Uncategorized

If you’re going to learn the ways of the Fold, whether you intend to follow the darkness or the light, you’ll doubtlessly want a good teacher to lead you on your path. You’ll want to follow somebody who could aptly be described as the Yoda of origami. In other words, somebody like YouTuber Tadashi Mori, the man who forces the art of folding paper to bend to his will. Also, he makes nice flowers.

In celebration of the blending of Star Wars and origami, as well as a master of his craft, here are three of Mori’s craziest folds from a galaxy far far away…

1. Mori’s latest full instructional video centers around one of his own creations, which is a take on the classic stormtrooper. The video is about 33:00 minutes in length, so as long as you don’t mess up a single fold, that’s how long the process should take you. Although the chances of some people not messing up a single fold may be on par with stormtroopers hitting anything smaller than Jabba’s big ol’ booty.

2. Mori’s other Dark Side delight is none other than Darth Vader. Vader is an “intermediate difficulty” fold, so if you’re a Padawan who’s just getting into paperfolding, this one may be relatively easy compared to the others. (Also, look at that little lightsaber!)

3. If you’ve chosen the Light Side in your pursuit of the Fold, you can go with Mori’s version of the 12-parsec wreck, the Galactic Falcon Punch!, the great light-speed plate, the Millennium Falcon. Which incidentally also makes a great shape for a tool or a bed or pretty much anything but an actual spaceship.

What do you think of Mori’s folds? Will you dare to take on origami Vader, or are you afraid that fold will do to you what regular Vader does to his enemies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Tadashi Mori

The stigma around cannabis in the U.S. continues to fuel the various myths surrounding its use and its users. As such, proponents of cannabis continue to highlight the potential health benefits, while educating on legalization efforts and debunking historical myths.

In part 1 of our interview with cannabis advocate Dr. Rachel Knox, she described her outlook on the effect the incoming administration may have on cannabis, particularly medical marijuana. Currently, the FDA still has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. This is slowly changing, as more and more studies prove the medical benefits of the plant. The scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana called cannabinoids has led to two FDA-approved medications in pill form. Scientific research has shown cannabis to treat symptoms, related but not limited to, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer, AIDS, spinal cord injuries, anxiety, and insomnia.

Here, Knox provides some more thoughts on how cannabis legalization can potentially affect the industry.

Cannabis legalization, regulation, and access boils down to misunderstanding, greed, and fear.

I believe that legislators are attempting to heavily regulate a plant they do not understand, and as a result, are misregulating it. I believe that states’ collective focus on the projected tax revenues of their recreational markets is short-sighted as medical markets are actually much larger and growing. I also believe that cannabis and natural medicine as a whole threaten Big Pharma’s bottom line.

I anticipate that government will continue to participate in local overregulation and in Big Pharma’s acquisition and control over medical cannabis product manufacturing and distribution. The FDA is already selling Big Pharma patents they hold on cannabinoid profiles for therapeutic use. People believe that the federal government is not involved in legalization efforts, but they certainly are—just in a very different way than anticipated or desired.

Patients, cultivators, and manufacturers participating in the recreational market have to maintain their own standards.

I recommend these participants to demand, cultivate, and manufacture organic and pure products so that medicinal grade products remain on dispensary shelves. I recommend that medical advocates work with legislators to develop favorable regulations that lift strict and sub-therapeutic caps on cannabinoid content of those products.

I also recommend that people learn how to grow their own plants if they live in a state that allows them to, and to fight for the maintenance of that right should revocation ever become a legitimate threat.

Despite the impact the 2016 election will have on access to cannabis medicine, I continue to stress that it is paramount to understand that cannabis is inherently medicine and can remain so even in a domineering recreational market.

My question to the masses is no longer “how can we access cannabis,” but “how do we want to access it?” The answer—be it from a personal backyard grow, the local dispensary, or the local pharmacy via a doctor’s prescription—will determine what standards need to define the recreational markets and what further legislative actions need to take place to preserve medical programs.

My answer would be that people should get to choose for themselves how they access their cannabis medicine from a diversified marketplace. But if we let the government decide, there will likely no longer be a choice.

I am hopeful that more states will adopt cannabis legalization, but my express wish is that they mindfully legalize in ways that benefit their people and not just their bottom lines.

Do you agree with Dr. Knox? Sound off and let me know on Twitter @kwild.

Kali Wilder is research editor at Black Enterprise, who covers special projects, arts, and culture, diversity, and entrepreneurship. 

Staying on track with your fitness goals can be difficult. But as singer, model, and Empire actress V. Bozeman says, “Don’t you get it twisted, cause you know I’m ’bout my business—GO!” When it comes to strength, you can’t live without it, you can’t love without it, and you can’t even focus without it.

Romy Antoine and I have previously shared five steps to help you set your fitness goals and five steps to help you focus on your fitness objectives. Now, here are five steps to help you maintain strength as you accomplish your fitness goals.

1. Join a Challenge

Stuck in a rut and ready to call it quits? Consider joining a fitness challenge or race to get fired-up again. This is great because you’ll have a structured plan, with a timeline to train and complete the goal. An obstacle course race may be just hard enough to get you in shape, but fun enough to keep you motivated. Plus, you can do it with a team of friends!

If you don’t know where to find these races, download the Obstacle and Mud Race Finder app. This lets you search for all types of races in your area. You can even try out some smaller events, if you aren’t ready for big brandname ones like Spartan Race or Tough Mudder.

2. Looking for a Personal Trainer? There’s an App for That

There’s nothing worse than getting dressed, heading to the gym, and looking around without a clue where to start. Many people don’t know how to put together their own routines or do the exercises. You can hire a trainer, or at least take advantage of an introductory session to learn some basic exercises.

If you’re someone with a hectic schedule, but you still want to do things on your own, try using the Fitness Builder app. This app has thousands of workouts that range from weight training, to boot camps, to yoga. It also has a library of exercise videos and pictures to help you learn the proper technique. You can even drag-and-drop different exercises to curate personalized workouts.

3. Use a Fitness Tracker

Fitness trackers have gained a lot of popularity over the past year, and it’s time you start wearing one! A great tracker is the FitBit Charge, which counts your daily steps, heart rate, calories burned, your sleep cycles, and so much more! It puts this data into charts and graphs, so you can see exactly what you’ve been doing and pinpoint where you need to improve to reach your goals.

4. Hack Your Activities

Start adding some extra activities to your day to get you in the habit of moving around more. This can include riding a bike to work, getting off the train a bit early to walk the rest of the way, or even using the furthest restroom from your office to get your body moving. Simple hacks like this can add up to an hour of extra activity and more calories burned each week.

5. Hire a Coach

A good coach can help keep you accountable, and push you to the next level. They offer advice, encouragement, and a detailed plan of action. Fitness and nutrition coaches can be rather pricey, but well worth the investment, if you really want the fastest and healthiest results.

However, if you can’t afford the big bucks to get a top-notch coach, try the Coach.Me app. With a database of over 700 coaches, this app lets you choose exactly the type of trainer you need. It also allows you to message and schedule calls with your new coach, after selecting one. There are even customer reviews to help you determine the best person to hire based on your needs.

More About Romy Antoine

Romy Antoine, founder of RippednFit, is an ace, certified personal trainer, plus a corporate wellness specialist and nutritionist. Earning a bachelor’s degree from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, with a double major in biology and exercise science and wellness management, he aims at ensuring fitness fun and empowering.  Romy and One Stop Wellness ensures each person who is trained can successfully achieve and track goals by instituting specific fitness apps that are easy to use.

You can learn more about Romy Antoine and One Stop Wellness by visiting @RomyDidIt on Instagram.

Here’s Asa Butterfield in The Space Between Us, fighting every single thing in his body that tells him what fun is, keeping a grim face on while his character goes for a Martian joyride. Truly, this is the greatest acting challenge.

Read more...