Month: September 2021

One of the largest Confederate monuments in America just became the most chopped up monument, and people are loving it. Thanks to an order from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond was finally removed on Wednesday morning. As a crowd gathered to watch, the statue was lifted off of its pedestal, prompting cheers and applause.

However, while the crowd erupted into jubilant celebration, the team tasked with removing the statue now found themselves faced with a problem: How the heck to get red of this thing. While getting the statue down wasn’t an issue, Lee essentially had to be sawed off his horse at the waist, which solved the problem of how to haul it away, but that was just one part of the logistical nightmare. Via the Associated Press:

The job was overseen by Team Henry Enterprises, led by Devon Henry, a Black executive who faced death threats after his company’s role in removing Richmond’s other Confederate statuary was made public last year. He said the Lee statue posed their most complex challenge.

“It won’t transport in this height, so we need to lift the rider off the horse and transport it that way. From a thickness standpoint, we don’t know how long it will take. Are there iron supports? It’s a total mystery,” Henry said Wednesday.

While the demolition crew gets to work transforming the Confederate general into a pile of rubble, people on Twitter joined in the celebratory mood as the statue’s removal started to trend as videos from the event bounced across social media. You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Associated Press)

In sports events nobody asked for: Someone, somewhere, somehow decided that hiring Donald Trump and his shouty son Don Jr. to provide color commentary during this weekend’s Evander Holyfield-Vitor Belfort geriatic boxing match is a thing that some people might want to see and hear. It’s not exactly the classiest of post-Oval Office gigs for the former POTUS, but we wouldn’t expect any less.

According to The Wrap, the Trump-Trump take on the fight is being billed as an “alternate telecast”:

The Trumps’ fight commentary will be one of two options for people shelling out $49.95 to watch 58-year-old Holyfield and 44-year-old Vitor Belfort beat each other up. Longtime HBO fight commentator Jim Lampley will call the official telecast alongside former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter. Either way, the event will stream on FITE.TV.

“I love great fighters and great fights,” Trump said in a press release. “I look forward to seeing both this Saturday night and sharing my thoughts ringside. You won’t want to miss this special event.”

In addition to discussing what’s happening in the ring, there’s no doubt that Trump-squared will be taking a few swipes of their own—at the fake news, Joe Biden, the COVID pandemic, and pretty much any other topic that Trump Sr. has been banned from talking about on just about every major social media platform.

While offering punch-by-punch commentary during a boxing match might seem like an unusual way for a former president to spend the 20th anniversary of 9/11, it certainly beats the time when, shortly after the terrorist attacks, he bragged that with the World Trade Center towers out of the way, his building was now the tallest in downtown Manhattan.

(Via The Wrap)

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker performance (for portraying the deeply disturbed Arthur Fleck) won him an Oscar, but that obviously wasn’t his first tango with the Academy Awards. He scored nominations for Walk The Line, The Master, and Gladiator, and it’s fairly evident from the looks of the above trailer that, at minimum, he’ll receive another nomination in short order. In A24’s C’Mon C’Mon, however, he tackles a very different type of story as a normal dude. No really, though, he plays an uncle who forges a relationship with his nephew that changes both their lives.

The synopsis calls this film a “delicate and deeply moving story about the connections between adults and children,” as well as an examination of the ties between generations. Joaquin’s accompanied by Woody Norman, who’s no newcomer to Hollywood (although this is his first feature film) despite his young age, in what looks to be an affecting story, and given that this is A24, one can expect plenty more than what’s simply appearing on the surface in this film, as directed by Academy Award nominated screenwriter Mike Mills (20th Century Women) that also stars Gaby Hoffman.

The trailer gives us a glimpse of the black-and-white visuals of the cinematography from Robbie Ryan and editing from Jennifer Vecchiarello, all of which add up to a “moving meditation” from A24, which doesn’t miss, although where they’re aiming tends to keep everyone on their toes.

C’Mon C’Mon comes to theaters in November.

Jack Antonoff has become a major part of the Lorde universe, as he played a big role in bringing her two latest albums, Melodrama and Solar Power, to life. This is a partnership that Lorde sees continuing for the foreseeable future.

Lorde discussed her work with Antonoff in a new Vogue cover story, explaining that both she and Antonoff realize their partnership will be long-lasting: “Jack listens really well. He’s in therapy. He’s good to talk to about the kinds of things that people writing deep sh*t into a song want to talk about. I think there’s an understanding with us that we’re going to do this for a really long time, and it’s going to be one of the great relationships of both of our lives.”

The piece also notes that Lorde and Antonoff first met “in early 2014 when he brought her a can of pineapple juice at a Grammy party.”

Meanwhile, the story also includes a laudatory quote from fellow Antonoff collaborator Clairo, who says of Lorde, “We’re probably less than two years apart, but she’s my mom. Even from a distance, you feel her presence, like she’s watching over you. I think she’s had this effect on so many young people. I think she’s made a lot of people feel understood and comfortable in whatever state they’re in.”

Check out the full feature here.

In all of the furor over many of the Verzuz battles over the past year and a half, one potential matchup has been posed more than almost any other for obvious reasons: Jay-Z vs. Nas. However, it’s also the one that seems unlikeliest — both for, again, the obvious reasons (they are both incredibly busy with other things) and for some not-so-obvious ones. Longtime Jay-Z affiliate Memphis Bleek gave his own reason, however, and it’s got Twitter in a tizzy debating whether or not he might be right.

In an interview with Bally Sports Network’s Brandon “Scoop” Robinson, Bleek explained why he thinks a Jay-Z and Nas Verzuz is out of the question: Because, in his opinion, Nas doesn’t have enough hits for a hits battle. “It’s no comparison,” he started. “It’s just that Nas don’t have enough songs to compete. No disrespect to him, he just don’t. Jay can battle someone with just his B Sides Concert catalog and it’d still be better than people’s A sides.” While it’s understandable that Bleek would hold such reverence for his former mentor, some on Twitter were quick to try to rebut his claims, offering examples of Nas’ worthiness to compete with Jay. Some even went as far as impugning Bleek’s catalog.

Some, however, agreed with him, pointing out Nas’ suspect beat choices over the past 20 years, while others gave more measured responses allowing Nas to “compete” but not to “win” in a hypothetical Verzuz. For what it’s worth, in those battles where it truly seemed a win or a loss was at stake, many of the obvious picks wound up flustered by poor sequencing choices and their opponents’ willingness to outperform them — see: The LOX vs. Diplomats, just a few weeks ago. However, as mentioned, it’s probably not a likely matchup just because Jay and Nas seem to have no interest. Check out more replies below though, and feel free to weigh in on Twitter.

In all of the furor over many of the Verzuz battles over the past year and a half, one potential matchup has been posed more than almost any other for obvious reasons: Jay-Z vs. Nas. However, it’s also the one that seems unlikeliest — both for, again, the obvious reasons (they are both incredibly busy with other things) and for some not-so-obvious ones. Longtime Jay-Z affiliate Memphis Bleek gave his own reason, however, and it’s got Twitter in a tizzy debating whether or not he might be right.

In an interview with Bally Sports Network’s Brandon “Scoop” Robinson, Bleek explained why he thinks a Jay-Z and Nas Verzuz is out of the question: Because, in his opinion, Nas doesn’t have enough hits for a hits battle. “It’s no comparison,” he started. “It’s just that Nas don’t have enough songs to compete. No disrespect to him, he just don’t. Jay can battle someone with just his B Sides Concert catalog and it’d still be better than people’s A sides.” While it’s understandable that Bleek would hold such reverence for his former mentor, some on Twitter were quick to try to rebut his claims, offering examples of Nas’ worthiness to compete with Jay. Some even went as far as impugning Bleek’s catalog.

Some, however, agreed with him, pointing out Nas’ suspect beat choices over the past 20 years, while others gave more measured responses allowing Nas to “compete” but not to “win” in a hypothetical Verzuz. For what it’s worth, in those battles where it truly seemed a win or a loss was at stake, many of the obvious picks wound up flustered by poor sequencing choices and their opponents’ willingness to outperform them — see: The LOX vs. Diplomats, just a few weeks ago. However, as mentioned, it’s probably not a likely matchup just because Jay and Nas seem to have no interest. Check out more replies below though, and feel free to weigh in on Twitter.

I’ll never forget the first time I smoked out of a cannabis oil vape cartridge many years ago. After decades of smoking, you know, actual weed, puffing on a vape cart for the first time was a revelation. “This is… future weed!” I remember thinking.

Initially, I loved that vape carts are portable, which allowed me to be even more of a stoner in public and in other situations where smoking weed isn’t appropriate or possible. As time went on, though, I realized that I didn’t really like the high I got from most carts (as they are often called for short). For starters, I found that whatever high came from smoking cannabis vape carts was often short-lived. It also felt one-dimensional — I didn’t get the visual effects from smoking weed, nor the different emotional effects. Mostly, the high I got was a low-grade body high. My tolerance quickly rose, owing to the high THC concentration in the oils, and I found I needed to smoke more and more just to get a little buzz.

Almost as quickly as I jumped in, I weaned myself off of vape carts and went back to actual weed, which is where my loyalties still lie. But I’ve recently added more vapes back into my rotation. Why? Not only has the quality of vape carts gone up but manufacturers are finally using better extracts and concentrates to make them, rather than THC distillate. THC distillate is a mono-cannabinoid oil and is the standard issue substance found in the vast majority of cannabis vape carts. It is also responsible for the lackluster high many report after vaping cannabis oils.

“In layman’s terms, think of distillate like concentrated orange juice, live resin as pasteurized orange juice, and solventless products like fresh-squeezed orange juice — most of the time, consumers would rather have the fresh stuff,” says Nate Ferguson, co-founder and head of production at Jetty Extracts.

“One of the most common misconceptions is that all vapes are created equal,” adds Caleb Counts, co-founder of Connected Cannabis Co. “Many consumers are unaware of the vast difference between vape carts filled with distillate extracts and those that use whole plant live resin.”

Counts is quick to note that distillate carts are often created with the leftover trim of several different strains, which means that only flavorless and odorless THC is extracted to produce oil for smoking. A manufacturer then incorporates artificial additives or other plant terpenes for flavor. Connected — a high-end cannabis brand known chiefly for its high-octane, indoor-grown “designer” weed — recently released its new vape line, which is made with whole-plant, single-source “live resin.” Due to the extraction process, everything from the plant, including THC and unique strain terpenes.

Meaning there’s no need for the artificial flavoring that THC distillate carts often add back in. You’re actually getting the good stuff from a single plant — not the dregs and trim of multiple plants.

Live resin also uses weed that is frozen at harvest time instead of being dried, as it would if it was going to be sold as flower. This freezing process halts the degradation of the plant terpenes and cannabinoids. Like THC distillate, live resin is extracted with solvents, like butane. When done correctly, it’s completely safe for the consumer and shouldn’t affect the experience. But solventless extracts — which have been around for as long as the cannabis plant has existed, in the form of hashish, kief, ice water hash, and other concentrates — are also gaining steam in the vape market.

“When you see a solventless product, it means that no chemicals were used in the process of making the highly concentrated material,” Jetty’s Nate Ferguson says. “In Jetty’s case we only use ice, water, heat, and pressure with our proprietary technology and equipment to make what we believe is the cleanest vape product and experience a consumer can buy.”.

Knowing that this is a lot of information to take in, Khalid Al-Naser, head of product at Raw Garden, offers shoppers some tips:

“Testing results are an important way for consumers to confirm that the product is safe and has been tested by a third-party lab,” he says. “Additionally, I think customers should be mindful to buy from licensed retailers, selling licensed products that have been tested. Don’t just buy what’s on sale that day, or go off of the fanciest packaging or strain name. Cannabis is a deep and nuanced experience, you’ll want to take the time to find what you like.”

He adds that consulting a knowledgeable budtender is important because they can make great recommendations on terpene content and aromas. He also says to ask the budenter if there are additives and for testing results — 100% cannabis is always the recommended move for any vape cart.

As for hardware, 510 carts and their batteries (which are long, cylindrical and skinny — the ones that look like pens) are the most popular option. PAX Era vapes, which are prized for their discrete look, are also popylar. Personally, I also like Dart-X, which also requires specific pods/carts and can be found at pretty much any dispensary. It uses medical-grade stainless steel in its core component and can vaporize THC or CBD extract with a 10-20% vapor volume increase.

With all of that in mind, here are a few brands selling some of the best vapes out there:

Raw Garden

Price: $24.99

Raw Garden is widely known among weed enthusiasts to be one of the best concentrates brands out there. Their live resin carts contain 100% cannabis and, after smoking about a billion of these myself, I can confirm both the taste and resulting high are dynamic and as close to the plant as you’ll get without actually smoking it yourself.

Their ready-to-use vapes are also designed to be decoupled when finished, as there is a rechargeable battery that fits any new 510 vape cartridge. So far, Raw Garden is the only brand that has a disposable vape that does this.

Mistifi

Price: $50

Mistifi’s vape carts use what they call a proprietary CO2-based “Hi-Phi” extraction method, which produces cured resin for their triple-strain vapes sourced across multiple harvests to achieve peak terpene levels. It works! These vapes are tasty as hell and the stylish metallic design on the actual carts doesn’t hurt, either.

Jetty Extracts

Price: $41.25

Jetty’s solventless vape carts use high-grade fresh-frozen cannabis, which allows them to retain the original terpenes from the cannabis plant. This means the full-spectrum, body-and-head high is there, along with the in-your-face cannabis taste redolent of the plant’s actual terpenes.

Connected Cannabis Co.

Price: $55

I am completely in love with Connected’s new vape, which shouldn’t be a surprise at all, considering they are also one of the best top-shelf flower brands out there. Honestly, taking a drag from their vapes, which utilize proprietary heating tech depending on the strain to make sure it heats at just the right temperature for those specific cannabinoids and terpenes, is as close as one can get to dabbing without actually physically lighting up a torch.

They come in one-gram 510 carts or disposable half-gram devices.

Rythm

Price: $45

Rythm’s strain-specific live resin carts are made with fresh-frozen flower, which provides a kicking, long-lasting high, and flavorful vaping experience chock-full of terpenes, THCa, and all the other cannabinoids therein.

Alien Labs

Price: $55

Seeing as Alien Labs is also owned by Connected, it should follow that their products are equally excellent. Alien Labs’ hash rosin pens are one of the truest expressions of the cannabis flower, using only ice, water, and pressure as the extraction method. Ice water does an excellent job of maintaining the terpene profile while producing smooth pulls.

The flower is grown with living soil and the affect feels similarly authentic.

Netflix just dropped the first official teaser for Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, a disaster comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio as two scientists who are not having the best of luck warning people that a massive comet is about to hit the Earth. Think Armageddon, except instead of gathering together a ragtag team of oil drillers to fly into space for a heroic Hail Mary of a mission, nobody gives a sh*t. That particularly includes Jonah Hill, who has a sizable presence in the new trailer alongside Meryl Streep. The two play government officials who are more concerned with DiCaprio’s “stressful” breathing than an extinction level event.

As if Lawrence, DiCaprio, Hill, and Streep weren’t enough, the trailer also hammers home that Don’t Look Up is jam-packed with one hell of a cast that also includes Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Matthew Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, and possibly a few other surprises.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), an astronomy grad student, and her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) make an astounding discovery of a comet orbiting within the solar system. The problem — it’s on a direct collision course with Earth. The other problem? No one really seems to care.

Don’t Look Up starts streaming December 24 on Netflix.

Jimmy Kimmel returned to TV screens last night, after being on vacation since the end of June. A lot of strange stories have popped up over the summer—including some people floating a few conspiracy theories about Kimmel’s already-announced summer vacation, including that he had COVID and/or was dead. Alas, Kimmel confirmed that he is alive and well… though he can’t say the same for the rest of the world. “I leave you people alone for two months, you start taking horse worm medicine?,” Kimmel asked his viewers.

When the conversation turned to COVID, Kimmel brought up the ivermectin craze yet again:

“It was not a fun Labor Day weekend, COVID-wise. The number of new cases is up more than 300 percent from a year ago. Dr. Fauci said that if hospitals get any more overcrowded, they’re going to have to make some very tough choices about who gets an ICU bed. That choice doesn’t seem so tough to me: Vaccinated person have a heart attack? Yes, come right in, we’ll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy.

We’ve still got a lot of pandimwits out there. People are still taking this ivermectin. The poison control centers have seen this spike in calls from people taking this livestock medicine to fight the coronavirus, but they won’t take the vaccine, which is crazy. It’s like if you’re a vegan and you’re just like, ‘No, I don’t want a hamburger. Give me that can of Alpo instead.’

One of the reason these Seabiscuits are opting for ivermectin is because they don’t trust big pharma, which is fine I guess. Except for the fact that ivermectin is make by Merck, which is the fourth largest pharmaceutical company in the world. And even Merck is telling people to cut it out. They released a statement saying ivermectin has ‘no scientific basis for a potential therapeutic effect against COVID; there’s no meaningful evidence for clinical activity or clinical efficacy in patients with COVID-19 disease; and there’s a concerning lack of safety data in the majority of studies.’ Listen, if a pharmaceutical company says, ‘Please don’t take the drug we’re selling,’ you should probably listen to them. Or you could just go with a TikTok posted by a disgraced veterinarian instead.”

You can watch the full clip beginning around the 3:00 mark.

The pop culture masses held their collective breaths back in July on the news that Better Call Saul star (and sketch comedy icon, and freshly minted action star, and I Think You Should Leave cameo assassin) Bob Odenkirk had suffered a small heart attack on set. But now, just five weeks later, he’s back, ready to wrap up the home stretch for everyone’s favorite future Cinnabon employee.

While there had been confirmation (via Den Of Geek) that production had continued during Odenkirk’s recovery (with filming on scenes that didn’t require his presence), it was an open question as to how long he’d be out. The phrase “serious as a heart attack” exists for a reason and any kind of cardiac rehab can be timely and arduous. So it’s a great sign that Odenkirk is tweeting out his return with a little self-depreciation thrown into the mix as he compliments show makeup artist Cheri Montesanto for making him “not ugly” before shooting.

The return to Saul isn’t exactly Odenkirk’s first assignment post-episode, though. If you want to call fielding a phone call from Paul F. Tompkins during an episode of The George Lucas Talk Show “work.” He’s also been tweeting out appreciation (in response to the outpouring of love and concern) while signal boosting up and coming comics, his son Nate, and his Mr. Show partner David Cross, who is apparently saving some potato salad for him (is this code!? Let’s get conspiratorial in the comments). By the way, Tweeting is work.

Stay tuned for more updates on the progress of season 6, including a release date, a trailer, and the inevitable Jonathan Banks/Mike scowl NFT collection.