Secret social media accounts are nothing new. How are famous people supposed to enjoy the full experience of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook when they don’t have any privacy?
According to The Cut, there are several social media-loving members of the royal family who lhave secret accounts that are pretty active.
Even though the Queen has a public Instagram account (@TheRoyalFamily), there are rumors that she has a private Facebook account that’s Britain’s best kept secret. The British tabloids also say that she’s well versed on the internet, has an iPad, a laptop and loves to text.
Kate is also active on the web, joining the British website Mumsnet, where moms share parenting tips online. According to these rumors, she’s been active on the site ever since her second child, Charlotte, was born.
Prince Harry
https://giphy.com/gifs/prince-QBSTehJDEnmkE
The Prince has always been the most modern out of all the royals, and he’s the only one with a confirmed Facebook page, which was cancelled a couple of years ago after a scandal in Vegas, but it still counts.
Prince Harry used the name of Spike Wells for his active Facebook page, which he reportedly had for years. According to The Sun, Harry used to have a private Instagram account during the time when he was first dating Meghan Markle. It’s unclear if that account still exists.
Markle famously eliminated all of her social media accounts when she got engaged to the Prince, and it’s too soon for her to create her own alternate account. Maybe she’ll create a private one in the future, after the paparazzi stop hounding her over her marriage.
The weather is getting warmer, and you know what that means — time for a good margarita. Unfortunately, all too often, the classic Mexican cocktail is butchered by Americans, who tend to lean on overly-sweet, pre-made mixes when they make them at home. Well, not this year — I have you covered. I recently visited Mexico, where I enjoyed a lesson on how to make classic tequila cocktails.
Here are some of the drinks that Amanda Gunderson, West Coast Brand Ambassador for Altos Tequila, recommended we make back home, plus some other pro tips I picked up from a bartender in Mexico City that should suit any kind of tequila fan.
I had this drink twice in Mexico City, and it was absolutely delicious — I mean, avocado in a cocktail, can you really go wrong? Here’s the recipe:
1/4 Avocado, mashed
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Tequila
½ oz Agave (or none, if you like your cocktails less sweet, like I do)
½ oz Lemon Juice
The bartender in Mexico City I talked to suggested tasting the mix to make sure it’s balanced before you add the tequila (and added that it’s always best to do this, since booze is the most expensive ingredient to throw out if you need to start over) — it will be a little diluted with ice and booze, so it should be slightly sweeter than you would want the drink itself.
Shake it up, and double strain it, which looks like this:
Garnish with pepper or cardamom. Pro tip: you can get that pretty, straight line of pepper from holding a knife cover over the glass and sprinkling alongside it, like so:
And just like that, you have one tasty and fancy-looking drink.
Tommy’s Margarita
It’s a classic for a reason. Again, if you like your drinks less sweet, feel free to experiment with using less agave. Another note from the pros — not all agave sold in stores is actually 100% agave, but might be a blend with sugar or maple syrup, so be sure to read the label!
½ oz Agave Nectar
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 oz Tequila
Shake and fine strain to rocks with half-salted rim. Garnish with a lime wheel. That’s it! See, no pre-made nasty mix needed.
Altos Fresh
This is a great afternoon cocktail, refreshing and a little sweet for warm weather, like a green tea cucumber lemonade.
2 oz Green Tea
1 oz Cucumber Syrup (cucumber and simple syrup)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
A small dash Pernod liquor (or a little more if you like more anise flavor)
2 oz Tequila
Shake it up, and double strain it, like so:
Peel a cucumber to create a wide, pretty ribbon to line the glass, then garnish with mint.
Crafted Paloma
Another delicious Mexican cocktail standard, if you love Greyhounds, Palomas are their sexy Mexican cousin.
2 oz Altos Plata
2 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
½ oz Agave Syrup
Pinch Salt
Crushed Pink Peppercorns
Rim a collins glass with salt and crushed pink peppercorns. Lightly shake all ingredients and strain into the glass. Fill the glass with ice, and garnish half moon grapefruit.
Banderas
OK, so this is more of a deconstructed cocktail, but it is very celebratory of the Mexican flag, and a delicious and traditional way to enjoy some good tequila. Honestly, I’ve found my hangover is much better if I just stick to some good Reposado and lime juice (plus plenty of water).
1 Shot Lime Juice (pure or with a little agave)
1 Shot Tequila
1 Shot Sangrita*
*Sangrita
This Sangrita recipe makes approx 1 ltr. (40 servings), so feel free to adjust way down if you aren’t throwing a party.
750 ml Tomato Juice
100 ml Lime Juice
100 ml Lemon Juice
Dash Tabasco
Dash Grenadine
2 Pinch Sea salt
2 Pinch Ground Black Pepper
Add all ingredients into a large jug, stir well and store in a clean 1 ltr. glass bottle in fridge until ready to serve.
A bill to tax and regulate recreational marijuana in Vermont has died, but some legislators believe it’s just a temporary roadblock.
According to Vermont Public Radio, even though elected officials like Winooski Rep. Diana Gonzalez, who said she was optimistic that a tri-partisan coalition of lawmakers had the votes needed to pass the measure, an overwhelming majority of the House voted to kill the legislation on Friday, with a vote of 106-28.
“I believe that with the remaining time we have left this session, we need to use it on the remaining priorities that we have,” said House Majority Leader Jill Krowinski.
Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, who was in support of the measure, said it’s only a matter of time before commercial cannabis becomes a reality in Vermont, adding, “This vote does not reflect the sentiment of the people, and when the sentiment of the people is reflected in this body, it will move forward.”
Vermont Public Radio says Friday’s fizzle of the bill “doesn’t necessarily signal lack of majority support for the measure in the House” and that “many Democrats,” like Burlington Rep. Jean O’Sullivan, said they voted reluctantly against it.
“We should tax and regulate as soon as possible. However, we don’t have the time left in this session to build the consensus we would need to override the inevitable veto from the governor.”
Just because marijuana is legal, doesn’t mean your employer can’t fire you for failing a drug test. You may not like it, but there is really nothing you can do about it except find a more enlightened boss.
In California, recreational marijuana sales started in January, causing many employers in the state to re-evaluate their substance-abuse and drug-testing policies. But the rules governing marijuana and the workplace haven’t really changed. At least not yet.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, companies are allowed during the hiring process to test for illegal substances at the applicant stage—though it is unclear if marijuana is “illegal,” since it is permitted under state law but remains illegal under federal law. Employees should think about recreational marijuana like alcohol, Walter Stella, an attorney with Miller Law Group in San Francisco, told SHRM.
Stella says that California citizens have a constitutional right to privacy — which restricts employers from monitoring off-duty conduct. Pre-employment drug testing, however, is permitted as long as it is conducted in a fair and consistent manner and administered to all applicants who are applying for a position within a specific job class.
After employees start working, they have a higher expectation of privacy — so drug testing should be limited in most cases to suspicion-based inquiries, Stella says. Northern California companies need to also pay attention to local laws regarding drug testing. In San Francisco, for example, randomly testing employees for drugs is prohibited.
“A high priority for California employers is the management of medical marijuana issues in the workplace,” Michael Nader, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Sacramento, told SHRM. “Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug that is illegal under federal law, and it is also well-established under California law that employers may rely on federal law in enforcing drug-free workplace policies.”
While wearing a tiara on your wedding sounds completely over the top, things are different if you’re marrying into the royal family. Tiaras are tradition when it comes to royal weddings, with Kate Middleton donning one as her “something borrowed” from the Queen.
Business Insider reports that Meghan Markle has a lot of options to choose from thanks to the Queen’s well stocked royal collection of tiaras.
Experts believe that Markle might wear the Strathmore Rose tiara or Princess Diana’s iconic Spencer tiara, both of which would suit her well at the wedding; the former would honor tradition and the latter would be a nod to Princess Diana, which is supposed to be a priority for the wedding, according to multiple sources.
While all of these speculations have some back up, Markle and Prince Harry haven’t been that concerned with tradition, so they might design a special tiara for the occasion. No matter their decision, tiaras are expensive, especially royal ones.
It’s speculated that the Spencer Tiara is worth over $225,000, while a custom made one might be even more expensive. Jerry Ehrenwald, from the International Gemological Institute estimated that a tiara especially designed for Markle might cost over $687,360.
Medical marijuana reduces pain in older patients and helps reduce opioid dependence, according to a new report. Researchers at Northwell Health conducted a questionnaire of older men and women to assess the efficacy of cannabis for pain management.
The most stunning revelation of the report shows that 91 percent of seniors would recommend medical marijuana to others. The results of the study, “Older Adults’ Use of Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain: A Multisite Community-Based Survey,” give doctors a glance at how specifically cannabis aids elderly Americans. The researchers surveyed 138 medical marijuana users with an anonymous 20-question survey focusing on how often they used the marijuana, in what form they took it, how much it reduced pain and whether or not they were able to cut back their use of other painkillers.
When patients were asked if they were able to curb their use of other painkillers after starting medical marijuana, 18 percent reported decreasing their use “moderately,” 20 percent “extremely” and 27 percent “completely.”
Here are some comments from the patients:
“My quality of life has increased considerably since starting medical marijuana. I was on opiates for 15 years, and 6 months on marijuana, and off both completely.”
And:
“It [medical marijuana] is extremely effective and has allowed me to function in my work and life again. It has not completely taken away the pain, but allows me to manage it.”
And:
“I was on Percocet and replaced it with medical marijuana. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
These patients included in the questionnaire suffered from chronic pain from osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, hips and knees that could not be replaced, and pain not relieved by steroid injections, according to Dr. Diana Martins-Welch, a co-author of the study and physician in the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine at Northwell Health.
Martins-Welch believes that medical marijuana could be effective in curbing the opioid epidemic now ravaging the United States. “What I’m seeing in my practice, and what I’m hearing from other providers who are participating in medical marijuana programs, is that their patients are using less opioids. I’ve even gotten some patients completely off opioids.”
Martins-Welch and colleagues surveyed men and women between the ages 61 to 70 about their use of medical marijuana. Patients responded to 20 questions about their marijuana use. The researchers found that most patients, 45 percent, used vaporized oil, while 28 percent used pills and 17 percent used marijuana-laced oil. Twenty-one percent used marijuana once a day, 23 percent used it twice daily, and 39 percent used marijuana more than twice a day.
Using marijuana in these forms dramatically reduces its mind-altering effect, Martins-Welch said.
In most cases, a doctor recommended medical marijuana (46 percent) followed by a family member or friend (24 percent) or another health care provider (6 percent), while others did not specify who recommended it (24 percent).
When asked how pain levels changed before and one month after starting marijuana, most patients reported that average pain scores dropped from 9.0 on a scale of 0-10 to a more moderate pain threshold of 5.6.
Believe it or not, the state with the highest marijuana arrest rate doesn’t contain a major metropolitan city. Nor is it located in the Bible Belt or any other states where marijuana rights are contentiously fought. According to an analysis of marijuana arrest date highlighted by NJ Advance Media, Wyoming had the highest cannabis arrest rate in 2016 across the country.
By sheer volume, Texas and New York lead the nation in total number of marijuana arrests. That shouldn’t be too surprising because in 2016 Texas and New York boasted a population of 27 million and 19.7 million people, respectively.
But the third state on that list could surprise you. That would be New Jersey, which now appears on the verge of legalizing recreational marijuana under new governor Phil Murphy. Murphy ran under a pro-marijuana platform, vowing to listen to the voice of the people and legalize recreational cannabis if elected. However, the state’s former governor, Chris Christie, was a staunch opponent against marijuana of any kind, often espousing toxic rhetoric and false narratives about the plant.
New Jersey is also second in marijuana arrest rates throughout the country. One criminal justice professor theorized to NJ.com part of the explanation revolved around how the state’s police divisions are structured. The latest available date from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that New Jersey is among the top states for police officers per capita. Meaning residents could interact with more police activity than usual, leading to more marijuana arrests.
You can view the states with the five highest marijuana arrest rates below.
Siri isn’t really the type to let curse words fly, even after a few drinks (presumably). But her Emily Post rules of etiquette demeanor just got little more R-rated, thanks to kink in the system.
Someone on Reddit asked users to ask Siri to define the word “mother.” And those that did? Well, they got a little surprise. Because after regurgitating the popular definition of the word, Siri will then prompt you to hear the “next one.” If you tell her that, yes, you want to hear the next definition of the word, Siri will inform you that “mother” can be shorthand for “motherf—–.”
Gizmodoreports that this “easter egg” seems to be prevalent on all iOS devices, from the iPhone 5S to the iPhone X and iPads, as well as on computers running macOS. It even works with the Australian Siri, although it’s way more garbled:
Excessive drinking poses a big problem for your health and your life, but it can also cause truly awful issues, like bad breath. It’s science.
Gizmodo reports on a recent study from New York University that suggests over-drinking fills your mouth with harmful bacteria and even cancerogenous agents. The study examined spit samples in more than a thousand people between the ages of 55 and 84. These volunteers also provided their eating and drinking habits, allowing scientists to chart out the bacterial community of every participant’s mouth.
On average, the more people drank, the higher the amount of bacteria they possessed in their mouths, particularly bacteria that belongs to clans associated with gum disease — a known cause of bad breath. The subjects who drank more alcohol also possessed a lower amount of Lactobacillales, a bacteria that’s generally associated with healthy mouths. Drinkers also had higher levels of the genus Neisseria, which is known to produce aceltadehyde (a cancerogenous agent) when paired with alcohol.
According to the scientists, this is the largest and most comprehensive study conducted on mouth health, and more research is necessary to draw more conclusive results. The study also suggests that alcohol might affect the bacteria in your mouth directly by killing off immune cells, damaging teeth and changing your saliva’s composition.
While the results are not conclusive, alcohol as a cause of bad breath is certainly a significant entry onto the list of bad things that can happen when you drink too much. It’s not dangerous, but it’ll definitely make you think twice the next time you want to go crazy at the bar. And if you do, there are a few things that can help you counteract the bad smell, such as cannabis mints like Kiva’s Petra Mints and Vive’s Mini Tabs. While the relief they provide is temporary, it’s better to be high and smell good than to be drunk and smell awful.
Believe it or not, everyone in Hollywood isn’t a wacko, experimental scoundrel. Instead many are straight-laced, almost conservative in lifestyle, and aren’t exactly stoners. Woody Harrelson and Seth Rogen, they are not.
But in a recent appearance on “Conan”, actor Jeff Garlin says he wishes it could be different. When he turned 50, Garlin says he was turned onto marijuana by none other than Whoopi Goldberg. He prefers indica, because it “turns the switch off” for him, and he “doesn’t need the switch turned on.” He likes using at night for a sleep aid — an application that is becoming increasingly popular.
But Garlin receiving a medical marijuana card has also made him somewhat of a cannabis evangelist. The actor was downright effusive about its benefits, and urged Conan O’Brien to try some himself. This caused the host to joke that Garlin had transformed into some “sommelier of pot” overnight. If Garlin had his way, the whole world would be consuming marijuana soon enough.
You can view their full discussion in the video above.
