Saturday, December 30, 2006

Making Bank with Blogvertise

Dear Readers,

I am about to embark on a mission to make money on my blog. I have discovered the 'pay-per-post' concept and have signed up with Blogvertise for my initial go at this. I know there is a great deal of controversy over pay-per-post advertising and I can see how over doing such a thing would cause me to lose readers. Therefore, my plan is to only post about products and services that I have used personally. I have no intention of letting this site become nothing more than an advertising site.

I will do my best to incorporate the links from paid advertisers and product reviews into posts about the same things I normally write about so that it is less obtrusive and annoying to my readers. Please bear with me as I get the hang of this.

If you are interested in trying to make money with your blog please check out Blogvertise .

Doggie Update!



I had planned to blog about my new 4-month-old puppy Saul on Friday but did not get around to it due to him having his first vet appointment. For those of you just joining us here on the blog, Saul was my Christmas present this year and I absolutely adore him. He is an AKC registered German Shepherd and the first GSD I have ever owned. I have never seen a smarter animal.

The Brains

As I stated in an earlier article he was an outside dog living in a fence with his siblings and parents when I bought him and his former owner had never worked with him on anything other than petting him and feeding him. I brought him home and decided to make him an inside dog. I have always hated the house training part of dog ownership and I dreaded it with this one.....but he housebroke himself in a couple of days. He has only had three accidents and this coming Tuesday I will have had him 2 weeks. He wakes me up to go out every morning around 5 and then throughout the day he either goes and whines at the door or finds my sweater, if it is a cold day, and put his nose on it. He is all about some treats at potty time too. He's slick see, and when he goes I give him either an Iams puppy biscuit or a Meaty-Bone filet mignon flavored treat. He loves those. He will do his business and then come bounding over to my feet, park his fanny on the ground and wag that tail. He will then eat part of the treat and hide the rest of it. When we go back out again he runs and eats his hidden treat before he goes to the bathroom.

The Play

I am starting to think I should have named him 'Gator' instead of Saul because of the way his big mouth looks when he is lunging at something. Just like an alligator. He loves to chew old shoes that I gave him, my wooden table legs (which has to stop), anything made out of paper of any kind he shreds it to bits and his favorite toy in a small, eaisly squeakable chewy toy that he got for Christmas. It is very loud and easy to squeak and every morning after he goes to the bathroom and eats his breakfast he has a date with squeaky toy on the living room floor. He pounces, claws, bites, chews and whines with every squeak. He chases it up and down the hall. It is highly amusing. My kids asked me why he liked that toy so much and why he whined when playing with it. I told them I guess the squeaky toy makes noises similar to that of a victim/prey and it excited him. My son said "Man I would hate to be his viticm." I'd have to agree. Four months old or not this dog inspires fear by looks alone.

Nervous and Shy

Truth is though that he is a 'puddy tat'. His nerves are really bad and he still has not taken to the kids like I want him too. He jumps at every sound, ain't real big on being petted by anyone other than me and runs away when he sees the kids coming. The last few days have been a little better. We built a fire on a couple of nights and he loved it. It had a very calming affect on him and he layed close to me and let the kids love on him a little while. Last night he let Alex feed him a turkey-burger patty in little pieces. So he is coming around.

The Vet

He really shocked me at the vet yesterday. I figured he would be like the tasmaninan devil around a bunch of strangers and strange animals. I dreaded any cats being in the waiting room and worried about his reaction to a lot of strange people. But, low and behold he was an angel. He went in the office with me and sat down. Two of the vet employees also own GSD's and they came out and heaped tons of love and petting on him. They commented on his color being so odd (he's blue and tan)and his massive size. He ate it up. Never showed the first bit of fear and instead of backing away like he does at home with the kids he met these strangers head on with lots of confidence and curiousity. He was even nice to the vet who stuck him with needles and poked something up his butt to check for worms. We muzzled him for that. Turns out he has hookworms but that's all. He got his shots, hook worm medicine, heartworm prevention and flea and tick protector. He weighs 50 pounds. I asked the vet about his shyness and jumpiness around the kids and assured me that is normal in GSD's of this age. He said they are so highly sensitive and tuned in through breeding that at this age they are trying to process everything and it overwhelms them. He said at about 8 months ole he will get a different look in his eye and will be able to focus better and will be more calm.

The Cats

Oh how he wants him a kitty!! He still barks at them but has gotten very close to a couple of mine and they have let him. But he just can't stop himself from barking at them and when he does they hiss and run away. At the vets office yesterday there were three running around loose on the inside that live at the clinic. He never uttered a peep at them. He sniffed and tried to get close but did not bark. I am not sure what he would do to a cat if he could ever get close enough to put his mouth on one. GSD's are suppossed to like cats and be friendly to other animals because of their herding instinct. Everyone I know who has a GSD says they love the family cats. I hope Saul comes around.

Neutering?

I am having a bit of a dilemma over whether I should have Saul neutered when he turns six months old. I do not ever plan to breed him. He is just a family pet who lives in the house. I think he should probably be neutered.
My husband does not want to get him neutered. He thinks it is cruel and will detract from the dog's personality. I kind of agree with him on that point. I asked the vet and of course, the vet says neuter him. I know that at four months old he is huge, hard to handle and can be very stubborn. I can't really imagine how big, strong and agressive he will be once the testosterone kicks in.

If there are any GSD owners with males please tell me what you decided for your dog.

Guess that's about all I have for today. I owe readers an article on the election and I promised to get it out before the first of the year....that may not happen but I am working on it.

Happy New Year Y'all,
Loretta Nall

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Daily crime reports go online

Montgomery Advertiser

The Montgomery Police Department is putting its crime statistics online.

In a news conference Thursday, Montgomery Police Department Maj. D.W. Warren punched a few buttons on a small keyboard, and seconds later, Montgomery residents were given access to every felony crime reported to the police department.

"It's a major step in the right direction of transparency," said Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright.
---------------

It's also a major source of amusement and utter hilarity. Here are a just a few samplings from yesterday's report.

Theft
Victim reported some unknown subjects entered the victims vehicle and stole a pair of shoes, a flashlight, a luggage bag, a satellite radio, assorted Christmas gifts, assorted clothing, a laptop computer, a bluetooth device, a wireless mouse, a computer case,ten cd's, ten dvd's and two scales.


(That sounds much more like a wishlist to Santa to me and I do believe I would have left the 'scales' out of my list of items stolen.)

Burgulary
Victim reported that someone forcibly entered the residence through the rear doon causing $50 in damage, and stole a playstation, assorted playstation games, assorted dvd movies, a lion face gold ring with a diamond set in the mouth, assorted jewelry boxes with assorted jewelry and a bottle of Seagrams gin.


(Officer, they took my gin!)

For more fun read on

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Drug treatment center will get results, county officials say

LOCAL NEWS
By Dan Whisenhunt
Star Staff Writer
12-20-2006

Judges, county commissioners, the district attorney and the Calhoun County sheriff called a news conference in Circuit Court Judge Joel Laird’s courtroom Tuesday afternoon and told an inconvenient truth: Their current efforts to fight drug addiction in Calhoun County are losing. So the men and women who work in Calhoun County’s criminal justice system are takinga different path.

“We can ’t lock up everybody who’s addicted to drugs,” District Attorney Joe Hubbard said at the press conference called to announce plans for the county’s new drug treatment program.

“The drug problem has gotten overwhelming. We ’re doing the best we can do, but it’s getting the best of us,” Hubbard said.

The Calhoun County Commission last month purchased the former Anniston Star building at 216 West 10 th Street for $350,000 to house the new treatment program. Convicted drug dealers still will face imprisonment. But arrested drug users who are indigent and over the age of 18 now will have the option of treatment at no cost. Calhoun County Commissioner Rudy Abbott, a driving force behind the program and center, said the program will begin offering day treatment in February.

Sheriff Larry Amerson said the decision by elected officials to support treatment rather than keeping drug offenders locked up took courage. Amerson said that while prison may cure a person of his or her physical addiction, the battle for a user’s heart and mind is not so easily won.

That’s where Scott Batey and his team enter the picture. Batey, a substance-abuse programs coordinator for the local Health Service Center, said the program will use a validated method of treatment, including random drug screens and behavioral treatment. The 20-week program is divided into two phases.

The treatment center can help 80 people at a time, split between the two phases, Batey said. The program can treat people an unlimited number of times, he said.
“We certainly hope one time is enough. ”Batey said he ’s never before seen the amount of coordination that has taken place to create the new program.

More than 70 percent of the people currently in the Calhoun County Jail are there for
drug-related offenses, Amerson said. “The people here are saying we need something different,” he said. Judge Laird said in a prepared statement that the vast majority of people coming through the criminal justice system have a substance-abuse problem. “The rehabilitation center planned by the county commission will fill a void that has been missing in our criminal justice system,” he said.

The treatment center will be funded with a $2 million grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Abbott said the Calhoun County Commission is looking for money for a program to house substance abusers at the facility. He said he hopes that program will begin in December 2007.

About Dan Whisenhunt
Dan Whisenhunt covers Calhoun County and the city of Anniston for The Star.
Contact Dan Whisenhunt
----------------

I would prefer forced treatment not be on the horizon.

Having said that, I see this as better than prison, which is about the only option currently. Some people actually do need help with substance addiction and this is a way for them to get it.

Some people don't need help and this is a way for the judicial system and the public to begin learning that not everyone who uses drugs has a problem with drugs or needs help with drugs. According to numbers I have 85% of people who use drugs do so recreationally and never become dependent.

Pretty soon they will start to see it the way they see alcohol. Not many people, whether they drink or not, will advocate locking up everyone who has a glass of wine with dinner or a beer or three after work. That is when things will really begin to change.

I am very happy to see the officials acknowledge that the drug war is failing. It shows that my work in this state on behalf of drug policy and prison reform is starting to pay off. I only hope this program is better run than Calhoun Co.'s Court Referral Program, which is an absolute joke. It is a shame this program will not be run by TASC at UAB.

One comment in this article that I disagree with though is this,
"Sheriff Amerson said that while prison may cure a person of his or her physical addiction, the battle for a user’s heart and mind is not so easily won."

Prison is not now, nor has it ever been, a cure for drug addiction. If it were then we would not have recidivism rates as high as they are with drug users. Also, prison was never initended to be 'treatment' for drug addiction. Prison is PUNISHMENT and isn't designed to help people. Besides, it is easier to get drugs in prison than on the streets. This also isn't a battle for 'hearts and minds'. That is WAR terminology and makes me want to vomit til I rupture something. This is a battle against physical and mental dependency on any variety of substances legal or otherwise and the criminal justice system has NO PLACE in it as they are not PHYSICIANS.

Happy New Year Y'all,
Loretta Nall

Sunday, December 24, 2006

HALLELEUJAH!! Mark Souder: Muzzled at Last!


WASHINGTON – Twelve years into his congressional career, Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, was the chairman of a subcommittee and claimed a close friendship with the speaker of the House. He was sometimes involved in developing the final contours of legislation presented to the House.

In the 13th year, he will lose all of that as Republicans face the realities of political life as the minority party.

A bit of Christmas Cheer

Happy Holidays to Everyone from Camp Nall. We love you!











Saturday, December 23, 2006

Regions Bank robbed; man flees

Nah! You mean he didn't hang around and chat with the other customers in the bank about what Santa was bringing him this year?

I really love the headlines from the Montgomery Advertiser sometimes.

Friday, December 22, 2006

I hate to keep bragging

But man my new dog is SMART!



He's got the housebroken thing down pat. Yesterday he figured out that when I put on my sweater that it is time to go out. It only took him one time watching me do it and he learned. Now, when he wants to go out, he finds my sweater and whines and yips.

I had always read that Shepherds are really smart dogs....but this is really amazing. It is almost human...hell, he learns faster than some humans I know. And he has the ability to think and reason and associate things....like the sweater and outside after just one exposure.

Since it is raining this morning we had to play fetch in the hall. He loves fetch. He'll bring his squeaky toy to me, drop it at my feet and sit down and whine. I throw it and he bounds after it like it was a burglar trying to get away. He brings it back and drops it in my hand when I say 'drop it'. He then sits when I tell him to and waits for me to throw it again.

All of these things he can do are amazing to me for a number of reasons.

1. I have never had any luck with dogs. They always became a nuisance (except for my great pyr Goliath who got hit by a car).

2. I have never been able to teach my former dogs anything. The last dog we had, an AKC registered St. Bernard, I gave away to the cable guy....papers and all because she was such a problem. Just dumb....unteachable it seemed.

3. Saul appears to be self taught...somehow. But dogs aren't born knowing how to fetch, drop, sit, shake hands, roll over and whine when they need to go outide. In most cases it takes a while to get any of those commands down....but Saul has done it in three days.

I've got to work with him on the herding habit. He herded Daddy Nall this morning while Daddy was trying to walk to the coffee pot. When he herds he cuts you off at the shins and closes his mouth over your leg. He doesn't bite hard but his teeth are very sharp and Daddy Nall did not appreciate being herded in his own house at 5 am while he was trying to get to the coffee.

Another thing that concerns me is that Saul has not made friends with the kids. He ignores them for the most part. Shows no interest in playing with anyone but me. I understand that Shepherds are slow to make friends so I hope that is all it is....just not enough time yet. Last night he did roll over and let Bell scratch his belly....so that is a good sign.

I swear, this is just like having a new baby in the house.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

You simply have to watch this

An Uncensored Saturday Night Live clip featuring Justin Timberlake singing...'It's My Dick in a Box'

I laughed so hard I lost my breath twice.

NOT WORK SAFE!!!



(hat tip to Baylin Linnekin over at To the People

Study: Teens getting high on legal drugs

CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Slightly fewer adolescents abused illegal drugs and alcohol in 2006, but fairly high numbers of them continued to abuse prescription narcotics, according to a new study.

Researchers found reasons to be encouraged, but also concerned. The government-funded study, conducted by the University of Michigan, found that a high number of teens are taking over-the-counter cold medicine to get high. Measured for the first time, teenagers' abuse of such medicine is widespread, the survey said.

Of some concern to the researchers was a slight increase in the use of ecstasy, and the continued relatively high use of OxyContin and Vicodin.

OxyContin use by 12th-graders, which peaked in 2005 at 5.5 percent, dropped back to 4.3 percent, but the greatest levels to date were observed among eighth-graders (2.6 percent) and 10th-graders (3.8 percent).

Use of the painkiller Vicodin showed even higher rates. Use this year hit 3 percent for eighth-graders, 7 percent for 10th-graders, and 9.7 percent for 12th-graders.

The abuse of cough and cold medicines called DXM, Dex, and Skittles by teens had attracted 4 percent of eighth-graders, 5 percent of 10th-graders and 7 percent of 12th-graders.
---------------

Well, thank God there was no increase in marijuana use! (said with tongue planted firmly in cheek)

I have to wonder what kind of results anyone excpected? Does it come as a surprise that teens are experimenting with 'legal' drugs? I mean come on...every time they turn on the TV they are bombarded with advertisements from pharmaceutical companies trying to sell them pills. Pills to be happy, pills to be skinny, pills to be pimple free. They think there is a pill for everything and that pills and manmade drugs are ok because, hey we advertise them on TV, right?

We have allowed the government through prohibitionist fear mongering, to erroneously teach our kids to think that pot, which won't kill them (even though teens do not need to be smoking it) is worse than man-made pharmaceutical drugs which will kill them, simply because pot is 'illegal'.

How crazy is that?

NEWSFLASH.....

'Illegal' doesn't always mean dangerous.
'Legal' does't always mean safe.

An Update on Saul

As most of my readers probably know I got a new 'puppy' as a Christmas present on Tuesday of this week. His name is Saul and he is an AKC registered German Shepherd from military police dog stock.








Y'all will probably get tired of hearing about Saul long before I get tired of blogging about him. He is an absolutely fascinating creature. He isn't much of a puppy though and he is so smart it is almost frightening.

At three and a half months old Saul is already around 4 ft. long and 2 ft tall...maybe a little taller. His shoulder blades are massive as is his ribacge, his head and his feet. He doesn't resemble a puppy at all. He looks like an almost fully grown dog...just a little smaller. I can't wait to see how big he will actually get. The picture above does not do justice to his current size....not by a long shot. Let me put it this way....if I were to come across him while out for a walk or in any other scenario....I would be scared and quickly vacate the area. You really can't tell he is a very young dog.

His intelligence is astounding.

Until I bought him he was an outside dog all his life. I brought him home on Tuesday and he is already house broken with zero training. He used the bathroom in my bedroom floor once on his first overnight and once on his first day when the kids came home from school...just a little piddle in the kitchen floor from nervous excitement. But now he makes it very clear when he wants to go outside by going to the door and whining. When we get outside he makes a bee-line for one of the two spots he has chosen and does his business. This is met with heaps of praise and a few IAMS puppy biscuits which he seems to really like.

He already knows how to play fetch and will actually bring you the ball back. My daughter and I went shopping for him yesterday and one of the things he got was a tennis ball. I took him walking in the woods in the afternoon and decided to see if he would play with the ball. I tossed it and said "Go get it Saul...bring me the ball," and he did exactly that. My jaw dropped. I gave him a snack and praise.

I couldn't believe it....thought it must have been a fluke...after all, this is a dog who has lived outside with his litter mates and very little interaction with people in a play-type setting. I am almost certain that he had never had a ball thrown for him before yesterday. I threw it again to see what would happen and again he fetched it and brought it to me. We played like that until I ran out of scooby-snacks. We came back to the house to get more and my daughter decided to join us. I told her about Saul fetching the ball and she wanted to try. Saul refused to fetch for her. He'd sniff it after she threw it but showed no interest beyond that. He did want to be herd her about though. He also shakes hands.

Saul has accepted me as Alpha wolf in this pack. He comes when I call, stops when I say 'no' or 'stay', follows me everywhere I go and will not let me out of his line of sight. He follows me to the bathroom and waits patiently outide the door. He follows me out to smoke, to the refrigerator for a glass of tea, to my computer chair where he promptly stations himself under the table at my feet until I get up again and then he start all over. When I am cooking dinner he sprawls out in the floor behind me and I have to step over and around him. At night when I go to bed he stations himself at the foot of the bed on the floor and stays there all night long. Last night he woke us up twice with some pretty loud munching on an old shoe. When I said, "Quiet Saul" he got quiet.

He rolls over and exposes his belly to me which is a good indicator that he is submissive to my dominance. He has not accepted his spot as Omega wolf though. He thinks he gets to boss the kids and he isn't too sure about Daddy Nall just yet either. We will be working on establishing pack hierarchy over the weekend while everyone is home at the same time.

He is a very alert animal. I mean NOTHING gets by him. No noise goes undetected, no movement unfollowed and no new scent unsniffed. He takes in everything.

He scared me a little....well no A LOT would be much more truthful...earlier this morning. Saul is seriously interested in the cats. He has gotten a little closer to them every chance he's had and yesterday he made a lunge and a growl. I scolded him and he went back to being just very curious. I took him out eariler this morning and over in his spot near a big pine tree was my white kitty 'Frances'. Saul let out a deep bass bark, the hair on the back of his neck stood up like the cats was standing up and he took off before I could get my finger on the button to stop his leash from reeling out. If I had been a little slower I feel pretty sure I would have a dead cat right now.

I finally got him calmed down enough to do his business. When he was done we started walking again. He was walking ahead of me and all of a sudden he went completely APESHIT!! Barking, slobbering, growling, snarling, lunging and leaping into the air. I have no idea what he saw....I didn't see a thing, nor did I hear anything running away...which is what I would most certainly have done if I had been in the woods and heard that beast coming in my general direction. He sounded like the Tasmanian Devil!

It really scared me to see that much strength and aggression being displayed by a three and a half month old dog. I realized how imperative it is that I get him obedience trained by a professional ASAP. If I don't then I won't have any control over him when he is grown. He is almost strong enough now to break my hold on the leash and when grown he could literally kill someone. He has the potential to be an extraordinarily dangerous animal if not trained properly. I have always planned to have him trained but this mornings display really put things into a clearer perspective for me.

I know training him won't be a problem. He is a really brilliant animal that already knows how to do important things that he has never been 'taught' to do.

That's all for today as far as Saul blogging is concerened.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

I Love my Lawyer

Really now, how often do you hear anyone say such a thing even about a paid attorney...let alone an appointed one? But I really do like my new attorney.

His name is Tony Wilson. He was appointed to me after my last court appearance when my then attorney was unable to show up due to lack of notification. I asked my former attorney to withdraw from the case because this was an ongoing pissing match with the courts that was never going to be resolved. He was a great attorney but I decided to get someone local through an appointment so I can get this ordeal over with.

And isn't it odd how things turn out?

For the last two years I have seen my attorney in court here in Alexander City. And for two solid years I thought he was a police officer. He looks like a police officer, from the haircut, to the way his cell phone hangs like a gun from his belt, to the razor sharp crease in his pants that looks as if it could slice your finger. And he is good friends with all of the people I KNEW were cops in the courtroom. Bacon Baby Bacon! There is simply no mistaking it. It never, in my wildest dreams, occured to me that this guy was a lawyer. Never. I had him pegged for a narcotics detective.

Then, on my most recent court appearance, he walked up to the mildly retarded black girl, who was sitting behind me, and began talking about her defense. I was plumb flabbergasted, as my mama used to say.

About two weeks later my former attorney's motion to withdraw from the case was granted and I got a notice in the mail that a new attorney had been appointed. It was none other than Mr. Bacon.

I had very negative and apprehensive feelings at first. I called my closest advisor and told him that I thought my new attorney was a cop. 99.9% of my experience with police officers having been of the extremely negative variety I considered asking for a new appointment. My friend and adviosr, who works in the criminal justice system, advised me to send an email to my new lawyer and just be myself completely. The email should include the fact that I was at the time a candidate for governor and that the case is very high-profile, involves lots of media and is just not your average pot smoker case. Then wait and see what happens before I make a decision about keeping him as my attorney.

So, I looked my new attorney up in the phone book, found an email address listed and fired off an email detailing who I am and what I do and what I expect him to do. I sent him the affidavit, the trial transcript and the letter from the Alabama Canon of Judicial Ethics stating that they had taken action against Judge Kim Taylor. I also told him that I thought he had probably been a cop at some point in the very recent past. Here is an excerpt from that email.

Now that you have stated your name as 'Tony Wilson' I have placed you. You are the one who looks exactly like a police officer. Just for curiousity sake do you have a background in law enforcement prior to graduating from Jones School of Law or are my spider senses off on that one?

He was NOT happy. He wrote me back explaining that he is the lawyer and I am the client. PERIOD! He didn't mention anything about being a former cop or about the fact that I had researched where he went to law school.

'Uh-Oh' I thought....'this isn't going to work out.' I called my advisor and his initial reaction was the same as mine but then he said, "Go in and sit with him for a face to face meeting before you make a decision. Things may be different than you think."

It turns out that was excellent advice. I set an appointment for Oct. 23 but had to change it to Oct. 25. The 25th was when the major national and international media storm hit over the Boobs campaign merchandise. On the day I first met my attorney I had already done an early morning interview with Fox & Friends and had more scheduled with NBC 13, ABC 3340 and Keith Olbermann. I walked into my new attorneys office on cloud 9 with a big smile and the first words out of my mouth were, "I hit national and international media yesterday and I am booked with major media wall to wall until the election....if you'd like to be a star I can make that happen."

My Lawyer: "Hi Ms. Nall, glad you could make it. I don't really want to be a star. I'm just a small town lawyer who wants to do a good job for people and make enough money to take care of my family. I don't like the media and never seek it out for my cases. I have to live and work in this small town and being too good or getting too much attention could make my life very hard. I know you are big on the media and publicity and that is fine as long as you let me know what is going on. I appreciate the offer of stardom though."

We started out with me just sort of probing him on how he planned to fight the case. I asked him "What do you think about what you have read of my case so far?" and then just went silent and let him talk.

In the 7 days since he had been appointed I had sent him all of my files he had read every last bit of it and printed out 18 cases that were similar in how the warrant was obtained. He had already started form a plan of attack to get the charges thrown out. I was very impressed. He said everything that I have needed to hear my attorney say since the beginning of all this.

We then went on to talk about him and his background. "Ms. Nall I was a police officer for many years and I have to tell you that I have an affinity for them."

Me: "Yeah I was pretty sure you were a cop. There is simply no mistaking it."

My lawyer: "My eyes having been opened since coming into this line of work. I used to think that if a person was indicted there must be a reason for their involvment with the law and they were probably guilty of whatever they were charged. NOW, I have seen first hand that it is VERY easy for an innocent person to find themselves incarcerated because they just don't have the alibi or evidence to prove their innocense...and this is exactly 'bass ackwards' of the way the law is supposed to work. What happened to innocent until PROVED guilty!"

Me: "I think your being a former police officer will be very benificial to this case. You know all of the dirty tricks on both sides."

The rest of our conversation covered the criminal injustice system as a whole, his family, my family and the current media storm I was involved in. We talked about the new voluntary sentencing guidelines and I told him I had worked on that bill. He even took the time to pull out the worksheets and show me how to fill them out. What was suppossed to be a half hour meeting turned into an hour an a half meeting and I left feeling like I had known my attorney all my life. It was a wonderful thing!

He told me he reads my blog and that he had read the day before where I posted that I was coming to see him. He said "please post nice things about me on your website."
I had planned to post about him and this meeting within a couple of days but was not able to get to it and it sort of got laid to the side along without about 10 other articles I owe readers, but have yet to write.

Then yesterday I got a wonderful little note in the mail from Tony letting me know that he has not forgotten me and telling me about his new line of attack and what he has planned once we get in court. I was shocked to get anything in the mail from an attorney that wasn't a bill. I spent around $8,000 on my first lawyer who seemed to charge me every time my name popped into his head....yet he never did a damn thing for my case for all that money and sued me when I refused to pay him more. And here I have an attorney who is appointed, which means he is working for free, and has done more in a couple of months on my case than any of the lawyers I have had over the last four years. And not just menial stuff either. He has actually taken the time to read the case file and formulate a plan of attack. WOW!

I have to say the contents of the letter sounded very good to me and I wondered why my other attorneys, who have been practicing law much longer than Mr. Wilson, hadn't thought of it or tried to use it before.

Anyway, I wanted to post this here for a number of reasons. I want to let Tony publicly know that thus far I am most impressed with his service to me. I appreciate it far more than words can ever accurately convey. It restores my faith somewhat in the criminal justice system that there are still good people who care about their clients in the system. Not many, but a few, and that is better than nothing. I feel very fortunate to have Mr. Wilson appointed as my attorney and I am most pleased that I didn't ask for a new one just because I thought this one was a cop...which he is/was.

I also want my readers and supporters in Alabama to know about Tony in case they ever have a need to hire him. He hasn't gotten my charges dismissed yet and may not in the end, but I do know that he will do everything in his power to make that happen and that his work ethic has nothing to do with money. What more could you ask for in a lawyer?

So, if you live in Alabama and find yourself in need of an attorney who cares about the client please give Tony Wilson a call at 256-329-3100.

Tony, if you are reading this....THANK YOU for the note you sent yesterday. It made my day.

Loretta Nall

Hybrid Pot? Grows back from roots...produces more

By MARK STEVENSON
The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; 5:35 AM

LAZARO CARDENAS, Mexico -- Soldiers trying to seize control of one Mexico's top drug-producing regions found the countryside teeming with a new hybrid marijuana plant that can be cultivated year-round and cannot be killed with pesticides.

Soldiers fanned out across some of the new fields Tuesday, pulling up plants by the root and burning them, as helicopter gunships clattered overhead to give them cover from a raging drug war in the western state of Michoacan. The plants' roots survive if they are doused with herbicide, said army Gen. Manuel Garcia.

"These plants have been genetically improved," he told a handful of journalists allowed to accompany soldiers on a daylong raid of some 70 marijuana fields. "Before we could cut the plant and destroy it, but this plant will come back to life unless it's taken out by the roots."

The new plants, known as "Colombians," mature in about two months and can be planted at any time of year, meaning authorities will no longer be able to time raids to coincide with twice-yearly harvests.

Yields are so high that traffickers can now produce as much marijuana on a plot the size of a football field as they used to harvest in 10 to 12 acres. That makes for smaller, harder-to-detect fields, though some discovered Tuesday had sophisticated irrigation systems with sprinklers, pumps and thousands of yards of tubing.

"For each 100 (marijuana plots) that you spot from the air, there are 300 to 500 more that you discover once you get on the ground," Garcia said.


HORRAY!!!!!

Honestly...if they want to go after a nuisance plant they really oughta tackle


KUDZU!

If only we could figure out a way to grapht pot onto Kudzu and make it Budzu!! All would be right with the world.

Vigil for Victims of Hate Crimes

Montgomery Advertiser

Rights group plans vigil at Capitol

Equality Alabama is sponsoring a vigil for victims of hate crimes to be held at 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007, on the steps of the State Capitol.

The guest speaker will be the Rev. Robert Graetz, a longtime civil rights activist.

The vigil is held each February near the anniversary of the murder of Billy Jack Gaither in Sylacauga.

Equality Alabama supports rights for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered citizens through education and activities.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Meet Saul Nall

This is the newest member of the Nall family. His name is Saul. I bought him this morning from a retired Sgt. Major who was a military policeman. The father of Saul is a trained military police dog that retired with Sgt. Major Parks. I don't know about you but to me that says 'very good bloodlines'. The daddy dog was an absolute behemoth.



Saul is three months old. I went to Montgomery with a medium sized box thinking this guy was a little furry puppy. Not! He weight about 35 pounds right now. His color is blue and tan whch is just gorgeous!



He was very good on the ride home. He got car sick, bless his heart, but didn't try a jump over the seat or anything distracting.
We went for a long walk after we got home and he got to explore the cats from a distance and much of the woods around the house. I can already tell he is smart because he keeps shaking my hand and then rolling over for a belly scratch. Right now he is laying at my feet sleeping.




I absolutely love him!!



So what do you think?

Monday, December 18, 2006

German Shepherd

Tomorrow I finally get my new dog. My family and I have decided on a German Shepherd. I have wanted one for a long time for a variety of reasons.

1. They are loyal family dogs that love children.
2. They are fearless
3. They are highly intelligent
4. They are utterly terrifying if they are not your dog and, as a result, people keep their distance.

I want one like the black-faced one in this picture.


The ones I am going to look at are black and sliver and will probably look more like these at first.



To me the darker the face the more frightening the dog.

I am getting a male and I am going to name him Saul. I can't wait!!

POT: America's #1 Cash Crop

Chicago Tribune
____________________________________

Pot called top cash crop in America
Study: Market value exceeds $35 billion

By Eric Bailey
Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times
Published December 18, 2006

SACRAMENTO -- For years, activists in the marijuana legalization movement have claimed that cannabis is America's biggest cash crop. Now they're citing government statistics to prove it.

A report released Monday by a marijuana public policy analyst contends that the market value of pot produced in the United States exceeds $35 billion--far more than the crop value of such heartland staples as corn, soybeans and hay.

The report estimates that marijuana production has increased tenfold in the past quarter-century.

Jon Gettman, the report's author, is a proponent of the push to drop marijuana from the federal list of hard-core Schedule 1 drugs, such as heroin and LSD. He argues that the data support his push to begin legalizing cannabis and reaping a tax windfall from it, while controlling production and distribution to better restrict use by teenagers.

"Despite years of effort by law enforcement, they're not getting rid of it," Gettman said.

But Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, cited examples of countries that have struggled with drug crops.

"Coca is Colombia's largest cash crop, and that hasn't worked out for them, and opium poppies are Afghanistan's largest crop, and that has worked out disastrously for them," Riley said.

Gettman's report cites figures in a 2005 State Department report estimating U.S. cannabis cultivation at 10,000 metric tons--10 times the 1981 production.

Using data on the number of pounds eradicated by U.S. police, Gettman produced estimates of the likely size and value of the cannabis crop in each state.

His methodology used what he described as a conservative value of about $1,600 a pound compared with the $2,000- to $4,000-a-pound street value often cited by law-enforcement agencies after busts.

Nationwide, the estimated cannabis production of $35.8 billion exceeds corn ($23 billion), soybeans ($17.6 billion) and hay ($12.2 billion), according to Gettman's findings.
-----------
But Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, cited examples of countries that have struggled with drug crops.

"Coca is Colombia's largest cash crop, and that hasn't worked out for them, and opium poppies are Afghanistan's largest crop, and that has worked out disastrously for them," Riley said.


Is Tom Riley saying that American's should prepare for aerial fumigation on our native soil?

The drug war is meant to be waged and not won. It should come as no surprise to anyone that marijuana crop production is up. Look at what happened in Colombia after we started aerial fumigation. The crop production went up. Now John Walters of the ONDCP will say it is down in Colombia and that may be (I have my doubts) but coca crop production has risen in surrounding countries like Peru and Bolivia. And look at what happened in Afghanistan. The Taliban had almost completely eradicated the opium crop. When American soldiers arrived the opium crop production skyrocketed and this year there was over a 60% increase from previous years.

Hell, let’s put the government in charge of eradicating the ivory-billed woodpecker. In a year we would be over-run with them.


(H/T to Poliblogger )

Saturday, December 16, 2006

I miss blogging

I have been so busy the last week and have not had much time to spend here blogging. I miss it. Writing is so theraputic for me and I have so much that I need to write about. Everything from the election is still banging around in my head looking for a way out. I promise all of my eager readers that before Jan. 1 I will get that done.

There is a lot of new stuff with regard to the Compassionate Care Act that I want to blog about. That will encompass a whole new website and blog. I have spent three days of the last week organizing a party, meeting with the ground troops working with me on this, meeting with the bill sponsor and meeting with patients.

An interesting tidbit... During the party I needed someone to ride with me to pick up a patient and the gentleman who volunteered/got volunteered turned out to be a retired narcotics detective from the Birmingham Police Dept. Yowza! That was a fun ride!
No, really, it was. He is a great guy who is now working for our side and we had a wonderful conversation. He remembered me from the election and said that he had gotten a huge kick out of the whole "boobs" thing. He also said that he remembered me from back in 2002 when I first got arrested and asked me to send him the affidavit and trial transcript.
Having him drop his former occupation on me like that however, was very uncool. When I got back I mentioned to my friend who had sort of volunteered the guy that "Gee, did you know he was a retired narcotics detective?" and my friend died laughing and said, "Yes, but it didn't dawn on me until after you were already gone and I just wondered if your car smelled like a big joint. I hoped it didn't but figured even if it did you were in no danger...he is one of the good guys now."

I keep wondering how I get into these situations. They make for an interesting life.

Let's see what else is going on....

My daughter Isabella turned 10-years-old today. She got a lava lamp, two Monty Python movies and a Rubix Cube. The whole family has enjoyed the lava lamp immensely today. Those goofy things are absolutely fascinating. Whoever made them had to be familiar with very good LSD. I tried out the Rubix Cube but gave up after a few twists and turns. We all laughed our butts off watching Month Python and the Holy Grail. I am glad my 10-year-old daughter is advanced enough to appreciate things like lava lamps and Monty Python. I think if she was a 'Barbie' kind of kid I might go mad.

I am almost done with my holiday shopping. I hate shopping. I try to do most of it over the internet without getting shafted on the shipping charges. I don't know what I am getting for Christmas...probably nothing. What I would like is a German Shepherd puppy. I am getting one....I just have to buy it for myself so I don't know if that counts as a present or not. I was also considering an Old English Sheepdog, but they all appear to be waaaaaaaaaaay out of my price range...and besides they do not instill fear in the heart of anyone....but damn they are cute! And, well, just in case Santa Claus is reading this I'd also like a Homedics heated Shiatsu Massage Cushion for my arthritic back. That is my wishlist in a nutshell.

What is Santa bringing you?

Alabama to get Sentencing Help

State to get funding for prison study

By Mike Linn
Montgomery Advertiser

A Philadelphia-based research group will pour $12 million into Alabama and seven other states to research and develop programs to help control prison costs and, at the same time, hold offenders accountable for their actions.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonprofit organization, announced its plans Friday at the Alabama Supreme Court, along with Gov. Bob Riley and several other high-ranking state officials.

The state's prison population was projected to grow by an additional 2,400 offenders over five years at a total cost of $150 million. State officials say legislative reforms passed this year will help save tens of millions of dollars.

Pew will do the following in its research:


The organization will collect and analyze data on who is admitted to prison, how long they stay, who returns and the implications for public safety and state budgets.


The organization will help state officials understand how existing sentencing, release and community supervision policies, practices and outcomes compare to those in other states.


The organization also will encourage Alabama to use top-notch research techniques to advance reforms that could reduce crime and reduce the likelihood offenders will go back to crime after they've been released from state custody. "Taxpayers deserve a return on their investment in corrections, just as they do for programs in education, health care, the environment or any other service," said Adam Gelb, project director at Pew.

Gelb declined to list the seven other states because he hasn't made those announcements yet.

Sue Bell Cobb, who will be sworn in as Alabama's Supreme Court Chief Justice in January, said she wants every county in the state to have a drug court by the end of her term. Currently, just 14 counties have a drug court that specializes in treating those who have been arrested for possession of drugs.

Riley said 38 out of 67 counties in the state have community corrections programs, but he'd like to see all 67 have the program by the end of next year.

Friday, December 15, 2006

2 Wetumpka officers resign amid investigation

December 15, 2006

WETUMPKA, Alabama -- Two Wetumpka police officers have resigned in the wake of an FBI investigation into claims of corruption within the police department.

Wetumpka Police Chief Bill Pertree would not reveal the identity of the two officers. He would only confirm that the officers resigned as a result of the ongoing investigation.

"The only thing I can say is on March 2006, I was notified by the FBI of possible corruption involving a member or members of the Wetumpka Police Department," Pertree said Thursday. He declined to comment further.

FBI Special Agent Michael Gavin, who oversees the Montgomery office, would not say if the investigation is complete or if any current or former Wetumpka police officers would be indicted.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Medical Marijuana Party a HIT....BIG MEETING TONIGHT!!!

Thanks to all of you who were able to make it out to OT's last night for our medical marijuana christmas party. I'd guess that throughout the night there were 60-70 people there at any given time. I hope that everyone enjoyed it.

Tonight Dec. 14 another very important event is happening. At 6 pm Alabamians for Compassionate Care is holding our first meeting to hammer out the work plan for the upcoming legislative session for the Compassionate Care Act. This is the meeting where we will be picking team leaders and assigning tasks for everyone working on this bill to do in their community. If you'd like to be a part of this please attend tonight.

What: Alabamians for Compassionate Care Meeting

Where: 401 Beacon PKWY West (UAB TASC BLDG)
Birmingham, AL

When: Dec. 14 at 6 pm to 8 pm

Contact: Loretta Nall
256-625-9599

Please RSVP if you plan to attend tonights meeting.

If you plan to come please bring a notepad and paper to take down important notes about the work ahead. I will have food and drinks for everyone. I hope to see you there.

Loretta Nall
Executive Director
Alabamians for Compassionate Care

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Medical Marijuana Merchandise

Dear All,

Now that the election is over (I know, I know, I still owe at least one article on that...it's coming) my focus has shifted back to getting a medical marijuana bill passed in the 2007 legislative session.

Tonight we are having a big party in Birmingham and I hope that you will be able to join us.

In order to help raise money for this work I have created a line of merchandise for supporters to purchase.

This line includes,


Stash Boxes


Men and Womens Apparel in a variety of styles and colors.


Baseball Caps

And a large variety of other products for home and office. Please stop in for a look around and pass this link on to others you know who are supportive.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Write-in Votes Often Good for Chuckle

Montgomery Advertiser

EDITORIAL

Poll workers don't like them because they create extra work, but it would be a genuine loss if the call to eliminate write-in votes in Alabama elections were heeded. Fortunately, the quadrennial grumbling about them has faded a month after the election.

The official canvass of the Nov. 7 vote showed more than 12,000 write-in votes in the governor's race. It's worth a look at these votes -- some of them obviously cast in jest, but others perhaps reflecting a more serious point of view.

Among those receiving votes were some actual candidates. Loretta Nall, the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor, was left with no choice but to run a write-in campaign. Alabama's overly strict ballot access laws denied the Libertarians a column on the ballot.

Roy Moore, the ousted chief justice of the state Supreme Court, got some write-in votes in the general election. He was easily defeated by Gov. Bob Riley in the Republican primary in June.

Former Gov. Don Siegelman, who also lost in the primary, garnered a few write-in votes in November.

A couple of potential candidates got write-in votes. Charles Barkley, the former Auburn and NBA basketball star who has expressed interest in running, found some early supporters, as did former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow.

Some of those receiving write-in votes were, to put it gently, ineligible to serve. Ralph "Shorty" Price, recalled by older generations of Alabamians for his outrageous conduct and many failed bids for office, got some write-in votes even though he has been dead for more than 20 years. Former Gov. George Wallace, who died in 1998, was nonetheless the choice of some voters again this year.

And some prescient voters, perhaps sensing that he was soon to be out of a job, offered their write-in votes to Mike Shula.

Such socio-political richness would be lost if write-in votes were eliminated. That's too high a price to pay.
------------------

I personally got a good belly laugh out of the Hugo Chavez fan in Autauga Co. who wrote Hugo in for every race.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

I could chew nails!!!

A few months ago I wrote an article about Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer patient and medical marijuana user Don Prockup and his troubles with the state of Alabama over his medicine.

If you haven't read that story please take a few moments and do so by clicking on the link above.

I have kept up with Don over the passing months. I send him emails on a pretty regular basis and call him on occassion. I want to know how his health is holding up, if there have been any more clashes with law enforcement and if there is anything new with his court case. I get worried when I do not hear back from him in a reasonable amount of time. He is literally on death's doorstep and could go at any moment.

I wrote him a few days ago to invite him to the holiday party in Birmingham on Wednesday and the meeting the following day. I told him I would be happy to come and get him and provide lodging for his stay and then drive him home if he felt up to it. Yesterday Don sent me the following email.

hi, i just got back from mobile, i had ten days of radiation from my jaw to my heart. it is bad. i can't eat but i throw up anyway and i can't swallow. my doctor gave me a script. for 100 marinol 5mg. but i don't think my ins. will pay for it. don

And a few minutes ago I got another email from Don.

hi loretta, no my ins. would not pay for the marinol. its so funny that the goverment says we don't really need marijuina for the ill because we can use Marinol. Then they say, "Well we won't pay for it." you see i'm on medicare and use Wellcare, prescription drug plan, all run by the goverment. if i grow marijuaina, its free and better but they will put me in jail. my Marinol prescription that my radiolgist just wrote me for 100 5mg pills cost over 600.00 dollars and the goverment drug plan refuses to pay for it. so what do i do? i don't feel liking eating, lost about 20 lbs, i cannot swallow because of the radition treatment. i'm sick from my head to my toe with every pain you can think of. ALL I WANT IS TO GROW AND HAVE MY ON MEDICINE......MARIJUINA......FREE. Donald J Prockup, Jr

That makes me so mad I could chew nails!

I can't begin to imagine what it is like to live alone and have cancer, to have to withstand days and days of radiation, which everyone knows makes you so sick and destroys the quality of your remaining life, and then have to battle insurance companies to get the only legal medicine that helps, while at the same time fighting the state ,who wants to put you in jail for growing marijuana as medicine, while telling you to use Marinol...but refusing to pay for it.

This is MADDENING GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY at its absolute worst! Please get involved in helping Alabama pass The Compassionate Care Act so that patients like Don Prockup can live out their remaining days with dignity and in relative peace.

Start by coming to THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA CHRISTMAS PARTY on Wed. Dec. 13 in BHAM.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Reefer Madness

Baldwin drug arrests

Authorities announced today the drug-related arrests of two south Baldwin County residents, one of whom is being held on $1.011 million bond after being charged with trafficking in marijuana.
In addition, Jerald “Buddy” Wilson Jr. of Robertsdale was charged with two felony counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, authorities said.

Alabama law mandates that bond for any drug-trafficking charge be $1 million.

Also arrested Thursday was Tara Linly Woodson, who was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance as well as misdemeanor counts related to possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to the news release.

Investigators said they believe the two cases are related.
-------------

A million dollar bond mandate for someone caught with 2.2 pounds of marijuana or more? You know....I hardly ever see rapists, child molesters and murderers get slapped with a million dollar bond. I bet that if a bond is set in the beating death/hoax abduction case of Geonte Glass that it won't approach anything near 1 million dollars. Am I the only one who finds this practice offensive?

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Alabama Medical Marijuana Christmas Party

Dear Colleagues & Friends,

I am writing to you today to personally invite you to join me and Alabamians for Compassionate Care, Alabama's medical marijuana advocacy group, for a gathering on Dec. 13, 2006, at O.T.'s Sports Grill in Birmingham, AL from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This event will combine a holiday celebration with a 'meet & greet' in a relaxed atmosphere between patients, physicians, state lawmakers, lobbyists, grassroots organizers and supporters to discuss ideas for the Compassionate Care Act in the upcoming legislative session.

The Compassionate Care Act is a bill which would authorize the medical use of marijuana only for certain qualifying patients who have been diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition. You can read the entire bill HERE.

Work on this bill began in late 2004 and a slightly different version of the Compassionate Care Act passed the Alabama House Judiciary Committee in April of 2005. However, the distribution language in the earlier version was unworkable so the bill was reintroduced in 2006 only to stall out due to it being an election year.

In 2007 things are going to be different. We are going to make it happen. We have expanded our network of patients in Alabama who use marijuana as medicine. Meet Laura Campbell and Don Prockup . Laura worked with us in the past and has had some excellent media coverage. Don has just begun working with us and sadly the remaining days of his life are extremely few.

Think for a moment if you were in the same situation as Laura or Don. What would you do? Would you suffer near unbareable sickness and pain all because some suit in Montgomery or Washington D.C. said marijuana isn't medicine when medical science says that it is? Every human being has the sovreign right to decide what medical treatments work for them and to engage in those treatments without fear of government retailation.

Please join us in asserting that right for ourselves, should we ever need it, and for those who need it now but are too sick and weak to fight this battle for themselves.

RSVP if you plan to attend and bring some friends, relatives or co-workers with you. Please share this invitation with anyone you think will be interested and if you are an Alabama blogger please consider reposting on your site.

Happy Holidays,
Loretta Nall
Exec. Dir.
Alabamians for Compassionate Care
PO BOX 504
Alexander City, AL 35011
alabamacompcare@yahoo.com
256-625-9599

ACTION ALERT!!

Dear Fellow Reformer,

Earlier this year we warned you about a bill in Congress that would
revive controversial research on the use of toxic, mold-like fungi
called mycoherbicides
to kill illicit drug crops in other countries.
This provision could unleash an environmental disaster of monumental
proportions. But Congressman Mark Souder and Senators Hatch and Biden
are rushing it to the House and Senate floors this week. Here are
three things you can do:

1) Call your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative today or tomorrow.

If you don't know who they are, simply call the Capitol Switchboard
at (202) 224-3121 and give them your address. They'll connect you
directly with their offices. You can also look them up online at
here and here

When you get a staffer on the phone, politely say something like:

"My name is [your name] and I live in [your city]. I'm calling to
urge [the Senator or Representative] to oppose the ONDCP
Reauthorization bill if it comes to the floor this week, especially
its mycoherbicide provision. Please let me know how [the
Senator/Representative] votes."

If they ask, the mycoherbicide section is Section 1111. The bill
being brought to the floor is a combination of a House and Senate
bill, so it doesn't have a bill number yet. It will be brought to the
Senate floor under a unanimous consent agreement and to the House
floor under suspension of the rules--both of which limit debate.

2) Phone calls are the most effective way of stopping this bill. But
if you don't feel comfortable making calls or you don't have the
time, we urge you to fax or e-mail your elected officials instead.
You can contact your two Senators
here and your Representative
here.

3) Please forward this alert to everyone you know. Unless thousands
of Americans contact Congress, this bill could pass by the end of this week.


MORE INFORMATION

Mycoherbicides have already been extensively studied over the last
thirty years - and the results make it clear that they are not an
option for controlling crops of coca or opium poppies. They attack
indiscriminately, destroying fruit and vegetable crops, and sickening
animals and humans as well. The toxins mycoherbicides produce
contaminate soil for years, so that nothing can grow where they have
been. Mycoherbicides are so destructive that governments have even
stockpiled them as weapons!

Incredibly, the proposal now before Congress advocates using
mycoherbicides in "field studies" in countries such as Colombia and
Afghanistan - something the world would certainly see as an act of
biological warfare.

Office of National Drug Control Policy head John Walters spoke out
against further mycoherbicide research last year, but this terrible
proposal is now part of the ONDCP Reauthorization Act.

For more information on mycoherbicides, read the recent report
commissioned by DPA, "Repeating Mistakes of the Past: Another
Mycoherbicide Research Bill" (PDF:
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=12750&l=134463 ).

Here's the full text of the mycoherbicide provision in the ONDCP
Reauthorization Act:

Sec. 1111 Requirement for Scientific Study of Mycoherbicide in
Illicit Drug Crop Eradication

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this act, the
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall submit
to the Congress a report that includes a plan to conduct, on an
expedited basis, a scientific study of the use of mycoherbicide as a
means of illicit drug crop elimination by an appropriate Government
scientific research entity, include a complete and thorough
scientific peer review. The study shall include an evaluation of the
likely human health and environmental impacts of mycoherbicides
derived from fungus naturally existing in the soil.

This Woman Needs to go to Jail

What on earth? A kid handcuffed and sent to jail for opening a Christmas present early? Boy...that's really in the spirit of things. This is a very clear example of how many parents have come to depend on the state to raise and discipline their children. IT'S SICKENING!! The police should have locked her up when she called for something as retarded as a kid opening a present early.


COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) -- A fed-up mother had her 12-year-old son arrested for allegedly rummaging through his great-grandmother's things and playing with his Christmas present early.

The mother called police Sunday after learning her son had disobeyed orders and repeatedly taken a Game Boy from its hiding place at his great-grandmother's house next door and played it.

He was arrested on petty larceny charges, taken to the police station in handcuffs and held until his mother picked him up after church.

"My grandmother went out of her way to lay away a toy and paid on this thing for months," said the boy's mother, Brandi Ervin. "It was only to teach my son a lesson. He's been going through life doing things ... and getting away with it."

Police did not release the boy's name.

The mother said that her son was found in the last year to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but that his medicine does not seem to help.

She said he faces an expulsion hearing at his school Wednesday. Rock Hill Police Capt. Mark Bollinger said the boy took a swing at a police officer assigned to the school last month. He has been suspended from school since then.

The boy's case will be presented to Department of Juvenile Justice officials in York County, who will decide what happens to him, Bollinger said. His mother hopes he can attend a program that will finally scare him straight.

"It's not even about the Christmas present," she said. "I only want positive things out of it. ... There's no need for him to act this way. I'd rather call myself than someone else call for him doing something worse than this."

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

To the Dentist for a Root Canal

Yep! My day is going to be just jam packed with fun. At 10 am I go to the dentist for a double root canal, fillings and a partial cleaning. I have never had a root canal before and I hear they are brutal. On top of that narcotic pain killers will be prescribed and I will need them.....but I hate taking narcotic painkillers. Most people would be likely to think that since I am so fond of pot that I would love opiate based drugs. Not true. The opiate based drugs make me itch, make me nauseous and when I lay down and try to sleep them off I feel like I have been taking speed. It's a nasty combination.

On top of that my favorite Great Uncle, Mr. John D. Patterson of Lineville, AL passed away on Sunday morning and his funeral is today. I won't be able to attend as I will not be capable of driving myself and there is no one to drive me. I'll be writing about Uncle John when I get back from the dentist assuming I will be able to run the keyboard. He was one of a kind and I miss him already.

Monday, December 04, 2006

A little proofreading perhaps?

Normally you will find me singing the praises of The Montgomery Advertiser but after seeing the following headline posted on their website for most of today I have to wonder who is at the controls.

They may change it but the current headline reads,
'Riley offers reward for death of 2-year-old'

Calhoun Co. gets a TANK!

Calhoun Sheriff's Office gets second armored vehicle
By Andy Johns
Star Staff Writer
12-04-2006


(Fred Krenshaw, left, of BAE Systems, talks with Calhoun County Sheriff's Deputy Cpl. Michael Kane about a M113 armored personnel carrier that the company is giving to the Sheriff's Office. Photo: Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star)

By mid-December, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office will be able to send an armored vehicle to a Christmas parade and a Relay for Life event at the same time.

(Why would anyone want a tank at a Christmas Parade or a Relay for Life event?)

The sheriff also will be able to transport 12 additional deputies under cover of armor into the middle of a firefight.

(When is the last time there was a firefight large enough to require the use of a tank in Calhoun Co.?)

The Sheriff's Office is receiving a used M113 armored personnel carrier from the Defense Department under the federal 1033 program, which allows donation of surplus military equipment to law enforcement agencies.

(Can you say 'militarizing the local police' and 'using military equipment on the civilian population'?)

“It's not technically a tank, but there is plenty of armor,” said Cindy Garrison, a spokeswoman for the local office of defense contractor BAE Systems, which retrofitted and repaired the vehicle.

“It gives a lot more protection,” Garrison said. “You could probably roll right over a house with this.”

(BOY! That makes me feel safe. Who wants to bet that the first house rolled over will be that of an accused pot smoker or some other non-violent drug offender?)

Once the vehicle is officially presented to the Sheriff's Office around Dec. 15, it will be available for any agency in the county to use, Amerson said. In some instances, he said, he could see lending the vehicle out to other agencies in east Alabama.

(Oh Goody! That's just what we need!)

Politics in Alabama Survives Demopolis Tornado

My friend and fellow blogger Jeff Vreeland over at Politics in Alabama was in Demopolis camping out on the river in preparation for a BBQ cookoff when a tornado hit. Here's video of Jeff and Matt telling what it was like to ride it out in a tent.

Porn-Aments

There is an outcry from the Puritans inhabiting our country about adult themed X-mas tree ornaments called pornaments. I think they are hilarious so I am helping to spread the good cheer by posting them here.


Snowman Sex


Ms. North Pole


Mr. North Pole

Get yours at Spencers

Now...wait a minute?!!

From The Montgomery Advertiser

Man charged with striking officers with vehicle

ADAMSVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- A 36-year-old Jefferson County man is jailed today on two counts of attempted murder of two Adamsville police officers.

According to Randy Christian, a sheriff's department spokesman, Stephen Michael McCullars of Wylam is accused of striking the two officers with a vehicle when he drove away during a traffic stop while being questioned.

The incident happened around midnight Sunday on U.S. 78 in Adamsville.

Christian said both officers suffered broken arms and abrasions and were treated and released from U-A-B Hospital.

He said around 6:30 Sunday morning deputies found McCullars hiding in an abandoned mobile home and took him into custody.

He's in the Jefferson County Jail under a 60,000 dollar bond.

----

Christian said both officers suffered broken arms and abrasions and were treated and released from U-A-B Hospital.

OK, how do two police officers suffer broken arms when someone drives off during a traffic stop? Were they laying down in front of the vehicle with an arm each under the tires? Did they each jump in front of the vehicle as it was driving away and stick their arms out in front of the grill in hopes of stopping it? I mean really...how does that happen? Not saying it isn't possible....just can't quite picture it.

Generally, when a suspect tries to strike an officer with a vehicle they are blown to smithereens like these two guys in Huntsville on Sunday. Maybe the fact that these cops in Adamsville didn't get a shot off and kill the guy caused them to break their own arms to avoid being humiliated by their brothers in blue? "Our arms were broken Sarge...we couldn't shoot!"

Something is Amiss in St. Clair County

Jen over at Alabama Moderate has discovered that St. Clair County election officials did not count her write-in votes for Governor and for an Alabama Congressional candidate. She has written an LTE and sent it to all of the major papers in the state. It will be interesting to see what lies at the bottom of this one. Thanks to Jen for catching this.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Alabama Voters Need More Choices

Speaker's stand ... Alabama voters need more choices
By Loretta Nall
Special to The Star
12-03-2006

In light of the recent surge Alabama saw in write-in votes cast in the general election and the ensuing outcry from poll workers to ban the practice, I'd like to offer the following perspective and possible solution.

The ballot access laws are the real problem, a problem created solely by the government.

As a third party or independent candidate for statewide office, one must collect around 41,300 registered voter signatures in order to have their name placed on the ballot with the two major parties. This number changes every election cycle based on the number of people who voted in the last election. Neither of the two major parties has to meet this requirement. They get to make the rules and then claim an exemption they are not really entitled to.

And what is the first solution we see put forth to fix it? Do you think they are saying, “Hey ... let's fix the ballot access laws to make them more equitable for everyone and give more choices to the people?”

Of course not! The first words out of their mouths are, “Let's BAN it!” They would actually seek to further restrict the citizen's right to vote and make it so that citizens' votes count only if they cast their vote for the state sanctioned candidates, in other words for them. That's like saying you can have any flavor ice cream you want as long as it's vanilla.

As a voter and former write-in candidate for governor, I find that mentality very frightening and most offensive. It serves as a pure example of how the political process no longer belongs to the people but has instead been hijacked by those in office.

The fact that so many citizens cast write-in votes, whether they were for me, Roy Moore, Charles Barkley or someone else, should serve as a clear warning that citizens are tired of this two-party system which, in Alabama, is more of a one-party system, and want more choices on the ballot, not less. We should demand that our election process at least be as fair and equitable as the one in Iraq where there were 75 political parties and 111 candidates on the ballot in the last election.

Is that too much to ask?

Loretta Nall was a Libertarian write-in candidate for governor and lives in Alexander City.

Montgomery Advertiser Calls for Troy King to Resign

Alabama Attorney General Troy King on Thursday announced that he was removing himself from any participation in the ongoing criminal investigation of the state's two-year college system.

But that's not enough. King should resign as attorney general. He won't, but he should.

When the state's recently elected top prosecutor commits a breach of ethics so egregious that he has to step aside from a sweeping criminal investigation into potential governmental fraud, it raises a serious question about whether he should hold the office.

The fact that King did not step aside from the investigation on his own prior to newspaper revelations about his actions raises the troubling possibility that he put his own election ahead of doing what was right. If his actions had been public knowledge prior to the Nov. 7 election, the outcome of the election could well have been different.

We don't expect King to step aside now as attorney general. But he should.

READ MORE

I could not agree more with this editorial. I still wonder who knew what and when they knew it. The fact that the BHAM News broke the story and the fact that they endorsed Democrat John Tyson and not Troy King makes me wonder if they didn't know something before the election and just kept it under their hat??

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Police Tapes Detail Moments Following Shootout With Elderly Woman

ATLANTA -- Police officers urgently called for medical help and additional personnel seconds after an elderly woman was killed in a shootout with narcotics officers.

About 40 minutes of recordings of police radio conversations around the time of the shootout were released by Atlanta Police Friday in response to an open records request filed by The Associated Press.

There are many references to the wounded officers, but little talk of Johnston. Officers refer to her as a "perp," or perpetrator. There were no calls for medical assistance for Johnston, who was pronounced dead at the scene.


That really just says it all, doesn't it?

And let's not forget Sean Bell, who was gunned down by police in Queens NY on his wedding day.

Here is a great article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on how 'no-knock' warrants rarely produce drugs and how easy t is for cops to obtain them.

Ballot Rules Too Restrictive-- Montgomery Advertiser

Friday, December 01, 2006

Ballot Access in Alabama

Dan over at Between the Links has a great post on ballot access in Alabama, what the new signature numbers are for those wishing to attain a slot on the ballot and his views on why this is wrong. Go Read!

Whos A Rat .com

Earlier this morning there was a story on CNN about this website called Whosarat.com which claims to identify 4000 undercover police informants.

Here is a story from Drudge Report about the website.

Wikipedia has more here
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I believe such websites are constitutionally protected. Here in Alabama we have our own court ruling involving this issue and supporting the claim that it is constitutionally protected free speech. I also believe sites like this one help to preserve our constitutional right to 'face our accuser' which sadly has been erased by drug warriors. I have never understood how police using a confidential informant in drug cases is legal. We are suppossed to have the right to face our accuser in a court of law, aren't we? However, if the cops say, "A confidential informant gave us this information" then we never get that opportunity. They might as well be able to say, "A little birdie told me." And that is NON-SENSE!

I hope the site comes back up. If it does I will add a permanent link on this site.
UPDATE: WhosARat.com is now fully operational once again.

It's a Mexican Standoff at the Alabama State House

Republicans plan to add 35 more Democrats to election challenge

By BOB JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A Republican leader said Thursday the GOP plans to add the names of 35 House Democrats to a fast-growing lawsuit that soon could challenge the elections of almost half of the members of the Alabama Legislature.

House Minority Leader Rep. Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, said the lawsuit, originally filed against four Democratic state senators, will be amended to include the 35 House Democrats who he said did not have opposition in the party primary and did not file disclosure forms with the Secretary of State.

The decision to add more Democrats to the lawsuit comes after Democrats intervened in the lawsuit and asked that it include a group of Republicans - four senators, 21 representatives and two appellate court judges - who had no opposition in the Republican primary and didn't file campaign finance reports.

"We had hoped that this dispute could be kept among members of the Senate, but partisan Democrat attorneys have chosen to bring the House into the matter," Hubbard said Thursday. "In order to protect our Republican House members and the seats to which they were elected, there is no choice but to name these 35 Democrat candidates in an action."
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Wouldn't it be an amazing thing if both of these lawsuits actually managed to clean out the state house and senate to a large degree? Just think, we might actually be able to place competent people in their positions and change the course of Alabama forever.

I know, I know....I'm dreaming....but I think I will write Santa and ask for these lawsuits to be successful anyway.