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Robe Trotting: 5 International Hotel Restaurants Worth The Stay

Jen Chiu
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Robe Trotting: 5 International Hotel Restaurants Worth The Stay

Normally, eating in hotel restaurants proves you are too lazy to find a nice spot to dine. When in actuality, if you know where to look, it can be the best decision you make while traveling. Who doesn’t want to stumble upstairs to their room after eating and drinking? Here are five international destinations that prove the point.

Stockholm, Sweden

Photos by Jen Chiu

Matsalen in Stockholm’s Grand Hotel is where to go if you want slick service and you covet a leisurely meal, as in four-hours. At this two-Michelin-starred restaurant, diners choose between five or eight courses. Matsalen overachieves in many areas, starting with the amuse bouche. Generally this is a small one-bite starter.

One night, it was a Swedish squid with lobster, cucumber, salmon roe, tapioca, yogurt and coriander. This restaurant has primo real estate on the waterfront. If you want to see all the action, book the chef’s dining table.

Hong Kong

Photos by Jen Chiu

Opulence and dim sum don’t typically go hand-in-hand, but they do at two-Michelin starred Tin Lung Heen, located on the 102nd Floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. Dim sum lovers will find many of the traditional favorites, made with top quality ingredients and up-market variations: hargow (steamed shrimp dumplings) with black truffle, pork and lobster dumpling with golden leaf, and rice noodle rolls with barbecued Iberian pork.

Baersbronn, Germany

Photos by Jen Chiu

Food enthusiasts make the 1.5 hour drive from Stuttgart (one of Germany’s manufacturing hubs; not really a top tourist destination, but hello, Porsche Museum) to Baersbronn, an off-the-beaten-path town in the Germany’s Black Forest. Not only will you see lush green landscapes conjuring fairytale images of Little Red Riding Hood, but you’ll find a cluster of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Restaurant Bareiss, which boasts three Michelin Stars in their petite 8-table establishment. Here, you’ll get a sense of the history and terroir as Bareiss infuses traditional cooking techniques and ingredients from this region. Tip for you wine lovers: Dry Riesling is a must in this region.

If you stay at this hotel, you’ll be rewarded with pools, spas, hiking trails and electric mountain bikes you can rent to explore…and a magnificent daily afternoon cake bar. You’ll find generations of families from Germany and Switzerland who have been making the annual pilgrimage for decades.

Kanazawa, Japan

Photos by Jen Chiu

30 miles outside of Kanazawa is the spa town of Kaga where you’ll find luxury ryokan Beniya Mukayu. This is where Zen tradition and modern design converge. Aside from the in-room onsen baths and other pampering, people stay here for the lavish multi-course kaiseki dinner. Kaiseki is a traditional dinner/art form with a focus on taste, texture, appearance and attention to seasonal ingredients. Dishes are beautifully arranged such as local crab prepared two ways, sea urchin, duck meatballs, nodogoro fish with grilled matsutake mushroom, and Cod soft roe with turnip served in a hot pot.

Alsace, France

Bordering Germany and Switzerland, the Alasce region changed hands between German and French rule over the centuries and the cuisine reflects a mix of those cultures. Bakery storefronts display soft pretzels next to croissants and galettes.

The culinary output of this hybridization can be experienced at Auberge de’ill in Hotel des Berges. Located along a river in a small village situated between Colmar and Straosburg, this 13 unit boutique hotel + the newest addition of an Airstream trailer (the owner bought it as supplemental lodging to host guests for his daughter’s wedding a few summers ago; it was such a hit he decided to keep it on his grounds) has been owned by the same family for decades. Goose liver pate and pear, lobster with cabbage and pinot noir jus, pigeon with truffles are examples of dishes to sample at this three Michelin-starred restaurant. If you don’t shy away from decadence, try the terrine of goose fois. 133 euros for 300 grams or a grand puba slice of 600 grams for 219 euro.

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14 Hysterical Misheard Lyrics That Will Make Your Day Okay

Brendan Bures
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14 Hysterical Misheard Lyrics That Will Make Your Day Okay

Misheard lyrics are not a new phenomenon. Neither is their collection in posts like this.

But every so often Twitter reminds us that it’s a consistently funny phenomenon nonetheless that persists in age of Genius and song lyrics on our iPhones. The embarrassment with which users admit their mishearing lyrics seems both exaggerated and endearing.


It’s such a common mistake, yet that doesn’t diminish the shame we feel. Like a twice-a-year Catholic, these people feel the need to repent and confess. And like the Young Pope, we feel the right to laugh.

https://twitter.com/santana_008/status/829044649369096192

https://twitter.com/DylMillz/status/824151299327397889

https://twitter.com/PforParker/status/760581907692130304

https://twitter.com/sarahwichallMUA/status/830516858419871744

https://twitter.com/clairempear/status/828485548293636096

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Gin & Juice: How To Make Warren Bobrow’s Three Planets Canna-Punch

Warren Bobrow
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Gin & Juice: How To Make Warren Bobrow’s Three Planets Canna-Punch

I’m a huge fan of gin. There are so many different styles. Take London Dry and imagine that bone dry whisper of juniper and a scraping of citrus oil, perhaps some tea leaf and some pine needles. There you have gin. Other varieties bend the realism of floral notes and some even combine the two with cucumbers and roses! I’m a fan of one that hails from Vermont made from raw honey and grain. It tastes just fine in a snifter or when treated to fresh lime juice and a touch of ice. It’s always up to the drinker how they want to enjoy their slurp.

Gin has had a tempestuous history. A thing of the underclass, a cheap drunk and sometimes even a curative. Every sailor knew that the gin he carried on the high seas was made to be enjoyed with a squeeze of lime- it probably wasn’t fresh lime like we have today, but that lime (hence the word limey’s) represented healing. And that healing is why we drink gin up to today.

Because gin represents more than just a mere foil for tonic water, it’s the stuff that keeps you from getting malaria when you’re in the rain forest. See that quinine water is the thing that you take when there are those pesky mosquitos around carrying malaria. And the gin? It keeps your mind numb to the fact that the mosquitos are looking to give you whatever they are carrying. And you don’t want that. Nope.

Gin is here for healing what ails ye. During the Middle Ages, it was said that gin was a powerful curative against the plague. I’d like to believe that gin was purified water with folk healing herbs added.

One very delicious way to enjoy gin is with citrus juices. But instead of just opening the refrigerator and taking out juices of an uncertain demeanor, why not raise the bar and use freshly squeezed juices that have been roasted prior? Roasted? What does that mean? Cooking the fruit juices in the oven with raw sugar or honey is one of life’s simple pleasures. Then as if by magic, the roasted juices are woven into punch with the above mentioned gin of your choosing. And since I’ve been charged with the responsibility for being slightly askew of the norm, I’m going to ask you to use a gin that has been infused with THC.

Since you’ve been following along, or not- let me explain. I wrote a little book, really the first one on the topic- named Cannabis Cocktails and this book teaches a different approach to the enjoyment of gin. Since I teach an alternative method to extracting THC and adding it to craft spirits, this new way is quite simple and therefore intriguing. I was given permission by the kind folks at the Magical Butter Machine company to use their namesake invention. This made my life extremely easy for the infusion part. The decarb part is cumbersome and stinky, but necessary to make your weed active. That means you feel the good stuff happen in your head and in your belly. A craft cocktail that has THC in it. Not CBD (well meaning) or hemp (a money grab), but the real thing. Yes Virginia, you get drunk and stoned and guess what? They are pretty tasty together!

Remember: please, never more than one drink per hour. They tend to cause negativity if you go over this little rule of thumb. If you take too much, suck a few lemons- that seems to work.

Photo by Flickr user Basheer Tome

Three Planets Punch

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut about four grapefruits in half, with four oranges and four limes, two lemons as well. Place on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle with raw sugar and Angostura Biters. Roast for ½ hour to an hour. Let cool and then juice.

For two persons or more…

  • 8 oz. Botanical Gin infused with the strain of your choice
  • 4 oz. Dry Sherry
  • 4 oz. Roasted Grapefruit
  • 4 oz. Roasted Lime
  • 4 oz. Roasted Orange
  • 2 oz. Roasted Lemon juices
  • 1 bottle Sparkling wine
  • Angostura Bitters
  • Ice

Combine all the juices with the gin and about twenty shakes of Angostura Bitters, add the sherry and stir. Add the sparkling wine and stir again. Taste for bitterness. Adjust with Angostura and stir. Spoon into Victorian Tea Cups and serve.

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Landmark NY Bill To Seal 800,000 Marijuana Convictions Passes Assembly

Drug Policy Alliance
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Landmark NY Bill To Seal 800,000 Marijuana Convictions Passes Assembly

On Tuesday, the New York State Assembly voted in support of A.2142, a bill that will seal the criminal records of people who have been unjustly and unconstitutionally arrested for simple possession of marijuana in public view. The vote was 95 in favor and 38 opposed.

Over the last 20 years, more than 800,000 New Yorkers have been arrested for simple possession of marijuana. Those convicted face significant barriers to accessing education, employment, housing opportunities, and other state services.

“I introduced the marijuana sealing bill because drug laws have created a permanent underclass of people unable to find jobs after a conviction,” said Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes. “One of the most damaging issues derived from the war on drugs is that the policies are inherently racist. Communities of color have been devastated by bad drug policies and hyper-criminalization for the last 40 years,” she added.

“It is an approach that has never worked and has caused significantly more harm than good to our communities and to our families. If today’s moment of increased attention to heroin encourages us to center public health in our drug policy, then we need to ensure that we are making amends to communities of color by alleviating the burden bad policies have had on their lives. Sealing low-level marijuana possession convictions is the first step to reintegrating thousands of New Yorkers who are inhibited daily from accessing employment, housing and an education all due to a conviction on their record for simple possession of marijuana” Peoples-Stokes said.

This bill was sponsored by Assembly member Peoples-Stokes of Buffalo and members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus, who have vocally called for equity in our state’s drug policies, citing the impact the discriminatory enforcement of these policies have had on communities of color.

New York State first decriminalized personal marijuana possession in 1977, recognizing the harmful impact an arrest could have on young people. Although New York officials, including Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, have previously recognized these arrests as ineffective, unjust, and racially discriminatory, they still continue across the state because of a loophole in the law.

In 2016 more than 22,000 New Yorkers were arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana – 80 percent of whom were black or Latino. Governor Cuomo proposed closing this loophole as part of his State of the State 2017, citing the damaging collateral consequences. As policymakers acknowledge that these arrests are unjust and should not take place in the future, they must simultaneously focus on repairing the harm for people burdened by a criminal record from such an arrest.

The discriminatory practices are statewide. For example, in the city of Buffalo in Erie County, African Americans represent 70 percent of the marijuana arrests – despite only being 38.6 percent of the population, and using marijuana at similar rates as other groups.

Once convicted, a permanent record can follow these mostly young people of color for the rest of their lives – a record easily found by banks, schools, employers, landlords, and licensing boards.

This sealing legislation has taken on increased importance amid the Trump Administration’s rhetoric and actions targeting immigrant communities. On the national level, simple marijuana possession is the fourth most common cause of deportation, according to the report “Secure Communities and ICE Deportations: A Failed Program?” Sealing records will provide a measure of protection for immigrants by making it difficult or impossible for immigration authorities to meet their legal burden of proof for a judge to find a lawful permanent resident deportable. Additionally, sealing will guard against the Trump administration’s Executive Order targeting noncitizens with any criminal arrests and/or convictions for deportation. If the arrest is also sealed and the sealed information is not shared with the FBI, these individuals may be at lower risk of becoming an enforcement target.

“A marijuana conviction can lead to devastating consequences for immigrants, including detention and deportation,” said Alisa Wellek, Executive Director of the Immigrant Defense Project. “This bill will provide some important protections for green card holders and undocumented New Yorkers targeted by Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda.”

Increasingly, jurisdictions and legislators across the country are realizing that marijuana prohibition has been ineffective, unjust, and racially discriminatory, and are working to implement regulatory systems that are fair and effective. In New York, Assembly members recognize that, at a minimum, people should not be saddled with a permanent criminal record simply for possession of small amount of marijuana.

“New York must repair the harms of our racially biased marijuana laws and sealing low-level marijuana convictions is a step in the right direction. Thank you to the New York State Assembly for recognizing that a permanent criminal record is an out-sized burden for low-level marijuana possession and that allowing sealing for these convictions will allow New Yorkers to avoid job loss, eviction, and a host of unnecessary collateral consequences,” said Alyssa Aguilera, co-executive director of VOCAL-NY.

Advocates now look to the Senate to quickly pass the Senate companion bill (S.3809) sponsored by Senator Jamaal Bailey before the session ends on June 21, and to begin to repair the harm done by marijuana prohibition to communities across the state. Governor Cuomo also has a unique opportunity to address the harms that these arrests have caused by enacting sealing for marijuana possession arrests as part of his decriminalization proposal in the state budget legislation. Such a move would show his commitment to communities that have borne the harshest brunt of racial profiling and those currently most vulnerable under Trump’s executive orders.

“In New York State 22,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in 2016. The misdemeanor charge for public view of marijuana possession gives those people convicted a criminal record that will follow them throughout their lives, potentially limiting their access to education, affecting their ability to obtain employment, leading to a potential inability to provide for  their families,” said Senator Jamaal Bailey.

“Furthermore, and even more problematic, there exist significant racial disparities in the manner that marijuana possession policy is enforced. Blacks and Latinos are arrested at higher rates despite the fact that white people use marijuana at higher rates than people of color. Responsible and fair policy is what we need here and this bill will do just that. I am proud to sponsor this legislation with Assemblymember Peoples-Stokes and commend her for taking initiative on this issue. We must act now, with proactive legislation, for the future of many young men and women of our State are at stake here.”

 

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The DEA Has Finally Taken Down The Marijuana Myths From Its Website

Sam Jones
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The DEA Has Finally Taken Down The Marijuana Myths From Its Website

After the nonprofit medical cannabis advocacy group Americans for Safe Access filed a legal request with the Department of Justice last year, and following months of pressure from the public, the Drug Enforcement Agency has finally removed marijuana myths from its website.

The misinformation presented by the DEA included several statements citing now-debunked studies or direct contradictions to the agency’s own stances and science’s conclusions on marijuana. Safe Access Now reports that one publication, “Dangers and Consequences of Marijuana,” contained 23 of the 25 factual inaccuracies in violation of the Information Quality Act.

The misinformation presented by the DEA, all of which is now proven false or inconclusive, included:

  • Marijuana is a gateway drug to harder substances
  • It contributes to psychosis
  • It can cause lung cancer or put you at a higher risk
  • It contributes to irreversible cognitive decline in adults
  • It worsens mental illness, increasing the risk of schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide

The DEA website especially dwelled on marijuana use and its role as a “gateway drug,” claiming that using marijuana would put people at a higher risk of being addicted to heroin, meth, and cocaine, when in fact there is little evidence to this being the case.

Here’s what ASA requested appear in place of these misleading statements:

“At present, the available data do not suggest a causative link between marijuana use and the development of psychosis.”

“Numerous large, longitudinal studies show that subjects who used marijuana do not have a greater incidence of psychotic diagnoses compared to those who do not use marijuana.”

“[M]arijuana per se does not appear to induce schizophrenia in the majority of individuals who have tried or continue to use marijuana. However, in individuals with a genetic vulnerability for psychosis, marijuana use may influence the development of psychosis.”

“Overall, research does not support a direct causal relationship between regular marijuana use and other illicit drug use.”

Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access, said in a statement that this could mean we’re getting close to the end of Washington’s gridlock against legal marijuana. “This is a victory for medical cannabis patients across the nation, who rely on cannabis to treat serious illnesses. The federal government now admits that cannabis is not a gateway drug, and doesn’t cause long-term brain damage, or psychosis. While the fight to end stigma around cannabis is far from over, this is a big first step.”

Watch Thor Be A Nightmare Roommate In ‘Team Thor’ Clip

Brendan Bures
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Watch Thor Be A Nightmare Roommate In ‘Team Thor’ Clip

It’s no secret that the best moments of superhero stories—either in comic book or TV or film form—aren’t the fights or display of superhuman strength. The best moments are when we’re reminded how regular our heroes can be, battling very human struggles. Meet Thor the crappy roommate.

Though usually those normal moments play for dramatic effect, the recent Marvel shorts depicting Team Thor spring into comedy. The first, packaged with the Captain America: Civil War DVD, explained why Thor wasn’t part of the fight between Captain America and Iron Man. He’d moved to Australia, renting a flat with his roommate Darryl.

Marvel has released another of the shorts, this one coming as an extra on the Doctor Strange DVD, and sees Thor trying to pay his rent in Asgardian coins and asserting the pair’s need for a servant.

Both shorts are directed by Taiki Waititi. He’s also behind the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok and last year’s tender romp Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

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The Only Cocktail You Need This Winter: ‘Stay The Course’ With Gin And Warming Spices

Jillian Peterson
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The Only Cocktail You Need This Winter: ‘Stay The Course’ With Gin And Warming Spices

It’s fitting that this cocktail made its national debut during a time of political discourse. But unlike real life, this drink is filled with sunshine and unicorns, like a cozy sweater on a cold winter day. It’s creator, Jesse Cyr, recently moved onto the regional finals of the Bols Around the World — one of the world’s largest international bartending competitions, now in its ninth year.

“When you think of winter flavors, baking spices usually come to mind,” says Cyr.

Allspice, cinnamon, and clove fit perfectly into cocktails during the cold weather season. They almost have a warming effect on the body by subconsciously reminding you of baking holiday desserts with friends and family.

“The orange clove syrup in Stay the Course not only gives the proper amount of sweetness, but also gives you that warming effect. And adding the cardamom bitters really takes the spices to a more complex level.”

Stay the Course

Photo by Jesse Cyr

By Jesse Cyr, Rob Roy (Seattle WA)

  • 2 oz Bols Barrel Aged Genever
  • 0.25 oz orange clove syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash Cardamom bitters

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass and pour over a large ice cu be in an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Orange clove syrup

  • 3 Tbs whole cloves
  • Peel from 1 whole orange
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1.5 cups water

Heat the cloves in a sauce pan over medium high heat until fragrant. Add the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and pour entire contents of pan into a heat proof vessel containing the orange peels. Let the syrup sit in the vessel for 2 hours. Strain out the cloves and orange peels, bottle, and refrigerate.

Cyr says he kept the cocktail simple in order to showcase the base spirit.

“I love how the Bols barrel aged genever has bright citrus notes and some baking spices from the French Limousin oak it’s aged in. I felt that an orange clove syrup would really help to highlight those flavors. And using just a dash of cardamom bitters gives a nod to the history of Lucas Bols and how cardamom was one of the first flavors of liqueur that they distilled in the late 1500’s.”

Cyr heads to the regional finals March 20.

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12 Romantic Valentine’s Day Ideas That Don’t Cost A Thing

Rachel Krantz
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12 Romantic Valentine’s Day Ideas That Don’t Cost A Thing

No, but really — how does a person have better sex or a better relationship? The Fresh Toast has enlisted Rachel Krantz, a sex writer and proud canna-enthusiast, to help readers out with some answers as its sex columnist. No question is off limits, and all questions will remain anonymous. Please send your sex and relationship inquiries to freshlove@thefreshtoast.com. Now, onto this week’s topic: Valentine’s Day and anniversary gift ideas that don’t cost a thing.


Q: Hey. So I saw your guide last week to Valentine’s Day gifts, but I’m really pretty broke right now, and as usual, I’ve left things till the last minute. It’s also just my luck that our anniversarry is the week after V-Day. I’m wondering if you have any ideas for Valentine’s Day and anniversary gifts that I could get my partner that would be more DIY and free. I want it to be nice, but not because I spent money.

A: Great question! While I did include some cheap things in my Valentine’s Day gift guide, it’s true — the best things in life are free. I’m a big fan of the free and sentimental gift, so here are a few ideas for some free gifts that will go a long way.

Give A Regularly-Scheduled Massage

http://gph.is/19YmJ4g

If you want to really be nice (and you’re prepared to follow through) give them the gift of a weekly or monthly massage. Even if you’re not that great at it, just use massage oil and you’ll get better eventually. On a selfish note, this is also a nice gift to yourself. Giving is a valuable skill to cultivate in yourself, you’ll be working your upper body strength, and yes — you might get laid at the end of it.

Write Them A Serious Love Letter

Getting a letter — not just a card, but a truly composed, thought-out letter — can mean a lot. Tell them what they mean to you in explicit terms; the stuff you appreciate about being with them you might think they might already know. Handwrite it once it’s composed on the computer, or at the least, print it out so that they can have a hard copy. It will mean a lot to them to hear you express your love and appreciation in more than cliched or funny terms. Spend time on it.

Make A List Of Reasons They Rock

http://gph.is/2d1aWux

Similar to the letter, but for those of you that don’t feel like natural writers, this is a way to show your appreciation that will make them feel super-loved. Sit down, and try to make a list of everything you love about them. It can be all the really small things — even the way they hold a fork — and the big things, too. Chances are, you’ll end up with dozens and dozens of items, and if you handwrite it out, you can tell them to keep the list and remember to look at it whenever they’re doubting just how beautiful and awesome they are.

DIY Coupons

Make a stack of sexy coupons you’re prepared to have them cash in at any time (with your consent, of course). They could read “Dinner cooked by me,” “movie of your choice,” “role play of your choice” — whatever it is, give them a few options of  coupons they can cash in over the year.

Flowers Picked From Your Neighborhood

http://gph.is/XKsqPJ

Don’t have money for flowers? What about taking a walk around your neighborhood and picking some flowers and other plants to make a truly original bouquet? Extra points for gathering flowers from your favorite spots together. Adorable.

An Offer To Do The Chore They Hate

Does your partner always end up taking out the garbage? Do they hate grocery shopping? Offer to take the chore off their plate for a year — or even a month. It might end up meaning a lot to them.

A Special Date Night In

http://gph.is/2ebmKv4

My favorite dates are always the ones where my partner cooks me a delicious dinner, and then we sit on the couch smoking a J, listening to music, and talking. Plan whatever you know is their ideal night in. Cook them their favorite meal, and suggest you stay in and watch the movie of their choice, or talk, or play a board game — whatever you know their favorite thing is to do that they wish they could do more often.

An Unplugged Day In Bed

I’ve always had the fantasy that one day, I’ll just spend all day in bed with my partner, and we’ll agree only to emerge for food and water. We’ll just focus on getting to know each other’s bodies even more, and expanding our understanding of what the other person likes. If you think your partner might love a day just dedicated to sex, why not suggest an unplugged day where your only focus is each other’s bodies, the way it was in the beginning?

Act Out Their Fantasy

http://gph.is/2cxQe2m

If you know they have a role play fantasy — or have always wanted to try something in bed like being dominated — take this holiday as an opportunity to surprise them with it. Even if you think playing doctor is kinda silly, why not welcome them home from work with the surprise of already being in character? If they love the idea of being tied up, take the time to read more about how to properly dominate someone and use a scarf at home to do the job. Whatever it is, make it all about what they want — just be sure you can fully commit.

Offer To Help Them With Something They Dread

Similar to doing the chore they hate, this is an offer not to do the thing for them, but to help. Know they’ve been putting off doing their taxes or opening a 401k? Have your present be sitting down with them to get it done. Know they dread talking to their mom on the phone? Have your present be that they can always put the call on speakerphone and you will bear witness to the craziness and laugh about it later. The support will mean a lot.

Slip Them A Note Every Day

http://gph.is/2cIbLur

If you really want to be romantic and think you can keep it up, slip a little paper note in their bag (ala Mom and the lunchbox) every day for a week, month, or even year. These don’t need to be long notes. Maybe one day it will just be an inside joke. Maybe another it will just say “you look beautiful today.” It really is the sweetness of the thought that counts.

Make A Romantic Presentation

If you’re a true nerd that wants to earn some major points without paying a thing, why not put together a slideshow presentation of your year/months in review? Compile old pictures, messages, and songs, and take them on a trip down memory lane, digitally. How adorable are you?

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6 Ways Fast Food Chains Are Getting Weird For Valentine’s Day

Sam Jones
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6 Ways Fast Food Chains Are Getting Weird For Valentine’s Day

You’re most likely not taking your sweetheart to a dinner date at a fast food joint tonight, but if you are, there’s no shame in that game. Don’t bag the doggy bag: Here are some of our favorite lowkey restaurants that are pulling out the greasy, fried stops for Valentine’s Day.

KFC Chicken Gram

Nothing says “I love you” quite like a box of fried chicken parts. Kentucky Fried Chicken’s hooking the hungry up with heart-shaped boxes full of finger-licking goodness. As AdWeek notes, there are three options for poetry, if you can call it that, inside the ‘gram. “Here’s to my friend who loves dark meat and white; The friend who makes a toast before our first bite.” Yeah, this better be a friendship bucket.

A Kiss For A Free Qdoba Burrito

Show up at Qdoba today and give someone a smooch to get a free burrito. They don’t care who you kiss, either: Your date in line with you, a friend, or your own damn cell phone because those count as partners now.

Pizza Pizza Heart-Shaped Pie

When a pizza delivery guy shows up at someone’s door and there’s foreplay involved, it’s usually a setup to an X-rated plot. The Canadian counterpart to Pizza Hut, Pizza Pizza, is bringing heart-shaped pies to homebody lovers for Valentine’s Day. Forty-seven percent of Canadians celebrating Valentine´s Day “would rather stay in and share a romantic evening at home, while 45 percent prefer going out to enjoy a nice dinner,” according the company’s press release. So let the people have it: Get cheesy.

Burger King Adults Only

Step aside, Happy Meal: Burger King is tossing sexy playthings into their special-edition Valentine’s meals. The set for a couple comes with two Whoppers, two packs of french fries, two beers, and a “romantic adult toy.” We’re gonna need more than two beers to make this less awkward. Sadly, these are only available in Israel locations, so the rest of us will have to bring our own toys to the drive thru.

McDonald’s Takes Reservations

Don’t let someone else steal your seat at the highly exclusive and typically waitlisted McDonald’s in Canandaigua, New York. Always wanted to take a date to a fancy fundraising dinner? They’re donating half of the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House. Living the elite philanthropist life.

 Waffle House White Tablecloth Dinners

However you like to get it done—smothered, diced, covered, chunked, peppered, capped, topped or country—Waffle House can hook you up. The tradition continues for their super-festive annual fine-dining experience.

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3 Positive Signs From Trump Administration Regarding Legal Marijuana

Daniel Shortt
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3 Positive Signs From Trump Administration Regarding Legal Marijuana

Donald Trump has had a tumultuous first few weeks as President with no shortage of stories for political junkies actively watching this young administration. Amid the chaos, three specific administration actions in recent weeks are beginning to shape what state-legal cannabis may look like under Trump.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Senator Jeff Sessions was recently confirmed as the U.S. Attorney General. Sessions is clearly not a fan of cannabis — as he once so crudely put it, “good people don’t smoke marijuana.”

Nonetheless, at his confirmation hearings, Sessions said that he would examine the Cole Memo, which is an instructional memorandum for federal prosecutors regarding how to prioritize prosecuting marijuana crimes in states with legal cannabis.

Under that memo, the Department of Justice has opted to stand down so long as states follow the enumerated enforcement priorities and so long as states have “robust” enough regulations to ensure sufficiently controlled marijuana marketplaces. As Attorney General, Sessions is free to retract that memo and its policies at any time.

Many believe though that Sessions will let the Cole Memo stand because it does not make economic sense to do anything otherwise. But so long as cannabis remains prohibited under federal law, there is a lot Sessions can do to disrupt this growing industry, and enforcement against select marijuana businesses is not off the table as a result.

Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch

In addition to Sessions as Attorney General, President Trump announced Neil Gorsuch as his choice to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Gorsuch currently serves on the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals. He was born and raised in cannabis-friendly Colorado and he lives in Boulder, Colo. Judge Gorsuch is a conservative judge who favors a strict reading of the U.S. Constitution, is wary of federal government overreach, is pro-business, and is an overall advocate for states’ rights on certain issues.

Overall, these viewpoints ought to combine for Judge Gorsuch taking a hands-off approach to cannabis. However, Judge Gorsuch has never publicly commented on cannabis legalization and, while he’s decided a few cases involving cannabis over the years, his opinions in those cases don’t provide much insight into how might rule when it comes to state marijuana legalization.

President Trump Gives Brief Opinion On Legalization

Right before the Super Bowl kicked off earlier this month, in an interview with Jim Gray of Westwood One Sports Radio, President Trump gave some slight insight into cannabis reform for the first time as sitting president. In that interview, Trump had this to say about an attempt by the NFL Player Association to reduce league penalties for cannabis use by NFL players:

“Well, I have no opinion on it. They’re going to have to take a look at that. They’re going to talk with the League, they’re going to be talking to, obviously, government officials wherever it may be. And when it comes up to the level of the presidency I’ll have an opinion.”

As a private citizen, Trump once advocated for the legalization of all drugs. As a campaigner for the presidency however, he constantly sent mixed messages, seeming to support medical marijuana while also being critical of recreational marijuana.

At this point, it is obviously difficult to predict where the Trump Administration will go on state-legal cannabis, but the overwhelming view among the cannabis lawyers at my law firm is that this is not a terribly important issue for President Trump and that means it is not an issue on which either he or his administration will be willing to stake much of his political capital.

Given his populist nature, if the overwhelming majority of Americans continue to support cannabis legalization and if cannabis legalization continues to generate jobs, we just do not see President Trump doing much if anything to try to stop the benefits of legalized marijuana.

Daniel Shortt is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog.

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