This video clip was from our 1990 pilot show — back when I couldn’t say more than one sentence at a time to the camera. (I’ve found that now my barrier is 100 words — try as I might, it takes me forever to get an on-camera of over 100 words right.) I’m still waiting for the baggy khakis and aviator glasses to come back into style. But the tips are still good.
Vintage Video: Vinnie Van Go
Twenty years ago, unleaded gas was a novelty — if your car needed it, you had to look for stations that provided it. And you’d purchase coupons in lire at the border of Italy to save money on gas. In this clip, you’ll see me driving my beloved Vinnie Van Go, a Westphalia VW van I co-owned with Steve Smith. Vinnie was both our guidebook-research vehicle and a cheap place to sleep for years. But ultimately, Vinnie got firebombed in a Paris protest. People were demonstrating for better schools in poor Parisian neighborhoods with smaller class sizes, and Vinnie was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Vinnie Van Gone.
The People Have Spoken: Doubling the Number of States with Legal Marijuana
The people have spoken — the voters in two more states, plus the District of Columbia, say, “Stop locking up pot smokers.”
After last night’s election, drug policy trends in the USA are clear: Let’s regulate, tax, and legalize adult recreational use of marijuana and put an end to a huge black market and a racist and counterproductive prohibition.
Last month I enjoyed doing a 10-city barnstorming tour of Oregon to help explain why this is good public health and smart law enforcement policy. And yesterday, 55 percent of Oregonians agreed. Alaska voted the same way. (Four states down, 46 to go.)
To get a quick glimpse of the excitement of our work in Oregon, check out this little video clip:
http://youtu.be/N7RBZAYY3I8
I’m bringing this up to encourage caring citizens in states where legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana seems like an impossible dream to realize that the end of our federal government’s war on marijuana is well within reach, and there are organizations that need your help in your state. Because of the work my friends and I have invested in this cause, 5,000 fewer people in my state of Washington and 13,000 fewer people in Oregon are being arrested each year.
If you’d like to help spearhead a new approach to marijuana laws in your state, consider joining me as a member of NORML. As my personal challenge to you, I’ve donated a thousand DVDs of the film Evergreen (the documentary that tells the exciting story of how we did this in Washington), which you’ll receive as a “thank you” for becoming a member at the $50 level. Just click here.
Thanks… and happy travels!
Booo!: Vote With Wisdom Rather Than Fear
Booo!
I was out taking a walk, turned a corner, and nearly ran into a scarecrow. We were both startled, and I remarked at how much fear there is in our society these days — even apart from Halloween.
The scarecrow said, “Let me buy you a cup of coffee with a nice plate of cornpone,” and proceeded to give me an earful. He said that the most fearful people he sees are those who don’t travel and dig themselves deeper into America. Then he said, “That’s ironic…it seems to me that if we just stay here on the farm and hunker down, we’ll never understand the rest of the world — and eventually we’ll all be as scared as my friend the cowardly lion.”
My scarecrow friend then proved he had more than hay for brains. He said that the flip side of fear is understanding. And we gain understanding by venturing away from our homes. He said, “When we get out of our comfort zones and engage with the other 96% of humanity, we gain empathy for people who may seem scary, but really aren’t.”
Fear-mongering politicians and ratings-crazed news is giving us Halloween 24/7 these days. Don’t let that rewire your outlook and sway your vote. Stakes are high. Take it from the scarecrow: If you care about a strong and free America, vote with wisdom rather than fear.
Here’s to a really scary Halloween (and a less frightened electorate next week)!
Vintage Video: Our Pilot Series
Reviewing this 25-year-old clip from our pilot series, I’m impressed by several things (beyond how young and gawky I was back then): The tips are still good. The sights are still there. And, anywhere in Europe, the fun is still ours to have — if we know how to travel smart.