tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54918932681396379072023-11-16T08:05:46.433-08:00bendrozbendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-13590435374962479122019-02-14T13:03:00.003-08:002019-02-14T13:04:28.872-08:00Hempy Valentines Day!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We know what Flowers you want for Valentine's Day...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWuLlXB7g1kS6O1lnSF7WPsVuzAPV8MhuOYKSm3QdovW2z5HD7qf6D5BimANSdcvorTUxpq4cCJUbBNrdW81aY2rrLzZcXgkB4oSbgti5-hFu2Rxpc5ioUn4I8yhwFnRwXik1J9BB25Q/s1600/Tennessee+Hemp+Farm+Tour-2306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWuLlXB7g1kS6O1lnSF7WPsVuzAPV8MhuOYKSm3QdovW2z5HD7qf6D5BimANSdcvorTUxpq4cCJUbBNrdW81aY2rrLzZcXgkB4oSbgti5-hFu2Rxpc5ioUn4I8yhwFnRwXik1J9BB25Q/s640/Tennessee+Hemp+Farm+Tour-2306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">100% CANNABIS FLOWER</span></div>
<br />bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-40384186150032827372011-12-03T16:22:00.001-08:002011-12-03T16:51:59.734-08:00Barney Frank is Retiring :_(<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2tKzDyzY25o6l6JovwkkONQDS2DUrAfOk9Kg4MLFxW2T_rdx_quPgPOIuuGw1Y4e2lmjhbJHjAO8mlhgbXCCqxtHoZNEeVhu92Pbkvek_JP7kaDO6b6JvdNIq3mhID_n19E7WcUtX-I/s1600/Barney+Frank+and+I.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2tKzDyzY25o6l6JovwkkONQDS2DUrAfOk9Kg4MLFxW2T_rdx_quPgPOIuuGw1Y4e2lmjhbJHjAO8mlhgbXCCqxtHoZNEeVhu92Pbkvek_JP7kaDO6b6JvdNIq3mhID_n19E7WcUtX-I/s320/Barney+Frank+and+I.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It makes me very sad that Congressman Barney Frank is retiring after 31 years of service in Congress.<br />
<br />
Frank is an inspiration. He was the Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, where he pushed harder than anyone to change the way Wall Street handles money. He was the first member of Congress in history to come out as openly gay. He maintained a reputation for being one of the smartest members of Congress, and despite his mumbles and occasionally looking disheveled, he was one of the most powerful and respected Democrats in the House .<br />
<br />
In recent years, he has been the leading advocate for Cannabis reform in Congress. In 2005 he partnered with Representative Ron Paul and introduced the <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.1831:">Industrial Hemp Farming Act. </a> This partnership is ironic because Ron Paul and Barney Frank are polar opposites, and come from opposite sides, from the far left and the far right. This bill now has 30 bipartisan cosponsors, and<br />
Last year, Frank sponsored the <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.2306:">Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011</a>, which set new precedents for drug reform. <br />
<br />
While Frank sponsored these bipartisan pieces of legislation, he is usually known for his strong liberal agenda. As Congress became more and more polarized, Frank stuck to his beliefs and continued to push harder to the left. His reforms in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act were so controversial that GOP Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said that <a href="http://nation.foxnews.com/newt-gingrich/2011/10/11/newt-slams-media-not-demanding-transparency-federal-reserve">Barney Frank should be thrown in Jail.</a><br />
<br />
Many People are very happy to see Frank leave. I myself am very sad, primarily because of his work on the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. In either case, Frank's retirement is a sends a strong message. One, that Congress is continuing to tumble and deteriorate, unable to do anything useful. The partisanship that divides Congress and our voters has gotten in the way of the serious changes that America must face. Frank leaving is a step towards bipartisanship, and hopefully, Congress will become a better governing body in the 113th Congress.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-8256507750305146612011-10-04T00:09:00.001-07:002011-10-04T01:23:46.667-07:002012 Part I<div><br /></div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon</a><div><br /></div><div>It's after 3 am and I can't sleep. It's all the energy in the universe that's keeping me awake!<div>Yesterday I discovered #H2, the second history channel that has all the good stuff and none of that crap like "Larry the Cable Guy" and "Pawn Stars". Instead, it's back to back Modern Marvels and crazy documentaries prophecies from Nostradomus and "History of the World in two hours".</div><div>They are all really good and are shining some SERIOUS LIGHT on December 21, 2012.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure I've now seen at least a dozen documentaries about 2012, and they are all different AND THE SAME!! As the story goes....</div><div>The Mayan Civilization was able to make complex and highly accurate astronomical predictions and measurements. I saw astronomical, not astrological, because the Maya actually calculated the orbits of actual real planets. We are not talking about some "the horoscope points to 2012". No, they were really good at math.</div><div><br /></div><div>Their measurements of time and space were allegedly more accurate than we even have today, and they used calculation methods that remain a mystery because Spanish Colonizers destroyed all of their written documents, thinking it was work of the devil. Only 3 scrolls remain, which really means that no one on earth knows what this date symbolizes. But it is true and without a doubt, that December 21, 2012 held some type of significance to the Maya.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the story goes deeper....</div><div> Isolated world cultures with completely different world views and systems of time, without knowing anything about each other, sometimes existing simultaneously and others thousands of years apart, all predicted a similar date. </div><div><br /></div><div>But do not fear- the end of the world may not be here! </div><div><br /></div><div>It is not the end of the Mayan Calendar, rather, the beginning of a new era, with the Maya Long Count date going from 12.19.19.17.9 to the 14th "Tikun" 13.0.0.0.0 . Mathematically, this was as the same date on August 11, 3114 BC, some 5,000 years ago. So the world will not end, but we are entering a new 5,000 year cycle.</div><div><br /></div><div>What really got to me was when I cross referenced these dates with with the 1967 hit, "Age of Aquarius". Note, this is moving from "Astronomy" to "Astrology", which is far less accurate. According to legend, an astronomical age is roughly ~2,000-2,150 years, corresponding to some type of astronomical equinoxes... according to wikipedia, a full cycle lasts 26,000 years, divided by 12 signs, you do the math. . Anyways, the song was referring to the dawning of a new Astrological Age, something that Plato predicted over 2,000 years ago. Many people agree that we entered the Age of Pisces at around 1 AD, which is lends itself very well to our current world view but also to the inaccuracies of "astrology". Nonetheless, these Ages have captivated the minds of academics, clergy, and the common man for thousands of years and continue to do so today. But when exactly the Age of Aquarius will come remains unsettled and highly contentious.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many people believe, based on crude mathematics, that Aquarius will come in the year 2,150. In 1928, at the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Astronomical_Union" title="International Astronomical Union" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">International Astronomical Union</a> (IAU) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden" title="Leiden" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Leiden</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands" title="Netherlands" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Netherlands</a>, a bunch of crazy scientists estimated that the Age of Aquarius would not come until 2600. However, a number of other Astrologists posit that the Age of Aquarius has already come, and has ushered in the American, Industrial, and Cultural Revolutions that characterize the 20th Century. Has the Age come yet? And what is the exact date?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I have always thought that something crazy went down in the year 1967, because it always comes up as the most revolutionary of all years, besides maybe 1976, America's Bicentenial. I was freaking out when this was also the year of the Musical "Hair" with the opening song that calls for the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">It is 4:19 am, but let me say this- the Age of Aquarius will come on December 21, 2012. All of the inaccuracies attributed to the Zodiac give us about a 400 year window, starting in, say, 1884. However, a number of other, independent studies of Astronomy and Astrology, forsee some type of phenomenon on a specific date that is right in the window of the Coming of a New Age. As we look back to 1967 when it was said that the New Age was coming, we have to ask ourselves, "Will it be 2012"??</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">TO BE CONTINUED.......</span></span></div>bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-41657390271481629242010-09-07T17:29:00.000-07:002010-09-07T17:29:58.255-07:00BYT Pool Party<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhHzlIHEx8uroQZRUr7g_kuRkxVOf68UCuBVfkRreA2FUeExmwk48EurX3qXMQIADKE_xUrll8WcvUef0YVjDGQaruwTqNqCk6vE2mx4kuvesZXr-rv1DrWJ5tkq4Ro_lhbND8L2N9IM/s1600/DSC_0757.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhHzlIHEx8uroQZRUr7g_kuRkxVOf68UCuBVfkRreA2FUeExmwk48EurX3qXMQIADKE_xUrll8WcvUef0YVjDGQaruwTqNqCk6vE2mx4kuvesZXr-rv1DrWJ5tkq4Ro_lhbND8L2N9IM/s320/DSC_0757.JPG" /></a> </div>Furcafe<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-71379223446883754342010-05-23T22:42:00.000-07:002010-05-24T10:02:48.699-07:00What a weekend!Last weekend was quite busy, in only the best of ways, let's jump right in.<br /><br />.....By 4:30 pm I was tipsy, still dancing (now in an apartment) and drinking Hoegaarden on the roofdeck. Friday afternoon was AWESOME.<br />Despite wanting to continue hanging out until the sun came up, I had to bike home, upload pictures, and get ready for Friday night. When I looked at my watch and realized that the weekend 'proper' had not even begun yet, was a very WHOA experience.<br /><br />By 6:30 pm I was running late for a baseball game, Nationals Vs Orioles. The weather was beautiful and I had a free ticket as the "date" of a friend whose office was having a baseball outing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3OukYPouwIU5-3yiZZpIMvyGua-wdeqwANSoiVDsQpXKB1Fosl6RpOVYsZqnPhoaUzoj0eycnMuj9sXJi6mS1zG1MH38InmsYllgusJP9n4naTZIMsgeRCRmdMjLLTmeNxwTK-0T4kI/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3OukYPouwIU5-3yiZZpIMvyGua-wdeqwANSoiVDsQpXKB1Fosl6RpOVYsZqnPhoaUzoj0eycnMuj9sXJi6mS1zG1MH38InmsYllgusJP9n4naTZIMsgeRCRmdMjLLTmeNxwTK-0T4kI/s320/DSC_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474715679095869474" border="0" /></a>Despite the fact that this two teams that I have grown to love, I still do not care much for this American sport. We left around the 7th inning to head back to Columbia Heights.<br /><br />I had a schedule to keep. I went straight to the grocery store to pick up a six pack, I decided on getting a old favorite: Mickey's malt liquor 'grenades' (which have word puzzles under the caps.) I was also starting to sober up since I could only afford to buy one drink at the baseball game, so I figured that normal beer just wouldn't cut it.<br />I took the six pack about 4 blocks to my friend's house, who was having a party that I was just on time for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8D8UAm6mWNdoUNgPJrq9IysP-CfOrTFXrwbSX9Rcui0OPtIBfR1cWmkD44Q2XhftCnrhZYMsQdw8A4MfsTtm4-euM2I87B0Ip43pZsUu6G6tbOy5s-k-cKLVoRPRI2_lJa53RuG6t_o/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8D8UAm6mWNdoUNgPJrq9IysP-CfOrTFXrwbSX9Rcui0OPtIBfR1cWmkD44Q2XhftCnrhZYMsQdw8A4MfsTtm4-euM2I87B0Ip43pZsUu6G6tbOy5s-k-cKLVoRPRI2_lJa53RuG6t_o/s320/DSC_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474717065381127058" border="0" /></a><br />The party was awesome. People continued coming, I ran into a few people that I knew randomly, other acquaintances that I hadn't seen in a while. I told people about my Art show the following night, I hung out with my friend having the party, and I drank Mickey's and was merry. To top it off, I got into a conversation about hemp with someone that works for the EPA in the pesticide division, and before I knew it, it was almost midnight.<br />On Fridays and Saturday's, I play the role of a combination between Cinderella and Spiderman. I must run off into the night hail a pumpkin colored cab, and transform into party machine with a camera attached. While I may prefer a house party, Peter Parker must leave the party and go to an <a href="http://www.flyloungedc.com/">exclusive nightclub</a> on Friday nights.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlEVaA2oOfppQTj-C9ElVQaty1VQ_6U78aSY2qVc7fN0nY0XXmJG03XtR-o1KdSzBdv-tgQ559mj3GLRpUXQwOq5jEzjoQMAuqnfAZJg-WbaJKyR4UzZheG-nWbMmkJyhTWTkbpTXwqQ/s1600/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28180%29.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlEVaA2oOfppQTj-C9ElVQaty1VQ_6U78aSY2qVc7fN0nY0XXmJG03XtR-o1KdSzBdv-tgQ559mj3GLRpUXQwOq5jEzjoQMAuqnfAZJg-WbaJKyR4UzZheG-nWbMmkJyhTWTkbpTXwqQ/s320/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28180%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474720239421451298" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKWqVvhR1jUhRmvr-boqt9t-bE6vGNnCzNMGxBAPlbQByUopyqTNjWVG4ISIlRWu2I1p6PQp6RJTT7aptDE5i3tpQTVRHu6xNENKNQQdE7Lf_qV-tyWJgg6E60CaCuEusVrM6PKKt_-4/s1600/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28178%29.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKWqVvhR1jUhRmvr-boqt9t-bE6vGNnCzNMGxBAPlbQByUopyqTNjWVG4ISIlRWu2I1p6PQp6RJTT7aptDE5i3tpQTVRHu6xNENKNQQdE7Lf_qV-tyWJgg6E60CaCuEusVrM6PKKt_-4/s320/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28178%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474720236497988994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq8LxQ9D6K3ltq78n9fmUFpsQlBqLNKTnz_ymvfcvVEBIPQlWqcGZeqawoTCSYiBnDsB3E3iMXNoXuYbOm53J3nYXY6jkYuiKd7Vw-RQT5iDRhfT9qhSHH4IeEbdNbX4LxE4LVsLHaFM/s1600/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28189%29.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq8LxQ9D6K3ltq78n9fmUFpsQlBqLNKTnz_ymvfcvVEBIPQlWqcGZeqawoTCSYiBnDsB3E3iMXNoXuYbOm53J3nYXY6jkYuiKd7Vw-RQT5iDRhfT9qhSHH4IeEbdNbX4LxE4LVsLHaFM/s320/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28189%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474720628096248050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_WvW1Mt4JPZ1HHEY80qsBHeXrjZ8ijlOTN2Ju3UdIjafq-nz_Hzlh7KlHaHUr83MMABwap6P6JjsQpPEgRd3sPqKDLK22pWDD7foYL2hVMQ7ZOO2nzkq7s40O2tbgNpUYVzVOUYMJu0/s1600/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28275%29.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_WvW1Mt4JPZ1HHEY80qsBHeXrjZ8ijlOTN2Ju3UdIjafq-nz_Hzlh7KlHaHUr83MMABwap6P6JjsQpPEgRd3sPqKDLK22pWDD7foYL2hVMQ7ZOO2nzkq7s40O2tbgNpUYVzVOUYMJu0/s320/Fly_May_20_bendroz+%28275%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474720630969213170" border="0" /></a>I didn't come home until about 3:30am on Friday. I had a long day ahead of me: after barely enough sleep to metabolize the alcohol, I had to wake up and bike to the office to print business cards and make other preparations for my art show. I had less than 8 hours until the doors would open, and every minute was precious.<br />This weekend, to be continued.....bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-58998322083236794212010-01-18T21:27:00.000-08:002010-01-18T21:42:12.240-08:00PHOTOS: MPP Gala<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-_Rm33_P1hUaoM-x6H5ETkW4e1NjvFdb0cXqDv5XZSuh2xKwEoQSL5n-jOTgJ3KV4bkOOmUVa1W6-g_D7M6A17jIYSl9d0BgL5Rwh8Qc62gxNsEteVxoPtaYa9oyvUoZ9_SlD4btkfM/s1600-h/MPP+Gala+%28435%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-_Rm33_P1hUaoM-x6H5ETkW4e1NjvFdb0cXqDv5XZSuh2xKwEoQSL5n-jOTgJ3KV4bkOOmUVa1W6-g_D7M6A17jIYSl9d0BgL5Rwh8Qc62gxNsEteVxoPtaYa9oyvUoZ9_SlD4btkfM/s320/MPP+Gala+%28435%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428319445738849202" border="0" /></a>Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee, Great Guy. Gave me a shoutout.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuQIXrgxhCCNGrMOVlaZy3m35IRVDMqvkkYKiCN55k1O62m_ZCCCK9S8zFEEnNxwCiVZ0UXXxKiKMxGBvejVyydPkib5Eqv3AnWSzGJqJaKbA2HdANZZ8Rddok4vUO2bj4N3OCiB_qDs/s1600-h/MPP+Gala+%28322%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuQIXrgxhCCNGrMOVlaZy3m35IRVDMqvkkYKiCN55k1O62m_ZCCCK9S8zFEEnNxwCiVZ0UXXxKiKMxGBvejVyydPkib5Eqv3AnWSzGJqJaKbA2HdANZZ8Rddok4vUO2bj4N3OCiB_qDs/s320/MPP+Gala+%28322%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428319441128777666" border="0" /></a>Former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson. He's Republican, Libertarian, and may even run for President<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWFFtakIIb3H905fcPwKJUAge1sKU3pOshnxq5NMVSvxQpdM9EwdUd6gA7KWO8bQRBkiKykOA_a-EEfzffap3U_CyBQUjcgLpDAjZSnC1L78b04Q_UqGFxtdKbor6PU2EATy_GzrNcys/s1600-h/MPP+Gala+%2817%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWFFtakIIb3H905fcPwKJUAge1sKU3pOshnxq5NMVSvxQpdM9EwdUd6gA7KWO8bQRBkiKykOA_a-EEfzffap3U_CyBQUjcgLpDAjZSnC1L78b04Q_UqGFxtdKbor6PU2EATy_GzrNcys/s320/MPP+Gala+%2817%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428319435135810946" border="0" /></a>Cheech and Chong. Kicking off a New Comedy show this Spring.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqsEawP3UgXvtl0ItRpqGnxILahauynsxJ-6GmTgaf_-6xwlNMAajs6gV4C38woP1MNJxUN9Mf-83AwBgYF18rzCICDmLU-MdD1JRrL_I9f-mYDKqPtuC9Jge1wD6-blV7UTQgDEXSa4/s1600-h/MPP+Gala+%28816%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqsEawP3UgXvtl0ItRpqGnxILahauynsxJ-6GmTgaf_-6xwlNMAajs6gV4C38woP1MNJxUN9Mf-83AwBgYF18rzCICDmLU-MdD1JRrL_I9f-mYDKqPtuC9Jge1wD6-blV7UTQgDEXSa4/s320/MPP+Gala+%28816%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428319427220991362" border="0" /></a>This is why, this is why, this is why my pictures are hot.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBHph6TLQOs3GL4oWvamkQRMkDd_BwQpG_i5FWA47cr7i-JfaNhdRzHA0-tLIXeDwUfwCh1W5IU6sRtQuFFrrEawBrXFm0OofkAH2DsnyBFEINvDgeohqAP2w-pOq36UCTkCO452u4Eo/s1600-h/MPP+Gala+%28753%29-2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBHph6TLQOs3GL4oWvamkQRMkDd_BwQpG_i5FWA47cr7i-JfaNhdRzHA0-tLIXeDwUfwCh1W5IU6sRtQuFFrrEawBrXFm0OofkAH2DsnyBFEINvDgeohqAP2w-pOq36UCTkCO452u4Eo/s320/MPP+Gala+%28753%29-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428319426281520978" border="0" /></a>I sat practically next to these guys.<br /><br />I cannot decide what is better, being a hemp lobbyist or being a photographer.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-19678-Cannabis-Revolution-Examiner%7Ey2010m1d17-Vote-Hemp-parties-with-Marijuana-Policy-Project-at-Washinton-DC-gala">Here's an article that puts them together, published in the Examiner</a>.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-36830787503241874302009-11-12T18:50:00.001-08:002009-11-12T18:52:48.414-08:00Reform ConferenceToday was my first day of my first Drug Policy Conferencebendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-21126072663834773822009-10-26T20:21:00.000-07:002009-10-26T21:07:42.227-07:00Tomorrow morning I'm going to go even harder! (redux)Well,<br /><br />This week could be one of the best weeks of my life. This could be the busiest week of my life. Well, maybe not the ABSOLUTE busiest.<br /><br />Back when there were finals with due dates, everything set with timelines already made, (whether or not I chose to accept it). <br />I would never have meetings with important people. They were professors, who, like friends, did not carry the same weight of institutional authority. I would go late to class, would do assignments at the last minute, get 4 hours of sleep every night, work the 4am shift every week... It was hard work! <br />I would find myself completely 'overbooked', nearly all the time, yet I somehow also went out, a lot. I was only a head of the game a few times- usually the first two weeks of a semester. I would do all the readings, and then see how far I got until I started lagging behind. I don't think I ever lasted more than a month.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reading</span><br />In Elementary school I read everything that was assigned to me by the School standards, which was 25 books per year, as logged. Then, in Middle school, the 25 book standard still existed, but I substituted all text books as "recreational" reading, so ended up making the cut by shaving any book that I could write a short book report about.<br />In High School, my advanced English classes required lots of reading, most of which I did not do. For better or for worse, I have completely stopped reading books. I never considered myself a reader, nor did I ever read more books than anyone else I knew.<br />In highschool, I got addicted to the internet. I had gotten a computer with my bar-mitzvah money, and when I got it, was absolutely addicted. <br />For example, long before Wikipedia ever existed (although not before the idea was conceived) I had the three disk Microsoft Encarta. I used to spend hours and hours, engaging in wiki 1.0. <br />I also edited a couple skateboard videos. <br />Anyways, I stopped reading books and started reading things on the screen. <br /><br /><br /><br />Or, it could be like a weebendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-89897776942138934212009-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:002009-10-25T20:51:38.413-07:00New JobLast Friday, I found out that I will only be able to work part time as a lobbyist. At first I was very disappointed that I know longer have a full time job. But, when I thought about it, it was just what I wanted. Now, I have more time to do other things, like make money.<br /><br />My freelance photography will certainly come in handy. I shot an event last week, and am currently in the process of setting something up with a freelance model and a T-shirt/apparel company. Hopefully I'll start making bank for photos.<br /><br />But last Friday, there was an interesting twist to it all. <br /><br />I am now a Sales Rep for at least two different companies.<br /><br /><a href="Livity.org">Livity Outernational</a> makes some PIMP shit like fedoras and "jah-sport" backpacks. Very trendy, very cool, very hemp.<br /><br /><a href="twojupiters.com">Jungmaven </a>makes the softest hemp clothes on the market. Hemp viscose is like a natural microfiber, and you will be speechless when you feel one of these 100% Hemp shirts. Blank shirts or printed Ts are the specialty, but, there are also lots of accessories and other goodies.<br /><br />Check out the sites, send me an email. If I place your order, I'll give you 15% off of retail price.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-9572672508465734552009-09-28T21:33:00.000-07:002009-09-28T21:49:35.385-07:00New Years Party!So today was Yom Kippur, the most important Jewish holiday of the year. It's a time when we are supposed to reflect on the mistakes we've made over the year and create a new self for the coming year. And we're not allowed to eat.<br /><br />Since my biggest flaw is being [more] lazy and unproductive [than I should be], I decided to wake up at 8 am and start sending emails. By 10 am I was already hungry, and by 11 I wondered how much longer I could go.<br /><br />So I walked to Shul (a yiddish word for synagogue), to go to services. Save for a 10 minute sermon, I had trouble really repenting on a year's worth of wrongs.<br /><br />After the service, I saw a friend that essentially preached to me for a half hour, the importance of yom kippor, observance, and repentance. She stressed that today, I needed to take the rest of the day off and reflect, rather than act on anything.<br /><br />What she did not know is that this is inherently my fatal flaw; in the time to act, I am busy reflecting. My regrets from the year stem primarily from reflecting when I should have been acting. To right this wrong, I had to act.<br /><br />The second I left synagogue I checked my email from my phone and realized that I had, while 'praying' received a few emails that I could reply to immediately. I read and replied as I walked to Rite Aid, where I bought office supplies (labeled as school supplies) for 75% off. I was breaking several religious mores simultaneously.<br /><br />I went back to the office and tried to repent. It's really hard to repent. Instead, I sent emails and G-chatted.<br /><br />I came back to my house and watched an episode of Mad Men and took a nap. I woke up SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Hungry. Why, of all days, would today be my busy day?<br /><br />I got ready to go out. I was planning on going to breakfast at Moishe House and from there, straight to 9:30 club to shoot an event for BYT. <br /><br />All went as planned. I got a nice Jewish girl's phone number, took a bus to the show, and watched "The Big Lebowski" on the big screen. I met up with (and had a free ticket for) my friend Robyn, a freelance journalist and awesome person. She had gotten to the club via Moped.<br /><br />Afterwards, we had a few drinks at another bar, I met a few people who I'm sure are very cool but all I really know about them were their names" John (head of Bocce DC) Sigmund, and Kim, and Carter. <br /><br />The clincher of the story.... is how I got home. I convinced Robyn to take me home on the back of her moped. Sure, it was designed for one. She had never tried it with two. <br /><br />I held on to her tight as we sped down the streets. I leaned with her turns. I was exhilarated and daring. Despite the wind, our proximinity allowed us to talk to one another. Tears streaked across my cheeks as the cold air released pure adrenaline. <br /><br />IT WAS AWESOME.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-33144556980158998532009-09-26T10:12:00.000-07:002009-09-26T11:10:44.730-07:00Getting Awesome<span style="font-size:180%;">Since</span> no one actually reads this, I figure I can get personal.<br />In place of an unwritten entry, I'll just talk briefly about how I randomly spend two days in Baltimore. I missed my train, went to the ladies night, stayed up till 4am, and hung out the next day with MAD homies. It was awesome and I love charm city.<br /><br />But yesterday made me love DC.<br /><br />I'm at the office, sending emails and wondering what else I should do. Then I get a draft of the Vote Hemp weekly update, which happens to be practically entirely about me. I was flattered, then nervous, so I started drafting an email asking to not actually have a personal bio about me. My parents explained to me that having a bio written is a actually a <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span> thing, and I should not avoid it.<br /><br />Then, while I'm talking to my Mom, Dakota calls me. He reminds me about the Rattler show at the Rock and Roll Hotel.<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3wlBfuHStPE&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3wlBfuHStPE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />The show was AWESOME to say the least.<br /><br />Plus, I got the most EPIC photos EVER. Here's a couple, in case you don't believe me.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mH4OC0IPnZGgJCSNnY6O6UyBoRQjpoZKH3UfOH_O07QL3oXdS7BfqjaSqO3D8BWUcP8ab86bFKDaX09JVvkYrCI_Oyk1Ph197D4dt8wxIgX22Ah9_RmjwRUXiX5f9vTxEgABt2aKt40/s1600-h/DSC_0845.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mH4OC0IPnZGgJCSNnY6O6UyBoRQjpoZKH3UfOH_O07QL3oXdS7BfqjaSqO3D8BWUcP8ab86bFKDaX09JVvkYrCI_Oyk1Ph197D4dt8wxIgX22Ah9_RmjwRUXiX5f9vTxEgABt2aKt40/s320/DSC_0845.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385827664214040386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwLq0tVhQfaaWSac8UI6nh7aPllWa7DYMV9Em7IlZ3LXj2U8aoEfdYUKM82MFtJBRZd3fi6r0T9fTg4ilOrZKbNqWRzvBGL5x9d7smefaR-_1BuWKaISzrMI-VqQpiZcJ_dkFr04s4Zw/s1600-h/DSC_0972-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwLq0tVhQfaaWSac8UI6nh7aPllWa7DYMV9Em7IlZ3LXj2U8aoEfdYUKM82MFtJBRZd3fi6r0T9fTg4ilOrZKbNqWRzvBGL5x9d7smefaR-_1BuWKaISzrMI-VqQpiZcJ_dkFr04s4Zw/s320/DSC_0972-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385828068022297810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rattler is a good old fashioned rock band. They drink copious amounts of beer on stage (3 cases actually, I asked the groupie in a miniskirt) and make sure there is a healthy sized mosh pit going, being fueled by the copious amounts of beer that they pour right in the middle of it. Their songs deal with themes of the rock and roll experience- doing nothing and drinking beer, and having sex with many women in an exploitative manner. They asked, "who's shitfaced tonight?!" to cheers, followed by "who's getting laid tonight?!" to just as many cheers but, I doubt everyone that cheered actually followed through on their 'Yay'.<br /><br />After the show, I was astounded that I had taken such amazing pictures. Naturally, I used my fresh pictures as a networking tool to meet people and not seem awkward since Libby and Svetlana had already left.<br />I met a girl named Maggie that works in the local music scene, and her friend Erin Aiken who I bought the rest of her beer from for $3.25. Both thought they were VERY cool, as Maggie said, "I'm no joke". My crave to network was far from satisfied.<br />I randomly took a picture of a guy with cool glasses and an attractive woman laughing. They <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbjeCazS6bZGjd0uT9-fNsg_PFRS2V9lplvLdjWo14Oe0NwNNfGdoc2MlsfUc-BHwMg8IKZYM3dQVWQ0dB1BrduD4w-lmwmYWSh5iEiATZfbtvlhXcTzikkt-yG3wXgBshoUURP18Vso/s1600-h/DSC_1061.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbjeCazS6bZGjd0uT9-fNsg_PFRS2V9lplvLdjWo14Oe0NwNNfGdoc2MlsfUc-BHwMg8IKZYM3dQVWQ0dB1BrduD4w-lmwmYWSh5iEiATZfbtvlhXcTzikkt-yG3wXgBshoUURP18Vso/s200/DSC_1061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385831173529384562" border="0" /></a>turned out to be a couple and he just so happened to be a professional fashion photographer. I chatted with Toni and Maya, ultimately trying to get a job with Toni. Whether that pans out or not, I made sealed a good impression when I showed Toni my lens case- a beer cozy.<br /><br />I decided that I should start impressing the ladies with my pictures. The girl who before was grabbing my dick was now making out with someone else, so I decided just to walk up to people and ask for a lighter (which I actually did use. bad idea though, WAY to many cigarettes). The band came with a group of groupies whereing miniskirts, who it was assumed, submitted themselves to band gangbangs that many other girls in the concert were jealous of. I started talking to one of them, and showed her some pictures. I guess she thought I was cool, but, I would say that she was out of my league considering she had probably fucked the lead singer of the band right before they went on. She did pseudo-invite me to an 'afterparty' at velvet lounge, but my insatiable craving to meet more people held me back. As a cocky networker, I go up to the lead singer of the band, and show him the pictures. Not having heard of him before that night probably made it easier for me to shake his hand, as some people in the crowd would have probably eaten a beer bottle to do the same. <br /><br />I decide to go upstairs and order a beer, and there is a legitimate dance party going on.<br />The bartender refuses to give me free drinks, but a band member has drink tickets. I tell him I'm a photographer and show him some of my pictures. He offers to buy me a drink, but I awkwardly don't know what he's doing and I actually already paid for two.<br /><br />I bought a beer, but realized that a hot girl next to me was doing shots, so, I bought a shot to do with her. Our ephemeral friendship for the night was cemented, and I later met her friends and danced with her. We tried to go to an afterparty together, but by 3:30 am, there was no afterparty to attend. We loitered outside a church talking about what we might do, maybe go back to the one guy's house in VA. We are still flirting and agree that we are attracted to each other. <br />Due to my systematic avoidance of sexual encounter, decide that I have better things to do, like walk the dog or clean my room. So, instead of continuing the adventure, I agree to buy a girl Joanna (pronounced Yo-Hannah) a jumbo slice for a ride to AdMo. <br />Oops, I did it again! I made you believe... that we would hook-up... oh baby baby. Oops I fucked up again... I had such a chance, and then squandered it.<br />I'm sorry to the hot girl that I should have hooked up with. For the future hot girl who thinks I'm cool - prepare yourself for a great night.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-11385432519829633022009-09-12T16:22:00.001-07:002009-09-12T16:46:35.170-07:00Last Weekend<span style="font-size:180%;"> Last Weekend was Ridiculously eventful.</span><br /><br />I rented a car and hit three cities in three days.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">I started in DC, where I shot the last BYT pool party. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfWCUO8iCWNSyPISpOuLoaSzNjoJ0dsWDiP8zaX00TPrjUBP1HQU2AqBcsPGdqPxHT10nR6AererRzJ11LyIMSNAzpt3L7Dpa1rjhOFwwHaBiuIkNnh7CFqR64_EMboyZ8mJO4P06cxQ/s1600-h/IMG_7298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfWCUO8iCWNSyPISpOuLoaSzNjoJ0dsWDiP8zaX00TPrjUBP1HQU2AqBcsPGdqPxHT10nR6AererRzJ11LyIMSNAzpt3L7Dpa1rjhOFwwHaBiuIkNnh7CFqR64_EMboyZ8mJO4P06cxQ/s320/IMG_7298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380727136649344658" border="0" /></a>I drove straight from the pool to Philadelphia, where I went to see my brother on his last day in the States. He was left for Israel the next day. Fortunately and coincidentally, it was also his girlfriend's birthday, so we all got to spend time with him in his last few hours.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjhxrVrUU4MvGJic70h6YXaoeHd1LD698P6u7msDD_bUBQghvZfOm6xPq0rvVt5Pmu-u_x7pb0EXdBv5_6fp4TpWUE2F7KZVoUee9_6k1okzrm6-hlJGkcMTq9m3fWTBh3jJgmL3Ze-4/s1600-h/DSC_1196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjhxrVrUU4MvGJic70h6YXaoeHd1LD698P6u7msDD_bUBQghvZfOm6xPq0rvVt5Pmu-u_x7pb0EXdBv5_6fp4TpWUE2F7KZVoUee9_6k1okzrm6-hlJGkcMTq9m3fWTBh3jJgmL3Ze-4/s320/DSC_1196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380728230715795922" border="0" /></a>When I said my final goodbye, I drove straight to Baltimore to see my alma-mater and my old friends.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-OrNPeh6Tvz_SwkEor28gdrVMnIAVUNYympHQdwP2B0tAem6TheAWsLyTTtWZnhN-Dj_UOBGCFDp6gK6ms8kMuUwupzMlbd9XLOiQTUyYpCvxVXq8A29ceijtBCt19TUhBRQIL5u2A8/s1600-h/DSC_1215.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-OrNPeh6Tvz_SwkEor28gdrVMnIAVUNYympHQdwP2B0tAem6TheAWsLyTTtWZnhN-Dj_UOBGCFDp6gK6ms8kMuUwupzMlbd9XLOiQTUyYpCvxVXq8A29ceijtBCt19TUhBRQIL5u2A8/s320/DSC_1215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380729021237016274" border="0" /></a><br />I got to see so many friends, the Athenaeum, Fall Into Goucher day, more friends, my old room Freshman year, ..... I went on a good weekend because the next evening my friend had a cocktail party that ended up being a pleasant surprise.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwnXaI6Ietis-1YRwSn_KwZb_O9SXFqE-usX_2xFnftnkH1w-7QUT2zu9T923GiHYiuo8nyrzwlmbREe1Q9d0-1vMpU-hPSlRovtaL2bPXqRqVYOYl6DWiXygqZ3VZ08METQMQ7MGdss/s1600-h/DSC_1249.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwnXaI6Ietis-1YRwSn_KwZb_O9SXFqE-usX_2xFnftnkH1w-7QUT2zu9T923GiHYiuo8nyrzwlmbREe1Q9d0-1vMpU-hPSlRovtaL2bPXqRqVYOYl6DWiXygqZ3VZ08METQMQ7MGdss/s320/DSC_1249.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380731055145949634" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, I drank too much too fast, and had to stay about 4 hours later than I had planned on. I drove home tired and hungry, so I pulled over three separate times to get fast food. When I finally got home, I crashed. I had a big week ahead of me.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-73481608238263239802009-09-12T16:14:00.000-07:002009-09-12T16:18:37.388-07:00Obama and the Pittsburgh Penguins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdQH1YzZjWM3FGB4siQ-SXAUSY9Px59vXYGLfXJSwh1rxR725Ew7sICGP3TzpnMZoB2ulgiELN23CKMpYGpoVAhH3qI9VB9yOIwhZOC_lTrV55uQZeoLp_cPnF9oG6sRE2Fa6BdwFUxg/s1600-h/Obama+and+Cup.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdQH1YzZjWM3FGB4siQ-SXAUSY9Px59vXYGLfXJSwh1rxR725Ew7sICGP3TzpnMZoB2ulgiELN23CKMpYGpoVAhH3qI9VB9yOIwhZOC_lTrV55uQZeoLp_cPnF9oG6sRE2Fa6BdwFUxg/s320/Obama+and+Cup.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380724074434625346" border="0" /></a><br />I got a press pass. I went to the White House. I met Mario Lemieux. I was there. Live.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-69745926612647657452009-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:002009-09-10T09:03:26.746-07:00Brightest Young Things Post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKagOzEvQKfFoyPAeCi3dVCXJvQYmRdG969jwisW72d1q3NNbD7i79ymCOVT3Pk4L_GnN5CeHn4x9Za4wN3XttfUrSKu47yliF3gk8MUg9XQnfONOCzHsHNXbOnM_iAJU_sBbIi1cxBI/s1600-h/IMG_7062.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKagOzEvQKfFoyPAeCi3dVCXJvQYmRdG969jwisW72d1q3NNbD7i79ymCOVT3Pk4L_GnN5CeHn4x9Za4wN3XttfUrSKu47yliF3gk8MUg9XQnfONOCzHsHNXbOnM_iAJU_sBbIi1cxBI/s320/IMG_7062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379869977078894626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><a href="http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/photo-posts/photos-last-day-of-byt-summer-camp/">New post of the Last Pool Party<br />(I took the Underwater shots)</a></span>bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-72701171794219124522009-09-01T19:15:00.000-07:002009-09-01T19:47:57.044-07:00YoutubeNow that I am not obligated to only talk about hemp on my blog, I figure I can talk about blogging. or video blogging.<br /><br />As a college student (Sophomore? Junior?) I took a call entitled "Pop Culture". The professor was a cult favorite, and I learned why in his class. Assignments for class were both easy and encouraged creativity. The readings were bestsellers that you pick up and read a chapter of whenevner you loiter in Barnes and Noble.<br /><br />For my final project which required a 15 page paper and a 15 minute presentation, I decided to be a little ambitious by strongly incorporating it into my life at the time.<br /><br />At the time, I was clinically addicted to Youtube. I would browse videos for hours, going from video to video and clicking "add to favorites" on whichever ones I liked (youtube came before I was familiar with Digg, Stumbleupon, or del.ic.ious.) Before youtube, I had already seen many of the sites that led up to it (miscellaneous websites that have funny pictures or videos). Now, all of the sites were in one place and under one interface, and I never even had to open a window to browse, litterally, the best videos ever. I could watch skateboarding, police chases, America's Funniest, or homemade greats, all in one place.<br /><br />I did my entire research project on youtube videos. My research was watching videos that had lots of views, and analyzing and trying to explain, why these videos had so many views. Mind you, this was back in the early days of youtube, when 100,000 views was actually a whole lot of views. I can't think of a single video that had more than 2,543,643 views at the time.<br /><br />This was the glory days of Video Blogging. Blogs had been a "new thing" for the past two years, but were being pushed out by the new technologies like, podcasts and youtube. Now, Vlogers could simply film themselves instead of having to painstakingly edit individual blogs (why am I doing this right now?)<br /><br />Youtube, which did not yet know how to operate, was full of mediocre videos of American's filming their own monologues. Ones that stuck out were Geriatric 27, Lonelygirl 15, and any attractive girl dancing. There whis was also the golden era for complilation videos, already popular for quite some time. I predict that this was the predecesor to the modern "FAIL".<br /><br />Anyways, ( I see why bloggers talk so much), I did a whole lot of 'research', ie, watching youtube videos. Then, I made a video about youtube videos. I posted it as "Red Tube, Blue Tube, iTube, YouTube". I was making a reference to the new applications in politics; the Hilary Clinton 1984 commercial, AKA <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo">Vote Different,</a> had just been released.<br /><br />Little did I know at the time that <a href="http://www.redtube.com/verify_age">Red Tube</a> is also the name of a porn site.<br /><br />Whether the video was actually great, or internet users love porn, (most likely a combination of the two but I'm leaning towards the latter) the video ended up with over.......... One Million views.<br />(Dr. Evil pinky in the mouth, followed by evil laugh)<br /><br />Then, Youtube took it down because of copyright infringement on the Red Hot Chili Pepper's song, "Tell Me Baby"(bastards). This was before they made whatever deal they made that they run now.<br /><br />Well, I reposted it on <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/4226064">Vimeo</a>. More on Vimeo later.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-36913749844033515212009-08-30T17:46:00.000-07:002009-08-30T17:47:40.176-07:00Hemp House Has Movedthe Hemp House blog has moved to<br /><a href="http://igrewhemp.blogspot.com/">igrewhemp.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />Same posts, new URL.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-90415684551080647712009-08-11T08:26:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:48:08.374-07:00FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<p><span style="font-size:+1;"><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size:+1;"><strong>Hemp Seizure in Capitol Underscores Confusion Over <i>Cannabis</i></strong></span><br /><em>Hemp Industry Seeks Beer Summit with Capitol Police</em></p> <p align="left"><strong>WASHINGTON, DC</strong> — Vote Hemp legislative assistant Ben Droz was shocked when Capitol Police seized his samples of industrial hemp fiber that he needed for a scheduled presentation to congressional staffers. Police refused to release the fiber after the search, while saying they knew it had no drug value and was "just hemp." The group of officers decided they needed to confiscate all the hemp seeds because no food was allowed, but the hemp fiber was also seized even though it is not food. "I just want to throw this out," said one officer, who ultimately did </p> <p align="left">Mr. Droz explained to police that the items were being used to illustrate the environmental properties of hemp. "This is just another example of the confusion between Industrial Hemp, an important crop for farmers across the country, and marijuana, a distant cousin also from the <i>Cannabis</i> family." The United States is the only developed country that does not recognize the distinction between the two varieties. Mr. Droz admits, "I gave up the hemp to police, fearing arrest at the time, and now feel compelled to raise this issue so it does happen again because I carry hemp every time I visit the U.S. Capitol."</p> <p align="left">"The fact that this level of confusion among law enforcement still exists today is exactly why federal policy on hemp needs to change," says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. "We hope for the return of Vote Hemp's property, an apology, and perhaps, a Capitol Hill beer summit or Congressional hearings to discuss our differences with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)."</p> <p align="left">Hemp products have been subject to confusion in the past. In 2002, the DEA attempted to ban imports on hemp foods, despite the growing recognition of its value to farmers and consumers. Vote Hemp, the Hemp Industries Association, and several U.S. and Canadian companies, successfully challenged the DEA in a lawsuit calling the ban unwarranted and illegal. Since this ban was lifted, the hemp industry has grown substantially every year. Last year alone, grocery store sales of hemp food products grew over 40%.</p> <p align="left">Since 2005, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act (H.R. 1866) and its predecessors have waiting for a hearing in the House, but it's been tabled the entire time. The bill has a dozen bi-partisan cosponsors, and allows states like Oregon (as of Jan. 2010), Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, Montana (and many others) to grow hemp based on State laws. Sixteen states have already passed legislation, and many, like the ones listed above, are simply waiting for the federal ban to be lifted once again. Mr. Droz has been working with Vote Hemp in order to raise congressional awareness about this marginalized issue.</p> <p align="left">The growing market proves the case of hemp. Food sales have grown every year since the ban was lifted. Other parts of the hemp plant, such as those confiscated from Droz, can be used to make any number of consumer products, while all jobs generate from the industry could be as green collar jobs.</p> <p align="left">Despite a growing global industry, U.S. farmers are still unable to grow hemp. All hemp in the U.S. must be imported from other countries to be either processed or sold here.</p> <p align="left">"It's ironic that the very items I was using to clear up confusion, became the subject of contraband and were confiscated," Mr. Droz comments after the incident.</p> <p align="center"># # #</p>bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-19523688140230760152009-08-06T21:38:00.000-07:002009-08-06T21:39:27.959-07:00Email 2- Hemp in HawaiiIt was great to talk with you yesterday. You had lots of great questions and kept the meeting interesting.<br /><br />I'm sorry that I didn't have the documents I should have. I didn't really know that I was going to get to sit down with you for so long. Thankfully, everything is online, so here are several links:<br /><br />First of all, as far as growing trends go, new reports are coming out everyday. <br /> Just earlier this week, on August 4th, an Oregon based hemp company (that conducts<i> </i>research in Vancouver) <a href="http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-04-2009/0005071197&EDATE=" target="_blank">signed a deal with Hanes</a> apparel. <br /> About two weeks ago, BBC released a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMon3-yDBy8" target="_blank">mini-documentary</a> of a eco-car made of hemp.<br /> <br />I wanted to make sure to show you how instrumental Hawai'i has been throughout the years.<br /><br />Here is the Dear Colleague <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/PDF/Mink_Aber_DEAletter.pdf" target="_blank">Letter</a> written by your boss Rep. Neil Abercrombie and former Hawai'i Rep. Patsy Mink. Hawai'i was the only state to have two Representatives come together for the State. Their letter was sent alongside another<a href="http://www.votehemp.com/legal_cases_DEA.html" target="_blank"> letter</a> with 21 signatures.<br /><br />Legisation:<br />Since 1999, four pieces of legislation have been passed. Hemp farming bills have been introduced several times as well. For links to all of these, please visit <a href="http://votehemp.com/state/hawaii.html" target="_blank">the Hawai'i</a> section of our site. <br />Currently, there is a farming bill on the table, <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=305" target="_blank">HB 305</a><br />Whether or not this passes, it shows that support for hemp is still thriving, if not growing. <br /><br />Hawai'i is one of the only places where industrial hemp has actually been planted. A study was conducted for over two years before it had to be terminated, when administrative delays on the part of the DEA became too costly. The final report can be found <a href="http://votehemp.com/PDF/Final_Report101303.pdf" target="_blank">here.</a> By the end of the report, Dr. David West proved that it is certainly possible to breed a strain of hemp that can thrive in tropical environments.<br /><br />Hawaii has had so much support for hemp.<br />In 2001, six bi-partisan state legislators wrote a <a href="http://votehemp.com/PDF/HI_bush_letter.pdf">letter</a> to former president George W. Bush asking for support to grow hemp. <br />If you really have the time, here is a <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/PDF/hawaii.rpt.pdf">report</a> prepared for State Representative Cynthia Thielen, democratic floor leader who became a major proponent for industrial hemp. The report, while written in 1996, is very insightful and well researched. <br /><br />Hawai'i was one of the earliest hemp supporters, and throughout the years, has definitely been one of the strongest. I hope that Rep. Abercrombie sees some of this support during his recess, and reconsiders it as an issue worthy of attention.<br /><br />Thank you so much for your interest in this topic. Let me know what you think about this, and certainly if you have any other questions. I would love to be in touch as I try to gain support from other Hawai'i delegates as well.<br /><br />Thanks again,bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-87413595171561911562009-08-05T20:59:00.001-07:002009-08-05T21:16:56.365-07:00First Attempt at Posting an email as a Blog PostThis is my first attempt at an idea I just had. I apparently am too busy to keep a blog. But, I always wanted to have a blog that I updated, that ideal site that entertained random people around the world. You could say that what I do on Facebook is, for all purposes, blogging (micro-blogging, actually). And true, with over 1,500 friends, I'm sure I get a few random views.<br /><br />Well, I usually am too busy writing emails as a hemp lobbyist, or going out as a freelance photographer, to write blogs or keep a photo blog. Some of my photography can be viewed at the social blog <a href="http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/">Brightest Young Things</a>. More on that later. See, I have so much to blog about!<br /><br />Well, here's my email that I wrote on Monday. I had a meeting the next day with the office of Michael Michaud from Maine.<br />And, since that already happened, I can say the meeting went quite well.<br /><br />The email is to a grassroots organization to get them to somehow get us more support. (I figured, why not try?)<br /><br />.....<br /><br />Industrial Hemp is a sustainable agricultural crop that is actually good for the soil. It does not require chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides to grow, and does not require much other inputs such as water irrigation. It is a rotational crop that helps curb topsoil runoff and is a nitrogen fixer as well. It grows so fast and puts so much oxygen in the air that some applications and studies have measured a negative carbon footprint. One such example is in<a href="http://www.limetechnology.co.uk/pages/hemcrete.php" target="_blank"> Hemcrete</a>, a type of concrete made with just pure hemp and powdered lime. The footprint is negative because the carbon is actually sequestered right inside the cinderblocks. Hemp is also a great source of plant <a href="http://manitobaharvest.com/" target="_blank">protein</a>, grown in a much more sustainable manner than soy. Hemp is one of the fastest growing sectors of the natural products industry; here is a video from <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/30685661" target="_blank">CNBC </a>about the commercial aspects.<br /><br />The State of Maine passed a bill, <a href="http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280032156" target="_blank">LD 1159</a>, which would allow the state to license hemp farmers. However, there is still a federal ban on growing hemp. That is why we are working to gain support for <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1866.IH:" target="_blank">HR 1866</a>.<br /><br />This Tuesday, I have a meeting with the Office of Michael Michaud of Maine. It would be great if we could get some extra calls or letters from his district. We sent out a capwiz action alert with quick links to prewritten letters and talking points for calls. <a href="http://votehemp.com/alerts/me_us_action_alert_20090722.html" target="_blank">http://votehemp.com/alerts/me_<wbr>us_action_alert_20090722.html. </a><br /><br />Hemp is a "convenient solution" to take care of our problems with our economy and environmental crises. If the federal ban were to be lifted, carbon emissions would go down while research into green technologies would go up. Why hemp rather than other alternatives? Hemp produces more oxygen per acre than any plant; (algae is a different story)<br /><br />I hope that with your help, we can get more letters to support this important issue.<br /><br />Thank you,<br /><br /><br />FOR READING TO THE BOTTOM<br /><br />PEACEbendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-30691917896726969342009-07-01T20:35:00.000-07:002009-07-01T20:53:31.681-07:00Biggest day ever?So, today was one of my biggest days ever.<br />Yesterday I had a meeting on the hill with the agricultural legislative assistant (LA) for Zack Space of Ohio. The meeting went as well as I could have expected. The staffer said that Zack Space would not be supporting HR 1866, mostly because the farmers had not already come to her to fight for hemp themselves. <br />Today, I talked on the phone with the director of the Ohio Farmers Union, and followed up with an email to see if we can change that.<br /><br />So, after my meeting on the Hill, I started walking around. I made calls to certain offices while sitting at a bench outside the Rayburn building, telling them I would be in later that day. After a few calls, I went in for lunch in the Longworth Cafeteria.<br /><br />I ran into my friend from college, Charlie Herron, who happened to place second in the national debate competition in Chicago that I attended with him. While I could have easily taken the people's choice award (which did not exist) I did not actually place. I said to him as we ate, "Who's the lobbyist now?!" in a sarcastically aggressive tone.<br /><br />After lunch, I started going around to different offices. I stopped at many (but not all) of the offices I had just called. I would just go into an office that was particularly inviting (mostly based on State or if I knew the person's name), introduce myself, and give them my card to forward to the agriculture LA. I did this to about 20 different offices. <br /><br />I came home, changed, took a nap, walked the dog, put on my 'party clothes', and went out. After participating in a psychological study (and walking away with $40 cash), I went out with some friends to the 'Froggy Bottom', a bar with great drink specials right by the 'Foggy Bottom' metro stop. I met a very nice girl from Arkansas who was enjoying the last few days of her four week 'out of Arkansas' internship. Today was actually her 22nd birthday. She is living it up right now, I can party imagine and partly say from experience.<br /><br />Today I emailed a bunch of people, canceled two meetings on the Hill, and booked another meeting with a lobbyist to talk about strategy. I talked to my boss, the president of both Vote Hemp as well as the Hemp Industries Association, for a long time on the phone. I took a ceramics class for the first time in about four years. Best of all, I got to hang out with my pseudo-supervisor, Adam Eidinger. He DJed new age house music while I sent emails to lobbyists and staff members from the Tennessee Farmer Bureau. It was such a good time that I even made a video on my phone.<br /><br />This week has been so much better than my last. I can only hope that my overall enjoyment of Washington DC follows that ubiquotous exponential graph that was popularized by Al Gore.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-68500176751343239892009-06-24T21:42:00.000-07:002009-06-24T22:14:10.890-07:00Research, Research, Research: Getting the Ducks in LineI can't believe that I'm almost through my second week already.<br />Oh wait. I meant to say, I can't believe I'm almost through with my third week.<br />I can't believe that I didn't know the difference.<br /><br />I can say that next week, I already have two meetings for Tuesday.<br /><br />For the past 2 and a half weeks now, I have been preparing for meetings. I have been building lists of congresspeople, and doing research to add to the lists. Using a spreadsheet, in an unfortunately yet unavoidable confusing manner that even I can barely understand, are the following thing:<br /> -Lists of congress people by State, by committee, and by voting record<br /> - Choose Relevant States- <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/maine.html">Maine</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/montana.html">Montana</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/oregon.html">Oregon</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/northdakota.html">North Dakota</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/vermont.html">Vermont</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/newmexico.html">New Mexico</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/kentucky.html">Kentucky</a>, <a href="http://www.votehemp.com/state/missouri.html">Missouri</a>,<br /> -Congress person's political leaning, State (I usually just guess the two letter abbreviation), and phone number<br /> - Appropriate committees and subcommittees. Notables include:<br /> -Judiciary committee<br /> -Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security (HR 1866 referred)<br /> -Committee on Energy and Commerce (HR 1866 referred)<br /> -Subcommittee on Energy and Environment<br /> - Agriculture<br /> -Horticulture and Organic Agriculture<br /> -Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research<br /> - Small Business: Rural Development, Entrepreneurship, and Trade<br /> - Science and Technology: Energy and the Environment<br /> - Nutrition & Forestry<br /> - Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming<br /> - Natural Resources<br /> -Finally, important notes. This include if I've met with them, what they did for a living, what they support, etc. This includes any laws the congressperson's state; as well as business and amount of constituency.<br /><br />Wow. That's a lot. See, that's why it's been taking me so long. It's also why I don't really know what day it is.<br />Now, I just need to make sure I have it all memorized.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-43454986815797468582009-06-19T09:50:00.000-07:002009-06-19T09:57:55.863-07:00Back In WashingtonI thought that it was time to revisit my blog after about a year of latency. <br />I'm back in DC and working again for Vote Hemp. The goal is to get federal recognition of industrial hemp. This is no easy task and has never been done before.<br /><br />Grassroots support for hemp is notable and significant. To date, 14 states allow hemp farming, and Oregon will be the 15th state within two weeks. (SB 676 has already passed committee and is on the senate floor today). While individual states show enormous support with both constituencies and legislature, this hardly translates to the federal level.<br /><br />My job is to get support for HR 1866, the third reintroduction of Ron Paul's "Industrial Hemp Farming Act". I have nothing against Ron Paul, but apparently, this is not the case for most politicians. Most politicians would support hemp if it were politically viable; unfortunately, at the moment, it is not.<br /><br />I'll try to keep you updated this summer. If you read this far, shoot me an email bendroz@gmail.com so that I know to keep writing....<br /><br />-Benbendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-19753187175212698972009-02-07T09:14:00.000-08:002009-02-28T16:53:24.060-08:00Hemp Facts<div style="margin: 1ex;"> <div> <h3><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 51);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><b>Hemp: the real problem is miseducation. Did you know that…</b></span></h3> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>1)</b> <b>Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet</b>, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. In fact, one of the oldest relics of human industry is the pattern of hemp fabric in ceramic shards dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>2)</b> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>"Make the most of the hemp seed and sow it everywhere."- </b> George Washington. </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic. The federal government subsidized hemp during the Second World War and US farmers grew about a million acres of hemp as part of that program.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>3)</b> <b>Nutrition- </b> Hemp Seed is far more nutritious than even soybean, contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is 35% dietary fiber. Hemp seed is not psychoactive and cannot be used as a drug. See </span><a href="http://www.testpledge.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><u>TestPledge.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>4)</b> <b>Fiber- </b> The bark of the hemp stalk contains bast fibers which are among the Earth's longest natural soft fibers and are also rich in cellulose; the cellulose and hemi-cellulose in its inner woody core are called hurds. Hemp stalk is not psychoactive. Hemp fiber is longer, stronger, more absorbent and more insulative than cotton fiber. </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>5)Energy-</b> According to the Department of Energy, hemp as a biomass fuel producer requires the least specialized growing and processing procedures of all hemp products. Hemp can be processed into a wide range of biomass energy sources, from fuel pellets to ethanol to biodiesel. Development of biofuels is undoubtedly a step towards greener energy.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>6)</b> <b>Easy to Grow</b>- Hemp grows well without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Nearly one third of the agricultural chemicals used on US crops are applied to cotton. </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>7)</b> <b>Paper Production- </b> Hemp produces roughly four times more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can actually reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and its creamy color lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxins and fewer chemical byproducts. It also means that hemp can recycled many times before the fibers break down entirely. </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>9)</b> <b>Green Building- </b>Hemp makes for great construction material. A company called <i>Hemcrete</i> <b> </b>uses a modernized form of an age old technique to create a concrete like material, several times lighter and stronger, (as well as sustainable) than actual concrete. Hemp fiberboard produced by Washington State University was found to be twice as strong as wood-based fiberboard.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><b>10)</b> <b>Plastics-</b> Hemp can replace most toxic petrochemical products. A company called <i> Wheatware</i> makes disposable plastic, yet biodegradable, eating utensils out of corn and other biomass. Hemp (along with other natural fibers) is combined with resins to create lightweight and very strong composite materials, used in millions of cars and even airplanes. </span></p> </div> </div>bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-48910571457007344232008-12-09T00:24:00.000-08:002008-12-09T00:31:36.593-08:00Cannabis CupCannabis Cup<br /><br />Thousands of Americans and thousands more from every corner of the globe are in the Netherlands this week to celebrate one thing- <span class="nfakPe">Amsterdam</span>'s infamous '<a href="http://hightimes.com/public/cancup/">Cannabis Cup</a>'. This year marks the 21st year of the worlds largest smokefest. The main focus for the cannabis cup (as well as too many other cannabis festivals) is on marijuana, while industrial hemp is overshadowed and overlooked.<br /><br />While I couldn't not make it <span class="nfakPe">Amsterdam</span> this week, I did actually go just two weeks ago. The highlight was quite possibly the '<a href="http://www.cannabiscollege.com/">Cannabis College</a>', located right in the red light district, just down the street from the <a href="http://www.hashmuseum.com/">Cannabis Museum</a>. The Cannabis College was a real gem for Hemp advocates in a city up in smoke.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.cannabiscollege.com/industrialhemp.html">Cannabis College</a> is officially a free information center, a government recognized non-profit that relies entirely on volunteer support. I actually got to sit down with one such volunteer, Kristie, who has been volunteering at the college for just over six years. A freelance journalist that deals primarily with cannabis issues, Kristie is the lead researcher at the college, where she has built a small library dedicated to cannabis. The binders upon binders that she compiles invite visitors to sit down and learn something new.<br /><br />What I liked most about the college was the community that it fostered. The 'College Crew', as it's known around <span class="nfakPe">Amsterdam</span>, is made up of volunteers, supporters, and advocates, who work to keep the college up and running. Never granted a vendors license, the college needs all the help it can get to remain sustainable, since it takes in no money selling hemp products. The information center is more than just a few bookshelves and displays. It acts as a community hub for cannabis advocates and activists, both marijuana and industrial hemp. When I asked Kristie how she initially got involved with the college, her answer painted the picture. "I would be here every day, hanging out, doing research, talking to people. I started helping out with little things they needed. When people started assuming I worked there, I approached the manager for a position. I've loved every day since."<br /><br />I came in on a busy day. People of all ages were in and out, some to look and some to ask probing questions about the humidity in their grow rooms. But, more importantly was the preparation for this very week. The cannabis cup coincides with the Cannabis College 10th Birthday Party.<br />With no one else really representing Hemp, the Cannabis college hosted a week of free events focused on education and awareness for Hemp. It included a Hemp street festival with a demonstration of 17th century techniques. There was the grand opening to the "Hemp Gallery" right in between the hemp museum and the cannabis college, on Achterburgwal (the main street of the popular red light district). The Hemp gallery is an exhibition of artifacts and antiques that seeks to show viewers what is overlooked in other history museums. An archaic bible takes on new significance when it's explained that it was printed on hemp paper, like most books at the time were. Or imagine a painting, like any other you might see from the era, painted on Hemp canvas with hemp based oil paints. You might not have even known it was hemp, but knowing makes all the difference.<br /><br /> Also worth noting is the upcoming "<a href="http://cannabistribunaal.nl/">Cannabis Tribunaal</a>". This is a series of six hearing focused mainly on <i>Gedoogbeleid</i>, <span class="nfakPe">Amsterdam</span>'s 'tolerated' policy. Here, community members, police officers, doctors, judges, and other government officials will converge to discuss the present state of cannabis. The event is based on a 200,000 euro (about $260,000) bet that there are more positive effects of cannabis than negative effects. While it will talk more about policies regarding decriminalization and medical access, the fact that police will often refer to marijuana as <i>hennep</i> will surely be an issue. This goes to show the levels of awareness and the scale of activism that is going on.<br /><br />Why are these important if they have to do more with marijuana than hemp?<br />The old conservative argument against hemp was the slippery slope- legalizing industrial hemp would lead to the slippery slope that would- they fear- lead to the decriminalization of marijuana. Unfortunately for this argument, the tables have turned. We now find ourselves in a situation where marijuana reform has become such a salient issue that instead; increased marijuana reform may be the slippery slope that leads to industrial hemp legislation. As the marijuana movement grows, so does the Hemp movement. With the new Hemp Gallery, <span class="nfakPe">Amsterdam</span> now has three Hemp education centers right in the middle of it all. I'd call that progress.bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5491893268139637907.post-64748338942782265562008-08-23T12:43:00.000-07:002008-08-23T12:46:25.262-07:00Hemp: Waiting for a Comeback<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">This is an essay I wrote about hemp. It explains the benefits of hemp and its potential for a comeback.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;">Hemp: Waiting for a Comeback<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Since 1937, it has been a felony to grow, or manufacture any type of hemp product, because of a flawed association with another type of cannabis plant, the type commonly known as marijuana.<span style=""> </span>This stigma has substantially compromised the growth of a potentially important industry and market. <span style=""> </span>While hemp is classified as marijuana by the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> government, the strain(s) of cannabis grown for industrial purposes are very different plants for very different purposes.<span style=""> </span>They are specialized plants; and though thousands of years of selective breeding, industrial hemp can arguably fall into it’s own category. This makes sure a hemp field could never be confused/used with/like a field of marijuana, and vise versa. The myth of connotation must be broken to show that hemp has no association with marijuana besides a long ago common ancestor; and it is rather an agricultural crop that can provide an alternative to several materials, with significant benefits for improved performance and environmental sustainability.<o:p></o:p></p> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Hemp is a natural fiber, much like cotton or flax, that has been used for thousands of years for a variety of applications. Until the industrial revolution, Hemp served as a primary raw material, in the production of paper, textiles, oil, and nutrition, among others. During the <span style=""> </span>industrial revolution many less expensive and easier to use materials evolved from finite fossil fuels, without regard to the environmental impact that these alternatives might have. We now face an “Inconvenient Truth,” documented in a recent film by former Vice President, Al Gore: fossil fuels have caused increasing and irreversible damage to our environment and our future economic well being. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">While politics continues to suppress the facts regarding hemp’s potential, the recent midterm elections, along with a growing global market, may signal a change. Hemp has come surprisingly close to becoming regulated, and with a change in political “climate”, hemp may be in a position to grow, considering the <i>literal </i>change in climate.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Hemp’s Potential<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Hemp’s versatility and sustainable characteristics distinguishes it from other competing materials, such as cotton, tree pulp, soy, bamboo, fiberglass, and even petroleum.<span style=""> </span>If hemp can overcome the massive political/policy barrier, literally thousands of new and beneficial applications are possible.<span style=""> </span>For example, by comparison to cotton, hemp uses far fewer pesticides, requires less care and water, and provides more fiber per acre. Although there is a public preference for cotton, which is currently softer and cheaper, advances in hemp processing may mitigate this gap if production were permitted.<span style=""> </span>In addition, hemp is one of the most efficient biomass producers in the world, able to compete with the likes of corn and sugarcane (for both alcohol and biodiesel fuels).<span style=""> </span>“If corn works, why grow hemp”, is the mentality that has dominated the past century, and “corn” has been used in every industry, where hemp could easily have been a viable alternative.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Shortly after the 1937 restriction on hemp production, the hemp industry was poised for a comeback. A 1938 <i style="">Popular Mechanics </i>article titled, “New Billion Dollar Crop” begins with an alluring introduction: <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">American farmers are promised a new cash crop with an annual value of several hundred million dollars, all because a machine has been invented which solves a problem more than 6,000 years old.<span style=""> </span>It is hemp, a crop that will not compete with other American Products.<span style=""> </span>Instead, it will displace imports…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>(Popular Mechanics)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;">This “promise” was never fulfilled, thanks to another new development that DuPont was making at the time.<span style=""> </span>In 1937, Nylon was patented, which was stronger, cheaper, and lighter than hemp fiber; derived from fossil fuels and not biodegradable.<span style=""> </span>DuPont already had all the paper processing chemical patents, which has turned the majority of our valuable forests into newspapers and landfills of garbage.<span style=""> </span>Many people believe that DuPont was involved with oil baron, Andrew Mellon, and newspaper barron, William Randolph Hearst, in a “Cannabis Conspiracy” to eliminate hemp as competition.<span style=""> </span>While this theory has substantial evidence, it has little relevance to the <i>current</i> hemp market.<span style=""> </span>What is undeniable is that as early as 1937, “there were over 25,000 different uses for hemp, “…from cellophane to dynamite” (Popular Mechanics).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;">Two Types of Plants, Neither Marijuana</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">Industrial cannabis is grown for two main purposes: it's seed (for </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">nutrition and oil), and it's stalk (two parts of the stalk, the fiber and the core of cellulose). Hempseed is very nutritional, containing high levels of protein, fiber, </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">and the Essential Fatty Acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, both </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">difficult to obtain, and commonly sold through supplements such as fish and flax </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">oil. The seed can be eaten like sunflower seeds, ground to flour, or processed to protein powder. The oil, apart from all of its nutritional uses, can also be used for cosmetic products as well as being used industrially for solvents, soaps, </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">paints, lubricants, and biodiesel. A major seed source in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> has said, "…we saw </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">an 80 percent jump last year without the court victory," demonstrating that where </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">hemp is allowed to grow (nowhere is it <i>free</i> of controversy), it most certainly can.<br /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">The stalk, a source of raw fiber and cellulose, has even more uses. The fiber can be refined to make thousands of types of textiles, from durable and course industrial fabrics to fine linens that can be blended with silk (Popular Mechanics).<span style=""> </span>“In 1916, the Department of Agriculture issued Bulletin No. 404, <i>Hemp Hurds as a paper making Material,</i> a collection of individually authored scientific articles” (Lupien).<span style=""> </span>Both hemp fiber and hemp hurds (the core) can be made into paper, producing up to four times more paper per acre than trees. The stalk is used for biomass fuel, and new discoveries are being found in biocomposites to make lighter, stronger, cheaper, and safer materials than ever before. These are replacing fiberglass, and <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region></st1:place> (Mercedes as a good example) has been using hemp to make biocomposite hemp car parts since 1997 (Votehemp).</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;">The Current Market</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">The hemp market has grown substantially in other parts of the world, where it <i>is</i> legal. </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="color: black;">China</span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="color: black;"> currently produces approx 40% of the world’s hemp, using it's hemp for </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">textiles and paper.<span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> has been growing hemp for seed. These headlines in the Canadian publication, <i style="">Organic Consumers</i>, in 2005 highlight the opportunity: <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color: black;">“</span>Hemp Food Sales Grow 50% Over Last Year”<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">“Canadian Farmers Triple Hemp Acreage to 24,000 in 2005”<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">“<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> Farmers Missing Out on New Cash Crop” <o:p></o:p></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">It is estimated that the world hemp market is at an annual $50-$150 million, but estimates increase every year. For example: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">An Australian firm, Wavelite Express, uses hemp as a substitute for fiberglass in surfboards. Adidas has experimented with hemp shoes. German and British companies make hemp candy, beer and energy bars. Even hemp-seed oil is used for lubrication, cooking and cosmetics. In five years, says hemp advocate Michael Rich, the industry could be worth $1 billion. (Gluckman). </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">Hemp has actually seen some ups and downs recently, "<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s annual hemp production <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">topped 100,000 tons in 1980, but fell to less than one-tenth that over the following </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">10 years", a decade later, "Trade has grown at least ten-fold since 1990, and advocates believe the market has barely been tapped" (Gluckman). Yet, despite versatility and potential that the hemp industry has, <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place> has left the resource entirely </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">untapped.<span style=""> </span>This has kept hemp in a marginal market; High prices due to import costs and relatively small volume. Policies are changing around the world, and the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> is lagging behind.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;">Environmental Approach</span></u></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Increasing the awareness of hemp’s benefits could play an important role in it’s reemergence as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-based materials. For example, hemp can:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Convert CO2 into oxygen at an astonishing rate, given that hemp can grow over 4 meters in a 110 day growing cycle. <o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Make biodegradable plastics and composites<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Make paper products without bleach and other chemicals<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Use less pesticides than used for cotton. <o:p></o:p></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">A firm that used hemp in its products could use ‘earth friendliness’ in it's brand image, becoming a common marketing theme such as used with hybrid cars. In addition, experts say that hemp can help reverse global warming, while giving us time to replant forests and find more effective alternatives.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;">Who’s Influencing the Sandtimer?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">The principal obstacle to hemp’s reemergence as an alternative material and fuel is Public Policy.<span style=""> </span>Given the environmental harm caused by fossil fuels and the benefits of hemp as an alternative, it’s a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if.’ Once the barrier is broken, hemp will increase at nearly exponential rates, as R&D and mass production creates higher quality products at lower cost and thousands of jobs to American farmers, processors, distributors and retailers.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">Currently, the largest hemp organization is <i>votehemp.com</i>, which recognizes the problem of ignorance, which is why it states, “…our primary goal is the education of legislators and regulators, farmers, businesses, students and other concerned citizens.” (votehemp)<span style=""> </span>Votehemp currently helps get hemp into the news, along with having a database of information, ranging from general information about hemp to the different bills and statutes that are being passed through legislation.<span style=""> </span>“To date, twenty-six states have introduced hemp legislation and fifteen have passed legislation “…We have now reached a major milestone…” (votehemp.com/legislation.html)<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="color: black;">Votehemp</span></i><span style="color: black;">’s position clearly distinguishes industrial hemp production from any implied support of marijuana, and carefully keeps the word, and any connotation, of marijuana off of the site. Their position is markedly conservative.<span style=""> </span>The title page is patriotic: an American flag is layered as a sky backdrop for the capitol building, pictures of famous <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> presidents, and cold facts and quotes scrolling through.<span style=""> </span>““Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere” -- President George Washington, 1794”<span style=""> </span>(votehemp.com) This quote is intriguing, and as it once did for me, it (along with the other facts) beckons the viewer to keep reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">But, few people recognize the importance of the issue.<span style=""> </span>While <i>Votehemp </i>addresses the messy problem of politics, it fails to reach out to a wide demographic of people; to penetrate into mainstream. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">Penetrate Pop Culture<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">Hemp, like the <i>un</i>renewable resource, oil, has found itself in the seemingly helpless tangle of politics.<span style=""> </span>A number of events indicate that a more supportive political environment seems to be developing: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Colbert’s live report at the Presidential Correspondents Dinner<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">An Inconvenient Truth<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">News like the change of The House and Senate<o:p></o:p></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="color: black;">An Inconvenient Truth</span></i><span style="color: black;"> is a specific example. The movie provides an enormous body of facts for considering change and argues for the need to take action.<span style=""> </span>Gore hints at how, while there is a common argument that any change could be perilous for our economy, we (<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place>) aren’t the biggest fish in the sea, and that we might suffer more if we are left behind.<span style=""> </span>The movie was very insightful, and it made me think of the potential that the educational genre of entertainment really has.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">In light of education, hemp could carve an interesting niche, whether through documentaries or an investigative reports on the Cannabis plant.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>The “slippery slope” argument, too often cited, “reform in hemp will lead to reform in marijuana”, shows that the argument is neither valid nor sound.<span style=""> </span>They are not only different plants for different purposes; they are entirely different issues, although their acceptance is ironically parallel, in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> alone.<span style=""> </span>Hemp has carried a bad stigma for too long, and if the myth can be debunked; hemp can be discussed as a very viable source for a better future, and more than just another raw material, but a <i>better </i>raw material.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">Hemp is certainly not the only option available to reverse the deleterious effects of fossil fuels. There are many alternative energy sources to consider including bio-mass, wind, solar and hydroelectric power. But, we need all the alternatives that are possible. <span style=""> </span>Americans want the truth and, with hemp, the truth is ironically <i style="">convenient</i>.<span style=""> </span>It would not only provide a plethora of alternatives to currently harmful methods of petroleum-based production and use, but it could be instrumental in reversing the problem: turn slash and burn back into farmland and convert CO2 into oxygen every season. It is good for the environment and good for the economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;">A Plan for Action: From the Ground Up</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">With many possible options at hand, four factors seem relevant to consider at this time:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style=""><span style="color: black;">1. Efficiency.</span></b><span style="color: black;"> Hemp is one of the most efficient plants, given its incredible grow rates, negligible care, water, and pesticide use (a possible reason it is has been stigmatized as “Weed”). “</span><span class="trebuchet12black">Hemp is the most environmentally positive crop, improving soil quality as it grows” (ecolution).<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="trebuchet12black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="trebuchet12black"><b style="">2. Flexibility.</b> Although there are thousands of uses, some stand out more than others.<span style=""> </span>While hemp is a great crop for biomass fuel, corn is already being used, and hydrogen seems to be on the way.<span style=""> </span>However, things like biocomposites, which can create biodegradable plastic(s) to fiberglass, have less competition.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span class="trebuchet12black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="">3. Urgency.</b> The urgency that the environmental issue carries can carry hemp with it, and this takes on a holistic approach.<span style=""> </span>There is a growing demographic of consumers who are driving hybrids (but not mixed fuel), eating organically (but not any hemp products), recycling (petroleum and paper pulp), the list goes on.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="">4. Accuracy.</b> Hemp has been maligned through its association with marijuana.<span style=""> </span>The government’s excuse, “people will try to hide marijuana in the fields” is ridiculous because of cross-pollination (essentially turning marijuana into hemp), and by the time it matters, in all seriousness, it may not even be an issue (thanks to hemp suppression, medical marijuana is making more news for cannabis, as well as more money for R&D).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">One approach may seem idealistic, but could have tremendous potential: government support.<span style=""> </span>Although this seems optimistic at the present time, there is precedent: when hemp was legal in the early 1900’s research was already being done.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">A Federal study, “Paper from Refuse Hemp Stalks,”<span style=""> </span>reported favorably on the prospects of utilizing hemp.<span style=""> </span>Two years later, another study, “Hemp Waste for Paper,” reiterated the conclusion for the previous study….[many articles were written on making hemp from paper]…In fact, some of the earliest articles on this topic bore titles such as <i style="">Paper from Refuse Hemp Stalks</i>, and <i style="">Hemp Waste for Paper:</i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">“In addition to the waste materials that are available, evidence has <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">been gathered that certain crops can probably be grown at a profit to both the grower and the manufacturer solely for paper-making purposes.<span style=""> </span>One for the most promising of this is <i>hemp.”<span style=""> </span></i>(Brand) <span style=""> </span>(Lupien 25-31)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Many of the articles were published in the Government funded, <i>Bulletin No. 404.<span style=""> </span></i>New research might start where this research left off. And, today, we have far better technology and resources to leverage than a century ago.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">We do not need government funding. Simply permission. The private sector is waiting. Farmers will support the use of hemp in their crop rotations to sell to the new generation of customers, and perhaps public land can also be used. Areas that risk mudslides <i>need</i> hemp, and the void that slash and burn created needs it too, while forests for lumber and paper will be designated either untouchable forests or renewable hemp fields.<span style=""> </span>Forests can be renewed, oxygen will be put back in the atmosphere, and paper products will be more effectively recycled, as hemp fiber can recycle more times than tree pulp.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">As more research is done, we may find more uses and more applications for this raw, renewable resource, such as a cheap and effective way to phase out petrol based plastics.<span style=""> </span>We can use hemp in recycled paper, until tree pulp is pushed to the margin.<span style=""> </span>And, potentially, government regulations may curb the growth of bleach and deforestation.<span style=""> </span>In addition, government subsidies and tax benefits can help major paper plants adapt their machinery to work for hemp, as well as create new hemp production facilities. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b style=""><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Conclusion</span></u></b> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">While these efforts may seem optimistic at the present time, I predict a paradigm shift in my own lifetime, one that will reverse the greenhouse, find an alternative to oil, and will have technology that dramatically improves production methods.<span style=""> </span>Hemp has been a vital agricultural product throughout human history until about 150 years ago, and in that same century and a half, we have practically destroyed the planet, we’re depleting our natural resources; politics has gone far enough to imprison more than ever and continue to capitalize on globalization.<span style=""> </span>We have created great economic wealth at the expense of environmental depletion and debt.<span style=""> </span>Hemp represents a holistic paradigm shift; one that will effect far more than just the material used to make paper.<span style=""> </span>The shift will occur regardless, due to globalization and the “inconvenient truth.” The question is whether <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place> will be participating. Hemp will certainly have a role to play; and the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> cannot afford to disregard this.<span style=""> </span>We must act now; plant our seeds and establish our roots, so that when the sun comes out, we will be ready for harvest.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;">Sources:<br /><a href="https://email.goucher.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.votehemp.com/PR/10-25-06_hemp_milk.html" target="_blank">http://www.votehemp.com/PR/10-25-06_hemp_milk.html</a><br />Popular Mechanics: <a href="https://email.goucher.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.jackherer.com/popmech.html" target="_blank">http://www.jackherer.com/popmech.html</a><br /><a href="http://www.globalhemp.com/News/2005/September/hemp-food-sales-grow.html">http://www.globalhemp.com/News/2005/September/hemp-food-sales-grow.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://email.goucher.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.gluckman.com/hemp.html" target="_blank">http://www.gluckman.com/hemp.html</a></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"> <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/ofgu/hemp110205.cfm">http://www.organicconsumers.org/ofgu/hemp110205.cfm</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.ecolution.com/hemp%20info/farming/">http://www.ecolution.com/hemp%20info/farming/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.naihc.org/">www.naihc.org</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">Lupien, John Craig (April, 1995).<span style=""> </span><i>Unraveling an American Dilemma: The Demonization of Marihauana</i>. <span style=""> </span>Masters Thesis: <span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Pepperdine</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">C. J. Brand, “Utilization of Crop Plants in Paper Making,”<span style=""> </span><i>Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture, </i>1910, p.338<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p>bendrozhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746456189884659199noreply@blogger.com0