As usual we have the quirky, funny, comment-worthy stories of the world news from the last two weeks.

Look out for distributors handing it out around the streets of Edinburgh, and pick up spots available around the University of Edinburgh campus at George Square.

Here’s the front cover of issue two:

Photographer: Annabel Greene

Rastafarian priest Headley Samuel holds up a stem of pure marijuana and reveals his recipe for happiness: ‘Fast, breakfast, drink aloe vera, and smoke ganja.’

The good old man’s spiritual routine makes him a lawbreaker. However, this may soon change. Jamaica, the largest producer of cannabis in the Caribbean, is considering decriminalising use of the drug. Possession of marijuana in Jamaica can mean a jail sentence, but many police complain that dope-related cases only clog up the courts. Recently, a seven-member government commission has examined possible reforms of the nation’s anti-drug laws.

A newspaper poll has revealed that Jamaicans rate smoking above drinking as a way to relax. Weed is openly on sale in downtown Kingston, and spliffs are as little as 35p each. Rastafarians use religion to license their use of the herb and defy the law, but thousands more use it recreationally. The smell of weed will certainly be wafting through the air from football matches to shopping centres.

Indeed, cultivation has increased since the recent crack-down on cocaine trafficking. The slopes of Westmoreland and St Elizabeth produce the most sought after varieties, which grow up to two metres high and are hidden among sugar cane fields. ‘I don’t see why the government tries to fight it,’ said Verona White, Bobo Rastafarian, 49 and mother of six. ‘Anywhere water catches in Jamaica, it grows. Doctor, lawyer, everybody takes it. I went to see a pastor in St Ann’s parish and he told me he couldn’t preach without it.’

In 2003, similar steps were taken to decriminalise ganja, but were never finalised due to government fears that legalisation would cause the withdrawal of the country’s US anti-drug certification. This would trigger economic sanctions. There have also been concerns over the ganja-for-guns trade with Haiti, which Jamaica has so far failed to control.
The new review is unlikely to end in complete liberalisation, due to educational campaigns, mental health lobbies and bans on smoking in public places. However, use at home and small scale cultivation may be a successful offset. Luckily for some, the new Jamaican Labour party has decided to give it another go.

Rastafarians: Songs of Freedom

‘The more Bob Marley and the Wailers hung out in the Kingston music scene, the more they came into contact with Rastafarians…’ (Marley Legend, 18)

The word Rasta brings to mind reggae, dreadlocks, Jamaica and of course, clouds of smoke. However, the history of this movement is little known. Rastas are followers of a religious movement who view Africans in the West as exiles from their homeland and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as the true Messiah.

Much of the tenets of Rastafarianism date back to Marcus Garvey, born in 1987 in St. Anne’s Bay, Jamaica. Fighting throughout his life for racial equality and social improvement, Garvey advocated a back-to-Africa movement that, in part, came from a line in Psalms 68: ‘Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.’ Inspired, Garvey declared that blacks should ‘look to Africa for the crowning of a Black King; He shall be the Redeemer.’

In 1930, Ras Tafari Markonnen, great-grandson of King Saheka Selassie of Shoa, became emperor of Ethiopia. To many in his homeland, Garvey’s prophecies seemed to be fulfilled. Taking the title, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I (meaning ‘Power of the Holy Trinity’), Ethiopia’s new leader brought hope and inspiration to the poor and dispossessed of Jamaica. At the time of Haile Selassie I’s leadership, Ethiopia was one of the only independent African states in a continent of colonised nations. Rastafarian (taken from Selassie’s name) encampments sprung up all over Jamaica.

Over the next few decades, Rastafarianism took a strong hold on Jamaica’s poor as they struggled for equal rights and justice. They became known for their use of ganja, their dreadlocked appearance, and their subversive political views. Smoking cannabis was seen as a low class habit, and unkempt hair was a sign of madness. This meant that Rastas were considered the pariahs of Jamaican society. However, they stuck to their ways and to this day, the main directives of their belief include, opposition to evil; anti-establishment behaviour against the innate wickedness of government bodies; the dignity of the black race; preparation for return to Africa; and the acknowledgement of Emperor Haile Selassie I as the Messiah.

When Haile Selassi made a state visit to Jamaica in April 1966, more than 100,000 Jamaicans turned out to greet him at the airport. Getting off the plane, he declared to the thrilled crowd ‘I am not the Messiah’, only to be drowned out by whooping and cheering.

The reluctance of their Messiah never put the Rastas off. They smoke for spiritual enlightenment, also giving it to their children. Despite this controversial habit, their reputation has slowly changed. 60s hippie culture highlighted the peaceful effects of smoking weed and the fundamental promotion of love, which Rastas live for. Their use of cannabis even seems divinely sanctioned: Rastafarians quote a verse in Psalms which says, God ’causeth the grass to grow for cattle, and the herb for the service of man.’

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Age old smoking

Cannabis pollen has been found on the mummy of Rameses II. The remains of burnt seeds have even been discovered by archaeologists in Neolithic sites, in central Europe. The plant cannabis is thought to have originated in central Asia, near the regions north of Afghanistan and the mountains of southern Siberia. Lying on the ancient Silk Roads, cannabis was taken from these areas and traded all over the world in later centuries: from India to the Arab world, then finally it was taken south of the Sahara by migrant communities of Muslims who traded along the eastern African coast.

The Chinese were taking it far before the Rastas. A pharmacopoeia or list of medicines called ‘Pen Ching’, 1st century BC says to take to much ‘makes people see demons and throw themselves about like maniacs’. They believed that using cannabis and ginseng together gave one visionary powers to see into the future. The social use of cannabis was seen more in the Middle East, India and Africa.

Worldwide names for cannabis:
Acapulco Gold
Durban Poison
Bhang [India – one of Shiva’s names was ‘Lord of Bhang’]
Ganja [India]
Kan Xa [Loas]
Can Xa [Vietnam]
Kancha [Thailand]
Kanhcha [Cambodia – here the plant is sometimes boiled, the resulting liquid is sprinkled on tobacco and smoked]
Matokwane [Central Africa]
Neck Weed, Welsh Parsley, Gallows Grass [Elizabethan Eng: hangman’s noose was made of hemp]
Muggles, Moota, Mezz, Sassfras, Tea, Griff [USA 1920s]
Grifos [Caribbean: from Spanish word meaning crinkly, and origin of the anglicized word, reefer]
Weed, Blow, Gear, Grass, Draw, Smoke, Shit, Herb [Modern, Western]
Lamb’s Bread [Rastafarians]
Panama Red
Thai Sticks

In Southeast Asia, hemp leaves are often used in cooking to make soups, curries and fish fritters.

A user’s guide to local Jamaican types:
- The Guardian, 11 March

Colly herb: Dry, brown type with a fresh taste. Considered basic and relatively mild.
Indica: Strong, cross-bred variety related to skunk, with a sticky consistency.
White Rhino and White Ice: Strongest Jamaican varieties, fertilised with bat droppings and fruit.
Lambs Bread: ‘Gummy’ variety with a flat, broad bud that smokers say resembles a slice of bread. It packs a strong punch..
Cotton and Thyme: Varieties with soft, small and tender buds which thrive best on the sunny, west-facing slopes of Jamaica

Listen: Portishead - We Carry On [Stream via MOG]
http://www.portishead.co.uk | http://www.myspace.com/portisheadalbum3

MGMT
This project by Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Van Wyngarden take inspiration from sources as diverse as Joy Division to Muse in their sound which has been described as “electro-psych.” The variation of their tracks is impressive, with ‘Kids’ offering soothing synths and restrained beats that could be from a children’s TV show, whilst Electric Feel is a belter that sounds like Cold War Kids would do if they had heard some porn soundtracks from the 1970s. Their sound spans the electric musical landscape of the past three decades and brings it all together in a modern pop coating.

Listen: MGMT - Electric Feel [MP3 via LeTouch]
http://www.myspace.com/mgmt

The Shoes
This French duo offers and sublime concoction of electro and rock with ‘Knock Out’, their first single, sounding like they have created the soundtrack for Rocky had the original been made in 2008 rather than the poorer sequel that cursed the cinema recently, which was then turned into a dance floor slammer by Tom Deluxx. They recently played cabaret Voltaire and have done remixing duties for Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and turned his laid back feel sound like a pre-clubbing warm up, and Primary 1 whose track, Hold Me Down, they have transformed into the catchiest bit of disco perfection I’ve heard for a while.

Listen: The Shoes - Knock Out [MP3 via Pinglewood]
http://www.myspace.com/theshoesmusik

Primary 1
I couldn’t mention The Shoes’ remix of Primary 1’s track without adding some info on this Londoner who has had been compared to Calvin Harris. The difference lies in the consistent quality of Primary 1’s pure pop disco tunes that would sound good coming from the stereo at any party and is going to get massive once it warms up outside and the summer happiness kicks in to people’s playlists.

Listen: Primary 1 - Love Letter to Metronomy (Heart Rate Rapid) [MP3 via Fucking Dance]
http://www.myspace.com/primary1

Boys Noize
Alex Ridha from Hamburg (aka Boys Noize) cut his teeth remixing everyone from Feist to Bloc Party, but also creates fantastic growling electro tracks of his own. Some of his work can sound a little hectic to some, but that just adds to the excitement his climaxes build. The lairy and aggressive qualities of some tracks aren’t for all occasions and audiences, but when he gets it write like on Feel Good (TV Off) its hard to find better to dance to.

Listen: Boys Noize - Feel Good (TV Off) [MP3 via The Blue Walrus]
http://www.boysnoize.com | http://www.myspace.com/boysnoize

Rogerseventytwo
This 22 year old Dutch producer is starting to spit out remixes of a quality that others are struggling to match at the moment, throwing his talents at those as varied as the Jackson 5 and Yelle making both into dance floor classics. He even managed to turn Daft Punk’s ‘Technologic’ into some aggressive electro from beautiful French elctro-pop of the orginal. You’ll be finding this guy on the b-sides of singles everywhere from now.

Listen: Yelle – Ce Jeu (Rogersevetytwo Remix) [MP3 via Trash Menagerie]
http://www.rogeseventytwo.com | http://www.myspace.com/rogerseventytwo

Founded by Harvard Grad Mark Zuckerberg in early 2004, the social networking site was initially aimed at students in America. The premise was very simple: build a personal profile and make friends. Cashing in on the insatiable human appetite for nosying into other people’s lives, the site became a success overnight, and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Hundred of uses became thousands, thousands millions. Current figures sit at 64 million active users worldwide. It is worthwhile comparing this to Bebo, which claims 22 million, and MySpace 110 million.
In March 2006, it was reported in Business Week that Facebook’s asking price could be as much as £1 billion. That figure is now significantly higher. Microsoft recently bought a 1.6% stake in the company for £120 million, and investor Lee Ka-Shing paid £30 million for 0.4%. There is little doubt that the site, which is free to join, has enormous earning potential. Advertising opportunities are endless. Last year is announced a range of big-range collaborations, linking with Coca-Cola, Blockbuster, Sony, and Conde Nast, among others.

However, are the glory days coming to an end? There is increasing anxiety within the workplace, with the issue of ‘improper conduct’, and relationships are hitting the rocks after facebook flirtation or implicating photos. Just a few weeks ago a Moroccan Court sentenced a 26 year old computer engineer to three years in prison after setting up a profile in the name of King Mohammed’s brother. Fouad Mourtada was found guilty of falsifying data, and imitating the prince without his consent. ‘It was just a joke, a gag’, he is quoted to have said. The judge in Morocco clearly disagreed. Another recent case involved a senior police officer, who was refused promotion after a background check revealed that he had once received a warning about his facebook content. Last year, Argos employee Tom Beech was allegedly fired for setting up a Facebook thread ‘I work at Argos and can’t wait to leave because it’s shit.’

Reports are increasingly suggesting that marketers, employers, teachers, and colleagues are using Facebook to monitor what the rest of us are up to in our spare time. One survey found that 62% of British employers now check the Facebook pages of their job applications, and that a quarter had rejected candidates as a result.

So, you want to get out? Users who have had enough have a long way to go. The onus is entirely on the individual to diligently delete any information about them on the site. While it is possible to strip back your profile entirely from view, even once deactivated your information remains on the servers. In any case, the Facebook phenomenon is not going away. Some economic experts have suggested that there could be anything up to 200 million users by next year.

The Facts:

• Facebook has around 64 million active users.
• There are more than 8 million users in the UK
• Half of the users are outside of college, and the largest growing demographic is the over 25s.
• Half of the active users visit the site daily.
• More than 14 million photos are uploaded daily
• Facebook employs more than 450 people.
• Facebook registers 65 billion page views a month
• The average user devotes 20 minutes a day to the site.
• Traffic is 366% since the start of 2007
• There are 55,000 regional, work-related, collegiate, and high-school networks.

1. Gourmet chef: Coolio recently launched his own weekly web-based cookery programme, Cooking with Coolio. Wrap star. Spa-ghetto Bolognese…
2. Airline pilot: Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson now pilots a Boeing 757 for charter airline Astraeus. Terrifying.
3. Model railway salesman: Godfather of Grunge Neil Young takes his love of toy trains so seriously that he owns a 20 per cent stake in model railway manufacturers, Lionel LLC. Fellow enthusiasts include Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, and Bruce Springsteen.
4. Cheese farmer: Alex James spent an estimated £1million on Champagne and cocaine during his time as bassist for Blur, but he has now escaped to the countryside to work as a full-time farmer of award-winning goat’s cheese.
5. Missionary: the ex-Korn guitarist, Brian “Head” Welch who was a drug addict and general rock monster was last seen building an orphanage in India.
6. Astronaut: ‘N Sync man Lance Bass came within a hair’s bredth of going to space in 2002. After months of rigorous training, his expedition was sadly cancelled.
7. Trout fisherman: After 13 years of alternative Scottish rock, former AC Acoustics singer Paul Campion randomly presented a fishing series called Trout’n’About.
8. Children’s writer: Madonna, the scantily clad Queen of Pop has written a series of five fluffy children’s novels.
9. MP: the quiet one in Blur, Dave Rowntree, was selected as a candidate for the Labour Party in February, and will stand in the next General Election.
10. Football manager: since claiming to quit music for good, Robbie Williams now runs his own Los Angeles Premier League football team, LA Vale, in his back garden.

A prisoner is seriously assaulted every 45 minutes in Britain.
- The Independent, 3 March

An Austrian ‘wellness’ hotel has started charging overweight guests more for their stay. Skinny visitors to Bioferienhotel Mandler’s Landhaus in the Alpes, can look forward to bargain deals, while tubby guests must pay higher rates. The hotel describes itself as an ‘oasis for health-conscious and nature loving people,’ and hopes to encourage fitness and healthy eating in its visitors.
- The Times, 3 March

Scientists at Aberdeen University have found a new use for whiskey – clearing pollution and decontaminating water.
- The Times, 5 March

Britons eat about 10 million eggs a year – 27m a day

A man survived for 25 years on an all-biscuit diet. ‘When I was 18 months I stopped eating’, says Andrew Foster, 27. ‘I used to get through two packets a day.’ Andrew is a chef.

Water from Michael Pritchard’s fishtank certainly came straight from his garden pond. The green gunk looked and smelled like something which should never be ingested on any terms. ‘It’s got fish poo and everything in there.’ However, after pumping the questionable liquid through his lightweight, handheld water bottle, it came out crystal clear. He even persuaded onlookers to taste it, swigging it with confidence himself.

The Lifesaver bottle was on display at the National Army Museum in Chelsea at a show of military technology. A pump mechanism forces the dirty water through a narrow coiled tube inside the device, small enough to filter bacteria and viruses. It has been verified by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and meets World Health Organisation drinking water standards.

‘The main reason I invented [the Lifesaver bottle] was for the aid market, the disaster market’, said Pritchard. ‘Once a hurricane or earthquake hits, one of the most pressing logistical needs is to provide clean drinking water to the victims…A transport plane can typically hold enough bottled water for 800 people for a month. The same plane can carry 125,000 Lifesaver bottles. At one bottle per family, that’s enough to keep half a million people in drinking water for 16 months.’

In 1955, being the perfect wife meant having dinner ready, a warming smile to greet your husband, and a ribbon in your hair. However, the classic Good Wife’s Guide of 1955 is well past its sell-by date when it comes to modern men and women. A survey in this year’s Daily Mail Ideal Home Show found that women who stand up to their husbands, have a strong understanding of household finances, and enjoy a drink have the happiest spouses.

The study questioned men on their perfect wife, finding that two-thirds of men longed for a woman who could manage money. Unsurprisingly, food remains the way to a man’s heart with 48 per cent of men admitting that they considered cooking a top priority in a perfect wife. But cake-making skills still left all but 9 per cent cold.

Interestingly, one in four women believed that men look for a wife who knows about sport, with only 10 per cent of men thinking this was important. It also turns out that a mere 39 per cent of men dislike being dragged around shops, compared to the whopping 72 per cent of women that guessed that all men hate shopping. Four in ten women thought their male counterparts would hate questions like, ‘does this make my bum look big?’ But only 24 per cent found it irritating! We wonder how far they will go…