Day: 01/22/2015
Another reason to legalize
Surprise! Magnets used to plant drugs under cars from Mexico
There have been three seizures since, all involving SENTRI drivers who were not charged:
-On Jan. 13, inspectors at the Otay Mesa border crossing found 35 pounds of marijuana in seven packages attached by powerful magnets to the bottom of a 2010 Kia Forte.
-On Tuesday, a driver alerted an inspector at Otay Mesa to a package under a 2010 Nissan Murano, and 8 pounds of methamphetamine were found in three packages underneath.
-On Wednesday, a dog at San Ysidro alerted inspectors to a 2000 Toyota Corolla with 18 pounds of marijuana underneath. That driver was enrolled in SENTRI but using a regular lane…
1/15/2015, Site Survey Shows 60 Percent Think Free Will Exists. Read Why.
An article in the January issue of Scientific American by philosopher Eddy Nahmias addressed this debate, coming to the conclusion that we are endowed with free will, even if, at times, a lot of mental processing is going on before we become conscious of it.
The article—and the intrinsic fascination with this question—prompted us to run a survey of visitors to our site, asking their opinions on this philosophical perennial, now being debated anew because of the brain scans that question free will’s existence…
1/20/2015, Anthropologist Seeks the Roots of Terrorism
What sociological and cultural factors are behind the Paris attacks? Unlike the United States, where immigrants achieve average socioeconomic status and education within a generation, in Europe even after three generations, depending on the country, they’re 5–19 times more likely to be poor or less educated. France has about 7.5% Muslims and [they make] up to 60–75% of the prison population. It’s a very similar situation to black youth in the United States…
In France, a poll by [ICM Research] showed that 27% of young French people, not just Muslims, between 18 and 24 had a favourable attitude toward the Islamic State…
If you really want to do a scientific study with jihadis—I do it—you have to convince them to put down their guns, not talk to one another, and answer your questions. Some people, if you ask them if they would give up their belief in God if offered a certain amount of money, they will shoot you. So you can’t ask that question…
Hawaii State Capitol to Fly Hemp Flag on Opening Day
A new law allows the University of Hawaii to establish a two-year industrial hemp remediation and biofuel crop research program.
http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/01/hawaii-state-capitol-to-fly-hemp-flag-on-opening-day/
On Wednesday, the opening day of the 2015 legislative session, Hawaii will join the U.S. Capitol and four other states in having flown an American-grown and -produced hemp flag…
On a related note, Maui “is slated to become the first island in the state with a home built using industrial hemp,” according to Maui News.
1/21/2015, Marijuana’s Surprising Effects On Athletic Performance
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-marijuana-affects-working-out-2015-1
Researchers say that marijuana has an anti-inflammatory effect and that the chemical compounds that come from weed might mimic the body’s natural endorphins, which could help increase our pain threshold like a natural runner’s high and make it easier to push through a tough workout…
Michigan sees another dip in medical marijuana patients
Last year, the number of identification cards for patients in the program totaled 96,408, according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. That compares with 119,470 patients in 2011, and 118,368 in 2013…
Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Act, which allows residents with debilitating medical conditions to legally use the drug, was approved by the state’s voters in 2008… [New Mexico, Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, 2007.]
In one instance, an Okemos businessman who followed state law when leasing warehouse space to licensed medical marijuana growers was arrested by federal authorities, tried and convicted for his role in the operation. He’s serving a three-year federal prison sentence.
And in Lansing in 2013, police and Children’s Protective Services removed a couple’s 6-month-old daughter from their home for six weeks because the parents used marijuana to treat medical conditions. Both had state-issued medical marijuana patient cards.
“A lot of these patients may have just given up on Michigan’s system and moved somewhere with a more robust law,” Fox said…
Lowell said another likely factor is lawmakers’ 2012 decision to extend the period for which medical marijuana cards are valid. “The licenses are now good for two years instead of one,” Lowell said. “So the people reregistering the following year won’t show up (in the state’s reports).”
Under comments:
Matthew Abel (Executive Director at Michigan NORM) said: …The number of patients has to be closer to 200,000.
_________
Population comparison:
Michigan — 9.89 million
Number of patients — 200,000 (estimate)
Percent of population — 2%
New Mexico — 2.08 million
Number of patients — 11,000+
Percent of population — 0.005+%
(See “Where’s the year-end report for New Mexico’s program?”)
Federal Court Says It’s 100% Legal To Give Cops The Finger
http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/01/federal-court-says-its-100-legal-to-give-cops-the-finger/
(This is not meant as advice. In fact, nothing on this website is meant as advice. Just information.)
2/6/2011, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ME/CFS
http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2011/02/chronic-fatigue-syndromemecfs.html
Under comments:
oerganix
February 7, 2011 at 9:25 AM
This is an excellent overview of ME/CFS. The only point I would disagree with is that we patients will have to “start over”. Most of us recognized the political nature of the “contamination papers”, the timing, the funding, the source. If you follow the money, you will find that Unum, the disability insurer that advises the UK equivalent of SSA on how to deny claims has targeted ME/CFS, among other diseases, to disinform the medical industry and the public about. They have been doing this in UK and the US since about 1997 and have been very successful at portraying the illness as mysterious, unsolvable and “mental”. Those of us who have been following the politics as well as the science know that the near instantaneous response of the UK and European “studies” was damage control, not the search for XMRV. Likewise, the CDC, whose Chronic Viral Diseases Branch has spent the tiny amount of CFS research money they had on “studies” trying to convince everyone that CFS is caused by personality disorders and childhood sexual abuse!
4/26/2006, Webb v. Unum
Click to access USCOURTS-alnd-2_02-cv-02980-0.pdf
The letter specifically identified a Functional Capacities Evaluation (FCE) conducted on July 22, 1999 as a basis for concluding Ms. Webb was not eligible for continued long term disability benefits…
In her report Ms. McGonagle states that during the interview: The claimant sat comfortably in a straight-back chair during the hour long interview and did not complain of any or discomfort. She did not appear to be in pain and appeared to sit, stand and walk normally without any obvious signs of discomfort or pain…
3. The claimant, who is 44, makes repeated references to “needing my mommy.”
4. The claimant is taking a number of anti-depressants in relatively high doses.
Like many of McGonagle’s “declarations” it is not explained how she reached the conclusion that Webb deliberately failed to return in order to miss the December appointment.
The physical examination took place between 11:45 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Ms. Webb was tested for tolerances for sitting, standing, walking, overhead reach, forward reach, stair climbing, squat, kneel, balance, gross grasp, fine manipulation and gross manipulation. Anomalies were noted in walking, stair climbing, and overhead reach…
3/6/2012, Texas Woman, Disabled, Files Unum Lawsuit
The plaintiff is Rhea Hammond, who has brought an ERISA claim against Unum Group with regard to her disability insurance. According to the substance of the lawsuit filed with the Court at the end of February, the McKinney woman was forced to actively stop working as of June 13, 2008, due to a host of medical ailments. Among them…
Pancreatitis, abdominal pain, spondylosis, knee pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, sleep apnea, cirrhosis of the liver, osteoarthritis, lumbago, osteoporosis, chronic pain, hepatitis C, deep vein thrombosis, lumbar spine strain, polyarthralgia, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, trigger finger, pneumonia, lupus, hypertension, hypothyroidism, headaches, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, post traumatic stress syndrome, memory loss, lack of concentration, anemia cellulites, reactive airway disease and bronchitis..
All Things Chronic 