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Having started uni and with respect to its demands, I'm becoming increasingly aware that I'm still suffering from issues from my head injury. My concentration has mostly improved from before uni except when more than one person is talking about something remotely intellectual and then I simply cannot follow what the f**k is going on. It's making seminars impossible to deal with. I keep keeping fatigued more than I should and it makes concentration difficult. On top of that I keep falling up the stairs, dropping drinks and I nearly dropped the big kitchen knife on my foot. My dexterity is f**ked today and I keep typing nonsense in my word document because I can't control my fingers properly. It's like my perception and control are all partial - they are there but not completely in some strange sense. I feel pretty weird...

Starting to generally enjoy riding again in a regular sense rather than once every several months. I've missed it!

On the right day music will make my body feel electric and my hairs stand on end. The guitar riff on Nirvana's 'Oh Me' cover always has a good chance of getting me...

I've been pretty lame about responding to people's videos from the comp and should commented earlier. This one is especially awesome though and one of my favorites. I've watched it multiple times so nice one! We need to ride again, init.

I'm surprised there aren't more comments. Your video included a good mixture of tech and size! I look forward to the next

I have to agree with Sam. Although I think it's a good thing to offer people written feedback I also think both entrants and observers should be kept in a state of suspension. It just maintains the mood to have nothing until we have everything. If everyone feels differently I'm willing to concede though.

I can't help but see the glaring problem in arguing about things that are personal such as "red's a better colour than blue," etc. It doesn't seem particularly deep to me but nor does the confusion seem trivial since it relates to many other needless disagreements and falling outs. I guess in the way you've responded to me seemingly behaving needlessly I've done the same prior to that. Was the argument more or less pointless than what I did? This is just the way I see the world and I act accordingly. No doubt it's strange and excessive to others but it makes me happy

That's fair enough and I'm also uninterested in judging you for not trying drugs but I will point out what I think is a matter of fact. It's a also a good point you raise about other habits in your life causing harm to your body yet still engaging in them but then we're always doing better in certain areas of life than others. And just because we harm ourselves in one way it certainly doesn't make us hypocritical for not opening up ourselves to something harmful in another way. Interestingly, certain drugs - usually psychedelics - have an extremely limited and even negligible effect on your health and, in fact, there was an article in a mainstream news paper recently discussing a study that revealed how people's quality of life tended to be significantly increased for up to a year after taking magic mushrooms. I wouldn't argue the same for many other drugs which often, for example, stress the cardiovascular system and are neurotoxic although they may still have the potential to support one's psychological growth. I also read something about how MDMA is being tested again as a means of counseling and, more specifically, marriage counseling. This was one of its initial uses until it was criminalized. I do think that if we can develop ourselves without the use of drugs this is preferable but sometimes people have significant psychological barriers and only something powerful will overcome them.

Do you chaps not see amusement in terms of something individual? So, I can find something funny that you don't and it's just that simple - nobody is wrong by responding differently. It's not that the thing is or isn't funny within itself but rather but it is funny or not funny because of the way of each of us is. On that basis it kind of makes arguing about it all pointless.

What's interesting is that everything you do is mind altering in a sense; from the food you eat, the ideas you believe, the practices you engage in, etc. These alter the way you construct your the experience of your world. Every human being continually projects into their experience and what they project comes from their condition which is ever changing according to what you put into your body and the basic fact that you age. Drugs do those things more rapidly and with more depth but it's all pretty similar in a fundamental sense. In fact, drugs only intensify bio-chemical processes in the body that are normally managed through nutrition. Ones eating habits modifies serotonin, endorphin and dopamine levels, which are several chemicals fundamental to the experience of drugs such as opiates, MDMA, cannabis, etc. It's just that drugs typically achieve greater levels of production or rates of interaction. It's only if you suffer from something that's called 'naive realism' that you don't recognise this fact. Naive realism is the belief that you are seeing reality for how it actually is rather than how you construct it on the basis of being a particular human being. Consequently, drug use distorts seeing reality for how it is - which, to be fair, has a kind of truth to it - rather than being one alternative shape among a multitude that includes sobriety. But, yeah, of course you can't see the appeal until you've tried it. You might be able to imagine something about it but that's never going to be quite right.

I've probably experimented, at least once, with most recreational drugs. I've had both some of the best and worst experiences of my life through them. The time I took LSD in the local botanical gardens as a teenager opened me up more than before to the mystery of existence and set me on a path that works to make that mystery more central to my life. It was an extremely religious experience but not in the sense that most of us see religion. That drug has also offered me the most laughter I've had in a period of time and some highly amusing memories I get to share with certain friends. It's also caused me some of the most horrific hallucinations that include looking out of my windows to see thousands of police men storming toward and into my house. I even found myself shouting at some people in my house without remembering why I was doing it or how I'd arrived at this part of the house. That was quite frightening feeling so out of control. I should add on the occasion it went wrong I combined it with extremely potent cannabis smoked out of a bong and was surrounded by total dicks - this was a recipe for disaster. Cannabis also offers me a spiritual outlook on the world although not at the same intensity as psychedelics such as LSD. I sometimes use it to think about things with more optimism when I'm feeling cynical. It can remind me what actually interests me in life and is meaningful. At one point in my life it made my depression worse and created anxiety. I know two people who developed cannabis psychosis and are effectively brain damaged. One of them who used to be the alpha male, so to speak, but now is like a timid teenager and has no hope for much in the way of recovery. I've had some amazing social experiences on MDMA which are usually quite embarrassing in hindsight because people talk sentimental nonsense on it. I tried it again this summer after a long break from it and found it quite boring. The first time I took it as a teenager I was amazed it was possible to feel that way but the experience tends to lessen over time. It also made my depression worse when I was suffering from that. I've also had a problem with opiate addiction which is something I'm still dealing with although it's definitely getting better. This came about from an operation and being given way more codeine than I should have been and which was the stepping stone toward stronger opiates. These have probably been the most problematic drugs for me because they reduce who I am - my ability to think, remember, my co-ordination, confidence, ability to deal with stress and they also heighten the problem I have with mood swings. I've had to learn how to deal with stress anew without simply taking a pill that makes you at ease. Basically, what I'm trying to illustrate here, is that drugs are complex and they have the potential for good and bad. It depends on how you use them. There is the possibility of having mostly good experiences although there is always the risk that you might be disposed to respond very badly. But then the same is true of using medicine. There is a very real possibility of growth from using psychedelics and scientific experiment confirms this but there is also the chance of using drugs to avoid the growth that comes from dealing with difficulties in life. Alcohol can also support our avoidance when we use it to forget about how awful our week has been. These days though my drug use is minimal compared to what it used to be and I prefer to find growth through philosophic and meditative interests which don't offer such quick access to developed insights into the world but when they come about they at least tend to be more stable. I do think that if you have a philosophic or spiritual disposition that certain drugs are recommendable at least once. Drugs have had a pretty consistent role in human history as a method of transformation and reconnection with the world. Their prohibition is a *very* modern phenomena and, I think, one based out of ignorance.

Tonight I started landing a move fairly consistently which has been problematic for me for most of my riding life. Pretty stoked particularly within the context of feeling burnt out from a multitude of pressures I'm experiencing at the moment.

I don't think it's so much the language problem but more your aggressive attitude which is very evident in this post I've quoted. I personally don't think you should be banned for being that way but most people feel otherwise and I do understand their position. You're abrasive and it seems quite obvious that your intentions aren't always that good. That being said parts of what you've posted in the past seem reasonable so you're not entirely that way. If you want to be accepted into a community of people you have to adjust yourself to their expectations to a certain degree. Regardless of the rightness or wrongness of a community that's just the way it goes. Can you reflect and see that perhaps you're bringing a ban on yourself?

You're going to be about this weekend? Awesome. I should have thought to message you actually but, yeah, definitely up for sharing some arguments with you

Silk Road didn't offer assassinations. That was something you could procure elsewhere on the deep web. Silk Road also stopped the sale of firearms. It was predominantly about drugs although you could also buy things such as fake ids, methods of stealing from cash-points, etc. It was pretty awesome really; akin to the Amazon.com of the drugs world. Being able to read reviews of a given seller and there being an escrow system (like paypal) to resolve issues of non-arrival, etc. was good. But then I think drugs should be legal so I would say that The 'War on Drugs' in America is a rather dubious thing. In one sense because it's never ending and therefore, ultimately, ineffectual but also because of the increasing profitability that comes from incarcerating people whom are usually from poor backgrounds. The discrepancy between sentences that comes from using different types of drugs usually relates to the social group that uses them. These people aren't in a particularly good position to defend themselves and the prison system makes money both from the government for their incarceration and from selling them as labor. I did a quick google to find the documentary I watched about this but I can't remember what it was. There was however a link that probably talks about what I am. I haven't read any of it except the beginning though http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/08/14/presumed-guilty-how-prisons-profit-off-the-war-on-drugs/

I've wrapped myself in tin foil so no worries.

Hah, I knew that question was coming. Would I not be incriminating myself to say though? Especially given the NSA's power to record everything on the internet. However, f**k it. I bought a bit of weed and something called modafinil to see if it would help with the concentration problems I've had since my accident. The latter isn't even a controlled substance though. I've possibly used it for other things in the past though Although I may be just making all of this up.

Yeah this is bad news. I've used the silk road recently and I know they (the FBI) have a mirror of the server from the last 60 days - someone on Reddit even said this might extend back to May. Granted I'm definitely small fish; my usage is very small but it's still somewhat worrying. The deep web is an interesting place and has a lot of potential to be a force of good in the world but obviously it can easily constitute the latter as well. The possibility of arranging assassinations over it is very sketchy.

That was awesome. Loved the way the editing jumped between things; seemed suitable. There were some highly amusing points. Carl's face poking out the tent? Obviously it's made me feel even more disappointed for missing the majority of the tour again this year

Essentially

Yeah James!

Actually petitions can work - numerous ones I've signed have achieved their goals. That isn't to say they always work or even that they work more than less but that it does happen. Do you mean the possibility of all our energy needs being met by renewable sources is not possible rather than sustainable? Because those sources of energy are essentially 100% sustainable by definition. The sun, wind, tide, etc. will probably all outlast the human species and are therefore sustainable (enduring) whereas, for example, oil is significantly more finite. If you did mean possibility rather than sustainability, well, there's no real reason to say that. The trend is a continued increase toward more efficient technology for renewable energy: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/07/02/2241721/new-solar-cell-could-theoretically-be-pound-for-pound-1000-times-more-powerful-than-any-other/ Perhaps we might not make 100% of our energy from renewable sources but we might get pretty close and that's the point - getting as close as we can. Saying that it's a failure if we don't get to 100% doesn't really say much. What's important is that we get beyond the 15% (I think?) that we're currently on. I agree that people need to contribute within their own lives to the problem of global warming (turning off lights, efficient travel, etc.) but this is only one dimension to the problem. Government isn't fulfilling its democratic and representative role. It tends to side with big business rather than properly regulating it which is what most of us would like. Thus, there are no real policies - that are significant - to reduce global warming caused by industry. There's no significant investment in the science that might displace oil because that would also displace the profits of powerful interests. Again, this is what the government should be doing if they were doing their job correctly. However, as the saying goes, and going back to your point somewhat, "the people get the government they deserve." It is our job to make sure those who we allow to dictate the structure of economy, law, etc. are doing their job correctly. If we don't then whatever happens is just as much our fault. I know the following article is regarding Americans but it's pretty much the same here. I forget some of the statistics regarding people's preference to see global warming move to the front of our government's agenda but it was significant - definitely in the majority. Anyway: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/10/08/204773/energy-and-global-warming-news-for-october-8-92-of-americans-support-solar-power-development-study-says/ The predominant issue with rising energy costs is that not everyone can afford them. It's not so much that people are just misspending so this will be a good lesson to them but more so that *many* live in poverty of near poverty in the UK and increases in energy bills mean an inability to pay. This is especially important for older people to whom a cold or heated house is literally the difference between life and death. This also needs to be understood within the context of substantial increases in profit margin of energy companies. Should we pay more simply so business can keep increasing their financial growth? Should people miss out on basic necessities for that reason? I don't think the thread is bad. It's an opportunity to discuss some important topics, maybe dispel some bad but popular myths that are promulgated by a socioeconomic system that is significantly structured to defend elite interests - interests that are so short term that it's fair to define them as insane when considered alongside the harm that is caused. What's the point in having lots of money in the bank if the world is f**ked? It doesn't make sense. Anyhow, debate is good. It's a shame you think otherwise. Edit: Did you mean sustainability in terms of environmental harm? I'm a bit confused about what you meant to be honest.

Nick Cooke has used one on and off for the last couple of years. He liked that he could run low pressures and the tyre wouldn't fold due to how much material was there. Personally, they were too big and heavy for my interests. In that sense, I recommend a DMR Transition as a similar - but significantly less - heavy duty tyre. I think it's about 2/3 of the weight actually. I've never had pinches aside from two very strange front hook incidents in about 3 years now. The grip seems to be really good as well.

That was brilliant. Enjoyed your flowiness a lot!

That was fully awesome. Thank you for offering me a moment of respite from a very stressful day