Prohibition still doesn't work

Behold the new NORML leaflet and membership form:

NORML Prohibition Brochure 2010

Download and share among your friends and families. There are successful policy alternatives to the war on drugs. Please help end this conflict and stop making health choices a criminal matter.

Albert Goes West

Still preoccupied in the real world. Here's Nick Cave:

I read the news today, oh boy

Pardon, dear readers, for my absence. I have been occupied with more pressing matters, of which there will be more detail in a later post. In the meantime, here's Constable Peter Marks with the Police Report from the Ruapehu Press:

Over the last week there were 30 incidents reported to police - an average week.

Monday started with the report of a burglary where yoghurts were taken from a fridge; the person was known to the occupier and was subsequently spoken to by police.

There was a domestic incident on Hakiaha Street, and a male turned himself into the police station on a warrant to arrest.

The day ended with the report of theft of dogs.

On Tuesday a person reported that they had someone knocking on their door at different hours of the day and night. Two sisters had a fight and a door was smashed at a Ward Street address. Police assisted the fire brigade with a bush fire beside the camp ground. It is believed to have been lit by juveniles. Finally a New Rd address was burgled and items taken included a Husqvarna chainsaw, a Sharpe stereo and an old laptop.

Another five incidents were reported on Wednesday. A missing person was found. A person reported having money taken off him and a male was assaulted by four others. The day ended with two domestic incidents.

Thursday was the quietest day with a breach of bail the only incident.

Murphy's Law: Thursday quiet, Friday busy. A hole was kicked in the wall of the Bailey Ingham premises and a search was done of a house after police smelt cannabis. A person claimed that he had clothing taken from a clothesline and an insecure building was reported.

There was a domestic incident outside the hotel and police dealt with two vehicle incidents.

Saturday it slowed down a bit. A concrete fence had been pushed over sometime during the night. Police were called to intervene in a civil dispute after threats were made and as a result a person was trespassed from the premises.

On Sunday police were called to a domestic incident at 8am where one of the people had been drinking.

A traffic incident was reported and two people were arrested for separate incidents earlier in the week.

Police were targeting vehicles that are not roadworthy and drivers who are outside their licence conditions. Unfortunately, there are a few drivers around town who think they can drive any vehicle - roadworthy or not. The laws are to protect the many motorists who are responsible. It is a little bit ironic that it is the police's "fault" that motorists get stopped for doing something stupid!

Recently there was a motorcycle crash where the rider tried to avoid stock being moved onto the road. If you are moving stock along the road then at the barest safety minimum there should be warning cones or signs out. The safest method of all (including stock) is to have a front vehicle, a back vehicle and someone else controlling the stock.

Clowns of the week (and this is not an uncommon theme) the two brothers fighting because after breaking up with his partner the other brother is now seeing her.

Mash my kitsch up

While Hillary Clinton's Wellington Declaration is busy swamping the PublicACTA Wellington Declaration in Google rankings, the Creative Freedom Foundation highlights a Mix and Mash competition during November:

Mix and Mash: The Great NZ Remix and Mashup Competition was launched last night at the Mix & Mash Mini, and we’re thrilled to announce that a total of $30,000 in prizes is up for grabs including cash prizes of up to $10,000, and great gear including a Macbook Pro & MinoHD Flip video cameras.

 

Mix & Mash is the biggest push ever to get people using NZ digital content and data, and is being run to assist New Zealand organisations to release their content and data for reuse, and to encourage the creation of new tools, services, experiences and artworks using this material – from iPhone apps to digital stories to things the organisers haven’t even thought of yet.

 

Check out all the categories at www.mixandmash.org.nz and get making now!

Entries close 30 November.

I'm particularly keen on the comic mash-up category featuring art by Brunswick the Rat and Jitterati creator Grant Buist.

Voices of authority

My father was a font of wisdom. He was so well read, he couldn't help but burst forth with a thesaurus of quotations and observed truths. Two of his pronouncements were repeated much more than all the others. The first was, "Mow the lawns. It's going to rain soon." The second, and possibly more important one, was "Time spent in reconnaisance is seldom wasted."

Dakta Green is in Wellington with Maryjane the Cannabus. After travelling the length and breadth of the country gathering signatures and stories, the end of the Armistice Tour approaches:

:: 10am Armistice Day 11/11/10 ::

Dakta Green, Maryjane and the friendly Daktory crew conclude thier 2010 NZ-wide tour with a peaceful protest and a march on parliament, demanding the end of the unlawful and inhumane persecution of NZ cannabis users.

Please, invite your friends! The more people who speak up, the more obvious it is that the persecution of cannabis is an issue facing many in NZ society.

Remember, this is an R18 event.

Yesterday afternoon, just after 4pm, a group of organisers went to Parliament Grounds to reconnoitre the permitted spaces for presentation of grievances to MPs. Ptotests must remain off the forecourt at all times. Barriers are erected in the front of the row of flagpoles at these occasions.

As we stood around Seddon's statue well away from Parliament buildings going about our business, a parliament security guard approached the small group. I recognised the guard. He was the same one who insisted on the security wand the day of the Reconstituting the Constitution conference.

No-one was smoking anything at this stage, although several very small burning effigies of Richard Nixon might have been passed around at some stage earlier on. Dakta Green spoke for the group, polite and clearly pointing out that we are minding our own business.

We had concluded our floor plan for the 11th November at Parliament, and went to continue our deliberations back on the bus. No sooner had we started walking back down the hill, I clearly heard the man in the uniform call for Comms. He had called the cops on us.

The guard followed the clutch of us down the hill, speaking with Dakta Green. We boarded Maryjane parked outside parliament, across from the Law School. The guard stood at the gates of parliament expectantly as we returned to our meeting.

Not long afterwards, two police cars parked blocking the rear of the Bedford bus, as one of those police command vehicles with aerials a go-go (and probably Glocks and Bushmasters in a lock box) blocked our front. Sergeant D857 of the Wellington Police approached as his officers scoped out the scene outside.

Dakta Green once again acted as spokesperson. After a quarter hour talk between the Sergeant and Dakta, the police left. Good on Sergeant D857 for not causing a fuss. The guard walked back up the hill to continue his petty vigil, undaunted by his impotence.