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Kilted Brewer
Kilted Brewer
11 years ago

I really enjoyed The Issues Test, and so I’m looking forward to this one. In fact, I’m downloading all the ‘Must Listen’ episodes to my phone right now, to share with my wife during a long family road trip.

You and other listeners may be interested in this free online course, (I have no connection, just enjoyed it and have found it useful) it kind of ties into your topic on these two episodes. It’s called “Think Again” and is offered via Cousera. It covers basic language, logic, and reasoning skills… The kind of things folks need to see through the shenanigans employed by car salesmen, (some) teachers, hucksters, talking heads, and of course, politicians.

https://www.coursera.org/course/thinkagain

It’s the kind of thing that I think should be mandatory in HS… Along with your issues test. Anyway, looking forward to listening to this one later (and the original tomorrow).

Thanks for all the help.

McMullet
McMullet
11 years ago

“The majority of people that smoke marijuana eat Twinkies and play Tetris and listen to the Grateful Dead. Right? And there are people that have legitimate uses for marijuana…”

Majority of people?
Legitimate uses?

Cognitive bias?

McMullet
McMullet
11 years ago

Thank you Jack for pointing out that I hadn’t made my point clear.
My point was to question what you said as this was a show that asks us to see if our “personal prejudice”or “bias influences” our judgment.
And through that would you know what you believe and why you believe it?

Why do you think the “majority of people” can be typecast as having those traits?
Who legitimized the use of that plant and why do we still listen to and repeat their rules and laws about what is legitimate about it?

bluprint
bluprint
11 years ago
Reply to  McMullet

“Who legitimized the use of that plant”

Who legitimized the violence you evidently support against people who use that plant? Violence against twinkie-eaters would make more sense.

bluprint
bluprint
11 years ago
Reply to  McMullet

To answer your question directly, the user of the plant legitimized its use, each time. That’s where legitimate authority for such decisions comes from, people.

Still the outstanding question is who legitimized the associated violence. You?

BarnGeek
11 years ago

Wow dude! Mr. McMullet man, That’s Deep! Man…

HA….Did you know like your icon or avatar or whaterver has like 4 little white throwing stars in the middle and like the whole thing looks kinda like a throwing star?

Dude, that’s cool.

Wow and, I just noticed like if you stare at the center long enough like the whole thing looks like it’s spinning around and around and….

McMullet
McMullet
11 years ago

Legitimate (adj) – conforming to the law or to rules.
Antonyms – illegal.

I thought taking it literal wouldn’t be a problem on a show about critical thinking and issue analysis. I’m bringing up questions on the language used by Jack about a hot topic issue. Painting over users with a broad brush in a negative light while saying that certain people have “legitimate uses”(medical), to me, is language that sounds no different than a politician being quoted on the evening news.
To use the word legitimate when talking about the use of plant is to continue following the propaganda of the State. They are the ones trying to convince us of what is and isn’t legitimate concerning cannabis.

Blueprint- not sure why you think I support violence against users, as that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m questioning the language used by Jack when he spoke about cannabis. To me it reeked of bias and continues the propaganda. It was a ripe example of where we could use some critical thinking and analyze the language we use when discussing the issue.

bluprint
bluprint
11 years ago
Reply to  McMullet

Wow, huge mea culpa. I’m sorry. I completely misunderstood. Thank you for clarifying. I feel I should burn a sacrifice to atone.

And you make an excellent point. I hate to even use the term “legalize”. They just need un-illegalize it; quit making it illegal. “Illegal” is a condition in which state agents will stick a boot in your ass for engaging in an activity. There’s no such thing as “legal”, as if the state has some ultimate authority with which it may grant the right to being alive and doing stuff. It’s either “normal” or it’s illegal.

Genesis
10 years ago
Reply to  McMullet

Interesting. I’m positive that folks of opposite thinking would think you an idealists for being optimistic about individuals, community groups of people and making their own decisions and solutions, instead of it being carried out by government. Who’s the realists and who’s the idealists? Kinda scarily funny.

BarnGeek
11 years ago

Bravo man!

Chris Obel
Chris Obel
11 years ago

I printed this one and put it on my door at work.

Shannon
Shannon
11 years ago

Totally off topic but I wanted you guys to know, if you are subscribers to https://www.youtube.com/user/Iraqveteran8888
You already know, Barry a huge 2nd amendment advocate and Prepper died Saturday of a heart attack, best known for Eric’s hugely popular Youtube channel and the show Prepper Hillbillies, he will be missed!

Ronnie in Iowa
Ronnie in Iowa
11 years ago
Ronnie in Iowa
Ronnie in Iowa
11 years ago

http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite9911.html <sorry, adding more as I now think on this. Marijuana isn't just about smoking it. The value of this plant is truly endless. There are hundreds of reasons those in power do NOT want it legalized. Their money and power would be threatened.

And yes, it cures cancer, among many other things. I have a friend who had bone cancer. She had been thru big Pharma's cooking/poisoning process and was told "sorry…nothing more can be done for you" and she was sent home to die. Not ready to give up, they went to Canada and sought help. Six tubes of cannabis oil later…and now ten YEARS later…she is here, cancer free!! Her bones are still weak but she is quite able to get around on her own and lives a very happy, healthy life. She enjoys her art and gardening tremendously plus fights to legalize and educate the ignorant about cannabis. Cancer is a multi-BILLION dollar BUSINESS.
For anyone interested in this please take time for these. They are the best two I have in my collection of information.
http://youtu.be/0psJhQHk_GI
http://www.hempforfuture.com/2014/04/07/how-cannabis-oil-works-to-kill-cancer-cells/

And I think poison ivy should be illegal! Damn near died from that when I got the urushiol oil in my eyes off of the back of my glove while wiping sweat from my face. My entire face swelled up as did my airway. Nasty stuff!! Happened to another person who used to kiss her goats after milking them. They'd been eating poison ivy and had the urushiol all over their faces. So goat kissing should probably be illegal too. Right Jack? 😉

Jose
Jose
11 years ago
Reply to  Ronnie in Iowa

Ronnie in Iowa, for the audience here I think that rather than link to youtube it may be worthwhile to go straight to the “authority” on the matter:
Cannabis Antitumor

Also of note regarding cannabis as a neuroprotectant is our very own government’s patent here: Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants

Interesting that if cannabis destroys, actually targets cancer cells in lab tests that our medical system is still pushing chemo on victims. Profit?

This information is likely not published because our Drug Czar/ONDCP etc are basically mandated to lie to us. This can be confirmed in Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998: H11225

Ronnie in Iowa
Ronnie in Iowa
10 years ago
Reply to  Jose

Thank you Jose for this info. I will surely be referring to it often.

http://youtu.be/3_cN5zk91ZE IF I POP THIS BALLOON<what they USED to teach on Sesame Street many eons ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahx14Yx7c5I You Won't Believe How Big Pharma Targets Kids for Profits! <youtube disabled the "like" feature on this presentation. Hmmmmm…wonder why. Maybe they wouldn't be able to count that high.

This was a superior show Jack. I will be forwarding to many people.

infosec
infosec
11 years ago
Reply to  Ronnie in Iowa

I can add first-hand that a family member, who had a spinal injury from an old car accident, went to the doctor last year due to the back pain being severe to the point where this person’s children were helping them up and down stairs. This person was a marijuana user and was directly told by their caretakers to continue its use. The reason they cited was that the type of injury and irritation caused by it should have developed into a cancer by now, and they believe that this person’s use of it was the reason it had not. I am not a medical professional, so I can not validate this, but I would say it is just as equally valid as other claims from medical professionals on either side of the debate.

I’m still looking for valid claims against legalization that aren’t related to someone trying to convince me to have the same emotional experience as they do on the topic, which is not a very compelling argument. Most of what I hear is along the lines of what the mob would consider the politically correct, safer side of the argument for fear of being ostricised by that same mob. Its easy to target someone when there is high opportunity that the sidelines will join in and attack the same target. There is less fear of having to defend a point when there is a mob behind you already on your side who has been influenced by the same entities that have brought this argument about in the first place. With so much contention over this matter, and seeing as how we have seen so many “scientific” studies that have been clearly biased, why aren’t we hearing some arguments where even a single compound of the probably millions of compounds ingested when marijuana is consumed is studied and known to actually cause damage to the human body?

We sit around and get pills prescribed to us from doctors who are receiving kickbacks from these pharmaceutical companies, only to find ads on tv 6 months later from law firms suing companies that have produced these drugs and caused deaths, and little to nothing is being argued over this. I think that would make a more respectable debate regarding the safety of what humans are ingesting.

We’ve all heard and I agree with the failures of school systems, and we hear arguments about how children don’t do well in this system if they are using marijuana, but doesn’t that imply that the school system is something good that our children should be doing well in? Would they have been doing well if marijuana was not in their life? What is considered “doing well” in school nowadays?

There’s the whole gateway drug argument as well, and I have yet to see anything to substantiate that use of marijuana leads to the use of other drugs. That argument is being made on the assumption that other drugs would not be taken by these individuals if they hadn’t had marijuana first, which is an impossible conclusion to draw. None of this seems very convincing. With so many folks arguing against it, what are the arguments being presented that cause a community like this to simply accept these arguments without critical analysis or evaluation of the contrary?

Jose
Jose
11 years ago
Reply to  infosec

infosec: I wanted to elaborate on your comment ” it should have developed into a cancer by now, and they believe that this person’s use of it was the reason it had not.” I believe you are exactly right and to quote from cancer.gov that I linked above :

“Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis invasion and metastasis.[9-12] Two reviews summarize the molecular mechanisms of action of cannabinoids as antitumor agents.[13,14] Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.These compounds have been shown to induce apoptosis in glioma cells in culture and induce regression of glioma tumors in mice and rats. Cannabinoids protect normal glial cells of astroglial and oligodendroglial lineages from apoptosis mediated by the CB1 receptor.[15]”

This is our governments own research! Conspiracy theorists often state that these studies were stopped due to pressure from BigPharma and BigMedicine. If the studies prove true, I think it is fair to say that government has directly enabled a painful, costly death for millions while directly enabling corporations to profit handsomely from charging people to kill them.

bluprint
bluprint
11 years ago
Reply to  Jose

Cannabis is a miracle food.

aletoledo
aletoledo
11 years ago

Sorry I haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but I can’t resist the tempation to post on this topic.

First, everyone likes to think that they have critical thinking. I hope Jack addresses this dilemma.

Second, here is a recent example of the governments lack of critical thinking (not that we lack examples): http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/04/portland_will_flush_38_million.html

Ben Tyler
Ben Tyler
11 years ago

OMG, logic and thinking! (shriek)
You are a breath of fresh air, Jack.
I’m curious from your recent comments on ‘spirituality’. Are you leaning in the direction of a form of pantheism or perhaps eternal return? I’ve arrived at similar positions from what I can tell. I find more value in stoic/epicurean/laconic thought or wabi-sabi/Confucian-esque principles at this point than the standard religious approach I was brought up with, and of course ‘The Golden Rule’ aka categorical imperative is timeless and extremely ancient. Having the right answers is not nearly as important as asking the right questions…

Michael Thorpe
Michael Thorpe
11 years ago

Good show Jack. I had a friend who pushed critical analysis on me at the ripe age of 27! Of course, he is an artist, but he taught me the value of breaking things down in a way I had never discovered. Goes to show what we can learn outside the classroom.

bluprint
bluprint
11 years ago

Jack, totally unrelated but have you messed with that bittip button? It’s not very elegant. The parent div containing the popup iframe has an onclick event associated with it to close the whole div, but that event is overridden by the internal iframe itself. The way to close the whole thing is to click your mouse outside of the visual part of the iframe (the blue part). Visually, it looks like you are clicking outside of the blue and in reality you are and you are clicking on the (transparent) outer div, triggering the onclick event to close the whole thing.

I would advise you (or the vendor providing the service?) add an explicit button to close the whole thing. It should be a trivial change and would greatly enhance the user experience, imo. I’m sure this is low on your list of things to do but since it directly impacts a primary channel you use to connect with customers I thought you might want to know its a little goofy…

Cyremann
11 years ago

Does anyone have a link to the marijuana study he mentioned in the beginning of the show? I would like to share it, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.

Ben Tyler
Ben Tyler
10 years ago

Thank you. Your view was the only one I was looking for and I’d categorize you as a fellow ‘truthseeker’.
‘Nature is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.’ Blaise Pascal