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Posted at 10:44AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Funny that Gareth Shute and salvia should all come together on Public Address - Gareth sourced my first legal mail-order try of salvia when we were flatting together years ago, which we got just out of curiosity. I recall becoming convinced for ten minutes, as I lay on my bed, that the room's horizontal axis was in fact vertical, that I could walk out onto the wall, and that I had been clearly living in a Gravitron my whole life. And then it went away. 10-15 minutes is about it. What kind of substantive anti-social behaviour can you accomplish in that amount of time? Are any of the Youtube salvia-heads beating each other up?

Posted at 10:48AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I've been wondering for years what that stuff I took in Amsterdam was and now I know. Cheers Russell.

Speaking of drugs, did anyone else watch Lisa Owens rather hysterical drugs story on TVNZ last night in which the outraged wrath of the TVOne news crew was visited upon a witless rural dairy owner who was selling (perfectly legal) speed precursors?

I'm pretty sure I heard Owen claim that P sells for $1000 dollars a gram. Now I have little to no experience with the stuff, but since cocaine retails for about a third of that price and has to be smuggled in from the western hemisphere while P can be mixed up by anyone with a bathtub and a rubber hose I'm not sure Ms Owen has the facts on her side this time.

Posted at 10:52AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I'm not sure Ms Owen has the facts on her side this time.

Or perhaps someone's dealer is taking her for a ride...

Posted at 10:58AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

It even features Simon Grigg!

I think he was also on 'High Times', part two (1970 - 1986) of which was on TV late last night - part three on next week, same time. A pretty good documentary about the history of NZ drugs - wish I'd caught part 1 now.

Simon appeared outside a brick wall as a 'club owner' from the period.

Posted at 10:59AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Oh good - we haven't had a drug panic in days now... I was getting worried

Posted at 11:10AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I forgot about and subsequently missed 3/4 of Rock the Nation last night.

Anyone know if it's going to have a repeat, err , 'encore' screening on C4? (the website doesn't indicate so)

Posted at 11:26AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

last night's 'expose' was a bit silly - he was buying meths and isopropyl alcohol - they're common solvents for lots of things - he didn't end up buying the one thing that's actually hard to get (a used-to-be-over-the counter cold remedy) that was never sole at your local 4-square

but to be fair he did push the shopkeeper into a somewhat incriminating conversation - one that I would imagine that no vaguely smart drug cook would have engaged in in the first place

Posted at 11:37AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Simon appeared outside a brick wall as a 'club owner' from the period.

High Times was made by my old flatmate (78-80) David Herkt and I was persuaded to appear in such guise because I guess no-one else wanted to and I tend to get dragged in for these sorts of things.

But, if its the interview I think it was (I was in that show twice AFAIR, once about punk / Zwines) I think I was trying to make the point that contrary to the reputation it had, drugs didn't play a massive part in early NZ club land.

Like Rocking The Nation, I've never seen the show.

Posted at 11:43AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

But, if its the interview I think it was (I was in that show twice AFAIR, once about punk / Zwines) I think I was trying to make the point that contrary to the reputation it had, drugs didn't play a massive part in early NZ club land.

I got the opposite impression from the show. I think they immediately followed you with a story about a guy who OD'd in a club and everyone just walked over the body assumed he was just passed out, and it wasn't until they closed that they discovered he was dead.

I couldn't claim expertise in NZ's drug history, but the show seemed fairly accurate at first impression and was interesting, so on the face of it your flatmate did a good job.

Posted at 11:45AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I've been using salvia most Thursdays since I was a young lad and no, I don't think I could very easily give it up. Mixed with butter it's the perfect accompaniment for gnocchi. Mmmhhh... in fact I think I'm going to have some right now.

Posted at 11:46AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I felt like a proper senior citizen when Rock The Nation explained what the "ReadyTo Roll" television programme was. And then Petra Bagust called it "RTR Countdown", which was its late '80s incarnation, and that made me feel less a senior citizen and more middle-aged.

Posted at 11:48AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I got the opposite impression from the show. I think they immediately followed you with a story about a guy who OD'd in a club and everyone just walked over the body assumed he was just passed out, and it wasn't until they closed that they discovered he was dead.

Oh, so that was the punk / Zwines bit. The story is true, but it pre-dates club culture as in dance-club. We were talking about the flood of cheap, Mr Asia sourced, heroin that flooded NZ in the 70s and the mayhem it caused.

Whilst I was never tempted by anything like that, I think most of us who were around the live scene in those days could tell a few stories.

Posted at 11:50AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Speaking of drugs, did anyone else watch Lisa Owens rather hysterical drugs story on TVNZ last night in which the outraged wrath of the TVOne news crew was visited upon a witless rural dairy owner who was selling (perfectly legal) speed precursors?

Um, yes... Perhaps an undercover reporter should gain covert access to Ms. Owens' house and see what they can see. I'd be very surprised if you couldn't cook up some chemical mayhem after a quick trawl through her kitchen, bathroom and garage.

Posted at 11:57AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Is this the part where we get to loudly remind Jacqui Dean about DHMO in the media again?

Drug Hysteria... pity the things are never as good as the media make them out to be.

Posted at 11:58AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Then again.. I'd be dreaming if the media actualy looked into NZ's number one most harmful drug.

Booze.

Posted at 11:59AM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Sorry for the triple post

If anyone has a recording of said "high times" doco, I'd like acopy... please email me if you know where to source it (or better still, someone throw it up on teh web)

Posted at 12:02PM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I'm pretty sure I heard Owen claim that P sells for $1000 dollars a gram. Now I have little to no experience with the stuff, but since cocaine retails for about a third of that price and has to be smuggled in from the western hemisphere while P can be mixed up by anyone with a bathtub and a rubber hose I'm not sure Ms Owen has the facts on her side this time.

She was correct. Pure methamphetamine sells for up to $1000 a gram, and the standard retail serving, a tenth of a gram "point", is $100. The yield from a packet of decongestants is staggering; hence its powerful appeal as a business opportunity.

The confusion lies in the fact that old-fashioned "speed" is cut roughly 8 to 1 with glucose.

Posted at 12:03PM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

Then again.. I'd be dreaming if the media actualy looked into NZ's number one most harmful drug.

Booze.

Which also happens to be NZ's number one tastiest drug.

Posted at 12:04PM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

ast night's 'expose' was a bit silly - he was buying meths and isopropyl alcohol - they're common solvents for lots of things - he didn't end up buying the one thing that's actually hard to get (a used-to-be-over-the counter cold remedy) that was never sole at your local 4-square

That's absurd.

Posted at 12:05PM on 13 May 08. Permalink.

I caught most of 'Rocked the Nation' last night...I thought the items were really quite good, but I found Karyn to be painful ...I don't know what she used to be like a presenter (a bit before my time), but I'd struggle to think of a more uncomfortable, un-energetic T.V host!