Blooming Ideas

Snoop Dogg appears to be in law enforcement's crosshairs lately. Last Thursday, Oct. 26 at 3:45 pm, he was arrested by Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena Airport Authority Police Department at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA. Parked in a passenger loading zone and unloading zone, Cordozar Calvin Broadus (a.k.a Snoop Dogg) was "contacted for a vehicle code violation," according to a Burbank Polic Department press release. "An investigation revealed Calvin Broadus to be in possession of marijuana and a firearm."

It's unclear why Snoop Dogg's vehicle was searched (a pungent smell emanating from the vehicle perhaps) and how much marijuana was confiscated. Sgt. Kevin Grandalski stated in an interview with Blooming Ideas that "we don't go into specific details. They have to have a reason for the search. Details will be provided at the trial."

Snoop Dogg posted $35,000 bail and was swiftly released. He will be arraigned on Dec. 12.

Bob Hope Airport public relations director Victor Gill told Blooming Ideas: "Possessing a firearm is a felony. I don't know about the marijuana. A search ensued. I can only confirm the facts." No photo of the confiscated items was released.

"There was no basis for this arrest," Snoop Dogg's attorney Donald Etra stated. "We believe that once this is cleared up, all charges will be dismissed."

On Sept. 27, while boarding a plane at the nearby John Wayne Airport, police confiscated a 21-inch collapsible baton from Snoop Dogg's bags. Orange County prosecutors have yet to file charges.

"He told us he was going to use it for an upcoming rap video," Airport spokesman Jim Amormino said.

Known for his marijuana smoking and advocacy, Snoop Dogg, who's appeared on the cover of High Times twice, has not commented on either event.

In 2000, he told High Times: "If the government legalized weed, the crime rate would go down. People would just wanna chill."

Co-host Redman (left) holds joint aloft on stage at the Stonys last Tuesday night when Weeds and Grandma's Boy came away with three awards each. Weeds co-star Justin Kirk (top right) and My Fair Brady co-stars Chris Knight and Adrianne Curry (second from top) took home Stonys. Chappelle's Show's Donnell Rawlings and Charlie Murphy (second from bottom) presented awards, and co-host and Stoner of the Year Doug Benson and Stony Achiever Jeff "The Dude" Dowd (bottom right) accepted theirs. For more Stonys photos, go to the Stonys MySpace page and watch the slide show.

PHOTOS BY GABE KIRCHHEIMER

My darling dog Suzie passed away today due to breast cancer. She was 14.

I found Suzie in 1992. She was a stray that my neighbors took care of for a few days. My previous dog Duke had died six months earlier. They recommended I take her. They'd already named her Suzie. She was so adorable - all white hair with pointy ears and a bushy tail - that I couldn't refuse. I took her out for a quick walk, then let her into my apartment and went off to work. When I came home, everything was fine. Then I took her out and she almost ran away. But I caught her and started the training process.

I never knew how old she was - though she was full grown, I figured she couldn't be more than a year old. She was definitely a pup. She was a mutt - but in time I figured out that she was mostly American Eskimo or spitz. I just called her the White Fox from the North. My mythical story had her traveling south through Canada to New York where she wound up on my Brooklyn doorstep.

Well, she sure tore up the apartment that first year - grawing through plastic bottles, cd covers, wooden spoons. Fortunately, she left shoes and furniture alone.

Suzie was quite the athlete. She could catch anything. I'd toss her scraps. She'd never miss. It became our pet trick.

One day when I was throwing her a ball I noticed her catch it over her shoulder. I took her out to the park with a Frisbee. I flinged it and she went right after it and snatched it out of the air. Suzie was a Frisbee dog.

Suzie and I did some traveling together. We went to a few Dead shows and Rainbow Gatherings (Alabama, 1994; Ithaca, 1995). She was a great traveling companion.

But mostly Suzie was an urban hound. In her younger years, she'd claim alpha rights over all females, but mellowed as she grew older. Of course, she loved males dogs.

When Suzie was 8 or so, I got her a male companion - Wiggles the beagle. He was given to me by my brother and sister-in-law. He was four and hadn't been behaving. But with a little help from me and Suzie, Wiggles soon became well-trained. They were a terrific pair.

If you're going to have dogs, I highly recommend having two so that they can keep each other company. Another thing was that Suzie had been diagnosed with arthritis. I'm convinved that having Wiggles to play with made her more active and may have extended her life. That and steady doses of Arthogen kept her hind legs limber.

I also have two cats - Minnie and Lennon - who got along great with Suzie. Let's face it, I'm an animal lover.

Over the last few years Suzie began to slow down. She had developed some intestinal problems. She also had a small tumor removed from her outer skin. Then the breast cancer hit and there was no stopping its detemined advance through her body.

Today, my veterinarian, Dr. Roy Appel gave me the difficult diagnosis. I had to let her go.

To all the dog owners out there - be kind to your dogs. They truly are our best friends.

Adios, dear Suzie.

Weeds & Grandma's Boy are big winners at 6th High Times Stony Awards

The suspense is over, stoners. Last night at BB King’s in New York, the 6th High Times Stony Awards were handed out in a packed club filled with celebrity stoners.

Weeds and Grandma’s Boy both snagged three Stonys each. Weeds was named Best TV Series and also won the Best Actor (Justin Kirk) and Best Actress (Mary-Louise Parker) awards in the TV categories. Grandma’s Boy was named Best Stoner Movie and also took the Best Actor (Allen Covert) and Best Pot Scene awards in the movie categories. A Scanner Darkly was named Best Movie/Drama.
Tommy Chong was also a big winner. He was named Top Pot Comic and a film about his life, a/k/a Tommy Chong, won for Best Documentary.

Jeff “The Dude” Dowd was given the Stony Achievement award for inspiring The Big Lebowski.

Among the winners and presenters at the Stonys were Jenji Kohan and Justin Kirk (from Weeds); Adrianne Curry and Chris Knight (from My Fair Brady); Charlie Murphy and Donnell Rawlings (from Chappelle’s Show); comedians Zach Galifianakis (from Dog Bites Man) and Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling; Ann Druyan and Allen St. Pierre (from NORML), directors James Toback, Nicholas Jarecki, Josh Gilbert, Paul Rachman, Steven Hurlburt, Dean Budnick, Gillian Grisman and Cevin Soling; Penthouse Pets Aria Giovanni and Krista Ayne; Guster's Ryan Miller; Jammys' producer Peter Shapiro; American Hardcore author Steven Blush; High Times columnist Bobby Black; and Dowd.

Hip-hopper Redman and comedian Doug Benson hosted the Stonys. Benson (from Best Week Ever) won the coveted Stoner of the Year award. Redman performed a 25-minute set after the awards concluded. The night ended with a short set by Herbal Nation and Divadelic (featuring George Clinton’s granddaughter, Sativa). Stretch Armstrong was the show's DJ.

For media coverage of the Stonys, go to New York Daily News ("Surveillance"), US Weekly (Oct. 26) and Washington Post.

The Stony Award winners are:

BEST MOVIE/DRAMA A Scanner Darkly

BEST STONER MOVIE Grandma’s Boy

BEST TV SERIES Weeds

BEST CABLE NEWS SHOW Real Time with Bill Maher

BEST LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW Late Night with Conan O’Brien

BEST REALITY TV SERIES My Fair Brady

STONER OF THE YEAR Doug Benson

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE Allen Covert (Grandma’s Boy)

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE Jennifer Aniston (Friends with Money)

BEST ACTOR IN A TV SERIES Justin Kirk (Weeds)

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV SERIES Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)

BEST POT SCENE IN A MOVIE Grandma’s Boy

BEST DOCUMENTARY a/k/a Tommy Chong

BEST FOREIGN FILM Stoned (England)

BEST SOUNDTRACK IN A MOVIE OR TV SERIES Dave Chappelle’s Block Party

BEST SONG IN A MOVIE OR TV SERIES “Lazy Sunday,” Andy Samberg & Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live)

BEST TV SPECIAL The Drug Years

BEST UNRELEASED FILM Wetlands Preserved

BEST STONER DVD Dreadheads: Portrait of a Subculture

TOP POT COMIC Tommy Chong

BEST PLAY The Marijuana-Logues

STONY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Jeff “The Dude” Dowd


MARQUEE PHOTO COURTESY OF STONY NOMINEE MICHAEL TULLY (he directed Cocaine Angel)

Wham star can't live without weed.

While taping an interview with ITV in Madrid, pop star George Michael smoked a joint on camera. "This stuff keeps me sane and happy," he commented. "I couldn't write without it. It's a great drug. It's very good for creative people."

He added: "There's not another drug in life that I'm glad I took but grass. I think my life might be somewhere else if I'd chosen another avenue. If I drank as much as I smoked, my god, I would be like Keith Richards."

Michaels has repeatedly been in the news lately for crashing into two parked cars and being found slumped at the wheel of his car. Earlier this year, he was arrested for possessing marijuana in London's West End. The ITV interview is scheduled to air in England on Oct. 31.

An album marking Michael's Twenty Five years as a recording artist is due for release on November 13.

In the Mets' 172nd game of the 2006 season they came up on the short end, losing 3-1 to the Cardinals in the 7th game of the National League Conference Series. Their World Series dreams were shattered by Yadier Molina's decisive 2-run HR in the 9th.

Met fans and sports cognoscenti will surely dissect the Mets' defeat to the Cards in fine detail. Here's my take: The Mets got to Game 7 using smoke and mirrors. They had a patchwork starting rotation. Some of their hitters didn't deliver in the playoffs, including David Wright, Paul Lo Duca, Jose Valentin, Endy Chavez and to a lesser degree Jose Reyes, who went 0 for 5 in the climactic game. They also didn't have faith in closer Billy Wagner when the NLCS was on the line (manager Willie Randolph went with Aaron Heilman instead of Wagner in the fateful 9th).

The Mets starting five needs to get younger. That can begin with Oliver Perez and John Maine, who both pitched well in pressure-packed playoff games. Add Mike Peltry, Brian Bannister and Dave Williams to that list. The return of Duaner Sanchez from the DL will boster the bullpen. Who will be in LF, RF and 2B next season? Figure oft-injured LF Cliff Floyd will not be resigned. Chavez, despite his flashy theft of Scott Rolen's HR attempt (see above photos), is better suited as a super sub. RF Shawn Green acquitted himself in his trial with the Mets. Look for GM Omar Minaya to replace Valentin with Alfonso Soriano, and pick up a pitcher or two.

Face it, fans: the Mets were a little green for the post-season. They'll be back and better-prepared next year.

CLICK HERE to read Barry Bloom's coverage of Game 7.

ENDY CHAVEZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP & GETTY

I'm featured in the new issue of TimeOut New York. The article ("The Bong Show," p. 78) previews the Stony Awards next Tuesday, Oct. 24 at BB King's in New York.

Here's an excerpt:


Thanks to Dan Avery for a fine article and photographer Roxana Marroquin for her quality pic taken in the High Times offices.

Tickets are still available for the Stonys. To buy tix, CLICK HERE!

After 162 regular season games and 8 playoff games it's all come down to this - the Mets MUST win tonight at Shea Stadium or they will be eliminated from the National League Championship Series. The NL pennant is on the line.

Last night's 4-2 loss to the Cards in Game 5 forces the Mets into a perilous predicament - they have to win the next two games to go to the World Series and face the hungry Tigers. Lose tonight, NLCS over - that simple.

So who do the Mets have going for them in their penultimate game? Rookie John Maine. People may remember that he was a throw-in in the Kurt Benson-Jorge Julio trade last winter. Now he turns out to be the Game 6 starter. Only the Mets could write such a script.

Meanwhile, Cards manager Tony LaRussa has somehow managed to have his ace Chris Carpenter in line for this start. Touche, Willie.

The Mets will need another Shea Stadium miracle in order to meet this challenge. You gotta believe, right?

DAVID WRIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF AP