Going to Amsterdam for your pot? Not so fast....

AFP / Getty Images

From The Atlantic Wire:

The Dutch government today announced that by the end of the year, the country's famed marijuana-dispensing coffee shops would start to close to tourists and be open only to Dutch citizens. By next year, no tourists would be able to legally buy marijuana. Under the new regulations passed today, each coffee shop would operate like a private club with some 1,000 to 1,500 members. In order to qualify for a membership card, applicants must be adult Dutch citizens.
Of course, the new law's threat to tourism in the country hasn't sat well with everyone. The English-language Dutch Daily News quoted the head of Dutch tour operator TUI, who said, "The coffee shops belong to our culture.... That will really hit the city bad. Also many young foreigners after their first visit will not return at an older age when they have more money." It's an awkward translation, but you get the drift.
"In order to tackle the nuisance and criminality associated with coffee shops and drug trafficking, the open-door policy of coffee shops will end," read a letter to the parliament from the health and justice ministers, obtained by Reuters.

I have no problem with this. Pothead tourists are obviously a nuisance, else they wouldn't be doing this at all. And with all of the wonderful things Europe (including Amsterdam) has to offer, it seems silly to travel halfway around the world just for legal marijuana. Chances are your next door neighbor either sells it themselves, or knows someone who does.

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 5 - Miranda I

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 5 - Miranda I: "Chapter Five Miranda I - “Boo. Museum’s closed,” Evelyn pointed at the sign. Miranda rapped the door until a security guard arrived..."

The NBA's worst nightmare...the nWo in the Finals!

In 1996 at WCW's Bash at the Beach, it was the biggest heel turn in wrestling history. All-American good guy Hulk Hogan reveals himself to be the 'Third Man' and joins Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the nWo, which changed professional wrestling forever.

Fourteen years later, The Chosen One LeBron James dumps the Cavaliers and the entire city of Cleveland, Ohio on national television and flees to the sandy white beaches of Miami, Florida as the final piece of the Heat's 'Big Three' with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in arguably the biggest heel turn in NBA history.

So will Dirk Nowitzki play the role of Sting/Goldberg, or will Hollywood Hogan LeBron James win the title?

I wish I could saw I picked up on the parallels a year ago when all of this happened, but I'm late to the game.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg urges state lawmakers to approve same-sex marriage

But no, you won't be able to marry your eagle.

 From Business Week:

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, citing the riot at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 that led to the gay-rights movement, called for state lawmakers to approve a bill allowing same-sex marriage.

“The time has come for us to fulfill the dreams that exploded into Sheridan Square 42 years ago: to allow thousands of men and women to become full members of the American family, and to take the next step on the inspiring journey our founding fathers first began,” Bloomberg said today in a speech at Manhattan’s Cooper Union college.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is making the issue a central tenet of his statewide tour to prod lawmakers to approve the measure alongside a property tax cap and tighter rules on ethics. The Senate defeated a bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage in 2009. Bloomberg traveled to Albany this month to lobby lawmakers on the issue before their session ends June 20.

In June 1969 a police raid on the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village resulted in a spontaneous revolt. Gay men and lesbians threw beer cans and other projectiles at officers, who responded with beatings and arrests. At that time, same-sex relationships were a crime under New York law, Bloomberg said....

...Bloomberg invoked historical figures including abolitionist Frederick Douglass and women’s suffrage champion Susan B. Anthony to urge legislators to stand up for equality. Failure to pass the measure will harm New York’s competitive edge and reputation as a bastion of freedom, he said.

“The question for every New York state lawmaker is: Do you want to be remembered as a leader on civil rights? Or an obstructionist?” he said. “Conservatives believe that government should not intrude into people’s personal lives -- and it’s just none of the government’s business who you love.”...

Bloomberg has many flaws, but one thing I've noticed about him over the years is that he is very in tune to the 'Big Picture'. New York is arguably the 'Greatest City in the World' (and one could also argue that NY state is the best state in the U.S), and he wants it to remain that way.

Jared Loughner and my thoughts on 'evil'.

From MSNBC:

....U.S. District Judge Larry Burns' decision means the 21-year-old will be sent to a federal facility for up to four months in a bid to restore his competency.
The ruling came after Loughner spent five weeks in March and April at a federal facility in Missouri, where he was examined by two court-appointed mental health professionals. The two were asked to determine whether Loughner understands the consequences of the case against him....

....Loughner will be sent to a federal facility for a maximum of four months to see if his competency can be restored. If he's later determined to be competent, the case against him will resume.
If he isn't deemed competent at the end of his treatment, his stay at the facility can be extended. There are no limits on the number of times such extensions can be granted.
If doctors conclude they can't restore his mental competency, the judge would have to decide whether the suspect can be restored. If the judge decides there's no likelihood of restoration, the judge can dismiss the charges against him. In that case, state and federal authorities can petition to have him civilly committed and could seek to extend that commitment repeatedly, said Heather Williams, a federal public defender in Tucson who isn't involved in the Loughner case.
The doctors who examined Loughner were ordered not to focus on his sanity at the time of the shooting....

I struggle with the concepts of 'good' and 'evil'. Part of it is the truth that you never really know what lies in another person's heart. You never really know what goes on in another person's mind at any given moment. Terrible acts are committed ever day, but it's rarely clear why they happen. I remember reading an article that suggested Loughner may have been set off by a perceived slight on the part of Congresswoman Giffords, but even that isn't clear. I look at the Tuscon shootings, and my only conclusion is that it's all just a monumental waste. Six dead, twelve hurt, and for what? Why did Loughner do this? Was it because deep down, he's an inhuman monster? Was it because of a lingering mental illness that went neglected for too long? I don't know, I can't make sense of any of it.

Let me be clear that I don't minimize or excuse people's actions. People do extremely terrible, horrific, monstrous and otherwise unspeakable things. News of genocide/ethnic cleansing, rape, murder, child molestation, etc. gets at our emotions like nothing else can. We get rightfully outraged when stuff like this happens because civilized people SHOULDN'T carry out such actions. But it seems to label a person as 'evil' is to suggest they aren't even human anymore. It's too easy to label someone as 'evil', there tends to be little (if any) careful analysis involved. It seems like 'evil' should only be the realm of stock movie villains and demonic forces. Even the worst of the worst tend to have some decent qualities. And even the best of us have some darkness in our hearts (or maybe it's just me).

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 4 - Alexis II

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 4 - Alexis II: "Chapter Four Alexis II No. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be. She waited there for Iris. Iris never made it. Biggest show of the year..."

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 3 - Valerie II

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 3 - Valerie II: "Chapter Two - Valerie II. Iris Elvira never saw it coming. She stood at the restroom sink and rummaged through her purse as the door swung open..."

Born this Way!

VROOM VROOM!! GET ON OR GET LEFT!!

The Rapture was a let-down, but what of Born this Way?

When I heard GaGa was working on a new album to be released this year, I believe my exact words were 'NOOOOOOOO, GAGA! TOO SOON!'. I feared she would burnout (between this and her seemingly non-stop tour). I worried that the release would ultimately be a let-down, because there's no way it could match/top The Fame Monster. Right?

Right?

Well, the first single (Born this Way) is easily the weakest song on the CD. The lyrics are excellent (as they are on the rest of the CD), but the music that accompanies it just feels off. If there's any song that could use a dance remix, it's this one. It's possible this was deliberate. Releasing the 'worst' song as the first single may have lessened expectations, leaving the door open for the rest of the CD to BLOW YOU..........................AWAY.

I bought the Special Edition 2CD set (yeah, I haven't given up on physical copies yet), 17 regular tracks on the first disc, and 5 remixes on the other. Amazon is currently selling the digital album for $0.99 for a limited time. Go get it! (Click Here)

This is about as ambitious an album as you'll find (in the mainstream music industry, anyway). Lady GaGa is about as Pro-Be Who You Are an mainstream artist as you'll find. Born this Way is about as Be Who You Are-themed an album as you'll find, and then you add that with the many references to Jesus, Mary, HIM, and Judas.

Is it blasphemous?

Honestly, I don't know. Not being a Christian, I can't say one way or the other if this album is any way disrespectful to Christianity. Even more honestly, I don't care. I grew up watching South Park and Mel Brooks movies. Nothing is sacred. Everything is fair game.

Favorite songs (so far):

Marry the Night
Government Hooker
Judas
Americano
Scheiße
Bloody Mary
Black Jesus + Amen Fashion
Heavy Metal Lover
Electric Chapel
The Edge of Glory

It's all really good, but those ten songs stand out to me. Listening to the remixes now. They're pretty good, but not a must-have. If you're already a Lady GaGa fan, you're going to love this album. If you're not, I'd say try downloading the songs I listed above to try the album out.

*dances*

Four stars out of five! Get it!

EDIT: Something I am bummed out about: Glitter and Grease, one of the two new songs GaGa performed at last year's Lollapalooza (the other was You and I) is not on here. Hopefully a studio version will surface at some point (B-side?).

Lady GaGa often gets compared to Madonna and Grace Jones (and rightfully so), but I would say this album has a spirit that reminds me of early Janet Jackson (Control, Rhythm Nation 1814). Lot of attitude :D

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 2 - P.D. I

The Seventh Sister: Chapter 2 - P.D. I: "Chapter 2 P.D. I You never get used to it. These cursed Restraints you’re forced to wear as if you were the kind of wild animal they kept in zoos..."

Ringo Starr interview in the Daily Mail

A very interesting interview from the Daily Mail. Several things stand out:

‘We didn’t know what was ahead of us. You never do. We didn’t think it would last.’
The black-and-white image shows the Beatles in suits in the early Sixties, waiting to appear on a television show. He’s not sure which one. Paul is whistling, George is distracted, John is wide-eyed and Ringo is staring at the camera, his feet up on a seat. In the picture (below) he looks the most assured, by far.
‘Even Paul thought, “Well, I’ll probably end up as a writer.” So did John. George was going to have a garage.’

I always wonder what it's like to experience becoming famous in real-time (real, lasting fame). I wonder what goes through the minds (as it happens) of people that become legends. Does it ever truly hit them? And if it does, are they happy about it? Do they begin to regret it, and wish they could go back to being anonymous?

...‘It is difficult, because people don’t want you to grow up. A lot of people outside the Beatles want to keep me in that world. They look at that guy from A Hard Day’s Night and think, “That’s still him.” They want you to be that person they related to, in a movie, on record...

...‘When the Beatles moved south to London there were people in Liverpool calling us traitors. You know, like they said it to Bob Dylan when he went electric? I was there that night, by the way. People who are like that don’t want you to grow in any way.’...

It's easy to forget that the people many of us idolize are human with their own wants and needs and ideas. And as time goes on, these wants and needs and ideas change. I saddens me to think that there are people who expect Ringo and Paul to stay in the Sixties. 1969 was 42 years ago.

I've often asked myself if I want to be famous. To be honest, I have no idea. I definitely want to be successful. That doesn't necessarily require fame, but I'm not opposed to it. Just let me get my teeth straightened first.

...He faced a huge decision in the summer of 1960.
‘I was working in a factory, for Henry Hunt and Sons, a light engineering company. I was an apprentice engineer, which was very big news in our family. But I was also playing with Rory and The Hurricanes, and we got the offer of a three-month gig in Butlin’s at Skegness and Pwllheli, so we had to give up our jobs. All my uncles and aunties came over to try and tell me that drumming was OK as a hobby. I had to stand there and defend myself. I said, “No, I’m a drummer, I’m off.” That’s a Sliding Doors moment. Some decisions are good.’...

That's kind of where I am now. My dad and grandfather (on my mom's side) are hell-bent on discouraging me from leaving Arkansas. Deep down, I know that I have no future here.

The full article is an excellent read. Ringo's got a pretty good sense of humor about himself. Read on.

Rapture averted. Randy's got this one.

From the top rope!

I originally thought against posting this out of sensitivity. Randy Savage did die pretty horribly (heart attach while driving that led to a car crash). But then again, someone who made his living as the 'Macho Man' might have something of a sense of humor.

Farewell, Macho Man. Hope you're dropping elbows on Andre the Giant and the Big Boss Man in the next world.

Oh, and anyone talk to Harold Camping and the rest of the Family Radio folks today?