Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

kjones's posterous thoughts


Things that I need out of my head that somebody else may have interest in.

Civil Felon

In recent interactions with the "Straight" world in the course of being involved with developing Timebanking as a practice of complimentary currency and community re-integration I have come to some interesting realizations.

One of those realizations is how kind and compassionate they can be. I do say "they" because the part of the world that plays in the "Straight" world way have always been those who I need to conceal a large part of my life from. And, I usually just avoid them. But in real life, and especially in the field of charitable activity, it seems that two worlds collide.  One is the almost hyper-christian spirit that almost demands charitable acts as part of the set of keys to heaven or whatever it is that instills a feeling of need to give back. The other is the free thinking spirit that lives by higher law because we believe that laws should make sense, be applicable, enforceable, functional, and actually good for the people they are meant to serve. The former tend to see illegal activity as activity that should be condemned and something that only some lower form of life partake in.

I am active in this Timebanking conversation locally and at an international level. I am well received and regularly thanked for my contributions to both conversations and conceptual interpretations at all levels. I am also a bit insensitive at times and don't even realize it. Maybe it's the cussing or the way I say things, the tone I use, or maybe I am a bit aggressive at times, but it isn't intentionally offensive.
All is easily forgiven and almost always the conversations moves forward with a casual flow of equality and respect. Some people seem to find me defensive. And maybe I am a bit. I am one of those lower life forms who has, do, and will, willfully break unreasonable laws. Most of those I am dealing with don't know that part about me in the beginning and it is not an issue to them. But something changes in the course of conversation. First, when they catch that I have no reluctance to talk about Marijuana, the mood seems to change a bit. Even those who I know smoke but are playing "Straight" in this context make noticeable adjustments. Some in very subtle ways. Others are shocked and notably uncomfortable. Those who don't smoke and play the "straight" role like their lives depend on it are often quite distinctly effected.


Simply the mention of Cannabis can change a room, but then comes the big one. I'm a felon. This little nugget of thought corrupting information usually stops the conversation for just long enough to trigger the patronage. Their tones change as their judgements seep from their eyes and gestures. Some become strangely "nicer" as they try hard to reconcile the ensuing conversation with the new facts. This is quite challenging for some, and for even fewer it is a breaking point in any willful interaction between us. Though I truly do want to understand, I can't say that I do. I don't understand ones reluctance to learning new things. I Don't understand their need to be right so badly that truth is insulting. I further don't understand how one can think they are so superior to me that whatever I say needs no further scrutiny in order to formulate a well rounded opinion of their own. It's as if I have no right to believe in helping society and the community I live in because they think I can't really believe in such things if I insist on changing, and breaking, the laws of that society.

Well, to those who believe "all sins are equal in the eyes of the Lord", I will see you in hell. Your judgement of me is no less sinful than my dedication to justice and nature. I will go as far as to say that this Civil Felon, may be persecuted more, but stand on firmer ground than those who profess a faith without truly understanding this simple commandment. At least I know I am breaking unjust laws and why I am doing it. I know the ramifications and accept them. I have no guilt. I have no shame. I live what I believe proudly and without apology. In fact, If more would stand firm on well founded understanding about laws and politics they may realize that being a civil felon may be far more respectable than living in fear. If the laws don't respect humanity, dignity, and individual choice, then maybe we need more folks that will stand firm under Gods Law or the simple understanding that Nature is perfect and people are not.

I don't have time in my life to hate, or to condemn the beliefs of others that don't affect others. But, I do have time to sit and write and talk about the injustice that is destroying this country. I have time to care about how this injustice affects every citizen whether they want to acknowledge it or not. I have time to try to share the truth and to further research it. I have all this time because I am on disability and unemployed because I am a Felon. A Civil Felon, like millions of others. At least I am open about it while most feel the need to hide that from the world in general. Get over it, read, learn, listen, and be an upstanding citizen. Contribute to society, and live your life freely. Respect that what I do with my body is not a crime as much as I feel it should be to sell you poison in the name of health. You don't have to trust me, but you owe it to yourself to know the truth and how to support your own health and community in effective ways. If you think the government and pharmaceutical companies care more about you than money you need to do some research. Civil disobedience has existed for as long as ridiculous laws have. If more would stand up for what's right, we would have a lot less of what is wrong to stand against. Laws and corruption made me a Felon. Faith made me a Civil Felon. If they made what you believe in a felony, would you stand firm or cower in fear of persecution? You better know, because it may be coming sooner than you think.
Peace to all.

Criminal intent?

I haven't written in a while, but I'm heated with outrage. Using the concept of you must be one to understand one, seems so applicable here and in so many other cases. I have been constantly angered by the paradox of law enforcement for years. I can't tell you how many times I have been caught with Marijuana, harassed and sent on my way without "My" possessions. I'm 41 years old, and have been in more courts than anybody I know. What scares me most, is that this statement is true even in consideration of all the real criminals I have known because of my association with Cannabis and the underground business it is legally forced to be a part of. I am a dedicated believer in the statement "NO VICTIM NO CRIME" so when a cop let's me leave after a 3 hour hassle without even a ticket, I am ok with that at that moment. ( I guess I should mention that most of my visits to courts have been for traffic infractions, and marijuana possession.)

What bothers me is the criminal intent of investigations without regard to victimization. Follow this logic for a minute. Law enforcement routinely allows marijuana and drugs to continue to circulate in the general population to further their investigation of those who would dare to risk the well being of society by "poisoning" citizens with such substances. Oops, follow which logic? If it was anthrax or something else truly dangerous we citizens would rage if they knew about it an let it reach it's destination just to see where it would go next. In fact, law enforcement does not allow this, they stop real dangers when they find them. Well, in most cases I want to believe this is true, but I am forced to wonder. Now we know that our government somehow under the guise of protection, willingly put guns in the hands of violent criminals specifically to figure out where those guns had come from and circulated to when they are found in Criminal raids and investigations. All I can think is entrapment. But does that even cover the severity of the dangers wrought upon Americans through such ridiculous logic? More lives have been lost on the Mexican American border since 9/11 than have been lost since 9/10 in all related activities and war.

Drugs are one thing, and personal consumption, purchase and possession may be crimes according to law, but not the opinion of the general public at large. The danger is to the individual, and that is not government business. But only in movies are the individuals who are the end recipients of bullets willing and consenting consumers of bullets deposited in their bodies by others. Would cops just watch a riot to see who they can arrest at the end? Is this a fucking game? Make everybody criminals by criminalizing personal choice, then arrest all those who are left standing in the end? Arm the real criminals who have shown propensity to kill without any regard, and ban all weapons from those who may wish to protect themselves from those bearing government issued arms?

Our law enforcement agencies are out of control and guided by few standards of real justice. If drugs are poison then any official who has been knowledgeable of any load and not confiscated it for destruction immediately is an accomplice to that crime, not a deterrent to it. Any official who allows crime to be unfettered is a criminal under most of our laws, unless of course they call it investigation instead of instigation. If an officer loosed his own gun he can be prosecuted, but give truck loads to known dangerous criminals in the name of investigation, and they expect a free pass? What?

This article is just one of many that have lead me to writing this. http://www.brenhambanner.com/news/napolitano-testifies-in-fast-and-furious-gun-probe/article_96cb8fcc-58c9-11e1-a148-0019bb2963f4.html
 But do some research. From the FDA, to the DEA, are your rights, health, and well being, being protected at all? I know your trained response is a resounding "YES", but seconds latter we all question even our own answer to that question. Well, Mine is an immediate "NO" now, and if you become informed, and as outraged as I am, we can change this. But if you hold to an uninformed yes and assume that you know better and that the government loves you. You may be part of the problem. Such complacency has eroded not only my rights but the rights and safety of every American. It doesn't stop there either, your government spends more time and money trying to control the world than to actually protect you from becoming the victim of any local crime. This may be acceptable if they would actually arrest large percentages of those who perpetrate victim crimes in America, but that is not the case. Fewer murders are solved and closed now than ever before, but our technology is exponentially better and the forces tasked with such investigation are far greater in number now. We have more people in prison, jail and on probation than any nation in the world, and more victimizers on the streets too. We have higher violent crime, and incarnation. We consume more of the drugs produced in the world than any other nation, and we are the sole foundation for world drug laws.

Isn't it time we look at the real problems? Who is being protected here?

Cannabis is so much more than a plant.

For many, it is nearly impossible to understand my "nearly religious" dedication to Cannabis. For many of those, it's plainly an addiction, demanding sympathy, pity, and likely rehab, or God.
To some, it's obsession, and to many it's just annoying. But, to most, no matter how they justify My "problem" so that they can make sense of it in their own judgment, It's just a waste of my time, and an excuse to get high.

Why would I continue to beat this proverbial "dead horse"? Because it isn't dead.

Look. Most of you couldn't care any less about if I smoke pot or not. Or if I go to church, or wear my seat-belt. Or really even if I go out and beat the hell out of some guy in a bar (as long as it doesn't effect you). In all reality, some would prefer, and even encourage, I go out and let off some steam in violence. It would be fine to talk in front of your kids about kicking some ass, but mention Pot and everybody takes a deep breath, aghast.

Well, Cannabis isn't my "religion", but it is representative of much of what I believe. Philosophically, this representation is vast and almost perfectly metaphorical to life at every level. For one minute, or however long it takes you to read this, forget about, "drugs". Lets take a look at the plant, the history, all the uses, and the laws and perceptions we live with daily. 

Now here's the problem, as I see it. I could talk about the plant and how it can be exploited for food, fuel, medicine, and recreation. How it can create jobs, and support community and economy in ways that most of us can't even imagine. I could go onto explain how the inept arrogance of eradication efforts, directly represent the negligence with which we view the earth, and each other. How those efforts are demonstrative of an illogical societal model that in sociological study probably couldn't even survive 200 years without revolution. I could talk about how inhuman it is to lock people up for personal choices, that in no logical way can be be defined as "causative" of any harm, if any effect at all, on anybody else. I could regurgitate facts for hours about how the negative effects of eradication efforts far outweigh the illusion of "investment". I could draw comparisons to corn, broccoli, almonds, peanuts, and even fish, to demonstrate clearly known Nutritional competitiveness. I could further extrapolate facts from government and present business numbers from around the world, to convince you of the textile value, and bolster agricultural value. I could demonstrate how agriculture directly influences economy. Then how the overall economy effects taxes. I could show how, medical expenses, systems, and services, could be more productive and less lethal, though likely less profitable. I could define "Trade Deficit" and "Resolution", and provide some pretty convincing numbers towards the latter. I could even talk about direct religious affiliation, and the "freedom of religion" in our country, or as a human right. I could tell you directly how your rights, your property, your children, your religion, your finances, and even your vehicles, are, or could be, directly effected a single plant. One or more of these, may also be because of the direct effects on your job. I could go on and on about your human, or even legal, or constitutional rights, and how a plant influences them. I could go into how education, through deception, is compromised, and demonstrate a pretty strong psychological model placing a plant at the cause of our nations educational failures. I could go onto how that directly influences economy, educational standards, and overall faith in the educational system. Which definitely can be causative of tax rates. I could talk about environmental implications of a renewable resource that is cheaper and more versatile than oil, and the direct effects of such a resource on economy, and again your taxes. Then I could directly demonstrate how that resource could directly effect the product market, where you spend all of your "discretionary" spending.

I really could go on for days with beautiful and overwhelming facts, backed with credentials far beyond acceptable in any field, if I could just be talking about anything but Cannabis. Interesting to me, that many of the issues that are neglected when it comes to cannabis, are the same issues many of you find offensive in personal conversations. So, you don't want to talk about your personal finances with others, and you won't hear how (oohhh) pot, effects them. You don't want to talk personally about religion, but to believe in pot is simply condemnable. You don't want to talk about how you should raise your kids differently, but think there is no psychological effect of deception on our youth. Man, if Jesus Christ, ever did return, Christians would have him locked up and medicated as insane. If you don't want your kids to be addicts, teach them self-accountability and that addiction is nothing more than the easiest excuse for giving up. If you don't want your kids to be unhappy, teach them to always strive toward a goal, as opposed to away from anything. If you want your kids to be honorable, you must honor the truth, no matter how inconvenient.

What I am getting at here is that I do believe in this plant almost religiously, but more important to me, and I wish you would realize, is how much I believe in you. I do smoke pot, and I do that now. I could do that quietly behind closed doors, just like many have for longer than I have been alive, and none of you would really care one way or the other, but then who is going to convince you to legalize it? Who else is going to provide for your family when you can't? Who is going to pay you, when our country produces nothing? Who is going to pay for the expensive, and honestly, dis-functional, drugs from the "morally corrupt" pharmaceutical companies, when you don't have a job and there is no medicaid? Who is going to convince you I am right, before you have no choice but to understand? What's it gonna take? What is it that can allow you to see how this one incredibly versatile plant really only has negative effects on your life right now, because of your negative views of it?

If you don't want to hear it, don't listen, but it's your ass too. When they ask if you have anything on you that you are not supposed to have, it's your rights about to be violated. (they already got me.)

I would give you all a million dollars if I could without hurting my own sustenance. Well, I can't do that, but I can do all I can to legalize cannabis, which will change far more than who smokes a joint.

If your still reading, Namaste',
If your not, Namaste'

Peace to all.

People: 62% for / 38% against. Representatives(?): 37% for / 63% against. United States of America 2011?

What the...............
    This at the same time marijuana and Medical marijuana are saturating mainstream shows, often as passive non-emotional and almost unacknowledged, normal behavior. When marijuana dons the screen in a prime time show these days, it isn't gang related or fear based representation against. More often it is incidental to further the normality of a character, or as a token through which a story line point may be made more apparent.

Weeds, catered to a niche in the beginning, and very well may still. As one in that Niche, I may miss that here. However, Harry's Law (NBC), Parenthood (NBC), Fairly Legal (USA), and numerous others this season, are competitive Prime-time shows using this issue to further their ratings. And it's working. Or, at least I am inclined to believe it is because of the increase of frequency and the pure nature of broadcast television as a business. There are always shows and producers willing to push the limits of acceptability for an episode or two, breaching taboo topics for the shock factor. But these shows are being far more subtle and not promoting the issue before the air date, which most shows do when they are exploiting the shock factor angle of high emotion issues.

I know there are other shows doing the same thing, Please show your respect in the comments for those shows. I will be sure to check them out.

Back on point. If society is not freaking out about Cannabis anymore, then how can we allow our government to? This is the height of irrational fear. How can politicians protect their offices and the people at the same time when they are working with inaccurate beliefs? Don't let them choose, make make them follow or let them starve. (ok, maybe not starve, but let them find real jobs in the real world).
       Sadly, though voting is a right and obligation in a democracy, It seems the time has come that any vote can be Muted with repercussion. So I ask you all, NOW WHAT?

NORML t-shirt design contest and promotion concept.

This is an idea I have for a membership drive and fundraiser.

Using the site groupon.com to sell more than x as a tipping point to innitiate the sale, every buyer gets to vote on which shirt will be produced for this years promotion.

First: NORML needs a place for all the art work to be submitted for the vote. A small prize and full recognition can be offered to the arrest who wins by vote of all buyers.
Next: a national groupon offer can be created. Here is my suggestion roughly. If 10000 shirts are sold. The deal become active. Each groupon ( I think) has a unique identifier that will be used by each buyer to cast their vote for which shirt they think should be the NORML 2011 groupon member drive shirt. Each buyer should also be paying for one year membership in their closest NORML chapter and the national NORML also.

The price should be set at a crazy low level to fully exploit the reach of this annual program. This price should be just enough to cover production and the highly discounted membership, with a little profit if any.

This is not so much to raise funds in my mind, but awareness and networking. As membership grows there will be opportunity for more cash concious fundraising with a broader base.

Groupon sales are time sensitive accumulated sales to achieve bulk pricing at a one off level. Since all the cash is collected at one time, the purchase power of the group is directly extended to each buyer.

Please let me know what you think of this idea.
Peace to all.

Sent via DROID X on Verizon Wireless

Breadcrumbs: Food-Stamps

I have often been told that I should write.

 

 

Well, I really question whether anybody cares what it is that I may have to say. But, of one thing I am sure I now have a way of leaving breadcrumbs as I develop and attempt to initiate some of my ideas.

 

Tonight, I will try to address what I find highly wasteful and problematic in our food-stamp programs. OK, not all of what is wasteful, but an exponentially wasteful practice with a visible remedy within reach of reality.

FOOD STAMPS CAN NO LONGER BE USED FOR ANY FOOD WITHOUT KNOWN HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUES.

With obesity on the rise, a growing health concern, and medicaid about out of money, why would we allow food-stamps to purchase pastries?

I wrote some shit on Facebook about this today too because it really bothers me. I don't want to deny people of anything really, but when nutrition is the intent nutrition should be the result. By buying a starving alcoholic a drink instead of a meal, you are directly contributing to their demise. But what about giving them money and the choice of how to spend it? Would it not be most beneficial to everybody to provide the nutrition as the only option?

This is not an anti-compassionate concept. It is, (as far as I can see) based in strict logic and real problems. If obesity is at epidemic levels, and obesity is a danger to ones health, and there are "foods" that do not contribute functional nutrition, or directly contribute to obesity more so than to meeting nutritional needs, then Food-stamps should just reject such products as they do cat litter.

All the processes are already in use. The technology has reached near full saturation of the market. All this takes is creating criteria for the nutritional values that will be acceptable for emergency consumption and sustainable healthy values on an indefinite basis. As an example I offer the movie "Super Size Me", in which a man eats nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days straight. The results where almost catastrophic to his health. Food-stamps won't buy a Shake at McDonald's but it will buy you a lot of crap food at the store. I say, no twinkies, white bread, ho-ho's, captain crunch, products containing Questionable preservatives or other ingredients with known negative health implications, and No Coca-cola.

Look, I don't think survival is supposed to be full of pleasure all the time, but you can't enjoy your life later if you don't have it. There is no reason for a nutritional assistance program administered by the United States Government to directly contribute to extensive growth in spending in health care also administered by the United States Government, and all paid for with working folks tax dollars.

If you "earn" your Twinkie, Eat as many as you want. But I don't buy them for myself, so I certainly don't want to do that to a starving person.
We need to apply logic and technology to our services, and look at them as co-existant and literally entangled. Food-stamps and medicare both claim to be in the same business, why aren't they in concert then? Any business with such inconsistency in mission and execution would be bankrupt and fail to exist, and yet we allow this to continue.

I believe that every part of our government should work within the same mission statement, and in concert and tight integration with all other aspects of government in only complimentary function. Meaning that any expenditure into a nutritional program, should be directly reflected in an even larger savings in caring for the eminent lack of such nutrition should it be denied.

So, what do you think?
Should Food Stamps be strictly for nutritional healthy foods? or should one on food-stamps deserve to buy any food they want without regard for nutrition or potential dangers?

I am hoping to carry this into a sort of series in which I address Legal and Government ideas I have and answers to societal political problems that I think can help. Too many can list hundreds of problems in a row about just about anything, but we need answers. Real tangible ideas to create a better reality for tomorrow. We need people to come forward with brave new ideas and be able to show how they can work, should work, and how not changing now is detrimental to the government and all the folks in office. I can't imagine how much we really spend on these programs alone, but the savings from the above program would have to be exponentially huge.

Maybe next time I will be writing about A Cashless Welfare System in which Possession of any Cash is procecutable. Stay tuned, or better yet stay involved. Rib me, push me, test me, support me, bash me to your friends, but think about the shit I say. If you want my opinions or ideas on anything, I will prolly share.

 

 

Peace to all.

 

 

East Coast / West Coast Rivalry Changes Tactics. Will MA Legalize First?

Today, while listening to the video on this page at Mikecann.net, I learned about legislation that has been filed to LEGALIZE MARIJUANA in the state of Massachusetts in 2011.

An Act to regulate and tax the cannabis industry. filed 1/10/2011 by Ellen Story, officially puts the East Coast on the map and in the fight to lead the new Green Rush of Marijuana legalization.

So check it out there, or if it is actually showing above this, listen to it here. Breaking news from within the movement, get in the know. The world really is changing.
Peace to all.

Acts of dedication.

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It may come as no surprise that I hate to shovel. Not just because I'm bitchy, but it's like work, and it hurts for days. But, I guess dedication is my biggest physical asset 'cause as I sit here in almost meditative exhaustion with humming pain, I think "what a man will do for his bike.".
Yeah that and "ohhhh..... what the fuck was I thinking? Would I have worked so fuckin hard for a woman?"...

Marijuana use during pregnancy, DOES NOT RAISE HEALTH RISK to infant.

OK, maybe a little bit of sensationalism in the headline, but if that upset you, wait until you read the real study I am referring to. This is no small study. As "A longitudinal study of 6356 adolescents, age 12, who completed a semi-structured interview for psychotic symptoms in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort.": they looked at the effects of Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use in pregnant women, and it's effects on the child.

Though, some Americans may be less inclined to believe international science than home-baked truth, this study has already been accepted and used in reference by Prestigious American Medical Journals.

This will piss some people off, but smoking pot during pregnancy, showed no increase in risks that were being studied. Whereas, both alcohol and tobacco where associated with many increased risks, Cannabis (marijuana, pot, bud, kind, or whatever you want to call it), came out ahead on all counts.

Don't get to excited though as a proponent, this is not an end all study of prenatal use of marijuana. And, it didn't address physical health risks associated with any substance, but it sure is another telling study of the safety of Cannabis.

Please take the time to get properly informed. So many who think they know shit, are just talking shit and don't even know it. It's pathetic, but many still believe that cannabis is "toxic" though by definition it is not. Cannabis is not "Poisonous", as is synonymous with "Toxic", because it has never killed anybody, and likely won't. Toxins and poisons have ill effects and can kill you. IF really think you know about marijuana, or really want to, or even want to find science to show that cannabis is the worst thing on earth, Granny Storm Crow's MMJ Reference List Jan.2010 will shock you. This woman is amazing. As a younger woman she found herself surprised by some information about pot, started digging, and it seems she hasn't stopped. Now, her list is a premier repository of hundreds of studies on cannabis that have all been organized by points of interest. Can Marijuana cure cancer? Which Cancer? Granny shows so many cancer cannabis studies, we need to be more specific. How 'bout laziness? we all know pot is guilty of this...............right? Well, read this study by Dr. Mitch Earleywine,PHD of SUNY Albany. Somehow they found that lazy people are lazy, and stoners are just people.
Dr. Mitch Earleywine, is also a regular guest and takes live questions about the science of Cannabis, on NORML Show Live every Wednesday.

Get informed and fight for knowledge. Our country spends more to fight marijuana than to educate the children we attest to be protecting. This has to change.
Peace to all.

8 hours, 20 feet. Jan. 19, 2011

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So, I live in upstate NY, for those of you who don't know, and here, it snows. Not 20 feet in eight hours, but it really does snow.
I started shoveling at about 6:00 am this morning, and now, at 2:00 pm, I can finally get my uncovered car to the road. Which is why I titled this entry what I did, and I wish it had only been 20 feet to the road. I used 20 because it kinda had a rythm to it. 8 hours, 20 feet.

This small pleasure and releif will surely be short lived as it is now snowing again. (or still? It's so hard to tell sometimes.)

Well, I just wanted to try to post from my phone and, kinda, document my torture. But, I'm not sure how to post pics from here. Yet.

For now, if you have a plow and feel charitable, give me a call please. Or email.
PEACE

 

OH, and I just descovered that what I post here I post to Facebook. Hmmmmm. May have to remedy that.

 

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