Happy New Year massachusetts Stoners

A new law comes into effect in Massachusetts tomorrow allowing citizens to possess marijuana amounts of under and ounce. There is still a 100 dollar fine given but it dose not go on the persons record and the fine is similar to or less than other fines like open container and public drunkenness.

The upside is the ability of the judicial system to be more free to pursue other more serious and violent crime, as well as increase tax revenue.
The downside is that many police officers feel that they are able to catch bigger criminals if pot is found giving them reason to do more searching.

Hooray for the underage stoner because a minor consumption ticket it much more expensive then that of the pot possession, unless you have a lot on you when your caught and you have to forfeit that pricey bud as well. Perhaps this is change we can believe in?

I am for this law, thinking too many people locked up are just drug offenders who go to jail and learn how to be bigger and better criminals rather then treated like someone who made a mistake and must now atone for it by serving others. Pot can trigger scizophrenia in predisposed people some studies show, but it's overall effect on society is probably less than that of alcohol.

Communally not stepping on glasses

This past friday I went to the Cabooze to see Trampled by Turtles a bluegrass sounding band from Duluth. Without knowing the music very well I was surprisingly engaged by the tempo and excitement of the music. After not too long into their set I myself joined the fray in front of the stage amongst the sweaty and slightly bearded crowd. During such excitement a man in front of me suddenly grabbed the friend next to him and yelled something, they threw up their hands and then bent down patting the ground in search of some indiscernible object. The common reaction I feel would typically be to ignore and go about ones business, yet those around the men formed a circle. At the outside of the circle I peered down at the floor thinking I might find that four leaf clover that the men may have misplaced. The crown still jubilant around us were noticeably less active then our small after the man emerged with an expensive looking pair of glasses in hand. Perhaps he should have chosen something more like this for the concert.

















We rejoiced in the mans pleasure and the energy of the music, it was that communal feeling that I hope to have more often. Even though I had no previous though or interest in this man's glasses I became involved.
I thought of this moment after watching Ram Dass: Fierce Grace its odd how moving old hippies can be.

Sinterklass, Sinister Clause

Turns out christmas ain't so bad after all, except for all those elves getting laid off because parents are so concerned about the economy and not about the welfare of the elves making the toys. Lets hope the long time elves will be able to get some social security.

Maybe if the taxpayers wanted to really bailout the auto industry, they would just buy more cars. I mean the best way to keep people employed is to buy the stuff they are producing.

That will happens when hell freezes over, which I found out last night is kind of like the Devil getting foreclosed on.

Santa Claus gained popularity with pictures from Thomas Nast, a famous cartoonist. The picture above is similar to many others Nast did. The pipe I'm sure is some sort of stimulant, perhaps santa did Khat as he drove around the world dropping consumerism down chimneys like bombs on japan.

So-duh like stop drinking it

I just finished watching King Corn, a documentary about the number one food source in America. The movie was slightly slanted as it started by pointed out the fact that life expectancy might fall in this coming generation because of our diet. But overall it was good and enjoyable while highlighting many important issues facing america. My favorite part was the history of the Agriculture Secretary changing things in the 70's, because it helps explain how we got here, how we are able to spend less then 20% of our income on food, something never before seen in history. It has led to over consumption of corn and corn sweeteners. The movie also showed how corn fed beef will eventually kill the animal, by making it overweight and creating ulcers in its stomach.

Grass fed beef like the kind served where I work is supposedly better, and definitely less fatty. Thousand Hills is a large local producer of grass fed beef in the area, but a 1/8 of a cow will cost you 380 dollars, or 16lbs of ground beef for 80 dollars. But people love meat in this country and I see it every time I go to work and people fill their faces with cow pig and chicken.

Well the demand for cheap beef is only one cause of the unhealthy cows and then unhealthy people, the glut of corn has produced High Fructose Corn Syrup sometimes abbreviated as HFCS. HFSC is used in almost all soft drinks, soft drinks that might now be taxed in New York State.
The movie Corn King has a scene where a man talks about the fatal effect diabetes has had on his family. If the tax lessens the intake of soda it may well decrease the healthcare costs of diabetes and save the country some money.

Tom Vilsack was just nominated by Obama for Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack is the former Governor of Iowa, the largest corn producer in the country, he supports Monsanto's use of GMO(genetically Modified Organisms) and probably has good knowledge of the corn growers lobby. Its difficult to peer between these cracks and not see how all the pieces fit together.
Our rising health care costs should undoubtedly be linked to the food we eat, it's not just the exercise which is a problem. You are what you eat has been told to children over and over, but as adults they might not stop and take heed of the advice.

Personally I want to connect the diabetes epidemic and the glut of obesity to Warren Buffett who was propelled to one of the riches men in the world in no small part because of his large ownership in Coke, one of the largest soft drink manufacturers in the country. In 1985 coke switched to New Coke, which had HFCS rather then sugar, people hated it and the recipe was switched back sans the sugar. HFCS was now a coke staple, and in 1988 Buffett bought up 7% or just over a billion dollars worth of Coke. His profit has been at the expense of americans health.

dun dun.... the conspiracy begins