Archive for July, 2008

Ares not connecting is becoming a huge problem for fans of sharing music. The problem with Ares connecting seems to be limited to those older versions of Ares – versions like Ares Galaxy – that have simply not been able (or have had no inclination) to change their outdated coding techniques. The later versions of Ares – superstars like Ares Ultimate and Ares Vista – are not only ‘just better’ all around, they’ve also managed to get the niggling problem of Ares not connecting.

The laisser-faire attitude towards customer support has always been a problem of the Official Ares version, and it’s a little surprising that so many people have stuck with it for so long. It was good in its day, but problems like Ares not connecting are not isolated (this has been reported en-masse for the last three years or so) and they must know that the software isn’t up to scratch.

The problem, without getting too technical (and that’s not for your sake, dear reader, but for mine) is that Ares needs a list of ‘good’ IPs to connect to when it starts up. It collects these when it is live; at least it’s supposed to collect these when it is live. Ares Galaxy doesn’t and hence the problem with Ares not connecting.

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler has obviously been chatting to his PR people: he ’saw’ Salvia being sold in Ocean City and vowed to “Stamp it out” before it “takes root”. Given the relative age of the drug (researchers were looking at it in the 1950s), it’s good to see Gansler with his finger on the pulse.

When Gansler went into “one of those shirt shops where they sale [sic] tee-shirts”, Gansler began harassing the young lady behind the counter. This woman, he says, “had many piercings and tattoos and so forth”; she explained to Gansler that the substance on sale next to the counter was Salvia and he’s been fervently against it ever since. Any particular reason why you don’t like it, Gansler? Oh yeah, because it’s suddenly become very popular not to like it, hasn’t it? And perhaps because it was sold by someone with piercings and tattoos and so forth.

Gansler’s reaction to his ‘discovery’ of this heinous hallucinogenic herb isn’t really surprising: certainly it’s on par with the reaction of pretty much every other lawmaker and politician that has ‘discovered’ the drug over the past few months. It’s clear that these people don’t take notice of the news in the US: Salvia has been plastered all over various forms of media as it is slowly excluded from one state after another. It looks like Maryland will be the next in line to make Salvia illegal.

Maryland is one of the majority of the US states where use, possession and sale of Salvia is still entirely legal.

Gansler’s opinion is that if the states is trying to prevent youngsters from drinking beer but allowing access to what he has decided is a “dangerous hallucinogenic substance” then that is shocking show of double standards. We say it might be, but where’s the proof that Salvia is dangerous? Show us, dear Gansler, show us!

There is constant misunderstanding about the effects of Salvia and it is often referred to as the ‘Legal Marijuana’ or the ‘New LSD’. Neither of these are accurate descriptions of the drug nor of its side effects. Most of this misunderstanding comes from politicians, lawmakers and journalists all eager to jump on the bandwagon and get a new story or some new legislation. Unfortunately for the users of Salvia this strange zealousness by those in positions of power mean it’s likely to be completely banned pretty soon.

As you will no doubt remember from some of my earlier articles, Salvia is not a ‘new’ invention, nor is its use as a mind altering hallucinogen particularly novel. It might have been novel centuries ago when the Mazatec Indian Shamans took to using it as a tool to help in their spiritual adventures, their healing and as a divining tool. The strong hallucinogen is cheap and easy to get; in most states it’s completely legal to buy, sell, own and use Salvia.

The long term effects of Salvia are largely unknown, and there is no proof that there are any side-effects at all. Of course there is no proof that there aren’t, either.

Users of Salvia have been subject to testing from interested academics and medical folk. Deidre Houtmeyers, executive director of Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center’s Comprehensive Addictions Program (SECAP) in Boston, has performed a number of these interviews. She reports young users being disturbed by what is undoubtedly a psychedelic trip. Some teens related tales of flying pigs and fairies wearing green dresses. Others have been decidedly more disturbed and unsettled by the experience, describing it as frightening and nauseating. It seems like it’s one of those things that you just have to try yourself.

If you are going to try out Salvia yourself, then be sure to do it sooner rather than later: the panic attack sweeping the nation will likely see Salvia banned soon.

If you read the (largely hysterical) press reports about Salvia then you will know that it is being the ‘new Marijuana’ or the ‘legal LSD’; it is also, apparently, a massive threat to not just the youth of today but also society as we know it. If you were to take these reports at face value then Salvia is the single reason for all America’s ills. It is the anti-panacea that was invented by Satan’s own hordes of goblins when they were feeling in a particularly mischievous mood.

Virginia is one of three states that have (so far) made the drug illegal this year. There are a total of 17 states considering a ban, and 11 more where it is currently outlawed. The reaction continues to amaze me (and I’m not alone in this) because there’s so little to dislike about Salvia. Not only have detractors found it impossible to prove to be dangerous or harmful in anyway, but there is also no evidence that it is addictive. There is no particular evidence that it’s a nice experience either, and people who use it regularly are few and far between.

One shop in Virginia said of Salvia:

“We never really had any habitual people that would be using it all the time come in and buy more. I think it was just more of an experiment thing. I think people will just buy it online now.“

And indeed the drug can still legally be bought online as long as the recipient is not in one of the few states that have taken the misguided step of banning it.

There doesn’t seem to have been a rush to stock up on stocks of the drug and it’s users are not out in force opposing the band. What irritates people most is the continued degradation of our society into one where everything has to be controlled for us. We are not allowed to make our own decisions about Salvia and, though not individually important, this is completely indicative of the birth of an over-protective nanny state.

A very close friend on mine took up a business opportunity from Wealth Masters International. Through little more than a good business opportunity, hard work, diligence and a bit of bravery, she started doing astonishingly well. She was earning a multiple six-figure salary from the comfort of her own home.

Naturally I was very pleased; inevitably I was a little jealous.

I looked around and saw something called Carbon Copy Pro. I saw that Carbon Copy Pro was related to Wealth Masters International and I assumed – wrongly – that it was run by the same team.

Carbon Copy Pro is not a home business opportunity but something that was intended to ’sell’ leads to real business opportunities (specifically those offered by Wealth Masters International). The theory is that people can ‘buy in’ to the turnkey system offered by Carbon Copy Pro and sit back and enjoy a large and reliable cash flow.

Naturally it wasn’t anywhere near as easy as that and the Carbon Copy Pro system was largely a waste of money and, more importantly time. Back to the drawing board it was for me, and I am happy to say that, lesson learned, I was able to get a highly successful business up and running through hard work and perseverance.