A New Year’s Surprise… our home’s forced-air heating system stopped working!

Good Day World!

Yep…started 2014 with a challenge.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…I’m trying real hard to see our heater dying as a good sign, rather than a foreboding glance into the year ahead!

It’s about 28 degrees outside and it feels like the same inside! So cold…

Perhaps it’s the worst thing that’ll happen this year - and only good times lie ahead. Thinking positive now as I sit here shuddering.

Have you ever had to repair/replace a home forced-air heating system? I’m not stupid enough to think I can fix the problem, so my wife and I (after considering numerous options) settled for contacting the company that put it in (guided by a sticker on the unit) today.

Brilliant huh?

I can’t wait to see if it’s something relatively easy and inexpensive to fix, or of we’ll have to spend our kids inheritance on it! Better that, than having to wear my Elmer Fudd hat inside the house the rest of the winter!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

As It Stands Wishes You A Happy New Year!

  Good Day World!

 Happy New Year!

   from Dave & Shirley

 “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanks for stopping by on New Year’s Eve

   Good Day World!

 On this last day of 2013, I want to talk about auctions.

 Live auctions or online, it doesn’t matter…I enjoy seeing how people price objects. I watch any TV show that hints of an auction.

I dream that someday I’m going to run across some great deal on an item in a yard sale, and it’s going to be worth millions when I get it appraised! Or, at the very least, it’ll be worth more than what I paid for it!

 From the finest art to the funkiest memorabilia, most everything can be had for the right price, as the 2013 auction season again proved.

According to data compiled by Bloomberg News, the top 10 auction lots of 2013 raised $752.2 million, a 27 percent increase from 2012.

The biggest prize of all was Francis Bacon's "Three Studies of Lucian Freud."

The bidding for the 1969 triptych at Christie's auction house in New York City reached $142.2 million, making the piece the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.

The buyer remains unknown, but "Lucian Freud" is currently on public display at Portland Art Museum in Oregon. The next time I take a trip up to Portland I hope to spend a little more time so I can check it out.

Thank you for stopping by on this last day of 2013.

It’s been a record year for viewership, and we’re closing in on two million views! (Check my stat meter out to the right – almost made it this year). Not bad for a independent blogger who entered into cyberspace five years ago (2008).

As It Stands…I wish you a Happy New Year!

 

Legalizing Marijuana: What other states will get on board in 2014?

Good Day World!

 A couple of things before we get started:

 A loyal reader of this blog has chastised me for not giving an explanation why I didn’t post something on Saturday. My apologies for this lack of continuity. There…are you happy Jocko!

 Two, after reading today’s post on marijuana legalization, you’ll want to read the post prior to this one: I have some news for you that you probably didn’t see anywhere else in the mainstream media (unless you were looking real hard like my contact, Darby, at LEAP was).

MEASURES TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA PASSED

“Marijuana proponents scored significant victories as voters around the country passed ballot measures decriminalizing marijuana possession and approved regulatory taxes on the drug.

In Colorado, voters backed a heavy tax on recreational marijuana, which was made legal here last year. The tax will pay for the cost of overseeing the state’s marijuana industry as well as school construction.

Voters in three Michigan cities approved measures legalizing the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by adults on private property, following Detroit and Flint, which passed similar measures last year.

And voters in Portland, Me., passed an ordinance legalizing the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana by adults over 21, making it the first East Coast city to pass such a law, advocates said.

The victories are widely seen as fuel for the legalization movement, which has chipped away at state drug laws over the past decade and has vowed to push for more changes from state legislatures.

“A majority of Americans now agree that marijuana should be legal for adults, and this was reflected at the polls,” said Mason Tvert, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, one of the main groups behind the legislative initiatives across the country.

“There is clearly momentum behind marijuana policy reform,” Mr. Tvert said. “We expect to see these kinds of measures passing across the nation over the next several years.”

Marijuana supporters saw little opposition during this election cycle — evidence, they said, that public sentiment is shifting in favor of less stringent drug laws.

In Ferndale, Mich., nearly 70 percent of voters approved an ordinance legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. And in the city of Jackson, 60 percent of residents supported a similar measure.

In Lansing, where the mayor backed legalization, unofficial election results showed the measure there winning handily, with 8,550 voters supporting it and 5,339 opposing.

Chuck Ream, co-founder of the Safer Michigan Coalition, which has pushed for legalization for years, said he was struck by how easily the local ordinances passed. “They were all landslides,” Mr. Ream said.

He said advocates had gained momentum to push for a proposal pending in Michigan’s statehouse that would make it a misdemeanor to possess small amounts of marijuana. “We certainly hope that the Legislature will act immediately to pass the decriminalization law for the entire state of Michigan, now that they see that voters absolutely don’t support prohibition any longer,” he said.

Similarly, in Portland, Maine’s largest city, marijuana advocates said their victory — by nearly 30 percentage points — would help persuade lawmakers to pass legislation to regulate marijuana and alcohol in a similar manner.” (Read the rest of the story here)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

California AG Proposes Marijuana Legalization Law

 Good Day World!

It appears new opportunities are cropping up for marijuana legalization in California.

My contact with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Darby Beck, passed this interesting information on to me. I’m sharing it with you because it could lead to legalization and you probably won’t find this story in the main stream media.

I’ve had the honor of being in touch with LEAP for years. At the bottom of this post I’ve included a couple of links so you can learn more about the organization and ask any questions you might have. 

The Attorney General of California has prepared the following title and summary of the chief
purpose and points of the proposed measure:

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION - INITIATIVE STATUTE

“Legalizes under state law marijuana use, growth, cultivation, possession, transportation, storage, or sale. Creates commission to regulate, and provide business licenses for, marijuana cultivation, sales, processing, transportation, and distribution.

Applies retail sales taxes to marijuana, unless exemptions for medical or dietary uses apply. Allocates revenues equally among education, healthcare, law enforcement/fire, drug abuse education/treatment, commission expenses.

Prohibits discrimination against marijuana users or businesses. Requires voter approval to zone
beyond set limits. Bars state/local aid to enforce federal or state marijuana laws. Exempts
existing medical marijuana collectives from licensing, regulatory, and local zoning requirements.

Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state
and local government:

“Reduced costs in the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually to
state and local governments related to enforcing certain marijuana-related offenses,
handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising
certain marijuana offenders.

Potential net additional tax revenues in the low hundreds of
millions of dollars annually related to the production and sale of marijuana, a portion of
which is required to be spent on education, health care, public safety, drug abuse education
and treatment, and the regulation of commercial marijuana activities.” (13-0025.)

For more information contact Darby Beck, Media Relations Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com  or e-mail darby.beck@leap.cc

Time for me to walk on down the road…

New Species Discovered in 2013: An odd animal roundup reminder

Good Day World!

 Amazing as it may seem, scientists keep finding new species of animals – well, at least new to mankind. They’ve been out there all along.

Every year we get to hear about things like spiders as big as our faces or beautifully colored frogs that will poison us if we even touch them.

I love this time of year when everyone is making up lists about what happened throughout the year. This year is one of my favorites: 

“On remote forest tree-tops and in deep Arctic oceans, researchers spotted and identified a varied collection of new species in 2013.

Among them: a "cocoa frog" from Suriname, a shark that walks, and a tarantula the size of a dinner plate.

Though this year’s haul of new species runs into the thousands, researchers estimate that there are about 8 million species still unidentified by science skulking in remote corners of the world, and sometimes hiding out right under scientists' noses.

And that’s not including most of the microbial world. "When you throw in the bacteria and archaea and cyanobacteria and those early groups, all bets are off," Quentin Wheeler, incoming president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and founder of the International Institute for Species Exploration, told NBC News.

Science is catching up with Mother Nature — but slowly. About 18,000 species are discovered every year, and as of 2013, "we’re fast approaching 2 million named things," Wheeler said.” (Read whole story here)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

A wink at the weirdest political moments of 2013

Good Day World!

 In another year marked by a steady stream of gaffes, scandals, and strange controversies, the late night comedy pros have had no drought of material from Washington, D.C., as the stars of our nation’s body politic continued to say goofy things into microphones on a shockingly regular basis.

Here are three of the eleven most bizarre quotes for 2013. They’re head scratching, strange moments, in the words of the men and women who brought them to you:

“I knew that by putting something out as a tweet that I deleted that the press would see it, and if they could read something into what was an innocent tweet about how hot Cyndi Lauper was as a performer, that it would get the press’s attention, and it did in a monster way.” – Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., April 12.

“I will eat them anywhere. I do so like green eggs and ham. Thank you, thank you, Sam I Am!”  - Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Sept. 24.

“The most shocking part of the story was learning that there is a vegan strip club in Portland.” – Cory Booker spokesman Kevin Griffis, Sept. 25.

Read the whole story here

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Marry Christmas from As It Stands!

 Good Day World!

 Merry Christmas to everyone in the world, and may you enjoy peace and love in abundance.

 Wherever you may be, I hope the seasons blessings are upon thee!

 Thank you for stopping by.

It’s the day before Christmas & throughout Lakerdom there’s little hope for a Christmas Day miracle!

 Good Day World!

The seriously depleted Laker squad this season is a collection of castoffs and young players with good attitudes and limited skills.

There will be no Kobe Bryant to give them at least one superstar on the court Christmas Day when they play against the powerhouse Miami Heat.

For fans such as myself, these are the down days of a once proud Laker dynasty. I cringe when they play anyone now. Teams that used to mean automatic wins are now clobbering the mismatched group of Lakers who are trying to get by without a point guard.

If Farmer comes back from his hamstring injury on Christmas Day I don’t expect much from him. The only upside will be he’s a point guard. I couldn’t believe what happened when Coach Di’ Antonio reached down into the D-League and brought in a point guard for the last game against Golden State.

The guy, I refuse to use his name (Kendall Marshal), lasted for several plays. He managed to get a foul called on him, and then was ejected from the game in mere minutes! This is the kind of season it’s been for the hapless Lakers.

Pau Gasol played despite a lingering upper respiratory infection played against the Suns last night and scored a season low 10 points before retiring. Who knows if he’s going to be up to playing again on Christmas Day? The Suns ran them off the court 117 to 90.

So, that leaves us with guys like Jodie Meeks playing starting point guard. His backups, Henry and Young, are not point guards either. Jordan Hill, who has been playing well of late, will really have a challenge on his hands guarding Miami Heat Center, Chris Bosch.

But you know what? I’m going to have my Laker/Santa Claus hat on with my Laker robe this Christmas Day hoping for a miracle for my team…the Los Angeles Lakers! What else can a true fan do?

MERRY CHRISTMAS – I’ll see you on December 27th.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Decorated Combat Veteran on a Mission for Medical Marijuana

Good Day World!

 As a combat veteran with PTSD, I closely follow any new treatments that come up in the news.

Two trends have recently captured my interest because they’re non-traditional means of dealing with my condition.

                                           (Photo Credit: TheGoodSoldier.com / Perry Parks)

They are, PTSD dogs and medical marijuana.

I’ve got a news item on the topic of medical marijuana which is really making the rounds on the social media circuit today: 

“Perry Parks, a Vietnam combat veteran and highly decorated retired military officer of 28 years, says killing is an unnatural act.

If you take the average person off the street, he said, he will not be able to point a gun at somebody and pull the trigger.

“They have to be trained to kill, so most people will pull the gun up at the last minute and miss,” Parks said, noting that the U.S. military got hip to this trend following WWI, when which soldiers subconsciously missed the mark about 75 percent of the time.

Combat training has since been altered to better teach people to kill. Instead of fixed bullseye targets, soldiers now practice shooting at popup human silhouettes. But whether or not a person has been trained to kill, the brutality of war can leave a dark and sometimes permanent mark on their psyche.

Parks, like 30 percent of all Vietnam War vets and at least 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, left the army with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

He was featured in the 2009 Emmy Award-winning documentary, The Good Soldier, which follows five combat vets, each from a different American war, as they sign up, go to battle, then eventually become disillusioned with war and rethink what it means to be a “good soldier.” In the film, Parks explains how the act of killing later torments so many combat veterans, himself included.

Now, Parks is leading the national fight to allow veterans to access cannabis. He is the former president of the North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network, which focuses on medical marijuana policy reform in the state, and continues to work with the organization as a legislative liaison. His primary job is to reach out to state officials and raise money for the organization.

While 20 states and Washington D.C. have legalized medical marijuana, only a few of those states grant medical marijuana access to people with PTSD—and Parks lives in North Carolina where the use of the herb for any purpose is restricted and severely enforced.

Take Josh Cook, a veteran from North Carolina who was injured in Iraq and medically discharged when he began to experience seizures. After trying a series of legal seizure medications, Cook found that cannabis alone helped; in fact, it stopped his seizures altogether for eight months. But in January the local police showed up at Cook’s door and asked to search his house. He agreed, and the cops found an electric coffee bean grinder Cook had been using to grind his marijuana. Cook was arrested and charged with two counts of marijuana possession.

Nevertheless, Parks is public about the fact that he uses an “illegal substance,” and he has never been arrested—yet. He chalks his good fortune, in part, to the fact that he’s extremely outspoken about his pot use. He’s brought medical information about cannabis to meetings with the local DA and mayor, his preacher, and even the local sheriff to try to educate them about the proven medical benefits of cannabis use.

“And, of course, I’ve taken full advantage of the military background,” he said, noting that people tend to be much less inclined to arrest a white, retired military officer in uniform than they are a black man or a teenager, for example.

“For years I didn’t wear my uniform, but got to thinking about how the joint chiefs of staff, when they go in and ask for millions of dollars for the military, they don't go in in civilian clothes," he said. "They wear their uniforms with all them brightly colored ribbons up front." 

(Read the rest of this story here at AlterNet)

Time for me to walk on down the road…