Elliott C. Back: Internet & Technology

I wrote a long time ago that cannabis sativa may not be good for your health, and today I see that the University of South Wales, Sydney has published a research paper titled Heavy teenage cannabis use linked with anxiety disorders in late 20s. The article cites a noted relationship between teenage weed use and late-20s anxiety mental disorders:

Teenagers who smoke cannabis weekly or more are twice as likely as non-users to have an anxiety disorder in their late 20s, even if they stop using, a study of 2000 Victorian teenagers has found. [...] [T]he really striking finding say the authors is the persistent association between frequent teenage cannabis use and adult anxiety disorders up to a decade after cannabis use has ceased. The relationship between cannabis use and anxiety disorders was present even after the researchers took into account other possible explanations such as mental health problems in their teens or other drug use in their twenties.

The researchers note that causation has not yet been explained:

Professor Patton, lead investigator of the 2000 stories cohort, said that the findings could be explained by lasting changes to brain function caused by introducing cannabis at a time when the brain is developing rapidly. Equally it could be that the very factors which predispose people to use cannabis early also predispose them to common mental health problems.

The study itself notes a possible positive note:

There were no consistent associations between adolescent cannabis use and depression at age 29 years.

You can read the research paper (PDF) for yourself to get the dirty details.

There was a Victoria’s Secret model even in NYC that I dropped by a few days ago, where the models signed glossies for all their fans. I don’t feel particularly well-connected to that sphere of life and interest, but I found Selita Ebanks to be very personable. Interestingly, a couple of them were chatting each other up in Italian…

Did you know you can buy Michael Jackson’s white glove on ebay for the low price of $388,000? For future preservation, here’s the text of the article on the glove’s history:

This white glove with crystals formerly belonging to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee came from the Bonnie Doone Estate in Palomares Canyon, California, in the San Francisco Bay area. There are traces of pancake make-up in the glove. The crystals are faceted like diamonds. The Victorian farm house built in 1870 is pictured below and was in my family for years. When I sold it in 1995, I took the glove with me to Challis, Idaho.

We purchased this glove from the estate of Grammy and Emmy award winning performer Sammy Davis, Jr. at an IRS seizure auction in 1992. The Glove was in one of Sammy’s Louis Vuitton trunks which we purchased at the auction. The article from the Contra Costa Times discusses these trunks and the broad spectrum of items enclosed within. Michael personally presented one of his trademark gloves to Sammy on stage at a tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. We believe this occurred in the early eighties. If anyone has more information, we would appreciate it. The photograph, which was also from the estate, goes with the glove. Sammy always decorated his dressing rooms with photos of family and friends, many of which he took himself.

We will be selling many personal Sammy Davis, Jr. items on eBay over the next few months. Included in his estate were platinum and gold records, crystal trophies, awards, plaques, personal photos, and stage costumes. There will be enough to put together a museum.

Look at the other auctions for antique, vintage treasures from the estate. I will be selling more every month, such as oil paintings by California and European artists, original works by Pablo Picasso with provenance, cast iron and copper kitchen accessories, molds, weathervane, whirlygig, folk art, and much, much more. Unfortunately, the vintage Rolls Royce limousine in the photo has already been sold.