Drix D'Zanth

I've been on ?vacation? for a while now, but I think I should step in here. [quote name='Starwind'] The last flu epidemic got out of hand due to the fact of poor handling by medical experts of the time. [/quote] Are you kidding me? There's really nothing medicine at the time could have done to prevent the epidemic in 1918. Really there isn't TOO much that we can do to prevent the media-scrutinized strain (H5N1) from spreading if it eventually mutates; as far as medical science is concerned. The most important way to prevent the spreading of [i]any[/i] disease is to minimize contact with those who are infected and to attempt to isolate yourself if you are infected. That?s [i]if[/i] the disease mutates. Researchers have found that the disease is several mutations away from being transferable from human to human. Actually, the current subtypes of influenza are more dangerous than the avian subtypes as some of these strains are only a few mutations from being truly dangerous. So, let?s say worse case it does end up mutating. Do we have a vaccine? We?re working on it. Some of the antiviral drugs work (with mixed results with oseltamavir and zanamavir, antiviral drugs) and some don?t. I?ve heard talk of penicillin and antibiotics in the news and in this thread- please note that antibiotics are useless against influenza and other viral infections. We have way more important things to worry about, people. How about world famine (please don?t confuse this with overpopulation)? How about multi-drug resistant TB? How about getting obesity? How about STDs because we can?t keep it in our pants? Drugs? Drunk driving? Cigarettes? All of which have a much higher likelihood of killing you than avian flu does.

Despite benefiting from having taken AP classes, I don't think they should earn college credit. Looking back, high school cannot truly replace what most upstanding colleges and universities can offer. High school is supposed to prepare students for the highest institutions of learning, not substitute for it. And even in the case of AP/Honors credit, high schools often fall short of that goal. A case could be made for dual enrollment programs (which I didn?t do), where you actually enroll at a college class taught by a PROFESSOR/PhD. I think AP/Honors classes (especially with the ever-inflating number of students taking them) should be reserved only in helping colleges consider a student for admission and nothing else.

What a wonderful discussion! I think you are all asking very relevant questions that the scientific community (neuroscience, specifically) is really trying to address. Earlier this semester I had the opportunity to attend a few seminars concerning hormonal and morphological differences, and a second focusing on the psychology of sexual orientation. Both were very recent studies, and I think we?re starting to break a lot of new ground, but you would be surprised how [i]little[/i] we still know about the way we tick. It?s admirable that you are attending therapy. I am surprised that you were willing to try this route, as most people view therapy as a very intimidating thing. I admire people that are willing to seek thorough introspection; as those people are few and far between. I hope that works out for you and helps clear up some of your confusion. Fasteriskhead, I think your intentions (however verbose) are good. But don?t get retribution wrong. He is right, issues like this are extremely rare (unlike menopause, which you mentioned in your second post as being a rarity? You know, every woman goes through it, right?). And gender confusion like this is far from normal. Most people are heterosexual and most people have no problem aligning with that sexual orientation. A lot of people take to that statement with some hostility. But is being different all that bad? There?s nothing wrong in pointing out someone is of the minority. Instead, let?s let GS?s questions serve as an incentive to some thoughtful analysis. As I mentioned previously, I attended a seminar examining post and pre-zygotic hormone influencers on brain morphology and behavioral patterns in mice. Researchers recognize that the most powerful influencer in the sexual development of mice is during gestation. In swapping estrogen with estradiol ( the male hormone, it is metabolized testosterone) the researchers were able to raise female rats that exhibited entirely male behavior. The same was accomplished using male rats (in exhibiting female behaviors). Researchers also tried reversing the hormone therapy following the previous treatment with mixed results. One thing was certain, once mice reached sexual maturity, there was no going back. The rest was just about different physiological differences in areas of the mouse brain that explained some of the gender behavior; but that?s pretty complex stuff and I?m almost rambling as much as Fateriskhead. Humans are a bit more complex though, and we aren?t entirely in the know when it comes to what areas of the brain are totally different. We do know that there are vast differences. Not only that, there is ongoing research suggesting that during our brain?s development and even following ?maturity? we can significantly alter our physiology. That is, with a big change (such as a trauma, or neurotransmitter imbalance) our brain can re-wire itself and change significantly. So GS, while you are certainly biologically female, there may be concomitant factors when you consider your gender identity from a developmental perspective. You say you feel like a man. I would like to understand what you mean by that. Do you say that because you are attracted to women? Is it an aggressive personality usually associated with being masculine? Do you feel like ?one of the guys?? I?m just curious. I?ll talk a little more about understanding one?s sexual identity (the second seminar I attended) after you all have a chance to digest this info.

This question really doesn't have a lot of philosophical value at all. I was hoping for something that wasn't so easy to asnwer. This really doesn't give much for a very unique argument. The answer is: Yes, I would save the billions. I would give my own life to save billions.

[QUOTE=Kitty][color=#006aaf][size=1]Sorry about that. ^__^;; And I really need a new monitor. I just looked at my picture on my dad's computer, and I can see that I missed a few spots in her hair, and that the white line doesn't fade as well as I thought it did. Bleh. So, that makes it worse than it already was. xD But anyway, good luck to you Drix, and sorry for making my cut off such a horrible disaster. x.x[/size][/color][/QUOTE] Kitty, your picture is gorgeous and a very difficult follow up because it is so well made. I tried to blend it as best I could pixel-by-pixel and even include a few of your pattented blue doughnuts in my own (with some liberal smearing). I think I may need to re-adjust it more... but I can't be so sure yet... Alex, give me a PM if when you throw them up on the worm they don't seem to match well. Again, theory is much different than actual practice. The far right border (at least to a few pixels) [i]should[/i] be the SAME shade of dark red. So when you're blending, just find that shade with the eyedropper and you shouldn't have problems blending. I was kind of a poo and didn't leave any cool lines or shapes for you to continue with, but that sort of stuff isn't my style. Here's my little dingy:[URL=http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7808/mybigfatworm6jg.jpg]Redsplosion[/URL]

I'll do my best with the circles... give me today to see what I can do.. I'll line the images up to see if they fit. But have faith in me :p until i lose faith in myself

-The original Volkswagen Beetle was commissioned by Aldof Hitler and designed by Ferdinand Porsche. -Ostriches cannot fly, but they are the fastest animal on two legs and can outrun a racehorse. -A dime has 118 ridges around the edge -M&M's were endorsed (and owe most of ther sucess) the the US Military during WW2 who needed a candy that could hold up in their pockets and backpacks and could b e eaten without getting their trigger fingers sticky. -A slinky comprises 80 feet of wire -The Rubik's Cube can be twisted and turned into over 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 (around fourty-three quintillion) configurations in the attempt to line up one solid color on all six sides. -The man who commisioned the Mona Lisa refused it I love random facts... can you tell?

I?ll keep this to the point. Corey?s response is really worth checking out, so I?ll try not to be too redundant. [QUOTE=Bombu][color=darkred]Read my post carefully medicine man. (I smoke weed, but in moderation. I'm not a junky, and I don't rely on the drug at all, simply because I know when to stop, for I wouldn't want it to get to that stage... not that I'd let it.) If a random ghetto-going, crack/cocaine/heroine/ junky wants to go and indulge in his fix then I really don't care. It's their life. They want to do it, so let them. You gonna stop them Mother Teresa? [/color][/QUOTE] I have a ?heroine? addiction. [img] http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/529/ww10011oc.jpg[/img] [QUOTE=Bombu][color=darkred] I'm not going to be a junky, and I know when to stop, and I don't care how much of a cliche that is, it's true. However, I don't "smoke so chronically that I can't read good", nor do I "smoke regularly". [/color][/QUOTE] You don?t seem to grasp the point. Every time you smoke marijuana it carries the risk of damaging effects, and every additional event can exacerbate your condition. If marijuana were permissible (even if it wasn?t legalized and recognized as just an outdated norm) that would mean that more people would have easier access to more of it. That means we?ll be dealing with more, regular users of this drug. (The ?read [i]good[/i]? was a joke, hence the italics, I?m not sure if Bombu got the hint; KatanaViolet surely didn?t). [QUOTE=Bombu][color=darkred] If you feel that way then go and spread "truth, justice, and the American way" Superman.[/color][/QUOTE] I love how you have this egocentric idea that your actions effect you and only you. Where did you get your weed? Think that someone making a buck off of selling you the ganja is going to limit his consumer options? Let?s say you grow your own, where?d you first buy those seeds? How about your friends, when they are deciding whether or not it?s a wise decision to smoke and look towards their peers as examples, are they going to be discouraged from harming themselves? What irks me the most is your ?I don?t give a ****? attitude. That reveals a profound lack of maturity and integrity (although trying to patronize me by calling me ?Superman? and ?Mother [b]Theresa[/b] threw up a few red flags too). I loathe those who in moments of moral conflict choose indifference. Pathetic. [QUOTE=KatanaViolet] Don't lump pot smokers with the rest of those chemical drug users. Why don't we start talking about something we can all agree on, cokeheads, e-tards, the growing issue of meth, and how these three drugs as well as others are becoming increasingly MORE available than pot.[/QUOTE] If you read my posts you?ll note that I only speak on the negative health effects of marijuana, I?ve said nothing about any other drug.

[QUOTE=Bombu][color=darkred] Sorry, but I smoke way too much weed to be able to read such copious amounts of detailed scientific information. It must have something to do with the stage I'm at in my brain's development.[/color][/QUOTE] Cute. [QUOTE=Bombu][color=darkred] Point is, stop being a square. If people want to do drugs, let them. I know how it is to be constantly probed. My psychology teacher use to suspect that I smoke weed, and even though I did it in my own time and my own space (ie: not in college), she tried to get me done for it in many ways. She tried to search my cigarette boxes for any "spliffs", she tried to get me drug tested, which would have severe consequences if you tested positive, being exclusion and getting a police record. I could understand getting screwed for smoking or being in possession of weed in college, but the way my teacher went on was just ridiculous. So, in other words, I think that people like you should just back off.[/color][/QUOTE] Okay, your psych teacher had it out for you. But I don't see how that justifies the claim that we should just let people do drugs, because it's "their body" after all. We've already talked about how doing drugs has a negative impact on people around you who care about you; why don't we talk about what really pisses me off about this statement. Want to solve the healthcare crisis in America? Simple. Two things: -Get some cardiovascular exercise, you don't have to be skinny, just get your heart in shape. -Stop smoking. Problem, however unrealistically, solved. The last thing we need is a "it's your body" mentality being applied to any substance anybody wants to claim is "only effecting them", because it's not. 21 year old kids coming into the ED with acute MI's, respiratory failure, and hemmhoragic perfusion is going to be all of our problem- just like any health issue. Our educational system needing to be reworked to accomodate the kids who smoke so chronically that they can't read [i]good[/i], they are too anxious and too nauseous due to the withdrawal symptoms associated with regular marijana use is all of our problem. Get your ego out of your *** and quit pretending that society isn't effected by our individual choices, however private we may think they are.

Time to step in as the "official scientist" around here. [QUOTE=Corey][size=1]I'd first like to say that I am a recreational pot smoker that does not indulge more than three times a week, usually. Some people exersice to release stress, and some people pray. I take a hit or two and do my Chemestry homework. I don't consider marijuana a drug. Next, I'd like everyone to check out this article. [url=http://www.benefitsofmarijuana.com/benefits.html]The Benefits of Marijuana[/url] Now please don't think I'm endorsing smoking pot. For those of you that are %100 clean, my hat is off to you. You've done something that I haven't. And you should stay that way. [/size][/QUOTE] I can see that you have been thoroughly influenced by Ms. Bello?s earnest essay. First, a disclaimer: Cannaboids have therapeutic value. All use of marijuana should be handled responsibly, just as opiates are handled when in a medical context. I?m not ignorant to the nature of this therapy; however, synthetic homologues to marijuana are available for medicinal purposes that reduce the dangerous physiological effects of the drug. [i]Casual use of this drug, regardless of what Ms. Bello has to say (I?ll get to what she has to say soon), is not a wise decision and always carries a strong risk at having derogatory health effects[/i]. Any use of this drug should be strictly regulated by certified medical professionals. Marijuana [i]is[/i] a drug (just as caffeine is a drug), whatever negative connotations that word ascribes to it notwithstanding- it alters your body?s chemistry and metabolism. [QUOTE=Corey][size=1] But, and it is a big one, I consider the health [i]benefits[/i] to outweigh the detrements marijuana has on the body. Extreme use of the drug marijuana does make you slow and it does create a psychological dependence that can be every bit as real as a physical one. [/size][/QUOTE] Okay, because you referenced her article, I?m going to assume the points of argument Ms. Bello provides coincide with your opinions. She seems like a very well-intentioned person. Unfortunately, this woman has little valid, current, peer-reviewed scientific evidence to back her claims (what do you expect from someone who holds a Master of Science degree in Eastern Studies and Holistic Health): [By the way, I?ll cite my references by putting the number that correlates to the reference in parenthesis; you can check them out at the bottom of this post] The third paragraph of her essay formulates her first argument and justifies the two previous citations: [quote] Although specific effects of marijuana in the body are well known, each has been taken in isolation without noting that both sides of the Autonomic Nervous System are conjoined. Instead of a perspective that sees the whole person and the simple holistic effect of marijuana, a myopic and reductionistic method of measurement has been employed, and marijuana?s profound meaning for health has been lost. (p. 31)[/quote] This statement above is profoundly false (science has a difficult time ?proving? things, but an easy time dis-proving them). There is no evidence that marijuana has any ?conjoining? effects on either cerebral hemisphere around the corpus callosum, cerebrum, or through any sort of limbic interface.(1) Her clear misunderstanding of any neurology is evident in her explanation: [quote] Marijuana, by its effect on the ANS, enhances both sides of the brain. Through increased Sympathetic action, left brain perception is heightened, while, at the same time, right brain reception is enhanced. This is a physiological fact. More blood, and cleaner blood, is sent to the brain, as in the ?fight or flight? reaction. And because of Parasympathetic dilation of capillaries, which signifies relaxation, the blood supply to the entire brain is increased. More blood means more oxygen and consequently clearer and broader thinking. Since marijuana works on both sides of the brain, the most noticeable effect, in our fast-paced mind set, is one of slowing down, which blends the thrusting competitive attitude with the contrasting viewpoint of nurturance to arrive at a more cooperative balance. This experience is, however, not innate to marijuana, but to the mental set of the subject. When we are mellow, tired, and relaxed, marijuana is energizing and affords alertness, determination, and even strength. [/quote] Her ?physiological fact? is a very profound fallacy. Instead of providing any sort of evidence to her ?fact? she just babbles on and on about how larger volumes of ?cleaner blood? is sent to your brain. We?ll assess the respiratory implications of regular marijuana use later. First, I?ll address her claim that marijuana is benificial to "clearer and broader thinking". There is *no* objective rationale that the "mind set" established through the use of the drug has any correlative, positive effects on mental capability; neither is there evidence to the drug ?balancing? our brain. It also has been widely accepted that marijuana is not an ?energizer?; especially in the case of neurological function where it is always recognized as an analgesic and a depressant. The most amusing thing she has to say, however, is the argument that: Marijuana dilates your blood vessels, and gives your brain more oxygen to function. -Current evidence now concludes that marijuana (especially by inhalation) dilates alveoli as a parasynthetic response due to high concentrations of sodium bicarbonate, the compound that our body uses to regulate levels of carbon dioxide. This is because your brain is [i]not[/i] receiving the oxygen that it would during normal respiratory function and is acting in response. (4) -The effects of cannaboids are in no way like the ?fight or flight? response. Cannabis does not have any effect, positive or negative, on oxygenation (cleanliness) of the blood. (2) -Regular marijuana use (and this research is new to me) has now been evidenced to increase brain parenchymal perfusion which leads, over time, to a slow and effective damaging of the surrounding nervous tissue. (this is due to high systolic velocity combined with the local effect of endocannaboids acting as homologues to Acetylcholine) Unlike what Ms. Bello would like to believe, it [b]hurts[/b] your brain(6) (5) -On a side note, left and right ?brain-ness? have long since been dis-proven by neurologists. Both sides of the brain almost always work in conjunction with the other. There?s no evidence that one side of the brain is ?solely? responsible for a specific behavior, consciousness, or homeostatic function. Again, Ms. Bello [b]dead[/b] wrong. [quote] This is the unification of logic and intuition. The term ?expansion of consciousness? is explained physiologically as a ?shifting of brain emphasis from one-sidedness to balance? (Sugarmena and Tarter, 1978), which fits precisely with the feeling called ?high.? (p. 35)[/quote] Sugarmena and Tarter have long been discarded as junk science. Their methodology and results are not only flawed, but? I can?t actually believe she referenced such ridiculous source material?. [quote] Marijuana ingestion has been shown to change the worried state by producing alpha waves, experienced as well being. (p. 36)[/quote] O rly? [url]http://www.monroeinstitute.org/research/alpha-binaural-beat.html[/url](clicky) ?Alpha waves also occur under unpleasant conditions and when one is not relaxed.* They are not a measure of peace and serenity, nor are they indicative of an altered state of consciousness. Alpha waves are indicative of lack of visual processing and lack of focus: the less visual processing and the more unfocused, generally the stronger the alpha waves? [quote] As the body?s workings can become more harmonious with marijuana, the functioning of the five senses can be noticeably improved ....In our discussion, the trigger to the high experience is marijuana, but many other activities can also produce it, such as jogging, chanting, fasting, isolation, meditation, and prayer. (p. 41)[/quote] Okay, now this lady is really starting to sound crazy. She just equated the endorphin rush of fasting and jogging to the CA2 Pathway induced by marijuana. Marijuana just screws with your limbic system by replacing an already-regulated neurotransmitter. The endocannaboids cause those nerves to fire and your body becomes ?conscious? of the clothes that it?s wearing. It doesn?t ?enhance? jack. (2) [quote] 2. The breath can be restored to fullness, thereby eliminating directly the built up toxicity and, at the same time, enjoining balance throughout the whole organism. A depressed system is a weakened system, and since it works holistically, marijuana gives strength where weakness exists, and expansion and relaxation where there is contraction and nervousness. 3. The more richly oxygenated blood that is in effect with marijuana can help to cleanse the poisons at the cellular level.[/quote] I think I?m going to make this my last point, because I?d really be beating the dead horse when I say this whole statement is ********. Fortunately, it draws my arguments into a new direction- the respiratory consequence of marijuana. You guys ready for this one? Smoking Marijuana is bad for your lungs (*gasp*) (4) Smoking Marijuana regularly can impair smooth and cardiac muscle function, recent data suggests that it is a risk factor in MIs (myocardial infarcts.) and P.A. Fib. in young people with no other risk factors. (1) (3) Stick that in your joint and smoke it, Ms. Bello. [QUOTE=Corey][size=1] They say that marijuana is a gateway drug. That once you smoke it you want more and different drugs. I've found this to be false in many instances. I've always preferred the high that you get from marijuana to anything else I've tried, and so have several people I know. Coke gets you way too energetic and reckless. Mushrooms mess with your mind something fierce. Alcohol makes you lose control unless taken in moderation. And I'd like to invite someone to argue with me. I always love arguing about this subject. ^_^[/size][/QUOTE] I?m not sure whether or not marijuana is a ?gateway? drug. I guess this is the assumption that if you are willing to try a possibly dangerous substance with little more than the assurances of your peers that it?s ?okay? you?ll be more inclined to try something more dangerous with more encouragement. I hope this post clears up your misunderstanding about a drug that really should not be for casual, recreational use. [size=1] References: 1[u]Charbonney E, Sztajzel JM, Poletti PA, Rutschmann O.[/u][i] Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after recreational marijuana smoking: another "holiday heart"?[/i] (2005) Swiss Med Wkly 135: 412-4 2 [u]S. A. Moore, G. G. Nomikos, A. K. Dickason-Chesterfield, D. A. Schober, J. M. Schaus, B.-P. Ying, Y.-C. Xu, L. Phebus, R. M. A. Simmons, D. Li, S. Iyengar, and C. C. Felder* [/u][i]Identification of a high-affinity binding site involved in the transport of endocannabinoids[/i] (2005) Natl Acad Sci 102:17852-17857 3[u]European Journal of Emergency Medicine. 12(5):236-244, October 2005. Caldicott, David G.E. a; Holmes, James a; Roberts-Thomson, Kurt C. b; Mahar, Leo b [/u][i]Keep off the grass: marijuana use and acute cardiovascular events.[/i] (2005) Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 63: 93-100 4[u]Tashkin DP.[/u] [i]Smoked marijuana as a cause of lung injury.[/i] Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1690, USA. [email]dtashkin@mednet.ucla.edu[/email] 5 [u] Battista N.1; Fezza F.1; Maccarrone M.1[/u] [i]Endocannabinoids and their Involvement in the Neurovascular System[/i] (2004)Curr. Neuro. Resch. 1,2: 129-140 6 [u]Herning RI, Better WE, Tate K, Cadet JL.[/u] [i]Cerebrovascular perfusion in marijuana users during a month of monitored abstinence.[/i] Molecular Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, PO Box 5180, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. [email]rherning@intra.nida.nih.gov[/email][/size]

[QUOTE=KatanaViolet]I used to be into a lot of things that I'm almost ashamed to admit. But now I'm clean, [/QUOTE] Hey, I?m glad for anybody who isn?t afraid to admit a mistake. I respect people who admit they might have been wrong as much as I respect those who can rationally argue that they are right. Good for you getting control of yourself. [QUOTE=KatanaViolet] and anyone who says that pot is a bad thing.... [/QUOTE] *Points to my response* I say it?s a bad thing. Please consider that. [QUOTE=KatanaViolet] that stuff helped me get off much worse drugs. [/QUOTE] I don?t want to jump too hard on the logic of this statement. First, I would like you to explain in further detail about how marijuana helped you ?get off? worse drugs? Did it help with withdrawals? Did you just use it to replace a ?harder? drug by becoming a habitual user of pot instead? So, help me understand exactly what you mean. [QUOTE=KatanaViolet] I may be a "habitual marijuana smoker" but that's alot better than the person I was 3 or 4 years ago. With that being said, anyone who does any other drug (Coke, meth, exctacy, etc...) are losers. Even after I got clean all my friends started doing all that stuff, I haven't hung out with them since I found out. And I continue to be a better person for it.[/QUOTE] I see people who take drugs for non-medically sound reasons as having lost control of themselves; no matter the substance. I?m guilty of smoking marijuana. I regret my decision, and I understand the danger that I put on my brain?s development by using it. Alcohol is a bit different, in small amounts ethanol can actually have positive health effects! Likewise when approaching Marijuana therapeutically; It might be beneficial in medical treatment for HIV-positive and Chemotherapy patients. Of course, there may be more effective and less dangerous drugs available to reduce these symptoms. So, when you?re using drugs unwisely, I see you as a loser- even if it is marijuana. But you don?t have to [i]stay[/i] a loser. [quote name='DeathKnight][color=crimson'] This is ignoring all of the jargon Drix just spat out like an auctioneer detailing some of the affects of one of the more popular drugs on the street.[/color][/quote] Oh be quiet :p, I'm not rehersing some school-counselor script. I'm just presenting relevant, recent, and objective data on the drug.

Hallelujah, for I am not only involved in research, but in graduate studies about? *pause* NEUROCHEMISTRY-RY-ry-ry-ry (echo effect) So, I know [i]what[/i] I?m talking about! [quote name='Raquel']I think it really depends on the person. [/quote] Maybe, but that?s only in the circumstance of genetic predisposition, usually abused-substance reactions produce the same response in most people! Withdrawal effects are the same causally! [QUOTE=Raquel] Crack and such should go, but I think pot is like beer. First get old enough so that it's not stunting necessary brain functions, then get high with a small group of close friends while watching Super Troopers. Avoid heavy machinery and cars. To overdose, you would have to smoke something like 15 pounds in 15 mins... And even then, you'd be dieing from smoke inhalation not the THC itself. Shooting anything into your veins is just a generally bad idea... Sure you get higher, but not smoking the **** for a month will do the same thing. [/QUOTE] Pot is not like ethanol. They work on different receptors, different metabolic pathways, etc. Anything that crosses the blood-brain barrier to effect your brain?s chemistry must always be scrutinized as having some long-term effect. Cannabinoids, such as the psychoactive component (delta)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) willl not kill you. Marijuana should be used with caution (if you are planning on using it) because it manipulates your neurotransmitter levels, it can encourage upregulation of cAMP pathways, and also accounts for a possible long term degenerative effect in synaptic plasticity (this is short-term disruption of memory and learning associated to marijuana use). Basically, endocannaboids act as retrograde messangers. They act on presynaptic CB1 receptors on neighboring nerve terminals. This inhibits the synaptic plasticity that is initiated by postsynaptic depolarization and extracellular Calcium concentrations. This expressed presynaptic decrease in CB1 activation due to the presence of endocannabinoids can decrease the probability of neurotransmitter release associated with new neuronal branching. This could lead to degeneration such as long-term depression at GABA synapses in the hippocampus and amygdale and glutamate synapses in the striatum and nucleus accumbens. In laymen?s terms, Marijana use is unwise for two reasons: -Your brain NEVER stops making new pathways and hooking up new ?circuitry? and Marijuana ****s with that -Marijana makes you more stupid and forgetful. -The more you use it, the worse you get! -There?s no such thing as an ?overdose? in marijuana because its effects are primarily neurological, whereas a heroin overdose has to do with its disruption of smooth muscle function. And don?t take ethanol (the active compound in alcohol) lightly at ALL. Alcohol abuse is a VERY dangerous thing. [QUOTE=Raquel] Things like shrooms and acid are iffy. You can't really predict the way people react to hallucinogens, acid more so because of the fact that it is man made. Screw meth... It's way too much trouble to make. I want my hands. And my teeth. Meth labs go ka-blooey. [/quote] Shrooms are not man made. Acid (LSD) is just an isolated tryptamine, our brain has receptors to react to it, just because it doesn?t occur in high organic concentrations such as cannaboids, it doesn?t mean that the compound isn?t a naturally occurring substance (it can be in tiny amounts). There are very, very dangerous risks to altering your consciousness. Any hallucinogens and dissociative drugs can have dangerous long-term effects on people. We are becoming more and more aware of what these psychoactive drugs do to people and how truly detrimental they are. There?s no reason to endorse any drug based on the merit of it occurring ?naturally? or ?unnaturally? because [i]using[/i] these substances in either case is putting an unnatural neurological stress on our very, VERY delicate nervous system.

[QUOTE=Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f]Drix, I am in no way against free speech, but those cartoons are not "free speech". They are simply racist, hateful derogatory remarks made about an entire population of people of comprising of 1.2 billion people. Free speech is supposed to serve the purpose of our societies progressing, not regressing. Of course the jews should have spoken out against hitler! That's what real free speech is about. But if you look back to my example, in germany, racist cartoons were being printed about jews, and look at the tragety that resulted from the propogation of racism and lies. Why should these types of racist and untruthful images be tolerated? Why should we tolerate lies? Drix, I am not only standing up for muslims here. I don't think any offensive and or images should be printed about any religious or ethnic group. And drix, I understand how people can be angry with certain Islamic radicals. It's not right to bomb buildings filled with innocent civilians. But people need to understand that these radicals do not make up the majority of muslims. And they certainly aren't following Muhammad's teachings. More cartoons have popped up over the internet, much worse than those in the newspapers. One showing Muhammad raping one of his wives. He never did that, and he was kind and respectful to women. Why should this complete lie be tolerated? It isn't a matter of religion, it's a matter of a human being blamed for a crime he did not commit. What if a girl accused a man of raping her even though he did not? Would you argue that she has the right to "free speech"? The right to blame a man for a crime he did not commit? The right to propogate a lie?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] Absolutely, I support the right for people to lie. Maybe not in court, but even then, we can?t control people entirely. Absolutely should people be allowed to curse the name of their political leaders, religious leaders, and peers. Absolutely should I be allowed to oppose that with reasons of my own, however futile that may be. I support the right for someone to call a black person a ******. I despise the word, I hate the fact that people do it, and I?ll speak out against the spread of lies. I will use my freedom of speech to write retaliatory letters against slander and racism, and I would have marched to the Washington Mall to support the freedom of speech that earned the oppressed minorities their place in American society. Your inductive logic is flawed. Chabichou, the holocaust was a result of far more than negative propaganda against the Jews. Sure, it was part of it, but most of the holocaust came from the strict organization [i]against[/i] their businesses and freedoms. If anything, the holocaust is more a removal of Jewish freedoms than a misappropriation of Nazi freedoms. The sort of reasoning is like ?Hitler had a mustache, Sadaam had a mustache, Stalin had a mustache; therefore any man with a mustache is more evil than one without a mustache!? Let?s be deductive, here.

I can't blame most people for being idealistic about love here. This is not only a very passionate time of life, but your hormones are RAGING. The concepts of love and infatuation are being explored by you on a far greater order of magnitude. If this person really means something to you, take it slow. You are most likely getting those butterflies in your stomach, and the tingly sensations in your fingers, your head feels like it's floating, and your heart is warm all over. Yeah, it's called dopamine, and it's one sexy neurotransmitter. But give yourself some time to reflect on your infatuation. Let yourself get to know the things that irritate you about this person. Get to know eachother on a really close mental level, and let time take care of you. You will fall in and out of infatuation. It might be a hit-and-run ordeal where you feel "in love" and another moment you might fall 'out of love". But we too often confuse the word love with infatuation (especially if it is our first or second significant other). Passion will fade, so will looks, emotions will smolder; but beneath that, you can potentially experience an honest and endearing love that's far sweeter than anything so nebulous as teenaged "love". Give it time. Telling him you love him may betray your future relationship, because, do you really know you love him?

[QUOTE=Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f]Okay, I think we all agree that rioting, and embassy burnnign is not the appropriate thing to do on the muslim's part. And we all agree the cartoons are racists, offensive, and simply not good taste. I think we should talk about now, wether people should have the right to publish these kinds of cartoons. Many of you have argued for complete free speech. Do you honestly think that free speech means people can spread lies? Those cartoonists, and their newspaper, are a bunch of cowards --spreading lies, and offending muslims under the guise of freedom of speech. When one insults Muhammad, it's a big, big, deal, because not only do muslims love and respect their prophet, they take him as the example of good conduct and behaviour. If one insults, Muhammad, he insults all muslims. When people read these cartoons, some of them actuallty believe them, and eventually, people will hate muslims, they will see them as dangerous, and eventually, people will want to exterminate muslims. The holocaust started out with racist cartoons published in newspapers like these. They spread lies, and caused people to hate Jews, and many people in germany had no problem with jes being exterminated, simply because they believed the lies they were told. So think about it. Do you support ignorance and racism, and those who spread them under the guise of "free speech"?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] No, I think we should take away free speech. We should remove it from our social institutions to protect the offended. Some of those books on witchcraft, like the Harry potter series should totally be banned, they have no merit. I mean, the people in the southern states must have been horribly offended when their black ?neighbors? began demanding some sort of equality? how dare they speak up. How about the Jews? Man, they almost spoke out against the Nazis before the government there took [i]necessary[/i] and [i]appropriate[/i] measures to keeping their ?free speech? under wraps. Look at Socrates, he was such a terrible person, spreading lies about the Greek gods, corrupting Athens? youth. He was put to death far later than he should have been. And who was that Jesus guy? What was his problem claiming to be the ?Son of God?? In an ideal world, crap like that would be caught by the thought-police. I?ve tried to ignore this thread like the plague, really. This is about to circulate in on itself again. Men and women in the western world recognize certain unalienable rights, and have died for those rights. Our nation was born out of an oppression of free speech in England, a country that burned it?s residents alive for professing a different [i]denomination[/i] of the same damn religion. Freedom of speech is a virtue that I justify from a philosophical, rational, and religious perspective. I think the way to solving our problems isn?t by ?quieting? the minority voices. Through understanding and discourse, a common ground can almost always be found; I have that much faith in humanity. People have a right to protest whatever they believe. I have just as much a right to disagree and argue, if I choose. This sort of environment not only enlightens ourselves as a whole, but society has a beautiful tendency for evolving to accommodate the most rational and humane ideas. We are living in a world where we aren?t under a constant threat of tyranny on the same magnitude we?ve experienced? not like the middle ages, renaissance, industrial revolution, or 40?s. I want to know [i]why[/i] this Dutch newspaper printed these pictures. I would like to understand what made people so angry about Islam that they would want to print something slanderous. Chances are, there?s a cause and effect lurking behind the scenes. I can empathize with why they might have printed these articles. The militant Islamic radicals in the middle east stormed buildings of innocent people armed to the teeth. The ?terrorists? the U.S. military is fighting are firing from the houses of innocent families, drawing dangerous gunfire to innocent civilians. During the first Gulf War, Sadaam took a well known weapon?s manufacturing plant, removed the weapons, and filled the building with [i]children[/i]. The U.S. un aware of this action, bombed the target, killing some 20 children and injuring more. The Muslims fighting against us have no respect for innocent life, choosing to execute their hostages (American soldiers sexually abused theirs in one case, in fairness). They are a people who celebrated in the street as the WTC buildings toppled to the ground, who burn American flags, and bomb civilians in the streets of Israel (a sovereign land recognized by the UN and one that gives the right to vote and serve in parliament to its Palestinian inhabitants). They believe that people should be ?held to the sword?, if they convert they are to live, if they don?t they are to be killed. Yet the Quran also states that there should be ?no compulsion in religion?. Intriguing that the militants ignore the latter. Christians had the brutal crusades, a terrible time in history where they were [i]anything[/i] but Christ-like. Militant Muslims have the Jihad. I say ?have? because the religion has spread through North African villages by gun barrel and forced coercion into the fold of Islam. In those nations, people have no freedom to live by any other method of thought or religion. I can understand why some people have a problem with certain groups of Muslims. People have a problem with my religion; Christianity. Some people are sick of being told they will ?go to hell?. Some people are dead tired that so called ?Christians? can hold themselves in lofty moral positions; utterly disregarding the ?judge not lest ye be judged? and ?he who is without sin throw the first stone? principles of the Bible. I understand how much it pisses me off when I hear stories like this, stories of Christians who act as a stumbling block to others. And even though it pains me to say it, I respect everyone?s right to choose to [i]hate[/i] and slander against my religion as a result of this pent up anger. If I?ve seen one thing, I?ve seen the power of open dialogue to diffuse even [i]their[/i] disdain.

[IMG]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8139/alexander7gj.jpg[/IMG] [b]Name[/b]: Alexander [b]Callsign[/b]: Fleisch (pronounced fly-sh) [b]Age[/b]: 42 [b]Position[/b]: Corps. Medic, ?healer?, ?mountain man with a secret love? [b]Bio[/b]: There?s a difference between ?job? and ?calling?. People hate a job, they hate the work, even if they are resigned to it for the rest of their lives. A calling is something that comes once in a box of chocolates. A calling is that sort of job that you prefer to any other activity. The sort of thing that gets you up in the morning and only feel satisfied when you?re experiencing it. Alex was a shoe-in for this sort of thing. His dad was one of those rich doctor types that lived in the country. The 30 minute drive was worth the ?fresh air?, he always negotiated. Alex didn?t see his father much, or his mother for that matter. She was always off on some sort of project to keep her otherwise banal life from collapsing in on itself. The sterile environment was no place for a kid to live in, so Alex discovered the great outdoors. His earlier years were discovering a passion for nature that few people shared. Despite his isolated house, he still attended school in enough of an urban area where the primary interests of his peer group was MTV and whatever sport they could fit on their square of tar they called a ?playground?. Uncle Derk was a godsend. He took the boy out every fall for hunting season. He thought Alex how to shoot a gun, how to safely navigate the outdoors, how to survive. Uncle Derk served in the Vietnam War, and he took to the vacuum that Alex?s father left by working. In fact, he was the very man who pushed him into hunting, the Boy Scouts, and finally, the Military. Alex decided to become one of the few, proud, Marines and head off to whatever shore the Gov?t wanted him. He quickly moved up the peacetime ranks by volunteering, but his combat inexperience prevented him from getting any sort of officer duty. Instead, he was reassigned to the Rangers. It was during this time he was sent on several missions. Despite the lack of training, he was always the first person to reach an injured teammate and his selflessness earned the renown of his platoon. On one occasion, Alexander managed to saved a Rangers life by literally ?plugging? a gaping whole in the soldier?s side, from a mortar round, with his hands. This feat, and his northern European features, earned him the nickname ?Fleisch?; or ?flesh? in German. Where lesser men would vomit at the sight of gore, Fleisch didn?t flinch. His superiors sent him off for two years of intensive medic training. Thankfully he was in time for the next big engagement. He served in the Rangers during Desert Storm, usually painting the helpless Iraqi tanks with green lasers so the flyboys could wake and bake Sadaams poor SOB?s. The solid experience nearly earned him a desk job (a fact he wasn?t afraid to admit he dreaded), so he worked some strings to get assigned as corpsman to the U.S. Army Special Forces branch Delta Two. He was assigned to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Beirut, Iran, Pakistan, and a brief engagement in Libya; all right under the public?s radar. Admittedly, Alexander wasn?t used to ?sneakin? around?, but he recognized that sometimes fighting for the Nation?s security was a job left behind the scenes. Unfortunately, the junta?s stopped, the revolutionaries set down their gun, and armed forces were more frequently being set aside in favor of UN intervention and International aid programs. Alex began a slow battle with Post Traumatic Stress syndrome. He couldn?t stand being away from his friends, rather, his [i]brothers[/i] that he fought beside over his 20+ year career. Out of all the things his therapist recommended for treatment, he found a few It was somewhere around the new millennium when the U.S. Government began searching for a few highly specialized fighters that would be able to serve in 3R. Fleisch fit the bill perfectly. He was experienced, battle hardened, highly trained, and? perhaps most importantly? absolutely unattached to civilian life. He was an easy going, amiable soldier and a perfect foundation for a team such as this. [b]Back story[/b]: Coming soon, I need to study for Neurochemistry now..

Flag burning? I think it should be totally fine. Look at Nazi Germany. Hitler didn't let his swastika get burned; and we don't want to be like [i]him[/i], do we?

I hate to derail the thread for a moment..but..Is this what this thread is going to turn into? A trap for accusations like this: [quote name='Sandy]That's called [I]homophobia[/I']. ;) You feel uneasy when faced with a subject that's unfamiliar with you, that's completely natural. However, you would be better off to get over it, there was nothing disgusting in the movie as such (well, maybe counting out the one time they "did it", but that's all a matter of orientation). By sticking into rather irrelevant details, you probably missed the whole point of the movie. [/quote] [img]http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7/fingerpoint9jh.jpg[/img] You just aren?t batting the best average lately, Sandy. One of the great wonders of human consciousness is the idea of [i]ethics[/i]. Shadow Blade wasn?t insulting in his comments, just expressing an opinion that is just as valid as yours. His logic wasn?t flawed. He probably has the some moral qualms with homosexuality; he?s not [i]afraid[/i] of it ;). Hell, he gave the movie a chance! The homosexual relationship between these men is what appears to have disturbed him, and it sounds to me that it is a pretty relevant theme throughout the movie? So, he?s not really sticking onto rather ?irrelevant? details. The fact is: homosexuality is only just being exposed to a larger acknowledgement in our society. It was, until the past decade or so, treated as a very taboo topic. Understand that not everybody is going to share your perspective! [QUOTE=Sandy] Sure, it had two guys who loved each other, but that happens. There's nothing in it that [I]should[/I] make you uncomfortable. [/QUOTE] I?m curious how you can justify this. I mean, telling someone how they should orient politically is one thing. Even asking them to entertain diverse perspectives is more than reasonable. But asking him to change an unconscious reaction? a feeling that he had when watching the movie? I?ll stop; just? humor me with a response, please. [QUOTE=Sandy] I must, however, compliment you for being so "brave" that you went to see it despite your prejudice. ;D[/QUOTE] At least you know how to offer a [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backhanded_compliment][color=navy][u]compliment[/color][/u][/URL]

[img]http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2177/cafevouscopy6ls.jpg[/img] You are about to witness the birth of a new project on the OB, one that?s been in the works for a few weeks now? Here?s the flash before the blast, so to speak. The concept for this project came following a long discourse with a lit professor of mine. I feel like it?s only fair that I include the original typed concept to better explain the premise behind this somewhat ambitious project- This message was sent to everyone invited to consider joining the project: ?I am going to be creating a new project in the Anthology. One in which the real me, Jordan Fett, interacts with some of the other members here on OB. Most of the meat will be fiction, but I think you?ll find that this is profoundly non-fictional at its deepest reason. Our writing reflects our personalities and personality traits. Often we can tell how ?right-brained? or ?left-brained? someone is by reading examples of their stories. You can reflect on their personalities, and perspectives through writing. However, writing is also an escape for many of us to try and approach a new way of looking at things. A new type of empathy can be gained by discovering yourself through writing, as it forces us all to ponder the ideas that we often take for granted. It forces us to be scientists and philosophers, sociologists and historians. Writing makes us encounter ourselves. Why not use writing to encounter others? What I?ll be starting in the Anthology is an exercise in that identification on more of an interpersonal level. The writing will be realistic in that it doesn?t take place in some sort of fantasy world. And the characters I?m using are, to the extent they are willing to project, non-fictional. The events, the interactions, and perhaps even the emotions will not be real. If you are invited to join, and choose to do so, you will be asked to put yourself in the spotlight. You will be asked to create a dialogue from not only the way [i]you[/i] look at things, but the way you see [b]eachother[/b]. Yes, in writing the dialogue between ourselves, you will inevitably mis-represent the people around you; possibly quite often. But think about it for a moment: don?t we sometimes mis-represent ourselves? How often are we totally honest with ourselves? How rarely we, as social animals, are so afraid to open up personally and vulnerably. So much to our perception is really built upon how we [i]interpret[/i] the world around us. We aren?t mind readers- there is no way to be certain that our idea of a person is truly corroborative with whom that person identifies him/herself. Who knows where the story will go, or how far we?ll delve into a parallel reality. I have faith that we?ll clutch the change as it comes. But I ask that when you do join me, to honor yourself and your perceptions of others with honesty. So I ask you, before I invite you; are you willing to forfeit your anonymity your internet ?invulnerability?? Are you willing to participate with me in the real human drama? Are you willing to reveal yourself with me and (empathetically) share this story? Are you ready to meet me at the ?Rendezvous?? ? While the entire story will not take place in the fictional Rendezvous Café, it will begin and end there. It will be our home base to meet and depart, and perhaps a thematic setting which we can use to draw up our drama, the very real human drama. The plot? Well, you?ll have to wait and see what happens. ;) I am very glad of the support I?ve received on this issue by my dear friends in deciding who to include in this quite nebulous project, at first. The cast has been selected: Drix, as Jordan (himself) Shy, as Josh (himself) Ezekiel, as Jamie (herself) Gavin, as Gavin (himself) Athena, as Annie (herself) Vicky, as Vicky (herself) To all of those participating, you have my sincere gratitude in turning this project from what was originally a solo project into an exercise I can share with some of Otakuboard?s most talented writers. Expect the first patron of the Rendezvous to take his first sip shortly? Let this underground also act as a method for keeping up any questions, concerns, broadcast information that should be handled outside the story, etc. This should be your tool to not only respond to feedback (as I expect the public to react to the story here, as opposed to the anthology post), but express anything in an ?out of story? context. [size=1][color=darkblue][b]Edit: Fixed your tags. -Shy[/b][/color][/size] edit: you the man, Shy

[QUOTE=Pumpkin][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1] Wrong anwser. Actually you forgot to include that some people have a slow metabolism and can't digest food as others. That way it is HARDER for them to lose weight. I know many people in my family who eat healthy, exercise, and eat smaller portions and are still overweight. Health issues can also cause overweightness. The one thing I can't stand about people when they view people who are obese, is that all they need to do is work out and stop being lazy. Not everything is that simple.[/FONT][/SIZE][/QUOTE] Nah, I think we?re both right here. You?re nitpicking a generalization, but I think there?s something to learn from both of us. Granted, metabolism is different for everybody; I know a few friends who are veritable bottomless pits when it comes to dining. Unfortunately, just as genetics have a certain (and still not entirely known) effect on metabolism, so does age! Stress and other psychological issues may also contribute to one being overweight. Don?t get the wrong idea though; I?m not calling obese people lazy ;). I?m just saying that once somebody is overweight (especially at a younger age) he/she is more unlikely to reverse his/her condition. But everyone [i]can[/i] achieve a healthy weight if they dedicate the time and effort. That?s really not the most important thing, though. The most important thing everyone must do is cardiovascular exercise- NOT the same as a fat-burning exercise. Cardio strengthens the heart muscle and can really protect against cardiovascular disease (the leading cause of death in the US). In essence, I?m saying? lose weight if you can, but at the very least exercise your heart (even if it is harder for you to lose weight, cardio exercise is the same for us all)!

[quote name='ForgottenRaider]As a gamer I feel it's important that I note that DDR [b]is pure evil[/b'] and may as well be called 666! [/quote] Yeah, it?s definitely frightening from an outside perspective ^_^. And much to the ire of the fan boys, it doesn?t teach you how to dance; haha! [QUOTE=ForgottenRaider] Also I find it comical how the school system in question missed this craze by a good two years and is trying to play catch up by being 'cool' and 'hip' ontop of commercialising some thing that should really be fixed by good lunches - a slap to the parents who feed their children crap day in and day out instead of [i]learning how to cook on a stove or even just a microwave![/i] - a good few games of footy for ten to fiften minutes a morning (estimated time the Australian Senate report (2005) into the issue recommends to defeat our countries over weight problem) - and basic common sense, eg: if you eat all those cheese burgers you're going to get fat. [/QUOTE] As I?ve said earlier, chaloric intake must be adequately managed. But really, a good diet does have some fat and protein in it! Fat?s GOOD to eat as long as you can get your minimum quota of physical activity. Really, most of our health issues can be solved with disciplined physical activity! Chessburgers are just fine to eat! Just make sure you work out! [QUOTE=ForgottenRaider] Then again what can you expect from a country who's school system is honestly attempting (and succeeding to some degree) to change the fundamental definition of science so it can teach childrens stories in science classrooms? (If you disagree with this paragraph you should join the [url=http://www.venganza.org/]First United Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster[/url] (clicky!) and fight to get the rightful Intelligent Design [strike]theory[/strike] accepted!)[/QUOTE] Again, Forgotten Raider, your comments here are insulting to my nation. I happen to love living in America. I?d really appreciate if you save the comments before we have to dig into the vitriol (I?m not sure why I?m being so damn nice to you, but I am? so run with it and take a hint ;) ). As far as Intelligent Design is concerned? hasn?t that been discussed already? I think it dissolved into a big church/state debate and moved further away from empirical evidence for design. Either way, it?s open to another debate. If you really want to debate evolution? feel free, I warned ya.

[quote name='Boba Fett][color=green]As long as the program has kids burning as many or more calories than they were before, and the school system isn't spending money on this partnership with Konami. For the latter to happen, a donation of $425,000 is needed (according to [URL=http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/01/25/fitness.obesity.game.ap/index.html]CNN.com[/URL']) [/color][/quote] I think it?s a wonderful way to get kids to exercise? DDR is a great way to exercise! [QUOTE=Boba Fett][color=green] The real solution to obesity is to teach children about healthy eating and for schools to serve [b]low cost, healthy food[/b]. In all the schools in my local school system, we have health classes that teach about healthy eating, but can pay $1.75 for a hamburger or $2.50 for a healthy (turkey/lettuce/tomato) sandwich. ... note I didn't bring up banning junk food. Schools are preparation for the real world, in which junk food exists. If teachers can counter junk food sales in schools through education, students will be better equipped to face eating choices later in life.[/color][/QUOTE] Healthy exercise is the key to a healthy life, actually. Sure, decreasing caloric intake is an easy way to maintain a healthy weight. But as long as kids spend an adequate portion of their day actually [i]going outside[/i] their metabolisms will do the rest! Contrary to Rev. Morgan Spurlock you can live a [b]healthy[/b] life eating nothing but McDonalds! All you need to do is maintain a consistent workout plan and the human body is really remarkably capable of handling itself! It will quickly and efficiently turn your LDLs into HDLs. It?s not being fat that?s going to kill people, it?s the fact that many obese people rarely get the minimum amount of cardiovascular exercise. That is the most important sort of exercise, and the kind of exercise DDR provides. As long as you can get 15-30 minutes of high intensity (high HR) workout three to five times a week, you can effectively curb a lot of the risk for cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking helps, too ;) (all you smokers out there, tsk tsk). Healthy eating is a good way to smooth the process over, if you don?t have time to maintain an equivalently necessary workout schedule. I see this as a good thing, overall.

This story is a fictional event that I tried to give as much life as possible. Let me know what you think. I'm just warning you, it's pretty anticlimactic. That's my intention... really. I was inspired to write this after listening to a similar conversation between a friend of mine and one of his acquaintances. I?d like to hear what you guys think. [quote] ?I really should go to Chicago sometime,? breathed Erik with more than hint of jealousy, ?I mean [i]go[/i] and get the fuck out of suburbia for a good time; see some of the sights only available in the big city.? He wiggled the handle of his Ford Explorer, fidgeting the familiar metal handle to open. With a painful screech the door wrenched open and Erik popped the lock for his two best friends and their recently-received guest, Rico. The four of them, snuggly tucked away from the ice of a Michigan winter began driving down the empty streets. The wet pavement was bleeding under the shimmer of city lights. ?It gets so boring at Grand Valley. The college is top-notch, sure, but when I?m done with my work I feel like all I have to do is sit and drown in my own thoughts,? he complained while Steve grinned smugly. ?Yeah, it?s cool, but even I get bored in Grand Rapids, it?s really no Chicago,? Steve consoled. ?Yeah,? was all that Erik could reply, his mind only halfway paying attention to the slick roads as he drifted into an imaginary urban landscape of velvet underground and social liberties. Rico?s Nextel produced a fuzzy cacophony of some unintelligible R&B tune. The ringing was deafening, really, enough for Rico to hastily silence the phone and offer a quick apology before picking up the line. The car sped down the empty boulevard towards a familiar destination: Steve?s apartment. The guy was lucky, just a year out of High school and he has his own apartment, his own life. He still needed a job to win the bread, but at the end of the day he had his own home and was living every young man?s dream: freedom. He wasn?t one to withhold the riches of freedom from his buddies. Every opportunity they had, they would visit the empty box of a living space. The lamp-lit hole still reeked of month old keggers and two teenaged boys unwilling to take time out of their ?busy? college schedules to maintain any sort of upkeep. Erik knew it was worth it- even he got used to the stench. ?I am so pumped for March, dude,? Mike nodded, his tone as enduringly genuine as ever, ?You are going to have a blast at Columbia.? The concert tickets were already bought and the three were counting the day until their next reunion. Social Distortion, and all of their eighties-punk glory were to be playing at the House of Blues in Chicago and the three friends were making the event a weekend of celebration. Rico, Mike?s roommate at Columbia college in the aforementioned Second City was up visiting- more like [i]birth by fire[/i] than anything. The three friends were tight, and unlikely to let just anybody step into their happy little lives. Rico seemed the exception to their rules. The Chicago-born and raised son was a prodigal child of his family. He caught Mike?s eye early on when they began discussing politics, and Rico proved himself an intellectual equal. He was a modern black man, where hip-hop was to him as punk was to us; a means of expressing righteous anger over the failings of our imperfect society. ?I know Rico isn?t much into punk, but he?s really only heard the poppy shit,? Mike spoke the aside as Rico continued chattering on his cell phone, ?Social D is thought-provoking.? ?Yeah,? Steve nodded. That?s all he really needed to say. Steve was the kind of guy who could satisfy a woman with a single word and Han Solo smirk. ?If Mike Ness is so ?thought provoking? why can?t you think of anything better to say about him?? Erik teased playfully as he turned down the stereo. They were still about twenty minutes from Steve?s apartment and as much as Erik ?appreciated? music, he couldn?t bear the thought of listening to Bob Dylan the entire way. ?Sorry Mike, hard to concentrate with this so loud.? Rico closed his phone, ?I was just talkin? to Jess, you know him Mike?? ?The guy who?s directing the movie about dancing?? ?Yeah,? Rico smiled, drumming his fingers on the arm rest, ?Nigga says he got ?ta have his mix by next week.? Erik spoke before Mike had a chance to share Rico?s spite, ?Hey man, you don?t need to hate like that.? Rico didn?t quite catch Erik?s meaning, ?I ain?t trippin? man. Nigga says he wants the music [i]I?m[/i] not even making for [i]him[/i] two weeks before I said I?d be done..? ?You don?t understand,? Erik?s voice cracked a bit, his confidence slipping, ?I?m saying you don?t need to use that word. You know? ?nigga?.? Mike?s husky voice hummed in disbelief, only able to utter a long ?uuuuuuuuuh? as if his mental engine wasn?t turning over. Steve knew better and shut up. Somehow Rico and Erik had crossed each other?s line and this was the silence before the storm. Like some crack of thunder, Rico jerked in his seat, ?[b]Please[/b], I know you just didn?t call me on my language. I know you didn?t just tell me what I can and cannot say!? ?That?s not what I mean,? Erik stopped; his words would be walking on eggshells now. ?Don?t think you know shit about what it?s like to be a [i]black[/i] man.? He sounded like some sort of jaded Black Panther, as if Erik was the sudden object of centuries of racial tension. Erik braced himself, squeezing the steering wheel until he could see each bony knuckle. ?Why the hell can you use that word anyway?? Erik remounted his words, his tone regaining its usual erudition, ?I?m all for freedom of speech, but I there are some things I don?t say because I know the power of words. Language is one of societies most potent tools?? ?Don?t you talk to me about freedoms,? Rico growled, ?you think you know so much about freedoms. Do you know what it?s like to live with racism? Do you think..? ?No! No I don?t know what it?s like,? Erik shouted, cutting off the inevitable monologue, ?Isn?t that the point? Isn?t the word ?nigger? a racist word that would be better off dead and buried?? ?Erik, dude, quit,? Steve chimed, trying to diffuse the situation. ?No, I want to hear what this white boy has to say,? Rico sneered, ?I want to hear where this suburban-grown kid gets the dick to tell a black man he can?t use a black word.? ?It bothers me that a word that?s personified so much hatred in this nation?s history, a word that was used with such crass and condemnation that it degenerated a man to less than human, could be thrown around so casually by its victims,? Erik explained as eloquently as a pail at the bottom of a well. ?You ignorant bitch,? Rico interjected, ?You?ve never been called nigger. You don?t understand why we take the word [i]back[/i]. I use it because I won? let it mean what it used to. We earned that word.? Mike was quick to nod in agreement, ?Yeah dude, just look at it from Rico?s perspective.? Erik?s heart sank, he wouldn?t be getting help from his friends, ?Look, I don?t know what it?s like to be black. But don?t think I?ve never experienced someone hating you for something you can?t help. I am trying to look at it from your perspective and that?s why I?m so damn confused you even use the word.? Hearing no acidic rebuttle, Erik pressed on, ?When I was a freshman in higschool, I was as short as most of the girls. I wasn?t developing like the other boys. I had a high pitched voice; hell, I sang alto for God?s sake. These kids called me ?shortass?, they called me ?fag? and ?cunt?.? The interior fell silent again, only the twang of Dylan?s guitar seemed to give the choked group enough noise to breathe under; Erik had to blink the mist from his eyes as he clutched the wheel. He couldn?t figure out why he was having this flood of emotion. He needed to sound like the reasonable man to make his case, not the emotional bleeding heart. Something inside him snapped and he had to speak up, he knew he couldn?t let an injustice go unchallenged? even if it wasn?t his [i]place[/i]. ?I?d never call anyone a cunt or a fag. I?d never want to use words that meant so much anger and hate to me, ? he paused, his breathing noticeably burdened, ?I?d never use those words on anybody else. So I?m sorry if it bothers you Rico, but I?d really prefer if you kept that language out of my life.? Rico sat for a minute, absorbing Erik?s strange emotional outburst. Erik's argument changed from pretentious moral-policeman to a humbled skeleton of a man. The vehicle slowed as it turned the last corner and Erik pulled along side the complex. The car stopped and the lights flipped off, Dylan?s harmonica cutting off mid-bellow. It caught everyone off guard just how loud the intake their own breath was. Steve looked around slowly to see both Rico and Erik sitting visibly shaken and unmoving. The yellow gas-light dimly lit the reality that the two of them were breathing in synchrony and their eyes weren't focusing on anything around them. Erik felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and the vanilla voice of a man who, just then, shared in his vulnerabilities console him; ?My bad, man.? [/quote]

[QUOTE=John]Oh, thanks. I guess the site I got that image from shut down or something. I didn't upload it to Imageshack when I posted it because they were having troubles at the time, I recall. [img]http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/6600/orlybunch8ff.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Your the Man now Dawg? It's still [URL=www.ytmnd.com][u]up[/u][/URL]

[quote name='ForgottenRaider']Are you sure you're not American...Like it sounds like you're scared of your own shadow...I would yell 'terrorist' to check but I'm sure most of the people on this board would go into hiding. (It's a joke, laugh!) [/quote] Careful man, unlike many nations, Americans have a surprising degree of respect and patriotism to theirs- with good reason. No reason to make ?American? a derogatory adjective. No reason to be ashamed if you [i]are[/i] an American. This technology doesn?t have really any commercial application. I can only really see it going into military application. It is a fun technology to ponder the possibilities about, though (it would definitely make taking pickings off of the thanksgiving turkey easier!). With war becoming more and more mechanized, I doubt it will find even practical military use (at least until they can overcome a few technical hurdles). Time will tell. There?s cooler stuff out there, though.