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If you’re a cannabis user living in one of the 42 states where cannabis is still illegal without a prescription, you’re probably planning to march down to your capitol building and lobby your representatives to end cannabis prohibition on April 20. To effectively lobby your representatives requires more than just the commitment to get off the couch one day a year to sit down with your representatives, or more likely, representatives of your representatives, and requesting they support legislation to legalize cannabis in your state. I was lucky enough to win a scholarship from Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) to lobby my representatives in Washington D.C. in June of 2013 to legalize cannabis federally. It was a most rewarding experience, and I picked up a few things at a lobbying training seminar led by then executive director of SSDP, Aaron Houston. So here’s the cannabis user’s guide to lobbying on 4/20. 1. Don’t be Stoned You have to understand that your representative isn’t going to appreciate you wasting his or her time or the time of his or her staff with your drug-induced ramblings. Even if you are a capable orator under the influence, just the appearance or odor of being stoned can undo all your good work and that of your sober comrades. Getting arrested for smoking a joint at your capitol doesn’t look good, either, so if you must smoke, stay at home on 4/20, where you can still submit a comment to the Food and Drug…
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You’re no doubt familiar with the name Robert Mueller and his investigation into the Trump campaign’s affiliations and alleged involvement in the Russian campaign to interfere with the 2016 Presidential Election. You’ve probably heard that Facebook was used by Russians to interfere with the 2016 Presidential election, and you’re no doubt aware that the Facebook data of more than 87 million users was obtained by Cambridge Analytica to influence the 2016 Presidential election. But you’re probably still wondering how this all happened, and we’re all wondering who’s guilty. The question no one’s asking, however, is why a campaign calling to “Make America Great Again” by growing jobs and the American economy spent almost $6 million to employ an analytics firm in the United Kingdom with employees from the U.K. and Canada? What Happened with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica Facebook chairman and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before Congress this week, but his prepared testimony is already available, and he won’t likely stray far from it regardless of the questions asked by the Senate Judiciary Commerce Committees at 1:15 p.m. CST on Tuesday and House Energy and Commerce Committee at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Here’s what happened in Zuckerberg’s own written words. “In 2007...we enabled people to log into apps and share who their friends were and some information about them...In 2013, a Cambridge University researcher named Aleksandr Kogan created a personality quiz app. It was installed by around 300,000 people who agreed to share some of their Facebook…
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I don’t enjoy writing the “fire the coach/GM” letter. I hope no one does. Calling people’s job performance into question publicly isn’t something I long to do. I’m not the current President. Firing people isn’t my thing. But when I feel a change is needed to improve the product for which I and my neighbors pay handsomely, I’m not going to bite my tongue and suffer in silence. Twice I've written letters calling for sports executives to be fired, and in both instances they were. On Oct. 17, 2011, I called for Minnesota Twins general manager Bill Smith to resign. Less than a month later, he was dismissed. On July 14, 2016, I called for most of the Twins’ front office to be fired, including Smith’s predecessor and replacement, Terry Ryan. Four days later Ryan was fired. It’s not that I think these “fire the coach/GM” pieces actually instigate change. I doubt they even reach the decision-makers. But they make me feel better and, hopefully, provide you some insight into the thoughts and feelings of a frustrated season ticket holder and the reasons for that frustration. In the past, I wrote my “fire the coach/GM” letters in reactionary anger. They were fueled mostly by emotion, not logic. With Ryan, it was an inactive trade deadline that set me to punching the keys. With Smith, a slew of bad trades got me started down the same path (JJ Hardy, Johan Santana, Wilson Ramos). Only the Twins’ on-field success kept me from…
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Once hailed as a hero to curbing our deadly tobacco epidemic, vaping has now become more popular than smoking cigarettes among middle and high school students. Last month the CDC reported that 4.3 percent of middle school students and 11.3 percent of high school students vape e-cigarettes. This week, results from a 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey cite a 900% jump in use among teens from the years 2011-2015, with half a million middle school students and 1.7 million high schoolers having vaped within the last 30 days. As more studies finalize, we’re anticipating these numbers to rise even higher. Although electronic cigarette products are not to be purchased or used by those under 18, teen use of Juul and other vaping products have gone viral. “RJ,” who asked to remain anonymous, is a senior at a local Las Vegas high school and states, “Almost everyone vapes. No one smokes anymore due to the health risks. They think vaping is safer and cooler. Smoking’s out, vaping - definitely in.” Students who were never destined to pick up a stick of tobacco have become new recruits to the inhaling industry, being duped by the flavors and image of a “safe way to look cool.” The Juul casing is particularly attractive. It looks like a flash drive so it/s sleek, smooth and easy to hide. The flavored nicotine & e-juices, are a huge draw to those who would never tolerate the smoky taste of tobacco. These can include almost any taste preference…
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HYPOCRISY, noun [Latin hypocrisis; Gr. simulation; to feign; 1. Simulation; a feigning to be what one is not; or dissimulation, a concealment of one's real character or motives. More generally, hypocrisy is simulation, or the assuming of a false appearance of virtue or religion; a deceitful show of a good character, in morals or religion; a counterfeiting of religion. Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy Luke 12:1. 2. Simulation; deceitful appearance; false pretence. In my article I wrote last week titled “1.3 Trillion Omnibus Bill Sold as ‘National Security’ Funds Avowed to America’s Enemies,” I highlighted the treasonous acts of the new administration concerning that which was laid on the backs of the American taxpayers and their children when it comes to the reallocation of funds and how they are being used to literally (And illegally) fund America’s sworn enemies. P.S. This same kind of bill was brought forth under criminal Barrack Hussein Obama and his administration with the help of Paul Ryan, who played the Judas with the American people (Luke 22:48). Back on December 16, 2015, when Breitbart first blew the trumpet (Ezekiel 33:3), I did a follow-up on LIVE radio several times and even wrote an article on June 16, 2017 titled, “Paul Ryan Helped Open the gates to The Wolves.” I knew that it was just a matter of time before Donald Trump, with the help of his right hand man, Paul Ryan, was going to move the agenda forward, and…
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June 1st marks the official start of Hurricane season and runs until November 30th. September is usually the most active month. Hurricanes are categorized by their wind speed as designated as the following: Category I have sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph Category II have sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph Category III have sustained winds of 111 to 130 mph Category IV have sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph Category V have sustained winds of over 155 mph. In a given year, the Atlantic Ocean averages 12 hurricanes with 2 becoming “major” meaning a Category III or greater. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was at one point a Category V and when it hit landfall it was a Category 3-4 (depending on the source), tragically killing over 1800 people and causing $108 billion in damage. The deadliest hurricane to ever hit US soil was the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 in which over 10,000 people died. According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, The Weather Company and Colorado State University, the 2018 Hurricane season will be above average in activity, with possibly 14 named storms, 7 of which are expected to become hurricanes, 3 of which could become major hurricanes. 2017 was a particularly active hurricane season with three major hurricanes hitting the US. Dr. Phil Klotzbach, of the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorological Project, stated in 2017, “While the tropical Atlantic is warmer than normal, the far North Atlantic remains colder than normal, potentially indicative of…
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The best days of the Minnesota sports year are here, and I’m not just saying that because Target Field opens its gates for baseball on Thursday. The Minnesota Twins are, as of this writing, playing their home opener against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon. Even if the foot of snow the Twin Cities received Tuesday doesn’t melt by game time or more rain and snow moves into the area forcing a postponement, at least Minnesota sports fans will have two more games to watch later that night. Both the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves play games that could affect the postseason, and both play at the same time, which is frustrating and frankly, should be illegal. Thursday is going to be the best day of the Minnesota sports season. That is until Saturday, April 14, when four professional sports teams in Minnesota could all play on the same day for the first time ever. We know the Twins and Minnesota United FC (MNUFC or Loons for short) will be in action. But with the NBA Playoffs set to begin that same day, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs also underway, Minnesota sports fans could watch their home teams for up to 11 consecutive hours on April 14. The Twins host the Chicago White Sox at 1:10 p.m. CDT and MNUFC’s match in Portland kicks off at 9:30 p.m. That leaves plenty of room in the television schedule for both the Wolves and Wild. These really are the best days of…
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Sadness over March Madness
Written by Jim Brown
Let me begin right off by saying that I am a college basketball diehard through and through. Like most sports fans, I cheer on my favorite teams in a number of sports. But at the top of my list has always been college basketball. My dad was a star forward playing both junior college and AAU basketball. I had the honor of being Coach Dean Smith’s first recruit at the University of North Carolina back in 1968. I was a spectator in the Louisiana Superdome when the Tar Heels won two national championships. If you come to my office I’ll show you a ball sent to me by Coach Smith autographed by the entire 1982 championship team including Michael Jordan. I’ve been a front row LSU basketball season ticket holder since the 1970s, and regularly talk basketball trash with legendary former Coach Dale Brown. All in all, I have bled for the college game. But I have a confession to make. The thrill is gone. These past few weeks, I didn’t become enthralled with March Madness. It was more like March Sadness. Liza Minnelli said it best in the hit movie and Broadway show Cabaret.“Money makes the world go round.” We have tolerated for years the extravagant salaries paid to college football coaches. At LSU, for example, six of the seven highest paid employees in the entire university are in the athletic department, which Governor John Bel Edwards labels as “obscene.” LSU will pay three former football coaches more than…
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EpiPens secretly contain more than one dose used in emergency wilderness settings
Written by Dr. Daliah Wachs
The EpiPen® auto-injector contains epinephrine, used during an emergency to treat severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. If one is allergic to an insect or food, a severe allergic reaction may ensue upon exposure, in which the immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can cause throat tightness, hives, lip and facial swelling, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, cardiac arrest and possibly death. Epinephrine stimulates the heart to increase cardiac muscle contractility, cardiac output, subsequently raising the blood pressure. Additionally it relaxes the muscles surrounding the airways, allowing one to breathe easier and take in more oxygen. Moreover it helps to stop the release of additional immune chemicals. The EpiPen® is manufactured by Mylan. Its cost made headlines when the EpiPen two-pack recently stickered for close to $600. Now generic forms are available costing anywhere from $109-$300 for a dual pack. The disposable auto-injector, for an adult, delivers 0.3 mg of epinephrine, while the EpiPen Jr., used in pediatric populations, delivers 0.15mg of the medication. It can be self-administered, through clothing if necessary, into the thigh muscle in one smooth movement once the safety release is removed. After 0.3 ml is administered during the single adult dose, the EpiPen® unit is discarded. However many are not aware that 1.7 ml of solution remains within the cartridge. This could, in theory, be used for an additional 5 doses if in a remote, “wilderness” setting. Dr. Arthur (Tony) Islas, Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, and…
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I recently scored a Fitbit Alta for $40 and have been making the transition from using the MyPlate app by Livestrong to using the Fitbit app. I mostly purchased a Fitbit because I suspected I was underestimating my daily caloric exertion in the MyPlate app. What made me suspect that? Well, I set a MyPlate goal of losing a half pound per week and shed six pounds in three weeks. It only took one day for my Fitbit to prove my hypothesis true. I had been underestimating my caloric exertion by a lot because I don’t carry my phone with me everywhere I go. I was shocked by how many steps the Fitbit monitored and was immediately pleased with my purchase. But over the next few days, I discovered things I miss about the MyPlate app and things I like about the Fitbit app. What I Miss About the MyPlate App The Workouts I really like the burn I got from the 10-minute abs workout and seven-minute cardio sculpting workout. I can still do the workouts, but logging the calories burned isn’t as easy as wearing my Fitbit while I exercise. I noticed after completing my abs workout that my Fitbit didn’t come close to logging the 74 calories burned the MyPlate abs workout says it burns. That’s probably because most abs exercises involve very few steps, and the Fitbit Alta doesn’t monitor heart rate. I ended up adding my calories burned manually, using “Calisthenics” as my exercise in the…
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Film review: Ready Player One
Written by Jon Cazares
**SPOILER FREE** Spielberg's new film, Ready Player One, is based on the once loved, now often ridiculed or outright disliked novel of the same name written by Ernest Cline. The novel is unread by me but I understand the premise. And I’ve seen the movie now which probably means all the good parts of the book have been spoiled for me. The novel, from what I understand, is a nostalgic, geek lore Easter egg hunt oft criticized for being fun but not exactly a writing masterpiece, but whatever. The reader was bombarded with nostalgic, nerdy, geek references from the 80’s. And that nostalgic weight carried RPO on to the NYT best seller list for a long time. And now Steven Spielberg, the man directly responsible for much of our actual 80’s pop culture and nostalgic geeky moments has his new movie! So what is it about? From rottentomatos.com: “In the year 2045, people can escape their harsh reality in the OASIS, an immersive virtual world where you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone-the only limits are your own imagination. OASIS creator James Halliday left his immense fortune and control of the Oasis to the winner of a contest designed to find a worthy heir. When unlikely hero Wade Watts conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends-known as the High Five-are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS and their world.” Okay. Fair enough. Dystopian world - bad.…
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1.3 trillion omnibus bill sold as “national security” funds avowed to America’s enemies
Written by Bradlee Dean
Treason-In general, it is the offense of attempting to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power. –Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Last week, the news broke that behind the smokescreen of the March on Washington D.C., President Donald Trump did the unthinkable when he signed off on the budget-busting $1.3 trillion spending bill, which is nothing short of a complete betrayal of the American people. The bill also finances countries that are avowed enemies of America. (Article 3 sections 3 US Constitution) HE SAID THAT IT WAS SIGNED FOR “NATIONAL SECURITY” WHILE FUNDING AVOWED ENEMIES TO AMERICA. This in part is what we found in the bill: $12m for Scholarships for Lebanon $20m for Middle East Partnership Initiative Scholarship Program $12m in military funding for Vietnam $3.5m in nutrition assistance to Laos $15m in Developmental assistance to China $10m for Women LEOs in Afghanistan $1m for the World Meteorological Organization $218m for Promoting Democracy Development in Europe $10m for disadvantaged Egyptian Students $1.371bn for Contributions to International Organizations $51m to promote International Family Planning and Reproductive Health $7m promoting International Conservation $10m for UN Environmental Programs $5m for Vietnam Education Foundation Grants $2.579m for Commission on Security and Co-operation in Europe $15m to USAID for promoting international higher education between universities $1m for the Cultural Antiquities Task Force $6.25m for the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation $20m for Countering Foreign State Propaganda $12m for Countering…
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Canadian neuroscientists suggest taking Ibuprofen daily may prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. IMAGE FROM ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION Researchers from the University of British Columbia believe those who take daily ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), can decrease inflammation of the brain caused by the abnormal proteins that cause Alzheimer’s. In 2004, Dokmeci et al suggested ibuprofen could delay Alzheimer’s onset as it protects neurons (nerve cells) and decreases inflammation of the brain. In this study, Dr. Patrick McGreer and his team believe they can identify those early on who could benefit from the inexpensive, over the counter treatment. McGreer is President and CEO of Vancouver-based Aurin Biotech. He and his team developed a saliva test that measures the protein Abeta42 (amyloid beta protein 42). In patients at risk of Alzheimer’s, they found levels of Abeta42 to be two to three times higher than normal. Abeta42 accumulates in the brain, causing inflammation and destroying nerve cells. Though previously believed Abeta42 is made exclusively in the brain, the saliva test suggests Abeta42 is made elsewhere in the body and can be detected years earlier. If the protein/peptide is found earlier and known to cause inflammation, McGreer and his team believe preventing the inflammation with ibuprofen could essentially prevent Alzheimer’s onset. He states, “What we’ve learned through our research is that people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s exhibit the same elevated Abeta42 levels as people who already have it; moreover, they exhibit those elevated levels throughout their lifetime so, theoretically, they could get…
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The biggest reason for fans of every MLB team to watch Opening Day is that their team is in first place. It’s the only day of the year every team can say that, but fans of every team, even the Miami Marlins, have at least one reason to watch Opening Day baseball. The Playoff Contenders Houston Astros The defending champions take on their in-state rivals the Texas Rangers on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. CST, and the biggest reason for Astros fans to tune in is to see if 35-year-old Justin Verlander can repeat his stellar 2017 season and carry a staff of mostly question marks. Dallas Keuchel followed up his Cy Young season in 2015 by posting an ERA+ of just 86 in 2016. He rebounded with an ERA+ of 136 last season, but pitched just 145.2 innings. He’s pitched 200 innings just twice in his six-year career. Verlander has done it in 10 of 13 seasons, which is five more times than the rest of the Astros’ starters combined. But the Astros are prepared in case their starters fail to eat innings, with Collin McHugh and Brad Peacock available in the bullpen. Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw takes the mound against San Francisco at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN. That’s all Dodgers fans should need to tune in on Opening Day, because it could be Kershaw’s last season with the Dodgers. New York Yankees Yankees fans will get their first look at last year’s home run champion Giancarlo Stanton…
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