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COOLIKEDAT’sBEST of 2012

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table of contents

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CARTOON ANALYSIS

90’s vs 2K13 “ he Mighty Bee”, “The Troop”, “The Penguins of Madagascar”, and “Fanboy and ChumChum”: just a few names of the several familiar cartoons that kids are currently watching. To an individual raised in the 90’s, these cartoons should not be allowed to kiss the feet of some of the classics. What we used to worship every Saturday afternoon consisted with “Rocko’s Modern Life”, “Doug”, “Recess”, and “Hey Arnold”; however, many argue that 90’s cartoons are not as great as kids from the 90’s make it seem. What if they are right? What if “Big Time Rush” and “Victorious” are better shows than “Kenan and Kel” and “Clarissa Explains it All”? A better question would be, how could we tell? Is it only subjective to say which shows from both generations are better? According to IGN’s top 100 Animated Series List, there were 2 cartoons from the 00’s, one of which was “Avatar: The

Last Airbender” whom made it to the 35th spot. Out of the 90’s Nickelodeon cartoon block, a whopping 6 cartoons, 2 of which where in the top 20, where deemed as best animated shows ever made. In another survey from NowThatsNifty.com ‘s top 90 cartoons, 7 of the 90’s Nickelodeon cartoons made the list, while only 3 from Nick’s current scheduling were able to squeeze on to the listing. “ICarly”, “Rocket Power”, and “Supah Ninja” are all cartoons that now are a key component to the present-day childhood of millions of kids in America. In my personal 90’s kid opinion, it is unfortunate that these cartoons are not made with the same quality and creativity as the ones that were created for the youth of the 90’s. Hopefully someday this quality can be achieved again, so that a parent or loved one will be able to watch a show with their kids with the same pride in the television shows they were raised on.

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BY TRAVIS ST. LOUIS

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BUYS SHOP THERAPY

SHOP THERAPY38 S. RAYMOND AVE.PASADENA, CA, 91105(626) 605-2855

& STUFFSHOP THERAPY38 S. RAYMOND AVE.PASADENA, CA, 91105(626) 605-2855

By Sai

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BUYS SHOP THERAPY

IN PASADENA, CA

& STUFF

You’ve probably heard of Pasadena,

CA a couple times. Whether it’s around on

New Year’s Day when all the focus is on the Rose Parade/Rose

Bowl Game or you watch The Big Bang Theory enough to catch mentions

of the city surrounding Cal-Tech (where Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard work); you’ve heard a little something about my hometown. We even got a little shine when Tupac said “Pasadena, where you at?” at the end of “California Love”. All in all, this city within Los Angeles County has its moments. However, one thing Pasadena is not known for is its free-flowing vibe. Even with its vast numbers of seemingly open minded young people, Pasadena is about its money and when that is the case, the decisions are usually left to the people with the money. (Hint: not the seemingly open minded young people). It is because of this that Shop Therapy, in Old Town Pasadena, gracefully sticks out in the more reserved and conservatively vintage neighborhood.

Located at 38 S. Raymond

Ave, right off Colorado Blvd, this

colorful “Alternative Lifestyle Emporium” shines bright (I

suppose, “like a diamond”). Upon walking in, you are not only greeted

by the friendly staff, but the scent of which ever incense is burning that day. Even though there are a number of clothing racks and item filled baskets making up the floor of the store, which I’ll get to later, your attention immediately shifts to the t-shirts, bags, and posters gracing the walls—vintage concert poster prints of the likes of Janis Joplin, Queen, Deep Purple, Sly and the Family Stone, etc. The aforementioned clothing racks are filled with lots of peasant dresses and blouses and a number of tie-dye shirts as well as some tee’s with musician graphics on them. The jewelry cases, which act as a divider between the customer and staff, houses premium rings, bracelets and necklaces in addition to cigarette holders and other choice items I’m sure you’ll find to your liking. In the racks and baskets that also help make up the floor, there are bumper stickers (of the mature nature) as well as magnets, but one of their coolest selections is that of their vintage printed post cards. Even with all of this going on, there is a basket that I always and I mean always, make my way to upon visiting. This basket contains my favorite item of theirs, 100% cotton bandana’s that are made in India. These aren’t just your normal paisley printed, stock color bandanas either. These are Shop Therapy designed and filled with all kinds of artsy and floral patterns in addition to an array of colors, both within a single handkerchief, as well as the basket alike. I have already purchased three

of my own and there are no doubts in my mind that this

number will continue to grow. My interest in these handkerchiefs

led me to a conversation with Erica Cole, proprietor of Shop Therapy Pasadena, about where and how the store acquires their pieces for sale (usually seeing a “made in India” stamp on something would either cease to grasp your attention at all, or cause you to think about the means of the trading involved). Erica told me that the business of the store is done in Fair-trade and they go nearly five times a year to places like Napal, Thailand and India to buy their items from small houses. In doing this they like to embrace the cultures they are buying from, and that is very cool. Shop Therapy designs approximately eighty percent of their products and the fact that they practice fair trading in the same areas of the world some businesses would usually take advantage of is huge. As if being a good-business, diverse and central shopping experience for hippie-like consumers and non-hippie-like consumers alike isn’t enough; the store is divided between being a bohemian haven as well as a tobacco shop. Of course there are the usual items that you’d find in most tobacco shops (e.g. wooden/glass pipes, hookahs, bongs rolling papers, etc.). They also have loose-leaf flavored pipe tobacco as well as some other cool items for the smoker in your life (“smoker in you” would also work). In the tobacco part of the store there is a section reserved for specialty incense, chakra tea’s and books on many topics including Buddhism, mediation, religion, etc. In a great location a few paces from buzzing Colorado Blvd., Shop Therapy is definitely worth a visit during your next trip to Old Town Pasadena. This store has something for everyone, female or male, gay or straight, Black or White. The items are not expensive, I guarantee you there is something you can find on any budget and in the event you don’t find anything, Erica says, “My goal is to make everybody smile when they leave, whether they go out with just a smile or go out with a bag of really cool stuff.” Whether you’re looking for a cool vibe, a pipe or turquoise bracelet, Shop Therapy will have you covered.

Sai Recommends+ Any of the Handkerchiefs+ Wooden Bracelets+ Beaded Necklaces

+ Tie-Dye Baby Onesie+ Nag Champa Incense+ Jimi Hendrix 3D Poster

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DALLAS’

D DGRAMMY ANALYSISBY DALLAS DARDEN & DIDI BAUTISTA

SECTION

BEST/SUNG COLLABORATION“No Church in the Wild” and “Tonight” by John Legend are really good songs; both of those songs are definitely worthy of nominations. I even liked “Cherry Wine”. “Talk That Talk” is definitely not award worthy and I’m not even sure how Flo Rida made it onto the list-That’s all I’ll say about that guy. One of Skylar Grey’s collabs with Slaughterhouse along with “Battle Scars” by Lupe Fiasco and Guy Sebastian should definitly be on this list.

The Grammy awards are here. Once upon a time, I’d be utterly excited, at a time like this, but award shows in general disappoint me these days, with their nominees, as far as hip hop goes. MTV is the main culprit, but that’s a rant for another day. Actually it’s a rant I’ve already done. Anyway, back to the Grammy’s. They actually had some decent choices in their hip hop categories, so I didn’t have to swear off award shows completely. Let’s take a look at these categories.

PICKS

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BEST RAP PERFORMANCE

BEST RAP SONG

BEST RAP ALBUM

Best rap performance? What does that even mean? I mean, you would think it’s the best rap song, but that’s a separate category. The categories also overlap a bit with songs like “Mercy”, “Niggas in Paris”, and “Daughters” on both lists. This category is a bit too ambiguous in ‘meaning’ for me to dispute or concur wholeheartedly with the nominees, but I can say with confidence that “HYFR” wasn’t the best anything.

heard The Roots’ album Undun and I refuse to put myself through a

Rick Ross or Drake album so that’s all I can say on this

category.

If you’re familiar with me, you know that I’m a borderline hipster/backpacker with my hip hop interests. So, it’s easy for me to dismiss an award show like this as just a showcase for the

mainstream. That’s what it is, but I’m not

one to shy away from good mainstream music.

Lupe is my favorite rapper, after all. I’m also a fan of Nas,

The Roots, Wale, and a good portion of G.O.O.D. Music. On the

other hand, you have people like Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Flo Rida, and Lil’ Wayne. To

put it simply, watching the Grammy’s is like a rocky relationship. You have to take the very good with the very bad.

“Best Rap Album” is the last category I’ll address. I’ve come to terms with the fact that Kendrick’s album came out too late in the year to be nominated, but where is Welcome to Our House?! (Had to get that out there). Anyway, I’m glad to see Food & Liquor II made it. That was my favorite album this year. Life Is Good is better than most mainstream hip hop albums of late, so I’m glad to see it there as well. However, someone, somewhere better explain to me how 2 Chainz got nominated. I’ve actually heard that album. If he wins I might start a riot (no pun intended). Regrettably, I haven’t

With the exception of Nas’ “Daughters”, none of these songs should even be here. Don’t get me wrong, “Lotus Flower Bomb” and “Mercy” are both pretty good in my opinion (or at least not bad), but best rap song? You can’t give an award to “Mercy” with Big Sean spittin’ the most mediocre verse of all time. “Young Wild and Free” is a fun song, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of the best rap songs. “Niggas in Paris” is pretty much a song about nothing but hip hop stereotypes and “The Motto” is just terrible. You know it, I know it. Oh man, I’m gonna make some people mad with this...

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PICKS

CONTINUE

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BEST URBAN CONTEMPARY ALBUM

Whenever I watch the Grammys Award Show, the only categories that really spark my interest are: Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Album, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Album, and of course Album of the Year. These categories in music can either take an artist to the next level if they win, or it can break an artist as well. Here are some of the categories and nominations for the 2013 Grammys:

This category in my opinion is obviously not tough to determine at all. Miguel dominates the win for this category. The reason I say this is because Miguel’s “Adorn”, was crafted very well. The quality, the harmonizing, the production, and the sound in general were magnificent. Overall, it was a great song. Now don’t get me wrong, Luke James’ “I Want You” did justice as well. His vocals on that track were phenomenal, however, I felt the creativity was lacking. Miguel is always quick on creativity when it comes to his music. Usher’s “Climax”, well…it was good, but I lost taste in Usher when he came out with “O.M.G.” Lately, his music has become

This category is extremely difficult to choose from. We have three great artists here that have had a wonderful year by selling millions of copies of their albums. First off, Fortune by Chris Brown was a great album. He had a lot of songs that were good for partying such as “Bassline” and “Turn up the Music”. He also had smooth and sexy slow songs such as “2012”, “Sweet Love”, and “Don’t Judge Me”. Each song was flawless and had great quality overall. However, I felt it was not his best, only because I felt he tried too hard to make it sound different compared to his older albums. Kaleidoscope Dream was proficient and classy. It was a really sensual, and a seductive album. Miguel brought back the classic 90’s

more of a “commercialized” taste for me. But seeing that this is the Grammys Award Show, he may win due to popularity. I hope that is not the case, because this category should be based off of “musicality” only. Of course Estelle, and Robert Glasper Experiment are nominated, but their songs shouldn’t be included in “Best R&B Performance”. Performance wise, it should just be between Miguel and Usher. In the end, my vote is on Miguel Jontel, only because “Adorn” was the best creative and sensual R&B song that I heard throughout the year of 2012, which Miguel performed and sung with perfection.

R&B feel mixed with the modern R&B that’s out today. Of course “Adorn” and “How Many Drinks” were my favorite songs off of the album. Miguel has come a long way with his music, and Kaleidoscope Dream really proved his hard work. Last but not least, Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange was absolute greatness! This album was creative in so many ways. It had such a unique sound and production to it, that it was difficult to skip any track on the album. I liked every song on that album, especially “Pyramids”. For a first album, you could have sworn it was like his second or third, because the music was just that awesome! I feel that for this category, it wouldn’t matter who won because I am proud

DIDI’S

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ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST R&B ALBUM

Honestly, my opinion is that it should go to Frank Ocean. I say this because Frank Ocean’s album was just perfect. I can’t stand any of the members from OFWGKTA, but Frank Ocean is an artist whose talent is just beautiful. His voice, lyrics, and sound provide this feel of relaxation, that it’s hard not to notice it in his music. Channel Orange gave you that feeling of being at ease and being at peace with yourself, and being at peace with the music. Channel Orange took listeners on a musical journey of Frank’s life, but it also gave us a perspective on how we as individual view our own life. Now don’t get me wrong, Fun’s Album “Some Nights”, gave us that same journey of relaxation, but through more of an upbeat tempo. Channel Orange gave us Frank Ocean at its finest, and that is why he deserves to win Album of the Year.

THERE ARE SOME GREAT CATERGORIES & ARTIST NOMINATED FOR A GREAT NUMBER OF AWARDS THIS YEAR AT THE 2013 GRAMMYS. ALL WE CAN DO AS VIEWERS & FANS IS TO JUST KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSS, & HOPE THAT THE STRONGEST & DOPEST ARTISTS WIN!

This category is difficult to choose from, because we have some great albums competing against each other. I think that Back to Love by Anthony Hamilton was just absolutely wonderful. This album graced its fans with awesome vocals and great musicianship. My favorite songs have to be “Who’s Lovin You” & “More Than Enough”. In this album, Anthony Hamilton literally gives his audience a musical vision of falling back “in love”. It was a wonderful project that was absolute perfection. Tyrese also made a great comeback with his album Open Invitation. This album really bridged the gap of Tyrese’s 5 year absence from the Music Industry. His main focus of the Album was to display the idea that his musical talent still exists. Some favorite songs of mine off that Album would be “One Night” & “Too Easy”, which features the rapper Ludacris. I can’t speak on Tamia’s album, because I have not heard it at all. However, Black Radio by Robert Glasper Experiment was pretty good. This offering really brought jazz back into the new millennium.

However, I do feel that some parts of the album were trying too hard to be “different” from the other music that is already out there. I don’t have a favorite song on that album; however I do think the majority of the songs were above satisfactory. Last but not least, R. Kelly’s Album “Write Me Back” was decent. He really used the songs as a tribute

to old school singers such as

Stevie Wonder, Smoky Robinson, Ray

Charles, and Ron Isley. His vocalization on that album was

phenomenal; I won’t fault him on that. However, I felt it was not “the best” album, only because I still think he is trying to find his voice, which he should have already found by now. In conclusion, this category will be very tough to choose a winner from.

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I suppose it is trendy to act as though all of life’s biggest questions are simple answers to you. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be with the guy who understands the universe. You are the big guy now aren’t you, Ghandi? You call the shots now, right Malcolm X? You know the answers that they seek. You know how to sedate their hunger for knowledge-how to quench their thirst for the knowing. All the right words, and the right advice. Convinced you’re right. Convinced God himself came down to you and whispered to you in a dream while you slept peacefully on your bed: the answers. You are the son of God. The only son of God. Preaching to them about how to make their way through life. What to do and how to act, leading them right into your trap. You prey on their weakness of curiosity for the unknown. They fall victim to your cunning and charming linguistics and continue to lose themselves in admiration. You are no worse than the hyena hunting for unsuspecting prey at night; the blind led by the blind. You were given a spark of intellect but you carry it so high that it loses its light in the sun. They seek something different. You are the opposite side of the spectrum. And yet your face still turns blue if it runs out of oxygen. Your blue blood runs red when it is surrounded by oxygen. You run on air like them, and they run out of air with you. You suffocate them without touch, yet you are powerless. You bleed like them, yet they bleed for you. They offer you their love forever but you are not immortal. They want you to save them but you are not a hero. You are not a leader.

You are a glass figurine, and I see right through you. At least with the hyena, they remain the same creature in daylight. You have mastered the art of disguise so well that only somebody who has seen it before would catch on. You have them fooled. You have what they desire and you know that. You use your power to get what you want. I applaud you for your charade; the façade almost had me convinced. But I remembered that if you were the knowing, you would know that you don’t actually know anything. And I watch you strut with your pride on your sleeves and let it happen. Because you too, are necessary.

THE KNOWINGby Rughda Baldo

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COOLIKEDATINTERVIEW

W/ NINA JUNEby Indy

While surfing the social interwebs I stumbled upon an interesting photographer with a unique perspective on photography. While inspecting her Tumblr I started to become amazed by the view of the world from Nina June’s camera. I finally got her to respond to some questions.

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What do you feel is separates your photos from other photographer’s photos?

What makes you CooLikeDat?

What is your favorite aspect of photography from an artist’s stand point?

What is your favorite aspect of photography from an artist’s stand point?

Do you feel like photography is a skill taken for granted?

It is a projected fact that thanks to instagram and other photo applications and social networks that more picture will be taken in the next two years than there ever were before? Do you feel like Instagram is killing the modern day photographer?

I take photos from real life scenes in different cities I’ve been in my life like Paris, NYC, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok... I never prepare in advance my shoots or plan what I’ll do in the details, I’m always improvising everything. I like to play with the light, the backgrounds, I’m not interested by studio photos, I like taking photos when people are natural & when they aren’t posing.

Young & Talented, I’m CooLikeDat!

When you’re truly passionate by photography, it’s like if you had a camera in your eyes. I love honestly. My photos represent genuine moments of life that I want to keep on memory by my images. People are always trying to embellish everything too much instead of keeping it real. I try to keep it 100 everyday of my life and it’s the same thing in my work.

When you’re truly passionate by photography, it’s like if you had a camera in your eyes. I love honestly. My photos represent genuine moments of life that I want to keep on memory by my images. People are always trying to embellish everything too much instead of keeping it real. I try to keep it 100 everyday of my life and it’s the same thing in my work.

Not really because there’s too many photographers nowadays. Most of them people do photo just to do something or to follow the wave, and not enough are really passionate about what they do. Passion in art is something rare. In my opinion, you don’t become an artist, you grown up as one.

I don’t know how I feel about instagram anymore. So many fabricated lifestyles just for some likes. People need to chill with that, they are not networking anymore, that’s a dick riding contest (idk how to say that in English without being rude lmao) They should focus on their craft/art instead of stay focus on impressing people they don’t know with a life they don’t live.

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COOLIKEDAT’s

BESTof

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2012

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BEST ALBUM1. good kid, M.A.A.D. City | Kendrick Lamar2. Channel Orange | Frank Ocean3. Long.Live.A$AP | A$AP Rocky4. Jesus Piece | The Game5. The Stoned Immaculate | Curren$y

GKMC | KENDRICK LAMAR

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BEST ALBUM1. good kid, M.A.A.D. City | Kendrick Lamar2. Channel Orange | Frank Ocean3. Long.Live.A$AP | A$AP Rocky4. Jesus Piece | The Game5. The Stoned Immaculate | Curren$y

BEST MIXTAPE

1. Dreamchasers 2 | Meek Mill2. Royalty | Childish Gambino3. 4eva N a Day | Big K.R.I.T.4. 1999 | Joey Bada$$5. Cigarette Boats | Curren$y & Harry Fraud

DREAMCHASERS 2 | MEEK MILL

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1. “Bad Girls” MIA2. “Long.Live.A$AP” A$AP Rocky3. “Liquorice” Azealia Banks4. “Are You Not” THURZ feat. Johnny Polygon5. “Bitch Bad” Lupe Fiasco

1. Action Bronson2. Schoolboy Q 3. Kilo Kish4. Flatbush Zombies 5. Phony Ppl

ACTION BRONSON

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1. “Bad Girls” MIA2. “Long.Live.A$AP” A$AP Rocky3. “Liquorice” Azealia Banks4. “Are You Not” THURZ feat. Johnny Polygon5. “Bitch Bad” Lupe Fiasco

1. Action Bronson2. Schoolboy Q 3. Kilo Kish4. Flatbush Zombies 5. Phony Ppl

BEST MUSIC VIDEO1. “Bad Girls” MIA2. “Long.Live.A$AP” A$AP Rocky3. “Liquorice” Azealia Banks4. “Are You Not” THURZ feat. Johnny Polygon5. “Bitch Bad” Lupe Fiasco

“BAD GIRLS” MIA

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KENDRICK LAMAR

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EMERALD CITYCOLORADO & WASHINGTON: WHAT NOW?

by Sai

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Unless you were under a rock for the past couple of months, you know about the latest election. You know that Obama was reelected which means you also know about the strides that have been made concerning marijuana use. Colorado and Washington both came under a microscope for having made the recreational use of marijuana, meaning non-medicinal, legal with the passing of Amendment 64 (Colorado) and Initiative 502 (Washington). We’ve heard the word “legal” and “marijuana” used in the same sentence before but that usually comes along with an unabridged version of small print. Will that be the case this time? Colorado and Washington, while the rest of the country envies you, let’s talk about exactly what this means for both states and what they should expect in the next coming months.

Seattle, Washington

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For starters let’s see what Amendment 64 actually means. Generally speaking, Amendment 64 regulates and taxes the use and retail of recreational marijuana by users over the age of 21. A person of the consenting age can legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana. In addition to this, persons of the consenting age can privately grow their own marijuana (up to three immature plants and three mature plants) and travel with no more than one ounce of marijuana for personal use (from their own plant) as well as another ounce, from their personal plants, as a gift of sorts (receiving no monetary compensation). The revenue from future marijuana retail sales will go to Colorado’s Public School Construction Assistance Fund.

Amendment 64 was ratified on December 10th, 2012. However, since recreational marijuana has always been a “crime,” there aren’t many laws at neither the state or federal level that address regulated nor legal use of the plant

Colorado(recreational, that is). With that being said, essentially the state government would have to create new legislation to properly accommodate Amendment 64. The Denver Business Journal reported that Governor John Hickenlooper has created a Marijuana Task Force to assist the government in coming up with recommendations that would cover the big ticket areas. Of these, of course, is the issue of driving under the influence. DUI limitations are important and considering that marijuana is a controlled substance, the influence of marijuana will most likely be treated similarly to alcohol influence when concerning driving. The task force will also discuss a residency requirement, requiring that you be a resident of Colorado in order to have access to the recreational use of marijuana without consequence. Potency regulation, advertising, labeling and the biggest ticket item of all, the retail of legal marijuana, will all be topics of discussion within the meetings. The task force has to get their recommendations to legislature by the end of February.

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Washington’s Initiative 502 was similar to Colorado’s Amendment 64 but there are a couple choice differences. Like in Colorado, the revenue from marijuana sales will go to designated state funds (55% to health care, 25% to drug/substance abuse programs, 1 % to the scholarly research of marijuana, the remainder going to the state general fund). The recreational use of marijuana in Washington is only for persons over the age of 21. Unlike Colorado, there are no regulations saying citizens can freely and privately grow their own marijuana. However, the right to grow, process and sell will be left up to, rightly so, the providers, processors and retailers. The sale and/or distribution of unlicensed marijuana is illegal however licenses can be purchased to do either of the aforementioned actions with an initial cost of $250 and annual fee of $1000 Interestingly enough, public use of marijuana is a civil infraction meaning it’s not as serious as a misdemeanor. In other words, it’s just frowned upon. Under Initiative 502, future retailers will have to be 1,000 feet from public schools. The same Colorado rules apply concerning amounts in that a person can have up to one ounce of marijuana on them. However Initiative 502 makes the effort to distinguish different forms of marijuana use by saying ‘a person can have one ounce of useable marijuana, 16 ounces of a marijuana infused product and 72 ounces of a weed infused product in liquid form.’ The DUI limit is 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood (5 ng/ml). There hasn’t

Washingtonbeen enough research done to accurately know how much marijuana one would have to consume to assume this blood level but while they’re still working on that, this is the number they’re sticking to. The legal possession and DUI limits were enacted on December 6th, 2012 however all other rules concerning the sale, distribution, cultivation of marijuana have until December 1st, 2013 to be created. Until then, retail sales are prohibited.

As you can see there are lots of similarities as well as some differences between the marijuana legislation in both states; however, they both have one major thing in common: the fact that marijuana is still federally illegal. In our last installment of Emerald City we touched on this ugly truth and here it is, rearing its ugly head once again. Given the legislation, rules, laws to come (and go) concerning recreational use in Colorado and Washington, it’s safe to say that residents in these states have a lot to look forward to. But I will say right now, keep your eyes open for what’s to come. Even though some think it’s not likely the Federal government will come after each of these states, it’s always a possibility and it is these possibilities that will make for an interesting 2013. On the other hand, Colorado and Washington both can look forward to the possibility of marijuana vending machines! Even though these are already being used in some areas for medicinal purposes, vending machines for recreational purposes could definitely be something to see.

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THEHIGHLIFEWINTER

2013BY TAYLOR WILLIAMS

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here is nothing better than feeling like you can turn over a new leaf and start fresh every time January 1st comes around. Although I

HAPPY NEW YEARS! Tdid not make any personal New Year resolutions, it is still an opportunity to shift gears in my life and focus on my personal goals. In the spirit of change it is almost inevitable that even one’s appearance may be affected (hopefully positively). So, with that being said, fashion is a great venue to express and even celebrate these new changes in your life.

Although we are still experiencing the chills of winter, (in certain regions), spring will quickly be upon us. It is time to think about brightening up the color spectrum in your closet and adding soft pastels for the season. Along with your typical spring picks, think about the following spring 2013 fashion trends that may eventually find their way into your closet.

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Something that has found its way back into the lime light is the Bermuda short! From designers like Chloe to DKNY and Rachel Zoe, it is obvious that these bottoms are in! When considering these shorts as an option, think about the variety it can bring to your wardrobe. Not everything has to be really short or really long all the time.

BERMUDA SHORTS

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What has been a very noticeable influence in style this season is the whole 1960’s era. With boldly printed psychedelic patterns and mod

mini dresses, these retro trends will be perfect for the upcoming warmer months!

THE 60’S

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Short suits are never the first thing I think of when getting dressed in the

morning. However, there is something intriguing about them. They lend a

sense of casual playfulness while still taking fashion very seriously! This is a good way to layer an outfit and add a

bit of variety in both color and texture.

SHORT SUITS

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Aren’t ruffles the best? Ruffles are a great way to soften any article of clothing. They create a really beautiful movement in an outfit and are very playful as well. It’s not a bad idea to think about adding a couple shirts or dresses with ruffles on it. Just remember to keep it limited. It is incredibly too easy to overdue ruffles.

RUFFLES

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Once the weather gets warm and stays warm, it is perfectly expectable to show a little skin, right? Embrace the new weather and enjoy tops and dresses with cut outs. Designers like BCBG, et Ochs and Diane von Furstenberg are perfect examples of how to look when confident in your own skin!

PEEK-A-BOO PIECES

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Anyone who knows me knows that I have had an endless pair of sunglasses! It’s always fun to hunt for new frames

to enhance an outfit. Choose a pair that makes you feel and look your best but also think about a few for a change

every so often.

STATEMENT SHADES

I am sure great things have yet to come in 2013! Just thinking about it is both a bit frightening and exciting! I wish all of you the best on all your endeavors and happy shopping!

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One or more times in your life you have probably heard the phrase “patience is a virtue”. Whether it was from a friend who hasn’t done that thing they said would they would do a week ago or your grandmother who has a bone to pick with the fast passed nature of contemporary life, you’ve heard it. It is because of this, that one or more times in your life you have probably scoffed at these same words. Fret not, for you are inherently normal in an age of technological revolution and instant gratification. Together the words “instant gratification” holds this negative connotation simultaneously with the way it holds its head in shame. We don’t like to take responsibility for our entitled nature of “right now”, but it truly is not our fault. Hey, so what, I can read a PDF version of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl on my cell phone with the total of two clicks and share it with friends in another two. If you wanted us to deny these gifts for an old fashioned tomorrow then our sincerest apologies. We all know instant gratification is the red handed culprit of much ado about everything but does it have to be that way? Seeing as our society has increased, instant gratification is the love child of our relationship to technology, one cannot simply dismiss this disposition as all negative. Do you want to learn about “heroin chic”, right now? Google that. Want to write an article and make your mark on the World Wide Web, right now? Blog that. Do you wish your uncle in a different country could wave hello to your newborn like, right now? Video chat that. I say all this to say that in some cases we can afford to be instantly gratified in our time [note: our time]. It is in those cases that our generation proudly raises our Smartphone clasped fists in instantaneous happiness. However, there are other cases that are looking to leave us lost in the woods, with no handsome werewolf or sparkly vampire to protect us. The downside of being instantly gratified in a world where instantaneity is king (due in part to our internet fostered finger tips) comes in constant reminders. These are constant reminders that you are in want, constant reminders that you don’t have,

EDITORIAL:

LET’S TALK INSTANT GRATIFICATION, LIKE, RIGHT NOW...constant reminders that you could be [insert desirable characteristics here]. Yet, in all of its reminding glory, the nature of instant gratification does not remind us of how to get what we want; we’re just bred to want. We are not reminded that we do have, we just know that we don’t. We are not reminded of what we are, just of who we could be. I was having a conversation with my father where he expressed to me his sympathy for our generation: “I feel sorry for you guys. You have all of this stuff being force-fed to you making you want what sometimes cannot be had, but you think you should have it because all this stuff tells you so. Half the sh*t they got ya’ll believing you should have isn’t realistic in this age. And they wonder why so many young people are depressed and feel incompetent.” We see, we want, we reflect, we want again. Usually this cycle turns into tantrums of incompetency and depressed tweets. Sometimes these instantaneous desires turn into motivation (this magazine is a result of this very phenomenon). Then sometimes, and most often, it does not. That river and those woods to get to grandma’s house became figments of our imagination and in the event we do have to navigate our way, Google has us covered. Patience is no longer a virtue but a rarity lost in a vortex with teenaged virgins and low cost living. In the same last breath of patience’s death, instant gratification keeps us warm in the throes of expectancy. In the words of Mos Def per “The Questions”, “how you got high expectations but got low patience?” Now, I don’t say this to mean high expectations are misplaced because that’s entirely up to you and your situation(s). However, in a YouTube famous culture where one million views could get you a record deal or where your obnoxious yet supposedly funny child can get you a TV show, it’s not surprising that the expectancy survives but the action doesn’t. So what is to be said about this? What can we really do? Technology doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing for anyone anytime soon and if you’re a fan of Ray Kurzweil then you’ve probably already begun preparing for the singularity. In the event technology

wasn’t a factor we would still have our inherent human nature to deal with but there is hope for us yet. That is, if we’d just take some time to take some time. We don’t have to redo what’s been technological and humanly done but partaking in a couple of these tips will have you feelin’ good, feelin’ great. These are our five pretty cool missions, should we choose to accept:

As you can see the first four missions are just some fun things to do but the last mission is the ticket. Even our very own Indy tweeted not too long ago that he needed to stop “being so focused on instant gratification” and I think we could all take that same cue. So for what it’s worth those are my thoughts on instant gratification which seems to increasingly plague our generation. What are yours? Tweet us @CooLikeDatMag and share!

SEND A HANDWRITTEN LETTER TO SOMEONE (IN THE MAIL, GUYS. NO SCANNERS)

GET A DISPOSABLE CAMERA, TAKE PICTURES AND THEN GO DROP THEM OFF FOR DEVELOPING.

SAVE UP MONEY FOR SOMETHING YOU WANT BUT CAN’T EXACTLY AFFORD AT THE MOMENT (THEN RELISH IN YOUR COOL FOR YOU HAVE DONE WHAT ONLY SOME CAN DO.)

READ A BOOK, COMPLETELY.

BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF (AND OTHERS)

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LET’S TALK INSTANT GRATIFICATION, LIKE, RIGHT NOW... THANK YOU

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