Joni Ernst Gets Laughed Out Of The Room After Calling For Impeachment
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst introduced legislation this week to ban "Meatless Mondays" from the military. Sen. Ernst--who represents the No. 2 meat-producing state--says that "our men and women in uniform should have the option to consume the protein they need, including meat, on a daily basis." But banning Meatless Mondays and promoting the protein myth is a disservice to service members, increasing their risk for obesity, diabetes, and early death.
The military has seen a 61 percent rise in obesity since 2002, according to the nonprofit Mission: Readiness. Protein from meat is one of the causes. A recent study found that people who ate large quantities of protein and a small amount of carbohydrates were almost twice as likely to gain more than 10 percent of their body weight and experienced a 59 percent increase in all-cause mortality during the study.
Of course, protein is an important nutrient required for the building, maintenance, and repair of tissues in the body. But replacing protein from animal products with a variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables can provide all of the essential amino acids our bodies require--without the risks associated with meat and dairy products.
In fact, switching from beef to beans can actually reduce diabetes risk. A recent study found that those who consumed the highest amount of animal protein increased their risk for type 2 diabetes by 13 percent, but found that participants who replaced 5 percent of their protein intake with vegetable protein, including potatoes, legumes, and grains, decreased their risk for diabetes by 23 percent.
Meatless meals can also mitigate the risk for early death. Another study found that people younger than 65 who ate the most animal protein had a 74 percent increased risk for death from any cause and a four-fold increase in death related to cancer. Risks for death were diminished or absent when protein sources were plant-derived.
If Sen. Joni Ernst really wanted what"s best for our military members, she"d mandate Meatless Mondays, instead of increasing their mortality risk with meat.
Fourth of July FAIL! - How Many Stars on the American Flag? - Zombie U.S. Citizens Don"t Know!
The Fourth of July is a great holiday. I love summer, and I love pools, and I love a day off to eat things that were cooked on a grill.I would have none of these without democracy, and for that, and obviously the persistent if not always consistent or equitable freedom to do as I please, I am grateful.
i don"t want to eat a flag!
The one thing I don"t totally get about Fourth of July is why everyone while they should be kicking back and having unpleasant political conversations with their uncles bends over backwards to make complicated patriotic desserts. First of all, they don"t taste any better than regular desserts and 90 percent of the time they actually taste worse. Second, no one cares if their dessert looks like a flag, and it won"t at all once they start eating it. Third, your flavor options are so limited if everything has to be red, white, and blue did you ever stop to think this whole ritual has been orchestrated by Big Cool Whip, Big Blueberry, Big Strawberry, and Big White Chocolate Wafers That Everyone Hates So Why The Heck Do We Eat Them?
If one were looking for metaphors (which one isn"t, because there"s no WORK today), one could say that an impossible elaborate, decadent, and impossible-to-consume dessert is a metaphor for the country we are celebrating. And so, the Fourth of July dessert is to food what Jerry Bruckheimer film is to cinema.
Here are some examples of desserts I do not want:
A fruit tart flag
A cake flag
A cake flag, but in a roll
A cake flag with a cupcake in the middle of it
A cake flag with America-themed M&M"s
A cookie flag
A cake with a secret flag
A cupcake with a secret flag
A trifle with sparklers on top (speaking from experience h**l no)
"Patriotic popcorn"
Red, white, and blue cupcakes in ice cream cones
Red, white, and blue cupcakes but tie-dye
Red, white, and blue cupcakes but turns out it"s actually a pile of Oreos and peanut butter cups
Red, white, and blue cupcakes but shoved into Push Pop devices
Red, white, and blue milkshakes
Red, white, and blue Oreo bark
Red, white, and blue zucchini donuts
Red, white, and blue sugar cookie pie
Red, white, and blue sugar cookie towers
Red, white, and blue cake with Peeps
Red, white, and blue Jell-O cups
Red, white, and blue star-shaped Jell-O mold
Red, white, and blue s"mores
Red, white, and blue s"mores but tie-dye
Red, white, and blue Rice Krispies treats (rolled into some shape)
Chex mix
Throw all of these things out or better yet, don"t waste four hours of your holiday making them in the first place.
Of course, I"m not suggesting that you don"t eat dessert. I would really just like the best for you! The only good Fourth of July dessert is a Firecracker popsicle. You can buy them in packs of eight, 18, or 40, depending on how many friends you have. You can enjoy them whether you are sitting in a pool, or hiding inside in the basement because you have become weary in the sun. They require no effort, which is what summer is for.
They are cherry, and then lemon, and then blue raspberry. Delicious.
Arrogantly youthful, heavily branded, and vaguely sexual this is truly America"s dessert. Happy birthday, big guy.
Zack Hample, a professional ballhawk, literally wrote the book on how to catch baseballs at major league games. His collection of more than9,000 baseballs includeAlex Rodriguezs 3,000th career hit,Barry Bonds 724th career home run, and Mike Trouts first major league home run. But on Sunday he caught the ire of the 82nd Airborne division when he gained access to the Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves game at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C.,a game thatwasonly open to members of the armed forces, the U.S. Department of Defense and their families.
Even the Marlins Man, known for sitting behind home plate in orange Miami gear, got involved, imploring Hample to hand over any ill-gotten gains.
Hample, the self-proclaimed King of Snagging, took to Twitter to explain how he gained access to the game, and was immediately put under fire for earlier tweetsof Hample offering $1000 for a ticket to the event.
Hample,in an effortto diffuse the situation, tweeted he was planning to donate $100 to charity foreach of the 11 baseballs he garneredduring the course of the game.
Hes used this tactic before. WhenHample caught Rodriguezs 3,000th hithe eventuallyreturnedit to the New York Yankees for a donation to the Pitch In For Baseball foundation.
No word on if the 82nd Airborne is ready to stand down.
FORT BRAGG, NC JULY 03: Fans cheer on during the game between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves at Fort Bragg Field on July 3, 2016 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Fort Bragg Game marks the first regular season MLB game ever to be played on an active military base. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Andrew Bogut Full Highlights 2016 WCF Game 5 vs Thunder - 15 Pts, 14 Rebs, 2 Blks.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The former All-NBA center was Golden State"s defensive backbone in the paint. Now he"s Dallas" anchor.
Andrew Bogut is leaving the Bay Area. The Golden State Warriors agreed to ship the veteran center to the Dallas Mavericks in order to help clear the cap space needed to sign Kevin Durant on Monday.
Bogut was shipped to Texas, taking just over $1 million in salary off the Warriors" ledger for the 2016-17 season.It"s not yet clear what the Warriors will pick up in return for the former No. 1 overall pick or if any other compensation will be headed to Dallas for the team"s willingness to absorb this contract. Since the Mavericks are currently well under the league"s salary cap, they will not have to send back a matching salary in return.
Bogut played the fewest minutes per game of his career this season but was still the backbone of the Warriors" defense. The seven-foot center was a key rim deterrent who recorded his highest shot-blocking rate since 2010 this winter. More importantly, he was the healthiest he"s been in a long time; Bogut"s 70 games played was the third-highest mark of his career and the most action he"s seen since 2008. However, he bowed out of the NBA Finals after five gamesthanks to a bone bruise in his left knee.
The Mavs are taking on a low-risk, high-reward proposition with the 31-year-old veteran. Bogut is a former All-NBA honoree who is only one season removed from posting the second-highest defensive rating in the league. While his offensive impact was lessened by a cache of dynamic scorers with Golden State, he still shot an ultra-efficient .627 from the field this past winter -- albeit in limited scoring opportunities (just four field goal attempts per game).
Dallas has a definite need for his skill in the paint. The Mavericks have been searching for a defensive anchor since trying,and failing, to lure the Clippers" DeAndre Jordan to Texas last summer. They relied on a surprising resurgent year from Zaza Pachulia in 2015-16, but Pachulia faded as the season wore on and is a free agent this summer. Behind him, Salah Mejri and JaVale McGee dot the depth chart, but neither one is an easy sell as an NBA starter at this point in their careers.
The move leaves Golden State extremely thin at center, where Festus Ezeli and Marreese Speights had backed up Bogut this winter. Both are unrestricted free agents after the Warriors renounced their rights to Ezeli in order to clear the cap room needed to sign Durant.
Singular Focus: Training with the NHL"s Elite at Prentiss Hockey Performance
TRASH BAG!
I felt bad yelling to my wife, who was in the other room, but I didnt know what else to do. I was going to throw up at any moment.
I had been stuck in my bedroom, in the same spot in bed, for a day and a half, ever since I flew back home to Memphis for surgery on my orbital socket.
Just three days before, I had fractured the bone above my eye in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs in Portland. I barely remember the play. I was driving to the basket on CJ McCollum and the next thing I knew, I was grabbing my face.
Luckily we were able to win games 4 and 5 to advance to the next round. Back at home, my wife was taking care of me and my parents came down to Memphis to help out. The Warriors series was less than a week away and I was propped up in my bed at a 45-degree angle, with a pillow behind my head, rotating an ice pack every 20 minutes.
I need another trash bag!
Every time I yelled, my face twitched. The doctors said the swelling would get worse before it got better. I could feel my pulse beating right above my eye. It was like terrible music I couldnt turn off.
My wife tiptoed into the room without turning on the lights and handed me a new trash bag. I tried to whisper thank you, but I dont know if she heard me.
The swelling in my face made it impossible to eat, so I hadnt had solid foods in 36 hours. There was medicine to reduce the swelling, but it felt like a lose-lose: If I took it, it would reduce the pain and swelling in my face, but the side effects were making me want to throw up. I took the pills and reached for the trash bag.
This felt like the worst possible timing. We had finished the 2015 regular season strong with a 55-27 record. We had the best big man in the game: Marc Gasol. Of course, thats my opinion, but I dont think its even close. Zach Randolph and Tony Allen were playing some of their best ball. We knew the odds were against us, but we had been looking forward to the Warriors matchup all year.
It was the lowest point in my basketball career. The season was on the line and I was useless: sitting in bed with an ice pack on my face.
All I had were my thoughts. No TV, no radio, no conversation. I couldnt even have the lights on.
I found myself thinking back to my rookie year.
***
A couple of days before training camp my rookie year, I rolled to the arena to get an early look at my locker. I was a little eager, I guess.
I didnt think anyone would be there.
When I walked in, I saw this little guy standing on a stool. He was fishing through a locker. Above the locker, a placard said, Biggie.
Whats this guy doing?
It was Damon Stoudamire. Mighty Mouse himself. All 59 of him. One of my all-time favorite guards to watch growing up.
Whats up, rook?
Im not even sure if he knew my name, but he hopped off the stool with this big smile on his face.
I said hello and started to put my things in my new locker, a few rows down from him.
He walked right over to me.
Lets play one-on-one.
Right now? I asked. I was still in my street clothes.
Right now.
Uhh, O.K.
I was the rookie. He was the vet. I laced up and met him on the main court.
Once I got onto the court, his smile was gone. He looked like he meant business. In my head, I was kind of laughing. I was 19 years old. All respect to Damon, but I looked at him and thought, Cmon, I got this guy. Hes 34.
Nope. Nah. Thats not how it went down at all.
Damon dominated me. The game was over in like 15 minutes. I may have been fast and I may have been in better shape I was even a few inches taller than him but he outmuscled me. He went right at me, posting me up and pushing me off my spots.
All respect to Damon, but I looked at him and thought, Cmon, I got this guy. Hes 34.
I left with a bruised ego, but it was the beginning of a friendship. Throughout the season, we kept up our one-on-one battles. They turned into training sessions. Damon had a lot to teach and was extremely generous with his time.
Midway through the year I actually got to start in his place. I hit a couple early jumpers and was feeling pretty good about myself. When I subbed out of the game, Damon chewed me out for not attacking the basket.
You never even went into the lane, he said.
I didnt understand what I was doing wrong. I hit my shots. I didnt make any turnovers.
Youve gotta go inside and get hit. Take your bumps and bruises.
***
The Warriors series was coming up fast, and I had to find a way to play.
Man, I cant sit here and watch anymore. I gotta come back.
But I was in no shape to suit up for Game 1. I hadnt slept or eaten much in a week. The team doctors shook their heads: No way. Not tonight.
Before Game 2, I was in and out of sleep the whole night almost waiting for the alarm clock to go off so I could get out of the bed.
Until shootaround, nobody knew if I would play or not. Not my teammates, not my coaches, not the fans.
Four days before, I had been fitted for a face mask. The Rip Hamilton mask. I had never worn one or even seen at one in person. When I put it on, there was a minor problem. My swelling had gone down since the time the mask had been molded to my face. So now it fit snug on the right side of my face and was too big on the left side. You probably wouldnt have noticed, but the whole left side of my mask was just hanging off my face. The trainers added some extra tape.
I had been fitted for a face mask. The Rip Hamilton mask. When I put it on, there was a minor problem.
Tip-off was 20 minutes away and we went back to the locker room.
Thats when I heard Tony yelling.
Now, if Tony Allen is yelling, that doesnt usually raise any eyebrows in our locker room. The dude is yelling 50% of the time.
But this time, I knew he was trying to get my attention. He was calling me by my initials.
MAC!
He came up to me and grabbed my jersey. He made a noise like a gun.
Blattt! Leave it all out there, MAC.
Then he shoved me in the chest one time, really hard, and the momentum sent me out the door into the hallway.This has always been Tonys pre-game ritual. If you want to leave the locker room in one piece, you have to go through Tony. No choice. Hes our hype man. Tony is the guy you want on your team and definitely dont want on the other team.
Ittells you a little bit about how special our team is. We have each others backs.
That night, I needed it more than ever.
If Tony Allen is yelling, that doesnt usually raise any eyebrows in our locker room. The dude is yelling 50% of the time.
We were on the road at Oracle. Steph had received his MVP trophy in a pre-game ceremony that night. The stage was set.
In the first few minutes, I was tired and stiff. Before the game, the team doctors just kept repeating the same thing: Avoid contact, avoid contact, avoid contact.
Making an early shot helped my confidence. Zach Randolph set a good screen and I think Steph tripped a little bit getting around it. I walked into an easy jumper. Then, in the middle of the second quarter, I drove the lane and ended up on the floor with the ball trying to call a timeout. Draymond reached for the ball and pressed it against my mask, tearing out the stitches above my eye. When I got to the bench, blood was coming down the left side of my face.
I felt the same pulsating sensation above my eye. The trainer looked at me like, This isnt good. He cleaned up the wound and I went back in.
Im not superstitious, but I think having my stitches torn out was best thing that could have happened to me. It took me back to those battles with Damon. I needed to get hit. I needed that blood. I needed that Welcome to the playoffs moment.
I felt battle-tested. Now I wanted to dominate. I finished the game with 22. Zach had 20 and 7. Marc added 15. We won 97-90. In Oracle.
***
We ended up losing the series, of course. It was tough. It wasnt our goal to put out a good effort and be happy with losing in six. We expected to win. We expected to beat Golden State. It was a frustrating time, but also very gratifying seeing that we accomplished a lot with our backs against the wall. In our minds, it was just a small glimpse of our potential as a team.
Last year, we carried that same grit into the season. Then Marc went down with a broken foot right before the All-Star break. Then my Achilles injury ended my season in April.
Thats when we started hearing the chatter.
Theyre injury-prone.
We started to hear that tossed around a lot. Injury-prone, or just injured? Marc and I have both averaged more than 70 games for our careers. Fact.
Conleys never made an All-Star team.
Its all good. Ill just be here building an All-Star team in Memphis.
Doubting the Grizzlies? Weve heard that before. Old news.
Memphis is a basketball town, but were not viewed that way on the national map. Maybe its because the Grizzlies arent on TV as much. If youre not a Grizz fan, you might not even know what were up to until playoffs come around. We get forgotten and sometimes slighted.
And Im tired of that. Im tired of being underrated. Im tired of being overlooked.We all are.
In Memphis we dont talk. We ball.
Our guys signing long-term deals will tell you everything you need to know: Marc signed a deal to stay in Memphis because he knew we had work to get done. Tony and Zach are staying, too. Theyre here for the long-term. It says a lot about our chemistry. Teams like this arent built overnight.
Thats why Im coming back to Memphis. Not just for a year or two. I signed a five-year deal because weve just barely scratched the surface on the things were planning to accomplish.
I guess Damon Stoudamire had been right all along. Nothing is given to you in this league. Youre going to have to fight for it.
Way back as a rookie, when I was a back-up to Damon and Kyle Lowry, he was telling me about the bumps and bruises youre going to take on your journey. I didnt know what he meant at the time, but now I get it.
Now I feel like everything thats happened during my career has led up to this point. This is the launching point. This is just the beginning. Its time to get to work.
The nation"s largest military installation promises one of the more patriotic celebrations in the country this Independence Day.
The annual July Fourth event at Fort Bragg"s Main Post Parade Field will feature national recording artists Cheap Trick, Chris Stapleton and Natalie Stovall and The Drive, as well as performances by the 82nd Airborne Division Band and All American Chorus.
As always, the headliner for the day-long event will be the popular fireworks display, punctuated by more than 100 rounds fired from a howitzer cannon during a performance of the "1812 Overture.""
An estimated 40,000 people from Fort Bragg and the surrounding communities are expected to attend.
If you"re one of them, these are some things you may need to know:
Cost:Free. The Fort Bragg Fourth of July celebration has no entrance fee, but vendors will be on site selling food and crafts. "Kiddieland," which includes rides and attractions for children, costs $10.
Location:The Main Post Parade Field is in the heart of Fort Bragg"s historic district, but expect roads to be clogged or blocked near the festivities.
Public parking will be available near Womack Army Medical Center off Reilly Road, at the Soldier Support Center off Normandy Drive, at Throckmorton Library off Randolph Street, and near the U.S. Army Forces Command headquarters and the Fort Bragg Training and Education Center on Knox Street.
Access:Typical Fort Bragg access rules apply, with attendees without Department of Defense identification needing to obtain a visitor"s pass from the All American Visitor"s Center near the All American Access Control Point.
Entertainment:The schedule of events for the Monday celebration is as follows:
1 p.m.: Parade field opens
3 p.m.: Food vendors open
3-8 p.m.: Kiddieland opens
3-4 p.m.: Natalie Stovall and The Drive in concert
4:30-5:45 p.m.: Cheap Trick in concert
6-6:30 p.m.: USASOC Black Daggers Parachute Demonstration Team
6:30-7:45 p.m.: Chris Stapleton in concert
7:45-7:58 p.m.: Senior commander presentations, remarks and sponsor recognition
8:10-8:42 p.m.: Flag ceremony and national anthem performed by the 82nd Division All American Chorus
8:43-9:42 p.m.: 82nd Division All American Band featuring the "1812 Overture"" with cannon fire
9:42-10 p.m.: Fireworks "Concert in the Sky"
What NOT to bring:The list of prohibited items is a long one. Among the items barred from the Parade Field:
No bags larger than 16 by 16 by 8 inches
No aluminum bottles
No glass containers, except for baby bottles with milk or juice for small children
No weapons of any kind, including baseball bats, sticks and clubs
No illegal substances, including narcotics and drug paraphernalia
No aerosol cans, such as hair spray or mace
No unmanned aerial vehicles, to include toy planes, helicopters and drones
No video equipment
No barbecue grills
No large chains or necklaces (exceeding 3/8 inches thick or 24 inches long) and spiked jewelry or chains attached to pants
No fireworks or explosives
No metal chairs or stools
No tents (except for vendors)
No umbrellas, beach b***s or other inflatables, water guns, skateboards, roller blades, scooters or hover boards
No pets (except service dogs)
No laser pointers
No canes, except for those with medical conditions
No artificial noise makers
No signs, banners, flags or selfie sticks
No gang-related clothing or accessories or obscene, vulgar or offensive clothing
Happy 4th of July to our fans in the United States!
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Today in the United States (and other parts of the globe with a lot of Americans/hate for the British*), we celebrate the 4th of July. For our international visitors, the 4th of July is, to put it in 2016 terms, the first and most successful Brexit.
It is also the only time of year (outside of Christmas) where a Boilermaker is allowed to wear the color red (but I prefer white and blue on this day).
What ever you do with this day, spend it with your family and friends, have fun, and be thankful. We all have our complaints about this country and its issues, but for today we can be thankful that we live in such a great country. Sure, the United States is no longer the only country with democracy or freedom or Mc-Everything, but we were doing it before it was cool. d**n straight were Freedom Hipsters!
And throughout the day, remember these words that we say every time at Ross-Ade:
I am an American.
That"s the way most of us put it, just matter of factly.
They are plain words, those four:
you could write them on your thumbnail,
or sweep them across this vast July sky.
But remember too, that they are more than just words.
They are a way of life.
So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly,
Speak them proudly,
Speak them gratefully.
I AM AN AMERICAN!
Happy 4th of July, everyone! And for our international readers: hope your Monday doesnt suck too much.
*I spent Independence Day 2007 in Ireland and we visited the Blarney Castle and Blarney Stone. They placed a sign outside the entrance saying Happy 4th of July to our American Visitors! with the US flag next to it. To this day Im not sure if it was because of all the American tourists that visit Ireland or if they just want to celebrate a British defeat.
