This appears to be quite a powerful position that this judge will hold in deciding for such a vast range of interest groups who indirectly threaten the habitat of polar bears.  And also it will be interesting to note how we as mankind have evolved in the scarifies that will be made in the pursuit of protecting these polar bears.  It reminds us that we share this planet – we are not alone.

My tuppence worth is that Alan Johnson was right in the point he put across in a letter to David Nutt stating that it is not the job of the chair [David Nutt] to comment or initiate a public debate on the policy framework for drugs.

However I also agree with David Nutt that alcohol is probably far more dangerous then drugs but he was hired to do a job whereby the drugs ranking was the issue at hand and not making a comparison as did and once before that about horse riding being more dangerous. That message only implies that cannabis is safe to use as oppose to saying that horse riding (or alcohol) should be regulated tightly. I’m sure taking cannabis is less risky then a lot of activities in life – it does not mean that we give up those things and start smoking.

This is the point that people are missing out. Both Mr Johnson and Mr Nutt are right in their own corner but ultimately we elected a government to create policy and regulate society. This means Alan Johnson cannot simply isolate facts given by David Nutt and act on it alone. He has to look at society as a whole – what we have been use to, where we want to go [this is where he would use scientific evidence amongst other things] and then work out how slowly or quickly he can turn the direction that society has been use to. He needs to determine what kind of signal to send out and what kind of society we want to live in.

How many times in our life have we been warned by others that, for example, one is likely to get mugged whilst walking at night, or driving or crossing the road can be dangerous. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do those things and sit and smoke pot.

Is society trying to say that we should legalise cannabis and ban alcohol? Are we as a British society ready for such a dramatic shift? This would mean seeing a reduction in pubs (not a bad thing by the way), their opening hours and perhaps regulation on how much one can buy in the shops and supermarkets whilst on the other hand see the establishment of cafes where society can go and smoke cannabis like in Amsterdam. By simply saying that cannabis is not as bad as alcohol is open to misinterpretation. I think the issue of alcohol is an important one and needs to be considered as a separate topic to that of cannabis. The issue at the moment is cannabis.

Campaigners and lobby groups argue publicly what government policy should be however people in positions that David Nutt held should be cautious on what they say. However correct they feel they are public forum is not a place for them to air their disagreements or criticise government measures but rather they should discuss it with government at a direct level.

It is Alan Johnson’s job to determine, based on a number of facts and issues and public opinion, which direction society is heading and what society’s concerns are and then to make policy to regulate society.

Surely we should not be merely supporting an increase in government regulation but we should be demanding more regulation.  We live in a world where we are increasingly being pushed to conduct all our financial dealings transparently so that there are records of our transactions which is of course a good thing.  However financial institutions such as banks that will facilitate this needs to be trusted with our cash.  Our four major transactions that go through banks are salaries and savings and also car and home financing.

Banks continue to ask us, quite rightly, for our proofs of address and other forms of identification.  They require up-to-date particular pieces of documentation.  They then keep copies of these personal details which we entrust them with to keep securely, it’s a bank after all.  But what do we ask of the banks in return? Surely we must ask them something?  They will be handling and holding our salaries and (hopefully!) savings and we ask them nothing?

This is where we should be asking them to provide us with proofs and guarantees of their bank.  They are fishing for our business in an increasingly competitive market so surely we should be provided with details of what they do and guarantees that they can be trusted with our money.

Self regulation is out.  It’s a private business and whilst they need to protect their customers I think asking them to be innovative with making money but knowing where to draw the line is asking too much.  You just need to look at 2008.

Therefore continued and improved independent regulation is the way – governmental regulation.  When the banks ask us to prove ourselves then the government should be asking the banks to prove themselves on our behalf.  Not all of us are financially clued up to the workings of a modern day banking system and global economics – so instead of more oversight in the guise of “independence” there should be more carefully constructed guidelines and monitoring of the financial markets – so that our banks and government continue to be there to look out for us.

However as I grew older history started to make a lot of sense. History is the clue as to the reason we are the way we are. It gives us our identity – even if we are completely the opposite to our background it usually means that we chose it because of our past. How we act, talk, our actions are all preceded by thought which has been conditioned by our environment. Great! Lost the point I was making!

The point is that I know I can’t now detail my entire life in one entry however where to begin? I think the point I am trying to make is that I was content with others making decisions in my life even if that decision affected me directly or perhaps indirectly (such as a decision affecting all students at a school that I was attending for example). You take comfort in knowing someone somewhere will put you right. And I was not really fussed about my background either however when things started to go wrong I started to pay a little more attention.

Growing up you always believe that elders know best – be it teachers, career advisors, family, a partner, solicitors, politicians, professionals or the sales guy in a shop who clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about despite it being his job (and you have to prove yourself at your job – what about this guy?!). But as you get older and start getting involved with the issues at hand and you realise that they are just as lost as you and have little or no knowledge of certain situations and appear to be winging it.

There is also the complication that whilst some don’t know what they are doing there are also those who are insincere and not interested in your benefit.

That makes life a little scary. You always think that someone somewhere knows what he or she is doing. But the realisation that they always don’t know or don’t care can be unnerving.

One should always take charge even if they have little or no knowledge of the field. I always believe it is important to be the jack of all trade even if that means you’re the master of none. But the point is that if you’re the jack of all trades then like a true manager you will know more about the subject and will know who the best person is to handle the situation – or at least if the specialist gives you options you can make an informed decision.

Not everyone has your back and you need to have at least some common sense – or street smarts. I know this is sounding a little cynical and a little paranoid but whilst I am truly thankful for what I have achieved in my life it has been also due to a little groundwork on my part (with the help of loved ones) and not just accepting the advice given by others. However the exception is, I believe, loved ones who know you and whilst we don’t always agree with each other it is hard to ignore advice from people who have never let you down or who want to ensure you are not let down by others.

So what has brought me to these conclusions? Things have rarely worked out the first time around usually encountering a setback, minor or major, before I get started down the path I want. This has included academic choices (careers advisors), jobs, families, friends, marriage and divorce for example. There is a status quo that we believe and follow and despite numerous blows you get up and keep going. Sometimes an event really knocks the wind out of you – this is where I am. Now I am contemplating what’s happened up till now. I hope to get up and keep going but this is my flash back period if you like!

Well that’s what I’ll be detailing in the next few entries in an attempt to record my life and coming up to speed on my current situation. I feel that I have a lot of ideas and experiences that I wish to write down. Hopefully someone will find it of interest, perhaps relate to it or share their experiences.