Quote From _Name Of The Rose_

"It's hard to accept the idea that there cannot be an order in the universe because it would offend the free will of God and His omipotence. So the freedom of God is our condemnation, or at least the condemnation of our pride."

I dared, for the first and last time in my life to express a theological conclusion: "But how can a necessary being exist totally polluted with the possible? What difference is there, then, between God and primigenial chaos? Isn't affirming God's absolute omnipotence and His absolute freedom with regard to His own choices tantamount to demonstrating that God does not exist?"

William looked at me without betraying any feeling in his features, and he said, "How could a learned man go on communicating his learning if he answered yes to your question?"

Million Pot Smoker March! Take 2

Time to march on Washington!

It seems to me that NORML has been taking a low profile approach to changing drug policy in the US, but in my opinion it's time for more overt action.

I get the sense that more and more people are ready for something to happen and are willing to support rationalization of US drug laws, but they need to see a focused effort. The prohibitionists ARE focused, and that's why their policies continue to thrive.

Because public support for pot legalization seems diffuse, politicians perceive that there's little political capital to be gained in supporting legalization, or even relaxation of drug laws. Not only that, but they lack the tools to frame the debate in favor of legalization.

The framework for this is there, the knowledge is there, but it's only known to those who seek it out with an open mind, and is not well known at all among the general public. Thus, where prohibitionists only need to say a few words and everyone knows what they mean, legalizationists have to use many paragraphs to explain their position, and by then they will have lost the attention of their listeners anyway.

What I'm getting at is this: there are plenty of latent supporters out there, people who kind of think it might be a good idea to change the laws, but as soon as they speak up, they are barraged with a deluge of ready-made arguments from their prohibitionist friends. They have little ammunition to fight back, and little motivation to seek that ammunition.

The ready-made arguments of the prohibitionists are their ammunition they have developed, stockpiled, and distributed over the years, and they allow them to frame the debate in their favor.

Anyone who wants to effect change has to also frame the debate in their own favor.You can't do this by just telling people to go look at a website, you have to have short, clear, concise arguments full of implied information supporting the argument, and once you have these, you have to disseminate them.

This is where a march on Washington comes in. A concentrated, focused effort such as this could change the way people perceive anti-drug war activism, and it would be a good venue to inaugurate widespread dissemination of rhetoric to frame the debate in favor of legalization. I don't know if this could be accompanied by advertising in the various media, advertisers might not accept it, but at least the coverage of the event itself would be significant.

If people who are for legalization see large numbers of like-minded people taking action, some will be curious why this is happening, some will be encouraged to find out more about it, and some will be encouraged to join in taking action. A march on Washington would show that people care, and that people are ready to support politicians who support legalization.

Here is my suggestion for a beginning on framing the debate for legalization.

Legalize pot and...

- We don't have to spend anymore money trying to arrest, prosecute, and encarcerate dealers or users.

- We can tax the sale of it moderately, like tobacco and alcohol.

- Prices will be reasonable and there will be little reason to commit crimes of any kind in order to get it.

- Medical uses will be acceptable.

- We can start producing hemp products again.

- Money will be taken out of the pockets of organized crime and terrorists.

Million Pot Smoker March!

Time to march on Washington!

NORML needs to get its ass in gear. They've been content to take a low profile approach to changing drug policy in the US, but now is the time for more overt action, in my opinion.

More and more people are ready for something to happen and willing to support it, but they need a focused effort. The pro-drug war folks ARE focused, and that's the only reason their policies continue to thrive. Politicians know there's no political capital to be gained, and plenty to be lost in supporting any relaxation of drug policies.

But a concentrated, focused effort could change that. If people who are for
legalization see large numbers of like-minded people taking action, then
they too will be encouraged to take action, whereas at present most people
figure it's not worth it because it doesn't seem worth the effort. A march
on Washington would show that people care, and that people are ready to
support politicians who support legalization.

The time is right!

Faith-Based Alternative Power Generation Program

Republicans have hatched a faith-based alternative to America's energy and health care requirements. They plan to harness prayer power.

Senator Rick Santorum announced today that since all science is clearly the handiwork of Satan, Republicans plan to pass a bill that will ban all science teaching in both public and private schools, including institutions of higher learning. Though not a member of the Senate, House Majority leader Tom DeLay said the bill would pass due to a little known and heretofore unused clause in the No Child Left Behind Act that allows Republican leaders to pass whatever bills they want without regard to regular voting requirements.

Santorum explained that all science classes will be replaced with prayer sessions. Everything that currently seems to require scientific principles to operate will henceforth be operated using the power of faith alone. The Power of Christ will compel lighting, air conditioning, computers, etc., to work, in lieu of so-called "electricity". "For too long, liberal, atheist scientists have held a monopoly on power generation through their belief in so-called 'electricity'," said the Senator. "They have cowed our youth with this religious propaganda for the last time. This time we will not even bother with 'teaching the controversy', but will go straight to the power of prayer!"

The Power of Christ will also compel internal combustion engines to run, enable mobile phone communication (including text messaging), heal the sick, and feed the masses.

Republicans will develop this new power source through a new public corporation. Shares in Power of Christ, LLC, will be available for purchase on the NYSE on October 29, 2005, marking the beginning of the 6th millenium after the Creation of the Universe.

Asshole Meets Psycho

There was this asshole, which is me, and I was just finishing filling up my tank when this teenaged boy drives up to the next pump with his mobile phone glued to one ear or the other as he maneuvered into place. For some reason I took an instant dislike to the guy. As I'm screwing the gas cap back on, he comes up and politely asks if I can help him with something, I didn't quite catch what. But being in touch with my inner asshole as I am, and really not wanting to have anything to do with this guy, I politely told him I couldn't, as I was in a hurry.

At this his face changed from polite smile to crestfallen disbelief, to anger in the space of a second. "You mean you don't even have time to [transmission garbled]?" I never COULD figure out what he wanted me to do. Anyway, I said "Sorry" and got in my car. As I was preparing to drive away, he said "Thanks for nothing! Have a nice day dickhead!" and patted my car rather aggressively.

At that point, I thought briefly about making a big deal out of it, but I really did have better things to do, besides which I have unpaid traffic tickets for which I could get thrown in jail if I have any impromptu meetings with the police. As I drove away, he made following motions, as if to show he was ready to pounce on my car at any time.

So then I'm thinking "Shit, this is going to be like that movie 'Fear' where Mark Walhberg plays Reese Witherspoon's psycho boy friend and beats the crap out of her father's vintage Mustang with a baseball bat when he doesn't get his way." But unlike Wahlberg, this guy was just a scrawny kid, and I made the whole thing as impersonal and emotionless as I possibly could, something I learned the hard way in New York City back in the '80s when just looking at someone on the subway could get you mugged.

Anyway, if the guy had just continued to be polite and explained to me what he wanted, I probably would have helped him, despite my first impressions, which were wholly confirmed by my second and third impressions. What a spoiled little brat! I've been a beggar before, and I've been accosted by beggars who were well seasoned in their craft. You never throw a hissy fit because someone tells you "no" on your first foray.

So was this kid a psycho, or just a spoiled brat? Or am I a psycho? I like to think of myself as an asshole, but it's possible I'm giving myself credit where none is due.

Evolution of Species

On a yahoo message board, someone posted a good explanation of how species develop.

>>No specied has ever evolved into another species.<<

You are absolutely right. However, two reproductively isolated populations of the same species faced with different environments have each changed enough as to not at all look like one another. It is how we have the biological species that we have.

Legalize Marijuana

Legalize pot and...

- We don't have to spend anymore money trying to arrest, prosecute, and encarcerate dealers or users.

- We can tax the sale of it moderately, like tobacco and alcohol.

- Prices will be reasonable and there will be little reason to commit crimes of any kind in order to get it.

- Medical uses will be acceptable.

- We can start producing hemp products again.

- Money will be taken out of the pockets of organized crime and terrorists.

Music My Daughter Listens To

And I like it too.

Kings of Leon,
Le Tigre,
Freezepop,
The Unicorns,
Mando Diao,
Rufus Wainwright,
The Rocket Summer,
The Decembrists,
The Faint,
Rilo Kelley,
The Shins,
Flamin' Groovies,
Bright Eyes,
The Postal Service,
Death Cab For Cutie,
Flogging Molly,
Hot Hot Heat,
Dashboard Confessional,
The Format,
The Strokes,
Ben Kweller.

Maybe some

Nada Surf,
Pedro the Lion,
Weezer,
Pretty Girls Make Graves,
Senses Fail,
The Killers

if you're wanting something punkish.

All Part Of The Plan

I posted this on Yahoo about an article entitled "Scientists Experiment With 'Trust' Hormone", got a good response.

---

Bush has called for mental health screening for all Americans. Soon we'll all be found to have one disorder or another, and be required to take pills for treatment. A prime ingredient in all those pills will be chemicals like the one in this article, to induce trust, fear, complacency, whatever the Administration wants.

Pills will only be dispensed on a weekly basis, so the Administration can change the formula to suit its needs. People found not to be taking their medication will be injected with it. No punishment will be necessary.

---

People were surprised, so I added this,

---

I thought everybody knew about Bush's plan to screen every American for mental health! This was about a year ago. Actually, looking at the links I've just found, it has progressed further than I thought. Here are some links,

Bush plans to screen whole U.S. population for mental illness
Sweeping initiative links diagnoses to treatment with specific drugs

Doctor calls President's mental health Screening Initiative "Crazy"

Bush To Impose Psychiatric Drug Regime

Mental Health Screening in Schools Signals the End of Parental Rights

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