Lachy

That's frigging shroomzilla right there. I wish I got edible field mushies that size around here, let alone anything psychoactive...

As I understand it, stores must have a sign up that is visible before entering the store if they intend to perform bag searches on customers. This is all the more important if they intend to detain those who refuse to consent to a bag search. The idea is based on principles of contract - offer, acceptance, consideration and all that - the acceptance and consideration in this case being the customer entering and walking around the store. Personally, I accept that bag searches are appropriate to deter and prevent shoplifting, however my inner civil libertarian would strongly condemn any store that attempts to coerce an individual into opening their bags on false pretenses, or fails to give proper notice to customers that bag searches are performed.

I wouldn't worry too much about them implementing this one... I think a program like this would fall into the "too hard" basket for prosecutors fairly quickly. However, I definitely have concerns about the privacy implications of this. I can't help but think that this is a backdoor effort to search personal digital media storage devices for purposes beyond simple copyright enforcement.

I too have heard of using an external CO2 source to green up plants - although, I have to admit, I've only ever heard of it being used in illicit grow-ops. For the purposes of this advice, I am going to assume that is not your goal, and you're growing orchids, carnivorous plants or other delicates. I'd say it is definitely worth directing the CO2 flow from your brewing to the plants, even if it's only an experiment. In a sealed tank, the results may be quite dramatic, as all the examples I've heard of have used very low amounts of CO2 in relatively open air, and certainly not in a sealed fishtank. I also like the idea of minimising your beers' carbon footprint... hey, every little bit helps, right?

That first clip is very cool. That second clip murders both throat singing *and* Tool... the bastard!

The only trouble with that is that I'm not sure the religious freedom laws would override the criminal law. Whilst the US example of the Native American Church consuming peyote is a mildly pursuasive example that could be deployed in court, it is far from binding on our legal system. Given that - as far as I know - there isn't a similar precedent in Commonwealth or State case law, I think it would be nothing short of remarkable for the courts to take such a stance.

The thing that gets me... provided they're not too severely injured (i.e. nothing fractured), they just jump back on the bike and keep pedalling. That's a fair degree of toughness and dedication at work there.

+1 on that. I'm very new to fungi ID, but all the suspect subs that have popped up around here seem to display the same colouration. Interestingly, some seem to take a long time to exhibit any bluing. If they are anything like a couple of my lecturers... I'd say "yes" is a fair possibility.

Good call, VM. I should have been more clear - I'm not sure medication of any sort is the best way to treat that. Drugs may buffer or supress problems, but they don't fix the causes at the heart of the matter, and such problems are very rarely simple in nature. And again, I agree totally. I strongly believe that it's the individual, moreso than the drug, that determines the outcome. Set and setting - a happy, well balanced person taking a drug in pleasant, comfortable environment will probably have a positive experience. Give the same drug to a paranoid, stressed or aggressive person in an unhappy environment and the results will likely be negative. One aspect of all this that interests me is how khat could in fact bring members of a community together and strengthen bonds between individuals. Instead of taking a drug purely for its pharmacological effect, it becomes more of a social gathering, akin to how kava is used.

If you've got nothing to hide, police visits shouldn't be an issue. Besides, if I were legally growing medicinal cannabis, I would definitely want the police to know about it in case of theft, home invasion, etc. A major concern I would have is people who are growing legally suddenly becoming a soft target for people looking to grab some plants and equipment. In an ideal world, of course, people would be able to grow plants without any interference from the state, however in this case I can see this as being a compromise that whilst not perfect, is far more satisfactory than the current situation.

Or may just worsen the situation. I'm really not sure that self-medication is the best way to deal with problems of this sort at all.

Well, it's nice to know that some of our pollies aren't Howardesque neocon mutants or Nanny-state Ruddites. Hopefully this bill actually goes somewhere and even if it doesn't become law, it leasts encourages some more open-minded thinking in parliament. With a bit of luck, some other states - maybe even the Commonwealth - will start taking note.

I'm inclined to agree. Whilst the khat may make a bit of a difference - and I strongly suspect it does - if someone's a violent arsehole to begin with, that's the real problem, not the drug.

Asides from the cycling, I'm also loving le Tour because of the superb scenery. The castles, the chateaus, the picturesque medieval villages...

*snip* I'd have to wonder how effective dogs would be in a place like that to begin with. They'd be like "everything smells like weed... what do I do?"