San Jose is about to decide whether it will join the ranks of cities that tax pot too. In November, residents will weigh in on Measure U, the “Medical Marijuana Ordinance,” which taxes every stage of the medical marijuana industry, from planting to processing to wholesale and retail. Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio says, “This is the only type of tax that would pass in this environment. We tax alcohol, we tax cigarettes … this would fall into the same category.”
Articles by Danny Wool
Driving cars has gotten a lot easier thanks to Google Maps, and now thank to the Google steering wheel and the Google gas pedal too. The search engine megasite just announced that it has been testing its new robot car, which drives, parks, and gets around traffic without the pesky interference of a driver. They’ve put the “auto” back in automobile, using GPS, video cameras, radar, and computers for a smooth driving experience, on highways and around town.
Artist/Professor Enrique Chagoya’s latest work, “The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals,” was vandalized at a Colorado museum because it is considered “blasphemous.” The piece tackles the sex abuse scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church. Some claim that it depicts Jesus and several other religious figures engaged in a sex act.
The Adobe Animal Hospital, a new, high tech veterinary hospital in Los Altos, is testing a new cure for canine arthritis based on stem cells. The cells are injected into the arthritic joints to reduce overall inflammation. The effectiveness of the treatment is still being studied, but some results indicate that it reduces inflammation and increases joint mobility in thirty percent of cases.
Mark Zuckerberg, 26, is the world’s youngest billionaire. He’s not the only one under forty here in Silicon Valley. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who founded Google, are both in their mid-thirties. It’s a youthful work environment, and according to a survey conducted by Business Pulse, most high tech employees in Silicon Valley have seen age discrimination first hand.
Silicon Valley firms are teaming up with a local politician to curb the export of e-waste to developing countries, especially China. Over 300 million tons of old computer hardware, mobile phones, TV sets, and other electronic waste ended up being shipped out of the country in 2007 alone, but these contained rare earth metals, vital for the continued operation of Silicon Valley’s electronics industry.
Parents gathered outside the Police Athletic League headquarters yesterday to protest police budget cuts. Waving signs with messages like “Don’t gut our kids’ future,” they called on the SJPD to continue its youth athletics program, and not to transfer participating officers to street beats. Over 5,000 kids participate in the SJPD’s PAL league, and parents say that this is the best way to keep them off the streets and away from gangs.
The SJPD has cited a twelve-year-old boy for pointing a plastic pellet gun at another student. The incident occurred at the Beacon School, which serves students who have had difficulties fitting into the public school system. Police later identified the boy, questioned him and confiscated the pellet gun.
Over the next few weeks, Google will be launching Google TV, complete with apps to make TV viewing an interactive experience. Soon fans will be able to Twitter about Glee and blog about baseball, live, for the world to see. As it prepares for launch, Google is lining up content partnerships with Amazon, Netflix, Napster, and Twitter, but also with independent content providers, such as HBO, NBC Universal, the NBA, and Turner Broadcasting.
“The Social Network” topped the box office charts with 2.3 million viewers in its opening weekend, and revenues of $23 million. The film is expected to gross as much as $100 million. Prior to its release, Zuckerberg’s biggest media success was during a cameo appearance on the Simpsons. “The Social Network” depicts Zuckerberg’s turbulent Harvard days. On “The Simpsons” he advises Nelson to drop out of school and “get the best kind of degree—honorary, baby!”
