Struggling

Yesterday morning I did a Bible walk with some folks from Mountview Uniting Church. One of the things they asked me was to tell them the story of someone I know from the street who’s had their life transformed. I said that I know a lot of people who’ve been able to make changes in their lives, but that change often takes a long time. I have friends who’ve quite heroin, and then ended up on it again, and then quit again for a while before they go back to using once again. (For most people it takes a number of attempts to quit before they can sustain themselves without heroin.) A number of people have been around for years and years, and are still struggling with the same problems.

That could be seen as disappointing. But I don’t know that it’s actually much different to any of the rest of us. I have a feeling that most of us struggle with the pretty much the same problems from our childhood and adolescent stages until the day we die. It’s just that some of us struggle with problems that are highly disapproved of and difficult to hide (such as homelessness or illicit drug dependency), whereas others struggle with things that aren’t considered as important – such as working too much or neglecting our families.

So I think it’s okay that people never stop struggling. We need to keep struggling. And we need to struggle together.

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

you just gotta have the right friends

they say they are drugs

and that they do nothin’

but bad,

unless they filter it through

the beurocracy and all of their

committees and sheets of

paper thick with molasses.

i, say, i love you all when

my little white friends drift

lazily down my throat.

i say that i’m at 100% when my

good old friends sit around

on velvet couches and chat

about things that make us happy

resting our feet on a coffee table

made of pure opium.

doodoodododoot

dodoot dodoot doot dadoot doot

doodoodododoot

dodoot dodoot doot dadoot doo doot.

i say my vein lines vibrate like

bass lines when i’m high

and i am at one with lower

pitches and the smoother licks

that life brings. i say that the

cold rain up against my face

prickles down to my spine and

is smile enducing at times.

hey, senator man, church man,

why don’t you let loose?

you wouldn’t think it poison if

you saw how it makes you

more alive.

[Via http://sieveandsand.com]

Why Thanksgiving Makes You Sleepy

In the spirit of thanksgiving, todays post will deal with tryptophan and if it makes you sleepy.  We all know thanksgiving as a holiday of food.  A veritable cornicopia of various dishes.  What most people complain about is the feeling of sleepyness after eating lots of turkey.  Most of us like to blame the copious amounts of food we consume on causing what we colloquially call “food coma.”   However there is known evidence over the last 20 years that shows that in fact its turkey’s higher levels of L tryptophan (an essential amino acid) that creates that sleepy feeling. Tryptophan is converted into Seratonin via a biochemical pathway. Since seratonin is a neurotransmitter often responsible for sleep/ tiredness one can infer that more turkey = more tryptophan = more seratonin= more sleepy.

So now, knowing what we know, lets take a look at these two molecules.  When you look at the molecular structure of Tryptophan and the structure of Seratonin, its not suprising that one turns into the other.

A molecule of Tryptophan

A molecule of seratonin

Seratonin can be found in neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) where it functions in several ways.  Its been found to process in  regulation of mood, appetite, sleep, muscle contraction, and some cognitive functions including memory and learning.   When excess tryptophan is eaten more seratonin is produced by the body.  This means that more seratonin is present in the neuronal synapses and thus with a constant level of neurotransmitter reuptake more neurotransmitter is creating action potentials (or firing of neurons) at the post synaptic gap.  In other words you can state that more seratonin means an increase in mood,a decrease in appetite, an in crease in sleep and relaxed muscles in the sympathetic nervous system and an increase in the para sympathetic nervou system leading to digestion.

So this thanksgiving lets all go eat some turkey, and while we sit an begin to doze off we can think about how tryptophan and seratonin are playing a role in our drowzyness. 

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

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

ANTI-PSYCHOTICS Chemical | ANTI-PSYCHOTICS Drugs |ANTI-PSYCHOTICS Products | ANTI-PSYCHOTICS Manufacturers | ANTI-PSYCHOTICS Exporters | Suppliers

Antipsychotics (also called neuroleptics) are a group of psychoactive drugs commonly but not exclusively used to treat psychosis,[1] which is typified by schizophrenia, but can also be present in severe bipolar disorder, as well as many other conditions.

Profile :

Euroasian Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. evolved from Euroasia’s group. The latter in the recent past has made its presence felt in the international market by the many specialization of drug discovery Continued recognition and success coupled with a desire to serve the research community more efficiently has encouraged us to further diversify our services. We have dedicated R & D team comprising of organic chemists, biochemists, cell biologists, pharmacologists and molecular biologists. Our CRO’s in the United States and China are an asset to our growing success.

Based in India, the world’s outsourcing hub popular for its high quality and cost effective services, stable government and English speaking talent pool, Euroasian looks ahead with confidence in serving the very potential market that appears before it.

For more information on ANTI-PSYCHOTICS Drugs Products Manufacturers Exporters Suppliers, please visit :

http://www.euroasiarnd.com/products-ANTI+PSYCHOTICS-36.html

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

DMX - "Slippin"

When you know your life is not on the right path just type DMX to google and click the Wikipedia link and learn that life aint shit but DMX knows how really to fuck up a career. But shit in Grade 9 he was one of the greatest through the 90’s, so DMX you have earned a post and much love TO U & your lyrics and Music….ARRF ARRF !!!!

Criminal record:

In 1999, DMX joined rappers Jay-Z, Method Man and Redman for Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life tour. DMX was arrested but later cleared of a stabbing that occurred at a tour stop in Denver, Colorado; he was also cleared of an assault charge back at his hometown of Yonkers. However, in the summer of 1999, DMX and his wife were arrested and charged for animal cruelty and possession of drugs and weapons after his manager uncle was accidentally shot at a hotel in New Jersey. Eventually, he successfully plea-bargained simply for fines, probation, and community service. DMX was arrested in March 2000 for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, failure to signal, driving without a license, failure to notify the DMV of an address change, and possession of marijuana New York State Route 33 in Cheektowaga, New York, following a concert in Buffalo, New York. He was then scheduled to appear in Cheektowaga Town Court on March 21, but failed to appear, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest. He later turned himself in, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving without a license and was sentenced to 15 days in jail and fined $400. Since beginning public life as a rapper, DMX has made headlines for multiple arrests, such as for animal cruelty,[19] reckless driving,[20] unlicensed driving, drug possession,[21]and identity falsification.[22] In 1999 officers from the Fort Lee Police Department executed a search of his home, which led to Earl Simmons aka DMX surrendering himself the next day on weapons charges.[23] He has served some jail time, such as a 15-day sentence in 2000 for possession of marijuana[24] and another in 2001 for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. His appeal to reduce the 2001 sentence was denied, and he was charged with assault for allegedly throwing objects at prison guards.

In June 2004, he was arrested at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on charges of cocaine possession, criminal impersonation, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, menacing, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol while claiming to be a federal agent and attempting to carjack a vehicle.[25] He was given a conditional discharge on December 8, 2004 but plead guilty on October 25, 2005 to violating parole.[26]

On November 18, 2005, DMX was sentenced to 70 days in jail for violating his parole; the lateness charge caused a 10-day extension from the original 60-day plan.[27] For good behavior, DMX was released from jail early on December 30, 2005.[28]

As of December 31, 2008, DMX had pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession, theft and animal cruelty and was sentenced to 90 days. [29][30] On May 22, 2009, DMX entered a plea agreement/change of plea. He pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault. On July 2, 2008 DMX was arrested in Phoenix at Sky Harbor airport after arriving from Miami for outstanding warrants and failing to appear in court. His bond is $1075 for driving without a license and $10000 for previous drug charges on May 9th.Two weeks later, DMX was arrested at a Phoenix mall on suspicion that he gave a false name & Social Security number to a hospital to get out of paying for medical expenses.DMX is suspected of having used a false name, “Troy Jones” and failed to pay a $ 7,500 bill to Scottsdale’s Mayo Clinic in April. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said DMX’s bond had not been set, and if he remains in 4th avenue jail, he would be isolated from the rest of the inmates for his own safety. “They may not like his music.” His judgments took place on June 8. DMX entered rehab to stop his addiction to drugs in 2002.[31][32]

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

You know Gash?

Overseas they are up on something called gash.  If you know what that means, let me know in the comments so we can share the true meaning with this side of the world. Enjoy!.

 

more about “untitled“, posted with vodpod

The definition is too raunchy for my site so i will link it from the urban dictionary for you.

One for the road. Not quite gash, but it is hard to deny the prevelance of the word in this flick.

Medical Supplies ...

TNMSC also expanded as Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Ltd, is a State Government initiative to ensure continued supply of live saving drugs and pharmaceuticals to all Government run hospitals. They are engaged in procurement, storage and supply of 268 drugs and medicines, 84 suture items and 63 surgical items to govt run hospitals and primary health centres. They also procure, store & supply 114 veterinary drugs and medicines to various veterinary dispensaries across the state of Tamil nadu.

They are located at Pantheon Road, Egmore.

Baltimore Part Of Human Trafficking Problem, Experts Say

Task Force Training Officers To Spot Potential Victims

BALTIMORE — Local advocates are using a tragic story of a 5-year-old sold as a sex slave, to talk about human rights abuses in Baltimore.

On Tuesday, authorities in Fayetteville, N.C., confirmed that a body discovered yesterday is that of 5 year-old Shaniya Davis.

Detectives accuse the girl’s mother, Antoinette Davis, 25, of selling the child as a sex slave. Mario McNeil, 29, is being charged in Davis’ kidnapping.

“Sorry baby that you have to do this, you are in a better place. You are in better hands. You don’t have to hurt no more,” Shaniya’s father, Bradley Lockhart, said.

Numbers are difficult to come by in the shadowy world of child sex trafficking, but it is prevalent enough in Maryland that there is a state task force assembled to address the issue.

WBAL-TV 11 News spoke to a member of the task force who has spent years trying to reach victims.

Sidney Ford, of You Are Not Alone, or YANA, is part of Maryland’s Human Trafficking Task Force. She’s counseled women who have sold their own children into prostitution and she said there are willing buyers in the Baltimore area.

“Right here in Baltimore, there are people who are willing to pay big bucks to have sex with children. (It) fuels the market for this really abhorrent practice,” Ford said.

Ford said there are often missed opportunities to help victims like Shaniya before it’s too late. She trains police officers to look out for potential red flags.

“In their routine calls, emergency rooms, down the street, when they see certain types of situations happening that they ask questions that go beyond the immediate situations,” Ford said.

Situations which she said play out on Baltimore streets every day and often come to light if you ask the right questions.

“A woman saw an 11-year-old out on the corner. Her mother flew out of her house and said, ‘You need to make $500 tonight or I will beat your ass,’” Ford said.

It’s too late to save Shaniya, but those who advocate against human sex trafficking hope her story will shine light on the practice.

Ford adds that traffickers, including parents, often threaten kids or get them hooked on drugs or alcohol to make them less likely to run away or ask for help.

There is a national hotline set up for victims — that number is 1-800-373-7888.

source: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/21647344/detail.html

Deeper on Woodstock: Politics

Especially for those of us who weren’t alive or there, the original Woodstock festival continues to take on a mythologized utopianism. Forty years later, it’s as strong as ever, and due to where its arrival fits in the continuum of time, it may be set for good.

It’s almost in and from this odd, time immemorial phase of the music industry as it’s become known today.

No, 1969 is not technically that long ago, but there were a lot of drugs used back then; and let’s face it, a lot of the people that fit the “target market” of the Woodstock of 1969 can only tell us how good it all was. Therefore, studying Woodstock is not going to get any easier. So as we live in this fortieth anniversary year of the original event, I’m reminded to learn more about August 15-18, 1969 on Max Yasgur’s Farm in New York State. That combined time-frame and location clearly changed the music industry for all of us.

To me, it’s tough to separate Woodstock and politics. There is something special about the way you can still hear culture’s voice from that era through the (thankfully) recorded music we have access to.

From his book Remembering Woodstock, by Andy Bennett.

In the original 1969 Woodstock, rock music rode on the back of the politics and not vice versa. The event was envisioned as participatory, non-commercial and counter-cultural, with music being the cultural prism for already existing social movements. Abbie Hoffman, notorious political activist of that period, saw it as epitomizing a part of an ongoing social revolution which was ‘not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit.’ Yet, of course, there were issues specific to the period: at that time, ‘the civil rights and anti-war movements engaged millions of people in the politics of direct action primarily on the strength of the issues themselves.’ In turn, the politics influenced the style and form of the music itself.

Possession of Drugs and Alcohol in Cars

Here at Weisz, Botto & Gilbert, P.C. we get a LOT of clients who are found to have alcohol or drugs in their vehicle.

Alcohol is not illegal to possess or transport unless it’s open in your car, or you are under 21. And open doesn’t mean out of the container, it means open in order to be able to drink. Amazingly we’ve seen “open” intoxicant cases where people were charged for just having a beer taken out of its case. This is not what an “open” intoxicant is. Drugs (illegal drugs, or prescriptions for which you don’t have prescriptions) are NEVER legal to possess in your car, or anywhere else.

So how do the police find drugs (or alcohol) in your car?

One way is obvious. They see them. There is a bag of weed sitting in the console, or on the back seat, or under someone’s leg, but it is visible to the naked eye. This is known as “plain sight” and the police do not need a search warrant to search your car for drugs if they can see them out in the open.

The second way is that you, the driver, give the police consent to search your car. The police, if they don’t have reason to believe that there is alcohol or drugs in the car, must ask your permission to search. You do not have to give them permission to search. It is your right to refuse a search. If the police are asking you to search your car, it’s probably because they don’t have a reason to and are just hoping you will say yes. A lot of people say yes.

If you say no, and you exercise your 4th Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, then the police may briefly detain you to bring around a search dog to walk around (not in) your car, and smell for drugs as long as the stop is not unreasonably prolonged. This precedent was set in Illinois v. Cabelles (2005) in which it was held to be legal to have a drug sniffing dog brought around your vehicle during a traffic stop. This means that your stop could be for something completely unrelated to drugs, like speeding, and as long as the stop is not unreasonably prolonged, you will have to wait while the dog sniffs around your vehicle . If it alerts (barks) then the police can go inside it. So beware, an officer with a K-9 unit will almost certainly do a perimeter search of your car.

The third way the police can search your vehicle is because they have a search warrant specifically to look inside your vehicle. It is most likely that this will not be executed when you’re driving, but who knows. This is a very uncommon occurrence (few people are going to be pulled over and have the police in possession of a search warrant of the car).

If you are stopped by the police, they can only search your car if you are letting them do so, or they have a reason to believe that you have drugs or other contraband in the car. That “reason to believe” has to be something more than just a hunch.

If you have been stopped by the police and they found drugs or open intoxicants in your vehicle, give Weisz, Botto & Gilbert, P.C. a call at (815) 338-3838.

7. My Family's History with Drugs

During the 1960’s and into the 1970’s drug use was becoming more and more common. The 1960’ were a time of peace, love and hippies. Hippies in the 1960’s were all for anti-government but they were also for drugs and experimentation.

The disease that is addiction did not simply pass my family by but actually strongly affected my mom and her sister. My mom began experimenting with marijuana almost once she transferred into public school. This experimentation slowly turned to harder drugs. But since my Aunt Camille was much older she had been experimenting already.

Her addiction to drugs slowly pushed her family farther and farther apart until really no one knew where she was. Drugs are a horrible thing and can end up completely consuming someone’s life; this is what ended up happening to my aunt for a while. Around the time of my mom’s marriage (1973) my aunt wasn’t really around.

My mom later ended up finding herself in the same situation. During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s my mom began to move from marijuana onto much harder drugs such as heroin. Her drug abuse greatly affected her life down the road (much closer to the 1990’s).

Take Dashamoola Kashayam with Eranda Tailam to get rid of Kati Shoola or Back Pain Low,,,

No need to worry if you have back pain low. A simple herbal remedy can get rid of all your pain. What you need to do is to prepare a fresh kashayam or decoction of Dashamoola. Add 5 to 10 ml of Eranda tailam or Castor oil to it and consume it twice daily before food. Dashamoola powder is readily available in the market, so as Eranda tailam too.

What is Dashamoola?

Dasha moola means 10 roots. They are a combination of the roots of 10 plants. They are as follows:

1. Shalaparni – Desmodium gangeticum

2. Prishniparni -  Uraria picta

3. Brihati – Solanum melenginum

4. Kantakari – Yellow Berried Nightshade – Solanum Xanthocarpum

5. Gokshura – Small or Land Caltrops – Tribulus Terrestris

The roots of the above said 5 plants put together are called Laghu Panchamoola or the lesser panchamoola.

6. Bilwa - Bael fruit – Aegle Marmalos

7. Agnimantha – Premna Mucronata

8. Shyonaka - Oroxylum Indicum

9. Patala – Stereospermum chelonoides

10. Gambhari – Coomb Teak – Gmelina Arborea

The roots of the above said 5 plants poot together are called Brihat Panchamoola or the greater panchamoola.

The Laghu and Brihat Panchamoolas put together are called Dashamoola.

Preparation of Kashayam or decoction:

Coarse powder of each of the above said 10 drugs belonging to the Dashamoola are taken in equal quantities. This powder is boiled with 16 times water and reduced to 1/4th quantity. It is filtered and the decoction is taken orally.

Alternatively the Dashamoola Kashayam and Gandharvahastadi tailam available in the market can be used.

Dose: 50 ml added with 5 to 10 ml of Eranda tailam(Gandharvahastadi tailam) or medicated castor oil

Benefits of Dashamoola Kashayam: It allievates Vata, Jwara(fever), Kasa(cough), Shwasa(breathing problems like asthma etc), Shoola(pains and colic), Mandagni(Digestive impairements/indigestion) & Aruchi(tastelessness and anorexia). When added with Eranda tailam it effectively eliminates Kati shoola or Back pain.

 

Order for quality medicines at: http://www.avnpharmacy.com or contact hebbarjv@gmail.com 

For details contact:

Dr Raghuram Y.S

Consultant Physician

Arogya Ayurvedic Centre

12th cross, 7th block Jayanagar(Off K.R.Road),Behind Shastry’s Bakery

Bangalore-82

Ph: 080-26766291(Land) or +91-9480071422

Mailing id: drraghuramys@gmail.com and drraghuram@avnarogya.in

web: www.arogyabangalore.com and www.avnarogya.in

Scottanimo Bay:TOP 5 Jacksonville punk Albums of the 2000's

So it doesnt  matter if you care or not but southernshedpunk.com has decided to post it anyways. Beware !!!what lurks below comes from what some high horse big time punk record label fest guidebooks call a DOOMED CITY.  Yes there are bands from Jacksonville and yes we are gonna post about them. SO HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO

5. GRABBAG VS TRUCKASAURUS                       Shed Split CD

This was the pinnacle of the original shed punk scene.  6 songs from each band at the height of their relevance in the early 2000’s. This split defined a generation of young Jacksonville bands to come. Influencing through disgrace these 2 bands showed that you didnt have to sell out and be a douche in Jacksonville to lead an awesome drug fueled life. You just had to not give a fuck and talk a lot of shit and own a few instruments.

4. GRABBAG                   NEVER CHEESIN ALWAYS FLEXIN

Recorded over a single weekend, inside a bathroom stall with a 4 track. This was  irrelevant Jacksonville post pop punk insanity at its best. Always weird, sometimes political and strangely sexual. GRABBAG delivered hard with this 13 song cassette in 2001 and have regretted it ever since. Originally pressed ass 50 tapes for  a weed dealers birthday party. Some how die-hard fans have kept this polished turd a float in the toilet bowl of Florida southern shed punk music and I guess it’s not half bad.

3. WHOREMOAN RIOT          SMOSHED EP

All Girl, all balls to the wall jax thrash street punk.  5 songs that come fast and correct with a comedic edge that has you begging for more.  This EP will make you rip out your Girlfriends tampon with your teeth and spit it on the floor of the pit. (http://www.myspace.com/whoremoanriot)

2.     9/10’s                      SMASH HITS

NO OTHER BAND. SOUNDS LIKE THIS BAND!!!! One of the most original  sounds in the city or any city for that matter. I dont even know if the chords Mitch plays are real! But they sound like Skater Ska punk goodness if i’ve ever heard it. They have politically charged lyrics and circle pit inducing bass lines and drum beats. They are legends in all of DUVAL’s hearts and i cant wait till their new release. (http://www.myspace.com/ninetenths)

1. DEAD MANS WALTZ/ THE 2416       I forgot what it was called but the first CD they came out with.

Hands down the best band to come out of the whole 2006-2009 DOOZERS Experiment.  Innovative post-post-post punk insanity, that melts your mind and your inhibitions. These fuckers are fucking rockers!  Vintage Futuristic stoner mind punk. This band owns Jacksonville and if you let them. They will own your hearts and your ears.  (www.the2416.com)

scottanimo bay

UK government drug policy in disarray as more scientific advisors quit

Three advisors to the UK government on drugs policy resigned yesterday in protest at the sacking of Professor David Nutt as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). This means a total of 6 out of 31 advisors have now quit after home secretary Alan Johnson sacked Prof Nutt for claiming that cannabis is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol.

Prof Nutt said that the government had made a mistake when it decided to reclassify cannabis from Class C to the more allegedly-harmful Class B. He questioned the evidence that cannabis causes mental illness in a large number of users, and disagreed with the hypocrisy of sanctioning prosecution for the possession of a substance that he considers less harmful than the legal, government-approved drugs tobacco and alcohol.

The advisors who resigned yesterday are: Ian Ragan, director of a consultancy for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, CIR Consultancy Ltd; John Marsden, a research psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry; and Simon Campbell, a synthetic organic chemist and former head of Worldwide Discovery and Medicinals R&D Europe at Pfizer. All three argued for the reinstatement of Prof Nutt before resigning, claiming that government belittled and interfered with their advice. The scientists in particular wanted assurances their reports and recommendations would in future be taken seriously, and sought an agreement over how their advice was handled by ministers.

Dr Les King, the former head of the drugs intelligence unit of the Forensic Science Service, and Marion Walker, the clinical director of Berkshire Healthcare NHS foundation trust’s substance misuse service, resigned in the immediate aftermath of Nutt’s sacking.

Prof Nutt’s dismissal shows that the government doesn’t really care how its policies reflect on objective reality. The reclassification of cannabis was a political act, based on questionable scientific evidence. And the resignations further demonstrate the government’s lonely position relative to truth and honesty.

Your Aversion to Cannabis

Submitted by: Dan
In response to Mary Jane.

I’d say your aversion to cannabis use is based more on the connotations of its illegality than on actual facts. Cannabis has long been touted as a “gateway drug,” when research shows that nearly everyone who’s tried cannabis and moved on to “harder” drugs is an alcohol user as well. Yet for some reason, alcohol is never called a gateway drug. Why is that?

As for addiction, yes, cannabis is habit-forming, and it’s easy to see why – it’s a lot of fun. However, it is not physically addictive, like alcohol, nicotine, or even caffeine (it has a lower rate of addiction than all 3). Rather, it’s habit-forming in the sense that watching TV, using the internet, and watching porn is habit-forming – stopping is simply a matter of personal discipline. Using cannabis does not make you a “slave” to the drug any more than watching movies makes you a slave to the theater.

People’s perceptions of this drug have been subject to constant misinformation by lawmakers and the media, while the facts of science and medicine have largely been ignored. When used responsibly, the risks of cannabis pale in comparison to prescription medicine and legal drugs. But don’t take my word for it. Do some research yourself – you might be surprised.

[October, 1989] Drugs are Bad

10/18/88

Dear Journal,

Today two people are going to come in and talk about drugs.

Did you say No?

I was probably too overwhelmed by the visit to write more about it.

That day was a somber one in the classroom, and our teacher told us to be on our best behavior and give our guests our full attention.

One of the visitors was a police officer, dressed in uniform, probably to intimidate us with his authority (in my case it worked, in spades).  The other was a civilian, probably a drug educator of sorts. They walked around the classroom with a small open suitcase which contained samples of drugs and drug paraphernalia, in order for us to more easily recognize narcotics and say “no.” There were also diagrams and we got a lecture about the dangers associated with the different drugs. Physiological effects were detailed and anecdotal evidence shared, such as the kid who smoked PCP, thought he could fly, and jumped out the window.

Up to that point, my only exposure to drugs was limited to what I had read in books and seen on television. In the Sweet Valley High series of books, one of the characters tried cocaine and died almost instantly of a heart attack. There was also that Very Special Episode of Growing Pains when Mike Seaver was offered coke by a pretty blonde played by Kristy Swanson (of Flowers in the Attic “fame”). There was also that now-iconic commercial where an upset Dad confronts his teen son about finding drugs in the youngster’s room, only to be told “I learned it by watching you, Dad!” All of these fictional incidents disturbed me and hammered home the point of how scary and dangerous drugs were.

None of these moments unsettled me quite like the school visit, though. I found it terribly spooky and could not understand why anybody would take drugs, why they would risk their lives for a temporary high.  Those classroom scare tactics made a believer out of me. I didn’t even touch a cigarette until I was 18.

I no longer bootleg alcohol. Or tampons.

It may have been perfectly innocent.

It may just have been three guys shooting the breeze.

But, damn, if it didn’t look like a drug deal going down.

OK, yes, I will admit I’ve never actually seen drugs being exchanged for money in real life. Oh, sure, every second long-hair in Amsterdam offered to sell me something potent when all I was interested in doing was playing tourist. And one fellow traveller did accompany a shady character down an alley when we were both in Hawaii, in an effort to score some Maui Wowie. But I stayed on the main street and wondered if the next time I saw my friend he would be a) behind bars, or b) floating face-down in Pearl Harbor.

Because my addictions are limited to caffeine, The Hockey News and the Internet, I’ve seldom found myself in dubious places where laws might be broken.

Yes, I did say “seldom.” As opposed to “never.”

Years ago, as I rounded the corner of a building in my hometown — deep in thought, intent on my errand — I nearly walked straight into into a large First Nations lad.

“Will you bootleg for me?” he asked and I found myself nodding. Don’t ask me why. My mind was still addled by how close we’d come to blindsiding each other in a collision from which I definitely would have emerged second-best. And I did mention he was big, right? More like huge.

The next thing I know, I’m in the nearby liquor store, the fellow’s $20 bill clutched in my hand, scanning the shelves. He’d asked me to buy a bottle of rye. So, naturally, I’m looking for rye. Except, in my ignorance as a non-drinker, I didn’t realize that what I should have been looking for was rye whiskey.

Several years later, a cheeky girlfriend sent me into a supermarket to buy her tampons. It was like deja vu all over again — that helpless, panicky feeling that I had no idea what I was looking for, while, at the same time, blushing crimson because I knew I looked like an idiot just standing there and staring blankly at the displays.

I did finally grab the first bottle of rye whiskey that caught my eye, paid the difference out of my own pocket because it cost more than $20, and then shoved the paper bag into the waiting fellow’s hand right in front of the store. The smart thing would have been to meet him around the corner — bootlegging being illegal and all — and ask for the rest of the money. But all I wanted was for the embarrassment to be over.

So, today, I’m walking home from downtown and I see these three guys at the far edge of a petrol station’s property. The white guy, judging by his uniform shirt, works at the station. The other two are scruffy-looking Maori males. Now I hate to sound racially insensitive, but you look at the local paper’s Most Wanted ads, and nearly 100 per cent of the felons are Maori or Polynesian. It’s a sad fact of life here in New Zealand.

One Maori man, the fellow with the backpack, is pulling something out of a bag to show the petrol station attendant. It looks, from my vantage point, just like a brick of dope.

But it can’t be, right? I mean, they’re standing right in the open, for chrissakes. If I can see them, so can everyone else driving by or filling up. Surely no one would be that brazen. Or stupid.

I have no idea what was being displayed but I do know it wasn’t Michael Jackson’s latest CD or All Blacks players’ cards.

It just looked suspicious is all I’m saying.

Seconds later, as I continued walking, a cop car cruised past. For a nano-second I thought about flagging it down. But I didn’t. I just kept walking.

If what I saw was innocent, then there was no use wasting the police’s time. If it was something illegal and these guys make a habit out of being so blatantly obvious, then they’ll eventually get nabbed without my help.

Because, whether it’s rye or tampons, helping tends to come back and bite me in the arse.

Magic pills.

Introduction:

The age, hormonal instability, society, money and many other things become the reason erectile dysfunction. Medicinal grasses, fruits and certain physical exercises can help to improve erection, but always there was a search of drugs capable to help men to cope with their problem completely and with presence of a minimum of by-effects. Pills Viagra hit the market with 1998, and have received instant success at men. But because of by-effects Viagra the further researches were necessary, and the new product was going to arrive. Cialis then has arrived and with its minimum profile of by-effects.

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is the inability of the person to either initiate or sustain a penile erection for a sufficient period of time that is needed to attain a sexual gratification. The causes of it may be many for e.g. psychological, hormonal, arterial or muscular. The diseases associated with it are Diabetes Mellitus, Major Depression, certain thrombotic disorders, etc.

What is cialis?

Cialis and drugs related to it like Viagra act by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 which release Nitric Oxide from nerve endings and endothelium causing relaxation of smooth muscle and hence penile erection. This is a product developed by Eli Lilly and ICOS and it is a trade name of the product called Tadalafil launched in the market in 2003.

Who all can benefit?

Men with erectile dysfunction due to some arterial disorders will benefit the most. It doesn’t benefit those with hormonal problems or psychological problems except those with Diabetic neuropathy. There is a myth that a person as soon as taking the drug will have erection but that is not the case. It starts taking action only when a person starts physical activity.

What are the advantages and side effects?

Although the vasodilatation that is needed is in penis, due to the extreme non-specificity of the product there are certain side effects related to vasodilatation at other sites such as headache, nasal congestion, stuffiness , and fall in blood pressure. Some patients complain of loose motions. These side effects are more applicable to products such as Viagra than to Cialis. Some patients have suffered heart attack and severe fall in blood pressure.

How is cialis better than others?

Cialis has a half life of around 36 hours while that of Viagra is around 4 hours that means that a person can take the drug and can expect to have erection at a time much later than the time of administration. This achieves much patient compliance.

What is the latest research that is going on?

The latest research that is going on is hormonal therapy and genetic therapy in this regard. These are basically to avoid the side effect profile of these types of drugs.

Drugs.

Being around people who do hard drugs makes me never want to do drugs again. 

 

It’s such fucking bullshit.

They just had a discussion about how hard drugs, specifically ecstasy and acid, will help you solve all of your major mental, social, and life problems by opening up your senses to new things and more intense sensations and letting you see the world “as it really is.”

Acid is made to fuck up how you see the world. Acid changes your perception of the world. Acid does NOT let you see the world “as it really is.”

Ecstasy makes everything really, REALLY fucking awesome. THAT IS NOT HOW THE WORLD IS.

 

Maybe I’m just bitter because their stupid bullshit led to my mental status going drastically downward, but I just think it’s pathetic. Being around them actually just makes me really fucking angry.

NEFA highlights funding strategies of jihad cell

North Carolina jihadist cell organizer Daniel Patrick Boyd, who was indicted this summer for conspiracy to support terrorism and on other charges, had money on his mind…

Daniel Boyd, your local jihad financier

A new eye-catching presentation from the NEFA Foundation highlights some telling comments from the accused:

According to DOJ, “It was a part of the consipiracy to raise money to support the defendants’ efforts in training and provision of personnel, and to disguise the destination of such moneys from the donors.

An FBI summary of a recorded May 2009 conversation between Boyd and a witness states:  “Boyd states that the fact of the matter is, is that these dope boys [drug dealers], they be carrying a lot of money.  Boyd states that they should snatch it from them and use it for the ‘sake of Allah.’…If you take it, send it to the muhahidin…He wants ten grand and up.”

During the same conversation, Boyd discusses robbing banks to fund jihad and strike the “corrupt society”:  “Hitting the Wells Fargo trucks and banks, that money is insured.  They have to pay the people who had the money.  Those people don’t get hurt.  The banks get hurt and the banking system is the main ammunition for the Kuffar…you get in and out of a bank in 3 minutes or less, that’s a good deal.  You get in and out in 2 minutes or less, some of the cops can’t even react.”

Authorities also found $13,000 in cash in Boyd’s house.  Guess he can’t trust a “Kuffar bank” (see Koran 3:68).

Liveblog: J&J Execs Discuss Job Cuts

J&J executives are discussing the company’s plan to cut 6% to 7% of its global workforce. Here’s what they’re saying.

The company will take a charge of $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of this year. The cuts will save an estimated $1.4 to $1.7 billion a year once they’re fully implemented.

9:03: CEO Bill Weldon is speaking. Company has launched four significant “new molecular entities” (i.e. new drugs) in the U.S. this year.

9:05: The health care industry continues to evolve … The plans and associated savings we are announcing today will increase our operational efficiency. Company will continue to invest in Alzheimer’s and other areas.

9:07: Last night we began communicating to our employees about restructuring. Starting in August, the company has been removing layers of management. Our plans in many businesses include reducing layers of management.

9:08: These types of broad structural changes are not made easily. They will have a very personal impact on people who have been dedicated to the mission of Johnson & Johnson.

9:09: Affected employees are being notified.

9:09: Dominic Caruso, CFO: Today’s restructuring shouldn’t affect analysts’ models. More clarity about health-reform issues and J&J’s bottom line is expected in January.

9:11: “Position eliminations” across all businesses. There will be two cents per share of incremental costs, on top of one-time restructuring costs. Company affirms existing earnings estimates for this year.

9:14: Weldon: “We’re looking across the organization.” “We’re looking at layers and streamlining the organization so we can make faster, easier decisions.” Restruction is global, if anything “it might be more skewed” toward cuts outside the U.S.

9:15: Caruso: Estimates for restructuring “are not targeted to a specific response to U.S. health-care reform.” “Assuming health-care reform is out of the equation … the leverage that we expect to achieve in 2010 appears to be already reflected in [analysts'] models.”

9:17: Weldon: “We want to make sure we have the resources to continue to invest … Economically, there’s challenges still ahead of us.” Then you have put in the investments necessary” for existing products and pipeline.

9:18: Cuts are across all businesses, plus home office. “We’re looking at everything so we can streamline our business.”

9:19: Caruso: “We were reducing the overall level of R&D expense, particularly in the pharma business, consistent with industry trends. We would expect that to continue in 2010.” But the company will continue to make incremental investments in pipeline research.

9:20: Weldon: “We have such a rich portfolio that we need to make sure we have the resources to invest.” Expense to bring products to market are much higher than they were a decade ago. “And the risks are so much greater.” Recent deals: Cougar biotech, Alzheimer’s deal with Elan, vaccines with Crucell.

9:22: “We’re continually looking at opportunities to bring in new businesses and spin out businesses.” “We don’t think we’re in a position where we have to make radical change … We’re well positioned, we just want to make sure we’re very disciplined in the approach we take.”

9:24: “We’re not centralizing.” This is looking at restructuring within each of the decentralized businesses. We may see some opportunities to work across the businesses in the area of supply chain, but none of this is aimed at centralizing the business.

9:26: Weldon: “I don’t really think we can comment on health-care reform.” “This really is not aimed at addressing health-care reform.”

9:27: “The economic environment has adversely impacted all the businesses.” Unemployment continues to be a problem.

9:28: Partnerships are becoming more of the model. In Alzheimer’s for example, company is working with Pfizer. Working together improves chances for a good outcome, “plus it does mitigate risk and allows us to share expenses.”

9:29: Economic headwinds will continue. “Until we see easing in unemployment and other areas, people are going to be more cautious” about spending.

9:32: Caruso: This is “not necessarily a comment on gross margins in med tech.” It’s more to give the company the ability to invest in the current pipeline and in new opportunities. But there has been a “much more challenging environment with price.”

9:34: “The large majority of the [projected] savings are due to the workforce reductions.”

9:35: Weldon: More of this will be outside of the United States. The savings per head is different than it was during the company’s 2007 restructuring.

9:37: Caruso: The health-care reform initiative is still undergoing some change. We haven’t yet seen the Senate bill. It is premature to talk about what particular impact it might have on us or the inudstry.

9:38: Company has seen economic pressure in elective surgery and consumer. Recovery “will take longer to take hold” and “may be in fits and starts.”

9:39: Weldon: “Until we get unemployment under control and people feel safe and comfortable I don’t think people are going to be spending in areas where they’ve spent previously.” Until unemployment numbers improve, there will continue to be economic pressure on health care. “I don’t think anybody’s expecting [the economy] to come roaring back tomorrow.”

9:42: “It is more the external environment that is a continuing concern for all of us.” … “It’s the pressures in the regulatory environment and the cost of bringing new products to market.” J&J needs resources to invest in products, and to launch them.

9:43: “We know that in some countries outside the United States there will be price reductions in some products.” That’s on top of possible health-reform in the U.S.

9:47: “We’re coming out into the sunshine after the cloud that’s been over us.” That includes patent expirations on Risperdal and Topamax.

9:48: The company is trying to make its supply chain more efficient. That may affect manufacturing.

9:50: “It’s not just the regulatory body here in the United States, it’s regulatory bodies around the world that are asking for more, and justifiably so.” As a result, product launches are becoming more expensive.

9:53: Caruso: “This is really about streamlining the organization and allowing us the resources to invest in the growth of the business.”

9:54: The call is over.

Photo: Associated Press

Proxy List: 2-11-09

Proxy list for: 2nd November 2009.
Tested time: 17:39 GMT London.
# of proxies: 221

Preview:
35.9.27.26:3127
35.9.27.26:3128
222.124.212.196:8080
221.212.177.97:1080
221.130.13.232:80
221.130.13.211:80
221.130.13.210:80
221.130.13.208:80
221.130.13.207:80

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Safe and insecure

Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh gave some anxious moments to the police in Chandigarh when they left the team hotel without informing them.

Yuvraj Singh also went out declining an offer to have security personnel with him on Sunday night.

Police said they were not amused at the “irresponsible action” of the players and have prepared a report about the “security violations” made by them.

From this story. Does it strike you as fairly asinine behavior from players who argue the ’security’ case when it comes to complying with WADA’s testing policies?