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ghostsinthemachine

ghostsinthemachine's Journal
ghostsinthemachine's Journal
August 29, 2015

Katrina Truth......


Featured reality checks:
housing
Housing

Today, with higher sale prices for homes and higher rents, the housing market in New Orleans is “stronger,” but not for poor Black New Orleanians.

Policing and Mass incarceration
Criminal Justice

Policing has been a man-made disaster in New Orleans for a long time, earning NOPD notoriety across the country and laying waste to Black communities for decades.

Education
Education

Education policy that relies upon exclusionary enrollment and discipline to achieve its results isn’t reform. It’s the school-to-prison pipeline.

Income Inequality
Economic Inequality

Ten years of uneven recovery have exacerbated the economic inequalities that predated Hurricane Katrina.

Black Leadership
Black Leadership in New Orleans

The exclusion of the Black electorate from the new vision for New Orleans has had obvious implications for Black politicians and the communities they once served.

Environment
Environmental Justice

In New Orleans and across the Gulf Region, exposure to toxic soil, air, and water is a racial justice and human rights crisis.

QPOC
Queer and Trans People of Color

Little of the rebuilding effort in New Orleans addresses the unique needs of the local LGBTQ community, especially Queer and Trans People of Color.

Health and Wellness

In the ten years since the storm, racial disparities in health persist in communities of color, adversely impacting the city’s most vulnerable residents.



For a lot more.....http://www.katrinatruth.org/ some reality about Katrina and the after math and the rebuilding. Same as it ever was, probably worse for many....
August 27, 2015

Nevada Sheriff’s Department Promises to Turn ‘Burning Man’ Festival into a Police State



Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com/dwphotos

Pershing County, NV — There is a new sheriff in town in the Burning Man jurisdiction, and he promises more arrests than ever at the world-famous music and arts festival next week.

Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen admitted that there would be more nonviolent “crime” at the festival than the police will be able to deal with, but they are determined to write as many tickets and make as many arrests as they possibly can.
ADVERTISING

“We don’t have the personnel to issue citations to 70,000 naked people on the playa, but we will be upholding the law to the best of our ability,” Allen told the Associated Press.

While the former sheriff Richard Machado was known to be somewhat hands-off during the festival, Allen is committed to cracking down on the peaceful partiers, hiring more officers than ever for the annual event.

In previous years, burners had to be more concerned about Bureau of Land Management (BLM) a federal organization tasked with patrolling the event. Now, along with the BLM, burners will now be facing a local police department that is foaming at the mouth to throw them in cages.

Sadly, the organizers of the festival are not standing up to protect their customers but are cooperating with the police and allowing this to happen.

“We’ve been working with (Allen) since his election, and he’s been involved with all of the large coordination efforts. It’s an ongoing process on education, but he hasn’t been out there for a few years, so he hasn’t seen the progress we’ve made in recent years,” Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham said.

Burning Man organizers are facing problems of their own with the Nevada government. They may be moving out of the state next year, now that legislators have passed a new tax specifically targetting the festival, adding a 9% tax onto ticket sales.

If the festival moves, which it should, they must consider private land in order to keep their customers safe from the police. By organizing their event in a public space, as they do now, they are allowing police and federal agencies to prowl the land without any restrictions. If the event were held on private land, however, as many festivals are, they would be able to prevent the police from entering, or at the very least be in total control of the police presence at the venue.

The festival is scheduled to take place August 30th through September 7th.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/nevada-sheriff-department-burning-man-police-state
August 27, 2015

Confirmed: Church Of Cannabis Gets Recognition As A Religious Organization In Indiana

Indiana, a mid-western state of the United States of America known for its farmland, has officially recognized the Church of Cannabis as a legitimate religious body.

The church is said to have gotten the legitimacy following the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which has allowed LGBT people to practice any religion of their choice without harassment and intimidation.

According to the RFRA, if you have a religion, the government will not impede on your right of that religion. It also states, that the government will openly profess that religion to the public.


http://anonhq.com/confirmed-church-cannabis-gets-recognition-religious-organization-indiana/

August 26, 2015

4 Reasons Why a Biden Run Would Help Sanders


The politerati are getting a slight break from Trumpalooza these days, thanks to the Biden Bump. The veep has been actively discussing a possible presidential run with Democratic donors and strategists as he moves toward a final decision, and political handicappers have upped the odds that Biden, still coping with the recent death of his 46-year-old son Beau, will enter the fray. This has led to a torrent of speculation about what Biden will do and what a last-minute leap might mean for the 2016 race. Could it hurt the once-inevitable-but-now-email-burdened Hillary Clinton by providing Nervous-Nellie Democrats with an alternative? Could it help Clinton by offering her a more establishment-oriented sparring partner to vanquish—which would yield a positive narrative for her campaign?

The other day, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent seeking the Democratic nomination who has drawn thousands to rallies and boomed in recent polls, was asked how a Biden bid would affect the contest. He characteristically pooh-poohed the question. "Politics is not a soap opera," he said. "What impact it will have on the race I honestly don’t know. I mean, I wish I could tell you but I don’t. Will it help or hurt me? Will it help or hurt Hillary Clinton? I just don’t know."

Yet there are several reasons why a Biden run would be good for Sanders.

* Slicing up the pie. The most obvious benefit is a matter of basic math: If Biden is in the hunt, the establishment Democratic vote will be split. That means an outsider will need a lower percentage of the vote to win. If the race is essentially Clinton versus Sanders (assuming for now that Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chaffee don't escape from low-single-digit territory), the winner of a primary contest will have to bag close to 50 percent of the vote. Put in a competitive third candidate—and there's no telling how strong a candidate Biden will be—and the number drops. Within the Sanders camp, his strategists assume that the progressive populist wing of the Democratic electorate that already supports or could potentially support Sanders is about 35 percent. That number is undoubtedly closer to the percentage needed for a win in a contest with Biden than in one without him.



MORE HERE: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/08/4-reasons-why-biden-entering-race-would-help-sanders
August 26, 2015

4 Reasons Why a Biden Run Would Help Sanders

The politerati are getting a slight break from Trumpalooza these days, thanks to the Biden Bump. The veep has been actively discussing a possible presidential run with Democratic donors and strategists as he moves toward a final decision, and political handicappers have upped the odds that Biden, still coping with the recent death of his 46-year-old son Beau, will enter the fray. This has led to a torrent of speculation about what Biden will do and what a last-minute leap might mean for the 2016 race. Could it hurt the once-inevitable-but-now-email-burdened Hillary Clinton by providing Nervous-Nellie Democrats with an alternative? Could it help Clinton by offering her a more establishment-oriented sparring partner to vanquish—which would yield a positive narrative for her campaign?

The other day, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent seeking the Democratic nomination who has drawn thousands to rallies and boomed in recent polls, was asked how a Biden bid would affect the contest. He characteristically pooh-poohed the question. "Politics is not a soap opera," he said. "What impact it will have on the race I honestly don’t know. I mean, I wish I could tell you but I don’t. Will it help or hurt me? Will it help or hurt Hillary Clinton? I just don’t know."

Yet there are several reasons why a Biden run would be good for Sanders.

* Slicing up the pie. The most obvious benefit is a matter of basic math: If Biden is in the hunt, the establishment Democratic vote will be split. That means an outsider will need a lower percentage of the vote to win. If the race is essentially Clinton versus Sanders (assuming for now that Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chaffee don't escape from low-single-digit territory), the winner of a primary contest will have to bag close to 50 percent of the vote. Put in a competitive third candidate—and there's no telling how strong a candidate Biden will be—and the number drops. Within the Sanders camp, his strategists assume that the progressive populist wing of the Democratic electorate that already supports or could potentially support Sanders is about 35 percent. That number is undoubtedly closer to the percentage needed for a win in a contest with Biden than in one without him.



MORE HERE: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/08/4-reasons-why-biden-entering-race-would-help-sanders

August 26, 2015

'Smoke Buddy' mobile marijuana cart illegal, Oregon officials say

A mobile cart selling marijuana in Portland is illegal, the Oregon Health Authority said Monday



The Smoke Buddy cart has been seen in North Portland. Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for the health authority, which oversees the state's dispensary system, said mobile marijuana operations and delivery services are illegal under Oregon's rules.

"Any transfer of marijuana to or from a dispensary must take place at the registered address of the dispensary," the state notes on its dispensary website.

-- Noelle Crombie

August 26, 2015

Yep, you know it's true.. PHISH is the best band out there right now

The Drive In Set from MagnaBall, their festival last weekend that featured 8 sets of Phish over 3 days........ 50 minutes of amazing improvisation. This band is at the their very peak right now. Not trying to please everyone, they are just playing what they do to the people who dig it....... Still very fun, the crowd is amazing and the whole deal-io is something else again.....

Here is the last set of the last night for ya too.
August 23, 2015

National Cancer Institute Finally Concedes: ‘Cannabis Kills Cancer’

National Cancer Institute Finally Concedes: ‘Cannabis Kills Cancer’
Author: Sarah August 22, 2015 3:45 pm

For far too long we have been told about the “dangers” of cannabis. That it is an illegal drug that can cause us harm. However, the United States government is finally owning up to the benefits of cannabis. Not only that, they now have studied, and are conceding, that it can actually kill cancer cells.

Now, when you visit the NIH National Cancer Institute’s PDQ updated website summary for “Cannabis and Cannabinoids” you will see a very conflicting message — Cannabis kills cancer, but it is still illegal on a national level.

Yes, something that kills cancer cells is still considered illegal in the United States. If that doesn’t make you furious, I don’t think much of anything else will.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term cannabinoids, they are described as such:

“Currently, the two main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are THC and CBD.

THC increases appetite and reduces nausea. The FDA-approved THC-based medications are used for these purposes. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems.

CBD is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behavior. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions.

NIH-funded and other researchers are continuing to explore the possible uses of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids for medical treatment.”

MORE HERE: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/08/22/national-cancer-institute-finally-concedes-cannabis-kills-cancer/

August 23, 2015

National Cancer Institute Finally Concedes: ‘Cannabis Kills Cancer’

National Cancer Institute Finally Concedes: ‘Cannabis Kills Cancer’
Author: Sarah August 22, 2015 3:45 pm

For far too long we have been told about the “dangers” of cannabis. That it is an illegal drug that can cause us harm. However, the United States government is finally owning up to the benefits of cannabis. Not only that, they now have studied, and are conceding, that it can actually kill cancer cells.

Now, when you visit the NIH National Cancer Institute’s PDQ updated website summary for “Cannabis and Cannabinoids” you will see a very conflicting message — Cannabis kills cancer, but it is still illegal on a national level.

Yes, something that kills cancer cells is still considered illegal in the United States. If that doesn’t make you furious, I don’t think much of anything else will.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term cannabinoids, they are described as such:

“Currently, the two main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are THC and CBD.

THC increases appetite and reduces nausea. The FDA-approved THC-based medications are used for these purposes. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems.

CBD is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behavior. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions.

NIH-funded and other researchers are continuing to explore the possible uses of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids for medical treatment.”

MORE HERE: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/08/22/national-cancer-institute-finally-concedes-cannabis-kills-cancer/

August 21, 2015

A Look Inside Banksy's 'Dismaland,' The Bleakest Amusement Park Ever

This is the artist's biggest exhibition to date.

A Look Inside Banksy's 'Dismaland,' The Bleakest Amusement Park Ever
This is the artist's biggest exhibition to date.
Headshot of Dominique Mosbergen
Dominique Mosbergen Senior Writer, The Huffington Post

Posted: 08/21/2015 05:19 AM EDT

It’s Disneyland, wrapped in a nightmare.

On Thursday, images and video captured inside “Dismaland,” Banksy’s new art exhibition/dystopian amusement park, began making the rounds on social media. They offer a glimpse into a world that’s predictably dark, bizarre and full of satire.

There’s a statue of Little Mermaid, looking oddly distorted, and a sculpture of Cinderella’s carriage overturned in an accident. The Grim Reaper can be spotted riding in a bumper car, and a killer whale is seen jumping out of a toilet bowl, among other installments.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dismaland-banksy_55d6dc9de4b0f593f7f6f11d?kvcommref=mostpopular


http://twitter.com/nypost/status/634427004272672768/photo/1

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