COUNTING MY BLESSINGS

One of my favorite movie classics is White Christmas. I love musicals and I really love happy endings. I always cry with joy when the the old platoon marches in but my favorite scene is where Bing and Rosemary sing in the empty lobby of the hotel.

In those days Christmas meant something more than just presents and if this day is to maintain any reverential meaning, we should be using this break in the routine to reflect on what is good in our fellow man. In that spirit, I have only a short post because there's a distinct paucity of positive news in these times of war, nonetheless we'll celebrate what good we find.

Before we get back to the drug war however, I want to take a moment to say something nice about the BPA club over at Tim Blair. In exploring their world I found I had some common ground with the Big Guys of the Blogdom on the subject of Tolkien. Needless to say I didn't entirely agree with their analysis of his work, but at least it's one tenuous bridge across the abyss between our perceptions on the world. And before we close this subject, let me issue a belated award for most reasonable voice on that GOBBLE thread to Jerry, who actually engaged in a civilized debate on my points. He was wrong, but at least he was polite.

Swinging back to the task at hand, the focus in the drug war has been on the disappointing news in Canada but there have been a couple of upbeat developments. For one, I'm happy to report that Mama Coca's petition drive has now hit 1475 signatures. If you haven't signed on yet please take a moment to do so and while you're there check out the INDEPENDENT GLOBAL COMMISSION that is forming around this issue.

Meanwhile, here in the US, at 4:20 last Saturday, Ed Forchion announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the U.S. Marijuana Party, at the site of one of this country's greatest symbols of freedom, the Liberty Bell.

Ed fired up a spliff to mark the occasion, being fully justified to do so as a Rastafarian under established case law, and was immediately surrounded by a "a phalanx of 17 park rangers. "

The rangers confiscated the candidate's joint, and Forchion, 44, was issued a $150 ticket for possession of a controlled substance.

Ed vows to fight the charges and offers his reasoning in today's last word.

"This is all about a First Amendment issue," Forchion said. "Freedom of religion allows for the religious use of marijuana on federal property. I'm just exercising that right."

Right on Ed.