Sunday, July 5, 2015

Voting Winds Down in Greece Amid High Anxiety

Correction appended, July 5

Greeks went to the polls Sunday to cast their votes in the first referendum there in four decades, which may decide the countrys fate as a member of the euro currency.

But fears of a lengthened closure of all banking institutionsregardless of the outcome of the voteare rife in Greece following a week of shuttered banks and uncertainty. ATMs are said to be running out of money, and already many are only able to dispense 50 notes due to the shortage of smaller tenderdespite capital controls of 60 per person permitted.

Voting ended at 7 p.m. local time, with three opinion polls indicating that the no campaign supported by the ruling government had likely prevailed by a narrow margin, the Associated Press reports.

Polls earlier had been too tight to say whether the country is poised to support or reject the bailout plan proposed by Greeces creditorsnever mind the fact that the program has already expired, contributing to a confusing day of voting.

Turnout was expected to exceed the 40% threshold for the result the be deemed legitimate. At issue is whether to accept the terms of an international bailout package that is no longer officially on the table. But the bigger backdrop is the future of the countrys status in Europe and whether Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras government will continue to have the political standing to negotiate with European creditors.

Still, a calm, sober mood was prevalent in Athens, save for when Tsipras arrived at his polling booth in his neighborhood of Kipseli, where he was greeted by about 100 rapturous supporters, all chanting Oxi, Oxi, OxiNo, no no.

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos is urging Greeks to remain united no matter the result, which will be known later Sunday night.

This day belongs to the citizen alone, Pavlopoulos said. He is called to decide, in accordance to his conscience and exclusively guided by the national best interests, on the future of our country and our people.

This is what our forebears did at crucial times and this is our obligation today. We proceed, therefore, all together, he told reporters and fellow voters while casting his ballot.

People close to the ruling Syriza party told TIME that a return to the drachma currency is inevitable if emergency liquidity assistance is not provided to Greek banks by the European Central Bank (ECB)a decision to be made by the governing council of the ECB Monday.

There is no other solution but return to national currency if the ECB doesnt give us any money for our banks, a senior party adviser said.

Other European Union officials said that, despite protestations by Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis, banks will reopen on Tuesday.

Lines at ATM machines have remained long and arduous over the last week, with uncertainty as to what the future holds for Greece.

The precise ramifications of a vote in favor ofor againstthe referendum are also unclear. When asked by TIME what could be guaranteed in the event of a No vote, the Syriza source replied this is the one-billion-dollar question; its also about how the other side reacts.

Upon arrival at his polling station, Tsipras told supporters that while many can reject a governments will, nobody can reject the will of the people.

The charismatic leader contends that if hes given a mandate to reject the now non-existent bailout proposal, the government will renegotiate a better new one in the proceeding 48 hoursdespite the fact that after six months of negotiations, Greece and its international creditors are further apart than ever before.

Opposition leader Theodoros Fortsakis submitted a legal challenge Sunday morning to the referendum, saying it was unconstitutional. Fortsakis, said there are three specific elements making the vote unconstitutional: there was not enough time given to voters to consider the question, the question is not clear, and according to the Greek constitution, no financial questions can be submitted to referendum and it is clear that this is a question directly linked to financial matters.

Counting begins immediately after voting ends.

Correction: The original version of this story misstated the translation of the Greek word Oxi. It means no.

Source: http://time.com/3945917/greece-referendum-europe/

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9-year-old catches 600-pound sturgeon

10 News Staff, WTSP 12:05 p.m. EDT July 3, 2015

Nine-year-old Kegan Rothman poses with an estimated 600-pound Great White Sturgeon he caught on the Fraser River.(Photo: Great River Fishing)

What a catch! On Monday, June 29, at four feet tall, nine-year-old Kegan Rothman caught an estimated 600-pound Great White Sturgeon on the Fraser River.

The scientific measurement to the fork in the fish"s tail the fork length is 9 feet and 5 inches.

According Great River Fishing, the charter company the boy was on with his dad when he caught the fish, says the fish"s total length was measured at 10 feet and one inch.

While it was impossible to weigh it, charts indicate that its weight is about 600 pounds. It had a 50-inch girth measured below the pectoral fins.

Kegan"s dad told the Globe and Mail his son has been fishing since he was four years old and holds a youth record in the U.S. for the sheepshead fish.

It took Kegan, who weighs just 80 pounds, two hours to reel the fish in.

Watch video of the catch below.

Read or Share this story: http://on.wtsp.com/1IyUjRe

Source: http://www.wtsp.com/story/life/2015/07/03/father-son-catch-600-pound-sturgeon/29665383/

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Saturday, July 4, 2015

Matt Stonie Tops Joey Chestnut In Hot Dog Eating Contest

NEW YORK (AP) MattStonie shocked the competitive eating world Saturday by upsetting Joey "Jaws" Chestnut at the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Nathan"s Famous in Coney Island, breaking Chestnut"s bid for a ninth straight victory.

Stonie, 23, who finished second last year, downed 62 hot dogs and buns, beating Chestnut by two. Both are from San Jose, California.

As thousands of spectators observed the eaters on an elevated stage, the next closest competitor ate 35 hot dogs.

"I trained hard for this. This is actually amazing," Stonie told ESPN, which broadcast the competition live like the major sporting event its biggest fans say it has become.

Afterward, Stonie, holding his fist in the air in victory, said he came into the competition confident and prepared in his quest for the $10,000 prize and the coveted mustard yellow winner"s championship belt.

"We don"t just go up there and eat hot dogs. We practice for this. We prepare our bodies," Stonie said. "It was a tough contest. Joey brings it all. I had to push really hard to beat him. But I feel great."

Stonie had defeated Chestnut in the past year in competitions featuring Twinkies, poutine, pumpkin pie and gyros.

Chestnut, smiling in defeat, said he was slow and couldn"t catch Stonie, who entered the match weighing just 125 pounds to Chestnut"s 230 pounds.

"I"ve been looking for competition for a long time and I finally have it," he said, vowing to return next year. "He made me hungry."

Chestnut, 31, had built himself into a champ with his string of victories, which included setting the record in 2013 by swallowing 69 franks. He twice reached 68 but last year had fallen off to 61.

After his victory last year, he dropped to one knee and proposed to his longtime girlfriend. They have since broken up.

Early in the contest, Chestnut seemed to have a slight edge but Stonie moved ahead by half a hot dog after 3 minutes and never looked back.

The men"s contest came more than an hour after the women competed, with defending champion Miki Sudo capturing first place with a flourish that emphasized strategy rather than condiments.

The Las Vegas woman ate 38 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to claim the title for the second straight year, along with the $10,000 that comes with it.

She downed four more wieners than last year and bested Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas of Alexandria, Virginia, who devoured 31 hot dogs.

Sudo employed a successful strategy of eating the hot dogs separately from the buns and swallowing the buns after first dipping them in Crystal Light.

The colorful holiday tradition draws its share of characters. Someone walked around dressed as a giant hot dog. A few chanting animal welfare protesters carried anti-meat signs adorned with fake blood.

Security included police dogs that apparently were not thrown off by the scent of the grilled meat, along with police officers on rooftops.

Copyright 2015, Hartford Courant

Source: http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-matt-stonie-tops-joey-chestnut-in-hot-dog-eating-contest-20150704-story.html

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The Top 5 Myths About the Fourth of July

Hulton Archive / Getty ImagesAn illustration of American seamstress Betsy Ross showing the first design of the American flag to George Washington in PhiladelphiaHistory News Network

This post is in partnership with the History News Network, the website that puts the news into historical perspective. A version of the article below was originally published at HNN.

#1 Independence Was Declared on the Fourth of July.

Americas independence was actually declared by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The night of the second the Pennsylvania Evening Post published the statement:This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.

So what happened on the Glorious Fourth? The document justifying the act of Congress-you know it as Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence-was adopted on the fourth, as is indicated on the document itself, which is, one supposes, the cause for all the confusion. As one scholar has observed, what has happened is that the document announcing the event has overshadowed the event itself.

When did Americans first celebrate independence? Congress waited until July 8, when Philadelphia threw a big party, including a parade and the firing of guns. The army under George Washington, then camped near New York City, heard the new July 9 and celebrated then. Georgia got the word August 10. And when did the British in London finally get wind of the declaration? August 30.

John Adams, writing a letter home to his beloved wife Abigail the day after independence was declared (i.e. July 3), predicted that from then onthe Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. A scholar coming across this document in the nineteenth century quietly corrected the document, Adams predicting the festival would take place not on the second but the fourth.

#2 The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4.

Hanging in the grand Rotunda of the Capitol of the United States is a vast canvas painting by John Trumbull depicting the signing of the Declaration. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams wrote, years afterward, that the signing ceremony took place on July 4. When someone challenged Jeffersons memory in the early 1800s Jefferson insisted he was right. The truth? As David McCullough remarks in his new biography of Adams,No such scene, with all the delegates present, ever occurred at Philadelphia.

So when was it signed? Most delegates signed the document on August 2, when a clean copy was finally produced by Timothy Matlack, assistant to the secretary of Congress. Several did not sign until later. And their names were not released to the public until later still, January 1777. The event was so uninspiring that nobody apparently bothered to write home about it. Years later Jefferson claimed to remember the event clearly, regaling visitors with tales of the flies circling overhead. But as he was wrong about the date, so perhaps he was wrong even about the flies.

The truth about the signing was not finally established until 1884 when historian Mellon Chamberlain, researching the manuscript minutes of the journal of Congress, came upon the entry for August 2 noting a signing ceremony.

As for Benjamin Franklins statement, which has inspired patriots for generations,We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall hang separately well, theres no proof he ever made it.

#3 The Liberty Bell Rang in American Independence.

Well of course you know now that this event did not happen on the fourth. But did it happen at all? Its a famous scene. A young boy with blond hair and blue eyes was supposed to have been posted in the street next to Independence Hall to give a signal to an old man in the bell tower when independence was declared. It never happened. The story was made up out of whole cloth in the middle of the nineteenth century by writer George Lippard in a book intended for children. The book was aptly titled, Legends of the American Revolution. There was no pretense that the story was genuine.

If the Liberty Bell rang at all in celebration of independence nobody took note at the time. The bell was not even named in honor of American independence. It received the moniker in the early nineteenth century when abolitionists used it as a symbol of the antislavery movement.

A visit to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, encased in a multi-million dollar shrine leaves the impression that the bell indeed played a role in American independence. The guides are more forthcoming, though when we last visited they did not expressly repudiate the old tradition unless directly asked a question about it. Our guide sounded a bit defensive, telling our little group it didnt really matter if the bell rang in American independence or not. Millions have come to visit, she noted, allowing the bell to symbolize liberty for many different causes. In other words, it is our presence at the bell that gives the shrine its meaning. It is important because we think its important. Its the National Park Services version of existentialism.

As for the famous crack it was a badly designed bell and it cracked. End of story.

#4 Betsy Ross Sewed the First Flag.

A few blocks away from the Liberty Bell is the Betsy Ross House. There is no proof Betsy lived here, as the Joint State Government Commission of Pennsylvania concluded in a study in 1949. Oh well. Every year the throngs still come to gawk. As you make your way to the second floor through a dark stairwell the feeling of verisimilitude is overwhelming. History is everywhere. And then you come upon the famous scene. Behind a wall of Plexiglas, as if to protect the sacred from contamination, a Betsy Ross manikin sits in a chair carefully sewing the first flag. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is where Betsy sewed that first famous symbol of our freedom, the bars and stripes, Old Glory itself.

Alas, the story is no more authentic than the house itself. It was made up in the nineteenth century by Betsys descendants.

The guide for our group never let on that the story was bogus, however. Indeed, she provided so many details that we became convinced she really believed it. She told us how General George Washington himself asked Betsy to stitch the first flag. He wanted six point stars; Betsy told him that five point stars were easier to cut and stitch. The general relented.

After the tour was over we approached the guide for an interview. She promptly removed her Betsy Ross hat, turned to us and admitted the story is all just a lot of phooey. Oh, but it is a good story, she insisted, and one worth telling.

Poor Betsy. In her day she was just a simple unheralded seamstress. Now the celebrators wont leave her alone. A few years ago they even dug up her bones where they had lain in a colonial graveyard for 150 years, so she could be buried again beneath a huge sarcophagus located on the grounds of the house she was never fortunate enough to have lived in.

So who sewed the first flag? No one knows. But we do know who designed it. It was Frances Hopkinson. Records show that in May 1780 he sent a bill to the Board of Admiralty for designing theflag of the United States. A small group of descendants works hard to keep his name alive. Just down the street from Betsys house one of these descendants, the caretaker for the local cemetery where Benjamin Franklin is buried, entertains school children with stories about Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration, who is also credited with designing the seal of the United States. We asked him what he made of the fantasies spun at the Betsy Ross house. He confided he did not want to make any disparaging remarks as he was a paid employee of the city of Philadelphia, which now owns the house.

The city seems to be of the opinion that the truth doesnt matter. Down the street from the cemetery is a small plaque posted on a brick building giving Hopkinson the credit he rightly deserves.

As long as the tourists come.

#5 John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Died on the Fourth of July.

Ok, this is true. On July 4, 1826, Adams and Jefferson both died, exactly fifty years after the adoption of Jeffersons Declaration of Independence, which the country took as a sign of American divinity. But there is no proof that Adams, dying, uttered,Jefferson survives, which was said to be especially poignant, as Jefferson had died just hours before. Mark that up as just another hoary story we wished so hard were true we convinced ourselves it is.

Rick Shenkman is the editor of the History News Network and the author of the forthcoming book, Political Animals: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics (Basic Books, 2015).

Source: http://time.com/3933976/myths-fourth-of-july/

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Five ways the Declaration of Independence is relevant today

Brett HerrmannNewsTribune Reporter

To quote Creed Bratton of The Office (the American version, obviously) I already won the lottery. I was born in the US of A, baby.

Where would Creed or any of us be today if it hadnt been for a group of rabble-rousers who decided to draw up an announcement of sovereignty?

The Declaration of Independence was drafted 11 score and 19 years ago. Its older than the hot- air balloon, crackers and the suspension bridge. It also started a revolution, which *Spoiler Alert* we won. Even after all these years, this document is held sacred among the people of this country. Its a national treasure that even Nick Cage thought worth stealing. Its a document that still has an effect on life in America to this day, some ways more visible than others.

Pursuit of Marital HappinessThe famous lines about our unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, are some of the most celebrated written words in American history. This past week the Supreme Court made a decision that will help protect these rights.

Across the country, many people rejoiced at the high-court decision to legalize same-s*x marriage. The announcement was a long time coming as many states were beginning to follow the trend of legalizing it on the state level.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that under constitutional protection couples of the same-s*x may not be deprived of that right and that liberty.

Illinois Valley Community College political science professor Amanda Cook-Fesperman saw this pursuit of liberties as something that has always been relevant in America, in every civil action that has taken place since we became a nation.

We have come a long way in this country toward reaching that goal, through Lincolns struggle to end slavery, Alice Pauls struggle for womans suffrage, Dr. Kings struggle for civil rights, and now to the gay rights struggle for equal rights, Cook-Fesperman said.

President Lincoln saw the Declaration as a document that placed men as equals. He even argued that the Declaration is a set of principles that the U.S. Constitution should be inferred through. The justices that interpret the Constitution happened to agree.

Lincoln believed firmly in the words of the Declaration of Independence, five members of the Supreme Court echoed them last week, Cook Fesperman said. The decision to make same-s*x marriage legal passed with a 5-4 vote. The decision furthers the rights of any American who wishes to pursue marital happiness.

Human RightsJoe Furlan, a Hall High School history teacher, saw the Declaration as the backbone of American heritage.

It is what our heritage is based on. It set the tone for everything we have done after that. We became the United States because of that document, Furlan said.

Lincoln saw the Declaration in the same way. He used it as his jumping off point for one of the greatest speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address. The speech touched on the issues of equality, that all men are created equal. Lincoln saw the declaration as a document that laid out our basic human rights as citizens of this country, rights that every person is allotted, no matter their differences.

Art Havenhill, a local Tea Party organizer, agreed with the politics of Mr. Lincoln.To my mind what that says is that those rights are given to us by our creator, and that they are rights that no man can take away, he said.

The Declaration also states that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it. The Declaration was a declaration from freedom of tyranny, Havenhill said.This is a right we still hold today. If the government becomes too oppressive, the citizens of the United States have the authority to overthrow it. It is actually something Thomas Jefferson expected when he said, A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.

Havenhill agreed that it was our right to resist an oppressive government, although he said rebel might not be the best word. A less violent way would be more suiting in todays society, such as a petition, which is essentially what the Declaration was.

Complaints DepartmentThe majority of the Declaration of Independence is a list of complaints the founding fathers had against Parliament and King George III. The authors of the document voiced their opinions on how their government had wronged them. Today we share this right to suggest areas our government can improve upon.

We can air our grievances just like the Continental Congress did. Except now we dont have to worry about being hanged for treason.

Furlan said the political party system could be improved upon.

Party politics have become front and center lately. I want to see the politicians be more for the people, he said.

Havenhill said the main flaw in our system of government is a deficiency in participation among the voters.

One of the most severe problems we have today is the lack of involvement. We have very few people determining who gets elected. Our system of government is set up to be a system of participation, he said.

HempOne reason we have to thank for the longevity of the Declaration of Independence is that it was written on hemp paper. Hemp is a very durable material that doesnt deteriorate as quickly as wood-pulp paper, according to the living tree paper company.

Section 7606 of the farm bill has made it legal to grow industrial hemp under the direction of state departments and four year agriculture programs at universities. The bill was signed in 2014 and the hemp can only be grown for research purposes. Trudy Kriven, a professor of material sciences and engineering at the University of Illinois, has expressed interest in researching the material for its uses in car composites.

The strongest natural fiber is hemp, Kriven said.

Hemp became outlawed in America due to its relation to the marijuana plant. In recent years, hemp has made its way back into favorable light in the community because of its many uses. People often associate hemp with the psychoactive component THC, but industrial hemp can only have a concentration of 0.3 percent THC compared to medicinal marijuana, which can be up to 35 percent, according to the Indiana Hemp Industries Association. Hemp wont give you the reefer madness that 1950s public service announcements warned us about.

I have no idea how to get marijuana out of it. Im more interested in getting the strong fibers, Kriven said.

Today 21 states follow the same regulations as Illinois where hemp can be grown for research purposes. There are thousands of different uses for hemp including clothing, industrial materials, personal hygiene and it is considered a super food.

The crop has been used in America throughout history from its use in colonial times for every-day necessities, to the Hemp for Victory program in World War II, which helped supply rope and parachutes, up until its ban in the 1950s.

Fun Fact: Eight of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were not born in America. These American patriots were actually British citizens. How is that relevant today? Many biopics of American heroes have British born actors playing the staring roles. Last year there was Unbroken, the year before 12 Years a Slave and before that Lincoln. All of these films had British actors playing the roles of American legends.

BeerSamuel Adams, a founding member of the Sons of Liberty, signed the Declaration of Independence. One of the most popular beers in the United States is Samuel Adams, the Boston Lager in particular. Their current seasonal beer is a summer ale, which has a lemon finish to it. Beer sales during the Fourth of July tend to skyrocket and why not?

The founding fathers probably werent sitting around drinking water when they celebrated their independence. That might be because people were known to die by drinking from polluted water sources. Today the tradition of alcohol consumption continues.

This is probably the best beer selling weekend of the year, said Ted Biagioni, operational manager at Euclid Beverage. Its better than Memorial Day and the holidays. We sell twice as much this weekend.

Biagioni said the summer months had a direct effect on the number of sales.Its all about the weather, he said.

The only thing slowing them down is the flooding. Biagioni said Euclid hasnt been able to make sales or deliveries to the boat clubs or other establishments close to the river because of the high waters.

The Founding Fathers had a reputation for running up enormous bar tabs. Celebrate the Declaration with a beer that has the namesake of one of the signers. Or drink whatever you want. Its a free country.

Brett Herrmann can be reached at (815) 220-6933 or svreporter@newstrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @NT_SpringValley.

Source: http://newstrib.com/main.asp?SectionID%3D2%26SubSectionID%3D27%26ArticleID%3D45005

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"Grateful Dead" has ties to Pennsylvania town

The night before Easter April 10, 1971 students packed Franklin & Marshall College"s Mayser Gymnasium for an evening of psychedelic music.

For just $4.50, students saw the legendary Grateful Dead, with New Riders of the Purple Sage as openers.

These days, $4.50 likely won"t even buy a beer at one of the upcoming Grateful Dead reunion shows.

The band announced in January that four original Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will reunite for the band"s 50th anniversary. (Notably absent will be Jerry Garcia, the band"s most famous face, who died in 1995, and Rob "Pigpen" McKernan, who died in 1972.)

The surviving bandmates, joined by Phish"s Trey Anastasio and other musicians, will play a total of five shows two in Santa Clara, California, this weekend, and three at Chicago"s Soldier Field on July 3-5.

These, they say, will be their last performances together.

The Chicago performances will be broadcast live at select theaters. Local Deadheads can watch them at Penn Cinema 14 in Lititz.

Despite being an iconic symbol of the San Francisco music scene, the Grateful Dead has more connections to Lancaster County than just that one groovy night at F&M.

Lititz-based Clair Global, the world"s biggest concert-tour audio company, worked with the Grateful Dead before it was supporting Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake.

And the people at Clair aren"t the only local folks who can put the Grateful Dead on their resume.

Timothy Truman, a Manheim Township artist, writer and musician, has worked with the Dead since 1991. He was the main contributor to Kitchen Sink"s Grateful Dead Comix. He also contributes to the Grateful Dead Almanac, illustrated album covers for 2013"s "Dave"s Picks" live series, and illustrated the Grateful Dead-opoly board game.

His work with the band started the way most of his projects start: He was asked to send a portfolio and told the publishing company would get back to him.

"They called back 10 minutes later and said, "No use to send your portfolio Jerry Garcia knows your work," " Truman says.

Truman"s work offered him insight into Garcia"s little-known comic book hobby.

"I got to be pretty good buds with Robert Hunter, the lyricist," Truman says. "He said he remembered sitting with Garcia in the middle of Jerry"s apartment floor with this big collection of EC comics an old 1950s pub outfit, did mostly horror stuff . like, sorting them in chronological order, by date, and putting them in a box and putting them in Jerry Garcia"s closet."

When working on Grateful Dead Comix, based on the band"s songs, Truman almost always goes with the first images that pop into his head while reading the lyrics, he says.

"I get a chance to tell Robert Hunter and the band what I"m seeing when I listen to the song," Truman says.

Some of Truman"s work appeared on T-shirts, and in some cases helped him discern which Deadheads were devoted enough to travel to their shows.

"It was also a kick I used to do a shirt that was particular to certain areas," Truman says. "It was fun to see people in Pennsylvania wearing those southern tour T-shirts."

In honor of the 50th anniversary, Alvarez guitars recreated Truman"s cover of "Dave"s Picks: Vol. 8" on one of its Grateful Dead Series Guitars ("AF65GD/F-Flag"). Alvarez gave Truman one of the guitars, which he proudly displays in his living room "so everyone who walks in the door can see it."

F&M"s student newspaper, The College Reporter, covered the Dead"s performance, noting it opened with "Casey Jones" and closed with "Uncle John"s Band." The article, provided by the archives and special collections of F&M, says Garcia was onstage for a whopping five hours 90 minutes playing pedal steel with New Riders of the Purple Sage, and 31-w hours with the Dead.

It seems Garcia might have acquired a souvenir at the show, too. Multiple Grateful Dead online message boards questioned a shirt he wore in 1977"s "Grateful Dead Movie" emblazoned with the legend "FUM SUB."

The meaning? "FUM" is a slang term for F&M, and SUB stands for "Student Union Board."

The class memory collection on F&M"s website also includes a detail about a student, in accordance with the impending Easter holiday, dressing as the Easter bunny, hopping around onstage and delivering candy to each band member in a ploy to get a good seat.

The document says the student got to sit onstage for the show, and a photo of someone in a rabbit suit appears in the 1971 F&M Oriflamme yearbook.

Despite forming five decades ago, the Grateful Dead is still selling merchandise.

Lancaster city"s Puff "n" Stuff store sells T-shirts, stickers and posters.

"We"ve been here since "69," says Jake Borders, the store"s assistant manager. "A lot of those people that have been following the Dead since then come in here, so of course we"re going to keep it in stock."

Borders says plenty of younger fans come in asking for Dead merchandise, too.

The band has also had a lasting influence on contemporary musicians.

Local musicians Corty Byron, Andy Mowatt, Mike Vitale and Travis Warlow performed "Jack Straw" in the LNP Studio as part of our tribute to the Grateful Dead.

Byron and Mowatt played a Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers tribute show at Tellus360 earlier this month and said it drew a crowd that was diverse in age.

All four agreed that the band had some impact on their music in particular, its ability to apply free-form jazz improvisation to rock "n" roll.

"Jerry said when you let go of wanting things to happen and hang out for a little while, while you"re playing, then other things start to happen," Byron says. "I think that was the biggest influence. It"s OK sometimes to take a minute and listen to everybody and something else will happen."

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Online:

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Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/entertainment/article25834813.html

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Friday, July 3, 2015

Sony PlayStation Network Undergoing Routine Maintenance After Weekend ...

(Photo : Getty)

Coming into the weekend, Sony"sonline system, the PlayStation Network, has been experiencing some rough technical issues. The biggest being download times. Anybody who tried downloading Batman: Arkham Knightwas stuck waiting hours for it to finish. Other issues included error messages when trying to load up multiplayer releases such as Call of Duty, Destinyand others. Even those who were running single player adventures that require online pay were met with issues. Those issues have since been fixed and Sony will be undergoing maintenance this Monday.

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Sony did not say what the issue was, just that the routine maintenancewill be occurring several times throughout the next few days.

"Routine maintenance and improvements for PlayStation Network will be performed for approximately 1.5 hours on Monday, June 29, 9:30 p.m. PDT (June 30, 4:30 a.m. GMT) to June 29, 11:00 p.m. PDT (June 30, 6:00 a.m. GMT). Anyone who already has a PlayStation Network account can still sign in to their PlayStation Network profile, play games, and use most applications while this maintenance is carried out," Sony saidon their page.

During this time users won"t be able to access certain features such as PlayStation Video and Account Management on their PSNaccounts. All other features will still be okay according to them. Sony advises anybody with a PlayStation 4 should turn on their system before the maintenance.

"We strive to ensure that PlayStation Network services are available at all times," the company continued. "Occasionally we must take PlayStation Network offline to perform essential maintenance and implement feature enhancements. We are working hard to reduce the duration of each maintenance."

2015 Mstars News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://www.mstarz.com/articles/73457/20150629/sony-playstation-network-undergoing-routine-maintenance-weekend-download-issues.htm

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