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Source: http://www.theage.com.au/national/woolies-shelves-safeway-brand-20080820-3ywj.html

So I read today all Victorias Safeway Supermarkets are being changed to Woolworths. Maybe I just need to adjust to the change and I will get used to it, by I don’t like the sound of Woolworths. It reminds me too much of sheep. The nickname “Woolies”, even more so. Here Woolie Woolies.

Tags: Safeway, Woolworths

What do we have here, a side-by-side comparison. I always have to wonder exactly where these are coming from, for, as in this case, the questioner hasn’t specified whether she is one of the girls in the photo or why she wants to know.

I’m going to assume she’s the girl in the first photo

These two specific pictures chosen are bias

• The first picture is of a giggly girl who looks like she may be friendly and unthreatening to the ladies. Submissive for the boys.
• Second picture is a look and pose that ladies might find threatening and a stereotypical image that might bring back bitter memories for some. It may remind some guys of rejection.

Where are these pictures from?

• The first picture looks like it may actually have been taken by the girl herself or at least from her own private collection
• The second one is a picture that looks like it has been sourced publicly

Tags: yahoo answers

Like any drug, it is possible for you to build a tolerance to weed. If you build a tolerance to a drug, it means that over time with consistent use, you have become accustommed to the drug and larger amounts are required to achieve the same effect.

Building A Tolerance - Signs\Problems

• Smoking weed more frequently in larger amounts means you are spending more money
• There’s a good chance the quality and\or nature of your highs will alter. The intensity and spiking of highs may reduce and result in a more dulled\spaced out experience
• Your sessions will have an element of dissatisfaction\dissappointment when you haven’t achieved expected highs
• Getting suitably stoned can become the primary focus of smoking, rather then enjoying the journey from first toke
• You may find yourself waiting to be stoned and even worse, not getting there
• Building a tolerance is the first step to becoming psychologically dependent on weed. It just doesn’t seem as recreational when you’re spending too much of the session chasing the high

Avoiding A Tolerance To Weed

• Well, first and foremost, don’t smoke everyday. Even better, limit yourself to the weekends and maybe once during the week
• I stand by my “Less Is More” philosophy here
  - Don’t aim to smoke so much that you’re too stoned to grasp anything
  - Don’t rely\wait on weed to show you a good time, more use it as a fun enhancer. It’s up to you to make your own fun, weed just puts an incredibly good spin on it (see: Things To Do When You’re Stoned)
• Once you start to feel yourself build a tolerance, take a break. For example, skip at least a day or don’t smoke for the rest of the week. Once you have done this, get back into it slowly. You should be able to gradually judge how often is good for you
• Treat every session like it is your last. Don’t take your weed for granted

Tags: dependency, dependent, marijuana, tolerance, weed

Bad Trip?

Okay, first of all, I’d like to start off by saying that the term “bad trip” may not be the best. A trip is complex and slotting it into black and white categories to begin with can restrict your experience.

• Bad trips usually refer to overwhelming and or intense feelings which can manifest themselves into challenging moments\episodes. Whether they are bad or good depends on how we choose to deal and look at them.
• Many people have experiences that they look back on as not just intense and overwhelming, but enjoyable and pivotal.
• These experiences are what other people would consider a “bad trip” and sometimes the reason why they become so anti-drug and/or choose to never experiment with drugs again.

Either way, here are some things you can do whenever you or one of your friends is experiencing a bad trip

If You’re Having A Bad Trip

Prevention of a bad trip and being in the right mindset to deal with the more intense moments is probably best, but I’ll just focus on what happens when it all gets a bit too much

• Simply remember or remind yourself that you have taken a drug. Whether it be marijuana or mushrooms, this is apart of it all. Resistance or fighting the drug will usually result in you feeling worse. You took drugs, go with it, let it take you for a ride and enjoy. Be confident that this will pass
• Do you feel like you could die? Is it your heart beating too fast or your breath too short and shallow? This is common and the only thing that makes it worse is you worrying and working yourself up into a state. I can make my heart beat faster when I’m NOT on drugs by doing that
• Write yourself notes to put yourself at ease and remind yourself that you are in a drug induced state. This is a more common approach by people under the influence of hallucinogens
• Breath deeply, have some water, think some happy thoughts and attempt a smile

If Your Friend Is Having A Bad Trip

• Don’t panic! Why would your friend calm down if your not
• Try to get them to focus on you without raising your voice and being commanding
• Ask them what they’re feeling. They may tell you or not say anything, with which you can calmly speak to them anyway.
• Explain to or remind them that they have taken “X drug” and that
  - They just need to relax and go with it
  - This is a normal part of the process
  - They are safe
  - You are there for them
  - It will be over soon
• Get them some water and tell them to take a sip slowly if they’re thirsty
• Use your gut instinct and brilliant social skills to gauge the correct approach.
  - You may not want to mother your friend too much, this could make them think that something really is wrong for you to be doing that.
  - Does talking agitate them more or do they find your talking soothing?
  - Do they need you to sit next to them, beside them or give them a couple of metres of space?
  - Is eye contact a good thing?
  - Is holding their hand, rubbing their back, or having your hand on their shoulder a good\bad idea?

Tags: bad trip, drugs

Drugs With Friends Is Fun!

Taking drugs with your friends can be amazing moments that you share together. They can lead to many laughs, connections and experiences that cannot be achieved in any other way.

Losing Friends To Drugs Isn’t Fun

Time spent with our friends WITHOUT drugs is crucial and if you become too accustomed to spending time with your friends under the influence, then its easy to lose your true connection you have with them.

Warning signs include:

• Can’t remember the last time you saw your friend(s) without being high
• When you do spend some time with your friend(s) while sober and you have nothing to say and have trouble connecting

Keeping Friends And Drugs Is Fun!

A balance is important and there are conscious efforts you can make to involve yourself in activities with friends that don’t involve drugs.

• Get out and about with your friends, go to the movies, take a drive, do some shopping, any activity that you can decide to do without drugs.
• Keeps your drug taking with your friends strictly to the weekend and any social activities during the week drug free. Chances are, if you have a life away from drugs during the week, your friends will be more encouraged to do so also, especially if they are close and want to see you during the week.
• Just be upfront and honest. Say for example; tell your friends you would love to see them next time without getting completely stoned off your face. I’ve usually had a good response from this and generally good friends will even appreciate the sentiment.

Tags: addiction, dependence, drugs, losing friends

I’m sure you will fit into at LEAST one of the categories

Tags: short movie, skit, stoner

Drugs can be fun. Or Horrible. Much of the time, it’s up to you.

Quite often the way people perceive a drug such as marijuana has to do with the way they handle the mind altering effects and those more intense and/or scary moments.  These scary moments don’t have to be the ones that make you believe that drugs will inevitably lead to psychosis. In fact, for many of us, these are some of the very moments we cherish the most.

If you’re able to see the scary moments as the mind altering adrenalin rush that they are, you can enjoy the moments rather then be paranoid and uncomfortable by them. Very similar to the way we approach things in life really.
 
Mind altering examples

Let me give you examples of different perceptions of the same stoned situation.

There’s someone at the door and you’re too freaked out to answer it
People 1: oh my god, this is so f#cking scarey, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do.
People 2: oh my god, this is so f#cking scarey, lol, we are NOT answering the door. Sssshhhhhh. Switch off the lights. Let’s go upstairs as quietly as we can and look through the window oh so very carefully.

You’re in your own house but all of a sudden everything is a bit scary
People 1: What the f#ck is going on, get me the f#ck out of here. [cry]
People 2: What the f#ck is going on!? Why is our house so scary!?! This is hilarious and scary all at once. Let’s run to every part of the house until we find the safest place. Okay, there’s a block of chocolate on the 3rd shelf of the pantry, let’s make a run for it then make our way quickly back to the safe spot.

You’re in a public place and you’re pretty sure everyone knows you’re stoned
People 1: I am NEVER doing this again. People know. They’re all looking at me. I want to go home. Drugs and people who take them are bad and now I’m one of them and everyone knows.
People 2: Everyone knows I’m stoned. Nah, I’m just stoned and I think everyone knows. Just talk to my friends, relax and laugh like normal. This is fun. Okay, paranoid again. I’m going to pretend to talk on my mobile for a while lol.

So there you have it. 3 examples of the many situations I have been in and two distinct mindsets you can take.

Tags: scary, stoned, trippy

Original Article in AGE here

Okay, I had to include this story for the headline alone. As a teenager (even as adults), who hasn’t tried to see how many friends they can fit in a car, cupboard, fridge or in this case, an elevator.

Most elevators have a maximum capacity written somewhere inside the elevator. The number of persons is usually far more then what most reasonable person can see as feasible.

• Who knows, the story doesn’t specify, but perhaps the elevator did indicate a maximum number of 26 persons.
• Being cheerleaders, maybe they didn’t exceed the maximum weight of the elevator either.

Tags: cheerleaders, elevator, lift, maximum capcity

Rapid heart beat, extreme love for your fellow man, tracers, deep breaths of air, bursting out of your skin and amazing music. Many of you out there will relate to some or all of these things as a good night out with a little bit of ecstasy. Just as ecstasy can give you one of the best nights of your life, it can also result in the following day being one of the worst. This is referred to as the dreaded “Come down”.

Different pills result in different come downs where some are severe whilst others may even be slow and mild. I’m going to give you some handy tips that have helped me deal with come downs effectively, sometimes even having pleasant ones. My tips are based on rare to occasional ecstasy consumption.

TIPS FOR THE COME DOWN

Preparation
Be healthy and well rested in the lead up to your ecstasy consumption. Your body and mind will be in a far better state to get the most out of your high. It will feel cleaner, you will have more energy, clarity and fun and will make a considerable difference in recovery.

Come Down With Friends
This would have to be my most important tip in having a pleasant come down. Whenever I partake in ecstasy (which is not very often) I plan to spend the entire weekend (preferably a long one) with the same friends I am taking ecstasy with. If the pill results in a bad comedown the company of those who are your loved and trusted friends and just shared this amazing evening with you is of extreme value. The absence of such people can result in the gaping empty depressed feeling that many people experience the next day.

Eat Healthy\Detox\Dehydrate
Your body has been through a lot and helping it recover is vital!
This means healthy eating and hydration.

• Keep the vitamin C up for the immune system and get a good dose of vegetables, fruit and meat.
• Prepare in advance and have all this food ready before your weekend, perhaps even some already cooked casseroles.
• You will most likely be dehydrated, so keep your fluid levels up. Have some Powerades\Gatorades on hand to ensure you replace the all important electrolytes.
• Last but not least, make sure the food you prepare is not just healthy but enjoyable. If the pill is leaning towards bad come down, food should provide comfort as well as nutrients.

Have A Shower\Bath
If you feel clean and fresh on the outside you will feel a lot cleaner and fresh on the inside.

• If possible, have a shower when you get home before sleeping or coming down, it can make the world of difference
•  Chances are after your night you’re probably fairly dirty and waking up fresh in a clean bed is a better feeling

Comfortable Surroundings
Be comfortable with your surroundings. A home is the easiest place to have full control of your environment.

• You can choose the lighting, let in light, close the blinds, choice is yours
• go outdoors or stay inside. Sloth on the couch, or lounge outside in the sun
• Whether you want to have music or not. Silence or music to suit your mood.
• If it’s quick and convenient places of nature can be great too. The beach, forest or country side are great places to get some fresh air and relax, preferably with a joint

Smoke Some Weed
This may not be for eveyrone, but for those of us it is, a little bit of weed can either take the edge off a bad comedown or piggy back the effects of the ecstasy so that you have yourself a brand new perspective on being stoned. Having a smoking session on some marijuana after ecstasy can make for a very relaxing and fun recovery day.

Avoid The Family And Other Friends
Just as it’s important to be in the company of your fellow pill popping friends, it’s probably a good idea to not see your family the next day or anyone else who isn’t sympathetic to your cause. In your unstable state, you may not feel very positive about what is normally a good relationship.

Malt\Milo
Especially a good idea as a nightcap, warm drinks containing malt such as Milo or Ovaltine are soothing, relaxing and can aid in making you sleepy.

Sleep
If you can possibly sleep when the partying appears to be over this is ideal. If you do sleep for several hours or so it’s best to be doing it in the same household as your friends so you can be there for each other upon waking. It would also be ideal to have food and fluid ready previous to party night to replenish the body immediately.

Remember That You’re Coming Down
Sometimes the next day or even into the following week you may be a little on edge, tense and more moody then usual and not actually remember why. When this occurs it is easy to stay in a state of irritation and confusion, which is all apart of an annoying comedown.

• Reminding yourself that it is a temporary imbalance bought on by the drug that will subside should help you feel more at ease just by this thought
• Have your friends remind you that you are probably on edge because of the drugs and you do the same for them
• Leave yourself a post-it note or two in the places that matter most, like on your monitor at work (do this before your weekend). Something like, “you might feel pretty rotten right now, don’t worry, you will feel MUCH better soon :)”. I’ve done it and it makes a big difference

Tags: come down, ecstasy, tips

Dope Smokers Not So Mellow
By Kate Benson
Original Article Here

According to this news article, statistics show that dope smokers are violent and generally mentally insane. Serioulsy, you’d think this so called “Medical Reporter” was smoking too much weed herself.

The Shocking Statistics!

“More than a third of people who present at Sydney emergency departments after smoking cannabis are violent and half have mental health problems such as severe anxiety and suicidal thoughts, shattering the image that dope smokers are relaxed and sleepy, researchers have found.”

Are You Retarded?
Let’s break this down.

• The cross section of people in this case were in Sydney EMERGENCY departments
  Considering this, a violent percentage of just over a third isn’t all that high. If you’re in an emergency ward, I would suspect you are there because SOMETHING IS WRONG
• Half have mental health problems such as anxiety and suicidal thoughts
  Anxious and suicidal BECAUSE they smoked weed? OR
  Anxious and suicidal BEFORE they smoked weed? or Mentally unstable with a anxious/suicidal disposition BEFORE they smoked weed?

More Shocking Stastics!

“The reality is that it (weed) can make  people highly agitated and trigger acute episodes of anxiety.”

This is true. For other people it can be perscription medicine, over the counter drugs, alcohol or even a coffee from Starbucks. My friend has experienced extreme anxiety and panic attacks from a coffee and it’s not all that unusual. Check out this article which is more credible then the weed one.

“the study, which covered two hospitals from 2004 to 2006, revealed that more than 9 per cent of cannabis users had depression or bipolar disorder, 5 per cent had schizophrenia and 4 per cent had paranoia and a history of self-harm.”

• Again. The Cross Section of people are in a hospital. The stats don’t seem all that high to me considering that the other 90% or so are happy and sedate
• My points from ”Are you Retarded?” stay relevant to this statistic

Admission

“The grass we smoked in the ’60s could have been lawn clippings compared to this completely different breed of nasty cat,” he said…Cannabis use was soaring among young professionals in the city and inner west, Dr Fulde said, but users rarely needed sedation”

Dr Fulde from emergency at St. Vincent’s hospital likes the gunja. Why is he being quoted for this story? He’s pro weed, though a little disenchanted by the quality of weed these days compared to the 60’s, he doesn’t seem to be all that jaded by it.

Tags: anxiety, schizophrenia, sedate, weed