text:
Pop Quiz
With Al Franken's victory finally official, the Democrats will soon have a filibuster proof majority of 60 in the Senate, assuming Sens. Kennedy and Byrd are able to return to the floor or are replaced with Democrats. As a result, the Democrats have more legislative dominance than they (or for that matter, the Republicans) have had since the 1970s. Obviously this will permit the Dems to push through a wide swath of their legislative agenda, regardless of whether that agenda is good public policy.
Americans should be terrified of this possibility, because the last time the Democrats had this much legislative power, they came within a hair's breadth of successfully implementing the transparently destructive and frightening system of:
A. Communism
B. Sharia Law
C. Socialism
D. Metric Measurement
Look, I find the notion of either political party having a filibuster-proof Senate majority to go with a significant House majority mildly frightening. But for some reason, I feel a little less frightened when the bugaboo for why this is a bad thing is that we might stop using a system of measurement that is a relic of our days as an English colony and which imposes a burden on our ability to do business with the rest of the world.


text:
At Merritt Hawkins, we know what it takes to recruit and place top physician and advanced practitioner talent. Our well-respected senior leadership team brings deep knowledge of health care industry trends and a proven methodology that results in successful placement of the highest quality clinicians.
Tom Florence serves as Executive Vice President of Recruiting for Merritt, Hawkins, the leading physician search and consulting firm in the United States and a company of AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AMN), the nation's largest health care staffing organization. Mr. Florence is a seasoned physician staffing executive with over 15 years of experience in the field. Mr. Florence has personally conducted or supervised hundreds of physician and advanced allied health professional search assignments nationwide.
Mr. Florence's areas of expertise include all strategic and operational issues pertaining to the recruitment of both physicians and allied health care professionals, including search strategies, physician and allied needs assessment, incentives, contracts, candidate sourcing, interviewing and retention. In addition, Mr. Florence is responsible for the management of the nation's largest resource of physician recruiting consultants. Mr. Florence attended Indiana University and resides in Dallas, Texas.
James Merritt is a co-founder of Merritt Hawkins (
www.merritthawkins.com), the largest physician search and consulting firm in the United States.
Mr. Merritt has over 30 years of health care staffing and consulting experience and is a nationally acknowledged health care staffing leader. In 1987, he co-founded Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, which expanded into The MHA Group, a healthcare staffing organization comprised of Merritt Hawkins, Staff Care (locum tenens staffing) and Med Travelers (allied healthcare professional staffing). In 2005, The MHA Group merged with AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AMN) the largest healthcare staffing company in the nation and the innovator of healthcare workforce solutions.
Mr. Merritt continues to be actively involved in the daily management of Merritt Hawkins focusing on strategic marketing operations. Mr. Merritt is widely recognized for his expertise in a broad range of staffing issues, from physician compensation to medical staff planning. Mr. Merritt has consulted with hundreds of hospitals and medical groups regarding physician needs assessment, physician search strategies, compensation, contracts, retention and numerous other related issues. Firms founded or managed by Mr. Merritt have conducted over 30,000 physician search assignments nationwide.
Mr. Merritt has been repeatedly noted for his expertise. His comments have appeared in numerous respected publications, including The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, Modern Healthcare, Hospitals & Health Networks, American Medical News, and many others. Mr. Merritt has written dozens of articles on health care staffing issues that have appeared in publications ranging from Modern Healthcare to The Dallas Morning News.Mr. Merritt is co-author of the book, Will the Last Physician In America Please Turn Off the Lights? A Look at America's Looming Doctor Shortage. This influential book has been called "a must read" by Charles Lauer, former publisher of Modern Healthcare, and "required reading," by the late Richard Cooper, MD, a leading authority on physician supply and demand trends.
Mr. Merritt is a frequently requested speaker who has addressed a wide range of health care professional groups throughout the United States and Canada, including the National Managed Health Care Congress, the Medical Group Management Association, the Texas Hospital Association and many others.
Mr. Merritt is originally from Ontario and now resides in Dallas, Texas.
Mr. Singleton has over 15 years of health care consulting experience and is a nationally acknowledged health care staffing leader. Mr. Singleton serves as Executive Vice President for Merritt Hawkins, the nation's leading physician and advanced practitioner search and consulting firm. Merritt Hawkins is a division of AMN Healthcare (NYSE:AMN), the largest health care staffing organization in the United States. AMN Healthcare employs approximately 3,000 people in eighty international and regional offices.
Mr. Singleton continues to be actively involved in the daily management of Merritt Hawkins, overseeing strategic marketing operations and maintaining corporate level industry contacts.
Mr. Singleton is widely recognized for his expertise in a broad range of staffing issues, from physician and allied health compensation to medical staff planning. Mr. Singleton has consulted with hundreds of hospitals and medical groups regarding physician and allied health needs assessment, population health management, demographic and healthcare trends, compensation, contracts, retention, physician-hospital relations, compliance and numerous other related issues. Mr. Singleton has overseen thousands of permanent physician and allied health search assignments nationwide.
Mr. Singleton has been repeatedly noted for his expertise. His comments have appeared in numerous respected publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, HealthLeaders Magazine, USA Today, Modern Healthcare, Hospitals & Health Networks, Forbes, American Medical News, New England Journal of Medicine and many others.
Mr. Singleton serves on the board of The Health Industry Council of North Texas and is a professional development partner of the Texas Healthcare Trustees. He is the Co-Chair of the annual Interprofessional Practice Symposium held at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and sponsored by The Health Industry Council of North Texas, Texas Christian University Harris College of Nursing, Texas Women's University and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
In 2015, Mr. Singleton was invited to submit expert testimony to Subcommittees of the Congress of the United States regarding the ability of Department of Veterans Affairs facilities to recruit and retained qualified healthcare professionals. Also in 2015, Mr. Singleton was named to the Dallas Business Journal's Who's Who in Healthcare List.
A member of The Physicians Foundation Advisory Panel of healthcare experts and frequent expert panelist, Mr. Singleton is a frequently requested speaker who has addressed a wide range of health care professional groups throughout the United States, including various state hospital associations, the American Academy of Family Physicians and many others.
Mr. Singleton also serves on the board of Charlemagne University Limited, an international medical school to be located on the island of Saint Lucia, providing expertise and insight into the physician employment and recruiting market for prospective graduates.
Mr. Singleton is a proud member of the Greater Irving Chamber of Commerce.
Phillip Miller serves as Vice President of Communications for Merritt Hawkins and Staff Care, companies of AMN Healthcare, the largest healthcare staffing organization in the United States. Mr. Miller has over 30 years of experience in corporate communications and public relations, including over 29 years with Merritt Hawkins.
Mr. Miller is a highly regarded commentator on healthcare staffing trends and has authored or co-authored dozens of articles on health care staffing issues for numerous journals, including Health Affairs. He is the author or co-author of four books, including: Will the Last Physician in America Please Turn Off the Lights? A Look at America's Looming Doctor Shortage. Mr. Miller also is the author of Merritt Hawkins' Guide to Physician Recruiting and Have Stethoscope, Will Travel, Staff Care's Guide to Locum Tenen, the leading works on permanent physician recruiting and temporary physician staffing. Mr. Miller's most recent book, In Their Own Words: 12,000 Physicians Reveal Their Thoughts on Medical Practice in America, examines the morale crisis in the medical profession and is available through Amazon.com or all major book stores.
Mr. Miller is the lead author of a number of national surveys and white papers, including Health Reform and the Decline of Physician Private Practice, a major white paper completed by Merritt Hawkins on behalf of The Physicians Foundation, a non-profit, grant-making organization comprised of 20 state and regional medical societies. Mr. Miller is the lead analyst and author of A Survey of America's Physicians: Practice Patterns and Perspectives, of one of the largest physician surveys conducted in the United States which is commissioned biennially by The Physicians Foundation. Mr. Miller also is the lead analyst and author of survey reports completed by Merritt Hawkins on behalf of The Indian Health Service, Trinity University's Department of Healthcare Administration, the American Academy of Physician Assistants and other organizations.
With over 30 years of experience as a corporate spokesperson, Mr. Miller has been cited by The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, USA Today, People magazine, Hospitals & Health Networks, Modern Healthcare and many other general interest and health care media outlets and has addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Mr. Miller is the originator of the Country Doctor of the Year Award (
www.countrydoctoraward.com) and a key organizer of the University of Pennsylvania-based Council on Physician and Nurse Supply (
Kurt Mosley serves as Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Merritt Hawkins and Staff Care, companies of AMN Healthcare, the innovator in healthcare workforce solutions. With over 25 years of health care staffing experience, Mr. Mosley is one of the nation's leading authorities on medical staffing trends and has been cited for his expertise in numerous publications, including USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Modern Healthcare, Hospitals & Health Networks, HealthLeaders, Medical Economics and many others and has been heard on XM Radio's "Reach M.D." program. A regular columnist for the noted recruiting web site RecruitingTrends.com, Mr. Mosley served on The Council on Physician and Nurse Supply, a group of health care experts based at the University of Pennsylvania dedicated to finding solutions to the shortage of nurses and physicians. Mr. Mosley served as Contributing Editor to Merritt Hawkins' highly regarded book "Will the Last Physician in America Please Turn off the Lights," and was an expert adviser to the Health Care Advisory Board's white paper "Transforming Primary Care." In addition, Mr. Mosley has keynoted healthcare staffing roundtables for the U.S. Army and for the American Society of Healthcare Journalists. Mr. Mosley was selected as the keynote speaker for the 2012 annual meeting of State Hospital Executives Forum, an organization of all 50 state hospital association presidents as well as the president of the American Hospital Association. A nationally noted speaker, Mr. Mosley has addressed over 70 healthcare professional organizations over the last two years reaching over 5,000 industry leaders. A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Mr. Mosley spent several years in professional baseball and now resides in Dallas, Texas.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Jodie Foster ended her commencement address at Penn with the chorus of Eminem's "Lose Yourself." I wonder if she did it in that weird whisper that she uses now. Have you noticed she never talks anymore?
- Another company is suing Apple over music issues. Boy, are the Beatles influential or what?
- Bono is into something new: Editing papers for Africa. I guess his degree from the Columbia J School is finally paying off.
- You can thank Ron Wood for Voodoo Lounge.
- If you want an X-ray of Elvis' chest, go to New York's Planet Hollywood on June 17. And then go to hell because you are bad.
Home of the Advanced Genius Theory, a celebration of the least-celebrated work by the most-celebrated minds in pop culture.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Jodie Foster Loses Herself at Graduation, plus Creative Sues Apple, Bono Edits, Ron Wood Saves Rolling Stones, Elvis Chest X-Ray
Posted by Advanced Genius Theory at 9:08 AM
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
A 50 Km round trip to Lake Caldaro by bike… I made it
In Thailand throughout the year the weather is almost the same, but in Italy it is different. A year in Italy made me realize the value of the sun and summer. (And another year in Sweden made me realize more. Living with snow for 6 months was not fun at all. It was tooooo long.)
I arrived Italy in September. The weather was so perfect. After living there for a month or two, the days were getting shorter and the nights were getting colder. I started to miss my home country. I spent most of my time doing assignments in the room. Also, I was thinking about going home during summer.
But when summer arrived, I was so happy! I was reluctant to go home and finally I made trips to travel in Europe instead of going back to Bangkok.
The summer activity that I loved most was biking. The first bike trip was to Lake Caldaro. When my friend told me that the distance was 40 Km, I was not sure that I could make it. My female friends and I agreed that we would take the train back if we were too tired.
We rent the bikes in the city center of Bolzano. It was very cheap; just only 1 Euro for 6 hours. Some of us wanted mountain bikes, while others wanted housewife bikes. We sent one friend who we thought he was good at speaking Italian to speak with the officer. As a result, we all got housewife bikes.
I had never seen the photos of this lake before, so I did not set expectation. Just go there for fun with friends. The landscape along the way was very beautiful for me.
After two or three hours, we realized that it was not 40 Km round but 50 Km round! I was so tired, but I still kept riding. And finally I arrived. This photo was taken when I first saw the lake.
I would say it was worth riding. I know Italy is well known for its fashion and is one of the best places to see renaissance architecture, but I did not know much about the nature in Italy. This trip made me want to visit lakes and mountains in Italy more.
We enjoyed the lake, but not so long. We spent time at the lake only 1 hour because we needed to return the bikes! We were afraid that the bike rental center would close before we went back to the city. So, in total we spent time on our bikes more than at the lake.
After the trip, I felt so painful. Even if this lake is not my favorite lake, it is a good place to be there in summer(Lake Carezza is still my favorite lake ever).
Have you ever been to Lake Caldaro? Have you ever been to Bolzano? Do you like these places? Share your experience with me in the comment!


text:
Trust your intuition; allow it to clarify your vision. A necklace of apatite—stone of insight, clarity and confidence—holds an 18k sun pendant, symbol of vitality, leadership and life. A gleaming moon pendant signifies nourishment, protection and the goddess.
All orders are processed within 1~3 business days. Orders are processed Monday-Friday, excluding major holidays. Shipping time is applied after the order has been processed. All Next Day Air orders must be submitted be by 11 am EST to be dispatched same day.


text:
Stranger Things meets Avatar: The Last Airbender in this fast-paced, YA urban fantasy about a teen girl who discovers a power to save two worlds.
-Finalist in the International Book Awards and the New York Book Festival-
Faith McDaniels is smart, defiant, and a loner in a new high school, rebelling against a cruel world that took her mother too-soon. When Faith unexpectedly discovers the secret symbiotic world of Enlitra, it looks like the universe still has a surprise or two. But her newfound abilities to bend & shape energy (EN) gain the interest of an unnamed, energy-siphoning fiend, who wants to harvest Faith's power to destroy both Earth and Enlitra.
Faith rallies her old friends for help, but now she must decide how to keep them safe without plunging both worlds into destruction. Or becoming the dark entity herself.


text:
Homemade Turkey Burgers
Maureen LaMothe
☆☆☆☆☆ 0 votes0
·1 pound of turkey meat in a roll
·1 egg
·2 cups of bread crumbs
How to Make Homemade Turkey Burgers
- I find the turkey meat that I buy in the frozen meat section at the supermarket. So you can make this recipe for lunch or dinner or even for something to take with you.
First thaw the meat out and put it in a mixing bowl. Then add the egg, this is what help make the meat and other stuff stay together. Next add a least 2 cups of bread crumbs or what will meet your standards. You can also put in a dash of worcestershire sauce, any brand of this stuff will do.
- Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl using a big spoon (that's what I use) until all of the meat has soaked up the egg and bread crumbs and it looks like it's ready to make patties out of.
- Then take the meat and start to make patties out of it . I take a hand full of the meat and make it into a patty shape. When you are done making the meat into a patty shape you are then ready to place them into your fry pan. Before you place them into the pan preheat your pan until it's warm enough to melt 1 tablespoon of butter (any brand will do) you can either use butter or pam or anything that will help keep the burgers from getting stuck in the pan. After that part is done you are ready to place them into you pan, how many you can place in your pan is up to you. I can place 4 of them in mine. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). After you are done cooking the patties you can place them on a plate and serve them with whatever you want to! Also you can add lettuce or tomatoes and even any kind of cheese you might what to add to the burger and you can even put ketchup on them to add flavor. I serve mine with mashed potatoes! Enjoy!


text:
Lorraine A. (Mueller) SharplesJanuary 13, 1934 ~ September 5, 2017 (age 83)
Share using:
Webster - Lorraine A. (Mueller) Sharples age 83 died Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at Lanessa Extended Care. She was the wife of the late Paul Edward Morton who died in 1983 and late James Edward Sharples who died in 2004. She leaves five sons; Paul K. Morton of Manteca, CA, Steven E. Morton of Germany, Michael J. Morton of Manteka, CA, Robert W. Morton of Thompson, CT and William C. Morton of Dudley and one daughter, Lauri Clerico of Las Vegas, Nevada. She also leaves a brother, Lenny Mueller of Billerica, MA , two sisters; Loretta Laurin of FL and Laurie Fiste of Salem, MA, three step children; Carol Beauchesne, Diane Dixon and James Sharpels, eleven grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren. She had a son that predeceased her, Edward J. Morton.
She was born in Bangor, Maine daughter of the late Charles and Agnes (Keene) Mueller and lived in Oxford then in Quinebaug, CT and most recent Webster. She was a graduate of Medford High School class of 1952. She was a Teller and Customer Service for the Citizen National Bank in North Grosvenordale, CT retiring in 1999. She was a member of United Methodist Church in North Grosvenordale, CT. She was active volunteer at the Webster Senior Center and enjoyed cards, ran the pitch league and loved to bake. Private burial will be at the convenience of the family. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 1 PM in the TSKK Hall, Harris St., Webster, MA. Omit flowers and donations may be made in her memory to the Quinebaug Fire Dept. The Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, 48 School St., Webster, MA has been entrusted with her arrangements. A guest book is available at www.shaw-majercik.com where you may post a condolence or light a candle.


text:
Passwort vergessen?
Sie sind Abonnent, haben sich aber noch nie registriert
hier registrieren
Ohne Abonnement gratis registrieren
Gratis-Zugang erstellen
Benötigen Sie Hilfe bei der Registrierung
Conservative firebrand and anti-Communist warrior Dana Rohrabacher is lighting up a new political issue: marijuana. The former California congressman and Ronald Reagan speech writer is set to take center stage on Thursday at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich, Switzerland. His mission: To sell the message of legalized pot.
In 1968, Dana Rohrabacher — a tan, blonde, California surfer filled with political fire — joined the front lines of the Prague Spring to confront the heavily armed Communist regime. Exactly two decades later, he was once again facing down the Communist threat, this time armed himself, fighting side by side with Mujaheddin in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
Soon after the Berlin Wall came crashing down, the newly minted congressman found himself hosting three, young Russian politicians in his nation's capital. After a game of touch football, the rollicking crew headed to the Kelly's Irish Times, a popular watering hole near Capitol Hill, to continue their sweaty, beer soaked competition. Rohrabacher challenged the Ruskies to a little friendly arm wrestling. One of them, flanked by burly body guards, was the then-Deputy Mayor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Putin. Rohrabacher recalls that Putin won.
As a senior speech writer and special assistant to President Ronald Reagan for seven years, no one wrote more speeches for The Gipper than fellow Californian and Cold Warrior, Dana Rohrabacher.
Now, back in private life after 30 years on Capitol Hill, Rohrabacher has turned to his second passion: marijuana. Rohrabacher insists that his friend and political ally, the famously teetotaling President Donald J. Trump, "is the greatest hope for future cannabis reforms."
At the International Cannabis Business Conference in Switzerland the 71 year old pot activist intends to convince a world audience that pot legalization is the future.
Over the weekend, Die Weltwoche scored the first interview.
Dana, you were one of President Ronald Reagan's senior staffers and speech writers. Please tell us: How does a person who was winning for The Gipper become a pothead?
Well, years ago, in 1967, I spent some time in Vietnam. And in 1968, I spent some time in Prague. I was fighting Communism. I was part of a group recruiting and helping people resist Communists. Soviet troops ended up destroying the Prague Spring and reasserted their Marxist-Leninist authority. They did it by shooting people on the street, and I knew some of the people who were killed. In Vietnam, I was up in the central highlands with tribesman ("Montagnard") who worked with us against Communism. Quite frankly, I and the United States, abandoned them.
They went all in with America, and we left them at the mercy of people who were our enemy and wouldn't have been their enemy had we not gone in and recruited them to be against the Communists. The late 60s were a disillusioning time in my life. I ended up being a beach bum. I hitchhiked around the country. I went surfing in various beaches and camped out on a number of them. I was a vagabond.
You were a drifter.
And, as one would expect, I got into the consumption habits of my fellow vagabonds. However, that ended when I was 23 years old. I got a job as a writer for a news service, here in Los Angeles. I felt that cannabis was calming me down too much. And it was making it easy for me not to excel. Quite frankly, that does not get you far in your life, and I realized that. When I was 23, I stopped. I never started again until just recently.
Because you have some problems with your shoulders. What happened?
Perhaps people in Switzerland might not understand this, but I've been a very heavy surfer. That's my sport. I go out, and when the surf is rough it really screws your neck. Even worse, you're using all of the weight of your body and the surfboard directly on your shoulders. My shoulders were getting worse for the last ten years. I had surfed all of the cartilage away in my shoulders.
At this point, my shoulders are metal. And as far as my neck concerns, I was advised by some other cannabis activist friends to put some CBD (Cannabidiol) cream on my shoulder. They told me, "You're the guy who made it legal for us to do it. Why don't you do it? Why don't you try?" I put this cannabis cream on my neck, and it's very clear, now, that for two or three days the pain is gone. Then, I just put some more on, and there you go.
Now, you promote the free use of marijuana. Your mission reminds me of the famous 1976 Peter Tosh tune where he sings, "It's good for the flu, good for asthma, good for tuberculosis, even numara thrombosis. So, legalize it." Medical use: Is this why you're pushing for legalization of marijuana?
Oh, yes. I am absolutely a strong and very clear advocate of legalizing not only medical marijuana (which is what I mainly focused on), but I also believe in cannabis freedom for all adults. Whether you use it as medicine or for recreational use, it's your business, your body, and the government should butt out.
You're promoting a system where the federal government shall have little say and should leave all decisions to the states.
My approach to cannabis in the United States is to let the states decide what kind of restrictions or controls on cannabis will they put into place. If the federal government tries to enforce a cannabis law to protect an adult from himself or herself, that is ridiculous and totally contrary to the idea of liberty. The United States was founded on life, liberty, and guess what? The pursuit of happiness.
Those are the foundations of the American psyche and also of our commitment to each other as Americans. So, for us to try to punish an adult for consuming a weed is really stupid.
You're a friend of Donald Trump.
I'm a very strong supporter of our president, and I actually have talked to him about cannabis. It's very clear that our views are, in general, consistent with each other.
Does the president agree with you on marijuana legalization?
Yes. And, in fact, after we talked at several stops during his campaign (his first campaign), he reconfirmed that position. His position is medical marijuana should be legal. After that, cannabis for adult consumption should be left up to the states.
You even said, "Trump is the greatest hope for future cannabis reforms."
Absolutely right. A large segment of the Republican Party has opposed any legalization of cannabis laws. I've been at this for about 15 or 20 years, now. The roadblock has always been my fellow Republicans. They have been afraid to legalize cannabis, even for medical purposes. Basically, they are afraid their constituency would vote them out.
I know a lot of people who think that Big Pharma has been the evil source nixing cannabis liberalization. It wasn't Big Pharma that kept it illegal, it was Republican Congress members who were afraid that a majority of their voters would not approve this and they wouldn't be reelected.
What I did is I found the one way to reach those congressional Republicans so they could defend themselves against political attacks from within their own party. The winning approach was focused on states rights. After years of trying, I finally managed to get a vote on the House floor on restricting the federal government to supersede those laws in the states that legalize the use of medical marijuana. It's called the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment. [It passed by a 219–189 vote in May of 2014 and was signed into law by President Obama in December, that year.]
Trump is a pragmatic businessman. Does he see marijuana legalization as a part of respecting grown adults to make their own decisions and collecting the tax revenue?
Yes. I think that he is a practical person and that he's been a businessman all of this time. He has not been someone who is trying to impose his religious beliefs. I think Trump honestly believes that there's limited government. And he also, as a businessman, recognizes the incredible waste of the billions of dollars that are being spent in order to prevent adults from consuming a weed. What a waste of money when our resources are already limited.
More and more states in the US legalize the use of weed. Marijuana has become a booming business.
Oh, yes. What's happening is cannabis is becoming a real part of the economy in the United States and a real part of the medical community. And by the way, yes, it works. The absolute worst element of this whole discussion on cannabis is that cannabis can help many of those who are suffering, guys like myself. I'm 71 years old. I have an arthritis pain in my neck. There's no reason for older people to be left suffering in pain when they can put on a CBD cream, just like I have been doing.
The worst irony is that Big Pharma and American businesses interests have been pushing opiates knowing that these types of painkillers are brutally addictive. They have been fully aware that those using these drugs would become addicted. And, yet, they push these dangerous prescriptions anyway. The most fascinating part of this scenario (legalizing weed) is there is reason to believe that people can break away from using such opiates. In fact, cannabis is a gateway out of addiction.
Nowadays, weed is getting stronger. Some of it is hybridized and blows your mind. Critics say this can't possibly be healthy. Don't you see any downside to smoking marijuana?
There are lots of downsides to keeping marijuana illegal. There are lots of upsides to actually legalizing it. For example, right now, there are millions of people who actually use cannabis, and all of the profit that is being amassed as part of those transactions is going to gangsters, criminals, and drug cartels. And they're building up evil forces in the world. And you don't know what you're getting. You don't know how strong it is. You don't know who is supplying you. If cannabis becomes legal — essentially the medical marijuana — you'll have labels. You'll know who produced it. You'll know the exact strength. Furthermore, you will be dealing with honest people rather than a criminal gang.
Voters in Denver, Colorado decided, last week, to decriminalize psilocybin, known as "magic mushrooms," making it the first city in the US to do so. Medical researchers have found that the substance can be used to help treat anxiety and depression in cancer patients. Are we not getting on a slippery slope when we start to decriminalize more and more drugs, namely psychedelic drugs? Where is your red line in legalizing drugs?
Let's only deal with one drug at a time. But the consumption of any drug has to be put in perspective. In terms of a general policy of protecting people, we must recognize that there are other elements in our society that are very destructive. I am 71 years old. Some of my friends didn't live to be 50 or 65 before their hearts gave out because they were fat. They were consuming too much sugar, and they were eating things that were unhealthy. Furthermore, over the years, about 10% of my friends became alcoholics and destroyed themselves and destroyed their families.
What about heavy marijuana smokers?
I know some people from my early youth who continued smoking marijuana and ended up not performing as well as they could have. These people were capable of getting PhD's, and writing books, and making major contributions to society. I remember this one guy. He ended up running a little book store. It's nice to run a little book store. A lot of people can run a little book store who have no capabilities like this person had. But I think smoking marijuana made him too content to the point that he lost the "oomph" to move forward and to climb up the ladder. But not everybody needs to climb up the ladder. If they don't want to climb up the ladder, that's their business not the government's by forcing restrictions on someone's behavior. We don't need a nanny state to protect us from ourselves.
Former House Speaker John Boehner was an early investor in the marijuana industry. But neither you nor Boehner are now on Capitol Hill. Who up there — House or Senate — in the GOP supports your point of view? And are you getting traction?
I just left Congress a couple of months ago. For one year, I'm not permitted to go up and talk to people on Capitol Hill on any issue.
Who's currently leading on your issue there?
There are a number of people. The name that crosses my mind is Matt Gaetz from Florida. He is really someone who is going to be a leader on the Republican side. And Earl Blumenauer, who was my partner when I was there, continues to be a leader on the Democratic side.
Is legalizing marijuana one of the issues in divided Washington, DC that could find bipartisan support?
I think that is exactly correct. And it should be, especially when we have a president who's made it clear that he wants medical marijuana to be legal and adult use of cannabis to be left up to the states.
Dana, you have had such a lively career. You fought with Mujahideen. You wrestled with Putin in Washington before he was known to the world. And you were involved in Reagan's historic speech he held at the Brandenburger Gate in 1987 when he called out to the Soviet leader: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
A fellow writer, Peter Robinson, wrote the speech. I'm the one who smuggled it to the president.
Image: Wikimedia
What happened? Can you tell us this anecdote?
Had I not been that person to smuggle that speech to the president, he wouldn't have gotten it because the major powers were trying to prevent him from saying anything.
You smuggled the speech past the State Department and the CIA?
The State Department and the CIA, and some of the Reagan senior staff were adamant in their opposition the president mentioning the wall when he stopped in Berlin. They claimed the German people would be upset with the president for mentioning the wall because they now accepted it. They would see Reagan tearing the scab of a wound that had already healed. They didn't want to make waves. They didn't want to stir things up. In politics you have to make waves in order to ride one.
They did not want something that they knew would be disruptive. But we knew that that ("tear down this wall") is what Reagan would want to say. The most important thing in my career was to bring that speech past all of the obstacles and put it in the hands of the president. And that's what I did. Once I handed it to him, I knew that the Cold War was over.
You actually helped to end the Cold War?
I experienced the Cold War even when it was hot. I engaged in combat against Soviet troops in Afghanistan. In the end, it was Communism, not the Russians, that was the enemy.
Do you remember how that line "tear down this wall," how that came to life?
Let me put this way: All the speech writers knew the president very well. I travelled with him in '76. I was with him 24 hours a day for six, seven months while he was running for president and lost. And then I travelled with him again in the '80s. The president would edit our speeches, and he taught us his style. He was a great writer. We thought this was how he wanted it — "tear down this wall." And if he didn't like what we put in his speech, he would cross it out. The substance and the style had to be his and not ours, that is what a speech writer is all about.
Very rarely did he ever have to cross anything out I wrote. During the seven years I spent with him in the White House, I think he probably crossed things out maybe two or three times. A number of my speeches worked. I wrote more speeches for him than anybody else.
Thank you, Dana, for your time. I hope surf's up today in California and that you get to catch some great waves before you come to Zürich.
All right. By the way, that was the Cold War era. Ronald Reagan talked often about peace through strength. Too many people look at the strength part. Strength was the method. Peace was the goal. I'm trying, now, to promote as much peace and cooperation with former enemies as possible. Look at Germany, Japan. They were horrible enemies of ours. My dad fought in World War II. We should be trying to find ways of cooperation, now.
I have faced a lot of criticism because I am advocate of seeking ways where we find mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia rather than unrelenting belligerence or even a return to the Cold War. Let's use the gifts that God gave us when he created the cannabis plant to alleviate pain and to enjoy ourselves, if that's what we want to do.
Dana Rohrabacher, 71, served for three decades as a Representative from California in the US Congress. He will be the keynote speaker at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Zurich, Switzerland. Working as a consultant, and sitting on the Board of Directors for CBD Global Sciences, Rohrabacher will discuss his experience with cannabis and the industry.
Die News des Tages aus anderer Sicht.
Montag bis Donnerstag ab 16 Uhr 30