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Emerald Cup Solventless Judging 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

The Emerald Cup is deep into its judging cycle for 2023 as organizers prepare for May’s Award ceremony and we’re back on the solventless team.We’ve had great access to the contest since 2018. This is my fifth year judging one of the hash categories. While the state has seen some upstart contests making waves in recent years, the two decades of consistently bringing the heat still had The Emerald Cup firmly cemented as the top dog.  Currently, the judges are meeting once a week to go over the various categories. Edible and flower judges have to stick to the most vigorous schedule. You can smoke all the hash in a day if you party hard enough, but between the hundreds of flower entries and the pace of your metabolism on edibles, it’s easy to understand why some of the categories are referred to as a full-time job. High Time’s Jon Cappetta noted on Twitter this past Sunday, it took him three weeks to finish all the flower samples. He also said it was a gauntlet that he was glad wa...

For the Record: The LA Weekly Record Store Day Roundup

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

For the Record: Saturday, April 22 will once again see the nation celebrating Record Store Day – an annual event which, since 2007, has offered up the opportunity to support independent record stores when they need it the most. It’s an often-stated fact that people don’t really buy physical media anymore, no matter how much retro value we place on vinyl records.But Record Store Day sees musicians – from the big leagues to the indie – putting out rare music, cool reissues, pictures discs, exclusive tracks and more, in order to give the stores a much-needed bump. It’s just a very cool thing, and this year is no different. There are a lot of great releases and we can’t cover them all, but here are some highlights…Poison Idea“The Badge” (45”, vinyl single)Portland punks Poison Idea formed in 1980, and they were known for a no-bullshit approach that straddled the line between punk and hardcore. They were also known for an anti-authority attitude, encompassed beautifully by the song “The ...

Swapping CBD For CBG- When Is CBG A Better Choice Than CBD Oil?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

View the original article about When CBG Might Be A Better Choice Than CBD Oil at Real Tested CBD.CBD has the most clout in the hemp industry, but searches for “CBD alternatives” have increased. More customers in the hemp community are ready to try a variety of cannabinoids. Although delta-8 products are popular with those who want a psychedelic experience, there are also non-psychoactive hemp cannabinoids that are gaining ground on social media.For instance, more people are asking their local hemp shops whether they have any “CBG near me.” As we’ve covered in previous posts, CBG is a significant cannabinoid that’s the precursor to both CBD and THC. Since CBG-A transforms to other cannabinoids, only about 1 percent of CBG is in most hemp strains. However, now that demand for CBG products is going up, more hemp manufacturers are putting out CBG-rich oils, capsules, and tinctures.But why would anyone buy a CBG extract rather than CBD? Are there any significant differences between CBG ...

How Mike Brown’s tactics have led the Kings to a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors, and created challenges for Steve Kerr

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr called it, and Wednesday afternoon his prediction was confirmed: Mike Brown, Kerr’s longtime assistant with the Warriors who took over as head coach of the Sacramento Kings this season, was named the NBA Coach of the Year.With 100 first-place votes from a panel of reporters and broadcasters, Brown became the first-ever unanimous winner.Wednesday, just before it was announced, Kerr sat at the podium at the Chase Center and said the Warriors need to make some adjustments against the Kings, who came into the series as heavy underdogs but now have a 2-0 series lead.The Warriors have been competitive in both games, but Brown’s tactical decisions have undoubtedly made an impact. Kerr acknowledged a handful.He talked Wednesday about how the Kings have done a good job blitzing Steph Curry and forcing him into questionable decisions, often hurrying the Warriors on offense.“The greatest basketball quote of all time is from John Wooden, ‘be quick but don’t hurr...

Bay Area man accused of killing his missing wife faces preliminary hearing

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

A 61-year-old Fairfield man accused of the mid-February death of his wife may learn of his preliminary hearing date when he returns in the coming months to Solano County Superior Court.Gregory Grant Hobson, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, appeared in Department 23 on April 13 for a previously scheduled hearing setting, but Judge John B. Ellis rescheduled it for 8:30 a.m. June 12 in the Justice Center in Fairfield, official court records show.During the morning proceeding, Hobson was represented by Chief Deputy Public Defender Oscar J. Bobrow. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bruce Flynn, who is prosecuting the case, represented the people.Flynn’s criminal complaint, filed Feb. 21, indicated investigators believe Hobson killed Anu Anand Hobson, 53, of Fairfield, on or around Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.Hobson’s latest court proceeding came more than a month after Fairfield police confirmed Anu’s death and more than eight weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of her death...

Neighbor shoots 6-year-old and her dad after ball rolled into his yard

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

By Jamiel Lynch | CNNA manhunt is underway near Charlotte, North Carolina, after a 6-year-old and her dad were seriously wounded when a neighbor reportedly began shooting after a basketball rolled into his yard — at least the fourth time this week an apparently ordinary blunder led to gun violence.Suspect Robert Louis Singletary, 24, should be considered armed and dangerous, Gaston County Police said. He’s 6-foot-2 and about 223 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.Kids had been “playing basketball, and a ball had rolled down that way and had rolled into their yard and they went to go get it,” neighbor Jonathan Robertson told CNN affiliate WBTV.“We never expected anybody would break a gun out amongst all those kids,” he said. “I mean that was insane.”Police would not confirm what started the Tuesday night shooting in Gastonia, citing the investigation.It was another case this week alone in which young people were shot after seemingly...

7 fantastic Bay Area things to do this weekend, April 21-23

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

Got your weekend plans? We have some fantastic ideas, from free — free! — dance recitals to a classically creepy new series to a yummy deconstructed BLT salad.As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.1 SEE & HEAR: Bay Area Dance Week is backFeaturing scores of free events and performances all over the Bay Area, Dance Week is a total delight, and it’s back after a three-year absence. And that thing about it being free? All of it, every single plie and bit of Bhangra or Bollywood, costs nothing to attend. It tops our list of cool new shows to see this weekend and beyond.2 READ & COOK & EAT: 5 hot new cookbooksA bushel of awesome new cookbooks are out this spring, touching on everything...

California hillsides are exploding with wildflowers after epic rainfall. Here’s what it looks like from space

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

By Stephanie Elam, CNNAfter one of the wettest winters on record, California hillsides are exploding with color. Swaths of yellow and streaks of orange, blue and purple paint the landscape this month as the state enjoys its extraordinary flurry of flowers.It’s the superbloom.Springtime road trips on California’s highways bring plenty of “oohs” and “ahhs” — not just from the spectacle of so much water in much fuller creeks, rivers and reservoirs, but also from the array of flowers putting on a show along the way.The Golden State is also a lot greener right now, too — landscapes are so verdant and lush it almost looks like a dreamscape.The wildflower takeover is dominating hillsides so intensely that the blooms are visible from space. Streaks of poppy orange and bright, lemony yellows can be seen in satellite imagery across canyons and hilltops that for years have been brown, barren areas, making the transformation that much more impress...

Road trips go long way in helping new drivers get savvy behind the wheel: Roadshow

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

Q: One of your recent articles reminded me of the final stages of preparing my kids for their drivers’ license test. It included drives on narrow, winding roads that are heavily used by bicyclists. The goal was to teach patience and help them understand the amount of clearance needed to keep bicyclists and oncoming motorists safe.I used Wildcat Canyon Road and Pinehurst Roads in Contra Costa County for my daughter. My son got a longer test via Mines Road and State Route 130 to the Lick Observatory. After visiting the observatory, he fell asleep for the ride home!Don MahoneyA: How did some of the rest of you help your new drivers become road savvy, adaptable to different driving conditions?When Matt-the-Roadshow-Son needed to get a long drive in soon before he took the driving test, Mrs. Roadshow had him drive on a trip to Muir Woods. This also gave him the experience of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. He, too, was ready to ride on the drive home.Q: Your scolding of state ...

Review: ‘Poor Yella Rednecks’ a delightfully rambunctious immigrants’ tale

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:09 GMT

A badass rock ’n’ roll vibe made “Vietgone” a rollicking ride into the Vietnamese immigrant experience. Now playwright Qui Nguyen revisits the main characters, his parents, in a rambunctious sequel “Poor Yella Rednecks,” in its regional premiere at American Conservatory Theater.A cheeky sensibility, the unbridled marriage of slow-mo kung-fu, elegant puppetry, and retro-rap (music by Shammy Dee), makes Nguyen’s autobiographical odyssey so tart and refreshing. While all of the hip-hop elements don’t quite flow from the action as well as they should, undercutting our emotional connection with the tumultuous love story of Tong (Jenny Nguyen Nelson) and Quang (Hyunmin Rhee), few playwrights have as much breezy fun with issues of culture, language and identity.Tong and Quang certainly do not fit keep-your-head-down Asian parent tropes. These two swagger. They lust. They curse. They trade barbs like “Is that made outta beaver? ’Cause dayum.” They also struggle with strained commitmen...