Merkabah

[Skarekrow]

[video=youtube;PizMuqZUWbY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PizMuqZUWbY[/video]

This film series explores many aspects of our society.
To rethink what is possible in our world, we need to consider what kind of world we want to live in.

Although we refer to it as civilization, it is anything but civilized.
Visions of global unity & fellowship have long inspired humanity, yet the social arrangements up to the present have largely failed to produce a peaceful and productive world.

While we appear to be technically advanced, our values and behaviors are not.
The possibility of an optimistic future is in stark contrast to our current social, economic, and environmental dilemmas.

The Choice Is Ours includes interviews with notable scientists, media professionals, authors, and other thinkers exploring the difficulties we face.
Part I provides an introduction & overview of cultural & environmental conditions that are untenable for a sustainable world civilization. It explores the determinants of behavior to dispel the myth of “human nature”, while demonstrating how environment shapes behavior.

The science of behavior is an important -yet largely missing- ingredient in our culture.

Part II questions the values, behaviors, and consequences of our social structures, and illustrates how our global monetary system is obsolete and increasingly insufficient to meet the needs of most people.

Critical consideration of the banking, media, and criminal justice systems reveals these institutions for what they really are: tools of social control managed by the established political and economic elite.

If we stay the present course, the familiar cycles of crime, economic booms & busts, war, and further environmental destruction are inevitable.

Part III (to be released later this year) will explain the methods and potential of science.
It will propose solutions that we can apply at present to eliminate the use of non-renewable sources of energy.

It will depict the vision of The Venus Project to build an entirely new world from the ground up: a “redesign of the culture”, where all enjoy a high standard of living, free of servitude and debt, while also protecting the environment.

Our problems are mostly of our own making, but we can still turn things around before the point of no return.
It’s not too late for an optimistic outlook on the fantastic possibilities that lie before us.

 

[Skarekrow]

[MENTION=5601]vandyke[/MENTION]

Your Brain On LSD

For some people, they’re the recipe for one heck of a party.
For others, they’re dangerous, one-way tickets to trouble that deserve their illegal status.

But regardless of how people view them, and whether or not governments and policy makers like to admit it, psychoactive drugs are starting to show great promise as effective therapies for various mental health problems, and could well be a key to furthering our understanding of consciousness.

Take Ketamine, or ‘Special K’ as it is colloquially known.
It’s already widely used in clinical settings as an anesthetic in both animals and humans, but studies are also highlighting its remarkable ability to treat depression, bipolar disorder and suicidal behavior.

Not only that, but it is also super-fast acting, exhibiting potent antidepressant effects in as little as just two hours.

But that’s not all: Cannabis has shown potential in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and insomnia; the active compound of magic mushrooms,psilocybin, could be useful in treating addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorders and depression; MDMA could help those with post-traumatic stress disorder or Parkinson’s; and LSD could help anxiety, alcoholism and even inflammatory disorders.

It’s quite an impressive list.

​

Unfortunately, despite these promising early studies, there is a major barrier in this field of research: attitudes towards drugs, at least in the U.K., make it very difficult to conduct such studies.

Not only are funding bodies cautious about giving away their cash to such experiments, but restrictions and regulations are also very difficult to get around. Consequently, despite the huge potential for these drugs to be used in clinical settings, the dogma and fear surrounding their use is a significant obstacle.

In spite of this, there are some people who are endeavoring to conduct human research on psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, Ketamine and psilocybin. Alongside investigating their potential use as therapeutics, scientists also hope that by studying how they affect the brain in controlled settings, we could unlock some of the mysteries of consciousness.

​

One such scientist who is keen to delve deeper into the human mind through these drugs is Imperial College London's David Nutt, esteemed professor of neuropsychopharmacology and the former government chief drug adviser.

Given the ongoing struggle for academics to secure grants for research, and the prudence of funding bodies when it comes to research involving human use of illicit substances, Nutt is now reaching out to the public through the start-up science crowd funding platform Walacea to continue his LSD research, which has resulted from a collaboration with Imperial College London and the Beckley Foundation.

“Despite the incredible potential of this drug to further our understanding of the brain, political stigma has silenced research,” Nutt said in a news release, referring to the fact that since LSD was banned, there has only been one clinical trial on LSD. “We must not play politics with promising science that has so much potential for good.”

So far, Nutt has already administered 20 subjects with a moderate dose of LSD and conducted imaging studies on its effect in the brain using a combination of fMRI and MEG.

Both of these measure brain function, but the former takes snapshots of brain activity, whereas MEG is more like recording a video.
They predict that LSD may behave in a similar way to psilocybin, reducing blood flow to the control centers of the brain and thus dampening their activity, which ultimately enhances brain connectivity.

In doing so, psilocybin seems to help brain regions that are normally distinct begin to communicate with one another, which could be why we see an increase in creativity with the use of this substance.

However, we won’t know if LSD works in a similar manner until the second stage of the study is completed, and that requires the public to dig deep into their pockets.

[video=youtube;iiQNdYqboYM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iiQNdYqboYM[/video]​

 

[j654dgj7]

[MENTION=5045]Skarekrow[/MENTION]
I have heard different things about how people perceive acid and hallucinogenic drugs.
It's probably good for some to test out, and something that others should stay away from.
The late, great, Harris Wittels was a notorious user and proponent of the drug. He would often talk about how the best days of his life were when he would drop acid and go to a Phish concert.
He, of course, suffered from major depressions and blamed his huge intake of Ecstacy for fucking up his brain serotonin when he was a teenager, so he couldn't be happy as an adult.
Harris said that the only drug that will fuck you up for good was Ecstacy, by the way, because of the brain serotonin. He was all for LSD and shrooms for every one.
Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields, I Am The Walrus, Tomorrow Never Knows and Baby, You're A Rich Man on the drug.

But then you have people like Syd Barrett on the other side.
Seemingly healthy, young and creative minds like Syd took acid and it either made them crazy or activated something in their minds that fucked them up good and fast.
I don't feel like I have the healthiest brain structure in the world, so I would be scared to try acid unless it was for some self-destructive reason, of course.
That doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate the findings! It was very interesting, and I love that these findings about illegal drugs are being made in these more drug-liberal days of the 21st century.

 

[Skarekrow]

@Skarekrow
I have heard different things about how people perceive acid and hallucinogenic drugs.
It's probably good for some to test out, and something that others should stay away from.
The late, great, Harris Wittels was a notorious user and proponent of the drug. He would often talk about how the best days of his life were when he would drop acid and go to a Phish concert.
He, of course, suffered from major depressions and blamed his huge intake of Ecstacy for fucking up his brain serotonin when he was a teenager, so he couldn't be happy as an adult.
Harris said that the only drug that will fuck you up for good was Ecstacy, by the way, because of the brain serotonin. He was all for LSD and shrooms for every one.
Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields, I Am The Walrus, Tomorrow Never Knows and Baby, You're A Rich Man on the drug.

But then you have people like Syd Barrett on the other side.
Seemingly healthy, young and creative minds like Syd took acid and it either made them crazy or activated something in their minds that fucked them up good and fast.
I don't feel like I have the healthiest brain structure in the world, so I would be scared to try acid unless it was for some self-destructive reason, of course.
That doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate the findings! It was very interesting, and I love that these findings about illegal drugs are being made in these more drug-liberal days of the 21st century.

I’m not advocating that you do it my friend…I just find it interesting that we have been fed this horseshit our whole lives telling us that we will go “insane” if we take it.
That isn’t what the researchers are finding at all.
Maybe one day, people can really benefit from treatments on these drugs….people who don’t respond to normal type antidepressants or anti anxiety drugs.
Our ancestors used these to help heal such ailments.
Then all of the sudden…Oh no…you can’t have them…even though we (the Baby Boomers) experimented the fuck out of them.
lololol

 

[j654dgj7]

I’m not advocating that you do it my friend…I just find it interesting that we have been fed this horseshit our whole lives telling us that we will go “insane” if we take it.
That isn’t what the researchers are finding at all.
Maybe one day, people can really benefit from treatments on these drugs….people who don’t respond to normal type antidepressants or anti anxiety drugs.
Our ancestors used these to help heal such ailments.
Then all of the sudden…Oh no…you can’t have them…even though we (the Baby Boomers) experimented the fuck out of them.
lololol

The Baby Boomers was a huge generation, too. I think I heard it was one of the biggest in number ever, and that they had shockingly few children in return, making the next generation a lonely one in comparison. Anyways,

I don't feel like the majority of the boomers (as in baby boomers, not boomerangs. Just so we're clear) were pro-drug, left-wing hippies. I remember seeing an interview with Frank Zappa, where he said the police would show up at hippie clubs in California in the late 60's and beat up and throw out the young people there and arrest the ones that didn't have a home to go home to. That went on for years, and apparently people didn't think to change that way of doing things in those boomer days (once again, baby boomers. Not boomerangs. Good).

With the Red Scare, communism, civil rights, women's rights, gun control and the extended role of government, I feel like the boomers (baby boomer) became a pretty conservative (in the literal meaning of the word), scared generation. Unfortunately. It's sad, because they had the potential to make our lives a lot better, than BOY did they fuck that up good.

Then after the economic scare of the early 70's, we've all just sort of sat on our couches ever since. It's been good being the kings and queens of the world for a while! Now we either have to get up off our couches and start making stuff again (unlikely) or at least legalize a bunch of drugs to make our downfall a little more bearable.

 

[Skarekrow]

The Baby Boomers was a huge generation, too. I think I heard it was one of the biggest in number ever, and that they had shockingly few children in return, making the next generation a lonely one in comparison. Anyways,

I don't feel like the majority of the boomers (as in baby boomers, not boomerangs. Just so we're clear) were pro-drug, left-wing hippies. I remember seeing an interview with Frank Zappa, where he said the police would show up at hippie clubs in California in the late 60's and beat up and throw out the young people there and arrest the ones that didn't have a home to go home to. That went on for years, and apparently people didn't think to change that way of doing things in those boomer days (once again, baby boomers. Not boomerangs. Good).

With the Red Scare, communism, civil rights, women's rights, gun control and the extended role of government, I feel like the boomers (baby boomer) became a pretty conservative (in the literal meaning of the word), scared generation. Unfortunately. It's sad, because they had the potential to make our lives a lot better, than BOY did they fuck that up good.

Then after the economic scare of the early 70's, we've all just sort of sat on our couches ever since. It's been good being the kings and queens of the world for a while! Now we either have to get up off our couches and start making stuff again (unlikely) or at least legalize a bunch of drugs to make our downfall a little more bearable.

I think I could write a book just shaming the Baby Boomers hahahahaha. What they were above all else was the most self-centered generation EVER. And yes, you and I are their offspring…I’m Generation X and you would be Gen. Y or “Why?”.
Yes, they have destroyed the system that worked so incredibly well for them….they were able to fuck around for several years, play with drugs, etc….then were able to finish college because it was free or affordable, get well paying jobs, etc. etc….I could go on and explain paragraphs of what they have done to dismantle every good social program their parents fought for and in many cases died to have certain rights that are now GONE because of the BBs.
Enough of that…too negative…I’m having a bad day…I just feel worthless lately…I have no energy, no libido, I can hardly get up to clean, much less walk the dog so Sensiko doesn’t have to do it after working all day.
It’s hard to adjust from working full time, few vacations, since I was 17…it brings anger to the surface of me…I get angry at my situation.
I wish (and I try) that I could just will it away with mind powers that I have somehow honed into laser precision.
This is why I talk to you Peter…you know exactly what I just said and I know you understood it far better than most.
Thank you my friend.
-Michael

 

[j654dgj7]

I think I could write a book just shaming the Baby Boomers hahahahaha. What they were above all else was the most self-centered generation EVER. And yes, you and I are their offspring…I’m Generation X and you would be Gen. Y or “Why?”.
Yes, they have destroyed the system that worked so incredibly well for them….they were able to fuck around for several years, play with drugs, etc….then were able to finish college because it was free or affordable, get well paying jobs, etc. etc….I could go on and explain paragraphs of what they have done to dismantle every good social program their parents fought for and in many cases died to have certain rights that are now GONE because of the BBs.

Oh trust me, there's going to be a bunch of books and analysis of how that generation had a major downside to its heady ideals of the 60s, once they're all gone and buried. They're still around and very powerful, so no one dares to take them on yet. I think high school history books on the 60's will look different than they do today once we're in our 60's. That's how I feel anyways. I definitely feel like, for all of our flaws, Gen X and Gen Depression (as I call it) are much healthier. The BBs never had the accessibility that we had, or the level of information that we received. That bodes well for us. Like with drug research, medical marijuana (still being worked out) and equal rights. It's my impression that it's mostly BBs that are freaking out about this subjects, and that an overwhelming amoutn of young people aren't buying the media bullshit scare tactics. Who knows, we might turn into the BBs. It's all alright. We're just energy.

I'm lucky that I grew up in a country with strong unions and a historical tradition of uni-partisan collaboration in politics. School, universities and hospitals are completely free of charge. When you go to university you get about $1000 dollars a month for free from the government. They see your studies as an investment in country's future, instead of an elective activity. Denmark has an ambition for 50% of all newborn babies should receive a masters degree during their lifetime. It will be interesting to see how that works out. BBs are freaking out about all of this, but they're cool if you just raise their pensions every once in a while.

Of course, there's no way that we could afford all of this if we had to finance your military, the CIA or the FBI. We have a great anti-terror group called the PET who have foiled thousands of planned terror attacks in Denmark since 9/11. I feel very grateful for them, because I know that they have foiled at least one attack that would have killed three of my friends. It was all of the news. Scary stuff.

I’m having a bad day…I just feel worthless lately…I have no energy, no libido, I can hardly get up to clean, much less walk the dog so Sensiko doesn’t have to do it after working all day.
It’s hard to adjust from working full time, few vacations, since I was 17…it brings anger to the surface of me…I get angry at my situation.
I wish (and I try) that I could just will it away with mind powers that I have somehow honed into laser precision.
This is why I talk to you Peter…you know exactly what I just said and I know you understood it far better than most.
Thank you my friend.
-Michael

Mike,
You're detoxing. Your body is going through an enormous, very real, amount of pain. I can't believe how well you've been handling it so far! You've gone through the initial phase of pain. Now comes the long haul, the long walk up the hill to being good again on your own.
Please try to not add onto that pile of shit. You're a fucking tropper already, don't get down on yourself for not being exactly who you want to be. That's for a different day, a different set of circumstances.
Some times lie beyond our reach, and I think that your reach is busy at the moment dealing with physical pain. Don't take anger out on yourself right now. Your mind powers and strength will be back soon. Then you can hone anything you'd like to whatever you want it to be!
Please, let's be there for each other. I like talking to you too. We know what's going on.
Don't let me down.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 

[Skarekrow]

Oh trust me, there's going to be a bunch of books and analysis of how that generation had a major downside to its heady ideals of the 60s, once they're all gone and buried. They're still around and very powerful, so no one dares to take them on yet. I think high school history books on the 60's will look different than they do today once we're in our 60's. That's how I feel anyways. I definitely feel like, for all of our flaws, Gen X and Gen Depression (as I call it) are much healthier. The BBs never had the accessibility that we had, or the level of information that we received. That bodes well for us. Like with drug research, medical marijuana (still being worked out) and equal rights. It's my impression that it's mostly BBs that are freaking out about this subjects, and that an overwhelming amoutn of young people aren't buying the media bullshit scare tactics. Who knows, we might turn into the BBs. It's all alright. We're just energy.

I'm lucky that I grew up in a country with strong unions and a historical tradition of uni-partisan collaboration in politics. School, universities and hospitals are completely free of charge. When you go to university you get about $1000 dollars a month for free from the government. They see your studies as an investment in country's future, instead of an elective activity. Denmark has an ambition for 50% of all newborn babies should receive a masters degree during their lifetime. It will be interesting to see how that works out. BBs are freaking out about all of this, but they're cool if you just raise their pensions every once in a while.

Of course, there's no way that we could afford all of this if we had to finance your military, the CIA or the FBI. We have a great anti-terror group called the PET who have foiled thousands of planned terror attacks in Denmark since 9/11. I feel very grateful for them, because I know that they have foiled at least one attack that would have killed three of my friends. It was all of the news. Scary stuff.



Mike,
You're detoxing. Your body is going through an enormous, very real, amount of pain. I can't believe how well you've been handling it so far! You've gone through the initial phase of pain. Now comes the long haul, the long walk up the hill to being good again on your own.
Please try to not add onto that pile of shit. You're a fucking tropper already, don't get down on yourself for not being exactly who you want to be. That's for a different day, a different set of circumstances.
Some times lie beyond our reach, and I think that your reach is busy at the moment dealing with physical pain. Don't take anger out on yourself right now. Your mind powers and strength will be back soon. Then you can hone anything you'd like to whatever you want it to be!
Please, let's be there for each other. I like talking to you too. We know what's going on.
Don't let me down.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Sorry…that was just a rough day…I was just going crazy from being here at home so much…I finished that Spirit Board and I think I grew too restless.
But also…I couldn’t just take a walk….because I haven’t felt well enough or have enough energy to do that yet…so I jus took a chair outside and sat in the sunlight and listened to music.
Advice is so much easier to dole out than it is to take. Sometimes it’s hard even for me to go to my “happy place”.
But this is the human condition I suppose….this is just how is has to be right now…I still choke on that pill occasionally…I DON’T have all the answers…just a few more years of experience into what works and what doesn’t.
Thanks for YOUR support.
I feel like my body is always crumbling…and I keep, bending down to pick up the pieces and put them back only to have them crumble with the next step.
THAT is my trial…I picked a good one for sure…hahaha.
I will beat it….somedays are just harder than others.

Our country used to have such education systems…those are the systems the BBs benefitted from….they graduated into good, single-income, jobs with retirements and pension plans…Union jobs.
Then Reagan came along…there was a critical moment…the Pilot’s Union was striking…and currently, there were laws protecting their right to strike…Reagan turned his back on them…said they would all be fired if they didn’t return to work.
That was the beginning of the end here.
Then he took the tax rates that were in the 80% range and cut it to 50%, then again he cut it to 28%! Crazy!!!
No wonder we have a deficit.
No wonder we can’t feed our people and find shelter for our homeless.
No wonder we can’t afford to educate our children.
Or fix our estimated 90% “dangerous” rated bridges in the US.
Yes…we pay….and this is really INSANE….like Cuckoo-bananas certifiable CRAZY - https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/ Just look at those numbers go!!!! Oh, and don’t forget to scroll down and see all the other numbers!!!! WOWOWOWOW!!!
Holy Shit!!!!

We could feed world hunger and provide clean drinking water to everyone everywhere, including vaccinating them all and building schools around the world.
But instead, we build Predator drones…are you fucking serious?! Makes me ill.
Please don’t think all Americans support this shit, because a good portion of us do not.

Thanks…today will be better.

 

[Kgal]

The Baby Boomers was a huge generation, too. I think I heard it was one of the biggest in number ever, and that they had shockingly few children in return, making the next generation a lonely one in comparison. Anyways,

I don't feel like the majority of the boomers (as in baby boomers, not boomerangs. Just so we're clear) were pro-drug, left-wing hippies. I remember seeing an interview with Frank Zappa, where he said the police would show up at hippie clubs in California in the late 60's and beat up and throw out the young people there and arrest the ones that didn't have a home to go home to. That went on for years, and apparently people didn't think to change that way of doing things in those boomer days (once again, baby boomers. Not boomerangs. Good).

With the Red Scare, communism, civil rights, women's rights, gun control and the extended role of government, I feel like the boomers (baby boomer) became a pretty conservative (in the literal meaning of the word), scared generation. Unfortunately. It's sad, because they had the potential to make our lives a lot better, than BOY did they fuck that up good.

Then after the economic scare of the early 70's, we've all just sort of sat on our couches ever since. It's been good being the kings and queens of the world for a while! Now we either have to get up off our couches and start making stuff again (unlikely) or at least legalize a bunch of drugs to make our downfall a little more bearable.

Ohhhh.... vandyke you are my hero!!! [swoons] :faint:

I've been waiting for someone to defend the boomers and here you are doing just that. Mannn...that felt good to read that.

One thing the baby boomer generation had to deal with when no other generations have - is the fact the boomers were fired upon and killed on a college campus during a peaceful demonstration. Sure other generations have had their life beat out of them due to economic crises and other artificial creations such as war and 911. But no one has been shot right in your face like we were.

"...On May 4, l970 members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4th, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era....http://dept.kent.edu/sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm"

To understand the boomers you need to understand we were raised by parents who had grown up during the Great Depression. They were bound and determined that their children would never have to go without food shelter or clothing again like they did....and the capitalist Elite were happy to provide the brainwashing ads to help them along with their goals. As a result we were babied and coddled and muffled and raised on bullshit like Walt Disney and Technicolor on the one hand while being traumatized with corporal punishment starting in first grade and Duck and Cover drills for survival of a nuclear war on the other. I do believe we were the first generation to go through the brainwashing attempts to control the masses. There were so many of us it scared the Elite so they contrived the Vietnam War to kill off as many young males as they could. We started the Civil Rights movements and saw murder and rape within our own country as we tried to peacefully create equality. We thought we had a government for the people and by the people and when we said no to war - they shot us. Trauma. Trauma. Trauma.

We were beaten by the Elite.

Blaming generations for the ills of society is fruitless and pointless. That's why I never say anything about younger generations. Now I admit I've declared those 90 yo Senators need to die....but that's something else. Neverthelesss it keeps generations divided. If we intend to solve any issues we must come together in a spirit of acceptance ...us old farts and you younger brilliant minds as one.

 

[Skarekrow]

Ohhhh.... vandyke you are my hero!!! [swoons] :faint:

I've been waiting for someone to defend the boomers and here you are doing just that. Mannn...that felt good to read that.

One thing the baby boomer generation had to deal with when no other generations have - is the fact the boomers were fired upon and killed on a college campus during a peaceful demonstration. Sure other generations have had their life beat out of them due to economic crises and other artificial creations such as war and 911. But no one has been shot right in your face like we were.

"...On May 4, l970 members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4th, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era....http://dept.kent.edu/sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm"

To understand the boomers you need to understand we were raised by parents who had grown up during the Great Depression. They were bound and determined that their children would never have to go without food shelter or clothing again like they did....and the capitalist Elite were happy to provide the brainwashing ads to help them along with their goals. As a result we were babied and coddled and muffled and raised on bullshit like Walt Disney and Technicolor on the one hand while being traumatized with corporal punishment starting in first grade and Duck and Cover drills for survival of a nuclear war on the other. I do believe we were the first generation to go through the brainwashing attempts to control the masses. There were so many of us it scared the Elite so they contrived the Vietnam War to kill off as many young males as they could. We started the Civil Rights movements and saw murder and rape within our own country as we tried to peacefully create equality. We thought we had a government for the people and by the people and when we said no to war - they shot us. Trauma. Trauma. Trauma.

We were beaten by the Elite.

Blaming generations for the ills of society is fruitless and pointless. That's why I never say anything about younger generations. Now I admit I've declared those 90 yo Senators need to die....but that's something else. Neverthelesss it keeps generations divided. If we intend to solve any issues we must come together in a spirit of acceptance ...us old farts and you younger brilliant minds as one.

I don’t blame all the BBs.
Just those who decided that they were more important that those that came after them.
Most of whom are probably psychopaths…I think you are FAR from being a psychopath.
It was those who ignored the fact that people were shot at Kent state…they ignored the reasons for the protests.
I know many BBs tried to make this country better, I know my parents never did anything outright to undermine my generation or something along those lines.
I am only trying to provide a timeline of how we ended up where we are now…mostly because of corporate lobbyists bribing almost all of Congress…the Supreme Court…even our President is beholden to either corporate or military-industrial complex CEOs.
It’s insanity.
I really feel like we will have to have some grand protests before anything serious changes.
That will take us all…I don’t mean to group everyone together…sorry.

 

[j654dgj7]

Ohhhh.... vandyke you are my hero!!! [swoons] :faint:

I've been waiting for someone to defend the boomers and here you are doing just that. Mannn...that felt good to read that.

One thing the baby boomer generation had to deal with when no other generations have - is the fact the boomers were fired upon and killed on a college campus during a peaceful demonstration. Sure other generations have had their life beat out of them due to economic crises and other artificial creations such as war and 911. But no one has been shot right in your face like we were.

"...On May 4, l970 members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4th, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era....http://dept.kent.edu/sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm"

To understand the boomers you need to understand we were raised by parents who had grown up during the Great Depression. They were bound and determined that their children would never have to go without food shelter or clothing again like they did....and the capitalist Elite were happy to provide the brainwashing ads to help them along with their goals. As a result we were babied and coddled and muffled and raised on bullshit like Walt Disney and Technicolor on the one hand while being traumatized with corporal punishment starting in first grade and Duck and Cover drills for survival of a nuclear war on the other. I do believe we were the first generation to go through the brainwashing attempts to control the masses. There were so many of us it scared the Elite so they contrived the Vietnam War to kill off as many young males as they could. We started the Civil Rights movements and saw murder and rape within our own country as we tried to peacefully create equality. We thought we had a government for the people and by the people and when we said no to war - they shot us. Trauma. Trauma. Trauma.

We were beaten by the Elite.

Blaming generations for the ills of society is fruitless and pointless. That's why I never say anything about younger generations. Now I admit I've declared those 90 yo Senators need to die....but that's something else. Neverthelesss it keeps generations divided. If we intend to solve any issues we must come together in a spirit of acceptance ...us old farts and you younger brilliant minds as one.

You're so on the money it's crazy.

I think that the chronological impact of the baby boomers in American history will end up reading like a Greek tragedy. A generation raised in highly protective, very encouraging surroundings. Told that they should aim for the stars, and that there was nothing that they couldn't do. Elect the youngest and one of the most youthful and idealistic presidents ever. Nothing seemed impossible! When tragedy struck and the president was killed, the baby boomers decided to honor his wishes and went to space, and later the moon! Woodstock was, at its core, a bunch of baby boomers that wanted to test the waters for a different world. I think what turned everything around was Ohio State like you mentioned, the Charlie Manson murders and the Altamont free concert. Those terrible three things took away Kennedy and Disney and replaced it with fear and seclusion for most people. Since then, a lot of the people gave up and their fear drove them to no longer think big and expansive thoughts, but to think in terms of small communities and cities.

You know what? I have a lot of respect for the baby boomers as a whole. If there was ever a generation that was beaten with fear, and stood against it for years and years, it was them. I feel like the whole of the 00's was spent on my generation watching the news and being scared out of our minds! We didn't know what was going on, and who might die. I have three friends that I've known growing up that died in Iraq, and I'm not even American! It was a heartbreaking time. To think that the boomers had that going on, and were still risking their lives thinking things that a scared government didn't want them to consider is very commendable to me.

It's sad that so many of the boomers have held on to their hate and fear for so long, but I didn't go through what they went through. I can't judge. I just know that the conservative nature (literal meaning) of the world and of interpretive actions is killing the spirit of my generation. I couldn't tell you the amount of times that I've been told by baby boomers, that something that I wanted to do was either stupid, too risky or impossible. Things that I've done, and that weren't even hard to do. There's a student councillor at my high school that's an old hippie baby boomer, and he tells everyone to lower their expectations. Not because we can't do what we want. We just shouldn't get our hopes up. The dream is over for the baby boomers.

I feel like the best song for the funeral of the baby boomer generation was made by one of my favourite boomers - John Lennon. It's called "God". Here it is:

[video=youtube;nZ5PQppudHc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ5PQppudHc[/video]

God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain
I'll say it again
God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain

I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-Ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in yoga
I don't believe in kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that's reality

The dream is over
What can I say?
The dream is over
Yesterday
I was the dream weaver
But now I'm reborn
I was the Walrus
But now I'm John
And so dear friends
You just have to carry on
The dream is over​

 

[Skarekrow]

@vandyke

This could be helpful to us both my friend!!

How to Increase Dopamine, the Motivation Molecule



(This guy makes me want to punch him in the face…hahahaha)​

Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter for motivation, focus and productivity.
Learn the symptoms of dopamine deficiency and natural ways to increase dopamine levels …

There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain — about as many stars as there are in the Milky Way.
These cells communicate with each other via brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for providing motivation, drive, and focus.
It plays a role in many mental disorders including depression, addictions, ADHD, and schizophrenia.

Let’s take a closer look at dopamine — what it does, symptoms of deficiency, and how to increase it naturally.

Dopamine: The Motivation Molecule

Dopamine has been called our “motivation molecule.”
It boosts our drive, focus, and concentration.

It enables us to plan ahead and resist impulses so we can achieve our goals.
It gives us that “I did it!” lift when we accomplish what we set out to do.

It makes us competitive and provides the thrill of the chase in all aspects of life — business, sports, and love.
Dopamine is in charge of our pleasure-reward system. (1)

It allows us to have feelings of enjoyment, bliss, and even euphoria.
But too little dopamine can leave you unfocused, unmotivated, lethargic, and even depressed.

Dopamine Deficiency Symptoms

People low in dopamine lack a zest for life.
They exhibit low energy and motivation, and often rely on caffeine, sugar, or other stimulants to get through the day.

Many common dopamine deficiency symptoms are similar to those of depression:

• lack of motivation
• fatigue
• apathy
• procrastination
• inability to feel pleasure
• low libido
• sleep problems
• mood swings
• hopelessness
• memory loss
• inability to concentrate

Dopamine-deficient lab mice become so apathetic and lethargic they lack motivation to eat and starve to death. (2)
Conversely, some people who are low in dopamine compensate with self-destructive behaviors to get their dopamine boost.

This can include use and abuse of caffeine, alcohol, sugar, drugs, shopping, video games, sex, power, or gambling.

How to Increase Dopamine Naturally

There are plenty of unhealthy ways to raise dopamine.
But you don’t have to resort to “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” to boost your dopamine levels.

Here are some healthy, proven ways to increase dopamine levels naturally.

Foods That Increase Dopamine

Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine.
Eating a diet high in tyrosine will ensure you’ve got the basic building blocks needed for dopamine production.

Here’s a list of tyrosine-rich foods: (3, 4, 5, 6)

• all animal products
• almonds
• apples
• avocado
• bananas
• beets
• chocolate
• coffee
• fava beans
• green leafy vegetables
• green tea
• lima beans
• oatmeal
• sea vegetables
• sesame and pumpkin seeds
• turmeric
• watermelon
• wheat germ

Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut can also increase natural dopamine production.
Oddly, the health of your intestinal flora impacts your production of neurotransmitters.

An overabundance of bad bacteria leaves toxic byproducts called lipopolysaccharides which lower levels of dopamine. (7)
Sugar has been found to boost dopamine but this is a temporary boost, more drug-like than food-like. (8)

Dopamine Supplements

There are supplements that can raise dopamine levels naturally.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric.

It’s available in an isolated form as a supplement.
It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and can boost levels of dopamine. (9, 10, 11)

Curcumin has been found to help alleviate obsessive actions and improve associated memory loss by increasing dopamine. (12, 13)
Ginkgo biloba is traditionally used for a variety of brain-related problems — poor concentration,forgetfulness, headaches, fatigue, mental confusion, depression, and anxiety. (14)
One of the mechanisms by which ginkgo works is by raising dopamine. (15, 16)

L-theanine is a component found in green tea.
It increases levels of dopamine along with other neurotransmitters serotonin and GABA. (17, 18) L-theanine improves recall, learning, and positive mood. (19, 20) You can get your dopamine boost by either taking theanine supplements or by drinking 3 cups of green tea per day. (21)

L-tyrosine — the precursor to dopamine — is available as a supplement.
We recommend taking acetyl-l-tyrosine — a more absorbable form that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. (22)

Phosphatidylserine acts as your brain’s “gatekeeper,” regulating nutrients and waste in and out of your brain.
It can increase dopamine levels and improve memory, concentration, learning, and ADHD. (23, 24, 25)

Boost Dopamine with Exercise

Physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for your brain.
It boosts production of new brain cells, slows down brain cell aging, and improves the flow of nutrients to the brain.

It can also increase your levels of dopamine and the other “feel good” neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. (26)
Dr. John Ratey, renowned psychiatrist and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

, has extensively studied the effects of physical exercise on the brain.

He found that exercise raises baseline levels of dopamine by promoting the growth of new brain cell receptors.
Dopamine is responsible in part for the high serious runners experience. (27)

But you don’t need to exercise strenuously to enhance your brain.
Taking walks, or doing gentle, no-impact exercises like yoga, meditation, tai chi, or qi gong all provide powerful mind-body benefits. (28, 29, 30)

Increase Dopamine with Meditation

The benefits of meditation have been proven in over 1,000 studies. (31)
Regular meditators experience enhanced ability to learn, increased creativity, and deep relaxation.

It’s been shown that meditation increases dopamine, improving focus and concentration. (32)

Crafting hobbies of all kinds — knitting, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, woodworking, and home repair — focus the brain similarly to meditation. These activities increase dopamine, ward off depression, and protect against brain aging. (33)

Listening to music can cause of release of dopamine.
Oddly, you don’t even have to hear music to get this neurotransmitter flowing — just the anticipation of listening can do that. (34)

Using Your Brain’s Reward System to Balance Dopamine

Dopamine functions as a survival mechanism by releasing energy when a great opportunity is in front of you.
Dopamine rewards us when our needs are met.

We love dopamine surges because of the way they make us feel.
But according to Dr. Loretta Graziano Breuning, author of Meet Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin, Serotonin

, we are not designed to experience a non-stop dopamine buzz.

The constant hunt for dopamine boosts can turn you into a “Wolf on Wall Street” — driven by addictions, greed, and lust.
Here are some healthy ways to balance your dopamine by working with your brain’s built-in reward system.

Enjoy the Quest

Our ancestors were on a constant quest to survive.
They got a dopamine surge every time they spotted a new patch of berries or a better fishing hole because this meant they’d live to seek another day.

While you can still pick berries and fish, there are endless other healthy ways you can enjoy the quest in modern life.
You can forage for new music to download, specialty ingredients to cook with, a travel package bargain, a hard-to-find collector’s item, or that perfect gift for a loved one.

You can engage in specifically quest-oriented hobbies like geocaching, bird watching, rockhounding, amateur archaeology, and collecting of all kinds.
The act of seeking and finding activates your reward circuits — with no regrets later.

Create Both Long and Short Term Goals

Dopamine is released when we achieve a goal.
Having only long term goals gets frustrating, so set both short term and long term goals.

Short term goals don’t have to be anything major.
They can be as simple as trying a new recipe, getting caught up on emails, cleaning a closet, or finally learning how to use a new app for your phone.

Break up long term goals into small short term goals to give yourself dopamine boosts along the way.

Take on a New Challenge

Getting a promotion is a great dopamine boost, but this doesn’t happen very often!
But you can create your own dopamine rewards by setting a goal, then take small steps toward it every day.

This can be starting a new exercise program, learning French, or challenging yourself to drive home from work a different way every day, preferably without the use of your GPS.According to Dr. Graziano Breuning, working on a goal without fail for 45 days will train your brain to stimulate dopamine production in a new way.

Dopamine and Mental Conditions

Dopamine plays such an important role in how we live our lives, it’s no surprise that when the dopamine system is out of balance it can contribute to many mental conditions. (35)

Here are three of the most common conditions that have a dopamine connection.

Dopamine and ADHD

The underlying cause of ADHD is still unknown.
Until recently it was widely accepted that the root cause of ADHD was probably an abnormality in dopamine function.

This seems logical since dopamine is critical for maintaining focus.
Most ADHD medications are based on this “dopamine deficiency” theory.

Prescription medications used to treat ADHD are believed to work by increasing the release of dopamine and norepinephrine while slowing down their rate of reabsorption. (36)

However, the latest research suggests that the main cause of ADHD lies in a structural difference in the grey matter in the brain and not dopamine. (37)

Dopamine and Depression

Serotonin is the brain chemical most associated with depression.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro are prescribed for depression and work by increasing brain levels of serotonin.

But this only works in about 40% of patients who use them. (38)

What about the other 60%?
There’s a growing body of evidence that shows low dopamine and not low serotonin is the cause of depression for many.

Bupropion (brand name Wellbutrin) ((That shit makes me crazy!!! Can’t take it!!!)) has proven effective for patients who haven’t been helped by SSRIs by addressing dopamine deficiency. (39)

How to determine if your depression is more likely from serotonin versus dopamine deficiency?
Serotonin-based depression is accompanied by anxiety and irritability, while dopamine-based depression expresses itself as lethargy and lack of enjoyment of life. (40)

Dopamine and Schizophrenia

The cause of schizophrenia is unknown, but genetics and environmental factors are believed to play a role. (41)
One prevailing theory is that it’s caused by an over-active dopamine system. (42, 43)

Supporting evidence for this theory is that the best drugs to treat schizophrenia symptoms resemble dopamine and block dopamine receptors. (44)
However, these medications can take days to work which is indicative that the exact mechanism is not yet understood. (45)

How to Increase Dopamine in a Nutshell

Dopamine is our “motivation molecule.”
It’s also in charge of our pleasure-reward system.

There are both healthy ways and unhealthy ways to increase dopamine.
Unhealthy ways to increase dopamine can be gateways to self-destruction and addictions.

Healthy ways include eating the right foods, taking dopamine boosting supplements, physical exercise, and meditation.
Learn how to harness your reward system for a healthy stream of dopamine.

Enjoy the quest, set both long term and short term goals, and take on new challenges.
You’ll feel more alive, focused, productive, and motivated.

 

[sprinkles]

(This guy makes me want to punch him in the face…hahahaha)

Actually he reminds me of this little dancing stick man which is slightly awesome (watch for it)
[video=youtube;K3G00S1vaw8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3G00S1vaw8[/video]

 

[Skarekrow]

Actually he reminds me of this little dancing stick man which is slightly awesome (watch for it)
[video=youtube;K3G00S1vaw8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3G00S1vaw8[/video]

Don’t you wanna just pop him really good in the nose…maybe breaking his glasses…and then be like “That’s what you get for being so happy and motivated fuck-face.”
Hahahahaha.

 

[sprinkles]

Don’t you wanna just pop him really good in the nose…maybe breaking his glasses…and then be like “That’s what you get for being so happy and motivated fuck-face.”
Hahahahaha.

Not particularly. I only want to do that when people are being an oblivious nuisance about it right in my face. People can be as happy as they like as long as they stay out of my way.

 

[Skarekrow]

Not particularly. I only want to do that when people are being an oblivious nuisance about it right in my face. People can be as happy as they like as long as they stay out of my way.

He’s like the antithesis of me…lol.

 

[sprinkles]

He’s like the antithesis of me…lol.

Most people are the antithesis of me. If I start wanting to punch one of them it quickly escalates into burning down the entire world.

 

[Skarekrow]

Most people are the antithesis of me. If I start wanting to punch one of them it quickly escalates into burning down the entire world.

YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!

[video=youtube_share;H0SsL_hbz4c]http://youtu.be/H0SsL_hbz4c[/video]​

 

[housel]

So..
I've got one hugh bud of Jack Rusel,
join me, I also have a telescope..
All we have to do is to get really high so we can see the stars
Event though the sky is polutted with full moons light, we can clearly see Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and even maybe a bit of Venus later on

 

[Skarekrow]

So..
I've got one hugh bud of Jack Rusel,
join me, I also have a telescope..
All we have to do is to get really high so we can see the stars
Event though the sky is polutted with full moons light, we can clearly see Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and even maybe a bit of Venus later on

Would be there in a flash if I could…haha…my brother gave me some called “Dog Walker” though it makes you want to do everything but…haha.