This Week’s Music is a weekly column that discusses the week’s best, worst, and most interesting songs. We select songs with different artists and genres to keep things interesting and to please a variety of music fans.
This week’s column features the return of The National, a primer on South Korean sensation BTS and a contemplative song from PJ Harvey. Check them out!
Rock
The National – Light Years
After a three year break, The National is back with a new album. “I Am Easy To Find” is the band’s eight record and will be released this May 17. “Light Years” is a gorgeous single and the perfect reintroduction to the band, held together by a melancholic piano and precise vocals. The single grows slowly with violin strings and second voices, never forgetting its initial simplicity. The National is one of the most reliable bands of the last decade. Eight albums in and their sound is just as beautiful and complex as ever.
Many people have heard of BTS and the hype that surrounds them, but they don’t really know their music and why they’re such a big deal. Originally from South Korea, BTS is made up of seven band members. They’re so beloved in their home town that it’s rumored that one in every 13 tourists visiting the country are doing so in order to get to know where the band comes from. If you’re not acquainted with K-pop, BTS’ music might be confusing; aside from the language barrier, their sound is a mix of electronic and hip hop that is jarring for the uninitiated. But it’s worth getting to know them, since everything suggests that they’re here to stay and that K-pop is a genre that’ll become influential in the music industry.
Soundtrack
PJ Harvey – The Moth
PJ Harvey is a beloved musician, known for her iconic albums and aesthetic. She has worked with plenty of recognized bands and has built a respectable career as a composer for stage plays, having done work on productions of “Hedda Gabbler” in New York and “Hamlet” in London. “The Moth” is one of two singles produced for “All About Eve,” the London production of the revered play and film. Featuring vocals from Lily James, the song is layered, haunting and moody, establishing a unique tone for this beloved story.
We have all heard about the supposed benefits of using marijuana seeds. Those who push for the use of these seeds have reported that they can be used as medicine, leading to numerous health benefits. It can be hard to know whether to believe the hype around the medicinal properties of this plant. Relying on scientific results is one of the best ways to decide whether the seeds can improve your health or not. here are 8 ways marijuana seeds can be used for everyday medicine.
They’re An Excellent Source Of Nutrition
Hemp, one of the plants under the species name cannabis sativa, has seeds that make for an excellent source of nutrition. Research shows that hemp seeds contain more than 30 percent of healthy fats. Some of the essential fatty acids found in these seeds are linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid, which is considered to be the plant-based omega-3. Using the seeds will also help you to benefit from the gamma-linoleic acid which promotes the growth of cells, muscles and organs while supporting normal body functions.
Other nutrients found in the seeds are calcium, potassium, vitamin E, sulphur, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc.
Anxiety, Depression And Insomnia
Cannabis seeds can also help greatly in dealing with anxiety and depression. This is very helpful since they help in relaxing the body as well as muscles. With these properties, the seeds can also be used to help control nervous, muscular spasms and mobility problems. The relaxation that the compounds in the seeds bring can go a long way in helping to reduce the frequency of epileptic fits.
Those who experience difficulties falling asleep can benefit from using cannabis seeds. The seeds help to reduce the anxiety we experience just before sleeping, allowing the user to enjoy deep and relaxing sleep.
Skin Health
Deficiency of fatty acids in the body can manifest in many ways, the most common being thick patches of skin, cracked heels and a host of other skin problems. Since one cannabis seed contains high amounts of fatty acids, using the seeds will alleviate symptoms associated with dermatitis and relieve the effects of eczema.
Heart Health
Cannabis seeds contain a huge number of compounds that are good for a healthy heart. One of these compounds, amino acid arginine, is known to enhance blood flow in the body and maintain the optimal blood pressure. Nitric oxide, which derives from the compounds found in these seeds, is also responsible for helping body muscles to relax and dilate blood vessels so as to allow for free flow of blood.
The seeds can help to significantly reduce blood pressure, reduce the chances of blood clots and speed up recovery after a heart attack.
Plant-Based Protein
Although high-quality animal sources are remarkable for proteins, cannabis seeds are a great option for vegetarians. Two to three tablespoons of the seeds will supply you with around 11 grams of proteins. You will also get amino acids such as cysteine, methionine and lysine.
Digestion
Whole cannabis seeds can be used to support digestive health, thanks to the soluble and insoluble fibre contained in the seeds. Soluble fibre can dissolve easily, a factor that slows down digestions and makes you feel full for longer. This will go a long way in helping you to deal with weight control. Insoluble fibre is incapable of dissolving, making it a great product for adding bulk to stool. The resultant effect of this is that food moves seamlessly through the digestive tract and is eliminated healthily.
PMS And Menopause Symptoms
The gamma-linoleic acid contained in these seeds is known for reducing the effects of a hormone known as prolactin. The hormone prolactin is associated with the physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and menopause. These seeds can help to reduce symptoms during these times.
Helps To Prevent Cancer
Cannabis is said to promote good general health and has been found to help in the prevention of tumours and various forms of cancer. According to some studies, using cannabis seeds will reduce the risk of developing colon and intestinal cancers. The medicinal properties of the seeds make it a great substance for relieving pain during chemotherapy.
With the wide array of benefits cannabis seeds can have on the body, it’s clear to see that their use in medicine should be considered and used.
This week on the Dogs of Instagram: the Boston Terrier. As Jules Winnfield said in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, “A dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.” And while very true, there’s no doubt some dogs exhibit more of it than others. Take for instance the Boston Terrier. The exuberant breed is popular for its lively and quirky energy, which can make for some non-stop entertainment. They are intelligent, stubborn, loyal, loving, athletic, and one of the longest living breeds, with an average life expectancy of up to 15 years.
Interesting fact: The Boston Terrier is one of few terrier breeds to originate in America — a crossbreed between an English Bulldog and an English Terrier.
Here, we pay tribute to five of the quirkiest Boston Terriers of Instagram.
Companion animals are part of our families, but inevitably the time comes for us to say goodbye to them due to old age or disease.
Many pet lovers opt to bury their pets in the backyard. However, there are some hidden risks to this, and there are other options that will help other pets, and even the owners who love them.
Donating their body to science, for research and veterinary training, can potentially help hundreds of pets.
Why the backyard isn’t best
Backyard burial may seem like the easiest way to respectfully take care of your pet’s remains. Unfortunately, it can be dangerous for other pets and wildlife. Most pets are put to sleep with an extremely concentrated anaesthetic agent, which results in a very peaceful death (hence the term euthanasia, which means “good death”). However this drug, pentobarbital, persists in the buried body of the pet for up to a year. Any animal scavenging on the remains will be poisoned by the euthanasia solution.
I have seen two cases in my career where this has happened, with serious consequences. In one case a family had their pet mouse put down and buried it in the backyard. The family’s terrier dug up and ate the mouse, and was comatose in intensive care for nearly a week. In another case, two farm dogs scavenged some bones from a cow which had been euthanased on a farm months before. One dog died and the other was seriously ill for several days.
If your pet dies of a disease which could be spread to other animals or even people, their body might also pose a risk. While vaccination has reduced the amount of dangerous pet diseases in the community, some diseases like parvovirus still occur in outbreaks and are very hardy and spread readily between dogs.
This virus causes severe and sometimes fatal gastrointestinal disease in puppies and young dogs. Thankfully there are not many diseases we can catch from our pets, but some – such as salmonellosis and toxoplasmosis – can make sensitive people very ill.
What do to instead
One option is pet crematoriums and cemeteries, which are available in most large cities and regional centres in Australia. The services are very professional and cover a variety of options and price ranges that suit most pet owners. Costs may vary with the size of the pet.
Professional burial or cremation avoids the risks of environmental contamination or disease that might occur with backyard burial. For my own pets which have passed away, I chose cremation which typically costs A$200-300, and then buried their ashes under a memorial tree in my garden.
If you do chose backyard burial, make sure you enclose your pet’s body first. Shutterstock
However, there is another path. As a veterinary pathologist, my job is to conduct autopsies on animals to determine their cause of death. We also use the knowledge and samples we get from the autopsies to conduct research to improve our understanding of diseases and treatments in both animals and people.
Our pets make excellent “models” of diseases in both pets and people, allowing scientists to study the development and progression of a disease and develop new treatments.
Cancer is the most common cause of death for pet dogs. Many popular breeds get the same cancer at high rates, providing ample valuable research material. These dog cancers are similar in appearance, behaviour, treatments and genetic causes to many human cancers.
What’s more, because dogs share our home environments, but age faster and show more rapid cancer progression than humans, studying dogs provides faster research results. In the United States, dog cancer trials are already informing trials on new human treatments.
Another area where dogs are valuable scientific allies is in the study of rare genetic and developmental diseases in children. As we have bred dogs for specific appearances, from squishy-faced French bulldogs to lanky greyhounds, we have unwittingly created genetic abnormalities. Some of these are close counterparts of rare genetic disorders in children. Thus, dogs can be used to help identify the genetic mutations behind the disease, and how the faulty gene affects human children.
Universities have rigorous ethical reviews for this type of research. However, it is vital that we have the opportunity to take samples of both common and rare pet diseases to form tissue banks. Most of this sampling happens during an autopsy after the pet has died or been put to sleep. These tissue samples are used to research better treatments.
How to donate
If you are interested in donating your pet’s body, your veterinarian can direct you to potential local options. In most large cities this will be the veterinary school at the local university. Alternatively, you can contact the veterinary science school directly through their website or general enquiries telephone number.
Most schools are interested in all species for teaching. My institution takes everything from mice to horses, and exotic pets like snakes and lizards. All these species provide opportunities to learn about their anatomy and diseases.
Beyond helping us research human diseases, veterinary schools need pet body donors to help teach anatomy, surgery and pathology. At its most ethical this training is done on the bodies of animals that have died from natural causes.
Donated pets provide my students with a valuable understanding of how disease affects the body. Further, we report the autopsy findings back to the pet’s veterinarian. This information is crucial to vets who want to confirm diagnoses, and for giving grieving owners some closure.
If you do opt to bury your euthanased pet, please consider enclosing their remains in a container that would prevent other animals accessing the body. Many local councils also have restrictions on pet burial, and it is worth looking at your local area’s guidelines.
Ultimately though, I would urge you to donate your pet’s body to science. The loss of a pet can be heartbreaking, but there are many ways to create a meaningful legacy from that loss which helps both pets and people.
Just when you thought Meghan Markle was no longer relatable, what with her fancy new royal title and Prince husband, she recently disclosed a common dating faux pas even us normals beat ourselves up over.
When the couple met for drinks in 2016 after being set up by a mutual friend, Markle felt herself falling hard a little too fast.
The actress told the BBC:
We met for a drink, and then, I think, very quickly into that we said, ‘Well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again.’
Mama Mia points to royal biographer Andrew Morton, who described the couple’s evening as “intoxicating” to the point that Markle thought perhaps she hadn’t played it “cool” enough when Harry asked for that second date.
“As she relived that fateful evening in her mind, she perhaps wondered if she had been too eager to accept his invitation to meet again the following day,” Morton wrote in Meghan: A Hollywood Princess.
We imagine the interaction between the two looked something like this:
During the couple’s engagement photo call in November, 2017, Harry revealed, without hesitation, that he knew Meghan was the one “the very first time we met.” And according to Morton, that seems to be the case.
“They were mesmerized by one another, Harry enthralled by her beauty, sophistication and perceptiveness. She understood him as a man, not a title” wrote Morton.
“As [Prince Harry] subsequently confessed, he realized that he would have to up his game.”
Meghan, you had nothing to worry about, but you already know that.
When it comes to being a marijuana user while searching for gainful employment, there is always a moment of panic when a human resources manager calls to say they need a drug test before making a job offer. Even though you’ve done your best to clean up in anticipation of a whiz quiz, weed can be a wonky, unpredictable beast at times so who knows if it is all out of your system or not. This scenario will no longer be an issue for some if all goes according to plan in New York City.
Earlier this week, New York City Council’s Committee on Civil Human Rights approved a measure that would make it illegal for most employers to drug test job applicants for marijuana. It is something they have been working on ever since Governor Cuomo announced last year his plan to legalize the leaf for recreational use. And even though legal weed has hit some snags over the past few months, the committee still believes it is necessary to revamp the drug testing policies in the city to provide more New Yorkers with opportunities to go to work.
“We need to be creating more access points for employment, not [fewer],” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, according to Crain’s New York Business. “It makes absolutely no sense that we’re keeping people from finding jobs or advancing their careers because of marijuana use.”
The proposal offers a gateway for marijuana users having trouble finding a job. It prevents most public and private companies from using a failed test for marijuana as disqualifier. However, once an employee is on the clock, nothing is stopping a business from imposing drug tests in cases involving accidents. And showing up to work impaired would still lead to disciplinary action, including termination.
“This is not a permission to come to work high, it is not permission to come to work impaired, but we are not speaking about that,” Williams said. “We are speaking about people who are prevented from going to work in the first place.”
Furthermore, not every career would be protected under the bill. Police officers, construction workers and commercial drivers would still have to pee clean before getting a job. Basically, all state and federal workers would continue to be subjected to the same drug testing protocol that has been in place since the Reagan Administration. Still, if the bill passes, it is conceivable that thousands of people would be given a chance to get a job that they may have struggled to find before.
“Through this legislation, there will still be a good number of folks who will no longer have to submit to testing just to get employment,” Dionna King, a policy manager at the Drug Policy Alliance, told the New York Times.
Not everyone is excited about the prospect of ending marijuana testing. Some believe that companies should have the right to whatever pre-employment standards they choose. “I believe private businesses should have the power to determine their own hiring practices,” said the Council’s minority leader Steven Mateo.
The bill still needs the approval of the full City Council. From there, it would require the signature of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Nowadays, you can find a meme that expresses every single human emotion. There are also those “one size fits all” memes that are capable of expressing all of your thoughts, from something very relatable to a situation that’s personal and that only a small group of people will understand. These memes go viral faster, covering our entire timelines and driving us crazy very quickly.
The heart rate meme is one of these examples. It’s used to represent things that make you happy, excited or afraid. Basically, anything that gets your blood going, be that when someone text an ominous “we need to talk” or when you can’t feel your phone in your pocket.
This meme is not the most necessary or thought provoking one but, are any of them? Some versions of the heart rate meme are fun and relatable, more than an excuse for people to play around with slashes and punctuation marks. Here are some of our favorite versions:
Some may believe the only reason to marry a prince is to inherit the title princess. But because this is the Royal Family and not Disney, it’s not quite that simple. Royal titles are either inherited through sons or marriage. Charlotte lucked out. So did both Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton. So why aren’t the latter two taking advantage of that title more?
When Kate married Prince William in 2011, her official title became Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, even though she is technically also a princess.
According to the Daily Express, the reason that Kate isn’t known as “Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine” is pretty simple. It’s not the highest ranking title. Just like “prince” isn’t always the highest title for a man of the monarchy.
Take Princess Diana for instance. When she married Prince Charles, she became known as Diana, Princess of Wales, because Charles in the head of a principality — Wales — unlike his son, Prince William. Instead, William was made Duke of Cambridge when he married Kate, which is a higher rank that many prince or princess titles (such as Princess Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew, who is not higher ranking that Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge).
Now, if she wanted to, Kate could take the feminine version of Prince William’s title, which would be Princess William, making her full title a mouthful: Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergu. Similarly, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, could be called Princess Henry of Wales.
For obvious reasons, and because her hand would likely fall off with every signature, Kate goes by Duchess of Cambridge.
If Prince William were to become the Prince of a Principality like his father Charles, Kate could decide to take the title of princess, becoming Catherine, Princess of Wales. But just like her mother-in-law, Camilla, she may choose to stick with the title of Duchess.
If you find the current state of marijuana laws across the country confusing—with some states having various forms of cannabis legalized despite the substance being illegal on a federal level—you’re not alone. Attorney General William Barr told Congress this week he finds the current situation “intolerable.” If states are going to continue legalizing cannabis, then the federal government should just get out of the way, Barr indicated.
Barr revealed his stance amidst renewed interest in the STATES Act, which would provide federal protections for those complying with state marijuana laws. In effect, the legislation would allow states to regulate cannabis however they want without fear of federal intervention.
“I would prefer one of two approaches rather than where we are,” Barr said. “Personally I would still favor one uniform federal rule against marijuana, but if there is not sufficient consensus to obtain that, then I think the way to go is to permit a more federal approach so states can make their own decisions within the framework of the federal law, so we’re not just ignoring the enforcement of federal law.”
The Justice Department is currently reviewing the STATES Act, Barr said. However, Barr himself has not personally examined the proposed measure and instead awaiting comments from the DOJ review.
“Once we get those comments, we’ll be able to work with you on any concerns about the STATES law,” Barr said. “But I would much rather that approach—the approach taken by the STATES Act—than where we currently are.”
Barr’s stance falls in line with his statements during his confirmation hearings. Then Barr reiterated multiple times he wouldn’t prosecute marijuana businesses operating legally under state law. These statements further underscore that Barr and the Department of Justice will not interfere with legal cannabis operations, no doubt a positive development for the cannabis community writ large.
“A strong and steadily growing majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, and an even stronger majority believe the federal government should respect state legalization laws,” Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “This is an idea whose time has come, which is evidenced by it being echoed by officials at the highest levels of government.”
Angelina Jolie wants to win back estranged husband Brad Pitt, The Sun can reveal. Her surprise marriage U-turn is behind the reason why she is dragging out tortuous divorce negotiations, sources close to the former couple say. We can disclose Brad has turned down the idea of a romantic reconciliation but wants a harmonious relationship for the sake of their kids.
Our source said: “Angelina has made it clear to Brad that she wants to be back in a relationship with him. She would like them to be a family again and doesn’t seem capable of moving on. That’s why she is making it so difficult for Brad with every detail of their divorce.”
Brad’s main concern is being a dad for their six children, the insider added. The source said: “Brad has consistently kept his mouth shut because all he cares about is his kids.
Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus have split for a second time less than three months after reuniting, multiple sources confirm to Us Weekly.
“She has a kid and an ex-husband and a job in New York and Ben has his family and a job in L.A., and while they love and respect each other, they just realized it wasn’t going to work,” an insider explained to Us of the Batman star, 46, and the 38-year-old Saturday Night Live producer’s decision to go their separate ways. “They really gave it another solid try.”
Though Affleck and Shookus’ second chance at romance didn’t work out, the source notes that the twosome “will always have love for each other.”
