Happy 2017. For many of us the New Year brings ambitious goals both personally and professionally, and the opportunity for a fresh start. As we all strive for a happy and healthy 2017, fitness goals take a starring role. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a runner or not, each of us has the ability to get out and move, and take those initial steps to a healthier lifestyle.
I am a runner. I’ve participated in races ranging from 5ks to 100 mile ultramarathons, and everything in between. I even ran a half marathon wearing lederhosen. These experiences have taught me that nothing holds me more accountable to my fitness goals than registering for a race. And by race, I mean an organized running event – race, run, trail run, walk – they all count. If you’re a cyclist, rides work too. The same principles apply.
For me, motivation to run comes from many different places. Whether it’s the opportunity to explore new terrain, wrestle with a problem or relieve stress, that motivation changes day to day and run to run. However, the simple act of signing up for a race, and making the commitment to get to the START line, does more to get me out the door than anything else. Try it. You’ll see.
Where to start? Pick a race. As I mentioned, races range from 5k fun runs to 100 mile ultramarathons, and everything in between. In my experience, local running stores are great resources for race calendars in your area. Many cities have local running clubs as well, each of which likely host events consistently throughout the year. Runner’s WorldRace Finder online search tool can also provide information about upcoming races.
But how to choose a race that’s right for you? The question I ask myself is, “how do I set myself up for success?” And for me, success is choosing a race that yes, tests my limits, but more importantly allows me to enjoy not only crossing the finish line, but also the process of getting there.
We all start our training putting one foot in front of the other. If you enjoy the process, you’re much more likely to shift fitness from something you feel obligated to do, into something that you want to do, because ultimately, the training contributes to making you feel like your best self.
Be sure to choose a time horizon that gives you ample opportunity to train, but also puts you under pressure. A quick search online for distance-specific training plans will give you a good idea of the time it will take you to amply prepare for a race. The pressure of an upcoming race keeps me motivated to train. I also look forward to race day and the culmination of the effort put in to get there. And of course, the celebration of those efforts upon crossing the finish line!
Finally, share your goal to participate in a race with others. This simple act also amplifies accountability. And who knows, you might just inspire someone else to join you.
Good luck as you pursue your fitness goals in 2017. I encourage each of you to get to the START line in the coming year. Pick a race that sets you up to succeed – start slow, enjoy the process, include others and celebrate. Lederhosen optional.
I have the perfect way to spice up your next cocktail party: cannabis cocktail mixers! Made by Winterlife Cannabis, Hedgehog’s Cannabis Cocktail Spikers (in this episode, we use Island Mai Tai) are an excellent choice when you need to add a little bit of personality to your gatherings. The flavor of these mixers is subtle and at $24, the bottle will last you at least a dozen drinks, assuming you dose each one around 7mg.
If I’ve learned anything over the past three episodes of FWE it’s that consuming more than 10mg can hurt (a single piece of 10mg candy had only a slightly less negative effect than nearly 30mg of a cannabis coffee mocha). With these spiked cocktail mixers, the result after consuming around 10mg was totally relaxed. It was the equivalent of a couple of glasses of wine for me — I became chatty, cheery and totally forgot I had a cold.
For this episode, I employed one of my favorite people, Darin Williams, to get high with me off some holiday cocktails. He’s the co-founder of Proletariat Wine, which provides tapped wines to many, many restaurants, primarily in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Texas. We started rolling tape about 45 minutes after consumption, which hovered right around our peak highness.
A special thank you to videographer Colin Bishop and NW Polite Society.
There is a lot of uneasiness right now in the cannabis community over the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will dismantle the legal marijuana industry once it takes control of the United States government later this month, but some experts say they are “cautiously optimistic” that the situation will work out for the best.
A recent survey by Marijuana Business Daily finds that most people with their fingers on the pulse of the marijuana reform movement believe that Donald Trump will continue to allow the marijuana industry to function as it has done freely under the direction of President Obama. However, the same council is not holding its breath when it comes to the intentions of U.S. Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions
“For the most part, experts all think we will see a continuation of some form of the status quo,” Chris Walsh, editor of Marijuana Business Daily, toldYahoo Finance. “Maybe there will be some efforts to crack down here and there, but the consensus is that a widespread crackdown will be difficult.
“If Trump’s going to attack the marijuana industry—like the recreational side, or the new states that legalized—it’s going to be very difficult for him to do that,” Walsh continued. “He’s going to have a very hard time unwinding all the time and money and effort that states have put into these programs.”
There is an immense level of uncertainty regarding this matter, mostly because, since Donald Trump has never held a political position, no one has any idea exactly where he will stand on the issue once he takes over as the next Leader of the Free World. The only basis for optimism is some brief remarks he made last year on the campaign trial, suggesting that he believes marijuana legalization should be left up to the states and that he supports medical marijuana “100 percent.”
From a business standpoint, it has been suggested that Trump, who ran his entire campaign professing the creation of more jobs, should clearly see the positive impact the cannabis industry has had on the American workforce.
According to a report by Arcview Market Research, nationwide marijuana sales hit $6.7 billion in 2016 – contributing to thousands upon thousands of new jobs.
It was revealed earlier this week that the group responsible for getting marijuana legalized in the District of Columbia plans to distribute free marijuana at the Trump inauguration. The goal of the protest is to bring some much needed attention to the issue of nationwide legalization as well as to encourage the new administration to respect the will of the people and allow legal weed to persevere
Just because something isn’t fake does not constitute it as reality. Social media has taught us this lesson. Memory is a collection of life’s significant moments, just like social media, but the difference is you can’t choose what you remember. You just sort of remember what you do. The Good comes with the Bad, and you’ll never forget the Ugly.
Kim Kardashian and the whole Kardashian-Jenner clan has taught us how we might pretend otherwise. By being hyper-visible through avenues available to everyone—i.e. social media, “reality” television—we can seemingly “show” others what our life is really like. My life is great because don’t you see all this great stuff I’m doing? Don’t you want your life to be more like mine?
None of this is groundbreaking theory nor is it new that these expectations produce a slew of other problems we all must face instead. Like how does one respond when Reality disrupts your perfectly constructed “reality”? What happens when genuine tragedy befalls your character, like getting robbed at gunpoint, your husband experiencing serious mental illnesses, and everyone on the outside, the very people who once ate off your manicured feet, believing your life is secretly falling apart?
Well you’d probably check out of “reality,” at least awhile, as Kim Kardashian did. Playgrounds aren’t very fun when it’s pouring outside. That Kim would eventually return seemed inevitable, even if that’s a myopic sentiment. She would come back to “reality” because, if nothing else, this was her chosen profession. This was how she made her living—off her living, albeit very publically.
So this idea that Kim’s narrative wasn’t hers anymore? That it was a giant mess behind the scenes? On her first social media post in three months, Kim retorted: The fam was still good.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO0CReajH6Y/
Here the Wests appear in white garb, pure and together. Kim and Kanye look not to themselves but to their kids, as any “normal” parent would. As unfortunate as the past three months have been for them—enough to strain any family, fabricated or otherwise—they are still a family. Notice how Kim and Kanye look not to themselves, but to their kids, Saint and North. It’s the way any other parents would, their focus on the children, not themselves.
Here, too, is a home video, grainy and gooey just like your family’s VHS tapes might be. It even includes a song sounding nostalgically sentimental with Jeremih’s “Paradise.” Though upon reflection, what an odd choice? Because as warm and sappy as that chorus is, especially repeated as it in Kim’s home movie, it’s still a Jeremih joint. He’s going to croon sweetly about fucking and getting fucked up. (The track’s first two lines: “Woke up at home off that molly / Bad bitch red bone on my body.”) It’s like playing The Weeknd at a wedding—I can’t feel my face when I’m with you and I love that you don’t know what this song’s really about!
Anyways. As per usual with the Kardashian-Jenners, Kim’s return to social media was about image control. This is what Kim wants to show you and believe about her life. That it was positive and focused on family is perhaps a sign of where Kim’s at. The moment is justified. Whether you believe it or not, like with most parts of reality, is entirely up to you.
What would America eat and drink without California’s cash crop farms vineyards and orchards?
It’s no surprise that California leads the United State in cash farm receipts with a whopping $47 billion in 2014. The state provides the nation with 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery and 95 percent of garlic.
But that $47 billion doesn’t even include California’s’ largest cash crop: Cannabis. According to a report last week, the Golden State’s marijuana growers provide $26.6 billion in revenues, making it No. 1 — and it’s not even close.
Here is a look at the top 1o California crops, using the 2014 harvest data:
Milk — $6.29 billion
Almonds — $5.33 billion
Grapes — $4.95 billion
Cattle, Calves — $3.39 billion
Lettuce — $2.25 billion
Strawberries — $1.86 billion
Tomatoes — $1.71 billion
Poultry/Eggs — $1.7 billion
Walnuts — $977 million
Hay — $945 million
If you add all up, the grand total is $27.7 billion. Cannabis, which was just legalized in November is only $1.1 billion less than the entire top 10 COMBINED.
The $26.6 billion figure for marijuana, reported by the Orange County Register, is an estimate that is disputed by some industry insiders.
Troy Dayton, CEO of ArcView, a cannabis research company, estimates California generated $2.8 billion in medical-cannabis sales in 2015, which accounted for 62 percent of all medical-marijuana sales in the U.S. in 2015. Dayton estimates the state’s cannabis crop will be worth $6.5 billion by 2020 — only about a third of the Register’s figures.
Why the huge discrepancy? Here’s how Phillip Smith, author of the Drug War Chronicle, explains the variance:
The newspaper extrapolated from seizures of pot plants, which have averaged more than two million a year in the state for the past five years, and, citing the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, used the common heuristic that seizures account for only 10 percent to 20 percent of drugs produced. That led it to an estimate of 13.2 million plants grown in the state in 2015 (with 2.6 million destroyed), based on the high-end 20 percent figure.
It then assumed that each plant would produce one pound of pot at a market price of $1,765 a pound. Outdoor plans can produce much more than a pound, but indoor plants may only produce a few ounces, so the one-pound average figure is safely conservative.
But no matter how you add it up, California is country’s cannabis king and the crop — and will be for the foreseeable future.
It’s okay that you’re probably still catching up on all the great films 2016 had to offer. The Oscar flicks, the critically-acclaimed indies, the larger-than-life blockbusters. You’re digesting Moonlight’s tender beauty and wondering if Amy Adams is your new film bae. Totally understandable. But 2017 has even more to offer cinephiles and casual filmgoers alike. Here’s 17 movies you should be most excited for in 2017.
John Wick: Chapter 2, Feb. 10
Here is an amazing thing Keanu Reeves says in the John Wick: Chapter 2 trailer: “Whoever comes, I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.” Here is an amazing thing Laurence Fishburne says in the John Wick: Chapter 2: “Get this man a gun.” If you want to imagine this is Neo and Morpheus teaming up again, we won’t stop you.
The Great Wall, Feb. 17
A whitewashing controversy surrounds this Matt Damon-starring film, though that neglects the underlying narrative here: The Great Wall is an experiment. This is the most expensive Chinese film ever made, and with the support of Hollywood, this Zhang Yimou monster flick could be a foray into truly global filmmaking.
Get Out, Feb. 24
Produced by horror giant Blumhouse Productions, this black horror movie from the mind of Key & Peele’s Jordan Peele isn’t just satirical but has some serious psychological underpinnings. Plus, who doesn’t love Atlanta’s LaKeith Stanfield?
Logan, March 3
There have been hits and misses alike, but Hugh Jackman’s 17-year run playing Wolverine within the X-Men franchise is a feat unlike any other we’ve previously seen in film. This will be his final turn as Logan and Jackman took a serious pay cut to ensure Logan could receive an R rating. While the trailer may get sappy with Johnny Cash’s “Hurt,” expect some serious carnage.
Song To Song, March 17
This newly-titled Terrence Malick flick likely includes someone you love. “A modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene,” Song to Song will feature Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling (we love Gosling), Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, and possibly Christian Bale (with Malick, anyone could get cut). The director reportedly filmed on-set at SXSW in 2012 and IndieWire reports Patti Smith, Lykke Li, the Black Lips, Iggy Pop, Florence and the Machine, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will also appear.
Ghost in the Shell, March 31
When the Wachowski siblings were pitching The Matrix, they gave producers a copy of the Ghost in the Shell anime, and said, “We wanna do that for real.” But now Dreamworks is for-real making Ghost in the Shell. Whitewashing accusations surrounds Scarlett Johansson’s casting, so we’ll see if production can gracefully manage the controversy.
The Fate of the Furious, April 14
You either have bought into this delirious franchise or not by now. You either buy into their concept of family or think Vin Diesel isn’t that hip anymore (if he ever was). We remain ecstatically *in* on this movie, and hope you’ll join us.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, May 5
Free from fitting within the grand scheme of the Marvel universe, Guardians of the Galaxy was a delightful, singular sci-fi adventure. It made Chris Pratt a star, which remains an improbable situation as any other. Can the team find the magic once again? Early signs from the trailer say yes.
The Beguiled, June 30
Not only does this Sofia Coppola picture boast an all-star cast—Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning—it’s plot sounds devilishly tantalizing: an injured Union soldier gets imprisoned at a Confederate girls’ school. Lust and betrayal soon follow.
Spider-Man: Homecoming, July 7
It’s been a long while since Peter Parker appeared onscreen resembling anything close to his age: a teenager. Following Tom Holland’s refreshing and charming turn as Spidey in Captain America: Civil War, expectations remain high with everyone’s favorite webslinger.
Dunkirk, July 21
Christopher Nolan, the reigning king of cinematic sci-fi, twists himself instead into history with his latest film. Moody, gray, and claustrophobic, it marks a stark contrast to Nolan’s typical verve, yet no less enticing.
Baby Driver, Aug. 11
No one finds funny through editing and directing quite like the snappy British director Edgar Wright. In Baby Driver, a young getaway driver gets caught up in a heist that’s doomed to fail. In Wright’s world, that probably means things will blow up right in his face—perhaps, literally.
Blade Runner 2049, Oct. 6
When the trailer for this film dropped, we wrote an article with the headline, “The ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Trailer Is Here, Please Catch This Hype Train.” A brooding Gosling, plus ornery stepfather Harrison Ford, and with Arrival’s Denis Villeneuve providing that cyberpunk aesthetic, you can say we’re excited.
Logan Lucky, Oct. 13
We’ve heard Steven Soderbergh threaten retirement from film a few times now, but we’re glad the medium keeps pulling him back. Teaming up again with Magic Mike star Channing Tatum, and adding Adam Driver and a bleached Daniel Craig, this NASCAR comedy heist has some serious potential.
Star Wars Episode VIII, Dec. 15
It’s Star War, what more is there to say? How about JJ Abrams passing over directing duties over to Looper’s Rian Johnson, and the possibility of a “dark” Star Wars film following the pleasing regurgitation of Force Awakens? It almost doesn’t matter what you think, this is a movie that demands to be seen in theaters.
Okja, TBD
Director Bong Joon-ho delivered a reality-warping screed on classism and mainstream heroics with his English language-debut Snowpiercer. His follow-up, co-written with journalist Jon Ronson, has big names like Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhall, Paul Dano, and more.
Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project, TBD
That’s a sexy title if we’ve ever seen one. What’s sexier? PTA convincing Daniel Day Lewis to play in his 50s fashion industry film. You can try to predict what’s coming, but it’s PTA, so chances are you’re going to be wrong. More than that, you’re going to enjoy being wrong.
Imagine you’re being a good friend and decide to loan your buddy your BMW so he can drive it to a concert a few hours away. What a nice guy you are! Now imagine that your friend parks your car, attends the show, and then can’t remember where he parked and the car….for six months.
Just such a thing happened last June, when the Manchester Evening Newsreports a man borrowed his friend’s Beamer in Scotland to drive down to a Stones Roses show in Manchester. The man parked in a parking garage near the concert venue, but immediately forgot which one.
When he emerged from the concert, he looked and looked for his buddy’s car to no avail. Five days later, he finally gave up. Two months later, the friend who he’d borrowed the BMW from finally reported the vehicle stolen or lost.
Flash forward to December 30. Manchester police officers happened upon an abandoned BMQ in a parking garage with plates that matched the missing car’s.
Driver apparently spent 5 days searching car parks in the city before reporting as lost/stolen.
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) December 31, 2016
We can't imagine what the ticket machine is going to say when they finally put the ticket in – £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) December 31, 2016
Officers estimate the parking garage ticket for the car could be as high as £5,000. No word if the BMW’s owner ever forgave his friend.
Because no day would be complete without some absurd food celebration, today is National Spaghetti Day. It’s the cruel joke the universe plays on us to temp our New Year’s diet resolutions.
Guess what else today is? National Trivia Day. In honor of the hybrid, we turn to social media, the only people who seem to celebrate these nationwide parades of randomness.
If you can guess the correct answers to these questions, we’ll personally bring Chef Boyardee back from the grave to make you some Spaghettios. Too soon?
Q: True or False: National Rigatoni Day already exists.
Spaghetti is the worst pasta why dont we celebrate some good pasta like Rigatoni or Cavatappi #NationalSpaghettiDay
With 2016 hyperbolically labeled the “worst year ever,” most people were looking forward to resetting with a fresh start in 2017. Possibly, the turning of a new year, could help us all move forward. So imagine the delight of comedy and cannabis lovers alike when they awoke to the famous Hollywood sign altered to instead read, Hollyweed.
The sign change is believed to show support for California’s recent passing of Proposition 64, which will legalize recreational marijuana usage in the state. Though there’s still some red tape to manage before Californians can enjoy their cannabis, it still served as inspiration to celebrate early.
Sgt. Guy Juneau with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Security Services told CBS2 the incident unfolded around midnight Saturday after a thrill-seeker climbed the mountain and threw two tarps over the “O’s” to make them appear like “E’s.” It was caught on city surveillance cameras.
Here’s what else you need to know about the “Hollyweed” sign change.
According to TMZ, Zach Fernandez could be behind the stunt. Fernandez goes by “jesushands” on his social media and has been bragging about the mission being “completed.” Close examination shows one of the tarps bearing a “jesushands” tag.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOu5EXsBCH2/
Added Security
Understandably, the Hollywood Sign Trust wasn’t too ecstatic about the sign change. Chris Baumgart, chairman of the Hollywood Sign Trust, told the Hollywood Reporter that survelliance and security changes would be taken.
This is more than preventing pranks or trespassing at the sign. Our concern is the safety of the neighborhood and the trespassers that put themselves at risk because it is extremely unsafe to be on the sign, let alone traversing the treacherous hillside that is home to those 9 famous letters.
BoJack Horseman
If anyone knows about changing and/or vandalizing the Hollywood Sign, it’s BoJack Horseman. Fans of the show will remember the character drunkenly pilfering the “D” to show his love for Diane, and the town renaming itself “Hollywoo” ever since. But BoJack doesn’t want to take credit for the “Hollyweed” change.
This is not the first time the Hollywood Sign has been changed, nor is it the first time it’s been altered to read “Hollyweed” on New Year’s Day. Daniel Finegood, then an arts major at Cal State Northridge, thought to change the sign as a school assignment on Jan. 1, 1976, when the state’s relaxed marijuana laws came into effect. Finegood got an A on the assignment.
The prankster and friends obscured consonants to coin Holywood for Easter later that year and Ollywood to protest the hero worship of Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings in 1987.
In his final round of wordplay, Finegood made a political statement against the Persian Gulf War by draping plastic sheeting over the 50-foot-high letters to form Oil War in 1990.
For many, New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to get drunk and dance and do things that would generally be considered embarrassing any other night of the year. One Wisconsin man, however, took things a bit too far when he allegedly drank too much and jumped onto the windshield of a moving cop car, where he reportedly did the dance best known as “the worm.”
According to KRON, the Menasha Police Department says they received calls about a man jumping onto the hoods of cars. When officers arrived at the scene, a 25-year-old man, whose name has not yet been released, charged the car and belly flopped onto it. He then reportedly did “the worm.”
Amazingly, most of the encounter was captured on the patrol car’s dashboard camera.
Two officers suffered minor injuries, and the suspect was arrested. Later, the Menasha Police Department shared the story on Facebook along with a photo of the damaged car and a warning: “A reminder that if you drink, please do so responsibly.”
From the department’s Facebook page:
Not a good start to 2017 for MEPD. A 25 year old man from Kimberly who had been drinking jumped onto a vehicle near Oak Street and Nicolet Bldv. at midnight. When officers arrived on scene looking for the man he charged one of the patrol cars, which was not moving, and impacted the windshield. 2 officers were injured when taking the man into custody. One officer was treated and released from the hospital and the other did not seek medical treatment for his injuries. The man was checked at a local hospital and is being held in the Winnebago County Jail. He will be referred to the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office on multiple charges.
