truesee's Blog

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2010-10-11-college-dropouts_N.htm

A bit of tarnish on marijuana's benign reputation

As California considers legalizing pot, there has been little discussion about the potential fallout on people's health. But it can be addictive, attested by one woman's $5,000-a-year habit.

Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times

7:35 PM PDT, October 9, 2010

In 1969, Carol McDonald was 28, married and the mother of two young children, out for an evening of fun with a couple who smoked marijuana. By the end of the evening she was on her way to a 19-year addiction.

"Within a few months, I was smoking every day," said McDonald, a retired bookkeeper, now 69. "I had to smoke before going to work. If something was upsetting, I smoked over it. If there was a celebration, I smoked over it."

People like McDonald may be largely overlooked in the statewide debate over legalizing marijuana. The drug has a benign reputation: Many baby boomers smoked and emerged unscathed, and medical marijuana facilities with their friendly images of seven-fingered leaves have popped up all over Los Angeles.

That might be why Proposition 19, the Nov. 2 ballot measure that would legalize marijuana and regulate it similarly to alcohol, has generated scores of reports and debates regarding the potential effect on business revenue, tax dollars and law enforcement but scant discussion on the potential fallout on people's health.

In California, addiction counselors are split on the legalization issue largely because of their long-standing support of treatment over jail and legal penalties for marijuana addicts. Yet nationally, public health experts mostly are against legalization. They say it will increase the number of people who become addicted to the drug, contribute to more automobile accidents and erode school performance.

"It's bizarre to me when people say, 'Make marijuana legal, and we'll have no problems with it,' " said Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University who recently served as a White House senior advisor on the nation's drug control policy.

Because the science of marijuana's health effects is in many cases unclear, experts on each side of the legalization debate can point to scientific studies that support their own position.

They do agree that marijuana should be avoided during pregnancy and that it is harmful for people with mental illness or who are at risk for developing a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia.

And they agree, too, on some basic statistics: Marijuana is addictive for about 9% of adults who use it (compared with about 15% who use alcohol and 15% who use cocaine), according to federal data. Because it is the most widely used illegal substance in the country, marijuana dependence is more common than addiction to either cocaine or heroin despite its lower addiction potential.

"We generally think the problems with marijuana aren't as serious as the problems you tend to see with cocaine or heroin," said Alan J. Budney, a leading researcher on marijuana at the Center for Addiction Research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences who opposes legalization. "But they are still pretty substantial."

The science of marijuana becomes murky when one steps beyond addiction statistics to examine effects on health.

A series of studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published in 1998 found that the effects of marijuana alone on driving were small or moderate, but severe when combined with alcohol.

But other studies show little impairment from a moderate dose: A 2004 study in the journal Accident, Analysis and Prevention found no increased risk of motor vehicle accidents causing traumatic injury among drivers using marijuana.

"Even after smoking, there aren't any real deficits in driving ability that we can detect in the laboratory," said Mitch Earleywine, an associate professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany who serves as an advisory board member at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The data on lung damage and smoking-related cancers are similarly mixed, in part because a large portion of heavy marijuana users also smoke tobacco, which muddies the picture of marijuana's effects. And though experts tend to agree that smoking marijuana causes short-term memory loss, they disagree widely on the overall cognitive effects of the drug.

Several studies have also dismissed the fear that marijuana is a "gateway" drug that will lead children and adolescents to experiment with harder illicit drugs — although numerous studies suggest that the earlier in life someone uses marijuana, the riskier it becomes. Among 14- and 15-year-olds who start to smoke, 17% will be dependent within two years, said Dr. Tim Cermak, an addiction psychiatrist and president of the California Society of Addiction Medicine.

The effect on school performance and learning could be significant if more minors use the drug, Cermak added. "Marijuana is not devastating in the same way alcohol is," he said. "But to an adolescent, it can impact their life permanently. When you take a vacation from development in school for five years, you just don't get to the same endpoint that was available to you earlier in life."

The fact is, however, that no one knows how many more people will try marijuana if it becomes legal. Some experts predict a 50% increase while others say that the numbers are unlikely to rise because California's relaxed medical marijuana laws have already made the drug easy to obtain.

"It's a vast exaggeration that more people will take this up," said Stephen Gutwillig, California director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a national group that advocates for changes in the nation's approach to illicit drugs. Gutwillig supports legalization.

"The bottom line is that marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol and cigarettes," Gutwillig added. "It's far less addictive than either of them. People tend to use marijuana in smaller amounts. It does not have alcohol's noxious association with violence and reckless behavior. And you can't overdose."

Members of the California Society of Addiction Medicine are divided on legalization. In a recent survey, more than two-thirds of the members believe there will be an increase in the amount of marijuana addiction if the drug were legalized. And close to 70% think there will be increased use by adolescents.

Though the association itself takes no position, its website lists controls that should be in place if the drug becomes legal.

Among them: creating restrictions to minimize minors' access to the drug; advertising and marketing rules; warning labels on marijuana products; use of fees and taxes from marijuana sales to fund marijuana addiction treatments; treatment instead of legal punishment for adolescent marijuana users; and periodic evaluation of the law for its effect on health and driving under the influence.

Cermak noted that Proposition 19 lacks many of these safeguards. Furthermore, he added, "If you read Proposition 19, the assertion is that it's not physically addictive and doesn't have long-term toxic effects on the body. We are asking people to memorialize the acceptance of those myths."

McDonald, who lives in Baldwin Hills, certainly didn't think marijuana was addictive. It had seemed so harmless. Inhaling from bamboo bongs made popular by returning Vietnam War vets, she began to feel some relief from the depression that had plagued her since youth.

But, with a $5,000-a-year habit and chronic bronchitis, she tried repeatedly to quit. About a dozen times over the years she checked in alone to a hotel in Desert Hot Springs to white-knuckle herself through nausea, sweats and tremors.

Short periods of abstinence were followed by relapses. She could barely get through her workdays, and her husband grew increasingly exasperated by her behavior.

At 42, after several months of abstinence, her depression without the drug was so great that she attempted to kill herself by taking "every pill in the house." She resumed smoking. Five years after the suicide attempt, she checked into a hospital rehab program.

"I finally decided I had to have help to quit," she said. "I smoked my last joint in the car on the way to St. John's Hospital with my head under the dashboard."

Even after what she went through, McDonald said she would like to see marijuana legalized so that people who have problems with the drug will be steered into treatment.

Even "as someone who has been far down the rabbit hole, I still don't think it's as dangerous as alcohol," she said. "But if I'd had any inkling of what it would do, I would have been more careful."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101011/el_yblog_upshot/attention-seeking-author-hurls-his-book-at-obama

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2024718,00.html

  Michelle   Obama,   all   dolled up

KARIN TANABE | 10/11/10 9:56 AM EDT

If you happen to be a Michelle Obama fan with $195 burning a hole in your pocket, the Franklin Mint has something for you. The seller of gold coins, Princess Diana dolls and Elvis heirlooms has released the “Michelle Obama Official White House Portrait Doll” for, you guessed it, $195. 

The company has produced a “limited edition” run of 9,900 dolls, each standing at 16 ½” high and adorned in a tiny replica of the black Michael Kors dress Obama wore for the portrait. The smiling vinyl doll also wears a replica steel watch, a double-strand faux pearl necklace and shockingly pink lipstick. 

If throwing down nearly $200 for a doll doesn’t fit your budget, the company is offering “3 easy monthly payments of $65.00” and a really long explanation of why the doll is a must-have. 

“In the same way that clothes are a language without words, Michelle Obama speaks volumes. With the intelligent optimism and youthful energy she brings to the Capitol, Michelle is making headlines, shaping retail trends and inspiring women the world over, as she has perhaps grown to become one of the most celebrated modern women of our time,” the website declares.

But that’s their take on Michelle Obama the woman. What about the merits of FLOTUS the doll?

“Our Michelle Obama Official White House Portrait Doll, one of the first of its kind in the world, captures all the style and substance of our iconic First Lady. A dazzling tribute to the passion and positivity of Michelle Obama and her Declaration of Fashion Independence,” the site proclaims.

Are you sold? Alas, even if you’re ready for the FLOTUS doll, she is not quite ready for you. Perhaps, like her inspiration, she is too busy on the campaign trail? The Michelle Obama portrait doll will ship in late November.

http://framework.latimes.com/2010/10/07/chile-miner-rescue/#/0

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/10/snl-spoofs-christine-odonnell-ad/1?csp=hf

White House exodus stirs political buzz

Is spate of pre-election departures normal turnover or 'slow-motion housecleaning'?

Kara Rowland-The Washington Times7:23 p.m., Sunday, October 10, 2010

United Press International photographs A week apart, Rahm Emanuel (left) stepped down as White House chief of staff to pursue a bid for mayor of Chicago, and James L. Jones Jr., a retired Marine general, resigned as national security adviser. Two top economic advisers have also left.

The White House has seen a stunning pre-election exodus of high-level staffers, culminating in the departure over the last two weeks of President Obama's chief of staff and national security adviser.

The string of departures, which includes two of Mr. Obama's top three economic advisers, has left longtime administration-watchers wondering whether the moves are part of an effort by the president to clean house or are merely part of the natural political cycle, as the White House contends.

Friday's resignation of National Security Adviser James L. Jones Jr., a retired Marine general, came one week after the president bid farewell to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and Mr. Obama similarly made a statement to the press announcing the news.

"We've spared no effort to keep the American people safe, while also repairing old alliances, building new partnerships, and restoring America's leadership in the 21st century," Mr. Obama said, tapping Mr. Jones' deputy, Thomas E. Donilon, to replace the 40-year military veteran. "Through these challenges, Jim has always been a steady voice in Situation Room sessions, daily briefings, and with meetings with foreign leaders, while also representing our country abroad with allies and partners in every region of the world."

The recent departures followed those of budget chief Peter R. Orszag and chief economist Christina Romer this summer. Earlier this month, economic adviser Lawrence H. Summers announced he's stepping down at the end of the year.

Those moves came after earlier shake-ups, including the director of national intelligence, Mr. Obama's social secretary and the White House counsel.

The administration has played down reshuffling, saying that these are demanding jobs and that many of the staffers told Mr. Obama they were planning on serving for only about two years. But some political observers say the timing of the personnel switches - just weeks out from critical midterm elections in which Republicans are poised to gain seats in both chambers - is unusual, and could suggest a lack of enthusiasm among key staffers.

"It's a slow-motion housecleaning, which I assume is designed in part so nobody asks the fundamental question" of why the president's top aides are all leaving, Republican strategist Mike McKenna said. "It never happens ... you tend to roll out the month after the election, not the month before."

In 2006, President George W. Bush accepted the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld immediately after Republicans were roundly defeated at the polls, losing control of both chambers of Congress.

But whatever the reasons for leaving, Mr. McKenna said the exodus suggests there's an enthusiasm gap in the White House itself.

"That sends a message to everybody that, look, the guys at the top aren't even committed to this thing anymore. They're starting to think more about themselves and their next career gig than the victory of the squad," he argued. "It's such a fundamental rule, and it's being ignored so casually, and no one's saying anything about it."

While the departures have come from each of three main areas - Mr. Obama's political, economic and national security teams - the administration has explained each of them as being routine or the result of a special set of circumstances.

For example, Mr. Emanuel left to pursue a bid for mayor of Chicago after the city's longtime leader opted not to seek re-election, while Mr. Summers, aides said, was at risk of losing tenure at Harvard if he did not return.

"When you're in the White House and you're dealing with an issue as big as the economy is right now in the eyes of the American people, it's an all-consuming job. So it's understandable that after 15 or 18 or 20 months, people are going to want to go back to what they were doing before," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters last month.

Given the political landscape and the likelihood that Democrats will lose at least some seats in Congress, Mr. Obama faces a challenge in replacing his top aides. Activists on the left who took issue with Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Summer - the two men were maligned for being too pro-business - are calling for more progressive successors.

The president has tapped senior adviser Pete Rouse as an interim chief of staff and has not yet announced a replacement for Mr. Summers.

White House economist Austan Goolsbee replaced Ms. Romer, while Mr. Obama's nominee to replace Mr. Ortzag, Clinton administration veteran Jacob Lew, is still awaiting Senate confirmation.

Cincinnati OH Crime

Updated: 9:19 pm | October 8, 2010

Cop hurt chasing suspect after odd encounter

Woman asks Lockland officer to check for warrants on her

Jennifer Baker

LOCKLAND – Note to criminals: If you don’t want the police to arrest you, don’t flag them down on the street and ask them to check if you have open warrants.

That was the case in Lockland when 44-year-old Selma Elmore stopped Officer Dan Lyons on South Wayne Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Friday, police said.

Elmore asked the officer: Is there a curfew for adults in Lockland?

No curfew, Lyons responded.

Second question: Is there a warrant for my arrest?

Yes, in fact there is a warrant, the officer told her after a quick check.

Lyons had discovered Elmore was wanted for allegedly failing to pay a fine as a result of a drug-related conviction, said Sgt. Patrick Sublet.

Elmore took off running, leading the officer on a brief chase that ended when she shoved him into a building, injuring his elbow, Sublet said. Lyons radioed for backup. Other officers apprehended her. She faces a new charge of resisting arrest.

Lyons went to Betheseda North Hospital as a precaution and was treated and released. He was told he may have suffered nerve damage and will need further medical treatment.

He is expected to be off work for a while, Sublet said.

http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-radio-flyer-car-092910,0,1784245.story

Fayette County News 6:59 p.m. Sunday, October 10, 2010

Report: Man tries to cash fake check, leaves license behind

A Fayette County man made it easy for police officers to track him down when he tried to cash a fake check in South Carolina. He left behind his driver's license, police said. 

An arrest warrant has been issued for 42-year-old Anthony Rhodes, who attempted to cash a $1,790 check, WMBFNews.com reported.

Rhodes, of Fayetteville, entered the ACE Cash Express off North Kings Highway on Thursday evening attempting to cash the check, but an employee questioned it, according to the report. Rhodes said he completed work for the Ohio business listed on the check, but a spokesman for the business told the ACE employee the account had been closed.

As the ACE employee called police, Rhodes and his wife left the business with their small child, Myrtle Beach police told the news station. Rhodes left behind his driver's license and the check, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on forgery charges.

http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/editorial-cartoons/g373

It’s hard to lump him in with the 9.6 percent of Americans who are unemployed, given that he probably would neither need nor endorse collecting benefits. He has not been appointed ambassador to Mexico, like another former governor, or even Canada. He’s on television often, but does that count as a job? Everyone knows he wants to be president, but it’s a little early to declare that.

It seems the state Republican Party may be having the same trouble sorting out this whole job question. On a campaign finance report posted online last week, a $5,000 donation from Willard Romney (Willard is the former governor’s first name) had no occupation listed. Instead, it was marked “best attempt,’’ as if someone tried to figure it out, but gave up.

“Hmmm,’’ said GOP spokeswoman Tarah Breed, before letting out a chuckle and promising to look into the matter.

By the time Breed e-mailed an explanation Friday, the donation had disappeared from the Office of Campaign and Public Finance website. She blamed a “clerical error,’’ saying the donation should not have been included with the most recent batch because it was not made in late September with the others listed. She said the updated occupations for several GOP donors, also initially missing, were in fact filed, but had not yet made it onto the website.

Jason Tait of the state campaign finance office said campaigns control the posting of campaign information on its website. But they have a 45-day window to send a letter requesting a donor’s occupation, giving the GOP more than enough time to contemplate the matter.

Perhaps the Republican Party can settle on the job title used by Charles D. Baker’s campaign, when it accepted a $500 check from Romney last month: “Politician, Self Employed.’’

Sarah Palin notes that critics also said Ronald Reagan couldn’t win in 1980. | AP Photo

 

JONATHAN MARTIN

10/8/10 6:18 PM EDT

Updated: 10/9/10 6:45 PM EDT

Speaking to a group of well-connected Republicans at a private dinner in Florida this week, Sarah Palin implicitly addressed questions about her own electability by noting that critics also said Ronald Reagan couldn’t win in 1980, three attendees told POLITICO.

Palin, at an event organized by the conservative magazine Newsmax, told the right-wing crowd that those who don’t have the same convictions will always say a true conservative can’t win.

Pointing out that the knock on Reagan was that he was also too far to the right, the former Alaska governor repeatedly invoked the 40th president and conservative icon, at one point citing the quotation he was most fond of: that America is a “shining city on a hill.”

“I think she sees herself as heir to Reagan,” said one attendee.

Her invoking of the Gipper at a closed-door gathering illustrates that Palin is, at the very least, thinking through how she’d make her case if she pursued the presidency. And combined with the recent revelation of an e-mail her husband, Todd, sent to Alaska Senate hopeful Joe Miller excoriating him for not saying Palin was qualified to be president, her private comments make clear that the 2008 vice-presidential candidate wants other Republicans to take her seriously as a White House prospect.

Trying to divine her intentions — does she just want to stay in the presidential mix to build her brand, or is she actually running? — is difficult. But the mere act of meeting with the sort of Republican donors, strategists and activists who fund and advise presidential campaigns is telling.

Palin did not talk directly about a White House bid at the event, held Wednesday at the famed Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

Rather she used her remarks and a question-and-answer period with about 50 conservative insiders to discuss topics such as health care, the midterm elections and the state of the GOP.

Palin discussed the importance of keeping the tea party movement in the GOP but criticized establishment Republicans who she said weren’t listening to the party’s grass roots by supporting moderate candidates over conservatives. If the party recaptures Congress, she said, Republicans must govern differently than in the Bush years and show more fidelity to small-government principles on spending.

Each of the attendees who spoke with POLITICO said they were impressed by her performance, particularly when she took questions and spoke off the cuff.

“Palin was engaging, charming, and well-informed on the issues and the campaigns going on around the country,” said Ralph Reed, a longtime GOP strategist who is now running a social conservative group called the Faith & Freedom Coalition. “While circumspect about her future plans, she was clear she wants to see the party and the country go in a more conservative direction.”

Even though she didn’t openly discuss her intentions, the possibility of a Palin run was discussed by many in the room.

“I was surprised about how many people in room said ‘yes’ when I asked if they could see themselves supporting her,” said one attendee. “I was expecting to hear what you mostly hear — ‘I hope she doesn’t do it’ or, ‘She’s more effective doing what she’s doing.’”

The gathering, first reported by US News & World Report, was described as a “get-acquainted” session by an attendee and was held in conjunction with a video interview Palin did with Newsmax, set to air next week. The evening began with a reception and dinner and was followed by Palin speaking and taking questions.

Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, was the host of the event and invited such high-profile guests as Reed, Michael Reagan, Grover Norquist, Dick Morris, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and such donors as former GOPAC Chair Gay Gaines, businessman Lee Hanley and former Reagan Ambassador to Switzerland Faith Whittlesey.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43345.html#ixzz11uhoQk3O

Obama hits links for 52nd golf day