AS IT STANDS

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A whole lotta heart: man with two hearts survives double seizures

Good Day Humboldt County!

Today’s revelation, at least to me, is that a person can have two hearts. Did you know that?

I’m reminded of Dean R. Koontz’s Frankenstein series where all of his creations have two hearts. It make them stronger in the book, but I doubt it has the same effect on this guy.

Turns out two hearts can be double trouble. I was thinking about some really silly situations like when you fall in love with two hearts it must be a powerful experience, or when someone says, “I don’t have the heart for this,” you could say, “That’s alright. Use the other one!”

I’ve never met someone with two hearts. I’ve met people with no hearts (seemingly) and big hearts. Anyway, I thought you might find this story interesting.

Man with two hearts survives double-sized attack

“At first there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about the man who, in 2010, reported to a Verona, Italy emergency room. He was short of breath, sweating, and had low blood pressure – cardiovascular trouble, no doubt. E.R. doctors see similar symptoms all the time.

But this man was very different indeed. He had two hearts. “We haven’t ever seen anything similar to this case before,” Dr. Giacomo Mugnai said in an email. It turned out that a few years earlier, the man had undergone a procedure known as a heterotopic heart transplant. Unlike an orthotopic transplant, in which one organ is removed and another put in its place, a heterotopic transplant pairs a new organ with a diseased one.”

Time to walk on down the road…

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

SOPA Controversy: Columnist has point about people stealing his work

I was reading Bob Sullivan’s article Stop pirating my stories about SOPA, or I'll have to support it today when something struck me:

People pirate my columns all the time! My most recent column

In a twist of irony Big Pharma helping to get pot legalized

was picked up by 15 web sites the day it came out.

More have been added since, but you get my point. This happens all the time. About four years ago when I first started noticing websites picking up my columns without asking permission, I contacted them and complained.

I was ignored and no one responded. They must have felt it was okay to pirate my stuff. Freedom of the Internet and all. As the years went by, my thinking evolved on the subject, and I came to the conclusion that having my columns picked up by other sources gave me more exposure and opened up new paths to explore.

Granted, I don’t look at each visit to my blog as a revenue source like Bob Sullivan. I blog purely for fun and that’s why you don’t see ads here. It’s how Bob makes his living however, and I understand where he’s coming from. He’s tired of people picking up his stuff without so much as link to the original and losing money on top of it.

Wouldn’t you be?

Related story: Are websites' SOPA blackouts an 'abuse of power'?

I’m opposed to SOPA and will be until my dying breath, but I think more can be done to deal with the offending individuals on the internet. It’s not right to blanket all internet users for the sins of a minority.

As It Stands, there’s no reason to bring a bazooka to a gunfight and take the chance of killing innocent bystanders.

'Blair Witch' star hoping to turn pot-growing story into TV series

Wow! You Grow Girl!

Here’s a new TV series I wouldn’t mind following:

“Heather Donahue, who starred in "The Blair Witch Project," is hoping to turn her medical marijuana business into a quirky new TV drama. The actress quit show business to grow marijuana legally in California, and she has written a book, "Grow Girl," about her experiences as a farmer.

The publicity has sparked fresh interest in Donahue, and she's hoping to return to Hollywood as the writer-producer of a new series. She tells BlogTalkRadio.com, "I would very much like to develop 'Grow Girl' into a television series. ... As a matter of fact, it's something that I am working on right now. I will not be in front of the camera, but I'm creating the series. It's a little bit 'Northern Exposure,' a little bit 'Little House on the Prairie,' but naked with hot tubs! It's sexy, a little bit illicit ... and also wholesome. There is such a wonderful set of characters and so many stories to be told."

Donahue feels the time is right for a good mainstream pot-growing series: "My friend, who is a wonderful writer, actually, sold a pot-lady buddy comedy to Natalie Portman's company called 'Best Buds.'"

(news source)

Listen Up People! Avoid fatal distractions while walking…

Good Day Humboldt County!

I wrote a column recently addressing the dangers of MP3 players – Plugged In: What makes people think they won’t go deaf? (see list of my columns on left side of the page) where I looked at the damage headphones/earbuds present to a person’s hearing if overused.

I ran across a national study yesterday that took a look at the dangers associated with pedestrian use of headphones. Losing your hearing is one thing, but your life is a lot more precious. The following study is sobering, but also instructive. Do you know someone that fits the description observed in this study? You might want to share this study with them.

Dr. Richard Lichenstein, director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children in Baltimore cited 116 cases in 2010 of pedestrian’s wearing headphones who were killed by vehicles and trains.

The results of the study were published Tuesday in the journal Injury Prevention.

The number of deaths of people wearing headphones increased from 16 in 2004-2005 to 47 in 2010-2011.
The majority were male (68 percent) and 67 percent were under the age of 30.
The majority of vehicles involved were trains (55 percent).
89 percent of cases occurred in urban counties.

Lichenstein and three researchers delved into the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Google News Archives and Westlaw Campus Research Database from Jan. 1, 2004 to June 1, 2011.

As It Stands, the findings were no surprise to me: Wearing headphones while walking on roads can be a fatal distraction. Duh….

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Big Brother tries to bully protestor and then cites ‘Lynching Law’

In the case of Sergio Ballesteros, authorities in California have resorting to an old law that was meant for something else to take away his civil liberties. This is just another reason why people across the nation are demonstrating against the power elite.

It’s enough like 1984 to pass the sniff test…it stinks. Then I see headlines like this:

Syria's 'Big Brother' looms over a tense capital

…and they make me wonder, are we so different? Aren’t we fighting Big Brother too? The answer is the 99 ers who are going to force the damn pols into change…one way or the other.

“Sergio Ballesteros, 30, has been involved in Occupy LA since the movement had its California launch in October. But this week, his activism took an abrupt turn when he was arrested on a felony charge — lynching.

Under the California penal code, lynching is “taking by means of a riot of any person from the lawful custody of any peace officer," where "riot" is defined as two or more people threatening violence or disturbing the peace. The original purpose of the legal code section 405a was to protect defendants in police custody from vigilante mobs — especially black defendants from racist groups.

Whether its use in this case will be upheld by California’s courts is uncertain. But the felony charge — which carries a potential four-year prison sentence — is the kind of accusation that can change the landscape for would-be demonstrators.” (Read more here)

Ballesteros is not the first protester to face this 1933 California law. Occupy Oakland activist Tiffany Tran, 23, was arrested Dec. 30 and charged with "lynching." At an arraignment four days later, prosecutors opted not to file the charges, the San Francisco Bay Guardian reported. They could change their minds until the one-year statute of limitations expires.

2012 The Year of the Recall? Multiple state officials targeted in Wis.

Will Gov. Scott Walker be number three (state Governor recalled) in American history?

Groups seeking to recall Gov. Scott Walker submitted nearly twice as many signatures Tuesday as required to force an election.

It’s looking like the election will happen in May or June. See Group submits 1M signatures to recall Wis. governor

Besides Gray Davis in 2003, the only other successful recall of a governor in the nation's history was North Dakota Gov. Lynn Frazier in 1921.

STORY: Recall organizers seek Walker opponent

What makes the recalls of 2011 so unique is the focused nature of multiple state officials targeted at once. Historically, recalls were aimed at one specific legislator. "Recall is usually an individual matter, rather than a group sport," said Gary Moncrief, a political science professor at Boise State University who studies state legislatures, in a recent interview.

Recall sponsors filed signatures on petitions targeting 9 state senators - 6 Republican and 3 Democratic. Challenges were filed in all 9 of those campaigns, and the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board approved the six campaigns against Republicans at meetings on May 23 and May 31, and approved the three campaigns against Democrats on June 8.

Anybody want to take bets that some legislators are going to loose their jobs this year?

Giving Blood: Despite recent American Red Cross controversy it’s still the right thing to do

Good Day Humboldt County!

Donating blood is a personal decision. Some of us do and some of us don’t. In recent years I’ve averaged a half dozen annual visits to the Mobile Blood van when it comes to McKinleyville.

They seem to like my B-Positive donations and I tell myself I’m helping someone with my blood. It’s a feel-good thing that takes little effort on my part, but could be crucial to someone else. So, it’s only natural that I get concerned when I read stories that claim the American Red Cross has been fined for unsafe blood management practices. Even more troubling, this is the second time in two years they have been warned to improve their blood collection methods.

I noted that the article was talking about offices on the east coast, and in no way suggested we have any problems on the west coast in Humboldt County. I will continue to donate despite this bad press. It’s a chance I feel is worth taking. I do precious little for people other than to attempt to entertain them with my words. My social circle is mostly family, but I still like to contribute to society somehow. If my blood saves a life then I can say I’ve made a worthy contribution.

If you’ve heard about the mistakes the American Red Cross has had, please don’t let it harden your heart. Don’t cut off the whole organization because of problems in some offices. Take a moment and go here to see the great things the agency has done and continues to do.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a few moments with me.

Time to walk on down the road…

Monday, January 16, 2012

A poem about taxation reflects the mood of the nation

A friend sent me this poem today from Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel. I thought you might enjoy it as much as I do:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
Peanuts anyway!

          Tax his cow,
               Tax his goat,
                 Tax his pants,
                    Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

          Tax his cigars,
              Tax his beers,
              If he cries
              Tax his tears.

             Tax his car,
             Tax his gas,
             Find other ways
             To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Sexology Magazine: During the 1960s Sex was Tied Into Everything!

Some things never change eh? Here’s 3 issues that came out when I was in high school. For more past issues go here.

Things are so tense in Iran you better not buy a Barbie Doll!

Good day Humboldt County!

With increasing pressure coming from the U.S. and U.N. to abandon Iran’s suspected nuke aspirations, the common person in Iran is affected by the imposed sanctions.

When the government tells them what toys they can and can’t buy, some people resist. The Israel-US war drill was postponed over Iran tensions according to U.S. government sources. Iran is also waging a culture war that is ramping up everyday.

Iran cracks down on moral peril of Barbie peddlers

Iran's morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said on Monday. As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear program, inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a "soft war" against decadent cultural influences.

"About three weeks ago they (the morality police) came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies," said a shopkeeper in a toy shop in northern Tehran. Iran's religious rulers first declared Barbie, made by U.S. company Mattel Inc, un-Islamic in 1996, citing its "destructive cultural and social consequences." Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops. The new order, issued around three weeks ago, forced shopkeepers to hide the leggy, busty blonde behind other toys as a way of meeting popular demand for the dolls while avoiding being closed down by the police.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

In a twist of irony Big Pharma helping to get pot legalized

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard
Marijuana won’t be legalized just because every other American smokes or eats it in some form. Think brownies, cookies, candy, or cake.
Despite a record-high 50 percent of Americans saying they use marijuana and it should be made legal, it’s still illegal.
Because an overwhelming majority of Americans are for legalization means absolutely nothing. The federal government, with it’s Orwellian logic, is unfazed by what Americans really want.
For those who don’t know why marijuana is illegal in this country, it’s because of politics and outright lies by a crazed anti-pot crusader named Harry J. Anslinger.
Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings. Not even close. Banning pot was a political thing. For more history go to; http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/LIBRARY/studies/nc/nc2.htm

The first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate. Those who voted then got one side of the story based upon racism, fear, protection of corporate profits, and yellow journalism inspired by Anslinger.
We can thank incompetent, and/or corrupt legislators interested in personal career advancement and greed for the continued war on marijuana. Despite the medical findings associated with marijuana, it still hasn’t been legalized nationwide. Anslinger’s propaganda still pulls weight among many legislators.
Politicians like to appear tough on crime and pass tougher penalties for marijuana possession. The taxpayers end up funding the pot propaganda, while their speech is stifled on the subject by the corporate media.
Laws are passed based upon political contributions from corporations that profit from marijuana being illegal like pharmaceuticals and alcohol.
So what makes me think that marijuana will be legal in America some day? I’ve written on this subject for two decades and I’ve always made it a point to show why Big Pharma doesn’t want marijuana legal.

Well guess what? Big Pharma has taken a new course (perhaps they planned it this way all along) and is seriously eyeing the profitability of the medical marijuana market. It’s already using lobbyists and government connections to ensure control. That means legalization at some point.
Last April, two drug manufacturing giants, G.W. Pharmaceuticals (a worldwide corporation based in the UK with offices in the US) and Novartis (a worldwide corporation Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland with offices in the US), announced they had formed an alliance to license and market GW's Sativex, a liquid cannabis drug. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032547_medical_marijuana_Big_Pharma.html#ixzz1hJ12CvJP.
The American Independent recently observed, “…the pharmaceutical giants' strategy as regards marijuana seems to be "demonize it, prosecute it, shut it down, then grab the market."
The idea that a drug can be denounced as evil in one context but hailed as a medical miracle if sold within the pharmaceutical system is nothing new. Big Pharma's magic cure pills for ADHD bear a suspicious chemical resemblance to speed.

Cannabis Science, Inc., a US biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis products, recently reported that two former US Attorneys, and the former head of Seattle FBI, are in favor of Washington State Initiative 502 to legalize marijuana.
So you see we are moving towards legalization. Not because you or I want it, but because Big Pharma has finally decided the time is here to profitably exploit marijuana. Look to the media this year for more reports like Cannabis Science’s (or other corporations) backing marijuana legalization in other states.
Big Pharma won’t be the only corporate giant cashing in on legal cannabis crops. The retail and food industry will probably step in with their deep pockets, providing unfair competition to small time growers.
The dot.com industry was once the fastest way to get rich, but I suspect the future holds a new crop of instant millionaire CEOs when marijuana is legalized. It won’t be because the American people have finally convinced legislators to do the right thing. That only happens in the movies.
As It Stands, despite the real possibility of monopolies when marijuana becomes legal, there are at least two upsides. The Feds expensive and losing war on marijuana will end, and it’ll cripple the Mexican cartels lucrative marijuana trade in the U.S.