HYDRO PLANE… Squid doesn’t need an excuse to celebrate the beauty of the buds. But then again, excuses never hurt a motivation-weak sport such as smoking pot. So Squid doesn’t mind the Mary Jane mojo that arrives each April 20, inspiring annual pilgrimages across the couch to the bong – and, this year, a 1,200-word smoke signal by the New York Times.

Citing a harvest of decriminalization laws and legalization revenue discussions among lawmakers, the piece points out that 4/20/09 comes in a climate so pot-positive it’s unprecedented. Whoah, bro.

“Any time you’ve got [Fox News’] Glenn Beck and [Rep.] Barney Frank agreeing on something,” the piece quotes Bruce Mirken, the director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, “it’s either a sign that change is impending or that the end times are here.”

Niiiice. But Squid would love for it to happen in a climate with more – any – late-night options for munch in the Seaside city the Weekly calls home, beyond Taco Smell or Pizza Slut. Not gonna get all worked up and demand local and sustainable fare at that hour – Squid’s too mellow right now – but a simple taco truck or two would do the trick. Or maybe Squid’s buzz is a little dull simply because Squid was so stoned Squid tipped the pizza man $8.

MILL STONES… Squid realizes some publications prefer to emphasize the positive side of life, to put it euphemistically. Take the current issue of 65° magazine, which awards Roger Mills a page to talk about the philanthropic roots of Mills Family Farms without ever getting around to mentioning that said company has shut down in financial disarray and that Roger and his brother Basil are buried in real estate debt from the ill-fated Monterra adventure. The article highlights the Mills brothers’ charity. “You need to give back to the community; it’s a biblical thing to give 10 percent of your income to the church,” Roger Mills is quoted as saying. Tell that to the Monterra investors who are still waiting for their life savings back.

Perhaps taking a cue from 65° and certainly from other Higher Powers, former Republican congressional candidate Jeff Taylor recently started The Good News Herald. We’re sensing a theme here. “We want to talk about people who made decisions to light candles instead of cursing the darkness,” the Herald’s website says. Adorned with scripture, the site encourages to submit positive articles and events – Squid assumes the request doesn’t involve positive treatments of, say, gay marriage.