Meghan Markle’s first solo project as a Duchess features things that she’s worked with in the past: cooking and helping out fellow women. The Duchess of Sussex will help put together a cookbook that features recipes from women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, a devastating tragedy that took the lives of 71 residents.
The book called Together: Our Community Cookbook celebrates the healing power of cooking, and it’ll be released on September 25th. It features a foreword penned by Markle and over 50 recipes from survivors of the fire. Kensington Palace explains that the proceeds of the book will be donated to the Hubb Community Center, who in turn will continue to feed and serve the families affected by the fire.
The Hubb Community Kitchen is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together. Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy – in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture, and commune through food, through crisis or joy – something we can all relate to.”
Markle first started visiting the Hubb Community Kitchen when she first moved to London on January 2018. According to Kensington Palace, she still makes regular visits and is very interested and inspired by the women’s work.
While in every possible way Fortnite appears to be that brand of video games that brings friends and family closer together, delighting in some shared gaming fun, that might not be the case. You might expect some damaged controllers or TVs from a last-second loss in the game, but one study indicates the game is breaking up marriages.
According to a Divorce Online press release, at least 200 ex-spouses in the U.K. have cited Fortnite as a primary reason for their divorce. To put that into perspective, Divorce Online has received 4,665 divorce petitions in 2018. If 200 ex-spouses referenced Fortnite as a cause, that means the game could be at least partially blamed for 5% of the total divorces in the U.K. this year.
That’s pretty substantial! The game has skyrocketed into an obsession for many, but a Divorce Online spokesperson said “addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling have often been cited as reasons for relationship breakdowns but the dawn of the digital revolution has introduced new addictions.
“These now include online pornography, online gaming and social media, so it is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions.”
This summer we saw professional gamer FaZe Censor break up with his girlfriend of three years Yanet Garcia, a.k.a. the “World’s Sexiest Weathergirl,” in order to re-dedicate himself to Call of Duty. So maybe you can’t have both gaming and love in your life? Or perhaps people need to learn how to better balance their digital lives with their corporeal ones, but that’s a discussion for another day when we don’t have Fornite to play.
Apple’s eagerly anticpated OS update has finally arrived. iOS 12 is ready for download (unless you don’t have an iPhone 5C or a later version) and it’s been received very positively among fans and critics. While the software’s latest features aren’t all that catchy, the company delivered what they promised: a software that runs smoothly and that got rid of the peskiest bugs.
The flashiest and most advertised feature of the bunch are the new Memojis, which can be used on an iPhone X or on Apple’s three new devices. Memojis allow you to create an emoji with face mapping technology, resulting in an Avatar that looks a lot like you.
Spot repeated passwords
Password management is a great feature to have and iOS 12 expands on that idea by suggesting new passwords when you create a new account, and spotting passwords that you’ve used too many times. In order to check these out, head over to Passwords & Account and access Website & App Passwords.
Control your smartphone use
Screen Time shows you how much time you spend on different apps and can help you set limits on those that are the most addicting to you.
The app, called Measure, allows users to measure objects with the technology in your iPhone camera. It’s pretty easy and intuitive, and it incorporates complex technology in every day activities.
Use the Do Not Disturb feature
The Do Not Disturb feature allows you to sleep or drive without any distractions. This feature has different levels of intensity and it can dim your screen and prevent notifications from popping up.
Combat aggressive cookies and protect your privacy
Aggressive browser cookies can be managed and controlled with your iOS 12. Safari now disables device fingerprinting and the tracking code built into the share buttons located all over the internet.
iPad gestures
Gestures that were exclusively limited to the iPhone X are now included on the iPad, allowing you to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go back to the home screen or swipe down to bring out the Control Center.
FaceTime calls can now compete with Skype and Microsoft Teams, capable of conducting video calls between 32 different people. This feature is supposed to be accessed by the end of this year’s Fall season.
No one knows why coffee is such a hotly debated topic. Maybe it’s because it has such a prominent place in people’s lives and someone always likes to ruin the party, or maybe it’s due to it’s very dark color. But studies keep claiming that coffee, in moderation, might help you live longer and have better health.
A study that surveyed residents of the UK analyzed how coffee habits affect people’s overall health. These people were grouped and asked about their habits, including how many cups of coffee they consumed on a daily basis, and other factors such as smoking and more. Popular Science reports: “Across 502,641 participants ranging from 38 to 73 years old, both male and female, show that the more coffee a person drank the less likely they were to die.”
That’s pretty damning evidence. Coffee is good for you, case closed. Kidding, not just yet.
Since the study is completely observational, researchers can’t imply causation, and can only speculate with the numbers and results they were given. The study grouped participants according to six ways of consuming coffee: those who drank less than one cup a day, those who drank one cup a day, two or three a day, four to five, and so on. The last category was for those who consumed more than eight cups of coffee a day. The study found that the more people drank coffee, the less they were likely to die.
While the results are positive for coffee lovers, Popular Science points out that there may be other influencing factors. For example, users that have diseases like cancer might not drink coffee and are at higher risks of dying.
While studies like this one have been conducted in the past, this is the first one to account for genetic variations in caffeine metabolism, meaning that the research accounted for people’s different reactions to caffeine. An example of this is someone who drinks coffee at night and still sleeps soundly. The research logically found that those who have a higher tolerance for coffee were found to consume more coffee on average.
It seems that a healthy amount of coffee, even decaffeinated, gives us a discernible health boost despite the fact that no one knows why. Scientists argue that it could be the compounds in the drink (lignans, quinides, and magnesium) that give us a health benefit or the drink’s antioxidant properties. Someday we’ll know. Maybe.
The heir to the Anheuser-Busch brewing company has joined the cannabis industry after his aspirations of getting into the business his family established was pulled out from under him.
Adolphus Busch V, whose great-great-grandfather founded the company responsible for the creation of the Budweiser beer brand, recently launched a marijuana firm called the ABV Cannabis Company. The Colorado-based business will market a new line of disposable vaporizers throughout its home state and later expand to other legal jurisdictions.
Prior to graduating from Colorado State University, the 27-year-old hoped he could go to work for Anheuser-Busch InBev, which purchased his family’s company for $52 billion back in 2008. But that plan did not work out. It seems the company considers it a conflict of interest for any member of the Busch family to be employed with its latest inception of the brewery. Management wouldn’t even consider him for an “entry level position,” Busch told The Street. “Honestly it was kind of a punch in the gut,” he said.
So, Busch was forced to choose a different career path.
It was during his college years that he witnessed, first hand, the emerging cannabis scene unfolding in Colorado. After being turned down by AB InBev, he decided to cut his teeth on the pot market by taking a few sales jobs with established players like BioTrack and Keef Cola. His experience in the industry eventually got him thinking about using his “pioneering family heritage” to “create a new legacy” in the cannabis space. The ABV Cannabis Company was born.
In addition to disposable vape pens, Busch, who is the sole owner in the company, said he hopes to eventually distribute various strains of marijuana and other pot products.
Interestingly, cannabis appears to be a subject of great interest to the Busch family. Last year Busch’s father, Adolphus Busch IV, was responsible for helping track down major supporters for an initiative brought forth by cannabis advocacy group New Approach Missouri. The organization is pushing to legalize medical marijuana throughout the Show-Me State. It is one of three medical marijuana proposals that earned a spot on the ballot in the upcoming November election.
Still, Busch V says his family wasn’t very keen on him getting into the marijuana business at first. But they have since changed their tune.
Although it may seem logical for Busch to eventually market a cannabis-infused beer as part of his reefer repertoire, he says that is not in the works. Nearly all of the major brewers, with the exception of Anheuser-Busch, have announced partnerships to produce beverages of this kind. But for Busch, his goal is to simply capitalize on a new market that he believes has the potential to rival the alcohol industry. Who knows, perhaps one day the Busch name could be more closely linked with bud than Budweiser.
While market experts might anticipate Big Tobacco to enter the cannabis industry soon, the competition could be fiercer than expected. That’s because soft drink titan Coca-Cola is in “serious talks” with Aurora Cannabis Inc. to produce cannabis-infused drinks, according to a recent report from BNN Bloomberg.
However, Coca-Cola wouldn’t be interested in following the trend set forth by alcohol companies making similar plays into the cannabis-infused drink market. Lagunitas debuted the Hi-Fi Hops earlier this year, a THC-infused and non-alcoholic beverage, while Blue Moon creator Keith Villa announced plans to debut an entire line of similar drinks. Don’t forget Moors Colson, has very publicly flirted with entering that market as well.
All those drinks mentioned produce a “buzz,” like you might get from consuming cannabis otherwise. Instead Coca-Cola is developing drinks infused with cannabidiol (CBD) that will soothe inflammation, pain, and cramping.
“It’s going to be more of the ‘recovery drink’ category,” one source told Bloomberg.
While Bloomberg’s sources indicated the companies are “pretty advanced down the path” of striking a deal, neither Coca-Cola or Aurora representatives were keen to speak on the record on the matter. Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers wouldn’t comment on Aurora directly, but did tip that the company does have interest in that area.
“Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world,” Landers told BNN Bloomberg. “The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time.”
Last month, the Globe and Mail reported that Coca-Cola had been circling the cannabis industry, trying to find a way in. At the time, it wasn’t clear which company Coke might partner with or what product they might be developing.
Meanwhile, Aurora spokeswoman Heather MacGregor also declined to comment on Coca-Cola specifically, though did mention that Aurora is interested in the infused-beverage marketplace.
“As a rule, we do not discuss business development initiatives until they are finalized, however we have a responsibility to our shareholders to give proper consideration to all relevant opportunities that are presented,” MacGregor said.
On Sunday, she wrote, “Haters gonna hate. #LoveWins.”
Bieber and Baldwin were legally married at a courthouse in New York City, PEOPLE confirmed.
“They went ahead and did it without listening to anyone,” a source told PEOPLE. While there has been confusion over the marriage, People still confirms the couple married, yet don’t consider it official until they have a ceremony! (AKA They’re married!!!)
Ben Affleck’s new gf isn’t ‘willing to give him the space he needs to stay in rehab’
“He has been told to hold off on a relationship… but isn’t heeding that advice. His closest friends hoped he was just dating her and would break it off after going to rehab, but he seems to get closer to her every day,” the source shares. “The more time Ben seems to spend with Shauna, the more he seems to want to go home.”
“Shauna has been a strong support for him by attending his family sessions and listening to the advice, but she doesn’t seem willing to give him the space he needs to stay in rehab,” ET’s source says…
“Jen wants nothing more than for Ben to dedicate himself to his sobriety,” ET’s source explains. “She knows she can only do so much and that the process is up to him.”
“Ben has only committed himself to the 28 days and Jen wants him to commit to much longer. Everyone wants this to be the very last time he has to be rushed to rehab.” HELP
In the past, the easiest way to infuse butter or oil, was by heating it up, dumping your herbs in it, waiting a while, then straining the buds and shake out of the infusion. Most of us who have done it, aren’t fans of the messy, lengthy process of cleaning the oil or butter (quickly before it congeals into grease) or dealing with the cheesecloth strainer.
Why do things the old-fashioned way, when in our technology plus app-obsessed world, there is a machine that can do almost anything for you? Why spend hours canning preserves by hand when you can just press a button, add oil, and presto! Marijuana butter.
That’s why you should know about the Levo II, a little gadget that looks discreetly like a Keurig coffee maker, butwill infuse your olive, sunflower, or any other type of oil or butter with bud, and other herbs. It also has a host of other cannabis-friendly functions in mind.
You can hibernate all winter making pot butter for brownies or weed-infused almond oil. The new and improved three-in-one Levo, available from VapeWorld in October, will arrive just in time to make Halloween party-edibles. DIY beauty product aficionados will love infusing oils and butters for creating lip balms, salves and scrubs.
Naturally it infuses; however, it can also dehydrate fresh non-cannabis herbs like basil and rosemary as well as “activate,” i.e., decarboxylate cannabis.
The dry mode quickly dehydrates fresh herbs so users can infuse more effectively, or store an excess of basil, thyme, lavender or any other herb for a later date. Selecting the activate cycle, also known as “decarboxylation,” is specific for cannabis flower creations; it prepares flower for infusing into edibles, topicals and more.
There are some sleek design updates as well. The reservoir is ceramic coated and slanted for easy dispensing. It has a screw-on dispensing nozzle and a more durable silicone stirrer with larger paddles for increased efficiency.
Photos courtesy of LEVO
Saving the best for last, the new LEVO wirelessly connects via the free app which is available in the Apple and Google App stores.
The app is helpful to control and set cycles remotely, monitor progress, and receive an alert once the infusion or other operations are completed. The app also saves your favorite settings and makes them easily accessible. There is an herb and oil calculator, for precise measurements and you can contribute to and find recipes within the Levo community.
“We find that some consumers wanted resources to reference before they create infusions, while others were ready to share their creations with the world,” says Chrissy Bellman, LEVO founder and CEO. “This concept of sharing is one reason why LEVO II features a new app allowing users to not only control the device remotely, but also discover & share recipes. In the app, users simply select their ingredients for recommended time & temperatures to infuse.”
The newest dishwasher-safe iteration is available in five colors: Jet Black, Alpine White, and eye-catching Meyer Yellow, Robin Aqua and Cayenne Red. The Levo II is a welcome addition to any kitchen and fits nicely on any counter top alongside the food processor and juicer.
Home appliances tend to have a limited range of usefulness. Coffee makers make coffee, and dishwashers clean dishes. Some people don’t care about rules and have discovered different uses for your home appliances, giving the devices the chance to multitask and giving you the opportunity to avoid owning so much crap.
While some of these inventions are honestly a little gross, others seem like they’re very helpful, allowing you to do different stuff without having to spend hundreds of dollars on different household devices. Check out five weird ways of using your home appliances:
I know, gross, but it makes sense. Coffee makers make coffee through the process of heating water and dispensing it into a pot. There’s also a burner at the bottom of the pot that heats up, giving your coffee maker tons of versatility, especially if you’re a college student who’s deprived of basic cooking tools. Or someone who’s really creative.
On the basket that’s meant to hold coffee you can steam broccoli or other veggies that don’t require much cooking time. The water in the pot can be used for dozens of things, like making tea or boiling eggs. There have also been instances where people poach fish in the coffee pot. Did I lose you already?
Sponges have a short shelf life because they get filled with bacteria, but a good remedy for that is radiation. So put them in your microwave while it’s still damp and let them sit for a minute or two. Your kitchen might stink afterwards but you discovered something new right? You also saved a dollar that could’ve been spent on a new sponge.
Cooking fish inside a dishwasher
https://giphy.com/gifs/reaction-v0eHX3n28wvoQ
If you’re capable of tolerating the mental image of introducing fresh food into a dishwasher, then let me introduce you to a world where people use their dishwashers as a cooking tool. These people have no excuse; if their home has a dishwasher, then it must have an oven. They’re all insane.
This method is capable of cooking soft foods in warm temperatures over long periods of time. According to some, dishwasher salmon tastes particularly delicious. Just make sure to wash your dishwasher thoroughly and to seal your food in an airtight container or a Ziploc. I feel responsible to inform you that you can also buy a Crockpot.
Waffle Irons are like baby grills, and they have a lot of uses that aren’t limited exclusively to waffles. You can cook burgers, hash browns, and brownies in short periods of time just as long as you don’t go overboard and stuff the iron with portions that are too large.
Shredding meat or chicken with a fork is tedious work. If you have a mixer in your house, toss in some protein that’s already been cooking for a while and watch as it does the job much more perfectly than you ever could.
Working out is easy, but working out regularly is much more challenging. While we might all enjoy an intense workout every once in a while, trying to maintain that level of motivation isn’t realistic for most of us. Life inevitably gets in the way, be that in the form of rainy weather, laziness, or a family dinner.
The Guardian compiled a list of tips and suggestions from experts and readers that can help you be more consistent with your workouts, finding that sweet spot that fits in with your lifestyle. Here are 10 of our favorites.
If you want to workout regularly but have never done so in your life, you can’t jump straight into a marathon. If you’re trying to lose weight and decide to go on a diet and workout every day without rest then odds are you’ll probably get bored within the week. Getting in shape, and maintaining that is a laborious task that will take time, so start off slow, once or twice a week, and increase periodically.
Make it a habit
The Guardian says that you can’t rely on willpower for long term workouts. Instead, you should focus on why you’re working out. “How can I benefit today? How do I feel when I move? How do I feel after I move?”
Keep it short and effective
Well structured workouts are much more effective than spending an hour in the gym looking at your phone. If you don’t know what to do in the gym, there are apps that can help you out and that can adapt to your time constraints.
Add resistance and balance to training
Resistance training and building up muscle is important in the long run, since we start to lose our muscle mass over the age of 30. Add push ups and body weight exercises to your workouts and you’ll see much better results than simply sticking to cardio routines.
You can workout from anywhere, even from a tight space in your living room. Squats, presses and lunges are some of the exercises you can experiment with that tone your body and don’t demand a lot of equipment and space.
Try out different things
If you can’t get motivated to run or to stick with a workout regime, don’t stress over it. It’s never too late to try again and to keep working out until you develop a habit and stick with it. You don’t have to love it, just know that you’ll feel much better after and that you’re doing something that’s good for you.
Have an end goal
It’s important to remind yourself that you’re working towards a goal. and that that can be achieved with everything you do throughout your day. “Try to make physical activity hit as many meaningful targets as you can,” says The Guardian.
Reward yourself
Do something you like if you go to the gym, like eating a yummy snack or ordering coffee from your favorite place. It’s nice to reward yourself when you achieved something, and working out is no different.
Keep your alarm far from your bed
If you’re the type of person who’s very sleepy and have a tight schedule, keep your alarm far away from your bed, forcing you to get up and turn it off.
The four day rule can be applied to any fitness routine and it’s pretty simple. Don’t allow more than four days to pass between workout sessions. If you have a busy couple of days coming up, then make sure to schedule in your workouts beforehand so you can get your workouts in and not feel guilty afterwards.
