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A Deeper Shade of Brown
Latino laugh legend Paul Rodriguez reveals how he stays relevant.
features 14 The Cause Continues . . . The significance of Seattle’s Cannabis Freedom Rally. 16 Frontiers of Science A federal cannabis researcher reveals the “pot patch.” 18 Law Abiding Citizen Comedian Jimmy Dore gives us his shtick on why the drug war sucks. 20 Creeping the Faith Mindless Self Indulgence pushes the envelope. And then some. 22 Ain’t No Dummy Beak’s Geoff Barrow sure hopes you don’t play pop music.
departments 6 Letter from the Editor Keeping patients informed (and entertained) is priority No. 1. 8 News Nuggets Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere— and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers. 24 Destination Unknown Ditch the tourists, hop on a riverboat and head to Battambang, Cambodia. 26 Strain, Edible & Concentrate Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains, edibles & concentrates currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary. 36 Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you. 38 Cool Stuff From KannaBliss CouchLock Shots to Luminair Tree Tents, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it. 40 Recipes Think drink! To usher in the warmer months, we’ve got the solution to your thirst. Cocktails for everyone! 42 Entertainment Reviews The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture.
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letter from the editor
Vol 4 IssUE 12
CULTURE Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Roberto C. Hernandez Editor-In-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
Roberto C. Hernandez
Arts & Entertainment Editor Evan Senn
Editorial Contributors
Inside Information Some say The Gentleman’s Magazine, published in 1731 in England, was the world’s first magazine. There are some that say Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (Edifying Monthly Discussions), published in Germany in 1663, was the first. Regardless, the history of magazines is a long and storied one that goes back, literally, centuries. Naturally, this publishing trend took root here, too. By the 16th century in America, the magazine
had arrived. Ben Franklin’s General Magazine is a good example. In another era, TIME, Ladies’ Home Journal and Reader’s Digest continued the magazine tradition with slicker, glossier packaging, plenty of photos and articles on a whole host of subjects—even controversial ones. For you trivia buffs, the most successful magazine in the U.S. was The Saturday Evening Post, first published in 1821. Life debuted in 1936. And I ran into a very fitting definition what magazines are: “regularly published storehouses of information.” That is a very apt description. And it’s one that applies wholeheartedly to the magazine you hold in your hands right now. CULTURE’s mission, like that of other respected, credible publications, is to do a masterful job of informing and entertaining its readers. That’s you. Every month, across the country, in every issue, CULTURE illuminates and enlightens patients and professionals. Don’t know what kind of strain is right for you? Check out our reviews. Trying to catch up on your state or city’s latest MMJ laws and regulations? Read our Legal Corner columns. Interested in seeing how our culture is mainstreaming its way into books, music and pop culture? Just pick up an issue, any issue . . . every issue. CULTURE takes its job very seriously. So it’s a concern when I hear about people trying to do cannabis magazines a disservice (just Google “Colorado” and “marijuana magazine” and “first amendment”) and make it harder for reader to get a copy. The last thing patients need is an obstacle to the best source of information out there. Remember, CULTURE is all about creating “storehouses of information.” CULTURE does it right. We show you and tell you stuff you’d likely never think to look for yourself. We take you to places you’ve never been to. We show you the books you want to read and activist groups you want to join. We introduce you to strains you want to sample and medical research you want to share with your doctor. We do this every month. Don’t believe me? Just pick up an issue, any issue . . . every issue. c
Dennis Argenzia, Omar Aziz, Stephanie Bishop, Hilary Bricken, David Burton, Michael Carlos, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Philip Dawdy, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Carolina Duque, James P. Gray, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Dan Macintosh, Meital Manzuri, Sandra Moriarty, Damian Nassiri, Paul Rogers, Jeff Schwartz, Alan Shackelford, Lanny Swerdlow, Arrissia Owen, Simon Weedn
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Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Amanda Holguin, Audrey King, Khai Le, David Elliot Lewis, Ryan Mazrim, Patrick Roddie, Kim Sidwell
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Vidal Diaz, Tommy LaFleur
Director of Sales & Marketing Jim Saunders
Account Managers
Shane Harms, Justin Marsh
Account Executives
Jon Bookatz, Gene Gorelik, Beau Odom, John Parker, Dave Ruiz, Kim Slocum, April Tygart
Office Manager Iris Norsworthy
Office Assistant Jamie Solis
Online Marketing Jackie Moe
IT Manager
Serg Muratov
Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes 25,000 papers at over 600 locations throughout Washington. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark of Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 815 1st Ave | #220 Seattle | Washington | 98104 Phone 888.694.2046 | Fax 951.284.2596 www.iReadCulture.com
CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.
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limited in size or number. The number and location of retail cannabis stores have not been determined. Concentrates— waxes, budders, hash, etc.—cannot be purchased under the retail framework. The Liquor Control Board is seeking the public’s input on the proposed rules by June 10. Input Snohomish pig farmer feeds can be emailed to rules@liq.wa.gov.
THE NATION
THE STATE
his pigs the swine-r things in life
Call it a win-win situation: The pigs get extra fiber in their diet. A medical cannabis co-op gets a new way to dispose of its organic waste, Medical Daily reports. Butcher William von Schneidau feeds the pigs at his familyoperated Bucking Boars Farms in Snohomish the stems and unusable leaves from Top Shelf Organic. The move reduces the feed costs for Bucking Boars and waste costs for Top Shelf. The pork is sold at BB Ranch Butchers, von Schneidau’s shop in downtown Seattle. As a tribute to the cannabisfed hogs, von Schneidau held a five-course, head-to-tail dinner in Seattle’s Historic Pike Place Market. Dubbed the Pot Pig Gig, another event is planned for the summer.
State Liquor Control Board releases proposed recreational use rules, seeks input
The state Liquor Control Board released draft rules for the legalized cannabis marketplace ushered in by the passing last year of Initiative 502. The 46 pages of rules, released May 16, cover product testing, labeling and growing licenses. The proposed rules would allow retail cannabis stores to remain open seven days a week (from 6am to 2am) and residents and out-ofstate visitors to purchase up to an ounce of dried flowers. Cannabis could be grown indoor or in greenhouses. Grow operations are not 8 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Anti-cannabis NY Assemblyman Steve Katz cleared of marijuana possession charge
Eleven MMJ storefronts face cease-and-desist orders from the DEA
Eleven providers of medical cannabis received cease-and-desist orders from the DEA last month, another example of the federal government’s ongoing disconnect with Washington state law. Those that received the orders say they have 30 days to comply and close up shop. Federal officials allege that the storefronts were operating within 1,000 feet of a school, and accuse them of selling an illegal drug. Not everyone is taking it lying down. Douglas Gerdes of Ballard, who runs The Only Natural, says he is taking a stand against these letters. “I would love for the DEA to come out here and take a look,” Gerdes said to King 5 News, “I’m not doing anything wrong.” Last August, DEA officials sent 23 similar letters. Those who refuse to close are subject to property seizure and forfeiture.
over the study, stating that the experiment lacked a control group of nonsmokers for comparison, among other factors. Men have a four-percent chance of developing bladder cancer in their lifetimes, with the odds being one in every 26 people.
American Urological Association: Frequent cannabis use linked to lower risk of bladder cancer
The American Urological Association found a strong link between frequent marijuana use and a lower risk of bladder cancer, reports USA Today. This conclusion comes at the end of an 11-year study. Researchers compared the cancer risk in more than 83,000 men who smoked cigarettes only, cannabis only—or both. Those that only smoked cannabis were least likely to develop bladder cancer. One researcher expressed doubts
New York Assemblyman Steve Katz—who serves on his state’s Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee and has voted against medical cannabis, has been cleared of all pot charges after agreeing to 20 hours of community service, according to The Journal News. Katz was found in possession of three and half grams of marijuana earlier this year after he was stopped by state police in southern Albany County. The lawmaker was ticketed for unlaw-
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ful possession and allowed to drive away. In a mailer to his constituents, Katz talked about how “our community has been stricken with an increase in drug use and drunk driving by our youngest citizens,” according to the New York Daily News. He has also criticized his community’s “struggle against illegal drug culture and the abuse of narcotics.” Katz has yet to reveal why he had cannabis in his possession to begin with.
THE WORLD Columbia city officials turn to potent strain to battle homeless’ drug addiction
Colombia’s capital city is going to new, progressive lengths to tackle Bogotá’s drug-addicted homeless population, according to The Miami Herald. Many of the city’s poor and destitute are addicted to bazuco, a cocaine derivative that is just as addictive as heroin.
Pharoahe Monch in concert Bogotá’s plan? Replace the bazuco with a potent strain of cannabis. The cannabis is being supplied by a company called Cannamedic, which is run by former bazuco addict Camilo Borrero. The strain is carefully selected for its powerful psychoactive effects (or “high”) to help bazuco addicts deal with the symptoms of withdrawal and transfer their addiction to a benign plant. Bogotá’s homeless population is estimated to be about 9,500, and approximately 79 percent of it is addicted to bazuco.
by the numbers
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The number of days that MMJ providers were given to shut down: 30 (Source: King5.com) A low estimate of the number of growing businesses that currently produce cannabis for legal purposes: 2,000 (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
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The typical price (in dollars) per gram for high-quality medical cannabis in Washington: 15 (source: The Seattle Times).
A high estimate of the number of growing businesses that currently produce cannabis for legal purposes: 4,000 (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
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The number of MMJ patients in New Mexico: 9,090 (Source: New Mexico Department of Health).
The approximate number of MMJ patients in New Mexico who registered for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): 3,600 (Source: New Mexico Department of Health).
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The approximate percentage of New Mexico MMJ patients who use medical cannabis to treat PTSD: 40 (Source: New Mexico Department of Health).
The number of pages totaling Washington’s new draft of rules pertaining to Initiative 502: 46 (Source: Washington State Liquor Control Board).
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3
13
The maximum amount (percentage) of THC compounds that industrial hemp is allowed to have to be considered non-psychoactive: 0.03 (Source: The Columbian).
4
The estimated number of storefront MMJ providers that received cease-and-desist letters from the DEA last month: 11 (Source: King5.com)
The percentage of young Christians who support legalizing cannabis: 50 (Source: U.S. News & World Report)
The percentage of Christians who say smoking cannabis is not a sin: 70 (Source: U.S. News & World Report).
8
The estimated amount (in billions of dollars) of sales that legal cannabis growing businesses generated last year: 1.3 (Source: National Cannabis Industry Association).
Those who followed hiphop over the decades will remember Pharoahe Monch’s days spent as one-half of duo Organized Konfusion, a rhyme-slinging twosome that called it quits in the late 1990s. The rapper takes his craft very seriously—at one point saying “Music is dear to me. It is the soundtrack to our history. So many legends have partaken in it since its inception”—and he definitely hasn’t been sleeping since OK’s dissolving. In 2001, Monch delivered a track (“F**k You”) for the Training Day soundtrack and ghostwrote tracks for Diddy on 2006’s Press Play. Two years ago, he dropped W.A.R. (We Are Renegades), his latest full-length chock full of lyrical shrapnel (“Calculated Amalgamation”) and soulful pleas (Jill Scott helps out with “Still Standing”) to protect our culture. “This is a science and it filters into our being,” Monch says. “This is what W.A.R. is about. This record is my truth as it was written when I made it. I would like this album to be on a frequency to let you open the doors to your God-self. I want this harmony to give you goose bumps and raise the hairs on your arms.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
IF YOU GO
What: Pharoahe Monch in concert. When/Where: June 7 at The Crocodile, 2200 2nd Ave., Seattle. Info: Performing with Xperience, Justis and Bruce Leroy. Visit www.thecrocodile.com, or call (206) 441-4618. JUNE 2013 • CULTURE 11
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FLASH
Ideas of the March The
Seattle’s annual Cannabis Freedom Rally sends a powerful message to the nation {By Stephanie Bishop}
The annual Cannabis Freedom Rally held in Seattle last month began as the Million Marijuana March several years ago. Event organizers changed the name to the Millennium Marijuana March before settling on the name “Cannabis Freedom March and Rally.” Many wonder why, in a state implementing a program to legalize cannabis, would activists still hold a march protesting pot prohibition. On the one hand, participants were there to celebrate the legalization of cannabis, but also to extend a larger message. The prohibition of cannabis will not end until the federal ban on the use of the plant is lifted. The May 11 march began at Volunteer Park in the Capital Hill neighborhood and made its way to Westlake Park in Downtown Seattle ending with several important speakers including Seattle Police Department Interim Police Chief Jim Pugal. Protesters carried signs reading “Legalize, not Penalize” or listing the names of “prisoners of war” currently serving time in federal prison, convicted of cannabisrelated charges. Vivian McPeak, executive director of Seattle Hempfest reminded the crowd about how even though the cannabis movement has come
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a long way, there is still much to be done to end prohibition once and for all. “We’ve already won in the court of public opinion,” she told the gathered crowd. “When that happens, it is only a matter of time before we win in the court of law.” Vivian praised the crowd for making progress without violence and explained how anger impedes the movement just before Seattle Police Department spokesman Sean Whitcomb took the stage. Whitcomb reiterated his department’s role in implementing Initiative 502, the voter-approved initiative that that ushered in a state-regulated recreational cannabis market. “Don’t be afraid
Just A
anymore,” Whitcomb said. “Hold your heads high and congratulations on all of the work you have done to get here.” Whitcomb, however, reminded the crowd that cannabis sales are still not legal in the state, and Seattle police officers would take appropriate action with regards to still-illegal street transactions. Everyone attending was excited to hear what Pugal had to say about I-502. The chief said it was not the job of the police officers to promote or condemn the private adult use of cannabis for recreation. “The voters statewide—and certainly in the City of Seattle— spoke very clearly and said this is le-
Pinch
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes
Seattle Police Department Interim Police Chief Jim Pugal wasn’t the only highprofile elected official to make his presence known at this year’s rally. Pro-legalization Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes told rally attendees—likely some of his loyal constituents—that people could still be sent to jail for having a joint when he ran for office four years ago, according to The Seattle Times. “We’ve got to stop and pinch ourselves,” he said. “We’ve made amazing, amazing progress.”
gal,” he said. Pugal also asked event participants to please be respectful of police officers and thanked them for the respect shown at the March itself before encouraging people to become a positive part of I-502’s implementation. So why a march on the eve of legalization? “What we have in Washington State is regulation, not legalization,” says states John Davis, owner of The Patient Resource Center and Seattle Hempfest board chairman. “Everyone involved is working towards implementing a program we hope will be acceptable [to] the federal government and a model for states looking at doing the same.” Davis has worked closely during the discovery and planning stages of I-502 with the state Liquor Control Board, helping Hempfest board members understand the complex issues involved in regulating the recreational use of a plant still considered a Schedule I narcotic in the eyes of the federal government. The Cannabis Freedom Rally is an ongoing annual event, taking place in Seattle in early May. The march, originally planned and executed by local activists, will continue as long as laws prohibiting the use of cannabis exist in the United States. c
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BUZZ
Strain For Pain University of Mississippi researchers are zeroing in on new ways to administer cannabis medicine {By Jasen T. Davis}
You can say that Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly has a unique job. He is the director of the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Project (UMMP), a research laboratory dedicated to growing and studying cannabis for the purposes of scientific research. And, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this heavily-guarded, incredibly secure installation is also the one place in the entire country where federally-funded officials can obtain cannabis at all. Dr. ElSohly’s current work involves studying tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its effects on the human body, particularly its propensity for pain relief. “There are many indications
for which THC would be a good medicine if you have the right formulations and dosing,” says Dr. ElSohly. THC and other cannabinoids are the chemical compounds largely responsible for the plant’s beneficial effects. But while some rely on smoking for the relief of pain, nausea, anxiety, depression and insomnia, the doctor believes that such methods aren’t advisable. “There’s an inherent problem with the smoking of marijuana as a delivery system,” Dr. ElSohly says. “There are so many variables in the smoking process,” he adds. “It’s ludicrous to think you could come up with a dosage. The problem with smoking marijuana is that when you take even a single puff, you absorb so much
all at once, which rushes into the brain and causes the side effects of smoking marijuana. If the high is too high, then you actually end up with the opposite activity of the high, which is the paranoia, the dysphoria and the problems associated with that.” So while patients across America might be puffing to ease the pain, researchers at the UMMP are studying cannabis in order to isolate the precise compounds that have beneficial properties so that people don’t have to light up. For scientists like Dr. ElSohly, the question of whether or not cannabis is beneficial isn’t an issue. “Does it lower intraocular pressure for glaucoma patients? Yes it does. Does it reduce anxiety? Yes it does,” he says.
Formula For Success
Dr. ElSohly has not only been the director of the UMMP since 1981, he is also the principal investigator for ElSohly Laboratories, Inc., a private organization currently working on patented formulas for various other THC delivery systems. In 2010, the doctor was awarded more than $200,000 in federal funds for his cannabis research.
One recent breakthrough developed by Dr. ElSohly and his UMMP team is a THC patch (similar to a nicotine patch) that can be placed in your mouth, along the gum line, to administer a dose. Because the UMMP’s formula for the patch is much less synthetic than drugs like Marinol (a synthesized form of THC), it is a more reliable way to deliver the medicine. “We’re not really introducing anything strange to the body, other than the THC itself,” he says. “Because of the way it is absorbed it’s almost like it’s absorbed through the lungs, like the smoke. When you smoke, it goes to the lungs, to the whole, entire body before going to the liver. Unlike the oral [which] goes to the liver first and then goes to the rest of the body,” That means that MMJ patients may have another option in finding measurable relief without lighting up. “It looks like we have a successful product with good bioavailability and blood levels,” ElSohly says. “We have observed absorption for up to 10 hours.” For a lot of patients—especially asthma sufferers—that’s a great way to manage the pain without having to go up in smoke. c www.mpp.org/states/mississippi
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BUZZ
Standup and Deliver Comic Jimmy Dore: It’s wrong to jump through hoops to get medicine {By Carl Koslowski} Jimmy Dore is one of the few truly bold political comics on the current American scene. His career path has led him to star in several Comedy Central specials, including 2008’s Citizen Jimmy, and host his own nationally-syndicated radio show, The Jimmy Dore Show—which can be heard across SoCal. He’s also one of the regulars on the Current TV series The Young Turks—Dore was among a panel of guests last November that discussed Colorado’s then-pending vote on legalizing recreational cannabis—and has been a frequent talk show guest for both Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson. But more importantly for CULTURE readers, Dore is a passionate advocate for ending the war on cannabis and MMJ. He not only was a writerperformer of the smash off-Broadway hit The Marijuana-Logues, but he also believes that using MMJ saved his sanity and possibly even his life, due to its strong role in helping alleviate chronic and debilitating pain caused by problems with the vertebrae in his back.
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I’m completely baffled by the Drug War when it comes to cannabis, and how we’re locking people up. There are plenty of productive people out there with no problem, and legit medical uses. Obama and Clinton put more people in prison for this than Republicans. Is it an easy way to look tough on crime? We have to guess because it’s such a crazy thing that the government’s doing. They’re going against the will of the people and this time violently. They’re showing up with M-16s. I saw them bring M-16s one time to my clinic. They closed the street off, all got out with their M-16s and their bulletproof vets. I bet they could have just asked the owner to close down for a day and come downtown but they had to go in with the big guns. They’re cowboys, you give ’em the guns and they’re gonna use ’em. They can’t tell the difference between a problem and not a problem. It’s like if your only tool is a hammer, and every problem is a nail. These guys don’t join the DEA because they don’t want to use them, it’s because they DO. It’s exciting—they can’t wait! You have had a serious need for medical marijuana yourself. I heard you were nearly crippled by pain for years. Yeah, I have a bad back; problems with my vertebrae and stuff like that. I can buy liquor at a gas station in the United States, but I have to see a doctor and go to a clinic and buzzed into a back room in order to buy a joint. Are you kidding me?! You guys should be embarrassed to be doing this to me. You say “I don’t think you’re sick enough.” Well, you’re not sick and you can buy Everclear, no one makes you take a test to buy it. You should feel bad that you make a guy jump through hoops to get his [medicine] of choice when you don’t have to. That’s how I feel about it. c
A
Rocky START
Jimmy Dore’s got an opinion on everything. When asked if he though Republicans would embrace ending the war on cannabis in the name of freedom, he said this: “Do you think the libertarians are gonna win that fight inside the Republican party? True conservatives would be against it. They’ve decided the Constitution is optional when it comes to the drug war and the war on terrorism. Isn’t that weird?”
www.jimmydorecomedy.com
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BUZZ
The Secret
Stash
Wicked Fun Insight, jokes and reflection with Mindless Self Indulgence
{By David Jenison}
“That body of Christ, man, it gave us a lot of crackers,” says Mindless Self-Indulgence frontman Jimmy Urine, who talks at a faster pace than Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam. “We’re still eating ’em.” The band is on tour promoting its new Kickstarter-funded album How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence—which came out May 14—but our interview took place on Good Friday, which brought a flurry of puns, references and humorous antics from Urine. As religious folk around the globe commemorate Christ’s crucifixion, the NYC-born Urine admits to growing up a Catholic schoolboy. “How do you think I got so beautiful?” jokes the singer, then known as James Euringer. “I got into a lot of trouble because I was very Bart Simpson in Catholic school,” he says. For those of you who know Mindless Self Indulgence, this fiercely independent, genre-bending band has always had a gift of being aggressively fun—like an Easter egg hunt on fast-forward. The fun
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they have making music reaches through the speakers and grabs you by your scruff and forces you to have just as much fun as they are. “My parents allowed me to see R-rated movies, but they were like, ‘We would rather you go see Animal House or Smokey and the Bandit or The Blues Brothers and learn ‘f@$k’ and ‘shit’ than go see Apocalypse Now and be traumatized.’ Most of my classmates didn’t see these movies, and to avoid getting bullied, I would be class clown. Fortunately, the Euringers were not overly concerned with little Jimmy’s potty mouth. “We were not a religious family at all,” he explains. “It was just cheaper to go to the Catholic school, and you got those wicked uniforms. It was like being in prison, but it was one of those fun prisons. You just had to know how to
Jimmy Urine is no stranger to cannabis, and told CULTURE that when he was younger he discovered his father’s secret stash. He began pinching small amounts to mix with tobacco, but his brother ultimately got them caught. As an adult, Urine says he only partakes once every few years. Still, he seems incredulous that MMJ is not yet fully legal. “Whether we are talking about medical marijuana or gay marriage, this is 2013,” he says emphatically. “Let people do what they want as long as it doesn’t hurt others . . . How are we still talking about it? How is it an issue? We just need to legalize the whole thing.” work the system.” While others might also compare Catholic school to jail, Urine can make the analogy based on personal experience—and has on more than one occasion. Dressed to the nines in all pink, he once spent the weekend in a Detroit jail after exposing himself on stage and lighting his pubic hair on fire—just one of many shocking acts Urine’s done in the past (hint: one of the acts involves, well, his last name). And while Urine may not have made his alma mater proud with this Good Friday interview, he is quick to point out an MSI fan who also made angels gasp on this special day. “We are in Tempe tonight,” he recounts. “A guy came to the show dressed as a giant penis and did a stage dive, but he didn’t make it and busted his nuts. It was great.” c www.mindlessselfindulgence.com
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TUNES
Pistol Bristol
The From
Beak/Portishead producer Geoff Barrow wants you to know his band is not a jam band
So how did Beak form? Billy Fuller: Matt Williams had mentioned to me that we should get together and jam. I’m part owner of Invada Records and we got together and jammed for the Christmas party. After that Invada records did something called the Invada acid test. What we did is get players in bands on the Invada Records label together to jam out. Matt Williams played clarinet. So what happened then? Fuller: We had a great time and I said we should do this again in the New Year. As a group we got together in the studio and nothing was discussed. We put some instruments and some microphones in front of us, had a cup of tea and started playing. The first song we played that day was the first song on the first album. What’s the difference between Beak on record and Beak live? Barrow: Live we had to learn exactly what we recorded in the studio. So essentially we’ve had to learn how to play songs we free-formed to begin with. We don’t improvise live or extend the songs. We are NOT a jam band. That would be an insult to us. What’s coming out this year? Barrow: Well the new Thought Forms album [on Invada Records] just got released. It’s a really good album and most of the album is gradual soundtrack music. We have College who is this electronic guy; you can find his stuff on the Drive soundtrack. The Fauns’ new album is really good. It’s a very small label and we only have one person running it. What’s the art and music scene like right now in Bristol? Barrow: Bristol has always had a scene. Growing up we had a really good punk and reggae scene in Bristol. No pop groups have come out of Bristol for a reason: you would get made fun of. Interesting people making noise is what’s popular in Bristol. You have to move to another town if you want to play pop. No pub will have you.
{By Kristopher Christensen} Nervous to meet Geoff Barrow—the instrumentalist for Portishead, a touring bass player for Robert Plant and founder of current project Beak—I spot him and bandmates Billy Fuller and Matt Williams sitting in the pristine noon sun. Greetings abound, and when asked if they want the interview in the shade, the response is, “No because it’s always so cold and dark back in Bristol and this weather is amazing. The sun is energizing us.”
How do you feel about the legalization of medical cannabis? Barrow: It’s weird because I think just legalizing cannabis isn’t a good thing. Everything should be legal. I was never a believer of people smoking weed and it leading to other drugs. Everyone I knew growing up would go get other drugs if they couldn’t get any weed. Some people can handle it and some people cannot. I don’t think weed leads to other drug use. Moderation is the key to everything isn’t it? c www.facebook.com/beakbristol.com
FirmlyPlanted
When he’s not in Beak mode, Billy Fuller logs in time plucking the low notes for Robert Plant, among other projects. “I did some backing tracks on the new Anika record, and I’m also doing live stuff with Robert Plant again. I’ve been part of Plants’ live band for years. We may be over in the states in June or July . . . We are working on the new Portishead album and have some dates coming up overseas.”
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destination unknown
Czech
A River Runs Through It Take a boat through western Cambodia to get the most Battambang for your buck We love Cambodia: friendly locals, tons of culture, a bit of grittiness and plenty of pretty sights to frame in the camera lens. There’s no arguing that a first visit to this beautiful country should include a trip to the famous Angkor temple complex in Siem Reap. However, when you tire of the giant crowds vying for the same, never-before-seen camera angle of heavily documented Angkor Wat, or the folks recreating their favorite frame from Mortal Kombat’s final fight scene, or the feeling of being followed by all those carved faces at Bayon Temple . . . go west, to Battambang. Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city by population and home to well-preserved architecture from its French colonial past. It’s also a relatively short bus or car ride away from Siem Reap. But none of these contributed to our reason for visiting. We went because we heard we could get there by riverboat. The tranquil Sangkae River connects Siem Reap to Battambang. Every morning, between 7am-7:30am, an assortment of 24 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
roofed wooden boats—filled with tourists, locals and stuff—launch from the docks at nearby Chong Kneas. The boats wind their way through floating villages and around massive cantilever fishing nets, acting as both water taxi and sightseeing vessel. There’s a short stop at a floating convenience store for munchies or drinks, and then it’s off through more scenic water vegetation. From June to November, a.k.a. the wet season, this trip takes six hours. That’s the good version of the boat trip. The bad version happens outside of the wet season, when water levels drop and the boat captain must employ a long bamboo pole to push through formerly scenic water weeds. The bad version can stretch out over 12 agonizing hours, baking rooftop riders to a pungent crisp and threatening death by a thousand bored sighs. Toilet-free boats test bladder fortitude, forcing men to pee into their empty water bottles and women to curse their physiology. So, yeah, pay attention to the season or you’ll arrive at Battambang in a shriveled ball of rage.
By Dennis Argenzia and Edengrace Cayosa OK, now you’re in Battambang. What to do? Other than the boat ride, it’s the countryside sights that attract visitors. For transport, renting a bicycle is an option, but most people hire a motorcycle taxi driver, so as to avoid the state of “lost in a foreign country.” First is Wat Banan, a Buddhist temple ruin atop a 350+ stone-step staircase. With five mostly preserved “corncob” towers that were built in the 10th century, it is considered the “Mini Me” of Angkor Wat and is worth the burn in your quadriceps. From Wat Banan, you can see your next location: Phnom Sampeau, or the killing caves. Unfortunately, you cannot separate Cambodian culture from its bloody history; the genocidal Khmer Rouge communist party attempted to eliminate all forms of art or higher learning, and facilitated the deaths of over 2 million Cambodians through execution, torture or starvation. At Phnom Sampeau, thousands of Cambodians were slaughtered by being thrown through the cave skylights, and a shrine housing some of the victims’ skulls is a grim reminder of this horrific past. Understandably, after a visit to Phnom Sampeau, you might opt for something uplifting. If bats put a smile on your face, there’s Wat Baydamram, a Buddhist temple hangout for thousands of fruit bats. For those seeking inner peace, the Battambang Vipassana Centre offers silent meditation for 10(!) days. For the curious, there’s a ride on the infamous bamboo train: basically, the “train” is the equivalent of a bamboo daybed on old tank axles, powered by someone’s scooter motor. There’s just one pair of colonial-era tracks, so when two trains meet head-on, the daybed with the fewest riders has to give way by being disassembled and taken off the tracks. Fun! But for genuine soul sunshine, go to the circus presented by Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS). According to its website (www. phareps.org), the PPS “is a cultural organization . . . that offers young people a way out of poverty by training them to become professional artists and performers.” If bats, meditation, trains and rehabilitated youth don’t do the trick, there’s the “Smokin’ Pot” cafe, where you can get some soothing, cannabis-infused eats. In addition, you can always turn to your moto driver or hotel owner, who would be more than happy to sell you green to end your day. c V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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strain & edible reviews GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Royce’s Raskal OG We go back to the days when print journalism was King and our hands hurt as a result. So it was a pleasure to try this Raskal OG, which has long enjoyed a strong reputation as a pain killer, as it had our hands feeling as fluid as freshman year of university. We bet this indica would work on arthritis and just about any pains you might have. While we don’t know what Royce did to this Raskal OG, we can report that this example from GNU Organics in White Center is very strong and has pain killing effects of two-plus hours—excellent by the standards of dried flower. It does induce a bit of heaviness to the eyelids, so it’s a good bet for insomnia, but keep its use to evenings and nights only.
No-Bake Cookie We’ve never had good experiences with no-bake cookies, as they often tend to be doughy and bland. So count us surprised when we tried this no-bake cookie from the Power Plant Collective in Puyallup. Made by Oly Organics, it tasted great, helped along by a healthy dose of coconut. But you care about effects. This one is labeled “Extra Strength” and for good reason: even one half of a cookie proved to more than enough effect, so be cautious about ingesting an entire cookie, as you’ll get 127 milligrams of THC. Pain killing effects took one hour to set in and continued for four hours. We found its effects smooth and body-focused without the mental agitation that some edibles are heir to. In other words, this is the kind of medical cannabis pain killer that works and leaves you plenty of head space to do regular tasks—except for driving, of course. Made from allorganic ingredients.
Skywalker OG The folks at Canna Rx in Fremont have offered consistent, quality medical cannabis across a range of strains and this Skywalker OG is another win for them. This indica has a spicy pine odor to it and a thick, creamy smoke that is common to OG Kush hybrids, in this case a crossing with the legendary Skywalker strain. For us, it produced excellent pain killing effects of two hours and also shut down muscle spasms. It can be a bit of a somnolence inducer, so while it’s good for insomnia, you’ll want to keep its use to evenings and late nights. This Skywalker OG also eliminated much of our stress, so it’s a good bet for patients with anxiety issues. We also hear it’s a good choice for depression, making it perfect for the constant blue skies and short nights of the Puget Sound region.
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UW Purple The UW strain is one of our Northwest godhead favorites of all time. Properly know as UW Medical, it’s a heavy indica of Afghan bagseed origins with school-colors purple hues that, by legend, made its way into greenhouses atop the University of Washington’s medical center in the 1970s, as it worked all manner of wonders for cancer patients in an era when oncology was in its infancy. Five decades later, it’s known as UW Purple (or UW Purp), and it’s simply one of the best medical strains there is. It’s right up there with Afghani #1 for its broad and strong effect profile. It works great on pain, spasms, anxiety, nausea, lack of appetite and insomnia—and should be required by state law in every collective—and this offering from Mary Jane Gardens in North Seattle would make any Husky proud.
Lemon Pistachio Biscotti You had to know that someone in the Puget Sound region would make a biscotti medible, because biscotti is as Seattle as coffee and cannabis themselves. This one is made by Seattle Snacks and it’s excellent: tasty and lemony without being crumbly, as some biscotti is prone to be. Frankly, whoever made this is doing quality work that would be the envy of non-medicated bakers. Available at Fruit of the Earth Collective in South Seattle, one bar proved to light in its initial effects, but after an hour had us quite aware of the fact that we weren’t hurting at all. Experienced patients with deep pain issues would probably want to start out with two bars. Yet another medible that doesn’t cause mental distraction or agitation. That’s a trend we want to see continuing in the world of infused products.
Blue Sky We’re always on the lookout for a sativa dominant that doesn’t send our mind off to the races, and with Blue Sky we’ve found a strain that fits the bill. It’s a sativa-dominant hybrid of Blue Mystic (Northern Lights and Blueberry) crossed with Skywalker OG, so it’s a sativa with definite indica underpinnings. This example from White Center Alternative Care in White Center has huge, tasty looking buds complete with a lovely floral odor. It’s moderately strong but not overwhelming with clear-headed, calming effects, making it an excellent daytime medicine for patients looking for a change from the usual Diesel family of daytime meds. We found it to be good for pain and appetite, and it’s such a soothing strain that it’s bound to be useful for anxiety and, rare for a sativa, insomnia as well. An excellent choice for a range of conditions.
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concentrate reviews
Grape God Concentrate This is one of the better concentrates we’ve seen lately. An indica dominant extract from Tacoma’s Emerald Pharms, it dabs effortlessly and is coughless—an important feature in our book. It knocked out pain and spasms for a solid two hours, inducing a blissful, reflective state at the same time. It also induced a bit of drowsiness, so it’s good for tackling sleeplessness a as well. In all, this hybrid of Grapefruit and God Bud is a total winner.
DOA Concentrate We simply do not know very much about the lineage of the DOA strain, but that’s not likely to bother you very much. This well-done, peanut butter-looking concentrate from Tacoma’s All Natural Wellness is smooth to dab, easy to handle and offers two-plus hours of effective pain relief. It also works well on spasms and is said to be handy for appetite issues as well. One to try for sure, regardless of its unknown parentage.
The Hog This very dark hash oil concentrate is yet another that, when dabbed, does not produce moments of uncomfortable coughing. The Hog, an indica strain of unknown genetics, is also without flavor and dabs cleanly without any hassle in handing its oil. Pain killing effects are almost instantaneous and last for two hours. Best of all, this concentrate from Green Access Collective in Tacoma produces zero mental confusion or distraction while delivering a pleasant, mellow body effect, making a virtual must-try for patients
Legal Disclaimer
The publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical cannabis concentrates. The reviews listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only when medical cannabis is not a violation of state law. Please consume responsibly. Concentrates are legal and covered under Washington’s State Medical Use of Cannabis Act (Measure 692), SB 6032 and SB 5798, and are considered a form of medical cannabis (WRC 69.50.101). Without a medical professional’s recommendation, possession of concentrates can be a felony (WRC 69.50.204).
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Making jokes about a commanding officer in the military is an easy way to get your ass shipped off to someplace freezing. Just ask comedian Paul Rodriquez. “There is an Air Force program called Tops in Blue, and you get to do the USO circuit,” says Rodriquez, who received his conscription notice two months before President Nixon ended the draft. “I did a routine about my commanding officer, who was very highly decorated. He had a limp caused by ejecting out of I think an F-105. Well, I said his limp was sexy, that he had a smooth walk like Ricardo Montalban. Everybody at the Air Force Base laughed, but my next orders were to Keflavik, Iceland.” The Mexico-born, Compton-raised comedian avoided fighting in Vietnam by enlisting in the Air Force, and cold weather aside, he believes his six years of service changed his life. “Getting drafted gave me an opportunity to get out of Compton and travel, and it opened up my ambition to do something,” says Rodriguez, who also lived through the Watts riots as an adolescent. 32 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Down With Brown “The military was a good experience that I don’t regret at all. Oddly enough, I have been to more war areas as a civilian than I ever did in the Air Force. I have been to Iraq and Afghanistan entertaining the troops. I remember when the USO would come entertain us. I saw Kool and the Gang in Keflavik, and it was appreciated. When I am asked to go, I make the time, and I go out there and do what I can.” Rodriguez, who headlined the 2002 Original Latin Kings of Comedy movie, is currently headlining venues in mostly warmer climates as of late. The Latin star is performing material from his new comedic routine: Fifty Shades of Brown. “Fifty Shades of Brown is just a moniker for the different kinds of Hispanics that are here,” he explains. “I do a routine about how easy it is to take for granted that someone is a Mexican and the surprise when they are not. We are becoming more and more Central American, and the funny [element] is in the customs, the Chicano light as I call it. It encompasses all the things in the media right now… the immigration policies, the amnesty, the anchor
babies, the whole thing. It’s just a view from my perspective of change, which is never easy. It’s all of us trying to get along on this small piece of real estate.” Regarding the literary allusion, he adds, “People recognize the spoof of 50 Shades of Grey, and I touch on that, too, [such as] the differences between how the rich enjoy their sexual proclivities. It is a family show. There are no F-bombs, no profanity. It is a show that I could take my mom. I have done about eight shows now in different places, and it is going good. I am trying to get enough material for a special on one of the networks, and I think it is good to go.”
The Lucky Juan Since his breakthrough appearance in 1983’s D.C. Cab, Rodriguez has been a regular presence on television, the movies and the comedy tour circuit. Over the years, the comedian claimed several “firsts” for Latino comics, even if the ventures were not always successful. Norman Lear, arguably the greatest sitcom producer in history, chose Rodriguez to lead the 1984 ABC series a.k.a. Paulo. Though short-lived, V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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the Smithsonian-enshrined series was the first about a MexicanAmerican family on a major U.S. network. A few years later, he became one of the first MexicanAmericans to host a major TV game show when he replaced Bob Eubanks on The Newlywed Game. On the big screen, Rodriguez appeared in nearly 50 movies, and he became one of the first MexicanAmericans to write, direct and star in his own U.S. feature film, 1994’s A Million to Juan. His cram-packed resume even includes an international Spanish-language talk show on Univision and part ownership of Hollywood’s famed Laugh Factory (of Michael Richards rant fame). Throughout his career, Rodriguez has also been an activist for several causes, including the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, League of United Latin American Citizens and The Leukemia Society, among several others. Most notably, he is a tireless advocate for water conservation, serving as Chairman of the California Latino Water Coalition and earning the Humanitarian of the Year award from the City of Fresno.
prevent something that there is really just no way to control. The only people who benefit are those who use it illegally, those who are benefiting from it. The people who would be most against it are the drug dealers, really. The prices go down, and crime associated with it is taken away from them.” “Marijuana is going to be here no matter how much legislation you pass. People are going to use it, they are going to grow it and some are going to abuse it. I am not an advocate, but I am not against it. I am against the hard drugs. Those things are just devastating.”
Sheer Entertainment Rodriguez also addresses another hot-button issue: immigration. The comedian continues, “I was at the Arnold Schwarzenegger conference this week where Senators [John] McCain and [Michael] Bennett spoke about immigra-
tion. Like I told them, you cannot pass a law in America and expect it to work when the other side of the border is not being patrolled. Mexico is broken. There is a river of money and guns going over there, and it has created tremendous hardship. What happens with money, it corrupts officials on both sides of the border. I watch Border Wars, and I find it ironic that American immigration officers named Gonzales, Garcia and Hernandez are stopping guys named Gonzales, Garcia and Hernandez from coming over. It is really a very difficult problem that neither the Democrats nor Republicans seem to want to face. What the solution is to that I don’t know.” Rodriguez, who recently called attention to kidney transplantation with the 2012 award-winning web series Fixing Paco, might use comedy to help a cause, but he avoids getting political in his
“Traditional Medicine” He also seems happy to express his views on various subjects, including medical cannabis. Asked if legalizing medical use was good or bad, Rodriquez implies it is the wrong question, saying, “It doesn’t really matter if we are for it or against it. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the government said, it is not a drug, it’s a plant. What people don’t understand about Native Americans and Mexican Americans is that marijuana was never looked upon as a drug. It was medicinal. My mom used to use it. She put it in a jar with alcohol and used it for her rheumatism. It has been part of traditional medicine for a long time.” “The problem I see with marijuana is that they really haven’t figured out how to control it, how to tax it,” Rodriguez adds. “As soon as they do that, it will be good. I think it is a gigantic waste of taxpayer dollars to try and
If you’re paying attention to the skating scene right now, you’re probably familiar with Paul Rodriguez. We’re not talking about the comedian, but his award-winning son. Paul Rodriguez III (a.k.a. P-Rod) started skating when he was 12 and got his first sponsor three years later. He went on to become the record holder for most wins in the Street category in the X Games with four gold medals, one silver and one bronze. He later went on to take first place at the Tampa Pro competition, Street League Skateboarding and the Battle of the Berrics, riding goofy in the third. He hasn’t stopped with working on the half-pipe either; he’s a noted entrepreneur with his own brand, retail store and a private training facility. With all of this going on in his life, he still has time to be a father to his young daughter and he’s only 28 years old. The man is dedicated and still has more to offer in years to come.
comic routines. “I am not a preachy guy [on stage],” he adds. “My shows are sheer entertainment.”
Staying Relevant Rodriguez can easily transition between his advocacy and entertainment because he has spent over three decades dividing his talents in productive ways. He is a multicultural, multi-generational star who has performed on stage and on television in both English and Spanish. The first Macintosh computer was not even on the market when he debuted in D.C. Cab, yet he has quickly transitioned into the digital age, which includes competing for search engine hits with his superstar skater son, Paul Rodriguez, Jr. The digital revolution can be difficult for veteran performers, but just like seeing the positives in getting drafted, the elder Rodriguez embraces the challenges of new technologies. “You used to have time to work on a five-minute bit for the Johnny Carson show,” he explains, “but now it is immediate. You are up on stage, and by the time you get home, it is up on the Internet. In a sense it is good because it forces you to think fresh, and it weeds out those who have [old] material. A comic [joke] is not like a song where it becomes your favorite the more you hear it. The first time you hear a joke, it’s funny, and the second time you might giggle, but the third time you wonder why it made you laugh. It all depends on the surprise on the punch line. For an older guy, it is a lot harder to stay hip and relevant and keep up with all the new languages and intricacies. In my case, I try to come up with material that suits my age. I try to explain grey hair, which is God’s way of saying you’re running out of ink.” Nevertheless, the comic whose work spans generations has shown he can reach them all. “My audience has grown with me,” he remarks. “I can look at an audience and tell they used to be the young ones that used to come. Now the baby boomers have bloomed, and they bring their kids to the shows. It really is so rewarding.” c
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profiles in courage Patient: Sue Taylor
AGE: 65
Condition/ Illness:
Lower back pain; bulging disc 4 & 5
Using medical cannabis since:
Photo by Amanda Holguin
2010
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Are you an MMJ patient from Washington with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
Why did you start using medical cannabis?
I started using cannabis because I believe in alternative natural medicines as opposed to chemically-based drugs. I am deeply disappointed with the pharmaceutical approach to healthcare that focuses on managing symptoms as opposed to wellness of the complete person. Leaving the Vicodin and other harmful drugs behind, I was introduced to cannabis. I am not a smoker and had never used cannabis. I was opposed to it because of my experience with Reefer Madness and the stigma of cannabis. I was excited that cannabis provided an alternative to pharmaceuticals, and even more excited because you didn’t have to smoke it. I use CBD-rich tinctures and topicals, and [an] occasional edible for pain, as needed. I also incorporated yoga and other activities, for a total holistic approach to healthcare. Cannabis is a natural medicine that allows me to live the invigorating inspiring life I desired as I age.
Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?
Unfortunately, the only methods that were pushed upon me for treatment [were] pills and more pills . . . Something inside of me knew that approach wasn’t going to work and, more importantly, my body wasn’t responding to the pills.
What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?
When I am doing a presentation about medical cannabis, there are always people who are dis-believers . . . My approach is “Cannabis is not for everyone.” I give information, you determine if it’s for you. If you are happy with your life and your health, so be it. I provide information on the many benefits from cannabis such as [it] relieves pain, insomnia, anxiety, skin conditions and much more. I share the many stories of people moving from death to life, because of the cannabis . . . healing truth is hard to ignore. c
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cool stuff KannaBliss CouchLock Shots If you’ve got things to do, couch lock is the last thing a patient wants to tangle with. Thankfully, the CouchLock line of shots offers something more energetic. Providing energy, focus and relaxation—with a great-tasting mango extract base! Take your pick—HighVoltage, MagnaHigh or CouchLock—there’s something for any patients’ needs. ($26.94 sampler 6-pack) www.couchlock.com
Luminair Tree Tents You like tree houses? Well we like Tree Tents! These things are Star Wars quality. Not for weekend warriors, these Tree Tents can be installed as a semi-permanent structures almost anywhere. These tents are lightweight, low impact, durable and really cool. (Prices start from $10,000) www.luminair.co.uk
Mutewatch Svart When Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak bought a Mutewatch, he called it “a masterpiece.” We couldn’t agree more. With its hidden touchscreen (yes, I said “touchscreen”) all of your clock, alarm and timer functions are just a swipe away. And it’s got a vibrate alert! ($299) mutewatch.com
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Sandy Moriarty is the author of Aunt’ Sandy’s Medical Marijuana Cookbook: Comfort Food for Body & Mind and a Professor of Culinary Arts at Oaksterdam University. She is also the co-founder of Oaksterdam’s Bakery.
Menu: Summertime . . . and the living’s easy. What better way to celebrate the warmest part of the calendar than a refreshing assortment of drinks, cocktails and other beverages destined to chase away the heat . . . bring on the good times. Let the fun start flowing.
By Aunt Sandy
Mint Julep Orangeade Dirty Bong Water Watermelon Sunset
D rin k m e!!!
MINT JULEP WATERMELON SUNSET
3 shots of Infused Bourbon* 1 tablespoon Infused Simple Syrup** Crushed ice Leaves from one fresh mint sprig plus an extra for garnish Put the mint leaves and Infused Simple Syrup into a small chilled glass and mash with a muddler or a teaspoon. Add ice and stir before adding the bourbon. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Hig h s p irit s
1 watermelon, halved and seeded 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup Infused Simple Syrup** 1 teaspoon lime juice Watermelon slice for garnish
DIRTY BONG WATER 1 oz. Chambord raspberry liquor 1 oz. Infused Coconut Rum* 1/2 oz. Blue Curaçao 1 oz. sweet and sour mix 1 oz. pineapple juice Ice
Scoop the melon flesh into a blender and add the Infused Simple Syrup, orange juice and lime juice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with the slice.
ORANGEADE 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 cup Infused Simple Syrup** 1 cup water 1 orange, sliced 1 lemon, sliced Fill a pitcher halfway with ice. Stir in the fruit juices, Infused Simple Syrup and water until combined. Add the orange and lemon slices to the pitcher. 40 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Infused Liquor*
Cannabis Simple Syrup**
Liquor of your choice (rum, bourbon, vodka, etc.) ½ ounce of cannabis buds
1/2 oz cannabis buds 1 cup sugar 1 cup water
Add the cannabis to a glass quart jar and fill with your choice of liquor. Place jar in a cool, dry place, shaking every day. Do this for about four weeks. Strain well and keep jar in a cool, dry place.
In a saucepan, sauté the buds in sugar and water over medium heat for 20 minutes. Strain the buds. Pour the remaining greencolored syrup into a glass container. Let it cool and refrigerate. Pour over fruit or fruit salad and let the syrup fully absorb.
Legal Disclaimer
Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.
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For our complete recipes go to ireadculture.com.
Mix well and serve in small chilled glass over ice
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entertainment reviews Sigur Ros Kveikur XL Recordings A little over a year since their last release, Iclandic trio Sigur Rós return with its seventh full-length studio release (eighth if you include the soundtrack to the Icelandic documentary Hlemmur), Kveikur. As one might expect, Kveikur is chock full of the beautiful post-rock soundscapes that Sigur Rós has built its reputation on. However, whereas previous albums were known for their ethereal qualities and minimalism, this new record can grow quite intense at times with heavier sonic qualities and even more expansive and enveloping production. Weaving together songs that seem to float as freely as a flock of birds amongst the clouds, and with tunes that blend massive, loaded textures that blanket you like a ferocious winter blizzard, Sigur Rós delivers another substantial record with Kveikur. Long time listeners as well as new comers to the band will delight in the still-dreamy and gorgeous voice and bowed guitar playing by Jón Pór Birgisson, all the while being blown back by the incredible atmospheric rhythm work of bassist Georg Hólm and drummer Orri Páll Dyrason. With nearly 20 years as a band to its credit, Kveikur further exemplifies why Sigur Rós is considered not just one of the best post-rock acts, but one of the greatest international music acts around today. (Simon Weedn)
California NORML Guide to Drug Testing By Dale Gieringer Regent Press Printers & Publishers Dale Gieringer has a political bone to pick with his short new book, California NORML Guide to Drug Testing. Right from the start, the reader knows exactly where Gieringer stands on drug testing. “One of the most insidious intrusions on Americans’ personal privacy and freedom in recent years has been the increasingly pervasive practice of urine testing,” he writes. No matter what your opinion of drug testing may be, however, Gieringer makes a persuasive case to support his opinions, complete with evidential studies to show that—even with the best intentions—today’s most common drug testing techniques fail to “measure fitness or impairment,” as Gieringer states it, “but rather the presence of certain drug residues that may have no deleterious effect at all.” Gieringer is convinced urinalysis—the most common drug testing technique—can’t detect THC. Therefore, Gieringer believes these tests, whether at the workplace or for drivers, may only catch chronic users or those that have used marijuana in the past week or so, instead of just the ones that used right before (or while) driving/working, making them clearly impaired. Gieringer begs the question: What, if any, is the value of a drug test that fails the test? (Dan MacIntosh)
Identity Thief Universal Pictures Dir. Seth Gordon Director Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses, The King of Kong) brings us a slightly twisted take on the buddy comedy genre for his fourth directorial effort, Identity Thief. Starring Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Extract, Horrible Bosses) as the victim, and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Mike and Molly) as the crook, Identity Thief follows the wild and sometimes convoluted cross country excursion Bateman’s character, Sandy Patterson, must undertake to personally apprehend McCarthy—who plays the titular role—to restore his reputation. While the story can be a bit busy at times, especially with the inclusion of several unnecessary characters and plot lines, the movie makes up for it with the stunning comedic timing and delivery of Bateman and McCarthy. The film’s high points are a series of seemingly off-the-cuff exchanges between Bateman, McCarthy and supporting characters, Tony the Motel Desk Clerk, played by McCarthy’s real life husband Ben Falcone, and dive bar patron Big Chuck, played by Eric Stonestreet. Although, Identity Thief has faults, it delivers more than a few laughs with a nice sized helping of sweetness and humility. All in all, a great flick to throw on for a nice quiet evening in, either by yourself, or with a special someone. (Simon Weedn) 42 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Out [o] Fashion Photography: Embracing Beauty
A new exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery explores perceptions of beauty and desire through masterful photographers and their role in influencing history and culture. Lightly touching on the roots photography plants in fashion and iconography, Out [o] Fashion Photography: Embracing Beauty challenges gender and identity, beauty and body issues, and the “truth” of the photographic image. The exhibition addresses ways in which the Henry Art Gallery and the University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, have collected all forms of photography in an effort to capture the times depicted. The collections include images by women photographers such as Gertrude Käsebier, Lisette Model and Imogen Cunningham who questioned and created a counter-narrative to earlier images of women. Also found are photographs by Lewis Hickes Hine and Bruce Davidson documenting political events and changing times, and photo documentation of historical figures like Frederick Douglass. Featuring the work of more than 50 internationally recognized photographers, including Cecil Beaton, Edward Curtis, Nan Goldin, Andre Kertesz, Lee Friedlander, Andy Warhol and Carrie Mae Weems, this exhibition honors and acknowledges these striking collections.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Out [o] Fashion Photography: Embracing Beauty exhibition. WHEN/WHERE: Through Sept. 1 at Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, 15th Ave NE, Seattle. INFO: Visit www.henryart.org, or call (206)543-2280.
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let’s do this Our picks for the coolest things to do around town Alkaline Trio, June 7
This trio of musicians has been putting out music since ’96 and always strives to crank out a new sound. By recording with Bill Stevenson (The Descendents, Black Flag), Alkaline Trio re-discovered its punk roots and is touring its ninth studio album, My Shame is True. Showbox at the Market, Seattle www.showboxpresents.com
Seattle International Film Festival, thru June 9 You can experience every emotion: cry to a heart wrenching story, fall in love with a drama or be shocked at a rock ‘n’ roll father every ’70s kid dreamed of. These films and many more await you at one of the best film festivals around. Various venues, Seattle www.siff.net
11th Annual Erotic Arts Festival, June 20-23
It’s sexy and enticing with pleasure surrounding you. Get lost staring at the visual art exhibition and try not to get trapped by performances on the vertical spider web stage. With all that heart-racing action, you’ll need to grab a drink at the afterparty. Fremont Studios, Seattle www.seattleerotic.org
Lynyrd Skynyrd & Bad Company: The XL Tour, June 20
Skynyrd fans rejoice because the hits are rolling through town. If you’ve never had the chance to listen live, now would be a good time . . . after all, it’s the last of a dying breed of musicians that won’t be around forever. White River Amphitheatre, Seattle www.lynyrdskynyrd.com
Tracy Morgan, June 14
He’s funny all of the time and it seems like whatever this guy says will have you rolling! C’mon, the guy’s been on a regular on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock . . . what more do you need? The Neptune Theatre, Seattle www.stgpresents.org
Vans Warped Tour, June 15
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, June 21
See how graceful a woman singing with the full support of the night can be. With a huge throwback to the music of the ’60s and ’70s, this band rocks with pure passion. The Paramount Theatre, Seattle www.stgpresents.org
Little needs to be said for this already established festival, but here’s a handful of acts you might want to check out: The Used, Bring Me the Horizon, 3Oh!3, Goldfinger, Gabe Kubanda, Motion City Soundtrack and Dose of Adolescence. White River Amphitheatre, Seattle www.vanswarpedtour.com
Beer and Blues Festival, June 21-22
An authentic African American voice is showcased in every form of music, dance and art . . . Sundiata just helps bring it out. This festival showcases cultural interests from the past and blends them with the present to give you a glimpse of the future. Seattle Center, Seattle www.festivalsundiata.org
A whole lot of sarcasm and politics is what we can expect from comedian Bill Maher. You’ve followed his topics on HBO, you’ve learned about different religions from his documentary, now see him live. The Paramount Theatre, Seattle www.stgpresents.org
Black Arts Fest 2013, June 15-16
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Stephen Marley, June 19
The sons of the reggae legend will be bringing their talents to the stage. The easy beats will be rockin‘ all night as The Ghetto Youths Crew and The Green help warm you up for a great night of music. Only Marley is spoken here. Marymoor Park, Redmond www.facebook.com/damianmarley 44 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Beer and blues . . . that just sounds like the perfect combination. Enjoy 30 craft beers, vittles from local food trucks and great live music from The Fat Tones and more. Skamania County Fairgrounds, Stevenson www.gorgebluesandbrews.com
Bill Maher, June 22
The Bad Things: 11 Years of Junkyard Cabaret, June 27
This is probably the only type of junkyard you’ll ever want to see. Plan on it getting a little dirty once the talents of Miss Marie Lavona and her White Boy Band, Bakelite 78 and Sinner Saint Burlesque provide the entertainment for the night. The Crocodile, Seattle www.thecrocodile.com
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Girlish
Behavior Independent and amazing writer, director and actress Lena Dunham is becoming the female role model for her generation and the younger gens to come. Dunham just picked up a 2013 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical) for Girls on HBO. She also won a 2013 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for Girls on HBO and a 2013 Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Director (Entertainment) for that show as well. In 2011, her film Tiny Furniture (2010) won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay and also won a 2013 New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Tiny Furniture as well. In Girls, Dunham shows her protagonist as a strong, slightly awkward, post-college creative, “figuring it out” in a way that has people shocked and embracing this unique and honest portrayal of young women on TV. In her Tiny Furniture film, she touches on issues of sexuality, body image, creativity and art, relationships (both romantic and familial), and truly shows the world what it’s like to be a young girl right out of college, in New York City. And, in two different occasions in her debut film Tiny Furniture, she shares a marijuana moment with her friends. Needless to say: We HEART Lena. c
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CULTURE Quiz
HEAD COUNT
?
Time to rev up your brain cells, folks. Take this official CULTURE quiz and test yourself to see how much you know about cannabis. For each question you answer correctly, give yourself 5 points.
or false: Rapper 2 age did filmmaker 5 True Chainz was found guilty of 2 AtKevinwhatSmith start using cancannabis charges recently? nabis to spur creative thinking?
ANSWERS
3
Can cannabis be effective to treat Crohn’s disease?
1. True, state Rep. Todd Rutherford. 2. 38. 3. Yes. 4. Possibly, according to recent British research. 5. False. He was found not guilty.
?
South Carolina lawmaker has cannabis be effective to 1Arecently proposed legalizing 4 Can treat diabetes? medical cannabis—true or false?
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?
Now Rate Yourself: 5 points: A few classes at Oaksterdam University won’t even help you. 10 points: Are you even a patient? 15 points: Keep medicating. 20 points: Impressive. Almost ready for the big leagues. 25 points: What do you want—a prize?
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Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY— CHARMING
; The beauty pageant each April at the Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, requires traditional skills like interview poise, evening-gown fashion and talent, but also some ability and inclination to milk and skin rattlers. High school senior Kyndra Vaught won this year’s Miss Snake Charmer, wearing jeweled boots one night for her countrywestern ballad, then Kevlar boots and camouflage chaps the next as she took on dozens of rattlers in the wooden snake pit. Vaught expertly held up
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one serpent, offered its tail-end rattles for a baby to touch, then helped hold, measure, milk and skin a buzzing, slithery serpent. A Los Angeles Times dispatch noted that Vaught hoped to be on her way soon to the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
; That there are flea “circuses” is bizarre enough, but in March a cold spell in Germany wiped out an entire troupe of “performing” fleas, requiring the flea whisperer to secure replacements (because, of course, the show must go on).
Trainer Robert Birk reached out to a university near MechernichKommern for 50 substitutes, which he apparently worked into the act over one weekend. (Fleas, with or without training, can pull up to 160,000 times their own weight and leap to 100 times their own height.) ; The owner of a restaurant in southern Sweden told authorities in March that the former owner had assured him that “everything had been approved,” apparently including the appliance the restaurant used for mixing salad dressings and sauces—which was a table-model cement mixer. When health officials told the owner that it certainly was not “approved,” he immediately bought another, “rust-free,” mixer. (Health authorities had come to the restaurant on a complaint that a screw had turned up in a customer’s kabob.)
MODERN ANGLERS
; Chad Pregracke, 38, a Mississippi River legend,
spends nine months a year hauling heavy-duty litter out of waterways with his crew of 12. He told CNN in March that he has yanked up 218 washing machines, 19 tractors, four pianos and nearly 1,000 refrigerators—totaling over 3,500 tons of trash—and has collected the world’s largest array of bottles with messages inside (63). ; Eliel Santos fishes the grates of New York City seven days a week, reeling in enough bounty to sustain him for the last eight years, he told the New York Post in April. The “fishing line” Santos, 38, uses is dental floss, with electrician’s tape and BlueTouch mouse glue—equipment that “he controls with the precision of an archer,” the Post reported. His biggest catch ever was a $1,800 (pawned value) gold and diamond bracelet, but the most popular current items are iPhones, which textingon-the-move pedestrians apparently have trouble hanging onto.
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OOPS!
; Tyshekka Collier, 36, was arrested in Spartanburg, S.C., in March after she had rushed to her son’s elementary school after a call that he was suspended. As she burst into the office, angry at her son for getting into trouble, she saw a pouting boy with his head down and slapped him, thinking he was hers. He wasn’t. (After apologizing, she then managed to locate her son and promptly slapped him around). ; When Evan Ebel was killed in a roadside shootout in March, it was clear that he was the man who had days earlier gunned down the head of the Colorado prison system (and his wife) at the front door of their home and then fled (and killed another man while on the lam). Ebel should not even have been free at the time, having been accidentally released from prison in January only because a judge’s assistant had mistakenly marked Ebel’s multiple prison terms to be served “concurrently” instead of one following the other (“consecutively”). (The supervising judge “extend(ed) condolences” to the families of Ebel’s victims.)
BRIGHT IDEAS
; Apparently feeling feisty after a successful stint in February hosting the Bassmaster Classic, local officials in Tulsa, Okla., announced in April that they were considering preparing a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. (The Winter Games sometimes get awarded to small venues, but never the Summer Games.) ; The Discovery Channel announced a new survival show to debut this summer, Naked and Afraid, dropping off a man and a woman (strangers), without tools or clothes, to fend for themselves on an isolated Maldives island. Among the previews: Ms. Kellie Nightlinger, 38, a self-described “ultimate survivalist,” finally thought after two weeks of nearly starving
that she could attract fish close enough to be snatched up (as a New York Daily News reporter put it) “us(ing) her ladyparts as bait to catch fish between her legs.” Said a Discovery Channel executive: “Survival shows are so common now that it’s gotten more and more difficult to convince the audience that what they’re watching is something extreme.”
PERSPECTIVE
; Location, Location, Location: The New Delhi, India, neighborhood of Lutyens’ Delhi houses some of the richest people in the country in comparatively modest mansions, with the city’s real estate bubble inflating prices into nine figures, though home sales are rare, according to a March New York Times dispatch. In the similarly wealthy city of Hong Kong, in the “gritty, working-class West Kowloon neighborhood” where the laborers serving the rich live, about 100,000 dwell in pitiable housing, including the increasing number who rent what are basically stacks of wire sleep cages, measuring about 16 square feet each (and offering no protection against bedbugs). An Associated Press reporter found one tenant paying the equivalent of about $167 a month for his mesh digs.
PEOPLE WITH ISSUES
; Finally, Herson Torres was freed. As Bloomberg Business Week reported step-by-step in April, Torres was recruited by a “Defense Intelligence Agency operative” to rob a Virginia bank in order to test first-responder reaction times. If caught, Torres’s arrest would be removed, said “Theo,” the operative. The skeptical Torres asked advice of various authority figures, including two bemused lawyers, but “Theo” was able to calm them all with a dazzling display of CIA jargon and procedures. Torres was indeed arrested, and “Theo” indeed sprang him (but with a judicial order that was forged). JUNE 2013 • CULTURE 53
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Ultimately, “Theo” was revealed to be frustrated computertechie Matthew Brady, 26, who lives with his mother and grandmother in Matoaca, Va., and despite his obviously world-class bluffing skill, he pleaded guilty in May and was ordered treated for his paranoid schizophrenia and delusional disorder.
NO LONGER WEIRD
; Even the editor of News of the Weird gets bored: (1) A man in his ‘70s in Burnaby, British Columbia, was rescued in January after being pinned for three days under fallen debris inside his seriously cluttered home (with “ceilinghigh mounds of garbage,” wrote the Canadian Press). (Ho-hum.) (2) In Lianjiang City, China, in January, Peng Xinhua, 101, joined a long line of returnsfrom-the-dead. Following a fall, she had become stiff and without a heartbeat, her two daughters said, and burial was scheduled. Just before the
funeral, as relatives and friends were washing her body, Peng opened her eyes and calmly greeted them.
READERS’ CHOICE
; (1) A 5-year-old boy in rural Cumberland County, Ky., accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister in April, firing his own .22-caliber rifle. The weapon (a “Crickett”) is marketed as “My First Rifle” by the Keystone Sporting Arms company. (2) Henry Gribbohm, 30, admitted in April that he had blown his $2,600 life savings trying to win an Xbox at a rigged ball-toss game at a Manchester, N.H., carnival, lamenting to WBZ-TV, “For once in my life, I happened to become that sucker.” (Gribbohm complained to the operator, but was given only a large stuffed banana as consolation. However, when news broke, an Internet website took up a collection and purchased the banana from him for $2,600.)
FRONTIERS OF PARENTING
; Caribou Baby, a Brooklyn, N.Y., “eco-friendly maternity, baby and lifestyle store,” has recently been hosting gatherings at which parents exchange tips on “elimination communication” —the weaning of infants without benefit of diapers (as reported in April by the New York Times). Parents watch for cues, such as a certain “cry or grimace” that supposedly signals that the tot urgently needs to be hoisted onto a potty. (Eventually, they say, the potty serves to cue the baby.) Dealing with diapers is so unpleasant, they say, that cleaning an occasional mess becomes tolerable. The little darlings’ public appearances sometimes call for diapers, but can also be dealt with by taking the baby behind the nearest tree. One parent even admitted, “I have absolutely been at parties and witnessed people putting their baby over the sink.”
CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE
; Washington, D.C.’s WRC-TV
reported in March that a woman from the Maryland suburbs showed a reporter a traffic citation she had just received, ticketing her for driving in the left lane on Interstate 95 in Laurel while going only 63 mph—compared to the posted (“maximum”) speed of 65. The citation read, “Failure of driver . . . to keep right.” The station’s meteorologist noted that winds that day were gusting to 40 mph and that the woman might simply have been trying to control her car. ; The principal and head teacher at a Godalming, England, special-needs school were reported by employees in March for allowing a student with self-harm issues to cut herself, under staff supervision. (Unsted Park School enrolls kids aged 7 to 19 who have high-functioning autism.) Teachers were to hand the girl a sterilized blade, wait outside a bathroom while she acted out, checking up on her at two-minute intervals, and then
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dress the girl’s wounds once she had finished. The school reportedly abandoned the policy six days after implementing it. ; Last year, according to Chicago’s WBBM-TV, Palmen Motors in Kenosha, Wis., sold a brand-new GMC Terrain SUV to an elderly couple, 90 and 89, in which the husband was legally blind and in hospice care, on morphine, and the wife had dementia and could barely walk. According to the couple’s daughter, it was her brother, David McMurray, who wanted the SUV but could not qualify financially and so drove his mother from Illinois to Kenosha to sign the documents while a Palmen employee traveled to Illinois to get the father’s signature (three weeks before he passed away, it turns out). An attorney for Palmen Motors told the TV station that the company regretted its role and would buy the vehicle back.
DEMOCRACY BLUES
; The city council of Oita, Japan, refused to seat a recently
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elected member because he refused to remove the mask he always wears in public. Professional wrestler “Skull Reaper A-ji” said his fans would not accept him as authentic if he strayed from his character. Some masked U.S. wrestlers, and especially the popular Mexican lucha libre wrestlers, share the sentiment. (At press time, the issue was apparently still unresolved in Oita.) ; At a Jan. 8 public meeting, Cooper City, Fla., Commissioner Lisa Mallozzi, annoyed with local activist (and former commissioner) Gladys Wilson, told her (according to video and audio of the meeting), “(B) low me.” Wilson, 81, said later she did not understand what the phrase meant; Mallozzi said later that she meant only that she needed to blow her nose.
UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT
; Passive possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime, authorities
say, because by definition a child had been abused in the creation of the image, but that reasoning was no relief for New Zealander Ronald Clark, who was sentenced to three months in jail in Auckland in April for watching pornographic cartoon videos of short-statured elves and pixies. A child-protection activist acknowledged that no child was harmed in the creation of the Japanese anime artwork, but insisted that it was still injurious because “(I)t’s all part of that spectrum.” Clark said he wondered if he might also be convicted for viewing sexual stick-figure drawings. ; John Leopold, the former county executive of Anne Arundel County, Md., serving 30 days in jail for illegally forcing his government security detail and another employee to perform personal errands, apparently wasted no time in March displaying a similar attitude toward his jailers. He quickly demanded that the jailers serve him a breakfast of Cheerios, skim milk, bananas
and orange juice instead of the scheduled fare. (Last year, Anders Breivik, the imprisoned 2011 mass murderer of 77 in Norway, famously began a hunger strike when rebuffed over his 27-page list of demands, including Internet access and a series of menu and climate-control improvements.)
SUSPICIONS CONFIRMED
; California street gangs stage fights whose locations can be accurately predicted using the same algorithm that anthropologists use to predict where lions and hyenas will fight in the wild to protect their own territories. A UCLA researcher, using the standard “Lotka-Volterra” equation on 13 equal-sized criminal gangs in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in east Los Angeles, produced a table of probabilities showing how far from each gang’s border any fights were likely to occur. In the period 1999 to 2002, the formula correctly showed that
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about 58 percent of shootings occurred within 0.2 miles of the border, 83 percent within 0.4 miles, and 97 percent within 1 mile.
PERSPECTIVE
; Animal-rights activists have had success in recent years making covert videos of abuses on farms and in slaughterhouses, showing defenseless animals being cruelly mistreated in patterns unlikely to be caught by government inspectors making orderly, rare visits. However, as The New York Times reported in April, legislators in Iowa, Utah, Missouri and almost a dozen other states believe that the greater problem is that such videos “defame” the operators of these farms and slaughterhouses, and the states have proposed to criminalize the activists’ conduct, which might be “trespassing” in that they gain access only by subterfuge, for instance, pretending earnestly to apply for jobs. The typical state legislation would also require that any such video must immediately be turned over, not to government or the media, but to the operator —allegedly, so the abuse could be dealt with, but also coincidentally denying the activists their most valuable tool.
LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS
; Just Because It Worked Once: Carl Bellenir, 48, was arrested in San Luis Obispo, Calif., in February after he had successfully cashed in, at a Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, several rolls of pennies that had been stuffed into rolls labeled for dimes. Bellenir apparently did not realize that the rolls would be examined later in the day and so returned the very next morning to the same bank and tried it again. Police were called, and Bellenir fled, but he was captured down the street at a Bank of America trying the same trick.
STRANGE OLD WORLD
; Dateline Saudi Arabia: (1) A newspaper in the capital city of Riyadh reported in April that three men from the United Arab Emirates were booted out of a religious festival by Saudi morality police because they were thought to be “too handsome” and would make Saudi women improperly attracted to them. (2) Another Saudi daily reported in April that a schoolteacher had agreed to marry her suitor but only provided that the man take on two of her colleagues as extra wives. (Saudi Arabia allows men as many as four.) The newspaper reported that the woman had rented three apartments in the same building, signaling that the deal had perhaps been sealed.
READERS’ CHOICE
; Kent Hendrix heroically rushed to the aid of a female neighbor being assaulted by an acquaintance on their residential street in Millcreek, Utah, in April and scared the man off (though he soon turned himself in). Hendrix is a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, more to the point, a black belt in karate, and even more to the point, was aiming his favorite samurai sword at the attacker. Said Hendrix, “His eyes just got huge . . . that he was staring down 29 inches of razor.”
LEAD STORY— WELL-EARNED RETIREMENT
; In March, twin sisters Louise and Martine Fokkens, 70, announced their joint retirement after more than 50 years each on the job—as Amsterdam prostitutes. (In February, the minimum age for prostitutes in the Netherlands was raised to 21, but there is no maximum.) The twins estimated they had 355,000 client-visits between them, and Martine noted that she still has one devoted regular who she’ll JUNE 2013 • CULTURE 57
have to disappoint. Louise, though, appeared happier to hang up her mattress for good because of arthritis. The sisters complained about the legalization of brothels in 2000 (with East European women and pimps out-hustling the more genteel Dutch women) and ensuing taxation (which required the women to take on more clients).
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
; “Traditional Taiwanese funerals (combine) somber mourning with louder, uptempo entertainment to fire up grieving spirits,” reported BBC News in February. They are tailor-made, in other words, for Ms. Liu Jun-Lin, 30, and her Filial Daughters Band with their acrobatic dance routines because Liu has the reputation as Taiwan’s most famous professional mourner. After the musical festivities, Liu dons a white robe and crawls on her hands and knees to the
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coffin, where she “performs her signature wail.” ; Norwegian Wood: A 12hour TV miniseries shown this winter on Norway’s government channel NRK, “National Firewood Night,” was conceived as a full series, then cut to “only” 12 hours, eight of which focused entirely on a live fireplace. Nearly a million people tuned in to the series, and at one point 60 text messages came in complaining about whether the wood in the fireplace should have been placed with bark up or bark down. “(F)irewood,” said the show’s host, “is the foundation of our lives.” A New York Times dispatch noted that a best-selling book, “Solid Wood,” sold almost as many copies in Norway, proportional to the population, as a book’s selling 10 million copies in the U.S. ; Imagine the Person Who First Suggested This: The newest beauty-treatment rage in China, according to Chinese media quoted on the Inquisitr.com
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website in March, is the “fire facial,” in which alcohol and a “secret elixir” are daubed on the face and set ablaze for a few seconds, then extinguished. According to “ancient Chinese medicine,” this will burn off “dull” skin—and also alleviate the common cold and reduce obesity. ; Most of Iceland’s 320,000 inhabitants are at least distantly related to each other, leading the country to compile the “Book of Icelanders” database of family connections dating back 1,200 years. With “accidental” incest thus a genuine problem, three software engineers recently created a mobile phone app that allows strangers to “bump” phones with each other and know, instantly, whether they are closely related. In its first few days of release in April, the developers said it had already been used almost 4,000 times.
LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES
; New York City Councilman
Dan Halloran was charged in April with aiding state Sen. Malcolm Smith’s alleged bribery scheme to run for mayor—thus bringing Halloran’s extraordinary back story light as the first “open” pagan to be elected to office in the U.S. Halloran converted in the 1980s to medieval Theodish, whose outfits and ceremonies resemble scenes from Dungeons & Dragons— horns, sacrifices, feasts, duels using spears and public floggings. (The Village Voice reported in 2011 that Halloran was the “First Atheling” of his own Theodish tribe of 100, called New Normandy, but Halloran said in April that today he is merely an “elder.”) ; Recent Icons: (1) In March, a vegetable wholesaler in India’s Jharkland state decided that a pumpkin he purchased was so enormous (about 190 pounds) that it must be a reincarnation of the god Shiva—and he began worshipping it. A priest counseled the man to continue his fealty until the following Sunday, a holiday, after which he should carve it into pieces
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for devotees. (2) In Buri Ram, Thailand, in March, a woman sliced open a sausage to find the distinctive body of a very small kitten, which she took to be a symbol of some sort deserving to be placed onto an altar. Neighbors gathered to pray to it, also, and several said they had considered the woman so fortunate that they played her age (52) in a local lottery, and won.
QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS
; An unnamed man was hospitalized in April in Tucson, Ariz., after firefighters, finding him unconscious at 3 a.m. pinned under an SUV parked in his driveway, lifted the vehicle and dragged him to safety. A police spokesperson learned that the man was trying “a stunt in which he was going to put the SUV in reverse, jump out and lay on the ground behind it, have the vehicle (roll) over him, and then get up and (get back into) the SUV in time to stop it before it collided with anything.”
PERSPECTIVE
; While “comprehensive immigration reform” winds through the U.S. political process, a few countries (including the United States) have already severely bent the nationalistic standards supposedly regulating entry of foreigners. The U.S., Britain, Canada and Austria allow rich investors who pass background checks to qualify for an express lane to residence or citizenship, and the line is even less onerous in the Caribbean nations of Dominica and St. Kitts & Nevis, which offer quick citizenship for investments of $100,000 and $250,000, respectively—the latter especially valuable, allowing access to 139 countries including all of Europe. (The U.S. minimum is $1 million, or half that for investment in an “economically depressed” area, but the reward is only a “green card,” with citizenship still five years away.)
WEIRDOAMERICAN COMMUNITY
; The man who was “citizen 60 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
of the year” in Waynesville, Ohio, in 2006, businessman Ron Kronenberger, 53, was charged in January with belt-whipping one of his tenants on his bare buttocks—though he had a good reason, he said, because the tenant was late again with the rent. A magistrate said he intended to drop the charge in six months if Kronenberger stayed out of trouble, but in March, a man who worked for Kronenberger filed a lawsuit accusing him of spanking him on four occasions, using a belt and a paddle.
LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS
; Questionable Judgment: The Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County, Miss., arrested Henry Ha Nguyen, 41, in April as operator of a large marijuana grow house—a facility that would normally reek of the distinctive pot fragrance. However, Nguyen had thought of that and tried to mask the smell, but chose the alternative scent produced by buckets full of what appeared to be human feces.
READERS’ CHOICE
; (1) A vendor at the largest bazaar in Buenos Aires has recently been selling knock-off “toy poodles” that were actually artistically groomed ferrets raised on steroids. A news dispatch from June 2012 suggested that such a report might be an “urban legend,” but a Buenos Aires TV investigation exposed the scam in March, revealing two victims, one of whom paid the equivalent of about $150 for his “pure-bred.” (2) Wayne Klinkel’s golden retriever Sundance, locked in a car while Klinkel, of Helena, Mont., went to dinner in December, set about dining himself on whatever he found, including the five $100 bills Klinkel had stashed. Klinkel managed to recover the scraps (in precisely the way you suspect he did), washed and dried them several times, and as of early April, was still awaiting word whether the U.S. Treasury would exchange his scraps for five new ones. V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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