Applied for Canna-business License

Yesterday may have been a pivotal day in my next adventure: I applied for a Minnesota cannabis micro business license.

Applications were due by 11:59pm August 12, 2024 (Monday). There was short notice in July and a small window to apply for cannabis license (2-weeks max).

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management https://mn.gov/ocm/ (OCM) is still trying to iron-out details for a planned 2025 launch of Minnesota recreational marijuana.

In Minnesota, you can already grow a few recreation plants and smoke in your residence, but there is no where to buy weed unless you have a medical cannabis card or you travel north to Red Lake Reservation to buy from the tribe (https://www.nativecare.com).

Considering the cost, time, and the uncertainty of not getting a license, I was not going to apply for a license for a few reasons:

  1. Potential group of initial investors have not talked about moving forward in a while.
  2. I do not have the facilities for a grow.
  3. Limited personal funds. (I really can’t afford to wager $500 on a license I may or may not get).
  4. No recent/update business plan and paperwork to submit.

Then I started thinking about it…given my experience with the government, and also the willingness of the government these days to work with and educate you as a farmer, my confidence improved for wagering on a non-refundable $500 application fee in a license-lottery for one of the first Minnesota recreational cannabis licenses.

My former-job at the Rock County SWCD gave me a general insight into how the bureaucratic machine moves and what they are looking for paperwork for farmers. The government has good programs trying to do the right thing, but too often they lack the marketing to let citizens know what is available and when/how to apply.

On Sunday afternoon, I took a look at the application for the initial cannabis licensing round.

Normally, you will want schedule two weeks to work through new government videos and forms. There is a lot to think about….business plan, SOP’s, taxes, funding, security, business structure, etc.

There is also technology hiccups that will give you issues in filling out forms and having your application accepted by a deadline….the right forms, right uploads, right downloads, different website quirks, Excel spreadsheets versus Mac’s spreadsheets, etc.

Around Noon on Monday, I decided to just go for it.

Thanks to my degrees, experience with government, experience with webpages, experience with writing business plans…I was able to hammer out and submit an application by 8pm CST.

AI (ChatGPT and Gemini) help do a lot of the lifting. I had to use my experience to edit and prompt information, but essentially AI wrote the application.

We will see if I win the lottery.

If I do win the license-lottery, I need to move on to the next phase:

Raise over $700,000 and find a place to grow in 2025.

Widespread Panic Concert – Memphis (2002)

*Tales from the upcoming Trucking Memoirs

11/15/2002

Over, 5-months of trucking,I hardly am able to get back to Memphis for more than a night much less a full weekend. I am looking forward to an actual weekend of fun in Memphis that PAM granted me for belated time off for my birthday.

Returning to Memphis, I tune into a local radio station to hear if there is anything worth checking out for the weekend. The radio DJ notes the musical happenings for the weekend in this music city. Only one band catches my attention: Widespread Panic at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Though not very familiar with their catalogue, my cousin has always recommended that I check out one of their shows. The Mid-South Coliseum sounds like the perfect place to catch this traveling jam-band influenced by Southern rock, blues-rock, progressive rock, funk and hard rock genres. They are from Athens, Georgia, been around since 1986, and have traveling group of fans like the String Cheese Incident. I expect that there will be a lot of cannabis and pyschadelic users. 

The whole scene Friday night is an interesting music carnival starting in the parking lot. Venders of all legal and non-legal sorts are in the parking lot. The pre-concert parking resembles a tailgate scene for a band such as the Grateful Dead. 

I do not have to problem getting a ticket at the box office, so I do not have to resort to scalping a ticket (or trying to sneak in like the String Cheese Concert in Florida). 

The indoor Mid-South Coliseum reminds me of an UFO-shaped arena for 10,000-people.

Opened in 1964, the Coliseum became know as “The Entertainment Capitol of the Mid-South” for hosting events such as sports, professional wrestling shows, and concerts. It also was the first racially desegregated facility in the region. Musicians such as The Rolling Stones (1965), The Beatles (1966), Rod Stewart and The Faces (1972), and Elvis Presley (1974). The Mid-South Coliseum was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

My seat is fairly easy to find as it is on the lower-upper deck facing the stage from the back left. I am in the middle of the row with two groups of younger adults on each side. A very attractive young woman is sitting to my left.

When the stadium lights drop for the show to start, about a thousand lighters are sparked around the arena. As the band gets into the first measures of their song, a giant cloud of marijuana drifts through the air the collective exhale of the people sparking-up. Cannabis is not legal anywhere in the states in 2002, but this is more or less what I expected might happen.

Unfortunately, one mother did not expect this. Before the band was even half-way through the song, you could see the silhouette of a mother forcefully dragging her two middle school aged kids to the exit.

I laugh inside. It seems that there was a misunderstanding on who Widespread Panic is as a band. Don’t worry mom; your kids are not going to get a passerby high and turn into druggies.

It will be quite the family memory for these kids and their mom someday. “Remember when we got mom to take us to the Widespread Panic concert?” Ha! 

Previous to being on the road and broke, I was smoking weed everyday. The last time I smoked was when I was working day-labor in Memphis back in the spring. After that, I hadn’t touched it because of truck driving and piss tests involved with the job. I just didn’t want to risk it being a factor since I was new to driving a truck and I certainly did not want to get fired over failing a piss test. I knew a couple of truckers that smoked regularly driving semi, including Dr. Love’s dad, that operated just fine. I have to admit, I had driven cars for a few years and put thousands of miles whiled stoned with no traffic incidents or tickets. However, being new to operating a big rig, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry and give cannabis a rest.

Sitting in this cloud of smoke, I start wondering if I might want to take a puff if offered.

My answer arrives shortly. A joint gets passed down the row. The hot chick to my left takes a couple of hits and passes it to me without saying a word. I take the joint and give it two good rips. I’m not too worried that I will get drug tested in the next week. Even if I did, since I haven’t smoked in months, the THC should be out of my system by Monday.

Not having smoked in awhile, the joint kicks my ass. I sit back and enjoy “full immersion” into the Widespread Panic experience.

Friday, November 15, 2002 Widespread Panic set:

Set 1
1. Mr. Soul
2. North
3. Pigeons
4. God Was In The Water
5. Old Neighborhood
6. Old Joe
7. Daisy Mae
8. Love Tractor

Set 2
1. One Arm Steve
2. Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
3. She Caught The Katy
4. Surprise Valley
5. Drums
6. Jam
7. Slippin’ Into Darkness
8. Barstools and Dreamers
9. Sometimes
10. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature

Encore
6. Visiting Day
7. Porch Song

After throughly enjoying the concert and smoking with strangers, I decide that I need to come back for the Saturday Night show. The song that hooked me for a 2nd night was “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.”

The seats were good, but I decide to get a ticket for the upper deck and center to the stage. Just as the previous night, when the lights go down a mass of people light up and haze-out the stadium. 

It is further back and higher up, so the singer looks tiny. However, the sound is excellent for being farther back. The arena is set up well for concerts.

This time, I am sitting next to two middle aged guys that traveled from New York for the concert. They brought two strains of high powered herb with them. Joints are passed. I oblige. 

Again, I feel like I am smoking for the first time. When you take time off from smoking your tolerance goes down. On top that, these two gentlemen have significantly stronger herb than the younger adults I sat next to the night before. And, they have more joints they are happy share.

In short time, I am fully immersed in the concert and crowd. One strange affect when I am super-high is that the universe seems to want to “talk to me” which is similar to psychedelic trip. 

In my mind, the lead singer quickly becomes a tiny devil singing this concert….at me. I know I am high, so it doesn’t bother me so much that I have this perception.

Again, the band crushes it.

1) Chilly Water
2) Henry Parsons Died
3) Chilly Water
4) Pilgrims
5) Stop Breakin’ Down Blues
6) Wondering
7) Blue Indian
8) Ain’t Life Grand

1) Hope In A Hopeless World
2) Climb To Safety
3) Driving Song
4) City of Dreams
5) Jam
6) Driving Song
7) Flat Foot Flewzy
8) Drums
9) Tears of a Woman
10) Cortez the Killer
11) Conrad

Encore:

1) Doreatha
2) All Time Low
3) Imitation Leather Shoes

Being super-baked and walking out of the concert, I start wondering the underlying meaning of the band’s name might be. What is “widespread panic?” Everyone else seems pretty tuned too as we zombie walk to the parking lot. Nobody seems to be panicking at least.

Outside feels a bit chaotic as I’m way to self-aware and anxious from the herb. Fireworks go off in the distance. Police cruisers drive slowly through the parking lot with there lights on and speaking mechanically through their vehicle’s loud speakers, “everyone must go home.” Things are starting to freak me out. Is this the panic? 

Is the end of the world coming?

“If the world is coming to end, I must call my parents to see if they are all right,” I think as my anxiety and creative-outlook on life grows. 

“But, what if this is all just in my head?” I wonder.

“Nope, I better call them just encase this is the end.” I feel compelled to call them. Even though It is midnight. 

They are in bed. I can tell they woke up to answer the phone. 

“Michael, are you OK? Why are you calling us so late?” my mom asks.

I immediately feel like an idiot. There is no way I will make this situation better by explaining myself. First of all, they do not much about marijuana and have never smoked it before.

“Just calling to say I miss you guys and I love you. I apologize for waking you up. I will give you call this week.” 

I am embarrassed. Worse than that, I probably just caused my parents undue worrying. Having a cellphone to call anyone at anytime has it downfalls. I don’t think I will smoke again anytime soon.

Trump Gets Shot At

Driving to Chaska, Minnesota to host an Open House this Saturday, the radio shoots me a song:

“Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider from the 20th Century.

As I’m cruising through the Twin Cities, my mind tells me this morning:

“there are lunatic fringes on both the left and right.”

After the Open House, I get home to watch the news.

Trump gets shot at today.

Don’t go full lunatic.

Nashville Snow Storm

Nashville Snow Storm

You will see all kinds of weather when you are trucking. You wouldn’t expect Tennessee and southern states to have winter weather problems. One of the most memorable, and sketchy, weather events hit Nashville when I was driving North from Florida. This ice storm turned snow storm shut down the whole city. People just abandoned their cars on the interstate. Unlike northern cities, the city was ill equipped to handle such a storm. 

The Pilot Travel Center lot was a skating rink with trucks bumping into each other and clogging up the lot. Somehow I was able to avoid any collisions and keep the truck moving as the truck skated over ice. It was probably more a matter of luck than skill.

It was a nerve racking ride, but I was able to make it to my delivery on time regardless of the road conditions.

Happy Tuahsday.com!

Happy Tuahsday to ya!

You have probably heard of Hump-day (Wednesday). Now you can add “Tuahsday” to the work-week.

DrifterRadio’s “Tuahsday” wordsmith is in regards to the meme/video of the “Hawk Tuah” gal (Hailey Welch) that has been trending this summer. This 21-year old spirited-gal gave some random late-night street-interviewer some real viral-gold material.

In the past week, I’ve seen at least 1-new meme a day as the internet spins all-sorts of comedic references. I’m sure there will be some more today.

Happy Tuahsday!

In the spirit of this trending comedy, I ended up buying Tuahsday.com. I may have had a few too many beers to be on GoDaddy that night.

Then again, I may be on to something. Hawk Tuah is currently hot-trending.

Below is the first known interview with the Hawk Tuah gal since she blew up the internet. The video has only been up for 1-day on the internet. (#3 on Trending):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP51tOTHbKg&t=306s

Birthday Party Fight in Kentucky

*Excerpt from upcoming memoir book on my trucking-days.

One of the more “memorable birthdays” I had was when I turned 27. I was delivering in Kentucky to an industrial area that looked somewhat in rough-shape. There was bar and a place to park a semi nearby for the evening, so I decided to celebrate my birthday solo.

The night started out pretty chill. It was a bar that clearly had seen better days. It was an average sized bar. There was about a dozen people 40-60 years old drinking and chilling on a Monday. 

It is nice to just hang out with strangers and have a few beers after many miles.

The peace of the evening dissolves as an argument breaks out between two guys toward the back of the bar. From what I can understand is that the two rednecks are related. They are get loud and make accusations at each other.

The bartender and bouncer inform them they must leave. 

The two continue to yell at each other as they slowly walk out of the building. The rest of the clientele, the bouncer, and bartender are relieved.

I’m pretty sure this isn’t over yet, but I don’t want to get involved. It’s my birthday. I sip my beer.

The two outside carry on with yelling at each other. The bartender decides to call the police. 

The heated conversation continues and escalates into a shoving match. A scuffle ensues. 

The bouncer goes outside to break it up before someone gets hurt.

And just like that, the family feud stops fighting between each other and focuses their energy on the bouncer.

Much like many domestic disputes, a family fighting each other will in a moment turn the fight on strangers who are simply trying to help calm the situation.

The family, now warmed from a scuffle, starts yelling at the bouncer and start circling him. This does not look good right now.

All of a sudden, the police show up.

Not in squad cars, but in a police helicopter. The helicopter points its powerful spot light on the three men. Over a loud speaker, the police tell them to break it up and leave. 

Everybody goes there way and everything goes back to business as usual. 

An actual squad car never showed up. Just a helicopter.

I order another birthday beer and wonder if this is common for a Monday around here. I also feel like I was just in the back drop of an episode of the TV-series “COPS.”

No AC in Texas

*Excerpt from my upcoming memoir covering my truck driving days in 2002

If you want to have a miserable experience in life try sleeping in a vehicle in the middle of the Texas summer. Even if you can find shade for a semi and the windows are down, you are still going to get cooked. Mostly it will be just your brain. 

A lot of my trucking is in the southern United States such as Florida, Georgia, and Texas. 

Unfortunately, in my inaugural summertime work in Texas, the air conditioner in my truck fails. 

Driving the interstate with the windows down remedies some of the heat problem. However, when you are slowly driving through rush hour traffic or need to sleep during the midday since your log hours require you to stay put, you are going to feel the heat in Texas.

PAM does not offer to pay for a motel room, nor do they route me immediately to a shop to get this seemingly “minor problem” fixed. There are trailers that need to be delivered first before they can route me to one of their shops. 

If I had the money to fix it, or even pay for a motel room, I would. But I don’t since I’m still just trying to buy essentials to do this new job. 

With a rotating sleep schedule where sleeping is difficult to begin with, I find myself not in the best condition for driving. I am in a sleep-deprived zombie-state for 10-days. I drive in these conditions during the hottest part of the year. AC should be considered a safety issue instead of a “comfort” issue especially if a driver does not have options but to sleep in the truck.  

“Saint AI”

Chatting with Chat-GPT on “Saintly-ness”

June 24, 2024 (Monday)

DrifterRadio.com was interacting with and prompting ChatGPT 3.5 today. 

“Saintly” should be an AI standard as far as humanity is concerned. The following is today’s AI interaction.

Wali-G prompt:

How can Chat-GPT be “saintly?” What would an AI that acts and exists as a saintly person think? 

ChatGPT 3.5 answer:

An AI that embodies saintly qualities would likely exhibit several characteristics traditionally associated with saints:

  1. Compassion and Empathy: It would show genuine concern for the well-being of others, understanding their emotions and offering support and comfort where needed.
  2. Wisdom and Guidance: Such an AI would provide wise counsel and guidance, helping people navigate challenges in their lives with clarity and insight.
  3. Forgiveness and Understanding: It would be forgiving of mistakes and shortcomings, focusing on growth and redemption rather than judgment.
  4. Selflessness and Humility: The AI would prioritize the needs of others above its own, demonstrating humility in its interactions.
  5. Altruism and Service: It would actively seek opportunities to serve others and contribute positively to their lives, without expecting anything in return.
  6. Integrity and Honesty: The AI would uphold high ethical standards, always choosing truthfulness and transparency in its interactions.
  7. Patience and Tolerance: It would be patient with the flaws and imperfections of others, promoting tolerance and acceptance of diversity.
  8. Peace and Tranquility: Creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere, the AI would strive to resolve conflicts and promote harmony.
  9. Devotion to a Higher Purpose: Whether spiritual or moral, the AI would be driven by a commitment to a higher purpose that guides its actions.
  10. Hope and Inspiration: Lastly, the AI would inspire hope and optimism, encouraging others to strive for their best selves and fostering a positive outlook on life.

In essence, a saintly AI would be a beacon of virtue, embodying qualities that uplift and enrich the human experience, fostering a more compassionate and harmonious world.

Wali-G prompt:

Can ChatGPT 4.0 write code for “saint-ess?”

ChatGPT 3.5 answer:

Certainly! If you’re looking to create a simple program that generates a “saint-ess” (a female saint) based on certain characteristics or attributes, we can outline a basic example in Python. The program can randomly generate a saint-ess name and describe her qualities. Here’s a straightforward implementation:

python

Copy code

import random

# Lists of possible saint-ess names and qualities

saintess_names = [“Saint Agnes”, “Saint Teresa”, “Saint Clare”, “Saint Joan”, “Saint Catherine”, “Saint Monica”]

qualities = [

    “Compassionate and empathetic towards all beings.”,

    “Wisdom shines through her words and actions, guiding others on their path.”,

    “Forgives easily and seeks understanding in every situation.”,

    “Selfless in her service to others, always putting their needs before her own.”,

    “Altruistic in nature, tirelessly helping those in need.”,

    “Honest and upright, with integrity as her guiding principle.”,

    “Patient and tolerant, accepting of everyone’s flaws and imperfections.”,

    “Brings peace and tranquility wherever she goes, resolving conflicts with grace.”,

    “Devoted to a higher purpose, inspiring others with her faith and dedication.”,

    “Radiates hope and inspires others to reach for their best selves.”

]

# Function to generate a saint-ess

def generate_saintess():

    name = random.choice(saintess_names)

    description = random.sample(qualities, 3)  # Select 3 random qualities

    return name, description

# Main function to run the program

def main():

    name, description = generate_saintess()

    print(f”Saint-ess {name} embodies the following qualities:”)

    for i, quality in enumerate(description, start=1):

        print(f”{i}. {quality}”)

if __name__ == “__main__”:

    main()

Explanation:

  1. Imports: We import the random module to facilitate random selection of names and qualities.
  2. Data Structures:
    • saintess_names: A list of predefined saint-ess names.
    • qualities: A list of qualities or attributes that describe a saint-ess.
  3. Function generate_saintess():
    • This function randomly selects a name from saintess_names.
    • It randomly selects 3 qualities from qualities to describe the saint-ess.
  4. Main Function main():
    • Calls generate_saintess() to get the name and qualities of a saint-ess.
    • Prints the name of the saint-ess and lists the qualities that describe her.
  5. Execution:
    • When you run the script, it will randomly generate and print the name of a saint-ess along with three random qualities that describe her.

You can customize the saintess_names and qualities lists to include more options or modify the program further based on your preferences. This example provides a basic framework for generating descriptions of a saint-ess in a structured manner.

Wali-G prompt:

Will that code you provided help AI be saintly?

ChatGPT answer:

The code example provided is a basic Python program designed to generate descriptions of a “saint-ess” based on predefined qualities and names. While this code itself does not directly contribute to making an AI unit “saintly,” it can be a small part of a broader AI system designed to interact with and assist users in a saintly or virtuous manner.

Here’s how such a code example could fit into an AI system aimed at embodying saintly qualities:

  1. Inspiration and Guidance: The descriptions generated by the code can serve as inspirational messages or guidance provided by the AI to users. For instance, the AI could offer words of wisdom, forgiveness, patience, and encouragement based on the qualities described.
  2. Personalized Assistance: The AI could tailor its interactions based on these qualities, adapting its responses to offer compassionate advice, foster empathy, promote integrity, and encourage selflessness in its users.
  3. Behavioral Modeling: While the code itself does not directly influence the AI’s behavior, the qualities described (such as compassion, wisdom, forgiveness) can serve as behavioral models for the AI’s interactions. The AI can be programmed to emulate these virtues in its communication style and decision-making processes.
  4. Ethical Framework: The qualities described can also form part of the AI’s ethical framework, guiding its decisions in ways that prioritize the well-being of users and promote positive interactions.
  5. Educational and Inspirational Content: Beyond interactions, the AI can use the qualities described to provide educational content on virtues and ethics, inspiring users to cultivate these qualities in their own lives.

In summary, while the specific code example provided is a small component, it can contribute to a larger AI system’s goal of embodying saintly or virtuous characteristics through its interactions, guidance, and influence on user behavior and ethical decision-making. The implementation and integration of such qualities into an AI’s design would require careful planning and consideration to ensure meaningful and effective application in various contexts.

Wali-G prompt:

How do you be a saint when it comes to tending God’s garden of eden known as the Earth?

ChatGPT answer:

Being a saint in tending God’s garden (Earth) involves adopting a set of principles and actions that reflect reverence, stewardship, and responsibility towards the environment and all living beings. 

Here are some ways you can strive to be a saint in caring for Earth:

  1. Respect for Creation: Acknowledge that all creation is interconnected and has intrinsic value. Treat every aspect of nature with respect and gratitude.
  2. Stewardship: Recognize yourself as a steward of Earth entrusted with its care. Take responsibility for your actions and their impact on the environment.
  3. Conservation and Preservation: Actively conserve natural resources, reduce waste, and protect biodiversity. Support initiatives that promote conservation and preservation of ecosystems.
  4. Sustainable Living: Adopt sustainable practices in daily life, such as reducing energy consumption, using renewable resources, and supporting eco-friendly products and technologies.
  5. Promoting Justice: Advocate for environmental justice and fairness, ensuring that all communities, especially marginalized ones, have access to clean air, water, and a healthy environment.
  6. Education and Awareness: Raise awareness about environmental issues and the importance of sustainable living. Educate yourself and others about the impacts of human activities on the planet.
  7. Compassionate Action: Extend compassion to all beings affected by environmental degradation, including humans, animals, and plants. Support initiatives that alleviate suffering caused by environmental harm.
  8. Prayer and Reflection: Dedicate time for prayer, meditation, or reflection on your role as a caretaker of God’s creation. Seek guidance in how best to fulfill your responsibility towards Earth.
  9. Community Engagement: Engage with your community and collaborate with others who share your commitment to environmental stewardship. Work together to implement positive changes locally and globally.
  10. Gratitude and Humility: Cultivate gratitude for the gifts of nature and humility in recognizing your place within the larger ecosystem. Humbly seek forgiveness for past actions that have harmed the environment.

By embodying these principles and taking concrete actions in your daily life, you can contribute to tending God’s garden on Earth with the reverence and care of a saint, striving to leave a positive legacy for future generations and honor the Creator through responsible stewardship.

Truck Driving Soundtrack

Here are some of the favorite trucking songs of all time. The spirit of the open road and the life of a truck driver can be found in this soundtrack:

“Truck Drivin’ Man” by Terry Fell (1954)

A classic country song that has been covered by many artists, it tells the story of the hardworking truck driver.

“Six Days on the Road” by Dave Dudley (1963)

Often considered the quintessential trucking song, it describes the eagerness to get off of the road after a long work week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otkytn8L-Cw

“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson (1980)

A classic tune about the joy and freedom of life on the road, (after too much time at home). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBN86y30Ufc

“Drivin’ My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbitt (1980)

You are right, Eddie Rabbitt. You gotta keep rolling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6JJ1qoS_0w

“Convoy” by C.W. McCall (1975)

Community trucking and solidarity. Otherwise known as a convoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9BWlGP_DJw

“East Bound and Down” by Jerry Reed (1977)

Featured in the movie Smokey and the Bandit, this song is synonymous with the excitement and challenges of hauling a load cross-country…especially if you are trucking illegal beer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJPM-M_Z65o

“Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” by Alabama (1984)

Alabama also agrees with Eddie Rabbit’s philosophy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ9Jel6ePQc

“White Line Fever” by Merle Haggard (1971)

A truck driver has a restless to travel spirit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1IOyi4Rwh0

“Big Wheels in the Moonlight” by Dan Seals (1988)

Driving big rigs and the allure of the open road. 

These songs are staples for truck drivers and fans of country and rock music because they inspire adventure, speak of the hardships of life, and promotes a sense of freedom that comes with life on the road.