what is D DUBS READS?

Dock Ellis’ 1970 LSD No-Hitter

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:38:08 -0500

Dock Ellis was the a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates who threw a no-hitter back in 1970. All while tripping balls on LSD. James Blagden and Chris Isenberg animated Ellis's retelling of his acid adventure on the mound.

Secret Life of Mushrooms

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 22:51:40 -0500

This is the trailer for the pilot episode of the upcoming documentary series, “The Secret Life of Mushrooms.” The show will feature host Dan Glass as he searches out the lesser-known stories behind various psychoactives in cities around the world.
 The pilot episode explores the ancient Mazatec ritual use of psilocybin mushrooms in Huatla de Jimenez, Mexico.

You can find out about the show at http://spygirlpix.blogspot.com, which will post updates.

Via DoseNation.

FDA and Kansas Police Raid Store Selling Legal Herbs

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 16:25:01 -0500

Via Kansan.

Bouncing Bear Botanicals, a website that sells herbs, entheogens, and K2, was also served with a federal search warrant Thursday morning. The warehouse facility for the website is located in Oskaloosa.

Ryan Vanchieri works in shipping at the company’s headquarters. He said officers from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, FDA and Jefferson County sheriffs detained, handcuffed, searched and questioned employees. He said they searched computer files and seized business property.

“They were really nice about it,” Vanchieri said. “But they were stealing private property.”

Jefferson County Attorney Caleb Stegall announced that Bouncing Bear owner Jonathan Sloan was arrested during the operation and was being held in Jefferson County Jail on charges of possession of controlled substances. Formal charges are expected to be filed today.

Vanchieri said he thought the business was going to be shut down for good.
He said the entire property was confiscated and employees were not allowed to return to the premises.

Clip of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s Upcoming Film

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 16:01:12 -0500

As a huge The Mars Volta fan, I am very happy to have caught a glimpse of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s new film, The Sentimental Engine Slayer. It will debut next week at the 2010 International Film Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I thought I’d share this clip with my readers. The film is described as a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story based in Omar’s hometown, El Paso, Texas. He doesn’t just direct the film, but also stars as the lead character, who is surrounded by drugs, sex and violence at every turn.

Via Wired.

A Nightmare on Drug Street

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 12:35:41 -0500

Watch as the smart youngster Eddie tries crack cocaine with his friends and sends his life down the tube. Stay away from crack, kids! There’s nothing productive about it, and there’s plenty of healthy alternatives.

Via Dosenation.

No Pants Subway Ride 2010

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:20:53 -0500

Improv Everywhere held their annual No Pants! Subway Ride on January 10th in New York City. More than 3,000 people participated in NYC alone, and another couple thousand joined in more than 40 other cities around the world. Would you have done it? Via Boing Boing.

Yellow Submarine Tea Infuser

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:58:13 -0500

While I’m not a compulsive tea drinker, this tea infuser caught my eye. It submerges your tea into the bottom of the mug, and it looks pretty nifty too!. Check it out at Monkey Business. (via Gizmodo)

Retro Bites - Aldous Huxley 1958

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:51:11 -0500

“You’ve been called a salesman for mescaline...”

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:14:21 -0500

This novel is considered one of the most influential dystopian works ever written. Set in the London of AD 2540, the book deals with concepts such as reproductive technology and sleep-learning (essentially a brainwashing technique). The society in Brave New World is highly functional, yet unquestioning and uncreative. Huxley wrote this in 1931, and responded to his critics thirty years later with Brave New World Revisited, in which he opines that our own society is rapidly moving toward the conditions in Brave New World.

This was my second time reading Huxley - the first being Doors of Perception. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I had already begun and quit this book a few times before finally committing to it this week. I have just finished it, and probably need a little more time to digest the ideas Huxley put forth. But my opinion of the book is that it shows a parallel history to what has happened so far in the past century. We may be moving toward some of the things that Huxley writes about, but I’m not sure we’re any closer to his general idea of a dystopian society. I’d suggest giving this a read - it will certainly force you to reassess your ideas about life today. And perhaps that’s just what we need right now, and have always needed.

4/5 Stars. 268 pages. Published 1932.

Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:47:28 -0500

This is quantum mechanics in Zen-Buddhist form. Zukav attempts to break down the scientific theories that comprise quantum physics into a form digestible by the average person. He does a great job breaking it down, but loses points for a lack of entertainment.

The phrase “Wu Li” in the book’s title refers to one possible Chinese translation of the word “physics.” Each chapter in the book has an alternate translation of “Wu Li,” such as “Nonsense” and “I Clutch My Ideas.”

One of the main goals of Dancing Wu Li Masters seems to be that of convincing the reader that many of the theories about his or her local environment are incorrect, or Newtonian. This could be jarring for some readers, but the method Zukav uses to explain the “new physics” is rational.

I admired the way Zukav uses tangible analogies to explain quantum physics. There are many topics covered here - a great history of physics indeed. And each topic has an appropriate amount of explanation. However, it is very boring at times. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who doesn’t already have a love for science (particularly physics) or Eastern religions and philosophies. Thankfully, I have an appreciation for both; Zukav was still unable to reach me.

3/5 Stars. 376 pages. Published 1979.