« December 2013 | Main | February 2014 »
January 31, 2014
Construction On Pinto Basin Road
February 10 construction will begin to widen and re-align Pinto Basin Road in Joshua Tree National Park. This is the long road between the Cottonwood (south) entrance and the high desert areas of the park. Drivers can expect delays of up to 30 minutes. The linked article doesn't give an estimated completion date, but I bet they intend to finish well before summer.
Filed under California,Travel | permalink | January 31, 2014 at 08:26 AM | Comments (2)
January 30, 2014
Latest Toy
The "rear" shown almost full size. This should probably be the front. The only thing on the "front" is a power light. Even the power switch is on the "rear."
It's labeled only on the base where no one will see it.
Filed under Technology | permalink | January 30, 2014 at 08:34 PM | Comments (3)
Boston Globe Brags
Brags that the law is so very excellent in Massachusetts that their medical marijuana dispensary owners will be the crème de la crème of dispensary owners nationwide. "The teams of 100 finalists vying for 35 licenses include at least five medical doctors, one former member of the US Congress, a former state Senate minority leader, a former secretary of public safety, and a senior staff member of a respected drug treatment program."
The Republicans have found fault, however. One of the applicants, Bill Delahunt, the former member of the U.S. Congress received a $500 campaign donation from Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett seven years ago, and Ms. Bartlett oversees Karen van Unen who is the executive director of the medical marijuana program. A single donation for a paltry $500 that long ago is a pretty weak political connection in Massachusetts. It should be noted that the donation was from Bartlett to Delahunt, not vice versa, so Bartlett owes Delahunt no favors. The Republicans claimed that donation taints the process, wo they wanted an independent commission (which would have cost more and take longer).
Today is the day that the 14 to 35 new owners find out if they've won a pot o' gold.
Filed under Marijuana | permalink | January 30, 2014 at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Venom
A study of southern pacific rattlesnakes has shown that they have developed specialized venom chemistry based on their particular habitat. It can, therefore, be helpful to medical personnel to tell them where the victim was bitten, and by that they do not mean where on their body, but in what geographical location. The venom on top of Mt. San Jacinto is different from the venom on Catalina Island.
Here's the original paper published in the Journal of Proteomics. These are the areas they studied: Catalina Island, Idyllwild, Phelan and Loma Linda. "Only the Idyllwild population in the San Jacinto Mountains contained potent presynaptic neurotoxic phospholipase A2 complex characteristic of Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) and Neotropical Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus)."
Filed under California,Coachella Valley,Health | permalink | January 30, 2014 at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2014
Farm Bill Passes House With Hemp Amendment
Last June, Representative Polis from Colorado proposed an amendment to a farm bill that would allow universities to do research on hemp. Universities can already do that and farmers can farm hemp, IF approved by the DEA - and the DEA has approved nothing, not nobody, not no how. So what this amendment really does is just take the DEA out of the process when a university wants to do research...in a state that permits the farming of hemp (and there are 10 of those). The amendment was adopted and the bill passed the House yesterday. It still must go to the Senate.
The text of the amendment which was added in June 2013:
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.), the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), or any other Federal law, an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) may grow or cultivate industrial hemp if--(1) the industrial hemp is grown or cultivated for purposes of agricultural research or other academic research; and
(2) the growing or cultivating of industrial hemp is allowed under the laws of the State in which such institution of higher education is located and such research occurs.
(b) Industrial Hemp Defined.--In this section, the term "industrial hemp" means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.
There was some interesting discussion of the amendment, too. Here's a link to the published Congressional Record.
Mr. King of Iowa: I point out also that one of the concerns that we have long had is that even though the gentleman says hemp is not marijuana, I don't know if one can tell the difference when it's planted row by row out in the field. I know that's been a problem within my State when the residue of the leftover hemp from World War II became companions with the marijuana that was raised for a different purpose.Mr. Peterson [of Minnesota]. On that last point, the University of North Dakota, one of their ag guys up there came up with a way to splice a fluorescent gene into hemp, and North Dakota is a State where it's legal. So now the hemp that grows is fluorescent. So you can clearly tell the difference between the hemp and the marijuana. So we have solved that problem through research.
Mr. King of Iowa. Reclaiming my time in amazement, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Blumenauer [of Oregon]. It's outrageous that American farmers can't produce it, but what this amendment does is to simply permit the research opportunities for colleges and universities to grow and cultivate hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes.If this amendment passes and we're able to do this research in agricultural colleges and universities, then we're not going to have stupid talking points coming from DEA, and we won't have misleading statements that are made. People will understand why other countries have been able to figure this out, and the United States will be able. Nobody, regardless of your position on this, should be opposed to allowing our research colleges and universities to be able to do a deep dive to be able to find out what's possible.
Mr. King of Iowa. Reclaiming my time, I might want to do a night field trip up there and see that fluorescent hemp field.Mr. Peterson. We'll take you up there in January when it's 40 below.
Mr. King of Iowa. This is a new piece of information for me, glow-in-the-dark hemp. I know that they have spliced a gene from a jellyfish into a monkey and it glows also in the dark, so I'm confident that the gentleman's science is accurate. But whether we can keep those who raise recreational marijuana from splicing an identical gene into theirs, we've got to deal with the GMO recreational marijuana problem that would be created by this, too.
I can't find any information verifying that North Dakota has actually developed fluorescent hemp, but I did find a book from 2005 saying that researchers tried to insert the fluorescent gene in hemp, but had difficulty seeing the effect, so they put it into a different flowering plant.
Filed under Marijuana | permalink | January 29, 2014 at 05:03 PM | Comments (0)
"Interplanetary Spacecraft Visits in Desert Hot Springs and Surrounding Areas"
I'm sorry I missed this! The Morongo Basin Historical Society held a fundraiser that focused on UFO observations in the area.
Jane Pojawa, a former director on the Cabot's Pueblo Museum board, brought the low desert low-down with her presentation on "Interplanetary Spacecraft Visits in Desert Hot Springs and Surrounding Areas."
Her slide show included photographs of the Yerxas with the Van Tassels at their Giant Rock home and airstrip. She described recordings made by Cabot that detailed the accounts of ET encounters told by attendees at the Giant Rock UFO conferences.
Filed under Desert Hot Springs,History | permalink | January 29, 2014 at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)
Homicide
CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS
POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASEINCIDENT: Homicide
DATE/TIME OF INCIDENT: Jan. 28, 2014, 11:47 AMNARRATIVE
On Tuesday January 28, 2014, at about 11:47 AM. Officers were on patrol and heard gunshots in the area of Palm Drive and Buena Vista Avenue. Officers responded to the area and found an adult male who had been shot. The victim was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. Witnesses say a dark colored truck fled the scene at a high rate of speed when the shots rang out. The investigation is ongoing.
Filed under Desert Hot Springs,Public Safety | permalink | January 29, 2014 at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)
Possession of Stolen Property
Press Release: Search Warrant / Recovery of Stolen Property
Agency: Palm Desert Station
Incident Date: January 26, 2014 Time: 3:00 a.m.
Incident Location: 13000 block of Mesquite Avenue, Desert Hot Springs
Reporting Officer: Sergeant A. EllerDetails:
On January 25, 2014, officers assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station Burglary Suppression Team received information regarding stolen property items that were possibly located at a residence in the 13000 block of Mesquite Avenue, Desert Hot Springs. An investigation was initiated and a search warrant was obtained for the residence.
On January 26, 2014, officers from The Burglary Suppression Unit with the assistance of other Palm Desert Station Special Enforcement Team members served the search warrant. A search of the residence revealed stolen property, which included: firearms, ammunition, laptop computers, and personal property. The recovered stolen property had an estimated value of $25,000 and was taken from victims during residential burglaries in the cities of Palm Desert and Palm Springs.
Brian Yearwood, age 40 of Thousand Palms, and Sherilinda Mercado, age 43 of Desert Hot Springs, were arrested pursuant to the investigation. Yearwood was arrested for possession of stolen property, possession of a loaded firearm, burglary tools, and possession of a controlled substance. Mercado was arrested for possession of stolen property. Both suspects were booked into the Riverside County Jail located in Indio.
The Palm Desert Police Department is committed to the safety of their citizens and will be vigilant in investigating all crimes of this nature. The investigation is ongoing and we're asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Investigator Barros at the Palm Desert Station at 760-836-1600.
 Brian Yearwood |  Sherilinda Mercado |
Filed under Coachella Valley,Desert Hot Springs,Public Safety | permalink | January 29, 2014 at 09:05 AM | Comments (1)
January 28, 2014
Homicide Investigation
CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENTPRESS RELEASE
INCIDENT: Homicide Investigation
DATE OF EVENT: Monday, January 27, 2014 / 10:18 PM
On Monday, January 27, 2014, at approximately 10:18 PM, Officers from the Desert Hot Springs Police Department responded to the 66-300 block of Desert View Avenue to investigate a shooting. The 19-year-old male victim suffered a GSW [gunshot wound] and was transported to a local trauma hospital by ambulance, where he died from his injuries. The victim's ID is pending at this time. Detectives from the Desert Hot Springs Police Department responded and assumed the investigation.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Detective Mike Chilner at (760) 329-2904, ext. 372 or the Coachella Valley Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP [7867].
Filed under Desert Hot Springs,Public Safety | permalink | January 28, 2014 at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)
Juvenile Robber Caught
CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENTPRESS RELEASE
INCIDENT: Robbery
DATE/TIME OF INCIDENT: Jan. 27, 2014 2:01 PM
SUSPECT: Name withheld (Juvenile suspect)
CHARGES: Robbery
STATUS: In Custody, Indio juvenile hallNARRATIVE
On Monday January 27,2014, four victims were standing to the front of McDonalds, located at 14280 Palm Drive. The victims were approached by two suspects. One of the suspects brandished a weapon while the other demanded the victim's property. The victims handed over their cell phones and the suspects took off running. An officer who was in the area was flagged down and saw the suspects running in a southern direction. Officers set up a perimeter and one of the suspects was captured to the rear of Aqua Soleil Hotel, located at 14500 Palm Drive. The suspect had the stolen property on his possession and he was positively identified by the victims. The suspect was arrested, booked and transported to Indio juvenile hall. The second suspect is still outstanding. He is described as a Hispanic male, wearing a black tank top and blue jeans.
Filed under Desert Hot Springs,Public Safety | permalink | January 28, 2014 at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
January 27, 2014
Colorado's Hottest Agricultural Product Is Going To The County Fair
New at the 2014 Denver County Fair will be the Pot Pavilion which you will be able to find "upstairs" alongside the also new Beer Pavilion. Both pavilions are restricted to those age 21 or over, unless accompanied by parent or guardian. To be in conformance with Colorado law, there will be no actual marijuana at the Pot Pavilion. Here's what you'll find there:
- Pot Pavilion Stage with hourly events
- Live Blue Ribbon Competitions like "Speed Rolling" and a "Doritos Eating Contest"
- Live Bands and comedians
- Laser Light Show
- Grateful Dead karaoke
- Blue ribbon Competition displays (No marijuana will be onsite. Some entries will be represented with photos.)
- Exhibitors sharing information and discount coupons
- Vendors selling pot-related merchandise, including paraphernalia and counter-culture items.
And if you want a Blue Ribbon, you can compete in any of these areas:
- Best Marijuana Plant
- Best Clone Plant
- Best Brownie Recipe
- Best Savory Recipe
- Best Hemp Fabric
- Best Hemp Garment
- Best Homemade Bong
- Best Homemade Roach Clip
- Best Tie-Dye
- Live Competition: Speed Rolling
- Live Competition: Dorito Eating Contest
I am very disappointed that no one thought up a Cheech & Chong competition. The winner would be the one who can most accurately repeat any chosen Cheech & Chong bit entirely from memory.
Filed under Marijuana | permalink | January 27, 2014 at 06:52 PM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2014
ONE Archives
Yesterday I went with Great Outdoors into Los Angeles to visit the ONE archives. ONE was an organization that grew out of the Mattachine Society and published a magazine entitled "ONE." The magazine ceased publication in 1967 and I had thought ONE had simply disappeared, but I was wrong. It transformed itself into the "Western Gay Archives" and then the "National Gay Archives" and finally the "International Gay & Lesbian Archives." I recommend they go ahead and register "Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Solar System" before somebody beats 'em to it.
"ONE Archives is the oldest continuing LGBTQ organization in the United States and the largest repository of LGBTQ materials in the world." The oldest item in its collection dates from the 1880s. Currently, they are busy archiving wedding photos.
ONE magazine was involved in establishing the first amendment rights that a lot of us take for granted today. In the post-McCarthy era, use of the word "homosexual" in a magazine was sufficient justification for the U.S. Post Office to deem it pornographic and ban it from the mails. Even as late as the 1990s the post office was seizing mailings sent by gay nudist organizations and labeling them pornographic. The workaround for that was to put the magazine in PDF format and send it out on a CD. The postal inspectors didn't want to take the effort to pop the CD into a computer.
They are on the campus of USC, affiliated with the USC Library, and housed in what used to be a frat house! The archives ask for your historical gay materials. Even if you think it's uninteresting or ordinary, ship it to them. They say they'd rather have unnecessary stuff to get rid of than to miss one iota of gay history.
Some photos:
The central room at the archives.
The books on that front shelf are extra duplicates that one can purchase at very reasonable prices.
"Successful Homosexuals." I assume that the man in the uniform represented a 1958 conception of "successful."
When it was a frat house it had a central fireplace whose chimney went up through the peak of the roof. Finding a fireplace to be inconsistent with the goals of the archive, they had it removed.
Two years in a federal prison in this tabloid from 1965.
They used to house their pornographic and erotic materials in a different place, but deciding that was unnecessary and difficult, they combined all of their materials in one place.
"What Of The Draft?" This issue is from about 1966.
Undated, but it refers to the "Gay Liberation Front" at the bottom, so it's post-1969, I believe. These are the rights they were fighting for then: holding hands, arms around a friend's shoulder or waist, friendly kisses, and being permitted to do all three of those things in a bar.
Yes, of course, the lesbians are always wanting your children. If that were true, I would think they could just set up some lesbian-operated child abandonment stations. Parents who are totally fed up with their kids just bring them in and give them to the lesbians. Win win.
The archives include a lot of photo albums and scrapbooks that document what really goes on behind closed doors in the homosexual lifestyle. In these particular photos a potluck dinner is revealed at which lasagna, stuffed peppers and something in a crockpot were served to satisfy the hungers of the men. Do I see Brussels sprouts?! The unspeakable horror.
All the records and paperwork of the 1987 March On Washington were given to the archives in 1988.
"Homosexual Marriage?" in 1953.
An old brochure on gay travel in Palm Springs and San Diego.
Much of the erotica before the 1970s was passed off as bodybuilding materials.
Then we headed up to West Hollywood where we were on our own for about 4 hours. ONE Archives has a small display space up there where they were showing materials from the Athletic Model Guild and other bodybuilding or nudist sources of old. Also, MOCA at Pacific Design Center was displaying some of the artwork of Tom Of Finland and Bob Mizer of the Athletic Model Guild.
The complete set of photos is here.
Filed under Gay Issues,History | permalink | January 26, 2014 at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
It's The Swedes
These Swedish Marines are operating two or three planes higher than our own American military lip-sycnhers. We must close the lip-synching gap!
Filed under Music | permalink | January 26, 2014 at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2014
Now It's Up To The Courts
CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Daniel Bressler, Chief of Police
***PRESS RELEASE***
DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT: Attempted Murder (Shooting) – Case # 1310D-7673
On 10/31/13 (Halloween night), Desert Hot Springs Police Officers/Investigators responded to a shooting at house party near the intersection of Desert View Road and Via Real, in DHS. The victim of the shooting was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center and suffered paralysis from the waist down. After a thorough investigation by the Desert Hot Springs Police Department along with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parolee Apprehension Team, the following suspects were arrested for their involvement in the shooting.Jeremy Castro (27), a resident of Cathedral City. Arrested on 11/02/13
Male Juvenile (16), a resident of Desert Hot Springs. Arrested on 12/28/13
Bryan Gonzalez (20), a resident of Desert Hot Springs. Arrested on 01/22/14
The shooting is gang related and all three suspects are documented gang members. At this time there are no further suspects wanted in connection to the case.
 Jeremy Castro |  Bryan Gonzalez |
Filed under Desert Hot Springs,Public Safety | permalink | January 24, 2014 at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)
Bella Monte Recovery Center Ribbon Cutting
This morning was the Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at the Bella Monte Recovery Center. They had their last plain ol' guest on Tuesday. Now they are fully permitted to be a recovery center. Maximum occupancy will be 38 clients.
With its elevated views of the Coachella Valley and thousands of acres of gorgeous mountain preserves, Bella Monte Recovery Center is located in one of the most beautiful cities in Southern California. Each of the client rooms at Bella Monte Recovery Center feature a nature inspired palette to enhance our idyllic surrounds. Each room also features a jetted Jacuzzi tub that pulls fresh, hot, therapeutic mineral water from our own well.
Filed under Desert Hot Springs | permalink | January 24, 2014 at 04:35 PM | Comments (1)
One Drive-In Movie Theater To Be Re-opened
It's the dual screen Paramount in (where else?) Paramount.
Here's a link to the Paramount Swap Meet.
Filed under Automotive,Film/Movies,History,Shopping | permalink | January 24, 2014 at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)
9/11 Memorial To Open
The National September 11 Memorial Museum is expected to open in mid-May 2014 with a $24 general admission price. The memorial is receiving no government subsidies yet, at any level, yet the $24 price is in line with other major museums in the NYC area which receive government subsidies or sit on very large endowments. Relatives of victims will be admitted free of charge. On Tuesday evenings admission will be free for everyone for three hours.
Ticket sales are expected to start in March.
Filed under History | permalink | January 24, 2014 at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2014
Hostel Life
This is just a good read (not long). "The embattled resident went on to describe the nightly fight to sleep amid the foul language and constant fights, as well as the pavements being blocked by guests on the street smoking 'spliff, wacky backy, marijuana'."
Filed under Travel | permalink | January 23, 2014 at 09:46 PM | Comments (0)
Superman's Underwear
Naked Releases Space Age Silver Underwear With Anti-Odor and CoolingNaked® Underwear Brand Launches product with X-Static® Silver Fabric, Proven Effective by Olympic Athletes, US Special Forces, and NASA Astronauts
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 23, 2014) - Naked® Brand Group Inc. ("Naked" or the "Company") (OTCQB:NAKD), a global lifestyle brand, is pleased to announce the release of Silver, an innovative new collection of performance products.
The Silver collection - consisting of a boxer brief and v-neck t-shirt - is created with X-Static®, a high-performance fabric, which helps regulate body temperature and provides anti-odor and antimicrobial protection within the garment. X-Static® fabric contains 99.9% pure silver woven into the garment's nylon threads, which naturally deters odor-causing bacteria, wicks away moisture, is anti-chaffing and naturally cooling. The benefits of the fabric have been proven by Olympic Athletes, US Special Forces and NASA Astronauts. Naked is changing the way that underwear can be worn.
Naked President and CEO Joel Primus states, "Whether you're in the middle of an intense workout or an arduous long-haul flight, Silver underwear will keep you feeling fresh. We're not saying that you shouldn't change your underwear, but with Naked® Silver, you can get away with wearing them a whole lot longer!"
From Naked's first seamless construction microfiber product to the new Silver collection, the brand has continued to evolve its line for the modern man. Naked's products are constructed to not only suit a man's lifestyle through attention to aesthetic, fit and comfort, but also to make it better by creating products that are game changing-which has been achieved with the Silver collection.
Naked's Silver collection will be available at select Nordstrom locations this November and will retail for $38 for the underwear and $54 for the t-shirt. The Silver collection is now available at select Nordstrom locations and at Naked's online store at www.thenakedshop.com.
Is there some fine print that gives a legal definition of "a whole lot longer?"
Filed under Shopping | permalink | January 23, 2014 at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)
Surf Video
With, uh, yeah, GoPros at some high-ish frame rate.
Filed under Photography,Sports | permalink | January 23, 2014 at 09:33 PM | Comments (1)
