I'm not sure what or why, but I think art like this is damn cool.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for late '80s remixes. This one is actually kind of fun. Young MC DON RIMINI remix. From My Old Kentucky Blog. Grab it quick.

Further proof that the global Ketamine scourge is a force to be reckoned with, notoriously regulation-free China has decided to crack down on sales and trasport of hydroxlimine, a popular ketamine precursor.

China has stepped up control of hydroxylimine, a raw material for synthesizing the drug ketamine, to prevent it from being used illegally, said a notice jointly issued by six government departments, including the Ministry of Public Security, on Tuesday.

Starting from Aug. 1, hydroxylimine will be added to the Category I list in the Regulation on Management of Drug-Making Chemicals. It is considered one of the most dangerous precursor chemicals used for making narcotics, the notice said.

According to a 2005 regulation, relevant parties must obtain licenses prior to the production, distribution, purchase, transport and import and export of precursor chemicals.

Hmm. I guess all the black market K has to come from India, the Phillipines, and central Africa now.

The world just keeps getting more amazing. In a stunning interview conducted with Kerrang!, Edgar Mitchell 6th man on the moon drops a bombshell:

Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'

He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head.

Chillingly, he claimed our technology is 'not nearly as sophisticated' as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned 'we would be been gone by now'.

Think what you like, but in this matter i'll trust the guy who currently holds second place for the galactic moonwalking title

By way of BoingBoing we learn of a new use for implanted brain electrodes: treating depression.

Severely depressed patients who do not respond to conventional therapy may be helped by deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to the most-extensive study to date of the experimental procedure.

In a clinical trial in Toronto, Canada, 12 out of 20 patients who had stimulating electrodes placed in a brain area called the subcallosal cingulated gyrus showed significant improvement in their depression, with seven of them going into full remission.

You can compare this to a similar treatment for Parkinson's disease where an area of the subthalamic nucleus is stimulated by electrode. Look out drugs, direct neural stimulation is the wave of the future.

One of my favorite comedians just released a book titled "My Custom Van ... and 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face". This is the ironic sort of mind-blowing, mind you, as illustrated by the first question of this interview from the Seattle PI:

Seattle P-I: Were you under the influence of any kind of mind-altering substance when you wrote essays titled, "I No Longer Love You, Magic Unicorn," "Testing the Infinite Monkey Probability Theorem" and "Chapter 19 of My Science Fiction Epic, 'The Pirates of Dagganon 6,' Which I Am Only Able To Write Because of a Generous Grant from the Makers of Barq's Root Beer"?

Black: The only mind-altering substance I was under is the greatest drug in the world -- love. Yes, it was love that inspired me to write the essays you mentioned. What kind of love? The kind that makes a fellow want to spread laughter and joy throughout the world. Also, I was on a lot of painkillers.

Another fun fact, his initials are MIB, which officially makes him one of the Men in Black. You don't have to buy the book, but the interview will blow your mind all over your pants. Maybe.

Well here's a new strategy for regulating Salvia divinorum sales:

No longer will children be permitted to buy a hallucinogenic drug that has been readily available in California.

Legislation to ban the sale of Salvia divinorum to minors was signed Tuesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor when the new law takes effect Jan. 1.

Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, predicted that his Assembly Bill 259 will save lives and "prevent irreparable havoc on families and society."

"Whenever we can keep a dangerous hallucinogenic drug out of the hands of our children, we're doing something right," he said in a written statement.

See, now wasn't that easier than just flat out banning it? The wonders of common sense never cease to amaze...

While browsing news items I ran across this interesting clip from Canton, North Carolina, about a new psychedelic drug called "Molly Paper". To me it looks just like a hit of acid, but the news report says it's "...more potent than LSD and ecstasy combined", whatever that means. It also says the drug comes from Florida, can make you paranoid and hostile, and 3 milligrams can make you trip for up to thirty hours. Sounds like a Dave Nichols designer. Any guesses what this is?

This weekend in Seattle there was a fund raiser for Erowid that was attended by the luminaries of the Pacific Northwest. Money was raised, good times were had, and Earth and Fire laid out plans for the next stage of Erowid now that it is a 503c non-profit entity and can accept tax-deductible donations. That's right, you can donate money to Erowid and make the government foot part of the bill. Cool!

Erowid is currently launching the Erowid Center, a mainstream contact point for media and professionals who want to take advantage of Erowid's database and expert network. This is the next step, moving from the underground to a legitimate enterprise that is the world's primary source for psychoactive information. Good job Earth and Fire (and Erowid support crew)! Stop by and donate a few bucks today, you'll be helping to make history!

Reader Evan from Entheogenic Reformation writes to inform us of a new study seeking volunteers:

In recent years, scientists at some U.S. universities have been conducting studies using entheogens, resuming research in pharmacology, psychology, creativity, and spirituality that was suspended following the drug excesses of the 1960s. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University are seeking volunteers with a current or past diagnosis of cancer who have some anxiety or are feeling down about their cancer to participate in a scientific study of self-exploration and personal meaning brought about by the entheogen psilocybin, a psychoactive substance found in mushrooms used as a sacrament in some cultures, given in a comfortable, supportive setting.

When discussing the benefits of this study, the principal investigator Roland Griffiths Ph.D. said; "the primary mystical experience might fundamentally change the perception of disease and perhaps quality of life in people distressed by life-threatening diagnoses of cancer."

Volunteers enrolled in the study will receive careful preparation and 2 sessions in which they will receive psilocybin. Structured guidance will be provided during the session and afterwards to facilitate integration of the experiences. The study complies with FDA regulations. f you would like to discuss the possibility of volunteering, please call 410-550-5990 or email cancer@bpru.org and ask for Mary, the study's research coordinator.