local ramblings…

Here in central Mexico, it usually gets cold from around November to January, mostly at night. The rest of the time, the temperatures range from 80-95 which is one of the reasons I love living here since I’ve always been a teeshirt, shorts and tennis shoes kind of guy. Not quite Kenny Chesneys’ ,’No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems’ since the nearest ocean beach is about 4 hours away. But close enough to be comfortable most of the time.

Some of the old timer norteamericanos have commented on it getting cold early this year. And everywhere I go I see people with tos (cough) and grippa (cold), including me. Just kind of snuk up on us so I’m taking a variety of things trying to cure mine. A friend tells me there is a heavy duty version of something called Ambroxol. I’ve been taking a $1.50 bottle of white powder called Ampilicina which the lady farmacist says will help with curing infections and it seems to have done good, but tonight my friend told me about this Mucosolvan version of Ambroxol which I’ll try this weekend.

We were in a local bar commenting on the closure of one of our favorite bars where all 3 bartenders, plus the brother of one of the bartenders, plus one other guy, had all been taken by the federales to prison for selling drugs. Mostly cocaine and some crack but that happens many places here and I just ignore it. For years, everyone seems to know about it including the cops and as long as its low key, there doesn’t seem to be much trouble involved, but these guys were getting way too visible. All friends and I regretted hearing they were in jail as they all have families.

The only drug I ever did was mota (marijuana) when I was 17 with some friends and then it was only a couple of drags which made me cough. I’d rather have a few beers so never had the urge to try drugs in any form other than medicine. Though I am very curious about hallucinogens, particularly containing DMT such as in the shaman drink ayahuasca. There is also a legal herb called Salva Divina which produces visions and a friend tells me Ibogaine is another form that is very effective.

My interest in hallucinogens stems from the idea that the pineal gland (often referred to as the 3rd eye) might be opened up to allow dialogue with ‘other entities’ often reported seen in the hallucinations. What if there are multiple dimensions where other worlds and cultures exist, yet are slightly time shifted from us and that we could ‘interphase’ time to communicate with them? What if they have a natural ability to sense and manipulate natural forces such as aether/zpe to produce phenomena, such as ‘praying’ something into existence, or flying, walking through walls, walking on water, teleporting, etc.??

It might be possible they could ‘guide’ us into building hardware to produce these effects. Sure, its better if it is a natural, innate ability not requiring apparatus, however, I don’t think we are at that point yet, so we should start with machines until we learn to produce phenomena at will. Think of biofeedback. Who would want to spend years to learn to go into alpha when you can learn it and verify it in a matter of weeks with biofeedback.

Many of the new agers (channelers, psychics, etc.) delude themselves thinking they have abilities but they have not proven it using instrumentation. It makes far more sense to me to use biofeedback to learn how to get there, what it feels like when you are there and how to get back out safely.

So I’ve been dabbling with the idea of trying some kind of hallucinogen in a somewhat controlled experiment with a guide to walk me through any problems. The sole purpose is trying to evoke contact that might provide useful information from ‘other sources.’ I’ve thought about it for many years, but never got up the nerve to do it so why not now? Will report on whatever happens.

Speaking of DMT, there is a great movie that is called Memorias here. It is about a guy found dead and covered in a red powder where a brain scan shows most of his brain is gone. Seems there is a pineal extract which lets you view the memories of your ancestors. Excellent movie and very thought provoking.

Another good movie that I saw today stars Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard in ‘The Brave One’. WOW, so well acted and presented. If you get a chance, go see either or both of these.

An item of interest in the local Guadalajara Reporter says the IMSS (mexican health insurance) is now offering a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease called stereotactic pallidotomy. It says an MRI scan is made to determine the damaged part of the brain, then a hole is drilled into that location, where an electrode is inserted that burns a lesion into the damaged area at 80 degrees centigrade for 60 seconds. Almost immediately, the trembling is reduced 80 to 100 percent. Recuperation is 3-4 days in hospital and full recovery takes 3-6 months. Normal price in private hospitals is between 300-500,000 pesos (30-50,000 dollars). IMSS coverage is about $300 a year where 1st year covers medicines, 2nd year covers minor operations and 3rd and subsequent years covers everything. A helluva good deal and lots of good reports about the service.

Vibration to stop formation of fat

Sounds like this could be made into a simple product anyone could use daily to reduce the absorption of fat. A few months back, there was news of a discovery that vibrators worn in the shoes would correct balance problems.

Scientists have found a surprising way to turn off the process that creates fat cells – at least in mice. Results show growing mice exposed every day to a very slight vibration grew up leaner. The difference is that these mice are spending 15 minutes a day for 15 weeks being vibrated ever so slightly in a tub that rests on a platform that looks like a giant pizza box attached to electronics. The vibrations are very slight, so slight many people can’t feel the vibration, only hear the hum. In tests at his lab at Stony Brook University lab, Rubin and his team showed that after the vibration regimen, the mice had 28 percent less fat in their torsos than another group of the same kind of mice who ate the same amount of food, and had the same amount of exercise. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rubin explained that the vibrations, “also reduced key risk factors in the onset of type II diabetes.” Rubin explains that his interest is in how physical signals – outside influences of mechanical, electrical and thermal signals – can influence the body. What is noteworthy is how little vibration is needed to coax the stem cells in these growing mice to produce bone, instead of fat. Rubin says it’s about, “one one-thousandth of the magnitude of a signal you might get while you’re running.” Rubin is quick to point out that they were not studying whether vibrations could burn any fat that’s already present, but instead to inhibit production of new fat cells. He says that’s important because, “If you never allow fat cells to be established, you can’t get fat.” - Source

Body Stitching

An amazing claim about a new technique to connect body parts to create new hybrid creatures or custom bodies;

Topflight Mancunian scientists believe they will soon pioneer an improved technique for splicing together human nerves. This could offer a range of benefits, not least the ability to assemble huge, powerful bodies out of miscellaneous human parts and implanted brains harvested from condemned criminal maniacs. It seems that a team let by Dr Paul Kingham at the University of Manchester have found that they can grow nerve tissue using stem cells extracted from fat. They plan to join up nerve endings with a tube made of “biodegradable polymer” inside which their new cultured nerve tissue can grow, so creating a functioning nerve pathway. Once the nerve is strong enough, the tube will gradually dissolve away. Dr Kingham and his colleagues are playing down the Frankensteinian aspects of their research for some reason, preferring to focus on relatively humdrum stuff like reattaching severed limbs to their original owners. This could allow secretive government boffins bent on infiltrating wacky terrorist cells to swap people’s living faces over, as in the film Face Off. Ultimately, assuming a suitably large stock of legs, arms, giblets, brains in bubbling jars etc., it ought to be feasible to custom-build complete Lurch-style butlers or other handy menials to order. Apparently the nerve-culturing caper has already been tried out with animals, raising the spectre of various chimerical creatures being put together out of random parts; or perhaps the addition of useful bits and pieces to humans. More adventurous ploys such as placing the brains of interesting, useful or valuable dead people in giant apes, boxing kangaroos and the like also spring to mind. Indeed, the long-sought monkey butler could finally be at hand. - Source