(This one is to pep Andrew up, seeing as it is somewhat paranormal)

This is the kind of news to pep you up in the morning and to look at the future with some hope. Unfounded as this hope might be.

A Colorado man reports he was able to kick his drug habit after a photograph of him at a relative’s anniversary celebration showed literally a demon on his shoulder.

Joe Martinez told Fox 31 News in Denver that drugs were killing his soul. But he’s now on the road to recovery because of the photograph.

Now, Joe, the stories I can tell you about seeing things that will make your dog seem really tame in comparison: the spiders (multicolored), the lizards, the squishy and squiggly things that could not be even named… and not only on one’s shoulder – everywhere, my man, everywhere!

And the secret is: NEVER MIX YOUR DRINKS. Stick to the same stuff for the duration, and everything will be just peachy.

Your health!

SimplyJews

Like it or not there are some people who don’t handle addictive substances so well. Or rather they have addictive personalities that are prone to getting addictive to something. If you know or are related to someone in that sort of mess you need help fast. Substance Abuse Treatment is not something that is easy to handle in anyone whether old or young.

Sober College, a Southern California substance abuse center, provides care for those with severe alcohol and drug problems. Rehab is the cool thing to do for lots of celebrities, including HIM’s Val, these days, sometimes one has to wonder if they necessarily always need it. Below the glitz and glamour there are people with serious problem who need help; quality help at that.

Victoria Times Colonist:

Vancouver pot advocate Marc Emery and co-author Dana Larsen—who manages a Vancouver company that sells marijuana seeds by mail-order—have penned a pot-filled parody of the Harry Potter boy-wizard saga entitled, Hairy Pothead & The Marijuana Stone.

The book is set for release on Oct. 20 and follows the high-jinks of Hairy, “an ordinary boy—until he is rescued by a biker, gets a glass bong, rides the magic bus, lives in a Cannabis Castle, attends Hempwards School of Herbcraft and Weedery, learns to play Qannabbi, does battle with an evil policeman, and smokes tons of fine marijuana.”

According to the book’s website: “Hairy Pothead is a hilarious and subversive parody which will be enjoyed by anyone who gets a kick out of cannabis.”

Yeah, I went to the website, where you can read excerpts; and I think you will definitely require large—possibly fatally large—doses of ganja to find this lame ripoff funny. Let’s hope they get their asses sued off. Now that’s entertainment.

Over to you, Ms. Rowling.

the blog québécois

There are quite a few of you that read this site that might find yourself in LA some time or other, as we all do. Well in LA you have to pretty much drive everywhere because public transport is non-existent. If you happen to make the mistake of getting busted for DUI in LA then you might want a good attorney. Top 5% U.S. Law Firm – Criminal & DUI Attorneys might be something to know about before you go. You want someone good and local when you are in trouble with the law whether guilty or not. Consultations are available 24/7 and they are, of course, confidential.

This blog has discussed issues of drugs many times, we even have a catagory for such discussion. Yesterday I emailed a politics program, having a discussion, supporting the legalisation of cannabis for several reasons. The main one being that currently those who distribute it, ie criminals want people to move on to higher more lucrative drugs and its not a good idea to have people with mixing them for a wee bit of weed. Legalise, regulate and tax the hell out of it.

Now there are some people who get addicted to things whether it be drugs or booze or even food. There is a service that helps those who have gotten themselves addicted to drugs that is completely free. Its a service which helps people find the drug rehab that is right for them to give them the help they so desperately need. The service directs them to the proper resources to help them with their addiction. A noble endeavour to be sure. This post is sponsored.

Who gives a shit really? I mean the Daily Mail going after him for this will probably help not hurt him. Cameron alas is doing the daft thing and refusing to comment does he not realise that is he said yeah that was me they would go away as it won’t be a story anymore? If the story has legs they will probably delve into what he was up to at Oxford. There are people reading this blog who probably know more than I about that….maybe even some of them were there when it went on.

Althought he saying to Sky News…”you can stick a camera up my nose” was a bit odd.

The new Tory logo?

If you have or know of an adolescent with drugs or other behavioral problems then one has to recommend you take a look at EchoMalibu a excellent program that aims to cure your young adult’s ills. The organisation gives the following guarantee on the front of its site which are pretty heady words.

ECHO MALIBU is dedicated to providing youth with chemical dependency, dual diagnosis/co-occurring disorders, and/or behavioral problems with the highest quality of professional care available.

The program offers 24 hour/7 day a week care and support for parents with problemed teenagers. The site is clean and clear that is easy to navigate through. As those who seek this sort of treatment will probably rather upset it goods to see that the site is no fuss and glitz. For those seeking information there is an extensive FAQ to tackle most of your questions.

So successful is the program that the Governator Arnold Swatzernegger has praised the program as well Senator Feinstein and other high officials in California. So the program is getting attention from people who really matter in California.

Now obviously we hope none of our fine readers are in a position to need their services but it is good to know there are programs like this around.

This post is sponsored by EchoMalibu.

And it is so easy to get in that state considering how much are administered when one suffers some sort of skeleton based break. There is a new method to break those unlucky sods who have become addicted to the powerful drugs from their illness. Its really hard to understand how someone becomes addicted to painkillers unless one has suffered serious pain of some sort like a major leg or arm break. Its called Meditox drug detox and it involves one visit to your doctor and avoids lengthy stays in rehab clinics away from friends & family. The drug detox system also works for people who are addicted to opiates.

If you have high cholesterol there is a new drug to help you with reducing cholesterol that does not require a prescription to acquire. You don’t have to worry about losing your money as the product has a 90 day money back guarantee. Go check it out and see if its for you.

Are you sitting down? Because I’ve just heard of this new disease, and man, it sounds bad:

Specifically, the Conference seeks to:

expand public awareness of the continued impact of and global response to HIV/AIDS

Who knew? Hang on, I think I’ve uncovered what they call a “vector”:

Safer sex. If you are sexually active while in Toronto, be sure to practice safer sex. Free condoms are available at the Health Clinic and in the PLWHA Lounge.

Safer drug use. If you use prescription or non-prescription injection drugs, always use new equipment (needles, filters, sterile water, stems for smoking crack, etc.) Free safer drug use equipment will be available at the The Harm Reduction Networking Zone in the Global Village or you can call The Works at Toronto Public Health 416 392-0520 for information on where else you can access free safer drug use supplies.

which would be—if you can’t keep it in your pants, let alone suppress your other appetites over a six-day, ostensibly scientific, meeting; then, maybe, just maybe it might be you are part of the problem.

the blog québécois

Dick Pound, the Canadian head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has a name that, shall we say, lends itself to some rather unfortunate connotations. Unfortunate, too, is the cover of his new book, listed on Amazon.

I guess it’s safe for work. But what were they thinking?

the blog québécois

Creating a drug scare. This is my personal favourite as it plays to rich snobs and the chattering classes alike:

is used chiefly by lower-class scum: you can frighten people about it by merely pointing in the general direction of said lower-class scum. (Hint: phrases like “poor man’s cocaine” come in handy here.)

Colby, like Steyn, has the ability to make a serious point and make you laugh at the same time. Sheer writing genius.

Milton Freedman (as well as 500 other economists) has come out in favour of cannabis legalisation. He says, quite rightly, that the money spent on persecuting pots smokers is a colossal waste of money. It also pleases me to see that he believes that all drugs should be legalised. He says:

“There is no logical basis for the prohibition of marijuana,” the economist says, ”$7.7 billion is a lot of money, but that is one of the lesser evils. Our failure to successfully enforce these laws is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in Colombia. I haven’t even included the harm to young people. It’s absolutely disgraceful to think of picking up a 22-year-old for smoking pot. More disgraceful is the denial of marijuana for medical purposes.”

These are all things that I have written about quite a bit. It would be nice to see pot legalised, freeing up police to go after people who really threaten the nation like terrorists. I have always had a great deal of respect for the man, and none more so than right now.

Crossposted on Liberty Cadre.

There must be a moral to this story from Anorak but I’m at a loss to work out what it is.

In the Telegraph, of all places. They are getting more and more sound by the day.

“The controversial marijuana law reform advertisement at issue in a recent federal lawsuit will be displayed tomorrow for the first time in the Union Station and Capitol South stops of the Washington D.C. Metro. After a legal battle between a coalition of drug policy reform groups and the federal government over a law that would have eliminated federal funding of transportation authorities that ran such ads, a federal district court ruled the law unconstitutional in June 2004. The government appealed from the district court’s decision to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on August 2. ‘We are pleased that the court’s ruling will allow the public to see this message, despite the efforts of the government to stifle our point of view,’ said Graham Boyd, director of the ACLU Drug Law Reform Project (previously known as the Drug Policy Litigation Project). The paid advertisement will run through the end of the month.” (08/31/04)

This bit of sanity comes via Rational Review.

“The Marijuana Policy Project announced [Tuesday] that it will sue the city of Minneapolis if its City Council votes to bar a medical marijuana initiative from the November ballot. ‘The reasons given by the Charter Commission and members of the council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee for keeping this proposal off the ballot are transparently phony,’ said Neal Levine, a former Minneapolis resident who now serves as director of state policies for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project. ‘We are fully prepared to go to court, and to spend whatever it takes to prevent the city’s voters from being disenfranchised.’ Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction turned in more than 12,000 signatures in support of the initiative charter amendment, under which Minneapolis would authorize medical marijuana distribution centers to serve patients using marijuana with their physician’s recommendation ‘to the extent permitted by state and federal law.’” (08/17/04)

More news. found via Rational Review, on the efforts of MPP to help those of us who could use a bit of cannabis to ease our pain.

A Washington, D.C., lobbying organization that played a major role in Vermont becoming the ninth state to adopt a medical marijuana law appears to be on a record-setting spending spree. The Medical Marijuana Policy Project on Monday declared that it spent nearly $218,000 during the first half of 2004. That amount approaches the highest known complete-year spending total in Vermont lobbying history. Lobbyists for the Policy Project were constant visitors to the Vermont State House this past winter. Their efforts bore fruit in May when the Legislature legalized the use and possession of marijuana by people suffering from AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Gov. James Douglas opposes the medical use of marijuana, but allowed the initiative to become law without his signature. ... ‘We understand it was a significant amount of money, but it was worth it,’ said Nancy Lynch, spokeswoman for the Policy Project’s Vermont office..” (07/27/04)

This bit of smoking news comes via Rational Review.

“In the 2000 campaign for president, George W. Bush said that the federal government should not interfere with the medical marijuana policies of the several states. Like so many other promises, he went back on his word and has closed down medical marijuana facilities permitted by state governments. This is an outrage. The federal government has no constitutional authority to interfere with state drug policies.” (07/07/04)

This from Rational Review.

“Let’s fantasize of an across-the-board legalization of marijuana by the federal government. Stop laughing and set aside all of the improbabilities of such fantasia for now. Our purpose is to examine the ramifications of legalizing a substance that, in the past century, has infected our federal masters with an arguably unprecedented messianic zeal and unslakeable thirst for moralistic discipline.” (06/29/04)

This bit of rational thought about cannabis comes from Rational Review.

“Colorado Republican Senate hopeful Pete Coors yesterday criticized the legal drinking age, chiding the federal government for coercing states into raising the age limit from 18 to 21. ‘We got along fine for years with the 18-year-old drinking age,’ the former CEO of the Coors Brewing Co. told an audience of about 200 people at a candidates’ debate [in Greenwood Village, CO]. ‘We’re criminalizing our young people.’ His remarks came in response to a question from his primary rival, former Rep. Bob Schaffer, at a Republican Senate breakfast forum sponsored by the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club.” (06/24/04)

This bit of sense comes via Rational Review. His namesake company may make rubbish beer, but at least he talks sense about the drinking age.

“It isn’t exactly the Untouchables v. Al Capone, but there is a legal battle raging over the availability of alcoholic beverages. Internet wine sales have grown substantially in recent years, offering consumers both lower prices and greater product choice. But not everyone is happy about point-and-click connoisseurs having wine shipped directly to their homes, especially the old-economy liquor wholesalers and distributors. These middlemen have prevailed upon many state governments to limit or completely outlaw this new form of competition. Fortunately, the tide is turning against e-prohibition.” (06/22/04)

Via: Rational Review.

“Choking back tears, Rhonda O’Donnell had to pause and regain her composure. ‘I’m a nurse,’ she said, unable to restrain her emotions. ‘I’m sorry,’ she continued, as she tried to stop crying. ‘I really miss my work.’ In October it will have been 10 years since O’Donnell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that slowly attacks the central nervous system and robs the body of muscle control. Faced with excruciating pain, especially in her legs, O’Donnell has tried various pharmaceutical interventions, even chemotherapy. But [she] has been busy researching a non-traditional form of treatment that she strongly advocates, traveling to the State House to testify on its medicinal value—marijuana.” (06/17/04)

Via: Rational Review

As if my praise of UKIP will not get me into enough trouble with my Tory mates, I have now been published by the Libertarian Alliance.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: A Libertarian View. Enjoy.

“Jack Cole is not the type of person you would expect to see at a rally to legalize pot. During his 26-year career with the New Jersey state police, Cole spent 12 years as an undercover narcotics officer. His investigations ran the gamut from street drug dealers to international drug trafficking organizations. Now retired, the Medford, Me., resident has taken a decidedly different stance on illegal drugs. Cole is a founding member and executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an international, drug-policy-reform organization consisting of current and former members of law enforcement.” (06/06/04)

This bit of sanity via Rational Review

“The Marijuana Party rolled out its election platform yesterday, hoping its 100 or so candidates can convince voters that it’s more than just a token party. The grassroots organization aims to field candidates in every region of Canada except Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories …. ‘We’re going to try to find out a little bit more about Sheila’s brownies,’ St-Maurice joked, referring to the prime minister’s comment at the end of last year that his wife once made strange-tasting brownies.” (06/02/04)

Bad pot puns thanks to Rational Review

“Government-sponsored anti-drug commercials backfire dramatically, provoking thoughts directly opposed to what the ads’ creators intend, according to new research findings presented Friday at the American Psychological Society’s annual convention in Chicago. The pilot study, part of an ongoing project, differs from prior research on the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in that it asked college student volunteers to give detailed descriptions of the thoughts provoked by the commercials. By nearly three-to-one, the thoughts reported by the students ran counter to the anti-drug messages contained in the ads, which are sponsored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.” (05/28/04)

This bit of common sense comes from Rational Review. The adverts are patronising, idiotic and just don’t ring true. Never mind the fact that they adverts make it clear what to do if you really want to rebel!

why don?t we do it in the road?

why don?t we do it in the road?

no one will be watching us
—the beatles

This webcam at Abbey Road Studios points at the crosswalk that the Beatles made famous.

Via Steel White Table

“There were no kisses, Hershey’s or otherwise, for a resolution to ban the sale and possession of candy in Brooklyn, which got chewed up and spat out like so much bubble gum last night. Gary Popkin, vice chair of the Brooklyn Republican Party, reacting to a wave of laws banning or restricting harmful products, offered a spoof resolution to ban sweets because ‘candy is more deleterious to the health of the residents of Kings County overall even than marijuana and cocaine, because of candy’s vastly more widespread use.’” (05/25/04)

Via: Rational Review

“What do you do when you sue U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and win? Fifty-one-year-old Valerie Corral, a sinewy 5-foot-tall great-granddaughter of Italian immigrants, throws back her head, laughing, her hands reaching to the clouds, hips wiggling, feet stomping. ‘It’s my happy dance!’ she says, throwing her arms around her husband, Mike. She has also planted an acre of marijuana. The decision that lets the crop remain is just one round in a long legal battle.” (05/23/04)

Isn’t it about time to ditch that loon yet? Bush might actually attract some of the libertarian-minded Republicans (and supporters) if he ditched Ashcroft. The man is a nutter and a mill-stone around Bush’s re-election hopes.

Via: Rational Review