An ideal alternative perfectly fulfills every condition set for it without adding new difficulties. Unfortunately, ideal alternatives are rare. We must, therefore, evaluate each available alternative by measuring it against all of our objectives. It is the relative quality of that fit that concerns us.

If we must choose among several alternatives, we will have to decide which one will best fulfill our objectives with the smallest acceptable risk. In other words, we try to make a balanced choice. An alternative that best accomplishes the objectives but carries severe risks is not, after all, the best choice. Another alternative, perhaps less exciting but safer, may be the best balanced choice.

If there is only one alternative, we must decide whether it is good enough to accept. In this case our evaluation will focus on its relative worth compared with a perfect but unobtainable alternative.

If we must choose between a current and a proposed course of action, then we consider both to be alternatives. We evaluate their performance against our objectives just as we would if both had been proposed. Whatever is currently being done is, after all, an alternative; the choice is whether to continue that way or find another, better way.

If, in the absence of any alternative, we must create something new, we can usually build an alternative from available components. We then choose the best and most feasable combinations, treat each as a separate alternative, and evaluate all of them against an ideal model of an alternative.

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Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper discusses the highly acclaimed new book, “Marijuana Is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink?”, to which he contributed the foreword.

An interview with the author:

(Source Denver Post 11.01.09) Medical marijuana dispensaries are popping up across Denver as an average of 400 people each day apply for permits to legally smoke pot. With state lawmakers talking about approving further regulations on the mushrooming industry, Denver Post Editorial Page Editor Dan Haley sat down last week with Mason Tvert, the state’s leading advocate for the legalization of marijuana.

Tvert is executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), a group that has passed two pro-pot measures in Denver since 2006. He also is a co-author, along with Steve Fox and Paul Armentano, of “Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Do We Drive People to Drink?“.

Dan Haley: How did the legalization of pot become your mission in life?

Mason Tvert: My senior year in high school, I went to a country music festival and drank to the point where I nearly died. I woke up and was handed a bill and told, “Hey, you crazy kid, get on out of here.” No police officer was there saying, “Who served you enough beer to kill you?” (Yet) as a freshman in college, I was scrutinized by a multi-jurisdictional drug task force for allegedly using marijuana — not even allegedly selling it. We’re making alcohol use more acceptable when it’s more harmful.

DH: Last week, the Obama administration said it won’t prosecute medical marijuana cases in states where the practice is legal, leaving it up to states and municipalities to regulate its use. How should Colorado handle it?

MT: Colorado already has a system of regulations in place. We have limited the amount (of marijuana) they can possess. We’ve forced them to get a license and update their licenses every year. Just like with alcohol, if localities have “community standards” on where they allow businesses to operate … they can say we’ll only have medical marijuana dispensaries on these streets. But are they restricting access for people who are guaranteed under the state constitution the use of this medicine? In Greeley, they’ve banned dispensaries outright. If you live in Greeley . . . where do you go?

DH: Why shouldn’t government regulate medical marijuana much like it regulates alcohol and pharmaceuticals?

MT: They should. All marijuana being grown for medical purposes, if they’re following state law, is being grown in Colorado by a licensed caregiver. Every person is registering with the state of Colorado — that’s regulation. Every patient is getting a license.

We don’t even require people who use Oxycontin on a daily basis to get a license with the state. These are people whose kids could get that Oxycontin and die.

Opponents will say so many young men are using medical marijuana. That’s not a negative consequence of medical marijuana. That’s an aspect of it. Do they care how many young men are being prescribed narcotics for pain issues? Colorado is one of a handful of states where prescription drugs outweigh traffic accidents as the No. 1 cause of accidental deaths. Why isn’t [Attorney General] John Suthers concerned about that?

DH: Do you really think everyone who has a medical marijuana permit actually has a chronic illness or debilitating disease?

MT: They do according to a licensed physician. When voters approved this, they said if a licensed physician believes that marijuana will improve your quality of life in dealing with one of these conditions, you are entitled to use it, and he’s entitled to recommend it to you. In every circumstance I’m aware of, a physician has recommended it.

DH: But isn’t there a chance that some doctors believe in legalizing marijuana and are just using this law as an end-run toward legalization?

MT: There are doctors who believe in marijuana being legal because they’re aware of the physical effects of it and the science surrounding it. Whether they perceive this as an end-around, I disagree. They don’t have a vested interest in legalizing it because in theory, if you have doctors specializing in medical marijuana recommendations, those only exist when it’s medical. There are these news stories that sensationalize that X percent [of permits] are written by these five doctors. If a doctor says “I don’t want to” [give you medical marijuana], where do you go? To a physician that you know agrees that this could be beneficial to you. So it’s not that strange.

DH: Why is public sentiment shifting toward legalization?

MT: People are becoming more aware that marijuana is far safer than alcohol and poses very little if any serious consequences for our society and those who use it.

DH: You mean it has nothing to do with pot-smoking baby boomers coming of age and having children and changing social norms?

MT: There’s been more public discussion of late than ever before. There’s more medical research into marijuana than any other substance in the world. We know the effect it has on the lungs and we know the effect it has on the brain. The only area where there’s still some uncertainty is the effect it has on a young person’s developing brain. There’s no conclusive evidence that it could be harmful. It could be, but we do know it doesn’t have long-term effects on the adult brain or lungs.

DH: It doesn’t seem like a good idea to inhale anything into your lungs, so why not put marijuana into a pill form or a brownie?

MT: Anytime you consume marijuana orally or as an edible, you don’t know when it’s going to take effect. If you smoke it, it’s immediately in your blood stream. You can tell how much you’ve had, whether you need more or if you’ve done too much. If you eat it, it takes hours to feel the effects and at that point it might be too much.

The future is vaporization. You basically heat marijuana to the point where it releases the chemicals and you inhale vapors. It never combusts so there’s no smoke. There’s never been a documented case of a marijuana- only smoker acquiring lung cancer as a result. Never. Not one.

DH: With the growing number of dispensaries, do you worry about people getting low-quality marijuana?

MT: We have PBR [Pabst Blue Ribbon] drinkers and scotch drinkers.

DH: Yeah, but people choose that.

MT: Just like with alcohol, there’s beer, there’s wine, there’s spirits, there’s different types of beer from low quality to high quality. With marijuana, there’s all sorts of different varieties.

DH: Do people in dispensaries know what they’re doing?

MT: They want to help out the people who are coming there. One way to do that is self regulation and quality control. These people are doing their own research. They ask patients, “How did this make you feel? Did this help your condition? Did this help with nausea?” They document this so when someone new comes in, they can give them something that has worked for someone else.

DH: Do you have a medical marijuana permit?

MT: I am not a medical marijuana patient. [But] I don’t think I should have to have a doctor’s recommendation to saddle up to a bar to get a beer. I don’t think as an adult I should have to have a recommendation to use marijuana.

If I can legally purchase a case of beer, there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to use a less harmful substance to relax and recreate.

DH: What do your parents think of your job?

MT: They’re incredibly supportive. My mother, much like many parents, would rather I used marijuana as a college student than binge drink. My parents had my grade school DARE essay about the dangers of drug use framed for me after legalizing marijuana in Denver.

DH: Are Denver cops following that law, which makes marijuana use a low priority arrest?

MT: Yes and no. We did see a drop in marijuana citations in 2008, but the fact is one is too many. The people of this city have made it abundantly clear adults should not face penalties for using a substance that’s safer than alcohol.

DH: What would you tell your own kid about marijuana use?

MT: I will say you’re not allowed to have sex yet, you’re not allowed to drink yet or to sign contracts. You are my child and I’m being honest, this is not a substance you should be using. It could harm development of your brain. It could result in you doing worse in school should you start abusing it. But I will also say this substance is safer than alcohol and if you drink too much, it will kill you. You can’t go wrong with the facts, and that’s not what’s going on right now.

DH: Would legalization help the economy?

MT: Absolutely. Alcohol is a $131 billion industry and marijuana is projected at $113 billion, which I think is conservative. Just like with alcohol, we would need people to produce the raw product, we would need truck drivers to drive it from one place to another. There are so many jobs. I’m starting to get calls from all of these lobbyist sharks. They’re seeing it’s a business.

DH: Are you going to run for office?

MT: Who knows? We’ll see.

DH: Do you drink?

MT: Absolutely. I drink recreationally. For the most part, small amounts at a time. People think we’re against alcohol because we talk about the dangers of it.

DH: Do you smoke pot often?

MT: “Often”? You jumped to “often” instead of “do I smoke at all”? I think it’s ridiculous that I’m allowed to consume alcohol and unable to use a far safer substance. That’s all I’ll say about it.

DH: We’ll just assume you do it anyway … .

MT: A lot of people think I don’t. I never talk about it. I’m not one to stand in front of the Capitol smoking joints and think I’m doing something for the cause.

How the airline and car industries are teaching the NHS… From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: school supplies. The blog is also related to: educ.

sat in bed, bored, thinking… should I post as soppy post?… who knows… it doesnt feel like its gonna to be one of those posts…. i dont have a clue.

feelin kinda bum. :/ blah… maybe this is gonna be an emo post… not sure at all…

i miss people too much… i miss my friends cuz they ent here pretty much at my doorstep, i miss not being able to text them all day everyday… i miss our msn chats… i miss them. its like… i don’t know… having your vital organs taken away… i can’t function without them… :s

and i miss my boy friend… i miss him like… ahh this is gonna sound cliche, but fuck it… i miss him like their arn’t even words to discribe… i never thought love was real, but i guess i’ve been proved wrong… i always thought i was too much of a selfish bastard to love someone more than i love myself, but apparently not… does that mean i’m not a selfish bastard any more? :S… not sure…

i miss my ipod to. damn fucker. come back to me, my prescious… how do people live without their ipods… how to people cope if theyve never owned one… i don’t think i could…

‘you treat me just like, another stranger!’

sometimes thats exactly how i feel. its bad i know, but i do. theirs just moments i have with absolutely everyone where it kinda feels like im being pushed out or ive missed something or ever ive changed and somethings just not right.

‘we’re not at the end but, we already won’

now i think thats just about one of my untimate favorite lyrics… it makes me feel safer, and kinda more secure… just. wow. it makes me feel like i dont need to always be trying harder or trying to beat something because realy ive already won, that just ‘being’ means im fine. maybe thats just the lazy way out… who knows… i have no idea, but i just like feeling like i can’t do wrong because no matter what im where im supposed to be.

i miss morning texts. theirs absolutely NOTHING at all that i love more than waking up and having texts. its just, i dont know, i just love it. actually, their are things i love way more, but that was for emphasis. i love morning texts because im never more honest than when i am when ive first woke up and my minds not working properly…

it makes me feel loved, and wanted…

sad… i know… but hey!

x.

i love morning emails too… i always check my emails on ma phone right after i check my texts…

Health Soaps, Skip the Antibacterial Stuff, What about Hand Sanitizers?

How to Clean Your Hands without Toxic Exposures
Great tips from the Environmental Working Group
Get the Tips

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Charcoal is being explored as one fuel source because it is relatively less expensive, cleaner, safer and more efficient than most current fuel sources.  Charcoal burns hotter and cleaner than wood.  Unlike coal, it does not release sulfur into the atmosphere.  It can also potentially reduce the number of deaths due to fumes from indoor cooking fires.

Charcoal can be produced from inexpensive and widely available refuse materials such as sugarcane, corncobs, or waste paper.  Corncob is an ideal material to use in the Philippines since it is widely available in farms and other agricultural areas.

Corncobs

What you need:

Corncobs

200-liter-capacity drum

Water sprinkler

Procedure:

1.  Fill the drum one-third of the way with corncobs.  Burn the corncobs until the smoke goes away.  Be careful not to put too much corncobs as they will not burn properly.

2.  Add more corncobs so that the drum is not two-thirds full.  Burn these corncobs until the smoke goes away.

3.  When the smoke has completely dissipated, empty the drum and spread the burnt corncobs.

4.  Sprinkle water on the burnt corncobs.

5.  Leave the corncobs under the sun until completely dried.

6.  Separate the ashes from the charcoal.

7.  Store the charcoal in a clean and dry place.

Use the charcoal for your daily needs or produce them in mass amounts as a source of livelihood.  In either case, you will help yourself and the environment.

Sources

www.mixph.com/2008/04/making-charcoal-from-corn-cobs.html#/more.702

Local materials, low cost and good science add up to technology-for developing nations.  https://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/smith-talk.html

Visual source:  howstuffworks

What Is a Credit Union?

Credit unions are financial institutions formed by an organized group of people with a common bond. (Think TEACHERS, TRADESMEN) Members of credit unions pool their assets to provide loans and other financial services to each other.  This is much safer than banks – take your money out of your no-interest bearing accounts and put it into a Credit Union.

Credit unions differ from other banks in several ways:

These factors allow credit unions to pay dividends to their members (not shareholders) and offer them lower loan rates, higher savings rates and fewer service fees.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is the federal agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. They also insure savings in federal and most state-chartered credit unions across the country through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), a federal fund backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

This section of the CUNA website includes additional information about the history of credit unions, where to locate credit unions near you, and how you might be eligible to join.

Article courtesy of aspca.org. Thanks to Marysia Wojcik for the heads up on this.

On October 6, a team of ASPCA animal behavior experts arrived in Beaufort, S.C., to conduct behavior assessments of more than 80 dogs living in Marine Corps housing units in the South Carolina Tri-Command area.

The visit by ASPCA behaviorists comes after these dogs became the subject of a breed ban recently instituted by Marine Corps headquarters. The policy specifically bans purebred and mixed-breed Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and wolf hybrids, as well as canines with “dominant traits of aggression” who pose a risk to people living in U.S. Marine Corps housing worldwide.

“Our goal in coming to the Parris Island base is to make sure safe dogs and their families are able to stay together,” says Dr. Emily Weiss, ASPCA Senior Director of Shelter Research & Development, “and so far, the results have been positive.”

After assessing individual canines with SAFER (the ASPCA Safety Assessment for Evaluation Rehoming)—a research-based tool that helps identify the likelihood of canine aggression—ASPCA behaviorists report that of the 85 dogs assessed to date, only two were found to have a high enough potential for aggression to have to be removed from the base. “Two others showed aggressive tendencies, but one will work with a trainer and another will be neutered,” comments Dr. Weiss. “The vast majority, however, are well-loved, well-behaved family pets.”

“Breed bans just don’t work,” continues Dr. Weiss, “These breeds of dogs have a bad rap. In most cases, they are safe, wonderful animals. We’re hoping that we can work with the Marine Corps over the next two years to show them that we should be testing the aggression level of individual dogs and not just banning these three breeds. It’s breed prejudice.”

The families of safe dogs will be given the opportunity to apply for a waiver, allowing their dog to remain on the base until 2012.

“We’re very excited about the ASPCA’s assessment,” says Army Capt. Jenifer Gustafson, the Officer in Charge of the veterinary clinic on Parris Island. “This is a welcome alternative to the unpleasant possibility of pet parents being forced to give up their dogs or leave base housing.”

The ASPCA is opposed to breed bans, which target entire breeds instead of focusing on individual dogs. Aggressive canines are often the result of owners failing to provide proper training.

Our organization continues to work on identifying potential aggression in individual dogs, opening up opportunities for behavior modification.

This makes my heart dance with glee. Thank you ASPCA for stepping up and trying to keep these wonderful dogs with their families and for supporting our Marines. Our Marine’s should not have to decide between moving off base and getting rid of their loving family pets.

Lives have already been negatively effected due to this ban but hopefully with the assistance of the ASPCA no more families will have to be torn apart.

The fact that out of 85 dogs only two were found to be aggressive enough to be removed attests to the fact that the ban and stigma in regards to these dog is nothing but false.

My heart breaks for Milay; one of the kindest, sweetest and non-aggressive dogs I have ever met who was torn from her family due to this ban just a few short weeks ago.

Milay

Milay is docile, reserved, and nervous in new situations which shows that she has already had a rough life at the young age of 1.5. When she was adopted none of us could be happier. She deserved the best life someone could offer but due to ignorant and uneducated decision makers the dream we all had for her was destroyed. Dropped back at the boarding facility her new mother weeped having to let her newest baby go.

Milay loves to snuggle, go on the car rides, and loves the dog park and dog beach where there are plenty of dogs to play with. Milay walks perfectly on a leash and is fully house trained. She loves sitting at your feet and sleeping in bed next to you.

If Milay “poses a risk to people”, than I am a mass murderer!

Road deaths in Sussex may have fallen during the recession because drivers are reducing their journeys and speeds, police suggest…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: recession policies. The blog is also related to: recession report.

A new footpath is being built in Gloucestershire so school children will no longer have to walk along the busy A40 main road…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: teaching degree online. For a different topic see fun soup recipes. The blog is also related to: teaching positions.

SEE and BE SAFE

Our mission is to make bikers safer when they ride in the dark at night!

I ride my bike to and from work as well as doing my marketing and errands all on my bike.  Most bikers believe because they can see a car the driver can see them.  It’s not true!  With reflective wear items, bikers can be seen in the dark.  As days grow shorter darkness comes earlier, it’s important to realize that reflectivity is an idea that you can live with – not without it!

You can purchase these items for your self or someone you love @ SEE and BE SAFE.  www.seeandbesafe.com.  The reflective items work as well for walkers.

phone 212 971 9155      fax 212 643 8158     email: barry.korman@gmail.com

Monuments would be much safer if children were taught more history

Last week, Viet Nam News asked members of the public how best to protect its national treasures. Here are some of the opinions we received:

Graham Bassett, London, UK

Two things stand out from my first trip to Viet Nam. First was the hordes of people clambering over furniture that was part of the former emperor Bao Dai’s estate. The second was when I visited a cave and read that the artefact in front of me was very old.

In both cases, I just couldn’t believe that such treasures were unguarded and that people could do what they like with them – even to the extent of scratching their names on them or proclaiming their undying love.

People might well scoff at the idea of preventing such treasures from being damaged, but when these artefacts are destroyed, as they will be, Viet Nam will be the poorer for it. Certainly, here in the UK, a lot of time, effort and money is put into the protection of our history.

And let’s face it, a country that cannot point to its history, good or bad, is a country without a soul. Having monuments from the past connects that history to its people, which is why national treasures should be kept in good condition.

What bring visitors from overseas to a country? Vandalised items on show? I don’t think so.

At the end of the day, education is the only thing that will change the current mindset of some people. Protecting relics should go hand in hand with displaying them. Maybe a course on respect for other people’s property, whether it is personal or owned by the State, would not go amiss.

Keith Halstead, London, UK

I lived in Ha Noi for several years and noticed an increase in graffiti around the city. This is a problem which affects many countries and unfortunately there is no easy solution.

Here in the UK for example, one of our most famous tourist attractions – Stonehenge – was a regular target for graffiti. The solution? Visitors are now kept about 10m from the stones – a shame because tourists can no longer touch them and get a real impression of their size and the atmosphere around them. It is a case of a few spoiling things for the many.

This of course is not a desirable solution and in many cases is not practical. So, what else can be done? Stopping graffiti completely is probably never going to be possible so efforts need to focus on reducing the instances in which it occurs. For this to happen, people, especially young people, must be aware that graffiti is unacceptable. When people are caught defacing public buildings and places of historical interest, they should be punished – and be seen to be punished.

The general public must also take responsibility for preventing graffiti – by stepping forward when they see it happening and saying something to the offenders.

Finally, the Cultural Heritage Preservation Department of Viet Nam could stop using terms such as “well-meaning graffiti artists.” Graffiti is a selfish, anti-social act of vandalism. That is the message that needs to sent to these “artists.”

Anyway, good luck to Viet Nam with solving this problem or with finding a cheap and effective cleaning fluid!

Heng Sokunthy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

It’s a shame but the situation is no different in Cambodia. I have seen lots of graffiti by young people, I guess, on the walls of temples and sculptures. What idiots! I shake my head whenever I see graffiti. They should be treasuring their heritage not ruining it!

Both the Government and the public are responsible for preventing it from happening. It’s not a question of imposing a law, its a question of education.

It is important to educate people from an early age to respect public property. At this age they are impressionable and will respond to what they are taught.

Gradually, they will learn to treasure public property and pass that message on to others.

Parents should also instil a sense of responsibility in their children and encourage them to appreciate the country’s history.

Ryu Hashimoto, Japanese, Binh Duong

I have visited many historical places in Viet Nam. Ha Noi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City.

I feel very sad. There are many historical places in Viet Nam, as there are in my country Japan, but the young generation doesn’t respect their own history and culture.

It is similar in Japan. The younger generation are only interested in learning foreign languages and about foreign culture.

We have a law that makes it illegal to deface property.

The Government should encourage young people to learn about their history and culture from an early age and organise field trips to historical places. It should also make it illegal to deface public property. —

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Make sure before modifying your system Registry about its backup and you need to know how to organized the registry, how to perform the basic editing, because Registry contains all information how your system runs. This backup will help you to restore Registry in case any problem occurs after modifying. Learn how you can Export and Import Registry File before Editing?

You can backup the whole Registry and only Registry subkeys also.

Click Start Button then type regedit in Run dialog box and click Ok button. Here you can backup the whole Registry or you can locate the required subkeys that contain the information that you want to edit.

Go to File menu option then click on Export option for backup and save it with on any your system drive with .reg extension and you can restore this backup going File menu using import option.

Phu Tho tries to make street food safer

To reduce food poisoning, street vendors in 10 communes and towns in northern Phu Tho Province will participate in a pilot programme for food safety and hygiene.

According to the province’s Division for Food Safety and Hygiene, 78 food poisoning cases occurred in the province in the first six months of this year and 49 food production and trading establishments have been fined a total of more than VND60 million (US$3,370).

Tin Tuc (News)

Hoi An goes plastic-bag-free for a day

To improve awareness about the harmful effects of plastic bags, central Quang Nam Province’s Hoi An city is holding A Day Without Plastic Bags on September 9.

Activities will include collecting plastic bags and exchanging them for environmentally friendly ones. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment wants to help city residents get in the habit of not using plastic bags.

Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon)

Tien Giang Province invests in new homes

To build 2,483 houses for needy people in the Mekong delta province of Tien Giang, the Fatherland Front Committee spent VND4 billion (US$224,719) from the province’s Fund for the Poor and the State budget. The fund spent an additional VND617 million ($34,662) to buy health insurance cards for the poor.

Nhan Dan (The People)

New traditional trade village in Cu Chi District

Mot Thoang Viet Nam (Glimpse of Viet Nam) Cooperative has invested more than VND100 billion (over $5 million) to build a new “traditional” trade village in HCM City’s Cu Chi District. The 20-ha village will be used for both production and tourism.

Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer)

Source: vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Craig Civale
WFAA-TV
September 18, 2009

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t
• 

A project in Frisco schools is bringing new meaning to emergency response. In a matter of seconds, police and fire crews can now check out security cameras at city schools.

Security cameras have been in schools for years, but the city of Frisco has developed a program that allows officers and firefighters to view video from those cameras from their own patrol cars and fire trucks. That could mean saved time for emergency crews to save lives.

The program, called SAFER, allows emergency officials to instantly tap into hundreds of cameras at Frisco schools from virtually anywhere.

Read entire article

URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/texas-cops-to-snoop-school-kids-with-squad-car-video/

Few people could have grasped the thought of the world instantly changing on September 10, 2001. But on the cool Autumn morning the next day, we all realized that everything had changed. 19 Muslim terrorists hijacked four airplanes, crashing them into both towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. At that point, we all felt horrically vulnerable and the future of our country and the very world seemed uncertain and hopeless. Eight years later, thanks to policies instituted under President George W. Bush, our nation has remained free from attack and the enemy severely weakened. This is something all of us – Democrat and Republican – should be thankful for.

Between 1993 and 2001, our foreign policy consisted primarily of backing out of possible conflicts with al Qaeda, pacifism, and most notably, the bombing of a Middle Eastern desert during the hight of the Clinton-Lewinski scandal. Prior to the Patriot Act, different intelligence agencies and military branches kept information from each other in a twisted version of “turf war”, information that could have prevented the ‘93 World Trade Center bombing and even the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

After 3,000 Americans perished from savage acts of terrorism our government changed. Thanks to the formation of the Department of Homeland Security and the passing of the Patriot Act, fighting terrorism became not only more efficient but less confusing.  Once Congress passed this vital piece of legislation, the walls separating these agencies and branches came down. Since 2001, the U.S. has been able to capture or kill countless top-ranking al Qaeda members, including the self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

In addition to the severe weakening of al Qaeda, the United States has been able to prevent several terrorist attacks, including “The East Coast Airliner Plot”, thwarted in mid-2003 (This plot involved the highjacking of commercial airliners  in a similar style to that of the 9/11 attacks). With cooperation from our allies, terrorist attacks across the globe were also prevented, with targets varying from tourist attractions to international airports.

Through the War on Terror – while thousands of American soldiers have paid the ultimate sacrifice - the fight has been taken to the heart of the enemy. The brave men and women fighting for our freedoms and liberties have nearly single-handedly toppled enemy regimes and decimated al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. America and the world are eternally grateful for the sacrifice and bravery from these magnificent human beings known collectively as the “United States Military”.

Had it not been for President Bush and his foreign policy, America would’ve been attacked many more times. I shudder to think of the possibilities, from nuclear craters in the place of major cities to historic landmarks and monuments in ruins. As we reflect and mourn 8 years later, let us never forget the ultimate sacrifice that thousands of American soldiers have given. Let us remember how far we’ve come and why we’ve got this far. God bless America, God bless our Troops and God bless President Bush.

In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may he watch over the United States of America.

President George W. Bush – September 20, 2001

9/11 - World Trade Center, The Pentagon, Shanksville, PA field (Flight 93)

Denverin kaupungissa Coloradossa työryhmä on päättänyt laskea kannabiksesta annettavan sakon dollariin.

Kaupungin työryhmä, joka vastaa kannabiksen hallussapidon valvonnasta Denverissä, suositteli, että hallussapidosta annettava sakko asetettaisiin yhteen dollariin.

Jos Denverin johtava tuomari hyväksyy Denverin Marijuana Policy Review Panel:n suosituksen, sakko olisi koko  Yhdysvalloissa hallussapidosta annettavista sakoista pienin.

Työryhmän loi pormestari John Hickenlooper joulukuussa 2007 sen jälkeen, kun äänestäjät hyväksyivät asetuksen, joka muutti kannabiksen hallussapidon aikuisilla kaupungin “lainvalvojien alhaisimman prioriteetin” valvottavaksi rikkeeksi.

Toukokuussa 2008 kaupungin syyttäjänvirasto teki muutoksen, että hallussapidosta rangaistut voivat lähettää sakkonsa postissa, eikä heidän tarvitse käydä oikeudessa. Silloin syyttäjänvirasto asetti sakon määräksi 50 dollaria.

Ernest Martinez Denverin poliisinvirastosta on myös paneelin jäsen ja äänesti muutosta vastaan. “Ei ole näyttöä, että sakot aiheuttaisivat ongelmia”, sanoi Martinez. “Työryhmä menee lakiesityksen rajojen ulkopuolelle.” Martinezin mielestä tarvitaan lisää keskustelua muutoksista.

“Asettamalla sakoksi vain yhden dollarin, me lähetämme viestin Denverin viranomaisille, että aikuisten alkoholia harmittomammasta päihteestä rankaisemisen aikakausi on ohi. Se ei vain ole järkevää kaupungin resurssien käyttöä”, sanoi työryhmän jäsen ja Denverin menestyksekkäät lakimuutosesitykset koordinoinut SAFER:n johtaja Mason Tvert.

Lähde:

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=122082

For many years and for obvious reasons, Denver has been known as ”Mile High City.” Recent news emanating from there about enforcement of marijuana possession laws is giving a whole new meaning to that nickname.

Last week, a committee voted to send a letter to the Denver County Court urging the fine for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana to be one dollar. The total penalty for marijuana possession would be $111 once state fines and other fees are levied. (1)

While these other fines do increase the severity of the punishment, Denver will still be sending out a strong message about its lenient view regarding marijuana possession if the court accepts this recommendation. The Mile High city truly will be a place to get high.

As a former high-school teacher (I teach middle school now), I heard students talk about the safety, pleasure and healthful nature of smoking ”weed.” Despite all their praise of the habit, I continued to advise them against such behavior and pointed out all the reasons they should stop, including the fact that I do not agree that marijuana is safe or healthy (as far as pleasure goes, I cannot attest to that since I have never myself indulged).

I am no expert, far from it, but I saw what marijuana did to my students. I could tell which ones were “potheads.” They were the ones with the glazed eyes, staring off into space during my class. They were the ones who never got their work in on time, if at all. They were the ones who did not have even an inkling of concern or plans for their future.

That was the effect I found most devastating about the drug — its power at creating apathy. The students who abused marijuana were the most apathetic young people I have ever met. Nothing mattered to them — not their education, not their futures, not their lives.

The only thing they cared about was getting home that afternoon so they could take some “hits.” They would joke about it, but I knew that most likely that is what they were going to do after school. While “jonesing” for another hit, they would stand there and argue how marijuana is non-addictive. I could never make them see the irony of that.

And now a committee — who knew a city had such a thing as a “marijuana policy review panel” — is recommending that Denver make a mockery of its drug laws by lowering the fine for marijuana possession to $1. This is a shame.

People actually do believe marijuana is “safe.” It is this misguided belief that makes marijuana one of the most frightening drugs of all. When something appears “safe,” we are more free to partake in it. It is like the wolf in sheep’s clothing — once we realize the danger, it is far too late. And, here is Denver potentially providing the wolf with the innocuous costume.

Not only do I not agree with the contents of this letter, I also do not understand how this committee was appointed or how its members were chosen. How does an activist who heads an organization dedicated to the legalization of marijuana — Mason Tvert, the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER, more irony) — end up on an official marijuana policy committee in the first place? He does not seem like the most impartial choice to me for such a group.

No wonder this committee agreed to send such a ludicrous letter to the presiding county judge. With members such as Tvert, this group is busy blowing smoke, obscuring the facts as they take one more step in their quest for legal marijuana.

(1) http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_13212872

2010 yılı dini günleri aşağıdaki tablodan görebilirsiniz.