This Savory Risotto Cake Is Italy's Best Kept Secret

Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

I’m proud to say I’ve eaten a lot of Italian food in my day. Growing up in New Jersey, if we ever went out to eat, it was likely Italian. It’s a rich, expansive cuisine that’s full of adored classics (I love a towering eggplant parm), but our commitment to those classics can prevent us from discovering lesser known pleasures waiting in the wings. Take, for example, the sartù di riso. Maybe your family has been making it for generations, or maybe you discovered it when you were today years old, but this savory risotto cake needs you to make it, eat it, and spread the word.

Sartù di riso is a magnificent risotto cake, stuffed with a delicious filling (usually meat and sauce), and sealed in with more risotto. I discovered this dish flipping through an imported Italian cooking magazine. (No, I don’t read Italian, yet, but the pictures help.) Browsing for recipes online, I eventually settled on using this recipe by Giada de Laurentiis as a guideline. She makes everything from scratch, including the pasta sauce, and she probably even grew the peas herself. I did not do that.

A great deal of what I love about this dish is that there’s plenty of room for modification. Besides making the risotto, you can decide how “homemade” you want yours to be. You can make the sauce and the meatballs, or you could just buy them. You can cut the recipe to make two servings, and build it in a small loaf pan, or you can triple the recipe to fill a 12-cup bundt pan to the brim. Make the filling vegetarian, or go with a brown or red gravy. You can make it in any baking dish, but I think the bundt pan’s structure gives it the most support.

I decided to do the semi-homemade version of this dish, and even then it was a little bit of a to-do. I love that sort of thing, so I was happy to fuss with risotto, but if you’re planning out your week, you can spread out the labor and make the risotto, the meatballs, and tomato sauce ahead of time, then assemble it the next day.

Buttered and bread-crumbed bundt pan

Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

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Make the risotto using the method you prefer. I followed the directions on the back of my risotto rice container which called for one and a half cups of rice and yielded about six servings. Once the risotto is made, let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients. I decided to keep it simple and purchased prepared meatballs, fresh mozzarella, and a jar of bolognese sauce. I ultimately used a cup of sauce to cover 11 meatballs and three ounces of cheese (ripped into small chunks). You can branch out to use what’s available to you. Try ground sausage, cubed ham, shredded chicken, or sautéed vegetables to fill your sartù di riso. I suggest keeping the sauce light—just enough to coat the other ingredients. If you add too much, you’ll introduce a lot of water into the cake and it’ll take longer to bake off, or just become soggy.

The first layer of risotto shaped into a “valley,” and partially filled with meatballs.

Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Preheat the oven and prepare your pan. Use what you have available to you, but grab a bundt pan if you have one. I prefer it because it looks pretty when you turn it out, and you can make it as shallow or as deep as needed, depending on the amount of ingredients you have available to you. If you don’t have a bundt, use a cake pan, or a loaf pan. Thoroughly, and generously, butter the pan, and place it on a sheet pan. Do not substitute oil. The butter will cling to the baking dish walls; oil will puddle at the bottom. Coat the butter in bread crumbs, and knock out the excess. This buttery, crumby coating will toast in the oven and provide a subtle crunch, attractive color, and help signal doneness.

Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Using a spoon that will fit well into the bundt pan, dollop slightly warm risotto along the bottom of the pan until you’ve used half of the risotto. Firmly press the risotto so it hugs the bottom and sides or the pan, until you form a little valley for your filling. As you press, it’s important to commit to the movement, and avoid jostling the risotto around to different areas. The idea is to keep the bread crumbs where they are against the pan so the cake doesn’t stick later. Fill the valley with your filling of choice. Try to keep it within the boundaries of the rice.

Just before baking

Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Carefully cover the filling with the other half of the risotto. I used small scoops to place the rice evenly around the pan first before I used the back of my spoon to pack the risotto and connect the pieces. Your goal is to connect the sides of the first rice installment with the top, so you have a seamless layer of risotto surrounding the filling. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of breadcrumbs over the top and dot with small pieces of butter before popping it all in the oven for about an hour. You’ll notice the edges begin to brown, and you’ll hear some light bubbling, but you shouldn’t see any liquid bubbling out of the top.

After baking

Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Let the sartù di riso cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes. Cover the cake pan with a serving dish wide enough to cover the entire pan (I used a cutting board) and flip the cake upside down onto the platter. The cake should fall out easily. If it doesn’t, I’m sending you good vibes. (You may have let it cool too long, but that would take quite a while, and probably require a fridge.) Try returning it to a warm oven for five minutes to loosen the butter and turn it out again. Worst-case-scenario, just dig into the dish with a spoon. It’ll still make your eyes roll back with pleasure. Wrap any leftovers and store them in the fridge for up to five days.

Simple Sartù di Riso

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of cooked risotto
• 10-12 meatballs
• 1 cup of bolognese sauce
• ⅓ cup of cubed fresh mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (I used one with dried herbs)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a pastry brush, or your fingers, generously butter the inside of a bundt pan. Toss the breadcrumbs inside to coat the butter so you have an uninterrupted layer of crumbs. Dump out the excess crumbs into a small bowl and set aside. Toss the bolognese sauce, cheese, and meatballs together in a bowl to coat.

Use a small spoon to spread half of the risotto around the bottom of the baking pan. Press the rice into the bottom and up the sides of the baking dish to create a valley for the filling. Add the filling, keeping it within the walls of the risotto valley as much as you can. Dollop the remaining risotto over the top of the filling, joining it to the walls of rice from the first installment. Press and smooth this top layer so it’s even and firmly connected. Sprinkle the remaining small bowl of bread crumbs onto the top, and dot with a few small pieces of butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The edges will begin to brown, but there shouldn’t be any liquid bubbling at the top. Let the cake cool for about 10-20 minutes, and flip it out onto a serving dish. Serve in slices with a side of sauce.

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These National Pizza Day Deals Offer the Perfect Excuse

Photo: MMD Made my dreams (Shutterstock)

National Pizza Day, Thursday, Feb. 9, is one of many food holidays on our calendar—but I think we can agree that it’s among the upper echelon of food holidays (see also: National Burrito Day in the spring, National Chicken Wing Day in the summer, and International Beer and Pizza Day in the fall). As such, it offers among the best food deals worth strategizing around in advance.

If you’re lucky enough to live close to one of the 29 Bravo! locations around the country, you can go in person to take advantage of their National Pizza Day deal. You can get 50% off all pizzas you purchase on Feb. 9.

There is no age limit to enjoy Chuck E. Cheese, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar. If you’re close enough to one of their locations, you can dine in person to get a BOGO free large pizza with any one topping of your choice. Not all locations will have this deal, so you should call ahead to be sure.

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Cici’s Pizza will be offering two large, one-topping pizzas for $6 (normally $8) each. Check out their locations here.

Marco’s Pizza is found in most states, as you can see on their map. If you visit their app or website, they’ll be offering medium one-topping pizzas for $7 (that’s 50% 0ff). Use the promo code “MED699" to get the deal.

The online-only pizza and wings restaurant will be giving out free cheese pizzas ($13.49 value) when you spend at least $30. You’ll need to use the code “PIZZADAY” to get the cheese pizza added to your order. Check here if you have a Pasqually’s near you.

Schlotsky’s has 344 locations nationwide, so odds are you’ll be close to one (especially if you live in Texas). If you are a rewards member, you’ll be able to get BOGO free pizzas when you order on their app or website.

You should also check for deals at your favorite local pizza place.

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It’s OK to Give Up On Things

Photo: Phillip Faraone (Getty Images)

Sometimes quitting is a definitive act that requires soul searching. We tend to reserve this for big changes in our lives: leaving a job, breaking up with a partner, moving to a new city. Contrast that with those things we simply give up on—the things that fall by the wayside, without an explicit decision on our part. You forgot to keep up that meal planning routine. You don’t journal in the mornings anymore. Why not?

Marie Kondo, who now has three children, recently told reporters she has “kind of given up on [tidying] in a good way for me.” I think the big revelation for all of us is that you can “give up” on things in a good way. You don’t have to fight until you are defeated; you can tactically surrender and save your energy for something else.

Understand the value of pressure

When we want to keep up a habit, we’ll often put pressure on ourselves to do so. We’ll commit to a personal training contract, or we’ll tell the family that all dinners will be planned in advance, or we’ll buy a stack of books and promise ourselves that they will all be read by the year’s end. The idea is that the pressure will keep us motivated when we’d rather give in. The fear of breaking a streak in a workout app is supposed to act as a guardrail on our path to greatness.

But pressure can become oppressive. In our guide to letting kids quit sports, one of the signs that it’s time to quit is “when the strain outweighs the joy.” It’s one thing to work your way through speedbumps and growing pains; it’s another to put yourself through misery with no foreseeable reward.

So ask yourself whether the difficulties of your habit are worthwhile, as when you lift more weight, making the workout harder, in service of gaining strength. Or are you subjecting yourself to pressure for pressure’s sake, as in the case of 75Hard, a “challenge” in which you suffer for no other point than to endure suffering? If it’s the latter, it’s probably time to give up.

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Consider how much work it takes

Everything takes work. But the more excited we are for something, the less work it feels like it is.

If you’ve ever given up on a hobby you were once excited about, you know the difference. The hobby hasn’t changed; you could still pick up your camera and get back into photography. But now the tasks of choosing subjects and setting up lighting and editing the finished photos are just grunt work, not expressions of your enthusiasm.

The same goes for a lot of daily habits. For me, eating enough protein and getting plenty of exercise are fun and easy. But other things like maintaining my yard and keeping on top of my finances (I’m supposed to put retirement money where?) are just plain work. Both physical work, in the sense that I need to get out there and probably prune some bushes or something; and mental work, in the sense of keeping track of what needs to be done and figuring out when and how and who will do it.

We can’t tackle everything in life with the enthusiasm of a pet hobby. If you’re getting entertainment value out of a daily chore, enjoy! But if you’re not, it’s okay to drop down to just the most basic level. Eat a vegetable every now and then. Set up auto-pay for your bills. Mow the lawn just often enough that the neighbors don’t complain.

Beware making something your whole identity

I’m not surprised at all that Marie Kondo gave up on being tidy every minute of her life. She had a personal practice, a career, and a public identity all tied to the same thing: being impeccably tidy. That’s pressure, and it’s work, but it’s more than that, too.

It’s already stressful territory when something is both your job and a thing you do at home. Think of child care workers with kids at home, or chefs who cook for themselves. After I write all day at work, I’m not really interested in journaling for myself.

When you add your identity to that mix, it gets even harder. Ask anybody who thinks of themselves as an athlete and then gets injured so they can’t engage in their sport anymore; depression and other mental health effects are a common result.

So it’s okay to back off of a hobby or personal practice if you notice it taking over your life, even if you haven’t been forced to give it up yet. Sometimes the answer is to add a hobby, like getting really into painting or knitting or chess so that the overwhelming thing isn’t able to take up as much space in your brain. But whatever you do, remember that it’s okay to give up sometimes—so long as it’s “in a good way” for you.

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25 of the Horniest TV Shows Ever Made

The L Word- Season 1 Promo

The first major TV series to feature all-queer, all-female characters, The L Word was groundbreaking in that representation, but also for its depiction of lesbian sex: coming hot on the heels of Queer as Folk, which mostly focused on its male characters, L Word’s creative team was largely made up of women. The show’s gay, bisexual, and questioning characters had plenty of hot sex, but without the otherwise inescapable male gaze of so many shows. The sequel series, Generation Q, is ongoing on Showtime.

Where to stream: Hulu, Fubo, Showtime

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Your iPhone Can Scan and Copy Any Text Into a Note

Screenshot: Khamosh Pathak

The Notes app hides many secrets (and we’re not only talking about nudes). It’s filled with little-known features like tags, not to mention a literal secret chatting system. One of its best hidden gems, though, is a small button that simply reads “Scan Text.”

This feature uses iPhone’s Live Text feature and takes it to a different level. “Scan Text” can scan any text from any document you point your camera to, which means you have a one-click option to copy someone’s homework, a contract, or a grocery list that’s hanging on the fridge. And, once it’s scanned, you are can format or share it any way you want.

Here’s how it works: Open the Notes app and create a new note; tap the Camera button above the keyboard and choose Scan Text. Your keyboard will be replaced by a camera view with Live Text feature ready to go. Point your camera toward the page you want to scan. You’ll see yellow borders around recognized text, and it will show up in the note instantly (it will be greyed out, though). Tap the Insert button and the text will be pasted in the note.

If you’ve got more to scan into the same note, you can do that next and tap Insert. Once you’re done scanning, tap the X button to exit the camera view. Use the keyboard to format the text however you want.

Sharing a note is always a pain though, so if you don’t want to copy and paste text, you can send a copy of the note itself (which someone can add directly to their Notes app, without losing out on any formatting). Tap the Share button, and in the Collaborate menu, switch to the Send Copy option, and send the note using the Messages app.

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How to Tell If the Rock You Found Is a Meteorite

Photo: DenVDen (Shutterstock)

Have you found a weird looking rock when out hiking and thought, “I bet that came from outer space!” I have. Sadly, it’s almost definitely not a meteorite. As cool (and lucrative) as it would be to chance on the remainder of a meteor that survived its trip through the atmosphere to strike Earth, finding a bonafide space-rock is lottery-winning lucky. People thinking they’ve found a meteorite is as common as socks, though. Still, it can’t hurt to check, so here’s a down-and-dirty guide to whether that cool looking chunk came from space or is just a dumb, boring Earth rock.

Meteorites are rare

Research conducted at the University of Manchester and Imperial College suggest around 17,000 meteorites weighing between 50 grams and 10 kilos strike Earth each year, which might sound like a lot, but we’re talking about tiny objects randomly scattered across the whole planet. Most of them fall into the oceans, and most of the ones that do hit land are small and unassuming, so the chance of you running into a meteorite randomly and actually noticing it are slim—only about 1,800 meteorites have been found in the United States in the past two centuries. You’d do better looking for diamonds, gold, and emeralds, all of which are more abundant than meteorites.

The best spots for hunting meteorites

Despite their rarity, people still find meteorites occasionally—but usually they’re looking in the right places. The best spot to hunt for space debris is Antartica. Meteorites don’t fall there fall there more often than other places, but the dark chunks of rocks and metal are more noticeable against the white ground. Other spots meteorite hunters might consider are California’s Mojave desert and Africa’s Sahara. Think dark chunks against a light background.

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How to tell if you’ve found a meteorite

If you manage to spot an out-of-place looking rock on a desert hike, don’t get too excited. It’s still probably not a meteorite. Here are some characteristics of meteorites and meteor-wrongs to help you identify whether you’ve gotten extremely lucky.

Meteorites

Actual meteorites tend to have these characteristics:

• Fusion crust: Meteorites are usually coated in an ashy black layer of fused rock caused by the intense heat generated when they pass through the atmosphere. Although the color can changed to a rusty brown after years on Earth, the lack of something that looks like a fusion crust almost always means it’s not a meteor.
• Density: Meterorites are heavier than other rocks their size. Iron meteorites are 3.5 times as heavy as a typical Earth rock. Stony meteorites are about one and half times as heavy. But a chunk of slag, a byproduct of industry, is heavy as well, and way more common than a meteorite.
• Regmaglypts: Meteorites generally have smooth surfaces, but they are often covered in regmaglypts, small depressions that look like someone has pressed their thumbs into wet clay.
• Magnetism: Most meteorites contain iron-nickel and will attract a magnet. Many Earthly rocks do too, though. Magnetite and hematite are common, heavier than other rocks, magnetic, and and can look like meteorites, so it’s not an easy process.
• Non-streaking: If you rub most ordinary rocks against the unglazed side of a piece of kitchen or bathroom tile, it will leave a streak. Meteorites generally do not.

Meteor-wrongs

If your rock has any of these characteristics, it’s probably not a meteor:

• Roundness: Meteors are almost never round. They are irregular shaped, as Earthly forces like erosion haven’t touched them.
• Bubbles or holes: Terrestrial rocks often have bubbles or holes in them. Meteorites do not.
• Radioactive or hot: Meterorites are almost always cool when they hit Earth. They don’t start fires on the ground. The trip through the atmosphere is quick and doesn’t heat up the inside of the rock. They are also not radioactive, so your Geiger counter is of no use.

So now do I have a meteorite?

If your rock has passed all these tests, it might be a meteorite—but it probably isn’t. Many Earth things can resemble meteorites. Slag is probably the most common meteor-wrong, but there’s also basalt, iron ore, coal, chunks of asphalt, charcoal briquets, etc. Basically anything could be (and probably has been) mistaken for a meteorite by someone.

It’s hard to get a professional to care about your little rock

As difficult as it to find a meteor, it might be harder to find a geologist who will help you identify it, so don’t take it down to the local university and knock on the door of the geology department. Geologists have had it with people coming in asking about the weird rock they found. Check out this awesomely crotchety rant from lunar geochemist Randy L. Korotev from Washington University in St. Louis that begins: “In 2022, I was contacted 5,905 times by 2,095 different persons from 89 countries…Nearly all of these people questioned whether they had found, bought, or inherited a meteorite,” and ends with, “Other scientists who study meteorites have had the same experience and most no longer respond to questions from the public.”

If you give people money though, they will be happy to tell you haven’t found a meteor. Prices vary from lab to lab, but it’s not incredibly expensive: New England Meteoritical Services, for instance, will test a small sample of your rock for only $30. (I have no idea if they’re reputable, and I’m not recommending them—just giving you an idea of the price.)

The other option is to just tell everyone you found a meteor. Unless you’re friends with geologists, who’s going to know?

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Your iPhone Can Automatically Wish Your Friends Happy Birthday

Photo: ImYanis (Shutterstock)

Who among us has never forgotten a friend or family member’s birthday? We all lead busy lives and it’s often all we can do to keep up with our own schedule of meetings, appointments, and deadlines. And even if you do fleetingly remember that it’s your father-in-law’s birthday while you’re in the middle of something else, the chances are good that you’ll forget about it again before you get the chance to text or call him. Your iPhone can help you with this, though—it can message them for you, ensuring you (appear to) never miss another birthday.

Apple doesn’t have a built-in feature for sending messages automatically, birthday-related or otherwise. Instead, we’ll be turning to the Shortcuts app’s powerful yet underused “automations” to make this work.

How to automate birthday messages on your iPhone

To start, the automation relies on the details you provide in the Contacts app, so you’ll open that app and add birthdays to any contact you know you want to send an annual birthday message to. Next, open Shortcuts, then add the Birthday Today shortcut to the app. You can run the shortcut manually every day (if you think you’ll remember to), and it’ll automatically send a happy birthday message to the relevant people. To customize the birthday message, tap the three-dots in the top-right corner of this shortcut’s thumbnail. Look for the “Send” block, then edit the message inside. Tap Done when you’re ready.

Automate the birthday messages

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If you don’t think you’ll remember to run it every day, you can also automate the process: Open the Shortcuts app, tap Automation at the bottom, tap the + icon in the top-right corner, and select Create Personal Automation.

Now, select Time of Day and set the time when you want to send the texts. If you want to be among the first to text each person, you could set it up for midnight. If you’d rather keep things more casual, set up the time for mid-morning or so. Under the Repeat section, make sure that you select Daily. This will force the automation to run once a day. Tap Next.

On the next page, select the Apps tab and search for Shortcuts, then tap Open Shortcuts. Tap the button next to Open, and select Birthday Today from the list of shortcuts. Tap Next once again.

On the final step, disable Ask Before Running and tap Done. That’s it! Your iPhone will automatically send birthday wishes to people in your contacts.

Keep reviewing your contacts

Of course, the problem with automating things is that you can end up contacting people you’d rather not talk to. Your automation can’t tell if a certain contact is your ex or someone you’ve gone no-contact with. That’s why you should periodically review and delete unwanted contacts, or just remove the birthday details of those you’d rather not contact. And although you largely will have added the birthday information for your contacts manually on your own, keep in mind that if someone shared a contact with you, they may have added the birthday and you might inadvertently send that person birthday wishes, too.

You might also want to consider periodically changing the birthday message you’re sending. A small tweak once a year will make it less obvious that you’re simply copy-pasting the same text over and over.

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The 7 Deadly Sins of Attending a Super Bowl Party

Super Bowl Sunday is our nation’s biggest unofficial holiday, and it’s fast approaching on February 12. But football is a divisive sport, and Super Bowl parties can be a volatile mix of barely interested normies who came to see the commercials and super-fans so steeped in football that no one invites them anywhere …

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Why Your Next Classic Cocktail Should Be Upside-Down

We’re coming to the end of January, which, for some, may have been quite dry. Abstaining from alcohol has many benefits, and one major drawback: If and when you decided to start drinking again, you’ll find your tolerance is much lower than it was before you took your break.

This is (obviously) not all bad news—you get more bang for your buck—though it can affect your social life in awkward ways. I used to be able to put back four cocktails on a school night without being too hungover the next morning, but now all it takes is a couple of martinis to get me sloshed. Rather than cut out martinis entirely, I give myself a little wiggle room with upside-down cocktails.

We’ve talked about the upside-down Manhattan before. It’s a simple drink to make; all you have to do is invert the ratios of whiskey and vermouth:

Instead of drinking two ounces of gin or whiskey and one ounce of vermouth, you are now drinking twice as much vermouth and half of the spirit. But—and this is important—it still feels, looks, and sips like a whole-ass cocktail.

Beyond Manhattans, you can do the same with any classic cocktail that’s primarily comprised of a spirit and vermouth. This maneuver extends your drinking time by a little, allowing you to spend more time with your drinking buddies without punking out by round two. Could you “switch to soda water” or “have a beer”? I guess, but drinking cocktails is fun, and I hate missing out on fun (also, beer makes me sneeze).

If a completely upside-down cocktail is a little too vermouth-heavy for your taste, you can always try a 50/50. I’m a big fan of the 50/50 martini, particularly in the summer months, which cannot come soon enough.

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Critical OpenEMR vulnerabilities may allow attackers to access patients’ health records

Critical vulnerabilities discovered in OpenEMR can be chained to gain code execution on a server running a vulnerable version of the popular open-source electronic health record system.

Discovered, privately reported and now publicly documented by researcher Dennis Brinkrolf, the vulnerabilities have been promptly patched by the OpenEMR maintainers at the end of November 2022.

About OpenEMR

OpenEMR is an electronic health record (EHR) system and medical practice management solution that “is used by more than 100,000 medical providers serving more than 200 million patients” around the globe.

The open-source OpenEMR project is supported by the nonprofit OpenEMR Foundation, and is maintained by hundreds of volunteers and professionals. The OpenEMR Foundation’s guiding vision is “A world where every health care provider has access to high-quality health care information technology.”

As others previously noted, OpenEMR being open source is great for security researchers who want to probe it for vulnerabilities, as they can do it without worrying about negative legal consequences. In fact, the security of open source solutions relies on and is strengthened by such efforts.

About the vulnerabilities

Brinkrolf found three vulnerabilities by analyzing the software’s code with the SonarSource’s static application security testing (SAST) engine:

• An Anauthenticated File Read
• An Authenticated Local File Inclusion
• An Authenticated Reflected XSS

The first one may allow an unauthenticated attacker to leverage a rogue MySQL server to read arbitrary files from an OpenEMR instance, including certificates, passwords, tokens, and backups. The latter two can be used to take over an open, vulnerable OpenEMR instance. SonarSource’s advisory offers more in-depth technical detail about each of these flaws.

The good news is that the OpenEMR maintainers have fixed these vulnerabilities in less then a week, and have pushed out a patch/new version of the software (v7.0.0). Organizations that use OpenEMR are advised to upgrade to that version sooner rather than later (if they haven’t already).

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NIST Is Updating Its Cybersecurity Framework

NIST is planning a significant update of its Cybersecurity Framework. At this point, it’s asking for feedback and comments to its concept paper.

1. Do the proposed changes reflect the current cybersecurity landscape (standards, risks, and technologies)?
2. Are the proposed changes sufficient and appropriate? Are there other elements that should be considered under each area?
3. Do the proposed changes support different use cases in various sectors, types, and sizes of organizations (and with varied capabilities, resources, and technologies)?
4. Are there additional changes not covered here that should be considered?
5. For those using CSF 1.1, would the proposed changes affect continued adoption of the Framework, and how so?
6. For those not using the Framework, would the proposed changes affect the potential use of the Framework?

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework has turned out to be an excellent resource. If you use it at all, please help with version 2.0.

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Arkose Labs unveils SMS Toll Fraud online ROI calculator

Arkose Labs has launched a new SMS Toll Fraud online ROI calculator that enables CISOs to estimate the cost savings associated with stopping SMS Toll Fraud, a serious operational and financial threat to enterprises.

SMS Toll Fraud, also known as International Revenue Share Fraud (IRSF), is a type of cybercrime that occurs when attackers hijack voice or SMS one-time passwords for monetary gain.

This type of attack not only disrupts business operations and damages a company’s reputation, but also it can result in significant monthly financial losses.

Recent research indicates that SMS Toll Fraud has increased six-fold to more than $10 billion today up from $1.8 billion in 2013.

“SMS Toll Fraud is a very sophisticated type of attack, and it’s a growing problem for enterprises, which makes it critical for companies to have the tools and resources to protect themselves,” said Arkose Labs founder and CEO Kevin Gosschalk.

“Our new online calculator enables banks, e-commerce companies, and telcos to quickly and easily estimate the potential cost savings associated with stopping SMS Toll Fraud and helps them make informed decisions about their cybersecurity strategy,” Gosschalk continued.

Arkose Labs is one of the providers that has experience in identifying and stopping SMS Toll Fraud, resulting in material cost savings for its customers.

The Arkose Labs SMS Toll Fraud online ROI calculator is easy to use and provides an instant report of bespoke results for each company.

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The Easiest Way to Sprout New Succulents

Photo: Luoxi (Shutterstock)

Cacti and other succulents have been popular houseplants for years now—and given how easy they are to care for, that’s hardly surprising. The downside? They can also be pricey.

But the good news is that if you have at least one succulent, there’s an easy way to propagate new plants, so you can grow your collection without breaking the bank. Here’s what to know.

How to callus succulents

The key to successfully propagating cacti and other succulents is letting them callus—which is basically allowing the ends of a cutting to dry out and harden. Here’s what to do:

Cut (or collect) it

Take a cutting from the mother plant, ensuring that you get the entire leaf, with the petiole at the end of the leaf still attached. A piece that has fallen or broken off the plant on its own also works.

Trim it

Use a sharp knife to trim any rotten or dead bits off the cutting.

Dry it

Put the cutting on a paper towel in a warm, dry place that has bright light, but not direct sunlight. Leave it there for about a week, turning it roughly once a day to make sure roots don’t develop along the side edges.

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Plant it

Once the cut end of the cutting has callused, it’s time to plant it. Put either stones or volcanic rock in the bottom of a pot, then top it with dry organic cactus soil mix. Plant the cutting, but don’t water it until roots start to grow. Typically, it takes at least a week—if not a few weeks—for the roots to develop. About a week after planting the cutting, gently lift it out of the soil to check for roots.

Maintain it

After the roots sprouted, water it a bit, but only to the point of the soil being moist—not wet. Moving forward, allow the soil to dry out before watering it again.

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You're Cleaning Your Mirror Wrong

Photo: Ratikova (Shutterstock)

In theory, cleaning a mirror shouldn’t be difficult. A few spritzes of a cleaning product, followed by a thorough wipe-down, seems like it should leave you with a streak-free, glistening reflective surface. But far too often, that’s not the case.

If that sounds familiar, you’re probably cleaning your mirror wrong. Here are some common mistakes to avoid.

Avoid these mistakes when cleaning a mirror

Although there’s a lot of focus on using the right product to clean a mirror, a lot of the most common mistakes have to do with technique, and what’s being used to do the wiping. Here are a few examples of these errors:

Using paper towels

As convenient as they are, when you use paper towels to wipe your mirror, they usually leave behind some type of lint, making it look perpetually dirty. Instead, use a clean microfiber cloth, which won’t leave you with streaks or lint.

Not dusting first

Dust accumulation is part of what makes your mirror look dirty. And when you jump right in with your cleaning product—without dusting first—the dust gets wet, and then is spread around the mirror. The process will be easier if you wipe the mirror with a clean, damp microfiber cloth to remove the dust first.

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Using a dirty cloth or sponge

Always wipe your mirror with a fresh, clean cloth. The one you used to clean the rest of the room is filthy, and will make your mirror look even worse.

Spraying cleaner on the mirror

Are you doing everything right, but still somehow ending up with a streaky mirror? Some people find that spraying the cleaning product onto their cloth—rather than directly on the mirror—will take care of that.

When you spritz the mirror, it’s easy to go overboard and use far more of the cleaner than you actually need. If this happens, it could end up dripping, and ultimately, streaking. Spraying the cloth instead of the mirror prevents that.

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Week in review: ChatGPT cybersecurity, critical RCE vulnerabilities found in git, Riot Games breached

Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos:

BSidesZG 2023: Strengthening the infosec community in Croatia’s capital
In March 2023, Zagreb will be added to the (already long) list of cities where information security professionals and enthusiasts can share their knowledge with peers at a Security BSides conference. We’ve talked with BSidesZG organizer Ante Jurjevic to find out what’s in store for those who attend.

How to tackle the cybersecurity skills shortage in the EU
In this Help Net Security Dritan Saliovski, Director – Nordic Head of Cyber M&A, Transaction Advisory Services at Aon, offers some pointers, as well as advice to organizations on how to attract and retain the best cybersecurity talent.

ChatGPT is a bigger threat to cybersecurity than most realize
A language-generating AI model called ChatGPT, available for free, has taken the internet by storm. While AI has the potential to help IT and security teams become more efficient, it also enables threat actors to develop malware.

ENISA gives out toolbox for creating security awareness programs
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has made available Awareness Raising in a Box (AR-in-a-BOX), a “do it yourself” toolbox to help organizations in their quest to create and implement a custom security awareness raising program.

Apple delivers belated zero-day patch for iOS v12 (CVE-2022-42856)
Apple has released security updates for macOS, iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, patching – among other things – a type confusion flaw in the WebKit component (CVE-2022-42856) that could be exploited for remote code execution on older iPhones and iPads running iOS v12.

GoTo now says customers’ backups have also been stolen
GoTo (formerly LogMeIn) has confirmed on Monday that attackers have stolen customers’ encrypted backups from a third-party cloud storage service related to its Central, Pro, join.me, Hamachi, and RemotelyAnywhere offerings.

Critical VMware vRealize Log Insight flaws patched (CVE-2022-31706, CVE-2022-31704)
VMware has fixed two critical (CVE-2022-31706, CVE-2022-31704) and two important (CVE-2022-31710, CVE-2022-31711) security vulnerabilities in VMware vRealize Log Insight, its multi-cloud solution for centralized log management, operational visibility and intelligent analytics.

Riot Games breached: How did it happen?
The hackers who breached Riot Games last week are asking for $10 million not to leak the stolen source code for the company’s popular League of Legends online game.

Attackers use portable executables of remote management software to great effect
Tricking users at targeted organizations into installing legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) software has become a familiar pattern employed by financially motivated attackers.

Researchers release PoC exploit for critical Windows CryptoAPI bug (CVE-2022-34689)
Akamai researchers have published a PoC exploit for a critical vulnerability (CVE-2022-34689) in Windows CryptoAPI, which validates public key certificates.

The loneliness of leading a cybersecurity startup
The world of well-invested startups is a glamorous beacon to highly motivated entrepreneurs across the cybersecurity industry, and the ultimate responsibility for reaching the mark lies with the good management of the Chief Executive Officer.

Trained developers get rid of more vulnerabilities than code scanning tools
An EMA survey of 129 software development professionals uncovered that for those using code scanning tools, only 10% of organizations prevented a higher percentage of vulnerabilities than organizations not using code scanning tools, while continuous training greatly improved code security for over 60% of organizations that adopted it.

Why most IoT cybersecurity strategies give zero hope for zero trust
In this Help Net Security video, Denny LeCompte, CEO at Portnox, discusses how IoT has been difficult to profile accurately and why zero trust strategies fail when applied to IoT.

Understanding your attack surface makes it easier to prioritize technologies and systems
Organizations need to strike the balance of carrying out enough due diligence before patching, and then patching as quickly as possible to defend themselves against emerging threats.

NSA publishes IPv6 Security Guidance
The National Security Agency (NSA) published guidance to help Department of Defense (DoD) and other system administrators identify and mitigate security issues associated with a transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

A closer look at malicious packages targeting Python developers
In this Help Net Security video, Carlos Fernandez, Security Researcher at Sonatype, talks about how their AI system caught packages that attack Python developers with a unique tactic.

Chinese researchers: RSA is breakable. Others: Do not panic!
Recently, Chinese researchers have claimed that an existing algorithm can be used with today’s quantum computers to break the RSA algorithm, which is the fundamental basis of secure internet communication.

Supply chain attacks caused more data compromises than malware
The first half of 2022 saw fewer compromises reported due in part to Russia-based cybercriminals distracted by the war in Ukraine and volatility in the cryptocurrency markets, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

What makes small and medium-sized businesses vulnerable to BEC attacks
In this Help Net Security video, Dror Liwer, Co-Founder of Coro, talks about what makes small and medium-sized businesses especially vulnerable to this form of attack and why BEC’s contribution to the country’s annual cyber losses not only makes sense but is likely underreported.

How businesses can bolster their cybersecurity defenses with open source
Open-source software can be examined by everyone, both attackers and defenders. But this does not necessarily give attackers the upper hand.

Extent of reported CVEs overwhelms critical infrastructure asset owners
The sheer volume of reported ICS vulnerabilities and CVEs may cause critical infrastructure asset owners to feel overwhelmed, or need help knowing where to begin, according to SynSaber.

3 business application security risks businesses need to prepare for in 2023
Threat actors have been leveraging more discreet techniques to make a profit by directly targeting an enterprise’s crown jewels—enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications.

New infosec products of the week: January 27, 2023
Here’s a look at the most interesting products from the past week, featuring releases from Perimeter 81, SpyCloud, ThreatConnect, Venafi, and Wallarm.

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Mirantis acquires Shipa to extend management capabilities beyond containers to applications

Mirantis has acquired Shipa to add automated application discovery, operations, security, and observability to the Lens Kubernetes Platform.

Lens helps eliminate Kubernetes complexity – accelerating mainstream developer adoption – and empowers users to easily manage, develop, debug, monitor, and troubleshoot their workloads across multiple clusters in real-time, supporting any certified Kubernetes distribution, on any infrastructure.

Shipa’s technology brings application intelligence and awareness to Lens, making it easy and simple for Kubernetes app owners to run, optimize, secure, and support their apps anywhere. With minimal effort, users can see how their apps and microservices are deployed, along with a graphical view of network connections and maps of application dependencies.

Moreover, users can create and share run books tuned to their needs building on a library of certified templates for a variety of use cases and security requirements.

“Our goal at Shipa, from the beginning, was to give DevOps and platform engineering teams the capability to choose their own underlying tools with a focus on automation to reduce the complexity of the technology infrastructure required by cloud-native applications,” said Bruno Andrade, CEO of Shipa.

“Our technology makes deployment and management of applications and updates much easier and faster by letting developers focus on what they do best and not infrastructure,” Andrade added.

Shipa, like Lens, reduces complexity – shielding developers from having to know the intricacies of Kubernetes – helping to deliver and manage applications faster while improving security and governance, as well as making updates easier.

Mirantis and Shipa engineering teams are working on an integration with Lens Desktop with plans for March availability.

“Shipa’s technology puts ground-breaking application discovery, optimization, security, and management capabilities in the hands of Lens users,” said Adrian Ionel, CEO of Mirantis.

“It will help cloud native software teams move even faster, freeing them to code and innovate,” Ionel added.

Lens lowers the barrier of entry for those just getting started with Kubernetes and improves productivity for people with more experience.

“We were the first investors in Shipa’s vision of application infrastructure-as-code, and now, as shareholders in Mirantis, we can’t wait to continue our journey together,” said Shipa investor Ashmeet Sidana, founder and chief engineer of Engineering Capital.

“Mirantis has a terrific track record with acquisitions and we believe Shipa is complementary to Mirantis’ vision of simplifying the Kubernetes developer experience – adding the observability and management of applications. We are looking forward to watching the combined vision come to fruition,” Sidana continued.

The integration with Lens provides visibility into applications with security policies applied consistently from CI/CD or GitOps pipelines. Shipa provides visibility over application services, ownership, resource consumption, policy compliance, service communication, and more.

Management of applications is done independent of infrastructure with connections to incident management tools, vulnerability scanners, as well as integrations with Terraform, Slack, and GitHub Actions.

In addition, Shipa will be integrated with Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE), the container orchestration platform for developing and running modern applications at scale, on private clouds, public clouds, and on bare metal.

Shipa team joins Mirantis

Shipa co-founders Andrade and vice president of engineering Vivek Pandey will join Mirantis along with the rest of the Shipa team. Andrade previously held engineering leadership roles at Juniper Networks, Oracle, and IBM and was the CEO of HTBASE.

Pandey co-founded CloudBees and served various roles, from software development to engineering leadership roles. He has expertise in a number of areas, including distributed systems, software tooling, cloud operations, SaaS systems, and user experience.

The acquisition of Shipa follows Mirantis’ acquisition of amazee.io in July 2022. amazee technology has since been integrated into Lens and MKE to boost developer productivity.

Mirantis also acquired Docker Enterprise in 2019 and immediately integrated the technology into its Kubernetes platform. Nearly 100 new customers chose the Mirantis container technology to support their digital transformation initiatives, and over this time, customer satisfaction has soared.

Soon after the Docker agreement, Mirantis doubled down on its long-standing commitment to open source, hiring the staff behind Kontena – and invested heavily in Lens and the development of k0s. Technology from Kontena has been integrated into Mirantis Kubernetes Engine and Mirantis Container Runtime.

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The Best Way to Clean Your Laptop's Keyboard

Photo: BalkansCat (Shutterstock)

As you’re probably well aware, your laptop keyboard is super gross—even if you’ve cleaned it relatively recently. The crumbs, dust, dirt, spills, and oils from your fingers accumulate surprisingly quickly, and can turn into a layer of grimy film.

And while there are various products available to help you keep your laptop keyboard tidy—like those tiny vacuums that plug into a USB port, or that gel also used for detailing your car—it’s possible to thoroughly clean yours using items you likely already have on hand. Here’s what to do.

How to clean your laptop keyboard

OK, let’s get to work:

1. Shut it down

Before anything else, save whatever you were working on, power down your laptop, then unplug it. Don’t risk losing something or disrupting your settings just to save a minute or two.

2. Shake it out

Take your laptop over to the trash can, or grab whatever you use as a trash bag, turn your laptop over, and gently shake it from side-to-side to get rid of the crumbs, dirt, or other debris. Lightly tap on the back of your laptop to help dislodge any bits that need some extra encouragement.

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3. Give it some air

There’s probably still some gunk on your keyboard, so it’s time to blow it off. You can use a can of compressed air if you have one, holding it at a 75-degree angle. Otherwise, you can use a hair dryer on its “cool” setting, a portable air compressor, or put your lips together and blow.

4. Wipe it down

At this point, most, if not all, of the crumbs, dirt, and dust should be off the keyboard. Now, it’s time to wipe it down to remove any grime that has built up between or on top of the keys.

You can either use a clean microfiber cloth dampened with a bit of rubbing alcohol, or a disinfecting wipe that doesn’t contain bleach. Either way, make sure that the cloth or wipe is only damp, and not dripping with liquid.

If there’s anything left on your keyboard after that, get some cotton swabs, dampen them with rubbing alcohol, and use them to get in between the keys, or anywhere else that needs some extra attention.

When you’re done, give the keyboard a few minutes to dry completely before plugging it back it and turning it on.

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Ignore TikTok and Stop Putting Cleaning Liquid in Your Toilet Tank

Screenshot: Retouch man (Shutterstock)

If you spend enough time on TikTok, you’ll likely run across a video of someone brutalizing a bottle of Fabuloso cleaner with a caption like, “Had to try this hack!” After stabbing a hole through the plastic bottle, they’ll set it in their toilet tank, then show you how the toilet water turns the same color as the cleaner. This allegedly helps clean the toilet with every flush and disperses a pleasant odor.

By now, you should know to be skeptical of TikTok cleaning or home hacks, but this one seems more harmless at first glance. So should you do it? Well, no.

It lowers your toilet’s flushing power

The first reason you should avoid sticking a bottle of cleaning solution in your tank is that it takes up space that should be occupied by water—and this lessens the toilet’s flushing power. Bomisch, a home renovation resource guide, points out that if you use a standard 45-ounce bottle of Fabuloso for the hack, you’re decreasing the amount of water used per flush from 1.6 gallons to 1.2, which is “not enough for a powerful flush system, especially if you want to keep poop from sticking to your toilet.”

So in the name of cleanliness, you’ll be flushing lovely-scented water… but potentially not all your poop. It doesn’t make sense.

You might cause actual damage to your toilet

If the thought of having to double flush or even plunge your toilet hasn’t already put you off, consider that depending on what cleaning product you stick in your tank, you could be degrading the parts of your toilet over time, too. The parts made of plastic and rubber are especially susceptible to damage from chemicals.

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Spruce Toilets, a manufacturer in the space, also warns that cleaners designed for the floor and other surfaces just aren’t meant for toilets—at least not in that volume or consistency. You’re risking your valves and connecting parts by letting those chemicals run over them all the time, so “someday you will have to replace everything in your toilet if you want to keep using it.” 

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12 Podcasts You Didn’t Know Could Even Be a Podcast

Let’s Make a Sci-Fi is the podcast about how to make science fiction stories, and it does it by literally making a science fiction series in the process. Comedians Ryan Beil, Maddy Kelly, and Mark Chavez interview science fiction writers and fans (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Emily VanDerWerff, Rainn Wilson) who discuss their writing processes and ideas for plots, characters, and worlds. Let’s Make a Sci-Fi touches up on the history of science fiction and its sub-genres, and its impact on society sneaks in, and explore the different sub-genres of the science fiction, so it will appeal to sci-fi nerds. But also to anyone in the process of writing or making something and struggling to get it to the finish line. Let’s Make a Sci-Fi does. In the final episode, professional actors read Ryan, Maddy, and Mark’s script, bringing it to life — for better or worse.

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Check These Databases for Retirement Savings You Forgot About

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For big retirement savers, the silver lining of record-setting inflation is the record-setting cap increase for your 401(k) in 2023. But if you leave a company–whether or not it’s on your own terms—what happens to your employer-sponsored retirement account? While you have a few options for handling an old 401(k), some strategies are better than others. Here’s what to know about dealing with a 401(k) from previous employers, and why it’s important to handle it sooner rather than later.

Don’t let your old 401(k) get lost

Broadly speaking, you have three options for a 401(k) at a company where you no longer work: Cash it out, leave it where it is, or roll it into a new plan or account.

First off, experts generally advise against cashing it out. With some exceptions, you’ll be faced with taxes on the distribution, not to mention the 10% tax penalty if you’re younger than age 59½.

For the “leave it where it is” route, you might be tempted to simply leave your retirement savings in your former employer’s plan. I get it—the hassle of organizing your accounts might not seem like a top priority, especially if you were just laid off. However, there are some obvious downsides here—namely, you can no longer contribute to that plan. Plus, the longer you wait, the trickier it can be to track down old 401(k) accounts. (Then again, thanks to provisions in SECURE 2.0, finding old accounts should be easier than ever.)

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The other risk with leaving you account where it is what plan administrators, aka the financial firm holding the account, might do with your abandoned funds. According to NerdWallet, if there was more than $5,000 in your retirement account when you left, there’s a good chance that your money is still there as is. But if you left an amount between $1,000 and $5,000, the plan administrator is allowed to move funds into a specialty IRA without your consent. (Although SECURE 2.0 changed that limit to $7,000, effective for distributions made after 2023.) And for any amount less than $1,000, they may simply cut a check for the total, send it to your address on record, and leave you to deal with the tax bill and an early-withdrawal penalty.

The wisest path forward is typically to consolidate your old 401(k) into another qualified retirement plan. The obvious advantage is maximizing your savings, having access to a broader range of investments, and the ease of having less to keep track of. Still, if you’ve already let an old 401(k) (or more) get lost in the shuffle, you’re not alone. Here’s how to track down an old 401(k).

How to track down an old 401(k)

If you’re on the hunt for a 401(k), there are a few places you should start your search. Your first step should be to contact your old employer. Start with the human resources department or find an old 401(k) account statement to contact the plan administrator.

If your old employer or plan administrator can’t tell you where your money is, then your next step is trying to track down your 401(k) with your social security number. Plug your SSN into any of these databases to try and find your old account:

Once you find your money, it should be fairly easy to move your investments into the account of your choosing. In any case, it’s worth taking to a financial advisor before moving your old 401(k) to make sure you understand any planning consequences that may arise.

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When to Take the Money in a Class-Action Settlement (and When Not To)

Photo: Getty / Eugene Gologursky (Getty Images)

The class action settlement du jour is from the Thinx period underwear company, having to do with allegations that the menstrual products contain harmful chemicals that potentially cause fertility issues or cancer. While Thinx denies these allegations, they are providing the following options for people who submit a claim before mid-April: take a cash reimbursement for $7 per pair for up to three pairs; get 35% off a single purchase up to $150; object; exclude yourself from the settlement; or do nothing.

Thinx is not the only settlement available right now, and each one offers different options and caveats. So, how do decide when a settlement is a good deal—or when you should hold out in case you want to bring action later?

When to take the cash reimbursement in a settlement

If the settlement is offering you money, taking it and being done with the ordeal might seem like the best choice. After all, $21 dollars can buy me a few new pairs of (cheap) undies from a big box store. And if you look through the list of all the class action lawsuits potentially available to you at any given time, you’ll see that in most (but not all) cases, you won’t receive a large sum of money, especially if you weren’t aware of the wrong done to you in the first place.

Plus, money is money and, especially if you feel not a lot of harm was done, taking even a few dollars from a huge corporation might feel like a win. And, if harm was done to you, and/or if you think the company is horrible, it feel worth it to you to try to bring them down, one penny at a time.

What’s important to keep in mind, though, is that in almost all cases, you cannot later sue the company if you take any monetary settlement. You’d likely have to prove the case or defendant was fraudulent, which is not easy to do.

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Should you “object” to a class action settlement?

Objecting might sound fun and dramatic, but you do have to say why you object. The American Bar Association says they anticipate objections and allow time for them ahead of the final hearing. If enough people object, they do need to go back to the table.

In 2018, there were some changes made to the rules in the procedural guidance about objections, which seemed to help “streamline” the process for courts and perhaps make it harder for just anyone to waltz in there and yell about how they don’t like the way things went down. The guidelines say, “You can ask the Court to deny approval by filing an objection. You can’t ask the Court to order a different settlement; the Court can only approve or reject the settlement. If the Court denies approval, no settlement payments will be sent out, and the lawsuit will continue. If that is what you want to happen, you should object.” You will likely need to consult a legal professional if you want to get any real change made to an already settled judgment.

Should you “exclude” yourself from a class action settlement? 

Excluding yourself and doing nothing are different things. Excluding yourself is an action you take. It’s a big “no, thank you” to the offerings of the settlement without officially showing up to object. You must fill out the claim and say you’re choosing to be excluded if you think there’s even a slim possibility you might want to bring your own legal action in the future.

For example, if, in many years’ time, you discover you were more severely harmed by Thinx underwear than you originally thought and you want to sue, you can only do so if you excluded yourself from the settlement. To exclude yourself, you likely need to provide proof of purchase just like if you opted to take the money, so you must have your receipt either way.

Do nothing

You can, of course, do nothing and ignore the settlement offering altogether. Doing nothing does not allow you to later bring a suit later, though. If you do nothing, you actually waive your right to bring your own suit later, at least according to the Thinx settlement terms.

To make sure people have time to make their decision, the Class Action Fairness Act makes it a law that information about a class action settlement over $5 million must be distributed widely, via mail, email, and social media, so people have a chance to find out about it. That’s why you often get what looks like spam or junk mail from companies telling you you may be eligible for compensation. Sometimes, you really might be.

In the end, it’s a personal decision, and the details will vary from case to case. Judging your own risk and benefit from taking a settlement might be a big decision—and especially if there is a large sum or other risk at play, you might want to seek out your own legal advice.

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13 Common Idioms the Kids Don’t Understand

WringMaster wringer demonstration

If somebody has “been through the wringer,” they have endured something difficult. The term sometimes specifically means being questioned by authorities, but it can also refer to any prolonged, stressful experience.

A wringer is a device for squeezing the water out of laundry. If you didn’t have a clothes dryer, you might send your soaking wet clothes through the wringer; they would come out mildly damp, and then you could hang them on a clothesline to dry. You could also use the wringer to remove soapy water before a rinse, and then use it again when it was time to dry.

If you’re being questioned, they want to squeeze information out of you. And, yes, you’re going through the wringer, not ringer.

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The Difference Between Medical and Recreational Cannabis, and Which to Choose

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While certainly a good way to relax, as long as humans have used it, cannabis has also been a wellness tool. From seeds discovered in ancient China to salves in ancient Egypt and spiritual smoothies in ancient India, the list is as curious as it is comprehensive, especially considering our modern outlook on the plant. Today, cannabis is either sold on the black market or hyper-regulated, and no matter why you use it, it’s harder to get than other (often much riskier) substances humans love.

As of this writing, 37 states permit medical cannabis sales, while 21 states allow adult use (also known as recreational cannabis). In those 21 latter states, both medical and recreational options are available. With this selection of purchase possibilities, which one is right for you? Why bother getting a medical card in a state where you can just hit up a recreational dispensary?

It depends on how you use cannabis, but consider this: even if you reach for an edible to help you sleep or a topical for post-workout soreness, you’re using the plant for a presumed medical purpose. Just because you can freely buy the products to serve those needs doesn’t negate that fact. If you’re soothing something that ails you, whether mental or physical, consider reframing your ‘indulgence’ as a medical or wellness aid.

When to consider a medical cannabis card

Obtaining a medical cannabis card can be beneficial for a few reasons, the first of which is access—many states without adult use permit medical cards for a long list of less-serious conditions.

Another less obvious perk: sticking it to the man (sort of). Government-funded cannabis research is limited, making it difficult for the plant to be fully accepted in the mainstream. If you want to know precisely why it helps you sleep soundly, participating in the patient care program helps give states (and eventually the feds) a better picture of actual use. Having a true count, one that stands in contrast with years of discreet use, could help influence cannabis policy, too.

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One less visible benefit: medical cannabis cards and programs can help older uses who grew up alongside severe stigma against the drug consider weed a legitimate treatment for their issues.

The benefits of medical cannabis

While getting a medical card involves additional steps versus purchasing in a recreational shop, there are inherent benefits to going the medical route, including increased access in states where you don’t live. Some states, like Hawaii, provide what’s called reciprocity, where your medical card from state X is fair game in state Y—a boon for people who need the consistent and reliable access that medical outlets can provide.

Other states don’t have separate shops for separate types of buyers anymore, including California, which reformed its program in 2016 after decades of medical reign. But medical buyers are still treated differently, at least at the checkout: Today in California, retail adult use shops serve medical patients with the same products as recreational buyers, but certain city and state taxes are waived. These costs can be significant, and for regular medical users, the savings are worth the fees and extra steps.

In New Jersey, card holders can skip the line at the dispensary and select from a guaranteed stock and use a dedicated checkout, while adult use folks have to wait—and pray the products they want don’t sell out. Similar rules exist around possession in states like Oregon, where medical card holders can have more, or have permission to grow their own.

Establishing yourself as a registered patient right now could help you down the road if healthcare programs begin to consider cannabis as a legitimate treatment—perhaps one day it will be eligible for discounts, coverage, or even flexible spending accounts.

How to get a medical cannabis card

With a legitimate medical need—with the definition of “legitimate” varying from state to state—it’s generally not hard to get the documentation sorted to obtain a medical use card. Many states require only a doctor’s note, rather than a state- or county-issued physical card. Laws and regulations certainly differ from state to state; while New York might check in with you via email if you are missing paperwork, some counties in California will consider any missing detail an automatic denial unless you have a sympathetic intake staffer.

That’s where online medical use card services come in—they can get you what you need to get a card, provided you qualify and the doctor they set you up with agrees that cannabis would be a good treatment option. Sites like NuggMD, VeriHeal, and others can connect you with doctors who have experience with cannabis patients if your own doctor doesn’t feel comfortable prescribing it.

But when working with a site like one of the above, it’s important to remember that the company generally can’t communicate with the state on your behalf, so you typically have to be the one to forward the recommendation, your ID, proof of residency and any other needed information to your state or county agency to get final approval and obtain your physical card.

When to use recreational cannabis instead of getting a medical card

Is getting a medical card worth it if you only use occasionally, say when you’re suffering a sleepless night? It’s really your call. If you’re happy, keep doing what you’re doing. But if your use needs increase use for any medical reasons, like pain, sleep, or anxiety, consider signing up. If you have an eligible condition and just want the option, or perhaps hope to be able to shop in other states, get the process started.

An important additional note: If you buy cannabis for another person who uses it medically, you can get a caretaker card to help serve their needs better, so they don’t have to go to the store at all. It’s up to you how you want to shop, but the options are progressing in many states, and hopefully one day federal law will follow along.

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How Stress-Resilient Is Your Relationship?

Photo: DimaBerlin (Shutterstock)

If you’ve ever been broken up with, you might have heard the explanation, “I’ve just got so much going on right now.” It might have been followed with “It’s just not a good time for me,” or the clichéd “It’s not you, it’s me.” Balancing life demands can be complicated—friendships, health, finances, and jobs are no doubt stressful—but why does it seem that relationships are easily let go when we’re faced with overwhelming pressure?

“Most of us don’t leave our stress at the door; they tend to come home with us,” Sarah Melancon, Ph.D, a Sociologist and Clinical Sexologist, tells Lifehacker. “When stressed, it is often difficult to be present and enjoy yourself. You may struggle to focus or hold an ordinary conversation. Mood and sleep are often affected. Laughing, joking, and having fun may be the farthest thing from your mind, even though they could be helpful.”

It makes sense then that whatever we’re dealing with outside of our relationships affects how we show up within them, and, in turn, affects the relationship.

“Relationship researchers John and Julie Gottman have found that happy relationships have a 5:1 ratio of positive-to-negative interactions , so when we’re stressed, that ratio can easily go down,” Melancon explains.

If your partner is dealing with something particularly stressful, such as a death in the family, a traumatic experience, or experiencing ongoing stressors, it’s not surprising that those issues can especially put a strain on a relationship, making it just another stressor to deal with.

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Why is a relationship the first thing to go?

According to Melancon, it’s dependent on the person, and for some people relationships may already be challenging—so when additional stressors are thrown in, something has to give.

“While many people find relationships to be a source of support, some find the process of seeking support only adds stress,” she explains. “Those who prefer to deal with their problems on their own may be more likely to break up while under stress.”

Relationships can feel most overwhelming when we’re stressed

For those who crave the connection and support that relationships give, Melancon points out that relationships require our attention in varying ways.

“When we are stressed, we tend to have tunnel vision, handling only the things directly in front of us,” she says. “If we’re already stressed, and our partner wants to talk about their stressful day, for example, it can push us into overwhelm. Even positive plans can feel like a burden when your bandwidth is low; a date night can feel like a prison sentence when your mind is going 100 miles per hour and you feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off.”

Who is more likely to break up in times of stress?

Melancon says there isn’t any data supporting whether it’s more common among men than women to have a “stress breakup,” although she adds there is evidence to suggest that under stress, men are more likely to experience “flight-or-fight,” while women are more likely to respond with “tend-and-befriend.” In addition, she says, according to research, men tend to become more egocentric and less adaptive under stress.

Attachment styles are another thing to consider. “Individuals with secure or anxious attachment tend to go to their partner when stressed, while those with avoidant attachment tend to deal with their problems alone,” Melancon says. “While both men and women can have avoidant attachment, the tendency towards ‘flight-or-fight’ in men may combine with avoidant attachment to create a stronger pull away from relationships at times of stress.”

Learn what you (and your partner) need

While breaking up with a partner might work for some, it might not be the best thing you need in the long run—and could be something you regret later on. Before deciding to break up, Melancon recommends understanding what works best for you and your partner to communicate what you need when you’re stressed out.

“Some people, particularly those with avoidant attachment, typically need space,” she says. “Talking about their problems often adds to their stress, especially if they feel pressure from a partner to share.”

If you tend to lean towards an avoidant attachment, Melancon suggests letting your partner know you appreciate their concern, but the best thing they can do is leave you alone for a while. If your partner is avoidant, hold back and let them come to you. “Doing something for them independently, such as cooking or picking up dinner, may help some avoidants feel cared for even while taking their space,” she says.

Those with secure and anxious attachment tend to feel better when talking to their partner.

“Individuals with anxious attachment can go overboard, because they tend to lack healthy emotional boundaries and struggle to differentiate themselves from others,” Melancon explains. “It may be necessary to set a boundary with an anxious partner.” For instance, let them know you have 20 minutes to talk about whatever’s stressing them out before carrying on with dinner.

The difference between a “stress breakup” and a real one  

If you’re considering a breakup during a period of stress, Melancon recommends asking yourself whether you simply need some space right now, or whether you’re really done spending time with this person altogether. A breakup may be warranted when:

• A relationship is new and you don’t have the energy or desire to get to know them anymore.
• The relationship is casual and the stressors will be ongoing, compromising your ability to be present.
• Your partner isn’t helping with your stress, or is making things worse.

But Melancon also points out how a relationship can also help alleviate stress from the other areas of your life.

“Relationships provide support, both directly and indirectly,” she says. “Directly, we may feel better talking to a partner about our stresses. They may help by listening, problem-solving, or cheerleading, depending on the situation. Indirectly, knowing we have someone who cares can help us feel less alone.”

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