Letter to the Vaccinated:

To the people out there who did their part by rolling up their sleeves and getting their vaccines:  thank you.  If you're still treating COVID like the existential threat it is, this article is not directed at you.  However, to those who are treating their vaccine like a magic shield against COVID and going back to their regularly scheduled activities:

Stop it.  Right now.  You're putting yourself and others at risk.

I know we no longer have an anti-science, hate spewing fascist in the White House and you may feel like things are "back to normal," but the numbers don't lie:  things are worse than they were this time last year across the country.  Yet my social media feeds are full of friends--as many liberal as conservative--going to ball games, concerts, school dances, parades, pool parties & crowded indoor events without masks as if COVID is over.  The same people who bitched about Sturgis are attending Lollapalooza or Burning Man & taking selfies surrounded by hoardes of other maskless people.  Meanwhile every hospital in every metro area in the state has 0 beds available.  Z E R O.  

Those aren't carpet fibers, they're people:  Lollapalooza 2021

Nurses & doctors are pleading with us to knock it off, yet we persist. Biden gave a press conference that some are calling "authoritarian" (LOL) in which he sternly asked doctors to ask their patients to get vaccinated and asked employers to ask their workers to get the jab.  Lots of "asking".  This hasn't worked so far, why would it work now?  Especially when the very people who are most reluctant to get the shot are the same people who abhor the guy giving the speech.  It's a Venn diagram of Biden haters & anti-vaxxers that's basically a circle.  If anything, his speech is likely to make that crowd dig their heels in harder & avoid the shot out of spite.  

...and even if you've gotten your shot, you might be the person who infects an unvaccinated person.  Vaccinated people shed LESS virus when infected, not NONE.  While it's tempting to say "that's their problem/they should've gotten their shot!" you're really no better than them when you go down that road.  Every COVID-positive person who has to be hospitalized contributes to the burden on the healthcare system & society in general.  This is why it's vital to do your part & keep masking/distancing whenever possible.  We truly are all in this together.  

Delta Variant 101

COVID comeback explained

The Delta variant is roughly 60% more infectious than the original COVID strain & evades immune recognition about half the time.  The vaccine offers a strong layer of protection against severe infection and death.  That's great.  But you can still get sick--in worst cases, very sick--which brings with it the risk of long COVID & other issues.  

And not all vaccinated groups are in the same boat risk-wise.  If you're immune compromised and got the shot, it may not work as well or for as long which means you REALLY need to look into getting another dose ASAP.  People older than 65 fall into this "immune suppressed" category as their immune response to vaccines in general is weaker than young people.  This is why there's a separate "65 & over" flu shot every year.  Those who got their vaccine longer than 8 months ago also should be looking into a booster because immunity has been shown to wane after this amount of time.  

And for those with normal immune systems whose shots are still in the "optimal effectiveness range":  you're not safe to go maskless or attend crowded events.  The Delta variant is so contagious that you're at risk of breakthrough infection if you come in contact with the virus at all.  The shot was developed to combat the Wuhan/Alpha strain, which was far less infectious.  "Breakthrough infection" doesn't necessarily mean "mild symptoms" either:  there have been many reports of people getting quite sick, including Oscar De La Hoya who was sick enough to be hospitalized despite full vaccination.  A man in peak physical condition was sick enough to require 3 days of inpatient hospital care.  This is not the norm but can happen.  

As with the flu & other respiratory viruses, viral load (how much of the virus you inhale or ingest) determines how severe your illness is likely to be if you do get infected.  This is why distancing & masking are so important:  you inhale fewer viral particles that way.  I know it's annoying and inconvenient but there's never been a worse time to be breathing in other people's respiratory droplets.  Well-fitting surgical masks filter out larger droplets while N95 & KN95 masks help filter both large and smaller airborne droplets.  According to Dr. Osterholm, director for the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, neck gaiters & bandannas are a poor choice for preventing COVID & we should all upgrade to N95 and KN95 masks now that the healthcare mask shortage is over.  Double-masking is also a good option if done correctly.  

Government's Failure

Biden's "tough" COVID speech

The fact that states are pushing ahead with in-person learning & there's no federal lockdown while the virus rages & bodies pile up means our leaders are accepting this as the "new normal".  The Biden Administration cares no more about our traumatized healthcare workers, stressed out teachers, meatpackers, grocers, unvaccinated children or dying Black & brown populations who suffer disproportionately from COVID than the Trump Administration did.  Vaccine mandates are merely a Band-Aid to allow capitalism to push ahead as usual; not to keep the population safe & healthy.  To truly do that, we need universal healthcare, paid sick leave, universal basic income during the pandemic & an actual paid lockdown like every other developed nation has had since the beginning if we have ANY chance of getting this under control.  We couldn't even get a one-time $2,000 stimulus check that was promised during the Biden campaign.  

Make no mistake:  COVID is here to stay.  The question is, how long will it take for us to turn it into a manageable seasonal illness like influenza & stop it from killing more people unnecessarily while causing more irreversible worker burnout & trauma?  We've done the bare minimum so far & continue to do so.  The difference is, now that Biden's in office, liberals have gone from outrage to quiet apathy which is the exact opposite of what needs to happen in times of crisis.  700,000+ Americans are DEAD and never coming back.  While we memorialize the ~3,000 lives lost on 9/11, we sit by apathetically as the U.S. leads the world in COVID cases and deaths.  We have more COVID cases than the slums of India, Brazil, Romania, Haiti, Colombia or any other crowded, impoverished nation on Earth.  And all we hear is *crickets* about it from our so-called leaders.

Maybe this will get your attention, libs:  Trump is preparing for a 2024 run.  And with the less-than-impressive way the Democrat-controlled 3 branches of government have performed with their cast of rotating villains to stop progress at every turn, he has as good a chance of winning as anyone.  Maybe better.  

America loves a comeback story.  (See:  COVID).  

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Ahmad Shah Massoud & The Unheeded Warning

If you're not familiar with him, the name might sound like one of many nondescript Middle Eastern leaders or even terrorists.  But he was anything but:  a beloved politician and military commander, Shah Massoud was an Afghan resistance leader against the Taliban who would go on to warn the world about the coming terrorist threat to the Western world.  His warnings would go unheeded and he would be killed in a terrorist bombing only 2 days before the 9/11 attacks in Manhattan.  So why don't more Americans know about this noble man's life?

Probably because he was an embarrassment to the intelligence agencies and politicians who wanted to pretend there's "no way we could've foreseen what happened" prior to the attacks.  The FBI, CIA, Condoleeza Rice, George Bush & Co.  But in the early months of 2001, Massoud went to France & spoke at large televised press conferences, begging for help defeating the Taliban.  His words were both ominous and specific:  "My message to President Bush is this:  If he isn't interested in peace in Afghanistan, if he refuses to help the Afghan people reach peace, the problems we're facing in Afghanistan will soon be America's problems and the rest of the world's."

So who was this brave man who had the courage to stand up against the oppressive power of the Taliban & risk his life to warn the world of this danger?  

"Lion of Panjshir"

Massoud meets with world leaders in April 2001

Like many other Afghani men of the time, Massoud served in the Mujahideen war against the Soviets in the 'late 70s and early '80s that ended up bringing down the Soviet Union permanently.  It was during this period he was given the title "Lion of Panjshir" by his fellow fighters.  He was respected by some and hated by others, with Osama bin Laden falling into the "hate" category.  Massoud was an ardent supporter of women's rights, globalization & democracy with a taste for literature & the arts.  This put him on the hit list of the Taliban who were rising to power in the mid-'90's.  While Massoud was a Muslim, he supported a less fundamental interpretation of the Quran & disagreed with the direction Afghanistan was going under Taliban control.  (As any sane person would).  Unlike most men, he was willing to put his life on the line to combat the growing threat.  It's certain many Afghani women felt similar but had no power to speak out.  They still don't.

Massoud's Northern Alliance was greatly outnumbered by Taliban fundamentalists.  He must've known he had a target on his back when he appeared on television & in interviews.  You can see the look of resignation on his face at some of the press conferences.  But still he soldiered on, pleading with the West to help fight the growing terrorist threat.  On September 9th, 2001, two terrorists posing as journalists sneaked onto an airplane with bombs inside their cameras & proceeded to set up for an "interview" with Massoud.  One other man was present across the street preparing for the interview when he saw a bright flash of yellow light & then watched in horror as Massoud was carried out, badly injured.  The suicide bombers had killed him and become "martyrs".  

Two days later the Twin Towers would meet a similar fate along with 3,000+  Americans.

Within an hour of the attacks, the media had pinned them on Osama bin Laden & his Taliban--people most average Americans had never heard of at the time.  How did they know?  Maybe because they had advance warning and had ignored it until it was too late.  Massoud wasn't the only one to warn us ahead of time, to be sure:  John O'Neill of the FBI and Sibel Edmonds, a translator for the FBI, had also tried in vain to warn those in higher positions of what was coming but were given the brush-off.  Mr. O'Neill died in the 9/11 attacks that day--he was working at his new security job at the Twin Towers after becoming disillusioned with the FBI position.  According to close friend Chris Isham, O'Neill had joked that the terrorists would likely "finish the job" after the 1993 bombing of the WTC now that he'd decided to work there.  He was right.  

Massoud's Legacy

Ahmad Massoud, son of Shah Massoud

If there's one bright spot in this story, it's that Shah's son Ahmad Massoud carries on his father's fight against the Taliban today.  Son Ahmad leads the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRFA) against the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley and says "surrender is not in his vocabulary".  Like his father, he's an educated man who supports a Swiss model of power relations in the country.  And like his father he's also asked for the international community's help in defeating the Taliban, who he claims is even "more radical" than before.  

If the West fails to support him and allows him to meet the same fate as his beloved father we will have only ourselves to blame when another terrorist strike happens at home or abroad.  Biden's claim that the Afghani resistance "isn't trying" is offensive to those who have been trying for decades and indeed before the September 11 attacks happened.  

Untreated ADHD: The Ultimate "Addictive Personality"

The phrase "addictive personality" is thrown around a lot in the addiction world, but what--and whom--does it refer to exactly?  A sensation-seeking hedonist who is drawn to things that feel good?  Sure.  A person with a mental illness?  Yes, people with mental or developmental disorders make up the bulk of the addiction population.  Someone with a history of trauma and negative memories lingering in their head that they're itching to escape with drugs?  Absolutely.  The link between trauma and addiction is stronger than the link between obesity and Type II diabetes.  

I'd like to hone in on these claims with a theory of my own:  that the ADHD personality is the penultimate addictive personality type, eclipsing even the depressed, bipolar or traumatized population in their tendency to self-medicate with drugs.  Hear me out.  

When most people think of ADHD, they tend to think of mere hyperactivity, daydreaming or ditzyness.  But it goes way, WAY deeper than that.  People with ADHD have a dysfunctional dopamine system.  Dopamine is the pleasure/reward chemical.  Humans get little bursts of it throughout the day as we do things like eating a warm meal, completing a chore, exercising or spending time with our children.  In the ADHD brain however, dopamine production is insufficient or otherwise dysfunctional, meaning sufferers feel nothing or feel even WORSE after attempting to complete any task that requires sustained effort--even tasks that make others feel rewarded and accomplished.  

As a result, we walk around in a state of perpetual boredom and under-arousal that feels like purgatory.  Doing almost anything other than our narrow set of hobbies is torture, including just getting out of bed in the morning.  This leads to a vicious cycle of getting less accomplished than our peers, causing us to feel terrible about ourselves in an endless loop of underachieving and self-hatred.  Our outer lives are often awash in clutter, poor hygiene, low self-esteem, forgetfulness, miscommunications, missed opportunities & more.  Our minds run laps around our bodies & are never truly at rest.  Depression is an ever-present companion.*  How could it not be?  By the time an un-medicated child reaches adulthood, they've incurred many traumatic memories due to the difficulty of living without the aid of proper treatment.  This puts them in several of the categories from the first paragraph of this article (escapism, depression, childhood trauma), making them a prime contender for addiction.

Thus, the first time someone with ADHD tries a substance like opiates, stimulants, weed or any other drug that stimulates dopamine, it's like a nearsighted person putting on glasses for the first time.  Everything snaps into focus; they feel "normal".  This is particularly true with stimulants like amphetamine or cocaine but applies to any drug really.   Dopamine is the key.  The more the better.  If the person is undiagnosed and doesn't know much about drugs, this is where addiction can really sink its teeth in.  Not everyone knows right away that more isn't necessarily better.

As an ADHD sufferer myself, I always disliked being 'fucked up' and out of control--I just wanted enough energy and motivation to not lay around all day and feel worthless.  But when you resort to trying street drugs without the aid of a doctor, you come across substances that lend themselves to abuse like research chemicals which are often insanely addictive (see: mephedrone).  I know for an absolute fact that if I'd had Adderall or a similar medication in my youth, my drug experimentation would've been drastically reduced.  Maybe I would've never tried anything other than weed.  Instead, I've been self-medicating for the last 17 years and have tried every class of drugs except inhalants as well as 23 psychiatric medications--mostly anti-depressants--to no avail.    

And it doesn't stop with drugs:  activities like gaming, social media addiction, porn, gambling, shopping, binge eating & other dopamine-stimulating activities are frequent vices for the ADHD sufferer.  Anything that offers an instant high or rush.  The "reward" chemical is intricately connected to this disorder due to our impulsivity and lack of endogenous supply of it.  

To Medicate or Not to Medicate?

Unsurprisingly, studies show that untreated ADHD in adults increases the risk of drug abuse exponentially.  One-fourth (25%) of substance abusers fit the clinical criteria for ADHD.  You can probably think of several celebrities who were diagnosed and ended up self-destructing with drugs (Kurt Cobain & Bradley Nowell of Sublime come to mind but there are many others who've come out as having the condition) which makes one wonder how many undiagnosed drug addicts are walking around.  Worse, there are parents right now who are denying their kids medication because they think it will actually increase the risk of drug addiction later or don't want them to be "dependent on a pill" because it's stigmatizing.  

While the decision to medicate is a big one with many benefits and drawbacks, these particular reasons are counter-intuitive as studies show you actually increase your child's risk of addiction by leaving them un-medicated.  Part of this is likely due to the trauma you're putting them through by allowing them to struggle as they flail through life without the supports needed to succeed academically, socially or otherwise.  (Remember the statistic about childhood trauma causing addiction mentioned above?)  It's akin to denying your disabled child a wheelchair or refusing your hearing impaired child a hearing aid.  This is not hyperbole.  While there are behavioral, dietary and other interventions that can and should be explored, ADHD is a neurological disorder at its core and requires a biological approach in the vast majority of cases.  

Do you honestly think the draconian DEA/FDA would allow stimulants to be prescribed to children if they hadn't been shown to work for ADHD, and produce dramatic results at that?  Uhh, no.  It's one of only two conditions they're FDA approved to treat, the other being narcolepsy.  (Vyvanse is also approved for Binge Eating Disorder but that's the exception).  You get the point.  Stimulants work for ADHD and are safe when taken in prescribed doses by people who need them.  They're not new medications either:  they've been in use since the 1920's so the long-term effects are well studied.  This ain't Vioxx or Fen-Phen here.  

Where's the Outrage?

So why isn't more made of this shocking link between ADHD and addiction?  Our society is positively plagued by addiction in all forms; it would seem wise to address the underlying causes.  We wring our hands about childhood diseases like autism while practically throwing kids with ADHD to the wolves.  Girls & poor kids in particular.  Like autism, ADHD is not merely a childhood disease that one grows out of--it's a lifelong neurological disorder that affects the core of a person's being.  Everything from career & academic prospects to relationships, family & social life are affected by it.  Even one's risk of falling into the criminal justice system or dying prematurely by accidents.  

Yet ADHD medication is inaccessible for a lot of people & those who can get it have to jump through flaming hoops due to strict government regulations, high costs & other factors.  This often causes people to resort to the only alternative available:  street drugs.  Meth, cocaine, MDMA, opiates & all the adulterants therein.  In the age of fentanyl, this has never been a more deadly game.  The abstinence-only rehab industry chews us up and spits us out, "clean and sober" and at a higher risk of overdose and death than before we went in due to a reduced drug tolerance.  If they don't understand this basic tenet--that we will never be truly free of addiction without treating our underlying ADHD--they're doing more harm than good.  

It's long past time for evidence-based drug rehabilitation tailored to meet the needs of the individual:  neurodivergence and all.  

*Note:  I'm speaking mostly of the inattentive subtype of ADHD from which I suffer.  There are other subtypes with other predominant symptoms.  I'm not a medical professional (duh) and don't presume to know what's best for you or your kid so talk to your doctor and do some serious introspection if you're a parent agonizing over whether to medicate.

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What if... (Surviving Human Extinction in Two Phases)

...COVID keeps mutating faster than people can get vaccinated, or the vaccine no longer works for the new variants that arise?  It then becomes as contagious than the most contagious disease in existence--measles--and so deadly that there's no surviving for the vast majority of the population?  And it drives humanity into a state of mass death beyond anything we've seen thus far?  I'm talking a near-extinction event where only a few hundred thousand or million people remain on the entire Earth.  

This could be the breaking point event climate scientists have warned about for years but projected to be much further into the future.  We knew diseases were going to get worse with climate change, we just didn't know what it'd look like or how soon it'd happen.  Mosquito & tick-borne diseases, "Nipah"--a disease with a 70% death rate, hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola and Marburg, the coronavirus family (SARS, MERS, COVID)... the list goes on.  All of these are projected to become more erratic & severe due to climate change.  

But if COVID is the one that does us in, what would that look like?  If you were one of the last few thousand people alive, what would your game plan be for surviving doomsday & emerging victorious?  Would you refer to all the stupid zombie movies you've seen or would you have an actual plan?  People focus on their personal arsenal as a way to protect themselves but that's only part of the picture.  Personally, I know that guns & ammo are not enough to sustain me in the event of an extinction level crisis.  It helps to be able to protect your belongings from thieves but it's not the be-all, end-all.  You'd need to know how to filter water, grow food, build protective structures & do other basic tasks to ensure your survival (assuming society as we know it--buildings, roads & infrastructure--were wiped out).  There's no reason to think we'd have to permanently live in the forest like survivalists seem to think... at least not in this COVID death scenario.  That's more of a nuclear warfare thing.  

Having been to Burning Man (in a tent, not a fancy RV) and similar harsh environment "roughing it" events, I've experienced what it's like to live out in the elements & rely on your own foresight & grit for your survival.  There are moments of pure bliss and sheer misery--it's not something I'd want to do more than once, honestly.  But living in a post-apocalyptic world with fewer people would presumably not be as harsh as that.  We wouldn't be thrust into a scalding desert environment with alkaline sand blowing in our faces & no modern structures for comfort.  

There would likely be a period of total isolation during the pandemic where you'd need to live completely alone to avoid infection, but once that's over things would return to relative normalcy.  Reading accounts of what addicts did during Hurricane Katrina gives an idea of what one can expect during a disaster of that magnitude, and a COVID apocalypse wouldn't even look like a weather disaster (though those are coming with climate crisis at our door).  

Survival in Two Phases

I imagine a disease extinction event would go in two main phases:  the Isolation Phase and the Return to Normalcy.  During isolation you'd need to live completely separate from all other people (or with only 1 or 2 others, max) to avoid contracting the new mutant version of the virus, wearing whatever masks, gloves & other PPE you've acquired to keep yourself safe.  You'd also have to employ survival tactics like hunting, gathering & fishing if you lived in the wild unless you were able to somehow acquire a long-lasting supply of food & water that didn't require you to come in contact with anyone else.  This phase would be the true test of your survival skills & mental fortitude.  I'm not talking about a camping trip here.  This is an all-seasons exile of unknown duration requiring extreme rationing & self-sufficiency.  Think "Into the Wild" but not in Alaska... just the wilderness in whatever state/country you're currently located.  Would you be able to abandon the comforts of the modern world and everyone you love if it meant saving your own life?  

The Return to Normalcy would be the fun part.  Well, after you grieved everyone you lost to the plague of course.  It's basically what it sounds like:  emerging from your hidey hole and seeing who and what still remained after the viral holocaust.  Assuming infrastructure like buildings, roads & indoor plumbing were still up and running, this Brave New World might be preferable to what you left behind.  Fewer people, less traffic, no pointless non-essential jobs, no social image to maintain.  A chance to start your life completely from scratch and focus on your own survival and happiness.  Where would you go first?  What would you do?  Capitalism is dead.  Money has no meaning--people need goods & services.  Bartering is the new currency.  

After stocking up on essentials like food and water, I'd hit up the pharmacies & raid them for drugs, then the dispensaries.  Drugs are important to have in your survival stash & who knows if my doctor would survive the mass extinction?  Yes, drugs need to be hoarded along with other medical equipment like masks, syringes, Band-Aids, rubbing alcohol & other First-Aid items.  But if you could have ANY drug you wanted?  I'd go for the Dilaudid, OxyContin, Desoxyn, phendimetrazine, Mydayis, Adderall, Seconal, Epidiolex (expensive CBD) & Rohypnol.  And at the weed shops I'd pick up whatever top shelf product they had with a hybrid or indica bent along with the nicest vapes & smoke supplies.  Then get busy growing my own opium poppies & weed in the fields behind my house.  And everywhere else there's a free patch of land, fuck it.  

Next I'd head to the home furnishing stores & trick out my house (read: mansion).  Just get all the things I could never afford & hope all the remaining people on Earth were doing the same and having a DAMN good time doing it.  Have my pick of any vehicle at the car lots--a Lambo?  Or maybe one of these bad boys?  After "shopping" I'd be sure to drop all my extra stuff off at the donation site for whoever needs it.  I have tons of old clothes, shoes, canned goods, tools & other things that are in excellent condition.  There's enough to go around in this new land of abundance.  No homelessness, hunger or poverty and far fewer people to fight over resources.  

Even if COVID doesn't lead to an end-of-days scenario and we get it under control ultimately, the climate crisis is imminent.  The IPCC just issued its most dire warning ever, stating that we're now "locked in" to our current state of extreme weather for centuries or millennia and may start seeing "1000-year storms" as 100-year storms become the norm.  Hurricane Ida's overland trip from Louisiana to New York, bringing unprecedented wedge tornadoes & subway flooding while the West Coast burned all summer is just a taste of what's to come.  The human race's future looks murky at best.  Perhaps a disease wiping out 90% of humanity would be just the thing needed to halt climate change?  I don't see us collectively making the necessary changes otherwise.  

Now would be a great time to reassess how you live your life & what priorities you are putting at the top of your list.  We're all gonna die individually anyway, but the whole human race's extinction could be a LOT closer than any of us anticipated.  Maybe that 70-hour work week fueled by Starbucks & stress should take a backseat to your own happiness for once?  

Of course this is a silly fictional post.  I've never looted or stolen anything in my life so chill tf out, Karens.  But with the 4th wave/Delta variant upon us, it's an interesting and timely--if far-fetched--thing to think about.  My survival brain has always kept the possibility of survivalism/end times somewhere in the back of my mind and I have started a nice little drug & mask hoard "just in case".  If shit hits the fan, do you have what it takes to make it in complete isolation from everyone until it all blows over?  If the social paradigm goes tits up, do you have the adaptive skills Darwin deemed necessary to survive?  

[Review] - Cannabis Flower: Sunset Sherbet

Sunset Sherbet, also known as Sherbet Cookies, is an exotic cross between Pink Panties & the always-in-season Girl Scout Cookies. This indica-leaning gem was created by a breeder named Mr. Sherbinski & seeds are not currently available to the commercial market (boo!). Caryophyllene is the dominant terpene according to Leafly.com.

As per usual, my cut does not contain THC/CBD percentages but THC levels for Sunset Sherbet generally hover around 18-20% according to online sources. The buds are fat & triangular with a deep emerald green hue and the smell is quite unique. It's hard to describe but I'll try: it's like walking through a Spring meadow after a downpour (petrichor) or stepping into a recently-used shower. Almost mildewy but not quite. There's a dank & grassy chlorophyll aroma on top of it all. (Note: In no way do I think the weed is actually moldy; I've had moldy weed before and let's just say it wasn't this high quality & left me coughing up black stuff for days).

Photo #2:  Sunset Sherbet

I sparked up the Sherb at the cemetery on a partly cloudy afternoon with the dog at my side. I'd been feeling crappy due to PMS & low-level cramps but that was quickly remedied with a half-joint of Sunset Sherbet. As soon as I snuffed out the roach & sat down, that familiar Cookie glow engulfed me & took away all my physical pain. The GSC influence is totally evident & dominates whatever sativa parentage might be present... at least in my cut. The Sunset Sherbet mindset is chill--no anxiety whatsoever. Just a carefree, stony, heavy high with a very dry mouth. The high itself is pretty short-lived and the comedown is somewhat lazy with moderate munchies, making it better for evening or nighttime use.

I'd recommend this strain for pain of any kind, seizures/spasticity, PMS, anxiety & other conditions involving overstimulation of the CNS. You definitely won't feel like running any marathons after hitting it; this is more of a "pack a bowl & watch some Netflix with your boo" strain. While most websites rank Sunset Sherbet as an "Afternoon" or "Evening" strain, it felt positively sleep-inducing, especially compared to Zkittlez (another indica-leaning hybrid).

In conclusion, I give Sunset Sherbet a 4.8 of 5 stars for its pain relieving effects, potency & unique aroma. Highlights include the warmth & lack of anxiety but I could've done without the drowsy-ish comedown & dry mouth. I must admit, I was expecting a bit more in the smell/taste department due to the name so I had to dock a point or two for that. Fans of the Girl Scout Cookie line should give it a whirl for sure, as it leans strongly in that direction.

Healthy At Every Size Movement a Delusional Cult

This shouldn't be remotely controversial but I recently got big pushback in one of my circles for taking this stance, so lemme break it down here.

Let me preface this by saying this has NOTHING to do with body image or self-love.  You should strive to accept and love yourself regardless of your size or other superficial traits.  As a radical feminist, I'm all too aware of the hyperfocus on body weight that goes on in the entertainment industry, causing girls & women everywhere to hate their bodies.  This trickle-down extremism leads to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia and should never happen.  It's highly sexist and also a first-world problem that doesn't exist in places where the Western media's ominous reach doesn't have an influence.  Studies have confirmed this.  The following article is NOT about beauty standards but about health, hence "HEALTHY at every size".  

Tess Holliday in a string bikini

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the actual issue.  The Healthy At Every Size movement (HAES for short) goes to the opposite extreme, acting as dangerous anti-science cult that tells impressionable people that their body weight has zero impact on their health status and that they can literally be "healthy at every size".  Its figureheads include people like Tess Holliday (seen above), Whitney Way Thore of My Fat Fabulous Life, Ragen Chastain & nutritionist Lindo (formerly Linda) Bacon, some of whom you may have seen on TLC, Tumblr or various other not-so-reputable platforms.  These folks push the idea that morbid obesity is a normal body variation that not only can't be helped, but shouldn't be, and anyone who takes issue with it is "fatphobic" or ableist (despite the fact that most of the morbidly obese do not have an actual disability).  They couch this extremism as harmless 'body positivity'.  This ideology has spread to people outside the HAES movement and is catshit crazy.  With a C.  

Wait a minute, you say!  Isn't body positivity good?  Aren't fat people the only group it's still okay to make fun of and discriminate against, therefore necessitating something to counter that hate?  Indeed, fat people face discrimination in all parts of society.  Nobody disputes that.  But again, we're not talking about the social aspects of this.  It's a HEALTH issue.  Remember?  Hence "Healthy At Every Size".  Fat activists always try to steer the discussion to feelings when what we're talking about is facts.  And the facts are clear:  obesity carries an inherent risk of Type II diabetes, stroke, multiple types of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, depression, gout... the list goes on.  That's why it's cruel & deceptive to promote the lie that you can be healthy at EVERY size, including the size of some of the movement's leaders.  

Even being moderately overweight comes with significant health risks, contrary to what was previously believed.  "Overweight" is defined as having a Body Mass Index of 25-<30.  "Obese" is a BMI of 30 or higher.  Obesity is then subdivided into three categories:  

• Class 1: BMI of 30 to < 35
• Class 2: BMI of 35 to < 40
• Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as “severe” obesity.

Fat activists make all kinds of rationalizations about why Body Mass Index is not an accurate, real or necessary measurement of whether a person is overweight/obese despite it literally being the gold standard in science & medicine, used by every health agency in the world from the CDC to the NHS & countless others.  The fact that they can't even agree on this one basic tenet doesn't bode well for their grasp on other facets of reality.  

Tess Holliday claiming to be anorexic 

History of HAES

HAES started in the 1960s as a theory built on the idea that dieting rarely works in the long term (true) and that even overweight people can be healthy if they make decisions based on health rather than weight (somewhat true).  Where it falls apart is that they weren't accounting for the fact that people today are not merely "hefty" but obese, morbidly obese & super morbidly obese.  Yes, these are medical terms that are quantifiable.  

While the HAES movement may have started with good intentions in the 1960's, our extremist society ran with it and has turned it into something else entirely:  an excuse for self-destructive binge eating & sedentary habits.  I'll direct your attention to the countless Mukbang videos on Youtube and the My 600 lb. Life episodes on TLC as exhibits A and B.  Or you could just go outside & look around at the majority of Americans who are now far above a normal, healthy body weight.  No demographic is excluded, not even children.  Or pets.  

                                           The Disturbing Truth About Mukbang

Again, these are not moral judgments or an aesthetic commentary.  It's a fact of life in any developed nation, and it's a public health crisis.  Just as people in the 2020s would be appalled at the number of people who openly smoked cigarettes in the 1960s, people from that era would be aghast if they could see what we've become.  Drug addicts are constantly berated for being in "denial" about their habits while the morbidly obese use every excuse in the book to downplay their "weight problems".  

There's a community on Reddit called Fatlogic that documents this phenomenon extensively.  Fatlogic refers to the total delusion some (not all) obese people exhibit; the ridiculous excuses they employ to continue living an unhealthy lifestyle rather than making any effort to change.  Some examples are the delusional terms like "big-boned" people use to describe themselves when they weigh 400+ lbs.  Imagine a crackhead using a term like that to describe their addiction.  

Again, let me clarify that this in no way applies to all or even a majority of overweight people, many of whom genuinely want to change & have no problem acknowledging reality.  And there are fat people who genuinely suffer from conditions like hypothyroidism or the rare Prader-Willi Syndrome that makes it difficult to lose weight, but that's extremely rare.  The vast majority of obese people in developed nations got that way by eating too many calories per day while not moving their bodies enough.  If your first inclination is to deny this, you might want to refer to /r/fatlogic because you're displaying all the symptoms.  

Hate Within HAES

I was recently DM'ed on Instagram by a troll and told "I hope you get shot" over an allegedly "fatphobic" comment I made weeks earlier.  The comment in question was on a post by artist Ramin Nazer, and my comment was nothing of the sort.  He was accused of being fatphobic himself for his design by a bunch of followers including Whitney Way Thore(!) of My Fat Fabulous Life and I was merely defending the drawing.  Alas, I triggered some basement dweller who now wants me dead.  This is the level of extremism we're dealing with among people who "just want to be accepted for who they are".  Remind you of anyone?  Recall how JK Rowling was threatened by trans rights activists with threats of rape & murder after her extremely calm, rational essay about the erosion of women's rights.  Just saying, there are parallels.  

Other hypocritical, hateful & downright scandalous things seen in the Fat Acceptance/HAES community include "skinny-shaming" or attacking former members when they begin to lose weight; comparing the plight of fat people to racism, appropriation of Civil Rights & Gay Rights Movements oppression language, encouraging people to become fat in order to be an "ally" (see pic below) & so much more.  

From "How to Become a Fat Ally" thread

A common argument among fat activists is that opponents are trying to promote anorexia or unhealthy body image in people by encouraging healthy eating.  The ironic thing about this is that binge eating IS an eating disorder.  And the vast majority of people with morbid obesity, that is a BMI over 40, engage in binge eating.  That's how they got that size.  

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you'll notice the theme of my articles that Americans are notoriously poor at navigating the middle ground or exhibiting moderation in ANYTHING, and that's certainly the case here.  The HAES community is setting up a paper tiger of "OMG anorexia" if anyone brings up healthy eating or weight management because they don't respect the concept of moderation.  They literally have no self-control with food due to Binge Eating Disorder & are in denial about this.  There's a helluva lot of middle ground between binge eating and starvation. It's called a normal healthy diet.  

What they're doing is bulimia without the purging, and it's going to lead them to an early grave.  Fine, that's their choice but they don't have the right to lie to impressionable children & others that this is anything other than delusional & self-destructive.  Not only will it shorten your lifespan, it will make your quality of life much worse while you're here (and not merely because of a lack of acceptance by your peers).  There's a reason you don't see any fat activists over 50.  They're all people in their 20s and 30s spewing this crap.  This may work for a time but eventually the unhealthy choices catch up to you & you have to pay the piper. 

Fuck this mentality

In fact, we ALL pay for their choices.  Obesity is the #1 driver of preventable disease in the United States; a total drain on the healthcare system.  And no telling how many COVID deaths it's contributed to.  People bitch and moan about free Narcan, comparing it to the price of insulin as if insulin is the "good" drug that should be free and drug users should be left to die.  Indeed, Type 1 diabetes is a no-fault disease.  But Type II is overwhelmingly caused by lifestyle, as are many cancers like some colorectal cancers in the obese.  Yet nobody is making memes claiming we should not pay for their care.  As a supporter of universal healthcare, I believe all medications and diseases should be covered--no questions asked.  But it's this double standard that pisses me off.  An addict is an addict whether the drug is crack, heroin, porn, booze or food.  

Let's start calling a spade a spade here.  Healthy At Every Size is an extremist cult with real victims.  

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[Review] - Cannabis Flower: Zkittlez

Zkittlez is a hugely popular indica-leaning hybrid created by the NorCal based Dying Breed Seeds.  It's the offspring of sativa Grapefruit & indica Grape Ape, two tangy & fruity favorites.  It won First Place Best Indica in 2015 in both Michigan & San Francisco's Cannabis Cups for its smooth, well-balanced high & delicious flavor.  Since then it's become the base for many subsequent crosses including Lemon Zkittlez, Runtz & White Runtz.  Unfortunately, seeds are not available to buy online according to Wikileaf.com so growers will have to start with clones or cuttings.  

As per usual, this strain comes with no cannabinoid info on the package or website but Zkittlez averages 18% THC in general.  The buds are fat, multiple shades of light and deep green and sparkle with trichomes.  Quite pretty to look at.  The smell is relatively mild:  sour & citrusy like a bag of yellow Skittles.  It breaks up easily & has sort of a brownish hue on the inside of the buds.  I spent $16 for 2 grams.  

Photo #2:  Zkittlez Flower

I pack some into a bubblegum flavored paper & hit the backyard at sunset.  The sky is actually overcast this August evening which is rare for this time of year (but nothing's out of season anymore with climate change).  The wind makes the joint burn fast so I don't get much info on any flavor that might be present, but the effects kick in hard & fast.  As soon as I stand back up I feel energized and moderately euphoric.  This happy, warm feeling of upliftedness lasts a solid 40 minutes before fading into a lesser "coasting" high for another 30 minutes or so.  No munchies and no harsh drowsy comedown.  My 2nd trial only confirms what I thought the first time around:  Zkittlez is a seriously euphoric strain.  My fave of 2021 so far.  

In terms of medicinal uses, Zkittles would be great for pain, depression, fatigue or general stress & anxiety.  In the recreational department it's perfect for afternoon activities like hiking, running errands or playing volleyball at the beach or lake with friends...anything active.  Despite its indica-leaning label, Zkittles is anything but sleep-inducing and actually had me more energized than many sativas (granted, sativas tend to be more sedating for me because I have ADHD) but still.  It's not your typical indica.  

In conclusion, I give Zkittlez a 4.9 of 5 stars for its uplifting effects, bag appeal & potency.  As much as I love trying classic landraces like Chocolate Thai, it's not hard to see why hybrid powerhouses like Zkittlez are so popular these days.  Aside from the higher yield and shorter flowering times, these new strains are just tailor made for smokers who love variety & nuance.  This one packs a punch in the bliss department & has lots of other "layers" to explore--it's not one-dimensional by any means.