I miss him!!!

From Stephen Colbert... 

 The brilliance has not faded.

Memes... and MEN!!!

 

 

Thank you, Wiley. 

 

Let's talk art, shall we? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Independent Man"

It was down for restoration a few years back,

but is once again adorning the 

top of the RI Capitol dome. 

Just impressive to see it up close! 

 

 

 

 

Morning Coffee Round-up - June 25

Things found while waiting for the pot to finish brewing...

Thank you, Wiley. 

 

 

 

Your Daily Meme

 

Happiness is...

 

 

...finding a very content salamander just hanging out in the cats outdoor water dish (following Tuesday mornings torrential storms).  Shortly after moving into our home 22 years ago, it was deemed part of a toxic "Superfund" location by proximity to a 1980's sewer main project that put arsenic-laden back-fill under a road a quarter mile from us. We had subsequent bore tests run, and our property was cleared a few years later.  To me, one of the better markers of a clean property is the routine discovery of salamanders; one natures most susceptible amphibians. I often find them in damp soil, under rocks and deep in piles of debris.  

 

I set this one free in a large flower bed a few feet away.

 

Your Daily Meme

 

NOW they tell me...

I would love to take up pot smoking again, if it wasn't for the uncontrollable munchies and other issues...  I was a bit of a pot-head in my late teens and early 20's.  We'd smoke a couple of joints and then go and buy out the local Cumberland Farms frozen food section along with one-each of every flavor of Dorito's.  I was 330 pounds around the time I decided I had enough.  

That said, today, according to Futurism; "In experiments using human brain cell cultures and animal cells, the researchers found that cannabinol appeared to protect neurons against oxidative stress, a pernicious form of biological wear and tear that leads to cell death. Oxidative stress is considered a critical factor in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The possible upshot? Smoking more weed could lower your chances of developing dementia and similar cognitive conditions — though, to be fair, the work is far from conclusive. Still, it’s not the only study to suggest that cannabis could stem the inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s, and it continues to be a promising avenue of research."

Not like pot isn't readily available; there seems to be a legalized pot shop on practically every corner, especially just over the border in Massachusetts.  Currently, ounces are starting around $70.  Considering an ounce 45 years ago was around $20, that's not too bad for inflation (and considerably improved quality!). 

My issue is with tinnitus. Been suffering from it for 20+ years now; started on my right side then gradually evolved to both sides. That low-grade hissing that is nearly always prominent in my hearing. Pot actually exasperates it (I tried it in recent years); heightens the hissing, makes it worse. Tried the gummies and infused chocolates, but it's not the same.  Ahh... shit, and the tinnitus aggravation is confirmed through more than one study, too.   

• An association between marijuana use and tinnitus (source: American Journal of Otolaryngology)
• Marijuana and Tinnitus (source: American Academy of Audiology) 

I currently control my tinnitus through meditation. But the flip side of pot are the prospects of mitigating dementia and Alzheimer's; those studies are still under way.  

• Marijuana And Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology: THC Effects Explained (source: Optoceutics)  
• "Preclinical studies suggest that cannabinoids like THC and CBD may help in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology by inhibiting amyloid-beta aggregation, reducing neuroinflammation, and providing neuroprotection" 

Decisions, decisions... manage the hissing in my ears, or... where was I going with this? 

R 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Daily Meme