I can't figure out the problem here. I thought this was a fact that was self-evident. Alcohol is clearly a more dangerous (though socially more acceptable) drug. Where's the controversy?
[Excerpt]
President Obama Says Pot Is Less Dangerous Than Alcohol For The Individual Consumer
In an interview published Sunday by the New Yorker, President Obama said pot is no more dangerous than alcohol — and that marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington state is an “important” move towards a more just legal system.
“I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life,” Obama told reporter David Remnick. “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.” In fact, the president went on to admit pot was actually less dangerous “in terms of its impact on the individual consumer. . .”
I just watched a 20/20 report on distracted driving, particularly texting while driving. It takes very little critical thinking to realize and acknowledge that any distraction from a task at hand takes your focus away. And anything can take that attention: the radio, the climate controls, adjusting mirrors, checking navigation, grabbing something from the glove box or back seat, yelling at your kids, trying to eat a hamburger, or get the lid off of your soda. You could get into a major accident doing any of those things, though we usually don't.
Holding a conversation with the passengers in your car is distracting. How many times have you missed an exit or a turn because you were engaged in a conversation with your passenger? Talking on the phone adds the complication of visualizing who you are talking to, along with the conversation. Not only that, you are either also holding the phone, or you have had to engage the hands-free controls. Up to this point, I can see the point of a person saying, "yeah, that's distracting, but I can handle it." Should there be a law against any of the above? Maybe, maybe not. If you do something distracting, and you are guilty of a moving violation because of it, should it contribute to your penalty? Maybe. It's a tricky question.
Image of just the first three of the Facebook pages dedicated to texting while driving. There are more.
But you know what isn't? Texting while driving. It is always wrong. There are no exemptions. Nobody has to text while driving. There are no "ticking time bomb" scenarios that apply to texting while driving. Nobody ever really needs to text anything at any given moment, let alone while driving. It's preposterous to argue otherwise. I realize that I'm a 45-year-old fuddy duddy, who only texts 0-5 texts on any given day. I've never texted a message, and anxiously awaited a reply. I find "text addiction" to be utterly unfathomable. I mean, do people get instant message addicted? Do they get email addicted? Because texting is just a version of those things.
On top of texting while driving being 100% unnecessary, it is also clearly, logically, inarguably dangerous. I don't care how fast you are with your thumbs, I don't care how little you have to look at the screen to accurately type, you are involved in a task completely removed from driving, while driving. It's like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube, or play an X-Box game, or knit a sweater while driving. Completely stupid.
I've actually heard conservatives argue that passing laws against texting while driving is a "nanny state" mentality. Really? If there was suddenly a trend of people steering with their feet, and working the pedals with sticks, what would you think? Because as stupid as that is, arguing for it, is just about the same thing as arguing for texting while driving. Facebook has dozens (hundreds?) of pages dedicated to the subject. Fortunately, they mostly seem to be against the practice. But what does it say about our collective intelligence, that we need this much discussion for such a spectacularly stupid practice?
[Excerpt]
Distracted Driving: How Bad Are Texting or Cellphones Behind the Wheel?
There are probably few people who are surprised to hear cellphones and driving don't mix -- but do you believe it's true for you?
Maybe not. Some safety advocates say we are in a national state of denial about the dangers posed by using a cellphone behind the wheel. According to distracted-driving expert David Strayer, Ph.D., a cellphone might as well be a bottle of beer. . .
Texting while driving has been in the news a lot. There are public service announcements by Mark Salling of Glee urging people not to do it. I've even witnessed a few people doing it. What I don't understand is why anyone would ever do it. I remember one time when I wanted to use my phone's GPS system while driving, but I thought better of it, and pulled over. Texting while driving has never even occurred to me as something I might want to do.
Now, I hear about "text addiction." And that teenagers are sending thousands of texts per month. Again, why? I myself was late to the game when it comes to cell phones. I'd had one for a few years before I ever texted. I'm like, "hey, this thing here is a phone, and I can call people with it." Texting seemed kind of low-tech, what with it's tiny monochrome screen. It seemed like going back to the old computer BBS, only a little less useful. But being married to a flight attendant, I soon found that texting was very useful for those times when talking wouldn't be practical or possible. These days, I might text a dozen or so times per week.
But how does this become an addiction? And how could people be so addicted, that they'd text while driving? It's beyond stupid, and beyond my comprehension. By the way, the first sentence of the excerpted article below is not true.
[Excerpt]
'TXTNG KILLS' Anti-Texting Thumb Bands Get Thumbs Up from Police
We've all been guilty of it at some point, especially the harried business travelers among us, but texting while driving is not only illegal in most places -- it can be fatal. Several campaigns are under way to encourage people to kick the habit, including a few smartphone apps. . .
I was late adopter to cell phones, waiting until 2004 or so to take the plunge. It took me even longer to understand texting, or why anyone would want to do it. It wasn't until we got our third round of phones that we upgraded to "smart" phones, with texting. Now I use it, but not with anything approaching addiction. We got the full data package too, so we can watch YouTube videos, check email, listen to music. . .but we mostly don't. After all, it is rare that I'm away from a computer for any stretch of time. Of course, my phone is a Samsung Rant, not an Apple iPhone.
I've seen how the iPhone works, and I will grudgingly admit that it's pretty nifty. It seems pretty sleek and fairly fast. I like the zoom in/zoom out fingertip dealie. It's neat that you can shake it and tap it, and do all sorts of gyrations to make it do things. So, I can see having fun with the thing at first. Maybe even develop a habit of doing certain things with it. But what is it about Apple products that turn users into iZombies?
[Excerpt]
iPhone can be addicting, says Stanford University survey
A recent Stanford University study unveiled what some may have already known: Apple’s iPhone can be (and in some cases is) addicting. . .
I just couldn't resist posting this most excellent slam of conservative blow-hole, Rush Limbaugh by Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL). Of course, any slam of Limbaugh by a Democrat only adds fuel to the fire, and Limbaugh wears it as a badge of honor. But this one is pretty good. . .
[Excerpt]
Freshman Rep. Grayson: ‘Limbaugh actually was more lucid when he was a drug addict.’
“Rush Limbaugh is a has-been hypocrite loser, who craves attention. His right-wing lunacy sounds like Mikhail Gorbachev, extolling the virtues of communism. Limbaugh actually was more lucid when he was a drug addict. If America ever did 1% of what he wanted us to do, then we’d all need pain killers.”
I'm not sure if I've even alluded to the fact that John McCain's wife, Cindy once had a rather troubling addiction to prescription medication. . .that was not prescribed to her. It's all fairly sordid, and involved stealing from her own charity. The Barack Obama campaign has until now avoided digging too far into the McCains' past. So has the media for the most part.
But when you're the recipient of a constant barrage of misleading, disgusting lies, day after day like Obama has been, perhaps you start to rethink the "Mr. Nice Guy" approach. And it must be refreshing to know that you can "go negative" without having to lie.
Now, I have no idea if the Obama campaign is driving this story into the mainstream or not. But I certainly would not blame him--in fact would cheer them on--if they did.
[Excerpt]
Cindy McCain's tangled story of addiction
Consequences of her drug abuse were more complex than she's portrayed
When Cindy McCain is asked what issues she would champion as first lady, she often cites one of the most difficult periods of her life: her battle with — and ultimate victory over — prescription painkillers. Her struggle, she has said repeatedly, taught her valuable lessons about drug abuse that she would pass on to the nation. . .
And now for something, completely different. This parody of the runaway hit show about addiction, Intervention, stars Pushing Daisies star, Kristin Chenoweth. The Other Half and the former Housemate are both rabid fans of both Chenoweth and Intervention, so I couldn't not post it. Enjoy. WARNING: Some language may not be safe for work (NSFW).
Whoa! I'll bet some of the big mucky-mucks here in Las Vegas are watching this case with interest. Yes, it's in Canada, but if the suit is successful, you can bet it would be tried here.
Everybody who gambles with even moderate frequency has on occasion gone too far. Anybody who says they haven't is probably lying to you. And problem gamblers are a more serious case--people who can't stop even though they know that they should. But expecting the casinos to bar them from entering seems a step too far for me.
I may be a liberal, but that is by way of a conservative upbringing. Or rather, what conservatism used to represent. I've always believed that you are accountable for your own actions, even if you have a tendency toward addiction. And companies--movie makers, TV producers, video game manufacturers, alcoholic beverage makers, and yes, casinos--should not have to tailor their product to the problem people. You target your product for the general public. The people with problems need to help themselves. OK, rant over.
[Excerpt]
Problem gamblers sue casinos for $3.5 bln
Thousands of problem gamblers in have launched a $3.5 billion class action lawsuit in Ontario, saying they were allowed into provincially run casinos despite signing up for a program that should have denied them entry. . .
Hi. My name is Jamie and I'm addicted to ChapStick. I have tubes of it all over my house, in drawers, change dishes, and sometimes I've accidentally run them through the washer. I place them in strategic places all over the place, just in case I need a fix.
I wasn't always this way. Back in Ohio, I rarely touched the stuff. But my friend Les was already addicted. If he left the house without one, he had to turn around and go home, or stop at a quickie mart for a tube or two. Foolishly, I made fun of him. Then, I moved to Nevada, and my addiction started. It started innocently enough--just enough to ease the chapping. Then I found myself smooshing it on every time I noticed my lips were dry. That's how it starts.
Now, I'm a hopeless addict. The last time I forgot my stick, I dug through my desk drawer at work, finding a broken stick. I applied it to my lips with a Q-Tip. But it doesn't have to be ChapStick brand. It can be Blistex, Carmex, Vaseline, or even a Walgreens or Wal-Mart substitute, I don't care. The Other Half is a more choosy addict. . .he won't touch the cherry or strawberry flavors (a way to hook the kids, I suspect), unless he's really desperate.
Las Vegas is a difficult place to be a lip balm addict. In the summertime, temperatures can run in the 100s (110s sometimes) for weeks or months. My precious little tubes tend to melt in that weather, even in my pocket. That's when you have to resort to the petroleum jelly squeeze tubes. Scalding your lips with hot petroleum though is no picnic.
It turns out that I'm not alone. There are others with my affliction (besides Les, of course). But I'm not ready to quit yet. Just a few more tubes, and then I'll stop.
[Excerpt (yeah, it's old, but so what?]
A monkey on my lips
For 26 years, I've harbored a craving for this inexpensive substance both day and night, winter, spring, summer and fall. No matter the hour or season, I need my Chap Stick . . .
Living in Las Vegas, I know a little bit about gambling addiction. While I don't consider myself an addict, in the 13 years I've lived here, I've surely exhibited addict-like behavior on occasion. Anyone who's gambled more than a little has too. Don't let them tell you different.
But even on my stupidest night, I never thought I deserved my money back. Yes, the casinos are deliberately enticing, with games that are set up to affect your psychology. Just enough of a taste here and there, just enough winners around you to keep you playing. The table games can't be programmed, but their rules are surely set up to mimic the same thing.
Here's the dirty little secret though. Anybody who plays, except for maybe Ma & Pa Hinterland knows all of that. They know the odds are against them. But just like the person who cashes their Social Security check, and uses it all on lottery tickets, they're hoping for the big win--or more accurately the anticipation of the big win.
I have no doubt that this lady has a problem. But she knew it too. As hard as it is to beat addiction, people do it every day. It often takes a "rock bottom" experience to set them on the right path. This lady wants a do-over, and I don't think she deserves one. Just imagine the precedent.
[Excerpt]
Woman files $20M long-shot casino suit
Arelia Margarita Taveras says she was even allowed to bring her dog, Sasha, to the blackjack tables, sitting in her purse.
But her gambling spun out of control: She said she would go days at a time at the tables, not eating or sleeping, brushing her teeth with disposable wipes so she didn't have to leave. She says her losses totaled nearly $1 million. . .
