When Black Friday Comes:
The Ever Elusive End Of The World By Sean Casteel
ideas, Greer continues, “that can be transmitted from one person to another. It survives as long as it remains a factor in somebody’s thoughts and actions, and it spreads when one person convinces another to accept the meme.
When Black Friday Comes: The Ever Elusive End Of The World By Sean Casteel Being a UFO believer often carries with it a certain apocalyptic world view. While most would hesitate to predict an exact time and place, it’s safe to say that we nevertheless anticipate an eventual mass landing of some kind, or at least formal government disclosure that makes belief or unbelief a moot point. We collectively dream of some kind of radical transformation of our world, for good or evil, once the UFO phenomenon is irrefutably validated. But writer John Michael Greer, in his new book “Apocalypse Not: A History of the End of Time,” says different. According to Greer, mankind has left a record dating back 3000 years and appearing in nearly every single civilization in which the world as we know it coming to a dramatic end is prophesied and adopted as a heartfelt article of faith. Greer calls the belief in the end of time “the apocalypse meme.” What is a meme, you ask? According to Greer, “Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term, in his 1976 book, ‘The Selfish Gene,’ as a label for ideas that replicate through human society the way that genes replicate through a population of living things.” A meme is an idea or set of
“The apocalypse meme,” he goes on to explain, “is among the most convincing of examples of a meme at work. To follow it through history is to watch a distinctive set of ideas adapting and evolving over time, passing from host to host and from environment to environment, feeding on the available raw materials and fending off competing ideas with whatever defenses come to hand. Unlike many other memes, the apocalypse meme can be traced throughout history all the way back to its origins between 1500 and 1200 BCE, and it can be followed forward from that point right up to the present. Its trail is easy to follow for an unpleasant reason: the tracks of the apocalypse meme through history are wellspattered with human blood.”
Greer also provides a rundown of the apocalyptic beliefs currently held by various groups in today’s world. There are the evangelical Christians who are convinced that at some point in the very near future, “every truly devout Protestant Christian will suddenly and mysteriously disappear from the face of the earth, going to meet Jesus in the clouds.” The disappearance is called The Rapture, and it will usher in a seven year Tribulation and the reign of the world’s last tyrant, The Antichrist. At the end of the seven years, Jesus will return and annihilate the Antichrist, and the Christian faithful will reign with Jesus for a thousand years. Believers in this scenario are convinced the Christian Bible predicts all of
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DAWN OF THE NEW MILLENNIA
this word for word, and a large number believe it will happen in their lifetimes. The Muslims hold a similar belief, without the Rapture element. The Muslim equivalent of the Antichrist is called the Dajjal, and he is expected to be every bit as tyrannical and evil as his Christian counterpart. The Dajjal will be destroyed by Mahdi, the future prophet who will lead the faithful to paradise. The Jews, meanwhile, await their Messiah, while the Hindus eagerly anticipate the birth of Kalki, the next avatar of the great god Vishnu. The Buddhists across central Asia long for the appearance of the great king Rigden Jyepo, who will ride forth from the hidden city of Shambhala to vanquish the foes of the Buddhist Dharma. Then there are the non-religious, secular visions of the end of the world. Some UFO beliefs fit this category. “A significant number of Americans believe,” Greer writes, “that aliens from a distant planet are visiting Earth secretly in flying saucers, and someday soon will make their presence known; some believe that the aliens will usher in a marvelous new age, others expect something more sinister; both groups have been waiting breathlessly for the alien presence to be disclosed to the public since the late 1940s, but both insist that disclosure is imminent and that history as we know it will soon be over.” In a later chapter in the book, Greer takes up the UFO subject again. “Though the origin and nature of the UFO phenomenon remain controversial,” he writes, “its role as raw material for the apocalypse meme is not. In the earliest days of the subculture that sprang up around UFO sightings, the idea that the flying saucers had appeared to warn Earthlings about the risk of self-destruction via nuclear war was a central topic of discussion. By the early 1950s, the seeds of the apocalypse meme hidden in that idea had sprouted into luxuriant growth, and people who believed that they were in telepathic contact with alien astronauts – and there were quite a few people who made such claims at the time – vied with one another in
issuing colorful proclamations of the imminent doom from which the Space Brothers were about to save us.” Greer tells the story of Dorothy Martin, a suburban Chicago housewife turned UFO contactee who in 1954 announced that aliens from the planet Clarion had warned her that North America would be ravaged by terrible floods on December 21 of that year. The newspapers picked up on the prediction and Martin gathered a dozen or so followers on the night of the 20th to wait, vainly, for a UFO to swoop down and carry them off into the skies. Martin’s group disintegrated after the failure of the prophecy. She went on to become a minor New Age teacher and the rest of her followers returned to their ordinary lives. A sociological study of Martin and her group called “When Prophecy Fails” was published in 1956. There is always, of course, the mass suicides of the Heaven’s Gate cult in March of 1997 to serve as an example of when failed prophecy doesn’t end so harmlessly. Most of us are all too painfully aware of the cult’s belief that the Space Brothers would descend and lift them all to the “Evolutionary Level Above Human.” “[Cult leader Marshall] Applewhite proclaimed in late 1996 that Comet Hale-Bopp would soon crash into Earth and annihilate the human race,” Greer writes, “and he and his followers apparently decided to make sure that in their case, at least, the prophecy would come true. It’s unlikely, to use no stronger word, that their decision to ‘shed their physical containers’ got them seats onboard the giant spaceship they believed was hovering in Hale-Bopp’s tail, but it did spare them the embarrassment of having to explain away yet another failed
prediction of the end.” Greer also skewers belief in the long anticipated date of December 21, 2012, as foretold by what he contends is a loose and misinformed interpretation of the Mayan calendar. The day will fall on a Friday, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of a bit of lyric from the jazz/ rock group Steely Dan: “When Black Friday comes, I’m going to dig myself a hole. I’m going to lay down in it until I satisfy my soul.” That may be the only recourse for some who anticipated a preordained doom or an awe inspiring shift in mortal consciousness. Perhaps if nothing happens, a certain part of the populace will be inconsolable for a time. And what are we as UFO believers to make of Greer’s dismissal of ideas some of us may still hold sacred? I personally still believe the apocalypse will come, and will involve UFOs and angels and demons as well as Jesus and the Antichrist. Jesus warns us in the Gospels that “No man knows the day or the hour,” and that not even the angels will know exactly when God the Father sends the events that will make up the apocalypse. Perhaps the real danger is in trying to pinpoint a day or an hour or a month or a year when Christ has clearly warned us not to attempt to do that. That is the hubris that has led so many would-be prophets to fail utterly while at the same time misleading their gullible followers. In the words of Bruce Springsteen, “The future hasn’t happened yet.” [If you enjoyed this review, visit Sean Casteel’s UFO Journalist website at www.seancasteel. com to read more of his articles and interviews.]
PUNX PICNIC ATX PunX Picnic ATX Is coming FEB 10-12 2012 @ The Music Ranch! WEIRD MAG:Tell us
about Punx Picnic? What is it? When and Where?
Punx Picnic ATX:Punx Picnic is a Family
Oriented Festival Catering to The Punks and Their Spawn. It’s a 3 day Camping Music Festival with “The Works”...Live Music, Carnival, and Vendors of all type.
WEIRD MAG:
How did you guys come up with the Idea to do this event?
Punx Picnic ATX:
Chaos in Tejas and that event is in downtown bars, our children can not partake. Other cities world wide have Punx Picnic and we figured it was time for us to have one as well.
WEIRD MAG: What are some of the headlining acts for this years event?
Punx Picnic ATX:Main headliners will
be announced soon after our discounted $20 Presale 3 day pass tickets time expires. Current lineup consists of great bands such as New York’s Thrash Punks Shell Shock, Louisiana’s Mission Vs Madness, Nevada’s No Tide, Austin’s Skate punks Sober Daze and Revenants, and near 100 more great Texas Punk Bands from all corners of the State.
WEIRD MAG: What
cost is there to attend this year?
Our Town, being the Live Music Capitol of the world, the only festival we have catered to us is
Punx Picnic ATX:Limited Discounted
Presale Tickets will be selling for $20 for all 3 days. When Headliners are announced, Tickets will go up to $40 for all 3 days. Daily passes at the door will be $20. Attendees under 14 years of age enter FREE but must be Accompanied by their parents.
WEIRD MAG:
YThis should be pretty different for a 3 day event?
Punx Picnic ATX: Hellyea! We are offering carnival rides for the kids, Camping,
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tons of great bands, BYOB! All for an affordable price, We are trying to keep the price down so Punk Families can enjoy their time without burning a hole in their wallets! We’re really excited and anticipate and incredible experience.
WEIRD MAG:
What would you like to tell Weird readers about this event?
Punx Picnic ATX: We would like to tell your readers that this isn’t your ordinary music festival, this caters to family just as much as the parents. This would be a great way for your children to experience
the Punk Culture and destroying the bad rap that society has given this genre.
WEIRD MAG: Thanks
guys how can readers or sponsors get in touch with you for more information?
Punx Picnic ATX:They can contact us via email at info@BoozeTownEntertainment.com or our event’s email info@PunxPicnicATX. com. Information is on our website www.PunxPicnicATX. com, everything from survival tips, maps, directions, and band schedule.
W: Hey guys welcome to Weird Magazine, your new film is a great tribute to Stoner Culture Texas style. Is that fair to say? AH: As fair as Lady Justice herself. We feel like we’ve had ample exposure to Texas stoner culture, at times in fact, some of us may have even participated in enriching that culture. So we attempted to convey the lifestyle accurately in the film. W: Before we get into the film, what are some of your favortie stoner movies of all time? AH: Naturally, we’re fans of all the stoner classics: The Sound of Music, Steel Magnolias, Disney’s Jungle 2 Jungle. We know what you’re thinking- that’s so stoner 101, so we’ll drop a few of our more obscure faves like Fast Times, Wet Hot American Summer, and the greatest stoner movie of all time, Friday. W: What were Austin High? A and Dazed and AH: A little Meatlittle Dazed Confused, and a
you guys going for in little Meatballs, Confused? balls, a and
whole lot of Meatballs 4 starring the incomparable Corey Feldman. Talk about the crowning jewel of the already impressive film landscape of 1992! But yeah, we like to think that Austin High draws a little from a bunch of these movies. We have the same generally silly nature as Meatballs, and a comparable amount of nudity, but much less Bill Murray. We’re similar to Dazed in the sense that we have a huge ensemble cast, and of course that we shot in Austin. W: Dog the Bounty Hunter has a cameo apprearence in the film, he didn’t get high . . . Did he? AH: Dog got very high on set, but his drug of choice was pure, uncut awesomeness. And leather. Seriously, he couldn’t have been any cooler-everybody on set fell in love with him. He was on a super tight schedule, and could only be with us for a few hours, but he knocked out his scenes like a pro, and made time to take pictures with just about everybody on set. W: I’ve always wanted to know the answer to this question, when you see all these Stoner movies being made,
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do they ever use real pot? AH: We heard a rumor that Oprah insisted on smoking the real stuff for the big drug scene in The Color Purple, but we made fake stuff for our shoot. Our art department invented a concoction made from oregano, egg whites, and purple Kool-Aid powder. It looked extremely authentic, but we can’t say with complete certainty that smoking eggs or herbs is 100% safe. Our actors, being the consummate professionals they are, smoked the fake stuff without complaint, and only smoked real marijuana immediately before and after every day of shooting. W: What High School or Jr. High is Lady Bird High filmed at? AH: We are legally prohibited from disclosing that, so you will have to pry that information from our cold dead brains. And good luck doing that without some kind of information extraction device specialized for brains that are not only
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dead, but cold. Ha! Such technology doesn’t even exist. You’d need a time machine to go to the future just to retrieve the necessary building materials that don’t exist in our present time. So unless you’ve got a time machine, DON’T ASK! We will say that it’s definitely not the same school where they shot The Faculty, starring the incomparable Josh Hartnett, and the guy who plays T-1000 in Terminator 2. Easily, Robert Rodriguez’s best film. W: So where can Austinites go to check out the film? Alamo Drafthouse? AH: Yep. The next showing is at the Ritz on January 4th, and hopefully we’ll be able to announce a few more Drafthouse shows in the coming months. W: Sounds like you definitely Keeping Austin WEIRD! AH: Well, that’s your opinion. And we respect that. W: How does it feel to have your first film done? AH: It’s great. We actually haven’t even left the hot tub since we picture-
locked the movie. Hollywood foam parties, champagne sippin,’ talking to big movie executives, you know the drill. We’re proud to have a feature film under our belts, but we’ve also shot enough short films as Beef & Sage (beefandsage.com) in the past few years to make about 5 full length films, or 1 Baz Luhrmann movie. I mean, did you see Australia? 165 minutes? Come on, Baz! W: Any plans for a Sequel? AH: Unfortunately, all the Austin High character and sequel rights are now the property of Oliver Stone, so we’ve set our sights on writing a new, unrelated comedy. It won’t be Austin High, but we promise it will be just as fun, and we’ll still be drawing on the amazing group of comedy actors around Austin. W: Word of Wisdom to young film-makers out there? AH: We’re not very good with kids. W: Final thoughts to Weird Magaizne readers about Austin High? AH: One of the main themes in Austin High centers around outside forces coming in with the evil intention of “unweirding” the city. It’s about the weirdos coming together to keep things beautifully weird. Therefore, it would be very un-weird of you weirdos to not go see this film!
Aaron Lewis Interview Pharr TX 1/13 Austin TX 1/14
WEIRD MAGAZINE SPEAKS TO AARON LEWIS ON HIS TOUR AND HIS NEW EP TOWN LINE!
WEIRD: Welcome to Weird Magazine Aaron. We look forward to having you here in Texas this month. What can we expect from this tour?
Aaron Lewis: You know it’s a pretty random evening of my songs, STAINED songs, some covers, and we will talk about the new album we recorded in Nashville, I don’t really know what to expect from one of my solo shows cause I never really have a set-list. WEIRD: How has the last year or so treated you since the success of debut single “Country Boy” and the EP TOWN LINE, released earlier last year on Nashville’s R&J Records?
Aaron Lewis : Well, I can’t really complain. Umm you know I never expected to debut # 1 on the Billboard Country charts, I certainly never expected “Country Boy” to have over 11 Million views on YOUTUBE. You know can’t complain especially considering what a mess things were on the business side of things during that whole time frame. WEIRD: You have country
roots , and most people didn’t know that until last year. Are fans of STAINED getting a little more familiar with the real Aaron Lewis?
Aaron Lewis : I think that if they are following me on the outside of the world of STAINED, then yeah that’s true. WEIRD: Changing gears
here real quick, what are your thoughts on Foreign policy with the wars going on and our troops over seas?
Aaron Lewis :– Well un-
fortunately, I think that WAR is just apart of human nature, And it’s going to happen for as long as humanity has been around. I think it is a horrible thing, and nobody wants this to be going on, but at the same time, we have to be defensive. War is unfortunate.
WEIRD:– Aaron, Country
Boy introduces your family history and clearly shows your patriotism for our nation, What are your thoughts on Obama signing NDAA into Law, bringing us ever closer to Martial Law or putting the constitution under a microscope!
Aaron Lewis :Well it would be nice if actually if everybody placed the Constitution under a microscope because that would put it back to the way it’s supposed to be, and unfortunately our Federal Government is controlling our children’s education by regressing the education agenda, today kids do not know the Constitution, they don’t know that it’s our responsibility as a nation to police and control the Government that is very clearly designated a controlled amount of power over our lives and when they step outside of that, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! And because we have been desensitized, and the Government has been successful in making sure that today we don’t know the document that creates this great nation Well enough to know that it’s
our responsibility to do something about it.
WEIRD: – You are a fan of
all types of music, what CD is in your car or truck or Tour Bus as we speak? What is Aaron listening to?
Aaron Lewis: I got a
bunch of CDs downloaded into my stereo on my truck. Steve Earl is on there a lot, Jamie Johnson, I listen to a lot of Willies Place on satellite radio old classic country, and you know I listen to a lot of talk radio educating myself about what’s going on out there in the world.
(Laughs) What my new record sounds like!
WEIRD: Seems like your having fun. Is that fair to say? .
Aaron Lewis: I’m certainly working hard! WEIRD: Final thoughts to
readers, why should they come out to your show?
Aaron Lewis: Cause there is nothing else better to do that night! Come hang out!
WEIRD: What were some of your country influences growing up? Aaron Lewis
Everything that my grandfather was listening to, you know he was a big Johnny Cash, MERLE HAGGARD, Hank Williams Sr. Charlie Daniels, Waylon Jennings, you know all the classic footprint of what I thought country sounded like
WEIRD: – Real country basically!
Aaron Lewis:– Yeah!
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Obama Violates Constitution Again Obama Violates Constitution Again !! Kurt Nimmo Infowars.com January 4, 2012 More evidence Obama is at war with the Constitution – or more accurately, his globalist masters are at war with it. The following is from The Hill today: Republican leaders in the House and Senate are blasting President Obama’s move to recessappoint a key nominee as an “unprecedented power grab.” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the president “arrogantly circumvented the American people” in his effort to recess-appoint a key nominee and argued the move ”fundamentally endangers” Congress’s ability to check the “excesses of the executive branch.”
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House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called the effort an “extraordinary and entirely unprecedented power grab … [that] would have a devastating effect on the checks and balances that are enshrined in our constitution.” Article Two, Clause 3 of the Constitution on recess appointments reads as follows: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. (Emphasis added.) The Senate is not currently in recess. It is in a “pro forma” session, in other words a session that is not considering formal business. Senate Republicans did this to prevent Obama from appointing Richard Cordray as head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau during recess. But the Obama administration went ahead anyway. “They have decided no one can stop them,”
said a Democrat in the know. “This is a blatant violation of the Constitution and he’s doing it simply to pick a fight with congressional Republicans and energize his base,” writes the Ace of Spades HQ blog. It looks like Obama will get away with it. Republicans are more or less powerless to stop this violation of the Constitution, especially with an election coming up. If they try a lawsuit or hearings on impeachment, it will feed right into Obama’s re-election machine. His reelection campaign will focus on taking Republicans to task for their perceived foot dragging on his economic measures supposedly designed to get a dead-in-the-water economy moving again. Beyond partisan politics, though, the move is designed serve as another blow to the Constitution. As we noted in July, there is currently a concerted effort underway to portray the Constitution as antiquated, outdated and even ridiculous.
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W: HOW MUCH WILL A TATTOO COST AT THIS YEARS EVENT? MM: The beauty of a convention is the opportunity to see hundreds of artists’ work in one place. Some people come knowing they are getting tattooed, some become inspired to get tattooed, some are just researching for future tattoos and others would NEVER get tattooed but still like to check it all out, be entertained and people watch. As with any shop, some artists work at an hourly price and some at a piece price. I always tell people that are new to a convention to look through the artist portfolios and see who you connect with---we have people doing every type of tattoo, black and gray, color, portrait, realism, oriental---find the artist that does what you are looking for and then talk with them. If you have a budget in mind let them know. That said, many artist book appointments in advance, so if you know you want to get tattooed it’s always a good idea to go to the website and check out some of the artists portfolios online and maybe set up an appointment. W: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S STAR OF TEXAS TATTOO ART REVIVAL? MM: To me the show is simply about art in all forms. I’d like to think the show is a good time for anyone that likes visual stimulation at all---from tattoos to fine art, cars and motorcycles, and of course great people watching. Even the vendors at the show have an emphasis on artful and often hand made product. For anyone thinking about getting a tattoo you can’t find this quality and variety anywhere---the chance to check out portfolios of hundreds of artists from all over in person and actually get tattooed! For those that are just curious it’s a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. For more show information or to purchase advance tickets: http://www.golivefast.com Show location/times Palmer Events Center 900 Barton Springs Road in Austin Friday January 13th noon-10:00pm Saturday January 14th noon-10:00pm Sunday January 15th noon-7:00pm W: THANKS MARCY! HUGS! SEE YOU WITH ALL THE OTHER WEIRDO’S FRI THE 13TH! MM: I think this is our first Friday the 13th! How fitting! See ya there!
Chemtrails:
What In The World Are They Spraying?
Chemtrails: What In The World Are They Spraying? New documentary sets out to find out the truth behind government geoengineering programs Steve Watson & Paul Watson Infowars.com Friday, Oct 8th, 2010 What In The World Are They Spraying? is an investigation into all aspects of the phenomenon of chemtrails. Over the past decade and more, long white trails emanating from jet planes have been seen lingering in the skies all over the planet, often expanding and merging to form vast swathes of artificial cloud cover. These trails are clearly not water vapour contrails, which evaporate after several minutes. They remain overhead for long extended periods of time, often culminating in strange grid like formations. Now they have people asking some serious questions. What are these trails, who is spraying them into our atmosphere and for what purpose? This film, produced by G. Edward Griffin, Michael Murphy and Paul Wittenberger sets out to answer those questions and discovers some disturbing answers. Research indicates that the trails are part of a geoengineering program that may already be in its initial implementation phase.
Scientists at the Carnegie Institution are using taxpayer money to lay the groundwork for injecting the atmosphere with materials they believe will artificially cool the planet, in a bid to stave off what we are told is modern civilization’s greatest threat to date, anthropogenic global warming. Even if you buy into the as yet unproven theory that human produced carbon emissions are voluminous enough to significantly alter the planet’s climate, you should still be extremely wary. Playing God with the atmosphere may have severe consequences, particularly given that the compounds these scientists are testing are known to cause debilitating health problems and could lead to massive droughts and famines. Based around the madcap method of “injecting aerosols of sulfate into the stratosphere” to produce “a global sunshade,” researchers at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology have been running advanced trials on how to distribute artificially added sulfates to the atmosphere in the name of cooling the planet. “The Carnegie scientists ran five simulations using a global climate model with different sulfate aerosol concentrations depending on latitude. They then used the results from these simulations in an optimization model to determine what distribution of sulfates would come closest to achieving specified climate goals. They then tested these distributions in the global climate model to assess how well the climate goals were met,” states a recent press release about the study. One of the main authors of the study was Ken Caldeira, the man who told a conference of fellow warmists earlier this year that it would be a good idea to make the emission of CO2 an illegal act. Presumably, that would include the very process of breathing since all humans exhale carbon dioxide. That’s right – the man tasked with playing God with the environment thinks breathing should be criminalized. Caldeira also promoted the idea of dispersing sulphur dioxide into the skies in an attempt to
reflect sunlight in a September 2008 London Guardian article entitled, Geoengineering: The radical ideas to combat global warming. “One approach is to insert “scatterers” into the stratosphere,” states the article. “Caldeira cites an idea to deploy jumbo jets into the upper atmosphere and deposit clouds of tiny particles there, such as sulphur dioxide. Dispersing around 1m tonnes of sulphur dioxide per year across 10m square kilometres of the atmosphere would be enough to reflect away sufficient amounts of sunlight.” But it gets worse – Caldeira is an advisor for and is being funded by Bill Gates – the man who thinks that old people should be killed to save teaching jobs, and the man who says that vaccines which his foundation bankrolls to the tune of billions should be used to lower population and bring CO2 emissions down to a level approaching zero.
will have a direct impact on our health is alarming. Would you let Ted Bundy take your teenage daughter out on a date? Would you allow Ian Brady and Myra Hindley to baby sit your children? And yet here we have a gang of elitists who have publicly stated their intent to use the threat of global warming and overpopulation as a justification for killing and sterilizing people, and we’re giving them free reign with taxpayer money to play God with planet Earth? What is wrong with this picture?
Geoengineering programs have also been promoted by the Council on Foreign Relations, which is one of the main steering committees behind the implementation of global governance. In a document entitled Geoengineering: Workshop on Unilateral Planetary Scale Geoengineering, the CFR proposes different methods of “reflecting sunlight back into space,” which include CONTINUES PAGE 16 . . .
But the Carnegie study is just one recent example of a research program that has been ongoing for up to 20 years. Experiments similar to Caldeira’s proposal are already being carried out by U.S. government -backed scientists, such as those at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, S.C, who last year began conducting studies which involved shooting huge amounts of particulate matter, in this case “porous-walled glass microspheres,” into the stratosphere. The project is closely tied to an idea by Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen, who “proposed sending aircraft 747s to dump huge quantities of sulfur particles into the far-reaches of the stratosphere to cool down the atmosphere.” The science of geoengineering through chemtrails is also vehemently backed by John P. Holdren, the White House science czar, who in his 1977 book Ecoscience advocated poisoning the water supply to involuntarily sterilize humans as part of a “planetary regime” that would control every aspect of our existence. The fact that such eugenicists are now in control of geoengineering programs that
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Chemtrails:
What In The World Are They Spraying? cont . . . . and evolution and aerosol properties that affect direct and indirect influences on climate and climate change.” What In The World Are They Spraying? – Trailer: U.S. government scientists are already bombarding the skies with the acid-rain causing pollutant sulphur dioxide in an attempt to fight global warming by “geo-engineering” the planet, despite the fact that injecting aerosols into the upper atmosphere carries with it a host of both known and unknown dangers. Such programs merely scratch the surface of what is likely to be a gargantuan and overarching black-budget funded project to geo-engineer the planet, with little or no care for the unknown environmental consequences this could engender. Injecting the atmosphere with sulfate aerosols is a completely insane, untested and dangerous proposal.
adding “small reflecting particles in the upper part of the atmosphere,” adding “more clouds in the lower part of the atmosphere,” and placing “various kinds of reflecting objects in space either near the earth or at a stable location between the earth and the sun.” The proposals in the CFR document match exactly the atmospheric effects observed in the aftermath of chemtrail spraying. A recent report issued by the UK government also calls for the UN to exclusively regulate world wide geoengineering of the planet in order to stave off man made global warming. Discussion of geoengineering technology is often framed as a future consideration, yet governments are already conducting such programs at an advanced stage.
The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program was created in 1989 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Science and managed by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research. One of ARM’s programs, entitled Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC), is aimed at measuring “cloud simulations” and “aerosol retrievals”. Another program under the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Science Program is directed towards, “developing comprehensive understanding of the atmospheric processes that control the transport, transformation, and fate of energy related trace chemicals and particulate matter.” The DOE website states that, “The current focus of the program is aerosol radiative forcing of climate: aerosol formation
Rutgers University professor Alan Robock has warned that such experiments “could create disasters,” damaging the ozone layer and potentially altering the stratosphere by eliminating weather patterns such as the annual Asian monsoon rain season, which 2 billion people rely upon to water their crops and feed the population. “Imagine if we triggered a drought and famine while trying to cool the planet,” Robock told a geo-engineering conference last year. However, when you consider the fact that the global warming mantra is a thin veil for eugenics and population control, it’s unlikely that the world’s elite care about one third of the planet’s population being unable to eat, in fact they would probably see that as a bonus. The known facts about what happens when the environment is loaded with sulphur dioxide are bad enough, since the compound is the main component of acid rain, which according to the EPA “Causes acidification of lakes and streams and contributes to the damage of trees at high elevations (for example, red spruce trees above 2,000 feet) and many sensitive forest soils. In addition, acid rain ac-
celerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our nation’s cultural heritage.” The health effects of bombarding the skies with sulphur dioxide alone are enough to raise serious questions about whether such programs should even be allowed to proceed. The following health effects are linked with exposure to sulphur. - Neurological effects and behavioral changes - Disturbance of blood circulation - Heart damage - Effects on eyes and eyesight - Reproductive failure - Damage to immune systems - Stomach and gastrointestinal disorder - Damage to liver and kidney functions - Hearing defects - Disturbance of the hormonal metabolism - Dermatological effects - Suffocation and lung embolism According to the LennTech website, “Laboratory tests with test animals have indicated that sulfur can cause serious vascular damage in veins of the brains, the heart and the kidneys. These tests have also indicated that certain forms of sulfur can cause foetal damage and congenital effects. Mothers can even carry sulfur poisoning over to their children through mother milk. Finally, sulfur can damage the internal enzyme systems of animals.” Fred Singer, president of the Science Environmental Policy Project and a skeptic of manmade global warming theories, warns that the consequences of tinkering with the planet’s delicate eco-system could have far-reaching dangers.
people would rather avoid,” said Singer. Even Greenpeace’s chief UK scientist – a staunch advocate of the man-made global warming explanation – Doug Parr has slammed attempts to geo-engineer the planet as “outlandish” and “dangerous”. Stephen Schneider of Stanford University, who recently proposed a bizarre plan to send spaceships into the upper atmosphere that would be used to block out the Sun, admits that geo-engineering could cause “conflicts between nations if geoengineering projects go wrong.” Given all the immediate dangers associated with bombarding the atmosphere with sulphur dioxide, along with the unknown dangers of other geo-engineering projects, many people are concerned that “chemtrails” are a secret component of the same agenda to alter the Earth’s eco-system. The fact that chemtrails are blocking out the sun, which is precisely what the geoengineering advocates call for, strongly indicates that they are an integral part of this dangerous and wide-reaching program. The Government Is Already Geo Engineering The Environment 050908geo2 This graphic proposes, “Spraying aluminum powder and barium oxide into high levels of the atmosphere, again delivered by aircraft, to increase planetary reflectance (albedo) and cloud cover.” High levels of barium have been found in substances associated with chemtrails. WEIRD MAG SCREENS THIS FILM AT BRAVE NEW BOOKS JAN 18TH @ 7PM
“If you do this on a continuous basis, you would depress the ozone layer and cause all kinds of other problems that
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Interview With an Oath Keeper By Cameron Cutrone freedome-files.blogspot.com and the danger it poses to us? Interview With an Oath Keeper Recently, Weird Magazine had the pleasure and honor of sitting down with a local veteran of the Iraq war who has a rather unique perspective on national security, civil liberties, and the future of constitutional government. Weird Magazine: Dustin, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Dustin: It’s great to be with you. WM: So you are a veteran of the Iraq war. What was the nature of your service? Dustin: As a member of the 82nd Airborne unit in the Army. WM: Wow, so you’re no slouch. What do you see as the biggest national security threat to the United States? Dustin: Well, as a person who takes the Oath seriously, I am sworn to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign, and domestic. WM: Okay. It seems by the emphasis you put on “and” in that statement, you are implying that there is an urgency about our own government’s policy
Dustin: Precisely. Over in Iraq, it was a war zone. Combatants were being held in detention centers. People’s movements were carefully controlled and tracked. However, returning home to see people’s rights trampled on by the Patriot Act, seeing the construction of FEMA centers, fusion intelligence centers with no oversight, and subsequent legislation has given me the impression that the American people are being treated as though they are in a war zone, or at the very least, a Police State. WM: Wow. That’s a very sobering viewpoint, but I can’t dispute anything you’ve just said regarding our domestic situation. It’s the similarity you see between that and your perspective of Iraq that is out of my league, and quite frankly, shocking. What subsequent legislation are you referring to regarding the Police State?
Dustin: Well, sections 1031 and 1032 of the latest Defense Authorization Act allow the government to indefinitely detain anyone in the world without judge, jury,
or even a charge on the mere suspicion that they may have ties to a group designated as “terrorist” in nature, a word whose definition expands ever more broadly by the day. This is an insult to our justice system, which
has successfully prosecuted terrorists in the past, within the confines of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This latest legislation robs everyone, not just violent religious zealots, of their due process.
WM: So what does it mean to be an Oath Keeper? How can that reverse the course this country is on? Dustin: Well, it’s not what we plan to do that defines us at all. We are simply a brotherhood of military servicemen and women, as well as civilian law enforcement individuals, who take the Oath to uphold the Constitution very seriously, and literally. By that I mean our loyalty is to the Constitution and Bill of Rights, not to any administration’s policy, or our commanding officer, provided that their orders clearly violate
our Constitution and Bill of Rights. WM: So where’s the line in the sand? At what point would an avowed Oath Keeper be obligated to say “No, Sir?” Dustin: We have clear guidelines, and keep them with us at all times. (Pulls out a card from his back pocket) It reads as follows: 1. We will NOT obey orders to disarm the American people. 2. We will NOT obey orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people 3. We will NOT obey orders to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to military tribunal. 4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state. 5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty. 6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps. 7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext. 8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control.”
to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies. 10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances. WM: Man, I’m glad to have you as a neighbor! (Laughs). So, I’m confused, Anderson Cooper on CNN told me to be very unsettled by this recent emergence of thousands of people in the military and police ranks who are part of some sort of sinister militia with it’s own mission, different than that of the regular uniformed officers! Dustin: (Laughs). Ahh ya... We are not a “militia.” We have no plans to do anything other than uphold our oath, and defend the rights of every single American citizen, even if the rest of the military chooses to follow an arbitrary unlawful order that violates the rights of the our citizens. WM: How dare you! You mean you are in a cabal of people conspiring to NOT take my guns, NOT interfere with my freedom of speech and association, and NOT send me off to be detained indefinitely without charge or trial? I’m freaking out here! Dustin: I know, pretty sinister isn’t it? Cameron Cutrone’s articles are archived at freedome-files. blogspot.com
9. We will NOT obey any orders
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from my British Grandfather. He was always telling me high brow jokes and riddles from England growing up. In a way I’m dedicating these WM: TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW SHOW CALLED FILTH. NA: Filth is a comedy show that breaks a lot of the rules of traditional comedy. shows to him. I’m not sure he would agree completely with the words I The comics in the show are hardworking up and commers who are amazing, original comedy writers who don’t hold back on their opinions or experiences. use but I’m sure he understands I mean well. Each one of the comics in the show are handpicked exclusively for this show. This is a show for the faint of heart. We want you to come out and experience WM: HOW MUCH ARE THE something new. You’re going to hear people say things that you’re told not to TICKETS? talk about that in reality should be talked about as well as laughed at. NA: Tickets are $2 donation. All the proceeds are going to benefit Ron WM: WHY THE NAME FILTH? Shock. He is an amazing comedian NA: Well, I’ve kind of been through a lot personally in the past year that I’m who is an inspiration to many comesure a lot of people can relate to. I was still adjusting to being a new father, dians everywhere. We just found out gas prices are high, this economy blows, lots of changes at work, the IRS was giving me shit for most of the year, my uncle and my grandfather passed away he has cancer and will be admitted to MD Anderson as I’m writing this. We over the holidays and I got really bad staph infection on my face. I’m not sure I want to share the rest. I had a lot of trouble keeping it together at times. I’ve expect his portion of the bills to be in the six figures. If you can shell out a just had so much filthy negative socially awkward situations arise and that I decided to start writing jokes about it in efforts to turn some negative experi- few bucks more we certainly would appreciate it. ences into some positive ones. I just want to get back to my roots and have some fun with no hidden elements. The show is called Filth because life can get pretty Filthy sometimes. If I did not have a sense of humour I don’t think I WM: ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO MENTION ABOUT THE SHOW? NA: Yes, look out for the podcast soon. See you at the show. could have made it through a lot of these challenges. I get a lot of my humour WM: NICK, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS? NA: Just working at my job and performing comedy whenever I can.
WM: WE UNDERSTAND YOU WERE WELL RECEIVED THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED THE TRIPLE CROWN. ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT PERFORMING IN SAN MARCOS AGAIN? BM: For sure, it's a seedy little room with cheap booze and scary, drunk, salt of the earth types. It also apparently used to be one of those Asian massage parlors, rub and tugs they're called. My favorite kind of place to hang out it anyway. WM: THE SHOW IS CALLED FILTH AND WE UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL COMEDY CLUB SHOW. IS THAT CORRECT? BM: It's definitely nothing like working in a club as the pay is nonexistent and bar shows do nothing for advancing your career in a typical sense. They are however, really fun to do and nothing toughens you up onstage like performing in front of people you'd be afraid to share a jail cell with. WM: SOME OF THE CONTENT OF YOU MATERIAL IS CONSIDERED TABOO BY MOST BUT YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM TALKING ABOUT BAD HABITS, FAILED RELATIONSHIPS AND MANY OTHER THINGS. WHAT GIVES YOU THE COURAGE TO BE SO OPEN WITH YOUR AUDIENCE? BM: I wouldn’t exactly call it courage as I am one of the least courageous people who have ever stepped out of a womb. It’s what
I know and have done and what I think is funny. It’s coming to terms with all of the failures in your life and making peace with the fact that I have never lived a conventional life nor do I think it would work if I tried. I realize when I talk about sex on stage that it could gross people out because the idea of having sex with me is gross. I’m not trying to offend anyone; I’m just trying to get them to have sex with me. WM: YOU WERE THE FRONT MAN OF A HARDCORE BAND. IS THAT CORRECT? BM: Yeppers, I screamed for an artsy punk rock band called pageninetynine. We were peachy WM: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR COMEDIC AND MUSICAL INFLUENCES? BM: Comedy wise, I'm gonna take the cool road and say that my main influences were storyteller type comics who had quick wit and could really turn a phrase. Realistically, everybody that I see onstage doing jokes influences me in some way or another. As far as music goes I could name a bunch of obscure punk bands who I've been a very passionate fan of for years but I feel like saying Slayer and Fugazi would do about the same thing. WM: WHEN DID YOU MOVE TO AUSTIN? WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY? BM: I've lived in Austin for a little over a year now by way of Richmond, VA. But I
was raised in the fine little town of Sterling, VA. WM: TELL US ABOUT THE NEW REALITY SERIES YOUR IN. THE GUYS WHO MADE "SWAMP PEOPLE" IS MAKING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEX? BM: Sadly at this point there is very little to tell. A very nice guy named Adam came down here and interviewed the Sandstone crew and shot some footage. Then we made him drink with us and he went back to NY to plead our case to whatever God like beings craft reality shows. I'm hoping that we can beat out "America's Hottest Cobblers" and be on the TV. WM: THE COMEDY BUSINESS IS A TOUGH ROAD FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING? BM: I forgot to have a backup plan. Not having any kind of safety net can really light a fire under your ass, And in your penis, use condoms kids. WM: I'VE HEARD THE PHRASE HELL GIG MENTIONED QUITE A BIT. WHAT IS A HELL GIG? HAVE YOU EVER PERFORMED IN ONE? BM: I've actually never heard this but I've yet to go onstage sober. I don't remember anything, ever.
WE SAW YOUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE. YOUR A FEISTY FUNNY LADY. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PERFORMING STAND UP? KR: Oh no. I need to take those down.... But to answer your questions, on and off for about five years. Three solid here in Austin. Before that I played in a few punky grungy bands....then moved on to managing them....then realized the only thing worse than those two things would be "struggling magician", so I shifted into telling jokes. WM: WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE COMEDY? KR: Shit, boredom? I don't know. I think about what's funny all the time, so much so that I find things hilarious when they aren't really. I think it's better to take something kind of mundane and build it up to be greater than it is....as opposed to getting laughs out of shooting something down....although that method works....and I do it alot still...Honestly, other comedians I guess. Seeing them having fun and wanting that. Roseanne always has a smile even when she's shitting on someone, I want that. WM: WE HEARD YOU HAVE OPENED FOR DOUG BENSON. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH HIM? KR: It was like this.... Hey can I do time before Doug Benson??" Club: "Sure" Then I did seven minutes about stoners, bongs, and weed...and left. Graham Elwood saw my set and threw me a high five, I was super pumped, but then he got up there and had all this incredible energy...I gotta be honest, I don't even know if Benson WM: YOU'RE PERFORMING AT THE NEW COMEDY SHOW CALLED FILTH IN SAN MARCOS AT ‘WAKE THE DEAD” JUNE 18TH. ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT PERFORMING IN SAN MARCOS? ES: Absolutely, despite being in Austin for over 10 years now I haven’t spent much time in San Marcos and I’m always excited about new venues & audiences. I got to be part of the first Filth show in San Marcos and it was a lot of fun, this one coming up is even bigger & better. WM: DO YOU THINK THE WORLD IS GOING TO END IN 2012? ES: If only we could be so lucky. It would almost be worth it for the world to end in 2012 for the sake of getting to see the faces of all the devout Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc when they are faced with the reality that they were wrong and it was the Mayans that were right. WM: WHAT’S THE DRIVE BEHIND YOUR COMEDY? ES: You can only scream at the walls for so long before it starts to get you, then you go out and scream at strangers - hopefully they laugh & maybe agree with you but as long as they respond it beats the walls. Doing comedy is the best way that I have found to channel my energy in a way that can make me and other people happy at the same time. Of course, I have been known to piss some people off too but I was still happy. WM: YOUR COMEDY HAS BEEN DESCRIBES AS EDGY AND THOUGHT PROVOKING. WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE HERD? JW: I've always ignored Cowboys and Collies... and neither has ever really tried that hard to add me to the masses. We have a mutual understanding. WM: WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE COMEDY BUSINESS? JW: Doing a funniest person contest dressed as a gospel atheist priest leading a 40 person Freethinker Choir while performing non-faith based healings in the audience – after being told by a manager I was a shoe in to place...(I proudly did not). That or inciting a riot involving lesbian burlesque dancers inside an intimate hookah bar. WM: WE SAW YOU PERFORM WITH DOUG STANHOPE
was in the room. 90% of my experiences, the headliner never really see's the guest sets. It was fine though, he was eating the popcorn I gave him so I was happy that he was happy. Your answer? It was tite?
a tribute to Tarantino on my right shoulder. I have to get it finished soon...it was all done over the course of a year, from True Blue Tattoo. A lady named Rachel Kolar. She's probably the best artist I've ever met, and I definitely felt comfortable investing the time and money into someone like her, who I WM: WHAT OTHER COMICS HAVE YOU PERFORMED WITH? knew would bullshit me or fuck up. I have a bumble bee above KR: Ummm....Ron Shock, Shane Mauss, Moshe Kasher, Daniel my knee, a heart on my hand, a big ass KISS tattoo on my left Kinno, Thea Vidale, and Tom Rhodes....those are the memora- shoulder (the rock and roll over album cover, and no I don't ble ones. I remember opening for Ron Shock, I was so nervous give a shit if you like it. I like it.) I have a birdie, a Tsunami because he's one of my idols....But sitting and listening to him Bomb tattoo, and a couple of guns, one that says "mom and talk about his life, even when he's not performing, is probably dad", and a cat that says "me". I was drunk for that last one. one of the most delightful moments I've experienced. He's a man that defines "storyteller", hence his nickname. Thea WM: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST PROFESSIONAL COMEDY also had really good advice and life lessons she shared....my SHOW LIKE? KR: Honestly, I won’t give details, but incredibly favorite was her repeating that women weren't "ladies" anydisappointing. You soon find out that there are the same flaws more, they've all gone to shit. We talked about the Bad Girls in this profession as any other. There’s a lot of sucky sucky, Club, and I knew she was a badass. fucky fucky, this is who I know, type of underhanded crap that happens everywhere. You figure out, nothing is really WM: DO YOU SMOKE DA GANJA? WE ARE PRO GREEN AT ever fair, and not everyone who is on stage is good or deservWEIRD MAG. KR: What I do on my Goddamn property is none ing, but patience and keeping my mouth shut, helped me with of you're damn business! GIT A WARRANT!! self control so I can power through the bullshit. Professional comedy shows could be in a bathroom or parking lot, or they WM: SHOULD POT BE LEGAL? KR: Should Johnson Grass be might get cancelled, or you might not even get paid. I guess it’s illegal? Of course pot should be legal. It has extremely useful good to have low expectations. Let me change my answer...it medicinal treatments that are superior for treating pain, in was fabulous. Wait, performing or watching? Oh, fuck it. contrast with addictive and sometimes deadly use of narcotics. Pot is a fucking plant. Did you know it is perfectly fine for WM: WHERE ARE YOU FROM ORIGINALLY? KR: Sutherland a woman to take adderrall (synthesized methamphetamine) Springs, TX. It's a tiny town and our post office is dedicated her WHOLE LIFE, creating a codependancy and addiction to Bill Clinton, erected the year he stuck that cigar up ol' girls' that feeds the monkey (pharmaceutical companies), but I got puss. busted for ONE FUCKING JOINT, driving to Dallas almost ten years ago, that COMPLETELY offset my life in a big way. I can't WM: YOU'VE BEEN MAKING A BIG SPLASH IN THE AUSTIN believe I live in a world where people are prescribed drugs like COMEDY SCENE. WHAT’S NEXT FOR KAT? KR: Umm, we Oxycontin, allowed to drink and drive and mow down people filmed a reality tv show thing that will probably never get like animals, hell you can even beat your wife in Missourri and picked up. I just got back from New York, where I'm planget away with it! But FUCK YOU if you wanna smoke a joint ning on moving in the next year, but as for now....just a because the beating your husband gave you is painful. We live weekly show at the Velveeta Room, every Friday with Luke in a stupid, stupid time right now. McClory....I hope to eventually start doing more feature work WM: TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR TATTOOS. KR: I have on the road...maybe get some land....settle down. Ha! WM: DO YOU GET A LOT OF SHIT AT THE AIRPORT SECURITY WITH THOSE IMPLANTS? ES: My implants are Teflon so they don’t set off any of the scanners. Most security personnel recognize that real threats wouldn’t draw as much attention to themselves as I do and don’t treat me differently than anyone else. I do sometimes get recognized and asked for photos or autographs.
draw from my experiences, being a completely tattooed sideshow freak often leads to some unusual situations; but I am also motivated, like many before me, to call out the hypocrisy which WM: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE COMEDIAN? ES: Tough call. surrounds often us all - esLenny Bruce probably wouldn’t be my favorite, judging by pecially at election times material, but he is the most important for me. I first learned of like now. him while doing a paper on the 1st amendment and I think that played a major role in my interest in doing comedy. WM: IS THERE A MRS. LIZARDMAN? DOES THE WM: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN ENTERTAINER? ES: SPLIT TONGUE HELP Professionally, I have been performing for about 15 years. WITH THE LADIES? ES: Yes, there is a Mrs. Lizard. WM: WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD I have been married for OF? ES: I’m proud of simply being able to do this for a living eight years and I often - its no small feat to just pay the bills, show business is very say that of all the things much feast or famine. Beyond that, I’m proud of the fact that my wife complains about, my tongues have never been one. I have any fans at all. To be able to reach people like that is a Before I was married the tongue was definitely an advantage real accomplishment. it took the guess work out, I could simply stick out my tongues and wait. Some girls would run away but others would run to WM: WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE JOKES? ES: I mostly me. LAST TIME HE WAS IN SAN ANTONIO. WHAT WAS IT LIKE OPENING FOR DOUG? JW: Conflicting. The audiences are amazing – like a vacation from mediocrity… but I always feel out of place. I’m uncomfortable in large gatherings (more so when the crowd is great) and never know what to do off stage, but shuffle around like some awkward idiot. That and I always feel like I don’t deserve the opportunity… Stanhope busted his ass over a decade through the shittiest gigs, club bannings, etc to build his own audience. It makes me want to work harder, while also enabling my drinking.
WM: ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT PERFORMING IN SAN MARCOS? JW: Always. San Marcos is like the perfect mix of idealist college student and bitter drunk college graduate. That and Wake The Dead feels like all the clubs I grew up watching shows at.
WM: WHAT’S YOUR PLANS FOR FIXING THE ECONOMY? JUST KIDDING. WHAT’S YOUR CURRENT GOALS IN COMEDY? JW: I just want to write better jokes, perform more clubs and grow on stage. I don’t want to ever be satisfied with WM: WHAT OTHER COMEDIANS HAVE YOU PERFORMED my act, because I feel strongly that complacency kills art. If WITH? JW: Too many to name - I’ve had the good fortune I get some notoriety, fine – If I go nowhere – that’s fine too. to work with Maria Bamford, Marc Maron, Sean Rouse, and Whatever happens, I just want to feel like I’m moving forward Tom Simmons. Not to mention comics I consider great friends in what matters to me. that I want others to see like Dave Evans, James Ponce, Bob Khosravi... Am I name dropping? This question feels wrong. WM: WHERE ARE YOU CURRENTLY PERFORMING How about "I - like everyone, BUT this guy named Nick AL... MOST FREQUENTLY? JW: I’m ala...ALoooto or some shit like that. on my Mediocrity Tour – performing for dozens WM: ASIDE FROM COMEDY YOUR ALSO VERY ACTIVE AND of people watching muted RESPECTED IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY AS WELL. WHAT ESPN highlights in small IS LIKE WEARING THOSE TWO HATS? JW: Easy. One’s a shit holes across Texas visor – the other a Jewish Yarmulke… If I want to wear three with brief moments of hats I either attach a propeller or just add two beers to the packed houses in San Antosides. nio and Dallas.
The War on Drugs and on the American Citizens Continues
The War on Drugs and on the American Citizens Continues to Flounder - Jamie Balagia
Can you imagine being pulled over by a police officer for a traffic violation and being told that the officer can smell a strong odor of raw marijuana in your vehicle? What if you know that you have never had any marijuana in your vehicle but the officer doesn’t believe you because he has a super snooper cop nose. And the next thing you know your car is being impounded and towed away as you are left to walk home while your car is being destroyed. The interesting story quoted from and referenced below is another example of shocking police behavior that doesn’t seem to get anyone’s attention. This is the type of behavior (an unreasonable seizure and search) that got our Founding Fathers so upset at the British King. If you caused this amount of damage to anyone else’s vehicle you would be charged with Felony Criminal Mischief and placed in a jail cell until you made bail. You are a poten tial felon while the officer believes the one saying that goes - “we’ll get him next time”. Over the years, I have seen a number of cases involving vehicle and residential home searches which resulted in the police officers destroying private property and finding little or nothing to support the search warrant. The police officers always claim that they acted in good faith based on trusting
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a confidential informant (snitch/rat) or on a hit from a canine unit (K-9 police dog). The police will claim that they relied on the “credible and reliable” snitch for the information that gained entry into a home based on probable cause to obtain a search warrant. By doing so they are insulated from being blamed since either the snitch made an innocent mistake or the bad drug dealers moved the drug stash before the search warrant could be acted upon. If they relied on a dog’s “hit” on a vehicle and there are no drugs found then the police will say that the dog hit on an old smell. Apparently, the dog wasn’t mistaken, again the bad drug dealers had unloaded the drug cache just prior to the dog’s alert. Those pesky drug dealers seem to be just one step ahead of the snitches, cops and K-9 doggies. The option that is always ignored is that the cops, snitches and dogs are just plain wrong and in the haste to continue to fight the loser of a War on Drugs we have once again stomped on the Constitutional Rights of our citizens. To make matters worse even when an incident like this occurs the police departments generally refuse to pay for the repairs for the physical damage they have wrongfully caused. In the case cited below at least the citizen had automobile insurance to pay for the cost of the “totaled” car. Now the insurance company will have to sue the police department for reimbursement for the loss. If not for the insurance company’s legal team this threat would not be a feasible option. Most civil attorneys would not take this case on behalf of the citizen because the attorney fees available would not justify the time that would be spent on the case since the value was below $15K. In other words, if this hap-
pened to you and you didn’t have a legal war chest on hand you would have to handle the matter at your own expense and on your own time. And you will be up against a City, County or State legal team that is being paid to work whether you pursue the matter or not. Hopefully, the police lawyers will not buy the old “he’s just a drug dealer that got rid of the drugs before we searched the house, building, or vehicle” and force you to fight a legal battle. Many times the case is fought just to make you give up or to settle for a lot less than you have been damaged (actual damage, time invested, emotional pain and suffering). It seems that there just isn’t a lot of sympathy for those labeled “drug dealers” whether it is an outright lie or not. If I were one of the police officers in the case below the only thing that would cause me to pause and think twice before behaving in this matter would be if I could be personally sued and have to pay the cost of the lawsuit out of my own pocket. As long as the laws and courts continue to protect the individuals to blame from personal liability we will continue to have our right to be secure from unreasonable searches trampled upon. It is hard to imagine what our community would look like if employees of other types of businesses could behave in this manner. Just think if you could screw up time and time again and never be held accountable and never have to pay for your mistakes and the law made it difficult for the injured to get justice. The lynchpin of “reasonableness” in searches and seizures is there for a good reason. The framers of the Constitution were very familiar with the manner that the Crown soldiers (today’s law enforcement officers) were mistreating
the colonist by the unreasonableness of the personal and home searches and seizures that were a part of everyday life. In some of our communities the same type of searches are happening each and every day. There are parts of San Antonio and Austin where there is a great chance that you will be stopped and searched if you are driving late at night. If you “bow up” to the officers they will threaten to call a K-9 unit to sniff you and your vehicle. Most of you have nothing to hide but why should you have to wait an additional 30 minutes to an hour to be harassed and mistreated. It is unacceptable and should not be tolerated by the public anywhere in our cities. I encourage all of you to keep my office number saved in your cell phone in case you find yourself subject to any mistreatment by law enforcement officers. If you are being harassed and subjected to an unreason-
able search or seizure call our office while it is happening and we will come to your aid. Take the time to research 420dude.com and balagia.com so you will know your rights and at least be able to recognize when you are being mistreated. Most of the officers I know do not engage in this type of behavior but the ones that do seem to make a regular habit of it. Having a good grasp of your rights will protect you from bad police practices and will help you to avoid bad situations. If you drink and drive you should familiarize yourself with the information at dwidude.com as well. Always be smart and don’t do anything that would bring on a traffic stop and subsequent searches or interrogations. The best thing you can do to avoid police problems is to avoid the police to begin with. But if you get busted - get the Dude. 210-394-3833
420 FORUM Legalizing
Marijuana
Legalizing Marijuana By Karli Duran We’ve all been told the same thing since elementary school: Don’t do drugs. Ironically, the many of the adults that spread this message consume alcohol and/or smoke cigarettes on a regular basis. So why are alcohol and cigarettes, drugs with serious proven health risks, okay to use if marijuana, a drug that has never been the sole cause of a single death is not? One of the most important things to understand about the marijuana being illegal is that it does not significantly affect the amount of people who smoke it. There were about 16 million marijuana users in the US in 2010, according to the American Journal of Epidemiology. Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United
States. Over 83 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once. With the legalization of marijuana, the only people to really suffer would be the big drug dealers. Mexican drug cartels make at least 60 percent of their revenue from selling marijuana in the United States, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Today, marijuana trade brings in billions of dollars every year in the US. However, because the drug is illegal, it is an unregulated market. It seems rather obvious that it would be in the government’s favor to legalize the drug. Then, it could be taxed, and the money could be spent on important social endeavors, like healthcare and education. Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcoholic beverages could produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year. With a regulated market, the government could also determine who marijuana could be sold to. In today’s world, it is easier for any minor buy illegal drugs than it is to buy alcohol or cigarettes. Doesn’t that seem a little ridiculous? Clearly, one way to keep pot out of the hands of middle school students in America is to make it legal and then to establish a legal smoking age. The government is also greatly influenced by representatives from pharmaceutical and alcohol companies that benefit from the illegality of marijuana. Using cannabis to alleviate pain
By Karli Duran
dates back to Queen Victoria. If marijuana were legal, people would smoke it for relief from menstrual cramps, depression, nausea, pain, etc. causing pharmaceutical companies to lose business. Many people would also smoke pot in place of drinking alcohol, which would not be good news for the alcohol producers. These powerful companies, who can afford a drop in their massive profits in the first place, have pressured the government to maintain the illegality of marijuana. With regard to the regulation of marijuana, laws based on social and economic pressures of the past are no longer relevant. It’s time to learn more about the facts of marijuana instead of relying on assumptions perpetuated by uneven media coverage and powerful apolitical bodies whose profits are at stake. The government should take a hard look at its reasons for maintaining the illegality of marijuana and realize the fruitlessness of banning a harmless recreational drug.
In 1619, a law was passed in colonial Virginia ordering farmers to grow hemp, also known as cannabis, also known as marijuana. Hemp is one of the most resourceful crops in the world. It can be used to produce thousands of kinds of textiles and paper. It can also be smoked in the form that most people know as pot. By the 1930s, however, in a time of intense racism in this country, government propaganda and a few misunderstood correlations caused cannabis to become widely associated with African Americans and violence. Marijuana only became popular again during WWII when the government again permitted the growth of hemp in order to promote economic production. However, the government found after WWII that communism was becoming a threat, and that some mari-
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juana smokers were pacifists. This was obviously not what the government needed in order to succeed in its Cold War efforts. People around the world have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years while also using the hemp plant for everything from fabric and rope to ethanol fuel. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, our government decided marijuana was wicked, evil and should be illegal. In the U.S., the struggle continues to this day to overcome the lies and misconceptions about marijuana that the government spent billions to spread. The cannabis culture is intertwined with doctors, lawyers, grandparents, the middle class, college students, politicians, and everyone in between. People are starting to open their eyes to the many facts and complied data regarding marijuana’s benefits to our society. Will we see marijuana become legal in our lifetime? Marijuana has become a hot topic in our country, and it seems to play an important role to many when deciding who to elect for presi-
dent this year.
Why do so many Americans want to see marijuana legal? Perhaps because many have now realized marijuana should never have been made illegal in the fi1st place. We are at a paradoxical moment in our country. We are clearly moving in the right direction, toward a more rational drug policy based on science, compassion, health and human rights. But we need to step up our efforts, grow our numbers, and continue to win hearts and minds because the casualties from the war continue to mount every day. Please join the movement to the end the war on drugs. If the people lead, the leaders will follow.
Government has a Patent on Medical owned U.S. Patent 6630507 titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” since October 2003.
The Government has a Patent on Medical Marijuana
“Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following
ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.” Sounds like a quote from a promarijuana campaign, but in fact it is the description from patent owned by the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America.
That’s right… the United States government has
It makes you wonder why the U.S. government is so unwilling to admit that marijuana has some valid medical properties. The patent granted to the US Government and its uses of medical cannabis indicates that they have known for quite some time that cannabis is truly a medicinal plant. This should be very alarming considering that the US Government has long denied the efficacy of medicinal marijuana as a medicine, as well as resisting the reclassification of the plant from Schedule I (no medical use), terrorizing/incarcerating medical patients and their family members, while at the same time successfully operating a 20+ year Federal Medical Marijuana Program that allows a limited number of patients to use medical marijuana grown at the University of Missis-
Marijuana
By Karli Duran
sippi. That’s right… since 1968, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has contracted with The University of Mississippi to grow, harvest, and process marijuana. In 1976, a federal judge ruled that the Food and Drug Administration must provide a man from Washington, D.C. with marijuana because of his glaucoma. There have been 14 people that have been supplied marijuana by the federal government with 4 remaining. According to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 100 pounds of marijuana was given to federal marijuana patients between 2005 and 2011. So if the government insists that marijuana has no medical value, why does the government own a medical marijuana patent, harvest a marijuana crop, and distribute marijuana to sick people?
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