drugs log

My Trip to the Hospital After Healthcare Reform Passed

2010-03-23T06:14:00.000+02:00

So, healthcare reform passed and I decided that the angry, old, white men in my area had to have something right. I mean, they are like American heroes. Right?

Representing the red, WHITE and blue!

In order to get a better perspective, I decided to head to most socially regressive state I know: Arizona.

I hopped into my old model Chevrolet (that’s American enough to blend in. Right?) and headed to my destination. Entering Arizona was really obvious; the sun seemed to get 100 degrees hotter and the sweltering, black road seemed to be caressing my wheels in an abusive relationship (One false move and it’ll pop them, but they won’t leave it, they know it loves them!). I parked a block away from the state capital building and got out to experience the atmosphere that is Arizona. The atmosphere was fucking on fire! After one step on the sidewalk I collapsed from the heat and lost consciousness.

Hours later, I awoke to the gentle face of a man with long, black hair and strange garb. He smiled gently and I took stock of my surroundings. I appeared to be in some sort of space shuttle; the small capsule shaped aluminum craft had many foreign artifacts all over the walls. No man could fathom what each of these strange devices were capable of.

“Hello, visitor…” I spoke calmy and looked the creature in the eyes trying to imply that I meant no harm and that maybe we could go hang out at the bar sometime.

“What?” he replied seeming very lost.

“You have strayed far from your home planet!” I asserted hoping to fill him in.

“Dude, I think the sun fried this guy’s brains.” he laughed toward another creature I had not previously noticed. Did they have invisibility cloaks?

AHHH!!!! ALIEN!!!

“I would love to explore then sexually, culturally and environmentally ravage your home land but I have some serious journalism stuff to get to.” I informed them, standing and heading for the hatch. They stared blankly at me as I fumbled with their locking mechanism and ultimately fell down their stairs and began wandering back toward the city. The aliens were conversing about whether or not they should’ve given me the special tea. But, I was already too far away to care.

The sun shone brightly on my back which was a good thing I guess. Boy scout manuals didn’t have enough nudity to keep my pubescent mind interested.

Pornmaster Pornberto Pornstar?

Soon, the dry desert landscape began to change. It seemed brighter and more significant. Clues to our existance lingered on the whispering wind and the tip of every saguaro spine. The sand flowed like an ocean and rattled like a snake. Wait, what was that? I spun toward the rattling sound and was confronted by a mountainous figure.

“Seth Meadows.” it spoke vacantly and raspy. Then a bright light emminated from the figure’s black robe.

“The card says his name is Seth Meadows and he is some kind of ‘reportoir”

Seth Meadows, Reportoir

“I think he’s coming to!” Another voice echoed outside of my head.

“WHY DON’T YOU ALIENS JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!?!” I screamed at the men in lab coats.

“Sir, you have been wandering around Phoenix drunk on dangerously high amounts of peyote tea and rattlesnake venom.”

“I’ve got a snake for you! In my pants!” I said defiantly at the man.

“We know, you ran out of pockets and started stuffing them in your underwear.”

“We need your insurance information, sir.” a chirpy, blonde nurse spoke up.

“Insurance? I don’t buy into that scam. I pay with cash (read: stolen goods/unwanted sexual favors)!”

“Sir, you don’t have any money in your wallet.” she replied, tilting my large rupee bag upside down to illustrate the sad reality that Internet writers only make fictional money and then blow it all on moonshine ingredients.

Fucking showoff!

“Well, we can arrange something else.” I said winking at the now horrified woman.

“It doesn’t matter. Money or not, you don’t have insurance. That’s a crime now.” Said a doctor, destracting me from flirting with the nurse. She seemed relieved that the racially charged dirty talk had stopped.

“What?” I stammered

“It’s part of the new healthcare reform. Every citizen has to have health insurance or face fines.”

“Oh, well, allow me to—” were the last words anyone in the hospital heard. So, now I’m on the run in Mexico. Also, got some decent medical care here. They give me all the pain killers I can eat. I guess America has become the new Canada. We had better learn Spanish. I already have it down a little.

“Yo tengo herpes! Muchos herpes!”

[Via http://diaryofseth.wordpress.com]

Caffine

2010-03-21T22:11:00.000+02:00

Both times I’ve had coffee in the past week, I feel like I’m snorting a fat line of cocaine. Granted I never drink the damn drug, but I swear it’s potency is comparable. Damn I feel like dancing in the coffee shop amongst all the junkies. I’m an introvert who’s drugs of choice make them surf the wave of extroversion. My whole life I’ve been searching for ways to naturally make myself turn inside out.

[Via http://plasticgun.wordpress.com]

Michele Bachmann on Health Care Bill, March 20, 2010, Tea Party Rally, Washington, DC, Fox News, Sean Hannity interview, Bachmann fights health care bill and explains truth, IRS big brother

2010-03-21T14:58:00.000+02:00

Michele Bachmann on Health Care Bill, March 20, 2010, Tea Party Rally, Washington, DC

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of MN was in Washington DC on Saturday, March 20, 2010 to speak out about the Health Care Bill and assure millions of Americans that if Obama and the Democrats pass this tax and control bill, she will fight to repeal it. She also assured Obama and the Democrats that they will lose control of Congress in November.

March 20, 2010, Tea party rally Washington DC, Tea party last stand

Michele Bachmann was interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox several days ago. She has studied the bill and speaks about over 16,000 new employees being hired by the IRS to enforce provisions of the Health Care Bill. This is one of the clearest manifestations of Obama and his thugs ratcheting up the level of government control and becoming the big brother of “1984.”

[Via http://citizenwells.wordpress.com]

Longing for sleep

2010-03-20T06:52:00.000+02:00

I am having trouble sleeping. As in, I am most awake between midnight and 2 a.m. I lie in bed, eyes buzzing behind the mask I wear to fool myself into the deeper darkness that is sleep, body begging for rest, mind for the longed for slowing to come. When they do come, the moments before sleep are delicious, like that moment right before one goes out before having a medical procedure, when they’ve given you the amnesiac drug so that you are obedient when they tell you to turn over so that doctor and assistants can put a tube up your butt to make sure that there are no nasty things growing invisibly inside you. You can be obedient but not embarrassed, though perhaps you are embarrassed even though you’ve been given the drug, it’s just that you don’t remember it. Which is fine with me.

The last time I had a colonoscopy, the anesthesiologist administered the potion into the tube in my arm and that sweet everything letting go feeling started to take over my consciousness. I looked up at my GI doc. “God, I love drugs,” I said. The last thing I remember is his slightly startled but understanding expression. We are both of a certain age. We can afford to remember those days generally — and inaccurately — referred to as The Sixties, with nostalgia. We did not burn out. Our eyeballs do not bug out of our heads as we panhandle on street corners. Nor are we glassy-eyed visionaries. We are highly respectable functioning members of society.

I wonder if he can sleep.

[Via http://newyorkrosie.wordpress.com]

Drug Advice and Support Session In Progress

2010-03-18T14:56:00.000+02:00

Drug Advice and Support (DAS) has now been running for more than 2 years. Over a million messages has already been sent on and over our service. On DAS we offer advice to people abusing and people affected by drugs. Here are some of the counselors hard at work and offering their time to help others. Salute to all the guys and to their families that allow and release these men do this work and help others that are destitute out there. All glory to God for giving us the ability to do this work.It is only by His grace.

[Via http://brentsjourney.wordpress.com]

Nine Grateful Things

2010-03-18T06:51:00.000+02:00

I don’t know why the number 9, but I was asked to name 9 things that I am most grateful for in life. Maybe 10 is just too many, even though there is possibly a million things to choose from. It does sort of make it more interesting.

1) That my mother survived near-death from breast cancer. That is is alive today, and will meet my own daughter, and that I have the chance to (slowly) build the relationship with her that we never had. I love her with all of my heart.

2) That said, I’m so grateful that my parents gave me a sister, and that she is alive and well, despite her difficulties in life. The same goes for my Dad. I’m grateful for my family. That they’re alive for the moment, that no matter how terrible they can be, or how horrible I am, they love me, and I have them to love.

3) I’m grateful for RJ. I don’t know if we are a match made in heaven, soul-mates, or anything else so cosmically connected. But I know he excepts me and loves me and protects me fiercely, despite whatever problems he himself also has. He tries, and when he can’t do it for himself, he does it for me. He makes me feel like I am on my way to becoming the person I’m meant to be, even if it takes a lot more work because I have to help him most of the way too. His support is a much different kind than mine. It’s raw and it’s full of strength and honest love. Mine is more thoughtful, more intellectual. Together, it works. I’m grateful for RJ. I’m grateful to him for giving me the daughter I’m about to have, who I’m also extremely grateful for.

4) I’m grateful to have the use of all of my senses. Some stronger than others, some weakened over time or by unnecessary force, or through abuse of various kinds. But I have them all for now, and I’m grateful for them, even if they sometimes work against me.

5) I’m grateful to have been born in North America. I’m grateful to be from one of the freest places I can possibly be from. I’m proud and grateful to be a Canadian. I could have been born into a life of hatred, abuse, death, and pain. But these things have only been elements of my existence, not my existence entirely. And for that, I am grateful.

6) I am grateful to be off of drugs. I am grateful to have survived those years relatively unscathed. I’m grateful that I still have hope, and that through it all, I never lost the ability to find a positive outlet, a peaceful way to purge myself of the toxicity of my existence at times… through music, through writing, through just the deep spiritual feeling of being connected so intimately to my pain, and being able to direct it towards creative adventures.

7) I’m grateful for my ability to inflect. I’m grateful that that ability extends to others, and that I can help those I love the most, when they need it, with advice I may not always be able to take, but that I care enough to give, and that it helps.

I’m grateful to have survived everything that I have come through. All that had the potential to become of me that never did, all of those terrible situations that I was able to escape from. The fact that I was able to keep some spark of hope and dreams alive during the younger years, and that I wasn’t permenantly damaged by the events in my older ones. I’m grateful that my heart has not always lead me astray, but has often saved me, through the sheer power of its will.

9) I am grateful for the great diversity of our planet, and I’m grateful when I have the energy and the foresight to plan ahead and then be able to witness this diversity in action. I’m grateful for my travels, for what I see while I’m away, for what I survive, the close calls I escape, the awe, inspiration, and spirituality I feel. I am grateful for the presence of God in my darkest hours.

These are 9 things. I’m glad I put a limit on this, otherwise, I think I would have been able to get into a very detailed list. I was able to attach some things on the tails of others, but all in all, I have a lot to be thankful for, or grateful for, and these are probably just a handful of them.

What are you grateful for today? Can you make a list if your own? Does it make you feel better to have that down in front of you, to see the good things about your life, amongst whatever else you’re dealing with? Does it bring back good memories for you? Does it make you feel like there is a life worth living? Does it make you feel like your life has already been worth something, something other than what you thought it might have been? Do you feel like, with things like this, with possibilities like this, with things to be grateful for, you can make it through whatever your troubles are? They can be the smallest things possible. Like the fact that I am so utterly grateful for my ability to love and appreciate music – because making it or listening to it, music has saved my life, many, many times. Whatever you’re grateful for, I can only hope it multiplies and spreads and grows, into a million more things for you to love about your life.

[Via http://sundaygrace.wordpress.com]

california over all

2010-03-16T22:55:00.000+02:00

Battling the Antichrist by Outlawing Microchips – an interesting piece written by a guy I presented with at a conference last year about crazzzy Christians trying to stop control of the Beast (damn him!)

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists playing a cover of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”

Stupid hipsters with their stupid food stamps

Sassy Gay Friend: Romeo & Juliet

Sassy Gay Friend: Hamlet

Sassy Gay Friend: Judge Jim Gray on the Six Groups That Benefit From Drug Prohibition. Oh wait, that’s got nothing to do with being sassy or gay. Or a friend. It’s worth a watch, nevertheless.

[Via http://welcometoflavorcountry.wordpress.com]

WARNING!!! FLUORIDE IS RAT POISON a Deadly Toxin...Our KIDS are Drinking, Washing, & Brushing W/ It!!! VIDEO

2010-03-14T05:13:00.000+02:00

Story on Mystery Substance Distracts from Fact Fluoride is a Deadly Killer

Kurt Nimmo

Infowars.com

March 13, 2010

The “investigative” team at WCVB TV in Boston ran a story yesterday about an unknown substance in fluoride imported from China. “Team 5 Investigates found the Amesbury Water Department pulled fluoride from its system amid concerns about its supply from China,” the news station reported. “Department of Public Works Director Rob Desmarais said after he mixes the white powder with water, 40 percent of it will not dissolve.” Desmarais said the residue clogs his machines and makes it difficult to get a consistent level of fluoride in the town’s water.

In the video report below, WCVB mentions melamine in food products and the heavy metal cadmium in toys imported from China while completely ignoring the larger and more important issue — fluoride is an extremely dangerous toxin that kills.

“Fluoride is added to the water most of us drink because the government believes it’s a safe and inexpensive way to prevent tooth decay.”

Fluoride does not prevent tooth decay. According to numerous studies, water fluoridation actually increases tooth decay. The AMA and others fallaciously claim that fluoride added to over 62% of U.S. water supplies reduces tooth decay. However, no less than six studies from dental journals show it does not and, in fact, may increase the likelihood of dental cavities.

Exposure to fluoride often results in dental fluorosis. Large numbers of U.S. young people — estimated up to 80 percent in some cities — now have dental fluorosis, the first visible sign of excessive fluoride exposure. Dental fluorosis consists of damage to tooth-forming cells, leading to a defect in tooth enamel. It is also an indicator of fluoride damage to bones.

WCVB TV’s own report reveals that fluoride is a deadly chemical. Near the beginning of the video, we are shown an industrial sized bag of fluoride at the Amesbury Water Department. “Sodium Fluoride,” a label on the bag warns, “Danger! Poison-Toxic by Ingestion.” The label states the chemical targets the heart, kidneys, bones, central nervous system, the gastrointestinal system, and teeth.

Studies reveal fluoride also attacks the immune and respiratory systems. It negatively affects blood circulation and accumulates in the bones. It attacks thyroid function. Fluoride also accelerates aging. Austrian researchers proved in the 1970s that as little as 1 ppm fluoride concentration can disrupt DNA repair enzymes by 50%. When DNA can’t repair damaged cells, advanced aging occurs. Researchers from Harvard University and the National Institutes of Health knew in the 1960s that fluoride disrupted collagen synthesis and increased aging.

Instead of the in-your-face danger of fluoride presented in the “investigative” news report, the intrepid reporters at WCVB concentrate on the mystery substance from China and connect it to melamine and cadmium. Talk about missing the forest for the trees.

The fluoride added to 90% of drinking water is hydrofluoric acid which is a compound of fluorine that is a chemical byproduct of aluminum, steel, cement, phosphate, and nuclear weapons manufacturing. “In this form, fluoride has no nutrient value whatsoever. It is one of the most caustic of industrial chemicals. Fluoride is the active toxin in rat poisons and cockroach powder,” notes Prevent Disease.

Moreover, hydrofluoric acid is used to refine high octane gasoline, to make fluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons for freezers and air conditioners, and to manufacture computer screens, fluorescent light bulbs, semiconductors, plastics, herbicides, and remarkably toothpaste.

Fluoride is a big time neurotoxin. Substantial research reveals it results in widespread brain damage and learning disabilities. Extensive research on fluoride and the brain has been prompted by studies from China, India, Iran, and Mexico discovering that elevated levels of fluoride exposure are associated with IQ deficits in children.

“Repeated doses of infinitesimal amounts of fluoride will in time reduce an individual’s power to resist domination, by slowly poisoning and narcotizing a certain area of the brain, thus making him submissive to the will of those who wish to govern him,” the chemist Charles Perkins wrote to the Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 2 October 1954.

Perkins explained how the Nazis exchanged ideas with the Russians on mass medication of a population through drinking water prior to invading Poland in 1939. “I was told of this entire scheme by a German chemist who was an official of the great IG Farben chemical industries and was also prominent in the Nazi movement at the time. I say this with all the earnestness and sincerity of a scientist who has spent nearly 20 years’ research into the chemistry, biochemistry, physiology and pathology of fluorine — any person who drinks artificially fluoridated water for a period of one year or more will never again be the same person mentally or physically.”

Both Nazi and Soviet concentration camps maintained fluoride administration to inmates to decrease resistance to authority.

However, of vital importance to our eugenics-minded rulers, fluoride has repeatedly been found to interfere with reproduction. “A few human studies suggested that high concentrations of fluoride exposure might be associated with alterations in reproductive hormones, effects on fertility, and developmental outcomes,” the National Research Council reported in 2006. In 1994, the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health published a study demonstrating a correlation between fluoride and reduced fertility and birth rates.

Fluoride is no longer confined to drinking water. According to the Agricultural Research Service, as of 2004 fluoride was present in 400 separate food and beverage items.

None of this was mentioned in the WCVB TV news report. Instead we are told to worry about melamine and cadmium, both certainly dangerous but nowhere approaching the threat level posed by massive fluoride poisoning.

As for the story researchers at WCVB TV, one has to wonder if maybe their cognitive ability to get to the bottom of the real story was seriously affected by a lifetime of fluoride ingestion.

[Via http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com]

I Don't Get Drunk. I Get Lit.

2010-03-13T22:28:00.000+02:00

I had a realization this week.

Before I tell you what it is, though, I have to articulate why this is significant. At least for me.

If I’ve had any extended conversation with you, you probably know that I’m not much of a partier. I prefer a small group of friends at a coffee house or diner to the bar/club atmosphere. I seldom drink (though when I do, it takes maybe two or three to turn me into a puking mess), and I’ve never been high (unless you count that time that, in a post-breakup haze, I was fed sleeping pills by my Gran and hallucinated a room full of Technicolor cobwebs emanating from the ceiling fan).

In scientific terms, I am Totally lame.

Pretty much, I feel that mood-altering substances are undesirable because they disrupt my cognizant perception of my surroundings, and interfere with my ability to act rationally. And if there’s one thing I value, it’s my rationality. If I decide to deviate from this and get drunk, it’s strictly social and in an atmosphere in which I feel secure. And where the people will forgive me in the morning.

But what I’ve always disliked about drugs and alcohol is how people use them as a means to escape. Had a really bad day? Get smashed. Girlfriend cheated on you? Do some coke. You just need to forget for a little while!

Except that…no. It doesn’t help the situation, it just puts off a solution. If anything, it’ll make things worse.

Since discovering that drinking can, in fact, be fun, I’ve relaxed on this position a bit. I still cringe, though, every time I hear one of my friends talk about getting drunk to ease the effects of a shitty situation.

But I might be just as bad.

I’ve been slacking on my reading lately. Other things have taken precedence, like Bioshock 2, the bread-baking kick I’ve been on, and generally having a social life. Yet this week, amidst new-roommate worries and hair-pulling situations at work, I put all of that aside and picked up The Shining for a good, nostalgic re-read.

And it hit me.

Like a ton of bricks

I’m an escapist reader.

When the chips are down, I retreat to my nice, safe world of fiction. It’s not just this week. During the holidays, when I was losing my mind with stress, I devoured four books over two weeks. And when I look back, it’s something I’ve always done, starting with my discovery of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series at the time of my parents’ divorce.

A library is to me what a crack den is to Amy Winehouse.

Why am I okay with this?

It’s always nagged at me that I read so much, when I could be out in the world experiencing more. Shouldn’t I be sad that words on a page are more exciting than my actual life?

Rationalize, Mal, rationalize.

I value whatever bit of intelligence I am capable of exhibiting. Hence my avoidance of activities that kill off brain cells – alcohol, drugs, and reality TV. According to multiple sources, though, reading makes you smarter.

I know, duh, right?

But this isn’t confined to reading non-fiction, which will undoubtedly give you more information about the world. Reading anything will make you sharper, expand your vocabulary, and hone your analytical skills (well, maybe not anything; we’ll have to cross off Twilight, as well as 90% of the Internet. But anything else is fair game). I can vouch that my thinking is clearer if I start my day off by reading a few pages, rather than hitting the snooze button five times.

So, if I want to maximize my understanding and perception of this world which I hope to explore, it’s not only my pleasure, but my duty to read as much as I can, right? I mean, it’s one thing to see the Louvre, but another experience completely to be able to place its artifacts in proper historical and anecdotal context.

I’m not a literature-addicted shut-in. I’m the intrepid traveler, belongings on my back and book in hand.

At least, that’s what I would like to think.

Reading also tends to relieve stress and mellow a person out.

Well, there you go. That explains why my manner is so easygoing, and why new acquaintances always ask me if I’m a stoner.

But most importantly, I think, reading can show you things, desires and goals, that you never would have recognized in yourself otherwise. In my literary adventures, I’ve collected a lengthy laundry list of places I want to see, and things I want to do (I vow, at some point in my life, to work with a traveling carnival in the Midwest). Reading can spark feelings and ideas within you, from dark, uncharted corners of your psyche, that might never have seen daylight.

Don’t you see? It’s your psychological duty to rescue these marooned inclinations from their desert island fates. Pick up a volume of Burroughs, Rand, or Tolkien and enrich your existence! Become intoxicated on the rich prose of Proust. Hook up a literary IV, and nourish yourself with some Nabokov.

Whew! Calm down, kid, before you hurt yourself.

Anyway, that’s the justification I’m putting forth for my disgusting acts of escapism. I’m improving myself. Yeah. Suck on that.

What’s that? You’re partying tonight? I’ll just be here with my (::sunglasses::) book.

[Via http://malsies.wordpress.com]

I Hate to Break it to You, but Mary Jane is a Filthy Whore

2010-03-13T14:33:00.000+02:00

Incredibly, these 2 guys weren't the least bit high when this was shot.

Okay, so here’s the deal. I’m going to be honest with you, because I like you. I work at a convenience store. More like an inconvenience store, but it’s only a temporary inconvenience. I will pretend it doesn’t bother me for the time being. I guess if it’s good enough for Kevin Smith, then it’s good enough for me and if the Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough for Cyndi Lauper, then I suppose they’re good enough for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Again, surprisingly not high. Except for Josh Brolin. He was probably high.

I could write blog upon blog upon screenplay upon book upon suicide note about all the crazy/annoying shit that happens on a nightly basis at the living hell that is my workplace, but for the purpose of this entry, I will stick to just one of the things that annoys me about my job. It’s something that has bothered me for a long time, but being a clerk has kind of put the microscope on it that much more often.

I hate t-shirts that glorify pot smoking.

This is one of the better ones and I still couldn't see myself wearing it.

I don’t give a shit if you smoke pot. I used to smoke pot. Most of us have. It’s not a big deal. And that’s exactly why you don’t need to announce to the world that you do so by wearing a silly t-shirt–usually one of those oh so funny ones that uses a famous brand name and/or logo and replaces it with a word or a pot leaf that lets everyone know just how edgy you are. McDoobies? Pot Milk? Marijuana-Mart? Weed Thins? Sativa Night Live? All so brilliant. Ugh. Do we really need more proof that marijuana destroys your brain cells with the delicacy of Hitler? I mean, c’mon. You don’t think the people that make these shirts are straight edge, do you? Are you even reading this right now, or are you riding a flying liger to Jupiter? Snap out of it, Smokey. Nobody gives a shit about your “hobby”. I don’t really care about the glorifying pot part so much. I just hate stupid t-shirts.

If I had to guess, in Hawaii (my home state) alone, I’d say 2/3 of people, if not more, smoke the sticky icky at least occasionally. I’d be willing to bet that as many people smoke pot in Hawaii as listen to Bob Marley. (By the way, on a side note, Bob Marley shirts have just about jumped the iron lion shark in Zion, too. Certain Bob shirts can slide, like the awesome one I got for 4 bucks on eBay that’s very understated and also features Bunny Livingston and Peter (McIn)Tosh, which makes it way cooler and far more authentic than the average BM garment. But most of the shirts featuring the undisputed legend are gaudy and disposable. {Oh shit. Now I fear that any heavy pot smokers reading this post will try to put their shirts down a garbage disposal. I don’t have the patience to explain to them what I mean by “disposable”. Just die instead.} Case in point: somebody walked in wearing a shitty Bob Marley tee the other day and my co-worker immediately knew which store the dirty hippie had purchased {or bartered for some “wicked rad, totally mellow, but still organic incense, bro” and/or awesome homemade bracelets “made with love”} the shirt/future cum rag from. Lawda mercy.) And pretty much everybody in Hawaii listens to Bob Marley. I swear to Jah.

Stop. You'll never be as cool as these guys. Just get over it.

There was a time when smoking pot was a pretty cool thing. Back when stoner films such as Up In Smoke may as well have been dubbed in Russian, because your parents had no idea what the hell everyone was talking about. But nowadays, even your mom smokes buddha. The soccer dad next door puffs that la. Your algebra teacher from high school dabbles in the dro. Even though I have no personal problem with smoking weed, it’s actually become a much cooler thing to say that you don’t smoke it. It’s just become too fucking popular. And yet I see a handful of customers enter my living nightmare clad in sparkly t-shirts proclaiming their profound love for all things pakalolo on a daily basis. (Pakalolo is the Hawaiian word for “marijuana”, which is funny because “lolo” means stupid. It literally translates to “the plant that makes you a complete dumbass when you smoke it…oh, and you’ll probably want to get some Cheetos while you’re at it. Those things are amazing. Did you hear an echo?”)

Vampire Weekend: Proof that awesome music can be made by guys who are not high on drugs or their own egos.

The only things that feel really cool to me anymore are things that are totally basic, but not very popular, or obscure parts of semi-popular things or obscure things in general that are only popular among really cool people, or the occasional popular thing that just so happens to be super awesome (see: Vampire Weekend). Marijuana doesn’t fall into any of those categories. Coming into 7-Eleven at 2 in the morning and staring at snacks for 15 minutes is not cool and neither is smoking pot. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s not cool either. It’s just a thing. A very popular thing. And we don’t feel the need to wear shirts that tell people we love those other really popular things.

So much better than pot.

That’s the best argument I can think of. It’s very simple. Pot has become as mainstream as alcohol. Even though marijuana is a specific type of drug, it’s still somehow super basic. It’s like a shirt saying “Drugs”. No one wears shirts saying “alcohol”. I don’t think Jack Daniels shirts are particularly cool either, but even those are cooler than an Ed Hardy ripoff shirt that instead says “Dred Party” and features a picture of a spliff that’s big enough to make Cheech & Chong comatose. Wearing a shirt that tells the world you love pot is like wearing a shirt telling people that you enjoy eating food. I would think that was stupid, too and I fucking love food! Wearing a shirt with a pot leaf on it is like wearing a shirt with a slice of meatloaf on it. (If you like meatloaf)

Not high. Just borderline criminally insane. But in a good way.

I’m wearing a Dunder Mifflin shirt right now, so I reserve the right to tell you how idiotic you look wearing a marijuana-hyping parody shirt. In my day, we just smoked pot. We didn’t talk about it. The coolest thing about it was how awesome it made Pink Floyd and Type O Negative sound. We didn’t need shirts. We had conversations. And music. And conversations about music. We didn’t talk about the pot or tell people we smoked pot. We’d just smoke it and then do stuff that was actually awesome, or stuff that would be normally really boring unless you were smoking pot.

Quiksta. He smokes the bombudd.

I will say one thing though, in defense of pot-ularizing marijuana: For some reason it still sounds cool (sometimes) when (some) people sing about smoking pot. It has worked wonders for DJ Quik, People Under the Stairs, Tom Petty and countless others. But talking about it ad nauseam, or wearing a hat or shirt em-blaze-oned with a pot logo or homage is played out like Cross Colours. It would be cooler to wear a shirt paying homage to heroin, cocaine or pcp at this point. And much bolder, too. Saying you smoke pot is about as edgy as admitting to downloading music illegally. Actually, that would be a lot edgier in 2010.

You don't NEED pot to enjoy Cpt. Beefheart, but it don't hurt.

Ah yes. Your sweet little Mary Jane used to be there whenever you needed a good time. She was fun and innocent. She’d come over every now and then and wouldn’t get too clingy. She smelled so sweet and always felt so good on your lips. With each breath you took in her presence, you’d fall more in love. But now Mary Jane is far too available and has spread herself way too thin. She’s the popular chick now. The skanky one. When you invite her over everyday, she becomes a problem. Not to mention the fact that she’s hanging out with everyone you know. Mary Jane is a slut now. She’s not something you wear as a badge of honor. She’s become a guilty pleasure. Smoking pot is like listening to the Backstreet Boys, or eating Pop Tarts for “dinner”. I would say she’s a “dark, dirty secret”, but there’s nothing secret about it anymore, which is why you should take those shirts off and burn them. If they’re made out of hemp, enjoy the sweet aromas and throw on some Captain Beefheart. Then put on a tie-dyed t-shirt instead. Even those are cooler than shirts about weed. Especially if it’s dyed with the blood of Cheech and the urine of Chong. Let your freak flag fly like a gay pride bumper sticker. Just don’t do it while wearing one of those silly t-shirts. It’s time to grow up there, Sparky.

Those days have gone up in smoke.

[Via http://sprsncyth.wordpress.com]

meh with a bit of meh thrown in there

2010-03-11T22:28:00.000+02:00

if by when the train comes you’re not here, i’m going to get on it. every time she walks down the street she glances back to see if i am looking. i am, i cannot help it.

Last night i had two dreams about you. or maybe you were in my dream twice. you seemed happy, you were smiling both times. i never see you do that. also, in one of the times, you were jogging, but you weren’t as skinny. you looked gorgeous. and you didn’t see me but you were smiling to yourself like you liked yourself and i thought that was brilliant because you never seem to like yourself.

if you touched me right now i would dissolve into millions of pieces. if i ever see you in real life, i will muster up the courage to tell you how perfect we are for each other. if i can’t, then i will drink a lot and then tell you. if you reject me i will be even happier. no one will ever love me like you do in my head.

tomorrow is going to be a shit day. without you, shittier. but maybe I’ll meet you at that party i’m going to. beach party? in 8 degree weather? that sounds like the type of shit you’d be into.

so i heard about this antidepressant that is not an ssri and it doesn’t kill your libido or hunger. i will be talking to my doctor about that. also, keep yuour fingers crossed for no lithium prescription. tomorrow i have a class that i haven’t attended more than once: we have a midterm next week i believe. fuckin a. i am really considering going home for a long time this summer. mostly because my summer plans kind of went to the shitter and i dont have any money to stay. or a job. i also miss my mum. everything that’s happened lately is rough.

I’ve been thinking about what could have triggered my bipolarism. i have no clue, it just started acting up over the summer. then i i read an article that said people have no fucking clue why bipolar people are bipolar. and that 25% of us commit suicide. i also think that before being bipolar i was unipolar. i didn’t think more bullshit names existed for depression, but i was wrong.

do you think it’s crazy if i want my life to be a TV show? i don’t even care which one.

no, more like this one:

[Via http://filthyfrenchthings.wordpress.com]

As simple as it gets, in 8 minutes, Judge Jim Gray explains why the war on drugs must end via Reddit

2010-03-09T14:42:00.000+02:00

“The Minister of Health of Holland held a press conference and said,’We, in our country, have only half of the marijuana consumption per capita as you do in the United States of America both for adults and for teenagers’…then he went on to explain why. You know what he said? He said, ‘We have succeeded in making pot boring.’ People supporting the status quo are on the wrong side of history.”

[Via http://jkdanh.wordpress.com]

Longevity secrets of France's invalid writer Voltaire - part 7

2010-03-09T06:07:00.000+02:00

Was Voltaire’s dyspepsia really due to the illness, or to all of the purgatives with which he treated himself? From a young age, he got into the habit of taking up to eight medicines and twelve enemas a month.

During his trip to England, he discovered a perfected machine for taking enemas. He was delighted. “It is a chef-d’oeuvre of the art!” he exclaimed. “You can put it in your gusset and use it when and where you like, you can use it all the time and wherever you are.”

Cassia and rhubarb were his favourite remedies, to which he added soap enemas. On this subject, something amusing happened while he was in Prussia as the guest of Frederic.

From Berlin, Voltaire had asked the king to give him permission to visit the different German courts. The monarch ordered a general, Count de Chazot, to accompany him and to pay for all of his travelling expenses.

Upon his return, the Count presented the bill to Frederic. The first article was a fairly hefty sum “for soap enemas at two kreutzers each” taken by Voltaire during the trip.

“What is this?” cried Frederic. “What apothecary’s bill are you presenting me with here?”

“Sire,” replied Chazot. “I will not deduct one denier for Your Majesty; for my bill is of the greatest exactitude.”

And the king had to pay it.

Another remedy which Voltaire used frequently was Stahl powder. He obtained the prescription from King Stanislas, Duke of Lorraine. We know the formula for this powder, which is a mixture of potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate and red sulphur of mercury. This powder was taken in pill form.

In 1747, Voltaire sent a message to Frederic: “I am tempted to believe that the Stahl pills would do some good to the King of Prussia; they were invented in Berlin and they have almost cured me of late.” Two days later, he wrote to the same sovereign, now his friend: “I haven’t yet found anything which does me more good than the real Stahl pills, and we have only bad copies in Paris… I beg Y. M. to be so gracious as to send me a pound of Stahl pills… “

Upon which, Frederic answered: “There would be enough to purge the whole of France with the pills you ask of me, and enough to kill your three academies [the Academy of Medecine did not yet exist]; do not imagine that these pills are sweets: you would be mistaken… I have ordered d’Arget to send you the pills, which have such a big reputation in France and which the late Stahl used to have made by his coachman. The only people here who use them are pregnant women.”

The Prussian king knew how to turn an epigram. Doctor Frederic was giving a lesson to Patient Voltaire.

In 1736, Voltaire had only just entered into relations with Frederic, when the king started worrying about Voltaire’s indispositions, taking upon himself to seek medical advice for the writer, and begging him not to give him continual alarms by his frequent health problems. “Your Royal Highness,” wrote Voltaire. “Is too good to have consulted doctors for me and to be gracious enough to send me a recipe which is better than all of their prescriptions.”

This recipe is contained in the post-scriptum of one of the king’s letters to his chamberlain: “I have a bit of amber for Cirey and I have some Hungarian wine which, I have been told, will be a balm for my friend’s health.”

Although Voltaire drank moderately – a demi-setier of wine at each meal is more than he needs - he likes to have excellent vintages, which his guests know how to appreciate. As for himself, he sticks to burgundy, or corton, which he tries to get as cheaply as possible.

The wine sent to him by the king is appreciated by him more for the thought than for the wine itself. He answered as usual by increased flattery. “I only have confidence in doctors,” he wrote to Frederic. “Since Your Royal Highness is the Aesculape who is gracious enough to watch over my health.”

The advice given to him by the king was not always to his taste, however. In answer to certain rather libertine offers, Voltaire declared to him “that he needed furs in summer, and not girls, and that he needed a good bed, but for himself alone, a seringe and the King of Prussia”.

The king was extremely attentive. If Voltaire had a temperature, he sent him the best quinquina that he could find. Was there a dish which pleased him, he was instantly served it. But what did Voltaire think of all of these favours?

“Digestion is the biggest point. When I have a colic, I chase away all of the kings in the universe. I have given up these divine suppers and find myself a little better for it.” The king had to leave him “entire liberty” to sup alone at home or not to sup, when he felt even more ill. Thanks to this tightening of his diet, he declared himself to be tormented less by his bowel problems and no longer held his abdomen with both hands.

But he had another problem. He said that he was suffering from sciatic gout which kept him in his room, at a bad inn in Lyon. He left this town shortly after, and went, all crippled, to the Prangins chateau, in the canton of Vaud, where “he waits for the end of a life filled with suffering”, in the hope “of going soon to the Aix baths”.

Unable to go, he fell back on drinking the mineral waters of Prangins, which he declared superior to the Forges waters, of which he definitely had a bad memory.

Eighth part tomorrow.

[Via http://marilynkaydennis.wordpress.com]

Illegal substances

2010-03-07T14:50:00.000+02:00

Sweden has very hard laws prohibiting narcotics and steroids. There is also almost no debate in about the possibility of legalizing drugs such as marihuana for medical use ether. Enforcement of the laws varies form of widespread drug testing, and penalties ranging from rehabilitation treatment, fines, and up to a 10-year in prison. Also a report by the UNODC lauded Sweden for having one of the lowest drug usage rates in the western world, however According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in 2005 the rate of drug-related deaths per capita in Sweden was more than twice that of the Netherlands.

However I don’t agree with Sweden’s drug laws, I believe that marijuana should be legal both fore recreational and medical use, but when it comes to heavier narcotics my thoughts are thorn… if it were legal it would take a lot of the funding away from criminal organizations, but it could increase the abuse. And even thou Sweden see itself as a country in the forefront on the fight on drugs, I know a lot of people have tried illegal drugs and almost everyone know how to get drugs.

[Via http://kevinrov.wordpress.com]

Longevity secrets of France's invalid writer Voltaire - part 5

2010-03-07T04:24:00.000+02:00

Up until the age of fifty, Voltaire’s stomach will be the seat of his tortures, the source of all his apprehensions.

He started talking about his bad digestion from 1720, at the age of twenty-six. Three years later, he wrote to one of his correspondents that “his health and his business affairs are in an incredibly delapidated state [...] that he is so ill that his pen is dropping from his hand”.

That is when, on the advice of people who had benefited from it, he thought about taking the waters at Forges on his way back from his first trip to Holland, where he went as an exile, and where he led “a life of dissipation, which went as far as disorder”. He had hoped that the Forges waters would restore his health but, far from being successful, they tired him more.

“I won’t take waters again,” he declared. “They do me a lot more ill than they do me good. There is more vitriol in a bottle of Forges water than in a bottle of ink.” Which didn’t stop him from returning to these same waters the following year.

He started to feel better, but the amelioration didn’t last and, with his habitual exaggeration, he declared that these waters were more than harmful. “The Forges waters have killed me,” he wrote to a friend. At most, their prolonged use would have made his dyspepsia worse.

This is when he decided to treat himself with whey. However, almost at the same time, he called in a doctor who made him take cinnamon essence, while another doctor prescribed something entirely different. In the end, he didn’t know which drug to take.

On the advice of Mme de Bernieres, he decided to consult Silva, the fashionable doctor to see at the time, the doctor for delicate dispositions. The oracle assured him that “the pieces of an iron ball were as good as the whole ball”, and that there is nothing better for the digestion. Voltaire was weak enough to believe the oracle but, after experimenting, he gave up this weird digestive remedy and recognized that “diet is better than all the balls in the world [...]“.

“Health has at last been given back to me,” he wrote joyfully to Mme de Bernieres. “I have found my gaiety again [...]. I warn you, my dear queen, that Mr de Gervasi and all the doctors of the Faculty of Medicine will be of no use to you, if you do not have a strict diet, and with this diet you will be able to do marvellously well without the waters… “.

However, Voltaire cried victory too soon. This calm will be short-lived.

Sixth part tomorrow.

[Via http://marilynkaydennis.wordpress.com]

Making A Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging

2010-03-06T06:03:00.000+02:00

Psychotropic drugs. It’s the story of big money-drugs that fuel a $330 billion psychiatric industry, without a single cure.

The cost in human terms is even greater-these drugs now kill an estimated 42,000 people every year.

And the death count keeps rising. Containing more than 175 interviews with lawyers, mental health experts, the families of victims and the survivors themselves, this riveting documentary rips the mask off psychotropic drugging and exposes a brutal but well-entrenched money-making machine. Before these drugs were introduced in the market, people who had these conditions would not have been given any drugs at all.

So it is the branding of a disease and it is the branding of a drug for a treament of a disease that did not exist before the industry made the disease.

WATCH IT HERE

[Via http://freeviewdocumentaries.com]

An Open Letter to the People & Government of Ireland

2010-03-04T22:43:00.000+02:00

To Whom It May Concern:

I feel compelled to write this as again it is in the headlines about the miss-treatment of the young people of our country. In the Dáil today there was a debate about the publicising of the report into the death of the tragic Tracey Fay. Tracey was a girl with a troubled background who eventually made it into the care system and died as a result. Last September the RTE programme Prime Time reported on her case and the deaths of a total of 20 young people in care in the last ten years. On this programme Minister Barry Andrews the Minister for Children spoke about the improvements that have since been made and inferred that a case like Tracey’s could never happen again.

Having worked on the periphery of the services that deal with cases like Tracey’s I can categorically say that this is not true. They system that is being talked about is that of ‘Out of Hours’. The Out of Hours system deals with young people whose care or home placements have broken down and there is not a suitable mainstream placement available. It is intended to be an emergency system but in reality young people can end up spending months and in some cases years within it.

The heart of this system is a social work placement service which is facilitated through Garda stations. It requires the young ‘out-of-home’ person to present at a Garda station after 8pm and request to be placed by Out of Hours (OOH). The Gardaí then ring the OOH social work team and inform them of the young person requiring placement. The team then come and assess the young person and if it is not feasible for them to return home they are placed in emergency accommodation. For the over twelve’s this takes two forms: a new residential unit in Donabate, North Co. Dublin, which provides 24hr emergency care to ‘new presenters’ (that is any young person that has not been though the OOH system before) and a hostel in Dublin city centre which provides shelter from 8pm until 9.30am.

The logic behind the 9.30am ‘check-out’ time is that young people of this age should be attending school. However, if a young person’s life is in so much chaos that they arrive in the OOH system it is reasonable to expect that they are not attending school. This means that during the hours of 9.30am and 8pm these children have nothing to do but roam the streets of Dublin. In the past there were drop-in centres for these young people to attend but the same attending school logic removed these services. In their place was put an appointment only keyworking service which also provides lunch from 12-1pm. To make up for this lack of services children between the ages of 12-17 can be given a social welfare type payment at the discretion of their social worker. This is in the region of €30-€60 per week. How anyone can feel that this is a means of caring for these vulnerable children one is never to know. This system leaves children wandering the streets of Dublin city with nothing else to do but get in trouble. It can, and does, lead to crime, drug abuse and prostitution. It also leaves children vulnerable to predators and the negative influence of the adult homeless (many of whom are a product of the same system).

How can a wealthy country (and even in this current recession we are wealthy) justify treating its young in this way is beyond me. Minister Andrews speaks of the difficulty of providing care for the ‘challenging’ children; however, if the interventions were put in earlier it may never have got to that point for many of the young people. Tracey Fay was identified by the health services when she was 8 months old. She was not taken into care until she was 14 years old. I was astounded when the Prime Time programme came out in September and what I had known for a long time was now in the public domain yet the massive outcry and demand for reform that I expected did not happen. What does this say about our society? Do we not care? Are we that self absorbed that children being left to rot in a seriously dysfunctional system does not concern us? I call on the people of Ireland to speak out; to tell their friends, neighbours, colleagues and the government that this is not acceptable, that we will stand for this no longer, and that there must be change. Tell me, do you care enough?

[Via http://niamhfeeney.wordpress.com]

Eat Fresh!

2010-03-02T22:31:00.000+02:00

When I was 18, I started to head the route of college by enrolling myself at the local university in my hometown. I declared graphic design as my major and started taking classes, one of which included typography. I went for exactly one month before I decided that I’d rather kill myself than trace fonts on sketch paper six hours each week for an entire semester. No, really, I tried to kill myself; I’ve got the hospital records to prove it. It was that bad. After some further psychological evaluation, I was cleared to be on my own again. Yeah, you heard me correctly. The hospital deemed me sane enough to enter back into society. Now you’ll know who to blame when I take over the world and force all of the stupid people to get red “X” tattoos on their foreheads. Hey, it’s a fantastic idea; my aim is much better when there’s a target.

I decided after my brush with death that either I really needed to study up on effective suicide methods, or I needed to figure out what it was that made me happy. Considering the fact that I had already eaten my entire bottle of Costco-sized Ibuprofin and secret hoard of Vicodin the week before, I chose the latter and did what any single white 18-year-old female looking for stability did: I jumped ship and moved to New York City. From Idaho. With $400 in my bank account. Even at a young age I must have been a master manipulator to get my parents to go along with this; my Mom is pretty much a free and encouraging spirit, but my Dad just recently came to terms with the fact that I am no longer a virgin, so you can imagine how hard it was to give his seal of approval. He’ll tell you that moving to NYC was the worst decision I’ve ever made because that’s where I discovered cocaine. I say it was the best decision I’ve ever made because I learned so much about life. Plus, that’s where I discovered cocaine.

One late night, I was riding in the subway with my three female roommates. As usual, we were slightly inebriated and giggling as if we had just watched a stranger viciously club George Bush in the back of the head, when Becky stopped abruptly and stared directly behind me with a look of horror on her face. I sensed her sudden change in mood and instinctively turned my head to see what could possibly have ruined her jovial mood.

“Tsk!” She reprimanded suddenly to catch my attention. When I looked back at her, she slowly leaned into me and, with a whisper, said, “Whatever you do, do not turn around.”

Whenever anyone tells you to not turn around, what do you do? You turn around. She could have told me that the most repulsive thing in the world was behind me and I would have turned around. Even if she said that Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold were giving each other sweaty fellatio right next to me, I would have looked. Oh god. Just thinking about that made me vomit a little in my mouth. Sorry, give me a second to compose myself and I’ll continue. C’mon Miki, think good thoughts…Ryan Reynolds naked circa Amityville Horror. Brad Pitt beating the shit out of Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and then fucking her on the broken debris. Telling Heidi Montag she’s fat. Ok, I’m back. I apologize.

I think you get the gist of it: I turned around. And there it was. Not within the vicinity of my face, not near my face, not even close to my face; right in my fucking face. An Asian dick. No, not Jet Li, like an actual Asian penis. The first and only one I’ve ever seen. Within cumshot of my eye. There’s nothing like a midnight subway flasher to sober you right up. I didn’t know what to do so I gasped, turned my head and shrank away to the left. I hoped that it was all just a figment, a miniscule figment at that, of my imagination. Well, it wasn’t, but thankfully the dude got off at the next stop, where I proceeded to yell, “That dude just put his dick in my face!” repeatedly while pointing in his direction. Thankfully, we weren’t the only intoxicated group on the train, and some man’s man ran off to chase him. I’m hoping it was to kick the shit out of him, and not to get a piece of that action.

I was shaken, but I recovered quickly and soon I was back to myself, slightly less innocent after being exposed to the cruel reality that was the underground New York City Asian pecker flashers. If Jared tried this form of the Subway diet, I’m sure that he would lose more weight; this 6-incher, make that 3, would make anyone lose their appetite.

[Via http://oomikioo.wordpress.com]

Oh no!

2010-03-02T06:37:00.000+02:00

It seems I have lost the ability to get drunk.

This will not do.

So, I said I’d give it up. It lasted a month. I just want to feel some chemical joy. Let me pretend that my laughs are real and that I am jolly and the life of the party. Let me pretend that I am comfortable talking to people and that I have no fears.

Let me be the fierce woman my peers seem to think I am when I swager out with the boys, bottle in hand and belt out some crazy Rock Band vocals.

Let me escape my mundane world.

[Via http://bittercupgonemad.wordpress.com]

Happy Anniversary To Me

2010-02-27T14:52:00.000+02:00

Four years ago today, I started the original Oz’s Funhouse blog over at Blogger.com. And while I did take more than three years off starting on November 22 of that year, I suppose this is technically the fourth anniversary of the debut. To celebrate, I plan on downing a couple of “Hillbilly Mimosas.” E.G., drink an entire bottle of champagne in one go, wash it down with a pint of orange juice, and repeat. Ahh, sweet nectar.

Alright, so I do that every weekend morning. Maybe a few weekdays, too. What of it? Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? It doesn’t make me an alcoholic either, if that’s what you’re thinking. For one thing, alcoholics go to meetings. For another, they’ll drink anything. I, on the other hand, only partake of the finest spirits.

Anyhow, thanks for ruining my anniversary celebration with your bullshit guilt trip; I’ll be sure to poop on your cake the next time your birthday rolls around.

[Via http://oswaldcarver.wordpress.com]

The Devil's Drug

2010-02-27T06:44:00.000+02:00

Woe to the CHDer who develops an arrhythmia. (irregular heart beat) The problem is, it seems we all develop one sooner or later, and the choices we have to combat it are limited. Certainly pacemakers and ICDs are available, but those are expensive. So is an ablation; so often, we start with a drug regimen.

One of the best Antiarrhythmia drugs is Amiodarone, because it can control the irregular beats fairly well and there is less of a chance of a proarrhythmia. A proarrhythmia is a new or more frequently occurring arrhythmia that is triggered by the use of antiarrhythmia drugs. It’s diabolical – using the drugs that can calm down an irregular heartbeat can actually cause more irregular beats!

Oh, boy.

Amiodarone is pretty good about not causing proarrhythmia, but that is probably it’s one positive factor. Dr. Rich is convinced that Satan himself invented it – it’s that nasty!

For the drug to become effective, it has to saturate the body. So at first you are given a “loading dose” – a high dosage of the medication to get the patient to the proper level of the drug in their blood quickly.

Most of the time a drug is eliminated through the bloodstream, taken to the kidneys where it is filtered out, and the eliminated through the body’s natural waste disposal system. Not Amiodarone, no sir. The only way you get rid of it is by getting rid of cells. That’s a naturally occurring process, but it is slow and you can’t speed it up. Sometimes it takes a year for the Amio to completely clear your system.

And while it is in your system, it sets up shop in every organ of your body.

Possible liver damage? Yep!

Possible lung damage? Got you covered!

Thyroid damage? Amio is on top of that, too! In fact, you know that rough spot on the bottom of your left foot… well, you probably can’t blame Amiodarone for that one.

But every year you are on the drug, you’ll be visiting your eye doctor for an examination. Not the usual eye exam, mind you, but he’ll be looking for deposits in your eyes caused by the drug.

And you’ll have a lung function test every year, also. You’ll sit in a small walled in area that looks like a phone booth with a plastic tube in front of you. You’ll be asked blow as hard as possible into the tube, blow, blow, come’on empty your lungs! Then you’ll inhale as much as possible; you’ll hold your breath then blow it out – several different lung exercises. You’ll want to bring a friend with you – there’s no reason that you can’t drive home yourself, but you’ll be exhausted from the exercises. And they’ll repeat this test every year to make sure that your lungs aren’t being damaged by the Amiodarone.

If you haven’t guessed, this stuff isn’t very usuer friendly. There are newer drugs available that do not cause proarrhythmia (Yay!) and do not have the side effects of Amio (Yay again!) but isn’t as effective. (Aw, man!)

So if this drug is recommended to you by your doctor, you probably do need it. But have a long, honest discussion with your physician about the benefits and side effects of Amiodarone.

[Via http://tricuspid.wordpress.com]

March 2nd SAMHSA National Methamphetamine Webinar on LGBT Log-in Information

2010-02-25T22:16:00.000+02:00

Source: SAMHSA email 2/25/10

LGBT Populations and Meth: Updates for Addressing Challenges and Maximizing Opportunities

Date and Time: 3/2/2010 – 12:00pm to 1:30 pm (Mountain)

Description:

The LGBT Populations and Methamphetamine Webinar will include updates on research, treatment, and efforts on state and territory levels to address challenges and identify opportunities for work with LGBT populations around methamphetamine and substance abuse. Highlights will include an overview of data and research issues; results of a national survey regarding availability and accessibility of LGBT substance abuse services; research summary regarding substance abuse trends among gay men and non-gay identified men who have sex with men; information about Getting Off: A Behavioral Treatment Intervention For Gay and. Bisexual Male Methamphetamine Users; unique issues surrounding substance abuse and transgender individuals including barriers for services and research and recommendations; an overview of substance abuse and lesbian and bisexual women including barriers and recommendations; and an examination of psycho-cultural conditions for LGBT individuals and substance abuse.

Webinar Details

This webinar will provide both an online presentation and telephone audio. We recommend that you log on to the webinar at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Please note that to participate in the web presentation you may be prompted to download software. To ensure full access to both the web presentation and telephone audio, please follow the directions below:

To Join The Web Presentation

1. Go to https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/

2. Enter Log-in Information (below)

3. Click “Start Now”.

4. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

Meeting #: PW1746984

Passcode: 7892434

Audio Dial-in Information

Dial-in: 800-369-3338

Passcode: 7892434#

[Via http://picnewswire.wordpress.com]

Chew On These Numbers

2010-02-23T14:56:00.000+02:00

Chew on these numbers. While you do, remember YOUR health is YOUR responsibility. If you continue to not take care of your nervous system through specific chiropractic care, if you continue to eat the same crap food that “everyone” else is eating, if you continue to chose not to exercise because you are “too” busy, then don’t be surprised when you become one the the U.S. Health Care Numbers. You don’t get sick- You “DO” sick.

U.S. Health Care By the Numbers

$2 Trillion Dollars a Year Spent on Health Care (The size of the economy of China)

Taxpayers pay for 44% of this

16-20% of GDP

GM $5.2 Billion on Health Care ($1600 for every car)

US Consumers more dissatisfied with their care than other nations

~50 million uninsured

34% of Americans believe medicine can cure any illness as long as people have access to advanced technology and treatment

$6,100 per person spent on health care

Health premiums have risen 98% since 2000

Medical bills are leading cause of bankruptcy in US

1/5 of Americans have medical debt they are paying off

70% is spent on Chronic illness

Cardio and Stroke–$210 billion

Cancer–$192 billion

Diabetes–$92 billion

Obesity-Related–$75 billion

Arthritis–$22 billion

$1 out of every $6 goes to health care. It is estimated to grow to $1 out of $5 by 2015.

Will grow to $12,320 per person in 2015, almost double the 2005 figure of $6,683.

May grow to $4 trillion in ten years.

Medicare hospital insurance will become insolvent by 2019.

5% of sickest Medicare beneficiaries account for 47% of Medicare expenditures

During the last six months of life, the average number of doctor visits is 41.5 in New Jersey; 17 in Utah.

For each illness studied, higher mortality rates were found in the regions with the most intense care.

According to the WHO, in terms of life expectancy, the United Stateslags far behind most other comparable nations.

US ranks 28th in infant mortality among 39 industrialized nations.

Compared with 30 other countries, the United States has the highest incidence of all cancers

The United States ranks 37th according to WHO’s assessment of health care systems throughout the world.

Americans receive on 55% of needed care (RAND)

The Institute of Medicine states medical errors account for at least 100,000 deaths per year.

Others such as Null et al have been more critical asserting that:

The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million.

The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million.

The total number of iatrogenic deaths is 783,936 annually

Leape of Harvard estimated that in the United States 180,000 people die each year as a result of iatrogenic injury. The equivalent of three jumbo-jet crashes every two days.

195,000 people die each year in hospitals due to preventable errors

Other Estimates range from 225,000 – 284,000 deaths

One million error related non fatal injuries yearly

Negligence or errors in diagnosis account for 30-40% of malpractice payments

18 types of errors account for 32,600 deaths and $9.3 Billion in extra costs

Preventable drug related errors in OP’s cost $77 billion yearly

Doctors spend ½ – 1/3 of time on paperwork

Admin costs are 30% of all health care spending

According to Public Citizen, medical malpractice kills approximately 80,000 people per year.

Public Citizen stated that if this number is correct than medical malpractice is the 3rd leading cause of preventable death in theUnited States just behind cigarettes and alcohol.

Only about 15% of medical interventions are supported by scientific evidence…This is partly because only 1% of the articles in medical journals are scientifically sound

Get responsible for your health,

Dr. Vince Hassel

Wellness Expert

[Via http://hasselfamilychiropractic.wordpress.com]

The Complacency Compound

2010-02-23T06:08:00.000+02:00

Everything is real. The view outside the window. Those are really mountains. The books on the shelves were pressed in Toronto, New York, London, San Francisco. The gallon jug of water on the credenza is to help hydrate the first night – the Crossover – the slow and painless descent into the Numb you will feel for the remainder of your natural life.

–

Against the rules, I am brought through this world – as a tourist, as a vigilante, as a prisoner – to see and experience it firsthand. No one wonders. No one reads those books. There are CDs, tapes, records and the machines and speakers to play them, but the only sound in the air is that of footsteps. All the people here move slowly, deliberately, with purpose. The restaurant has servers that bring you food, just like Outside.

Interest is against the Rules.

Creativity is against the Rules.

Even the vehicles are real.

The resident rooms are mostly the same. When one arrives, they have a preprogrammed roommate. He will say that he is from a small village in Western China, on the banks of the Nu River, which is the Salween downstream in Burma, or whatever they call it these days. He will say that he trades stones and handmade ornaments for American baseball cards.

He is an American, caucasian. An overweight twelve-year-old from Indiana, Kansas, Southern Illinois with a corresponding accent. China is his story though, and he does not know that it is not true, and the newcomer never questions it. There is no reason for it to not be true, so it is (this is how They judge how fit one is to be released into ’society’).

–

I spend my last coherent evening in this room thinking about the future I could have had. Who was I out there?

The first thing They seem to take away is the ability to feel strongly, passionately about anything. I was a poet. A photographer. I traveled to countries where I could not speak the language, just to find out what would happen when I tried to communicate. There was a girl out there. I was supposed to see her today – her name was Katie. We would have driven far into the mountains, or to South America, just for fun. We would have drunk bottles of Shiraz, or Sauvignon blanc, watched a film, laid in bed philosophizing between endless minutes of kissing, or comfortable silence, body worship. I think I loved her. And she will never know that, because I am in this place, and I do not need such things anymore.

The Indiana-China boy is rattling off his story. He is told to shut up, is ignored, and finally he goes to sleep. There is something in my head that is trying to crawl out -

…on the roof, as we tap our heels about -

smiles abound…

and I am speaking aloud, to the walls. The sound flutters between them and is ugly. It bothers me only for a moment. I’m a bit tired. What was I saying? I was telling the Chinese boy something. Maybe not.

Lie down on the white cotton sheet bed. Close your eyes. Tomorrow, you’ll wake up and everything will be okay.

–

You won’t think about war, death, or love. You will feel, of course, happiness and productivity and accomplishment. Teamwork will make you stronger. We encourage the sharing of peaceful stories – stories of simple things. The pleasant breakfast you had in Cafeteria this morning. The fairness of yesterday’s match. A successful day at the Council Office.

–

I have been shown this world and it is a mistake. It is a crime against Human Nature to breathe this air – this manufactured, cloudcreating air – to feel this constant ease. Passion and wonder are enemies here. The gentleman with the subtle and charming British accent (forever implacable for he never says much at one time) will approach us. He will be carrying a syringe that will represent the end of our lives as we have known them. We will be a part of the Collective Unconscious. It is peaceful here.

We walk past the once-rowdy group of rugby players. They are calmly focused on their sewing machines. White cotton fabric, as far as the eye can see. There is no use for the farsighted here.

This woman I’m showing around is a psychologist, or a psychiatrist. I forget which. I’ve brought her here in hopes of her doing something about it, this criminal place. She seems excited. Her professional, forest green suit and maroon blouse ruffle loudly as she moves about to study the Focus of the residents here. Because I know about the British man and his needle, I tell her to be Calm. Act like a Robot. We are on a Battlefield.

I have not been assimilated yet.

The water in the fountains does not shimmer here. All light seems ambient, from elsewhere. Shadows do not follow anyone. There is little color. no one gets upset when I bump into them as I walk past, or even says Excuse Me, or I’m Sorry. They just go about their business, carrying dishes or whatever. Every room is interconnected. Everything is inside. There are no gardens, no trees. There are windows, and the views seem so real, I could jump out of one and land Splat on the concrete below. And that would be more productive than staying here, enduring the British man with the needle and the silence and the smiles with no source.

We are becoming conspicuous. There must be cameras lurking. They wouldn’t be so pompous to think that whatever their drug or hypnosis is would be so unfailingly effective the results could go unmonitored.

It occurs to me now, my second time in this place, under the cover of my pretend Apathy (for few have a ’second’ time here), that bringing a shrink into an Experimental Reality may not have been the wisest choice. She is in Heaven. They would not assimilate her if we were caught – they would hire her.

–

I had brought her in hopes of her understanding the injustice, the prisonlike reality of this place. How everyone acted just the same. How illegal this has to be. Her appreciation and compassion for the fragile mind of human beings would jolt her into action. Her hourly rate would become something tangible, patients worthy of being explored beyond their childhoods of the last part of the twentieth century – the Drughaze Generation, she calls them. Us.

She would be the expert witness in the trial of Their Downfall. She would explain that these people, though seemingly complacent, are being held against their will. That these are Artists – painters, sculptors, writers, inventors of toys and worlds, poets, musicians, collectors, travelers, philosophers, glass blowers, dreamers, and storytellers – people for whom the world exists on a romantic, inspirational level. That their skills and passions and peculiar, aloof perspectives have been taken from them, suppressed, their cognitive awareness arid, transparent.

Playing with dull knives is never fun.

She would explain that while yes, the human brain is malleable, it is considered inhumane to mold one not belonging to you without explicit consent, on an expressed and individual basis. This is an entire society. Reinvented.

To which the defense attorney would reply with a convoluted and rhetorical question about everyone is the place giving consent, knowing full well what the deal was (I will not entertain his vocabulary here). That every artist and musician, whose primary tool is their freedom, yes, every one of them signed on the dotted line. Imagination was too much for them. The art, the music, the words meant so much that they wanted them to just disappear. Vanish.

bullshit.

My expert witness, the shrink, would see though all of this immediately, and pointedly remark on the density of her inquisitor’s narrowminded perspective. Something about materialism and lassitude. She would walk away from the witness stand victorious. The Defense Council would hang their heads in shame, for they know of their loss. And we would have our Dalis back, our Hendrixes, our Vonneguts and Darrells and Smiths and Thompsons and Kafkas. Their deaths were well constructed. Fitting, even.

But they never happened.

–

I am playing the part, and acting it well. I am the Angel’s Advocate. This is my personal Railroad, my path to Enlightenment. I have made an awful mistake. Judgment has been compromised. So I keep her on her toes, as if there is violent and fiery danger around every corner. I try to keep her attention on the Ethics of the thing, so that her mind doesn’t wander to the wasteland of my own thoughts.

She is in Heaven.

For a few careless moments, I lose my own Focus. We are in a public Living Room, decorated with mass-produced still lifes that use just enough color to get the point across, and not a shade more. On a brightly lit glass shelf, there is a CD player. On another, books. Unread, but dustless.

–

It’s a bad habit of mine sometimes, to walk into a bookshop and dislocate the entire day, my fingers running softly along the spines of new and old, hard cover, soft cover, special editions, signed, unabridged, annotated, torn, vandalized, read, owned many times but never opened books that make those trademark, lovely soft cracking and tearing sounds when I flip through gilt-edged pages, as if it was an Encyclopedia Britannica – at least then there would be an excuse for it never having been read. But this is Leaves of Grass. On the Road. Huck Finn. Rousseau. Eggers. Shakespeare. This is Blasphemy, Cultural Ruin, the puzzle pieces to my joy and elation.

I’m always looking for the Poetry. Sometimes the section exists, other times I smirk at our absence. Underground Superiority: a façade for my disappointment. Those thin an numerous volumes by authors I’ve never heard of, will never see again. Poems, by ______. Tumbling Down the Stairway to Heaven, by ______. Sunsets: A Collection of Poetry, edited by ______. Through the Mirrored Woods: Poetry by ______ (1976-1993). These are typically the books one can pick up, read one or two haphazardly chosen pieces, and essentially know the rest. Poets tend to stick to their styles, especially in the same book. Consistency and all. Sometimes the style is rhythmic and inspiring and it is quickly realized that a gem of infinitely greater value than gold is spreading wide open for you to indulge in its intimate secrets. That you are holding beauty in your dry and cracked hands. Blood and scars and pen marks, nails cut too short. Ink is your connection.

Moving on to make sure they have the quintessential, my eyes scan the shelves and every emotion is registered and loved and every memory held onto for just a moment. Poe, Dickinson, Ginsberg, Hopkins (often a ghost), Neruda, Whitman. I might open one, flip to my favorites quickly because I know this edition and just so I can see the words in print instead of just in my mind’s eye: Here the Frailest Leaves of Me on 109, Spelt From Sibyl’s Leaves on 86, Lost in the Forest on 132.

I’ll roam the shelves for hours, following only my instincts, smiling at old affairs, remembering the job I was fired from for reading The Savage Detectives, the missed phone call about my grandfather’s death because Hand was talking to the lady in the airport about World War II and I couldn’t peel away for the chiming bells, a marathon romp inspired solely by one unerotic but lascivious sounding passage from Up in the Gallery, the exploration of every available intoxicating substance available in a meager attempt to keep up with Raoul Duke and his attorney. These are the chronicles of my life, and I visit them often. Twain, Thoreau, Hesse, cummings: my childhood friends – Tilbury Town the community I was raised in. Valentine’s 1945 in Dresden my awful family vacation.

–

I pick up one of the shelved books and flip through the pages – back to front (I’m lefthanded). I read a paragraph, and am lost. My Plight of Freeing Passion has been absorbed by this dangerous book. The shriveler is looking at a couple sitting at a table, studying them. I know this moment will be the end of my life.

I tapdance to the CD player, and intently place whatever CD I first pick up in the slot. The volume is up. I run over to the forestclad scholar, tell her to get the hell out of here. It’s over. Tell the story. Write the song.

She’ll be caught and offered a signing bonus. She’ll probably up the Ativan dose for Pablo. Zoloft for Hunter. I tell her to please give me Cyanide. Quizzical look. I’m done. She’s frightened. Panicked. She runs in her heels for the wide and shadowy stairway. It leads to the real world, one with epic mountains and irritating mosquitoes and grizzly-sounding Aussie poets and homicidal whiskey. One where there is freedom to rhyme in everyday conversation and paint masterworks with tomato sauce. To run your fingers over a flesh and blood sculpture and then go create one from clay. To play and laugh and dream and swear and gamble your favorite hibiscus shirt away. That, over there, is the Stairway to Heaven, and the notes within it may well be the Portal to Aural Expression, or even Divinity itself, but Jimmy Page is in here, insuring the soilent green is fit for human consumption.

Here comes the man with the British accent and the needle. He says something to the tank of a man walking with him.

The accent. He’s from Leeds.

[Via http://structuredroots.wordpress.com]

Hollywood Goodfella: top member of Sinaloa drug cartel extradited to U.S.

2010-02-21T21:57:00.000+02:00

Vicente Zambada Niebla

A man accused of being an influential, second-generation member of the Sinaloa drug cartel was extradited from Mexico to the United States on Thursday on charges he helped move tons of cocaine from Colombia to California, New York and Chicago. Vicente Zambada Niebla

Full Story

[Via http://af11.wordpress.com]

Be Sober

2010-02-21T14:42:00.000+02:00

Be Sober

In the previous post, I shared Scriptures that both condemned drunkenness and revealed that spiritual drunkenness is a judgment sent by God on the disobedient. Now I would like to examine the Scriptures that command us to be sober, and examine 2 “proof texts” used by false teachers who peddle the evil spirit of drunkenness. All Scriptures are in the KJV version.

Amazingly, the phrase “be sober” (or its equivalent) appears 12 times in the New Testament! For simplicity, I have included only the parts of the verses which apply to our study, but I encourage you to look up the verses in your Bible or Bible program.

Scriptures Commanding Sobriety

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. I Thess. 5:6-8

A bishop then must be…sober, of good behaviour…I Tim. 3:4

Even so must their wives be grave…sober…I Tim. 3:11

For a bishop must be blameless…sober…holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Titus 1:7-9

Note: the teachers peddling spiritual drunkenness are neither holy and temperate, nor are they holding fast the faithful word and sound doctrine.

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith…Titus 2:2

The aged women likewise [sober like the aged men], that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness…Titus 2:3

That they [the aged women] may teach the young women to be sober…Titus 2:4

Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. Titus 2:6

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Titus 2:11-12

Note: The grace of God that brings salvation teaches that we should live soberly! To be given to a drunken state–regardless of how it is achieved–is to follow worldly lusts.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Peter 1:13

Note: Those who are not sober minded are not “girding up the loins” of their minds. Their minds are open and vulnerable to attack!

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. I Peter 4:7

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. I Peter 5:8

This is a command with a terrible consequence for disobedience! My friend, if you refuse to be sober minded, the devil is going to devour you. These words of warning are from the Lord for our good.

The command to be sober has gone out to the bishop, the bishop’s wife, the aged men, the aged women, the young women, and the young men! That’s EVERYONE! Are you going to obey the Word of God, or are you going to obey some staggering teacher who is clearly in rebellion against God and desires to defile you as well?

Examining the Scriptures The Drunkards Twist

First, we must have a close look at Acts 2:1-18.

1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place…

4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

First, I would like you to observe that when the men spoke with other tongues, there were people present who understood their words in their own languages (vs. 6). In fact, they heard them speaking the wonderful works of God (vs. 11).

Second, observe that the ones who accused these men of being drunk were mockers (vs. 13). Mockers are not known for speaking truth.

Third, observe that Peter did not use this occasion to teach the crowd that a new way to get drunk had been given by the Lord. He did not say, “No longer do you have to buy wine; now you can get drunk spiritually–come, get some!” In fact, Peter quickly corrected the false accusation with, “These are NOT drunken”! (vs. 15) Can it be any clearer? They were not drunk!

If one reads to the end of the chapter, one can see that Peter used this miracle to point to Jesus–Jesus had been crucified by sinners, raised up by God, and now it was the crowd’s responsibility to repent and believe the gospel! Nowhere did Peter teach that spiritual drunkenness had occurred.

Next, let’s look at Ephesians 5:18.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.

This verse is often used to say that instead of being drunk with wine, we should be drunk with the Holy Spirit. I submit to you that being “filled” with the Holy Spirit is NOT the same as being “drunk.” The Christian is commanded to be sober; therefore he must be filled with the Spirit and sober at the same time. The term “drunk” should NEVER be used in conjunction with any work of the Holy Spirit, who always promotes sobriety and holiness. Let’s examine the immediate context to see what Paul meant by being “filled with the Spirit.”

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Eph. 5:18-21

So we see that those who are filled with the Spirit will build themselves and one another up with Psalms/spiritual songs, they will abound with thankfulness to God, and they will submit to one another in the fear of God. If you continue reading, Paul goes on to talk about loving one another. Being filled with the Spirit produces love for God and men.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Gal. 5:22-23

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17

The Holy Spirit empowers hope (Rom. 15:13), gives joy (Acts 13:52), empowers witnessing (Acts 1:8), encourages speaking the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31), comforts those who have the fear of the Lord (Acts 9:31), sanctifies (Romans 15:16), and teaches (I Cor. 2:13). Nowhere does the Holy Ghost, who is first of all HOLY, cause or condone the sin of drunkenness.

There are mockers among us telling us to get drunk spiritually. They are blind leaders of the blind. They claim spiritual drunkenness is a “higher plane” or “something deeper” to be sought after. They are like the serpent in the garden telling Eve that she can have more knowledge than God has allowed. Had Eve been at her husband’s side and submitted to the Word of God ALREADY given, she would not have been deceived. And if the church would remain glued to the side of Jesus (her husband) and be submitted to the Word of God ALREADY given, she also would reject this evil “drunk in the spirit” doctrine, seeing it for what it really is–the same old serpent offering the same old bait on the same old hook.

Be not deceived. The Lord has already commanded, “BE SOBER!”

[Via http://israeliteindeed.wordpress.com]

Color Me Relieved

2010-02-20T14:39:00.000+02:00

Excellent news. My lead criminal defense attorney, Buzz Goldenlog, just called to assure me that I won’t be facing any criminal charges over my latest dead hooker incident. Let’s just say that Buzz is close, personal friends with the county coroner, who’s positive that the autopsy will tell a sad story about a girl with a weak heart and a head full of dangerous — and very illegal — drugs in her system when she died.

None of which were provided by me, mind you. I only use prescription medication, and certainly not in a recreational, share-it-with-party-guests manner. Wink wink nudge nudge, eh?

Of course, this does mean that my dream weekend is shot to hell. For some reason, the other two prostitutes didn’t want to hang around after their friend died. And when I saw the third one floating in the pool, I panicked and flushed my stash of Oxys down the toilet. Oh well.

Probably for the best. I’ve already received a sizable stack of applications for my open butler position, and I should really start lining up some interviews if I don’t want to have to do any work around here. I’ll let you know how it goes.

[Via http://oswaldcarver.wordpress.com]

Solitude, Save my Skin By Josh Griffin

2010-02-20T06:38:00.000+02:00

I am an angelheaded hipster

-especially eccentric-

writingwritingwriting

backwards words somehow making sense

while sitting on grass ground

beneath metallic sky

contemplating the human seraphim

and Moloch’s participation

with every pig in three piece suits

trees tying themselves in knots

to hide from the innumerable chainsaws

of the industrial environmental genocide

the invisible hand that wishes to see the world

(or most of it)

burn and slowly fade into

mushroomcloud existence

I am sitting in

boxcarsboxcarsboxcars

waiting for unknown odes to be sung

and to touch every conceivable pore

and faint hint of poverty in my

broken bared naked body

crying for poor Karl

who lived

lonely

lovely

writing banned manifestos

sparking revolutions

that bourgeois committed unconceivable violet suicide

by jumping through holy windows

landing on the harsh reality of

Absolute Reality

I am praying in my communistic cathedral

-a breeding ground for those old union hymns-

saluting the workers class

waiting for May Day and every socialism parade

that wanders down

Nowhereville, USA

getting lost in the most simple shantytowns

beggingpleadingcrying

for the sweet lips of ecstasy

to kiss the innocent lips

of young girls and boys

and expect them not to tell

unnatural

imaginary

hallucinations

of the things that passed

I am a perception of the satirical irony

-born out of the merciless suburbs of obscene beings-

while enduring unthinkable hell under rooftops

secret cannabis campfires

keep the hidden third eye of transcendentalism

occupied with numbers and figures

dancing

morphing mental pictures

that appear on sacred floors

only to be seen by the true believers in the power of human mind

I am producing pathetic poetry

consisting of weak slant rhymes and

millionsmillionsmillions

of alliterations alluding

to the allseeing eye of the fauxpas god

and his deity friends that constantly laugh

at pitiful human attempts to seek help to free themselves

of shitstained lives mixed with the passing fads of pointless generations

“all history and fashion shall repeat itself” says the fashion designer with blank eyes and purple cheeks

claiming to know all about sequins and demigods

can’t they see it’s all false! it’s all crazy! it’s all a dream!

[Via http://lifeasahole.wordpress.com]

Where Are Our Kids Heading To

2010-02-18T14:30:00.000+02:00

It Is Scary To Hear What Our Kids Are Saying….. Today I went to the local swimming pool for some much needed exercise….I was shocked by what a group of school kids were saying. I asked the teacher what grade they were in and they are all in year 9. I have a year 9 student so I was interested in hearing what the topic of conversation was based on…. Not A Pretty Conversation. It is damn right scary where our kids are heading to. They all thought because I was in the pool that I was swimming and could not hear what they were saying. They were free with their talk..by that I mean very loose with their language. As a Mum to a boy that was the same age of those kids I was most upset. Every second word was “f…” and there was so much talk about POT. One boy did not know what POT was, and thought they were talking about normal cigarettes. But that’s OK because the leader of the pack (trying to act super tough) sorted the mistake out. He started by calling him “retard” – “You Idiot, ciggys are what you and I smoke everyday but POT is a drug that I use at night to get high….makes you feel so good” !!! Gosh I was I holding my self back. I so wanted to jump out of the pool, grab the snot around the collar and give him my two cents worth. “RETARD” is one word I do not like……no one should ever be called that. Beside the fact that the kid was talking about drugs as if it was a normal every day lolly. One boy was so very rude to his teacher with swearing at her that I did put my nose into it….I called the boy over. I asked him if he had a Mum. To which he replied that he did but he lived with his Dad, so I changed my wording… Me – ” so would your Dad be proud of you right now, speaking like that”. The Boy – “No Miss, Sorry Miss” Me – “You are out of school uniform but you are out in public and you are representing your family. Think about how your Dad would feel right now hearing you speak to your teacher that way” The Boy – “Yes Miss” Me – “Hey, Don’t walk away….Please be the best person you can be. Say things that 10 years down the track you will be proud of yourself….Be the best you have inside of yourself”. The Boy – “Yes Miss. Sorry Miss, Thank you Miss” And he walks away. I continue with my swimming. I know that by now all the kids are staring at me, and the kids in the pool are talking about what I had to say. I stepped out of the comfort zone, out of what is concerned not normal….its not normal to speak to kids about their behavior anymore. BUT all I could think about was that I have a Boy that is the same age as this kid. And if he was speaking to a teacher the same way then I would be most upset. If I could reach just one child and help him to be the best he can be then my day was a good one….. Imagine if there was a program out there that taught our kids at school how to communicate without swearing, how to achieve goals, how to set goals, how to be the best person that they were born to be. I let the teacher know what I had said….She let me know that he has special needs because he has a “Behavior problem”. That to me means even more, that the boy needs guidance and influence that he can look up to so he can turn his life around. DID I HELP ONE KID? Not sure but gosh I sure hope so….. What has happened to society that we are afraid to speak out and stop our kids from self destruction? Where Are OUR Kids Heading To? Hope with all my being that my Woody Boys know that they can be and do anything that they set their minds too. That’s all I ask of my five Wood Boys, To Be The Best Person That They Can Be. And to be respectful of others. Is that asking too much of our kids? Here’s to you changing our kids for the better. Lisa Wood

[Via http://woodyboys.wordpress.com]

I beg your Parton

2010-02-16T06:50:00.000+02:00

From Film scene that had heroines on a ‘trip’ 9 March 1981 ST Forum

Having seen the film (Nine to Five) recently, I was shocked that there had been no censorship of the part where the three main actresses of the film, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton were smoking pot and fantasising on ways to get even with their male-chauvinist boss.

Needless to say, such scenes may influence a lot of impressionable teenagers.

Ed:Smoking, which is available everywhere is fine in the movies, while pot, which warrants death upon possession, is not?

[Via http://everythingalsocomplain.wordpress.com]

Finally

2010-02-14T14:26:00.000+02:00

Whew, that was a lot of work. Or rather my houseboy and blog administrator, Kang, keeps telling me it was a lot of work. Not that I believe a word that comes out of his filthy mouth, mind you. But that’s not the point. The point is, we finally have all of my old Blogger.com posts moved over to this new site. The ones worth keeping, at least.

Anyhow, nothing but new stuff from here on out. Now if you’ll excuse me, the Ex-Lax I took this morning to counteract the constipating side effects of yesterday’s Oxy binge has kicked in, and there’s a heated toilet seat with my corpulent ass’s name on it. Toot toot.

[Via http://oswaldcarver.wordpress.com]

The World According to Her...

2010-02-14T06:25:00.000+02:00

Her words today are “I am being responsible.” or “At least I’m not doing Meth”. My frustration is how can you think anything that can possibly lead to where you have been is okay. Her world is about the “I’m not doing…” or “I am trying…” when she really is not trying. The master of disguise has put on the mask that can make the excuses right for what she has done which is what she shouldn’t be doing. She has no direction, no motivation, no will and loves her friends more than herself. She has come to the conclusion she wants her GED (how does a 15 year old know that?). How does a 15 year old know what is best for her? The world according to her…everything is going to be okay as long as she is doing what she wants no matter the consequence. The world according to her…I am sorry for what I did. Wait, shouldn’t that be I didn’t think what I was supposed to. I would love to not be disappointed. I would love to not be let down. I would love to have the unexpected happen…longer for the 5 minutes she wants something. My world would be totally different if she didn’t have the traits of an addict and the mind of an addict. How can one soul be so lost? I don’t understand the mind of an addict no matter how many meetings I may go to or how many things I may read. How can you be so strong inside and so weak inside at the same time? At 15, she has experienced more than many 45-year olds. You watch her try to swallow herself in these substances when she is trying to escape, when she should be trying to get lost in rainbows and fairies. You watch her try to kill herself, and a part of you dies with each slit each time. Yet you find the strength to fight…for her…for you…for her to just believe. So, the newest edition is that her friends have convinced her to go to church. Faith and Belief, 2 very powerful words she needs to find the definition of.

[Via http://robynshayne1.wordpress.com]

Jurors Speaking Up with Hands Tied

2010-02-13T14:48:00.000+02:00

In a break from the typical dismissive response to death by psych drugs, which is to assume everybody did their best and a bad but faultless thing happened, jurors in the Carolyn Riley case are outraged at the conduct of Dr. Kayoko Kifuji. Rightly so. Kifuji diagnosed children as mentally ill for exhibiting the defining behaviors of childhood. She Diagnosed a three year old child with pediatric bipolar disorder (which was absent from the DSM draft released the day after the conviction). She passed out cocktails of serious drugs to two year old children like they were Flintstone’s vitamins — drugs that aren’t approved for use in children and are usually used judiciously even in adults. She let the parents experiment on all of their kids with these drugs and, following their lead, prescribed per those experiments — so yes, the jury was outraged.

From the Boston Globe:

“Every one of us was very angry,’’ said one juror, who requested anonymity to avoid retaliation for her role in Tuesday’s second-degree murder conviction of Carolyn Riley. “Dr. Kifuji should be sitting in the defendant’s chair, too.’’

Another juror said that while the 12-member panel found that the 35-year-old mother was primarily responsible for Rebecca’s death, many jurors were “off the wall’’ when they heard the testimony of Dr. Kayoko Kifuji of Tufts Medical Center. She said they were struck by how quickly Kifuji diagnosed Rebecca with bipolar and hyperactivity disorders, as well as how little the doctor seemed to supervise the mother’s dispensing of medications.

“It blew me away,’’ said that juror, who asked to remain unidentified for fear of reprisals.

Rebecca’s psychiatrist was the focus of some of the most powerful reactions from the jurors after a three-week trial that left them emotionally and physically exhausted.

Not only has she not been convicted of a crime, she will go undisciplined by courts and the medical establishment even outside of the criminal trials surrounding the Rebecca Riley case which can only add to the frustrated outrage of the jurors.

Other than the nationwide publicity given to the Riley case, in which Kifuji is mentioned repeatedly, the only overt sign that Kifuji had potentially questionable conduct is on the Board of Registration of Medicine’s website…Still, when asked if the board’s investigation concluded that Kifuji acted within acceptable medical standards, spokesman Russell Aims responded by saying that the board “closed the complaint against Dr. Kifuji without discipline.’’ He said the board, however, “reserves the right to reopen a case if new information comes to light.’’

The psychiatrist will not face criminal prosecution. A grand jury last summer declined to indict her, and Kifuji testified in Carolyn Riley’s trial only after being granted immunity from prosecution.

Prosecutors contend the Rileys “duped” Kifuji into authorizing the drugs but that doesn’t say much for her as a doctor does it? “Duped” doesn’t begin to explain diagnosing toddlers as bipolar, her cavalier approach to diagnosing and prescribing in general or her indifference to the misuse of drugs like depakote and clonidine. Kifuji had access to Rebecca herself, providing ample opportunity to make her own assessments. She chose instead to go on the word of the parents in brief and drug centered visits. She admitted that she found the Rileys’ actions unsettling. Maybe they were just not unsettling enough to interfere with business. While the prosecution and Kifuji’s lawyers tried to paint her as the good and upstanding doctor who got fooled, in the end she comes out looking like the prime example of psychiatrist-as-drug-dealer — not unlike the physician in every town that addicts know to visit for his liberal dispensing of narcotics — and the Rileys were repeat business. If you’re going to hand out drugs that easily, without concern for how they’re being used and on whom, you don’t get to claim ignorance.

In a country where a gun manufacturer or salesperson can be held responsible for the crimes of someone who legally buys or even steals a handgun (which I’m against), it’s shocking that Kifuji is able to walk away from this without penalty. She is a doctor and with that paycheck and perceived authority comes an obligation to think past the drugs that keep you in business and consider the well being of the people in your care. I sincerely hope her other child patients fare better but it doesn’t seem likely. The only things that seem to have changed for Kifuji since Rebecca’s death are the amount of attention she’s received and a new sense of impunity.

[Via http://spitbristleandfury.wordpress.com]

New World Order Super Bowl Commercials Reviewed and Exposed!

2010-02-13T06:37:00.000+02:00

As I’ve been learning more and more about how the Illuminati and the NWO work throughout the years I’m seeing that the best way to hide something is in plane sight. Through out this work I will help you identify the messages that are coming through with my own comments as well as proof that some of these commercials are not what they seem.

They are hiding messages in front of your face and telling you! Dare to believe that we are being manipulated. I mean, during the most watched event of the year, your bound to find some messages. Everyones watching. I was watching did you watch? Even if you didn’t it’s still true that it’s the most viewed event.

So lets discover

“New World Order Super Bowl Commercials Reviewed and Exposed!”

=======================

The first commercial I’m going to expose is the phone called “KGB”. What we fail to realize is that the KGB was a secret police of the Russian government (it’s the CIA) in which had great influence of hypnosis and/or NLP. This first commercial is a great place to start because it will actually tell you another reason of how hypnosis works, every commercial that follows this one is based on the research trials of these Russian scientist. Mostly their work best known for Operation Iron Curtain. In which psychic experiments we’re taking place.

Feel free to learn more about the KGB by watching “The KGB Psychic Files” here:

(watching just the first 10-20 minutes will concern you enough to see something wrong with this commercial)

kgb commercial:

I also would recommend viewing the article CIA Mind Control Doctors: From Harvard to Guantanamo by clicking HERE

Next I will not add just one commercial but we find that the redundant commercials involving Budlight and Doritos is enough to make anyone’s brain cells kill themselves. I personal do not find it funny that a main stream Alcoholic beverage is being marketed during the Superbowl promoting a “fuck it, lets fuck & get drunk” aspect. Not very enlightening. Then the stupid Doritos commercials are about as bad. If we don’t already know both of these products are DRUGS. MSG in itself is a hypnosis drug and so is alcohol, so here we see mass manipulation driving back to the KGB.

I will share 1 commercial so you can see what I mean:

This next commercial by far takes the cake when it comes to extremism they are making you laugh about in this next commercial. This next commercial is about keeping the Earth “Green” and to do that they are showing you to your face, what they are more then willing to start doing to YOU! This is fascism 101 people, this isn’t funny, this isn’t ethical – in sense this is against all of our constitution. Mind you I’m all for keeping garbage pollution down, but what this comes down to is “Global Warming”.

Recently a hacker broke into a University and obtained what they call the “Climate Gate” E-mails which shows with %100 proof that Global Warming is a fraud by this people who wish to see a movement of one world government. In fact I’m going to highly suggest to you, right now, to understand more about this by viewing “The Global Warming Swindle” by Clicking HERE!!

Here’s a brief preview of an online new report about this Climate Gate event

But without to much more to say, I would recommend reviewing documentation throughout the past of the Illuminati and how they intend to create a one world government in which they and they’re friends will be able to control, of course higher means apply but for you, this will have to do.

Here is the unconstitutional commercial that should be banned!

This next one I consider the most frightening of all. Beyond what the commercial is for this type of hypnosis in magazines and printed material has been around for quiet awhile now. Let me share with you an article I reposted not too long before this commercial was played in fact I will link it, but I will also just share the section of the article I wish for you to see, then while watching this commercial I want you to listen to the words they are telling you. This by far is the most hypnotic in sense of straight out lies and confusion, this commercial alone with the following articles and clips should be enough for you to see that what I tell you here on this page, is not fabricated loony bin information that they try to tell you it is, conspiracies or not, shall you not see the point I am making, you may as well lay down your mind and forget ever having a true Human experience.

Here’s the section “Printed Material” under the article Subliminal Stimuli: Sleep, Obey, Sex. I highly encourage you to read the entire article in full by clicking HERE

Printed Material:

=====

Printed Material

In printed material such as magazines and newpapers, the words SEX,

SLEEP, OBEY, GAY, KILL, KILL SELF, FUCK, FEAR, SUCK COCK, SUCK DICK, and

so on are embedded (lighly written) in the background of ads and

pictures. The word SEX is omnipresent, and occurs as a mosaic several

thousand times on the average page. SEX is usually written much like a

person would write the word with a pen – thin lines. SLEEP and GAY are

also ubiquitous. However, GAY and SLEEP are generally written much

larger than SEX and have a cloud like (puffy font) appearance.

KILL, PAIN, and FEAR are usually reserved for children and hostile

political leaders. Most every child you see in print (Time Magazine,

Vogue, Your Daily Paper, etc) has the word KILL embedded across his or

her forehead. The idea behind this is quite clear: associate death

with children. Now try to follow me on this one folks. Have you ever

heard a young person saying something like, “Death before marrage?” or

“A kid — never!”

To digress briefly, the birth rate in the US has gone from 3.9

children per female in 1950 to 1.2 children per female in 1990. Note

subliminal programming was not used largely until the mid-1950s. Do you

people get it? We are breeding ourselves into extinction! In forty

years, our birth rate has more than halved. By subliminally equating

children with KILL, PAIN, and FEAR the mind manipulators have eradicated a

large number of us — prenatally!

You might ask, then, why embedded SEX? Doesn’t this promote sexual

activity? My answer is yes! Mental sex. By embedding the word SEX on

a new car, the advertizing man has successfully equated the purchasing

(and driving, viewing, washing, etc) of a car to sexual activity! Want

sexual gratification – buy an new car! The embedded ad slips by the

conscious defenses and over time perverts and mutates the sexual drive.

=====

Next piece of evidence I would like to direct you to Michael Tsarion’s work

on hypnosis under his documentary “The Subversive Use Of Sacred Symbolism

In The Media ” please view this section and then finally review the said

commercial below to see how serious of an issue this is!

Click Here To Watch “The Subversive Use Of Sacred Symbolism”

I would strongly recommend that you watch the entire

“The Subversive Use Of Sacred Symbolism In The Media”

by clicking HERE

So here is your #1 most screwed up commercial of 2010 Superbowl

Heres another example of this by the website http://www.redicecreations.com:

======

Another technique advertisers is low-intensity light and its auditory equivalent low-volume sound. Graphic artists paint faint subliminal images below the conscious threshold of perception but above the unconscious perception threshold. By far the most commonly embedded image is the word SEX. Key have said that “advertisers have indiscriminately sexualized virtually everything they publish or broadcast with subliminal SEXes.” Often, graphic artists mosaic SEXes onto textured surfaces or in edges, shadows, and highlights. Just pick up any major magazine, relax, and stare into it for a couple of minutes. You will soon find these SEXes popping out at you. Other commonly used words are FUCK, DIE, and KILL, among other emotionally loaded four letter words. Such subliminal instructions are dangerous indeed. Dixon writes, “It may be impossible to resist instructions which are not consciously experienced.”

======

I would also recommend watching Michael Tsarion’s documentary

film “Architects of Control” by clicking HERE

Also we see quiet a few commercials of males taking a hit, of being

subservient to women and basically taking a point of view that

we are powerless to situations, this has been used for quiet awhile in

media programs, our food and cleaning agents have been

manipulated to create more feminized, all you need after that is the

trigger words or images to formulate the desired personality trait

“they” want to see in you.

The more passive they can make people the better it is for their

situation of one world government, the less people stand up because

they are passive, because this is what they are fed literally and shown

you will follow through projecting outward like a parrot.

To see more about foods that manipulate the hormones inside the

body read

Again we see NLP being put upon you

laying out idea’s that are not your own if you believe it or not.

This is really a lower aspect but still applies.

So is it really just paranoia? Is it really outrageous to believe after reviewing

all of the documents in the past and present about manipulation that these

commercials are more than they say?

I’ll leave that to you, but from my research. I’m completely and fully aware of

this type of illusion they play everyday. Although all the commercials shown but

a few we’re full of higher forms of manipulation, these are the ones I found to

be most worthy of being exposed.

Please share this with people you know.

-Simranjeet Singh

PS: Want to know more about sacred knowledge such as this. Consider looking

into the Global Information Network. The banner is listed on the side bar. You’ll

see that what I’m saying even further is reveal even quicker.

This is only for those people who wish to learn more, otherwise please do not

sign up for an affiliate or member of this membership because you will be weeded

out anyway by your own accord.

[Via http://simranjeet.com]

Strange Days

2010-02-09T06:43:00.000+02:00

Wow. I’m going to try and describe how good the movie Strange Days is.

The movie takes place in 1999 right before the new year and thus the new millenium. The movie was made in 1995, so this was still the future. In this future, there are machines that can record the brain states of its wearer, and so people live out fantasies by playing the tapes that were recorded from someone else’s brain. People puts on the mesh helmet, and enter into the viewpoint of another person.

Of course their is a vibrant trade in exotic movies of this type, and the metaphorical connection to the illegal drug trade is present in every scene. The main character is a dealer of these illegal experiences, and after giving a prospective client a taste of one of these memories, he says “and that was just an 18 year old girl taking a shower.”

The great part about this movie is that on its most basic level, it’s just a great thriller. Someone got killed and the main character needs to figure out why and who did it. Just following this basic level of the story is immensely rewarding, and like any good thriller, a brutal murder becomes so much more.

What really makes this movie genius though is that every scene advances at least three other stories simultaneously.

First, there is the MLK like rapper who is murdered, which introduces an element of racial struggle to the movie. Indeed in the end when the main character and his black friend express their love for each other, its all the more meaningful for being interracial.

Also, there is an ongoing point about history and dystopian futures. The movie takes place, as I said, at the turn of the millennium, and each character has a unique spin on what this means. Some people see the millennium as a massive celebration that will burn out of control and break the fragile hold of the police state run by the LAPD. Others who are more optimistic see history as beginning with the millennium. To these people, totalitarianism will be erased by a new era. The final sequences of the movie happen right at the pivot point between two eras and it gives substances to the otherwise trivial point that history can be made in an instant. (All this is even more interesting if you know about our own government’s successful attempts to avert several terrorist attacks planned for the millennium).

Still further, there are many philosophical points. There is talk about mankind’s willingness to buy and sell memories and how this fact marks the end of human creativity and uniqueness. The LA of the future merely recycles its memories again and again, reliving them without being able to create new ones. This mirrors the main character who remains obsessed with a girlfriend who has left him for someone else. The typical love story cliches are made fresh by the fact that the main character, the one who cannot find new love, is an experience junky like everyone else. He just pathetically replays tapes of the time he spent with his ex. The entire society in fact is trapped in its own mediocrity and the millennium is the point where newness can once again enter into the society. The emphasis on creativity and history is all very Nietzschean.

Finally, there is a point about perception and cinematography. When a character plays someone else’s experience, the camera jitters and swerves to mirror the first person perspective, and if you’ve read any of my other recent posts, you know this is an interesting topic in its own right.

All told, this movie is a gritty, futuristic, dystopian, matrix-like, murder mystery, with some surprising plot twists and a completely unorthodox endgame. So much is happening at once and every second is a rich intersection between all these themes.

If you have netflix, you should move this to the front of your queue right now. It…is…awesome.

[Via http://questionbeggar.wordpress.com]

Homeowner kills intruder. Gets arrested.

2010-02-07T21:59:00.000+02:00

Police say they’ve figured out why three men chose to commit a home invasion in Ellenwood on Friday morning. After the homeowner shot and killed one of the intruders, police happened to find $174,000 in cash and five pounds of cocaine. I guess they use some good old fashioned police work to crack this case. Good work, sherlocks.

[Via http://atlantanewscomment.wordpress.com]

Sunday's must reads

2010-02-07T14:39:00.000+02:00

It is a snowy day again in the city today, so a good day to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a comfy blanket. Then again, I will be stuck on the computer finishing up some proposals. But I always make time for Sunday’s reads.

I would love to be paid $100,000 to watch models strut their stuff down the runway. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/05/rihanna-paid-100000-for-s_n_450793.html

www.chicagonow.com

I try to stay out of politics, not taking sides, since it is such a controversial subject with just about everybody. However, I have to say that I do like Sarah Palin for her guts and I admire her stand. I think that she gets the shaft more often than not. Does this mean that the big dogs view her as a threat? Uhmmmm A woman that makes men shake in their boots…… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/06/palin-says-democrats-are_n_452443.html

vivirlatino.com

Fashion buzz words are flying around like crows gathering for a feast lately. Melding words like Jeans and Leggings – jeggings - seems to be the norm. The # 1 buzz word? Lady Gaga: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/lady-gaga-tops-fashion-buzzword-list-1889451.html

www.independent.co.uk

src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/qrO4YZeyl0I&color1=0×3a3a3a&color2=0×999999&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” width=”425″ height=”344″>

Sex and drugs in the fashion news – who would have thought? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100130/ap_on_en_ot/us_fashion_designer_charges

[Via http://desmoinesonedayatatime.wordpress.com]

Joe Jackson Suing Over MJ Death Pics.

2010-02-06T14:30:00.000+02:00

I am NOT mad at Papa Joe Jackson. He is getting in where he fits in. NOW, Joe wants to sue the news outlets who published pictures of the late King Of Pop- Michael Jackson- dead. Now THAT’s What I’m Talking ‘Bout!

Joe Jackson’s lawyer, Brian Oxman, filed papers with the court in the Michael Jackson estate case, claiming there is legal precedent for a family suing for invasion of privacy when such photos are published.

Although the legal docs don’t state which photos he intends to sue over, “Entertainment Tonight” aired a photo of Jackson, whom paramedics believed was already dead, as he was taken into an ambulance from his home.

Oxman is trying to get the estate court judge to allow him access to medical records as a prelude for filing such a case.

-”The BklynBandette.” Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant.

[Via http://heavenhollywood.wordpress.com]

Bunbury Syringes

2010-02-06T06:08:00.000+02:00

Bunbury has received WA Govt funding to provide needles in a fixed address, to help drug users inject themselves, according to a December report in the Bunbury Mail. The WA Substance Users Association has been operating a mobile service for several years in Bunbury but feels that a fixed site is needed. The Association says that a fixed site would hopefully create a springboard to expand throughout the South West and Great Southern.

For story and to leave comment: http://www.bunburymail.com.au/news/local/news/general/syringe-centre-in-bunbury/1693974.aspx

[Via http://gleanings1.wordpress.com]

Epic Melon Fail!

2010-02-04T14:33:00.000+02:00

OK dumbasses, if you plan to smuggle drugs and tobacco into a jail, don’t be using no oversize cantaloupe with a noticeable friggin cut around the top! Fail people, fail! Yes, police are currently looking for the fool/fools who hollowed out the melon , filled it with an assortment of goodies ( including oxycodone pills) and then tried to get it past authorities and into the waiting arms of inmates in a Washington jail. Officers said the melon looked like a pumpkin and pretty much stuck out like dog’s you know whats…

[Via http://frigginloon.wordpress.com]

The Legal Drug Trade, Ctd

2010-02-04T06:09:00.000+02:00

The issue of head shops remains on the political agenda. It appears one of our District Court Judges was caught in the rather embarrassing situation where a premises he owned, that of his former legal practice, had without his knowledge been been rented to individuals who converted it to a head shop. The Irish Times notes that Judge John Coughlan instructed his auctioneer to reach an agreement with the tenant to vacate the premises.

It is also of interest to note that Customs officers are proving to be pro-active in implementing the available laws against these shops:

Meanwhile, Customs officers are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after they raided a head shop in Cork and seized products being sold over the counter at the outlet.

Customs officers searched the shop and its storage premises under warrant last Friday and seized products including Pink Champagne, an amphetamine which, officers believe, contains benzylpiperazine (BZP).

A spokeswoman for the Customs and Excise section of the Revenue Commissioners declined to comment on the matter, other than to confirm that a shop and storage premises in Cork had been searched under warrant

Cork Senator Jerry Buttimer was also speaking on the issue yesterday in the Seanad, the speech is outlined on his website. One point I found of interest from a policy perspective was:

Fine Gael has said the planning permission criteria for sex shops should also be applied to head shops.

I would expect such thinking is in line with that of Minister John Curran, currently drawing up a legislative response on this issue. These are the practically minded ideas that focus on the premises themselves rather than the substances they sell which will lead to a crackdown. It is important these solutions are brought into law soon, with each passing week more young lives may tragically go to waste.

[Via http://conorreidy.wordpress.com]

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

2010-02-02T14:04:00.000+02:00

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are sixteen year old identical twins their father is a district court judge and their mother is running for Congress. Their father loves Kaeleigh much more than he loves Raeanne, because of this he has been sexually abusing Kaeleigh since she was nine years old. There mother isn’t around very much; she stays in Washington a lot. Raeanne is always trying to find a way to numb the pain of not being daddy’s favorite. She will take anything she can find, pills from her father to wine from their wine cabinet. Kaeleigh is always trying to find a way to feel something she will do anything from cutting or making herself throw up after a binge.

I liked this book because this could happen to any family, even the district court judges family or the family of a congress woman. I like the way the Ellen Hopkins writes her books. I recommend this book to any high school student who is looking to read a very good book with an ending that will blow your mind.

Josh B., Class of 2011

The WHS Library has Identical and many other books by Ellen Hopkins.

[Via http://blueblazeslib.wordpress.com]

LA sheriff's probe claims of deputy drug smuggling

2010-02-02T06:52:00.000+02:00

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators have begun a criminal investigation into whether two deputies helped smuggle drugs into a gang leader’s jail cell in 2003, officials said Thursday.

The investigation was prompted by testimony this week from another former boss of the Drew Street clique of the Avenues gang, based in northeast Los Angeles, officials said.

Francisco “Pancho” Real, a government witness, testified that while he was being held at a county jail facility, two deputies concealed drugs in a bedroll and sneaked them into the nearby cell of Rigoberto “Toker” Perez. Real identified the deputies by their last names but said he did not know their first names.

Sheriff’s officials said they first learned of the allegations against the deputies from Real’s testimony, and immediately opened a criminal investigation.

“We take these allegations very seriously,” sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said. The department’s Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau is conducting the investigation with the assistance of the county watchdog Office of Independent Review, he said.

Sheriff’s investigators have identified one of the accused deputies as Carlos Restrepo, who joined the department in 2001 and resigned in 2008, officials said. Whitmore said investigators are zeroing in on the identity of the other deputy, whose last name is Lee, according to Real.

Whitmore said it is likely the second deputy is also no longer with the department.

Restrepo was investigated in 2004 after a similar allegation in a separate incident, but there was insufficient evidence to prove misconduct, according to law enforcement sources familiar with both probes who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the current ongoing investigation.

Both Real and Perez were leaders of the Drew Street clique, according to criminal complaints. Perez is awaiting sentencing after his conviction on federal gang and drug charges.

Real testified this week at a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to try three alleged Drew Street members for the February 2008 killing of a man who was carrying his 2-year-old granddaughter. She was not harmed.

Sheriff’s officials said the alleged drug smuggling by the two deputies occurred at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic. In an unrelated case, a deputy was charged last year with smuggling narcotics into the North County Correctional Facility, also in Castaic, where he worked as a jailer. He is awaiting trial and faces 12 years in prison if convicted.

Real’s testimony also touched on another high-profile murder case allegedly involving members of the Avenues gang. He acknowledged under cross-examination by a defense attorney that he might testify at trial against four Avenues members and associates charged with the August 2008 killing of Deputy Juan Abel Escalante, who was fatally shot outside of his parents’ home in the northeast L.A. neighborhood of Cypress Park.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives say that shooting was the result of mistaken identity, despite early concerns that Escalante had been targeted because he guarded some of the most violent gang members in the Men’s Central Jail.

Real was the so-called shot-caller on Drew Street from fall 2007 until his arrest in June 2008 on federal racketeering charges. In a 157-page federal indictment, he was identified as overseeing an illegal scheme of murder, drug dealing, extortion and robberies.

He is a key witness in the L.A. County district attorney’s case against Rafael “Stomper” Carrillo, Mike Mallari and Jose “Rival” Gomez. They are charged with shooting to death Marcos Salas, a 36-year-old Cypress Park gang member, who was holding his granddaughter in front of Aragon Avenue Elementary School in Cypress Park on Feb. 21, 2008.

Real is cooperating with prosecutors, hoping for a reduced sentence.

[Via http://bbvm.wordpress.com]

A short note about drugs

2010-01-31T14:20:00.000+02:00

Go and see the sorcerer look into a ball,

You may find the answer written on the wall

I just finished a little essay about narcotics, which left me a little down. Probably because I can see why it’s so appealing. I mean, a drug that can make you almost feel in love, feel on top of the world, don’t care about the wrongs, energetic, hallusinate…

What about actually falling in love? What about feeling on top of the world naturally? What about learning not to care, or better… What about dealing with what needs to be dealt with?

Sure, there are short cuts and hacks. But I don’t they are nearly as great as actually achieving the stuff above.

[Via http://decapode.wordpress.com]

Intimacy With Christ-- Not Ashamed--Debtor to All

2010-01-31T06:30:00.000+02:00

Romans 1:14-17 Apostle Paul

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. (Asleep in the Light– Keith Green)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (If We Are His Body–Song)

2 Timothy 1:12 Apostle Paul

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (I know in Whom I have Believed–very traditional hymn)

You know– there are two directions one can go with being ashamed of the gospel (All the fullness of the good that is in Jesus death, burial, and resurrection towards God and man)- either ashamed around religious folk or ashamed around those who are either indifferent or just antagonistic. Paul, a once persecutor of the Church- makes it very, very clear that it is God who qualified him for this particular race of preaching the good news. Otherwise– Paul saw himself as extremely unworthy.

In Psalm 51 King David seeks God’s renewing, forgiveness, and enabling. In his mind’s eye after that– he was fully qualified to call out to people out of syc with God, falling short of God’s perfections, and in opposition to His purposes for their life to become Intimate with their God- to seek Him with all their heart. He would teach such God’s ways.

What qualifies a man to stand at the gates, to stand at the entrance of the city, to cry out to all manner of men and women? It is God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s the Great Qualifier- not man says Paul in the first part of Galatians. (Sadly, during John Bunyan’s time when religion had been lassoed by vicious dead religion- he was put in jail for his faith around a decade and so wrote the book- “Pilgrim’s Progress.”- worth looking at!) I used to have a friend who grew up in a Christian home who wasn’t walking with the Lord. When I first became a believer he was very testy, critical, rude and down right antagonistic towards me. You see– He didn’t understand Grace and only understood religion and a dead one at that. To him I was an offence. But, was I going to shrivel in a corner ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ? No. Not then.

Paul too experienced religious folk who were trying to snuff out both his message of the good news in Jesus Christ and even Paul himself. Did Paul and King David have a persecution complex? Were they paranoid or delusional about those who were “out to get them”? No. Jesus Himself said that the gospel wasn’t the kind of message that always brought peace between this and that person. Jesus knew- knowing that sometimes men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil- that the gospel of the Kingdom (spoken of in the OT as an everlasting Kingdom that would establish the throne of David forever and ever) would cause strife. Yet, Paul encourages us to seek peace when possible and David found peace during times of God’s favor to the degree that even his enemies were at peace with him.

I have heard more than one or two people– in a shriveling voice within the body of Christ say that they feel awkward, unworthy, fearful, or scared that if they open their mouths for the Lord’s sake around religious folk that they would be looked upon with scorn. What in the World? I pray God’s grace upon me that if a brother or sister ever share their heart with me that I will simply pour out Grace like rain upon them. Yet, it’s funny how fast I say, “What in the world?”- and have “short-comings”of my own…so, there ya go.

Now– the world around us— there too Paul was not ashamed. All manner of men and women surrounded Paul as he went by boat and foot across the fields, valleys, rivers and seas. He saw it all from A-Z. Yet– he saw himself as a debtor to show love to All from A-Z and to tell them as much as possible about Jesus Christ bringing mankind back into sync with God. Me too- a debtor of love and The Message. At work– I don’t know if people get it- but, I love each customer and each worker and all who walk through the door. I don’t care where they have been or where they are going in life- when they meet me they are loved. Why– because I no longer look at men after my own selfish purposes. Rather, I look at men and women as those for whom Jesus Christ died. What if some decided to harm me directly or indirectly? Well, then I seek God’s Grace and enter more deeply as a recipient of Jesus Christ to love– and let me say, even Jesus before the cross struggled with what He was about to do. Is loving those who tell me to _________ always easy? Well, until now by God’s grace, it hasn’t been impossible. Can I share the gospel of Jesus Christ at work? No, I’m there to fulfill the marketing of a product. And yet, yes I can share Jesus in that people are loved. I don’t know always for sure that I’m going about it rightly–but, they are loved. The low, the high, the “intelligent” and “not so intelligent”, the elderly and the youth, those in high places and those of low stature, the innocent and the not so innocent–all means all.

Where does this boldness for the good news in Jesus Christ come from and this love? It comes from “Intimacy With Christ.” I have no other well from where and which to draw water from. It’s not in me 24/7. Sure, as Jesus said– even those out of sync with His Father do good to each other– and sure, there’s a measure of that in me. But, all in all– I find in Christ my strength my song. Am I an automaton? “If you prick me do I not bleed”? We are still human even though Christ pours into us His love for people and a boldness to share the good news of Jesus Christ even in the face of being called “mad” or “crazy” as Paul was called “due to his much learning.”

So, what’s this all about not being ashamed? It’s about– if you fall get back up and look to Jesus. It’s about not waiting until you’re 100% perfect. It’s about “because He first loved us- we love Him”–and so share that with others. It’s about–if someone presents the opportunity to share with them how Jesus loved them on the cross– share it. It means that if people who are “religious” cause fear—ignore them and rest assured– Your in better hands trusting Jesus than those who have taken religiosity to a level where you are to be muzzled because you have ________ and because you are not __________. Really, if you’re walking up to the level of light God has given you insight into-

Philippians 3:15,16

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

after having trusted in Jesus Christ- stumbling as it may seem under the shadow of His cross– He qualifies us to preach Him. He wants us to share that He said, “Come unto me all who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and my burden is light.”

Father God– to be “Intimate With Christ” we surely cannot be ashamed either before men who have been deemed or given themselves “high stature” as religious folk or before those who don’t care or are antagonistic to the good news. So, give us Your power to be Jesus’ witness of His love, giving us what we can never earn, not giving us what we deserve, sharing with us His life, and witnessing that He is Good- He’s simply- Good. Give us that perfect love (a true knowledge of the love with which You loved us and that love where with You have poured out into our hearts for You and Mankind) which casts out fear. Father, I pray you grant a change of heart and mind in those with whom I come in contact with. Help me to bless them. Lord, You are first not my “success in this world.” Me thinx Lord You taught Mother Theresa that. Teach me Lord. Father, for the brother or sister who happens to stumble across this– give them great boldness to not be ashamed of Jesus-Your Son. Give them clarity to describe that we receive right standing before you by faith in the risen Jesus Christ Your Son- rather than right standing by our own “good deeds” — our spotty, spotty good deeds. Lord, bless those I bless. Father, help people around me to dismiss the pettiness and to take up the important–Loving You and Loving their neighbor at the foot of the cross of Jesus. Lord, Paul said, “I am determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”- as He was called to be a full time missionary. Me– I’m a worker bee Lord as are others and so, Lord- I’m determined to be “Intimate With Christ”–keeping it simple. Father, I just ask for meekness, gentleness, kindness, tenderness of heart, and for wisdom. Protect me my God from the darkness in this world–surround me with the multitude of Your Agents of good to promote the good news. In Jesus name I pray– AMEN.

[Via http://kamvanhereweghe.wordpress.com]

Cookies and Cream

2010-01-30T22:41:00.000+02:00

Those sneaky little Colombian cocaine smugglers have been at it again. This time they removed the cream from 10 packs of cookies and replaced them with compressed bleached cocaine ready to be shipped to Barcelona. Couldn’t fool the sniffer dogs though.

Psst Wouldn’t want to dunk those bickies in your coffee!

[Via http://frigginloon.wordpress.com]

Major drug haul of key component in Chiang Rai

2010-01-30T14:45:00.000+02:00

Peerapol Saelee of Chiang Rai was arrested with pseudoephedrine,

a key component in the manufacture of ya ice on January 13.

986,500 pseudoephedrine pills were confiscated by the Pha Muang Task Force and military rangers from the 3rd and 2nd Cavalry Regiments in Baan Khao Sai in Chiang Rai on January 13. Acting on a tip off that the drug, used to make ya ice, was being smuggled in bulk over the border, police stopped a pickup truck driven by Mae Sai resident Peerapol Saelee, 33, and found the pills hidden in a bag in the truck. The value of the drugs could be as high as 7 million baht. Mr. Peerapol was taken to the Mae Sai police station to be charged with drug smuggling.

[Via http://democracyforburma.wordpress.com]

Americana

2010-01-28T14:50:00.000+02:00

The corner of 23rd and Holtzclaw is that part of Chattanooga that every newly hip city has. The boundaries of the cool style that erupted, years ago, in the center of Market street have spread, like a circle, to the north, pushing the gruff and grime that once existed therein into the outlying streets of the edge of town. It is the home of liquor stores, tiendas, drugs, Americana. It is also the closest and most economical source of food, when traveling from my Habitat for Humanity office building.

I opted for the intimate interior of the Burger King in place of the drive through, figuring such course of action would save me at least fifteen minutes of waiting. Walking in, though, I was confronted by one of the great archetypical American characters: The Drug Addled Whore. “Hey goodlookin’,” she said. “Wanna eat? S’free…”

“No thank you,” I said. “I am on my lunch break, and I don’t have that long.”

“It won’t take long,” she said. I smiled, not really knowing what to do in this situation. I wanted to be polite, but nothing about the scene was polite.

“I have a very short break, I don’t think my employers would understand.” I ordered my value meal, waited for it to speedily be stuffed into what I am fairly sure was an already grease stained bag. I left the lobby, passing my new friend. I winked at her and said “stay out of trouble.” I’m not really sure why I did that.

[Via http://m0ngoloid.wordpress.com]

Who knows better than NASA about getting high?

2010-01-28T06:40:00.000+02:00

A bag of cocaine was discovered in the space shuttle Discovery’s hangar at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Only shuttle workers are authorized to enter the area.

The bag with a small amount of the drug was discovered on Tuesday by an employee and handed over to security, reports Space.com.

“This is a rare and isolated incident, and I’m disappointed that it happened, but it should not detract from the outstanding work that is being done by a dedicated team on a daily basis,” Bob Cabana, Director of Kennedy Space Center and a former astronaut, said in a statement. “We are conducting an investigation and working with center security and law enforcement officials to get to the bottom of it.”

About 200 NASA employees and contractors have access to the shuttle hangar, and now they all must undergo drug tests.The agency said it took the incident very seriously and will have zero-tolerance on illegal substances.

However it is unlikely to affect Discovery’s next spaceflight, which is scheduled for March. The space shuttle is to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

“We have processes that will ensure the integrity of the shuttle,” said Cabana. “There is no reason whatsoever to believe this incident will have any impact on Discovery’s upcoming launch.”

NASA came under fire over substance abuse two years ago, when rumors of astronauts being drunk before launch surfaced. Unlike the cocaine incident, however, no evidence of violation was ever found to support those accusations.

[Via http://bbvm.wordpress.com]

How I earned $60.000 in one day

2010-01-26T14:46:00.000+02:00

… No.

So today has been quite an awesome day. But first, the picture above shows how I sit every hour I listen to music. My stupid headphones decided to stop working if I don’t… Well, you can see. My jaw hurts. And my beautiful, mustard cardigan got a weird yellow colour here. Ignore that. Well of course now you CAN’T ignore that, so that’s my own fault.

BUT YEAH. My day was awesome. I came to school but instead of being in class I starred in a movie another class is making about drugs. Starring, haha, I know. It’s a small group that’s making a movie about a girl taking drugs. And dying. And it was awesome. Really, really aaawesome. I did stuff like throwing a bike on the ground, “crying” (it always ended with laughing), walking up stairs and yelling, taking pills that had banana-taste (they were disgusting), AND last but not least… Falling in the snow. SO COLD. But it actually looks like I’m passing out so it’s cool. I had SO much fun! I’m no actress-material but dammit, if I wanna faint, I’ll faint! I think I’ve said this, I dunno, but I’m one of those people who don’t touch alcohol or any kind of drugs. I’m staying sober. Planning to write a post about too. I can say here that it’s all a big deal for me, and learning about it is good for everyone I think.

And another thing that made my day 6 times better:

HELLO! HEEEEELLO! I’m a hardcore HIMYM-fan. And this post was my “hallelujah”. That didn’t make sense. But you get the point. Another season of HIMYM = Happy Julia.

[Via http://decapode.wordpress.com]

Anthrax & Heroin Users

2010-01-26T05:57:00.000+02:00

There have been 15 cases of Anthrax with 7 deaths reported in Heroin users across Scotland. This was reported in a press release by Health Protection Scotland on 22nd January 2010.

Dr Colin Ramsay, Consultant Epidemiologist at Health Protection Scotland, said:

“Heroin users all across Scotland need to be aware of the risk that their supply may be contaminated. They should seek medical advice urgently if they experience signs of infection such as redness and swelling of an infection site or high fever. I would urge all drug users to stop using heroin immediately and contact local drug services for support.

In addition, any users who continue to inject heroin are strongly recommended not to re-use filters, but to use a fresh filter each time they are used. Users who do not currently use filters are reminded of the current harm reduction policy to do so, however they must ensure these are discarded after each use. Use of filters will not make heroin safe or remove all traces of anthrax contamination so the best advice remains not to use heroin by any method.”

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is a very rare but serious bacterial infection caused by the organism Bacillus anthracis. The disease occurs most often in wild and domestic animals in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe; humans are rarely infected. The organism can exist as spores that allow survival in the environment, e.g. in soil, for many years.

How has anthrax been affecting drug users in Scotland?

There is an ongoing outbreak of anthrax in heroin users in Scotland. Since December 2009, a significant number of heroin users have been found to have anthrax infection. Sadly, a number of these people have died. It is thought that they contracted anthrax from taking heroin contaminated by anthrax spores.

What are the symptoms?

Early identification of anthrax can be difficult as the initial symptoms are similar to other illnesses.

Symptoms vary according to the route of infection:

Anthrax in drug users

Drug users may become infected with anthrax when heroin or the cutting agent mixed with heroin has become contaminated with anthrax spores. This could be a source of infection if injected, smoked or snorted. The clinical presentation is likely to vary according to the way in which the heroin is taken and might include:

Swelling and redness at an injection site, which may or may not be painful
Abscess or ulcer at an injection site often with marked swelling (oedema)
Septicaemia (blood poisoning)
Meningitis
Symptoms of inhalational anthrax; symptoms begin with a flu-like illness (fever, headache, muscle aches and non-productive cough) followed by severe respiratory difficulties and shock 2-6 days later. Untreated disease is usually fatal, and treatment must be given as soon as possible to reduce mortality.

Can anthrax be treated?

Cutaneous anthrax can be readily treated and cured with antibiotics. Mortality is often high with inhalation and gastrointestinal anthrax, since successful treatment depends on early recognition of the disease.

Prompt treatment with antibiotics and, where appropriate, surgery is important in the management of anthrax related to drug use.

How is anthrax spread?

A person can get anthrax if they inject, inhale, ingest or come into direct physical contact (touching) with the spores from the bacteria. These spores can be found in the soil or in contaminated drugs. It is extremely rare for anthrax to spread from person-to-person. Airborne transmission from one person to another does not occur; there have been one or two reports of spread from skin anthrax but this is very, very rare.

How do drug users become infected with anthrax?

Heroin or the cutting agent mixed with heroin may become contaminated with anthrax spores from the environment. This could be a source of infection if injected, smoked, or snorted.

More information is available at; www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/anthrax

[Via http://alcoholselfhelpnews.wordpress.com]

Evening Bioscience Product Marketing Course, Feb. 11 - March 25

2010-01-24T22:44:00.000+02:00

Hi,

We have a great program of topics and speakers lined up for the upcoming evening series of the UCSC Extension’s Bioscience Product Marketing course, Thursdays , Feb. 11 – March 11 and 25th where you’ll have opportunity to learn how to develop a professional quality marketing plan to add to your career portfolio.

See course description and details below with list of outstanding experienced industry professionals who will share their expertise with you–enabling you and your team to develop a preliminary marketing plan for a product of your team’s choice.

Audrey

UCSC Ext. Bioscience Product Marketing, Thursday Evenings, Feb. 11 – March 25, 2010

Course Description

This product marketing and selling-focused course gives participants an in-depth look at product planning and research, marketing planning, and promotional execution practices in the bioscience industry. Topics include market research methodologies, information sources and applications relevant to product planning; the development of marketing strategy, product positioning and differentiated claims; and the creation of tactical marketing programs and activities to maximize revenue potential. Course activities include the creation of a preliminary marketing plan.

The course is well suited for all levels of professionals in bioscience marketing research, product management, product sales, advertising, public relations, business development and licensing, as well as other related functions, such as regulatory, clinical and legal.

Guest Speakers:

§ Chris Mahoney, MPA, WebMD, is an expert in the use of secondary patient data for pharmaceutical marketing applications, consulting with companies ranging from large global pharmaceutical companies to start-up biotechnology companies and Alan Hirshman, Senior Principal, Commercial Effectiveness, IMS Health. Before coming to IMS Health, Alan was Vice President of Sales for SDI Health. At SDI he was responsible for West and Midwest sales. “Patient Adherence: The Impact on Brand Performance.”

§ Stanley Skrzypczak, M.B.A., Director, Managed Care Marketing, Genomic Health, has over 25 years of successful biotech and pharmaceutical sales and marketing experience, including product, managed care, clinical marketing and sales management. Topic – “Product Management 101- Developing/Executing The Tactical Plan”

§ Charles Versaggi, Ph.D., is president of Versaggi Biocommunications®, a strategic marketing consultancy for biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical technology companies. Topic – “Building Value through Strategic Marketing Planning and Communications.”

§ Steven Wong, B.A., is a senior consultant at Plan A, a strategic marketing consulting firm servicing biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. At Plan A, he has directed numerous consulting engagements, including opportunity assessments, complex population modeling, and therapeutic area. Topic – “Market Research Information Resources.”

Additional Guest Speakers with Short Presentations:

§ Tais Schmitt, Ph.D. currently pursuing a Certificate in Bioscience Business and Marketing at UCSC Extension, agreed to share her student project experiences for this course which she completed in the winter of 2007. Topic – “Tackling the Marketing Plan Project.”

§ Debbie Donovan, Consultant at eGold Solutions, has worked on client side on products that served the ENT, Orthopedics/Spine, Ob/Gyn and Oncology surgery specialties at Somnus, Kyphon and Conceptus, Inc., and most recently Senior Manager at Intuitive Surgical where she focused on market development programs and e-marketing initiatives. Topic – “E-Marketing: Activating Patients in a Web 2.0 World.”

§ Erik Haghjoo, Ph.D., consultant in the Life Sciences division of Simon-Kucher & Partners, focuses on developing global pricing and positioning strategies for new and existing products. His project experience includes product launch strategy, value proposition, pricing and reimbursement strategy, and portfolio strategy. Topic – “Role of Pricing and Reimbursement in Product Management Strategic Planning.”

Dates and Times: Thu 6:00PM to 9:30PM

Feb 11, 2010 to Mar 11, 2010

Thu 6:00PM to 9:30PM

Mar 25, 2010

Number of Sessions: 6 (over 7 weeks)

Location: UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley, 2505 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara

Tuition: $700 (Early enrollment – $630 through Jan. 28)

See details at www.ucsc-extension.edu/BPM

Audrey

[Via http://audreysnetwork.wordpress.com]

Dick Arrested for Sex!

2010-01-24T13:27:00.000+02:00

Randy Andy Dick arrested for sex

Felony Serial Groping. He will get all the sex he doesn’t want, very soon

It is better to be drunk than wasted

How to Travel Naked

Beer Alert

A Constellation of Idiots

It is Better to be Drunk than Wasted

Texas Toast

Naked in America

The Secret Lives of Nudists

Traveling Naked

GaGa

Still Sexy After all these Years

Twin bed pans overlooking the Septic Tank

Is Sarah Palin Qualified to Squeeze the Cheese?

Traveling Naked

Tattooed Breasts

The Biggest Breasts in the World

Photos of Porn Stars

Sexy See Thru top

Nipple Piercing

Barely There Bikini Contest

Avoid a fat head

It is better to be drunk than wasted

How to Travel Naked

Beer Alert

A Constellation of Idiots

It is Better to be Drunk than Wasted

Texas Toast

Going GaGa!

GooGoo GaGa

Hot Sex with a Rubber Woman

Let us say that you find your selves in the throes of ardor with some hot neoprene nymph when your supposed flesh and blood beloved enters the room. Is she amused that you cheated on her with a Latex Lover. Well that’s what Chicken Choker first class would have us believe:

Copping a Rubber Feel

Fashion and blow up dolls

Sarah Palin Sex Doll

Sex with an Android

Doing the Doll

Plastic Orgy

Choking that plastic chicken.

090909

How to Lead a Secret Life

Exotic Vacations

Traveling Naked

Avoid a fat head

It is better to be drunk than wasted

How to Travel Naked

Beer Alert

A Constellation of Idiots

It is Better to be Drunk than Wasted

Texas Toast

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Runes and Moons

Zazzle!

Angelic Verses

DeviantArt

Rumors of Angels

LuLu

CafePress

Luck

Digital Art

Angel Sightings

Cyber Rainbows

Selling Rainbows

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[Via http://waitingonthenewmoon.wordpress.com]

THE RISE AND FALL OF DRUG-BASED MEDICINE

2010-01-23T14:32:00.000+02:00

Originally Written by: Black, Dean, Ph.D.

Dr. Dean Black is a graduate of Penn State University and has taught at the University of Southern California. He is a well-known lecturer, consultant and author in the area of natural healing. He is president of The Bioresearch Foundation. He writes and publishes “Healing Currents”, a monthly newsletter on natural healing. He is listed in “American Men and Women of Science” and is an associate member of the Society of Sigma Xi.

I would like to show you an article published by the Associated Press. The title of the article is, “Amish Father Jailed for Refusing Son’s Cancer Therapy”. Have you heard about the story? The father of the boy argued that chemotherapy was not helping his son, Amos, who had abdominal cancer. He stated that the boy had done much better on natural medicine such as herbs and vitamins. The court said he was not a fit father and sent him to jail. They gave his son chemotherapy by power of the law. The man’s lawyer told me that the boy subsequently died. While this law suit was going on, there was literature available in medical journals which demonstrated that herbs can reduce cancer, and chemotherapy can make the cancer worse.

SOME MEDICAL LITERATURE ON CHEMOTHERAPY:

There was an article published in the journal Cancer, which is the most eminent of all cancer journals. It was a presentation given at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In the U.S., you can’t get a much more prestigious location than that. This was an award-winning lecture given by Robert T. Shimky when he was given the Alfred P. Sloan Jr. prize for his research. In the first paragraph of his talk, he states, “The phenomenon of resistance to cancer chemotherapeutic agents, whether occurring spontaneously or subsequent to therapy, is a common and vexing problem for the clinical oncologist and a heart-breaking event for the patient and his family. One can consider drug resistance and cancer as an analogous process”. In other words it is the same process. He goes on to say, “The therapy that we are using for cancer causes cancer.” In his conclusion, he says, “Might such treatments, meaning chemotherapy treatments, not convert relatively benign tumours into a state of malignancy and progression to a more lethal form? Indeed, that would seem to be the case.” If you give chemotherapy to someone whose tumour is relatively benign, that person will attain a more malignant state. Other scientists have tested his proposition. A study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations called “Oncogene: Amplification in Tumour Cell Lines Established from Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients and its Relationship to Clinical Status and Course”. This study was done on lung cancer patients. The oncogene is the tumour gene, the gene they believe provokes tumours. Amplification of the oncogene means that the number of oncogenes multiplies. Where a cell once had only one oncogene, now it has many more, 15, 20, lO0. This is what happens with chemotherapy. This is the process of resistance. So they said, “Let’s look at this and its relationship to clinical status and course” (in other words, the survivability of the patient) when the patient experiences this resistance to chemotherapy?. They concluded that resistance to chemotherapy (that is, this particular genetic change that makes cancer worse) is more common in tumour cell lines established from treated than untreated patients’ tumours. In other words, if you get chemotherapy, you increase the risk of this particular genetic change, and this genetic change is associated with shortened survival. Now isn’t that interesting? You take chemotherapy, and you run the risk of physiological changes within your body that shorten your life.

SOME MEDICAL LITERATURE ABOUT HERBAL CANCER TREATMENTS:

An article in the Los Angeles Times, October 6, 1989, states: “Chinese derived cancer treatment from ancient herbal tonics and common plants strengthen the immune system”. This article reports research published in the journal Cancer, the exact same journal which described chemotherapy as being harmful. The researchers discovered that the herbs actually strengthened the immune system. They studied cancer patients. They measured their immune strength and compared them to normal people. Of course, the immune strength of cancer patients is much lower than normal. They then gave them Chinese herbs and measured their immune strength again. They found that in 90% of the patients, the immune strength went from below normal to above normal. This research was done at the M.D. Anderson Hospital at the University of Texas in Houston. One of the senior researchers stated, “We have something that works or at least seems to”. So there it is. These herbs work against cancer. Chemotherapy makes it worse. And yet an Amish father can be jailed for not subjecting his son to chemotherapy but preferring herbs.

THE DIVERSE ROLES OF MEDICINE AND NATURAL HEALING:

Why do people oppose natural healing? I am not saying that the medical principle is incorrect. I once went into anaphylactic shock from eating strawberries. Had I not been in the hospital and received a shot of adrenaline, I would have died. My son had acute pneumonia. Had it not been for my physician, he very likely would have died. My other son had an ear infection which had disintegrated his ear drums. He was a boy from Vietnam we had adopted. Now, antibiotics could have prevented that, but when we discovered he was deaf, a surgeon put a muscle membrane from the temple area back over his ear canal, replaced his eardrum, and my boy hears today. All of these are the products of medicine. What I am suggesting is that medicine is being used out of its place. It is a correct principle for certain things, but when we use medicine out of its place, it becomes harmful and dangerous. We now have laws that hold medicine in a wrongful place, and prevent what rightfully belongs there, and that is natural healing.

I would like to share with you two definitions which will explain the difference between natural healing and conventional medicine. Medicine is the science of replacing body functions. Natural healing is the science of restoring bodies. That’s the difference. Medicine replaces. Natural healing restores. There is a limit to the degree of health we can achieve by replacing body function. Replacing body functions means artificial hearts, dialysis, and drugs which also replace body functions. For example, insulin replaces the function of the pancreas, and cortisone replaces the function of the adrenal glands. An antibiotic replaces an entire system, the immune system. Chemotherapy also replaces the immune system. It’s the immune system’s job to get rid of the tumour. We bring in chemotherapy and do the immune system’s job. What effect does that have on the immune system? It weakens it. Medical science knows that, but it is not relevant because chemotherapy replaces it.

THE BODY’S RESISTANCE TO DRUGS:

The resistance to chemotherapy is not unique to chemotherapy. It is a general principle of all drug use. Drugs are of two kinds, mimickers and blockers, also called stimulants and inhibitors, agonists and antagonists. A mimicking drug is like insulin, estrogen or cortisone which mimics the body chemical. Medicine developed with the notion that there is no such thing as an adaptive power in the body; they envisioned that you can give the body any drug and the body will not adapt to it. When you give a mimicking drug to attempt to increase the level of a chemical in the body, the body responds by lowering its production of that chemical. When you give a blocker to try to get rid of a chemical, the body responds by overproducing it. This is called drug resistance. The anabolic steroid, for instance, is a mimicking drug. It mimics testosterone, which is the male reproductive hormone, and testosterone is what synthesizes muscle protein. If the athlete takes extra testosterone because he wants to synthesize more muscle protein, it will increase his muscle size, but because the testosterone is artificially introduced, on the surface, he becomes more masculine and physiologically he becomes more feminine. His body says, “Where is this coming from? I did not make this.” And his body, in order to compensate, begins to underproduce testosterone and internally he has atrophy of the male reproductive organs and breast development. When you use a drug in an acute fashion, you don’t provoke this resistance. But when you repeatedly use a drug, you provoke a resistance that mimics the disease.

PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT MEDICINE AND NATURAL HEALING:

If you were to survey people and ask them their opinion about natural healing and certain natural healing issues, such as organic food, what percentage do you think would support it? A Lewis Harris poll in the U.S. asked the population, “Do you prefer organically grown food, or food which is grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and would you be willing to pay more for organically grown food”. They found that 90% of people preferred organic food. Fully 50% said they would pay more money for it.

Now, suppose you were to separate people who prefer natural healing and people who prefer conventional medicine into two groups to determine in which ways they are different. This study has actually been done by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, and the article was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. They studied 300 of their own patients, cancer patients going to their center for chemotherapy and other medical treatments, and 300 other patients going to practitioners of natural healing methods. They wanted to know why these people go to ‘quacks’ and what difference there is between the two groups. They surmised it would be education, and that people going to the quacks would be the uneducated, the gullible. They also believed it was a desperation that caused people to resort to quacks in the last throws of their illness. The results showed that the difference was education, but it was the patients who preferred natural healing who were more educated, and they were substantially better educated. As a matter of fact, one out of five of these patients had either a master’s or a doctoral degree. These patients were twice as likely to have a college degree, and more likely to have gone to college. Sixty percent of those who preferred conventional medicine had never gone beyond high school, whereas 40% of those who went to quacks had never gone beyond high school. So they were surprised that all these educated people were going to quack therapists whom they considered fraudulent. When they were asked, they said, “We want something, and medicine does not offer it to us. Since we can’t get it from medicine, we go to where we think we can get it”. You know what they wanted? They said, “We want to restore our immune systems, because we know that people with strong immune systems don’t get cancer. We are educated. We have enough sense to know that. And medical literature does not offer us that opportunity, because it is the science of replacing body functions, not restoring body functions.” Natural healing is literally credible scientifically for chronic disease. Orthodox medicine is credible scientifically only for acute disease and traumatic conditions, and the bulk of scientific evidence supports this idea.

[Via http://ajp619.wordpress.com]

Dear Internet Diary: Gaming, Drugs, Pain and Coping.

2010-01-21T22:40:00.000+02:00

My man is a little annoyed with me today. This is because I didn’t come to bed until after 3am last night. But, I couldn’t help it. I was making a mustachioed Italian plumber jump, thrust and pound with my hands and I just don’t stop until my nailbeds bleed.

What? I was playing Super Mario Bros. Wii, what’d you think I was doing?

Anyway, I had a lot on my mind and it helps me to relax and let my subconscious churn the gears and bring fresh ideas to the surface. I’ve been playing GTA IV but I’m stuck on a mission and hating Niko’s bike skills, and I already finished Scarface (again), The Godfather and BioShock (again). I’m almost to World 9 in Mario Wii, but I decided to start over and collect all the coins and find all the warps. So this is what kept me up until the wee hours. That and a general funk over things this week. It’s just been one of those weeks; it’s been grey and drizzly every day, the news is extra depressing what with Haiti and then the Dems bending over and taking it from anyone who wants to give it. I don’t know, man. You remember that woman I used to work with that I told y’all about; the one with the worst karma in the world? Well, I was talking to a colleague yesterday and got an update on the latest shit things to happen to her. Only now I’m starting to wonder how much of her “bad luck” is self induced. I’m not saying she’s to blame,……..well, yeah, I guess I am saying she could be to blame for some if it. Here’s the rundown of things that have happened to her in the last few years;

- morbidly obese (over 450lbs easy)

- 2 heart surgeries

- bad car accident resulting in chronic pain issues*

- bariatric surgery

- sister dies of terminal cancer

- son marries very young and fathers a child

- grandbaby dies of congenital heart defect

- son’s young marriage fails

- 2nd divorce from husband 10yrs younger

- mother has open heart surgery

- son becomes ill and dies

- gets mugged while walking at lakefront alone in the dark

- slips on ice and breaks ankle

- mother becomes ill again and requires surgery

- surviving son is hospitalized in car accident involving more than 5 people, 3 of which have died

- has possibly married again

*starts taking heavy doses of opioid narcotics, repeatedly misses work and angers clients/staff.

Okay, you see where I notated that she started swallowing pills after one of her accidents? In my opinion, this is where she started really losing her grasp on things and let the pills invade and infect her life. When I worked with her last year, she told me she was taking time released morphine. FUCKING MORPHINE. I have no earthly idea how she thinks she can effectively do her job (which involves a lot of client interaction) when she walks slower than most 90 year olds and is visibly doped up. Now, I know a thing or two about chronic pain, I live with it every motherfucking day and I have no options left except major cut-me-in-half surgery that carries a 6 month recovery time. So I’m well aware about what a chronic pain condition can do to one’s mind and soul. I also know that every single one of my doctors has prescribed me the same Schedule I drugs and I never fill the rx’s because they make me so sick I can’t function. But even if I could manage to lift my head after taking a pill, there is no way in hell I would be able to function and use my brain to steer my $2M client through a system implementation which their board of directors is monitoring like a hawk. What I’m saying is that there are other ways to manage pain.

So what I see is a woman who had a string of bad luck, became dependent on pain pills and because her thinking and reactions are quite impaired has contributed to even more bad things happening to her. Sometime in the last couple of years she also started dating a man who can best be described as a meth head. I’m not being ugly, I’m serious. I don’t care who you are, if you saw this man the first thought in your mind would be, “METH FACE”. I went to dinner once with her and MethFace where he told me he doesn’t eat vegetables because, “Vetchtuhbulls are whut foooooooo-duh eats.” She then proudly proclaimed that, “He has a tshirt that says that.” Then she leaned over and picked all the shredded carrots off his plate and cut all his meat into little pieces. This is a woman who I wanted to mentor me at one time.

I don’t really know what my point is here, maybe it’s that I no longer feel sorry for her. I believe she has had to deal with some terrible events in her personal life (as we all do) and unfortunately she has handicapped herself by succumbing to a prescription pain med addiction. I just don’t have it in me to feel sympathetic towards her because her actions are affecting my life by making work that much more difficult for me. I have to cover for her, a lot of people do. Sometimes we have to cover her absences to the client, sometimes we have to cover for her when she just doesn’t complete her work and lately her clients are not taking the excuses well – they are now complaining to other departments and I think we are going to lose them. If I can find a way to manage my clients through my pain, then so can she.

I’m not saying that her reliance on the pills is the cause for any of her family being ill, of course. I’m empathetic about the people she has lost. But to me, having that much of my life spin out of control would signal me to clamp down even harder onto reality and not let myself become drowned by the waves. But everyone is different and I can’t judge her for her choices.

Although I guess I just did.

[Via http://buttercuppunch.wordpress.com]

Side Effects May Include...

2010-01-21T14:42:00.000+02:00

Panic was running amok in the nearby city of Saratoga Springs after a man went to an IHC Instacare Clinic because he was feeling sick and suddenly died. The man’s home and the clinic were both quarantined for hours to figure out what had happened and if it was dangerous. While not all information is known, the man was apparently exposed to L-selenomethionine (LSM) at the place where he worked. LSM is an ingredient used to help lower the mortality rate of some cancers. So say goodbye to the typical commercials you see on television.

“Take this drug for headache. Side effects may include nausea, upset stomach, heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea, headaches, urinary tract infections, colon polyps, enlarged penis, shrunken penis, breast tenderness, testicular malformation, anal bleeding and loss of hair.”

You think you got it bad, think about how the guy who has cancer is going to feel.

“I am sorry, sir. You have cancer.”

“Oh my God, no!”

“There is good news, however. They have made a drug that can help you live longer and possibly even get rid of the cancer.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“The bad news is, there are some side effects.”

“I can handle some cramping or nausea or something, no problem.”

“No, sir. The uh… side effects of this pill is death.”

“…”

Yeah, you go drug industry.

[Via http://thebignut.wordpress.com]

Book of Esther on Speed...

2010-01-19T22:39:00.000+02:00

or LSD or Crack Cocaine or just about any other drug you might imagine – well at least that is how some might have put it after my own lil version/twist/re-telling of the book of Esther during Sunday’s sermon!

Just in case you are interested you can find the sermon online on our MEDIA PAGE (it is the “Just Say Yes, Even When You are Afraid – 1/17/10 sermon)- but to be honest I’ve already listened to it and I personally feel that it loses something when it isn’t live. I often forget JUST HOW FAST I TALK and the random crazy thoughts that come to my head while I’m preaching! ha ha ha

I had a lot of very encouraging comments and feedback after the sermon – one of our guys even told me that he thought it was “the best sermon I’ve ever heard on Esther” which was a GREAT COMPLIMENT. But ya know I try to not get too caught up in the compliments as much as I try and rely that the Holy Spirit is working in people’s lives through the messages that I share from God’s Word.

The main reason I am even sharing this whole event on my blog is because something took place on Sunday that was a real encouragement and a challenge to me as I consider the future plans that God has in store for me. You see I’ve always felt pretty comfortable and “at ease” while on the stage preaching/teaching/telling stories. But on Sunday as I was sharing – I felt as if I was EXACTLY where God wanted me to be at that moment – doing EXACTLY what He wanted me to do. I’m not sure if it was the whole Esther “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” – challenge from the message or what. But I totally felt like I had been put there for just that specific time.

It caused me to begin asking myself more specifically WHAT might God have placed me here for this just time & place to do? So that is a question I am going to be really trying to answer more diligently in the coming months.

I do know this – as I was sharing the message, as I was telling the stories, as I was interacting with our crowd, as we were laughing and joking, as we were pausing in reflection, as the room grew quiet with expectation and anticipation in certain moments – I was never more certain that it was that sort of thing that I was created for (not because I am great but despite of all my flaws HE uses me for GREAT purposes).

So stay tuned (if you even care) cause now “it’s on” I gotta figure this out – but I know that those moments of laughter, enjoyment, entertainment, biblical challenge, Holy Spirit movement, fellowship & worship – that is what I crave and consider to be the best I have to offer for Kingdom purposes. But I’m just not exactly sure how it all plays out at this point – but as soon as HE lets me know – I’ll pass it on to you!

But until then why not go check out one of the more crazy retellings of the story of Esther – who knows you might just learn something!

[Via http://servinghimwithshakyhands.wordpress.com]

Black Lips- Drugs.

2010-01-19T06:52:00.000+02:00

Black is my color. I have loved the color since I was little. I always dreamt of having black hair. I have always wanted a bedroom painted all black. I wear almost all black every day. I have made delicious black velvet cupcakes. While looking through my iTunes, it is pretty clear I also have a love of bands with the word “black” in them: BlackRoc, Black Sabbath, Black Keys Black Moon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Black Star, Black Flag and these guys, Black Lips…

PS- Black Lips are playing a show in LA on Saturday. My unemployed ass does not have tickets. If you take me, you can be my Valentine…. and that’s kind of a big deal, because I sure do like to bake for Valentines Day.

[Via http://lipstuck.wordpress.com]

A tale of trust: Part 1

2010-01-17T22:12:00.000+02:00

It’s a bitterly cold night. My hands are buried deep in my pockets and my scarf is wound tightly around my neck and face. I have my earphones in and some upbeat music playing loudly; very loudly in fact, so that I can lose myself in the beat and pretend that I am somewhere warmer. The one positive aspect of tonight is that it is a Friday, and it is my weekend off. The main downside being that the Man is not coming over. He said he is busy tonight and he will come over tomorrow. I am a little disappointed to have to wait but I am looking forward with great anticipation to a nice hot bath to get the smell of chip fat out of my hair and ensuring that I am at my prettiest for when he arrives the following day.

I am nearing home now and the road is empty. The frost is keeping most people indoors and the few who do brave the elements are hustling past without so much as even a sideways glance. I feel almost invisible in my cocoon of music; the warmth from my many layers adding to the feeling of detachment and dampening my senses.

There is no car outside my door – I will be home alone this evening it appears. I know one housemate is away this weekend, but I wasn’t sure if the other would be around. I approach the door and fumble for my keys, I must be making a racket but I cannot hear over my music. All the lights are off as I open the door, but a waft of warm air hits me, and a sweet smell, like almonds or rotting fruit; sweet, but slightly stale. Maybe N baked before she went out? I step inside and turn to shut the door behind me, reaching for my phone to stop the music as I do. Something feels strange, nothing I can pinpoint, just a feeling of something being off (where is the cat? He usually comes to greet me) – I put it down to my imagination. I pull the buds of my headphones from my ears and backing away from the door I feel something solid behind me. There was nothing solid there a second ago. The sweet scent is stronger.

“Hello”. It is a man’s voice; cold, unnerving and unfamiliar.

There is something against my face, covering my nose and mouth, choking me with its stench. I am being held tight, by what or who I do not know, and I am terrified. Beyond terrified and beyond words. My vision blurs out and fades to dark and the last thing I can hear before I am cloaked in night is the sound of a man’s laugh fading beneath the ever increasing tempo of my own heartbeat.

As I waken the room is still dark, and I have no idea where I am. This is surreal. Am I awake; am I still asleep; would I even know? I can hear small movements in the dark, but they still sound muffled and distant. I move my hand to my face to try and create some sense of normality, but I find I cannot move my hand, in fact, I cannot move anything. More of my senses return and I become aware of my nakedness and the dull ache in the pit of my stomach. My heart begins to race once again; the man, where is he? I try to turn my head to look around but my hair is caught up and to move more would rip it out in great chunks. I whimper slightly at the stinging pain.

“Ah, she is awake.” The same disembodied voice echoes out from the darkness. A light appears suddenly, temporarily blinding me, and I feel a weight depress whatever it is I am lay on. As my vision returns I recognise my surroundings, I am in my room, on my bed, but I am strapped down with something that looks a lot like duct tape. A face looms above me; it is him.

“Hello my sweet. Feeling sore?”

I try to speak but there is tape over my mouth also. A feeling of relief sweeps over me, to be replaced by another rush of cold and uncompromising fear…

“So, now you find out if you really know the true me after all. You’d better pray you made the right judgement call, hadn’t you darling?

[Via http://littleladybecca.wordpress.com]

Five Ways To Avoid Swine Flu While Traveling

2010-01-17T13:20:00.000+02:00

1. Research

Before you take off, learn about current status of H1N1 at your destination and any other vaccines you might need. In addition, find out what resources might be available in the event of an emergency and who you could call. If you are going to a less developed country, talk to your doctor about bringing anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu. The World Health Organization, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. State Department are valuable sources of information.

2. Prepare For Inconveniences

Many international airports are monitoring visitors, so you may be quarantined if they suspect that you have H1N1 or have been exposed to the illness. According to the U.S. State Department, China quarantined thousands of U.S. travelers between May and August, but since September, quarantines have been less frequent. Because quarantines can last several days, it is crucial that travelers with chronic conditions bring extra medication.

3. Face Mask

According to the experts we talked to, the common surgical mask provides little protection against H1N1 because the virus can still pass through the mask’s pores. A N95 respirator is widely considered more effective, because it is designed to filter out minute particles. The CDC’s Web site does warn that it is more difficult to breathe through a respirator over a long duration and it is not intended for children. Both are available for purchase online.

4. Practice Good Hygiene

Regardless of whether you get the vaccination or not, good hygiene is a basic and critical rule in the war against H1N1. The maxims are tried and true: wash your hands frequently with soap and water; use alcohol-based hand sanitizers; avoid contact with mucus membranes (eyes, nose, mouth); cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Dr. Myles Druckman, a vice president for International SOS, says you should try to avoid standing near people who are ill, maintaining a distance of at least three to six-feet.

5. Don’t fly

If you suspect you are coming down with the flu, and especially if you register a fever, don’t travel. Not only do you face the risk of quarantine, but you’re putting your fellow passengers and co-workers in jeopardy. Your firm and your family will understand. It will be easier to recover from home where you know your doctors and don’t have to deal with the stress of travel. If you are worried about the cost of cancellation, purchase travel insurance beforehand, just make sure you read the fine print and pick a provider that does not make exclusions for pandemics or epidemics.

Click here for more on steps to take when you must travel.

[Via http://drugsinus.wordpress.com]

Juan y Choncey

2010-01-16T06:34:00.000+02:00

Ingredients: Rum – 80%, Beer – 5.2%, Cider 5.1%, Vodka 35%, Wine 12.5%, Black Current Juice 0% and Prescription Medication.

“That fucking fuck, fuck,” Choncey pauses looking for the correct word to say to me, his eyes telling me nothing but how drunk he is. “Fuck it,” he pauses again, “What the hell did you put in this?” He’s motioning towards the glass in his hand, the brown and severe liquid inside spilling over the edges onto his jeans. He doesn’t care and nor do I.

“It doesn’t matter, not now anyway,” is what I begin to verbalise somewhat drunkenly too, hoping that this feeling is going to not last forever.

The room is moving, or is that me? There is no way of telling exactly what is going on anymore, we’ve lost all momentum in our limbs. We flail, we fall, we laugh. It has been days since we’ve left this room and I’ll be the first to tell you that confined drunks are the worst of them all. We’ve gone beyond the point of comprehension. It must have been something to do with the prescription medication in our booze, as if it wasn’t strong enough already.

“We must leave here tonight,” he says, eyeing the door suspiciously and trying hard to ignore the skewed worldly terrors we may face if we do somehow make it out there. He looks back at me, his head swinging initially too far before finally resting on where I sit and thinking hard about what he’s about to say. “Maybe we shouldn’t,” he pauses again, his head lulls forward and his drink spills some more. “Maybe we should stay in here and take some more Coedine. We still have rum, and we still have each other.” None of this is posed as a question and I understand completely, his advances are heterosexual and I understand completely. And it’s true what he’s saying, we do still have rum and pain medication, why would we want to leave this hole where we reside so comfortably. We are Comfortably Numb. We are what we need to be right now and going outside could only seem detrimental to what we set out to accomplish in the midst of this binge. However, as we were seemingly losing sight on reality, we were also losing sight on our goals. This started out as an experiment, we began attempting to become doctors in the loosest sense of the term.

“We have not failed yet,” I’m standing up uneasily and raising my hand dramatically, although I’m not sure why. “We must succeed, or this is all for nothing!” I’m shouting rambunctiously and clumsily making a fist, stretching my index finger out towards Choncey.

“Don’t point that thing at me!” He suddenly screams, clearly uncomfortable due to my hand gesture, yet excited by my excitement. “And sit down, there’s no need to act the fool,” he finishes.

“You’re right,” I say fumbling in my pocket for something, anything, and fingering a pack of cigarettes finally I pull them out and smile at him as if we’d won something unimaginable.

“OK,” Choncey says looking at the pack of cigarettes, “OK, but don’t open the window too far, they’ll drag you outside and take me too.”

I have no idea who or what he is talking about, however, I do not want to find out either. I open the window a sliver and light a cigarette throwing the pack somewhere behind me, carelessly and blow smoke out of the window through the tiny crack, my eyes wide and petrified, deceiving my clouded mind.

“What?” I can hear him asking behind me as he too lights a cigarette. I’m not sure that I said anything and so ignore him, my tongue in clear danger of blurting something ludicrous out at him.

“We’re going to be here for quite some time,” I say, finally, sucking in hard on the cigarette and looking at both the darkness outside through the crack, and the reflection of Choncey sitting behind me staring at his hand before trying to flick something from it and, satisfied, taking a sip from his drink.

The television is playing a static at full volume that had somehow, up to now, gone unnoticed.

“We must leave here tonight,” Choncey is saying after an moment of silence and I knew he was right, there was too much mischief to be had outside. And we were locking ourselves away ignoring it. ”Put on your shoes!” He continues, standing upright and pointing down at my feet. I look towards my feet and notice that I’m not wearing shoes and no longer am I wearing socks either. Choncey looks at me. “We can go on without socks,” he assures me, somehow.

“OK, but first, finish your drink, we must make sure that we have entirely no recollection of being outside. I, for one, do not need to remember what I’m about to do.” I find myself saying this and not really understanding my meaning but Choncey nods in agreement anyway, thus meaning that my nonsense and I are in the clear. For now.

Open wide and to be continued…

Dickie LeRoo

[Via http://dickieleroo.wordpress.com]

Martha Coakley Takes Money From Health Insurance Lobbyists, MA Republican Party ad video, Coakley ties to drug companies, Coakley fundraiser Washington DC, Health care lobbyists, Martha Coakley smear campaign, Health Care Bill

2010-01-14T14:46:00.000+02:00

The MA Republican Party has a new video out accusing Martha Coakley of taking money from health insurance lobbyists.

“Martha Coakley says she holds health insurers accountable, then one day later, takes money from the very same health insurance lobbyists at a Washington fundraiser.”

Was this a fair portrayal of Coakley’s ties to lobbyists and drug companies?

You decide.

From the Washington Examiner, January 8, 2010.

“Coakley in trouble? Pharma and HMO lobbyists to the rescue”

“With Democrat Martha Coakley in trouble in the Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s seat, Democrats could lose vote No. 60 for President Obama’s health-care bill. In response, an army of lobbyists for drug companies, health insurance companies, and hospitals has teamed up to throw a high-dollar Capitol Hill fundraiser for Coakley next Tuesday night. The invitation is here.

Of the 22 names on the host committee–meaning they raised $10,000 or more for Coakley–17 are federally registered lobbyists, 15 of whom have health-care clients. Of the other five hosts, one is married to a lobbyist, one was a lobbyist in Pennsylvania, another is a lawyer at a lobbying firm, and another is a corporate CEO. Oh, and of course, there’s also the political action commitee for Boston Scientific Corporation.

All the leading drug companies have lobbyists on Coakley’s host committee: Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Astra-Zeneca, and more. On the insurance side of things, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, HealthSouth, and United Health all are represented on the host committee.”

“Here are some of Coakley fundraiser hosts with some of their current health care clients:

Thomas Boggs, Patton Boggs: Bristol-Myers Squibb

Chuck Brain, Capitol Hill Strategies: Amgen, BIO, Merck, PhRMA

Susan Brophy, Glover Park Group: Blue Cross, Pfizer

Steven Champlin, Duberstein Group: AHIP, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis

Licy Do Canto, Raben Group: Amgen

Gerald Cassidy, Cassidy & Associates: U. Mass Memorial Health Care

David Castagnetti, Mehlman, Vogel, Castagnetti: Abbot Labs, AHIP, Astra-Zenaca, General Electric, Humana, Merck, PhRMA.

Steven Elmendorf, Elmendorf Strategies: Medicines Company, PhRMA, United Health

Shannon Finley, Capitol Counsel: Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, Blue Cross, GE, PhRMA, Sanofi-Aventis.

Heather Podesta, Heather Podesta & Partners: Cigna, Eli Lilly, HealthSouth

Tony Podesta, Podesta Group: Amgen, GE, Merck, Novartis.

Robert Raben, Raben Group: Amgen, GE. “

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Coakley-in-trouble-Pharma-and-HMO-lobbyists-to-the-rescue-81067542.html

“Fox News Reports On Martha Coakley’s “Controversial” DC Fundraiser With Health Care Lobbyists”

“It won’t be the first time but Martha Coakley smeared Scott Brown tonight outside of her big Washington DC lobbyist fundraiser.

Martha Coakley is a smear merchant.

She already tried to tie Republican Scott Brown to Rush Limbaugh even though the two have never met.

Now tonight Martha Coakley tried to tie Scott Brown to “extreme right groups” who she says are pouring money into Massachusetts. She says this despite the fact that Brown raised over $1.3 million, mostly in small donations, in an online money bomb yesterday. And, she had the gall to say this outside of her Washington DC lobbyist fundraiser where 22 big-time lobbyists from drug, health care and insurance companies met tonight to help bail her campaign out.

Brian Maloney has more on Coakley’s big money fundraiser tonight.

As if Martha Coakleys support from the corrupt establishment wasnt already clear enough, now comes word that a coalition of sleazebag industry lobbyists have teamed up with Bay State Democrats for an eleventh-hour bailout of her faltering campaign.

Many of those involved in this hastily-organized rescue attempt have no Bay State ties, their only allegiance is to piggish K Street – Beltway lobbying firms.”

[Via http://citizenwells.wordpress.com]

.::eta Carinae::.

2010-01-14T06:39:00.000+02:00

He is rocked to sleep by those

     waves of high

     and rolling lows.

     He comes and goes, he comes and goes.

whispers Picasso, spits out Van Goghs.

Reaching upriver

     while backward – he rows -

     while upward – he rose -

     crediting the whole game to dead heroes.

Speaking arpeggios or speaking in prose

babel that blisters

what eyesight once froze.

The back of his hand brushes the tip of his nose

one iris splinters

the other one glows.

He is sung to sleep by those

     canary songs and all-time lows

     while in the throes

     of what never shows

     He comes and goes, he comes and goes.

[Via http://oldblindmercy.wordpress.com]

Top 30 as of: Tuesday the 12th of January 2010 at 06:35:35 AM

2010-01-12T14:38:00.000+02:00

NYT — New Jersey Lawmakers Pass Medical Marijuana Bill

By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKIPublished: January 11, 2010 TRENTON — The New Jersey Legislature approved a measure on Monday that would make the state the 14th in the nation, but one of the few on the East Coast, to legalize the use of marijuana to help patients with chronic illnesses.

path: Public ~> Marijuana

2010-01-11 19:17:30 [1]

***

MSNBC — Battling the Medicare fraud ‘epidemic’

By Mark Potter, Correspondent, NBC News MIAMI — In an out-of-the way warehouse district in southwest Miami-Dade county, FBI agent Brian Waterman and Julie Rivera, an agent with the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, approached a tiny medical supply company that they suspected was nothing more than a front for Medicare fraud.

path: Public ~> Healthcare Debate

2010-01-11 14:46:54 [2]

***

Raw Story — Dodd: Health reform bill ‘hanging by a thread’

By Ron BrynaertMonday, January 11th, 2010 — 2:40 pmOn his way out the door, retiring Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) has some bad news for health reform advocates still cheering the late December Senate vote.”Health care reform is ‘hanging on by a thread,’ and one or two votes could determine the outcome of the heavily-debated bill, Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd told CNBC Monday,” the

path: Public ~> Healthcare Debate

2010-01-11 14:14:29 [3]

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PGR Mexico

La Procuradura General de la Repblica solicita la colaboracin de cualquier persona que pueda proporcionar informacin fidedigna sobre el paradero de estos individuos que permita su aprehensin.

path: Public ~> mexico

2010-01-11 11:48:15 [4]

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Mexico’s Zetas Key to the Beltran Leyva Gang’s Survival

(photo: Hctor Beltrn Leyva)Monday, January 11, 2010By Samuel LoganMexican authorities arrested Carlos Beltran Leyva in Sinaloa on 30 December. He is the younger brother of the late Arturo Beltran Leyva, who was killed in a shootout with Mexican troops two weeks earlier, and the third Beltran Leyva brother to have been either killed or arrested since early 2008.With a fourth brother, Hector Beltran Leyva, still at large and considered the head of what re

path: Public ~> mexico

2010-01-11 08:26:54 [5]

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MEXIDATA dot INFO front page

MEXICAN INFORMATION AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATESMexico emphasis business and government services; negotiations with federal, state and local government agencies and officials, plus the private sector; lobbying and facilitation with government officials, regulatory agencies and elected representatives; problem resolution; socioeconomic and political research and analysis; country and political risk analysis; actionable intelligence; U.S.A. services for Latin American clients.

path: Public ~> mexico

2010-01-10 19:08:50 [6]

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Full text: bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’

Observer.co.uk, Sunday 24 November 2002 12.07 GMTOnline document: the full text of Osama bin Laden’s “letter to the American people”, reported in today’s Observer. The letter first appeared on the internet in Arabic and has since been translated and circulated by Islamists in Britain.

path: Public ~> Homeland Security

2010-01-09 12:28:53 [7]

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AP/CBS — Calif. Authorities Told To Return 60 Lbs. Of Pot

1/9/09 (AP) LOS ANGELES (AP) A Los Angeles judge has ordered that 60 pounds of pot confiscated by the California Highway Patrol during an arrest be returned to the defendant.Superior Court Judge William Sterling on Friday ordered the marijuana returned to Saguro Doven. The 33-year-old’s attorneys successfully argued that he had the legal right to transport it under medical marijuana guidelines issued by state Attorney General Jerry Brown.Doven’s attorney says his client was

path: Public ~> Marijuana

2010-01-09 11:58:40 [8]

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VoA — Rocket Hits US Consulate in Afghanistan

08 January 2010Photo: AP Afghan police secure the area near the new U.S. consulate building in Herat after rocket attackAfghan police say a rocket has hit a building housing the new U.S. consulate office in western Afghanistan.They say three rockets were fired at the building in the city of Herat Friday, but that only one struck it.

path: Public ~> afpak

2010-01-09 07:22:18 [9]

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ynet news – Mitchell: Mideast stagnation endangers US aid

Yitzhak Benhorin Published: 01.08.10, 19:58 / Israel News WASHINGTON — On the eve of his visit to the Middle East, US special envoy George Mitchell threatened that his country would freeze its aid to Israel if the Jewish state failed to advance peace talks with the Palestinians and a two-state solution. Mitchell clarified in an interview to the PBS network that the United States would use incentives or sanctions against both sides.

path: Public ~> Israel Palestine

2010-01-08 18:51:54 [10]

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AP — Military leader says no plans for troops in Yemen

By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press Writer 1/8/09NEWPORT, R.I. — The nation’s top military leader said Friday the United States has no plans to send troops into Yemen, and that country has made it clear it does not want U.S. ground forces there.In an address Friday to hundreds of students at the Naval War College in Newport, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed issues raised by the Christmas Day attempt to bring down a Detroit-b

path: Public ~> Yemen

2010-01-08 18:39:52 [11]

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AFP — Astronomers spot ’super-Earth’ 80 light years away

1/8/09WASHINGTON #8212; US astronomers have detected the second smallest exoplanet ever discovered with a mass just four times heavier than the Earth, adding to a growing number of low-mass planets dubbed “super-Earths.”"This is quite a remarkable discovery,” said Andrew Howard, an astronomer at the University of California at Berkeley.”It shows that we can push down and find smaller and smaller planets,” he said in a presentation at the 215th meeting

path: Public ~> Space

2010-01-08 18:26:32 [12]

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FT — Internet-enabled TVs to feature ‘app stores’

By Chris Nuttall in Las Vegas Published: January 7 2010 — App stores are coming to the television as developers and content providers move their software and services to the big screens of internet-connected TVs.Many TV sets on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week have an added Ethernet connection as the internet, along with 3D, becomes an integrated part of the viewing experience.(Photo: Samsu

path: Public ~> webDev

2010-01-08 02:16:52 [13]

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UpdatedFrequently front page

path: Public ~> News

2010-01-08 02:03:05 [14]

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Report On Ft. Hood Shooting Details Intelligence Failure

Fort Hood Intel Lapse Mirrors Detroit Case CBS NewsExclusive: FBI and Pentagon Missed Red Flag that Hasan Was E-mailing Qaeda Cleric, Who is also Linked to Abdulmutallab(CBS) Less than a month after major Nidal Hasan allegedly killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, the Pentagon’s top intelligence officer sent the White House a report detailing an earlier failure to connect the dots. It reads like a dress rehearsal for the Detroit bomber case, reports CBS New

path: Public ~> Homeland Security

2010-01-08 01:46:56 [15]

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RidleyReportJanuary 06, 2010Victimless crime trial triggers two ‘removals’ of justice system dissidents. Detals: http://forum.freekeene.com/index.php?…ron paul law enforcement court security officers Judge Andrew Napolitano lawyers prosecutors defense attorneys ridleyreport court candia

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-08 01:01:33 [16]

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The Arizona Republic — Joe Arpaio investigated by grand jury

by JJ Hensley and Yvonne Wingett – Jan. 7, 2010 08:07 PMTwo high-ranking Maricopa County officials confirmed late Thursday that they will testify next week before a federal grand jury exploring allegations that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has abused power.County Manager David Smith and Assistant County Manager Sandi Wilson said they were preparing to testify before the grand jury on Wednesday.

path: Public ~> Sheriff Joe Arpaio

2010-01-07 22:58:53 [17]

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Raw Story/AFP — Two Blackwater guards arrested for murder; company settles lawsuits

By Daniel TencerThursday, January 7th, 2010 — 4:09 pmTwo guards working for Xe Services, the company formerly known as Blackwater, were arrested Thursday on murder charges following a shootout after a car accident in Afghanistan last year.If convicted, the two could face the death penalty.

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-07 22:29:33 [18]

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Brothel to get the bucks Shady Lady Ranch can be stud farm, officials say, but health concerns linger

By HENRY BREAN This sign outside the Shady Lady Ranch brothel advertises its usual fare — scantily clad women. In as little as two weeks, the owners of the brothel in northern Nye County plan to offer at least one male prostitute as well. Photo by Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

path: Public ~> Nevada

2010-01-07 14:08:37 [19]

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January 07, 2010The White House is scheduled to release a report today that details events leading to the attempted Christmas Day bombing a document one White House official called shocking. Does this concern you? Do you believe this report will prompt major changes in airline security? Is the Obama administration doing enough to prevent terror attacks?Category: News PoliticsTags: UPI terror report white house obama christmas day bomber airline security

path: Public ~> Homeland Security

2010-01-07 13:46:00 [20]

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AFP — Afghan war kills three children a day: report

By Lynne O’Donnell (AFP) 1/6/09The United Nations said civilian deaths in Afghanistan rose 10.8 percent in the first 10 months of 2009KABUL – Children are the biggest victims of the war in Afghanistan, with more than 1,050 people under 18 years old killed last year alone, according to an Afghan human rights watchdog.Taliban-linked militants caused around 64 percent of all violent child deaths last year, the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) said in a report.

path: Public ~> afpak

2010-01-07 13:31:32 [21]

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Raw Story — Geithner’s Fed tried to keep sweet deal for banks a secret: Issa

By Daniel TencerThursday, January 7th, 2010 — 2:32 pmThe controversy surrounding Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s role in the 2008 Wall Street bailouts was ramped up Thursday with the revelation of emails that show the New York Federal Reserve — then run by Geithner — pressured insurance giant AIG to withhold information about payments the company made to its creditors.

path: Public ~> Economy

2010-01-07 13:23:35 [22]

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The new anti-whaling speedboat deployed by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society collides with a vessel in Japan’s whaling fleet.Video provided by Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research. More on Dot Earth: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.comhttp://www.icrwhale.org/gpandsea.htmhttp://www.seashepherd.org Category: News PoliticsTags: whaling animal rights oceans japan environmentalism

path: Public ~> High Seas

2010-01-06 19:30:55 [23]

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This is a comet coming a little too close to the sun as see by the SOHO spacecraft on January 3, 2010. SOHO is a joint ESA/NASA project. Category: Science TechnologyTags: cometlascoc2 0110

path: Public ~> Space

2010-01-05 00:02:35 [24]

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Inside Obama’s War on Terrorism

By PETER BAKERPublished: January 4, 2010 The evening before he was sworn into office, Barack Obama stepped out of Blair House, the government residence where he was staying across from the White House, and climbed into an armored limousine for the ride to a bipartisan dinner. Joining him in the back seat were John Brennan, his new counterterrorism adviser, and two foreign-policy advisers, Denis McDonough and Mark Lippert. The three men with the president-elect were out of breath, having ru

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-04 23:34:24 [25]

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Kean: Unsuccessful bomber ‘probably did us a favor’

Washington (CNN) — The man who led the federal government’s inquiry into the intelligence lapses leading up to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks said Sunday that the Obama administration is plagued by the same problems the Bush administration had more than eight years ago.Thomas Kean, the Republican who chaired the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, said Obama counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan had sounded “a bit defensive,” in an interview that had just aired on C

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-04 22:21:00 [26]

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AP/RawStory — Threats against judges, prosecutors double over last six years

Monday, January 4th, 2010 — 7:11 pmShare on Facebook Stumble This! Threats to federal judges and prosecutors have jumped dramatically, according to a new government report issued Monday that found such threats more than doubled in the past six years.By coincidence, the report was issued shortly before a gunman walked into a federal building in Las Vegas and opened fire, killing a court security officer and seriously wounding a deputy U.S. marshal. The suspect was shot dead

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-04 22:08:18 [27]

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Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law

By Lyndsey LaytonWashington Post Staff Writer Monday, January 4, 2010 Of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States — from flame retardants in furniture to household cleaners — nearly 20 percent are secret, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, their names and physical properties guarded from consumers and virtually all public officials under a little-known federal provision

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-04 21:58:55 [28]

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Reuters — Dissident, 82, detained at Moscow rally

Dec 31, 2009 6:42pm GMTMOSCOW (Reuters) – Police detained dozens of anti-Kremlin activists, including an 82-year-old Soviet dissident dressed as Santa Claus’ female helper, at a New Year’s Eve rally on Moscow’s main shopping street Thursday.Hundreds of riot police surrounded a Christmas tree in the centre of the city and arrested the opposition activists as they gathered to defend their right to peaceful protest.

path: Public ~> Public

2010-01-04 05:40:35 [29]

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Czech Govt clarifies rules on possession of drugs, (up to 15g pot OK)

(photo undated, Czech Justice Minister Daniela Kovarova)15 December 2009 Prague, Dec 14 – The Czech government Monday set the drug possession limits under which the possession of up to 1.5 grammes of heroin, up to one gramme of cocaine and up to two grammes of methamphetamine (pervitine) will not be punishable as of New Year.Czechs will also be able to legally possess up to 15 grammes of marijuana, according to the Justice Ministry’s proposal approved by the government Monday.

path: Public ~> Marijuana

2009-12-31 20:53:54 [30]

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[Via http://rollerposter.wordpress.com]

Semana del Salvia

2010-01-12T06:36:00.000+02:00

I Forgot About the Layer People

I’ve decided to smoke salvia every day this week as part of a mental journey. Or something.

I bought my first bong today. It has pinkish red in it, which is my favorite part. When I asked about Salvia, the other customers in the store exclaimed to each other, “Salvia, whoahh. That shit can fuck you up!” I already have a shoebox full of leaf, but I decided to start off the week with 20x.

Megan took a hit first. She was about to take another when she suddenly seemed to no longer see what was in front of her and I pulled my bong out of her face. She looked dazed and seemed unable to talk. Awhile after she came back to reality she explained that she entered a different planet through its airport where everyone had my face. I wore a red brocade hat that seemed like an accordion. Then she started to touch her skin and feel like it was cardboard and uncomfortable. She didn’t particularly like her trip.

Before I got high, I painted half of a portrait (the left side) as part of a project for SF0 where I needed to make art “under the influence.” I took my hit, a big one, and held it in for longer than usual. I felt the trip coming on, put one pillow under my head and clutched the other to my chest. The world turned into layer people and I lost my orientation. Layer people. I had completely forgotten about them. I remember another trip where my surroundings connected into repeating layers – sort of how it looks like when you open the medicine cabinet so that the mirrors reflect infinitely into each other. But these layers aren’t darkened by shadow or limited by what you can sandwich between the mirrors. In my trip tonight I remember how the little rubber coated forks (that support the plastic sheet for a recessed ceiling light) had faces, as well as everything else that formed these vertical accordion layers. I rolled on the ground, side to side, which made the layers move like flipping slowly through a deck of cards.

I laughed hysterically, trying to explain the layer people to an almost sober Megan, and completely sober Peaches. At some point I found the layer where my canvas was “above my left shoulder” (not really, just in my mental orientation). I rolled around through layers some more but eventually decided to come to the one where I could paint. “Here’s the real layer!!” I didn’t even pick up my pallette knife and went straight for the paint for my fingers, smearing blue and yellow onto the canvas. I remember being manically happy, laughing and shrieking. When I did use the pallette knife, I would be convinced I was painting certain things – the red and pink vertical lines were a city, a blob was a swimmer, blue and green smears were water. Sometimes I didn’t want to paint because everything seemed perfectly beautiful just the way it was.

(Megan made a painting too, with some help from Peaches.) Back in reality (but still high) I would shift between feeling normal and spazzing out. I would randomly have tremors and laugh into my pillow. Salvia awakens a wild, manic world of hysteria, and I think my painting (on the right half) reflects that. Textures, music, sensations are transfixing. I got caught in a romantic gaze with my camera, far up on a ledge as I reached toward it.

A good first day, I think.

[Via http://cpsami.wordpress.com]

Overheard: Son of Sam Eagle

2010-01-10T22:00:00.000+02:00

Week after week (after week after week…), CollegeCandy and our pal John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, and saddest things he hears on his college campus. And we know he’s not the only one who hears this stuff. Join the Overheard revolution! Listen in on some weirdos’ conversations and share them in the comments or send ‘em over. You know there’s a lot of funny things to be heard on your campus, so get listening.

(Girl, guy at a basketball game.)

Girl: Oh, man, I can almost taste that KFC.

Guy: No. No, do not taste it.

(Girl, two guys at a party.)

Guy 1: Well, I mean, like, I’ve never done … water sports.

Girl: Water sports? What’s water sports?

Guy 2: You know, like, swimming, diving, water-skiing.

Guy 1: Uh, dude.

(Girl, taking a call outside a party.)

Girl: That porn star isn’t even cute ! . . . I mean I bet she knows what she’s doing, but no way.

(Two girls, eating dinner in a Chinese restaurant.)

Girl 1: There once was a man from Nantucket.

Girl 2: Who got his head stuck in a bucket.

Girl 1: Then he died in that bucket.

(Girls, talking during lunch.)

Girl 1: Apollo.

Girl 2: How about Poseidon?

Girl 1: No, I feel like that’s asking for trouble. Achilles.

Girl 2: Even worse.

Guy (coming over): What’s up?

Girl 1: Naming vibrators.

(Two guys, in the lunchroom.)

Guy 1: I’ll give you a hint. His name rhymes with Awesome.

Guy 2: Plawsome.

Guy 1: No.

(Guys, watching TV in the dorm lounge.)

Guy 1: I like this commercial. It’s cute.

Guy 2: How about “There will always be babies. There will always be … death. See this baby? It’s gonna die.”

Guy 1: “You will also die. Thank you for your attention.”

(Girl and a guy, eating in an Italian restaurant.)

Girl: Remember all those friends from home?

Guy: You know, I realize they weren’t my friends really.

Girl: Yeah, more like big drugs with legs.

(Two girls, in the grocery store seafood section.)

Girl 1: I don’t know. How do you even sedate a lobster?

Girl 2: Boil it for a few seconds. Just give it something to think about.

(Girl, guy, talking in a coffee shop.)

Girl: Can you even have a lint fetish?

Guy: Yeah, sure. You know what, let me check my belly button right now.

(Girl, other girl, at a basketball game.)

Girl 1: Can we trash-talk something nice? I don’t wanna be mean.

Girl 2: Hey Duke! Your coach looks like Sam Eagle!

[Via http://collegecandy.com]

Brittany Murphy Died Broke...Mom's Frantic 911 Call...THE TRUTH ABOUT BRITTANY...

2010-01-10T06:22:00.000+02:00

Brittany Murphy was broke, mom & husband fighting over her estate

Cele|bitchy

The new edition of the National Enquirer has a piece on an alleged feud and estate grab between the husband and mother of the late Brittany Murphy. Seemingly in response to the rumors, there’s a new story in People about how well Simon Monjack and his mother-in-law get along. They’re also said to be relying on each other for support during the difficult time after 32 year-old Brittany’s sudden death. I’m not sure which side of the story I believe, but as Kaiser says “a little from column A, a little from column B.” Monjack is a known con artist who has been sued multiple times for bad debts. I don’t see him letting his mother-in-law inherit all of his late wife’s assets without a fight. Murphy was said to be broke, though, and I know I was wondering how she could afford to live in that huge house in the Hollywood Hills when she hadn’t had a hit movie in years. It turns out that she couldn’t. Here’s the National Enquirer’s version.

Brittany Murphy died virtually broke – and her financial mess has triggered a bitter feud between her husband and her heartbroken mom.

The Clueless star, who died mysteriously on Dec. 20 at age 32, owed more money than her Beverly Hills home is worth. The 8,000 square foot mansion is now occupied by her mother, Sharon, and her husband of 2 1/2 years, Simon Monjack.

“But a war has exploded over the estate, and there’s a lot of tension between them,” a Hollywood insider told The Enquirer.

“Brittany died practically penniless. And now her husband wants to sell her possessions quickly, while her mother is shell-shocked over the death…

“Poor Sharon can barely function, let alone think about selling the house or getting Brittany’s finances in order… But Simon is already pushing to sell Brittany’s possessions, including jewelry, clothes and the house.

“Sharon is appalled by his insensitivity.”

THE TRUTH ABOUT BRITTANY

BRITTANY MURPHY could have been saved! Her secret drug use and the iron-fisted control of her alleged con man husband left her isolated from the very friends who could have prevented her tragic death, say those close to her.

The 32-year-old rail-thin actress passed away Dec. 20 from an apparent cardiac arrest.

“She was sweet and fragile and just wanted to please, but the odds were stacked against

her,” a longtime friend told The ENQUIRER.

“She was helplessly dependent on drugs. And her husband, Simon Monjack, kept her from many people who loved and worried about her. “This heartbreaking loss could have been avoided.”

The star of such hits as Clueless, 8 Mile and Just Married was discovered unconscious by her mother and rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where she was pronounced dead.

Numerous prescription pill bottles reportedly were found near her. And while toxicology results were still pending, shocked friends told The ENQUIRER that Brittany’s personal life had become a path to destruction.

“Brittany’s death boils down to drugs and shutting out her friends after meeting Simon,” charged her angry friend.

“He was a possessive control freak.”

Brittany also struggled with weight issues and insecurity. Drugs were a recurring threat throughout her Hollywood years, dating back to her work on 8 Mile in Detroit almost eight years ago, said a source who worked on the film.

“Brittany came close to the edge once before,” recalled the source.

Just before filming ended on the 2002 hit, “an assistant found Brittany passed out on the bathroom floor of her hotel room. She wasn’t breathing. They thought she was dead.”

An on-set medic revived her and took her to an emergency room.

“She’d taken too many pills and she also was doing a lot of cocaine,” said the source. “Producers made her take a couple of days off.”

The incident was covered up by Brittany’s handlers, according to the source.

A few years later at an Austin, Texas, music festival, Brittany “broke out containers of cocaine and snorted line after line during the show,” recalled another friend. “That memory haunts me.”

The beautiful star spiraled downhill after marrying British producer/screenwriter Simon

Monjack in 2007, say sources.

He had multiple civil judgments against him. “She had to shell out a lot of money to get him out of trouble,” divulged another close friend. “Brittany paid off his debts.”

Even worse, Simon, 39, began managing her career, and her movie paychecks plummeted – from $4 million per picture to $100,000, charged the source. Brittany was reportedly fired from her latest movie, “The Caller,” before filming began in San Juan.

“Brittany paid the ultimate price for fame. It cost her her life.

From The National Enquirer, print edition, January 18, 2010

[Via http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com]

It's Nice to Know They Care

2010-01-09T14:37:00.000+02:00

The Obama-Reid-Pelosi Troika is welcoming 2010 with seventy-three new tax increases that went into effect on January 1, 2010. Over $1 Billion new tax increases were on energy alone! Surprisingly, most of that was for renewable and more efficient energy sources.

The House has passed legislation (H.R. 4213) that would have prevented these tax increases, but the Senate failed to bring this bill to a vote.

Happy New Year!

New Energy Taxes:

•    $3 MILLION tax increase on alternative/hybrid motor vehicles (sec 30B(k)(3))

•    $736 MILLION tax increase on biodiesel and renewable diesel (sec 40A(g), secs. 6426(c)(6) and 6427 (e)(5)(B))

•    $20 MILLION tax increase on new energy efficient home building (sec 45L(g))

•    $70 MILLION taxes on issuing clean renewable energy bonds (CREBs) (sec 54M)

•    $6 MILLION tax increase on advanced mine safety equipment (sec 179E)

•    $50 MILLION new taxes on capital costs incurred by small diesel refiners(sec 179B(a))

•    $188 MILLION taxes on “brownfields” environmental remediation (sec 198(h))

•    $84 MILLION taxes on income attributable to domestic production activities in Puerto Rico (Sec 199(d)(7))

•    $67 MILLION new taxes on oil and gas marginal wells (sec 613A(c)(6)(H))

•    $94 MILLION tax increase on alternative fuel and alternative fuel mixtures (excluding liquefied hydrogen) (secs. 6426(d)(5) and 6427 (e)(6)(C)

That’s $1,318,000,000 in taxes increases on energy alone! Thank you Congress, keep up the great work!! (ATR)

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A FOX IN THE HEALTH CARE HEN HOUSE

MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, one of the leading academic defenders of health care reform, is taking heat for failing to disclose consistently that he was under contract with the Department of Health and Human Services while he was touting the Democrats’ health proposals the media.

But while he was being paid to provide his services to HHS, he was also fending off health care reform critics in the media. Gruber was one of the prominent analysts to rebut an insurance industry report from PricewaterhouseCoopers in October saying premiums would shoot up if a health care bill passes. And he has recently written columns defending specific provisions in the House and Senate bills, particularly the “Cadillac tax” on high-cost insurance plans.(FoxNews)

So who ratted him out, Liberal Union bloggers afraid that their own benefits would be cut. The Daily Kos (about as extreme left as you can get) declared that, given Gruber’s contract, the “fix was in” for the Cadillac plan.

But don’t expect to hear this one one the Mainstream Media.

So what if some of the “experts” are actually hacks for the Administration pushing the biggest Socialist program in American History!

That’s not newsworthy for the Mainstream Media. The Ministry of Truth is far more interested in Tiger Woods and Jay Leno.

DEAR JANET, THE PETER PRINCIPLE IS CALLING

Question: What was the most shocking, stunning thing that you found out of the review? And, Secretary, to you, as well.

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO: I think, following up on that, not just the determination of al Qaeda and al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula, but the tactic of using an individual to foment an attack, as opposed to a large conspiracy or a multi-person conspiracy such as we saw in 9/11, that is something that affects intelligence. It really emphasizes now the renewed importance on how different intelligence is integrated and analyzed, and threat streams are followed through. And, again, it will impact how we continue to review the need to improve airport security around the world. (real clear politics)

D’oh!

Yes, “The system worked” Janet.

TRANSPARENCY

Robert Gibbs, The mouthpiece of the Obama Administration when pressed about the complete lack of transparency that Candidate Obama promised refused to answer when pressed saying things like “well you had my answer yesterday” and “the president wants something on his desk as soon as possible”

The State of Union Campaign Speech perhaps?

Nancy Pelosi had the best gloss on Obama’s transparency pledge, sloughing it off as just another one of those disposable things he said on the trail. But this gets to the essential insincerity of Obama’s former good-government purism, of the pledge to take public funds in the general election (abandoned when the vista of mounds of private dollars beckoned), of post-partisanship (abandoned when it might constrain his ambitions), and of open negotiations (abandoned on first contact with reality).

He punked voters into believing he represented a new way of doing business, before immediately embracing the old practices on behalf of a very old agenda of state aggrandizement. (RCP)

And created the MOST partisan administration ever.

The Democrats want to govern without questions and a media that’s just adores them, if only they could get rid of those pesky Republicans , bloggers, and FOX.

Even very liberal Jack Cafferty on CNN ripped into Congress and President Obama:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pO1oJPps1I

It’s painfully obvious the American people don’t want ObamaCare and equally obvious that the Democrats, especially President Obama, don’t particularly care.

It’s Transparent, you might say.

The Democrats feel inoculated against voter dissatisfaction because they’ve bought into their own wishful narrative: that voters punished them in 1994 because they failed to pass HillaryCare, not because they tried. Thus, the thinking goes, the way to get voters to forgive them for ObamaCare is to pass it.(IBD)

As I have said in previous blogs, I liken it to a Drug Dealer forcing the “patient” to become addicted to his drug so he can sell them more of it.

Not that they wanted it. But he wanted them to want it.

That’s today US Congressional Democrats.

The Drug of course is government control (“free”) of who lives and who dies.

Nothing serious.

So let’s do it in secret.

And as I have said before I don’t think the Democrats really care about the 2010 election as much as they care about winning their ultimate prize.

What’s an election compared to the long-term addiction to Government Health Care.

That’s just peanuts.

So what if they lied up their asses to get the power. Now that they have it, they want to use it.

The Agenda Uber Alles.

Why would a think like public opinion matter?

And November is 10 months away.

The media will make them forget.

Lull them to sleep with more reality shows, puff pieces and other inane Bread & Circuses.

After, the big controversy in the media was whether The State of The Union was going to Pre-empt either American Idol or Lost!

It will be neither.

You don’t want to make the people angry now do you…

Then they will bribe them into submission.

And those they can’t bribe they’ll scare them.

That’s their plan anyways.

So what if taxes are raised.

It’s not like they care.

Democracy is safe.

[Via http://indyfromaz.wordpress.com]

Minnesota monitoring prescription drugs

2010-01-09T06:49:00.000+02:00

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Starting this week, Minnesota residents who fill prescriptions for addictive drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin are going into a new state database.

The aim is to stop drug abusers and dealers from shopping around for prescriptions.

Pharmacies were required to start reporting to the Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program on Monday. By March, doctors, dentists and pharmacists can use the system to identify patients who get too many habit-forming medicines.

The state database is expected to track more than a million prescriptions a year.

Patients should see signs announcing the new system, or get information on a handout or receipt with their prescription.

Hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and clinics that administer pain medications directly to patients are not part of the tracking program.

[Via http://bbvm.wordpress.com]

Stevie Kalinich (quote)

2010-01-07T22:14:00.000+02:00

Photo by Mark Mawston

What is there

But my own perception?

I seek the answer

In cocaine-

In a mug

Of beer-

I seek

The wordless

In Scotch

Or Vodka

In cigarettes.

I search for myself

In things?

Do I even know

What happiness is?

What is joy?

What is Exhilaration?

Achieving?

Living.

Very few people

Cultivate

The art

Of living.

Where is

The softness

In the hard edge?

Stephen Kalinich

Photo by Mark Mawston

[Via http://lkthayer.wordpress.com]

Sex Work and Drugs in Ireland: New Research

2010-01-07T06:39:00.000+02:00

The National Advisory Committee on Drugs has published a fascinating report entitled Drug Use, Sex Work and the Risk Environment in Dublin, available here. In particular, the report makes a number of interesting findings about drug users’ reasons for working in the sex industry:

All the men and women interviewed were dependent heroin users prior to engaging in sex work; a significant minority were minors at the time.
There were a variety of entry routes into sex work; the dominant route being through peer or friendship networks. This often happened when the person had financial problems and their friend/acquaintance paved the way for them to become involved in sex work. For a significant minority of participants this introduction happened while homeless and/or staying in emergency accommodation.
For most of the participants the primary rationale for engaging in sex work was economic; to ‘make ends meet’ and/or ‘for the sake of me habit’. Sex work provided a source of income and hence financial independence. Moreover, it was often considered less risky than alternative sources of income, such as drug-dealing and shop-lifting.
The interface between participants’ drug use and their sex work was complex. The men and women interviewed needed a continual source of funds to maintain their (often multiple) drug dependency. For most, sex work proved very lucrative in this regard. However, the increased income obtained from sex work invariably contributed to an escalation in drug use.

Wednesday’s ‘Today With Pat Kenny’ featured an exchange based on the report between a representative of the Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland, which advocates ‘a move away from portraying sex workers as victims and towards a realisation that many people choose to work in the sex industry‘ and a spokesperson for the Christian NGO Ruhama. The podcast is available here.

[Via http://humanrightsinireland.wordpress.com]

Mayo Clinic, Medicare, No longer accept new Medicare patients, Obama praised Mayo Clinic, Mayo lost $840 million last year on Medicare, Medicare Trust Fund going bankrupt

2010-01-05T14:04:00.000+02:00

From BNET, January 4, 2010.

“Mayo Clinic Bridles at Medicare Payments”

“The Mayo Clinic, which has been praised by President Obama as an exemplar for the healthcare industry, will no longer accept new Medicare patients at a primary-care clinic in Glendale, AZ, a Phoenix suburb. While this office serves only a small portion of Mayo’s 526,000 patients in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida, the organization says that the Glendale clinic is part of a 2-year pilot that will determine whether Mayo continues taking care of Medicare patients at other facilities. Meanwhile, the 3,000 Medicare patients who see family doctors at the Glendale office will have to pay nearly $2,000 a year out of pocket if they want to stay with their physicians.

Mayo is going in this direction because it lost $840 million last year on Medicare. Its Arizona hospital and four primary-care clinics lost $120 million. Nationwide, physicians earn about 20 percent less from Medicare than they do from private payers, but there’s no evidence that most are losing money on Medicare. In a Bloomberg article, Dr. Robert Berenson of the Urban Institute is quoted as saying that some primary-care physicians can afford to do without Medicare “because there is an unlimited demand for their services.” In areas where private health plans pay much more, Medicare looks like a poor payer, he adds.

Nevertheless, the Mayo experiment highlights the grim realities facing Medicare. Even at the current payment rates, the payroll-tax-funded Medicare Trust Fund, which covers inpatient care, is expected to go bankrupt in 2017. General tax revenues and beneficiary premiums guarantee the solvency of Medicare Part B, the outpatient program, but neither higher taxes nor the current rise in premiums is popular. Cutting doctors’ fees is not politically acceptable, either. To keep those fees stable for the next decade, the House recently passed a supplemental spending bill of nearly $200 billion, and the Senate is expected to follow suit, in return for the AMA’s support of its reform bill.”

http://industry.bnet.com/healthcare/10001573/mayo-clinic-bridles-at-medicare-payments/

Thanks to my good friend Bill for the info.

[Via http://citizenwells.wordpress.com]

Ecuador launches state-run news agency

2010-01-05T06:38:00.000+02:00

Ecuador has established its first state-run news agency amid efforts by the lawmakers in the Andean nation to create a government-controlled watchdog which regulates privately-owned news outlets.

Quito has launched the Ecuadorian and South American News Agency (ANDES) to “strengthen the image” of the country, the office of President Rafael Correa said on Tuesday, AFP reported.

The state-run news outlet will cooperate closely with other news agencies across the continent, including Venezuela’s Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, Télam from Argentina, Spain’s EFE and Peru’s Andina de Radiodifusión y Television, the presidential office said.

Ecuadoran president Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado’s attempt to regulate the private news channels in the country has faced with political oppositions both from the local news outlets and opposition groups.

Critics of Correa maintain that his actions threaten the freedom of expression.

The Ecuadorian president says he is not attacking press freedoms, but fighting powerful media moguls who have for years gone unregulated and are conspiring with business groups opposed to his socialist reforms in the Andean country.

Analysts, on the other hand, say Correa is following in the footsteps of the Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, who has refused to renew the license of one broadcaster and has threatened to shut down an anti-government station.

The Ecuadorian government operates the daily newspaper El Telegrafo (The Telegraph), ecuador TV, Radio Publica and the official website El Ciudadano (The Citizen).

[Via http://bbvm.wordpress.com]

Tennessee Basketball Players Arested for Pretty Much Everything

2010-01-03T12:05:00.000+02:00

Tyler Smith won't be doing this because he did other things he wasn't supposed to do.

Four players on the Tennessee Volunteers Men’s Basketball team were arrested for pretty much everything. The players were pulled over for speeding whereupon, well, here’s the quote from the article…

According to a police report, officers smelled marijuana coming from the car and found a handgun with an altered serial number, a bag of marijuana and an open container of alcohol.

Senior forward Tyler Smith, sophomore guard Cameron Tatum, junior center Brian Williams and junior point guard Melvin Goins were the four players in the car that Tatum was driving.

It should also be pointed out that the car was a rental borrowed from a friend of one of the players, which is in no way suspicious.

Here the link to the ESPN article.

The weirdest detail is that Coach Bruce Pearl apologized to Coach Pat Summitt in case he tarnished the good image she worked to build. I’m not sure why he did this.

All the players are suspended indefinitely and could be dismissed.

[Via http://recordofrelevance.wordpress.com]

But What About Drugs?

2010-01-03T05:53:00.000+02:00

In response to this chart, a friend raised the objection that American medical costs are high because we cover pharmaceutical research and development costs for the rest of the world. This is a point that is commonly made by drug company apologists and right-wing partisans opposed to health care, but it turns out it’s not really the case (more here); in fact there’s good reason to think the for-profit, corporate structure of most American pharmaceutical “product development” actually stifles innovation and unnecessarily raises costs. As this must-read 2004 article from The New York Review of Books elaborates:

First, research and development (R&D) is a relatively small part of the budgets of the big drug companies—dwarfed by their vast expenditures on marketing and administration, and smaller even than profits. In fact, year after year, for over two decades, this industry has been far and away the most profitable in the United States. (In 2003, for the first time, the industry lost its first-place position, coming in third, behind “mining, crude oil production,” and “commercial banks.”) The prices drug companies charge have little relationship to the costs of making the drugs and could be cut dramatically without coming anywhere close to threatening R&D.

Second, the pharmaceutical industry is not especially innovative. As hard as it is to believe, only a handful of truly important drugs have been brought to market in recent years, and they were mostly based on taxpayer-funded research at academic institutions, small biotechnology companies, or the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The great majority of “new” drugs are not new at all but merely variations of older drugs already on the market. These are called “me-too” drugs. The idea is to grab a share of an established, lucrative market by producing something very similar to a top-selling drug. For instance, we now have six statins (Mevacor, Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Lescol, and the newest, Crestor) on the market to lower cholesterol, all variants of the first. As Dr. Sharon Levine, associate executive director of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, put it,

If I’m a manufacturer and I can change one molecule and get another twenty years of patent rights, and convince physicians to prescribe and consumers to demand the next form of Prilosec, or weekly Prozac instead of daily Prozac, just as my patent expires, then why would I be spending money on a lot less certain endeavor, which is looking for brand-new drugs?

Third, the industry is hardly a model of American free enterprise. To be sure, it is free to decide which drugs to develop (me-too drugs instead of innovative ones, for instance), and it is free to price them as high as the traffic will bear, but it is utterly dependent on government-granted monopolies—in the form of patents and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved exclusive marketing rights. If it is not particularly innovative in discovering new drugs, it is highly innovative—and aggressive—in dreaming up ways to extend its monopoly rights.

So why do we actually pay so much more? According to the Economix blog at the New York Times, there are four main factors:

Health-services researchers call the difference between these numbers, here $1,895, “excess spending.” That term, however, is not meant to convey “excessive spending,” but merely a difference driven by factors other than G.D.P. per capita. Prominent among these other factors are:

1. higher prices for the same health care goods and services than are paid in other countries for the same goods and services;

2. significantly higher administrative overhead costs than are incurred in other countries with simpler health-insurance systems;

3. more widespread use of high-cost, high-tech equipment and procedures than are used in other countries;

4. higher treatment costs triggered by our uniquely American tort laws, which in the context of medicine can lead to “defensive medicine” — that is, the application of tests and procedures mainly as a defense against possible malpractice litigation, rather than as a clinical imperative.

[Via http://gerrycanavan.wordpress.com]

Uh oh (Happy 2k10?)

2010-01-02T14:43:00.000+02:00

‘Twas the night before Christmas (well, two days before New Years, but still!) that I went to the gym for the first time in months.

I may or may not have gone there of my own free will (read: a cute girl made me go), and it was good exercise; 30 minutes power cycling, 30 minutes core training.

All in all, it felt great.

Until the day after. And the day after that… up until today.

Today is the first time in roughly seven months’ time that I’ve had to take a non-NSAID pain killer.

Yes, the pain killers are mild narcotics (Codeine), but they don’t help enough. My lower back hurts whenever I stand for too long, get out of the sofa, or in general picking things up from the floor.

Damnit!

I had hoped to be done with this saga, as I’m going to Brazil in just north of a month, and I reaaaally don’t want to be stuck in bed the whole time I’m there.

So here I am, on one of the first days of the new decennium, moaning about in pain from an injury sustained 18 months ago.

No access to my doctor until Monday.

Scratch that; no access to call my doctor and book an appointment until Monday, and I’m fairly sure they won’t do anything about the pain.

Fuck my life.

[Via http://rylin.wordpress.com]

Aren't We Supposed to Make Contact This Year?

2010-01-02T06:42:00.000+02:00

It has been often said that the month of March come in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Given its position in the calendar, March is prone to some stormy weather as it tries to transition from winder into spring. But generally by the end of the month things are beginning to calm down. Of course, this is not true of everywhere; and only 90% true of Michigan. (Interestingly enough, the phrase has less to do with the weather and more to do with the stars.)

This year I decided to take an inverse approach to the New Year. I decided it would be better to allow the old year to slip away and to let 2010 come in with minimal prompt. So as people all over the Eastern time zone were singing “Auld Lang Syne,” kissing a loved one, or generally getting toasted, I was sitting at my laptop playing Civilization IV and walking a movie on my desktop computer. I didn’t realize it was 2010 until 10 after the hour.

Seeing that a new year is upon us, I thought I should take the opportunity to offer my best wishes to everyone and to generally let people know I am still alive. I know it has been some time since there as a regular posting on the site. And honestly I have been wanting to write but thought it best to devote my attentions elsewhere. I have every hope and plan to come back to this site and continue writing. I miss it dearly. Besides I love having a creative outlet.

As I said so abruptly in September, my family is going through a trying period at the time. This has continued and is the main reason for my silence. When things have completed, I’m sure the Lord will wish me to make a disclosure of what has taken place. But as for now, I think it best to focus on the good things in life. Of course, prayers for God’s will to be done in our lives are always welcome.

Let me just mention a few updates. Amy is no longer having migraines. Shortly after my last regular post, she saw the headache specialist in Lansing and he put her on Depakote which relieved the pain. He also determined that her headaches were stress induced and made worse from depression. But she has been relatively pain free from the last 3 months.

The kids are continuing to get bigger. In November, we had parent/teacher conferences. With Abby we knew what her teachers would say. “Abby is a joy to have in class, but she worries a little too much.” So when we came out we were not surprised too much by what they had said. The next night was Corey’s appointment and we were not sure what they would say. I have often joked about how Corey would be the child I would get the phones about from parents, teachers, and angry school officials. However pleasantly we were glad to hear he has been excelling in the junior first program. You can also see he is trying a little harder outside of class to improve reading and comprehension.

As for my, by big news is that I am no longer working for EDS in Lansing. I have traded in my 36 mile one way trip for a quarter mile one way trip. In October, I started at Covenant Eyes in Owosso and it has made a world of difference in my life. For those who are not aware of CE and what they do, we are an internet filtering and accountability program that helps people break their addiction to internet pornography through building open and honest relationships. Quite literally, the program give people the potential to change lives and save marriages. And in the 3 months I have been there, I’ve had more deeply rewarding experiences than I did in 10 years with EDS. It was literally the hand of God directing me on this one folks. It had to have been because I hate change. Besides, I gave up a 401k and medical benefits for 3 months. Talk about your leap of faith. Its not to say we have not been sick at all during that time. In all actuality, The kids have had the flu, Abby has to have some blood drown, and Amy had a kidney stone and H1N1. But the Lord provided the means. (I managed to stay healthy.)

Christmas was fun this year. Santa was very generous or maybe believe the good act a little much because he got the family a Wii this year and an assortment of games. While the family was unwrapping it, I was using Abby’s video camera she had received from my mom to record the moment. Of course, from my vantage point the box did not say Wii. It said, “!!M.” Which in the Khoisan language, the “!” represents a click sound in the word. So I read the box as, “click click MMM.” This, of course, was what we Nicknamed the Wii in the setup menu.

Right now the current favorites are Wii Sports Resort and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Corey has really taken to the Swordplay games on Sports Resort. He was also the first to get a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics. (Using the character Yoshi, he won the Gold in Figure Skating.) Abby hasn’t really played the Wii too much yet. However, she did managed to take down both Corey and myself in a masterful execution of beginners luck at Swordplay. As for myself, I’ve enjoyed the 100 pin bowling on the Sports Resort and I have become obsessed with find all 80 points of interest on Wuhu island. (I still have 2 to go.)

Two other gifts of some importance to me are worth noting at this time. Amy got me a picture that I have been wanting for years. Its called, “Jesus Laughing” and it is my absolute favorite painting of Jesus. You can almost hear the laugh coming from it. Many would tend to think He is laughing at mankind in general. But I like to think considering the group of guys He chose as His closest friends, He had to have laughed once and a while.

My other favorite gift this year was a sword. My mom bought me a sword. Its actually a very simple and hand crafted Crusader Sword. I won’t go into too much details, but the purpose is related to the book, Wild at Heart. Maybe one day I will find a chance to write more about it.

Well, I’m going to take this chance to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May it be a year filled with hope, possibilities, and best of all; Love.

Peace and Love.

Jeff

[Via http://godisacomedian.wordpress.com]

this is what happened, the second time

2009-12-29T22:06:00.000+02:00

he text me, in a right state, so i called him. We do that sometimes, that’s what friends are for, you should know who you can lean on, there are so few people out there. And he wanted to see me but it was impossible, although i would cross oceans for him, first you need to find a boat (i’m not a good enough swimmer but if the day came i needed to, i would). But i could see him the following day. We arranged to meet up, we looked forward to it.

I booked us a hotel, nothing fancy, we had nowehere else to go. i had split from my boyfriend but had made myself homeless so had to move back in with my ex. FB was living in shared lodgings, visitors weren’t permitted apparently. The night before, when he had text, he started takling about his erection, which was something we often did, but i didn’t feel right about it, he was in a bad way and i was living with my ex. He said, the next day when we met up, that i had made him feel bad, by cutting the conversation short, when he wanted to talk about sex.

So we met up, after work. And i looked and felt like shit, i had been working all day, every day, things were difficult for m, but i wanted to see my friend, i was scared for him, by the desperation i heard in his voice the night before. We went and had a drink, he spent most of the time on his phone. Then we went and had dinner, but i hadn’t got changed out of my work stuff and felt ill at ease, though dinner was nice. And we bought some alcohol and took it back to the hotel.

We thought we would sit in and havea few drinks then decide what to do.

But he spent an hour on his phone, to his girlfriend, who he had not told me about and it made me feel awful. So i wanted to leave, to go home, to be with people who wouldn’t make me feel shit. He answered his phone, having already spent a lot of the evening texting and left the room to talk. A whole hour, whilst i got slowly drunk and thought about leaving and asked myself what i was doing there and why had i left my beautiful and loving boyfriend and secure home for someone who cannot even devote one evening to me.

Then he came back and i was pissed off and he was getting high by visiting the bathroom every twenty minutes or so and then staying in there for a quarter of an hour at a time. And i seriously wondered what the fuck to do and felt homesick, which i hadn’t done in years, and guilty and so tired and slightly afraid.

I didn’t recognise this person. And he got in the bath and i got changed and we started to talk and started to play a game but i couldn’t get into it because the whole time i was thinking about him being on his phone to his girlfriend and that i didn’t recognise him but i still wanted to fuck him though i also did not want to at all.

He wasn’t my friend that evening, he was all over the place and dijointed, even our conversations weren’t making sense and i just got more drunk and spen a lot of time dancing about on my own because he was in the bathroom with his class A friend.

Then we went out, quite late i think for a drink and as we were walking up the road he said “I’m not shagging you tonight” and i don’t know why he said it. We hadn’t even mentioned shagging and after what happened the first time (I shall tell you about that in another post), i didn’t even want to. Then we went to a bar and he was so trashed and kept talking utter shite and made me angry, with his wallowing in self-pity bought about by his own destructive behaviour. It made me feel sick and at times i was both disgusted and turned off, i didn’t like him very much at all.

But looking the way he does, i don’t know, who can resist? Not me, not when i’m drunk and miserable, a terrible combination.

So we went back to the hotel. And he wanted a pen and paper so i got the porter to fetch us some. And he tried to write but that was boring because he didn’t want to share and i was still awake. Then he went back to the bathroom for half an hour. And after the half an hour he started demanding scissors, from inside the bathroom. So i went to find him a pair and the porter wouldn’t give me any and when i asked FB why he wanted them, he said it was to trim his pubs. And that confused me.

Eventually he came out of the bathroom and then he said he wanted some viagra or some such similar thing from the vending machine in the mens toilets downstairs. But it was getting ridiculous, all these bizarre demands and anyway, i was falling asleep now, through boredom.

So we went to bed, with the stereo playing and he couldn’t get it up. In fact, it appeared as though it was never going to ‘get up’ again. And i really couldn’t be bothered, it all seemed a bit sordid, seedy, not at all what either of us desrved i thought. So i started to go to sleep. The he went down on me. And let me tell you that it was total heaven. There was nothing, absolutely nothing i wouldn’t do for that boy right then. To call him an expert would be a shortfall of description for something so utterly erotic and beautiful and fulfilling. FB was a genius and i would marry him tomorrow if only for his tongue, it surpasses all else. he truly loves it and it shows, he drove me wild.

I can’t rememebr when it stopped or where time elapsed after that.

In the morning i woke up and felt awful. I didn’t ever want to wake up but we had to, had to because we had to leave the hotel and i had plans that day. I wanted us to stay together but he was a bit of a mess and to be honest, he looked like he wanted to be far away from me.

Then he fucked me. He made me come, i was in my own world. He turns me on like no one else. he fucked me nicely this time although he could not come inside me, i wouldn’t let him, that would have caused an issue i wasn’t capable of dealing with. He came on my shoulder and it trickled into my hair, which i loved.

And within the next hour we parted company and haven’t seen each other since, and never will. Two weeks later he told me to fuck off and also texted ‘fuck you’ to me for no apparent reason after avoiding my phone calls.

And i hated him for that.

[Via http://raqueen.wordpress.com]

Nutt Sacked!

2009-12-29T14:47:00.000+02:00

This actually happened back in October, but somehow I missed it. Me, missing an opportunity for a filthy, misleading headline! I musta been drunk!

That’s right, UK government advisor David Nutt has lost his job after making controversial remarks characterizing alcohol and tobacco as more dangerous drugs than E, pot or LSD (from which the government derives no taxes).

According to the Guardian:

Nutt had criticised politicians for “distorting” and “devaluing” the research evidence in the debate over illicit drugs.

Arguing that some “top” scientific journals had published “horrific examples” of poor quality research on the alleged harm caused by some illicit drugs, the Imperial College professor called for a new way of classifying the harm caused by both legal and illegal drugs.

“Alcohol ranks as the fifth most harmful drug after heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and methadone. Tobacco is ranked ninth,” he wrote in the paper from the centre for crime and justice studies at King’s College, London, published yesterday.

“Cannabis, LSD and ecstasy, while harmful, are ranked lower at 11, 14 and 18 respectively.”

While the impulse to speak truth to power is, as always, the single MOST dangerous intoxicating substance known.

On the upside, I bet it was a wicked going-away party at Jocelyn Elders‘ house!

[Via http://raincoaster.com]

Help Prevent your partner's addiction Before it's Too Late

2009-12-27T14:52:00.000+02:00

You fear the worst,and hope to hear the telephone ring any moment. This has got to stop, you think carefully, I will not continue to live like this. Well, if your important other is near addiction, or already there, things are on the point of getting a lot worse. Addiction can occur fast, highly fast. Customarily, folks turn to drugs during times of crisis, grasping for something that may make their lives better or less complicated. Do not think that all the unexpected the person you like will just stop employing a dynamic substance. They will not.

It can be very hard to get rid of whatever problem caused an individual to use drugs in the 1st place. Most likely, removing the drug manufacturing barrier can prove to be virtually impossible. If it is someone’s job, there’s not too much they can do, they may totally need that job to survive and feed their family. So, they can repeatedly be driven to the drugs to relieve their stress. And after they start to use a drug, they’ll highly likely not be physically in a position to stop, it could be almost impossible. Particularly if they’re employing a harder substance like cocaine. The time to addiction varies from person to person, being contingent upon genes, psychological and physical health, and environment. Once an individual is at or near addiction, your life, and theirs, will speedily lose touch with all fact. Drugs cost money, and an addict will do anything to get their fix.

If a high-interest account is available, they are going to start siphoning cash off it right away. There’ll be fights about cash being wasted, and your other half will just use that as a reason to use more drugs.

If there isn’t really enough cash to support the addiction, your other half will do whatever is needed to get that cash.

This regularly involves taking or pawning possessions. If they nick, arrest is a truly real chance, and if they start pawning home goods, and it works, then your home will shortly have nothing in it. Using drugs is regularly a social activity, and if you are not participating, your significant other will find somebody else who will.

[Via http://rehabclinics.wordpress.com]

Brittany Was Warned Of Suspect Husband, But Didn't Listen.

2009-12-27T06:49:00.000+02:00

Word on the street is that actress Brittany Murphy was warned about her husband’s alleged fraudulent activities, but refused to listen. The late actress’ husband, Simon Monjack, vehemently denied his detractors’ numerous allegations, however, stating that he’s been a target ever since he met Murphy at a party three years ago before marrying her in May 2007. “My problem is that I do not look like Ashton Kutcher,” Monjack told the newspaper, referring to Murphy’s ex boyfriend. “Nor do they [the Hollywood elite] like the fact that she [Murphy] married someone who was not famous. Here, stars like stars to marry other stars.”

It is said that folks tried to pull her coat tail concerning Monjack, but she’d become extremely defensive. Lashing out on several occasions as well. That leads me to believe that in her heart of hearts, she knew some truth rang in those alarms. However, she ignored all & proceeded without caution.

-”The BklynBandette.” Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant.

[Via http://heavenhollywood.wordpress.com]

Manny Pacquaio sure knows how to dodge a real fight.

2009-12-26T14:19:00.000+02:00

Everyone wanted to see this boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquaio, but for some reason (I suspect cowardice), Pacquaio is trying to avoid the fight. Seriously. He’s threatening to sue, because his opponent wants him to take strict drug tests, to prove he isn’t taking illegal drugs. Pacquaio’s camp has even claimed a Manila Standard reporter was given statement’s that Pacquaio is taking performance-enhancing drugs (steroids). Of course, that reporter is probably lying, or Pacquaio’s people are lying and using the reporter’s name, because the Manila Standard didn’t report it. I mean, what reporter would get a juicy angry statement like that, and not put it in somewhere? It might add hype to their match. Probably because it never happened, and any investigation into it would prove it didn’t.

Hey, Manny. If they’re suggesting that you take drugs, and challenge you to take a test to prove you don’t, why not take the test, and prove to the entire world that you can pass it? Why do you, Manny Pacquaio, instead, avoid taking the test, and sue, instead? You know what will happen here. If they go to court, they’re probably going to produce some valid evidence that you DO take drugs. If only to defend themselves from your charges. What will you do if the judge orders a drug test? Sue him or her?

Either way, Pacquaio is probably accomplishing what he wanted to do in the first place. Poison the negotiations so he doesn’t have to face Mayweather Jr. in the ring. Otherwise he’d take the test and get it over. He’s obviously not interested in settling the matter in the ring like a man.

Man up, Manny. Take your lumps, and get in the ring. The longer you keep running away, the worse it’s going to look for you.

[Via http://seethirty.wordpress.com]

Addiction

2009-12-26T06:04:00.000+02:00

Let me tell you about addiction.

You are sitting in class and the teacher walks in. The banter of the weekend ceases and the purpose of school is initiated. As you watch the teacher write today’s lesson up on the board, you steal a glance at your friend in the row in front. They see you, and you snicker to yourselves about how he had earned his wages while on sick leave for his part time job, even though he had no proof of his illness, and was in fact with you at the beach.

Then you feel something on your leg. It feels like an insect, so you absently mindedly wipe it of. But it stay where it is. You have a look down, and see no insect. But the feeling remains. It is getting worse now, a whole colony of flies is using your leg as a landing platform, and they don’t want to leave.

So you start to jig your leg up and down, which bumps the desk repeatedly. You know people can hear you, and it is distracting you as well, since you can’t write while the desk is moving. But you still do it. Those flies will not make a nest in your leg, not while you have anything to say about it.

By now, the person sitting next to you turns to you in annoyance. “If you need to go, just go. Don’t need to shit your pants while there is a chance for escape.” you smile at them, and say you are fine. They look suspicious, but return to the work that they are doing.

Then another fly land on your hand. You whack it. Th sound reverberates around the class room, startling everyone. You are the centre of attention for a few seconds, but they feel like endless years under the gaze of everyone you know. It seems they are judging you, even though they already know you very well. You think to yourself how dare they judge me, and go to rise.

But your friend next to you stops you. “What’s wrong?” they ask. “You’ve gone whiter than normal.” Then they look down, and scream. They keep on screaming, and it echoes in your mind. You can’t handle this, so you punch them in the face. They fall of their chair, blood coming from the back of their head.

It is the that you see the reason for her screaming. In your effort to get the fly, you broke your finger. Not just broke it, snapped it clean in two. It dangles by a few nerves, which seem to not be working, since you cannot feel anything. You bring it up to your face and make it swing in a circle in front of you. You laugh at how strange it all is.

By now, the entire class is screaming, running for the door. The teacher is trying to keep everyone calm, but these efforts are in vain, as she is also trying to escape. You see this, and are abhorred by it. You have paid to be here. The least that the teacher can do is try to keep in control and not run away from you.

So you pick up a metal ruler. It feel good in your hand; cold, solid, certain. The flies on your legs must be what is scaring them. So you try to get rid of them by attacking them. Again and again, you hack at them. But it doesn’t stop. They just get worse and worse the more you poke them.

You hit something hard. You look down and see the ruler stuck in something white.

Then your friend that you punched hits you on the head with a table. The last thing you see is their face. It is covered in tears and blood, and is terrified of you.

When you wake up in hospital, you remember none of this. If it wasn’t for the fact you are in hospital, and the photo’s your friends have of it. You wouldn’t know about it. You are disgusted by yourself, and vow to force it from your memory the only way you know how to.

That is the lighter side of addiction.

[Via http://atbq.wordpress.com]

Claremont man who aided migrants convicted for littering

2009-12-22T22:51:00.000+02:00

When Walt Emrys Staton stumbled upon a migrant mother, Concepcion, carrying her daughter Jessica, 9, along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, they’d been lost for days and had no food or water.

“The daughter was crying, `I’m sorry, mom, this is my fault,”‘ Staton said. “It’s heartbreaking to see that.”

Passion to help those in need, regardless of their immigration status, has enticed the Claremont School of Theology student to drop off jugs of water along the trails used by border crossers to enter the United States illegally.

But when he got arrested for littering last year, that same passion has also prompted him to refuse to pay a $175 fine and fight his case in a federal court.

“I wish they were after people who are dumping toxic waste with as much effort as they’ve been after me,” he said, citing that government has spent more than $50,000 to prosecute him.

“We drop off water (jugs) and pick up empty ones. When they arrested us, I had empty jugs in my hands, but they wrote us all littering tickets.”

After a two-day trial, a federal jury in June convicted Staton of littering in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona.

In a sentencing memorandum, Lawrence Lee, an assistant U.S. attorney, claimed that there is a tremendous negative environmental impact in leaving full plastic water jugs on the refuge, which is responsible for the preservation of several critically endangered species.

Refuge Officer James Casey said he has seen thousands of plastic water jugs on the refuge with markings which Staton’s organization uses – with dates that are over a year old.

The prosecutor also said Staton’s actions were not about humanitarian efforts, but about “protesting the immigration policies of the United States, and aiding those that enter illegally into the United States.”

Blake Baron, a U.S. Border Patrol agent, said not everyone who benefits from Staton’s actions are just trying to find a better life in the United States. Many of them are drug smugglers, and “approximately 16 percent of illegal aliens arrested have significant criminal histories, to include murder, assault, rape, and sexual offenses with minors,” he said.

But Staton sees things differently.

The master’s of divinity student at CST is also a member of the group No More Deaths, which supports humanitarian aid along the border. Upon getting his degree in geography from Arizona State University, he “wanted to do something good for the world.”

He learned that he didn’t have to go far from his home in Tucson, Ariz., to do it.

“It’s a crisis. Hundreds of people are dying 30 miles from where I lived,” Staton said.

All volunteers with the group are “medically trained wilderness first-responders.”

“If we find anyone in distress, we do whatever we need to help them out,” he said. “Leading cause of death is dehydration, so leaving water makes (the) most sense.”

Volunteers scour established routes, dropping off full water jugs at several locations and picking up empty ones. Besides medical aid and water, they also provide clean socks or help with reading maps.

“Our border policy is intentionally funneling people into the desert,” Staton said. “The government uses it as a deterrent. More than 5,000 people have died since they’ve built the border wall. You see moms with kids and babies in the middle of the desert. No way that families need to go through that experience.”

CST is standing behind Staton and respects his conviction that saving human life must sometimes trump following all the rules, said Jerry D. Campbell, the school’s president.

“The moral progress that civilization makes over time results, in part, from the ongoing clash of ideas,” he said. “Staton’s action, intended to save the lives of individuals entering the country through the desert, conflicts with the position of those who are more concerned with keeping people from entering the country if they have not taken the prescribed legal steps necessary to do so. As a culture, we clearly have not yet solved the problem of how to deal humanely and justly with immigration.”

Jose Zapata Calderon, a professor of sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College, agreed.

“With the building of the wall and placing more Border Patrol in places like Tijuana and El Paso, a lot of immigrants have turned to crossing the border through Arizona, and what has emerged is a very strong anti-immigrant sentiment, not only aimed at immigrants but also at individuals who support immigrants,” Calderon said.

“All he was doing is what a number of churches also do, working to save the lives of individuals who often get lost.”

At the sentencing hearing in August, Magistrate Jennifer C. Guerin ordered Staton to pick up trash for 300 hours. She also sentenced him to a year of unsupervised probation and banned him from the refuge for a year.

Staton filed a motion to suspend his sentence, but the judge denied it and threatened to give him 25 days in prison if he does not comply with the ruling.

“I had strong objections to doing community service because I felt my actions were humanitarian,” he said. “I hoped the court would reconsider punishing me. But she just gave me two weeks to think about it.”

During a probation violation hearing held in Tucson on Monday, Staton changed his mind and asked the judge to let him do the initial 300 hours of community service. She agreed and also allowed him to complete the hours in Claremont.

“I still hold firm that what I did was not wrong,” Staton said. “I don’t want other people to be deterred from this kind of work, but me sitting in prison is not useful either.”

[Via http://bbvm.wordpress.com]

The Cramdown Continues

2009-12-22T14:43:00.000+02:00

“I’m tired of this Congress thinking it knows better than me and my family how to provide for our health-care now and in the future.”

Republican Party Chairman Michael S. Steele accused Democrats of “thumbing their nose and flipping the bird to the American people.” Conceding that the Senate bill is virtually unstoppable, Steele said in a conference call with reporters: “I intend to have my foot on the throats of the Democrats on this issue and hold them accountable.” Democrats seeking reelection in 2010, he warned, “can look for their pink slips.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters he was “disappointed” by Steele’s remarks, calling them “crass and such a terrible example for the youth of this country.“

That’s some hubris Harry.

But Reid defended the long list of revisions to the bill, which were needed to secure the backing of moderate Democrats such as Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.). Those changes contained additional Medicaid funding for specific states including Nebraska, exemptions for certain insurance companies and tighter restrictions on abortion coverage. “There are 100 senators here, and I don’t know that there’s a senator that doesn’t have something in this bill that isn’t important to them,” Reid told reporters. “If they don’t have something in it important to them, then it doesn’t speak well of them.”

There’s nothing like complete contempt and complete aethical and amorality and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is all of them.

Rasmussen: The latest Rasmussen Reports weekly tracking update shows that 41% of voters nationwide favor the bill and 55% are opposed. Those figures are essentially unchanged from a week ago. This the fifth straight week with support for the legislation between 38% and 41%.

Among senior citizens, the group most likely to use the health care system, just 33% are in favor while 60% are opposed. Most adults under 30 favor the plan, but majorities of every other age group take the opposite view.

So the cramdown continues.

They know what’s best for them, and thus by extension know what’s best for you.

You need a new drug to placate you. Whether you like it or not.

Nurse Ratchet in the Form of Health Care Reform is coming to see to it you are dealt with properly.

After a few years on this new drug you won’t want to give it up.

So let’s get you addicted to our control now.

Big Brother knows best, dearie.

“This is a real debate over whether or not health care is going to be a right or privilege in America,” said Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, a member of the Democratic leadership. “If you believe it’s a privilege for the rich, then you’ll vote against this. If you believe it’s a right, then I hope you’ll vote with us.” Durbin spoke on the Senate floor before the vote. (Houston Chronicle)

“We have to keep our eyes on what we’re trying to do here. We’re trying to cross a demarcation line,” Harkin told “Early Show” co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. “On one side is health care as a privilege, on the other side is health care as a right. With these votes, with the vote that we’ll take before Christmas, we will cross that line finally and say that health care is a right of all Americans.” (CBS)

Mind you, that “right” is MANDATORY.

That “right” has fines and potentially criminal charges and jail if you don’t participate actively.

So the American way, of listening to the Voice of The People is over.

The Constitution is so 20th Century…

It will done the Chicago Way.

If you don’t like it tough.

If you oppose it, Guido here will come and dissuade you.

Or if you can be bought off, we’ll just buy you off.

Either way, youse are going to do exactly what Big Brother wants or else! Youse capeche!

Sen. Harkin,“I am a strong supporter of a public option, I remain so, and I believe that sometime in the near future we will revisit that issue again and we will adopt a public option.”

After we have successfully hooked you on the drugs and made you dependent on them, then we up the dosage and go for the gold. And you won’t oppose us then.

So they are the pimp and you’re the user whether you wanted to be or not.

They use progressively more of your money to hook you on more drugs so they can feed their drug habit to spend even more money.

Mutually parasitic drug use.

Barack’s World! Barack’s World! Party time! Excellent!

That’s the New American Way.

Merry Christmas. Party on, Dudes!

[Via http://indyfromaz.wordpress.com]

20th

2009-12-20T13:35:00.000+02:00

A very cute and random moment in an otherwise uneventful day.

Additionally, my german class (back in High School days) had an obsession with yellow rubber ducks. If only I could remember Mr Macky’s story about the Kätzchen und Blümchen… I think the cat ended up smoking his friend, the rose, and then there was something about waterballoons as condoms. And that I actually learnt some german at least equally amazing.

[Via http://hankie.wordpress.com]

Obama Is A Liar!!!!

2009-12-19T22:19:00.000+02:00

A Politician that lies!!!!! That’s a Rarity!! Obama has gone back on a Few things he promised during his Campaign, and what he said he would do once he was President.

He is In Bed with the US Pharmaceutical Companies. He is NOW Against US Citizens buying prescription Drugs from other Countries such as Canada and Mexico. Pharma says that those drugs are not safe. The FDA says the prescription drugs manufactured in other countries are not tested by the FDA and therefore they say they are not safe,as they don’t meet the Safety Standards of the FDA. Obamas Administration agrees with this aka OBAMA and so does the Democratic Congress. PHARMA also promised Obama in a deal back in June that they would not fight the Health care Plan, and they would fund Advertisements to the tune of $$150 MillionDollars pushing for The Health Care Reform Bill, aka The Obama Bill. Pharma also said they would give back $80 billion Dollars over the next 10 Years in Subsidies? to the Citizens.

BUT OBAMA WOULD HAVE TO PROMISE NOT TO PUSH FOR THE NEW LAW MAKING IT LEGAL TO PURCHASE DRUGS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND FOR DRUG COMPANIES TO SELL THE DRUGS AT REDUCED PRICES HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. Obviously Obama Promised to not pass the Law, because the Senate struck down its passage the other day. The Obama Administration has been Pushing Very Hard since June to not Pass the Law. Obama has not come out and said such, but it is well-known to the Public and to Washington that Obama was the Juggernaut behind not getting this Bill Passed. This is just Politics As Usual. Distancing yourself from a Policy that you were the Author of.

So the People of the US will continue to pay Astronomical Drug Prices, and Many Citizens will continue to DIE because they are not able to Afford the Prescription Drugs that would keep them Alive. It is a Shame and Travesty that Obama decided to Sleep with the Pharmaceutical Companies. And all because he wants to get His Health Plan Reform Bill Passed, and he didn’t want the Drug Companies to stand in the way. And he wanted them to Fight FOR the Bill also, which they agreed to.

JUST POLITICS AS USUAL. THE SAME OLD LIES AND BULLSHIT. I WONDER WHAT THE SHEEPLE HAVE TO SAY NOW. I’M SAD TO SAY I THINK I KNOW!!!!

[Via http://transparnc.wordpress.com]

Guide to drugs

2009-12-19T06:31:00.000+02:00

I’m attracted to unconventional types, and by that I don’t mean conventionally unconventional people. Anyone who rigidly ascribes to a system or set of beliefs (politically or spiritually) can’t be trusted to think independently. It’s trite, but Socrates’ profession that the only thing he truly knows is that he knows nothing is truly the template for real knowledge.

If there were any absolutes, consensus wouldn’t be as hard to achieve as it is now. A lot of smart people have a lot of valid points,

I started writing this after taking a few (read: a lot) hits from my bong, and now I don’t really remember what I was going to write about. So instead, I’ll pontificate reflexively about drugs.

I’m trying to ignore the fact that my entire room is vibrating. I think taking drugs is important, and not for the usual cliche, sanctimonious hippie reasons. In and of itself, it offers no self-insight, and most people turn the richness of the experience into seeing a lot of really cool shit. Ridding yourself of an escapist incentive, first and foremost, is important. Drugs have the potential to be very valuable tools into knowing yourself better, having a lucid examination of your subconscious. Many hallucinations are merely manifestations of our most hidden fears and desires, and mostly simultaneously both.

I’ve never seen the machine elves, but what are machine elves if not some deep alien self-referential subjectivity? It’s such an entangled thing that really reminds us how little we know ourselves. What if being able to encounter this being really heralds the beginning of a new and open level of self-realization? If drugs can reduce our resistance to psychosis, then it follows that it gives us deep access to a hyper-insular reality.

Of course, not all drugs are created equal. Things I’ve tried, in order of experimentation date: weed, DMT, Salvia and E. These are all drugs I think offers greater benefits than just manufactured euphoria. Also, only corporate douchebags do coke, which I think reveals something about coke itself being a hollow and superficial experience.

One drug not on that list that I think can be very meaningful is LSD. Though, to be honest, I’m scared of this one considering it’s led to psychosis in a few people I know. Granted, that followed after years of abuse. LSD is more likely to lead to mental instability than other drugs, but that might also allude to a sort of elevation of consciousness.

There’s a fine line between being an elevated, realized individual and being crazy. Being crazy is a sort of ultimate realization in a way, though there are a lot of complicated sub-issues and considerations that are impossible to fully taken into account.

Drugs are like very meaningful dreams. Oftentimes it feels like the symbolism is painfully obvious but elusive. Breaking down whatever constructed rigidity and paradigms can be mimicked in the drug experience, and on the distant note I started this entry on, it’s so important that we recognize we don’t have a clue about anything, least of all this reality.

[Via http://mitsein.wordpress.com]

You should read Theodore Dalrymple's "Life At The Bottom" for free online!

2009-12-17T22:00:00.000+02:00

That’s right. I bought the book and gave it to my Dad, because Thomas Sowell endorsed it. My Dad read this book and he loved it. I read the book and I loved it. And now my co-workers are borrowing it from me.

What’s it about? Well the author is a psychologist in a hospital that deals with a lot of criminals. So he gets to see the worldview of the “underclass” up close, and to understand how the policies of the compassionate secular left are really working at the street level. The theme of the book is that the left advances policies in order to feel good about themselves, even though the policies actually hurt the poor and vulnerable far more than they help them. And the solution of the elites is more of the same.

The whole book is available ONLINE for free! From City Journal!

Table of Contents

The Knife Went In 5

Goodbye, Cruel World 15

Reader, She Married Him–Alas 26

Tough Love 36

It Hurts, Therefore I Am 48

Festivity, and Menace 58

We Don’t Want No Education 68

Uncouth Chic 78

The Heart of a Heartless World 89

There’s No Damned Merit in It 102

Choosing to Fail 114

Free to Choose 124

What Is Poverty? 134

Do Sties Make Pigs? 144

Lost in the Ghetto 155

And Dying Thus Around Us Every Day 167

The Rush from Judgment 181

What Causes Crime? 195

How Criminologists Foster Crime 208

Policemen in Wonderland 221

Zero Intolerance 233

Seeing Is Not Believing 244

Lots more essays are here, all from City Journal.

My favorite passage

The only bad thing about reading it online is that you miss one of the best quotes from the introduction. But I’ll type it out for you.

The disastrous pattern of human relationships that exists in the underclass is also becoming common higher up the social scale. With increasing frequency I am consulted by nurses, who for the most part come from and were themselves traditionally members of (at least after Florence Nightingale) the respectable lower middle class, who have illegitimate children by men who first abuse and then abandon them. This abuse and later abandonment is usually all too predictable from the man’s previous history and character; but the nurses who have been treated in this way say they refrained from making a judgment about him because it is wrong to make judgments. But if they do not make a judgment about the man with whom they are going to live and by whom they are going to have a child, about what are they ever going to make a judgment?

“It just didn’t work out,” they say, the “it” in question being the relationship that they conceive of having an existence independent of the two people who form it, and that exerts an influence on their on their lives rather like an astral projection. Life is fate.

What I’ve found is that this is the general rule nowadays, and that women really resent having their intuitions about men questioned on moral or spiritual grounds. They are definitely not choosing men for moral character, their service to God, or their demonstrated ability to handle the typical challenges of marriage and parenting. In fact, it’s just the opposite. It is precisely the man who has a sense of morality and duty to God who is avoided, because women believe that men with scruples may reject them for failing to meet expectations that they don’t want to have to meet. So they choose men with no morality or concern for God, hoping to avoid being held accountable by any standard of behavior. And then later they are surprised when the amoral man they themselves chose for his amorality acts… amorally!

An excerpt

Here’s one of my favorite passages from “Tough Love”, in which he describes how easily he can detect whether a particular man has violent tendencies on sight, whereas female victims of domestic violence – and even the hospital nurses – cannot or will not recognize the signs.

All the more surprising is it to me, therefore, that the nurses perceive things differently. They do not see a man’s violence in his face, his gestures, his deportment, and his bodily adornments, even though they have the same experience of the patients as I. They hear the same stories, they see the same signs, but they do not make the same judgments. What’s more, they seem never to learn; for experience—like chance, in the famous dictum of Louis Pasteur—favors only the mind prepared. And when I guess at a glance that a man is an inveterate wife beater (I use the term “wife” loosely), they are appalled at the harshness of my judgment, even when it proves right once more.

This is not a matter of merely theoretical interest to the nurses, for many of them in their private lives have themselves been the compliant victims of violent men. For example, the lover of one of the senior nurses, an attractive and lively young woman, recently held her at gunpoint and threatened her with death, after having repeatedly blacked her eye during the previous months. I met him once when he came looking for her in the hospital: he was just the kind of ferocious young egotist to whom I would give a wide berth in the broadest daylight.

Why are the nurses so reluctant to come to the most inescapable of conclusions? Their training tells them, quite rightly, that it is their duty to care for everyone without regard for personal merit or deserts; but for them, there is no difference between suspending judgment for certain restricted purposes and making no judgment at all in any circumstances whatsoever. It is as if they were more afraid of passing an adverse verdict on someone than of getting a punch in the face—a likely enough consequence, incidentally, of their failure of discernment. Since it is scarcely possible to recognize a wife beater without inwardly condemning him, it is safer not to recognize him as one in the first place.

This failure of recognition is almost universal among my violently abused women patients, but its function for them is somewhat different from what it is for the nurses. The nurses need to retain a certain positive regard for their patients in order to do their job. But for the abused women, the failure to perceive in advance the violence of their chosen men serves to absolve them of all responsibility for whatever happens thereafter, allowing them to think of themselves as victims alone rather than the victims and accomplices they are. Moreover, it licenses them to obey their impulses and whims, allowing them to suppose that sexual attractiveness is the measure of all things and that prudence in the selection of a male companion is neither possible nor desirable.

Often, their imprudence would be laughable, were it not tragic: many times in my ward I’ve watched liaisons form between an abused female patient and an abusing male patient within half an hour of their striking up an acquaintance. By now, I can often predict the formation of such a liaison—and predict that it will as certainly end in violence as that the sun will rise tomorrow.

At first, of course, my female patients deny that the violence of their men was foreseeable. But when I ask them whether they think I would have recognized it in advance, the great majority—nine out of ten—reply, yes, of course. And when asked how they think I would have done so, they enumerate precisely the factors that would have led me to that conclusion. So their blindness is willful.

Go read the rest! This is pure wisdom. And by wisdom I mean an awareness and familiarity with the objective moral that binds human action.

Book reviews

The Age of Bad Ideas
Review of Life at the Bottom

[Via http://winteryknight.wordpress.com]

Ben Schott--Schott’s Miscellany 2009: An Almanac (2008)

2009-12-15T14:51:00.000+02:00

SOUNDTRACK: The Believer June/July 2007 Music Issue Compilation CD: Cue the Bugle Turbulent (2007).

The 2007 Believer disc smashes the mold of folkie songs that they have established with the previous discs in the series. The theme for this disc is that there’s no theme, although the liner notes give this amusing story:

one decaffeinated copy editor (“the new guy”) made a suggestion: “The Believer CD should be composed of eight a.m. music/breakfast-substitute jams, like that commercial from a while back with the guy who gets out of bed over and over again while ELO plays over his morning routine. You should tell all of the bands to write/contribute songs worth listening to within three minutes of waking up.”

So, without a theme, they just asked artists for some great songs. There’s one or two tracks written especially for the disc (Sufjan Stevens, Lightning Bolt). There’s a couple B-sides. There are some wildly noisy raucous songs: and three of them come from duos! No Age offers a very noisy blast of feedback. Magik Markers play a super-fast distortion-fueled rocker, and Lightning Bolt play 5 minutes of noise noise noise. Oh, and there’s even a rap (Aesop Rock)!

Tracks 3-7 are just about the 5 best songs in a row on any compilation. Oxford Collapse plays a catchy and wonderfully angular song with “Please Visit Your National Parks.” It’s followed by a song from Sufjan Stevens that sounds NOTHING like Sufjan Stevens, it’s a noisy distorted guitar blast of indie punk. I’m from Barcelona follows with a supremely catchy horn driven song that would be huge on any college campus. Aesop Rock comes next with a fantastic song. I’d heard a lot about Aesop Rock but had never heard him before, and he raps the kind of rap that I like: cerebral and bouncy. This is followed by Reykjavik! with a crazy, noisy surf-guitar type of song. It reminds me of some great college rock from the early 90s.

Of Montreal, a band I’ve been hearing about a lot but who I’ve never heard (and didn’t think sounded like this) plays a wonderfully catchy two minute love song that sounds ironic, but which likely isn’t. The melody is straight out of the Moody Blues’ “Wildest Dreams,” and yet it is still fun and quirky.

There’s a couple instrumentals as well: The Clogs do a cool, mellow instrumental and Explosions in the Sky do one of their typically fantastic emotional tracks. Also on the disc, The Blow contribute a delightfully witty song and Bill Fox, a singer I’d never heard of (but who has a great article about him in the magazine), really impressed me with his Bob Dylan meets Nico delivery. The disc ends with an alternate version of a song by Grizzly Bear.

This is definitely my favorite Believer disc thus far. See the full track listing here.

[READ: Throughout 2009] Schott’s Miscellany 2008

This year’s edition of Schott’s Miscellany is very much like last year’s edition (see that review here). I mean, it is an almanac after all. However, it is a wondrous testament to Schott that even though I read every word of the 2008 edition, I was able to read every word of the 2009 edition and not feel like I was duplicating myself very much.

Obviously the news, facts and events of 2008-09 are different from last year. And since Schott’s writing style is breezy and fun with a hint of sarcasm and amusement thrown in, you don’t get just a list of facts, you get sentences with subtle commentary on the facts. And it’s a fun way to re-live the past year. Plus, the Sci, Tech, Net section discusses science stories that sounded really impressive and important which I can’t believe I didn’t hear about at the time.

Obviously, there are some duplications with last year. The States & Presidents section provide the same basic information (statistics about states and deceased presidents haven’t changed). But it is an almanac after all, so he can’t leave the stuff out! Plus, with updated news and events, it casts a new light on these same stats.

But what I was delighted with was that so many of the sections that could have had duplications were not. The Money section has different information about currencies. The Form & Faith section had different statistics and categories. So, while the categories are the same, the bits and pieces are different.

So, yes, check out the previous year’s post for the general information about the almanacs.

I am concerned, though, that there is no mention on Amazon of a 2010 edition! His website lists the 2010 Almanac, but it appears to be only the UK edition (gasp!).

[Via http://ijustreadaboutthat.wordpress.com]

Buju Banton In Federal LOCK UP!

2009-12-15T06:31:00.000+02:00

Reggae recording artist Buju Banton has reportedly been arrested on drug charges. Buju has been detained in a Federal Miami prison since last thursday- Dec. 10- when the arrest took place. Buju, -aka- Mark Anthony Myrie, was booked with an unidentified accomplice after surveillance cameras recorded them in the process of a drug transaction. Ouch! Found with 5 kilos of cocaine, Buju was charged with conspiracy to posess with intent to distribute. DOUBLE OUCH!

-”The BklynBandette”. Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant.

[Via http://heavenhollywood.wordpress.com]

The Evolution of the Mexican Drug Cartels - Now Oil Thieves

2009-12-13T14:25:00.000+02:00

According to new developments, drug traffickers employing high-tech drills have successfully stolen more than $1 billion worth of oil from Mexico’s pipelines over the past two years. Using sophisticated methods the oil smugglers have transported a portion of the petroleum to the U.S., and sold it to U.S. companies – some of which knew that it was stolen.

This is quite a blow to President Calderon’s war against the drug cartels. The drug cartels have successfully stolen Mexico’s most vital national resource. This shows how the traffickers are rapidly evolving from traditional narcotics smuggling to activities as diverse as oil theft, transport, and sales. Now, let’s take a look at what is happening across the border in the U.S. This year alone, executives of four Texas companies pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiring to receive and sell millions of dollars worth of stolen petroleum condensate. The companies include Y Gas & Oil and Trammo Petroleum.

Obviously something must be done about this. Stealing oil is not just a regular crime. It’s a crime against the Mexican society! The theft is both a symbolic and financial blow to the Mexican government. The cartels have successfully stolen Mexico’s peace, safety, and are now threating its economic stability more than ever before. Taxes paid by Pemex ([Mexican Petroleums] is Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company) account for 40 percent of the federal budged.

Mexico has launched an all-out campaign to defend the oil pipelines, drawing the army, the attorney general’s office, the Interior Ministry and the customs service. Unfortunately, Pemex will have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next three years defending its pipelines. Mexicans officials have already made arrangements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to investigate U.S. companies conspiring with Mexican firms planning to export oil across the border.

For more information view the Washington Post article – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/12/AR2009121202888_3.html?hpid=topnews

[Via http://gracierios.wordpress.com]

Classism, Poverty, and Racism

2009-12-12T22:27:00.000+02:00

In recent posts, I have been describing how “classism” (the stratification of society according to wealth) has become a new kind of racism. However, I feel obligated to describe how classism, in turn, creates and perpetuates racism.

It all starts with immigration. Immigration is, most often, a result of people attempting to seek a better life economically. Having come from a country usually ravaged by poverty or war or disease, immigrants tend to be poor themselves, and therefore are filtered into the working class/poor class of the country they’ve moved to. This situation, while comparatively better than the lives the immigrant’s have left behind, is still less than ideal. Crime rates and drug and alcohol abuse are still highest among the poor, no matter what the nation.

The issue with this (besides the rates of crime, drugs, and alcoholism) is that upper classes confuse the issues of crime and race. If the majority of crimes are committed by immigrants and minorities, then some will doubtlessly assume that immigrants and minorities are naturally indolent and/or criminally minded. Of course the reality of the situation is that crime rates are high among immigrants because immigrants generally live in abject poverty. With the evils of racial profiling and generalization, it becomes assumed that all immigrants and minorities are thieves and drug dealers, and therefore should be treated with suspicion or even open hostility. Inversely, this ill-treatment creates among immigrants and minorities feelings of animosity to the native majority. Racism, after all, works both ways.

So begins a cycle of abuse and distrust that only perpetuates racism. An innocent person (from a minority) locks himself out of his own car and is forced to break into it, only to be shot by the police who assume he’s a thief. In retaliation, a police officer (who had nothing to do with the shooting) is stabbed by an angry minority group. In response to this, a pair of children from a minority are beat up in school by their classmates- and so on and so forth in a long, tragic, and utterly pointless spiral.

In short, anywhere that there’s Capitalism, there’s classism, anywhere there’s classism, there’s poverty, anywhere there’s poverty, there’s crime which in turn leads inevitably to racism and bigotry. The only way to abolish racism is to abolish both poverty and the class system. Granted, some might argue that all that is needed is understanding and respect, but the fact remains that no matter how many murals are painted of people of all races holding hands around a globe, the poor are poor, the wealthy are wealthy, and the social divide spawns fear, crime, and racism.

[Via http://trotskyite.wordpress.com]

The side effects of saying no

2009-12-12T14:44:00.000+02:00

I’ve done my fair share of clubbing and dabbling in recreational drugs, I have realised that dabbling is not for me, I’m upset by the way people turn on you …just …like…that! If you’re not in it the doors get slammed in your face, nice!!

If so called friends choose to take drugs thats up to them, I don’t change my opinion of them I still thought they were cool, just a shame they don’t feel the same way about me. ‘You’ve changed’ ‘yes I’m not kite high!’ that’s the difference and it’s really nice. Besides from all my research its clearly not good for you, people really don’t realise what chemicals do to your insides or what they continue to do, it’s quite hard to get to that point when you’re out and say no and change your clubbing experience. My boyfriends pressure has finally worked and I’m so grateful, I do see things and people differenntly but I would never shut the door on them, a so called friend who has always been high maintenance you know, one of those people who changes the plans for everyone and everyone goes with it otherwise that friend get’s into a bratty mood anyway she now speaks for a group of people!! What is that about? this group of friends have a spokes person quite funny but a shame it’s better known as ring leading!!!!

I’ve known this particular friend for 3 years and never expected her to be like this but I don’t suppose she thought I would say no in the end so thats made a huge mark on my personality, I’m no longer fun! She has the nerve to say I’m strange when I’m out, when she’s so off it she constantly has to check behind her every two minutes then again she does this when she is straight now, that will be the paranoia settling in well. I spent two weeks having to reassure her she slept in her shorts when she shared a bed with a boy, so annoying getting calls, texts and being acosted on facebook without fail about something so ridiculus, instead of ignoring it I spent alot of time reassuring her, what a waste of my time, I don’t know if she had her f-ing shorts on I couldn’t f-ing care less!!! And the time she thought she lost a plug up her…. yes you know, what’s that about!! She didn’t know where it had gone and some how presumed it was up there!! if these aren’t examples of paranoia and side effects then god help her when they come. She wants children when she’s older I just hope it doesn’t effect her in that way, I mean this girl takes alot of stuff it’s scary how immune people can get to substances. Anyway I guess now I’m out I sound like some preacher!! Sod it maybe I will become one slightly!!

I used to goto stinkys on a Sunday religously and get pretty wrecked, as reality was dawning on me I would look around and see the people around me, there were 47 year olds out, out with 18 year olds getting off their heads, I couldn’t help but think this place is not for me, what am I doing? Why are these people who have children out on a Sunday night, why is a youth worker off her face every Sunday available? It doesn’t matter how old you are but surely this is backward? I went to an after party ages ago and had to leave as I realised the house was the 47 year old youth workers and she had a 16 year old asleep upstairs, I was listening to a story about her son ‘nicking pills’ from her bag, I was shocked at what I’d heard and it was these moments that shocked me into thinking about what I was doing. I talk as though I had some huge problem, I didn’t it was like a once a week thing, instead of being pissed I would get high instead, it wasn’t a problem but things could easily turned into a problem. These Sunday gatherings are for people who want to get messy, it’s so easy to be part of a circle and so hard when you leave but if anyone reads this, just please think about what you are doing, I know it can be fun but it can suck you in and going by the seniors that are out on Sundays well its enough to put you off, do you want to end up like that? Single mother or father with a crystal meth looking face and with whispers flying about the place…no it’s not cool and your true friends will be there afterwards, if you find you havent got any…thats pants!! You’ll have some you’ll be surprised, they’ll be the ones that didn’t enjoy ‘the circle’.

Drugs have been fun, I’ve go some amazing memories from festivals, nights out and Ibiza but now I can see they are so false, I’m stating the obvious but you really cannot understand whilst you use them, they’re not your friend, they’re not worth it. Those times when everyone in the circle loves you are the times you’ve been most wrecked and thats what they like you for, not the real you, as soon as your yourself, they change.

These new drug going around are so similar to crytal meth its scary and people really don’t realise. Drugs have always been bad but they are getting dirtier and worse by the day, ruining more and more lives.

Anyway enough of my new irritating preachy ways, muchos lovos. xx

just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no just say no

[Via http://prswooz.wordpress.com]

Designing Visual Differentiators

2009-12-10T22:44:00.000+02:00

On Friday, November 20, as a guest of Humanities Computing colloquia, Sandra Gabriele (professor of Design, York University) presented “Visualization Differentiation in Look-alike Medication Names: Evaluating Design in Context”.

The problem that inspired Gabriele’s study is a troubling one: 7.5 % of patients admitted for acute care experience one or more adverse events; 24% of these are drug-related. Meaning that, all too often, the wrong medication is administered to patients. Why?

Gabriele identified two sources for design errors in hospital drug-selection:

orthographic similarities of drug names
phonetic similarities of drug names

Drug names come in two varieties: the generic name (or type), and the brand name (or unique name). Gabriele showed us examples of how medication is stored in hospital pharmacies, presenting pictures of uniform bins of drugs organized alphabetically by name, usually regardless of its intended purpose. One bin contained similarly named blood pressure medications, one for high blood pressure, one for low blood pressure, their names orthographically similar and the labels uniform as well; as a layperson, certainly, I would have been unable to tell the difference at a glance.

Gabriele’s project was to find better ways of designing drug labels for hospital pharmacies. What was most interesting to me was the framework she chose in approaching this problem, asking what was required in effective drug-labelling:

1. Attention: that is, what makes the label distinctive. Some of the designs she used in user tests were changing the colour and weight of the text, or using white text on solid black. User tests showed drug names that were printed as white text on solid black made for the most attention-getting label.

2. Perception: or, legibility issues (cutting down the possibility of confusing orthographically similar drug names), establishing a visible hierarchy of data included on the label, and visual cueing (“chunking”, typographic styles, spatial cues, and mark cues). Gabriele proposed to change the font, so that there was a clearer distinction between upper and lowercase letters, and cleaner font weight. Interestingly enough, users in her test group responded negatively to this change; most drug labels use a Tallman font (which does pose legibility issues like those mentioned), and it seemed that the users (all hospital nurses) were conditioned to using it, when a layperson would have had more difficulty determining minor differences in names. There seems to be some debate over the use of Tallman; a 2006 study in Glasgow showed indicated that Tallman was actually more effective in reducing name-related errors when selecting drugs (Filik et al.).

3. Understanding: Making sure a user can identify and understand all the data available on the label at the glance. Gabriele’s presentation did not delve too deeply into this part of her study, but I would have found this probably the most interesting step in her research. How do users make sense of the labels? Does the reorganization and stratification of data (in the “perception” stage) make a positive difference for comprehension with the trained professional? It seems like, while errors do sometimes occur, changing labels that would avoid errors for a layperson might in fact cause more errors for someone trained to use the current labels in place.

Works cited

Filik, R., Purdy, K., Gale, A., and Gerrett, D. (2006). “Labeling of Medicines and Patient Safety: Evaluating Methods of Reducing Drug Name Confusion.” Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 48. pp. 39-47.

[Via http://cyborgia.wordpress.com]

The Spectacular Now

2009-12-10T14:46:00.000+02:00

The Spectacular Now by Jim Tharp

Sutter Keely is a high school senior who insists on living in the moment; “embracing the weird.” He says, “Let everyone else go marching off into their great shining futures if they want. Me, I’ve always been more than content to tip my whiskey bottle and take a ride straight into the heart of the spectacular now.” Sutter has been drinking regularly since the seventh grade, and is known as the class party guy. His beautiful girlfriend, Cassidy, dumps him because he can’t even do the one thing she begged him to do in their latest heart-to-heart talk. Frankly, he doesn’t even remember what it is she wanted…

I found myself charmed by Sutter one minute, and angry at him the next. When he takes up with a socially inept girl named Aimee, I wanted to hurt him, since there seems no way out but hurt for her, especially after she starts drinking vodka and cranberry juice to keep up with him.

Over all, this was a good book. I appreciated that the ending was realistic, although not the fairy tale ending we sometimes prefer.

[Via http://bayareabibliophile.wordpress.com]

Breaking Holds: Episode Twenty Two

2009-12-08T22:05:00.000+02:00

Today’s Episode: Bulldozer

It feels silly to discuss the death of another human being and constantly refer to them as “Umaga,” a fictional and, if we’re all being honest, racist and stereotypical name for a Samoan wrestler who fell back on the tried and true “wild man” gimmicks of his predecessors. As a performer, I was shocked to find that I enjoyed the matches that Eki “Eddie” Fatu put on in this new character, my most favorite being the war he had with John Cena where the babyface champ had to strangle his vicious juggernaut of an opponent with a busted ring rope after the turnbuckle broke clean off. Good times.

To make matters more tragic, Mr. Fatu leaves behind not only his enormous extended family, but a wife and children who will have to go through the rest of their lives without father there. There will never be another wedding anniversary for the Fatus, and his children will never get to play-wrestle with their big, burly father ever again. There’s no real bright side to such a loss, and there’s certainly nothing funny about it.

That being said, Eddie Fatu was an idiot.

It’s not right to speak ill of the dead, and while I find solace in the knowledge that his family will likely never read anything I write, it still almost hurts to type out that phrase on my laptop. So then why do it, eh?

Because Mr. Fatu stands as an example of someone who was given an opportunity to avoid being yet another dead young wrestler and, out of ignorance, pride, or stubborness, he rejected it.

Nearly every wrestling fan with an internet connection knows how Mr. Fatu was released by the WWE when he tested positively for drugs, how he was asked to go to rehab, on the dime of the company, no less, and politely told them that they could shove it. As Scott Keith pointed out recently, it may have been rather heartless of WWE to mention how he refused treatment while simultaneously extending sympathies to his family, but its a shrewd enough move for a business where fans and critics have a major, major problem with the list of dead wrestlers under 50. I don’t really have a problem with it, but if Keith wants to send some hate toward their way, I suppose its his prerogative.

However, the greatest crime here is not how Fatu was taken from the wrestling world so early, but just how easily this could have been prevented, and how ultimately selfish he was in his decision to refuse treatment and thus be fired from the company that had turned him from a joke into a huge star. We internet wrestling fans are notoriously fickle, but I don’t know how much we can complain about his elevation and treatment in the earlier days of his career as Umaga. Brought in as an unstoppable monster, Fatu actually managed to take a fairly racist and idiotic gimmick and turn it into something that nearly all fans eventually gravitated to. His hits were hard, his speed as surprising for a man of his size, and he came off as legitimately dangerous to the point where, if he was used as a threat the way that Kane often is, people bought him as a serious punishment by whatever villain was tugging his line that week. Sure, we all shook our heads in confusion when he suddenly spoke perfect English in the latter days of the gimmick, but no one can ever say that he was never given a chance.

But I digress, when ultimately I wanted to speak about the selfishness of his decision. Fatu’s rejection of WWE-sanctioned rehab was not only a blow to his career, essentially telling the largest and most financially successful wrestling company on the planet where they could stick it, but also an incredibly short-sighted and horrific decision based on his role as a father and family man. He rejects financial security, as well as his own health, putting him on a path that ignores what is best for his family and instead what he wants for reasons that, to this day, I cannot comprehend.

I am unhappy that we’re talking about the death of Eddie Fatu today, but when a man has a heart attack at 36, it can be a fair assumption that there is something unnatural about one’s physiology. It’s horrifically regrettable, but the warnings were there, both literally and abstractly, and he chose to reject and ignore them for whatever reason.

His death, as have many others, leads to discussion about the lives of wrestlers, and what they go through for the purpose of entertaining us, and while I love a knockdown, dragout battle with crazy head-drops and blood as much as the next fan, I think I’m done with it.

A few months ago, weren’t we all up in arms that there was no blood in any of the Hell in the Cell matches? What a bunch of wusses they are, and how despicable of Vince to deny us this in the name of getting his wife elected to the senate! Boo, I say.

Ever get a paper cut? Hurts a bunch, right? Throw some Neosporin and a band-aid on that sucker, otherwise it could get infected. Bad stuff.

Getting cut hurts. A lot. Now go take a look at Devon Dudley’s head, or for a more insane experience, read about how Abdullah the Butcher could fit poker chips in between his insane forehead scars. As far as I’m concerned, if someone gets busted open hardway, that’s fine. It’s an improvisation, and adds to the drama, but blood is also a crutch. There are other ways to show hate or fury or damage, and I don’t need the next generation slicing themselves up for the purpose of the art. No other job on the planet requests that its employees cut themselves, and I’m okay with wrestling joining that particular club.

Of course, we also like those awesome, Foley-style hardcore matches, right? Well, too bad Foley can’t remember a bunch of them anymore due to the ton of chairshots he took over the course of his career. Last I heard, Chris Nowinski had something to say on the subject as well.

But don’t take away our awesome, Japanese wrestling moves, those fantastic puro-style moves that the Brisco Brothers bust out and receive while forgetting to sell anything more than a gunshot wound. The next time you complain about how a finisher doesn’t seem awesome or painful enough, I want you to think of Mitsuharu Misawa, and how he and Kenta Kobashi have given us a blessing and a curse in their outstanding, and potentially crippling, styles of offense. You should think of Misawa for plenty of other reasons, as well, and I’ll leave those to you to figure out.

So that’s my message to the wrestlers of the world: block those chairshots, pull those punches, and don’t take crazy bumps “for the glory.” A lot of this has toned down from the “hardcore” rush of the 90’s, thank God, but I’m really tired of reading about these guys killing themselves for my amusement and then dealing with the pain with pills and their sagging pectoral muscles with needles. In a country where health insurance costs actual money, and a wrestler pays four times the costs of an average citizen due to the dangerous nature of their job, I don’t need my pretend fighting to have such a high mortality rate, because frankly, if the wrestlers of the world don’t change their styles and mindsets about what is acceptable and what is worth risking, then “bulldozers” aren’t only the people we’ll be mourning and eulogizing, but what will be needed to move the stacks of the dead.

Enough.

[Via http://russianblue8181.wordpress.com]

Burmese Army Collects Opium Plantation Taxes in Shan State

2009-12-08T14:36:00.000+02:00

Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 02 December 2009 12:14

The active Burmese Army’ Battalions that operate in Larng Khur township, southern Shan State have forced local villagers to pay the opium plantation taxes otherwise they would be punished, said a local source.

On November 19, 2009 at 8 pm Capt. Kyaw Win Myint led 20 soldiers from IB 525 and IB 99 ordered the villagers from Hway Nein tract and Nam Mai Kai tract, Larng Khur township to pay the opium plantation taxes and 1,400,000 kyat was given by the villagers.

550,000 kyat was given by Wan Hway Nein village, Wan Pone Lao village and Wan Lao Yao from Hway Nein tract while 850,000 kyat was given by Wan Pan Soon village, Wan Nam Tae village, Wan Pan Zan village and Wan Nam Mai Kai village from Nam Mai Kai tract.

Burmese Army also ordered villagers that they had to pay all the taxes within that night.

Taifreedom

[Via http://democracyforburma.wordpress.com]