Archive for May 9, 2012

Retro: Study: High Times Not A Gateway Magazine To Harder Readings

Photo of first Issue of High Times magazine – Summer 1974

from the Onion

NEW YORK—Casual readers of the marijuana-enthusiast magazine High Times are no more likely than non-readers to develop a habit for harder forms of reading, according to a study released Monday by the National Institutes of Health.

The findings raise significant doubts about the so-called “gateway magazine” theory, which claims that High Times readers run a higher risk of moving on to harder-hitting titles such as Time and Newsweek, or even mind-expanding publications like Scientific American.

“The conventional wisdom is that High Times users go on to experiment with harder-cover reading materials, becoming ‘book junkies’ who rummage through street bargain bins for a fix,” said Dr. David Kunkel, the study’s chief author. . . . Read Complete Report

In case you really have to flee the authorities…

from Sovereign Man

by

May 9, 2012
Sao Paulo, Brazil

When most people think of Brazil, it’s the incredible beaches that come to mind. Or the crazy parties of Carnival. Or the spectacular vistas and great weather. Or how indescribably gorgeous (and welcoming) the locals are.

But here’s a little known fact, and it’s something that sets Brazil apart from most other places: Brazil’s constitution prohibits the extradition of Brazilian citizens to other countries. This is a rare gem in the world… I’ll explain. . . . Read complete Report

Insider Report: Underground Infrastructure…The Missing Forty Trillion Dollars?

Submitted by a long time West Coast Insider
Posted by on May 7, 2012
by Steven J. Smith

 

Introduction

For many years there have been reports and rumors of a vast network of underground complexes and tunnels beneath the North American continent.

Starting in the late 1980s, the American government has tried to deflect these rumors through a campaign of misdirection and misinformation. Disclosure of the Greenbrier Congressional Shelter at White Sulphur Springs is a good example of this campaign.

To believe the existence of the Greenbrier complex was revealed against the wishes of the American government is the height of naiveté. This revelation was allowed to take place. The Greenbrier underground complex was no longer useful, so it was sacrificed to divert attention away from a much larger secret. In other words, a classic misdirection ploy.

While I do not have complete knowledge concerning the extent of America’s covert underground infrastructure, I do have detailed first hand experience with many sites near my home in Oregon. Based on my experiences, and assuming a roughly uniform distribution correlated with U.S. population demographics, the total number of covert underground facilities is in the tens of thousands.

What follows is both a compendium of my observations, and a do-it-your-self field guide for those who wish discover the true extent of the American covert underground infrastructure.

Rabbit holes . . . Read Complete Report

Robosquirrels versus rattlesnakes

from Phys Org

photo: Robot squirrels built by UC Davis engineers are being used to study how rattlesnakes and squirrels interact. Credit: Andy Fell, UC Davis

Robot squirrels from the University of California, Davis, are going into rattlesnake country near San Jose, continuing a research project on the interaction between squirrels and rattlesnakes.

In the lab, robot squirrels have shown how squirrels signal to snakes with heat and tail flagging. Through , researchers from San Diego State University and UC Davis aim to learn more about rattlesnake behavior.

It’s not the only use of robots to study animal behavior at UC Davis. Terry Ord, a former postdoctoral researcher now at Harvard University, used robot lizards to study display behavior by anole lizards in the jungles of Puerto Rico. Gail Patricelli, professor of evolution and ecology, has used a camera-equipped robot hen to study the of these prairie birds. . . . Read Complete Report