thedub

Pioneers of space-age music. After and during the New Renaissance (otherwise known as the Space Renaissance, this will most likely come after) Guitars with lasers for strings have existed for a long time now, space-age instruments. What will future culture be like? I can not know. The future is here. The future is simply infinite presents (infinity of presence, a presence of infinity) - a part of our timeline we have not yet traveled to.

But I am no physicist or astronomer. Who am I to say anything, for I have no experience except my infinite gaze to the stars. And beyond.

Always beyond.

Is to look back to look down? I think not. If to look up is to look higher, to look back is simply to remember. Historical, symbolically allegorical.

preceding mutilation

It was only a few weeks ago that marijuana was legalized in Arizona for medicinal use. News clips showed supporters celebrating, smoking fat joints in the street, and embracing whole-heartedly the legalization of a drug that in over 3,000 years has never killed a single person.

 In fact, a study conducted by scientists from UCLA found absolutely no link between long-term marijuana use and any type of lung, head, or neck cancer. There was also no correlation between long-term consumption of cannabis and cancer of the mouth, tongue, throat, or esophagus. The team of scientists and researchers expressed their surprise and added that a certain chemical in the marijuana, THC (tetrahydrocanabinol), must contain anti-tumor properties which would encourage aging cells to die at an earlier time, thus preventing them from undergoing cancerous transformation.

To put it more simply, no one has gotten cancer from smoking bud – quite the opposite. The study concluded that people who smoke cigarettes are up to 20 times more likely to get cancer, but no matter how much weed you smoke you will not develop any sort of cancer.

Apart from not having any connection to cancer, marijuana is also used to treat those suffering from asthma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, glaucoma, and hundreds of other medical conditions – including autism. Unfortunately, due to its legal status and cultural taboo, not much funding is given to medical marijuana research. However, many students (and, according to some accounts, staff as well) at Barrington High School have decided to smoke this illegal herb either to treat a medical condition or just to relax and have a harmless good time.

An anonymous senior in all AP or Honors classes with a GPA of about 3.5 said, “It helps me deal with stress and anxiety problems I’ve struggled with for a long time. With my endocannabinoid system properly stimulated, I’m able to focus more and be more productive.” He added that it could induce paranoia in a bad environment, which he claimed was ‘highly due’ to the illegal nature of the drug.

Similarly, a sophomore also wishing to remain anonymous said, “I come to school high on a near-daily basis. It helps me to pay attention, focus, and I score high on all my tests.” As previously mentioned, marijuana has been legally prescribed to students with ADHD in California. This, of course, has sparked some controversy. But if it helps the student to concentrate, focus, and learn better – then the only issue is ignorance.

In today’s institutionalized education system, they will hardly if ever even mention the potential medical benefits of smoking marijuana. You don’t even have to smoke it! Cannabis can be ingested orally as well, through baked goods such as brownies or cookies, and even lollipops. There are several good educational films in circulation to inform yourself on the history of marijuana, implications to your health and society, and why it’s generally viewed as a drug for unmotivated, lazy, good-for-nothing, brain dead, hippie stoners.

The Union gets into the business of marijuana. Available online, this documentary explains how racism came into play in the illegalization of marijuana when Mexican ranchers brought it into the United States. It mentions why the popular myth that marijuana kills brain cells even exists, because of an experiment done by the United States government in which monkeys were literally suffocated in marijuana smoke. Grass, narrated by Woody Harrelson, does the same. Finally, Super High Me, starring comedian Doug Benson, details the effects of smoking marijuana every day for 30 days.

An international discussion forum, 420chan.org, is meant to provide a truly educational environment on current events, history, science, the arts, and drug use across the globe. It exists for users and non-users alike to ask questions and learn about a wide variety of topics without discrimination.

From a very early age we are told to ‘Just Say No’. Drugs are bad, no questions asked. Then what is Tylenol? Why do we continue to take Advil or aspirin, when these drugs actually have the potential to kill a person? Tens of thousands of Americans die yearly on prescription drugs yet this plant remains illegal and generally socially unacceptable to consume. We have to educate ourselves and educate the people we know if we truly wish to make a positive impact in our lifetime.

damn

i fucked up my sleep schedule, its 3:03am right now. i have more homework to do and have to go to school in 4 hours then stay awake for at least another 5.

here are my experiences as a result of sleep deprivation for two days:

1. Visual Hallucinations - Staring at a mug, I knew it was the same size but I saw it pulsing, growing, throbbing. I currently still see objects move slightly in space. There was some sort of manifestation in my bathroom, if someone saw it they would have thought it was an intruder or a ghost. I saw a person walk by me, well I thought I did. Stationary objects would seem to blend in together.
2. Auditory Hallucinations - I drove to school this morning, not the smartest idea, as I was driving I heard my mom say something. She didn’t say anything. At one point during the night I thought I heard music but my house was completely silent and everybody dead asleep.
3. Loss of Concentration - It wasn’t that I couldn’t pay attention, but that my thoughts would mix themselves up with other thoughts or other things happening around me. As I was writing something down, an answer to a question on my homework, I also began thinking about something else. I started writing about something else without even noticing it. I was motivated but somehow incapable of being a good listener in class, talking face to face was perhaps the only manner I could actually pay attention to something without hardly any loss of concentration. I had to read out loud, at one point almost yelling, so I could know what I was reading about and so not to get as easily distracted.
4. Memory Loss - I couldnt remember words I always said or facts I learned the night before. My train of thought was lost probably about 20 times - I had to take a quiz and I could hardly remember anything even though I’d done all the homework and studied for about an hour. Due also to concentration, my memory was absolutely negatively effected.
5. No Mental Agility - I’m usually a fast and productive worker, I was sluggish and slow. Having trouble concentrating and remembering affected how fast and how well I worked. Also, because I had more time to work, I procrastinated more.

That’s all I can remember right now, I had several symptoms of dementia - good thing I took that 7 hour nap today! I would have had video documentation but my computer was too slow. I don’t plan on doing this ever again, I enjoy having all my brain cells :3 its generally unhealthy. 3:36am right now, something flashed on the chair next to me. Can’t wait to get a good night’s sleep.

4:11am now, just remembered that it so obviously impaired and negatively affected my learning ability. didnt do well on that quiz because of memory and memory due to concentration. all of this relating back to sleep deprivation, but my learning ability is a big one

ride my rocket!

got home from school, feelin a little less good than i normally do. irritated eyes for a while, harder to comprehend certain things, slower mental work at school and two people said i looked tired (although i didnt feel tired)

clearly sleep deprivation does have negative effects on your health, although these are of a miniscule proportion it still matters very much to know the side effects of extended sleep deprivation. i havent even been awake for that long, i didnt sleep last night or the night before - so merely 2 days.

i havent taken any sort of stimulant, no caffeine or energy drinks, just apples, juice, water, etc. i dont exactly feel tired, but theres a sense of fatigue in my mind. its certainly had an effect on not the way i think but the way my thoughts are processed. not sure whether to continue the experiment or call it off since clearly you don’t function normally under these conditions of prolonged sleep deprivation, sleep is necessary so your brain can rest. its like a charger. theres something called microsleep where you sleep for a fraction of a second up to around thirty seconds and most of the time the person doesnt even notice.

after school i went outside to catch the bus, waited 15 to 25 minutes for it to come, it was very late and i was told there was a lack of communication with the bus company and the driver. every day it was a new driver so they apparently couldnt get ahold of her. theres always around 60 kids packed into a normal sized school bus - but when the bus came it was a small 20-seater because thats the amount the bus driver was told she was to pick up - even though its always ranged from 45 to 60. they called for another bus, same size..

i just put a box of cereal in the sink :/ its 1:42pm

that was weird

4:40am now, feel the same as i did before. i thought there was a person in my bathroom, it resembled a shadow, this manifestation but of course it was just my mind being weak again. So heres my plan:

1. im going to make delicious eggs with beans and tortillas (and tobasco sauce)
2. IM GOING TO EAT IT
3. and then a shower will ensue
4. so then i can go ride my bike and take pictures/videos
5. steps three and four may be reversed

i finished all my homework, even though we have 15 minutes to do it in class tomorrow - ill just use that time to study so far my lack of sleep has had no negative effects on me i can notice that will severely impact my health

if you havent checked it out yet, theres a great 1 hr documentary on youtube called America’s Largest Street Gang, naturally its referring to the police i thought it was good to say the least. Watch it sometime !

whoa and why

i do this out of my own curiosity, a thirst for knowledge acquired by my own hands, for science and part entertainment. something just flashed at the corner of my left eye, it was like a shiny disk - but i think it was a reflection.

im lookin at this cup in front of me, memories of doing shrooms comes to mind. this cup is growing but i know its not. i believe its a trick involving shadows, the shape of the cup, and me staring it down. I still don’t feel the need to sleep. I wonder how it’ll go in summer school tomorrow. dads almost home, i want to make some eggs.. with ketchup:D and tortillas.. and beans

my mouth is watering a little, i sort of feel like im tripping. nothin major, just something to enjoy for a short while. this was written around 2:50am, today will be my second or third day awake. Dont know, dont care

the sleepless

as of writing this, itll take 9 hours to upload a video to facebook so im forced to type my experiences of voluntary sleep deprivation for the time being.

my friend said that you could die from lack of sleep - i completely denied his claim that one could die from sleep deprivation. so im set out to prove him wrong (even though theres documented evidence of healthy individuals being awake for 11 days and 18 days) its not even simply about that though, but personal curiosity and a bit of entertainment.

my goal is to prove that a healthy individual can not only survive extended periods of sleep deprivation, but can in fact function normally and remain productive

a history/english teacher said that after 10 days of no sleep, one would die. She read this on a snapple bottle cap… Of course she’s wrong too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Gardner_(record_holder)

Randy Gardner holds the scientifically documented record for the longest period of time a human being has intentionally gone without sleep not using stimulants of any kind. In 1964—as a 17-year-old high school student in San Diego, California—Gardner stayed awake for 264 hours (eleven days), breaking the previous record of 260 hours held by Tom Rounds of Honolulu

b&N

My eyes sting. Or they burn. Legs outstretched, just the left one actually.

I yawn and my eyes water, as it should happen to any normal person. Damn, it’s dark outside and it’s only 5:30 in the afternoon. I just saw a cute guy I’ve liked for years and never told him. Saw him walk right out, I think he noticed me but i don’t think much of it.

At least I tell myself I don’t. I’m lucky to be here - and it’s amazing to think that actually - that I should be lucky to sit in a public area. Well, there’s the thing. It’s not really ‘public’, it’s ‘private property’… I’m not a customer, I actually deeply loathe this establishment for reasons greater than myself. Really, I’m just here to use the Internet available for all.

I almost described it as ‘stealing’ but god damn it, it’s not. I’m not stealing anything. They’re stealing from us. Robbing us shit-blind.

Just typed in whoami.org in another tab and it took me to the Vietnamese community connection portal… which apparently has been alive and running since 1994.

More importantly than that, I just saw a woman walk by the window beside me. Why don’t I get any signal in this place? Free internet but no service? That’s how you know we live in a capitalist society - you’re always fucked somehow.

a journey out of corporatism!?

To start off, if you haven’t already seen The Corporation - go ahead and look it up on Google. An incredible, eye-opening documentary on the horrors that corporations are responsible for, from McDonald’s to Viacom to Disney. At this point, I wouldn’t be able to live very easily without these corporations unless I was a freegan dumpster diver (see, freeganism). I mean, I don’t eat meat. That’s easy compared to totally ignoring and abstaining from products made by very powerful companies. Many have actually made an effort to fighting one specific corporation. The documentary McLibel has its own dedicated group of followers who protest against animal cruelty and hazardous working conditions in McDonald’s around the world [among a variety of other things].

At least one family has decided to totally go against the social norm and reject all forms of common sense. Haha, at least that’s the way most people would see it. This family, in their efforts of experimentation and anti-corporatism will refrain from using Disney products for a year. What really gets my attention though is that this family consists of two young daughters, ages 12 and 8. The fact is, who doesn’t know who Miley Cyrus is? Or the Jonas Brothers? You can check them out at www.YearWithoutDisney.com

Their criticisms range from that of depriving their daughters of a good life and being bad parents to simply fighting a pointless fight. But these critics are wrong! Isn’t it the thought that counts? I mean, have you ever really watched television? It’s artificial attitude, superficial messages, and our consumerist culture aren’t exactly something I want to be associated with. It’s not a bad thing, if anything, this family should be an example to families across the United States! That good parenting doesn’t consist of plugging your children into a television set, a good education isn’t having the ability to recite lyrics by Lil Wayne, or knowing why Lindsay Lohan is in jail. Whatever happened to raising your children on your own, intelligently? Reading! Writing! Drawing! Without the aid of large corporations and mind-numbing ‘entertainment’.

Why does it seem to me that this is some sort of counter-culture now?

screw this

right after school today i fell asleep for 6 or 7 hours, very nice sleep:)

it was really affecting my memory and concentration after only 2 days, clearly it wasn’t going to get any better so i lied down on a couch to rest - told myself not to go to sleep - and then i woke up around 8pm

one good thing came out of this now, i realize how easy it is for one to stay awake through the night so if necessary ill be able to do it. because fell asleep so early i didnt do much homework, i might not sleep tonight :/

into the night

1:45 am

so far so good, i think i had two very minor hallucinations - my eyes and brain playing tricks on me while doing some history homework. i had to read out loud so that my mind didnt start thinking on its own and mixing up thoughts. weird stuff, difficult to explain.

usually you think for yourself. but has your mind ever begun thinking on its own? imagine dreaming while you’re awake, i can tell thats what my brain tried to do but i didnt allow it. no signs of fatigue, no head ache or signs of ill health whatsoever except for the slight strain on my brain of no sleep.

i try to keep my brain working well by doing homework and thinking loudly. This isn’t difficult, but it’s a bit of a chore. People apparently do this often, some can only handle two days - others claim two weeks…

its now 1:52 since i began writing this, not sure if i should go to the gym on wednesday. i went to a boot camp thing today, that shit was raw - kept me awake like a motherfucker!

1:55 now, i want to go for a bike ride outside but those pigs will be all over me. ill go in a couple hours when the sun starts comin up - probably get a vid of that.