Monday, June 29, 2026
Home Blog Page 971

8 Best Memes From Mark Zuckerberg’s US Senate Appearance

Maria Loreto
-
0
8 Best Memes From Mark Zuckerberg’s US Senate Appearance

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke in front of the US Senate this week, addressing Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the personal information of millions of users was accessed and manipulated. This was obviously a prime time for memes.

Zuckerberg was extremely awkward, but most of all… calm? In front of senators? And he was wearing a suit? That was one of the most puzzling things of all. Still, even though Zuckerberg was being questioned by elders regarding how social media works, a demanding task, he managed to answer some questions and to say I’m sorry a dozen times.

At the end of the day, people kind of forgot about the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Everyone was just watching for the awkwardness and the memes. Check out some of our favorites:

Of course, “The Social Network” had to be brought into this. If only Aaron Sorkin had waited a few years to write the script. Maybe he’ll write a sequel.

 

Again, it’s really hard to explain to old people how social media works. Especially the technical side. Every person who’s set up their parents’ Wi-Fi can relate.

Who can ever forget Tom from MySpace?  Simpler times.

The most iconic moment of all was when Senator Orrin Hatch asked Zuckerberg how Facebook sustains a business when they don’t charge people for joining. Mark’s reply was simple, “Senator, we run ads.”

DARE No More: NYC School’s Drug Awareness Education Evolves

Sasha Simon
-
0
DARE No More: NYC School’s Drug Awareness Education Evolves

How many years have we known that abstinence-based programs like D.A.R.E. fail to truly educate young people about drugs and that we need a replacement?

The answer: too many. But happily, now there’s an alternative: DPA’s Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens.

Safety First started out as a resource for parents to talk to their teens about drugs and has now evolved into a curriculum designed to be implemented in ninth and 10th-grade high school health classes. It is based in the principles of harm reduction and consists of 14 interactive lessons covering how we define a ‘drug,’ how drugs work in the body, their effects, risks and benefits of five major drug classes, and the impact of drug policy on personal and community health.

Safety First is the culmination of almost 20 years of work in youth drug issues by DPA’s Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum, as well as many other DPA staffers. I am proud to have joined that group by guiding Safety First in its first real-world pilot and evaluation last month at Bard High School Early College Manhattan. For the first time ever in a U.S. public school, students are receiving a science and harm reduction-based education about drugs.

[Listen to this exciting conversation on the latest episode of DPA’s podcast Drugs and Stuff with the teacher who is leading these lessons.]

It was amazing to see the curriculum in action in the classroom. Already, countless valuable lessons have been learned. Here are a few highlights:

Teens Are Learning From Each Other

In contrast to D.A.R.E., where young people pledge an oath of abstinence to a police officer, students are learning, practicing and researching harm reduction skills with each other. They engage in dialogues about health, policy and advocacy. They’re asked to consider how and why these issues affect them as individuals, but also to grapple with their impact on a community level, including communities most harmed by the drug war.

Led by the health teacher, students in the pilot classrooms at Bard were engaged and talkative (in a good way!) during every lesson. In many instances, they challenged each other and learned from each other’s points of view.

Empowering Students To Make Responsible Choices

A parent emailed DPA a few months ago — he’d been devastated by his son’s overdose death. His son died in the presence of friends because they believed they would get in trouble if they called 911. He became impassioned about informing every young person in his state about 911 Good Samaritan laws, which may have saved his son.

Safety First guides students to research their states’ Good Samaritan laws. Students are also taught how to place their fellow students in the recovery position. They watched a video about how to recognize an opioid overdose and how naloxone can save lives. They learned about the benefits and limitations of drug checking after completing an activity where they tried to choose the “right” drink from a pitcher filled with salt water versus one filled with sugar water.

Photo: Drug Policy Alliance

Teens Ready And Willing To Discuss Drug Policy

Students didn’t miss a beat during the Health, Policy and Advocacy lesson. They could grasp the topic and its complexities as they explored numerous ways to approach drug use and drug policy in the U.S. that would focus on health, rather than criminalization.

The curriculum respects each student’s values and takes no position on any particular policy or reform effort. What Safety First does do is help students explore how a policy is made and what it takes to change it. Students can develop any perspective on drug policy they like, but all must engage in the rigors of research and critical thinking, and test and defend their perspective with their peers. The policy-centered lessons had some of the most lively conversations and debate!

What’s Next?

We’ve developed a tool that follows the best practices of public health and education while also respecting the intelligence and potential of students. Their responses and engagement in the classroom tell us that this is exactly the kind of curriculum they’ve been wanting, and the one the country has been needing.

If you’re excited about this future of drug education in the US, please sign up to find out more about the public release of the Safety First curriculum, which should be coming in fall 2018.

Sasha Simon is the Safety First program manager at the Drug Policy Alliance.

People Are Prince Harry In The Club Memes

Maria Loreto
-
0
People Are Prince Harry In The Club Memes

The internet can’t leave Prince Harry alone. For some reason, People are making Prince Harry In The Club Memes…and it has us laughing.

For some reason, a video clip from January 2013 has resurfaced and is swirling all over social media. In it, Prince Harry is in Afghanistan, where he served in the army, and is being interviewed by CNN. The interview stops abruptly when Harry sees that there’s a commotion behind him, prompting him to stand up, take off his mic, and run off to see what’s going on so he can help out if necessary. The camera follows him and the interviewers are shocked. So are we. 

Related: This Is How Meghan Markle Got Prince Philip To Love Her

Now that’s Harry’s getting married and he’s all over the news, the clip resurfaced with some embellishments from all corners of the internet. For some reason, Prince Harry ‘In the club” is a thing, and now no one can stop it.

The meme is simple and short: Harry is in the middle of an interview and a song starts to play, making him run off because he really needs to dance. The songs range from Beyonce’s “Formation”, to Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina”, to the yodeling kid at Walmart. Check out the best clips below:

Does Medical Marijuana Increase Your Heart Rate?

Mike Adams
-
0
Does Medical Marijuana Increase Your Heart Rate?

Although most people do not experience any real negative side effects when using medical marijuana, studies have shown the herb does cause an increased heart rate in some people.

This thumping derivative of the doobie is just par for the course for most, but for others, a pounding chest is enough to convince them that they are dying.

It is important to understand that medical marijuana, just like other medications, comes with some side effects. Some of the most common include, red eyes, dry mouth and increased appetite. No big deal. Depending on the person, however, dizziness, shallow breathing and slow reaction time can also occur. And then there is that pesky rapid heart rate – the one side effect that scares most first time users into turning their backs on weed for awhile.

Related: Here’s The Latest Research Results On Marijuana And Heart Health

When a marijuana user experiences a rapid heart rate (or tachyarrhythmia), the physical aftermath is similar to the sensation one feels subsequent to consuming too much caffeine. In fact, according to MarijuanaDoctors.com, “the experience is almost identical.” It is recommended that patients who have cardiovascular side effects as a result of marijuana speak to a doctor. These processionals may be able to offer suggestions.

But some of the latest evidence suggests that this annoying side effect is really nothing to be too concerned with. Researchers have examined dozens of studies pertaining to marijuana and heart health, and none of this scientific digging concluded that marijuana carries an increased risk for heart disease. “Evidence examining the effect of marijuana on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes … is insufficient,” researchers concluded.

Related: Among Heart Failure Patients, Cannabis Users Have Better Outcomes

For those people who need the medicinal benefits of marijuana, but dread the increased heart rate, there are a few precautions they can take that may help put them at ease. Using a strain of marijuana that has a lower THC content is a good start. Strains like Harlequin and ACDC are a couple of fan favorites. It may also be beneficial for the user to experiment with microdosing. This is a practice where lower doses of cannabis are consumed throughout the day. It basically allows the cannabis user to experience the therapeutic benefits of the herb without the intensity (or side effects) of the high.

Whatever the course of action a patient takes, a rapid heart rate should not be a deterrent to future marijuana use. Most medical professionals will have ideas on how to tame this side effect. Chances are the situation can be easily remedied by simply adjusting dosage.

The Only Person To Ever Out-Smoke Snoop Dogg

Brendan Bures
-
0
The Only Person To Ever Out-Smoke Snoop Dogg

Earlier this week, we wrote about Jimmy Kimmel’s proposal for the new Mount Rushmore of toking partners. His list included Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Woody Harrelson, and Seth Rogen, who was his guest that night.

The Fresh Toast – Jimmy Kimmel is a riot – and thanks to him we know the only person to ever out-smoke Snoop Dogg

Related: Snoop Dogg Hotboxed Demi Lovato’s House And Inspired Her New Single

Well, Snoop visited the following evening and Kimmel ran his list by him. Snoop proposed “Mount Rushmore” should include Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Cheech & Chong, and, with Kimmel’s urging, himself. The segment soon became a confessional as the rapper admitted the identity of the one person to ever outlast him in the smoke circle. Do you give up?

“Willie Nelson is the only person who’s ever out-smoked Snoop Dogg. I had to hit the timeout button,” Snoop Dogg said. Shocker, right?

Related: Brad Pitt Reveals His Dream Marijuana Smoking Partners

He said it’s a button he’s never hit before. Just another reminder when constructing your own Mount Rushmore of weed smoking partners, you better damn carve Willie Nelson’s face into that stone.

Ninety year old Willie Hugh Nelson is country singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. Nelson has been arrested several times for marijuana possession and has become one of the OG the legalization movement.

Uber Acquires A Bike-Share Start Up And It Will Change The World

Maria Loreto
-
0
Uber Acquires A Bike-Share Start Up And It Will Change The World

Uber just bought Jump, an electric bike sharing company. But the two companies had been working together for more than two months to integrate the bike option on the Uber app — well before the acquisition announcement was made on Monday.

Jump Bikes began in 2010 under the name Social Bicycles. They were founded in New York, and provided the first dockless and shareable bikes in the industry. Unlike Citi Bikes, these bikes don’t need to be docked on a special port for them to work, giving users much more freedom when it comes to traveling. This marks a new era for Uber, where they take a leap into a new industry that’s rumored to be very important in the near future.

Photo courtesy of Jump Bikes

According to The Verge, there was a lot of competition to purchase the bike company. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi claims that this partnership is meant to develop Uber further, “bringing together multiple modes of transportation within the Uber app—so that you can choose the fastest or most affordable way to get where you’re going, whether that’s in an Uber, on a bike, on the subway, or more.” 

This new partnership will give Uber access to Jump Bikes located all over the country with the goal of enlarging the amount of bikes and including more cities into their business plan.

Jump Bikes are designed with a built-in motor to easily travel large cities, and a U bar lock that allows the bikes to be locked onto racks, light poles and benches. People who are using the bikes through the Uber app only need to lock the bikes onto the app’s “bike zone”, which is displayed on the Uber map, so other people can find the bikes with ease and reuse them.

Legal States Prepare For Driver Safety On 4/20 Weed Holiday

Brendan Bures
-
0
Legal States Prepare For Driver Safety On 4/20 Weed Holiday

April 20 is known as 4/20, the national “high holiday” for marijuana enthusiasts everywhere. But just like any other holidays that encourages excess, like New Year’s Eve, acting without caution can have devastating consequences.

A recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine determined that fatal car crashes significantly increase following 4/20 parties. Using 25 years of fatal US car crash data, researchers compared the number of deadly accidents between 4:20 p.m. and midnight on April 20 with accidents occurring during the same time frame one week before and one week after 4/20.

What they found is not really surprising. There were 12 percent more accidents leading up to midnight on April 20 compared to the other dates. You can reasonably conclude those celebrating the 4/20 holiday by consuming marijuana were responsible for the increase, though, the study doesn’t indicate a direct correlation.

“These crashes really don’t have to happen,” the senior author, Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, told The New York Times. “In the Netherlands, they’ve had legalized marijuana for years, but they have many more interventions—speed cameras, radar, sobriety checkpoints. The roads in the Netherlands are now much safer than those in the U.S.”

But there are efforts being made. This year the Colorado Department of Transportation launched The Cannabis Conversation, in hopes of better comprehending behaviors behind the driving under the influence of marijuana. CDoT will host open houses across the state to survey individual attitudes regarding marijuana and driving, as well as asking residents to submit to an online survey.

In addition, cannabis capitals like Denver have public transportation options and My 420 Tours, which will pick up and drop off partiers at grow facilities, breweries, dispensaries, and more. Last year, ride-sharing app Lyft and CDoT partnered to advocate planning for safe rides before consuming cannabis and will be running the same promotion. From March 20 to April 20, you can visit www.320movement.com to claim discounted ride codes.

Oregon police departments too hope to curb impaired driving on 4/20. Law enforcement will increase impairment patrols throughout the month of April in hopes of discourage drunk and high driving.

What’s The Deal With Cannabis Lounges In California?

Alexa Halloran
-
0
What’s The Deal With Cannabis Lounges In California?

As more cities begin to allow for and regulate commercial cannabis businesses, the state of California is seeing an influx of cannabis tourism. We’ve written before about the touchy relationships governments have with the idea of “cannabis lounges” (see here and here) and often questioned who will lead us in regards to cannabis tourism (our bets have often been on California).

Consumption of cannabis in public is illegal in the State of California, and many hotels and Air B&B’s do not allow smoking or “drug use” in their guest rooms. Nonetheless, MAUCRSA (the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act) allows local jurisdictions to authorize the on-site consumption of cannabis by state-licensed retailers and/or microbusinesses, which gives tourists at least one legal way to consume.

Specifically, so long as your city or county okays it, retailers and microbusinesses can have on-site consumption if:

  • Access to the area where cannabis consumption is allowed is restricted to persons 21 years of age and older.
  • Cannabis consumption is not visible from any public place or nonage-restricted area.
  • The sale or consumption of alcohol or tobacco is not allowed on the premises.

However, most local governments have explicitly prohibited “cannabis lounges” and on-site consumption by licensees (including the City of Los Angeles). Some cities, however, are capitalizing on the tourism potential in The Golden State. We have compiled a list of notable locales below.

West Hollywood is the only city in the Los Angeles area that allows for on-site consumption. The City plans to permit eight on-site consumption businesses for smoking, vaping, and ingesting, and it will also allow eight on-site consumption businesses for edible ingestion only. The window for submission for on-site consumption applications (and for other commercial cannabis businesses) is expected during the month of May, so we may see on-site consumption up and running for the busy summer months. Los Angeles, which is an area already known for tourism, will see a lot of its cannabis tourism go to the City of West Hollywood.

San Francisco has been California’s leader when it comes to the cannabis lounge concept (and cannabis businesses in general). San Francisco’s regulations outright permit retailers and microbusinesses to allow customers to engage in on-site consumption. Unlike other cities that have placed strict limits on consumption lounges or outright banned them, San Francisco is fully embracing the cannabis lounge model.

Oakland allows medical and adult-use cannabis dispensaries the opportunity to apply for and “obtain a secondary on-site consumption permit in order for cannabis to be consumed on the premises of the dispensary.” See Oakland Municipal Code §5.80.025. The City has not disclosed any limits as to how many on-site consumption permits may be issued, but the City has thus far only allowed eight dispensary permits and, as a result, there won’t be more than eight on-site consumption permits available (because only retailers and microbusinesses are allowed to undertake on-site consumption under state law).

Alameda will only issue two dispensary/retailer permits. The City’s ordinance allows those retailers to have on-site use or consumption of cannabis or cannabis products in interior areas of the licensed premises. The City has made it relatively easy for those granted a dispensary/retail permit to also capitalize on on-site consumption.

Palm Springs has expanded its cannabis regulations to allow for cannabis consumer lounges. “Cannabis Lounge Facility” permits are available in the City, and those holding the proper permits may additionally sell medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. With festival activities fast-approaching in the desert cities, many tourists will flock to the Palm Springs area looking to partake under California’s new cannabis laws. Palm Springs will likely see a high demand for cannabis and cannabis products from tourists looking to consume during festival time.

Other California cities that have explored the idea of cannabis lounges are Cathedral City and South Lake Tahoe, but nothing official has happened in either city as of yet. Over time, as legalized cannabis becomes more normalized (and socialized) in the state, California will likely see an increase in cities that allow cannabis lounges. For now though, on-site consumption is a rare occurrence and a political hot potato. And for the few on-site consumption lounges that exist, we expect nothing but success and increased tourism.

Alexa Halloran is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog. 

Why The Obamas Weren’t Invited To Royal Wedding

Maria Loreto
-
0
Why The Obamas Weren’t Invited To Royal Wedding

The guest list for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been a source of endless debate, with people wondering which celebrities are going to be invited and if the Obamas, who were invited to William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, would make the cut.

Prince Harry has been photographed a few times with Barack and Michelle Obama, with many sources claiming that they’re friendly with each other.

But Kensington Palace recently announced that no world leaders were going to be invited to the royal wedding because they were prioritizing close friends of the couple, so while you can expect a few celebrities, you can rule out the Obamas.

According to Rebecca English, royal correspondent for the Daily Mail, inviting political leaders is not required for this wedding since Prince Harry is not in direct line to the throne. This is also why the couple’s wedding has a smaller guest list and relatively lower stakes.

English claimed that even though the Obamas weren’t invited, the royal couple was very much looking forward to seeing them soon. Still, no invite? Come on. Guess it would’ve been too awkward to invite the former President of the U.S. without inviting the current one.

World’s Oldest Man Reveals Cake Is Secret To Longevity

Amy Hansen
-
0
World’s Oldest Man Reveals Cake Is Secret To Longevity

World’s oldest man reveals cake secret to longevity. During his Guinness World Records certificate ceremony at his home in Ashoro, Japan, Masazo Nonaka dug into his secret to longevity: a big cake with berries. The 112-year-old was named Tuesday as the world’s oldest living man. He turns 113 in July.

Nonaka was born on July 25, 1905, and credits the feat with not only eating sweets, but regular soaks in the hot springs and reading the newspaper every morning. He also loves watching samurai dramas on TV.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhY4ZAinD0r

Nonaka’s family says he’s still very able, though he uses a wheelchair.

According to TIME, Nonaka is one of about 67,800 centenarians in Japan, which also has the highest average life expectancy: 80.98 for men and 87.14 for women, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Born in July 1905, Nonaka was also the oldest person ever born in Hokkaidō. He had two brothers and three sisters; Nonaka married Hatsuno Nonaka in 1931. He ran the family onsen, which opened in 1905.  Guinness says Nonaka, who has survived all seven of his siblings, his wife and two of his five children, replaced their former oldest living man: Francisco Olivera of Spain, who died earlier this year at age 113. The current oldest living woman is 117-year-old Nabi Tajima from Japan, who is also the world’s oldest person (and is expected to be certified by Guinness).

Emma Morano of Italy, born in 1899 died in April 2017 at the age of 118, swore by her “two raw eggs a day” diet, but said the real secret to her old age was her independence. At the time of her death, she was also the last living person verified to have been born in the 1800s. She is the oldest Italian person and the third-oldest European person ever.

Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness says “Mr. Nonaka’s achievement is remarkable — he can teach us all an important lesson about the value of life and how to stretch the limits of human longevity.”

1...970971972...1,476Page 971 of 1,476

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Fresh Toast is an award-winning lifestyle & health platform with a side of cannabis. We work hard each day to bring uplifting and informative information about culture, weed, celebrity, tech and medical marijuana.

© Copyright @2020