Having It Both Ways

The government is, as they often are, schizophrenic in their dealings with cannabis. They make it illegal for everyone but themselves and continuously beat the prohibitionist drums to in an attempt to make their case. Then they go and file a patent for certain cannabinoids so they'll have control of them, should they ever decide to reschedule cannabis from not medically useful to medically useful. They're deliberately trying to interfere with already existing businesses who've already done the yeoman's work on medical cannabis. They want to rake in the money and make businesses that have already been doing the development and research pay them for the privilege of existing. Here's hoping this patent nonsense gets slapped down and the government is told to take a back seat. You really can't have it both ways.

An interesting note, the woman featured in this video, Shona Banda was recently arrested after her child corrected a school indoctrination officer about medical cannabis. She has lost custody of her children and is awaiting trial for using her life saving medicine.

Here's a look at the patent.

On This Day In 1968

We had a great man taken from us by a vile murderer. Dr. Martin Luther King was taken from us all too soon, at a time when he was still desperately needed. We have never, and may never, fully recover from this loss as a nation. We can only hope to try to continue forward with his message and hope for the best. His messages still resonate across the years and we should be willing to lift up the torch of his message and carry it forward, until we too reach that promised land.

Censorious Country

Once again, censorship of music is rearing its ugly head. It's been going on for some time now, but this latest example managed to make the news, for once. Country music radio has seemingly always pandered the lowest common denominator in listeners and here we have a case of them having to cave in to the wishes of a vocal few where the band Little Big Town's latest song, Girl Crush, is concerned.
   Those of use who listen to country music have seen this going on for years, now. Radio stations blank out a word, or repeat a phrase on a recording (as with the Zac Brown Band's "Toes") or just flat out refuse to play award winning music because they are pandering to a few vocal listeners who threaten them with leaving. Let 'em leave, I say. Every DJ out there should be required by management to tell these fools to not let the door hit them in the ass on the way out. The demographics of country music listeners has changed dramatically over the years. No longer should stations be playing to the whims of 60 and 70 year old listeners, (unless you have a country oldies station or segment specifically geared towards the geezer crowd). Many of today's listeners are much younger, well below 40, and the artists are gearing their music music to a much younger demo. Just look at the likes of Eric Church, Luke Bryan and the other young artists.
   Here in Central Indiana you would be hard pressed to find a station that has played Kacey Musgraves' "Follow Your Arrow" or her new song "Biscuits". Requests for the songs go unheeded and commentary about their refusal to play goes unanswered. Even the largest stations, like WFMS, NASH FM and the others, play the censorship game, much to the detriment of the artists and the listening fans. It's a sad day when the listening public is fed only "approved" music. We are left with the Top 40, pop inspired, insipid music that has no real country soul to it. There was a time when country liked it's music with a bit of edge. But now they'd rather not offend the bigoted few out there. What a sad commentary on the state of country music.

It's no o wonder so many people are moving from terrestrial radio to satellite and streaming. The radio stations are going out of their way to alienate fans with their idiotic censorship of music. If they wish to survive in the coming years they really need to up their games and embrace freedom to listen. In the meantime here at UnCivil Defence we'll play what we like.

Musical History

It doesn't happen very often that bands get back together. Especially, when death has stolen a member from you and everyone else seems to be angry with each other. Thankfully, time does heal wounds, as evidenced by this video of Roger Waters getting back together with David Gilmore at a recent concert to perform "Comfortably Numb". For one moment the old Pink Floyd magic was rekindled and history was made. Wish I could have been there in person, but London is quite too far for me. Fortunately, technology exists to let fans make high quality videos and share them with the world. To the poster of this video...a hearty "Well, done!".