New Song!!

Hey Everybody,
  Last week my buddy Nathan and myself made a demo track to see where we were looking to go with our project (Still Unnamed). It turned out pretty damn cool, at just over 4 minutes long, we came up with a pretty interesting sound. I would say the track is Alternative rock,  but with influences from Post-punk, Punk, rock, indie rock, Darkwave, among other genres. I wanted to add some synth to this track, but I feel like it is pretty much finished without any synth. Anyway, please take a listen, if you enjoy the track comment, share, and/or like. I am pretty excited that people are starting to like the music that I am putting out. It makes me a little nervous getting recognition, but I really enjoy people listening to  my stuff.

Listen to the song is below or CLICK HERE

I don't want to live any longer

  I am a coward therefore I am unable to pull the trigger. Why does this fucking bitch have to effect me so? Out of everyone Ive ever know this chick can make me feel lower than anybody else. Some of the stuff she says, heart wrenching and hateful, I have never felt more alone in all my life. Boy does Fi know how to make a man hate existence.

  Im not sure if other people have," I want to kill myself","I wish I was dead", thoughts, because I do all of the time. But She is professional at making me actually consider it.

Finding what you want, but its not for the taking

I know what I want. I found what I want. I cant have it.

I should be studying

   I should be panicking right now. My college experience is shit, and I'm giving up midway. Maybe I should have stayed away from academics and readied myself for what my life was truly meant for, hard labor and drug addiction, just like my elders. The damage they are doing, the damage they have done. The labor each individual took part in,the labor men easily died for, created a driving force of understanding with the masses riding the momentum.  the ones who carried the world forward are the ones who keep it behind.

    

New Blog Idea

I came up with a new blog idea.  linked below
vegasstudies

I am using my blog as a way to study, before I used to write notes in my notebooks and today while I was procrastinating, while avoiding doing any studies what so ever, I came up with the idea of making a blog that gave people of the internet some knowledge in different subjects, almost as if this blog is a way for viewers to observe what its like to be a college student, while simultaneously allowing me to test my knowledge of these subjects by writing about them. I hope you enjoy my knew idea and even if no one read anything I writ, at least i will be helping myself learn these difficult subject all the same.

Thanks yall. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

P.I.G.S. - Libido

  I am here for your information. Do not castrate me for the truth that you are about to hear. It should not hurt you.

This tape is harsh noise the whole way through, but it is not very good harsh noise. there is no variation at all, just noise. It is literally a BDSM soundtrack. Tie yo bitch up, gag her, blindfold her, then blast this in her ear before you ravage that pussy.

The Tape can be found on http://ormolycka.com/

Eventually

In due time there will be a transition between consciousness and the alternative. All life faces the unthinkable, we all will soon succumb to the unthinkable, we first must choose whether or not it is worth postponing. In true reality there is no becoming conscious with the alternative it is either one or the other, even the religious have no bearing, for in their world God is the decider and the decision was made long ago. This stone, this boulder, rolls faster and faster and faster until it splits. but what do the fragments become?

Things to say during awkward silences

Awkward silences cause stress, stress causes illness, illness can lead to death, which potentially makes them as dangerous as nuclear fission weaponry, anthrax, flu shots, and even LSD. The community needs to become aware of the dangerous practice and how close to home it really is. Do you know that independent studies have shown that for an average 60 minute conversation with a stranger that there is an average awkward silence at 80% of the whole conversation. Just speaking to people is like being a human target, there is not safe way to hold a conversation any more in a safe setting. Recent research has shown that even when the conversation is scripted that there is an awkward silence for 20% of the time.
Humans should evolve in how we communicate. I for one believe that humans should only speak to each other during fornication. men should only talk to other men via text. By removing oneself from the temptation that causes awkwardness, awkward silences can be reduced to 2% of the time.

Freemont Street Expirience

The Freemont Street Experience is always wonderful. The complete street is lined with a shader housing screens. The screens project a wonderful light show that is free to the public and is a place to always hear wonderful tunes. Men playing the bass with their teeth, smooth jazz saxophonists blaring wild music over an amplifier, Men playing tom drums with drumsticks, oh and they even have a stage with live music. Dang Las Vegas is sick. I always like to stop by at the Griffin, they have a really chill atmosphere and great music. I always end up getting kicked out though, I don't know why. Maybe because I get really drunk before I go inside, or maybe it is because I have never bought a drink from their bars, or maybe its because I dance a little crazy........... I don't know, but I am going to grow a beard before I ever go in there again. I like insert coins, its pretty chill, you can rent a game controller and play street fighter or nazi zombies right at the bar, they also have great music and a very spacious dance floor. Beauty bar is pretty nice as well, cute bartender, chill music, crazy people, and pajamas. I like how BB has live music acts as well, I want to go to a show there stat. The bar right across the street from BB is cool too but I guess not enough for me to remember its name. Its always crowded because it stays open up late. 

Note: Watch out for homeless people. They are everywhere trying to get your money. Use your best judgement. You can usually score drugs here pretty easily, be carful though, they are usually pretty sketchy. 

5 tips to getting over writers block

Writers block can be most devastating, especially when something is due the next day. Why keep suffering from this issue? Get yourself cured of your writers block by following my 5 easy to do exercises.


1. Change your perception.
         Do what you can to change how you perceive situations. Emulate something that is not oneself, create another state of mind.

2. Move
          Exercise improves blood flow, which insures that your mind stays alert. Don't get tired and lazy, get up and move.

3.Take mushrooms
          Taking mushrooms is something that everyone should do in their life. Mushrooms can unlock an incredible amount of creativity and will make your life better in the long run as well.

4.Create art
          Stimulate your creativity by being creative. Making music, drawing, painting, sculpting, etc. will get your creative juices flowing and make writing a breeze.

5.Be wierd
          Nothing says creative like some weird shit.




There you are fellow interwebbers and human beings. Let me know how the shrooms work out for yah. Feel free to donate, I really need a new car.

Sneaking into EDC 2013

  As some of you may know, last month EDC Las Vegas transformed the Las Vegas speedway into a Electronic play-pit full of all sorts of different surprises and attractions. Giant sunglasses etched with electrolite wire was surrounded by a Giant faux boombox and along with multiple carnival rides (all designed to make you sick). I chose to go on the antigravity ride and attempt to stand and almost coated the entire whirling disk with the lunch I just recently ate. While I was sitting criss cross applesauce on this ride, I would feel as though I was floating between two different spinning worlds with two sets of gravity. I thought about Karma, then the awful feeling that I felt, and decided that sneaking in was totally worth it.

 ASK ME HOW

In every day I fUck myself

Runnin amokk, woah what a day to begin to write as I am doing now. I bought some of that dank dank butter cup yah noe what I mean bby doll? And Im just chillin here and not wanting to go outside but I reallly should go outside. So I am thinking I will go outside later. But I have been going on a bing lately, like bretty pad binge bro. But not really that bad. I have been wanting to buy drugs but I cannot get any drugs. I am however content with smoking cannabis and reading. There is an issue now though, I have been wasting by weed by smoking it and not doing anything. But Im broke so that is there too.

Fuck IM begging you please please send me money. Please Im so hungy. I have not eaten anything in the past 2 days. I want some food.

But anyway wth was I even talking about bby cakes? idk. Well blogging is pretty cool I guess.

Peticulat on an arrival

  An arrival from what I don't even really know yet. Maybe what I was looking for and what I left are just different forms of the same thing, and life will be the same but different next time. The lumpy and tough bed I am laying on at this moment is very uncomfortable. My neck feels as though it will never be the same and this is all because of the stress caused by the weight of my body pressing my neck against the edge of the bed. Cool jets of air absorb the heat of the outside and create an atmosphere comfort and security. "Get the fuck out of the room you dipshit!" I thought to myself, but I never moved. I just sat and hid from the heat of the world, outside of my place of residence you can fry an egg on the sidewalk, bake muffins in a car, among other damage that can be caused upon someone by heat.

 Feel the breeze johnny, look about, feel the breeze in your fingers touche the taste of the wind let it lap at your fingers and twist about through your hair. Sit down Johnny, sit down and really think about it, think about what its saying to you Johnny. Can you hear it speaking? Its speaking from all directions. its very faint Johnny, it is speaking your name can you feel it Johnny?

The Glass Castle

The widowers begun to laugh,

Living their lives as glass,

But if anything is glass,

It is the glass of a mask,

truthful was not the word to describe such a man of decadence and lies,

That one may be called a spy just for stating the truth, 

Glass is strong,

Glass kills spies,

Glass gets foggy when you catch him in a lie

Baby Baby Baby, 

you know I got the sinner,

its in me all the times,

I feel as though Im done and out,

But I think of you all the time,

By do I do what You want me to,

Why do I think that you want me for love?!

Oh

Artificial

The wind and birds move me,

Gracefully they sing their song,

The wavelength of touch, the movement I see,

Cool air chills but I am content,

Swim in my thoughts,

Take a seat, pitch your tent,

Fill me up,

Read my book,

Watch me breath,

Our frequency,

Soft light kisses the flesh,

The brittle leaves break their stems,

Green is so significant,

Why is it not to man,

Eternal perplexity,

Impartial memories,

Are we I or are we one,

Subconscious breaks in the imortal one,

Pale as night,

Soft as steel,

See my sight,

Hear the squeal,

Gasp for breath,

Breath for life,

Eternal darkness,

Eternal light.

Sublime

What a wonderful night. The chilled air is just lacking in energy yet I am not cold.I ask myself why I am not walking slower, why rush, why not bask in this feeling. The music of the night,whether it is the song of the birds, the percussion of the tree branches with their prolonged attack and rhythmic superstition, or the rushing of traffic so far yet so close to my person. Oh if sleep was optional and the sun rise was soft, I would trod for centuries until the holes in the soles of my shoes became blisters. Why must I call Vegas my home, this dirty city, filth with boundaries would be the correct description. Life as a tadpole for myself started in the sewers. But my sentiments saturate my mind. I see this fuckhole as my fuckhole, 21 years I have trodden in this dry excuse for a society, and I do not know any other way of living. The heat, the sex (or lack thereof), the bribery.... Fuck, Vegas must be the bribery capital of the world, well except for Washington DC, I am quite positive that they have that covered. God what a tangent to remind myself of the sublime mood I am greeted with when I rise from the tan park bench, with it's soft plastic coating comforting my tailbone, because hell.... The soft ass I was born with is to thin to comfort my body and mind. If only the world, every being in the world knows the feelings I have been touched with, and these purely psychological feelings are the most sublime one can possibly feel. These feelings are in past tense yet they linger in the present.

The Biological State

Tyler Golightly

Prof. MulHolland

Eng. 102 sec#3017 E1

13 February 2012

The Biological State

The citizens of a state collectively contribute to their communities, as well as gain many benefits from it, a cycle which ensures the longevity of the entire system. Governed societies are similar to conscious, complex organisms, such as humans, and therefor should be viewed as living beings, in their own right. Much like Ortega y Gasset’s thought on how the majority’s destiny is to be lead and not followed, it is the destiny of the body to be led by the mind (Ortega,91). A human body cannot survive without its master the brain, for the brain tells the heart when to beat and the lungs to breath. The mind has its own values, and decides upon the distribution of resources. Brains do nothing but command and strategize, just as as Lao-Tzu wrote in the Tao, ” The master does not talk, he acts,” (Lao-Tzu 25).

The brain leads the body, just as a government leads its people. Ortega states in “The Greatest Danger, the State”, that the masses are destined to be lead by a minority, just as the body is destined to follow the mind, anything else would be a rebellion of destiny which is a rebellion of the truth (Ortega,91).  The brain governs naturally, there is no struggle, as Lao- Tzu wrote, “The master sees things as they are, without trying to control them / She lets them go her own way / and resides in the center of the circle” (Lao-Tzu 26). Societies would be like starved saplings without the direction of their leaders.

Without a brain, a body cannot govern itself, and without a population to govern, any government, would perish. Ortega wrote that without superiors, the majority would not be able to sustain its livelihood and safety, for without guidance the body would cease to be (Ortega 91). Science has shown that humans have evolved to rely on their bodies, just as governments have learned to rely on manpower for their perpetual machine of extortion and greed. The single cell organism has become systematically reliant on its cell community and can no longer make a relevant contribution by its lonesome; dependency is a large aspect of the human, as well as the governmental, machine.

Interests of the minority should never outweigh the interests of the majority, for if this happens the minority will lose focus on what is truly virtuous. Dictators hold absolute control in their states, and with this amassed power there is desire for more power and with more power more corruption and greed, he who leads has a choice of pleasuring himself or supporting the commoners. One’s mind can only be so virtuous, an individual may choose to buy a point of heroin instead dinner for the week, if the wrong choice is made then body will either suffer, it is all up to that which has control. Health should not replace pleasure and pleasure should not replace health, balance and harmony should be the goals of the mind, not destruction or fear. To quote Lao-Tzu,” If you want to learn how to govern / avoid being clever or rich / The simplest pattern is the clearest”(Lao-Tzu 29).

To conclude, governed societies are not much different than the humans that run them, and thus should no longer be thought of as an abiotic system of laws and enforcers, but as a thriving organism with a pulse and life cycle. The brain governs the body on the great adventure that is life, for it is in its destiny. Both brain and body are reliant on each other to progress on this adventure and to overcome and endure the hardships it may face, just as a government and its people are reliant upon each other for defense and prosperity. It is the responsibility of the brain lead wisely, because with great power comes great responsibility. Like all organisms, death is the only true end.

Understanding the Personal Unconscious

Tyler Golightly


Prof. MulHolland


Eng. 102 sec#3017 E2


26 February 2013

Understanding the Personal Unconscious

Below the waterline of the conscious mind dwells the unconscious. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the unconscious as, “the part of the mind that is inaccessible to the conscious mind but which affects behavior and emotions”. People should hold a higher understanding of their unconscious so they can understand themselves more fully. According to Sigmund Freud, the unconscious contains repressed thoughts and memories, motivations, and thought processes, which are not accessible to the conscious mind (Hockenbury 462). Even though one is not fully aware of the unconscious, unconscious thoughts affect an individual’s emotions and behavior. An individual is able to consciously access the unconscious by reaching a state of near consciousness, and by doing so, is even able to address previously unknown issues through acceptance and expression.


The unconscious is the septic tank of the mind, where suppressed thoughts, traumatic memories, as well as desires lie. These thoughts make up a large portion of an individuals personality, even though they may not even be aware of it. Underneath all of ones conscious desires and goals, lies many much more sinister desires that the conscious expends a great deal of energy suppressing. For example, Freud explained that the developing frontal lobe represses the natural infatuation one has with their parent of the opposite sex (Freud 483). These thoughts are believed to be repressed by the newfound morals and judgments adopted from ones environment (Freud 483). Repressing unconscious thoughts can lead to neurosis, an excessive and irrational anxiety or obsession, which can cause psychological and even physiological symptoms.


The conscious mind, also known as the ego, undergoes constant conflict with the unconscious. When the ego is overwhelmed by the demands of the unconscious, the end result is anxiety. The ego may attempt to reduce anxiety by distorting thoughts or perceptions of reality, these attempts are known as ego defense mechanisms, the ten major ego defense mechanisms being; repression, displacement, sublimation, rationalization, projection, reaction formation, denial, undoing, and regression (Hockenbury 464-5). Most people are not aware of the impact that these defense mechanisms have on their conscious mind and physical body. By understanding these defense mechanisms and what causes them, an individual is able to cope more effectively with their anxiety.


When in a state of near consciousness, an individual is able to consciously acknowledge their unconscious mind. A person can reach this state of near consciousness through the acts of meditation, hypnotism, psychoactive chemicals, or dreaming. Dreaming is the self-expression of the unconscious through symbolism and emotion, and is also the most accessible method for reaching a state of near consciousness. By interpreting the symbols and feelings conveyed through ones dreams, it is possible to grasp a rough concept of ones unconscious mind.


To truly understand oneself, an individual must truly be aware of their unconscious. Repressed thoughts, desires, fears, and memories, are buried beneath the conscious mind in the unconscious. These thoughts effect the emotions and behavior of an individual even though they are not consciously aware of them. One is able to access these thoughts by reaching a state of near consciousness, and by doing so understanding the very source of their mental and even physical woes. The unconscious is the very core of ones being, and thus their true self.

Works Cited

Hockenbury, Don H., and Sandra E. Hockenbury. Psychology. New York, NY: Worth, 2010.


          458-67. Print.


Freud, Sigmund. The Oedipus Complex. 1953. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College


          Writers. By Lee A. Jacobus. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 478-84. Print.


"unconscious". Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford


          University Press. 04 March 2013


          http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/unconscious.

Scholarship help

Blackness emblazons my surroundings, a bright light is but a short distance away, but the darkness of the cave devours every beam within arms reach. My body is encumbered by fear, frustration, and sentiments, while financial chains restrict my limbs. I struggle to stand in this cave, a cave where my father and my mother remain, and my grandmother and grandfather died. Sure, it may be better to accept the cave, to exist as a faceless individual in the sea of darkness, remaining ignorant to what lies outside, but while it may be the simpler choice, and possibly the optimal choice, I refuse to remain in the cave any longer. I can pull the weights, but I cannot break the chains alone, therefore I need one more pull from the Claudine Williams Harrah’s Las Vegas Employee Scholarship to stretch these chains closer to their breaking point.


I will become a distinguished man of science upon leaving the cave; I will travel the world bringing knowledge and hope to all who accept it. A pedestal must be set, a pedestal of knowledge and recognition, which I may use to improve the lives of all beings, plants and animals alike. My life’s goal is to inspire countless people to follow their dreams, let go of their inhibitions, and to be one with the planet. I will accomplish my goal by understanding the very fabric of reality and using this knowledge to improve all forms of life.


These chains are too short to move forward, too strong to break, a pull from the Claudine Williams Harrah’s Employee Scholarship can bring these chains closer to their breaking point and myself closer to my goals. I must improve our planet, I must improve my environment, and I must improve my community. Bring me closer to the light, so I may do the same for all who accept my help.

Acid Rain on Earth

Acid Rain on Earth

Tyler J Golightly

College of Southern Nevada

Abstract

            Citizens of the United States will not truly be aware of the destruction caused by acid rain until they experience the effects first hand. Acid rain is slowly destroying the environment, and should be reduced to preserve the earth’s ability to sustain life. By compounding research from federal environmental websites, academic journals, and a chemistry textbook section catering to the subject of acid rain, I have compiled the causes and effects of the misunderstood phenomenon. Hyposulfite and nitrogen oxides reacting with water vapor in the atmosphere are the cause of acid rain. These ions are the byproducts of industrial processes, combustion engines, natural events, and bacteria. Acid rain lowers the pH of soil, damages leaves, and weakens the immune systems of plants and trees. The acidic runoff waters leach aluminum ions and nutrients from the soil depositing them in high concentrations in lakes and streams. Runoff water from melted snow or heavy rainfall can drastically lower the pH of lakes that have small buffering capacities. The low pH reduces and can even eliminate fish’s ability to reproduce. Acidic waters promote the growth of algae, plankton, and other invasive species. These species produce toxic phosphorus and cause eutrophication. Particles that cause acid rain also create toxic smog in sunlight and reduce visibility. Acid rain is not directly detrimental to human health but the hyposulfite and nitrite particle are shown to increase the risk of asthma and bronchitis. Increasing regulation on industrial processes and increasing the efficiency of combustion engines can reduce acid rain.

            Acid rain consists mainly of sulfuric and nitric acid. Uncontaminated rainwater is naturally acidic and has a pH of 5.6 (Brown, LeMay Jr., Bursten, Murphey & Woodward, 2012). The acidity of uncontaminated rainwater mainly comes from carbon dioxide reacting with water to form carbonic acid. Acid rain usually has a pH of around 4. A substance with a pH of 7 is a neutral substance, while a pH less than 7 is acidic, and a pH above 7 is basic. As the pH falls below 7, the substance becomes more acidic. What makes an acid an acid, is the amount of free-floating positive hydrogen ions, or put more plainly, protons, in the substance. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Both sulfuric and nitric acids are considered strong acids, meaning that they dissociate completely when dissolved in water. For example, sulfuric acid consists of two hydrogen ions in an ionic bond with one sulfate ion, when dissolved in water the ionic bonds break and the hydrogen and sulfate ions become free-floating ions that are very reactive. Sulfur dioxide is produced from volcanic gasses, forest fires, bacterial action, fossil fuel combustion, and industrial processes (Brown, LeMay Jr., Bursten, Murphey & Woodward, 2012).  However, nitrogen oxides are mainly the byproducts of atmospheric electrical discharges, internal combustion engines, and the combustion of organic matter. According to Brown et al. (2012) the combustion of coal accounts for roughly 60% of the sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere, while the combustion of oil accounts for another 20%. That means that over 80% of acid rain is produced by the burning of fossil fuels alone.

            Acid rain is detrimental to the health of forests and other plant life. Leaves and pine needles are damaged by acidic rainwater. The waxy surface layer of a plants leaves or needles are stripped, which allows the acidic rainwater to leach nutrients from the leaves and also can be a precursor to disease. This rainwater also leaches essential plant nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium from the soil, making it unavailable to plant life (Likens, Driscoll, & Buso, 1996). Nitrogen oxides, which are contributors to acid rain, react with light to form nitrogen and ozone. Nitrogen is an inert gas, and surprisingly makes up over seventy percent of our atmosphere, while ozone is highly reactive and toxic to all forms of life. Plants and trees affected by acid rain experience slowed growth and according to Our changing planet (2011) can cause trees to suffer the loss of 25% or more of their leaves or needles. These detrimental effects of acid rain where discovered after foresters and scientists observed the browning of leaves, slowed growth rates and the death of trees that otherwise should have been prospering. In special cases even whole sections of forest were decimated.

            Runoff waters from acidic rain and snow are deposited in bodies of water such as lakes and streams, lowering their pH and depositing toxic solutes, endangering aquatic life. Natural waters normally have a pH between 6.5 and 8.5 while a 2008 study shows that the pH of ground waters is far below these values (Brown, LeMay Jr., Bursten, Murphey & Woodward, 2012). Fish must maintain osmoregulation, the delicate balance of solutes in their tissue, to survive (Emily, 2002). Acidity changes the equilibrium of the water, which in turn reduces a fish’s ability to maintain minerals such as calcium ions from being displaced. This reduction in nutrients causes fish to grow to smaller sizes and reduces a female’s ability to produce eggs.  Aluminum, which is normally insoluble in higher pH water, is dissolved from deposits in the ground by the acidic runoff water where it eventually is deposited in lakes and streams. Aluminum ions are shown to damage the gills of fish, impairing their ability to take in oxygen. Studies have shown that the majority of fish killed in waters of high aluminum concentration die of starvation (Butcher, 1988). Aluminum ions have been shown to be lethal to some species of algae and reduce the reproductive rate of plankton, this reduction of food sources is a definite reason for the large amount of fish dying of starvation in waters of high aluminum concentration (Butcher, 1988).  Nitrogen ions from fertilizer are dissolved by the acidic runoff and can end up in lakes and ponds, which can begin the process of eutrophication. Nitrogen stimulates the growth of algae, which over time increases the amount of decaying matter to the point where aerobic bacteria consume oxygen faster than the living algae and plants are able to produce it (Brown, LeMay Jr., Bursten, Murphey & Woodward, 2012). Eventually all oxygen breathing animals are eliminated leaving only anaerobic bacteria to thrive on the dead matter.

            Acid rain is not directly detrimental to ones health, but the precursors sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are both highly toxic. The EPA states that scientific evidence shows that short-term nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide exposures and adverse respiratory effects are linked. These effects including airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction were shown to be present in healthy people with symptoms being increased in individuals with asthma ("Six common air," 2012). Combustion engine driven automobiles, a leading producer of nitrogen dioxide, are very prominent in cities and highways. Individuals who live near highways and high traffic roadways are at higher risk of experiencing these respiratory symptoms. Electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 393nm breaks the nitrogen-oxygen bond; this free oxygen reacts with diatomic oxygen forming ozone. Ozone is highly toxic and has similar respiratory effects as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide react with moisture in the lungs forming strong acids; this attacks the tissues of the lungs and can cause emphysema and bronchitis.  The negative effects of these acid rain precursors can cause chronic health problems and even premature death in people who are at high risk of exposure.

            The effects of acid rain cannot be extinguished overnight, there is much humankind can do to reduce acid rain as well as diminish the symptoms. The clean air act of 1970 was calls for the regulation of stationary and mobile pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. In 1990, the clean air act was revised specifically targeting acid rain, urban pollution, toxic air emissions, and stratospheric ozone depletion. The Clean Air Act of 1990 greatly reduced the amount of acid rain with the Acid Rain Program. The Acid Rain Program was the first large-scale cap and trade program in the world. A cap and trade program allows for companies to buy unused emission allowance from other companies. Newer, more high tech factories are subsidized for upgrading to cleaner, more efficient equipment by selling their unused emissions. From 1990 to 2008 the cleaner air act has reduced acid rain causing sulfur dioxide by 51%, all while GDP has grown 64% ("40th anniversary of," 2010). It is possible to reduce the acidity of lakes and ponds by neutralizing the acidity with powdered limestone (Simonin, 1988). The limestone reacts with the hydrogen ions in the waters and by doing so increases the pH of the water. Research has shown that lake liming cans reverse the downward spiral that acid rain initiates allowing for a more diverse ecosystem.

            Acidic rainwater has the potential to ravage the environment and thanks to innovations in science and lawmaking the detrimental effects that acid rain has had on the environment can be stopped and possibly even reversed. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides being released in large amounts into the atmosphere is what causes acid rain, the main producers of these gasses being the combustion of coal and other fossil fuels. Forests and farms are drastically affected by acid rain especially in areas where soil has a weak buffering capacity. The runoff waters reach land water poisoning aquatic life and decreasing biodiversity. The dry precursors to this acidic rainwater are toxic to animals, including humans, and causes respiratory problems that can lead to premature death. With innovation and an increase in strict regulation the effects of acid rain can diminish and eventually be reversed. By protecting our environment future citizens of the world will be able to breath easy knowing that the Earth has remained fertile.

References

Brown, T. L., LeMay Jr., H. E., Bursten, B. E., Murphey, C. J., & Woodward, P. M.

(2012).Chemistry: The Central Science. (12 ed., Vol. 2, pp. 758-60). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Butcher, G. A. (1988). Retrieved from US Environmental Protection Agency website:

<http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/BCguidelines/aluminum/aluminumtech.pdf>

Emily, K. (2002). Effects on lakes and aquatic ecosystems. Retrieved from

<http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~kagan/phy367/P367_articles/AcidRain/effects-on-lakes.html>

Likens, G. E., Driscoll, C. T., & Buso, D. C. (1996). Long-term effects of acid rain: Response

and recovery of a forest ecosystem.Science, 272(5259), 244-244. Retrieved from <http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/213554701?accountid=27953>

Our changing planet. (2011). Retrieved from

<http://www.umac.org/ocp/EnvironmentalEffectsofAcidRain/info.html>

Simonin, H. (1988). Neutralization of acidic waters. Retrieved from

<http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es00175a600>

U.S Environmental Protection Agency, (2012). Six common air pollutants. Retrieved from EPA

website: <http://www.epa.gov/airquality/urbanair/>

(2010). The clean air act – highlights of the 1990

amendments . Retrieved from Environmental Protection Agency website: <http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/CAA_1990_amendments.pdf>

The Criminalization of Mind-Altering Substances is Unethical

 

Criminalization of Mind-Altering Substances is Unethical

Tyler Golightly

College of Southern Nevada

Abstract

Drug use may be as old as humanity itself, but only in recent times has such a large array of substances been made illegal. Criminalizing the sale, possession, and use of mind-altering substances causes more problems than it solves, the moral thing to do would be to end the criminalization of these substances. By gathering information from books, a journal, the Internet, and personal experience, I have determined the flaws in the attempt to eradicate drug use in much of the world. Humans have been consuming mind-altering substances since before spoken language was invented, only in recent times has drug use been synonymous with existentialism. The effects of these substances can even be attributed as the catalyst for the creation of religion and the beginning of early society. In more modern times, International agreements between multiple countries to control the distribution and production of multiple substances in their borders because they are unhealthy, addictive, cause crime, ruin lives, and along with numerous other reasons, and thus began the non-religious criminalization of drug use, trade, and possession that still goes on to this day. The criminalization of controlled substances in itself actually causes more problems than it prevents, problems such as organized crime, health risks, fear, inflated crime rate, unemployment, misinformation, impure substances, and the rise of more dangerous legal alternatives. Drug use and possession should be decriminalized, with quantities and substances being regulated.

            According to American scholar Terrence McKenna (1993), mind-altering substances were a catalyst for the evolution of mankind and religion. In the early years of human history when the nomadic lifestyle was staple, when the concept of a town or city could not be fathomed, when an individuals diet consisted of anything edible, humans consumed copious amounts of mind-altering plants in their effort to obtain sustenance. There is no doubt that some curious soul happened upon a field of grazing cattle and was greeted with the sight of Stropharia cubensis, the entheogenic mushroom that todays western culture demonizes so ignorantly, perched precariously on top of a mound of dung. The individual enjoys the easy meal that took no real effort in obtaining, but it is what comes approximately 20 to 60 minutes later that will truly make a significant impact on this individual’s life. Without a true understanding of the chemical nature of the fungi or the metabolic reaction that ones body has with the chemical components, this prehistoric individual must be in awe at the sheer power that he/she is overcome by. The individual may experience ego death, which is a very surreal, spiritual experience where a person feels the boundary of self and environment are dissolved and begins to realize that they are apart of the universe. An example of ego death is a scene in the movie I ♥ Huckabees when Albert realizes that he and Brad are both the same person (Russell, 2004). Drug induced experiences of ecstasy such as these are the beginning of religion and possibly even civilization as we know it today.

            Drug use and possession is criminalized for multiple, understandable reasons. According to Talleos (2009), a treaty was signed at the 1912 Hague International Opium Convention between France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Russia, Siam, the UK and the British oversees territories (including British India), to which the countries agreed to control the production, trade, and use of certain mind altering substances. This treaty was the beginning of non-religious drug criminalization that is still in effect today. Addiction is the most reasonable reason for the criminalization of drug possession and use. An addicted person loses control of their life to the substance that they are addicted to. Health risks such as overdose, heart attack, liver damage, and diseases transmitted through the blood such as AIDS, paint drug use in an immoral light, and aid in swaying public support of drug criminalization. Addict parents are in no mental or physical health to care for children, the media as well as public officials love to use children as a way to sway the public to believe that the criminalization of drugs protects children.  Society is accustomed to hiding the truth from children to protect them, in the case of drug use, protect them from ruining their childhood and possibly their life. Children are taught to abstain from drug use, most of the time by over exaggerating the truth and even giving out false information. Hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, PCP, mushrooms, and marijuana, can put individuals in a state of mind that they could never reach without them, if they are in an environment that is deemed unsafe or are in the wrong state of mind they may develop anxieties or bring about an unknown mental illness. Society feels it is their job to save an individual from themselves, making drug use an immoral and criminal act is a way of trying to force individuals to conform to their standards.

            Criminalizing drug users does more damage than it prevents. By criminalizing drug use, production, and trade, it is forced in the shadows allowing true criminals to profit. Like prohibition in the early 20^th century, organized crime profits greatly from the barring of certain greatly demanded substances. Organizations soon claim turf and use violence to maintain their hold on it. Lowly peddlers, high level criminals and even innocent civilians end up getting killed in acts of violence, violence used to maintain the high profitability of illegal trade. Crime is not the only killer; misinformation is another dangerous outcome of drug criminalization. Individuals grow up only learning abstinence but never the proper way to go about doing the drug. People are still doing drugs and they do not have the necessary information within reach to take the drug safely. Misinformation is the main cause of accidental overdose in first time users because these first time users are unaware of the onset and/or dosage of the particular drug. By putting the drugs in the underground, society is putting the users in the underground as well. Individuals find legal alternatives most of the time are more dangerous than the drug they are mimicking. I know of a synthetic cannabinoid called AM-2201 that has a dosage of 2mg, this drug is very cheap, and just last year was very legal. This cannabinoid has no ceiling, unlike the natural cannabinoid THC, and thus is very dangerous. By making drug use so taboo if an individual becomes addicted to a drug they may be hesitant to seek help because by using the drug they automatically become seen criminals and bad people. These individuals can even be cast out from their homes, jobs, religious institution or even their schools.

             The best way to end the crime and woes associated with drug use is to end the war on drugs and the resulting war on the people who use them. By ending the demonization of these substances, it allows doctors, teachers, parents and community leaders to stop misinforming the public and start informing the public on using substances in a safe and acceptable manor. Moderation and safety in addition to abstinence should be the new form on drug education, like Nietzsche (2010) wrote in regards to morality; our culture of excess must become one of moderation. Even substances such as sugar or aspirin can cause great harm to individuals, especially in a culture of excess such as the United States. Bootleggers and the organized crime associated with it in the days of prohibition should be used as a model of what the barring of substances brings about, which is a state of corruption and fear. We can contrast this with the Mexican drug cartels in the early 21^st century that, thanks to the war on drugs, have viable unregulated markets with almost no competitors. The United States war on drugs actually lowers the quality of life of not just the American population but the quality of life of other countries, such as Mexico, by fueling their organized crime organizations. Portugal decriminalized drug use in 2001 and according to Hughes and Stevens (2010),“Portuguese decriminalization did not lead to major increases in drug use. Indeed, evidence indicates reductions in problematic use, drug-related harms and criminal justice overcrowding,”  and therefore was a resounding success. Drugs change ones perception, like the bag in I ♥ Huckabees (2004), can help an individual put their thought processes into perspective, and allows the individual to become in touch with their spiritual and naturalistic humanity, which Nietzsche (2010) explained is one of the great causes of woe in modern man.

            The criminalization of mind altering substances and those who posses and abuse them is doing more harm than good, and therefore the moral thing to do is to decriminalize them. Man has been using mind altering substances since the before written or even spoken language. Only in recent times has such a large scale effort to abolish all mind altering substance from free control for non religious reasons such as addiction, health, crime, and other reasons too numerous to mention. The downfalls of criminalization outweigh the good, downfalls such as organized crime, misinformation, unregulated substances, and the search to find legal alternatives. The use, possession, and trade of controlled substances should be decriminalized and regulated, with an emphasis on moderation and safety being added to the already dominant practice of teaching abstinence. The war on drugs, which was fueled by corruption, racism, misinformation, and greed, must be put to an end if our society ever wants to progress at the rate our prehistoric selves have.

References

HUGHES, C., & STEVENS, A. (2010). What Can We Learn From The Portuguese

Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs?. British Journal Of Criminology, 50(6), 999-1022. doi:10.1093/bjc/azq038

Jacobus, L. A. (2010). Friedrich Nietzsche: Morality as Anti-Nature. In A World of Ideas:

Essential Readings for College Writers - 8th Edition (8th ed., pp. 713-26). Boston, MA: Bedford/St.Martin's.

McKenna, T. K. (1993). Food of the gods: The search for the original tree of knowledge : a

            radical history of plants, drugs, and human evolution. New York: Bantam Books.

Russell, D. O., Baena, J., Goodman, G., Rudin, S., Hoffman, D., Tomlin, L., Schwartzman, J., ...

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc. (2004). I [heart] Huckabees. Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Talleos, J. (2009, April 12). The great mistake. How illicit drugs became illegal in the first place

- Hartford Conservative | Examiner.com. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from <http://www.examiner.com/article/the-great-mistake-how-illicit-drugs-became-illegal-the-first-place>