Arts & Entertainment

It took Radiohead three years to finally release last fall’s “”Kid A.”” Now, less than a year later, the band is poised to release its next amazing album, “”Amnesiac.”” They promised more radio-friendly tunes, and here they are. A sneak preview for “”Amnesiac”” was presented by SRTV and Capitol Records last Sunday. Here is a quick track by track preview: 1. “”Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box”” This is “”pop”” for Radiohead — a catchy breakbeat and a series of electronic noises. And is that someone hitting a can of water in the background? 2. “”Pyramid Song”” This song was introduced during Radiohead’s European tour last year. A soft piano opens the song with a bit of an “”Exit Music”” vibe to it. The drums kick in with a meandering jazz beat. 3. “”Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors”” Hard distorted drum samples, distorted vocals from Thom Yorke, and yet somehow they make it all work. This one could definitely have made it onto “”Kid A.”” 4. “”You and Whose Army?”” Guitars are finally featured on this song along with the mournful sound of Yorke’s voice, but the song builds into a wash of drums and piano. Even though it’s just over three minutes long, it could be one of the best tracks off the album. 5. “”I Might Be Wrong”” This could be dance music for Radiohead, featuring electronic drum beats under a bluesy guitar riff, and of course, Yorke’s floating vocals. 6. “”Knives Out”” Did you like Radiohead’s first album, “”Pablo Honey””? This song could fit on that one, but it’s definitely more polished than anything off “”Pablo Honey.”” This is the closest you’ll get to old Radiohead. 7. “”Amnesiac/Morning Bell”” This is basically “”Morning Bell”” from their last album, but without the drums. The result is a haunting lullaby — and you can actually hear what Yorke is saying. 8. “”Dollars & Cents”” The strings are definitely from the “”Kid A”” sessions and that wonderful jazz beat on the drums is back. 9. “”Hunting Bears”” There is a slightly delayed and distorted guitar riff that plods throughout the song. The keyboard slowly holds out notes … a good bear hunting song. 10. “”Like Spinning Plates”” Listen carefully: those are turntables at the beginning. The rest of the song is a wave of electronic soundscapes and virtually unrecognizable vocals from Yorke. The strings push it to almost a soundtrack-like quality before the song slowly fades out. 11. “”Life In A Glass House”” The jazz themes floating about the entire album come into full play here. Yorke is not a jazz singer, but once again, Radiohead makes the song work. There is a New Orleans-style jazz band that makes up the entire song with clarinets, pianos and horns building up to cacophony of beautiful noise by the end. “”Amnesiac”” is slated to be released June 5. Accompanying the album will be a 24-page booklet, 32 pages in the special-edition release. The songs from “”Amnesiac”” were spawned from the “”Kid A”” sessions. ...

Queen’s Bridge Finest “”QBF”” Ill Will Records C :: Nas, with Ill Will Records, has released a compilation album featuring the best rappers from Queen’s Bridge, N.Y., known as Queen’s Bridge Finest. The first half of the songs on the album are typical hard-core rap songs. They talk about who the album is for, where the album is coming from, how tough they all are and how great they have become both monetarily and sexually. The usual. The introduction (“”Intro””) is a good example of how to annoy the listener. Jungle and Wiz explain which hoods the album will go to. They list geographical locations. Places mentioned are North and South Carolina, the coasts, Montana, Salt Lake City, all of Utah, Florida, Alabama, etc. You get the idea. They’re very good at this. “”Oochie Wally”” is a sex song. It’s explicit, which is expected. But often these types of songs are redeemed by wit and/or some form of comical anecdote. This one lacks either; instead, it is vulgar and crass. The chorus features women who say “”he really really really fucked my coochie.”” Ah, love. Despite these bad moments, the album does manage to save itself from hitting bottom. Rap stands for “”rhythm and poetry”” and it’s in the second half that the album gets its “”A”” and “”P.”” “”Street Glory,”” “”Self-Conscience”” and “”Kids in da PJs”” are all songs with feeling and thought. The music is either tranquil or nostalgic and the lyrics actually have a theme to them. There’s a contradiction in many rap albums these days. It’s as though the rapper must be explicit and conceited in order to sell an image, but then feels compelled to explain societal problems for his own artistic soul. This is one such album. — Eric Dean ...

Funny and melodic, Anya Marina has a gentle voice and a quick sense of humor that can charm just about anyone. However, growing up, Marina was always told to keep her mouth shut. “”I was always told I shouldn’t sing and . . .that my voice was really bad,”” Marina said. Fortunately she did not listen. The first-born of Russian immigrants, Marina grew up on a mountain in rural Northern California. “”I grew up way up in the boondocks with like three dogs and 18 cats and a perennial case of poison oak,”” Marina joked. “”There was no junior high on the mountain so I went down to the valley and realized I had no style, no friends, no social ability”” From this unusual background, it is easy to see that Marina was destined to become a songwriter. Marina is just as much a stand-up comedian as she is a musician when on stage, but don’t let all her humor fool you. Her music, which she says has been influenced by everything from Russian folk music to The Beatles, has substance. “”I try and not write about flowers and clouds,”” she said. In a song called “”Sociopath,”” Marina sings of how she is “”pathologically addicted to what we call a dick-head.”” Hmmm, can you relate? Surprisingly, Marina is not an old pro at the singer-songwriter thing. She has only been writing and performing since she moved to San Diego, which was three years ago. There, she joined a community of talented musicians who have embraced her with open arms. “”When I moved to San Diego, I met up with a group of really cool people”” Marina said. “”One of them was Steve Poltz, who was like, ‘you’re really good — you need to keep playing.’ So I did, and here I am almost three years later, and I’ve written a ton of songs.”” Surely Marina has a long and wonderful career ahead of her. However, this songstress has no interest in becoming a rock star. “”I actually don’t like that side of it at all,”” she admitted. “”I’d love to have a good little indie career. I’d love to be able to eventually play theaters.”” Marina is currently working on an album, but for now you can check her out online at: http://www.mp3.com/anyamarina Proving again that the best things often exist in our own backyard, Marina is a gem of the San Diego music scene. Anyone with musical taste should visit her Web site for information about upcoming shows. She will surely turn you into a fan with her self-described style of “”smart, indie-sounding pop.”” ...

If being a rock star was a subject in school, Bono could write the textbook. Clad in leather and sunglasses, Bono worked the crowd like true rock royalty at last Tuesday’s U2 concert at the San Diego Sports Arena. The arena was packed with die-hard U2 fans, many of whom have been following the band across the country on their “”Elevation”” tour. The stage was set up with a heart-shaped catwalk that extended into the floor, dividing those who were lucky enough to get general admission tickets into two separate sections — inside the heart and outside. As the crowd lined up waiting for the Sports Arena doors to open, the tension grew and everyone braced themselves for the mad dash to the Sports Arena floor. When the doors opened at 6 p.m., it was hard to tell if it was a U2 concert or the running of the bulls. As soon as the security guard said “”go,”” hundreds of fans flew through the doors to grab the coveted spots “”inside the heart”” that was reserved for the first 350 people. Whether you were inside or outside the heart, Tuesday night was still an undeniable spectacle of true rock ‘n’ roll. Equally exciting as U2 was the opening act, PJ Harvey. Harvey played an 11-song set from her recent album, “”Stories from the City, Stories by the See,”” along with some old favorites including “”Angeline.”” When on stage, Harvey is a breathtaking beauty and an amazing musician. While her band was plagued by amplifier problems and broken guitar strings toward the end of her set, Harvey seemed unfazed, finishing the set with a smile on her face. In unusual form, the lights were not dimmed when U2 took the stage. Instead, they surprised the audience by just walking on stage rather than making a grand, dramatic entrance. Bono is dramatic enough without creative lighting. They played their first song, “”Elevation,”” with the house lights on. Then the lights went off and the entire arena was ready for something special. The stage show was complimented by numerous lights and video and projector images. This show was toned down from U2’s more elaborate ventures, such as Zoo TV and Popmart. The lights and frills just made the show more beautiful. Each time Bono or The Edge paraded down the catwalk, they were bathed in rays of light from every angle. U2 played a two-hour set that included two encores and all of their hits: “”Sunday Bloody Sunday,”” “”One,”” “”With or Without You”” and many others. What was so striking to those who were close enough to see the expressions on the band members’ faces was how they still seem to genuinely enjoy being a rock band. During “”Sunday Bloody Sunday,”” drummer Larry Mullen smiled like he was playing the song for the first time, and truly seemed pleased that the crowd was singing every word. Amidst the entire spectacle, it was the small exchanges, the little smirks and the gestures among the band that were the most memorable. Part of the night was devoted to remembering those who have passed. “”Stuck in A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”” was dedicated to the band’s late friend and INXS lead singer Michael Hutchins. Then, Bono dedicated many songs to Joey Ramone, who passed away Easter Sunday after a long battle with cancer. Bono, a longtime Ramones admirer, was one of the last people to speak with Joey as he lay in the hospital on Good Friday. In an article written for SonicNet.com, Kurt Loder wrote, “”On Sunday, when Mickey [Joey’s brother] and his mother got a call from the hospital to come in, Mickey brought a copy of the current U2 album, ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind,’ and slipped the CD into a little boom box in Joey’s room. The track he played was Bono’s own ‘In a Little While.’ When the song came to an end, Joey was gone.”” The most charming moment of the night was during the song “”One,”” when Bono altered the lyrics slightly to “”three sisters, two brothers,”” acknowledging a set of blond-haired sisters and two adorable red-headed twin brothers in the front row. While the rest of the arena could not see the siblings near the stage, Bono smiled like it was an inside joke — something to be shared between him and those sisters and brothers who will probably have smiles on their faces for weeks. The “”Elevation”” tour must give U2 a sense of redemption after their disappointing Popmart tour. This time around, they are playing to sold-out arenas of screaming, adoring fans who came from places as far as Ireland to see their hometown heroes. This tour proves that bigger is not always better. The band has left behind the circus of Popmart and Zoo TV, and are instead giving their fans a bare-boned rock show. U2 proved that there is still a place for rock music, and fans will turn out to see a band that after all these years still manages to move us in mysterious ways. ...

Someone Like You :: Set in a metropolis with realistic characters who lead troubled, single, professional lives, “”Someone Like You”” is a movie that tries to provide a new twist on a trite story. Ashley Judd portrays the main character, Jane Goodale, who delivers a surprisingly believable performance of a woman hurt by men and determined to make sense of their ambiguous nature. There is another surprise with solid performances by Greg Kinnear and Hugh Jackman as the men in Jane’s life, and by Marisa Tomei as the emotionally distraught best friend. Despite all these credible performances by the cast, “”Someone Like You”” fails to be anything more than another romantic comedy in which a young attractive woman falls for the man who has been right under her nose the whole time. There is, however, an innovative twist of adding unconventional “”scientific theories”” and hysterical farm narratives to give the movie a little individual flair. The occasional dreamy musings of Jane, along with the seemingly serious narration on outlandish and humorous subjects, makes the film better than many recent romantic comedies that exist for no reason except to employ good looking actors and parade them around half-naked. Overall, the hackneyed plot makes this a rather mediocre film, though this can be expected from a film of this genre. However, its occasional humorous and imaginative moments, including the narration and explanation of Jane Goodale’s theories about men through analogous cows, makes the film worthwhile if you are in the mood to see a romantic comedy. — Anne Cong-huyen Yi Yi :: You’d think 170 minutes of subtitled Taiwanese might be a bit of a meal. This film has won a wide array of awards, and it might take as much as 45 minutes to figure out why. It’s a good thing this leaves you about 125 minutes for awe and appreciation, because this film is brimming with beauty as it stitches a quilt where the patches are everyday episodes that might not be as everyday as they at first seem. Birth, love, marriage and death within a family are tangled in a mesh that emphasizes the view of time as circular, a view that is favored by many Asian epistemologies. The casting is superb, and the actors manage to express a huge range of emotions, from Hollywood hysterical sorrow, to dry, situational wit that almost resembles that of British social realist films. The cinematography of this film must be seen. In a detached way that requires more effort from the audience than does your average Hollywood blockbuster, it paints out the intrigues and passions of the portrayed family in broad, soothing brush strokes. The action is often shown as reflections or behind reflective surfaces, and the viewer is allowed to peel away the layers as one would peel a succulent fruit. This parallels the rich texture of the family’s intertwined stories and emotions. The film draws toward an unexpected conclusion: a death. One cannot help being overwhelmed by the elegance and ease with which this film copes with the complexity of its own plot. There’s nothing to do but lay back and be washed away by this tsunami of life’s events. “”Yi Yi”” is directed by Edward Yang, and we can only hope and pray that he’ll send more of this our way. This film is on at the Ken in Hillcrest, and for a very short time only, so schedule in those three hours before it’s too late. — Liss Anda ...

You’re on campus. Even worse, you’re in a dorm room. You’re mindlessly switching the channels on the television, and channel 18 catches your eye. You realize it’s good-old Student Run Television enhancing your relatively monotonous life with student-run comedy shows and music video programs. Through the Lens: Susy Del Vecchio and Jared Lindo host “”VideoSD”” which airs on Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Most of the time you’ll go right past this channel. In fact, some students probably don’t have channel 18 programmed into their televisions. Why? Because students have always thought of SRTV as a station with shows that are mildly entertaining at best. But there has been something of a rebirth at SRTV. While most on campus sleep peacefully, the people of SRTV are attempting to create a TV station that students will actually watch and respect. Operations Managers Mike Kaminsky and Talar Parunyan, with the rest of the SRTV personnel, have come together to give SRTV a new look and a new life. “”We are asking everyone to think of this as year one at SRTV,”” Kaminsky said. “”This is the first year we’ve had the funding and the personnel to transform our studio into a legitimate college television station.”” SRTV is technically not a student organization. Rather, it is a service of the Associated Students. SRTV was originally created in 1996 as an offshoot of KSDT with a grant from the A.S. Council. But times are changing, and SRTV is ready to stake a claim in student life. “”We are expanding our show line up,”” Parunyan said. “”While we traditionally did music and ‘couch’ talk shows, you will see more political shows, more comedy-style sketches and definitely more coverage of events on campus.”” SRTV’s new endeavor is to report on every A.S. event next year, as well as giving exclusive interviews with bands that perform on campus and other features to the students. SRTV’s staff also wants to provide more coverage for sports teams on campus, as well as for events put on by other student organizations. SRTV has already been sighted at Round Table during the A.S. election results and in the Price Center during the “”Take Back the Night”” event. “”We encourage any organization to come to us and we’ll help them promote their event for free,”” Parunyan said. SRTV will also take on a new role, that of being an organization that sponsors events. These savvy TV kids were behind the recent listening party for Radiohead’s new album, and a hard-core punk rock concert on the UCSD campus is in the works. Whether you like it or not, SRTV is growing and finding more exposure on campus. “”In just one year, our membership has grown from four members to 40,”” Kaminsky boasted. “”We are actually getting new members every week, and I think this is because people are realizing that we are a place to come to where you can learn things that will actually help you for the future.”” “”We also want to focus on helping people who are interested in the entertainment industry,”” Kaminsky continued. “”There are very few classes on campus that allow you to learn digital editing, but we have the cameras, computers and staff to train anyone who’s interested. We’ve also been working with the big networks to get people who work at the station internships and jobs.”” SRTV was able to get new equipment due to an increased budget, and that has allowed the station to do two-camera shoots along with special effects and mixed audio. Kaminsky gives credit to the administration for the increase in support and equipment. “”The administration has been extremely supportive of our new direction, and we definitely wouldn’t be able to improve if it weren’t for them,”” he said. So consider this the dawning of a new age for SRTV. It has always been underrated but is coming back strong. “”We want SRTV to feel more like a college TV station that’s unbounded by traditional rules of network TV, which allows its viewers to participate and be unafraid to take a stand on issues,”” Kaminsky said. For these same reasons, don’t expect to see SRTV on your local cable access channel. A conscientious decision was made not to expand its reach off campus due to the limitations of what people could say and do on the air. “”There was also a movement to generate more revenue to the station by selling ads to corporations,”” Kaminsky said. “”But we shot that down because, again, we didn’t want to answer to any higher power, except the students, of course.”” SRTV has been reborn. It asks people to forget about the past and look to the future as it makes itself known on this campus. Soon enough, channel 18 won’t be avoided. ...

In actuality, “”cannabis”” is an umbrella term for two botanical strains of marijuana: cannabis indica and cannabis sativa. Although they both contain the active ingredient THC, their differences are quite substantial to regular and casual smokers alike. Here’s the literature, but the truly curious will go taste the differences. Sativa Indica: Indicas originally come from the hash producing countries. They are short, dense plants with broad leaves and often grow a darker green. After flowering starts they will be mature in six to eight weeks. The buds will be thick and dense, with flavors and aromas ranging from pungent skunk to sweet and fruity. The smoke from an Indica is generally a light body high, relaxing and laid back. Sativa: Sativas are just about the opposite of indicas. They are tall, thin plants with much narrower leaves and grow a lighter green in color. They grow very quickly and can reach heights of 20 feet in a single season. Once flowering has begun, they can take anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks to fully mature. Flavors range from earthy to sweet and fruity. The stone-effect of a Sativa is cerebral and energetic. Cross Strain Cross Strains: Cross strains offer the best Sativa and Indica have to offer. Most cross-strains enjoy the smaller size of Indica plants (ideal for indoor growing), but contain the energetic high of sativas. — David Lee ...

Unfortunately, there are no get-out-of-jail-free cards in life. However, the ACLU does provide this nifty little cut-out of all the major do’s and don’ts when confronted by the police. It might feel silly to carry this in your wallet, but it could mean the difference between a night in holding or a couple years in county jail. ...

“”You’ve got to fight for your right to party.””— Beastie Boys In America today, we wage a very real war on drugs. We spend billions on it, and hundreds of thousands of arrests are made every year. The rate of arrest for marijuana offenses is roughly one person every 45 seconds. Few can credit the drug war as being successful so far, and critics call it futile. With the federal government staving off states’ attempts to change marijuana’s illicit substance status, you should know who is on your side of the fight. One such group is the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which started in 1970. This is a national organization composed of a head office in Washington, and made up of state and local chapters, though there is no chapter in San Diego. The Web site, http://www.norml.org, serves as both the history of marijuana’s criminalization and the up-to-date state of affairs all across the country. Marijuana’s history in the United States extends over 400 years ago as hemp, when it was used in the Americas as a fiber, all the way through the 20th century. In addition, its presence as medicine and in American medical journals has been around for almost as long. As the 1930s saw the end of alcohol prohibition, the institution that dealt with upholding and enforcing anti-liquor laws found itself with nothing to do. At the same time, the U.S. government was looking for a way to get Mexican workers out of the United States because migrant workers were no longer seen as beneficial. Kris Krane, affiliate coordinator of NORML’s national office, said, “”The government found that many of these workers used marijuana in some form, and that few Americans outside this select group had any exposure to what marijuana is or does,”” with the exception of the African-American Jazz scene. When the Federal Bureau of Narcotics formed in 1930, the new image of “”weed,”” or the “”Devil weed,”” was born, and hemp became widely known as marijuana. In typical U.S. government fashion, the FBN, headed by Commissioner Harry Anslinger, began the misinformation war that brought the ultra-violent and insanity-inducing image of “”reefer smoking”” to the populous via the media. Exaggerated headlines and movies like “”Reefer Madness”” created an image of marijuana as leading to rape, murder and always ultimately to total insanity and death. The result was the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which Krane said was a way to circumvent the problem of criminalizing marijuana. “”The problem was that people didn’t think you could make marijuana illegal without an amendment to the constitution, just like they did with liquor,”” Crane said. “”So they taxed marijuana instead.”” “”To have marijuana you would need to get a stamp saying that you had paid the tax, but there was never any intention of allowing anyone to procure marijuana,”” Crane continued. “”The intent was overtly prohibition.”” As for the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act, the hearings lasted only an hour. “”The two main witnesses were Anslinger, who created the Tax Act, and Clinton Hester, assistant general counsel for the Department of the Treasury, who both were in support,”” Crane said. The lone voice of opposition to Congress was the American Medical Association, which was represented by legislative councilmember Dr. William C. Woodward. “”He brought to light that no data other then newspaper reports were offered,”” Krane said. “”Nothing from the Bureau of Prisons or the Children’s Bureau supported the FBN’s position.”” Woodward concluded with remarks on the problems of cutting physicians off from a therapeutic substance. Congress saw this as little more then standing in the way of legislative progress. The House of Representatives’ handling of the bill was very shady. According to NORML’s Web site, less then 90 seconds of “”debate”” took place during which only two questions were asked. First, House Speaker Sam Rayburn was asked to summarize the bill. He replied, “”I don’t know. It has something to do with a thing called marijuana. I think it is a narcotic of some kind.”” The second question was regarding whether the AMA supported the act, to which a member of the Ways and Means Committee said they did. After continuing to sail through both houses with ease, President Franklin Roosevelt promptly signed the legislation into law Aug. 2,1937. The “”Marihuana Tax Act”” took effect Oct. 1 of that year. This is how things have stood at the federal level to this day. The past points to the present — can an individual make a difference? Krane’s response was next to pleading. He insisted we can make a dramatic effect if we are willing to write and call our elected officials. “”What we constantly hear from politicians is that they won’t support an issue when they only hear from constituents who oppose it,”” Krane said. NORML’s Web site includes forms that can be printed out and mailed to government officials. Also, there are action alerts for local areas that have impending bills. “”It shouldn’t be limited only to when there is a bill being brought up,”” Krane said. “”Constantly, I would say at least once a month, write your politician. Or call their office. You are their constituents, they are beholden to you. If you live in someone’s district, they have to listen to you, and they will take your phone call. If they aren’t there, their staff will take note of what you say. “”People need to get active and talk to their politicians and tell them how strongly they feel about this issue,”” Krane continued. “”Not many people realize quite how affective this really is. Get in touch with your politicians and tell them how you feel; tell them you want to stop arresting people who smoke marijuana. Tell them you want patients to have access to medicinal marijuana. Tell them that students should not be denied financial aid because of drug convictions.”” Krane emphasized why it is so important for students to get involved in the fight. “”As of two years ago, with the passing of a provision to the Higher Education act, if you have a drug conviction, you are denied financial aid for one year,”” he said. “”Two convictions, two years — more than that, and you are barred for life from receiving financial aid. Now what’s more damaging? Smoking marijuana, or being cut off from a college education? And who does that affect? Not the rich kids who are getting their education paid for. It’s poor and minority kids who get slammed. Students really need to get involved on these issues.”” Krane encourages all marijuana smokers to join NORML to help it lobby for marijuana smokers’ rights. “”If you are a marijuana smoker, you almost have an obligation to join a group like NORML, who’s trying to keep you out of jail. That’s what we do, and our members give the money to lobby, and number power to back up our lobbying.”” Short on cash? Don’t think you can afford a membership? Krane has the answer. “”Buy one less eighth a year and spend that money on helping us keep you out of prison.”” Krane closed with one final word of warning about the most oppressive state in the union toward marijuana: “”Stay out of Oklahoma,”” and if you are a marijuana smoker who lives there, “”get the hell out.”” For more information on marijuana’s history, legal issues, racial breakdowns of arrests and convictions, the status of the legalization process, or to get involved, please go to http://www.norml.org For the ACLU’s “”bustcard,”” with information on what to do in an encounter with police and law enforcement go to: http://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal/bustcardtext.html The page is available in Spanish at: http://www.aclu.org-/issues/criminal/bustcard_spn.html NORML Facts: Notable NORML affiliates include Country singer/guitarist Willie Nelson, who has been a NORML supporter for over 30 years. Among others are George Zimmer, owner of the Men’s Warehouse, and Peter Lewis of Progressive Insurance. * Presently, law enforcement arrests a marijuana smoker every 45 seconds. This represents a 60 percent increase in marijuana arrests since Clinton took office. * Over 10 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges since the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse issued its recommendation to Congress in 1972 to decriminalize marijuana. * Blacks and Hispanics make up 20 percent of the marijuana smokers in the United States but comprise 58 percent of the marijuana offenders sentenced under federal law last year. * Between 1978 and 1996, 34 states passed laws recognizing marijuana’s therapeutic value. * Annual federal government expenditures on the “”war on drugs”” average $15.7 billion annually. In addition, state and local governments also spend $16 billion per year enforcing drug laws. * In 1995, nearly 600,000 of the total 1.5 million drug arrests in America were for marijuana offenses. * The Supreme Court has ruled that law enforcement does not need a search warrant to search your garbage. The rationale is that by discarding refuse, you are relinquishing ownership and privacy over it. Because this makes garbage public property, police can search your garbage for stems and seeds to get a search warrant for your house. * Marijuana prohibition costs American taxpayers between $7.5 and $10 billion annually in enforcement alone. * Marijuana remains the third most popular recreational drug of choice in the United States despite 60 years of criminal prohibition. Only alcohol and tobacco are regularly consumed by a greater percentage of the population. * United States Department of Health and Human Services found that 57 percent of all current illicit drug users report that marijuana is the only illegal drug they have used; this figure rises to 77 percent if hashish (a more concentrated form of marijuana) is included. * Millions of Americans use marijuana; few abuse it. * If you are being pulled over for a routine traffic stop and the cop asks to search your car, you can say no. Without probable cause, law enforcement needs a search warrant to search your car with out your consent. * Marijuana smokers in this country are no different from their nonsmoking peers, except for their marijuana use. ...

Over the past 30 years, High Times magazine has spearheaded the spread of stoner culture, covering everything from political referendums to regional market values of retail and wholesale pot. Courtesy of High Times Its mission statement has grown beyond its green confines, not only celebrating the counterculture, but documenting pot’s place in history. High Times was there for Burning Man, but it was also there for Waco and Columbine. Of the magazine’s most prolific effects was the wildfire spread by the term 420, which later became a worldwide stoners’ mantra for smoking weed. Although High Times was not the originator of the infamous codeword, it was the first to investigate what started out as a Deadhead community phenomenon. After one article, and thousands of subscribers later, 420 was beginning to pop up from coast to coast in America. If anything, this proved one crucial fact for the staff of the magazine. The counterculture not only accepted them, but was taking the lead from them. The following contains two interviews with Steven Hager, editor in chief of High Times, and Peter Gorman, the magazine’s current photo editor and former editor in chief. The people who wrote the stories of the counterculture now share a little of their own. Steven Hager What is the purpose of your magazine? To celebrate the counterculture. How have you seen pot culture change over the years? We’re concentrated on getting medical access for sick people through the initiative process. Do you drug test your employees? Certainly not. Drug testing is illegal search and seizure as far as we’re concerned. Most interesting article/ interview? Well, that changes all the time. I just wrote an article on Waco in the May issue that’s pretty interesting. How did the magazine start out? Particularly, how was it funded? It was started by Tom Forcade, a counterculture journalist, activist, and pilot who smuggled marijuana from South America to get his nest egg. Any significant problems with the government? Well, they’ve tried to shut us down three times over the past 25 years. What the hell is the pot 40 page? People write in and vote for their favorite things and we list the most popular ones. Do you think legalization is possible? What would the magazine do if it was legalized? We will be far more successful and popular after legalization than we are now. Legalization would allow the counterculture to come up from the underground and become a legitimate culture. It’s hard to do that when your sacraments and ceremonies are against the law. Should the “”420″” holiday be replaced with a different date, given other “”incidents”” that happened on the day. (i.e. Columbine) No, the holiday should stay were it is. There are lessons to be learned with Columbine, like the overprescription of legal mind-altering substances such as Luvox, which can cause violent reactions in a small minority of users. Dylan K. was on Luvox. Favorite five bud strains? Don’t really have an answer. I like sativa-dominant, organic, outdoor-grown at a high elevation, preferably close to the equator. Best American city for a stoner to live in? The world? The West Coast is the best for the counterculture. Anywhere from Carmel to Vancouver. Peter Gorman How many pot photos do you get from readers in a day? High Times receives 20-30 photos daily from readers. Where was your most “”interesting”” shoot? Our shoots are done by a number of different photographers, so the most interesting would depend on their choice. My most interesting was done in Morocco, up in the hash highlands. The owner of the several hundred pounds of hash left the room for an hour or so to make a deal and during that time a quart of hash oil I was placing in just the right position fell over. I had to eat some of it to hide the mess and that made the trip back out of the highlands — being chased by hash dealers the whole way — quite interesting. How many photos of marijuana do you have archived? “”High Times”” has tens of thousands of archived photos. Still, the bulk of the photos we print belong to the photographers and not us. How many plants are represented by the combination of the two? Hundreds of thousands, in all likelihood. Top three sickest buds you’ve seen. The best bud in the world is almost always the one I’m rolling. ...