BLOGGER BASH - Are We Authors or Simply, Babbling Typists???

I won't mention the mainstream news channel I found this topic... but it's not one I haven't heard before, which is, that bloggers aren't authors, journalists, or artistic. The article I read today said we're "typists".

TYPISTS???

Whew... yeah, I'm sitting here with nothing better to do than type words in the cloud, and expect that there's any intelligent mind behind them. Call me sensitive, as a matter of fact I am, sensitive. Reminds me that day in my early 20's when I happily announced to my parents, "I'm a writer". Their response? They laughed, my mother cried, and they pointed out - "you're not a writer".

Thanks, for that Reality Check!

A little history on how I got to be the blogger I am today.

Not only did I seriously take up creative writing in the mid 70's, but have always been an avid reader, researcher, and for years was in the thick of the society of my peers. That's called experience. In the early 90's I got into computers, and by the mid-90's put together my own website using HTML, not a web designer program. The site was quite popular. I had it going approx. 3 years when i had to abandon it since I was moving and couldn't take it with me. There are ways, but they eluded me at the time.

For a few years after that I was too busy with other responsibilities to pursue another website, though I wanted to. Instead, I focused more on computers, technology, more reading, and a concentration on the web, brandy new to the human race, and set to change who we are forever.

In late 2004 I got involved in a missing person case, Brianna Maitland from VT. I became close with the family and the case. The family had a forum and I wrote often on the forum. I wrote a "pinned topic" - the family posted, detailing the events prior to and after Brianna's disappearance. This in addition to working closely with family and friends assisting in searches and interviewing friends of Brianna's.

I have assisted in other cases, and if too far away, gotten involved writing for those forums also.

Around 2007, Brianna's case went "cold", and the family took down the forum, as forums are very difficult to maintain. Their's was plagued by hackers, and malicious intrusions, among numerous technical issues.

In 2009, doing a routine Google search about Brianna, wondering if there was anything new, I stumbled upon Slam Dunk's Blog, and his already extensive postings on Brianna's case. His link is available here: http://theslamdunktrove.blogspot.com/

I offered my assistance, described my experience, and found myself writing some 13-14 new posts on her case myself, or in conjunction with Slam Dunks.

Beginning last October, I began my own blog... and though it's sometimes a bit "rough around the edges", I find hope and satisfaction in writing on my blog and pursuing those issues that mean a lot to me. I leave the "missing person's" blogging to Slam Dunk, as he has expertise in that area. I have other interests I like to pursue also... but to suggest I'm simply a TYPIST? What's next... Blogging as a "controlled substance"? State laws banning bloggers? Permits to blog? Psychological evaluations of bloggers? Questions on job applications: "Have you ever been a blogger?"

What's to a blog - just words randomly written to a cloud?

Hardly.

"Dugout Dick", Died recently at age 94, Idaho's last of the River-Canyon Loners

I'm beginning a series on what it's like to be alone, which to some earns you a title as a "loner". As destiny would have it, I went to check my Yahoo personal's account, and found this article. It touched me deeply, as I am both, a loner and a guy that wants friends and lovers. At the moment I am pretty much a loner again. I may die that way, have no idea. Before I tell you more about me, the goal of my blog, after all, let's take a moment and give Dugout Dick a few moments of our time. See, he represents many things to many people... to some he's a non-conformist, and exactly the kind of person a capitalistic society doesn't need. To others he represents what's possible in America... freedom to live one's life as they chose, as long as they don't harm others.

A part of me as I suggested makes me wish I wasn't so entangled in my own web, that I could actually live out my next 30 - 50 years like Dugout Dick. Another part of me wants to build off of what I became in the mid to late 70's, then lost...

There are a lot of dynamics in life, no-matter where one lives. We're not truly "FREE" in America, no, we're not, but, we have options here that many in the world don't have. Education is a key to finding and using those options. But education in and of itself is not the key... one doesn't have to have a college degree to survive, to be happy. Rather, it's the heart and desire to learn, to learn to survive, and to survive in a way that satisfies one's soul that's important. And teaching that, especially in HS where the status quo and state regulations dictate learning, it's pretty difficult to develop one's own life. Was Dugout Dick really a loner? Or did he find true happiness?

Link to picture and story here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/04/23/1164899/death-of-caveman-ends-an-era-in.html

EXPANDED/LEGALIZED GAMBLING FAILS in NH HOUSE

The NH House voted down passage of the "expanded gambling" bill today by a wide margin. It's the latest in a multi-year effort by special interest groups and certain politicians to open casinos in NH.

Gov. Lynch promised to veto it anyways if it reached his desk.

One supporter described the failure of the NH House to pass the bill said, simply, "they've condemned an airliner, that's run out of gas..."

My thought? That airliner should have planned more in advance. Apparently my elected officials, some of them, have been putting all their eggs in one basket. No surprise it's the NH Senate. They voted down the 1/4 oz bill that would have legalized cannabis.

What's ironic to me is, not only did the NH House vote in favor to legalize small amounts of cannabis, but they did so WITHOUT the influence of the highly paid lobbyists and big business interests that the gambling proponents employed.

Commonsense in politics - my hat off to the NH House!

That being said, gambling, like cannabis are a waste of time for my government to be taking up it's time with. Article 83 of the NH Constitution makes it clear that commerce and the arts are to be encouraged, and not restricted.

Personally, I have only scant interest in going to a casino near me. I do play online Texas hold'em, but I'm not playing against "a House", I'm playing pennies against other people with like interest. Casinos, my sister and her husband have one nearby... they go often. They win big sometimes, but they lose even bigger. Me... I've been to casinos, and it's addictive. Compared to at most $50 that often lasts a couple of months or more to play poker, casinos easily get that, X3, out of me in one visit. Some enjoy it, I don't.

Gambling, Cannabis, even Prostitution should be legal and regulated. Like our two closest neighbors, alcohol and tobacco.

For the state to want a cut of taxation riches by creating an instant highway to riches through "legalized slots" is ludicrous and irresponsible. That it's "illegal" at present is ridiculous.

It's sad really, that logic and common sense can't be a part of the law-making process. There seems to be a "what's in it for me" mentality in government. It's not a wonder to me that trust in the Federal government, and state governments are at an all time low? I don't fault President Obama... I saw the same thing when Jimmy Carter was President in the 70's...

If people want to gamble in a casino in NH, why not??? Why can't a town, county, or city make it's own decisions in the matter?

Who would have guessed that the 200 year old+ "DONT TREAD ON ME" motto would be so significant in the year 2010?

RECOMMENDED LINK:

Don't Tread on Me

The history of the Gadsden flag and how the rattlesnake became a symbol of American independence

SURVEY SAYS: What Does the Survey Say???

MSNBC - Today's near-headline news...

 TOPIC:  "Most in U.S. Against Legalizing Pot, Poll Shows" ***

 The poll was conducted by AP-CNBC.


Among the reasons: "fear of Reefer Madness", "fear that people will use it as an 'excuse' to avoid prosecution in crimes"; "fear of the unknown..." it suggested those "over 65 years of age were particularly concerned". And MSNBC added it's own poll... "Do You Think Marijuana Should Be Legal in the U.S.?", with quite the opposite results!

As of tonight there were 15,866 votes on the poll at MSNBC... of those votes, 13,567 are in favor of legalization! That's 85.5% that say yes!

7.6% say NO.

Hey, aren't we suppose to say "NO"???

In another example about how people want change... Change.Org has hundreds of petitions a year asking the public what's on their minds, what do they want to see changed? Of the hundreds of important and noble causes, the top-most petition for change goes to (Link to Change.org): "Legalizing  Medicinal and Recreational Use of Cannabis". Change.Org vows to follow through to the White house and other government to present the ten top-most petitions... this is the second year in a row cannabis reform has made the top ten.

Today on the steps of the State House in Concord, NH, over 100 supporters of legalized ganja sat on the steps and lit up... from inside the State House state police watched... no one was arrested that I've heard about, the statement from the state police was in the order of, "as long as they're peaceful..." well, ganja users are hardly aggressive... in fact, it must have taken a lot of motivation to get the stoners out of their crypts! The reason they are there is the Senate takes up the vote tonight to legalize possession of a 1/4 oz for adults, the bill the House voted overwhelmingly to approve. According to NHPR the bill is expected to fail, and if it does by chance pass, Gov. John Lynch is ready with his mighty pen to veto the bill"

... thank-you governor... you want a 4th term... you're not getting my vote!!!

For those of you unfamiliar with why this matters to me... a little history.

In the early 70's I was a complete loner; disillusioned with life; with education; I believe I was headed in one of two directions... towards suicide or a life as a serial killer - I hated people, I really did. I'd suffered a lot of bullying through much of my childhood and teenage years. I was an extreme example of a right-wing conservative... and I believed marijuana was an extremely dangerous drug!

Surprise... around 18 or 19 a close friend offered myself and another close friend some pot... Panama Red, drugs! I almost shouted "FIRE"... but stopped myself... and the three of us smoked it. What happened was the exact opposite of what I expected. For days after I kept waiting fearfully for the urge to shoot heroin, or to go through marijuana withdrawal. I felt extremely guilt-ridden, and confused. I used it again a week or so later, and each time I did, I felt more relaxed, and eventually more motivated... to face my fears.

My fears: people, education, and loneliness, and failure. Instead of becoming the "poster boy" for why marijuana is bad, I discovered my life turned around... and within a few short years I had more friends than I could spend time with, girlfriends, and my zest for education and knowledge did a 180 degree turn...  and I dove into it... I discovered, though life was difficult, it was a beautiful world... and i changed. I realized my years of anger and hatred were wrong, and misguided. I shudder to think of the person I may have become... a killer? I doubt it, but I really wasn't a happy guy. And I had literally no concept of my place in humanity, that I belonged - "like the trees and the stars".

To date I have three college degrees, a BA in English, AA in Liberal Arts, and AA in medical assisting, the later I graduated Magna Cum Laude, with a 3.9 gpa. I only admit that since my gpa in HS was around 2.3, my first couple years in college about the same, my BA, ten years later I was already up to a 3.0. Yeah, marijuana destroyed me alright...  not!

By the way... the historical reference to marijuana in the United States is ganja, not marijuana. And as long as news media refers to ganja as pot, we might just as well refer to alcohol as booze and moon-shine, and tobacco as cancer sticks. If anything should be regulated as a Schedule One Drug by the DEA it's tobacco... but that would assume our laws are just and rational, which they're not.

Is it any wonder the "Tea Party" is so vocal these days? Is it any wonder Second Amendment activists are holding rallies in Nation Forest near the White House?

The irony is, the other day I was part of a drug-free birthday party... aside from the cigarettes. And one of the partiers mentioned the reason pot should be illegal and prohibited is it's illegal. Wow. The bad thing about pot is it's illegal. And that makes it bad. Now that's logic for Americans to live by. Too bad it didn't work during Prohibition of alcohol, or in Wall St.

And if so many people are concerned about breaking the law, why during my daily 3 hour commute are there so many speeders and aggressive drivers on the highways? Why was one of  the liquor commissioners in NH arrested for DWI the other day?

The survey says there will always be those opposed to legalized cannabis, but the majority approve of it. It is a safer alternative and in fact does have clinically proven medical benefits... much as ginseng or St. John's Wort does. The fact that cannabis is a Schedule One controlled drug and tobacco is not should be a wake-up call to most! It's like comparing the boogyman to Jeffery Dalmer - one's a myth, the other is real.

I've had my fill of "marijuana surveys"... and "government" that takes a predatory stance towards ganja with no fact to justify the harm the laws of the past 70+ years has caused. It is, time for a change.

WHY BLOG?

"Why do I blog?"

It's the newest why BobKat... over the years, I don't know how many others out there get questioned repeatedly about why I/we do what we do. Maybe it's commonplace. But, to me, when people question me, it feels personal. The true question is 'how will I make money doing that?'

I may be particularly sensitive, when being questioned, given past experiences. And so we begin...

History aside for the moment, I do it for me, and I do it with the idea that others will find my blog interesting, maybe inspiring.

It's a learning experience, a place to exercise my mind, thoughts, and although a bit on the fringe at times express myself. Others can listen. It's what I did during the 70's when I was working at the college, I wrote all around the campus, and after work at night I wrote a the college bar nearby. Legal age for alcohol was 18.

Dung is what's left of those years... that and some great, cherished memories. Quite the combo... it isn't any wonder I write... given the next 30 years that followed... the result is a mind overloaded, and writing is in my nature, and something I need to do.

I write because I can.

Since Oct. of last year I've written 70+ posts. I have 4 followers, I have 8 votes in my opinion poll (bottom of this page), and three friends that write comments occasionally.

No, profit isn't the name of this pastime... not yet anyway.

This is a good way to experiment with my writing... it's also a great way to promote those causes I believe in.

Several new posts in the works...

George, my agent, will take any further questions :-

WHAT'S WITH THE NON-CONFORMIST?

In every society there is "the norm", a euphemism for public order. People really are individuals. And to varying degrees they attain success. How that spells out is why there are so many books.

To define the kind of public order required in a society, given all the individuals involved, there had to be laws, rules, morals, and more. But we didn't survive as a species by always following the rules. In fact, many of us rarely act 100% lawfully. I commute a long distance... I can assure you 30% at best obey traffic laws, most speed... and many really speed past. It could be worse, in Boston they also cut you off. I grew to love Boston driving... but that's for another day.

During one of my custodian days, in NH, I had worked at this school maybe 5-6 years by then. It was a great job.

During the 9+ years employed there, it began where in this Elementary/junior HS, in 1988 we could smoke wherever. Within three years we were forced to smoke in the custodian's office, where the principle also hung out. We could smoke outside, and maybe in the teacher's lounges, I am fuzzy remembering that. A year or two later, the law was passed making it illegal to smoke on school grounds; or a set distance.

What I found most interesting was when we had school events in the evening... band concert, spelling bee, penny sale, basketball game... there was always something interesting going on, this was after hours, I worked 3-11PM.

We used to place Butt receptacles at the entrances during these events. When the law took effect, no more butt receptacles. Yet people continued to mill around outside and smoke. It was my job, unfortunately to kindly ask these people not to smoke. "Damn the law, I'll smoke if I want to smoke. It's a cigarette, not pot!" And the butts accumulated on the pavement. Typical non-conformist. These were the adults attending the events.

For a couple months we started putting the butt receptacles back out. To suit the guests. Then, eventually people conformed..

This wasn't my topic, though it's relevant..

Laws are one thing, but social mores and morals are another. It's an area of human behavior that does get researched, though I feel not nearly enough.

I can only contribute my own experiences as a non-conformist, and well all the other non-conformists I knew..

I intend to discuss the price/cost of non-conformity, also the benefits to society and the individual. We'll not go the extreme... We'll take a regular guy who's actually, early on, quite the conformist . Then, he's not.

We'll examine  "what went wrong"?

Our character was a member/employee of a large organization, a large group of people, most who treated him with respect.

He was a college custodian. There were some who saw that as a crime...

Enter, the Non-Conformist...

THE NON_CONFORMIST... PART ONE

It is that time in human history to discuss an extremely important subject: Non-Conformity.

The term itself probably evokes a sense of alarm in many people. The term in it's very basic definition could be construed as amounting to a breakdown in society, and total anarchy. It's a fear, for some a valid fear.

The truth is, there is no black and white explanation when it comes to being a conformist and a non-conformist. I'm sure there are people out there who conform in all possible ways, to rules, regulations, laws, dress-codes, restrictions, etc. But the majority of us walk a fine line... and it's to that end I begin this new topic.

What is the cost of being a non-conformist? What are the benefits? What exactly is being a non-conformist all about?

In my future posts I want to provide insight into what the diversity between being conformist as compared to non-conformist is all about. A society does depend on both for it's survival. An imbalance makes things difficult.

Someone has to be in control if one is to conform... often this is a group, as groups work well in designing conformist rules. Given these sets of rules, a person with inalienable, Constitutional rights to free speech, pursuit of happiness, will find their way to be different. And by being different, they keep alive the "out of the box" perspective on how society is working out.

Certain of these individuals might get peeved over the way a "missing person's case" is being described, and investigated. This person might make a phone call to the family to offer assistance by providing a skill that could help in finding the missing person. This volunteer may find that his non-conformist beliefs are actually a desirable trait, one that might very well help in finding the missing person, or what happened.

In a strictly conformist society there is stagnation and minimal growth.  There is little innovation, and few new ideas. Many businesses subscribe to this ideal... the rational being "we (the company) want employees that do as we say, abide by the rules, and see this similar to high-school. There are rules, and what you do doesn't deserve recognition, nor attention. We pay you, you do what we tell you to."  This is conformity. Without unions, employees are pretty much at the mercy of the company they work for, IF, they are working, being as so many in this country are out of work.

I live in a country that, for the most part, respects my Constitutional Rights, including Free Speech. My right to disagree, argue, peaceably protest , write about, boycott, and promote reform... promote growth in our society. A better society. A free society. A sensible and fair society.

As a Free Society we both should realize there is flexibility in freedom, not breakage. There has to be some rules. In a democracy, those rules are voted on. They are flexible rules and subject to change. There are also rules that protect society... rules that are flexible in some cases, but that society recognizes as wrong and without question unlawful in other cases.

My purpose with this series is to investigate the non-conformist.  Ultimately, most non-conformists become conformists. You only need to belong to a group to conform. Of course, there are bigger groups, and ever bigger.

Eat your broccoli...

Wall St trumps Main St - BobKat Announces Rate Hike to Unsolicited...

I'd love to say this post is tongue in cheek, but it's not. Instead, "I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Going To Take it Anymore!".


No, this isn't about ganja.

It's about my current bank that I've had for over 10 years, and credit card companies I've been a well treated client for over 20 years... and how 5 of 8 are screwing me.

My bank where I've had what i thought was "Free Checking" for years. Of late I've discovered they've been charging me a $15/month maintenance fee, for over a year now and i didn't realize it.

I've been scrimping pennies, trying hard to stay in a budget that I can feel comfortable in. I'm one of the fortunate one's. I'm employed... 12 years almost. This year we didn't get a raise. That's a shame, as I busted my ass last year for the company. You'd think they could take out a loan to give us a raise.

Sorry, got off subject there.

I also have a savings acct. with the bank. I have it because of an identity theft event, an event filed with the FTC, and I have it in writing, my identity was stolen. I spoke with my bank, and they recommended a "free savings account". I could have my paycheck therein deposited, then transfer what I'd need to checking. The ID theft happened in 2007. My plan worked well, until...

A month ago I discovered a strange charge online accessing my account. I was looking at Savings. There was a $5 service charge. Hmm. My house mate who also had the same bank/similar account noticed it too. What was it for???

But there was more. I called my bank and expressed my concern. I had signed up for "free savings".  She pointed out the agreement allowed them to change the rules anytime they liked.

I've listened to enough Market Place on NPR to know a line like that. I told the person, given the fact that I had a case filed and verified by the FTC, they couldn't charge me a service charge out of the blue. I asked, "had they notified me?"

She said "yes..." the person I was transferred to, that I was told could help. That person couldn't. It was the rule I accepted the rules, that they could change the rules at any time.

Total charge? Over $200-$300/yr

Add that to all the other interest, taxes, fees, basic needs and commuting expenses, it's amazing I have any extra money each day.

******

Well, effective immediately, I have no choice but to enact a citizen's charge for any and all junk mail, credit-card offers, special offers or free stuff, if I join or submit an application for approval. Effectively immediately a service charge of $25 will be assessed per offer, that I receive by mail, unsolicited. Included in that charge is a maintenance fee, handling charge.

It costs me to look at, consider, look at, read or shred that unsolicited mail. I could send a letter "opting out of receiving these offers". But they can "opt out" too. Or agree to to rates. Just send me a terr detailing your request. A $30 service charge will apply to consider your request.

It's up to you to read this post... failure to do so does NOT excuse or exclude you from said fees and charges.

Thank-you... my new business model should prove as lucrative as what my bank is now feeling !

How is it as a tax-payer who bailed out Wall St., who still gets bonuses that I could barely make in my lifetime, raise my rates across the board, and claim they have no choice but to raise every fee, charge, and cost to benefit them, when they are the ones who screwed up and put society in the mess of a GREAT RECESSION it's in???

While their borrowing and lending rates remain near 0%, us consumers are seeing an increase in all of our rates.

Something smells bad...

And I'm not suggesting "in Denmark". Right here at home.

Born in the USA... as a citizen, just wondering... is anybody out there, anybody listening?

The biggest question/criticism I have is directed towards myself. And perhaps this is the other 50% of the financial reform issue being discussed in Washington. Why did I not realize I was being charged these fees by my bank, until now, when they were right there on my statement?

Damn good question!

I check my accounts nearly everyday, online. I peruse my charges and credits. I look for something out of the ordinary, but that can be difficult given the unusual account names that appear on statements. I tend to look at them. Services charges... I do see them, and I often call the bank, and it nothing... like I didn't realize there was a limit to the number of online transfers per month there were. 4 transfers/month is the limit, I think. Go over that and there's a service charge. When this first happened to me, I called the bank and they refunded me, my agreeing I now understood the terms.

The fact is... I didn't see a service charge for my account coming. I trusted my bank. I had online access to my account and received text messages for changes to my account. I never saw one telling the to rate changes, the fact the bank had been sold a third time, that new rates were in effect. All seemed on the up and up.

I was blind-sided. That's not against the law... though it should be.Yeah, I should have noticed the charges, but I didn't. Along with everything else going on right now in our country, this is just one more example of how Wall St. trumps Main St.

THE LONGEST ROAD - Part X - More from BEHIND the MOP

John Miller is sitting at his fictional computer... since he's fictional.

He open's a fictional bottle of beer, lights a fictional joint... and begins to write.

At over age 50 John reflects, all these years he had a sub-conscious fear of becoming a marijuana burn-out. When he began using marijuana around age 20, that was the primal fear of using it - burn-out. 


30 years later, John stopped using marijuana as he got to the age where hanging out with younger people wasn't as easy. By then John realized he was in a new career, a more stressful career... he started drinking more beer. Only, very rarely did he smoke any pot. So, that was now, but he reflected back to what he could remember when his adult life began.

The "Longest Road" was becoming the "Longest Story" he realized. In due part to facing a terrifying reality. Revisiting a story - his life in his early to mid twenties, that held vital significance. Even if it didn't, even if it was simply a personal issue, John felt writing about it was important.

A history from the mid 1970's...

John became the evening custodian at the community college's Fine Arts Center. His shift began at 3PM and ended at 11PM. He lived a block away. He had a room on the 2nd floor of a converted horse-barn. He shared a kitchen and bathroom with five others around his age. They all smoked pot. Anything was available. John preferred just his pot. At the time - $30 an ounce. All varieties, were from other countries. Very little was grown within the US.

By 1975, marijuana was widely acceptable... nearly every party had people passing a joint or smoking a pipe. The more stoned you were the more you tended to get into groups that were discussing interesting topics. The more drunk, the more you'd be playing poker, or out-side getting fresh air.

John knew many students from the campus as well as many staff and professors. Several professors liked to attend the parties, where students also gathered. John was invited to staff parties too... and they were much the same.

What John would like readers to understand is he was a respected member of the college community. He had a ring of keys to every door in the Fine Arts building. He didn't just clean toilets.

What ticked John off... and what he feels he can't get past, is how could getting a dream job such as he did, become the catalyst to what became his self-imposed exile from his family?

In the next post John is going to get back on topic... turn the "Longest Story" into the story it's meant to be.

Expect a change in title...

There is no "Longest Road..." It's a myth.

"JOHN MILLER" INVITES YOU TO A PARTY... <: )

Welcome to John Miller's Fictitious, April Fool's Day party.

The sign at the door says - NO HARD DRUGS ALLOWED!!! 

I've just arrived at the party ...  And a big, muscular gal, big enough to be a bouncer, stands at the door in a pink cocktail dress, holding a lemon. I wasn't sure about - why a lemon?

A brief argument ensues as the couple in front of me brought cigarettes and beer...

"Sorry", the bouncer says... "No hard drugs."

"What?" the guy exclaims!  "Well that's stupid. It's legal in case you didn't know... " He swears and shows obvious signs of alcoholism and instability... obvious he's had a few already, same with his girlfriend who grows visibly impatient..

"There's a bar down the street," the bouncer explains.

She smiled, being friendly, but the guy's girlfriend thought she was winking and flirting. The thought of no beer drove her crazy and she tried to take a swing at Nancy. The lemon juice caught the girlfriend right on target, and in both eyes.

Ouch, ouch! The couple left, swerving away at high speed down the road...

Jerks, I thought. I knew the rules... they were on the invitation. . 

I was let right inside. I gave Nancy a tip... of my hat.

Inside the party the air was thick with reefer smoke, incense, and the smell of good food... chocolate cakes, cookies, and KFC*. Bob Dylan music (and I think I saw him), Tom Petty, Pink Floyd... I ate some... had a cup of tea...

It wasn't long before I was stoned... with about 30 other people... there were a couple of senators, a judge, two off-duty cops, an attorney, several doctors, a couple nurses, a cook, two custodians, several laid-off auto workers, a gypsy, a comedian, a Romulan... then suddenly, it didn't matter anymore...

I sat down at a table with several different people smoking purple starlight from a hookah. They were discussing the hugh DEB raid in Northern California...  after the drug czar ordered all federal troops to swoop in and arrest or kill as many pot smoking, 21st century hippies, they could find. They began with those who held medical marijuana cards...

The DEB had planned this for years... 70 years to be exact... being stoned some parts of the story went harmlessly off - not registering. Some stuff caught my attention, like I got caught up in a discussion  about how this would not only increase the violence and the moral message about how "drugs are bad, but put fear into the populous... it would increase desire for alcohol and tobacco - increased taxes, and result in less stoners.

A Zombie Round-up...

Yeah... okay... I moved on... it is common for such discussions when persons smoke cannabis. And the discussions generally migrate towards peaceable solutions, or frustration that it's a lost cause. Either way, generally, the discussion moves on, to other topics, and later maybe, people get creative.

From there I got up, ate some more, and saw three attractive women sitting on a couch, passing a joint. I walked over, asked, "may I join you?" a couple smiled, then the woman on the right moved over a bit... "sit here", she said. I did...

***

The police did eventually arrive... surrounded the place and threatened to tear-gas the house. Then they got word there was KFC* inside...So they asked Nancy, the big gal with the lemon if they could come in and have some KFC*?

Nancy made sure they had no hard drugs...and made them leave their guns at the coat-room.

The police investigated, using talents that amazed me as they zeroed in on the KFC*...along the way they tested out a few of the other amenities. They ate all the KFC... and left.

It turned out to be a great party... everyone got along.

April Fools !!!

KFC* is my thanks to Comedy Central's, "South Park "  - March 31, 2010...    I laughed my ass off !!!