THC to protect from risks associated with Ecstasy? Ecstasy to cure cancer?

Well a few days ago I got my e-newsletter (I love technology) from Erowid.org that had a particular article in it that caught my interest even more than everything else in it...Is THC Neuroprotective Against MDMA Toxicity? Wow, I thought THC/cannabis does EVERYTHING! It's still early days into the research but it looks promising, that's right...a harm minimization strategy for those ever increasing ecstasy users might be to be sure to blaze up :P


To read more visit: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_article5.shtml and if you like the site please consider donating, they are a very important site who do brilliant work.

It was a few days after gloating more good values of cannabis that ANOTHER illicit substance, MDMA/'ecstasy' shows cancer destroying properties...and this in the mainstream media :O

"Researchers from Birmingham University claimed the designer drug, also known as MDMA, could be used to treat leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma after making it 100 times more effective at suppressing growth.

Ecstasy was already known to be effective against more than half of white blood cell cancers, but previously the large dose required to treat a tumour would also have killed the patient"

- Source

The only thing that concerns me is that the Australian "Ecstasy. Face Facts" ad campaign that the Government ran in a targeted and stereotypical way (i.e. ads in music magazines) was TOO EFFECTIVE. I mean what if someone has a cancer curable by a disco biscuit but won't have it because he knows battery acid, bleach and a dirty toilet are involved? Refer to picture below

Also note the graphical design work on the advertisement, I like how it's what I'd come to expect from governments terrible delivery of often misguided messages which have never proven themselves to be effective.

Expensive cities and minimum wage

Have you ever wondered how people living in expensive cities make ends meet working at an inner city mega takeaway food joint? ...Probably not, right?

Well I did, it seemed impossible...like a job that shouldn't even be able to exist! I mean inner city real estate would not be affordable in addition to other living expenses, therefore they would have to live in the outer suburbs, requiring a means of transportation which is just another expensive to be afforded.

I asked some anonymous people online how it was possible. One response struck me


They used to live in New York sharing a "huge" apartment with 8 people. The anonymous replier worked 2 jobs and they barely made ends meet. Stated "Not even worth the experience".


When asked "What Was the 'experience'? Big City Living?"


They responded again stating "Yup, being in NYC itself is the experience. It was fun but I wouldn't do it again. A bunch of my friends went to live there after college and we tried to hang out be we all worked too much. 
Expectation: Would be like Friends
Reality: All of us working back to back jobs with schedules that never meet up.


Oh joy, another reason to lament how big business is shaping modern civilization in the many parts of the,so-called, developed World.

All this information exchange came about when I noticed that a lot of my 'Friends' on Facebook (from Australia) have been visiting New York...and by the photographic evidence doing some pretty cool, yet predictable, activities and being the 100th Millionth person to photographic the Statue of Liberty.

Personally, if I were to visit New York City, my #1 destination would be the John Lennon Memorial in Central Park, as pictured below...and then off to have a slice of NY Pizza with a frosty Coca Cola :)

How about you?

Product Placement in Movies

So it seems Morgan Spurlock (of 'Supersize Me' fame) has come out with a new documentary entitled "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" which focuses on product placement, marketing and advertising in movies. 


This got me thinking...and re-watching an comedy favorite of mine - The 40 year old virgin.


I have watched this movie and come to find that well...Come to your own conclusions...

Televisions on store floor - Panasonic

Boxes in back dock (?) area - Panasonic (and GE Lighting)

Hey look, the customer bought a Panasonic...

The television in Andy's bedroom? Well for a store that obviously only sells Panasonic why have anything else?

Demonstrating Televisions...More specifically, Panasonic TV's with Panasonic promos

TV in Andy's Lounge Room? One guess

Way to sell a big screen TV...well, Pansonic's seem to sell themselves.

Fun fact, my Television is a Panasonic VIERA


There were other brands that seemed conveniently located, too many to go into right now but here are a few more of a Particular product/brand:

One thing I did consider was how difficult it would be to make a movie these days WITHOUT inadvertently/being able to avoid having sloganized products on screen - In fact it might even seem foreign and obvious that 'something wasn't right'


Well, thanks for viewing :)