Soxy

I also have never liked Dean. I've had many lunches with friends and meetings with profs where we've ended up lamenting the state of democrats where he's the best that could be drudged up. Currently, I'm spending a little time working on the Kucinich campaign in Minnesota. I know he's a long shot (and that's being kind)--but I like his stances. And I was supposed to meet him next month, but then he changed his day to visit my town to the day of my big conference. Other than Kucinich--I think that Kerry is strongest on the issues I'm up on. Although I do enjoy Clark and I think his military record would strike a cord now. But I like Kerry as an introducer of the VAWA act. I think that if/when Kucinich drops out I'll join the Kerry group. I would be very happy with a Kerry/Clark or Kerry/Edwards ticket. But my heart would be with a double K ticket.

Haha, stupid Europeans. We succeeded where they FAILED!!!!

I completely understand your concern. But I think the problem lies in our concern in where danger to our country lies. I see the greatest threat to Americans as coming from intra-national violence/"terrorism" and would like to see greater monetary support for local programs to end those kind of problems. So, I think essentially, if the local government and the state government will not lower the crime rate of these particular types of violence THEN the federal government needs to step in. It's about time for someone at a national level to say I care enough about these issues to allocate more money to the states to train the police or just basically do anything. Or at least talk about the issue. I would be thrilled if elected officials talked about domestic/sexual violence 1/3 of the amount the time they talked about terrorism. And drunk driving the same amount of time they talked about terrorism. Those two things kill more people each year than terrorism in America does--so why on earth don't they do something--I think it's a national concern. I think it's a national crisis. Bush is having 1.5 BILLION to people staying together in marriage. Why not use that money to teach healthy relationships in HIGH SCHOOL or junior high when kids could actually use that?

Tell me when I ask to be rescued. I'm one of the people actively working for change NOT asking to be rescued. I'm asking for the government to take notice of the problems AND actual dangers in our society. Tell me when the last time in any election (state, federal, or local) that any of my issues were mentioned. I vote in Illinois. My issues are mentioned as sort of a courtesy, if anything gets changed it rarely happens. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT say I am asking to be rescued. If I waited to be rescued I would be dead. I cannot "unelect" police officers. I have done their training on many of these issues--including the higher ups--including the chief. Do NOT tell me I want to be rescued. I have fought harder and voted more than most Americans on many of these issues. I vote--but if they make Americans think they should be more afraid of terrorists than they should of being killed by someone they know (a stupid and irrational fear) then they are using their power in a wrong and corrupt way.

How about the Federal Government acting like care our everyday safety...If they made it a priority to talk about maybe state and federal governments would actually take it upon themselves to do something about it. Both of the governments are just waiting for the other to do something... And I'm sorry, but if you had ever seen how local law enforcement authorities handle some of the offenses I had mentioned above you, as a citizen should be outraged. Often times there is no arrest, no citation, nothing. Just a boys will be boys, college kids will be college kids, or there's nothing we can do attitude. So, I understand your point, but it's a little to jaded, flippant, unrealistic and utopian to be a real-life thing.

Yes, but the stuff that is used for lab testing is PURE (bought from companies that DO have access to 100% pure cocaine). And they actually use cocaine and other stimulants to induce psychosis for animal models of Schizophrenia. Animals (esp. rats) that are on cocaine will self-administer cocaine to the point of not eating, drinking, having sex or sleeping. And that is PURE cocaine. I'm sorry, but no way should cocaine be legal--look at the problems we had when it WAS legal. Or better yet we can legalize it--then legalize herion to cure people of their cocain addiction...

No, you aren't high for the entire 30-50 hours that marijuana is in your system. The drug doesn't exit your system extremely quickly either. The half life means how long it takes for the body to rid HALF of the active chemicals in your body. But no, you definitely wouldn't be high that whole time. Basically, that very long half life is what enabled you to quit instantly after smoking a lot of weed per day. Just to clear that up.

Oh honey, don't even get me started.

Commitment to war on terror my sweet patootie. First of all, if ANY politician was even remotely concerned about "terror" they would do something about the violence that actually affects this country daily. Gang "terror," domestic abuse "terror," sexual violence "terror," drunk driving "terror," but this is a much higher profile war to fight, one where we can actually put names and faces and people in jail. GAH! Don't even get me started on this IDIOTIC war on terror. There is plenty of TERROR in this country--we don't need to go to another country to find it.... Okay, I'm done. Sorry. I've been riled up since, um, since, November 2000....

The problem with cocaine, and what makes it very different from marijuana in my opinion is 1.) It's short half life. The half life of cocaine is 30-90 minutes. Meaning you need another hit of it that often to maintain the high. (Compare that with the 30-50 hour half life of marijuana) 2.) Also there is something called cellular tolerance. This is what makes people need a higher dose of cocaine to get high. And it also is what makes people need cocaine to feel normal and lose pleasure in normal life. It has to do with neurotransmitters and receptors--you don't see this with marijuana. 3.) The overdose potential of cocaine also makes it a problem. All the laws in the world wouldn't stop people from overdosing on cocaine. It's honestly literally impossible to overdose and die from marijuana at one time. So, I think it would be a horrible idea to legalize cocaine. The end.

I have a similair PDF file I can e-mail to anyone interested, by a different group of researcher. But mine was done at Harvard. But damn, I quoted the wrong one--I meant to quote the cognitive effects one... As for the cocain comment I4E, I have to disagree--the whole point is marijuana isn't addictive, has little/no withdrawl, and has therapeutic potential. And all of that is really sort of the opposite for cocaine. Yes, cocaine has analgesic properties, but it isn't worth the risk of addiction and it isn't worth using because of cocaine's short half life...

Yeah, gen eds are the worst--sometimes I kick myself for going to a liberal arts school. But overall I really think it's made me a better coversationalist and more well rounded. And I definitely feel the gym requirement was a bit much. But hey, now I can take ANYBODY on for badminton. As for the textbooks--I would definitely take a look around campus--usually students set up a sell-resell consignment co-op. Otherwise check out http://wwww.half.com They have a textbooks option I believe...

Linguistics, Neuroscience, Psycholinguinstics, Biomedical Ethics, and maybe Religious Authenticity... I'm excited about most of it--except for the Ethics class--stupid graduation requirements!

Anti-nauseau in AIDS and chemotherapy just off the top of my head... And, also, there appears to be no withdrawl symptoms (physiological) for marijuana because of the long half-life and the way it is stored in the fatty tissue in the body and slowly released. Recent studies have also been debating the so-called cognitive impairments of marijuana as well (if you want to read a copy of hte findings let me know). So basically, it's a substance that there is no withdrawl, no physical dependence, no potential for overdose, AND has medical therapeutic uses...

Okay, I'm sorry, I have to comment on this article The Cheat. Thanks for bringing this up. I laughed so hard when I read this and it made my day. First it's from the The Sun--which is probably about the National Enquirer of Britain. And second--you literally can't die from marijuana toxicity--because of the localization of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Unless you're allergic to pot. I'm not advocating smoking marijuana--but damn, I'm amazed by the ignorance of people! Thanks for posting that The Cheat--I e-mailed it to my Pharmacology class and we'll all have a hardy laugh. You rule. And in now way am I implying that you rock the proverbial ganj.

I'd probably have politely said thank you, taken a name and e-mail and then said if I had any additional question I would ask them. But I might have asked a few questions. But I wouldn't think it was too odd. My admissions officers (from a few of the schools I applied at) would call me at least 3 times a week to see how my thoughts were coming and to see about offers from other schools. I think more and more colleges are realizing they're a business and this is like a costumer service thing. So, yeah, you might have to answer a few questions, but maybe more later.

Hate to tell you Yatzee, but naturally when you smoke marijuana there is more tar in it than in a regular cigarette (Maisto, et al., 2004--textbook for my Drugs, Brain and Behavior class, if you want the full Bib--let me know)... So, they do have that going against them. Just though I should clear the air on that.

Wow Cheat, that was Deep...You've really made me think... And to think my views were based soully on the pharmacology of the weed. *Chisoxy shakes her head in self-disgust and weeps*

I'm really interested in hearing what people have to say about this. And decriminalized is different from legalized--meaning it would be subject to gov't taxes and regulations... And damn, I realized I misspelled the stuff in the title. Swear I'm not stoned...

With any luck no....

Fair point, but I guess I would first just like to ask this: how many men would like to admit that they had been sexually assualted (to any degree) or harrassed by a woman? Or that they had been physically assaulted by a woman? There's some major stigma that goes with that--I mean, if you're a guy and a woman does something like that to you I can think of some stuff that your friends and co-workers would say. And I've gone and done training sessions for cops and they are not that understanding for women who are assaulted--let alone men. So, I can't even imagine the stigma that goes with men reporting--I don't think we'll see accurate numbers for those reports in YEARS. Secondly, I think that women are capable of doing these crimes. But I don't think that we commit them nearly on the level that men do. But it DOES happen. Any sexual activity without consent is assault--so of course it can happen. But I think the frequency is less.

I think cw has a good point. In that all off those sorts of incidence are about power and controll and domination. So, basically the people that are hazing are just about showing who's in control and putting people in their place. Really, that's all sexual violence is about--putting people in their "place" and humiliating them. Women are just as able to do that as men, but either they just don't do it as often or we just don't hear about it as often. But they certainly are able, and can commit violent and degrading acts. It is certainly a sickening thing to hear about--and I hope these kids get the maximum punishment.

Nutella dropped him from their add campaign very quickly after the allegations came out...And my mom ripped him off our jar of it the same day.

Yeah, and remember when Gore won Florida?

Upsetting, but not surprising at all. I think that sexual violence, of ANY type always has a victim blaming slant. There's actually been lots of research even in the court system about it--the way it's worded in juries decisions and all of that. I always hope people will be upset at the atrocities that happen--and I'm always sad when that sense of outrage is misdirected. I really suggest people take a look at the article I posted earlier. Classic example of misdirected blame...