Sunday, December 19, 2010
Come Out Of The Closet
Why I Came Out Of The Marijuana Closet Anyone who smokes or ingests cannabis should be reading this.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
I Know A Place...that clears my blogging block
It's just breaking dawn. From my bed, a wooden framed platform covered in a large soft down mattress above the forest floor and protected by a large mozzie net, I can see the ocean. It is like glass, tinted by the morning glow of the rising sun. My view is about fifty metres above the beach. I make my way down the steep narrow track that cuts through forest covered hillside to the shore below. Lorikeets, pidgeons and other birds fill the air with music. A lizard darts across the track in front of me, its bug hunt interrupted by a giant stomping through its domain. By now the local Tree Kangaroo will be asleep in the canopy somewhere. We've seen it once or twice at night when spotlighting the treetops.
About 50 metres off the beach is a small reef. On the high tide I fish from the beach with a rod. But when it is low, I walk to the reef and and hunt crayfish, or spear the odd fish from the outer edge of the reef. I usually catch 'lippers' or the odd Coral Trout. The fish are scarce this morning, but two fat crayfish aren't so lucky. My spear was made from a length of hardwood, slowly whittled and shaped, then hardened on the fire. A barb fashioned from a pig tusk is fixed to the point with twine. I cheated though. Instead of using tree sap, I used rod resin to seal the twine. It is the perfect shape for hooking crays and muddies out of their crannies and mudholes.
My soulmate is preparing a fire on the beach for breakfast. Today it is roasted cray, accompanied by a salad of Cedar Bay Cherries, banana and fresh Avocado, washed down with Green Coconut juice.
I set some traps up near the Mangrove beach yesterday. It's about two kay's North. Later on I'll head up and see if I've snared a pig. The Mudcrabs are abundant around the edge of the Mangroves this time of year, so if I don't get a pig, I'm sure to spike a muddie or two.
When we get pigs, we usually spit roast them, or if we're feeling lazy, wrap the meat in leaves and cook it Hungi style. That way we don't have to watch it for hours. We can explore the forest and the mountain and come back around sunset to a sumptuous meal of Pork and vegetables.
Muddies are best cooked in a large pot using sea water. If not, a short sear on the coals of a fire will cook them nicely in their own juices.
Every now and again we do a Stingray broth. Catch your 'ray. Tail it and carefully gut it, saving the liver and gizzard. Throw away the Pancreas, it's no good. Now chop the b'wings up and toss them and the guts into a pot and add seasoning. Simmer until the meat is cooked and the flavours have blended. Good tucker.
The shadows come early here, due to the high mountain on our West. We live at the very foot of it, cradled in a spot sheltered from Sou' Easters but with enough Northern sunlight to grow vegetables in the natural clearings.
We grow our vegies in spots where large trees have fallen and broken the canopy. We have four spots all within a few minutes walk. Stuff just grows here with minimal care. So long as we keep the vines from overtaking the tomatoes and greens, we do OK.
The pigs sometimes attack our Taro and potato, but we've managed to trap a few of the squealers as well, so it's a bit of give and take. A balance if you will. They get some good healthy vegies and we get a protein boost when we need it.
Water used to be a bit of a fitness exercise. Out of necessity, we had to make a small dam in a natural hollow about a hundred metres up the mountain. It was the only place where we could 'store' enough water to fill our 25 litre jerry cans. Once a week we'd climb the trail to the pond, fill the drums and cart them back down. Nowadays we have a hundred and fifty metres of poly pipe with a tap on the end. Lazy buggers we are. We've built another small catchment about two minutes walk across the hillside. It's our bath. We only use coconut oils and natural soaps to wash, resulting in negligible effect on the water. The 'tub' is big enough for two...and it gets full sun at certain times of the day. It's also a natural spa, due to the small waterfall that ryns in from upstream over the rocks.
Technology wise, we are pretty spoiled. We have two 150 watt solar panels set up in a clearing. They receive about nine hours of direct light a day. This supplies power to four deep cycle 12 volt batteries hooked to an inverter that runs our small satellite transmitter/receiver, the computer and some rudimentary lighting. You may think, "so what, anyone can set that up".
Well, we're not exactly close to civilization. It is an eight hour walk to our humble abode...over a mountain. It took about two months to carry all that gear in. One battery each at a time. One solar panel between us, negotiating a trail that at times is hard to see, let alone walk along it with a 6 by 4 lump of glass and silicon and aluminium. But we did it. We wanted our privacy, but we didn't want to lose touch with our friends and family.
Posting a letter would be akin to sending mail by ship to England. On rare occasions we head into town. This is what most people would call a journey. You see, as much as we have technology in our little bit of paradise, we still have to buy the odd staple. Flour, rice, yeast etc. all has to come from town. As I said, it is an 8 hour walk to civilization. That is just to a friend's property over the hill. It is then another two hours to any town of substance if you don't count the Pub and Trading Post half-way along the road. We keep our old four-wheel drive at a mate's place. It runs on a mixture of diesel and chip oil from the snack bar in town. It manages to get us to town and back with minimal cost and environmental damage. Plus, it smells like fish and chips :o)
So, posting a letter takes a full day or more just to get to the post office. It's then another two days before the receiver gets it. Now, if we don't go to town for a month or more, people worry. So we decided to marry the technology with the solitude. It's quite surreal sometimes. We are lucky to see another human here. The odd adventurous back-packer makes their way here from the National Park to the South, but not very often. But we can stay in contact with friends from as far away as Canada, or chat with people in realtime via video on a good reception night.
We are somewhat physically isolated in a number of ways. About three kay's to the South, a deep creek blocks easy access. To cross the creek and stay dry, one has to walk about 2 kilometres upstream through thick rainforest, and near a tidal creek that is home to a rather large crocodile. To the North, the mountains drop straight into the sea. It is difficult, if not impossible to traverse this natural barrier. Finally, the reef makes access to the beach possible only by small tinnies.
I know this place. It's in my heart and in my dreams. We'll be there one day soon.
About 50 metres off the beach is a small reef. On the high tide I fish from the beach with a rod. But when it is low, I walk to the reef and and hunt crayfish, or spear the odd fish from the outer edge of the reef. I usually catch 'lippers' or the odd Coral Trout. The fish are scarce this morning, but two fat crayfish aren't so lucky. My spear was made from a length of hardwood, slowly whittled and shaped, then hardened on the fire. A barb fashioned from a pig tusk is fixed to the point with twine. I cheated though. Instead of using tree sap, I used rod resin to seal the twine. It is the perfect shape for hooking crays and muddies out of their crannies and mudholes.
My soulmate is preparing a fire on the beach for breakfast. Today it is roasted cray, accompanied by a salad of Cedar Bay Cherries, banana and fresh Avocado, washed down with Green Coconut juice.
I set some traps up near the Mangrove beach yesterday. It's about two kay's North. Later on I'll head up and see if I've snared a pig. The Mudcrabs are abundant around the edge of the Mangroves this time of year, so if I don't get a pig, I'm sure to spike a muddie or two.
When we get pigs, we usually spit roast them, or if we're feeling lazy, wrap the meat in leaves and cook it Hungi style. That way we don't have to watch it for hours. We can explore the forest and the mountain and come back around sunset to a sumptuous meal of Pork and vegetables.
Muddies are best cooked in a large pot using sea water. If not, a short sear on the coals of a fire will cook them nicely in their own juices.
Every now and again we do a Stingray broth. Catch your 'ray. Tail it and carefully gut it, saving the liver and gizzard. Throw away the Pancreas, it's no good. Now chop the b'wings up and toss them and the guts into a pot and add seasoning. Simmer until the meat is cooked and the flavours have blended. Good tucker.
The shadows come early here, due to the high mountain on our West. We live at the very foot of it, cradled in a spot sheltered from Sou' Easters but with enough Northern sunlight to grow vegetables in the natural clearings.
We grow our vegies in spots where large trees have fallen and broken the canopy. We have four spots all within a few minutes walk. Stuff just grows here with minimal care. So long as we keep the vines from overtaking the tomatoes and greens, we do OK.
The pigs sometimes attack our Taro and potato, but we've managed to trap a few of the squealers as well, so it's a bit of give and take. A balance if you will. They get some good healthy vegies and we get a protein boost when we need it.
Water used to be a bit of a fitness exercise. Out of necessity, we had to make a small dam in a natural hollow about a hundred metres up the mountain. It was the only place where we could 'store' enough water to fill our 25 litre jerry cans. Once a week we'd climb the trail to the pond, fill the drums and cart them back down. Nowadays we have a hundred and fifty metres of poly pipe with a tap on the end. Lazy buggers we are. We've built another small catchment about two minutes walk across the hillside. It's our bath. We only use coconut oils and natural soaps to wash, resulting in negligible effect on the water. The 'tub' is big enough for two...and it gets full sun at certain times of the day. It's also a natural spa, due to the small waterfall that ryns in from upstream over the rocks.
Technology wise, we are pretty spoiled. We have two 150 watt solar panels set up in a clearing. They receive about nine hours of direct light a day. This supplies power to four deep cycle 12 volt batteries hooked to an inverter that runs our small satellite transmitter/receiver, the computer and some rudimentary lighting. You may think, "so what, anyone can set that up".
Well, we're not exactly close to civilization. It is an eight hour walk to our humble abode...over a mountain. It took about two months to carry all that gear in. One battery each at a time. One solar panel between us, negotiating a trail that at times is hard to see, let alone walk along it with a 6 by 4 lump of glass and silicon and aluminium. But we did it. We wanted our privacy, but we didn't want to lose touch with our friends and family.
Posting a letter would be akin to sending mail by ship to England. On rare occasions we head into town. This is what most people would call a journey. You see, as much as we have technology in our little bit of paradise, we still have to buy the odd staple. Flour, rice, yeast etc. all has to come from town. As I said, it is an 8 hour walk to civilization. That is just to a friend's property over the hill. It is then another two hours to any town of substance if you don't count the Pub and Trading Post half-way along the road. We keep our old four-wheel drive at a mate's place. It runs on a mixture of diesel and chip oil from the snack bar in town. It manages to get us to town and back with minimal cost and environmental damage. Plus, it smells like fish and chips :o)
So, posting a letter takes a full day or more just to get to the post office. It's then another two days before the receiver gets it. Now, if we don't go to town for a month or more, people worry. So we decided to marry the technology with the solitude. It's quite surreal sometimes. We are lucky to see another human here. The odd adventurous back-packer makes their way here from the National Park to the South, but not very often. But we can stay in contact with friends from as far away as Canada, or chat with people in realtime via video on a good reception night.
We are somewhat physically isolated in a number of ways. About three kay's to the South, a deep creek blocks easy access. To cross the creek and stay dry, one has to walk about 2 kilometres upstream through thick rainforest, and near a tidal creek that is home to a rather large crocodile. To the North, the mountains drop straight into the sea. It is difficult, if not impossible to traverse this natural barrier. Finally, the reef makes access to the beach possible only by small tinnies.
I know this place. It's in my heart and in my dreams. We'll be there one day soon.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Bugger! Someone Hacked My tyres!
Geeks Hack Tyre Pressure Sensors -
This is the future folks. As more and more vehicle bits get hooked up to wireless for monitoring and adjusting, more and more doors will open for hackers (ooh a sort of a pun). In the future your car will be open to all sorts computer type horror stories.
"You were doing 140 in a 100 zone"
"But Constable, my fuel injection system got infected with the 'Roadrunner' worm".
"Russian hackers have hijacked my boot (trunk)! They're using it to transport bodies through 2nd Life!"
"Wow dude! Your tyres were hacked? That'll cost you to replace."
"No. They were hacked, not hacked. But now every nerd in Australia knows what my tyre pressures are!"
...or worse...
"Some teenybopper geek hacked my stereo and now all I get is the Justin Dweeber Channel!"
This is the future folks. As more and more vehicle bits get hooked up to wireless for monitoring and adjusting, more and more doors will open for hackers (ooh a sort of a pun). In the future your car will be open to all sorts computer type horror stories.
"You were doing 140 in a 100 zone"
"But Constable, my fuel injection system got infected with the 'Roadrunner' worm".
"Russian hackers have hijacked my boot (trunk)! They're using it to transport bodies through 2nd Life!"
"Wow dude! Your tyres were hacked? That'll cost you to replace."
"No. They were hacked, not hacked. But now every nerd in Australia knows what my tyre pressures are!"
...or worse...
"Some teenybopper geek hacked my stereo and now all I get is the Justin Dweeber Channel!"
Politics and Alcohol - A Great Mixer to Delay Cannabis Law Reform
It is probably one of the worst kept secrets in the world, but the Alcohol industry doesn't want cannabis legalized for medicinal purposes, and especially not for private home use.
Now, call me cynical (or even a conspiracy theorist), but I don't think that the Alcohol Lobby opposes Cannabis reform for altruistic reasons.
Now don't get the Chilli Man wrong. I like a good beer or two in the evening, or on the weekend (give me a reason). It is relaxing, and refreshing after a hard day doing the Super Hero type things that Chilli Man does.
If Cannabis were legal in my country, the alcohol industry would still get its cut from me. Marijuana is my medicine, alcohol is my 'getting high' drug. Having said that, I only drink one brand of beer, which is from a privately owned company and is 5.8% Alc/vol. I only drink two or three a night, so even if I did stop, I doubt anyone would notice.
Insert obligatory alcoholic beverage image here:
The Alcohol Industry employs a lot of people and keeps a lot of people happy (or unhappy if you can't control your Alcohol intake).
According to Alternet, there is mounting evidence that the Alcohol Lobby and certain Police groups (in opposition to their members) are the primary financial backers to California's anti Prop-19 group 'Public Safety First'.
I'll repeat what I've read of other opinion pieces. The Alcohol sector stands to lose a lot of money if cannabis is legalized across Western cultures. The Pharmaceutical Industry, another anti-Prop 19 heavy-weight will also lose a lot if a non-patentable drug is available to grow in our homes. Lastly, it is widely rumoured that Narcotic divisions of certain Police Departments will have a hard time justifying expenses if their one 'easy catch' offence is no longer available.
Will every state or territory in every Western country have to fight this type of attack when they see the light and try to pass a legalization motion for cannabis?
Now, call me cynical (or even a conspiracy theorist), but I don't think that the Alcohol Lobby opposes Cannabis reform for altruistic reasons.
Now don't get the Chilli Man wrong. I like a good beer or two in the evening, or on the weekend (give me a reason). It is relaxing, and refreshing after a hard day doing the Super Hero type things that Chilli Man does.
If Cannabis were legal in my country, the alcohol industry would still get its cut from me. Marijuana is my medicine, alcohol is my 'getting high' drug. Having said that, I only drink one brand of beer, which is from a privately owned company and is 5.8% Alc/vol. I only drink two or three a night, so even if I did stop, I doubt anyone would notice.
Insert obligatory alcoholic beverage image here:
The Alcohol Industry employs a lot of people and keeps a lot of people happy (or unhappy if you can't control your Alcohol intake).
According to Alternet, there is mounting evidence that the Alcohol Lobby and certain Police groups (in opposition to their members) are the primary financial backers to California's anti Prop-19 group 'Public Safety First'.
I'll repeat what I've read of other opinion pieces. The Alcohol sector stands to lose a lot of money if cannabis is legalized across Western cultures. The Pharmaceutical Industry, another anti-Prop 19 heavy-weight will also lose a lot if a non-patentable drug is available to grow in our homes. Lastly, it is widely rumoured that Narcotic divisions of certain Police Departments will have a hard time justifying expenses if their one 'easy catch' offence is no longer available.
Will every state or territory in every Western country have to fight this type of attack when they see the light and try to pass a legalization motion for cannabis?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
AAAAaaarrrgghhh! Two Posts in One Day? Aye Me Hearties!
I was runnin' me schooner (while drinking a few) around the Interweb and found me some treasures!
This be a fine wench for cold nights aboard me ship:
Then I got to thinkin', what about me shipmates? They'd be lookin for some buxom wenches too, so I found some:
Before we weigh anchor, I need to find some rations to keep the dreaded scurvy away:
This should do...aaaarrrggghhhh!
Last but not least, a good Pirate needs a good ship.
What is this all about? Have ye god barmy me old salt? Noooo, it's TLAPD
This be a fine wench for cold nights aboard me ship:
Then I got to thinkin', what about me shipmates? They'd be lookin for some buxom wenches too, so I found some:
Before we weigh anchor, I need to find some rations to keep the dreaded scurvy away:
This should do...aaaarrrggghhhh!
Last but not least, a good Pirate needs a good ship.
What is this all about? Have ye god barmy me old salt? Noooo, it's TLAPD
HIGHTIMES.COM 19th Annual Seattle Hempfest is Most Successful Hempfest to Date
Congratulations Seattle on a great HempFest. I wish I'd been there. Maybe next years MardiGrass...
HIGHTIMES.COM 19th Annual Seattle Hempfest is Most Successful Hempfest to Date
2011 MardiGrass, Nimbin Australia
HIGHTIMES.COM 19th Annual Seattle Hempfest is Most Successful Hempfest to Date
2011 MardiGrass, Nimbin Australia
Thursday, September 2, 2010
OK, He IS an Uber Geek...
http://www.slothfurnace.com/
My last post about that wonderful waste of time that was on 'Hack-A-Day'? Well, the above link is to the makers website.
In honour of his Uber Geekness, I give you his short intro:
I do encourage anyone who appreciates fine engineering and/or a love for all things Star Wars to visit.
It is truly an excellent waste of time in my opinion. Congrats Bradley, you are a True Legend.
Seriously.
Oh, and he is a member of RobotPirate (I had to put an image in this post somewhere, it's the done thing):
:o)
My last post about that wonderful waste of time that was on 'Hack-A-Day'? Well, the above link is to the makers website.
In honour of his Uber Geekness, I give you his short intro:
Howdy! This site is for my custom lightsaber and prop builds, and whatever else I feel like posting. My friend Shay Pierce told me to register thisthing and post these pics.
The lightsabers in the step-by-step builds will be similar to the hasbro Force FX sabers, but brighter, louder, and more accurate to the films. Meaning, where I can, I will use the same vintage parts used in the movies,or replicas machined as close as possible.This site will feature documentation of the build process, tips and tricks.
Your friendly neighborhood Slothfurnace is none other than Bradley W. Lewis. I am videogame developer by day, and a robotpirate builder of things by night. You can contact me at bradley at slothfurnace dot com if you like. I also have some twitter and facebook links up in this piece.
I do encourage anyone who appreciates fine engineering and/or a love for all things Star Wars to visit.
It is truly an excellent waste of time in my opinion. Congrats Bradley, you are a True Legend.
Seriously.
Oh, and he is a member of RobotPirate (I had to put an image in this post somewhere, it's the done thing):
:o)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Geek Hacks - Yep, There Had To Be A Star Wars Something...
I've mentioned my love for all things Star Wars before, so it should be no surprise that I bring you another sad case of SW Geekdom.
Why, Oh why would you spend your time creating this:
Why, Oh why would you spend your time creating this:
I guess only the creator could explain, so head on over and check out this wonderful waste of time.
Geek Hacks - First Pick - The Internet Beer Vending Machine
I want one of these:
Check out this page because it may still be for sale.
http://varenhor.st/2010/05/vender-an-internet-controlled-classic-vending-machine/
Check out this page because it may still be for sale.
http://varenhor.st/2010/05/vender-an-internet-controlled-classic-vending-machine/
The 8 Most Absurd Reasons to Oppose Cannabis Legalisation
I was drifting about the Interweb (as you do) and came across this post in respect to California's Proposition 19. Proposition 19, for those of you who don't know, is a bill that will be voted on this year to make Cannabis completely legal in California (in direct opposition to US federal Law).
It was originally posted on AlterNet on 19 August, 2010.
The 8 Most Absurd Excuses for Trying to Defeat Legal Pot
(Follow the above link for the complete article)
8. The federal government will pull all its contracts with California businesses because they won’t be able to drug test employees!
7. Legalizing marijuana for healthy people will end medical marijuana for sick people!
6. Legalizing marijuana will never raise any money because the social costs would outweigh any fiscal benefits… look at alcohol and tobacco!
5. Big Tobacco will buy up great huge tracts of land in Northern California and mass produce lousy joints pumped full of toxic addictive chemicals!
4. Today’s pot is fourteen times more powerful than Sixties weed and will lead to more crack babies
3. People who smoke marijuana in the same apartment building as a child will be arrested! (Not that your landlord will let you grow pot anyway.)
2. Legally home-grown marijuana will lead to outbreaks of toxic deadly molds!
1. Workplaces would be overrun by workers smoking marijuana on the job!
It was originally posted on AlterNet on 19 August, 2010.
The 8 Most Absurd Excuses for Trying to Defeat Legal Pot
(Follow the above link for the complete article)
8. The federal government will pull all its contracts with California businesses because they won’t be able to drug test employees!
7. Legalizing marijuana for healthy people will end medical marijuana for sick people!
6. Legalizing marijuana will never raise any money because the social costs would outweigh any fiscal benefits… look at alcohol and tobacco!
5. Big Tobacco will buy up great huge tracts of land in Northern California and mass produce lousy joints pumped full of toxic addictive chemicals!
4. Today’s pot is fourteen times more powerful than Sixties weed and will lead to more crack babies
3. People who smoke marijuana in the same apartment building as a child will be arrested! (Not that your landlord will let you grow pot anyway.)
2. Legally home-grown marijuana will lead to outbreaks of toxic deadly molds!
1. Workplaces would be overrun by workers smoking marijuana on the job!
Look Out! Marijuana is a 'Getaway' Drug!
So you think you live in a land of Cannabis ignorance and out-dated, archaic attitudes and beliefs about the dreaded weed? You think your State has a 1930's attitude toward weed?
Try living in Hyderabad, India. The dreaded weed is still a 'Getaway'(sic) drug. Youth are the only people who smoke pot, and the entertainment industry and the social elite would *never* touch drugs...
Alarming-rise-in-drug-abuse-among-youth-say-police
Some quotes from this article:
Read more:Alarming rise in drug abuse among youth, say police - Hyderabad - City - The Times of India
Try living in Hyderabad, India. The dreaded weed is still a 'Getaway'(sic) drug. Youth are the only people who smoke pot, and the entertainment industry and the social elite would *never* touch drugs...
Alarming-rise-in-drug-abuse-among-youth-say-police
Some quotes from this article:
In an alarming finding by the state police, a large number of teenagers living in Andhra Pradesh are hooked to getaway drugs like cannabis, alcohol and tobacco. Getaway drugs are those that induce mild intoxication and most users end up migrating to powerful and addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin.
...the state is in the grip of a big explosion of drug abuse as the number of teenagers addicted to the getaway drugs is almost 60 per cent. This is almost double the number in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana where only 35 per cent of the teens are said to be hooked on such drugs...
Because of expansion of the job market due to software boom and other avenues, youth in the cities of Andhra Pradesh have become economically independent. This is the main reason for the sudden spurt in the use of getaway drugs
...Those associated with Tollywood have been maintaining that the recent bust in which film star Ravi Teja's two brothers were caught buying cocaine from a Nigerian peddlar is a rare incident and that drug abuse is minimal in the Telugu film world and the high society in Hyderabad. This police report, however, has established that the menace is far more widespread among the teens of Andhra Pradesh as compared to their counterparts in other states.
Read more:Alarming rise in drug abuse among youth, say police - Hyderabad - City - The Times of India
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Become A Fan Of The Lactating CEO
C'mon everyone, Scott Adams needs some back-up. It seems not too many people appreciate the 'Lactating CEO'.
I'm taking it upon myself to try and gain support for this guy. After all, he needs to feed his new Head Regulator.
I'm taking it upon myself to try and gain support for this guy. After all, he needs to feed his new Head Regulator.
Aussie Nutters Part 1
Most news stories about the somewhat eccentric people on our planet seem to emanate from the US. No, I'm not picking on my stateside friends, it's just the way it is.
However, we in Australia have our fair share of induhviduals too. Actually, I could start a series about the eccentric, mad, crazy or just downright lunatic folk here in the place outsiders call 'Down Under', but I probably won't.
Here is part 1 (if I do choose to make a series, I need to number them, but I probably won't).
The Geelong Advertiser brings us this:
'Witch Jailed on Friday 13th For Dragging Cop Along Road With Car' (which could qualify for longest headline Ever)
This Is True has covered this one as well.
However, we in Australia have our fair share of induhviduals too. Actually, I could start a series about the eccentric, mad, crazy or just downright lunatic folk here in the place outsiders call 'Down Under', but I probably won't.
Here is part 1 (if I do choose to make a series, I need to number them, but I probably won't).
The Geelong Advertiser brings us this:
'Witch Jailed on Friday 13th For Dragging Cop Along Road With Car' (which could qualify for longest headline Ever)
FRIDAY the 13th was unlucky for a self-proclaimed Geelong witch who was yesterday jailed for dragging a policeman 190m along the road.
Eilish De Avalon, 40, was a suspended driver talking on her mobile phone when she was pulled over on February 23.
De Avalon then drove off with Senior Constable Andrew Logan's arm pinned in her car window and hauled him along the street at speeds up to 60km/h.
This Is True has covered this one as well.
Canada's Hemp Electric Car Designed for Stoners
Project Eve is a series of vehicle developments by a consortium of Canadian business interests, primarily focussed on developing local electric automotive know-how and engineering.
The latest to come from Project Eve is an electric car with a composite Hemp body, and it has been designed for stoners!
(Probably not what the real car looks like)
Here are some early specs:
Seating Capacity: 4. You and your stoner mates can cruise together.
Max Speed: 90km/h 50 mph. Who needs to go fast when you're cruising on some nice Purple Kush?
Range: 40 to 160km, depending on the batteries. How far do you need to drive to buy munchies?
Power: It's electric! Plug it in at home to recharge, just like your mobile phone. Too easy.
Body: Hemp composite. Just too cool.
I love Canada!
Here are some other things I love about Canada:
They have 'Trading Cards' of farmers! And the Americans copied them!
They grow Hemp just like us Aussies!
They have the Accordian Extravaganza!
They gave the world 'Corner Gas'
They made the Jurassic Park Dinosaurs!
They say 'eh' a lot.
Yes, We Have Another BB. Apple Patents Spyware
Remember the Apple advert from the 1984 Superbowl?
Apple promoted the Macintosh as a way to free oneself from the assimilated and controlled masses! That's cool.
But hang on, I just read that Apple has taken out a Patent on Spyware. Surely not!?
Steve wouldn't stand for that!
Yes, it's true. Apple has taken a patent on a device that can track your mobile device and control it in any way Apple pleases.
Amongst other things, the patent states these capabilities:
Congratulations Apple! You get the 'Pinky and The Brain' Award for 2010:
...our 'Unification of Thoughts' is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth...
Today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology. Where each worker may bloom secure from the pests of contradictory and confusing truths. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death and we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!
Apple promoted the Macintosh as a way to free oneself from the assimilated and controlled masses! That's cool.
But hang on, I just read that Apple has taken out a Patent on Spyware. Surely not!?
Steve wouldn't stand for that!
Yes, it's true. Apple has taken a patent on a device that can track your mobile device and control it in any way Apple pleases.
Amongst other things, the patent states these capabilities:
- The system can take a picture of the user's face, "without a flash, any noise, or any indication that a picture is being taken to prevent the current user from knowing he is being photographed"
- The system can record the user's voice, whether or not a phone call is even being made
- The system can determine the user's unique individual heartbeat "signature"
- To determine if the device has been hacked, the device can watch for "a sudden increase in memory usage of the electronic device"
- The user's "Internet activity can be monitored or any communication packets that are served to the electronic device can be recorded"
- The device can take a photograph of the surrounding location to determine where it is being used.
Congratulations Apple! You get the 'Pinky and The Brain' Award for 2010:
...our 'Unification of Thoughts' is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth...
Today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology. Where each worker may bloom secure from the pests of contradictory and confusing truths. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death and we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
More Alternative Fuels
I got surfing after the last post and found this on the UK Telegraph site:
Alternative Fuels
Everything from thin air
to steam.
Even a 145mph Chocolate powered car.
Alternative Fuels
Everything from thin air
to steam.
Even a 145mph Chocolate powered car.
Volkswagen Runs on Poo. The New Dung Beetle.
I was reading my /. update today and saw a link to the new Volkswagen 'Bio-Bug'. I prefer the name 'Dung Beetle':
If you lived next door to a politician, you'd never run out of fuel!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Baptists and Sin Revisited- Or how i discovered the God Scam in Far North Queensland
Well, as any curious net nut does, I went Googling. But first, why did I ask the question in the first place?
Back in 1982, I was in far North Queensland, bumming around, living off the land etc. Anyway, I am a curious sort of a bloke. I can follow a path through life for a while, just to see what it's like. I've spent time with Krishnas (beautiful people), Bagwhan followers (those weird Orange People), and a vast array of other different spiritual type people.
It just so happened that I meta baptist 'Evangelist'. He'd left his home town somewhere in the Southern states of australia and decided to go to Cedar Bay of all places to 'spread the word' and convert the sinning hippies to Christianity.
I was, coincidentally, about to head to Cedar bay myself, so offered (he asked actually) to guide him there. The far north was a scary place I guess for a southerner.
To cut a long story short, I ended up at a Baptist Church thing one Sunday in Cairns. it was a youth thing. Well, I walked in and there were all these 14 to 18 year olds sitting around singing and laughing. I thought, this is cool, and started dancing to the groovy music. Within seconds, my evangelist friend sidled up beside me and said, "We don't dance. It is the Devil's doing."
Aaaah, OK. Thanks gang, but you can have your Baptist Devil and somewhat benevolent god. I'll take dancing like no one is watching.
Anyway, back to the point. I found this insightful post. It sounds like something straight out of Footloose, but may well be true.
http://deepintheheart.wordpress.com/2006/10/17/a-dancing-baptist/
Back in 1982, I was in far North Queensland, bumming around, living off the land etc. Anyway, I am a curious sort of a bloke. I can follow a path through life for a while, just to see what it's like. I've spent time with Krishnas (beautiful people), Bagwhan followers (those weird Orange People), and a vast array of other different spiritual type people.
It just so happened that I meta baptist 'Evangelist'. He'd left his home town somewhere in the Southern states of australia and decided to go to Cedar Bay of all places to 'spread the word' and convert the sinning hippies to Christianity.
I was, coincidentally, about to head to Cedar bay myself, so offered (he asked actually) to guide him there. The far north was a scary place I guess for a southerner.
To cut a long story short, I ended up at a Baptist Church thing one Sunday in Cairns. it was a youth thing. Well, I walked in and there were all these 14 to 18 year olds sitting around singing and laughing. I thought, this is cool, and started dancing to the groovy music. Within seconds, my evangelist friend sidled up beside me and said, "We don't dance. It is the Devil's doing."
Aaaah, OK. Thanks gang, but you can have your Baptist Devil and somewhat benevolent god. I'll take dancing like no one is watching.
Anyway, back to the point. I found this insightful post. It sounds like something straight out of Footloose, but may well be true.
http://deepintheheart.wordpress.com/2006/10/17/a-dancing-baptist/
Why Do Baptists Consider Dancing a Sin?
C'mon all you Baptists! I find that kind of weird. You folks sings your little Christian hearts out, but if someone gets up to dance, you get the urge to exorcise them!
Please, tell me why...
Please, tell me why...
Paranoia Is Not An Endearing Trait
I subscribe to Snopes. I love Snopes. Barbara and David Mikkelson present the truths and fictions of email hoaxes, tales and urban legends in an entertaining way.
The best thing about Snopes? I used to receive a plethora of emails from friends and family telling me how I could get shitloads of free stuff if I forwarded this email to ten people. Or that some kid was dying of cancer and was collecting used bubble gum wrappers to knit a quilt cover for his future coffin. Or that I could die if I drank from a Coke can without washing it because Leptosporosis carrying rats had pissed on it.
My first action before replying would be to go to Snopes, copy the URL of the relevant page that explained to them in nice terms that they were all a little gullible, then I'd reply to all with the link.
After about six months, I stopped receiving email from friends and family.
Maybe they read Snopes now too. Or maybe they just think I'm a smart arse and don't want to talk to me. Either way, I haven't received a Snopesworthy email in years.
I stay up to date with (ironically) an email update subscription from Barbara and David, so I still get to see what's circulating, just in case...
Anyway, this weeks update contained a few 'Trues' amongst the Falses. One being the following. Yes, the photos are real, but the description is somewhat strange.
Seriously. Are some people that paranoid of other races and religions that they could come up with something as misconstrued as this email that has been circulating:
Obama Is Changing The face of America
Read the Snopes article to get the full picture.
Then there was this one:
Store Honors Islamic Matyr
Some misguided, paranoid soul decided that this store was closing to honour a terrorist involved in the September 11 hijackings. Then they decided the world should know of this herecy. Perhaps if they'd asked the store owner first, they may have come away with a little more knowledge of the world.
We live in an overly paranoid world. No wonder people get stressed!
When is everyone going to just stop, chill out, take a deep breath and stop being so fucking racially and religiously obsessed!!!
The store owner explained the sign:
On a more local note; last week, at about 7 am, the Police were alerted by a 000 (911/111) call. Apparently a suspicious man was walking up the street with a balaclava on and carrying a bag with tools in it.
When Police found the man, the exasperated reply was, "Could you tell the informant that the bag of tools are his work bag. It contains his lunch and he is on his way to work. The gentleman was wearing a beanie pulled down over his ears because it is cold."
The best thing about Snopes? I used to receive a plethora of emails from friends and family telling me how I could get shitloads of free stuff if I forwarded this email to ten people. Or that some kid was dying of cancer and was collecting used bubble gum wrappers to knit a quilt cover for his future coffin. Or that I could die if I drank from a Coke can without washing it because Leptosporosis carrying rats had pissed on it.
My first action before replying would be to go to Snopes, copy the URL of the relevant page that explained to them in nice terms that they were all a little gullible, then I'd reply to all with the link.
After about six months, I stopped receiving email from friends and family.
Maybe they read Snopes now too. Or maybe they just think I'm a smart arse and don't want to talk to me. Either way, I haven't received a Snopesworthy email in years.
I stay up to date with (ironically) an email update subscription from Barbara and David, so I still get to see what's circulating, just in case...
Anyway, this weeks update contained a few 'Trues' amongst the Falses. One being the following. Yes, the photos are real, but the description is somewhat strange.
Seriously. Are some people that paranoid of other races and religions that they could come up with something as misconstrued as this email that has been circulating:
Obama Is Changing The face of America
Read the Snopes article to get the full picture.
Then there was this one:
Store Honors Islamic Matyr
Some misguided, paranoid soul decided that this store was closing to honour a terrorist involved in the September 11 hijackings. Then they decided the world should know of this herecy. Perhaps if they'd asked the store owner first, they may have come away with a little more knowledge of the world.
We live in an overly paranoid world. No wonder people get stressed!
When is everyone going to just stop, chill out, take a deep breath and stop being so fucking racially and religiously obsessed!!!
The store owner explained the sign:
Store manager Imran Chunawala was stunned [by the reaction] because the holiday had nothing to do with 9/11.
Then he realized what happened. Imam Ali died on the21st day of Ramadan in the year661 AD. It's a somber and significant holy day for Muslims. This year it coincidentally fell onSeptember 11.
"We did not explain enough in the sign because that is the exact same sign we put up every year on this particular day for this particular reason," said Chunawala.
He apologized for the confusion and put up a new sign thoroughly explaining the martyr they were honoring died in661 AD.
"If people thought that that's what this was about, I apologize," Chunawala said. "That was not what this was about. I'm clarifying once again and I seriously am sorry for any misunderstanding that this caused."
On a more local note; last week, at about 7 am, the Police were alerted by a 000 (911/111) call. Apparently a suspicious man was walking up the street with a balaclava on and carrying a bag with tools in it.
When Police found the man, the exasperated reply was, "Could you tell the informant that the bag of tools are his work bag. It contains his lunch and he is on his way to work. The gentleman was wearing a beanie pulled down over his ears because it is cold."
| Beanie Pulled Over Ears |
| Balaclava |
It's not that hard is it?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Australian HEMP Party Misses 2010 Chance
The Australian 'Help End Marijuana Prohibition' (HEMP) Party has missed the chance to be a part of this years election. Unfortunately, the Party was about a week away from registration, but with the election called and writs issued, they (we) will have to wait another three years to be 'in' the election.
If you're an Aussie and you are really serious about helping promote Cannabis law Reform, why not become a member of the HEMP Party? The more members they get, the bigger voice they have when it does come to the question of Cannabis reform.
It's time Australia caught up with the most of the Western World and started recognising cannabis as a medicine and not some evil 'narcotic'.
The Australian HEMP Party Website
If you're an Aussie and you are really serious about helping promote Cannabis law Reform, why not become a member of the HEMP Party? The more members they get, the bigger voice they have when it does come to the question of Cannabis reform.
It's time Australia caught up with the most of the Western World and started recognising cannabis as a medicine and not some evil 'narcotic'.
The Australian HEMP Party Website
You're Under Arrest/arrĂȘtĂ©/arrestasie/anholdelse/prisĂŁo/aresto/Đ°ŃĐ”ŃŃĐŸĐŒ
Ok folks, if you're living in Calgary, don't assume anything...
From http://thisistrue.com
SAY WHAT? When a woman in Calgary, Alta., Canada, called police to report
a burglary, one of the officers to respond was Const. Charanjit Meharu,
an immigrant from India. The hysterical victim already had a list of
everything stolen. Then her phone rang. She spoke to her father in
Quebec, and explained in French that "she and her boyfriend made up the
story to make an insurance claim," Meharu said later. "By the end [of
the call] I had about 10 pages of notes, and I said, 'Merci beaucoup'.
She didn't expect a brown guy to speak French." The officer speaks
seven languages. (Calgary Sun) ...Though which ones specifically remain
a state secret.
From http://thisistrue.com
Gulf turtle evacuees could get lost at sea - environment - 15 July 2010 - New Scientist
Gulf turtle evacuees could get lost at sea
Scientists in the US have been collecting sea turtle eggs from oil affected coastlines and have been incubating and hatching them indoors (50 thousand plus!). They plan to release them from Atlantic Ocean facing beaches. However, specialists suggest they should release them into the Gulf Stream, otherwise their internal navigation systems (that are programmed from their laying site) may cause them to get lost.
Cosmic X-ray blast temporarily blinded NASA satellite!
Cosmic X-ray blast temporarily blinded NASA satellite
We're all gunna die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, no. Not really. But this is interesting.
The burst was so bright in X-rays it put other GRBs to shame:
slamming Swift with 143,000 X-ray photons per second,
it was 5 times brighter than the previous record holder,
and nearly 200 times as bright as a typical GRB!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Marijuana poses a scientific challenge to the War on Drugs | CAIVN
Marijuana poses a scientific challenge to the War on Drugs | CAIVN
Yep, American Feds are in a quandary. They know that cannabinoids were found to fight cancers back in '74. Oh dear, how will they step around this?
his classification designates that the drug has “no current use for medical treatment in the United States.” Besides a slew ofscientific studies controverting this assertion, it seems the Department of Health and Human Services didn't get the "pot-has-no-medicinal-value" memo when they applied for a patent on the preventive and curative properties of cannabis in 1999.
Patent (#6,630,507), was awarded to the agency based on research carried out by the National Institute of Health. What scientists discovered in those studies was evidence that cannabinoids – the active ingredients in the marijuana plant – are antioxidants, neuroprotectants and anti-inflammatory agents, useful in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, HIV dementia, stroke, trauma and auto-immune disorders. The government is currently licensing its cannabinoid patent.
More recent studies by the DHHS's own health research agency found that “cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic compound from the plant cannabis sativa, can inhibit the processes that allow breast cancer cells to grow and spread (metastasis).” It would be important to note that the NIH research has relegated itself to the 40% of the cannabis plant which does not contain the high-inducing compound known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), if there wasn't already a growing body of scientific literature extolling the anti-cancer properties of the psychotropic drug.
Steve Kubby, a writer for the Sierra Times, authored an article in the Fall of 2003 questioning the mainstream media's suppression of the "Cannabis-Cancer-Cure" during the previous 30 years. “That’s right, news about the ability of pot to shrink tumors first surfaced, way back in 1974,” writes Kubby, “Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice — lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.”
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Twitter? Oh no, I'm Starting Become Assimilated!
I've been Twittering, but that's not what I am posting about. It's just that Kog has a Twiitter profile.
You may well ask yourself, "Who the Fuck is Kog?"
Kog, my dear few readers, is far braver than me. Perhaps if I'd lived in the same area for all my years, and had some land to grow on, I'd do something similar. However, at the moment I'll just have to admire Kog for his attitude and his oh so nice plants and end product.
Here's a small sample on YouTube:
Intro to 'A Growers Lot - Growing Marijuana for Fun & Profit'
You may well ask yourself, "Who the Fuck is Kog?"
Kog, my dear few readers, is far braver than me. Perhaps if I'd lived in the same area for all my years, and had some land to grow on, I'd do something similar. However, at the moment I'll just have to admire Kog for his attitude and his oh so nice plants and end product.
Here's a small sample on YouTube:
Intro to 'A Growers Lot - Growing Marijuana for Fun & Profit'
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Big Joint
Big Joint
For those who have come in late; Part 2. The plan is point out the POTential revenue that would be raised by the HEMP revolution, please keep uppermost in mind we are not talking about a government tax on home grown cannabis for personal use, we are talking about the revenue that will be generated by the hemp Agri business - Fibre, Fuel and Food. Number One carbon scrubbing plant on the planet, I repeat, Hemp is the NUMBER ONE Carbon scrubbing plant on the planet. Hemp is stronger and requires far less fertilizer than, say, cotton; being naturally insect repellent, and having few insect predators capable of effectively attacking it, it needs little to no pe$ticide$. As food, hemp seed is right up there with the Soya bean for nutrition and a lot more versatile. Since Hemp seed is the only food source that has the vital Omega Acids 3, 6 and 9 it can help reduce humanities reliance on fish, currently the main source of omega acid. I should also add that cannabis has a growing reputation amongst cancer patients as a wonder drug and it's 'miracle cure' reputation for breast and prostate cancer has been scientifically verified since the last time we took the BigJoint to Canberra. Another example? How about old growth Tasmanian forest being sold as wood chips for a couple of dollars a tonne. Irreplaceable forest for a measly $2 per tonne. If the government were to legislate a redeployment of the 'woodchip' industry into the 'hemp industry, within a few years the HEMPchip industry will be churning out high quality pulp and what's left of the old growth could stay alive until someone wants to pay its real value; $200,000,000 a tonne. Since a hemp seed is 35% oil, containing the highest oil percentage of all seeds, hempseed is ideal for bio diesel and when the sustainability of a bio diesel industry is compared to the unstable future of the oil business, case closed, I mean the price of oil has never come down in my lifetime, hemp based fuel could save Australia billions and billions of dollars. Still yet another example? Hemp is being used in the Ukraine around Chernobyl to absorb radioactive isotopes from the soil. That's just some of the reasons. Stimulate the Economy, cure cancer, save the trees and fish, reduce our dependency on oil and clean up nuclear waste........... I am not making this up, cross check all this info on Google.
Bottom Line? We do not want cannabis legalized just so we can sit around and smoke pot all day long, we have common sense reasons why 'out door' cannabis should be relegalized so that all Australians can benefit from this wonderful plant, indeed, from a global perspective, no other country on earth stands to gain as much as Australia does by relegalizing the hemp plant in this time of Global Economic Turmoil. We have the acreage, the sunlight and the willing workers required to become the earths leading supplier of hemp for Fibre, Fuel, Food and Medicine.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Choofer has been Busy
Oh the things I've done this week...
A mate gave me some music to 'back up off-site' for him.
Now, I have to confess that the early 90's was a very arid time for me in terms of music. My ex complained loud and long about my liking for new music. Her idea of good music was Phil Collins and Bryan Adams...while I was more into the music that TripleJ was playing. I wanted to listen to Pink Floyd, The Stranglers, Violent Femmes...even KORN would have been better than having to put up with another whining saccharin infused ballad from some Top 40 crooner. I was somewhat restricted in what I was allowed to bring into the home in terms of music too. CDs not on the 'Allowed By management' list would mysteriously become unplayable due to scratches.
Then along came mp3. Well, mp3 file formats had been around for a while. I just hadn't got too involved in ripping discs, mainly because I was into computer security at the time, as well as running an IT business. Music was on the back-burner so to speak. Ironically, I had ammassed a collection of around 300+ 'purchased' CDs between 1994 and '96. It's just that I didn't get to listen to the stuff I'd bought for myself. So, when I did play with an early copy of Exact Audio Copy, I began that journey of digital conversion of my collection...BWAHAHAHA!!!! Fuck you and your "I have no idea how 'Never Mind The Bollocks' got scratched", I have it ripped to my computerator now Bitch!!!!
Well, not really. I just quietly backed up my music in my computer dungeon downstairs.
Back to the real story...but before I do, I have to thank a couple of other people for reawakening my love of music as art, not a meal ticket.
First up, Big Bill (his name and history has been changed to protect his privacy. Big Bill was a work buddy in the late nineties. An ex detective who chose IT over drug busts. He was a mature aged IT student at the same Uni I was at. We became study mates and friends early on. Bill showed me that it was OK to still like the Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Souix and The Banshees and The Pistols in the 90's. I had become mind numbingly fucked by an overdose of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and the like by my ex and he helped me get off those bad things.
The second is my partner/lover/best friend. She introduced me to the stuff I'd been missing through the 90's and after; System of a Down, Creed etc. Without them, I may still be in music limbo...
Back to the story
My mate gave me the following to back up:
Lou Reed - Ecstasy
Rage Against The Machine - Live at The Grand Olympic Auditorium
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Mammal - The Majority
Audioslave - Self Titled
Audioslave - Out Of Exile
Audioslave - Revelations
SoundGarden - Badmotorfinger
SoundGarden - Superunknown
System of a Down - The Vinyl Classics
Serj Tankien - Elect The Dead
A mate gave me some music to 'back up off-site' for him.
Now, I have to confess that the early 90's was a very arid time for me in terms of music. My ex complained loud and long about my liking for new music. Her idea of good music was Phil Collins and Bryan Adams...while I was more into the music that TripleJ was playing. I wanted to listen to Pink Floyd, The Stranglers, Violent Femmes...even KORN would have been better than having to put up with another whining saccharin infused ballad from some Top 40 crooner. I was somewhat restricted in what I was allowed to bring into the home in terms of music too. CDs not on the 'Allowed By management' list would mysteriously become unplayable due to scratches.
Then along came mp3. Well, mp3 file formats had been around for a while. I just hadn't got too involved in ripping discs, mainly because I was into computer security at the time, as well as running an IT business. Music was on the back-burner so to speak. Ironically, I had ammassed a collection of around 300+ 'purchased' CDs between 1994 and '96. It's just that I didn't get to listen to the stuff I'd bought for myself. So, when I did play with an early copy of Exact Audio Copy, I began that journey of digital conversion of my collection...BWAHAHAHA!!!! Fuck you and your "I have no idea how 'Never Mind The Bollocks' got scratched", I have it ripped to my computerator now Bitch!!!!
Well, not really. I just quietly backed up my music in my computer dungeon downstairs.
Back to the real story...but before I do, I have to thank a couple of other people for reawakening my love of music as art, not a meal ticket.
First up, Big Bill (his name and history has been changed to protect his privacy. Big Bill was a work buddy in the late nineties. An ex detective who chose IT over drug busts. He was a mature aged IT student at the same Uni I was at. We became study mates and friends early on. Bill showed me that it was OK to still like the Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Souix and The Banshees and The Pistols in the 90's. I had become mind numbingly fucked by an overdose of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and the like by my ex and he helped me get off those bad things.
The second is my partner/lover/best friend. She introduced me to the stuff I'd been missing through the 90's and after; System of a Down, Creed etc. Without them, I may still be in music limbo...
Back to the story
My mate gave me the following to back up:
Lou Reed - Ecstasy
Rage Against The Machine - Live at The Grand Olympic Auditorium
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Mammal - The Majority
Audioslave - Self Titled
Audioslave - Out Of Exile
Audioslave - Revelations
SoundGarden - Badmotorfinger
SoundGarden - Superunknown
System of a Down - The Vinyl Classics
Serj Tankien - Elect The Dead
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Aaah, me wipers are broke constable...
No, I didn't set this up. My missus saw this bloke a day or so ago driving up the street in the rain doing this. When she saw him driving up the road again, she grabbed the camera and waited to see if he came back down the road. Yep, he did. She saw him again later, but his wiper was broken this time...because he was talking on his mobile phone.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Howard Zinn - Historian and Civil Rights Advocate, Passes on at 87
Howard Zinn, in an address to Spelman College in 2005.
There is an Obituary at the NAACP site:
http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2010-01-29/
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Microsoft Paying For Ubuntu Development? One For the Geeks
I was reading another Slashdot post today. I dunno, I reckon it's more a case of Microsoft helping to pay for Ubuntu development through Yahoo! searches. Pretty prophetic stuff:
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Ubuntu Moves To Yahoo For Default Firefox Search |
| from the can-you-say-bing dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Wednesday January 27, @08:16 (Yahoo!) |
|
| https://linux.slashdot.org/story/10/01/27/0118244/Ubuntu-Moves-To-Yaho
| o-For-Default-Firefox|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
An anonymous reader writes "Starting in Ubuntu's Lucid Lynx release, [0]Firefox's default search engine will be switched from Google to Yahoo.
The switch was made after Canonical 'negotiated a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo.' Google will still be available as a choice. Since Yahoo search is now powered by Microsoft's Bing, this would seem to mean that Microsoft will be paying people for using Ubuntu."
Discuss this story at:
http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10/01/27/0118244
Links:
0. https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2010-January/030065.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Ubuntu Moves To Yahoo For Default Firefox Search |
| from the can-you-say-bing dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Wednesday January 27, @08:16 (Yahoo!) |
|
| https://linux.slashdot.org/story/10/01/27/0118244/Ubuntu-Moves-To-Yaho
| o-For-Default-Firefox|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
An anonymous reader writes "Starting in Ubuntu's Lucid Lynx release, [0]Firefox's default search engine will be switched from Google to Yahoo.
The switch was made after Canonical 'negotiated a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo.' Google will still be available as a choice. Since Yahoo search is now powered by Microsoft's Bing, this would seem to mean that Microsoft will be paying people for using Ubuntu."
Discuss this story at:
http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10/01/27/0118244
Links:
0. https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2010-January/030065.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Saturday, January 23, 2010
I am a New Fan of Folk Uke
I'm not much of a ukulele fan...nor do I like country music as a rule. I could count on one hand the 'Country and Western' that I'll listen to. However, I do like some of Willie Nelsons stuff, especially his cover of 'Blue Skies' and Gorrel & Carmichael's 'Georgia'.As a kid, I got hooked on CW McCall's 'Convoy' and still remember the lyrics, but I don't tell too many people. I even had a fling with John Denver, thanks to my mother's love of his music, until she found out he got high when he wrote songs. My appreciation of his music deepened after that news. I think mum threw his records out.
But I'm not talking about 'country' music. I'm talking about folk music. Now, folk music I like. Michelle Shocked, The Waifs, Arlo Guthrie and now, 'Folk Uke'.
Folk Uke have some brilliant lyrics and some song titles that will test your safe filter. I won't try to describe them. You need to listen and watch. Folk Uke have a strong musical background, but I'll let you discover that for yourselves and let their music stand on its merits, rather than its pedigree.
This first video kind of gives away their 'little' secret:
'Shit Makes The Flowers Grow'
'Knock Me Up'
You'll find a good interview/bio here:
http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/344
But I'm not talking about 'country' music. I'm talking about folk music. Now, folk music I like. Michelle Shocked, The Waifs, Arlo Guthrie and now, 'Folk Uke'.
Folk Uke have some brilliant lyrics and some song titles that will test your safe filter. I won't try to describe them. You need to listen and watch. Folk Uke have a strong musical background, but I'll let you discover that for yourselves and let their music stand on its merits, rather than its pedigree.
This first video kind of gives away their 'little' secret:
'Shit Makes The Flowers Grow'
'Knock Me Up'
You'll find a good interview/bio here:
http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/344
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Chinese Pull 'Avatar' Due to its 'Anti-Authoritarian' Theme
This comes direct from Slashdot...
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2-D Avatar To Be Pulled From Theaters In China |
| from the hard-to-be-blue dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Tuesday January 19, @17:43 (Censorship) |
|
|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
SimonTheSoundMan notes that [0]Avatar is being pulled from screens in China for being too successful, and too provocative in its anti-authoritarian message. (The 3-D and IMAX versions will remain.) "The communist nationb s state-run movie distributor China Film Group is unexpectedly yanking the James Cameron-directed blockbuster 'Avatar' from
1,628 2-D screens this week in favor of a biography of the ancient philosopher Confucius starring Chow-Yun Fat. ... According to a report in the Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, the move was made at the urging of propaganda officials who are concerned that 'Avatar' is taking too much market share from Chinese films and drawing unwanted attention to the sensitive issue of forced evictions."
Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10/01/19/2241229
Links:
0. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/01/avatar-pulled-from-2d-screens-by-chinese-government.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2-D Avatar To Be Pulled From Theaters In China |
| from the hard-to-be-blue dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Tuesday January 19, @17:43 (Censorship) |
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SimonTheSoundMan notes that [0]Avatar is being pulled from screens in China for being too successful, and too provocative in its anti-authoritarian message. (The 3-D and IMAX versions will remain.) "The communist nationb s state-run movie distributor China Film Group is unexpectedly yanking the James Cameron-directed blockbuster 'Avatar' from
1,628 2-D screens this week in favor of a biography of the ancient philosopher Confucius starring Chow-Yun Fat. ... According to a report in the Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, the move was made at the urging of propaganda officials who are concerned that 'Avatar' is taking too much market share from Chinese films and drawing unwanted attention to the sensitive issue of forced evictions."
Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10/01/19/2241229
Links:
0. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/01/avatar-pulled-from-2d-screens-by-chinese-government.html
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Another 'My Favourite Movie' List
In no particular order, these are some of the Aussie movies that I like (well, those I can remember off-hand anyway)...
Running On Empty
Mad Max
Mad Max 2
Stone
(and here)
He Died With A Felafel In His Hand
Running On Empty
Mad Max
Mad Max 2
Stone
(and here)
He Died With A Felafel In His Hand
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I Think His Name is Bruce
He featured on the cover of the British 'Oz Magazine', the October/November 1969 issue.
I've always liked this image. I wonder if he is still alive, or if anyone knows anything about him.
Maybe I could hunt down a back issue of Oz and see if I can find out.
I've always liked this image. I wonder if he is still alive, or if anyone knows anything about him.
Maybe I could hunt down a back issue of Oz and see if I can find out.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Get ready. Nimbin MardiGrass is in May
Get ready, cause here it comes:
MardiGrass is the biggest and best pro-cannabis festival in Australia. This year, MardiGrass will be held on the 1st and 2nd of May, in Nimbin of course.
I'll be there this year come Hell or High Water.
Check out more information at the following sites:
http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/
http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/2010/
http://www.youtube.com/nimbintelevision
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62X4rpvuP54
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Medical Marijuana Inc Announces First National Educational Expo
Medical Marijuana Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) is proud to announce the launch of its first National Educational Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Theatre Room on January 16 & 17, 2010. Featured prominent industry experts and celebrities include the former NORML Director and current CFO of Cannabis Science, and the founder, editor, & publisher of Marijuana News, Richard Cowan; and Medical Marijuana Inc Chairman, Bruce Perlowin. Special guest speaker and long suffering marijuana defendant, Robert Platshorn, author of "The Tuna Diaries" (featured in "The 35 Year Anniversary Issue of High Times Magazine") will regale you with tales of smuggling, federal court trial and "doing hard time" (3 decades in prison). Bobby's post release commitment to changing public opinion through education and information is engaging. Interact with The Executive Officers of MJNA, including the Director of Investor Relations, who will be present and available for consultation.
Complete announcement is here:
Medical Marijuana Incorporated Unveils a Sampling of Its All Star Cast of Industry Speakers to Appear at Upcoming National Educational Expo in the Los Angeles Convention Center
Education site links to pro-marijuana page - wanna buy some feminized cannabis seeds?
I was doing some more online research today, looking for something that might interest the two people who read this blog. I have a few Google Alerts set up so that any news from the cannabis front gets to me sooner than I could search for it. The information/horse do-do ratio is pretty good, but every now and again a gem comes along that begs to be brought to the attention of all (yes, you two sitting there).
The website is called 'Education Review; all about Education'.
The Statistics You Didn't Know About Cannabis is the title of the article. It caught my attention as I read it mainly because of its *lack* of statistics. In fact, it read like a number of anti-pot articles I've seen over the years...stuff like this:
Ok, so I thought to myself that this looks familiar and did a little plagiarism check. The links weren't much, but then I decided to see exactly who the 'author' claimed to be.
The credit looks like this:
The website is called 'Education Review; all about Education'.
The Statistics You Didn't Know About Cannabis is the title of the article. It caught my attention as I read it mainly because of its *lack* of statistics. In fact, it read like a number of anti-pot articles I've seen over the years...stuff like this:
Marijuana has the same effects as smoking tobacco such as respiratory problems, phlegm production, lung infections etc. Perhaps even more as normally, the smoke is held longer compared to the puff in and puff out habitual smoking on regular cigars or cigarettes.
Ok, so I thought to myself that this looks familiar and did a little plagiarism check. The links weren't much, but then I decided to see exactly who the 'author' claimed to be.
The credit looks like this:
The Statistics That You Did Not Know About Cannabis
Specialist writer in the subject of cannabis. For more information visit http://www.lowryder-2.co.uk/.
Lowryder is definitely a specialist..
I should clarify that the education website is owned by 'Aus Business Review'. The submission process for articles is unmonitored and the service is free. I guess it's a valid way to sell pot seeds if you can find a willing audience.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Marijuana, Jazz, Opium Addiction and Time Magazine
I was doing a little research not long ago and got into one of those link clicking zones. You know, when you find a link and read a bit, then see a link on that page that leads to something even more interesting, til eventually you see something really, *really* interesting....
...like this article from Time magazine dated July 19, 1943.
So, how did you score back in the forties?
...and what of the dangers of being a pot head?
...like this article from Time magazine dated July 19, 1943.
Music: The Weed
So, what did Time magazine say of pot back then? Here are a few snippets that might prompt you to read the full article:
So, how did you score back in the forties?
In most U. S. cities the marijuana salesman peddles his cigarets to known clients in public places. He is known to his clients as a "pusher." His clients are known as "vipers." Etiquette between pushers and vipers is necessarily delicate. When he wants to buy, the viper sidles up to the pusher and inquires "Are ya stickin'?" or "Are ya layin' down the hustle?" If the answer is affirmative, the viper says, "Gimme an ace" (meaning one reefer), "a deuce" (meaning two), or "a deck" (meaning a large number). The viper may then quietly "blast the weed" (smoke). Two or three long puffs usually suffice after a while to produce a light jag. The smoker is then said to be "high" or "floating." When he has smoked a reefer down to a half-inch butt, he carefully conserves it in an empty match box. In this condition it is known, in Mexican, as a chicharra, or in English, as a "roach."
...and what of the dangers of being a pot head?
Because of its non-habit-forming character, doctors have recently been experimenting with the drug as an aid in curing opium addiction. In the world of hot jazz, marijuana's relatively benign effects are attested by long experience. Lushes often die young from cirrhosis of the liver or apoplexy, often spend their final days in delirium tremens. But vipers frequently live on to enjoy old age. In You Rascal You, a viper addresses an imaginary lush : "I'll be standing on the corner high when they bring your body by."
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