Lashing out while cashing in

"I now have time to repair my health, which was destroyed by the stress I layered onto myself over the past two years, as well as my entire life -- where I had to compete for spaces in universities and graduate schools, jobs and assets under management -- with those who had all the advantages (rich parents) that I did not," he wrote. "May meritocracy be part of a new form of government, which needs to be established."

Showing outrage over Congress' failure over the last eight years to rein in "the predatory lending practices of now mostly defunct institutions," he urged that billionaire activist George Soros launch a forum to rethink the "corrupt" U.S. capitalist system.

Lahde closed by arguing for the legalization of hemp and marijuana. He called hemp "an alternative food and energy source" and labeled marijuana laws "ludicrous."

"My only conclusion as to why it is illegal is that Corporate America, which owns Congress, would rather sell you Paxil, Zoloft, Xanax and other . . . drugs than allow you to grow a plant in your home without some of the profits going into their coffers."

In other words: Put all that in your pipe and smoke it.

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josh.friedman@latimes.com