Greg Hartnett

Books I read in 2005:

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace
Sorrows of Empire
A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present
The Souls of Black Folk
The Prosperous Few and the Restless Many
Lies My Teacher Told Me
Manufacturing Consent
Bin Laden, Islam and America’s New “War on Terrorism”
Live in a Better Way
Invisible Man
When the Buck Stops With You
Media Control
The Culture of Fear
How to Practice The Way to a Meaningful Life
Hegemony or Survival
Terrorism and War
Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Unholy Alliance

I think I am going to get a burger today. I don’t know why - something has made me really want a burger …

Maybe it’s the sun? Something in the water? Maybe just sheer boredom. The kids in Barbados sure like to party. According to a report published by the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) 34.9 per cent of the 12- to 14-year-olds admitted they had been using drugs for more than five years. Seems a bit young if you ask me. Many students indicated their introduction to alcohol and marijuana “began in the home”. Yikes - better find a better hiding spot.

Full article: The Nation Newspaper | DOPE DAZE

I live in a little town called East Norwich - a hamlet sandwiched between Oyster Bay and Syosset. The main thoroughfare between the two towns is a street called Split Rock Road. The road that I live on turns into Split Rock.

While I was in Vegas stirring up trouble, it would appear that somebody was up to no good on the home front. On the night on May 18, three fires started within a two hour time frame. Town officials have said the fires might have been intentionally set to send an antidevelopment message. While police have yet to put together any leads, they say the fires are “suspicious”. You think???

Related articles:
Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot
Daily News

We have a scheduled corporate outing to Sin City. We are taking the entire staff to Las Vegas for two days of dining, drinking, and gambling. Should be a good time - we have not done anything as a group for the past two years. Tough to keep the troops motivated properly without some appreciation from the top.

When you have a staff that gives 110%, day in day out, they deserve to be treated right. I’m no managerial expert, but I know a thing or two about people. One of my favorite things about running my own business is being able to cultivate a non-corporate work environment. Get the best people you can, treat them like adults, give them the autonomy they crave, mix in a healthy dose of fun, and foster an environment that accepts mistakes as part of the development process. All part of the master plan…

Maybe we can put our Big Brains together and hack Las Vegas.

“We remain skeptical of the use of medical marijuana, but we continue to monitor the issue,” said health department spokesman Bill Van Slyke.

What the hell is it with these guys? How many reports need be read, or studies conducted before they realize that marijuana is for more than the slacker-set? Get with it already. It kind of reminds me of the tobacco executives, and doctors on their payroll, who fought for years that cigarettes were not unhealthy.

Mike Long, chairman of the Conservative Party of New York State, said many medical marijuana advocates are “looking to liberalize the use of marijuana.” Fantastic!

Here are some must read pot resoruces:

* NORML
* Marijuana Policy Project
* Drug Policy Alliance
* AlterNet Drug Reporter
* Drug War Facts

It’s been 4 years since Congress was rushed into the passing of the Patriot Act. It was a troublesome time, and knee-jerk decisions were made to appease the masses, and calm the terror fear. It was at this point that the Bush administration unleashed their Orwellian nightmare upon the American populace, and Congress pushed the bill through without much discussion or debate.

Many of the provisions of the Patriot Act have come under fire from both sides of the party platforms. Human rights activists have worried that the bill would be used to further encroach privacy and civil liberties. According to reports, the bill had been invoked 108 times over a 22 month period by police entering and searching a home or office without notifying the owner.

Congress has stated that they will hold hearings before a portion of the bill’s provisions set to expire on December 31, 2005. Unfortunately, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has already stated that any revisions to the current version would be modest. So much for lifting the veil of secrecy and suspicion of the Bush theocracy.

After a long time of procrastinating, the day has come to kick the habit. For the last two weeks, I have been taking the anti-depressant, cum smoking cessation drug Wellbutrin.

So I have not experienced the crankiness associated with the withdrawal of nicotine, but he mind fuck is still there. I have one last cigarette that I MAY smoke on the ride home tonight. On the other hand, I may keep it as a keepsake. A token of times shared. A crutch, if only mental. Maybe something to keep the demons at bay…

Quit Smoking now.

In an age of continued consolidation in the media industry, it is encouraging to see online classifieds and community site craigslist.org buck the trend.

According to a Yahoo article, there may be light at the end of the Rupert Murdoch tunnel.