August 25th, 2010

What Happened to iStrainGuide?!

Well, as it turns out, the developers had some problems and were forced to switch it over onto a separate account; in other words, the application was resubmitted and should be available in a few more days.

Updates have been continuing since it was removed from the itunes store, and they will keep coming every week from here until forever.

Make sure to follow them on twitter @iStrainGuide to receive great tips about cannabis treatments, interesting trivia and fascinating facts regarding the buffalo of plants! They are also on Facebook as ‘The iStrainGuide.’

August 17th, 2010

Justin Bieber isn’t One of the Four Horsemen, Yet

He’s just a little horseboy. A small horseboy that wears the saddle of capitalist scum, who tug at the reins of wealth and point him in any direction they please. Justin Bieber is a disease: He is not an artist; He is not a musician; He is not a talent – he is not a genius. He is a horse boy – a god damn horse boy.

He has been airlifted to stardom by lame-ass Usher, who conveniently deemed himself a servant (since he does in-fact serve the public with shit music), and Justin Timberlake, whose bubble should have popped the same year as Britney’s cherry.

Horseboy is a problem. The horseboy always turns into a Horseman, and just as the two prior examples Ushered in the new Horseboy, Justin Bieber will hand the crown of capital to the next child star – ripe and ready for an ego trip.

Pop music is killing Music. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Every Mainstream Rapper to go platinum since 2005, Kings of Leon, and all the other crap that gets pounded into our heads via the 50-track radio station playlist needs to get shut down. Not by force, but by choice.

Find the better music and stop trying to stay with the crowd – look popular or belong. Define YOURSELF. Find YOURSELF. Learn about the world without your own eyes, ears and perspective. The world is deceptive. You will grow up – just like Justin Bieber – into a monster if you don’t teach YOURSELF.

The universe provided us with the tools necessary to see the world clearly for what it is – DO NOT let anyone tell you otherwise: Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Billy O’Reily, and many other scumbags are taking advantage of you! The people pulling Horseboy’s reins are stealing money from you! You don’t like this music, you’ve just been told that you do!

PLEASE PUT AN END TO THE MADNESS!!!!!

And, Puff Daddy Diddy Puff is a thief and a cheat. He ripped Notorious on a record deal, and flicked the grieving family a million to cool them down. I hate that he was in Entourage because I hate him. He is a punk.

August 5th, 2010

Amadou and Mariam – ‘Je Pense A Toi’

August 4th, 2010

iStrainGuide has a Channel – iStrainGuide TV!

July 28th, 2010

A Connoisseur’s Critique: The Green Cross

Recently, I made a purchase from The Green Cross and recieved 3.5 grams of damp, grass-scented Sour Diesel; the product was disturbing and extremely disappointing. This is not the first time I’ve regretted purchasing from The Green Cross; however, I never had to return a product on account of it being unacceptable for use.

I called The Green Cross about the shwag-sack, and eventually they offered a replacement medication. When I met with the driver, I asked him to smell the bag. His reaction was just like mine – startled and stuck with disbelief. He told me that the entire shipment of Sour Diesel was under review, a direct result of my complaint.

I wonder if the Green Cross conducts quality assurance. Oh well, they handled the situation – I guess (I’m much happier with the Blue Dreams); nevertheless, I’m still hyper-focused on the fact that they sold me wet cannabis.

July 25th, 2010

Check out the iSG (istrainguide) logo!

The face of iSG

July 25th, 2010

Cannabis Club Prowler: The Green Cross

When convenience is your game – especially if you’re located within San Francisco city limits – The Green Cross is your best option. Specializing in Medical Cannabis Delivery, The Green Cross offers a wide variety of cannabis flowers, along with a hefty selection of edibles, concentrates and Green Cross memorabilia, ready to show up at your door.

If you’re interested in joining the Green Cross, send them an email (staff@thegreencross.org) that includes your recommendation, and your California Driver’s License. Once that’s complete – visit their website (www.thegreencross.org) and feast your eyes on the virtual menu, offering pictures and descriptions of each item in their inventory. Now that you’ve made a decision, call them at (415) 648- 4420, check that they’ve recieved the necessary documentation, and then place your order.

Eighths (3.75 grams) are $40 dollars, quarters (7.25 grams) are $80, half-ounces (14.5 grams) are $160, and full ounces go for a cool $300 (with all prices including tax). The Green Cross also offers Mix-A-Lot bags, which are down-priced bags of smaller nuggets, weighing either a half (for $130) or full ounce (for $250). Other savings come in the form of overstock specials, which mark random strains down a couple notches; it’s best to check their website every week to get the scoop on the Overstock items since they do periodically change.

After you’ve placed the order, you have to decide how you’re getting the medication. If you’re within San Francisco city limits, give them a delivery address; if you aren’t in city limits, arrange for a place to meet their driver (one of their favorite places is at the intersection of 11th and Harrison) alongside a U-Haul parking lot. Tell the phone representative the make and color of your car, and make sure you decide on an accurate meeting time, or just call them when you arrive.

The Green Cross is a friendly, convenient option for any Bay Area Cannabis Patient. They are quite hospitable to new patients (oftentimes offering gifts like lighters, jars, free edibles and knick-knacks) and are one of the only dispensaries to inform customers of their inventory before you place an order.

July 15th, 2010

Cannabis Club Prowler: Medithrive

An exceptional breed of cannabis clubs have a sophisticated air to them, as if – rather than entering into a legal drug dealership – you find yourself stepping into a connoisseur’s cafe. Medithrive is a magnificent operation, and I must say that it is one of the most impressive establishments that the city by the bay has to offer.

Medithrive is located at 1933 Mission in an inconspicuous building fitted with frosted glass windows, which blend seamlessly with a not-so-obvious doorway. Stepping inside, an individual sitting at a desk on the left-hand side of the lobby, and another fellow seated on the left on a bench, who will inquire about membership. Handing him your driver’s license and recommendation, he’ll ask you if it’s your first time; If not, then your next stop is the desk. There you’ll sign the rules of the collective, hand the employee behind the desk your I.D. and recommendation, and wait to receive your member number (which comes on a little round sticker). Once that’s done, you’re free to enter the back room.

The glossy wooden floor leads down a shallow ramp, where a large elegant wall offers decorative lime-green moss grows in vertical slats. Across the room hangs a large flat-screen television, where all the products are listed for convenience sake. Each strain is displayed in a glass jar, where they are all available for examination. Two counters offer an identical selection, each composed of about a dozen different varieties (including both sativas and indicas).

Their gorgeous spread is priced at 60 dollars an eighth, while grams cost anywhere from 14 – 20 dollars each. But, don’t go thinking that Medithrive is overpriced, since each 8th isn’t a normal eighth – but a Medithrive 8th. In other words, at Medithrive, the standard 8th weighs a whopping FOUR GRAMS! This is a huge plus for those looking to get more bang for their buck. Aside from the cannabis, they do also offer: a wide specturm of edibles (by Auntie Dolores and Incredible Edibles), and a list of concentrates that includes full melts, bubble hash and oils.

Medithrive is also proud to offer their customers a variety of services, which will be available as they expand. These include: Chiropractic – spine and joint corrections; Naturopathy – natural medicine primary care physician; Yoga – Iyengar and restorative; Massages, Grow Classes, Traditional Chinese Medicine – incorporating Herbalism and Acupunture; and finally, Western Herbalist Consultations.

Medithrive is open for business from 11am until 9pm. Their entire menu is available at their website: www.Medithrive.com. They accept credit card, and remember that new patients are rewarded for their curiosity by a choice edible, or a medicinal joint – ABSOLUTELY FREE!

This is one Cannabis Club that you have got to try out; however, be warned, that once you’ve spoiled yourself with Medithrive’s excellence, you might find it hard to buy your medications anywhere else.

June 14th, 2010

Coca Cola And Commercial Capitalism

In the hands of the inventor, John Pemberton, Coca Cola was nothing but a hopeless fomula in the hands of a tragic pharmacist; with the help of Asa Chandler, it became a household name. Everybody was talking about the cola soda so much that people wanted it to drink while they fought in Wars. And drink it while the shot guns they did, for it wasn’t long before Coca-Cola plants were popping up across the globe.

This global icon was so popular that they decided to change the formula: what else would you do after years of success with one core product, except change it? So, in 1985, Coca-Cola came out with a new formula, which may seem random, unless one were to consider the core changes in this new formula. Now longer was cane-sugar an ingredient, but the cheaper, high-fructose corn syrup, which plagues the cola industry to this day. There are a lot of people who find it curious that they re-released the “original” formula quickly after the horrendous failure, under the guise of “Coca-Cola Classic.”

Sneaky, sneaky Coca-Cola, looks like you switched it up when nobody was looking. How very corporate of you – perhaps one day you will have your balls smashed like Dominos Pizza, when you realize that you can’t shit on your customers and get away with it.

Why not offer a sugar-cane line – then I might actually drink it!

June 13th, 2010

Do You Know What Parabens Are?

For start, they are probably one of the few ingredients in make-up left that a person doesn’t need a degree in chemistry to pronounce. They are used in cosmetic products (i.e. lotions, soaps, astringents, deodorants and antiperspirants to name a few) to make them have a longer shelf life, and since they somewhat act as an antimicrobial agent, they have been claimed to be used to prevent things from growing in your bottle of soap; but, in my experience with corporate production (as an American consumer) I’m sure one of those reasons is a little bit closer to the bull’s eye then the other.

So, why tell anybody about Parabens? Who cares about the shit we rub on our faces every morning and night? Well – you’re right! I mean, the “FDA believes that at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens. However, the agency will continue to evaluate new data in this area. If FDA determines that a health hazard exists, the agency will advise the industry and the public, and will consider its legal options under the authority of the FD&C Act in protecting the health and welfare of consumers.” (FDA)

However, keep in mind, this wasn’t the first time the FDA decided that they were safe; back in 1984, The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) concluded that they were safe for use in cosmetic products at levels up to 25%. Since then, the case has been re-opened in 2003 and 2005. Apparently, a good deal of people have some issues with this chemical.

So, some doctors went ahead with their own tests. And as it turns out: “thirteen studies have shown that various types of parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyol and benzyl) act like estrogen in animals and in human tissue, when applied to the skin.” (VashonOrganics.com) And, something that could be enough to persuade some of us to clean our homes of this wretched substance; Parabens may be linked to breast cancer!

Ahhhhh! Cancer – are you serious? Well – not yet, exactly.

Since the official claim is that they are not dangerous, one cannot shout about it from the peaks of the Rockies with any authority. But, that isn’t to say that there aren’t any people out there with evidence to suggest that one should be doing it; For instance, according to an article on Vashon Organics, “A 2004 study in the United Kingdom found traces of five parabens in breast cancer tumors of 19 out of 20 women. Dr Philippa Darbre and colleagues at the University of Reading in the UK are the scientists who carried out the tests. Their report, published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, suggested the chemicals had seeped into the tissue after being applied to the skin. ‘This is the first study to show their accumulation in human tissues,’ said Dr Darbre. ‘It demonstrates that if people are exposed to these chemicals (parabens), then the chemicals will accumulate in their bodies.’

Dr Darbre believes there may be cause to be concerned about their findings. ‘Detection (of parabens) in human breast tumors is of concern, since parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen.’ (The Great Paraben Debate)

As it stands, one should never let the government be your mouth, your hands, your eyes, your ears, or your nose: it’s up to the individual to ingest or rub anything into their body. I just advise you to do some research, or at least read labels, since all of those soaps and things that you use for your daily preening rituals may push you way beyond the safety limit.

Do yourself some justice: Think!