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The new federal crackdown on medical marijuana announced on October 7 by the four California U.S. Attorneys sent chills throughout the industry. It was a stunning reversal by the Obama administration.
Only two years ago, Deputy U.S. Attorney General David Ogden wrote his infamous "Ogden Memo," announcing the feds wouldn't bother businesses in compliance with their own state laws. It proved a dose of Miracle-Gro to California, where pot-selling stores multiplied since voters approved the state's 1996 medical marijuana law. By late last year, California reportedly had more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets.
Colorado also made it legal in 2000, seeing a similar explosion of new storefronts. The same thing was happening to varying degrees in 16 states, from Arizona to Washington, New Jersey to Delaware.
But the feds' tolerance wasn't quite what it seemed. While legal weed grew to an estimated $10 to $100 billion industry — no one's quite sure of the exact figure — activists noticed an alarming undercurrent to the rhetoric: Raids on growers and dispensaries actually increased under Obama.
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As hundreds of thousands of state-approved, doctor-recommended patients happily bought their medicine in well-lit stores from knowledgeable "budtenders," the ire of cops and prohibitionists rose.
The first sign of Obama's subterfuge came in late 2010, as California prepared to vote on a ballot proposition that would have legalized growing and possessing small amounts of marijuana for anyone over the age of 21. Under pressure from teetotalers — nine former Drug Enforcement Agency chiefs begged Obama to oppose the measure — Attorney General Eric Holder said that it didn't matter what Californians thought. The feds would continue to bust people regardless of the election.
The measure got 46 percent of the vote, but not enough to pass. Yet the medical side of things kept going strong – too strong for Obama.
When the Oakland City Council prepared to authorize large-scale cultivation centers, Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for California's Northern District, issued the first in what would become a series of letters from her fellow attorneys general. She reminded residents — in no uncertain terms — that marijuana was still criminalized under federal law, considered equal to heroin or meth, irrespective of its medicinal value.
Nor did she care what California law said. Her "core priority" would be to prosecute "business enterprises that unlawfully market and sell marijuana" under federal law.
Over the next few months, attorneys general from Maine to Washington wrote their own increasingly menacing letters. In Washington, the feds even threatened to arrest state workers who helped facilitate the industry.
Then the Obama administration released a new letter to "clarify" Ogden's memo. Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole verified the about-face: The only people safe from arrest were the "seriously ill" patients and their caregivers.
Everyone else? Be forewarned.
The letter didn't just target those directly involved in the trade. Cole was also threatening supporting industries — read: banks — with money laundering charges for dealing in the proceeds from marijuana. Obama had launched a full-on attack on the industries essential to any functioning enterprise.
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Banks responded by canceling their weed-related accounts. "Perhaps there may be a few financial institutions here or there that are still accepting accounts," says Caroline Joy, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Bankers Association. "Those facilities don't want to reveal who they are."
The president's push grew louder last month. The U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms bureau warned medical-marijuana patients that they couldn't legally use pot and own or buy guns.
Then came a one-two punch.
On October 5, the IRS ruled that one of the largest California dispensaries, Harborside Health Center, owed $2.5 million in taxes because federal law precluded standard deductions for businesses engaging in illegal activity.
In other words, Obama was not only blowing off state laws. He was declaring that legal businesses were now nothing more than criminal rackets. And he was carving away every tool they needed to function.
Harborside's owner said he'd go out of business if the IRS didn't reverse course. Dispensaries nationwide saw it as a crippling decision.
Then came another blow two days later: The bombshell dropped by California's four U.S. Attorneys.
They were now going after people who leased stores and land to the pot industry. Violators were given 45 days to close doors, uproot plants, and kick out renters. The penalty for not acting: Seizure of property and arrest.
Laura Duffy, the U.S attorney from California's Southern District, went so far as to threaten media with prosecution for taking pot advertising. (Disclosure: This newspaper accepts such ads.)
There was no doubt about it: Obama was intent on killing an entire industry – in the middle of a depression, no less. Left unexplained was why, especially since he was giving the finger to voters in 16 states just a year before he would face them in his own election.
Democratic strategists were perplexed. Roger Salazar, a California party consultant, believes the president may be trying to reach out to a broader base. But that doesn't explain the attack on his own base; Democrats support medical marijuana at high percentages. It doesn't even make sense in luring conservatives. With the country in economic tatters, no one has weed high on their radar.
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Except one group, says Salazar: "It's a mystery, I think, it really is, where the pressure is coming from. My sense is it's coming from law enforcement."
Certainly Obama's threats are real. He may be loath to jail landlords, bankers or even dispensary owners. Arresting non-violent, state-sanctioned businesspeople wouldn't be popular. But his quieter war of chopping merchants off at the knees through credit and leasing would ravage the trade.
Still, the president has thrown himself into an uphill fight. There is reason to believe medical marijuana will persist, despite his betrayal.
Marijuana really is medicine
Earlier this month, in a timely coincidence, the California Medical Association's board voted to encourage the feds to legalize marijuana.
Though spokeswoman Molly Weedn emphasizes that the decision by the doctors' group hinges on a call for more research, a report studied by the CMA board before its decision makes it clear that — at the least — marijuana shows promise as a medicine.
The CMA's Council on Clinical and Scientific Affairs "has also concluded that components of medical cannabis may be effective for the treatment of pain, nausea, anorexia, and other conditions."
The report goes on to say:
"Cannabinoids are presently thought to exhibit their greatest efficacy when implemented for the management of neuropathic pain, which is a form of severe and often chronic pain resulting from nerve injury, disease, or toxicity.
"The University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) recently reported to the California legislature the results of a number of studies. Four studies involved the treatment of neuropathic pain; and all four demonstrated a significant improvement in pain after cannabis administration."
The doctors note that while using marijuana may contain risks, such as addiction, they argue that its prohibition may be more dangerous than the drug itself:
"Under the current prohibition of cannabis, public health is also affected by increased rates of crime surrounding cannabis cultivation, sale and use. The California Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that the incarceration and parole supervision of cannabis offenders costs the state tens of millions of dollars annually."
Nationally, prohibition burns through billions of dollars in lives lost to the violence inherent in the black market, the incarceration of thousands of productive, non-violent Americans, and the lack of access to a beneficial medicine.
Are lots of people using weed without suffering from a medical problem? Absolutely. But just because you've heard that half or more of patients take the drug for "severe and chronic pain" doesn't mean they're all faking it.
In June, the Institute of Medicine estimated that 116 million Americans suffer from significant, chronic pain.
As more research comes in showing that pot can be an effective treatment, and with America's elderly population exploding in the coming decades, the interest in its medicinal qualities seems only likely to rise.
The truth will prevail
Ignorance, false propaganda and rank political posturing tend to be the foundation of the anti-marijuana argument. (Throw in bureaucratic turf protection as well. The DEA, for example, would need fewer agents if pot was decriminalized nationwide.)
A new Gallup poll shows that a record 50 percent of Americans believe marijuana — and not just the medical kind – should be legalized. The poll follows a continuing trend over the past several years of increasing support for legalization.
Obama has chosen to swim against the tide. But there's reason to believe his fight is about politics, not public safety. If this were about safety, alcohol would be his primary target.
Politics cause both sides to fudge the truth. Yet prohibitionists and the government have been particularly egregious. The government is using taxpayer dollars to prop up its side, with the U.S. Justice Department's 64-page booklet, "Speaking Out About Drug Legalization," being a prime example.
The booklet, distributed in print and online, states that "smoked marijuana is not scientifically approved medicine." Forget that by labeling it a drug on par with heroin, the DEA is curtailing the proper study of marijuana, since it prevents even scientists from possessing it for research. The publicly funded propaganda also flies in the face of the opinion of doctors, who see pot's potential as medicine.
It's a strategy that's trickled to states with functionaries unhappy about executing the voters' will. Last December in Arizona, Will Humble, the state's Department of Health Services director, held a news conference about the state's new Medical Marijuana Act. He took a moment to remind reporters that more than 1,000 Arizonans died last year from accidental overdoses from prescription drugs.
But when asked how many of those died from marijuana, Humble refused to answer — to chuckles from the audience. He referred the question to his chief medical officer, Laura Nelson, who would only say she'd "have to do the research on that" before she could answer.
Then Nelson began stammering about the danger of marijuana due to "car accidents" — though she had done no research on that, either.
The CMA's new report, interestingly enough, sheds light on statements like Nelson's. It says that prohibitionists often make unsubstantiated claims about car crashes or other purported harms. Studies disagree on its risks to motorists, though there's no question that booze increases the chances of a crash, the report says. Moreover, simulated driving tests reveal that pot smokers overestimate their degree of impairment and "compensate effectively."
If one were a cynic, one might also view U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy's threat to target advertising as a less than subtle threat to control the debate.
True: Federal law prohibits advertising illegal drugs. Google, for example, agreed to pay a $500 million fine this summer for taking online ads promoting "rogue" Canadian pharmacies.
But pot dispensaries are legal businesses within their states. Under Duffy's threat, the feds will have their say, while the pro-pot message would be erased from public view.
Kent Scheidegger, legal director for the conservative Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, tells New Times that Duffy's threat gave him the willies.
"They're on much thinner ice going after the newspaper," says Scheidegger, who otherwise believes the feds should enforce its own laws against marijuana. "... Maybe there is a political strategy."
It's called the "shut them up" strategy.
There will be pushback
Federal law is, for now, on the side of the prohibitionists.
Scheidegger downplays the state victories handed to medical marijuana. He says if the American people want to change the law, they need to encourage Congress to do so.
Yet that ignores a basic political reality: It's extremely difficult for any politician to stand up for marijuana. He or she will be quickly painted as pro-pothead.
Like women's suffrage, the medical marijuana movement has — in ten states, anyway — benefited by the direct democracy of citizens initiatives. These elections have taken the pulse of voters in a way that congressional elections cannot.
In six other states and Washington D.C., medical marijuana was legalized by local lawmakers. Other states are bound to vote in favor of decriminalizing pot in the next few years in spite of federal laws.
Phoenix attorney Ty Taber sees it as a major states' rights issue. "Basically, the citizens of these states ... they want marijuana legalized," he says. If Obama wants to play hardball, he says, "You're going to get pushback."
Taber represents Compassion First, a company that helps set up dispensaries. The firm sued Arizona after Governor Jan Brewer, in blatant defiance of voters' wishes, derailed the dispensary portion of Arizona's new law by instructing the Department of Health to reject applications. She simultaneously sued the federal government, asking a judge to rule on whether the state's new law was legal. (Ironically, the U.S. Justice Department's civil department is defending against the lawsuit – and if the feds win, Arizona might just get its first dispensaries.)
Compassion First wants the program implemented as Arizonans intended, and to remove blockades Brewer has thrown in its path. For instance, Arizona requires dispensary owners to have been residents for at least three years.
But the point isn't so much whether or not the company will win its lawsuit or not — it's that they're fighting back, and they're not alone.
Across the country, advocates are returning fire of their own in the court system. Which means Obama won't be able to do battle by the relatively cheap means of letters and threats. He'll likely end up burning through millions of dollars in litigation – money he doesn't have.
Taber thinks the president may have underestimated his foe. "The people behind this marijuana movement — they're committed. They are zealots. And these are smart people — not stoners saying, 'Hey dude, pass another slice of pizza.'"
Half-hearted crackdowns don't work
The latest crackdown will be bad for the pot business. No question. But Obama could be doing much, much more.
He could go after patients. Over the summer, a federal judge ruled the DEA could peek at the names on Michigan's patient registry. Because marijuana is illegal under federal law, said Judge Hugh Brenneman Jr., patients can't expect privacy.
The feds could also hit pot-tolerant cities. The law doesn't allow municipal workers to be jailed in such prosecutions, but cities or counties could be heavily fined just for setting up zoning requirements for dispensaries.
There's a huge downside to that, of course. Obama will only appear mean and small for having sickly grandmas arrested. And fining cities just enrages residents picking up the tab – the very people the president will need a year from now.
All of which leaves him fighting at partial speed. That, in turn, leaves the "zealots" Tyber mentions betting their money and freedom that even if the feds throw the book at some, it won't be them.
Last week, the feds raided several growing operations in California and Oregon, including one in Mendocino County that appeared to be playing by the state rules. But it seems safe to assume that few of the hundreds of other growers in Mendocino County did not uproot their crops in response — just as the hundreds of dispensaries in California did not immediately close their doors after the feds' ominous warning on October 7.
The industry seems to be practicing a form of civil disobedience. And it has tens of thousands of seriously sick people behind it, who will holler loudly if they're forced back to the black market.
Indeed, there are some signs that Obama's crackdown will be what the SF Weekly's Chris Roberts calls a "Passive Aggressive" strategy. Rather than offend Americans with news footage of police raids, Obama has launched a war of attrition.
Landlords, worried the feds will steal their property, will tell dispensaries to move out. Banks won't handle money for pot-themed businesses. Dispensaries will be taxed so heavily they won't be to cover the payroll or pay the electric bill.
Yet it remains to be seen whether federal prosecutors, who undoubtedly have even more serious criminals with which to contend, are willing and able to carry out the threat. When Jack Gillund, Melinda Haag's spokesman, was asked whether her office had the resources to go after every dispensary or grower who doesn't comply with the 45-day deadline, he offered a simple reply: "No comment."
Lauren Horwood, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner in California's Eastern District, says Wagner's goal isn't to shut down everything. He's focusing on "large, professional, money-making operations – the commercial operations."
Horwood also says that it's wrong to call it "Obama's crackdown." She says the California U.S. Attorneys decided to take action on their own because the situation has grown out of control among recreational users. But she acknowledges that they received Obama's blessing.
It's classic political strategy: Send the underlings out to take the heat, while the bosses hide under their skirts.
Either way, the end result casts Obama as even more zealous than George W. Bush. Bush threatened owners of dispensary properties in 2007, but never followed up. Meanwhile, Colorado and other states have seen no similar crackdowns. Only time will tell whether Obama plans to destroy the entire medical marijuana industry, or merely smack California around for a bit.
"I'm willing to give the Obama Administration the benefit of the doubt," says Blair Butterworth, a Democratic consultant in Seattle, where about 100 dispensaries operate. "In California, they may be sitting on uncontrollable drug sales. They need to slap some wrists."
It's easy to pick on California, a state known for its excesses. But "the last thing Obama needs right now is to go to war nationally with the medical marijuana community," Butterworth says.
Leniency for marijuana users, medical or otherwise, continues to be a popular Democratic stance, he says. Butterworth is helping the campaign to put outright legalization on the Washington state ballot next year. He thinks it's got a good chance.
Of course, a successful election could just tick off the feds even more.
A million patients can't be wrong
An estimated 1 million people in California have obtained a doctor's recommendation to grow and use marijuana legally.
More than 150,000 medical marijuana patients have registered in Colorado as of July.
Tens of thousands of patients are registered in the other weed-friendly states.
If the feds shut down every dispensary in the country, all these people will still be able to legally possess marijuana — no matter where they bought it — under their state laws.
The only difference is they'll be forced to go back to buying their weed from Mexican drug cartels, rather than Americans who provide jobs and pay taxes.
It's akin to the feds saying that Anheuser-Busch can no longer sell beer; they'd prefer that people only buy from Al Capone.
Hey, wait — didn't something like that happen?
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education sport utility vehicle was at the center of a controversy earlier this year after it was pulled over and New Orleans police discovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside on March 8, reports WDSU. ... A memo obtained by the WDSU I-Team shows Sheriff Daniel Edwards sustained the internal affairs
Obama's war on weed...@readers:disqus my best friend's half-sister makes $79 an hour on the laptop. She has been out of work for 9 months but last month her check was $8472 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Go to this web site CashHuge. com
Please idiots STOP all reference to drug testing. That test itself is supposed to be illegal and yes I agree that if ANYONE ought to be tested is Congress etc...
As far as to what is happening here is my thought and I think the proof is in front of all of us. First and foremost it is an illusion to think any governor or president or any politician HAS ANY SAY OR CONTROL OVER OUR SO CALLED POLICE. They are the largest (their unions are anyway) donors (bribers) to BOTH PARTIES AND HAVE BEEN FOR DECADES. NOTE: Last time the law came up for vote the police bought ALL 123 newspapers advertising. They do as they please and will break laws, kill people, steal with complete and utter abandon for they are all above the "law".This all goes back to USA's favorite pass time racism starting around 1935. All of the law enforcement agencies like the DEA, ATF etc. were all set up merely to give jobs during the Depression regardless of the rights of innocent people. The real drug lords are the police. The real terrorists are the police. The real Treasoneers are the police. The budget of our country is out of control NOT due to our wars in other countries but for the phony wars we have right here. In short the USA has failed on all fronts especially to it's own people who are now considered enemies of the state unless they are wealthy. The USA's ONLY working function is to punish severely. Think people. Think hard. Do you REALLY THINK your financial credit score should be affected by one traffic ticket thereby increasing your home mortgage? Be pusihed for years by law enforcement, insurance companies, and FICO? Every criminal sentence handed out is now a virtual life sentence. No the police in our country present a clear and present danger to all Americans and have eliminated freedom from our country and no one will speak out.
I agree with Obama - but only if we begin a 100% - NO EXCEPTION - monthly drug testing program for all federal employees.A major drug problem is with all these 'drug test exempt' government employees. When ALL the federal government employees come up 100% drug free, then we can begin imposing drug policies on those whose earned labor property is confiscated every payday to support these corrupt federal government employees.
Sounds to me that the States have lost the right to rule themselves, that we, the American People have lost our Sovereignty, our Republic, Freedom of Choice, Freedom of Speech due to this socialist dominaring terrany backed by a Communist president. The choice and the freedom to do with our bodies should be our choice as long as we harm no one including ourself. This shows that the large conglomerate corperations have paid because of their wants and desires for profit overrule the public. IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AND TAKE CHARGE!
America is becoming a land of Psychopathy. Keep up the civil disobedience it is now the only way to make change occur in America. Voting is a joke.
alcohol & cigarettes are the two most major drug problems in the world. shut down businesses, export jobs, lock people up, and fuel the black market. what a bag of assholes we have running this country
Obama allows this because he wants to exert federal power, as do all liberal democrats. Now, the only way for the growers to win the argument is for their states to sue, charging the Feds with usurping powers reserved by the states.
I can't recall which enumerated power gives the feds the authority to regulate crops within a state... or which one allows for the regulation of any drug or intoxicating substance.
It will be interesting to see what alliances begin to form to fight the Obama scourge.
Hard to imagine that conservatives are actually rallying to the defence of marijuana growers and users for ANY reason other than it is another chance to oppose our black President. Were these same right wingers clamoring for the legalization of cheeba when Bush was in office?
I'm caught between my support for legal weed and my belief that states shouldn't flout federal laws. I hope that these crackdowns are followed by a relaxation of federal drug laws.
Cigarettes and alcohol are both drugs,legal and cause much more health problems and deaths than Marijuana ever could,has or will. FACT!!!
Only one reason, competition... The cia,dea,atf,big pharma,and the alcohol and tobacco industrys don't like competition
When did President Obama ever say he was pro weed? Never. Also if you had done a little more research, you would have found out the shops that are threatened to be closed are near schools, which I think is reasonable and I am a super stoner. You should vote for Ron Paul in the Republican Primary though.
hes losing my vote, the president should be the absolute leading voice in democracy, not acting like a snake, im starting to think ron paul is a friend of mine
Obama = hypocritical, puppet mouthpiece for the powers that be !!! POS !It is a silly game at this point. Give something, then take it away. How is that for dysfunction.This is how the gov. works in ALL sectors. DYSFUNCTIONAL ! Time for a new model.THIS ONE SUCKS !!! God help us all. Everyone knows the difference between alcohol and marijuana. I will not get into the details, but that is my point...EVERYONE NOW KNOWS THAT THE CRIMINALIZATION OF POT IS A JOKE. THANKS OBAMA ADMIN. FOR KEEPING OUR FREEDOMS ALIVE AND WELL IN THIS LAND OF THE NOT SO FREE.
It's a political warfare tool to try and keep the masses divided
The question I've always asked is WHY MARIJUANA ? The only answer that I've beenable to come up with is that the rabid anti-weed mentality is a form of institutionalizedrevenge that was originally aimed at the 60's generation in retaliation for all the hellthat generation raised. It's patently insane to group weed together with heroin and speed.To let the DEA frame the issue in order to justify it's budget is equally alice inwonderland. None of this has anything to do with the properties of the outlawedsubstance itself. If I had a dollar for every ' study ' that's been done since about1966 I'd be quite well off. NONE has found ANYTHING even close to horrible aboutthe actual thing itself. But then this is not about the truth ( I remember one so-calledgovt. ' study ' from the late 60s that claimed smoking weed would cause men togrow breasts ! I mean really ).
Obama, who I supported, apparently gets really bad advice. He could havepicked up somewhere around 20 million votes by leaving this issue alone.He has chosen to crack down instead. I could never bring myself to voterepublican but I can't, after this latest outrage, bring myself to keep supportinghim either. I only have one vote it's true, but he just lost it.
Again, I say and constantly reiterate...legalize marijuana. Get rid of the "prohibition" mentality...it didn't work with alcohol (probably more dangerous). The federal government has spent billions for years fighting the drug cartels. Put them out of the illegal business.. The federal government should make it legal,charge the appropriate taxes and get this country out of debt!
I'm all for legalizing pot, but let's be honest, most "medically" prescribed pot does not end up in the "chronically" pain suffering peoples hands. While not a smoker myself, what's the difference between having a puff or a few beers after work?
Medical marijuana has proven to be beneficial by phsicians for many conditions. When people use it to relieve pain, they're not a "losser DRUG user." Who knows, it might even help you with your grammar and spelling!
If the feds don't fight legal pot, they won't be able to fill up all those prisons they already have and are planning to build. Those prisons are largely managed by private companies. For example, the Geo Group, which is either partly owned by, or has a major stockholder in, guess who? Dick Cheney. Hmmm, I wonder if there's a connection.
Must be part of Obama's anti immigrant policy - keep the war on drugs going until the cartels have killed everyone in Mexico. If you could buy marijuana at 7-11s, the cartels would be gone tomorrow.
I'm a professional and over 40 and have smoked marihuana for years and never has it affected my work or home life. In fact I dont even drink alcohol just dont care for it, all this nonsense that pot leads to stronger drugs is BS.. why dont they say alcohol leads to pot? because just about every household Ive been too has alcohol and it is glamorized on tv 247. I say, LEGALIZE IT once and for all and stop the hypocrisy!
However, the law in question falsely describes the plant in question. You can't have rule of law based on a lie.
Remember to include the prison and drug testing industries. Plus all the hemp alternatives . . .
The quotes are, "I inhaled frequently" and that "That was the point". see: youtube.com/watch?v=cpBzQI_7ez...
So it's far from never. Also, what's so reasonable about closing regulated pot shops? How far are the convenience and liquor stores, pharmacies and supermarkets? Is marijuana available in those "nearby" schoolyards?
As for research, an end to alcohol prohibition came about thanks to concerned mothers who organized in protest.
Yep he lost my vote, I'll abstain from voting or vote 3rd party before I vote for him again.
The feds are reacting to existing federal laws and the facts marijuana state sanctioned commercialization has skyrocketed. The Ogden memo appears to be their way of trying to soften a little on the issue, but that memo clearly states the feds believe strongly that marijuana sales greatly fund Mexican cartels.
You should focus on helping change policy and the feelings of fellow Americans as concerns enforcement. Thinking a different President would solve this problem is foolish, and then you will have to deal with many other issues on top of this one.
Of course, if you do want to vote for someone else, go ahead. That person and your neighbors should have an idea of why you have strong views against our drug laws as written.
If most states pass pro-pot laws, it should follow that Congress will follow along (regardless of who is pres).
The roots of marijuana illegalization are from well before the '60s; by most accounts, it was largely a tool to take punitive action against Mexicans in the US.
That's not honest at all. All cannabis use is medical, while alcohol damages the liver, brain and other organs.
The Storz and Bickel Volcano vaporizer removes the smoking issue. All that's left is exposing the federal felony false claims, suppression of exculpatory evidence at trial and complicity in trafficking tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana while arresting users for the very same product.
If you are all for legalizing, you might sue the murderers that pretend pot is lawfully illegal.
Or, have another drink . . .
A licensed physician who EXPERIMENTS with his patients with treatment for any medical ailment that is UNTESTED, and NOT APPROVED by the FDA should have their license revoked. Marijuana has NEVER passed FDA clinical trials, and remains an illegal substance.
Dead on balls accurate, Jesus Lizard... I have never used marijuana, but I have had too many close friends dying of cancer as they under went chemo and couldn't eat or even get out of bed, but one lung full of pot in the morning turned their eating and energy around 180 degrees. I hope I never need it, but I'd like to know it's there if I do and that the jackass in charge isn't trying to KILL the ill in this country.
And yet, it's Messiah Obama that it stopping the legalization.... Hmmmm, bet George Bush held a gun to Messiah Obama's head to make him do it... Or maybe Messiah Obama isn't Mr Wonderful like you all continue to preach to the rest of us that see both parties for what they really are, useless...
Don't take this personal, but to think a drug cartel will just pack up and end their life of crime because Marijuana is available in a 7/11 is foolish. Cartels are going nowhere, they will simply diversify into other crimes, perhaps those more dangerous to US citizens than drug trafficking.
Your ideer sound nice though, maybe if you repeat it enough times, somebody other than you will actually believe it.
Hilarious response... Your assumption that mhepting "must be a Republican" hits at the heart of "Obama can do nothing wrong, it's all the Republicans fault." Being that the one pulling the plug on medical pot facilities is your Messiah himself. You know, Mr. Change? Both parties are useless, but I find you Obama lovers especially ignorant. Now go back to following like the rest of the sheep.
Just curious, but if you have smoked Marijuana for 40 years, how could you possibly know it has not affected your work or home life?
Perhaps without it, you would have achieved greater success than you have now. Perhaps without it, you would have become a doctor and cured cancer. Maybe you would have married a super model. Who knows?
The FACT is, that since you have smoked the stuff for 40 years, you have no idea what the effect Marijuana has had on your life has you never indulged. Your own confession defies logic.
When you abstain, keep in mind that you are allowing the other candidates to gain and potentially become president. We have a government problem at many levels. Your best bet is to convince other voting citizens to support reform or civil protest, but allowing a worse candidate doesn't help too much.
According to the Ogden memo, the US strongly believes that commercial pot is an important source of revenue for Mexican cartels ("marijuana distribution in the United States remains the single largest source of revenue for the Mexican cartels").
When the US marijuana business grew as much as it did recently, how can it be a surprise that the US will have increased raids (and still to only a level a little above the Bush era when the legal market was much smaller)?
A good case can be made to legalize pot under some circumstances or potentially many circumstances (with restrictions for innocent bystanders), but Congress would have to change its laws. It has little to do with Obama.
Exactly how prohibition works, repeat the lies enough times to scare the people into believing they are true.
He said hes over 40 and used for years... not used for 40 years. Learn to read.
How do you know he's not a doctor married to a supermodel? You do know that the effect wears off after an hour or so right, your not stoned for life.
Does it really matter what "could have" been? You're under the assumption that his life has turned out unsatisfactory, or not satisfactory enough. For all you and I know he's the happiest man on the face of this planet. Perhaps, he's perfectly overjoyed by the wife he has now and ; and perhaps, his work brings him satisfaction and provides enough for his family. His body is definitely more thankful than those of the so many alcoholics.
Want what you have.
Right, but I live in a state that votes for the dem 100% of the time. So its more just a matter of principle for me. I'd think differently if we had a popular vote instead of the asinine electoral college system, or if I lived in a swing state.
Pay attention and try to follow along...My point is that by USING for 40 years it is IMPOSSIBLE to say that without a doubt, that there are no Ill effects from using. There is no baseline to compare.
Ok, but by that logic, you can't say if anything anyone's ever done has had a positive or negative impact. Was is a good idea to go to college? I don't know, because I can't see a universe where I didn't go to college. Was marrying that supermodel a good idea? Can't tell, because no one knows what would have happened if I didn't. So, in that case, what's your point?
It makes no difference if its 40 years or 40 hours or 40 seconds. Unless there is a parallel universe somewhere with a clone who never used, it is IMPOSSIBLE to tell ANY GOOD OR BAD EFFECT. There is NO BASELINE. Saying otherwise is not entitle you to make up your own facts.
The poster has smoked for an unspecified number of years. There's no reason to believe that s/he didn't establish a baseline prior to smoking for comparison.
When you say that (quote) "have smoked marihuana for years and """never""" has it affected my work or home life", IT MATTERS.


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Smart 401(k) Investing—Special Features of Your 401(k)
You may be able to tap into your 401(k) plan assets during a financial emergency. But while taking a loan or a hardship withdrawal may help solve an immediate need, there can be consequences that may reduce your long-term security.
401(k) Loans
If you need cash, you may be tempted to borrow from your 401(k) rather than applying to a bank or other lender. While not all plans permit loans, many do. And with most plans, you repay your loan through payroll deductions so you're unlikely to fall behind as long as you remain employed.
When you borrow from your 401(k), you sign a loan agreement that spells out the principal, the term of the loan, the interest rate, any fees and other terms that may apply. You may also have to wait for the loan to be approved, though in most cases you'll qualify. After all, you're borrowing your own money.
Federal law caps the amount you can borrow at the lesser of $50,000 or half the amount you have vested in the plan. Sometimes there's a loan floor, or minimum amount you must borrow. The law also requires that you pay market interest rates. That means the rate must be comparable to what a conventional lender would charge on a similar-sized personal loan.
Normally, the term of a 401(k) loan is five years. That's the longest repayment period the government allows—though if you prefer a shorter term, you may be able to arrange it. The only exception occurs if you're using the money to buy a primary residence—the home where you'll be living full time. In that case, some plans allow you to borrow for 25 years.
Spousal Stamp of Approval
If you're married, your plan may require your spouse to agree in writing to a loan. This is because a spouse may have the right to a portion of your retirement assets if you divorce. If you borrow, change jobs and don't repay, that money may be gone, and your spouse's share may be affected.
Coming Out . . . Going In
When you borrow from your 401(k), the money usually comes out of your account balance. In many plans, the money is taken in equal portions from each of the different investments. So, for example, if you have money in four mutual funds, 25 percent of the loan total comes from each of the funds. In other plans, you may be able to designate which investments you'd prefer to tap to put together the total amount.
The advantage of being able to choose is that you can leave the investments providing the strongest performance untouched, provided that you have enough money in other plan investments to equal the amount you want to borrow. Of course, since there is no way to predict market performance, you might choose to take money from poorly performing stock funds only to find that those funds were about to regain their strength. Then, having suffered losses, you would also miss out on gains.
Weighing Pros and Cons
There are several advantages and some potential drawbacks in borrowing from your 401(k) account.
On the plus side:
On the negative side:
Perhaps the biggest risk you run is leaving your job while you have an outstanding loan balance. If that's the case, you'll probably have to repay the entire balance within 90 days of your departure.
If you don't repay, you're in default, and the remaining loan balance is considered a withdrawal. Income taxes are due on the full amount. And if you're younger than 59½, you may owe the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty as well. If this should happen, you could find your retirement savings substantially drained.
Download the print version:
401(k) 'Save the Max' Calculator
Required Minimum Distribution Calculator
Read FINRA Investor Alerts on Retirement
Listen to FINRA Investor Podcasts on Retirement

subset: commoncrawl


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10th Annual DC APA Film Festival
Submission deadline has passed and we will be announcing the opening and closing night films soon.
Attention all directors, writers, producers, film students, and media/video artists!
We are officially accepting submissions for consideration in the 2009 DC APA Film Festival, Oct. 1-10, 2009. Films must be directed, produced, or principally acted by Asians or Asian Pacific Americans, even if the subject matter is not Asian. Non-Asian Pacific Americans may enter films if the subject matter is Asian Pacific American or Asian Diaspora related. Preference is given to films produced in North America or in other Countries (outside Asia) with significant Asian Diaspora populations.
Screenings takes place at venues in the Washington, DC area including Smithsonian Institution and Landmark's E St Theater. The early deadline is April 18 and the regular deadline is May 9. Categories include but are not limited to short and feature narratives, short and feature documentaries, experimental, animation, personal injury attorney boca more.
Please contact Tad Doyle, Director of Programming, if you have any questions about the admissibility of your film. Submit online today!


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Wouldn't be nice if responsible parenting like this were so common in our country that it didn't make news?
A father took extreme measures Wednesday to discipline his 14-year-old son, who he claims was abusing drugs.
Because the boy is a minor, 6 News won't reveal his or his father's identity.
The boy was forced to wear a large sandwich board sign that said "I abused & sold drugs," while standing in front of Cedar Bluff Middle School.
"I would like to say that I'm not out here doing this to humiliate my son,' the dad said. "I'm doing this because I love him. We do have an extreme drug problem in America, and maybe it's time for extreme measures that parents need to take to monitor this problem that we have."
The man says he recently learned after reading the boy's MySpace page his son was involved with marijuana and OxyContin. That's when he decided to take immediate action.
"Basically he said, 'Well, I did do the crime and I'm willing to serve the punishment for it,' and he's taking it all in stride," the boy's father said.
The school's principal soon came out and asked the father to call it off, which he did.
By that time the boy said he had already learned his lesson. "This is embarrassing. I ain't going to be doing it again."
And the boy added, "Drugs are for losers. That's all I can say."
Those were the words his dad hoped to hear.
Now how long before the ACLU jumps in to urge the boy to sue his father for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress? 3…. 2…. 1…


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Rockstar Games have felt kind enough and remembered that a PC version of Grand Theft Auto V does exist and have just provided us with a batch of new screenshots from the game, naturally these screenshots are in 4k Resolution on the News Wire because we all know how PC gamers love to brag about resolution! Now the modern day PC gamer has screenshots to take to forums and shout about how shitty consoles are whilst not playing the game, lucky you right guys? Here's some of the new screenshots below:
In what's becoming a running joke amongst the community, Grand Theft Auto V has been delayed yet again on PC, with a new release date now being April 14th (anyone want to take bets when the next delay comes?), as a weak apology to PC gamers Rockstar will be offering anyone who's pre-ordered the game an additional worthless $200,000 in Grand Theft Auto Online.
On the flip side, HEISTS finally have a release date, set as March 10th, hopefully they meet the target on this one as the long awaited other running joke might finally come to an end!
On the flip side, HEISTS finally have a release date, set as March 10th, hopefully they meet the target on this one as the long awaited other running joke might finally come to an end!
You can now pre-order the Digital Download version Grand Theft Auto V for the PC via various stores. Here is a brief round up of where you can get the game from and what benefits they include.
First up is the Rockstar Warehouse, getting the game directly from Rockstar themselves means you'll be supporting Rockstar fully and will only have to deal with one set of DRM (Rockstar's Social Club), plus if you pre-order by February 1st you will get $1,000,000 in-game ($500,000 for Grand Theft Auto V and $500,000 for Grand Theft Auto Online) and an additional $300,000 for Grand Theft Auto Online. To sweeten the deal even more you will also get a FREE Digital PC game of your choice from their store.
Second place you can find a pre-order would be Green Man Gaming, where if you pre-order by February 1st you will get $1,000,000 in-game ($500,000 for Grand Theft Auto V and $500,000 for Grand Theft Auto Online) and an additional $300,000 for Grand Theft Auto Online, and a bonus digital download of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on PC. This game will be delivered as a Rockstar Games Social Club redemption code. Customers will require a free Rockstar Games Social Club account to play. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas will be provided as a Steam key.
Third place you will be able to find the game digitally is the well known Amazon.com, which includes the same pre-order bonuses as Green Man Gaming. (Please check Amazon in your own region for more details.)
Grand Theft Auto V for PC will be available for pre-load prior to release.
(Most of you will probably just buy it on Steam anyway.)
The talented Ferino Design is back with another video, this time recorded from the PlayStation 4 version of the game during the Festive Surprise season. This cold yet calming video shows off how amazing a winter wonderland-esque Grand Theft Auto could be, with enough atmosphere to really make it feel like you can breath in that cold air:
Finally! You can stop asking us about the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V now! Today Rockstar have revealed details about the PC version of the game, sadly, first off the release date has been pushed back to March 24, 2015, however the PC version will include the GTAOnline Heists update at launch. Below are the system specs for the game:
Please check the original article on Rockstar's News Wire for more screenshots.
Minimum specifications:
OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 64 Bit Service Pack 2* (*NVIDIA video card recommended if running Vista OS)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz
Memory: 4GB
Video Card: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
HDD Space: 65GB
DVD Drive
Recommended specifications:
OS: Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHZ (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHZ (8 CPUs)
Memory: 8GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD7870 2GB
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible
HDD Space: 65GB
DVD Drive
Please check the original article on Rockstar's News Wire for more screenshots.
In what seems to be a rush up to the Christmas break Rockstar Games isn't holding back, this is going to be quite the post, so first up is the latest patch for Grand Theft Auto V, which is now version 1.19 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 users and version 1.05 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users, this is the "Festive Surprise" bundle, which adds a couple of vehicles, weapons (including a Homing Rocket Launcher), clothing items and masks and of course brings back ever increasing snowy weather to Los Santos, building up gradually over the next few days. Below you can read the full patch notes for this update:
New Features / Updates
- Players are now able to own a third property, allowing potential ownership of up to 30 cars and 9 bicycles.
- Deadzone and Acceleration sliders have been added to control Settings.
- First Person Mode Auto Level Camera on/off setting has been added to Settings.
New Content
- Four new vehicles have been added to Southern San Andreas Super Autos:
Bravado Rat-Truck, Vapid Slamvan, Dinka Jester (Racecar Livery), Dewbauchee Massacro (Racecar Livery)
To obtain these vehicles in Story Mode:
PS3 / Xbox 360: These vehicles can be obtained from the Special Vehicle List when in a player-owned garage.
PS4 / Xbox One: These vehicles can be purchased online from San Andreas Super Autos.
- Two new weapons have been added to Ammu-Nation in GTA Online (Not supported in the Shooting Range):
Homing Launcher ('Fire and Forget'), Proximity Mine
To obtain these weapons in Story Mode:
PS3 / Xbox 360: Weapons are deposited direct to the character's weapon wheel with a full clip of ammo.
PS4 / Xbox One: Weapons will unlock and be available for purchase from Ammu-Nation after passing certain missions in Story Mode.
- 30 new tattoos have been added to all Tattoo Parlours in GTA Online.
- Five new Kit items have been added in GTA Online:
Black Combat Chute Bag, Charcoal Combat Chute Bag, Forest Combat Chute Bag, Gray Combat Chute Bag, Tan Combat Chute Bag
Players who log in on either the 24th December, 31st December, or the 1st January will be gifted a Firework Launcher with five rounds. The launcher will be permanently added to the player's inventory. Players who already own the launcher will receive 5 rounds when logging in on each of the above days.
The Christmas Day Gift will be available only to players who log in to play GTA Online on 25th Please note that this is only available from the Christmas Day Gift and cannot be purchased.
Second Chance Event Items
Players who missed out on getting T-Shirts and Beer Hats in Events this year will be given a second chance to try and get them, as well as a few new items with a new special crate dropping each day over the holiday period.
Festive Period (Time-limited content)
- Christmas Tree added to Legion Square.
- Christmas Trees added to all Apartments.
- Please note that the weather option will be removed from Job lobbies during Snowy Weather.
- Snowballs added whilst Snowy weather is active. These can be gathered and stored by pressing D-pad Left when a player is unarmed. Nine Snowballs can be stored at a time and will melt and disappear when swapping sessions or starting Jobs.
- The Firework Launcher has been added back to Ammu-Nation for the festive season. This item will be available to purchase from the 24th December until the 5th Fireworks will now be more festive than previous fireworks.
- 90+ new Festive Surprise themed items of clothing have been added for male and female characters to all clothes stores. All of last year's Holiday Gifts clothing will also be available during the Festive Surprise. All time-limited clothing added for the Festive Surprise period is free to purchase.
- Five new Festive Surprise themed masks have been added to Vespucci Movie Masks for male and female characters:
Elf (3 variants), Gingerbread Man, Penguin
Generic / Miscellaneous fixes – Story Mode – PS4 / Xbox One
- Fixed an issue where one of the Peyote plants is resetting after being picked up.
- Fixed an issue where Lester's first assassination mission does not affect the Stock Market correctly.
- Fixed an issue where Michael's drinking animation could be seen occurring incorrectly if he answered his phone mid-drink.
Generic / Miscellaneous fixes – GTA Online – PS4 / Xbox One
- Fixed multiple issues to allow improved matchmaking and connectivity speeds.
- Fixed an issue where players who left their character wearing masks when migrating were unable to remove them when attempting to update their character's features.
- Fixed an issue where players were able to make their vehicle appear to hover after exiting a Mod Shop.
- Fixed an issue where character faces would flicker on the D-pad down player list.
- Fixed a number of map holes / escapes.
- Fixed an issue where players were seeing large amounts of 'Timed Out' errors after migrating their accounts.
- Fixed an issue where some Collector's Edition items were not transferring properly / available for free after migration.
- Fixed an issue where BMX physics had changed, creating issues with Races and stunting.
- Fixed an issue where it was possible to lose player control for a period of time when selecting to host a Race from the pause menu while On Call.
- Fixed an issue where player character faces could age rapidly after several hours of playing.
- Fixed an issue where it was possible to become stuck on 'Launching Session' when starting a LTS match.
- Fixed an issue where players could hang when transitioning to a game corona.
- Fixed an issue where the Flight Suit mask could obscure the player character's face in the Character Creator after transferring to PS4 / Xbox One from PS3 / Xbox 360.
- Fixed an issue where Leaderboards could flicker when being viewed.
- Fixed issue where players could hang when a lobby Host attempted to launch 'Meth'd Up'.
- Fixed an issue where adding Turbo upgrades to a vehicle could make it slower.
- Fixed an issue where player characters could be seen putting on Top Hats instead of a Helmet when on a Motorbike.
- Fixed an issue where some hairstyles could become unavailable after transferring a character.
- Fixed an issue where players were unable to use the 'Online Event' button during the initial boot screen.
- Fixed a small issue where a player's character could pop slightly after completing a Parachuting Race.
This update is already available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users, with the PlayStation 3 patch rolling out across regions and the Xbox 360 version heading out soon.
Second, PC users will be happy to know that Grand Theft Auto V on PC will support Steam Achievements, as well as a few other Steam specific perks, pre-orders will be going up soon.
Thirdly, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is now available on Android devices! The iOS version of the game has also been updated, the patch notes can be read below:
- Universal App! Play on all your supported iOS devices*
- Full Retina Display resolution support
- Support for MFi controllers
- Updated, highly customizable touchscreen controls
And the reference for the title of this post can be found here.
HEISTS! Over on IGN they have an exclusive reveal for Grand Theft Auto: Online's much anticipated update, along with an interview with Imran Sarwar, the lead designer for missions on GTAO. IGN have also put up a trailer showing the new cutscenes, scenarios and even a glimpse at some new weapons we'll be using in the new update. You can watch this trailer below:
The article also contains a batch of new screenshots, we've put a small sample below but be sure to check IGN for the full details. Sadly however, there's still no set date for the content, but we're promised that Heists will be released "Early 2015".
The article also contains a batch of new screenshots, we've put a small sample below but be sure to check IGN for the full details. Sadly however, there's still no set date for the content, but we're promised that Heists will be released "Early 2015".
More good news for Rockstar Games this week as Grand Theft Auto V has now gone on to become the UK's Best Selling Game of All Time! The previous record holder was 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops, but thanks to the recent re-release of Grand Theft Auto V on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (and soon, PC via Steam) the game has now surpassed those numbers sold by Call of Duty, the game has also shot straight to the top of the UK charts becoming the Number #1 selling game once again. In response to that, PlayStation have recently uploaded a new TV Spot trailer for the game on their YouTube channel, which you can watch below:
We're going to be hosting a GTA V PS4 Live Stream! Come join, or just chat GTA!
We gave you a small sample the other day but with the game already arriving for some people and Digital Copies starting to go active across the world, here is the FULL Radio playlist added to Grand Theft Auto V, which features many cut songs we pointed out last year along with a whole host of new tracks:
So there you have it, all 162 songs added to the game! What do you guys think? Has it changed your opinion of the overall quality of the soundtrack?
The Blue Ark
"Addi Truth" by Vybz Kartel
"Kingston Town (Remix)" by Busy Signal feat. Damian Jr. Gong Marley
"Loyals (Royals Remix)" by Demarco
"Money Come And Money Go" by Lee "Scratch" Perry
"Mr. Moneyman" by Danny Hensworth
"Roast Fish & Cornbread" by Lee "Scratch" Perry
"Topic Of The Day" by I-Octane
Channel X!
"Don't Push Me Around" by The Zeros
"I Don't Need Society" by D.R.I.
"John Wayne was a Nazi" by MDC
"Linda Blair" by Redd Kross
"Los Angeles" by X
"The Enemy" by D.O.A.
FlyLo FM
"Eddie You Should Know Better" by Curtis Mayfield
"You Never Come Closer" by Doris
"Medication Medication" by Flying Lotus feat. Krayzie Bone
"Work Title: What We Want" by XXYYXX
"Make Money" by Lapalux
"B Adams" by Mono/Poly and Thundercat
"Osaka Trade" by Flying lotus
"Masquatch" by DOOM
"Early Mountain" by Flying Lotus
"Into Vogon Skulls" by Dimlite
"Fuck The Makeup, Skip The Shower" by Knower
"4AM (Araabumzik Remix)" by Kaskade
Los Santos Rock Radio
"30 Days in the Hole" by Humble Pie
"Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles
"Burning Heart" by Survivor
"Carry On, Wayward Son" by Kansas
"Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin
"Circle in the Sand" by Belinda Carlisle
"Coming On Strong" by Broken English
"Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
"Fortunate Son" by Credence Clearwater Revival
"Gimme All Your Lovin'" by ZZ Top
"Mississippi Queen" by Mountain
"Peace of Mind" by Boston
"Roundabout" by YES
"Shadow of the Night" by Pat Benatar
"We Built This City" by Starship
The Low Down 91.1FM
"Bounce Lady" by Pleasure
"Climax" by Ohio Players
"Changin'" by Brass Construction
"Funny Feeling" by The Delfonics
"I Believe in Miracles" by The Jackson Sisters
"Magic Mountain" by War feat. Eric Burdon
"Stories" by The Chakachas
"Superman Lover" by Johnny Guitar Watson
100.7FM Non Stop Pop
"6 Underground" by Sneaker Pimps
"Alright" by Jamiroquai
"Applause" by Lady Gaga
"Bad Girls" by M.I.A.
"Cooler Than Me" by Mike Posner
"Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas
"Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz
"I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys
"Kids" by Robbie Williams feat. Kylie Minogue
"Let's Go All The Way" by Sly Fox
"Living In A Box" by Living In A Box
"Me & U" by Cassie
"Meet Me Halfway" by The Black Eyed Peas
"Midnight City" by M83
"Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
"New Sensation" by INXS
"On Our Own" by Bobby Brown
"Promises,Promises" by Naked Eyes
"Send Me An Angel" by Real Life
"Small Town Boy" by Bronski Beat
"Something Got Me Started (Hurley's House Mix)" by Simply Red
"Tape Loop" by Morcheeba
"Tell it to My Heart" by Taylor Dayne
"Tennis Court" by Lorde
"The Time is Now" by Moloko
"Wait" by Blow Monkeys feat. Kym Mazelle
106.1 Radio Los Santos
"Bad News" by Danny Brown & Action Bronson
"Bugati" by Ace Hood feat. Future & Rick Ross
"Came Thru/Easily" by Chuck Inglish feat. Ab-Soul & Mac Miller
"Collared Greens" by Schoolboy Q feat. Kendrick Lamar
"Do It Big" by Problem & Iamsu feat. Bad Lucc & Sage The Gemini
"Everyday" by Trouble feat. Gucci Mane
"Hunnid Stax" by Ab-Soul feat. Schoolboy Q
"I Can't Wait" by Young Scooter feat. Trinadad James
"Kush Coma" by Danny Brown feat. A$AP Rocky & Zelooperz
"Millions" by Skeme
"Relaxin'" by G-Side feat. G-Mane
"Sellin' Dope" by Freddie Gibbs & Mike Dean
"Swimming Pools (Dank)" by Kendrick Lamar
"Upper Echelon" by Travi$ Scott feat. T.I. & 2 Chainz
"Work" by A$AP Ferg
"Work" by Young Scooter feat. Gucci Mane
Radio Mirror Park
"Always" by Panama
"Crystalfilm" by Little Dragon
"Flutes" by Hot Chip
"Forget" by Twin Shadow
"Heartbreak" by Age of Consent
"Hold On" by HOLY GHOST!
"In Real Life" by The Ruby Suns
"Living In America" by DOM
"Mesmerised" by Scenic
"New Beat" by Toro Y Moi
"O.N.E." by Yeasayer
"One Girl/One Boy" by !!!
"Polish Girl" by Neon Indian
"Pharaohs" by SRTRKT feat. Roses Gabor
"Strangers in the Wind" by Cut Copy
"The Drummer" by Niki & The Dove
"Truly Alive" by Mitzi
"When You're Out" by KAUF
Rebel Radio
"Crazy Arms" by Ray Price
"Dippin Snuff" by Marvin Jackson
"D-I-V-O-R-C-E" by Tammy Wynette
"Get With It" by Charlie Feathers
"Highwayman" by The Highwaymen
"She Made Toothpicks of the Timber of my Heart" by Home & Jethro
"Back And Forth" by Cameo
"Do It Roger" by Roger
"Flashback" by Imagination
"Flashlight" by Parliament
"Gotta Get My hands (On Some Money)" by The Fatback Band
"Joystick" by Dazz Band
"Mothership Connection" by Parliament
"Nights (Feel Like Gettin Down)" by Billy Ocean
"Walking Into Sunshine" by Central Line
Vinewood BLVD Radio
"Answer To Yourself" by The Soft Pack
"Fall In Line" by Mind Spiders
"Gone for Good" by Nobunny
"Next Stop" by Bleached
"Sixpack" by Jeff The Brotherhood
"Turn It Around" by The Men
"Used Blood" by Coliseum
"Who Needs You" by The Orwells
WCC-FM: West Coast Classics
"1st of Tha Month" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
"Afro Puffs" by The Lady of Rage
"Ballad of a Menace" by CPO
"Bow Down" by Westside Connection
"Captain Save a Hoe" by E-40
"I Got 5 On It" by The Luniz
"No More ?'s" by Eazy-E
"Servin' Em Heat" by South Central Cartel
"Sherm Stick" by Jayo Felony
"The Murda Show" by Spice 1 feat. MC Eiht
"This D.J." by Warren G
"We Roll Deep" by The Conscious Sisters
Worldwide FM
"Shark Week" by Sinkane feat. Salvatore Principato
"Body & Soul" by William Onyeabor
"Kool FM" by Four Tet
"Made to Stray" by Mount Kimbie
"World in a Room" by Anushka
"Why You Wanna See My Bad Side?" by Smokey Robinson
"Street Life" by Randy Crawford
"What You Need" by FLUME
"Hive" by Earl Sweatshirt feat. Vince Staples & Casey Veggies
"Numb" by Portishead
"Black Magic" by Jon Wayne
"1-69" by Roman Gianarthur
"Treat Me Like Fire" by Lion Babe
"KILLDAT" by Dam-Funk
"Run Away" by Jamie Lidell
"Recover (CID RIM Remix)" by Chvrches
"Let Yrself Be" by Jimmy Edgar
"Viajero" by Clap! Clap!
"No Balanço De Conoa" by Maga Bo feat. Rosangela Macedo & Marcelo Yuka
So there you have it, all 162 songs added to the game! What do you guys think? Has it changed your opinion of the overall quality of the soundtrack?


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Astros Reunion With Jed Lowrie Totally Makes Sense
Reuniting with Jed Lowrie makes a ton of sense for the Houston Astros. Read More
Fowler Trade Would Be Home Run For Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have entered trade talks to acquire Dexter Fowler from the Houston Astros. Should they pull off the deal, this offseason will have gone from good to great for Toronto. Read More
Astros Shouldn't Take Upton to Get Gattis
The Houston Astros are in a rebuild and can't afford to trade for Evan Gattis if it also means taking on B.J. Upton's inflated contract. See why here. Read More


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Roy Nelson UFC 137 Pre-Fight Interview - 5thRound watch video >>
Roy Nelson interview post-UFC 137 watch video >>
BJ Penn UFC 137 Pre-Fight Interview - 5thRound watch video >>
Brendan Schaub and Kenny Florian answer fans questions from Twitter in this final segment of UFC Now, episode 137. Watch full episode of UFC Now on UFC FIGHT PASS: http://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-now watch video >>
This week on UFC NOW we will discuss studying fight tape in MMA. We'll see how fighters strategize a plan and select their training partners. Also, we'll look back at one of the greatest kickboxing displays ever in the octagon. Watch the full episode Saturday here: http://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-now watch video >>
Sept 20 2013 Prize Fighting Championships 3 Rebels www.mmapfc.com SILLER BY TAP OUT 1:37 OF 2ND RD ARM BAR watch video >>
Episode 133 - MMA News Flurry Episode 134 - Last story in News Flurry about Soa Episode 135 - News Flurry Episode 137 - Feature Fighter Episode 138 - Third Round WMMA Report #3 watch video >>
Check out this week's sickest knockouts and submissions, then head over to MMAInsidethecageTV.com to vote on you favorite. Remember that the winner take home that killer prize pack from Elevation Trainin Mask!! watch video >>
Check out our preview of Cage Warriors 54, which goes down May 4th ad features UFC vet Jesse Taylor taking on John Phillips.. watch video >>
Check out our rundown of both the Alaska Fighting Championship and Australian Fighting Championship.. LITERALLY polar opposites that are gearing up for big events!! watch video >>
With a recent departure of Georges St-Pierre from 137, UFC heads full steam into the weekend as it prepares for an amazing matchup between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz. This fight carries all the signs of an epic matchup placing the older, experienced Penn against the younger, scrappier Diaz.Hear from BJ himself on his training for the fight and how his mindset for upcoming fights has changed over the years.We get the insight from Mayhem Miller on where he wants to fight next and his opinion on UFC fans.Bleacher Report meets up with Team Alliance and breaks down judging in MMA. Hear what the fighters really think about scoring and the possibility of fighting in New York. Plus hear from our MMA correspondent Brian Oswald as he breaks down the best remaining fights for this year. watch video >>
The biggest news regarding UFC 137 was Georges St-Pierre being forced out of his UFC fight against Condit after injuring his knee in training. Condit will also be pulled from the fight and will wait for the return of GSP. We get an up close interview with UFC legend Tito Ortiz after a grueling two-hour signing session as he talks about his legacy and the progression of the UFC.Bleacher Report met up with the team from Alliance MMA gym to talk about its beginnings, seven World MMA nominations and how Alliance gym has affected their careers. watch video >>
http://www.gspofficial.com/ watch video >>
Dana White UFC on FOX Vlog day 1 is a Behind the scenes look into the last two UFC events. UFC 137 and UFC 138. Plus a few great clips from the UFC on FOX Press conference. watch video >>


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Regaleali, a white wine, of quality and with character. The first wine produced by the Counts of Tasca d'Almerita on the Regaleali Estate. The best known and most widely distributed. A blend of the Sicilian grapes Inzolia, Cataratto and Grecanico, of rare balance and versatility. Today with an even more essential and refined label. Regaleali has been fashion nowfor more than forty years, and is the fruit of on-going research and investment. A classic with an attentive eye towards the future.
One of the best-known white varieties, this grape of French origin has a long history in northern Italy, but until recently was not much planted in the south. Clusters are fairly small, cylindrical and winged. The round, smallish berries are thick-skinned and golden yellow in colour. It's a tremendously aristocratic grape, unanimously considered among the most refined of the white varieties. Unlike most other 'noble' grapes, it combines its notable sensory qualities with robust health and relative ease of cultivation: it's resistant to cold, but makes itself at home in hot climates too. It flowers and matures early, thus avoiding the threat of diseases linked to cold and autumn humidity.
A white variety widespread in Sicily, where it's also known as Bianco Alcamo. There are two main clones: common white or Latin Catarratto ('bianco comune'), and shiny white Catarratto ('bianco lustro'). The bunches are pyramidical in shape, conic-cylindric, varying in density from loose-packed to compact. The grey-yellow berry is medium-sized, its skin almost without bloom. It's considered a high-yield variety, capabale of producing 12 kilos or more of grapes per vine. It's resistant to Peronospora, but susceptible to viral diseases. Catarratto is one of the main ingredients of Marsala, hence its diffusion especially in the west of Sicily between the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century.
One of the most successful rediscoveries among native Sicilian grape varieties, this white grape belongs to the Greco family. The medium-sized, five-lobed leaves present irregular serrations. Clusters are long, medium-winged and with average-sized berries; they have thick, bloom-covered skins that turn a lovely golden colour when fully ripe.
One of Sicily's most important indigenous white varieties, second only to the Catarratto clones in terms of acres planted. Typically bunches will be loose-packed, winged and pyramidical. The oval-shaped berries vary in size from medium to small; the yellow-grey skin carries a bloom. When mature, the fruit generally has a high sugar content (19-27%), and low acidity (3.2 to 5.8 per thousand). It's also known as Ansonica.


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Marenica in funding deal with China's Hanlong
PUBLISHED: 01 Nov 2010 14:38:42 | UPDATED: 02 Nov 2010 05:06:21PRINT EDITION: 01 Nov 2010
Marenica Energy says it has signed a debt and equity funding deal with China's Sichuan Hanlong Group to advance its namesake uranium project in Namibia.
Shares in the junior explorer fell on the news, down 2¢, or 16.67 per cent, at 10¢ at 2.15pm AEDT.
Marenica said it had signed a deed with Hanlong for immediate funding of $3 million through a $2 million convertible note and a $1 million share placement at 7¢ per share.
Hanlong will also underwrite a $2 million rights issue at 7¢ per share to existing shareholders, increasing total funds raised to $5 million.
Marenica said the companies had also executed a memorandum of understanding encompassing further funding support, development financing, uranium offtake and support for strategic acquisitions up to December next year.
"Hanlong is committed to supporting Marenica to become a successful uranium mining company," Marenica said in a statement on Monday.
It said the funds were sufficient for the next phase of pre-feasibility work at the Namibian project, which it expects will be a 13-year operation producing about 3.5 million pounds of uranium oxide per year.
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Companies | Marenica Energy Ltd |
Topics | Metals & Mining /Uranium , Financial Markets |


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The employee was dismissed for refusal to belong to the A.U.E.W. The N.I.R.C. upheld a tribunal's refusal to make a recommendation for re-engagement under the I.R.A. because of the likelihood of industrial strife in the event that the employee were re-engaged. The tribunal was correct to "consider the industrial realities of the situation". (There was also a compensation point which is of no relevance under the present law.)
Coleman v. Magnet Joinery Ltd. [1975] I.C.R. 46 is Court of Appeal authority for the same proposition, where it was also emphasised that practicable does not mean possible.
These cases appear to be still good law, although the law on the closed shop has been altered in a number of other respects.
Legal page, home page, list of cases, top of case , labour law page
These notes were last updated on 26 Jan 98.


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Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass where they wait to attach to a passing host, whether it be an animal or a human. A tick will attach itself to its host by inserting its cutting mandibles and feeding tube into the skin. The feeding tube is covered with recurved teeth and acts as an anchor.
You may contract Lyme disease from the bite of an effected tick. In fact, ticks are vectors of a number of diseases, including but not limited to Lyme disease, Colorado tick fever, tularemia, tick-borne relapsing fever and tick-borne meningoencephalitis.
Ticks can be found year-round and can even be brought into the home on an infested rodent. They feed on blood, so they are continually looking for a host to latch onto for a meal. When hosts cannot be found, a tick can go for months, sometimes more than a year, without feeding.
Animals that live in your home, like dogs and cats, can easily bring ticks into your house. After feeding for a couple of days, the ticks will drop off of the host and lay eggs. They look for tiny crevices to store their eggs, which means that you could soon have a large infestation of ticks in your home. Getting rid of a tick infestation takes time because eggs can hatch months later, long after you think you have the situation under control.


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- 421Promote
Tote Bag
Our quality crafted Tote Bags are hand sewn in America using durable, yet lightweight, poly poplin fabric. All seams and stress points are double stitched for durability. Available in 13" x 13", 16" x 16" and 18" x 18" variations, the tote bags are washable, feature original artwork on both sides and a sturdy 1" wide cotton webbing strap for comfortably carrying over your shoulder.
Thanks everybody! I made this print already, but deleted it right away because of the spelling issue with 'wherever,' but the urging of many friends told me to repost it.... and to make it purple instead of the original aqua :)
Thanks Mitch! I love love love love this song too! I am singing it in my head right now because of your comment :)
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Dictionary » L » Loss of consciousness Loss of consciousnessLoss of consciousness total unresponsiveness. An important neurologic sign. Please contribute to this project, if you have more information about this term feel free to edit this page Results from our forumRe: Re:... high fever and pains, petechiae, feeling unwell in general, shock, loss of consciousness and so forth. I read that some cases can be asymptomatic, but perhaps something ...
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Re:... high fever and pains, petechiae, feeling unwell in general, shock, loss of consciousness and so forth. One other possibility occured to me, though: how was the blood ...
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Method preventing illnesses in the progeny... mankind, the animal industries and public health services undergo huge losses, and therefore unable to restore the lost viability of historically: ... question in philosophy "about the superiority: the being - above a consciousness and, on the contrary". Incorrectly formulated question ...
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Re: weight loss after death... mass. To have mass it has to be composed of atoms or some sub atomic particles. Many Christians don't believe the soul is physical, but more of a consciousness or energy. Which would have no weight. CJL
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Re: Dog Trainer comes up with Anti-evolution idiocy... the latter with "In my model, emotion is the operating system of consciousness and it precedes biological forms." These 'mutations' suggest ... degrades the ordered state of systems, what's known as entropy or 'heat loss,' and then is able to turn this change into information so that ...
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Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News
Fox Chicago – Fox 32 News obtained dramatic, exclusive iPhone video of the beating of a female student that took place in the hallway of Maine South High School. Park Ridge police have made an arrest. Since she is a minor, the 15-year-old suspect was arrested Thursday at the Park Ridge police department. She came with her parents to surrender herself to police. FOX 32 spoke with the alleged victim Emily Black, 14, and her father outside Maine South prior to the arrest. "I was terrified. I didn't know what was going to happen. She was waiting at my locker for me," Black said. She was knocked to the ground during the attack, and said she blacked out.
Police determined the 15-year-old was the aggressor in the attack, primarily based on the video of the beating and witness statements. "Typically in these types of events there can be mutual combatants," Jogmen said. "That makes it a little easier for us to determine how to handle it. In this case she was clearly the aggressor so charges were appropriate."
First off love Fox Chicago finger blasting themselves over "obtaining dramatic, exclusive iPhone video of the beating". Yeah you mean the one that's all over the Internet and every other news website in Chicago? That video? Okay cool, nice work guys. Way to get the scoop Woodward and Bernstein.
Second, how is this battery? That fight SUCKED. Just straight up girl slaps back and forth with a little concussion mixed in. So your brain turned into a bowl of Chunky soup, big whoop. Life's tough, wear a helmet. And more importantly what started this thing? Obviously girls are heartless creatures but there's no way this was just unprovoked rage. That's impossible. That girl who got her head turned to mush clearly had this coming one way or another. Blew the other chicks boyfriend or spread rumors that she had anal fissures on her balloon knot or something. Nobody sits around minding their own business and then gets the business end of a rodeo beatdown for no reason.
PS – And what the fuck is the deal with blurring out their faces? Uh you legit interviewed the one girl up close like 2 seconds after censoring his grill. Kinda ruined your own suspense there guys.


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If I buy Live, will I get both the Windows and Mac versions?
Yes, both Windows and Mac versions are included in the download installer and, with boxed versions, they are also included on the installer DVD(s).
Yes, both Windows and Mac versions are included in the download installer and, with boxed versions, they are also included on the installer DVD(s).
There is no single-license educational discount on Max for Live.
If you don't have a credit card, you can pay with either PayPal or wire transfer.
Students are eligible for educational pricing for one month after graduation.
Yes, an upgrade to the full version of Live is available.
If you purchased software products through our web shop using a credit card, you will receive your serial number by e-mail within seconds after the transaction is complete.
If you already own Max 5, Max for Live is available for a discounted price.
To upgrade to the latest version of Live, simply contact our Support Team.
You can upgrade educational versions of Live (and extend it with add-on products) at standard pricing. As of Live 8 we no longer offer educational discounts on upgrades or add-on products.
Educational licenses can only be resold to students or teachers who qualify for educational pricing.
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