We made it back from Austin, no worse for wear. The seminar we attended was very informative - as usual. Our favorite speaker was a nice little churchy-type lady. She was pushing 65 or so. She was petitie, grey-haired and ever so slightly frumpy. She also has a Phd. in addiction science and is one of the leading world authorities on trends in drug usage. Her field of expertise covers who uses what, where they use it and where it comes from.
We learned all sorts of interesting stuff, such as when the Taliban fought with the Russians before seizing power, they made the bulk of their money from poppy production. Their poppies supplied heroine to Europe. When the Taliban took power in Afgahnistan, they found other revenue sources and ceased poppy production, since it was contrary to their religious beliefs. This freed up the drug users in Europe to the Central American cocaine marketers and now crack cocaine is the major problem drug in places like Ireland. However, since we put the Taliban out of business, they have restarted poppy production to fund their activities. 'Where will the heroine go now?' is the next burning question.
The methamphetamine epidemic is moving from the midwest straight down the map to the border with Mexico - oposite of the usual pattern of drug movement between us and Mexico. The reason? The easy availability of fertilizer and other farm chemicals, plus the wide open spaces - away from populated areas - that rural America offered. However, since we have tighented up the laws on farm chemicals and made them much more difficult to steal, meth production has moved to Mexico. There illicit chemists make a much purer and more dangerous form of the drug than what was being produced by the rural Mom and Pop Dope Makin' Shops.
Interesting stuff!
The photo is a row of desks in the State House of Representatives. (I can't ever go to Austin without trudging around the capitol for a while. It never fails to inspire. Maybe because I always wanted to be a politician, among other things, when I retire. However, I think Kinky Friedman has stolen the thunder from my Weirdo At Large campaign plans.)
10 comments:
I like the photo, and I am glad you are back (I got some cool cemetery pictures while you were gone. Have not posted them yet).
Everybody behaved themselves well on the trip???
sounds like you got lots of learning!
Believe it or not - they did behave! Well, except for M2, whom we seriously worried was going to jump one of the other attendees in the parking lot and do grave bodily harm unto her. The woman had an umbilical cord attached to a cell phone - very irritating.
I think Kinky would do better if he had a running mate: Vote Kinky and Spooky for Gov and Lt. Gov!
*The woman had an umbilical cord attached to a cell phone* so damned true just did not think of it like that!
We had a great time.
you've got my vote [if it counts in Texas...]
Kinky and Spooky!
I love it!
Welcome back.
Spooky for President! Yes, let's get SPOOKED!
VEry interesting stuff! What I don't like about Meth production is that now I have to go to the pharmacy counter to get my pseudoephedrine and darn it, that takes 5 minutes longer at least!
:o)
Anyway, you've got my vote. When do the T shirts come out?
Yup--apparently the area around my husband's tiny hometown in NW Iowa was quite the meth production center a few years back, though it's dropped off now due to the restrictions you mention. However, some farmers recently have put up new, state of the art hog confinements that they shouldn't, logically, be able to afford . . . makes you wonder where their captial investments funds came from . . .
PCIT - you are so right!!! You cannot believe the farmers that are getting into this 'bidness' around here. Its insane! We are also seeing a lot of women who are definietly more the soccer mom type than the drug whore type who are getting trouble with meth. They all start out wanting to lose weight. Then the doctors stopped prescribing fen-phen...
Post a Comment