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2/5/2018 - by: Tom Leonard Clough - Spirit Calendar
This week's author is the Rev. Dr. Thomas Clough, Eastern Regional Minister for the Connecticut Conference, UCC.
Scripture: Mark 9:5-7 (NRSV)
Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!'
A dozen years ago I stayed a few nights in a small village in El Salvador, in the home of a man who had fought against the government during the civil war. He described his years living in the forest, of learning how to use often defective Russian land mines, of preventing gangrene in bullet wounds, of meals being smuggled up into hills by his wife, of his divorce after the fighting stopped, and of having been "rewarded" for laying down his arms by being settled in a disease infested swamp.
Remembering this man's story of profound suffering for years, I was struck by the realization that never once in the entire conversation did I hear him ever attribute the suffering that he described in graphic detail as being in any way a form of punishment.
The reason this struck me was that it has been my frequent experience as a pastor to hear someone who is suffering illness or from effects of an accident, or from sense of abandonment finding one's self in a nursing home, wondering what they have done "wrong" in the past for which they are now being "punished".
I wonder if that way of thinking was not part of Peter's inability to make sense of Jesus' prediction that he would suffer torture and death in Jerusalem because he was the Messiah. Peter may have equated suffering with punishment for guilt, and to him, Jesus was not guilty of any sin at all.
So, when Jesus was transfigured on that high mountain and his clothes began to glow, and the Hebrew heroes, Moses and Elijah, joined the spectacle, Peter assumed that Jesus must have been confused, and that now the time had come to celebrate the inbreaking of God's New World Order, starring Jesus and Peter and James and John.
It is at that moment that God reveals to Peter that the old understanding of suffering as proof of guilt must now make way for a radically new equation.
The way of the cross is not a sign of our failure to live up to God's standards.
The way of the cross, a life that may contain suffering, is now a sign of God's refusal to ever give up on us. Ever.
Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered during the Salvadoran civil war, found in the Transfiguration a reason for hope in the midst of his people's suffering. He saw suffering not as punishment but as a sign that we are on the road to redemption.
Three weeks before his assassination, he preached in a sermon, stating, "The theology of transfiguration is saying that the road to redemption passes through the cross and through Calvary, but the goal of Christians is beyond history."
We may very well be on the brink of some challenging times, but, like Oscar Romero and those who struggled with him, we can find in this vision on the mountaintop, this vision of the triumph of hope over despair and death, we can find in this story of Christ's transfiguration reason to commit ourselves to struggle for what is right, knowing that our suffering will be shared with Jesus, and that we are engaged in a struggle that he has already won.
May God grant us the wisdom to know what should be and the courage to join in the struggle to make it so.
Special Prayer Requests:
Those grieving or suffering in South Carolina after train accident killed 2 people and injured over 100 others on Feb. 4;
the family and friends of Rev. Ralph Miller Cook, Jr., retired UCC pastor, who died on Jan. 25; and
the Rev. Allen F. Tinkham, retired UCC pastor, who was hospitalized in Middletown last week (Jan.).
Continuing Requests:
Those grieving or suffering in South Korea after a hospital fire killed 37 people and injured over 140 others on Jan. 26;
those grieving or suffering after school shooting in Kentucky left 2 dead and 12 injured on Jan. 23;
Rev. Meg Boxwell Williams, Associate Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Stratford, for a full recovery as she recuperates from intestinal surgery and experiences chemo treatments;
those grieving or suffering a mudslide in California left 20 dead and 4 people missing on Jan. 9;
those grieving or suffering after a train crashed in South Africa killing 18 and injuring over 200 on Jan. 4;
Robert G. Hale Sr., grandfather of Emily McKenna, Office Manager of the CT Conference, who struggles with health issues and is waiting for surgery scheduled next month;
the people of Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria caused massive devastation on Sept. 20;
the community of Conway, MA, and the United Congregational Church, UCC, Conway after a tornado touched down on Feb. 25 causing significant structural damage;
the members and staff of Thompson Congregational Church after a fire severely damage the building on Dec. 29;
Mark Engstrom, member of the CT Conference Board of Directors, and his wife Nina, who are facing health issues;
Michael White, former Operations Manager at Silver Lake Conference Center, who was diagnosed with colon cancer;
Juliane Silver, the daughter of the Rev. Jim Silver of Middletown, who is in dire need of a liver transplant. We pray that a donor will come forward giving the gift of life and a portion of their liver to Juliane;
Chacy Eveland, husband of the Rev. Marcia Eveland, pastor of the First Congregational Church UCC of Ansonia, who has been moved to a full-time facility for care of dementia;
the thousands of migrants worldwide who flee from violence and persecution in search of safety;
our ecumenical partners in the Kyung-Ki Presbytery in South Korea;
the Conference's partners working for peace in Colombia amidst violence;
the leaders of this nation, that they may meet the challenges of the day with insight, wisdom, and compassion;
this nation, that it may continue its difficult work to end the practices of racism; and
those serving or living in war or conflict zones around the world, or where terrorists have struck.
To be added to the prayer list, please send an email to Drew Page at: drewp@ctucc.org.
Please Remember These Connecticut Conference Churches
In Your Prayers:
South Congregational Church, UCC
Fredd Ward - P
William T Vibert - CE
Henry Millan Jr - OL
The First Church in Hartland, Congregational
Jack Zappulla - SU
First Congregational Church of East Haven
David Colton - SU
Diane Lewis - CE
First Congregational Church of East Windsor, UCC
Thomas V. Calderone - P
East Woodstock Congregational Church UCC
Susan J. Foster - P
Sherry Magnan - CE
Dawn Morin - CE
Nancy Ducharme - MM
Andrew Tomkins – MM
Tom Leonard Clough
The Eastern Regional Minister works with churches in transition, providing support, resources and leadership training. He assists in connecting the churches to the mission and ministry of the UCC beyond their local programs and concerns. His work ...


Up for auction is my Phantom 3 SE.
It's in near perfect condition, with only a tiny mark on the end of one of the arms, which occurred when I tilted it over on to a concrete step once when I was removing the camera holder, really annoyed me and only did it once, still you'd be hard pressed to see the mark, unless your really looking. Apart from that it's as close to new as you will find. It shoots 4k video and makes a lovely job of it, though I prefer to shoot 1080p because I don't have any 4k devices. It's not had much use because it proved a hobby I was going to really enjoy, so now I've splashed out on an upgrade. These quads are fantastic, pretty easy to learn but by no means toys.
Happy bidding, you wont be disappointed!
Next → Next post: Polaroid P600 Instant Film Camera, Silver. UNTESTED.


open science, just science done right!
Melanie Imming is an independent consultant working on Open Science with a background in audiovisual media. She recently delivered a report FAIR Data Advanced Use Cases: from principles to practice in the Netherlands for SURFsara, the Netherlands' national supercomputing centre. She is a member of the Knowledge Exchange task and finish group Economy of Open Science – Use cases and storytelling, lead of the engagement working group in the Dutch National Platform Open Science. For the university of Amsterdam she organises the final conference of the H2020 OpenUp project on 5-6 September 2018 in Brussels: 'Opening Up the Research Life Cycle: Innovative Methods for Open Science'.
Melanie further volunteers in Open Science projects. For instance, she designed these stickers based on quotes from open science advocates @protohedgehog and @chartgerink that she sends around the world (still some left!). Melanie also loves to produce videos. Her passion for audiovisual media was sparked by her experience at the Netherlands Institute of Sound and Vision; one of the largest memory institutions of the Netherlands. Before starting her own company, Melanie was responsible for the overall management of EU projects for LIBER Europe, the association of European research libraries and Senior Project Manager at the National Library of the Netherlands (KB). Melanie is experienced in dissemination, communications and translating more technical themes to the greater public. Melanie has a MA in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam and is always trying to make a case for the humanities.
Video by Melanie Imming: Open Science Fair 2017 from OpenAIRE on Vimeo.


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The Daily Texan gives JOHN PORCELLINO's 71st issue of KING-CAT a grade A
King-Cat's 71st issue slice of artist's life
Comic Book Review | Ao Meng | September 16, 2010
One of the grand masters of autobiographical comics, John Porcellino, remembers long-lost loves and the city of Denver in his 71st issue of King-Cat, all in his signature minimalist style. This new entry to the long-running series delivers more of the same — namely, powerful and poetic work from a living legend.
The Denver-based Porcellino, who is by now surely one of America's national treasures, has been producing (or, more accurately, photocopying and stapling) King-Cat since 1989. The first issues were humorous and hormonal, reflecting his then teenaged punk-rock lifestyle. Since then, he's mellowed out, becoming a lot older and wiser. He's become something of a poet laureate of underground minicomics, influencing generations of cartoonists with his deeply personal and profoundly spiritual work. In the time since issue 70 dropped in September of last year, events like Harvey Pekar's (the alt-cartoonist who wrote "American Splendor") passing in July have made Porcellino's slice-of-life comics feel more precious and vital than ever.
In a talk at Domy Books last April, Porcellino spoke about his goals and influences for King-Cat and said the comic is how he documents his life. The cartoonist spoke about how he strives to capture the in-between times, the quiet moments of tranquility and contemplation. His work is deeply influenced by the ideas and philosophies of Zen Buddhism, and the koan-like writing style in King-Cat perfectly complements the serene perfection of his images.
Issue 71 opens like a force of nature, with a one-two punch of quotes taken from a winter 1855 entry in the journal of Henry David Thoreau and the last line of the refrain of "Odds and Ends" from Bob Dylan's The Basement Tapes. A lesser poet might have stopped there, but not Porcellino — the opposite page illustrates Matthew 8:20, Jesus's famous pronouncement to an eager scribe of the weariness inherent in being a son of man. The two-panel strip, instilling a sense of the profound and holy in around 200 pen strokes that obliterates the reader's thoughts of whatever else he or she was doing before cracking open the issue, wipes the mind clean to a state of ready openness and contemplation.
The meat of the issue collects short comics dealing with memories of lost places and the aching of past relationships remembered anew. Highlights include an illustrated essay on the pre-gentrified Denver of the early '90s and "Boots On," a story of an evening spent alone in the cold Illinois winter. The artist falls asleep reading Mark Twain, and dreams of a reunion at an infinite bus terminal with some bygone love. A slyly comedic note is hit with "Portrait of the Artist as a Middle-Aged Dirtbag," a self-aware riff on a life spent in happy squalor
The issue ends with two melancholy stories that end with the cartoonist's avatar staring introspectively out the right of the frame, surrounded and almost consumed by a whirlwind of personal loss. The back cover attempts to shed a little sun on the dark feelings — a whimsical "Greetings from the Sunshine State" featuring postcard images of oranges, a rocket ship and friendly wildlife. A note entitled "Welcome to the Jungle" illuminates — "there comes a time in every man's life when he moves down to Florida, child." It's in the middle of the issue, in heart and in print, a tour de force of drawings of the local fauna of Gainesville, Fla. Positively outright Daoist in nature, it delights and illuminates like the words of a pillarist hermit depositing wisdom from a secluded scenic mountaintop. It is a love of warming, radiating light.
King-Cat Classix
John Porcellino
The Onion Reviews PERFECT EXAMPLE by JOHN PORCELLINO
Post-punk cartoonist John Porcellino applies his spare lines to a story of '80s suburban romance in the autobiogra...
Newsarama interviews John Porcellino!
John Porcellino has been creating and self-publishing his autobiographical comic book, King-Cat Comics and Stories, sinc...
Baltimore City Paper Spotlights I Never Liked You & Perfect Example!
If you're reading City Paper, you probably already know about cartoonists like R. Crumb, Harvey Pekar, and Dan Clowes...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There is actually a debate over the interpretation of the Second Amendment. Many gun-control advocates advance an argument running along those lines. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.
If I am not mistaken the English Bill of Rights (1688) was the one that set the precedent for gun rights for all free Englishmen. The 2nd amendment was built on this and the right to bear arms was always understood to mean individual arms.
To be honest here Mr A, I hadn't taken a long look at the laws in Malasysia and Singapore. A quick scan of the net seemed to indicate that in Malaysia at least, the death penalty is only applied to those discharging a gun during the commission of a crime. Pretty harsh by western standards yes, but we are talking about those that are murderers or at least willing and potential murderers, not simply gun owners. I wouldn't go that far myself, but on the other hand I think the combat zone mentality in the US is completely out of touch with reality.
Gotcha, and you have put my mind at ease. All I knew about the laws of Malaysia and Singapore was what was in the thread, so you can understand my initial reaction. I generally wouldn't support the death penalty in murder cases either, but those who do are at least embracing an understandable position.
Thanks for getting back with me so soon, Captain Vancouver; hope all is well with you.
The second amendment is hazy because the topic was not an issue at the time. A militia made sense- it had just worked fairly well for the revolutionaries- and anyway other countries had similar arrangements. Guns in individuals possession also made sense. Many at the time lived in remote areas, and needed guns for protection, or for hunting. There was no police force as we know it today, and urban living was for the minority. Why spell out in excruciating detail what was obvious?
The problem is, it is not at all obvious why a university student in Salt Lake City today needs a gun to attend classes, and why, if we are to take the NRA seriously, his or her Prof also would be wise to have one tucked into his belt. This is a long, long way from farmers living in a near wilderness, or a flegling state trying to organize some sort of defensive measure. The second amendment is a 230 year old document that has been hijacked in the most absurd fashion by those with soaring testosterone levels, those suffering from intellectual apathy, and those with political motivation.
With regard to the death penalty for crimes, the present situation in the US allows anyone to convict, sentence and execute a trespasser.
After reading some of the crap that's been written in this forum regards "Guns", my opinion of the anti gun crowd remains the same, or even reinforced. You guys just don't get it. What is it about "The right to bear arms shall not be infringed" is it that you guys don't get? Europeans can have guns....if you're one of the elite. God blessed America, I do love this country so.
That's correct Graham. It's so nice to start off with you again on an agreeable note sir.
There is no debate, and it was turned out many years ago by our Founding Fathers.
Anyone of consequence that runs on a platform of gun control best not quit their day job.
The gun lobby in the US is strong, that means that it doesn't have to be right, but can muscle their way through any issues that might come up. That is how I interpret "Anyone of consequence that runs on a platform of gun control best not quit their day job." Let us not bother to examine what they think or advocate, the gun lobby will save us the time thinking, by shutting them down, unheard.
I don't necessarily have a problem with firearms, I do find it ironic though that you get people who can't afford a decent car or a house payment, but they can afford an HK assault rifle, or half a dozen handguns. On the one hand they are ready for the government and its onslaught to "take away their guns." On the other hand, they read for the government, and the welfare check in the mail. What would happen if they sold their guns, and paid the bills instead? But, financial independence is not as macho, as having a handgun.
The other side of the coin, unlawful firearm posession/ownership is a great unknown. Who knows what some people have stashed away in their houses, Anti-Tank weapons? Surface to Air Missile launchers? Who knows? Certainly not the ATF or any other arm of government.
But with a populaton of what, some 350 million people to police, lawenforcement agencies have a snowflakes chance in hell of controlling weapons sales and possession.
What the government does have the abiity to do, is tighten it's security on military armouries so that the theft and sale of military weapons and other equipment is stopped.


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Two out of the race
Phuentshogling Thromde would most likely have just two candidates contesting for the post of the thrompon. Jigme Dorji from Richending Constituency is out of the race as he did not file in his nomination. He was unable to obtain the required documents. The last date to file in the nomination was today.
Dagachhu Hydropower Project still leaking
The Dagachhu Hydropower Project has still not been able to detect the cause of a leakage, 300 metres below its headrace tunnel. A headrace tunnel feeds water to generate the turbine.
Houses gutted
A two-storied traditional house in Thomji Village under Punakha was gutted at about 2:30 PM, yesterday. The owner was out of the country for pilgrimage when the fire broke out.
Tshogpa suspended over alleged misuse of public funds
The Khabti-Lungtenzampa Tshogpa of Samkhar Gewog in Trashigang has been suspended over alleged misuse of public funds amounting to Nu 250,000. The suspension is to last eight months.
Two new gups elected
Rinzin, 63, has been elected as the new Drametse Gup of Monggar. Of the 646 votes, Rinzin secured 309 votes, the highest amongst the three contestants.
Tangsibji's shopkeepers asked to place "No Smoking" signboard
Trongsa Dzongkhag Tshogdu has asked the shopkeepers in Tangsibji Gewog to place a "No Smoking" signboard in their shops in the wake of increasing floating population who are seen consuming tobacco products openly.
The vanishing practice of sheep rearing
Sheep rearing used to be the lifeline for the people of Tagtse, Uesar and Changray villages of Draagten Gewog in Trongsa. The animal's meat, milk, and wool provided the much needed sustenance to the locals of these villages which otherwise had scanty resources.
Man drags thromde to court over a land dispute
Thinley Dorji, a private individual, has taken the Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde to the court over Samdrup Jongkhar Zangdopelri land dispute. Thinley Dorji claims the 44,072 square feet land, which has his two-storied building and Zangdopelri, belongs to him. On the other hand, the thromde says the land belongs to the government.
Fire destroys automobile workshop
An automobile workshop, located in the town in Paro, caught fire in the wee hours today. The fire, which started at around 2:45 AM, is suspected to have started from an electric short circuit.
Renovation of Yongphula Domestic Airport progresses well
Despite harsh weather, renovation of Yongphula Domestic Airport is progressing well. So far around 32 percent of the renovation work has been complete. The renovation of the airport should be complete by October, next year.


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HomeEuropeU.N. to investigate the killing and wounding of children in Ukraine
U.N. to investigate the killing and wounding of children in Ukraine
A woman holds a child next to Russian soldiers in a street of Mariupol on April 12, 2022, as Russian troops intensify a campaign to take the strategic port city, part of an anticipated massive onslaught across eastern Ukraine, while Russia's President makes a defiant case for the war on Russia's neighbour. – *EDITOR'S NOTE: This picture was taken during a trip organized by the Russian military.*
Alexander Nemenov | AFP | Getty Images
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ordered an investigation on Monday into the deaths and injuries of children in Ukraine as the Russian conflict intensifies in the war-torn country.
Guterres called for the findings to be published in the U.N.'s annual "Children and Armed Conflict" global report which verifies accounts of abduction, sexual violence as well as other violations like the recruitment of children to fight in conflicts.
"In view of the ongoing war in Ukraine, including violations against civilians, including children, because of the high intensity of this conflict, this situation will be added as a situation of concern with immediate effect and will be included in my next report," Guterres wrote in this year's report, which was released on Monday.
Guterres also requested similar investigations to be carried out in Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Monday's report found more than 2,500 children were killed in global conflicts in 2021 and an additional 5,555 were maimed. The highest number of verified violations against children were documented in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Israel as well as Palestinian territories.
The call for an investigation in Ukraine comes as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warns that her office has gathered mounting evidence that Russian forces carried out unlawful killings and summary executions.
Bachelet said that U.N. investigators have recovered more than 1,200 civilian bodies from Kyiv and that her office is working to corroborate more than 300 allegations of killings by Russian forces in situations that were not linked to active fighting.
An avenue in Mariupol on April 12, 2022. The besieged Ukrainian city could now be facing a deadly cholera outbreak, NBC News cited local officials.
In April, the U.N. voted to strip Russia of its membership in the Human Rights Council following accusations that Russian troops tortured and killed Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, a suburb near Kyiv.
The bodies were discovered after Moscow withdrew its troops from Bucha. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the aftermath, which he saw firsthand on Monday, as a "genocide" and accused Russia of war crimes.
The Kremlin has previously described its military actions in Ukraine as a "special operation" and has denied targeting civilians.
A child eats as people wait for a train to Poland at the railway station of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 6, 2022, 11 days after Russia launched a military invasion on Ukraine.
Yuriy Dyachyshyn | AFP | Getty Images
Last month, the U.N. Children's Fund, or UNICEF, said nearly two-thirds of Ukraine's children have been displaced since the start of the Kremlin's war in late February.
"I would say every single child in Ukraine, their lives have been touched by this war. They've either lost a family member or they have either witnessed trauma themselves," Afshan Khan, the regional director UNICEF, told reporters at the United Nations.
"With two-thirds of the children in the country on the move, we cannot say that a single child's life has not been touched," added Khan.
Khan also said that the staggering number of schools destroyed by Russian strikes in Ukraine presents another grim challenge for child development.
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German city Hanover bans hot showers as Russian gas crisis begins to bite
Will Smith's first project since Oscars fiasco gets December release date


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ACCEPTED

#### According to
Index Fungorum

#### Published in
Bot. Mater. Otd. Sporov. Rast. 4(10-12): 15 (1938)

#### Original name
Cortinarius arcticus Singer

### Remarks
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Where the desert ends and the rich green lawns begin, Monterey Country Club provides historic Spanish Colonial-styling that is both charming and inviting and creates the perfect Palm Desert wedding venue. This remarkable location offers two stunning outdoor settings, each one seating up to 210 guests. Situated beside a palm-fringed lake, these settings offer ideal locations for you to say "I do" at a beautiful outdoor venue. Each backdrop is impeccably balanced for photo opportunities and, best yet, the pricing is sure to please.
After exchanging vows, you and your guests will enter the plush drawing room with a cathedral wood-beam ceiling, candelabra–style chandelier, and cut-stone fireplace. We capture the unique feel and vibrance of Palm Desert throughout the venue and we're sure you and your guests will find this as well. When you move to the Main Dining Room, you'll be greeted by the natural light spilling through tall, arched windows and views of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains. With the adjacent Sunrise Room opened up via the double doors, you can host a gala for up to 250 of your closest friends and family.
Monterey Country Club has become one of the Palm Desert region's most in-demand event venues for many reasons but our unique ability to offer stunning indoor/outdoor weddings with plenty of opportunity to customize to your liking is not least among them. We encourage you to contact our event staff to plan your wedding day and we look forward to showing you the grounds.
Monterey Country Club is the dream venue if you're looking to capture all of the special beauty of Palm Desert's iconic architecture and landscape. With grand ballrooms within our stunning grounds buildings and unmatched views, this is the wedding location you've been looking for.
A native of Los Angeles and a mother of two young girls: Alissa (age 16) and Kendra (age 13), Jeanette Vega moved to the desert when she was eleven years old and has made it her home ever since! She began her career working at Harris Gottschalks, and afterwards moved to La Quinta Resort where she gained experience in the resort, golf, and restaurant industry over the next two years. From there she accepted a position at Desert Falls Country Club, where she was eventually promoted to the accounting department and served in numerous administrative roles before stepping down to care for her family full-time. She joined the Monterey Country Club staff in November 2013.
"It is... what it is"
Featuring soaring vaulted ceilings an abundance of windows affording breathtaking views of our emerald-green golf course and the Santa Rosa Mountains, the Main Dining Room is a picturesque locale for wedding receptions, fundraising galas and other large-scale events. An adjacent drawing room provides additional space for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres before dinner, while the adjoining Sunrise Room can be added for additional space accommodating groups of up to 160 guests.
"I totally loved my wedding here at Monterey Country Club. This place is BEAUTIFUL! My family and guest were all happy with the service and loved this place. The food.... oh my it was DELICIOUS!!!! I am so thankful for all your attention during my wedding event and for all your help regarding my wedding planning!"
"I have received many wonderful comments on the luncheon. We had a salad buffet which was not only delicious, but the presentation was absolutely outstanding! It was truly a happy experience and your staff did an excellent job in every way!"


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NBA Players Won't Be Tested For Marijuana Next Year As League Weighs Permanent Change
The NBA is extending its policy of not randomly drug testing players for marijuana for the 2020-2021 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. And insiders suspect that the relaxed cannabis rules will continue indefinitely.
Marijuana testing was first suspended earlier this year as players finished out their season in the so-called "bubble" arena in Orlando. But as first reported by freelance journalist Ben Dowsett on Thursday, the league and the players' union have agreed to maintain that policy, at least for the next season.
Sources say this decision is largely based on COVID safety – just another way of limiting unnecessary contacts.
However, there's also significant expectation from many in the league that the entire marijuana testing program is on the way out in the near future.
— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) December 3, 2020
"Due to the unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic, we have agreed with the NBPA to suspend random testing for marijuana for the 2020-21 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse," an NBA spokesperson said.
(Bass cont): "…and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse."
But pressure has been mounting on the league to end testing for marijuana permanently.
Michele Roberts, the head of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) who also joined the board of the major cannabis company Cresco Labs this year, predicted in a recent interview that the formal change could come as early as "next season."
"We're not going to expose our players to unnecessary risks," she told Dowsett in a piece for GQ. "And it is not necessary to know whether our players are positive for marijuana."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hasn't ruled out adopting new policies on marijuana testing, but he's said that the league needs to proceed carefully so as not to send a wrong message to young people. He's also voiced support for exploring the medical potential of cannabis.
"At the end of the day, I think we all agree that, whether or not marijuana is a legal substance, just like with alcohol, you still have to teach young people how to use a substance like that appropriately and responsibly and so it doesn't overwhelm your life," he said. "So, it's a complicated issue."
While NBA won't be subjecting players to random drug testing for THC, they will continue to test "for cause" cases where players have histories of substance use, for example.
Important clarification here, per source: The NBA's random marijuana testing program will not run for 20-21, as reported below. However, testing FOR CAUSE – that is, past offenders or those who have given reasonable cause to suspect use – will continue. https://t.co/repVxFL2Ri
If NBA does ultimately end marijuana testing, it would be another example of evolving drug policies within national sports leagues. Earlier this year, the MLB announced that players would not longer be tested for cannabis, though they're barred from being sponsored by marijuana companies.
The NFL also made the decision to end suspensions for positive drug tests as well as limiting the testing window.
House Approves Federal Marijuana Legalization Bill In Historic Vote
NBA Could Permanently End Marijuana Tests So It Doesn't Become 'Big Brother,' Commissioner Says
SXSW Wants You To Vote On Marijuana And Psychedelics Panels For 2021 Event
People who attend the 2022 South By Southwest (SXSW) festival will have the chance to hear from a range of experts and stakeholders on marijuana and psychedelics issues.
A number of drug policy panels have been selected for the event, which runs from March 11-20. While cannabis has been a consistent track at SXSW in recent years, psychedelics is getting a lot more attention as the reform movement continues to expand.
The public played a role in shaping the agenda, voting on nearly 100 proposed panels on drug-related topics earlier this year. Now SXSW has narrowed it down, choosing nine marijuana panels and seven dealing with psychedelics.
When voting started, there were about five times as many proposed psychedelics panels for 2022 compared to those proposed for the 2021 event. There's also a stronger emphasis on social equity-themed panels for cannabis, reflecting the evolving conversation around reform.
While there aren't specific "tracks" for cannabis panels this year as was the case for past events, there are designated marijuana and psychedelics "summits."
One is called the "Cannabis Industry Evolution." Here's the description:
"As the cannabis legalization movement continues to gain momentum across the globe, so does the immense opportunity for entrepreneurs, plus new and established businesses. The Cannabis Industry Evolution Summit explores today's successful companies, along with ideas and products that will push the industry forward over the coming years."
The other is titled "The State of Psychedelics." Here's that description:
"Psychedelics have played a role in human culture for centuries in both spiritual and recreational settings, and recent breakthrough research of psychedelics as a treatment for a wide range of psychiatric conditions shows promise. The Psychedelics Summit aims to explore the medical, economic, and ethical implications of these tripped-out chemicals."
Here's an overview of some of the notable marijuana and psychedelics panels that will be featured at the 2022 SXSW:
Sue 'N The DEA: Breaking The 50-Year NIDA Monopoly
Sue Sisley of the Scottsdale Research Institute has played a key role in pushing the Drug Enforcement Administration to expand the number of federally authorized marijuana manufacturers and break the current monopoly. She'll be joined by Matt Zorn and Shane Pennington, attorneys who have worked with Sisley on a number of lawsuits to force a policy change, for a conversation on the need to remove cannabis from its Schedule I status to promote research into the plant.
Cannabis vs. the Opioid Crisis?
Ricardo Baca, a journalist who started the cannabis-focused PR firm Grasslands, will host a chat on the science of whether cannabis can serve as an alternative to opioids amid an overdose crisis and whether people could use marijuana to help overcome opioid addictions.
Puff, Puff, Pass The Rewards: Equity In Cannabis Legalization
Leafly's Janessa Bailey will talk about equity as more states move to legalize marijuana. The focus of this event is on understanding the context of the war on drugs and how discriminatory policies have alienated certain communities from benefiting from the legalization movement. It would look at possible solutions to the issue at the state level.
"As the fastest-growing American industry, cannabis has offered new economic opportunities to people across the country, but for many, those opportunities are still out of reach," a description states. "As more states legalize, crafting policies that help to create a fair and equitable cannabis industry has never been more important."
Cannabis: the Next Frontier in CPG
Representatives of major cannabis companies such a Curaleaf, Trulieve and Green Thumb Industries will discuss how marijuana stands out among other consumer packaged goods and "what the future of mainstream cannabis experiences looks like, the specific barriers the industry must overcome to reach this point, and how brands can prepare for this seismic shift."
Psychedelics For Therapeutics And Well-Being
Professors from John Hopkins University and Yale University will talk about the therapeutic potential of psychedelics with Tim Ferriss, an entrepreneur who has invested significantly into the research movement.
Questions that will be raised by the panel include: "How can psychedelics be widely used to alleviate human suffering through clinician-guided treatment of illnesses such as depression, PTSD, and addiction? Do mystical-type and insightful-type experiences associated with these substances improve overall well-being in patients and in healthy individuals? How can investors make psychedelic medicine accessible by financing academic research and for-profit companies and clinics?"
The Ethics Of "Mainstreaming" Psychedelics
DoubleBlind Magazine will be leading a conversation with expects including staff from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies that will touch on the "unique ethical considerations around commodifying psychedelics" and the "moral obligation of psychedelic companies to give back to Indigenous stewards of psychedelic medicines."
"The interest in psychedelics among the general population is growing exponentially," a description says. "Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into psychedelic drug development, with some projecting the industry is less than five years behind cannabis."
Have A Nice Trip: The Rise of Psychedelic Tourism
This panel will look at the rise of "psychedelic retreats" that have been "glamorized, dramatized, championed, and vilified by Hollywood."
"In this session, you'll learn what actually happens at a psychedelic retreat—where and how they operate amidst a complex, evolving web of state and national regulations; the daily work of psychedelic retreat facilitators; and the trends converging to drive this burgeoning new category of luxury travel," a description says.
New Marijuana Laws Take Effect Across The U.S. With The New Year
Image element courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos.
More than one-third of software programmers say they've used marijuana while working, with many finding that it helps promote creativity and get them into the "programming zone," according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Michigan said that anecdotal evidence suggested that those in programming were more likely to use cannabis on the job, so they set out to conduct the "first large-scale survey" on the topic, asking 803 developers to detail how marijuana comes into play in their work.
A main motivation for the study was the fact that drug testing policies remain common in the programming sector, which may be contributing to "hiring shortages for certain jobs."
That's even the case at the federal level, the study authors note, citing comments by former FBI Director James Comey, who said in 2014 that he was interested in loosening employment policies around cannabis because some prospective agents "want to smoke weed on the way to the interview."
2) The main motivations for using cannabis while programming are related to enjoyment or perceived programming enhancement. Wellness-related motivations (e.g., mental health or chronic pain) are less common. (3/6)
— Madeline Endres (@cellocorgi) December 2, 2021
"This prohibition of cannabis use in software engineering has contributed to a widely-reported hiring shortage for certain US government programming jobs," the study says.
All told, 35 percent of survey participants said that they've "tried cannabis while programming or completing another software engineering-related task." Seventy-three percent of that group said they've consumed marijuana while working in the past year.
The study—titled "Hashing It Out: A Survey of Programmers' Cannabis Usage, Perception, and Motivation" and published this month in Cornell University's arXiv—also looked at frequency of use among those who said they've used marijuana while engineering.
Fifty-three percent said they've consumed cannabis while programming at least 12 times, 27 percent said they used it at least twice a week and four percent said they use it while working on a nearly daily basis.
The study authors wanted to get a better understanding of why programmers chose to consume marijuana, too. And they found that the most common tasks that people used marijuana for were brainstorming, prototyping, coding and testing.
"Overall, we found that programmers were more likely to report enjoyment or programming enhancement motivations than wellness motivations: the most common reasons were 'to make programming-related tasks more enjoyable' (61%) and 'to think of more creative programming solutions' (53%)," the study found. "In fact, all programming enhancement reasons were selected by at least 30% of respondents. On the other hand, general wellness related reasons (such as mitigating pain and anxiety) were all cited by less than 30% of respondents. Thus, while wellness does motivate some cannabis use while programming, it is not the most common motivation."
4) Software managers disapprove of cannabis use less than employees think they do 🙂 (5/6)
While there's a notable prevalence of cannabis consumption among programmers, even most of those who don't use marijuana are supportive of reform, the study found.
"Ninety-one percent of our participants say that marijuana use should be legal for both recreational and medicinal use compared to 60 percent of the general United States population in 2021," the authors wrote.
The study also found that "cannabis use while programming occurs at similar rates for programming employees, managers and students despite differences in cannabis perceptions and visibility."
"Our results have implications for programming job drug policies and motivate future research into cannabis use while programming," the study states.
Drug testing policies have become a hot topic as more states enact legalization.
After New York opted to end prohibition this year, for example, the state Department of Labor announced that most employers are no longer allowed to drug test most workers for cannabis.
Amazon recently said that its earlier decision to end drug testing for cannabis will also be retroactive, meaning former workers and applicants who were punished for testing positive for THC will have their employment eligibility restored.
Lawmakers in the Senate and House have both included language in recent appropriations reports urging a review of employment policies for federal agencies with respect to personal use of cannabis. The House version passed in July, while the Senate Democrats' report was released in October.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo to federal agencies this year that says admitting to past marijuana use should not automatically disqualify people from being employed in the federal government.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration came under criticism after it was reported that it had fired or otherwise punished dozens of staffers who admitted to prior marijuana use. That came after the White House instituted a policy of granting waivers to some staff who've used cannabis.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki subsequently said that nobody in the White House was fired for "marijuana usage from years ago," nor has anyone been terminated "due to casual or infrequent use during the prior 12 months." However, she's consistently declined to speak to the extent to which staff have been suspended or placed in a remote work program because they were honest about their history with marijuana on a federal form that's part of the background check process.
Social media is a powerful tool in shaping political discourse, and a recent study that examined Reddit posts spanning over a decade sheds light on exactly what kinds of conversations may have influenced the public's shift in support of marijuana legalization.
A Brown University researcher used machine learning to analyze more than three million Reddit comments from 2009 to 2019—a key timeframe in the state-level legalization movement—to better understand the online conversations that have driven people to back reform.
A dissertation from Ph.D. candidate Babak Hemmatian—titled, "Taking the High Road: A Big Data Investigation of Natural Discourse in the Emerging U.S. Consensus about Marijuana Legalization"—revealed some surprising trends. Specifically, it seems that while sharing personal anecdotes has historically been a major factor in changing hearts and minds, people posting more generalized, character judgment-based arguments was a more clear harbinger for state-level cannabis reform.
"Marijuana legalization is a highly unusual topic in how a bipartisan consensus was reached in a matter of years while the American society was otherwise becoming more polarized," Hemmatian told Marijuana Moment. "I wanted to know if the way the public discusses marijuana facilitated this unusual shift, and how the societal change in attitudes in turn affected how we talk about cannabis."
Character judgements—or, "highly moralistic assertions about people's timeless attributes" like whether being a prohibitionist makes someone a bad person—more commonly preceded state legalization efforts, particularly around 2012 as the first states moved to end prohibition, the study found.
"Anecdotes were less often used to persuade people, meaning their persuasive potential was somewhat wasted," Hemmatian said. "Still, people did often briefly mention them to buttress more general claims like the mentioned character judgments."
There were some other interesting themes identified in the study. For example, discussions of the health impacts of cannabis "only picked up after legalization was all but over, and only in casual conversations." Legal implications of reform, meanwhile, "were not prominently discussed even after legalization had succeeded in most states."
"Both topics are highly relevant to whether and how the substance should be de-regulated, but were ignored in decision-making and at best attended to once the societal decision was already made," the study author said.
"While not the most persuasive approach according to previous research, character judgments may have still pushed people who were on the fence but not diametrically opposed to legalization over to the pro-legalization camp," he continued. "This is because they highly simplify decision-making: One no longer needs to know the complicated effects of cannabis on health, the economy and the society to make up their mind; they just need to think through their personal moral principles. This may have been comforting during a transition period when the uncertainty surrounding marijuana's status would have been anxiety-inducing for many folks."
The study concludes that "early legalization victories depended on Character judgments while the final nails were hammered into prohibition's coffin with Plot-focused strategies revolving around politics and crime."
"The shift happened entirely within the generalized portion of discourse, meaning that a non-compositional approach to frame classification would have missed it," the paper states.
Hemmatian and his research team at Brown aren't the only ones interested in exploring the intersection of drug policy and social media.
In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it plans to use Reddit and other "novel" data sources to gain a better understanding of public health issues surrounding use of CBD and other "emerging" marijuana derivatives like delta-8 THC.
The agency also wants to develop a system of finding "safety signals and usage patterns associated with emerging CDPs in real-time." That includes delta-8 THC, a cannabinoid that the agency recently warned consumers about, as it has not yet evaluated its safety or efficacy.
Reddit users subscribed to the popular marijuana forum r/trees have previously helped researchers identify trends and patterns in cannabis consumption.
A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence in 2018 analyzed more than two million posts found on the site's largest marijuana-related subreddit from 2010 to 2016. The research team made a series of discoveries, including a few that might seem obvious to regular consumers (e.g. dabbing is gaining in popularity, but users still largely favor smoking cannabis flower).