tvashtarkatena

Please tell me the Free Mason thing was a joke. I don't want my view of humanity lowered any further.

WHATS TRENDING ON DA .MILZ????????

No. He doesn't have to pay, presumably because the military denied him a commission for medical reasons. Seems fair. Their call, really. Page didn't know if he was going to have to pay or not when he quit - so much for the 'moocher' theory.

Well, his medical condition is new information - seems like it really manifest itself after his dad killed himself the year before - pretty much the soundest indication that his clinical depression just may have had some real genetic basis. Here's some more - he came to West Point from the enlisted ranks, so there, again, goes the 'coward' theory. Sounds like the kid had some tough breaks and genetics, and he's just trying to make it all mean something. Who knows? Frankly, if I went to West Point to get out of the grunt ranks, and West Point said, 6 months before graduation "BTW, you're going back to being a grunt", I might be inclined to say FU as well. Kinda puts a new light on the 'renig' argument, no? In any case, there are probably worse crimes against humanity out there. The kid went though nearly 4 years of grueling military academy - something neither AK or PissDog have accomplished.

It's important to remember that SAR folks are trained to put their own safety above those of they rescue, for obvious reasons. SAR's responsible for making that go/no go call, not the victim. Most rescues are for the inexperienced, and few (3%) involve climbers at all. A lot involve kids who get themselves treed. I have a little problem throwing kids under the bus before they've had a chance to make some really big mistakes. All of us start out as noobs. It's probably helpful to remember that period from time to time before joining the inevitable conga line of stay puff swagger every time SAR gets a call.

Nope. That was entirely your tuggy toy. You really ran with it, too - and still are, apparently. Weird fixation, frankly, but not my problem. Never had much of a taste for killing (or wishing death for members of the climbing community, for that matter). Rats are as far as I go, and I feel bad about that. Now back to our regularly scheduled (Near) Tragedy on Hood Thread.

Unless the rules of the military academies have radically changed, the cadet will have to serve as an enlisted man rather than an officer - so there go the 'coward' and 'oath' arguments. You cannot resign from a military academy after your second year without incurring mandatory service in the grunt ranks - which only ups the cadets odds of getting whacked in a war zone, no? This makes the cadet's protest very costly from a personal standpoint, and therefore quite selfless and brave, regardless of how one feels about the point object of that protest. It's standard procedure for folks who are way out front on an important issue - and the Christianization of the Army's officer core is certainly important, to suffer personal attacks on their character and motivations from the general dogpile. Maj. Margaret Witt took similar personal attacks from some jaggoff on this site when that was a big story. The inevitability of public vilification make such acts of protest are daunting even for the hardest nuts. Few folks have that in them. Sounds like Afghanistan is what it's always been throughout recent history - a predictable, utter waste of people and resources for any occupier stupid enough to take it on. And let's here it for the Surge! Patreaus' Vanity Project really calmed things down over there. The attack stats have gone through the roof since we Surged On In - with no abatement in sight. You've also got to love how the Wars on Drugs and Terror play together so nicely in Afghanistan. One policy helps keep the other policy going - although certainly not by design, I'd wager. Yes, we really got our money's worth over there. So much safer now. Now let's cut Medicare.

My feelings after 502 passage are kind of interesting, to me at least. Half of me is hopeful for a better future, free of this fucking War on Black Kids, and half of me thinks the feds will be careerist tools who will continue to not give two shits about the will of the people or the democratic process. The feds have been such utter assholes re drugs for so many decades now, it's hard to imagine them saying "Oh, OK. We were wrong." But, then again, DADT and DOMA are pretty much DOA, so it's possible.

We'll work something out on Fri.

"(ii) The bona fide gift of a controlled substance, legend drug, or imitation controlled substance shall not result in the forfeiture of real property;" and "(iii) The possession of marijuana shall not result in the forfeiture of real property unless the marijuana is possessed for commercial purposes that are unlawful under Washington state law". Ie, you can have MJ in your possession - and your friend can have it in his/her possession, too, for non-commercial purposes without state involvement. The state doesn't keep track of how non-commercial possession flows. That's kind of the whole point. Yeah, more Dirty Hippy bullshit. Of course you can give it away. This was one of the more outrageously stupid claims, among many, by the anti 502 community. The other popular one involved being busted for pot you smoked yesterday or last month. Um...no. Active THC doesn't work that way. You just can't grow it and give it away unless: a) You're a designated (no biz license reqd) med MJ provider b) You have a commercial grower's license or c) You live in CO, where 6 plants for personal use will now be legal. MY guess is that small time home grows will be a very low law enforcement priority, but that is only personal speculation, nothing more.

pcg's voice of apparent, actual experience gets it right here. It's one thing to wish the death penalty for some FB stranger who gets himself treed - it's quite another to sit in a room full of mourning friends, as some of us have unfortunately, and think "Oh well, he screwed up and got what was coming to him". Seriously, get real.

My upbringing was about as far from Hippydom as possible, but it seems like much of the various Hippy movements, from communes to Burning Man, are essentially self focused. Free Love was about getting laid without commitment, the current MJ Angry Hippy movement is about driving stoned without consequences. I've met some awesome folks who could definitely be categorized as Hippies who go against this selfish grain - folks who have helped build their own communities, self sufficient houses for their families, etc. What we're talking about here are Dirty Hippies. These folks, like their Teabagger antipodes, have an open contempt for society, and the people who make up that society, as it really exists. Put them in any society, however communal or personal responsibilityized or whatev, even one of their very own design, and they're still just plain ole dysfunctional pricks.

One thing Dirty Hippies consistently fail to understand is the public's near universal loathing for them. Being a Dirty AND Angry Hippy doesn't improve this much.

Interestingly, Congress does not have the power to compel States to enforce federal laws. There have been several SCOTUS rulings on this "commandeering doctrine", one unanimous. From the NY v the US ruling, the first of several test cases: "Congress may not simply . . . commandeer the legislative processes of the States by directly compelling them to enact and enforce a federal regulatory program...." This leaves open the option of federal injunction, selective federal enforcement (today's much reviled situation - but one that cannot increase much without an expansion of DEA resources - although the DEA could redirect its efforts to focus on WA and CO), denial of federal grant money to naughty States, although that would require new federal legislation - in over 15 years of med MJ legality, the feds haven't taken that step yet. The DOJ has effectively used threat of property seizure to shut down med MJ facilities to date. Finally, the feds could also go after taxation - using money laundering statutes or preemption arguments. Or Congress could amend the CSA to change pot to Schedule II or lower and be done with it. Ironically, simply repealing all prohibitions against MJ at the State level (the Dirty Hippy argument) would remove any chance of positive conflict with the CSA - thus nullifying all arguments for federal preemption. Small problem: neither voters nor legislatures would go for that at this point - if this latest round of initiatives was any indication.

Before Nov 6, my message to such folks would have been somewhat softer than my message now, which is: "Smoke your weed and STFU. You lost. Get over it." "And oh, BTW, I 502 granted you med folks arrest immunity. Other than that, you're not effected at all. Fuck you very much." The cartoon pot leaf culture hasn't done this civil rights movement any favors - the larger society really doesn't go for pasty dred slack jaw. No, not so much. Fortunately, these Cheech and Chong caricatures actually drove support towards I 502 with their opposition. "Oh, the Dirty Hippies are against it? It must be a good idea."

Even back in the day, Woops were the thumpinest of the service academies by far. The Army has got some serious Christerbaters running the show. That might have something to do with the bang up job they've done losing just about every war in, oh, the past half century or so. The AF Academy's located in the heart of Jebus' Eagle's Nest, but the core is gay enough to balance that shit out a bit. Squids just like to drink and fuck too much for wholesale conversion, although there are pockets of the cult in nearly every company there. I can remember one straight A kid, bound for nuke subs, yelling "Allelujah, Armageddon is coming! I can FEEL it!". That's no shit. Um...the rest of us actually like the world.

The one year rule making period for I 502 isn't just for making rules for how to run pot stores - it's also a time for the state to attempt to inject a little common sense into the feds - a daunting task, to be sure. I recently heard a DOJ official on the radio claim that the Drug War had cut illicit drug use in half. Incredible. Apparently, some portions of the DOJ are still smoking through their own crack. Eric 'let's fight medical marijuana' Holder's gonna quit next year, apparently. The sooner, the better. Anyhoo - let the fun and games begin!

Or just an ass.

This place would be empty. We'd never hear from Trash again and my post count would be way down. LOL. Much as some would like to, you can't share a booze problem.

Perhaps the let-im-die crowd could draft a helpful missive articulating their thoughts to the gentleman's mother. I'm sure she's easily found on FB. Perhaps certain posters might also take a break from professional killing to regain a sense of perspective about what kind of society they believe they're "protecting", and I use that term very, very loosely. It's easy as pie to say some idiot should die for making an error in judgement, or simply getting mother nature's intentions wrong, on the internet. It probably wouldn't be quite as easy to explain your position to a room full of the family, children, friends, and colleagues who would be devastated by such a loss. I've been one of those surviving friends - I've been in that room - several times. Seriously, get a grip.

The Korean Unicorn thing is a hoax. Turns out they're just the local species of gorgon.

Note to self: If no tuan tuan present, wait til fingers freeze before calling for rescue to avoid post humous kick in ballz.

I re-wrote the screenplay for Dune, transforming it from coma inducing past expiration date canned dialog ultra marathon back into the highly watchable romantic comedy Herbert had originally intended, only adapted for the theatre and translated to The Classical Greek, when I was 7. I then solo performed it Off Broadway while completing my neurosurgical residency. Herbert's thinly veiled prescience re: vaccines is as clear as MacClachlan's acting method was not - the 'spice' is a one way ticket to a beluga holding tank.

Hey Bone, did you ever volunteer for Ron Paul's campaign? Make any significant $$$ contributions? Did you ever bother to put your money and effort where your hyperactive mouth is? Or would such grunt work be beneath one who has been chosen for the rarefied and sacred task of 'spreading the word' among an audience with which you have zero credibility and by which zero action will result. The harder to convert, the greater the glory, eh? I wouldn't give a shit if the Bones of the world were a rarity. Unfortunately, such dispepsic, self focused do-nothings aren't rare - at all.

I've never met a true political activist (one who actually works effectively to produce the change they want to see in the world) who is also a conspiracy junky. Not one. Conspiracy theories don't stand up to the light of experience and real political action. The conspiracy junky avoids effective action in the real world to preserve his (it's almost never a 'hers') 'outsider' status and cherished cloak and dagger world view - most of which seems to be inspired by B movies and time gap filler cop shows. It's all about maintaining one's special snowflakeyness (even though there are 50 million other morons who believe the exact same bullshit) and nothing about doing the often mundane grunt work of making any real change in the world. Snowflakes invariably pick mythical battles of epic proportions so they can end their tirades with "what can I do against the ******? (CIA, DOD, Free Masons, Jews...fill in the blank according to personal taste). They never, ever want to find themselves on the winning side - that might require actual work, and might involve getting it wrong once in a while during actual implementation of something actually really happening. All this bluster about secret plots in a world where so much needs to change so obviously - and there are so many readily accessible ways to plug into being a meaningful part of that change. All noise, no light = zero respect.