15 December 2010

My case for legalization of marijuana

Let me start off by saying that:
1 - I do NOT smoke weed. PERIOD. I do NOT want to smoke weed. PERIOD.

2 - I do NOT believe that smoking weed makes you a better or worse person.

3 - I do NOT believe that weed makes you suseptible to every other drug on the planet.

4 - I do NOT believe weed makes you commit crimes or become violent but all people react differently so I will not say it is impossible, only highly improbable given my personal experiences with those that do partake.



With those caveats out of the way, let's get on with it.

I have long had issue with the federal government, and state governments, outlawing marijuana. There is no Constitutional basis for the outlawing of it, it was legal up into the 1920s so the change in societal ideas seems to coincide with Prohibition, which I take moral issue with. (If I chose not to do something, that's MY right. However I do NOT believe anyone has the right (nor does society at large) to force others to conform to my beliefs. Outside of a few tenants that are sacrosanct - murder, rape, torture, & generally forcing those who are helpless to protect themselves into doing something they don't want to do, society has no rights to enforce upon you or me or anyone a set of rules that must be followed without deviation.)

The fallacy of a federal government (or any government for that matter) that outlaws a growing plant does NOT escape me. It is a naturally growing, perfectly normal, plant. What a HUMAN does with it after harvesting it should NOT make the plant illegal. Plain & simple common sense dictates that man writing a law on paper holds no sway in the kingdom of Flora & Fauna. This is an absolute. I can outlaw mosquitoes, doesn't mean they're going to go away or give a squirt that I outlawed them. Same for a non-sentient (to currently knowledge any way) plant. It is ludicrous for a man (or group of men) to make a law saying a plant can't grow or be grown. IT OCCURS WITHOUT THOUGHT TO MAN, thus your law against it is pointless & nothing more than political aggrandizement of wanton stupidity. My opinions on political wanton stupidity are for a different day.

The sheer money we spend to keep those who imbibe in the weed in prison every day is staggering & needless waste! The tax payer (you, me & every other honest American but apparently NOT Wesley Snipes - among others) pays for their food, their bed, their clothes, their medicine, their entertainment, their education, their subsidization with work, their physical protection & the creation of NEW prisons in which to keep them. WHAT do we get out of this? NOT A DAMN THING! They don't work on chain gangs so we get no sweat equity. They learn from more hardened criminals how to break the law & not get caught again so we get only hardened criminals coming out. We get the joy of jailhouse lawyers who's only purpose in learning the law is to thwart it or screw over the honest citizens amongst us, so we get ceremonially shit on by those who use as well. We get a backlog of court cases clogging an already busy system, thus preventing the vast majority of defendants to their speedy day in court. We lose countless man hours for police to attempt to catch & punish those who smoke a weed.

What is the difference between marijuana & tobacco? Honestly, on a molecular level to a moral level if you have something to say I welcome it. One would think molecularily they are very different, and while many do get a 'high' off of weed, it isn't a violent one, or a criminal one. It makes you stupid & hungry. Not at all what I would term as a threat to society or even to yourself.

The federal government, including military doctors, PRESCRIBE marijuana to patients with conditions that make them not eat. Be it cancer to adverse effects to other medications, it is prescribed by the employees of the very government that says it's illegal. That hypocrisy has never sat well with me. I'm all for giving a cancer patient something to help them eat, but to give them the very thing that they can't legally buy without cancer eating them alive from the inside out is disturbing to me on a deeply visceral level.

If we were to legalize weed in small quantities, much like they do in the Netherlands, for immediate use at a government sanctioned location/pot hut we would then be able to legally TAX it. The federal government is always moaning it doesn't have enough $$, but goes out of its way to hobble itself in the process.

Weed legalization would see an almost immediate decrease in the number of people in the criminal justice system. They wouldn't be arrested, freeing up Police time & supplies to combat ACTUAL criminals. They wouldn't be found guilty, thus producing yet another mouth for the societal teat to feed.

Weed legalization would allow Police $$ & time & personnel to be better spent tracking actual criminals instead of low end personal users. What I do in my own home is my own business, just as I feel what you do in your home is your business. Animals, children & elderly aside - if you're all consenting adults I don't care! Nor do I want or need to know about it unless I chose to partake in it with you.

Weed legalization would lead to a near to immediate reduction in prison inmates. No one arrested for minor use, means no minor users taking up space! That would DRASTICALLY lower the costs to pay for prisoners. From bedding & clothes to toilet paper to wipe their asses to food to fill their bellies to meds to quiet their aches & pains. From not having to buy the little turds a new XBox or Wii to less electricity because less facilities to lower construction costs, its a win win in my opinion. (Feel free to share yours in the comments, I really do like to hear & see different view points.)

So it would lead to an immediate decrease in prisoner numbers, prison costs, and court costs. It would lead to an immediate upswing in tax income as well.

Thus is my opinion & reasoning behind supporting the legalization of marijuana.

11 December 2010

Way to Go!

The Bull Islanders won their 1st Division AAA State Title today with a score of 23-17 against Richlands. Way to go Bulls!!

11 November 2010

Veteran's Day

To all my friends, family, and readers who are veterans, related to them, or support them - THANK YOU

I have been blessed to be raised around Marines, Navy, & Army troops. I am blessed to have met & married one of the most honorable, awesome men on the planet & lived an insane & priceless life with him. I have been enumerable blessed to meet & befriend so very many men & women in the military, my life would be severely lacking without you. I have been honored & blessed to meet just a few of our Allies but they are shining examples of the best mankind has to offer, deep & true friends. I have been blessed to meet (sometimes in person!) many of my blog readers who have served their nation & I am constantly ...

Humbled

Honored

Blessed

& so many more things by living this life.

The military people I know & love are wonderful examples of what an American is. They are from so many different walks of life, but they all personify the virtues that make this nation the greatest on the planet. Honor, dignity, responsibility, dedication & selflessness. You are heroes among men, even though none that I know would ever consider themselves a hero, nor would they toot their own horns. So as a wife, a grandchild, a niece, a friend, a loved one of so very many of them, I'll toot their horn for them.

THANK YOU to each and every one of the myriad military members I've had the great honor to know in my life. You have helped make me a better person, you've helped make my country a better place to raise my children, and you've helped make the world a better place for everyone. There are not words enough to convey the depth of my appreciation, or thanks but to each and every one of you, I owe a deep debt for all you've done & all you'll do.

Thank you!

09 November 2010

Thanksgiving football

It don't look good for the Horns. The Aggies are gonna cream 'em & they're going to deserve to fail with the outright crap ball they've been playin' lately. The Aggies have had their issues too but their last game was impressive! UT, I can not say the same thing for y'all.

I know more than one Aggie who will be enjoying the tromping of the Horns (& more than one Horns supporter shaking their head in upset but understanding). Tsk, tsk, tsk ... que sera sera...

06 November 2010

Roll back!

Remember to "Fall Back" tonight at 0200. Roll those clocks back an hour!

04 November 2010

AMC's The Walking Dead

Watched the first episode of The Walking Dead on AMC. OMG IT IS AWESOME!!!!!!

The full pilot is available on-line for FREE. Its an hour & a half long but SOOOOOO worth it.

Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!!

03 November 2010

Mid terms 2010

So I've been absent for a while but not gone, just not here.

Turned in before the election results were in for TX last night.

Perry was reelected - THAT SUCKS! We're stuck with the status quo for the next several years (I intensely dislike Rick Perry & his good ol' boy system). Expect more land grabs from poor farmers for the Trans-Texas Corridor (which I support the corridor, not the means its been used for) in favor of major contributors to his political coffers. Perry is NOT a servant of anyone but his own megalomania. I didn't support White either, they're both vipers in different suits is all...

Dist 23 in San Antonio - Ciro D. Rodriquez LOST. I'm very sorry for that. I don't always agree with him, but I can honestly say every time I've ever written to his office I get a response & I'm not talking some form letter. I mean an honest response explaining why he voted a certain way, or requesting more information or even a thanks for contacting him & agreeing with how he's voted. He's a good man & those are pretty damn rare to find in the political arena. I'm sorry to hear he lost. I've even gotten phone calls in Italy & here in VA on our Vonage line from his office. That's a hell of a public servant, a hell of a politician & he has my deepest respect & admiration for it. I hope his challenger, Francisco Canseco, can live up to that kind of a political servant. I see his defeat as a great loss to the people of Texas & he was a servant of all, not just a few.

That's about all I have to say on the TX elections.

As for the national ones, there's gonna be an awful lot of hand wringing in DC about how fickle the US voters are, how short sighted we are, how much messiah was doing good for people to stupid to know what's good for them. I'm hoping he gets his ass creamed come 2012 to drive the final nail through the coffin of his Obamacare & $800TRILLION deficits. I can always hope American voters remember how pissed they are now.

I hope the Republicans are smart enough to figure out this isn't support of them, but the election of the lesser of 2 evils. If not, 2012 will be a whole hell of a lot more interesting! This is repudiation of DC in general, not reinforcement of the 2 party system. It remains to be seen if those on the R side of the isle are smart enough to see it...

It seems that the Europeans are both trashing the Tea Party & embracing it depending on their ideologies. I hope they can use lessons from these elections to give power back to the people, that's where it ultimately belongs. I seem to be getting more & more jaded in my view of life & politics the older I get.

16 October 2010

New blog

I know, I know I never update this one, but I started a new blog - White Trash Crafts for all the goofy crafts I make. I'm shooting to upload one craft every week or two, with photos & instructions if anyone wants to try their own hand at making the goodies.

Oh, the White Trash part? Yea, that's a joke. Some uppity chick in Hampton called me White Trash when she couldn't win a verbal spat with my mom (that I had NOTHING to do with - wasn't even present for the spat).

11 May 2010

Status, status what's going on

Filled out my first Census form ever. Was NOT impressed at the available answers for genetic make-up. I'm not Caucasian, I do NOT have ties to Russia or even look like I'm from the Caucus mountains. I also despise the stupid "what kind of hispanic are you" question. Only hispanics get the full run down of options. Everyone else is pretty much lumped together. Also, since when are Middle Easterners WHITE? I've met many from different lands including Israel and they do NOT look white by any stretch of the color scale. So just to screw with them I marked all our genetic makeups & said we were "Texans" as our race. Just like what I put on my voter's registration card & my driver's license. When the government asks me stupid questions, I like to screw with them!

I'm starting the garden. Its a tiny bit late but I'm now on blood pressure meds so I have to limit my sun exposure. Considering last year's cold weather I *should* get about 2 harvest of most veggies and fruits in before the frost comes.

I'm working on starting a frog pond - again taking longer than I'd like due to sun sensitivity issues - as that is the last thing I need to do to set up our back yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Fund. I already know I get squirrels, rabbits, & several different kinds of birds. I've put up bat houses but so far no takers. I'm hoping to teach the kiddos about some of the world around them a bit more up close this summer.

We've got a new family member. Dottie is part chocolate lab, part whippet. She's only 35lbs but a wonderful dog. She likes her 2 mile morning walks and I'll be honest, I can use the exercise. The cat and she get along okay. I won't say they're fast friends yet but they'll secretly sleep on the couch together as long as no whoomans are watching them.


I've got some baby Robins under the back patio! They're ugly little things, really only a mother could love them they're that ... just homely little creatures. However I found them on Mother's Day so I guess I love them too.



So everything is moving along here in VA. I'm hoping everything is going well in cyberspace. Oh! Don't forget that Her Majesty, the QOAE has returned!

12 April 2010

Comments & Overlords

So I keep getting spam comments that I can't delete. So I've had to add comment captcha words again. I hate the stupid things but as Google is too busy telling those nasty little Chinese who want to know what's going on in the world that their wonderful, loving, all powerful murderous government doesn't want them to know things, it seems they've broken the coding for Blogger in the process. I can't delete crap comments & the stupid Blogger thing at the top of the screen isn't keeping me logged in but is recognizing I'm logged in as soon as I reclick "Sign In". For the foreseable future the words will remain on. Sorry.

We went to DC for 3 days at the end of last week. It was enjoyable, but expensive & we went dirt cheap. Couldn't get lodging because everyone was booked & for some weird reason Andrews AFB has NO TLF until May when they move into new digs for the billeting office. But, that's okay. We still got there & we'll be going back.

The Metro worked really well minus the Red line fire at Metro center on Friday. The trains were actually pretty clean, & not too terribly crowded (minus said fire & line disruption). We didn't make it to the National Zoo - too cold! but we did spend a whole day at the Air & Space museum & then the American History museum. Thursday we spent at the Mall. Saw all the monuments (didn't go in the Washington one, but saw it) & visited the Vietnam & Korea memorials. Got to say "thank you" to 2 gentlemen who fought in the Pacific in WWII at their memorial. They were both very young men when they helped liberate Asia & in the process helped liberate my great-grandfather so they deserved so much more than just my thanks but that's all I had to offer them.

If seeing your nation's capitol & thanking veterans doesn't make you tear up, nothing will. Even with the cesspool that is Congress in the background, I was still incredibly proud of my nation & what all its done in the world.

Einstein has a new home. He, well he snapped at one of the kids & that was strike 2 after biting the husband. We found a very lovely single lady who lives right on the beach. They enjoy each others' company & he's thriving. I'm glad he's happy & didn't have to get put down, but I'm sorta sorry to have seen him go. He's a good dog, just not the right one for us & we're not the right one for him. So we're back to a single pet family at the moment.

30 March 2010

Por mi padre

Per your request, photos of the under carriage. From the looks of it the exhaust has GOT to be replaced. I'm not sure about the actual pipes for the exhaust but I don't see any holes or corroded spots on them. I know with the weld they'll probably have to go anyway, but I see no outward signs of rust or corrosion besides being in a state that uses salt to melt ice & snow.





25 March 2010

Life

Ahh, some days it is sweet some days it is not.

Got a new RX for my glasses, now to get new glasses.

Van is now plated, woo hoo! Still needs work doing on it but we're getting there slowly but surely.

Have decided I'm getting too old to put up with some people's crap. Of course when said people told this I'm the bad guy. Ohs wells, still done with their crap.

Looking towards Spring Break. We're trying to get to DC to see the Smithsonian & the National Zoo. They're FREE!!! Free is Rhi's fav price! Clearance (pronounced "Klare ance" in your best hoity toity voice) is Rhi's bestest friend!

About 1/2 done with stripping the grass for the raised beds I'm putting in for the garden this year. High enough to hopefully not flood or float away.

Broke the wheel barrow while carting wet sod. Not best pleased with that one, but it was several years old so it did see some use before going to gardening tool heaven.

Looking at a Gorilla cart for the new one. Those are COOL! They're also pricey for my cheap butt so I may not get one, but I'm thinking the $$ in the short term is offset by the life time of use versus repeat replacing of cheaper ones. Still haven't convinced myself of that one.

Looking for ZOMBIE garden stuff. Like the little head & hands you put on the soil to make it look like one is climbing out of its grave. Hehehe, I lurve me some zombies.

I think, looking at some of these wurdz that I read LolCats a bit too much lately.

Trying to get US gov to agree that a culinary degree is a "mobile" career. Seems "makeup artist" is but "culinary arts" isn't as of yet. That is the height of gov stupidity.

Oh & I'm happy to have the post from the offered guest blogger. I shut down my yahoo e-mail for this account some time ago so I'll need to send you an e-mail from my account but I'm happy to share if it fits in with my bizarre ramblings.

Hope all is well in cyber land!

16 March 2010

New Recipe

I added a recipe for Butter at the recipe blog. I haven't fallen off the Earth, just busy living life.

Time to get back to prepping the garden. Hope all is well in cyberspace and IRL.

21 February 2010

Goodbye Old Friend


We just finished Parts 1 & 2 of "The End of Time". Alas, there is a new Doctor, at the loss of a beloved one.

He got to say goodbye this time, but that made it even the more bittersweet. While I wish Matt Smith a wonderful run as The Doctor, I'm actually mourning the loss of David Tennant. He was a BRILLIANT Dr. Who. He bested even my childhood favorite Baker. I wish him well in the future, even as the evil Barty Crouch Jr. in Harry Potter. For me he'll always be #10, but second to none.

20 February 2010

MY New Van

So we need to change our vehicles. The Dodge is too small for us now - we have 3 kids that will be the death of me yet & who need their space on long trips (or short trips, or quick errands, or ...) so we got me a new van. Not just ANY van mind you...

A 1985 Toyota Vanwagon! It's ALL MINE!!! The first car I've ever owned - MY name is on the paperwork. Woo Hoo! (Owning a vehicle should not excite me this much, but it really, really does.)


It might not look much now, but I can see what a beautiful, awesome work of art this van really is! I LOVE this van, even with it's problems (& its got some serious ones).

The interior is in pretty good nick for it being 25 years old. I don't demand much of the carpet & seats - I have 3 kids, things will spill & stain & just in general be used so I'm very forgiving in that department. There are no rips, tears, or general destruction of the inside. Its in fair to good condition for being a family vehicle from the mid 80s. I also don't know how long it was stored, or by what means, but there are no furry rodents or birds or the like so its all good.




Some views from the front. Pardon the angles, it just fits inside the garage with a little walking room to spare so its somewhat tight quarters with the camera.



Now the state of Virginia wants $4600 to 'fix' it to pass inspection. It would ace TX inspection easy peasy. Over $3000 of the 'fix' it cost is labor. Dude wants $200 to replace this tail light - $100 of it for the parts, $100 of it for 'labor'.


I consider tail lights, belts, filters, et cetera, to be standard operating items. Basically, I expect when buying a used vehicle to need to check (or replace) bulbs & light covers, brakes, belts, hoses & the like. Doubly so on a vehicle this old CLASSIC! However, there is NO reason the bulb & assembly would cost $100 or the labor (at $90 an hour) cost $100.


We've been given 6 pages of things to 'fix' - including (but very far from limited to):
Catalytic Converter & "COMPLETE" Exhaust system The converter was removed, it needs a new one but the pipes aren't leaking so I don't buy the "COMPLETE" system needing a replacement.

Transmission & Transaxl Um, WTF? It shifts fine, it remains in gear, it doesn't whine, it doesn't complain, it starts when its supposed to & doesn't when it's not (in Park versus Drive). My bullshit detectors are working overtime here.
Rack & Pinion Again, WTF? I drove it 800+ miles in 3 days, with all my kids in the vehicle wiggling around at times. There is NOTHING to indicate the rack & pinion is bad.

Differential WTF is all I can say.

Radiator The van does NOT overheat, there are no warning lights, sounds, or anything like it to indicate there is anything wrong with the radiator. It probably needs a drain & flush then refill but to completely replace it WHY? There are no explanations given, just list of what, how much parts, how much labor.

ENTIRE Brake system Again, 3 days, 2 snowstorms, 800+ miles. The breaks aren't the greatest & I'm sure the pads need replacing but the ENTIRE system? It's getting higher & deeper in shit here.

Shocks This one I can see it needing due to age & unsure care conditions. However, they want $250 for the parts, $233 for the labor. WTF?!?

Odds & Ends light bulbs & hoses & belts This falls under my standard maintenance thing, I have no issues with it needing doing but the prices they want for this is astronomical & ain't coming out of MY pocket!


Just a beautiful little Edelweiss I got on the drive home through Tennessee. There was even a man who took a photo of it when we pulled in to gas her up (she seems to be a her, not really a him & "it" doesn't fit the van's personality). Brought a smile to his face to see such a silly, but neat thing.


A little bit closer view.


So I have the van I want & I've definitely put it through its paces. I'm in lurve with it & can see what a wonderful friend & family member it has the potential to be. Now to find someone who can help me get her there.

01 February 2010

An update of sorts...

He liked the Pan Dulce (Conchitas, Conchas, etc). He said they aren't bad but aren't quite right so need to find some more recipes to try.

It snowed like crazy here (about 9 inches total) over the weekend.


People in this part of Virginia are apparently not used to the snow, they drive terribly!

I'm looking into Culinary school, just gotta come up with the $$$ - hint, hint to my unky Sam.

19 January 2010

Pan Dulce



Otherwise, more properly it seems, known as Concha! I don't like them, but I think for the 1st time making them I did fairly well. The proof is in the tasting though, so come the morning the kids & husband will let me know (I'm sure).



If it turns out they like them, I'll post the recipe on the recipe blog. If not, well I guess its back to the mixing bowl.
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