If you’re one of those people who plans to be a voyeur on May 19 when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry exchange vows, it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on your British lingo ahead of time. After all, a big part of the ceremony will be based on tradition, and with tradition comes some vocabulary most of us are unfamiliar with. Here are 5 words to know before the royal wedding to better understand some nuances.
Ascot
This is basically just a weird looking time. But to quote Bow-N-Ties, an ascot is a type of neckwear that looks like a cross between silken scarf and necktie.
The ascot originated in England during the late 19th century, and it got its name from the horserace called the ’Royal Ascot’ – an exclusive horserace at which men were required to wear an ascot tie in combination with a tailcoat jacket. Today the ascot tie is much less common, and usually worn during very formal day-time events and formal weddings.
If you really want to know how to tie one, good luck to you.
Those crazy looking embellishments that women wear on their heads? Those are fascinators, attached to the head with clips, bands or pins. Many are over-the-top ridiculous looking, while others are low-key and more respectable. While fascinators are often worn instead of hats, they are more like an accessory than headgear.
Don’t let the word “lounge” throw you off. This type is suit is basically just…a suit. At least by American standards. According to My Tuxedo Catalog, “If the invitation were written in America, it would have called for ‘Dress Uniform, Cutaway, or Suit.”
Myrtle
Just like Kate Middleton, Markle’s wedding bouquet will certainly contain some myrtle, which is a good luck symbol. And which has been included in every royal wedding bouquet since Queen Victoria.
Just like brides don’t have traditional bridesmaids in England, grooms don’t have groomsmen. Yes, Prince William will be Harry’s best man, but that’s about it when it comes to men standing at the alter along with the groom. Who will be there to catch him if he passes out? Page boys! Kidding. Again, just like bridesmaids, page boys are young, topping out around age 9. Prince George, for instance, will likely be a page boy, even though he’s only 4-years old. His sister Charlotte, on the other hand, will likely join Meghan’s crew of bridesmaids to help carry her train and throw flower petals around.
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For more key words you should know before the royal wedding, head to Southern Living.
For some residents in the coastal California town of Carpenteria, cannabis legalization stinks. Literally.
Now that marijuana is fully legal in the Golden State, some locals report a thick, skunk-like odor emanating from the cannabis plants that settles over the valley in the evenings and before dawn.
“We don’t want a marijuana smell,” said Xave Saragosa, a 73-year-old retired sheriff’s deputy who was born and raised in the town and lives near a greenhouse that grows marijuana. “We want fresh air.”
Carpinteria, about 85 miles from Los Angeles, is in the southeast corner of Santa Barbara County, a tourist area famous for its beaches, wine and temperate climate. It’s also becoming known as a haven for cannabis growers.
Carpinteria, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) from Los Angeles, is in the southeast corner of Santa Barbara County, a tourist area famous for its beaches, wine and temperate climate. It’s also becoming known as a haven for cannabis growers.
Toni Stuart, an 80-year-old retired Episcopal priest, said the scent doesn’t creep into the area near the beach where she lives, but she worries about the community changing. “I would not like Carpinteria to be the ‘cannabis capital’ of Southern California. I like it the way it is. It’s a very quiet, unpretentious beach town,” Stuart told The Independent.
Only about 200 acres of the county’s farmland is devoted to marijuana, compared with tens of thousands sown with strawberries and vegetables, Dennis Bozanich, who oversees the county’s marijuana planning, told the AP.
Carpinteria has long been known for being a leader in the cut flower industry. But the U.S. government granted trade preferences to South American countries in the 1990s to encourage their farmers to grow flowers instead of coca, the plant used to make cocaine.
“We have literally no carnation production in the United States any longer because South America grows them so cheaply,” said Kasey Cronquist, chief executive of the California Cut Flower Commission. “Farmers had to move crops, and that is what we have seen happen over time — they’ve gone to crops that are more valuable or more difficult for Ecuador and Colombia to ship.”
It’s not secret that medical cannabis has been proved beneficial to those seeking pain management, alleviating chronic ailments and improving appetite. And for millennia it has been reported that marijuana and sex go together, too.
An interesting study reveals that cannabis use, indeed, can improve sexual function — but it depends on the amount you and your partner partake.
“Cannabis and Sexuality,” a report authored by Richard Balon and published in Current Sexual Health Reports, suggests that low doses of marijuana enhances sexual desire, while higher doses may lead to a bad sex.
Says the report:
Cannabis has bidirectional effect on sexual functioning. Low and acute doses of cannabis may enhance sexual human sexual functioning, e.g., sexual desire and enjoyment/satisfaction in some subjects. On the other hand, chronic use of higher doses of cannabis may lead to negative effect on sexual functioning such as lack of interest, erectile dysfunction, and inhibited orgasm. Studies of cannabis effect on human sexuality in cannabis users and healthy volunteers which would implement a double-blind design and use valid and reliable instruments are urgently needed in view of expanded use of cannabis/marijuana due to its legalization and medicalization.
Of course, this is not new to anyone who has smoked a joint and is not a virgin. Another study, released late last year, concluded:
“For centuries, in addition to its recreational actions, several contradictory claims regarding the effects of cannabis use in sexual functioning and behavior (e.g. aphrodisiac vs anti-aphrodisiac) of both sexes have been accumulated. … Marijuana contains therapeutic compounds known as cannabinoids, which researchers have found beneficial in treating problems related to sex.”
But dosage is important. Too much pot can be unhealthy for male sexuality. “You get that classic stoner couch lock and lose your desire to have sex at all,” according to Dr. Perry Solomon, chief medical officer at HelloMD. Perry suggests that men should consume cannabis that contains 10-14 percent THC.
Although it appears women have a different tolerance when it comes to cannabis and sexual activity, it is recommended to start with low doses before escalating the high.
According to HelloMD:
One reason why this may be so is that cannabis consumption is known to stimulate the production of oxytocin in the body. The production of oxytocin, also known as the bonding hormone, is closely related to the endocannabinoid system. Oxytocin is involved in a variety of human interactions, including sexual intercourse. Oxytocin is often released during orgasm, creating a bond between sexual partners that brings them closer together. The increased oxytocin production experienced while using cannabis during sex leaves me feeling deeply connected to my partner on a physical and spiritual level. Cannabis helps us achieve a level of closeness and unity that is truly unique.
Earlier this month, an Indian man was killed while trying to take a selfie next to a wounded bear. It’s actually the third selfie-related death in India since December: On two separate occasions, elephants ended up taking the lives of people trying to snap images with the mammals.
A news report about the bear attack.
Animals don’t pose the only danger to selfie seekers. Heights have also resulted in fatalities. A Polish tourist in Seville, Spain fell off a bridge and died attempting to take a selfie. And a Cessna pilot lost control of his plane – killing himself and his passengers – while trying to take a selfie in 2014.
In 2015, Russian authorities even launched a campaign warning that “A cool selfie could cost you your life.”
The reason? Police estimated nearly 100 Russians had died or suffered injuries from attempting to take “daredevil” selfies, or photos of themselves in dangerous situations. Examples included a woman wounded by a gunshot (she survived), two men blown up holding grenades (they did not), and people taking pics on top of moving trains.
People who frequently post selfies are often targets for accusations of narcissism and tastelessness.
But what’s really going on here? What is it about the self-portrait that’s so resonant as a form of communication? And why, psychologically, might someone feel so compelled to snap the perfect selfie that they’d risk their life, or the lives of others?
While there are no definitive answers, as a psychologist I find these questions – and this unique 21st-century phenomenon – worth exploring further.
A Brief History Of The Selfie
Robert Cornelius, an early American photographer, has been credited with taking the first selfie: in 1839, Cornelius, using one of the earliest cameras, set up his camera and ran into the shot.
The broader availability of point-and-shoot cameras in the 20th century led to more self-portraits, with many using the (still) popular method of snapping a photograph in front of a mirror.
Selfie technology took a giant leap forward with the invention of the camera phone. Then, of course, there was the introduction of the selfie stick. For a brief moment the stick was celebrated: Time named it one of the 25 best inventions of 2014. But critics quickly dubbed it the Naricisstick and the sticks are now banned in many museums and parks, including Walt Disney Resort.
Despite the criticism directed at selfies, their popularity is only growing.
Conclusive numbers seem lacking, with estimates of daily selfie posts ranging from one million to as high as 93 million on Android devices alone.
Whatever the true number, a Pew survey from 2014 suggests the selfie craze skews young. While 55 percent of millennials reported sharing a selfie on a social site, only 33 percent of the silent generation (those born between 1920 and 1945) even knew what a selfie was.
A British report from 2016 also suggests younger women are more active participants in selfie-taking, spending up to five hours a week on self-portraits. The biggest reason for doing so? Looking good. But other reasons included making others jealous and making cheating partners regret their infidelities.
Confidence Booster Or Instrument Of Narcissism?
Some do see selfies as a positive development.
Psychology professor Pamela Rutledge believes they celebrate “regular people.” And UCLA psychologist Andrea Letamendi believes that selfies “allow young adults to express their mood states and share important experiences.”
Still, there are plenty of negative associations with taking selfies. While selfies are sometimes lauded as a means for empowerment, one European study found that time spent looking at social media selfies is associated with negative body image thoughts among young women.
Apart from injuries, fatalities and tastelessness, one big issue with selfies appears to be their function as either a cause or consequence of narcissism.
Peter Gray, writing for Psychology Today, describes narcissism as “an inflated view of the self, coupled with a relative indifference to others.”
Narcissists tend to overrate their talents and respond with anger to criticism. They are also more likely to bully and less likely to help others. According to Gray, surveys of college students show the trait is far more prevalent today than even as recently as 30 years ago.
Do selfies and narcissism correlate? Psychologist Gwendolyn Seidman suggests that there’s a link. She cites twostudies that examined the prevalence of Facebook selfies in a sample of over 1,000 people.
Men in the sample who posted a greater number of selfies were more likely to show evidence of narcissism. Among female respondents, the number of selfie posts was associated only with a subdimension of narcissism called “admiration demand,” defined as “feeling entitled to special status or privileges and feeling superior to others.”
Selfies seem to be this generation’s preferred mode of self-expression.
Psychologists who study the self-concept have suggested that our self-image and how we project it is filtered through two criteria: believability (how credible are the claims I make about myself) and beneficiality (how attractive, talented and desirable are the claims I make about myself).
In this sense, the selfie is the perfect medium: it’s an easy way to offer proof of an exciting life, extraordinary talent and ability, unique experiences, personal beauty and attractiveness.
As a psychologist, I find it important not only to ask why people post selfies, but also to ask why anyone bothers looking at them.
Evidence suggests that people simply like viewing faces. Selfies attract more attention and more comments than any other photos, and our friends and peers reinforce selfie-taking by doling out “likes” and other forms of approval on social media.
One explanation for why people are so drawn to looking at selfies could be a psychological framework called social comparison theory.
The theory’s originator, Leon Festinger, proposed that people have an innate drive to evaluate themselves in comparison with others. This is done to improve how we feel about ourselves (self-enhancement), evaluate ourselves (self-evaluation), prove we really are the way we think we are (self-verification) and become better than we are (self-improvement).
It’s a list that suggests a range of motives that appear quite positive. But reality, unfortunately, is not so upbeat. Those most likely to post selfies appear to have lower self-esteem than those who don’t.
In sum, selfies draw attention, which seems like a good thing. But so do car accidents.
The approval that comes from “likes” and positive comments on social media is rewarding – particularly for the lonely, isolated or insecure.
However, the evidence, on balance (combined with people and animals dying!), suggests there is little to celebrate about the craze.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 24, 2016.
While we’re sure that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are very happy about their upcoming wedding and presumed fairytale life together, no one is more excited than TV networks, specifically American ones. Lucky for us, they’ve decided to cash in on this opportunity to drown us all with Markle related content until we’ve memorized every line she’s ever said in and out of “Suits.”
Vulture compiled a list of all the “Harry and Meghan” specific specials that’ll air on TV, so grab some popcorn, tea, and get ready to learn all there is to learn about the American actress and the British royal family. (As you’ll soon discover, TV networks are running low on fuel when it comes to coming up with creative titles for their royal programming, so don’t expect much).
Well, that’s a mouthful. This TV special will air May 13 and it’ll predictably cover Markle’s background and rise to fame. The one thing that’s different about it is the fact that it’ll compare Markle’s courtship to other actresses and heiresses who crossed the Atlantic to marry into European nobility, including Rita Hayworth and Grace Kelly. The special will air on the Smithsonian channel.
Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance
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This movie has had more build up than all of the Avenger movies put together. Seriously. Airing on the Lifetime channel on May 13, Harry & Meghan is a fictionalized account of the couple’s romance, tackling issues such as Harry’s bad boy behavior in the past, Markle’s rise to stardom, their introduction to each other, and their engagement. Presumably, they’ll also show the couple’s marriage, even though the actual wedding won’t take place until May 19.
This special is available now on CBS On Demand, and it provides the most in-depth insight into Markle’s life, including her high school and college experience, her rise to fame, and her engagement to Prince Harry. Featuring all sorts of people from Markle’s life, the special includes interviews with her sorority sisters at Northwestern University, former teachers, and Alexi Lubomirski, the guy who shot the couple’s engagement photographs.
Airing May 11, An American Princess takes an interesting and different approach towards the royal wedding by asking if this “multiracial American divorcee” is capable of changing the monarchy. The special will focus on the couple’s future instead of Markle’s past. It will feature appearances from Markle’s half-sister, Samantha Grant, Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, and Dickie Arbiter, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary. The special will air on FOX.
It’s interesting to look the propaganda in the eye every once in a while and call it for the B.S. it really is.
Spreading pot propaganda is the modus operandi of all those who are still anti-marijuana. For decades this misinformation has caused many to swallow vile untruths about the cannabis plant.
The latest polls, however, show public opinion on marijuana legalization at an all time high, with more than 60 percent in favor of this reform. So it is obvious that the lies spread against weed have rolled off the backs of those they were intended to influence most.
Now, more federal lawmakers, many of whom were staunchly opposed to legalization in the past, are starting to see the light, as well. But it is interesting to look the propaganda in the eye every once in a while and call it for the B.S. it really is. Here are a few marijuana myths that have been proven false.
Marijuana Is A Gateway To Addiction
For years, marijuana was considered a gateway to addiction. The story was that any one experimenting with pot now could easily end up getting lost to the grips of harder drugs in the future. There was even some noise suggesting that marijuana itself was ultra-addictive. But all of this is untrue. Studies conducted by the federal government find that marijuana is actually no more addictive than caffeine. In fact, the herb has a rate of addiction significantly less than alcohol and tobacco.
As for whether cannabis users will eventually go on to shoot heroin in the bathroom of a truck stop somewhere – that’s not likely either. Other studies have shown that alcohol and prescription painkillers are the real gateway drugs. Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says so. “When you look at someone that, for example, has a heroin problem, it very often started with a prescription drug problem. Something totally legal. Something in every medicine cabinet. Something you can have prescribed to you in good faith by a doctor,” she said back in 2016.
Stoned Driving Is No Different Than Driving Drunk
There is no doubt that drinking and driving is detriment to public safety. Booze is responsible for killing around 11,000 people each year. But being under the influence of marijuana is not the same as being gutter buzzed on the drink. Researchers from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, who are working to create an app called “Am I Stoned,” a self-assessment tool for people on the fence about whether they’re too high to drive, have been trying to find out how weed might hinder an individual’s performance. But the group is having some difficult pinpointing the affect the herb on “vigilance and judgment.” It seems the test subjects are “generally aware” of just how wrecked on reefer they are.
There is also evidence that longtime cannabis users are typically less impaired behind the wheel than those with a lower tolerance. It is the differences between alcohol and marijuana impairment that has made it so difficult for science to develop an effective testing device to gauge stoned driving. To this day, no device exists.
Marijuana Legalization Won’t Stop Drug Cartels
This myth is being proven wrong in real time. There are fewer than 10 states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use — enough to ramp down the cartel’s involvement with weed. Marijuana trafficking is on the decline, according to a report from the Washington Post. To compensate, drug gangs are now slinging heroin and meth. Marijuana is no longer a lucrative commodity in the underground.
Interestingly, some reports published earlier this year show that American weed is now being shipped into Mexico. It seems the tides have turned, but there is still some illegal marijuana activity happening in the United States. However, these criminal acts stem only from a fluctuation in pot laws from state-to-state. The moment the federal government ends marijuana prohibition, the criminal organizations responsible will be stopped dead in their tracks. After all, no one is out there these days turning a profit on bootleg beer.
If the first thing you see when you look in the mirror is an urgent reminder to change your body somehow, you’re not alone. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 17.5 million beautifying procedures in the U.S. last year— 2 percent more than 2016. Thinking about it? Here are the 5 most popular cosmetic surgeries.
The statistics also show that Americans are attracted to minimally invasive cosmetic procedures (like Botox and fillers), which have spiked a whopping (nearly) 200 percent since 2000.
Of those 17.5 million procedures performed in 2017, nearly 1.8 million of them were surgical procedures.
Breast Augmentation
More commonly known as a “boob job”, this surgery involves either breast implants or fat transfer to increase the cup size or improve the symmetry of breasts. Or both.
It’s also worth noting that there was a huge spike (11 percent) in breast reduction surgeries last year.
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“Breast reductions are consistently reported as one of the highest patient satisfaction procedures because it positively affects a woman’s quality of life. It addresses both functional and aesthetic concerns,” said ASPS President Jeffrey E. Janis, MD.
Liposuction
Lipo essentially removes excess fat to reshape “problem” areas of the body, giving it a more slimming appearance. What it can’t do? Remove cellulite or loose saggy skin. In other words, it can’t replace proper diet and exercise.
And now with the advent of contouring and body sculpting, there are other ways to get rid of unwanted fat pockets. “Unwanted fat is something that affects so many Americans,” said Janis.
“Plastic surgeons are able to give patients more options than ever before for fat elimination or redistribution. Patients appreciate having options, especially if they can act as maintenance steps while they decide if getting something more extensive down the line will be right for them.”
Nose Jobs
Even though 218,924 procedures were performed in 2017, the popularity of this procedure is actually down 2 percent.
Loose or sagging skin that creates folds or disturbs the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision
Fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the eyelids
Bags under the eyes
Drooping lower eyelids that reveal white below the iris
Excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelid
Tummy Tuck
There were 2,000+ more tummy tucks performed in 2017 than the year prior. Janis says not everyone can attain defined abs through diet and exercise alone:
Age, pregnancy and significant weight changes can impact both the skin and underlying muscle. Tummy tucks performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon remove excess fat and skin and, in most cases, restore weakened or separated muscles to create an improved abdominal profile.
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The remaining 15.7 million procedures performed in 2017 were of the minimally invasive cosmetic type. Here are the top 5:
Add this tall tale to the endless list of reefer madness fibs: Marijuana legalization will force law enforcement agencies to euthanize drug-sniffing dogs because they won’t have jobs.
The latest tidbit of disinformation comes from The Pantagraph, an Illinois news outlet. In a story published earlier this week, the Pantagraph reported:
If Illinois legalizes marijuana for recreational use, law enforcement officials fear job losses for hundreds of officers — specifically, the four-legged kind.
Police agencies spend thousands of dollars and months of training to teach dogs how to sniff out and alert officers to the presence of marijuana, heroin, cocaine and other drugs. If pot use becomes legal, the dogs would likely either have to be retrained — which some handlers say is impossible or impractical — or retired.
So far, not so alarming. Retiring a dog is a lot better than killing one. But later in the story, we get this nugget from Chad Larner, training director of the K-9 Training Academy in Macon County. According to Larner, retraining dogs would amount to “extreme abuse” to change their mindset. K-9s are rewarded for successfully alerting to the presence of narcotics, and they continue to train regularly with their handlers for a suggested minimum of 16 hours a month.
Because many K-9s are trained not to be social so their work won’t be affected, Larner said a number of dogs would likely have to be euthanized.
Dan Linn, executive director of the marijuana advocacy group Illinois NORML, called the idea a “red herring.”
“The idea that legalizing for adults to have an ounce on them will equal … all these dogs being euthanized, that seems kind of ridiculous and hyperbolic,” he said.
Illinois is considering a vote making it the 10th state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
“The biggest thing for law enforcement is, you’re going to have to replace all of your dogs,” said Macon County Sheriff Howard Buffett, the son of billionaire Warren Buffett and whose private foundation paid $2.2 million in 2016 to support K-9 units in 33 counties across Illinois. “So to me, it’s a giant step forward for drug dealers, and it’s a giant step backwards for law enforcement and the residents of the community.”
Woody Harrelson, one of Hollywood’s most legendary cannabis consumers, went on a much-talked-about break from the herb. But after two years of abstaining, Harrelson is smoking again. And he’s blaming it all on Willie Nelson.
Harrelson made an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” this week where he told the tale about how Nelson finally enticed him to toke again. “I quit for almost two years. No smoking, no vaping,” he told Ellen DeGeneres. “Every once in a while you’re going to have something edible. Let’s be real, I’m not a nun.”
According to Harrelson, it was after a winning a huge pot during a regular poker game that Nelson got him. “I was in a celebratory mood and he hands me that [vape] pen and I just snatched and it was like ‘ah, f— it,’ ” he said. “I take a big draw of it and he says ‘Welcome home, son.’”
It wasn’t the first time Nelson had tempted Harrelson with marijuana during his two-year break. “He was never comfortable with me quitting, it just bothered him,” Harrelson said. “I would always say, ‘Willie you know I’m not smoking,’ ” he continued. “He would always do the same thing like he was hearing it for the first time, ‘Oh really? Sorry!’ This happened like 500 times.”
Last year, in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Harrelson talked about his dilemma with Nelson, saying he tried to hide his abstinence from Nelson for a while. “At first, I’m like pretending [to smoke a joint]. I’m just holding it because I don’t want him to know and then finally I’m like, ‘Willie, I quit.’ ”
It just goes to prove: Even Oscar-nominated actors can fall to peer pressure every now and then.
Is this going to be her “something new” when she walks down the aisle? Meghan Markle will now live forever as a was figure at the legendary Madame Tussauds in London. And oddly enough, her flawless skin looks exactly the same.
Wax Markle has been placed next to Wax Harry, whose likeness was embodied in honor of his 30th birthday in 2014.
If you’re a true Markle savant, you’ll recognize that green dress from her engagement photos as well as the first televised interview she did after it was announced she’d be marrying Prince Harry:
Excitement ahead of the royal wedding is reaching fever pitch and we have been inundated with questions about when people can finally meet ‘Their Royal Likenesses’.
There is a lot of love out there for Meghan and Harry and we’re following their lead by inviting the great British public to join the couple in their wedding celebrations here at Madame Tussauds London.
The Markle exhibit doesn’t actually debut at the museum until the eve of her wedding, May 18. Tickets start at $39 unless your name is Meghan or Harry, in which you get free entry. No joke.
The NYC offshoot of Tussauds will debut their own Markle exhibit as well. According to The Telegraph, the Times Square’s version of Markle will strike a different pose and wear an outfit designed by British label Self-Portrait.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 24, 2016.
