vlogolution network » california

DEA Shuts Down 88 Year Old Man’s Water Purification Business as Drug Paraphernalia

Alexander P Morris — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:04:10 +0000

(SacBee) “Eighty-eight-year-old retired metallurgist Bob Wallace is a self-described tinkerer, but he hardly thinks of himself as the Thomas Edison of the illegal drug world. He has nothing to hide. His product is packaged by hand in a cluttered Saratoga garage. It’s stored in a garden shed in the backyard. The whole operation is guarded by an aged, congenial dog named Buddy.”

“But federal and state drug enforcement agents are coming down hard on Wallace’s humble homemade solution he concocted to help backpackers purify water. Wallace says federal and state agents have effectively put him out of business, because authorities won’t clear the way for him to buy or sell the iodine he needs for his purification bottles. Rejected for a state permit by the Department of Justice, he is scheduled to appeal his case before an administrative judge in Sacramento next month.”

“Meanwhile, the exasperated Stanford-educated engineer and his 85-year-old girlfriend said the government – in its zeal to clamp down on meth labs – has instead stopped hikers, flood victims and others from protecting themselves against getting a really bad case of the runs.”

“.. But about four years ago, the DEA began to look closely into the product, even citing it in a position paper, and suggesting that it was being used by cranksters as well as campers. And in 2007, federal regulations were passed strictly regulating the chemical. Wallace said the new rules mandated that he had to pay a $1,200 regulatory fee, get federal and state permits, keep track of exactly who was buying his product and report anybody suspicious .”

“Wallace ignored the fee. And if they wanted a list of his customers, he fumed, all they would get would be camping equipment store managers and wholesalers.”

“In May, his Oklahoma distributor – warned by the DEA – said he could no longer send Wallace iodine. .. For Wallace to comply, the state Department of Justice fingerprinted the couple and told Wallace he needed to show them such things as a solid security system for his product . Wallace sent a photograph of Buddy sitting on the front porch. ‘These guys don’t go for my humor,’ Wallace said. ‘Cops are the most humorless knotheads on the planet.’ ”

Full Story: Federal agents say 88-year-old man’s invention is being used by meth labs (SacBee)

Now granted, I understand that methamphetamines are terribly destructive (though ironically they were once legal and openly provided to soldiers by the military to help them “keep on going”). But how does imposing such outrageous regulatory restrictions on a small business (with products built in the back of someone’s garage) that sought only to help people have greater access to cheap, safe and clean drinking water, help anyone? I also understand that Brita and others may do quite a bit of lobbying (especially in California), so there’s also the possibility that some companies didn’t appreciate competition from an inexpensive self-purifying water bottle without consumables and sought to have action taken against it. And while here’s another small business destroyed, I’m sure meth labs have already secured an alternative source of iodine to continue creating their wares. Not sure how hard it would be to extract iodine from everyday table salt, but hopefully that’s not the DEA’s next target… And maybe the government can start going after some of the real thieving crooks out there like Jon Corzine and other members of the criminal banking elite who have probably turned more people towards drugs in the past few years alone than did all of Vietnam and Woodstock.

Freak Show: Joe Jackson Pimps Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service

Michelle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:29:08 +0000

Tickets to attend Jackson's memorial service circus will have fans shelling out more than mere peanuts.

Update: Tickets are free via online lottery. Over 1.6 million people registered for the chance to receive one of the 17,500 free tickets.

The King of Pop is dead but the “Wacko” media circus is alive and well! Radaronline.com posted on their blog today that Michael Jackson’s memorial service will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles next Tuesday, July 7th.

Michael Jackson’s father Joe Jackson is said to be in charge of this Hollywierd extravaganza, milking his cash cow of a son, even in death. The two hour long service will have many superstars in attendance. However, Jacko’s fans will have to shell out a lot more than mere peanuts to attend this memorial circus. The nosebleed seats are set to have a nauseating ticket price: a whopping twenty-five clams a pop. M.J. merchandise not included! Gotta love show biz – it’s oh so clASSy!

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California Believes Gay Marriage is Queer!

Michelle — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:34:17 +0000

It appears that Carrie Prejean, Miss California 2009, not only spoke on her behalf but also for the majority of California State voters (i.e. California, as in one of the most liberal states in the Union). If your recollection is a wee bit foggy, I’d be much obliged to clear it up for you. Remember Miss California’s “opposite marriage” remark last month during the Miss USA pageant? Ah, yes that one (and if you have absolutely no idea just play along with me, would ya?!)! Earlier today, California’s Supreme Court announced their decision to uphold Proposition 8 (a.k.a. “Prop 8″), the November 2008 voter ballot that banned same sex marriage. Well, it sure as hell looks as if Miss Cali. was on the straight and narrow with her response. Ouch, did I just hear Perez Hilton get bitch smacked? Or just bitching…

So, déjà vu, it’s like 2007 all over again for the gay community of California except for those same sex couples that were legally married before the ballot vote. An appeal is impotent imminent, and maybe – just maybe, there will be a rainbow for the gay and lesbian community on the other side of their gray cloud.

Gay or straight, married or divorced, let Prop 8 be a lesson to us all. This is a fine example that you’ve got to milk the teat of potentially beneficial California state laws before they go POOF overnight. Ya know, strike while the iron is hot. So, should you have a medical need for marijuana, you’d better head west and get your doctor prescribed ganja before that too goes Up In Smoke.

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BOOTY SHAKE, CALIFORNIA DREAMIN & DRUNK DRIVING – YouTube Live Part 3!

Alexander P Morris — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Part 3 (last one, promise!) of our trip to the YouTube Live 2008 event in San Francisco, California. A special thanks to YouTube, Virgin America, and Flip Video for a rockin’ trip!

KATY PERRY, HORNY SEA LIONS & DOG FARTS IN A JAR – YouTube Live Part 2!

Alexander P Morris — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0000

PART DEUX of our trip to the YouTube Live 2008 event in San Francisco, California. A special thanks to YouTube, Virgin America, and Flip Video for a rockin’ trip!

Music: “Cidade Sol” by dabra

On Our Way to San Francisco for YouTube Live! Part 1

Alexander P Morris — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:00:00 +0000

This is PART ONE of our trip to the Youtube Live 2008 event in San Francisco, California. A special thanks to YouTube, Virgin America, and Flip Video for a rockin’ trip!

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/vlogolution
Tweet us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vlogolution
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Music: “Re-Acting” by Dr. Gore 2000 and “Madrugada” by dabra.