The best quote from this story might be:
“Marijuana possession remains a crime in Canada, though the government has proposed making small amounts — less than half an ounce — punishable by a citation and fine similar to a traffic ticket. U.S. officials have warned of tighter border security if Canada takes that step.”

Perhaps the best response can be borrowed from what Brian Dickerson (Detriot Free Press) said a couple months ago:

“So let me get this straight: Right now, with the nation’s foreign and domestic policymakers grimly focused on preventing the next 9/11 and security officials fretting about the ease with which terrorists might smuggle biological or chemical weapons into this country, we’re at one level of border security. But the prospect of tourists slipping across the border with a few joints in their toilet kits means we may have to kick it up a notch?”

Yahoo! News – Ocean Sponge May Be Best for Fiber Optics – so the question is, what took us so long?

Mother Nature Speaks Up About SUV’s

Breaking: Al Qaida (Al-Qaeda) Claiming Responsibility for Northeastern US Blackout — I am, at the moment, inclined to believe them, judging from the utilities’ total lack of any real clue as to what really happened. And for Homeland Security to start shouting to the press that it “wasn’t terrorism” within 45 minutes might not have been the best idea, either. I wonder how long it will take the traditional media to pick this up — at this moment none of the newswires are running anything on it. I am also wondering how it will affect the markets tomorrow. I bet we see a spook.

Yahoo! News – Kidney Trade Makes Victims of Pakistan’s Rural Poor

I wonder if it was quick, at least?

Some amazing satellite photos of the eastern seaboard before and during the blackout.

AFP – Former US diplomat says Rumsfeld led Bush to war

I think higher-profile mistakes like this one tend to make people pay more attention to the chaos in Iraq.

From The Nation this week, “The Drug War Goes Up in Smoke” is a very thoughtful article by Sasha Abramsky….