Merry Christmas

Here's a clip from the Trailer Park Boys' holiday special entitled "Dear Santa Clause, go fuck yourself", in which Ricky explains the true meaning of Christmas.



... and now some Christmas listening pleasures. -WARNING: the last one is by no means safe for work.

"Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No"

"without question the most intimidating pitcher of his era"

I've posted before of Dock Ellis and his no-hitter pitched while under the influence of LSD.
Here's a great short film by James Blagden.



The preceding video, and the following description, are from NoMasTV's channel.

In celebration of the greatest athletic achievement by a man on a psychedelic journey, No Mas and artist James Blagden proudly present the animated tale of Dock Ellis' legendary LSD no-hitter. In the past few years we've heard all too much about performance enhancing drugs from greenies to tetrahydrogestrinone, and not enough about performance inhibiting drugs. If our evaluation of the records of athletes like Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Marion Jones, and Barry Bonds needs to be revised downwards with an asterisk, we submit that that Dock Ellis record deserves a giant exclamation point. Of the 263 no-hitters ever thrown in the Big Leagues, we can only guess how many were aided by steroids, but we can say without question that only one was ever thrown on acid.

Sadly, the great Dock Ellis died last December at 63. A year before, radio producers Donnell Alexander and Neille Ilel, had recorded an interview with Ellis in which the former Pirate right hander gave a moment by moment account of June 12, 1970, the day he no-hit the San Diego Padres. Alexander and Ilels original four minute piece appeared March 29, 2008 on NPRs Weekend America. When we stumbled across that piece this past June, Blagden and Isenberg were inspired to create a short animated film around the original audio.

SANTA'S reindeer will be flying higher than ever this Christmas...

... after munching magic mushrooms?!

Scientist Andrew Haynes believes reindeer deliberately seek out the mushrooms to escape the monotony of dreary long winters.

... the connection between psychedelic mushrooms and the Santa story has gradually woven itself into popular culture, at least the popular culture of mycology.

Bicycle Day

April 19th is Bicycle Day.
It was on this day in 1943 that Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann ingested LSD before his bicycle ride home. It must have made for one amazing journey.

Westword, is seeking a writer for its weekly review of Colorado's booming medical marijuana dispensaries.

A Denver newspaper has been inundated with applications after advertising for a "marijuana critic" to review the quality of cannabis (albeit for medical, rather than recreational, purposes).

"Compensation will be meager," says the posting. It says the paper can't pay for marijuana purchases.

If it came with the expense account, I might have given this career move a second thought.

Important new development for both the medicinal and industrial use of hemp.

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have identified the genes in cannabis that allow the plant to produce THC. Finding the genes opens the path to either create drug-free hemp plants for industrial purposes, or to develop plants with much higher concentrations of the psychotropic chemical. (via PopSci.com)

In a related article, cultivars have been experimenting with Ruderalis/marijuana hybrids, in hopes of breeding potent auto-flowering strains. (via KindGreenBuds)

"Magnesium Proverbs and sobs"

Better known as Syd,
Roger Keith Barrett (January 6, 1946 – July 7, 2006) was an original, founding member of the British rock group Pink Floyd.A key figure in the development of London's underground music scene, Syd found himself in the role of lead vocalist, lead guitarist and primary songwriter.

Pink Floyd began its existence as just another straightforward blues band, but in 1965 the group began to move in a more adventurous direction, Syd's fanciful lyrics and unconventional guitar technique placed them at the front of the burgeoning psychedelic music scene.


It was on Pink Floyd's first tour to the United States in 1967 that Barrett began to show the effects of his illness, apparently undiagnosed schizophrenia (exacerbated by his use of LSD). It would render him catatonic during performances and in 1968 Syd was kicked out of the group due to his increasingly unpredictable behavior on and off stage, thus ending Syd's membership in the band he had named and led to national success.
Barrett was still popular in London when he left Pink Floyd, so he wasn't able to stay dormant very long. Harvest label head Malcolm Jones and Pink Floyd members Richard Wright and David Gilmour (who was Barrett's replacement in Pink Floyd, childhood friend, and has remained one of Barrett's strongest advocates) helped to spearhead the making of two Syd Barrett solo albums in 1969 and 1970, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett.

Although he continued to receive royalties from his work with Pink Floyd he lived his life in relative obscurity and seclusion.
After leaving music behind he did turn to art for his creative endeavors.

While trying to live a quiet life he was still pursued by journalists and paparazzi. Interest in his music and curiosity over his seclusion would never diminish, until his death.
After battling diabetes for several years, Barrett died at his home in Cambridge on Friday July 7, 2006. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer, but this was usually reported as "complications from diabetes".The occupation on his death certificate was given as "retired musician."

Yankee Crank?

Jacqueline Standley, the estranged mother of Joba Chamberlain, was jailed in Nebraska and faces a felony charge after being arrested on suspicion of selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer

(via NY Post)

You may recall, Joba had some troubles of his own last October ( in addition to the Yankees not playing in the post-season).

Just Think Of How Many Concerts Could've Been Cancelled...

... if Jerry Garcia felt the same way.

Britney Spears put a halt to her concert in Vancouver on Wednesday after smoky conditions at the venue she was playing made her feel "unsafe" -- later telling her fans to lay off the marijuana.

Editor's note: What the hell did she expect in B.C.?

Field Trippin'

One high school teacher's account of a trip he didn't mean to take

by John Moss

"By the time I reached Chase Street, I had a pretty good awareness of what was happening. Some of the treetops were dancing in the heat and wind, and my mouth was extremely dry."

(from Bohemian.com)

Bob Takes A Swing At A-Rod

"A-Rod. Alex Rodriquez third baseman for the New York Yankees. Do you realize that in 2003 this guy tested positive for steroids? 103 other players tested positive for steroids in 2003. That's 5 percent of Major League Baseball was doing steroids in 2003.

Did you ever hear about it? Were any of these guys ever prosecuted? Why not? Do you know it's a crime to do steroids in this country? Not just in Major League Baseball. But, in this country.

You have guys sitting in jail today who smoked crack, sniffed cocain, smoked weed and did steroids. Where's Alex Rodriquez?

He's sitting on a beach in Aruba sucking on the sagging tits of some geriatric pop star. And you think that's fair? You think if some guy was doing coke in the bathroom of Yankee Stadium, Major League Baseball and the Yankees wouldn't have prosecuted him to the full extent of the law? You think if some guy stole a freaking bobblehead from one of their stupid concession stands, he wouldn't be prosecuted? Of course he would! Cause it's a crime!

But, I guess you don't get prosecuted when you make 300 million dollars a year and can hit a freaking baseball.

Aren't you people sick of these freaking celebrities getting treated better than you? Aren't you sick of it? Why don't you do something? Why don't you stop buying Alex Rodriquez jerseys? Why don't you stop buying Yankee hats? Why don't you stop going to baseball games? You love baseball so much/ Go to a freaking college game! You don't have to watch these pieces of trash!!

You think major League Baseball really cares that Alex Rodriquz is doing steroids.? They don't care if he's doing steroids or shooting heroin in the freaking dugout. As long as you go to the stadium and spend 8 dollars on peanuts, 12 dollars on freaking beer and 100 dollars on an Alex Rodriquez shirt!

When are you people gonna freaking get it?!

And then Alex Rodriquez. He gets asked the other day, did you do steroids? He could stand up! He could stand up and act like a man and either admit his guilt or innocence. What does he do? He says, talk to the union. I have nothing to say.

Oh you got nothing to say? You know what Alex, Fuck You! Fuck You you arrogant piece of shit! FUCK YOU!!!"

Dock Ellis , RIP

Dock Ellis (March 11, 1945 - December 19, 2008)

Former major league pitcher Dock Ellis, who infamously claimed he pitched a no-hitter for Pittsburgh under the influence of LSD, has passed away.

Ellis spent 12 years in the majors with Pittsburgh, the New York Yankees, Oakland, Texas and the New York Mets. He retired in 1979 with a record of 138-119, but was best known for several colorful incidents on and off the field.

Here's an NPR Interview with Ellis: Pitching on LSD (audio below)

Ellis died Friday of a liver ailment at the age of 63.

Here's a great song (sample) inspired by that fateful game, from troubadour Chuck Brodsky.

Better Living?

"Mentally competent adults should be able to engage in cognitive enhancement using drugs."
(via Wired)


Society must respond to the growing demand for cognitive enhancement. That response must start by rejecting the idea that 'enhancement' is a dirty word, argue Henry Greely and colleagues.
(via Nature)

Research also suggests that T.V. is correctly labeled "the idiot box/boob tube".


Is change NORML?

I still find it hard to believe that there is anything smart about meth.

the Memphis Jug Band

The Memphis Jug Band was a loose knit outfit, with constantly changing members. They played local events and were one of the main attractions when they played at Handy's Park in Memphis.


The Memphis Jug Band has been described as having a remarkable sound due in part to their unusual instruments. Most songs included a rhythm guitar and either a jug, a kazoo or a harmonica as a lead instrument(or sometimes a mandolin or violin). The sound of the instruments was invariably a "raspy, buzzing sound" that was close to the musical aesthetic of Africa, the jug and kazoo representing the voices of animals or ancestral spirits.

Jug bands were found in nearly every city in the South during the 1920s and '30s, but they were most popular and prolific in Memphis, Tennessee. The Memphis Jug Band was the first (and some consider the best) of many to record.

"Stealin', Stealin' " (by Gus Cannon) :Recorded on September 15, 1928. Will Shade sings the lead with Vol Stevens on guitar, Ben Ramey on kazoo and Jab Jones on jug.



(this song was plagiarized by Jimmy Page on the Yardbirds' Little Games album)


"A Black Woman is Like A Black Snake":Recorded on September 11, 1928. This jug band's lineup includes leader Will Shade on harp and guitar, Charlie Burse on guitar, Ben Ramey on kazoo, and Jab Jone on the lead vocal and jug.



"Cocaine Habit Blues":Recorded on May 17, 1930. Hattie Hart sings the lead with Will Shade on harp, Tee Wee Blackman on guitar, Ben Ramey on kazoo, and Ham Lewis on the jug.




As an added Bonus, here's another "Old-Timey Drug Song", this one by Dick Justice;

"Cocaine":Recorded on May 20, 1929 in Chicago.

Pearl

Blues/rock singer Janis Joplin, known for her intense performance style, passed away 38 years ago today.
Janis was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, she was a member of the Glee Club and the Future Teachers of America. She attended Lamar State College and the University of Texas, where a fraternity voted her the ugliest man on campus in 1963. She dropped out and spent two years traveling, performing and becoming drug addicted. In 1966, she became the lead singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company.
She would later become one of the most influential musicians in American music history.
On October 4, 1970, she was found dead in her room at the Hollywood, California Landmark Motor Hotel, from an apparent heroin-alcohol overdose.
Joplin left behind her quite a legacy.
(Unfortunately, a part of that legacy was to inspire talentless, drunken karaoke girls everywhere to "get their song on".)

The Grateful Dead's "Bird Song" was a tribute to Janis.

The video which I chose to pay my own tribute, today is a cover of a Gershwin composition.It's a favorite of mine.Pearl sings with such unbridled emotion... and ya gotta love the introduction by Maxwell Smart!
(click photo of the lady in red)

"la pastora" / "the shepherdess"

Popularity of a Hallucinogen May Thwart Its Medical Uses

via NewYorkTimes.



Salvia divinorum, a member of the mint family, contains a powerful psychoactive chemical known as Salvinorin. S. divinorum and has been used traditionally in Mexico for healing and divination.
Depending on the dosage, the Salvia experience can vary from subtle to full-blown psychedelic.

At higher doses users report dramatic time distortion and vivid imagery.

JB and I have conducted some experimentation with the substance. As always, we were at the forefront of research.
I found the experience to be quite enjoyable.It was very intense albeit short-lived


So what's it like?
Trying to answer that would be like describing colour to the blind.

This video may shed some light...



... but probably not.

1-2-3-4!!!

"Death, death, death it's the price I pay
It's a sick world, what can I say?
No such thing as an even break
It's stealing and cheating, take, take, take"
~Dee Dee Ramone

Dee Dee Ramone was born Douglas Glenn Colvin on this date in 1951.
He is best remembered as the original bassist, and a founding member of punk rock group The Ramones.
Dee Dee, known for his distinctive count-in style used to start off many Ramones songs, was the group's primary lyricist and songwriter.
Dee Dee left the group in 1989, but continued to write songs for the Ramones until 1996, when they disbanded.
After leaving the Ramones, Colvin started a brief career as a rapper calling himself "Dee Dee King".
Dee Dee struggled with drug addiction and in June 2002 he was found dead from a heroin overdose.

Get MADD!

This site offers proof that M.A.D.D. (more precisely M.A.D.D. inc.) is no more than a cash cow temperance movement operating under the guise of a non-profit organization - an organization that relies on fear tactics and even outright lies as weapons to fight for their cause.
A friend once referred to their attempts at a zero tolerance for alcohol as 'legislating people into alcoholism by vilifying them and forcing them to drink alone in the home.'

I offer this information, not to condone the practice but to provide travelers with an idea of what they face.
Here you can find more resources to help you make informed decisions regarding such matters.

In an effort to appear fair and balanced, allow me to present this tool which gives new meaning to the term beer goggles.


"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."---Abraham Lincoln

If old Honest Abe is right, my "virtuous" lifestyle should qualify me for canonization.

The Emperor wears No Clothes

Jimmy called out for some suggested reading, as he is about to go on a trip.
His request jogged my memory about this gem.
The Emperor Wears No Clothes is a fascinating book written by Jack Herer.
The book compiles detailed information about the numerous uses for cannabis. It is often cited in rescheduling and re-legalization efforts.

"Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!"

Jackie Gleason trips out on LSD in this clip from 1968's Skidoo .




The film starred Jackie Gleason, Groucho Marx, Carol Channing, Frankie Avalon, Mickey Rooney, Peter Lawford, Richard Kiel, Slim Pickens, Frank Gorshin, Burgess Meredith, Caesar Romero, George Raft, Arnold Stang, Harry Nilsson (Nilsson also composed the soundtrack), and many others!
A cult-classic, Skidoo was directed by Otto Preminger who was experimenting with LSD (along with Groucho Marx) during the film-making.

Watch the movie (97 min.) at Google Video.