New guy!

[goodvibesonly]

Hello everyone!

I made an account awhile back but never followed through by actually participating. So, now... I'm participating

My name is Brad, I'm 30 and I hail from Washington, NC. Considering my eastern North Carolina locale, I'm a minority in my atheistic beliefs so there aren't many people to talk to in terms of deep (or interesting) conversations about life and science. I'm very much into logic and practicality.

I believed in the Judeo-Christian God until becoming agnostic around 18ish which led to atheism around 26ish. I believe the vast majority of all religions can be held accountable for racism, hate, bigotry, intolerance and general irresponsibility.

Having said that, there are 3 belief systems that I think bring more good than bad: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Rastafarian. It's because of these 3 that I cannot truly call myself Anti-Theist...which for awhile I considered myself to be. However, I discovered that many of the beliefs and philosophies that I favor and somewhat live by are very similar to those of Rastafarian and Buddhism. As with science, I'm always pushing and testing my beliefs to grow as a better person.

Some hobbies:

I'm a musician: guitar, bass, a lil drums, and even less keyboard/piano. Currently trying to get the ball rolling on recording original material...right now as a 1 man band kinda situation.
I like to go kayaking along the east coast here picking up driftwood and pieces of old pottery, arrowheads, etc.
I also enjoy fishing and oyster tonging.
Anything outdoors - active or inactive - is groovy.
I really like documentaries on just about all science: Astronomy, physics, biology, psychological, philosophical, etc.
I also enjoy conspiracy theories, but retain my skepticism and analytical side.
If I left off anything that anyone would like to know, I'm an open book kinda dude. I look forward to some interesting conversations!

Til then, thanks for reading this far.

[rexbeccarox]

Welcome

[abaris]

[Minimalist]

Marijuana itself I have no opinion about.

Marijuana laws are definitely bad, though.


Greetings.

[abaris]

Marijuana itself I have no opinion about.

Marijuana laws are definitely bad, though.


Greetings.

Given the right company and the right music, it can be pretty cool.

[pocaracas]

Welcome aboard!

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Welcome to the Forum and what on Earth is 'oyster tonging'?

Boru

[KichigaiNeko]

[goodvibesonly]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

Marijuana itself I have no opinion about.

Marijuana laws are definitely bad, though.


Greetings.

What are your views that makes you say marijuana laws are bad? Considering you have no opinion about marijuana itself?

Given the right company and the right music, it can be pretty cool.

That's what it's all about

Welcome to the Forum and what on Earth is 'oyster tonging'?

Boru

Well, its the method we use to catch our oysters. We take the boat out to the local bays early in the morning when there's hardly any wind. Go up to the shore in shallow waters (2 - 5 ft), stand on the front of the boat with long tongs, spot the oysters, reach down in the water with the tongs, pull em out and toss em in the bucket. We only do it during the colder months after the first good frost.

There are different types of tongs, but the ones my grandfather and I use are designed for oysters picked up where they cannot be dredged. So they pick up 1 - 3 at a time. He makes his own, so they don't look much like the ones you'd see in a google search.

[Aractus]

Marijuana is mostly bad. It may have some medical benefit, but it certainly has no place in society. If you sit next to someone who smokes a joint, you will begin to get high from their second-hand smoke. Breathing in particulates is not good for you long-term, no matter what they are. Cannabis contains most (but maybe not all) of the carcinogens found in tobacco leaves. THC is said to be somewhat less addictive than nicotine, however thc is a depressant whereas nicotine is a stimulus.

Medicinally speaking, smoking it is a very ineffective way of administering the dosage. Only 10-25% of thc entering the lungs is transfused into the bloodstream, thus making it highly imprecise and inaccurate when trying to administer the correct therapeutic dosage. I strongly feel that if it is to be used medicinally it needs a mechanism to ensure the patient gets the correct therapeutic dosage - e.g. drink it in tea or take it as a pill. The idea that people can patients can give themselves the right therapeutic dosage by smoking it is pure nonsense, and makes a mockery of everything pharmacotherapy is supposed to be.

The purpose of THC in the plant is to invoke indigestion when consumed by animals, this is clear because if ingested, THC will appear both in human faeces and human urine.

On the other hand take alcohol - it is a source of energy. All alcohol ingested will enter the blood stream, none will pass through to the faeces, and all will be used for energy by the body, and none will be diffused from the blood into the urine (just as glucose and proteins are typically never found in the urine). The fact that THC can be found in urine suggests that the body considers it either toxic or a waste product.