This will be a bit of a slog so if you're looking for short and sweet this isn't the blog for you.

The US is on the verge of instituting legislation to legalize pot. It has been a long time coming for a botanical that should never have been illegal in the first place. But that's an old and tired argument so I'll leave it for now.

What is pertinent to the coming legislation and eventual farming and marketing of this plant and it's relative, hemp, is that regulations be put in place Before the process begins on a huge scale. Because you know it will be done on a huge scale. Why the regs before? Because otherwise we are going to find ourselves in an even bigger environmental disaster than we find ourselves with the corn/ethanol 'solution' to petroleum enhancement.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57611891/making-corn-based-ethanol-badly-hurting-environment-ap/

It is absolutely necessary to vet this process before it gets going because cleaning up after rarely works well if at all. It may have to be done state by state rather than on a federal level, but it has to be done.

So when you are advocating for legalization [ as I will be] please also advocate for the regulations to keep the land safe and the product safe also. We are losing so much environmentally that could be safeguarded and utilized in much more responsible ways if we'd simply take the time and effort to let those we have put in charge know that it matters.

I'm sitting in the living room and contemplating making baskets out of boxes [which are at a premium around here]. Why am I doing this? Because taking all the cardboard to the recycler , especially on Sat., is becoming tiresome.  So here I am thinking of designs and whether or not I can actually do this and I hear what sounds like Mahalia Jackson singing very, very softly in the background. Huh?

Then I realize it's the cat. She isn't happy with just the crunchy food for dinner and is complaining about it in a low register. Why? Because she got a bath a couple of days ago and hasn't quite gotten over it yet so the complaining is low key as opposed to strident.

But it took me some minutes to realize it was the cat and in those minutes I thought about all the things it could be.  Mahalia Jackson...ardent gospel singer. I knew it wasn't my neighbor listening to her.  He primarily listens to Jazz and African folk music. How do I know this? Because he plays it loud enough for the neighbors. I like jazz and I like the African music so it's not that big a deal for me but I do wonder on occasion about the country music lovers around and about. * grin *

Then I considered that maybe MJ was singing from up above. You know, the music of well, wherever it is you go when you leave here. The choir of one at St. Peter's gate. I decided that was unlikely.

It also occurred to me that the pellet stove might be getting musical. That also seemed unlikely but an interesting thought.

So that's what's occupying my evening so far. Hope yours is going well.

http://youtu.be/YGQWPq8Mrog