Neil deGrasse Tyson is a popular figure on this website for a multitude of reasons. A primary reason revolves around him saying quite ridiculous things that is rooted, ultimately, in scientific evidence. Another is that he can be quite poetic describing the cosmos and humanity’s place within this existential infinity.
His recent appearance on Complex’s “Hot Ones” show didn’t disappoint in these regards. Even while munching on the spiciest wings possible, Tyson remained relatively eloquent when speaking about space and science.
It also featured him delivering a very funny SMH to a Kanye West lyric and calling out rapper Immortal Technique for being fake deep. Tyson revealed he wants to dive in to Instagram, like all the cool teens are doing these days, but wants to deliver his own artistic spin on the platform.
This video finds us in the same week that Neil deGrasse Tyson sent a perplexing tweet regarding falling over when quickly taking off his pants. He later apologized for posting the comment, stating that he’d meant to send it in a personal message.
No. I have pretty good balance for my body size. But I have fallen over while attempting to quickly take off my pants.
So come for the Kanye burns and stay for the famed astrophysicist describing spicy wings in that Tysonian way of his, commending one hot sauce for its fiery ubiquity that coated the entirety of his taste buds.
During his Alien: Covenant press tour, Ridley Scott was asked thousands of questions that ranged from his feelings about being director once again of an Alien film, to the fate of humanity. He expressed his belief that there are hundreds of superior beings out there and that if they ever have the necessary technology to make it to Earth, we should all just run and hide.
He added that if a group of aliens were smart enough to develop an aircraft that could make it to our planet they must be way more advanced than us, intelligent and hostile. Unlike most science fiction stories and films, Scott thinks that human beings wouldn’t stand a chance against aliens, and that we’d be unable to fight them off, or even put up a semi-decent fight.
“If you’re stupid enough to challenge them you will be taken out in three seconds,”
Ok, Ridley.
According to Scott, there are about 100 or 200 entities out there that we’re all unaware of. Seth Shostack, senior astronomer from the SETI Institute, rebuffed most of his statements claiming that there is no way of knowing how many entities are out there, and that there are probably more than just a couple of hundreds. He also said that there was no way of knowing if they were actually hostile or not. If aliens were to ever make it to our doorstep they’d probably be incredibly intelligent, having developed the necessary technology to travel through great distances of space.
If they were able to accomplish all of this, aliens would probably show up to our doorstep with more noble intentions than to simply eliminate us all from the map and steal our very basic resources (to their eyes, anyways). Shostack did say that if aliens showed up on Earth he’d still run, so there’s that.
NASCAR driver Carl Long knows how to make an appearance it seems. Long participated in his first NASCAR race since 2009 this past weekend, and showed up with a logo for Veedverks, the Colorado-based marijuana vaping company.
— Garage 66 & MBM Motorsports (@MBMMotorsports) May 12, 2017
The sponsorship caused some mild controversy when officials forced the logo’s removal as it apparently violated the racing association’s rules regarding sponsorships and paint schemes. Confusion abounded as the association claimed they had not vetted and approved the Veedverks sponsorship, though Long says he submitted the logo for approval.
There was one major problem, however. His camp had spelled the company’s name wrong.
“I am the guy who failed NASCAR. You will find many misspelled or mistype words in my posts,” Long wrote in a Facebook post. “We submitted a mispelled to Nascar. It would never been allowed. Just leave it to me to create a big stink.”
Long had previously been fined $200,000 by NASCAR for an engine inspection infraction. It was reportedly the largest monetary fine in the NASCAR history up until that point, according to Yahoo Sports. Because Long couldn’t pay the fine, he was banned from the association until recently satisfying the requirements in NASCAR’s eyes. He still needed money to afford racing in this past weekend’s Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway, and asked on Facebook for $25,000 special one-race sponsorship (the going rate, according to Yahoo, can be up to 10 times of that figure).
Long did arrive to the Speedway with the Veedverks logo intact as you can in the above tweet, but after removing it, you wouldn’t be surprised if the company pulled their sponsorship. It turns out Veedverks kept their words, according to a recent Facebook post.
In the comments, a Veedverk representative wrote “NASCAR just stole our entire marketing budget and two months’ operating cash” and that they “need customers big time now.” That being said, because of the controversy and subsequent media coverage, this could be a major coup for the company. There is more press and mention of Veedverks this week than if Long had somehow won the race. Whether it transforms into new business is a different story, though.
Efforts to legalize medical marijuana in the U.S. Virgin Islands may have failed in the past, but that is not stopping one of the areas most tenacious lawmakers from reintroducing legislation in 2017 in hopes of wearing down the system and putting this reform on the books, once and for all.
According to a report from the Virgin IslandsConsortium, Senator Positive Nelson, the politician behind the territory’s 2014 marijuana decriminalization law, plans to initiate a discussion in the Senate, once again, regarding the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
The lawmaker says his goal, this time around, is to emphasize the research that has surfaced pertaining to the therapeutic benefits of the herb since his last dance with legislative forces.
“With the passage of time and the release of more information, more proven research, it will make sense that this Legislature will be more prepared to pass it,” Nelson said.
If his labors prove successful — winning a stamp of approval from the Legislature — there is a distinct possibility that the medical marijuana measure would be signed into law.
Governor Kenneth Mapp said recently that he would give Nelson’s bill the same consideration as any other proposal that lands on his desk.
Nelson says the governor is not, at all, closed minded when it comes to marijuana legalization.
“He’s actually not limited his consideration to medicinal,” Nelson said, adding that the governor would not be opposed to ending prohibition altogether.
While the entire scope of the cannabis community cannot seem to stop talking about how U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is on the verge of unleashing a vicious crackdown on legal marijuana, Nelson says that is not going to happen, because the Justice Department is now at the mercy of American capitalism.
“America is not going to go backwards on their policy,” he said. “The Jeff Sessions talk is just that, talk. What they’ve already seen is the billions of dollars that marijuana has made. America is a capitalistic nation, as we know. Republicans are about the money. The only thing Trump is really venting about is anything that was done under the Obama Administration. But the truth of the matter is America is not going to let this president or any future president roll back on [marijuana].”
If the Virgin Islands does legalize medical marijuana this year, it would become part of several other Caribbean communities, including Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, that have passed similar laws.
The former ‘Bachelor’ star, Chris Soules, has been charged with a felony after a fatal crash, and is getting little support from the show he once thought of as family.
“Chris has found out that he will be getting little support from the show following the accident. He is in this by himself,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “As far as the show is concerned this is a private matter and has nothing to do with them. The Bachelor is more concerned with protecting their franchise than protecting Chris. They are focused on the new upcoming season of The Bachelorette and the last thing they need is to be involved with a past cast member who could be going to jail.”
However, this is not unusual. After each season participants have very little continued professional interaction with producers. “Once the show is over we are dumped by the show like a bad date,” one former contestant reveals.
Justin Bieber Fans In India Demand Refund
Fans that attended Justin Bieber’s shows in India this week are apparently demanding refunds because they unanimously believe that the singer lip synced.
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Prior to this year, barely anyone had anything nice to say about Saturday Night Live. Common sentiments I heard was how the show “had run its course” and “used to be funny.” Often, when you asked such a critic when the last time they sat down on a Saturday night to watch the show, or even view a week’s episode on-demand, they couldn’t find an answer.
Emblematic of the internet hivemind at its tedious, annoying worst, the opinion stuck regardless, despite the show delivering funny (and viral) sketches like “(Do It On My) Twin Bed” or the Ryan Gosling-annihilating “Close Encounter” (showcasing Kate McKinnon at her delirious best) or the beloved (and accurate) “The Beygency” pre-recorded bit. Weekend Update returned to form as Colin Jost and Michael Che settled into roles, while Pete Davidson and Leslie Jones became must-watch recurring guests—also, Jay Pharaoh’s Black Comedians Convention legitimized his entire run on the show.
While not at its peak, Saturday Night Live was never bad or boring. However, the show had a problem and it was foundational. SNL intentionally functions as a weekly referendum and refraction of popular culture: political satire, music, news, cultural trends, a winking parody to whatever movie or TV show everyone’s watching. But popular culture doesn’t operate in that same vacuum anymore. Everything exists in niche, segmented formatting. No one watches the same shows; no one listens to the same music; no one agrees upon what’s funny.
Not anymore, anyways. If that ever truly was the case or more a result of technological limitations—when we grew up, we only had four channels and bought CDs and were all programmed with the same preambles to chastise millennials—is a discussion for a different day.
So it’s been strange to watch SNL resume its mantle as a popular culture juggernaut. The answer doesn’t require much thought: Trump, Trump, Trump. Whatever your opinion on the man they call President, he uniquely has achieved a status no actor, writer, rock star, or creative could claim over the past few years. Donald Trump is the absolute center of popular culture. He garners a strong gut reaction from virtually every American and not a week passes where you don’t hear or watch his latest single. You can be a social media-addled millennial, a baby boomer Fox News junkie, or anything in between, but you know whatever Trump just did within 24 hours of it happening. He is unavoidable unless you live underneath a rock—and even then, just barely.
As a recent Hollywood Reporter cover story illuminated, the show and its cast hasn’t been this popular in decades (23 years, to be exact). The feature served as a mini-oral history of SNL’s biggest moments over the past couple years, all of which you already know. You can read more here, but this quote from Colin Jost tapped into what I consider the flawed logic SNL has following the rise of Trump.
[P]olitics right now is probably the closest we’ve come to a full-blown national phenomenon as anything in a long time, and anytime people are paying more attention to politics, it’s good for our show. But you almost feel like a war profiteer at times because we’ve benefited from a situation that’s so tough.
“People paying more attention to politics” sounds antithetical to effective comedy, especially a show like Saturday Night Live. (Also No. 1 rule of war profiteering: If you suspect you’re war profiteering, you’re war profiteering.) The Trump bits stopped being funny somewhere around the “p***y-grabbing” incident. Baldwin and Trump are indistinguishable now, as is Melissa McCarthy’s Sean Spicer, which first surprised as a funny, punching gag, but derivative all the rest. These faithful impressions have always been more gimmick than comedy. Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin and Chevy Chase’s Gerald Ford and Will Ferrell’s Dubya made us laugh because they struck deep into these characters’ personas, mining some outlandish or self-serious trait of theirs, and showcasing it in absurd situations you knew were too out there to be reality.
I know this isn’t an original take, but it’s worth repeating: Trump’s administration has manifested a stranger-than-fiction environment in which we all currently exist. Anything I hear Trump said—either from the New York Times or Twitter or a Tinder message—I automatically assume is fact. Trump couldn’t say anything that would surprise me at this point. And if you’re still shocked by the stuff that comes from his mouth, that’s your fault.
This is why so much of SNL’s political satire falls face-flat. It’s just not that funny. South Park—the No. 1 irreverent, biting comedy we have—struggled with this very problem. On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker admitted they were defeated following the Trump-centric 20th season. They didn’t like what the show become.
If you have like a little monkey and it’s running himself into the wall over and over and you’re like, ‘That’s funny, but how am I gonna make fun of the monkey running himself into the wall?’ I can discuss the monkey running himself into the wall, I can copy the monkey running into the wall, but nothing’s funnier than the monkey just running himself into the wall.
This is SNL’s problem. Its political satire has devolved into them copying the monkey running into the wall, and asking, “Isn’t it funny?” No, it’s not. It’s really, really tragic. The popularity, I suppose, instead stems from the catharsis so many feel they need; they want something to make them laugh instead of their numbed emotions—because who has more tears left?—at the latest news briefing or full-blown crisis alert.
SNL isn’t a political comedy show. Saturday Night Live is the Coneheads, Eddie Murphy’s Mister Robinson Neighborhood, Digital Shorts’ Dick In A Box, Kristen Wiig’s Target Lady, Chris Farley “living in a van down by the river!”, Belushi’s Samurai, Celebrity Jeopardy, and Baldwin’s Schweddy Balls. At its very best, SNL is expressions of the weirdest, goofiest people this world has to offer, and all of us laughing along to the absurdity of being alive.
The show’s DNA still allows it to thrive by exposing that sentiment in these Trump-centric days. Instead of focusing on headlines and the outlandish characters themselves, the most effective comedy taps into everyday folks reacting and surviving to all that. The Tom Hanks-starring “Black Jeopardy” is both incisive and hilarious (written by Michael Che) while “Thank You, Scott” with Louis C.K. is Saturday Night Live’s only truly challenging political satire in the past six months or so (it’s also really funny!). Like most American institutions, SNL has placated to celebrities, knowing it will draw enthusiasm, even if it’s to the very show’s ultimate detriment.
The revolutionary (and funnier) move isn’t spotlighting the monkey running into the wall, but poking fun at all these people watching a monkey run into the wall over and over again. If SNL really wanted to resume its subversive roots—this Trump stuff is one thing only: pandering—it would pretend the monkey doesn’t exist. It would never acknowledge this monkey. Why would a monkey keep running into walls if no one was watching? But we are, we all are. Maybe that’s why the monkey is so obsessed with building a bigger wall.
Having a sex robot is great, but being inanimate objects and all, the relationship can only go so far. All that’s about to change however. Sex toy company RealDoll has decided to take things further and to create a product that’s more than just a lifeless prop. Harmony 2.0 is their latest endeavor, a life-like robot that has the ability to communicate and to answer basic questions.
Yeah, we’re not up to Blade Runner standards just yet, but we’re getting there.
The doll will be sold with an app that’ll allow you to shape her personality and behavior. The robot’s personality app includes different options like shy, intellectual, outgoing, jealous, thrill-seeking, kind, sexual, and annoying. Why would someone pick annoying, you ask? We don’t know.
These personality traits can also be adjusted to the owner’s preference. Harmony will also have the ability to remember some personal facts on the user, like their favorite foods.
“The idea of the robot is to help someone find a level of companionship that they may not be able to achieve otherwise”
Matt McMullen, chief of RealDoll, expressed that the sex robot was developed with the idea of being a companion instead of a sex toy. For now, instead of creating a functioning friendly robot, RealDoll should just focus on developing a Harmony without the strange accent and jittering jaw.
A reminder to all card-carrying marijuana users when visiting a non-legalized state—marijuana is not legal everywhere. Two Colorado men learned this lesson the hard way when staying in a Wyoming hotel recently.
Eric Jarrin and Christopher Rathe were placed under arrest following an avoidable set of circumstances, according to Oil City News. It started when Jarrin complained to the a Casper motel front desk that his marijuana had been stolen from his room. Police arrived on the scene, “Jarrin identified himself with a driver’s license and a marijuana card, both out of Colorado,” as Oil City News reports.
Jarrin told police that cannabis flower had been stolen from him, then also admitting he had “dabs” on his possession. Dabbing oils are a highly concentrated viscous liquid of THC and cannabinoids.
Following an investigation, officers found approximately one gram in dabs, glass pipes, 2.86 grams of suspected raw marijuana, and other paraphernalia, including items covered in dabs residue.
Both men were reportedly part of crew doing grocery inventory in Casper, according to a police affidavit. They were placed under arrest and transported to the local county detention center without any incident.
Planning a wedding? If originality and uniqueness are an important part of your special day, you may want to consider this church in Denver that is now offering weed weddings.
Elevation Ministries announced this week that it will become the first ever church to offer wedding services in a “cannabis-friendly” environment.
The weed weddings will be held in the newly renovated International Church of Cannabis in Denver, Colorado.
“We thought there would be interest from people wanting to get married at the church, but we never expected such a response,” said Lee Molloy, a church spokesperson. “The demand from couples interested in celebrating their wedding with us in a “cannabis-friendly” environment has been far greater than ever expected. We are truly excited to start turning those dreams into realities.”
The International Church of Cannabis officially opened its chapel doors on April 20, 2017. The church, which preaches Elevationism, already boasts 800 members after being open for less than a month.
The 13,000 square-foot, 113-year-old church underwent a nine-month renovation before opening. According to the church’s press release, the interior provides an “extraordinarily stylish and unique backdrop to any couple who desire their wedding photography to be the stuff of legend.”
To celebrate the new sacramental offering, the church is holding a contest to offer a free wedding to the first couple to tie the knot. In a partnership with Bang Digital Media, the International Church of Cannabis will pay for the inaugural nuptials.
“We are thrilled to be part of one beautiful couple’s love story,” Steve Berke, CEO of Bang Digital Media said. “This church is the first in the world where adults can legally partake of their nuptials while consuming cannabis with their family and friends.”
Interested couples can register for a chance to win the wedding at www.elevationists.org. Although the free wedding will officially be the first to be held at the church, three other wedding packages are currently available via the Church’s Indiegogo fundraising campaign. They are being offered for a discounted rate of $4,200.
Elevationism started in Denver, Colorado with a small group of individuals unsatisfied with the outdated, organized religions currently available to them.
Church members are called Elevationists and our lifestance is that an individual’s spiritual journey, and search for meaning, is one of self-discovery that can be accelerated and deepened with ritual cannabis use. We use the sacred flower to reveal the best version of self, discover a creative voice and enrich our community with the fruits of that creativity. As a group Elevationists demand the right to congregate and partake of their sacrament together. They do not believe it is just that they be thought of as criminals for carrying out their deeply held religious traditions, no matter how new those traditions may appear to be.
Not many could have predicted Henry Rollins, he of hardcore punk Black Flag fame, would become such an outspoken cannabis advocate. He lives a famously clean life, not touching any of the drugs floating around the scene at the time. Rollins smoked weed just once 30 years ago and hasn’t taken a puff since.
As the vocalist of Black Flag, Rollins was known for a high intensity and anger, fighting some audience members on stage who were booing the band. But in his post-Black Flag career, he has become a TV host, actor, writer, and activist, still in part brandishing his hallmark high-energy levels. And one area he’s expanded his scope includes cannabis, which he views on a sociological and medical level more than anything else.
Rollins recently sat down with Rolling Stone ahead of his keynote speech at the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference. He doesn’t hold any investments inside the cannabis industry—though he does get paid for his speeches—nor does he use cannabis. But he is a fierce advocate on its behalf. Here’s what he had to say.
On Marijuana’s Diverse Customer Base
One of Henry Rollins’ gigs included hosting the History’s network 10 Things You Didn’t Know Aboutseries. For one episode, they dove into marijuana and hemp and were at Colorado for the 2014 Cannabis Cup. Shooting around dispensaries and different facilities, Rollins noticed the diversity of cannabis users.
We shot inside this one dispensary, it’s a [recreational use] store. It’s not like a medical-only. And we were in there early ’cause we gotta film everything and light the room. And so I’m waiting outside for the crew to wrap up their gear, and I look at the line queuing up to go into the place when it opens at 9 a.m., and it was this beautiful snapshot of America. You got the elderly couple, you’ve got the student and his bike and his bike helmet, there’s the businessman guy going through his BlackBerry. Look at all these people who use cannabis. All of them are standing there pleasantly waiting to go get cannabis for whatever purpose they’re going to use it for. But what I’m saying is: there’s your sustainability, where you’re selling to these different demographics. And when I was young, there’s no way you would think of a businessman in line to buy marijuana.
Normalizing Marijuana Is Fundamental To Legalization
Through decades of misinformation and hardened social stigmas, many outsiders have slanted views on cannabis usage. The prevailing image of a consumer revolves around the stoner archetype, which we know doesn’t represent all marijuana users. Breaking that image could be the key to the plant’s future, says Rollins.
What if the outreach was so science-y and so positive and so informational, breaking away from the stereotypes of Cheech and Chong and a couch potato ordering pizza? What if you reached out to your community in such a way that even my dad, who wouldn’t be caught dead using cannabis, would think, “You know what, they roll it out so sensible. Damn it, man, my hands hurt on cold days. Maybe I should give it a shot.” So my outreach would be demystifying it – on the de-stigmatizing of it. I see that as the future. PTSD, all kinds of aches and pains people go through as they get older.
I mean, everything in this country’s a gateway drug, so don’t tell me that marijuana’s bad when you’re throwing alcohol at my head in every ad everywhere. You look at the ads: as soon as the rum bottle opens, it’s women in bikinis and good times? It’s a depressant, so don’t tell me it’s good times. Everyone’s fighting and vomiting. And they need Uber to take them home ’cause they can’t drive a car. I don’t want to outlaw it, I just want no part in it. And to people who say, “Why don’t you get your stimulation like a real American, with alcohol?” And marijuana’s bad? Do you see any inconsistency or hypocrisy there? I sure do. Stop being such a hypocrite and overcome your bigotry.
Parallels Between The Music And Cannabis Industry
Spending decades within the music industry has taught Rollins numerous lessons. One of those include how to treats fans and not rush a product that isn’t properly ready. He says the consumerism infected music and produced a lot of mediocre music and Rollins doesn’t want a similar thing to occur within the cannabis industry.
[I]f you’re going for money over care in the cannabis industry, you’re gonna sell less than good product. You’re not going to value your customers. They’re just going to be consumers. I know bands who treat their audience like consumers. I treat my audience like they’re sacred objects. Without them, I don’t get to do anything. I live in that shadow of not wanting to fail them. I don’t take myself seriously, but I take them really seriously. And that’s what the cannabis industry could do if they value the humans who come in to buy this thing that is grown. That’s where they could blow it: by loving the money more than the people who are giving them the money.
As we mentioned, Rollins is well-known for his drug-free lifestyle. He does foresee a day where he becomes a cannabis users, he says, though it’d be strictly for medicinal purposes.
I’m only 56 and, man, I snap, crackle and pop. I threw my body around a lot. And I’m in pain all the time. Something’s always hurting.
[…]
I don’t wanna until the day I do wanna. And on the day I do, I don’t wanna get a dealer; I don’t wanna sneak around. I don’t wanna have illegal stuff in my house. I just wanna go to the store and buy it. Groceries, cannabis, gas up the car and go home. I just want it to be part of my errands. For now, aspirin works fine.
