This doesn’t have much to do with Redding, but I find this really fascinating. No, it’s not photoshopped. Click on the photo for more:
Canadian band Fear Zero
Ok these guys aren’t local to Redding, but a friend told me I should check out the video below. The guy can shred. Plus he has a cool accent, eh.
Octane – Fear Zero from Ken Mason on Vimeo.
They do more than shred. They have some catchy tunes and a new CD to promote. Check out the free download of radio friendly “Breathe Again” and you’ll see what I mean. Caution: this tune sticks in your head. The band link is HERE. I like what I’m hearing, they got me moving. I expect good things for them. Rock oot, eh!
Record Searchlight marijuana legalization stance is timely and courageous
Wow. Things have really changed in my hometown. Maybe you missed this giant sweep of the weather vane indicating the winds of change, but I do believe an editor of our local paper, the Record Searchlight, has just opined that we should legalize marijuana. No really. Seriously. Check it out HERE.
Ok, he only goes so far as to point to a blog that states the plainly obvious, but even that’s a big step. A huge step. Of course, he’s not the first person to hold a pro-marijuana opinion. Many people who get weed from places that are on a missouri dispensary list will advocate for full legalization, along with millions of others. Bruce Ross and I have had big differences of opinion, and I have often thought that the newspaper he edits reveals an alarming lack of common sense, but here he goes and proves me wrong. Go figure.
I am not an advocate of drug use. I am, however, an inhabitant of the real world and recognize that individuals are moral agents and should be able to decide for themselves what they put into their bodies – if they see products online that they would like to try out (https://www.leaf2go.co/INDICA_c_45.html), far be it from me to tell them otherwise. I would put marijuana use pretty low on the spectrum of illegal drug problems, unlike say meth, and the resulting tweakers. Marijuana enthusiasts can stay up date regarding the latest weed news by reading something like the speed greens blog. Marijuana is not really a major problem in society, but marijuana prohibition is pretty high up on the spectrum of societal costs, due to the resulting enabling of crime profits and criminalization of potheads. The Cheech and Chongs (and Michal Phelps) of this world are not the proportional threat to you and me that is represented by tweakers and Oxycontin addicts.
If it takes the guise of a budget problem in Sacramento to put an end to this lunacy, then so be it. All that really matters is that we examine and face the facts about the real costs versus the benefits of the current prohibition. I seriously wonder if taxing a weed that you can grow just about anywhere will actually provide any real revenue, but we really should end the idiocy and hypocrisy of our current arbitrary laws about this plant. New dispensaries opening in California will have to be compliant with california marijuana laws.
Our small town paper takes a bold stand for sanity, and I hope this puts the conversation in motion. It will be interesting to watch for the reaction. Thank you RS for your courage.
State of the City, our Mayor speaks at the Cascade
We attended the free version of the State of the City address at the Cascade yesterday evening. Mayor Rick Bosetti made references to Yogi Berra and Ronald Reagan. Ok, that was weird, but he did touch on some good points. We have many great things happening here, despite the tough times. New bridges, boulevards, and trails. A spectacular library. A new business park. I felt proud of my city, as I watched the presentation.
Our city is well run, with a bright future. The event was sparsely attended, but I’m glad we went. I took several shots of local civic celebrities, but nothing came out worth posting.
The same presentation was made earlier with lunch included for $30 per seat. Oddly, it appeared that the earlier version was much more well attended than this free version, despite the cost. In these economic times, I find that surprising.
A basket of Tulips
February is early Spring in Shasta County. We have lots and lots of emerging bulbs.
These showy tulips look wonderful all bunched together. Ironically, Tulip Mania was responsible for an economic bubble and collapse, similar to the housing cycle we are experiencing now. From Wikipedia: “At the peak of tulip mania in February 1637, tulip contracts sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman.” It seems our economic history is filled with bubbles and collapses.
It’s hard to capture an image that accurately displays their deep scarlet loveliness.
Such is the transitory nature of beauty.