GM Salmon

Salmon inquiry focuses on fish farms and disease

Possible links between fish farming, disease and the collapse of the 2009 Fraser River sockeye salmon run will be the focus at the Cohen Commission hearings this week in Vancouver.

On Wednesday, Fisheries and Oceans scientist Kristi Miller is slated to testify about her studies suggesting some sort of virus may be killing salmon before they reach the spawning grounds.

Miller's long-awaited testimony is expected to be controversial, following allegations the federal government attempted to prevent her from discussing her work with the media.

The inquiry will also hear about fish farms and their impact on wild salmon, including testimony from outspoken fish farm opponent Alexandra Morton of the Raincoast Research Society.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/08/22/bc-cohen-commission-salmon.html

The Canadian Action Party is concerned about the introduction of genetically modified salmon into Canada.

http://forum.canadianactionparty.ca/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/files/genetically_modified_salmon.pdf

Genetically Modified Salmon - Coming Soon?

If the Food and Drug Administration approves AquaAdvantage salmon, it could be the first genetically modified animal product you eat. Watch more Earth Focus at

http://www.linktv.org/earthfocus

According to Aquabounty Technologies, the Massachusetts based company behind the transgenic salmon - the fish can grow to market size twice as fast as regular salmon. Industry experts say this will give consumers a healthy source of protein while reducing pressure on ocean salmon, whose stocks are already dwindling. The lack of conclusive evidence that the salmon is safe is not the only troubling thing about AquaAdvantage. While aquabounty claims the fish would be grown only inland and only sterile females will be sold, limiting any ability to reproduce, environmentalists fear that there are no guarantees and that if transgenic fish escape they would undermine the population of the already vulnerable wild salmon. Environmentalists also fear that the FDA's approval of transgenic salmon would lead to other genetically modified animals produced for human consumption.

US debates genetically modified salmon

Hearings are underway in Washington on whether to approve the sale of genetically modified salmon.

Dubbed "Frankenfish," there are concerns about whether its safe to eat them.

Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan reports.



Frankenfish: Genetically engineered salmon
Genetically engineered seeds are not breaking news; however a biotech company called AquaBounty has been working on genetically engineered salmon. The fish will be a combination of Atlantic salmon and part Ocean Pout. Jeffrey M. Smith says that it is ridiculous to evaluate the safety of this food with no long term feeding studies six and refuses to consume this genetically engineered salmon, if approved.



Genetically Modified Salmon Coming To Your Dinner Table! ALARMING!!!

Biochemist says Nutrition down due to speed growth Our Nutritional value of fruits, veggies is dwindling Chemicals that speed growth cited as reason Please read article

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37396355/

The FDA is going to approve genetically modified fish call them to block this.
1-800-216-7331 email consumer@fda.gov
Aol Article
by Clare Leschin-Hoar, Posted Sep 8th 2010
As we reported back in June, genetically modified Atlantic salmon are on the fast-track to your dinner plate. Massachusetts-based biotech company, AquaBounty Technologies is expected to get the final FDA nod of approval for a salmon that has been genetically tweaked to boost productivity thanks to a growth-hormone gene from a Chinook salmon and a genetic "on switch" from an ocean pout.

If approved, the salmon would be the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption. A coalition of environmental groups, including Food & Water Watch and Center for Food Safety, say the move is alarming and are strongly urging the FDA to reject the fish.

Last week, government scientists spurred debate over genetically modifying animals for food by going on record to say the AquaBounty salmon was safe to eat and posed no threat to the environment, according to a Washington Post article.

The FDA's briefing report says scientists "have found no biologically relevant difference between [the AquaBounty salmon] and conventional Atlantic salmon based on the criteria evaluated."

On Sept. 19-21, the FDA will hold public meetings to address science-based issues surrounding the genetically modified salmon, including environmental concerns, and AquaBounty's claims that the salmon grow faster than conventionally farmed Atlantic salmon.

The safety of the fish for human consumption is not the only issue causing concern for consumer and environmental groups -- there is also hand-wringing over labeling requirements once it reaches the market, and the race to develop other genetically modified animals, including pigs and cattle.

Read more:

http://www.slashfood.com/2010/09/08/genetically-altered-salmon-swim-closer/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl8|sec3_lnk1|169212

Frankenfish: Tampering with nature
On September 20 a debate on whether the US Food and Drug Administration should approve the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption, a fast-growing salmon, will take place. The Atlantic salmon is being developed by AquaBounty Technologies and has an extra gene that makes it grow twice as fast as normal farm-raised salmon. George Hemminger, the founder of Survive and Thrive TV, said this is a bad development for those who favor organic and raw foods. He also said he expected the FDA to approve the fish.



Genetically Modified Salmon Soon Available?
A salmon that grows at twice the normal rate is set to be the first genetically modified animal available for human consumption.



How Safe Would Genetically Modified Salmon Be to Eat?

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec10/salmon_09-20.html

Franken Fish: Genetically Modified Salmon For Sale
FDA Won't Allow Food Producers To Label Food GM Free

http://www.ultimateebookstore.com/product.php?products_id=1466/

AquaBounty Technologies AquAdvantage Salmon!
AquaBounty Technologies created the AquAdvantage Salmon through genetical modifications to already fertilized salmon eggs. Only things about it different from regular Atlantic Salmon is it's infertile, grows to adult size in half the time, and it will be farmed on inland pens not open water to prevent the GM Salmon from escaping. Might just be the first genetically modified animal approved by the FDA for the consumer's market!

We Have Not Seen the Last of the Genetically Modified Salmon

http://farmwars.info/?p=6726

AquaBounty/AquaVantage and 37 OTHER industry heavyweights want to accuse the congress/senate of holding the “scientists at FDA” back from doing their jobs of approving this? They want to accuse the senate/congress of holding Science hostage to politics? Over this irrelevant, fraudulent piece of quassi pseudo science?

Beet juice: It does a body very good

Beetroot juice is probably not part of your daily routine. Maybe it should be. The natural elixir has been getting a lot of press lately, both for its antioxidant properties and its workout-enhancement benefits.

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/beet-juice--it-does-a-body-very-good.html

Press For Truth Presents: There's Something In The Water

The forced medication on the population through water fluoridation is a heated debate which is growing as more and more people learn about the dangers of Sodium Fluoride.

For more information visit:

http://www.fluoridealert.org/

Facebook Links:
Fluoride Action Network:

http://www.facebook.com/FluorideActionNetwork?sk=wall

Lift The Ban on Bottled Water in Toronto:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lift-the-Ban-on-Bottled-Water-in-Toronto/198829703486579

For fluoride filtration devices please visit:

http://gtawater.com/

http://purewaterfreedom.com/osc/remove_fluoride.php

We Are Change Toronto:

http://wearechangetoronto.org/

For more information visit:

http://pressfortruth.ca/

The World According To Monsanto - FULL LENGTH

There's nothing they are leaving untouched: the mustard, the okra, the bringe oil, the rice, the cauliflower. Once they have established the norm: that seed can be owned as their property, royalties can be collected. We will depend on them for every seed we grow of every crop we grow. If they control seed, they control food, they know it -- it's strategic. It's more powerful than bombs. It's more powerful than guns. This is the best way to control the populations of the world. The story starts in the White House, where Monsanto often got its way by exerting disproportionate influence over policymakers via the "revolving door". One example is Michael Taylor, who worked for Monsanto as an attorney before being appointed as deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991. While at the FDA, the authority that deals with all US food approvals, Taylor made crucial decisions that led to the approval of GE foods and crops. Then he returned to Monsanto, becoming the company's vice president for public policy.

Thanks to these intimate links between Monsanto and government agencies, the US adopted GE foods and crops without proper testing, without consumer labeling and in spite of serious questions hanging over their safety. Not coincidentally, Monsanto supplies 90 percent of the GE seeds used by the US market. Monsanto's long arm stretched so far that, in the early nineties, the US Food and Drugs Agency even ignored warnings of their own scientists, who were cautioning that GE crops could cause negative health effects. Other tactics the company uses to stifle concerns about their products include misleading advertising, bribery and concealing scientific evidence.

Learning to 'Live Free' comes from experience and personal growth ... Lets break our conditioning!

http://www.livefreerevolution.com/

http://livefreerevolution.blogspot.com/

http://www.activistpost.com/2011/06/5-reasons-not-to-eat-gmo-foods.html

Farm-to-table strategy by food banks

http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/more-food-banks-offering-fresh-fruits-vegetables-31911/

A growing farm-to-table strategy by food banks delivers free fresh fruit and vegetables to the needy.

On a recent afternoon after school in Isla Vista, Calif., 35 children invited by the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County got lessons on healthy snacks, starting with the serving size for a bag of tortilla chips (10 chips). They helped the teacher make salsa (tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, limes, garlic and red onions) and they ate the chips and dip. Then they helped themselves to fresh pears, potatoes, cabbage and carrots from boxes on a table, and each student took a big bag home.

The program, called the Kids’ Farmer’s Market Program, operates in 10 locations once a month, drawing from local Boys’ and Girls’ clubs, YMCAs and schools. It recently won the “Child Program of the Year” award from Feeding America, the nonprofit network of 205 food banks in the United States.

It’s part of a growing effort to boost the distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to people in need and teach them about food from the ground up. (And we should note that Sara Miller McCune, the founder of Miller-McCune, is a donor of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.)

Nationally, Feeding America aims to triple its distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables over the next five years to 1.5 billion pounds, or 40 percent of its total distribution, said Matt Knott, chief strategy officer for the Chicago-based organization. More than 6 billion pounds of fresh produce go unharvested or unsold in the U.S. yearly and could be recaptured for the poor, he said.

During the 2009-10 fiscal year, Knott said, Feeding America distributed 3.1 billion pounds of free food, an increase of 1 billion pounds over the past two years. Presently, fresh food makes up about 15 percent of national food donations to people in need. That’s a distinct change from 20 years ago, when canned and shelved food made up 100 percent of distributions to the needy.

“There’s been a lot of effort to diversify,” said Michelle Marshall, director of nutrition for Feeding America. “When people think about food banks, they think about a place where you see macaroni and cheese. We still offer that, but it’s not everything.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 15 percent of U.S. households were “food insecure” in 2009, meaning that they were sometimes forced to cut the size of meals for lack of money or skip them entirely, or they couldn’t afford a balanced diet.

The San Francisco Food Bank is No. 1 in the United States in the push to increase the distributions of fresh produce to the needy: Fresh fruits and vegetables make up nearly two-thirds of what it gives away yearly. The produce is delivered farmers market-style to schools and churches so that people can “shop with dignity,” said executive director Paul Ash. UnderFarm to Family, a statewide program that the San Francisco Food Bank pioneered 10 years ago, food banks make contracts with California growers, in some cases paying pennies per pound for packing. They don’t ask agencies whether they “want” onions, broccoli, potatoes, oranges and kiwi fruit, or whatever is being harvested in a given week.

“We think fresh produce is the best thing we provide,” Ash said. “Often, what I see at the food bank is better than what I can buy at the little food market in my neighborhood. We just push it through, and our agencies agree to take an amount of whatever we have available. The benefit for growers is that they all would rather see the food they grow used than plowed back under or fed to animals. It’s cheaper to donate than to dump.”

To help get people in the habit of eating fresh produce, the San Francisco Food Bank holds cooking classes with five to 10 people once or twice a week for six weeks.

“What we found is that the casual efforts to teach people about nutrition are not very successful,” Ash said. “It has to be in-depth. Then we tend to see a change in people’s behavior.”

In agriculturally oriented Santa Barbara County, the Foodbank ranks seventh nationally in distributing fresh produce to people in need. Fresh fruit and vegetables make up a third of its deliveries. Foodbank vans take “mobile farmers markets” of fresh produce directly into low-income neighborhoods. Food pantries are being set up for parents picking up their children after school.

“We’re trying to get away from mass distributions,” said Erik Talkin, the Foodbank’s executive director. “If you stand in the hot sun to get some free food, that doesn’t really change your life. The next day, you’re back in the same situation again. We’re looking at building more of a relationship with clients. We’re trying to get people to take responsibility for the food they’re eating.

“We can’t end poverty, but we want this organization to end hunger, which is perfectly possible in this county,” he added. “We’re saying, ‘Yes, you’re in poverty, but you can look after your health better than you are now.’”

Program Opens Farmers Markets to Food Stamps

A program in a poor San Diego neighborhood shows how the fresh foods available at farmers markets can be accessed by those on food stamps.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/program-opens-farmers-markets-to-food-stamps-24990/

USDA Puts Food Deserts On the Map

It’s “soda, soda everywhere and not a vitamin in sight” across swaths of America identified in the USDA’s new online “food desert locator map.”

http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/usda-puts-food-deserts-on-the-map-30947/

The ‘Silent Tsunami’ Food Crisis in America

Even in an over-retailed America, there are still heavily populated areas that lack that basic service provider of urban life, a grocery store.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/business-economics/the-silent-tsunami-food-crisis-in-america-4533/

The Locavore’s Dilemma

In planning a diet based on global concerns, sometimes it’s better that there are miles to go before you eat.

You may have estimated your own carbon footprint, but do you know the footprint of that apple you’re about to buy?

Do you know its food miles?

http://www.miller-mccune.com/science-environment/the-locavores-dilemma-4320/

Good Intentions Always in Season at Farmers Markets

Although shopping at the farmers market may or may not reduce your carbon footprint, these community bazaars offer benefits beyond efficiency.

To hear some locavores talk, farmers markets sound like the be-all end-all of solving the Earth’s problems. Their logic: The food at these markets travels a shorter distance to get to your kitchen than the food on your grocery store’s shelves, which significantly reduces its (and your) carbon footprint. By supporting local agriculture, you’re pumping money into your local economy. And by eating locally available foods, you’re also eating seasonally, which is not only sustainable, but can have dietary benefits, too.

Farmers markets are sprouting like weeds: Since 1994, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. has increased from 1,755 to 5,274. There was a 13 percent increase between 2008 and 2009 alone.

It’s important to note, however, that farmers markets still represent a relatively small piece of the pie. In 2008, there were approximately 85,200 grocery stores nationwide (this number includes both supermarkets and convenience stores), which means that there are still more than 15 grocery stores for each farmers market in the United States.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/science-environment/good-intentions-always-in-season-at-farmers-markets-11036/

Is This the Cure for Cancer That Really Works?

This is the Video the Pharmaceutical Industry Doesn't Want You to Watch

Sea salt and baking soda

best all natural remedy for curing radiation exposure and cancer.

http://presscore.ca/2011/?p=2211

Kids Farmers Market

The FOOD Share Kids' Farmers' Market Program is a hands-on approach to improving the long-term diets of children in Ventura County. A two-pronged approach, the program not only provides nutrition education, but also allows participants to take fresh produce home in order that they may put what they learn into practice

More Food Banks Offering Fresh Fruits, Vegetables

A growing farm-to-table strategy by food banks delivers free fresh fruit and vegetables to the needy.

On a recent afternoon after school in Isla Vista, Calif., 35 children invited by the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County got lessons on healthy snacks, starting with the serving size for a bag of tortilla chips (10 chips). They helped the teacher make salsa (tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, limes, garlic and red onions) and they ate the chips and dip. Then they helped themselves to fresh pears, potatoes, cabbage and carrots from boxes on a table, and each student took a big bag home.

The program, called the Kids’ Farmer’s Market Program, operates in 10 locations once a month, drawing from local Boys’ and Girls’ clubs, YMCAs and schools. It recently won the “Child Program of the Year” award from Feeding America, the nonprofit network of 205 food banks in the United States.

It’s part of a growing effort to boost the distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to people in need and teach them about food from the ground up.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/more-food-banks-offering-fresh-fruits-vegetables-31911/

Dr Yan's Rotting Food Time Lapse - Bang Goes The Theory - BBC One

How does food rot?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bang/ask_yan/food_rotting

Follow Bang on Twitter @bbcbang and #bbcbang

See the full length version of this film in the Ask Yan section of the BBC Bang Goes The Theory website.

Dr Yan Wong uses time-lapse photography to reveal how food decomposes. Pretty disgusting.

Mothers of Twins Live Longer

Study finds they may naturally enjoy unique health benefits.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=mothers+twins+live+longer&form=msnhed&GT1=36010

Wisconsin Man Starts 'Good Food' Revolution

Will Allen is a towering figure in his Milwaukee, Wisconsin, field. Working as a farmer, missionary and coach, he preaches the gospel of good food grown in the heart of the city.

"Our new farmers will not come from rural America," Allen said.

As president of the nonprofit organization Growing Power, Allen promotes urban farming among diverse groups in the inner city.

http://www.growingpower.org/

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/wisconsin-man-starts-good-food-revolution/story?id=10678021

Changing Your Life Through Meditation

A new report finds 40 percent of Americans turning to alternative treatments.


Doctor: Blood Pressure Can Be Lowered in Minutes
A doctor says meditation helps a problem that affects one-third of Americans.

6 Easy Steps to Falling Asleep Fast

Psychological research over three decades demonstrates the power of Stimulus Control Therapy.

Can't get a good night's sleep? You're not alone. In surveys of what would improve people's lives, a good night's sleep frequently comes near the top of the list.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/05/6-easy-steps-to-falling-asleep-fast.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PsychologyBlog+%28PsyBlog%29

1) Lie down to go to sleep only when you are sleepy.

2)Do not use your bed for anything except sleep; that is, do not read, watch television, eat, or worry in bed. Sexual activity is the only exception to this rule. On such occasions, the instructions are to be followed afterwards, when you intend to go to sleep.

3) If you find yourself unable to fall asleep, get up and go into another room. Stay up as long as you wish and then return to the bedroom to sleep. Although we do not want you to watch the clock, we want you to get out of bed if you do not fall asleep immediately. Remember the goal is to associate your bed with falling asleep quickly! If you are in bed more than about 10 minutes without falling asleep and have not gotten up, you are not following this instruction.

4) If you still cannot fall asleep, repeat step 3. Do this as often as is necessary throughout the night.

5) Set your alarm and get up at the same time every morning irrespective of how much sleep you got during the night. This will help your body acquire a consistent sleep rhythm.

6)Do not nap during the day.

9 Salads (Calorically) Worse Than A Big Mac

When eating out, we tend to think we’re “being good” by ordering an entrée salad instead of a big, juicy burger. But many of those salads have an undeserved health halo, packing in more calories and saturated fat than the poster food for an unhealthy dinner: The Big Mac.

Still even with bacon bits, tortilla chips and calorie-laden dressings abounding on the salad column of the menu, it’s not a free pass to give into the temptation of a burger (and a side of fries). Salads, with their increased volume and satisfying crunch, have a higher satiety factor than many other foods, meaning that they tend to fill us up quicker and control appetite throughout the day, says Toby Smithson, R.D., community dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “It’s fine to choose a salad, just watch what you’re putting in it,” she says. Her tips include:

1. Start with a base of dark, leafy greens, which are packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
2. Choose a salad heavy on plain vegetables. If you omit one of the higher-calorie ingredients, feel free to ask your waiter or waitress to load on more of the vegetables.
3. Be wary of add-ons like bacon, tortilla chips and even beans, which some restaurants prepare with lard (ask your server before ordering). Calorically speaking, regular nuts are better than candied ones and fresh fruit is better than dried.
4. Choose vinaigrettes over creamy dressings, which tend to have more calories and fat. Better yet, order your dressing on the side and do a fork dip: Dip your fork in the dressing before a bite instead of pouring the whole cup out onto your salad. And, “even though olive oil is the better choice, it doesn’t mean that you should have the whole bottle,” Smithson says. Each teaspoon is 45 calories, so use sparingly.
5. Not all fat is created equal. A bit of fat -- from sources such as avocado or plain nuts -- is healthy. So instead of focusing on the total fat content of a salad, look at saturated fat instead.

For a much-needed reality check, we scoured the nutrition facts of nine of America’s favorite chain restaurants (according to this survey from Nation’s Restaurant News) to find the salads that break at least one of these rules:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/08/salad-nutrition-facts_n_859229.html#s275976&title=The_Baseline

The Baseline

McDonald's Big Mac
Calories: 540
Saturated fat: 10 g

Cheesecake Factory

The Culprit: Grilled Chicken Tostada Salad
Calories: 1130
Saturated Fat: 15 g

Corn tortillas, avocado cream and sour cream contribute to upping the calorie count on this salad to add up to more than two of the McDonald's burgers.

Emotional Eating

When I am stressed or upset I reach for food for comfort. I know I am not alone in this. One trick I use is to go for a walk or relax with a cup of tea instead of going for a snack. Does anyone else have any tips on how to fight emotional eating?

Coffee #3

Coffee Smoothie
Get the skin-boosting benefits of coffee plus antioxidant-rich cocoa in this delicious breakfast smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) cold brewed coffee

1 small banana, preferably frozen

1 cup (250 mL) low-fat, plain yoghurt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon

1/2 Tbsp (7 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 handful strawberries, or any berries

Serves 1
283 calories
15 g protein
5 g fat (3 g saturdated fat)
19 g carbohydrates
6 g fibre
15 mg cholesterol
179 mg sodium

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/recipes/coffee-smoothie

Science and Cooking:

Speakers: Harold McGee, Ferran Adria (elBulli), José Andrés (minibar by josé andrés, Jaleo, The Bazaar) with commentary/moderation from Professors David Weitz and Michael Brenner (Harvard)



Olive Oil and Viscosity | Lecture 4

Heat, Temperature and Chocolate | Lecture 5

Meat Glue

An expose on the meat industry in Australia and their use of Transglutaminase "meat glue" to sell off-cuts as prime meat for a premium price.
The original video is from Australian Channel 7's current affairs program "Today Tonight"


The industry-wide secret butchers don't want you to know about: The special product called Meat Glue sticking your steak together.

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/8989315/consumer/meat-glue

Meat Glue Mania | Lecture 10

The Coming Doctor Shortage

The United States is going to experience an absolutely devastating doctor shortage in the coming years. Even now it can be difficult to see a doctor in many areas, and if you are fortunate enough to see one you will probably pay through the nose. Medical bills have gotten absolutely insane in this country. Many Americans have gone to the hospital for a few hours, perhaps got to see a doctor for half an hour, and ended up being billed thousands of dollars.

Unfortunately, it is not the doctors that are getting rich from these nightmarish medical bills. Rather, "the system" is set up so that "the middle men" are the ones raking in most of the cash. In fact, thousands upon thousands of doctors are being chased out of the profession because being a doctor just isn't worth the trouble anymore. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, we were already going to be facing a shortage of more than 150,000 doctors over the next 15 years even before Obamacare was passed.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-coming-doctor-shortage

Does milk really do a body good?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22349307/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Dairy: 6 Reasons You Should Avoid It at all Costs

http://drhyman.com/dairy-6-reasons-you-should-avoid-it-at-all-costs-2943/

TEENS GET HIGH OFF DIGITAL DRUGS

Forget about bongs, mirrors and crack pipes. Kids are getting high using headphones. Certain MP3 music downloads available online supposedly induce a state of ecstasy.

This new practice is called i-Dosing and requires a pair of headphones and something to play music. Proponents of i-Dosing say the ecstatic feeling listeners supposedly feel is caused by the binaural beat effect.

This effect is the result of two slightly different audio waves being heard separately by the left and right ear. The two tones played at slightly different frequencies makes the listener think they are hearing a quick beat.

YouTube is littered with videos that include these audio files, and even more reaction videos of teenagers freaking out after getting an i-Dose.

I was pretty skeptical about the whole idea of getting high with an audio file, so in the name of science and journalism, I decided to give it a try. I didn't pay to download an i-Dose, because there are plenty of videos on YouTube, and I didn't want to fill out an expense report for Discovery News asking for a four dollar reimbursement so I could get high.

The video I watched is called the Leviticus Green, named not only for everyone's favorite Old Testament book but also for a sound drug developed in 1993 as a pain killer for wounded soldiers, or so says the intro to the video. It also claims that the project was abandoned a year later after soldiers who were listening to the music reported having Biblical hallucinations.

There is some research in the area of binaural beats for scientific and therapeutic uses, including research for hearing and sleep cycles and reducing stress and anxiety. But using it as a drug is new.

I have to admit, I got a little nervous. The first two ominous minutes are filled with warnings and rules, like you have to listen alone on your headphones in a dark room, which I did. And you should never stop the iDose when it's in session, because "stopping suddenly can result in nausea, tunnel vision and in extreme cases has caused irreparable brain damage."

Not only did I dare watch the video and maintain enough of my senses to type out this sentence, but I also stared death in the face and turned off the video, before it was over.

Needless to say, the video production looked like a cross between a blurry ultrasound and the static you see on a television channel without any programming. The sound was mostly annoying. A humming, buzzing, dissonant drone that was anything but ecstatic. I had more of a rush in the first two minutes of the video that was jam-packed with hypnotic warnings and creepy Biblical cartoons than after the i-Dose began. Big letdown.

So, what does this development mean for our society? Nothing, probably. Teenagers have always had the remarkable ability to get high using just about anything (apple bongs, anyone?). This type of thing is nothing new.

But Wired's Threat Level asks, "Will future presidential candidates defend their i-Dosing past by saying, 'But I had it on mute'"?

Mute would certainly offer a more pleasant experience.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/teens-get-high-off-digital-drugs.html

Doser FAQ

http://www.i-doser.com/faq.htm

Digital drugs

http://www.digitaldrugs.info/FAQ/

i-doser

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=i-doser&aq=f

Reaction videos of teenagers freaking out after getting an i-Dose

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=i-doser+reaction&aq=f

"Hope,... which whispered from Pandora's box after all the other plagues and sorrows had escaped, is the best and last of all things. Without it, there is only time. And time pushes at our backs like a centrifuge, forcing outward and away, until it nudges us into oblivion... It's a law of motion, a fact of physics..., no different from the stages of white dwarves and red giants. Like all things in the universe, we are destined from birth to diverge. Time is simply the yardstick of our separation. If we are particles in a sea of distance, exploded from an original whole, then there is a science to our solitude. We are lonely in proportion to our years."
— Ian Caldwell (The Rule of Four)

Leviticus: Nazareth Green. Newly unearthed iDose i-Dose Sound Digital Drug iDoser iDosing


1. Listen alone
2. Listen with headphones
3. Listen in a darkened room or with a face covering

The effects can be lucid and violent!

Most importantly: Never, ever remove the headphones before the track has ended