New Cannabis Comedy 'Wilfred' Debuts Tonight On FX

Thursday, June 23, 2011, at 12:07 pm

By Steve Elliott
From http://www.tokeofthetown.com/

Photo: Cheryl Shuman

From left, Jason Gann (Wilfred), medical marijuana consultant Cheryl Shuman, Elijah Wood (Ryan) and David Zuckerman (executive producer)

​​ Ever noticed how often TV shows get it wrong when it comes to the telling little details of marijuana culture? Inaccuracies, large and small, can diminish our enjoyment of a show because they call our attention to artifice rather than art.

Well, I can assure you those kinds of details are going to be correct in "Wilfred," a new pot-based comedy debuting tonight on the FX television network. How am I so sure? Because, in what appears to be a first, the producers had the good sense to hire Cheryl Shuman (yes, the well-known cannabis activist and Kush Magazine media director) as medical marijuana consultant.

Photo: Cheryl Shuman

The accuracy of "Wilfred's" dispensary scenes like this one is due to the expertise of the show's medical marijuana consultant, Cheryl Shuman

​This show has "hit" written all over it, and I'm not just talking about the bong kind. Shuman told Toke of the Town that "Wilfred" is breaking new ground when it comes to the public perception of cannabis use, both medicinal and recreational.

Mega-star Elijah Wood (of Lord of the Rings fame) plays Ryan, a suicidally depressed medical marijuana patient whose life is saved by an unexpected bond with a -- get this -- talking, pot-smoking dog, the titular Wilfred.

You see, Wilfred looks like a regular ol' dog to everyone else, but to Ryan, he's a six-foot-tall, anthropomorphic, recreational pot smoker.

See what they did there? We have a medicinal cannabis user and his dog, a recreational marijuana smoker. Bada-bing! Both ends of the weed spectrum covered, with plenty of low-hanging funny fruit just waiting to be harvested.

"This show will be edgy; I guarantee you it's going to offend a few people," Shuman -- a 20-year veteran of Hollywood, medical marijuana patient, and cancer survivor -- told me. "But it's also really, really funny."

Written and produced by David Zuckerman of Family Guy fame, "Wilfred" is a great opportunity for the medical marijuana community to rebrand itself to the mass American public. As such, it features authentic dispensary interiors, overseen by pot consultant Shuman.

Hey, if it a takes a few off-color jokes and a pot-smoking dog to get America to talk (and laugh) openly about cannabis, I'm all for it!

Don't miss "Wilfred," premiering Thursday, June 23, at 10 p.m. Pacific on FX.

China goes wild for 3D porn film

Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy is a world first, with technology that hopes to revive an ailing industry. But it is unlikely to be seen in full in the mainland

• Ben Child
• guardian.co.uk

Grappling with it ... Sexual content is cut for mainland audiences, for example from Ang Lee's Lust, Caution. Photograph: Supplied By Lmk
 
It is being billed as the world's first 3D porn film, a movie so salacious that Chinese audiences are reportedly flocking from the mainland to more permissive Hong Kong for the chance to see an uncut version. Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy will open in the former British protectorate and Taiwan next week. The £2m Cantonese language film is an ornate fantasy with high production values, set at the kinky court of Ming dynasty ancient China. It is ostensibly based on the classic Chinese erotic text, The Carnal Prayer Mat, and follows a young man as he befriends a duke and enters a world of royal orgies and other sexual peccadilloes. The film is also a reworking of an earlier Chinese movie, 1991's Sex and Zen. Writer and producer Stephen Shiu told local media the film would feature some "very graphic sex scenes". He added: "It will leave audiences feeling like they are sitting right there at the edge of the bed." Sex and Zen's content means it is unlikely to be screened uncut in mainland China, though there are reports of tour groups planning trips to Hong Kong and Taiwan so that people may see it. Such a development mimics events in 2007, when mainlanders travelled to the island to watch an uncut version of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, the Chinese cut having excised key scenes which left audiences confused and disappointed. Last year during the shoot for Sex and Zen, Shiu told Reuters "It's because it's forbidden in China, (that there) is so much enthusiasm in China for this film." He added: "Somehow when you're doing a 3D movie you always want to make an impressive image because the viewers ... are going to buy tickets with double or even triple the ticket price to get into a world they've never seen before. It's not just erotica, they want some 'wow factor'!" Sex and Zen stars one Hong Kong and two Japanese actors in the main roles and is directed by Christopher Sun. Some are predicting it could be the first of a wave of softcore 3D films, helping the industry to emerge from a period in which it has been hit heavily by free internet porn. However, the costs of shooting in the format have so far proved prohibitive. Nevertheless, Italian director Tinto Brass is said to be planning a 3D version of his notorious 1979 erotic film Caligula, and there are rumours of a 3D porn spoof of Avatar titled This Ain't Avatar XX.

5 Ancient Egyptian Inventions We Still Use Today

Written by RealDealWomen
From: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/

Photo: Archer10

A country that is rich in history, a land that has known great prosperity and despair, a world that is beautiful and full of life yet can be just as raw and difficult to survive in. Egypt is a place that holds the roots of humankind and secrets still undiscovered. Many of the objects we use every day and the use of certain everyday objects originated in Egypt. Objects such as the toothbrush, toothpaste, locks and keys, makeup, combs, wigs, deodorant and scissors. Makeup was used not for beauty but for skin-care; it was mainly used to protect people's skin from the sun's harmful rays. Let's take a look at just five of those objects:

1. The Condom

Photo: viaCherry

Did you know that even the idea of the condom originated in Egypt? It is said that as far back as 1000 BC, Egyptians used a linen sheath during
intercourse for protection against diseases among other things! Amazing
you say? Indeed!

2. High-heel shoes

Photo: Ed Yourdon

Ah yes, high-heel shoes. They say diamonds are a girl's best friend but in reality most of us have a much larger shoe collection (especially heels) than a collection of diamonds to wear. Let's face it, women (and men) LOVE heels! What is really cool about this sexy, sensual and yet sophisticated style of shoes is that they too originated from good ol' Egypt! Imagine as far back as 3,500 B.C., when it is said these type of shoes were being worn by the higher classes. The lower classes who were able to wear them definitely saw it as a privilege considering most of them could not afford to wear such works of art. However, I'm sure that the heels in those days were pretty uncomfortable compared to our modern day versions. If the lower class people's feet could have talked they probably would have thanked them!

3. Paper

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Yes, you guessed it! Paper is believed to have been invented by the ancient Egyptians around 4,000 B.C., although the name was actually Papyrus. It was the first substance used to write on similar to the paper we use today. The Egyptians would take a woven mat of reeds and pound them together until it created a thin yet stiff sheet. The next invention couldn't have been thought of unless Papyrus was invented first...

4. The Pen

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

We're sure everyone has heard the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword", right? Well this pen is certainly mighty! It has survived through ages of humanity and is still in great shape! (Wish we could all say that for ourselves, eh?). Anyway, without Papyrus, these babies wouldn't have been needed. The people of ancient Egypt could no longer use things such as bones, metal stick or sharp rocks to write on the sheet of Papyrus so they had to invent something more useful that wouldn't break through; thus the almighty pen! Not only does this picture show you their version of the pen but these objects contained in the original pencil cases too!

5. The Water Clock

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

This list is incredible, I know; however it must come to an end. The last everyday object to originate from ancient Egypt listed here is the water clock. Never heard of that? Now you have. And guess what? Water clocks are still used to this day! They are more commonly used for decoration and for others to admire these works of art. However, the invention they preceded, the clock itself, is of course still used to tell time. Interestingly enough, it was hard to find a picture of an ancient Egyptian water clock, so we'll have to make do with this picture is of an ancient water clock in Athens, Greece. In this particular photo, the water would flow into another bowl, thus allowing people to time themselves.

All in all, the Egyptians were a clever group of people. If the ancient civilization were ro still live on today, they would be shocked to see how far many of their inventions have gone and how modernized they have become.

License:

Attribution-No Derivative Works

The Ten Creepiest Paintings by Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy

By Gus Garcia-Roberts

From http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/

This week, Riptide told you about Stephen Koschal, the Brickell memorabilia detail who's been the world's leader in selling art by executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy (we have no idea what's going on in the comments section of that story, by the way).

Today we bring you the ten creepiest prison-made Gacys we could find photos of. Not all of them were brokered by Koschal, but all are certifiable nightmare fuel.

10. "Hi Ho With Clown"

Museumsyndicate.com

​Well, there goes our fond childhood memories of a Disney classic. Even the dwarfs look like they're thinking: "Uh... isn't this a copyright violation or something?"

9. "Pogo in the Making"

Museumsyndicate.com

​Gacy used to dress up like a clown named "Pogo" and show up at kid's birthday parties. Fun fact: While most clowns customarily round the tips of their painted smile to look less maniacal, Gacy kept his nice and pointy.

8. "Dwarf's Baseball"

Lannis Waters/The Palm Beach Post

​Nothing creepy about this little portrait of a Chicago Cubs batter playing baseball against the seven dwarfs, right? WRONG. Those signatures one the bottom include such Hall of Famers as Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Joe Dimaggio -- the work of dealer Stephen Koschal, who showed up at autograph conventions and of course never told the baseball greats what they were signing. Perverting our all-American heroes is, indeed, creepy.

7. "Handprint and Clowns"

museumsyndicate.com

Just try to look at that handprint without shuddering a little bit.​

6. "Lou Jacobs"

museumsyndicate.com

We needed a break from the overt creepiness. Look--if you didn't know this one was a Gacy, you'd think it was just a nice painting of a nice clown named Lou Jacobs.

5. "Sex Skull"

museumsyndicate.com

Okay, back to the overt creepiness.

4. "Self-Portrait"

museumsyndicate.com

​The creep himself. By the way, why did the guards give this guy paints? ​Why not JUST GIVE HIM FREAKIN' LAMBS BLOOD TO CREEP US OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE?

3. "Pogo the Clown"

museumsyndicate.com

​Ah... so creepy classic.

2. "Patches"

museumsyndicate.com

​Barf pallete remix!

1. "Pogo and Clown Skull"

museumsyndicate.com

​Okay, time for a long, cold shower. Goodbye.

Bhang Your Head! Hindu Holi Festival Celebrated With Marijuana Milk Shakes

By Steve Elliott
From: http://www.tokeofthetown.com/

Monday, Mar. 8 2010 @ 12:14PM

Photo: AP/Gemunu Amarasinghe

"Dude... I am soooo high." (Or the local equivalent.) Men smear colored powder on each other's faces during celebrations of Holi, the Hindu spring festival of colo

They're getting that old time religion in northern India, as the annual Holi festival, an extravagant Hindu spring celebration of colors, is observed with potent marijuana milk shakes.

The festival, celebrated in March each year (the exact date depends on the lunar calendar), is an occasion during which men, women and children play wildly with water guns and colored powder, according to The Observers. And the fact that "bhang thandai," an almond-flavored milk shake blended with cannabis, is a prominent part of the celebration doesn't hurt the festive atmosphere one bit.

Photo: Fractal Enlightenment

While technically "illegal," bhang is still sold in government-authorized shops in India.

​The marijuana milk shakes are widely served, from exclusive private gatherings to street parties. On this particular day, using bhang is considered completely acceptable for all adults, youths to grandparents.

Cannabis is technically illegal in India, since the nation is a signatory to Harry Anslinger's 1961 Single Convention narcotics treaty. But the substance has been a part of the country's cultural heritage for thousands of years, and a law that's been around less than half a century hasn't made much of an impact. Bhang is sold for consumption through government licensed outlets.

According to popular legend, bhang drinks were offered to the gods and were particularly loved by Lord Shiva. If that's a close enough connection for the revelers to get stoned, then it works for me, too. Praise Shiva and pass the bhang, homies!

Photo: iMovies4you.com

​"At places, the revelry becomes rowdy and violent," said Percy Fernandez, a New Delhi-based consultant. "Not just bhang, Holi is also associated with heightened guzzling of alcohol. Marijuana is not legal in India, but the tradition of having bhang during Holi is that it has a religioius association."

"I know of shops selling bhang served with thandai (a combination of milk, almonds, and cardamom) and sweets among other eatables," Fernandez said. "Cannabis is traditionally smoked with tobacco or eaten in the form of pakkoras or even sweets."

"For me, Holi is all about being a kid again, shedding your inhibitions, getting colors all on you, generally having a good time," said Rahul Verghese, a Gurgaon-based entrepreneur.

Photo: Reuters/K.K. Arora

Women tear off the clothes of men as they play huranga, a game played between men and women a day after the Holi festival during which men drench women with liquid colors and women tear the men's clothes off.

​"In our little colony... we have a little celebration with food, drinks and bhang," Verghese said. "It tastes smooth, and doesn't hit you initially, but a little later you're knocked out."

The fun's not over on the day after the Holi festival. Huranga, a game played between men and women on the day after Holi, involves men drenching women with liquid colors and women tearing off the men's clothes. [Craig Ferguson voice] "I knooooow!"

Factor in that practically everybody involved is high as a freakin' kite, and got-DANG if that doesn't sound exactly like my kind of party.

Here's a bhang-up recipe, courtesy of Fractal Enlightenment:

Photo: Cannabis Culture

​Bhang

2 cups water

1 ounce marijuana (fresh leaves and flowers of a female plant preferred)

4 cups warm milk

2 tablespoons blanched and chopped almonds

1/8 teaspoon 'garam masala' (a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamon)

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 to 1 teaspoon rosewater

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

Bring the water to a rapid boil and pour into a clean teapot. Remove any seeds or twigs from the marijuana, add it to the teapot and cover. Let this brew for about 7 minutes.

Now strain the water and marijuana through a piece of muslin cloth, collect the water and save.

Take the leaves and flowers and squeeze between your hands to extract any liquid that remains. Add this to the water. Place the leaves and flowers in a mortar and add 2 teaspoons warm milk. Slowly but firmly grind the milk and leaves together. Gather up the marijuana and squeeze out as much milk as you can.

Repeat this process until you have used about 1/2 cup of milk (about 4 to 5 times). Collect all the milk that has been extracted and place in a bowl. By this time the marijuana will have turned into a pulpy mass.

Add the chopped almonds and some more warm milk. Grind this in the mortar until a fine paste is formed. Squeeze this paste and collect the extract as before. Repeat a few more times until all that is left are some fibers and nut meal. Discard the residue.

Combine all the liquids that have been collected, including the water the marijuana was brewed in. Add to this the garam masala, dried ginger and rosewater. Add the sugar and remaining milk.

Chill, serve and enjoy.

Video: Holi Festival Bhang Ritual

7 Hot Female Models Who Are Also Environmentalists

by Emma Grady, New York, NY

Credit W Brasil agency

When it comes to looking green and gorgeous, these seven female models are on top of their game. From Miranda Kerr, the face of "Australian Koala Foundation's "No Tree No Me" campaign, and Gisele Bündchen (above) who have both appeared nude in the name of the earth, to "eco-model" Summer Rayne Oakes and eco-cosmetic maven Josie Maran, who have signed up to find America's next top eco-model in Project Green Search, these models are raising awareness of environmental and social issues and marketing green as sexy and desirable with their beauty and bodies. Keep tuned for our next round, 7 Hot Male Models Who are also Environmentalists.

1. Gisele Bündchen: Flip Flops for the Forest

One of the first ways Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen showed eco-consciousness was with a water dress to promote water conservation (specifically the Xingu river, which flows into the Amazon and is suffering from deforestation). Later she launched her own green blog. Now she's back in the latest campaign for her Ipanema flip flop line, this time in a forest outfit to raise awareness on Atlantic deforestation and to support SOS Mata Atlantica. Specifically, she's helping project Forests of the Future, which seeks to recover gallery forest, the vegetation that surrounds rivers and streams participating in the protection of water.

2. Josie Maran: Green Glamour Queen

Credit labelleetle

After 10 years of having her famous face on magazine covers, print ads, and in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, motherhood inspired Josie Maran to develop her own line of non-toxic makeup, Josie Maran Cosmetics. The moisturizer, blush, eye shadow, mascara, liner, lip gloss, and more are made without parabens, petrochemicals, animal testing, or fragrances, and even the packaging is recyclable or biodegradable. Since launching her eco-empire, Maran has been crowned the Green Glamour Queen in the premier issue of Organic Beauty, has sold a thousand mascara wands, and triumphed in Elle magazine's 2009 Green Star Awards.

3. Summer Rayne Oakes: The "Eco-Model"

Credit Summer Rayne Oakes

TreeHugger regular, Planet Green contributor, business woman, activist and model, Summer Rayne Oakes has been a pioneer in the green movement using her passion for fashion and social good, to promote the causes closest to her heart. Oakes recently helped launch Zoe & Zac, the first eco-friendly line of shoes from budget shoe giant Payless, in addition to filling the spot as cover girl for the campaign, and authored her first book--Style, Naturally. The eco-fashion and beauty guide is aimed at women "who love style, but may not have 'environment' or 'green' in their lexicon," according to Oakes. And now, the search is on for America's next top eco-model.at through competition Project Green Search. Contestants will be judged by eco-luminaries including Oakes and #2 on this list, Josie Maran.

4. Miranda Kerr: Bares All for the Koala

Credit Ecorazzi

Australian Supermodel and Victoria's Secret Angel Miranda Kerr bared it all on the cover of Rolling Stone's green issue when she appeared nude and chained to a tree for the sake of the environment. Kerr specifically wanted to shine light on the Australian Koala Foundation's No Tree No Me campaign which aims to protect the koalas' natural habitat. Kerr told Rolling Stone: "I feel strongly about the need to protect our natural environment because it supports our life--it really is that simple." Via Ecorazzi

5. Lily Cole: Says 'No' to De Beers' Diamonds

Credit Pirelli

British supermodel Lily Cole, the face of luxury diamond jeweler De Beers, refused to work for the company after learning that Bushmen were evicted to make way for future diamond mining in Botswana. Cole allied with Western Shoshone and fellow environmental activists in the ongoing struggle to halt gold and diamond mining, which displaces indigenous peoples worldwide and creates excessive amounts of mining waste and toxins. Advocacy group Survival International is leading a campaign to urge De Beers to allow Bushman back onto their tribal lands.

6. Cindy Crawford: Her 'Eco-Awakening'

Credit Ecorazzi

This ex-supermodel is thirsty to make the world a better place: Cindy Crawford kicked her six bottles a day water habit and started drinking tap water. She has also announced that she’s working with water filtration company PUR, in order to design her own reusable aluminum bottle in the hopes to encourage others to cut back on plastic waste (proceeds benefit Children’s Safe Drinking Water). Crawford recently joined the Green Beat team on Vanity Fair's blog VF Daily, where she writes about her "eco-awakening" and the daily changes she has made, like unplugging appliances, switching to recycled paper towels and napkins, ditching plastic bags, and buying local foods.

7. Heidi Klum: Project Green at Home and on the Runway

Credit Creative Commons

Heidi Klum has taken Summer Rayne Oakes' lead in using fashion as a tool for social change. The host of Project Runway says, "You can make a lot of great things with eco-friendly material" and has contestants creating clothes out of unlikely materials. One of the contestants on season five, Leanne Marshall, even has her own eco-conscious clothing line, Leanimal. Klum is going greener on the home-front as well: Instead of tossing, she's donating her children's old clothes to Baby Buggy, a charity that distributes used clothing to children in need. Via Ecorazzi

Grand Opening: Apple Store Munich, Images and Video

Posted by Aviv

A huge crowd celebrated the opening of Apple’s new retail store in Germany today. The “Apple Store, Rosenstraße,” is Apple’s first retail store in the country.

Prior to the store’s official opening, Apple had a pattern splattered across the facade of the building resembling the Bavarian flag, only with blue iPod nanos. As previously explained, T-Mobile carries the iPhone in these parts of the world, so Apple’s physical presence was already fairly strong. The addition of a new flagship store in the area will only increase brand recognition and awareness of Apple as a whole.

MacDailyNews points us to a 360 degree panorama VR of the opening crowd. Additionally, the video below is from Martin in Munich (via Youtube). Many more images via flickr