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If you’ve been following my conversation with Corey W. deVos (or, even if not) you might find this one interesting, I sure did.
In a somewhat surprising, but welcome development, the American Medical Association has officially adopted a policy which calls for a review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule 1 drug (along with LSC, PCP, and heroin), aka a drug with no known medicinal purpose.
“This shift, coming from what has historically been America’s most cautious and conservative major medical organization, is historic,” said Aaron Houston, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project, who attended the AMA meeting. “Marijuana’s Schedule I status is not just scientifically untenable, given the wealth of recent data showing it to be both safe and effective for chronic pain and other conditions, but it’s been a major obstacle to needed research.”
The health care bill passed by the House is complete bull shit. For exactly not the reason my grandpa insists.
Only a brief list of why:
I know, it’s been less than a week of my (thus far) quasi-triumphant return to blogging. But I’m leaving you. Well, sorta. The fact is that tomorrow I head down to Connecticut (as we used to say in a play on CT’s lame motto “the constitution state”: “the institution state”) to see old friends, go to a wedding, and give my mom some much deserved ‘grandma time’ with Mira; and between now and next Monday, you should expect about zero from me by way of posts. Sorry. I do feel great about finally getting back to writing, and getting back to thinking about more than pregnancy, babies, and work, which is quite literally 9798% of my life over these past 11 months.
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few things to chew on:
- A really cool new site, found via commondreams.org, tracking the financial backing behind the new conservative “grassroots” (i.e., “tea party” protests, etc) movement. I read recently that Noam Chomsky had warned a gathering at an Amnesty International event of the dangers that a right-wing populist movement could pose- which I think is a fair point, despite how tempted we may be to simply laugh them off. The truth of the matter, of course, is that much of what such protesters are instinctually reacting against is, well, worth being against or at least questioning. The problem, most of the time, is the angle from which the right arrives at their points. ”Government run” health care? no, of course, shitty. But they take a “populist” stand for private health care, rather than for real, populist, socialized medicine. Etc. My new favorite saying- from the French- that the American right people really needs to meditate on (and move towards): in the United States the people are afraid of the government, in France, the government is afraid of the people. Think about that one.
- Well, before I’ve gotten a chance to go there, seems we’ve fucked up the beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro. The UK Times points out that it’s a dramatic show of global climate change’s effects, which it is, but all I keep thinking is “fuck, what wondrous beauty will be left for my kids? really? only historical footage of Kilimanjaro?
- My partner’s best friend, an old political comrade of mine, and my daughter’s godfather gave me this bottle of Glenmorandie Scotch which I’ve managed to keep on hand for a year, and let me tell you, sipping it right now at 11 pm is grand.
- I don’t know what happened in the past few weeks, but the tone over at my friend Mioke’s blog is noticeably different. Not all the time. But in general, I’ve found his latest posts to be reflective to a degree that is markedly different from his usual iconoclastism, as well as patient and, good lord what word am I gonna use here- digestive of the small town Vermont (American? I don’t know) experience. There’s something very zen going on over there, worth keeping an eye on.
- The big national-hype of NY’s 23rd Congressional District (“the fighting 23rd”) is worth a mention. If you don’t know, there was a Dem, a Republican, and an independent (a “Conservative Party” candidate, right of the GOP candidate). This particular district has been represented by a Republican for longer than anyone is able to remember. The GOP candidate in this case also happens to be a moderate by American political terms (she’s relatively pro-union, her husband being a local AFL-CIO president, as well as being pro-choice). The Conservative Party candidate hit the ground attacking her as “not a true conservative” and, well, did pretty good damage to her. Recently she dropped out of the race (polls were showing here a distant third, as well as she had a hard time raising money). Upon dropping out, she endorsed the Dem, as did a number of national Republicans. All of which has been a rallying-cry for the Conservative Party candidate who’s claiming to be fighting for the soul of the conservative movement. Some national Republicans, however, can see the strategic writings on the wall and are calling for “conservatives” to open up their Party to a wider ‘tent’, lest they be left in the political dust. Well, it just may be too late for that. This race is a great example of the huge schism in the American Right- between moderates and hard rightists- which is going to be a huge problem for the GOP in elections over the near future. Not to worry for them, because the Dems have the same problem on their hands, as progressives continue to wake-up to the B.S. that is president Obama and moderates in that party continue to champion him (or, somehow, despise him for being a “socialist” when in fact he’s as socialist as, I dunno, Regean). Should be interesting, to say the least.
- Interesting note on the state of political protests. Don’t know entirely what I think, but worth a read.
OK, I’ll be back next week. Thanks for being here. Cheers.
Dear god, I’m so sorry. I’ve been the worst blogger. It happens, I guess. What I don’t understand, though, so who keeps coming here, as my site visits are not only holding steady (albeit lower than the average of when I was writing consistently) but today, somehow, I have a record number of visits. ?
But I’m ready, now, to start writing again. Beginning this weekend, I’ll be posting on a somewhat regular basis. I promise.
From the My Senator can beat-up your Senator Department: Apparently Sen Bernie Sanders showed up Friday night in Burlington at the Roxy Theatre to do a little Q & A with the movie-goers after Michael Moore’s new film Capitalism: A Love Story. And apparently said Q & A included Bernie’s opinion of the movie: “… it was pretty damn good…”
I’m not so sure there’s too many people in Washington willing to admit to having seen a Moore film, let alone this one (or any movie with a title like that), let alone giving it such praise, let alone turning a showing into an opportunity to engage regular people. Having Bernie is, on the whole, way fucking cooler than having pretty much any other politician out there representing us. Cheers.
Hat tip to Christian…
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