Friday Follies...
I know those of you that read yesterday's post about khat are probably suffering from information overload (I know I was getting there just finding all those articles, which only scratched the surface), and I do apologize, but it's something you should know, especially if you're walking that thin blue line.
If it's any consolation, my post ONLY contained the "high-points"...
But there is a LOT of information out there.
So, here we are at weekend's door...at last.
And wouldn't you know it...people are finding yet another substance to abuse. (when they're not abusing themselves or one another, that is)
Now, who, in their wildest dream would want to be abusing BATH SALTS, hmm?
I mean, isn't that stuff TRADITIONALLY used as a relaxation tool...nice hot bath, fragrant salts in the water, candlelight and soft music...damn...getting drowsy thinking about it (more coffee).
Well, it MIGHT have been in days of yore, but no longer.
Here's the FOX news story link...pretty good read.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/24/americas-new-drug-problem-snorting-bath-salts/#
These bath salts are NOT intended to be used externally (as is touted on the packaging)...
They are to be snorted, injected, or even smoked.
The DEA hasn't found the exact origin of the substance, which produces a meth-like euphoria, often resulting in paranoia, rapid heart rates, and suicidal thoughts (and I though that came from the stop-smoking drug Chantix).
Some people have slashed their throats after snorting this crap...others checked out of life straight away.
Prices can go as high (no pun intended) as $20 for a HALF GRAM.
Sorry, but if I have to pay a good sum of money for ANYTHING in that LOW a gram count, something has GOT to be fishy (and probably illegal) there.
I like my gram count in the HUNDREDS (like a box of Froot Loops).
The main ingredient in these "salts" is called MEPHEDRONE, or MDPV, and is being sold at convenience stores and tobacco shops.
Another ploy is to package it as "plant food"...(called Meow Meow in the UK)
(*ahem*)
Well, THAT ought to get those frigging peppers up and sprouting EARLY, huh?
The scary thing is that a 12-year old can go into a Sparky-Mart and buy a packet of this crap.
States that have already BANNED such substances, have seen marked drops in usage and calls to the poisons centers.
Indiana has yet to ban this, however.
God, sometimes I wonder how the human race got THIS far.
I mean, when it comes down to "if you make it, they will snort it"...(regardless of what that "it" IS) things are getting a bit TOO strange.
And "strange" should never have be SOP for anyone's life...we've way too much other (important) stuff to concern ourselves with, right?
Kinda makes you wish it were the good old days, when sniffing model glue in a paper bag was in vogue.
It's like some people NEED this "diversion" from the hum-drum of life.
And I have to ask WHY?
Are these people THAT f$cked up (pardon my French) that they need this constant chemical infusion of Christ-knows-what into their system to see if they can "push the envelope" of existence?
Want a real thrill?
Try jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute YOU packed (and hopefully you got right)...!
I'm just sayin'...
I told the Missus that I was thinking of starting a rumor that it was a REALLY good high to snort Comet cleanser (laced with Country Time Lemonade)...
See how long before THAT recipe goes viral.
Or why not just melt down some DRANO crystals and inject that into your vein...and count the minutes (of life) you have left.
Where the hell does such madness end?
And why bother doing this in the first damn place?
Is this ENTIRE planet and it's EIGHT BILLION SOULS not "enough"?
Does all of that suck THAT bad?
Cripes, even *I* can find some solace down here in the Badlands...
There's nature...and music...hobbies...books...it's all around you.
All YOU have to do is avail yourself of it.
Doesn't seem that difficult a premise, does it?
We're also seeing a new type of *E* on the streets...with METH added to it. It can also now be had in LIQUID form (if you really hate taking pills).
And many cities are seeing a resurgence in HEROIN distribution and use, which fell out of "favor" a few decades ago for all this "better" sh*t.
But the largest problem that law-enforcement faces is the detection of these NEW items, like SPICE, these "plant foods" and "bath salts".
Hardly ANY of these items are regulated, and many agencies don't even know the ingredients in them. Poison control centers are still figuring it all out.
Many of the chemicals used in the production of such items are still legal.
So the DEA (and other agencies) are constantly playing CATCH-UP, instead of being a few steps AHEAD of the chase here.
Not the BEST way to prevent such crime...just the ONLY way for the moment.
Have we devolved THAT much (as a society) where we NEED to "dose" ourselves constantly, because life got rough?
Well, it HAS been said that one way to CONTROL a population is to make them "pliable"...able to be swayed to whatever agenda comes down the pike.
And drugs (prescription or otherwise) are a GREAT way to make that happen.
It can be as overt as street-level dealing...OR, it can be as insidious as bath salts or plant food.
If someone really wanted to do population control in a wholesale manner, all you have to do is tamper with the water supply.
Hell, years ago, Perrier got a black eye when it was discovered that BENZENE was in their bottled water.
And we use that chemical in a LOT of stuff, including the manufacture of...(all together now)... DRUGS.
There are a plethora of really covert methods to create a controlled environment through chemistry.
Let's hope we never see ANY of them.
*** Elsewhere...
Oh, yes...food prices ARE rising...right in step with the OIL prices.
Overall, world food prices rose 2.2% recently, and that's a decent jump.
(hope the crops hold out)
Seems like while "Rome" burns...Nero fiddles.
And since this nation is following a LOT of the things that caused the Roman Empire to collapse, I'm sure you can see the analogy here.
FACT - This nation is not drilling for more oil, and even if all the moratoriums were lifted NOW, we'd need some time to get up to speed and become productive enough, so that we wouldn't see pump prices rising further.
FACT - This nation is not pursuing oil from SHALE.
FACT - No new nuclear plants...yet, and the ones we have will soon reach their de-commission dates...THEN what?
FACT - Wind power will be a huge rip-off...Mother nature DOES have a dog in THIS hunt.
FACT - Cleaner coal DOES exist...we're just not forcing the issue.
But we DO have the solar issue...as long as the sun shines. (and not from out of some politician's ass)
Still hearing crickets on the "water-powered" engine from that Purdue professor (several years after), and not much of anything on the HYDROGEN realm (still got plenty of hydrogen around, last time I checked).
I know...all this is overwhelming.
Hell, we all are being yanked several ways from Sunday (and not in that GOOD way).
Our attention is being drawn SO thin in so many areas, that we're often losing focus on the here and now in front of us.
It's drugs...or food...or oil...or war...or crime...or the kids, the bills, the mortgage, the repairs, our health...you name it, and it's THERE.
I've said here so often, that every one of us is guilty of trying to do TOO much.
We simply cannot do IT ALL...BUT...we CAN do something.
And if we take all those individual "somethings" and add them all up...THEN, it gets pretty intense (and that IS in a good way).
THEN, we get things done, but not before.
In life we discover our strengths as well as our weaknesses (if we've been paying attention, that is).
Shall we allow the powers that be to play upon our weaknesses?
Or will WE (instead) utilize our STRENGTHS in order to maintain our nation and our way (and quality) of life?
I think you all know the answer to that one...right?
And I also think you will do what you need to in order to avoid failure, because it's no longer an option.
Take some time to think on this...and take time to enjoy life just a little bit more.
Have yourselves a fantastic weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.