Song in my Head: Condoleeza, Condoleeza, Dub adores you........Mad Kane

In Season: Monday night football, binikis (thanks to Dave Barry), severe thunderstorms on Mt. Hood, 20 miles away

Alter-Abled News

From today's letters section of The Oregoonian

Cannabis Safer than Methadone

In "Death stalks increased methadone use in state" (July 29), the writer states that because of accidental overdose leading to death, methadone can be risky to use for treating chronic pain. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a pain medicine that never caused death from overdose? Actually, we do, and it is called cannabis or marijuana.

Thousands of Oregonians participating in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program know that cannabis is effective for some people in chronic pain. There are now several placebo-controlled trials showing effectiveness of cannabis and cannabis-based products including an under-the-tongue spray that will probably be released in England this year.

At the very least, the states that have passed medical cannabis legislation should not be harassed by our federal government simply because voters believe that suffering patients should have the option of either cannabis-based pain medicine or opium-based pain medicine.

RICHARD BAYER, M.D. Southwest Portland


The Red Cross is in dire straights....read more here.


Just what we need; to live for 120 years....

Read about a new anti-oxidant here.


All is not well in the Universe...

Bulge in Yellowstone lake worries scientists and may explode . Read more here.


Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen Byron Dorgan (D-ND) were responsible for exposing the Pentagon's future's terror market, BUT he did vote for the Patriot Act? WTF?



It was my Aunt Genie who nicknamed me Panda Annie when I was a young girl. I think it was a reference to Panda Andy, an old cartoon character from the 40's. Since then, I have amassed a collection of ceramic panda figurines that would rival any Salvation Army thrift storeshelves. Yet, they are a special animal to me, and I even have a book named Men and Pandas that is 300 pages of panda info and pics. So...it was with delight that I read today that a giant panda in the San Diego zoo will be having twins in a month. Definitely a story I will be tracking. I have seen live pandas at Washington's National Zoo and in San Diego (cute panda slide here), and a red panda, at the Portland zoo many years ago. Red pandas look way different than their bamboo eating cousins. Makes me want to visit San Diego and see 2 cute panda babies in the near future. I don't think I will make my dream trip to the bamboo groves of China....but you never know.