A series of gifs excerpted from Santa Claus Conquers The Martians: a film about Martians kidnapping Santa because there is nobody on Mars to give their children presents. (source: IMDB).
Una serie di gif estratte da Santa Claus Conquers The Martians: un film sul rapimento di Babbo Natale da parte dei marziani perché su Marte non c’è nessuno che possa portare i regali ai loro bambini.
EXCERPTS by OKKULT MOTION PICTURES: a collection of gifs excerpted from open source/unknown/rare/controversial moving images. A digital humanities project for the diffusion of open knowledge.
Every year around 40 new research chemicals are introduced to the market. These are then tried and tested by drugs nerds, psychonauts, and vendors hoping to have a new hit on their hands. While some of these drugs are created as an experiment to see what chemicals can do to your consciousness, most are simply brought onto the market because they're not listed as illegal yet.
These drugs are often sold as "
research chemicals," as they're meant to be used in a laboratory. In reality, most of that research is done in bedrooms and basements by (generally young) people who willingly turn themselves into lab rats and describe their experiences online for the benefit of drug curious strangers. Each experiences carries with it some level of risk; often these aforementioned lab rats will have to blindly trust the vendor and pray to God that they don't die in a puddle of their own vomit.
To make this list, we talked to
designer drug reviewers, analyzed the drugs with the help of Google Trends, and browsed different forums. Then we decided on the following drug awards of 2014.
Category: Psychedelics (like shrooms) On the market since: Mid 2013, but didn't get popular until 2014. Why it exists: A lot of people feel that an LSD trip takes up too much of their time (12 hours). LSZ only lasts eight hours, so the makers of this drug really took the wishes of users into account. Additionally, LSD is still illegal, but LSZ is not. What does it do? It creates a lot of visuals, but it can take a while before those start to show. Whether or not users trip or not also depends on the dosage. Not everyone's happy with it; some users call it a poor imitation of LSD. But maybe that's exactly what other users want and maybe that's exactly what LSZ is. Reviewers say: "40 min after it started working, I was building a tent with strings of Christmas lights and 7 speakers."
*Most obscure drug of 2014*
5-DBFPV
Category: Stimulants On the market since: Summer 2013. There's not a lot of info available about the drug, and only a few people have tried it. It is likely one of the many stimulants to hit the market that came from labs in China. For some reason there's a big demand for stuff that keeps users awake but also has a mildly trippy effect. What does it do? It is comparable to MDPV, commonly known as "bath salts"—but more potent. It makes you euphoric and lasts for a couple of hours. There is a chance you'll get a painful headache once the effect wears off though, and the urge to keep taking more is often quite strong. Reviewers say: "Oh China, what will you come up with next!"
*Fastest riser of 2014*
3,4-ctmp
Category: Stimulants On the market since: Late 2012, but was the most searched for drug on one of the main drug forums this year. Why it exists: You need a prescription for Ritalin, and this drug isn't illegal yet. That probably explains why it's so popular. Its competition is ethylphenidate, another substitute for Ritalin that has been around longer. What does it do? It keeps people awake. The effects last about eight hours, but many recreational users have derided the drug as being too boring.
*The newest drug of 2014*
3-Fluorophenmetrazine (3-FPM) Category: Stimulants On the market since: November 2014, making it the newest drug that's available online. Why it exists: This is an updated version of the phenmetrazine from the 1950s, a drug that was used by both John Lennon and Jack Ruby, who was on it when he shot Lee Harvey Oswald. That drug is illegal, 3-FPM isn't (yet). What does it do? It's a white powder that tastes salty, and its effects are not unlike caffeine: It gives users lots of energy, and makes them clear-headed and talkative. Snorting it is effective, but... Reviewers say: "It stings so bad, my left eye teared up. God damn ninjas cutting onions!"
*The biggest loser of 2014*
5-EAPB
Category: Empathogens (like MDMA) On the market since: 5-EAPB has been around for a few years, but was banned in the UK in June 2014. Since then it has become significantly less popular. What does it do? The effect is like MDMA or 5-MAPB, but not as good. It's a light stimulant that gives you dry mouth and huge pupils, but it can also be snorted. Users have to be extremely careful with the dosage, because a number of reviews mention that they've had the worst experiences of their life on this. It's dangerous, and now illegal as well. 5-EAPB died an early death, just like some of its users. Reviewers say: "I saw myself in the reflection of the windows, and I looked like an utter mess, shaking all over, profusely sweating, pupils dilated to all hell, decided it was not best for me to go into the store, so I told her I would wait in the car."
Honorable mentions
These drugs came out this year or became popular this year, but didn't make the cut. They are worth a mention though, because they show how drugs have developed in 2014. No, not drugs—research chemicals, of course. Not for human consumption. So don't take any.
βk-2C-B
Category: Psychedelics On the market since: βk-2C-B was introduced in October 2013 and remained very popular throughout 2014. What does it do? It is very similar to its big brother 2C-B, which means it has a light psychedelic shroomy effect combined with the speediness and euphoria of MDMA. The effect seems to last longer than 2C-B – between 11 and 12 hours – but seems to be a bit milder when it comes to euphoria and visuals. The comedown can be very intense. Reviewers say: "Saw a person who blamed his purple snot on this."
Flubromazolam
Category: Benzos On the market since: August 2014 Why it exists: These kinds of drugs are used as sleeping pills or as sedatives to relax after an intense trip. It is the main rival of Etizolam, an older drug that was incredibly popular this year. What does it do? The drug has a hypnotizing effect and relaxes users' muscles. It does last for eight hours, but that is less than most of the drugs that are similar. Reviewers say: "U have to know whatya doing. I got a huge headache and some memory loss ;) but I drank 3 bottles of wine, yeah."
a-php
Category: Stimulants On the market since: a-php was introduced in early 2014 and became increasingly popular in the summer. Why it exists: More and more countries started banning bath salts—meaning MDPV, the drug that was all over the news. Chemists started looking for a drug that had similar effects, and ended up with a-php. What does it do? It's hard to eat or sleep, but users feel euphoric, become very productive, and won't stop talking. Long-term use can cause nervousness and paranoia.
thj-018 and thj-2201
Category: Cannabinoids On the market since: Late 2014 Why it exists: For people who want to get stoned but are too lazy to find a dealer, these synthetic cannabinoids offer a legal high. The downside of this stuff is that a lot of it is junk, and it's often unclear what the risks may be. What does it do? It's a synthetic cannabinoid in powder form that makes you feel spaced out, chilled, and carefree for about two hours. thj-2201 is a lot more potent than thj-018.
Methoxphenidine
Category:
Disassociates (like ketamine) On the market since: Although it was patented in 1989, it didn't hit the market until December 2013. Why it exists: Its predecessor MXE will probably be illegal in most places soon, forcing chemists to look for something that isn't blacklisted yet. What does it do? The exact effects are unclear—the only thing that's certain is that it is one of the few new drugs that were actually developed in a real lab. That lab also confirmed what the amateurs suspected: It's a lot like PCP, a classic that dates back to the 1960s. It is very potent stuff that users must be extremely careful with.
In December of 1972, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild threw a “Surrealist Ball”at the Château de Ferrières, one of the large mansions owned by her family. The invitations were written backwards, forcing the guests to use the assistance of a mirror to read them. The attire required was “black tie, long dresses and surrealists heads.” Upon arrival, the facade of the chateau was lit in red with the effect of making it appear to be on fire.
Trypophobia is the pathological fear of irregularly shaped holes. If looking at sponges, beehives, and raw meat makes you squirm, please look away. Colin Christian exploits people's innate discomfort with porous organic matter in his new work for his January 3 solo show, "Trypophobia" at Stephen Romano Gallery in Brooklyn. While Christian's doll-like sculptures have been featured on our blog many times, this is his most grotesque body of work yet. Toothy holes gnaw at the silicone flesh of his large-scale characters as if an alien parasite has invaded their bodies. Some of the sculptures feature close-ups of festering skin, which Christian displays in a medical fashion. He is clearly unafraid to repulse viewers with this exhibit.
Pakistani villagers carry the coffin of army commando Arshad Mehmood, who was convicted for his involvement in a 2003 assassination attempt on former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, for his funeral in Javera village around 60 km from Islamabad on December 20, 2014, after his execution in Faisalabad. Photo by Farooq Naeem / AFP / Getty
"We should not let our guard down if we want to avenge the
victims of the Peshawar attack,"
Khan
told reporters
. "We are in a state of war."
The hangings are part of a larger response to the attacks
with the potential to transform the security and court system of the nation.
But
many rights groups fear
—with good reason—that the opening volley of
retaliation is too broad and bloody and may prove counterproductive.
-
Bans
on media outlets broadcasting anything deemed extremist or terrorist in nature
-
Plugging
loopholes in the nation's sixteen anti-terror laws
-
Shutting
down unregistered religious schools and putting registered schools under review
for extremism
-
Increasing
regulations on property rentals and SIM card sales
-
Holding
hoteliers responsible for any terrorists they've harbored
-
Setting
up at least 21 new military courts to fast-track terrorism trials
They have also pointed
the finger at Afghanistan
for not cracking down on Pakistani Taliban
leaders there, floating the idea of deporting all Afghan refugees in the nation
once they are able to do so in 2015. The response has been dubbed
Zarb-e-Arb (roughly sharp and cutting).
"Instead of being reserved for the most serious cases of
recognizable acts of terror,"
the
report states
, "the [nation's] anti-terror legislation is in fact being
used to try ordinary criminal cases either in a deliberate attempt to evade the
procedural safeguards guaranteed by ordinary courts or due to the vague and
overly broad definitions of 'terrorism' in the legislation."
A tragedy like the one in Peshawar necessitates some form of
response to secure justice. That's fine and good, and it probably does require
the death of key Pakistani Taliban members. But Pakistan looks to be out for
blood just to prove they can shed it—and at risk of steamrolling in some
ill-formed policies on the tide of it all. Much of that blood is not directly
related to these attacks and some of it may be innocent. And if the American
experience has taught us nothing else, it's that shedding blood willy-nilly
often daisy chains into something much bloodier and more chaotic. You'd think,
given how our own vengeance played out along the Afghan-Pakistan border, that
Sharif and company might have taken the hint. Apparently they did not.
Making less fucking sense than anything else I've seen in the Steam Holiday Sale 2 years in a row, put your hands together for OMSI 2! It's the game that lets you drive a specific East German Omnibus, specifically in Spandau, specifically between 1986 and 1994, and right now it's 40% off! $1.49, you might guess? No! Only $20.99!
Off to the next round! Experience a new omnibus simulator with OMSI 2 and start discovering Spandau while driving the omnibus. OMSI 2 is the successor of the...
Urban North Americans live in what is probably the most status-conscious culture on earth. The reason we don’t recognize it as such is because most of us are stuck in a model derived from the old aristo/bourgeois/prole hierarchy, where status is linear and vertical, a ladder on which one may (or may not) be able to move either up or down.
That model of status is pretty much obsolete. Over the course of the 20th century, the dominant North American leisure class underwent three distinct changes, each marked by shifts in the relevant status symbols, rules for display, and advancement strategies. The first change was from the quasi-aristocratic conspicuous leisure of the late 19th-century time to the bourgeois conspicuous consumption that marked the growing affluence of the first half of the 20th century, a pattern of status competition that is commonly referred to as “keeping up with the Joneses.”
The next change was from bourgeois consumerism to a stance of cultivated non-conformity that is variously known as “cool,” “hip,” or “alternative.” This form of status-seeking emerged out of the critique of mass society as it was picked up by the ’60s counterculture, and as it became the dominant status system of urban life we saw the emergence of what we can call “rebel” or “hip” consumerism. The rebel consumer goes to great lengths to show that he is not a dupe of advertising, that he does not follow the crowd, expressing his politics and his individuality through the consumption of products that have a rebellious or out-of-the-mainstream image—underground bands, hip-hop fashions, skateboarding shoes, and so on.
But by the turn of the millennium cool had ceased to be credible as a political stance, and we have since seen yet another shift, from conspicuous non-conformity to what we can call “conspicuous authenticity.” The trick now is to subtly demonstrate that while you may have a job, a family, and a house full of stuff, you are not spiritually connected to any of it. What matters now is not just buying things, it is taking time for you, to create a life focused on your unique needs and that reflects your particular taste and sensibility. (more)
Let’s see, conspicuous leisure, then conspicuous consumption, then conspicuous non-conformity, then conspicuous authenticity. What’s next?
Maybe no one you know will read the above, and you can safely ignore it. But if you start to learn that many people you know are starting to see conspicuous authenticity as just another way that posers vie for status, then of course your community will come to not accept that as giving real status. No, you’ll start to see some new kinds of behavior as the sort of thing that people do who don’t care about status, but are just being “real”.
Then you’ll start to become aware that other people that you know agree with this new attitude of yours. You’ll get more comfortable with saying that you approve of these sorts of behavior in others, with hearing others say the same thing, and you’ll notice that you feel good when other people credit you with such behavior. You and your associates will all feel good about themselves, knowing they are all good people who deserve respect because they do these things, things that they all know are not about status seeking.
At which point these new behaviors will have become your new status game. You see, status-seeking behavior must be a respected behavior that isn’t seen as overtly status seeking. Because we all agree that we don’t respect behavior that is done mainly to gain status. Even though we do, we do, we very much do.
As usual, Ars has the version of the story actually worth reading.
It looks like the great cyber-war with North Korea has begun, at least by proxy. The entirety of North Korea was knocked offline today by a distributed denial of service attack—not a difficult feat, considering that all of North Korea is connected to the global Internet by a single connection. And while Americans are undoubtedly carrying out the attacks, it’s doubtful that they are taking direction from the government at this point (unless you think Anonymous and Lizard Squad are directed by the National Security Agency).
It’s an interesting dichotomy, because the evidence presented thus far by the US government that North Korea is indeed responsible for the attack is extremely weak. None of the Internet Protocol addresses embedded in the malware used in the attack were in North Korea, and most of them were exploited systems that could have been (and probably were) used by any number of cybercriminals and black hat hackers. All of the IP addresses were clearly acting as proxy servers, and some were used for spam and malware distribution.
Only the similarity to other attacks that were apparently launched by North Korea, the apparent motive, and Occam's Razor suggest that the Guardians of Peace were in the employ of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, rather than some random group of laid-off employees or supporters of Kim Dotcom. But if what was done to Sony Pictures Entertainment was in fact North Korean directed cyber-terrorism, it was extremely effective.
Last week, police arrested Gaylard Williams, a 59-year-old Indiana pastor known for his homophobic preachings, for—well, what do you think? Louisville’s WLKY station supplies the only possible answer:
Trypophobia is the pathological fear of irregularly shaped holes. If looking at sponges, beehives, and raw meat makes you squirm, please look away. Colin Christian exploits people's innate discomfort with porous organic matter in his new work for his January 3 solo show, "Trypophobia" at Stephen Romano Gallery in Brooklyn. While Christian's doll-like sculptures have been featured on our blog many times, this is his most grotesque body of work yet. Toothy holes gnaw at the silicone flesh of his large-scale characters as if an alien parasite has invaded their bodies. Some of the sculptures feature close-ups of festering skin, which Christian displays in a medical fashion. He is clearly unafraid to repulse viewers with this exhibit.
