Hasta La Gadget!

Mitt Romney apparently still knows how to throw a punch.

The former Massachusetts governor and two-time presidential candidate fought former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield on Friday in a charity boxing match to raise money for Charity Vision, an organization that helps heal blindness around the world.

Even though Romney threw in the towel in the second round, he showed that he is an artful dodger in the ring, according to CNN. He even was able to knock down Holyfield at least once.

Romney entered the fight clad in a red robe as the song “I Will Survive” blasted in the background. He was accompanied by his wife, Ann, who wore a sweatshirt and a Batman baseball cap cocked to the side.

Loved being part of Mitt’s posse tonight. #CVfightnight pic.twitter.com/gBc89JFObV

— Ann Romney (@AnnDRomney) May 16, 2015

Watch clips from the fight in the video.

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This spot the next several days will feature upcoming artists who were performing at the 2015 Hangout festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, from May 15-17. 

It kicks off with Zella Day, a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Pinetop, Arizona, who now resides in Los Angeles. Her debut album, Kicker, will be released June 2 on Pinetop Records/ Hollywood Records. 

Just a short walk from the beach, Day stopped by to chat and provide some up close-and-personal information (and even took a selfie, left) in this quick-hitting Q&A before her set on the Palladia Stage on May 15:

Claim to fame: What got you here?
ZD: My record that I’m releasing June 2. I released an EP last year in October. And it’s just been a slow build. So my music got’s me here. 

Beach essential: Shades, swimsuit or volleyball?
ZD: Swimsuit, because I need a tan more than anybody here probably. (laughs) My whole body’s covered up for a reason. 

Secret you’re finally well-adjusted enough to share?
ZD: I have a whole record full of them. They’re going to be coming out on June 2. All of the dirty laundry aired. 

Where do you go from here (literally or figuratively)?
ZD: Well, I go home tomorrow. And I’m a week at home. I just got done with a month and a half of touring. And I’ve got more festivals and then some headlining shows. I’m just kind of adjusting myself to the new pace of life for me. 

Shore thing in Gulf Shores (what’s on top of your to-do list)?
ZD: Well, I’m going to spending my time at the festival, obviously, so I’m going to be seeing Foo Fighters later. Probably get me a swimsuit and go see the Foo Fighters. 

You’re on the clock to make an Unabashedly Shameless Plug for 10 seconds: Go!
ZD: So I’ve got my new record coming out June 2. It’s called Kicker. I’m playing a headlining show at the Troubadour in L.A. for the record release on June 3. So if you can make it, make it out there. And besides that, just listen to my music. I’m releasing a lot of it, and music videos. I’m working really hard right now. So, hopefully, it’s gonna connect. 

What’s the inside story behind your name?
ZD: Zella is from the 1840s. My parents got married in Jerome, Arizona. And when they were getting married, they were looking for baby names. And there was a book of the town’s history in Jerome, and they were scouting locations for the wedding. And they just walked into a museum and they were looking through this book. And one of the main coal miner’s wives was named Zella — 1842. There’s actually a song on the record called “Jerome.” That’s about the ghostly woman behind my name. 

What’s your biggest fear about the water?
ZD: Being held under. I don’t like feeling like I can’t make it to the top. 

Flip-flops, sneakers or Crocs?
ZD: (laughs) Well, Crocs are best of both worlds. So Crocs for sure. 

Surf, paddleboard, para-sail, deep-sea fishing or snorkeling?
ZD: It would have to be between snorkeling and surfing. Because I really like both. I live in L.A. and I lived in Long Beach before. I’m from Arizona but I grew up snowboarding. So when I moved to California, surfing was just kind of a natural transition. So I’ve been out in the water a bit. But then I also love snorkeling. I’ve been to Indonesia, snorkeled in Indo. They’re both really fun. 

Your greatest athletic feat?
ZD: I went to Spain and played in the Donosti Cup for soccer. I was 14 and I was really serious about soccer. And we actually won second place. So I went to Europe, played soccer on the Arizona state team. And I broke my ankle shortly after that, so that kind of ended my soccer career. 

What do you have that Skrillex and Diplo don’t?
ZD: (laughs) A guitar? 

If you could do to dinner and a movie with another Hangout performer this weekend, who would it be, what would you see and why?
ZD: Well, I’m sharing a trailer with Jenny Lewis. And so I feel like she’d be kind of fun to eat shrimp cocktail with and maybe go see a film. I don’t know what film we would go see. I don’t even know what’s out in theaters right now. I’ve been on the road too much. I’ve been really into Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers. So maybe we would eat shrimp cocktail and watch Natural Born Killers on the beach. Me and Jenny Lewis. 

Along with Zella Day, Day 1 of Hangout featured a number of terrific performances dominated by women with a fashion flair. Here’s a look at some of the best: 

Halsey

Five Knives

Houndmouth frontman Matt Myers

Jenny Lewis

Macy Gray (with Galactic)

Concert photos my Michael Bialas. See more from the Hangout Festival.

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A California man is still fighting to be compensated by a local dry cleaner that he says has repeatedly used homophobic slurs and abusive language — quoted below — in its refusal to pay for his damaged throw pillow.

Byron Batista, 48, told The Huffington Post he went to North Hollywood’s Rosali Cleaners last January to have the pillows cleaned. When he returned to pick them up, Batista noticed one of them had been badly torn.

The owner, who called herself Rosali, refused to give the man a refund for the tear. As the two began arguing, the owner of the store allegedly began screaming obscenities and slurs at him.

“She started saying, ‘Fuck you, fuck you, fag,'” Batista said. “That’s when she took her middle finger and mimicked putting it up her butt.”

The cleaning service refused to refund the man, who said he took the matter to court not for the money — a measly $75, which he won — but because he didn’t want a homophobe to win.

Despite winning the case, Batista said he was shocked to learn Rosali Cleaners still held a grudge. A check provided to Batista shows the money made out to Byron “the buggerer” Batista. Batista immediately took the check back to the judge.

“The judge was just like, ‘Oh, this is sad,'” Batista said.

The cleaning service was ordered to make out a new money order to Batista. When he attempted to bring the money order to his bank, he was met with a similar problem. He said the woman had written in all caps next to his name: “SODOMITE.”

“I took it to the bank and the teller went, ‘Oh, my God!’” Batista said. “She sat down and wrote a letter to the judge saying they can’t accept money orders with foul language on them.”

Batista said he must now ask the judge again for help. In the meantime, he said he wants to get his story out to the public so no one has to deal with the bigoted cleaners. After one publication shared his story, negative Yelp reviews began pouring in.

Batista said the cleaning service specializes in leather.

“You’d think a place that cleans leather would expect to deal with some gay people,” he said. “I don’t want anybody spending their money there.”

Multiple phone calls by HuffPost to Rosali Cleaners went unanswered.

“I don’t mind being targeted,” Batista said. “I want the community to know that if they want leather cleaned, this is not the place to go.”

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ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s defense minister says Turkish forces shot down a Syrian helicopter after it crossed into Turkish airspace. Syrian state-run television is denying the report, saying that a small drone was shot down.

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz told state-run Anadolu Agency that the helicopter was brought down Saturday after it crossed at Cilvegozu in southern Turkey. The helicopter had been in Turkish airspace for five minutes and was shot down about seven miles from the crossing.

He said: “I congratulate our armed forces which properly carried out its duty and showed the Syrian forces the necessary reaction. I embrace them all.”

It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the incident.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

You can understand why Android enthusiasts might be resentful of the Apple Watch. Android Wear has been around long enough for manufacturers like LG to release several generations of smartwatch, but listen to some and you’d be excused for thinking Cupertino had invented the segment. Into the fray wades the LG Watch Urbane, promising genteel luxury instead of geek chic, … Continue reading