Ya know, this isn't such a bad idea. Doubtful most Americans who'd drive drunk in the first place would own one, but that's the culture we've created here. In Korea? Maybe not so much. The skull and crossbones is a nice touch, too!
JATY DR7200: Breathalyzer and nav...all in one!
Posted Jul 16th 2008 7:02PM by Alex Nunez
This is the JATY DR7200 GPS, and it does a lot more than just tell you where you are and how to get where you're going on that 7-inch screen. You see, it's got an integrated breathalyzer, too, so it'll also tell you whether you should even be trying to get where you're going. Blow "over" and you get a standard BAC readout, a red "OVER" warning, and if that's not enough, a yellow skull and crossbones to drive home the point that, well, you really shouldn't be driving at all. In addition to all that, it supports just about every techno-acronym you can imagine (USB, MP3, DiVX, JPEG, MPEG, etc.), so if you're in no shape to drive, you can at least watch a movie on the thing while you wait it out. Want one? Just run on down to the local electronics store...in Korea.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
DWI Will Make You Stupid and Poor
Just returned from my stepson's orientation and registration at the University of Florida. One of the sessions for students and parents alike was on alcohol and UF's policy concerning infractions dealing with alcohol.
If you ask people why they're going to college, you'll likely get the answers:
1. To get an education
and
2. To get a good job
Money and smarts – the two biggest reasons people choose to continue their education. While at the alcohol seminar at UF, there was a DWI deterrent I'd never before considered...
If a UF student gets a DWI on campus, he/she is immediately suspended. The semester's classes? Gone. They'll possibly get to start back the following semester.
One thing UF talked about is tracking; i.e., is a student on track in his/her chosen field of study. For instance, if a student is tracking, he/she will have their pre-reqs in order and they're on track to get their diploma in the correct amount of time. Due to how classes are arranged, if one gets a DWI, tracking becomes impossible.
For instance, let's say an engineering student needs to take trig. Trig is only offered in the fall semester (this is just a "for example", folks). If that student is pulling an A in the class and it's two days before the final exam, if the student gets a DWI on campus, BAM! Everything from that semester is gone. Next semester doesn't offer trig. The student will, in all likelihood, now be one year behind. No longer on track, the student will have the double whammy of paying the DWI, increased insurance rates and they now have a black mark on their criminal record which won't be looked on favorably by employers.
College students are known for partying and alcohol consumption. While that reputation is deserved by approx. 20% of college students, the deterrent UF has for combating DWI on its campus is a great, great way to help students stay on track.
If you ask people why they're going to college, you'll likely get the answers:
1. To get an education
and
2. To get a good job
Money and smarts – the two biggest reasons people choose to continue their education. While at the alcohol seminar at UF, there was a DWI deterrent I'd never before considered...
If a UF student gets a DWI on campus, he/she is immediately suspended. The semester's classes? Gone. They'll possibly get to start back the following semester.
One thing UF talked about is tracking; i.e., is a student on track in his/her chosen field of study. For instance, if a student is tracking, he/she will have their pre-reqs in order and they're on track to get their diploma in the correct amount of time. Due to how classes are arranged, if one gets a DWI, tracking becomes impossible.
For instance, let's say an engineering student needs to take trig. Trig is only offered in the fall semester (this is just a "for example", folks). If that student is pulling an A in the class and it's two days before the final exam, if the student gets a DWI on campus, BAM! Everything from that semester is gone. Next semester doesn't offer trig. The student will, in all likelihood, now be one year behind. No longer on track, the student will have the double whammy of paying the DWI, increased insurance rates and they now have a black mark on their criminal record which won't be looked on favorably by employers.
College students are known for partying and alcohol consumption. While that reputation is deserved by approx. 20% of college students, the deterrent UF has for combating DWI on its campus is a great, great way to help students stay on track.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
"SAFER?"
SAFER: Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation
Yeah, right. This is an org who's main mission is to allow passengers to smoke marijuana to reduce anxiety before commercial flights. Specifically, in the Denver. Their argument (which is rational) is that marijuana consumption is simply not linked with aggressive and violent behavior like alcohol is. True enough, but SAFER would be a lot more likely to see the reformation of marijuana laws if (gasp!) they actually worked to reform marijuana laws! Right now, they're advocating for an illegal drug to be illegally consumed in a public place. THAT is the sort of thing that can lead to some dangerous situations. Next thing you know, someone is anxious before a flight, they step into the weed lounge, buy a joint off the illegal drug dealer and start hitting it. Thing is, that drug isn't regulated and could easily be laced with any number of illegal substances besides marijuana.
Look, SAFER, you have a point about your drug of choice. But you're going about it in the totally wrong way. As with anything, we're Americans, we're guaranteed freedom of speech and we should exercise that right to try to change laws if we feel those laws need to be altered. But c'mon! This? Not even close...though it would give new meaning to The Mile High Club.
Yeah, right. This is an org who's main mission is to allow passengers to smoke marijuana to reduce anxiety before commercial flights. Specifically, in the Denver. Their argument (which is rational) is that marijuana consumption is simply not linked with aggressive and violent behavior like alcohol is. True enough, but SAFER would be a lot more likely to see the reformation of marijuana laws if (gasp!) they actually worked to reform marijuana laws! Right now, they're advocating for an illegal drug to be illegally consumed in a public place. THAT is the sort of thing that can lead to some dangerous situations. Next thing you know, someone is anxious before a flight, they step into the weed lounge, buy a joint off the illegal drug dealer and start hitting it. Thing is, that drug isn't regulated and could easily be laced with any number of illegal substances besides marijuana.
Look, SAFER, you have a point about your drug of choice. But you're going about it in the totally wrong way. As with anything, we're Americans, we're guaranteed freedom of speech and we should exercise that right to try to change laws if we feel those laws need to be altered. But c'mon! This? Not even close...though it would give new meaning to The Mile High Club.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Marcus is a Wii character?
My buddy, Kyle Kuhlman, just sent me this picture of a guy who, strangely enough, bears a close resemblence to moi! Here's his note that went with it:Hey Marcus, I just got the Wii and made up a player of myself on the sports program. I put in all the attributes of myself, pulled up the picture and it looks remarkably like you.
So, faithful reader, what do you think? I'm a little disturbed that Wii has turned me into a video game character!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Drunk Mommy
A Polish woman was recently arrested after showing up at the hospital in the delivery process. Why the cuffs? Because her blood alcohol concentration was .12 (that's the equivalent of a six pack of beer, minimum.) Her baby was delivered with a BAC of .29-a level over three times the U.S. legal limit for DWI, if that gives you an idea of the amount of booze this poor baby had.
The mother could face up to five years in prison for child endangerment, even though physicians say the baby seems to be doing fine.
Is there anything more selfish than a mother who can't put down the booze or the crack pipe or the needle? Or, is it not selfishness and simply addiction? Either way, let's weigh this out... a child may suffer a lifetime from fetal alcohol syndrome... but the mom who did that to the child gets only five years max in the slammer?
A person can slap a child and be charged with battery, but a child being forced to drink it's mother's booze gets no choice. Just terribly sad.
I think most people are advanced enough to understand alcohol consumption during pregnancy is wrong. If not, let this Polish woman's situation be a reminder – when one is pregnant, they have a simple duty: protect the baby at all costs. Someone needs to get the memo to this mom.
The mother could face up to five years in prison for child endangerment, even though physicians say the baby seems to be doing fine.
Is there anything more selfish than a mother who can't put down the booze or the crack pipe or the needle? Or, is it not selfishness and simply addiction? Either way, let's weigh this out... a child may suffer a lifetime from fetal alcohol syndrome... but the mom who did that to the child gets only five years max in the slammer?
A person can slap a child and be charged with battery, but a child being forced to drink it's mother's booze gets no choice. Just terribly sad.
I think most people are advanced enough to understand alcohol consumption during pregnancy is wrong. If not, let this Polish woman's situation be a reminder – when one is pregnant, they have a simple duty: protect the baby at all costs. Someone needs to get the memo to this mom.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
"Super Potent Legal Bud"
Someone just posted an advertisement to my wall on my Facebook profile...and it's someone who doesn't know me very well! The message said:
"Hey Marcus, want to get high without breaking any of the existing laws? Get some super potent legal bud here!"
Then gives the URL for a site that sells the stuff.
Honestly, I'm a little intrigued because, well, anything to do with substances is on my radar due to my career. When I was a wee lad and hanging out in head shops and the like, I remember seeing a book called "Natural Highs." It gave recipes for concoctions one could make of roadside flowers and weeds, mixed with certain kinds of herbs and oils to create an intoxicating substance. Thankfully, they not only gave the recipes for this junk, but also the potential side effects (some of which included, oh, respiratory arrest) and symptoms to watch for if something went wrong.
People are always going to look for ways to get intoxicated. The fermenting of wine goes back thousands of years, as we all know. And it seems like every few years, a new street drug comes out that's more potent and deadly than the last.
I am very, very leery of companies which promote drug use in a "safe and legal" manner because so often, it's not safe and legal. This advertisement showed up on my facebook profile-unsolicited- and falls right into the hands of me, a guy who works in the prevention field. Yet, facebook is primarily utilized by those in the college years, so this is hitting the hands of young adults everywhere.
Parents have a hard enough time policing the net to keep their young kids safe, but this sorta advertising calls upon the sensibility of the recipient. People who get this advertising shoved in their face have to be wise enough to understand there is not safe and legal ways to do drugs-that's why they're called "drugs."
Be on the lookout for things like this...and be sure your finger is ready to hit the delete button when they show up!
"Hey Marcus, want to get high without breaking any of the existing laws? Get some super potent legal bud here!"
Then gives the URL for a site that sells the stuff.
Honestly, I'm a little intrigued because, well, anything to do with substances is on my radar due to my career. When I was a wee lad and hanging out in head shops and the like, I remember seeing a book called "Natural Highs." It gave recipes for concoctions one could make of roadside flowers and weeds, mixed with certain kinds of herbs and oils to create an intoxicating substance. Thankfully, they not only gave the recipes for this junk, but also the potential side effects (some of which included, oh, respiratory arrest) and symptoms to watch for if something went wrong.
People are always going to look for ways to get intoxicated. The fermenting of wine goes back thousands of years, as we all know. And it seems like every few years, a new street drug comes out that's more potent and deadly than the last.
I am very, very leery of companies which promote drug use in a "safe and legal" manner because so often, it's not safe and legal. This advertisement showed up on my facebook profile-unsolicited- and falls right into the hands of me, a guy who works in the prevention field. Yet, facebook is primarily utilized by those in the college years, so this is hitting the hands of young adults everywhere.
Parents have a hard enough time policing the net to keep their young kids safe, but this sorta advertising calls upon the sensibility of the recipient. People who get this advertising shoved in their face have to be wise enough to understand there is not safe and legal ways to do drugs-that's why they're called "drugs."
Be on the lookout for things like this...and be sure your finger is ready to hit the delete button when they show up!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
"The Heroin Diaries"
I am a child of both the 80s and 90s. I got to have all the cool toys of the 90s like Nintendo and such, but got the awesome music of the 80s like U2, Eazy E, etc.
When I first remember rock and roll, it had the face of Motley Crue. Then, after their heyday, I started to sheepishly admit I liked the Crue. After all, hair bands were out, grunge was in; things like "Girls Girls Girls" had been replaced by more meaningful songs like Nirvana's "Lithium" and Pearl Jam's "Jeremy."
So, when I came across the Crue's drummer's book, "The Heroin Diaries" (by Nikki Sixx), I was a little embarrassed downloading it. I associate the Crue with partying, but true hardcore drug use? Nah, not so much – but I was wrong.
Turns out, according to many drug rehab counselors who worked with the Crue, Sixx had the worst heroin and coke habit of anyone they'd ever worked with. That includes everyone from the Stones to the Chili Peppers. Sixx was the quintessential junkie-coke to start the day, booze and junk until the wee hours of the morning.
And yet? He's alive to tell the story. And the story is good! I'm about halfway through "The Heroin Diaries" and, let me tell ya, there have been several times when I've felt my stomach lurch with visions of what life was like for Sixx back in 87.
And know the best thing of all? His dedication.
The book starts out with the dedication to all addicts who've kicked booze and drugs. Those who will kick junk, too.
I have an enormous amount of respect for recovering addicts. Truly, I do. It takes so much guts to admit, "I have a bad problem and I want to get better." To do that first step, then go through with the tough follow up of changing one's life altogether is a HUGE thing...I'm glad to see Sixx honoring those who've also made that gutsy move.
When I first remember rock and roll, it had the face of Motley Crue. Then, after their heyday, I started to sheepishly admit I liked the Crue. After all, hair bands were out, grunge was in; things like "Girls Girls Girls" had been replaced by more meaningful songs like Nirvana's "Lithium" and Pearl Jam's "Jeremy."
So, when I came across the Crue's drummer's book, "The Heroin Diaries" (by Nikki Sixx), I was a little embarrassed downloading it. I associate the Crue with partying, but true hardcore drug use? Nah, not so much – but I was wrong.
Turns out, according to many drug rehab counselors who worked with the Crue, Sixx had the worst heroin and coke habit of anyone they'd ever worked with. That includes everyone from the Stones to the Chili Peppers. Sixx was the quintessential junkie-coke to start the day, booze and junk until the wee hours of the morning.
And yet? He's alive to tell the story. And the story is good! I'm about halfway through "The Heroin Diaries" and, let me tell ya, there have been several times when I've felt my stomach lurch with visions of what life was like for Sixx back in 87.
And know the best thing of all? His dedication.
The book starts out with the dedication to all addicts who've kicked booze and drugs. Those who will kick junk, too.
I have an enormous amount of respect for recovering addicts. Truly, I do. It takes so much guts to admit, "I have a bad problem and I want to get better." To do that first step, then go through with the tough follow up of changing one's life altogether is a HUGE thing...I'm glad to see Sixx honoring those who've also made that gutsy move.
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