Song in my Head: You're so vain..you probably think this song is about you....Carly Simon

In Seaon: county fairs

Alter-Abled News

I'm a Walking Barometer

Pain wreaks havoc on my body, mind, and spirit today. Yesterday turned out to be stormy with severe thunderstorms and hail in higher elevations. And as I look at my local weather site, I see a front is moving in which might explain more pain than usual today. From the joints and muscles of each finger to the base of my neck into the core of my hips and pelvis is an ache that distracts my thoughts. It's like each movement is a reminder that I am a delicate flower, a Princess and the pea fable in real time. If I lay very still I can meditiate most of the pain away, and not need to medicate to take off the edge of severe pain. They say you're only as old as you feel, and despite the fact that my 42nd birthday is coming, I feel about...95, today. Not that I have any experience at that age or have been in a senior's shoes yet. It will come soon enough. But, I will put forth my women's intuition and blame the storms passing through my little piece of paradise for today's discomfort.

(Note: never edited for clarity...perfection does not exist here)

Howard Dean was on Larry King last night. Here is a snippet of the show from cnn transcripts.

KING: Santa Cruz, California, hello.

CALLER: Hi Governor Dean. My question to you is, given your medical background and your view on states rights, in your opinion, what should the federal government do about medical marijuana?

DEAN: I don't think they should throw people in jail in California, but I think do think -- here's what I think. I think the process by which medical marijuana is being legalized is the wrong process. I don't like it when politicians interfere in medicine. It's why I am very pro-choice. Because I don't think that is the government's business. So what I will do as president is, I will acquire the FDA within first 12 months to evaluate marijuana and see if it is, in fact, a decent medicine or not. If it is, for what purposes -- for certain purposes, and I suspect it will be for cancer patients and HIV/AIDS patients. And it should be allowed for that. But I suspect it will not be allowed for things like glaucoma. But we have to do the FDA studies. I think marijuana should be treated like every other drug in the process and there shouldn't be a special process which is based on politics to legalize it.

The studies have already been done by the NIH. And I can't believe he hasn't heard of the therapeutic value of medical mj for glaucoma patients. Like me. He is a family physician. Does he have an interest to promote more traditonal medications for glaucoma (Xalatan, for example)? Many docs do push pharmaceuticals on their patients. He acknowledges mj's benefits to cancer and AIDS patients. Their symptoms often include chronic pain and nausea. Like me.

All in all, I got the impression that he is either playing it real safe , as a campaign strategy, or he really waffles on this issue. Perhaps, he needs to spend time and read the scientific literature himself.