Wtf

The Awesomest Losers in Sports Movie History!!!

2007-12-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

Just because they didn´t come out on top doesn´t mean they weren´t winners in our book.
1. Kingpin—Roy Munson
"A one-pin victory, for Ernie McCracken!" And so ended the dramatic, but ultimately fruitless journey of the adversity-smashing, sack-tearing, impacted-excrement-dislodging Roy Munson, who made it back to the bigs of bowling only to lose to his nemesis “Big Ern” when stakes were at their highest. This wasn’t the first time in a movie where the bad guy won, but it was the first time we weren´t happy about it.
2. Air Bud—The team that loses
We have to respect the team that lost to Bud for not cheating when doing so would have been temptingly easy. They could´ve cooked up a rib-eye steak on the sideline, taped pictures of cats over their groins, or even put a dog on their own team, laughing as the two involuntarily licked each other’s danglers. It’s what we would have done.
3. Happy Gilmore—Shooter McGavin
Shooter: I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast.
Happy: You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?
´Nuff said.
4. Rocky III—Clubber Lang
After watching him verbally castrate Rocky, inadvertently kill Mickey, and sexily proposition Adrian, we had ourselves a well-rounded villain we could really get behind. Not to mention a villain with a rounded behind—GRRROWWWLLL!!!
5. Bloodsport—The Asian dude
Bolo Yeung had this touching ability to ripple his pecs that was as hypnotizing as it was unsettling. But more impressively, he was only two months away from his 50th birthday during filming. He looked like a freakin´ teenager, meanwhile Jean-Claude Van Damme isn´t even 50 now, and he looks like the gear shift knob on a Plymouth Duster.
6. Caddyshack—Judge Smails
Sure, he was a dick. And if you had his money, you´d be one too. We can only hope to reach such proportions of uncontained fury when we´re 400.
7. Over the Top—Bob "Bull" Hurley
How can anyone forget professional arm wrestling´s salad days, when arenas from coast to coast were packed with fans rabid for the next match! OK...so that never happened, and Over the Top was just a trucker-trash bootleg of the Rocky series, but man, the quotes from Hurley were fucking awesome: “I drive truck, break arms, and arm wrestle. It´s what I love to do.
8. The Bad New Bears—The Bad News Bears
Watching this movie reminds us how amazing the ´70s were. It wasn’t about disco or hippy dipshits, it was about fully grown men—drunk out of their minds—driving kids around in convertibles with no seat belts. The current generation of “here’s a trophy for trying” is going to become adults one day, but with any luck we’ll be drowning in boiling oceans before that happens
9. The Karate Kid—Johnny Lawrence
Nine years passed before we realized Ralph Macchio was the protagonist in this thing. All Johnny wanted was to defend Reseda, California against an influx of whiny, migrant Jersey hard-ons, and being felled by a dippy crane kick was an insult tantamount to Tom Brady having to bed Peyton Manning´s groupies.
10. No Holds Barred—Zeus

Zeus was the ultimate bad-guy wrestler; he did time for killing a guy in the ring and spent the last five years working out all his rage in the weight room. At 6’8” with that crazy lazy eye, he was a gigantic, mentally retarded killing machine whose only dialogue the whole movie came when he whispered "Zeus" after maiming 20 yokels in a country bar.

Top 10 Strange & Unusual Japanese Police Stations!!!

2007-11-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

"Koban", or Japanese Police Boxes, are commonly found on street corners in cities or towns, large or small, across Japan. Not to be confused with the "Doctor Who" style police call boxes formerly common in Great Britain, Japanese Koban are larger, display a red light and five-pointed gold police badge outside - and often feature unusual styling... here are the Top Ten!

1) Jewel of the Ginza Strip

This koban may be the most famous in Japan, being as it's located in the heart of the pricey Ginza shopping district. The classic red brick facade reminds one of the old Tokyo Station while the conical roof with spire is, well, distinctive in its own right. (via Wikipedia)

2) Op Art or Cop Art?

Not sure where this koban is, but it certainly looks modern and artistic! Perhaps it was built buy an architectural design firm during the free-spending days of the Japanese economic bubble, which burst in 1989-90. (via WUSTL)

3) Chinatown Cop Shop

Here's a koban from Yokohama's famous Chinatown. Most street-corner koban are designed to hold just a couple of police officers, so this one is larger than usual and boasts a pair of red lights instead of only one. (via PhotoPass Japan)

4) Seaside Station

The Hachinohe Chuo Koban in Japan's northern Aomori prefecture displays a seaside motif with blue & white "boat" detailing accented with what appear to be stylized seagulls. Just one more way Japanese koban try to present a friendly face to the public. (via Wikimedia)

5) New Blockhouse on the Block

This older style koban in the town of Tsukishima features a block-house design that some people find off-putting, considering the reputation of koban as welcoming places where citizens can go for help, ask directions or the like. This one displays the International Red Cross symbol indicating medical assistance is available if needed. (via kitada.com)

6) Rocketship Lock-up

Looking weather-beaten and somewhat the worse for wear, this dynamic koban displays elements of Space Age styling from the late 1950s. The minimalist openwork roof reminds me, at least, of the bomb-shattered Atomic Dome in Hiroshima. (via Rob's Japan Photo Gallery)

7) The Dream Police

Roarfish chose this dreamy, "futuristic" koban located in peaceful Ueno Park as an example of Tokyo modern architecture. Good choice!

8) Watching over you..

Much cuter is this koban from Chiba prefecture, just east of metro Tokyo. The endearing Owl motif in its design conveys the impression of watchfulness and wisdom while still retaining that essential Japanese commodity - cuteness! (via Ohka Lab)

9) A Streetcar Named Perspire

I don't envy the pair of policemen who have to inhabit this tiny koban, especially on a hot summer day and regardless of the AC unit on the roof! Resembling a miniature streetcar crossed with an old-fashioned hot-dog stand, this cramped and confining (yet undeniably cute) koban at least keeps the officers well placed to observe passing traffic! (via Bookmice )

10) Cop-per Roofed

Talk about small... this may be the tiniest koban in Japan as well as one of the oldest! Koban trace their origins to the early days of Tokyo (then called Edo) in the 17th century, when samurai warriors were posted at important street intersections to maintain order and intercept invading forces. This particular koban photographed by Virtual Tourist somewhere in Tokyo, only looks that old. With a pair of police bicycles parked outside, an awning for shade and an ancient loudspeaker mounted just under the eave of its patina'd bronze roof, this classic koban appears to be still in use!

History's Most Overlooked Mysteries!

2007-11-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

Though many of life's great mysteries remain unsolved, there are some lesser known ones that also have stumped researchers for centuries. Stonehenge, the Shroud of tourin and the downfall of Rome have garnered widespread interest, here are some perennial riddles that remain just as puzzling.

Who Was Robin Hood?

The existence of a forest-dwelling altruistic bandit might seem more plausible then a legendary king with a magical sword. However, the historical manhunt for the real-life Robin Hood has turned up entire scrolls of possibilities. For example, candidates include a fugitive in Yorkshire by the name of Robert Hod, who went by Hobbehod as well as a Robert Hood of Wakefield. The growing list of suspects is further complicated as the name "Robin Hood" soon became synonymous with being an outlaw as in the case of William Le Fevre who's surname was later changed to Robehod, according to medieval court records. His possible identity gets cloudier as later authors of the tales wove more characters such as Prince John and Richard the Lionheart into the story

The Lost Roman Legion

After the Parthians defeated underachieving Roman General Crassus' army, legend has it that a small band of the POWs wandered through the desert and were eventually rounded up by the Han military 17 years later. First century Chinese historian Ban Gu wrote an account of a confrontation with a strange army of about a hundred men fighting in a "fish-scale formation" unique to Roman forces. An Oxford historian who compared ancient records claims that the lost roman legion founded a small town near the Gobi desert named Liqian, which in Chinese translates to Rome. Dna tests are being conducted to answer that claim and hopefully explain some of the residents' green eyes, blonde hair, and fondness of bullfighting.

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich manuscript might be the most unreadable book in the world. The 500-year-old relic found in 1912 at a library in Rome, consists of 240 pages of illustrations and writing in a language not known to anyone. Deciphering the text has eluded even the best cryptographers, leading some to dismiss the book as an entertaining but lengthy hoax But a statistical analysis of the writing shows that the manuscript does seem to follow the basic structure and laws of a working language.

The Tarim Mummies

During an excavation beneath the Tarim Basin of western China, archeologists were pleasantly surprised to discover over 100 mummified corpses dating back over 2000 years ago. But Victor Mair, a college professor, was downright stupefied when he came skull-to-skull with some of the blonde-haired and long nosed Tarim mummies being displayed at a museum. So in 1993, Mair returned to collect DNA samples and the tests validated his hunch that the bodies were of European genetic stock. Ancient Chinese texts from as early as the first millennium BC do mention groups of far-east dwelling caucasian people referred to as the Bai, Yeuzhi, and Tocharians. None, though, fully reveal how or why these people ended up there.

Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization

With a culture that stretched from western India to Afghanistan and a population numbering over five million, the ancient Indus Valley people—India's oldest known civilization—were an impressive and apparently sanitary bronze-age bunch. The scale of their baffling and abrupt collapse rivals that of the great Mayan decline. It wasn't until 1922 that Sir John Marshall excavated the remains of a hygienically-advanced culture which maintained a highly sophisticated sewage drainage system and immaculately constructed baths. Strangely, there is no archaeological evidence of armies, slaves, social conflicts or other vices prevalent in ancient societies. Even to the very end, it seems, they kept it clean.

Rongorongo

Considered the other "Easter Island mystery," Rongorongo is the hieroglyphic script used by the region's early inhabitants. While no other neighboring oceanic people possessed a written language, Rongorongo appeared mysteriously in the 1700s. The language was lost though—along with the best hopes for deciphering it—after early European colonizers banned it because of its ties to the islanders' pagan roots

Lost City of Helike

Greek writer Pausanias gave an account of how, in one night, a crushing earthquake destroyed the city of Helike, followed by a massive tsunami that swept away what remained of the once-flourishing metropolis. The Achaean League capital was a worship center devoted to earth shaker and God of the sea, Poseidon. No trace of the legendary society existed outside of ancient Greek texts until 1861 when an archeologist found Helike loot—a bronze coin with the unmistakable head of Poseidon. In 2001, a pair of archeologists located the ruins of Helike beneath coastal mud and gravel and is currently trying to uncover the rise and demise of what some consider the "real" Atlantis

The Bog Bodies

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Even CSI's best efforts wouldn't go very far in solving the mystery of the bog bodies. So far, there have been hundreds of ancient corpses discovered buried around the northern wetlands of Europe. Many of these amazingly well-preserved bodies, some dating back 2,000 years, exhibit tell-tale signs of torture and medieval foul play. Such gruesome clues have some researchers suspecting that they were the victims of ritual sacrifice.

Fall of the Minoans

While many historians have figuring out what caused the collapse of the Roman Empire pretty high up on their to-do lists, the fall of the Minoan empire has proved just as puzzling. Three and a half millenniums ago, life on the island of Crete—which boasted a mythical King and his man-eating beast—was shaken by a volcanic erupture at neighboring Thera Island. Clay tablets unearthed by archeologists revealed that instead of folding, Minoans carried on for another 50 years before finally packing it in. Theories of what finally did them in range from a scenerio in which subsequent volcanic ash cover devastated harvests to a weakened society left vulnerable to an eventual Greek takeover.

The Carnac Stones

If erecting Stonehenge seemed to have been a tremendous groan, think about how backbreaking it must have been for builders of the Carnac stones. On the coast of Brittany in northwestern France, are over 3,000 megalithic standing stones arranged in perfect lines and spread out over 12 kilometers. The local myth about the stones is that they were all part of a Roman legion that the wizard Merlin turned into stone. A more rational stab at an explanation, by a researcher who studied the stones for over 30 years, purported that the stones are likely an elaborate earthquake detector. The identity of the Neolithic people who built them is unknown.

Top 5 Most Haunted Pubs in England!!!

2007-11-22T04:20:00.000-08:00

1- The George and Dragon Hotel, West Wycombe

The story behind this pub's haunting goes that the notorious "Hellfire Club" would meet up here before going onto to do many a debauched thing. One night the young and clearly naive barmaid agreed to join them, only to turn up dead the next morning. Her ghost is said to walk the halls of the hotel, weeping

2- The Royal Castle Hotel, Dartmouth

Built in 1639, the Royal Castle Hotel is reportedly haunted by a host of spirits. Guests have claimed seeing ghostly men fighting outside the entrance, and a spectral horse and carriage pulling up outside the hotel in the middle of the night (some believe its appearance is the sign of an impending death).

3 - Bucket of Blood, Phillack

Legend has it that the Bucket of Blood got its disturbing name many years ago when the landlord went to the on-site well to get a bucket of water but found there to be just blood. Further investigation found there was a badly mutilated body at the bottom of the well. Often visited by criminals and smugglers in the past, the pub now has reports of ghostly figures standing across the road, strange noises and lots of other strange phenomenae.

4 - The Devil's Stone Inn, North Devon

A 400 year old former fishing pub, the Devil's Stone Inn gets its name from the nearby "Devil's Stone", a huge rock that has mysteriously found its way into the village. The story goes that the stone fell from the Devil's pocket as he fell from Heaven to Hell. The Inn itself has had reports of much paranormal activity such as taps turning themself on and strange noises in the hallways at night.

5- The Mermaid Inn, East Sussex

Often quoted as the most haunted pub in England, the Mermaid Inn has a long and rich history with parts of the building dating back to the 12th century. Guests have reported seeing figures walking through walls, being woken by a man dressed in old-fashioned clothing sitting at the foot of their bed, and even the ghostly figure of a woman rearranging their clothing.

The 5 Smallest Countries in the World

2007-11-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

1. Tuvalu

Tuvalu [wiki] is basically a chain of low-lying coral islands, with its highest elevation being 16 feet or 5 meters above seal level. With total land area of just 9 square miles, Tuvalu is not only a teeny tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, it may not even exist in the next 50 years if sea level continue to rise (a controversial claim, nonetheless there were evacuation plans to New Zealand and other Pacific Islands). Even if the sea level does not rise, other problems such as population growth and coastal erosion still make Tuvalu a very vulnerable country.

During World War II, thousands of American troops were stationed on the islands of Tuvalu and the island became an Allied base. Airfields were quickly constructed and after the war, abandoned. In fact, today rusting wrecks can be found on the islands, a constant reminder of its role in the War.

Today, Tuvalu also derives income from renting out its Internet country code top-level domain .tv, as it is the abbreviation of the word ‘television’. This scheme got off to a rocky start (the original company who tried to do it failed to raise the necessary funds), but finally proved to be the largest source of income for the country.

2.San Marino

San Marino has got lots of charms. Founded in AD 301 by a Christian stonecutter named (what else) Marino (or Marinus, depending on who you ask), who along with a small group of Christians, was seeking escape from religious persecution, San Marino is the world’s oldest republic.

Its history belies its simple motto: "Liberty." Indeed, San Marino was such a good neighbor that it was hardly ever conquered by larger enemies (it was briefly conquered in the 1500s and the 1700s, for like a month each). Even when Napoleon gobbled most of Europe, he left San Marino alone, saying it was a model republic!

San Marino takes its government seriously: for such a tiny country, San Marino has a very complex government structure, based on a constitution written in 1600. The country is ruled by an elected Council of 60, who appoints 2 captain regents (from opposing political parties, no less) to administer governmental affairs for six-month term. Talk about preserving liberties through division of authority!

Before World War II, San Marino was amongst the poorest countries in Europe. Today, with more than 3 million tourists visiting every year (half of San Marino’s income is derived from tourism), the people of San Marino are amongst the world’s richest people.

3. Nauru

Nauru [wiki] is the world’s smallest island nation, the smallest independent republic, and the only republic in the world without an official capital.

Nauru only has one significant source of income: phosphates from thousands of years’ worth of guano or bird droppings. This proved to be both a boon and a bane for Nauruans - for a long time, its residents enjoyed a relatively high level of income as the country exported its phosphate like there’s no tomorrow.

The government employed 95% of Nauruans, and lavished free medical care and schooling for its citizens. Most didn’t take advantage of this offer: only one-third of children went on to secondary school. The adults didn’t really work, either - office hours were flexible and the most popular pastime was drinking beer and driving the 20-minute circuit around the island. For a while, Nauru was a paradise - for a brief moment in 1970s, Nauruans were even amongst the richest people on the planet.

Nothing lasts forever and sure enough, Nauru’s phosphate reserves soon dried up and left 90% of the island as a barren, jagged mining wasteland. Wasteful investments (like buying hotels only to leave them to rot) and gross incompetence by the government (former presidents used to commandeer Air Nauru’s planes for holidays, leaving paying customers stranded on the tarmac!) didn’t help either.

As if that’s not bad enough, Nauru is also beset by obesity problem. Decades of leisurely lifestyle and high consumption of alcohol and fatty foods have left as many as 9 out of 10 people overweight! Nauru also has the world’s highest level of type 2 diabetes - over 40% of its population is affected.

So now, Nauruans are poverty-stricken and fat - but they are trying to turn things around. With no natural resource left, in the 1990s, Nauru decided to become a tax haven and offered passports to foreign nationals for a fee. This attracted the wrong kind of money (but a lot of it): the Russian mafia funneled over $70 billion to the tiny island nation. Things got so bad that most big banks refused to handle transactions involving Nauru because of money laundering problems.

This led Nauru to another extraordinary money-making scheme: it became a detention camp for people applying for asylum to Australia!

4. Monaco

Monaco is the second smallest country on Earth (it’s roughly the size of New York’s Central Park), yet it’s the most densely populated (23,660 people per km²). Actually, Monaco used to be much smaller than it is now - about 100 acres were reclaimed from the sea and added to its land size. At the narrowest, Monaco is only 382 yards wide!In 1861, Monaco relinquished half of its territory to France in exchange for cash and independence. When the reigning prince realized that most of Monaco’s natural resources were on the land that got bartered away, he decided to bet the whole economy on … what else, gambling (see, casinos aren’t only for American Indians, it’s a time-tested, universal solution!)For a long time, Monaco had no income taxes and was a tax haven for wealthy foreigners and international corporations. This caused a unique thing about Monaco’s population: most of its residents are not native - in fact, only about 1 in 5 people are native Monegasques. After a long dispute with France, Monaco started to impose income taxes on all of its residents who are not born there. Its natural citizens are forbidden from entering casinos, but to make up for it, they do not have to pay any income taxes.

5. Vatican City

Vatican is the smallest country in the world. It’s basically a walled enclave inside of Rome, Italy. It’s so small that the entire country does not have a single street address.

The Vatican City may be small, but it is very powerful. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See, or the seat of the Catholic Church (basically its central government), which has over 1 billion people (about 1 in 6 people on the planet) as constituents.

The Vatican City was created in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty (which was signed by one of history’s most repressive dictators, Benito Mussolini) and is ruled by the Pope, basically a non-hereditary, elected monarch who rules with absolute authority (he’s the legislative, executive and judiciary all rolled into one) - indeed, the Pope is the only absolute monarch in Europe.

The official languages of the Vatican City are Latin and Italian. In fact, its ATMs are the only ones in the world that offer services in Latin! And here you thought that Latin is a dead language…

For a country that has no street address, the Vatican City has a very efficient post office: an international mail dropped in the Vatican will get there faster than one dropped in Italy just a few hundred yard away - in fact, there is more mail sent annually per inhabitant from this country (7,200 mails per person) than anywhere else in the world.

The country’s economy is unique: it is the only non-commercial economy in the world. Instead, the Vatican City is supported financially by contributions of Catholics worldwide (called Peter’s Pence - hey, even the Pope accepts credit cards!), the sale of postage stamps and publications, and tourism.

Lastly, as an ecclesiastical paradise, the Vatican City has no taxes

The craziest thing you will see on youtube. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

There is no way for me to describe this video other than WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When Drugs Were Legal [PiC] !!

2007-10-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

Many of the substances prohibited today were legally available in the past. This small exposition contains samples of the many psychoactive medicines widely available during the late-19th century through the mid-20th century

Cocaine-Containing Products

There were three types of medicines often containing cocaine--topical anesthetics such as toothache powders, catarrh medicines for relieving head and chest congestion, and medicinal (probably also recreational) cocaine-containing wines advocated for their numerous beneficial effects.

Paperweight advertisement for C.F. Boehringer & Soehne (Mannheim, Germany), "largest makers in the world of quinine and cocaine." This chemical manufacturer was proud of its leading position in the world's cocaine market.

Early Coca-Cola syrup label listing ingredients. Even after the cocaine was removed from the coca leaves used to make Coca Cola (c. 1906), the product was still sold for its medicinal effects. Today the company generally refuses to comment on the use of coca leaves in their product.

Cocaine-containing topical anesthetics

Cocaine is an effective local anesthetic, and some of the earliest uses of cocaine was for its local anesthetic properties. Today, other compounds such as lidocaine and procaine are the medically preferred local anesthetics. These compounds do not produce the mood-elevating and euphorigenic "side effects" that can occur with cocaine.

Cocaine toothache drops were popular with children and with their parents. Not only would the medicine numb the pain, but it could also put the user in a "better" mood.

Cocaine-containing throat lozenges, "indispensable for singers, teachers, and orators." In addition to quieting a sore throat, these lozenges undoubtedly provided the "pick-me-up" to keep these professionals performing at their peak. This box of lozenges is from a Belgium pharmacy (c. 1900). Local pharmacies often bought their drugs in bulk and packaged them for consumers under their own labels.

Cocaine-containing wines

There were many companies competing in the lucrative coca-wine market. Vin Mariani is the most recognized and perhaps the most popular at the time, but many other brands were produced in the United States and abroad.

Metcalf's Coca Wine was one of a large number of cocaine-containing wines available on the market. All claimed medicinal effects, although they were undoubtedly consumed for their "recreational" value as well.

Vin Mariani was the leading coca wine. This advertisement features an endorsement from Berthelier, a popular late 19th century actor. The caption immediately below the photograph reads, "Your marvelous Tonic needs certainly no further recommendation as everyone is familiar with it, and no one would be without it. I claim 'VIN MARIANI' can have no equal; it will live forever." The caption also proclaims "over 7,000 written endorsements from prominent physicians in Europe and America" and that the product has had acclaim for 30 years. (From Harper's Magazine, March, 1894.)

In addition to endorsements from celebrities, physicians, and scientists, Pope Leo XIII also endorsed the popular product for its beneficial effects.

This coca wine was made by the Maltine Manufacturing Company (New York). The dosage indicated on the back of the bottle reads: "A wine glass full with, or immediately after, meals. Children in proportion." Malt extract was taken for its health-promoting effects and alcohol was considered by many to have medicinal effects. It's not surprising to see the 'virtues' of these three "medicines" combined into a single product.

In addition to curing the usual ailments coca wine was claimed to remedy, Bullard & Shedd's brand of coca wine claimed to be effective in curing sea sickness. It was also promoted to cure the "opium or alcohol habit."

Burnett's Cocoaine (c. 1880) contained coconut oil not cocaine as its primary ingredient. Hoping to capitalize on the popularity of products containing cocaine and their association with "modern medicine," some manufacturers developed similarly sounding proprietary names. Burnett's Cocoaine bottles are bought and sold by many modern collectors who mistakenly believe the product contained cocaine. They must be similarly confused about the nature of "cocoa" and "coca" products. ("Cocoanut" is also a variant spelling of "coconut," and hence the aptly named product.)

Opiate-Containing Products

Opiate-based formulations were probably even more widely employed than those containing cocaine. Laudanum had been in use for over two centuries, and the isolation of morphine in the early 19th century (c. 1803/1817) and the later development of heroin (c. 1898) were lauded as even more effective remedies.

Modern authors usually suggest that widespread opium use was a major health problem during the 19th century. However, the use of opiates must be kept in proper perspective with other contemporary health problems. Mortality from cholera, malaria, and dysentery was very high, and opiates provided some relief from these illnesses (Opiates remain the most effective treatment for dysentery.). Some authors have suggested that the easy availability of opiate-based medicines saved more lives than it took. As the deleterious effects of chronic opiate use became increasingly recognized during the late 19th century, several factors helped ease the need for opiates: the improvements in sanitation diminished cholera and dysentery, the drainage of swamp lands decreased malaria, and the introduction of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin; 1899) provided an alternative medicine for moderate pain relief.

This bottle of Stickney and Poor's parogeric was distributed much like the spices for which the company is better known. McCormick also manufactured and sold paregoric, which is a mixture of opium and alcohol. Doses for infants, children, and adults are given on the bottle. At 46% alcohol, this product is 92 proof which is pretty potent in itself.

Heroin was commercially developed by Bayer Pharmaceutical and was marketed by Bayer and other companies (c. 1900) for several medicinal uses including cough suppression.

This magazine advertisement is for Glyco-Heroin manufactured by Martin H. Smith Company (New York). Heroin was widely used not only as an analgesic but also as a remedy for asthma, coughs, and pneumonia. Mixing heroin with glycerin (and often adding sugar or spices) made the bitter-tasting opiate more palatable for oral consumption. (From International Medical Magazine, January, 1902.)

These Heroin tablets manufactured by The Fraser Tablet Company were marketed for the relief of asthma.

This National Vaporizer Vapor-OL (opium) Treatment no. 6 for asthma may have provided a unique method of essentially "smoking" opium. The volatile liquid was placed in a pan that was heated by a small kerosene lamp (see below). Other substances were also used in these early (c. 1890) vaporizers, but this mixture probably ensured plenty of visitors for the spasmodically affected.

Vapo-cresolene lamps were marketed primarily to vaporize creosol-based products for the relief of head and chest congestion. However, they were also used with other products such as the opium-based asthma medicine shown above.

Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup was an indispensable aid to mothers and child-care workers. Containing one grain (65 mg) of morphine per fluid ounce, it effectively quieted restless infants and small children. It probably also helped mothers relax after a hard day's work. The company used various media to promote their product, including recipe books, calendars, and trade cards such as the one shown here from 1887 (A calendar is on the reverse side.).

Although not required to list ingredients until the Pure Food and Drug Act was introduced in 1906, products containing opium and other narcotics were required to pay a special tax on each bottle of "medicine" and to signify that the tax was paid by sealing the unopened bottle with a tax stamp. Note the irony of portraying a child on the narcotic tax stamp used with Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup (c. 1900). (Domestically sold alcoholic beverages and tobacco products still require a tax stamp.)

Opium smoking was another common method of administering opium. Although often associated with the Chinese, opium smoking was much more widespread and especially popular with some affluent occidentals. Various media, such as this postcard from San Francisco (c. 1900), encouraged the popular stereotype. In addition to the "recreational" effects produced by smoked opium, certain medicinal effects were also produced. These effects were similar to those produced by Glyco-heroin, paregoric, and other opiate-containing medications. (cf. Vapo-OL [opium] Treatment no. 6 for asthma illustrated above.)

Students at the University of Heidelburg take a break from their studies while smoking opium (c. 1900). I suppose it makes the accordion music even more enjoyable.

Amphetamine-Containing Products

Amphetamine was synthesized too late to have the widespread applications enjoyed decades earlier by cocaine and the opiates. It was, however, marketed in products commonly used to relieve head congestion and asthma. Amphetamine continued to be employed as a popular prescription diet-aid into the 1970s.

Benzedrine (racemic amphetamine) inhalers were available over-the-counter until the early 1950s. Some airlines even gave them out to passengers to minimize discomfort when the plane was landing and taking off. The Smith, Kline, and French advertisement proudly proclaims that over 10 million Benzedrine inhalers had been shipped by 1938, only 7 years after the product's introduction. This may have even outpaced McDonald's hamburger sales during their early expansion (Remember the "over x million hamburgers sold" signs on the golden arches?).


On-board service menu from an early Pan American World Airways Flight (c. 1950). Note the Benzedrine Inhalers listed under Service Items along with Kleenex and other items provided free to make your flight more pleasant.

Common Formulations
for early psychoactive medicines

For some products, such as coca wine, the formulations varied considerably across manufacturers. Other products also showed variations (e.g. alcohol content for paregoric ranged between 18% and 46%), but USP standardization later ensured consistent formulations among chemists and commercial manufacturers. Because opium is a natural product, early formulations using opium would have a variable opiate content, depending on growing and refining conditions (generally, opium contained 6 to 12% morphine). Later opium formulations were more consistent as chemical assays ensured more consistent opiate content.

**Some Early Medicines with Psychoactive Ingredients**
coca wine	30 grains Erythroxylum coca per ounce of wine
laudanum	45% alcohol with 45.6 grains opium (2.964 grams) per fluid ounce (equivalent to around 296 mg morphine per ounce)
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup	1 grain (65 mg) morphine per fluid ounce
paregoric	camphorated 46% alcohol with 1.8 grains opium (117 mg) per fluid ounce (equivalent to around 11.7 mg morphine)

Cool pictures of sandwiches

2007-10-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

You’re going to eat them?

Which one you like the most?

Enjoy!

"Most Dangerous Roads in the World"

2007-10-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

. Magnificient Guoliang Tunnel Road in China
- Road that does not tolerate any mistakes

In our popular post about " Most Dangerous Roads in the World" we mentioned a few roads that imperil the lives of motorists, or just make it really miserable. The following roads did not quite make the list, but continued to pop up in conversations around the world. They may not be "deadly" as such, but certainly require a keen concentration on driving, as the rock walls in many of them are not known to be a forgiving substance.

The road shown here is the Guoliang Tunnel in Taihang mountains (China). It has been built by villagers themselves, which is an inspiring story in itself:

"Before 1972, the path chiseled into the rock used to be the only access linking
the village with the outside world. Then the villagers decided to dig a tunnel through the rocky cliff. Led by Shen Mingxin, head of the village, they sold goats and herbs to buy hammers and steel tools. Thirteen strong villagers began the project. It took them five years to finish the 1,200-metre-long tunnel which is about 5 meters high and 4 meters wide. Some of the villagers even gave their lives to it. On May 1, 1977, the tunnel was opened to traffic."

The wall of the tunnel is uneven and there are more than 30 "windows" of
different sizes and shapes. Some windows are round and some are square, and they range from dozens of metres long to standard-window-size. It is frightening to look down from the windows, where strange rocks hanging form the sheer cliff above and a seemingly bottomless pit lying below. A village, opposite the tunnel, appears to hang on the precipice.

(this blog possibly first solved the mystery on the location of some popular photos).

Taroko Gorge Road in Taiwan (Chungheng)

Another one of quite unforgiving roads, consisting of tunnels carved in the mountain rock.

Pasubio (Vicenza), Northern Italy

This is an ancient road, converted to a hiking trail. Mountain bikers love it for the spectacular views, cool tunnels and hair-raising precipices... Some cars (presumably small italian kind) climb the hairpins to service the guesthouse built there.

New Celebrity Slogans PHOTO

2007-10-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

The key to a successful marriage is for you not to understand what the fuck your spouse is saying half the time

EVENING WEAR? WHAT'S THAT?

I am a very caring guy so this next song is called, "welcome to poontang mansion"

Don't come any closer or I will flash you

I won't shut up unless the whole room wants to kill me

I have invented a new style called "the vampire-ish no shaving for 11 days look"

Instead of jumping for joy I'm busting for joy or busting with joy.whatever…

I had like 3 tequilas and next thing I know. I found this guy in the luggage

Stop the music!!! Where the fuck is my sandwhich?

Egomania? Wherever that is, I want to buy a house there

Hold on!! I'm busy cheating on everything. The game, my wife, my taxes and my aunt Gina

Life is fair. I get steroids and she gets camel toe.

I came here as soon as I heared they were handing out free pizza's

Do the Nut cracker? I hardly even know you…

I ordered real scotch and all you gave me was Red Label?

Thanks for the pimp hat, lamont

Maybe you met my brother, Ayatollah Sean

Last night I got a lap dance at Score's and today I'm addressing the UN. I can die a happy man now

Hey, let's play "doctor" with Uncle Jesse

Reason number 123 on why rehab can do wonders for you

People are lining up to buy my "LSD mind fuck shirt"

Hey I've been ready for a while now

Am I a little late for the "Barney Miller" audition?

Whenever I put on these pajamas I feel very powerful.

Available for guitar lessons

11 Hilarious Church Signs

2007-10-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

You've seen them - the signs in front of churches, with a witticism or a pun that made you groan. Here is a list of 11 hilarious Church Signs

Moments frozen in time

2007-10-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

Here’s a set of very nice photographs which capture moments in time.

Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! In your face!!

You can walk on water, you can walk on water, you can…

It exploded because the lightning hit it.

If that cat can do it so can I.

Touch Snoopy for luck.

Where did the basket go?

Run people, it happened again!!!

She rides him everywhere they go.

Don’t cry….run little girl run!

I think he’s going to eat some sand.

He’s in a green room right now.

You’re doing it wrong.

Wakeboarding can be really fun if you’re just sitting.

I really don’t know what is this but it looks nice.

My daily schedule

2007-10-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

7:00
7:00- 7:30
7:30- 7:50
8:00- 8:30
8:30- 13:00
13:00- 14:00
14:00- 17:00
17:00- 17:30
17:30- 20:00
22:00- 22:05
22:10- 23:00

TOP 10 CONSPIRACY THEORIES

2007-10-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Once you delve into the dirty world of conspiracy theories, it’s easy to start believing that everything you’ve ever been told is a complete crock. From 9/11 to the Vatican, there’s someone out there claiming it proves we’re living in one big Truman Show, and guess what…..? George Dubya is almost definitely behind it all.

Remember Y2K? Well that was nothing compared Phantom Time Hypothesis, suggested by German historian Herbert Illig. He claimed that many years ago monks rewrote the calendar to avoid dealing with the fallout from the impending Y1K bug/apocalypse. According to Illig, an extra 300 years was added to our history, making the Middle Ages a complete fabrication and relegating Charlemagne, Alfred the Great and St. Boniface to the fiction shelf in the bookshop.

But it gets way more bizarre than that. Here are some more gems from Paranoid Corner for you to ponder as you set off for work at your Government sponsored job. They range from the clearly absurd to the possibly true, so we’re not trying to convince you either way.

But, having just spent the last few hours viewing You Tube’s endless conspiracy clips from history, our advise to you all is simple….. DON’T TRUST ANYONE!

	1. DAVID ICKE He started his career as goalkeeper for Coventry City, so all the signs were there. But then he decided he was the son of Godhead, declared the Royal Family were shape-shifting lizards and started 'propheteering' to an audience who greeted his claims with a hearty guffaw and the occasional chortle.
	2. 9/11 What happened to building 7? Where was the airforce? How come so many people took the day off? The conspiracy society will be debating this one forever, especially now its possible to study the You Tube clips from the comfort of their mum's loungerooms.
	3. THE HOLOCAUST Idiots such as British 'historian' David Irving believe the holocaust was either exaggerated or completely made up. If that's true, it seems that they've done a great job of convincing the ABC, who fill around half of their content with doco's about Hitler and Goering.
	4. MOON LANDING "It's all done with wires" the naysayers scream, before going on to declare the moon is made of cheese and Buzz Aldrin never existed. A quick photoshop of Bert Newton’s portrait and Bob’s yer uncle.
	5. BARCODES & NUMBERS According to some, barcodes, numbers and symbols are the tools of secretive pressure groups, designed to shop us into binary submission. A few ones, plus a bucketload of zeroes looking scared and wearing badges.
	6. KURT COBAIN Having drug and depression issues isn’t enough for the cynics, there must be more to Kurt’s death! Well maybe he’s not dead, he’s hiding. He was married to Courtney Love after all.
	7. BILDERBERG If this one’s true it’s the scariest of them all. One small group dictating the course of history for hundreds of years without scrutiny. Move over Spice Girls.
	8. CROP CIRCLES “Time is short and the choice is yours” states the clip. Presumably, the choice is to believe this impressive graffiti is the work of spirograph space craft, or drunken design students on mushrooms.
	9. ROSWELL The truth is out there alright. Plenty of people believe we’ve been visited by aliens in Australia too, although the Howard Government probably shipped them off to Nauru to apply for refugee visas.
	10. GOOGLE Not just there for the pervy things in life. They know your bank details, your address, your sexual preferences and probably your inside leg measurement. Don’t start a fight with these bastards, you'll lose.

Wtf