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2015

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Blitz

INTELLIGENCE

5 Bo Knows Best Our Mark Miller sits down with the King of All Sports, Bo Jackson 6 The Mayweather/Pacquiao Fight Has No Loser We dive into what the bout means for each fighter 9 The Rangers Still Matter Find out what it takes to get Texas back on top

Brand Development and Creative Marketing

18 The United States of Marijuana Why weed is on the table of every state’s legislature

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Publisher Staff Photographers Kelly G. Reed John Breen, Dominic Ceraldi, Editor-in-Chief Jarrod Fresquez, Michael Kolch, C. Craig Patterson Rick Leal, Sandy McAnally Features Director Staff Writers Amber LaFrance Peter Gerstenzang, Keysha Hogan, Pop Culture Editor Martin Iheke, Frank LaCosta, Ethan Harmon Lance LeVan, Chris Sick Sports Editor Contributing Lance Rinker Photographers/Artists Copy Chief Raquel Baranow, Mark McKenny, Mark Miller Mark Sobba, Blake Zack Creative Director Contributing Writers Jette Stephens Jaleesa Bealom, Jacy Cox, Steven Doyle, Photo Editor Andrew J. Hewett, Kendrick E. Johnson, Darryl Briggs Lew Patton, Sara Vodak

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{In-depth}

The King of All Terrains Bo (Jackson) Now Knows Far More Than Sports

BY MARK MILLER – @MARKMYWORDSTEX

ew people will argue that he was the best overall athlete of his era or that barring a debilitating injury, could have been the greatest ever. But Bo Jackson is much more proud of the legacy he’s built off the field than anything he ever did on it.

But a dislocated hip suffered in January 1991 immediately ended his football days and ultimately shortened his baseball career. He did return to play with the White Sox in 1993 and the then-California Angels in 1994 before finishing his degree at Auburn in 1995.

That is saying a lot for the original multi-sport standout, and first athlete to be named an all-star in two professional leagues. Here was a guy known for punishing football linebackers, hitting monstrous home runs, making throws nobody else could make, and, oh yeah, breaking baseball bats over his knees.

While players like he and Deion Sanders shined in two sports, he knows that may never happen again.

Since the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner retired from his first career in 1994, Jackson earned his degree, has gone on the national and international speakers’ tour, and owned a variety of businesses. He also formed a charitable foundation. But what the now 52-year-old Jackson may be most proud of is his three grown children following him in earning their degrees at Auburn University but not in athletics.

“Kids in this day and age, not because of a lack of talent, but the day and era of the two-sport or three-sport athlete is extinct from the standpoint of kids are training year-round. If you try to split your time between two sports you will be riding the bench in two sports because the talent pool is that deep. They are just focused on one thing. They are training better, they have better facilities.”

“I’ve got students, scholars in my house. They get that from their mother,” he said, referring to his clinical psychologist wife Linda. Jackson spoke during a press conference before receiving the PwC Doak Walker Legends Award, a ceremony that also honored the University of Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon as the nation’s best running back of 2014. Jackson grew up at a time when kids like him played multiple sports. Many people know his achievements in baseball and football but may not realize he also was a standout in track and competed in wrestling in high school. After winning the Heisman Trophy, he was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first pick of the 1986 draft. Rather than play for them, he concentrated on baseball that year with the Kansas City Royals. He went back into the NFL draft in 1987 and was selected by the then-Los Angeles Raiders. For four years, he stayed with the Royals the entire season before joining the Raiders. His best year with both came in 1989 when he hit 32 home runs and drove in 105 for the Royals and ran for 950 yards on 173 carries with four touchdowns for the Raiders.

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“The reason I was a two-sport star was that’s what everybody did as a kid,” he said. “When baseball season was over we played football. When football season was over, we wrestled. We were always doing something and it kept us out of trouble.

Jackson knows firsthand about improved facilities as co-owner of Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports, an 88,000-square-foot indoor athletic training facility near his suburban Chicago home. The facility embodies his philosophy of teaching athletes the right ways to be successful on and off the field. He’s also co-founder of Burr Ridge Bank and Trust and First Community Financial Partners and recently formed a company called BEJ Holdings, a product distribution company. Previously, he owned a food distribution company and led a health care company’s sports medicine council. His Give Me a Chance Foundation looks to attract disadvantaged Chicago-area youth to baseball. Despite his earlier athletic success, Jackson said he’s primarily put sports behind him. “You all may not believe this but I don’t watch football, baseball or basketball,” he said. “What I know about any sport, I know bits and pieces before I doze off to sleep at night or when I wake up in the morning. That’s all I know. Been there, done that.” So while Bo Jackson may no longer know much about sports, he knows plenty about everything else.

n the past year or so, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has had a string of high-profile fighters fail drug tests for performanceenhancing drugs like testosterone and other steroids. Last month, the UFC held a press conference where it announced a new plan to begin implementing comprehensive out-ofcompetition random PED testing for its fighters. The organization also announced it would be advocating for longer suspensions and more severe punishments for fighters who test positive for any banned substance. Current suspensions are nine months, but the UFC mentioned it would look into possibly extending bans to either two or four years. One of the most vocal advocates of harsher punishments being handed down is UFC welterweight contender Matt Brown. He recently stated the suspension for first-time offenders should be five years. “The No. 1 thing to do is harsher penalties,” Brown said. “First offense, five-year ban. Yea, that’s going to sway a lot of guys. “It’s going to turn a lot of guys away from doing it. You’d have to really, really turn yourself around to be able to come back from that. You’d be forgotten about and that’s the way it should be. You should be forgotten about. If you’re going

to take steroids, you should be forgotten about. If it’s against the rules, it’s against the rules. The fact is, it’s cheating. Harsher penalties are the way to go.” Now, in my opinion, yes, the UFC needs to have harsher penalties in place for fighters who get busted for taking PEDs. But even I think that five years for a first offense is a bit extreme. Maybe make it two years for the first offense and 4-5 for the second. Now you are talking about 6-7 years of a fighter’s career spent on suspension. If a fighter didn’t learn after the first offense, you can bet your sweet ass, he or she would learn after the second one. It is my hope that the UFC and Dana White come down hard on this topic, but I have the distinct feeling that they will waver on this and be extremely lenient with the new punishments. It is not in their best interest for fighters to be “all natural,” unless all of the fighters are tested all the time. In my opinion, if they are all on the same, level playing field then it is fair. But you always will have that 1 percent of athletes in any given sport who will try to get around the rules and sidestep doing what is right. Because of them, the rest of the athletes in the sport have to bear the brunt of public scrutiny about being dope heads and “roided out” freaks. If we’re going to be “fair” about it, test them all and test them all the time.

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May the Odds Be In Your Favor BY KENDRICK E. JOHNSON – @KENDRICKJOHNSO

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For a better perspective, let us rewind to May 2, 2009. Pacquiao was set to fight against Ricky Hatton that very day, while Mayweather announced he was coming out of retirement and would fight Juan Manuel Márquez on July 18, 2009, in a welterweight non-title fight. At this particular time Mayweather was an inactive retired fighter after announcing his retirement June 6, 2008, six months after defeating Hatton by a 10-round TKO. During Mayweather’s brief retirement, Pacquiao rose to superstar status in America because of his eighth-round TKO victory over Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6, 2008, for which he moved up from lightweight to welterweight (135 pounds to 147 pounds). During Mayweather’s press conference he played down the “Fighting Pride of the Philippines’,” newfound stardom by stating: “If he wins tonight, don’t be all shocked ... Cause guess what? I beat (Hatton) when he was undefeated. Pacquiao beat Oscar, it don’t matter. Going down to 147 pounds was too much for (De La Hoya), he was dead after the first round. I also think that Marquez beat him twice. When you talk boxing, you talk Floyd Mayweather.” Pacquiao would go on to defeat Hatton by a second-round knockout to win The Ring junior welterweight title. The knockout earned him the The Ring magazine “Knockout of the Year” for 2009. The win made him just the second boxer in history to win titles in six weight divisions after De La Hoya. On Sept. 19, 2009, despite coming off a 21-month hiatus and a rib injury, which pushed back the fight, Mayweather would look sharp and dominant as ever in a fight with Pacquiao’s arch-rival Marquez while cruising to a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision. After the bout, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe stated that a fight with Pacquiao was the “next obvious choice from a marketing standpoint.” On Nov. 14, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto via technical knockout in the 12th round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Although the bout was sanctioned as a world title fight in the welterweight division, where the weight limit is 147 pounds, Cotto agreed to fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds. Like Pacquiao’s previous opponent De La Hoya, Cotto looked drained and sluggish the whole fight after a steep weight cut. Following the victory against Cotto, there was much public demand for a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout at that time was expected to be the largest-grossing fight in history, in which total revenues could reach $300 million. Experts predicted the fight would

Pacquiao reportedly agreed to fight Mayweather on March 13, 2010 for a split of $50 million up front and the fight would be held at the MGM Grand. However, the bout never materialized due to disagreements about Olympic-style drug testing. Ellerbe declared on Jan. 18, 2010 that random blood and urine testing would be implemented in all of Mayweather’s future fights, regardless of the opponent. To this day Mayweather has lived up to his word, as both he and his opponents have undergone random blood and urine testing leading up to all his fights ever since.

While Pacquiao was on a roller coaster of a ride, Mayweather was cruising towards becoming “ TBE aka “ The Best Ever. “

Despite the heavy buzz and excitement over probably the two best pound-for-pound fighters of the last decade getting it on, many people in the sports world and the general public feel the fight is five years past due.

sell between 2.5 million and 3 million pay-per-views in the U.S. Venues for the fight being discussed were Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and the Superdome in New Orleans.

“

any people across the world have May 2 circled on their calendar due to the Floyd “Money” Mayweather (47-0) vs Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (57–5– 2) welterweight world championship unification boxing bout.

On Feb. 13, 2010, in an exclusive interview with The Grand Rapids Press, Mayweather said, “I gave him (Pacquiao) a chance, up to 14 days out. But my new terms are all the way up to the fight. They can come get us whenever, all the way up to the fight, random drug test. That’s what it is.” After the failed negotiations, both boxers moved on to other fights. On March 13, 2010, Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey via unanimous decision, and on May 1, 2010, Mayweather beat Shane Mosley by a unanimous decision.

Next up was a third fight with Marquez at a catchweight of 144 pounds where Pacquiao would squeak out a very controversial majority decision. The decision was booed by many in attendance and voted “Robbery of the Year” by The Ring magazine readers. The Filipino Slugger would hit rock bottom in 2012 as he would be on the wrong end of a majority decision to Timothy Bradley Jr. in June and get put to sleep in “Knockout of the Year” fashion by Marquez in their fourth matchup in December. Since bottoming out Pacquiao has had three consecutive vanilla wins over the likes of Brandon Rios, Chris Algieri and Bradley in their rematch. Despite the ups and downs, a Pacquiao win May 2 would erase the controversial Bradley loss and get rid of the brutal knockout loss to Marquez instantly. While Pacquiao was on a roller coaster of a ride, Mayweather was cruising towards becoming “TBE” aka “The Best Ever.” Mayweather knocked out Victor Ortiz in 2011 to regain the WBC Welterweight belt he relinquished when he retired. He then moved up in weight in 2012 to fight WBA super welterweight champion and The Ring No. 1-ranked light middleweight Cotto. Despite fighting toe-to-toe with the bigger Cotto, Mayweather was able to win a unanimous decision by scores of 118–110, 117–111 and 117–111. After the fight, Mayweather said Cotto was the toughest fighter he ever faced. On June 1, 2012, Mayweather reported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas to serve his 87-day jail term for domestic abuse. After serving two months, he was released from prison on Aug. 3. After signing a six-fight contract with Showtime, Mayweather would steamroll Robert Guerrero and give Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez his first loss in two fights in 2013. Mayweather received $41.5 million for this fight before taking into account pay-per-view sales. This super fight ended up being the most profitable boxing and sporting event of the time. The Money man would follow the Canelo fight with two ordinary performances against Marcos Maidana in back-to-back bouts. No matter if you agree with how they got here or how strong you feel about the missed opportunity in 2010, one thing is for certain – if you can’t get to Las Vegas May 2 for MayweatherPacquiao you better find somewhere where the fight is being shown. Otherwise you will miss out on your chance to witness a fight people will still be talking about many years from now.

Since March 2010, both fighters’ careers and lives have gone in opposite directions only for them to come back together and finally merge in 2015 after a chance meeting at a Miami Heat basketball game. Pacquiao would beat an overmatched Clottey before going on to win a title in his eighth weight class by destroying Antonio Margarito, and followed that victory by outclassing an over-thehill Shane Mosely. WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

APRIL 2015

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 3

TEXASSIZED HOPE +

Mark Sobba

BY LEW PATTON – @LEWP

RANGERS LOOKING TO PUT 2014 BEHIND THEM The 2015 Texas Rangers baseball season can’t get here soon enough after a 2014 that saw them become cellar dwellers due to massive injuries.

Starting Pitching

The Bullpen

I originally started this article right before the opening of spring training. Everything was bright and rosy with the idea that the Rangers would turn a new leaf and be healthy again and we could forget the horror of 2014.

One of the things to look for is if new Manager Jeff Banister will go with a four-man or fiveman starting rotation. Much of his decision will depend on the bullpen which could prove to be another huge asset.

Then spring training began, Yu Darvish pitched three innings to begin the season and voila! Disaster struck again. Darvish had Tommy John surgery and is out for the 2015 season.

Neftali Feliz, Tanner Scheppers and Shawn Tolleson return to the bullpen ready for action with at least another year of good experience behind them. Newly-acquired Kyuji Fujikawa also promises to be an asset. Either he or Scheppers likely will be the setup man for closer Feliz.

OK, say this with me Ranger fans: The season is NOT over. We go on. It’s what true fans do. Pick your chin off the floor, and let’s just say we are going to do well despite this injury. No other part of the team has a chance to perform better than the starting rotation. Here’s how the top five could potentially shape up. No. 1 Derek Holland No. 2 Yovani Gallardo No. 3 Colby Lewis No. 4 Open (Ross Detwiler, Nick Martinez, Nick Tepesch or Matt Harrison if healthy) No. 5 Whoever Isn’t No. 4

This year promises to be so much better than last year. While nobody can predict injuries, if the team is even slightly healthier, better times lie ahead. Let’s take a look at the team for 2015: SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

In 2014, more than 40 pitchers took the mound for Texas. The starters were a wreck. They simply couldn’t pitch many innings for whatever reason. Darvish was shut down early, Holland and Harrison were injured most of the year. Then it got worse when the bullpen was relied upon to bail the starters out. If the starters can just pitch 800 innings, it will take a tremendous weight off the bullpen, and that’s going to be possible for this group. Gallardo traditionally eats up innings and throws lots of ground balls so that alone should be a great acquisition.

The Lineup If healthy, the Texas offense is a powerful lineup that can score runs. There are many players returning from an injury-plagued 2014, and fans wonder if this group has the juice to become the American League West champions again. I think they do. First baseman Prince Fielder and right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo were injured in their first years with the Rangers so one of the keys to success will be if they are healthy and return to previous form. There also should be some great competition in left field with Ryan Rua and Michael Choice fighting for playing time. Keep an eye on this developing story.

Off the Bench The bench could prove important. What many will call a “utility player” in Adam Rosales will back up Roughed Odor at second base and Elvis Andrus at shortstop. Choice can play any outfield spot, and be a good pinch-runner. Mitch Moreland should prove once again as a great designated hitter who can spell Fielder at first. Overall, the bench should be yet another asset.

Manager/Front Office There is a new sheriff in town, and his name

is Jeff Banister. If you don’t know his story, I strongly urge you to get to know him. Banister is everything you could possibly want in a manager, leader, survivor, and all-around stand-up guy. Of all the excitement I have for the 2015 Texas Ranger season, this new manager is the most eager story I want to follow. He is a blue-collar, native Texan thankful for his opportunity to lead the Rangers. He will not take anything for granted. Trust me on this. He is going to be special here. He’s been special everywhere he has been. Dave Magadan returns as the hitting instructor, Mike Maddux is back as pitching coach, and Steve Buechele is the new bench coach. If you have followed the Rangers for a while, you know Buechele was a great third baseman for many years. He’s managed at Class AAA Round Rock for a while and done well. I’m going to be watching Buechele closely because I know he is going to help Banister a lot.

Finally The 2015 season should at least be brighter than last year. Combine a new manager with healthy players on an already potent roster should mean plenty of and runs plus well-pitched games. The 2015 Rangers should be in the thick of things and fighting off teams like the Angels, Athletics and Mariners. I can’t think of too many concerns right now, but I do see a need for one or maybe two left-handed relievers to give Banister more options. As in any season, I’m certain the Rangers will look for more southpaws as we get closer to the regular season. Overall, this roster is ready to rock. Word out of spring training is the team is jelling like a big family, and that’s a great thing. It just has to be better than last year.

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WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A WINNER The Texas Rangers Haven’t Been the Same Since They Experienced Success BY LANCE RINKER – @LANCEMRINKER What does it take to be a winner? As far as the Texas Rangers are concerned, it was thought to be a combination of hard work, perseverance, talent, and the right manager. All of that got them to back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, losing the 2011 World Series in a manner befitting a team collapsing under the pressure at the last minute. For those who had their memory wiped after that Game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Rangers were within one strike of winning their first World Series Championship in franchise history twice in Game 6. Despite the letdown of losing consecutive World Series, the team and the fan base were still optimistic about the Rangers’ immediate future. Texas won the second wild-card spot in 2012, though it ultimately lost to the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 in the play-in game. That loss was especially

heartbreaking because Yu Darvish was on the mound, facing a team in the Orioles that wasn’t considered to be nearly as good as the Rangers, and wound up thoroughly outplayed and outcoached. I’m sure it was especially painful to watch considering on the mound for the Orioles was Joe Saunders, who had a career 9.38 earned run average at the Ballpark in Arlington leading into that game. Fans remained optimistic heading into the 2013 season, and the Rangers didn’t completely disappoint as they won 91 games. However, they still missed the playoff due to having to claw their way to 91 wins in the final two weeks of the season, only to lose to the Tampa Bay Rays in a 163rd tiebreaker game for the final wild-card spot. The 2013 season also was mired in public turmoil in the front office between former team chief

executive officer Nolan Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels. Ryan stepped down and walked away from the Rangers that October and Daniels took over all responsibilities running the organization.

The Red Sox have 13 winning seasons over their last 15, which include seven trips to the postseason and three World Series Championships in three trips.

Injuries and ineptitude plagued the Rangers throughout the entire 2014 season after big moves were made the previous offseason to ensure another playoff run. Long-time manager Ron Washington resigned his position the day after the team was officially eliminated from playoff contention, citing personal reasons related to being unfaithful to his wife.

What sets those other two organizations apart from the Rangers?

Fast-forward to the 2015 season and fans are semi-optimistic with a new manager in place, and expectations of a better season than the 95-loss atrocity that was 2014 despite a season-ending injury to the star pitcher in Darvish. As is obvious, it takes a lot more work to sustain long-term success than it does to have a nice three- to four-year run. Unfortunately for the Rangers, that’s all it seems they were really built for at this point because other than the ingredients mentioned at the start, an organization also needs a stable and sane presence running it that matches up well with the scouting and development aspect of the organization. When you look at an organization like the St. Louis Cardinals, who have had more wins than losses in 14 of their previous 15 seasons dating back to 2000, you see something built from the ground up. You see something that stresses the importance of developing its own talent pool while exercising logical restraint in free agency, only taking on players who fit in well with short- and long-term goals. This has resulted in 11 playoffs appearances during their 15-year run, four World Series appearances and two World Series Championships. Two other teams have also exhibited they know what it takes to win, even when they have to quickly rebuild teams, in the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox. The Giants have 10 winning seasons over their last 15, which include six trips to the postseason and three World Series Championships in four trips.

Quite a bit, actually. The Giants have an uncanny eye to recognize exactly what players can help them at the major league level without taking huge financial risks on them. They also have an ability to develop their own talent down on the farm and actually get something from them once they break through to the majors. The front office also isn’t afraid to retool, and do so effectively, when the team isn’t meeting expectations. The other thing, probably the most important aspect that has helped lead the Giants to so much success, is stability in the front office and coaching staff. The Red Sox have succeeded because of smart decisions when evaluating whether players they have fit into their clubhouse and with the culture of the organization. Sure, it helps to be able to spend about any amount of money you want on free agents, but the organization has taken a more relaxed and pointed approach to free agency in recent years and it’s helped. Not to mention the organization’s ability to develop and nurture its own minor league talent to the point of helping at the big league level, or being able to trade them away for assets that help them immediately. Stability also is something the Red Sox have which is proven by how well the organization transitioned from one front office to the next along with the coaching staff. More than anything, the Rangers have lacked stability at some level of the organization since their World Series runs and have yet to get it back. Success for some only emboldens them to bigger and better things, or more of the same. But for others, success can become a detriment because you no longer view things through an objective lens.

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VOL. 8 - ISSUE 3

WHEN THE TECHNICAL MEETS THE ARTIST

MEDIATECH SEEKS TO REDEFINE THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE FOREVER BY JALEESA BEALOM – @MEDIATECHEDU Before it took 140 characters to explain how you really feel to the world and bookend with a witty hashtag, there were two people to tell you how they really felt – your parents. As a young adult it was expected you would go to school, graduate, and then, get a job. It was your job to “be better than your father and I.” Now, in a much more post-secondary savvy era with the slamming of social media posts from Snapchat to Instagram and Tweets in a LeBron James-inspired announcement of taking your talents to (insert your school here), college has become a must-have. But, what if a traditional college isn’t your thing? What if you can’t find what you truly want to do? You’re in a “into drawing but not in an architect,” kind of way, or you’ve been commended constantly on your steady hand when taking a group shot, but falling short in the “this is what I want to do with my life” journey. So, what is it?

granting an excellent learning experience for those intrigued by the technical aspects of the creative process. Recently, MediaTech Institute has added two new programs to its spring 2015 catalog – Animation and Mobile Applications. Mobile applications students recently competed in HackDFW, the first major student hackathon with powerhouse schools like the University of Texas at Dallas and Southern Methodist University. On the other hand, all programs are required to take business development courses to become acquainted with their desired career path. There, students learn the ins-and-outs of the industry, networking and other core skills. Plus, students receive career counseling with Career Services to work on job placement after graduation. Trust us when we say you’re definitely going to want to schedule a tour and learn more about these programs.

The Facilities

On Jan. 4, 1999, MediaTech Institute held its first class, and then, by 2002 opened an Austin campus. A year later, MediaTech Institute added a Houston campus and another in Oceanside, Calif., in 2011. The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) accredited MediaTech Institute in 2007, then again in 2010 for another five years.

The Programs All four MediaTech Institutes grant certifications in Recording Arts, Digital Film and Video Arts, Animation and Visual Effects, Mobile Application Development and Web Development and Design. Each course takes a year upon completion receiving a certificate during graduation. All programs are hands on from beginning to end

Each facility is embellished differently, sprinkled with MediaTech Institute projects our faculty has been involved with plus state-of-the-art technology for students to receive the most updated training on what their industry entails. The main campus in Dallas houses several studios equipped for audio engineering, video editing and other mixing applications. Studio A is the Mothership for aspiring audio engineers with Pro Tools HD and 48 tracks of analog capability designed by Russ Berger Design Group. In addition to the seven studios, MediaTech Institute Dallas houses a 5,000-square foot sound stage with monitoring and lighting to stimulate live concert scenarios, and film amenities such as

The beauty about MediaTech is the various backgrounds from which the students come. There are the traditional high school graduates to former military cadets and even, traditional college students like current student, Jeremy Jones. “I found out about MediaTech in high school,” Jones said. Although he wasn’t able to enroll at the school at the time, Jones went on the traditional route attending a four-year university before aspiring to get back to his passion of film. “I came back from college and saw the school was doing pretty well and wanted to get back into what I love doing, so the rest is history,” Jones said. Like Jones, student Kevin Ealy did the same by attending a Houston-based university before deciding to attend MediaTech Institute. “One of my friends told me he was interested in coming here, so I came, checked it out and thought cool, I like what I see,” he said. Initially, Ealy attended the school for Recording Arts and then again this year for the Digital Film program.

However, the common mantra between students and staff is to know your career goals and the importance of loving what you do. “Honestly, before you sign-up really think about is this is what you want to do,” said Jones. “It’s more than just sitting around, there’s more to this than being a creative, it’s a business. And if you’re not going to be passionate and decide this is what you’re want to do and work hard at it, then you may want to rethink.”

The History of MediaTech

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

Aside from the bells and whistles (don’t get us wrong, they are awesome) what makes MediaTech Institute the decade-long success it has been is the passion of administration, instructors and most important, the students.

Student Michael Rodriguez discovered MediaTech in bartending school. After attending an acting program prior to bartending, Rodriguez was looking for a program with more technical capabilities than theory.

If you’re the hands-on learner who has a fresh perspective of a creative, then MediaTech Institute is for you. The school is the premiere technical arts school focusing on training in Recording Arts, Digital Film, Animation, Web Design and Mobile Applications development.

Founded by President Russell Whitaker, a successful recording studio owner himself, the then MediaTech Institute was named Dallas Sound Lab. The facility hosted an array of artists ranging from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughn, a little group called Destiny’s Child in which some singer named Beyoncé Knowles was part of, Erykah Badu and Pantera to list a few. Dallas Sound Lab even hosted premiere television and film projects such as Any Given Sunday, Miami Vice, Baywatch: The Movie, and Beverly Hills Ninja. Whittaker proceeded to turn Dallas Sound Lab into MediaTech Institute.

the Black Magic URSA 4K digital camera, Fisher 11 camera dolly with track and accouterments along with other equipment used to create the highest quality of videos. Don’t worry; the other three locations in Austin, Houston and Oceanside have the same stellar qualities as the main campus.

For Rodriguez, it’s a split effort. “It’s 50 percent work and 50 percent passion, they work together and you have to love what you’re doing or else all of this is going to seem really long,” he said.

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For more information about MediaTech Institute, visit us on the web at mediatech.edu. Like us on Facebook at MediaTech Institute or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @MediaTechEdu.

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COUNTRY MUSIC’S RURAL ROOTS NOT THE SAME AS THE PAST BY PETER GERSTENZANG – PZANG7@OPTONLINE.NET

’ve just finished spending a few hours listening to current country music. Actually, it was five songs, so it couldn’t have been a couple of hours. Unless I heard the dance remixes. I’ve always gotten a good idea of what’s happening in America from a voice hailing from our rural areas. Except now, that rural voice seems to be coming from Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. And that was a guy. The following are recent top five country singles. From five folks who will be working at Red Robin in the near future. 1. Take Your Time – Sam Hunt: The song title refers to the studly narrator’s advice to the hot girl at the bar. He’d like to drink with her, only when she’s ready. A charming approach that Ted Danson used in the old days. Less charming when you discover Ted Bundy also used it in the old days. What makes this song unique for country? Hunt raps in each verse. An idea similar to realizing your parents have sex. You’re glad they are. But if you dwell on it, you can’t keep solid food down for a week. 2. Lonely Tonight – Blake Shelton: Loneliness use to be a staple of country music. When Hank Williams sang about it, you knew he was drunk and in agony. Blake Shelton sounds like he’s holding a Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bar. And is so upset, he may not be able to finish it.

3. Make Me Wanna – Thomas Rhett: A schizophrenic little number. It starts out as funky as a 70s dance tune. Then Rhett comes in, sounding so psychotically Southern, you figure his doctors at the insane asylum suggested singing instead of basket weaving. Apparently, when he’s on his meds, he actually sounds like Noel Coward. 4. Ain’t Worth the Whiskey – Cole Swindell: This is the most disturbing mix of players I’ve heard since Mike Huckabee played bass with Ted Nugent. But even though that was pull-on-theappends funny, this drinking song is just plain weird. It opens with a blast of faceless AOR, then settles into a song about drinking. Okay, that’s country. But this Cole guy doesn’t sound like he wants to obliterate himself with booze. He’ll have a few Jameson’s-neat, then call a car service. If you don’t take out at least one fire hydrant and one old man with a walker while you’re driving home? You ain’t country! 5. Just Gettin’ Started – Jason Aldean: I just realized this is the fifth band in a row true to their roots. That part is good. The bad part is those roots are Matchbox Twenty. In this song, Jason’s girl can’t keep her hands off him as they tool around in his pick-up truck. All we can pray for is Aldean reciprocates. Hands off the wheel long enough and he may hit the old man that Swindell missed. In country, like in life, there’s always a little bit of hope. WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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THREE UT O B A S THING TIFUL A BEAU N WOMA

TONI Best or worst pick-up line or dating experience: The worst: “Hey babe wanna dance?”I replied “no” and then I heard: “Well I’m better than whomever you came with.” My date came back up with drinks and the guy falls a bit...a little too much to drink? Best pick-up line: “Hey just wanted to let you know you’re the prettiest girl in here... I’ll shout it if you want.” The perfect Saturday night ends with... Well I’m not telling you! Just kidding. I’d say a good Saturday ends with a good shower after painting accompanied with hot tea while I catch up on House of Cards, Vikings, The Walking Dead and others.

OUR PEDIGREE

What confuses you the most about men? Ha Ha! I don’t have the time to say everything.

D MAGAZINE READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2014 BLITZ WEEKLY BLITZIE AWARD “BEST HAMBURGER” 2014 URBAN SPOON “MOST POPULAR HOT DOG” 2013 D MAGAZINE READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2013 BLITZ WEEKLY BLITZIE AWARD ‘BEST HOT WINGS” 2013 DALLAS OBSERVER READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2013 DALLAS MORNING NEWS “BEST BURGER IN DFW” 2013 BLITZ WEEKLY “BEST SPOTS TO WATCH THE SUPER BOWL” 2013 HOW ABOUT WE “TOP DALLAS DATE SPOT” 2013 CRAVE DFW “BEST DOGS OF DALLAS” 2012 DALLAS MORNING NEWS “BEST BURGER IN DFW” 2012 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST BURGER” 2010 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST GREASY SPOON” 2009 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST NACHOS” 2009 D MAGAZINE “D-BEST HAMBURGER” 2006 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST BURGER” 2006 AOL CITY GUIDE “BEST CHEAP EATS” 2006 AOL CITY GUIDE “BEST LATE NIGHT DINING” 2005 AVID GOLFER MAGAZINE “BEST WINGS” 2004 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HANGOVR THERAPY” 2003 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HOT DOG” 2002 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HAMBURGER” 2002 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST PLACE TO BUY A DOG” 2001 D MAGAZINE “BEST HANGOVER HELPER” 2001 THE MET “BEST BAR FOOD” 2000 D MAGAZINE “BEST WINGS” 2000 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST WINGS” 1998 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HOT DOG” 1994 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST WNGS” 1992

Jarrod Fresquez Model: Toni Make-Up: Makeup Junkies, INC. - Jai Okoli Hair: Makeup Junkies, INC. - George Graham

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

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GREG DAVIS

The

DEEP ELLUM ARTS FESTIVAL IS OPEN

Greg Davis is nothing short of a phenomenal photographer. You know those people who up-and-quit their jobs to travel the world? That’s Greg Davis, except he didn’t come back to lecture you on enlightenment like your buddy Travis who went to Burning Man for three days. Davis is crushing it. His photography landed him a position as National Geographic’s Creative Photographer. He debuted his work in Cloth Paper Dreams, the short documentary shot at India’s Kumbh Mela that premiered at SXSW last year. The former technology graduate left his 9 to 5 life to travel the world, steal our bucket list, and now continues to receive accolades for his works that have been published around the world.

THE BOOMBACHS This Denton-based, seven-man band founded in 2011 has a legitimately undeniable stage presence. If you’re looking for a high-energy show, definitely stop by. This group, consisting of a drum set, bass guitar, guitar, two keyboards, trumpet, saxophone, flute, and vocals, makes some seriously good music that’s an amalgamation of hip-hip, jazz, rock, and soul. Reminiscent of The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest with just a hint of Thievery Corporation, The BoomBachs create a truly unique blend of music. If you dig the band, visit its web site to help raise funds for the next album titled AlienNation.

BY JACY COX – @BLITZWEEKLY

PARALLEL PLAY Parallel Play is a unique kind of folksy rock that makes you want to chug a beer and get rowdy. This group played last year’s festival and was one of best shows of the weekend. Did we mention its members also graced the Good Morning Texas stage? Light-hearted, energetic, and a bit rock and roll, their bluegrass tunes bring a breath of fresh air to the genre. Their contagious energy and lyrical songwriting make for a stellar show. Their latest album was produced by Salim Nourallah (The Old 97s) and engineered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys) and they’re just good people.

TANYA DOSKOVA

he Deep Ellum Arts Festival is back again this year on Easter weekend. It’s a glorious time to leave the kids at home, come downtown, and soak in that deep fried goodness. It can seem like a blur, what with the hundreds of musicians, artists, and food vendors who come out to celebrate the Dallas arts. Did we mention the alcohol? Because there is a ton of it. Normally, we’d tell you the best spots to stuff your face with delicious treats (like the crepes) or all of the craft beer companies that will be handing ale out like it’s the second coming of Christ. This time, we thought we’d take the high road and tell you about some seriously badass artists, both musical and visual, who will grace the streets of Deep Ellum this year.

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

FRANK CAMPAGNA You may not have heard of him, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen his work. This Dallasnative is the artistic master to thank for those awesome murals that frequent Deep Ellum, the ones that helped put Dallas on the map art-wise. Instead of some artists who come here for the money that’s in commissioned work, Campagna really does love this city. Some call him the “Grandfather of Deep Ellum” street art. Stopping by his booth is a must and following it with a scenic trip through Deep Ellum to check out his many murals is key. His past works include murals at the Gypsy Tea Room, Black Forest Theater, the McKinney Avenue Company, and the Bronco Bowl Theater.

Doskova has serious talent. She has won countless awards for her work, operated her own private art school in Bulgaria, and worked in U2 and Ridley Scott’s post-production house “The Mill,” along with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. She’s created special effects for Hollywood motion pictures and television series around the globe. We were immediately entranced with her figurative artwork. The pieces might seem whimsical and silly at first, but they’re never two-dimensional (puns!). Known for her socio-political satire, each of Doskova’s pieces has a deeper meaning and story underneath the whimsy.

LOYAL SALLY You just have to love these guys. It’s hard to put your finger on the exact “type” of music they play. But when you see them live, you just can’t help but fall in love with their infectious sound. When asked what their greatest influences are, they’ll tell you it was 90s alternative rock and drugs. They hit the ground running in 2012 releasing two EPs a little more than six months apart. They’re buddies with the Parallel Play crew and are a must-see on the line-up.

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Places to

“PIG-OUT” Abundant in DFW

merica has a serious obsession with the pig and that seems to be just fine. In Dallas there are plenty of spots to find the various parts of the little oinker from the tip of the nose to the very tail end. All are lush and tasty. Behold our list of our favorite pig parts:

on Friday’s for lunch where the people there will serve you a beautifully-roasted double pork chop served with whipped potatoes and house-made applesauce. The chop is served table-side where the wait staff expertly slices the meat before your eyes. The chop is normally $37.95 at dinner, but Friday it is only 13.95. There will be plenty for a leftover lunch. perryssteakhouse.com.

CBD Provisions

Five Sixty

BY STEVEN DOYLE – CRAVEDFW.COM

Not wishing to share any of your pig parts? Order the whole roasted suckling pig and enjoy everything the little guy has to offer. Served with a plum sauce. Located atop Reunion Tower, 300 Reunion Blvd. in Dallas.

Where else can you find half a pig head served table side, with its crispy chicharone skin on the outside, and the juicy sweet meat on the inside. CBD serves plenty of parts, but the place wins for the best plated pork in the city. Don’t miss out on the tail, either. Those are served up in a guajillo BBQ sauce, and seriously delicious. cbdprovisions.com.

The Blind Butcher Pig parts abound in this new Dallas pub that serves some serious meat. Look for the pig ears that are thinly slivered and fried to a sweet crispness. The ears are perfect as a starter or simply as a side dish to a beer. You also can find pig tails and tripe that are served crispy and sauced much like chicken wings. theblindbutcher.com.

The Grape Say no more than charcuterie. It is owner Brian Luscher’s passion, and the charcuterie here is amazing. Plenty of spare pig parts to choose from. While you are at it, you can check out Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots. There are some pig parts in those as well. Luscher is the Abe Froman of Dallas. thegraperestaurant.com.

Black Zack

Casa Rubia

OinknMoo Barbecue Truck Owner Dave Hunt goes berserk over pulled pork and serves it up in a massive way. Try the quesadilla, tacos, sandwich or what we are recommending at this moment…the pulled pork stuffed jalapeno. How can something be so sweet and succulent, yet spicy as hell’s fire at the same time? omqbbq.com.

what the B stands for, and there is plenty of the baconey goodness. Oh, the place also has a dryaged Duroc chop on the menu. Pork fat does rule. You will see the word Duroc on a lot of menus this season, and that is OK by us. It is a wonderful breed of pig that is well marbled with delicious flavor. remedydallas.com.

Pecan Lodge

Hibiscus

Yes, the brisket is some of the very best around, but the ribs definitely take a prize for their large and meaty ways. Pecan Lodge now serves spare ribs that are tender, yet retain their dignity and stay on the bone. The meat can be coaxed into your belly with very little effort. Not enough smoked pig for your taste? Order the Hot Mess which is a sweet potato canvass, layered with pulled pork. pecanlodge.com.

Remedy The newest kid on the block serves up a load of fun in a quasi-soda fountain setting. The cocktails rocked our world, as did the BLT. And you know SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

Chef Graham Dodds has a way with pork that isn’t even the least bit subtle. The man is over the top when it comes to the way he treats his pig. His current menu at Hibiscus has this amazing pork porterhouse on board served up with pecan-smoked mustard, slow roasted grapes, and watercress. hibiscusdallas.com.

Gemma One of our very favorite restaurants in Dallas, Gemma will supply you with the most savory chop you will ever love. Served with field peas, blistered shishito peppers, and pickled okra relish. gemmadallas.com.

Pho Tay Do This restaurant is synonymous for a delicious bowl of Bún bò Huế. Whereas the soup contains Bun (vermicelli noodles) and Bo (beef ), it also has a whole host of surprise ingredients such as pig’s knuckles and congealed pig’s blood. Do not let these items deter you from one very amazing soup. Located at 1403 E. Campbell in Richardson.

Clark Food & Wine There is more than enough meat to get your caveman on at Clark, but the Duroc pork that is sold by the half-pound is poised to entreat you to a delicious meal. If that is not enough swine, enjoy a sharable bit of pork rillettes. This is smoked pork that is given a smooth finish of duck fat, and is meant to be smeared and endeared on top of the provided grilled bread. clarkfoodandwine.com.

Perry’s Steakhouse One of the best deals in Dallas involves pork, and plenty of it. Check out Perry’s Steakhouse

Recently nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, Casa Rubia is a fantastic tapas restaurant in Trinity Groves. Drive across the bridge for your very own sample of the hand sliced Iberco Jamon. We also adore the paella of the day. casarubiadallas.com.

Jimmy’s Food Store If you are new to Dallas, this should be your first grocery shopping experience. It is the best Italian food market in Texas and has the biggest Italian wine selection. The people there make some of the best sandwiches in Dallas, but also grind their own sausage. You can buy the stuff in bulk, either regular or spicy, and you can find the sausage in most every independent pizzeria in the DFW area. It is that good. jimmysfoodstore.com.

First Chinese BBQ Look no further than the entrance where you will see whole head-on hanging ducks and slabs of red roasted pork. If you are fortunate, the head will be available. But there always is a supply of juicy meats from a variety of pig sections. Available as a meal or sold by the pound to go. firstchinesebbq.com.

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BIRTHDAYS!

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APRIL 2015

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 3

Raquel Baranow

WEED & US BY CHRIS SICK – @CHRISSICK

ore than 70 years ago, legendary New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia wrote that he was “glad that the sociological, psychological, and medical ills commonly attributed to marihuana [sic] have been found to be exaggerated.” These words appear in the forward to the final report of what was known as the LaGuardia Committee, assembled by the mayor to respond to then-rampant fears that marijuana use was epidemic in New York City, even among schoolaged children. The mayor nonetheless promised SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

to continue enforcement of existing prohibitions against marijuana, unless and until further evidence might justify amending the law. While Mayor LaGuardia’s reaction was restrained, the full and final conclusions of the committee’s report went significantly further. The committee found that smoking marijuana does not lead to addiction “in the medical sense of the word,” marijuana contributed to neither juvenile delinquency nor major crime, and marijuana did not serve as a gateway drug leading to use of heroin or cocaine. Instead, it found that the

consensus among users was that marijuana “creates a definite feeling of adequacy.”

so unpredictable they could drive a man to murderous rage.

Harry Anslinger, first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, precursor to today’s Drug Enforcement Agency, found the report unconvincing. Despite the involvement of the prestigious New York Academy of Medicine, Anslinger disregarded the report as unscientific. Instead, he preferred to blame “hemp intoxication” for crimes ranging from violent gang rapes to gruesome mass murders, and claimed that the effects of marijuana were

Anslinger’s stories of “drug-crazed youth gone wild” often fit in neatly with other contemporaneous narratives – that of white victims and black criminals. In a pro-drug reform public service announcement published in 2006, Common Sense Drug Policy quotes Anslinger’s thoughts on “the devil weed” to the effect that “…reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men… the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”

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As FBN commissioner, Anslinger kept a detailed dossier of jazz and swing musicians, and ordered federal agents to survey them in preparation for mass arrests across the nation. If Anslinger’s tall tales of drug-crazed youth committing horrific crimes sound depressingly familiar, it’s exactly because they are. The tactics used to scare young people away from drugs haven’t significantly advanced much since Anslinger’s days, through the infamous “Brain on Drugs” and “Just Say No” campaigns of the 80s and 90s to today’s prohibitionist arguments against marijuana and other drugs almost always have relied on more heat than light. These tactics were epitomized in the 1936 cautionary film Tell Your Children, which follows a reefer addict whose vices drive him to murder and rape. Tell Your Children was so hilariously over the top that soon after it was released, midnight moviemaker Dwain Esper saw the comedic potential, spliced in a few shots of scantily-clad models and released Reefer Madness. The cult classic exploitation movie has enjoyed a long run, cracking up stoned teenagers and adults with its fantastical depiction of out-of-control reefer maniacs engaged in rape and murder soundtracked to up-tempo jazz. But the same basic myths of the alarmist prohibitionists get new life breathed into them every few years. Ever heard the horror story of the strung-out meth addict microwaving his baby to death? The myth first appears in the 1995 Michael Mann film Heat and just recently was recycled in HBO’s True Detective. But it turns out the stories are primarily about mentally-ill parents accidentally or intentionally using microwaves as murder weapons, and have little if anything to do with substance abuse. Dr. Carl Hart, an associate professor at Columbia University, details how myths about drug use shape public policy for the worse. His research uncovered a 1914 New York Times article titled Negro Cocaine ‘Fiends’ Are a New Southern Menace insisted cocaine use among Southern AfricanAmericans was driving them to murderous rage while rendering them immune to bullets. In addition to homicidal rages and super-heroiclike invincibility, cocaine apparently improved their marksmanship, making them even more dangerous killers. The mythology of cocaine-crazed black men roaming the countryside in search of white women to ravage was enough to overcome Southern states’ rights arguments against increased federal oversight, and helped justify the passage of the Harrison Act. The act, more formally called the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, was passed in late 1914, and was an early example of nationwide anti-drug legislation and regulation. Hart points to “expert” testimony before Congress that helped justify the law with findings such as

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“most of the attacks upon white women of the South are the direct result of a cocaine-crazed Negro brain.”

resources to fight back when they get pulled up and told they can fight a felony charge or sign over their car.

Much like Anslinger’s anti-marijuana hysteria, such statements might seem positively quaint a hundred or so years on. We can all shake our heads at old-timey racism and hysteria and then pat ourselves on the back for our modern progressiveness and enlightened attitudes, content times have changed. Marijuana legalization is sweeping the nation and support for legalization has grown by 10 points in just three years. But these changes might not represent a bright new day for American drug policy so much as a shuffling of the deck that allows the worst excesses to continue unabated.

The wave of legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana, with four states making recreational use legal for adults and six states primed to introduce similar measures in 2016, gives reformers hope for change. In the face of such advances towards legalization, all of the old tropes form the Anslinger and Reefer Madness days seem to be finding new life.

The War on Drugs, like most all-American things, is a complex tangle of half-truths, outright lies, and dangerous misconceptions, all of which work together for the profit of a select few and the suffering of a vast majority. In the 40 years since President Richard Nixon declared the “War,” the federal government has spent an estimated $1 trillion on enforcement. That astounding figure is matched by the amount Americans spent on illicit drugs in just one decade, according to a report by the RAND Corporation. Americans spend about $100 billion a year on illegal drugs, totaling $1 trillion between 2000 and 2010 alone. Funding both sides of the drug war means all the wrong people can profit from it. The massive growth in the prison population has turned for-profit prisons into a booming industry. The Correction Corporation of America, the largest private prison corporation, reported 500 percent growth in revenues over the last 20 years. The corporation offered to buy out and manage 48 states’ public prison systems, promising costsavings and efficiency gains. The fine print of the offer included an occupancy requirement demanding that states provide enough convicts to keep the prisons 90% full, regardless of the crime rate. Big corporations aren’t the only ones to profit, urban police forces and small municipalities alike have figured out how to make money off the Drug War, seizing cash, vehicles, and even homes for offenses as minor as the sale of $40 worth of weed. Civil asset forfeiture has given even the smallest police force the ability to go into the pocket of virtually anyone, threaten them with felony charges and leverage that into forfeiture of cash and property, all without ever trying to get a guilty verdict. Certainly the authors of these laws had good intentions, and earnestly hoped to give law enforcement greater powers to combat the illegal drug trade. But the on-the-ground reality isn’t a story of drug kingpins getting taken down and their fortunes funneled back into the fight. Rather its people – primarily people of color – with few

The recently-elected attorney general of Colorado has stated that she believes legalization isn’t worth the costs, insisting that legal sellers are exceeding legal limits while black market activity continues unabated. Of course, there’s little evidence of this, and after a year of legal marijuana sales the state has brought a $700 million market out into the open, generating more than $70 million in taxes and an additional $10 million in licensing fees. Crime and auto accidents – that which critics claimed would skyrocket – have remained notably low. Despite these seeming successes, Colorado’s democratic governor, John Hickenlooper, has recently stated that if he could have “waved a wand” and overruled voters last November, he gladly would’ve. His objections are not based on new science or recent developments, but rather the complications of being among the first states to legalize recreational drug use. And the legalization has not been without difficulty. Emergency room visits and a handful of deaths have been tied to use, thanks mostly to users misunderstanding the potency of edible candies and baked good suffused with THC, the psychotropic element in marijuana. Despite these issues, public support for legalization remains high, new regulations have emerged to address unforeseen issues, and use among teens appears to be falling. The great danger of legalization is not from some hidden crime wave, “hemp-intoxication” motivated gang rapes, or stoned drivers causing massive pile-ups, but rather from redefining drugs, and the Drug War, to not include marijuana. Sundering the two concepts only will serve to help insulate those with the most political capital from the worst excesses of the Drug War. Making weed safe and legal for users nationwide likely will cut down on horror stories of no-knock police raids at dawn that result in dead family dogs or maimed children. But it won’t provide much relief for those most victimized by irrational policies.

published a study that found alcohol to be as or more harmful than heroin and cocaine, and argued that the UK should reevaluate its classification system for dangerous drugs. This sort of realistic view of the harms posed by drugs is sorely needed in our national discourse. And we need to be honest. There are risks to drug use, from addiction to adverse effect on brain development. There are many considerations that need to be weighed, both when crafting sensible drug policy and for individual users. But the moral and informational vacuum within which our current national discourse about drugs and drug policy occurs is deeply and lethally flawed. We have seemingly the worst of all worlds, funding both sides of the Drug War, incarcerating citizens at record rates, fostering a violent black market trade, and even withholding lifesaving medication and treatments from those most at risk based on deeply flawed moral reasoning. We’ve come a long way since the days of Anslinger, moving slowly towards a better understanding of the real risks drug use and abuse presents, while moving away from the most offensive stereotypes and panicked alarmism. But we not infrequently truck in those discredited tropes and reactionary moralism when discussing harder drugs, which have greater documented rates of addiction, and require treatment as medical issues and policy solutions from a public health perspective. Our president and his attorney general have said as much, even as their government continues to spend tens of millions a year on drug enforcement and significantly more on incarceration of drug offenders. NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton recently made headlines for attributing the city’s winter spike in shootings and murders to the pot trade. Inadvertently, he was making a fine argument for legalization, tying the illicit drug trade directly to increasing violence, even as he did his best to channel the broken moralism of the long-dead Anslinger. We’ve known the truth about marijuana for more than 70 years and we’re re-learning it again and again, nationwide. The greatest tragedy of the most American tragedy of the War on Drugs would be if we stopped learning there.

To get at sensible drug policy, we need to have a better sense of the realities and effects of drugs. David Nutt, a distinguished British psychiatrist and scientist, was dismissed for stating his view that horseracing is more dangerous to riders than MDMA and ecstasy are to users. He later WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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Bits of Wisdom…Tina Fey Gay people don’t actually try to convert people. That’s Jehovah’s Witnesses you’re thinking of. To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair. A Harvard Medical School study has determined that rectal thermometers are still the best way to tell a baby’s temperature. Plus, it really teaches the baby who’s boss. I’m not a mean person, but I have a capacity for it. You could put a blond wig on a hot-water heater and some dude would try to fuck it.

Aries: March 21-April 19 On your birthday you’ll witness a man masturbate into a urinal, miss, fart and then leave without washing his hands. Taurus: April 20-May 20 While having sex with your girlfriend, some homeless person will come up to the window and start doing a voiceover like Morgan Freeman. Gemini: May 21-June 21 Later this month your doctor will diagnose you with “dicken pox” due to your nether region razor burn and will prescribe some shaving cream.

Andrew J. Hewett chewednews.blogspot.com/ SURPRISE! SURPRISE! BOOM! Zia Segule, a Fort Bragg, N.C., soldier, decided to surprise his wife with an early homecoming. Sadly, when the burglar alarm awoke her, she pulled her pistol and shot through the bedroom door, striking her husband in the chest. Fortunately, it was not a deadly wound, and he’s since been released from the hospital.

Cancer: June 22-July 22 Several people at work approach you and ask if you’re ‘that lad from the paper.’ Turns out your doppelganger is a man who brutally murdered his older brother last year. Leo: July 23-August 22 So this is what your life has come down to: black and blue or white and gold dress. Virgo: August 23-September 22 You’ll get a call from a potential employer who will spend five minutes explaining the job duties. Five minutes later, you’ll learn why you aren’t the right person for the job.

BOTH ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED The Pinellas County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office paid $1,000 to have two rugs woven in forest green color with the sheriff’s badge and “In God We Trust” on the top. A couple of months later, though, someone noticed the one at the front door had an error. Instead of stating “In God We Trust” it read “In Dog We Trust.”

THIS MIGHT SOBER YOUR THIRST Nicholas Stewart, 35, was arrested selling fake liter bottles of Jack Daniels whiskey and Smirnoff vodka to tourists for $15 at a slot machine complex in Blackpool, England. A lab analysis found no alcohol in the bottles. Stewart was selling bottles of urine and feces.

Libra: September 23-October 22 The lone bright spot in your day as a cashier at Walmart will be when you overhear a woman mention that the secret to keeping a guy for life is to give him anal and that it’s important to clean your “shitter” beforehand. Scorpio: October 23-November 21 Your girl’s obsession with cleanliness hit a new low when she bitches at you for having trash in your trash can. Sagittarius: November 22-December 21 So now that you know what “Shrek Porn” is, what do you think?

Capricorn: December 22-January 19 Your girlfriend said she was going to start appreciating the little things in life starting with your penis. Aquarius: January 20-February 18 This month you’ll receive your performance review from work. Under the “oral communication” category your boss wrote that you “act like an asshole.” Pisces: February 19-March 20 Your mother will walk in on you watching porn. As punishment, she’ll sit down and make you watch the rest of it with her as she gives play-by-play commentary.

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VOL. 8 - ISSUE 3

place on her first day, so how awesome would it be to see her become a partner on the last episode? Don passes the torch, and she rocks it.

Mark McKenny

3. Sterling dies. The writers already have dispensed of the P and C of SC&J, so why not give Sterling a musical goodbye number? It could start with an acid trip, and while he thinks he’s on top of a Technicolor mountain, he’s really on top of the Empire State Building. With the loss of one of the main partners, the staff starts to believe the agency is cursed and all abandon ship to other agencies. 4. Don goes back to being Dick. It would be nice to see Don finally own up to all of his mistakes, to stop running from his past, and finally admit to the world who he really is. He can then retire to a nice place on a beach somewhere, free to live as Dick Whitman. 5. Hippie Don. Don goes with Sterling to visit his daughter at the hippie commune, decide they like it and stay forever. 6. They pull a That 70s Show. The show ends with the clock counting down on Dec. 31, 1969. Right before midnight, Eric comes back from Afri... oh wait, wrong show. 7. Salvatore Romano comes back. If they can bring back Freddie Rumsen, they can bring back Sal! My favorite from the earlier seasons, Sal had a pretty cold exit when he was fired, so it would just be delicious karma for him to come back to SC&J as a confident, successful competitor to buy the place. He’s here, he’s queer, and he’ll have his secretary see you out!

ALL THE WAYS MAD MEN COULD END BY SARA VODAK– @BLITZWEEKLY

Oh Don Draper; much like a college senior coming back from spring break, you must realize that your end is near. The sun is setting on your playboy ways and drunken revelries. But in the words of Roger Sterling, “When God closes a door, he opens a dress.” While I can’t help be sad about the impending series finale of one of my most loved dramas, I can still enjoy these last few weeks of hypotheses and “what ifs?” There’s about a million ways Matthew Weiner could end the series, considering the main characters’ habits of erratic and strange behavior (Don ditching everyone to live in Cali for a while, Sterling dropping acid, THE NIPPLE INCIDENT?!) So from a fan to the fans, here’s just a few of the ways Mad Men could end: SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

1. Don rediscovers his love of copy. Back in earlier seasons, he was known as the star of the advertising world for his ability to pitch powerful and deep campaigns to superficial businessmen with grace and ease. He could come up with ideas that would leave clients speechless, but that Don hasn’t been around since he made partner. Now that he’s been taken down a few notches, it would be nice if Don realizes that’s where he’s happiest. Jump forward to the 80s or 90s, and he’s an old man, working in the same building (new agency, of course) just typing away, coming up with taglines. 2. Peggy takes over. I think, and a lot of fans agree with me, that Peggy is the true hero of Mad Men to Don’s anti-hero. Episode 1 took

IT COULD START WITH

AND WHILE HE THINKS

HE’S ON TOP

OF A TECHNICOLOR 8. T’was all a fever dream. The finale builds to Pete Campbell taking over SC&P and getting a trophy wife, but it turns out the last few seasons of Don spiraling out of control and Judy leaving him was just his wishful subconscious. He wakes up in his office, in 1965, to Don throwing a new account at him. 9. Zombies? Turns out Bert Cooper didn’t die of a heart attack, but instead he was the first case of the zombie disease. He goes back to the office and bites everyone. AMC reveals that Mad Men actually was a prequel for The Walking Dead this entire time.

VOL. 8 - ISSUE 3

APRIL 2015

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