A video posted to DJ Kass‘ Instagram account went viral after he claimed that NYC Nightclub owners and promoters were going out of their way to lowball DJs by distributing an equal rate of pay among all DJs. I was able to talk to veteran promoter Hova, and up-and-coming DJ Toons to find out their respective views on Kass’ video.
Stress is experienced by many, if not by everyone; acupuncture has been found to relieve the very feeling no one wants to feel. LAc (Licensed Acupuncturist) Raphel Labelson in Harrison, NY, explained about his own practice involving needle treatment and the correlation between acupuncture and reducing stress. Labelson’s past experiences and his expertise behind needle treatment are highlighted in the interview; reducing stress is merely a side effect to the real pain management treatment Labelson specializes in that can serve as an alternative to tradition medicine in the United States, involving surgery and medication.
https://www.popsci.com/acupuncture-may-work-drugs-relieve-stress
Wait? eSports? Changing the world? You must think I’m crazy. Well, I’m not.
eSports is competitive video gaming. As silly as it may sound, it has already changed the world in some way or another. The League of Legends World Championship from 2016 had 43 million viewers. That’s a lot of people if you couldn’t already tell. The 2016 World Series averaged about 40 million viewers. I know what you’re thinking. Woah, bigger than the World Series? That many people care about video games? Yes. A lot of people care about video games. Even sporting leagues. Major League Soccer (MLS) has invested into the eSports market. They announced the launch of the eMLS. And along with that, they also announced the commencement of the eMLS Cup tournament. This would be set up as a qualifier for FIFA’s pre-existing eSports tournament, the FIFA eWorld Cup. This all sounds too boring to the average viewer. But, for us nerds/sports fans, it’s a big deal.
“I play the games and then I follow the professionals,” Logan Olson, a Twitch streamer and eSports watcher said. “Just seeing them do these insane plays that I could never do, and just seeing them pull it off against other professionals and knowing how much time they put in to do that… it’s cool to think that people that sit at home and play video games can actually do it professionally and make a living off of it.” He agrees that eSports is only going to grow and get bigger in the future. “eSports has already gotten into the mainstream media with companies sponsoring these big events that sell out soccer stadiums. When I see that, I think, ‘I want to go to that. I want to go watch that live.'”
When I went to the first ever eMLS Cup tournament at the PAX East 2018 convention in Boston, MA, I was really excited. To see the energy in the crowd that day was astonishing. Everyone showed so much interest into two people playing a soccer video game. For the average person, this might not make any sense. Why would they cheer for this like it’s some kind of sporting event? Well, if you think about it, it is. This is considered a sport. Players are paid to play competitive video games. The cash prizes for the events that they play in have now gone up to the millions. This is serious cash.
The future is now. eSports is the new norm. Get used to seeing video gamers on your TVs, because it might be like this for years to come.
For many, the first time someone hears about a wolf it will be through literature. Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf all paint a portrait that these animals are evil and dastardly creatures that prey upon the innocent. The truth however, is that these tales do no justice for wolves and the good that they do for the planet.
Thankfully, the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) of New York serves as friends, advocates, and protectors of these essential creatures.
WCC was founded by French pianist, Hélène Grimaud, in 1996. In 1999, the center became a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, allowing WCC to become a leader in educating people about wolves, as well as becoming a location to help recover wolf populations through the federal Species Survival Plan (SSP). The center serves as an SSP to red wolves and the Mexican gray wolf, breeding wolves in captivity with hopes of reintroducing pack members into the wild.
In the 1980’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services declared that the red wolf had become extinct in the wild. Thanks to places like the WCC who served as SSPs, a population of 14 wolves has grown. Today, there is approximately 40 red wolves to be know in the wild, and the WCC is currently home to 12 red wolves and this past April, two females gave birth to 10 pups.
Red Wolf with Pup via flickr
The Mexican gray wolves have also seen a litter of pups join their pack, expanding their numbers from 14 to 17. The first time mother, Trumpet, designated as F1505, has been tending to her pups as shown by the cameras the WCC has placed into their enclosures.
Mexican Gray Wolf via flickr
https://nywolf.org/rare-mexican-gray-wolf-snuggles-with-her-5-day-old-pup/
According to reports from U.S. Fish and Wildlife, there were 114 Mexican gray wolves accounted for in the wild in 2017.
The four ambassador wolves for the center are gray wolves, a species that has been able to bounce back to healthy population sizes across the United States, but remains to be endangered. Assigned the role of a key stone species, wolves keep prey populations in check, allowing diversity to thrive throughout their ecosystems. With the reintroduction of the gray wolf to Yellowstone National Park, the once over grazed landscape has flourished with life of all kinds.
While Atka, Zephyr, Alawa, and Nikai will never roam the prairies or mountain ranges of the states freely, they are playing a large role for the planet. As ambassadors, these four serve as representatives for their species, inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to stand up for wolves. Be it by urging public servants to pass legislation that protects wolves rather than hinders their survival, writing grants or making donations that help the center operate, or becoming advocates for these incredible animals.
Ambassador Wolf Atka out representing WCC via flickr
To find out more about the WCC, visit their website https://nywolf.org/
The mixture of codeine and sprite to make “lean” or “purple drank” have always been a very popular way to get high. People mix codeine and sprite with jolly rancher candies or sour patch candies, which help achieve the purple color of the liquid. Codeine is a prescription drug used to treat severe coughs, and relieve pain. Codeine can be in liquid or pill form and people abuse codeine in order to get high.
The codeine as well as antihistamine is mixed with the sprite to cover the taste of the cough syrup, as it alone is very unpleasant. This mixture can also be known as “dirty sprite.”
This mixture is described by many as euphoric, however, although the side effects can be mild, mixing codeine with alcohol or stronger drugs can become a very high risk, and it can even stop a persons breathing. A few rappers have already died from codeine abuse.
I spoke with Pediatric Nurse Aury Peralta and she explains to me a little more of the side affects of lean and how people can have easy access to this prescription drug. I also spoke with Leclaire Rodriguez and Maya Copeland and they both explain how drinking lean makes them feel, and shared some caution tips to beginners on drinking lean.
For more information on this mixture, click here.
Psychedelic substances have been used throughout history mainly in cultural rituals. With the war on drugs going on and pharmaceutical companies regulating the market, these physically harmless substances have obtained quite a reputation for being “evil”
Yet, we see an exponentially larger number of deaths attributed to drugs like alcohol, opioids, etc. Below is a global drug survey that indicates psychedelic substances are rarely even used in comparison to drugs that are also illegal.
While these substances thrived during the “hippie” era, they became taboo to most of society, despite many users reporting phenomenal experiences that could arguably further our knowledge of the brain and expanding consciousness.
With only limited knowledge of these mind altering substances, we can only know so much about what happens during them.
Not only are psychedelics on the verge of seeing new legality reformations, but they are as common now as they were during the 1960’s.
Below is a link providing additional information on this claim.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/psychedelic-drug-use-united-states-common-now-1960s-generation-245218
I took the time to interview a former coworker whom indulges in these substances frequently. For his own personal reasons, he has chosen to refrain from audio or video.
The following Q&A is from the aforementioned interview.
Q: What is your psychedelic drug of choice, and why?
A: I’d say Shrooms or LSD. Shrooms alleviate anxiety and assist with soul searching while LSD helps me assess my life in it’s current state.
Q: Would you say psychedelics are misrepresented in today’s media? Why or why not?
A: Most definitely. The media makes you think they’re the product of the devil himself. They’re actually useful, and should be used as tools when reflecting on one’s self. They help distance yourself from your ego that floods your thought process
Q: Were psychedelics the first substances you explored?
A: Cannabis was the first substance i explored, and contrary to popular belief, marijuana has the potential to be a psychedelic on a high enough dose.
Q: Do you believe the regulations on psychedelics currently are reasonable?
A: Not at all, they are listed as dangerous only for pharmaceuticals companies to continue making a fortune. It’s bullshit
Q: Are psychedelics for everyday use?
A: Depends on the person. I prefer to periodically use them. They deserve tremendous amounts of respect.
Q: How old where you when you began exploring psychedelic substances?
A: Around the age of 17 i believe
Q: Would you say they’ve had any significant impact on your life
A: Absolutely. I dont look at anything the same anymore.
Q: Any negatives to these substances?
A: There’s always potential to have a bad trip which comes with some crazy anxiety. Other than that, no.
Q: Will you continue using them?
A: Most likely
Q: Any advice to people interested in exploring them as well but haven’t had the chance to yet?
A: Respect the substances and make sure you’re in the right setting and do your own research
One of the few Comics and Gaming stores in Westchester County is set to close at the end of June. Modern Myths started 16 years ago as a Comics store in Northampton, Massachusetts (set to close at the end of May), and then opened up a secondary location in Mammaroneck, New York about 5 years ago. I went around and talked to the owner, and the community that has formed roots there, on how this effects them, and more importantly, why they’re closing.
The decision to close down was by no means an easy one, but it was unfortunately a necessary one all the same. The store notified their customers and friends at the beginning of April, and are now selling off the inventory at 20% off store-wide. There will still be gaming events until the end of May, and then free gaming throughout the last month in June, as a “Thank You” to all of the loyal customers who have stuck with them throughout the years, and contributed to the community they made.
And so, with a heavy heart, the Modern Myths crew bows out; some going on to something similar, some going for something completely different, and others trying to keep the community alive and together.
Mixing Prescription Drugs With Other Substances Has Become All The Rage
In todays day and age, millennials are taking part in a culture that fuses music and drugs together more than the previous years before us. Music has influenced listeners into a lifestyle that they may have never been apart of had the music or artist not existed.
Today, rap culture has become more emotional; with the style of rap, such as emo rap, and the overall acceptance and understanding of mental health. Because of this, depression is more romanticized. Instead of it being taken seriously, depression and suicide has become a trend. To be sad is to be cool.
I spoke to a young woman, who requested to remain anonymous, about her life on Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax. Like most young adults today, she chooses to drink alcohol while taking the drug and takes more than suggested. The effects can be lethal. A common side effect is memory loss of the entire event; losing track of time, not knowing if yesterday was truly the day before.
Her favorite rappers mention the prescription drug in their music as well as show the world their habitual regimes on a night out or a lazy day in. Artists like Lil Peep, who was known for his daily high intake of Xanax, overdosed on what he thought was Xanax, but turned out to be a generic version.
Posting about his depression and drug use on social media has influenced followers and other rappers to be apart of the fad.
I met with a medical professional to discuss the effects of the prescription drug and suggested ways to help alleviate anxiety instead of the use of medication. Dr. Damien Chang, owner of Za Oh Pyung in Scarsdale, NY, practices Chinese herbal medicine. “I’ve been noticing a lot of young adults taking more prescription drugs than ever before”, Chang said. “Xanax has definitely been a favorite to these anxious teens.”
Taking the amount of dosage as prescribed can be beneficial to alleviating anxiety but increasing the dose to 3 or 4 pills a day, which has been reported, can damage your health long-term. “If you take more than prescribed, you can start to experience serious mood changes”, Chang says. “And consistently taking them, over time can cause seizures and make any previous mental health problems much more intense.”
Anxiety is very common among different age groups and medication doesn’t always have to be the answer. “Keeping your body and your brain busy does wonders”, Chang says. “Any form of exercise will do your mind good and help you sleep better, which most people with anxiety have trouble with.”
“If you’re adament about remaining calm throughout the day, try taking Valerian Root, an herb that is used to help with insomnia and managing daily stress levels—it comes in pill form”, Chang says.
Even after close relatives and artists who were widely loved across the world have overdosed, the continued abuse of mixing drugs and other substances has not lost its persistence. Somehow, these deaths have not given enough perspective and the only way there could be a change is if whoever is taking part in the trend, experiences a consequence of their own.
VICE did some research of their own following the death of Lil Peep and the hype that he unintentionally created
This year the Art Battle’s preliminary was held in New York City, at Le Poisson Rouge, where 12 artists competed live with timed rounds. The first art battle was held in 2001, in downtown NYC, the first championship lasted for two hours.
As stated in the Art Battle’s website, the event’s ultimate goal is to connect the world, art and the New York City community together. The Art Battle is also hosted internationally across 7 countries including the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Japan, New Zealand and Italy.
The live battling lasts for three rounds. During the first two rounds, six artists turned blank canvases into paintings of their own artistic styling within the span of twenty minutes. Some were traditionally trained, others self-taught. Some went abstract; some were pop culture references.
During the throw down, while artists got to work the DJ played hip house music remixes of all genres, meanwhile, the audience started circling the contestants and moving all around the mounted platform stage where the painters were.
Once the time runs out, the audience is told to rip off a piece of the entry tickets received while entering the venue, the piece of paper is then used by the audience to vote for their favorite piece by inserting it into the buckets placed in front of each painting. The winners of the first two rounds then go on to the final round where they compete for the last turn.
At the preliminaries, the winning canvas paid homage to the extinction of pandas. “The inspiration for the Panda one was easy, I’m Chinese and I like the environment and It just came natural to me,” said Di Lu the winner of the Art Battle. “I actually wanted to do a portrait but speed painting the environment in only 20 minutes would be very difficult to paint eyes, that’s why its very common for artists to paint glasses, but I felt like I need to do something different.”
When it comes to painting live everyone will have their own style and skills to help them perform. “the process of planning, finalizing, and memorizing it in my brain helped me to be able to finish it in 20 minutes,” said Di Lu.
For information on how to attend or compete on the event visit the Art Battle’s website.
First Village Coffee (FVC) is located on 123 Main St in Ossining, NY. Many cafes have been in this location before this one, 3 to be exact, and it’s questionable whether any cafe can stay in this location for a long period of time. I took a trip to the cafe to interview one of the owners, Luis Corena, and ask him about the cafe’s success and made my own decision on whether or not this location is cursed. Watch my results in the video below!
MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM SEMESTER PROJECT KATHERINE GONZALEZ from Katherine Gonzalez on Vimeo.
FVC has its own Instagram, which is shown in the video, which can be found here! You can also follow them on Facebook, link here.