Dvorak News Blog

First US cannabis cafe opens in Oregon

By honeyman Monday November 16, 2009

Cannabis Cafe opens in Portland – OregonLive.com — I hope that events like this contribute to eventual legalisation and a more common sense approach to drugs in general.

Oregon opened another chapter in U.S. marijuana history when at 4:20 p.m. Friday, about three dozen people christened the nation’s first cafe for licensed residents to sit down, sip coffee and smoke marijuana.

“Welcome to a place of our own,” said Madeline Martinez, a leader in the state’s medical marijuana movement and the leading force pushing to open the Cannabis Cafe in Portland. “Welcome to freedom.”
[…]
The only people permitted in the Cannabis Cafe are those licensed to smoke who also hold membership in the lobbying group Oregon NORML. Patrons will be charged $5 a day. They can bring their own or smoke donated marijuana. Oregon law says medical marijuana may not be sold.
[..]
After last week’s announcement of the cafe’s opening, the neighbors in the Woodlawn neighborhood weren’t happy. At a crowded neighborhood association meeting, people complained, among other things, that they could smell smoke from the meetings. Martinez promised to install air filters.

Bill Clinton in Chicago pitches health care; muses on “Mad Men”

By John C Dvorak Sunday November 15, 2009

9 Comments

Bill Clinton in Chicago pitches health care; muses on “Mad Men” – Lynn Sweet — For some reason this commentary amuses me.

Clinton looked out at the diverse crowd and said it was different than a crowd of white men that might be seen on the TV show “Mad Men.”

“You ever watch that TV series ‘Mad Men?’ ” Clinton asked. “If I keep watching this program, will I ever find a happy person? Great television. Good drama. But a lot of really painful reminders in that show about how black people were supposed to run the elevators… were supposed to ask permission before they get on an elevator. The way women were treated is appalling, and only occasionally funny to me.”

Found by Tim Yates.

United Nations censors anti-censorship group!

By SN Sunday November 15, 2009

19 Comments

Slashdot – Nov. 15, 2009:

At a UN-sponsored Internet Governance Forum in Egypt, anti-censorship group Open Net Initiative was startled by a demand from UN officials to remove a poster mentioning Chinese Net censorship. When ONI refused the request, security personnel arrived and took away the poster. The group was promoting a new book, Access Controlled, a survey of Internet censorship, filtering, and online surveillance. A witness said, “The poster was thrown on the floor and we were told to remove it because of the reference to China and Tibet. We refused, and security guards came and removed it. The incident was witnessed by many.”

No Agenda 148 — Adam Gets Thrown Out of Hotel

By grumet Sunday November 15, 2009

11 Comments

#148 No Agenda For Sunday November 15th 2009
Adam Gets Kicked Out

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Kim Jung Il DVD Gift Support Group
- The Patriot
- Brothers in Arms
This Week’s executive Producer Is Steven Shear
Swine Flu Minute
- Translation result for http://zik.com.ua/ru/news/2009/11/12/204378

Aboriginal boy faces court over stolen chocolate frog

By honeyman Sunday November 15, 2009

30 Comments

Stolen Freddo: boy, 12, charged – The Age — A classic example of how shabbily indigenous peoples are treated in Australia, particularly in the West. Disgraceful.
Updated – Charge is likely to be withdrawn

AN ABORIGINAL boy, 12, will face a children’s court today charged with receiving a stolen Freddo frog.

The chocolate frog, allegedly shoplifted by the child’s friend from a Coles supermarket in regional Western Australia, usually sells for about 70 cents.

The boy, who has no prior convictions, also faces a second charge involving the receipt of a novelty sign from another store. The sign, which was also allegedly given to the boy by his friend, read: ”Do not enter, genius at work.”

The boy’s lawyer, Peter Collins, has lobbied WA police for the charges to be withdrawn, but authorities had failed to respond to his request, he said.

”It’s scandalous that a 12-year-old child should be subject to prosecution for a case of this type,” he told The Age.

Mr Collins said that when the boy last month missed a court date due to a family misunderstanding, police had apprehended him about 8am on a school day and taken him into custody. The boy was then imprisoned for several hours in the holding cell at the police station.

A/N1N1 Pandemic Toxic strain; Doctors learned why Ukrainians dying

By John C Dvorak Sunday November 15, 2009

20 Comments

URGENT – A/N1N1 Pandemic Toxic strain; Doctors learned why Ukrainians dying – Topix — Uh, this can’t be good. How did this strain mysteriously crop up anyway?

Doctors learned why Ukrainians dying! total destruction of the lungs cardiogenic shock is developed, which causes cardiac standstill and death mixed types of parainfluenza & influenza A/N1N1, very toxic strain able to penetrate not only through respiratory apparatus but also through the eyes. All victims of the virus in Bukovyna 22 people at the age of 20-40 died not from bilateral pneumonia, as was previously thought, but as a result of viral distress syndrome, i.e the total destruction of the lungs.

While you wait for actual Big Media coverage, read this related story here.

Russian Man Used for Shish Kebabs, Fed to the Public?

By McCullough Sunday November 15, 2009

12 Comments

SUSPECTED cannibals killed a young man, ATE part of him and then sold other bits to a KEBAB house. Cops also believe the 25-year-old victim’s body parts may have been used to fill PIES too. The trio of homeless men were arrested in Russia – accused of murdering the man with knives and a hammer.

Prosecutors revealed: “After carrying out the crime, the corpse was divided up – part of it was eaten and part of it was sold to a kiosk selling kebabs and pies.”

Suspicions were raised when dismembered parts of a human body were found near a bus stop in the outskirts of the Russian city of Perm – which is 720 miles east of Moscow. The three men all have criminal records, said Russian cops. They have been arrested on suspicion of killing their victim – who has not been named – before chopping up his corpse to eat.

Detectives for the Prem region released the astonishing statement that the human remains could have been used for kebabs and pies on their www.susk.perm.ru website.

CRIPES! I am never eating out again!

Kabul’s ‘Obama Market’ Where You Can Buy All Sorts Of US Military Goods

By Uncle Dave Sunday November 15, 2009

17 Comments

Your tax money at work. As to how the market gets its wares, did you ever read the book or see the movie, Catch 22, with its military entrepreneur Milo Minderbinder? Guess this is what they mean by ‘nation building.’

First came the Brezhnev Market. Then the Bush Market.

Now Afghans are beginning to call their notorious bazaar full of chow and supplies bought or stolen from the vast US military bases by the name of the current American president, a modest counterweight to his Nobel Peace Prize.
[…]
The small market, tucked behind a commercial building in the northwest side of the city, is a US taxpayer’s nightmare. […] Inside, two assistants were stacking hundreds of bottles onto a wall of shelves full of Gatorade. Shelves on the other walls were jammed with Quaker Instant Grits, Aunt Jemima syrup, McCormick spices and the giant cans of vegetables used in chow halls.

All around were stalls offering cases of MREs (meals-ready-to-eat), new-in-the-box military cots and goods usually sold on base stores, such as American-made shampoo, military ID holders and the huge plastic jars of the food supplements used by bodybuilders.

One shop offered an expensive military-issue sleeping bag, tactical goggles like those used by US troops and a stack of plastic footlockers, including one stenciled “Campbell G Co. 10th Mtn Div.” Another had a sophisticated “red-dot” optical rifle sight of a kind often used by soldiers and contractors.
[…]
NATO officials know about the market, and an ISAF spokesman, Capt. Mike Andrews, said that if any sensitive equipment turned up for sale, security forces would take action.

Cop tases handcuffed man

By honeyman Sunday November 15, 2009

44 Comments

Officer Suspended for Tasing Handcuffed Man – wltx.com — Yet another arbitrary tasing. Its pretty clear that cops are often using these things just to inflict pain. Note the ironic NWO4 text stamp. Also interesting that all charges on the arrested man were dropped.

Lansing, MI (Lansing State Journal, MI) — A Lansing police officer who Tasered a handcuffed man was suspended for two weeks without pay for violating department policies and procedures, officials said Thursday.

According to documents released from the Lansing Police Department, the victim suffered injuries to his face, including a broken jaw, a chipped tooth and eight stitches to his chin.

No charges have been filed against officer Ryan Smith, a two year veteran of the South Precinct. The union that represents him will protest the suspension.

Lansing Police Chief Mark Alley said the incident that led to the suspension occurred about 1 a.m. Aug. 16 in the 2400 block of North Wadsworth in Lansing after police responded to a call of a dispute between Rocky Allred, 43, of Lansing and a former girlfriend.

Alley said there was a scuffle between Allred and Smith prior to an arrest being made, and that Allred head-butted Smith while the officer tried to handcuff him. Smith attempted to use his Taser on Allred, but the weapon did not fire and Smith dropped the weapon.

Two other officers were able to subdue and handcuff Allred while Smith picked up and reloaded his Taser. Smith then used his Taser on the cuffed Allred, causing Allred to fall to the ground.

Obamao a Hit in China…

By McCullough Saturday November 14, 2009

38 Comments

The Chinese have learned English from his speeches and celebrated the way he rolls up his sleeves. Now President Barack Obama is finally coming, and he’s being greeted with “Oba Mao” T-shirts and a statue of him that bursts into flames.

Sunday’s arrival of a U.S. president admired for his charisma is already a source of profit and brief fame for some Chinese. Strangest is the burning Obama, tucked away in a Beijing warehouse. Artist Liu Bolin hopes Obama can take time from his visit to drop by. “He’s so hot right now, so I wanted to translate that through my work,” said Liu, who was inspired by the idea of the first black U.S. president.

The bronze Obama bust is modeled on Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” cover and is speckled with holes for gas that ignites every couple of minutes.

It’s a positive work, Liu said.

“Yes, setting something on fire can have negative connotations, but this piece represents energy and life that Obama has given to the world,” said the 38-year-old, who made a similar piece for former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. “We’re eager to see what he can do for China and U.S. relations.”

I wonder if the Chinese people get that comparing the President to Mao might make some here squeamish?

Denmark to Immigrants… here’s 20K Dollars… now please leave

By McCullough Saturday November 14, 2009

34 Comments

Denmark is offering immigrants from “non-Western” countries 100,000 Danish kroners (US$20,000) if they volunteer to give up their legal residency and move “home”. This is just one of many creative initiatives spearheaded by the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party to make foreigners – and especially Muslims – feel unwelcome in this small European country of 5.5 million inhabitants.

According to the Danish People’s Party, a coalition partner of the two ruling right-wing parties of the Danish government, paying immigrants to leave Denmark will save the state money on social services and “problems” [da] in the long run. “It costs quite a lot to have maladjusted immigrants in Danish society,” said financial spokesperson of the party, Kristian Thulesen Dahl. Funds have also been set aside for campaigns by local authorities who wish to encourage immigrants to leave the country. The government have not yet calculated how many people can be expected to accept the offer.

Around 10% of the population in Denmark are immigrants or descendants of immigrants including from neighboring countries, as well as the rest of the world. The primary issue in politics and the media for the past many years has been the “integration” of Muslim and other non-western immigrants and the tension arising from a perceived clash of cultures. Danish politicians have created some of the most stringent immigration laws in all of Europe, and continue to score high for it in polls.

I guess that is one method.

Pic of the Day. Healthcare.

By John C Dvorak Saturday November 14, 2009

19 Comments

(Click photo to enlarge.)

British environmental Lord suggests creation of ‘carbon allowance’

By Jacob Galt Saturday November 14, 2009

25 Comments

Lord Smith of Finsbury believes that implementing individual carbon allowances for every person will be the most effective way of meeting the targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

It would involve people being issued with a unique number which they would hand over when purchasing products that contribute to their carbon footprint, such as fuel, airline tickets and electricity.

Like with a bank account, a statement would be sent out each month to help people keep track of what they are using. If their “carbon account” hits zero, they would have to pay to get more credits.

We’d Make How Much In Taxes If Pot Production Were Legal?

By Uncle Dave Saturday November 14, 2009

43 Comments

Click pic to embiggen

Dvorak Poll (Dance) — Which Is More Distracting While Driving: Phoning, Texting, Watching a Pole Dancing Stripper in a Glass Truck?

By Uncle Dave Saturday November 14, 2009

15 Comments

Check out the slideshow.

The young stripper wrapped herself around a chrome pole inside a giant Plexiglas box on the back of a rolling truck.

Heather “Passion” Matson, 21, beckoned drivers and pedestrians on the [Las Vegas] Strip with her skimpy outfit, come-hither smile and suggestive moves that included flipping upside down with legs spread. Even under the Strip’s chaotic neon, the lone pole dancer encased beneath a bright, stagy light drew wide-eyed stares late Tuesday night. Couples stopped, pointed and smiled. Cameras flashed. Carloads of people gave her thumbs-up signs.
[…]
The all-nude clubs Déjà Vu Showgirls and Little Darlings began hauling dancers up and down Las Vegas Boulevard a couple weeks ago to lure patrons, whose numbers have dwindled in the recession. […] Commissioner Steve Sisolak said he opposes live entertainment on wheels because he thinks it’s far more distracting to drivers than static images such as billboards mounted on trucks. Although he has received some complaints about the risqué element, he considers that a lesser concern.
[…]
Matson said she hopes the mobile stage works as intended. She estimates her income has dropped by 75 percent in the past year.

“I used to make $800 a night,” Matson said. “Now I’m down to $200.”

UPDATE: The stripper truck is no more.