[MOLOnT]: Human Brain Wiring or The Role of Marihuana in Hum

[Rich Grise]

It's a discussion group, not necessarily a Q & A group, right? Or, I
could conceivably say, "I have news," albeit the "news" is just some
stuff I thought up. Flash! Rich Grise Has An Idea!

So, anyways, the PHB sprouts me a little splif, and having since found
www.romarchive.com, and having had a licensed copy of every game that
went through Hanson Distributing in Bloomington, MN, I was sitting
playing Robotron. Stoned. And I'm trying to get the config file just
tuned right. Did you ever try to emulate two 8-way joysticks on a
keyboard?

Here's the apropos line from windows-robotron.ini:
------------------------------------------------------------------
# This file contains a list of standard input definitions.
# This file is NOT parsed by MAME, but is instead presented to
# describe the standard definitions. Lines can be copied from
# this file to create a controller customization file. When
# creating a file, keep the number of redefinitions to a
# minimum. Any input not listed will default to the sequence
# listed below. Note that several files may be parsed for any
# given controller/game combination, so an input may be
# re-defined in multiple places.

# robotron

# P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_UP "KEYCODE_I | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON2"
# P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_DOWN "KEYCODE_K | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON3"
# P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_LEFT "KEYCODE_J | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON1"
# P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_RIGHT "KEYCODE_L | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON4"
# P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_UP "KEYCODE_E | JOYCODE_1_UP"
# P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_DOWN "KEYCODE_D | JOYCODE_1_DOWN"
# P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_LEFT "KEYCODE_S | JOYCODE_1_LEFT"
# P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_RIGHT "KEYCODE_F | JOYCODE_1_RIGHT"

P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_UP "KEYCODE_I | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON2"
P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_DOWN "KEYCODE_K | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON3"
P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_LEFT "KEYCODE_J | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON1"
P1_JOYSTICKLEFT_RIGHT "KEYCODE_L | JOYCODE_1_BUTTON4"
P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_UP "KEYCODE_E | JOYCODE_1_UP"
P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_DOWN "KEYCODE_D | JOYCODE_1_DOWN"
P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_LEFT "KEYCODE_S | JOYCODE_1_LEFT"
P1_JOYSTICKRIGHT_RIGHT "KEYCODE_F | JOYCODE_1_RIGHT"
--------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been experiment with driving on the left/shooting on the
right, or v/v. To do an 8-way, you do two ortho keys simultaneously.

And I've noticed, I don't aim real good with this arrangement,
and noticed something that I think is worthy at least of note, if
not further study. I found that when I got into it, I'd lose track
of which hand was steering and which was firing, at least on a
verbal (for lack of a better term) level - and it didn't seem to
make much difference.

And then I kind a did an experiment - I just frantically started
diddling keys as fast as my fingers would move, almost randomly -
- And I got better! -

I was actually shooting better by just letting my fingers "go
wild," as it were, while primarily focusing my attention on what
I wanted to accomplish at the instant. And my fingers were
getting trained by some mechanism operating without "adult
supervision."

I suppose that's why "play" is always such a rich learning
experience. They have actually shown that at least in lab rats,
when they learn something new they actually grow new synapses.

Now, on to the metaphysical part - I claim that emotional release
releases hormones that can stimulate synapse growth - and how the
intellect interacts with the emotions during that critical moment
determines, or at least, influences what connections get made.
After all, isn't that where everything you believe is stored?
(That's grammatically correct, but confusing. Parse "(everything
you believe) is stored?".)

This also makes me wonder - whatever happened to neural nets?

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Ban]

Rich Grise wrote:

Now, on to the metaphysical part - I claim that emotional release
releases hormones that can stimulate synapse growth - and how the
intellect interacts with the emotions during that critical moment
determines, or at least, influences what connections get made.
After all, isn't that where everything you believe is stored?
(That's grammatically correct, but confusing. Parse "(everything
you believe) is stored?".)

This also makes me wonder - whatever happened to neural nets?

Wow, must be some potent stuff, home grown or Columbiana?

Well I would do a little experiment and smoke for a week continuously
growing new synapses and then you can challenge Jim Thompson being a mensa
member.
The next step would be to drop some acid and play a pin-ball machine.
Remember the Who?
--
ciao Ban
Bordighera, Italy

 

[Rich Grise]

"Ban" <bansuri@web.de> wrote in message
news:KRXqc.297401$rM4.12473631@news4.tin.it...

Rich Grise wrote:

Wow, must be some potent stuff, home grown or Columbiana?
Well I would do a little experiment and smoke for a week continuously
growing new synapses and then you can challenge Jim Thompson being a mensa
member.
The next step would be to drop some acid and play a pin-ball machine.
Remember the Who?

The first time I took acid we went and saw a movie: "The Blood on Satan's
Claw." It was pretty cool. %-}

Interestingly, not too long ago, I was doing in the 300,000's - 400,000's
on Mr. Do, and after my first couple of hits of the day I got like 625,000.

I swear it makes a difference. One time while driving with some friends,
at a speed bump I opined, "I swear I can drive over these things better
high."
Somebody said, "That's because you're more patient." But you do have a
tendency to get lost if going around a clover-leaf interchange.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Guy Macon]

Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

[snip]

So Rich, is it your intention to actively try to ruin what I am trying
to accomplish here with your [MOLOnT] in the header? Please be straight
with me and tell me your intentions. It is obvious that you can easily
sabotage my efforts, so if you tell me that that is your intent I will
declare you the "winner" and give up the idea.

Did I do something to offend you? Is there a reason why you are doing this?

 

[Richard Henry]

"Rich Grise" <null@example.net> wrote in message
news:_QYqc.4706$r6.1804@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

"Ban" <bansuri@web.de> wrote in message
news:KRXqc.297401$rM4.12473631@news4.tin.it...
Rich Grise wrote:

Wow, must be some potent stuff, home grown or Columbiana?
Well I would do a little experiment and smoke for a week continuously
growing new synapses and then you can challenge Jim Thompson being a
mensa
member.
The next step would be to drop some acid and play a pin-ball machine.
Remember the Who?

The first time I took acid we went and saw a movie: "The Blood on Satan's
Claw." It was pretty cool. %-}

Interestingly, not too long ago, I was doing in the 300,000's - 400,000's
on Mr. Do, and after my first couple of hits of the day I got like
625,000.

I swear it makes a difference. One time while driving with some friends,
at a speed bump I opined, "I swear I can drive over these things better
high."
Somebody said, "That's because you're more patient." But you do have a
tendency to get lost if going around a clover-leaf interchange.

I've heard it said by computer programmers that they are more creative when
they are high. They just can't type.

 

[John Larkin]

On Thu, 20 May 2004 04:30:07 GMT, "Rich Grise" <null@example.net>
wrote:


[snipped huge amounts of priceless stuff]

This also makes me wonder - whatever happened to neural nets?

Met fuzzy logic and ran away together, I hope.

Does anybody know of a neural net application that actually works?


John

 

[Scott Stephens]

John Larkin wrote:

Does anybody know of a neural net application that actually works?

Yea. Once upon a time I read about several manufacturers with
neural-chips. But like optical processors, they don't seem to be around.

I suspect the neural chips are in cruise missiles, IR and radar
targeting computer, and the optical processors in the NSA pgp-crackers

--
Scott

**********************************

DIY Piezo-Gyro, PCB Drill Bot & More Soon!

http://home.comcast.net/~scottxs/

**********************************

 

[Scott Stephens]

Richard Henry wrote:

I swear it makes a difference. One time while driving with some friends,
at a speed bump I opined, "I swear I can drive over these things better
high."
Somebody said, "That's because you're more patient." But you do have a
tendency to get lost if going around a clover-leaf interchange.


I've heard it said by computer programmers that they are more creative when
they are high. They just can't type.

The enthusiasm, creativity and short-term focus, and boosted creativity
is great. But it comes at the expense of long-term focus and resolve.

--
Scott

**********************************

DIY Piezo-Gyro, PCB Drill Bot & More Soon!

http://home.comcast.net/~scottxs/

**********************************

 

[Rich Grise]

"Scott Stephens" <scottxs@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Io4rc.85481$iF6.7280439@attbi_s02...

John Larkin wrote:

Does anybody know of a neural net application that actually works?

Yea. Once upon a time I read about several manufacturers with
neural-chips. But like optical processors, they don't seem to be around.

I suspect the neural chips are in cruise missiles, IR and radar
targeting computer, and the optical processors in the NSA pgp-crackers

Would'nt a neural net be almost a natural for OCR? Or is it so obvious

that that's a stupid quiestion?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

"Guy Macon" <http://www.guymacon.com> wrote in message
news:b8OdndPWgtAH_jHdRVn-ug@speakeasy.net...

Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

[snip]

So Rich, is it your intention to actively try to ruin what I am trying
to accomplish here with your [MOLOnT] in the header? Please be straight
with me and tell me your intentions.

Not exactly "ruin what [you are] trying to accomplish", more like "prod Guy
Macon because I think he's acting like a silly prig."

It is obvious that you can easily
sabotage my efforts, so if you tell me that that is your intent I will
declare you the "winner" and give up the idea.

Oh, quit taking yourself so damn seriously.

Did I do something to offend you? Is there a reason why you are doing
this?

Not "offend," exactly, but I like to play headgames with self-appointed
netcops.

Hope This Helps! ;-)
Rich

 

[Guy Macon]

Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

I like to play headgames with self-appointed netcops.

In my opinion, there is a world of difference between a self-appointed
netcops and a person making a polite request that everyone is free to
ignore. There are many people who have a strong desire to control
others, but there is no reason to assume that every attempt to get a
group of people to agree on a course of action is in that category.

 

[Rich Grise]

"Scott Stephens" <scottxs@comcast.net> wrote in message
newso4rc.85482$iF6.7280522@attbi_s02...

Richard Henry wrote:

I swear it makes a difference. One time while driving with some friends,
at a speed bump I opined, "I swear I can drive over these things better
high."
Somebody said, "That's because you're more patient." But you do have a
tendency to get lost if going around a clover-leaf interchange.


I've heard it said by computer programmers that they are more creative
when
they are high. They just can't type.

The enthusiasm, creativity and short-term focus, and boosted creativity
is great. But it comes at the expense of long-term focus and resolve.

Well, if by "long-term focus and resolve" you mean getting off on tangents
and doing a billion other things on the way to finishing an individual
project, like within a scope of during a given buzz, then I'd have to
wholeheartedly agree with you on that - I know when I do something stoned
I'll forget where I was, go off on tangents, and all sorts of stuff.
I also know that if it's something important, I need to double-check or
triple-check my work - if I need to start quadruple-checking, then I know
I'm too stoned to even play, say, find-your-foot or peek-a-boo. %->

But if you mean long-term as in from the beginning to the end of a career,
I'd say we have a talking point here. Of course, using myself for an
example isn't probably going to be very persuasive to the lawmakers,
but I've found that not only has it not been an obstacle to my reaching
my "long-term goals," but has enhanced both the journey and the result
so far. I'm not the picture of Napoleon Hill's rich man, by any means.
I just bought a digital camera today for $139.99 plus tax. I'll have
to figure out how to use the self-timer and simulate a tripod before
I do me - at arm's length I look like godzilla.

Anyway, my point is, I don't even _own_ a suit - my bank balance very
seldom gets over $1000.00, but I'm the happiest I could imagine being
so far. I have achieved my lifetime goal of Freedom. And I have enough
money to get whatever I want.

And I have what I've heard called "Great Inner Peace." But the role
that drugs played in my getting here wasn't like picking which wrench
to use on a bolt, it was more like examining exactly which bolts I
need to fuck with.

And, of course, except for a couple of really intense acid trips,
they've been so peripheral to my core journey that the influence is
almost negligible.

Oh, and the big one: I refuse to blame drugs for any of my own personal
shortcomings. Alcohol made me stupid, but mostly it just let the inner
stupidity out. I think I must have consumed a whole lifetime's supply
of alcohol by age 54 1/2, because my pancreas said, "Stop. Now." Three
fucking times before I got it! But I _like_ to get high, ergo, Thank
God/Goddess/All That Is for Pot!

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Scott Stephens]

Rich Grise wrote:

Well, if by "long-term focus and resolve" you mean getting off on tangents
and doing a billion other things on the way to finishing an individual
project, like within a scope of during a given buzz, then I'd have to
wholeheartedly agree with you on that

I think it is more like you consciousness diffusing outword into more
associations, so you have difficulty staying on one narrow train of
thought. Kind of the opposite of Ritalin, perhaps.

I've seen drawings made before and after Ritalin use. Before, the
pictures are more diffuse, after, they are less creative, more plain,
but rigid, defined and focused.

but I've found that not only has it not been an obstacle to my reaching
my "long-term goals," but has enhanced both the journey and the result
so far.

It hurt me. Here in the fascists Peoples Republic of Illinois, the high
school I attended decided I was worthless trash because I had long hair,
wore a jean jacket with a roach-clip on it. My attitude was "fuck the
system". I wouldn't have had that attitude if the pigs at my gradeschool
hadn't allowed the older kids to beat the fuck out of the younger ones.

I graduated with honors with an BSEET degree, and then found, at
numerous places, that sheepskins are basically titles of nobility in
corporate and government institutions.

If I had understood that, rather than propaganda about meritocracy, I
might have decided discretion was the better part of valor when it came
to bucking the system.

I'm not the picture of Napoleon Hill's rich man, by any means.

No, if we valued money and social prestige more than creativity and
accomplishment, we should have chosen law or politics. Or setting up a
crank lab.

Anyway, my point is, I don't even _own_ a suit - my bank balance very
seldom gets over $1000.00, but I'm the happiest I could imagine being
so far. I have achieved my lifetime goal of Freedom. And I have enough
money to get whatever I want.

And I have what I've heard called "Great Inner Peace." But the role
that drugs played in my getting here wasn't like picking which wrench
to use on a bolt, it was more like examining exactly which bolts I
need to fuck with.

Pot, more than cigarettes or alcohol taught me that sensations get
boring, hedonism is futile. As shallow as pride, the social drug, the
rat-race. I can be somewhat thankful for discovering what our culture
is. My enthusiasm and ambition I had in my youth to sacrifice for
"country" and "society", to live for other's approval, disaffected me
enough to find my own soul, and my real relationship to the Universe,
not a bunch of conflicting crap I was conned into believing, by deluded
preachers and a sick cult religion. But that has its consolation. If I
hadn't spent my 20's in church, repenting and serving, I might have felt
guilty for not being what society considers "moral". And I wouldn't be
able to name all the shit fundamentalism is full of, and the evil it is
responsible for.

The worst aspect of soft-drug use, even smoking, even getting a tattoo
or body-piercing (which Bill Orielly said should disqualify any youth
from a middle-class life) is that fascists will use these things as
indicators and labels of immorality. Jesus Christ described well the
truly immoral people, those hypocrites that write the letter of the law
in the spirit of social dominance, that call people "fools" and
"worthless" to assert dominance. Their drug is abusive, degrading pride,
their's the prestige that comes from writing rules that make criminals
of the innocent.

--
Scott

**********************************

DIY Piezo-Gyro, PCB Drill Bot & More Soon!

http://home.comcast.net/~scottxs/

**********************************

 

[Guy Macon]

Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

Would'nt a neural net be almost a natural for OCR? Or is it so obvious
that that's a stupid quiestion?

I worked on a project that used a neural network for optical character
recognition. It was scary how much better it was than other methods.

here is a place to get some code to get started with for those of the
microsoft/.bnet persuasion:
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/simple_ocr.asp

And here is one for Linux fans such as myself:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/lwneuralnet/



--
Guy Macon, Electronics Engineer & Project Manager for hire.
Remember Doc Brown from the _Back to the Future_ movies? Do you
have an "impossible" engineering project that only someone like
Doc Brown can solve? My resume is at http://www.guymacon.com/

 

[Guy Macon]

Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

Oh, and the big one: I refuse to blame drugs for any of my own personal
shortcomings. Alcohol made me stupid, but mostly it just let the inner
stupidity out.

I heard somewhere that in Italy people don't lose inhibitions when drunk,
simply because italians don't consider drunkenness to be an excuse.

 

[Ban]

Guy Macon wrote:

Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

Oh, and the big one: I refuse to blame drugs for any of my own
personal shortcomings. Alcohol made me stupid, but mostly it just
let the inner stupidity out.

I heard somewhere that in Italy people don't lose inhibitions when
drunk, simply because italians don't consider drunkenness to be an
excuse.

The thing is here in Italy you will hardly ever see a drunk making noises in
public because we have been trained not to make a "brutta figura" (bad
figure).
So by all means we keep a decent behaviour. I happened to be in a train from
Munich/Germany last year with thousands of Italians returning from the
famous Oktoberfest. Unlike the Germans who were singing/screaming with
wetted pants etc. you couldn't see a single Italian misbehaving. Really
amazing.
--
ciao Ban
Bordighera, Italy

 

[Scott Stephens]

Rich Grise wrote:

Anyway, my point is, I don't even _own_ a suit - my bank balance very
seldom gets over $1000.00, but I'm the happiest I could imagine being
so far. I have achieved my lifetime goal of Freedom. And I have enough
money to get whatever I want.
....
Oh, and the big one: I refuse to blame drugs for any of my own personal
shortcomings.

I've made it through 2/3 of Harrry's book, FYI. Have you read Rand's
"Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged"? Her "Virtue of Selfishness?".

I can tell you of a couple other traps, you won't want to know. Perhaps
not so much as traps as tragic ironies of a cruel, sick world.

*YOUR STRENGTH IS YOUR WEAKNESS*

The world is such, it is easier to destroy than create, which I leave it
to you to derive from the 2nd law of thermodynamics, if not experience.
Therefore, social engineers that can poison will find it easier to
profit and attain control of those that create.

Your desire to create is a goad to force you to create for others, if
they can control and thwart your desire.

*JUSTICE, RULE OF LAW, IS A CONSEQUENCE OF HEGEMONY*

The rule of law evolved as a consequence of mob rule, not the rule of
the Bully. A mob can overpower a bully. A wimpy *"Consensus Builder"*
can overpower the strongest individual by rallying a mob to kill him in
his weakness or sleep.

*THE JUST RETALIATION OF THE MORAL SANCTIONS THEIR
DEGRADATION/OPPRESSION IN THE EYES OF SOCIETY*

If you are smarter, more skillful, more talented, more clever than your
peers, you are no different than the bully that is stronger! The mob
has just as much "right" to smite you down, as the bully that beats them
with a club to degrade and dominate them, UNLESS...

*EXISTENCE EXITS*

Finlay Justice - Thank Rand! LIFE is the ultimate objective frame of
reference. The ends indeed justify the means - to the determent of
foolish individuals that think they or their cliche can dominate
existence. Little religions, nationalities and racist claim their ends
justify their means. But look at Earth from Space, and see what is in
LIFE's best interest!

*MORALITY MUST BE BASED ON THE FLOURISHING AND PROLIFERATION OF LIFE;
NOT THE DOMINANCE OF A NAME-BRAND GANG OF THUGS*

Why don't we peddle crystal meth, rather than design silly gadgets,
silly toys to make children smile? Because we love life. Because we love
what makes life worth living.

But as I said, this is our weakness, this is what the rich, fascist,
evil, satanic monsters use to goad us into dishonoring and destroying
our very souls.

*********

Read Rand's "Fountainhead". Cameron asked Roark to destroy his
schematics, rather than allow an evil world that honored fascism,
communism and hegemony to destructively profit from them.

Personally, having experienced such evil, I would rather die, as I soon
enough will inevitably, than give what gifts, what motivation, as a
consequence of my study of science and technology, the Universe itself
has blessed me with.

Would you, if in popular, contemporary terms, were a Jew, design the gas
chambers your fellow Jews would be gassed in, just because you always
had and interest and proficiency in the study of pesticides, human
respiration, and fluid dynamics?

*********

I have seen many, if not most, evils in this world. And to tolerate
degradation and domination is a fate worse than death. For the scholars
of Rand, it is worse than death, for the only way for intelligent life
to live is in freedom and equality, for the furtherance of the ultimate,
corporate value of life and living itself. Not to live as prey class for
a predator class, in a brief, miserable, evolutionary transition period.

Not to dot an "I" or cross a "T" somebody else has written. Not to
design crap that will make the corporation money when it need inevitable
repair. Not to settle for a woman every football jock has screwed, and
hates the wussy remaining men that the socialists expect to pay for
their bastard children. Not a drug that will give patience cancer, and
save the fed-thugs extorted tax revenue.

So, for me, unless the pigs confess their crimes against me (and
America!), repent, and pay restitution, so I can invent my own way, to
invent gadgets for the disaffected, survivalist revolutionaries that
will survive the coming apocalypse to renew the spirit of America's
Founders, I will, In'Shallah, put put a bullet in my head before I serve
the pigs with anything but subversion and destruction!

--
Scott

**********************************

DIY Piezo-Gyro, PCB Drill Bot & More Soon!

http://home.comcast.net/~scottxs/

**********************************

 

[Tim Auton]

John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote:
[snip]

Does anybody know of a neural net application that actually works?

Face recognition, handwriting recognition, market analysis, data
mining, risk assessment...


Tim
--
Love is a travelator.

 

[Mark Fergerson]

Rich Grise wrote:

"Scott Stephens" <scottxs@comcast.net> wrote in message
newso4rc.85482$iF6.7280522@attbi_s02...

Richard Henry wrote:


I swear it makes a difference. One time while driving with some friends,
at a speed bump I opined, "I swear I can drive over these things better
high."
Somebody said, "That's because you're more patient." But you do have a
tendency to get lost if going around a clover-leaf interchange.


I've heard it said by computer programmers that they are more creative

when

they are high. They just can't type.

The enthusiasm, creativity and short-term focus, and boosted creativity
is great. But it comes at the expense of long-term focus and resolve.


Well, if by "long-term focus and resolve" you mean getting off on tangents
and doing a billion other things on the way to finishing an individual
project, like within a scope of during a given buzz, then I'd have to
wholeheartedly agree with you on that - I know when I do something stoned
I'll forget where I was, go off on tangents, and all sorts of stuff.
I also know that if it's something important, I need to double-check or
triple-check my work - if I need to start quadruple-checking, then I know
I'm too stoned to even play, say, find-your-foot or peek-a-boo. %-

Been there, done that. Usually occurs right after I start
wondering _why_ I'm doing whatever it is. Goal selection,
you know.

But if you mean long-term as in from the beginning to the end of a career,
I'd say we have a talking point here. Of course, using myself for an
example isn't probably going to be very persuasive to the lawmakers,
but I've found that not only has it not been an obstacle to my reaching
my "long-term goals," but has enhanced both the journey and the result
so far. I'm not the picture of Napoleon Hill's rich man, by any means.
I just bought a digital camera today for $139.99 plus tax. I'll have
to figure out how to use the self-timer and simulate a tripod before
I do me - at arm's length I look like godzilla.

Having decided that toys are more important than money, I
noticed that toys can be had for far less than list price if
one is willing to poke around a bit. Sometimes the journey etc.

Anyway, my point is, I don't even _own_ a suit - my bank balance very
seldom gets over $1000.00, but I'm the happiest I could imagine being
so far. I have achieved my lifetime goal of Freedom. And I have enough
money to get whatever I want.

I own a couple suits in case I want/need to camouflage
myself as the sort who wears suits. Haven't so far, but you
never know.

Happiness isn't about stuff; it depends on the
satisfaction of intangibles, but those change as life proceeds.

And I have what I've heard called "Great Inner Peace." But the role
that drugs played in my getting here wasn't like picking which wrench
to use on a bolt, it was more like examining exactly which bolts I
need to fuck with.

There's more than one route to the "Engineer's Epiphany".

And, of course, except for a couple of really intense acid trips,
they've been so peripheral to my core journey that the influence is
almost negligible.

Acid, peyote, mushrooms etc. taught me to distrust my
senses. More precisely, to use their outputs as guidelines
as opposed to Absolute Truth. Since I got that about twenty
years ago, I haven't done any more.

Speed and "downers" taught me that I don't need them at
all, very quickly.

Heavier stuff I decided I didn't need by observing the
examples of others.

Oh, and the big one: I refuse to blame drugs for any of my own personal
shortcomings. Alcohol made me stupid, but mostly it just let the inner
stupidity out. I think I must have consumed a whole lifetime's supply
of alcohol by age 54 1/2, because my pancreas said, "Stop. Now." Three
fucking times before I got it! But I _like_ to get high, ergo, Thank
God/Goddess/All That Is for Pot!

Lucky me, I metabolize the stuff very quickly; never had
a hangover in my life, and none of my "organ meats" have
sustained permanent damage. OTOH it also helps let out my
"inner stupidity" as you say (nice phrase, that), and I
don't like being stupid. Not that the Herb Superb makes me
smart; it just seems to damp down all the little annoyances
of life so I can concentrate on interesting stuff.

Reading this thread merely reinforces my rather
rancid-minded opinions of why alcohol is legal, but pot
isn't (most places). For those who think of others as
sheeple and want to keep them that way, it's obviously the
way to go.

Some people I won't drink with because I don't like them
and know that alcohol won't change that; but I've yet to
meet a pothead I won't share with.

Mark L. Fergerson

 

[Active8]

On Fri, 21 May 2004 04:52:18 GMT, Ban wrote:

Guy Macon wrote:
Rich Grise <null@example.net> says...

Oh, and the big one: I refuse to blame drugs for any of my own
personal shortcomings. Alcohol made me stupid, but mostly it just
let the inner stupidity out.

I heard somewhere that in Italy people don't lose inhibitions when
drunk, simply because italians don't consider drunkenness to be an
excuse.

The thing is here in Italy you will hardly ever see a drunk making noises in
public because we have been trained not to make a "brutta figura" (bad
figure).
So by all means we keep a decent behaviour. I happened to be in a train from
Munich/Germany last year with thousands of Italians returning from the
famous Oktoberfest. Unlike the Germans who were singing/screaming with
wetted pants etc. you couldn't see a single Italian misbehaving. Really
amazing.

I wasn't raised to be Italian, but I am. I was however fed all the
good food Somehow I manage to keep myself in check when I'm
hammered. Keeps me from getting cut off - by the bartender. It's
funny. If you're with a crowd and they're raising hell, it's ok. But
sometimes if an individual starts getting loud, it's time to go.

--
Best Regards,
Mike