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Did Michael Jackson Almost Play James Bond?

Brendan Bures
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Did Michael Jackson Almost Play James Bond?

While rumors continue to circulate that Idris Elba will take over the James Bond mantle once Daniel Craig calls it quits, neither of the stars match the celebrity of a Bond that could’ve been. That would be the King of Pop, who pleaded with Hollywood to become 007 back in the 1980s.

The news comes courtesy of superstar agent Michael Ovitz and his new tell-all memoir Who Is Michael Ovitz? In the book, Ovitz recounts a meeting in Michael Jackson’s home, where MJ was gunning to become “the star of an action movie.” Ovitz recalls trying to keep a straight face with his business partner Ron Meyer, but then MJ’s hat fell into a bowl of guacamole.

“Then the blob fell off, and Ron totally lost it,” Ovitz wrote. “I cracked up, too, and Michael stalked out. I found him and explained for 15 minutes that we hadn’t been laughing at him. Finally, Michael’s face cleared. ‘OK, Ovitz. OK,’ he said. ‘But I want to play James Bond.’ I am proud to report I didn’t laugh, this time.”

Then Ovitz had to explain to the King of Pop why he wasn’t fit for the role of James Bond. He pointed out Jackson’s lanky frame, saying that MJ was “thinly built, you’re too sensitive, you won’t be credible as a brutal block of stone.”

This finally convinced Jackson to back off his pursuit. But had MJ pushed and gotten his way, he would’ve become the first black James Bond in the franchise’s history. And while Elba remains a hot candidate for the role, the actor has batted away the rumor multiple times.

“There’s no such thing as a black Bond,” Elba has said about the gossip. “It’s interesting that the James Bond thing continues to go. I think it’s more about ‘we just want to have a black guy play James Bond’ rather than ‘Idris Elba, the actor, play James Bond.’ That’s the part that I’m like ‘ugh, come on’.”

WATCH: ‘Please Let Go’ Says Prince Harry To Excited Teacher Who Latches Onto His Hand

Amy Hansen
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WATCH: ‘Please Let Go’ Says Prince Harry To Excited Teacher Who Latches Onto His Hand

When you meet your prince, hang onto him, right? One woman in England took that piece of advice a little too literally.

During Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s inaugural visit to Sussex on Wednesday morning, the couple shook hands and kissed babies, per usual. They also indulged a group of school kids in a quick chat sesh.

Harry asked the kids if they were on a school trip, and high-fived them when he learned they had instead skipped class in order to meet him, even saying, “I think that’s fantastic.” (Something tells us Harry was the kind of kid who used “royal obligation” to get out of a few studies in his day.) But when he asked the kids who their teacher was, a hand extended from the crowd with a woman exclaiming, “I’m not letting go!” With a smile, because charm always makes rejection a little easier to swallow, Harry responded, “Please let go.”

What’s Marijuana Lager And Where Can You Buy It?

Mary Schumacher
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What’s Marijuana Lager And Where Can You Buy It?

In states and areas where cannabis has been legalized, alcohol sales have dropped up to 15 percent. That’s a big chunk of capital just sitting on the shelves. Well, necessity is the mother of invention and it’s clearly become necessary for some savvy brewers to glom onto the wave of cannabis infused products, specifically by making their own weed beers. The latest? A lager out of South Africa.

Poison City is the brewing company behind this newest infusion and the product hit shelves in September. The drop in beer and liquor sales is global wherever territories have legalized and so a hybrid of the two intoxicants seems to only make sense, especially for investors and CEOs of alcohol companies and their affiliates.

The lager itself is a craft brew made with the hemp plant, so rather than getting high on cannabis’ component THC, which there is little to none of in the beer, imbibers enjoy the therapeutic and medicinal properties of CBD. The brewers, however, have hinted that if it becomes possible, they’d like to add a touch of THC for that extra kick.

Poison City is also in favor of local industrialized SA hemp farms, which would bolster the economy, create jobs, improve soil conditions and provide the hemp for the lagers at home base. Not to mention cut out import expenses for Poison City. Encouragingly, the Inkatha Freedom Party said that the efforts to legalize hemp were “starting to bear fruit,” while the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries said it had asked that the departments of health, justice and constitutional development consider the legislative changes that would allow for the production of hemp.

This SA lager isn’t the first cannabeer to hit the shelves. The master brewer behind Blue Moon beer created his own label and Constellation Brands – which brings us the likes of Corona, Pacifico and Modelo – paired up with cannabis company Canopy Growth with an investment of $4 billion.

There are even rumors circulating now that the makers of Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnny Walker are talking with Canadian entities to make their own infused creations. As the world changes to a darker shade of green all around, companies are keeping up by joining in. Rather than pour more money into anti-cannabis ads, these pioneering brewers have found a way to evolve and that speaks volumes as to the state of the growing cannabis marketplace.

The new lager comes on the heels of SA’s Constitutional Court making the ruling that using cannabis in private is a constitutional right. The fight to legalize for personal use was led by Rastafari Gareth Prince, who worked at it for 21 years and is now enjoying his success, perhaps with an infused lager.

FDA Advised DEA To Eliminate CBD From Drug Category

Mike Adams
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FDA Advised DEA To Eliminate CBD From Drug Category

When the DEA moved last week to put GW Pharmaceuticals new cannabidiol (CBD) derived drug Epidiolex into a Schedule V, the listing did not include any other products containing the CBD compound. But this was not the initial recommendation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which advised the agency to eliminate CBD from the restrictions of a controlled substance on the basis that it is not in the same league as a dangerous drug.

But the DEA was clever in its approach to the Epidiolex deal. Last week, the agency said in an official post in the Federal Register that, “this order places FDA-approved drugs that contain CBD derived from cannabis and no more than 0.1 percent tetrahydrocannabinols in schedule V.” Although CBD is a non-intoxicating component of the cannabis plant, it still contains 0.3 percent of the intoxicating THC. Not enough of it to get anyone high, but just enough to prevent this substance from reaching total legality.

Still, the FDA wrote in a letter to the DEA earlier this year that “CBD and its salts… do not have a significant potential for abuse and could be removed from the [Controlled Substances Act].” The letter also mentioned that eliminating CBD from the ranks of dangerous drugs would be a violation of International drug law. The treaties from which this law is comprised gives participating nations the freedom to legalize marijuana and its compounds for medicinal and research purposes. The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, however, does not offer any flexibility when it comes to total legalization.

Citing those treaties, the DEA said that pulling CBD from its rank of a controlled substance would put the United States in breach of the law. The FDA then amended its recommendation to suggest CBD be listed a Schedule V, which is the least restrictive classification, as it labels the substance as having “currently accepted medical use in treatment” and “negligible potential for abuse.”

In the end, the FDA wrote, “we find that CBD does not meet the criteria for placement in any of Schedules II, III, IV, or V under the CSA.” It went on to say that the second the treaties were no longer an issue, the CBD listing should be reexamined.

This is not the first time the two federal agencies have clashed on marijuana. Two years ago, after the DEA rejected a petition to reschedule the cannabis plant, it was revealed that the FDA had recommended the Justice Department reevaluate “the legal and regulatory framework” it employs when determining whether a substance belongs in a Scheduled listing.

“While potentially daunting (depending on its nature and scope), re-evaluation of the legal and regulatory framework by DOJ/DEA and [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] could identify ways to encourage appropriate scientific research into the potential therapeutic benefits of marijuana and its constituents,” it continues,” the letter reads.

However, the proposed reassessment has never happened. Still, the DEA asserts it “will continue to support sound and scientific research that promotes legitimate therapeutic uses for FDA-approved constituent components of cannabis, consistent with federal law.”

Essentially, this means that drug companies like GW Pharmaceuticals will be given the opportunity to dominate Uncle Sam’s concept of a medical marijuana market while state sanctioned programs remain a violation of federal law.

Nicole Kidman And Katie Holmes Are Still Under Tom’s Control; Kanye West’s MAGA Drama Is ‘Embarrassing’ For Kim Kardashian

Naughty Gossip
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Nicole Kidman And Katie Holmes Are Still Under Tom’s Control; Kanye West’s MAGA Drama Is ‘Embarrassing’ For Kim Kardashian

KIDMAN AND KATIE HOLMES ARE STILL VERY MUCH UNDER TOM’S CONTROL

“They both know what the church is capable of … So they would no doubt feel like they are still being controlled.

They have to be cognizant not to say anything that will anger the Church or Tom,” says former Scientologist Leah Remini, who also adds, “Why haven’t Nicole or Katie spoken out against Scientology? I assume they were forced to sign prohibitive documents. Katie’s not allowed to have a meal with me and we used to be close friends. She could lose custody of Suri, it’s quite sick.”

KANYE WEST’S MAGA DRAMA IS ‘EMBARRASSING’ FOR KIM KARDASHIAN

A source told PEOPLE that Kim is embarrassed: “Having all this backlash against Kanye is embarrassing for her and her family, but she will never say that. She supports Kanye through and through and truly does think her husband is entitled to his own opinion.”

Her support of Hillary Clinton: “Kim didn’t blindly follow the pack of celebrities supporting Hillary during the election, though she did vote for her. She respects certain aspects of Trump, but in the end Hillary was her decision.”

ENRIQUE IGLESIAS PRACTICALLY MADE OUT WITH A FAN ONSTAGE!

Enrique Iglesias is very much in a relationship with Anna Kournikova and they are new parents. But last night at a concert, the Singer practically made out with a fan onstage! Anna, did you see these photos? NOT OK!

Look at the SHOCKING photos

Some Of The New iPhones Are Experiencing Charging Issues

Maria Loreto
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Some Of The New iPhones Are Experiencing Charging Issues

It didn’t take long for Apple’s new batch of iPhones to run into some trouble. Users are complaining about the devices’ poor battery life and the problems they’ve encountered when trying to charge the phones from an outlet.

Dozens of people have left comments and queries on Apple and Mac Forums, reporting that their new devices have poor cell reception, specifically the iPhone XS and the XS Max. The main problem that’s currently being reported is that some phones don’t charge when plugged in, especially when they’re locked and their screens are off. In order to fix the issue, users have to unlock their iPhones or have their screens on when connecting them so the charging process can begin.

While Apple has made no comments regarding these issues,tech bloggers and YouTubers have documented them and have also figured out different ways of solving the problem themselves, assuring that if you download the beta version of the iOS 12.1 the problem goes away.

This is presumably a small software bug that’ll be fixed once Apple has heard the complaints and releases an iOS update. It’s not rare for first generations of devices to feature faulty bugs. Users have to be patient and active in online communities in order to fix the most prevalent problems and know what to do when they encounter a particularly annoying bug.

Entomologist Explains Why You Should Not Kill Spiders In Your Home

Matt Bertone
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Entomologist Explains Why You Should Not Kill Spiders In Your Home

I know it may be hard to convince you, but let me try: Don’t kill the next spider you see in your home.

Why? Because spiders are an important part of nature and our indoor ecosystem – as well as being fellow organisms in their own right.

People like to think of their dwellings as safely insulated from the outside world, but many types of spiders can be found inside. Some are accidentally trapped, while others are short-term visitors. Some species even enjoy the great indoors, where they happily live out their lives and make more spiders. These arachnids are usually secretive, and almost all you meet are neither aggressive nor dangerous. And they may be providing services like eating pests – some even eat other spiders.

A cobweb spider dispatches some prey that got snagged in its web. Matt Bertone, CC BY-ND

My colleagues and I conducted a visual survey of 50 North Carolina homes to inventory just which arthropods live under our roofs. Every single house we visited was home to spiders. The most common species we encountered were cobweb spiders and cellar spiders.

Both build webs where they lie in wait for prey to get caught. Cellar spiders sometimes leave their webs to hunt other spiders on their turf, mimicking prey to catch their cousins for dinner.

Although they are generalist predators, apt to eat anything they can catch, spiders regularly capture nuisance pests and even disease-carrying insects – for example, mosquitoes. There’s even a species of jumping spider that prefers to eat blood-filled mosquitoes in African homes. So killing a spider doesn’t just cost the arachnid its life, it may take an important predator out of your home.

It’s natural to fear spiders. They have lots of legs and almost all are venomous – though the majority of species have venom too weak to cause issues in humans, if their fangs can pierce our skin at all. Even entomologists themselves can fall prey to arachnophobia. I know a few spider researchers who overcame their fear by observing and working with these fascinating creatures. If they can do it, so can you!

Spiders are not out to get you and actually prefer to avoid humans; we are much more dangerous to them than vice versa. Bites from spiders are extremely rare. Although there are a few medically important species like widow spiders and recluses, even their bites are uncommon and rarely cause serious issues.

If you truly can’t stand that spider in your house, apartment, garage, or wherever, instead of smashing it, try to capture it and release it outside. It’ll find somewhere else to go, and both parties will be happier with the outcome.

But if you can stomach it, it’s OK to have spiders in your home. In fact, it’s normal. And frankly, even if you don’t see them, they’ll still be there. So consider a live-and-let-live approach to the next spider you encounter.The Conversation

Matt Bertone, Extension Associate in Entomology, North Carolina State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

White House Confirms Secret Anti-Marijuana Committee Exists

Brendan Bures
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White House Confirms Secret Anti-Marijuana Committee Exists

In August, Buzzfeed News reported that Donald Trump’s White House has been secretly staging a marijuana policy coordination committee. One of the committee’s primary intentions was to change the public narrative regarding cannabis and its legalization toward the negative. To accomplish this goal, requests were sent to various federal agencies to “identify marijuana threats; issues created by state marijuana initiatives; and consequences of use, production, and trafficking on national health, safety, and security.”

Though the White House denied any such committee existing at the time, they have since confirmed its existence, according to Buzzfeed News. But the White House denies skewing the public cannabis narrative with any bias or malice. In a letter to Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) denied any intention to dismiss health and social benefits regarding cannabis.

“I assure you that ONDCP seeks all perspectives, positive or negative, when formulating Administration policy. You have my full and firm commitment that ONDCP will be completely objective and dispassionate in collecting all relevant facts and peer-reviewed scientific research on all drugs, including marijuana,” ONDCP acting Director James Carroll wrote in a letter to Bennet dated Sept. 21.

Buzzfeed’s initial report caused considerable backlash among politicians and constituents alike. Among those politicians was Bennet, who labeled the committee as an “intentional effort to mislead the American people.”

“At a time when we should be investing in objective and peer-reviewed scientific research on marijuana and the effects of legalization, the White House is instead using taxpayer money to spread a politically-driven narrative,” Bennet wrote in a letter back in August.

That August letter also included an olive branch from Bennett. He told the ONDCP that the eight state with adult-use marijuana legalization were willing to work with the administration.

Now Bennet is hoping the White House keeps their new promise.

“In Colorado, we’ve made a deliberate effort to ensure fact-based data informs our marijuana policies,” the senator said in a statement to Buzzfeed. “Government-sponsored propaganda shouldn’t undermine that effort. I intend to hold the ONDCP to its commitment to present objective and scientific information about marijuana to the American public.”

Federal Prosecutor Could Be After Denver Marijuana Businesses

Mary Schumacher
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Federal Prosecutor Could Be After Denver Marijuana Businesses

In a strategic, if not ominous, move, Denver’s U.S. Attorney’s Office is considering taking focus off of actual illegal drug trade and using those resources to expose legal, licensed dispensaries and other cannabis businesses as fronts for a lucrative drug trade that goes outside the bounds of the written law.

Up to this point, Colorado has focused entirely on prosecuting completely illegal operations, ones hidden away from the government and the public in general and that are meant to be distributed exclusively in the illegal marketplace.

“Where has our breathless sprint into full-scale marijuana commercialization led Colorado?” Troyer asks in a Denver Post op-ed. The question seems whimsical, but the litany of his following concerns is as serious as it gets. This is one Colorado resident, with the privilege of power, who was not and will not be part of the cannabis supporting majority.

In the op-ed, Troyer says of his many observations, including increases in plant and edible potency as well as an increase in alcohol use since legalization that, “these impacts are why you may start seeing U.S. attorneys shift toward criminally charging licensed marijuana businesses and their investors. After all, a U.S. attorney is responsible for public safety.”

He went on to say, “Now that federal enforcement has shot down marijuana grows on federal lands, the crosshairs may appropriately shift to the public harms caused by licensed businesses and their investors, particularly those who are not complying with state law or trying to use purported state compliance as a shield.”

The statements are ripe with judgment, stigma and even a threatening voice. Rather than focus on making sure regulations are being followed and making corrections where need be, the U.S. attorney seems to be on his own mission of malevolence. Looking at compliant businesses and then rubbing your hands together like a nefarious Mr. Burns is no way to deal out justice, in fact it seems to be very non judicial indeed.

While naturally Colorado cannabis advocates are in favor of stopping illegalities in the movement, they are wary of Troyer targeting businesses that are actually following the rules. “Targeting legal dispensaries that are doing their best to follow the letter of Colorado’s laws makes no sense without meeting with the owners and discussing their interpretation of the laws,” stated Kristi Kelly, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group.

Weedcraft Inc. Is A Tycoon Simulator For Future Ganjapreneurs

Brendan Bures
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Weedcraft Inc. Is A Tycoon Simulator For Future Ganjapreneurs

The cannabis industry is experiencing an all-time high when it comes to growth and acceptance for the plant that powers their business. Grassroots legalization efforts are happening all across the country, while surging stocks for cannabis companies, like Tilray, have reminded investors of the dotcom boom. Even politicians have turned heel, joining the Green Rush however they can.

Now you too can participate (from the comforts of your computer) thanks to a tycoon game-parody called Weedcraft Inc. Published by Devolver Digital, the game allows players the typical mechanics and systems found in a tycoon game, but wrapped in the specificity found in starting a marijuana business. Instead of a free-for-all sandbox experience, Weedcraft Inc. will follow a loose narrative, as players explore different vignettes of the cannabis start-up enterprise.

“Right now, it’s like the end of Prohibition meets the Gold Rush,” Scott Alexander, the game’s main writer, told Polygon. “The federal illegality combined with the state-by-state legalization has created a financial morass and just a weird, interesting place. And we thought, ‘Well, that’s a tycoon game waiting to happen.’”

Polygon played a demo of the game and broke down what players can expect when playing the game:

Our demo was centered around the introductory vignette: two brothers who saw their ailing father lean on medical marijuana during his cancer treatment decided to open a pot-dealing business together in Detroit. Your beginnings are very humble: three pots in a basement, a small overhead heat bulb, some packs of seeds and soil. Plant seeds. Add water when prompted. Prune at intervals. Harvest. There’s a fast-forward option to change how fast time flows as you get more comfortable with the game’s rhythm. Those plants in turn become the first product you sell at the market, here with little to no competition and a handful of archetypical customers.

According to Alexander, the game will change based on the state and situation players find themselves in depending on the vignette. You can also play the game with varying degrees of morality and legality; bribing cops or building false storefronts to hide your cannabis farms is totally allowed. The line the game developers won’t cross? You won’t see any kids smoking weed on screen. The style in which you play the game will also affect whatever bonuses and abilities you’ll acquire.

“There are certain perks you can only get if you’re super shady,” Alexander said. “There are certain perks you can only get if you’re decent.”

“Playing fully decent is like getting a cultural victory in Civilization,” he added. “[It’s like,] ‘Can I play the whole game without fucking anyone over?’”

According to Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson, you can expect Weedcraft Inc. to debut in early 2019

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