The problem is part of a larger trend of abuse of prescription drugs among teenagers. Several years ago, attention-deficit drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall became popular among students, who used them to improve concentration or lose weight. Now there is evidence that young people are increasingly moving on to even more dangerous drugs -- powerful painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet.

Earlier this month, several drug experts testified at a congressional hearing called Generation Rx about the rising abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs among America's youth. In 2006, 2.2 million people ages 12 and older said they started abusing pain relievers within the past year, with young adults ages 18-25 showing the greatest overall use of any age group, according to Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

To be sure, college students use these drugs much less often than alcohol and pot. Still, the development is alarming because these painkillers are highly addictive. From 2002 to 2006, the annual prevalence of use of narcotics other than heroin among college students rose to 8.8% from 7.4%, according to a University of Michigan study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For OxyContin, annual prevalence of use doubled, to 3%; the use of Vicodin rose to 7.6% from 6.9%.

The trend is being spurred by the availability of these drugs. Thanks to the huge increase in the number of prescriptions over the past decade, many kids can easily find drugs in mom or dad's medicine cabinet or obtain them from a friend. If all else fails, they can purchase them from an online pharmacy.

Some people don't perceive prescription drugs to be dangerous, precisely because they are government approved. And not only do young people underestimate how addictive opiates are, many don't even know what drug they are taking. For some, keg parties are being replaced by "pharm parties," where kids bring whatever pharmaceuticals they can find, mix the drugs up in a big bowl and eat them like candy, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The results can be tragic. Leonard J. Paulozzi, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the congressional hearing that mortality rates from unintentional drug overdoses are currently four to five times as high as they were during the "black tar" heroin epidemic of the 1970s and more than twice what they were during the peak years of crack cocaine use of the early 1990s. From 1999 to 2005 -- the most recent information available -- the increase was driven largely by prescription opiates.

There is anecdotal evidence that students who start with prescription opiates may be graduating to heroin. "My friends convinced me that it would get me a lot higher," says Chris Arnold, a 25-year-old from Monroe, Conn., who says his switch from OxyContin to heroin ultimately caused him to drop out of college.

Although fewer than 1% of college students report using heroin, a number that's remained steady for years, some emergency-room doctors say they're seeing more heroin overdoses among college students.

Melinda Beck is on vacation. Email elizabeth.bernstein@wsj.com⁸

De Boven Regionale Recherche Haaglanden-Hollands Midden heeft een 47-jarige Hagenaar aangehouden omdat hij via internet softdrugs verhandelde. Via zijn digitale coffeeshop verkocht de man onder meer hasj, hennep en joints. De pakketjes drugs werden na bestelling bij de klanten thuisbezorgd, zo liet een politiewoordvoerder vandaag weten.

De politie nam tijdens doorzoekingen geld, softdrugs, en test- en verpakkingsmaterialen in beslag. De website is uit de lucht gehaald. De Hagenaar moet vrijdag voorkomen bij de rechter-commissaris.

If you upgraded to Vista Service Pack 1 when it went live earlier this week, Windows left behind several files system files from your pre-SP1 install that aren't being used any longer. The files are left taking up space on your drive so that you can roll back SP1 if you wanted to, but since you're unlikely to grow sick of all those improvements, weblog Digital Inspiration details how to remove the unneeded junk files and free up space on your hard drive. There are no manual steps involved. Just open your Windows command prompt and type vsp1cln.exe (short for Vista SP1 Cleaner). It takes less than a minute to execute. Just remember, once you execute the SP1 cleaner, you won't be able to roll back, so make sure you're happy with SP1 before you start freeing up space.

Finished Installing Windows Vista SP1 ? Now Remove All The Junk Files [Digital Inspiration]

Get Rid of the Junk Left Over after You Install Vista SP1 [Windows Tip]
Adam Pash
Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone (Wave0)

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues; supporting new types of hardware; and adding support for several emerging standards. SP1 also will continue to make it easier for IT administrators to deploy and manage Windows Vista. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone version can be installed on systems with any of the following language versions: English (US), French, German, Japanese, or Spanish (Traditional).  

Wave0 = Only 5 languages JAP-FRE-SPA-ENG-GER

Wave1 = 36 langues (available to download on april 9)

Download : Windows Vista SP1 x86
Download : Windows Vista SP1 x64

The Bastard Fairies are an indiepop band from Los Angeles, California. Their entire album (Memento Mori) can be downloaded from their website.
The lead singer of the group is a Native American. The Bastard Fairies won the American Indian Motion Picture Best Music Video Award in 2006.
They also have a YouTube account where they upload music videos and such. Recently they uploaded a political video in which an 8-year-old girl criticized people who say that video games and certain music damage children. This video has been a hot topic of discussion in the US.
Websites:
www.thebastardfairies.com
www.myspace.com/thebastardfairies
www.youtube.com/profile?user=bastardfairies

Get The Album 'MEMENTO MORI' FREE !!

Windows only: Grab a free copy of the normally-$20 DVD ripper FairUse Wizard 2, which converts DVDs to video files playable by a slew of devices. Back up your DVDs to your computer or watch 'em on your iPhone/iPod touch, AppleTV, Zune, Xbox 360, PS3 or TiVo with FairUse, which automatically rips and compresses the DVD using the DiVX, XViD, or H.264 codecs. FairUse can detect multiple television episodes on a DVD, too. For more tools like FairUse, check out our Top 10 free video rippers, encoders and converters. FairUse is a limited-time free download for Windows XP and Vista, and the FAQ says it works fine in Linux under Wine.

FairUse Wizard [via Download Squad]

FairUse DVD Ripper Free for a Limited Time [Featured Windows Download]
Gina Trapani
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:00:57 GMT

How would our friends, the multi-national pharmaceutical corporations, market them?

posted Thursday, October 11, 2007

Sep. 4th, 2007 | by Aibek | 149,996 Views

If you’re a long time makeuseof reader, at one point or another you may have seen several of these websites before. We have covered lots of lists and round-ups but this one is quite different: it lists undiscovered webservices that are original, rather unique, unusual, useful, free, and must-be bookmarked type. You won’t find any collaboration, storage or ToDo service here. Enjoy!

1. BugMeNot - instantly get disposable login details for any popular website that forces you to register.

2. DailyLit - read your favorite books by email (on your PC, mobile, etc.).

3. FranceRadio - neat MP3 Search Engine that lets you Find, Play and Download favorite MP3s for FREE.

4. Google SMS - provides mobile users with a quick access (via SMS) to a wide range of practical information and tools (i.e. business listings (pizzerias, shops, etc.), weather, movie listings, driving directions, currency converter and lots more.

5. Podlinez - listen to your favorite podcasts from any phone. Just enter the RSS feed URL for the desired podcast and get a free-toll number to access it from a phone.

6. RetailMeNot - locate fresh discount coupons for thousands of web merchants and services right from your browser toolbar. Video demo.

7. SoLow - on a daily basis SoLow auctions 4 different items (iPhones, HD Screens, etc.). Anyone with a mobile/PC can participate in the auctions by placing their bids via text-messaging. The user with the lowest unique bid wins the auction.

8. TeleFlip - auto-forward your emails to your cellphone as text messages. Video demo.

9. UrbanDictionary - hilarious (and practical) 100% user-maintained dictionary where users provide and vote on definitions for urban words (slangs).

10. Yak4Ever - make free international calls from US, UK and Ireland to 50+ countries.

=== Mobile - related ===

11. Bitbom - schedule free text message reminders to your phone. Schedule online or using mobile. (Similar PingMe.)

12. Flurry - follow up on your emails (send, receive) and receive latest articles from favorite blogs/websites on your mobile.

13. Foonz - place group calls and send messages to multiple people for free (from your mobile or any other phone).

14. GameJump - lots of free games for mobile phones.

15. GrandCentral - single phone number for all your phones and a web-based centralized voicemail system. (Similar: YouMail, GotVoice)

16. IQzone - post your classified ad to a number of online and print classified networks directly from your mobile.

17. Jott - simple and convenient service for leaving yourself notes and ToDo reminders using your mobile.

18. Mosio - text any question from your mobile phone and shortly receive up-to 4 answers.

19. mShopper - instantly check up on the bargain deals for any product (or even order) right from your mobile phone. Video demo.

20. NoPhoneTrees - simple phone directory that lists direct human access numbers to support employees in hundreds of companies.

21. Nutsie - takes a copy of your iTunes library file and creates an online copy of your library. Access this library from PC or mobile phone.

22. Google SendToPhone - forward anything you find on the web (maps, address, text, etc.) to any mobile phone for free (US only).

23. Qipit - take quick document pictures and turn them into properly formatted PDFs. Save online, email, or fax documents right from mobile.

24. Soonr - handy application that lets you access your PC remotely using your mobile or any other PC (work, school, etc.). Video demo.

25. TelePixie - quickly schedule and receive daily (or one time) wake up phone calls, reminders, weather forecast calls, jokes, and more.

26. TellMe - free local directory service for business listings (Car Repair Shops, Pizzerias, Restaurants, etc.), maps, and directions.

27. PhoneZoo - convert your MP3s to custom-length ringtones and forward them to your phone. Plus 1000s of free ringtones from other users.

=== Other ===

28. BossBitching - fun and active community where people can bit*h about their bosses anonymously.

29. eSnailer - send free postal mail letters (to anywhere in the US) right from the desktop. From Canada? Check out EasyPost.

30. Yapta - get a refund (or credit) from the airlines on a purchased ticket in case its price drops.

31. ListenToaMovie - lets you ‘listen to a movie’, i.e. stream the audio part of various movies and some TV-shows.

32. OpenDNS - provides a safer, faster, smarter and more reliable way to navigate the Internet. More details + video demo.

33. PodioBooks - search, subscribe and browse through a variety of totally free audio books (100% legal).

34. PriceProtectr - tracks the price of items you bought online and notifies in case of price-drops, so you can request a refund.

35. RateMyDrawings - excellent place to draw, share your drawing creations, learn to draw, and watch other people drawing. Video demo

36. SwitchPlanet - cool and active marketplace where you can switch (or trade) used DVDs, CDs, Video Games and Books. Video demos.

37. Scribd- search, browse, rate, share various types of documents (jokes, facts, stories etc.). It’s like Youtube for text documents.

38. ViaTalk - make up-to 10 minutes long free phone calls to anywhere in the US and Canada. You don’t even need to sign-up.

39. VideoSift - popular Digg-like voting community for user-submitted videos.

40. Wordie - make lists of words (words you love, words you hate, or whatever) and share them with others.

UPDATE : 40 Unusual Websites you should Bookmark [PART 2]

Filed Under: Fun ¦ Lists of tools ¦ Quick Tips ¦ Interesting

What's Next : Making long story short, go here and subscribe to our RSS feed. To subscribe by email go here. You WILL enjoy it. To get an idea about the type of stuff we post here, see 'Most Popular' right below this line. Convinced? Subscribe here ...

BitTorrent is the go-to resource for downloading everything from music and movies to software and operating systems, but as its popularity continues to grow, so do the number of tools available for making the most of it. Some are must-haves, while others are a waste of time. Climb aboard for a look at 10 of the best BitTorrent utilities, tools, and resources for finding and managing your BitTorrent downloads quickly and efficiently.

10. Use BitTorrent to Send Files

Of course BitTorrent is a great place to go looking for files, but you can actually take advantage of BitTorrent's distributed download protocol to share your own files. This guide details how to create your own torrent to distribute a file on your computer. The guide covers creating the torrent with the popular, Windows-only uTorrent, but the feature is available in almost any BitTorrent client.

9. Start BitTorrent Downloads Over IM

Using IM applications like Pidgin or the Mac-only Adium, you can set up your IM client to automatically accept downloads from specific users (namely, you) and then save the file to a folder that your BitTorrent client watches for new torrent files (in Pidgin you'll need to go to Tools -> Plugins and enable the Autoaccept plugin). Most clients like uTorrent (Windows) and Transmission (*nix) support folder monitoring, so if your BitTorrent client is running it'll detect the file you've sent yourself and automatically start downloading the torrent. This method doesn't allow for very advanced remote management (like #5 below), but if all you want is a quick method for starting a new download, it's quick and easy.

8. Download BitTorrent in Your Browser

I'd always recommend using a dedicated BitTorrent client whenever you can, but sometimes installing or running another app just isn't an option. In those cases, web application BitLet is a perfect solution. It runs BitTorrent downloads through an applet directly in your web browser; all you have to do is point it to the torrent file. (Read more)

You can even stream music directly from a torrent in your browser with WeStream, BitLet's other in-browser BitTorrent tool. (Read more)

7. Manage Your Video Downloads with Miro

Cross platform, open source application Miro is designed as a one-stop shop for handling video—whether that's video podcasts or BitTorrent. It doesn't have all the tools available to less specialized clients like uTorrent or Transmission, but it does work well to automatically download a season's worth of television while it's happening. (Read more)

6. Speed Up Your Downloads and Outwit Your Traffic-Shaping ISP

Whether you're new to BitTorrent or you're just not getting the download speeds you were hoping for, you can take steps to speed up your downloads by capping your upload speeds, adjust your connection allowances, or switch the default port. (Read more)

Sometimes a slow connection is the result of intentional BitTorrent throttling by your internet service provider. In addition to switching the default port your BitTorrent client is using, there are tons of other methods—like turning on encryption or adjusting the way your client behaves—that can help fool your ISP and speed up your downloads. (Read more)

5. Remote Control Your BitTorrent Downloads with uTorrent's WebUI or Transmission's Clutch

You're gaga for BitTorrent, and these two tools let you control and manage all of your BitTorrent downloads from the comfort of your web browser—no matter where you are. Both applications can handle almost any feature of the desktop version (and both look very similar, as well). Just find the one that fits the operating system you're using and get started with your remote access. uTorrent even has a special web interface for the iPhone.

4. Set Up a TV Season Pass with Ted or TVShows

Whether you opt for Ted (all platforms) or TVShows (Mac OS X only), these apps ensure you'll no longer need to dig for the latest and greatest episodes of your favorite TV shows week after week. You just point them to what you like, and they automatically download new episode torrents as they become available.

3. Search the Best of the Best with YouTorrent

Rather than get into an argument over the best torrent tracker/search engine, might I instead submit YouTorrent, a meta search engine that scours some of the best BitTorrent trackers for downloads and sorts the results by number of seeds. I know it's new, and who knows if it'll last (it doesn't even have ads yet), but—god willing—YouTorrent is currently the easiest place to look for a new, healthy torrent (barring some really good private tracker that most of us are not members of). (Read more)

2. Transmission

(Mac/Linux)

The go-to BitTorrent client for Mac users, Transmission has that Mac feel that makes you want to go out and pirate download some Creative Commons-licensed content. It's popped up already a lot in this list, from its torrent folder monitoring to it's snazzy remote control features, so if you're looking for a great client for your Mac, Transmission is the best on the market. (Read more)

1. uTorrent

(Windows)

It's unfortunately Windows-only for now (that may change sometime this year), but uTorrent is bar-none the best BitTorrent client you'll find. It's fast, lightweight, and full-featured (as you've seen above). If there's one Windows application I miss when I'm working away from Windows, uTorrent is that client.

Honorable mention update: I completely forgot to mention PeerGuardian2, a freeware IP blocker designed to protect your privacy from blacklisted IPs (like anti-P2P groups who might want to track your activity). It's not a sure thing, but a lot of people consider it a reassuring layer of protection.

---

If you're new to BitTorrent, all of this may have come at you a little fast. Check out our beginner's guide to BitTorrent, and once you're up to speed, take a look at our more advanced intermediate guide.

If you're not new to the world of BitTorrent, then chances are your list may differ from mine. If there's one thing avid file sharers are passionate about, it's their favorite clients and methods, so let's hear what would have made your list in the comments.

Top 10 BitTorrent Tools and Tricks [Lifehacker Top 10]
Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Windows only: If there's only a few things most Microsoft Vista upgraders and nay-sayers can agree upon, one likely talking point is that Vista's fonts are generally clean, smooth, and a step up from XP. Getting the newer fonts in XP doesn't have to involve illegal downloads and system tweaking, however—as the gHacks tech blog points out, simply installing Microsoft's PowerPoint Viewer 2007 installs a bundle of Vista fonts in XP that you can use as your system defaults. Once installed, head to your display properties, then hit the Appearance tab to select a system-wide font. You'll also want to enable ClearType, which, luckily, we've covered before. PowerPoint Viewer 2007 is a free download for Windows only.

PowerPoint Viewer 2007 [Microsoft via gHacks]

 

Install PowerPoint Viewer 2007 to get Vista Fonts in XP [Featured Windows Download]
Kevin Purdy
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:15:00 GMT

Worried about the safety of those shelves of pills in your medicine chest? You’re not alone.

Most Americans are concerned about potentially harmful interactions among prescription medications, including pain medicines. But many don’t follow safety precautions, the latest WSJ.com/Harris poll shows.

Another finding from the online poll about prescription medicines, conducted Feb. 19- 21, was that more than half the American adults surveyed believe the abuse of legal drugs is as great a problem as the abuse of illicit one. Some 22% think illegal drug abuse is a bigger problem while 18% think prescription drug abuse is more serious.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration figures that nearly 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, up 80% since 2000. And nearly one in 10 high school seniors admit to abusing such powerful prescription pain killers, according to the DEA.

So what do you do when you get a new prescription? Fifty-nine percent of poll respondents said they always or often check for information about potential risks from the medicine, compared with 25% who do so sometimes, and 17% who said they rarely or never check for risks.

And talk about sharing risks. Nearly a third admit to having passed along their prescription medications to family members or taking higher doses than prescribed by their doctor.

Drug Risks Start at Home
Scott Hensley
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Microsoft is allowing Windows XP Service Pack 2 machines to be offered Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 via Windows Update You may also download standalone update packages for Windows XP SP3 RC2 in English German and or Japanese Windows XP Service Pack 3 will be offered on Windows Update when Service Pack 3 releases in the first half of 2008

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 (3/6/2008)
webmaster@9down.com
Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:24:19 GMT

At O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference last week, I hosted a panel on the future of "mind hacks," from cognitive fitness programs to smart drugs to neuro-implants. One of the panelists was Timo Hannay, publishing director of Nature.com, who talked about a recent heated debate taking place on the journal's site around the ethics of using brain drugs for wakefulness, focus, and other cognitive "enhancements." Nature is continuing that discussion with a public "brain boosting drugs" survey. Today's New York Times "Week In Review" takes a look at the controversy. From the New York Times:

“Suppose you’re preparing for the SAT, or going for a job interview — in those situations where you have to perform on that day, these drugs will be very attractive,” said Dr. Barbara Sahakian of Cambridge, a co-author with Sharon Morein-Zamir of the recent essay in Nature. “The desire for cognitive enhancement is very strong, maybe stronger than for beauty, or athletic ability.”
Jeffrey White, a graduate student in cell biology who has attended several institutions, said that those numbers sounded about right. “You can usually tell who’s using them because they can be angry, testy, hyperfocused, they don’t want to be bothered,” he said...
One person who posted anonymously on the Chronicle of Higher Education Web site said that a daily regimen of three 20-milligram doses of Adderall transformed his career: “I’m not talking about being able to work longer hours without sleep (although that helps),” the posting said. “I’m talking about being able to take on twice the responsibility, work twice as fast, write more effectively, manage better, be more attentive, devise better and more creative strategies.”

Link to the New York Times, Link to Nature News and Opinion Forum, Link to "Brain Boosting Drugs Survey" (Thanks, Alvaro "SharpBrains" Fernandez!)

Debate around brain enhancement drugs
David Pescovitz
Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:51:23 GMT

Getting drunk won't make your bad memories go away.

That comes as no surprise to anyone who's ever tried to drink their problems away, but it's nice to know that the scientific method supports our own informal -- but no less rigorous -- observations.

It's been a while since I did a No @#&!, Sherlock, and as I sat down to write this one, I recalled a seemingly inordinate number of obvious, alcohol-related studies that crossed my radar in the last month. And since it's shaping up to be one of those Fridays, I thought I'd pass them on.

Popular music is full of references to drugs and alcohol. Sixth-grade drinkers have problems. The children of alcoholics are more likely than other children to become alcoholics themselves.

College students are especially agressive when they drink at frat parties, and are get even more aggressive if their romantic partner is there. Anorexia plus bulimia equals drunkorexia -- a condition I assume is more common in college students than old people, though senior citizens can still be drunks.

Heavy drinking raises your blood pressure; binge drinking ups your chances of death from cardiovascular disease. Drinking heavily after surgery complicates recovery.

And, finally, the coup de Everclear: Cars that won't start if the driver is drunk reduce drunk driving.

Image: Ibrahim Owais

See Also:

• Babies See Pure Color, but Adults Peer Through Prism of Language
• Beauty In the Brain of the Beholder
• No @#&!, Sherlock: This Week in the Very Obvious
• No @#&!, Sherlock: High School Students Drink to Escape and Other ...
• No @#&!, Sherlock: Teenage Sex Won't Ruin Your Life, Britney and K ...
• No @#&!, Sherlock: Prehistoric Cave Bears Were Ferocious and Other ...

WiSci 2.0: Brandon Keim's Twitter and Del.icio.us feeds; Wired Science on Facebook.

No @#&!, Sherlock: The Alcohol Edition
Brandon Keim
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:54:07 GMT