THE MOST HATED BAND IN THE WORLD RELEASES A ROCK MASTERPIECE

Article by PJ Cornell.

Syndicated from the Asterisked Music Journal.

Assessment: 9.5 out of 10.

Bottom line up front: Nickelback is one of the most hated bands ever to grace the stage of a rock auditorium. The only thing I can figure is that they are hated because they create a product. That’s right — they go to the studio and do whatever it takes to make something worth listening to. People feel that they are somehow airbrushed and fake. Look, their job is to create something worth listening to. I’d rather they let the mastering artists do their job than put out a true-to-life crappy product. It is what it is. That having been said, this latest release, Here and Now is an exceptional release. As usual, they run the gamut from gritty, to slutty, to inspiring. Chad Kroeger’s losing battle with sex addiction continues.

Criticisms: No one every accused these guys of being overly original. There’s a good reason for that. If you buy a Nickelback album, you know what you’re going to get. That having been said, this may be their strongest effort to date.

Highlights: Chad’s voice has a very unique signature. You either like it or you don’t. I do. One of the things I love about this band is the total commitment. If they go for gritty — they really go for it. If they go for violent — they commit to it. If they go for inspiring — they don’t hold back. I think that’s admirable. These guys keep their hearts on their sleeves. Their best song, by far, is Kiss it Goodbye, which is a brilliant song, both in terms of lyrics and musicianship. It’s a song about how the big city culture tends to chew you up and spit you out. The vocals in this one are particularly well done — the chorus plays the thin line between singing and screaming at a Major 3rd from the tonic, which, in the context of the minor key, has a distinct, hair-raising effect, and is seamlessly integrated with the rhythm section. Holding onto Heaven is another great song. The sparse rhythm and slow counterpoint against the sparkling harmonies in the vocals of the verse contrasts gorgeously with the full, uplifting sound of the chorus. Wonderful song.

Conclusion: If you don’t like Nickelback, you won’t like this album. But be honest — you secretly love these guys. So get the album anyway. I won’t tell.

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THE MOST HATED BAND IN THE WORLD RELEASES A ROCK MASTERPIECE

POLICE RAID BOISE ACTIVIST RESIDENCE AND SEIZE FOUR CHILDREN

Article by Robert Rowe.

April 25, 2013 Boise, ID – After illegally entering into a Boise residence yesterday, police and Child Protective Services took custody of four children whose age ranged from five to 11 years old. The parents of the children are marijuana activists Sarah Caldwell, mother of two of the boys taken and Lindsey and Josh Reinhart who also had two boys taken away from them. The raid took place after a complaint was leveled at one of the children at his elementary school when the boy’s friend was caught with marijuana.

The school’s resource officer (an armed Boise Police Department officer) brought the child home after seven hours of confinement to the school office. Once at the home, the officer intimidated an elderly woman who was babysitting the children into gaining access to the house. According to a neighbor, the officer literally came face to face with the elderly woman during his intimidation process. No warrant was issued at this time however the officer threatened the babysitter with arrest for obstruction if she did not allow him entry for a well-child check.

After gaining entry to the house, the officer separated the four children from the babysitter and began to search the house. Upon finding marijuana paraphernalia and other items he deemed incriminating, the officer called BPD asking for a warrant to continue searching the premises. The warrant arrived hours later along with Child Protective Services who immediately took all four children into custody.

The warrant authorized officers to confiscate evidence which could be used in drug trafficking charges. Police confiscated several items including cell phones and receipts. Charges against the Reinharts are pending at the time of this writing. A hearing to determine placement for the children is scheduled for today.

BPD has not yet returned calls asking for comment on the situation.

Lindsey Reinhart, who uses the substance for medicinal purposes only, claims to not be involved in trafficking of marijuana. The State of Idaho does not recognize marijuana as a medical treatment for any reason. In fact, Idaho has some of the toughest anti-marijuana laws in the country despite the overwhelming public support for its use both medicinally and recreationally.

Caldwell and the Reinharts are actively pursuing the legalization of marijuana in Idaho which is the reason they believe they are being targeted. Lindsey, who is disabled, has frequently testified at hearings in the capitol on the merits of hemp production and marijuana use as a medical treatment for certain diseases such as cancer. Both have lectured across the state on these subjects as well.

In an interview, friend of the family and Founding Director of Moms for Marijuana International, Serra Frank stated, “The Reinharts and Sarah Caldwell were at a retreat in the mountains after attending the Moscow Hemp Fest when they found out their children were seized by the Child Protective Services.”

Moms for Marijuana International is an organization founded on April 4, 2005 for the purpose of educating and raising awareness on the issue of marijuana and hemp uses. It boasts members in 120 cities in 12 countries on five continents. “Our purpose,” says Frank, “is to change the perception in parents about the nature of marijuana. We have seen children across the country whose futures were destroyed because their parents called the police on them for possession when they didn’t have to do so. It is a shame that some of these children may spend up to 20 years in prison for nothing,” she continues referring to a child in Illinois who is serving just such a sentence.

Moms for Marijuana International plans to organize a national call to action campaign in an attempt to bring pressure to bear on local, state and federal politicians to change the marijuana laws in Idaho and to drop all proceedings against the Reinharts and Caldwell.

For more information on Moms for Marijuana International and how you can become involved, please visit their page here.

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POLICE RAID BOISE ACTIVIST RESIDENCE AND SEIZE FOUR CHILDREN

THE BOSTON BOMBING: CHRISTIAN GRACE AND FREEDOM, AND THE HIGHER PATH

Article by Tim Wikiriwhi.

Syndicated from Eternal Vigilance.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Wikiriwhi is a Transegoist sympathizer; not a Transegoist — our syndication of his article does not indicate that he endorses the Transegoist philosophy.

Are you suggesting this is justification to cry out “Death to Muslims?” How do you differentiate yourself from the hater and the fanatic? We must walk a higher path.

It is a fundamental principle that when seeking to overthrow an evil, you must never assimilate the evil yourself.

That is to fall from the position of righteousness and to become a hypocrite. Furthermore, is your own faith defined by the religious zealots whom claim to represent Christianity? Is your faith even defined by what the so-called “majority” of Christians claim to believe? Mine is certainly not!

Thus, why would you assume these Muslim fanatics truly represent the Muslim faith? Is that not Duplicity on your part?

The Higher road may seem, to most, much too difficult; an absurdity to even attempt, yet does the fact that it is difficult make it the wrong way to go? Because the low road of reciprocal hatred appears much “easier,” much more satisfying, and direct; does this make it acceptable for the Christian to travel?

Are you allowing these haters to sow hate directly into your own heart?

Don’t you have control of your own feelings?

“Vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay thee.”

I don’t find any place in Paul’s writings where we are called to hate the lost. (I must confess to my own shortcoming in this area, too.) Let us not render evil for evil but overcome evil with good.

“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you. Live peacefully with all Men.”
–Paul

EDITORS NOTE: The philosophy of Transegoism does not conflate the works of Paul with the works of Jesus Christ and his disciples. However, it does acknowledge the usefulness of Paul’s writings as a body of theological philosophy.

I add that even if it is not possible to live peacefully with some people because they are hell bent on your enslavement and destruction, yet still, though we must defend ourselves, we must not become like them, and we must take the first opportunity for peace.

To allow the terrorists to sow religious hatred and intolerance in our hearts, or to make us so fearful as to accept a more tyrannical police state in the name of “security” is to retreat in the battle of good and evil.

It is to loose faith.

Satan, laughing, spreads his wings.

I bow my head in sorrow for the lives lost and pray for the injured and maimed in Boston. I also pray for God to raise up brave preachers to preach grace to the lost, and to put his protecting hands upon those enlightened Muslims whom seek an end to religious fanaticism and who work for peace.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tim Wikiriwhi is running for office as mayor of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. The Transegoist Daily Journal endorses the candidacy of Tim Wikiriwhi.

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THE BOSTON BOMBING: CHRISTIAN GRACE AND FREEDOM, AND THE HIGHER PATH

ONLY HUMANS ARE ANIMALS

Article by Barbara Cornell.

Syndicated from Barbara Cornell’s personal blog.

Every discussion about the latest human-perpetrated tragedy will include at least one example of the following: “Animals aren’t violent. Only humans kill. Humans are worse than animals.” Are funny cat pictures on Facebook the only interaction people have with animals anymore? Have none of these people at least seen a National Geographic presentation on the TV? I’ve personally witnessed a flock of chickens (all hail Fat George Foreman, Really Fat George Foreman and Ridiculously Fat George Foreman, late of my backyard. Hu-ah!) who had designed and perfected a flanking maneuver to allow them to systematically kill and eat every non-chicken housed with them (at least until I saw with my own eyes and caught them in the act of pecking to death a duck, which finally explained the beaks and feet I periodically found that were the only things left of birds I put to bed the previous night). They were so well fed, they couldn’t even fly, yet they killed. They killed for sport and for racial purity. (They were executed and eaten for their war crimes. Because it turns out the alpha in this herd lives in the Big House.) I’ve seen inter-species gang rape of male animals, the only purpose of which is to establish which of us is the alpha male, which of us are the toadies and which of us are the victims. I’ve seen animals too fat to fly, who’ve never gone a single day without food in their entire lives and have zero concept of scarcity, systematically (attempt to) starve to death smaller animals for no other reason than to establish dominance. I’ve seen weaker animals tortured (nearly) to death by stronger animals simply because they’re weak. (“Nearly” and “attempt” because, it turns out I’m the alpha in this herd.) You have pets? You aware that your Fluffy is responsible for the extinction of many, many, many bird and small mammal species, ya? These are the animals who are fed from a can opener to such an excessive degree that feline diabetes and obesity is nearly as epidemic as human obesity. Fluffy doesn’t wantz a cheezburger. Fluffy wants to kill. Fluffy likes to kill. So, dig it, the people pushing environmental policy and resource management policy are the same people who’ve never even driven by an animal on their way to the airport.

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ONLY HUMANS ARE ANIMALS

RESISTING TYRANNY; A PRIMER: LESSON 1 -- LAUGH AT THEM

Article by Mark Rasskazov.

Are you pissed off by tyranny, but don’t know what to do about it? Not to worry. I’m here to teach you some basics about how you can roll back tyranny in your area of operations.

Understand: Lucifer is the source of tyranny, and he is an officer of God — no matter what you do, the first thing you must do is escape his legitimate jurisdiction. Doing this is very simple: turn to Yeshua. This is profoundly simple: just say “Yeshua, I acknowledge Your authority over Lucifer.  Set me free!” And He will. Once you have done that, you have become an independent, free agent of God. As such, you now have a responsibility to seek the truth at all costs. This is not an easy way. However, you will find that there are vast spiritual resources at your disposal in the fight against tyranny, and you will be able to assert your authority to establish peace and liberty in your area of operations.

That having been said, there are certain tricks of the trade.  The first and foremost is: learn to laugh at tyrants. Tyranny cannot withstand being made fun of. When you look tyranny in the eye fearlessly and laugh, then the people will gather to you, and the tyrants will beat a retreat. DO NOT alienate the minions if you don’t have to! They are people. Make them laugh at the situation — and they will flock to your side, as well — this will cause the tyrannical system to come crumbling to the ground. Here’s an example of this:

 

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RESISTING TYRANNY; A PRIMER: LESSON 1 -- LAUGH AT THEM

LAS VIDAS ENVENENADAS

Story by Ari Juniper.

As the sun peeks over the city, a polluted sky is tinted deep orange, and Altagracia rises, too. She moves slowly, lights kindling at the wood stove, the smell of fried plantain and rice fills the air. Her hand graces a dark spot on her right forearm. She dodges the thought, unsure what the doctor would tell her had she the money for a visit.  She eats slowly, watches the sun rise and prepares for another long, hot day in the humid hills outside of Managua.

Altagracia arrives at the banana plantation at 6 in the morning and makes her way to her field where she will harvest the bananas and prepare them for their long journey North. As she reaches for the black flower, her sleeve falls and she sees the growth. “Did you do this to me?” she directs the unanswerable question to the banana tree. Altagracia removes the black plastic cover from the fruit, tying it around her to protect her clothing. She carefully cuts the fruit from its phallic stem, filling box, after box after box.

***

Two decades later, a white mini-bus pulls up to the curb and a collective sigh is released. Silence engulfs the space as we collect pens, notebooks and water bottles. Our group of 18 shuffles out of the van and we gather in front of the brightly colored dwellings. The greens, reds and yellows seem so cheery, but we soon learn the story of these homes, which carry a weight we can only empathize with, and a story of a long deserved respect of a carefully ignored people.

Inside the corner dwelling, we sit in a circle and smile at our hosts, 4 ex-bananeros who live in this small community. Altagracia, poised and confident, rises to the front and with tired eyes gazes out upon us. “When we talk about the United States, we are not talking about you all,” she spoke, almost defensively as if she wanted to be sure she didn’t offend us. “You are all here to listen to our story and to learn. We do not blame you for this. But we hope you will tell our story to your people, so they can know what is happening to us.”

Just outside of the walls, stand dozens of protesters, who tell passers-by of the injustices faced by the ex-bananeros, demanding justice, or at least recognition. Inside the walls, these stories resonate. “Look at my arm,” Altagracia cries, as she pulls up her sleeve to reveal a dark growth. “I used to pull the toxin-soaked black plastic from the fruit to use as an apron. They never told us those liquids were poison.” Next to me, I see my friend, tears in her eyes as she holds a picture of a dear, young friend, dying of cancer back home. “We are deteriorating. We are 40, 50, 60, and we are dying.”

Alberto stands at the front of the room with Altagracia. He has remained silent but in his face I see his reaction to Altagracia’s words. During his time as a bananero, Alberto was one of six men chosen at the plantation to apply the chemical fertilizer to the banana trees. He told us that when the air is calm, they would water the trees for 45 minutes, then apply the fertilizer for 15 minutes so that the toxins would be absorbed by the roots of the trees. “We found dead fox and rabbits in the irrigation ditches. This is when we began to understand that it was poison we were feeding the trees.” Ten years later, doctors were seeing these workers suffering from the same symptoms: circulation issues, kidney infections, bone deformities, loss of eyesight, skin cancer. Their lives had been poisoned.

Altagracia breaks in. Though I can only understand pieces of her quick, blurred Spanish, her voice is passionate. She is angry as she asks, “Is it so much to ask for the dignity of knowing our work will kill us? For years, we have protested. We walked from Chinandega, 145 kilometers, to demand support from our government. We asked only for necessities: for homes, food and medical care. But they did not listen. Not until Daniel Ortega; he finally listened. Now we have these homes. We used to live under tarps. Now we have food and electricity, but we are just waiting here to die.” She pauses, gazing at each of us with those sad, tired eyes. She adds, “Maybe our children will see progress.”

For a moment, the room is silent as her words, translated, sink in. I look around at somber faces. N raises her hand and asks, first in Spanish, then repeated in English: “Your story shows how we are connected. The bananas you nurtured, whose pesticides poisoned your body… those bananas were eaten by us, by those in the North. My question is this: should we stop eating bananas? If we stop buying, will this hurt those who work? Will it eliminate jobs? What can we do?” In her voice, I hear echoes of the anger felt by the bananeros, I feel the human connection between our lives and their lives.

Altagracia laces her fingers and considers. “I do not think you should stop buying the bananas. But buy the bananas that are not grown with poison. Where you spend your dollar is how you can support the ways that are better. Support the health of the workers and the environment. Do this, and share our story with your people. You must teach others of these injustices.” We nod and smile weakly, inspired yet saddened by her words.

For thirty years, Altagracia woke with the sun, worked terribly long hours in the heat, only to be left for dead by her employer and her government. Her hands picked fruits that nourished bodies thousands of miles away; bodies who know not the pain endured by the bananeros. Our lives seem so distant, but when I imagine the journey a banana makes from South to North, I will always remember Altagracia’s cry for dignity. I will remember how close we really are.

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LAS VIDAS ENVENENADAS

BEHEAD THOSE WHO RIDICULE COLLIN CRAIG!

Article by Richard Goode.

Syndicated from Eternal Vigilance.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Goode is a Transegoist sympathizer; not a Transegoist — our syndication of his article does not indicate that he endorses the Transegoist philosophy.

Let’s be clear (in case any of Colin’s supporters are reading this). I am NOT calling for the beheading of those who ridicule Colin Craig. This is satire.

Earlier this week, however, Colin Craig was threatening to sue those who ridicule Colin Craig. Suing is so much more civilised than beheading, but both belong on the same slippery slope. Threats to sue those who ridicule Colin Craig and threats to behead all those who insult the Prophet both have a chilling effect on free speech.

Freedom of speech is the bedrock of our democracy. Any attempt to stifle free speech, whether by threats of beheading or threats of legal action, must be nipped in the bud early. It is a relief to read that Colin Craig abandoned his defamation suit. But he should never have threatened The Civilian in the first place. That he did shows contempt for the most basic of our Western values.

Meanwhile, 25,000 Muslims march in England, calling for laws to silence critics of Islam, according to Vinienco.

“Up to 25,000 British Pakistani men, women and children from across the UK gathered in Aston Park to call on the British government to introduce legislation that bars people from insulting Islam under the garb of the freedom of speech.

The participants, who also traveled from several parts of European cities, were led in a mile-long march by Hazrat Peer Alauddin Siddiqui. This is the fourth consecutive gathering for the biggest Melaad-un-Nabi of British Pakistanis in Britain but this year it was dedicated to ‘protect the honor and legacy of Hazrat Muhammad.’”

“To say Islamic terrorists represent the Muslim religion,” says this meme, “is like saying the Ku Klux Klan represents the Christian religion.” But this misses the point. Islamic terrorists are NOT a minority of Muslims. There’s at least 25,000 living in the UK and openly seeking to subvert freedom of speech under the guise of a ban on insulting their evil politico-religious ideology!

Restrictions on Islamic immigration must be put in place now before it is too late. It’s a numbers game.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is not an anti-Islamic publication, per se. That having been said, this absolutely IS a pro-freedom publication, and when it comes to attempted infringements upon free speech, a very high percentage of the threats posed to come from individuals who are conservative Muslims. This is a trend. It needs to stop. I don’t have any particular interest in insulting Mohamed or Islam; however, I absolutely DO assert my RIGHT to do so. If this trend expands, I may make a POINT of doing so, simply to assert my first amendment rights.

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BEHEAD THOSE WHO RIDICULE COLLIN CRAIG!

APOCALYPSE NOW (OR A LITTLE LATER)

Article by the Red Nail.

So for those of you who believe in the Bible: to me the first five books (the Pentateuch) are a history lesson and a survival guide. The New Testament tries to show people a loving path, and then attempts to warn us off from the path to self destruction. And if you don’t believe in the Bible, then this is all still applicable. Just take a look at the crumbling and decaying world (infrastructure, society, education, care, etc.), and tell me you don’t feel something coming. Something that we don’t want to see because it scares us to the bone.

Armageddon. The end of days. whatever you would like to call it: it’s all pretty much the same, and is (barring natural calamity) fairly easily avoidable if we have our head on straight. We destroy the planet. Ferment hate and violence into a brew so vile and then expect everyone to drink heartily. We under-educate. We pay farmers to not grow crops while prices skyrocket and people go hungry. We over-populate like rabbits on Viagra at a rave on the eve of (pardon the pun) the apocalypse. This is all a recipe for disaster.

You couple that type of stuff with an over zealous legal and law enforcement system beefed up and funded by the most powerful nation in the world and the growing civil unrest as sheep gradually awaken only to find they slept through the wolf eating all of its legs. Seriously: this is a gnarly mess our leaders have entangled us in and if we’re not careful… well, it could be our undoing.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There is a movement to encourage everyone in the United States of America to accept microchips in the hand or forehead, in which all financial and personal information would be stored. This, if implemented, could lead to dystopian police state in which people are, at all times, tracked, manipulated, controlled, or even remotely killed. This is but one of many Revelation-type scenarios that must not be allowed to happen.

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APOCALYPSE NOW (OR A LITTLE LATER)

MARIJUANA DEBATE IN AMERICA

Article by Robert Rowe.

The subject of marijuana use in the United States has become one of the most hotly debated in the last few decades. Proponents espouse the supposed positive medicinal benefits of cannabinoids as sufficient reason for legalization. Opponents, on the other hand, point to several health risks connected to the most common method of using marijuana, smoking, as the necessity for maintaining its controlled (read illegal) status.

As America becomes increasingly tolerant of pot use, at least by adults, it is developing an almost cultish following, known as the 420 crowd. It has derived this name from the old Scooby Doo cartoons of the seventies in which all the clocks in the show read 4:20. Most people believe that the characters Shaggy and Scooby exhibited one of the most common side effects of pot usage, their constant hunger. In today’s America, where those choosing to drink at what is socially deemed an inappropriately early time are often heard commenting that it is five o’clock somewhere, similarly those who participate in pot consumption are often remarking that it is 4:20 somewhere.

Additionally, April 20th has become known across the country as a day to celebrate marijuana usage either recreationally or medicinally.

It is popularly believed by most in the 420 subculture that marijuana prohibition laws should be treated the same as alcohol prohibition laws were early in the 20th century. Juries tended to stand against the government in most of these cases as a way to protest the unfair and unjust laws. This is a process known as jury nullification which practice fell out of favor for most of the 20th century and is gaining in popularity again in 21st century America.

Proponents of the herb’s usage often extol many recent studies which indicate that its use may have considerably greater health benefits than it does negative effects. In fact, researchers at the University of California have discovered that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), actually decreases the growth rate of cancer cells in lung, breast and brain tumors. It can also be used for treating the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In 1985, the Food and Drug Administration approved for use the nausea treating drug Marinol which is derived from synthetically produced THC.

It is obvious the U.S. Government knows of the positive health effects gained by pot usage. The question then arises: why is it still on the controlled substance list making it illegal for Americans? Answers to this question range from the hemp competition theory to the taxation theory and anything in between.

Many believe that marijuana was included in the hemp ban because of the difficulty in determining the difference between the two. Hemp was outlawed in America as it interfered with the lumber industry’s monopoly on paper products and the oil industry’s monopoly on fuel products. Marijuana usage at that time was fairly common as a medicinal and recreational herb. However, once it was discovered that hemp could produce far more paper at a far cheaper cost per acre than lumber and it could produce fuel oil at a substantially lower cost than oil companies paid to pump oil out of the ground, big business swung into action and lobbied Congress to outlaw the plant. Marijuana was included in that law.

Later, the Food and Drug Administration added marijuana to the controlled substance list citing the negative health effects it has on the human body including emphysema, linked to the carcinogens inhaled by pot smokers. Indeed, marijuana smokers are more likely to suffer from diseases like emphysema than cigarette smokers in spite of the fact that marijuana is smoked less frequently than cigarettes are by tobacco smokers.

Recent studies have indicated that children under the age of 16 who are regular pot smokers tend to score considerably lower on cognitive tests of brain function, especially those assessing executive functions (planning, abstract thinking, understanding rules and inhibiting inappropriate responses to stimulus). What is often left out when citing these studies is that THC appears to have no effect on an adult brain with regard to these same assessments. This furthers the cause of legalization as no law presented for consideration has ever included an allowance of minors to use the substance recreationally.

It has also been found to inhibit immune response especially in the lungs which seems to contradict the previous UC study. This has caused opponents of marijuana use to lobby extensively to keep pot on the Federal Controlled Substance list.

No lobby group seems to have more influence in this effort than the National Lung Association which cites respiratory infections as being more prevalent in pot smokers than in cigarette smokers. It is believed this is due to the increased THC and tar levels in marijuana plants grown today. Tests performed on confiscated marijuana have shown that these levels have more than doubled between 1993 and 2008. The National Lung Association claims that this increased level of tar, which is four times greater than in a regular cigarette, explains the increase in reports of lung and respiratory infections in pot smokers.

Marijuana addiction is also cited as a reason to keep the plant on the controlled substance list. However, the statistics do not seem to suggest marijuana is a very addictive plant. Fewer than 10% of marijuana users become addicted to it versus users of other substances like alcohol (15%), heroin (23%) and cigarettes (32%).

Taxation is another issue which prevents the Federal legalization of the plant. It can be grown just about anywhere, processed easily with common tools and materials found in any large store like Wal-mart and sold by “independent retailers” without any records being kept of transactions. This makes it almost impossible for the government to levy taxes against it. The State of Washington and Colorado appear to have figured this problem out, however. In fact, it opined by many lawmakers in Colorado, that the taxes collected from marijuana sales in that state could cover the operating costs of every public school district and still have money left over for addiction treatment programs.

Marijuana has been shown to be effective in the treatment of tumors, glaucoma and migraines amongst other diseases. It has been shown to be equally effective in the treatment of the symptoms of various diseases like Tourette’s Syndrome, PMS and ADD/ADHD. Additionally, it has been shown to stop the neurological effects and nerve damage caused by Multiple Sclerosis and seizures.

The pharmaceutical industry argues that they have created medicines which can often have the same results without exposing the user to the possibilities of addiction. Cannabis proponents counter with the argument that marijuana is a natural substance which is already recognized by the human body, the human body comes with cannabinoid receptors, and produces far fewer of the harmful side effects of the chemical pharmaceuticals. Big Pharma, it should be noted, is one of the biggest opponents to the legalization of marijuana in spite of the fact that patent rights for THC, both synthetic and natural, have been granted to large pharmaceutical companies. While states like Washington and Colorado are leading the way toward what many believe to be the inevitable Federal deregulation of marijuana, some wonder what the unintended consequences of this may be. The immediate influx of tax dollars may temporarily solve many fiscal problems but those in the fields of medicine wonder what the long term effects of legalization will be on the health care system which is already bloated and constantly on the brink of financial ruin.

MARIJUANA DEBATE IN AMERICA

PENNSYLVANIA STATE COPS ILLEGALLY ARREST CHILDREN AS RETRIBUTION

Article by Mark Rasskazov.

Recently, I did a story on Sheriff Joseph G. Groody. Based on my research, Sheriff Groody is a disgusting opportunist with very little legitimacy. I was tipped off about this Sheriff by Chief Mark Kessler of Gilberton, PA (which is in Groody’s county — Schuylkill County, PA). He has shared with me his personal experiences with the man. I held off on sharing those experiences, because I was anticipating another interview with Mark Kessler, which was to include those experiences from him, first-hand, along with certain other exciting developments.

Today, I was informed that Chief Kessler’s 17 year old child was arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police for carrying an airsoft gun.

Let me say that again.

Chief Kessler’s 17 year-old child was illegally arrested bythe thePennsylvania State Police for carrying a toy. 

According to Chief Mark Kessler, his son was with some friends in a field (Gilberton is a pretty rural town) when he was taken to the station by some state police. Chief Kessler has called his lawyer, and intends to sue. In his words — “the fangs are out.”

I should think so.

In my last article, I included a comment that Sheriff Groody was never legally appointed as sheriff, and then “won” the next election by a matter of a few hundred votes. Fraud, anyone?! What is this man hiding? Who is he in bed with, that state police are out enacting retribution on his behalf (or so it would seem) AGAINST CHILDREN?!

What’s the story, here?!

Something’s not right.

Who is this man connected to?

Why is it so hard to dig up information on Sheriff Groody’s background?

What were the real circumstances of his predecessor’s resignation?

Why wasn’t he ever officially confirmed by the governor?

Why is the local media blacking out what citizens have to say about him?

Based on my research, it seems obvious to me that his citizens are afraid to confide in him, he is clearly opportunistic and inconsistent on key issues like gun control, and he seems like a classic micro-manager — to put it mildly. And his background smells of corruption — and it’s hard to say just how far the corruption goes; but it does seem that he’s not just a lone bad egg.

I have heard him referred to as a “thug.” Having your state cop buddies shake down a kid? Yeah, I’d say so.

I can only speculate. Any locals reading this who have more information on the background of Sheriff Groody are strongly encouraged to contact us as soon as possible. The more I know about this man, the more he reeks.

I also encourage anyone who cares about individual liberty to visit Chief Mark Kessler’s Home Page — a hub of pro-freedom resources.

I am also reposting the interview I did with Chief Kessler below.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE COPS ILLEGALLY ARREST CHILDREN AS RETRIBUTION

NIEMAL WIEDER

Article by Barbara Cornell.

Syndicated from Barbara Cornell’s personal blog.

I felt a tiny little stab of pride in my just-beginning-to-bud German skills as we drove through the gates, and I could make out the meaning: “Arbeit Macht Frei.” “Work will make you free.” The lie in the words, however, would not be clear to me for several more years. I’d been told we would be stopping off to visit the concentration camp on our way home, we would be passing through Munich and my father thought we needed to see it. Another stop on our DoD financed tour of Europe as far as I was concerned. But I loved the harsh, guttural, Germanic sound of the place…”Dachau.” That raspy sound, entirely foreign to American English, was new and exciting to me.

It was a hateful, adolescent attitude I learned to regret that day.

I’m sure I’ve witnessed the mercury far lower in the thermometer, but that was by a huge margin the coldest day, ever. My two sweatshirts, jeans, “longhandles,” coat and two pairs of gloves still were pierced by the winds that howled across the gray, bleak, open courtyard still bearing the footprints of the barracks designed to house 5,000, which, at their peak, hosted 32,000 prisoners at a time. In just a few minutes, the condensation from my breath froze on the scarf pulled across my nose and mouth into a block of ice, chapping my face and lips. Later, we would return to find the doors of the car frozen shut, not from moisture, simply from the cold…perhaps from grief.

I’d seen the pictures, the films, read the testimony, but I’d never really seen it before. My reading of Ann Frank’s Diary had left me mostly with feelings about peeling potatoes. But standing in the bitter cold, it struck me. These people had stood right here, worked right here in their emaciated bodies and their rags, their unclad feet, and their terror. The bitterness of damnation pierced me. The ovens used to cook the victims had wreaths on them; mourning wreaths, but more like Christmas wreaths, and I despised their cheerfulness. How dare they make merry in this place?

When getting ready to leave, I looked at the art constructed at the entrance; a monstrous horror of a representation. Iron mangling of impossibly thin, crushed, screaming bodies and over them the words: “Niemal Wieder!”

This time, I felt no pride as I made out their meaning, only the imploring of God’s creation. Dear God, let it be so.

Niemal Wieder — Never again!

NIEMAL WIEDER

UP YOUR'S PROHIBITIONIST SCUM!

Article by Tim Wikiriwhi.

Syndicated from Eternal Vigilance.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Wikiriwhi is a Transegoist sympathizer; not a Transegoist — our syndication of his article does not indicate that he endorses the Transegoist philosophy.

Shock Horror! I have found a reason to support a tree-hugger!

In a not at all favorable post to the New Zealand Center for Political Research Mike Butler writes:

“’Maori in regions where jobs are limited who are growing and selling cannabis to keep their Whanau fed shouldn’t be punished for their entrepreneurship,’ Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei told Maori TV on Monday night. ‘It has become an income supplement for Whanau particularly in rural areas where they have very little income and few job prospects, particularly in the back blocks, and we have to very careful how we manage that,’ Turei said on the Native Affairs show. ‘There are some real skills there, some real entrepreneurial skills and some real horticultural skills. These are the skills that people have and they are trying to do the best for their families to make a sufficient income and they are under threat all the time but there are few choices that they have,’ she said.”

What are the “real horticultural skills” Turei is talking about? I guess this involves taking a cannabis seed, germinating it in potting mix in a yogurt bottle, transplanting, feeding, watering, and harvesting. Anyone who has a vegetable garden could grow cannabis.

What are the “real entrepreneurial skills?” After the harvest and packaging the crop in tinfoil, these entrepreneurs simply go into town on the party circuit, offer around some dope, pass out a few tinnies on tick to return on payday to collect cash and sell more, while delivering wholesale orders to tinnie houses dotted around State-house areas.

Read more here.

Without a doubt, this is one of the most sensible opinions I have ever herd from a rabid Greenie. I must congratulate Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei for her brave and absolutely righteous statements against the persecution of Pot growers and dealers. She is entirely right.

That her comments are creating a stink among the ignorant and bigoted supporter of cannabis prohibition is a testimony to just how small minded and nasty many people are. The truth is, pot is much less dangerous than alcohol and it is the very height of bigotry for the wowzers to condemn pot yet reach over and put a bottle of wine or a box of beer into their trolley.

The fact that these hypocrites who have no conscience about using police brutality to impose their nasty bigotry upon others disgusts me to the very core. They pretend that legalization will bring the sky down upon our heads — it matters not that their oppression destroys much more families than drug abuse ever could; it matters not that the Police could be concentrating on catching thieves and violent offenders — what matters to these Nazis is that the state makes pot users suffer for their defiance.

 I must confess to virulently hating these Anti-freedom and oppressive scum.

May God forgive me.

They are the lowest of the low. They are in fact criminals, because they support the violation of other peoples rights and liberties. They support bad laws and tyranny.

Up your’s, prohibitionist scum!

Hate to break it to y’all but everyone is smoking up a storm! New Zealand tops the world in cannabis use; in spite of your nasty War on Drugs! Prohibition has not stopped anything! You simply waste police time and taxes.

You destroy the lives of peaceful people and push them into criminal associations.

 You must be some of the stupidest, pig-headed, and most malevolent people on earth.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tim Wikiriwhi is running for office as mayor of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand.  The Transegoist Daily Journal endorses the candidacy of Tim Wikiriwhi.

UP YOUR'S PROHIBITIONIST SCUM!

COUNTY SHERRIFS' HALL OF SHAME: JOSEPH G. GROODY

Article by Mark I Rasskazov, Editor in Chief.

Joseph G. Groody is the Sheriff of Schulkyll County, PA.  He is a Democrat.

Sheriff Groody is a Democrat.

It is difficult to find much on Sheriff Groody online.  Doesn’t seem to have a publicly accessible facebook account, google + account, etc.  It seems he has little interest in being accessible to his constituents through online venues.  Why is that?  Is it simply because, like many his age (he is 54) he is not familiar with social networking?  Or, perhaps, is it because he is so OPSEC conscious (although, why a local sheriff should have to worry about that is beyond me)?  Or perhaps, is it because he wants to be careful not to let it slip to his constituents where he stands on certain issues?  Where is this apparent fear of his constituents coming from?

There isn’t much out there on him, but I did find some interesting things about him in my research.

For example, I did find an article covering the death of Berks County Sheriff, Kyle Pagerly, which quoted him speaking obliquely on gun control.

“There are a lot more people armed. It’s just incredible,” he said. “People do not realize the dangers.”

People do not realize the dangers, Sheriff Groody?  Does the private ownership of fire arms worry you?  Also, isn’t a bit slimy to use the deaths of police officers to push gun control?  Especially when the shooter was using a stolen gun?  Don’t we, the people have a right to defend ourselves from people who use stolen guns?  Or is it just cops that are allowed to be armed against known criminals?

I would have loved to read the comments on that article.  Interestingly, the comments on that article were closed…

Or is it just that you’re only for private ownership of firearms when your department is able to get their cut?

“…However, Groody said he hasn’t heard anyone buying a permit cite recent debate about gun control as a reason.”

REALLY?!

Not to call you a liar, Sheriff Groody, but I think this might be a tad disingenuous.  Or, perhaps, your constituents simply know better than to confide in you when it comes to gun control issues.

I can’t help but think that Sheriff Groody is being a little reticent on the gun control issue — only hinting at what he really thinks.  After all, he didn’t exactly win his seat by a landslide.

In reference to winning the election, he is quoted as saying: “I couldn’t feel any happier. I was sitting here on pins and needles all night. It’s almost like I was on trial here. You’re waiting for a jury to come out of deliberations, and you’re waiting for the verdict.”  Why is it that you feel you’re on trial, Sheriff Groody?  I smell a guilty conscience.  His challenger, Dale L. Repp, a former Pottsville police chief, who lost to Sheriff Groody by a very narrow margin, criticized Sheriff Groody’s drive for a more centralized Sheriff’s department.

“‘They essentially wave a magic wand and say, ‘Poof!’ The 2,200 or so deputy sheriffs throughout the state suddenly are given full law-enforcement powers,’” Repp said. “First of all, who’s going to pay for it?’ Local law enforcement could also ease the burden on the sheriff’s office, Repp said. In a meeting with the Schuylkill County Constables Association, Repp said he found many municipal constables are eager to help serve writs and warrants. ‘They tell me they have the training, they’re anxious to do it, they’re willing to do it, and I think they should be given the chance to take some of that load off the sheriff’s office.’ Repp said.”

It’s interesting to read the comment thread on that article.  Observe the difference in demeanor and literacy among Groody’s supporters:

“GROODY IS DOING AN EXCELLANT JOB AND HAS PROVEN HE CAN HANDLE IT. GO JOE!

PUT THE POLITCAL PARTIES TO THE SIDE. THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB IS GROODY.”

Versus his detractors:

“Good luck in the Election Dale! As a former student, I saw first hand your work ethic, listened to your knowledge of the Criminal Justice system, and your experience as a police Chief in Pottsville, which you rose through the ranks to get.  They say this election for sheriff will come down to North and South of the mountain. While that may be true, the people concerned about drug use and immigration (an especially hot topic in Shenandoah) will make the right decision.”

“Issuing carry permits? Sounds like typical gun control issue to me.”

We will continue to track this story as it develops.  I leave you with this tidbit from a commenter on an article about Groody winning the sheriff seat:

“He shouldn’t have been there in the first place. He was appointed and not even confirmed by the governor! So technically his first time in office was a sham. Funny thing is that the people who work in the prison like Groody because while he’s in office, they don’t have to work. They were all afraid if Dale got in. And that’s not hearsay, that comes straight from the horse’s mouth. Say hello to 4 more years of Schuylkill County being the home of DUI’s, Suicide, crack cocaine, meth labs and illegal immigrants too. Man I’m proud of this place. Can’t you just smell the burning cannabis?”

COUNTY SHERRIFS' HALL OF SHAME: JOSEPH G. GROODY

FIREWORKS

Article by Barbara Cornell.

Syndicated from Barbara Cornell’s personal blog.

New Year’s Eve 1984, through the prism of time, has oddly begun to encapsulate an entire decade for me. That evening was just so “80′s”, it would have been impossible to reproduce it in another time.

December 31, it was approaching midnight and the party was at our house, as it usually was, and consisted mostly of the other men from my father’s unit and their families and other military members from our church. We had chosen to live “on the economy” about 60 km from the base in central Germany. I was aware of snippets of conversation around me that were fairly normal…

…my father with a group of his colleagues bantering in inscrutable pilot humor. “…So they’re screaming across the jungle and their radio man says, ‘Tower, we don’t know where in the bloody hell we’re going, but we’re making damn good time.’” “Hyark-hyark-hyark.”

…a pair of women conversing. “I tried to find the same inlaid wood like I got at the OWC bazaar last year…”

…a lady gritching to another wife. “…Since we have to replace our ration cards again…”

KA-BOOM!!!

A noise so loud, it froze all activity. For a moment, all was silent, and then there were the sounds of children and a woman screaming, muffled because of the impact on my eardrums. I pulled my hands away from my face where instinct had pulled them to see, through the fog that had taken over my mind, shards of glass and blood dripping from my hands and arms. All around me were the remnants of every window in the house and scraps of the hyper-effective “rolladen” that had been splintered by the explosion.

My mind provided an immediate explanation: “Bomb. War. It’s finally happened.”

We’d all spent the last years being trained and retrained in what to do in the event that the cold war heated up. Terrorist threats were so commonplace to our everyday lives that checking our cars for explosive devices was just another checklist item, and hours upon hours of waiting in the snow in the soccer field for the school to be checked for bombs taught me never to go anywhere without my coat. Now it was real. Somehow I always knew it would be.

By the time I’d gotten my head in order, my father was already on the phone and several of the men had begun to collect people from other rooms to organize everyone into family groups and take a head count. The younger children were scared but it seemed that (nearly) everyone else knew what he was supposed to do. I fit into the group in the part of the older child and teenager segment and our job was to stay calm, out of the way, and help to calm the younger children.

But I noticed there was one woman…well…at least she had stopped screaming. Thank God for that. But now she was yammering hysterically, “This is what we get for putting that RETARD in the Whitehouse!!! How long have I been saying that idiot Reagan was going to get us ALL KILLED!!!” I thought, “Lady, this is precisely the wrong crowd at exactly the wrong time to be badmouthing the enormously popular Commander in Chief.” Apparently, her husband thought so as well because he was whispering to her in attempts to calm her down. They were accepted and loved but they had always been, well, peculiar. He was a civilian contractor. He actually wore a beard – you know, like, hair growing out of his face; she couldn’t discern rank or unit from a uniform. Odd.

…More snippets…

“….Major Proctor’s trying to get through to the base to find out about our orders…”

“…Has anyone heard from the 132nd? They’re supposed to be on call for…”

“…Where’s Kyle? I can’t find Kyle. Has anyone seen Kyle?”

Someone had turned on the radio. “You’re listening to Armed Forces Network. It’s twelve o’clock in Central Europe. Do you know where your children are? Beep beep…The Red Cross is attempting to reach…”

Red Cross travel searches? Charlie Toona? Top 40 music? AFN was broadcasting nothing on the bombing? How was this possible? It had to have been at least 15 minutes!

My father came into the room, “The base has nothing on this. Security level is normal.”

The sound of sirens, every police car, ambulance, fire truck for miles disturbed the German night — a truly rare occurrence. We followed the direction of the emergency vehicles down the street and gazed down the hill to see…where just this morning had stood the three-story, 30,000 square foot Feuerwerkfabrik (fireworks factory) now was an empty charred field, several large angry fires and miscellaneous chunks of smoking steel and hadite. The warehouses which were set somewhat apart from the main building were emitting the most spectacular fireworks display ever hosted. We all stood for a long time watching the greens, blues, reds, golds, silvers, laughing at our assumption, and breathing in the relief.

We would not be sending our men off to war.

This time.

FIREWORKS

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