I think most of you are aware that I have a day job (I don’t actually make any money blogging) that I really enjoy. Sometimes that intrudes on my ability to do much blogging.
Now is one of those times.
I am Executive Producer of a formal Gala being done in a 20,000 square-foot ballroom, with 600 attendees paying $75 each, and over 300 performers, two stages, a sword-fight going down the center aisle between the tables, two dance numbers (one with live accompaniment), two vocal ensembles, actors, a jazz band, a string quartet, a brass quintet, a guitarist, a pianist, live video feeds, a live projected data visualization, video collage, art exhibits, art sales… and a complete marching band. It’s this Saturday.
Additionally, I’m programming all the content for an interactive touch-screen Hall of Fame that will have pictures, text, video, and audio clips for 23 inductees in the inaugural class. That will be unveiled Friday.
So I might be a little bit slow in updating this blog.
Just sayin’
This is an open thread.
The wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go — we’ll eat you up — we love you so!†but Pete said no.
Get em Pete,Ill post any links to good articles here.
@DdC Thanx for the link to the legislative hearing in the Post Prop thread,it was refreshing to have the chairperson keep explaining to the local organizations that they would need their help gearing up for PROP 19’S implementation,right after they told the committee why they did not support this initiative.
The legislative panel was not there to take opinions but to try and get the cities and counties to act now,to avoid the problems caused by 215 when it was enacted and no one had rules and regs in place.
The panel appeared to believe that it is going to pass and made the Assn of Chamber of Commerce promise to help the cities to prepare for the situation.
The CA legislature found out for sure that they can set guidelines for the cities so that there won’t be a patch work of regs and ordinances that change from city to city.
https://www.calchannel.com/channel/viewVideo/1758
Joint Informational Hearing on Proposition 19: the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010
Pete, so you’ve committed to a little project? That should be an easier fete to pull off than legalizing anyway. I am a little dissapointed I won’t be seeing it. Well, break a leg as they say in the mafia, wait, I mean like they say in theatre..when the mafia says it, they mean to break your leg…
Had a great VN Reunion and even better time with Howard and Misty. I stll say he and I could be related back there somewhere. LOL
Misty’s just a doll of a horse. Well mannered and loves attention. Over the first night, we talked aobut backgrounds and approaches. Over breakfast the next morning, I picked up quite a bit from listening to his responses to “WHY?”
The best one was how to refer to “What about the children.” Works like a champ and will post it when I get a little better resfreshed. I’m totally beat.
Offloading at LAX, with LEAP shirt, I had 43 contacts before I was picked up at Fresno Airport. Only 5 were staunch Prohibitionists who didn’t appreciate being called bed warmers for the cartels. LOL
Homebound yesterday, due to time restraints, I covered the shirt with a jacket because I didn’t have time for engagements. However I added 17 more POSITIVES to our numbers.
I”m amazed at the outward lies the Prohibs are throwing at the public over this, to keep them from voting Yes. One was “I was ready to vote yes until I learned it can’t be taxed.” WHAT???? It was short work to get his head retreaded the right way and he’s voting YES now.
Howard turned me on to some other “comments” that really bring a grin to listeners. He couldn’t even eat breakfast Thursday morning without being interupped with WHY? It really got commical there for a moment. And he switched between English, German, French and Spanish at the snap of a finger and endeared himself to many visiting foreigners. Ya just gotta see him “in action.” It’s mind boggling!
I’m still in a horrible jet lag so will write some responses you can use tomorrow, probably. My head’s still spinning and I went up without my meds. LOL
I have often wondered about possible VN reunions and if any of my cohorts make them but for some reason,it is more something I want to forget than remember and celebration
of any war is not going to happen.
I hung with Vets against the War in the early/mid 70’s and
cannot remember even one surname of any individual,I guess it didn’t seem important enough at the time,since we were all going to live forever.
Welcome back ez… glad to hear your trip was worthwhile and entertaining.
So all you couch potatoes, here’s a question for ya… if I were to produce a calendar of beautiful ganja photos would you spend $25 or $30 for a calendar to help support this humble oregon activist? As a preview:
cannabis autumn…
and the valley view…
I spent this past Saturday in So Oregon photographing a beautiful cannabis crop. Shot over 350 images. The best 12 will be going into the calendar.
Allan,
My Company is having their 2012 reunion in Oregon. Don’t know where yet but I’ll keep ya in mind.
Clay, If you were active duty and possibly a combat vet, reunions are the absolute BEST thing for you, bar none. It’s a bit terrifying the first time but that ends quickly. I’d highly recommend it for any vet who hasn’t attended one for whatever reason. You regain the “brotherhood” you once had.
Allan, Wow…. Wonderful images! Whitehead Creek #6 – Luminescence… It almost appears that a woman with children at her feet are passing through the veil of water from some distant reality to this one. Thank you!
Clay, ezrydn and to all combat vets. Since the first rock was thrown in anger, men have placed themselves in selfless harms way for the protection of the weak from threat by the strong. There are no words that can begin to express adequate appreciation for a debt too large to repay. Only those who stood vulnerable and faced the violence of the universal anger of war can know the price the soul pays when a brother falls. Little bits of the self are lost to the eternal wind. Here now know that in your suffering the sun will rise and set and your courage is written on the wall of time, not to be forgotten.
Another war rages. Brothers and Sisters here stand and face another enemy. The enemy is ignorance, fear, and judgment. Fear of the brief respite from insanity when the pipe of peace is passed between fellow travelers. Ignorance of the true nature of human brotherhood. Judgment of the path of compassion. For more than thirty years brothers and sisters have labored in the trenches against the prohibition of cannabis. Success has slowly come into view and now is agonizingly near. We remember those who have come before us and will forge onward until we all can gather as one people united in the freedom to sit and gaze at the night sky, to share the peaceful smoke of our ancestors and realize the dream of a better world for all.
Good you’re back Ez. Allan, a good calander serves multiple years, I still roll on an ’08. Pencil me in for one when they’re ready.
Here’s a question for the community…If prop 19 passes, do you think the feds will come down hard on Cannabusinesses? Their hopes of enforcing possession laws are nil, but they could make it hot for retailers who step forward to comply with the laws…
I know at least six people who are talking med dispensaries now, who knows how legalization will cause things to explode.
Thanks ez.
RAND Study: Prop 19 Would Increase National Security | Legalization Nation
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2010/10/12/rand-study-prop-19-would-increase-national-security
“”Voting Yes on Prop 19 would make the country safer by further defunding violent Mexican drug cartels, an independent study from the RAND Corporation released today has found. Californians’ great, low-cost cannabis has already pushed out expensive, low-quality Mexican dope from the state’s market, the study found. If Prop 19 passed and California’s domestic exports went up — as they likely would — the same effect would happen across the country. Mexican drug cartels could lose 20 percent of their revenue, amounting to $2 billion dollars a year, RAND found.
The study is called “Reducing Drug Trafficking Revenues and Violence in Mexico: Would Legalizing Marijuana in California Help?†It was crafted by RAND drug policy expert Beau Kilmer, along with Jonathan P. Caulkins, Brittany M. Bond, Peter H. Reuter.””
How does an estimate of 30 to 40 billion a year for Mexican marijuana estimated by the DEA and the FBI last July drop down to 2 billion dollars?
Propaganda
Next will be a statement from the drug warriors or one of their agencies that removing 2 billion dollars from the cartels income will not damage the cartels sufficiently to justify ending prohibition.
We have noticed the percentages drop steadily for the marijuana monies realized by the cartels and now its time for the drug warriors to spin their tale.
Hey Allan, those are some awesome photos and I’d certainly purchase at least one of your calendars. I fully intended to purchase the beautiful calendar that you put together last year but life happened and I forgot; I don’t think that I’ll forget about this one though. You take some great pictures and I think that I just found my new desktop background.
Hiya Sukoi! Howz life in hot DR? Thanks buddy, I always appreciate a prop or two. (And I have 3 nature calendars available at that site, 2 new ones for this year)
I’ve added 2more images (I need 12 or 13 for a calendar):
radiating…
in a forest of cannabis flowers…
Welcome back..or err nice to hear your back out side the fence. Always look forward to hearing from you when you make your VA trip. Would loved to of heard the conversations You and Howard have had. thanks for your hard work. Rest up so we can hear the stories.
“”Proponents of the proposition say they want to lower prison costs and find new revenue from marijuana taxes, and that the measure could reduce violence associated with the illegal drug trade in California and Mexico.
The Obama administration disagrees, and U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske told the AP that the new study backs them up.
“This report shows that despite the millions spent on marketing the idea, legalized marijuana won’t reduce the revenue or violence generated by Mexican drug trafficking organizations,” said Kerlikowske, head of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. “The bottom line is that increased access and availability to marijuana jeopardizes the health and safety of our citizens.”
Some former law enforcement officials, however, said it’s hard to imagine there wouldn’t be major cartel profits at stake.””
PROPAGANDA
Released at 7:06 pm tonite. Lets see how long it takes to get debunked.
Study: Legalizing pot won’t hinder Mexican cartels
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/12/AR2010101203347.html
I have searched and the millions spent comes too appx 3 million on Prop 19,,,,,so who spent millions advertising the amounts of untaxed money the cartels export annually
and how much ending prohibition of marijuana would damage the cartels?
Whom ever did,they used your numbers to do the math,the ones you gave to congress just last summer.before you started lowering your estimates and paid Rand for this study.
The best part of the Howard/EZ show was in the restaurant Thursday morning. Yosemite Park draws people from all over the world. As we sat, having breakfast, people would stream in and he and I were sitting at the table everone had to pass to enter.
Every one of them read the shirts and asked “WHY?” And yes, breakfast got cold several times. LOL But to sit there and watch him carry on simultanious conversations in English, Spanish, German and French is a true mindblower. No one could understand how this American Cowboy could talk to everyone in their own tongue. He was a definite hit with all he engaged.
Misty’s tired. She’s all pooped out due to the travel schedule. And I understand his concern for her and his thought of cutting his activities in CA short to get her back home to get some relaxation (I seem to remember him saying she’s 14). If you ever meet Misty, you’ll immediately fall in love with her.
Sitting in the room, I found that Howard’s and my paths have crossed many times in the past. His favorite police video “Contact and Cover” is the video I made while working at the San Diego Police Department. I told him of the scenes that were not in the script but, rather, came from my past experiences and he loved it.
He and my Great Grandfather BOTH have that odd “Wooldridge” spelling and seem to originate from the same area. He’s in denial but one day, I’ll prove he and I are cousins. LOL
I’m writting something up he assisted me with and will probably email it to Pete within the next 24 hours. Hopefully, it will be posted here. It’s actually a 3-parter but easily disected into elevator arguments. What I’m writing is what I spoke to get Yes on 19 committments. People were truly impressed with what they heard. Even though I had the shirt, I was also wearing my Cavalry Stetson. I’ve also got a couple pixs of Howard, Misty and myself. I’ll try to figure out how to post them here, if able.
Here’s a good quote from Calveena Fay over at Activist1’s blog on the Bee:
“We think all Californians who vote yes on 19 should be turned over for immediate federal prosecution.” Fifth comment down at http://bit.ly/9BOqaB
True feelings are beginning to surface.
Ez, don’t you realise that Calveena Fay is pulling a joke?!
While at the reunion, I read an Op Ed in the Modesto paper written by an abuse therapist. It was full of the same old tried and dryed BS but it was the last paragraph that truly shows his intentions.
It was noticable that he would be losing funding from the court order actions so it was his position that any and all tax monies acquired should be channeled into his profession to cover the costs. Talk about self centered.
Sardonnas,
With that group of kooks, one never really knows if they’re joking or not. Especially under the Snitch Bitch’s headlines.
FYI: A NYC conference with a number of speakers:
It costs $600 to get in.
Crud, I think Calvina’s living proof that Darwin’s theories are hare brained. On the other hand her existence sure doesn’t support the theory of ‘intelligent’ design either.
Oh well, I guess they won’t figure out the origin of the universe before I die. Rats.
Biden says that he’s been invited to stay with the ticket for 2012 elections. That’s great!! Why?
Well, Obama is, well, Obama.
Biden is the SOB that penned the Controlled Substance Act.
Two for the price of one. YAHOO!!