Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Paralytic Stalks
I just pre-ordered the new of Montreal album and they let you download the mp3 for free once you do so immediately, before the album comes out. I've listened to it five times and I love it. The album officially comes out February 7th, and I highly suggest buying it or listening to it. I'll do a review for it soon!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Teenagers and Car Crashes
One highlight of every teenager’s life is getting their license. No more do they have to depend on their parents for rides to and from where they want to go. They are given the new sense of freedom, to not rely on anyone for a ride, et al. But teenagers must be aware that the risk of getting into a crash is much higher in their first year of driving than any other year of their life according to car-accidents.com.
This statistic reflects the Massachusetts law for not being allowed to drive other people except family for the first six months of having your license.
33.9% of 16 year-olds were involved in a car accident, where as when a teenager is 17, the number drops to 18.4%; and some of the students at Dartmouth High School are more than familiar with one of the most fatal and dangerous situations - a car accident.
An DHS freshman said, “Of course I’ve been in a car crash, how do you think I got this scar?” The student then pointed to the faint yet still visible scar that dashes across the top of his eyebrow, “We were in Fall River when it happened, somewhere around Dick’s Sporting Goods, I remember. It was a couple of years ago and my brother, 17 at the time, was driving right after he smoked weed and he was really high. At one point he lost control of the car and hit someone and then crashed into a pole.”
The student said that they didn’t want to say any more to protect his brother’s identity and because it bothered them to talk about the crash. Then, during the next couple of months, the student said that there were many visits to the chiropractor as a result from the crash and a lawsuit from the other driver.
An anonymous freshman said that he had recently gotten into a dangerous crash the day before. “My friend was driving and we were going 85 MPH down a road with a speed limit of 25. I was joking around, egging [the driver] on to keep going faster and faster; we were just kids being stupid, we weren’t thinking. Then we saw a sharp turn coming straight up ahead and [the driver] couldn’t stop the car in time. We flipped over the rail and landed in the ocean, landing on the roof of the car.”
The student said that him and his friend was then approached by a park ranger who informed them that he had to inform the police of this accident. “After he said that and turned away, I booked it; ran in the opposite direction since [the driver] wasn’t old enough to be driving other people yet.”
“We weren’t under the influences of any kind of drug,” confirmed the student, “We were just being stupid.”
A former DHS student knows what it’s like to be in a car crash all too well; the student has been in a total of four car crashes. The worst accident that he said happened to them was a three-car pile-up on the highway. He said that he was speeding, roughly driving at 80 miles an hour while raining and began to hydroplane and could not press the brakes in time, causing the student to crash into the car in front of them, and that car into the one in front of it. The student was not fatally injured in this crash even though the car was totaled.
The other accidents that the student was a part of was a crash where he swerved off the road at night and smashed into a tree and another that was not the student’s fault where a truck coming in the opposite direction did not fully take a turn and cut across the road, smashing into the side of the student’s car. The majority of his accidents are a result of reckless driving and he was not under the influence of drugs while operating his vehicle.
According to Mass.gov, 33.9% of 16 year-olds, and 18.4% of 17 year-olds will get into a car crash and 4% of those crashes will end in death in the state of Massachusetts. Also, according to car-accidents.com, each year over 5,000 teenagers die from car crashes and over 400,000 will be seriously injured in the USA alone and that they are the result of 12% of all fatal car crashes.
The risk of being involved in a car accident is the highest for teenage drivers than it is for anybody else. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about four times more likely to be involved in a car accident.
This statistic reflects the Massachusetts law for not being allowed to drive other people except family for the first six months of having your license.
33.9% of 16 year-olds were involved in a car accident, where as when a teenager is 17, the number drops to 18.4%; and some of the students at Dartmouth High School are more than familiar with one of the most fatal and dangerous situations - a car accident.
An DHS freshman said, “Of course I’ve been in a car crash, how do you think I got this scar?” The student then pointed to the faint yet still visible scar that dashes across the top of his eyebrow, “We were in Fall River when it happened, somewhere around Dick’s Sporting Goods, I remember. It was a couple of years ago and my brother, 17 at the time, was driving right after he smoked weed and he was really high. At one point he lost control of the car and hit someone and then crashed into a pole.”
The student said that they didn’t want to say any more to protect his brother’s identity and because it bothered them to talk about the crash. Then, during the next couple of months, the student said that there were many visits to the chiropractor as a result from the crash and a lawsuit from the other driver.
An anonymous freshman said that he had recently gotten into a dangerous crash the day before. “My friend was driving and we were going 85 MPH down a road with a speed limit of 25. I was joking around, egging [the driver] on to keep going faster and faster; we were just kids being stupid, we weren’t thinking. Then we saw a sharp turn coming straight up ahead and [the driver] couldn’t stop the car in time. We flipped over the rail and landed in the ocean, landing on the roof of the car.”
The student said that him and his friend was then approached by a park ranger who informed them that he had to inform the police of this accident. “After he said that and turned away, I booked it; ran in the opposite direction since [the driver] wasn’t old enough to be driving other people yet.”
“We weren’t under the influences of any kind of drug,” confirmed the student, “We were just being stupid.”
A former DHS student knows what it’s like to be in a car crash all too well; the student has been in a total of four car crashes. The worst accident that he said happened to them was a three-car pile-up on the highway. He said that he was speeding, roughly driving at 80 miles an hour while raining and began to hydroplane and could not press the brakes in time, causing the student to crash into the car in front of them, and that car into the one in front of it. The student was not fatally injured in this crash even though the car was totaled.
The other accidents that the student was a part of was a crash where he swerved off the road at night and smashed into a tree and another that was not the student’s fault where a truck coming in the opposite direction did not fully take a turn and cut across the road, smashing into the side of the student’s car. The majority of his accidents are a result of reckless driving and he was not under the influence of drugs while operating his vehicle.
According to Mass.gov, 33.9% of 16 year-olds, and 18.4% of 17 year-olds will get into a car crash and 4% of those crashes will end in death in the state of Massachusetts. Also, according to car-accidents.com, each year over 5,000 teenagers die from car crashes and over 400,000 will be seriously injured in the USA alone and that they are the result of 12% of all fatal car crashes.
The risk of being involved in a car accident is the highest for teenage drivers than it is for anybody else. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about four times more likely to be involved in a car accident.
Classes
I'm done with my classes next week, so I plan on finishing both of my 2011 lists when I'm done. At least I finished my giant research paper, but I still need a couple of big things to do before the end of the semester, I just have about 10 albums left to listen to, but I lost track of all the movies I've missed. I'll get on that soon.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
About Lack of Posting
I haven't had time to post anything lately; I'm almost done with my latest article in my Journalism class and have been busy working on a research paper for English and trying to boost my grades to A's so I don't have to take any finals.
After my classes end, I'll make sure to finish my 'Best Of' lists and post more often.
After my classes end, I'll make sure to finish my 'Best Of' lists and post more often.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Update on Best Movies of 2011 List
I'm not done with my 'to watch' list yet for movies released in 2011. I'm currently in the middle of watching The Adjustment Bureau, and there's still a lot more that I need to watch, so I plan on trying to find them all online within the next week or finding the closest movie theater where they are playing.
A movie that I have been looking forward to seeing for a while now is The Artist, and the closest place its playing is an hour away from where I live, so unless it shows up online, then the list might exclude it. But all 'Best of' lists that I make are subject to change.
I plan on watching The Ides of March and A Separation tomorrow.
A movie that I have been looking forward to seeing for a while now is The Artist, and the closest place its playing is an hour away from where I live, so unless it shows up online, then the list might exclude it. But all 'Best of' lists that I make are subject to change.
I plan on watching The Ides of March and A Separation tomorrow.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Occupy Providence
Protesters began to gather in Burnside Park Providence Saturday October 14th, 2011 , spreading the Occupy movement to even more cities across the country. Being inspired by the notoriety of Occupy Wall Street and the message of socioeconomic change, the protesters have been “occupying” the park for more than three weeks as of today and hold general assemblies every day at 6 p.m. which consist of a march around the park and around Downtown Providence.
Entering the park, there are signs that state, “Excessiveness is aggressiveness” and another that said, “I am Troy Davis”, the name of a man who was just recently was executed under the death penalty for the 1989 murder of a police officer in Georgia
The statue of General Burnside was visible in the distance and had a large “OCCUPY PROVIDENCE!” banner posted under the statue and a red flag hanging off the statue itself that read, “No borders, No masters” and “Love, Solidarity, Freedom” and other sayings of that nature. Other signs throughout the park featured other slogans such as, “Occupy Everything!” and “Tax the RICH!”
The now muddy park as a result of the weather was crowded with tents that featured slogans painted on such as, “Whose tent? Our tent!” and “Solidarity” with peace signs and hearts also painted on them.
People of all ages occupied the park; some of the occupants ranged from teenagers and college students to the elderly all joining together in the freezing weather for hope of change in the USA
One of the most interesting occupants was a man who appeared to be in his 50’s wearing a yellow fleece jacket with matching pants and walked around the park and said, “I am not General Burnside. We will leave peacefully; we have not lost a man yet. I have stood, not fallen through the rain and snow. There will be two tutors to a classroom, and don’t worry about money, we will rise above money. We will develop a Starfleet and fix the galaxy, starting with this planet! We will shoot all the women, all they care about are shoes! A WOMAN NEEDS A MAN TO SURVIVE!” The man answered with this response no matter what was asked of him or said to him and often stood on top of benches as if he was channeling Captain Morgan.
On the other side of the park, they gave the opportunity for people to stand under the statue of General Burnside and let their voices be heard.
One of the organizers of Occupy Providence stood at the base of the statue, “This is your chance to speak your mind,” he told the crowd, “Let your voice be heard! Any one of you can come up here and speak!”
One protestor, wearing a revolutionary war type hat, went up there and spoke of his love for the movement and his city. “Occupy Providence
Around the statue there were around 15 to 20 people listening in on words of inspiriting revolution-fueled speeches and tales of financial woes; a young male protestor declared, “This is our land! We have rights, we need to stand strong! We cannot let the police stop us and what we believe in, they aren’t right, we are!”
The latter of his speech referred to the Mayor of Providence having recently stated that the city will file legal action against the protestors, seeking eviction for the protestors and Police Commissioner Pare visited them a couple of days ago to deliver a notice that stated that they must leave the park within 72 hours.
To the side of the statue and soapbox area for speaking, there were booths set up where you could get food, information, schedules, and sign a petition to let the occupants stay in Burnside Park
The march at 6 pm went on as scheduled with all the occupants following the Occupy Providence banner throughout the streets of Downtown Providence without police intervention. The now iconic slogan, “We are the 99%” was inspiringly chanted as they marched their way through the city streets as the sun began to set over the Providence
The first part of their mission statement is, as recited in a video posted on YouTube, “Occupy Providence is a gathering of people who seek to exercise their right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, inspired by people’s occupations spreading rapidly across the globe.” Even though the range of different protestors is vast, they are all united and inspired by the same goal: change.
As expected, the protestors show no sign of wanting to leave until their needs are met and socioeconomic change has descended upon the USA November 2, 2011 , it was announced that legal action against the protesters would be postponed.
At the moment, change on a national or even global scale seems indefinite, but none of the occupants in Providence
RoboTripping
“The couch turned into a giant fish, like the one in the opening credits from Spongebob, and then on the other side of the room, a giant potato appeared. I knew the couch wasn’t a fish, but my brain was telling me that it definitely was a fish and that it wanted me to eat the potato,” said a DHS student who has experimented with the drug Dextrometorpohan.
“Right before I threw up,” said another student, “my body perspective shifted to third person. I could see myself lying down, I could see my body, and then it condensed into a ball of human matter, like eyes and ears sticking out of a ball of body parts mashed together and then I shot back into first person and wasn’t aware if I threw up or not, so I asked, turns out I did.”
The recreational consumption of DXM, found in most cough and cold medicines, is commonly used among teenagers who are experimenting with drugs. The most popular slang term for the act is ‘Robo-tripping’, derived from the brand of cough medicine, Robotussin. When DXM is consumed in “recreational” doses, the drug has euphoric, psychedelic, and hallucinogenic effects that resemble drugs such as ketamine, PCP, and LSD. The drug does not produce a physical addiction or withdrawal symptoms but there have been cases of psychological addictions.
In 1995, an online essay, written by William E. White, was published that classified the effects of DXM into five levels or “plateaus” of high-dose effects. The essay distinguishes the plateaus by the amount of DXM consumed by the body mass of person taking the drug. The first plateau has effects that include, but are not limited to, alertness, increased heartbeat, increased body temperature, euphoria, and loss of balance. The more DXM consumed, the more intense the effects are.
Plateau Sigma, the highest level, is described as taking the maximum amount every three hours for 9-12 hours, and features severe visual and auditory hallucinations. White said that more than half of the reports he received about someone reaching the Plateau Sigma were described as “unpleasant.”
In multi-symptom cold medicines that include drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and phenylephrine, grave side effects such as permanent kidney failure, and even death are possible when consumed on the same scale as a casual user of DXM. So most people only experiment with cough medicines containing only DXM, yet excessive use of the drug can result in brain lesions.
“Every ridged surface became smooth, my house looked like it was made out of Legos,” said the same student, describing his hallucinations, “I saw red flashes of lights and I imagined God as a lightsocket in a cloud. The whole experience was like a different plain of existence.”
“I’d describe [robotripping] as kind of being drunk,” said another student. “I felt sensitive to everything around me, like when listening to music. I felt all the notes come through me and merge with my body.”
Side effects of DXM include, but are not limited to, delirium, muscle spasms, cardiac arrest (if taken in higher doses, a lower dose raises your heart beat and body temperature), and vomiting.The students said they experienced all of those effects in one way or another.
“There is a hangover effect in the morning too,” said a student, “but that’s probably due to severe dehydration, which made it neutral for me.”
“There is also no feeling of being tired,” said one of the students, “you get this huge burst of energy and then for the last four hours, you collapse and sink into whatever you fall on. During that time, my friend and I felt like we couldn’t move and talked to each other for a couple hours by touching each others heads.”
The student’s friend said at that moment they blacked out and imagined the universe turn into a purple walnut and watched it collapse into a black hole with only the sun escaping.
In the USA, there is no law that penalizes using DXM for recreational purposes rather than for a medicinal reason. Some states make stores that carry the product to restrict the purchase of it by requiring an ID, and a signature. Some of them even go as far as to limit their stock of cough medicine. There have been cases of people having to spend time in prison as a result of selling DXM in its pure powder form, but only for the resale of medicine without the proper warning labels.
DXM was also excluded from the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 and still is, yet officials have said that if the amount of people who abuse the drug raises that it may be added.
“Right before I threw up,” said another student, “my body perspective shifted to third person. I could see myself lying down, I could see my body, and then it condensed into a ball of human matter, like eyes and ears sticking out of a ball of body parts mashed together and then I shot back into first person and wasn’t aware if I threw up or not, so I asked, turns out I did.”
The recreational consumption of DXM, found in most cough and cold medicines, is commonly used among teenagers who are experimenting with drugs. The most popular slang term for the act is ‘Robo-tripping’, derived from the brand of cough medicine, Robotussin. When DXM is consumed in “recreational” doses, the drug has euphoric, psychedelic, and hallucinogenic effects that resemble drugs such as ketamine, PCP, and LSD. The drug does not produce a physical addiction or withdrawal symptoms but there have been cases of psychological addictions.
In 1995, an online essay, written by William E. White, was published that classified the effects of DXM into five levels or “plateaus” of high-dose effects. The essay distinguishes the plateaus by the amount of DXM consumed by the body mass of person taking the drug. The first plateau has effects that include, but are not limited to, alertness, increased heartbeat, increased body temperature, euphoria, and loss of balance. The more DXM consumed, the more intense the effects are.
Plateau Sigma, the highest level, is described as taking the maximum amount every three hours for 9-12 hours, and features severe visual and auditory hallucinations. White said that more than half of the reports he received about someone reaching the Plateau Sigma were described as “unpleasant.”
In multi-symptom cold medicines that include drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and phenylephrine, grave side effects such as permanent kidney failure, and even death are possible when consumed on the same scale as a casual user of DXM. So most people only experiment with cough medicines containing only DXM, yet excessive use of the drug can result in brain lesions.
“Every ridged surface became smooth, my house looked like it was made out of Legos,” said the same student, describing his hallucinations, “I saw red flashes of lights and I imagined God as a lightsocket in a cloud. The whole experience was like a different plain of existence.”
“I’d describe [robotripping] as kind of being drunk,” said another student. “I felt sensitive to everything around me, like when listening to music. I felt all the notes come through me and merge with my body.”
Side effects of DXM include, but are not limited to, delirium, muscle spasms, cardiac arrest (if taken in higher doses, a lower dose raises your heart beat and body temperature), and vomiting.The students said they experienced all of those effects in one way or another.
“There is a hangover effect in the morning too,” said a student, “but that’s probably due to severe dehydration, which made it neutral for me.”
“There is also no feeling of being tired,” said one of the students, “you get this huge burst of energy and then for the last four hours, you collapse and sink into whatever you fall on. During that time, my friend and I felt like we couldn’t move and talked to each other for a couple hours by touching each others heads.”
The student’s friend said at that moment they blacked out and imagined the universe turn into a purple walnut and watched it collapse into a black hole with only the sun escaping.
In the USA, there is no law that penalizes using DXM for recreational purposes rather than for a medicinal reason. Some states make stores that carry the product to restrict the purchase of it by requiring an ID, and a signature. Some of them even go as far as to limit their stock of cough medicine. There have been cases of people having to spend time in prison as a result of selling DXM in its pure powder form, but only for the resale of medicine without the proper warning labels.
DXM was also excluded from the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 and still is, yet officials have said that if the amount of people who abuse the drug raises that it may be added.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)