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Neighbors Are Pissed At Chris Hemsworth For Building A Giant Mansion; Here’s Why Princess Anne Doesn’t Shake Hands

Naughty Gossip
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Neighbors Are Pissed At Chris Hemsworth For Building A Giant Mansion; Here’s Why Princess Anne Doesn’t Shake Hands

CHRIS HEMSWORTH UPSETS NEIGHBORS CONSTRUCTING MASSIVE MANSION

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky are building a monstrosity of a home in Australia … and the massive building is pissing off tons of people who say it’s totally out of place and looks more like a shopping mall.

You can judge for yourself … but it’s easy to see why the Internet is going crazy over Thor’s new fortress. There are endless amounts of concrete, a huge chunk of forest missing and it dwarfs everything else in Byron Bay.

Chris and Elsa have been building their dream house for nearly a year — they’ve reportedly poured $8 million into the project — but the colossal compound has become a nightmare for neighbors.

The sprawling estate is expected to feature a huge swimming pool, steam room, gym and a luxury spa.

PRINCESS ANNE DOESN’T HAVE THE TIME TO SHAKE YOUR HAND

There’s a good reason why Princess Anne doesn’t shake hands during royal walkabouts — she’s keeping with tradition!

“We never shook hands,” the 68-year-old daughter of Queen Elizabeth II explains in a sneak peek from the upcoming HBO documentary Queen of the World. “The theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t,” she remarks with a laugh. Anne then goes on to explain that while “it’s not for me to say that it’s wrong,” royal walkabouts have changed significantly since the Queen began the custom in the 1970s.

“It’s become a shaking hands exercise rather than a walkabout,” she remarks. Anne went on to explain that nowadays, it can be hard to actually see who you’re interacting with because of all the technology people bring with them to document the moment.

“Phones are bad enough, but the iPads — you can’t even see their heads,” she remarks. “No idea who you’re talking to. I either don’t bother or just say, ‘Look, if you want to ask…I suggest you put that down.’ It is weird. People don’t believe they’ve experienced the event unless they’ve taken a photograph.”

KIM KARDASHIAN TALKING ABOUT KANYE WEST’S PENIS

It seems like the reality star was feeling a little playful with Kanye West Tuesday night because she left a cheeky comment on one of his Instagram photos that raised everyone’s eyebrows

The photo was simple—West snapped a picture of his leg in gray sweatpants. Well, it caught Kim’s eye.

“Grey sweat pants challenge? Lemme see,” she quipped with a laughing emoji.

The #GreySweatpantsChallenge started trending a few years ago with guys taking to the Internet to photograph their—ahem, junk—in…grey sweatpants.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoK-_0DlrhL/?utm_source=ig_embed

 

Canadian Marijuana Market Set To Hit $1 Billion In 3 Months

Mary Schumacher
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Canadian Marijuana Market Set To Hit $1 Billion In 3 Months

A new figure is out regarding Canadians and cannabis, and it’s a doozy! Statistic Canada estimates that Canadians could spend up to $1 billion by the end of the year once marijuana is legalized October 17. The agency is also predicting a steep decline in purchases via the illegal market.

Even more amazingly, that $1 billion valuation only includes recreational sales. Add the quarter billion or more in medical sales and you have beyond a burgeoning market.

Depending on the province or territory, persons must be 18 or 19 years old to legally purchase cannabis. The estimations made are done so utilizing statistics and census population data from the National Cannabis Survey. Said survey provides stats on how many illegal users will likely switch to the legalized market, how many non-users will try cannabis now that it’s legal and so on.

With all the data at hand, it’s estimated that around 5.4 million people will purchase cannabis in this fourth quarter and that they will add up to the billion dollar mark, if not surpass it. According to the breakdown, the illicit market would fall to 24 percent of the total cannabis sales in Canada — a steep decline from previous years.

The survey, which depends on self-reported use admissions, estimates household consumption expenditure and in the past people have favored the illegal market for non-medical purposes. That’s been the case for decades. Now, since October 17 of this year, legal cannabis has come to Canada and the numbers have been turned on their heads.

According to the full report, there are 29,892,021 people now eligible to consume cannabis. Of them, nearly 15 percent currently use cannabis, 49 percent of whom are definitely switching to the legal market and a little over 25 percent more who might make the switch. That leaves about a quarter of the market still obtaining weed illegally, but is still a huge shift in methods and in a positive direction.

As the $1 billion per quarter is bound to rise with time, at least incrementally, Canada is looking at a sharp shot in the arm of revenue. It may take some time to totally disrupt the black market, if that’s even possible, but what’s going to be coming in is going to be miraculous to the places it lands. From funding healthcare to specifically fighting the opioid crisis, there will be boosts that will do wonders.

Cannibalism Won’t Nourish Your Body, Says Award-Winning Scientist

Brendan Bures
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Cannibalism Won’t Nourish Your Body, Says Award-Winning Scientist

Look, everyone already knew that eating other humans was not cool. Like, it’s just something we all know not to do. But maybe you get curious sometimes. Maybe you watch Mike Tyson biting that one dude’s ear off and intrigue fills your pores, sweat starts pouring from your glands, and, hey, maybe a little bite won’t hurt. Well guess what? If you did that, not only would you be super not cool, you’d also be not nutritious.

That’s according to Dr. James Cole, an archaeology lecturer at the University of Brighton, U.K., who won the Improbable Research Ig Nobel Prize for his research on the nutritional value of eating human meat. The Ig Nobel prize is given to otherwise eclectic research that “first make people LAUGH then make them THINK.”

Cole’s now award-winning paper demonstrates that human cadavers have significantly lower caloric value when compared to what our Paleolithic ancestor consumed to survive. His deadly serious conclusion was that cannibalism most likely evolved for cultural and societal reasons, not because human meat was the best nutritional option around.

“When you compare us to other animals, we’re not very nutritional at all,” Cole told National Geographic.

This, you may not know, was not a universally held opinion in the scientific community.

Via The Inverse:

Previous researchers had asserted that cannibalism was probably nutritional in nature. For example, in a 2010 paper published in Current Anthropology, a team led by Spanish archaeologist Eudald Carbonell, Ph.D., argued that the number of cases of cannibalism in the archaeological record suggested that humans were hunting other humans were food. A paper published in 2016 in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory also echoed this point, but it admitted that researchers were divided on the idea.

Glad we now have that settled! Don’t eat humans. Noted. We’re definitely not worth the calories and (probably) not at all tasty.

The Woman Who Almost Came Between Prince William And Kate

Amy Hansen
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The Woman Who Almost Came Between Prince William And Kate

As their love story has been known to be told, Kate Middleton and Prince William met during college (university if you’re fancy), dated, then briefly broke up in 2007 before getting hitched in 2011. But there’s a caveat that’s usually left out of their Disney-like relationship timeline. Before the breakup, But what about the woman who almost came between Prince William and Kate? The heir had a monster crush on another woman, reportedly influencing the couple’s brief separation.

Her name is Isabella Calthorpe, and she hasn’t shed a tear since turning down William’s advances more than a decade ago. The 38-year-old went on to marry the son of business magnate and Virgin founder Richard Branson. Sam Branson is a different kind of heir. They type that’s going to inherit billions of dollars when his pops either passes away or retires. Whichever comes first.

RELATED: Eerie! Watch Kate Middleton’s Future Predicted When She Was 13

But Isabella’s pedigree isn’t too shabby. She’s the daughter of banking heiress Lady Mary Gaye Curzon and John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, (the son of Sir Richard Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, 2nd Baronet). According to Marie Claire:

Royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in her 2010 book William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls that William visited the Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe family home in Chelsea to see Isabella that summer and even contributed to Will and Kate’s decision to take a trial break from their relationship at that time.

Will reportedly tried very hard to woo Isabella, but was unsuccessful. She turned him down.

Doesn’t look like she’s too upset.

https://www.instagram.com/p/XWiJ9vL-KF

Back in 2007, a royal source told the Daily Mail:

He had fallen for her in a huge way and wanted to be with her. He propositioned her several times that summer and although Isabella was single, she knocked William back and said it would be too damaging for her and her career. She is a name in her own right and on her way to becoming hugely successful. In her view, being affiliated with William in a girlfriend capacity would be damaging for her.

Did we mention Isabella is an actress? She can’t let some “royal” ruin her rep. Her IMDB isn’t long, but she’s starred in a decent number of films such as How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Night Wolf and the TV series Trinity.

RELATED: That Time Prince William Said He And Kate Shared A Dirty Sense Of Humor

You may actually be more familiar with her half-sister, Cressida Bonas, who famously dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014. It runs in the family! Isabella also runs with other royals. She’s BFF with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, both of whom attended her 2013 wedding.

It’s been reported the Isabella is the only woman Kate has ever really been jealous of because she knew how much William was into her. Going back to royal expert Katie Nicholl, she revealed in her book that Kate actually banned Will from contacting Isabella after their short break-up.

It was obviously the break that William needed, and by Christmas they were back together again, although Kate had a condition. Word had reached her of William’s visits to Isabella, and Kate insisted that William was not to contact her again.

But none of that shade stopped Isabella from attending Kate and Will’s royal wedding. That’s right. Just like Prince Harry’s exes (Cressida and Chelsy Davy) witnessed his vows to Meghan Markle, Isabella also watched her former suitor wed another woman.

If this isn’t a royal fairytale, nothing is.

Medical Cannabis Can Help You Heal From Hepatitis C

Richard Faulk
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Medical Cannabis Can Help You Heal From Hepatitis C

Although Hepatitis C can be treated effectively, and may even clear up on its own, there is evidence that cannabis can help heal the liver. But it’s vague. A 2005 review of the medical literature concluded that cannabinoids “appear to be involved in several aspects of acute and chronic liver disease.” Another review from that year was both more upbeat and less precise: Cannabis, it said, presents “an exciting interventional landscape.”

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. Its symptoms are so mild that it is frequently undiagnosed, which is bad, because chronic Hepatitis C and lead to life-threatening conditions, such cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C is spread through blood, so the primary channels are having sex (particularly if you already have an STD) and sharing needles.

Newer Hep C drugs work well and have mild side effects, but the traditional treatment can cause anxiety, depression, nausea, and diarrhea. If you’re lucky, you’ll just get flu-like symptoms.

But one interesting vein of research shows that the primary benefit that cannabis provides hep C patients is not medical but motivational.

A study from 2006 observed that the primary risk group for Hepatitis C is illicit drug users are. Not to trade in stereotypes, but that population, practically by definition, is one that is marginal and has little support. Accordingly, it’s easy for them to drop out of treatment—particularly when that treatment can be physically and emotionally grueling.

The study concluded that cannabis can calm the ill effects of hep C treatment, much as it does the side effects of chemotherapy. But also, it just makes people feel better. And if they feel better and more hopeful about their lives, they’re more likely to continue treatment.

The study ends with this endearing attempt at nerd humor: “It may in fact be an ironical truth that those persons who contracted HCV [i.e. hep C] through a form of illicit drug use may be aided in ridding themselves of this, potentially fatal, virus by the use of another drug in addition to their HCV therapy.”

On Ecstasy, Typically Loner Octopuses Just Want To Cuddle

Brendan Bures
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On Ecstasy, Typically Loner Octopuses Just Want To Cuddle

Octopuses are not creatures we would characterize as being a good hang. Their abilities as escape artists, chameleonic shape-shifters, and all-around intelligent invertebrates withstanding, octopuses are loner maniacs. You know Travis Bickle, Robert DeNiro’s character in Taxi Driver? Imagine him as an octopus. Now you know what an octopus is usually like.

To help understand the intelligence octopuses have, scientists decided to give the creatures MDMA. Yes, the party drug that goes by names like ecstasy, Molly, and E. They wanted to understand how the animals would respond to the psychoactive drug. The study, published last week in Current Biology, showed that MDMA made loner octopuses want to cuddle. High on the drug, they became social, “essentially hugging.” Seriously.

“The brains of octopuses are more similar to those of snails than humans, but our studies add to evidence that they can exhibit some of the same behaviors that we can,” said Gül Dölen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant neuroscience professor at Johns Hopkins and the lead researcher on the study. “What our studies suggest is that certain brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that send signals between neurons required for these social behaviors are evolutionarily conserved.”

Though our brains might be wired differently, the research could present promising findings about how social behavior is neurologically managed. Humans and octopuses have almost identical genomic codes for the transporter that binds serotonin, which is often associated with mood and depressive disorders. Because octopuses are separated by “500 million years of evolution from humans,” Dr. Dölen believes it represents an intriguing case study the relationship between serotonin and MDMA.

Judit Pungor, a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon, told NPR: “They have this huge complex brain that they’ve built, that has absolutely no business acting like ours does — but here they show that it does. The fact that they induced this very sort of gentle, cuddly behavior is really pretty fascinating.”

Scientists gave the octopuses MDMA by inserting them into sweater with doses of the drug. When the dosage was higher, the octopuses became super vigilant, changing colors frequently and angling themselves into the corner. But when the dosage was low, an amount more similar to the amount a human might take, the octopuses became more social, interacting with one another in a way they normally only do when matting. Scientists observed the effects the low dose of MDMA had on them was comparable to how humans might act on the drug.

The study could eventually lead scientists to discover treatment methods using MDMA to help those with PTSD or other depressive disorders.

“We need to be taking full advantage of these compounds to see what they’re doing to the brain,” Dr. Dölen told the New York Times.

Seattle Throws Out More Than 500 Marijuana Convictions

Mary Schumacher
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Seattle Throws Out More Than 500 Marijuana Convictions

The Drug War, as it relates to cannabis, is slowly coming to a halt, one step at a time. In an indicative move, a Seattle judged recently moved to vacate misdemeanor pot violations ranging from 1996 to 2010. The motion was filed by city attorney Pete Holmes, who decided to stop prosecuting minor cannabis offenses when he took office in 2010.

Holmes’ main concern was to clear the records of those most disproportionately affected by cannabis drug laws, such as black and brown persons, who are statistically more likely to be arrested for simple possession than white people, who consume relatively the same amount of weed (and other drugs).

All seven court judges agreed on the order, signing it and setting it forth to be executed. “Insomuch as the conduct for which the defendant was convicted is no longer criminal, setting aside the conviction and dismissing the case serves the interests of justice,” wrote the judges.

The ruling will affect well over 500 people who will be mailed notices and who will then have 33 days to either object or seek a personalized finding. After the 33 day grace period, everyone who has not objected or asked for an individualized findings will have their convictions vacated. In other words, those who receive notices need do nothing.

Holmes said in a statement that Seattle should, “take a moment to recognize the significance” of the ruling. “We’ve come a long way, and I hope this action inspires other jurisdictions to follow suit.” Cannabis activists in legal states and in states that are trying to make their way to the finish line would love to see further similar actions implemented in as many places as possible.

Having a drug conviction, be it a misdemeanor or not, can affect one’s life in many negative aspects, from the inability to obtain student grants and loans to the job application hurdle where it asks if you’ve ever been committed of a crime. The people whose cases are vacated will have fewer restrictions on their lives and can feel vindicated for simply utilizing a plant.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan added this, “For too many who call Seattle home, a misdemeanor marijuana conviction or charge has created barriers to opportunity—good jobs, housing, loans and education. While we cannot reverse the harm that was done, we will continue to give Seattle residents…a clean slate.”

Contestants From ‘The Bachelor: Vietnam’ Dump Bachelor For Each Other

Maria Loreto
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Contestants From ‘The Bachelor: Vietnam’ Dump Bachelor For Each Other

Unscripted reality TV shows are known for their scheming producers who manipulate all sorts of variables until they concoct the most entertaining show they can manage. But no one could have predicted a twist like the one from “The Bachelor: Vietnam”, which went viral and sparked a conversation among the LGBTQ community the minute it was uploaded online during the past week.

In the clip, contestant Mihn Thu declares her love for Truc Nhu, another fellow contestant. In an awkward and earnest declaration, Mihn Thu cries and begs for Truc Nhu to come home with her, while the titular bachelor of the show and the other female contestants watch on with their mouths gaping. Both women walked off-screen together, a view that had never been explored in all of the different “Bachelor” programs throughout the world.

“I almost had a heart attack behind the monitor. I’ve watched the show for years, and I didn’t even know you could give back a rose once you’d accepted it!” producer Anh-Thu Nguyen told Vulture, claiming that the moment was completely genuine and that not even the other participants saw it coming.

For devoted fans of “The Bachelor,” this means that maybe the show isn’t as dumb as we all thought it was. “It’s such a brave, courageous thing, that these two women made this powerful gesture,” continues Nguyen, highlighting how important visibility is for LGBTQ people in Vietnam. “To see a moment that’s unequivocal, where someone is saying that they love someone else … I think it’s going to be very powerful for young people.”

People Are Still Getting Popped For Pot Despite Rapid Legalization

Mary Schumacher
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People Are Still Getting Popped For Pot Despite Rapid Legalization

While more states are legalizing and medicalizing marijuana, more people are also still getting arrested for the plant. A new report by the FBI finds that someone gets arrested on a cannabis charge approximately every 48 seconds in the U.S..

According to the data, police are back to targeting those in simple possession, rather than focusing on those selling or distributing the yet federally illegal weed. The answer is sad as it is obvious: money.

Cannabis arrests accounted for 40.4 percent of America’s 1,632,921 drug arrests in 2017. That’s a lot of arrests and that’s a lot of money filtering into private prisons, boosting their numbers on the stock market, which have already doubled since Trump took office.

Not to say that all arrests lead to imprisonment, in most possession cases, defendants are held in county jails or are released soon after arrest. However, every arrest made that is in regards to a victimless crime, such as marijuana possession, it is a drain on our tax and law enforcement resources. There are far more important things to be prosecuting than pot.

In the FBI’s National Crime Trends for 2017, even the FBI arrestees are predominately drug related, with the next closest number — nearly half that of drug arrests — being weapons violations. That means that if we’re to stick to the percentages, roughly the same number of pot users were arrested by the FBI in 2017 as weapons violators.

It seems that even as activists and advocates of cannabis rejoice in a new world of fast spreading legalization that the original intent cannot be forgotten: keep people out of jail for a plant. There is still work to be done on that end, clearly, and the states that need it most are the states getting the least amount of attention because they aren’t nearing the legal threshold as of yet.

And, as ever, there are far more pressing issues. As federal policies director for Marijuana Policy Project told Tom Angell at Forbes, “At a time when more than 100 deaths per day are caused by opioid overdoses, it is foolish to focus our limited law enforcement resources on a drug that has caused literally zero.” And has purportedly saved many…

HBO Wants To Turn ‘Game Of Thrones’ Sets Into Tourist Attractions

Maria Loreto
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HBO Wants To Turn ‘Game Of Thrones’ Sets Into Tourist Attractions

HBO appears to be plotting a lifetime of profits from “Game Of Thrones.” Not only is a spin-off in the works, but now several attractions in Northern Ireland where the show was filmed will be available to fans. These locations will provide gorgeous sights that will allow fans to get close to the sets where the show was shot, featuring iconic spots such as Castle Black, Winterfell, and Kings Landing.

Page Six reports that HBO plans on having these parks ready by 2019. Referred to as “Game Of Thrones Legacy,” these attractions will feature visits to different sets and tours through Linen Mill Studios, where guests will see important pieces from the show such as wardrobe, art files, models, and other production materials, while also learning more about the behind the scenes process.

“HBO is thrilled to celebrate the work of the ‘Game of Thrones’ creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to visit Northern Ireland and explore Westeros in person,” said Jeff Peters, HBO’s VP of licensing and retail. “The opportunity to celebrate Northern Ireland’s pivotal role in the life and legacy of the show and share its culture, beauty and warmth is also a huge inspiration behind these Legacy projects.”

HBO has already made several attractions for “Game Of Thrones,” including the Game Of Thrones Live Concert Experience and the Game Of Thrones Touring Exhibition. A spot with attractions and the official locations of the show will surely prove to be very profitable and could even become a long term theme park.

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