- Stoners, time to find a new favorite TV show. No, “Planet
Earth” isn't going away and won't any time soon, nor will “Beavis and Butthead”
or “The Simpsons.” Instead, it’s Showtime's ground-breaking TV series "Weeds,"
which is coming to a close after eight seasons. After Starz announced the surprising
end of its hit series “Spartacus” after four seasons, Showtime announced the
demise of Jenji Kohan's acclaimed pot comedy. “Weeds” was something of a
trailblazer that helped pave the way for other cable series on controversial
subjects and vaulted Showtime into the battle of being a serious contender in
the original series game. "There were two shows, 'Weeds' and 'Dexter,'
that really got Showtime taken seriously for cutting-edge original
programming," Showtime entertainment president David Nevins said. "How
they get brought home is really important. In this case, both for the sake of
the two women behind the show [Kohan and Golden Globe-winning star Mary-Louise
Parker] and an audience that's really invested in the show. TV fans love
nothing better than to complain about how shows end and we really want to end
this one the right way." Kohan is understandably disappointed by having a
burning slug fired into the back of the head of her creation, saying she's
"sad" about the news but expressing appreciation for the rare
opportunity to creatively wrap up a show. "I'm so proud of what we do here
and that it's about a strong woman lead who's really flawed," she says of
her protagonist, Nancy Botwin (Parker). "We get to do comedy right up
against drama, which a lot of shows don't get the opportunity to do." In
the final season of “Weeds,” Kohan will resolve this year's assassination
attempt cliffhanger, then jump the show ahead in time a bit and find a creative
way to conclude Botwin’s tale. However it ends, “Weeds” will always have the
distinction of pioneering an edgy adult-cable programming renaissance. Parker
has won a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of a suburban pot-dealing
matriarch and she will continue to play that role as the final season of
"Weeds" premieres Sunday, July 1 at 10 p.m. on Showtime……….
- While the conversation remains center on ganja, what
better time could there be to talk about hemp? The out-of-date school of
thought on hemp is that it is fodder for the bong, nothing more. Don’t try to
sell that argument to activists attempting to strip federal regulations on industrial
grade hemp. These hemp-heads are fighting an uphill battle and deep-seated
misconceptions are undercutting their efforts. “You don’t want to tamp too much
or we’re going to lose our insulation properties,” said Ken Anderson, whose
company, Original Green Distribution, produces a building material known as
HempStone. Yes, putting hemp and stone(d) in the same product name is asking
for the requisite snickering, but hear Anderson out. He travels around
instructing builders on the correct use of its product, which is a breathable
material made of hemp fibers and lime that he pitches as a safer and more
efficient alternative to conventional building materials. “Not only does it
have great R-value, it also has thermal mass, which will then capture heat and
bring it in when it’s cooler in the house and also transfer heat through the
house,” Anderson said. For the construction ignorant, R-value is a measure of thermal
resistance used in the building and construction industry. Its high (no pun
intended) R-value makes industrial grade hemp as the perfect building
material, according to Anderson. Additionally, high-grade hemp is non-toxic,
mold and mildew resistant and non-flammable. A wall bolstered with
industrial-grade hemp will not ignite even when the hot flame of a soldering
torch is held to the surface for five minutes. By contrast, conventional
building products can give off toxins like formaldehyde. Informed consumers are
actually requesting their builders use hemp, often for the health benefits
alone. Just as sturdy but seven times lighter than concrete, hemp makes good
sense. The only drawback is the high cost of industrial-grade hemp, ironically
restricting its use to some of the people least like to have encountered hemp
in its most common form of use during their life. “Right now, because of the
cost prohibitiveness, we have to sell to a higher end market, whereas this
material should be available to everyone,” Anderson said. Blaze, er, build on,
Kenny………….
- Maybe it’s simply time to abandon the quest to be perpetually
tan. Not only are the sun’s rays harmful to human skin and health if absorbed
in high amounts, and not only is throwing on a bathing suit and hopping inside
a cancer box (a.k.a. tanning beds) a surefire way to up one’s chances for all
manner of melanoma, but a panel of medical experts have warned that even spray
tans could be hazardous to one’s health. These alarmist doctors say the active chemical used in spray tans,
dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, can cause genetic mutations and wreak havoc on human
DNA. They worry that customers could be inhaling the chemical into their
bloodstreams during full-body spray tan sessions and become (possibly
super-powered, superhero) mutants. “These compounds, in some cells, could
actually promote the development of cancers or malignancies,” explained. Dr.
Rey Panettieri, a toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of
Pennsylvania. Panettieri (no relation to petite, über-hot actress Hayden Panettiere)
and some of his comrades became alarmed about the dangers of spray tanning
after reviewing 10 scientific studies of DHA. Although none of the studies
involved actual human testing, the doctors are alarmed nonetheless. “What we’re
concerned about is not so much that reaction that creates the tanning, but
reactions that may occur deeper down with living cells that might then change
DNA,” warned Dr. Lynn Goldman, the dean of the school of public health at
George Washington University. “I’d be very concerned for the potential of lung
cancer.” Tell that to the Food and Drug Administration, which approved the use
of DHA in the 1970s as an ingredient in tanning lotions or creams. Naysayers
would point out that salon-offered spray downs are not approved by the FDA.
They would also warn spray tanners to cover their eyes, nose and mouth before
getting orange-ed up. Either that or just learn how to accept one’s paleness………
- Eff you, world. Bangladesh has no use for you and your
repeated pleas to allow in Rohingya Muslims displaced by sectarian clashes in
Myanmar. The United Nations and other humanitarian groups can beg and plead all
they way, but Bangladesh will continue to turn away these nomads and their
boats at its borders. “It is not in our interest that new refugees come from Myanmar,”
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni proclaimed in Dhaka, the capital, on
Tuesday. His words came after border guards “foiled two separate attempts of
Rohingyas to enter” Bangladesh on Wednesday, and reportedly sent 70 people back
to Myanmar. So far, border patrols have been ruthlessly efficient in turning
back 1,500 Rohingya fleeing Myanmar in boats. For the bleeding hearts who
believe that fleeing a nation where clashes between Muslims and the majority
Rakhine Buddhist population, grow a pair and then we can continue the
conversation. That includes the United Nations' refugee agency, which has
called on Bangladesh to provide a haven for people fleeing the fighting in
coastal Rakhine state, where rival mobs of Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya
Muslims have burned homes and at least a dozen people have died. The rape and
murder of a Buddhist girl, allegedly at the hands of three Muslims, last month
sparked the current chaos and 10 Muslims have been lynched in the ensuing
mayhem. Maybe there is some validity in Bangladesh’s logic…..after all, there
are an estimated 800,000 members of the Rohingya minority and if Bangladesh
allows one in, then they would have to open their borders to the other 799,999.
The United States also piled on Wednesday, with State Department spokeswoman
Victoria Nuland urging the country to accept refugees. Ditto for the Human
Rights Watch refugee program, but all of these words have fallen on deaf
ears………..
- Tim Tebow knew he would need his heavy armor in New York
after the Jets traded for him earlier this offseason. Dealing with the New York
media requires a thicker skin, but it’s what is under the skin that the Jets
are apparently most concerned about. Already the most ripped quarterback in the
NFL and looking like he’s going to turn green and tear through all of his
clothes save a pair of magically expanding purple shorts, Tebow has apparently
been asked by the team to pack on the pounds in preparation for his role in a Wildcat package. Tebow said Wednesday at
minicamp that his weight is up to 249 pounds -- about nine pounds heavier than
he played last season with the Denver Broncos. He explained that the team asked
him to bulk up to 250 pounds for the season. "I'm trying to be in shape,
be strong enough to do anything, but also fast enough to run around a little
bit as well," he said. Maybe the Jets did it to convince fans and media
that they really mean it when they say he will be the backup quarterback behind
Mark Sanchez and will see about 20 snaps per game in the Wildcat role. Coach
Rex Ryan further sought to head off any controversy when he warned that "there may be a time" in
training camp or the preseason when Tebow practices with the starting unit and
even then, a team spokesman attempted to clarify his remarks, saying Ryan meant
Tebow would take first-team reps in the Wildcat package, not the conventional
offense. He could also be a weapon inside the 20 and give the team red-zone
versatility with last season’s top receiving weapon, wide receiver Plaxico
Burress, gone to free agency. In the meantime, new offensive coordinator Tony
Sparano said his No. 1 objective, for now, is to make Tebow a better
quarterback. That’s a worthy goal for a signal caller who completed less than
half of his passes last season. Coincidentally, Sanchez has also bulked up to
230 pounds and insisted he's in the best shape of his life…………
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