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4 Ways To Store Your Wine So It Won’t Cook In The Summer Heat

Zach Geballe
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4 Ways To Store Your Wine So It Won’t Cook In The Summer Heat

In my younger and wilder days, I kept my burgeoning wine collection in my bedroom closet. At the time, it was the only real option I had: my five or six cases weren’t enough to merit a more permanent solution, but I’d learned that leaving wine out in my shared living room risked not just spoilage but also pillage. What I learned is that while a climate-controlled storage facility might be ideal, you can store wine in just about any situation with a little diligence and ingenuity.

Wine Fridge Or Rack

Temperature is the single biggest threat to your wine, and it can be the hardest to control in a small apartment or shared space. A dedicated wine fridge might be a luxury that you either can’t afford or don’t have space for, but it’s the single best solution if you can make it work. Failing that, I recommend a place in your apartment that’s as cool as you can manage, and also that gets some airflow.

In that circumstance, a wine rack can be a better option than wine boxes, which tend to trap hot air. Because hot air rises, the lower to the ground you can stash your wine, the better.

Dark Location

Direct sunlight is also dangerous, not just because it’ll heat the wine, but because it’ll damage it. Thus, a dark location is also critical, especially if you don’t have thick shades or curtains on your windows. If you can’t manage that, at least try to keep the wine bottles themselves covered with an opaque (but lightweight) material.

I’d also strongly encourage you to not store your wine in the kitchen. Appliances put off more heat than you’d expect, and while you might not expect it, kitchen cabinets can get real hot in the summer time.

Consistent Temperature

Another thing to consider is how extreme the temperature swings will be. While raw heat is bad for wine, so too are extreme temperature swings in either direction, so don’t just throw all your bottles in the freezer. A constant temperature is clearly best, but as long as the wine isn’t changing more the 10 or so degrees in an hour, there’s some wiggle room.

Invest In Proper Storage

Lastly, it’s worth asking yourself if now might not be the time to invest in a more serious solution. If your wine collection means enough to you that you don’t want to risk it, then spending a bit of money up front on a fridge, or on renting storage space, might be a worthwhile investment. That’s what I ended up doing, and not only did it keep my wine safe from the elements, it also came with a lock, just in case of thirsty roommates.

How Tech Companies Are Losing Executives To Cannabis

Mary Schumacher
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How Tech Companies Are Losing Executives To Cannabis

Tech wizzes and executives from companies like Amazon and Groupon are leaving their prominent careers — that many have worked hard for all their lives — to join the Green Rush. And they’re making good moves; getting into the cannabis marketplace early on is the best way to invest time, energy and money.

It is estimated that the cannabis industry will be pulling in $75 billion in sales by 2030, which is enormous growth from the current $10 billion dollar market and will be in a relatively short amount of time. Projections are likely to increase when cannabis is legalized federally, and with our neighbors to the north having legalized adult use and with a deflated and failed drug war on our hands, that may not be too far off.

The cannabis startups that are attracting players from the likes of Microsoft, Lyft and Apple are the ones that have set themselves up to be major players in the unfolding landscape. Though cannabis may be entering a more corporate than hippie driven era, it’s still the Wild West in a lot of ways, and smart entrepreneurs are shooting from the hip.

Take Natasha Pecor for example. She spent much of her working life in high profile positions at Yelp and then Amazon; now she is the Vice President of the San Francisco startup Eaze and has been for two years. Eaze is a delivery service company for the cannabis sector and is the umbrella company of several different pot products. They also are always looking for ways to give back to the communities that they serve.

Cannabis businesses have a reputation for philanthropy that extends to veterans, low income individuals and the very ill. It’s likely for that reason alone why many smart executives and techies are coming over to the business of cannabis. It could also be that this fresh, newly legitimized industry is appealing on a broad spectrum, from still being a little edgy and cool to cannabis being a medical miracle that’s spanned ages and is coming to fruition once again in the U.S. and across the planet.

Whatever it is, we have built it and they have come. The cannabis world has opened up from insiders, activists, lobbyists and politicians to the world at large: designers, coders, warehouse managers, CEOs and the talented minds of Silicon Valley.

No Workers’ Comp For Widow Because Late Husband Had Weed In His System

Sara Somerset
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No Workers’ Comp For Widow Because Late Husband Had Weed In His System

A Colorado family is currently being denied half of their late patriarch’s workers’ compensation benefits because legal marijuana was found in his system after he died.

Adam Lee worked as an electrician at the Loveland Ski Area ski and snowboarding resort. Unfortunately, in December of 2017, in the course of his duties, Lee was fatally crushed under a ski escalator conveyor belt, called, The Magic Carpet, while trying to fix an apparent malfunction. After Lee was stuck, which subsequently caused the Magic Carpet  to stop, it was restarted and repeatedly run — seven times in all — with Lee still trapped underneath.

Under 2016 Colorado Revised Statutes’ title eight — Labor and Industry: Workers’ Compensation and Related Provisions, Limitation on payments – use of controlled substances, outlines that workers compensation may be reduced if the use of a controlled substance contributed to the cause of the accident.

Specifically, “Non-medical benefits otherwise payable to an injured worker are reduced fifty percent where the injury results from the presence in the worker’s system, during working hours, of controlled substances, that are not medically prescribed.”

The coroner’s toxicology report stated that Lee had 41 nanograms per milliliter of tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) in his system; however, it does not specify if the marijuana he consumed was medical or recreational, or if he was high or inebriated while at work, before the tragic accident.

THC usually stays in a user’s system for an average of 30 days (depending on a user’s unique metabolism, and other factors, such as diet and exercise.).

It is reasonable to speculate whether the magic carpet’s original mechanical failure, and it’s repetitive operation while Mr. Lee was tragically trapped underneath it, caused his untimely demise, rather than the THC in his system.

It is unknown at this time if his widow and the mother of his three children, Mrs. Erika Lee, plans to sue the manufacturer of the Magic Carpet or Loveland Ski Area, which operates it.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lee is devastated. Compounding her grief and loss, her late husband’s workers’ compensation agency, Pinnacol decided to reduce the benefits she is entitled to by half — a loss of income of approximately $800 per month — per title eight.

Mrs. Lee is appealing their decision. An upcoming hearing before an administrative law judge is scheduled.

“I’m scared, and I have no idea how we are going to make it,” Mrs. Lee said during an exclusive interview with Denver’s KMGH-TV. “We don’t know if we will get any money at all, so I’m just looking at right now just how to survive. I am very frustrated with the system.”

Half Of Women Prefer To Spend Time With Their Dog Than Other People

Amy Hansen
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Half Of Women Prefer To Spend Time With Their Dog Than Other People

It’s hard to define the love we have for our pets. But Purina did their best to put a percentage behind those feelings, specifically pertaining to dogs, with their 2018 Pets and People Survey.

Nearly all of the more than 1,000 dog owners surveyed (95 percent) said they considered their dog as a member of the family.

Other key findings: 62 percent said their dog helps them de-stress after a long day at work, and 55 percent believe their dog provides emotional comfort after receiving bad news.

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The survey also found dogs have been the wingman for 15 percent of men who want to pick up chicks, while half of women surveyed said they preferred time with their dog over time with their partner…or any other family member, for that matter.

Among Millennials age 18 to 34 years old, more than half (56 percent) said they have purchased birthday cakes for their dogs, and 77 percent said they feed their dogs before they feed themselves.

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Who’s a good boy?

This Roomba Knockoff Can Be Hacked Into A Home Security Device

Maria Loreto
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This Roomba Knockoff Can Be Hacked Into A Home Security Device

There’s this paranoia that surrounds in-home smart appliances, but most of the time these fears have no basis in reality. While those who hate technology may say, “I told you so” every time an Alexa laughs without a prompt, most people don’t care about these things, placing more value in the positive things that the device provides. But sometimes these fears have some sort of basis, leading to devices that could seriously violate your privacy.

It was reported that Diqee Camera Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, a Chinese Roomba knock-off, has some serious vulnerabilities that could give hackers the opportunity to turn your vacuum cleaner into an in-home surveillance device. Since the vacuum cleaner comes equipped with wi-fi and an HD 360 camera, the fears of being monitored are very plausible.

According to TechCruch, this vulnerability can give a hacker access to your devices’ camera by having your vacuum cleaner’s MAC address.

“Like any other IoT device, these robot vacuum cleaners could be marshalled into a botnet for DDoS attacks, but that’s not even the worst-case scenario, at least for owners. Since the vacuum has Wi-Fi, a webcam with night vision, and smartphone-controlled navigation, an attacker could secretly spy on the owner and even use the vacuum as a ‘microphone on wheels’ for maximum surveillance potential.” Leigh Anne Galloway, cybersecurity lead at Positive Technologies, tells TechCrunch.

So, you know, be careful with what you purchase. It’s okay to trust technology and to be optimistic for the future, but it’s also important to buy devices from companies you trust, which hopefully have a good track record. And even then, you can never be too sure.

What I Eat: Chris Ballew

Jacob Uitti
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What I Eat: Chris Ballew

For the man who made the phrase “millions of peaches” internationally known, he certainly came around to the idea of eating homegrown and healthy later in life.

Chris Ballew, the singer/songwriter for the band The Presidents of the United States of America, who also fronts his Seattle-based kids rock band, Caspar Babypants, says when he thinks of how he used to eat before gigs on tour in the 90’s, he cringes.

“I ate terribly,” he sighs. “I drank beer a lot, ate white starchy foods – tons of pizza.”

As a result of the unbalanced diet, Ballew says he had physical breakdowns and terrible eczema and that he slept poorly and got sick regularly. “I didn’t put two and two together,” he says, “and no Western doctor did for me either.”

caspar babypants
Photo by Brian Kasnyik

Ballew, who frequents an Emerald City naturopath, has mostly cut out wheat, dairy, eggs and sugar.

“But I still rock a CHEESEBURGER every once in a while! Or a sweaty 7-11 microwave burrito late at night,” he admits when asked about his preferred vice.

The Presidents don’t tour nearly as much as they used to – though they’re known to headline the occasional arena – so Ballew spends much of his time writing, recording and performing his Caspar Babypants songs. And because his audience is filled with families and children, he often plays gigs early in the day. But what does he eat before them?

“My breakfasts are a big deal,” he says. “I love a bowl of cereal with fruit – it’s a good fiber hit, a good energy hit. I’m not too big into the eggy, cheesy complicated breakfasts.”

And it’s clear Ballew has done his research as to why.

“The delivery system for vaccines,” he explains, “includes egg whites. So almost everybody who’s received vaccines is in some degree intolerant to eggs.”

And after the gig?

“I love a ginormous lunch,” he says. “Sometimes I go to the local PCC Co-cop and get an entire chicken and just dive in. I’m all about meat and vegetables and quinoa.”

It doesn’t take Ballew long (or much arm twisting) to admit that if he were to pick one food item that people would change in their diets, it would be America’s over dependence on sugar.

“I think sugar should be criminalized,” he says. “And taxed heavily. Just like tobacco. I think the sugar issue is just about to break like tobacco did in the 70’s – sugar is just killing us, it’s killing us. If I were a more radical person I would firebomb cupcake places.”

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Giant Florida Medical Marijuana Facility Suddenly Shut Down

Amy Hansen
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Giant Florida Medical Marijuana Facility Suddenly Shut Down

Missing a food safety inspection deadline is the reason Surterra, one of Florida’s largest medical marijuana treatment centers, has been forced to stop producing new items.

The plant, which operates eight locations across in the state, failed to comply with the requirement, which requires that medical marijuana treatment centers complete  third-party inspections in the first year to ensure “good manufacturing practices,” according to the Miami Herald, which reported on the potential missed deadline last week, when it stated that “about half of the 13 Florida businesses allowed to grow, process and sell medical marijuana could be suspended from processing cannabis because of a little-noticed deadline in state law requiring food safety inspections — even though edible forms cannot be sold in the state.”

In letters sent July 6, the Department of Health said it would be enforcing the provision that requires businesses to complete certification within the first year of getting licensed. If they don’t comply, they must immediately halt production. In a statement, company spokeswoman Kim Hawkes said:

Surterra will comply with all of the regulations set forth by the Department of Health in order to ensure that Floridians continue to receive the safest, most naturally derived treatments to enable health and well-being, as recommended by a doctor. We are going above and beyond simply ensuring good manufacturing practices and are pursuing American’s For Safe Access’ [ASA] Patient Focused Certification Program, which is a standard that is superior to what is currently required by Florida statute.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the inspection requirement went unnoticed or ignored by some businesses because they misconstrued it as part of the statute’s guidelines on edible medical marijuana. The Department of Health has still not cemented rules pertaining to edible forms.

Medical Marijuana Protects Against Strokes, Study Finds

Terry Hacienda
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Medical Marijuana Protects Against Strokes, Study Finds

Strokes kill 140,000 Americans each year and nearly 800,000 suffer from an attack. But a promising study suggests that cannabis may lower a person’s risk of having a stroke.

The research, conducted at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas and published in the journal, “Neuropsychopharmacology,” found marijuana improves oxygen and blood flow to the brain, reducing the risk of clots that cause a brain attack.

Dr. Francesca Filbey, the lead researcher and her team have discovered that the “primary psychoactive ingredient present in cannabis —tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — relaxes arterial walls resulting in lower blood pressure and increased blood flow to tissues.”

The research team also claim that frequent cannabis consumers have the lowest risk for stroke because of their extremely efficient brain blood flow.

While the reason for the brain changes related to chronic marijuana use is unclear, Filbey said that these changes may reflect underlying differences in brain tissue metabolic rate.

“Past marijuana research has shown changes in cognitive functions such as memory and executive functioning. Our study seeks to understand the possible neurophysiological mechanisms that may drive these cognitive changes,” said Filbey, who is also Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth and head of the cognitive neuroscience program in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

The study consisted of 74 cannabis users and 101 nonusers matched for age and IQ. All users reported at least 5,000 usages over their lifetime and daily use for 60 days leading up to the study. Participants were required to refrain from cannabis for 72 hours before the study to eliminate acute effects of the drug. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging, and THC metabolite levels were measured using urinalysis.

Filbey and her team found that cannabis users showed “higher global oxygen extraction fraction and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen” compared to nonusers. Also, blood flow in the putamen — an area of the brain associated with reward learning and habit formation — was found to be greater in users than nonusers.

Increased blood flow in the putamen may either reflect the capacity of THC to dilate blood vessels or the development of additional circulatory pathways.

“Currently, cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug. As it becomes more widely legalized, understanding neurophysiological alterations and its effects on the brain’s health and performance are becoming increasingly relevant,” Filbey said.

10 Types Of Marijuana That Will Help Suppress Your Appetite

Maria Loreto
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10 Types Of Marijuana That Will Help Suppress Your Appetite

Know that there are multiple ways to consume marijuana, you can eat or drink it, rub it into your skin, vape, smoke and much more.

Marijuana provides stress relief, helps out in social situations and makes your creativity bloom, it’s the world’s most versatile plant, offering a kick to almost all activities. One of its major drawbacks (sometimes) is the increase of appetite, commonly known as the munchies, which can also be great, but not to your waistline. Lucky for you, we found 10 types of marijuana and are munchie free and will suppress your appetite.

Know that there are multiple ways to consume marijuana, you can eat or drink it, rub it into your skin, vape, smoke and much more. Ask the budtenders at your local dispensary which products have the strains listed and then pick how you want to put it into your body.

Here are 10 types of marijuana you can consume for when you want to rein in that hungry monster that lives inside all of us:

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Durban Poison

This pure sativa comes with energizing and uplifting effects, offering the best results for when you need to stay productive and have to seize the day. It’s also earthy and sweet, with a pine smell that’s crazy good.

XJ-13

This hybrid strain offers euphoric buzz that’s perfect for stimulating great conversations and your creativity. It’s also great for newbies who don’t want to deal with paranoia, producing a super relaxing high.

Blue Dream

This hybrid is among the most famous strains in California and for good reasons, inducing cerebral stimulation and full body relaxation. Its great for people who are suffering with depression, pain or other ailments that require high THC content.

Doug’s Varin

Providing a high that’s short and sweet, this sativa strain contains a lot of THCV, which gives you a burst of energy while suppresses your appetite. Doug’s Varin is great to consume before a short activity that requires focus, providing that extra kick and supply of energy.

Jack The Ripper

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This type of marijuana provides an intense and longlasting stimulating effect that can be super fun and energizing.

Power Plant

With a sharp, peppery taste and a pungent smell, Power Plant will give you a clear headed although intense buzz, making you happy and igniting your creativity.

Medihaze

This plant comes with serious uplifting effects and some really delicious smells, combining the scents of pine, mint and spices. It’s also great for relieving pain, anxiety and inflammation.  

Harle-Tsu

This new strain will give you pain and inflammation relief without any psychoactivity, providing no paranoia or anxiety.

Cannatonic

This type of marijuana produces a brief high that’s super relaxing and uplifiting. It’s also great for treating migraines, anxiety and any type of physical or muscular pain.

Red Congolese

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Very popular in California, this type of sativa will give you a weightless euphoria while at the same time helping you focus and giving you mental clarity. It’s also great for treating nausea and tension.

Katy Perry Called Pope This And More

Naughty Gossip
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Katy Perry Called Pope This And More

Pope Francis has apparently left quite an impression on pop star Katy Perry.

The American singer-songwriter, who met the pope in April, told Vogue Australia that she’s a “big fan” of Francis.

“It’s a combination of compassion, humility, sternness and refusal,” Perry said in a wide-ranging interview published Wednesday. “He is rebel ― a rebel for Jesus.”

Perry said she appreciated the pope’s love of animals, and that he took the name of her favorite saint, Francis of Assisi. She also said she admires that he sticks to his vow of poverty, even at the Vatican.

Kate And William’s Secret Vacation

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are believed to be enjoying their first holiday as a family of five in Mustique. While no photographic proof has surfaced, Twitter is rife with comments that the royals have headed to the Caribbean. According to royal blogger Tea Time with the Cambridges, the family were spotted arriving at St Lucia airport, where they then boarded a private plane to their next destination – the small island of Mustique. Kate’s family, the Middletons, were also spotted. Kensington Palace has declined to comment.

Mustique, which is a favourite with royalty and celebrities alike, is extremely exclusive. It has around 100 luxury villas and operates a no-fly zone over the area, which would be perfect for the Cambridges and their young children. The royals would be able to soak up the sun and enjoy some relaxed, carefree downtime away from the public eye.

It’s not clear which of the Middletons have joined the party, but Kate’s parents Carole and Michael are likely to be in Mustique too, as is Kate’s younger sister Pippa, who may be enjoying a babymoon with her husband James Matthews ahead of the arrival of their first child. The group also have extra reason to celebrate – not only would the Cambridges be marking their first holiday as a family of five, but William and Kate’s son Prince George is turning five on Sunday.

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