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Post by hartlikeawheel on Feb 14, 2007 0:30:53 GMT -5
In spite of my working background I am not so sure that mj is as addictive as it is habit-forming.
What I have thought is that the countries which have thousands of years of cannabis use don't seem to have made a lot of progress in social improvement. I have no idea what that means. Is it just too warm there for people to be socially productive? Is it the change in male hormones which makes them more passive? Or does it just take up too much time rolling joints to get much of anything else done?
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Post by booklady on Feb 22, 2007 9:46:33 GMT -5
While reading my morning paper, I came across this:
U.S. Is Sued Over Position on Marijuana By CAROLYN MARSHALL Published: February 22, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21 — Frustrated by government policy and inaction, a group of advocates for medical marijuana sued two federal health agencies on Wednesday over the assertion that smoking it has no medical benefit.
The group, Americans for Safe Access, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, filed the lawsuit in Federal District Court, challenging the government’s position that marijuana, “has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.”
In its lawsuit, the group contends that federal regulators have publicly issued “false and misleading statements” about the medical benefits of marijuana.
The lawsuit, which named the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, seeks a court order to retract and correct statements that the group called, “incorrect, dishonest and a flagrant violation of laws.”
A lawyer for the medical marijuana group, Joseph Elford, said the lawsuit was filed now because administrative avenues had been exhausted and because of mounting scientific and anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
Mr. Elford said a recent study by the Clinical Research Center at San Francisco General Hospital, which was approved by the F.D.A. and other federal agencies, found that smoking marijuana relieved pain and certain symptoms of H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS.
A spokeswoman for the health department said Wednesday in a telephone interview that “the agency does not comment on litigation as a general policy.”
The spokeswoman, Christina Pearson, said the agency stood by its publicly stated position and pointed to an April 20, 2006, statement. In that advisory, which Ms. Pearson said was current, the federal government asserts that “there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful.”
It goes on to say that “no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana,” which is not an approved drug.
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Post by gailkate on Feb 22, 2007 23:41:58 GMT -5
They may not approve of it, but apparently they aren't overly concerned either. This from yesterday's paper:
Federal authorities have declined to prosecute two drug suspects from Washington state after St. Paul auto mechanics found 157 pounds of marijuana in the gas tank of their pickup truck this week. The case has been turned over to St. Paul police.
The decision left some state and law enforcement officials scratching their heads, while in reality it shows that federal thresholds for prosecution in marijuana cases now exceed the amount found in the pickup.
"I think it is unusual," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said, regarding a lack of prosecution thus far. "This is a significant quantity of marijuana that these people were caught with."
Fred Bruno, a defense attorney not involved in the case who has defended numerous suspects in federal drug cases, said the decision isn't unheard of.
"It's a big case by state standards but a small case by federal standards," Bruno said. "That amount would raise just about every eyebrow in the state judicial system, but maybe not many in the federal system."
So they won't prosecute, but they also won't let people in grave pain use it to get some relief.
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Post by rogesgallery on Feb 24, 2007 2:58:44 GMT -5
T I decided to use Culligan when I was pregnant with the seven-year-old. Susan! Ive known mothers that breast fed their kids till they were 5, as an alternative to implants, but this poor child must be permenantly wrinkled! Why didn't you just get a Shar pei?
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Post by rogesgallery on Feb 24, 2007 3:04:48 GMT -5
T I decided to use Culligan when I was pregnant with the seven-year-old. Susan! Ive known mothers that breast fed their kids till they were 5, as an alternative to implants, but this poor child must be permenantly wrinkled! Why didn't you just get a Shar pei? Hope this doesn't post twice.
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Post by rogesgallery on Feb 24, 2007 4:39:09 GMT -5
Mike The Water War in Bolivia sounds like science fiction, but my guess is our own Southwest is going to be a litigious battleground before long.. That is interesting. I hadn't heard about water wars in Bolivia. It may though be over the right of use of the Gaurani Aquifer which is a massive underground lake located in Paraguy near the Bolivian border. There is an interesting story unfolding down there Which includes: George bush purchasing 98,000 acres right next to a strange undeveloped airfield big enough to land anything that flies. Immunity from prossecution for war crimes by the Paraguayan govt. A marine traing? base established in 2005 China's decision to occupy Tibet was based in the need for unimpeded access to the water of the Himalaya's. Was it for industrial or potable purposes or is cottonmouth an unavoidable byproduct of westernization? There have always been conflicts over water for industry. We've just gone through one here in Eastern WA. over the location of a B.N.RR. refueling site on top of the Spokane/Rathdrum aquifer. This is one of, if not the largest fresh water aquifers in the country and straddles the Idaho/WA border. The plant was built in Idaho but not without considerable protest and years of debate and study. Of course the engineers for B.N.RR. insisted there was no possibility of a spill breaching the state of the art containments. Six months after the plant was completed the EPA inspectors found fuel in ground samples. The containments were leaking due to faulty construction and somewhere between 5-10,000 gallons had seeped into the ground. The problem has been repaired now and the Engineers for B.N.RR.have assured the community that there is no possibility of a spill breaching the state of the art containment.
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Post by slb2 on Feb 24, 2007 7:36:13 GMT -5
T I decided to use Culligan when I was pregnant with the seven-year-old. Susan! Ive known mothers that breast fed their kids till they were 5, as an alternative to implants, but this poor child must be permenantly wrinkled! Why didn't you just get a Shar pei? Hope this doesn't post twice. Oh fudge. Sometimes inaccurate, misplaced, or hanging adjectives are so much fun.... for others.
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Post by rogesgallery on Feb 24, 2007 10:58:31 GMT -5
Pot is the poster buddy for what I call Dead Horse politics. It is equivilant to the phrase almost every parent has uttered "Do it because i said so!". Whether out of lazyness, lack of a coherent reason or the time to explain a complex cojncept, a desire to protect or the Idea that some people are incapable of helping themselves, dead horse politics is adhering to an ideal or law long after its ineffectivness is obvious.
Social psycology is, at this time in our history, in the process of collecting incomplete data. It has no answers, it hasn't even begun the process of sorting that data into coherent studies of cause and effect. How can it when most of the data is based in Americana, yet it still has the need to justify its process and continuation. Our laws are loosely based upon that incomplete psycology and thus we find ourselves locked into situations such as Cuba, drug laws which offer no solution, and wars of erroneous conclusion.
I put the domestic drug laws in the center of the above statement in illistration of its place in the order of necessity for resolution. There needs to be a domestic example of effective sociological advancement before we try to bomb it into other cultures heads. A good economy alone is only a facade of effective sociology. 10% of the population being incarcerated or in prison at any given time is an indication of the faulty nature of the ineffectiveness that sociology.
I have worked on some solutions but I don't have time to go into them right now. You probably wouldn't want to hear them anyway. Borring... not to mention probably full of holes. Teehee Blinkblink
Roges
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Post by gailkate on May 23, 2007 22:21:46 GMT -5
Our paper has a pretty good column called "Web Search." My desk gets overloaded with copies of articles that I mean to share nad never get around to posting. So here's today's - "Looking for a Car?" - and the link to an index of great sites. If you don't need a car but want to find indie radio or draw your own art, you'll find suggestions here.WebSearch: Looking for a car? North Carolina reader Lori Chadwick sent an e-mail saying that she's trying to find her dream vehicle. She asked, "Does a site exist that will allow me to pick my criteria (four-wheel drive, heated seats, certain ground-to-seat height specifications, etc.), and will it give me a list of makes and models to look into?" There are many car-finding options online. Here are some of them. By Randy Salas, Star Tribune Last update: May 22, 2007 – 4:10 PM North Carolina reader Lori Chadwick sent an e-mail saying that she's trying to find her dream vehicle. She asked, "Does a site exist that will allow me to pick my criteria (four-wheel drive, heated seats, certain ground-to-seat height specifications, etc.), and will it give me a list of makes and models to look into?" There are many car-finding options online. Here are some of them. www.kbb.com/kbb/PerfectCarFinderKelley Blue Book, known by many for its industry-standard car valuations, introduced Perfect Car Finder last month to meet the needs of car buyers such as Chadwick. Set a price range, and then place a check mark in the box of features you seek in a car. Basic choices include type of vehicle, manufacturer and fuel efficiency. If that's not enough, you can search using advanced options such as transmission type, safety features and rebate availability. There also are many interior features, such as whether the vehicle has options for a navigation system, DVD unit or remote keyless entry. You might not find everything you're looking for, such as heated seats, but it can help winnow the choices to make it easier to check if a model has such an option. Be careful not to get too bogged down in specifics. It's fine to search for everything you want to start out, but troll wider if you don't get enough results. For example, you might be missing worthwhile vehicles over a DVD system, an option that can easily be added as an after-market feature on many models. Once you have your results, Perfect Car Finder will let you compare up to four vehicles side by side in five categories: Overview & Pricing, Features, Technical Specs, Safety, and Reviews & Ratings. Squirreled away in the upper right corner of the comparison module is an option to print the full report in an easy-to-read format. www.edmunds.com/apps/nvc/edmunds/VehicleComparisonOnce you know what models interest you, Edmunds' Comparator might help you even more in comparing vehicles. It adds one more slot than Kelley's car comparison, for five total. It also gets much more detailed in the features listed, such as type of suspension, location of audio controls and -- yes -- even whether there are heated seats. Like Kelley, Edmunds also has a raft of information about used and new cars on its site, including full reviews and links to local dealers. www.automotive.com/reviewsWhen looking for car reviews online, I tend to make my first stop Automotive.com, which has been on the Web since 1996. But there are a host of worthwhile car-review sites, besides Automotive.com, Edmunds and Kelley. They include: • www.carreview.com• www.auto.consumerguide.com• www.caranddriver.com/newcarThere are dozens of others, but they start to blur and cross-link after a while. Often, the easiest way to find a detailed review is to go to Google (www.google.com) and type in the make, model and year along with the word "review," especially if you're looking for a used car. These resources will help you research and narrow your choices when car shopping. I'll leave the financing and actual buying -- including haggling with a dealer, if necessary -- up to you. Truly, he seems to cover almost every topic from serious/practical to interactive games. Go to www.startribune.com/websearch where you can find all the past columns with links to sites.
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Post by slb2 on May 23, 2007 22:54:39 GMT -5
I wonder if Ace saw this. He's been on a quest to create less pollution via a better/smarter car. I'll have to point it out. thnx gk.
Personally, I'd rather just walk more or ride my bike farther, turn off the lights when I leave the room, wash the plastic baggies, and turn off the air conditioner/furnace more frequently.
But that's another topic....
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Post by gailkate on May 30, 2007 22:52:49 GMT -5
A little goofiness from the Websearch site. The other day it listed some sites that put you through a questionnaire in order to categorize you. I adore stuff like that. So I'm going to try you all on the scale created by the authors of a business book called Kingdomality. It determines what medieval business type or vocation you're most suited for. I've taken the quiz and know my type, but I won't share it till people have a chance to answer for themselves. It only identifies your own type rather than listing all the possibilities, so I don't know what I'm NOT, but the vocation it gave me does sort of fit. Here's the url: www.cmi-lmi.com/kingdom.html
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Post by gailkate on May 31, 2007 8:59:00 GMT -5
Hurry up! I just realized I don't have a plan for sharing our medieval vocations. So let's say at ~2pm CDT, we can start revealing our secret or not so secret selves.
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Post by joew on May 31, 2007 10:12:46 GMT -5
I've got mine. See you later to share.
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Post by Gracie on May 31, 2007 10:23:48 GMT -5
I just got mine. I'll try to be here on time.
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Post by liriodendron on May 31, 2007 15:07:35 GMT -5
Crud. I'm hoping you mean today. This is me. Absolutely, positively me. Have they been reading my journal?
//Your distinct personality, The Dreamer-Minstrel might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You can always see the "Silver Lining" to every dark and dreary cloud. Look at the bright side is your motto and understanding why everything happens for the best is your goal. You are the positive optimist of the world who provides the hope for all humankind. There is nothing so terrible that you can not find some good within it. On the positive side, you are spontaneous, charismatic, idealistic and empathic. On the negative side, you may be a sentimental dreamer who is emotionally impractical. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.//
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Post by gailkate on May 31, 2007 15:19:04 GMT -5
Uh-oh. Mine was Dreamer-Minstrel last night but I forgot to copy the description. So I had to do the whole thing again in order to bring up a profile and this time I came out a White Knight.
....... Don Quixote was a White Knight as was Joan of Arc, the Lone Ranger and Crusader Rabbit. As a White Knight you expect nothing in return for your good deeds. You are one of the true "Givers" of the world. You are the anonymous philanthropist who shares your wealth, your time and your life with others. To give, is its own reward and as a White Knight you seek no other. On the positive side you are merciful, sympathetic, helpful, giving and heroic. On the negative side you may be impulsively decisive, sentimental and misdirected.
Yup, often true, as are many of the minstrel traits. I wonder how many categories there are. Surely Joe isn't a Dreamer-Minstrel.
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Post by doctork on May 31, 2007 17:07:15 GMT -5
I'm so glad you guys posted, because I didn't want to go first.
I'm a Benevolent Ruler and I was not able to copy the description; it appeared as a read-only file on my computer. How did you do that?
Anyway. Here's what I remember of the description:
Idealistic social dreamer who wants to solve the world's problems. Skills that might actually accomplish this, but also a tendency to being scattered, unrealistically sentimental, and sometimes "deceptively manipulative."
I thought that was fairly accurate. gk, should I use my example of a "deceptively manipulative" tactic? Or maybe that's a sisters-only paragraph.
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Post by gailkate on May 31, 2007 18:24:16 GMT -5
I suspect these wily guys read the sisters' thread whenever they feel like it. So go ahead and reveal your Machiavellian tactic.
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Post by joew on May 31, 2007 21:53:47 GMT -5
Sorry I was tied up earlier. Here's what I'm supposed to be.
//Your distinct personality, The Shepherd is to tend to your human flock. You understand the needs of those for whom you are responsible. Shepherds are vigilant and reliable. You realize your obligation and commitment to the well being of those entrusted to your care. Shepherds are very dependable. You engender a feeling of comfort and stability to those within your charge. On the positive side, Shepherds can be empathic, caring, understanding, practical and realistic. On the negative side, you may be manipulative, close-minded and sentimentally rigid. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.//
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Post by gailkate on May 31, 2007 22:48:39 GMT -5
This fits your current role to a T, but can a Revenue Man be a shepherd?
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Post by doctork on May 31, 2007 23:20:25 GMT -5
Here's my favorite method of deceptive manipulation.
Sometimes I will appear somewhat helplessly feminine around male chauvinists - then they spill all the proprietary competitive beans, because after all, what could a helpless silly woman do with the info? Go right back to the office and use it to beat the pants off them in the market! Hah!
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Post by Gracie on Jun 1, 2007 18:43:23 GMT -5
I got tied up yesterday, too, it being my only day off until Sunday..... Here's mine (Please to note, Gailkate!) our distinct personality, The White Knight, might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. Don Quixote was a White Knight as was Joan of Arc, the Lone Ranger and Crusader Rabbit. As a White Knight you expect nothing in return for your good deeds. You are one of the true "Givers" of the world. You are the anonymous philanthropist who shares your wealth, your time and your life with others. To give, is its own reward and as a White Knight you seek no other. On the positive side you are merciful, sympathetic, helpful, giving and heroic. On the negative side you may be impulsively decisive, sentimental and misdirected. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms. I think this fits me fairly well. I've taken other such tests, one was the Network program through church, wherein I learned that my spiritual gift was hospitality (providing food and shelter in a loving and gracious manner, sharing whatever I have) and another one that I took at camp said I was a servant, meaning that there was nothing I would not do for one who needed. That being said, I can be plenty cranky, lazy, and downright obnoxious when I care to be. So beware!
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Post by Jane on Jun 2, 2007 11:16:54 GMT -5
I'm a minstral too. Too bad I can't carry a tune. Is there such a thing as an atonal minstral?
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Post by joew on Jun 2, 2007 15:45:21 GMT -5
This fits your current role to a T, but can a Revenue Man be a shepherd? Most of my career as a fed was spent in the Taxpayer Service division, answering people's questions about how they should deal with their situations. So I was helping them avoid trouble, and sometimes helping them get out of it. And even as a tax auditor, I always wanted to do what was right by them in order to arrive at a substantially correct tax.
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Post by gailkate on Jun 2, 2007 17:15:34 GMT -5
Just teasing, Joe no offense intended.
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Post by joew on Jun 2, 2007 17:37:43 GMT -5
Just teasing, Joe no offense intended. None taken. Sorry for not recognizing the teasing. Hope the response was at least a little interesting.
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Post by booklady on Jun 2, 2007 19:47:04 GMT -5
Like the good doc, I am a Benevolent Ruler. Must be my good classroom management skills. (Tongue in cheek!) our distinct personality, The Benevolent Ruler might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You are the idealistic social dreamer. Your overriding goal is to solve the people problems of your world. You are a social reformer who wants everyone to be happy in a world that you can visualize. You are exceptionally perceptive about the woes and needs of humankind. You often have the understanding and skill to readily conceive and implement the solutions to your perceptions. On the positive side, you are creatively persuasive, charismatic and ideologically concerned. On the negative side, you may be unrealistically sentimental, scattered and impulsive, as well as deviously manipulative. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms. ------ I am NOT deviously manipulative!
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Post by slb2 on Jun 3, 2007 1:27:04 GMT -5
I join company with books and docK.
our distinct personality, The Benevolent Ruler might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You are the idealistic social dreamer. Your overriding goal is to solve the people problems of your world. You are a social reformer who wants everyone to be happy in a world that you can visualize. You are exceptionally perceptive about the woes and needs of humankind. You often have the understanding and skill to readily conceive and implement the solutions to your perceptions. On the positive side, you are creatively persuasive, charismatic and ideologically concerned. On the negative side, you may be unrealistically sentimental, scattered and impulsive, as well as deviously manipulative. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.
And I claim, with strength, that I am, indeed, deviously manipulative. But as to docK's admission about feigning helpless femininity, I'm not feigning. Sometimes my literal mind just doesn't "get" it and it comes off as helples. Hapless would be more appropriate.
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Post by gailkate on Jun 3, 2007 22:59:57 GMT -5
I'm trying to figure out if we've covered all the categories. Presumably we have, as each question had 4 possible answers. So is "going to a good restaurant" the definitive choice? Good rulers have full stomachs?
I'm going to start another quiz tomorrow. Here are the remaining choices: 1. Which movie villain are you? 2. Which Greek god or goddess are you? 3. Which rock star are you?
Unless you have a powerful preference, I think I'll just take them in order. But you might want to start pondering how you'll turn out or which of these you'd like to be. I definitely want to be Diana the Huntress.
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Post by SeattleDan on Jun 4, 2007 0:24:10 GMT -5
1. Alan Rickman in "Die Hard". He's pretty suave.
2. Zeus. Who else?
3. I'm going with Springsteen. I might say something different in the morning.
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