Arthy Meds

This stuff makes my life soooooo much better when it gets all weather out. If you have arthys pick this junk up!

420 bail out in California, how legalizing marijuana could help close the budget gap

California is facing a financial Armageddon with a current debt of $31,032,071,291. The state government is trying to combat it by cutting government programs, public works projects, education programs, health and human services programs, state park funding, and increased taxes. Meanwhile people keep losing jobs and houses all over the state. We are headed for some serious problems in the golden state. (View CA's 2009 State Budget)

What if I told you there is a bill floating around the California State Assembly that could possibly generate $1.4 Billion in tax revenue a year and add thousands of green jobs. Sounds pretty good right? Now what if I told you this bill involves legalizing marijuana? Don't close your browser yet, let's think it through.

Marijuana has not always been known as a class one dangerous narcotic. In fact at one time the plant was the third largest agricultural crop grown in North America, even some of our founding fathers were advocates. George Washington cultivated and smoked medical-grade marijuana on his farm. Some believe he smoked the plant to ease his chronic tooth pain. Thomas Jefferson too cultivated and smoked the plant, even drafting our Declaration of Independence on paper made from hemp fibers. Benjamin Franklin cultivated the industrial form of the plant and started the first American paper mill, making paper exclusively from hemp. For fun, check out the list of American VIP's who used the green plant for one reason or another.

The high times came to an end in the late 1930's when DuPont filed a patent for nylon, plastics, and a new bleaching process for paper. DuPont's chief financial backer, who was also Secretary of Treasury under the Hoover Administration, feared that hemp may be used to make paper and plastic cutting into the companies revenue. He combated his fears by electing his nephew-in-law to head the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. In 1937 the federal government passed the Marijuana Transfer Tax Bill prohibiting industrial and medical use of marijuana, classified the buds as narcotic, and prohibited the cultivation and farming of the plant. Marijuana was classified as an illegal narcotic on the same level as heroin, cocaine, LSD and morphine. (History of Marijuana in the US)

Nearly 72 years later, it may make sense to challenge this bill and make marijuana legal in the United States again. Legalizing the plant in California has the potential to bring $1.4 billion into our economy, create opportunities for farmers (hemp is environmentally friendly and requires few pesticides and no herbicides), and create new factory jobs using the plant to make paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, health food and fuel.

Creating new opportunities for farmers and generating thousands of green jobs

"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington

Marijuana's less potent cousin hemp, is a fast growing, hardy plant that can be used to produce textiles, paper, construction materials, car parts, food and body care products. Hemp is an environmentally friendly crop to harvest, requiring no pesticides and its roots detoxifies the soil, making it an ideal rotation crop. Hemp is also fast growing reaching maturity approximately 100 days after sowing and can withstand light frosts. For California farmers, this means the possibility for two crops to be grown and harvested in a single season. That's a lot of hemp! According to a 1938 Popular Mechanics article there are over 25,000 uses for hemp. Benjamin Franklin had the right idea when he started his paper mill using hemp paper. Making paper from trees is pretty ridiculous when you think about it. Trees can take 10 – 20 years to grow vs hemp taking only 100 days to grow. Hemp makes stronger paper which can out last wood paper by centuries (good thing the Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper!). Hemp does not require bleaching like wood paper does, therefor it does not poison water supplies like paper mills do. One acre of hemp can produce as much product as 10 acres of trees over a 20 year cycle. Hemphasis.net You get the point. Hemp would put farmers back in business giving them a hardy crop to rotate year round, yet the government prohibits the cultivation and harvesting of the crop. Imagine how many jobs could be created if we took advantage of the versatile hemp plant. An entirely new production industry would rise giving competition to the plastics, textiles and paper industries. Isn't competition amongst industries good for the consumer? Doesn't it make industries strive for better, more efficient ways of doing things? I think this is a win-win-win-win for the farmer, jobless, consumer and environment.

Mexican drug cartels, not going away

California leads the country in the deadly business of marijuana trafficking. Authorities confiscated more than 5.3 million plants statewide in 2008. Just last week in Fresno authorities uprooted 314,000 marijuana plants valued at $1.26 billion and the operation isn't done yet. (CNN) Mexican drug cartel operations are using our state forests to cultivate marijuana at the cost of our environment and public safety. These pot farms are heavily guarded with armed men protecting billions of dollars (yes billions) worth of marijuana. Imagine you are out camping with your family and accidently come across one of these farms. Not good memories for you. The problem is only getting worse for California, the drug cartels are becoming more violent and sophisticated finding ways to grow the crops undetected in our national forests. (NY Times) California Forest Service law enforcement staff was doubled from 14 to 28 agents in California between 2007 and 2008. Our state parks have deflated their budgets spending their limited resources fighting drug cartels instead of building programs to educate our children and up keep the park. I've heard many pro-pot activists using the arguments that legalizing marijuana will put Mexican drug cartels out of business, it will not. I implore you to drop that argument as it does not take the underhandedness of the Mexican drug cartels into consideration. The argument only gives your opponents more fire to fight with. Legalizing marijuana will not put the Mexican drug cartels out of business. Drug cartels are sophisticated, powerful machines, and won't stop trafficking because we legalize marijuana. Should California legalize and tax pot, the cartel will no doubt undersell legal suppliers and increase the THC percentage making their pot more valuable than our regulated legal fare. Legalizing pot will however encourage pot enthusiasts, already purchasing their pot from the medical dispensaries, to purchase their pot legally. It would be all around safer for them to do so and they would not run the risk of being fined or thrown in jail. How do I know this? I'll introduce you to the Oaksterdam model in a second. There will always be users purchasing their pot on the streets because it's cheaper and stronger. The Mexican drug cartel will still have a strong market in the United States and they will continue to harvest illegally. If this bill is put on the ballot for 2010/2012 I would want to see a portion of state profits from the bill going to law enforcement agencies to combat the Mexican Drug Cartel. You will get my vote if I'm assured we can fight fire with fire.

Oaksterdam, selling Mary Jane since 1996!

There is a district on the north end of downtown Oakland, CA where the air smells a little sweeter, and the cookies sold at the cafe may make you a little happier. This district is known as Oaksterdam. The district formed on July 4, 1996 when Jeff Jones opened the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Coop aimed at distributing medical marijuana. Soon after other clubs began to open and the district was dubbed Oaksterdam. When the federal government prohibited the OCBC to distribute cannabis they began issuing medical cannabis ID cards and operating a hemp store. In November of 2004, Oakland voters passed Measure Z, making the private sales, cultivation, and possession of cannabis the lowest police priority and mandating that the City of Oakland tax and regulate cannabis under state law. The four Oaksterdam medical marijuana dispensaries generated an estimated $20 million annually in sales and were charged at the general tax rate of 1.2% or $1.20 per $1000 gross receipts, which generated $240,000 in tax. (alternet.org) In July 2009 Oakland passed a new measure that will charge a tax of 1.8% on marijuana sold within the city limits. Based on annual sales of $20 million for the four dispensaries, it will generate an estimated $360,000 for city coffers in its first year. We are talking about four businesses generating $360,000 dollars in city taxes. Imagine this model going state wide, then mix in the other benefits, such as the jobs created for people who work at these dispensaries and we could see a real economic stimulus happen. The Oaksterdam model is working, the community is supporting it and more and more people are purchasing their marijuana at the dispensaries rather than on the street. The new 1.8% tax rate officially takes place on New Years day 2010. Oaksterdam is the district we should be keeping an eye on to see if this could work state or even nation wide.

I applaud and encourage the creative thinking behind the Oaksterdam model and would love to see more of it. Also noted, I do not smoke pot but I have absolutely no problem with pot enthusiasts. I'm not a doctor so I don't want to get into the health debate and my opinion on our “war on drugs” would compete in length with the current H.R. 3400 health bill running through congress. However, several people I know enjoy the occasional joint and they are all active and contributing citizens. It's interesting that our legalized drugs; alcohol, prescriptions, cigarettes etc. have caused far more medical problems, deaths and personal turmoil than marijuana ever will. Stoned people don't drive 95 miles per hour down a residential street, they drive 5 miles per hour down the street with a big grin on their face and cheeto droppings on their shirt. When FDR was challenged by a bad economy he lifted the alcohol prohibition as one of many ways to stimulate the economy back then. With that came strict regulations on the manufacturing, distribution, purchase and consumption of alcohol. The same would obviously need to happen with marijuana.

I strongly believe and support the research and distribution of medical marijuana as I have seen first hand the medicinal benefits the plant had on a friend going through cancer. California could use an extra $1.4 billion and I'm sure the tens of thousands of jobless Californians would love to see some new opportunities open up.

Would you support a bill legalizing and regulating the sale, cultivation and possession of marijuana in California and/or nationally?

Let me know your arguments for and against the idea.

View the bill in the California State Assembly here: leginfo.ca
More info on Oaksterdam: Oacsterdam University

Cash for Clunkers: What it is and why it doesn't work

What is the Cash for Clunkers program?

The cash for clunkers program provides consumers economic incentives to purchase a new, more fuel efficient vehicle in exchange for trading in their less fuel efficient vehicle. The program is intended to stimulate the economy by boosting auto sales and putting safer, cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles on the nation's roads. The amount of credit is either $3,500 or $4,500 and is given in the form of a voucher. The voucher amount is determined by the type of car purchased and the difference in fuel economy between the new vehicle and the clunker. Dealerships reduce the purchase price by the voucher amount the consumer is eligible for and receive a reimbursement from the government.

To be eligible vehicles must meet all the below criteria:

1. Vehicle must be less than 25 years old.
2. Consumer must purchase or sign a minimum 5 year lease of a NEW vehicle.
3. Trade-in vehicles must get a weighted combined average rating of 18 or fewer MPG
4. Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade- in.
5. Trade-in vehicles must be in drivable condition.
6. Vehicles must be purchased from July 1st, 2009 until Nov. 1st, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
7. The program requires the scrapping of the eligible trade-in vehicle and that the dealer disclose to the customer an estimate of the scrap value of the trade-in. The scrap value will be in addition to the rebate, and not in place of the rebate.
8. The new car bought under the plan must have a suggested retail price no more than $45,000, and for passenger automobiles, the new vehicle must have a combined fuel economy value of at least 22 miles per gallon.

FAQ's

Can you purchase foreign cars? YES
Can you purchase used cars? NO
Is the program available at all dealerships? NO, dealers must opt into the program
Is the voucher tax-free? YES
What happens to my clunker? It is the dealerships responsibility to see that the car's engine and drive-train be destroyed.
Are there clunker restrictions? The car cannot be older than 25 years.
What if my trade-in is worth more than $4500? Then I suggest you don't take advantage of this program.
How do I know if my car qualifies? Visit www.fueleconomy.gov to calculate your MPG

History

Economist Alan Blinder first introduced the premise, and catchphrase “Cash for Clunkers” in his New York Times op-ed piece; “A Modest Proposal: Eco-Friendly Stimulus”. Touting the program as “the best stimulus idea you've never heard of”. He proposed Cash for Clunkers would provide an effective economic stimulus, more equal income distribution and a cleaner environment. It wasn't until nearly a year later that the bill was introduced by Rep. Betty Sutton – D, OH, on March 17th, 2009. By June 24th the bill was passed with a $1 billion price tag, the program was to begin on July 24th and end Sept. 1st. Within a week funds had been exhausted and congress went in to discuss pumping more money into the program. On August 6th, 2009 congress passed a bill to allocate $2 billion to continue the program through September 1st 2009 or when funds run out, which ever happened first. (Track the bill here: govtrack.us)

Cost and Benefit

The Obama administration and the auto industry were caught off guard by the popularity of the Cash for Clunkers program. Consumers flocked to participating dealerships to trade in their clunkers for a new car, blowing through the allocated $1 billion. Congress decided to put in another $2 billion to continue the program through Sept. 1st. On paper this looks like a great success, both the government and the auto industry are saying so as well. If I spent $3 billion (plus interest) in tax payers money I probably would do whatever I could to show it was a success as well. Seeing as though some of the $3 billion is coming out of my pocket, I wanted to make sure they weren't telling fibs. Here's what I found:

Cost at $1 Billion Cap

According to Edmonds.com, 200,000 cars worth $4500 or less are generally retired every three months without this program in place. The Cash for Clunkers program would at best fund 250,000 cars in the same time frame at a $1 billion cap. The government only added incremental sales to the economy. Eventually those sales would have happened at some point, so we just moved our future sales into a smaller window, giving the illusion of a short term economic stimulation. The result is that the government spent $1 billion to gain 50,000 incremental sales from the program. The cost to tax payers per car comes out to $20,000 ($1,000,000,000 / 50,000).

Let's do the math with the total Cash For Clunkers cost of $3 billion

Assuming the government average rebate is $4000: $3,000,000,000/$4000 = 750,000 available Cash for Clunker cars. Take away the 200,000 cars that would be retired regardless of the program. The potential incremental sales jump to 550,000. The cost to tax payers decreases to $5454 per car. That looks a little better. Are we going to sell the extra 500,000 new cars between now and Sept. 1st? I don't know, it would be great if we did. The program still fails at creating a long term benefit to the economy. Once all eligible clunkers are traded in for new cars, more money needs to be pumped in again, and no jobs are saved or created. At the end of the day, we are just transferring one taxpayer's money to another.

Can the new car buyers afford their new rides?

Based on my 2002 car
Car Payment: $0.00
Insurance: $87.50 a month
Gas once a week: $40 / $160 month
Oil Change every 3 months: $30 / $10 a month
Monthly Total: $257.50

Based on 2009 Toyota Corolla (number one Cash for Clunkers seller)
Car Payment: $275.14 a month (60 Months calculated on edmonds.com)
Insurance: will be doubled for a new car $175 a month
Gas once a week: $31.25 a week / $125 a month
Oil Change every 3 months: $30 / $10 a month
Monthly Total: $585.14

The new car will cost the consumer double what their old car cost a month. The majority of people I know that drive eligible clunkers, are driving them for a reason, they can't afford anything better. Is Cash For Clunkers creating the auto industry version of the housing crisis? Several dealerships have started special financing plans to encourage even more showroom traffic. When the economic bubble crashes I think we'll see several cars getting repossessed. That is going to hurt auto financing companies like GMAC, who may be feeling pressure by dealerships to approve car loans for people who can't afford them.

"Your ego is writing checks that this country can't cash." - Top Gun

The initial funding for the Cash for Clunkers program was attached to a $106 billion war funding bill, of which $1 billion was set aside for the program. Since then an extra $2 billion has been added to the program. Last I heard our country was in debt. We are trying to stimulate our economy with borrowed money, either by printing more further diminishing the dollar or borrowing it from the Chinese whom we already owe $722 billion USD.

What regulations are in place to prevent fraud?

The NHTSA is in charge of enforcing the regulations to prevent dealerships from falsifying sales. Car dealers must provide proof that they killed the engine and scrapped the car before the government will grant them the rebate. The problem is they are retiring cars which are in perfectly good working condition, which lower income families could buy. Most likely the cars people are retiring under Cash for Clunkers are safer and more environmentally friendly than what the lower income families are currently driving. The program hurts the poor and the used car industry in one fell swoop. The other problem that has come up is the website in which the car dealers report their sales and deliver proof of car extinction keeps crashing preventing dealerships to report accurate numbers. It's being reported that both the government nor the dealerships know how much has really been spent from the original $1 billion or how much was really needed to keep the program alive. We are possibly facing two dire scenarios, either the extra $2 billion wasn't needed or car dealers have blown through the full $3 billion and there won't be enough in the fund to pay out all deals. The car dealerships have gotten so nervous, some are making clauses in the contracts stating if the government does not pay off the rebate, the consumer must pay that money back. We could see a lot of litigation coming out of this at the end of the day.

Return customers stimulate the economy, not one time buyers.

Once the extra $2 billion has been spent the Cash for Clunkers program is over, people will not continue buying cars at this rate. To stimulate the auto industry successfully we need a steady flow of consumers, or the jobs will disappear again, dealerships will be failing and finance companies will be back to square one. This program is a temporary band-aid. if you look closely at the math, it really isn't stimulating the economy as much as the government would like us to think. We need a long term plan that will put our auto workers back in a job.

Humanity seems to be going through an adolescence; destroying the environment, thinking we can get out of recession by consuming more instead of saving more, upsetting the balance of nature by over hunting and deforestation, we're a mess! I always like to say we are just borrowing our earth from our children. Boy are they going to be upset when they inherit this mess! We need to turn this around and smarten up.

More Information: Official site: www.cars.gov

Detained in North Korea: The plight of Laura Ling and Euna Lee

Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee returned home to Los Angeles after being detained in North Korea nearly five months ago. The plight of the two journalists began on March 17th, 2009 when they were detained by soldiers near North Korea’s border with China. Laura and Euna were reporting for Al Gore's venture, Current TV, researching an important story about human trafficking along the border.

It wasn't until a few months into the harrowing ordeal that the families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee spoke out about the two journalists' detention in Pyongyang. Their silence was understandable. In a statement the families told supporters: "Our families have been very quiet because of the extreme sensitivity of the situation, but given the fact that our girls are in the midst of a global nuclear stand-off, we cannot wait any longer." (Lisa Ling via Laura and Euna Facebook page) Shortly after the family began reaching out to the public, the girls trial date was set for June 4th in Pyongyang, North Korea where they were facing years in a hard labor camp.

The night of June 4th I attended a vigil in Santa Monica, CA which was attended by the families of Lee-Ling (Laura's sister, journalist Lisa Ling, father Doug Ling, mother Mary Ling and husband Iain Clayton attended along side Euna's husband Michael Saldalte). The pain I saw in the eyes of every family member that night was heart-breaking. This is where I personally became committed to doing whatever I could to help get these girls get home. I was not the only one, around this time a grass roots movement began to build all over the country. Key players in this movement were Philadelphia based Brendan McShane Creamer who started a facebook group that became a central gathering place for supporters looking for information; Richard Horgan aka @liberatelaura, a Los Angeles based freelance entertainment journalist, who created the dedicated twitter page @liberatelaura gaining thousands of followers by disseminating essential information to supporters; and of course the thousands of people all over the world who tweeted, wrote blogs and letters, prayed and sent well wishes to the family. This movement was powerful. It was an amazing thing to witness so many strangers coming together under one cause; to liberate Laura and Euna, and also, to support a family 99% of them have and probably will never meet.


The morning after the Santa Monica vigil we all found out the iron fist had come down, the girls were sentenced to 12 years hard labor in a North Korean camp. For now, they were being held in the medical detention ward due to Laura's ulcer and an undisclosed medical condition Euna had. This was a devastating blow for the family and their supporters. The movement never gave up, in my heart, I think we were all able to provide a pillow of support for the Ling-Lee families to lean on when they were feeling helpless.

June 8th brought the first response from the White House with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for a humanitarian release of the two journalists. The request was met with silence. Still the movement pressed on, spreading awareness around the internet and in their communities, even celebrities began to take notice tweeting about the two young ladies trapped in North Korea. Vigils were held all over the nation and reached as far as Paris France and South Korea. The story seemed to be surviving in the media even with the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. In fact, Gotham Chopra friend of Laura Ling, and as it happens, Michael Jackson shared a recent story that when Michael saw the reports of Laura and Euna's detainment in North Korea he wanted to try and help. Thinking perhaps Kim Jong Il may be a fan, Michael thought he could do something. When Gotham explained there were higher politics involved Michael said “but if someone wants to do something good, they just can. They don’t really need to worry about all that other stuff.” (intent.com) This speaks to how deeply this story infiltrated our thoughts and hearts.


Lisa Ling, sister of Laura Ling, received a late night call from North Korea on July 7th, it was Laura delivering a very specific message. Lisa said her sister “was very specific about the message that she was communicating, Laura said, ‘Look, we violated North Korean law and we need our government to help us. We are sorry about everything that has happened, but we need diplomacy.’ (CNN) Not long after this message was made public Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out again asking that the journalists be granted amnesty and apologized for the incident. This was a much more powerful message than before as the United States was admitting wrong-doing and apologizing. Ten days later a story broke from South Korea that the US and North Korea had begun light negotiations in the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Looking back now, this could be when talks of Bill Clinton going to North Korea began.

Days went by with no word, I had been following Lisa Ling on twitter since the vigil in Santa Monica. On July 29th she tweeted: “@lisaling hoping Laura will call me tonight...and every night.” That broke my heart. I got on my knees that night and prayed for the family and the girls. August 2nd I knew something was in the works when I saw “@lisaling is feeling positive...” The next day news broke that Bill Clinton was on his way to North Korea on a private mission to negotiate the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee. It all moved very quickly from that point, next thing I knew I was watching video of Laura and Euna boarding a plane bound for Los Angeles!

The plight of Laura Ling and Euna Lee is over, they have their freedom back. Freedom means Euna can finally hold her four year old child Hana, Laura can call her sister tonight and every night, Michael and Iain have their wives back, and Mary and Doug can be with their little girl. Those freedoms are invaluable, these are actions the Ling-Lee families will never take for granted again. After seeing what these families have gone through, I too will never take those freedoms for granted again. When I saw the footage of Laura and Euna stepping off the plane the excitement I felt was beyond explanation. The sense of pride for my country was immeasurable. Bill Clinton's private mission to North Korea made me feel like every individual was important to our country. Thank you Bill Clinton, you are an extraordinary world citizen!

This article was written in a few hours but was five months in the making, this story will live in my heart forever.

Thank you to all of my friends who signed the petitions, wrote letters to the white house, sent postcards to the girls, prayed for their safe return, wrote your own blogs, informed your friends, tweeted and never complained about my daily North Korea updates. You guys are amazing! The movement that came together to support the efforts to bring Euna and Laura home made an impact on our government to take action and also helped the families of the girls through the last five months.

Thank You and welcome home Laura and Euna, it's great to have you two back!

Bill Clinton brings home journalists, what did North Korea gain from the deal?

Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are returning home to Los Angeles after being detained in North Korea for nearly five months. The plight of the two journalists began on March 17th 2009 when they were detained by soldiers near North Korea’s border with China. Laura and Euna were reporting for Al Gore's venture, Current TV, researching an important story of human trafficking along the border, women and children used in the sex trade. After a harrowing ordeal, former US President Bill Clinton embarked on a private mission to negotiate the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Analyst are foaming at the mouth at the implications this may have on future dealings with North Korea.

What did North Korea really gain?

North Korea saved face and got exactly what they wanted; publicity and a seemingly humanitarian gesture they think may show the world they are not what the US portrays them to be. The world knows the truth about North Korea and their antics. The only thing North Korea will get out of this is internal propaganda they can use to further repress their people. Why is this important to them? With Kim Jong Il's ailing health he needs a way to set up one of his sons as his successor. A meeting with a former U.S. president is a good start. Kim Jon Il may be vicious, but he's not a dummy, he's a very cunning dictator.

The North Korean regime will not give up their nukes as long as they fear their existence in the world community. This was a well calculated PR campaign to outlast the United States in a quick release of Laura and Euna. There is not much that can be done to force the North Koreans to give up their nukes except to make a more peaceful framework to open talks. As an optimist, I hope this can open a door to begin that process.

This story is far from over, and I'll be paying close attention to the details as they start to come out. For now, we won, our girls are coming home. Bill Clinton did the right thing and we should thank him.

'The Cove' covert, gorilla filmmaking

The Cove begins in Taji, Japan where we first meet former dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry. O'Barry was the man responsible for capturing and training the five dolphins that played Flipper in the international TV sensation. When the cast and crew went away, it was O'Barry who remained on the set, he lived in the famous house on the lake with the dolphins until the shows end. It was here he learned how sensitive, self-aware, and highly intelligent these creatures are, and more importantly how harmful it was to keep them in captivity. One fateful day his dolphin Katherine, committed suicide in his arms. Every breath a dolphin takes is an intentional, conscience effort, Katherine laid in his arms, took one breath and went under forever. This was the catalyst for Ric O'Barry's journey, to undue what he created, to stop the capture and captivity of dolphins world wide. Sound like a typical “save the whales” boring documentary? This is not your granddaddy's documentary! The Cove unfolds more like a spy thriller than a hug the trees documentary, think James Bond meets Jacques Cousteau .


Ground Zero is Taji, Japan. From the outside the town seems to be devoted to the majestic creatures swimming off it's shores. Statues are erected, boats designed to look like dolphins cruise the shore, and a whale museum is the pinnacle of the town. But in a remote area we find a cove surrounded by barbed wire, keep out signs and security, it is here that the town's dark secret lies. Every year from September to March, fisherman motivated by the multi billion dollar dolphin trading industry and an underground market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, gather in this cove for the hunt. How this hunt is conducted is so grossly inhumane and dangerous to human health, that the fishermen go to great lengths, even murder, to keep anyone from seeing it. Ric O'Barry needed someone who could put together a team to infiltrate the cove. In walks filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Ocean Preservation Society. With the local authorities tipped off to the project, the filmmakers put together an Oceans11 style team. The cast of characters include a Hollywood special effects artist, two world champion free divers, an adrenaline junkie, and an electronic expert from the Canadian Air Force. Their mission: to plant and recover the HD cameras on the cove and under water. To get past guards and police they conducted missions in the middle of the night using diversionary techniques and military grade high definition cameras that picked up on body heat. The husband and wife free diving team placed the cameras under water while the adrenaline junkies scaled the rocky face of the cove to plant the cameras in fake rocks. Several times we see the team seconds away from being caught. Their efforts paid off in a big way, the audience is taken into the cove to see first hand the horrors that happen there. The footage is some of the most powerful imagery I have seen.


This gorilla journalism style of filmmaking may be what we need to spark the interest of the new generation. I believe this documentary may spawn a new uprising in the “save the whale” movement, starting with shutting down the cove in Taji, Japan. The Cove infiltrated my dreams the night I saw it, that never happens to this jaded Angelino. This film will stay with you and it will make you want to help the cause. 23,000 dolphins are due to be hunted and executed starting in September, what will you do to stop it?

The Cove opens in select cities August 7th.

For more information visit: http://thecovemovie.com/

Lucha VaVoom’s Girlie Girl Catfight Show, a sexy good time!

LOS ANGELES - For the second time this year Lucha VaVoom presented the Girlie Girl Catfight Show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on July 25th. The theme: Sexy 60’s Spies! For those of you not familiar with this new underground wrestling revolution; the Girlie Girl Catfight Show is a spinoff of the famed Masked Mexican Wrestling styled show Lucha VaVoom. This new show touts itself as the very first of its kind featuring some sexy ladies wrestling like pros with a burlesque style theme. They have dance fights, contortionists, pole dancers, variety shows, martial arts, strip tease and even a naughty sing-a-long! Don’t let your head fall in the gutter, this Girl vs Girl show is not some gross female, mud flinging, porn style knock out, tacky leotard wearing wrestling match. No, no folks, this show is an anything goes good-time!



The show was underscored by a fun, kitschy 60’s spy theme, even some of the audience members dressed accordingly. Don’t let all the kitsch fool you though, these girls are amazing athletes and really put on a stellar performance for their El Rey spectators. The main players of the night included WWE wrestler Shelly Martinez as the surly referee; super power duo Poubelle Twins taking on security guards with blow up dolls; Zepha Zoe’s thrilling strip tease; and my favorite; Leigh Acosta performing her jaw dropping pole dance routine. Of course the main event everyone comes to see is the girl vs girl wrestling matches throughout the evening. One highlight was a match between Jujitsu blue belt, Francesca Zappitelli in her catsuit taking on Christie Ricci. That catsuit didn’t stay on long, much to the delight of the entire audience and I’m pretty sure no one remembers who won that one. The fight of the evening was Lucy Fur vs Audrey Deluxe vs former G.L.O.W. wrestler, Fire. (yes! The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling!!!!). Awesome! That match was a serious, balls out, drop kickin throw down wrestling fight between some serious pro fighters!



Both girls and boys will love this risqué production with its provocative theatrics and thrilling wrestling matches. The Girlie Girl Catfight show is a Los Angeles Nightlife must do!

For more information and to sign up on the mailing list visit: www.girliegirlcatfightshow.com

More photos at: Flickr