Saturday, November 9, 2013

Legal Pot Industry on brink of breakout…

Monique Rydberg, left, weighs and packages medical marijuana, as Jeff Clark, right, awaits patients at the cash register, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, at The Joint, a medical marijuana cooperative in Seattle. Marijuana businesses are drawing the eye of investors, who see it as a growth industry.

  Good Day World!

 It looks like any other business conference — lots of suits, name badges, a long line to the buffet — except that the 700 people who each paid $599 to be in this conference hall south of Seattle are in an industry unlike any other: marijuana.

The people at this meeting aren’t Cheech and Chong. They’ve come bearing business degrees and investor money, looking for the next great thing.

"This conference is 100 percent focused on business," said Chris Walsh, editor of the Medical Marijuana Business Daily. His publication is sponsoring the National Marijuana Business Conference. Now in its second year, attendance has doubled, and more than 30 exhibitors paid as much as $16,000 to talk about investments, equipment, legal services and accounting.

"There's a lot of other types of shows out there that are for the typical stoners," Walsh said. "This is all business and financial."

The pot business is, well, growing. A Gallup poll shows that U.S. support for legalizing cannabis has reached 58 percent. Election night saw pro-marijuana laws passing in places such as Portland, Maine, and Lansing, Mich.

(See whole story here)

Friday, November 8, 2013

Please tell me how leaking classified information to terrorists makes someone a hero?

           Good Day World!

I’m still trying to understand why Edward Snowden is being treated like a hero by so many people. As his well-wishes gush about freedom and whistleblowers, American’s enemies think they’ve died and gone to heaven!

The world’s terrorist community, led by al Qaeda, have been dancing for joy since Snowden skipped off with classified NSA records. The fact that he’s caused the US so much trouble with its allies alone is enough to make any enemy of America gleeful. 

Still trying to gauge how many American spies have been put at risk. Snowden leaks stuff out a bit at a time, probably at the insistence of his new master Putin (now there’s a nice guy). If you think Putin is letting Snowden stay in Russia for nothing in return you still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!

Snowden may be a hero to people who hate America, but I think he’s a confused punk who got in over his head! What good is coming out of his revelations?

How have they helped Americans? Snowden isn’t the first one to suspect the NSA and other agencies were wiretapping a lot more than they admitted.

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Edward Snowden has more secrets to share, father says after Russia visit

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Face it, every country in the whole world is spying on each other. It’s the 21st century for cripes sake! Cameras are everywhere. Because some uninformed people think Snowden is out to protect the little guys rights, he’s being described as a martyr who’s protecting the US Constitution.

What baloney! He broke his contract, stole sensitive materials, and took off like a thief in the night; hopping from country-to-country until Putin took him into his benevolent arms! A hero? I think not.

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Edward Snowden to start work at Russian website

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You and I will never know the true amount of damage Edward Snowden’s done to America’s security and intelligence community because no one is going to broadcast that information.

Our friend Great Britain has also suffered from information leaked by their journalist of note, Glenn Greenwald, who has become Snowden’s conduit to publication.

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 Terrorists 'rubbing their hands with glee' at Snowden leaks, says UK spy chief

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Time for me to walk on down the road…

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Uninformed Americans believe in partisan propaganda – no surprise!

         Good Day World!

 Try having a conversation with a stranger. Ask them what they think of the current issues facing the Supreme Court. Don’t be surprised if they eye you suspiciously and ask if you’re a Democrat or Republican?

 Chances are, they have no idea of what’s really going on with the Supreme Court, or other important issues facing Congress beyond a blind obeisance to the political brand they follow.

The following article will leave you wondering how this country is ever going to get beyond partisanship and get back to solving real world problems and stop playing stupid games. There was a time when it happened you know. Not so long ago.

If you think the widening chasm between the rich and the rest spells trouble for American democracy, have a look at the growing gulf between the information-rich and-poor.

Earlier this year, a Harvard economist’s jaw-dropping study of American’s beliefs about the distribution of American wealth became a  viral video.  Now a  new Pew study of the distribution of American news consumption is just as flabbergasting.

According to the Harvard study, most people believe that the top 20 percent of the country owns about half the nation’s wealth, and that the lower 60 percent combined, including the 20 percent in the middle, have only about 20 percent of the wealth. 

A whopping 92 percent of Americans think this is out of whack; in the ideal distribution, they said, the lower 60 percent would have about half of the wealth, with the middle 20 percent of the people owning 20 percent of the wealth.

What’s astonishing about this is how wrong Americans are about reality.  In fact, the bottom 80 percent owns only 7 percent of the nation’s wealth, and the top 1 percent hold more of the country’s wealth –  40 percent – than 9 out of 10 people think the top 20 percent should have. 

The top 10 percent of earners take home  half the income of the country; in 2012, the top 1 percent earned more than a fifth of U.S. income – the highest share since the government began collecting the data a century ago.

But America’s information inequality is at least as shocking as its economic inequality. Read the whole story here

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Discover the true story of the real ‘Lone Ranger’

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The real “Lone Ranger,” it turns out, was an African American man named Bass Reeves, who the legend was based upon.

Perhaps not surprisingly, many aspects of his life were written out of the story, including his ethnicity. The basics remained the same: a lawman hunting bad guys, accompanied by a Native American, riding on a white horse, and with a silver trademark.

Historians of the American West have also, until recently, ignored the fact that this man was African American, a free black man who headed West to find himself less subject to the racist structure of the established Eastern and Southern states.

While historians have largely overlooked Reeves, there have been a few notable works on him. Vaunda Michaux Nelson’s book, Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, won the 2010 Coretta Scott King Award for best author.

Arthur Burton released an overview of the man’s life a few years ago. Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves recounts that Reeves was born into a life of slavery in 1838. His slave-keeper brought him along as another personal servant when he went off to fight with the Confederate Army, during the Civil War.

Reeves took the chaos that ensued during the war to escape for freedom, after beating his “master” within an inch of his life, or according to some sources, to death. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this escape was that Reeves only beat his enslaver after the latter lost sorely at a game of cards with Reeves and attacked him.

After successfully defending himself from this attack, he knew that there was no way he would be allowed to live if he stuck around.

Reeves fled to the then Indian Territory of today’s Oklahoma and lived harmoniously among the Seminole and Creek Nations of Native American Indians.

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After the Civil War finally concluded, he married and eventually fathered ten children, making his living as a Deputy U.S. Marshall in Arkansas and the Indian Territory. If this surprises you, it should, as Reeves was the first African American to ever hold such a position.

Burton explains that it was at this point that the Lone Ranger story comes in to play. Reeves was described as a “master of disguises”. He used these disguises to track down wanted criminals, even adopting similar ways of dressing and mannerisms to meet and fit in with the fugitives, in order to identify them.

Reeves kept and gave out silver coins as a personal trademark of sorts, just like the Lone Ranger’s silver bullets. Of course, the recent Disney adaptation of the Lone Ranger devised a clever and meaningful explanation for the silver bullets in the classic tales. For the new Lone Ranger, the purposes was to not wantonly expend ammunition and in so doing devalue human life.

But in the original series, there was never an explanation given, as this was simply something originally adapted from Reeves’ personal life and trademarking of himself. For Reeves, it had a very different meaning, he would give out the valuable coins to ingratiate himself to the people wherever he found himself working, collecting bounties. In this way, a visit from the real “Lone Ranger” meant only good fortune for the town: a criminal off the street and perhaps a lucky silver coin.

Like the Lone Ranger, Reeves was also expert crack shot with a gun. According to legend, shooting competitions had an informal ban on allowing him to enter. Like the Lone Ranger, Reeves rode a white horse throughout almost all of his career, at one point riding a light grey one as well.

Like the famed Lone Ranger legend Reeves had his own close friend like Tonto. Reeves’ companion was a Native American posse man and tracker who he often rode with, when he was out capturing bad guys. In all, there were close to 3000 of such criminals they apprehended, making them a legendary duo in many regions.

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The final proof that this legend of Bass Reeves directly inspired into the story of the Lone Ranger can be found in the fact that a large number of those criminals were sent to federal prison in Detroit.

The Lone Ranger radio show originated and was broadcast to the public in 1933 on WXYZ in Detroit where the legend of Reeves was famous only two years earlier.

Of course, WXYZ and the later TV and movie adaptions weren’t about to make the Lone Ranger an African American who began his career by beating a slave-keeper to death. But now you know. Spread the word and let people know the real legend of the Lone Ranger.

story via Political Blindspot

Hey Paulie! The Man Who Would be President is a Plagiarizer

Senator Rand Paul, R-KY, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on October 16, 2013.

Good Day World!

 Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants to be the next president of the United States, but he has a problem: he plagiarizes others works and calls them his own.

In the last ten days evidence of Paul’s proclivity to steal other peoples words has come to public light over and over and over and over and over again.

Yesterday, Andrew Kaczynski found yet another instance in which part of the senator’s most recent book plagiarized an article from Forbes magazine.

With new revelations popping up at least once a day, the Kentucky Republican decided to address the controversy by talking to the New York Times Tuesday:

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who in recent weeks has had to explain a series of plagiarism charges, said in an interview Tuesday that he was being held to an unfair standard, but that there would be an office “restructuring” to prevent future occurrences.

Sitting in a conference room in his Senate office complex, Mr. Paul, drawn and clearly shaken by the plagiarism charges, offered a mix of contrition and defiance…. Acknowledging that his office had “made mistakes,” he said he was putting a new system in place to ensure that all of his materials are properly footnoted and cited.

The quotes in the Times piece are remarkable, in that it seems the senator feels put upon – as if having to play by the same rules as high-school kids who are taught not to present others’ work as their own is some kind of imposition.

“What we are going to do from here forward, if it will make people leave me the hell alone, is we’re going to do them like college papers,” Paul told the Times.

The senator’s office, despite numerous instances of blatant plagiarism, will not dismiss any of the staffers responsible, but it will adopt what a senior adviser called a “new approval process” for works “going forward.”

As for how and why Paul has had so much trouble in this area, the senator told the Times he’s very busy. “We need to get stuff earlier, but it’s hard,” Paul said. “We probably take on more than we should be doing.”

It’s an odd defense. There are 99 other senators, all of whom give speeches and write op-eds, but none of whom find it “hard” to avoid plagiarism.

For that matter, let’s also not forget that Paul has national ambitions – he sees himself as the next president of the United States. If he’s taking on too much now, and is so busy he and his team feel the need to plagiarize, what does it tell voters about the senator’s ability to effectively oversee an enormous professional operation? article source

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Rallies held around the world to protest corruption, corporations –Anonymous holds Million Mask March

Masked marchers gathered in front of the White House Tuesday to protest against corporations and corruption in government as part of similar rallies held around the world on Guy Fawkes Day, Nov. 5 — which is primarily celebrated in the United Kingdom.

Members of the hacking activist group Anonymous called for demonstrations in more than 450 locations around the world as part of a Million Mask March on the day that marks the anniversary of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot that failed to blow up the English Parliament.

Protesters in Washington, D.C., made their way to Pennsylvania Avenue chanting, "Obama. Come out. We've got some s*** to talk about," among other things.

Jon Croteau, of Washington, D.C., said he was demonstrating to make his voice heard.

"We just want the government to represent the people," he said. 

A woman from Pennsylvania who gave her name only as Death's Maiden, said it was important for her to push for a better future for her 10-year-old daughter.

Several protesters held signs denouncing the National Security Agency's spying programs.

In D.C., the protest kicked off at the Washington Monument, and demonstrators marched to the White House from there. Rallies were also expected to take place in major cities such as London, Amsterdam, Cairo, Mumbai and others.

On Facebook, the official event description reads: “Remember who your enemies are: Billionaires who own banks and corporations who corrupt politicians who enslave the people in injustice.”

The real Guy Fawkes was arrested on Nov. 5, 1605, after British authorities tipped off by an anonymous letter found him guarding explosives meant to blow up the House of Lords and assassinate King James. Fawkes was tortured and executed on Jan. 31, 1606.

via NBC NEWS

Once upon a time it really was like ‘Flying the Friendly Skies’

Good Day World!

Once upon a time – in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and the 60s - flying was a magical experience for travelers. It was a real treat to fly anywhere! When I think about what it’s like flying today, I get nostalgic.

Lunatics are shooting up airports – LAX recently – and passengers are getting less service for higher prices! As the holidays draw near prices to fly soar, and the chance of getting stuck in an airport of the holidays is greater than ever before.

It’s hard to believe the difference. You had to be there to compare. I’ve assembled some airline posters and post cards to give you a small peek of what it was like.

Vintage Airline Travel Posters Reflect the Glory and Radiate the "Golden Rays" of Romance.
Hawaiian postcard (below) from United Airlines in 1940 (including wonderfully cheerful hula dancer poster). "Guests to the Hawaiian Islands were greeted by the Hula, an expressive sort of Polynesian dance."

(images via 1, 2)

(images via)

(images via 1, 2)

The "Western Air Express" flies over San Fransisco (left image) - buy this glorious poster here... While the Braniff Airways poster brings memories of King Kong swiping away pesky biplanes in the Manhattan skies (center image). And then, there is the ultimate luxury treatment - "Fly the Rolls Royce Way to London!”

(images via 1, 2)

(images via 1, 2, 3)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, November 4, 2013

Venomous spiders found in supermarket bananas!

Brazilian Wandering Spider (© Apex Photo Agency/Rex Features)

Yikes!

Consi Taylor was halfway through a banana when she saw a white spot on the skin, which she thought was a patch of mold.

That thought is gross enough, but then the "spot" burst open and baby spiders started scurrying across the fruit (and here's where we threw up in our mouths a little).

The British woman told the staff at Sainsbury's supermarket about their spider-infested offerings and they gave her a $15 coupon. But when she sent a picture of the spiders to a pest-control company, things got REALLY scary.

Taylor was told that those unwanted little nasties could be Brazilian Wandering Spiders, which have been called the most venomous spiders in the world. According to SKY News, those particular arachnids can be "extremely aggressive" and a bite from them can "trigger loss of muscle control, breathing problems, paralysis and eventual asphyxiation."

Sainsbury's not only apologized to the family, but put them up in a hotel and paid for their entire home to be fumigated. So, apples are pretty great this time of year, huh? [Source]

Pets still dying from jerky treats: experts call it a mystery, I call bull sh*t on the experts!

       Good Day World!

After six years, the FDA has still failed to ban chicken jerky treats from China even though they continue to kill American pets. I’m tired of the excuses being offered. What I want to know is who is benefiting from selling these deadly jerky treats?

Then I want to know why the FDA can’t see what thousands of pet owners and veterinarians nationwide have been seeing: over 600 animals dead, 3,600 sickened from the latest outbreak according to this FDA update.

Five years of testing. Nothing.

Snatched from NBC news:

FDA officials and veterinary experts who’ve been tracking the problem say it’s just not that easy. The FDA can’t force product recalls without a reason, said Martine Hartogensis, a deputy director at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. And so far, the FDA and a network of veterinary labs have failed to find a specific problem.

“To date, testing for contaminants in jerky treats has not revealed a cause for the illnesses,” Hartogensis told NBC News.

It’s not for lack of trying, said Lisa Murphy, an assistant professor of toxicology at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, one of nearly a dozen labs nationwide assisting the FDA. Since 2007, but especially in the past two years, the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, Vet-LIRN, has been riveted on the issue, she said.

“It’s extremely frustrating for everybody involved,” Murphy said. “A lot of really smart people with a lot of expertise are looking at this. I can tell you a lot of things that this is probably not, but to the general public, that’s not a very satisfying answer.”

Meanwhile, we continue to allow these toxic treats to be sold. Where’s the accountability? How many more pets must die before someone puts a stop to this?

The FDA had the chance to ban jerky pet treats from the U.S. market last year, when officials at five Chinese plants that make jerky treats wouldn’t let American inspectors collect samples of the products. U.S. regulations allow the agency to refuse entry to products if they’re not allowed to inspect them.

But, nothing happened.

Time for me to walk on down the street…

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Lakers hang on and beat Atlanta at Staples Center!

The Lakers held on for a close win, but a win is a win.

 

They’re 2-2. Which is a better start that last season. Henry looked good as a starter and scored 18 points, but Pau Gasol was the man with the clutch free throws in the waning seconds.

It’s not a win the Lakers are going to brag about. Here’s Five things to take from Lakers’ 105-103 win over Atlanta Hawks

Schush! The Art of Extreme Sleeping…

   Good Day World!

 It’s Sunday morning, and you just woke up from a good night’s sleep…or not!

 Perhaps you had to sleep in an awkward place and you’re thinking no one can sleep well where you had to sleep last night.

 You’d be surprised.

 Some people are into extreme (call it uncomfortable) sleep. Like any extreme activity, it requires the nerves of steel, good choice of timing, location and the absence of suspicious cops.

All this however is easier to achieve, because you are, well... asleep, so you can trust the unseen powers to take care of the rest.

Long & restful sleep is by no means guaranteed, but perhaps somebody someone will take your picture and you'll wake up famous…or, at the very least, on my blog!

 

 

 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...