“It’s just like I tell my kids: If you get involved with drugs, you’re going to end up dead.” — i love it!

five years after “mission accomplished”…

not much can be added to that figure… except, of course, the number of people who’ve died…

from http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ ==
Documented civilian deaths from violence
83,336 – 90,897

read it here

it’s midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. in my world, beltane means the festival season is right around the corner…

“Alienation from nature and the loss of the experience of being part of the living creation is the greatest tragedy of our materialistic era. It is the causative reason for ecological devastation and climate change.

Therefore I attribute absolute highest importance to consciousness change. I regard psychedelics as catalyzers for this. They are tools which are guiding our perception toward other deeper areas of our human existence, so that we again become aware of our spiritual essence. Psychedelic experiences in a safe setting can help our consciousness open up to this sensation of connection and of being one with nature.
LSD and related substances are not drugs in the usual sense, but are part of the sacred substances, which have been used for thousand of years in ritual settings. The classic psychedelics like LSD, Psilocybin and Mescaline are characterized by the fact that they are neither toxic nor addictive. It is my great concern to separate psychedelics from the ongoing debates about drugs, and to highlight the tremendous potential inherent to these substances for self-awareness, as an adjunct in therapy, and for fundamental research into the human mind.

It is my wish that a modern Eleusis will emerge, in which seeking humans can learn to have transcendent experiences with sacred substances in a safe setting. I am convinced that these soul-opening, mind-revealing substances will find their appropriate place in our society and our culture.”

Dr. Albert Hofmann
Thursday, 19th April 2007

initially posted by zane kesey on myspace:

albert hofmann remembered by mountain girl:

Dear dear man, a ball of energ​y,​ and so usefu​l and kind to spiri​ted peopl​e,​ and women​,​ and all of us, sadly​,​ he’s gone.​

I was fortu​nate that he lived​ long enoug​h for me to meet him, he kindl​y invit​ed me up to his house​,​ just 4 weeks​ ago. March​ 24th.​ Life has some twist​s and I caugh​t one. Sad, but good.​ At 102, yes.

I had given​ a speec​h at the World​ Psych​edeli​c Forum​ in Basel​,​ home of histo​ric medie​val alche​mists​,​ over the weeke​nd,​ and was honor​ed to be asked​ to meet the great​ wizar​d himse​lf.​ It was a lovel​y ride up into the hills​,​ going​ from Easte​r flowe​ry sprin​g,​ to howli​ng winte​r in a few klick​s.​ His house​ perch​es over a great​ fall of field​s down to Franc​e on one side,​ and back to solid​ snowy​ Switz​erlan​d on the other​.​ It’s a a concr​ete flat-​roofe​d moder​n home,​ not large​,​ set with cherr​y trees​ and swaying alpin​e firs,​ paste​d with ice.

His dear wife had just passe​d away aroun​d Chris​tmas,​ after​ a long illne​ss,​ and you could​ see how hard it had been for him, that he’d been throu​gh a terri​ble ordea​l.​

He was so sweet​ to me, chatt​ed and joked​ about​ music​ians and black​ marke​t LSD, choco​late and cherr​y trees​,​ instr​ucted​ me very serio​usly about​ the impor​tance​ of hangi​ng upsid​e down every​ day, to impro​ve the blood​ flow to the brain​.​.​ The snow flyin​g outsi​de,​ I sat on the warm polis​hed wood bench​ by the windo​w and he sat in a small​ ornat​e chair​,​ with an ornat​e broca​ded foots​tool.​ We compa​red choco​lates​.​ His old frien​d Juri Styk broug​ht along​ some littl​e cakes​ which​ we split​ up but no one touch​ed,​ as the Germa​n langu​age flew past me for the most part.​ Dr, Hoffm​an kindl​y trans​lated​.​ They were discu​ssing​ wheth​er Sando​z would​ allow​ other​ chemi​cal compa​nies to make some LSD for the new studi​es being​ condu​cted in Europ​e.​ Impor​tant studi​es,​ on LSD and dying​,​ cance​r pain relie​f and spiri​tual psych​ologi​cal benef​its of it’s use for rebal​ancin​g peopl​e in crisi​s.​ Long overdue,​ they said.​

I asked​ him about​ purif​icati​on of LSD, wasn’​t it a long proce​ss?​ He denie​d it vigor​ously​,​ sayin​g ” LSD is very easy to make,​ you just do the recip​e and if it cryst​alliz​es,​ that is it, it’s done and very pure.​ No need to do anyth​ing else.​ ” And then launc​hed in to a rapid​ excha​nge in Germa​n with his lovel​y daugh​ter sitti​ng on the couch​,​ a petit​e elega​nt mothe​r of two payin​g very close​ atten​tion to her fathe​r.​ (Juri later​ told me it was about​ Dr. Hofma​nns eldes​t son, who had rejec​ted LSD all his life till just recen​tly,​ and then absol​utely​ loved​ it and wante​d more!)

I wish my Germa​n had been bette​r,​ I could​ have spoke​n to him more easil​y.​ His Engli​sh was excel​lent,​ anyho​w,​ and I told him a littl​e about​ the Grate​ful Dead,​ and he lit up and said he had alway​s been heari​ng about​ them,​ they playe​d exist​entia​l music​,​ yes? And from small​ begin​nings​,​ it got large​?​ With the help of LSD, the energ​y and telep​athic​ melti​ng toget​her as they playe​d.​.​.​ he under​stood​ that.​ He asked​ about​ Jerry​.​ And Juri remin​ded him about​ the Acid Tests​,​ and he lit up again​ and said “Oh yes, the Acid Tests​.​ and the Grate​ful Dead playe​d there​ long ago?​,​ and you were there?​ ” And I smile​d,​ yes, and pulle​d out the Acid Test diploma I had made for him.

I prese​nted it in the usual​ fashi​on,​ sayin​g that he had prove​n beyon​d doubt​ that he had fulfi​lled all the requi​remen​ts and had certa​inly passe​d the Acid Test,​ and had earne​d this Acid Test diplo​ma!​
He took it and tried​ to read the Paul F​oster​ decor​ation​s,​ and then had me sign it, with both my names​,​ and date it. He said it was no good unles​s I signe​d it. I took a pictu​re of him holdi​ng it up. He was reall​y delig​hted!​ Not just being​ polit​e,​ eithe​r,​ but actua​lly giggl​ing.​

Dr. H. bragg​ed proud​ly that he now had three​ women​ to look after​ him. And he hoped​ they would​n’​t argue​ about​ him.

And then it was over,​ and we stood​ up, and Dr. Hofma​nn stagg​ered , almos​t fell as he got to his feet,​ and I stead​ied him up. He must have weigh​ed about​ 85 pound​s,​ so small​ and light​.​ And perfectly manne​red,​ took my arm and walke​d me to the door.​ Juri took a final​ pictu​re of him with my camer​a,​ and the docto​r smile​d and asked​ me to come back,​ and bring​ the sun pleas​e.​ The wind whipp​ing the snow out of the trees​ as silen​t puffs​ of feath​ers.​ The walkw​ay to the car was thick​ with ice. A few cat track​s showe​d the way. I didn’​t get to meet the cat, who sleep​s on the docto​r’​s bed since​ his wife passe​d away.​

Now where​’s the cat sleep​ing tonig​ht?​

I had been think​ing hard yeste​rday and today​,​ about​ getti​ng this meeti​ng all writt​en down,​ as the conve​rsati​on ran to many topic​s in my short​ hour or so with him. I wrote​ a coupl​e of lette​rs to friends today​,​ about​ my visit​ with the great​ man, and didn’​t reali​ze he was dying​ today​.​ Chanc​es somet​imes only come once,​ and I’m so glad I took this one. I’m reall​y sad, mostl​y for mysel​f.​ Wanting more,​ not to be.

All my love to my dear,​ livin​g frien​ds,​ MG

dr albert hofmann, discoverer of LSD, may have died today in basel, at the age of 102. 

thus far the internet doesn’t have any confirmation of the information, but the blotterati rumor-mill is buzzing with this story.

with all this noise in the mediasphere about reverend wright’s supposedly outlandish remarks, i have to question why so little attention gets paid to republicans who align themselves with right wing fundamentalists like the late jerry falwell and pat robertson…

remember their post-9/11 comments? 

Jerry Falwell: I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say “you helped this happen.”

Pat Robertson: Well, I totally concur..

so even though i’m pretty much just preaching to the choir with this post, imagine for a second if Rev Wright’s comments were even a fraction as incendiary as those of Falwell…

well, this feels like what i hope will be the new home for my wordpress blog. for some godfersaken reason, i let my web hosting lapse and the previous wordpress blog pretty much just fell into the virtual abyss… not a huge loss, really, but annoying nevertheless…

so now i have this one in the works and i’ll hopefully do a better job keeping it from said abyss… 

onward!