The artist John O'Driscoll

Wow, the year of the horse hasn't even started yet and I am feeling worn out.

Anyway, an age old, very talented friend John O'Driscoll has painted an extraordinary mural in Newtown, Sydney and, while it is not directly related to this blog, it is well worth promoting, as this is a shining example of the kind of media that we need more of.

Last Supper at the Newtown Mission

Top 5 Lessons from the 2013 Remake of Evil Dead

1. Drugs are bad
2. Drugs will take over your soul
3. Using drugs will most likely kill four of your friends/family members
4. You will definitely lose a limb from using drugs (just like the guy from Requiem for a Dream)
5. Like your last girlfriend/wife, drugs are feminine and are a real "bitch"

Great film by the way.

Remind me who does the exploiting again?

The following excerpt is from a 2007 Guardian article that I have come across far too late; but it may be safe to state that the people exacerbating the harms come in all shapes and sizes—and some even wear lab coats, or like to utter the words "En", "Gee", and "Oh":

"She has come to the clinic for more than 20 years. In that time, more than $22m in scientific grant money has flowed through the project, and many of the researchers have earned reputations as the top experts in their fields. Yet Agnes and a handful of other women are still selling sex, to an average of eight clients a day, still for a dollar or two each time - although they say they would like nothing more than to get out of sex work."

Drug envy

"In this research, envy is typically described as a painful emotion that emerges as a result of upward comparison to advantaged others, who possess something that one covets but lacks. Envy is an unalienable part of social interaction, with people experiencing this feeling in private and workplace settings, or any other environment, where inter-personal interactions take place. On the positive side, benign envy was shown to lead to learning, motivation, better performance, and achievement. On the negative side, malicious envy leads to [a] desire to harm the envied object and breeds hostility. Endured over longer time periods, envy can damage one’s sense of self-worth, result in group dissatisfaction and withdrawal, lead to depressive tendencies, reduce perceptions of well-being, and [lead to] poor mental health."

This segment has been taken from a German report, entitled Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users’ Life Satisfaction?, published in the second decade of the 21st century. The report specifically examines the social media phenomenon, but, funnily enough, I couldn't help but be reminded of the global drug situation during the same time period.

Even though countless people are yet to realize that drugs are primarily a source of pleasure—thereby explaining the frequency with which they are used by the vast majority of humans—the fact remains: if you just happen to find yourself in a situation where the drug/s you most appreciate is/are illegal, and too many days have been spent walking past people who are joyously enjoying their drug/s in licensed venues, or glancing at promotional material for events that rely on the liberal consumption of legal drugs to be successful, then why wouldn't you progressively breed feelings of resentment, alienation, envy and hostility? I dare say it may be akin to the feelings that developed for women when they were denied the right to vote; or slaves in the United States who just could not comprehend why they couldn't also sit on their own porch at sunset and enjoy a pleasant meal with their family—or something like that.

I could go on, but anyone with a functioning brain will be able to read the aforementioned paragraphs and connect the dots. Maybe ponder this when you are next anticipating your caffeine hit or awaiting paracetamol for that headache, and then think about that really angry person you once read about, who held someone up for money.

Joanne Koh City Journal article

I am no expert on journalism, but this here seems to be an example of some fine work. I didn't feel upset or sickened even once as I read it.

Breaking the taboo

Thank you SSDP Victoria—I really like Branson's son. My intuition tells me that he is genuine and that means a hell of a lot. Curiously, the interviewer is also respectful. There may be hope for us yet ...

Poor cannabis

I forgot that the prohibition of cannabis has been twice as long as for other substances.

There's enough to go around for everyone.

"Tasmania's lucrative poppy crop is worth about $100 million." 

I bet it wouldn't be worth that much without the War on Drugs...

Free Lunch with Andrew Reynolds

"I can't control what other people are doing; I just need to be able to control what I'm doing" - Andrew Reynolds ("sober" ten years and counts drug users among his closest friends)

"War On Drugs" by Stuart McMillen

I'm never gonna be a parent, but I would not hesitate to include this before bedtime.

Kipling

As sexist and racist as Rudyard Kipling was/is, he introduced me to this quote today:

"If I can attain Heaven for a pice, why should you be envious?" — Opium Smoker's Proverb

This quote hung over me as I read this excellent article today.

Take-home Narcan (THN) versus Truce

Please do not be mistaken, as THN is a reasonable concept—reasonable does not make it meaningful, though. It's an easy grab that people who really have no idea about opiate use happily cling onto. Why is it easy? It is easy precisely because you can employ the phrase, "SAVING LIVES". Palatable, huh? Easily digestible in a "working families" kind of way. What gets omitted, though, is the subtext; that is, THN will save the lives of those aberrant individuals who need to finally see the light or come to their senses. It also fits in nicely with an economic rationalist agenda, whereby tax dollars are saved due to the decreased need for ambulance call-outs that have been wasted on the aberrant. At the end of the day, the overdosed individual is nothing more than "fucked-up". A "fucked-up" individual who may deserve Narcan because she/he is somebody's daughter, brother or grandchild; but a "fucked-up" individual nonetheless.

So, while some are taking this avenue of righteousness that is, no doubt, a handy topic that brings in the "compassionate" funding dollars, others are looking at the bigger picture and proposing a truce in the War on Drugs. Here is an example: "Time for a Truce?". You see, I am willing to bet everything that I hold dear that if a national, anonymous referendum was held, in which participants were asked what would have actually made a difference to opiate users' lives over the last, let's say, twenty years between THN and a truce, the former would not even receive earnest consideration.

Sure, those chronic pain patients who think nothing of letting those close to them know about their prescribed use—they might have benefited. But what about the countless illicit opiate users who voluntarily chose to use heroin on their own, followed by a heap of benzodiazepines and/or alcohol, because they were just simply fed up with being treated like a complete "scumbag"? Or what about those individuals who wouldn't have anyone that they could give the THN to, for fear of disclosure?

You know what really saves lives when "the dust settles", so to speak? Treating people like the human beings that they actually are. Allowing them to apply for jobs without the fear of an unfairly-assigned criminal record acting as a blockade; recognising that drug use is innate to the human species and subsequently providing autonomy for all people; leaving fellow citizens with enough money to eat, pay the rent and live their lives. The list goes on...

Again, don't be mistaken—THN is reasonable; but in the way that it is currently being sold in Australia, it is merely serving as a distraction from the real problem at hand. Instead of saving lives, we should be giving them back to those who've had their dignity stripped away. However, if you have no experience of what the unjust removal of one's dignity can mean, why bother thinking or acting in such terms?

ResponsibleChoice.com.au

While we're on the subject of people who care: http://www.responsiblechoice.com.au/

And not a skerrick of government funding to be found—could this be causation? 

Flagpole sitting

When I first heard this Harvey Danger song during those years when being approved for a social security loan in Australia wasn't a big deal, I never imagined that it would one day feature in a musing on the global drug user "movement". However, for those familiar with the tune, it is not the "I'm not sick, but I'm not well" refrain that serves as a reference—it is actually the line, "I've been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding".
   
Funnily enough, some of the people I hold the utmost respect for in my personal life are parents; you see, that is not the issue. I have just noticed a distinct trend, whereby the regression that is progressively taking over the "movement" is most often perpetuated by those who have two points of justification for their supposedly "mature" mindset:

• A family to look after
• Bills to pay  

Now, I only contend with one of these aspects of life, but I am well aware that both are necessities for many, in many places throughout the world. Fine.

However, what is not fine, is trying to convince me (and many others) that this somehow makes the subsequent compromising of integrity "ay okay". In the same manner that "I'm just doing my job" is not a valid excuse for officers who enforce unjust laws and "You need to break a few eggs to make an omelette" is not a reasonable rationale for the corporate tyrants who continue to exploit Third World labor, it is just not okay—simple. And as a famous pop musician once crooned, "I'm not the only one". 

But unlike the perpetrators and tacit supporters of the War on Drugs, I am in no way suggesting that you should be prevented from proceeding with your blessed life—no way! All I ask is that you articulate (ideally, in a matter-of-fact tone) the situation for what it really is, rather than what you have deluded yourself into thinking that it is. Just in case you are still perplexed, it may begin with something like this:

"I don't really care about drug users; in fact, I don't really know what a 'movement' actually is. But anyway, I do care about those close to me and everyone needs money right? I'm just like everyone else and I have to do what it takes ..."—and so on. 

"Hey, I used to too; it's not a big deal."

You might have read the Ben Cousins-related post on this web-based information resource; you might have not. Regardless, the "art" or "sport" of skateboarding promotes the ethos that it's "not what you do", but rather, "how you do it". It is like music to my ears in a world where supposed "success" seems to outshine the concept of ethics far too often.

This web-based video upload is not likely to move the ground beneath your feet or within your mind (hell, you might not even get through the entire fifty seconds); but, for me, it is further evidence for why skateboarding is part of a future where the burdens of 'judgement' and 'superiority' disintegrate, making way for alternative concepts, such as 'community', 'fun' and 'creativity'.

Lest We Forget

In over 220 years of the U.S. Constitution, the 18th Amendment is the only Amendment to have ever been repealed. What was the "18th Amendment", I can't actually hear you ask? Read on... 

"The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States and its possessions. Contrary to common belief, it did not prohibit the purchase or consumption of alcohol."

Cheers!

Fingers crossed ...

... for Australia's legal sector (but not with both hands, of course).

Horrorshow's 'The Party Life'

Here's an insightful example of drug-related media (this blog is not promoting any external websites, but lyrics sites don't seem to permit "cutting and pasting" - apologies): 

HORRORSHOW F/ NICK LUPI - THE PARTY LIFE LYRICS
[Solo]
They say you can't buy love right?
I just saw some guy outside
Reckons he's selling it for thirty bucks a piece
(Love is the drug!) But anyway

It's clock off time, and some friday night decadence is heaven scent
Now your working week worries are irrelevant
to the task at hand, of the master plan
of getting so far plastered you can hardly stand
Shit, I know it's gross
You'll still catch me at the bar with my glass steady getting comatose
And don't front, I'ma see you there too
as all the thoughts of staying sober disappear into the awkward small talk
It's crystal clear, even with the beer goggles
Is it half empty or half full when you've drunk the whole bottle? (which is it?)
It's no wonder, drunk girls make punch-drunk love confessions
Boys get drunk and throw punches
So let's just all get bent, watch it unravel
Maybe that'll break down the walls of make-up and dress sense
(What's your poison?) cause it ain't just booze these days
Shit, you can sniff, bong, smoke or munch your money away
Set your brain on fire chasing a chemical heaven
You look like shit but you never felt better
And shit, I hate dancing, more power to the wall flowers
But in nocturnal mode, it's the main attraction
So from the house parties looking like a scene from "Kids"
to driving green Mitsubishis down the Kings Cross strip
Pour out a little liquor on the street
for all the nights that you passed out without brushing your teeth

[Chorus]
We live the party life, so get drunk, take drugs
Make love, and we'll do it all again tomorrow night cause
Rain, hail or shine these are the days of our lives
Let's waste 'em away one day at a time
With that party life, so get drunk, take drugs
Make love, and we'll do it all again tomorrow night cause
Rain, hail or shine these are the days of our lives
Let's waste 'em away one day at a time

[Nick Lupi]
See it's clock off time but my work has just begun
Two days off from real life, we gon' touch the sun
Party like we don't trust the sun (ay Solo?)
Now let me show 'em how the fuck it's done
See where I'm from part of the weekend never dies, it just lays low
While we preoccupied with getting by but
When it arrives we all getting live
All heading to the same place, whatever you ride
We living for the now, not concerned with the future
Kidding ourselves like we're gonna slow down
But all this real life talk will only kill my buzz
So I put it to the back and slowly fill my cup
Cause I know reality, it can't be faced when I'm high
That's exactly why I got this bag of kush and some papers, let's ride
Escaping through them late nights, trekking it home
to the unpleasant glow of daylight
These kids are dancing down the fine line between trendy and junky
and when the music stops, it gets ugly
Chemical romance, slow dance with heaven
Shit, I don't like the drugs but they love me, trust me
Uh, pour me another, uh, maybe a couple more
So I can disconnect until all my troubles call
Remember all's fair in love and warfare
Oh yeah, this is for my whole team of midnight juggernauts

[Chorus]

[Solo] + (Nick Lupi)
It's like this city never sleeps, simply turns into a nightclub
where your love ain't as important as your money or your drugs
Here, try some, you only live once
But some of these people acting like they ship already sunk
(So, let's get it while we still forever young
 Before the sun sets on yesterday's buzz
 Before adolescence catches up with what's left of my lungs
 Left wondering how it ever begun)
In this world wide ashtray like any other Saturday
We got the social smokers in with the pack-a-days
(I stay hammered straight with no chaser
 Any other way, mate I wouldn't have it)
It's like what goes up (till gravity calls me
 back from cloud nine for the plunge)
"And I hate all my friends cause all my friends are taking drugs" - Suffa
But shit I'm guilty as charged (so who the fuck am I to judge?)

[Chorus] 

{*Scratches*}
"All we wanna know is 'Where the party at?'" - Notorious B.I.G.

LyricsBay | HORRORSHOW F/ NICK LUPI - THE PARTY LIFE LYRICS

Listen to it here.

Students For Sensible Drug Policy Victoria University

This blog hopes that it is not dreaming, as it seems like some significant people are learning about the significant flaws attached to government funding when the drug war is involved. In the state of Victoria, Australia, an autonomous sex worker group called Vixen is holding a festival this year, and you can find the Students For Sensible Drug Policy Victoria University chapter here (you might need to be logged onto Facebook to see it, unfortunately). At this stage, I highly recommend supporting both.

Transparency

Anyone who bothers reading this will most likely accuse this blog of malevolence and counter-productive negativity. However, it is a sentiment borne of having one's life co-opted by exploitative parties motivated by something other than genuine interest and care. I don't expect the majority of people to understand, but maybe it is what 'gay' people feel under criminalization. I spent many years in intimate confines with people who, in all fairness, not only had no idea about illicit drugs, but, at the end of the day, couldn't care less about the people who use them. I just wish people would admit it and be honest, rather than making things worse by allowing their delusion to impact on actual lives. Maybe women in Canada will feel it if abortion is re-criminalized. I'm not trying to be divisive; just transparent. People should be honest, admit that they need a paying job and the sector is where they landed - this would be an example of integrity. It's not ethical to profit from an inhumane war, but at least people would be recognizing their decisions for what they really are.

So let's be frank - this paper from Melbourne-based NGO, Anex, is one that needs to be read with a well-developed intuition. I also recommend that readers based in Australia spend some time with the people who are employed by the organization, as you may well find that there is no substance to my opinion. As far as my fairly intimate experience goes, this is an organization that is not comprised of illicit drug users, nor do its employees engage in activities related to illicit drug use beyond their paid employment. From a significant period of time understanding this organization, there is a complete absence of passion for the welfare of people who use illicit drugs beyond ego, travel and the next funding round.


Therefore, I can only conclude, based on both intellect and intuition, that this paper is motivated by a fear of future funding cuts - not a concern for people who use illicit drugs. In all fairness, though, how can we expect someone to be genuinely concerned when they have no personal connection to the topic they are working on?