Let's Give Trump A Chance
to Do the Right Things.

LEGAL Marijuana is Not a Dangerous or Gateway Drug.

(Nov. 21, 2024) I didn't know until today that Trump's new Attorney General pick, former Florida AG Pam Bondi, was so strong and correct concerning dangerous drugs, but may be a threat to legalized adult and legalized medical marijuana. The public needs clearer and plainer knowledge about dangerous drugs, not more bullshit about marijuana. The opiate overdose crisis is out of control. America is currently losing big time against dangerous drugs.

As a long time supporter of legalized marijuana, I think Trump's second term can make a big difference. His Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission from his first term seems to have been somewhat a success, and Bondi served on it. But legalized marijuana dispensaries that don't even sell hard drugs at all, are not gateways to dangerous drugs and should be left alone.

Trump publicly expressed support for legalizing adult marijuana in Florida before he won the 2024 presidential election. Does Bondi know that? Wal-Mart Pharmacy is more of a gateway to dangerous drugs than legalized adult and medical marijuana dispensaries.

U. S. Senator from Arizona
Mark Kelly Wants Marijuana Fully Legal.

(August 8, 2024) Maybe it's best that Senator Mark Kelly remain a U. S. Senator rather than running for V.P. with Harris. We need more U. S. Senators like him.

But there is probably no better face for the full federal and state legalization of marijuana than retired Naval aviator, astronaut, and current U. S. Senator from Arizona, Mark Kelly. Kelly was also highly touted as becoming Kamala Harris' running mate for the 2024 U. S. presidential election.

It's an understatement to say that Kelly brings a totally different image to the entire marijuana scene that blows the reefer madness stereotypes that still sometimes interfere with the good image for cannabis, out of the water.

(Oct. 17, 2024) Information Concerning Microsoft "Wordpad.exe"

NOTE: After Oct. 7, 2024, wordpad.exe disappeared from my Windows 11. I have a policy of immediate updates for my Windows 11, but I don't know the date when wordpad.exe disappeared. I have decided to leave the original Oct. 7 article about this issue, even though the following article is no longer accurate.

If you still have a copy of wordpad.exe, I recommend that you save it along with the library file of routines associated with it called "WordpadFilter.dll", and another related file in a folder named "en-US". Inside the "en-US" folder is another file called, "wordpad.exe.mui".

Save "wordpad.exe", and the "WordpadFilter.dll" file, and the "en-US" folder containing "wordpad.exe.mui" into the same folder somewhere such as on an external hard drive, or among your data files away from onedrive's reach, for example. Maybe you can still use it. If it is residing in your data files, rather than in Windows, you should be able to keep it. But have it and related files also stored on a hard drive somewhere just in case....

Remember that the following article from Oct. 7, 2024, is no longer accurate as wordpad.exe (and related files) has disappeared from Windows 11:

==================================================================

(Oct. 7, 2024) Wordpad is the old word-processor/text-editor that came with all Windows computers, since Windows was first created. Wordpad's greatest task was to create and edit Rich Text Format documents whose filenames ended in ".rtf". It was installed with Windows 11 even now on October 7, 2024; but the latest update seems to have marginalized it even more than before, though I was able to find where the .exe file was located.

This is the file location for wordpad.exe now as of Oct. 7, 2024:

C:\Windows.old\Program Files (x86)\Windows NT\Accessories

So inside the "Accessories" folder should be found the wordpad.exe file, a .dll file, and another folder named, "en-US" which contains a file named "wordpad.exe.mui". It appears that if you click on the .exe file, it will run. You should also be able to pin it to the Start Menu, and to the Taskbar both. After that, now it should appear as a choice when right clicking "open with". You can restore it as the default for .rtf files by opening "properties" for one .rtf file, and selecting "wordpad.exe" to open it with. Now all .rtf files will open with wordpad.exe.

What is also mysterious now, as it always has been, is that Wordpad.exe can still edit, save, and open, .html files, whose filenames end with ".html" or "htm", although .html and .htm have never been listed by Wordpad during use as a file type which Wordpad can handle. What I mean is that files ending in ".html" or ".htm" are handled as if they were a type of text file, what sort I don't actually know. I just keep using Wordpad.exe to edit my .html files.

"The Insanity",
Defined:

(August 20, 2024) When we give decision making capabilities to inantimate objects such as cigarettes, or to marijuana, or to vegetables, or to herbs, or to alcohol, we have become insane.

Fact: alcohol and tobacco do not make decisions for humans, nor does marijuana. Nor does opium have decision making capabilities.

To pretend that dope, or alcohol, or tobacco, makes decisions means that the actual decision maker has gone insane.

Realizing "the insanity" may help restore sanity to your life. Stop blaming things which don't make decisions for your own human decisions.

Once you realize who or what is making the decisions in your life, yourself, you will then make a lot of progress.

How to Stop Smoking Cigarettes.

(Confession of infinitesimally small amount of tobacco usage Aug. 1973 - Aug. 2024.)

(August 28, 2024) As a teenager, I smoked cigarettes for nearly two years, and had become a tobacco addicted "chain smoker". I started smoking in mid-Fall 1971 and stopped cigarettes in August 1973. It was legal in 1971-1973 for teenagers to buy and smoke cigarettes. It took about three days for me to lose my craving for a cigarette. The main thing which makes it hard to quit cigarettes is hanging around with family members or friends who also use cigarettes, so in August 1973, I domiciled myself in a solitary situation for about a month. I had not yet started college. Quitting (cigarette) smoking was one thing I planned on doing during that one month period.

Personally, I don't think there's any secret special way to stop smoking cigarettes other than being stubborn about your decision to do so. Tobacco doesn't taste very good, so that helps the process of stopping.

Using various "special techniques or rituals" to stop smoking, is just misc. bullshit, if you ask me. Just make up your mind, and stick with that decision.

Now in 2024, I find it hard to believe that I ever smoked cigarettes.

Tobacco is such a strange substance.

NOTE: Euro-style joints: since August 1973, I have smoked about one cigarette, total, over the past 51 years of no longer being a cigarette addict. Most of that one cigarette total was tiny amounts of cigarette tobacco used in European style marijuana joints. Since August 1973, I have bought no cigarettes at all. But I did experiment, here and there, with Euro-style joints containing tiny amounts of tobacco mixed with marijuana.

The last time I experimented like that was about 20 years ago. "Tiny amounts" means very small amounts of tobacco taken from a cigarette "borrowed" from someone. Most of that borrowed tobacco was actually thrown away, a tiny amount used to roll a Euro-style joint. Each time I rolled a Euro style joint, I tried to use smaller and smaller amounts of tobacco, so I ended up discarding most of the borrowed tobacco.

In my opinion, tobacco, even tiny amounts of tobacco, even infinitesimally small amounts of tobacco, really changes the effect of pot.

Eventually, about twenty years ago, I discovered that no matter how little tobacco is put into a marijuana joint, the tobacco still dominates the taste of the joint.

Even one tiny little microscopic, barely visible, single thread of tobacco placed into a marijuana joint will still dominate the taste of the joint.

Twenty years ago, I could not roll a Euro-style pot joint that tasted like marijuana.

So I had to eventually stop the tobacco-pot experiment.

Do You Have LPCVS?

(August 29, 2024) This report from Switzerland is quite chilling.

Carrying a Gun to a Political
Speech is Not Yet a Crime.

(July 2024, modified greatly Sept. 6, 2024) RE: assassination attempt on Trump's life July 13, 2024.

Ever since Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton dead in a duel on July 11, 1804, the whole "weapons and politics" issue has had a bad reputation in the USA. Of course, Hamilton might have shot Burr instead, or neither might have shot the other. But I feel that most Americans feel that gun fights and politics don't mix. It is surprising and even shocking that things have not changed more in the U.S. in the past 220 years. Dueling eventually became illegal, I presume.

But carrying a gun openly nearly everywhere is legal in most of the USA, at the moment. I see it often. But you can't carry a gun everywhere. A woman who rides a motorcycle has a gun on her in a holster at the doctor's office. It's not a toy gun. I asssume that there were many citizens in the outer perimeter at the Trump rally with guns when Trump was shot. But they were not allowed to enter the inner security area with their guns.

NOTE: According to a posted sign, Whole Foods Market does not allow customers to bring guns onto the premises.

The phrase, "civil discourse in a democracy" seems to imply that politics is not generally about gun fights, or other physical fighting. That's the basis of the Jan. 6 attack on the U. S. Capitol having been a violation of accepted non-violent political practices in the USA.

(The Wild West?) It's generally known that eventually in the actual "Wild West" of the SW USA during the latter 19th century and early 20th century, that most or all towns began to require that everyone "deposit" their guns with the police or sheriff until they were to leave town.

Have I Stopped Using Pot?

(?August, July 2024?) I feel embarrassed to discuss this question, "Have I stopped Using Weed?", but here goes. I hope you don't think I'm a "fake pot user" or something like that.

• I have not decided to stop using marijuana, but I have noticed that I am no longer using it. I live in a state where it's legal, so it isn't a big deal here.

• It has been about 2 or 3 years since I have purchased any weed, other than one pre-rolled joint about a year ago, and another pre-rolled joint about 2 years ago, but I still have some "marijuana flower" in my possession. I keep it in the freezer. I suppose I will get rid of it eventually.

  Or maybe I will start using it again?

• I have become too busy in the morning to use it then, and I never much liked using it later in the day for the first time of the day. So, unless I use it first in the morning, I will not use it later in the day. That is my situation in regard to pot.

• My insomnia and pain problems are not so bad anymore, so I will not use it for that.

• For about 30 years, I used pot for insomnia and pain, and it worked quite well for those issues. So I still thank God for having had access to it for about three decades. I'm also glad that it's legal now here and there in the USA.

I find it sad that so many think that marijuana is addicting. The Shafer Commission generally did not find it to be addicting.

Back when nearly all the marijuana in the USA came from Mexico, Jamaica, or Columbia, President Nixon successfully stopped the flow of marijuana coming across our borders when the Shafer Commission was in session, so the members of that group were cut off from using it then, if they wanted to.

It wasn't addicting for me, but it did alleviate the symptoms of some ailments that used to bother me, so I did decide to use it for many years, for a few decades since as a medicine it actually worked quite well for me.

But now I seem to have stopped using it. But I never made the decision to stop using it.

I just forgot to use it for many weeks and months.

(I was never confused or insane about who or what made any decisions regarding my usage of pot, but I do not believe, and have never believed, that marijuana forgot for me to use it any longer. No. I was the one who forgot to use the marijuana. I have been sane for a long time.)

Germany De-schedules and Legalizes Marijuana, Both.

(April 2, 2024) The German parliament just signed a bill into law that both descheduled, and to some extent, legalized psycho-active cannabis (marijuana).

The smart Germans, like the U.N. a few years previous, declassified psychoactive cannabis, aka "marijuana", as a non-narcotic drug, which should really help legalization efforts world wide. The American DEA still refers to pot as a "narcotic", an erroneous noun and adjective applied to pot with a "reefer madness" spin.

The adjective and noun, "narcotic", should've been removed from the description of marijuana back in 1964 when THC, the main active ingredient, was finally discovered by science.

Although pot often times helps with insomnia, as everybody knows, it isn't 100% sleep producing in effect. Marijuana, unlike real narcotics such as opioids and barbiturates, often keeps the well rested user awake.

Pot is not a "knock-out" drug, regardless of potency.

Journalist Melissa Rudy Having Cognitive Problems?

(July 26, 2024) I watched Joe Biden's July 24, 2024, Wednesday night address to the nation. I heard what he said.

He said that he had decided to not run for re-election in 2024 in order to allow the next generation of Democrats, the next younger generation, to run for President. That's what he actually said.

He also said that he felt he was still qualified to run again for President, and that it was amazing that a guy with a stutter, a speech defect, could run for office, and get elected to be President of the USA.

He admitted that he had a defect in his speaking voice, a stutter.

Journalist Melissa Rudy apparently did not hear what the President actually stated according to this article I just found at www.msn.com, originally from Fox News.

Here is the precise URL from msn.com: "https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/joe-biden-s-health-leadership-ability-questions-mount-as-oval-office-speech-gave-no-reason-for-exiting-race/ar-BB1qF1Uc?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=da62f77f6cc74b398f81bc7cb95b39d0&ei=44"

I feel that the national debt issue has not been addressed sufficiently by the Biden Administrations.

Tax cuts may automatically expire that will save the country, but I'm not sure about that. Kamala Harris and Jerome Powell have both mentioned the federal government debt issue lately. I would hope that the media would inform us about the issue.

Why is there so much anxiety if the tax cuts that created the problem are going to expire anyway?

Legalize Willie Nelson
(to Live and Perform in Texas)

(July 17, 2024) To largely escape the possibility of shackles being placed on the ankles of his fans and band members, Willie this year probably decided to plan on holding his 4th of July picnic, celebrating American freedom, in far distant Camden, New Jersey, near Philadelphia, PA, nearer to where our nation was originally founded.

So many times while traveling, I can't even count, Willie and his band have been pulled over and searched, and sometimes detained and prosecuted by law enforcement for having marijuana. Yet, Willie Nelson is probably the most popular person, if not the most influential, in Texas.

He and his band were the number one star of the Texas Sesquicentennial celebrations (150th anniversary of Texas) in 1986 held at the site of the San Jacinto battle in metro Houston, TX. Yet his entourage is under constant threat from law enforcement in Texas due to his love of cannabis (marijuana).

NOTE: Texas is still one of the most intransigent prohibitionist states in terms of marijuana, despite the efforts of Willie Nelson and friends. Over the years, Willie Nelson has been one of the largest donors to U. S. NORML in terms of trying to have weed legalized.

Real Legality of Marijuana is What the USA Deserves.

(June 29, 2024) Real legality for simple possession of marijuana throughout the entire USA, with few contradictions between state and federal laws, is what the USA deserves. In legal terms, why shouldn't marijuana be treated more like alcohol? Why are people put in prison or jail for any relationship or actions concerning cannabis? This is insane.

Total Descheduling of Marijuana. On April 20th, 2023, Over 80 groups urged major marijuana law reform, descheduling, and many more pardons for thousands and thousands of people in federal and state jails and prisons for various offenses related to marijuana possession and trafficking. Many of those incarcerated are not U. S. citizens.

U. S. Senator calls for descheduling of marijuana altogether.

U. S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and others want total descheduling of it.

U. S. Senator and Congressman want marijuana to be descheduled altogether, like alcohol. (Alcohol is not a controlled substance regulated by the DEA.)

Rescheduling marijuana will not bring justice: click here.

Sources such as the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) have stated that reclassifying weed will NOT end the contradiction between state and federal laws. DPA is calling for descheduling marijuana altogether. click here.

A group of U. S. Senators has also called for descheduling of marijuana rather than rescheduling it.

In the Netherlands, note that recreational and medical users of marijuana both must buy their medical marijuana or recreational marijuana in "coffee shops" which can be shut down at any time by police for no reason at all! This is also an example of weed which is not fully legal.

How To Survive a Rip Current:

A rip current is just a current that isn't taking you where you wanted to go. This could be terrifying for anyone.

Never fight the ocean - go with it, instead. You can never win if you fight against the ocean. Save your energy as you float effortlessly in the salt water. The first rule is, like all other such strained situations with the ocean, is to not panic. As long as you don't panic, there is no emergency. Once you have your bearings again, you can effortlessly swim where you wish. All strong rip currents will eventually slow back down to normal.

During the transition of high tide to low tide, the entire shore will be dominated by rip currents draining away from the shore for hours and hours. From low tide to high tide, the currents will flow toward the shore.

If you are yelling for help, you've already panicked and wasted your energy fighting against something much larger than yourself. Better to just shut up, roll over on your back, and just float motionless as you enjoy the ride for a few minutes or seconds.

Most people who drown due to rip currents probably weren't used to the ocean, having just arrived.

Germans Want Russia
to Take Over Germany Too?

Evidence of Poor Quality Journalism?

(June 26, 2024) The first article states that former communist eastern European (soviet bloc) countries which used to be controlled by communist Russia, aka "the Soviet Union", are today more in support of Ukraine, one of their own, than not. Click here to read the first article.

(Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark) Rutte, 57, will be taking over a NATO alliance that is still handling the ramifications of Russia's war in Ukraine, the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. The war prompted significant investment from most members of the (NATO) alliance, especially from eastern European countries that are in closer proximity to Russia.

The second article totally contradicts that line of thought by reporting that in Germany today, the formerly communist "East Germans" as free people are now more opposed to Ukraine independence from Russia.

This would imply that those today living in E. Germany wish for Russia to take over Ukraine, and also probably all or part of Germany as well!!!


First Article link:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/nato-appoints-trump-whisperer-mark-rutte-as-next-secretary-general/ar-BB1oWkSC?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Second article link:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/germany-divided-east-west-split-deepens-over-ukraine-war/ar-BB1oVZ5u?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=40f54b4a658e47ddaceaa967e9e8d088&ei=93

The Democrats Have Not Chosen Biden for 2024 -
A Majority of the USA Voted Him In Four Years Ago.

(June 8, 2024) Traditionally, the incumbent President of the U. S. of any party is automatically presumed to be the next election's chosen candidate for that party, unless that incumbent chooses not to run again as LBJ opted out in 1968.

That's just the way it is. This was not really a party decision since Biden is already POTUS. This is not a rule or law, but a tradition.

(This is in response to articles stating that Biden has been "chosen" by the Democrats to run again.)

Marijuana law reform continues at the state and federal level.

But according to this article, very little will change due to rescheduling marijuana to schedule III from schedule I. If the Feds want to prosecute anyone for "state-legal" marijuana, even usage under state or territorial medical marijuana programs, they still can do so. click here.

Here's another article: click here.

The U. S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has stated that federal prosecutions of state or territorial legal adult, or state or territorial legal medical marijuana suspects will be at the lowest priority.

NOTE: many states that have legalized have had state (and local) level expungement available. Check with your state's NORML chapter or an attorney.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and
The President of the U. S.
Senate, Kamala Harris, Make History!

Descheduling is the Way to Go.

"Hemp for Victory" film from 1942.

(June 13, 2024) Ukraine as led by President Zelenskyy has already legalized medical marihuana in February 2024: Click Here. The above linked article states that weed was already being distributed to patients such as soldiers in Ukraine without any bureaucracy in place at all.

It is interesting to remember that the USA, after prohibiting both psychoactive cannabis and hemp both in 1937, had to relax that prohibition when World War II started for the USA in December 1941. At that time, THC had not yet been discovered, so in those days there was no way to know, other than by smoking it, what was hemp and what was marihuana.

(Article about V. P. from March 16, 2024, this item posted by me April 17, 2024) It's nice to know that someone near the very top is in tune with what the majority of Americans want in terms of marijuana law policy. U. S. Vice President Kamala Harris did, in fact, publicly advocate for full legality at the Federal level. Biden may have also in private, but he seems more constrained than Harris.

This was not a totally historic FIRST for the USA for a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate to so advocate, as Senator George McGovern called for marijuana legalization alone back in 1972 when running for President, though it was not that well publicized. (McGovern must've later changed his official stance to be in support of "decrim." rather than "legalization".)

But Harris may be the first elected Vice President or President to advocate full legality of only marijuana, and most Americans actually agree with the Senate President. So at the moment, all it takes is the will to support American democracy in order to have legal pot.

NOTE: there are Federal territory jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C., or Native American jurisdictions, or territorial jurisdictions such as Guam, where pot has been legalized for adults, and/or is available as medical marijuana with doctor's approval. The general rule at the moment is to not carry marijuana across jurisdictional lines or borders.

Someday, as with small amounts of alcohol being legal to possess all over the U.S., perhaps the current prohibitions for simple possession of marijuana will be made obsolete. Marijuana users should not be Second or Third or Fourth Class citizens. Alcohol users are generally First Class citizens the way FDR, the states, and Congress tried to re-legalize alcohol back in 1933 and afterwards.

Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize marijuana for First Class citizens in the modern era of still widespread pot prohibition.

But in the USA, pot users living in adult-legal state and Federal jurisdictions are still treated as Second-Class citizens, since a legal-pot or medical pot user cannot cross jurisdictional lines or borders carrying marijuana.

Third Class citizens would refer to all those American pot users living in decriminalized areas. Fourth Class citizens would be those living in areas where pot is prohibited at both state and Federal levels.

DESCHEDULING: to make marijuana totally legal for adults as Vice President Harris has proposed, as with alcohol, it should be removed totally from all the DEA's schedules for controlled substances. Why shouldn't pot be about as legal as alcohol? Alcohol is not treated as a controlled substance, but is more dangerous than marijuana. Click here to read why the Drug Policy Alliance is recommending descheduling rather than rescheduling.

But DPA Gets It Totally Wrong about Black Market Opiates!!!

Is the overdose crisis caused by congress and state legislatures, or other government officials? No.

Addicts are not following prescribed dosages, and are taking too much "pain killer" themselves, and the "pain relieving" drug can be fatal. The problem is that the opioid addicts are experiencing increasing or decreasing tolerance to the effects of opiates that can vary unpredictably from day to day, and then they simply overdose accidentally and die.

The Red Flag Warning of Increasing Tolerance: the actual solution in most scenarios to the overdose problem is that hard-drug addicts should be taught to recognize the red-flag warning of increasing tolerance. When a medical patient can't obtain the "desired effect" of pain relief by using the prescribed dose of the prescribed pain relieving (hard) drug, they should know that taking more than the prescribed dosage can be fatal. They should learn to follow the prescription's directions for dosage.

So the only possible safe and approved way to have opiates available for addicts under "decrim.", would be to have pharmaceutical grade opiates available only by prescription, with registered addicts required to follow the dosages prescribed by M.D.'s.

Self-prescribing of any legal or illegal hard drug is always risky. The words, "hard drug" sends a message that should be comprehended. "Hard" drug means potentially fatal, and would include opiates, barbiturates, cocaine, and many others.

The British and other European countries have had very controlled programs for opiate addicts for decades.

But it seems to be so much safer to use physician approved medical marijuana for pain relief which is incapable of causing death or injury through overdose. At the moment in most U. S. states, qualified doctors can recommend, but do not actually prescribe, medical marijuana for pain relief and other medical complaints.

NOTE: the author of this website knows full well that addiction to pain killer such as opioids is currently a crime in the entire U. S. Abstaining from the usage of pain killer is really the best option. Switching to the use of medical marijuana may be the best and safest option. Then eventually abstaining from medical marijuana is not difficult.

Was There a Death Curse on Those
U. S. Politicians Who Ended Alcohol Prohibition?

NO.

1933: Liquor Made Legal When Gold Made Illegal.

(posted before June 7, 2024) NOTE: just before the ratification of the 21st Amendment by December 5, 1933, at least two states, Wisconsin and New York State, had already re-legalized alcohol. So U. S. Senator John J. Blaine of Wisconsin, and Governor Al Smith of New York State were major proponents of ending prohibition regardless of whether or not the 21st Amendment were to be ratified. There may have been other U. S. states which re-legalized alcohol at the state level before the 21st Amendment was ratified. The Congressional proposal legislation for the 21st Amendment is called, "the Blaine Act".

President Franklin Roosevelt, New York State Governor Al Smith, and Wisconsin U. S. Senator John J. Blaine were three of the most well known anti-prohibitionist politicians during this era when alcohol prohibition ended, but only Blaine died early. But it was Prohibition Agent Eliot Ness with pro-prohibition President Herbert Hoover who are known to have prosecuted Al Capone for income tax evasion, and sent him to prison, ironically not even trying to jail him for alcohol violations. But Hoover and Ness both lived long lives.

There seems not to have been any sort of death-curse on those who ended alcohol prohibition and/or attacked organized crime during this era when alcohol was made legal again. Hoover wasn't pro-crime, but did not want prohibition to end, although it was said that he used small amounts of alcohol illegally. So he was pro-crime to some extent.

There is some evidence that Herbert Hoover underestimated the economic damage and bank panic problem perhaps created by attacking organized crime during this era before the FDIC had been created, strengthening the banks. F.D.R. gets credit for figuring that out, also having criminalized gold possession until that ended around 1971 in the USA. Herbert Hoover was recognized as being the world's greatest (gold) mining engineer before he got into politics, so Hoover was nearly a symbol of gold money.

Around 1933, did the rest of the bootleggers panic when Hoover went after Capone for income tax evasion, and start withdrawing all their funds in gold from the banks? I personally think this was a larger economic issue than the stock market crash of 1929 in fomenting the great depression. This is why gold was illegal for Americans 1933-1971. Having large amounts of gold was like an alarm which signaled: "bootlegger gold stash".

Hard Drug/Soft Drug

(posted before June 7, 2024) Hard drugs kill; soft drugs such as cannabis don't kill. That's why cannabis is called a "soft drug", and why heroin and all opiates are called "hard drugs".

The problem with Oregon state decriminalizing hard drugs was that no one with Naloxone was watching as so many addicts overdosed and died. I am not a proponent of any hard drug usage. The Naloxone didn't arrive in time to save lives. Our bodies create our own internal pain killer called "endorphin", so no one smart really needs externally supplied pain killers. Click here for more information on how to kill pain without taking anything.

Israel, Suffering from PTSD, Under
Hamas Rocket Attack Since 2001.

(Oct. 26, 2023) Note that until diplomatic relations are established between Israel and Hamas and various Arab Muslim countries, what is the chance of peace breaking out in the middle east? It is hard to determine just who among the Palestinians have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israel has been under increasingly lethal rocket attacks from Gaza since 2001. They have responded not by invading Gaza (not until very recently after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas), but by setting up the "iron dome" defense system. Here is the story of Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system; a system that was predicted by most experts to be impossible to build.

I am not biased, but the truth is that the two state solution proposed by the U.N. and the "Jewish Committee" back when Palestine was ruled by Britain, before Israel existed as a country; that two state solution was rejected by all the Arab states except Turkey. Then the British left, and Israel came into existence, and the Arabs (excepting Turkey) invaded and attacked Israel, and tried to destroy it.

Israel has been fighting for its own existence since 1948, and most of the Arab countries have still not recognized their right to exist. However, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Morocco, Bahrain, UAE, and Sudan, have all recognized the State of Israel and exchanged diplomats, so some progress has been made.

Note that Gaza has been more or less independent since 1993, while constantly attacking Israel with increasingly lethal rockets since 2001.

I'm very surprised that Israel did not retaliate until the Hamas invasion of Oct. 7, 2023. Israelis of all ages were actually already suffering from PTSD due to the rocket attacks.

Imagine living under constant rocket attack for over 20 years, non-stop. I feel like they responded like anyone suffering from PTSD, which means eventually grossly overreacting to the perceived threat.

"Why did the world condone the Palestinian rocket attacks", should be the question everyone is asking.

Imagine, if you can, the United Nations buildings in New York City coming under rocket attack, 24 hours a day, for 23 years. That would be a lesson, especially if the world started demanding that the U. N. not react to the attacks. Since 1948, too many Palestinians still don't believe that Israel has a right to exist.

I wonder if the rockets from Hamas are still being sent into Israel?

Has Marijuana Been
Federally Legal Since 2018?

(March 30, 2024) I went to norml.org, and can find no evidence there that marijuana was legalized at the fed. level back in 2018, under new hemp laws. According to http://norml.org, any amount of "marijuana" is still illegal under Federal jurisdiction. I assume that this means any cannabis containing the threshhold amount of THC, which changes "hemp" into "marijuana".

What is "federal jurisdiction"? When state lines are crossed, federal jurisdiction has been triggered, and is in effect. One must not carry weed over jurisdictional boundary lines to avoid Federal laws. U.S. military also means Federal jurisdiction. The Post Office is Federal, and all larger airports, probably.

But state jurisdictions that have legalized, have seriously legalized. Federal courts such as appeals courts, generally mention state-legal weed as a matter of fact.

(Jan. 20, 2024) DeSantis Comes out in Favor of Gun Rights for Marijuana Users.

After "Liberal" Medical Pot Policy Won in Florida,
Florida Has Done Very Well, Says Gov. Ron DeSantis.

(Jan. 20, 2024) I'm glad I was wrong about DeSantis being against marijuana.

(Jan. 5, 2024) Pretty much any adults can obtain approval to buy and use medical marijuana for almost any ailments in Florida. So pot is basically legal in Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida has gotten better since he has been Governor of the state.

So DeSantis should give some of the credit for the current Florida quality of life to having legalized medical pot, which had already occurred before he became Governor.

Medical pot policy gives some of the decision making to doctors. Fully legal pot gives more responsibility to the adult-only users of marijuana.

But most states now have both policies: medical and adult-legal at the same time. All adult-legal states allow smoking of marijuana, while some medical pot only states still prohibit smoking, the fastest and most reliable way for many patients to obtain relief.

My personal opinion is that prohibition of marijuana was always a cruel and unusual mistake. The U. S. should admit this error and stop the cruelty. Marijuana was legal for the founding fathers of the United States who could not even imagine government prohibition of alcoholic beverage usage, nor marijuana used as a mild herbal drug.

What's really odd is that most of the media are still portraying DeSantis as some sort of anti-marijuana totalitarian type. "Portraying" means distortion. Why not report the realities of specific politicians, instead? Isn't that what the media is supposed to be doing? I'm shocked that the U. S. media seems to be in the distortion business instead of the reporting business.

The American people deserve to know the truth about all the candidates running for President. That process of discovering the truth about the various candidates is what the American people deserve, so that they can make up their own minds concerning who to vote for.

New 15 Minute Blender High Protein
Sandwich Spread, Egg Dish, Salad
Dressing, Dip or Sauce

(posted before June 7, 2024) This is a high protein and tssty orange colored egg dish that looks like it has cream in it. But it doesn't. No one who tastes it will realize it's got lots and lots of eggs in it. It's also very easy for your stomach to digest, unlike nearly all other egg dishes, since it's made in a blender. It also has a built in preservative (avocados) so it should be OK in the fridge for quite a long time. But it will get used up soon. It tastes really good and can be used as a dip, or as a dish on its own, or as a sandwich spread for warm toast. It can also be used as a sauce for meats or vegetables. Can be frozen in small or large amounts for future use. Can be safely heated in a microwave oven unlike nearly all other egg dishes.

First, test your raw eggs to make sure they're not rotten: put all raw eggs into a boiler, well covered with water. If the raw eggs rise to the top, they're rotten and should be discarded. The raw eggs which continue to stay at the bottom are OK.

Items needed (amounts specified are very approx.):
• 4 to 8 hard boiled eggs, peeled.

• 1/2 jar (1 and 1/2 cups) of Trader Joe's Organic Maranara sauce, or similar. Quantity is approx. Full jar can be used if desired. Or use other types of tomato sauce or even fresh raw tomatoes and/or other veggies.

• (recommended but optional) 1 small container (10 oz. or slightly more than 1 cup) Trader Joe's Organic Chunky Homestyle Guacamole, or use same amount of fresh avocados.

• (optional) a few tablespoons or more of organic olive oil especially if using as a salad dressing.

• (optional) a few tablespoons or more of vata, pitta, or kapha spice "churna".

  "Churna" is from India, and means a pre-prepared mixture of spices ready to use, just like salt or pepper ready-to-use in a shaker.

  "Vatta flavor" is used during windy and cold weather, and calms the mind and body. Vatta flavor reduces nervousness. Vatta might be good for underweight people to gain weight.

  "Pitta flavor" is used during intense hot weather to cool us down. If we're easily angered, pitta flavor calms us down. Pitta flavor might be a good all season spice.

  "Kapha flavor" is used to stimulate and heat up or spice up things when we feel cold, slow, and sluggish or depressed. Kapha flavor helps overweight people lose weight, and cheers us up.

  All three used alone or together or in pairs are good for digestion regardless of weather conditions.

Cook all raw eggs by first measuring water into boiler sufficient to cover raw eggs with 2 inches or more of extra water above eggs.

Bring water covering raw eggs to a boil. Cut off heat after water comes to a boil. Let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, bring boiler containing eggs covered with hot water to boil again, then immediately cut off heat after water starts boiling again. Let eggs sit for 5 more minutes in hot water. Pour off nearly all hot water carefully. Refill with cold water in order to cool off hot hard-boiled eggs. Peel cooled eggs one by one and place in blender. Throw away egg shell.

Put all ingredients into blender and place top cover on blender before starting blender. Blend all ingredients in blender. Add sufficient warm water or maranara sauce and olive oil during mixing to allow blender to liquify, or mix all ingredients, smoothly. Make sure to replace cover after adding more liquid during blending. If ingredients do not flow together into a thick liquid during blending, add more warm water or maranara sauce until they do.

If entire mixture in blender is being made into salad dressing, add more rather than less maranara sauce, hot water and/or olive oil. If entire mixture is being made into a dip or sandwich spread, use less liquid and more solids.

After putting top cover back on blender, cut off blender now and then during blending to allow air bubbles to escape. Use slowest possible speed. Always replace blender cover during blending before and/or after switching blender off or on. Therefore, add water or maranara sauce until things mix properly.

With or without the guacomole or avocados, the result should be thick enough to use it as a dip unless you're deliberately making a salad dressing with all of it. Blend for 1 or two minutes. Make sure to cut off blender occasionally to allow air bubbles to escape mixture.

If using as salad dressing, add enough olive oil to liquify thick mixture. Perhaps, use external container such as a spare clean jar with good top with a good seal to mix up salad dressing separately from the thicker dip or spread.

Before I thought of this, I had occasionally been throwing a hard boiled egg or two into my blender made fruit smoothie at lunch time.

But a few weeks ago, I got cravings for even more eggs, especially egg yolks. I went to Ihop (International House of Pancakes) and had a breakfast with two fried eggs, over easy.

It was good, but eggs are hard to digest. Why?

I thought about it, and realized that eggs are nearly impossible to digest easily unless they're broken up into tiny tiny pieces. A light bulb when off in my head, and this blender-made egg dish sandwich spread, dip/sauce, salad dressing is the result.

Thicker dip, sandwich spread base on left in plastic freezer container,
salad dressing on the right in jar, mixed with olive oil separately

Quick Meal Idea; slow toast at around 325 degrees in oven or toaster-oven, 2 to 4 slices of your favorite kind of bread. Microwave about 1/2 cup of this egg sauce until it's very warm to touch. Put crispy bread slices on large plate for each person. Pour this warmed up spread over bread, and enjoy.

NOTE: use the thick spread or dip as a base for salad dressing with extra olive oil, kept separate in another container from the dip or spread. The very thick dip or sandwich spread is too think to use as salad dressing,

Accidental Death for Americans Is Too Common.

(posted before June 7, 2024) How to kill pain right now for free wihout worrying about the DEA, nor taking something dangerous. (This method worked for me.)

Frightening data from the LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY: accidental death from drug overdose, mostly opiates.

Other dangerous things which are all to common for Americans: having surgery. About five times more Americans die from medical complications caused by surgery, than die in automobile accidents. That number of surgery related complications leading to death for Amercans is about 250,000 per year.

What Time Is It,
According to Christianity?

(Oct. 29, 2023) Or rather, what time does the Government say it is? Various religions, ethnicities, and other belief systems (other than Xtianity) may actually use another system of time and date keeping. But my computer and smart phone both seem to be "possessed" by Jesus Christ.

It came out of the box that way. I was given no choice!!!!

Our smart phones and computers are all sync-ed, by international treaty" to a "standard" time keeping system called "Coordinated Universal Time".

Whether you like it or not, Coordinated Universal Time appears to be, more or less, the same time that most Christians think it is. (Most Christians) In other words, UTC (The abbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time is "UTC".) actually means "Anno Domini", or the year of our lord, Jesus Christ, was born X number of Years, Months, and Days ago. Hence, we say "Anno Domini" whether you like it or not.

In other words, (most) Christians think that Jesus Christ was born 2023 years, ten months, and 29 days ago as of Oct. 29, 2023 (today's date).

Even atheists are using that "Christian" calendar and time keeping system as this is being written.

The point is that the entire world, more or less, by treaty, has agreed to everything I have written about "what time is it?"

Note that before UTC, there was GMT time (Greenwich Mean Time), synced to the actual physical place in ole England where the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (London), is located. Even today, all maps (in general) in our entire world are all still coordinated in terms of latitude and longitude synced with the British Empire's system of mapping the entire world.

That way, the British merchant ships, and all the merchant ships of other countries as well, wouldn't get lost all the time. For various reasons, the world had to decide to use one standard time and mapping system, and the British were dominant, so GMT time and place became the basis of the time keeping and navigation system all over the entire world.

If human activity is a bore to you, here's a book whose nominal authors claim was written by the various Angels and Archangels and "Ancients of Days", etc., of God:; it's called, "the Urantia Book". Each chapter is "signed" by a different "angelic" personality. And there is obvious variation in the tone and temperament of each chapter.

I personally think the likelihood that this book is not of earth origin, is greater than the likelihood of it being of human origin. For years, I did not really like this book, though I did not ever feel that it was from humans.

I've had a physical copy since 1975, and I always felt the book was a bit condescending. (But what would you expect from God?) For years, I preferred to read books written by known humans. Now, I think would be a good time for anyone to read this book, probably. It's all online now. You don't have to buy it. Now we have the internet, and there are still some free things that come with the internet, such as the Urantia Book.

Note that the Urantia Book merely confirms and explains in greater detail what is already in the Christian bible's Old and New Testaments concerning out-law beings Satan and Lucifer:

Revelation chapter 12: verse 7

King James Version

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Satan, Lucifer. The book discusses and explains further the mostly terminated angelic revolt called, the "Lucifer rebellion", that did not directly involve any humans. The human race was greatly affected by the revolt as victims, but humans are not being blamed. Just as the New Testament explains, Jesus Christ directly confronted Satan and Lucifer during his life on earth, and these two defaulted beings along with thousands of fallen angels and other angelic creatures who had rebelled, were actually incarcerated, detained, and removed from earth, and removed from any platform from which to do further mischief. This confirms what is already written in the New Testament, but the Urantia Book elaborates a little further.

The Urantia Book is pro-God, pro-Christ, pro-Truth, and anti-Satanic, just like the bible and Christianity.

I don't recall where in the Urantia book I read it, but apparently the divine beings that run the universe felt that direct revelation was needed on this particular inhabited planet, so they "revealed" the contents to the human race. Apparently, Christ Michael incarnated as a human about 2000 years ago, and stated he would return to planet earth (Urantia); but he didn't say when or how or why he would return.

The various nominal writers of the different chapters of the Urantia book also state that they don't know either when Michael of Nebadon (aka, "Jesus of Nazareth") will return to earth, but have speculated that the book was revealed to us earthlings about halfway from 1 A.D. to the second coming. If they're right, this means that Christ Michael will return to earth around the year 4,000 A.D., if those "angels" are right about that.

Let's hope the planet still exists in 4,000 A.D.

By the way, I have not read anywhere near the entire book, just bits and pieces here and there. The physical book is about 2,000 pages long.

I do recall reading somewhere in the book that on earth (Urantia), virtually everyone, regardless of religion, even atheists, are all going to heaven after they die. This is due to the difficulties for "mortals" created by the defaulted angelic beings such as Satan and Lucifer, to name two of those "fallen angels". The Urantia Book confirms a great deal of the facts found in the bible, which is really a miracle, such as the personal confrontations between Jesus and the various fallen angels he encountered on earth.

The Urantia Book also reveals that there was once a physical incarnation of a "higher" angelic being on earth by the name of Machiventa Melchizedek about 2,000 years before Christ was born, whose last name still labels a section of the Old Testament. Apparently, both Moses and Abraham were directly influenced by Machiventa Melchizedek, but a lot of facts were lost or distorted. The book states that this Melchizedek was not born from the womb of a woman. (NOTE: Melchizedek did not support the Satanic/Lucifer rebellion.)

Is the Urantia Book Feminist or Paternalistic? The Urantia Book is actually quite feminist in certain chapters, though it's also in other chapters almost infinitely paternalistic. Whatever the case, the book points out a Trinity that includes the Father, the Son, and the Infinite Mother Spirit, as well as divine daughters here and there.

So there is this spiritual Trinity described in the book that includes the divine female. In other words, "the Holy Ghost" at various levels is describing the divinity of the female. In contrast, the "God" concepts we are generally taught in western religions has been mostly masculine and fatherly.

Regarding the nominal authors of the different chapters of the Urantia Book, the apparent personalities as reflected from chapter to chapter is much greater than the number of humans who have ever been accused of being the actual authors of the book. There is a small group from Chicago who are often so accused. (Modified quite a bit on Nov. 15, 2023, and again on March 24, 2024.)

Table of Contents of The Urantia Book: click here.

Cannabis (Marijuana) is a Soft Drug.

Don't Sell Marijuana Along with Fentanyl.

Don't Sell Marijuana Along with Heroin.

Don't Sell Marijuana Along with Morphine.

Don't Sell Marijuana Along with Opiates.

Don't Sell Marijuana Along with Hard Drugs.

Don't Follow in the Footsteps of Elvis Presley.

(((Elvis Died from a Hard Drug Overdose.)))

Don't Use Hard Drugs. Cannabis (Marijuana) is a Soft Drug.

Hard Drugs Kill. Soft Drugs Don't Kill.

(March 20, 2024) The common argument that today's high potency hashish (aka "cannabis concentrates") are as dangerous as opiates, is bullshit.

The common argument that today's high potency marijuana (aka "pot", "weed", "cannabis") is as dangerous as opiates, is bullshit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC), no one has ever died of an overdose of marijuana, aka "pot", aka "weed", aka "cannabis", aka "hashish".

A History of Cannabis as a Medicine.

(March 15, 2024) By the late Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Harvard Medical School. Click here.

People Stll in Federal and State
Prison and Jail for Pot Offenses.

(March 14, 2024) In my opinion, Biden would gain support in the upcoming election by letting out of jail (pardoning) all the people still in Federal jail for selling weed, and he should pressure all the state governors to pardon all the people in state prisons or county jails for the same "offense".

America is the number one jail and prison country in the world, regardless of the fact that tens of thousands of people are trying to get into our country to live the "American dream".

There would never have been a pot legalization movement if people had not been captured and caged for selling (and just possessing and using) illegal weed.

But the best feature of current state-legalized pot around the U. S. is that there is no longer any "gateway" to hard drug usage in the state-regulated and taxed dispensaries that only sell marijuana products.

The general public needs to know that the gateway to hard drugs are still the untaxed and unregulated renegade dispensaries and sales outlets that have escaped the eyes of the state and federal regulatory agencies.

Does Pot Cure Alzheimer s Disease?

Beneficial Effects of Marijuana.

(March 13, 2024) Once we humans take responsibility for our own decisions, and stop blaming cannabis for bad decisions, we can make major progress and start to use marijuana intelligently. Just remember, marijuana does not make decisions.

For decades, there's been reports that high-THC cannabis is effective in treating Alzheimer's disease. This is not a joke. Click here for many links to more information (From news items, and medical marijuana information at http://norml.org)

Here's just one such news item from the Republic of Ireland from 2007:

Cannabis May Offer Alzheimer s Hope, Study Says

BY U. S. NORML; Washington, D.C.

POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2007

Dublin, Ireland: Marijuana compounds offer an alternative approach for treating the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer s disease (AD), according to a forthcoming review in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Investigators at the Trinity College, Institute for Neuroscience, in Dublin report that cannabinoids have been shown to protect neurons from the deleterious effects of amyloid plaque the primary pathological hallmark of Alzheimer s. Cannabinoids also demonstrate a propensity to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, while also promoting neurogenesis (the birth of new neuronal cells), authors report.

Authors write: In recent years the proclivity of cannabinoids to exert a neuroprotective influence has received substantial interest as a means to mitigate the symptoms of neurodegenerative conditions. [C]annabinoids offer a multi-faceted approach for the treatment of Alzheimer s disease by providing neuroprotection and reducing neuroinflammation, whilst simultaneously supporting the brain s intrinsic repair mechanisms by augmenting neurotrophin expression and enhancing neurogenesis. Manipulation of the cannabinoid pathway offers a pharmacological approach for the treatment of AD that may be (more?) efficacious than current treatment regimens.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated that cannabinoids can delay disease progression in animal models of several neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig s disease).

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, Alzheimer s disease: taking the edge off with cannabinoids? (once appeared) online at: http://www.nature.com/bjp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/0707446a.html.

NOTE - I have easily been able to find this specific item in many places online, other than also at the NORML website (norml.org). Just use google.com to search for the title in quotes.

Medical Marijuana Does Not Impact Driving Abilities
When Used As Prescribed, New Study Asserts.

And an Old Australian Study from 1998 That Seems
to Have Been a Major Scientific Discovery.

What did Car and Driver magazine discover, which was
published in a June 1980 issue of that publication?

• (March 9, 2024) Article found at msn.com.

• (1998) And here's an old Australian study involving analysis of 2,500 auto-accident-injured-drivers reported in the Australia media on October 21, 1998, that accidentally discovered that stoned drivers appear to be slightly safer than those not under any drug or alcohol influence.

  I don't think that this scientific result was anticipated.

  One of the traditional criticisms of pot is that it enlivens the senses. Hmmmmmm. That happens to be a desirable mental condition for those driving cars or trucks. In other words, we wouldn't want to be imagining things when driving. We would want drivers to be in the senses, rather than imagining things, wouldn't we?

  Slapping someone to bring them to their senses is an old trick. Science discovered with this study that that's what getting stoned on marijuana is like: getting slapped.

• In early 1980, results published in the June 1980 issue, Car and Driver magazine tested a number of their own journalists' driving abilities while stoned on pot, and found the same result: slightly better measured performance under the influence of marijuana while driving various models of cars.

  This 1980 internationally reported testing of marijuana stoned professional driver/journalists may have been the earliest known publication of such scientific investigation of the subject at hand. Fact: the Car and Driver journalists who wrote the article do not reference a single existing published study about pot-stoned-drivers, so there must've not been any, yet.

  NOTE: The "Highway Safety Research Institute" is now called the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

  1980. We have to understand that anti-marijuana zealot Ronald Reagan was about to be elected POTUS for the next 8 years, defeating "pot-head incumbent Jimmie Carter", who had just gotten stoned (or whose son had just gotten stoned...) with Willie Nelson on the roof of the White House.

  Joe Biden is still a young guy in 2024 compared to Willie Nelson.

  What I don't understand about Biden is what does he claim to be improving by keeping people in Federal jail, who were caught selling weed back when it was still illegal at both the state and Federal level to do that?

  It's still illegal at the Federal level, but no one knows what the criteria is for "Federal illegality". Why are these people being kept in prison?

  These people still in Federal (and state) prison for selling illegal weed are people who probably deserve a gold medal for having sold weed under such difficult and hazardous conditions.

  In my opinion, Biden would gain support in the upcoming election by letting out of jail (pardoning) all the people still in Federal jail for selling weed, and he should pressure all the state governors to pardon all the people in state prisons or county jails for the same offense.

  When I say "pressure", I mean do everything possible to pressure them to pardon those illegal pot dealers still in prison, such as vetoing all federal spending bills that would benefit those states until the respective state governors do what should be done.

  America is the number one jail and prison country in the world, regardless of the fact that tens of thousands of people are trying to get into our country to live the "American dream".
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The United States'

  2024 State of the Union Address

  President Joseph R. Biden

  
  
  
  
  

  (March 7, 2024) thanks to Alphabet YouTube public availability. (The President's Cabinet enters the U. S. Capitol Chamber at 24 minutes 45 seconds, Biden's Speech begins at about 40 minutes:10 seconds)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Law Enforcement Leaders, U. S. Senators, Urge Congress and
  Biden to Fully Legalize, De-Classify or Re-Classify Cannabis
  to End Confusing State-Federal Contradiction in the Laws.

  
  
  
  (Feb. 22, 2024) Since regulation of medicines and drugs seems to be a state prerogative, Biden and Congress do not apparently have control of individual state matters under the U. S. Constitution, so in context, a recent call by law enforcement leaders to re or de-classify marijuana under the DEA controlled substances schedules, implies a major move toward greater legality is currently being advocated.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  ARIZONA FOR ABORTION ACCESS:

  Abortion Rights Ballot Initiative
  Advocating for an Arizona State Constitutional
  Amendment Question in the November 2024
  General Election.

  
  
  
  (Feb. 21, 2024) The "overturning" of Roe vs. Wade actually meant that the issue was now to be decided at the state by state level after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization 2022.

  Arizona is one of the U. S. states with voter initiative rights for its citizens that will likely decide the abortion rights issue in the upcoming Nov. 2024 General Election.

  But among other items of interest, U. S. Senator Joe Manchin and other U. S. Senators have also just proposed a new Federal Law codifying the essential elements of Roe vs. Wade.
  
  

  ... "In addition to Senator Manchin, the pro-abortion-rights- legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Susan Collins (R-ME)" (from Senator Manchin's official website).

  
  
  

  ARIZONA FOR ABORTION ACCESS:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Mike Tyson, the Weldon Project, Drake, Killer Mike, T.I.,
  Deion Sanders, Bella Thorne, Jim Brown, and Others Want
  Biden to Go Much Further with Pardons for Those Incarcerated
  for Federal Marijuana & Related Offenses.

  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 22, 2024) With a fine toothed comb, Tyson wrote a detailed letter to President Biden outlining various "loophole crimes" that continue to be used to keep basically non-criminal people behind bars, for no good reason. The letter acknowledges that Biden has already made progress in pardoning and releasing thousands of marijuana law offenders, but specifies that too many remain behind bars.

  My opinion is that the public service of having provided illicit marijuana to customers seeking it during "hard core" prohibition times should also be pardoned in as many cases as possible, even if guns and other weapons were in their possession, or were used in self defense.

  As public perception of marijuana's beneficial effects increase, the general public may also feel that the nominal crime of having sold it when it was still illegal, was not really a crime at all since there were no legitimate ways to obtain it for anyone other than those "privileged few" often referred to as "narks".
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Can You Believe

  That the USA Was Getting Out of Debt in 2001?

  ... which higher taxes later helped Bill Clinton both get elected
  and then turn the Reagan deficit into an actual surplus for about 10, 12, or 14 years or so.

  (Feb. 20, 2024) Debt is not the problem. Not paying it down fast enough is the problem.

  Can you believe that on Oct. 31, 2001, the U. S. Treasury announced that the 30 year bond would be retired immediately due to a large surplus in the Treasury, leaving the 20 year instrument as the longest term obligation of the U. S. government still remaining.

  The U. S. paid off the 30 year bond for a few years completely in the early 2000's, when G. W. Bush was President. This lack of 30 year U. S. Treasury Bonds for investors eventually created problems, so under G. W. Bush a few years later, the 30 year Treasury Bond was revived.

  My point is that the ability of the U. S. Government to pay off its debts is greatly under appreciated. There is no need to panic or worry. However, Congress and the President should act soon. No one is in a better position to understand this situation than the Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, who is "defending" daily the bonds issued by the government.

  The easiest way for Biden to "goose" the economy right now would be to enact some sort of magic federal tax: a tax that no one complains about and everyone can see will solve the unsustainable deficit problem that Jerome Powell is currently very alarmed about, and which Janet Yellen seems to be ignoring.

  One of the dumbest things I've ever done is get angry at Pres. George H. W. Bush for raising taxes after getting elected President in 1988, after ridiculing his Democratic opponent during the 1988 campaign as being from "Taxachussetts". That was Mass. Gov. Michael Dukakis, the Democrat who lost to H. W. Bush.

  Then Clinton gets elected in 1992, defeating H. W. Bush, and gets all the credit when the Reagan era deficit turned into a surplus for quite a few years, greatly reducing the U. S. federal debt. Sometimes, politics isn't fair. (This is similar to how Reagan is always getting credit for Paul Volcker who was actually appointed by Jimmy Carter.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The Dutch Style Cannabis Coffee Shop
  Soon to Be Manifest in New Jersey.

  
  
  
  (Feb. 6, 2024) Whata GO New Jersey. What more can I say.

  The cannabis coffee shop in Holland is also often the refuge of persons not using cannabis. I find that very interesting, and it highlights that there is something awfully special about the whole concept.

  The one disappointment is the part about not allowing food to be sold or served. In Holland, there is a "standard" and very limited list of food items generally, but not always, available in many such "pot coffee shops".

  The cheese sandwich, or ham sandwich, or cheese with ham, but actually called a "toasti", is generally the only non-candy solid food item available in Dutch "pot coffee shops".

  Such "toasti's" consist of just bread with just ham or just cheese, or both. The cheese and/or ham are always the same: a very thin slice of either or both without anything else except white bread. Period.

  The cheese is always the same: something identical to American-process (Kraft?) cheese slices. The ham is always the same no matter which coffee shop you're in: not sure what to call it, but it must be the cheapest ham in the whole world.

  The Dutch pot coffee shop is NOT a place where you have a regular full meal, but rather a small, very limited, very standardized, snack.

  So the actual cafes and restaurants are not threatened.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  A Safe Dosage for Street Hard
  Drugs Cannot Generally Be Established.

  
  
  
  

  What's going on in Oregon without so much death from accidental overdose, and without people generally going to jail, actually began in Eugene with a publicly funded non-police first responder organization called "Cahoots", to help those known to be using illicit hard drugs, stay alive.

  I think state level decrim. of hard drug use in Oregon may not have been implemented with a solid safety net in place, it appears.

  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 6, 2024) The only safe dosage for any hard drug is that dosage as legally prescribed by a knowledgeable healthcare worker who is not in error, presumably. Exceeding that "safe dosage" leads us into the no-man's-land of fatal overdose. If you really care about human life, it would be wise to stop using all dangerous drugs, such as methadone and street opiates both. It is as easy to overdose on methadone as it is to overdose from street opiates.

  My approval of Oregon's decriminalization of street hard drugs consisted of requiring that the transparent and open usage of such things would lead to corrective restraining actions by first responders, public servants, even police, to steer the drug abusers away from that dangerous behavior before fatal errors occur. In other words, the street hard drug abusers should be restrained or even arrested, but not jailed, and the contraban confiscated before such people kill themselves or others. That was the whole point: to, if possible, preserve normal life out of jail.

  Taking such hard drugs without following a legal and licensed healthcare provider's prescription with clear instructions provided, is analogous to burning money while playing Russian roulette.

  In fact, if we don't know the potency of a particular hard drug such as street heroin, street morphine, or street fentanyl, or other street hard drugs, no safe dosage can be established. Therefore, there are no safe street hard drugs. Even if such drugs were stolen from a pharmacy and clearly marked on the container in terms of potency, if such drugs were not legally prescribed, there would still be no clear instructions to follow on the container.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  U. S. Senators Call for Total Legalization (Descheduling) of Marijuana

  
  
  
  (Jan. 30, 2024) A group of influential U. S. Senators have called for total descheduling of marijuana, in contrast to "rescheduling".

  NORML U.S. has long called for marijuana descheduling altogether. States could still choose to regulate weed, however.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (January 28, 2024) The Five or Six Wars the U.S. Fought Against Slavery.

  
  
  
  This list was already posted a few years ago at my history index page, but I just added one more war to it. WWI.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Encyclopedia Britannica states that:
  
  Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster One of the Main Causes of
  U.S.S.R. Collapsing, quoting Mikhail Gorbachev.

  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 21, 2024) The main reasons the U.S.S.R. collapsed: click here.
  
  

  Decades later, Gorbachev marked the anniversary of the nuclear disaster by stating, ... even more than my launch of perestroika, [Chernobyl] was perhaps the real cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union five years later.

  NOTE: the USSR built the world's first nuclear power plants, so this accident was a huge blow to the self-esteem of the communist regime there.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Tesla in Cold Weather.

  
  
  
  I have read that (some?) Teslas have electric battery warmers, or battery heaters that heat up the battery in preparation for recharging. This feature uses up battery energy, but would be essential in the winter months where there is no overnight garage recharging. Those with garage with home charging don't have to worry so much about cold weather. Those without an overnight plugin would have to plan their daily usage carefully to avoid the batteries becoming frozen and non-chargable.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/weed-could-offer-medical-benefits-less-risky-than-some-drugs-federal-review/ar-AA1n4BlR?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6463fd9ef5dd4600bef4adeb5ac01798&ei=68
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Why Most People Use Weed.

  
  
  
  

  (Jan. 28, 2024) If using pot made me feel miserable, I would not use it.

  There are people, probably suffering from "obsessive-compulsive disorder", who use weed repeatedly until they vomit.

  I would not blame this behavior on the cannabis, since most people use it since it makes them feel better, not worse. Using any substance repeatedly when it produces a horrible effect, is not sane behavior, regardless of the substance being consumed.

  I have heard of mentally disturbed people drinking cup after cup of coffee until they start to vomit, but no one blamed that on the coffee.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The Main Cause of the Civil War
  Was Truly the Issue of Slavery.

  
  
  
  

  (Dec. 28, 2023) This same issue about the true cause of the Civil War is in the news at the moment.

  Once the war broke out in 1861, it's true that hardly anyone mentioned slavery any longer, especially President Lincoln who didn't want the slaves owned by Northerners to escape their shackles quite yet. Some people in border states also owned slaves when the Civil War broke out, and Lincoln worried that freeing the slaves too early would create social chaos.

  In fact, in Missouri, after General John Fremont unilaterally issued his own emancipation proclamation, President Lincoln reversed it and reenslaved the just-freed slaves there. Since a real war had just broken out, Lincoln did not want the border states such as Missouri to free the slaves too soon.

  Lincoln was afraid that Missouri would officially join the CSA immediately if Fremont had his way there.

  Also, I have erroneously stated elsewhere on this website that slavery was not the main issue of the Civil War at first. That is an error, as everyone on both sides knew in 1861 that South Carolina seceded in order to practice slavery without possible legal hindrance.

  In other words, once Lincoln the emancipator Republican was elected President, that was all it took for SC to secede from the Union. The Republican Party platform embraced abolition. General John Fremont, an abolitionist, had been their first Presidential candidate in 1856, but Buchanan won the presidency that year.

  The U. S. Constitution of 1789 created a more perfect union of the states. The secession of the CSA states was illegal, plain and simple.

  There is no option to secede in the current and amended U. S. Constitution. One of the main reasons for the new constitution was to enable a stronger country with a stronger government capable of paying the pension obligations to the veterans of the revolutionary war that created the USA.

  But the early American central government, about ten years after the new constitution had been ratified by the states, imposed an emergency tax, a "house tax" collected directly from the citizens. The "house tax" of 1798 was collected directly by the Federal government. And during wars years later, the same sort of "emergency" property tax was collected directly by the Federal government.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Shortage of Diesel Fuel
  Is One of the Main Causes of Incessant Inflation.

  
  
  
  (Dec. 21, 2023) Nearly everything in the economy moves by truck or train, and trucks and trains generally use diesel fuel. Virtually all agriculture equipment uses diesel fuel also. Which is in short supply for a long time now. This adds extra cost to....

  Everything. Until diesel fuel prices really come down a lot, inflation will probably continue to screw the economy. Diesel has been too expensive for too long.

  Remember when diesel was cheaper per gallon that gasoline?

  Elon and Buffet both to the rescue!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  How To Make Pain Just Fade Away.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The Human Body is Alive.
  Viruses Are Not Alive.

  
  
  
  

  Any and all viruses are actually dead matter, without any volition.

  What is not fully understood today is the degree to which fatigue and bio-weakness has become a part of modern life. But fatigue is an old problem plaguing the human race since time began. Modern society should someday be able to routinely overcome any and all viral and bacterial threats.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Can U. S. States Change Federal Laws
  by Changing the U. S. Constitution?

  
  
  
  

  (Nov. 5, 2023) Of course they can. That's how the 21st Amendment was passed paving the way for alcohol to again become legal.

  Al Smith and the Democrat and Republican Parties saved the USA from getting permanent syphilis from Al Capone, the most powerful person in the USA until the 21st Amendment knocked Capone down.

  Somehow, enough of the states called state level constitutional conventions all at once. But for the first and only time in U. S. history so far, these conventions called were not held by the respective state legislatures! But these conventions consisting of high minded citizens ratified the 21st Amendment very quickly.

  I am guessing that Al Smith, Governor of New York State, and U. S. Senator John Blaine of Wisconsin, (former Governor of Wisconsin), and a lot of liquor company people, did it. (That's just a guess. There isn't much information out there about the ratification of the 21st Amendment, except that it went into effect on the day Christmas is celebrated in the Netherlands: Dec. 5, (1933)) The general population was sick of the black market. But it had to take a ton of money to have done it. They legalized low-alcohol beer (less than 3.2 percent alcohol) first at the Federal level.

  Senator Blaine initiated the process in the U. S. Senate with the "Blaine Act", which first passed in both houses of Congress. New York State, and a few more states, (unknown) had relegalized alcohol already at the state level. However, the actual nullification of the 18th Amendment by the 21st Amendment was the essential key which unlocked the door to changing the laws at state and federal levels.

  But it was done. Roosevelt, most Democrats, and most Republicans eventually all approved of the 21st Amendment. But it appears that Hoover continued to oppose it even after it went into effect.

  Some people at MPP and NORML and who knows where else have analyzed what happened with the 21st Amendment.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (July 14, 2023) Israeli Doctors save life by reattaching Palestine boy s
  decapitated head to his neck with a miracle surgery

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Using Australia Stats,
  American Medical Association Study
  Finds Pot Really Works for Patients.

  
  
  
  (May 20, 2023) Here's the article from www.marijuanamoment.org.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Roger Billing's 1977
  Fire Control for Hydrogen Powered Vehicles.

  
  
  
  

  The fire control problems of various types of existing vehicles, such as battery-electric, conventional gasoline powered vehicles with conventional fuel tanks, as well as those fire control problems of conventional hydrogen powered internal combustion engine or fuel-cell electric vehicles, are contrasted with the following hydrogen storage category: hydrogen gas stored in iron alloy hydride powder.

  In the mid-late 1970's, Roger Billings of Provo, Utah, used an alloy of iron (iron alloy metal hydride powder stored in conventional low pressure welded steel tanks) when he stored hydrogen on most of his latter day vehicles in use in Provo, Utah, in the mid-late 1970's. His earlier vehicles had used conventional hydrogen storage tanks (steel tanks at medium pressure). Billings had publicly worked with hydrogen powered vehicles of all sorts beginning in his teen years in the late 1960's continuing into the late 1970's.

  The City of Provo, Utah, operated one of Billing's hydrogen powered vehicles, a Winnebago bus, for public transit for a few years. This was all reported in the mainstream media, such as in Popular Science magazine.

  This is similar to how BMW still does it today. But BMW uses conventional medium pressure steel hydrogen storage tanks.

  Billings speculated that he would like to discover perhaps a titantium alloy hydride that might work better due to lower weight. Billings eventually branched out into microcomputer businesses, and his hydrogen fame faded from the public view. But for a while (late 1960's to late 1970's), Roger Billings was known world-wide as an expert in hydrogen fueled vehicles using internal combustion engines.

  Roger Billing's metal hydride powder stored in conventional steel tanks was proven and tested to be very safe over a few years of public usage, in terms of potential fire issues caused by highway crashes. Billings did not crash test his hydrogen storage system, but rather tested his storage tanks by firing incendiary bullets from rifles at such targets. He could not intentionally produce a fire or explosion under any circumstances.

  The same test of gasoline stored in conventional steel tanks, or gaseous hydrogen stored at medium pressure in conventional steel tanks, both produced extreme explosions and fires when incendiary bullets were fired at such targets.

  There are many hydrides available. Which one is best? U. S. Government's DOE metal hydride section. But what about other hydrides? A hydride is a compound that can store protons, aka "hydrogen ions".

  Roger Billings also produced and published his own magazine, "Hydrogen Progress", for a few years in the late 1970's, perhaps earlier.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Is Teaching Photosynthesis Still Legal After
  the Paris Accords Were Signed?

  
  
  
  (July 2, 2022) I was taught in school that animals and humans (and internal combustion engines) exhale or create carbon dioxide, which is inhaled by plants which then using sunlight and water, create oxygen and sugars in a process called photosynthesis. (Carbon monoxide eventually becomes carbon dioxide.)

  Is it still legal to teach photosynthesis now after the Paris Accords were signed recently?

  In other words, we were taught that there is this symbiotic relationship between the animal kingdom, and the plant kingdom, and to some extent between modern industry and modern civilization and the plant kingdom. In other words, we were taught in school that some of the pollution created in modern civilization, such as carbon dioxide, is used up by the plants on planet earth in a constructive way.

  Is photosynthesis the new heresy? Is it still legal to teach photosynthesis in school?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Biden's War on Fentanyl in July 2023 Misses the Target.

  
  
  
  (March 3, 2023, modified July 7, 2023) The authorities in U. S. states, and the DEA, know who is using legal opium when the user is not addicted to it, and the opium is obtained legally from doctors and pharmacies. But most of those addicted to opium are no longer able to obtain it in a regulated legal manner. People are dying in large numbers from legal and illegal opium both.

  Does this make sense to turn over all the opium addicts to the "Underground Empire" where no regulation or record keeping occurs????

  I don't think it really matters what form of opium is being used. In other words, the addict uses whatever form of opium they can find, regardless of which form they actually prefer. To argue about such details is a total waste of time and humanity.

  As I said, I'm not very knowledgeable about this issue in terms of my own usage of opium as I have received only one injection of opiate "pain killer" in my entire life, but I was not told it was morphine. I discovered it was morphine when the invoice arrived in the mail.

  First responders, doctors, and nurses all seem to be too ashamed to mention opiates by name, preferring to call them "pain killer" instead.

  Opium of all types is too often fatal. About 100,000 Americans are dying every year from opium of all types. Biden's war on fentanyl should be modified to "Biden's War on Opiates."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  What Began for Adults in 2004 at Large Colorado
  Universities, May Have Now Occurred for Younger Folks There.

  
  
  
  (Jan. 17, 2023, further modified Feb. 18, 2023) Politics: large U.S. universities were actually the instigators, not the victims, of the current wave of pot law reform for adults. Why should such temples of rational thought, not be in the forefront of positive change? It actually makes perfect sense. Let's hear it for rational thinking! But what ultimately became a success for adult legalization by 2012 left teens and young adults still criminals, in terms of marijuana legalization.

  The current and continuing wave of pot legalization actually began after two college students in Colorado died from alcohol overdose in 2004: among other deaths caused by alcohol that year around the USA. One death was at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and one death was at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

  Students were being pressured to drink alcohol rather than use pot. The rules against pot were much more harsh than the rules against alcohol. Those rules at CSU and U. of CO were equalized via some form of campus referendum, guided by an organization named, "Safer Choice" in 2004. Here is an early document written back in 2005 about the goals of Safer Choice as that organization was plannning to try to reform pot laws in the City of Denver for adults. But student aged persons were still forbidden from using weed and alcohol both in 2004. The penalties for each were merely equalized.

  So after the Safer Choice founders graduated, their next project was to legalize pot in Denver for regular adult citizens like themselves, which was accomplished in Nov. 2005. I believe they obtained some of their funds for this from the MPP Foundation which was mostly funded by the late Peter Lewis, the founder of the Progressive Insurance Company. This electoral victory was a surprise for them.

  As far as college aged, or even high school aged students using weed without penalty, politics had its limitations then, as it still does now. But we can be flexible and sane about it.

  The Cannabis Section of the Collegian student newspaper at CSU seems to have officially begun on June 21, 2021. So, it now appears that some form of decriminalization for young adults may have occurred at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The Collegian newspaper, from Colorado State University.)

  If asked, enter an appropriate over 21 birthdate in order to read the "cannabis section" of the CSU newspaper, click here.

  I started writing this item without knowing about the current situation at CSU concerning weed. I didn't see any mention of pot at Boulder's The Daily Camera, the Univ. of Colorado paper. That paper published in Boulder used to accept tons of advertising from medical pot dispensaries. I don't know their current policy.

  Whatever the case, Colorado still has a soft spot in its heart for weed. As far as decriminalizing weed for older teens and young adults, I don't know who to give credit to.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  STEVE WOZNIAK SHOULD'VE SAID:

  "A. I. Actually Means 'STUPID'"

  
  
  
  In reference to this CNBC article from Feb. 10, 2023: click here.

  Also, I apologize for using the abbreviation, "A. I.", since it also adds another layer to the illusion that computers are actually smart.

  There's not a single computer programmer out there who believes that computers are actually smart. Programmers (aka, "coders") work very hard everyday to create the ILLUSION that computers are smart.

  But sorry Steve, in the year 2023, computers are still merely programmable machines. Steve Wozniak knows that to be a fact.

  Perhaps Silicon Valley is too close to Hollywood for mental clarity to prevail there on this issue.

  "Hal" was only a character created for the movie 2001 A Space Odyssy.

  But the Mad Magazine parody of that movie was entitled, 201 Minutes of Space Idiocy, and should also be remembered before we all loose our minds.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 5, 2023) Resignations, Impeachments & Removals In Our Political System Are

  Historically Extremely Rare.

  No President or V.P. has ever been successfully removed from office in the USA.

  
  
  
  One thing which is very apparent today is that a huge number of media people today seem to be totally unaware that in the USA, we have always had a basically very stable system. In other words, when someone gets elected, they generally serve out their full term. It really isn't normal for politcians in the USA to resign or get impeached/removed from office.

  Our system is not similar to any parliamentary system, where office holders are always being shuffled around, in and out of office.

  Fact: there has never been a President, nor a Vice President, of the USA removed from office after being impeached. What is the point of impeaching anyone if the removal from office does not actually take place?

  On the other hand, I now feel that it might have been better if Trump had actually been removed from office, since an actual vicious and violent, even deadly, insurrection was in process that he did not strongly attempt to stop. In other words, he did not do his duty to protect the U.S. from violent, somewhat armed, attack, which all presidents swear to do under oath.

  But I, before viewing the Jan. 6 Committee findings, also called for him not to be removed from office. So I screwed up (before knowing the facts) as well. But he was elected by the people of the USA.

  But many of our elected officials of both parties, and unelected officials already knew that the "Trump gang" had gone way over the line in terms of attacking the Capital of the U.S.

  It would've been very painful and a unique historical act to actually remove the President of the U.S. from office. Nixon was not removed from office by the impeachment process. He uniquely resigned from office, but was almost impeached. But what if Nixon had been impeached and not removed from office, like Trump, Clinton, and Andrew Johnson?

  But this constant chirping that this or that politician should be impeached and removed from office, is not really normal behavior in the USA. We generally elect people to serve out their full term. That's just how it is here. If the will of the people to elect this or that politician is always under constant threat, we have an unstable system, an unAmerican banana-republic system, if you ask me.

  If Trump ultimately gets away with it, we have also just become an unstable banana republic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  President Ronald Reagan Discusses His Personal Experiences
  With American Communism as a Form of Organized Crime, and Also Gives a
  General Overview of the Government's War on Organized Crime in 1986.

  
  
  
  (Posted here Jan. 29, 2023) CLICK HERE to read the original article from Jan. 12, 1986.

  This article appeared shortly before the Iran-Contra affair, which drenched Reagan in allegations and the appearance of extreme corruption, including government involvement in illicit drug and weapons trafficking (the contras in Nicarauga, and the fundamentalist regime in Iran buying weapons from the U.S.).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The "Most Important Place" in the USA Was Once Considered
  the Perfect Place to Move the U.S. Capital TO!

  
  
  
  And that place PROPOSED to move the U.S. Capital to, was very near Metropolis, IL, which is very close to Paducah, KY, and Smithland, KY, and very near Cairo, IL.

  And why in God's name are these places so darned important?

  BECAUSE:
  
  
  • The Tennessee River flows into the Ohio River in Paducah, KY.

  • The Cumberland River flows into the Ohio River in Smithland, KY.

  • The Ohio River flows into the Mississippi River in Cairo, IL.

  • All these places could be considered the "crossroads of the United States during the reign of the river boat as the chief way to travel", and are all very near to Metropolis, IL, which was part of an area extending into Kentucky, which bi-state area was PROPOSED around 1850 as a new and perfect place to put a new, better, Western Capital of the United States, to take over from Washington, D.C.

  For those spoiled by the smoothness and comfort of river boat travel, and considering how difficult and rough it actually was to travel to D. C. in those early days as the U. S. extended westward, the idea might have actually caught on.

  But about the time the idea was floated, the train took over as the most widely used way to travel.

  I have always been curious as to just where the various "big rivers" actually meet up near each other. For those going to or from the far West, the Missouri River near St. Louis would be an important junction with the Mississippi, and is quite close to Metropolis, as would the place where the Illinois River to go to and from Chicago, where that river meets the Mississippi River, and where it meets Lake Michigan via canal are important points. There, in Chicago located on Lake Michigan, one could easily travel across the Great Lakes eastward until reaching the Erie Canal, which eventually leads to New York City via the Hudson River, etc. (Thanks to Google Maps.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Legalization of Drugs Should Return Control
  to the Drug User.

  
  
  
  The legalization of marijuana increasingly in more and more of the USA is proceeding smoothly, in my opinion. I believe the main reason for this success is that we have obliterated a very damaging fallacy that has always dominated the "drug war": that drugs make decisions. This fallacy is the very heart of the drug war.

  Everywhere in the USA where pot was legalized, the authorities have implored everyone who uses marijuana to be careful, don't drive if impaired, and be responsible. And it seems to be working. All of those using pot know that they must stay responsible. If they screw up, they will be blamed rather than marijuana being indicted.

  Legalization has returned control to the human, and taken control away from the weed itself, which, in the first place, never really made sense.

  The main assumption of the drug war is that drugs are taking over our lives, and we have to blame everything on the drugs. That attitude doesn't really work very well.

  Another thing is that after state legalization of pot occurs, we are seeing a gradual reduction in pot usage in legal pot states after about two years. Most people already knew that pot wasn't addicting, such as the authors of the Shafer Commission report from 1972. Also, the percentage of people who want pot to remain legal increases after pot becomes legal, so there is no tendency for any states to re-criminalize marijuana.

  But now the proof is in the pudding. "Take it or leave it" policy works better than prohibition.

  But I also think that using pot may actually be beneficial to society, so we have to come up with ways to convince people to use pot more often, rather than not.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Elon Musk's Self Driving Car or Taxi vs. Mass Transit.

  
  Since buses have steering wheels, I like that better than trains.
  
  
  The main problem with mass transit is that the point of origin of the trip, and the destination point are rarely located near the place where you get on and off the mass transit system. In other words, the train or bus rarely goes door to door in terms of where you're actually leaving from, and where you're actually arriving.

  While the automobile can be used precisely point to point, saving time and money.

  When you add the time and trouble of taxis, rental cars, and/or local mass transit added to the time required for the train or plane, it might've been a lot quicker to use the automobile (plus google maps) for the entire trip in many cases.

  Most of the time for the case of Houston to Dallas, using the train, rental cars or taxis at both ends, the train doesn't work compared to using one's own car for the entire trip.

  For longer trips, the train or plane works fine since the total time saved using the plane or train plus rental cars or taxis, works out fine.

  Elon Musk seems to be nearly the only person on the planet who understands the limitations and absurdity of mass transit versus the (nearly) self-driving car, or self driving taxi, for most trips.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Heat Pumps Don't Work at All Below Freezing.

  To Work Properly, Heat Pumps Require Global Warming!

  Most Environmentalists Probably Live in Coastal Areas.

  
  
  
  The main drawback of relying upon a heat pump system for winter heating in really cold places, is that when temperatures drop below freezing, the heat pump simply doesn't heat anymore. This is when such a properly designed heating system switches automatically to a backup heating source such as electric resistance heating, natural gas, or propane when temperatures drop below freezing.

  Just when you need it most, the heat pump leaves you cold.

  For those living in really cold places like the U. S. midwest, this makes the entire scenario quite complicated, and increases the costs of buying and maintaining the HVAC system, and explains why most home owners in the colder regions of the U.S. opt for natural gas heating alone, if available.

  Without global warming, the heat pump option is quite limited. Considering that the coastal regions are the fastest warming areas due to climate change, the heat pump is very popular in those coastal areas since the oceans are warming faster than the interior areas.

  As I said before, most environmentalists probably live in coastal areas, so they are very much in favor of heat pumps for heating. Without heat, heat pumps don't work.

  As the perma-frost melts, expect heat pumps to become more popular in warming coastal Alaska, etc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  When White People Were Enslaved by the "Barbary Pirates",
  Who Were Then Defeated by the USA and Allies 1794 - 1815.

  Why Is This Nearly Totally Forgotten?

  
  
  
  NOTE: although Morocco was a close ally and friend of the USA from the very beginning of our country, this was not the case with other Muslim countries along the coast of N. Africa, the so-called "Barbary States", named after the "Berber race" which dominates this area. Note that before the Muslim religion existed, King Herod of Israel was of Berber descent, and was chosen by the Romans to rule Israel when Jesus Christ was alive as a human on earth from the year 0 A.D.

  The U. S. Government under Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, was threatened with bankruptcy, domination, and slavery by the Barbary Pirates.

  The U. S. Navy was re-created by Presidents George Washington and later, John Adams, along with the U. S. Congress and Senate beginning in 1794 mainly in response to attacks in the Mediterranean Sea on U. S. merchant ships, and the enslavement of their crews and passengers, by the so-called "Barbary Pirates". These civilians were freed only when ransom or tribute was paid for their release. Later, some U. S. Navy and Marines sent to rescue those civilians were also captured and kept enslaved unless ransom was paid. If the ransom was not paid, the captives were subject to being sold into a more permanent slavery. (The first act to build the ships and create the new U. S. Navy was signed by President Washington, but the need ended when diplomacy and tribute improved relations with the pirate state. Then when things deteriorated, again, the act to establish the new U. S. Navy was later signed by President Adams after those ships were built. The need for the Navy fluctuated as diplomatic relations changed with the pirate state.)

  The ultimate victory by the brand new and tiny reconstituted U. S. Navy with European allies over these forces was not a sure thing, and I wish to point out that if the USA and allies had lost this war, it is conceivable that the U. S. as an independent country might have collapsed, and President Jefferson and/or President Madison could've been sold into slavery in North Africa, along with hundreds of U. S. Marines and U. S. Navy personnel. Logistically this seems impossible today, but such things had gone on in white-man Europe for hundreds of years.

  Rescuing presumably white U. S. civilians captured and enslaved in N. Africa was the goal of this war waged by the U. S. Navy and U. S. Marines with allies for a few decades before, during and just after the much larger War of 1812.

  Until the Napoleonic Wars were over, the general population of continental Europe and Britain who were often immigrating to the new USA were not necessarily considered free people before reaching the USA, often being captured in coastal areas all over Europe and Britain, and sold into slavery in Northern Africa, just as white U. S. citizens were occasionally so treated.

  Black people were not the only people sometimes enslaved around the world before abolition finally prevailed in Europe and the Americas.

  How come we don't know about this already? I think the general population of the USA does not wish to remember the wars with the Barbary Pirates and "white European and American slavery".

  After the victorious American Revolution of 1775-1783, freedom for the inhabitants of the USA, was at hand, but not fully guaranteed. For example, some of the British wanted all of their territories in North America back.

  Despite the American victory of the 1776 revolution which ended in 1783, the whole world 1775-1815 was a very difficult and dangerous place in which to live until modern times. Just traveling around the world was very dangerous until the modern era, The world seemed to be dominated by all sorts of pirates who traded in slaves of every race.

  Coastal areas in all of Europe were particularly very vulnerable and dangerous due to pirate raids and kidnappings. In fact, in Spain, coastal villages went mostly extinct until pirate raids had been successfully suppressed. This also helps explain why Spanish immigration numbers to the Spanish colonial possessions were so limited compared to immigration counts to the British colonies.

  In the latter part of the 19th century, the coastal kidnapping theme was still popular in English literature, but presented in a totally different environment and situation: such as the popular book, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson, that has nothing to do with Muslim pirates, but rather trouble with an evil uncle.

  Funny how recent Scottish history earlier in the 19th century was so quickly forgotten by the masses. They wanted to forget it, I suppose.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Nuclear Energy and
  the U. S. Conservationist/Green Movement.

  
  
  
  (Oct. 22, 2022) Traditionally, the environmentalist/conservationist movements have mostly not been in favor of nuclear energy. For example, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Sierra Club and Greenpeace are all still very opposed to it. I agree with them, totally.

  Major nuclear commercial power plant disasters have occurred about once every 14 years here on planet earth, so far in recorded history. The three that come to mind are:

  • 1979: the Three Mile Island meltdown, in Pennsylvania during the one term of President Jimmy Carter, who personally traveled to the plant and went inside it before everything was yet known about the meltdown. Although one reactor melted down, the accident was nearly completely contained within the containment vessel mostly (the large concrete spherical dome that U. S. reactors must have in place), but some radioactive "pollution" is believed to have escaped the dome. No evacuations. The reactor that malfunctioned could not be repaired and was permanently dismantled which took about 15 years. No known injuries or deaths.

  • 1986: the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. A fairly large area around and including the plant including the entire cities of Chernobyl and Pripyat are more or less permanently evacuated due to being polluted with high levels of radioactivity. About 335,000 people were permanently evacuated immediately after the disaster. Today, about 1000 people have returned. The power plant site itself is still highly radioactive, and still requires a very expensive containment structure, added after the disaster at enormous cost, to be maintained and repaired. This is still an ongoing disaster. Most people who have studied the disaster would agree that perhaps hundreds of people died, including first responders and second responders (Chernobyl Liquidators). Accident caused by accidental steam "explosion" of one reactor which then melted down and was not repairable.

  • 2011: the Fukushima Daichi dissster in Japan. Still an ongoing disaster. An area about the size of a few counties was permanently evacuated consisting of about 154,000 people. One confirmed death, 16 injuries. The plant site itself is still highly radioactive due to at least three total reactor meltdowns following the huge earthquake.

  In all of modern world history, I am not aware of any required evacuations ever conducted due to break downs of fossil fuel powered power plants.

  The media and stupid government are both pretending today that the "green movement" is now suddenly in favor of nuclear energy. That is a lie as far as I can see in my investigation of websites of the Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace, and the Sierra Club.

  The only relevant question is whose county should be destroyed next.

  Note that drilling for water or oil anywhere near the sites of a nuclear disaster will yield radioactive material for hundreds and hundreds of years into the future. The topsoil may be usable in maybe 100 years, but not the water or oil being drilled for.

  I wish I owned my own geiger counter. We all need our own geiger counters with those in D. C. planning on more nuclear plants.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  What is a "Dirty Bomb"?

  
  
  
  (Oct. 23, 2022) Dictionary definition: dirty bomb, a nuclear weapon improvised from radioactive nuclear waste material and conventional explosives.

  In my opinion, nuclear waste or contamination itself is the primary component of a dirty bomb. The conventional explosives are optional, and are used to disperse the radioactive material.

  A malfunctioning nuclear reactor of any type could also be called an accidental "dirty bomb" if radioactive material capable of harming living creatures is released into the environment.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Sept 20, 2022) Japan PM calls
  for UN reforms to address Russian aggression

  
  
  
  We have to remember why the United Nations was created. We should thank Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and anyone else who agrees with him on this issue, for trying to improve the United Nations Security Council.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Sept. 19, 2022) Latest News About Rep. Liz Cheney.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  THE WAR IS OVER!!!!!

  Confederates Surrender in Virginia, Elsewhere!

  Also, Britain Quits India - Pakistan

  
  
  
  (Sept. 17, 2022) This is unexpected news for some of the people of the USA who have not yet heard the good news from April 9, 1865. Repeatedly, over the past few years, I have been hearing of "Confederates", here and there. So I thought I would forward this "old-news" about Lee's surrender in Virginia many years ago. There are no more "Confederates".

  So many believe also that the British Empire is still expanding. That is also not correct. The number of colonies has shrunk until it's not really an "empire" any longer. Britain quit India on August 14, 1947, and Pakistan on August 15, 1947.

  Just thought you might want to have the latest news.

  For the most part, elected parliaments, the House of Commons usually and the Prime Ministers, are pretty much running things these days, though Royal assent in many cases is still sought and respected. (Not in the USA though.) And it's been like that for over 200 years. In the U.K., the House of Lords recently lost nearly all their legislative powers, and judicial powers. Legislation is completely enacted without their involvement now, but they can delay legislation or acts of the House of Commons.

  Here's the Wikipedia item about "Royal assent" and related issues around the world.

  Note that in Canada, there is no House of Lords. There is a Senate of Canada instead that is still in power. Canadian Senators are generally in office for their entire lives, but are not "peers". Then there are also the Canadian provincial legislatures or parliaments, some of which are bicameral, some are unicameral.

  Although the British Empire has evolved mostly into independent countries now, the percentage of English speaking people on Earth has about doubled since 1947. Since 1947, English culture, language, and influence have probably been expanding more than during the actual colonial period. QE's meritocracy probably was part of that expansion of English language culture and influence. But so was the influence of the USA and other English speaking countries since WWII and before.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The Truth About California
  Emissions Standards for New Cars.

  
  
  
  NOTE: The State of California had "pollution control devices" required as early as 1961. I think the requirement for the installation of pollution control devices was initially based upon where the vehicle would be used, so the requirement was for vehicles used in heavily polluted Los Angeles and Orange Counties, probably at first. I wish I had more details.
  
  
  
  
  

  (Aug. 27, 2022) THERE IS NO DETAILED, DECADE BY DECADE, HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA VEHICLE EMISSIONS POLITICAL ARGUMENTS, THAT I CAN FIND ONLINE! The truth is that California has moved forward three steps repeatedly, and then backward two steps, repeatedly, over and over again, decade after decade.

  As I recall, well before President Trump attempted to force California to not enact stricter emissions standards than the federal ones, California, on its own had back-tracked repeatedly on its own when push came to shove on this issue in terms of enacting nearly impossible to meet, extremely strict standards.

  Although I assume that California currently has emissions standards in place on Aug. 27, 2022, which are stricter than Federal standards, and are the strictest in the nation, those standards are not as strict as the standards actually proposed in California before the argument with the Trump administration had even begun.

  The extremely strict standards for gas powered cars proposed in the past were never enacted in the past, as political pressure in California resulted in repeated back-tracking due to the expected extreme economic pain it might cause.

  Or, those proposed standards might have been impossible to meet for gas (and diesel?) cars and small trucks. Since they never tried to actually enact them, we don't know if they were too strict or not.

  Now that they're just banning gas (and diesel?) small vehicles altogether, I guess we don't need to remember all those failed attempts?

  But I predict that the same thing will happen again with the total ban on gas powered new cars there: it's a bridge too far for tne economy to handle. Instead, they'll bring out those "extremely strict standards" for gas and diesel that were never enacted in the past, and finally enact them.

  But those really extreme standards too may fail to be enacted due to the extreme difficulty for gas and diesel powered cars to actually meet those extreme standards.

  Problem is, there is no history online of these attempts.

  There are tons and tons of items about Trump vs. California during the past 5 years. But this argument was already going on in California before Trump came along.

  Doesn't anyone remember the past anymore?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Inflationarians Have Invaded the USA.

  
  
  
  There was once a time in the USA when all things buyable were "cheaper by the dozen". Costco and Walmart (Sam's Club) are living examples of this idea.

  "More for the money", used to be the American motto especially during the 20th century where technology and the industrial age came to full fruition.

  Even with apparent inflation, there were also times when value was increasing as quality and price increased. In other words, as more features were added to various widgits, the price increased less quickly than the value increased. Or revolutionary changes occurred that increased value, such as the invention of air conditioning for cars, which occurred after A/C for buildings. The original Apple computer did not play much music or answer the phone, that I have ever heard about.

  Now the computer has nearly completely taken over, but ejecting the computer from parts of our lives might bring about a new simplicity (or newfound simplicity) where a computer is not needed for that part of life.

  Some people today are obsessed with still buying LP records for playing music, etc., using Edison's original technology.

  The Fed. has not had to act drastically for a long time in U. S. financial history as interest rates across the board have decreased naturally since about 1980. Some say we're at the end of that cycle. This was a natural cycle created by new technology mostly. Now it's slamming into a brick wall, perhaps.

  I hope Jerome Powell and company can help bring those "good times" back, and prove Jack Dorsey was not totally correct. Free markets and price competition are also part of the U. S. economic system.

  The environmental movement was winnning the green war when it was allied with the capitalistic system, such as in Texas, still the main adopter of wind energy in the USA. That was how the "green" movement was progressing around the world mostly before the totalitarians tried to take it over and punish the world. Wind and solar were ramping up very quickly, and still are, due to low prices for those types of power.

  But inflation now is occurring due to mainly, a lack of workers.

  The politicians haven't figured it out; how to obtain more workers. Perhaps the prisons in the U. S. can be largely emptied. Perhaps the wrong people are being jailed in many cases. This is a THEORY.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  How to Stay Cool and Also Save the Environment
  by Using Zero Amounts of New Refrigerants
  in Your Air Conditioning Systems.

  NOT USING YOUR A/C or HEAT PUMP EVERY
  MONTH IS THE CAUSE OF REFRIGERANT GAS LOSS!

  FREE AIR CONDITIONING.

  
  
  
  

  At the moment, the "green movement" doesn't want you to have an air conditioner, but they want you to buy a heat pump! Well, air conditioners and heat pumps are the same thing. Just call your HVAC people and ask them. A heat pump is a type of air conditioner, but a heat pump is rigged to move heat in both directions. An air conditioner moves heat out of your house. A heat pump in heating mode moves heat into your house, but in the summer, the heat pump is also an air conditioner and moves heat out of your house. But the technology for heat pumps and air conditioners is exactly the same. They both use the same "evil" refrigerants that the "green" movement wants to ban. I'm not kidding! Makes no sense at all to attack air conditioning and to promote heat pumps. It's insane.

  There are parts of the USA where it is illegal for a landlord to not provide a working air conditioning system, swamp cooler system, or other cooling system to those renting out properties, since that might be lethal to someone. Air conditioning or other cooling systems are considered an essential service in some U. S. states.

  How to not lose air conditioning coolant: coolant leaks from air conditioning and heat pump systems are said to be damaging to the environment. This leakage of coolant gases can be virtually eliminated by making sure the seals that prevent leakage are working. How do we accomplish that? Run the air conditioning system or heat pump system at least 2 to 5 minutes every month, even in the winter and also during the summer, fall and spring! This lubricates the mechanical seals that hold the coolant inside the system. If we don't run the A/C or heat pump often enough, the seals dry up and the coolant leaks out.

  Summary: use your heat pumps and/or air conditioners 12 months per year for at least 5 minutes per month to prevent leakage and loss of coolant gases which is bad for the environment. Do that for your house, car, truck, and RV heat pump and a/c also! Make sure the "compressor" is running during the 5 minute session by turning the thermostat full up or full down. In other words, if you're running the A/C in the winter, make sure the compressor kicks in. In you're running the heat pump in the summer, you have it in A/C mode anyway, so it's running already when you run the heat pump in A/C mode. That's what you want. You want to run the heat pump as an air conditioner in the summer to keep the coolant from leaking out.

  NOT using your air conditioners or heat pumps for longer than 30 days is what causes the seals or gaskets in the compressor to dry out, and for refrigerant gases to leak out and damage the environment, and cause expensive recharging of the refrigerant gases that have to be replaced. So to be a good environmentalist, use your heat pump or A/C compressor every month to keep the gaskets from leaking due to non-use.

  Dehumidification A/C Mode when Defrosting the Windshield of your vehicle: when the windshield fogs up, we can't see. This occurs usually in humid conditions. The default mode in vehicles of all types is to use the engine heat when defrosting. Also, the air conditioning system helps out when defrosting by helping dehumidify the air also. You may have to push the A/C compressor button to "on" for some vehicles when defrosting as this helps the process of defrosting, depending on weather and humidity conditions. Try defrosting with and without air conditioning. Some vehicles such as those made by GM and Ford switch on the A/C automatically when defrosting the windshield and side windows. Using the A/C when defrosting also exercises the A/C system, and therefore helps prevent leaks of refrigerant gases.

  In general, all vehicles and equipment deteriorate in many ways when not used since the moving parts, the engine, transmission, differential, and other moving parts need to be self-lubricated as well. Letting a car, RV, or truck sit without being used for a long time (more than 2 - 4 weeks) can eventually cause much damage. Some experts recommend vehicles be operated/exercised once per week for about 45 minutes or more. When you run the vehicle, cycle through the gears, and run the various systems. Apply the brakes, operate the turn signals. Run the windshield wipers and washer, for example, even if it's not raining. Vehicles and systems need exercise just like people and animals.

  If you don't believe me, go ask a qualified service tech.

  Free Air Conditioning: someone once told me that about 6 feet down all over the world, the temperature is about fifty degrees F. Pipes can be buried under the ground at least 6 feet under to obtain free cooling. Houses with basements are cooler than those without basements. If the inhabitants stay in the basement most of the time, there is no need for air conditioning. Houses without active A/C systems could be built mostly underground.

  Down further, it gets hotter and hotter.

  (Yes, there are things in vehicles and houses that deteriorate under usage, regardless. RV's have many such parts in both categories. But in general, a nice short run of 30 to 45 minutes a month (or more) should be sufficient to keep any vehicle in better working condition without over-usage. Water condensation in the oil must be evaporated by heat. That takes about 30 to 45 minutes of running the engine, minimum. It takes time for the transmission oil to heat up. This takes at least a half hour or more. If you're not willing to do these necessary things, then get rid of the vehicle or equipment.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Rep. Liz Cheney Herself,
  Has Not Even Mentioned,
  Running for President as an Independent.

  
  
  
  (Aug. 23, 2022) Only the media has mentioned Cheney running as an independent.

  The media hopes she runs as an independent, since that's the easiest way to fade into obscurity, the very last thing Liz wants to do.

  Have you ever even heard of Ross Perot?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Income Tax Was a Bad Idea.
  Sales Tax, and Excise Tax, Work Much Better.

  
  
  
  I'm not in favor of anyone cheating on their income tax.

  But I really think having a Federal sales tax, and various Federal excise taxes, would work much better. We already have some Fed. excise taxes, but not very many.

  Reasons the income tax was, and still is, a bad idea:

  1. - hurts the economy in unpredictable ways by reducing the amount of money citizens possess that otherwise would be available to spend or invest.

  2. - is universally hated. There are some, however, who want to pay more income tax.

  3. - therefore, it gives the government a bad reputation. Bad relations between citizens and the government is not a desirable situation for anyone.

  4. - is basically communist in nature in that there is more punishment for those who are more successful financially, which is the worst characteristic of communism. A flat rate income tax would be more fair and would not punish success.

  However, in an emergency situation, maybe we need the income tax? Or does it hurt the economy? The Covid-19 pandemic created some unusual expenses for our nation that have bloated our national debt. But I would reduce taxes ASAP when the debt is paid down.

  Since there were virtually no homeless in the USA until the 1980's, we are already in an emergency.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The Enormous Gorilla Sitting
  in the Corner that No One Noticed.

  No Waste Heat at All from Geothermal II.

  
  
  
  (written well before Oct. 13, 2023) Imagine if about 40 to 70 percent of all the energy produced in the entire world by large power plants of all sorts, nuclear, coal, and natural gas alike, are spewing out heat directly into the environment every day and every night. Yet, hardly anyone notices this massive waste heat loss of up to 2/3 of all energy being produced in the world.

  Repeat: up to 2/3 of all energy produced on our planet is currently wasted into the environment around the power plants that produce it. The remaining 1/3 to 3/5 left over is the grid energy we all utilize from the power companies.

  So what do environmentalists actually focus on? CARBON DIOXIDE and other forms of carbon, such as hydrocarbons from petroleum! The environmental movement doesn't care enough about the direct heating produced by waste heat from power plants, the up to 2/3 loss mentioned above. Instead they ignore traditional knowledge of photo-synthesis, and focus on carbon dioxide (and other carbon containing wastes) as the enemy.

  The oxygen which keeps us alive is actually created by the plant kingdom which metabolizes carbon dioxide in a process called photosynthesis. This is third grade science.

  Why the myopia and blindness concerning waste heat losses from virtually all power plants?

  THe new era of Mega-Chernobyl. It has to be the secret fact that the establishment is planning on building hundreds of new nuclear power plants in the next few decades. At best, these new nuclear plants would probably waste at least 60% or more of the energy produced as waste heat. But the media is not often reporting their plans for your life in constant danger from nuclear disaster.

  The better choice would be to utilize geothermal energy, which poses no threats whatsoever, and is available in unlimited amounts, and which creates no waste heat at all. If we drill deep enough, geothermal is available everywhere on the planet.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  THE SUPREME COURT SAID:

  The Presidential Train is Leaving on Time.

  Don't Miss the Train!

  
  
  
  (Aug. 13, 2022) Since 1789, the U. S. Presidential Train has left the station by inauguration day. The "safe harbor rule" is that the Presidential election is decided, the electoral votes in each state and District of Columbia are all counted, by the "safe harbor" date for that election. The safe harbor date is around mid-December of the election year. The Supreme Court decided in 2000 that catching the train on time took priority over re-counting the votes. In Florida in the year 2000 elections, the vote re-counters in South Florida were not able to finish their re-count requested by Gore by the safe harbor date, so the Florida results already tabulated were accepted by the U. S. Supreme Court, thus giving the election to George W. Bush.

  There is, so far in U. S. history and tradition, no possible legal way to overturn the election after the safe harbor date, is what the Supreme Court decided in 2000. But, if those results from all the states and District of Columbia do not give a majority win to any candidate as per the 12th Amendment, the election is decided in Washington, D.C., in the House for the President, and/or in the Senate for the Vice President, both on Jan. 6 after the election.

  But the entire nation should know the electoral college vote count outcome by mid-December (the exact date is calculated by a well known formula). So on Jan. 6, if Congress is going to decide, everyone would know that already by mid-December, but would not yet know the results of what Congress will decide as per the 12th Amendment. Congress has had to act only twice in U. S. history to select the President or Vice President (one time for each).

  I find it really impressive that the civil system of U. S. government continued even during the Civil War, and even the actual Confederates were reluctant to create chaos in Washington, D.C., when able to do so. When able to do so, they didn't even try to disturb civil Washington, D.C. In fact, all around the USA during the actual Civil War, mostly civil life continued as partisans from both sides were able to sneak around in the territory controlled by the other side, usually.

  These are the rules of the U. S. Presidential election, the only national election in the USA. The U. S. Senate and House are currently debating a new improved Electoral Count Act right now. Here is a recent article about that.

  The rules are easily known in advance. Don't take part if you're not going to follow the rules. The Presidential election in the USA is not a backward looking system. It looks forward and keeps to a very rigid schedule that cannot be altered or bypassed. The states and District of Columbia have always counted their votes, really. The train will leave the station on time, everytime, and has done so since 1789.

  Very few, if any, other countries have had such tightly scheduled Top-Official elections without chaos throughout history, as the USA. I don't think any other countries meet our standards in terms of putting someone in office by a pre-scheduled inauguration date, as ours. We all learned something in 2000 although the press really didn't elaborate or explain much of what happened, I don't think. I recently read up on it on Wikipedia.

  Bush was not my choice then, but I accepted the results.

  NOTE: before the 23rd Amendment was ratified on March 29, 1961, the District of Columbia residents did not take part in the presidential election of the USA.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Unions?

  
  
  
  

  (Aug. 13, 2022) Here's a recent article about the unions in 2022: click here.

  Back in the late 1990's, most of the large grocery store chains in the S.E. United States unionized. For example, Winn Dixie was one of them. I don't even recall the names of the other ones.

  A few years later, all of them had filed for bankruptcy. Now days, the largest grocery store chains in the S. E. USA are all non-union: Publix, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, to name three of the largest in the year 2022.

  Joe Biden is dreaming about unions and speaking about unions that mostly don't exist, or are losing more members than gaining them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  War of 1812: Congress and Pres. Madison Kept
  Government Fully Functional Even as Most Gov. Buildings
  Burned Down in Evacuated Washington, D.C.

  
  
  
  

  The new capital had only been occupied and used for about 10-15 years when the War of 1812 broke out, so it was not difficult for Congress and the other branches to relocate elsewhere in the emergency situation. Note that before Washington, seven cities had been Capitals of the United States: (from google.com)

  • Baltimore, Maryland. ...
  • Lancaster, Pennsylvania. ...
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
  • Princeton, New Jersey. ...
  • Annapolis, Maryland. ...
  • Trenton, New Jersey. ...
  • New York City, New York

  It can be argued that where ever Congress and/or the President resides, is "the Capital". It could be argued that Air Force One is the Capital of the U.S. when the President is using it. It could be argued that where ever the Congress is physically meeting, is the Capital. The Secret Service projects maximum securty where ever the President is physically located, since that is the Capital of the United States, even if he is in a foreign country.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  If There Was No Slavery,
  There Would Be No Need for Abolitionists.

  
  
  
  We have to remember that abolition mostly ended when slavery mostly ended: in 1865 in the USA. But slavery still exists to a small degree in the USA.

  So the idea that Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and scores of others were abolitionists in the era of legal slavery, is not really that difficult to imagine.

  We also have to realize that the entire world, more or less, was practicing slavery around the year 1750.

  We also have to realize that slavery is still "enabled" in the USA as a punishment for Federal crimes, according to the 13th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Where Robots Can't Really Help You, Yet:

  Russian Roulette!

  (April 30, 2022) The Gamble with Nuclear Energy.

  
  
  
  

  Note that the use of robotics to aid workers at nuclear disaster sites, or in cleaning up old nuclear plants, are still in the developmental stages! The robots are not yet ready. (I believe that in this field, the Japanese have made the most progress in using robots at the Fukushima disaster site. But this is still an experiment, not a successful one as of yet. FACT: humans wearing protective "space suits" still have to do the most dangerous jobs at old nuclear power plants, or nuclear disaster sites.)

  There are many weaknesses and fatal flaws with nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is an excellent form of Russian roulette, plain and simple.

  To refer to old nuclear power plants as "dirty bombs" is not an exaggeration. It's an accurate description.

  Old worn out nuclear power plants are contaminated with radiation. To work safely on an old nuclear plant requires that the workers must wear protective suits, similar to what astronauts wear when going into outer space. This "space-suit" like clothing shields the workers from the deadly radiation from the contaminated structure of the old plant. You can't just recycle the main parts of an old worn-out nuclear plant; it has to be stored at a nuclear waste facility for perhaps thousands of years.

  Nuclear power plants tend to destroy themselves at a rate much faster than most other man-made mechanical devices, and therefore do not last as long, and cannot be repaired or re-conditioned easily to the extent that conventional power plants can be. Nuclear radiation is destructive to all unshielded computer circuits, unshielded electrical and electronic circuits, and all nearby unshielded physical/mechanical structures. Ultimately, it is nearly impossible to protect the internal and required infrastructure of the nuclear plant itself, from itself. The cost and difficulty of repairing or re-using and/or cleaning up worn out nuclear plants is prohibitively expensive, compared to conventional or alternative power plants or sources.

  SURPRISE!!! So robots generally cannot be used to aid those who work on old contaminated nuclear power plants, or at nuclear disaster sites, although the Japanese alone have made some progress in this field at the Fukushima disaster site in very recent times. The high radiation levels generally shut down or destroy the computer circuits in the robots. Here is a very recent article this subject: click here. I believe that the use of robotics to aid workers at contaminated nuclear sites is still an unfinished, developmental, project.

  No matter the precautions taken, it appears that nuclear energy is a huge and foolish gamble for humanity. I don't understand why gambling toward a suicidal demise in a reckless way is so popular. We have manifest proof that no matter the precautions taken, something will eventually go wrong sooner than later, and wreck havoc with nuclear power plants, no matter what. Murphy seems to be right. Something will always go wrong, eventually.

  Click here to see Murphy's Law.

  But there are safer methods of power generation available. Fossil fuels are very predictable and much safer than nuclear, and fossil fuels can be phased out. Nuclear energy cannot be phased out. It has to be stopped all at once. To phase out nuclear energy requires a bureaucracy larger than the nuclear energy industry.

  Nuclear energy requires a vast, autocratic, and mysterious infrastructure involving mega-government powers and presumptions. Nuclear waste and old nuclear plant parts, are difficult to get rid of or recycle due to being radioactive. Nuclear waste is forever. The idea of deregulation of nuclear energy sends shivers down the spines of both libertarians and mega-government whacks both. There can never be deregulation of nuclear power. Nuclear power = big government forever and ever, Amen. Those who worship big government, worship nuclear power. Period.

  These days the media is acting as if nuclear power is as common and safe as a refrigerator humming along in the background. Just wait until the next Alaska sized earthquake. The 1964 Alaska earthquake.

  Nuclear energy is insane. The biggest enemies of nuclear energy are the experts who work in the industry, or who used to.

  It's funny how so many journalists have PREDICTED, that the robots will soon be able to do the difficult and dangerous jobs at old nuclear plants, or nuclear disaster sites. But that's just a PREDICTION. They're still working on the robots, but the robots keep breaking down in the contaminated environment. We're talking about VLSI (very large scale integration) computer circuits being bombarded by radioactive neutrons and other particles!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Can Nominees to the Supreme Court Deceive Senators,
  Congress-People, and the General Public, About Topics During
  the Confirmation Hearings, or After Joining the Court?

  
  
  
  (July 2, 2022) Sneaking onto the Supreme Court through deception, does not seem kosher to me. I was also deceived.

  But a JSCOTUS should be allowed to change their minds about any particular topic, but in such cases, they should be required to inform the general public, and the other branches if they change their minds about any particular topics upon which they were questioned during confirmation, and why. I don't think deception and sneakiness should be part of their ways as justices, or as people. If they behave like that, they should be impeached, in my opinion. They were questioned during confirmation hearings about certain topics for good reasons.
  
  
  
  
  

  On Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution
  Confirmed and Guaranteed the Reality of Female Sovereignty as U. S. Citizens.

  My View on Abortion Rights:

  
  
  
  

  (June 24, 2022 approx. 11:00PM)

  When abortion or miscarriage is illegal, I feel that pregnant women are being enslaved by both arbitrary third parties, and by related persons like husbands, when the pregnant women aren't ready or willing to give birth to a child, for any reason. For some pregnant women, the "third parties" can be anyone, literally, as long as they aren't female.

  This is similar to the situation in Afghanistan and other places where women are prohibited from even leaving their homes without having an excort.

  If you say that pregnancy always means the woman already expressed her desire to become pregnant by getting pregnant in the first place, there are plenty of examples of pregnant women who did not even know they were pregnant until labor pains started.

  I feel like the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution guaranteed women full sovereignty as citizens and as human beings both. In that sense, the right to abortion began at least with the ratification of the 19th Amendment, or before, in my opinion.

  I wish the female citizens of the United States good luck and success in overturning the mistaken anti-abortion policies that are manifesting around the USA at the moment.

  Perhaps better sex education could help women avoid unwanted pregnancies altogether; but giving women full rights as U. S. citizens should obliterate anti-abortion judgements and laws that offend female sovereignty.

  Women are not cattle owned by third parties. Criminalizing miscarriage is cruel and unusual punishment - the same for criminalizing abortion. I say leave it up to any and all women whether to bring to term, or not, any and all pregnancies. Anything else is slavery to third parties; third parties who have no right to dictate to any woman what occurs with her own body.

  Historically, women have always ultimately exercised sovereignty to have abortions when needed. To erect governmental powers to thwart this basic human freedom will tear the USA apart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The U. S. Government Had Probably Been Freeing
  Smuggled "Contraband" Slaves Since Even Before 1808.

  
  
  
  The numbers freed were very small. But technically, the international slave trade to the U. S. became illegal in 1808. But even before 1808, if slaves were smuggled into the U. S. without the import tax or duty having been paid, the Navy and/or Revenue Marine Corp could seize contraband slaves and fine the smugglers. I don't know what happened to such contraband slaves seized by the U.S. Government. The Amistad Case was a rare event. I can't find much online about this topic.

  One problem is that until the smuggling ships reached U. S. waters or ports, no smuggling had yet taken place. So the smugglers had to be caught red-handed close to shore. In international waters, the smugglers could claim they were heading to Cuba or somewhere else. This is probably how they avoided being convicted in court if caught in the act before reaching port or U. S. waters: lying under oath.

  Again, I find the whole issue very embarrassing and shameful in retrospect.

  But abolitionists were given some hope by the Amistad Case.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Is Teaching Photosynthesis Still Legal After
  the Paris Accords Were Signed?

  
  
  
  (July 2, 2022) I was taught in school that animals and humans (and internal combustion engines) exhale or create carbon dioxide, which is inhaled by plants which then using sunlight and water, create oxygen and sugars in a process called photosynthesis.

  Is it still legal to teach photosynthesis now after the Paris Accords were signed recently?

  In other words, we were taught that there is this symbiotic relationship between the animal kingdom, and the plant kingdom, and to some extent between modern industry and modern civilization and the plant kingdom. In other words, we were taught in school that some of the pollution created in modern civilization, such as carbon dioxide, is used up by the plants on planet earth in a constructive way.

  Is photosynthesis the new heresy? Is it still legal to teach photosynthesis in school?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Sept. 3, 1783 - July 4, 2022) WHICH IS GREATER?

  The Total Span of Freedom in America so far,
  
  versus
  
  The Total Span of Slavery in America, so far.

  
  
  
  (July 4, 2022) It's been 239 years since the USA was born, as an internationally recognized new country with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on Sept. 3, 1783. Since it wasn't clear that the country called, "the USA" would succeed, I'm not using 1776 as the starting date for the USA.

  Note that Jefferson and all of his fellow founders were all born into a world nearly dominated by pirates and slavery on the high seas, and on every continent of the world. There were some voices of abolition then, including Thomas Jefferson himself who inherited his wealth and many slaves.

  But it was much easier and cheaper to seek land in the western USA than to buy land already owned by people like Jefferson in the Eastern U.S.A. In other words, there wasn't much of a market for used plantations in Virginia. And Jefferson was in debt his entire life, so he experienced a type of slavery in his own life.

  Chattel slavery in the USA lasted only 82 years: from 1783 until 1865. This number will never increase in size.

  Freedom from slavery in the USA has lasted so far from 1865 until 2022: nearly 157 years. This number will always be increasing, if we can guard our nation from the enemies of Democracy and Freedom.

  I hope more Americans begin to appreciate their freedoms rather than criticizing those forward looking Founders like Thomas Jefferson who did greatly appreciate the freedoms that Americans were fighting for 1776-1781, although some were still enslaved in the USA for another 82 years.

  Jefferson may have owned slaves, but he also owned the vast freedom that he could value in his own mind, and many others will value that Freedom that Jefferson enjoyed and lived in his own life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Dealing with Mild Peripheral Pain
  Eventually Became Dealing With Constant Pain;
  
  How to Stop Most Any Pain Dead in
  Its Tracks in 30 seconds or less.
  
  Do Most People Even Know about Our Bodies'
  Own Built-In Pain Killer System?
  
  THEY SHOULD KNOW BEFORE USING PAIN KILLER!

  
  
  
  Characteristics of mild peripheral pain:

  • Constant

  • Mild enough to initially ignore, and push aside just out of our mainstream conscious awareness.

  • Eventually becomes a nagging and constant pain in the neck.

  
  
  
  This morning I had such a pain. It was actually in my neck area. I ignored it for an hour or so. But it eventually became a nagging and constant pain. Eventually, it really began to bother me. I could no longer ignore it.

  HOW I MADE IT DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY:

  • I decided to follow my own advice. I stared it down. I concentrated on it. I felt the pain fully. I did NOT peripheralize it any longer. I did NOT push it aside and try to ignore it.

  • On the contrary, I stared it squarely directly in the eye.

  • I concentrated on feeling this pain.

  • Guess what? Within 30 seconds or so, it disappeared completely.

  I can imagine that I might have obtained some pain killer, but I had heard that "staring down" a pain, concentrating on feeling the pain, makes it go away altogether. I suppose doing that activates our own endorphin system.

  If we ignore the pain, or peripheralize it, it hangs around. Like a stray dog, better to stare it down so that it runs away from us altogether. If we ignore the stray dog, it follows us home. So stare it down, and it runs away, never to be seen again.

  NOTE: if we stare down a pain, concentrate on it, and it gets worse - time to go to urgent care or an emergency room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (May 5, 2022) The Three Mile Island Nuclear Disaster in Pennsylvania.

  
  
  
  I quickly glanced at the Wikipedia article on Three Mile Island a few years ago, and did not comprehend the details there. I feel shame that the USA would even consider covering up this disaster that should be more well known than it is.

  Unit 2 at Three Mile Island had a partial melt down, and was permanently damaged beyond repair, and has been decommissioned at enormous cost. It took about 15 years to clean it up. I don't think we've been informed of all the details, such as who paid for the clean up.

  While building new nuclear plants, the U. S. nuclear industry/government coalition states, "We are not building any more new nuclear power plants."

  The Three Mile Island accident should be listed along with Chernobyl and Fukushima. But the containment vesssel at Three Mile Island worked properly, and prevented the release of most radiation, unlike the accidents at Fukushima and Chernobyl. Chernobyl did not have a containment vessel; the ones at Fukushima were damaged by the earthquake and explosions.

  The proximity to the ocean is probably what made Fukushima less catastrophic. Ocean water moderates atomic fission and radiation.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (April 15, 2022) Rape is Enslavement of the Victim, Can Be Fatal to the
  Victim and the Perpetrator, and Is the Theft of Something Valuable.

  
  
  
  Also, rape was usually considered a capital crime in most or all of the "old south". People were routinely hung for rape. I also noticed using google search that the State of Virginia records that convicted rapists in that state consisted nearly equally of whites and blacks. (Google search for "rape, capital crime")

  I don't know when rape was no longer a capital crime, punishable by death. But, probably the reason this changed was since some of the accused and convicted were probably falsely accused.

  In daily life in the U.S. and in the world, a large number of apparent rapists are murd... killed, for whatever reasons. (This item is about what happened with former U.S. Army soldier Sgt. T. J. W.)

  I use the word "killed" rather than "murdered" since the killing of a person about to become a rapist implies the killer personally resented the crime of rape about to be committed. I don't think that was the case described above that occurred in Iowa.

  A law officer or citizen who kills someone in the line of duty does so out of a sense of duty to uphold the law, which is not about committing a murder, but rather about upholding the law that protects human life. In this case, the life of the rape victim is being protected from a major enslavement: becoming a rape victim. By preventing a rape from occurring, the law of the land is being upheld. To call that process "murder" is not correct English.

  Perhaps because the rape had gone too far, and had perhaps actually occurred, the killer of the alleged rapist may have been too late to prevent it; hence, the prison sentence for "murder". This is pure speculation. If he killed the rapist before the rape occurred, then no rape occurred. A rape was prevented instead.

  If he had actually prevented the rape, then the near-victim might have testified in his favor, preventing the sentence of "murder" from sticking. This is pure speculation. I am proposing that the convicted murderer should have pleaded "not-guilty". I don't actually know what happened in court, or if there was a trial or not.

  So did a rape not occur due to the killer killing the person who attempted to rape someone? Or did the killer kill the rapist after that crime was already committed? I don't know, actually.

  Perhaps if non-lethal force had been used to prevent a rape, things would've turned out better for all concerned. I don't know all the facts in this case.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  What Does Pot Do To Humans?

  
  Stoned on Pot,
  He Won the
  Congressional Medal of Honor
  in 1970 in Vietnam.
  
  
  Marijuana with sufficient THC activates the endo-cannabinoid system. This basically causes the human body to tend to stop being in the fight or flight response mode, or emergency alarm mode, and to enter a mode that tends to restore health, or biological homeostasis. This would be the mode that doctors used to advise us to adopt when sick: get plenty of rest and call me in the morning.

  Homeostasis means restoration of balance and rest within the body, rather than an emergency, or alarmed mode.

  So using pot would tend to make us less upset or alarmed. It would help people sleep and relax. If already rested, it would help us enjoy the moment, and to worry less. All these things would tend to be good for our general health. This is probably why pot helps so many ailments.

  Does this mean that pot users are unable to respond properly in emergencies? No. Pot users are as able as anyone to respond to emergencies since the body can easily over-ride the "relaxing" effect of pot in an emergency.

  To give just one example, Sergeant Peter Lemon was able to fight off the enemy in Vietnam while under the influence of marijuana along with his fellow soldiers, earning the Congressional Medal of Honor.

  Or click here.

  NOTE: the endocannabinoid system was not discovered by science until 1988-1992. Also, note that usage of psychoactive cannabis does not seem to attenuate the body's own internal endocannabinoid production, those cannabinoids produced internally by the human body. So using pot simply increases the body's overall cannabinoids. Note using opiods does decrease the human body's own internal production of endo-morphine, otherwise known as endorphin. So biological dependency to marijuana does not occur, though some people appear to be addicted to it.

  I personally think this apparent addiction to pot is totally psychological in nature, and can easily be adjusted by giving the "pot addict" total choice to use pot. I believe that when we try to impose our will on a marijuana user to stop using it, a battle of wills is created that turns into a tug-of-war game between people.

  I would advise to let the pot user use pot all they want until they realize that they don't really want it so much, or can't afford it. Then they simply curtail their use naturally, rather than fighting with those trying to control their life.

  In other words, let the pot user win the tug-of-war game, and let them learn the life lesson on their own that over-usage of pot is not very enjoyable anyway.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Electrolysis of Water
  into Pure Hydrogen and Pure Oxygen
  Using Low Voltage DC POWER
  is EXTREMELY EASY AND SIMPLE.

  
  
  
  The electric circuit is very simple: click here.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (March 10, 2022) Old Records of the NORML Canada Website:

  
  
  
  
  
  
  The very first NORML Canada website (early Feb. or late Jan. 1996) consisted of just one item, an early version of article1.html, and was the "front page" and entirety of the website. There was also posted at the top of this page, the phone number and email for Umberto Iorfida and NORML Canada in King City, Ontario.
  
  
  
  
  
  NORML Canada (Feb. 1996-Sept. 2004):
  
  RE: www.calyx.com/~normlca ('til Jan. 2000)
  RE: www.calyx.net/~normlca ('til Jan. 2000)
  RE: mojo.calyx.net/~normlca ('til Jan. 2000)
  RE: www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus (July 2002-March 2016)
  RE: last copy of NORML Canada website as of Sept. 2004: click here or click here.
  
  Personal Blog of Bill Carroll:
  
  RE:www.nintharticle.com. (Jan. 2005-now.)
  
  
  

  (March 10, 2022) I recently found a website (www.archive.org) that had been "mirroring" the NORML Canada website, or saving old versions of it, without my knowledge. That's how the web used to work. Anyone could copy a web page, or even entire websites, and save that on someone's hard drive, or saved at another website server, for future reference. This was called, "mirroring a website". It was very common in those days as websites disappeared and re-appeared on different servers, and "subbed" at different URL's.

  The purpose of "mirroring" a website was to keep the 1st Amendment alive when conditions were adverse, or if a website just goes down permanently.

  The people at archive.org, or third parties using www.archive.org, saved copies of the NORML Canada website on numerous occasions in the early 2000's.

  However, I was not using the domain name, "NORML Canada", or anything like that, as I was just a volunteer worker. I did not feel that I had the authority to register the domain name, and I don't think Umberto Iorfida (President of NORML Canada) knew that much about the web in order to do that himself. I confess that I did not yet know how to register a domain name in those early days, either. (It's actually very easy.)

  Therefore, we used free webspace provided by others for the NORML Canada website "subbed" at various URL's, such as www.calyx.com/~normlca, or mojo.calyx.net/~normlca, or www.calyx.net/~normlca. Later, it was website space at my own telephone number web account in Iowa, at www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus. (I also paid for hosting webspace, for the NORML Canada website, at one or two small ISP's in the USA and in Canada during this period. This was the period (1996-2000) when ISP's were usually locally owned store-fronts, not associated with any large corporations or the telephone company. There were, however, a small number of very large nationwide dial-up ISP's such as AOL, but the access dial-up tel. numbers often required the use of a long distance phone call. I had an AOL account and email during the period 1996-2000.

  Even as late as early 2005 when my own www.nintharticle.com website began, I did not have broadband access that often, having to use dial-up for uploads most of the time. Some of the large video files still at www.nintharticle.com today, were uploaded in very early 2005 using physical CD-ROM's at the Auburn University library. A month or two later around April or May 2005, I finally bought a laptop computer with built-in wifi connectivity for the first time, and then began the era of seeking free wifi internet access when traveling.)

  The first versions of this website maintained by myself were at server space provided free of charge by Calyx Internet Service in New York City, by a guy named Nicholas Merrill from early 1996 until Jan. 30, 2000. According to a rumor I heard, Nick had also been the original web maintainer for NORML in Washington, D.C. before 1996. Carl Olsen of Iowa NORML fame might know more about this subject.

  The main URL https://www.calyx.net still exists as a Virtual Private Network from Calyx Internet Service in NYC.

  The NORML Canada website was taken down by myself from Jan. 30, 2000, until mid-July 2002. Shortly after that, I was informed that my boss had become Attorney John Conroy, the founder of NORML Canada who took over from Umberto Iorfida.

  When I put the website back up in mid-July 2002, it was at the URL, as linked to by NORML in Washington, D.C., at "http://www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus". In Iowa at home from about mid-Oct. 2001 until Jan. 2003, I had DSL "broadband" access using my own account with the local telephone company. Even though I owned an Apple laptop computer starting in 2002, my "Apple Titantium Laptop" did not have wifi built-in, nor did my ISP provide wifi connectivity at home.

  The Wayback Machine: so put "http://www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus" in the search field at archive.org for old archived websites, and you will find numerous copies of the original NORML Canada website, beginning quite late around mid-2002. This website had existed well before that. (I used a tape drive backup system for quite a few years in the early 2000's, so I was making copies of everything.)

  If you search for www.calyx.net/~normlca, www.calyx.com/~normlca or mojo.calyx.net/~normlca at www.archive.com, you may receive a notice that archived copies may be available from Nick Merrill of Calyx Internet Services in NYC. I don't know actually.

  RE:www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus

  I forgot! I actually forgot that I still had the official NORML Canada website which officially ended in Sept. 2004, still archived at www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus. This archived website remained available until 2016! This was the URL that NORML.org in Washington, D.C. displayed at their website until soon after Sept. 2004. But the website remained at the Iowa Telecom server until 2016! (This information is available by looking at the time-line of www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus using the "Wayback Machine" at www.archive.org.)

  What occurred is that from Jan. 2003 until 2016, I "gave" my old Iowa telephone number to some friends, and with it, the free webspace being used as the NORML Canada website officially until Sept. 2004. During the period Sept. 2004 - March 2016, the old archived NORML Canada website remained available to the general public at the Iowa Telecom server. Only I had the password for this web account, although it was no longer my telephone account! For some reason, in 2016, my friends who were using my old tel. number decided to disconnect that number in order to get a new tel. account from another tel. company. So that's when I archived the old NORML Canada website only at www.nintharticle.com, though there was some overlap with the old NORML Canada website being at both servers (www.nintharticle.com and www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus) for many years.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The War to End All Wars?

  The Eleventh Emergency Special Session
  of the United Nations General Assembly.

  
  
  

  (FROM Wikipedia.org:) The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.
  
  
  

  (March 5, 2022, modified April 17, 2022) It is a HISTORICAL FACT that the United Nations, and the League of Nations both, were created to prevent wars from ever occurring. It is totally pathetic that this ideal is not only forgotten these days in the year 2022, but denied altogether by media and politicians. This is a disgusting error being made daily by the world's media that disinforms the general public of the easily demonstrable truth. This error to not inform the public truthfully is not only embarrassing, but downright idiotic, and maybe criminal.

  The fact that the United States as led by President Truman nearly totally disarmed immediately after World War II is further evidence in the faith the U. S. had in the ability of this new formal organization to keep the peace after 1945.

  There is plenty of evidence available that many people associated with the formal founding of the United Nations after World War II, such as former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, to name just one, fully expected the U.N. to begin preventing wars from occurring starting in 1945.

  After all, the victorious founders of the U.N. were called "The United Nations" well before 1945. They used that term during World War II, actually. There must've been this agreement among these five permanent members of the U. N. Security Council to plan on not having anymore wars when this "bitch of a war" finally comes to an end.

  There is no historical evidence whatsoever than Britain and the United States were not planning on not having anymore wars, if possible, during the period 1945-1950. And remember that Churchill lost his parliamentary majority just before the end of World War II, similar to how F.D.R. died just before the end of World War II.

  Churchill was defeated by a left-leaning new Prime Minister. This should give evidence that the problem that created the Korean War five years later had nothing to do with the left-right argument, that is always in process in any country at anytime.

  The current "war crisis" isn't just about Ukraine and Russia, it's about any members of the United Nations. It could be argued that the entire world is now responding to the crisis concerning Russia's illegal use of force against Ukraine, ignoring Russia's own promises as enshrined in the original and amended United Nations Charter.

  Note that Russia, as successor to the U.S.S.R., is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. But the Security Council failed, as usual, to act decicively in favor of peace, since the issue was again about Russian aggression.

  Specifically, this recent failure was: "the Russian Federation's use of its veto power within the United Nations Security Council on 25 February, 2022, to defeat draft resolution S/2022/155 deploring the invasion and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops." (Quoted from Wikipedia article about this subject.)

  The result was that, according to U.N. rules, within 24 hours of that failure of the U.N. Security Council, the General Assembly convened the Eleventh Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, in order to deal with the crisis internationally.

  That special session on March 2, 2022, just issued: United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1.

  I am curious as to what else the U. N. may or may not do to further the cause of civil government solving the Russian/Ukraine conflict?

  In early 2022, Russia did not comply with the demands of the United Nations to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and is now reaping the consequences.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 15, 2022) Take Inventory of Women's Rights
  at the State Level Before
  Getting Upset and Confused about the Expiration of
  the ERA at the Federal Level.

  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 19, 2022) The old proposed Federal ERA Amendment has expired before being ratified by a sufficient number of states, according to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

  But state laws and state constitutions control corporations and most other things, so we need to first take inventory of women's rights in each state. The presumption that women do not have equal rights after the expiration of the proposed U. S. Constitutional amendment has expired, could be a confusing distraction from the actual reality.

  Regarding the proposed U. S. Constitutional amendment, it makes sense to start all over again, and pass new Equal Rights Amendments or laws in each state at the state level as needed. Then all the states could ratify the new proposed ERA for the U. S. Constitution.

  So step two would be for Congress to propose a new ERA for the states to ratify without an expiration date.

  But after taking inventory, step one, it may turn out that the goal has already been reached in most of the states, at the state level, other than ratifying the new U. S. Constitutional amendment.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Feb. 16, 2022) Why Biden May Have Decided to Appoint
  a Black Woman to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  
  
  
  The other day, I was reading about the subject of abortion, and found out somewhere (can't remember the source) that black women have the highest rates of abortion in the United States. Even hispanic women in the U. S. are twice as likely to seek abortions as white women, according to what I was reading on the internet a few days ago.

  Therefore, since it isn't "kosher" for the President to ask potential appointees about their views on abortion rights, Biden may think this could be a way to put a likely pro-choice female justice on the U. S. Supreme Court.

  Just a theory.

  We do know that Biden is passionately pro-choice.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Jan 22, 2022) Australia: Drinking Small Amounts of
  Alcohol Much More Damaging to Health than Previously Thought.

  Very occasional binge drinking probably
  safer than daily regular light usage of alcohol.

  
  
  
  

  (Jan. 24, 2022) Biden and Psaki recently advised the people of the USA to drink some alcoholic beverages. I personally heard Psaki advise an audience to drink some alcohol, implying that using pot, which is actually SAFER, is "bad" and "still treated as illegal" under Biden.

  Unlike pot, drinking alcohol adds a solvent into our body that causes all the bodily fluids to mix with each other, among other things. It wrecks the subtle interplay of how our DNA expresses itself, thwarting the daily regular healing processes in every nook and cranny of our bodies. It causes our sleep after drinking it to not give us any real rest. We wake up tired and unprepared instead.

  Never mind. I won't go any further. But I will say that I was very surprised to learn that very occasional binge drinking is probably safer than regular daily light usage of alcohol.

  Here's what they found out in Australia about the dangers of light regular alcohol use: click here.

  Since very occasional binge drinking can be once per week, once per month, or twice or thrice per year, etc., it is hard to define compared to daily regular light usage of alcohol.

  Personally, I haven't touched anything other than .5 percent (aka, alcohol free beer) since Halloween 2018.

  Heineken now has a nice tasting alcohol free (.5 or less percent alcohol) beer, and Lagunitas now has a nice tasting "alcohol free" IPA (.05 or less percent alcohol) beer. I like the alcohol free Lagunitas IPA more than their regular IPA.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Solar Energy is Actually
  Safe Nuclear Fusion Energy.

  
  (The Sun is a Nuclear Fusion Reaction, 91 Million Miles Away.)
  
  
  (Jan. 13, 2022) CLICK HERE for Winston Cone Optics
  The most advanced solar thermal technology on earth.
  
  This is Dr. Roland Winston's company.
  
  

  • This company designs and builds CPC's, or "compound parabolic concentrator" style solar collectors, also known as "Winston Cone Optics" based solar technology. The "Winston Cone", or "CPC", is a sort-of "light funnel" that collects diffuse or parallel light and concentrates it. The Winston Cone solar collector is not a tracking collector. It has no moving parts. It does not have to be directly pointed at the sun, and it also works to some extent in cloudy weather. It can look like a cone (or a dish) or like a trough. The trough type would use a horizontal heat collecting pipe running through it.

  • Dr. Roland Winston:

    • Worked for many years as a nuclear physicist at the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago.

    • Discovered the "Winston Cone" while trying to measure extremely weak forms of energy.

    • past head of the University of Chicago Department of Physics,

    • a member of the founding faculty of the University of California Merced,

    • and as of 2013, head of the California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute.

  My knowledge about the CPC as related to solar energy began back in late 1975 or late 1976 when I read in Popular Science magazine about a solar heated building built for Abt Associates, the U. S.'s largest social science research firm, in Cambridge, MA. A company by the name of Great Natural Structures had just designed and built the solar office building, there, according to the article.

  I called directory assistance and obtained the telephone number for GNS, and had a phone conversation with the architects/engineers who ran GNS, and was invited to travel up to Massachusetts in the Winter to look at the building.

  From looking at Dr. Winston's company's website, I have come to the conclusion that I was wrong. I thought Winston Cone, or CPC style solar collectors were already being mass produced. Years ago, I did a google.com search for it, and saw a lot of results: many advanced solar collectors for sale from all over the world, some with evacuated tube (vacuum) insulated heat-receiver pipes.

  From looking through the Winston Cone Optics website, it appears that Dr. Winston is still trying to get his ideas into production! I had no idea the world was so backward!

  I'm glad I finally found Dr. Winston's website.

  I've had a few conversations with people who sell solar collectors, and I mentioned "CPC" type collectors to them. They all seemed to know what I was talking about. But now I realize I was deceived, probably unintentionally.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Nov. 18, 2021) An Extremely Short History
  of the U. S. Congress,
  Research and Development, and Capitalism

  
  
  
  Fact: the age of telecommunications in the USA was largely fomented originally by U. S. government investments into Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraphy activities and experiments. It's also true that the U. S. Department of Defense was largely responsible for the internet, especially in the early days.

  Even today in 2021, the DOD has some ultimate control over the internet, which most people are not aware of.

  Note that the banking and investment sector around 1842 in the USA was greatly distressed due to the crash of 1837, that was caused by the extremist anti-bank machinations of the administrations of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. So Morse was apparently forced to seek funding directly from Congresss since the private sector was so weak at the time. (Bank-runs: Jackson and Van Buren favored gold and silver money over paper money, and favored "money in the pocket or under the mattress" to "money in the bank". This conflict was not totally resolved until the early days of the "Great Depression", in early 1933, under F.D.R. Until deposit insurance was put in place, everyone would periodically panic, and yank all of their money out of their bank accounts, causing the bankruptcy of many banks. People who kept their money in the bank would also lose all of their savings when their bank went broke. Using gold and silver and paper money all as "legal-tender" does not create a stable banking system, unless a deposit insurance system is also implemented. But in that case, why use gold and silver at all? Since the F.D.I.C. was created, there have been very few bank failures in the USA.

  It's also true that throughout U. S. history, paper money has always been much more popular than gold and silver for large amounts. Only during "panics" did gold and silver become more popular than paper money.

  But when the bank panic was over and things returned to normal, people generally preferred paper money as it was easier to handle and less likely to be lost due to having a hole in the pocket. Contrary to popular belief, paper money in the form of Treasury Bills or Bonds from the U.S. Treasury was widely used as money throughout U. S. history as it paid interest to the holder. See U. S. Notes by John Jay Knox for more information about the history of paper money issued by the U. S. government throughout U. S. history. Note that private state banks also issued their own paper currency, redeemable in gold and silver coin, until the Civil War period. Generally, this paper money, or "bank notes" issued by private state banks was the main circulating medium in the USA then, although it was redeemed at all banks at a discount, except from the issuing bank where it was redeemed at face value. During the Civil War, the "national banks" began issuing bank notes when state banks stopped issuing such notes. The "Federal Reserve Notes" of today which began in 1913 are somewhat similar to the "national bank notes".

  The "space race" between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., which was also a technological competition, also is given credit for stimulating a great deal of technical and economic progress for the U. S., and the entire world. The space race was largely connected to the U. S. military at first until NASA was formed.

  Note that the Wright brothers went to the U. S. Army and Navy very early to seek investment and collaboration in the development of the earliest airplanes and airports.

  Since these sorts of private/public investment activities were done openly, I don't think it should be called "corruption". Congress is a fairly large group, and represents the American people as a whole, who also benefitted greatly from this open collaboration.

  Leading edge technological progress does not grow and blossom without various primary collaborations: academia, media, U. S. congress, state legislatures, and military. I feel like more, rather than less, open collaboration between these groups results in greater success and progress for everyone.

  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and allies should do their homework, and should be aware that an informed and collaborative Congress, operating openly, helps the USA as a whole become prosperous. AOC's recent moves to restrict the investment activities of members of Congress does not indicate much awareness of American history and free markets.

  The U. S. Congress and state legislatures, in general, do not operate secretly.

  The development of railroad companies was also an ongoing collaboration between the state and national governments and many private companies; but this was a transparent development process that everyone knew about who read the newspapers.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Senator Shaheen (N.H.) Says Revolution Will
  Occur If Any New Illegality of Abortion Occurs.

  
  
  
  (Nov. 30, 2021) It's as if only third parties, not the pregnant women themselves, would have any say concerning the pregnant women's own reproductive rights. Are women merely cattle, or surrogates for third parties when they become pregnant? Are pregnant women permanently enslaved, against their own wills, by becoming pregnant?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  (Oct. 26, 2021) The Right to Repair Everything....

  "Right to repair" rights go way beyond automobile repair issues. I heard about this mainly by listening to NPR.

  In France, according to NPR and other sources, consumers and lawmakers are demanding and requiring that everything that can be purchased, to have "right to repair" rights for the owner, and for all consumer goods to be graded according to the degree to which the item can be repaired after it is purchased.

  Yes, under the law in France a "repairability grade" will be required to be assigned to each consumer item.

  It's about time. I hope the same thing occurs in the USA for everything that can be purchased by anyone here. Even garbage disposals.

  Why should everyone be required to purchase new things when the old ones hang up or break??
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Was Colin Powell a "Fall-Guy"
  for the 2nd Iraq War?

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  When Was the Last Time
  There Was a Shootout Over Alcohol
  in the USA between suspects and the authorities?

  
  
  
  

  (Oct. 6, 2021) Imagine, if you can, a shootout taking place over a few cases of beer between the police, and suspects in the USA. But this sort of thing still goes on if it's over a small amout of legal-marijuana, and people still get killed, even after state-legal pot laws were enacted. What a waste of human life!

  Yesterday in pot-legal Tucson, Arizona, a DEA agent was gunned down and killed by a suspect on an Amtrak train parked at the Tucson Amtrak station. The marijuana and the suspects were just passing through town. The state of Arizona was luckily not involved in this useless mayhem and death, only Federal agents risked and lost one life, plus one suspect was killed.

  Yet, re-legalizing alcohol in 1933 in terms of re-legalizing simple possession of alcohol for virtually all Americans in all parts of the USA, even in "dry" or prohibitionist jurisdictions, is what occurred to the betterment of the USA.

  And I conjecture that most Americans assumed this is what they were voting for when marijuana was re-legalized in many states since 2012, and in Arizona in 2020. Did citizens of the USA vote for the continued chaos, death, and mayhem still taking place?

  But no. Federal law for marijuana is currently interpreted in such a way that merely possessing and using small amounts of state-legal marijuana privately, either when traveling through or residing in areas where it's still prohibited, is still totally illegal, and people still shoot at each other over the mostly harmless substance, more harmless than alcohol.

  Unless the proposed MORE act making its way through Congress is improved, many more DEA agents and other police, and U.S. citizens and visitors, will likely be shot and killed, for enforcing and living under Federal and state laws against otherwise "legal marijuana", unless Federal and state law is re-interpreted or changed for the better.

  According to senior Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and others, this is really stupid and likely unconstitutional policy, and exemplifies faulty legal and moral reasoning, to risk and discard human life in such a cavalier manner over a mostly legal substance.

  We should ask all of our elected Congress people to please amend and improve the proposed MORE Act currently making its way through the nation's Capital, to please add legalization of simple possession of state-legal pot in areas where it's otherwise still prohibited, in order to help prevent such tragedies from occuring again, that occurred at the Tucson Amtrak station on Oct. 5, 2021, taking one Federal agent's life, and one suspect's life, for absolutely no good reason.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Legalization of Medical Cannabis in Morocco.

  
  
  
  (Sept. 14, 2021) Wikipedia article about cannabis in Morocco. On May 26 and June 16, 2021, a law was passed legalizing medical usage of cannabis in Morocco. Morocco, after Lebanon, is the second predominantly Muslim country to vote "yes" for some form of medical legalization of cannabis.

  Note that Morocco and the United States have had close diplomatic relations since 1777, before the U.S. had even won the Revolution when George Washington established personal diplomatic relations with that country. Soon after the Revolution, Morocco and the U.S. signed treaties of friendship which are still in effect.

  It is well known that legalization of cannabis in Morocco is very popular for the past 10 years or so. Here is an article that asks if the European Union is in harmony with this goal while discussing recent events in the Moroccan constitutional monarchist legislative sphere: click here.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  The Silent Slaughter of the USA.
  
  Sometimes the Acrobats Fall, but There's No Safety Net.

  Most of this slaughter is accidental, yet self-inflicted!

  Your Body Creates It's Own Internal Morphine.
  It's Called "ENDORPHIN".

  (June 26, 2021) Johnson and Johnson Leaves the Slaughterhouse Business.

  
  
  
  

  ---

  GOOGLE CHROME OPIUM "SHAME" PROBLEM: CLICK HERE.

  Slaughter by drug statistic: click here. Most of those slaughtered were victims of opiate overdose, but there are many other such dangerous drugs.
  
  
  Death from various causes, mapped: click here.
  

  ---

  
  

  (Aug. 16, 2021) The Drug Czar of the U.S., and the DEA, ought to be teaching the American people about the endorphin system of the human body. Your body doesn't need opiate medicines at all. Such pain killer chemicals are produced and regulated internally by our own bodies. Everyone should know this fact. Otherwise, we are programmed to do dangerous things with opiates.

  Why opiates are not really necessary to fight pain. My One Experience with Opium (one shot of morphine after a leg fracture, waiting for the ambulance).

  NOTE: when someone slaughters, it's usually not inflicted on a specific individual member of the species being slaughtered; it's indiscriminate killing, unlike murder or suicide, which are both inflicted on individuals, or an individual.

  (update July 16, 2021) I heard on the radio today (NPR?), that accidental drug deaths in the USA have skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic by about 30 percent! The death rate from drugs for the USA was already extremely high in the USA before the covid pandemic. Wall Street Journal article about this.

  (The horrible stats pointed to below are from 2018 data.)

  (July 6, 2021) Very few of these deaths from drugs were intentional, so this is a statistic that measures a type of accidental death. Yes, it's self inflicted if we ignore the doctor that gave us the prescription for the killer-drug, if the victim has a prescription. But these are generally not suicides.

  But shouldn't the drug users take responsibility themselves, whether addicted or not? For 2020 stats from the CDC, they're now saying about 90,000 per year died from both licit and illicit drugs in the USA, and opium was the main one.

  The statistic varies slightly from year to year. The USA was recently in first place in terms of "death by drug". For 2021, (using 2018 stats) we're apparently in second place. Ukraine is number one (using 2018 stats) at the moment. For women, we're still number one (the USA) in terms of death by drug.

  Question: do most people in the USA really know the risks of using opiates and other drugs which can easily cause death if misused?

  At least the experts still say that no one is dying from cannabis.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  FACT: NPR Reported Taliban Taking Over Afghanistan Way Back in June.

  
  Google News Search will show many such articles.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  THEY MIX VIRTUALLY ALL ROCK MUSIC GENRES IN COLORADO.

  My Move to Colorado in 2005,
  and what I discovered about the "Rock Music Scene" there.

  
  
  
  

  Question: were rock music genres originally created in the USA in order to separate culturally the high school students from the college students???? The drug war tends to do that, just as music genres tend to separate different age groups from each other. In other words, rigid music genre's tend to separate different age groups.

  But does music really age?

  NOTE: the last time I had been in Colorado was when passing through the state in 1977 on the way to California.

  When I first entered the State of Colorado in November 2005, driving in from the east on I-70, as I got closer to Denver, I got tired of listening to my own CD or cassette tape mixes, so I switched on the radio. I don't recall what station I tuned in.

  First of all, I generally like music from a wide range of eras, such as classic rock from the 1960's, 1970's, and dance-rock from the 1980's. I generally skip disco from the 1970's. I also like newer things from the 1980's and 1990's and after. In fact, I personally don't care what "genre" or era the song is from, as long as I like it.

  My own mixes, my own CD's and tapes that I made myself, are quite mixed, so when I listen to the radio, I'm always changing stations when a song comes on that I don't like.

  Stations around the USA generally are set up to play fairly narrow genres, so if a listener is sick of classic rock, they generally have to change stations to find something more contemporary.

  So, after entering the State of Colorado in Nov. 2005, I turned on the car radio for a change. After a while, I noticed that the station I had found was playing a wide mix of rock music from different genres, different decades, just like my own mixes. This was different!

  In fact, at first I thought I must be mistaken. Perhaps I had accidentally selected one of my own CD's or cassettes. But no, it was really the FM radio that I was listening to, and the radio station was actually playing a very wide variety of rock music from different eras, different genres, all mixed together! Except for college stations, this was very unusual.

  Later, I found that this was normal in Colorado. I began to wonder how it came about that rock music had gotten so chopped up everywhere else, and arranged rigidly around different genres, when in fact, it was actually one large genre, just as country music is one large genre. I found out gradually that Colorado was very "rock music friendly", unlike most of the USA.

  But everyone, I suppose, respects "classic rock" there, unlike in the rest of the USA.

  I had been sort-of irritated for many years, having to make my own mixes. Was I unususal, or was Colorado more normal than the rest of the USA?

  Later, I rented a storage unit in Fort Collins, Colorado, for all my excess junk I had taken out of storage back east before my move to Colorado. At the storage place, I heard a band playing rock music. I honed in on the music, and found the group playing in a storage unit, all their equipment being stored between practice sessions in the unit that had A/C power outlets, of course. I learned that in Colorado, rock bands are encouraged to practice at storage places, in general, rather than in garages located in residential neighborhoods.

  Also, in the Netherlands in 1992, I had discovered that most towns in Holland have special places provided by the city where bands can practice and play music loudly without disturbing anyone in their homes.

  I guess I had tracked down two "cool" places: Colorado and the Netherlands, both places where someone can light up a joint without getting arrested, and both places where rock genres are not so rigidly "enforced", and both places where the "wiser-hippies" were always welcome (or tolerated) to some extent.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  There are Two Ways to Stop Inflation:

  
  
  
  

  Throughout history, price inflation or deflation for desktop computers and peripherals has not been greatly associated with the monetary activities of the Federal Reserve. Instead, we have had continuous deflation due to the continous advancement of micro-computer technology since this era began around 1975 or so. This deflation in the cost of micro-computer technologies is generally taken for granted, and should be referred to as the "Henry Ford" method of price deflation, since Ford was known for steadily reducing the price of his Model T, year after year, by increasing production and reducing the costs of production. While supposedly paying the highest wages in "Detroit".

  My impression is that Jerome Powell seems to often be of the mindset that encouraging open markets, easy credit, and competition is one of the ways to bring about lower prices in many areas of the U. S. economy. He seems to think that price inflation can moderate on its own, generally speaking.

  In fact, raising bank interest rates could actually cause inflation by reducing the ability of new competition from entering the markets, if we would just give deflation caused by competition a chance to occur. There are other things that create inflation: labor unions, raising the minimum wage, rent control, etc., etc., etc.

  But increasing the available number of rental units should also reduce the price of rent, etc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Dutch Marijuana Policy.

  Hard Drugs Kill; Soft-Drugs Don't.

  
  
  
  

  The Dutch are famous world-wide for allowing "coffee-shops" to sell marijuana to adults, and allowing them to use it in the shops. The weed is technically not legal, but those possessing less than 5 grams are allowed to keep their "stash". This policy has generally been in effect since sometime around 1975, when Dutch judicial authorities in some areas of the country stopped shutting down the shops that were selling pot, and stopped prosecuting those who possessed it. But policy varies from province to province, town to town. Also, those possessing it were allowed to use marijuana inside the "coffee-shops", but not necessarily anywhere else. But today in 2021, the police sometimes still confiscate the cannabis inventory and money in the possession of any particular marijuana shop, but the shop remains open for business within hours or days of the "bust". (Sometimes shops are permanently shut down for various reasons.)

  Some areas have marijuana cafes run by the local government, so those shops are not raided or fined.

  This policy began in the era when the "hippies" were taking over the world - the period from about 1968 to about 1975. Many Americans, Canadians, British, and others from around the world had relocated to Holland due to their tolerance for the so-called "youth culture". Also, just as Canada allowed tens of thousands of Americans to move to Canada to avoid being drafted into the U. S. Army to fight in Vietnam, so did the Netherlands allow a fairly large number of those same people to relocate there to avoid the draft.

  The Dutch frankly felt that the tremendous reduction in hard-drug deaths caused by encouraging soft-drug (cannabis) usage instead, was worth any small trouble caused by marijuana. And that trouble was generally being kept out of Dutch houses and apartments and off the streets. Note that the only "safe-place" to use cannabis was in the coffee-shops, not at home. (People nearby or in the same house can still call the cops if they detect someone using it even at home, and the pot user still has no defence if the police show up.)

  Also note that any pot shops that sell any drug other than weed will be shut down as soon as possible, and there are no exceptions.

  The Dutch accept that humans use drugs, either over the counter or by prescription. Without erroneously blaming pot for all the heroin deaths, which makes no sense, the Netherlands has one of the lowest death rates in the "free" world from hard drugs.

  The Dutch also have a cultural habit of never accepting casual or recreational hard drug usage socially. Scorning hard drug users in terms of forcing them to use it privately generally keeps hard drug usage minimal.

  This doesn't mean that there are no hard drug users in Holland, but Dutch society does not encourage hard drug usage except under a doctor's supervision as a legitimate medicine. And they still teach their people that hard drugs are very dangerous, and should not be used beyond the prescribed dosage due to the threat of accidental death!

  The idea that hard drugs and soft drugs go together is not part of Dutch culture, and the stats back this up. Human decision making takes priority over any other tendencies there.

  Dutch Definitons regarding cannabis and other illicit drugs:

  Hard drug. Any illicit drugs, or "drugs of abuse", known to be addicting or dangerous other than cannabis such as opiates, cocaine, amphetimine, etc., etc.

  Soft Drug. Various forms of cannabis, mostly for smoking. However, cannabis edibles are not very popular in Holland, but are occasionally available in coffee shops. From looking online, it appears that edibles may be becoming more popular there lately.

  Medical Marijuana: the only really fully legal cannabis in Holland at the moment is for those using it with a doctor's prescription. For legal residents in Holland, there is also regulated access to medical cannabis from pharmacies using healthcare insurance to buy it, but I am not that familiar with their current policies or available products regarding medical use. Generally, medical marijuana in Holland is smoked. There were a number of medical marijuana coffee shops in Holland. Since edibles are apparently becoming more popular for "recreational" use in Holland, I would assume that medical usage of oils and edibles are also becoming more popular there.

  Tobacco. Traditionally, weed and hashish were generally mixed with tobacco for smoking in pipes or in "joints" in Europe and in the Netherlands, but now tobacco smoking is supposedly not allowed in any Dutch catering establishments, such as pot coffee shops. There was also an obvious trend in Holland toward smoking pot without mixing it with tobacco. (North Americans visiting Holland generally did not use tobacco in their joints, even before tobacco was banned in all bars and cafes there, etc.)

  NOTE: most people "get away" with using weed at home or in hotels, but there is no legal defence if anyone calls the police, assuming the police respond. Hotels may not allow it, even in smoking rooms.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  If George Floyd Had Been in Eugene, Oregon,
  He Would Still be Alive Today.

  New First Responder System for Drug/Mental Health Issues Supported by Most Oregonians.

  (updated July 23, 2021) New York City, Denver, Other Places Proving "Cahoots" Model Works.

  
  
  
  

  (March 19, 2021) "Decrim." policy varies from state to state, place to place. There's "decrim." policy that is similar to prohibition ultimately, and there's "decrim." policy that is similar to Al Capone style semi-legality. I am in favor of decrim. policy which is ultimately prohibiting hard-drug usage, rather than profiting from addicts and addiction.

  (NOTE: the change begins with 9-11 call center policy. People would still be calling 9-11 to get help. But the police would no longer be the First Responders.) CALL "CAHOOTS", DON'T CALL THE POLICE ON HARD-DRUG USERS! in my opnion, for hard drugs like opiates, the decrim. policy which promotes prohibition of hard drugs is the one which would save lives. I believe they're attempting to do this in Oregon. The idea is that if hard-drug users are less repressed by extreme-illegality of hard-drugs, the authorities can take constructive action without using the police, to actually help addicts return to normal, healthy, and productive life styles. The First Responders in this case would be unarmed "mental health experts", not armed police.

  In other words, decrim. policies are enacted to prevent the drug users from becoming too furtive and secretive in their drug usage. This would allow everyone to successfully help the drug users to obtain help, such as housing, welfare, medical care, and so forth, including help with their use and possible addiction to life-threatening "hard-drugs".

  Note that George Floyd would likely still be alive if "Cahoots" had been the First Responders in Minnesota.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Similarities Between the War on Marijuana Users
  and the Jewish Holocaust.

  
  
  
  

  (March 19, 2021)When I first met Umberto Iorfida, President of NORML Canada, by telephone in very late 1995, or very early 1996, he actually compared the U. S. led "war on marijuana users" with the Nazi holocaust perpetrated against the Jews. That war on the Jews started before World War II had begun, about the same time that the war on marijuana users was being ramped up by the U. S. government culminating with the "marihuana tax act" of 1937.

  I know that this analogy isn't perfect. The truth is that the Germans as led by the Nazis actually embraced the hemp industry, just as the U. S. government relaxed their prohibition against hemp during World War II, both documented by Jack Herer in his famous book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes.

  Please note that the real purpose of the marihuana tax act was to prohibit cannabis, not to actually tax it, as no substantial tax revenue was ever collected due to this tax act except perhaps during World War II, when hemp prohibition was relaxed.

  I also wish to point out that even Jack Herer admitted in his book that it has never been proven that the DuPonts promoted cannabis prohibition behind the scenes in order to help them successfully promote Dupont's synthetic fibres such as nylon, which had just been invented.

  This implies that the real purpose of the marihuana tax act was to attack those people of color who were largely the users of marijuana in those days, such as blacks and Mexicans (who probably didn't know about prescription cannabis medicine).

  Note that in those days, the potency of cannabis (marijuana) was variable, unmeasured, and unknown!

  (Even today in March 2021, I believe that the psycho-active potency of cannabis is still an unknown and mysterious quality that may or may not be related to THC content. For one thing, I have found for myself that outdoor grown weed has a greater "high" effect than indoor grown high-THC weed, although outdoor grown cannabis has much less THC than indoor grown.)

  But Umberto Iorfida kept up his attack on pot prohibition using the holocaust analogy, for as long as I can recall.

  Umberto resigned as President of NORML Canada around 2003, turning it back over to attorney John Conroy who had founded NORML Canada in the early 1970's.

  World War II Economic Exchange Items: remember that nylon stocking from the USA, Zippo cigarette lighters, along with Hershey's chocolate bars, and American cigarettes, all became the prized and primary "black-market" items exchanged by everyone all over the entire world during World War II.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Science Sometimes Distorts Things:

  Current NORML USA Driving and Marijuana Page.
  Old NORML Canada driving and marihuana page.

  Impairment: disconnected from the environment. Are pot users disconnected from their environment? Pot users are sometimes accused of being too much connected to their senses. Is this going to help or hurt driving ability? Shouldn't we be "in the senses" more when we're driving?

  The notion that the correlation between highway accidents caused by marihuana usage would simultaneously increase after legalization of weed, also dis-includes (read the fine print) that alcohol remains the main cause of the increase in highway accidents, with or without the marihuana usage measured.

  The percentage increase of driving accidents also increased due to the heating up of the local economy in areas dominated by "big tech" in the USA from about 2014 until the present. This is the wave of intense economic prosperity in most of the USA, and silicon valley and its satellites of "big tech" are at the head of this economic pack.

  All the research about driving and marihuana usage notes that actual measured real-life performance of just-pot-stoned drivers are always found to be at least equal to the performance of non-stoned controls. Also, the degree of impairment caused by weed usage is usually found to be insignificant in the big picture. Some studies have actually found that there's a very slight negative correlation between pot usage and highway accidents.

  I invite anyone to research the subject yourself, but ignore the deceptive headlines. Those charged with highway accident culpability due to the per se' marijuana and driving prohibition laws in some places, should just plead "not guilty" if charged (assuming there was no impairment). Then hire some "expert witnesses" if you have to.

  Beware of scape-goating. In terms of culpability, the tradition of blaming cannabis usage for impairment caused by simple fatigue or other factors, is unfortunate and misses the mark totally.

  Since patients suffering from insomnia are generally greatly well medicated by medical marijuana usage, a better rested cross section of society tend to be regular users of cannabis, and people who are well rested are less likely to have vehicle accidents. Pot really improves sleep quality, and helps reduce insomnia, and the sleep deficit parameters measured indicate that pot, unlike alcohol, really does reduce the measured sleep-deficit.

  There are other drugs which also improve measured driving performance, such as caffeine and other stimulants. But pot, which is not usually called a stimulant, helps highway safety by being one of the best OTC sleep aids when used regularly. Pot users are generally not falling asleep at the wheel since they slept well the night before.

  The fact that there are very few pot-heads who are also insomniacs is the main point here (This would be just those pot-heads who also don't use alcohol). Those who use pot and alcohol together are the one group who delete or reduce the insomnia-cured group. Alcohol does not cure insomnia in the long-run, and when sleep-deficit parameters are measured.

  In fact, it seems that alcohol usage alone creates sleep deficits.

  The late Peter Lewis of automobile insurance fame (Progressive), was a great proponent of pot legalization. You can draw your own conclusions.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  GEZONDHEID!!!!!!

  Positive Outcomes from Social Cannabis Usage:

  I think, personally, that the positives of allowing social usage of weed are much more numerous than the negatives.

  Here is a very short list of positives from social weed usage:

  • 1 - pressure is put on social pot users to "edit" their own behavior in terms of usage such that coughing and other bothersome private behaviors, are minimalized, which results in users of weed taking control of their usage a bit more than if being used just in private.

  • 2 - Such serious problems, and even deaths, of people "over-vaping" could be reduced in the social context.

  • 3 - In Holland and Germany, there is the really ancient tradition of treating those with breathing "abnormalities" such as sneezing and coughing resulting from tobacco or pot usage, or from the weather, or from having a cold, to be SUDDENLY socially "blessed" by one's friends (or nearby strangers) who invoke a spiritual or health-related healing phenomenon when the words, "GESUNDHEIT!!!!!!!" are shouted at the afflicted party. "GESUNDHEIT" actually means "social and private well being" also. This is the same word in Dutch: "gezondheid".

    To avoid that invocation of super-natural or health-related healing, one can also reduce their usage of the substances causing the sneezing or coughing. In Holland and Germany, unlike England and the USA, it's not considered polite or healthy to accidentally cough, spit, sneeze, grunt, moan, belch, or otherwise make any noises with the human respiratory system and voice that sounds anything accidentally like the German or Dutch languages. Such involuntary or accidental grunting snorting, sneezing, and coughing are better left to the small room known as the W.C. (water closet), where it's OK to sneeze and cough, grunt and moan, or curse in Dutch or German (privately), or otherwise make horrible bodily sounds in public.

  Note that the only time in my entire life when I was asked to leave a Dutch marihuana coffee shop was once when I couldn't stop coughing once due to not controlling my usage of pot and/or hashish. It was a good lesson in social pot usage, and usage of pot in general upon latter day reflection.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  FACT: Traffic Fatalities Dropped Substantially after legalization of marihuana & legalized medical: study.

  NOTE: The above study does not attempt to establish causality for automobile accidents, except in terms of alcohol, but they speculate (incorrectly) that marihuana may cause accidents. However, the authors speculate that few legal weed users are driving since they would tend to use it only at home since there's no where else legal to use it.

  Nothing could be further from the truth in reality. Most pot users in Colorado use weed and drive every day of their lives, though few use it in the car except perhaps when they can't use it in the house, perhaps.

  In fact, on April 20 (4/20) every year the worst traffic jam imaginable occurs in the metro Denver area as thousands and thousands of tokers use their cars and trucks to head downtown for the 420 celebrations (unless they go somewhere else now), then they mostly all drive back home when it's over.

  I've never seen a single aritcle about lots of accidents occurring every year on April 20th since that's not what happens when thousands and thousands of stoners hit the road all at once.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Believing in Pot Addiction
  Is the First Step to Becoming an IDIOT, or MUCH WORSE!

  In terms of understanding so-called "pot-addiction", we have to ask one important qustion: does medical science really know how so-called "pot addiction" biologically works, in terms of the internal chemicals and bodily physiological processes involved in creating the biological profile often diagnosed as "pot addiction", just as such biological profiles are well known for the "addictions" concerning alcohol, opiates, barbituarates, caffeine, and most others? Or is "pot addiction" really just a measure of insubordination in a totalitarian "drug-czar" controlled drug-using environment?

  In other words, is "pot addiction" really a scientifically and medically accepted phenomenon outside psychiatry and law enforcement? Or are the words "marijuana addiction" a political label for an outcast group of "drug-war" victims of all races???

  Does "pot addiction" have biological markers that any medical expert can spot after performing (anonymously) blood tests, other medical tests of the alleged addict's body, and so forth, with those test results alone being the authority in terms of the diagnosis of "marijuana-addiction"? If pot is really an "addiction" outside subjective/political character analysis, those test results alone outside politics would prove or disprove that "subject a" is or is not a physiologically addicted (dependent) subject due to cannabis injestion.

  To be addicting, the alleged addicts' marijuana consumption allays the horrible withdrawal symptoms (from blood tests, or other anonymously performed medical tests with clear test results alone identifying the addiction condition) which promote or create his or her repeated usage of the addicting substance (cannabis with high THC content).

  Or is cannabis "addiction" really not based upon well known biochemical behaviours of the human body as measured by scientifically validated medical test results and measures, outside the domain of political defamation and assassination of an outcast group of users of a certain substance?

  Social usage changes behavior:

  The only time in my entire life when I was ever asked to leave a "marihuana coffee shop" in the Netherlands, was once many years ago when I was unable to stop coughing when smoking some hashish or marihuana. When coughing, I just kept on smoking, regardless. Bad idea. It was a real lesson concerning "social" usage of weed.

  If the legalization groups and politicians in the USA had successfully completed major reform efforts with the social usage issue first, rather than putting it last, I doubt that the USA would've had even one case of "vaping illness" here. The vaping illness problem is unheard of in the Netherlands as far as I know. But most pot users there are social users, so coughing is a no-no, so this changes behaviour to some extent. People still cough in Holland due to overconsumption, but not so much as in the usa where most use it alone.

  Many or all of the victims of "vaping illness" in the USA could very well have died from simple choking. Being unable to breath properly is one of the symptoms. If we smoke or vape too much, the resultant coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and the resulting mucous, and breathing difficulties can have serious consequences.

  Choking is the 4th largest cause of accidental death in the USA! Even if there were no marihuana in the USA, there would still be many deaths from accidental choking. If we choke on a glass of milk, should we blame the milk???

  I feel the same way about weed. If someone chokes to death on a relatively harmless substance or material such as milk or cannabis, I don't find it useful that many are blaming the substance, and not the choking reflex itself.

  If we stop using weed, the coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and mucous being created in our throats and lungs, will decrease naturally if we simply take control and responsibility for our actions, and cease the causes of our immediate problem.

  In terms of the current so-called, "vaping crisis", the CDC in Atlanta did not blame the weed or THC since choking was the real cause of death, probably, in most of the cases of vaping illness. The Vitamin E acetate is mainly suspected of creating the adverse reactions in the lungs of the dead "victims".

  The U.S. media seems to accept the bizarre situation whereby those who use weed excessively are not being asked to get control of themselves before they cough or choke to death from all the mucous created by their bodies responding to excessive marijuana usage. Just as with tobacco, we should be telling the users of weed that they, and they alone, are responsible for their own consumption habits and results.

  Those who are "out of control" should be thrown out of the cafe, rather than being told they will always be addicts! The U.S. Government's own Shafer Commission stated nearly 50 years ago that weed usage does not create dependency, and is not addictive.

  Note that a few years ago, there were "fake explanations" actually circulating in the media about a newly discovered mechanism (physiologial) for pot addiction. But this fake science all disappeared when real experts pointed out that they were 100% bullshit. They're gone for now.

  But be aware that science does understand the "addiction mechanisim" for all the other so-called addicting drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates, tobacco, caffeine, and most others. At least I think they do. Where there is totalitarianism over human behaviour, there is also always a lot bullshit.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  FIGHT TERRORISM, AVOID ALL HARD DRUGS.

  
  DRUGS ARE NOT THE ANSWER!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Your body's internal morphine system: click here. Note that the endorphin system was not even discovered by modern science until 1973; yet, we have plenty of evidence well before 1973 that people didn't really need opiates to fight pain. My mom told me that when I was five years old. The Beatles in advocating for legal pot in 1967 implied that opiates were dangerous. High School comrades told me that opiates were dangerous in 1972. Dutch people lectured me about how "hard drugs" (such as, especially, opiates) were really dangerous starting in 1988 when I first visited Holland in order to use marijuana. I had already visited Holland before 1988 to attend a world peace conference, not to use marijuana.

  Note that trained medical professionals have been prescribing opiates for thousands and thousands of years, so the era of knowing for sure that opiates aren't really necessary has essentially just occurred (1973). But when the Beatles called for pot legalization in 1967, six years before the discovery of the endorphin system, they were already speaking of the dangers of "hard drugs" such as Heroin and other opiates, and favored marijuana instead.

  To my knowledge, the Beatles never advocated for legal opiates; they called for the legalization of marijuana (cannabis) in 1967, just before Brian Epstein, their manager at the time, died of an opiate overdose, and just before they met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. But even before Brian Epstein died of an overdose of opium, the Beatles had already learned, for the most part, that opiates were extremely dangerous.

  I never asked for any morphine or opiates. But apparently morphine and other pain killers are legal in the USA, if you feel you need them. Circumstances taught me that it's probably not necessary for me to use opium.

  After I fractured my right leg, someone had called 911. The first responders arrived eventually, and had asked me if I wanted some "pain killer", and I responded, "Why not?" I was lying on the ground just waiting for the first responders to arrive. Although both lower leg bones were broken, I was lucky that the fracture was not a compound fracture, so there was no bleeding. Due to traffic congestion, it had taken about 25 - 30 minutes for the paramedics to arrive, so I had plenty of time to evaluate and think about the amount of pain I was experiencing. This was my first and only fracture accident, and I was probably in a state of shock already (before the jab of morphine) which is similar to the effect of drugs. I felt dizzy before getting the jab, and found it hilarious how my foot was pointing in the wrong direction. It was funny to look at it.

  Frankly, after receiving the injection of "pain killer" about 30 minutes after the accident, I finally noticed about a five to ten percent reduction in the pain, so the effect from "pain killer" was disappointingly minimal for me. I waited 30 minutes for virtually nothing. Pot has a huge effect on me, but opium would be a total waste of money.

  I did not yet know that I had received a shot of morphine until the bill arrived about two months later: $15.00. (Those who are experts on the price of morphine can probably guess what year the accident occurred.)

  Note that my tolerance to opioids was probably minimum since I had never chosen to use any opioids in my entire life. Therefore, I was probably already receiving effectively the maximum safe dosage. Any more would probably have killed me (I received one injection of morphine, whatever the standard dose is).

  The first responders called for an ambulance, so again we waited. I did not ask for nor receive any more pain killer for the next few days spent in the hospital. I didn't need it, since I was already under the influence of pain killer. My endorphin system worked pretty well during the ordeal, and I never asked for any pain killer or sleeping pills, as I was able to sleep without any difficulty. I suppose the physical damage to my leg created severe fatigue.

  I learned for myself that external pain killers are probably going to be a waste of time and money, and have very little effect. Morphine is legal in situations like this one. (OR morphine was legal in situations like that one.)

  I find it odd that anyone would ask for something that really doesn't work very well compared to the human body's built in endorphin system. On the other hand, my injuries had been minor compared to what could've occurred.

  Perhaps in the West, our doctors, nurses, first repsonders, and so forth "believe" too much in pain killers that really don't work very well.

  The Chinese are right: PAIN KILLERS ARE USUALLY A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

  FACT: the Chinese communist revolution was primarily a war against opium and "the West". Mao had all the opium sellers shot by firing squad. This is common knowledge. Or maybe it's a lie. I don't know. I never lived in China. But I know they tried to eradicate opium in China under the communists.

  ---

  The opium wars. I am referring here to the extreme humiliation of the Chinese by the British in relation to the opium wars, that created mass addiction to opium in China. The opium generally came from British controlled India. Some still see the Communist Revolution in China as still being a response to the British opium wars, that severely humiliated China, and may still humiliate them.

  It's very ironic that the British had just abolished chattel slavery about the time that they enslaved the Chinese to opium.

  So slavery to opium never really ended in the British Empire.

  NOTE: if the war on opium in China was never really won, then the Communist Revolution there was a complete FAILURE, and the British are still controlling the minds of the Chinese by making them addicted to opium.

  NOTE: this means that Hong Kong is both a symbol of British opium, and of Western control and domination of China.

  ---

  However, at the dentist, I will probably always ask for anaesthesia.

  I have always been afraid of opium. But what about all the other potentially fatal drugs out there?

  NOTE: as a young person below the age of 6 years old, I once found a scary book in our house with drawings of an opium addict using some form of opium, which terrorized me at the time. I was told that the book was titled, "Confessions of an English Opium Eater", but I couldn't read yet. I could only see the drawings.

  I never read much more than one or two paragraphs of the book, so I can't give you a book review.

  However, don't make the deadly mistake of worrying about opiates while ignoring all the other potentially fatal drugs out there. There's a lot more of them that can kill in addition to opiates. The DEA has the list of all of them, I'm sure.

  A licensed pharmacist once told me there were over 2,000 controlled substances which are legal in the USA, but I don't know how many of them can be fatal, perhaps all 2000 or so?

  ---

  QUESTION: why did the first responders not mention that they were about to give me a shot of morphine? They said "pain killer" instead. They were obviously ashamed of even mentioning "opium" by name!

  No one said the word "opium", even at the hospital!

  THIS IS A SIGN OF MENTAL INSTABILITY, to be so ashamed of themselves as they work.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  THE DARK AGES. History should record that the U.S. mainstream TV and radio media, for the most part, did not even cover the subject of marihuana legalization much at all until immediately after, but not before, the November 1996 California and Arizona elections, where medical marihuana was legalized in both places. The USA like some of our allies now, was a somewhat backward nation in 1996. But the main part of media was afraid to editorialize much, or speak out much against drug policy at the time within the USA. Sad. (There was NO substantial coverage leading up to the election, though, in terms of the subject of weed. There was still a near-total black-out until the election result period in Nov. 1996.)

  CBS news and CNN (and perhaps others) sent reporters over to the Netherlands in Nov. 1996 where a lot of the pot-media were ensconced, and to California and Arizona, and covered the issue ONLY AFTER the election had occurred, but not much if any before. Except for neophyte internet and perhaps local TV news media coverage, there was nearly a total mainstream media blackout before that election-result period extending back many decades. The point here is that there was a near black-out before the election, but not for the results of the election when the near-black-out ENDED!!!!!!!!!!

  In 1996, the new internet media was covering it, but not TV and radio; this was largely before much of any audio or TV media using the internet other than "print media".

  Although Arizona went retrograde for a while after the will of the people was expressed in 1996, California progressed. But the period before 1996 was an almost unbelievable "dark ages" in terms of mainstream acceptance of weed legalization, and this attitude extended worldwide, other than European media coverage of the Dutch scene. However, at that time, no one in Europe was even discussing the issue of legalization; it was then and now also all about "decrim" on that side of the Atlantic.

  This is probably one of the reasons the media today in the USA speak out so much about weed these days; an attempt to re-balance our embarrassing history.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Here's a new study from Harvard which debunks the mantra that marijuana causes men to grow female breasts, and causes their sperm count to decline, and their testicles to shrink.

  American youth were actually taught that lie for many decades.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  FACT: in terms of feeling the "stoned" effect from marihuana usage, some people's bodies apparently do not have the ability to do that. These people feel "nothing" from using marihuana. I don't know if they would beneift medically from it or not, depending on what ailment is being medicated. Perhaps their bodies' endocannabinoid systems were working better already.

  The Truth: no one knows why this is. Also, some people who do not feel the "stoned" effect of marihuana initially, after a month or so of use, a switch permanently closes and the user may finally feel some change in awareness after usage.

  Some medical usage of marihuana is not related to the "feeling stoned" effect, but I speculate that there are some medical benefits from "feeling stoned" for many.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  From the so called "Shafer Commission" report, aka, "Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding, Part V, Implementing the Discouragement Policy, Total Prohibition, Part 2"

  "Total Prohibition".

  The fatal-flaw of the Shafer Commission was to not recommend full legality. In fact, they discouraged legalization, opening the door to the current era of decriminalization, corruption, and terrorism. Keith Stroup of NORML has repeatedly stated in the last few years that decriminalization has been a disaster.

  The current era of corruption and terrorism began, more or less, around 1972 or so. Decrim. of marihuana also began about 1967 for the U.K., and about 1972 in Ann Arbor, MI. The first major terrorist event in the current epoch was probably the Munich Olympics attack in 1972 by the PLO.

  Note that former PA Gov. Raymond Shafer was a member of both the 9-11 Commission, and "Nixon's marihuana commission" which is usually referred to as "the Shafer Commission".

  I have copied part 2 of that section below:

  2. Application of the Criminal Law Is Constitutionally Suspect

  The preference for individual privacy reflected in the debate over the philosophical limitations on the criminal law is also manifested in our constitutional jurisprudence. Although no court, to our knowledge, has held that government may not prohibit private possession of marihuana, two overlapping constitutional traditions do have important public policy implications in this area.

  The first revolves around the concept that in a free society, the legislature may act only for public purposes. The "police powers" of the states extend only to the "public health, safety and morals." In the period of our history when the people most feared interference with their rights by the government, it was generally accepted that this broad power had an inherent limitation. For example, early prohibitions of alcohol possession were declared unconstitutional on the basis of reasoning such as that employed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky in 1915 in the case of Commonwealth v. Campbell:

  It is not within the competency of government to invade the privacy of the citizen's life and to regulate his conduct in matters in which alone is concerned, or to prohibit him any liberty the exercise which will not directly injure society. Noting that the defendant was "not charged with having the liquor in his possession for the purpose of selling it, or even giving it to another," and that "ownership and possession cannot be denied when that ownership and possession is not in itself injurious to the public," the Kentucky court concluded that: The right to use liquor for one's own comfort, if they use it without injury to the public, is one of the citizen's natural and inalienable rights. . . . We hold that the police power vague and wide and undefined as it is has limits. . . .

  Even the perceived dangers of opium were not enough to convince some members of the judiciary that the government could prohibit possession. It is historically instructive to consider these words, penned in 1890, by Judge Scott in Ah Lim v Territory:

  I make no question but that the habit of smoking opium may be repulsive and degrading. That its effect would be to shatter the nerves and destroy the intellect; and that it may tend to the increase of the pauperism and crime. But there is a vast difference between the commission of a single act, and a confirmed habit. There is a distinction to be recognized between the use and abuse of any article or substance. . . . If this act must be held valid it is hard to conceive of any legislative action affecting the personal conduct, or privileges of the individual citizen, that must not be upheld. . . . The prohibited act cannot affect the public in any way except through the primary personal injury to the individual, if it occasions him any injury. It looks like a new and extreme step under our government in the field of legislation, if it really was passed for any of the purposes upon which that character of legislation can be sustained, if at all.

  As a matter of constitutional history, a second tradition, the application of specific provisions in the Bill of Rights, has generally replaced the notion of "inherent" limitations. The ultimate effect is virtually the same, however. The Fourth Amendment's proscription of "unreasonable searches and seizures" reflects a constitutional commitment to the value of individual privacy. The importance of the Fourth Amendment to the entire, constitutional scheme was eloquently described by Justice Brandeis in 1928 in the case of Olmstead v U.S.:

  The makers of our Constitution undertook to secure conditions favorable to the pursuit of happiness. They recognized the significance of man's spiritual nature, of his feelings and his intellect. They knew that only a part of the pain, pleasure and satisfaction of life are to be found in material things. They sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men.

  Although the Fourth Amendment is itself a procedural protection, the value of privacy which it crystallizes is often read in conjunction with other important values to set substantive limits on legislative power. The Supreme Court, in the case of Griswold vs. Connecticut, held in 1965 that Connecticut could not constitutionally prohibit the use of birth control devices by married persons. Although the Justices did not agree completely on the reasons for their decision, Justice Douglas stated in the opinion of the Court:

  The present case, then, concerns a relationship lying within the zone of privacy created by several fundamental constitutional guarantees. And it concerns a law which, in forbidding the use of contraceptives rather than regulating their manufacture or sale, seeks to achieve its goals by means of having a maximum destructive impact upon that relationship. Such a law cannot stand in light of the familiar principle, so often applied by this Court, that a "governmental purpose to control or prevent activities constitutionally subject to state regulation may not be achieved by means which sweep unnecessarily broadly and thereby invade the area of protected freedom." (citation omitted) Would we allow the police to search the sacred precincts of marital bedrooms for telltale signs of the use of contraceptives? The very idea is repulsive to the notions of privacy surrounding the marriage relationship.

  Four years later, the Supreme Court, in Stanley v. Georgia, held that even though obscenity is not "speech" protected by the First Amendment, a state cannot constitutionally make private possession of obscene material a crime. The Court's reasoning is revealed in the following language:

  [The] right to receive information and ideas, regardless of their social worth, (citation omitted), is fundamental to our free society. Moreover, in the context of this case a prosecution for mere possession of printed or filmed matter in the privacy of a person's own home that right takes on an added dimension. For also fundamental is the right to be free, except in very limited circumstances, from unwanted governmental intrusions into one's privacy . . .

  While the judiciary is the governmental institution most directly concerned with the protection of individual liberties, all policy-makers have a responsibility to consider our constitutional heritage when framing public policy. Regardless of whether or not the courts would overturn a prohibition of possession of marihuana for personal use in the home, we are necessarily influenced by the high place traditionally occupied by the value of privacy in our constitutional scheme. Accordingly, we believe that government must show a compelling reason to justify invasion of the home in order to prevent personal use of marihuana. We find little in marihuana's effects or in its social impact to support such a determination. Legislators enacting Prohibition did not find such a compelling reason 40 years ago; and we do not find the situation any more compelling for marihuana today.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  SHOUTING FIRE IN A CROWDED THEATRE; Mainstream Media Slanders Science and Truth: "SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA" FRAUD AND CHAOS.

  (6 August 2015) High Times' recent report on the issue of synthetic marijuana.

  Actual "synthetic marihuana" is called "marinol", or "dronabinol", and has been around for decades, but contains only THC, and is very expensive compared to natural cannabis. Marinol is considered safe and non addictive when used in practical doses, but is very difficult to manufacture, and will consequently likely never be competitive with the marihuana (cannabis) plant.

  For years now, the media and businesses both have been erroneously calling various products "synthetic marihuana" which contain none of the ingredients of natural cannabis, not even THC.

  There are probably various products being called "synthetic marihuana" that contain various active ingredients.

  This fraud, distortion, and misinformation created by businesses and the news media makes no sense at all. The lies about "synthetic marijuana" are confusing the general public, slandering the companies which manufacture synthetic THC, slandering the people and companies who produce actual marihuana, slandering the scientists who discovered and first synthesized THC, and probably causing deaths and other injuries to the unsuspecting general public.

  Here is a link to information about actual synthetic marihuana, not the fake stuff. Frankly, I've only met one person in my life who liked it.

  Todd McCormick said kind words about prescription synthetic THC (aka, "Marinol") to me, and he has some real conditions that are aided by the medical marihuana and/or pure synthetic THC.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  My April 16th, 2018 Letter to NORML
  and the FDA Concerning International De-scheduling of Cannabis:

  I am writing in to express my support in the reconsideration of the Schedule I designation of the cannabis plant under international conventions. To be more accurate, I join the large group of persons who feel that cannabis should be totally descheduled.

  Schedule I is the most restrictive designation that exists for controlled substances and it is generally reserved for only the most dangerous drugs, such as heroin. Maintaining cannabis in this or even less severe designations, is improper and is in conflict with the available science.

  Cannabis clearly does not share the high abuse potential associated with other Schedule I substances like heroin, or even other legal substances like alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or prescription opiates. According to a comprehensive review by the United States National Academy of Sciences, cannabis dependence liability is similar to that of caffeine (7 percent) or anxiolytics (9 percent), and is far lower than the dependence liability associated with other substances like alcohol (15 percent) and tobacco (32 percent).

  My personal experience with cannabis and coffee, however, leads me to opine that coffee, tea, and other caffeine containing substances are much more dependency producing than cannabis for myself. Regular cannabis usage is often rationally chosen and undertaken by users such as myself, due to the alleviation of various common and pre-existent medical symptoms, later to be confused with alleged cannabis withdrawal symptoms. However, if the so-called withdrawal symptoms were already present in the lives of the future cannabis user before they began using cannabis, then these were not withdrawal symptoms since no cannabis was being used as of yet, when the medical symptoms were originally noted and communicated to doctors or other healthcare providers, as in my case.

  For example, I had suffered for over 15 years from insomnia, and had tried many over-the-counter remedies and techniques for insomnia reduction, without success before I discovered cannabis worked for me; however, I never tried barbituates or other much more severe narcotics out of simple fear of the dangers of such things.

  Furthermore, it is also apparent that cannabis possesses an acceptable and known safety profile compared to so many other more dangerous drugs. Unlike most therapeutics, cannabis possesses no known risk of lethal overdose. Further, the acute toxicity of cannabis is very low, and it is recognized that there are no cases of fatal cannabis poisoning in the human medical literature.

  There exist numerous FDA-approved controlled trials assessing the safety and efficacy of cannabis in various patient populations. A scientific review of several of these trials concludes: Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable. It is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.

  Finally, it is illogical to opine that cannabis has no currently accepted medical use in treatment. Several countries such as Canada, Jamaica, and the Netherlands as well as over two-dozen US states recognize the therapeutic use of cannabis by statute. It is now estimated that over 1.2 million Americans are using cannabis as a legal medicine under state law.

  Rather than continuing to keep cannabis misplaced in Schedule I, a better option would be to deschedule it in other words, to remove it completely from the international drug conventions so that nations may regulate its commercial production and retail sale in a manner similar to alcohol or tobacco. Numerous nations, like Canada and Uruguay, have already moved in this direction and I encourage regulators to give serious consideration to this policy change.

  I also call your attention to the U.S. Government's own 1971 "Shafer Commission", also known as "the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse", which opined that recreational marijuana usage was essentially harmless and easy to control. In this study, there is no mention whatsoever of there being any withdrawal symptoms caused by regular recreational marijuana usage.

  At this time in 1971, medical usage was virtually unmentioned altogether along with any withdrawal symptoms. I personally still feel that this U.S. Goverment commissioned study released in 1971 remains the best final word on the subject.

  Please recall that marijuana in 1971 was never regularly available to anyone inside the USA.

  In 1971, virtually no marijuana was being produced inside the USA nor Canada, and the supply from nearby foreign countries such as Mexico, Jamaica, and Columbia was often intermittent and sporadic, which constantly produced self-evident proof that lack of cannabis did not produce any serious discomfort or withdrawal symptoms for anyone who wished to use it everyday. From this well known historical fact, we can conclude that the term "withdrawal symptom" for cannabis only came into existence when medical usage became widespread quite recently, but this medical usage scenario also tends to confuse withdrawal symptoms for pre-existing medical symptoms; pre-existent to cannabis usage altogether.

  Thank you for your careful consideration of this effort to return cannabis to a more common-sense regulatory scenario under local and state control, which would shift national and local drug control resources more to controlling truly deadly drugs such as barbituates and opiates.

  THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT, BUT WAS NOT CLEARLY REALIZED UNTIL AFTER THE ABOVE LETTER WAS SENT TO NORML USA:

  Note that in 1971, "marihuana" was very difficult to smuggle into the USA in large and profitable amounts without detection. It was then of much lower potency, and thus, much more bulky than the cannabis of 2018. The borders of the USA in 1969-1972, although more porous than today, were still being watched closely, and authorities actually succeeded in greatly reducing the flow of this "weed" into the USA in 1969 with "Project Intercept", and also later probably 1971-1972. We can conclude that supplies were successfully interrupted and unreliable, creating the perfect scenario to study alleged "withdrawal symptoms" just in time for the Shafer Commission. This report was officially released in 1972, but numerous reliable leaks to the news media in the Fall of 1971 were observed by everyone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Making Cannabis Infused Cooking Oil Easily with Hashish:

  NOTE: in Europe, they sometimes use the more pure expensive, fresh, and pure hashish for cooking, but it's hard to know how pure it is unless you know exactly how it was made. You might ask the seller of the hashish questions about that. The types made without solvent can also be used. In Holland, all hashish except the most expensive hashish, should probably not be used to put into oil, especially not hashish which has visible mold on it, such as some of the more cheaper types. (Just as blue cheese is blue due to some sort of mold or bacteria, there are lots of people who like this type of weed.) In the USA, there is no imported hashish to speak of, so most of it over here is probably OK unless otherwise it is known the hashish is unsuitable.

  This method of making cannabis-infused cooking oil is much easier than most methods and takes about 5 to 10 minutes, total. What is needed is about 750 ml. of cooking oil, such as olive oil, and about 1 gram of shatter, wax, honey oil, or any other pure form of hashish. The hashish should be pure enough to put into edibles. I used some with measured THCA of 82.9 percent.

  Needed items should all be clean and food-grade:

  • spoon, fork, or tongs;
  • about 750 ml. cooking oil such as olive oil,
  • 1 gram of hashish,
  • 1 heat-proof cooking pot, measuring cup, or container with pourable lip, large enough to hold all of the oil,
  • 1 cooking pot with pourable lip large enough for all of the oil.

  Put 1/2 of the oil (about 1 pint) into the clean cooking pot, then place over medium burner heat. The other approx. 1 pint of cold oil will be used soon to cool off the warmed up oil, so keep the cold oil in the original container, or pour it into the other cooking pot or heat-proof measuring cup or container.

  Immediately place the 1 gram of hashish into the warming oil in the pot on the stove.

  Begin to lightly stir the oil as it heats up on the stove. Watch as the hashish dissolves into the oil at about the temperature that the oil can no longer be comfortably touched with the human finger. This is at about 130 degrees F. or so. If there is suspicion that the oil or hash is not clean, then maybe the oil should now be heated up to the boiling point of water for long enough to kill bacateria, but this will destroy some of the active ingredients in the hashish also. If to be used for cooking, this will also be accomplished during the cooking process.

  Or, as soon as the oil can no longer be touched comfortably, cut off the heat, but continue to stir the heated oil as the hashish dissolves.

  If using honey oil packaged in small round plastic container with lid, first make sure the container itself is completely clean on the outside. Then place the opened plastic container, with the lid also if it has hash on it, into the warming oil being stirred, so that the warm to hot oil can dissolve the honey oil, leaving none in the container or on the lid. Do not try to pour or spoon out the honey-oil from small plastic containers. As soon as the honey oil is dissolved completely into the hot oil, remove the opened plastic container and lid from the cooking pot with a spoon, tongs, or fork.

  When the hashish or honey-oil is completely dissolved into the hot oil, only then, pour the warm/hot oil back into the original container or into the other cooking pot or container with the cool oil. This will cool off the hot oil so that it can be used nearly immediately. Then carefully pour back into the original oil container.

  Use like regular cooking oil in edibles of all sorts. The potency can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of oil per gram of hashish. The above recipe makes oil with the approx. potency that 1 ml. of this oil contains slightly more than 1 mg. of THCA. One tablespoon contains slightly more than 15 mg. of THCA using wax of 82.9% THCA. content. (830 mg. of THC distributed into 750 ml. of cooking oil. This is slightly less than a quart.)

  Amazingly, I randomly bought some brownie mix that uses 2/3 cup of oil to make 16 brownies. I've calculated that this oil just made contains about 175 mg. of THCA in 2/3 of a cup, which distributed into 16 brownies means each brownie has about 10.9 mg. of THC per serving, the maximum dosage allowed in one state from commercial edibles is 10 mg. of THC per serving. Oops. (This is not a law, but a regulation for commercial bakers of cannabis edibles in one U.S. state.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Police to Ban Hashish in Amsterdam?

  Dutch police afraid cannabis consumption will be reduced if dabbing catches on there.

  At the 2014 High Times Cannabis Cup, the cops in Amsterdam in projecting new policies from city hall, and presumably the mayor's office, issued an edict against "dabbing", and also, an edict against "sharing of cannabis" in the coffee shops.

  First of all, what is "dabbing"?

  Dabbing is a new way to consume or smoke the hashish-like and usually semi-liquid concentration of the active ingredients of marijuana called "honey-oil" (which contains no actual oil, though it seems to be oily in consistency) usually using an appliance called a "titantium nail". Other types of marijuana concentrates may also be "dabbed" or smoked with varying results in various ways, including traditional hashish pipes. Don't put oily substances in these new smoking devices.

  In other words, it's essentially no different than smoking hashish, as opposed to the cruder version, marijuana itself. There were already 2 or 3 types of hashish already being smoked normally in pipes or mixed with weed or tobacco, and smoked like a joint, before "dabbing" was invented which is just a new method of smoking a more pure form of hashish, really. Nothing more.

  Note that "honey-oil", and "hash-oil" are not the same thing. So called "hash-oil" contains added oil, usually cooking oil. "Honey-oil" and most other newer types of hashish and marijuana concentrates do not contain any actual added oil at all, though honey oil appears to be oily.

  I really don't see what the fuss about dabbing is really all about once the facts are known, as hashish has been in use in Holland for decades. However, some of the titantium nail smoking devices look extreme and bizarre, which can hurt legalization efforts. Some "nails" are heated up using a LPG blow torch, while others are heated using electricity, either from the AC wall outlet, or from batteries.

  The electric devices don't look that odd.

  However, the LPG blow-torch heated nails, look extreme and possibly hazardous.

  They also may be afraid that cannabis consumption activity in the marijuana coffee-shops will slump when dabbing catches on in Europe, as one "dab-puff" is very strong, reducing traditional hashish and marijuana consumption activities.

  Medical marijuana users are also advocates of the titantium nail/honey-oil method of using marijuana and marijuana concentrates.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  External links:
  
  BOOK:
  Saving lives through knowledge:
  
  Licit and Illicit Drugs; The Consumers Union Report
  on Narcotics, Stimulants, Depressants, Inhalants, Hallucinogens,
  and Marijuana - Including Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol. [Paperback]
  
  Has a chapter on THE U.S. GOVERNMENT NARCOTIC FARM; LEXINGTON, KY.
  
  (Book sent free of charge by NORML.org to all new members.)
  
  
  BOOK:
  
  HELP PREVENT PRESCRIPTION & ILLICIT DRUG DEATHS!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  How to Secretly Smoke Weed in Your Apartment.

  Many persons get in trouble smoking weed in their apartment. Although marijuana is legal in some areas for some people, landlords and neighbors can also be a problem if your smoking amounts to harrassment of neighbors. This is actually not necessary. It is actually very easy to avoid detection.

  if you're in a larger apartment building (or hotel) with a central exhaust vent system, you can just smoke in the bathroom with the door closed where the vent is usually located.

  You can also get some sandalwood incense which virtually eliminates magically the smell of cannabis almost instantly if burned after smoking in the same room. The air purifier called OZIUM has also been touted as a way to nearly eliminate cannabis smell, but sandalwood incense seems to work better if you ask me.

  Make sure there's a good exhaust fan.

  First of all, don't open all the windows wide. Instead, close them. Cut on the new or existing exhaust fan assuming it vents air reliably into the air outside your apartment; preferably on the roof if it's a townhouse style apartment. Many larger apartment buildings already have vents installed in all the bathrooms in all the units. Check to make sure the exhaust fan actually vents to the outside of the building. This can be difficult or easy. Some apartment buildings already have a huge exhaust fan system that pulls air through all the units up into a common air-exhaust system. In many cases, this vent is located in the bathroom or the kitchen. If it's an exhaust fan, you can tell if it's an exhaust fan by placing small sections of toilet paper over the grill to see if there's any suction.

  If you find a fan or vent grill, and it's the type that does not vent air to the outside, it will not help anything. Some of these types have two separate grill sections separated by a blank-plastic-panel that does not have any grillwork or holes between the two grill sections, then it is probably the useless type. (There are other useless types as well. In a moment, we will test your exhaust fan.) This type of useless exhaust vent simply circulates air around inside the room it is installed in.

  Duct-free recirculating exhaust fan is NOT OK for this scenario.
  
  As you can see here, there's no way to really
  tell what kind it is except through testing it.

  To check what type of fan or vent you have, turn it on, or open it, and try to place short sections of dry toilet paper upon the different grill sections to see which way the air is blowing, and if there is enough suction to hold the paper without falling. This is just a suction test. The useless type will suck in air through one area or section, and blow it out through another area or section of the grill work of the exhaust fan.

  TEST ONE. Assuming you have the proper type, once you THINK you have all the windows, doors, and other openings closed and the exhaust fan running, you can then go around and check to see how sealed up your apartment really is in terms of air flow. With the exhaust fan running, check this by barely opening any particular window to the outside air. Place your hand near the opening and check for air briskly flowing into the apartment through the barely opened window (less than 1/4 inch open). If the apartment is well sealed, when you open the window while the exhaust fan is running, air should be noticable as it flows in quickly.

  If airflow is NOT noticable flowing into the apartment through the small opening, then you are NOT safe from detection.

  If airflow is flowing strongly into the apartment through the small opening, then you are probably safe from detection.

  DO NOT OPEN ANY MORE WINDOWS WHILE YOU SMOKE. The exhaust fan will suck the smell and smoke out of the apartment as long as you DO NOT open any other doors or windows other than that one which is barely opened. If you open one or two windows completely, or more, the exhaust fan is no longer "in control" of the air flow. We want a controlled flow of air into, and out of the apartment. We also want air flowing into the apartment through every possible crack in the entire apartment so that smoke does NOT flow out of the apartment through these outlets. The only outlet that should have cannabis smoke and odor coming out of it, should be the exhaust fan outlet.

  These procedures and tests should keep you safe and secret except in one unfortunate scenario. Some exhaust fans have not been installed correctly, and vent into a large attic for numerous units where smells can easily migrate to other units through the attic. This is the most difficult situation to detect unless you actually can get into the attic to check the ductwork.

  Note that if the exhaust air system, or exhaust fan system vents into the attic or other semi-enclosed crawl areas instead of the outside air, there could already be a mold problem in such an attic or crawl space. This is probably against most building codes as the building may already be rotting away!

  In that case, move to a properly designed and built abode that is less prone to rot and trouble, and make sure you burn the sandalwood incense in the room where you just smoked.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Federal Judge in OK Rules in Favor
  of 2nd Amendment Rights for Cannabis Users.

  
  
  
  I wish to be clear that, in my opinion, the largest "gun problems" we have today are the stupid and inappriate usage of guns to settle arguments, to criminally coerce or abduct victims, or to express oneself emotionally. There are also so many mentally ill people who seem to feel threatened by others, in sundry ways, such as law enforcement personel, and consequently pull out their gun and shoot innocent persons for no apparent reason at all.

  But I am in favor of 2nd Amendment rights in terms of self-defense planning, and how that aspect of gun ownership and safe gun storage in homes and businesses discourages criminals from preying on their victims in the first place.

  I come from a state where the legal ownership and safe-storage of guns in homes and businesses is also a signal to law enforcement to knock before entering, and please obtain a warrant before entering the premises.

  Having stated that, I am embarrassed and appalled at all the death and mayhem taking place in the USA caused by inappropriate and probably illegal gun usage.

  (Feb. 7, 2023) Click Here to read article from High Times magazine.