Laughing at Auschwitz The Hoecker Album
Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation genius grant. He is the author of A Primate’s Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, and Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst.
Of all the culturally conditioned behaviors we’ve mindlessly adopted, alcoholism is one of the most curious. We know it is highly detrimental to personal health and that it directly contributes to myriad societal problems including violence and drunk driving. We also know that the alcohol industry is exceptionally lucrative while at the same time the police state uses this addiction to extend their authority.
Some argue that alcoholism is a spiritual disease, and that the consumption of ‘spirits’ is a means of giving the self up to our inner demons. Dr. Gabor Maté sees alcoholism as a means of covering up personal trauma and emotional pain, yet even without getting too deep into this it’s easy to see that abstaining from booze has some pretty incredible benefits for those seeking better health and greater awareness in life.
But what do dedicated social drinkers and outright alcoholics see when they give up ‘spirits,’ as they are called, and what can the observations from newly sober people tell us about the sicknesses running rampant in our society?
A massive federal crackdown on marijuana may be coming. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian, the hosts of The Young Turks, break it down. Tell us what you think in the comment section below. What you can do to take part in solving the climate crisis. Use your choice, use your voice, use your vote. https://inconvenientsequel.tumblr.com…
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made no secret of his feelings about marijuana legalization. Now he may be poised to kill the buzz of pot enthusiasts—legal and otherwise.
The Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety is expected to issue a report next week that advocates believe will link cannabis use to violent crime, and will call for tougher sentences for growers, sellers and users.
An April memo from Sessions signaled tougher enforcement is on the way. In it, he wrote, “Task Force subcommittees will also undertake a review of existing policies in the areas of charging, sentencing, and marijuana to ensure consistency with the Department’s overall strategy on reducing violent crime and with Administration goals and priorities.”
h/t: Lawrence M. Krauss
Chicago is known internationally for its crime rate, despite its gun laws being among the strictest in the nation. How do city officials reduce crime and resolve the adversarial relationship between the police and the people of Chicago? Rev. Gregory Seal Livingston, president of Coalition for a New Chicago, joins RT America’s Natasha Sweatte to discuss police reform and economic justice in the Windy City.
Always Question Authority 