A not so honest sales pitch?

First time for me to see Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band on hubski. Menuck and co always struck emotional gold with me.

Don't forget to check out GY!BE as well. Have a great time people. Great people.

It suits our general pattern of thinking, I would assume. Categories are are what we utilize to make sense of the world. This probably boils down to a general discussion about semantics, but what use in clinical psychology, for example, is categories. We open drawers labeled with one or more certain terms, put in a file card with a name on it and close it. Until we need it again and sort it differently, the name will stay in that drawer.

With regard to the writers piece and your comment, it seems that the message is intended do discard a certain kind of people. If not discarded as being as a whole, their thinking certainly is.

Hypothetically, the writer felt the urge to make sense of his/her own world. Meaning, he/she gains a sense of security by "convincingly" refuse the probability that a certain amount of Olivers are/may be right.

I do not know who the writer feels associated with. I would simply go with the belief that he/she met too many batshit crazy people with the name of Oliver.

Just my thoughts. Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the literature. I will get me one or the other. What would be your favorite to advise someone to read? Have a Nice Doomsday and The River sound really compelling.

Great comment. Although, I would need a minute to make sense of all your examples. You definitely know where you are standing in this "discussion".

I am European. We have a good share of closed-minded politicians of our own, but with this wigged dickhead I just have to tell myself that he's a satirical act making fun of himself. That guy belongs in a white room, restrained and gagged.

In what world has a Trump the same right to speak up about matters as a Rand Paul (just an example)? That's hilarious.

THIS is the sort of thought process I wish for in a political debate. Or any other debate, for that matter.

There has been another useless discussion on public television some days ago, where it was stated by state officials, that alcohol, compared to cannabis, is legal, because it has been accompanying our culture. "As an enrichment to society, alcohol and its unnecessary annually death-rate, can be kept legal, because it has been for hundreds of years." (loosely quoted).

Now, I was agitated to no degree, because no on in that whole discussion even considered the cultural use of Cannabis in the last thousands of year. The fact, that they do not know about stuff (facts, findings, history) makes it okay for them to disregard any other opposing argumentation.

I really do not know how one could open up those people. They are stuck in their tiny bubble, while others either suffer from the side-effects of their medication, or from no effective medication at all. Still others suffer, because what they can get is booze, whilst the only thing they wanted was to relax with a Joint.

There is one political party in Germany, called Die Grünen, which worked out and carefully phrased a document in which a strategy regarding the opening of four coffee-shops in Berlin is explained. It is a project planned for the hip districts Neukölln/Kreuzberg, two shops in each district. What they did very right this time is to implement social measures to control for abuse of the drug, as well as general social education/awareness. How they want to do it is through means of some sort of consumption diary on the one hand, to register increases/decreases of use and the circumstances. Even though it is not yet accompanied by a scientific institution, such as a University facility or other third party scientists, it is one of the very first steps towards general public education. Another measure is the inclusion of social counselors (I lack a better word) inside shops. Thus, there will be educated people available to you to talk to in case you have any questions concerning Cannabis (what it is, how to use, where to use, effects, etc.)

Likely, the plan will not go through government anytime soon, but there, at least, is a movement to be seen. Most politicians are forced to do so, though, because they are always fighting for votes. In the end, as a fed up German citizen, I could not care less HOW we get there, as long as we do.

Thanks everybody for your replies, it's a great pleasure to read. I still fantasize about a legal high at the end of a long workday.

30 already? A couple of days ago I read the project (probably) being done in Utrecht with Den Haag and some others (like 4-5 cities) showing interest. This is great news in my opinion. Maybe some day all people could do what they love and are good at, without having to worry about being underpaid in a job they hate that consumes one third of their lifetime.

Wouldn't that be a nice topic for a different thread?! Why are, in general, politicians and their decisions so detached from the people? Is it so much about financial power that making decisions for the people becomes something of lesser importance?

I really don't get it. I know (not personally) three politicians that I can name here in Germany that make decisions that actually benefit the working folks, the ones that mainly fall under the influence of such decisions. Not rich, working eight hours a day, one child, one car, one apartment.

Some intrepid internet user has been keeping a list of shitty things that Abbott and his government have done to Australia, I encourage you to take a look: http://sallymcmanus.net/abbotts-wreckage/

457 Facepalms already. Doesn't his head hurt?

More of us. I would have never expected that.

Although, I hope not all social psychologists are/become a shipwreck.

Nice to see, have a nice day.

Wernicke's Broca is strong in this one. ;)

I have been studying psychology for a little over 5 years now on a university. Before that I actually was able to start it off with 3 years of psychology lessons at school. I am from Germany, so that almost never happens. I was very lucky with that.

I have been doing cognitive psychology and social psychology as specializations.

Nice to see so many sciency Hubskis around.

Hey Don,

thanks for the reply. I get very excited every time I read someone's words on how it actually went from illegal to abso-fu#*in-lutely legal. Even though it should be the most natural thing to have/do, it is an image of utopia for me.

Our leading parties see what is going on in the States. They, still, reason with mind-buggling arguments that have been widely proven wrong by science for years now.

Example:

- Cannabis consumption necessarily leads to acquisition and consumption of heavy-drugs. Very much wrong. Having to get your weed from a dealer on the black market makes you more inclined to get and try heavier stuff, because the DEALER WANTS YOU TO. Regulated markets would help radically minimize black market influences.

Our "Drogenbeauftragte" (the one person responsible to know about cause and effects of drugs and drug consumption) Marlene Mortler never had anything to do with learning or teaching drugs and substances. Neither Biology, nor Chemistry, nor Psychology, nor other social sciences is her field. She comes from agriculture.

- Cannabis leads to schizophrenia, psychoses, depression, anxiety... They have used it all. One can argue that there exist scientifically proven correlations between cannabis consumption and psychotic events or, in VERY few cases, signs of schizophrenic cognition, BUT the good old "causation and correlation"-discussion has never reached our politicians.

In the end it is just very hard to discuss the whole point "Cannabis as medicine" and "Cannabis as recreational drug" with our generally very conservative politicians.

A&P was new to me and I love them. Thanks so much for posting.

Boris - Heavy Rocks

Indian - Guiltless

Melvins - Houdini

Was just preparing my linking abilities to post this insanely beautiful OST from an incredibly beautiful movie to #music. Sanchez would definitely deserve a very own thread.

Thanks for posting here.