Political morons and justice department bureaucrats in our federal government are implementing a new phase of the war on drugs. They intend to prosecute "to the full extent of the law" legal medicinal marijuana store proprietors in California and other states.
The difficult lessons of history and a recent documentary by Ken Burns clearly demonstrate that prohibition doesn't work. But political morons and bureaucrats don't understand the lessons of history. Or they just don't care.
Are they looking for headlines to take the heat off failed policies on drug interception at the borders of this country?
It appears that the "war on drugs" has brought us war in Mexico and Columbia, and war on our city streets and in our homes. Children are often the victims. Drug territory is protected by drug gangs.
William Buckley, a conservative Republican, recommended legalization of marijuana in the years before his death. President Obama, a liberal Democrat, has authorized prosecution of marijuana sellers and users.
It does seem confusing.
In June, 2011, two unlikely Congressional allies, Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced H.R. 2306, a bill to repeal federal penalities for production, distribution, and possession of marijuana, leaving the states complete jurisdiction as they see fit. The federal government's role, under this bill, would be limited to preventing importation of marijuana into states that continue to ban it. The bill is modeled after the repeal of the 18th Amendment, which allowed states to establish their own rules governing alcohol.
Click on these links for more information on the federal crackdown:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/14/crackdown-medical-marijuana-california_n_1011780.html
http://news.yahoo.com/feds-raid-washington-state-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-044120807.html
Click on this link for a quick and entertaining short story by O. Henry, which describes a 1906 pharmacy in operation before the Harrison Act of 1914: http://www.literaturepage.com/read/thefourmillion-75.html
Click on this link for a short summary of Drug Prohibition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_of_drugs
Click on this link for a surprise endorsement to legalize pot: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/us/pat-robertson-backs-legalizing-marijuana.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Cortland Woman Visits St. Petersburg and Moscow
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, I visited Moscow and St. Petersburg and joined a diverse tour group. The object of my special interest was the world famous Hermitage Museum at St. Petersburg. I tried to absorb as much as I could in a few hours on tour. I returned the next day on my own free time.
It's easy to understand why the Hermitage is a World Heritage site. It is a treasure trove of valuable art and historic objects. Each enormous room is a unique spectacle of design and purpose. In a word--unforgettable.
I had a ticket to a Kirov Ballet and Opera performance of Glinka's "Rusian and Ludmila" at the Mariinsky Theatre. I sat in my designated seat among other foreign tourists, who were excited and talked too much. The Russians seated near us turned and looked at us disapprovingly. We understood, and shut up. That was before the music started.
Don't dare to speak after the show starts--you may be ejected by Russian audience members using the force of moral indignation! They will stare you and steer you to the exits!
It's not Broadway. The experience is like the solemn experience of church. Russians show respect for the conductor, orchestra and performers from the moment they enter a theatre. At the conclusion of a performance, polite reserve and subdued emotions break into loud and prolonged applause.
When I was in Moscow I went to the Bolshoi Theatre (before renovation) and watched a performance of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." I noticed the same rapt attention by Russian audience members and the same disapproval of anyone, foreign or domestic, who spoke too much, coughed too much, or even whispered too much. Russians are truly serious about ballet and opera. It is not a pretence.
The Russian people I met at St. Petersburg were wonderful people. They dressed and looked like people who lived in upstate New York. Many wore leather jackets and coats.It was late March, and we had snow flurries often.
Cold cuts for breakfast were unexpected for this American, but I got used to them. Hard boiled eggs, some vegetables and fruits were available. I bought snacks at a curbside store near my hotel to augment the few and paltry meals which were part of the tour package.
On my last night in Moscow I wanted to photograph St. Basil's Cathedral in the Kremlin. Our Russian guide, a former policeman, objected. He was responsible for his tour group and didn't want to lose anyone. He knew that I didn't speak the language. He asked, "How do you intend to navigate the metro system?"
The metro station signs were written with the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet. I told him that I had studied the Cyrillic alphabet and knew how to translate to Roman or Western. He tested me, then said: "You can go--if you have a companion." A Mexican tourist, a polite and interesting young man, volunteered to go with me. He wanted to photograph St. Basil's too.
The metro runs deep underground. It has world-class tile art at the stations.
It was dark when we arrived at the Kremlin. We walked to the area around St. Basil's Cathedral, which was lighted and beautiful at night. We snapped several photos. Then we returned to the hotel.
I had the negatives developed when I arrived home. One of the prints is framed and hanging in my house. It reminds me of this wonderful and interesting trip every time I see it.
It's easy to understand why the Hermitage is a World Heritage site. It is a treasure trove of valuable art and historic objects. Each enormous room is a unique spectacle of design and purpose. In a word--unforgettable.
I had a ticket to a Kirov Ballet and Opera performance of Glinka's "Rusian and Ludmila" at the Mariinsky Theatre. I sat in my designated seat among other foreign tourists, who were excited and talked too much. The Russians seated near us turned and looked at us disapprovingly. We understood, and shut up. That was before the music started.
Don't dare to speak after the show starts--you may be ejected by Russian audience members using the force of moral indignation! They will stare you and steer you to the exits!
It's not Broadway. The experience is like the solemn experience of church. Russians show respect for the conductor, orchestra and performers from the moment they enter a theatre. At the conclusion of a performance, polite reserve and subdued emotions break into loud and prolonged applause.
When I was in Moscow I went to the Bolshoi Theatre (before renovation) and watched a performance of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." I noticed the same rapt attention by Russian audience members and the same disapproval of anyone, foreign or domestic, who spoke too much, coughed too much, or even whispered too much. Russians are truly serious about ballet and opera. It is not a pretence.
The Russian people I met at St. Petersburg were wonderful people. They dressed and looked like people who lived in upstate New York. Many wore leather jackets and coats.It was late March, and we had snow flurries often.
Cold cuts for breakfast were unexpected for this American, but I got used to them. Hard boiled eggs, some vegetables and fruits were available. I bought snacks at a curbside store near my hotel to augment the few and paltry meals which were part of the tour package.
On my last night in Moscow I wanted to photograph St. Basil's Cathedral in the Kremlin. Our Russian guide, a former policeman, objected. He was responsible for his tour group and didn't want to lose anyone. He knew that I didn't speak the language. He asked, "How do you intend to navigate the metro system?"
The metro station signs were written with the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet. I told him that I had studied the Cyrillic alphabet and knew how to translate to Roman or Western. He tested me, then said: "You can go--if you have a companion." A Mexican tourist, a polite and interesting young man, volunteered to go with me. He wanted to photograph St. Basil's too.
The metro runs deep underground. It has world-class tile art at the stations.
It was dark when we arrived at the Kremlin. We walked to the area around St. Basil's Cathedral, which was lighted and beautiful at night. We snapped several photos. Then we returned to the hotel.
I had the negatives developed when I arrived home. One of the prints is framed and hanging in my house. It reminds me of this wonderful and interesting trip every time I see it.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
George Washington DeLong
In early November, 1881, George Washington DeLong, Lt. Commander USN, after surviving almost three years in the Arctic, froze to death on the Lena River Delta of Siberia. Eleven sailors and Arctic researchers died with him. Eight more men on his expedition were lost at sea. Of the thirty three sailors and civilians who sailed on the research ship Jeannette, only thirteen survived.
Many readers are familiar with the names of explorers Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott and Ernest Shakleton. Few have ever read or heard the name George Washington DeLong.
Lt. Commander DeLong was the Jeannette's captain. He was educated at the United States Naval Academy in Newport, Rhode Island. In the summer of 1879 his ship and crew left San Francisco on an expedition to discover an ice-free passage to the North Pole. By September, 1879, the ship was trapped in ice near Wrangell Island. The ship drifted in ice for two and one half years before it was crushed by ice and sank off Henrietta Island. The crew abandoned ship in June, 1881, and hauled three open boats and supplies across the ridges of ice and used the boats to cross open water leads. They reached Semenovski Island in desperate condition, then crossed the open sea for the Lena River Delta. A boat commanded by Lt. Chipp with seven other men was lost in a gale. The other two boats, commanded by DeLong and Chief Engineer George Melville, survived the gale and landed far apart on the Lena River Delta.
Melville and ten others were discovered by three natives and rescued. DeLong sent two of his healthiest men ahead to search for native habitation near Ku Mark Surk, while he rested with the others, who were frost bitten, emaciated, and fatigued. The two men that were sent ahead were rescued. The others, including Lt. Commander DeLong and the ship's surgeon James M. Ambler, died after thirty days of exposure and starvation. Their bodies were found a year later.
Additional information about this tragic Arctic adventure can be found at the U. S. Naval Museum link: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/ev-1880s/jeannett.htm and George Wallace Melville's narrative In the Lena Delta at Google books link:
Melville's narrative offers profound thanks to the Russians who rescued and aided the surviving Americans. Melville eventually became Engineer-in-Chief of the United States Navy and retired as a Rear Admiral. He was also a founding member of the National Geographic Society.
Many readers are familiar with the names of explorers Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott and Ernest Shakleton. Few have ever read or heard the name George Washington DeLong.
Lt. Commander DeLong was the Jeannette's captain. He was educated at the United States Naval Academy in Newport, Rhode Island. In the summer of 1879 his ship and crew left San Francisco on an expedition to discover an ice-free passage to the North Pole. By September, 1879, the ship was trapped in ice near Wrangell Island. The ship drifted in ice for two and one half years before it was crushed by ice and sank off Henrietta Island. The crew abandoned ship in June, 1881, and hauled three open boats and supplies across the ridges of ice and used the boats to cross open water leads. They reached Semenovski Island in desperate condition, then crossed the open sea for the Lena River Delta. A boat commanded by Lt. Chipp with seven other men was lost in a gale. The other two boats, commanded by DeLong and Chief Engineer George Melville, survived the gale and landed far apart on the Lena River Delta.
Melville and ten others were discovered by three natives and rescued. DeLong sent two of his healthiest men ahead to search for native habitation near Ku Mark Surk, while he rested with the others, who were frost bitten, emaciated, and fatigued. The two men that were sent ahead were rescued. The others, including Lt. Commander DeLong and the ship's surgeon James M. Ambler, died after thirty days of exposure and starvation. Their bodies were found a year later.
Additional information about this tragic Arctic adventure can be found at the U. S. Naval Museum link: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/ev-1880s/jeannett.htm and George Wallace Melville's narrative In the Lena Delta at Google books link:
Melville's narrative offers profound thanks to the Russians who rescued and aided the surviving Americans. Melville eventually became Engineer-in-Chief of the United States Navy and retired as a Rear Admiral. He was also a founding member of the National Geographic Society.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How Tabloids Cure the Blues
That low-down feeling called the blues can hit you anytime. Most of us have a coping mechanism. How many people go to the nearest supermarket and read weekly tabloids and laugh out loud? I do that. People think I'm nuts, but this is my instant cure for the blues.
Where else can you read a fresh story about a guy from Toronto who attempts to eat an entire car on a $200,000 bet? He eats tires, window glass, sheet metal and upholstery. As he gnaws the engine block, he is forced to stop on the urgent advice of his doctor and dentist. They tell him that he has holes in his stomach and his teeth are ground to the gums. "If you continue, you will die." He dies anyway and loses the bet.
At the Weekly World News website, you can read what happened when realty star Bruce Jenner received a second face lift. As part of the season finale, he received Joan River's old face.
I remember characters found in the old Weekly World News--which is still found online at www.weeklyworldnews.com --such as Batboy, Cryptids and Merfolk. "Nothing but the Truth: The Weekly World News." Elvis Presley was found in the Amazon jungle, years after his death. A giant mutant hog attacked the state of Georgia. A devout Christian was attacked on the street, and he was the person fined after he was threatened by "homosexual liberals." A kid was abused by his own shadow. "Werewolf Sues Airline Over Flight Delay."
Introducing "Batboy Lives!" Sal Ivone, former managing editor of WWN said: "If someone calls me up and says their toaster is talking to them, I don't refer them to professional help, I say 'Put the toaster on the phone'." See this comment and more weird details at Wikipedia.
A WWN competitor, The Sun, published the same weird stuff with a disclaimer: "Suspend Belief for the Sake of Enjoyment."
Famous headlines grab my attention too. On April 15, 1983, the New York Post published: Headless Body in Topless Bar--Gunman Forces Woman to Decapitate Tavern Owner. I laughed at the headline but found the story gruesome.
Back to Weekly World News, my favorite. Bible satires and fantastic medical cures were stock in trade. In one story I found the character P'lod, an extraterrestial who got involved in earth politics and had an affair with Hillary Clinton. Miss Adventure, a gay American hero who fought Drag-u-la and the mob. Lastly, SpyCat, a comic character who spoke nine different languages, including Persian and "dog," and was armed with "AdamWestium" claws and a cat-of-nine-tails.
Suspend belief. Bust the blues.
Where else can you read a fresh story about a guy from Toronto who attempts to eat an entire car on a $200,000 bet? He eats tires, window glass, sheet metal and upholstery. As he gnaws the engine block, he is forced to stop on the urgent advice of his doctor and dentist. They tell him that he has holes in his stomach and his teeth are ground to the gums. "If you continue, you will die." He dies anyway and loses the bet.
At the Weekly World News website, you can read what happened when realty star Bruce Jenner received a second face lift. As part of the season finale, he received Joan River's old face.
I remember characters found in the old Weekly World News--which is still found online at www.weeklyworldnews.com --such as Batboy, Cryptids and Merfolk. "Nothing but the Truth: The Weekly World News." Elvis Presley was found in the Amazon jungle, years after his death. A giant mutant hog attacked the state of Georgia. A devout Christian was attacked on the street, and he was the person fined after he was threatened by "homosexual liberals." A kid was abused by his own shadow. "Werewolf Sues Airline Over Flight Delay."
Introducing "Batboy Lives!" Sal Ivone, former managing editor of WWN said: "If someone calls me up and says their toaster is talking to them, I don't refer them to professional help, I say 'Put the toaster on the phone'." See this comment and more weird details at Wikipedia.
A WWN competitor, The Sun, published the same weird stuff with a disclaimer: "Suspend Belief for the Sake of Enjoyment."
Famous headlines grab my attention too. On April 15, 1983, the New York Post published: Headless Body in Topless Bar--Gunman Forces Woman to Decapitate Tavern Owner. I laughed at the headline but found the story gruesome.
Back to Weekly World News, my favorite. Bible satires and fantastic medical cures were stock in trade. In one story I found the character P'lod, an extraterrestial who got involved in earth politics and had an affair with Hillary Clinton. Miss Adventure, a gay American hero who fought Drag-u-la and the mob. Lastly, SpyCat, a comic character who spoke nine different languages, including Persian and "dog," and was armed with "AdamWestium" claws and a cat-of-nine-tails.
Suspend belief. Bust the blues.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Captain Josiah Mitchell, Sinking of Hornet
Many people have watched the movie Mutiny on the Bounty and know about Captain William Bligh's phenomenal voyage of 3,618 nautical miles for 47 days in a 23 foot long open boat. All eighteen survivors reached land in the Dutch East Indies.
An equally extraordinary voyage occurred in the summer of 1866, when the clipper ship Hornet burned in the Pacific and its crew of thirty one abandoned ship. A long boat 21 feet long and two quarter boats carried the sailors, who were under the command of Captain Josiah Mitchell. Fifteen men, including the captain--all in the long boat--survived after a voyage of 4,000 nautical miles for 43 days. The quarter boats and their crews were lost at sea.
The sinking of the Hornet occurred on May 3, 1866 about 1,300 miles west of the Galapagos Islands. Each of the boats when launched carried food and water for 10 days. The sailors saved rain water, killed a few sea birds and fish, which were then added to their rations. Yet all fifteen survivors were starving when they reached shore in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) on June 15.
For those who wish to know more, a Google search of Mark Twain's autobiography, volume one, page 127, will describe the event in detail. Pages can be scrolled forward or back, and magnified for better viewing. It is part of Twain's essay: My Debut as a Literary Person. Additionally, click on http://twaintimes.net/popup/hornet.html for a short one page summary of the reporter's scoop.
An equally extraordinary voyage occurred in the summer of 1866, when the clipper ship Hornet burned in the Pacific and its crew of thirty one abandoned ship. A long boat 21 feet long and two quarter boats carried the sailors, who were under the command of Captain Josiah Mitchell. Fifteen men, including the captain--all in the long boat--survived after a voyage of 4,000 nautical miles for 43 days. The quarter boats and their crews were lost at sea.
The sinking of the Hornet occurred on May 3, 1866 about 1,300 miles west of the Galapagos Islands. Each of the boats when launched carried food and water for 10 days. The sailors saved rain water, killed a few sea birds and fish, which were then added to their rations. Yet all fifteen survivors were starving when they reached shore in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) on June 15.
For those who wish to know more, a Google search of Mark Twain's autobiography, volume one, page 127, will describe the event in detail. Pages can be scrolled forward or back, and magnified for better viewing. It is part of Twain's essay: My Debut as a Literary Person. Additionally, click on http://twaintimes.net/popup/hornet.html for a short one page summary of the reporter's scoop.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Has Anyone Seen Sherwood?
A locally trained, English-speaking, well-groomed chimp went on a rampage at the County Office Building on Thursday afternoon. After the chimp's application for bananas and food stamps was refused, the angry chimp overturned chairs and computer equipment in the Social Services Department. County workers ran for the exits. The chimp then went into hiding.
County police officers scoured the building looking for the elusive chimp. After a thorough but fruitless two-hour search, the sheriff announced that the chimp was not in the building.
"I believe the chimp has escaped," he said, obviously disappointed.
The search was called off and county workers returned to the building.
The elusive chimp, meanwhile, was hiding above a toilet in the men's room on the third floor.
About 5:30 P.M., as county legislators arrived for a regularly scheduled meeting on the third floor, Legislature Chairman Jack. B. Nimble entered the men's room. He was attacked by the chimp and knocked out. The chimp then took Jack's clothes, eyeglasses and big shoes, and put them on. Looking in a mirror, satisfied with his appearance, the chimp left the men's room and entered the legislature's chamber at exactly 6:00 P.M. The chimp sat in the chairman's seat and called the meeting to order.
Several of the legislators commented on Jack's changed appearance. One or two whispered that Jack "forgot to shave, and his sleeves were too short for his arms." Others said they "didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."
The meeting progressed. Resolutions were made and accepted, memoranda read, reports taken and filed. At the close of the session, one legislator commented, "Jack doesn't look well. His voice is a little gruff. But it was the most productive meeting I ever attended." The impostor chimp and legislators left the building together, and the chimp was last seen crossing the street.
The following morning county workers found the real Jack B. Nimble, in his underwear, sound asleep on the rest room floor. They woke him. He yawned and said, "I guess I missed the meeting."
"No," a county worker replied. "A YNY TV reporter said you conducted the best and most productive meeting in the history of the county legislature."
In borrowed clothing, a slightly confused but otherwise healthy Jack B. Nimble walked out of the building, got in his car, and drove home.
County police found the chimp's nameplate, with the inscription "Sherwood," on the floor of the men's room. Police are currently looking for the elusive chimp and his owner in the City of Cortland.
Has anybody seen Sherwood?
County police officers scoured the building looking for the elusive chimp. After a thorough but fruitless two-hour search, the sheriff announced that the chimp was not in the building.
"I believe the chimp has escaped," he said, obviously disappointed.
The search was called off and county workers returned to the building.
The elusive chimp, meanwhile, was hiding above a toilet in the men's room on the third floor.
About 5:30 P.M., as county legislators arrived for a regularly scheduled meeting on the third floor, Legislature Chairman Jack. B. Nimble entered the men's room. He was attacked by the chimp and knocked out. The chimp then took Jack's clothes, eyeglasses and big shoes, and put them on. Looking in a mirror, satisfied with his appearance, the chimp left the men's room and entered the legislature's chamber at exactly 6:00 P.M. The chimp sat in the chairman's seat and called the meeting to order.
Several of the legislators commented on Jack's changed appearance. One or two whispered that Jack "forgot to shave, and his sleeves were too short for his arms." Others said they "didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."
The meeting progressed. Resolutions were made and accepted, memoranda read, reports taken and filed. At the close of the session, one legislator commented, "Jack doesn't look well. His voice is a little gruff. But it was the most productive meeting I ever attended." The impostor chimp and legislators left the building together, and the chimp was last seen crossing the street.
The following morning county workers found the real Jack B. Nimble, in his underwear, sound asleep on the rest room floor. They woke him. He yawned and said, "I guess I missed the meeting."
"No," a county worker replied. "A YNY TV reporter said you conducted the best and most productive meeting in the history of the county legislature."
In borrowed clothing, a slightly confused but otherwise healthy Jack B. Nimble walked out of the building, got in his car, and drove home.
County police found the chimp's nameplate, with the inscription "Sherwood," on the floor of the men's room. Police are currently looking for the elusive chimp and his owner in the City of Cortland.
Has anybody seen Sherwood?
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