Sunday, December 21, 2025
Home Blog Page 1302

4 Pro-Tips For Getting The Best Value On Any Restaurant’s Wine List

Zach Geballe
-
0
4 Pro-Tips For Getting The Best Value On Any Restaurant’s Wine List

Few things fuck up wine like money. I’m not saying that you should throw your budget out the window when you go to order a bottle, but the degree to which people will fret about a few bucks never ceases to amaze me. Nowhere is that more evident than the endless stream of advice telling you to order the “X cheapest” wine on a list, where “X” stands for “Xtremely bad suggestion.” Wanna know how to actually get value when you dine out? Read on.

Know Your Price, And Tell Someone

I can do a lot of wonderful things, but I can’t read your mind. In the modern dining environment, it’s a fool’s errand to guess whether a guest is out for a rare date night and has a budget or is a tech billionaire. You, on the other hand, know your limits, and feel free to state them to the somm or server from the get-go. We won’t waste your time with pricey suggestions, and you won’t feel bad for ignoring them.

Don’t Be Picky

Look, certain grapes and regions will generally cost more. Wanna know why Pinot Noir is rarely cheap? Because it’s a finicky grape to grow, and because it’s a grape that everyone knows. As such winemakers both need to charge more for it, and also know they can.

Cabernet Sauvignon might be more vigorous, but often consumers prefer it aged in new oak barrels, which are expensive. Thus, the resulting wine is too. It’s fine to use those grapes as reference points, but if you insist on them, you’re likely to pay more money for less interesting wine, when you could be getting really delicious Beaujolais, Blaufranckisch, or Rioja for less money.

Avoid Glass Pours

I’ve talked about this before, but you’ll get soaked more on glass pours than on anything else on the list. A bottle of the glass pour Chardonnay might sell for the same price as another bottle on the list, even though the restaurant likely paid $5-10 more dollars for the latter bottle.

Give Yourself Credit

Look, we’re not all wine experts, but the constant stream of articles claiming that no one can tell the difference between $5 and $500 wine are bullshit. If you want to start understanding what makes great wine great, consider a few qualities that anyone can discern: the texture of the wine, the complexity (or how many different flavors you taste), and the length of the finish (how long after swallowing you still taste the wine).

If you’re just looking for something to lubricate your meal, then sure, order whatever bottle fits your budget, but if you’re looking to have an actual wine experience, then start trusting yourself.

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

More Related Stories

[soliloquy id=”25530″]

Watch: How To Turn Your Computer Tower Into A Stove Top

Jillian Peterson
-
0
Watch: How To Turn Your Computer Tower Into A Stove Top

This is insane, but someone figured out how to turn a computer tower into a stove top.

The desire for a Chinese hamburger spurred this video indie flick, which shows a woman arriving to work, retrieving a bag of cucumber flavored chips, along with some condiments, and bringing them to her desk. Innocent enough. But then she starts disassembling her computer, breaking apart a cheap wooden decoration to use as kindling, and ultimately transforming the tower into a surface that’s hot enough to cook a crepe. The crepe is smeared with egg yolk and stuffed with potato chips and other ingredients. It all comes together quite quickly and the result is pretty outstanding.

If job security doesn’t interest you, or you’re trying to figure out a way to get fired quickly, here’s how to turn expensive office equipment into your personal hot top.

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

Why We Love The Anaxy Star: It Grinds And Stores Two Kinds Of Herb

Maria Loreto
-
0
Why We Love The Anaxy Star: It Grinds And Stores Two Kinds Of Herb

Anaxy Star has been referred to as the world’s most creative grinder, and for a good reason. This handy little device will satisfy all of your marijuana needs, packing a super powerful punch that’ll make you feel like you have the largest grinder in the world without the extra large size and weight. The Anaxy Star grinder was built to satisfy all kinds of purposes, being able to store, grind and dispense marijuana all in one package.

The grinder is equipped with two compartments that function individually and separately, where you’ll be able to store different strains of marijuana and carry them with you, for consuming at home or for some on the go impromptu smoking. Since these compartments function separately, you’ll be able to grind and store your marijuana at the same time, eliminating the need for having different devices and saving you room.

While you grind your favorite strain in one of your device’s compartments, you’ll be able to use the remaining one for storage. Anaxy Star is the only grinder on the world that does that, and it’s pretty incredible.

This little gizmo also has a dispensing module that gives you more control over the marijuana, so that you don’t have to use your hands or have to resort to last-minute pinching while looking for the last scraps of the herb. The module will place the marijuana exactly where you want it to be.

If you’re still unconvinced, check out this video that demonstrates the incredible functions that the grinder has: 

Watch: Hangry Chris Pratt Eats Snacks On The Set Of ‘Jurassic World 2’

Jillian Peterson
-
0
Watch: Hangry Chris Pratt Eats Snacks On The Set Of ‘Jurassic World 2’

Being on a movie set all day has its glamorous moments, but often times, it’s a lot of sitting around and pretending you’re not on a strict diet (says the person who’s never been on a movie set). Chris Pratt proves this point with a series of Instagram videos he recently made of himself eating tiny, portioned out snacks during the filming of Jurassic World 2. Obviously, the exhaustion and delirium has started to set in, as Pratt seems a little stir-crazy as he: annihilates an apple, cagily sneaks a late-night snack, eats cat food “like a good little boy” (it’s actually sashimi) and struggles to pronounce the name of cacao banana chia pudding.

In the first installment of “What’s My Snack?” Pratt stumbles through the pronunciation of Cacao Baobab Banana Chia. I mean, okay, that second word is a scorcher, but cacao? That’s way more common. Regardless, like a child learning to read, Pratt sounds it out until he nails it. Atta boy, Chris. We’re with IG user @nagi_janhvi who asks: “Is you high?”

The rest of the snacks get easier to pronounce.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRsxovWjjJ1

Looking like someone who hasn’t been let out of his cage in weeks, Pratt announces that his snack for the day is assorted sashimi. “This smells and tastes exactly like Berkley PowerBait. I see why trout love it.” If that’s not an endorsement, what is?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRs0F75DzwY

The best #WhatsMySnack vid shows Pratt up at night, pondering how to take care of his intense hunger pangs when he should be in bed. It’s adorable and relatable.

Pratt whispers, “Honestly, it’s pretty late and I’m so huuuungry. It’s 10:53 pm and I should go to bed, but instead, I’m maybe gonna eat my snack for tomorrow.” He dives into the Olive Oil Pistachio Cake and, well, the ending is sweeter than the dessert itself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRt4uw_jh1I

Pratt, feeling a bit embarrassed by his schoolboy-like behavior over a simple piece of cake tries to redeem himself the next day with a more “manly” snack because “snacks don’t have that kind of power over me. Nothing does. Because I’m strong, I’m a man, and I don’t get all hung up over some cake.” With that, he grabs his new snack with the disclaimer that “I’m gonna eat it and I’m gonna try not to be all weird about it.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRx_ba2DIva

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

Gossip: Kanye West Working On Stand Up Comedy Show; Jake Gyllenhaal ‘Absolutely’ Believes In Aliens

Naughty Gossip
-
0
Gossip: Kanye West Working On Stand Up Comedy Show; Jake Gyllenhaal ‘Absolutely’ Believes In Aliens

Kanye West was spotted grinning from ear-to-ear as he left an intimate Dave Chappelle comedy performance in West Hollywood on Monday night. And now sources tell NAUGHTY GOSSIP that Kanye is working on his own comedy act.

“Kanye wants to be a stand up comedian,” sources tell Naughty Gossip. “He had been working on material and has an entire act put together. A lot of the jokes are about fame and the Kardashian family. He is surprisingly good at it. Next he plans to turn up, unannounced at a few clubs and do open mic. Kanye is 100 percent serious about this.”

No doubt the stand-up routine from the legendary 43-year-old entertaining put him in good spirits as he flashed a rare smile while leaving the Peppermint Club.

The outing comes just after the emotional episode of his 36-year-old wife’s reality program in which she detailed her experience during the horrific armed robbery in Paris back in October.

The episode was very emotional as several of her family members had reflected on the experience including Kanye who already had revenge on his mind.

He explained on the program that he would have went to great lengths to avenge her as he said: ‘If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t have stopped until they were dead.’

Kim and the 39-year-old rapper also agreed that they would not talk about the robbery in front of their two children: three-year-old daughter North and one-year-old son Saint.

In the actual episode Kim revealed that she believed she was going to be raped and killed on the night of her Paris robbery. The heist was France’s biggest jewelry theft involving a private citizen in more than two decades.

Jake Gyllenhaal Believes That Aliens ‘Absolutely’ Exist

Jake Gyllenhaal is making the promotional rounds for his upcoming sci-fi/horror flick, Life, where he plays an astronaut. In preparation for his role, Jake consulted with astronauts, trauma doctors and even worked with a zero-gravity-movement coach to effectively convey the physical and mental toll that space travel takes on a person.

But, as far as the existence of life on other planets, Jake feels that we may not be alone out there. Jake told the New York Daily News that, “I believe there’s so much yet to be explored. I think absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind — whether or not they’re friendly or already here — I think there’s a lot left to explore.”

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

Washington State Teens Are No Longer Partying With Booze And Marijuana: But Why?

Al Olson
-
0
Washington State Teens Are No Longer Partying With Booze And Marijuana: But Why?

Nearly three out of four Washington State 10th graders say they have not touched cannabis or marijuana in the past month, according to results from the 2016 Washington Healthy Youth Survey.

The survey, a collaborative effort of the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Health, the Department of Social and Health Service’s Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, and the Liquor and Cannabis Board, is taken every two years by students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12.

The students voluntarily answer a wide variety of questions about their health behaviors. In 2016, more than 230,000 students in over 1,000 schools from 236 school districts in all 39 counties took part.

“On the marijuana side, we’re pleased that we have not seen an increase in marijuana use the last two years,” said Michael Langer of the Department of Social and Health Services.

Alcohol use by 10th graders has dropped by 12 percentage points since 2006. However, the number of students who use alcohol has not changed since 2014. In 2016, one out of five 10th graders (a total of about 16,737 students) drank alcohol in the past month. Alcohol plays a significant role in all three leading causes of death among youth: injuries, suicides and homicides.

Here are some key points of the study:

Rates of teen marijuana use have remained steady, despite the changing landscape.

  • In 2016, six percent of 8th graders, 17 percent of 10th graders, and 26 percent of 12th graders reported past 30-day marijuana use.
  • About half of those who used marijuana in the past month indicated they used on six or more days: 41 percent of 8th graders, 45 percent of 10th graders, and 52 percent of 12th graders.

The majority of current marijuana users, about two-thirds of 8th and three-quarters of 10th and 12th graders, usually smoke marijuana.

  • A much smaller percentage reported usually eating, drinking, or vaping marijuana.
  • There was a decline from 2014 in 12th grade current users who usually vaporized it (7percent to 5 percent).

Perceived ease of obtaining marijuana remained stable (8th & 12th grade) or declined (10th grade) between 2014 and 2016.

  • Fewer 10th graders thought marijuana was “very easy” to obtain in 2016 (27%) than 2014 (32 percent).
  • Among 8th and 12th graders, the percentage believing marijuana is very easy to obtain held steady, but about 40 percent of 12th graders think it’s very easy to get.

Where teens obtain marijuana may be changing.

  • Of those who obtained marijuana in the past month, the percentage buying it at a store decreased from 2014 to 2016 among 8th graders (11 percent to 5 percent) and 10th graders (9% to 6 percent).
  • Among 12th graders who obtained marijuana, the percentage getting it from friends decreased (63 percent to 57 percent) and giving money to someone else to purchase it increased (16 percent to 19 percent).

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

Gossip: Kim K’s Security Increased After TV Show; Gwyneth Paltrow Refuses to Eat This Animal Because It’s Too Smart

Naughty Gossip
-
0
Gossip: Kim K’s Security Increased After TV Show; Gwyneth Paltrow Refuses to Eat This Animal Because It’s Too Smart

Kim has once again increased her security after the episode aired where she tells all about her Paris tragedy.

“Kim has increased her security. After the episode aired she needed to feel safe and has hired more guards. Watching herself telling all the details freaked Kim out. It brought back all the nightmares and she wanted to fell safe,” sources tell Naughty Gossip “Her safety is everything. They had a lot of conversations about how much to reveal because they didn’t want to encourage sick copycats. She was very brave to do this.”

Gwyneth Paltrow Refuses to Eat This One Animal Because It’s ‘Too Smart to Be Food’

Gwyneth Paltrow may like to steam her clam, but she’s never going to eat octopus.

While speaking with her Goop colleagues in a Slack chat this week, the 44-year-old revealed she won’t eat the multi-limbed creature because of their supposed intelligence. When a staff member suggested ordering barbecue octopus at Los Angeles’ Cliff’s Edge restaurant during a conversation about food recommendations, Paltrow went on a “#tangant” and told her staff that she can no longer have it because she believes the animal is “too smart to be food.”

“They have more neurons in their brains than we do. I had to stop eating them because I was so freaked out by it,” she wrote, according to a screenshot of the chat shared on Goop’s Instagram story. “They can escape from sea world and sh*t by unscrewing drains and going out to sea.”

Though the mom-of-two will no longer indulge in a piece of tako nigiri the next time she’s at a Japanese restaurant, calamari is totally on her menu. According to Paltrow, she’s still a fan of eating squid.

“No,” Paltrow responded, when asked if she’ll be staving off the deep fried dish. “Squid is the dumb cousin, apparently.”

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

Yes Please! Someone Donated A Cooler Filled With Marijuana To Goodwill

Al Olson
-
0
Yes Please! Someone Donated A Cooler Filled With Marijuana To Goodwill

Most of us go to Goodwill to donate — or buy — vintage clothing, used furniture, old books and the like. Marijuana? Not so much.

Last week, employees at the Goodwill in Monroe, Wash., a suburb north of Seattle, discovered a cooler filled with 3.75 pounds of bagged cannabis.


 

The Monroe Police Department’s Twitter account displayed a smiling officer with the illegal stash with the obvious statement: “Employees [were] surprised when they opened the lid.”

According to Monroe police, the 3.75 pounds of pot had an estimated street value of $24,000.

Police and Goodwill are looking at the surveillance video in an effort to capture the person who made the “donation.” Although cannabis is legal in the state of Washington, the legal maximum possession amount is one ounce. The cooler’s contents was 60 times the legal limit.

“There are many people on social media claiming it’s theirs,” said Debbie Willis of the Monroe Police Department, “but we have yet to have one walk through the door.”

Did the person who dropped off the cooler know the marijuana was in there? Hard to know. But Katherine Boury, a spokesperson for Goodwill, offered this advice: “This is a reminder to check your purse, pockets, or cooler to make sure you’re donating the items you mean to.”

What will happen to the weed? “It’s sitting in our evidence, waiting yearly burn of that type of evidence.” Willis said.

This is not the most unusual donation to the Monroe Goodwill facility, according to Boury.

“In 2013, three human skulls were found,” she told CNN. She said that two of the skulls had been used for medical research, and one Native American skull that was more than 100 years old. “We worked with authorities to track down the origin of the Native American skull for proper burial,” she said.

[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

Stand Tall: These Ugly Shorts Promise To Give Men Stronger Erections

Sam Jones
-
0
Stand Tall: These Ugly Shorts Promise To Give Men Stronger Erections

There are a lot of male enhancement products out there, most of them bogus and no help with boners. Sorry dudes. Pills and wacky devices can only do so much if you’re not pleased with what you’re naturally packing.

There are magic grow-medicines and serums that promise virility, but nothing quite like these hideous, vibrating shorts. Called the VylyV, the shorts claim to help strengthen pelvic floor muscles by training you to do better kegels. Yep, just like the ladies.

They look like overly-stylized bike shorts, but they’re full of trackers and vibrating functions to use along with an app on your phone. By playing games and getting feedback, the company says that these shorts will give you more powerful erections and orgasms.

From their now-funded Indiegogo campaign:

Kegel exercises (contracting the pelvic floor muscles) strengthens the hammock of muscle tissue that stretches from the pubic bone back to the tailbone and supports essential organs such as the bladder and bowel. Strengthening the pelvic floor also strengthens the bulbocavernosus muscle, which is responsible for controlling urination, erections and ejaculation in men.

But the science here is questionable, as Dr. Paul Turek told Huffington Post: “There is a relationship between pelvic muscles and incontinence, but there’s no evidence of a clear benefit between strong pelvic muscles and strong erections.”

Their campaign page says that the company’s founder, Michael, is “an avid gym-goer and men’s health enthusiast, [who] always believed that ‘bigger is better.’” He’d tried “over 20 penis enlargement devices” before becoming a pelvic floor strengthening advocate. Gotta give it to the guy, that’s tenacity.

Dubious science aside, their product video raises some eyebrows. Maybe we could all use a little more body positivity instead of freaky-ass pants? Watch their video for yourself, and stay til the end for the Oscar-worthy lines:


[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”true”]

 

10 Types Of Marijuana To Help You Feel More Confident

Maria Loreto
-
0
10 Types Of Marijuana To Help You Feel More Confident

Feeling confident can ease the stress out of many situations, be them work-related, like when you need to make a kick-ass presentation; or socially related, like bringing some chill to that awkward date.

It’s not always easy to feel more confident, there are days where we don’t feel as comfortable with ourselves and we might need extra help aside from sleeping eight hours a night and working out regularly. Luckily, we have 10 types of marijuana here that will make you feel like you are king or queen of the world.

RELATED: People Who Use Weed Also Do More Of Another Fun Thing

Know that there are multiple ways to consume marijuana, you can eat or drink it, rub it into your skin, vape, smoke and much more. Ask the budtenders at your local dispensary which products have the strains listed and then pick how you want to put it into your body.

Consume these and feel like you can take on the world with your charms and prowess:

http://giphy.com/gifs/rupaulsdragrace-rupauls-drag-race-rupaul-logo-tv-26BkNItrjPoIhB4Bi

Strawberry

Like its name suggests, this mostly sativa strain has a strong fruity and strawberry-like scent and flavor that works well for relieving stress and tension without any paranoia. Strawberry is comfortable and relaxing, ready to prepare you for stress-free social situations.

Double Dream

This strain produces an intense result that will have you feeling euphoric, talkative and confident in everything you put your mind to. It also has a blend of great sweet and spicy flavors which make it a joy to consume.

RELATED: 8 Ways to Enjoy Marijuana Without Smoking It

Dr. Feelgood

Like its name implies, this strain wants to make you feel mentally and physically great, leaving your body buzzing with a mellow and controllable energy.

Tommy’s Home Grown

This type of marijuana has an earthy taste that makes it perfect to consume at home after a long stressful day. It will also have you feeling uplifted and energized without inducing any type of paranoia.

Devil Fruit

http://giphy.com/gifs/studiosoriginals-dancing-excited-josh-freydkis-3o72Ffdfgr3lcGniU0

This strain is 70 percent sativa that comes with a mix of sweet and spicy flavors that’ll stimulate your brain, making you feel creative and confident, while also relaxing and draining the tension out of your body, which is always a plus.

Northern Wreck

This type of marijuana mixes strains that are designed to stimulate your brain while also giving you strength and energizing you, producing a full body euphoria that will have you ready to take on the day’s challenges with a smile.

Don Shula

This type of marijuana will leave you soaring with happiness and is uplifting both mind and body.

Juliet

This type of marijuana has a sweet berry aroma that will energize your brain, leaving you confident and apt at managing social situations or when doing a task that requires focus and attention. It’ll also leave you feeling very happy and positive.

White Nightmare

While its name doesn’t suggest any happiness, White Nightmare will leave your body with a feeling of euphoria and positivity unlike any other. Your body will feel comfortably relaxed and great.

Chronic Thunder

http://giphy.com/gifs/yosub-3oEjHQfcty8ymPM5Da

RELATED: Types Of Marijuana To Make You Feel Less Stressed

With a funky smell of pepper and diesel, this type of marijuana will have you focused and will take you to your comfortable place for a long while.

1...1,3011,3021,303...1,460Page 1,302 of 1,460

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Fresh Toast is an award-winning lifestyle & health platform with a side of cannabis. We work hard each day to bring uplifting and informative information about culture, weed, celebrity, tech and medical marijuana.

© Copyright @2020