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Colombia man was first declared the shortest mobile male in 2010, only to lose the title to two others. Guinness World Records announced on Tuesday that it has found Edward Niño Hernández to be the shortest living man who is mobile. It’s déjà vu for a Colombian man who has just been declared the world’s shortest man. But this isn’t the first world record rodeo for the 2-foot-4.3938-inch resident of Bogota, who turned 34 on Sunday. Hernández was previously awarded the shortest living man (mobile) title in April 2010, when he measured in at 2 feet, 3.64 inches tall. Later that year, Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who stood 2 feet, 2.41 inches tall became the new record holder. He later lost the title to a fellow Nepal citizen: 1-foot-9.5-inch Chandra Bahadur Dangi. Both of those men have since died so the title is now passed once again to Hernández. Hernández received his second “shortest man” certificate at a medical clinic in his home city before social distancing guidelines were implemented, according to a Guinness World Records release.

When readers leaf through the pages of the Guinness World Record books, there are a few record titles that are remembered for their iconic, timeless and noteworthy nature. After turning 34 on 10 May, Edward can now begin his new year of age with a fantastic new record title; one that he achieved with a height of 72.10 cm (2 ft 4.3938 in) tall. Although his short stature made him a world record holder, he said his big smile was his real secret weapon. Meanwhile, 1-foot-11.6-inch Junrey Balawing of the Philippines remains the shortest non-mobile man. “I use my smile to conquer the world! I always share my big smile with everyone; that’s my charm. I can achieve everything I propose to myself,” Hernández said in the release. “Everything is possible. … Size and height don’t matter! I want people to meet who I truly am: small in size, big in heart!”

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Musicians have been oscillating between keeping busy and feeling a bit isolated since coronavirus stay-at-home orders came down in the month of March, 2020. It’s a real dichotomy between staying at home and being creative for most artists and musicians , finding that part of yourself, trying to improve, while staying relevant with fans. Whatever the chosen system is to get through this pandemic most performers are finding creative ways to stay on top of there game and in front of the paying audience. We have come to accept as a way of life, be it permanent or temporary, that music is and will be the last part of the recovery from a pandemic that is now being questioned as weather we should have, and still continue to shut down a once thriving economy. In the early days of March, when COVID-19 was just beginning to spread in the U.S. I watched the music scene transform in front of my eyes. From Instagram to TikTok, our new pop culture demands that stars be both accessible and vulnerable online amid the pandemic. In the weeks since social distancing began in earnest, there have been numerous articles written about how celebrities and musicians are basically losing it. The live music culture is in a weird place. All these livestreams  and all these posts are giving us a concentrated, heightened look at the new normal for the music culture.

We are firmly and deeply submerged in the age of livestreem performances as social media “influence.” on how we view and support live concerts and local acts. As more people are finding fame, notoriety and lucrative careers through “content” creation on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, the idea of what fame is — and who gets to be famous — has drastically shifted. Now, people are as inclined to be obsessed over there favorite local acts as they are over national acts. The contrast of our current music landscape with that of even 20 years ago is profound. It used to be that part of the luster for stars to resided in their carefully manufactured distance, now it’s practiced as the normal by the industry as a whole. t’s about staying relevant, by any means necessary. The internet has proven to be a powerful tool in harnessing the ability to keep people engaged. But we’ve entered a new reality, in which a harsh light shines on all this placating distraction and has further revealed the serious cracks in the foundation of American life.” Most of us are plugged in to the social media matrix and trying to figure it out. Our pop cultural landscape is just changing in fascinating, entertaining and often cringe-worthy ways.

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Governor Gavin Newsom of California on Thursday sent shockwaves through the West Coast when he officially ordered all 40 million of the state’s residents essentially shelter in place (meaning stay home unless buying basic necessities or seeking medical care). Perhaps surprisingly, among the “essential services” that he deemed will remain open — on top of pharmacies and food stores — was, marijuana dispensaries. Popular dispensary MedMen, which operates 33 stores in nine states including 12 in California, says it is operating with modified hours, but all stores remain open (except for one in Monterey Bay, Calif. which is closed due to local jurisdiction). “We are closely following recent guidelines released by each state and local jurisdiction, plus that of the CDC and the WHO in the best interest of our customers and employees and have adopted the recommended safety protocol.” “As of now, we have been deemed an essential business in the markets that have established protocol,” Christian Langbein, the company’s spokesperson says. In the two months since the first case of COVID-19 landed in the U.S., the nation’s private sector is a changed place. As a company seemingly unscathed by the coronavirus outbreak thus far, MedMen is in the minority.  Over half of America has closed all non-essential businesses, — from festivals, to theme parks, to cruise ships, all motor sports and professional sports teams  have hit pause on their seasons and the financial market may be on the verge of a crash.

But amid the colossal shifts, the cannabis industry seems poised to stay afloat.Denver-based Medicine Man, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that in the weeks since the coronavirus began spreading rapidly, its sales have actually escalated. Sally Van der Veer, the dispensary’s CEO says, “Our numbers are significantly higher than they would normally be this time of year,” “For the most part, we’re seeing customers who are grateful that we are open because they wouldn’t be able to get their medicine elsewhere..” They can be in and out in 30 seconds,” says Van der Veer. “On the floor of our dispensaries, we have tape to ensure that we’re maintaining six feet of distance between every customer. All our budtenders are wearing gloves and using hand sanitizer or washing their hands in between each transaction. ” Van der Veer says the distinction of “essential services” in the time of the coronavirus makes sense both for citizens and the state of the cannabis industry as a whole.

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Illinois is the 11th state to legalize cannabis for adult use. Vendors started the new year by bringing in nearly $3.2 million on the state’s first day of legal recreational cannabis sales. There were long lines and more than 77,000 transactions on Wednesday, according to former state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, who oversees the state’s new equity-focused recreational cannabis program for Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Alex Hanns @alexhanns NEWS: @ToiHutchinson announces first day adult-use cannabis sales figures in Illinois — $3,176,256.71 in sales  — 77,128 transactions
“Sales are great, but let’s never lose sight of the impact we’re having on families around the state. Pritzker’s office did not immediately provide the amount of tax revenue the state received from the sales. Illinois state taxes on cannabis products range from 10% to 25%, depending on the product’s concentration of THC. A first day of $3,176,256.71 in sales would bring in an estimated $317,000 for the state at a minimum, and about $794,000 at most, not including sales tax.

Michigan, which implemented recreational marijuana in December, saw about $221,000 in sales on its first day, according to the Detroit Free Press. Colorado, one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, saw a little more than $1 million in sales on its first day of legalization in 2014. The whopping $3.2 million spent in Illinois on Wednesday greatly surpasses first-day sales in other states where recreational cannabis is legal. Hutchinson said on Wednesday. “Today is a historic new day, and as we move forward with growing this industry, I thank all those who worked hard to make the launch a success and will continue to dedicate themselves to expanding opportunities and righting the wrongs of the past.” “As we start a new decade, Illinois has achieved a monumental milestone ― launching the legalization of cannabis in a way that includes communities left behind for far too long, creates good jobs and expunges thousands of records for those who have lost out on opportunities and ends prohibition.” Under the state’s law, Illinois residents who are 21 and older are allowed to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, and nonresidents can possess up to 15 grams.

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The buzz over 420 isn’t just media hype, April 20 ― aka “420” ― is considered pot’s biggest day, according to cannabis industry insiders like Robert Arabian, founder of Pop-Up Potcorn, a line of cannabis-infused microwave popcorn, and it should only get more popular now that 33 states have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. “These days, 4/20 has turned into the biggest Holiday in the cannabis industry and serves as a day of celebration for the advancements the industry has made in the legal space,” Arabian told HuffPost. How is the marijuana industry changing you ask? Here are some significant changes for 2019: Everything CBD — or cannabidiol, the nonpsychoactive ingredient in the marijuana plant — is popping up in all sorts of products, including face masks, jelly beans and even burgers, despite the lack of evidence of its effectiveness for easing pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression. CBD will be sticking around for quite a while, though maybe not in its current form according to Michael Christopher, the CEO of Mood33, a California-based cannabis-infused beverage brand. “We are seeing some proliferation of CBD-infused products that are starting to overwhelm consumers,” Christopher told huffpost.com . “From $9 CBD-infused donuts to $14 CBD-infused brownie mix.

More Women Are Using Marijuana: Sheena Shirvai, director of consumer communications for Eaze, a cannabis-delivery company in California, says women are now behind 75 percent of orders. Last year, baby boomers were seen as the future of sales, but industry experts now see women as the next budding market. Dr. John Oram, the Founder/CEO of NUG, a cannabis company specializing in concentrates, said “soccer moms” are coming into the business in droves ― and it shouldn’t be a surprise. Oram told HuffPost. “Moms generally make the health and wellness decisions in the household. It is natural to expect women to play a greater role in choosing quality cannabis products.” Ray Landgraf of Island Cannabis, which deals with cannabis production technology, says there’s a thirst for pot-infused drinks. “We’re really early on beverages where people are just figuring out the science that will make cannabis beverages a really unique experience. Marijuana Delivery Is The Future: The idea of brick-and-mortar bud shops popping up like Starbucks is one that should be nipped in the bud, according to Brad McLaughlin of BudTrader.com, which bills itself as “the largest cannabis social media platform.” “Dispensaries will go the way of Blockbuster Video. You heard it here first,” McLaughlin said. “People don’t want to leave the pad, especially in major metropolitan cities with heavy traffic congestion like New York, LA and places where it’s cold.” However, many industry insiders such as Bryson Bulda, brand manager of LBS Distribution, a California cannabis company, believe dispensaries are crucial to building burgeoning bud businesses. “Going to a dispensary and talking to budtenders is the only way to actively learn from products and what you are consuming.”

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Not a day goes by, either, without something in the news questioning the honesty of certain Americans or Russians. Now it seems that UFOs have been added to that media storm. Whenever a story comes out claiming to show real pictures or video of UFOs, hope springs eternal that maybe, just maybe, this might be that elusive smoking-gun evidence of alien technology. The image is from a collection called Pixabay, which offers many free stock photos to use for practically anything you’d like. This one shows our sun with a circular black dot, reportedly the planet Mercury, making a transit across our home star. Still, how would Pixabay feel if a Russian news site, Pravda.ru ― ironically, the name means “truth” ― took that same picture, added two more black dots, called them all UFOs and claimed this was, in fact, a picture captured by a NASA “STEREO spacecraft”? Wow.! Dateline:
Pravda.ru “NASA spacecraft captures three huge UFOs silhouetted against the Sun.” That deserves another “Wow!” If you compare the two images, it doesn’t take long to figure out that the sun in the two pictures is identical and all that Pravda.ru did was finish it off with two more “UFOs” and added the headline.

HuffPost reached out to a NASA spokesman to comment about all of this, “I’m not aware of this photo being released. Certainly not from NASA. There is no official or unofficial NASA posting of the image,” he said. NASA generally has well thought-out explanations for these types of “UFO” incursions into our solar system. For what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time that UFO charlatans have tried to convince the public that extraterrestrial ships are getting a little too close to our sun. For its part, Pravda.ru, which is separate from the Communist Party paper, has a history of extremely creative “journalism.” But the truth is out there. Just not Pravda.ru’s truth. Here’s a video http://youtube.com/channel/UCVTomc35agH1SM6kCKzwW_g of an alleged alien ship refueling, according to a source that is definitely not NASA.

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Mark Anthony Jones, 46, an unlicensed gun owner in Indiana is recovering in a hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the penis. Jones told police in Marion that he was taking a morning walk when the Hi-Point 9mm handgun he was carrying in his waistband “began to slip,” according to The Smoking Gun. According to a Marion Police Department news release on Facebook: Jones told police that when he “reached down to adjust” the unholstered gun, it discharged, shooting a bullet that “entered just above his penis and exited his scrotum.” Here is the Marion Police Department’s news release posted on Facebook:

Investigators have forwarded the case to the Grant County prosecuting attorney, the release notes that Jones doesn’t have a license to carry a handgun in Indiana. Investigators will determine if Jones will face any criminal charges for the self-inflicted wound.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Democrat’s proposed spending plan, released Thursday, projects the state will bank $355 million in marijuana excise taxes by the end of June. Deep in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget is a figure that says a lot about California’s shaky legal marijuana market: The state is expecting a lot less cash from cannabis taxes. That’s roughly half of what was once expected after broad legal sales kicked off last year.
Most consumers are continuing to purchase pot in the illegal marketplace, where they avoid taxes that can near 50 percent in some communities. Tax collections are expected to gradually increase over time, but predicting what that amount will be remains something of a guess. Industry experts say the diminished tax income reflects a somber reality. Tax collections for “a newly created market are subject to significant uncertainty,” the budget said. Josh Drayton of the California Cannabis Industry Association credited Newsom with taking “a realistic look at the challenges” after a bumpy first year of broad legal sales. Newsom also recommended a sharp increase in spending for regulatory programs, although it’s an open question whether it will be enough to help steady the state pot economy.

Initially “the state was too optimistic about how the implementation of legalization was going to work. This governor has paid attention to that,” Drayton said. The budget recommends just over $200 million for marijuana-related activities in the fiscal year that starts July 1, which would be over a 50 percent boost from the current year. That said, Drayton added that legal businesses need a break from hefty tax rates that are driving consumers to the illicit economy. Local governments are free to slap taxes on sales and on growers too, which has created a confusing patchwork of tax rates around the state. Various proposals have been made to cut state pot taxes.
The state’s top marijuana regulator, Lori Ajax, has said the state intends to get more businesses licensed and operating in 2019, while cracking down on rogue operators who continue to proliferate across the state.
By some estimates, up to 80 percent of sales in the state remain under the table, snatching profits from legal storefronts. At year’s end, California’s effort to transform its longstanding illegal and medicinal marijuana markets into a unified, multibillion-dollar industry remained a work in progress. Meanwhile, the courts budget includes nearly $14 million for resentencing of thousands of drug offenders whose offenses are no longer crimes since California legalized recreational pot.

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