Breaking a sweat
Before I began having relapses of my breathing problems late last year, I was walking 20 to 30 minutes each morning. I'd always come home having broken a sweat. While I still break a sweat on occasion of late, it hasn't been from planned exercise. It's been after a mad dash to make a movie time, or when I'm very stressed, or when I overdo. Until this morning.
This morning I was out doing my walking before most of the residents here were awake and while I didn't significantly increase the distance, I guess I picked up the pace a bit. Because when I was done, I had broken a sweat. It felt good. Now I may never get back to the level of sweat I was once able to achieve. After back to back aerobics classes, I'd walk to my car and my t-shirt would be literally dripping with sweat. Drenched in sweat. I'd put a towel over my seat in the car to prevent the sweat from soaking into it. Funny, this morning's sweat feels almost as good as it did back then.
* * *
I'm confused and I suspect I'm not alone in this particular area of confusion. We know that the sale of marijuana is illegal under federal law. We also know that California state law is in conflict with this because medical marijuana can be sold legally here.
Now the feds can come in and arrest the owners of any medical marijuana dispensary in our state. That makes sense. Federal law trumps state law. What confuses me is that the owner of a building who rented to what he thought was a legal business; a medical marijuana store, is facing the forfeiture of his building. He wasn't selling the pot. He didn't know that the law forbade him from allowing someone to rent space in his building to sell pot. He never got a notice that he needed to evict the tenant.
If he has committed a crime, charge him. As an accessory before or after the fact. Or with conspiracy. But they can't charge him. He'd never be convicted. So why does the law allow him to lose his property because someone else was doing something illegal in it?
If I own an apartment and as far as I know the tenant of a unit isn't doing something illegal, when that tenant is discovered to have been running a meth lab there, do I go to jail? Do I lose my building? No. So why can the government get away with this?
* * *
Stuff I'd Do If I Ruled The World:
Revamp the Little League World Series. While baseball is an American invention, and much more popular here than in other nations, why should the winner of the US bracket get into the championship game to face an "international" bracket winner? Isn't it a "world" series?
Make movie theaters display the actual time for a movie, including how many minutes of trailers run before the feature begins. I saw "The World's End" today. Its running time is 109 minutes. The starting time was supposed to be 10:25 a.m. so I should have been walking out of the auditorium at 12:14 p.m. I actually walked out after the final credits were finished rolling, at 12:32. 18 minutes of trailers and "don't talk or text" messages before the movie itself began. Hey, I love trailers. I'd just like to know if it's going to be four, or six, or seven, or just how many minutes of trailers for planning purposes. I always allow 20 extra minutes but just show the damn actual number.
Make the cops enforce the no texting/driving laws. Having a $161 fine as we do in California should be sufficient to discourage the practice, but it doesn't. Raising the fine to $500 wouldn't discourage it. When word hits the street that the CHP and other law enforcement agencies are actually pulling people over and writing the tickets, it will discourage people from doing it. It's like the so-called "California stop" at a stop sign. Cops just don't care enough to write it up. The difference is that usually the California stop isn't putting others in danger. Texting and driving is.
Prohibit political speechmaking at awards ceremonies. I've mentioned this before so further comment isn't required.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Why did the idiot (who is now almost certainly dead) in Australia ignore the signs saying not to swim because of the presence of crocodiles? One "snatched" him right up.
Do the people who are calling Louisiana Republicans dumb because more of them blame President Obama rather than President Bush "Lite" for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina remember a little factoid? That then-Senator Obama was one of the 14 members of the U.S. Senate who in essence voted against giving aid to New Orleans? The bill was to waive a requirement of a law known as the Stafford Act, and if the waiver hadn't been granted, the city would have had to pick up 10% of the cost of reconstruction and cleanup. Why would Senator Obama oppose this sensible measure? Didn't he call for a waiver of this requirement during the post Superstorm Sandy cleanup?
Is it wise for an elected official to appoint someone to their staff after they've been convicted of an act that would involve betraying the public's trust? Especially when their probation includes a judge's order banning them from holding elected office for four years?
Raise your hand if you were surprised by Mike Tyson's admission that he was lying when he said he was sober.
Someone wrote an article letting us know that it is Nevada that gets the largest portion of its tax revenue from "sin" (gambling, tobacco and liquor taxes) taxes. In other surprising news, there will be seven days in next week.
Whoever came up with the idea of having former WCW world wrestling champion Goldberg throw out the first pitch for a Miami Marlins game, and then to "spear" the catcher deserves to be promoted.
The Alabama cheerleaders who used the word "responsable" on a banner for their football team to run through prior to a preseason game should be sent to remedial English.
It's nice to know that President Obama is a big tipper (52% on the tab of $106.48) but how did TMZ get a copy of the credit card receipt?
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1768, James Cook sets off on his first voyage.
On this date in 1835, the New York Sun perpetrates the "Great Moon Hoax."
On this date in 1894, Kitasato Shibasaburo discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague.
On this date in 1912, the Kuomintang, the Chinese national party was founded.
On this date in 1916, the U.S. National Park Service is created.
On this date in 1939, the United Kingdom and Poland form a military alliance where the UK pledges to defend Poland if they are invaded by a foreign power.
On this date in 1944, Paris is liberated by the Allies.
On this date in 1948, the House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing.
On this date in 1950, President Harry Truman orders the U.S. Army to take control of the railroads to prevent a strike.
On this date in 1980, Zimbabwe joins the UN.
On this date in 1981, Voyager 2 makes its closest approach to Saturn.
On this date in 1989, Voyager 2 makes its closest approach to Neptune.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Ivan the Terrible
Bret Harte (the writer, not the wrestler)
James W. Gerard
Arpad Elo
Ruby Keeler
Erich Honecker
Mel Ferrer
George Wallace
Monty Hall (he is probably still making deals)
Althea Gibson
Sean Connery
Hal Fishman (a great journalist, RIP)
Regis Philbin
Tom Skerritt (call sign: Viper)
Frederick Forsyth
John Badham
Rollie Fingers
Gene Simmons
Bill Handel
Elvis Costello
Tim Burton
Billy Ray Cyrus
Blair Underwood
Joanne Whalley
Albert Belle
Claudia Schiffer
Alexander Skarsgard
Rachel Bilson
Blake Lively
Movie quotes for today come from the very funny 2005 film "Waiting" because Blake Lively's husband starred in it:
Monty: [using a Forrest Gump voice] Momma said they's my magic shoes. Mama said they would take me anywhere. 'Course Mama used to beat me with a rubber hose and call me a retard.
#2
Monty: So, what do you think of Natasha?
Dean: I think she's illegal.
Monty: Yeah, I've made peace with that. Seriously, look at her. You know she has that Scooby-Doo tongue.
Dean: [imitating Scooby-Doo] Ratutory rape.
#3
Serena: Have you talked to him about it?
Amy: No, I'm playing hard to get.
Serena: Oh, but haven't you slept with him like the past five nights?
Amy: Well, not *real* hard to get.
#4
(my favorite)
Dan: Ma'am, I don't doubt the steak was over-cooked, but did you have to eat it all before you complained about it?
This morning I was out doing my walking before most of the residents here were awake and while I didn't significantly increase the distance, I guess I picked up the pace a bit. Because when I was done, I had broken a sweat. It felt good. Now I may never get back to the level of sweat I was once able to achieve. After back to back aerobics classes, I'd walk to my car and my t-shirt would be literally dripping with sweat. Drenched in sweat. I'd put a towel over my seat in the car to prevent the sweat from soaking into it. Funny, this morning's sweat feels almost as good as it did back then.
* * *
I'm confused and I suspect I'm not alone in this particular area of confusion. We know that the sale of marijuana is illegal under federal law. We also know that California state law is in conflict with this because medical marijuana can be sold legally here.
Now the feds can come in and arrest the owners of any medical marijuana dispensary in our state. That makes sense. Federal law trumps state law. What confuses me is that the owner of a building who rented to what he thought was a legal business; a medical marijuana store, is facing the forfeiture of his building. He wasn't selling the pot. He didn't know that the law forbade him from allowing someone to rent space in his building to sell pot. He never got a notice that he needed to evict the tenant.
If he has committed a crime, charge him. As an accessory before or after the fact. Or with conspiracy. But they can't charge him. He'd never be convicted. So why does the law allow him to lose his property because someone else was doing something illegal in it?
If I own an apartment and as far as I know the tenant of a unit isn't doing something illegal, when that tenant is discovered to have been running a meth lab there, do I go to jail? Do I lose my building? No. So why can the government get away with this?
* * *
Stuff I'd Do If I Ruled The World:
Revamp the Little League World Series. While baseball is an American invention, and much more popular here than in other nations, why should the winner of the US bracket get into the championship game to face an "international" bracket winner? Isn't it a "world" series?
Make movie theaters display the actual time for a movie, including how many minutes of trailers run before the feature begins. I saw "The World's End" today. Its running time is 109 minutes. The starting time was supposed to be 10:25 a.m. so I should have been walking out of the auditorium at 12:14 p.m. I actually walked out after the final credits were finished rolling, at 12:32. 18 minutes of trailers and "don't talk or text" messages before the movie itself began. Hey, I love trailers. I'd just like to know if it's going to be four, or six, or seven, or just how many minutes of trailers for planning purposes. I always allow 20 extra minutes but just show the damn actual number.
Make the cops enforce the no texting/driving laws. Having a $161 fine as we do in California should be sufficient to discourage the practice, but it doesn't. Raising the fine to $500 wouldn't discourage it. When word hits the street that the CHP and other law enforcement agencies are actually pulling people over and writing the tickets, it will discourage people from doing it. It's like the so-called "California stop" at a stop sign. Cops just don't care enough to write it up. The difference is that usually the California stop isn't putting others in danger. Texting and driving is.
Prohibit political speechmaking at awards ceremonies. I've mentioned this before so further comment isn't required.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Why did the idiot (who is now almost certainly dead) in Australia ignore the signs saying not to swim because of the presence of crocodiles? One "snatched" him right up.
Do the people who are calling Louisiana Republicans dumb because more of them blame President Obama rather than President Bush "Lite" for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina remember a little factoid? That then-Senator Obama was one of the 14 members of the U.S. Senate who in essence voted against giving aid to New Orleans? The bill was to waive a requirement of a law known as the Stafford Act, and if the waiver hadn't been granted, the city would have had to pick up 10% of the cost of reconstruction and cleanup. Why would Senator Obama oppose this sensible measure? Didn't he call for a waiver of this requirement during the post Superstorm Sandy cleanup?
Is it wise for an elected official to appoint someone to their staff after they've been convicted of an act that would involve betraying the public's trust? Especially when their probation includes a judge's order banning them from holding elected office for four years?
Raise your hand if you were surprised by Mike Tyson's admission that he was lying when he said he was sober
Someone wrote an article letting us know that it is Nevada that gets the largest portion of its tax revenue from "sin" (gambling, tobacco and liquor taxes) taxes. In other surprising news, there will be seven days in next week.
Whoever came up with the idea of having former WCW world wrestling champion Goldberg throw out the first pitch for a Miami Marlins game, and then to "spear" the catcher deserves to be promoted.
The Alabama cheerleaders who used the word "responsable" on a banner for their football team to run through prior to a preseason game should be sent to remedial English.
It's nice to know that President Obama is a big tipper (52% on the tab of $106.48) but how did TMZ get a copy of the credit card receipt?
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1768, James Cook sets off on his first voyage.
On this date in 1835, the New York Sun perpetrates the "Great Moon Hoax."
On this date in 1894, Kitasato Shibasaburo discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague.
On this date in 1912, the Kuomintang, the Chinese national party was founded.
On this date in 1916, the U.S. National Park Service is created.
On this date in 1939, the United Kingdom and Poland form a military alliance where the UK pledges to defend Poland if they are invaded by a foreign power.
On this date in 1944, Paris is liberated by the Allies.
On this date in 1948, the House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing.
On this date in 1950, President Harry Truman orders the U.S. Army to take control of the railroads to prevent a strike.
On this date in 1980, Zimbabwe joins the UN.
On this date in 1981, Voyager 2 makes its closest approach to Saturn.
On this date in 1989, Voyager 2 makes its closest approach to Neptune.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Ivan the Terrible
Bret Harte (the writer, not the wrestler)
James W. Gerard
Arpad Elo
Ruby Keeler
Erich Honecker
Mel Ferrer
George Wallace
Monty Hall (he is probably still making deals)
Althea Gibson
Sean Connery
Hal Fishman (a great journalist, RIP)
Regis Philbin
Tom Skerritt (call sign: Viper)
Frederick Forsyth
John Badham
Rollie Fingers
Gene Simmons
Bill Handel
Elvis Costello
Tim Burton
Billy Ray Cyrus
Blair Underwood
Joanne Whalley
Albert Belle
Claudia Schiffer
Alexander Skarsgard
Rachel Bilson
Blake Lively
Movie quotes for today come from the very funny 2005 film "Waiting" because Blake Lively's husband starred in it:
Monty: [using a Forrest Gump voice] Momma said they's my magic shoes. Mama said they would take me anywhere. 'Course Mama used to beat me with a rubber hose and call me a retard.
#2
Monty: So, what do you think of Natasha?
Dean: I think she's illegal.
Monty: Yeah, I've made peace with that. Seriously, look at her. You know she has that Scooby-Doo tongue.
Dean: [imitating Scooby-Doo] Ratutory rape.
#3
Serena: Have you talked to him about it?
Amy: No, I'm playing hard to get.
Serena: Oh, but haven't you slept with him like the past five nights?
Amy: Well, not *real* hard to get.
#4
(my favorite)
Dan: Ma'am, I don't doubt the steak was over-cooked, but did you have to eat it all before you complained about it?
posted by me at 11:12 PM
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