Rosa Parks always said she wasn’t trying to start a revolution or a movement, she was just tired and wanted to sit down.

I remember being in the back of my parents’ red 1959 Ford station wagon with wood sidewalls driving through Jackson, MS, as a race riot swirled around us. Mom was driving and Dad was in Oklahoma and we were scared to death. Mom made us duck down, but I was too curious not to look and see police with dogs chasing black kids.

I remember seeing good drinking fountains with chilled water marked “Whites” and tap water fountains marked “colored”.

I remember when the first black was admitted to OU law school — after a U.S. Supreme Court order made them do it. Then, when they tried to isolate that budding lawyer, another U.S. Supreme Court order made the school let Ada Louise Sipuel attend class with white students.

I remember when Professor George Henderson had to have the OU president’s secretary act as a “strawman” in order to buy a home in Norman and then move in under cover of darkness.

I remember the boycott and sit in at Bishop’s cafe downtown Oklahoma City.

I remember when integrated schools were a utopian dream.

I remember when blacks could only live in certain areas of town and couldn’t get home loans from local banks.

I remember Jackie Robinson, Gayle Sayes and Greg Pruitt, all racial barrier breakers.

I remember the “I Have a Dream” speech when it was first delivered.

I remember kids being blown up and Freedom Marchers being butchered by policemen.

I remember my fellow citizens petitioning, demanding and demonstrating for the simple right of voting, of self government.

I remember Rosa Parks.

I’m very sad.

I won’t be blogging today. No time.

Larry P says he read the whole blog and his comment was “Damn!”. I don’t know what that means, but that’s what he said.

DeShan also took a look and you can read her comment that follows my observations on her Girlie Show.

No doubt the universe will unfold as it should without me blogging today, so “carry on”.

If you click on the short story, “Just Looking”, at right, do so forewarned of its erotic content. It’s about a voyeur (not a very nice guy in many ways) who finds a dream match — an exhibitionist.

For years, I’ve said only one thing about marijuana: I’ve done many divorces over alcohol, but never one over marijuana use. I found this on Google News and it was on the Forbes magazine site. I’ve produced it here in full because I found it interesting that the most potent cannabinoid available does what no other drug does — spur the growth of new brain cells. Remember, each ounce of alcohol you drink destroys 10,000 brain cells. Interesting and ironic that this research should come to light just as the U.S. Supreme Court rules that federal laws banning medical marijuana override the laws of 11 states that allow it. Go buy lottery tickets and nevermind

Marijuana Compound Spurs Brain Cell Growth
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) — When it comes to the controversy surrounding medical marijuana, an international team of researchers is busy stirring the pot by releasing findings that suggest the drug helps promote brain cell growth while treating mood disorders.

According to the study in rats, a super-potent synthetic version of the cannabinoid compound found in marijuana can reduce depression and anxiety when taken over an extended period of time.

This mood boost seems to be the result of the drug’s ability to promote the growth of new brain cells, something no other addictive drug appears able to do, the researchers say.

The findings, which appear in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, remain preliminary, however.

“Our results were obtained from rats, and there’s a big difference between rats and humans,” said study co-author Dr. Xia Zhang, of the neuropsychiatry research unit in the department of psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. “So, I don’t really don’t know yet if our findings apply to humans. But our results indicate that the clinical use of marijuana could make people feel better by helping control anxiety and depression.”

The new findings come on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June granting federal authorities the power to stop doctors from prescribing marijuana. That decision also bars individuals from cultivating the herb for medical purposes.

The decision overrides laws currently on the books in 11 states which had legalized the use of marijuana for patients receiving a doctor’s approval. According to the ruling, the Supreme Court justices made their decision on the basis of interstate commerce regulations rather than on an evaluation of the pros and cons of medical marijuana use.

But does medical marijuana work? To help settle that question, Zhang’s team focused on the potential of a synthetic laboratory-produced form of the cannabinoid compound naturally found in the marijuana plant.

Humans and other animals also naturally produce the compound, and are known to have cannabinoid receptors lying on the surface of cells in the nervous system and the immune system.

Prior research has shown that, when exposed to cannabinoids, these receptors can provoke an anti-inflammatory and anti-convulsive response. They can also instigate a range of psychotropic effects such as euphoria.

The current study focused on a particular formulation of synthetic cannabinoid known as HU210 — a compound which Zhang described as the most powerful cannabinoid in the world.

The authors explored both the short-term and long-term effects of exposure to HU210 in rats.

To measure the drug’s short-term response, they gave adult rats a single injection of HU210. To study the same drug’s effect over the longer term, the researchers gave a separate group of adult rats twice-daily injections of the cannabinoid over a two-week period.

Autopsies revealed that by the end of the 10-day HU210 treatment regimen, new neurons had been generated and integrated into the circuitry of the hippocampus region of the rat’s brains. This process, known as neurogenesis, was still in evidence a full month after treatment had been initiated.

Neurogenesis was not triggered in response to brain cells being killed through cannabinoid exposure, the researchers add. In fact, HU210 injections did not appear to prompt any loss of neurons in the hippocampus.

Cannabinoid use appeared to boost mood, as well: According to the scientists, behavioral tests suggest that long-term treatment reduced the rodent’s anxiety- and depression-linked behaviors.

For example, one month post-treatment, treated rats deprived of food for 48 hours were quicker than similarly deprived, non-treated rats to begin eating food when it was finally offered to them in an unfamiliar environment.

The researchers believe treated rats may have been less anxious in the manner they handled this novel situation. They stress the results were not related to cannabinoids’ appetite-stimulating effects, since the treated rats’ eating behavior was similar to that of untreated rats when they were offered food in a familiar setting.

Treated rats also responded in a less anxious manner to swimming and climbing tests, and displayed shorter periods of immobility compared with untreated rats. The latter finding was interpreted to mean that HU210 had an antidepressant effect on rats receiving the cannabinoid over the longer term.

However, while long-term administration of higher doses worked to reduce anxiety and depression, lower doses did not appear to have the same effect, the researchers added.

Zhang and his associates credit cannabinoid-linked neurogenesis with the apparent mood shifts seen in the animals.

The hippocampus area of the brain where the neuronal growth occurred is key to the regulation of stress and other mood disorders, Zhang’s team point out. This region is also important to the control of cognitive processes such as learning and memory.

Among the common addictive drugs, marijuana alone appears able to promote neurogenesis when used over time and in the right dosage, the researchers say. In contrast, prior research has demonstrated that chronic administration of cocaine, opiates, alcohol and nicotine inhibits brain cell growth.

“If our results can be confirmed in humans, we should anticipate the chronic use of marijuana as a medical treatment for anxiety and depression,” Zhang said.

However, he cautioned that “this treatment is not the same as smoking marijuana. Whether smoking marijuana can produce the same effect, we just don’t know.”

Dr. Perry G. Fine, a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine Pain Research Center, said more than enough data has already been gathered to confirm medical marijuana’s potential benefits.

“It’s great that there’s new science, but to me this is no longer an epiphany,” he said. “It’s just proving what’s been long-suspected. We’re behind the curve with the cannabinoids largely because of the stigma of marijuana going years and years back.”

“I think most people with clinical expertise in the area of palliative medicine know that if patients had access to all the tools we currently have, we could certainly do a whole lot better to help people live with multiple chronic diseases,” he added. “The social policies are way behind our technology, and that’s where we need some catching up.”

More information

For more on the medical marijuana debate, check out the Medical Marijuana ProCon.org.

I still have the wrist thing, so it’s still difficult and painful to type for any longer than a minute or two, so this entry will also be truncated.

OU/TX and OSU/MO

Wasn’t a good football day for Oklahoma yesterday, was it? A few friends gathered at my house for the OU/TX blowout. None of us are fanatics and there wasn’t any of the usual rooting for the home team from the couch. We had great munchies, helped greatly by The Gary, who brought very popular brownies. SuzArt provided the estrogen and the comic relief in the personna of Bucky. We missed Mrs. Oz, who’s in some far north city filled with German beer for some kind of science teacher conference. George O anchored the far end of the couch, as usual.

Wedding Day

After the game, I went to Paseo for Sandy’s wedding. The ceremony was very cool, sweet and just the right amount of funny befitting the bride. Robin Meyers of Mayflower Congregation presided and he’s always right on target. Tom Lee’s studio never looked better. The reception at Isis afterwards was lovely and the food delicious. The rockabilly crowd was genial and fun. Mandy caught the bride’s bouquet, to the consternation of Ed. Craig’s fireworks livened up the evening, but started a gang war in the hood (it’s not a party until the police come). A bosomy Emily Medina was the Mistress (neither maid nor maiden) of Honor and acquitted herself well indeed while her father took pictures galore and her mother regaled us with stories of Germany. Michael Hoffner is so damn cool, I’ve decided that he’s my hero. Kelly O, on her way to a dinner party in a black spangled dress, was piquant sauce at my table. Marcy Roberts and her sister made me laugh, as Marcy is always able to do. The staff — Georgia, Sherry, Ian (the bride’s son) — was the younger contingent and provided spunk to offset the older generation relations of the bride and groom. Best wishes to the bride and congratulations to the groom. Sandy, I love you to death and I really hope you live the happily ever after of hollywood movies.

Stayin’ Alive

Sharon Astrin has not yet murdered me. Cue the BeeGees.

Old Age Creeps Up?

Saturday, I was too tired after dinner to hit VZDs for Brave Combo, but the reports were that they were the usual big fun. Last night, I was in bed before 10 p.m.!!! Don’t know when the last time was that I was so early to bed on a Friday and Saturday night consecutive. I’ve just been bushed. Or, is it “Bushed”? Anyway, don’t know what the deal is unless it’s the ibuprophen I’ve been taking for this damn wrist. Friday night’s early to bed caused a contretemps with the lovely Juliet, who was expecting me to take her out and dance her tootsies off. Forgive me, honey. PLEASE!

Th-Th-That’s All Folks!

I hope all you pansies who complained about the weather are satisfied. The top is up on the Miata and that’s a shame. Shame on you pansies. Soon, you’ll complain about your ONG bills and the costs of heating your McMansions in Edmond, just like you complain about the $3/gal gas prices. Do you really think that high gasoline prices won’t lead to higher home heating bills? Hope the dry cleaning bill for your sweaters and woolens puts you in the poorhouse. Hope your kids have runny noses and ear blockages. Hope you slip on the ice and break your hip. Bastards. Sons of bitches. Whooors. Asswipes. Soon, you’ll be thinking 60 degrees is balmy and looking forward to the least bit of sunshine, all of which you had in abundance just 36 hours ago. This is NOT a happy blogger. This is one pissed off ragtop owner.

Wednesday Night Dinner and Movie

The crowd that meets on the Paseo Wednesdays was cramped inside and sparse due to the weather, although a solid 10 of us went to dinner together.

On the basis of a recommendation by Brian the chef we went to a Mexican restaurant on Britton Road, but the comments I heard were not generally favorable. In fact, the sentiment was that Brian would never again be trusted to pick the spot we eat.

On the other hand, I showed “Sin City” at my house afterwards and the general feeling was that it was well worth the $10 I spent on the “previously viewed” DVD at my local Hollywood Video store.

Having seen and enjoyed the movie more than once before last night, the big deal for me was getting to snuggle with Button, a late arrival who slipped in and shared my chair next to the door. She’s such a terrific young woman and I am SO shut out that any little thing is a big deal for me. I’d almost rather be told anything other than “Let’s just be friends”, but I don’t always get to choose what I’m told by women I admire.

Corrupt Corporate Cronyism

I’ve been waxing eloquent about Majority Leader Tom Delay, mentioned the SEC problems of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the Valerie Plame problems of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, the White House spy revelations, the illegal propaganda of the Bush Dept. of Education, and the curious choice of Harriet Miers for the U.S. Supreme Court, but all of that may soon fade into obscurity compared to another Washington scandal: Jack Abramoff, lobbyist extraordinaire. Yeah, I know you’ve never heard of him. Here’s the bare bones: Tom Delay and other GOP leaders have set up a lobbyist heaven and corporate interests often use their access to GOP lawmakers to simply write the bills that Bush will sign into law. Jack Abramoff was a kingpin in their system, raising money and spending it in all the right places for GOP purposes and getting federal law written exactly in the way his corporate clients wanted them written. As these things always go, Jack got a little lax about the rules in his hubris. He was untouchable, protected by powerful Congressional friends and White House contacts. Except now that federal investigators have indicted one of his principal minions, who is “cooperating” in the investigation (that means he’s ratting out everyone he can think of). When the indictments start coming down, watch out. Some of what has been going on in the past six years looks and smells like outright bribery, but probably does just skirt that law, although perhaps not all the election finance laws. GOP lawmakers are likely to go down like bowling pins, one knocking the other down in the melee. Assuming that action comes within the next year, 2006 might be a year of “sea change” in Congress because the ideological and social conservatives are also splitting into factions that cannot withstand a “reform” mood of disgust in the populace when faced with so many indictments and charges. Hard to blame Dems for this since they are so out of power that they can’t influence political witchhunts like the GOP could under Clinton. When you add in $3/gal gasoline, high heating costs, the disappointing results we’re getting in Iraq, cronyism in FEMA that led to a Katrina disaster, and the list goes on… Except I forgot that the Democrats are even more stupid and disorganized than a high school sorority. Nevermind.

The Pink Lady

In the middle of the last century, an unknown war veteran named Richard M. Nixon ran for Congress against a New Deal Democrat named Helen Gahagan Douglas. Throughout the campaign, Nixon called this patriotic American “The Pink Lady”, implying that she wasn’t quite a communist, but darn close. He won the election with this unfair tactic and went on to become a right-hand man and protege of Sen. Joseph “Tailgunner Joe” McCarthy of “McCarthyism” fame, some of which you youngsters will find out more about if you see the new George Clooney movie about this demogogue’s demise.

Well, Oklahoma City has its own Pink Lady.

She’s my tobacconist and a heck of a woman. She’s young and beautiful (ordinarily) and has a razor sharp wit and vital intelligence. I simply adore her. Too bad she’s so young and I’m so old. (What, you need another woman in your life? What does it take? Shut up! No, you shut up! All the voices in my head need to shut up, I’m trying to write. I’m scared. You can’t tell your mother to shut up, you bad boy. Really. All of you need to shut up so I can write. I’m putting you in “time out” now. NO NO NO NO NO. I mean it, shut up and shut up right now! Sorry. OK.)

Anyway, she’s having an allergic reaction to something and it’s turning her pink. I saw her at the Tobacco Exchange and bought some import smokes from her and she’d written something on her hand to remind herself to do something to help with this medical condition and I suggested that perhaps a note on paper would have served her better. She assured me a paper note would do no good and that a message on her hand would be effective. I saw her this a.m. at the Red Cup and she’d forgotten to get her stuff and, she reported, she had become even more pink.

So, when you see the tobacconist with the pink skin around town, just call her The Pink Lady. She’ll know you read my blog.

I expected Tuesday to be boring and I was prepared for that, even looking forward to some “alone time” to do those personal hygiene, shine shoes, pick up the clothes on the bedroom floor type duties that we all have.

Again, I went and got myself a simple meal and bought some new DVDs: Sin City, Vanity Fair and The Machinist.

After eating a sandwhich and puttering, I went to the grocery for a week’s worth of stuff and rather overbought, if you know what I mean. I saw pretty things I wanted to eat right then and they are almost certain to go bad in the fridge before I get to them, but bachelors always hope they will fix themselves decent meals right up until they run out and grab fast food death in our deathmobiles.

Late, emailing my sister in S.C. and listening to the soft jazz of KGOU, getting ready to do the quiet things one does to prepare for bed, I got a call from the lovely Juliet asking me if I’d like to get a spot of tea. Veddy British, actually.

We talked until well after Starbucks closed, sharing heartfelt sentiment and crass business advice and little personal jokes (as in the way she can’t stop using the word “actually”).

Tuesday must not be all that boring because I’m just now coming to work at noon on Wednesday.

I’d best beware my heart with the lovely Juliet, I think.

Can Pres. Bush Be Serious?

President Bush today defended his choice of Harriet Miers as his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court by telling conservatives that he “knows her heart.” Really? He knows the heart of a 60-year-old unmarried Dallas corporate lawyer? She’s been described as his “work wife”. Is he serious? I smell bullshit and, having abundant experience with bullshit, I’m quite sure I know that smell.

To liberal critics of his choice, President Bush had the unmitigated gall to call her the “most qualified” choice available in the entire country. I’m queasy and can taste the puke in the back of my mouth at hearing that. It’s so wrong on so many levels. Considering her record (her official bio is on this blog), I only personally know about 100 lawyers more qualified. In fact, I wonder if the ABA will rate her as qualified according to their standards. I would be shocked by her nomination to the TEXAS Supreme Court, were I Texan and that had been proposed, much less the nation’s highest court.

Karl Rove must be too busy with his own legal troubles in the Valerie Plame Affair to ride herd over Bush or the president has truly lost his intellectually undisciplined mind. Even as a joke, that isn’t funny.

Calendar Note

My regularly scheduled Thursday OCAM rooftop appearance will be cancelled this week in order to help my son Jack pick out clothes from the closet of the generous Doug Parr. Many of you know that Jack got out of the French Quarter after Katrina with only the clothes on his back. I’ve contributed about 1/3 of my own wardrobe, but I’m his father. Doug’s offer to share his terrific wardrobe with Jack (although Pat G. I think, has something to do with this) is a kindness that marks him once again as one of Oklahoma City’s most genuinely wonderful guys. RE: earlier about Bush; Doug would make a far better choice to the U.S. Sup. Ct., but since he has a brain, I suppose he’s disqualified as far as Bush is concerned.

Rant

The cold front is coming into town as I write. Most of the folks I know are dead ready for the end of the warm weather and are welcoming this fall cool down. Fine and well. I’m less happy by far. I’ve had to put up the top on the Miata. I know quite well that we will still have some fine days ahead, but I also know that this cold front is the grandfather of others to follow and that in the last week of February and the first two weeks of March these same friends are going to be begging for the weather we had yesterday, not realizing that they’ve wished it away. As Will Rogers once said: “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Owning a ragtop means watching the weather like a farmer, always on the lookout for rain, wind and cold. Soon enough we’ll be bundling up and uncomfortable in our bulky sweaters and coats and gloves and hats, freezing in the out of doors and burning in the indoors. I prefer our seasons to the always “perfect” San Diego weather. I look forward to the fall foilage and the spring blooms. However, the older I get, the more I dislike the cold and freezing winds out of the north.

I suppose part of my “gripe”, my rant, has to do with clothes. Do you put up the summer clothes and get out the winter woolens? Too early. Do you dress for the warm afternoons or the chill evenings? Carry a sweater? Good shoes or shoes that can stand rain and slush? A hat is a daylong commitment — once it’s on your head, your hair will never be right for the rest of the day — but it isn’t something you can wear all day at the office and in court or church or such.

I know. Children starving in the Sudan and American G.I.s dying in Iraq and I’m worried about my clothing choices. Does anyone wish to express surprise that I’m vain? I thought not.

Tom Delay is indicted again, this time for both conspiracy and the underlying crime of money laundering. Meanwhile, his high powered attorneys are working to get earlier indictments dismissed over a “technicality”. Isn’t this the same Hammer who blasts trial lawyers for getting criminals off scott free on technicalities? I find that those who think lawyers get people off on technicalities believe that those technicalities are their God Given Constitutional Rights when their own ass gets into a crack. We’ll see who thinks what about “technicalities” when Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader, is in trouble with the SEC for insider trading of his family’s HCA stock, Rush Limbaugh faces justice for Oxycontin use and distribution, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby for “outing” a CIA agent, and that whole cabal of fascist corporatists called Republicans is exposed as being owned, lock, stock and barrel by the Forces of Evil. This message is brought to you by Hyperbole R Us.

movie review

Went to see “Corpse Bride” with the lovely Juliet last night. Very good movie, even though I’m not fond of musicals, but not quite up to “Nightmare Before Christmas”, the earlier Tim Burton movie of the same vein, in my own opinion. Of course, as Juliet and I agreed, a film can be darn good and not as good as “Nightmare” and this one is. Johnny Depp absolutely amazes me and I think he’s the best thing to happen in Hollywood in many a year.

Upcoming Event

Be sure to put The Girlie Show on your calendar. Some 40 women artists will show their works at Farmer’s Market Oct. 14, with the fabulous DeShan as one of the 4 strawboss honcho leaders. Tickets are $12 in advance and there’s no better way to spend a little cash in OKC that night, IMHO.

Beware! The Cold Front Comes

Be on the lookout for some sketchy behavior by yourself and those around you. A cold front is on the way into town. Everyone I know has no trouble at all recognizing that the weather and Mother Nature in general affects domestic animals — our cows, horses, dogs and cats. We’ve all seen it. We pretty much know for sure that animals in the wild have weather and natural behaviors like hibernation. Everyone “knows” that chickens and whatnot will get excited right before an earthquake. What makes us think that humans, mammals that we are, don’t also feel the effects of weather? When there’s a big change in the weather like that, I certainly notice myself and those around me getting on edge and flopping about. Add to that the fact that it’s going to rain and Oklahomans, with 250 plus days of sunshine a year, don’t know how to drive on wet asphalt. I especially don’t much like the change since I love to drive around with my ragtop down and the wind in my hair and my little Miata doesn’t perform all that well on wet or icy roads. My one wreck in the past many, many years was a result of hitting a wet spot on an Arkansas mountain curve. My love, MB, still won’t drive in the car with me after THAT little episode. I don’t just think it’s barometric or a result of precipitation, btw. I think all sorts of natural phenomena don’t get enough credit for their effect on human behavior. For Example, the word “lunatic” comes from “luna”, the moon, and if you don’t think a full moon causes crazy behavior just ask an ER nurse or a cop. Once, long ago, while a reporter at The Oklahoman, there was a full moon on a payday Friday when a winter storm kept most everyone home and the domestic calls to the police station — shootings, stabbings, you name it — went through the roof. It was bedlam in the old fashioned sense of the word, a reference to the mental asylum in England. Anyway, I’m betting that tomorrow sees some craziness based on nothing but a change in the weather. See if you don’t feel it when you get quiet and look for it.

Cinematographer John H. took some film of me and turned it into a little video. For those of you interested, you can find it John’s webpage at

http://possibilityx.com/video%20files/johnsride.htm

I highly recommend you browse around PossibilityX dot com. John’s got some very kewl stuff