Did you know Chris Evans has a bunch of tattoos? And that some of them are chest tattoos? Last year, while casually doing a virtual interview, the erstwhile Steve Rogers dressed down just a little too much, enough that some chest tats peaked out from under his undershirt. Evans had shown them off before, but apparently most people didn’t get the memo, and the internet all but melted down. Now that Evans is People’s latest Sexiest Man Alive (to the horror of John Oliver), it was all but inevitable that they’d be back in the news.
People zeroed in on the Marvel alum’s many new tattoos in a separate piece, deducing that he has eight. One is an eagle tattoo, emblazoned on his chest. Another, also on his chest, commemorates his dog Dodger, whom he adopted in 2017. Yet another, on his stomach, honors his late friend Matt Bardsley, who died in an off-roading accident in 2003.
Thing is, there used to be nine tattoos. One of them he got removed. It was the Chinese character for “family,” and it used to run down from his right shoulder down his arm. It’s visible in some older photos. In a 2014 interview with The Hot Hits, he didn’t explicitly explain why he got it removed, but he did strongly hint at his motivation.
— Chris Evans Forum – FANSITE (@ChrisEvansForum) May 1, 2018
“I really like tattoos, but the problem is, when you wear a short-sleeve shirt in a movie, that’s an extra hour in the makeup chair. It’s not worth it,” he explained. “I’m all for tattoos, but just somewhere they can be hidden.”
Still, eight out of nine ain’t bad. Anyway, congrats to Chris Evans for the honor — and congrats to those who wanted him to nab it last year, when it went to another Avenger instead.
Nothing beats the crispy fizz of a cold bottle of sparkling water. It has the satisfying snap and bite of a can of Coke without all the calories and sugar, it’s just as refreshing as a bottle of water (though not as hydrating), and can take a few ounces of alcohol and elevate it into a straight-up cocktail. It’s one of the most versatile beverages you can have in your fridge!
Over the past few years, the range of sparkling water brands widely available at stores has exploded. Just take a peek at the refrigerated aisle at your local gas station or corner store and you’ll find more brands of sparkling water than all of the energy drinks and bottled water brands combined. And that’s not even including the flavored varieties.
Do we really need that many different brands? Probably not, but while most sparkling water brands taste the same, where they differ is in the texture, mouthfeel, and carbonation level. So who makes the best sparkling water? Before we figure that out, let’s lay out what exactly makes for great carbonated water in the first place.
First and foremost, it has to have a good fizz level. We’re not looking for moderate bubbles, we’re looking for that refreshing blast of carbonation that sizzles on the tongue. After that, the most important aspect is the aftertaste. Does it leave your palate and throat feeling stale and dry or does it have you wanting another gulp?
Methodology
The rule for this blind taste test is simple: if it has bubbles and no added flavors, it’s fair game whether it brands itself as club soda, mineral water, or sparkling water. In our search we found 10 brands that seem to be the most common, here is our class:
Canada Dry — Club Soda
La Croix — Pure
Liquid Death — Sparkling Water
Jarritos — Mineragua Sparking Water
Perrier — Carbonated Mineral Water
Proud Source — Sparkling Water
San Pellegrino — Sparkling Mineral Water
Saratoga — Sparkling Spring Water
Schweppes — Club Soda
Topo Chico Mineral Water
I tried each of these bottles in an unmarked glass and jotted down my impressions. Unlike our alcohol-blind taste tests, there was no fear of getting drunk or exhausting my palate, so I made sure to drink at least six ounces of each. Here is how it all played out.
Part 1: The Tasting
Taste 1:
Dane Rivera
It fizzes in the glass but strangely calms as soon as it hits your tongue. The flavor has a slight sweet lift on the backend with a soft and smooth mouthfeel, but there isn’t enough fizz for this to really satisfy.
Taste 2:
Dane Rivera
Weirdly bitter on the initial taste. The fizz is enough to feel on the tongue, but it’s still not pronounced enough. It lacks… crispness.
Taste 3:
Dane Rivera
This is what I’m talking about. A nice fizz with small carbonation bubbles that snap on the tongue. The aftertaste is a bit blunt and bitter. Loving the fizz but not loving the flavor.
Taste 4:
Dane Rivera
Another tasting with a satisfying level of fizz but the aftertaste is worryingly metallic. Seriously, it tastes almost like I’m drinking something out of a… can? Is this Liquid Death?
I didn’t drink more of this than I had to in order to get a handle on the experience. It left me with a weird bitterness on my palate.
Taste 5:
Dane Rivera
I’m really torn on this one. On one hand, it tastes great, a tinge of sweetness lingers on the aftertaste and it’s very soft and silky on the palate but the fizz leaves a lot to be desired. It’s almost like the bubbles are too small, they’re not present enough.
I can see this being someone’s personal favorite but for me, that lack of fizz is going to hurt it.
Taste 6:
Dane Rivera
Wow, this one is really really nice. It practically sizzles on the tongue! It strikes the perfect balance between fizz and flavor, with a soft mouthfeel that goes down really smoothly. It starts with a snap and crackle and settles as it bathes the palate in this perfect way. I can see this being the perfect soda to use in a cocktail.
Taste 7:
Dane Rivera
This hits you with a nice fizz that settles into a soft and satisfying mouthfeel. It’s very similar to Taste 6 but doesn’t have that same snap. On its own it’s delicious, but I can’t see this fizz translating once mixed in a cocktail so it seems a lot less versatile than the last taste.
This is a close second for me so far though.
Taste 8:
Dane Rivera
Flat. Totally fizzless, it has that bitter and blunt quality that is characteristic of sparkling water, but none of the mouth sensation. Truly one of the worst sparkling waters I’ve ever had.
Taste 9:
Dane Rivera
Very bitter. The fizz is good, but the overwhelming bitter flavor of this makes the overall experience pretty subpar. This one is sure to land somewhere in the middle for the ranking.
Taste 10:
Dane Rivera
Look at the bubbles on this thing! This was by far the fizziest, hitting the palate with an initial sizzle that continued to burn down the throat. I like it, but the flavor is a bit more bitter than Taste 6, with a slightly rusty quality to it. It also gave me instant burps, maybe it’s because I drank about a liter of club soda before I got to this one, but this one definitely pushed me over the edge into gassiness.
Canada Dry has been in business since 1904 and is one of the easiest brands of club soda you can find. I’ve seen this everywhere in markets, liquor stores, gas station snack fridges, and bars and prior to this blind taste test it would probably be one of my first choices if I needed to pick up a bottle of club soda. Never again. I can’t believe just how flat this bottle tasted in comparison to everything else on offer.
It’s incredibly cheap and you can find it everywhere but that’s not always a good thing.
The Bottom Line:
Avoid this one at all costs. It might be cheap, but it’s way too flat to be satisfying and outside of the fizz, it’s too bitter.
Everybody loves La Croix. It’s the brand that helped to put sparkling water as a soda substitute on everyone’s radar, but the unsweetened Pure flavor is the brand’s absolute worst. The overwhelming metallic taste of this one makes it undrinkable, which is a shame because it has a nice fizz. Pure is only available as a 12-pack which means if you ever pick up a case of one of these, you’ll probably end up having 11 cans in your fridge until the day you die.
It’s so bad that you probably wouldn’t even offer it to thirsty guests.
The Bottom Line:
Way too metallic to be enjoyable. Just reach for one of La Croix’s fruit-flavored cans, they’re still 0 calories but taste significantly better.
With one of the worst names of any sparkling water, Proud Source touts itself as mineral-rich spring water from Idaho springs that is filtered by nature through layers of ancient volcanic rock. Does any of that matter when it comes to fizzy water? We’re not so sure. It certainly doesn’t lend itself to tasting better. Not only did this one have a weak fizz, but the flavor was blunt and bitter.
Maybe the spring water is good, but the sparkling water is sub-par at best. To be fair to Proud Source, the can does state that it is “lightly carbonated” and this is one of the few sparkling water brands to contain electrolytes.
Cool, but that doesn’t result in better-tasting water.
The Bottom Line:
Bitter with a weak fizz. This one, while not bad, doesn’t have anything going for it either.
Schweppes has been around since 1783. As long as sparkling water has been a thing, Schweppes has been there, and as such this brand is everywhere. If a store doesn’t have Canada Dry, it has Schweppes. The brands are nearly interchangeable in looks and price, making them easy pick ups for budget buys. But if you want the better flavor, you’re going to have to go with Schweppes.
Both have the same bitter flavor, but Schweppes has the better fizz and that’s all it takes to land near the middle of our ranking.
The Bottom Line:
It tastes cheap and is cheap, but it provides a nice fizz that’ll pair well with your favorite spirit.
It’s your favorite podcaster’s favorite sparkling water! Liquid Death is a prominent sponsor on a lot of podcasts and I’m not sure if that has to do with the insane popularity of this fairly new brand or if it’s the tall-boy resembling can, but people seem to love this stuff. Liquid Death doesn’t just look like a can of beer though, according to the website it’s actually carbonated like one as well.
Liquid Death contains 5 grams of carbonation per liter, while the typical club soda contains anywhere between 6 and 7 grams. That means Liquid Death is less fizzy than most brands, and that was apparent in the tasting — the fizz isn’t very pronounced here, though it is still snappy and satisfying.
The Bottom Line:
A nice subtle fizz with a pleasing flavor that doesn’t come across as bitter.
5. S. Pellegrino — Sparkling Mineral Water (Taste 5)
S. Pellegrino is the most pretentious sparkling water on the market. This is the brand that is often served by restaurants when you ask for water and they reply, “sparkling or still?” I get it. The brand is sourced from the Italian Alps and it does have a silky smooth mouthfeel and a satisfying flavor, but for me, it’s not nearly fizzy enough.
If you’re after flavor and a subtle fizz, this will probably be your favorite brand, but if you like a sparkling water that has snap and bite like a can of cold Coca-Cola, this is going to leave a lot to be desired.
The Bottom Line:
A nice flavor and a silky mouthfeel, but a very unsatisfying fizz.
Perrier is another brand that has been around for a long time — since 1863, to be exact. The brand originates in France and features what it calls a ‘balanced amount of bubbles and mineral content.’ I really like the crispiness on this one, it’s very similar to the experience of drinking S. Pellegrino but with a much more satisfying fizzing bite. I’m not sure how much there is to this, but I’ve noticed that Perrier tends to be a bit fizzier from a glass bottle than the cheaper plastic bottles.
We used the glass bottle variety in this tasting, I’m not sure if the plastic version would’ve resulted in a lower ranking but it’s just something to keep in mind if you’ve got multiple options!
The Bottom Line:
The same luxurious mouthfeel as S. Pellegrino with a much more pronounced fizz.
3. Jarritos — Minerague Sparkling Water (Taste 10)
Made by Jarritos brand (makers of the delicious Mexican sodas) Mineragua has a stunningly satisfying bite. It burns the tongue and the throat in this really pleasing way but ultimately what held it back for me is the flavor. It’s fizzy but comes across as a bit too bitter for its own good.
The brand’s tagline is “life with sparkles” and it definitely doesn’t sparkle louder than every other brand in our tasting.
The Bottom Line:
Satisfyingly fizzy with a burning aftertaste but it leans too heavily on the bitter side for its own good.
Prior to this tasting I had never tasted nor come across Saratoga’s Sparkling Spring Water but now I consider myself a fan. This stuff is great! Made and bottled in Saratoga Springs, this is an American take on fancy sparkling water ala S. Pellegrino and Perrier. It has the same silky smooth mouthfeel but tastes noticeably cleaner without any bitter aftertaste whatsoever.
The brand touts itself as “the perfect balance of light taste with just the right amount of carbonation,” and I’d say the nail that self-description. It has a subtle bite to it but doesn’t stain the palate with a bitter or stale aftertaste, making this the perfect palate cleanser.
The Bottom Line:
Refreshingly fizzy with a silky smooth flavor that washes the palate clean. If you’re looking for a carbonated water to pair with your meal, this is the best choice.
Bottled at the source in Monterey Mexico, Topo Chico is one of the only sparkling water brands that come with a legend attached. According to Topo Chico, a long time ago an Aztec princess was ill and carried hundreds of miles to the spring where she drank the water and bathed in it, later experiencing a miraculous recovery. That’s a wild f*cking story, especially because Topo Chico is essentially saying is that their sparkling water is Aztec Princess bath water. Yum?
Crazy origin story aside, Topo Chico is far and above the best sparkling water we tasted in our blind taste test. It has the perfect snap and crackle on the palate, first greeting you with a sizzle that settles into a smooth and subtly sweet finish. I can’t get enough of this stuff.
The Bottom Line:
If you like the snap, bite, and crackle of a can of Coca-Cola but want something unsweetened, this is your drink. It is, as far as we’re concerned, perfect. It starts fizzy and ends smooth and comes across as more versatile than the other brands, whether you’re looking to mix it or simply drink it straight.
America looks — and feels — a lot different today than it did six years ago, when Donald Trump was running for president for the first time. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is Russia’s interest in our democracy, along with their wish to see sh*t-disturbing Republicans like Trump in office in order to create a more chaotic United States.
As The Daily Beast reports, Dmitry Abzalov, director of the Center for Strategic Communications, appeared on Russian state TV on Tuesday and confirmed that: “Of course we depend on the U.S. elections. Anyone who is doubting that should take a look at today’s dominating news topics. Every field commander is reporting that they’re plugged into American elections, planning to watch them at night. Why would they need to watch if everything was decided over here?”
It’s a fair, albeit disheartening, question. But Abzalov is hardly the only Kremlin mouthpiece saying the quiet part out loud.
Andrey Sidorov, Moscow State University’s deputy dean of world politics, has been a fiercely vocal opponent of Joe Biden and his desire to see Russia come to the table to negotiate with Ukraine following Putin’s invasion of the country back in February. Which he made clear over the weekend while appearing as a guest on Kremlin TV’s Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov.
After sharing a clip of Trump launching a verbal attack on Biden, Solovyov described the former president as a “smart person who openly says everything that many Americans are thinking.”
But it was Sidorov who really brought the point home when he explained that part of their affinity for Trump is the discord that follows him. “We couldn’t care less how they feel about each other,” he said, referring to Trump’s critics. “But Trump generates a lot of hatred in America’s society. From my standpoint, the more they hate each other, the better it is for us.”
And if that wasn’t enough to convince viewers of exactly how Russian lawmakers feel about American chaos, perhaps Sergei Luzyanin, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Russian Foreign Ministry, said it best when he basically described Russia as the Michael Jackson eating popcorn GIF:
“After the midterm elections, we’ll see a glass jar full of poisonous American spiders, tearing each other up. Go ahead and eat one another! It will be a frightening political process… It may also lead to tactical or strategic changes in their foreign policy… Get lots of popcorn and let’s watch.”
Actor and comedian Jim Meskimen is one of those actors who may look familiar to many but could probably only be named by a few. He has acted in movies such as “Apollo 13” and “There Will Be Blood” and TV shows such as “Friends” and “Castle,” and has also done a wide range of voiceover work.
Meskimen’s voice is one of his most honed tools. A master impressionist, he can imitate dozens of famous actors, from George Clooney to Jack Nicholson to Morgan Freeman. In fact, he’s created a series of impressionist tutorials on YouTube to help others figure out how to do their own impressions of famous people.
But one video of Meskimen’s that has gotten viral attention goes beyond just voice impressions. Using deep fake video technology (courtesy of video effects editor Shamook), Meskimen transforms not just his voice and mannerisms, but his actual face, to impersonate celebrities.
As he recites a poem he wrote about doing impressions, Meskimen slips seamlessly from one famous voice to another—and as he does so, his face also morphs into whichever celebrity he’s doing, almost like magic.
It’s super trippy, really cool and slightly terrifying to watch. Check out Meskimen’s “A Deeper Look Into the Life of an Impressionist”:
Impressive, no?
Aside from showcasing Meskimen’s enviable abilities, the video highlights how easy it can be to dupe people with modern technology. Confusion over what’s real and true is a pervasive problem as it is, but the ability to create video that makes it look like a real person is really saying something they never said adds a whole new layer to people’s levels of distrust of all media.
In fact, MIT reported in 2019 that the problem with deep fake videos isn’t merely the impact that the creation of convincing video dupes might have. Just the mere possibility that a video could be faked causes people to question whether any video they see is real, and that kind of generalized confusion is exactly what disinformation pushers want.
Meskimen’s video, of course, isn’t meant to be a statement or warning on deep fake tech, but rather a showcase of what can be done with it. VFX creator Shamook shared a split-screen video showing how he used the celebrities’ faces to transform Meskimen’s face, and it’s pretty cool to see.
(By the way, if you’re struggling to figure out who any of the famous people are, here’s the list in order: John Malkovich, Colin Firth, Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Nick Offerman, George Clooney, Christopher Walken, Anthony Hopkins, Dr. Phil, Nicholas Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Morgan Freeman, Bryan Cranston, Christoph Waltz, Joe Pesci, Jack Nicholson, George W. Bush, Ian McKellen, Ron Howard, Robin Williams.)
Absolutely amazing what humans have figured out how to do, isn’t it? Here’s hoping that this kind of deep fake technology stays in the realm of entertainment where it belongs.
Some dads need a little bit of help getting up to speed when it comes to the world of feminine hygiene products. But that’s fine as long as they are willing to learn. A TikTok user named @k.othabarber, who we’ll call K.O., got the call to help out his daughter who got her period in school and one user said he hilariously “overstood the assignment.”
K.O. is a barber in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who posts videos of himself taking unflattering haircuts and turning them into something amazing.
“So my baby mama just text me and told me like, ‘hey baby dad, your daughter just got her period at school.’ I’m like aight, cool, what I need to do?” K.O. said in the viral video. “She like, ‘take her some pads up there.’ I’m like aight, I’m finna take my dog to the doggy appointment and then I’m finna slide up there. She like, ‘aight cool, get her some maxi pads. Get her some Always pads with wings,’” he continued.
“So, I feel like I should tell y’all what I did,” K.O. said before the video cuts to a large, 100-pack of sanitary napkins and a to-go container filled with chicken wings. He was supposed to get Always pads with wings, not chicken wings on the side.
Even though K.O. had a bit of a misunderstanding, TikTok had his back because he went out of his way for his daughter. It was also humble of him to admit his rather egregious mistake.
“Overstood the assignment, king,” RayP0710 wrote. “She might need some chocolate too but you did A Great Job Dad!” Asia added. Others were happy that K.O. accidentally dealt with the emotional side of menstruation.
“The pads will help her with her cycle and the wings is emotional support & care. Add a little note telling her that you love her,” sola_scriptum wrote. “Good job dad! She’ll be happy you brought both,” Tiffiney Lee added.
Although K.O. made a rookie mistake while getting the pads, it’s cool that he was excited to help and did what he thought was right. It was also encouraging that after the video went viral, nearly everyone was supportive of K.O. helping his daughter with her feminine hygiene needs.
When men are open to learning about the mensural cycle it works to destigmatize periods. This is vital to women achieving equality because the lack of conversation around menstruation leads to misunderstandings that hold women back.
A poll published in the New York Post found that “58 percent of women have felt a sense of embarrassment simply because they were on their period” and that “44 percent of men admit to having made a joke about or comment on a partner’s mood when she was on her period.”
When men like K.O. have no problem talking openly about periods and even having a little fun, it goes a long way toward opening up the conversation for everyone. The more comfortable we get talking about menstruation, the more equitable the world becomes for women.
We’re living in a new era of psychedelia. Thanks to recent studies that highlight the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, the country has begun to reexamine psychedelic plant medicine like “magic mushrooms.” Just last year, John Hopkins received the first federal grant for psychedelic treatment research in 50 years and many cities across the country have decriminalized the possession of psilocybin, including Santa Cruz, Oakland, Denver, Cambridge, Northampton, Easthampton, Somerville, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Seattle, and the entire state of Oregon, where psilocybin is not only decriminalized but straight up legalized for therapeutic use at authorized facilities.
Without a doubt magic mushrooms, like marijuana, are on a slow-but-steady march toward federal legalization. Or at least decriminalization.
So how do we speed up that process? And what do we actually do when psilocybin is widely available? As the misconceptions around these “drugs” evolve, shift, or even evaporate, there will be plenty of information to parse to make sure that people are able to reap the widely touted benefits. Who does that vital work fall to?
Enter YAWN, a psychedelic culture brand started by two women, which has tasked itself with dismantling the many stigmas attached to psilocybin through education and the power of retail. The brand’s two-pronged approach is very intentional. On one end is the retail side, the brand offers everything from meditation masks, hoodies, hats, t-shirts, stash bags, and other practical accessories with graphics meant to inspire conversation around psychedelics. A portion of the proceeds is sent to the Heffter Research Institute, an organization that seeks to fund leading studies on the benefits of psilocybin. Meanwhile, YAWN’s social accounts and website serve as an education hub hosting Q&As, interviews with MDs, sharing research papers and articles about the indigenous history of mushrooms, and offering practical how-tos that include information on microdosing, harm reduction, and more.
YAWN also takes their education on the road with immersive experiences (Diplo counts himself as a fan and supporter). Their most recent activation saw them partner with Secular Sabbath in Joshua Tree, where they offered custom Trip Kits, guidebooks, and clothing meant to provide education and harm reduction.
To learn more about YAWN’s mission, we chatted with the brand’s co-creator Maddalen Pasini who spoke on her desire to make psychedelics more inclusive and offered advice for first-time users who are interested in delving into the world of psilocybin safely. Let’s dive in!
Secular Sabbath
What’s the main mission of YAWN? How are you trying to reframe the way people look at psychedelics?
We didn’t originally start as a brand. My partner Sam and I have been self-exploring with psychedelics for over 15 years. And what we’ve realized is that there’s a major lack of education. Just seeing the way things are kind of picking up with the second psychedelic renaissance now, the whole medical side, jumping through all the medical hoops and the government system and everything, the reality of the situation is the medical side is not going to be accessible to everybody.
So right now here, at least in Vancouver and LA, you go for psilocybin therapeutic treatment and you’re looking at costs of upwards of three to six thousand dollars. Being on the West Coast seeing things like Skid Row, the downtown East side here in Vancouver, the opioid crisis, and the mental health crisis, a lot of those people are not going to have access to the medical system, and a lot of people fall through the cracks.
Also, not everyone’s going to want to go and trip in a clinic. Not everyone’s going to want that sterile environment.
People are going to need the tools and the education to self-treat. I think the self-treatment side is huge. That could also mean recreationally, and ceremonially with underground practitioners. People just need the education and tools to know how to do it safely. Harm reduction’s a big part of Yawn, making education digestible. So taking all the information from the psychedelic insider world and breaking it down and making it easy to understand and digestible for people.
Our mission is to destigmatize through things like clothing, which is just a fun, accessible touch point. Someone wearing a mushroom shirt can open up conversations in their own community about it and they can also be proud of their mushroom use. We are also rolling out a line of paraphernalia ancillary-type products like storing units and grinders and things that will teach people how to safely use and store. People don’t know that light, heat, moisture will affect the potency of the quality of their mushrooms. People are keeping them in plastic bags. So actually teaching them that they need to keep them in an airtight, waterproof, resistant bag away from heat, will actually sustain their mushrooms in a safe environment. Giving people the tools and also elevated products that will help destigmatize and further the conversation about it, I think that that’s what we’re doing and that’s why we’re staying on the legal side of things in the lifestyle market.
All of these places, as I’m sure you’re aware, are decriminalizing mushrooms. It’s come to be redefined in kind of the same way cannabis has been — though it’s much more about therapy than pure recreation. In Yawn’s view, what is the “typical” new psychedelic user like? In the past, people would default to psychedelics are for hippies, but I know you guys are trying to change that. So where are we today, in your view?
I’ve talked to a lot of people about it and kind of helped them on their journey. In my view right now, especially being on the West Coast, the psychedelic health user is like your mom. My mom is microdosing now. Your mom, your teacher. I think it’s really starting to become more destigmatized, especially with microdosing being able to help with so many different things like anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar mood swings. Obviously, we’re not telling people to go and do this, we’re telling people to either speak to somebody that’s knowledgeable about it or do their own research and that sort of thing. But people are self-treating and they are helping themselves and they’re noticing a huge difference.
And a lot of it is moms these days. Moms have so much stress, it’s so difficult being a parent. And I’ve personally been able to help my own mother and a few of my friends’ mothers really with their issues just through microdosing, which is sub-perceptual.
What efforts is Yawn making to show the psychedelic space as more inclusive?
One, our platform, which provides some education, we’re going to all different people in all aspects of the industry, underground practitioners, marginalized communities, and women. We’re featuring a lot of voices on our platform that may not be heard otherwise or that don’t really have a prominent voice in the space. Right now we are kind of concerned this is going to turn into this capitalist chaos. A lot of these public companies are owned by white males, and in a lot of the conferences, there are a lot of white male speakers. And so we’re just trying to diversify our platform by giving people a voice that might not have a prominent voice elsewhere. And we’re just trying to promote equity in the space.
Another way that we’re doing that is that we’re launching a collaboration in the new year and an activity-driven product. Through those products, we’re actually going to be bringing awareness to and donating proceeds to the Fireside Equity Fund. So the Fireside Project is North America’s first psychedelic peer support hotline. It’s a 24/7 24-hour hotline where you can just call in if you’re having a challenging trip or you just need someone to talk to, some support. And they have created this equity fund… it provides job opportunities like scholarships and education and opportunities for marginalized communities to find work in the psychedelic space to further help their marginalized community heal.
They’ll be able to get jobs, whether it’s with the Fireside Project or with a lot of these psychedelic organizations or harm reduction clinics and so forth. And so what we’re doing is we’re going to be raising a lot of awareness to that organization and that fund and also raising profits for it.
Another way that we did this was we launched one of the first mushroom stash bags that were on the market. It was called the Mustache. We launched it last year. We’re going to be coming up with a second version soon. If you’re in America in certain states where mushrooms aren’t decriminalized and you’re of color and you get caught with this bag, you could go to jail, the war on drugs is still prominent. So with that bag, we kind of rose awareness of those issues and we were raising money for the Drug Policy Alliance in the US.
We’re just trying to bring awareness to the issues within the space as well as how there is inequality as well as provide a space on our platform for those voices.
YAWN
For someone who hasn’t had any experiences with psilocybin but is very interested, what kind of resources are out there? What do people need to know and why is it so vital to educate people on psychedelics properly before they start experimenting?
I think there’s so much stigma because it was illegal, it was banned, it was so stigmatized that there wasn’t education out there, so when people had their first experience on it and they did it incorrectly or didn’t have knowledge on the way that the things that you should take into consideration like set and setting, which is such a big one.
Who you’re with, the environment you’re in, your mindset, the situations around you, what you’re doing before and after the trip, what you’ve eaten that day, all those things are something to consider. If someone does a larger dose in a situation where they’re not feeling comfortable and they’re going through something mentally, they’re going to have a negative experience. So just being able to have that education before going into it is so important. It’s going to directly relate to the kind of experience you have and what you’re going to get out of it.
I think that there are a lot of great resources out there now, MAPS Organization, Double Blind Magazine is a really phenomenal magazine, there’s a really great book by Michelle Janikian called The Psilocybin Mushroom Companion. We’re actually going to be selling it on our site this holiday, but that’s basically a 101 guide to mushrooms, everything you need to know when it comes to dosage and stuff.
We’ve got a few articles on our site that really touch on some of the beginner-level aspects. But I think the most important things people need to know are set and setting and dosage. Also learning what it does to the brain and the body, I think that that’s really important. People can do this recreationally, but these are powerful powerful plant medicines. Well, fungi is not considered a plant, but it comes from the earth and it’s a very powerful medicine. It’s been used in Indigenous cultures for many, many years and people seem to forget that.
I wanted to ask you specifically about dosing. Can you define what a microdose is versus what a “hero dose” is? Are those antiquated terms? How do people zero in on the particular dose that’s right for them? And should you always start small? Should you start somewhere in the middle? Is it just a personal thing?
Microdosing is sub-perceptual, so you’re not actually supposed to feel high. So I always recommend starting off smaller. A microdose could be anywhere from 10 to 20 milligrams or up to 100, 150, 200 milligrams. It really depends. I microdose often and I still only take 50 milligrams once every three days. And I’ll take a few weeks off here and there because you do grow tolerance; it’s impossible to be addicted to this medicine because you really grow a tolerance to it. But microdose is anywhere under 150-200 milligrams. But I recommend starting off small, try 20 milligrams once every three days or whatever method you want to use, five days on, two days off. And then going above that.
A dose that you’re going to feel is 0.5 grams. I guess an actual dose would be considered 0.5 to probably about two grams. And then a larger dose is going to be upwards of three grams. A heroic dose is considered five grams. Terence McKenna has the five dried grams and he goes by himself into a room with a blindfold on and he can speak to the mushroom god and that’s kind of where he transcends. And I’ve done that as well in a ceremonial setting.
It’s different for everybody. Some people like to go big at the beginning, but they just need to be aware that if they have trauma it might come up. So you might want to be with a trip sitter or somebody safe when you’re doing that. And you also want to make sure that you’re aware of what’s going on with yourself mentally and physically when you’re about to enter that kind of space because everyone does react very differently, I highly recommend starting off small because you can always eat a bit more as you go. And it’s also, a lot of it is dependent on your digestion, your metabolism. If you had a massive meal, if you’re going to take two grams, those might not hit for two or three hours. You might get hit with those a bit later because of how your body digests. So you have to be careful of that as well.
Secular Sabbath
You mentioned sub-perceptual doses. If you’re not feeling high, what should you be looking for in terms of knowing if it’s doing anything?
I think the best way to do that is by journaling and tracking how you feel. Because obviously, you don’t always feel the effects or the overall effectiveness of something unless you’ve done it consistently for a little while. So what I do is I track monthly. I do like the one day on two days off protocol and I do 50 milligrams and I journal my mood every day. The days that I don’t actually take it, I’m known to have mood swings so I can feel myself being moodier. The days that I do microdose, I’m happy and it’s consistent all the way through and I’ve been able to focus a little bit better and be a little bit more creative.
I’ve learned that through my journaling. Then I’ll take a month off and then see how that looks. So you really do have to track it, especially with microdosing, and it’s very different for everyone. And you can also track it, try taking a higher dose and see how you feel and see the second or third month if it’s different if you’re taking a hundred milligrams once every three days.
Again, nothing is completely instantaneous unless you’re taking a big dose, then you’ll feel that right away. But with microdosing and taking a sub-perceptual amount, it’s really about tracking it, journaling it, reflecting, and integrating how you feel.
What sort of advice do you have for first-timers? What sort of environment is conducive to a good experience, or is that entirely personal?
It’s definitely entirely personal. I either recommend researching a really great underground practitioner to do it in a ceremonial setting if someone wants to intentionally face some trauma or have that sort of spiritual experience. If they just want to do it with a friend, maybe one or two close friends who they really trust and feel comfortable with in a very comfortable setting, I always recommend doing it in nature.
It’d important to have a trip sitter, so maybe someone who’s not as high or someone that’s sober to watch over you if you’re doing a higher dose for your first time and you’re nervous about it. Make sure you preplan the music you’re going to listen to so you’re not finicking with it, something that’s going to really keep you in a positive head space. And also just being mindful of your mentality going into it and the things going on in your life because trauma can come up. Being aware of that and being open-minded, because not every trip is going to be the same, so as long as you’re open-minded and you don’t have as many expectations, you won’t be as affected if something goes in a different direction.
If a trip does go sideways, what are some good ways to re-center yourself? And what should you look for in a trip sitter?
I think in a trip sitter, you want somebody who’s very responsible, someone who you feel very comfortable around, somebody you trust and somebody who’s responsible and that will be able to handle the situation. If things tend to go a little bit more sideways, there are a few things that you can do to kind of change the environment. Maybe it’s changing the lighting, maybe it’s changing the music, maybe it’s going into a different room, maybe it’s going for a walk outside. Changing the environment around you can make a huge difference when you’re on mushrooms because it can be very visual.
Maybe calling someone that you really love and trust that you want to talk to pull you out of it. And just remind yourself that this is temporary, you are high, and be a little bit more present in the situation instead of letting it take over you.
I think psychedelics and mushrooms seem to have kind of captivated what one might call the “young Hollywood crowd.” I know people can view psychedelics sometimes as a sort of church. I was wondering just where you stand on that. Is that a dangerous or a positive thing?
Personally, I think that the more people talking about psychedelics and the more normalized the conversation is and the more trendy it is, I think the ability it has to help more people. That’s why my partner Sam and I started YAWN. I think people like Will Smith talking about his ayahuasca experience, and Meek Mill talking about psilocybin and how amazing it is, I think that is important. It’s obviously important for people to understand education and the history of it, the history of the indigenous cultures who’ve been using this medicine for so long, and the roots of it, and not that it’s just these rappers using it these days or these pop stars or whatever it is. But I think that that’s the gateway to open up this whole door of helping more people. I think the more people it can help the better.
Ultimately, the more conversations people have about it, I see that as being a positive. I’m more so concerned about how the medical side and the capitalist side of things are going to go. When Will Smith talks about ayahuasca, he does it in a very proper ceremonial setting and he talks about his experience and how heavy-duty it actually is. So I think it is a good thing.
Giveon was recently honored by his hometown, Long Beach, California, after giving back to one of the city’s most famous institutions. Teaming up with Tres Generaciones Tequila, Giveon donated a brand-new, state-of-the-art music studio to World Famous VIP Records, a landmark in Long Beach, and an important focal point of the city’s early contributions to hip-hop history. The store, opened in 1978 on the corner of Martin Luther King, Blvd. and Pacific Coast Highway, was where Snoop Dogg recorded his first demo before joining Dr. Dre on Death Row Records in 1991.
The shop also survived the closure of many of its peers and competitors by virtue of its historical status (its sign was given landmark status in 2017), and has even become an exclusive retailer for special edition vinyl such as Beyoncé’s Renaissance. Giveon’s donation aims to continue the tradition, helping more Long Beach youth pursue their dreams and utilize a positive outlet. 100 hours of studio time will be paid for as well, which will be managed by VIP Records.
Giveon himself is enjoying the success of his sophomore album Give Or Take, for which he just completed a headlining tour in October.
After declaring himself the leader of the Taylor Swift Religion, Ryan Reynolds’ next move is to convince the pop star to join the superhero universe. It worked with Hugh Jackman, right?
While promoting his new holiday movie Spirited, Reynolds was asked by ET about those pesky little rumors that Swift would appear in the upcoming Deadpool installment. He joked, “If we shoot the next Deadpool film in our house, then that would be that location.”
The actor was then asked if he would want Swift to make a nice cameo appearance, Reynolds knew it would be silly to say no. “Of course. Are you kidding me? I would do anything for that woman. She’s a genius.” While she already has the Deadpool suit, it seems like she isn’t joining the MCU any time soon.
For anyone who is normal and doesn’t keep tabs on Taylor Swift’s filming whereabouts, the singer has used the Reynolds-Lively household numerous times for her musical projects. Most recently, Swift shot her short film at their house last fall, while their property was used extensively while filming her folklore music videos during COVID lockdown times. Does that mean Reynolds could convince her to act again, despite her notoriously bad track record when it comes to movies? It doesn’t look like it. But will she use this to promote a new song again? Maybe!
Social media erupted into outrage after Peacock released the first teaser for its upcoming docuseries, Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies. While it’s not uncommon to see documentaries about the tabloid fixture who was accused, yet ultimately acquitted of murdering her daughter in a controversial trial, Peacock took things to a new and awkward level by being the first to give Anthony the opportunity to share her side of the story on camera.
Anthony appears in the short teaser where it’s made clear that she has no creative control over the final project. However, that didn’t stop people from firing off very angry reactions over the fact that Anthony was essentially given a TV deal while it’s still widely believed that she’s responsible for her daughter’s death. Although, again, for the record, she was acquitted in a court of law.
You can see some of the reactions to the Casey Anthony docuseries below:
If you ever wanted more context about how morally bankrupt America is right now, child killer Casey Anthony is getting her own show on peacock. https://t.co/ID6ENDOmcs
genuinely disgusted with @peacock giving casey anthony a platform and a docuseries. so many important and unsolved cases in the world. and you’re giving a woman who’s at BEST a sociopath and at worst a free child murderer a platform for ratings and because she’s hot. i just-
Casey Anthony dead ass got away with murdering her kid and still ended up with a TV deal lmfao boy I tell you white women in this country start the football game up 21-0
If the news of Casey Anthony doing a documentary telling “her side” of the story is any indication of how today is gonna go… pic.twitter.com/gADMuVhLJS
Here’s the official synopsis for the three-part docuseries:
Considered one of the first “trials of the century” that polarized conversation in living rooms across America, the Casey Anthony case is one that still leaves more questions than answers. There have been several movies and documentaries made to fill in the gaps, and yet, the woman at the center of it all remains the biggest mystery. Throughout the exclusive three-part documentary series, Casey Anthony finally tells her side of the story and addresses the public that has made so many assumptions for the past 13 years.
Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies starts streaming November 29 on Peacock.
Manifest returned last week for Season 4, Part I, and fans are already wondering when Part 2 will arrive to wrap up the series. That’s a few seasons ahead of showrunner Jeff Rake’s original plan, but hopefully, some actual answers will materialize, and we’ll find out why Flight 828 dropped off the radar in the first place. We’ve already met the new Cal, and hopefully, the finale will manage to save the world after Zeke sacrificed himself in the interest of saving Cal.
What does that do for a release date on the final batch of episodes? We must first acknowledge that Zeke’s departure opens the door (as sad is it is right now) for Michaela to come back together with former flame Jared. This seems inevitable, and hopefully, this will be handled respectfully. In the meantime, there’s the significance of the series’ so-called “Death Date” to consider. That’s the day when the passengers are foretold to collectively die via a prophecy. The day in question happens to be June 2, 2024, and although it seems unlikely that the show would adhere to the year, June 2, 2023 could be a winner.
This might seem a little silly to count on that day; however, Flight 828 originally came in for a landing on November 4, 2018, and Season 4 debuted on November 4, 2022. Never say never when it comes to pleasing fans with little bits and pieces of canon. Yes, I used the word “canon” while talking about Manifest. Hey, it’s all fiction, so we can lighten up.
Manifest is currently streaming 3 1/2 seasons on Netflix.
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(@ChrisEvansForum) May 1, 2018
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