We don’t have hoverboards or holographic phones yet, but our toys are definitely more futuristic. They can connect to the internet with people around the world, respond in emotive or artificially intelligent ways, and learn from us—or about us. A murderous Chucky doll is no longer as scary as the real creepiest dolls that track a child’s data.
Meet My Friend Cayla and i-Que Intelligent Robot, two toys that, as Consumerist outlines in detail, are allegedly violating laws in the U.S. and overseas by collecting voice and usage data from the kids who call them playmates. They connect to a parent’s Bluetooth, and using their internet connection, are able to answer children’s questions and take part in what seems like a conversation, kind of like Siri on an iPhone.
Cayla in particular asks for multiple pieces of personal information — the child’s name, their parents’ names, their school name, their hometown, among other questions — so it can converse more naturally. The app also allows for location setting, and both the Cayla and i-Que apps collect users’ IP addresses. So far this is pretty straightforward. The Terms of Service for both toys say that they collect data in order to improve the way the toys work, and for “other services and products. Researchers studied the way the toys work, the complaint continues, and it turns out that they send audio files to a third party: Nuance Communication’s servers at the company’s headquarters in Massachusetts.
Nuance is a defense contractor that sells voice biometric solutions to military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. Part of their privacy policy states, very shadily, that “We may use the information that we collect for our internal purposes to develop, tune, enhance, and improve our products and services, and for advertising and marketing consistent with this Privacy Policy.”
As with most technology these days, Cayla’s terms of use prompt only pops up once, when setting it up, and isn’t accessible again. It’s a tome of legal jargon that parents are expected to read, and without clicking “I agree” to all 3,800 words, they won’t be able to use the toy.
So, when a child is playing with one of these toys—which, by the way, don’t have a walkie talkie-style function for a back-and-forth, but are always listening as long as they’re switched on—they’re potentially providing sensitive information about their identity or location to would-be hackers at worst, and a defense contractor for research and development at best. This isn’t what we imagined with “He hears you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake.” For goodness sake.
Not only is smoke weed giving us dry mouth, it’s also affecting our ability to breakdown those five bags of Cheetos we ate afterwards. Here’s why.
We all know the feeling. Without warning, it strikes. Cottonmouth, also known as dry mouth, has been a side effect since the very first marijuana smoker sparked up. It can happen to anyone, but do we know why?
What Is Cottonmouth?
In an exploration of the science behind cottonmouth conducted at the University of Buenos Aires, they found that the answer lies in the body’s cannabinoid system. Cannabinoid receptors are a vital component of the Endocannabinoid system that is involved in pain-sensation, mood, and memory.
Every single one of us has cannabinoid receptors, and our puffing pleasures are directly informing two cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) found in our submandibular glands (SMG). These are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. They each weigh about 15 grams and contribute almost 70 percent of the saliva we secrete.
Blame The THC
So why does this matter? These Argentinian scientists discovered that every time you take a toke of the smoke, the cannabinoid receptors in these glands latch on to the THC. This causes the glands to stop interpreting messages from the parasympathetic nervous system that tells them to produce saliva. These messages can be blocked in two unique ways, either by binding to receptors in salivary glands or receptors in the brain where the signals originate from.
As we know, our beloved Mary Jane can teach us a lot of things. In this case, we learn a lesson in biology. Saliva plays a huge role in digestion, which is what happens when the munchies strike. Saliva helps to not only lubricate the passage of food from the mouth to the stomach, but also contains digestive enzymes of its own that assist in the breakdown of starches and fats. Essentially, not only is smoke giving us that dry mouth, but it is also affecting our ability to breakdown those five bags of Cheetos you ate after smoking.
And while researchers have yet to find a tangible solution to the temporary cottonmouth that affects kush consumers worldwide, they’ve been researching ways that they can use this knowledge to treat issues related to saliva production. In targeting cannabinoid receptors, scientists may be able to increase or decrease saliva levels in patients that suffer from a variety of conditions known to cause a permanent state of cottonmouth.
There may not be a current cure for the wide spread side effect, but there are definitely measures you can take to lessen the blow. Avoiding sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco will help reduce the level of cottonmouth. As always, drinking plenty of water. Milk, hard candy and mouthwash are also great ways to combat cottonmouth. Smokers have been dealing with cottonmouth for decades, and it hasn’t lessened the love for the beloved bud. Of all the benefits and reasons to love Mary Jane, a little bit of dry mouth never hurt anyone.
If the Grinch taught us one thing, not everyone exudes Christmas cheer. That was made apparent in St. Louis recently, when a Grinch jumped out of a getaway vehicle to stab Frosty the Snowman, resting peacefully on a resident’s front lawn. Now this Frosty was inflatable and this Grinch wasn’t green, but Christmas cheer deflated nonetheless from such a senseless act.
However Jeff Diggs, the owner of the home, caught the crime on act and shared with KTVI what happened.
“We could see a pickup truck come down the street — down the alley here — a passenger jumped out you can see him run up to the snowman here and shank it, try to cut the rope and then he took off went back to the truck and took off,” Diggs said.
As you can see above, the treacherous deed took no more than half a minute to enact. But Diggs is maintaining holiday cheer and created a GoFundMe page to help heal Frosty’s stab wound.
“Frosty received a total of nine stitches from the stabbing. He is doing well and recovering from his injury,” Diggs wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He insisted on going back to work immediately because he believes in the magic of the holiday season and hopes that all people will come together and learn to love and respect each other regardless of our differences!”
Funds raised from GoFundMe will be given to Judge Joe Murphy’s Good Kids In Need, a local St. Louis charity.
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Late Late Show host James Corden behind the wheel of the car, belting out jams with his celebrity friends. But he dropped a new edition of his popular “Carpool Karaoke” segment Wednesday night, and let’s say he didn’t disappoint. The guest being Madonna, it should come as little surprise.
The segment features Corden and Madonna driving around in circles while singing and chatting, sticking mostly to New York City’s West Side around the Lincoln Center. Madonna, to the surprise of no one, went full diva during the performance, gossiping and even twerking. They belted Madonna hits like “Vogue,” “Bitch I’m Madonna,” (featuring the star twerking in the seat), “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Express Yourself,” and “Ray of Light.”
Here are five things we learned from Madonna in the interview:
1. Madonna Lives Like A Nun
Though her records and videos have earned Madonna an iconoclastic persona, she admits that her personal life can be predictable and sometimes boring.
“I’m quite square,” she said. “My work is rebellious, but my lifestyle is not rebellious.”
2. Madonna And Michael Jackson French-Kissed
Following a glass of Chardonnay, Madonna and Michael Jackson participated in a pop megastar tryst of sorts. Though MJ was a willing participant, Madonna had to make the first move.
“Baby, I’ve been around,” she told a shocked Corden.
3. The Vatican Has Excommunicated Madonna Three Times
Madonna’s work has been criticized and even condemned by the Vatican for her usage of Catholic imagery. Infamously in her 1989 music video for “Like A Prayer,” Madonna danced in front of burning crosses and showing off stigmata wounds.
She might lead a Julie Andrews-lifestyle but, to the Vatican, she’s no saint.
4. Madonna Twerks!
We already mentioned this but it’s a) such a Madonna move and b) the first in-car twerk witnessed on television. The quality of the twerk, however, was pretty subpar to keep it 100. But considering the degree of difficulty, Madonna still receives credit.
5. On Madonna’s Love Life
To the surprise of almost no one, Madonna confirmed to Corden that she doesn’t really have a type when dating. However she did say one thing was necessary in a partner: as sense of humor.
“I think the best thing in the world is to be married to someone funny,” she said.
This that time of year when we are thinking about gift giving. Why not give the gift of knowledge (like, something they can hold in their hands), and support local business as well? Here are the eight best independent bookstores in the country.
Photo by James Martinez, courtesy of The Last Bookstore
Located in downtown LA, The Last Bookstore opened in 2005, during a time where technology and innovation were threatening books, printed publications and ultimately changing the way we read. Kindles and E-Readers were the next big thing and Borders, one of the biggest bookstore chains in the US, had just gone bankrupt. The Last Bookstore was named because the founders thought they were really making one of the last bookstores ever. Since then, it has cultivated a devoted following, expanding and improving, and finally becoming the largest new and used book and record store in California.
453 S. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 213-488-0599
Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, this independent store was the first all-paperback bookstore in the nation and has since then become a literary landmark. Focusing on world literature and arts, the store has three floors that include titles that range from best sellers to smaller and harder to find publishings. City Lights has a rich history, becoming an important contributor to the Beat Generation and helping in the publishing of many of their controversial titles. To this day, the independent bookstore remains faithful to its roots, demonstrated by their selection of progressive and ahead of the curve books.
261 Columbus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133 415-362-8193
Photo by Krystal Ramirez, courtesy of The Writer’s Block
Located in Downtown Las Vegas, aside from featuring the latest bestsellers, the store also has a writer’s studio called Codex, which provides workshops with the purpose of helping authors and artists in their writing, editing or publishing. These events are also developed to help members create a network where they can meet other artists and develop their projects.
The Writer’s Block also owns an Espresso Book Machine, the only one in Nevada, which prints, trims and binds books in five minutes, so that everyone can have access to that feeling of creating and formatting a book.
1020 Fremont Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 702-550-6399
Photo by Alan Yarborough, courtesy of Harvard Book Store
Harvard Book Store is a family-owned business founded in 1932, serving the larger Cambridge area. Strangely enough, the store is not affiliated with Harvard University and is independently managed. It focuses on an academic audience, providing intellectual titles that have earned them a spot on the big leagues of bookstores and have made them a favorite to many bibliophiles. The bookstore is famous for its lineups of award-winning authors, its Espresso Book Machine, and their same-day delivery of books to the greater Boston area. Awesome right?
If you’re still not sold with all of this information then they also have their perfectly named “Fiction Fridays” during the summer, where they have a 15% discount on all fiction titles.
1256 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 617-661-1515
Epic in scale and in every sense of the word, Powell’s City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block with over one million books. Can you even begin to imagine that?
If the thought of missing out on so many amazing titles because of their vast amount gives you anxiety, don’t worry, Powell’s spends a lot of time in developing cool ways of organizing their content, color coding their books according to genre so shoppers have an easier time while browsing. They also have an Espresso Book Machine, which apparently is a requirement for all bookstores that want to be considered as the best of the best.
1005 West Burnside Street Portland, OR 97209 800-878-7323
Strand is giant and popular; they even sell their own totes and t-shirts and they’re definitely a tourist stop in New York. Still, they’re worth mentioning because of their dedication to books and their encouragement of making people buy and sell used publications. The store also has an amazing collection of rare items and books that you’ll have a hard time finding anywhere else, with unbelievable prices. Strand is famous for a reason.
One of the things we enjoy the most about Strand is the way in which they categorize their books, making it more fun and personal by separating them as “best of the underground” or “must reads” instead of just having their books organized in the traditional way, by authors and genres.
Located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle, this bookstore was founded in 1973 and still stands strong to this day. Starting out as a small one room store, through the years The Elliott Bay Book Company have developed a steady influx of shoppers which have allowed them to expand and settle down into a five room store with its own Café. The people from Elliott Bay proud themselves in providing jobs for bibliophiles who are knowledgable about the products they sell so clients can have the best experience whenever they want to stop by to browse or buy a book. The store features new selection of popular books and also older and rarer editions at great prices.
The Elliott Bay Book Company also has an incredible schedule of authors and artists who present their work there, including people like President Obama and Bill Clinton.
1521 Tenth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-903-1601
Photo by Yvonne Brooks, courtesy of McNally-Jackson
Launching in 2004, McNally-Jackson is one of the few independent bookstores that still thrives and is able to maintain its business. Located in Prince St, the store is so successful due to the engaging and comfortable environment they have created, which provides a bunch of features and cool things that no other place offers. Their indoors café offers WiFi and is packed with tables and comfortable couches that allow people to go in and work on their laptops, or leaf through a book they just found. They also own an Espresso Book Machine which alloes them to self-publish and also offers a curiosity or novelty to browsers and newcomers to the store.
52 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212-274-1160
Remember Katherine Stone, the young woman selling her virginity in a legal brothel to the highest bidder? Another entrepreneur is making headlines with a similar auction—and for a very similar reason. But this one’s less plucky Pretty Woman, more Jerry Springer Show.
The blog Coed reports that 18-year-old Aleexandra Khefren posted this message to an escort service site:
I was already waiting till i become 18 so i finally could sell my Virginity. Money gives you a lot of Opportunitys. I can travel around the world, study in a good University and my parents are poor, i can buy them a house. There are so many Options and i want to use them now where i am young. A lot of Girls giving their Virginity for nothing to a man who leave her after most times. Thats not worth it. So i want to use my Virginity for something that its worth it. Something that will create a better future for me. And i think the money for this auction can give me definitely a better life.
The price? A cool $1,067,995, according to The Mirror.She says she was inspired by the movie Indecent Proposal, a film about a married couple who takes a millionaire up on his offer to pay them one million dollars for a night with the woman. No plot holes in that one, surely.
Like Katherine, Aleexandra says she’s trying to raise money to better her own future and buy her parents a home. But her parents say that her story doesn’t hold up: They’re claiming to be totally fine without her auction, and don’t need a house. They’re threatening to disown her if she goes through with it.
Whatever her motives, she’s determined to do what she wants. “They have begged her not to do it, but she told them, ‘I’m 18 and I can do what I like with my body’.” Tell ‘em.
There’s no doubt you have that friend who seems to have a new fun fact about marijuana on hand just about any time your get ready to light up … or maybe you even are that friend. Either way, we’ve got a test that will let you both brush up on your trivia and test your knowledge.
So spark up your preferred strain and find out if you’re a cannabis know-it-all below!
On November 17, Kevin Hemmerich and his brother Jason Hemmerich went to the Hopatcong, New Jersey police station so Kevin could turn himself in on an outstanding warrant. For whatever reason, the brothers decided it’d be a good prank for Kevin to dress in a bunny suit and repeatedly blow an airhorn while in the station’s lobby.
Based on video recorded by Jason, everything seemed to be going as planned—the brothers were laughing and enjoying themselves, and the woman behind the counter was clearly very annoyed—until two officers emerged from the back of the station to angrily confront the two.
“Who’s blowing the fucking airhorn?” Officer Nicholas Maresca, Jr. can be seen asking on the video.
“Me,” Kevin sheepishly answers.
“Why you doing that?” Maresca asks.
“I don’t know,” Kevin replies.
“You don’t know?” Maresca asks before slapping violently Kevin in the head. The other officer later knocks the phone out of Jason’s hand as he was recording.
On Friday, Maresca was charged with one count of simple assault for the slap. He will remain on desk duty until the case is resolved.
“Officer Maresca acted appropriately and in accordance with his training and experience as a police officer on that evening in Hopatcong,” Anthony Iacullo, Maresca’s lawyer, told NJ.com. “We are confident that when this matter proceeds to trial Officer Maresca will be vindicated of the one charge against him.”
Kevin was detained and has since served his time in jail for failure to complete 12 days worth of work with the Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program, which he’d been sentenced to for not having auto insurance at the time of a crash. Charges of harassment, obstruction, and disorderly conduct for his filming of the incident are still pending against his brother Jason, though Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Greg Mueller said his office was reviewing the “the appropriateness of the charges.”
Colorado governor John Hickenlooper is pushing to get some legislation on the books that may help distinguish the legitimate pot growers from those operations cultivating for marijuana black market sales.
As it stands, Colorado has some of the more liberal marijuana laws in the United States. The rules of the medical marijuana program give authorized patients the freedom to cultivate up to 99 plants, while the average stoner is permitted to grow up to six plants under the language of Amendment 64. It is the state’s “generous allowances” that Governor Hickenlooper credits for creating a powerful black market, and he wants it to end.
Getting A Handle On The Situation
Therefore, a number of proposals are set to go before the Colorado General Assembly in 2017 intended to trip up the pulse of the illegal cannabis sector. Some of the bills expected to be heard is one designed to put a stop to collective recreational grow operations, as well as another intended to hold medical marijuana patients more accountable for the weed they grow.
Colorado officials are concerned that if they do not make it a point to start cracking down on the grey areas of the state’s legal cannabis trade, it will only give the government administration more of a reason to send in the dogs of the drug war to shut it down.
“We do need to clean up this system and make sure we’re beyond reproach for how well we’re regulating marijuana,” Andrew Freedman, Colorado’s Director of Marijuana Coordination, told the Associated Press.
Although the Obama Administration has taken a hands off approach to legal marijuana, giving state’s like Colorado the benefit of experimenting with a taxed and regulated pot market as long as certain rules are followed, there have been some complaints over the past couple of years that the state worries could attract unwanted attention when the Trump Administration takes over the nation in early 2017.
Federal officials have already cautioned those in charge of keeping the Colorado cannabis industry from spiraling out of control that cases of interstate drug trafficking and evidence of a black market operating comfortably in the shadows of legalization is reason for panic.
However, Hickenlooper’s plan does not appear to be that destructive to the sanctity of Colorado cultivation. Reports indicate that he is seeking a 12-plant limit in private residences, which is already the imposed restriction in some of the state’s larger jurisdictions.
Yet, some cannabis advocates argue the proposed changes are only being used as an excuse to drive the entire market to a “taxed model” – something for which the medical marijuana sector remains adamantly opposed.
OutCo, a Southern California based fully vertical cannabis company has partnered with Monocle Research in Orlando to conduct groundbreaking research on the new state of cannabis in California and California’s edible market.
The recent approval of recreational marijuana use in the state of California has generated an immense amount of interest from both businesses and consumers, as they attempt to grasp the size and scope of the impending changes. With so many questions surrounding the issue, OutCo set forth to gain insight on the growing industry and its impact through this report.
The study leveraged a qualitative and quantitative approach to ensure both breadth and depth of understanding for a diverse and representative population. Research methods included in-person interviews, focus groups and online surveys cast across the entire state of California targeting users and non-users of cannabis over the age of twenty-one. Additional variables included: varying usage levels, recency-of-use and acceptance.
Report key findings include:
Marijuana consumables expected to grow to $11 billion by the end of 2017.
Industry growth will be spurred by the entrance of 7 million new or returning marijuana users into the California marketplace.
The rise of CBD use (a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits). Many users and non-users expressed interest in the health benefits of CBD oils.
As a growing user segment, millennials are replacing alcohol outright in favor of cannabis.
“One of the most interesting findings came from the users’ viewpoint, in that the lines between medical and recreational use are blurring,” said OutCo CEO, Lincoln Fish. “With more than half of all consumers stating that they use marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes.”
The report further revealed that users are turning to cannabis to help satisfy a wide spectrum of needs from helping them to sleep, to obtaining a new perspective on life, and even to be more productive. Users were quoted as saying, “cannabis is my key to a normal life” and “cannabis is my daily vitamin,” and finally, “cannabis makes moments more memorable.”
“Our main objective is to become a leader in the cannabis industry, which is why we decided to spearhead this research. We recognize our obligation to the growing consumer base and wanted to gain a better understanding of why and how they are using cannabis,” said Fish. “OutCo is looking to set a new standard in the cannabis space by embracing the scientific and providing quality products that support customer needs.”
For more cannabis business coverage, visit the MJ News Network.
