Key To The Keys

I recently returned from a trip to Key West, Florida.  It's long been a domestic 'final frontier' of mine, one of the few places I've always wanted to visit, but never have.

Here are my observations:

• While not that far in distance, the drive from Miami to Key West takes 3-4 hours since you're going through several other island keys and resort areas.  It was interesting to see everything, and even stop for food and beverages -- but I wouldn't care to do it again as opposed to flying.

• Viewing the sunset is a big deal at Key West, and hundreds gather each evening for just that activity.  At Mallory Square, the sunset is accompanied by several street performers to pass the time.  For those willing and able, there are lots of sunset cruises on the water available.

• The main tourist hub is Duval Street.  It's a two-mile long stretch of nothing but big bars (some famous, like Ernest Hemingway's old hangout, Sloppy Joes) and restaurants and touristy shops on both sides.  It's amenable to not only walkers but also those on bicycles and scooters.  It was a longer, slightly more family-friendly version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

• The Key West Historic Seaport is another tourist hotspot.  There were at least three large restaurants with outdoor seating from where you can watch fishing boats and yachts moving in and out (or cruise on one yourself).  Jimmy Buffett's Key West recording studio is there as well.

• I was expecting more of an island vibe to Key West, kind of laid back with Jimmy Buffett music emanating from every corner.  Turns out it had much more of a classic rock, crossover-county vibe, with a big blue-collar crowd to go along with the affluent tourists, at least after the sun went down.

• Speaking of music.....there was a lot of live music.  It started in the morning at the resorts and a few bars, and it was almost everywhere at night.  It was practically a necessity for a bar to have live music to draw patrons in from the street.

In summary, I'd say if New Orleans mated with Cape Cod, the offspring would end up to be something like Key West.

Wasted Days And Wasted Nights

[Blog title courtesy of the late American Tejano country music crooner Freddy Fender.]

I've never been much of a county music fan.  I didn't grow up listening to it, except for your occasional crossover country/pop/rock song.

Over the past 10 or so years, I've listened to more country music, thanks to a combination of its contemporary performers and music saturation / technology.  Plus, my adult children now listen more to it, so I hear the overflow.

I've long said that when it comes to one-off, clever song lyrics, country music rules.  (Note I said clever lyrics, not necessarily meaningful ones, so this group won't make it on my 'Best Song Lyrics' recurring blog posts.)

This is particularly true in the area of drinking alcohol, which is definitely one of the most popular themes in the genre.  I suppose it has something to do with so many country songs being about partying, or losing a job or a significant other.

What follows is my alphabetical compilation of 10 country music songs and their *contemporary* performers that even a non-country-music-listener like me knows about, with some of their noteworthy lyrics: 

Alcohol / Brad Paisley

'Cause since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France

Been making a fool out of folks just like you

Alcohol

Bartender / Lady A

Hey bartender pour 'em hot tonight

'Til the party and the music and the truth collide

Bring it 'til his memory fades away

Beer Never Broke My Heart / Luke Combs

Longneck, ice cold beer never broke my heart

Like diamond rings and football teams

Have torn this boy apart

Drink In My Hand / Eric Church

No need to complicate it, I'm a simple man

All you got to do is put a drink in my hand

Drunk On A Plane / Dierks Bentley

It's Mardi Gras up in the clouds, I'm up so high, may never come down

I'll try anything to drown out the pain, they all know why I'm getting drunk on a plane

Friends In Low Places / Garth Brooks

Cause I've got friends in low places

Where the whiskey drowns

And the beer chases my blues away

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere / Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett

Pour me something tall and strong, make it a hurricane, before I go insane

It's only half past twelve, but I don't care, it's five o'clock somewhere

Red Solo Cup / Toby Keith

Red solo cup, I fill you up

Let's have a party

Ten With A Two / Kenny Chesney

Last night I came in at 2 with a 10

But at 10 I woke up with a 2

Tennessee Whiskey / Chris Stapelton

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey, you're as sweet as strawberry wine.

You're as warm as a glass of brandy, and honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time.

Wine, Beer, Whiskey / Little Big Town

The wine, the beer, the whiskey, are the only things that fix me

I'm not saying it's a problem, I can stop it if I wanna

But the wine, the beer, the whiskey, they always get me

2021

The worst year of virtually everyone's lifetime is just ending.  This should make it very easy to complete my annual list of things I'd like to see happen next year.  It will also make it very difficult to review what I wanted to have happen in 2020, and see a near total failure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Let's start with that review, with comments in ALL CAPS:

Me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I've never set foot.
HAHA -- I RARELY TRAVELED OUTSIDE OF IOWA, OR EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE DES MOINES METRO AREA, THE ENTIRE YEAR

A new president-elect and a corresponding surviving, independent, democratic republic.
ONE WINNER AND ONE PROBABLY WINNER -- IT WILL STILL BE A FEW WEEKS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S INAUGUARTION DAY TO SEE IF THE REPUBLIC ACTUALLY SURVIVES.

More chances to make a hole-in-one (which means more time to play golf).
GOLF WAS ONE THING THE PANDEMIC DID NOT ALTER MUCH, BUT I DIDN'T PLAY OFTEN UNTIL AFTER MEMORIAL DAY.

Widespread acceptance of plant-based meats on restaurant menus.
PLANT-BASED PROTEINS DEFINITELY EXPANDED THEIR FOOTPRINT, BUT NOT IN RESTAURANTS WITH LIMITED-TO-NO CUSTOMERS.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 16 consecutive playoff game losses.
ACTUALLY WENT BACKWARDS ON THIS.  THEY MADE THE PANDEMIC-SHORTENED SEASON PLAYOFFS AND THEN PROCEDED TO LOSE ANOTHER TWO GAMES TO BRING THE STREAK TO 18!

Consolidation in the video streaming service industry.
THIS ALSO WENT BACKWARDS, THERE ARE MORE STREAMING INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS THAN EVER, AND MORE TO COME THANKS TO THE PANDEMIC.

A Summer Olympics without scandal.
I GUESS YOU CAN SAY THIS HAPPENED, SINCE THE OLYMICS WERE CANCELED.

Greater federal regulation of Facebook, and less people using it to show me pictures of their food.
THERE WAS MORE EMPHSIS ON REGULATION, BUT FACEBOOK IS BASICALLY SELF-REGULATING, WHICH IS TO SAY THEY AREN'T DOING MUCH.

A new artist who brings back the sound of classic rock.
THIS WAS ALWAYS A PIPE DREAM.

That I never order from a bar that tells me it has no Crown Royal Apple.

I WAS NEVER AT A BAR TO ORDER ALL YEAR, SO AGAIN, TECHNICALLY THIS WISH CAME TRUE.

Now for 2021, let's see these things happen:

A non-pandemic world where people live without fear of contracting COVID-19.

A less-friendly social and legal environment for those who help spread malicious propaganda and conspiracy theories.

A Summer Olympics that actually happens.

Revelations and prosecutions of Trump administration / organization officials who broke laws.

More time to read, more time to listen to podcasts.

An easy integration of administration and technology between Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade.  (A rare professional ask in this annual list.)

A full return of college and professional sports.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 18 consecutive playoff game losses.

Less interaction with people who make every conversation about them.

An awesome vacation.

2020

Another year is ending, this one also concluding a decade.  It would be a good time for a retrospective piece on the past ten years, but lots of other entities are doing that.  I'll just stick to my usual review of the things I wanted to have happen this year, and consider some things I would like to see happen in 2020.  We'll again start with the prior year's list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.
IMPEACHMENT HAPPENED.  I CARRIED THIS OVER FORM THE PRIOR YEAR, WHICH TURNED OUR TO BE VERY PRESCIENT.

The electric vehicle becoming America's fastest growing (by percentage) seller.
THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE U.K. BUT NOT IN THE U.S.

Alabama and Clemson and New England to have poor football seasons.
THEY WEREN'T POOR, BUT ALABAMA AND NEW ENGLAND AT LEAST HAD DOWN YEARS.

Some major medical breakthrough, perhaps a vaccine to eliminate a dread disease.
NO.

Consistent, moderate summer rain in central Iowa.
YES.

A priest actually arrested and charged and jailed for past sexual abuse.
THIS DID HAPPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA.  IT WAS TOO PREDICTABLE, AND NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

More cities allowing app-based scooter rentals.
WHILE MORE CITIES DID ADOPT THEM, OTHER CITIES STARTED TO RESTRICT THEM.

Another scandal that ruins another Fox (News) TV personality.
NOT REALLY, ALTHOUGH THE PRIOR SCANDALS AND CURRENT PROPAGANDA AT FOX DID CAUSE SHEP SMITH TO LEAVE.

U.S. restaurants that allow payment by app, OR that bring the credit card reader to your table.THIS STILL HASN'T RECEIVED WIDESPREAD U.S. ADOPTION, WHICH IS SORT OF INFURIATING.

Me traveling to one of the five continental states in which I've never set foot.I WAS ABLE TO CROSS OFF NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA FROM MY LIST.  DOWN TO IDAHO, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, AND NORTH DAKOTA.  (IT WAS ACTUALLY SIX.).

Now, for 2020 I'd like to see these things happen:

Me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I've never set foot.

A new president-elect and a corresponding surviving, independent, democratic republic.

More chances to make a hole-in-one (which means more time to play golf).

Widespread acceptance of plant-based meats on restaurant menus.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 16 consecutive playoff game losses.

Consolidation in the video streaming service industry.

A Summer Olympics without scandal.

Greater federal regulation of Facebook, and less people using it to show me pictures of their food.

A new artist who brings back the sound of classic rock.

That I never order from a bar that tells me it has no Crown Royal Apple.

Yes We Cannabis

It’s time to catch up on the good news in world of cannabis!

In sum, the news is positive enough that I’m almost ready to declare that January 2018 will one day be considered the ‘tipping point’ in time for full decriminalization of marijuana in America.  (There’s only one thing standing in the way of that right now, more on that in a few paragraphs.)

The thing getting the most attention now is the legalization of recreation marijuana in the state of California.  That became effective on January 1, 2018, and now like several other (mostly western) states, they allow anyone at least age 21 to buy a limited amount of cannabis daily.

The difference here is, California is the most populous state in the country.  As such, the implications are more profound.  One of these implications is the amount of tax revenue this law will bring to a state that sorely needs it.

Make no mistake, money (i.e. tax revenue) is why cannabis will ultimately be legalized in all 50 states.   That isn’t the only reason, nor the best reason, but it’s the main reason.

[This would normally be where I go on a rant about how marijuana should be no more controlled than alcohol, and probably less controlled than prescription drugs.  But I’ve covered society’s asinine attitude about that more than once before, and specifically in regard to medical marijuana.]

One lesser but still important pot-related action happened just this week in Vermont (Vermont!), where the governor signed a bill making it the ninth state to legalize marijuana effective July 1, 2018.  The difference is that Vermont was the first state to do it via legislation, rather than by a voter-approved ballot initiative.  That is a big deal, and the first admission that states want to grab the tax revenue.

Regarding that one thing standing in the way of ‘tipping point’ actualization…..we currently have an old white male dominated (Republican) party in charge of the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government, along with an old white guy U.S. attorney general that thinks marijuana is evil.  That means marijuana, for now, will likely maintain its federal designation as a Schedule I drug along with things like heroine and LSD – good grief.

These will all need to be changed before the pro-cannabis world can truly take over.  It’s only a matter of time, however, and that time is much shorter than it seemed only a few weeks ago.

Too Old To Party

How old is too old to brag about how hard you partied?

Over the course of the year, I've been to a number of gatherings that included adults in their 50s or 60s.  These include things like game tailgates, wedding receptions, recreational outings, and your run-of-the-mill gatherings at a bar or house party.

It occurred to me recently that when reminiscing with others about these events, someone invariably talks about how they or someone else had too much alcohol to drink, and maybe did something silly or embarrassing.  While there's nothing wrong with that (as long as no one did anything illegal), this seems like a conversation that shouldn't happen that often for people over age 50.

Sure, in your 20s or 30s or even 40s, it's practically a right of youth to celebrate life to -- or even a bit beyond -- the edge.  But c'mon, bragging about partying when you're nearing retirement is something your kids should be doing, not you.  It makes the bragger seem like they've been stuck in a rut their whole life, still trying to relive the good old days when their crazy behavior was celebrated.

If a person has so little in life to be happy about they still need to try to prove their ability to drink and party too hard in their AARP years, it's time for them to let it go.  No one else really cares, and it isn't good optics those around them, both during and well after the occurrence.

Terrorists Still > VEISHEA

The past  week / weekend should have been a fun time on the campus of Iowa State University.  It should have been the 90-something-th edition of VEISHEA.  But that was postponed last year, indirectly due to a riot, but directly due to an out-of touch university president.

Last summer that president, Steven Leath, put a permanent end to VEISHEA   Of course, he did this after getting that recommendation from his hand-picked task force.  An absolute joke.

What was this task force going to do, make a recommendation contrary to what the president and his cronies wanted?  Leath had already played judge and jury to cancel last year's VEISHEA shortly after the riot, but well before enough time had passed to collect the facts about what happened.

He acted impulsively and dictatorially, claiming student safety was at risk, and ruining work and plans that were many months in the making.  He isn't going to admit now that he was wrong about his actions.

But in truth, those actions haven't made Iowa State students, or Ames, Iowa, a safer place.  Suppressing the organized fun and freedom of people doesn't engender trust and safety -- it makes those people bitter and angry, and makes them dislike you.  Worst case scenario, it manifests into something chaotic and violent.

Fortunately for ISU / Ames, that manifestation didn't happen this year, and maybe it won't ever.  Unfortunately for Leath, the same can't be said for how much he's disliked on campus.

More April Fools

It's April Fools' Day again today, another chance to expand on last year's list of facts that should be followed by the phrase, "April Fools!" if only they weren't true:

* The state of Indiana thought it could allow businesses to discriminate against gays without anyone noticing.

* Stories about suffering pets commonly air before stories about suffering people on broadcast news.

* Ted Cruz thinks he is a viable presidential candidate.

* You can stockpile and use guns and alcohol, but will be thrown in jail for owning an ounce of cannabis.

* The NCAA makes billions of dollars annually on the backs of its institutions' revenue-producing athletes, but opposes sharing any of that revenue with those athletes.

* Farm Bureau believes farmers will sufficiently police themselves to keep ground water clean.

* Most people base their current moral beliefs on undocumented, male-only writings from thousands of years ago.

Terrorists > VEISHEA, Part Two

ISU President Stephen Leath announced in a press conference August 7, 2014 that VEISHEA will be discontinued and the name will be retired.

"I'm not going to continue to put students at risk so we can observe what to many has become a week-long party," he said.

Leath, you are a politically-correct puppet for a few Republican cronies on the Iowa Board of Regents, and everything I said about you last Spring is as true now as it was then.  Only a close-minded fool thinks they have the means to control what they have no power over, such as the off-campus antics of mostly non-students.

Jerk.

Terrorists > VEISHEA

For the uninitiated, VEISHEA is an annual week-long celebration held each spring on the campus of Iowa State University.  VEISHEA is an acronym for the original 5 colleges of the university:  Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics, Agriculture.  It's presumably the largest student run festival in the nation,

VEISHEA has been marred in the past two decades by off-campus, late night, alcohol-induced, party-goer rioting on the last weekend, causing mostly minor but some significant damage and injuries.  The last time it had happened was 2004, and the university president at the time canceled VEISHEA for the following year.  Another riot happened again this week (this time early in the week), and in response the new university president, Steven Leath, suspended the rest of -- which is to say most of -- VEISHEA for the year.

Lots of losers in this, but hands down the biggest losers in all of it are.....the ISU university presidents.

While there is no defending the instigators or participants in these, neither is there a rational defense of canceling VEISHEA in response.  By all accounts, it wasn't so much a riot as a social-media inspired mob scene with a few drunken idiots.  To make matters worse, Leath acts as if his action has the full support of the university leadership.

Let's drop the public posturing and consider the facts that Leath is ignoring, and would like others to ignore:

1) He says he's thinking of the institution and safety in making his decision to cancel, but what exactly does he mean by institution?  The administration?  The faculty?  Because the university institution doesn't exist without the students, and the vast majority of them want VEISHEA to go on.  So do the surrounding campus businesses.

2) Speaking of the administration and faculty, while they made be around for dozens of VEISHEA festivals (thank you, tenure!), the students are only there for a few.  Many of them volunteer and put many hours of work into it.  Now Leath has taken away the fruits of their labor, because of a few folks who might not even be students.  It's bad enough that the majority are made to suffer for the few in elementary school or high school, but this is college.  C'mon, man.

3) By canceling VEISHEA, Leath has unquestionably increased the probability of more trouble.  Now there will be no alcohol-free alternative activities, and more students are likely to attended the off-campus parties, which have always been a source of mob-like behavior.  This probability has already become reality, as police have stated that in the following two days after the 'riot' there have been about twice the usual off-campus incidents reported than in past years.  (Note: This year's riot was in part a result of police closing down an off-campus party. Is it really that hard for Leath and his institutional cronies to put 2 and 2 together?)

4) Leath could easily allow VEISHEA to commence while law enforcement reviews the volumes of video evidence (something other riots didn't have), and both they and he can ultimately take action against the few who deserve it.  Instead, he chose to rush to judgement, and punish the many who don't deserve it.  When are educational institutions, at any level, going to accept that they effectively govern behavior that goes on beyond their physical territory?

This continues a pattern of questionable, socially-conservative decisions from Leath.  He was the pansy for the conservatives on the state board of regents a year ago in stopping the Harkin Institute at Iowa State, and by not allowing freedom in their research, valuable senatorial papers will now go to Drake University instead. And no one has any idea why he's single-handedly prohibited a player from participating on the men's basketball team this year, even though said previously-suspended player has been cleared by the legal system.

How much longer before the contributing alumni just suspend their donations in the same way Leath seems to arbitrarily suspend things?  Maybe they should -- then I'm guessing he'll suddenly find ways to make things work, instead of thinking of reasons for things to not work.  I noticed one alumnus already commenting that if there was a student uprising at a sporting event, the president wouldn't cancel the rest of the athletic season. But apparently, canceling VEISHEA is OK, because it only hurts students and not the big donor fans.

By canceling VEISHEA and threatening its future, Leath and his predecessor have simply allowed the terrorists to win at the expense of the students.  At Iowa State, this is called leadership, but it's really just retreat.

Rocky Mountain High

My legions of followers must be going crazy wondering when I would write about Colorado's now-three-week-old law allowing sales of (and therefore possession and use of) recreational pot.

It's only one of the greatest legal developments of the past.....well.....how long ago did we repeal prohibition?

This is just the latest watershed moment in the movement toward granting marijuana the same treatment as alcohol in the U.S.  It will take more time, of course, there's still a long way to go.  Even in Colorado, there are still restrictions on quantity that can be purchased, and it can't be smoked in public.  (Really?)

But next year, the state of Washington will have the same law.  Then probably Oregon, then another state, then another, etc.  There's no putting this Genie back in the bottle, because Americans are going to realize what the rest of we more enlightened Americans have know for years:  Using regulated pot is no more dangerous - in fact, it's less dangerous - than alcohol.  Plus, states can collect taxes on it, and spending less on prisons because they can stop treating sellers and buyers like criminals.

Just consider the last few weeks since the law has been in place.  I don't live in Colorado, but I don't hear any national outcry about how this law is the road to hell.  We're going to collectively accept that it's OK, after all these years.  Maybe it's an apples to oranges comparison, but it seems a lot like the slow but inexorable march toward acceptance of same-sex marriage.

Lessons From A Drunk

One of the big news stories in Iowa this week also gained some nationwide attention - a drunk girl was arrested at the University of Iowa football game.  Doesn't sound like much, does it?  How was it different than the other 100 or so arrests (typical number for every Iowa home football game), most of them also alcohol related?

Two things: 1) Her blood alcohol content was 0.341%, and 2) she bragged about it on Twitter and it went viral.  I'm not sure which of those two things is more stupid, but let's explore the first thing.

Until now, I hadn't really paid attention to how drunk one could get without dying of alcohol poisoning.  So I did a little Google research, and got a bunch of facts(?) from Wikipedia.

Turns out a .341% blood alcohol content isn't even Twitter-worthy.  There are many documented cases (which is to say, people were arrested) in the U.S. of over .5%, and some over .7%.  In fact, this drunk Iowa girl was only halfway to the state record of .627% which was apparently set just a year ago.

And don't even get me started on the international scale, where there are numerous incidents of folks whose blood alcohol was tested to be OVER 1%!  More impressively, some of them were still conscious!

[Yes, I know, this is from Wiki and might be a total fabrication - but you should still look at the entry on blood alcohol content.]

What lesson(s) can be learned here?  I mean, besides not bragging about being stupid, especially when it's about something that isn't as epic as it first sounds.

How about this for a lesson - a civilized society should not accept and glorify alcohol substance abuse, while at the same time attaching a stigma to (and incarcerate) those who would casually smoke marijuana.  Tell me which substance is more likely to make people do stupid and dangerous things.....

I'm waiting.

Still Danger In Numbers

In honor of today, I give you something from last year.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

There are many iconic phrases given to us by the novel/movie Forrest Gump, e.g. "Run Forrest, run!" or "Life is like a box of chocolates."  The one that I've been pondering the past few days is, "Stupid is as stupid does."

I've never been quite sure what that phrase means, but I can think of at least one recent instance where it fits perfectly.  That is, in the case of last month's fake 'debate' in the Iowa legislature over medical marijuana.  (Yep, this in another blog post on the topic of pot.  Only the enlightened should continue reading.)

A legislative subcommittee just held a hearing on the topic of medical marijuana, which a new Des Moines Register Iowa Poll revealed is supported by a majority of Iowans.  That didn't stop the old white man who chaired the meeting from starting the hearing by saying, "Doing any bill.....that would legalize marijuana would be one of the stupidest bills that's ever been passed by this organization.  There is no reason to legalize medical marijuana."

Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

Before the hearing, I wonder how many legislators or their family members got their day started by taking an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, or anti-pain medication, or some other kind of mind altering drug?  And after the hearing, I wonder how many legislators went to one of the nightly lobbyist-sponsored receptions and had an alcoholic drink or two?

I'll bet the answer is, "Lots of them."  But please ignore the man behind the curtain, we have an intellectually dishonest argument to make.  Society has determined that legalizing those other mind-altering substances is perfectly fine, even though they may be addictive, routinely abused, and lead to dire consequences for other people.

Stupid is as stupid does, for sure.

So we won't even have a real debate about controlling and legalizing medical marijuana.  We will merrily go along another year in Iowa, not only ignoring the incontrovertible organic health benefits of marijuana for some, but also spending millions on anti-pot enforcement and criminal incarceration for others.  Iowa allows gambling, Iowa allows gay marriage, but somehow the social conservatives here continue to beat back progressives on medical marijuana.

Maybe Forrest Gump's mom can explain this to me, because he also once said, "Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them."

"And that's all I have to say about that."

About That Marijuana Referendum.....

When higher life forms finally emerge from their pods or arrive in their spaceships and take a close look at us Earthlings, there's a lot they will not understand about what our civilization allows.  Things like SuperPACs, or Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback.  But one of those things will surely be how hypocritical we are in regulating some mind altering substances, while not regulating others.

However, after Washington and Colorado voted last week to legalize (sort of) recreational marijuana, we may have a little less for which to be ashamed.  (How is it that Oregon voted against this?)

Finally, we have agreement, within certain territorial boundaries, that pot is no more regulatory-worthy than alcohol.  Both can be destructive, but both can clearly have therapeutic value within reason.

Unfortunately for now, federal law still considers marijuana possession to be illegal.  And more unfortunately, there are still 48 other states that aren't enlightened on this issue, most not even enlightened enough to allow medicinal pot.

In the meantime, every state allows adults to possess, sell, and consume unregulated amounts of alcohol, often with grave consequences even to those who do not consume it.  Oh, and also, the U.S. spends millions on drug enforcement, and jails fill up with people who are not threats to society.

I've written too often about the benefits of decriminalizing pot in America.  [Search the label 'marijuana' in this blog.]  But no matter how often, the conclusion remains:  There is no intellegent life down here.

About That Presidential Election.....

Many years ago I attended a meeting where an economist was the keynote speaker. His opening line was, "I'm not a member of a major political party.  I'm a Republican."

Never has that line cut deeper than this week.  After all of the campaigning, the SuperPAC money, the advertisements, the blustery predictions, etc., the Rs have gone in reverse.

Their presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, seemed like he was qualified enough to be president.  Certainly qualified enough to defeat an economically-weakened Barack Obama.  So how did this happen?  Let a lifetime independent voter tell you.

If you listen to the Rs, they've got all sorts of reasons why they lost the presidency plus some senate seats.  The only correct reason is that the Rs don't have a big enough tent.  It's comprised of a declining base - whites, males, married females, social conservatives, and, um, that's about it.

Look at America.  It's becoming less white, less dependent female, less socially conservative.  Rs have to start appealing to those constituencies, or at least stop pissing them off.

But what are the conservative pundits framing as their next strategy?  To go even farther right!  They seem to believe that if they simply do a better job promoting their anti-secular, anti-immigration, anti-environment ideals, that we 'moderates' will be more likely to join them.

So, the Rs analysis of the problem is correct, but their solution is exactly wrong.  They think we independent voters don't understand them?  The problem is we understand them perfectly, and we don't like it.  Newsflash to Rs: We aren't going to like more of what we already don't like.

The crazy thing is, the Rs really weren't/aren't so far away from taking power.  Most independent voters are like America - socially liberal, but still fiscally conservative.  If the Rs would spend more time on the fiscally conservative message, and a lot less on the social issues, they'd be fine.

[This is a good time to note and give kudos to the states of Colorado and Washington for legalizing marijuana.  Talk about your trending social liberalism.  By the way folks, it's no big deal - they already have legalized alcohol, a more abusive and dangerous drug.  More about this in a future blog.]

There is plenty to dislike about the other non-major political party, a/k/a Democrats. As an independent, I think they're wrong on union support, wrong on expanded government, wrong on tax policy.  I matured (such as it is) in the 80s, during the Reagan revolution, and I actually believe in supply-side economics.

To a political independent like me, however, the other stuff matters more now.  It's encouraging to see WOITH politicians like Michele Bachmann, Steve King, and especially Bob Vander Plaats struggle so much (and in the latter case, outright lose) this election cycle.  Their message of hate, masquerading as social conservatism, has become the  millstone around their necks.

If they and the rest of the Rs want to appeal to today's independent voter, they need to go farther left, not farther right.

From Dope To Dopey

A new study released this week concluded that teens who routinely smoke marijuana risk a long-term drop in their IQ.  The study drew on survey data from more than 1,000 people in New Zealand.  (The study did not say why Kiwis were chosen for the study; maybe all of the Amsterdam folks were sleeping it off.)

If one reads the headlines on this study, the quick and easy takeaway is that smoking pot makes you dumber.  Therefore, it's bad for you, and young people should not smoke it.

Fine...but why be so limiting?  The whole truth is, teens would be adversely affected by using ANY mind-altering substances.

In America, and I suspect in New Zealand, wouldn't the outcome be the same if youngsters drank alcohol?  Or how about if they consistently took anti-anxiety or anti-depression medication?  Of course, the answer is yes, a conclusion I reached without using one taxpayer dime to study.

Yet it is completely legal (and prevalent) in this country for kids to take prescription medications that affect brain cells.  And while it is illegal for teens to buy / sell / drink alcohol in the U.S., they don't get thrown into jail if they do it, because it's socially acceptable and tolerated.

This is where the anti-marijuana folks get it all wrong.  Critical thinkers - like me! - aren't pro-pot; we're pro-decriminalizing pot.  We know from a combination of experience and god-given common sense that it isn't any worse, and maybe better for you, than the other legalized mind-altering substances I've mentioned.

Throw in how marijuana decriminalization will save billions in law enforcement, and help the economy in other ways (and I'm not just talking about Doritos consumption), and even a 'dumb' pot smoker can tell you this is a 'no-brainer.'

This Year On RAGBRAI (2012)

Cycled the first leg of the 40th Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa this week.  It went through my hometown as well as a few other towns I spent a lot of time in growing up, so there was extra interest for me.  Here are this year's comments, to extend what I wrote in 2011 and 2010 :

* In the past, I've always ridden in the middle or front-half of the ride, meaning an equal amount of riders were behind me and in front of me.  I've always wondered if I was missing something wild by doing that.  After all, the old saying is that RAGBRAI is like a mullet - business in the front, party in the back!

This year it so happened that I stayed well to the back of the ride, and it turns out you miss MORE that way.  Some of the roadside stands that looked like fun places to stop were getting ready to shut down, and the riders weren't that much fun to talk with, because they were all just trying to survive the heat/ride. (That's one reason they were in the back.)  You want to be around as many people as possible during the ride and every stop within the ride, that's the best way to enjoy it.

* A couple of new team names that caught my eye were take-offs of the LiveStrong organization.  They were BeerStrong, and LiverStrong.  I'm not sure it's good form to use the name of a cancer-fighting organization to promote heavy drinking.

* A lot of folks talk about drinking alcohol on RAGBRAI.  A lot of folks actually do it.  But I think more folks talk about it than do it, especially on the hottest day in Iowa since 1988.  The most overheard, overused phrase on RAGBRAI is, "You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning."  Most of them mean water.

* Ratio of fit, 20-something girls to overweight, 50+ year old men on the ride:  1-to-100.

RAGBRAI XL.  A little bit different than the RAGBRAI III I rode on in 1975.

Danger in Numbers

The following is taken directly from an April 18, 2012 email to parents of students at West Des Moines Valley Southwoods Freshman High School:

Dear VSW Parents/Guardians:

At a community meeting on Monday evening, it was suggested that building principals share the following information from the WDM Substance Abuse Coalition about April 20th with our parents:

4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is a term used as a discreet way to refer to the consumption of marijuana and a way to identify oneself with the drug subculture. Marijuana users observe 4:20 as a time to smoke together and April 20 has become a counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume marijuana.

4:20 has become a code for a time to get high, a symbol of marijuana and its culture. Teenagers believe they can talk about getting high in front of their parents without them knowing by using the phrase 4:20. Fortunately, your teenager will not have that option. April 20 events are international and 4:20 has become a worldwide "burn time." For parents, it's a red flag, a warning sign that your teenager may be into something that could harm their future. When you see the symbol 4:20 or your child wearing excessive green clothing on April 20, beware of what it represents. April 20 has now become National Pot Smokers Day.  Our pop culture is pro-marijuana, as evidenced by the success of movies and celebrities who flaunt their use. This makes it more difficult for parents to get anti-drug messages across to kids. Use 4:20 as your opportunity to get a dialogue going about drugs, and not just marijuana.

Isn't that awesome/crazy/stupid!  When I read this, I knew immediately there was a high (no pun intended) probability I would blog about it.

This email is asinine for a lot of reasons, many of which I've written about before.  (Just click on the labels.)  These reasons can be put into two main categories:

1) School administrators who think it's their job to govern kids 24/7.  Like I've said before, what happens outside of school or school functions is the responsibility of parents.  If the parents choose not to raise their children the 'right' way, that doesn't make school administrators their surrogate.

Trying to educate parents on pop culture like this is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to do a parent's job.  I love how the author notes at the beginning that "it was suggested that building principals" share this information.  Who suggested it, one of the principals?  Had to be I guess, because if a parent knew about four-twenty, they'd already have a grip on communicating about it.

2) People who think any suggestion of marijuana means the worst.  It's a "warning sign" if your kid wears "excessive green clothing" on 4/20?  A warning sign of what, that they follow pop culture or that they must be a pothead?  You mean like if a girl wears a short skirt she must be a slut, or if a boy wears a sideways cap he must be a gang member?

And how about the statement that "our pop culture is pro-marijuana"?  I see a helluva lot of pop culture that "flaunts" drinking too much, or using violence, but smoking pot?  Not so much.  Regardless, smoking pot would be less harmful than either of those other two things, but our society is much too repressed to admit that!

So kudos to you, Valley Southwoods Freshman High School administrators, for drawing attention to this falsely dangerous calendar date.  You've truly earned the ridicule that the students are going to point in your direction on four-twenty.

Alcohol Defeats Marijuana Again (Sigh)

The following is from an article published on November 1, 2010:

"London, England (CNN) -- Alcohol ranks "most harmful" among a list of 20 drugs -- beating out crack and heroin -- according to study results released by a British medical journal, The Lancet. A panel of experts weighed the physical, psychological and social problems caused by the drugs and determined that alcohol was the most harmful overall. Using a new scale to evaluate harms to individual users and others, alcohol received a score of 72 on a scale of 1 to 100, the study says. That makes it almost three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco, according to the article."

I bring this up as a precursor to one of my bigger disappointments from Election 2010. While some good things happened, such as Iowa replacing its pitiful governor, at least two states failed in attempts to pass laws that would have eased restrictions on marijuana use. South Dakota rejected medicinal marijuana (they obviously didn't pass along enough copies of my blog post on the topic at http://streffblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/medicine-and-marijuana.html), and California rejected a proposal that would have essentially decriminalized (at the state level) possession of very small amounts of MJ.

So to recap, people continue to use -and via advertising are encouraged to use - alcohol, but are severly restricted from not only using, but just possessing MJ. This is despite the fact that alcohol is just as addicting and mind altering, and based on the story above, far more harmful. (There was no mention in the article where exactly marijuana placed on the list of harmful drugs, but it obviously was less so than alcohol.)

Who knew it would be this difficult, well into the 21st century, to get Americans to understand how screwed up they are when it comes to using alcohol versus MJ. We have once again proven that we are, hands down, the most repressed free society in the world.