Earth Is About To Enter A 30-Year ‘Mini Ice Age’ As A ‘Solar Minimum’ Grips The Planet
Earth is bracing for a solar minimum: a dormant period in which the Sun radiates less energy or heat at our planet than usual. Scientists have warned that as a result of the Sun’s inactivity, Earth is likely to witness a ‘mini ice age’ that could bring extreme winters and chilly cold storms over the next 30 years.
According to NASA, the Sun will reach its lowest activity in over 200 years in 2020. As it further goes into its natural hibernation phase, Earth will experience extremely cold spells which will trigger food shortages across the planet. The average temperatures could drop as much as one degree Celsius in a period lasting about 12 months. That might not sound a lot but a whole degree fall would have a significant impact on global average temperatures.
Solar minimums are part of the Sun’s natural life cycle and occur once every 11 years. However, 2020’s minimum is going to be a special case. That’s because it marks the start of a rare event known as a Grand Solar Minimum, in which energy emitted from the Sun plummets down even more than usual. These only occur once every 400 years or so.
As per Northumbria University expert Valentina Zharkova, the icy spells and wet summers could be around until 2053, when solar activity picks up again. She told The Sun that the onset of the Grand Solar Minimum is already evident in Canada and Iceland, “We will possibly get big frosts as is happening now in Canada where they see [temperatures] of -50 degree Celsuis.”
The last Grand Solar Minimum, according to the report, was the Maunder Minimum which lasted from 1645 to 1715. The cruel cold decades saw the Thames and Amsterdam canals to freeze from time to time, something which is quite unusual today. This cold spell was likely set off by a number of factors including a slew of massive volcanic eruptions. In the forthcoming GSM, scientists are expecting a shift in the global temperatures caused due to human activity like rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Article via Mashable
Scientists discovered a weed compound that may be 30 times more powerful than THC
A newly discovered cannabis compound has been shown in the lab to potentially be 30 times more potent than THC, the most studied psychoactive compound in marijuana. Whether the new cannabinoid, named tetrahydrocannabiphorol, or THCP, will deliver 30 times the high of THC — or any high at all — is unclear.
Italian scientists also discovered a second previously unknown compound they named CBDP. It appears to be a cousin of CBD, the medicinal compound known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticonvulsant activity.
The discoveries were recently published in the journal Nature, Scientific Reports.
Discovering the compounds
The compounds were isolated and identified from the Italian medical cannabis variety known as FM2 using mass spectrometry and metabolomics, processes used to find the basic chemicals of a sample or molecule. The authors assessed the ability of THCP to bind to human cannabinoid receptors found in the endocannabinoid systemby sending the compound to a lab to be tested in a tube.
The endocannabinoid system’s job is to keep our body in homeostasis, or equilibrium, and it regulates everything from sleep to appetite to inflammation to pain and more. When a person smokes marijuana, THC overwhelms the endocannabinoid system, latching on to cannabinoid receptors and interfering with their ability to communicate between neurons.
THCP bound strongly to both receptors — 33 times more than THC does, and 63 times more than another compound called THCV. The finding led the authors to wonder if THCP might explain why some particularly potent cannabis varieties have a stronger effect than can be explained by the presence of THC alone.
“This means that these compounds have higher affinity for the receptors in the human body,” said Dr. Cinzia Citti, lead author of the research and post-doctoral fellow in life sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy. “In cannabis varieties where THC is present in very low concentrations, then we can think that the presence of another, more active cannabinoid can explain those effects.”
The role of alkyl side chains
The alkyl side chain is the driving force behind a cannabinoid’s effects on humans. For most of the nearly 150 cannabis compounds, including THC, the chain is only five atoms long, the authors said. However, THCP has a seven-atom chain, meaning that in its natural form it has surpassed the potency of THC.
A cannabinoid with more than five atoms has never been previously reported as naturally occurring, according to the authors. Additionally, most of them have neither been isolated nor characterized because of how challenging it is. “The challenge is that it can take a long time to isolate, especially with rare sources,” said Dr. Jane Ishmael, associate professor in Oregon State University’s College of Pharmacy. “I get the impression that these products were present in small amounts, so it’s a surprise to find the natural products from a cannabis plant that we’ve known about for a long time.”
Potential effects in humans
CBD has mostly been the focus of studies on the health benefits of cannabis, but because THCP appears to show stronger binding abilities and potency, the authors think there is potential for health benefits. The findings could enable the production of cannabis extracts for targeted physical effects; more testing with the study’s methods could further the discovery and identification of new compounds, the authors said.
“There are other minor cannabinoids and traces in the plant that can be hard to study, but by isolation we can continue to assess the effects they might offer,” Ishmael said. “Historically, many of our medicines have been derived by or inspired by natural products. By having new compounds that bind with very high affinity, that will give scientists a new probe into biological sciences.”
Article via CNN
Mom of Rutgers U. freshman killed by train sues school, fraternity where he was partying
The mother of a Rutgers University student who was struck and killed by a train after leaving a fraternity party in 2017 has filed a wrongful death suit against the university, the police department, and the fraternity.
Claudia Patterson, the mother of freshman Kenneth Patterson, filed suit in Superior Court of Middlesex County in Dec. 2019, saying that Theta Delta Chi, the fraternity that threw the party, was under disciplinary action, and Rutgers should have known they were serving alcohol anyway.
A university spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation, but said Rutgers cooperated with the Amtrak Police Department during the investigation.
“The University was deeply saddened by the death of Kenneth Patterson and offered our condolences to his family and counseling services to our students affected by this tragic loss,” Neal Buccino said in a statement sent to NJ Advance Media.
Patterson, a native of Rockaway, was killed the night of Theta Delta Chi’s TDXmas party on Dec. 9, 2017, the suit says. He was drunk when he left the Huntington Street frat house, and was later struck and killed by an Amtrak train trying to walk back to his dorm room, a friend told the Daily Record.
Theta Delta Chi was under sanctions not to hold any parties or fraternity related events at the time, the suit says, but it’s not clear why. The fraternity did not return NJ Advance Media’s request for comment.
The fraternity “acted with complete disregard for the safety of others” in giving alcohol to underage students, the suit says. It also alleges that Rutgers failed in their duty to oversee fraternity events on campus.
In addition to the lawsuit, the Patterson family has launched the “Justice for KJP” initiative on social media, looking for more information on what happened between the time Kenneth Patterson left the party and his death.
“We still have no answers but you have great friends who celebrate your beautiful, vibrant life with us. I miss you every day and hope one day we find out the real story,” Claudia Patterson wrote on the second anniversary of his death.
Article via NJ
Spike Lee is making a film version of David Byrne’s American Utopia
Good news, music fans: One of Broadway’s most high-profile recent hits is getting the cinematic treatment, at last. (And no, it’s not Hamilton. Keep your pants on, Francis, it’s coming.) Variety reports this week that David Byrne’s critically acclaimed career retrospective American Utopiais set to make the move to the big screens some time in the near future, courtesy of a little help from director Spike Lee. A wide-ranging tour through Byrne’s entire career—from his Talking Heads days up through the 2018 album of the same name—American Utopia has drawn rave reviews for its energetic presentation of some of the best music of the last several decades.
Byrne, of course, is no stranger to working with legendary directors, on account of the whole “co-responsible for one of the most beloved concert films of all time” thing. (It’s not for nothing that he compared American Utopia in interviews to the same energy he and the rest of Talking Heads once brought to the sessions that formed the spine of Stop Making Sense.) The original touring show of American Utopia was marked by, among other things, its minimalist set design, combined with the occasional striking visual or silhouette. It’ll be interesting to see what Lee does with it—although he’s filmed numerous comedy specials, music videos, and music documentaries over the years, including a whole series of docs and short films on Michael Jackson—it’s rare for him to go for a pure concert film. On the one hand, he’s got some pretty big shoes (suits?) to fill; on the other hand, he’s Spike Lee; this feels like something of a natural fit.
Article via AVClub
Actress claims she slept with Mick Jagger when she was just 15
Actress Rae Dawn, the daughter of pot comedian Tommy Chong, said she spent a “fabulous” night with Mick Jagger back in 1977– when she was just 15 years old.
Dawn, who had roles in the 1985 films “The Color Purple” and “Commando,” detailed her underage fling with the Rolling Stones legend to the Daily Mail after she claimed to have accidentally blurted out the news while taping a forthcoming podcast from The Hollywood Reporter.
“He wasn’t that much older than me in my brain. He was 33 and young and gorgeous with a nice body,” she told the outlet in an attempt to get ahead of the story.
“It wasn’t a bad thing; it was fabulous. Totally rock ‘n’ roll. He didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do, but he was very vain, always looking in the mirror.”
Dawn, now 58, said she slept with Jagger when he was still married to his first wife after meeting him at a friend’s place.
She was pals with the daughter of John Phillips, the singer of The Mamas & the Papas, and introduced herself to Jagger one day when they were both visiting Phillips’ home.
“He never asked me how old I was and I never told him,” she told the Mail. “It never came up. I remember thinking he was really cute. He had tousled hair. I thought, ‘Oh man, he is beautiful.’”
The pair ended up spending two days together in New York, according to the Mail. Dawn insisted that the intimacy was consensual and worried that the revelation would land Jagger in deep water.
“He did nothing wrong,” said Dawn. “He didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do.”
Jagger didn’t respond to the Mail’s request for comment.
Dawn bumped into Jagger several times in the wake of the romance. Years later she got him to cast her for an appearance in the video for the Stones’ track “Just Another Night.”
They had remained friends, but their relationship apparently soured after Dawn publicly complained about Jagger’s “licky” behavior on the set.
“In real life, he was a great kisser, but in the film, he did lots of ‘licky’ things,’ she said. “I talked about that in an interview. He has a fragile ego. He hasn’t spoken to me since.”
Article via New York Post
Antonio Brown says ‘I owe the whole NFL an apology’, addresses mental health, CTE
Antonio Brown apologized to the entire NFL during an interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Friday.
Anderson asked Brown if he feels like he owes anyone in the league an apology.
“I think I owe the whole NFL an apology and my past behavior,” Brown said. “I think I could have done a lot of things better.”
Brown’s expansive interview covered whether or not he needs mental health help, the sexual assault allegations against him, his non-concern over developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and what he thinks of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s comments earlier this week.
Brown’s mental health a concern
Brown, 31, was asked if he feels the need to address his mental health.
“We all need mental help,” Brown said, via ESPN. “From our friends, from the people we hang around, from the people we consult with every day. Yeah, we need mental help.
“I’m like an animal in a cage. Everyone just talks about me. I can’t go out my house in the private. Everything I do is in the face of people, face of someone talking, someone making an assumption about me.”
Following Brown’s latest arrest in January, during which police say he attacked a moving truck driver, a judge required he undergo a mental health evaluation as terms of his bail agreement. Brown is charged with felony burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief.
The star receiver’s mental health has remained a question since before the NFL season began. The mother of his children publicly posted she would distance them from him until he seeks “the mental health that he desperately needs”, while his agent Drew Rosenhaus “conditionally” cut ties with Brown until he seeks help.
Brown doesn’t think he has CTE
In addition to his mental health concerns, there have been questions about Brown and CTE, the brain disease caused by repeated head injuries that can’t be confirmed until after death.
Brown was nearly knocked unconscious by then-Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict in a scary 2016 playoff game while he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That hit has been brought up more often now after Brown’s past 13 months of behavior.
Anderson asked Brown if he thought he had CTE, or if he was concerned about it.
“Nah,” he told Anderson in the video by ESPN, “if I had CTE I wouldn’t be able to have this beautiful gym, I wouldn’t be able to be creative. I wouldn’t be able to communicate.”
Anderson reminded him there are stages of the disease, and he could be in an early one.
“I’m perfectly fine. I didn’t take that many big hits. I had like one big hit in 10 years. Anybody who plays this game, they’re going to get hit hard.
“He didn’t hit me that hard. You know, I got up and walked off the field. We won the game. I was all right. You play the game long enough, everyone get hit hard.”
Brown: ‘I’m a target’ for allegations, media
Brown said he is a target, hence why there are cases filed in court against him, and that the “media will run” with any of those allegations. He called it “unfair.”
“I feel like I never really got in a conflict with no woman,” Brown said, via ESPN. “I just feel like I’m a target so, anybody can come against me and say anything [that] I have to face. There’s no support, there’s no egos, there’s no rules in it, anyone can come after me for anything. No proof or whatever. ‘He said, she’s saying.’
“The media will run with it, so even if I’m not guilty, I’m already guilty because they already wrote it, put it on TV and put that in people’s minds. So for me to have to sit here and hear those allegations of me is just unfair to me every time.”
Brown’s legal troubles are lengthy. There are multiple allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. A lawsuit filed in September shortly after he signed with the New England Patriots includes profane text messages to the woman that brag about the incident.
He live-streamed a profane outburst directed at Hollywood (Fla.) police, and that included him berating his children’s mother. It was filmed with his children present. That resulted in the department cutting ties with him. Brown apologized via Instagram earlier Friday.
Brown denied the accusations of sexual misconduct to Anderson, as he has previously done through lawyers. He said he “can’t speak on it” and the courts will handle it.
Article via Yahoo
Miko Grimes talks about NCAA,Taxstone, Baller Wives, Aaron Hernandez, CTE & D.L. Athletes in sports
Wendy Williams is sick of being harassed over her lymphedema
While unwinding during her “Wendy Show” after-show chat with fans, Wendy Williams, 55, decided to call out people who ask negative questions about her looks — rather than opening up to the television personality via more meaningful inquiries.
“Stop asking me about the cankles, I have lymphedema,” she said on her Instagram story Friday afternoon. “Stop asking me why I wear sneakers, I have lymphedema. Stop asking me why my eyes bulge, I’ve got Graves’ disease. Stop asking me, like, dumb mess! Can we connect on a more cerebral level?”
The former radio host added that she would be more than happy to connect with viewers who ask for advice on careers or relationships.
“That’s what the after show is all about,” she went on. “It’s us, just talking, communicating, having fun, being silly but also informative.”
In July 2019, Williams shared that she was diagnosed with lymphedema, which causes swelling in the arms and legs. Soon after, she purchased an at-home machine to help mitigate symptoms.
Article via PageSix
Check out some Lovelyti videos:
Kevin Hunter Says Wendy Williams Was LAZY And He’s NOT Jealous Of Her New Felon Bae
Sharina & Kevin Hunter’s Ferrari push present gets REPOED+ he has 48hrs to vacate the family home!
Thousands sign petition to get Wendy Williams fired for what she said about Joaquin & Lori Harvey
NJ woman reported missing after visiting medium found dead, prosecutors say
A body found over the weekend in New Jersey is a 25-year-old woman reported missing nearly three months ago after visiting a medium, prosecutors said Monday.
“It is with great sadness we announce that Stephanie Parze’s remains were recovered yesterday in Old Bridge,” the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office tweeted Monday morning.
Her body was found Sunday afternoon in a wooded area, near where her family had searched for her in late November, online news outlet Tap Middletown reported.
Police were expected to provide more details at a press conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Authorities said Parze’s ex-boyfriend John Ozbilgen, 29, killed himself in November after his release from jail on a child porn charge and he is being fingered as a person of interest in her disappearance.
Ozbilgen had been accused of sending Parze profanity-filled threats the day before she disappeared.
After Parze went missing, police charged Ozbilgen with possessing child pornography after searching his home. After the charge was filed, he was jailed and released on bond.
Parze’s visited a medium with friends on Oct. 30. She was reported missing the next day.
Article via Fox
Meghan Markle’s first gig will be reality-TV show about second weddings
Meghan Markle‘s first post-Royal TV gig — albeit part-time — will be a Canadian reality show about second weddings, The Post has learned.
Markle, 38, will make multiple appearances on “I Do, Redo,” joining her best friend, Toronto wedding stylist Jessica Mulroney, who is the star of the upcoming Netflix show, according to a source close to the production team.
Her guest spots will be “sporadic,” according to the source, who would not say if Markle will be paid.
Union scale for a guest role on Canadian TV is $588 a day, which could jump-start the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ newly announced effort to become “financially independent.”
The 10-part series “revisits first-time wedding disasters before re-making the wedding dreams of 10 devoted couples,” according to a press release.
Markle — once divorced, and now married to her own prince — certainly has the resume to help brides remarry their Prince Charmings in the weddings of their dreams.
It was only two years ago when the American princess celebrated her own version of “I Do, Redo” with a lavish celebrity-studded ceremony and series of parties in Britain, which cost more than $42 million. Her wedding dress was designed by Givenchy, and her custom-made engagement ring was made from a diamond sourced from Botswana and two smaller stones from Harry’s mother’s — Princess Diana’s — collection.
Mulroney, 39, shot to international celebrity as Markle’s matron of honor, posing for the world’s cameras in a snug, royal blue dress by Canadian designer Antoinette Di Carlo. Her three young children also participated in the royal wedding party.
After frequent appearances on “Good Morning America,” where she gives advice on how to dress on a budget, Mulroney was tapped to star in the reality show, which features couples in the US and Canada.
Markle, who has been living in a billionaire’s mansion in Vancouver with infant son Archie since her dramatic split from the British royals in January, is currently shopping for a Hollywood agent, according to reports last week. Prince Harry recently moved to Canada to join his wife and son.
Last month, Markle signed a deal with Disney to do voice-over work on an unspecified project in exchange for a donation to an elephant charity she supports.
Few details have emerged about the wedding series, although Mulroney has posted some outtakes showing her traveling with a film crew, with stops in Florida and Connecticut as well as the Caribbean to her Instagram account.
“I am so blessed that I can show the world a side of myself that truly inspires me,” said Mulroney in a social media post after the show was announced last year. “A side of the wedding industry that has never been shown on television.”
Mulroney is married to the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and met Markle while the former actress was based in Toronto to film “Suits,” where she starred as Rachel Zane, a paralegal in a law firm.
Mulroney recently angered fans of Markle’s sister-in-law Kate Middleton when she appeared to dismiss photo portraits that Middleton had taken of British Holocaust survivors.
“Pretty pictures are pretty pictures,” wrote Mulroney on social media just as Middleton posted her photos for International Holocaust Remembrance Day last week. “Strive to use your platform for good and spread stories of incredible people striving to make this world a better place.”
The brutal backlash from Middleton fans on social media prompted Mulroney’s husband, Ben, to defend her online, saying that his wife’s post was linked to a campaign to help victims of flight 752, which was shot down in Iran last month.
Repeated calls and emails to the Toronto offices of Insight Productions and Matador Content in Manhattan, which are involved in the production of the series were not returned last week.
A Toronto-based publicist who is working on Mulroney’s show refused comment on Markle Friday, but said that filming on “I Do, Redo” is still not complete, and that no date had been set for its premiere. Saturday afternoon, the Canadian network, CTV Communications, tweeted out a statement saying “The Duchess of Sussex does not appear in upcoming @CTV series I do Redo.”
The 30-minute episodes will be streamed internationally on Netflix, which is co-producing the show along with Canada’s Bell Media.
Article via PageSix