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Topics - Carmel

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Something I heard on the news....

« on: February 28, 2003, 09:59:00 AM »

I was watching a snippet of the news last night while picking up my kids from the sitter. And something the lady said jolted me a bit. She was relating a story about someone who had been arrested, a student, or a teacher...I cant quite recall....however, they had been arrested for openly speaking about anti-war issues and the support of terrorist acts and some something or other about Palestine.

Okay, so maybe this person supports what happened in New York, etc, etc. BUT.......

He was only TALKING about it. Correct me if I am wrong, but last time I checked we were all free to say ANYTHING we want about how we feel and what our opinions are....its called The FIRST AMENDMENT....right?

Wrong. And what really got to me the most is that this lady told the story to millions of American viewers....as if it were commonplace and totally acceptable. Like, "This man was bad-mouthing our country, so we took care of him". Is it really that bad that we can start reporting news like that which clearly and undeniably violates someones rights, and nobody bats an eye? WE CAN SAY THAT CRAP ON THE EVENING NEWS AND NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE SAYING?

Whats next? A "Special Report" on inside Americas new Death Camps for suspected terrorists?

:eek:

I mean, we may not all agree with this guy...of course, but he still has a right to talk about it. Just like we have the right to disagree. But nobody should be going to jail.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Can you believe this shit?

« on: February 28, 2003, 09:47:00 AM »

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/02/28/ai ... index.html

Checking my credit to see if I can fly or not? PLEASE!

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Fun on 1st phase "insane Mic Talks"

« on: January 28, 2003, 04:17:00 PM »

After responding to the last post I thought this was a good follow-up thread.

Anyone remember some of the more ridiculous Mic Talks given by the parents?

There was one little kid who had just come into the program...he was only 12, had never touched drugs, but his parents were hardcore holy rollers and were convinced he was headed down Satans path...

Anyhow, for his Mic Talk they couldnt come up with any REAL past incidents to confront him with, so his mother related this EXTREMELY emotional story about how one day the kid had made her feel "used, angry and hurt" because he kept yelling for her to come upstairs over and over because he was stuck in the bathroom without toilet paper. It was so hilarious, because she was practically hysterical with emotion....crying and wailing about him demanding her to get him some toilet paper....

I mean, it doesnt get any more ludicrous than that....any one else have a good one?

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / What the hell?

« on: January 18, 2003, 04:51:00 PM »

So now an entire group of strong, dedicated people are going to stop posting because of the disagreement of ONE PERSON? I mean, hell....I even had a questionalble opinion about this whole committe thing....which I expressed....without insult I like to think. But damn....if someone is very obviously in dissent, and shows no understanding....LET IT GO! There is no reason why the action committee should stop posting, or stop working towards their goal. Is this the kind of reaction you all will have when you come up agaist opposition to your submitted reports, complaints and all the rest?

Oh they were mean to us lets quit talking to them. Come on guys! Blow it off....and dont dramatize what just took place here as if Newton himself had come into your home and beaten you up all over again. Its nowhere near that bad....and it makes it hard to place faith in a group trying to fight for the cause if the disagreement of a precious few makes them run for cover! You are giving the isenters WAY to much power by doing that....

I may not be a participant or even be entirely convinced that this is all worhwhile, but I sure as hell know that any effort is a good effort whether I feel comfortable about it or not....and if all it takes is one or two people expressing malcontent about what you are doing in order to make you stand down....well, dammit who is goin to want to have faith in that?

Whoever it is that posted that last bit on behalf of the comittee needs to get a little backbone, the Chinese arent back to stick us all in POW camps if we post about not liking the comittee....get over it and keep doing what you are doing!

Carmel

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / The ecstasy epidemic

« on: December 13, 2002, 10:22:00 AM »

I am interested in anyones thoughts on this.

Is it just me, or is this whole new hullabaloo about X really just a bit humorous? I mean, 10-12 years ago it was just as prevalent in the club scene as it is now in the rave scene....and nobody said a word about it. There was no talk about epidemics or deaths (not that they didnt occur)or any of this crap nowadays. Its like they are trying to scare the shit out of people about ex. I am not trying to justify the use of it, I myself cant handle that kind of high long since anymore, but it just seems like all of a sudden its all splashed all over the media like its the new heroin or something.

Also, if I recall correctly ex was NOT physically addictive. There is no such thing as ex withdrawls or simialr nonsense. If you are taking a hit of ex every single day, thats a personal choice, albeit an idiotic one. Its not because your body becomes dependednt on it. Thats ludicrous.

I guess I was just noticing really how much the DFAF and simialar organizations focus on the substance, and not the root cause of the substance abuse. I suppose it has always been that way, it just galls me to see them taking up a new flag for this drug that has been around forever, and now all of a sudden is Satan incarnate. Maybe because they are losing their grip on the fight about MJ? Time to take up a new cause with twisted statistics and health information?

Demonizing the substance is an easy way to releive themselves of responsibility, while pretending to be saviours. "Your kids are on drugs, they need intervention" well, what about stable homelife, non-abusive, non-neglectful parents, an environment free form sexual abuse. What about all of that? Oh no, they dont deal in real issues, its the kids fault, the kids problem.......

These people are the snake oil salesman of our generation.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / DFAF board BS

« on: November 18, 2002, 02:20:00 PM »

Hey everyone....is it just me? Or do the posts on the DFAF board that are available to read look and sound as if the were totally planted?

I mean, usually when you read a thread or discussion you can see the differences in peoples diction, writing style and so forth....even the Kids Zone forum looks totally written by ONE person posting as several.

I am not one to be paranoid, it just really occured to me while reading it that something looked fishy about the posts. Even if they had been screened to only reflect one side of the argument (theirs) you can still tell the difference in how people express themselves....check them out and tell me what you all think.

Its really scary you know...seeing that forum and knowing, REALLY knowing, that it is being shaped and molded to reflect only a single point of view, and then presented to the public as if it were the truth. It almost makes me want to call the police or something! I have my theories about the media and the governments influence on what we read and hear, but THIS is like a real in-your-face example of that machine in action. Its frightening.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Merging Programs

« on: June 20, 2002, 11:39:00 AM »

During the end of my stay in Dallas, the facility in California shut down and they were all sent to our building. Now, I am thinking this was an actual Straight Program, not a KIDS, but I wonder now if it actually was a KIDS. Anyway.....I see now that lots of people were present for the merging of the Straights as they closed down.

Was it very difficult for you all to adjust to the way the other kids did things? Like, I remember how much we all couldnt stand the kids from Cali because their rules were different and it threw our entire concept of "honesty" off kilter.

I dont believe we dislike the actual kids themselves...just the way they did things mostly. Did any of you who went through this experience the same frustrations?

For example...their definition of being aware was extremely loose. We had to have eyes open and fixed on newcomers at all times...even if it meant walking backwards or feeling around with your hands for something. They were allowed to turn their backs on them as long as they were in the same room. To us, that was grounds for being a misbehaver almost....total dishonesty if you turned your back on a newcomer.....not that I dont think it is insane now...but then it was really hard to deal with....

Any thoughts?

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Cenikor

« on: June 07, 2002, 05:03:00 PM »

Has anyone here ever heard of Cenikor? We used to be threatened in Straight about this place and KIDS as well. Cenikor was supposed to be the Straight for adults, although it was apparently way more hardcore, and I dont know if the two were actually affiliated in any way. There is a huge facility here in Houston, and if I am not mistaken it originated here. We actually had a guy on staff for a while that had completed the Cenikor program, his main function I think was to threaten us about Cenikor and how awful it was at each and every opportunity. Their minimum program length was 2 years, and that was in-patient. The guy who we knew seemed like he was spritually burned out. I can imagine. My cousin went into Cenikor way after I got out of Straight, and I think he consented to it, but once he was in they kept him from leaving, physically and otherwise.

Its interesting how other and older programs (KIDS, etc.) were always used to make us feel greatful that we were lucky to have it so good. I couldnt pinpoint what we ever did to have to be reminded of how un-appreciative we were...but it happened often. There was a boy in our program who had actually been in the El Paso KIDS program for three or so years before coming to Dallas, the he was there for close to another two years. he had been in treatment for most of his adolescent life.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Bush's New Government

« on: June 07, 2002, 09:52:00 AM »

Id like to get some opinions on this new "agency" being created to fight "terror". Sounds suspiciosly like a new pit for taxpayers to throw money into. For our own "protection".

I dont like it one bit.

I also dont like how the government is found guilty of negligence in spotting what was coming on 9/11...whats the President's solution? A new Homeland Security agency! 100,000 employess, 37 billion dollars a year, god only knows how many new-fangled invasions of privacy.....and who pays for it? YOU GUESSED IT! WE DO!

Maybe people should think twice before pointing fingers next time.

I must really sound like a dissident, but even beyond all the governments involment with drugs and rehabs.....I am truly fearful of the direction in which its heading. I feel like I am living in a place dangerously close to martial law....without anyone even realizing it. Its disturbing.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / The War on insert blanket subject here

« on: June 02, 2002, 07:16:00 PM »

I was just thinking, is it just me or does the US Government have a serious inclination towards declaring war on vague, sweeping, and generally intangible subjects?

The War on Drugs, The War on Terror...etc. I personallly think the War on Terror is just as much of a crock of crap as the Drug War. This country is guided by the media into beleiving that our oppression of these people is justified. The country at large has no clue of the suffering and pain that has been inflicted upon so many nations by those that we more often than not have stood behind. And mostly only for the sake of money and power. Not for the benefit to the people. Its no wonder they hate us enough to give their very lives in order to get at us. Two wrongs do not make a right, but I think this country needs to open its eyes to the truth. If government supports what Straight did to all of us, and thousands more....here on home soil and seemingly without regret, what do you think they have been capable of outside our borders?

Just my thoughts.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / bigmouse

« on: May 17, 2002, 09:38:00 AM »

http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/ ... index.html

Just when you think the shit is as deep as it can get......the bottom drops out.

This is ultra-crap.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Ive got a better idea for our tax dollars.....

« on: May 15, 2002, 02:46:00 PM »

Check out this article....I could just gag at the insanity of it all....

http://www.msnbc.com/news/751914.asp?pne=msn

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / I AM STRAIGHT

« on: May 15, 2002, 02:20:00 PM »

...."I am Straight,
hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore..

And I know too much to go back and pretend...

'cause I heard it all before and I've been down there on the floor...

No ones ever gonna keep me down again....

Yes I'm wise but its wisdom born of pain....

Yes I paid the price, but look how much I've gained....

If I have to, I can do anything....

I am strong, I am invincible, I am Straight...

-Song sung every Friday before Open Meeting
Dallas-Straight

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Straight reunion 92'

« on: May 10, 2002, 12:31:00 PM »

Sometime after I got out of Straight-Dallas, I think maybe right before it closed...dont quote me though....someone put together a Straight reunion open to all former Dallas clients, graduates or not. My mom said we should go, and I didnt mind so much since I thought it would be nice to maybe see a few people I knew and maybe get to know some of them I never did (namely the guys).

Anyway, it was so weird because some of the people there were still in their post-graduate 6 months, so they werent allowed to talk to a cop-out. I ended up being the only non-graduate there so it was really uncomfortable. Although I did get to spend some time with some girls that were Staff and we all ended up staying in touch. Over the course of a few years by way of my relationship with them, I hung out with quite a few different people that I never spoke to in the Program....to make a long story short...this was the road that opened up a whole new point of view about Straight to me. Clients sleeping with staff, sexual abuse, financial abuse by the Executives, etc. there was a huge world of politics going on that I never would have known about. When they shut the Straight building down I heard that a few of the Senior staff went and raided the place for computer equipment and the like.

They knew that place was a sham.....it made me realize the attitude of the people that were supposed to be "re-shaping" my life for me.

Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / To drug list...or not to drug list?

« on: April 12, 2002, 11:58:00 AM »

We all had this impressive string of drugs that we had to rattle off to anyone when asked......more or less a self-condemnation recited on cue.

Regardless of the fact that we all added drugs to our list in order to please the Staff and Group....how many of you think that putting things like "inhalants" and "uppers" just because we may have huffed glue once in junior high, or experimented with a No-Doz that we found in our parents bathroom drawer....just really shouldnt have counted?

I guess it really depended on your personal situation, if the above was ALL you ever did...which in my opinion does not constitute a drug problem....or if you were a hardcore heroin addict and the above was small potatoes.

Just curious on the opinions here....

Here is my annotated drug list!

Hi, my name is Carmel, I used alcohol (a drug!), pot, acid, exstasy (not X, thats druggie slang!), uppers (no-doz), Downers (Ny-quil without asking my mom), cocaine, crack, PCP, (all of these added together because I smoked a laced joint once and wasnt really sure which of these it was laced with, better safe than sorry!)inhalants (Scotch Guard)....you get the point.....I am a hardcore multi-drug user, and I am dangerous to myself and others.

I had used very little before I was put into Straight...it wasnt until I got out that I actually got anywhere near developing a drug probelm!