Sorry about that, I mistakenly posted the last post and it's a bitch to change things on LiveJournal especially if you're running under Tor.
Where was I?
Awareness:
I sat in at a Literature class in a local college recently and found out something rather interesting. The students are actually AWARE of what is happening. The class was reading the Climate Crisis speech by Al Gore and a couple of other related articles by Faulkner, Hemmingway, and others. The students were asked to come up in front of the class and argue what was more of an issue today: the Climate Crisis or warfare (as described by Faulkner). Most, if not all, student agreed that it was the Climate Crisis and cited numerous examples as to why.
First of all, people were more likely to commit a "suicide" through this matter and kill the planet to keep their comforts rather than kill each other. Sure we have Hydrogen Bombs, Atom Bombs, and all kinds of nuclear weaponry but the use of such weaponry is not beneficial to anyone. It destroys the soil, it kills people, and it will cause a public outrage. Not to mention when one country uses the weapon, all will follow and the results would be devastating. Treaties are being formed to limit such weaponry. I'm sure it will always pose a problem but that's not the point.
People, as the students mentioned, are more likely to exhaust their natural resources, cut down trees, release vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere to have what they want. One student mentioned that we are slaves to the corporations and government and cited today's trends as an example. Everyone wants an iPod, right? Everyone wants a cellphone, everyone wants to eat McDonald's food, or whatever else the commercials today tell us. And they want it cheaply. The commercials, even though they may not sway us to buy the product, will make us aware of it and thus more likely to buy that product or a similar one. And THAT was the point. We are killing our planet to have a few nice toys that we don't even know how to use nor will ever use.
So we are aware we are killing our planet, destroying our resources, and we know where it stems from. Our production, our comforts (such as car usage), and our greed (the want for cheaper prices). The Greed translates to the whole problem with money in the first place.
Knowledge:
We know exactly what we're doing and how we're doing it. More people today know that carbon dioxide and miscellaneous other emissions from cars harm the environment. They also know that the use of chemicals such as pesticides, steroids and such are killing our plants and animals. Most people know that cutting down the Amazon is a big mistake.
Look at today's world. People KNOW these things. We KNOW what's happening. And we KNOW we need to stop it.
Action:
Here's where the action comes in. There is none. People know that cars are harming the atmosphere, yet they still drive them even more than before now that gas has dropped substantially. We know electric cars are more environmentally safe, yet no one wants them yet. We've had the technology for decades, but no one uses it. We know that eating cheap chemical-filled food is not only harmful to us but its demand causes its production. Simple economics. We know that building Wind and Solar energy plants will save us a ton of money and will help us out, but no one will do that.
Students today are aware of the problem, they know the cause of the problem and the solution (the simple and hardest one), but no one takes action.
To be honest, not even I take action. I eat organic food, sure, but I use my car when I could walk.
Where was I?
Awareness:
I sat in at a Literature class in a local college recently and found out something rather interesting. The students are actually AWARE of what is happening. The class was reading the Climate Crisis speech by Al Gore and a couple of other related articles by Faulkner, Hemmingway, and others. The students were asked to come up in front of the class and argue what was more of an issue today: the Climate Crisis or warfare (as described by Faulkner). Most, if not all, student agreed that it was the Climate Crisis and cited numerous examples as to why.
First of all, people were more likely to commit a "suicide" through this matter and kill the planet to keep their comforts rather than kill each other. Sure we have Hydrogen Bombs, Atom Bombs, and all kinds of nuclear weaponry but the use of such weaponry is not beneficial to anyone. It destroys the soil, it kills people, and it will cause a public outrage. Not to mention when one country uses the weapon, all will follow and the results would be devastating. Treaties are being formed to limit such weaponry. I'm sure it will always pose a problem but that's not the point.
People, as the students mentioned, are more likely to exhaust their natural resources, cut down trees, release vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere to have what they want. One student mentioned that we are slaves to the corporations and government and cited today's trends as an example. Everyone wants an iPod, right? Everyone wants a cellphone, everyone wants to eat McDonald's food, or whatever else the commercials today tell us. And they want it cheaply. The commercials, even though they may not sway us to buy the product, will make us aware of it and thus more likely to buy that product or a similar one. And THAT was the point. We are killing our planet to have a few nice toys that we don't even know how to use nor will ever use.
So we are aware we are killing our planet, destroying our resources, and we know where it stems from. Our production, our comforts (such as car usage), and our greed (the want for cheaper prices). The Greed translates to the whole problem with money in the first place.
Knowledge:
We know exactly what we're doing and how we're doing it. More people today know that carbon dioxide and miscellaneous other emissions from cars harm the environment. They also know that the use of chemicals such as pesticides, steroids and such are killing our plants and animals. Most people know that cutting down the Amazon is a big mistake.
Look at today's world. People KNOW these things. We KNOW what's happening. And we KNOW we need to stop it.
Action:
Here's where the action comes in. There is none. People know that cars are harming the atmosphere, yet they still drive them even more than before now that gas has dropped substantially. We know electric cars are more environmentally safe, yet no one wants them yet. We've had the technology for decades, but no one uses it. We know that eating cheap chemical-filled food is not only harmful to us but its demand causes its production. Simple economics. We know that building Wind and Solar energy plants will save us a ton of money and will help us out, but no one will do that.
Students today are aware of the problem, they know the cause of the problem and the solution (the simple and hardest one), but no one takes action.
To be honest, not even I take action. I eat organic food, sure, but I use my car when I could walk.
Ah, I haven't posted a single post in a while, have I? It's simply because I lack inspiration and INFORMATION!
So, first of all, my dear readers, how are you liking the Obama Administration in the US? How about the Iran protests?
Well, I'd like to point all of you to the Why We Protest website, a haven to the Anonymous movement that is still, unfortunately, focusing on the Scientologists. Why do I say "unfortunately"? Well, because I am getting tired of this. Scientology is not the root problem of all the wrong things in this world, it is a symptom. Or rather, it is just another group of people that add to the problem. I have gotten to know a Scientologist personally in the past few days, and realized something interesting, they are not that different from other religions. They are the same as the evangelicals, the same as the catholics. They want power, just like any other church, and they have their own means to attain it. They also have their own unique believes through which they shape their world.
Catholics used indulgences, and the fear excommunication possed (eternity in hell) to persuade others to join their cause, or to keep people where they are. Scientologist simply made that into a contract.
I'm getting off topic.
Go visit the Why We Protest website, once in a while, just like in the case of the whole Iran fiasco, they support a worthy cause. They set up a Tor network and a forum readily accessible from Iran. People posted various images and videos from the protests as well as the names of people who died. I think that is REAL progress. But beware, there are conspiracist rumors that Anonymous was secretly created by the CIA. Well, let me tell you one thing. Due to it being an anonymous organization, if you do not like the cause or dislike the topic, you are more than welcome to speak out against the disorganized organization or leave.
It happens to the best of us. For the first time, in two and a half years, my computer completely crashed to oblivion.
So, I contracted the Conficker v, I think at least. It started messing up my system, sending me to wrong sites, and my anti-virus program did not seem to work properly either. Internet outages were becoming TOO common. So how did I get it? Well, you know me, I go on 4chan and if someone posts a challenging link, I click on it because of my horrible arrogance and self-confidence. I believed my nod32 2.7 built anti-virus from ESET could protect me from everything, it seems that is not so.
Here's what happened. I scanned the computer numerous times, with the in-depth scanner and found nothing. I downloaded a new version of the ESET Nod32 control center but then I could not update it. I downloaded AVG, I couldn't update that either. The virus terminated any kind of a link I tried to make with a security-related website.
I used my old Hiren's Boot CD to boot up an anti-virus WITHOUT mounting the drivers and running the Windows OS. That did not help either, all the drives were unmountable and inaccessible. That pissed me off -.-
I tried to run Checkdisk from Windows and off Hiren's but neither worked. I deleted my Ubuntu partition in hope that I could, perhaps, load another windows on it and run an anti-virus from there. This, unfortunately, screwed up my whole partition table. Actually, you know, what? I don't even know why I deleted the Ubuntu partition. Oh wait, here's what happened. I tried to manually fix the boot record so that I could mount my NTFS partitions off Hiren's. THAT screwed up my partition table and my computer would not boot up. I proceeded to delete the windows on my computer since it was useless now anyways. I could not boot up anything, and my partition table was still screwed up.
I installed Windows XP ICE, the italians told me it's a great modified XP SP3, unfortunately, this system sucks more than anything you could imagine. I honestly did not think it would have Italian as a default language. It also came un-activated. So, here I am stuck with a very nice-looking Win XP that's completely in Italian, running as a trial version. My sound driver does not work on here either, so I'm stuck without my precious music. Anyways, why did I install a new system? Easy, I plan to download all of my data, left on another partition, on a clean external disc, then I will wipe my whole HDD and install a brand-new Windows with deep-freeze. What's Deep-Freeze? www.faronics.com/html/Deepfreeze.asp << <<< that's deep-freeze. It freezes the image of your system and whenever you restart your computer, the whole system will revert to it. I plan to install a range of anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, in a succession of reboots, and make sure my external HDD is not infected.
Problem arises though. XP ICE cannot open Vista-encrypted files. Nor can it copy the files elsewhere for storage. My first thought was to boot Linux and copy the files this way since Linux, at least Ubuntu to my knowledge, tends to ignore any Windows encryptions and password protections. So I booted up my trusty Kubuntu 8.10 (9.04 is not out yet, unfortunately :() and copied some files on the partition, but not to an external HDD but rather to the same partition, hoping the password protections would not stay with the copy.
Another Problem: Kubuntu crashed on me in mid of copying. I decided to install the system, I might as well since I'll use it to transfer my data to the external HDD anyway. Unfortunately, not even the Kubuntu installer can make sense of my partition table -.- I'm fucked
PROTIP: when you're on a new Windows system that you won't be keeping for a while, get your Ubuntu CD out and install it into Windows as a program. You'll have all your favorite programs readily available without troubling installs and downloads. Especially if you want an MP3 player, a word processor, and a DVD burner.
FUTURE PLANS:
I've downloaded Amit Talkin's new Vista distros that I plan to try out, as well as Windows XP SP3 Ultra. I'll be booting up Windows Vista Ultimate Ultra Lite by Amit pretty soon to move the data from my HDD partition to an External HDD. I'll give you news about what the system looks like soon enough. Then, I plan to go with my scan&destroy plan where I will scan my External HDD and wipe my internal HDD. I'll probably boot up XP SP3 Ultra for gaming and Vista Extreme Edition for Photoshop soon. Also, I want to try out the new Ubuntu that comes out in seven days.
MORE NEWS LATER :D
I'm having problems with gOS. Just so you know, the system is absolutely beautiful and ingenious. It's fast, and VERY easy to navigate. I'm contemplating on actually installing it on my computer.
So, what's the downside? It's an 8.04 Ubuntu-based distro. I've found that 8.04s have a HUGE problem with casper (casper-rw is the persistence file) therefore, it cannot stay persistent on my usb drive -.- Lame, huh? Yes, yes it is lame.
When I booted the system the first time, I could not select the "default" option from the UNetbootin "grub" because that would load me to a terminal. And not just any terminal, the original Linux kernel terminal with which I have no idea how to work (ie it does not have "sudo" and stuff). So, i tried the "live" version (without any changes saved) and somehow, the changes stuck. I restarted the computer a few times, and I was loaded back into the environment I previously set up.
Then, when I turned on my computer this morning, it was gone, again. :/ the command "persistent" at the end of the "append" line in the sysconfig (or whatever it's called) makes the system unbootable.
I'm going to try some more distros, making sure that if it's Ubuntu-based, it's 8.10
Right now, I'm trying the Portable Linux program to try and make gOS work. We'll see. (also, this program works only under Linux)
more news later!
So, what's the downside? It's an 8.04 Ubuntu-based distro. I've found that 8.04s have a HUGE problem with casper (casper-rw is the persistence file) therefore, it cannot stay persistent on my usb drive -.- Lame, huh? Yes, yes it is lame.
When I booted the system the first time, I could not select the "default" option from the UNetbootin "grub" because that would load me to a terminal. And not just any terminal, the original Linux kernel terminal with which I have no idea how to work (ie it does not have "sudo" and stuff). So, i tried the "live" version (without any changes saved) and somehow, the changes stuck. I restarted the computer a few times, and I was loaded back into the environment I previously set up.
Then, when I turned on my computer this morning, it was gone, again. :/ the command "persistent" at the end of the "append" line in the sysconfig (or whatever it's called) makes the system unbootable.
I'm going to try some more distros, making sure that if it's Ubuntu-based, it's 8.10
Right now, I'm trying the Portable Linux program to try and make gOS work. We'll see. (also, this program works only under Linux)
more news later!
#! OS is really cool. I love the OpenBox desktop environment, and it's just amazing. It's simple, and it works. There is a conky pre-installed with default values that you can edit however you want. And it works.
My conky on my Super Ubuntu 8.10 does not even load (for different reasons perhaps).
Anyways, it comes pre-installed with all the essential programs, and works the same way as Ubuntu. ie, it has the same repositories. It works exactly the same way with drivers as well. Which is all good.
I could play AVI, and MP4 movies when I first booted the OS, which is a definite plus.
The persistence file and the live USB worked just as I hoped, all of my settings were saved when I rebooted my computer, and I could use the extra space on the drive to save whatever files I needed. You'll notice on the screenshot (if LJ allows me to post this full-view) the "disk usage" which is the persistence file.
Unfortunately,
I could not get my ethernet running, therefore I could not get on the internet. Since I could not get on the internet, I could not download the restricted drivers for the wi-fi nor anything else. I could not update the system either, meaning, I am stuck with the same old kernel and that might be the reason why it's not working in the first place.
Anyways, I don't feel like figuring it out, the forums said that my ethernet and wi-fi cards are problematic, and I know they are and have been in the past, so I'm letting it go :)
Next up gOS!
screenshot description: Firefox is on the fore-front. Conky is on the right. Abi word is open, right click menu is pulled up (similar to the start menu), the terminal is open all the way in the back, and AVC media player is opened as well. (I was watching a short movie)
My conky on my Super Ubuntu 8.10 does not even load (for different reasons perhaps).
Anyways, it comes pre-installed with all the essential programs, and works the same way as Ubuntu. ie, it has the same repositories. It works exactly the same way with drivers as well. Which is all good.
I could play AVI, and MP4 movies when I first booted the OS, which is a definite plus.
The persistence file and the live USB worked just as I hoped, all of my settings were saved when I rebooted my computer, and I could use the extra space on the drive to save whatever files I needed. You'll notice on the screenshot (if LJ allows me to post this full-view) the "disk usage" which is the persistence file.
Unfortunately,
I could not get my ethernet running, therefore I could not get on the internet. Since I could not get on the internet, I could not download the restricted drivers for the wi-fi nor anything else. I could not update the system either, meaning, I am stuck with the same old kernel and that might be the reason why it's not working in the first place.
Anyways, I don't feel like figuring it out, the forums said that my ethernet and wi-fi cards are problematic, and I know they are and have been in the past, so I'm letting it go :)
Next up gOS!
screenshot description: Firefox is on the fore-front. Conky is on the right. Abi word is open, right click menu is pulled up (similar to the start menu), the terminal is open all the way in the back, and AVC media player is opened as well. (I was watching a short movie)
What a funny name :)
Look it up, CrunchBang Linux
It's all on Wikipedia.
Anyways, the UNetbootin works great. I booted the OS within seconds, literally, it's the fastest booting OS I have ever seen.
As for the OS itself, -.- the dark colours are largely depressing. I don't know yet how to change them but I'll figure it out. It uses OpenBox GUI, so it's a bit confusing to me. There is no "start" button nor its equivalent. but if you right-click on the desktop, you get the usual menu that includes all the programs, the frequent places, and such.
On the right, the default desktop shows short-cuts to many of the programs. I was able to access my NTFS partitions with ease and no trouble at all.
Btw, I did not spend too much time on it so I'm not sure if my linux partitions are available as well, but I think they are. It has playback for many formats including Mp4, which I incidentally tried. but rmvb does not work, (it does not work well for me under Super Ubuntu 8.10 either). Out of the box, most of the stuff worked, my wi-fi card didn't, of course, but the rest did.
All in all, a great, lightweight OS, that boots quickly and contains all the programs an average person needs. The GUI is a little iffy, and the colours could make me commit a suicide after frequent use >.> but I'll figure it out soon.
Next up, gOS
Look it up, CrunchBang Linux
It's all on Wikipedia.
Anyways, the UNetbootin works great. I booted the OS within seconds, literally, it's the fastest booting OS I have ever seen.
As for the OS itself, -.- the dark colours are largely depressing. I don't know yet how to change them but I'll figure it out. It uses OpenBox GUI, so it's a bit confusing to me. There is no "start" button nor its equivalent. but if you right-click on the desktop, you get the usual menu that includes all the programs, the frequent places, and such.
On the right, the default desktop shows short-cuts to many of the programs. I was able to access my NTFS partitions with ease and no trouble at all.
Btw, I did not spend too much time on it so I'm not sure if my linux partitions are available as well, but I think they are. It has playback for many formats including Mp4, which I incidentally tried. but rmvb does not work, (it does not work well for me under Super Ubuntu 8.10 either). Out of the box, most of the stuff worked, my wi-fi card didn't, of course, but the rest did.
All in all, a great, lightweight OS, that boots quickly and contains all the programs an average person needs. The GUI is a little iffy, and the colours could make me commit a suicide after frequent use >.> but I'll figure it out soon.
Next up, gOS
I've been a bit busy with Live USB distros lately. I spent the whole day researching it and here's what I got:
first, if you want to make a Live USB linux, get UNetbootin.
It's an amazing tool that will download distros for you automatically, some of them at least. Anyways,
next get CD2USB which is the best for converting Ubuntu and it has a charm of its own of course ;)
First, download an ISO of the linux distribution you want, so either start UNetbootin and choose the ISO from the drop-down menu (ISO will be automatically downloaded) or download the ISO manually.
Second, format your USB drive. :)
Third, use UNetbootin to extract the ISO and make it bootable on your flash drive. This might take some time, also, it may look like the program hangs. When I was making Mandriva 2009 bootable, it stopped on 98% for a long while but when I checked the USB drive and the file it was extracting, I noticed considerable progress.
Fourth, make a persistence file. And this is what CD2USB is good for. Go to the casper-rw folder. The persistence file makes it so that whenever you boot from your flashdrive, you can actually save changes, ie, if you boot your flash drive and download drivers, repositories etc. they will be saved. The numbers (128, 256, 512..etc) represent the size of the persistence file. So, let's say you have a two gig flash drive. After the first three steps, you end up with 3 free gigs, just about. Then you'll want the 2048. Extract the zip file onto your USB drive.
Fifth, Modify the syslinux.cfg. You'll find that at the root, at the end of the line that says "append", add "persistent" and save the file.
ex for Ubuntu:
default unetbootin
label unetbootin
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash persistent --
And you're done :D
Step Four and Five are not essential if you're looking to just run the distro in Live mode as you would a CD, or if you wish to install it on your computer.
I have not tried Four and Five yet, just copied it off the net. I tried to boot Mandriva with as much success as I had with the LiveCD ie no GUI.
Anyways, I'll be posting lots of reviews on various Distributions. Look forward to it.
first, if you want to make a Live USB linux, get UNetbootin.
It's an amazing tool that will download distros for you automatically, some of them at least. Anyways,
next get CD2USB which is the best for converting Ubuntu and it has a charm of its own of course ;)
First, download an ISO of the linux distribution you want, so either start UNetbootin and choose the ISO from the drop-down menu (ISO will be automatically downloaded) or download the ISO manually.
Second, format your USB drive. :)
Third, use UNetbootin to extract the ISO and make it bootable on your flash drive. This might take some time, also, it may look like the program hangs. When I was making Mandriva 2009 bootable, it stopped on 98% for a long while but when I checked the USB drive and the file it was extracting, I noticed considerable progress.
Fourth, make a persistence file. And this is what CD2USB is good for. Go to the casper-rw folder. The persistence file makes it so that whenever you boot from your flashdrive, you can actually save changes, ie, if you boot your flash drive and download drivers, repositories etc. they will be saved. The numbers (128, 256, 512..etc) represent the size of the persistence file. So, let's say you have a two gig flash drive. After the first three steps, you end up with 3 free gigs, just about. Then you'll want the 2048. Extract the zip file onto your USB drive.
Fifth, Modify the syslinux.cfg. You'll find that at the root, at the end of the line that says "append", add "persistent" and save the file.
ex for Ubuntu:
default unetbootin
label unetbootin
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash persistent --
And you're done :D
Step Four and Five are not essential if you're looking to just run the distro in Live mode as you would a CD, or if you wish to install it on your computer.
I have not tried Four and Five yet, just copied it off the net. I tried to boot Mandriva with as much success as I had with the LiveCD ie no GUI.
Anyways, I'll be posting lots of reviews on various Distributions. Look forward to it.
Recently, I've become interested in drugs. What makes one illegal while the other legal?
One of the most underestimated drugs in popular culture is Marijuana. It is also the most widely used illicit drug. There are numerous groups online, numerous websites, that support marijuana and its legalization.
First of all, let's look at the history of marijuana. Assume all my information is from Wikipedia.org because I don't feel like citing sources.
As I was saying, Marijuana was legal in the United States and many other countries in the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. During the Prohibition Era, Marijuana became illegal along with alcohol and many other substances. When the Prohibition Era ended, it seems that only alcohol became legal but Marijuana retained its status of an illicit substance.
So, what's the difference between alcohol and marijuana? From a medical point of view, Alcohol damages the kidneys, and the brain if used in large doses. Marijuana damages the lungs and the brain as well but not nearly as badly as Alcohol since only a small amount of the drug needs to be used to get a "high".
So, why is it illegal? There are numerous statistics, some even stating that above 40% of teenagers up until the age of 18 have tried cannabis. There is a large push to legalize it, petitions, online petitions, there is even a myspace-like website for "stoners" to meet called Chronic Corner. It is widely used and cultivated by certain individuals yet it's this drug that the "War on Drugs" aims for the most. While it is illegal, I find it quite funny that the number of users rises constantly. There are more people who have tried it in their lifetime than those who have not. Average Cost of Marijuana: $15-$25 for about 2 grams.
Anyways, let's move onto some other drugs. How about hallucinogens? DMT (Dimethyl Tryptamine), LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), and Mushrooms (Psilocybin) are the most commonly used. With the exception of LSD, they are all easy to get, and even to make at home. Don't believe me? Look up "DMT extraction guide" on google and you'll find more than enough websites that will guide you to making the potent hallucinogen. Let's categorize these at first:
LSD is a man-made drug from a kind of fungus. Today, the main ingredient used to synthesize LSD is Wormwood. Its effects can last up to 8 hours with the average dose of 20-80 micrograms. There is no known lethal dose although many have been suggested. It is usually taken by chewing on a blotter paper that contains the specified amount. There are no physical reprocussions from taking LSD. All of the effects are psychological (ie what you see on the "trip" is what affects you). COST: $8-$15 for one "hit"
Psilocybin is the substances in psychoactive muchrooms that makes you hallucinate. The amounts taken differ from a gram to three or four grams. Again, there is no real overdose. The drug has no negative physical effect on the body. The trip may last up to four hours. It is usually taken by eating a piece of the dried mushroom. COST: $20-$25 for two grams.
DMTis a drug that is naturally present in your body, and in many plants. It causes you to dream and has also been suggested as the "spirit" molecule. I cannot find the dosage but I am aware that the dosage is very minimal. There is no lethal amount one can take. The trip usually lasts about ten to fifteen minutes if smoked. If you drink it in ayahuasca tea, the effects last longer but with less intensity. There are some problems with the drug. The inhalation of the drug is harsh on the lungs while the tea contains a "MAOI" which is a very potent anti-depressant which may cause fever if taken incorrectly. COST: Unknown, usually self-made at home.
So, let's summarize this. The drugs cause little to no harm to the body. With the exception of LSD, they occur naturally. All of them cause hallucinogenic trips lasting different amount of time, from eight hours to 10 minutes. They are still illegal, very illegal in fact.
LEGAL DRUGS:
1. Tobacco: causes lung cancer, is usually smoked in large quantities (as opposed to marijuana or DMT), causes a series of health related problems including slower body healing, emphazima, lowered libido, and lots of others. Chewing tobacco causes lip cancer, hairy tongue, etc etc. Also, it is very addictive. COST: $5 a pack
2. Alcohol: causes kidney damage, addicting (alcoholism), brain damage, etc COST: largely variant from $2 for a drink to $15
LESS KNOWN LEGAL DRUGS:
1. Salvia: A hallucinogen that IS legal in most countries in the world. Causes a mild "trip" for about ten to thirty minutes. Legal to grow at home, negative effects include lung damage (just as with smoking anything else, really). I have tried this drug, and it causes a mild euphoria for hours after smoking. The amount smoked usually differs from quarter of a gram, and up. Generally as much or less than Marijuana. Large doses may knock out a person into a "dream".
I'm going to go on about this drug for a while. It is quite interesting because it comes from the Sage family of plants. It is completely legal to grow it at home, smoke it, and ingest it any way you wish. It can be cooked into food, the leaves can be chewed for a mild effect, and it can be smoked. To smoke it, one must dry and crush the leaves (amount smoked 1g) or extracts can be bought from 5X (amount smoked: .25g) up to 60X (less known and less sold). The price changes according to concentration and so does the trip. COST: 5X $15 for a gram, 10X $22 for a gram, and so on.
2. Spice: "Spice" is a mixture of herbs that is smoked. It came out recently, maybe ten years back. There are different variations of Spice. There is Spice Original, Spice Gold, and Spice Diamond which differ in the amounts of potency. Then there is Spice Arctic and Spice Tropic which have different effects. So what does it do?
Spice Gold, which is the most used one, causes similar effects to Marijuana. It causes a strong high of two hours which is longer than the Marijuana's usual time. It also lasts up to six more hours with a normal "high" just as Marijuana, but again for a longer time. The amount smoked is the same as with Marijuana. Basically, this is a "legal" marijuana-type drug that lasts longer and stronger. The main disadvantage to Marijuana is the horrid smell and taste, and the fact that it cannot be smoked repeatedly to produce a continuous or stronger high. There has been no research done as to the harm the drug causes to the body. Also, it has no THC therefore it cannot be tested for with normal drug tests. COST: about $30 for 3 grams, just about the same price as normal-strength Marijuana.
So, there's my summary. It's kind of strange how so many legal drugs are similar to illegal drugs. Of course, I omitted the usual HxC drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin, and Meth. I hope you enjoyed my little article :)
One of the most underestimated drugs in popular culture is Marijuana. It is also the most widely used illicit drug. There are numerous groups online, numerous websites, that support marijuana and its legalization.
First of all, let's look at the history of marijuana. Assume all my information is from Wikipedia.org because I don't feel like citing sources.
As I was saying, Marijuana was legal in the United States and many other countries in the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. During the Prohibition Era, Marijuana became illegal along with alcohol and many other substances. When the Prohibition Era ended, it seems that only alcohol became legal but Marijuana retained its status of an illicit substance.
So, what's the difference between alcohol and marijuana? From a medical point of view, Alcohol damages the kidneys, and the brain if used in large doses. Marijuana damages the lungs and the brain as well but not nearly as badly as Alcohol since only a small amount of the drug needs to be used to get a "high".
So, why is it illegal? There are numerous statistics, some even stating that above 40% of teenagers up until the age of 18 have tried cannabis. There is a large push to legalize it, petitions, online petitions, there is even a myspace-like website for "stoners" to meet called Chronic Corner. It is widely used and cultivated by certain individuals yet it's this drug that the "War on Drugs" aims for the most. While it is illegal, I find it quite funny that the number of users rises constantly. There are more people who have tried it in their lifetime than those who have not. Average Cost of Marijuana: $15-$25 for about 2 grams.
Anyways, let's move onto some other drugs. How about hallucinogens? DMT (Dimethyl Tryptamine), LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), and Mushrooms (Psilocybin) are the most commonly used. With the exception of LSD, they are all easy to get, and even to make at home. Don't believe me? Look up "DMT extraction guide" on google and you'll find more than enough websites that will guide you to making the potent hallucinogen. Let's categorize these at first:
LSD is a man-made drug from a kind of fungus. Today, the main ingredient used to synthesize LSD is Wormwood. Its effects can last up to 8 hours with the average dose of 20-80 micrograms. There is no known lethal dose although many have been suggested. It is usually taken by chewing on a blotter paper that contains the specified amount. There are no physical reprocussions from taking LSD. All of the effects are psychological (ie what you see on the "trip" is what affects you). COST: $8-$15 for one "hit"
Psilocybin is the substances in psychoactive muchrooms that makes you hallucinate. The amounts taken differ from a gram to three or four grams. Again, there is no real overdose. The drug has no negative physical effect on the body. The trip may last up to four hours. It is usually taken by eating a piece of the dried mushroom. COST: $20-$25 for two grams.
DMTis a drug that is naturally present in your body, and in many plants. It causes you to dream and has also been suggested as the "spirit" molecule. I cannot find the dosage but I am aware that the dosage is very minimal. There is no lethal amount one can take. The trip usually lasts about ten to fifteen minutes if smoked. If you drink it in ayahuasca tea, the effects last longer but with less intensity. There are some problems with the drug. The inhalation of the drug is harsh on the lungs while the tea contains a "MAOI" which is a very potent anti-depressant which may cause fever if taken incorrectly. COST: Unknown, usually self-made at home.
So, let's summarize this. The drugs cause little to no harm to the body. With the exception of LSD, they occur naturally. All of them cause hallucinogenic trips lasting different amount of time, from eight hours to 10 minutes. They are still illegal, very illegal in fact.
LEGAL DRUGS:
1. Tobacco: causes lung cancer, is usually smoked in large quantities (as opposed to marijuana or DMT), causes a series of health related problems including slower body healing, emphazima, lowered libido, and lots of others. Chewing tobacco causes lip cancer, hairy tongue, etc etc. Also, it is very addictive. COST: $5 a pack
2. Alcohol: causes kidney damage, addicting (alcoholism), brain damage, etc COST: largely variant from $2 for a drink to $15
LESS KNOWN LEGAL DRUGS:
1. Salvia: A hallucinogen that IS legal in most countries in the world. Causes a mild "trip" for about ten to thirty minutes. Legal to grow at home, negative effects include lung damage (just as with smoking anything else, really). I have tried this drug, and it causes a mild euphoria for hours after smoking. The amount smoked usually differs from quarter of a gram, and up. Generally as much or less than Marijuana. Large doses may knock out a person into a "dream".
I'm going to go on about this drug for a while. It is quite interesting because it comes from the Sage family of plants. It is completely legal to grow it at home, smoke it, and ingest it any way you wish. It can be cooked into food, the leaves can be chewed for a mild effect, and it can be smoked. To smoke it, one must dry and crush the leaves (amount smoked 1g) or extracts can be bought from 5X (amount smoked: .25g) up to 60X (less known and less sold). The price changes according to concentration and so does the trip. COST: 5X $15 for a gram, 10X $22 for a gram, and so on.
2. Spice: "Spice" is a mixture of herbs that is smoked. It came out recently, maybe ten years back. There are different variations of Spice. There is Spice Original, Spice Gold, and Spice Diamond which differ in the amounts of potency. Then there is Spice Arctic and Spice Tropic which have different effects. So what does it do?
Spice Gold, which is the most used one, causes similar effects to Marijuana. It causes a strong high of two hours which is longer than the Marijuana's usual time. It also lasts up to six more hours with a normal "high" just as Marijuana, but again for a longer time. The amount smoked is the same as with Marijuana. Basically, this is a "legal" marijuana-type drug that lasts longer and stronger. The main disadvantage to Marijuana is the horrid smell and taste, and the fact that it cannot be smoked repeatedly to produce a continuous or stronger high. There has been no research done as to the harm the drug causes to the body. Also, it has no THC therefore it cannot be tested for with normal drug tests. COST: about $30 for 3 grams, just about the same price as normal-strength Marijuana.
So, there's my summary. It's kind of strange how so many legal drugs are similar to illegal drugs. Of course, I omitted the usual HxC drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin, and Meth. I hope you enjoyed my little article :)
I've just installed Windows 7. The interface is very familiar and similar to Windows Vista. The large difference is the new skin that features lighter blue colours and green elements. The taskbar is starting to feel like it's ripped off Mac because now you can "pin" programs to the taskbar and when you press them, they light up to show that they're working. Basically, the same concept as Mac's Dock. Otherwise, there's not much driver support yet but most of the familiar programs are working for me ie Pidgin.
Okay, let's start from the begining.
The installation of Windows 7 beta was a breeze and there was no trouble with it at all. It was fast, efficient with little to no guidance needed from me.
The start-up was good too, quite fast and the bootloader recognized both of my windowses (has been a problem before).
When Windows 7 finished loading, I typed in my new username and password and then it connected to my wi-fi network, and saved its settings under "Home" network. It also gave me a code that I could use to connect to other machines connected to my home network or otherwise. A very good improvement, I'd say.
Anyways, like I said, the Taskbar is a bit different and has a light blue/greenish colour and behaves the same way as Macintosh's Dock. It has the usual status icons on the right as well as the clock. A new improvement is an obscure button all the way on the right that serves to show and hide the desktop ie minimize and maximize.
The "start" button looks the same except that it shines the usual blue, yellow, green, red colours of the "Windows" flag. Oh and a new thing, ripped off Linux, Windows FINALLY has sticky notes! Now they just need to implement extra desktops -.-
Anyways, everything else is fully customizable, widgets and all are available. The Vista sidebar has been replaced by independently working "gadgets" ie Linux's screenlets and yeah, they basically work the same way as Linux's screenlets.
IE 8 is also pretty good, I'm glad that they reworked some of its designs to match Opera or Firefox. It has widgets and all, now they just need to work out their security issues and I'll be happy with it :)
Also, some new shortcuts have been put into place. If you drug the top of a window down, it will automatically scale down. If you bring it all the way up again, it will maximize again.
Anyways, that's it. There's not much else. It just looks like a glorified Vista that fucked Ubuntu and had a fucked up kid :D Okay, it's not that bad, but it's not really too great either. I'm getting tired of how everything is getting way too complicated. I'm still a fan of XP where everything was easy to find and no damn widgets annoyed me. I honestly think they serve as a distraction. That's why I prefer Ubuntu or Fedora. Everything is simple and organized. Widgets ARE available but they're just the "background" to everything. Urgh. well, I gave it a try and I"ll probably replace it with Ubuntu 8.10 (since Fedora 10 is being a bitch)
oh yeah, I forgot. I need to review Fedora 10 :) It's a great system! It's really amazing and the skin is much nicer to Ubuntu's. The loading AND the grub are stylized too. It's a lovely OS. Unfortunately, the driver's do not work well on my computer. Actually, they don't work at all and my computer sometimes doesn't boot up to Fedora. So yeah. I'll be going back to Ubuntu. Or something like that, I might try something else once more. :)
Okay, let's start from the begining.
The installation of Windows 7 beta was a breeze and there was no trouble with it at all. It was fast, efficient with little to no guidance needed from me.
The start-up was good too, quite fast and the bootloader recognized both of my windowses (has been a problem before).
When Windows 7 finished loading, I typed in my new username and password and then it connected to my wi-fi network, and saved its settings under "Home" network. It also gave me a code that I could use to connect to other machines connected to my home network or otherwise. A very good improvement, I'd say.
Anyways, like I said, the Taskbar is a bit different and has a light blue/greenish colour and behaves the same way as Macintosh's Dock. It has the usual status icons on the right as well as the clock. A new improvement is an obscure button all the way on the right that serves to show and hide the desktop ie minimize and maximize.
The "start" button looks the same except that it shines the usual blue, yellow, green, red colours of the "Windows" flag. Oh and a new thing, ripped off Linux, Windows FINALLY has sticky notes! Now they just need to implement extra desktops -.-
Anyways, everything else is fully customizable, widgets and all are available. The Vista sidebar has been replaced by independently working "gadgets" ie Linux's screenlets and yeah, they basically work the same way as Linux's screenlets.
IE 8 is also pretty good, I'm glad that they reworked some of its designs to match Opera or Firefox. It has widgets and all, now they just need to work out their security issues and I'll be happy with it :)
Also, some new shortcuts have been put into place. If you drug the top of a window down, it will automatically scale down. If you bring it all the way up again, it will maximize again.
Anyways, that's it. There's not much else. It just looks like a glorified Vista that fucked Ubuntu and had a fucked up kid :D Okay, it's not that bad, but it's not really too great either. I'm getting tired of how everything is getting way too complicated. I'm still a fan of XP where everything was easy to find and no damn widgets annoyed me. I honestly think they serve as a distraction. That's why I prefer Ubuntu or Fedora. Everything is simple and organized. Widgets ARE available but they're just the "background" to everything. Urgh. well, I gave it a try and I"ll probably replace it with Ubuntu 8.10 (since Fedora 10 is being a bitch)
oh yeah, I forgot. I need to review Fedora 10 :) It's a great system! It's really amazing and the skin is much nicer to Ubuntu's. The loading AND the grub are stylized too. It's a lovely OS. Unfortunately, the driver's do not work well on my computer. Actually, they don't work at all and my computer sometimes doesn't boot up to Fedora. So yeah. I'll be going back to Ubuntu. Or something like that, I might try something else once more. :)
Here we are once again, after so long.
So, let me just quickly update on EVERYTHING.
HAPPY NEW YEAR :D to all of you that follow the Gregorian calender (i think that's what it's called).
We're only 20 days from Barack Obama becoming the President of the United Status (POTUS for short) and a whole new era for the United States and hopefully, for the world. And yes, I know, the US isn't the world but it's very influental on the economy all over the world. Plus, US is one of the main countries that actually INVADES other countries. According to the presidential speeches and all, the US troops will leave Iraq and comfortably nest in Afghanistan. wonderful.
Which reminds me, have you heard about the new developing situation in Gaza? Israel is once again pushing its forces into Gaza Strip. I'll have to read up on it before I can give a nice summary of the situation. I have been too busy doing other things than following the news. And i'm sure all of you have done the same as well.
When it comes to politics, I don't have much more to say.
Anyways, let's talk computers, a much easier topic. I've recently tried Fedora 10 KDE distro. It looks very interesting and works well, I suppose. It has a beautiful design and I love the GRUB menu. It finally has some graphics and looks pretty good. Otherwise, it crashed my computer and I can't run it at the moment. I can't even start it up, which means that even if it wasn't a KDE distro, it would still pose me with the same problem. It looks like I'll have to go back to Ubuntu. 'till then, I'll stick to Vista, unfortunately.
More news to come later :)
So, let me just quickly update on EVERYTHING.
HAPPY NEW YEAR :D to all of you that follow the Gregorian calender (i think that's what it's called).
We're only 20 days from Barack Obama becoming the President of the United Status (POTUS for short) and a whole new era for the United States and hopefully, for the world. And yes, I know, the US isn't the world but it's very influental on the economy all over the world. Plus, US is one of the main countries that actually INVADES other countries. According to the presidential speeches and all, the US troops will leave Iraq and comfortably nest in Afghanistan. wonderful.
Which reminds me, have you heard about the new developing situation in Gaza? Israel is once again pushing its forces into Gaza Strip. I'll have to read up on it before I can give a nice summary of the situation. I have been too busy doing other things than following the news. And i'm sure all of you have done the same as well.
When it comes to politics, I don't have much more to say.
Anyways, let's talk computers, a much easier topic. I've recently tried Fedora 10 KDE distro. It looks very interesting and works well, I suppose. It has a beautiful design and I love the GRUB menu. It finally has some graphics and looks pretty good. Otherwise, it crashed my computer and I can't run it at the moment. I can't even start it up, which means that even if it wasn't a KDE distro, it would still pose me with the same problem. It looks like I'll have to go back to Ubuntu. 'till then, I'll stick to Vista, unfortunately.
More news to come later :)
I don't think I will update this journal for a while. Paranoia is healthy but only to a certain extent. True, I will always be wary and not take things as they are but I do not believe I can live in fear and suspicion every day. Everything in moderation, right?
So no, I am not using Tor to anonymize myself on the internet. A few good reasons for that too, it slows down my internet considerably and it is not very reliable.
My computer requires at least three passwords to actually get into a running account on either OS I am running. My Vista partition is completely inaccessible to any linux distro because of a permanent bug in my system that requires a system check. and no, not even force mount works. I do use Ubuntu 8.10, the safest distro that has all the functions I require. I will update this journal when the new Ubuntu comes out, I'm certain of that. I forgot, I'll be trying out Fedora as well, pretty soon. So, who knows :) maybe I WILL get on here more. Actually, I'm downloading Fedora 10 with KDE right now.
That reminds me, let me give you a little note to that. Compiz-fusion IS nice but for me, it's completely useless, the only part I use is the cube which makes it a lot easier to switch between desktops, and zooming out is a nice feature too but I rarely use that either. Also, I use Emerald but THAT'S it. It gives me a free feeling sure, but I think I will live with KDE nevertheless because it seems a lot more uhm..organized to me. I think I might be a sucker for that single taskbar thing.
Anyways, I do the best I can to keep myself safe. I do not use my credit card much, unless it's gas at my regular gas station. Cash is way better even though I don't have much of it. I do not give out my real name or anything linked to my real name online so even my own friends have a problem of finding me. It's worth it though.
And if a protest comes along, I'll be sure to join the cause but for now, I don't think I could be a leader or an active participant that starts out such a group. I will surely follow and help out but I won't help you start it without having a certain role.
It's the idea that will live on! :D
So no, I am not using Tor to anonymize myself on the internet. A few good reasons for that too, it slows down my internet considerably and it is not very reliable.
My computer requires at least three passwords to actually get into a running account on either OS I am running. My Vista partition is completely inaccessible to any linux distro because of a permanent bug in my system that requires a system check. and no, not even force mount works. I do use Ubuntu 8.10, the safest distro that has all the functions I require. I will update this journal when the new Ubuntu comes out, I'm certain of that. I forgot, I'll be trying out Fedora as well, pretty soon. So, who knows :) maybe I WILL get on here more. Actually, I'm downloading Fedora 10 with KDE right now.
That reminds me, let me give you a little note to that. Compiz-fusion IS nice but for me, it's completely useless, the only part I use is the cube which makes it a lot easier to switch between desktops, and zooming out is a nice feature too but I rarely use that either. Also, I use Emerald but THAT'S it. It gives me a free feeling sure, but I think I will live with KDE nevertheless because it seems a lot more uhm..organized to me. I think I might be a sucker for that single taskbar thing.
Anyways, I do the best I can to keep myself safe. I do not use my credit card much, unless it's gas at my regular gas station. Cash is way better even though I don't have much of it. I do not give out my real name or anything linked to my real name online so even my own friends have a problem of finding me. It's worth it though.
And if a protest comes along, I'll be sure to join the cause but for now, I don't think I could be a leader or an active participant that starts out such a group. I will surely follow and help out but I won't help you start it without having a certain role.
It's the idea that will live on! :D
We all know toll roads, and have gone through them. Toll bridges as well. The process is like second nature to us, we go to the tollbooth, drop a couple quarters in and drive on the perfectly managed road.
That's about to end in America. I know that in Europe already, there is the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) where a sensor is place behind the windshield and every time a car passes by the scanner, the owner is charged a certain amount to their bill. The reasoning for the use of this device is to eliminate waits at the tollbooth and to prevent cars from cheating the system. Honestly, it's a great idea. Instead of waiting for what maybe hours in traffic, I'll get to just zip right by just like it was any other road. Yay, right?
No, everything is documented and filed. Whenever a person passes by, he or she is recorded to have passed. With this information, you can figure out when the person passed, and how frequently that person uses the road. Well, why should we care? Simply because, your actions are being recorded and will be later on used against you, or may be used against you. I'm sure the next step will be to implement this device to every car and the scanners everywhere to make sure only cars with a title, car insurance, or whatever, pass by. Also, how better to find a stolen car, right? Then, your every movement by a car is recorded. Isn't that just great? Yeah.
In the USA, a new technology called E-ZPass, which is essentially the same thing as ETC, is being installed on the East Coast of the USA. The E-ZPass is already used in some areas and most of the major toll roads are getting them. Luckily, there still are the "On-The-Go" tags which provide some anonymity.
Here's a picture of a tollbooth in the USA
And here's one from Singapore.
That's about to end in America. I know that in Europe already, there is the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) where a sensor is place behind the windshield and every time a car passes by the scanner, the owner is charged a certain amount to their bill. The reasoning for the use of this device is to eliminate waits at the tollbooth and to prevent cars from cheating the system. Honestly, it's a great idea. Instead of waiting for what maybe hours in traffic, I'll get to just zip right by just like it was any other road. Yay, right?
No, everything is documented and filed. Whenever a person passes by, he or she is recorded to have passed. With this information, you can figure out when the person passed, and how frequently that person uses the road. Well, why should we care? Simply because, your actions are being recorded and will be later on used against you, or may be used against you. I'm sure the next step will be to implement this device to every car and the scanners everywhere to make sure only cars with a title, car insurance, or whatever, pass by. Also, how better to find a stolen car, right? Then, your every movement by a car is recorded. Isn't that just great? Yeah.
In the USA, a new technology called E-ZPass, which is essentially the same thing as ETC, is being installed on the East Coast of the USA. The E-ZPass is already used in some areas and most of the major toll roads are getting them. Luckily, there still are the "On-The-Go" tags which provide some anonymity.
Here's a picture of a tollbooth in the USA
And here's one from Singapore.
Which should you use?
I think a balance of both is the best. One big problem with Credit Cards is that it's traceable, and people tend to over-spend. Cash is great because it is almost always anonymous, unless it's marked. :)
The problem is, our society is largely based on credit. You can buy things online only with a credit card. If you have a debit card, or a check card, you'll know that many bills have to be paid with a check. So, for legit, legal things you'd like people to know you do, preferably use a card. Trying to use cash to pay rent may seem a bit unorthodox. If you own a business, use a card as well, because then, you can use the receipts for tax returns against IRS and such.
I like to use cash whenever I'm about to do something illegal, shameful, or just something that i wouldn't want my bank to know. Let's say, I like to go to strip clubs, I will definitely not pay for my drinks with a credit card. People can easily dig this dirt up especially if you're in a high-ranking position somewhere.
Also, direct deposit from a job is a bad idea. I'm not sure if they still do it, but they used to cash checks without using your banking account, and that is really the way to go. Then deposit some amount of money in your checking account, keep only what you wish to use for the "special" ocassions like a strip club ;)
haha, and for all of you that like to buy some...questionable merchandise from the internet, there are one-time use credit cards that you can buy with cash without using your name. The same goes for PayPal.
Also, if you have club membership cards and such for a store or something, don't use it. Once again, traceable ;)
Unfortunately, all of these things that I've learned about using cash for questionable affairs and credit cards for legit business will all go to hell when the bills start to be RFIDed. What does that mean? All the cash you have will be directly registered to you, if you use it in a store, the ownership will be electronically transferred to the store. If your cash appears in someone's hands where it's not supposed to be, that person will be under suspicion. Great world we live in, eh?
I think a balance of both is the best. One big problem with Credit Cards is that it's traceable, and people tend to over-spend. Cash is great because it is almost always anonymous, unless it's marked. :)
The problem is, our society is largely based on credit. You can buy things online only with a credit card. If you have a debit card, or a check card, you'll know that many bills have to be paid with a check. So, for legit, legal things you'd like people to know you do, preferably use a card. Trying to use cash to pay rent may seem a bit unorthodox. If you own a business, use a card as well, because then, you can use the receipts for tax returns against IRS and such.
I like to use cash whenever I'm about to do something illegal, shameful, or just something that i wouldn't want my bank to know. Let's say, I like to go to strip clubs, I will definitely not pay for my drinks with a credit card. People can easily dig this dirt up especially if you're in a high-ranking position somewhere.
Also, direct deposit from a job is a bad idea. I'm not sure if they still do it, but they used to cash checks without using your banking account, and that is really the way to go. Then deposit some amount of money in your checking account, keep only what you wish to use for the "special" ocassions like a strip club ;)
haha, and for all of you that like to buy some...questionable merchandise from the internet, there are one-time use credit cards that you can buy with cash without using your name. The same goes for PayPal.
Also, if you have club membership cards and such for a store or something, don't use it. Once again, traceable ;)
Unfortunately, all of these things that I've learned about using cash for questionable affairs and credit cards for legit business will all go to hell when the bills start to be RFIDed. What does that mean? All the cash you have will be directly registered to you, if you use it in a store, the ownership will be electronically transferred to the store. If your cash appears in someone's hands where it's not supposed to be, that person will be under suspicion. Great world we live in, eh?
What is it? It is a law that will take away all restrictions nation-wide in the United States against abortion. It will give any woman the right to get an abortion under any circumstances for any reason at all. Look it up. Here is the whole description of the FOCA in a PDF file.
Basically, if it gets passed, it will silence all of the pro-life and "fightFOCA" organizations.
My personal opinion on this is that the woman has a right to do anything with her body. And that's what it all fundamentally comes down to. The right over one's body. Why should the government have any right to forbid us to do anything with our own bodies?
People get tattoos, piercings, and such and that's perfectly fine. But that's about it. Alcohol and cigarettes are allowed once a person reaches a certain age, and I completely agree with that. But, why are other things forbidden? I found out that certain sexual acts are illegal in some states.
For a complete list go here, it is dated in 1996. Unfortunately, I could not find a newer version. You can find many strange sex laws all over the country. I find it incredulous to ban certain sexual acts, what happens behind closed bedroom doors is none of the government's business. If the two consent and are of age, I see no reason why they should not be allowed to do as they please, however strange those acts may be.
In one of my favourite books, Golden Age by John C. Wright (he has a livejournal, as well) their laws revolve around one simple principle: freedom. People may do as they wish so long as they do not harm any other non-consentual being ie, you may shoot yourself, shoot another person if that person wishes to be shot, etc etc. I see no reasons why such laws should not be applied all over the world.
Why are so many drugs illegal? Why is it illegal to smoke marijuana? Marijuana itself has many positive effects on the brain and the human body, it's being used for medical purposes in some countries already. It is less harmful than alcohol OR cigarettes, so long as you don't drive or do anything stupid (which you could incidentally do under the use of alcohol as well). Why is cocaine illegal? Sure, it is addictive and body-destructive but what nowadays, isn't? Shouldn't it be one's right to destroy one's life? And the list could go on and on and on.
I also see no reason why homosexuals have their contract rights restricted. Yes, contract rights because that's all marriage is. It is a contract where both parties share property and income for mutual welfare. When this "bussiness" partnership does not work out, the contract is is invalidated by both parties ie divorce. Why should homosexuals be deprived of such contract rights?
I honestly believe that Freedom of Choice Act is step toward a brighter future that is, more rights for the people. Laws restrict people from doing so many crazy and great things. The whole legal system, in my opinion, should be re-evaluated and everything re-done for the betterment of the people.
Basically, if it gets passed, it will silence all of the pro-life and "fightFOCA" organizations.
My personal opinion on this is that the woman has a right to do anything with her body. And that's what it all fundamentally comes down to. The right over one's body. Why should the government have any right to forbid us to do anything with our own bodies?
People get tattoos, piercings, and such and that's perfectly fine. But that's about it. Alcohol and cigarettes are allowed once a person reaches a certain age, and I completely agree with that. But, why are other things forbidden? I found out that certain sexual acts are illegal in some states.
For a complete list go here, it is dated in 1996. Unfortunately, I could not find a newer version. You can find many strange sex laws all over the country. I find it incredulous to ban certain sexual acts, what happens behind closed bedroom doors is none of the government's business. If the two consent and are of age, I see no reason why they should not be allowed to do as they please, however strange those acts may be.
In one of my favourite books, Golden Age by John C. Wright (he has a livejournal, as well) their laws revolve around one simple principle: freedom. People may do as they wish so long as they do not harm any other non-consentual being ie, you may shoot yourself, shoot another person if that person wishes to be shot, etc etc. I see no reasons why such laws should not be applied all over the world.
Why are so many drugs illegal? Why is it illegal to smoke marijuana? Marijuana itself has many positive effects on the brain and the human body, it's being used for medical purposes in some countries already. It is less harmful than alcohol OR cigarettes, so long as you don't drive or do anything stupid (which you could incidentally do under the use of alcohol as well). Why is cocaine illegal? Sure, it is addictive and body-destructive but what nowadays, isn't? Shouldn't it be one's right to destroy one's life? And the list could go on and on and on.
I also see no reason why homosexuals have their contract rights restricted. Yes, contract rights because that's all marriage is. It is a contract where both parties share property and income for mutual welfare. When this "bussiness" partnership does not work out, the contract is is invalidated by both parties ie divorce. Why should homosexuals be deprived of such contract rights?
I honestly believe that Freedom of Choice Act is step toward a brighter future that is, more rights for the people. Laws restrict people from doing so many crazy and great things. The whole legal system, in my opinion, should be re-evaluated and everything re-done for the betterment of the people.
Peaceful Demonstration. That is what teachers teach in schools, it is what politicians say to do, and what your neighbors believe in.
Peaceful Demonstrations are always encouraged, Gandhi did them, Martin Luther King did them, and a lot of other civil rights leaders. All these people achieved so much with protests that never hurt anyone physically, the plan was to hurt people economically and stand up for what is right.
Here comes the problem, in many countries protests are completely and utterly useless. I'd like to remind everyone about the protests done by illegal immigrants in the US a few years ago. Millions of those people marched down the streets, shouting on top of their voices what changes they wanted. It sounds all grand, even I thought it would work, I haven't seen a protest this week in at least a decade.
In the end, almost nothing happened. The process to get a green card sped up but that's about it. Many of those people who marched were fired because they left their job, many students that joined the march were expelled for leaving school without permission. It was such a powerful and moving force that accomplished nearly nothing!
I know that in France, there are protests on daily basis. Everyone riots, everyone makes their opinion known. I'm not sure if it changes anything, but these people make their opinions known. There aren't many protests in the United States which is supposedly the country full of rebels and radicals that wish to have peace, prosperity, and freedom.
This whole process fails when the idea is not heard by others, when the idea dies with the protest. The idea has to be immortalized to make a difference. The government will not yield to people walking down the streets, even if it is millions of people all over the country. If an american citizen does what the founding fathers and the revolutionaries did, ie rebel with force, that person will marked a terrorist and of course, the government never gives in to terrorists.
Simply said, there is no way out unless there is a riot big enough, millions of people, but armed people, people who are willing to kill and die for their cause. Who horrific is that?
Peaceful Demonstrations are always encouraged, Gandhi did them, Martin Luther King did them, and a lot of other civil rights leaders. All these people achieved so much with protests that never hurt anyone physically, the plan was to hurt people economically and stand up for what is right.
Here comes the problem, in many countries protests are completely and utterly useless. I'd like to remind everyone about the protests done by illegal immigrants in the US a few years ago. Millions of those people marched down the streets, shouting on top of their voices what changes they wanted. It sounds all grand, even I thought it would work, I haven't seen a protest this week in at least a decade.
In the end, almost nothing happened. The process to get a green card sped up but that's about it. Many of those people who marched were fired because they left their job, many students that joined the march were expelled for leaving school without permission. It was such a powerful and moving force that accomplished nearly nothing!
I know that in France, there are protests on daily basis. Everyone riots, everyone makes their opinion known. I'm not sure if it changes anything, but these people make their opinions known. There aren't many protests in the United States which is supposedly the country full of rebels and radicals that wish to have peace, prosperity, and freedom.
This whole process fails when the idea is not heard by others, when the idea dies with the protest. The idea has to be immortalized to make a difference. The government will not yield to people walking down the streets, even if it is millions of people all over the country. If an american citizen does what the founding fathers and the revolutionaries did, ie rebel with force, that person will marked a terrorist and of course, the government never gives in to terrorists.
Simply said, there is no way out unless there is a riot big enough, millions of people, but armed people, people who are willing to kill and die for their cause. Who horrific is that?
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Today is the Fifth of November. I'm sure everyone remembers this day from V for Vendetta but what's the real story behind all this?
The story is about the man in the picture, Guy (or Guido) Fawkes and his fellow revolutionaries. He and many other Roman Catholics took part in the Gunpowder Plot. The plan was to blow up the whole English Parliament and kill the King James I of England. All the conspirators were captured and executed. It was actually Guy who got caught first while guarding the gunpowder. He was not the actual leader, as many think, he was simply the man with the most military and explosives experience. The man who put together the plan and led so many revolutionaries to join this plot was Robert Catesby.
The night was forever remembered by in the UK. Every year the Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks.
What is interesting is that Guy Fawkes was the man who inspired the word "guy". As years progressed, the Guy Fawkes Nights included the burning of a "Guy", a poorly made imitation of a man. The word changed meaning to represent a strangely dressed person and finally, a male.
As for V for Vendetta, that was a modern application of the "Fawkes" character. "V" was an anarchist fighting against the fascist version of England. A very modern application indeed, also very 1984-esque. The "Fawkes" mask became very popular right after the movie came out, especially with Anonymous (yes, I realize I mention them very often, but I can't help it). Anyways, enjoy the 5th of November. Enjoy it, embrace it, and celebrate it!
The new president of the United States of America will be Barack Hussein Obama II. It looks like the US will take a turn for the better. It's still a shame that many independents did not get a chance, just like usual, to win.
The Democrats have officially gained full control of the Executive branch, they have dominance in Senate AND House of Representatives. The next 4 years will be all democrat and hopefully, very good.
The Democrats have officially gained full control of the Executive branch, they have dominance in Senate AND House of Representatives. The next 4 years will be all democrat and hopefully, very good.
Obama will take office in January.
I am still waiting for some official statement from George W. Bush but he's a sitting duck and I doubt he'll even bother to do much of anything.
So, Americans, you should celebrate, you have chosen your next President. and this president is half black, half white with a muslim background. It is definitely a large move toward equal representation, toward the judgment of a person despite his or her religious background. Yeah, so who would have thought that Americans would elect a non-white president so early in the 21st century?
I'm pretty excited.
The polls are closing, votes are being counted. I hope everyone's following it! Even those that are not in the US.
You can see the live results here.
It's pretty exciting. The first few states show that Obama is winning the popular vote but unfortunately, McCain won the electoral votes. The information is updating as I'm writing this so I may be wrong but I would be really angry if someone became a president just because of the electoral vote.
It is very unfair and very unrepresentative to use electoral vote and NOT the actual popular vote. And yes, it's possible for a person to become a president even if that person did not get most votes! That is seriously ridiculous. The electoral vote system may have worked a hundred, even fifty years ago but it's complete bullshit to use it now that we have such advanced technology and most of the polls are computerized. I believe the ACTUAL popular vote should be counted. It makes me mad.
I know it won't change...ever. but I'd think it would be fairer.
oh well.
I'll update later :)
You can see the live results here.
It's pretty exciting. The first few states show that Obama is winning the popular vote but unfortunately, McCain won the electoral votes. The information is updating as I'm writing this so I may be wrong but I would be really angry if someone became a president just because of the electoral vote.
It is very unfair and very unrepresentative to use electoral vote and NOT the actual popular vote. And yes, it's possible for a person to become a president even if that person did not get most votes! That is seriously ridiculous. The electoral vote system may have worked a hundred, even fifty years ago but it's complete bullshit to use it now that we have such advanced technology and most of the polls are computerized. I believe the ACTUAL popular vote should be counted. It makes me mad.
I know it won't change...ever. but I'd think it would be fairer.
oh well.
I'll update later :)
I'm sure everyone has seen this video already. I know I have, at least a few times. I'm not entirely sure if it's true or not. I honestly don't care because the man is still better than McCain (in my eyes) and the third party candidate is better than both of them, wait. Is Ralph Nader still running? :) Too bad Ron Paul lost in the primaries.
Anyways, this video questions Obama's natural-born citizenship. There is a lot of shady information there, but I thought it would make an interesting post. I know it's a bit too late because all the dirt has been already thrown but oh well. Enjoy :)
Anyways, this video questions Obama's natural-born citizenship. There is a lot of shady information there, but I thought it would make an interesting post. I know it's a bit too late because all the dirt has been already thrown but oh well. Enjoy :)
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