tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696572732311025923.post2546099262565229870..comments2023-07-18T08:02:35.036-04:00Comments on Stand FAST: Smoking is addictive; get help to quit?The Old Ramblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18366952824616311979noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696572732311025923.post-80228270928985887002010-02-28T08:13:00.205-05:002010-02-28T08:13:00.205-05:00Well one of the practical things that DARPA was in...Well one of the practical things that DARPA was involved in that most people know about is DARPANET, it eventually became popular with scientists and researchers and eventually went commercial: I think it's called the Internet or something now. The original name in 1962 was catchier: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergalactic_Computer_Network<br /><br />But using "far out" to describe DARPA, that's a bit of an understatement. I'm sure that the public only hears about the sexy stuff, but I've read writeups of some of the really crazy stuff.<br /><br />With the kind of budget they've got and the seemingly impractical and crazy (not necessarily psychotic) nature of the projects, I can't help but think that DARPA is actually an asylum for those with an aptitude to become super villains, those who didn't go on to work in modern tobacco control anyway, who if not kept busy working on their mad scientist stuff would have tried to take over the world with a shrinking ray or something. And since it's under the Defense Department (formerly the War Department) the security around the mads is played off like it's to keep classified material secret instead of keeping the world safe from the next Riddler.<br /><br />I'll just conclude this silly aside with a final stat on DARPA now: 522 pages of unclassified projects for 2010-2011. Busy bees.<br /><br />Actually one more bit on the tobacco angle, there's bound to be a genetic reason for the plant choice, but it would have to make some anti-smoker heads explode if genetically tweaked tobacco became a major saver of lives, and that alone is a net good. But I'm not all that keen on the risk that unintended consequences of tinkering with genes might possibly bring. So far I haven't been asked my opinion by the people being paid to tinker. Still waiting....<br /><br />Anyway, keep writing, I'll be back again and again. Thanks!Richard 23noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696572732311025923.post-86212084484288237002010-02-27T23:24:17.169-05:002010-02-27T23:24:17.169-05:00About nicotine being non-addictive, or at least no...About nicotine being non-addictive, or at least not of the nature the anti-smoking industry likes to make claim.<br /><br />A hypnotist who offers quit smoking therapy to his clients and quite successful in his quit rate once told me that the anti-smoking industry is well aware nicotine is non-addictive and tobacco manufacturers are well aware that it is only by adding sugar to tobacco products they are able to make people have cravings.<br /><br />It is the sugar he said, which when one smokes or chews, makes it very much like having a candy bar or any other large jolt of sugar, only in the case of it being mixed in with tobacco, the sugar jolt goes directly to the bloodstream very quickly - and it is that, not the nicotine, which causes cravings.<br /><br />He also told me that NRTs don't work, are ineffective and the tobacco control people know that it's ineffective.<br /><br />That's just a little insider-secret from someone working inside the anti-smoking industry told me and I only assume he knew what he was talking about, perhaps things they conference about when they go to meetings, discuss, much like the global-warming people discuss ways to hide the truth while saying something else in the public forums.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696572732311025923.post-51151701221714063482010-02-25T09:20:49.084-05:002010-02-25T09:20:49.084-05:00Re: Richard 23
For readers who may be unfamilia...Re: Richard 23 <br /> <br />For readers who may be unfamiliar with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), it's the R & D arm of the US Department of Defense. Their mission appears to be to turn science fiction concepts into reality. And they apparently have a multi-billion dollar budget to fund some pretty far-out projects.<br /><br />I'm afraid I must admit to a measure of ignorance of the organization and their current (and past) projects. However, it's not surprising that the DOD would be interested in the beneficial properties of the tobacco plant and would be conducting research in this area to develop defense mechanisms against bio-terrorism (or perhaps to develop their own weaponry). <br /><br />The pharmaceutical industry has been conducting experiments for years into tobacco derived drugs which might alleviate or control the symptoms of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other medical conditions. <br /><br />Thanks for the link.The Old Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18366952824616311979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696572732311025923.post-40064273813680468592010-02-24T23:31:05.989-05:002010-02-24T23:31:05.989-05:00I really appreciate your blog. When I first found...I really appreciate your blog. When I first found it I went back through around a year of material. So keep it up, not enough people seem all that concerned about the constant encroachment of basic human liberty.<br /><br />Since legislators legislate (because they want to be seen as doing something) and they tend to legislate crap (do not do laws mostly), shouldn't there be a periodic flushing of stagnant statutes.<br /><br />Legislation added after a nation's founding should be dumped every 20 years (or some other period). This would hopefully end the brainless "it's the law" arguments used to pretend that stupid laws are justified. It would also hopefully force politicians to keep justifying stupid legislation. I would hope a few rounds of stupid justifications would give people a chance to figure it out.<br /><br />What is your take on DARPA's latest project. What in the world are they trying to do? First the Internet, and now sainthood for the tobacco plant? What gives?<br /><br />http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/02/darpa-funded-researchers-tobacco-vs-viral-terror/<br /><br /><i>The Pentagon’s after a better way to strike back against infectious diseases and bio-threats. Now, a team at Texas A&M may have come up with a way to turn tobacco plants into vaccine-making machines.</i><br /><br />Hmmm.... wut?Richard 23noreply@blogger.com