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T.J. Thompson, chair of Safe Access Virginia, the newly formed state chapter of Americans for Safe Access, the national group advocating for medical cannabis (it prefers the "scientific" term over marijuana), will be leading a lobbying effort in Richmond on Monday, Jan. 20.

Twenty two states now have medical cannabis laws on the books. Since 1979, Virginia Code has also included a statute: "Possession or distribution of marijuana for medical purposes permitted ... for treatment of cancer or glaucoma."

Washington D.C. is an example of how the latter works, as in 2010 its Health Department was tasked with overseeing the creation of eight medical 'dispensaries' to supply authorized individuals.

In Virginia, there's also a backlash, and on Monday, HB 684, sponsored by Del. Robert G. "Bob" Marshall, will be heard in the House Courts of Justice Sub-committee. The bill would "amend and appeal" Virginia' statute "relating to prescribing marijuana as medicine" and would make it so that "no practitioner of medicine ... shall prescribe, dispense, administer, or cause to be administered marijuana."

"We don't want to go backwards," said Thompson, a Chesapeake resident and military veteran. He cites research showing the efficacy of cannabis for a number of conditions, including chronic pain, nausea, spasticity and movement disorders.

The Safe Access group also has a draft "Virginia Medical Cannabis Act" at the ready but has not yet found a sponsor for it.

The group will meet on the Capitol lawn at 9:30 a.m. before meeting with lawmakers.

For more health news, go to http://www.dailypress.com/health

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Medical marijuana lobbyists will be in Richmond on Monday, Jan. 20

The death of Richard Davis at Southwell in 1996 was a turning point. All racecourses became equipped with ambulances and doctors specifically trained in the injuries they were likely to encounter on the racecourse. We can expect the same treatment if we fall at Cheltenham during the Festival or Fontwell on a Friday.

When he started, it had not been long since the role of racecourse doctor was virtually honorary and seen as a good job and a free lunch for a retired GP. Now there are nearly 250 fully trained racecourse medical officers who are retrained every three years.

Improving the standard of helmets and body protectors has also been an obsession for him so, although it is still an inherently dangerous profession, it is much safer than it was on his arrival; he has ensured we are fit and healthy, riding in the safest equipment and with the best medical support if we get injured.

Also near the top of the list of his achievements was his introduction of stringent concussion protocol in 2004, 10 years ahead of the Rugby Football Union, and he will now use his experience to set up the National Concussive Head Injury Centre in London which, hopefully, will also have further benefits for jockeys.

When the BHA get a new man for the job, it is essential he has a great interest in the sport and in us. That is half the battle and the new chief medical officer should not regard it as just a job. He has some big boots to fill.

Taquin De Seuil (1.30) is the reason I am at Haydock on Saturday and I am hoping he will be hard to beat in the two-mile-five-furlong novice chase. Certainly, if he wants to go to the Cheltenham Festival, he needs to be winning. He will not mind the ground or the track so neither of those will be excuses. Gevrey Chambertin, winner of a fixed brush race at Haydock last time, gets 7lb from us and is a danger and I rode Ofaolains Boy on his chasing debut and he will improve.

Champagne Rian (12.20) looks to have as good a chance as any in a handicap hurdle but Act of Kalanisi (2.40), winner of his last two and a soft-ground lover, looks like he has a tough job on his hands to beat both the former smart novice Melodic Rendezvous and Ptit Zig in the Champion Hurdle Trial.

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Tony McCoy: Farewell to Dr Michael Turner, the man who saved us from ourselves

Published: Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, 8:57p.m. Updated 1 hour ago

Democrats plan to disparage income inequality and the wealth gap for political gain in this year's elections. Most of what's said about income inequality is stupid or, at best, ill-informed. Let's look at it.

Income is a result of something. As such, results alone cannot establish whether there is fairness or justice.

Suppose Tom, Dick and Harry play a weekly game of poker. The result is: Tom wins 75 percent of the time. Dick and Harry, respectively, win 15 percent and 10 percent of the time. Knowing only the game's result permits us to say absolutely nothing as to whether there has been poker fairness or justice. Tom's disproportionate winnings are consistent with his being either an astute player or a clever cheater.

To determine whether there has been poker justice, the game's process must be examined. Process questions we might ask are: Were the cards unmarked? Were the cards dealt from the top of the deck? And did the players play voluntarily? If these questions yield affirmative answers, there was poker fairness and justice, regardless of the game's result, even with Tom's winning 75 percent of the time.

In a free society, for the most part, income is a result of one's capacity to serve his fellow man and the value his fellow man places on that service. Say I mow your lawn and you pay me $50. That $50 might be seen as a certificate of performance.

Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are multibillionaires. Just as in the case of my serving my fellow man by mowing his lawn, they served their fellow man. The difference is they served many more of their fellow men and did so far more effectively than I and hence have received many more certificates of performance, which enables them to make greater claims on what their fellow man produces, such as big houses, cars and jets.

Brin and Page and people like them created wealth by producing services that improve the lives of millions upon millions of people all around the globe. Should Congress confiscate part of their wealth in the name of fairness and income redistribution?

Except in many instances when government rigs the game with crony capitalism, income is mostly a result of one's productivity and the value that people place on that productivity. Far more important than income inequality is productivity inequality. That suggests that if there's anything to be done about income inequality, we should focus on how to give people greater capacity to serve their fellow man, namely raise their productivity.

Becoming a taxicab owner-operator lies within the grasp of many. But in New York City, one must be able to get a license (medallion), which costs $700,000. There are hundreds of examples of government restrictions that reduce opportunity. Think back to my poker example. If one is concerned about the game's result, which option is more just: taking some of Tom's winnings and redistributing them to Dick and Harry or teaching Dick and Harry how to play better?

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Income ‘inequality’: It’s in the cards

David Hughes, a Doylestown landscape architect with an affinity for native flora and natural landscapes, often finds himself ripping out dead, overgrown, or otherwise undesirable plants to make way for new.

But he doesn't haul that nasty Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese white mulberry, or Norway maple to the dump, curb, or chipper. Hughes is that rare soul who prizes what other designers and gardeners despise, more so if it's scarred by deer browsing, insect damage, or disease.

That's because, in addition to designing ecologically responsible landscapes in the Philadelphia region, Hughes, 46, is a skilled woodworker who makes rustic furniture from garden "debris," a kind of plant-world Dumpster diver.

"To me, it's a nice marriage, landscaping and woodworking," says Hughes, whose five-year-old business, his second, is called Weatherwood Design. It comprises about 70 percent landscaping and 30 percent woodworking.

Storm-felled trees and gnarly vines make good raw materials. So do pruned branches, old barn boards, and stuff plucked, with permission, from the side of the road.

An arborist friend scouts out intriguing branches and discarded trunks. Hughes helps the Natural Lands Trust and local preserves thin out invasives or dead trees. And every July Fourth, again with permission, he rescues unwanted driftwood from death by bonfire at a public beach on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The wood might sit for years on the one-acre property Hughes shares with his widowed dad, Merritt Hughes, a retired English teacher. Logs, planks, oddball sticks and scraps are stacked along the driveway, in the yard, and in and around Hughes' densely packed, unheated 8-by-12-foot workshop.

"It's hard to throw anything out," he says a bit sheepishly of the jars of nails, screws, and bolts, the bits of this or that, and the saws, planes, and other tools of his trade.

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Recycling nature: He makes rustic furniture from garden 'debris'

The Kingsmen Pool on a busy afternoon in 1954.

image credit: West Vancouver Archives

Many North Shore residents growing up in the '50s, '60s and '70s took their first swimming lessons at Kingsmen Pool in Ambleside Park.

Overlooking Stanley Park and Lions Gate Bridge, the outdoor pool was once a popular hangout on sunny days.

The photo above was snapped on a busy afternoon in 1954, the year the pool opened.

At first the landmark location was heavily used, but attendance began to decline when the West Vancouver Aquatics Centre was built nearby.

In 1977, less than 11 months after the new indoor facility was created, the Kingsmen Pool was filled in.

This year marks the pool's 60th anniversary.

The landscape has changed a skatepark and basketball courts now take up the area but memories haven't faded.

And there are calls to bring back an outdoor pool to West Van.

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Ambleside pool fondly remembered on 60th anniversary

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 17, 2014

San Mateo Architect, Max Woo, has lived in his San Mateo home for over twenty years and recently embarked on a huge remodel project in his backyard. The new landscape design included utilizing an artificial boxwood hedges on existing concrete walls that surrounded the patio, pool, and tennis court areas. The deck was also redesigned, and everything was included to compliment the minimalist, low maintenance theme of the property.

Architect Woo, consulted with his general contractor and Geranium Street Floral for the artificial boxwood hedge. He decided on a UV rated directional artificial boxwood hedge to cover the walls around the pool and deck area. He later extended the hedge wall to cover portions of the tennis court area. The project was one of Geranium Streets biggest installs to-date.

We worked closely with Max and the general contractor to construct the artificial hedge wall so that it would conform to local building codes, and be durable enough to last, said Geranium Street president, Bob Smith. We learn new tricks on each job that helps us to more efficiently create artificial hedge walls... added Smith.

To construct the wall, Geranium Street pros attached blankets of artificial hedge mats to corrugated steel frames and then attached those frames to the ten-foot concrete walls surrounding the back yard. The results were quite impressive and the artificial hedge wall added some much needed texture to the otherwise bare walls. The artificial hedge wall looks particularly nice beside the pool.

An artificial boxwood hedge has good sound proofing qualities, and that is a plus, especially near a pool or tennis court, Smith said. The artificial hedge acts as a muffle to harsh sound waves that echo off of flat concrete walls. This will decrease the noise in the tennis court, or when many people are using the pool or deck area. The other factor Woo liked was that the artificial hedge was maintenance free. Geranium Street Floral has recently installed artificial hedge walls at other properties in San Francisco, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas.

About Geranium Street Floral: Geranium Street Floral is the premium provider of Outdoor Artificial Plants, Artificial Hedge Panels, Artificial Bamboo, Boxwood Bushes, Boxwood Balls, Topiary, and more. Conveniently located in beautiful San Marcos, CA, theyre here to provide all of your artificial plant needs 7 days a week.

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Related Hashtags: #GoogleTrending #BreakingNews #ArtificialHedge #FakePlants #TreeTuesday #GeraniumStreet #MaxWoo

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San Mateo Architect, Max Woo Remodels Own Home with Artificial Hedge Design

Snowfall brings New Yorkers out of their apartments and onto their sleds for some downhill action that makes everyone feel like a kid again. Heres a roundup of some of the best places to slip and slide.

Third Street and Prospect Park West, Brooklyn

Nine-year-old Park Slope pals Jack (from left), Katie, Dela and Luna give a thumbs-up for the slopes in Prospect Park.Photo: Christian Johnston

On snow days, Park Slope families jam onto every possible peak in this Brooklyn park. Popular spots include a medium-size hill adjacent to the Picnic House, where, one Friday during a recent noreaster, the area teemed with kids and parents.

Anything goes at this chaotic scene, where children careen down all sides of the hill, often landing in a big pile at the bottom. At one point, a dog pulling his young charge by sled stopped to do his business in the middle of the hill, and kids leapt out of saucers to avoid the steaming pile of poo.

Theyre kinda rookies here in the city, says Robert Sluymer, 51, a Toronto native who has lived in Park Slope for more than a decade.

But kids dont seem to mind, including Sluymers 9-year-old daughter, Dela, who packed onto the familys wooden toboggan with a giggling pack of PS 107 friends before getting a push from Dad.

Walter, a 12-year-old off to a running start before dive-bombing down the hill headfirst, shouts, It feels like youre indestructible!

Teens crowd Long Meadow to practice jumps and snowboarding, while a bunny slope for tots faces the bandshell. (Watch out for trees at the bottom.)

Insider tip: Patience is a must at this parks popular spot, where sledders queue up before pushing off. The sprawling park is littered with hills. Keep exploring until you find enough space to sled safely in fresh powder.

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Head for the hills! The Post rates NYC’s slippery sled slopes

Burberry flagship store, London
Burberry flagship store, London. The latest store format ...

By: Store Design

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Burberry flagship store, London - Video

I have to show you my junk drawer.

The true measure of a great kitchen remodel.

Marcia Levy pulls open the drawer. It is wide and flat, and inside are 18 compartments.

Before, I had no idea we had all of these thingies, she says dangling in midair one of six measuring tapes in the what else? measuring-tape compartment. Others are loaded with chip clips, scissors, pens, stickers, tape, flashlights. More.

I love this, she says, pushing the drawer shut.

Next its off to view the garbage-recycle cabinet. And the utensil drawer, eight sections holding spatulas, whisks, spoons. More.

For the most part, Marcia and her husband, Mark, have loved life over the past 20 years in their big, old 1919 Craftsman in the Seward Park neighborhood. Private yard at the end of a private road, large lawn ringed with flowers and trees, all of it splayed before a real Southern belle of a front porch.

It was just the small, dark outdated kitchen that couldnt keep up with a couple who really cooks. It needed rescuing. Something sleek, warm and functional. And that is just what interior designer Alexa Milton did.

Marcia wanted a modern kitchen in lime green, but one that also would suit the old house. Milton did that with custom lime-stained maple cabinets, white subway tile, fawn maple floors, fossil-flecked limestone counters and LED lights in recessed stripes.

Marcia wanted a kitchen where both she and Mark, and sometimes guests, too, could cook together. Milton did that with a bump-out and a new island with a prep sink.

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There’s a place for absolutely everything in this kitchen

FORMER NFL STAR EDDIE GEORGE AND FAMED INTERIOR DESIGNER MONICA PEDERSEN SET AS JUDGES ON NATE BERKUS-HOSTED "AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS"

Twelve of the Nation's Top Designers and Builders From Around the Country Compete for Title and $250,000 Cash Prize on NBC's New Competition Series

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Jan. 17, 2014 - Former NFL running back/landscape architect Eddie George and design expert Monica Pedersen have been tapped as judges on NBC's new one-hour reality-competition series "American Dream Builders."

The series, which premieres Sunday, March 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, will have Nate Berkus serve as host, judge and executive producer.

Showcasing the talents of highly accomplished designers and home builders from around the country, "American Dream Builders" will enlist 12 of the most sought-after designers and builders for a high-pressure competition designed to push everyone's creative reach. Each week the contestants will tackle two massive home-renovation projects, each featuring unique architectural styles that result in jaw-dropping transformations. They will rethink the way we live and create new design that is sure to inspire.

"My goal is for this show to stand for magazine-worthy designs," said Berkus. "For that to happen, we had to start with a great cast capable of reaching that level of design. They had to be established - a group focused on maintaining their hard-earned reputations. I knew I had to have judges join me that would not only push our talented designers, but push me as well. Eddie and Monica are those judges. They have an opinion and aren't afraid to share it."

Well-known for his brilliant football career, George is a Heisman Trophy winner who spent most of his career with the Tennessee Titans. After his playing days, George was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Ohio State), and pursued his passion as a landscape architect. He is co-founder of EDGE, a leading landscape architecture firm based in Tennessee and Ohio. With projects ranging from retail and office spaces to college campuses and entire communities, the company currently enjoys regional market expertise across the Midwest and South.

As a designer on more than 90 episodes of HGTV's hit series "Designed to Sell" and 50 episodes of "Bang for Your Buck," Pedersen has quickly become a trusted name in design and renovation. The Chicago-based Pedersen, who preaches beauty and function, is also well known for her appearances as an expert on NBC's "Today" show as well as "HGTV Dream Home," "House Hunter's Great Escapes," the "Steve Harvey Show" and many others. She released her first design book, "Make It Beautiful," in 2012.

The highly successful and established contestants on "American Dream Builders" will showcase their talents and inspire America to create their own dream home. The winner will receive a grand prize of $250,000.

The competitors include:

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Former NFL Star Eddie George and Famed Interior Designer Monica Pedersen Set as Judges on Nate Berkus-Hosted "American ...