The Toronto Star reports:

Researchers say they have located the world's oldest stash of marijuana, in a tomb in a remote part of China. The cache of cannabis is about 2,700 years old and was clearly ``cultivated for psychoactive purposes," rather than as fibre for clothing or as food, says a research paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China.

Batteries of tests were performed on the substance. It had a high "THC" content. Other items in the tomb indicated the deceased was of "high social standing."

The tomb also contained bridles, archery equipment and a harp, confirming the man's high social standing.

Hope everyone is having a good Thanksgiving holiday.

Today is a big day in college football. You can discuss it here

Go Gators!!

This is an Open Thread for talking college football.

Looseheadprop, a former federal prosecutor who writes at Firedoglake, makes a last-ditch effort to derail the nomination of Eric Holder for Attorney General.

I agree Obama should have picked someone different, but for for much different reasons -- his position on drug offenses, his Biden-like endorsement of draconian crime bills and his closeness to Obama (a weaker but still troublesome comparison can be made to Bush and Alberto Gonzales) but I think Obama is so beholden to Holder for his work on his campaign, from the Veep Selection Committee on down, that it's hopeless. He sailed through his 1997 confirmation hearing for Deputy Attorney General. As I wrote here and here, [More...]

Share your thoughts.

When TalkLeft last discussed the prosecution of Lori Drew (background here), it was to criticize the Justice Department for exploiting a tragedy as a test case to create a new federal power to prosecute internet users who conceal their true identities on social networking sites like MySpace. Posing as a teenage boy, Drew used a fictitious MySpace identity to say mean things to 13 year old Megan Meier, who was a neighbor and former friend of Drew's daughter. Megan committed suicide, prompting a federal prosecutor in California to indict Drew for computer fraud, despite the decision of a federal prosecutor in Missouri (where Drew and Meier lived) to decline prosecution.

The prosecutor was plainly seeking glory. The good news is: he didn't get it. On Wednesday the jury acquitted Drew of three felony charges that accused Drew of obtaining "unauthorized access" of MySpace to inflict emotional distress on Megan. The bad news (at least for now): Drew was convicted of three misdemeanors. [more ...]

It's shop till you drop day. The same deals are available online, so why go out? If you bought anything fun, or found a great deal and wished you could, let us know.

If there's one thing I wish I could get today, it's this, to replace the one that was stolen in my home invasion two weeks ago.

If you've got anything else to discuss, from politics to your thanksgiving dinner and all other topics, here's a place for you.

I just turned on KBCO in Boulder. Like many great radio stations around the country, they are playing collectibles with fewer commercials today.

Playing now: The Rolling Stones, You Can't Always Get What You Want.

Which of your favorite songs did you hear on the radio today? (I'll get some great late night suggestions from them.)

What I'm thankful for right now: The thieves left my stereo (probably because it dates to 1978 and the amp weighs about 80 pounds.) As you look around today, what are you happy you resisted the urge to trade in or give away?

It's a great Thanksgiving tradition. Radio stations around the country today will play the 18 minute version of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, recorded in 1967.

Should you miss it on your local radio station and yearn for the original version, you can listen here (and read the lyrics too.) [Update: that link doesn't seem to be working yet today, try here.]

If you're wondering where Alice is, she's here.
Does anyone besides me still have a hardcover edition of her 1969 Alice's Restaurant cookbook in their kitchen? (Photo here.) It's filled with tasty recipes and very easy instructions.

This is an open thread.

Everyone knows you need connections to get a pardon from the President. When I first wrote up President Bush's pardons, the two that stood out to me were the commutations to time served for two drug offenders.

The mystery as to one of these two, the commutation of John Forte, has been solved. It's Carly Simon, who appealed to Orrin Hatch, who owed her for having recorded one of his songs. Gawker has the details.

Step One: John Forte goes to Exeter, makes friends with Carly Simon's kid, then makes friends with Carly Simon.
Step Two: John Forte goes to jail.
Step Three: Carly Simon records one of Orrin Hatch's soulful ballads and then is like "Okay now you owe me, old man."

Here's Carly in her own words pleading Fort's case. [More...]

Here is the NYTimes reporting on the attacks:

Coordinated terror attacks struck the heart of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, Wednesday night, killing dozens in machine-gun and grenade assaults on at least two five-star hotels, the city’s largest train station, a movie theater and a hospital. The Mumbai police said the attacks killed at least 75 people and wounded 240, according to preliminary reports. There were also reports that hostages had been taken in at least one of the hotels, with Americans and British nationals being singled out.

According to Cahiers du Cinema compilation. (Via Ann Althouse.)

Everyone has their own list of course, but it is hard for me to imagine that nothing from Roman Polanski made the list ("Chinatown" is my favorite film, but "Repulsion" should satisfy the art house insistent.) Plus, "Touch of Evil" makes the list? The other thing is "Once Upon A Time In America" over "Once Upon a Time In the West?" Not buying that one.

This is an Open Thread.

You may remember the case of Julie Amero, the teacher who allegedly exposed her seventh grade students to p*rn*graphy on a classroom PC. Amero's defense (not ably presented at her trial) was that she accessed no p*rn and that the computer was infected with malware that caused the p*rn sites to pop up faster than she could close them. Amero was nonetheless convicted of impairing the morals of a child and risking injury to a minor.

Before she was sentenced, with the assistance of a new lawyer and a host of new evidence, Amero persuaded the judge to give her a new trial. The case has been languishing for some time. Last week, because she "wasn't in condition to endure another trial," Amero entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and agreed to give up her teaching license. She was fined $100.

Amero's decision to put an end to her ordeal is understandable but unfortunate given the evidence of her innocence. [more ...]