Why I oppose Washington State's HB2401

Hello, my name is Jordan and I, admittedly, hate talking politics. However, in the past 6 months there has been a good number of states introducing medicinal marijuana legalization or decriminalization bills into their respective congresses. Those bills appeal to a certain interest of mine and I have begun following said bills through their (usually short) lives.

Currently 14 states have legalized medicinal marijuana and 11 states have decriminalized it. The most recent action on this topic has taken place in Washington state. This is in the form of HB2401 (non medicinal marijuana legalization) & HB 1177 and its Senate counterpart SB 5615 (marijuana decriminalization). House bill 2401 allows the sale of marijuana, in liquor stores, to those 21 and older. While this bill may appeal to most cannabis enthusiasts, I have a problem with it. That is, I believe that selling pot out of liquor stores isn't the right answer, for the reason that marijuana should have no connotations with alcohol. It simply wouldn't be fair to it, marijuana is non harmful and even medicinal, while alcohol is addictive and menacing.

Would it really be fair to sell something thats used to treat chronic pain, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cancer, alongside something with no medicinal value? Doing so, in my opinion, would only further perpetuate the negative connotations that cannabis carries with it.

That is why I am happy Washington voted against HB2401, 6-2 opposed. Heres a link to a news article. Still, congrats for trying Washington.

BAND OF THE WEEK: HADOUKEN!

Hailing out of Leeds, England is quite possibly the only band deserving of the name Hadouken!, a special move from the Street Fighter series (in case you didn't already know). Their sound, which is a dizzing blend of dance-punk, videogame-esque synths, drum n' bass, and rap/sung vocals is pure energy.
Their first LP, Music For an Accelerated Culture Was a lyrical the seedy underbelly of youth culture, accompanied by synth riffs reminiscent of 32-bit fighting games (huh, go figure) the result is an album perfect for getting you in the mood to go do something against the law.
Their newest album, For the Masses which dropped today, saw them team up with drum n' bass producers NOISIA to create a more refined release. The videogame riffs are still present but are fewer and replaced by heavier drums. The lyrics have become more simple and less focused, the sound is more like that of club music, but it's still Hadouken! and it's still incredibly intense.
Check em' out if you enjoyed playing street fighter or just want to try something completely new...

HADOUKEN!

SHORT STORY: A Death Study

Here's a short story from Jordan Ozubko, I'll post the first segement as a teaser and then a link to the rest since it's relatively long for the blog.

I

It was on that damp Parisian night that I died. I awoke the following morning to find that little in my setting had changed. The sun rose, the people were out, and I was in my room. In fact, nothing had changed.

Initially, I was utterly shocked and repulsed by the lies I was fed throughout my mortal life. In death, I was not condemned to hell, but instead I remained in my meek settings, pondering the circumstances of my death.I began smoking a cigarette, while watching the smoke dance off of the burning cherry at the end, it came to me. It must have come at some point after I drunkenly left the café and walked to my room. However, I see little benefits in dwelling on what cannot be changed, prevented, or altered. After all, what is the point of loathing and lamenting on your death after you spend decades loathing and lamenting your life? The purpose of these entries is to explain how I died one day and arose the next day .

READ ON

POLAROID IS BACK, STOP THANKING LADY GAGA

I feel I must say something before anymore word spreads that Lady Gaga had anything to do with Polaroid's decision to bring back their instant film and cameras. She did not, she was recently given the position of creative director AFTER the decision was made to bring back their classic cameras.
If you want to thank someone for saving Polaroid, thank the people involved with The Impossible Project they have been tirelessly petitioning polaroid to re-launch production and polaroid has given them the rights to produce instant film for the line of Polaroid cameras to be released later this year.

The Quite Late "Best of 2009" list

I apologize that this is much further behind than I originally intended, but the holidays were busy. Yada yada. Enough bull honky. On with the show!

In no particular order, these were my favorite things I found, heard, watched, learned, or ate in 2009.

The Wallflowers

This was a rediscovery of a band I grew up listening to, but never knew the name of. The Wallflowers "Bringing Down the Horse" is a blast to the past for a 90's kid that listened to the radio. The first few tracks have, what a few of us might consider, some of the best mixes in sound engineering history. Not only is the music quality, but the legacy behind the music is quite intriguing. The frontman, Jakob Dylan, is none other than the son of old Bobby himself. However, if you are not a fan of Bob Dylan, that shouldn't get in the way of you opening up to this band. Jakob has much more control of his vocals and rarely mimics his father.

Cardigans

I will admit, I was against cardigans as they became popular again for whatever reason, but maybe it was mere exposure effect when I started to want one. I caved.

Happy?

Ceasar Salad

Growing up, I never really enjoyed leafy foods, that was, until I recently discovered the Ceasar Salad. I'm not really sure how to elaborate. Moving on!

Grizzly Bear

When I first got ahold of this record, I had mixed feelings. Some songs were solid, but others were dull. The more I found myself listening to it, the more I noticed the subtle beauty they sewn throughout, and that's when this became one of my favorite records of all time. It's a very challenging record as a musician, because you aren't quite sure what they were going for when mixing this record. It's almost as if the recorded 90% of the record in a cave. Either way, they managed to pull it off.

(500) Days of Summer

I already established at Heap that this movie was earthquaking to me emotionally, but I felt like it needed to established again. Everyone should see this movie.

Guitar

2009 brought me a deep appreciation for this instrument, and I only grow more fond of it. I am by no means a great guitarist, but I practice everyday in hopes of becoming decent one soon. The guitar really became magical to me after watching the documentary "It Might Get Loud" with Jack White, Jimmy Page, and the Edge. If you haven't seen it yet, find a way.

- Marcus

MUSIC DOUBLE POST: THESE NEW PURITANS and DIRTY PROJECTORS

There's been quite a few bands putting up full album streams and free content this week. These New Puritans are streaming their new album Hidden on their myspace and Dirty Projectors are offering their Ascending Melody 7" as a free download on their website. Check the links below for the hookups.
TNPS
Dirty Projectors