Is Thanksgiving Real

It's Thanksgiving week, which means I'm going to the well again for a list of things for which I am not thankful.  It's going to be a politically heavy list this year, because it's an easy fit....

The most corrupt, amoral, unethical person to be elected U.S. president, Trump.

All of the complicit, lying, sycophants of that person.

The right-wing Republican propaganda machine.

The stupidity of Americans, and by default, the American electorate.  I wrote about this 15 years ago!

Our lack of critical thinkers.  I wrote about this 13 years ago!

I'm sure I've said this in the past, maybe multiple times, but....reality television.

Tech bros.

Crypto bros.

Real estate commissions.

People who don't take care of their yards.

Door dings.

Spam texts and emails.

A Candidate Guide, Circa 2024

Tonight the spotlight of American politics once again shines on Iowa, as it holds its quadrennial caucuses.  Beginning this year, it'll only be first-in-the-nation for the Republican party (such as it is), as the Democratic party voted to move their version to the more diverse electorate of South Carolina.

As I did in 2012, 2016, and 2020, here's my candidate guide for this cycle:

Nikki Haley --

The only one exceeding expectations in Iowa, she's not-coincidentally the least extreme on social issues, with some foreign policy experience as former U.N. Ambassador.  Very likely would be the next U.S. president if she won the nomination, and eventually agreed to discard the Trump stench.  In an attempt to save democracy, I should probably go caucus for her, but these days I don't want to register as a Republican for even one day to do it.

Ron DeSantis --

The most underperforming given the expectations of 6-9 months ago.  In addition to his aloofness and lack of charisma, he has no views setting him apart from his main competition.  Religious conservatives have boosted him, but everyone knows after Iowa, that gets him absolutely nowhere.  He's basically a dumber, meaner version of Jeb Bush, another Florida governor whose national profile went down after running for president. 

Vivek Ramaswamy --

Another guy who made a fortune running a tech company who thinks that made him an expert on everything.  Achieved his 15 minute of fame after one summertime debate, but once people looked at him more closely, they didn't like what they saw.  Basically, at this point everybody thinks he's kind of an a-hole with no political credibility.  Probably running for VP at this point.

Donald Trump --

More criminal than candidate, the MAGA cult leader is almost sure to win in a state full of caring but intellectually-challenged older rural white people.

Others Formerly Known As Candidates including Asa Hutchinson (technically still in the caucus), Chris Christie, Doug Bergum, Tim Scott, Mike Pence, Will Hurd, Ryan Binkley (who?) -- 

You weren't self-aware enough, and/or were only in it for the attention.  Thanks for visiting.

It Isn't WOITH It

Over a decade ago, I started to write a number of blog posts about people (politicians) I considered to be Whacked Out In The Head, shortened to the acronym WOITH.  I stopped adding to it years ago, it seemed / seems a juvenile thing to do, it took time away from other things I wanted to write about, and frankly, there would be no end to the list.

However, due to the overwhelming number of very deserving new candidates that have crawled out of various holes since 2016 or so, I've decided to make one last(?) update of WOITH award winners.  There are really too many to list, so I'm simply going to name it as a group:

Every so-called MAGA republican.

This includes now high-ranking folks in the U.S. Congress, including current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a truly weird, conspiratorial, and homophobic person.

It includes a new, even crazier generation of Iowa politicians, mostly (but not all) older white guys who think people want them to ban books, legislate medical care, and minimize vulnerable people.  

And of course, it includes the leader of the band, DJ Trump, a malignant narcissistic, grifting, admittedly fascist, wannabe dictator.  He's as WOITH as it gets, and unfortunately very good at trying to get weak-minded folks to be more like him.

Sending Us Their Worst And Brightest

With one year to go before a presidential election, the Republican candidates are ramping up their presence in Iowa for the January presidential caucuses.  Most of them have been in the state for months already, either in person or by way of their persistent, local media advertisements.

Now's a good time for my one-sentence review of the viable contenders, each trying their best to appeal to the farthest right of the far right political spectrum, which now dominates the entire GOP.  Not going to comment on the four-time indicted, democracy-hating, malignant narcissist former president who's also running (from something as much as for something).

Ron DeSantis -- An Ivy League educated, military veteran who offsets that by being a demagogue who's consistently awkward when campaigning in person.

Nikki Haley -- The only one who occasionally says some moderate-sounding things, which is probably why she's concentrating more on the New Hampshire primary.

Tim Scott -- Something oft-putting for Iowans about about a single, soft-spoken, southern black man trying to show everyone how conservative he is.

Vivek Ramaswamy -- An annoying, weird, egotistical rich guy who everybody agrees is the least likeable candidate, which isn't great for him.

Chris Christie -- Credit to him for being the only candidate to call out the ex-president and his MAGA cult, but he's really just playing the role of spoiler.

Mike Pence -- He's dropped out, and he may have temporarily saved democracy by doing his job as VP, but wanted to say how much he deserved the disdain he received from all sides.

Meet Me At (Bud &) Mary's Place

It turns out April 20th on the calendar is a day of infamy in many ways.  In 2010 it marked the day of an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that led to the largest oil spill in history.  In 1999 it was the day two stupid and heavily armed students murdered 13 people at Columbine high school -- one of the first notorious school shootings, which have since become almost commonplace.  And if you really want to go down a hole, apparently April 20th was also the day Hitler was born.

But let’s face it, April 20th is really a national day to celebrate marijuana.  You know, that federally illegal substance which is less addictive and probably less mind-altering than federally legal alcohol or prescription drugs.  Because America is repressed like that.

More states continue to authorize regulated, recreational cannabis use. Recent ones include the more liberal state of New York and the more conservative state of Missouri.  That latter one means Iowa now has neighbors bordering on two sides (Illinois being the other) that will suck up tax money for recreational sales.

Iowa still remains in the dark ages with only a limited medical marijuana program. Recently, however, I looked more closely at Iowa’s medical marijuana program, and I’m glad to say it isn't quite as draconian as I thought.  

Iowa's main retailer of medical cannabis has recently changed its name to Bud & Mary‘s, and has started a subtle yet effective marketing campaign to make sure people are aware of its availability. They even had a booth at last year’s state fair.

Based on direct knowledge I have from someone with an Iowa medical cannabis card, they aren't that difficult to get, thanks to willing physicians who sign off, many of whom are recommended by Bud & Mary's.  And while the maximum amount that can be obtained in a 90-day period is limited, one would have to be daily user to be affected by it.

Knowing that Iowa's conservative Republican legislative majority and governor have gone out of their way for years to keep recreational sales illegal, and minimize that availability of medical marijuana, it gives me great pleasure to hear that out more informed Iowa citizens have done what they can to 'stick it to the man' when it comes to access.

Now that's something to celebrate.

What's The Harm

Have you ever wondered why so many people care so much about things that do no harm to anyone?  I have, and it’s recently been a recurring theme politically, professionally, and personally.

Starting with that former one, in Iowa and other republican-led states, politicians and their activist buddies are primarily focused on passing laws that hurt the LGBTQ community.  Why?  How are they or anyone else being harmed by library books, drag shows, or gender-identity causes?

The answer is they aren't harmed, but they're scared -- not only about change, but about losing money, power (same thing), and religion (also the same thing!).  Fake conservatives want no threats to their straight white Christian world.

Moving on the the professional front, I work with vendors who need authorization forms.  That's no problem, until they start requiring a specific manner of delivery.  We've long ago entered the digital age, and the COVID-19 pandemic made it even more common, but I still work with vendors who require original documents.

Who is harmed by accepting verifiable electronic signatures?  I guarantee these companies are going to digitize the document anyway!  I suppose the answer here is, some companies will only do things the way they've always done them.

Finally on the personal level, I've experienced an increase in the already-high number of people who want to make everything about themselves.  No conversation can be had without them taking it over, for nothing can be more important than what they or their loved ones do.

They'll even complain when told good news, if it isn't given at the time and place or their choosing.  A family / friend getting more attention harms no one; it only interrupts the desire of some for affirmation from others.  (Thanks, Facebook!)  Those who represent the 'some' should be avoided.

My conclusion in all of these items is pretty libertarian: If it harms no one else, why do you care?

The Real Killers

The United States of America just suffered another mass shooting of elementary school children, this time in Texas.   I wrote about the last one(!) in 2012, and I basically predicted this one a week later.

If it isn’t already obvious, nothing has changed in the last 10 years.  I take that back, something has changed – it’s even easier now to buy guns, especially assault-style weapons. 

The gutless politicians governing our gun-crazy culture love their power too much to do anything about mass shootings.  These Republicans – and let's call a spade a spade, that’s who they are – accept millions of dollars from the gun lobby to retain their legislative ‘jobs’ in return for making it easy in this country to buy plentiful guns and ammunition.

These pathetic grifters love money and power more than the safety of the citizenry.  As cover, they try to blame mass shootings on everything else but guns.  Then after some time goes by, they try to water down our gun laws even more, as directed by their gun-lobby (Read: NRA) overlords.

It's hard to think how much less safer our gun laws can be when an 18 year-old in Texas can buy assault weapons without a comprehensive background check or waiting period.  How hard is it to correlate that with the fact the United States is the only nation in the world where mass shootings regularly happen?

In a way, the gun lobby has had it right all along.  Guns don't kill people, people kill people -- especially if they're a politician with an R behind their name.

Faux-Patriots

July 4th week brings out all sorts of people trying to display their patriotism.  This used to be a very simple thing, like American flag waving, wearing red, white, and blue apparel, or attending parades highlighting veterans with marching bands playing old patriotic melodies.

More recently, in the past five years particularly, many Americans have drastically changed their personal definitions of what it means to be a patriot, in ways that are actually the opposite of the word's meaning.

These so-called 'patriots' are basically cut from the same cloth.  They are all on the extreme edges of their political parties.  They all parrot the same rhetoric from the fringe media sources they follow.  They think government is bad -- you know, the same government they desperately looked to when they needed to fend off a pandemic that economically disenfranchised millions, and killed hundreds of thousands of people in the country along the way.

That isn't patriotism.  They don't love their country.  They dislike their country to the point they will resort to -- and even promote -- violence to get their way.  How can you be less patriotic than that?

That isn't to say there's an equal number of faux-patriots on both sides.  No, they are sharply tilted to the Republican side, where conservative extremism has become the norm thanks to a mentally ill ex-president who they somehow excused to make incessant lying and grifting something worthy of their praise (not to mention their vote).

Their stained idea of patriotism has now reached the point that they rationalize armed insurrection is OK, as long as it's meant to stop a democratically-elected government they don't like.  Basically, they are fans of the Civil War, which is further manifested in their promotion of white, Christian, straight, males -- preferably all carrying guns for which they have no permit.

It's gotten to the point of cringing when I hear people use the word 'patriot'.  I don't want their idea of American patriotism conflated with mine: Belief and action towards a free society, with democratic majority rule, capitalism with a social safety net, equality and human rights for all races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations.

That's what the majority of Americans believe in.  That's patriotism.

Thinning The Herd Immunity

One of the more recent entries in the COVID-19 pandemic lexicon is 'vaccine hesitancy'.  This is the term for avoiding / refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination for a variety of reasons -- more on that later.

Vaccine hesitancy / avoidance / refusal has become the latest politicized issue in a pandemic full of them.  Republicans are generally rejecting vaccines while Democrats generally can't get vaccinated soon enough.  Unfortunately for both groups, not getting the COVID-19 vaccine is bad for everyone, since there will be no way to achieve herd immunity without a near 90% vaccination rate.

The reasons given for this hesitancy range from the ridiculous (the government is injecting people with tracking software) to the sublime (afraid of needles).  Regardless, the vaccine hesitancy group is, among other things, selfish.  They constitute a group of societal free-riders, essentially getting the benefits of a world where others are sacrificing, without making any sacrifices of their own. 

More unfortunately for the Rs in that group, however, is they will suffer the majority of future hospitalizations and death.  Pre-vaccine, everyone generally shared the consequences of those idiots who chose to behave recklessly (although front-line health care workers suffered more).  Post-vaccine, the harms of the COVID-19 virus will increasingly fall on the vaccine hesitant.

So, the pandemic outcomes are now bifurcating.  Those willing and able to get vaccinated will be OK, while the unwilling, science-denying, free-riders will eventually get the virus, and a certain percentage of them will be hospitalized and/or die.

Maybe herd immunity actually means we have to thin the herd somehow.

No More F**** To Give About T****

Over the years, I've made fun of people who consistently make, and make public, their New Year's resolutions.  I've probably even made fun of them in some previous blog post.  I'm all for improvement via positive self-talk, but the vast majority of these resolutions are forgotten within a couple of months, even though the initial self-affirmations remain on social media accounts forever.

That said, this year I'm going to join the crowd, and publicize my own resolution.  It's very simple: I'm not going to remain silent or try to change / avoid the subject the next time I hear anyone, speaking to me in person or in a group, tries to defend the worst, narcissistic, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, misogynistic, grifting, criminal, fascist president in U.S. history, Donald T****.

In retrospect, it's a shame I put so much effort into not confronting people on that topic before now.  It seemed like such a waste of time and energy, trying to use truth and facts to explain something to the unwilling and unknowing.  Changing the subject was a more rational approach than trying to change a mind warped by far right-wing media platforms, which supported / support  T**** and the republican party (small caps on purpose) at all costs.

It was also a function of my professional life, to try to maintain neutrality.  I have clients from all walks of life, although they are overwhelmingly white Iowans.  It sort of reminds me of the famous Michael Jordan quote from a simpler time, when he was asked why he didn't use his platform for social change.  "Republicans buy shoes, too," was his reply.

During the Black Lives Matter protests of last summer, it started to dawn on me that silence wasn't the correct option.  That's the 'white privilege' way of doing things.  Silence can be taken as complicity.

So coming into this year, I decided I wasn't going down that path anymore.  After last week's crazed insurrection movement that killed people at the U.S. Capitol on 1/6/2021, I have extra motivation to not be silent when others are saying and doing ignorant, deranged things.  Put less politely, I don't have anymore fucks to give about those people.

I'm not going out on a limb by putting this in writing on my little unknown blog.  But if anyone reads it and disagrees, or anyone is offended by my verbal pushback someday, I'm ready to move on without them as clients or friends.

I decided long ago I'd reached the point where I really only want to be around people who improve me personally and professionally.  T****-lickers don't do that, and after last week, it's embarrassing to even be around them.

All Fo(u)r Twenty

Today is 4/20, making it a perfect time to again comment on the movement to decriminalize and expand the availability of cannabis in America.  You know, marijuana, the drug that is safer than alcohol but treated like cocaine.

We're up to ten states now that have legalized marijuana in some non-medical way.  Ten now, but what will it take to get to twenty and beyond?

Unfortunately, while the polls continue to show an increasing majority of Americans support marijuana legalization, the federal government and most states still don't allow it.  They don't even allow medical marijuana usage, which has an even larger majority of American support.

So, what gives?  Let's just use my home (red) state of Iowa as an example.  It has a Republican governor and legislature, so even though legalization is popular overall, it isn't so popular inside their conservative constituencies.  The Rs basically have a bend-but-don't-break attitude, where they act like they're doing something without actually doing anything.

For example, Iowa does some medical cannabis usage through a few approved dispensaries, but prescriptions can only be filled with minimal amounts of THC.  It's so little, in fact, Iowa isn't even considered a medical marijuana state.  This in spite of calls by doctors and pharmacists to increase the maximum THC dosage.

This is the worst, dumbest way to do things, because lots of effort produces zero positive results.  People / patients aren't getting better, and the state gets no tax revenue.  The fact that a neighboring state (Illinois) this year legalized cannabis just makes it even worse / dumber, since motivated Iowans simply drive across the border.  The result is, the people get what they want, but another state benefits from the commerce.

In the end, Iowa and other non-cannabis states would be better off financially just not allowing any marijuana usage, rather than limiting it the way they are.  Of course, if they legalized it, those states would see a multi-million dollar tax revenue bonanza -- but since the Rs don't want to look so bad politically, they do things one drip at a time, showcasing the insanity of their ways

One small irony in all of this is that Iowa does consider its dispensaries to be essential businesses, so they remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Wouldn't it be nice if there was an effective, natural drug that could help everyone through the pandemic, not only physically but mentally?  And regulated selling of that same drug could create millions in tax revenue being lost by the state due to the same pandemic?

Maybe by next 4/20.

Compliance Versus Defiance

In the midst of the enormous health crisis that is the coronavirus pandemic, it’s sad there is so much political fire being exchanged.  It’s actually necessary due to the disgraceful way the executive branch has denied the pandemic and mismanaged the response, but it’s still sad.

Not to pile on the sadness, but at the 30,000 foot level, there is a least one new political truth that has been brought into sharp focus.  That is, that Democrats have become the party of compliance, while Republicans have become the party of defiance.

It hasn’t been like this since, well, ever.  Democrats are supposed to be the liberal ones, fighting against the status quo.  Does anybody around here remember the battles (both real and figurative) of the 1960s and 1970s, not to mention the progressive, Medicare-for-all movements of the now?  And Republicans have always been the party of don’t-change conservatism, supposedly more obedient to the law.

The pandemic changed that.  When it came time to follow the advice of the medical experts, to take precautions, to stay home, to avoid people…..it was Democrats who were quick to comply.  Meanwhile, led by the misinformation of their chief executive and conservative media, the Republicans were slow to act.  They thought they were smarter than the experts, who weren’t going to tell them what to do.

Only three or so weeks into this thing, we know compliance saves lives, while defiance costs lives.  While it’s been awful to have watched this happening in real time, there may be one very small consolation – defiance is more likely to thin the herd of the defiant ones, at least for the future.

A Tale Of Two Viruses

As I write this, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, brought about by a novel virus with no existing vaccine or treatment.  This virus sickens virtually everyone who comes into contact with it.  It does not care about race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, financial class, political affiliation, or nationality.  It is not a hoax.  All of this has led to an economic meltdown of historic proportions, as worldwide people are asked to abide the directives of governments that cannot be trusted to provide proper information or materials.

Also as I write this, we are in the midst of a domestic crisis, brought about by a narcissistic virus with no existing vaccine or treatment.  This virus sickens virtually everyone who comes into contact with it.  It only cares if you are white, Christian, male, straight, upper class, Republican, and American.  It is a total hoax.  All of this has led to a political meltdown of historic proportions, as American citizens are asked to abide the directives of a government that cannot be trusted to provide proper information or materials.

The virus I refer to in the first paragraph is COVID-19.  The virus I refer to in the second paragraph is Donald Trump.

Let's hope one of these viruses overcomes the other as soon as possible.

A Candidate Guide, Circa 2020

Next week, Iowa hosts its semi-famous political caucuses.  The attention this year is even more overwhelming than usual, thanks to a toxic political climate and social media.

It's time for my quadrennial assessment of the remaining candidates who are spending time in Iowa, this year limited to the Democratic Party since the Republican party is set on nominating the current ignorant, corrupt, and impeachable president.  In alphabetical order:

Joe Biden -- The safest, most moderate pick for the Dems.  A known commodity with the best chance of winning the electoral votes in the states that matter most.  He would be an more formidable candidate if he was several years younger.

Pete Buttigieg -- His moderate temperament and views, along with his military service, make him interesting.  A lack of political baggage is also a plus, but a lack of experience is a negative.  It's very surprising that he's made it this far.

Amy Klobuchar -- Another moderate whose views are reasonable and nationally appealing, and she has a neighboring state, midwestern likability to her.  However, that likability doesn't translate into passionate support for her candidacy.

Bernie Sanders -- He's been in this race before, so he knows the issues, has refined his message, and has the name recognition.  Has popularity with younger voters given his populist message, but that probably hurts more than helps in a national election.

Tom Steyer -- The 'attack Trump' strategy has appeal with some, but everyone knows he's just in it for issue advocacy and name recognition, right?

Elizabeth Warren -- The most intellectually appealing candidate, with a detailed plan for almost  everything.  Her energy and experience also help, but she limits her chances by being too far left on a few issues, namely college debt and health care.

Andrew Yang -- Doesn't seem there's any chance he'd win with no experience, but everyone should listen to what he's saying about the future of the U.S. workforce and economy.

Not mentioned is Mike Bloomberg, who isn't campaigning in Iowa but who could have an impact on the actual nominee, assuming it isn't him.

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.

Winning The Family Feud

It’s long been an axiom that family and politics don’t mix.  This has never been more true than in the past year, with the unexpected election of a polarizing president – and that’s saying the absolute best thing I can about what happened / what’s happening in America.

Even amongst families, there seems to be no bridging the current ideological divide that has been forged by Fox News, Trump, and the Republican Party.  It’s crazy, because none of those aforementioned things even mattered to the general public until recently.

Since the last national election, I’ve been at a few gatherings of immediate family members.  When social and/or political matters have inevitably come up in conversation, I’ve been very good about quickly changing the subject.  (My favorite line is, ‘So who do you think is going to win the [name sports division here]?”)  Changing the subject is better than silence, lest someone mistake that silence as a tacit agreement about anything being said.

I suppose it was just a matter of time, however, before I heard one of my relatives say something racist or homophobic or xenophobic or misogynistic to the point I could no longer bite my tongue. That happened last week.

So I spoke back at them, trying to expose their beliefs as unacceptable in today’s society, and definitely unacceptable in present company.  (By ‘present company’ I refer to me, but there were several other family members in the room, none of whom were willing or able to engage in a sociopolitical conversation.)

At first, I tried to make my points in a passive-aggressive way, with sarcasm and mocking.   Not surprisingly, that resulted in the other person getting defensive, and doubling-down on their hate speech.  So I stepped up my game to equal their verbal aggression, making much more salient and intellectual points.

But of course, that’s where the ‘conversation’ went off the rails and crashed into an awkward silence, because you can’t argue with another person who is unable to recognize – much less agree with – demonstrable facts.  I knew we’d reached that point when the other person claimed Fox News was actually anti-Trump.  Good god, not even Fox News or Trump agrees with that.

So what was the outcome of this family strife?  I simply declared victory by ignoring the other person.  It was a great moment for rational minds.  #Winning!

Iowa's Medical Marijuana "Victory"

Let's briefly ignore the fact that we should legalize recreational marijuana, and instead make time for an Iowa medical marijuana update.....

When last we visited the Iowa legislative and executive branch, our soon-to-be-gone Republican Governor Branstad (leaving to become the biggest dufus ambassador to China we've ever had) and the Republican-controlled House were still doing everything they could to pretend that even highly-regulated medical marijuana was a gateway drug.

More specifically, Iowa law allowed certain medically-eligible patients to possess a small amount of pot, but it can't be grown or purchased in Iowa nor imported it from another state.  It's a joke.

A glimmer of hope for the future occurred at the end of this year's legislative session, when the Iowa Senate -- where there is now also a majority of Republicans, just fewer dumb ones -- overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand medical marijuana to many more afflictions, and well as allow a few Iowa-based regulated growing centers.

Unfortunately, the House watered it down to the point that there won't be enough THC (the psychoactive constitute in cannabis that matters to medical marijuana patients) in the drug to make a difference for most who need it.  And who knows if the outgoing governor will sign it into law, although he probably will because it will politically help the incoming governor.

So in summary, it's another hollow victory for medical marijuana in Iowa, which is actually a step up from the completely empty victory of the past.  The state remains mired in a stupid, fearful 'unintended consequences' attitude that has prevailed in Iowa for some time, even in the middle of the biggest opioid addiction crisis in history, and a still-increasing number of alcohol-related deaths.

The bottom line is, if my child or I was suffering physically, and I knew using marijuana helped, I would go get it anywhere, anyhow, and dare somebody to arrest me for possessing or using it.  Also, I'd laugh at the fact Iowa is missing out on getting taxes from me out of the deal.....Idiots!

Modern Convention

I’ve been trying to avoid writing about the current state of America's national political affairs.  I feel like I’ve done that; even though this is a general election year and there’s a lot of crazy going on, particularly in the Republican Party, I only made one entry six months ago, around Iowa caucus time.

However, now that both national party conventions just ended, I have to at least write something about them.

So much of what you see and hear in the primary and convention season is coming from the party goofballs.  By that I mean, local political activists on the fringes who attend obscure rallies, and who will always follow the party line, no matter how extreme it is.

While these particular Democrats and Republicans usually have opinions that are very black-and-white (along with skin color), electing a president isn't a strict matter of pro-gun versus pro-gun control, or pro-business versus pro-middle class, or pro-religion versus pro-scientific fact-secular.  It's important to keep that in perspective.

It's been a fact for a long time that to win a general election, a candidate must appeal to the more centrist general electorate.  This is where the more centrist party figures are, and they don't attend the national conventions.

The centrist electorate is also where the political independents have the power.  That's folks like me.  But independents aren't invited on the crazy-town major party national convention train, either.

And so, the conventions come and go with no one really caring about those who don't think as they do, and no one asking for the help they ultimately need.  It's an unfortunate and frankly dumb way to go about nominating a person for president.

It's too bad there isn't a bona fide independent party.  And no, Libertarian Party, you're still too 'out-there' to qualify as a party of independents, although by being fiscally conservative and socially liberal, you're closer than the others.

Death With Dignity

Imagine being able to vote for reducing, and perhaps eliminating, human pain and suffering.  Now, imagine voting against that.

This is what's happening in the Iowa legislature right now -- and I'm not even talking about medical marijuana!  I'm talking about a proposed Death With Dignity Act, which is more widely (and crudely) known as physician-assisted suicide.

This may seem like a radical idea in Iowa, but it isn't elsewhere.  Oregon currently has a similar Death With Dignity Act, and other states are considering it.

Under the Iowa version of this Act, "An adult patient who is competent, is a resident of this state, has been determined by the patient’s attending physician and consulting physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, and has voluntarily expressed a wish to die, may make a written request for medication that the patient may self-administer to end the patient’s life…”

In short, this would allow some terminally-ill, suffering Iowans the option of a more peaceful, non-painful death.  It would reduce human pain and suffering.  So naturally, social conservatives (mostly Republicans) and our governor-for-life Terry Branstad, oppose it.

Taking one's life is obviously not something to be taken lightly.  And this Act doesn't do that.  It simply allows a competent person the freedom to make a choice to forego their pain, a choice that harms no one else.

It's different, yet in some ways the same as the medical marijuana debate.  The old, white, conservative males who dominate the legislative and executive branch are either unable or unwilling to understand that science, and attitudes, change over time.  They think they know better -- don't confuse them with evidence to the contrary.

The other day, a friend of mine put it about as eloquently as you can:  Some people just don't believe in evolution, past or present.

A Candidate Guide, Circa 2016

With the first-in-the-nation caucuses only days away, Iowa is once again in the national political spotlight.  It’s time for my quadrennial assessment of the remaining candidates (here's the 2012 version), in alphabetical order by party:

DEMOCRATS

Hillary Clinton
The good: She’s easily the most credentialed to be president.  The bad: There’s something unlikable about her quest for political power, even after reinventing herself as a senator and cabinet member.

Martin O’Malley
The former governor of Maryland seems smart and likable enough, but he definitely picked the wrong cycle to run for president.

Bernie Sanders
Every four years, it seems there’s a grandfatherly-looking candidate with an unusual message who sparks an interest with younger voters.  The last time, it was Republican-Libertarian Ron Paul.  This time, it’s Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders.

REPUBLICANS

Jeb Bush
All that PAC money, all that name legacy, and he’s seems to be getting no traction.  Maybe we have had enough of the Bush family in the White House.  He just doesn’t stand out in this field.

Chris Christie
Not the best bedside manner, but that’s a net good, it makes him look less Washington-insider.  He won’t do well in Iowa, but he could do well elsewhere.  Also: Must lose more weight, America doesn't elect unhealthy-looking presidents.

Ted Cruz
Take a ring-wing whack-job who’s disliked by his own party, and add support from Iowa’s own resident whack-job congressman, Steve King.  This is how you identify the Republicans’ potential Iowa caucus winner.  (Has it really been 2+ years since I wrote this?)

John Kasich
Probably the Republican candidate most appealing to independents, someone who seems to understand that governing is a compromise.  Unfortunately, that means it will be tough for him to win.

Rand Paul
Younger folks like him, but his mostly libertarian message isn't getting the traction it did when his father, Ron, ran in 2012.  Interestingly, he can partly thank Bernie Sanders for that.

Marco Rubio
Youth, intelligence, ethnicity, and likability are in his favor.  He could win the nomination, but if he goes too far to the right to do it (a la Mitt Romney), he’ll have a hard time being elected president.

Donald Trump
He’s the Frankenstein’s monster created by the Tea-Party Republicans, and now they can’t control him.  I still predict he’ll eventually ruin his reputation(?) along with the Republicans’ chances of winning.

Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum
Thanks for visiting Iowa!  Now go home, and stop trying to make a career out of running for president.