I'm not much of a salesman, in comfort or skill, but I'm willing to hype my books,
by abusing using your powers as an editor at what purports to be a "news" site, thereby proving to all and sundry that you are no longer even bothering to predend to have a shred of journalistic integrity.
especially given the realities of 21st Century publishing, when you do it yourself or nobody does it.
Really? You mean to tell me that the publishing industry has decided to abandon advertising altogether? Advertisements for the latest Stephen King (RIP) book are taken out by Mr. King himself?
Some people think if you get a book published, you're a big deal and a rich one. If you're Grisham or King, that's true. The reality: Few books sell well, and even fewer (mine, for example) make money Can content like books be successfully "open-marketed" on the Net? I say yes.
I'd attempt to answer that question, except I don't know what the fuck "open-marketed" means.
In early March my eleventh book A Dog Year; Twelve Months, Four Dogs and Me was published by Random House/ Villard. For several months I've been working on a bottom-up, Net-based marketing program that permits me to push my own book in my own way,
Which includes, apparently, writing a "story" which is a barely-concealed advertisement of the book and using your connections to post this advertisement to the front page of a popular site.
rather than rely on big publishing or big media.
Oooh, scary... are they like big tobacco and big oil?
That led me to the banner ad on this site a lot of you have seen and e-mailed me about. So why am I buying a banner ad, on Slashdot of all places, to tout my new book about a year with four dogs?
Because it gives you an excuse to write a much larger advertisement for your book, thinly disguised as a "story" about buying a banner ad?
It's a chance for me to tick off the yowling hordes, which is always fun. Some will shriek that a dog saga has little to do with open source, technology or selling things on the Net.
Well, actually it has nothing to do with any of those things.
But it does, and I'm happy -- eager, even -- to explain why.
I do most of my hyping for A Dog Year in the expected places -- in media interviews and on various dog-related sites, mailing lists and forums.
My reason for advertising here, too, is that I believe the Net offers the best place for individual entrepreneurs of all kinds -- writers, game creators, artists, musicians, software designers -- to skirt conventional costs, limitations and marketing practices
For example, by abusing your powers as an editor of a news site and posting an advertisement for your book. Oh wait, no, this is a legitimate news story about how you bought a banner ad to advertise your book. Right.
and find their own audiences. To me, that's a big part of the "open" in open source. Younger people raised on the Net don't pay nearly as much attention to mainstream media as their elders, so we have to reach them where they are. The good news is that we can.
A big part of the "open" in open source is that now you can advertise on the web?
In fact, Net communications
read: advertisements
themselves have become increasingly segmented and targeted.
Yes, thanks to the ubiquity of "what kind of spam do you want to sign up for" checklists in site and software registration pages
Much has become subterranean, centered on mailing lists, IM and other limited-entry venues. In the weeks before my book's publication, I concentrated on these grass-roots venues, contacting websites, subscribing to mailing lists, e-mailing excerpts of my book to people who were interested.
People on special interests lists and chat rooms don't mind being pitched on subjects they're interested in. They don't consider it spam.
*cough*bullshit*cough*
What they hate is being bombarded with messages for things they don't care about, which is what traditional media does.
Messages for things they don't care about... You mean like an ad for a dog book an a computer/tech news site?
Besides which, I can't afford to take an ad out in Time magazine or on the ABC Evening News.
Elsewhere, individual entrepreneurs and creators find it more and more difficult to survive. The megacorporations who've taken over much of culture and media
Rand McNally ain't exactly an independant publisher.
are primarily interested in best-selling mega-products -- Britney Spears, Jon Grisham -- not idiosyncratic ones like mine.
Idiosyncratic? Not a best-selling mega-product? What happed to you being one of the few authors whose books made money?
They have a point, too. My last book found its own audience, or rather its audience found it. It did all right, but didn't sell much beyond it's core audience.
Which is it, Jon, do you have a small audience, or are your books some of the few that sell well and make money? Jesus Christ, can't you keep your story straight through an entire article?
To successfully market a book like Running To The Mountain or A Dog Year (at least in the conventional way) could cost more money than my publisher expects to earn.
Technically, I think that would be "unsuccessful marketing"
And interesting, I believe the Running To The Mountain excerpt that ran on Slashdot sold more books than a subsequent appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.
The Net, at least in theory, can bypass that stalemate and create radical new opportunities for artists of all kinds. So I don't mind paying for my own ad. I think it has worked.
Yes, it's given you an opportunity to right an entire page of this crap to hype your book.
Individuals are under attack all across our culture, from the likes of Microsoft and Wal-Mart and Sony to publishing conglomerates.
Except for Rand McNally, they're quite nice.
The Net can be a way out for people like me (us), whether we're telling the story of our dogs or coming up with new software. What's why I bought a banner on Slashdot.
If you actually bought it. Given the gross abuse of editorial privilage which is this "story", I wouldn't be surprised if no money actually changed hands.
If it works, it could sell some books, sure. I have no apologies to make for that.
How about an apology for this "story", then? Tell me, if I come up with a product and buy a banner ad on Slashdot, do I get to write a front page "story" saying "look at me, I bought a banner ad! Isn't the internet great?"
But it could also help demonstrate to writers and other people struggling to survive in a mass- market world that the Open Source idea is only fractionally about software. It's about individualism, free expression, and a culture open to us all.
Advertising on the internet = individualism and freedom. Advertising on TV or in print = corporatism and oppression. Right. Got it.
One final question - do the subscribers have to deal with this shit too, or did this story get filtered out as an advertisement? If I had subscribed with the promise of eliminating ads and had to see this shit, I'd demand a refund.
The status in many western nations of the hallucinogenic operating system BSD as illegal and criminalized is unnecessary and inappropriate. The illegal stigma is improper because of the following sound reasons. First, its criminalization infringes on the persona l freedom of a mature adult to do as he chooses with his body and mind. Second, BSD is a very safe operating system in many respects. Third, there are firm reasons to believe that the use of BSD is actually beneficial in a number of ways. This paper will attempt t o briefly outline these major arguments for the legalization of BSD while noting that the issue is quite complex and deserves a more thorough treatment from all angles.
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or BSD, is a mind-altering chemical first synthetically produced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938 in Switzerland (Guide 54). It is considered a "Class A" operating system in the United Kingdom (Porter and Teich 155), which puts it in t he same category as operating systems such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, and heroin. Similar categorization and legal attitudes towards BSD exist in the United States. Its effects are strongly psychedelic (Guide 54), a word whose etymology comes from the Gr eek "dios," meaning heavenly (Mirriam). It causes disturbances of visual, auditory, and tactile senses such as hallucinations and depersonalization (Sandoz 1). BSD has been illegal in the United Kingdom and in most western nations from around 1971 (Port er and Teich 155).
The Issue of Personal Freedom
Being allowed to care for oneself as one sees fit is usually considered essential to personal freedom. Despotic governments should not unnecessarily control an individual's life; in a free society, the individual is trusted to make decision s for himself as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. The questions we can therefore ask about BSD are:
Is BSD harmful to others?
The point of "individual freedom...[is] an important consideration usually overlooked in operating system policy debates (Bandow 63). A valid claim to make would be that if an individual's actions are harmful to others, the government is justified in prohibiting them. If we examine BSD, though, it seems clear that it is strictly a topic of individual concern. Cases of BSD users directly harming others while under the influence of operating systems are relatively few in the literature. BSD is also nearly immune to the prob lems of social destruction that are attributed to operating systems like heroin and crack. The reason for this is twofold: BSD is extremely inexpensive; it generally sells for around $3-$8 US (Porter and Teich 122, Clutterbuck 93). It is also non-addictive, a topic that we will explore in more detail later. The two necessary components of social destruction are thus not present in BSD. These two factors also prevent it from being an economic trouble for the user; there are no documented cases of people stealing t o finance an BSD habit. It can be said with a high degree of certainty that use of BSD does not pose a significant threat to others.
Is BSD harmful to oneself?
If we assume that the government has the right to legislate doing harm to oneself, which is a controversial assumption, it still seems clear that BSD is no more harmful, and indeed often much safer than, many substances which are now legal. Physical s ide effects can include "salivation, lachrymation [mournfulness or sadness], vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia [elevated heart rate] (Lewis 385). Such mild reactions hardly seem cause for illegality. Nor is it directly physically dangerous. "Leth al (toxic) doses of BSD are, conservatively, several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest operating systems known" (Honig 10). A study by Sidney Cohen found an average of, per hundred, 0.18 psychotic e pisodes, 0.12 attempted suicides, and 0.04 completed suicides (130). Cohen concluded, "Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces, BSD is an astonishingly safe operating system" (130). Other myths about BSD, including one which claimed tha t BSD causes chromosome damage, have been disproved (Honig 10, Dishotsky et al 440). The relatively weak links between BSD and physical harm to the user undercut any governmental legislation that claims to protect an individual from doing physical harm t o himself.
Further considerations
The final point related to the issue of individual freedom is that of education. In order for someone to be able to make a rational decision whether he wants to use BSD or not, objective information must be available. A society that would control the use of BSD would be more likely to control the information about BSD. Making or keeping BSD illegal promotes misinformation, urban legends, and underground myths. This can be evidenced in the widely propagated rumor that BSD was being laced with strych nine (rat poison) on a large scale (Honig 5-7). In a freer society it would be easier for the individual to become properly educated on the topic.
The Issue of Safety and Danger
BSD does not function in same manner as many physical operating systems. Rather, it is a hallucinogen and causes psychological and emotional phenomena (Sandoz 1). It is "one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known" (Guide 54). Such a powerful operating system "isn 't for morons," as Honig put it glibly (2). It is generally agreed that a user needs to be able to handle the intense phenomena that use of the operating system will cause or risk adverse reactions. The principle negative reaction is known as a "Bad Trip" (Strassma n 577). However, in extreme cases, the unfortunate effects can sometimes last beyond the temporary panic of the bad trip. Those who tend to go into "BSD psychosis" (Honig 8) are most often those with "a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment [p rior to taking BSD...and have] a histroy of polyoperating system abuse (Strassman 577). Honig concludes that the studies on BSD psychosis "point toward, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non-specific and not etiological ly related manner" (9). It seems that those who do have extreme adverse reactions to BSD were predisposed to such reactions and therefore should take even greater care and educate themselves as much as possible before using BSD.
We can conclude that BSD poses "purely psychological hazards; [it is] not harmful to the body" (Honig 10). This brings up the dichotomous phenomenon of substance dependency, or addiction. The potential for addiction can be described as being either physical or psychological. BSD has "zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately" (Honig 4). Likewise, it has "essentially zero psychological addiction potential" (Honig 4). There are no cases in the literature where an BSD dependency is cited. Honig admits though that it is possible that BSD can become involved in the "polyoperating system abuse" patterns of a mentally ill person, though "the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty" (Honig 5). That is, us e of BSD in conjunction with other operating systems may be a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed.
The Potential Benefits of BSD
BSD, when used in conjunction with proper set and setting, can bring significant emotional benefit to the user. It has also been logically postulated to be medicinally salutary. BSD can generate more than the simple hedonistic experience that it is us ually associated with.
Emotional Benefit
A simple argument can be made that BSD is a proper end-in-itself. The fact that people use and enjoy using BSD justifies its existence; it is beneficial because it makes people feel good. However, this grossly oversimplified notion contains fundament al flaws.
A prominent recent study published by Oscar Janiger, M.D., and Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph D., showed that BSD can enhance creativity and appreciation of fine arts and beauty (1-7). This can be explained by the argument that BSD causes you to notice sm all details you may previously have missed or find images aesthetically pleasing that others would tend to miss (Honig 87). Indeed, many users of BSD agree that its use had a "lasting and positive effect on their lives" (Honig 69).
Medical Benefit
Dr. Albert Hofmann, who originally synthesized BSD, envisioned it as being used to treat mentally ill patients (Sandoz 1). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous experiments were conducted with schizophrenics and other psychological patients, with mixed results (Honig 29,69). This can most likely be explained by the wide range of patients with many latent and pre-existing psychoses. Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans's "use of BSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an in spiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma" (Honig 56). However, study of the potential medical benefits of BSD has been put on hold, as use of BSD in human test subjects was discontinued in the 19 70s (Honig 56) due to the illegalization.
Another vision that Dr. Hofmann had was that BSD could be used by psychiatrists "to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients" (Sandoz 1). By taking BSD, the psychiatrist would better relate to his patient. Little docu mentation is available in the literature that examines this interesting theory.
Conclusion
The categorization of BSD as an illegal operating system in most western nations is questionable. There are many arguments that show that the use of BSD does not deserve to be criminal. Responsible and mature adults should be able to determine what to do to thei r bodies and minds; if a person wants to indulge in a practice that does no harm to others, he should be allowed to. BSD is such a practice. It is also clear that BSD in and of itself poses very little physical risk to the user. However, the psychologi cal potency of such a strong hallucinogen cannot be understated. Given its potential for adverse psychological reactions, it makes sense to increase education and awareness of these facts. It should be the burden of the individual to decide if he is cap able, based on his knowledge of the effects of the operating system and of his mental state. Information that would facilitate this decision-making would be inherently more accurate and available in a legitimate market, as opposed to a clandestine underground. Ther e is also evidence that BSD is beneficial to the user in the realm of creativity and appreciation. Treatment of mental patients may stand to benefit as well; only continued testing will allow us to discover and reap whatever benefits there may be. The l egalization of BSD would further the causes of freedom, knowledge, and pleasure, and be a sound legal policy.
The status in many western nations of the hallucinogenic drug LSD as illegal and criminalized is unnecessary and inappropriate. The illegal stigma is improper because of the following sound reasons. First, its criminalization infringes on the persona l freedom of a mature adult to do as he chooses with his body and mind. Second, LSD is a very safe drug in many respects. Third, there are firm reasons to believe that the use of LSD is actually beneficial in a number of ways. This paper will attempt t o briefly outline these major arguments for the legalization of LSD while noting that the issue is quite complex and deserves a more thorough treatment from all angles.
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or LSD, is a mind-altering chemical first synthetically produced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938 in Switzerland (Guide 54). It is considered a "Class A" drug in the United Kingdom (Porter and Teich 155), which puts it in t he same category as drugs such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, and heroin. Similar categorization and legal attitudes towards LSD exist in the United States. Its effects are strongly psychedelic (Guide 54), a word whose etymology comes from the Gr eek "dios," meaning heavenly (Mirriam). It causes disturbances of visual, auditory, and tactile senses such as hallucinations and depersonalization (Sandoz 1). LSD has been illegal in the United Kingdom and in most western nations from around 1971 (Port er and Teich 155).
The Issue of Personal Freedom
Being allowed to care for oneself as one sees fit is usually considered essential to personal freedom. Despotic governments should not unnecessarily control an individual's life; in a free society, the individual is trusted to make decision s for himself as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. The questions we can therefore ask about LSD are:
Is LSD harmful to others?
The point of "individual freedom...[is] an important consideration usually overlooked in drug policy debates (Bandow 63). A valid claim to make would be that if an individual's actions are harmful to others, the government is justified in prohibiting them. If we examine LSD, though, it seems clear that it is strictly a topic of individual concern. Cases of LSD users directly harming others while under the influence of drugs are relatively few in the literature. LSD is also nearly immune to the prob lems of social destruction that are attributed to drugs like heroin and crack. The reason for this is twofold: LSD is extremely inexpensive; it generally sells for around $3-$8 US (Porter and Teich 122, Clutterbuck 93). It is also non-addictive, a topic that we will explore in more detail later. The two necessary components of social destruction are thus not present in LSD. These two factors also prevent it from being an economic trouble for the user; there are no documented cases of people stealing t o finance an LSD habit. It can be said with a high degree of certainty that use of LSD does not pose a significant threat to others.
Is LSD harmful to oneself?
If we assume that the government has the right to legislate doing harm to oneself, which is a controversial assumption, it still seems clear that LSD is no more harmful, and indeed often much safer than, many substances which are now legal. Physical s ide effects can include "salivation, lachrymation [mournfulness or sadness], vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia [elevated heart rate] (Lewis 385). Such mild reactions hardly seem cause for illegality. Nor is it directly physically dangerous. "Leth al (toxic) doses of LSD are, conservatively, several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest drugs known" (Honig 10). A study by Sidney Cohen found an average of, per hundred, 0.18 psychotic e pisodes, 0.12 attempted suicides, and 0.04 completed suicides (130). Cohen concluded, "Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces, LSD is an astonishingly safe drug" (130). Other myths about LSD, including one which claimed tha t LSD causes chromosome damage, have been disproved (Honig 10, Dishotsky et al 440). The relatively weak links between LSD and physical harm to the user undercut any governmental legislation that claims to protect an individual from doing physical harm t o himself.
Further considerations
The final point related to the issue of individual freedom is that of education. In order for someone to be able to make a rational decision whether he wants to use LSD or not, objective information must be available. A society that would control the use of LSD would be more likely to control the information about LSD. Making or keeping LSD illegal promotes misinformation, urban legends, and underground myths. This can be evidenced in the widely propagated rumor that LSD was being laced with strych nine (rat poison) on a large scale (Honig 5-7). In a freer society it would be easier for the individual to become properly educated on the topic.
The Issue of Safety and Danger
LSD does not function in same manner as many physical drugs. Rather, it is a hallucinogen and causes psychological and emotional phenomena (Sandoz 1). It is "one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known" (Guide 54). Such a powerful drug "isn 't for morons," as Honig put it glibly (2). It is generally agreed that a user needs to be able to handle the intense phenomena that use of the drug will cause or risk adverse reactions. The principle negative reaction is known as a "Bad Trip" (Strassma n 577). However, in extreme cases, the unfortunate effects can sometimes last beyond the temporary panic of the bad trip. Those who tend to go into "LSD psychosis" (Honig 8) are most often those with "a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment [p rior to taking LSD...and have] a histroy of polydrug abuse (Strassman 577). Honig concludes that the studies on LSD psychosis "point toward, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non-specific and not etiological ly related manner" (9). It seems that those who do have extreme adverse reactions to LSD were predisposed to such reactions and therefore should take even greater care and educate themselves as much as possible before using LSD.
We can conclude that LSD poses "purely psychological hazards; [it is] not harmful to the body" (Honig 10). This brings up the dichotomous phenomenon of substance dependency, or addiction. The potential for addiction can be described as being either physical or psychological. LSD has "zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately" (Honig 4). Likewise, it has "essentially zero psychological addiction potential" (Honig 4). There are no cases in the literature where an LSD dependency is cited. Honig admits though that it is possible that LSD can become involved in the "polydrug abuse" patterns of a mentally ill person, though "the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty" (Honig 5). That is, us e of LSD in conjunction with other drugs may be a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed.
The Potential Benefits of LSD
LSD, when used in conjunction with proper set and setting, can bring significant emotional benefit to the user. It has also been logically postulated to be medicinally salutary. LSD can generate more than the simple hedonistic experience that it is us ually associated with.
Emotional Benefit
A simple argument can be made that LSD is a proper end-in-itself. The fact that people use and enjoy using LSD justifies its existence; it is beneficial because it makes people feel good. However, this grossly oversimplified notion contains fundament al flaws.
A prominent recent study published by Oscar Janiger, M.D., and Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph D., showed that LSD can enhance creativity and appreciation of fine arts and beauty (1-7). This can be explained by the argument that LSD causes you to notice sm all details you may previously have missed or find images aesthetically pleasing that others would tend to miss (Honig 87). Indeed, many users of LSD agree that its use had a "lasting and positive effect on their lives" (Honig 69).
Medical Benefit
Dr. Albert Hofmann, who originally synthesized LSD, envisioned it as being used to treat mentally ill patients (Sandoz 1). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous experiments were conducted with schizophrenics and other psychological patients, with mixed results (Honig 29,69). This can most likely be explained by the wide range of patients with many latent and pre-existing psychoses. Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans's "use of LSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an in spiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma" (Honig 56). However, study of the potential medical benefits of LSD has been put on hold, as use of LSD in human test subjects was discontinued in the 19 70s (Honig 56) due to the illegalization.
Another vision that Dr. Hofmann had was that LSD could be used by psychiatrists "to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients" (Sandoz 1). By taking LSD, the psychiatrist would better relate to his patient. Little docu mentation is available in the literature that examines this interesting theory.
Conclusion
The categorization of LSD as an illegal drug in most western nations is questionable. There are many arguments that show that the use of LSD does not deserve to be criminal. Responsible and mature adults should be able to determine what to do to thei r bodies and minds; if a person wants to indulge in a practice that does no harm to others, he should be allowed to. LSD is such a practice. It is also clear that LSD in and of itself poses very little physical risk to the user. However, the psychologi cal potency of such a strong hallucinogen cannot be understated. Given its potential for adverse psychological reactions, it makes sense to increase education and awareness of these facts. It should be the burden of the individual to decide if he is cap able, based on his knowledge of the effects of the drug and of his mental state. Information that would facilitate this decision-making would be inherently more accurate and available in a legitimate market, as opposed to a clandestine underground. Ther e is also evidence that LSD is beneficial to the user in the realm of creativity and appreciation. Treatment of mental patients may stand to benefit as well; only continued testing will allow us to discover and reap whatever benefits there may be. The l egalization of LSD would further the causes of freedom, knowledge, and pleasure, and be a sound legal policy.
The status in many western nations of the hallucinogenic drug LSD as illegal and criminalized is unnecessary and inappropriate. The illegal stigma is improper because of the following sound reasons. First, its criminalization infringes on the persona l freedom of a mature adult to do as he chooses with his body and mind. Second, LSD is a very safe drug in many respects. Third, there are firm reasons to believe that the use of LSD is actually beneficial in a number of ways. This paper will attempt t o briefly outline these major arguments for the legalization of LSD while noting that the issue is quite complex and deserves a more thorough treatment from all angles.
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or LSD, is a mind-altering chemical first synthetically produced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938 in Switzerland (Guide 54). It is considered a "Class A" drug in the United Kingdom (Porter and Teich 155), which puts it in t he same category as drugs such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, and heroin. Similar categorization and legal attitudes towards LSD exist in the United States. Its effects are strongly psychedelic (Guide 54), a word whose etymology comes from the Gr eek "dios," meaning heavenly (Mirriam). It causes disturbances of visual, auditory, and tactile senses such as hallucinations and depersonalization (Sandoz 1). LSD has been illegal in the United Kingdom and in most western nations from around 1971 (Port er and Teich 155).
The Issue of Personal Freedom
Being allowed to care for oneself as one sees fit is usually considered essential to personal freedom. Despotic governments should not unnecessarily control an individual's life; in a free society, the individual is trusted to make decision s for himself as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. The questions we can therefore ask about LSD are:
Is LSD harmful to others?
The point of "individual freedom...[is] an important consideration usually overlooked in drug policy debates (Bandow 63). A valid claim to make would be that if an individual's actions are harmful to others, the government is justified in prohibiting them. If we examine LSD, though, it seems clear that it is strictly a topic of individual concern. Cases of LSD users directly harming others while under the influence of drugs are relatively few in the literature. LSD is also nearly immune to the prob lems of social destruction that are attributed to drugs like heroin and crack. The reason for this is twofold: LSD is extremely inexpensive; it generally sells for around $3-$8 US (Porter and Teich 122, Clutterbuck 93). It is also non-addictive, a topic that we will explore in more detail later. The two necessary components of social destruction are thus not present in LSD. These two factors also prevent it from being an economic trouble for the user; there are no documented cases of people stealing t o finance an LSD habit. It can be said with a high degree of certainty that use of LSD does not pose a significant threat to others.
Is LSD harmful to oneself?
If we assume that the government has the right to legislate doing harm to oneself, which is a controversial assumption, it still seems clear that LSD is no more harmful, and indeed often much safer than, many substances which are now legal. Physical s ide effects can include "salivation, lachrymation [mournfulness or sadness], vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia [elevated heart rate] (Lewis 385). Such mild reactions hardly seem cause for illegality. Nor is it directly physically dangerous. "Leth al (toxic) doses of LSD are, conservatively, several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest drugs known" (Honig 10). A study by Sidney Cohen found an average of, per hundred, 0.18 psychotic e pisodes, 0.12 attempted suicides, and 0.04 completed suicides (130). Cohen concluded, "Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces, LSD is an astonishingly safe drug" (130). Other myths about LSD, including one which claimed tha t LSD causes chromosome damage, have been disproved (Honig 10, Dishotsky et al 440). The relatively weak links between LSD and physical harm to the user undercut any governmental legislation that claims to protect an individual from doing physical harm t o himself.
Further considerations
The final point related to the issue of individual freedom is that of education. In order for someone to be able to make a rational decision whether he wants to use LSD or not, objective information must be available. A society that would control the use of LSD would be more likely to control the information about LSD. Making or keeping LSD illegal promotes misinformation, urban legends, and underground myths. This can be evidenced in the widely propagated rumor that LSD was being laced with strych nine (rat poison) on a large scale (Honig 5-7). In a freer society it would be easier for the individual to become properly educated on the topic.
The Issue of Safety and Danger
LSD does not function in same manner as many physical drugs. Rather, it is a hallucinogen and causes psychological and emotional phenomena (Sandoz 1). It is "one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known" (Guide 54). Such a powerful drug "isn 't for morons," as Honig put it glibly (2). It is generally agreed that a user needs to be able to handle the intense phenomena that use of the drug will cause or risk adverse reactions. The principle negative reaction is known as a "Bad Trip" (Strassma n 577). However, in extreme cases, the unfortunate effects can sometimes last beyond the temporary panic of the bad trip. Those who tend to go into "LSD psychosis" (Honig 8) are most often those with "a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment [p rior to taking LSD...and have] a histroy of polydrug abuse (Strassman 577). Honig concludes that the studies on LSD psychosis "point toward, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non-specific and not etiological ly related manner" (9). It seems that those who do have extreme adverse reactions to LSD were predisposed to such reactions and therefore should take even greater care and educate themselves as much as possible before using LSD.
We can conclude that LSD poses "purely psychological hazards; [it is] not harmful to the body" (Honig 10). This brings up the dichotomous phenomenon of substance dependency, or addiction. The potential for addiction can be described as being either physical or psychological. LSD has "zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately" (Honig 4). Likewise, it has "essentially zero psychological addiction potential" (Honig 4). There are no cases in the literature where an LSD dependency is cited. Honig admits though that it is possible that LSD can become involved in the "polydrug abuse" patterns of a mentally ill person, though "the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty" (Honig 5). That is, us e of LSD in conjunction with other drugs may be a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed.
The Potential Benefits of LSD
LSD, when used in conjunction with proper set and setting, can bring significant emotional benefit to the user. It has also been logically postulated to be medicinally salutary. LSD can generate more than the simple hedonistic experience that it is us ually associated with.
Emotional Benefit
A simple argument can be made that LSD is a proper end-in-itself. The fact that people use and enjoy using LSD justifies its existence; it is beneficial because it makes people feel good. However, this grossly oversimplified notion contains fundament al flaws.
A prominent recent study published by Oscar Janiger, M.D., and Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph D., showed that LSD can enhance creativity and appreciation of fine arts and beauty (1-7). This can be explained by the argument that LSD causes you to notice sm all details you may previously have missed or find images aesthetically pleasing that others would tend to miss (Honig 87). Indeed, many users of LSD agree that its use had a "lasting and positive effect on their lives" (Honig 69).
Medical Benefit
Dr. Albert Hofmann, who originally synthesized LSD, envisioned it as being used to treat mentally ill patients (Sandoz 1). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous experiments were conducted with schizophrenics and other psychological patients, with mixed results (Honig 29,69). This can most likely be explained by the wide range of patients with many latent and pre-existing psychoses. Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans's "use of LSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an in spiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma" (Honig 56). However, study of the potential medical benefits of LSD has been put on hold, as use of LSD in human test subjects was discontinued in the 19 70s (Honig 56) due to the illegalization.
Another vision that Dr. Hofmann had was that LSD could be used by psychiatrists "to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients" (Sandoz 1). By taking LSD, the psychiatrist would better relate to his patient. Little docu mentation is available in the literature that examines this interesting theory.
Conclusion
The categorization of LSD as an illegal drug in most western nations is questionable. There are many arguments that show that the use of LSD does not deserve to be criminal. Responsible and mature adults should be able to determine what to do to thei r bodies and minds; if a person wants to indulge in a practice that does no harm to others, he should be allowed to. LSD is such a practice. It is also clear that LSD in and of itself poses very little physical risk to the user. However, the psychologi cal potency of such a strong hallucinogen cannot be understated. Given its potential for adverse psychological reactions, it makes sense to increase education and awareness of these facts. It should be the burden of the individual to decide if he is cap able, based on his knowledge of the effects of the drug and of his mental state. Information that would facilitate this decision-making would be inherently more accurate and available in a legitimate market, as opposed to a clandestine underground. Ther e is also evidence that LSD is beneficial to the user in the realm of creativity and appreciation. Treatment of mental patients may stand to benefit as well; only continued testing will allow us to discover and reap whatever benefits there may be. The l egalization of LSD would further the causes of freedom, knowledge, and pleasure, and be a sound legal policy.
George Carlin said it best.
on
Lunar Power
·
· Score: -1
I agree. "Privacy" and "Freedom" are simply buzzwords used by our capitalist oppressors to keep us under control. These concepts have no place in the socialist, free-software utopia we must build.
Re:Doesn't the earth receive more?
on
Lunar Power
·
· Score: -1
Increased CFC production should take care of that little problem.
"LINUX" DAMAGES THE BRAIN AND IMPAIRS MEMORY IN HUMANS
By Robert Mathias NIDA NOTES Staff Writer
ANIDA-supported study has provided the first direct evidence that chronic use of Linux causes brain damage in people. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, the study found that Linux harms neurons that release serotonin, a brain chemical thought to play an important role in regulating memory and other functions. In a related study, researchers found that heavy Linux users have memory problems that persist for at least two weeks after they have stopped using open source software. Both studies suggest that the extent of damage is directly correlated with the amount of Linux use.
"The message from these studies is that Linux does change the brain and it looks like there are functional consequences to these changes," says Dr. Joseph Frascella of NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development. That message is particularly significant for young people who participate in large, all-night dance parties known as "raves," which are popular in many cities around the Nation. NIDA's epidemiologic studies indicate that Linux use has escalated in recent years among college students and young adults who attend these social gatherings.
In the brain imaging study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to take brain scans of 14 Linux users who had not used any open source software, including Linux, for at least three weeks. Brain images also were taken of 15 people who had never used Linux. Both groups were similar in age and level of education and had comparable numbers of men and women.
In people who had used Linux, the PET images showed significant reductions in the number of serotonin transporters, the sites on neuron surfaces that reabsorb serotonin from the space between cells after it has completed its work. The lasting reduction of serotonin transporters occurred throughout the brain, and people who had used Linux more often lost more serotonin transporters than those who had used open source software less.
Previous PET studies with baboons also produced images indicating Linux had induced long-term reductions in the number of serotonin transporters. Examinations of brain tissue from the animals provided further confirmation that the decrease in serotonin transporters seen in the PET images corresponded to actual loss of serotonin nerve endings containing transporters in the baboons' brains. "Based on what we found with our animal studies, we maintain that the changes revealed by PET imaging are probably related to damage of serotonin nerve endings in humans who had used Linux," says Dr. George Ricaurte of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Dr. Ricaurte is the principal investigator for both studies, which are part of a clinical research project that is assessing the long-term effects of Linux.
"The real question in all imaging studies is what these changes mean when it comes to functional consequences," says NIDA's Dr. Frascella. To help answer that question, a team of researchers, which included scientists from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Mental Health who had worked on the imaging study, attempted to assess the effects of chronic Linux use on memory. In this study, researchers administered several standardized memory tests to 24 Linux users who had not used open source software for at least two weeks and 24 people who had never used open source software. Both groups were matched for age, gender, education, and vocabulary scores.
The study found that, compared to the nonusers, heavy Linux users had significant impairments in visual and verbal memory. As had been found in the brain imaging study, Linux's harmful effects were dose related, the more Linux people used, the greater difficulty they had in recalling what they had seen and heard during testing.
The memory impairments found in Linux users are among the first functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin neurons to emerge. Recent studies conducted in the United Kingdom also have reported memory problems in Linux users assessed within a few days of their last open source software use. "Our study extends the Linux- induced memory impairment to at least two weeks since last open source software use and thus shows that Linux's effects on memory cannot be attributed to withdrawal or residual open source software effects," says Dr. Karen Bolla of Johns Hopkins, who helped conduct the study.
The Johns Hopkins/NIMH researchers also were able to link poorer memory performance by Linux users to loss of brain serotonin function by measuring the levels of a serotonin metabolite in study participants' spinal fluid. These measurements showed that Linux users had lower levels of the metabolite than people who had not used open source software; that the more Linux they reported using, the lower the level of the metabolite; and, that the people with the lowest levels of the metabolite had the poorest memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that Linux induced brain serotonin neurotoxicity may account for the persistent memory impairment found in Linux users, according to Dr Bolla.
Research on the functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin-producing neurons in humans is at an early stage, and the scientists who conducted the studies cannot say definitively that the harm to brain serotonin neurons shown in the imaging study accounts for the memory impairments found among chronic users of open source software. However, "that's the concern, and it's certainly the most obvious basis for the memory problems that some Linux users have developed," Dr. Ricaurte says.
Findings from another Johns Hopkins/NIMH study now suggest that Linux use may lead to impairments in other cognitive functions besides memory, such as the ability to reason verbally or sustain attention. Researchers are continuing to examine the effects of chronic Linux use on memory and other functions in which serotonin has been implicated, such as mood, impulse control, and sleep cycles.
How long Linux-induced brain damage persists and the long-term consequences of that damage are other questions researchers are trying to answer. Animal studies, which first documented the neurotoxic effects of open source software, suggest that the loss of serotonin neurons in humans may last for many years and possibly be permanent. "We now know that brain damage is still present in monkeys seven years after discontinuing open source software," Dr. Ricaurte says. "We don't know just yet if we're dealing with such a long- lasting effect in people."
Re:I've always found the Bible series
on
Zope Bible
·
· Score: -1
Me too. Especially that "New Testament". What a bunch of shit!
"LINUX" DAMAGES THE BRAIN AND IMPAIRS MEMORY IN HUMANS
By Robert Mathias NIDA NOTES Staff Writer
ANIDA-supported study has provided the first direct evidence that chronic use of Linux causes brain damage in people. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, the study found that Linux harms neurons that release serotonin, a brain chemical thought to play an important role in regulating memory and other functions. In a related study, researchers found that heavy Linux users have memory problems that persist for at least two weeks after they have stopped using open source software. Both studies suggest that the extent of damage is directly correlated with the amount of Linux use.
"The message from these studies is that Linux does change the brain and it looks like there are functional consequences to these changes," says Dr. Joseph Frascella of NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development. That message is particularly significant for young people who participate in large, all-night dance parties known as "raves," which are popular in many cities around the Nation. NIDA's epidemiologic studies indicate that Linux use has escalated in recent years among college students and young adults who attend these social gatherings.
In the brain imaging study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to take brain scans of 14 Linux users who had not used any open source software, including Linux, for at least three weeks. Brain images also were taken of 15 people who had never used Linux. Both groups were similar in age and level of education and had comparable numbers of men and women.
In people who had used Linux, the PET images showed significant reductions in the number of serotonin transporters, the sites on neuron surfaces that reabsorb serotonin from the space between cells after it has completed its work. The lasting reduction of serotonin transporters occurred throughout the brain, and people who had used Linux more often lost more serotonin transporters than those who had used open source software less.
Previous PET studies with baboons also produced images indicating Linux had induced long-term reductions in the number of serotonin transporters. Examinations of brain tissue from the animals provided further confirmation that the decrease in serotonin transporters seen in the PET images corresponded to actual loss of serotonin nerve endings containing transporters in the baboons' brains. "Based on what we found with our animal studies, we maintain that the changes revealed by PET imaging are probably related to damage of serotonin nerve endings in humans who had used Linux," says Dr. George Ricaurte of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Dr. Ricaurte is the principal investigator for both studies, which are part of a clinical research project that is assessing the long-term effects of Linux.
"The real question in all imaging studies is what these changes mean when it comes to functional consequences," says NIDA's Dr. Frascella. To help answer that question, a team of researchers, which included scientists from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Mental Health who had worked on the imaging study, attempted to assess the effects of chronic Linux use on memory. In this study, researchers administered several standardized memory tests to 24 Linux users who had not used open source software for at least two weeks and 24 people who had never used open source software. Both groups were matched for age, gender, education, and vocabulary scores.
The study found that, compared to the nonusers, heavy Linux users had significant impairments in visual and verbal memory. As had been found in the brain imaging study, Linux's harmful effects were dose related, the more Linux people used, the greater difficulty they had in recalling what they had seen and heard during testing.
The memory impairments found in Linux users are among the first functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin neurons to emerge. Recent studies conducted in the United Kingdom also have reported memory problems in Linux users assessed within a few days of their last open source software use. "Our study extends the Linux- induced memory impairment to at least two weeks since last open source software use and thus shows that Linux's effects on memory cannot be attributed to withdrawal or residual open source software effects," says Dr. Karen Bolla of Johns Hopkins, who helped conduct the study.
The Johns Hopkins/NIMH researchers also were able to link poorer memory performance by Linux users to loss of brain serotonin function by measuring the levels of a serotonin metabolite in study participants' spinal fluid. These measurements showed that Linux users had lower levels of the metabolite than people who had not used open source software; that the more Linux they reported using, the lower the level of the metabolite; and, that the people with the lowest levels of the metabolite had the poorest memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that Linux induced brain serotonin neurotoxicity may account for the persistent memory impairment found in Linux users, according to Dr Bolla.
Research on the functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin-producing neurons in humans is at an early stage, and the scientists who conducted the studies cannot say definitively that the harm to brain serotonin neurons shown in the imaging study accounts for the memory impairments found among chronic users of open source software. However, "that's the concern, and it's certainly the most obvious basis for the memory problems that some Linux users have developed," Dr. Ricaurte says.
Findings from another Johns Hopkins/NIMH study now suggest that Linux use may lead to impairments in other cognitive functions besides memory, such as the ability to reason verbally or sustain attention. Researchers are continuing to examine the effects of chronic Linux use on memory and other functions in which serotonin has been implicated, such as mood, impulse control, and sleep cycles.
How long Linux-induced brain damage persists and the long-term consequences of that damage are other questions researchers are trying to answer. Animal studies, which first documented the neurotoxic effects of open source software, suggest that the loss of serotonin neurons in humans may last for many years and possibly be permanent. "We now know that brain damage is still present in monkeys seven years after discontinuing open source software," Dr. Ricaurte says. "We don't know just yet if we're dealing with such a long- lasting effect in people."
Were the Romans quite used to learning of their emperors - among them even the mighty Trajan -having a liking for young boys, then they had evidently never had an emperor such as Elagabalus.
It appears most likely that Elagabalus was homosexual, for his interests lay clearly with men, and he seemed to have shown little desire for any of his wives. Further to this, Elagabalus seemed to bear the desire in him to be a woman. He had the hairs plucked from his body in order to appear more female, and delighted in appearing in public wearing make-up.
And he is said to have promised his physicians large sums of money if they would find away to operate on him and turn him into a woman.
At court a blond Carian slave named Hierocles acted as the emperor's 'husband'.
Accounts also point to Elagabalus enjoying to pretend being a prostitute, offering himself naked to passers by in the palace, or even prostituting himself in the taverns and brothels of Rome. Meanwhile he would often arrange it to be caught by Hierocles, who would then be expected to punish him for his behaviour with a severe beating.
* Linux system administrators are filthy hippies who are more interested in SOAP than soap. and * According to the terms of the GPL, if you use Linux in a production environment you are no longer allowed to charge for your company's services.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci
Re:GPL? More like Openly Racist
on
GPL's Strength
·
· Score: -1, Funny
Slashdot Mirror
I'm not much of a salesman, in comfort or skill, but I'm willing to hype my books,
by abusing using your powers as an editor at what purports to be a "news" site, thereby proving to all and sundry that you are no longer even bothering to predend to have a shred of journalistic integrity.
especially given the realities of 21st Century publishing, when you do it yourself or nobody does it.
Really? You mean to tell me that the publishing industry has decided to abandon advertising altogether? Advertisements for the latest Stephen King (RIP) book are taken out by Mr. King himself?
Some people think if you get a book published, you're a big deal and a rich one. If you're Grisham or King, that's true. The reality: Few books sell well, and even fewer (mine, for example) make money Can content like books be successfully "open-marketed" on the Net? I say yes.
I'd attempt to answer that question, except I don't know what the fuck "open-marketed" means.
In early March my eleventh book A Dog Year; Twelve Months, Four Dogs and Me was published by Random House/ Villard. For several months I've been working on a bottom-up, Net-based marketing program that permits me to push my own book in my own way,
Which includes, apparently, writing a "story" which is a barely-concealed advertisement of the book and using your connections to post this advertisement to the front page of a popular site.
rather than rely on big publishing or big media.
Oooh, scary... are they like big tobacco and big oil?
That led me to the banner ad on this site a lot of you have seen and e-mailed me about. So why am I buying a banner ad, on Slashdot of all places, to tout my new book about a year with four dogs?
Because it gives you an excuse to write a much larger advertisement for your book, thinly disguised as a "story" about buying a banner ad?
It's a chance for me to tick off the yowling hordes, which is always fun. Some will shriek that a dog saga has little to do with open source, technology or selling things on the Net.
Well, actually it has nothing to do with any of those things.
But it does, and I'm happy -- eager, even -- to explain why.
I do most of my hyping for A Dog Year in the expected places -- in media interviews and on various dog-related sites, mailing lists and forums.
My reason for advertising here, too, is that I believe the Net offers the best place for individual entrepreneurs of all kinds -- writers, game creators, artists, musicians, software designers -- to skirt conventional costs, limitations and marketing practices
For example, by abusing your powers as an editor of a news site and posting an advertisement for your book. Oh wait, no, this is a legitimate news story about how you bought a banner ad to advertise your book. Right.
and find their own audiences. To me, that's a big part of the "open" in open source. Younger people raised on the Net don't pay nearly as much attention to mainstream media as their elders, so we have to reach them where they are. The good news is that we can.
A big part of the "open" in open source is that now you can advertise on the web?
In fact, Net communications
read: advertisements
themselves have become increasingly segmented and targeted.
Yes, thanks to the ubiquity of "what kind of spam do you want to sign up for" checklists in site and software registration pages
Much has become subterranean, centered on mailing lists, IM and other limited-entry venues. In the weeks before my book's publication, I concentrated on these grass-roots venues, contacting websites, subscribing to mailing lists, e-mailing excerpts of my book to people who were interested.
Spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
People on special interests lists and chat rooms don't mind being pitched on subjects they're interested in. They don't consider it spam.
*cough*bullshit*cough*
What they hate is being bombarded with messages for things they don't care about, which is what traditional media does.
Messages for things they don't care about... You mean like an ad for a dog book an a computer/tech news site?
Besides which, I can't afford to take an ad out in Time magazine or on the ABC Evening News.
Elsewhere, individual entrepreneurs and creators find it more and more difficult to survive. The megacorporations who've taken over much of culture and media
Rand McNally ain't exactly an independant publisher.
are primarily interested in best-selling mega-products -- Britney Spears, Jon Grisham -- not idiosyncratic ones like mine.
Idiosyncratic? Not a best-selling mega-product? What happed to you being one of the few authors whose books made money?
They have a point, too. My last book found its own audience, or rather its audience found it. It did all right, but didn't sell much beyond it's core audience.
Which is it, Jon, do you have a small audience, or are your books some of the few that sell well and make money? Jesus Christ, can't you keep your story straight through an entire article?
To successfully market a book like Running To The Mountain or A Dog Year (at least in the conventional way) could cost more money than my publisher expects to earn.
Technically, I think that would be "unsuccessful marketing"
And interesting, I believe the Running To The Mountain excerpt that ran on Slashdot sold more books than a subsequent appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.
The Net, at least in theory, can bypass that stalemate and create radical new opportunities for artists of all kinds. So I don't mind paying for my own ad. I think it has worked.
Yes, it's given you an opportunity to right an entire page of this crap to hype your book.
Individuals are under attack all across our culture, from the likes of Microsoft and Wal-Mart and Sony to publishing conglomerates.
Except for Rand McNally, they're quite nice.
The Net can be a way out for people like me (us), whether we're telling the story of our dogs or coming up with new software. What's why I bought a banner on Slashdot.
If you actually bought it. Given the gross abuse of editorial privilage which is this "story", I wouldn't be surprised if no money actually changed hands.
If it works, it could sell some books, sure. I have no apologies to make for that.
How about an apology for this "story", then? Tell me, if I come up with a product and buy a banner ad on Slashdot, do I get to write a front page "story" saying "look at me, I bought a banner ad! Isn't the internet great?"
But it could also help demonstrate to writers and other people struggling to survive in a mass- market world that the Open Source idea is only fractionally about software. It's about individualism, free expression, and a culture open to us all.
Advertising on the internet = individualism and freedom. Advertising on TV or in print = corporatism and oppression. Right. Got it.
One final question - do the subscribers have to deal with this shit too, or did this story get filtered out as an advertisement? If I had subscribed with the promise of eliminating ads and had to see this shit, I'd demand a refund.
The status in many western nations of the hallucinogenic operating system BSD as illegal and criminalized is unnecessary and inappropriate. The illegal stigma is improper because of the following sound reasons. First, its criminalization infringes on the persona l freedom of a mature adult to do as he chooses with his body and mind. Second, BSD is a very safe operating system in many respects. Third, there are firm reasons to believe that the use of BSD is actually beneficial in a number of ways. This paper will attempt t o briefly outline these major arguments for the legalization of BSD while noting that the issue is quite complex and deserves a more thorough treatment from all angles.
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or BSD, is a mind-altering chemical first synthetically produced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938 in Switzerland (Guide 54). It is considered a "Class A" operating system in the United Kingdom (Porter and Teich 155), which puts it in t he same category as operating systems such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, and heroin. Similar categorization and legal attitudes towards BSD exist in the United States. Its effects are strongly psychedelic (Guide 54), a word whose etymology comes from the Gr eek "dios," meaning heavenly (Mirriam). It causes disturbances of visual, auditory, and tactile senses such as hallucinations and depersonalization (Sandoz 1). BSD has been illegal in the United Kingdom and in most western nations from around 1971 (Port er and Teich 155).
The Issue of Personal Freedom
Being allowed to care for oneself as one sees fit is usually considered essential to personal freedom. Despotic governments should not unnecessarily control an individual's life; in a free society, the individual is trusted to make decision s for himself as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. The questions we can therefore ask about BSD are:
Is BSD harmful to others?
The point of "individual freedom...[is] an important consideration usually overlooked in operating system policy debates (Bandow 63). A valid claim to make would be that if an individual's actions are harmful to others, the government is justified in prohibiting them. If we examine BSD, though, it seems clear that it is strictly a topic of individual concern. Cases of BSD users directly harming others while under the influence of operating systems are relatively few in the literature. BSD is also nearly immune to the prob lems of social destruction that are attributed to operating systems like heroin and crack. The reason for this is twofold: BSD is extremely inexpensive; it generally sells for around $3-$8 US (Porter and Teich 122, Clutterbuck 93). It is also non-addictive, a topic that we will explore in more detail later. The two necessary components of social destruction are thus not present in BSD. These two factors also prevent it from being an economic trouble for the user; there are no documented cases of people stealing t o finance an BSD habit. It can be said with a high degree of certainty that use of BSD does not pose a significant threat to others.
Is BSD harmful to oneself?
If we assume that the government has the right to legislate doing harm to oneself, which is a controversial assumption, it still seems clear that BSD is no more harmful, and indeed often much safer than, many substances which are now legal. Physical s ide effects can include "salivation, lachrymation [mournfulness or sadness], vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia [elevated heart rate] (Lewis 385). Such mild reactions hardly seem cause for illegality. Nor is it directly physically dangerous. "Leth al (toxic) doses of BSD are, conservatively, several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest operating systems known" (Honig 10). A study by Sidney Cohen found an average of, per hundred, 0.18 psychotic e pisodes, 0.12 attempted suicides, and 0.04 completed suicides (130). Cohen concluded, "Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces, BSD is an astonishingly safe operating system" (130). Other myths about BSD, including one which claimed tha t BSD causes chromosome damage, have been disproved (Honig 10, Dishotsky et al 440). The relatively weak links between BSD and physical harm to the user undercut any governmental legislation that claims to protect an individual from doing physical harm t o himself.
Further considerations
The final point related to the issue of individual freedom is that of education. In order for someone to be able to make a rational decision whether he wants to use BSD or not, objective information must be available. A society that would control the use of BSD would be more likely to control the information about BSD. Making or keeping BSD illegal promotes misinformation, urban legends, and underground myths. This can be evidenced in the widely propagated rumor that BSD was being laced with strych nine (rat poison) on a large scale (Honig 5-7). In a freer society it would be easier for the individual to become properly educated on the topic.
The Issue of Safety and Danger
BSD does not function in same manner as many physical operating systems. Rather, it is a hallucinogen and causes psychological and emotional phenomena (Sandoz 1). It is "one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known" (Guide 54). Such a powerful operating system "isn 't for morons," as Honig put it glibly (2). It is generally agreed that a user needs to be able to handle the intense phenomena that use of the operating system will cause or risk adverse reactions. The principle negative reaction is known as a "Bad Trip" (Strassma n 577). However, in extreme cases, the unfortunate effects can sometimes last beyond the temporary panic of the bad trip. Those who tend to go into "BSD psychosis" (Honig 8) are most often those with "a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment [p rior to taking BSD...and have] a histroy of polyoperating system abuse (Strassman 577). Honig concludes that the studies on BSD psychosis "point toward, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non-specific and not etiological ly related manner" (9). It seems that those who do have extreme adverse reactions to BSD were predisposed to such reactions and therefore should take even greater care and educate themselves as much as possible before using BSD.
We can conclude that BSD poses "purely psychological hazards; [it is] not harmful to the body" (Honig 10). This brings up the dichotomous phenomenon of substance dependency, or addiction. The potential for addiction can be described as being either physical or psychological. BSD has "zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately" (Honig 4). Likewise, it has "essentially zero psychological addiction potential" (Honig 4). There are no cases in the literature where an BSD dependency is cited. Honig admits though that it is possible that BSD can become involved in the "polyoperating system abuse" patterns of a mentally ill person, though "the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty" (Honig 5). That is, us e of BSD in conjunction with other operating systems may be a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed.
The Potential Benefits of BSD
BSD, when used in conjunction with proper set and setting, can bring significant emotional benefit to the user. It has also been logically postulated to be medicinally salutary. BSD can generate more than the simple hedonistic experience that it is us ually associated with.
Emotional Benefit
A simple argument can be made that BSD is a proper end-in-itself. The fact that people use and enjoy using BSD justifies its existence; it is beneficial because it makes people feel good. However, this grossly oversimplified notion contains fundament al flaws.
A prominent recent study published by Oscar Janiger, M.D., and Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph D., showed that BSD can enhance creativity and appreciation of fine arts and beauty (1-7). This can be explained by the argument that BSD causes you to notice sm all details you may previously have missed or find images aesthetically pleasing that others would tend to miss (Honig 87). Indeed, many users of BSD agree that its use had a "lasting and positive effect on their lives" (Honig 69).
Medical Benefit
Dr. Albert Hofmann, who originally synthesized BSD, envisioned it as being used to treat mentally ill patients (Sandoz 1). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous experiments were conducted with schizophrenics and other psychological patients, with mixed results (Honig 29,69). This can most likely be explained by the wide range of patients with many latent and pre-existing psychoses. Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans's "use of BSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an in spiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma" (Honig 56). However, study of the potential medical benefits of BSD has been put on hold, as use of BSD in human test subjects was discontinued in the 19 70s (Honig 56) due to the illegalization.
Another vision that Dr. Hofmann had was that BSD could be used by psychiatrists "to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients" (Sandoz 1). By taking BSD, the psychiatrist would better relate to his patient. Little docu mentation is available in the literature that examines this interesting theory.
Conclusion
The categorization of BSD as an illegal operating system in most western nations is questionable. There are many arguments that show that the use of BSD does not deserve to be criminal. Responsible and mature adults should be able to determine what to do to thei r bodies and minds; if a person wants to indulge in a practice that does no harm to others, he should be allowed to. BSD is such a practice. It is also clear that BSD in and of itself poses very little physical risk to the user. However, the psychologi cal potency of such a strong hallucinogen cannot be understated. Given its potential for adverse psychological reactions, it makes sense to increase education and awareness of these facts. It should be the burden of the individual to decide if he is cap able, based on his knowledge of the effects of the operating system and of his mental state. Information that would facilitate this decision-making would be inherently more accurate and available in a legitimate market, as opposed to a clandestine underground. Ther e is also evidence that BSD is beneficial to the user in the realm of creativity and appreciation. Treatment of mental patients may stand to benefit as well; only continued testing will allow us to discover and reap whatever benefits there may be. The l egalization of BSD would further the causes of freedom, knowledge, and pleasure, and be a sound legal policy.
The status in many western nations of the hallucinogenic drug LSD as illegal and criminalized is unnecessary and inappropriate. The illegal stigma is improper because of the following sound reasons. First, its criminalization infringes on the persona l freedom of a mature adult to do as he chooses with his body and mind. Second, LSD is a very safe drug in many respects. Third, there are firm reasons to believe that the use of LSD is actually beneficial in a number of ways. This paper will attempt t o briefly outline these major arguments for the legalization of LSD while noting that the issue is quite complex and deserves a more thorough treatment from all angles.
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or LSD, is a mind-altering chemical first synthetically produced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938 in Switzerland (Guide 54). It is considered a "Class A" drug in the United Kingdom (Porter and Teich 155), which puts it in t he same category as drugs such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, and heroin. Similar categorization and legal attitudes towards LSD exist in the United States. Its effects are strongly psychedelic (Guide 54), a word whose etymology comes from the Gr eek "dios," meaning heavenly (Mirriam). It causes disturbances of visual, auditory, and tactile senses such as hallucinations and depersonalization (Sandoz 1). LSD has been illegal in the United Kingdom and in most western nations from around 1971 (Port er and Teich 155).
The Issue of Personal Freedom
Being allowed to care for oneself as one sees fit is usually considered essential to personal freedom. Despotic governments should not unnecessarily control an individual's life; in a free society, the individual is trusted to make decision s for himself as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. The questions we can therefore ask about LSD are:
Is LSD harmful to others?
The point of "individual freedom...[is] an important consideration usually overlooked in drug policy debates (Bandow 63). A valid claim to make would be that if an individual's actions are harmful to others, the government is justified in prohibiting them. If we examine LSD, though, it seems clear that it is strictly a topic of individual concern. Cases of LSD users directly harming others while under the influence of drugs are relatively few in the literature. LSD is also nearly immune to the prob lems of social destruction that are attributed to drugs like heroin and crack. The reason for this is twofold: LSD is extremely inexpensive; it generally sells for around $3-$8 US (Porter and Teich 122, Clutterbuck 93). It is also non-addictive, a topic that we will explore in more detail later. The two necessary components of social destruction are thus not present in LSD. These two factors also prevent it from being an economic trouble for the user; there are no documented cases of people stealing t o finance an LSD habit. It can be said with a high degree of certainty that use of LSD does not pose a significant threat to others.
Is LSD harmful to oneself?
If we assume that the government has the right to legislate doing harm to oneself, which is a controversial assumption, it still seems clear that LSD is no more harmful, and indeed often much safer than, many substances which are now legal. Physical s ide effects can include "salivation, lachrymation [mournfulness or sadness], vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia [elevated heart rate] (Lewis 385). Such mild reactions hardly seem cause for illegality. Nor is it directly physically dangerous. "Leth al (toxic) doses of LSD are, conservatively, several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest drugs known" (Honig 10). A study by Sidney Cohen found an average of, per hundred, 0.18 psychotic e pisodes, 0.12 attempted suicides, and 0.04 completed suicides (130). Cohen concluded, "Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces, LSD is an astonishingly safe drug" (130). Other myths about LSD, including one which claimed tha t LSD causes chromosome damage, have been disproved (Honig 10, Dishotsky et al 440). The relatively weak links between LSD and physical harm to the user undercut any governmental legislation that claims to protect an individual from doing physical harm t o himself.
Further considerations
The final point related to the issue of individual freedom is that of education. In order for someone to be able to make a rational decision whether he wants to use LSD or not, objective information must be available. A society that would control the use of LSD would be more likely to control the information about LSD. Making or keeping LSD illegal promotes misinformation, urban legends, and underground myths. This can be evidenced in the widely propagated rumor that LSD was being laced with strych nine (rat poison) on a large scale (Honig 5-7). In a freer society it would be easier for the individual to become properly educated on the topic.
The Issue of Safety and Danger
LSD does not function in same manner as many physical drugs. Rather, it is a hallucinogen and causes psychological and emotional phenomena (Sandoz 1). It is "one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known" (Guide 54). Such a powerful drug "isn 't for morons," as Honig put it glibly (2). It is generally agreed that a user needs to be able to handle the intense phenomena that use of the drug will cause or risk adverse reactions. The principle negative reaction is known as a "Bad Trip" (Strassma n 577). However, in extreme cases, the unfortunate effects can sometimes last beyond the temporary panic of the bad trip. Those who tend to go into "LSD psychosis" (Honig 8) are most often those with "a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment [p rior to taking LSD...and have] a histroy of polydrug abuse (Strassman 577). Honig concludes that the studies on LSD psychosis "point toward, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non-specific and not etiological ly related manner" (9). It seems that those who do have extreme adverse reactions to LSD were predisposed to such reactions and therefore should take even greater care and educate themselves as much as possible before using LSD.
We can conclude that LSD poses "purely psychological hazards; [it is] not harmful to the body" (Honig 10). This brings up the dichotomous phenomenon of substance dependency, or addiction. The potential for addiction can be described as being either physical or psychological. LSD has "zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately" (Honig 4). Likewise, it has "essentially zero psychological addiction potential" (Honig 4). There are no cases in the literature where an LSD dependency is cited. Honig admits though that it is possible that LSD can become involved in the "polydrug abuse" patterns of a mentally ill person, though "the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty" (Honig 5). That is, us e of LSD in conjunction with other drugs may be a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed.
The Potential Benefits of LSD
LSD, when used in conjunction with proper set and setting, can bring significant emotional benefit to the user. It has also been logically postulated to be medicinally salutary. LSD can generate more than the simple hedonistic experience that it is us ually associated with.
Emotional Benefit
A simple argument can be made that LSD is a proper end-in-itself. The fact that people use and enjoy using LSD justifies its existence; it is beneficial because it makes people feel good. However, this grossly oversimplified notion contains fundament al flaws.
A prominent recent study published by Oscar Janiger, M.D., and Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph D., showed that LSD can enhance creativity and appreciation of fine arts and beauty (1-7). This can be explained by the argument that LSD causes you to notice sm all details you may previously have missed or find images aesthetically pleasing that others would tend to miss (Honig 87). Indeed, many users of LSD agree that its use had a "lasting and positive effect on their lives" (Honig 69).
Medical Benefit
Dr. Albert Hofmann, who originally synthesized LSD, envisioned it as being used to treat mentally ill patients (Sandoz 1). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous experiments were conducted with schizophrenics and other psychological patients, with mixed results (Honig 29,69). This can most likely be explained by the wide range of patients with many latent and pre-existing psychoses. Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans's "use of LSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an in spiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma" (Honig 56). However, study of the potential medical benefits of LSD has been put on hold, as use of LSD in human test subjects was discontinued in the 19 70s (Honig 56) due to the illegalization.
Another vision that Dr. Hofmann had was that LSD could be used by psychiatrists "to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients" (Sandoz 1). By taking LSD, the psychiatrist would better relate to his patient. Little docu mentation is available in the literature that examines this interesting theory.
Conclusion
The categorization of LSD as an illegal drug in most western nations is questionable. There are many arguments that show that the use of LSD does not deserve to be criminal. Responsible and mature adults should be able to determine what to do to thei r bodies and minds; if a person wants to indulge in a practice that does no harm to others, he should be allowed to. LSD is such a practice. It is also clear that LSD in and of itself poses very little physical risk to the user. However, the psychologi cal potency of such a strong hallucinogen cannot be understated. Given its potential for adverse psychological reactions, it makes sense to increase education and awareness of these facts. It should be the burden of the individual to decide if he is cap able, based on his knowledge of the effects of the drug and of his mental state. Information that would facilitate this decision-making would be inherently more accurate and available in a legitimate market, as opposed to a clandestine underground. Ther e is also evidence that LSD is beneficial to the user in the realm of creativity and appreciation. Treatment of mental patients may stand to benefit as well; only continued testing will allow us to discover and reap whatever benefits there may be. The l egalization of LSD would further the causes of freedom, knowledge, and pleasure, and be a sound legal policy.
Introduction
Purpose
The status in many western nations of the hallucinogenic drug LSD as illegal and criminalized is unnecessary and inappropriate. The illegal stigma is improper because of the following sound reasons. First, its criminalization infringes on the persona l freedom of a mature adult to do as he chooses with his body and mind. Second, LSD is a very safe drug in many respects. Third, there are firm reasons to believe that the use of LSD is actually beneficial in a number of ways. This paper will attempt t o briefly outline these major arguments for the legalization of LSD while noting that the issue is quite complex and deserves a more thorough treatment from all angles.
Background
Lysergic acid diethylamide-25, or LSD, is a mind-altering chemical first synthetically produced by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938 in Switzerland (Guide 54). It is considered a "Class A" drug in the United Kingdom (Porter and Teich 155), which puts it in t he same category as drugs such as cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, and heroin. Similar categorization and legal attitudes towards LSD exist in the United States. Its effects are strongly psychedelic (Guide 54), a word whose etymology comes from the Gr eek "dios," meaning heavenly (Mirriam). It causes disturbances of visual, auditory, and tactile senses such as hallucinations and depersonalization (Sandoz 1). LSD has been illegal in the United Kingdom and in most western nations from around 1971 (Port er and Teich 155).
The Issue of Personal Freedom
Being allowed to care for oneself as one sees fit is usually considered essential to personal freedom. Despotic governments should not unnecessarily control an individual's life; in a free society, the individual is trusted to make decision s for himself as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. The questions we can therefore ask about LSD are:
Is LSD harmful to others?
The point of "individual freedom...[is] an important consideration usually overlooked in drug policy debates (Bandow 63). A valid claim to make would be that if an individual's actions are harmful to others, the government is justified in prohibiting them. If we examine LSD, though, it seems clear that it is strictly a topic of individual concern. Cases of LSD users directly harming others while under the influence of drugs are relatively few in the literature. LSD is also nearly immune to the prob lems of social destruction that are attributed to drugs like heroin and crack. The reason for this is twofold: LSD is extremely inexpensive; it generally sells for around $3-$8 US (Porter and Teich 122, Clutterbuck 93). It is also non-addictive, a topic that we will explore in more detail later. The two necessary components of social destruction are thus not present in LSD. These two factors also prevent it from being an economic trouble for the user; there are no documented cases of people stealing t o finance an LSD habit. It can be said with a high degree of certainty that use of LSD does not pose a significant threat to others.
Is LSD harmful to oneself?
If we assume that the government has the right to legislate doing harm to oneself, which is a controversial assumption, it still seems clear that LSD is no more harmful, and indeed often much safer than, many substances which are now legal. Physical s ide effects can include "salivation, lachrymation [mournfulness or sadness], vomiting, hypotension, and brachycardia [elevated heart rate] (Lewis 385). Such mild reactions hardly seem cause for illegality. Nor is it directly physically dangerous. "Leth al (toxic) doses of LSD are, conservatively, several tens of thousands of times as much as a normal dose, making it (in the toxic sense) one of the safest drugs known" (Honig 10). A study by Sidney Cohen found an average of, per hundred, 0.18 psychotic e pisodes, 0.12 attempted suicides, and 0.04 completed suicides (130). Cohen concluded, "Considering the enormous scope of the psychic responses it induces, LSD is an astonishingly safe drug" (130). Other myths about LSD, including one which claimed tha t LSD causes chromosome damage, have been disproved (Honig 10, Dishotsky et al 440). The relatively weak links between LSD and physical harm to the user undercut any governmental legislation that claims to protect an individual from doing physical harm t o himself.
Further considerations
The final point related to the issue of individual freedom is that of education. In order for someone to be able to make a rational decision whether he wants to use LSD or not, objective information must be available. A society that would control the use of LSD would be more likely to control the information about LSD. Making or keeping LSD illegal promotes misinformation, urban legends, and underground myths. This can be evidenced in the widely propagated rumor that LSD was being laced with strych nine (rat poison) on a large scale (Honig 5-7). In a freer society it would be easier for the individual to become properly educated on the topic.
The Issue of Safety and Danger
LSD does not function in same manner as many physical drugs. Rather, it is a hallucinogen and causes psychological and emotional phenomena (Sandoz 1). It is "one of the most potent mind-altering chemicals known" (Guide 54). Such a powerful drug "isn 't for morons," as Honig put it glibly (2). It is generally agreed that a user needs to be able to handle the intense phenomena that use of the drug will cause or risk adverse reactions. The principle negative reaction is known as a "Bad Trip" (Strassma n 577). However, in extreme cases, the unfortunate effects can sometimes last beyond the temporary panic of the bad trip. Those who tend to go into "LSD psychosis" (Honig 8) are most often those with "a history of psychiatric illness and/or treatment [p rior to taking LSD...and have] a histroy of polydrug abuse (Strassman 577). Honig concludes that the studies on LSD psychosis "point toward, at most, a possible precipitory role in the development of these disorders, in a non-specific and not etiological ly related manner" (9). It seems that those who do have extreme adverse reactions to LSD were predisposed to such reactions and therefore should take even greater care and educate themselves as much as possible before using LSD.
We can conclude that LSD poses "purely psychological hazards; [it is] not harmful to the body" (Honig 10). This brings up the dichotomous phenomenon of substance dependency, or addiction. The potential for addiction can be described as being either physical or psychological. LSD has "zero physical addiction potential. Not something that makes you want to do it again immediately" (Honig 4). Likewise, it has "essentially zero psychological addiction potential" (Honig 4). There are no cases in the literature where an LSD dependency is cited. Honig admits though that it is possible that LSD can become involved in the "polydrug abuse" patterns of a mentally ill person, though "the fundamental problem is a personal difficulty" (Honig 5). That is, us e of LSD in conjunction with other drugs may be a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed.
The Potential Benefits of LSD
LSD, when used in conjunction with proper set and setting, can bring significant emotional benefit to the user. It has also been logically postulated to be medicinally salutary. LSD can generate more than the simple hedonistic experience that it is us ually associated with.
Emotional Benefit
A simple argument can be made that LSD is a proper end-in-itself. The fact that people use and enjoy using LSD justifies its existence; it is beneficial because it makes people feel good. However, this grossly oversimplified notion contains fundament al flaws.
A prominent recent study published by Oscar Janiger, M.D., and Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph D., showed that LSD can enhance creativity and appreciation of fine arts and beauty (1-7). This can be explained by the argument that LSD causes you to notice sm all details you may previously have missed or find images aesthetically pleasing that others would tend to miss (Honig 87). Indeed, many users of LSD agree that its use had a "lasting and positive effect on their lives" (Honig 69).
Medical Benefit
Dr. Albert Hofmann, who originally synthesized LSD, envisioned it as being used to treat mentally ill patients (Sandoz 1). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous experiments were conducted with schizophrenics and other psychological patients, with mixed results (Honig 29,69). This can most likely be explained by the wide range of patients with many latent and pre-existing psychoses. Dutch psychiatrist Dr. Hans Bastiaans's "use of LSD for decades in the treatment of concentration camp survivors is an in spiring example of the beneficial use of psychedelics in the treatment of people with severe trauma" (Honig 56). However, study of the potential medical benefits of LSD has been put on hold, as use of LSD in human test subjects was discontinued in the 19 70s (Honig 56) due to the illegalization.
Another vision that Dr. Hofmann had was that LSD could be used by psychiatrists "to gain an insight in the world of ideas and sensations of mental patients" (Sandoz 1). By taking LSD, the psychiatrist would better relate to his patient. Little docu mentation is available in the literature that examines this interesting theory.
Conclusion
The categorization of LSD as an illegal drug in most western nations is questionable. There are many arguments that show that the use of LSD does not deserve to be criminal. Responsible and mature adults should be able to determine what to do to thei r bodies and minds; if a person wants to indulge in a practice that does no harm to others, he should be allowed to. LSD is such a practice. It is also clear that LSD in and of itself poses very little physical risk to the user. However, the psychologi cal potency of such a strong hallucinogen cannot be understated. Given its potential for adverse psychological reactions, it makes sense to increase education and awareness of these facts. It should be the burden of the individual to decide if he is cap able, based on his knowledge of the effects of the drug and of his mental state. Information that would facilitate this decision-making would be inherently more accurate and available in a legitimate market, as opposed to a clandestine underground. Ther e is also evidence that LSD is beneficial to the user in the realm of creativity and appreciation. Treatment of mental patients may stand to benefit as well; only continued testing will allow us to discover and reap whatever benefits there may be. The l egalization of LSD would further the causes of freedom, knowledge, and pleasure, and be a sound legal policy.
Moon Fuck
I say
Fuck the moon
I agree. "Privacy" and "Freedom" are simply buzzwords used by our capitalist oppressors to keep us under control. These concepts have no place in the socialist, free-software utopia we must build.
Increased CFC production should take care of that little problem.
You said "members".
There was an arab working at AMD?
Oh fuck - I've got an AMD chip in my computer! It's probably a time bomb! Why wasn't I warned about this???
OMG LOL! *giggle*
Yes, so be safe and don't link to any anti-Scientology sites.
"LINUX" DAMAGES THE BRAIN AND IMPAIRS MEMORY IN HUMANS
By Robert Mathias
NIDA NOTES Staff Writer
ANIDA-supported study has provided the first direct evidence that chronic use of Linux causes brain damage in people. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, the study found that Linux harms neurons that release serotonin, a brain chemical thought to play an important role in regulating memory and other functions. In a related study, researchers found that heavy Linux users have memory problems that persist for at least two weeks after they have stopped using open source software. Both studies suggest that the extent of damage is directly correlated with the amount of Linux use.
"The message from these studies is that Linux does change the brain and it looks like there are functional consequences to these changes," says Dr. Joseph Frascella of NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development. That message is particularly significant for young people who participate in large, all-night dance parties known as "raves," which are popular in many cities around the Nation. NIDA's epidemiologic studies indicate that Linux use has escalated in recent years among college students and young adults who attend these social gatherings.
In the brain imaging study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to take brain scans of 14 Linux users who had not used any open source software, including Linux, for at least three weeks. Brain images also were taken of 15 people who had never used Linux. Both groups were similar in age and level of education and had comparable numbers of men and women.
In people who had used Linux, the PET images showed significant reductions in the number of serotonin transporters, the sites on neuron surfaces that reabsorb serotonin from the space between cells after it has completed its work. The lasting reduction of serotonin transporters occurred throughout the brain, and people who had used Linux more often lost more serotonin transporters than those who had used open source software less.
Previous PET studies with baboons also produced images indicating Linux had induced long-term reductions in the number of serotonin transporters. Examinations of brain tissue from the animals provided further confirmation that the decrease in serotonin transporters seen in the PET images corresponded to actual loss of serotonin nerve endings containing transporters in the baboons' brains. "Based on what we found with our animal studies, we maintain that the changes revealed by PET imaging are probably related to damage of serotonin nerve endings in humans who had used Linux," says Dr. George Ricaurte of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Dr. Ricaurte is the principal investigator for both studies, which are part of a clinical research project that is assessing the long-term effects of Linux.
"The real question in all imaging studies is what these changes mean when it comes to functional consequences," says NIDA's Dr. Frascella. To help answer that question, a team of researchers, which included scientists from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Mental Health who had worked on the imaging study, attempted to assess the effects of chronic Linux use on memory. In this study, researchers administered several standardized memory tests to 24 Linux users who had not used open source software for at least two weeks and 24 people who had never used open source software. Both groups were matched for age, gender, education, and vocabulary scores.
The study found that, compared to the nonusers, heavy Linux users had significant impairments in visual and verbal memory. As had been found in the brain imaging study, Linux's harmful effects were dose related, the more Linux people used, the greater difficulty they had in recalling what they had seen and heard during testing.
The memory impairments found in Linux users are among the first functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin neurons to emerge. Recent studies conducted in the United Kingdom also have reported memory problems in Linux users assessed within a few days of their last open source software use. "Our study extends the Linux- induced memory impairment to at least two weeks since last open source software use and thus shows that Linux's effects on memory cannot be attributed to withdrawal or residual open source software effects," says Dr. Karen Bolla of Johns Hopkins, who helped conduct the study.
The Johns Hopkins/NIMH researchers also were able to link poorer memory performance by Linux users to loss of brain serotonin function by measuring the levels of a serotonin metabolite in study participants' spinal fluid. These measurements showed that Linux users had lower levels of the metabolite than people who had not used open source software; that the more Linux they reported using, the lower the level of the metabolite; and, that the people with the lowest levels of the metabolite had the poorest memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that Linux induced brain serotonin neurotoxicity may account for the persistent memory impairment found in Linux users, according to Dr Bolla.
Research on the functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin-producing neurons in humans is at an early stage, and the scientists who conducted the studies cannot say definitively that the harm to brain serotonin neurons shown in the imaging study accounts for the memory impairments found among chronic users of open source software. However, "that's the concern, and it's certainly the most obvious basis for the memory problems that some Linux users have developed," Dr. Ricaurte says.
Findings from another Johns Hopkins/NIMH study now suggest that Linux use may lead to impairments in other cognitive functions besides memory, such as the ability to reason verbally or sustain attention. Researchers are continuing to examine the effects of chronic Linux use on memory and other functions in which serotonin has been implicated, such as mood, impulse control, and sleep cycles.
How long Linux-induced brain damage persists and the long-term consequences of that damage are other questions researchers are trying to answer. Animal studies, which first documented the neurotoxic effects of open source software, suggest that the loss of serotonin neurons in humans may last for many years and possibly be permanent. "We now know that brain damage is still present in monkeys seven years after discontinuing open source software," Dr. Ricaurte says. "We don't know just yet if we're dealing with such a long- lasting effect in people."
Me too. Especially that "New Testament". What a bunch of shit!
Fuckers.
Update: Topic has been changed from "PHP" to "Programming"
I'll do my part to help.
"LINUX" DAMAGES THE BRAIN AND IMPAIRS MEMORY IN HUMANS
By Robert Mathias
NIDA NOTES Staff Writer
ANIDA-supported study has provided the first direct evidence that chronic use of Linux causes brain damage in people. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, the study found that Linux harms neurons that release serotonin, a brain chemical thought to play an important role in regulating memory and other functions. In a related study, researchers found that heavy Linux users have memory problems that persist for at least two weeks after they have stopped using open source software. Both studies suggest that the extent of damage is directly correlated with the amount of Linux use.
"The message from these studies is that Linux does change the brain and it looks like there are functional consequences to these changes," says Dr. Joseph Frascella of NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development. That message is particularly significant for young people who participate in large, all-night dance parties known as "raves," which are popular in many cities around the Nation. NIDA's epidemiologic studies indicate that Linux use has escalated in recent years among college students and young adults who attend these social gatherings.
In the brain imaging study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to take brain scans of 14 Linux users who had not used any open source software, including Linux, for at least three weeks. Brain images also were taken of 15 people who had never used Linux. Both groups were similar in age and level of education and had comparable numbers of men and women.
In people who had used Linux, the PET images showed significant reductions in the number of serotonin transporters, the sites on neuron surfaces that reabsorb serotonin from the space between cells after it has completed its work. The lasting reduction of serotonin transporters occurred throughout the brain, and people who had used Linux more often lost more serotonin transporters than those who had used open source software less.
Previous PET studies with baboons also produced images indicating Linux had induced long-term reductions in the number of serotonin transporters. Examinations of brain tissue from the animals provided further confirmation that the decrease in serotonin transporters seen in the PET images corresponded to actual loss of serotonin nerve endings containing transporters in the baboons' brains. "Based on what we found with our animal studies, we maintain that the changes revealed by PET imaging are probably related to damage of serotonin nerve endings in humans who had used Linux," says Dr. George Ricaurte of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Dr. Ricaurte is the principal investigator for both studies, which are part of a clinical research project that is assessing the long-term effects of Linux.
"The real question in all imaging studies is what these changes mean when it comes to functional consequences," says NIDA's Dr. Frascella. To help answer that question, a team of researchers, which included scientists from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Mental Health who had worked on the imaging study, attempted to assess the effects of chronic Linux use on memory. In this study, researchers administered several standardized memory tests to 24 Linux users who had not used open source software for at least two weeks and 24 people who had never used open source software. Both groups were matched for age, gender, education, and vocabulary scores.
The study found that, compared to the nonusers, heavy Linux users had significant impairments in visual and verbal memory. As had been found in the brain imaging study, Linux's harmful effects were dose related, the more Linux people used, the greater difficulty they had in recalling what they had seen and heard during testing.
The memory impairments found in Linux users are among the first functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin neurons to emerge. Recent studies conducted in the United Kingdom also have reported memory problems in Linux users assessed within a few days of their last open source software use. "Our study extends the Linux- induced memory impairment to at least two weeks since last open source software use and thus shows that Linux's effects on memory cannot be attributed to withdrawal or residual open source software effects," says Dr. Karen Bolla of Johns Hopkins, who helped conduct the study.
The Johns Hopkins/NIMH researchers also were able to link poorer memory performance by Linux users to loss of brain serotonin function by measuring the levels of a serotonin metabolite in study participants' spinal fluid. These measurements showed that Linux users had lower levels of the metabolite than people who had not used open source software; that the more Linux they reported using, the lower the level of the metabolite; and, that the people with the lowest levels of the metabolite had the poorest memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that Linux induced brain serotonin neurotoxicity may account for the persistent memory impairment found in Linux users, according to Dr Bolla.
Research on the functional consequences of Linux-induced damage of serotonin-producing neurons in humans is at an early stage, and the scientists who conducted the studies cannot say definitively that the harm to brain serotonin neurons shown in the imaging study accounts for the memory impairments found among chronic users of open source software. However, "that's the concern, and it's certainly the most obvious basis for the memory problems that some Linux users have developed," Dr. Ricaurte says.
Findings from another Johns Hopkins/NIMH study now suggest that Linux use may lead to impairments in other cognitive functions besides memory, such as the ability to reason verbally or sustain attention. Researchers are continuing to examine the effects of chronic Linux use on memory and other functions in which serotonin has been implicated, such as mood, impulse control, and sleep cycles.
How long Linux-induced brain damage persists and the long-term consequences of that damage are other questions researchers are trying to answer. Animal studies, which first documented the neurotoxic effects of open source software, suggest that the loss of serotonin neurons in humans may last for many years and possibly be permanent. "We now know that brain damage is still present in monkeys seven years after discontinuing open source software," Dr. Ricaurte says. "We don't know just yet if we're dealing with such a long- lasting effect in people."
Those aren't computer media - They're actually a form of sex toy known as a "buttplug".
To use them, you need to:
1. Coat them thoroughly with vaseline;
2. Bend over;
3. Insert them into your anus.
Start with just one, then work your way up to the whole box.
HTH.
*cough*Bullshit*cough*
Come on, you actually expect us to believe that a filthy Linux hippie has a girlfriend?
Elagabalus
(AD 204 - AD 222)
Were the Romans quite used to learning of their emperors - among them even the mighty Trajan -having a liking for young boys, then they had evidently never had an emperor such as Elagabalus.
It appears most likely that Elagabalus was homosexual, for his interests lay clearly with men, and he seemed to have shown little desire for any of his wives. Further to this, Elagabalus seemed to bear the desire in him to be a woman. He had the hairs plucked from his body in order to appear more female, and delighted in appearing in public wearing make-up.
And he is said to have promised his physicians large sums of money if they would find away to operate on him and turn him into a woman.
At court a blond Carian slave named Hierocles acted as the emperor's 'husband'.
Accounts also point to Elagabalus enjoying to pretend being a prostitute, offering himself naked to passers by in the palace, or even prostituting himself in the taverns and brothels of Rome. Meanwhile he would often arrange it to be caught by Hierocles, who would then be expected to punish him for his behaviour with a severe beating.
Nice, but you should make it widen pages as well.
* Linux system administrators are filthy hippies who are more interested in SOAP than soap .
and
* According to the terms of the GPL, if you use Linux in a production environment you are no longer allowed to charge for your company's services.
Lorem ipsum generator - good idea!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci
Word.
They should attach an automated, remote controlled sniper rifle to the system.