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Why You Rarely See Kate Middleton Take Off Her Coat

Patricia Wallace
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Why You Rarely See Kate Middleton Take Off Her Coat

Kate Middleton is one of our international style icons. She has been photographed wearing stunning gowns, casual sportswear and even elegant maternity outfits during all three of her pregnancies. She’s also equally known for her stylish coats, mainly because she’s always bundled up in them. What’s the deal?

The short answer: because she has to be.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbe9Q-TgixR/

RELATED: Here’s Why Meghan Markle Wasn’t Allowed To Wear Her Hat At Wimbledon

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

Royal watchers really seemed to take notice of this seemingly odd fashion behavior in February of last year, during Middleton’s royal tour of Scandinavia. There was a photo that circulated of her, Prince William, and the Norwegian royals sitting around a table, indoors, with the Duchess fully bundled up. And even if she was sweating bullets beneath those Dolce & Gabbana threads, royal protocol dictates that female member of the royal family not remove their coats  in public. Fun!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpi7szqHS9Z/

RELATED: Princess Diana Avoided Wearing This Fashion Accessory

The act of a Duchess removing her coat is considered trashy and unladylike, which is also why prominent female royals may not wear nail polish, be seen in public with messy hair, or forgo nylons with a dress or skirt. Meghan Markle is also held to these same high standards, but it seems like she is photographed far less being bundled up. Perhaps it’s because she prefers to let her coat flow open rather than buttoned up?

This Week’s Music: Kehlani, John Mayer And Julia Jacklin Release New Songs

Maria Loreto
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This Week’s Music: Kehlani, John Mayer And Julia Jacklin Release New Songs

This Week’s Music is a weekly column that discusses the weeks’ best, worst, and most interesting songs. We try to select songs of different artists and genres to keep things interesting and to please a variety of music fans.

This week’s column highlights Julia Jacklin’s amazing new album, John Mayer’s new kind of sad song, and Kehlani’s much awaited comeback. Check them out!

Indie

Julia Jacklin – Body

Thoughtful, funny and mournful, listening to a Julia Jacklin song is the closest you get to listening to a short movie. Her last album “Crushing” was released a couple of days ago and it proves with each beat that Jacklin is a special kind of storyteller. As much a poet as she is a vocalist, Jacklin writes lyrics that ask for personal space and love, sometimes for both at the same time, resulting in a very human and seemingly unfiltered album. “Crushing” is a record that contains 10 songs of pure personal expression and where there’s no artifice. It’s a rare experience for listeners, where we just get to witness someone doing their own thing.

Rock

John Mayer

RELATED: This Week’s Music: Jenny Lewis, Wet And Avril Lavigne

No matter your personal feelings on John Mayer, he’s one of the most expressive and emotional musicians out there. “I Guess I Just Feel Like” is the kind of song you’ve heard a lot over the past year, the kind that muses over the state of the world and the disarray that we all live in. Mayer tries his best to give this story a twist of his own, adding a country tinge with lyrics that are sad but also uplifting. The song won’t award him any new fans but it’ll excite those who’ve been waiting for his new work.

Pop

Kehlani – Butterfly

Kehlani’s new mixtape “While We Wait” was released on February 22, boasting collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign 6LACK, and more. “Butterfly” is the album’s headlining single, showing off Kehlani’s luscious vocals and her trademark personal and honest lyrics. It’s backed by an interesting slow beat that’s contemplative and sexy, resulting in a brief track that does the job, intriguing you and making you wonder what’s in the rest of the album.

Marijuana’s CBD Can Help With Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome

Trey Reckling
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Marijuana’s CBD Can Help With Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome

The benefits that cannabis can provide to people with epilepsy have been well documented. Charlotte Figi became the poster child for this as Colorado began selling legal cannabis a few years ago. In her case, a high CBD strain named Charlotte’s Web helped reduce her seizures from over 300 a week to just a few a month. Charlotte helped to open hearts and minds to the fact that medical marijuana is a real thing and not just people looking for a way to get high legally as some deniers want to claim. 

A recently published article in the New England Journal of Medicine explored the potential for CBD combined with current medicine therapies to help patients with  Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy characterized in part by frequent drop seizures. The outcome was promising. 

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in the US. Nearly 3 million Americans have been diagnosed with the condition. 1 in 26 people will develop the condition in his/her lifetime. It is associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This means some type of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness or seizures. Atonic or “drop seizures” are just like they sound and are characterized by a loss of muscle control. The person can suddenly fall, resulting in injury as the person strikes objects in the immediate surrounding or by contact with the ground.  

In addition to the fall being dangerous, having a history of experiencing drop seizures can prevent people from driving and fully participating in life as they would like. That is one reason why this recent research is not only important but could prove to be life-changing for some.  

RELATED: 8 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Marijuana’s CBD

This study was a double-blind and placebo-controlled, the gold standard in scientific research. It explored the effect of CBD, cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound found naturally in the cannabis plant.  225 patients from 30 clinical centers were enrolled in the study. They ranged in age from 2-55 years old. One third received 10-milligram doses of CBD, one third received 20-milligram doses and one third was the control group, only receiving a placebo dose. 

The patient groups who received 10 mg and 20 doses along with their current anti-seizure medication both experienced a reduction in the monthly occurrences of drop seizures. A few participants did experience side effects such as sleepiness, loss of appetite and diarrhea. For seven of them, the side effects were significant enough for them to feel the need to drop out of the study. Another side effect worth further study was the increase in some patients’ liver aminotransferase concentration, an enzyme used as a marker of a healthy or stressed liver.  

This study was paid for by GW Pharmaceuticals, a leader in the field of cannabis research. The British company brought Sativex to the market and hope to be the first FDA approved maker of plant-derived CBD under the trade name Epidiolex. If approved, prescription CBD could be another tool used by physicians throughout the US to provide additional relief to patients suffering from seizures.  

How would a prescription cannabis product affect the current state of affairs for medical marijuana nationwide? That has yet to be seen. Regardless, mainstream physicians nationwide may soon be discussing the possible beneficial effects of CBD with their patients. That much is good news.

Meme Of The Week: This Video Of An Auto-tuned Cat Is The Internet’s Favorite Thing

Maria Loreto
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Meme Of The Week: This Video Of An Auto-tuned Cat Is The Internet’s Favorite Thing

Elton the cat has become a viral superstar, celebrated all over the internet after his owner uploaded a hilarious video of his annoying auto-tuned meows.

Joaquin Baldwin, a feature animation artist who works for Disney, captured Elton meowing in bed, in the bathroom, and all over his house. For the auto-tune effect, he used an iOS app called Voloco. Baldwin has a large social media following, which helped the clip quickly gain notoriety and go viral.

RELATED: Meme Of The Week: Kacey Musgraves Wins A Grammy And Becomes A Meme

The video spawned dozens of memes where people converted the meows into songs, replaced the meows with the word “yas,” recorded their own cat’s reactions to the video, and more. Check out some of our favorites:

RELATED: Meme Of The Week: How One Disgusting Queso Transformed Into Much Fresher Memes

Auto-tune may be overused in music in general, but at least now we know that it’s a goldmine with cats.

This Corgi Was Photoshopped Into Famous Movie Posters

Amy Hansen
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This Corgi Was Photoshopped Into Famous Movie Posters

Maxine the corgi is still a fluffy puppy, but she has the resume of a Hollywood A-lister. The three-year-old pup, who lives in New York City, has already amassed 134, 000 Instagram followers. And that number is growing by the hour, after photoshopped pics of her appearing in famous movie posters went viral.

RELATED: 9 Adorable Dogs That Have A Better Instagram Account Than You

Check them out (don’t forget to scroll!).

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

The good girl’s human friend — and avid movie buff — Bryan told Buzzfeed that, “Maxine’s Instagram account is movie-themed. Every caption is a movie quote. So my wife and I thought it would be fun and cute to photoshop Maxine into some of our favorite movies of the year!”

Here are some choice quotes from Maxine’s account. Can you guess the movies they come from?

“I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuMCFz2nFtI/

“Big yawn.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Btn7g3AHaR7/

And finally, a movie that could have been named after Maxine’s newfound fame:

“Hey…I just wanted to take another look at you.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsbKs7pHm0N/

The Welsh Corgi, plural Corgwn, is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name corgi is derived from the Welsh words cor and ci (which is mutated to gi), meaning “dwarf” and “dog”, respectively.

Two separate breeds are recognized: the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. Physical differences are seen between the two breeds. According to the breed standards, overall the Cardigan is larger, both in weight and height. Their tails are of different shapes, and docking was previously performed on Corgis before the practice was largely banned.

The late Queen, Elizabeth II, became perhaps the most famous Pembroke Welsh Corgi owner in history. She owned more than 30 of the dogs in her lifetime. On her birthday in 1944, a love affair was born, for both the future monarch and the world when she received her own corgi.

Jussie Smollett Begs His ‘Empire’ Family To Believe He’s Innocent; Gayle King Reveals Why Meghan Markle Didn’t Open Gifts At Baby Shower

Naughty Gossip
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Jussie Smollett Begs His ‘Empire’ Family To Believe He’s Innocent; Gayle King Reveals Why Meghan Markle Didn’t Open Gifts At Baby Shower

Miley Cyrus talks sexuality, says Hillary Clinton inspired her marriage to Liam Hemsworth

Miley Cyrus revealed details about Liam Hemsworth’s anatomy that aren’t necessarily Internet-friendly. The pop star appeared to indicate that her fiance is more than adequate when it comes to their bedroom activities.

Miley Cyrus’ inspiration to marry husband Liam Hemsworth came not just from her love for the Australian actor, but also her love for Hillary Clinton.

RELATED: Miley Cyrus Blames Her Mom For Being Back On The Weed

The former “Hannah Montana” star revealed that the losing 2016 presidential candidate’s slogan, “Stronger Together,” particularly resonated with her after she and Hemsworth lost their Malibu, Calif., home in a wildfire.

“Without feeling like you’re putting a Band-Aid on a bad situation and saying, ‘Oh well, you know, now everything will be better.’ Because a lot of people use marriage I think maybe for a cure,” Cyrus, 26, told Vanity Fair in their cover story released this week. “But like my favorite woman in the world, Hillary Clinton, says: We’re stronger together. That’ll make me get emotional. That’s what she meant by it. Like, who gives a f—k if he’s a guy, if I’m a girl, or if he was a woman — who gives a f—k? We really are stronger together. One is the loneliest number.”

Jussie Smollett is begging his “Empire” family to believe he’s innocent

Via TMZ:

Jussie Smollett is begging his “Empire” family to believe he’s innocent and continue supporting him — even as the drama of his arrest postponed a scene Thursday in Chicago.

Sources on the “Empire” set tell us the cast and crew were waiting at least 30 minutes for Jussie to begin the scheduled scene. When he eventually showed his face he was very emotional, and surrounded by his family.
We’re told he addressed everyone on set, saying …”I’m sorry I’ve put you all though this and not answered any calls. I wanted to say I’m sorry and you know me i would never do this to any of you, you are my family. I swear to god i did not do this.”

After that he left the set. We’re told it was obvious Jussie had been crying a lot, so producers said he would have to come back later. He did, and we’re told he is currently shooting the scene. As we reported, Smollett bolted from the mob scene outside court, and headed straight to Chicago’s Cinespace Studio … after his bail was set at $100k. News choppers and trucks followed him most of the way as he crossed town.

Gayle King reveals why Meghan Markle didn’t open gifts at NYC baby shower

Meghan Markle received a number of gifts at her New York baby shower but refrained from opening any of them – going against traditional baby shower etiquette in the process, Gayle King revealed Thursday.

RELATED: Prince Harry Says This Is His Biggest Fear About Becoming A Dad

“She wants to do that when [Prince] Harry and her are back together, so I really don’t know what everybody got her,” King told her colleagues on “CBS This Morning.” “I think I got her something very nice.”

King was photographed outside the Mark Hotel carrying a colorful polka dot gift bag for the Duchess of Sussex as she entered the shower, which was also attended by Serena Williams and Amal Clooney.

Are 4-Day Workweeks The Secret To Productivity?

Maria Loreto
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Are 4-Day Workweeks The Secret To Productivity?

It turns out that working less may inspire creativity and a desire to work harder. As an experiment, a company in New Zealand decided to cut a day from its workweek for a period of eight weeks to see what effect it had on its employees.

By giving its 240 staff members more time off — while keeping their paychecks unchanged — financial service experts Perpetual Guardian found that the shorter workweek didn’t effect output whatsoever. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Productivity rose 20 percent and staff members reported feeling better and more creative than ever.

The Guardian reports that the trial, one of the largest experiments of the sort, began last November, monitored by experts from the University of Auckland and the Auckland University of Technology. These scientists found an increase in commitment, leadership, stimulation and empowerment across the entire company.

RELATED: 5 Tips To Help You Get Work Done When You’re Working Remotely

Andrew Barnes, Perpetual Guardian’s founder and CEO, also released a how-to-guide for other organizations and companies to follow, encouraging them to give the four day workweek a shot. “We need to get more companies to give it a go. They will be surprised at the improvement in their company, their staff and in their wider community,” he said.

According to employees and the experts who supervised the study, the day off helped some catch up with relatives and have more focus while at work. “I was actually finishing projects before moving on to the next one, and by the end of the day found I was accomplishing more than trying to multitask everything,” says Tammy Barker, an employee whose work week was cut from 37.5 hours to 30.

RELATED: Is It Possible To Work Yourself To Death?

It’s been proven by numerous studies that overworking leads to health issues and doesn’t improve productivity or efficiency of employees. The more you tax yourself, the more mistakes you make, especially if you clock in over 40 hours a week.

Countries like Sweeden and New Zealand are making an effort in order to improve the health of their communities and the productivity in work spaces. Four-day work weeks might not be the ultimate solution but they are certainly a model worth considering.

Study Links Teen Marijuana Use With Adult Depression

Brendan Bures
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Study Links Teen Marijuana Use With Adult Depression

Despite the fact that 33 states have legalized marijuana in some form, data from at least one source shows that the rate of teenage use has not increased.  Since 2005, the amount of 12th graders who have tried cannabis at least once hasn’t changed, at least in Monitoring the Future’s dataset. Instead, the number has pretty much remained below 45 percent.

That’s a good thing, particularly in light of a new study that found that teens who use cannabis have a higher risk of developing depression as young adults. Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the study found that teens  who used marijuana at least once a week before the age of 18  were associated with a 37 percent increased risk of depression as adults. Scientists found this was true even when taking into account someone’s previous mental health history.

RELATED: Scientists And Experts Blast Anti-Marijuana Book ‘Tell Your Children’

Researchers from Oxford and McGill Universities came to these conclusions by analyzing 11 studies that included just under 24,000 teenagers. From that analysis, they estimated that teen cannabis use could be associated with nearly 400,000 cases of depression.

Via The Verge:

As always, it’s important to note that the results show associations and not causal links, and are still based on only 11 studies. The researchers screened over 4,000 papers before finding the few that specifically tracked marijuana use and mental health starting in adolescence. Additionally, the studies didn’t provide information on how much cannabis the teens smoked, or the potency. Considering that the subjects were teens decades ago, when marijuana was much less potent, that is one big omission.

“The results have to be interpreted with caution because it’s based on a very small number of published studies, but the signal is quite strong,” Guohua Li, an epidemiologist at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health not involved with the study, told The Verge. “The implications of the study for public policy and mental health are profound,” he adds, as Monitoring The Furniture’s dataset also shows that about 20 percent of high school seniors use cannabis monthly.

RELATED: Poll: Democrats In Favor Of Marijuana Legalization More Than Ever

Studies like this are important when considering cannabis legalization efforts. Why? Two reasons. First, establishing proper legal age limits for cannabis use and second, showcasing why legalization is necessary to allow more research like this. Only by properly studying the plant will we learn how also to properly use it.

WATCH: Alien Cake Is The Only Way Parents Should Do Gender Reveal Parties

Maria Loreto
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WATCH: Alien Cake Is The Only Way Parents Should Do Gender Reveal Parties

It’s not a boy or a girl, it’s a cake-bursting alien!

Gender reveal parties have experienced a boom of sorts over the past year, setting forests on fire, facilitating human-alligator wrestling matches, making party guests eat blue colored lasagna. There’s no end to people’s creativity when it comes to announcing the gender of their baby, which is why this particular gender reveal clip is so fun.

Twitter user @MsKittenFish uploaded a short clip of her gender reveal party, where she’s super excited as she’s about to cut the cake that’ll let her know the sex of her baby. You can hear the party guests muttering in excitement, looking as she leans towards the cake and capturing the moment when an alien pops out, completely gender-less. Guests scream and then laugh, and all is good.

RELATED: Lasagna Is The New Baby Gender Reveal Nobody Wanted

Gender reveal parties are getting more and more despised throughout the world, as you can see by people’s responses to the video. Still, with our social media driven society there’s no way these inventions are stopping any time soon. Hopefully this video will set a cool precedent, inspiring others to creep out their guests with cool alien cake.

This Tourist Attraction May Install ‘Phone Seats’ Amid Rise Of Selfie Deaths

Amy Hansen
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This Tourist Attraction May Install ‘Phone Seats’ Amid Rise Of Selfie Deaths

We now live in an age where people are dying from failed selfie attempts. It’s reported that more than 250 people died while trying to take the perfect selfie between October 2011 and October 2017.

According to the Washington Post, “of the 259 deaths, researchers found the leading cause to be drowning, followed by incidents involving transportation — for example, taking a selfie in front of an oncoming train — and falling from heights. Other causes of selfie-related deaths include animals, firearms and electrocution.”

More than half of those deaths came within just a two-year span from March 2014 to September 2016.

RELATED: People Risking Their Lives For The Perfect Selfie

Last month, Trinity College Dublin student Anand Goel fell to his death at the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare while attempting to take a picture of himself more than 600 feet above sea level.

The Irish Post reports that the situation has gotten so far out of hand, an Irish politician has called for the “implementation of special seating units at certain high-up sites to prevent accidents and boost tourism.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuJbY3oFrwG/

Junior Health Minister, Jim Daly, told the Southern Star that it’s nearly impossible to find the perfect location for a natural beauty shot, so why not just tell people where to sit with a dedicated seat?

“Tourists, being time sensitive, like to know where to go and what to do,” said Daly. “They also like clear shots rather than grainy images on their social media and Instagram.”

RELATED: You’ll Need To Be Social Media Famous To Snap Selfies At This LA Mural

Daly said that just within West Cork, there are dozens of locations that would be perfectly suited for one of these “selfie phone seats”, including the Old Head of Kinsale, Mizen Head, the Beacon in Baltimore, and Lough Hyne woods. These “safe” seats are said to be already popular in Asia.

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

Daly added, “When it comes to a picture painting a thousand words, the selfie is a very effective marketing tool and we need to harness its potential more. This is a cost-free innovative proposal that will allow Ireland present our best face to the world.”

Minister Daly said officials are open to testing a prototype of the gimmicky, yet potentially life-saving seat.

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