I would like to pitch in on the whole drug thing. NYE, 2 of the 3 nights I was tripping. The first trip night, I kept noticing a bunch of guys nodding off on H, literally surrounding a tiny girl who clearly was not enjoying herself. I couldn't handle seeing that in my state of mind, so I moved. I didn't see a girl held captive where I ended up, but I saw people who could have been completely oblivious to the music because of how fucked up they were. And the 2nd night I was tripping (New Years), I saw those same fucking dope heads surrounding that girl.
Now I hate to say my drug is okay and yours isn't, but I think eating some mushrooms and injecting H is apples and (deadly) oranges. And it's too bad that the general acceptance of weed and psychedelics in the Grateful Dead scene has led to other, far worse substances being in the picture. Now I'm sure this exists in every music circle, but I don't know if the bad drug scene is anywhere near as indiscreet and widespread as what I saw in San Francisco. That would never stop me from attending shows, but it's definitely something that I see that makes me sigh. Can't the fucking people see what happened to Jerry?

[b]Hey Friends, (is AFAN ?). There have always been flame-throwers who cry about ticket prices and think that they are entitled to be on the guest list for every show they see. I even know a stealth taper, good friend who would absolutely refuse to pay penny more than base ticket price if he wasn't on the guest list. He's been that way since Englishtown N.J.'77. That's just not in my D.N.A. though. I agree with 100% of a band's reasons to charge whatever they want for a show. And if I don't have the Cash to Feed My Jones, I buy a CD from from the band. Oh, and yes there are also people on the other side of pancake that refuse to pay for a quality high GB (non-MP) audiophile CD. I may be alone with these observations and opinions but at least I Man-UP and support the favorite band of my lifetime and not hide behind some anonymous instant account.

"Go on home your Mama's Callin' You"
/b]

[quote="wlewis" post=243003]okay i'll run down the line.

glenn, is it glenn or glen i have to know and i am embarrassed asking but there, it's out there. i did meet her, you introduced me in the smoking section. i have a feeling that's not the last we'll see of her. you will see me again somewhere down the line like red rocks or special venues that will accommodate my needs. it was always a blast to kick it. my goal is to be playing a show somewhere near you, and everybody else. and if i don't stop going to shows right now, it will never happen.

It's Glenn, I kinda know what you mean about "if I don't stop going to shows right now, it will never happen."I find myself saying NO, I'm not doing the east coast run and an hour later I'm checking out the logistics to make it work. I'm completely addicted, again. It would be way cool to say I ran into Burt in Chicago, he was playin bass for this new band that is awesome. Keep the dream alive.

OZA wrote:

I dunno man. H is some terrible stuff but tripping twice in a week is playing some Russian roulette with your brain.

I don't mean to be holier than thou but I personally think that tripping isn't the smartest thing to be doing, and that the music is great enough with much less powerful external aids. Not saying that those choosing to trip are foolish. It's just not a choice that I really understand and it's one that I hope my kids will not make.

As to the break-up letter, I've never been a big fan of "in my day" type thoughts. Those kind of thoughts keep people away from Furthur for the "it's just not the Dead, man" type reasons.

Whatever the topic -- sports, music, religion, politics -- the "it just isn't the same" mantra never resonated with me.

Yeah, it's NOT the same. Jerry is dead, sadly. The face price is higher, sadly. The band is different.

But it is what it is, and wishing that it would be different is kind of a waste of time.

Further and the other Dead iterations are a gift. Who went to the Phil and Friends run with Jackie Greene and didn't have an absolutely fantastic time?

Enjoy what we have now for what it is!

Damn, what a preachy post. Sorry. But it's what I think.....

OZA wrote:


seeing that aspirin and caffeine are both more toxic then psilocybin, I think your drug of choice is ok... the average amount of caffeine a person consumes every day is more toxic then the amount of mushrooms one usually eats....


[quote]
I dunno man. H is some terrible stuff but tripping twice in a week is playing some Russian roulette with your brain.

I don't mean to be holier than thou but I personally think that tripping isn't the smartest thing to be doing, and that the music is great enough with much less powerful external aids. Not saying that those choosing to trip are foolish. It's just not a choice that I really understand and it's one that I hope my kids will not make.
[quote]

not really... can't speak for L but with mushrooms it's kind of a waste unless you leave at least a week between trips, unless you got plenty to spare... can't figure out your 'Russian roulette' theory, maybe L is different but your brain gets used to psilocybin real quick... I've done them many days in a row (not anymore) and it's more like nothing happens and nothing is being processed - nothing is working, or very slightly.... it's not like '2 trips in a week and your brain is over loaded and going nuts'

I'm not trying to sound like tripping is 'the thing to do' and I'm only speaking for mushrooms... but there is a such thing as being responsible, which is one thing I pride myself in, and IMO there is nothing wrong with eating some mushrooms once every couple weeks, or whatever works for you... it may even keep you away from wanting something else.... mushrooms are very unique as they are the opposite of addictive - the more you eat them/the less they work/the less often you want them.... soon enough you'll be waiting weeks or more at a time so you can get where you want when you take that trip...

"tripping twice in a week is playing some Russian roulette with your brain." That is some ignorant shit right there!

@Darryl - You say you don't understand tripping, which puts you against it. Shouldn't it be when you DO understand tripping that you would or would not be against it? Ignorance is no reason to be against something. I recently told my drug-hating mom how much psychedelics have helped me and while she isn't exactly accepting of it, she understands that I've drawn some really beneficial things from my use.

And for Darryl and the other 2, that tripping 2 days in a row was a 1 time thing - the second time dose was doubled so my tolerance was compromised. Usually I'm at no more than once every 3-4 weeks though.

there is such thing as eating too much acid. i have found, however, even if you dose yourself into a multi year trip, abstinence from the stuff can give it time to wear off. the stuff completely changes the way your mind works and thinks. we often see it all as "truth" or "positive" but it can cause some incredibly delusional thinking, the opposite of where we thought we were going. we completely influence our trips. it's not like blank slate, until you experience ego death, but even then, although you are unaware of yourself, you would still be there contributing to the consciousness, just not knowing, which maybe we are already constantly doing at a higher level right now and are unaware of.

and our differences on this can all be traced back to the times of pranksters vs. NY beatniks (a vs. in terms of differing schools of thought) which both had completely differing opinions on how LSD should be and was/is used.

^I always make an exception for concerts and trip a couple times a week - otherwise I'd only get 1 trip on this upcoming 9 show run... when there's no shows it usually ends up being over 2 weeks between them

how was double the dose for you, was it even half the effects of the first night?

I've eaten 3-5 grams 1 night, close to 10 the next, then a half OZ the 3rd night... I thought if I ate enough I could still trip days in a row but found out that wasn't really the case... although I could feel the power of the mushrooms and that they were there, they were very different trips and I've never got a visual trip more then once in a week.

since then I've grown to appreciate them much more and now instead of 'trying to get visuals' or to a certain point I've learned to just let it happen and appreciate it as it does... I may not get a nice visual trip multiple times in a week but I'm not looking for it and the nice little buzz I get goes nice with the show... sometimes it actually surprises me how well they work doing them close together now, but still not the same


-this post was in response to the 2nd post above it...

Was it even half? My second trip was far better. I did 3.5 the 30th, then 7 31st. The come up was definitely much longer on NYE, but when I peaked (right at the 2nd set break), I came to the realization that everything was just exactly perfect! If any of you remember seeing a young man walking around with the biggest smile you've ever seen, that was probably me. If I had to pick my life "peak", that was probably it. Hopefully you've experienced this or I might not be making much sense, but despite everything wrong around me, around the country, and around the world, everything was just right.

wlewis wrote:


Very true Lewie. I have mentioned before there were many times I was dosed by 'friends' on tour when it was the last thing I wanted to do. I became one of many who thought is was a necessaary consequence involved in the scene. Once I stopped I realized I could not be farther fron the truth. It is memories I will cherrish yet are compartmentalized in the vault.

As far as the break up with the band, I never became married to Furthur so friends with benefits is as far as I am involved!!!! No matter how much I try, I cannot remain unbiased comparing them to the GD. I, as you know, am not a fan of the ticket prices. I do enjoy them greatly, but will not lose any sleep if I do not see them very requently.

As an aside, I do not know who made the quote when they opened with FLAS, but it said something to the effect, "I think we are in store for the greatrest show ever.' This was made after 5 notes!!!! To each his own I guess. All I know if I never saw so many perfect shows when touring with the dead as some seem to have found with Furthur.

So much to say in this thread that Im overwhelmed. Those doses will help see things I dont want to see at shows too. I can always see people and read into things. It gives me super powers to see certain things. Bay area show though always have had people doing drugs like crack, herion and whatever else. I just look the other way and enjoy the show. Everybody has there demons. I must say I love dosing but havnt since nye 2011-2012 cause I feel it starts to hurt the brain and recovering hurts. Cause I dont smoke weed at home, when I smoke "at a show" its almost like taking a cap or two for me. I dont know where Im going with this but you dont need anything to have a good time at a show, the weirness is stuck to us. Cant wait til the next show though. For me its DSO at the great american