MY THOUGHTS WITH 6 DAYS LEFT 'TILL THE ELECTION

Hurricane Sandy gave us pause to think... I'll give her that, plus I had an unexpected day off...

So frankly though, this election is becoming a seriously worse decision than I had to make in 2004, between Bush and Kerry. Bush fooled me in 2000, and I was aghast that he actually got reelected in 2004. I admit, until a few weeks before the election I was for Kerry... but I realized there were problems. So I voted for Nader.

I voted strongly in favor of Barack Obama in 2008. Strongly believed for the first time in years we would get a truly American President. Wow, am I sitting here quite disappointed. However... I am aghast, again, as it's Halloween Night (**) for one, at the US Senate, Boehner especially, although I suppose, hope, he is only doing his job. After all, he's in the Senate, not the House... and it's the House from what I recall that represents "The People", you and I. From what I've taken away from "politics" for the past four years is a Senate dedicated to doing anything, however distasteful to defeat the White House, and a struggling House of Representatives.

I am quite up to date on issues and results, read lots of news. There have been good and great things that have happened in the past four years. There have been tragedies, disappointment, and outright shocking things having happened.

But the election, for President. Wow, to consider my choices?

RE: Obama
1) Big disappoint in many ways from what I expected from him. Half way decent President, better than most I've known... but disappointed. I think as a businessman he got the job done well. I approve his decisions with Libya, think whether the HC Law works out or not it had to happen, was tried before and failed, and he made it happen. I feel, in general he is making sound, knowledgeable decisions. I feel he cares about us. He's not telling secrets, and he does seem to have hidden agendas, but he seems more upfront than many Presidents I've known.

2) I am seriously disappointed with his say one thing and do another when it comes to California and legal marijuana. On the one hand he is reputed to have told the Justice Dept, the CIA, and other Gov't Enforcers to Stand Down... let the states that choose to legalize cannabis do their thing. That would be the persona of the side of the President, Barry Obama , who grew up in Hawaii (I have posted about Barry Obama in a fairly recent post). Yeah, Barry in his late teens was a marijuana guru, by accounts... see my previous post for the book recently released revealing the life of young Barry Obama. Quite disappointed with how he looks the other way while the DEA ransacks CA dispensaries and gets them shut down.

3) I am a believer in the Constitution of the United States. But let's talk 1ST and 2ND Amendments... in the "Bill of Rights" (Wikipedia Link). It'd odd, we talk about our constitutional rights, but much about what we don't know is that it's a second document (set of) that were signed protecting "The People's Right"... called the "Bill of Rights" (Wikipedia Link) composed originally with 10 Amendments.

The first was called: The "First Amendment to the US Constitution" (Wikipedia Link). "The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances". SOURCE: Wikipedia

This is important to me simply because expressing myself, not harming others, living the best respectable life I can, I don't need government regulations breathing down my back, using my taxes, to interfere with peoples rights, freedoms and our liberty to be who we are. Again, not hurting anyone, not even ourselves - like smoking pot. SERIOUS CRIME - near zero harm to society unless it's prohibited, as it is. Then everything changes... and bogeymen come out of the closets!

On that front it seems a war is brewing... Then there's the...

"Second Amendment of the US Constitution"" (Wikipedia Link) - "The Right to Bear Arms".

Quite frankly, I believe we do have a right to protect ourselves, and a firearm is very effective in that respect.   Society is not entirely civilized... in fact we don't appear to be any more superior than the Romans were, 2000 years ago. It's true the majority of gun-owners are responsible people. Sure, always a story in the news where a gun was used in a crime, but there are many equally effective tools available other than a gun.

The news is that Obama/SoS Clinton are signing a deal to put gun-ownership for Americans into the hands and jurisdiction of the United Nations. This is serious stuff. It effectively, they hope, that it will nullify the 2nd Amendment. And with that goes the First, and all our other rights.

The NRA strongly opposes President Obama. That's enough to pause and consider. And honestly, I can't see myself voting Obama.

MITT ROMNEY AS A CHOICE:... That's an easy answer... NRA endorsed, but other than that the guy is really naive and possessed. No vote for Romney.

Which means I'm in a bind.

So, to recap... Obama has been disappointing, and may even have a crippling agenda... he has not let states manage cannabis without federal interference, and he is generally vocal about federal law trumping states laws.

Romney - simply boring and scary both.

Seems my options are limited... Only 2???

No, there are other candidates, though Ron Paul is out although I could write him in. There's a strong female candidate representing the green Party in CA, but she's not national - another write in vote.

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate and ex-Governor of New Mexico (Democratic Hub Link) is an excellent choice. He brings a Jeffersonian, as in Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States (Wikipedia Link) approach back to Washington, namely a small government. A balance of state and federal powers.

But, with Hurricane Sandy stirring up the dust, blinding us, this close to an election...  and the race reported to be so close, how do I vote?

Easy. By how I believe.

THE LIFE STAGES - THREE OR SEVEN? YOU DECIDE... PART ONE

Frankly, I can only speak for myself here. The following posts address a long standing philosophy us humans established, to find cause and effect of being alive and conscious... Three Stages of Life (and I don't mean Birth/Life/Death) or Seven Life Stages? I'm here to discuss them both.

Comments are encouraged and welcome.

Regardless of how many stages you believe there are in life the underlying principles remain the same  The difference are in your core your beliefs... for example, religious persons are probably more inclined, I feel, to believe in the Three Stages theory. Others, just as passionate and devoted in their beliefs might find the Seven Stages more palatable.

PART ONE:

THE THREE STAGES OF LIFE:

Traditionally, if you want to believe it - they are:  Childhood, Adulthood, Old Age.

Stage 1: As a baby/child/teenager you're Stage 1;  you have no control over your existence. You may be raised in the Church of Anything and be forced to believe in the cause... but regardless, you have no control over much of your environment or destiny.  You're helpless and at the mercy of your parents and the system of education you find yourself in. You are this until age 18 or 21... the change-over isn't well defined - dying for your country doesn't count towards consumption of alcohol, most everything else though... until you take the initiative and actually move away from home.

Stage 2: Still a child as an adult in the beginning - leaving home, going off to college or war, there's no escaping the inescapable hold of family. Still, you now have some control over your own destiny. If remaining back home you'd be expected to find a job, marry, buy a home, have children, entertain family and in-laws. Your extended family might still in control of your life, though they give you some independence as time passes. If you move away, expect much the same, only from a distance, which from my experience didn't help a lot. Yeah, eventually you get older (actually fairly quickly), gain more autonomy and your family superiors die off, leaving you alone with your wife, if you have one, children too - if you have children,  who also often move away, and you're alone, most likely. Dreams, you finally find yourself asking, what are dreams?

Stage 3: Elderly... old age... over 60... you can now retire and reap your rewards in Social Security and that pension you've worked for for over 30 years... You can exercise dominion over those younger than you... you move to Florida, buy a condo, and the light will quickly follow you to your grave.

That is what's considered by many to be the ideal map for people.  Very simple. Just one easily defined road. Three simple stages in life. And the fact, some people are more "successful" and wealthy than others. Way it is. Work hard, roll the dice...

For My Next Post... 

THE SEVEN STAGES OF LIFE:

1) Infant/Newborn, 2) Child, 3) Teenager, 4) Young Adult, 5) Adult, 6) Middle Aged, 7) Senior Citizen. Yes, this can be further extended, and it should be... for example a kindergarten aged child, into 1st and 2nd grades... distinct from a preschooler, another category, and a person aged 7 - 10, a separate cat., prior to : preteen, puberty, followed by teenager. followed by 16 to 18 year old's, then 18 to 21 years old's,  21 to 25... 25 to 30... 30 - 40,; 40 - 50; 50 - 60; and life after 60, where I have not gotten to yet. That's something like 20 Life Stages... all unique in there own way.

That in my next post...

THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES 2012 - # 1; AND AN UNPRECEDENTED CHICAGO DRUG BUST!!!

But First! In memory of Rufus the Rooster, who died Tues., Oct. 02, the victim of a coyote attack, along with one of his hens...

No trace of Rufus has been found... though we searched. The incident took place, it is assumed, mid-morning when Rufus and his flock of hens were across the road in the woods. It wasn't until late afternoon we realized that Rufus was missing. At that time a search was carried out. The feathers of a white hen were discovered across the road, along a path in the woods, a couple piles of feathers from the hen were seen along two parts of the path. The search ended at a stream, where the trail of mayhem disappeared. No sign of Rufus was ever found.

It should be noted that Rufus was a BIG rooster, with sharp spurs (note: right foot) and bountiful tail-feathers:

Obviously a rooster, even a BIG rooster like this, can only do so much against a great predator like a coyote. But Rufus was if nothing else, the exception... I rest assured Rufus put up a good fight and gouged out the coyote's eyes before meeting his end! He died protecting his hens... a valiant hero in the annals of rooster lore. He'll be missed.

Rufus and his flock of hens:

Predators can strike at any time. Living among chickens and roosters has taught me a lot, like they have an extraordinary sense of awareness and effective methods of communication. They make lots of vocal sounds... and to be caught by surprise by a predator is unusual, with roosters around, as they are quite astute at sensing danger.

Not so for the average American it would seem.

First up, the first official Presidential debates between President Obama and Mitt Romney. Sorry, I can't post any links as all links are restricted by Federal Law. But I can post my thoughts, and it just so happened a national surveyor called and wanted to ask me a few questions with regards to my opinion.

"Hi, Acme Survey, we'd like to ask you a few questions about your response to the 1st presidential Debates?"

Me: "Sure".

Acme: "Who do you think won the debate?"

Me: "No one"

Acme: "Why do you say that?"

Me: "It wasn't a debate, it was a staged event."

Acme: "Explain?"

Me: "Since Obama took office the major agenda has been the war in Afghanistan,  Iran, Congressional mayhem and in-fighting; the economy, enforcing the War on Drugs - while renaming it as the federal public safety drug enforcement regulation. None of the questions asked were really focused on the real issues."

Acme: "So you watched the debate?"

Me: "No. I read about it online".

Acme: "Thank-you. Next question, "what question, if any, would you like to have seen posed to the the two Presidential candidates?"

Me: "Which one of you is going to decriminalise cannabis?"

Acme: "What's cannabis?"

Me: "Pot, commonly called marijuana which is a term prejudicial to the people of Mexico."

Acme: "Final question: do you plan on voting for Mitt Romney, President Obama, or not vote?"

Me: "I plan on voting for the third presidential candidate, Gary Johnson; Libertarian party."

Acme: "Who?"

Me: "Gary Johnson".

Acme: "That does not compute. Good day."

***

And finally - In The News... Chicago police discover a huge crop of marijuana growing on the city's south side... described as the size of two "two football fields". It was apparently near to Chicago's police helicopter dispatch center, and police helicopters routinely passed over-head over the "drug production enterprise." They can't explain the "drug operation" going on all summer under their noses. 

I can't explain it either - but given the deadly effects of marijuana exposure one would have thought many people in southern Chicago would have developed symptoms, like fevers, hallucinations, psychotic episodes, hilarity, insanity, or worse.

Again, I can't post any photo's of the publicly available photo's of the crime scene due to federal copyright regulations, though I think I can post this link for the whole story: FOX NEWS: Police-in-Chicago-Uncover-Nearly-1000-Pot-Plants-in-City.

I find it ludicrous to begin with that the article titled: "Police in Chicago became farmers for a day Wednesday as they began to chop down a  marijuana farm as big as two football fields found in the city."

Somehow I don't think that makes the Chicago police farmers. I'd select a term more akin to an invading army of crusaders for the moral right.

According to Chicago Superintendent Garry McCarthy, whose team of law enforcement officers erradicated the field of horror - putting their own lives in danger! He said, "those involved with narcotics, whether it is marijuana, heroin or cocaine, purchase firearms with their profits and have shown they're willing to use them to protect their business... That's where the violence comes in, the competition for the markets."

Yeah, 1920's Prohibition, ad naseum...

Waste of my taxes! Legalize already - Stop the Hurt!!!

FIONA APPLE - MUSICIAN - ARRESTED/CHARGED FOR 3RD DEGREE FELONY POSSESSION OF HASHISH

Fiona Apple, the singer/songwriter; musician was busted on her tour bus in Hudspeth County, TX, for possession of  3 to 4 grams of hashish - the natural resin the cannabis plant exudes when flowering. It's not manufactured in a lab, but rather, it is a natural substance.

Source: ENTERTAINMENT TODAY/Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office

The checkpoint she was stopped at is well known for getting celebrities arrested; Willie Nelson being an example at the same border patrol check-point. You'd thing the celebrity; agents would know not to let their client go through there... if they had a lick of sense and awareness.

The law is the law... here being possession of any amount of hashish beings a 3RD degree felony. $10,00 fine, 2 - 10 years in prison.

The problem with that, namely is, does the; punishment fit the crime?

The crime: "Possession of Hashish", a resinous constituent of the cannabis plant.

Justification for the crime? None scientifically established. Many drug laws are based on principal, historical obsolescence and/or plain misunderstanding.

Courtesy of the following source (highlighted), here is the break-down of arrests in Texas for 3rd Degree Felonies:

(1) Drug abuse violations 1,841,182 (2) Driving while Intoxicated 1,427,494 (aka; Felony DUI);(3) Property crime 1,610,088 (includes burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.)(4) Larceny-theft 1,172,762;(5) Assault 1,305,693;(6) Disorderly conduct 709,105;(7) Liquor laws 633,654;(8) Violent crime 597,447 (including murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault. (9) Drunkenness 589,402;(10) Aggravated assault 433,945 (11) Burglary 303,853;(12) Vandalism 291,575 (13) Fraud 252,873 (14) Weapons violations (carrying or possession) 188,891 (15) Curfew and loitering 143,002 (16) Robbery 126,715;(17) Offenses against family and children 122,812;(18) Stolen property (buying, receiving, possession) 122,061;(19) Motor vehicle theft 118,231;(20) Forgery and counterfeiting 103,448;

 

NOTE: There is zero discussion of drug violations, yet they make up the majority of felony arrests. Why is that?

Possession of marijuana, cannabis or hashish as a violation of human law is not a legitimate crime. It is clear in the Holy Bible that use of plants provided by God is legitimate. This is laid out in Genesis.

There is enough scientific fact to rescind all drug laws, as out-dated and ineffective at providing for public safety, as the laws themselves promote more harm than the plant being prohibited.

A pipe-dream perhaps...

The good news, I can hope for is Fiona Apple has the money for a very good defense team... and will fight this to the end... she broke the law, granted, but what good is a law that is not based on science? That is based on fantasy and principal. No justification has ever been provided as proof for cannabis prohibition  in fact, the opposite occurs. Beginning with: On March 22, 1972, the Commission's chairman, Raymond P. Shafer, presented a report to Congress and the public entitled "Marijuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding," which favored ending marijuana prohibition...

Yet here we are 40 years later still putting people in prison and harassing them for use of a plant ... for shame.

Prisons are for criminals who hurt people, not people who possess a plant. 

This country prints "In God We Trust" on the back of all our money. It has been so since the late 1950's. A genius President decided "We The People" trusted in God... yet years on, it's not the atheists causing the problems, it's the evangelicals themselves, tripping over their own convictions.

God gave humans the plants of the earth in Genesis. Cannabis included. No man-made law cannot trump that. Fiona Apple is innocent under God's law, and we live in a country that abides by "In God We Trust". If that's not true, perhaps it's time to admit it, and remove it, the motto, from our money.

In support of Fiona, I am going to buy some apples and send them to my favorite politician. Obama might be one of them. My note will say something like, "Hello from Fiona - Wake up". I don't know yet - playing with lots of ideas.. 

Fiona Apple:

Source: WIKIPEDIA

Stop the Hurt!!! Stop the ignorance!!!