Help Alabama Say NO to REAL ID

My friends at the Libertarian Party here in Alabama have formed a group dedicated to opposing the REAL ID Act. Please read the following email that I am forwarding on their behalf, send in a contribution if you can afford to do so (can you afford not to do so?) and show up at the next meeting. This is a non-partisan or multi-partisan effort if you will to stop Alabama from implementing the federal government's REAL ID program.

Live Free or Die,
Loretta Nall~

The Real ID Act is the defacto creation of an unconstitutional National ID card. It sets standards to ensure easy access and reliability. It also creates the largest database in the world linking hundreds of currently independent databases. Personal information about private citizens will be made available to Motor Vehicle Departments, Federal Agencies and private companies. The potential for abuse for political ends becomes certain.
NO2RealID.org
news for October 25, 2007
Three steps to NO REAL ID IN ALABAMA:

1.What we will do for you: We will lobby extensively and make Alabama the Eighteenth State to pass a Resolution opposing REALID. We will also expand our operations and begin lobbying for a goal of 25 States TOTAL that reject REALID. We are already in contact with nine other states.

2. What we need from you: We need 100 folks to join in 30 days. All it takes is $25.00...for the price of nice lunch you get freedom from a national database. Your name will not appear on any lists. We will maintain our own lists with confidentiality.

3. Forward this email to friends and family that might be interested.

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Every dollar will help us attain these goals even a single dollar contribution counts!In fact if every recipient of this email was to donate $1 a month we would be in great shape.

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Rep. Cam Ward agreed to sponsor a resolution to oppose REALID and he will be joining us at one of our upcoming meetings! He is currently working on a version of the resolution that will be appropriate for Alabama.

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1st Meeting Successes! We had wonderful attendance at our first meeting including the Chair of the Libertarian Party of West Virginia via teleconference. We are currently developing our email list (over 700 addresses) as well as encouraging blogging activities. We are also preparing for a press conference in January 2008.

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Next Meeting:

October 29, 2007
2nd Meeting with Teleconferencing
When: 8:00 PM - 9:00PM CT
Where: Cleveland Building 2330 Highland Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Send an email to info@NO2REALID.ORGfor teleconferencing directions.

This meeting is an advisory meeting setup to listen to basic suggestions about future strategy and tactics. We will be inviting participants to become members of our advisory board. Refreshments will be provided.

Virtual Meeting/ Chat
9:30-10:30 PM CT
Go to "Members Only" Page to visit Chatroom

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To Join: Send a check or money order to:

NO2REALID.org
2330 Highland Ave South
Birmingham, AL 35205

or if you wish to contribute by Paypal or credit card:

send an email to don@no2realid.org

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If you can't make it please take a moment to let us know that you are interested in the issue by sending an email to info@NO2REALID.org. If you would like to be removed from this list, please send us an email to out@NO2REALID.organd put REMOVE in the subject area.=

Government Addicted to Pot Smokers

This letter is in response to the recent Birmingham News article Drug Problem Worse New Data Shows.

Dear Editor,

Bravo for Dave Parks article, "Drug Problem Worse Based on New Data" (10/21). It painted a very clear picture of where police, court and correctional resources are being squandered in the government's failed and costly "War on Drugs". It's really a war on marijuana consumers, who, while the most numerous, are the least problematic of all substance users.

The fact that over half of arrests and prosecutions for all drug violations were for simple marijuana possession shows that the justice system has no real interest in targeting large dealers. After all, with no large dealers there will be no small users to round up for prison or drug court programs. Drug courts, by the way, are nothing more than an addicted justice system seeking to get its money-fix by robbing the nearest pot smoker. Clearly, the drug war is nothing more than a government jobs program, meant to be waged, not won.

Even more telling was the quote from Lt. Paul Hogan, head of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department narcotics division,
"I don't think we're ever going to stomp out drugs totally," Hogan said.

That's good for him, because it means he will always have a job stomping out the lives of pot smokers, if not the pot itself.

The government has become addicted to marijuana smokers. Without us they would be forced to work on burglary, robbery and auto theft cases of which the clearance rates are around 17% statewide.

Respectfully Submitted,
Loretta Nall
Alexander City, AL 35010

Half of Alabama drug arrests for marijuana possession

There is a shocking article in the Birmingham News today about how the number of drug cases in Alabama are double what was previously thought and that over half of all drug cases in Alabama are for simple marijuana possession. That information isn't what is shocking to me...hell it's what I've been saying for years. The fact that it is being reported is what is shocking!!

Drug Problem Worse based on New Data

Sunday, October 21, 2007
DAVE PARKS
News staff writer

Day breaks in Bessemer, and an unmarked van rumbles over railroad tracks. It turns down a street filled with grand but aging homes and parks behind a rundown frame house, the worst in the neighborhood.

Eight heavily armed men and women dressed in black, with armored vests and helmets, pile out. They smash through the home's rear door, shouting, "Sheriff's department! Search warrant!"

In the war on drugs, it's another skirmish, something that is occurring far more often in Alabama. For the first time, the state Department of Forensic Sciences crime lab is counting drug cases statewide, and it's getting a total that is nearly double what was previously calculated.

Now we know 30,891 drug cases were filed in Alabama in fiscal 2006, said Gary Wallace, chief of drug chemistry at the crime lab.

That's one case for every 150 Alabama residents. It represents more defendants than the entire population of Bessemer, and at that rate in three years the number of people arrested could fill Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama, like the rest of America, has an escalating and costly drug problem. The FBI estimates that adult drug arrests tripled from 1970 to 2005. More than 1.5 million of these arrests occur annually in the U.S. The cost of illicit drug use in 2002 was $181 billion, with $107 billion of that associated with crimes such as murder and robbery, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Carol Roberts, a public information expert for the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, said some police agencies in the state, including the state Department of Public Safety, the state troopers, fail to report their drug arrest numbers. Thus, data are incomplete, she said.

Wallace said the total number of cases handled by the crime lab nonetheless provides a fairly accurate indication of just how many drug arrests are made in Alabama. The lab handles drug cases from all police agencies in Alabama, he said. Everybody sends in their evidence because quantitative and chemical analyses are necessary for criminal prosecution.

So the crime lab is able to accurately count criminal drug cases, which are now pouring into the lab at a rate of 2,800 a month, or about 90 a day, Wallace said.

A typical raid:

The drug operation in Bessemer early one Wednesday morning provided a look at what kinds of charges are typically filed, and what types of drugs are most often seized.

Minutes after deputies crashed through the back door, a bleary-eyed, shirtless man was brought out in handcuffs. "Usually when you do this early in the morning you catch them in bed," said Lt. Paul Hogan, head of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department narcotics division.

Deputies confiscated a 12-gauge shotgun, and two police dogs sniffed out what appeared to be small amounts of crack cocaine and marijuana. The 38-year-old resident of the home was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance.

The overwhelming majority of drug arrests nationwide and statewide are for possession, as opposed to trafficking.

Marijuana was the top illicit drug confiscated last fiscal year in Alabama. According to the crime lab, authorities seized about 2,500 pounds of marijuana in 15,409 cases. That's half the state's caseload for drug violations.

"Lortabs have taken over as the pharmaceutical drug of choice," Wallace said. "Valium led that for a while, but Lortab has taken over."

Wallace said most trends revealed by the statistics aren't surprising. Officials generally know what's being seized because they handle the arrests and paperwork. They also know many types of illegal drugs come and go.

LSD has come and gone several times since the 1960s. It's now gone, with only five seizures of that hallucinogen in fiscal 2006.

But the main drug of choice stays the same, easily topping the number of seizures by police. "The majority is marijuana," Wallace said. "That's pretty standard every year."

One of the deputies participating in the Bessemer raid said it is much easier to zero in on street drugs than prescription drugs. That's because people who abuse prescription drugs usually make their purchases through medical channels. They may shop around for several doctors, or find an unethical doctor willing to write prescriptions for a price, making those kinds of crimes tough to uncover.

Still, Hogan's team of narcotics deputies stays busy, sometimes putting in long days and nights. The deputies started work at 5 a.m. the day of the Bessemer raid, and planned to conduct another operation later that day, and then again at 7 p.m.

"I don't think we're ever going to stomp out drugs totally," Hogan said.
-------------------------

And that is perfectly alright with Officer Hogan because it means he will always have a job! That's what the drug war is. A government jobs program.

And there you have it folks...the unvarnished truth about who is filling up prison cells. Harmeless, mostly peaceful marijuana smokers.

Let's say that all 15,409 people who were arrested in 2006 for simple possession of marijuana were sentenced to one year in jail at $12,000 a year (just for housing in prison). That comes to a whopping $184,908,000 and it does not include the court costs, officer man hours, the loss of employment if the person was employed, the destruction of the family unit if they had a spouse and children, the long term cost to taxpayers to help care for family members left behind and so many other bad things that go along with getting busted for smoking a joint. Now, we know that not all of these people did jail time but they could have and the astronomical dollar figure is really on the low end of the range.

It's time for people to stand up and demand that governmnet stop wasting our tax dollars in this futile and extremely socially harmful manner. Write a letter in response to this story today!! I'll post mine later.

Veteran Alabama Political Commentator Bob Ingram Dies at 81

By PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Veteran journalist Bob Ingram, who spent six decades reporting on Alabama politics in newspapers and on TV, died Thursday night, ending a career that made him as well known as the politicians he covered. He was 81.

Ingram passed away after a two-year battle with the blood disorder myelodysplasia, his son, Ragan Ingram, said Friday.

Bob Ingram reported on the big events in Alabama from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 through the governor's race of 2006. His weekly column, "The Alabama Scene," was a fixture of small newspapers throughout the state for nearly 50 years until he had to discontinue it in May due to his declining health.

READ MORE
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This is very sad news. I never got the chance to meet Mr. Ingram in person but we did speak on the phone once. Those of you who followed the election last year should remember Mr. Ingram real well. It was his quipping about the fact that I have cleavage in the following article that launched 'the twins' into the international media spotlight and gave me unbelievable opportunities to talk about drug policy reform and the rest of my campaign to the masses.
(click to enlarge)


It also led to the creation of the most hilarious campaign gear ever.


I remember the day I traveled to Montgomery intending to meet with Mr. Ingram, if I could, to give him a piece of my mind about his cleavage column. I went to the Montgomery Independent office and got a copy of the paper, then I asked for his phone number, which the clerk gave me. I called and left a message. He called me back within a minute.

I was pissed off at the beginning of the conversation but by the end of it we were talking about my drug policy reform ideas, prison overcrowding and potential ways to deal with it and his grandson, who lives here in Alexander City. I was surprised to learn that Mr. Ingram agreed with a lot of what I had to say. Despite the fact that I feel he was overly rude and dismissive of my campaign I was and still am grateful for his paragraph on how boobies offended his mama...if not for that paragraph the 2006 Alabama general election would not have been nearly as entertaining.

Mr. Ingram you will be missed.

Loretta Nall

Wal-Mart, Politics & Drive By Truckers

So I am up at 2:30 this morning because I can't sleep thru the night anymore due to working graveyard at Wal-Mart. I'm cooking a roast, drinking coffee and the urge to write a little came over me.

About two weeks ago I wrote my first article on what working at Wal-Mart has been like for me. My main gripe was a couple of time-clock breeders who did everything they could to get out of working while at work. I complained to the manager, who then called them to the office and apparently explained the rules about sexual intercourse in the parking lot and in various places about the store being expressly forbidden. They came back to work one night after that and no one has seen them since. I don't miss them. I don't think they have quit or been fired. I heard that the girl took medical leave and the boy called in and said he was in the hospital. Whatever. I hope that if they come back they will not be on my shift.

Then about a week ago my manager on 3rd told me he needed to see me for some paperwork before the night was over. I didn't know what it would be. My supervisor said it might be my first evaluation or maybe something to do with insurance. It turns out it was an evaluation...but not one of them evaluating me, but rather one of me evaluating them. I found it very odd. It was one page of questions related to my experiences working for Wal-Mart thus far. Did I like it? Did I feel I had been properly trained? Did I feel I could approach any of my mgrs/sups with problems? What did I like least? Most?

I filled it out, signed it and handed it back to the night manager who looked at it and said, "What the hell is that anyway?"
"I don't know", I told him. "You're the manager...don't you know what it is?"
"No", he said. "I have been here 15 years and I have never seen one of those."

I can still only specutlate as to what the purpose was. Maybe the store manager wanted to gauge my feelings after our little discussion. Or perhaps, as one friend offered, they are considering me for a PR position at some future date and wanted to experience my shit talkin' skills first hand. Either way, it was very weird.

Politics

Due to various goings-on in my personal life I have not been as active in drug policy reform in the last few months as I would have liked to have been. Things are starting to settle down now and I am proud to announce that I have been awarded another grant to continue my work here in the state on behalf of medical marijuana patients and this year as an advocate for pot smokers who are sentenced to drug court. I'll be doing an official news release on this new program within the next few weeks and it will include the locations in Alabama with drug courts that I intend to monitor.

Court officials in Alabama are not accustomed to being moitored and held accountable so this should be an infinitely fascinating project loaded with drama, fireworks and great media. If there is a drug court in your neighborhood and you or osmeone you know are interested in being a monitor then please get in touch with me via email.

Drive By Truckers

My friend Phil Smith at DRCNet and senior editor of Stop the Drug War has been after me for years to check out the Drive By Truckers and I never did. Then recently another friend of mine invited me to see them in Birmingham last weekend and I was able to go. I was really impressed with the authenticity of their music. It isn't really country...but it ain't rock either. It's just Alabama music and that's about all I can say. If you've never heard them before check them out at Drive By Truckers .com

Here are a few pics I took. Have better ones but haven't uploaded them yet.

Alabama "Meth Judge" Sentenced to 12 Years

From the Montgomery Advertiser

Oct 11, 12:29 PM EDT

Former Ala. judge sentenced to 12 years in meth case in Miss.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) -- A former west Alabama judge who pleaded guilty to methamphetamine charges was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment Wednesday after describing how his addictions spiraled out of control.

Ira D. Colvin, who was arrested last year in Mississippi, was immediately taken into custody.

The former district judge must serve five years of supervised release after finishing his prison term, said prosecutor Rhonda Hayes-Ellis.

"Meth is a terrible drug, and it has terrible effects on everyone involved," Hayes-Ellis said outside court. "It's certainly unfortunate."

Colvin was appointed to the judgeship in 2002, and he was removed from the bench after being charged. He still faces drug charges in Alabama, where authorities said meth was found in his office in Carrollton following his arrest.

During a three-hour sentencing hearing, Colvin described how he became addicted first to alcohol, then prescription medication and finally methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to possessing precursors used to make the drug.

A woman who was arrested with Colvin, Ashley Watkins of Gordo, Ala., pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Colvin. She awaits sentencing. Hayes-Ellis said Colvin claimed he paid Watkins to go to stores and purchase drug ingredients for him.

Colvin's wife, Christy Dawn Colvin, was arrested in Columbus on a similar charge only four months before his arrest. Her initial possession of meth charge was reduced to possession of a controlled substance in exchange for a guilty plea. She was given a six-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to complete drug rehabilitation.

Colvin was indicted in May 2004 on federal bankruptcy fraud charges alleging he hid $25,000 in assets for a client in 2001 while still working as a private attorney. The charges were dropped after Colvin apologized, and he won a term as district judge in November 2004.


I've covered this story since it broke back in August 2006. My initial reaction was that the proverbial book should be thrown at Judge Ira Colvin. I was also very curious to know what his record was when sentencing drug defendants who came before him. That information is difficult to come by so I still do not know what his record was. Even so I feel kind of bad for the guy. Addiction is addiction be it the town drunk or the sitting judge and prison is no place to heal or put one's life back together.

The Funniest Shit Ever!!

I've been following the story of Thorington Road Baptist Church Reverend Gary Aldridge's bizarre and exquisitely embarassing death by auto-erotic asphyxiation while wearing two wetsuits, rubber underwear and a condom covered dildo inserted into his nether region. My buddy BitterOldPunk directed me to ScienceBlogs.com where I found some of the most hilarious comments ever. My favorite so far is this lulu of a poem by some brilliant, poetic genius calling themselves 'Cuttlefish'.

We gather here to eulogize
The Pastor and the Man
Old Gary Aldridge, often wise,
Though not his latest plan.

A member of the Christian nation,
Friend of Jerry Falwell,
His last attempt at masturbation
Didn't go at all well.

For fifteen years, he'd preached the word
A Southern Baptist minister
His death--now, is it just absurd
Or something rather sinister?

How does a person come to wear
Not one wetsuit, but two?
(Although, I know, I should not care
I'm curious--aren't you?)

I tend to think that, years ago,
He spied a rubber glove,
And wondered "Should I--well, you know--
When God and I make love?"

He tried it on, and found a tube,
Half hidden on his shelf,
Of KY--smiled, and murmered "Lube
Thy neighbor as thy self."

And minutes later, hard at work,
He felt a little odd
Was this a sin, or just a quirk?
He talked it out with God.

"Is what I'm doing here a sin?
Or is my pleasure Thine?
Is this as bad as skin on skin?
Lord, please, give me a sign!"

So God produced a pamphlet: "Your
Vacation in Aruba!"
And pointed out--right there, page four--
The wetsuits used for SCUBA

See, God's not really how you think
A deity might be
He's got a wicked bondage kink
(Just ask His son, J. C.)

So Gary died, not steeped in sin
But following God's plan;
So straight to Heaven--come on in!
And bring the wetsuits, man!

A story, sure, but it may yet
Explain what happened then.
The moral is, please don't forget:
Your safeword is "Amen".

I ruptured some internal organ while howling over that one.

This one too...

He was actually found wearing a "Vote GW Bush 2004" T-shirt. The police just dressed him in that other stuff to lower the embarrassment factor for the family. Posted by: MartinC

Seriously though click the link above and read all these gems. It seems I am not the only one wondering how two wetsuits was possible?

110 lbs. of Hell

Thought my doggie blog fans might enjoy an update on Snoot.

Yeah, I know he looks all sweet, but his looks are very deceiving. You are looking at 110 lbs. of pure, unadulterated hell. He got out of his fence yesterday morning and ran all out in the road and into the neighbors yard. I was terrified that a car was going to come along and smash him. Y'all would have had to straight-jacket and rubber room me if that had happened. After he gnawed on the neighbor's kids football he ran back across the road and took a shit on one of my neighbors flower beds just like the old hound who shit on our steps a while back. What a jerk! Hehehe. It took me forever to catch him. He ran in his pen and thought it was a nifty game of chase when I came to get him out. I was really pissed but can't blame him for wanting to have a little fun.

Things Customers Do That Piss Me Off

After nearly four weeks of working at Wal-Mart as a cashier I have developed an extenisve list of things customers do that piss me off. This list will serve two purposes.

1. It will allow me to vent and
2. It will be a guide that helps you be a better customer.

So, here we go.

Problem

Customers who have a huge load of stuff but somehow see no need to place bagged items back in their cart or get a new cart for bagged items if their cart is not yet empty by the time my carousel fills up. Instead they let me fill every bag, stack things into a dangerous, precariously leaning pyramid on top of my bag carousel and then stand there with a blank "Why did things stop happening?" look on their face when I stop ringing their purchases up because I have nowhere to put them.

Solution

MOVE YOUR SHIT BACK INTO YOUR CART ASAP!

Problem

Customers who know they do not have enough money on a debit card, gift card or credit card. They are generally identified when they say, "I know there is not enough money on this card but I want you to ring all of my stuff up anyway just to see."

Solution

WHY?
If you know you only have $20 on any given card then don't bring $976 of worthless shit you wish you had the money to buy for me to ring up knowing you can't pay for it. It is a real pain in the ass to have to void 20 items off of a ticket and more aggrevating when it was entirely avoidable. It also holds up my line.

Problem

Customers who forgot their money in the car. When this happens I have to suspend the transaction so my line doesn't get backed up. However, a suspension requires a key turn and, since I am but a lowly cashier, I do not have keys. I have to page a CSM, who could be anywhere, and wait for them to arrive and turn the key. So, my line ends up getting backed up anyway. When the customer who left their money in the car returns they somehow automatically think the front of the line belongs to them.
NOT SO! Go your ass to the back of the line since it was your mistake and not mine or the other customers who have been forced to wait because of your negligence. Git to Steppin!

Solution

Bring your shit in with you. Why would you ever leave money in the car anyway?

Problem

Customers who only have a few items but use a large cart anyway and then leave the damn thing sitting in the middle of my register blocking the way of other customers.

Solution

Either carry all your stuff in your hands or use a handbasket provided as you walk in. If you simply must have a large cart for a single small pack of M&M's then take the damn thing with you when you exit the store since the cart racks are on either end where you will be exiting. It has wheels and uses almost zero energy.

Problem

Customers who STINK! WTF you never heard of soap and water or something? I swear some people come thru my register and they smell so bad it is all I can do to keep from gagging and puking right on the belt. Can they not smell their own vile funk? Sadly, there never seem to be any personal hygine products among their purchases.

Solution

WASH YOUR ASS! Grab a can of FDS, soap, shampoo and some Degree located in the health and beauty aids section. It's really cheap and people will soon stop retching and turning green when you walk into the room.

Problem

Young looking customers who refuse to show ID when purchasing alcohol/tobacco/R-rated movies. They always have an excuse ready.

Customer: "I forgot it at home."

Me: "Tough shit kid you'll have to go home and get it and show it to me if you want this stuff."

Customer: "Its in the car."

Me: "Cool at least you don't have to go all the way home to get it."

And my favorite,

Customer: "My birthday is XX-XX-XXXX and I am this many."

Me: "Guess what kid...I can make up a birthday to make myself younger just like you can make up one to make yourself older. It's a neat trick ain't it?" Now...show me some ID before I turn you over my knee and tan your hide for you.
(I don't really say that last part but I think it)

Solution

Bring your damn license or whatever you use for ID into the store with you if you are in fact old enough to be purchasing the things you are trying to purchase but look under 35.

Problem

Customers who have two or three carts of stuff, come through the only line in the store that sells tobacco products and BUY NO TOBACCO! WTF is up with that exactly? What, pray tell, are y'all thinking? Why not go over to register 14 or down to register 2 and check out if you don't need tobacco? Why go through my line and hold up 10 people, with absolutely nothing in their hands (because they are buying tobacco) for 15 to 20 minutes and then not buy tobacco? Don't you understand that this is the only line in the store that sells tobacco? If you have 10 carts and ARE buying tobacco then come on thru and I will welcome you with a smile...as long as you buy tobacco.

Solution

If you aren't buying tobacco and there is another line open that can accomodate your purchses then STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY LINE!

Sometimes I wonder if these people can wipe their own ass.

I told you so!

After months of circling the wagons and trying in vain to shoot the messenger it has been determined that the Rev. Gary Aldridge of Thorington Rd. Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL died with his hands and feet bound behind his back wearing two rubberized suits.
Please forgive my vast ignorance of erotic ashphixiation....but why two rubberized suits? How in the hell would you even get two of them on?

That translates to some serious KINK....just as I suspected. I wonder what all of the people who threatend me over my speculation will have to say today? Not much I'd bet.

As for the papers assertion that 'no foul play was involved....hehe oh it was foul all right and was certainly play.

Here is the story from todays Montgomery Advertiser

Aldridge autopsy released

By Andre Coe

A Montgomery minister found in his home this summer died with his hands and feet bound behind his back and dressed in two rubberized suits, an offical autopsy report showed.

The Montgomery Advertiser obtained a copy of the 13-page report on Friday, one day after District Attorney Ellen Brooks authorized its release.

The Rev. Gary Michael Aldridge was found dead June 24. Police ruled the 51-year-old pastor of Thorington Road Baptist Church was alone at the time of his death and that there was no foul play involved.

The autopsy, prepared by Senior State Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Boudreau of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, lists "accidental mechanical asphyxia" as the cause of death. It gave a one-paragraph description of what the examiner saw when he conducted the autopsy on June 25.

A toxicology report showed no signs of drugs in Aldridge's system, but did find traces of ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol. Boudreau explained that a body that is decomposing creates ethyl alcohol. Aldridge's death has been the subject of rumors since the church asked the community to "refrain from speculation" until police completed their investigation.

Brooks said Friday that her office gets hundreds of cases requiring autopsy reports every year.

"I don't know anything about any speculation," she said. "I'm a prosecutor. I have no case to prosecute. It is not a criminal matter at this point. If you're asking about idle curiosity, I'm not going to comment on that."

Capt. Huey Thornton, a police spokesman, said Montgomery Police used an out-of-state agency during its investigation, but he would not name the agency. He said the agency corroborated MPD's finding that Aldridge was alone when he died.

The Montgomery Advertiser requested a copy of the autopsy in a July 11 letter to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. On July 12, the department replied that "... the report(s) cannot be released to the public at this time because the District Attorney has determined that the case is still under investigation. ..."

After police reported on Wednesday they had completed their investigation, the Advertiser made another request for the autopsy report.

Rod Kennette, deputy director of the state Department of Forensic Sciences, said he received Brooks' authorization to release the report shortly before 5 p.m. on Thursday.

The medical examiner who conducted Aldridge's autopsy said Friday the long wait for the autopsy findings was not unusual.

"These things happen," Boudreau said. "We see probably two of these a year. If you're not used to seeing that sort of thing, it's probably unusual."

Drug Court Comes to Alexander City and Loretta Announces Court Watch

Officials in my town met yesterday with drug court representatives to discuss the possibility of forming one for the 5th Judicial Circuit which includes Tallapoosa County.

From The Alexander City Outlook

Officials consider drug court

By Patrick McCreless

Law enforcement and court officials from four counties, including Tallapoosa, gathered in Alexander City Thursday for a singular purpose - to help drug addicts become productive members of society.

The meeting was a chance for the officials to take their first steps toward developing a drug court for the 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Tallapoosa, Macon, Chambers and Randolph Counties. Drug court programs have become an increasingly popular way throughout the state and the nation in recent years to affectively curb drug addiction.

"It's good public policy and it's good law enforcement policy," retired Jefferson County Judge Pete Johnson said of drug courts. "We teach them (addicts) to live drug free."

Johnson has been a major proponent of drug courts for years and led the creation of Jefferson County's drug court in 1996.

"I was concerned because I kept seeing the same defendants coming through my court over and over with drug related charges," Johnson said. "We decided we should try to break the drug use and crime cycle."

Drug court is designed for defendants charged with illegal possession of drugs and forged prescription cases who want to live drug free lives. Drug dealers and traffickers are not eligible for the special court.


In typical programs, when a defendant is accepted into drug court he or she enters a plea of guilty. The defendant is then required to return to court at least 15 times for reviews during his year in drug court. Drug treatment, testing, counseling and volunteer work are required for all drug court defendants.

Johnson said defendants who fail a drug test in Jefferson County spend a night in jail. Subsequent relapses cause the defendant to enter more intense drug treatment after a longer jail stay. If treatment and sanctions do not work, the defendant goes to prison.

When a defendant successfully completes drug court, he or she graduates and their conviction is set-aside on recommendation from the district attorney.

"I think it'll be something beneficial," said 5th Judicial Circuit Judge Tom Young. "It'll take these people off the street as drug addicts and create law abiding citizens."

For the few skeptics in the crowd, Johnson came armed with various statistics that indicated the success of Jefferson County's drug court over the past decade.

Since 1996, 4,161 addicts have participated in Jefferson County's drug court. Of those addicts, 2,629 successfully graduated from the program. Only 9 percent of those who graduated from the program relapsed in the last two years.

Drug cost fees paid by the defendants added up to over $3 million. Since its initiation, the Jefferson County drug court has saved taxpayers over $36 million in prison costs.

"I think it's been proven in Jefferson County," said Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett. "I would support an effort for drug court provided it meets all guidelines previously set up."

Young said he and the other judges in the 5th Judicial Circuit plan to meet in the next 60 days to hash out more of the details for an effective drug court.

"I think this kind of structure is what these people (addicts) need," Young said.

Not too long ago I discussed with the sheriff of Tallapoosa Co. the level of interest in starting a drug court here. He stated that many court officials here were interested but that the main problem was lack of funds. I assume that they have found the funding to get started.

I have a lot of problems with the way this article was written though. First the word addict portrays the inaccurate conclusion that anyone who uses an illicit substance is automatically an addict in need of intervention. That is about as truthful as saying anyone who ever had a drink of wine or a can of beer is an alcoholic in need of intervention. I know scores of people who use an illicit substance, lead productive normal lives complete with nice families, a home, cars and everything else that goes along with leading a productive 'normal' life. Why should people who lead productive normal lives be subjected to forced intervention from law enforcement and the courts simply for possessing an illicit substance...in most cases just marijuana?

About a month ago I wrote an LTE that was printed in most of Alabama's major newspapers about the 25 new drug courts and my fears that they would simply round up pot smokers and waste scarce resources by sending them to occupy treatment beds that should be saved for people battling real addiction. You can read that letter HERE.

To ensure that such a thing does not happen I am happy to announce that I have received a grant for the purpose of funding Alabama Court Watch which was created by myself and Ralph Hendrix of UAB TASC. This program will enable us and a group of volunteers to attend drug court sessions to collect information on who is being forced through these programs and what wrap-around services are offered to clients for the outrageous amount of money being extorted from them in order to stay out of jail. Will there be mental health counseling, vocational rehab, help with prescription medications, exceptions on payment amounts for people on SSI Disability, exceptions for people using marijuana in the medical sense and so forth? Or will these programs merely take money from everyone caught with drugs and offer nothing more than mandatory attendance at AA/NA?

I don't think government should be involved in the business of curing addiction. In my opinion it is a private family matter and not to be exploited in order to fill state and county coffers. However, since government insists on being involved I have made it my mission to make sure that for every penny they take they offer something in return.

Drug courts can help people who badly need it...but only if they are run properly with sensible allocation of resources and prioritization of who needs help the most and not who is the largest group of people they can extort money from.

I'll see y'all in court.

More Wal-Mart Fun!

Sadly that photo confirms that I actually am employed at Wal-Mart.


And I bet y'all thought this was a 'family oriented store'. This gem sits at the end of my register in what is called a 4-way, which is currently displaying 2008 calendars. This particular calendar, which looks like it came straight out of 'Brokeback Mountain' is sandwiched between 'Larry the Cable Guy' and 'Jeff Foxworthy'. It doesn't get much more entertaining than that.

Beam Me Up Scotty

Man I have missed y'all sooooooooo much. I've spent the last three weeks of my life trapped in Wal-Mart hell. Third shift was seriously kicking my ass for a while but I have adjusted pretty well now. Of course, when I am off all I want to do is sleep and since they saw fit to work me 8 days straight and then split my two off days that is probably what I will do a lot of today. But not before I get out this blog post which I have been dying to write.

Wal-Mart is a trip! Not the job itself but many of the people I work with. And not a trip in a good haha kind of way either. I guess it is somewhat universal that the people you work with are what generally make a job suck. That has been my experience with just about every public job I have ever had and the lower the wages the worse the attitudes. I actually make a lot for a cashier position and the work is gravy. I run a register for a few hours a night, clean the registers and do returns. Returns, by the way, are all the shit that you customers decide at the last minute you don't want and you place frozen biscuits in the say pet area or something like that. Not complaining or anything...I do it too truth be told. At times I also work as the greeter at the door. That job is usually so dull and boring that I think I'd rather have bamboo splinters driven under my nails for entertainment. It can be a great deal of fun though when it is busy. People seem utterly shocked to see someone at the door who smiles at them and asks how they are doing. They also seem to appreciate being thanked for their business on the way out. I have had many of them offer me tips after coming through my line or being greeted at the door. However, company policy forbids me from taking any tips whatsoever. That sucks. I could probably make as much in tips as I do in my check.

I came in one day in the middle of my second week and all of the CSM's (Customer Service Managers) were praising my work, telling me all of the big managers were extremely happy and were saying things in the back like after my 90 days are up I could eaisly have any management position in the store that I wanted, that they wish they had more like me, that I work really hard, don't ride the clock or take long breaks and lunches and just all around warm fuzzy stuff about my performance. All of what they said is true, but it is hard to feel too proud because looking good when most of my competition are lazy, ill-tempered, bovines is way too easy.

One bovine in particular is really driving me insane. She is a total nasty skank with poor personal hygine, zero work ethic and all sorts of other problems that make her being in a cashier position a very bad choice. I cannot for the life of me understand why she is in that position. She never smiles at customers or tries to engage them in conversation. To make matters worse she recently married a guy on the floor crew and they work the same shift. They have already been caught fucking in the parking lot, on every break they sneak off and ring each others necks with hickeys, and it is impossible to keep them away from each other in the store. Quite frankly, if I were the manager who caught them fucking in their van on their lunch break I would have called the lawn and garden center to bring me over a water hose to seperate them, just like two dogs tied up in the front yard, and then I would have fired them. The guy she married reminds me of Lenny in "Of Mice and Men" by Stienbeck. A rock has more brains. When I think of them the song 'Flagpole Sitta' by Harvey Danger comes to mind

"Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding
The cretins cloning and feeding
And I don't even own a TV"

If you put the girl (actually she is a fully grown woman) to putting out returns she will abandon her buggy just about anywhere and sneak off to find her husband. They then proceed to the fitting rooms or behind the customer service desk to make out or fuck or god knows what. The other day she announced that she is pregnant. YUCK! I call it the "Wal-Mart Breeding Program." If she is assigned a register she turns out her light, finds a soap opera digest or an Enquirer, bends down so no one can see her and pretends she isn't really at work.

Last week those of us who work on the front end were without a CSM for one night and Ms. Skank really put on a show. She took a 45 minute break on her 15 minute break, an hour and a half lunch followed by an immediate 20 minute bathroom break, followed by another 45 minute 15 minute break. I WAS PISSED! Returns were piling up, customers were getting pissed because there was only one register open and this gal was no where to be found. I decided that it was time to utilize the open door policy and tell a night manager what kind of problem we were having with her. So I did. And....I was told to call her to the front and tell her what was what. I declined that offer. I said I am not a manager and that running stupid bovines around the store was above my pay grade. However, if he would like to pay me a managers pay and give me manager powers then I would be happy to drive her about with a cattle prod.

The next day I went in an hour early and went directly back to the main managers office and told him what was going on. I introduced myself and he smiled real big and said, "Yes Mrs. Nall I know who you are and I have been hearing some really wonderful things about you. How can I help you today?" I told him about how this cashier can't be put on returns because all she does is sneak off and make out with that thing she is married to. About how she can't be assigned a register because she turns off the light, ducks down and reads tabloids. About how they have been caught breeding on the clock, about how a customer with small children will one day walk around the corner and catch them in the act and be traumatized for life. "I thought this was suppossed to be a family store and I don't recall a breeding program on company time as being one of the fringe benefits." I told the manager that I have a very strong work ethic, that even though Wal-Mart is far from the most glamourous job in the world I still do my very best. I feel they offered me a set rate of pay for a set amount of work and when I accepted that offer I agreed to actually do the work. I told him that even though I do everything I am suppossed to do and most of skank's work as well that at the end of my last shift I had to leave work with the Customer Service desk piled high with returns and many of the registers not cleaned. "That reflects badly on everyone on that shift who works up front, regardless of how much work I actually did it looks bad and so I look bad and I really hate to look bad."

He asked me what I would do in this situation. I told him that I have tons of management experience and that I would have fired her the first time I caught her breeding on the clock. He then said....wait are you sitting down? He said, "Well, maybe we should just assign her to a register full time and leave the returns to the more motivated people. It's a team around here you know and we all have to help each other." I bout fell out of my chair. "You must not have heard me," I said. "When she is assigned to a register she turns off the lights, settles down with a National Enquirer and pretends she is not taking customers. Assigning her to a register will not in any way address this problem. If that is all you can do then you might as well clock her in, set her in the office for 9 hours and then clock her out because that is about all it amounts to right now anyway. As for this being a team effort I am a team player and will help any of my co-workers that need help but in order to help this one she actually has to do something first and that isn't what is currently happening." He said, "Well what would you like me to do?" "Your fucking job" were the first words that came to mind and I quickly bit them back. "You are the store manager and you have infinite methods of dealing with this problem at your disposal. You might consider putting them on different shifts. It is always a bad personnel decision to hire a husband and wife team for the same shift...especially one that has only been married a few months. Barring that you could pay me double what I am making because I do her job and mine and I won't complain anymore or you can approach this from some other direction, but either way someone needs to do something because it is very demoralizing for everyone else on the front line to bust ass and have her get paid money for work we are actually doing." Later on he paged her to the office, her husband too, and said some sort of magic words to them. The magic lasted all of one night and she is back to her old ways. I could smash her. Could smash upper management too for acting the way they do.

The next day my CSM wanted to know what I had told the manager and I told her. She said she had talked to everyone on that shift the night before and they all said the same things that I did. She also told me that this person in question has "fetal alcohol syndrome" and that is why management doesn't want to do anything to her. Apparently Wal-Mart has this policy of hiring mentally retarded people into positions they can't do and making everyone else pay the price. Fetal alcohol syndrome my ass!! She has lazy, nasty, white-trash, welfare, food stamp syndrome and in my eyes that is not a disability. If she can't do the job then move the bitch away from my end of the store because I can't deal with her.

Some of the people I work with are great. However, the mentality of the rest of them goes something like this..."Rasslin, NASCAR and high school drama." If you like either of those three things and can carry on a conversation in the break room about them then you will fit right in. I, however, am having a hard time. Like beam me up Scotty there is no intelligent life down here! I stick out like a sore thumb.

Not all of my hours spent at Wal-Mart are spent in a boiling fury and intellectual de-evolution. I actually manage to have fun. I love my customers. To me good customer service is a performance art and I am a great performer. I got theatrics, a sense of humor and the ability to engage almost anyone in a conversation based on items they purchase. Dog food is my favorite because I get to ask what kind of dog they have and then I get to talk about my snoot. A customer buying only tampons or condoms is a little harder to engage though.

I like my little hispanic customers a lot. They always look so stunned and grateful when I smile at them and ask how they are doing. I take it that doesn't happen often. Many of them can speak a little english but when talking among themselves they speak spanish. Last week I learned how to tell what one of them was saying based solely on the inflection of his voice. Two hispanic men came thru my line and the first one had two items. One of them was from the pharmacy side of the store and was something like generic prilosec. The other item was a coke. I rang up his goods and the total was almost $50. He looked over at his buddy with a stunned look and said something in spanish. I cracked up because I knew he had to have said, "Damn that shit is high" just by the way he said it. I asked the one that spoke english if that was what he had said and he cracked up, I mean holding his gut laughing at me and then said, "Yes that is almost exactly what he said." Then he said, "You speak spanish?" I said, "No...but I know that is what I would have said if a coke and some heartburn pills had come to $50."

Then last week we had a streaker. No kidding. A young black woman came waltzing thru the doors with nothing but a very short t-shirt on. She proceeded down the main aisle in the grocery department, ass-a-shinin, got what she came after and walked thru the check out line like there wasn't a thing in the world wrong with busting up in Wal-Mart with your ass cheeks flappin'. Other customers were stunned, all pointing, laughing and covering their mouths. I admired the streaker myself. She certainly created a buzz and reduced the boredom factor exponentially.

There are also a lot of cops who come into the store on third shift. One woman comes in around 5 every morning for something. Last week she showed up at my register in uniform with a huge box of donuts. I told her she was just begging for someone to make a joke. She said, "Huh?" Uh oh, thought I , a cop that doesn't get a donut joke. I didn't bother trying to explain.

Then we have the recognizer/announcer customer. He came through my line one evening. I had a pretty long line and all of the CSM's were up front. He gets to my register and he says in a very loud voice, "Hey ain't you the marijuana lady that ran for governor last year?" "Yep that's me," I said. "I just saw you on TV with Hannity and Colmes a few weeks ago and I voted for you. I am so happy to meet you in person." All of the CSM's heard the marijuana bit....but they all knew who I am and what I do before they hired me so I was bothered not at all. There have been a number of customers who have recognized me.

There is so much more I could write about but right now I think I need a nap.

Sleep Paralisys

I've got it...had it for years...it really SUX! I'm talking about sleep paralisys. If you have never heard of it then you are probably lucky and do not experience it. Here is the definition from Wikipedia.

" Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis).[1]

Physiologically, it is closely related to the paralysis that occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is known as REM atonia. Sleep paralysis occurs when the brain awakes from a REM state, but the bodily paralysis persists. This leaves the person fully aware, but unable to move. In addition, the state may be accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations.

The primary symptom of sleep paralysis is partial or complete skeletal muscle paralysis during the hypnopompic or hypnagogic states. In other words, it is the sense of being aware that one is unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. Sleep paralysis may also be accompanied by hypnagogic hallucinations.[2] These hallucinations can be auditory, tactile, and/or visual."

I have the hypnagogic version. Despite having it for years it still scares the absolute hell out of me every time it happens. I am always convinced that I am not breathing when it happens, which in turn makes me panic. In order to break it you really have to focus every part of your whole being on either moving your eyes, facial muscles or to make a noise in hopes of waking up the person next to you. It happened to me about 15 times this morning. That caused me to only get about three hours of sleep today and I have to work 10 hours tonight. Man I am exhausted.

Here are some of the things believed to cause sleep paralisys.

Sleep paralysis occurs during REM sleep in order to prevent the body from manifesting movements made in the subject's dreams. Very little is known about the physiology of sleep paralysis. However, some have suggested that it may be linked to post-synaptic inhibition of motor neurons in the pons region of the brain. In particular, low levels of melatonin may stop the depolarization current in the nerves, which prevents the stimulation of the muscles, to prevent the body from enacting the dreamt activity (e.g. preventing a sleeper from flailing his legs when dreaming about running).

Many people who commonly enter sleep paralysis also suffer from narcolepsy. However, various studies suggest that many or most people will experience sleep paralysis at least once or twice in their lives.

While I am a longtime sufferer of SP I do not suffer from narcolepsy.

Some reports read that various factors increase the likelihood of both paralysis and hallucinations.

Let's see how many of these possible causes I have.

Sleeping in an upwards supine position (no)

Irregular sleeping schedules; naps, sleeping in, sleep deprivation (Yes)

Increased stress (Boy Howdy!)

Sudden environmental/lifestyle changes ( I live on the edge of chaos)

A lucid dream that immediately precedes the episode. (Sometimes)

Also conscious induction of sleep paralysis is a common technique to enter a state of lucid dreams, also known as WILD[1] . (I can't imagine anyone doing it on purpose)

Artificial sleeping aids, ADD medications and/or antihistamines. (Yes)

Recent use of hallucinogenic drugs. (Gave up hallucinogenics long, long ago)

Here are some potential treatments;

During paralysis episodes, patients may be advised to try moving the facial muscles and moving eyes from one side to the other. This may hasten the termination of the attack.
Clonazepam is highly effective in the treatment of sleep paralysis.[5] (No thanks...I've been a Klonipin junkie before) The initial dose is 0.5 mg at bedtime, while an increase to 1 mg per night might be necessary to maintain potency. Anecdotal reports indicate SSRIs such as fluoxetine markedly decrease the incidence of sleep paralysis. Several people who have been both on and off SSRIs have reported corresponding decreases and increases in sleep paralysis episodes. Others report no effects at all.

I always try and make noise to wake up my husband who can then reach over and shake me thereby re-engaging my muscles. Sometimes I think I am making incredibly huge amounts of noise when in reality I haven't made a squeak. Other times I am able to manage a low, urgent whine, which usually helps me to wake up. I try moving my eyes. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If I keep laying in bed after an episode then it occurs over and over and over. I get scared because it is going to happen again and then I can't get back to sleep. It's a vicious circle.

Do any of my readers suffer from it? How do you combat it?

YAWN!!! It is now time to get ready for another very long shift at Wal-Mart which is about the last thing on planet earth I want to do. I think being boiled in oil might be more fun. Hope y'all sleep well...I know I won't be.

Night Shift is Kickin' My Ass!

So, I'm still working at Wal-Mart and it has been an interesting adventure thus far. It has taken some serious adjusting to get used to working with the public again...not to mention the other employees. At first, it was sort of like what I imagine waking up on another planet would be like. But after a week it's more like say... waking up in another country, so I guess that means I am adjusting.

Third shift hours are kicking my ass though. Having real trouble to adopting the hours of a vampire. No matter how dead tired I am when I get home in the mornings I can never manage to sleep more than four hours straight. Sometimes only three. I also find it difficult to go back to sleep after I get up from an initial nap. Today I was so worn out that I took an Ambien....and slept like the dead. While I was hoping I would wake refreshed I actually feel heavily doped...even though I got eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. It is entirely possible that I am still asleep now and will not remember writing this post when I actually am awake and discover it on my blog.

The work part isn't bad. It's dull and boring. In fact, a deaf, blind, quadraplegic on life support could do it. From about 9 or 10 til midnight I run a register. Sometimes it's the cigarette register and sometimes it's not. Once midnight comes I go to the customer service desk and push buggies full of merchandise back to their area of the store and place it back on the shelves. There is lots of walking involved, which is good because I need to walk but I need much better shoes cause my feet hurt like a bastard. I bet I put in three or four miles a night. Last night I was tapped to be door greeter for an hour. You know....the person who stands at the door and says, "Welcome to Wal-Mart" and "Have a great day" or my version of it "Y'all come back". Talk about a dull, boring, how-the-hell-do-they-expect-me-to-stay-awake job. I almost went face first into the buggies I had lined up for any 3 a.m. shoppers that might happen through our doors.

I have some very interesting co-workers. I hesitate to discuss them here because you never know who is reading your blog and it is time for me to get ready to go do the Wal-Mart shuffle anyway.

More on my adventures at Wally-World when I once again find myself coherent enough to type.

Y'all come back.

Incarceration No Cure for Addiction

From the Montgomery Advertiser


Letters

Incarceration no cure for addiction

I want to thank Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb publicly for her efforts to ease prison overcrowding and address drug addiction with a more compassionate approach. It is so important for society to realize that addiction is an illness that can be treated and not a crime that needs punishing.

Many of you know me as a voice for drug policy and prison reform in Alabama and as a candidate for governor in 2006. I am also a family member who has witnessed the devastating impact that drugs and alcohol can have on human lives.

I have two brothers -- one in prison and one who just overdosed for the ninth time on methadone provided to him by the VA. I love them both very much, despite their addictions. I know for a fact locking them in prison does not work.

While I am happy to see drug courts expand in Alabama, I fear that they will simply round up pot smokers to fill their treatment beds. Those beds should be kept available for people suffering from addiction to hard drugs like alcohol, methamphetamine, crack/power cocaine and opiates, both pharmaceutical and street versions.

Marijuana should be exempt from all criminal sanctions, police involvement, and court oversight when used responsibly by adults.

Taking responsible adult pot smokers out of the drug court equation will greatly enable the drug courts to better help the people who really need it.

Loretta Nall
Alexander City

Phone Call from a Desperate Mom

About 7 am this morning my phone began to ring. Since I have to work tonight and was trying to rest up for it I got up and turned off the ringer. I didn't recognize the number which was Mobile, AL based.

When I did finally get out of bed I noticed that the same number had called me around 20 times. I checked my messages and on one of them was a desperate sopunding woman who said, "I read your letter about drug courts in the Press-Register and I desperately need some help to save my son from going to prison." She gave her number and asked me to call back.

I called her back and this is the story she told me.

She has a 21 year old son, who has never been in any trouble, held a regular job and was raising his two year old son. She said back last year four other men started giving him some trouble, threatening him, driving by his house and so forth. She said they had filed multiple police reports but the cops never did anything. She said one day it escalated drastically when the four men cut her son off while he was driving down the road, pulled him out of the car, beat him badly and stuck a gun in his mouth. They filed another police report and still the cops did nothing. A few days later these same four men started driving by their home again and the son shot at the car twice, hitting the car but not hitting anyone inside. Then the cops decided to do something....arrest her son for shooting into an occupied vehicle.

So, the mom helps the son hire a lawyer and go to court where the judge sentenced him to three years but suspended it and put him on probation. On his first visit to his probation officer, which was 26 days after he was sentenced, he was drug tested and tested dirty for marijuana. His probation was revoked and he has been locked in Mobile Metro since mid-June and is about to be sent away to prison for at least a year.

I have a lot of issues with this whole thing.

First, if the story is being told like it actually happened, then this gentleman's use of a firearm against people who had clearly demonstrated that they were a threat to his life and the lives of his mother and son, was a clear cut case of self-defense. What would you have done in his shoes?

Second, the drug test. It takes at least 30 days and in some cases as many as 45 days before marijuana is out of your system. This kid got tested at 26 days after being sentenced to probation. He may not have even smoked any since he was sentenced...but now he is going to prison for it anyway.

Third...prison for dirty pee. That is about as insane as it gets in my book. As crowded as our prisons are and as many people on the streets that actually need to be in there we can somehow still find room for someone whose pee is not up to government standard. That costs us a minimum of $12,000 a year. What makes it worse is that this young man had a job and was caring for his young son and prior to all of this he had never been in trouble. Now the taxpayers will have to pay for him and his young son. They ripped him out of his life, away from his job, away from his child, completely disrupted everything and caused emotional trauma that will leave scars forever...all for a little dirty pee.

Four, his mother has a private facility for him to be released to for drug treatment. The reason the DOC says he needs prison is to go through the Substance Abuse Program (SAP). SAP program or not prison is no place for anyone who truly needs drug or alcohol treatment. If the mother has a place for her son to go and is willing to foot the bill then why is the DOC still demanding that taxpayers foot the bill?

This has to stop.

I talked with this lady for a little while and told her I would talk around to my people and see what could be done to keep her son out of prison. I also mentioned the Court Watch program that myself and a few good friends have started and asked her interest level. She said to let her know when I can get some folks down there for a meeting and she will have hordes of people who are sick and tired of this shit lined up and ready to do some direct citizen action!

Look out Mobile...here we come..

Ass Sitters

Day Two at Wal-Mart

Not a particularly exciting day. I went in at 8 and took tests on the computer all day. I got done with the final one about 10 minutes before time to clock out. If I understood what the personnel lady said yesterday then, the next time I go back to work I will be put on the floor to train. I am ready for the register. Having to sit in front of a computer with a screen with pulsating light makes my head hurt like a bastard and makes me nauseous....although the Excedrin helped a great deal today. Having to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours that I can't check my email on is maddening. Oh well, that's why I have a cell phone with email capabilities.

I have already determined that there are two groups of people at this store. The ones who work and the ones who sit in the break room all day long and never hit the floor until they are paged. That second group is mostly made up of complainers. I do not know if their reasons for complaining are valid, but they strike me as the type of people who would not be happy under any circumstances. One is a woman I worked with some years ago at a different place. She's an ass-sitter, a complainer, and a trouble maker...was when I first met her, too. That she has been employed at Wal-Mart for some years now makes me wonder what kind of ship they are running.

Now, I know it sounds like I am on a soapbox....but I am a stickler for good customer service. There is little that pisses me off more than to walk into Wal-Mart, drop $150 for groceries or whatever and have a cashier treat me like I shit in her cornflakes this morning. You know the kind I'm talking about...the one that looks all surly, angry, doesn't speak to you, acts like she would rather be boiled in oil than be behind that register...the one who acts like there must be a million other companies lined up to hire her and she doesn't give a damn about you, your money or the fact that without you she would not be getting paid. I could choke'em til their eyes popped out of their heads. If you come thru my line then I will treat you very well. That's a promise. It has nothing to do with what compay I am working for....with me it's a personal thing. Money is hard to come by so you better damn well smile at me and say hello when I am spending my hard earned dough.

If I ever get to the point where I look and act as miserable as that, then I'll just move on to something else. Chances are I will not be getting paid enough to be that miserable 8 hours a day.

Day One at Wal-Mart

You know, it wasn't bad at all. It's been a while since I have worked an hourly job that puts me in direct contact with the public. I didn't get much public contact yesterday because it was all orientation, watching videos, taking tests on the computer and filling out paperwork. I will be there from 8-4 today finishing up orientation and then hopefully I will be ready to rock-n-roll on my register. I remember cashiering, before I became so heavily involved in politics that it consumed my life, and I always enjoyed it. I can talk and cut up with anyone. Since I am a being that requires hyper-stimulation in order to function at my best cashiering has always been something of a good fit.

I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by the benefits offered to employees. They have a 401k, stock purchase options, two health insurance plans, one for new hires,which will cover three regular doctor visits per family member per year with a $20 co-pay and $10 prescriptions, and one for people that have been there a year or more that offers more coverage. The drawback was that the deductible is very high, but the premium is affordable. They also offer counseling if you have personal problems, drug and alcohol treatment if you come forward and say you have a problem....if they catch you having a problem however, they will fire you.

For every eight hour shift I get an hour lunch break off the clock and two 15 minute breaks on the clock. I had worried about having nicotine fits but that didn't happen yesterday. Even cooler is that they provide a smoking room for employees. Not too many places do that anymore.

By the time I left last night my head was splitting down the middle. I had one of the worst headaches I can remember having in a long time. I think it was a combination of the fluorescent lighting and having to crane my neck up to look at the tv while watching videos. Today I'll be taking my Excedrin with me.

Y'all hold the fort down til I get back.

Loretta...LIVE from Wal-Mart!

Two months after I first applied and after the last two weeks spent begging, groveling and even peeing in a little plastic cup in order to be bestowed with a magnificent blue vest festooned with a bright yellow smiley face, I do believe I have finally landed a job at Wal-Mart. I went in for my interview on Thursday, took the drug test afterwards and they called last night to tell me to come in for my orientation today.

Once I am finished with orientation I will be working 10 pm to 7 am. My position will be cashier for register 16, which at my local Wal-Mart is the tobacco register....the only register in the whole store that sells tobacco products. To make purchasing tobacco products even more of a pain in the ass there is a limit of 10 items per customer on that register. Often times I see many people ignoring the 10 item limit and driving whole carts stuffed with goodies through that register. I undertsand their frustration with the only register in the store that sells tobacco products having a 10 item limit. Let's hope I can rely on my sense of humor to get me through the times when they do it to me.

I know many people have a negative image of Wal-Mart. I have never worked there and had ferverently hoped I would never have to. However, I have a lot of new expenses cropping up. For instance, my son has been chosen as an Ambassador to England and Ireland in 2008 and that will cost a pretty penny for sure. He is also hoping to be accepted into Alabama School of Math and Science ,which comes with a hefty, but well worth it, price tag. He has to take the ACT in October. I feel very confident that he will make a high score and be accepted. He brought me a geometry test a couple weeks ago with 110 A+ at the top. I always hated advanced math in school, with geometry being one of my worst subjects. I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler. I can add, subtract, multiply and divide til the cows come home...but that advanced stuff makes my head hurt.

Anyway, I am glad they hired me because I need the money to make these great opportunities a reality for my son. The pay is a lot higher than I anticipated it would be for a starting cashier position. I was pleasantly surprised. I am not sure what benefits are available. I hope to find out today. I know that employee appreciation is lacking though. While I was being interviewed one of the personnel ladies was opening huge packs of generic weiners...(you know the kind with the red dye in them that are made out of god knows what), and placing them into a turkey roasting pan. Another employee came in and asked her what she was doing.

Weiner opener: "So and so has been here 20 years today so management is having a little party for her."

Other employee: "Wow, thanks for 20 years of service....here's a weenie to show our appreciation."

I cracked up right in the middle of the interview. If most of the employees there have that kind of sarcastic brilliance why, I think I might fit right in.

Y'all offer up a prayers and/or happy thoughts for me today.

Remove Pot Smokers from Drug Court Equation

The Mobile Press-Register published the following LTE from me today about drug courts. This one is an unedited version of the one ran by The Tuscaloosa News a few days ago.

Letters, faxes, and e-mail
Saturday, September 08, 2007

I want to thank Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb publicly for her efforts to ease prison overcrowding and address drug addiction with a more compassionate approach. It is so important for society to realize that addiction is an illness that can be treated and not a crime that needs punishing.

Regardless of how people get addicted, they are still someone's mother, father, daughter, son, husband, wife or friend. Not one of them longed to be an alcoholic or drug addict when he or she was a kid.

Many of you know me as a voice for drug policy and prison reform in Alabama and as a candidate for governor in the 2006 election. I am also a family member who has witnessed the devastating impact that drugs and alcohol can have on human lives.

I have two brothers, one in prison and one who just overdosed for the ninth time on methadone provided to him by the VA. I love them both very much, despite their addictions. I know for a fact that locking such folks in prison does not work. It simply drives them insane, and when they are released it's like they are coming out of a war zone.

While I am happy to see drug courts expand in Alabama, I fear that they will simply round up pot-smokers to fill their treatment beds. Those beds should be kept available for people suffering from addiction to hard drugs like alcohol, methamphetamine, crack/powder cocaine and opiates, both pharmaceutical and street versions.

However, pot-smokers are much more numerous than all other drug users combined, and chances are some of these courts will get the majority of their funds from responsible adult marijuana consumers.

So much for the theory of safety in numbers. If that is allowed to happen, then we will find ourselves in the same predicament that we have with the prisons: too many people who don't need to be there taking up all the room for those who do need to be there.

When used responsibly by adults, marijuana should be exempt from all criminal sanctions, police involvement and court oversight. We all know it is safer than alcohol and not addictive to the degree that anyone actually suffers withdrawal if he or she quits.

Unless people who smoke pot are doing something to endanger others, there is no reason for the police or the courts to be involved.

Taking responsible adult pot-smokers out of the drug court equation will greatly enable the drug courts to better help the people who really need help.

LORETTA NALL

Alexander City

Free at Last!

I just got word that my brother Randy has been released from prison work release in Loxley, AL. I will be picking him up in Montgomery in the morning around 1:30 a.m.
I can't wait to see him!

The last time I saw him was in Jan. of this year when I attended a hearing in Clay Co. He has been in prison for four years for being an alcoholic. I am planning to involve him in my work in drug policy and prison reform. Goodness knows he has the credentials and those who have been kicked in the teeth make the best activists. He EOS'd today so there won't be any probation bullshit that could keep him from becoming an advocate.

More on Mandatory Auto Insurance

Right after the "Take Back Our Highways" campaign I wrote a blog post called Let me see your papers. I also had letters about it published in the Tuscaloosa News, the Mobile Press-Register, the Montgomery Advertiser and the Anniston Star

The Birmingham News carried a piece today titled State drivers short on coverage which states that Alabama is tied with California for second place for the highest number of uninsured drivers.

It goes on to say,

Financial resources sometimes play a role in whether motorists are insured, Richards said. "More motorists are insured in affluent counties, but fewer motorists are insured in the counties that aren't as blessed," the trooper said.

Which brings us back to my original problem with mandatory auto insurance.

1. Some people cannot afford auto insurance. I feel pretty certain that most people would buy auto insurance if they could afford it. No one wants to chance being involved in an accident where they might not only lose their only mode of transportation but might also be badly injured and might badly injure others thereby putting themselves at risk for losing anything and everything they own. But, fact is they cannot afford an extra $50 or $60 or more a month. It does not exist.

2. Fining people without auto insurance a whopping $500 is insane. If they had $500 just laying around then they probably would have had insurance. Not only do they still not have insurance they now have a huge court fine to pay with money they don't have. If they are able to beg and borrow the $500 shouldn't that go towards the insurance coverage that is so important that it is now mandatory? Here is what happens if you can't pay the fine.

3. In response to some of my lte's in those various papers people said, "Use public transportation", but there is no public transportation in rural areas. Others said, "Insurance is cheap" but $50 to $60 is a lot of money if you don't have it.

We have a real problem here with a law that disproportionately affects the impoverished citizens of this state. I won't deny that people need auto insurance. But, if some people can't afford it, it is wrong to impose additional financial burden on them, make it illegal/impossible for them to travel to and from work and other places one needs to travel to carry out day to day life functions, especially in areas where there is no public transportation available.

Just what exactly are poor people suppossed to do?

I am glad to see this blurb in the Birmingham News and I hope that other papers will continue to cover this issue in order to foster discussion about solutions.

Mobile Judge Accused of Paddling Inmates

The Mobile Press-Register is reporting suspended Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas is being investigated for allegedly paddling inmates. The newspaper is reporting Thomas is accused of periodically removing prisoners from Mobile County Metro Jail and spanking them in a room at the courthouse. According to the Press-Regiser, once inside the room, the judge would ask the men to drop their pants and prepare to be spanked with what was described as a wooden paddle. Judge Thomas told the Press Register that he did not have any comment on the allegations. Sources also say that between six to 12 men have shared their accounts with investigators. Thomas is preparing for an October 29th judicial ethics trial in Montgomery that could remove him from the bench permanently. Those ethics charges allege that he helped his cousin, former Mobile County School Board Commissioner David Thomas, Jr. Investigators say Judge Thomas removed David Thomas from the crowded Mobile Metro Jail to the Prichard City Jail when Thomas was ordered to serve a week long sentence for leaving the scene of an accident that injured a little girl. The NAACP is holding a news conference right now.

I have come to the conclusion that many people in positions of power quickly become bored. They seek constant hyper-stimulation and pretty soon they run out of things with which to amuse themselves...so they turn to the forbidden, the taboo and the absolutely strange.

I suppose it is a real kicker to do something like Senator Craig did which is to gay bash his whole career while trying to fuck every random male he encountered in an airport bathroom. What a thrill!
Same for the preacher guy who was smoking meth and banging male prostitutes and preachin' the word uh Jesus on Sunday to a televised audience. Ye Gads wouldn't that make the juices flow!

I wonder if Thomas ever put a guy in jail because he thought he had a nice ass that he might be able to paddle?

These people are sick man!

H/TDan

Leave Pot Smokers Alone

The Tuscaloosa News printed the following LTE from me today regarding the expansion of drug courts in Alabama.

Thanks T-Town News!


LEAVE MARIJUANA SMOKERS ALONE

Dear Editor: I want to thank Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb for her
efforts to ease prison overcrowding and address drug addiction with a
more compassionate approach. It is so important for society to
realize that addiction is an illness that can be treated and not a
crime that needs punishing.

Many of you know me as a voice for drug policy and prison reform in
Alabama and as a candidate for governor in 2006. I am also a family
member who has witnessed the devastating impact that drugs and
alcohol can have. I have two brothers, one in prison and one who just
overdosed for the ninth time on methadone provided to him by the
Veterans Administration. I know for a fact locking them in prison
does not work.

While I am happy to see drug courts expand in Alabama, I fear that
they will simply round up pot smokers to fill their treatment beds.
Marijuana should be exempt from all criminal sanctions, police
involvement and court oversight when used responsibly by adults. We
all know it is safer than alcohol and not addictive to the degree
that anyone actually suffers withdrawals if they quit. I say unless
people who smoke pot are doing something to endanger others, there is
no reason for the police or the courts to be involved. Taking
responsible, adult pot smokers out of the drug court equation will
greatly enable the drug courts to better help the people that really need it.

Loretta Nall

Alexander City

Delayed Shock

I think I am experiencing delayed shock over my brother's death and resuscitation last week in Tuscaloosa. It's like I have been walking around in a daze all week long. I keep having dreams about it and I rarely remember dreaming anything. I can't even remember what these dreams are about only the vague, haunting, certainty that they are about what happened that day.

It sort of reminds me of doing a live interview on National TV. I never know how well or poorly I did until I have had time to watch the video a few times and analyze every word. People always seem to have incredibly positive and excited reactions and they ask me, "Loretta, how do you do it?"

I don't know how I do it. It's like going on auto-pilot. The information is just stored in my brain and, when called upon, it comes to the front and center.

Certainly, my brother dying from a drug overdose in the seat next to me while I was driving down the road is much different than a TV interview, but I keep asking myself how I did what I did when it happened. I don't have the convenience of having the entire episode on video tape and, somehow, that should seem like a blessing. The drawback is that I have the whole incredibly, damn frightening, horror show in my brain, going reel-to-reel and I can't shut it off.

I saved him, avoided him having brain damage or permanent injury due to lack of oxygen, made all the right calls and did everything the 911 operator told me to do and that should be enough to judge everything I did or didn't do as a job well done. I am not sure my delayed reactions to it are being born out of a need to judge my performance though. I have been through many traumatic events in my life including the death of an infant to SIDS in 2000. I guess after that kind of shock it possibly takes longer for the shock to set in the next time a major traumatic event occurs in ones life.

I just feel really fucking weird!

My brother is back at the VA in Tuscaloosa. He remained in DCH for two days and was transferred to Northport, where the doctor in charge negotiated his return to the VA. At first the VA refused to take him because he had already been there over 21 days before he was released and this happened. They refused him entry into the PTSD program because they want people going through that to have been stable for a certain period of time. After they found out that if they did not take him back they would be responsible for the bill for the extended stay at a civilian hospital they changed their mind.

I do not have a lot of faith that they can help my brother. They have been remarkably unsuccessful so far. However, he has to want to fix his broken life or there is no help for him. I believe he realizes that this is truly rock bottom and will grasp the lifesaver that has been thrown to him.

Here's hoping......