Green -- Literally

June 17, 2015, 12:52 pm

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"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises," Pedro Calderon de la Barca once said. We can't deny there is something enchanting about the particular hue, that which tints everything from the grass beneath our feet to the dollars in our pockets.


Photo by Chantal Adair/Snapwire. From Iceland.


Unripened fruit, zucchini, turtles, frogs, mint chocolate chip ice cream, limes, herbs, olives, emeralds, avocados, parakeets -- there are infinite examples of green doing its gorgeous thing all around us. So, we decided to capture some of it on film. We challenged photographers worldwide to snap their best "Monochromatic Green" image, and the results are, well, very green.

Take a look at the winning image above and the runners up below -- and have a very green day!

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Photos Show Once-Beautiful Soviet Space Shuttles In Apparently Abandoned Kazakhstan Hangar

June 17, 2015, 1:44 pm

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These rockets should be in a museum.

Russian photographer Ralph Mirebs was exploring a massive space launch facility in the deserts of southern Kazakhstan when he came upon an old Soviet spacecraft (and a full-size model) in one of the facility's giant hangars, Gizmodo reports.

Mirebs snapped the stunning photos of the apparently abandoned spacecraft in the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility and uploaded them to the social network Live Journal on June 3. While the facility is still in use, the two vessels appear to have been gathering dust for years.

The two spaceships are reportedly products of the Soviet Union's Buran program, which ran from 1974 to 1993. In 1988, the program succeeded in sending an unmanned Buran shuttle in two orbits around the earth in under four hours. That shuttle, called the OK-1K1, was destroyed in 2002 when the roof of the Baikonur Cosmodrome hangar where it was being stored collapsed.

Following the disaster, the OK-1K1's sister space shuttle (officially called OK-1K2 but nicknamed "Little Bird") was moved to a different hangar at the launch facility, where it still sits today, according to Ars Technica.



(Hat tip, Gizmodo)

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25 Candid Wedding Photos That Are Too Much Freakin' Fun

June 17, 2015, 2:05 pm

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Don't get us wrong: we love a good posed wedding photo as much as the next person. But often it's the kooky candid shots that are the most memorable.

Below are 25 delightfully unrehearsed wedding photos from some stellar photographers. You'll definitely get a kick out of these.



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Northwestern Faculty Magazine Censored Over Article About Nurse Blow Job

June 17, 2015, 2:08 pm

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Digital issues of an annual magazine published by Northwestern University's Medical Humanities and Bioethics Program are now back online after school officials allegedly took them down in response to an essay that described a nurse giving a patient a blow job in 1978.

Each Atrium issue is themed around a different topic, and the Winter 2104 issue focused on the idea of "Bad Girls." It included an essay by Syracuse University professor William Peace, who described an experience in a hospital (not Northwestern) in which a "head nurse" performed oral sex on him after he was paralyzed at the age of 18 and started using a wheelchair.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a free speech watchdog group, wrote in a May 26 letter sent to Northwestern President Morton Schapiro that Feinberg School of Medicine Dean Eric Neilson was "allegedly very concerned" by the content of Peace's article, "worrying that it was incompatible with the 'brand' of FSM and of Northwestern Medicine, the corporate parent overseeing the hospital system that includes FSM’s primary teaching hospital."

Emails obtained by The Huffington Post also show administrators expressing concern that the article could threaten a "branding agreement" with the medical school and the hospital, and that it could suggest the hospital doesn't value nurses or that it condones sexual relationships between patients health care workers.

After administrators raised concerns about the issue's content, "Bad Girls" and all other Atrium issues were taken offline.

Alice Dreger, a Northwestern professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics who was the guest editor for the "Bad Girls" issue, said she worked with Northwestern to try to get the school to reverse its decision. According to Dreger, school officials agreed to put the other issues back online, but not the Winter 2014 one. The print version of the magazine has a subscription base of roughly 3,000 people, but the digital versions are available online for free.

Dreger recently wrote a book about academic freedom. "If Penguin wanted to write me a publicity stunt, this is exactly what they would do," she said, referring to her book publisher.



Biting her tongue for 14 months, Dreger held off on going public with her battle over the "Bad Girls" issue until she saw the lengthy Title IX investigation of Northwestern film professor Laura Kipnis, who caused a firestorm with an essay published in February in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Dreger said the investigation into Kipnis, coupled with continued stonewalling from administrators and her observations of the way other universities were handling professors' speech, prompted her to open up about the Atrium problems.

But on May 18, one day after Dreger told administrators she was going to go public, the issue "magically" went back online, she said. Dreger shared an email from one Northwestern official with HuffPost that read, "At the current time we have no objection to ... reposting the prior published Atrium issues."

"It's just so shocking to me that I was dealing with a problem involving one blow job in 1978 when I would've been 12 years old," Dreger said.

Neilson, the medical school dean, deferred a request for an interview to the university's press office. A Northwestern spokesperson provided a statement saying the university honors "academic freedom." The university declined follow-up requests for answers to HuffPost's actual questions.

Dreger and Kristi Kirschner, who also wrote an article for the "Bad Girls" issue, both told HuffPost that future issues of the magazine will now be subject to approval from a new committee made up of senior administrators and public relations staff from the university. FIRE took issue with this pre-publication review process in its May 26 letter.

"This raises serious concerns not only for Atrium’s autonomy but also for that of any faculty or departmental publication that dares to venture into uncomfortable or controversial territory," Peter Bonilla, director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program, wrote. "It is particularly concerning that this should occur at a medical school, where the spirit of unfettered inquiry and debate ought to be especially robust, given the potential implications for humankind of their outcomes."

Kirschner resigned her clinical professor position in December 2014 after nearly two decades working with the university. She said her choice was "in no small part due to changes in the academic milieu" and the "attack" on the faculty magazine.

FIRE requested a response to its letter by June 9, but so far, the university has not said anything. Bonilla said he worries the censorship could have a "chilling effect" on other faculty and represents a threat to academic freedom.

"It's a road that most universities don't want to go down," he said. "It can call their credibility on any number of other things."

"There is an inherent tension within academic medical centers between the missions of the hospital and the university, but recently the commercial interests of the hospital are dominant," Kirschner said. "The tipping point at Northwestern was the 2013 purchase of the university faculty practice by Northwestern Memorial Healthcare. Northwestern's medical school is no longer the institution I was proud to be a part of for a quarter century."

Peace told HuffPost he figured the article would be controversial -- not least due to his provocative language -- but he hoped it could take on a stigma about sexuality and people with disabilities. The most common question he's always been asked, Peace said, is "Can you have sex?"

"It's remarkable that taboo has not changed," Peace said. "I would like to believe the world is ready for it, but I guess it wasn't."

FIRE Letter to Northwestern University, May 26, 2015 by Tyler Kingkade

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Fierce T-Ball Players Redefine Squad Goals With 'Frozen'-Themed Team Photo

June 17, 2015, 2:10 pm

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A group of fierce little T-ball players are taking the Internet by storm with their "Frozen"-themed team photo.

Oklahoma mom and photographer Betsy Gregory took the picture of her daughter's team of 4 and 5-year-old girls dressed as Elsa and rocking some serious game faces.

Gregory told The Huffington Post that she and some other moms came up with the idea for a "Frozen" softball team as a way to get their Elsa-loving daughters excited about the sport. Though the team name was originally going to be the "Sparkling Elsas," they ended up going with something a little more intimidating -- the "Freeze."



When it came time to take team pictures, the girls posed cheerfully in their traditional uniforms. But the real fun started when they put on their Elsa dresses and eye black and made "tough girl" faces.

Gregory posted the "Frozen"-themed team photo on Facebook -- both on her own profile and other pages like Sports Illustrated Kids, where it received over 8,000 likes.

The photographer said she and the other team parents are "humbled and grateful" for the overwhelming response to the picture, which they see as "#GirlPower" in action. "What started as a little spark of imagination has turned into something much greater. What a great memory this will be for these girls many years down the road!"

They were especially blown away when Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter shared the team photo on her Twitter and Facebook page.

Gregory hopes her photo will show young girls that "it is really OK to try anything" and that they don't have to choose between "being a princess and getting dirty."

She also thinks the message is consistent with the Always "Like A Girl" campaign. "We want the girls to be proud of who they are and feel empowered to take on this crazy world we live in!"

As for the girls themselves, they "love" the photo, Gregory said. "My daughter is the little catcher in the middle and she has loved every second of playing," she added.

"The picture was icing on the cake to our fun and adventurous season!"

Keep scrolling and visit Betsy Gregory's website and Facebook page for more photos of this badass softball team.



H/T BuzzFeed



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Ludwig Bemelmans' Paintings Offer Unique Glimpse Into The World Of 'Madeline'

June 18, 2015, 6:01 am

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Since the first book’s publication in 1939, the name “Madeline” has become practically synonymous with a certain red-headed, brave-hearted schoolgirl who lived in an old house in Paris all covered in vines.


Lot 26, Ludwig Bemelmans, "But in London There’s A Place to Get A Retired Horse To Keep as a Pet," from Madeline in London (Published 1961). Original gouache and ink drawing on board, signed "Bemelmans" in black ink, (30 x 21 in.; 763 x 533mm), c. 1960–61). Glazed and framed (not examined out of frame). Est. $30,000/50,000

The Madeline books, written and illustrated by Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, number among the most beloved children’s classics, in large part because of their spunky little heroine. “She was not afraid of mice — / She loved winter, snow, and ice,” we learn. Hardcore.

Bemelmans’ charming, color-saturated illustrations undeniably set the books apart, however. In slanting, inky lines and bold red-yellow-and-blue, Madeleine and her comrades stamp themselves firmly in our mind’s eye. Bemelmans’ art conjures a childlike, fairy tale world, where being different makes a little girl special and celebrated, and where the world seems eternally colorful and full of promise.


Lot 27, Ludwig Bemelmans, "These Birds Have Seen All This Before," from Madeline in London (Published 1961). Original gouache and ink drawing, signed "Bemelmans" in black ink, (23 1/4 x 36 in.; 591 x 914mm), c. 1960–61), with faint inked oval stamp in the lower margin reading "Bemelmans/Madeline." Glazed and framed (not examined out of frame). Est. $30,000/50,000

In a few lush original Madeline artworks, on auction at Sotheby’s New York this month, Bemelmans’ gifts are on full display in two studies for Madeline in London and a Parisian street scene from the same period. The familiar hat-bedecked girls are out and about, in two straight lines, framed by arresting sketches of flamingos, red-clad horsemen and imposing castles.

And as usual, the smallest one is Madeline.


Lot 29, Ludwig Bemelmans, "Parisian Street Scene with Madeline, Miss Clavel, and Pupils," (Late 1950’s –early 1960’s). Original gouache and ink drawing on paper, signed "Bemelmans" in black ink, (23 1/2 x 17 1/4 in.; 597 x 438mm), c. late 1950's–early 1960's. Matted, glazed and framed. Est. $25,000/35,000

The Madeline sale will take place during Sotheby’s Fine Books and Manuscripts auction on June 19.

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Photographers Address The Pain And Glory Of Violent Sports

June 18, 2015, 6:02 am

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A young man sits proudly, arms crossed. His steady gaze is fixed on something we can’t see. He’s posed like a classical figure or a prom king in a yearbook photo -- the latter might’ve been true at some point. He’s an athlete on the Yale rugby team, and although his portrait gives him a regal air, he’s got a bloody gash just short of his eye.

The photo is from a series of portraits taken by Amy Elkins, a photographer whose work often focuses on how we define masculinity. The series, "Elegant Violence," will be featured in a show aggregating art concerning sports this fall.

Elkins had been grappling with how to capture the physical impact rugby has on its players, as a contact sport for which players wear little padding or physical protection, when she stumbled upon vintage portraits of athletes in glorifying poses from as early as the 1870s.

“Something about the mix of those two worlds clicked and made me want to make formal studio portraits like the ones I had seen but on the sidelines of these hyper-violent games, showing the wear and tear of the game on each player,” Elkins told The Huffington Post.

Elkins acknowledges that the sport is among those that marry violence and masculinity, but that this problem is made more complex when considering the safe outlet for aggression the sport can offer.

“I think it can certainly be a problem to portray masculinity and violence as one and the same because it reinforces the idea in young boys that they have to be violent to prove that they are men," she said, with caveats, “That near-savage state of play in the rugby matches I went to seemed to always dissolve shortly after the game ended. It seemed in many ways a place to let off steam.”

Her work is especially compelling when compared with a more recent photo project by Alejandra Carles-Tolra, who photographed the Brown women’s rugby team -- one of the only all-girls teams in the country. She aimed to represent the influence of team sports on identity, and claims that the typically narrow stereotype applied to rugby is complicated on a women’s team.

“Rugby has a complex identity that is often simplified, and hence the identity of those who play it, especially women, is often also simplified,” Carles-Tolra told The Huffington Post. “I'm interested in enhancing the dualities that define both the sport and the athletes: violence and grace, weakness and strength, masculine and feminine.”

View Elkins's work at The Sports Show later this year, and Carles-Tolra's work on her portfolio.

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Henri Matisse And James Joyce Collaboration Heads To Auction For Over $10,000

June 18, 2015, 6:12 am

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What happens when two of the 20th century’s greatest artists team up to produce a gold-embossed, illustrated book? That book's value, just $15 in 1935, will bloom to a price of over $10,000 a mere 80 years later.

The item of interest is a copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses, which goes on sale June 24 at Bonhams Auction House. First editions of the author’s 1922 modernist masterpiece have long fetched high prices. But this one has an added kick: illustrations by Henri Matisse.

Back in 1935, 1,500 copies signed by the French artist were printed and sold for a paltry $10. Joyce elected to add his signature to 250 -- which made those copies worth an extra $5. A variety of other Joyce materials are up for auction at Bonhams this June, such as first editions of Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, as well as The Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies illustrated by Joyce’s daughter, Lucia.

Amidst the flood of Joyce materials, what makes the Matisse-illustrated Ulysses so special?


Courtesy of Bonhams

One answer is the conceptual link between the artists. Though one worked in words, the other primarily paint, both Matisse and Joyce challenged our assumptions that art should represent “objective” reality. Matisse strayed from conventional colors and forms in order to better capture the expressive, emotional sides of his subjects and scenes. Joyce dove into the complexities of the human consciousness, inventing language and literary devices better suited to rendering the interior mind. Both, in their ways, wanted to convey how people subjectively experience the world, a preoccupation that caused them to radically innovate -- and scandalize -- the art and literary worlds.

And how did their parallel projects come together? The collaboration was the brainchild of George Macey, an American publisher who pitched the idea and $5,000 to Matisse. Pairing two such geniuses may seem outlandish today -- Can you imagine Jeff Koons illustrating Zadie Smith’s next novel? -- but Matisse was known for his interest in artistic partnership. In fact, he first used the paper cut-outs technique for the set design of "Le Chant du rossignol," an opera by famed composer Igor Stravinsky.

The book up for auction next week, though, may not reflect Matisse's most collaborative spirit. It’s widely believed that he never actually read Joyce’s infamously difficult tome -- which isn’t hard to believe when you see the etchings. They depict scenes from The Odyssey, and while the Homeric epic structures Ulysses, Joyce’s book takes place in modern Dublin, not ancient Greece. Homer's one-eyed Cyclops became, in Joyce's novel, a narrow-minded Irish citizen at a bar, but Matisse stuck with the original mythology. In addition to those Cyclops drawings, Matisse added sketches for the Calypso, Aeolus, Nausicaa, Circe and Ithaca episodes. Whether his works are the result of insightful rumination on Homeric-Joycean parallels or just pure laziness is hard to tell.


Courtesy of Megan Rosenbloom/Flickr

At times, though, the two masters' arts come together with poignant grace. Matisse's stunning cover, “Nausicaa,” appears to be a timepiece, but look more closely and you’ll see interlocking female bodies encased inside a golden celestial orb. Joyce was fascinated with the relationship between femininity, time, and the planets. “What special affinities appeared to him to exist between the moon and woman?” asks the narrator in the penultimate chapter.

So maybe Matisse did tap into the writer's mind, or maybe their works had a natural affinity. They were, after all, exploring similar questions in different media.

We’ll let you be the judge. Here's the rest of the Ulysses excerpt answering the narrator's question on relations between woman and moon. Is there enough aesthetic resonance between his art and Matisse's to warrant that $10,000 price tag?

Her antiquity in preceding and surviving successive tellurian generations: her nocturnal predominance: her satellitic dependence: her luminary reflection: her constancy under all her phases, rising and setting by her appointed times, waxing and waning: the forced invariability of her aspect: her indeterminate response to inaffirmative interrogation: her potency over effluent and refluent waters: her power to enamour, to mortify, to invest with beauty, to render insane, to incite to and aid delinquency: the tranquil inscrutability of her visage: the terribility of her isolated dominant implacable resplendent propinquity: her omens of tempest and of calm: the stimulation of her light, her motion and her presence: the admonition of her craters, her arid seas, her silence: her splendour, when visible: her attraction, when invisible.

Courtesy of Bonhams

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