It's the final debate between Obama and McCain, so you know what that means...it's politcal song time! Tonight we have "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam" by Steppenwolf. It's not a song I have on my playlist, but it's a pretty good song. So watch the debate and listen to the song!

Steppenwolf "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam"

Also, here's a poll. I'm interested in what people will say.
[polldaddy poll=999685]

Have you seen Super Size Me, that movie with the guy who only eats McDonalds for a month? This movie is pretty much the same concept except replace burgers with bongs, chicken nuggets with weed nugs, and fries with well… just being fried. Of course you also replace Super Size Me’s host and test subject, Morgan Spurlock, with Doug Benson. This is a very good switch because I personally find Spurlock a tad bland. Those of you who aren’t familiar Benson’s name will probably recognize his face. He has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever, was a contestant on Last Comic Standing, and is a very popular “stoner” type comedian.

The premise of the movie started as a joke in his stand up routine, until one day an independent film producer was in the audience and approached him to actually make the movie. A couple months later Benson was preparing himself for the movie. While the premise of Super High Me came from a joke, the actual documentary is not. Before Benson began his 30 days of being "super high", he had to stay completely sober for a month(no booze, no weed, no nothing). This was to insure that the affects of constantly smoking marijuana in the next month would be properly documented and would have a “normal” set of results to compare the “high” results to. In both months Benson took the SAT, a psychic ability test, and was monitored by his physician to determine the physical effects of marijuana. It is important to note that Benson did not drink in during his “high” or “normal” month so only the effects of marijuana would be shown.

While the main point of the documentary seems to be entertainment, it is also very informative on the topic of medicinal marijuana. Throughout the film Benson interviews many pro and anti medicinal marijuana activists. In fact Benson himself has a prescription for marijuana and is very concerned with the well being of the patients and workers of marijuana dispensaries. The film actually contains footage of multiple raids on dispensaries by government agents working with state police. In my opinion marijuana legalization is quite a sticky and hairy situation. However if pain meds aren’t working on for a cancer patient why not let them use marijuana when doctors have proven it has positive effects on patients. If someone is diagnosed with leukemia and takes tons of pills with terrible side effects that barely stop the pain, why not let them take a medication that allows them to dull out the pain yet still be active and enjoy their lives? Why rob people of their lives when terrible illnesses and diseases already are? I’m not completely sure how the government answers these questions; but whether you have a lot of these same questions as I do or just want to enjoy a movie about pot I encourage you to watch this movie. Peace.

Super High Me Trailer

]]> http://stuffstonerslike.wordpress.com/?p=221 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:05:00 +0000 reoweedwgn http://stuffstonerslike.tl.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/20-doritos/ Here at Suff Stoners Like we aim to please, dude. Several of our stoner friends have written in touting Doritos as the ultimate stoner food. So...who are we not to investigate, right?

So we decided to test that theory. And, well it's true...stoners love those fucking Doritos, man. It's almost like the quintessential stoner food. Walk into a stoner's pad and you'll surely see an episode of Taxi on TV and a half-full bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos on the coffee table. And, that's what we did, man. We visited 100 homes of known stoners and at every single place we found Doritos. Some of them stoners were outta weed, but they weren't outta Doritos. In fact, maybe that shit substitutes for weed? Because they're fucking addictive, man...like Krispy Kremes to a fat kid they're freakin irresistable. In fact that powder coatin' 'em is pro'lly Smokin' Cheddar BBQ-flavored keef, I bet you. If you smoked that shit...you'd get super hi.

In fact they make Doritos specifically for stoners, man. You've heard of Baked Doritos, right? That shit ain't no pun, dude...that shit's subliminal marketing. Baked? Well, then..eat some Baked Doritos! And, some of those fucking flavors couldn't have been conceived by someone who wasn't stoned. Give me a break, dude. Who the fuck would come up with the idea of Collision Doritos like Hot Wings/Blue Cheese, Zesty Taco/Chipotle Ranch, and Pizza Cravers/Ranch, but a STONER! I mean a pregnant woman wouldn't even crave that shit, right?

So ya know...it's true. Doritos just might be the ultimate munchy food item. And, why not, they're cheap, they're readily available (theres pro'lly a bag of 'em sitting in your cupboard right now) and well, they're purty fuckin' tasty.

Dangers abounds though. We can't begin to tell you the amount of times we've seen joints stained orange from Doritos fingers! That orange powder shit gets all over the fucking place, dude. And, it's fully bad ettiquate to lick your fingers before you hit a J, so it's got no other place to go that on the joint you are hittin'. But, maybe that's the point? Some stoners might actually prefer their joints Spicy or Cool Ranch flavored?

There are very few rights that we haven't begged this government to take away from us. But mostly, it was done because we were told those rights didn't belong to us anymore. And when we cowed, we didn't deserve them. Rights are taken. They are never given. Each of us has to fight for our rights in this life.

Funny thing about this fighting though, just standing up ain't enough. You've cowed down so long that you don't even believe you have a pair of balls left anymore. You pay the protection money, oops, I meant Income Tax, because you are afraid of breaking the rules set upon you by your masters. You allow random unreasonable search and seizures of your bodily fluids because you are a pussy. You bitch and moan about the government, but when some shadow of a voice of authority tells you something, you turn into a little mouse.  And did you remember to ask permission to carry a gun permit? Or accept that a felony conviction (in which you've supposedly been released after ensuring the safety of the community through some sort of rehabilitation) means that you are banned from voting for life? Or a countless number of other random acts of wussiness. This description fits almost everyone who calls themselves a "free american". And it used to be me as well.

But there isn't any one person to blame. Except yourself. You believe that you must follow the rules of the ruling organized crime cartel or you are unpatriotic. Personally, I think if you follow their rules, then you are a traiter to the Constitution. There is almost nothing remotely resembling the spirit of it, or the Declaration of Independence anymore. It died a long time ago in this country.

We have been spoon-fed lies our entire lives, often by people who believed those lies as truth. Lies  that leave us to believe we have no choice about current events. Lies that tell us we have no power as individuals, or even groups. Lies that tell us we must accept what liberties this government will grant us. As if any government will grant liberty. That is something that must be earned.

Truth is, americans don't want freedom anymore. It's too hard to be responsible for yourself. It asks too much to have us question authority. We'd rather  spend our time in front of the boob tube and watch some "news" story about how some celebrity is mis-behaving. Or how about those Packers?

And if we read? How many of us ever question the stories in print? Or what doesn't make the paper? There is a scarcity of space in a newspaper, aren't there more important topics than Britney Spears? But you don't want to know what's really going on do you? That would be too scary. Best let the government worry about that.

Of course our government has worried about it well enough to create a whole army of things for you to be afraid of. Hell, the FDA alone has probably killed more americans than Al Qaida ever will. Maybe we should put the FDA in charge of getting Osaama bin ladin.  Like he ever masterminded 9/11. Our administrations actions regarding that day, in every single instance, has been to hide the truth about that day. Like the convenient training op at the same time for that exact scenario. A scenario Bush said we could never have expected, but were training for at the same time the attack occurred. Just like in London later on.

But we accept all they tell us. That we have no power. That they have all the power. That we need this government. And as long as we are a nation of sheep, we at least deserve it. Freedom isn't for the fearful. It is for those who accept no authority over another on this world. It is not for americans.

Rev. Jim Lunsford

First Cannabist Church

Just as your love is a gift, so is your anger.

As days darken, generators work longer hours here in the hills.  Whether these machines create power for homes or indoor marijuana grow scenes, the motor oil used to lubricate them needs to be treated as a hazardous waste. Much of the oil ends up in our soil and our water.  An informativel article written by Carlos Chavez in the April edition of the Times Standard describes the extent of the problem

Evergreenoil.com states that in California alone, about 20 million gallons of used motor oil are annually disposed of in an “unknown manner”.  ...The [Dept. of Fish and Game] website states that one gallon of used motor oil dumped in a million gallons of water will kill half of all exposed Dungeness crab larvae, among other things. When motor oil ends up on land, it reduces the soils ability to support life and will eventually migrate to our waterways.

Here is a wonderful site that contains a comprehensive listing of places here in Humboldt County to recycle or to dispose of used motor oil. Call before you bring in more than 20 gallons because some sites have a limited capacity.

To transport the oil, put it in a sealed container without mixing it with any other fluids. FREE containers can be obtained in several locations.  Call 268-2225 for more information.

Here, in an earlier post, are some other important steps that can be taken to diminish the impact of diesel generators on the environment.

One of the reasons I started this blog was because I had a hard time finding Green related music that wasn't incredibly old, Rap, or Reggae. But I have to admit, no Green list is complete without them. One of the few Reggae songs that I do have is "Rise and Shine" by a German band named Seeed. It's hard to find to many of their songs in English but I did! This song features Cee-lo formerly of The Goodie Mob and currently of Gnarls Barkley.

Seeed Feat. Cee-lo "Rise and Shine"

A deputy spotted the vehicle, found marijuana in the car and arrested its occupant, 27-year-old Shawn Alexander Pannullo.

Pannullo was charged with possession of cannabis and posted $500 bail. It was unclear if he had an attorney.

A sheriff's report did not say what the suspect ordered at McDonald's or if he ultimately purchased the meal using something other than marijuana.

Redemption, Culpable County, Mass. A dying woman’s last words struck an uncomfortable chord in the remaining members of the administration of Redemption College last evening, when it became clear that through their negligence, an entire segment of the administration had been wiped out in a freak fungal epidemic. Evidently, the first victim was Mabel Smith, the archivist whose scribbled words echoed so eerily through the empty halls of Perdition Hall, the administration building that was temporarily housing the archives in its basement. Hired last year to “you know, set up some archives shit,” Smith was appalled, “but not surprised,” she had added sorrowfully, to find the College’s most important documents shoved into the darkest, dampest corner of the dreariest, dankest building’s deepest, dustiest basement. And this was where a student found her nearly mummified body last night. It is suspected she has been dead for weeks.

Reed Bookman, a freshman at Redemption College, was “like, looking for a toilet on this godforsaken campus, or whatever sounds like I’m not lying,” and lost his way in Perdition Hall. When he found himself in the bowels of the building, he panicked and tried to escape, and it was then that he tripped over Ms. Smith’s inert body, next to which the authorities found her scribbled message from beyond the grave. It is unclear whether she meant to save her colleagues or the college archives, as it is also unclear whether the remnants of countless marijuana joints were hers or Mr. Bookman’s, although he has since been put on academic leave, ostensibly for having experienced the trauma of finding the long-dead archivist. The smoking of marijuana in a college archives is generally discouraged, although Mr. Bookman has reportedly stated that “presidential papers are by far the highest quality paper,” and it is assumed he does not mean for bedtime reading material.

In a statement earlier this year, Smith had denounced the College’s administration for, as she said, “the negligent death of thousands of irreplaceable records, not to mention the destruction of both this institution’s original legislative charter, and its soul.” At the time, it was unclear whether anything could be saved, due to extensive water damage, mold, and neglect, an impossible and time-consuming job, which is perhaps why nobody seems to know when Smith was last seen alive. The sudden outbreak of the fatal fungal malady last week made the front page of the Culpable County Times, however, when FEMA was called in to try to contain the spread of the deadliest fungal infection since the summer of ’69. The death toll thus far from what locals have dubbed the Epidemic Archives Disorder is 8. Among the dead are various student workers, two vice presidents, the local feral cat (Madge), the aforementioned Smith, and the Dean of Academic College Shit. Had Smith been found earlier, it is possible this disaster could have been avoided.

The President of Redemption College has mourned her decision to house the Archives at Redemption Hall. “If only we had known, we would have put those damnfool papers in the library, or perhaps the Anthropology Department, thereby making it unnecessary for us to fire the long-standing, tenured wackos in both those departments. It sucks that my right-hand man, the DACS, should have to make The Ultimate Sacrifice just because his office happened to be above that archives shit. Thank God I was away at useless academic conferences all month, or I’d be number 9!”

Culpable County’s medical commissioner was equally disconsolate as he told the CCT, “Why, oh, why? Why couldn’t she just leave well enough alone and realize we don’t need this archives shit, that the only possible outcome is the swift and vengeful sword of population control? If she hadn’t opened that acidic Pandora’s box of rotting, stagnant files, none of this would have happened and Culpable County would still be the next-to-last most populated county in Mass. Now, with her and that freak fungal outbreak, we are officially the least populated County in Mass. The least she could have done was send someone a text message with her last words instead of scribbling them on the floor like some medieval heretic, and being directly responsible for this mess. Doggone it, archivists and EAD suck.”

He and tens of other residents of the greater Redemption area have chartered an organization called Never Archives, Redemption Arise, which prides itself on spreading awareness of the evils of archives and mold and propagating stories that involve Death by Archival Fungus. This founding charter is being ceremonially burned at next week’s meeting, an attempt to “get the message across that important papers should be destroyed before they infest the population with EAD or shit like that.”

The Mayor of Redemption originally disagreed, stating that if only the College had realized decades ago how important records are, then EAD never would have developed. The unpopularity of this sentiment caused him to revise his statement in light of the upcoming election, however, and he is now a card-carrying member of NARA.

The president of the American Archivists Society of America has issued a statement mourning the lost records and Smith. “When I think of all those innocent records so callously destroyed in their prime, I want to call down the wrath of Jenks and Schelly on the heads of those culpable. And poor old Mabel. She was valiantly doing her job in the face of unknown freak medical threats to her person. Yet another one bites the proverbial archival dust!” he choked out. “It has almost been unanimously decided to name a roundtable discussion after her at the next AASA mid-winter meeting that occurs East of the Mississippi and North of the Mason-Dixon Line. She would have wanted it that way,” he added, before dissolving into tears.

E si, lo hanno detto in tanti, la memoria e' un ingranaggio collettivo.
Che va lubrificato, animato, fatto girare.

Aldo Bianzino è stato arrestato il 12 ottobre 2008 e condotto nel carcere Capanne di Perugia
La mattina del 14 è stato trovato morto nella cella in cui era stato rinchiuso.
E' passato un anno dalla morte "misteriosa" di Aldo.
Un anno di solidarietà concreta, di appelli, presidi, volantinaggi, iniziative di informazione, dibattiti , concerti di sostegno, a Perugia e nel resto d'Italia.
Ma anche un anno di inchieste, insabbiamenti, reticenze, richieste di archiviazione.
C'e' chi vuole dimenticare e chi si ostina a reclamare la verità.
Per questo riprendiamo un percoso di mobilitazione, consapevoli che ora più che mai è necessario fare sentire la nostra voce, perchè la morte di Aldo non passi sotto silenzio:  

Martedi 14 ottobre 2008 ore 11, presso la sala della Vaccara a Perugia: Conferenza Stampa dei familiari di Bianzino e del Comitato "Verità per Aldo".

Venerdi 17 ottobre ore 10, via XIV settembre (Palazzina ex enel): presidio e volantinaggio presso il tribunale dove si trova l'aula del gup, in cui si svolgerà la prima udienza di opposizione all'archiviazione.

Sabato 18 ottobre presso il Centro Sociale ExMattatoio: concerto benefit ore 22

Perchè di carcere non si può morire!
Perchè in carcere per qualche pianta d'erba non si deve finire!

Comitato verità per Aldo http://veritaperaldo.noblogs.org

ODIO IL CARCERE!

So here's to common ground even in the face of uncommon bullshit. Some CEOs, and their countercultural counterparts.

To begin, publishing mogul and occasional presidential candidate Steve Forbes and persnickety stoner Tommy Chong.

First thing's first: Pot should be legal. Second: Steve Forbes blows. He spent years fighting for a flat tax that would save him a fortune, and actually won two states in the '96 Republican primary -- not to mention signing the last great piece of 2nd-Reich ephemera. And Tommy Chong? He went to jail for selling bongs over the internet. Justice is blind, and those glasses are confusing as hell.

Billionaire fink Bill Gates and outré designer, and proliferator of the Beat aesthetic, Yves Saint Laurent. Bill's the PC, obviously.

It's harder to complain about Bill, but not that much harder. Steve Forbes has been our most active advocate for systemically punishing the poor, and all Bill Gates did was play Halo. But he also made, uh, 60 billion dollars. And if he'd given that money to people who needed it he wouldn't have had to share Time's person of the year with Melinda and Bono.

As for Yves, just check out what xenophobic, market-driven militarism (and, in this case, Wikipedia) is good for:

"Saint Laurent lasted twenty days in the military before the stress of hazing by fellow soldiers led him to be sent to a military hospital, where he received the news that he had been fired by Dior. This merely added fuel to the fire, and he ended up in Val-de-Grâce, a sadistic French mental hospital, where he was given large doses of sedatives and other psychoactive drugs and subjected to electroshock therapy. Saint Laurent himself traced the history of both his mental problems and his drug addictions to this time in hospital."

Le yikes.

And, finally, a couple of brothas whose ghoulish similarities are truly unnerving:

Treasury Secretary, and former CEO of Goldman Sachs, Henry Paulson and polarizing academic bottom feeder, and -- if you insist -- ignoble savage, Ward Churchill.

Fine. Their glasses aren't identical (don't they really look like twins, though?!), but those squatty, wiry specs signify the same thing: these guys are old. They aren't fashionable, and they aren't as charming as some of the other Joe Sixpacks on our list, but you better believe they see exactly what they want.

One was a smooth-as-ice CEO, unaware of the little guy and lighting his stogies with, like, billion dollar bills. The other was a total bad ass, decrying manifest destiny and, maybe, plagiarizing his dissertation. One struck gold, working for the Vietnam-era Pentagon and heading a corporate giant -- members of whose staff were convicted for insider trading while he was CEO -- where he spent his tenure lobbying for less government regulation. He got to be secretary of the treasury. The other quoted Malcolm X and ate a little Peyote, and has been getting death threats ever since. Radical.

They both took the low road to banality, with astoundingly unpopular last stands. Paulson gave up on capitalism (and the world breathed a great sigh of relief), but not on greed. And Churchill was all like, "what goes around comes around, fuckkkkkkassss!" (and the world breathed a great sigh of relief), but forgot to include himself in that little equation. His political theatrics came around, and people got pissed.

Still, between an old burnout who looks like Susan Sontag and the treasury secretary with $700 billion, one seems to have come out on top... BUT: if you asked which of them was more destructive, which negatively affected your life and, conversely, which was basically harmless, you might be surprised. And if you asked yourself which will be played by Jeffrey Tambor in the movie of this blog, you're going to just die!!

So there you have it (cheers, too, to Paul Krugman for winning the Nobel Prize), three stone cold emissaries of corporate greed and three old dudes who just gotta ask about three old things: What IS so funny about peace, love, and understanding?

For example, some of you may know that I believe in and exercise the right to smoke ganja, despite whatever legal reprocussions I've encountered in the past. Publishing my use of weed as a creative tool or herbal medicine is something I would like to do, but feel apprehensive about for a few reasons. The first being that it is illegal. The second being that my family may be reading my book, and the last is it's not exactly information I disclose readily or immediately upon introducing myself.
My argument for it is that it really kind of is just part of who I am and how I choose to enhance my physical and analytical senses. It allows me to lose myself into my surroundings and become more aware of its contents.

http://www.marijuana-uses.com/essays/015.html

We’re told that drug war is a moral imperative because, in the words of Walters himself, "dangerous drugs damage [children's] lives and limit their futures."  But like most temperance zealots, Walters measures success not by actual lives wrecked or ended prematurely, but merely by how many people are and aren’t getting high.

Switching from the "drugs ruin lives" justification for the drug war itself to "how many people are getting high" when measuring the same drug war’s effectiveness, then, hides a more important statistic:  How many people have had their lives ruined and futures limited by the drug war?  The vast majority of the 873,000 people arrested for marijuana offenses last year, for example, likely had more damage done to their lives by the prohibition of marijuana than could ever be done by the drug itself.

Such is why drug warriors like William Bennett, Karen Tandy, and Walters can assert with a straight face that alcohol prohibition was, also, a "success." Sure, the crime rate spiked, alcohol hospitalizations soared, and corruption and contempt for the rule of law was rampant.  But fewer people swallowed down less demon rum.  So, score one for social engineering.

Sure, deaths from drug overdose have jumped 70 percent, and more than doubled among young people.  But fewer people are smoking pot.  And that means we’re winning.

As they say, if you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes true. Bennett, Tandy and Walters are proof of that.

But surely then, if you repeat a truth enough times, as Radley, I and so many other try to do, it should make people listen as well? Isn't that the least that fairness owes us?

First off, sorry to the people that don't get Columbus Day off. That sucks! I hope this song makes your day better. To the people that did get the day off, I still hope this song makes you day better. Today's song is "Televators" by The Mars Volta. I first heard Mars Volta several years ago but didn't really like them. I guess since I smoke now, I'm more open to new stuff. So here's the song and try to make the best out of the day!

Mars Volta "Televators"

Soffrite di una patologia che potrebbe contemplare l'uso di marijuana a scopo medico? Per quanto possa essere utile, potrebbe esserci una nuova ragione per pensarci bene prima di utilizzare questa sostanza. Benché oggi in dodici stati americani l'utilizzo della marijuana a scopo medico sia permesso, di recente è stato rifiutato un trapianto di organi a pazienti che in passato avevano fatto uso di marijuana, anche se di fatto la sua assunzione a scopo curativo era stata legalmente ottenuta e approvata.

Timothy Garan, un musicista di 56 anni, è stato cancellato da una lista di attesa per il trapianto di organi a causa del suo uso e dipendenza dalla marijuana e di altre sue condizioni mediche. Alcuni infatti ritengono che l'utilizzo di marijuana possa impedire il buon esito di un trapianto. La sostanza era stata prescritta al paziente dal medico di famiglia, come antidolorifico, coadiuvante per la carenza di appetito e per combattere l'insonnia. Il signor Garan soffre di epatite C, una malattia che  porta alla distruzione del fegato del paziente e purtroppo non esistono garanzie che un nuovo fegato trapiantato non possa essere nuovamente attaccato dall'epatite.

Gli standard utilizzati dalla commissione per i trapianti che determinano la tipologia dei pazienti da inserire nelle liste di attesa sono estremamente elevati. Ad esempio si tiene conto del fatto che il paziente abbia fatto uso di alcol o droga, oltre a tutta una serie di altri fattori, oltre allo stato generale di salute della persona. Il consumo di alcol ad esempio, è considerato uno dei principali responsabili dei problemi del fegato, mentre il consumo di droga può potenzialmente impedire il recupero del paziente al quale è stato effettuato il trapianto dell'organo.

Nella scelta del destinatario di un trapianto la commissione ospedaliera responsabile si trova dunque a dover prendere in considerazione la situazione generale del paziente e nel caso specifico di Timothy Garan, non è stato considerato solo il fatto che il paziente fosse diventato sempre più dipendente dalla droga, ma anche le sue condizioni di salute.
La combinazione di questi due elementi e il suo fegato malato, hanno diminuito drasticamente per il signor Garan le possibilità di successo di un intervento chirurgico.

Il Sistema Nazionale dei trapianti viene gestito dal United Network for Organ Sharing, che lascia ai singoli ospedali la determinazione dei parametri per la scelta dei candidati ai trapianti. Poiché la marijuana è stata ad oggi legalizzata per scopi medici in dodici stati, ma continua ad essere considerata illegale dalla legge federale, le commissioni ospedaliere si trovano davanti un altro ostacolo nella determinazione degli standard relativi al sistema di donazione degli organi. Esse infatti devono stabilire dei parametri che riguardano la situazione di un paziente che ha fatto uso di marijuana regolarmente prescritta da un dottore che diventerà comunque un elemento negativo quando si troveranno a scegliere il paziente per l'operazione di trapianto.

Il destinatario di un trapianto normalmente deve assumere dei farmaci che blocchino il suo sistema immunitario al fine di prevenire possibili infezioni. Sembra che la marijuana danneggi il sistema immunitario e aumenti le probabilità di sviluppare infezioni, una delle cause principali di morte nei pazienti che hanno subito un trapianto di organo.
Nei pazienti affetti da un cattivo funzionamento del fegato, la marijuana può stazionare nel corpo per molto tempo senza essere eliminata. Il fegato infatti è un vero e proprio filtro e quando non funziona come dovrebbe può far sì che le sostanze non vengano eliminate.
La marijuana è una droga naturale con molti effetti collaterali quali ad esempio insonnia, e carenza di memoria e proprio perché viene realizzata con sostanze naturali può contenere germi quali l'aspergillosi, un fungo che può provocare la polmonite.

Si sono verificati casi in cui una commissione ospedaliera responsabile della donazione di organi ha rifiutato delle richieste perché il paziente aveva fatto un forte uso di marijuana senza però verificare le ragioni del consumo eccessivo della sostanza. Altri ospedali invece richiedono al paziente di trascorrere un periodo di sei mesi senza utilizzare alcuna droga e in seguito lo inseriscono nella lista di attesa dei trapianti. Ad oggi ci sono circa 98.000 pazienti in lista di attesa per un trapianto e solo 6.000 all'anno riescono a riceverlo.

Gli ospedali ritengono che se si utilizza una droga, anche se la marijuana è una delle droghe che dà meno assuefazione per chi la consuma, può diventare difficile per il paziente smettere di usarla dopo l'intervento chirurgico per il trapianto. L'uso di marijuana dopo un trapianto può danneggiare il nuovo organo e le modalità di reazione del corpo del paziente al trapianto.

Possiamo immaginare quanto sia difficile per un paziente che necessita di un trapianto vedersi rifiutare l'inserimento nella lista di attesa a causa del suo recente o passato uso di droghe e per questo motivo le commissioni ospedaliere hanno un compito durissimo e pesante nel considerare ogni più piccolo particolare per la scelta del paziente adatto.

Fonte: Health news

Pare che l'uso delle droghe stia purtroppo dilagando trai i giovani. I dati sono allarmanti e ancora più preoccupante è il fatto che l'età di chi inizia a fare uso di droghe (non solo cannabis) è sempre più bassa; già a 12 anni è possibile avere un primo approccio con cocaina e altre droghe pesanti.

Una recente inchiesta de laRepubblica ha messo in risalto questo preoccupante scenario a Roma, ma la situazione è molto simile in tutte le grandi città italiane e non solo. I genitori sentendo nei TG e leggendo sui giornali certe notizie sono sempre più allarmati e preoccupati per i proprio figli.

A Roma, padri e madri sono corsi ai ripari trasformandosi in detective.  Gli viene in aiuto un laboratorio di analisi in cui  basta portare un capello o del materiale organico dei figli per smascherare i ragazzi che fanno uso di droghe.

I risultati che escono da questo laboratorio sono sconcertanti. Oltre al dato che ci si potrebbe aspettare sull'uso di marijuana (è nota la larga diffusione che questa droga ha tra i più giovani), il 60% degli adolescenti su cui è stata fatta l'analisi negli ultimi 6 mesi (i più giovani hanno appena 13 anni, il più grande 17) è risultato positivo al test della cocaina; poi spicca l'uso di anfetamine, ecstasy, LSD, ketamine e altre droghe.

Il campione non è certo rappresentativo dell'universo giovanile romano e men che meno italiano,  ma il dato è sicuramente degno di nota. Così, sono sempre più i genitori che "rubano" nel sonno un capello ai lori figli per portarlo ad analizzare (bastano anche le magliette sudate usate per le partite di calcetto o lo spazzolino da denti oppure ancora la gomma da masticare).

Le testimonianze dei giovani sono agghiaccianti: "Con la coca ho iniziato a 13 anni nei bagni della scuola, dice un ragazzo. E´ stato per superare la vergogna di essere deriso dalla prof. e dalla classe che ho fatto il primo tiro della mia vita. La cocaina - continua il giovane - ormai la trovi dappertutto: in centro, in periferia, nei locali, per strada, dove vuoi".

Per i genitori scoprire che il figlio fa uso di droghe pesanti è frustrante: "Ho capito che mia figlia assumeva cocaina solo dopo un anno che ne faceva uso, dice una mamma. Lo so, sono una mamma da condannare per questo, ma le assicuro che rendersi conto e accettare che la propria bambina tira cocaina è difficilissimo". La donna racconta poi che quando la figlia è stata messa di fronte all'evidenza ha risposto con naturalezza che tirare cocaina è oggi di moda: "Mamma, lo fanno tutti, perché io no!?".

Ecco la testimonianza di uno dei giovani spacciatori più noti dei licei romani: "Ho iniziato a spacciare quando avevo dodici anni. Ora ne ho 14 e, non per vanto, ma sono uno dei più richiesti tra i liceali della capitale. Perché ho roba buona, non vendo schifezze. Con la coca che ho io, nessuno s´è mai sentito male con me. Garantito".

Tra i ragazzi, dunque, di droga ne gira parecchia. Sia nelle strade delle periferie e dei quartieri degradati che nei cosiddetti "quartieri alti". A fare uso di droghe sono i ragazzini che vanno a scuola, che incontriamo per strada, i meno sospettabili...

Insomma, non si può e non si deve generalizzare, ma una piccola riflessione su questi dati e su queste testimonianze è d'obbligo. Addirittura, dicono gli esperti, l'uso della cocaina si è talmente diffuso che anche il suo valore commerciale si è abbassato: pare che una dose si trovi anche a meno di 30 euro!!!

E' ovvio che non si risolve il problema con la solita accusa nei confronti dei giovani che non hanno valori e che non sono più come quelli di una volta; il problema è molto più complesso.

Ci sono tantissimi ragazzini che sono assolutamente convinti che la droga è la rovina e che fa male; mai avvicinerebbero le narici a una pista di cocaina. E' anche vero però che i giovani adolescenti di oggi vengono sollecitati dalla televisione e dalla pubblicità in continuazione e che quindi il loro stile di vita è orientato all'estetica e all'edonismo.

Il mondo che gli ruota intorno sembra dirgli che possono avere tutto e subito,  così per loro è facile cercare il piacere in ogni attimo della loro vita. I più inconsapevoli esigono per questo una soddisfazione perenne e le  attese fasulle con le frustrazioni che ne seguono possono indurre facilmente a pensare che la cocaina è un buon rimedio a tutto.

Credo che sia una questione di consapevolezza. Internet è uno strumento importante nelle mani dei giovani: informazioni, scambi di idee, reti sociali, ecc. sono un utile arma contro quella noia, quella frustrazione dell'essere giovani in questa società e quella voglia di trasgredire che spesso (i dati lo dimostrano) portano a effettuare scelte non proprio corrette. Sapere a cosa si va in contro se si assume droga e essere coscienti che con la coca ci si fa solo del male è l'arma più potente.

Bisogna essere il più possibile consapevoli di quello che si fa e per questo non servono slogan pubblicitari e modelli fasulli, ma corrette informazioni e confronti costruttivi.

Che ne pensate? ;-)

So browsing the web earlier tonight I came across a cool website that allows you to create your own shirt company and sell them online. The site is: www.spreadshirt.com, and its free to signup...Definitely a cool web 2.0 business . You may have also heard of threadless.com, a cool new site that allows users to create there own designs for t-shirts and then have them sold for a month if selected.

Anyhow, 2 Cool sites to check out when you have a chance. But check out the site I came across on spreadshirt...headyteddy.spreadshirt.com, The store showcases custom made marijuana hooded sweatshirts, some tie-dye t-shirts, and other random t-shirt designs. Maybe theres someone out there who wants to buy niche items such as the ones heres.... what do you think?

I've studied ethics from varying courses including religious-based concepts for years now. While I wouldn't neccessarily call myself an expert there is no shortage of faults for all of them. From Singer's utilitarianism to Naturalistic Ethics, hedonism to eudamonia, all of them suffer from a plague- over complication. I personally feel that its a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth; in this case the cooks are rules or principles and the broth is a way in which to live. Furthermore, the demands they set upon the average joe are often ludicrous- it is simply unrealistic to ask anything more from a person than what they want and what they perceive. In fact, it is one of my own tenets of libertarianism that we question any situation without basis of obligation.

Getting back to it, libertarianism works well for me. There's a healthy dose of Satreism involved, with how one makes his own values through the world but if we are going to apply it to real world events then I guess I should use a real world political stance like libertarianism.

How to approach practically anything

To begin with, I would like to first make some assumptions based upon anyone who wants to be libertarianist:

- you believe that a clear cut definition of good/evil is a retarded way of looking at the world.

- you believe that you are vulnerable to error.

- you're not going to throw in some spiritual reasons ad hoc and expect other people to adhere to them.

Ok now they we got that out of the way I hypothesise that you should ask yourself some questions whenever an ethical standpoint wants to be addressed. The questions intermingle at times, but that's a good thing as I'll explain later.

Question 1: what right do I have to tell another person what to do?

Consider your personal obligation and your personal justification for a protest or whatever action. If you think you should kill another, what gives you the right to kill? Again, involving any spiritual justification is illogical and plain idiotic, so remove yourself from that. If you feel you have legitimate involvement in other people's decision making. If its a decision that you are making, consider what rights or lack of rights you have to that situation.

Question 2: Do you fully appreciate the positions within the debate?

Do you believe you can accurately and fully comprehend what people are talking about when they mount a particular position? Can you personally think that, from another person's position, that their argument is valid and justified? If you can consider an alternative to your own, then consult question 1- what right do you have to tell another person, in another position, what to do?

Question 3: What impact does the debate have on me or my loved ones?

If the impact is considerable, then naturally you have a greater right to become involved. If it has less of an impact, you have less of a right and obligation. Buried in mind this is quite far reaching things like economy for example can have profound effects on you and your loved ones, even if it is indirect.

Question 4: Is the alternative better?

Is an alternative viewpoint a better idea for everyone involved? If you have a differing opinion, will that satiate opposers or simply make yourself better off? If the alternative to getting punched in the arm is being shot in the face, then obviously being punched in the arm is the best possible outcome.

Question 5: What does science say?

Science is not judge, it is a tool. If there is something that science has a say in, it should be noted and fully recognised as a valuable tool in your decision making.

Notice that I'm not making a plan of how these questions should be evaluated, or what your rights are. I too, personally do not have any right to say what rights are, beyond science so it would be hypocritical of me to tell you what is. By asking these questions to yourself you will have at least given yourself a better idea on how to approach things. I urge you to err on the side of freedom and personal choice.

Some examples: Marijuana legalization

Response to question 1:

what right does anyone have to say to anyone else whether they can smoke cannibis? Do I have a divine right in any way to stop or disallow someone else making that choice?

question 2: The positions within the debate are fairly obvious in this case. Proponents believe that it is a beneficial or entirely responsible herb, less dangerous than alcohol or tabacco. Those against stress that another drug is dangerous, and that it leads to a gateway effect. There is somewhat of a deadlock here, and politicians tend to side with the most votes.

question 3: The legalization of marijuana would have a positive effect on myself and loved ones. By doing so, myself and my loved ones recieve more options about how to live their lives which is as always invaluable. While their intoxication could cause difficulties, the response to question 5 should clear this up.

question 4: The alternative is non legalization. Marijuana will continue to be sold illegally but relatively obtainable for anyone who wants it. It can be cut with god-knows-what and has no regulations regarding its quality making it a more dangerous product. The alternative is not abysmal, but certainly worse than increasing freedoms.

question 5: this is where the debate has the most grounding. Scientifically, marijuana has been found to be not physically addictive, has next to no side effects beyond the absolute highest of doses over an extraordinarily long amount of time and is profoundly less harmful than alcohol and tabacco, putting it somewhere in the region of caffeine. There is no scientific or sociological reason (consider Netherlands' successful drug policy) to not legalize marijuana.

Here's a coming of age tale set in New York city circa 1994. The Wackness treads the line between drama, comedy and romance with a steady step and provides one of the sweetest feel-good films of the year.

Starring little known actor, Josh Peck as a dope dealing loner looking for companionship, this little gem has it all - a great soundtrack, a cute love story, mixtapes, teen angst, New York backdrops and of course a healthy serving of the illegal green weed.

...but the secret weapon is undoubtedly the great, masterful and forever reliable Ben Kingsley who plays a pot swilling psychiatrist slowly losing his sense of purpose. Damn, this guy is one of the greats, just look at the range of work he has done...from Ghandi to Sexy Beast, he has become Mr Reliable in modern movies. This is one of his best roles.

I say light up a big juicy spliff, sit back, relax and enjoy The Wackness, a great little sleeper.