Morning Coffee Category Archive

Medical Marijuana Takes a Hit

Court: Government can bar medical marijuana use

Mon Jun 6, 2005 1:19 PM ET
By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The federal government has the power to prevent sick patients from smoking home-grown marijuana that a doctor recommended to relieve chronic pain, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a setback for the medical marijuana movement.

The 6-3 ruling means the federal government can enforce a federal law prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of medical marijuana even where it is legal under state law. At least nine states allow medical use of marijuana.

Justice John Paul Stevens said for the court majority that the federal law, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, was a valid exercise of federal power by the U.S. Congress "even as applied to the troubling facts of this case" involving two seriously ill California women. [emphasis mine --SG]

More in link

Petition: marketing Food to Children

Major food companies, such as Kraft, Kellogg's and General Mills, have joined with the advertising industry to form the Alliance for American Advertising, a lobbying group "to defend the right to advertise to children."

In response, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has drafted a Statement on the Rights of Children, Families, and Food Marketers. The statement has already been endorsed by leading experts in child development, nutrition, and public health, as well as more than 40 organizations that advocate for children.

Please take a moment to add your name to the statement. Go to http://www.commercialexploitation.org/actions/statementonrights.htm and join the growing alliance of those who value children more than the bottom line.

The statement will be sent your representatives. It is important that we gather as many signatures as possible to demonstrate the strength of our movement. Please forward to concerned friends, family members, as well as relevant organizations and listservs.

In response to the growing call for restrictions on marketing to children, major food companies, such as Kraft, Kellogg's and General Mills, have joined with the advertising industry to form the Alliance for American Advertising, a lobbying group "to defend the right to advertise to children."

It is alarming that, in the face of mounting evidence of harm associated with advertising to children, industry leaders are choosing to emphasize their rights without a commensurate focus on their responsibilities.

There is no absolute right to advertise to children. Children, as both common sense and the law recognize, deserve special protections because of their developmental vulnerabilities.

Children are bombarded with marketing every waking moment. Marketing is a factor in childhood obesity, eating disorders, and a wide range of other ills affecting children.

We believe that children have the right to grow up in a safe and healthy environment; that parents have the right to raise their children without being undermined by corporate marketers; that schools, communities, and nations, if they deem it necessary, have the right to restrict commercial access to children. Marketers do not have the right to exploit children for profit.

Advertisers and the marketing industry should focus on their responsibilities to children. We call on them to dissolve the Alliance for American Advertising and we pledge to step up our efforts on behalf of those who value children more than the bottom line.

To sign the statement, please visit http://www.commercialexploitation.org/actions/statementonrights.htm

Children and Media Event

CCFC’s 4th Annual Summit Consuming Kids: How Marketing Undermines Children’s Health, Values & Behavior

Howard University, Blackburn Center, Washington, DC
March 11-13, 2005

Register today at http://www.commercialexploitation.org/events.htm

Special rate for students; scholarships available.

Never before have so many activists and scholars gathered to discuss the commercialization of childhood . . . and what can be done to stop it. Do not miss this unique opportunity!

Moderated by Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint. Presentations include:

Sacrificing Development for Dollars: The Corruption of Child's Play Michael Brody · Gun Play and Greed: The Marketing of Violence to Children Nancy Carlsson Paige · So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in the Commercial Culture Diane Levin · How Consumer Culture Undermines Children's Well-Being: Evidence from a Survey of 10-13 year olds Juliet Schor · Life Lessons from Marketing: If Values are Right, than What's Left? Susan Linn · Government: Hand-Maiden of Commercial Exploitation of Children . . . And What To Do About It Rep. Sean Faircloth · Promising Approaches for Reducing Junk Food Marketing to Children Margo Wootan · Protecting Children and Free Speech Angela Campbell · Youth of Color: Commercialism's Challenges to Health and Wellbeing Velma Lapoint, and Carlota Ocampo · The 90-Minute Commercial: Using Feature Films to Sell to Kids Nell “The Movie Mom” Minow · Children in Poverty: A Target for Food Marketing Fern Gale Estrow · Building Resilience to Consumer Culture through Community Involvement Tim Kasser · Safeguarding Children in the Digital Marketplace Kathryn Montgomery · Hidden (In Plain Sight) Persuaders Rob Walker · Kid Can Make a Difference Larry Levine

Plus presentations and workshops by Jeff Chester · Enola Aird · Joan Almon · Patti Miller · Rob Williams · Frank Vespe · Makani Themba-Nixon · CCFC – Quad Cities

And a special screening of Jean Kilbourne’s Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies & Alcohol

Seating is limited. Register today at http://www.commercialexploitation.org/events.htm

Coulter Exposed!

If only she cared about things like facts. This will never make a dent.

Blame Canada, you neocon barbie nightmare? Did you not realize that South Park: BLU was a joke? Moron.

Thank God Canadians are smart enough to see that she is an idiot. Or whatever the word for evil malicious idiot is.

Inauguration

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2651

http://www.counter-inaugural.org/

Find a ride:
http://www.drivingvotes.org/triplistings.php?ref=ci

And do not forget to laugh!

Things to Do Before the Inauguration in January:

With age comes wisdom

Poll: seniors support medical marijuana

Dec. 18, 2004 | WASHINGTON -- Nearly three-fourths of older Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, according to a poll done for the nation's largest advocacy group for seniors.

...

Though 69 percent of those age 70 and older said they support legal medical marijuana use, less than half agreed it has medical benefits.

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i wish i could have a flu shot

CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Expands Priority Groups for Inactivated Influenza Vaccination

Press Release - For Immediate Release - December 17, 2004

Adults aged 50-64 and close contacts of persons in high-risk groups will be eligible for influenza vaccination in areas where vaccine supply is sufficient to meet demand

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded the list of priority groups recommended to receive inactivated influenza vaccine this flu season, depending on the availability of influenza vaccine in state or local health jurisdictions.

Continue reading "i wish i could have a flu shot"

M&C

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

To reflect its growing membership and commitment to positive action, the coalition formerly known as Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children (SCEC) has renamed itself the CAMPAIGN FOR A COMMERCIAL-FREE CHILDHOOD (CCFC).

To learn more about the name change and what we’re doing, we invite you to visit our brand new website:

http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org

The new site not only looks great, but includes some exciting new features such as printable fact sheets about marketing to children, developed with our Quad Cities chapter CCFC/QC

Continue reading "Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood"

Healing America

http://filmstripinternational.com/

Not! Work! Safe!

CO redeems itself

Students at Colo. high school protest Bush

Salon.com Nov. 5, 2004 | BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- About 85 high school students upset about the nation's direction were camping out in the school library, demanding an audience with Republican leaders.

Students began their protest Thursday and school officials said they could stay through Friday when representatives of their Democratic congressman, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, and U.S. Senator-elect Ken Salazar, were expected to visit.

The students said they also wanted to meet with their superintendent's representatives along< with Republicans Gov. Bill Owens and U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave.

Some of the students left telephone messages with Republican leaders.

"We want them to reassure us that our fears are misguided and that the government is doing everything in its power to prevent our futures from being destroyed,'' said senior Brian Martens, who wore a hand-lettered T-shirt which said he was the ``senior executive of the subcommittee on protesting stuff.''

Students said they are not protesting the election, but are worried about the national debt, military recruitment in schools and the environment.

Mosh

http://www.gnn.tv/content/eminem_mosh.html

NO SHAME

Anything to keep Osama Bin Laden's face on screen for the next three days. There is no depth too low.

In other news "K-Mart Refuses to Carry Carlin Book" becasue cover makes fun of The Last Supper.

My stomach hurts.

In your face, Coulter!

i wonder if it was the work of the Biotic Baking Brigade or just some of their allies.

ETA: Ahhh, there is a video. (You can't use Safari though.) i love the shot of the perp with the evidence on his hands. i imagine him trying to wash off the custard like Lady Macbeth. Out, damned spot, out, I say!
Credit goes to Wonkette.

Enjoy the Draft!

http://www.enjoythedraft.com/

Homesick

For sign pilferer, politicians aren't only ones falling flat on their face

A Lakewood Republican stealing campaign signs late one night got nabbed when he ran across a low- hanging driveway chain, fell face first onto a pilfered sign and the concrete and knocked himself unconscious.

Randal Wagner, 50, was loaded into an ambulance, treated at Lutheran Medical Center for abrasions and facial cuts and issued a summons.

Wagner, who unsuccessfully tried to steal a "Dave Thomas" congressional sign that evening, had signs for other Democratic candidates in his Toyota pickup, Wheat Ridge police reported.

"I did a very stupid thing," Wagner said Monday, admitting theft of the signs. "I got caught up in the political passions of this highly contested election."

Bush jokes

How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to change a light bulb?

The answer is: 10

1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed.
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed.
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb.
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either "for"changing the light bulb or "for" darkness.
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new light bulb.
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner: "Lightbulb Change Accomplished"
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally in the dark
8. One to viciously smear #7.
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along.
10. And finally, one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.

Faces of Frustration

Faces of Frustration and Bush vs. Reality are instant classics.

Haliburton held accounta-WHAT?

Yesterday, the Defense Department announced that it was cutting off its contract with Halliburton for logistical support for the troops and putting the work up for competitive bidding. Common Cause has repeatedly protested the administration’s awarding of no-bid contracts, especially to Halliburton. We consider this move good news that will save taxpayers money and improve support for our troops, even as we are mindful of the passing of a grim milestone of 1,000 U.S military deaths in Iraq.

F&%# New York

Audio NWS, wear your headphones.

Ganked from Super-lime. Thanks, Heidi.

Whistleblower follow-up

When he saw the horrific abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, Joe Darby knew he had to blow the whistle. But coming forward would change his life—as well as his family's—forever, and for the worse. Because back in his own community and in the small towns of America, handing over those photos didn't make Joe Darby a hero. It made him a traitor. By Wil S. Hylton

Is there no justice?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Relatives of the U.S. soldier who sounded the alarm about abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison said on Monday the family was living in protective custody because of death threats against them.

Brother, Can You Spare a Job?

Following in the footsteps of the early propaganda cartoons of Disney, Fleischer, and Chuck Jones, this original, fully-animated look at the underbelly of Bush's economy juxtaposes a depression-era style with modern-day political rhetoric.

Originally a "Best Animation" finalist in MoveOn.org's "Bush in 30 Seconds" contest, the commercial spot has been expanded to a seven minute short cartoon that tells the rest of the story of Melvin McBean and his family's struggle to make ends meet in Bush's economy.

Obama for President in 2012

Update 18:20 7/28: Here is audio from NPR, here is the video, and following is the text of the speech as transcribed by the New York Times:

Continue reading "Obama for President in 2012"

DNC not so bad

What was all the fuss about the convention?

Though i could have done without the (presumptive) security helicopters overhead through almost entirely the last two acts of Much Ado About Nothing during last night's Shakespeare in the Park performance.

Yesterday at CVS, the girl at the register next to me was wearing a museum of sex tee-shirt. The clerk asked if it was a real place, and she said "yes" and we all laughed. Then he said "Really? Are you in town for the convention?" Ooof.

BU Bio'defense' Labs

NIMBY! Well, it isn't, but it is not that far, either. Check out this map of the area covered within a five-mile radius of the proposed facility. At least it is conveniently located near the Longwood Medical Center for treatment of city officials and other VIPs. Silber should be there in less than three minutes in case of a breach.

Now normally i hate pseudo-scientific hysteria, but Boston University has such a GREAT track record of running things well. Not to mention being so forthcoming with details of their doings.

The list of previous accidents in similar facilities is not that comforting, either. The story about staff having to seal facility doors with duct tape during a total power failure

(because the compressors failed) is particularly fun. In some sense, it is a strange vindication of Tom Ridge and the massive purchasing of duct tape that went on right after September 11th. What color terror alert are we on now? Orange for the DNC? Funny how we don't hear about that anymore.

Stop the Brainwashing of Children!

Childhood obesity, dental problems, behavioral problems, eating disorders, literacy, ADHD... if you could do one thing to make headway in fighting against these blights, wouldn't you do it? Well. Get off of your ass and help kids get off of their asses!

Support Senator Harkin's efforts to help keep advertisers off of kids

Under current law, it is more difficult to regulate advertising to children than to adults! The HeLP America Act (S. 2558) is an important step towards fixing this problem. By restoring the FTC’s authority to control children’s advertising, we will have the regulatory structure needed to fight back against unchecked advertisers.

Speak out for Steve Kurtz!

SPEAK OUT IN DEFENSE OF STEVE KURTZ

Forum: The paranoid persecution of Steve Kurtz

The FBI investigation of a Buffalo art professor who works with biological agents found the materials harmless. But as the grand jury investigation widens, says Martin E. Rosenberg, artists and scientists are outraged by the degree of government intrusion

Sunday, June 27, 2004

For the past month, artists, scientists, academics and others interested in freedom of thought and expression have had their eyes on Buffalo and a bizarre grand jury investigation into the case of The Artists Who Play With Petri Dishes.

The case involves a heart attack victim, and then a range of claims and denials: wrongful death by bacterial infection, possession of biological agents suitable for warfare, public health threats, terrorism, sedition, artistic freedom and First Amendment violations, paranoid McCarthyism and Keystone Cops shenanigans. Artists and scientists are so united in outcry that you would think that C.P. Snow had never written his "Two Cultures" thesis that in the modern world, never the twain shall meet. The Bill of Rights makes for strange bedfellows.

On May 11 in Buffalo, Hope Kurtz suffered heart failure at home. Her husband, Steve Kurtz, called 911. Buffalo EMS technicians arrived and pronounced her dead. But during their routine investigation, the police were alarmed by what they found in the home of Mr. Kurtz, who is an internationally recognized artist and a faculty member at the State University of New York at Buffalo (and former art professor at Carnegie Mellon University). They discovered laboratory equipment, petri dishes and experimental samples of the following bacteria: bacillus globigii, serratia marcensens and a genetically sterilized form of E. coli. They also found DNA extracting technology, as well as a range of publications addressing genetic engineering, the human genome project, bioethics, bioterrorism and biowarfare.

The police called the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and FBI agents from Buffalo as well as Pittsburgh arrived, dressed in biohazard suits straight from the set of "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial."

Much more in link

• http://www.counterpunch.org/
• http://www.timesunion.com/
• His CV before this incident
• Countless other heartbreaking articles.

Bikes Against Bush

(Don't worry, it is only chalk.) An Emerging Technology Art Project: SEE the video! READ the blog! HEAR the AirAmerica interview! Thank you, Patrick A. Reed

From the people who bought you Bluetooth Against Bush and the SLOGANATOR.
(Work alert: lower your volume on that last one.)

Punk Voter

Harsh Reality

And as soon as i can face that reality (*sob*), i will fix it, i promise. Or maybe i will just reset it after the election, to mete out the hope.

$10 a dance

Billy Bragg!

Billy Bragg to Headline July 24 Benefit

Another World is Possible: BSF Benefit/Party at the Middle East Restaurant/Club and T.T. the Bear's Place, Saturday, July 24th (8pm-2am), 18+. Performances by Bragg, the Foundation, Nora York, & many more TBA...

Chomskyfest tomorrow

Semi-annual Mobe Fundraiser! Come one come all! First Parish Church, Cambridge.

The Boston Social Forum is to take place on July 23-25, 2004 at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. A coalition of Boston area progressive community organizations, non-profits, and unions will be hosting what promises to be an exciting event. Boston Mobilization is actively participating in the planning of both the programming and the event itself; click here for details on Mobe's role, and how you can get involved.

Her 'Beautiful' Mind

DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: (OC) You said that, that Mrs. Bush at one point had said to the two of you, don't watch too much TV. You may be watching too much TV. FORMER FIRST LADY BARBARA BUSH, UNITED STATES: No question. DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: (OC) You do watch?

From Good Morning AmericaYeah, and you said Ferrarro was a "rhymes with witch"? You bitch. i cannot believe they chose to villainise Hillary but not you, apparently because you talked like a third-grade girl. Must be that liberal media conspiracy again.

A song for the FCC

http://www.pythonline.com/plugs/idle/FCCSong.mp3

Thank you, Mike Barklage.

Pope: Bush IS the Anti-Christ!

Pope fears Bush is antichrist, journalist contends

Church - journalist Wayne Madsden New Catholic Times, May 18, 2003 WASHINGTON DC -- According to freelance journalist Wayne Madsden, "George W Bush's blood lust, his repeated commitment to Christian beliefs and his constant references to 'evil doers,' in the eyes of many devout Catholic leaders, bear all the hallmarks of the one warned about in the Book of Revelations--the anti-Christ."

Madsen, a Washington-based writer and columnist, who often writes for Counterpunch, says that people close to the pope claim that amid these concerns, the pontiff wishes he was younger and in better health to confront the possibility that Bush may represent the person prophesized in Revelations. John Paul II has always believed the world was on the precipice of the final confrontation between Good and Evil as foretold in the New Testament.

More in link

Bill Moyers, we need you NOW

Bill Moyers to Leave PBS

NEW YORK - Bill Moyers, whose weekly magazine "Now" on PBS has capped a 30-year career in TV journalism, is leaving the broadcast after the November elections.

More in link

Diebold pt III: hey, some hope

California Bans E-Vote Machines

California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley ended five months of speculation and announced Friday that he was decertifying all electronic touch-screen voting machines in the state due to security concerns and lack of voter confidence.

He also said that he was passing along evidence to the state's attorney general to bring criminal and civil charges against voting-machine-maker Diebold Election Systems for fraud.

Good news

i may need to get the T-shirt. Or the café bag, which is extremely cute, and has one of those tags too.

Impatience

Rice testimony

This series of articles (from the 12th until today) is one of the sites that i found while looking for anyone doing a decent job of fact-checking the Rice testimony. From The Daily Howler, via Billmon, via Tom Tomorrow, all very fine reading.

^‡Seriously - what did you expect me to say, Fox News? The online coverage from CNN has been pretty underwhelming. See, for example Reaction to Rice no match for Easter weekend, the alarmingly irony-free article about how nobody cares.

Diebold pt II: it gets better

i should feel worse about getting all of my news from The Daily Show and Sk8, but i really don't feel that bad at all. More things to give me Diebold nightmares i do not need.

(This guy Avi is a CompSci prof at Johns Hopkins, specializing in cryptography. He has a really scary story about being an election judge in a recent Balmer race. He also has a backup of that Daily Show clip. which actually plays much more smoothly than the version from the CC site.)

Everything is better with Muppets

Even horrifying things. Where is Supergrover when we need him? Current terror alert level:

Diebold pt I: And so it begins

Voting machine failures.

Blarney...

...or Good Plan?

Boston wants to curtail liquor sales during St. Patrick's parade

3/11/2004

BOSTON -- City officials are asking bars and liquor stores in South Boston to shut down during portions of the neighborhood's famous St. Patrick's Day parade in an attempt to deter public drunkenness, and make the festivities more family friendly.

Neighborhood residents have complained in recent years that the parade has become less of a celebration of Irish heritage, and more of an excuse to overindulge in alcohol late into the night.

More in link

http://web.morons.org/

(self-explanatory) Warning: may be depressing. (Stolen from DZEAN at WFE)