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Author page: Sloan Varunok

birthday party July 9, 2020
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Kanye dumps Trump yet we’re still feeling wild confused

You’re allowed to change your mind. And even though Kanye has finally dumped Trump we can’t bash the man… too hard.

He’s doubled down on his own presidential campaign but pulled support from Trump. No longer donning the MAGA hat, he has lost faith in him, calling the presidency “one big mess.”

Kanye dumps Trump to run for president (LOL)

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1279575273365594112?s=20

While many have been concerned with President West, others have speculated how serious he is. It’s not unlike him to make ridiculous claims for attention. What we more likely have here is what he wishes would manifest.

Telling Forbes Magazine that he will run under “The Birthday Party,” his stances tend to be Christian in base. “Because when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday,” he says, but would it be?

It’s always your Birthday Party Ye

Claiming Planned Parenthoods “have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work,” there might be an underlying agenda.

Should he actually run, his votes would take away from the front-running candidates. “I’m not denying it, I just told you. To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy.”

Kanye is right, in that people of any color or background can choose how to vote. Relying on any one party is to set oneself up for false hope.

He is right about one thing: the candidate needs star power, which he thinks he can bring. “Obama’s special. Trump’s special. We say Kanye West is special. America needs special people that lead. Bill Clinton? Special. Joe Biden’s not special.”

With Ye’s level of charisma, it’s possible.

But again, how serious is this?

Kanye is yet to register with the Federal Elections Commission and has missed the deadline in four states. Even with endorsements from his wife Kim Kardashian and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it will likely be Wacka Flocka part two.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1278353774671802369?s=20

We all know Kanye to make bold claims that land him in hot water. Usually, these claims don’t fall too far from a release of some kind.

Ye insists that none of this is publicity for a new album. Whether there’s a surprise project in the works is to be revealed.

Keeping being Kanye, Kanye.

advertising July 3, 2020
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Why Trump’s Nazi-style propaganda is only the tip of the iceberg

From Trump’s Nazi-style propaganda to PePe memes, everywhere you look, you’re being called to do something.

Most of these postings are ads, but they’re not far from propaganda. They use the same techniques, pulling at your emotions, appealing to your reason, and moral high-grounding.

However, you may observe propaganda more often than you may think.

The history of propaganda?

Propaganda is any information presented in a way meant to sway you toward a particular opinion. Often, when we agree with the message, we will see it as truth rather than a rallying cry.

Much of the time, it intentionally misleads or contains misinformation.

Propaganda

An American propaganda poster from World War II produced under the Works Progress Administration

Propaganda uses the same techniques as do advertisers. If they’re proven to work, why wouldn’t they?

The above picture is a piece of propaganda from possibly the most disastrous enacted event in America’s history. Made to incite celebration across the country this poster for the Thirteenth Naval District, United States Navy, shows a snake representing Japan being bombed by an eagle.

Another piece of propaganda you’ll recognize is the I Want You For U.S. Army recruitment poster. This recruitment poster became a staple of Americana, lasting over a century.

With a message so simple, it just worked.

Uncle Sam Propaganda
J. M. Flagg’s 1917 poster was based on the original British Lord Kitchener poster of three years earlier. It was used to recruit soldiers for both World War I and World War II. Flagg used a modified version of his own face for Uncle Sam, and veteran Walter Botts provided the pose.

This piece plays on the American sense of patriotism and duty to country. If you don’t join, you’re no patriot (read not a man). By tugging at the manhood of America, James Montgomery Flagg’s poster was printed over four million times.

Propaganda in Nazi Germany

Just as often as it’s used to inspire, propaganda stokes fear. Above are Nazi propaganda posters, the left demonizing Jews. By scapegoating the Jews for Germany’s economic depression, Hitler was able to rally the people behind fear.

The Nazis were skilled at both kinds of sentiment stirring, however. The right poster shows a handsome, fit, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and smiling Hitler loving youth. By appealing to the Aryan sense of superiority, the poster essentially says “this could be you.”

What does it look like nowadays?

While these posters weren’t common in our lifetimes, propaganda never went away. It has only taken new forms. In its present form, they’re memes, weaponized for an agenda. It should be noted that this happens on both ends of the political spectrum.

Someone Really Put A MAGA Hat On Baby Yoda - UNILAD

4chan’s Politically Incorrect board (/pol/) was instrumental in the 2016 Presidential Election. By weaponizing memes, which are used to spread humor, users in /pol/ made themselves heard and seen. While many can enjoy them in an ironic sense, right-wing trolls worked on several fronts.

Being that the SJW crowd is notoriously easy to offend, people who may not have even believed the message still shared the memes. Perhaps some of these people didn’t realize what that would really do.

By being the most offensive memes, the Trump-supporting kind got the most shares from right-wingers and trolls alike. By appealing to fans of offensive comedy, ironic support turned unironic in many cases.

The campaigns by the left did not have the same effect. Being that the memes shared were all focused on Trump, he got the most coverage.

An important part to remember is who exactly creates these pro-Trump memes. It was found in 2016 that Russia was behind a great deal of these. It was done in the same spirit as propaganda of old: prop up Trump and attack Hillary Clinton.

Facebook Ads propaganda
Reddit

By pairing the strong sentiment America has for the troops with misleading information, you got a propaganda salad.

All agendas built on fear need an enemy to scapegoat. In recent years, immigrants and Muslims have carried the brunt of this. The Trump administration is trying to add Antifa to the terrorist organization list… with a Nazi symbol.

Trump, himself, has engaged in quite a bit of propagandizing in his campaign. We all know he tends not to fact check himself before speaking, and speaks in generals.

His campaign platform of “Make America Great Again” harkens to that of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. In an interview with NPR, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said,

“Intentionally or otherwise, using symbols that were once used by the Nazis is not a good look for someone running for the White House. It isn’t difficult for one to criticize a political opponent without using Nazi-era imagery.”

Trump’s platform was built on anti-immigrant and xenophobic language. Even with his denouncement of them, he speaks their language.

He benefits from their support. With an emphasis on patriotism and returning to a “better time,” the slogan romanticizes America’s racist past.

https://twitter.com/QasimRashid/status/1278451659761385475

This official t-shirt from the Trump campaign knew who they were appealing to. The resemblance is striking.

The left-wing attempt at propaganda was to spin, spin, spin. Anything bad about Trump shared on Facebook was taken as fact, while anything Hillary did “wasn’t that bad.”

This only fueled the fires of right-wing trolls.

Recognizing propaganda

Being that we live in an age of misinformation, the truth can be hard to find. When you read a catchy headline online, ask yourself: what am I being made to feel? Is someone made out to be the enemy?

These articles get so many clicks because of our emotional investment. We’re committed to the idea often before reading, let alone verifying. We’ve all been guilty of this.

It’s paramount to look at multiple sources. One way to do this is to paste the headline into Google and compare results. If there are several sources writing about it, there is a bit more credence to it, but not enough. The source is key itself.

Stay informed, stay objective, friends.

alt-right July 2, 2020
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Devin Nunes is still so sick over cow and alt-right mom Twitter trolls

Welcome to America, land of the free and home of the lawsuit. Enter Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA).

Nunes’ claims to be a dairy farmer were plenty fodder for Twitter troll account @DevinCow. Claiming to be his cow on the non-existent dairy farm, @DevinCow spent several months tweeting at him.

The true reason for the start of the account was Nunes’ claim that Trump’s Russian collusion was a conspiracy by the FBI and DOJ. As if being a Californian Republican isn’t enough to make a few enemies… that’s coming from a Bay Area boy.

Since 2017, @DevinCow has made the rounds, clowning on Nunes at every turn. Then in March of 2019, the Twitter user “Devin Nunes’ Alt-Mom” (@NunesAlt) made her presence known.

Louder than a Karen when they give her regular Coke instead of diet.

Posing as his not-so-proud mom, the tweets were done in the same vein. Calling him out at every turn, both accounts caught his attention. Instead of ignoring them, he took it a few steps beyond by filing a lawsuit.

This was a clap-back no one was expecting.

Trying to sue both accounts, as well as Twitter itself, Nunes poses a threat to the trolls’ free speech. So he’s already taken a major L in that respect as Twitter was dismissed from the lawsuit according to a decision from a Virginia judge last week.

For someone who is called out most often for libel, this is rich. In fact, the irony of the whole situation is ridiculous.

And if he thought the trolling would stop there… Boy did he think wrong.

What comes next? More sickness

As of this article’s writing, Nunes is still trying to sue. Twitter has been let go of the case, but the others have not. The imaginary cow (keep that in mind) and mother being sued here have every right to tweet.

All of their tweets fall under protected speech by the US Constitution. All of what they tweet is public knowledge, or just simple trolling.

Neither of which falls under libel or hate speech.

Here come the trolls…

Trying to sue Twitter for a whopping $250 million in an attempt not to be trolled, mind you, will only breed more trolls. Nunes clearly doesn’t know how the internet works.

Whether he wins or loses the case, the bigger a deal he makes, the more it will go on. If you’re in the public eye, you will face criticism.

I would say take it with grace, but look who he’s working for…

Troll on.

Weed Stems
Bruh July 1, 2020
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5 ways the super stoner can recycle their weed stems

To most people, weed stems are the expendable part of the smoking experience. In a way, they’re like the cardboard boxes Nintendo games came in back in the day.

Well, just like those boxes, you’ll want to hold on to those stems, as they’re more valuable than you think. Today, we’re counting down the ways you can put those stems to good use.

Must be 21 and older to read this.

Get your keif game up

It’s the OG reward system.

Well, it works with flowers AND stems! Getting keif from stems takes a bit more patience and a bit less force, though. To get it, put your crushed stems in a resealable plastic bag and place them in the freezer.

You’ll want a decent stockpile of them. Then, when they’re all comfortably frozen, shake the bag and notice the keef crystals fall off!

Certainly beats smoking the stems.

Recycle weed stems into your fave edible recipe

With the THC in your stems, they will work as well in edibles. You will need enough stems to fill a saucepan to make your cannabutter, but can be added with solid bud.

A purely stem-based cannabutter won’t be as potent as buds of course, but it’s all good, man. No one said you have to do it their way.

Do you even smoke hash bro?

Good news for all you growers and super stoners alike.

To extract hash, rub the stems between your hands over a container. Then, with your hands coated in the material, rub them together again to get as much of it as you can in the container.

On one go, you won’t get much. If you build your pile, though, you may just love the result. Patience, friends…

A new kind of wavvy

Hipsters are gonna blow their tops over this one… but yes, you can a cross-fade cocktail.

With any alcohol 40 percent or higher, place your stems in a mason jar with your booze of choice.  It will take about a week to dissolve the cannabis in your drink, but the result…OOOF!

For stronger effects, let it sit for several months.

Pull up and sip your tea

I write this last bit as I sip some homemade stem tea. This is likely the easiest and most immediate way to go on this list. You will need about two grams of stems crushed up, a bit of butter (or coconut butter for you vegans), and boiling water.

After pouring the water, add a bit of your fat of choice. This is so the THC bonds with it. Let the tea simmer for about 30 minutes, allowing time for the potency to kick.

Then, drink away! Now, go forth and spread the vibes, my friends.

10K80 July 1, 2020
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What’s a couple of racks to a billionaire? 5 ways the rich can help the world

Calling all billionaires who want to aid our hurt world!

Those who have power are the ones who can make a change. And right now, it seems our world is in a crossfire of negativity. With the COVID resurgence, innocent people of color killed by police, and the Yemen crisis, our world is hurt.

To preface this, these are short-term solutions, whereas the larger problems are systemic.

While charities are great, they are usually for ever-present issues, like hunger and homelessness. These should absolutely continue, though there are issues that could use some more immediate attention.

Here, we’re counting down five ways billionaires can put their wealth to good use.

Special prosecutors for Breonna Taylor’s murder

breonna taylor billionaire help

This goes for all other victims of color murdered by police who got off scot-free. As of writing this, only one officer responsible for Breonna Taylor’s murder was fired. The other officers, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathon Mattingly are still on the Louisville Police Department.

Many grassroots organizations, such as Justice for Breonna Taylor, aid in these instances, but lack the resources. Billionaires have the resources, and access to lawyers. With the ability to pay for any legal roadblocks, it could bring a lasting legacy.

By directly aiding the cause, there is no question where the money will go.

Feeding Yemen

yemen billionaire help
Courtesy of NY Times

Civil war began in 2011 in Yemen, as the country has struggled financially and politically for well over a decade. The U.N. has recently called for $4 billion in aid for the Yemenese people.

With that being pocket change for billy-boys like Jeff Bezos, some have asked why he hasn’t given. To be fair, he has pledged $2 billion to food and education in underserved communities.

However, Yemen is as underserved as it gets about now.

COVID Research

Maryland Today | Watch Pandemic Spread on New UMD Maps

With a spike in COVID cases across America, a vaccine may be needed sooner rather than later. Granted, much of this is due to Americans being unwilling to follow safety guidelines.

Vaccines take a long time to develop, but Bill Gates has helped move the cure along. By revitalizing The Giving Pledge, billionaires pool together money to donate to causes. Gates has used this to build testing facilities worldwide and vaccine production plants.

Give Flint, MI clean water

It's Water GIF - Water BillGates Poop - Discover & Share GIFs

Yes, the people of Flint still do not have access to clean water. Environmental racism at its worst, since 2014, Flint, MI switched to the Flint River from Detroit’s water. The polluted water has high lead concentration and is quite unsafe to drink.

While the root cause may be a bit difficult to address without legislation, a river cleaning effort is a start. For more immediate aid, supplying the people of Flint with clean water could be easily done.

Nestle has donated to the cause, but have not nearly resolved the issue. They also use child labor.

Donations for the Palestinian people

With the partial annexation of Palestine’s West Bank by Israel, violence is inevitable. The United States vowed to assist in the annexation, leaving Palestine without recourse. This violates peace agreements between the nations.

Food and clean water donations would be an excellent move for the Palestinian people, as the US government will not do the same. The United States would likely not stop an American billionaire’s private donation from the entrance by force.

We’ll see how much the Palestinians are helped?

It speaks to the American sense of ego that there are people with billions who feel they don’t need to help. These people may have started something, but their vision is built off the backs of countless people. Their fortune may be theirs, but they did not build it all themselves.

What does it say about the systems at large that we need the “generosity” of billionaires, to save the day? Meanwhile, they get a tax write-off and get to look like Jesus Christ because they donated what are pennies to them.

Here’s to healing our hurt world.

juice wrld July 1, 2020
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From Korn to Juice WRLD: How nu-metal inspired modern rap fashion

As different as they may seem, trap rap and nu-metal are distant relatives.

While some trap artists are actually taking musical influence, the topic here is the fashion. With wild dreads, piercings, funky hair colors, and baggy clothes, the late 90s-early-2000s fashion is BACK in a new way.

What is nu-metal exactly?

By this point, you may be asking what nu-metal exactly is. It’s a genre of metal that combines rap, grunge, industrial, and goth-rock in its sound.

Korn GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

The term came about to describe Korn, and bands like them, in 1996, as before then, it was undefined. Korn broke the fashion mold in rock, and it evolved, good and bad, from there.

There is no one unified nu-metal sound, as all bands vary in degrees of influence from each genre. Limp Bizkit’s look and sound different than do Slipknot’s, and that’s different from Linkin Park’s sound. All are still nu-metal.

However, the modern fashion trends borrowed from this time seem to lean more on the goth, industrial, and street fashion. But before we look at today’s hip-hop artists who’ve adopted the trend, let’s take a look at a few of the originators.

Korn

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Brothers in arms & dreads. 📷: @three28_photography / @stvthrasher

A post shared by Korn (@korn_official) on

Best to start with the pioneers. Themselves taking influence from street, rap, and grunge fashion of the day, Korn set themselves apart with their style. Musically and visually, they were different than any act out there.

Coal Chamber

Taking the dark look of Korn and cranking it up to 11, Coal Chamber was likely the most nu-metal looking band out there.

This was reflected in their sound, which was dark and crazy as their look. With colorful dyed hair, dreads, and piercings all over, they wore their influences on their sleeve.

System of a Down

One of the definitive acts of the genre, SOAD wasn’t dreaded, but they were out there.

With funky facial hair choices and piercings, they reflected the, “I don’t care what you think” attitude of nu-metal. They made bold fashion choices and even bolder music. Here’s hoping they’ll tour again…

Kanye West

 

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Kanye West wearing a @faithconnexion Flannel, @supremenewyork Box Logo T Shirt, black pants and a pair of @adidas Yeezy Boost 750 Sneaker.

A post shared by Kanye West ✨ (@kanyewestarchive) on

Best to start with the man who made metal wear “cool” in rap fashion. Kanye has been called an innovator, fashion being one of those fields.

By single-handedly making this a trend, you can see why. Albums like 2013’s Yeezus bore the Metallica inspired logo that started it all. While Metallica is thrash metal and not nu-metal, the style Kanye popularized certainly could be called that.

Travis Scott

 

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We went half on bat

A post shared by flame (@travisscott) on

Like pictured above, Travis Scott’s dark sound is always accompanied by some dark threads.

Taking to the color black in his clothed (when he is shirted), his style is of the baggy graphic shirt variety. With his dreads reminiscent of Korn and his out-there sound, he wears this style with pride.

Lil Uzi Vert

 

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Geeker 🤓

A post shared by 16 ( NO STYLIST) (@liluzivert) on

Lil Uzi Vert is the most famous example of a trapper bringing this trend to the red carpet in recent times.

On several occasions, Uzi has stated his love for metal. He can be seen wearing a Marilyn Manson shirt in the “Bad and Boujee” music video. Uzi calls Manson his favorite artist.

Lil Peep

 

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Tour shirts! 🐣

A post shared by @ lilpeep on

Lil Uzi is not the only one, though. Before his passing several years ago, Lil Peep famously made trap inspired by emo-rap and rock alike, inspired by the nu-metal bands of yesteryear.

His fashion and music were heavily influenced by this scene.

Trippie Redd

 

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Fat boy love stars ✨

A post shared by ༒ ꧁₁₄₀₀꧂ ༒ ♞. (@trippieredd) on

Trippie Redd has adopted the colorful dreads, tattoos, and piercings himself, as well as a dark sound to boot. Here we can see him rocking dark jeans with a big chain Limp Bizkit would envy. Very 90s, my man.

A$AP Rocky

 

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I ❤️NY

A post shared by GUESS WHO FUCCKIN YO BITVH (@asaprocky) on

Adopting the early look of nu-metal with the dreads, hoodie, and flannel, this is unquestionably a 90s style. The baggy hoodies are something that went out of vogue in the past decade, but it’s nice to see them back.

While A$AP doesn’t go all-in on this look, there’s no doubt it served as a fashion influence.

Playboi Carti

 

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him <3 red incoming .

A post shared by @ playboicarti on

Carti’s self-titled debut album cover shows him decked out in what looks like a nu-metal collage. Dreads are, of course, par for the course when talking about this style.

This style isn’t the dark one usually associated with nu-metal, but it’s SO 90s. This jacket is a unique piece taking influence from a multitude of sources and is a great evolution.

Billie Eilish

 

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thank u oscars for having mee

A post shared by BILLIE EILISH (@billieeilish) on

These fashion trends are not limited to rap, however. Billie Eilish has, since her rise to fame, worn clothes reminiscent of the late 90s – early 2000s trends.

Her big baggy clothes, chains all over, and hair dyed neon green are definitely descendants of these trends.

JUICE WRLD

Finally, an entry for late JUICE WRLD. Before his passing late last year, he left us with not only fantastic tracks but a look that was his own. Being that his music was always on the macabre side, his fashion sense leaned toward the dark vibe.

Dreads with dye, dark denim, and metal-looking threads on his torso, this guy could easily pass for a nu-metal artist. Sadly, we will never find out. He was 21-years-old, may he rest in peace.

The music has changed, but the style is back in a new way. But fashion evolves, and things have to progress. This should be a wake-up call to all artists that image is important, no matter the genre. You won’t be “selling out” by dressing like this.

Dress how you feel, and don’t feel ashamed to be out there with your choices!

Jared Leto
30 seconds to mars June 25, 2020
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Suspect activity: What’s really good with Jared Leto?

Whether you’re familiar with his movies or his music, you’ve most likely heard of Jared Leto. Regardless of your opinion on the man, it cannot be denied that he has acted suspect in recent times. Those who have worked with him and met him alike have remarked on this.

Dylan Sprouse is one of few celebrities to call Leto’s behavior into question. Sprouse took to Twitter in 2018 to call out Leto’s outreach to young women.

However, he’s not the only one to mention this. The girls are often said to be even younger. James Gunn added to his claims in a now-deleted Periscope video, saying he hits on underage girls. While he deleted the video, he never retracted his statement. Leto did not respond to any of these claims.

With many of these alleged girls being underage, there’s a strong chance they don’t know how to report or don’t feel safe doing so. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center states that sexual assault/abuse on a child is only reported 12 percent of the time.

Many forums have stories of his preference for teenage girls, sometimes as young as 14.

A Reminder That Several Women Have Accused Jared Leto Of Sexual Assault from WeinsteinEffect

The absolute suspect activity

My first exposure to these allegations started with his method acting on the Suicide Squad set. For those unfamiliar, he gifted his co-stars used condoms and anal beads to further become the Joker.

Upon the film’s wrap, he would again, gift everyone with used condoms, a dildo, switchblade, and box of porn magazines. The actors had varying feelings about this.

While that can be written off as “method acting,” other stories cannot.

There is a litany of accounts from underage fans of his forcefulness during sex. One that stands out from 2010 comes from an at the time 17-year-old girl who says she dated Leto. The post was anonymous on a since-deleted message board, though it was recovered.

The post reads:

“I think he got pleasure out of hurting me, in retrospect, but I was too young and didn’t know that then…. I would tell him to slow down or to change position to ease the pain a little. After that, I’d get attitude.”

Yet another came in 2013, again from a girl who said she was 17 at the time:

“I met [Leto] when I was 17 (a naive innocent girl) on one of his movie sets in Brooklyn when he was turning 34,” the user claimed. Later in her post, she details she would often meet Leto at hotels near Gramercy Park in New York.

Though 17 is the official age of consent in New York, the user claims that Leto told her to verbally tell him that she was 14 or 15.  The commenter adds, “[Leto] was very pushy into coercing me to do sexual acts with him and he was quite rough and forceful.”

The same year, the band had issued a contest to the fans, where the prize was to sleep a night in Jared Leto’s bed. Whether or not he was there, is unconfirmed.

Tying things together

While these claims are difficult to definitively verify, Leto has started, in his own words, a cult.

This is in reference to Leto’s band (30 Seconds to Mars) having a cult-like following, then using the line as a running joke. However, this appears not to be a joke. With the fanbase being called “the Echelon” and the followers calling him a prophet, it sounds real.

The prices will only further convince you…

The pictures above are from their yearly island retreat, where typical cult activity happens: steep costs to show devotion, white robes, and separation from the outside world. With the basic weekend pass to Camp Mars being $1,649 and VIP being $7,149, many are turned off by the idea.

VIP isn’t even the highest costing festival package. The Phoenix Package, which lists “contact for pricing,” includes dinner with the band, a private yoga session, a special gift from Jared and Shannon Leto, and “VIP activity” with Jared. None of this is criminal but does suggest a certain level of ego at play. It is unclear what the VIP activity refers to.

Cults are started to make a profit quickly, have access to sexually abuse followers, and be seen as a prophet. Cult leaders take a special level of belief to be successful, as they must convince themselves first. Leto seems to have convinced a whole camp.

We’ve seen this before…

Back in 2005, an anonymous source told the New York Post that Leto allegedly has an affinity for younger women and would often text underage girls. “He’s a serial texter. He is constantly texting these 16- and 17-year-old girls. It’s really kind of creepy,” the source said.

Leto is hiding in plain sight. With his persona of being out there and his antics in his career, people write it off. The fanbase as well is made of young, impressionable girls who may not know better.

We’ve seen this behavior with R. Kelly, who lived with a cult of underage women. He himself hid in plain sight, often making music about his exploits with underage girls and being public about his marriage to Aaliyah. It was not until it had gone on long enough that people decided to cancel his shows.

Just the same, Bill Cosby had joked in interviews before about drugging and raping women.

It was only when Hannibal Buress addressed this in a 2014 comedy set that people started to take it seriously. From there, Cosby was the first in the Me Too era to get the ball rolling.

What are the possible next moves?

Because famous people have more power and influence than do the people who oppose them, they have the ability to bury proof. However, as recent times have shown, these people can still get caught.

Perhaps starting a federal investigations unit focused on nailing down high-profile predators, could be the answer. We all know that the abuse of power can happen anywhere.

Still, legislation is necessary for making any sort of lasting change. These things all take time, though with enough concentrated effort, could happen. Justice for the survivors of these cases is not common, as a payout is not the goal.

Finally, you can call out this kind of behavior when you see it. Even if you like someone’s movies or music, they are not above criticism. These people will continue to work and get paid if we as people decide they should.

Your voice and dollar go farther than you may think.

coffee table book June 24, 2020
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Turn the page on fashion and help fund these publications on Indiegogo

Like everything, fashion magazines have to start somewhere. Take a look at these up-and-comers in the publication world you can fund on Indiegogo.

For those unfamiliar, Indiegogo is a crowdfunding site that lets you invest in all kinds of projects and endeavors. Usually used by artists and filmmakers, these fashion mags are all available for your donation.

Keep in mind, if any campaign you support doesn’t reach its goal, you will be refunded in full. With that out of the way, here goes our list:

PAGE Magazine

PAGE magazine Indiegogo campaign

Building its brand on style, sustainability, and inclusivity, PAGE offers diversity. That goes for the creators, the styles, the models, and products.

So seldom do you find a fashion mag that walks it as it talks it, but PAGE does so undoubtedly. It’s rare to find fashion mags that proudly displays its people of color, which makes it all the more important.

Donate here.

P.I.F.F. Magazine

Short for “Positive Influence For the Future,” PIFF is built on a platform of empowering underground and aspiring talent. Branding itself as a “bridge between the streets and the entertainment industry”, PIFF does more than fashion.

While representing models and fashion designers, music artists, comedians, and poets get to shine as well. This could be some artists’ big breaks, so give ’em a shot!

Donate here.

Lips the Magazine

Coming out of Brooklyn, Lips the Magazine focuses on two things that will never go out of style: sex and style itself. With a focus on feminism and healthy sexuality in their articles, they try to find the line when fashion ends and sex begins.

The magazine seeks to show how intertwined the two are. With representation from LGBTQ+ contributors, Lips the Magazine gives a wide array of opinions and views.

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The Editor

Addressing systemic racism in the fashion industry, The Editor highlights people of color in their mag.

Though their pulse on the present, this mag looks to break the mold of tradition by showcasing all cultures, colors, and sizes. People of color are never relegated to the background here, as they’re the stars.

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Fashion Philosophy Magazine

Based out of the UK, Fashion Philosophy is an independent mag highlighting art, fashion, and photography. Well, what sets them apart?

They give a leg up to young professionals trying to climb the ranks of the fashion world. With contributions from students, young people are gaining experience through this mag!

Being that these magazines are mostly online, your site visit is a donation enough! But picking up a print copy certainly wouldn’t hurt.

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Cannabis June 15, 2020
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A stoner’s guide to growing your own weed plant at home

About two weeks ago, I wrote about the journey of growing my first weed plant. I was so excited for the sprout, to not have to rely on dealers… until my plant knocked over my balcony and I lost my seed. Already germinated, mind you 🙁

Well, lucky me, I just happened to have an extra seed, so this time will be different. I hope to prevent you from making my mistakes, and help you grow your garden to the high heavens!

Keep in mind, these tips are most relevant for outdoor growing, but all of them should help in parts for your indoor creatures. With that out of the way, here we go…

Germinating

This is when your seed sprouts open, showing what will be the root. To kickstart this, you just need a paper towel, zip-lock plastic bag, and some water. Hydrogen peroxide (available at any drug store) also helps, but it is not necessary.

To start, fold the paper towel so it fits comfortably in the plastic bag. Preferably, you will fit your folds to the bag’s size. then, place your seed on one side of the paper towel in the middle. Here’s where the water comes in…

If you use hydrogen peroxide, mix about a bottle cap to a medicine cap’s worth into your water, depending on the size of your water container. Then, dab your paper towel so it’s all around damp, but not too soaked. Keep outstanding water or bigger drops.

Waiting…

After following those last steps, write the date of your growth’s start on the bag. You’ll want to keep the bag, seed facing DOWN (this is important), indirect sunlight if possible.

If done like this, you’ll see sprouting anywhere from 1-3 days. In indirect sunlight or artificial light, about 3-5 days can be expected. Dark and warm locations do well for germination indoors but still check on your lil’ buddies daily.

Sprouting

Pot Baby Groot GIF - Pot BabyGroot Baby - Discover & Share GIFs

Once you start to see the little baby roots poke out of the seed, that’s when you know it’s germinated and ready to plant! Be careful removing your seed from the bag, and use tweezers if you can.

In your little dirt pot (or whatever you use. I used an old Ben and Jerry’s carton), poke your finger in the dirt only to your first knuckle.

That depth, about one inch, is about as deep as you should plant. No matter your pot, make sure there are holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain.

Potting

Keep in mind, your plant will only grow as big as the container’s size will allow, so your first pot likely won’t be your last. I got myself a five to seven-gallon pot for when the baby is grown enough and needs a bigger room. Is that what it’s like with kids?

Anyway, make sure in ALL your containers that your dirt is LOOSE. This will help the roots spread through the dirt with ease, allowing your plants to grow healthily! I made this mistake the first time around.

Finally, I hope you avoid placing your plant on an unstable perch. Make sure to put your pot somewhere stable and sturdy (if not in the ground), so that no wind can knock it over. I placed mine on the corner of my balcony’s guard rails, which worked for a while, until one gust of wind took my baby away…

Now, get out there and grow like your mother (nature) told ya!

classic t shirts June 10, 2020
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Here is how to keep those vintage t-shirts fresh for any occasion

Here’s to all you thrifters, eBay scouters, and flea market combers through. Cheers!

Whether you like finding vintage t-shirts to flip or wear yourself, those threads will get dirty eventually. Nothing is worse than getting a permanent stain or having the color fade.

Here are some tips to keep those beloved tees of yours as fresh as can possibly be.

Hand Wash

Your vintage tee is special to you, so treat it as such. Pour a little detergent on it and run in under warm water in the sink. This is especially important to do when getting a stain. Do this as soon as you can if you get one. We’ve all run into grease stains, but your shirt hasn’t only been worn by you, most likely.

Machines can be rough, so be delicate on your shirt.

Rethink Deodorant

On days you want to wear your vintage piece, be sure to scrub your pits in the shower that day. Deodorant leaves stains in the armpit areas, and pit stains are the kiss of death for any tee. If you want your shirt to keep resale value, be sure to go without any when wearing.

Just please don’t stink.

Hang In There

Hangers will allow your tee to breathe, and that way, the print won’t crack as much. When folded, a shirt may have its print wither bit by bit. This will happen the more it sees game time.

Hangers will slow the aging process gracefully.

Avoid Greasy Foods

While you probably should for your health anyway, avoid greasy food when wearing vintage. Grease stains are some of the hardest to remove, and they set in quickly. If you’re not able to get the stain out within a few (and I mean a few, at best) days, the shirt is good as dead.

Keep your body and your clothes healthy.

Wear Them

Yes, ironically enough, one of the best ways to preserve your clothes is to wear them. When the material gets used, it stays more flexible than it does when it sits around. The longer a piece isn’t used, the more brittle it gets. Finally, If you ever decide to wear your vintage tee and the print cracks, that’s why.

Be active and keep your clothes active, too! But don’t you dare work out in vintage.

Look out for this article on PAGE magazine.

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