Posted on 07/23/2006 12:18:23 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
One of the first Shelbyville confiscations of the African drug khat occurred early Sunday morning. "Approximately 11.26 grams of a green leafy substance believed to be khat" were found in a coat pocket of Mustaf Shire Abdi, 21, Anthony Lane, Officer Tracey Nelson said. Abdi tried to pull away as Officer Benjamin Burris was checking the pocket and was immediately handcuffed, Nelson said. "Khat use is most prevalent among immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen," a May 2003 National Drug Intelligence Center bulletin said. "These individuals use the drug in casual settings or as part of religious ceremonies.
"The use of khat is accepted within the Somali, Ethopian and Yemeni cultures. In those countries khat is not a controlled substance and is openly sold at markets." Khat's effects are similar to those of cocaine or methamphetamine but lesser in strength, the report said. Nelson stopped Abdi at 3:41 a.m. after he allegedly made an erratic move while driving on East Depot Street, then drove behind a building on Anthony Lane. Officers noted a strong odor of alcohol on Abdi, who Nelson said admitted having had three beers. Abdi was charged with DUI and violation of the implied consent law.
Excerpt...rest found here: Click here.
Explain the problem of legally bringing in immigrants. I'm no fan of Tyson but what is the problem if it's legal?
Ahh, the Gorgeous Mosaic!
Ha! Take that Springfield!
Muslim immigrants.
A problem if they are Islamists.
My gut reaction is that Tyson brought the Somalians in because they needed cheap labor and didn't want to risk bringing in more illegals. Occam's Razor favors money over revenge.
The melting pot is becoming a toxic stew.
The Somalians are only "cheap labor" if the value of their productivity is much better than the cost of their pay. Stoned folks are not that productive. And have to be paid at least minimum wage
My big question is why we're allowing hords of Somalis into the country?
Considering the fact that extreme violence seems to be the hallmark of khat users, I suspect this new cheap labor is going to cost a great deal.
LOL! I thought of that when I saw the title!
Most likely it won't cost the employer, so no harm done, eh?
On paper, I would imagine a Somalian warm body looks like a Mexican warm body. On the factory floor it may be quite different - or it may not.
I stand by my economic hypothesis. Revenge would be throwing good money after bad.
I spent many hours one long afternoon once in Sa'ana, Yemen,
chewing Qat until my jaw ached and was almost ready to fall off.
The narcotic effects were negligible, like having a a couple of cups of strong coffee.
I would advise those who are tempted to try this drug to stick to espresso.
It tastes better, is easier to imbibe and works faster.
I live close to Columbus Junction, IA, which has a Tyson plant... there are tons of Hispanics (who knows what their status is) but I have yet to see anyone that looks to be Somali. Will keep an eye out now though. Wonder why they didn't take the time to teach the Hispanics english?...;)
IMHO, pure islam is unmeltable.
Islam is to life what antimatter is to matter. Islam is negatively charged and negates or destroys positive living energy.
That would be true if this was the only Tyson plant.
If it serves as a warning to the towns where their other plants are located, that if there's objections to the Mexicans it will result in Somalians being brought in to replace them, then it can be cost effective
Also, you assume that corporate executives always act from rational profit motives, and would never, ever consider doing something unprofitable just to stick it to some people who have f%$#@d with them. I've known a few corporate execs. For too many of them, sticking it to somebody who has messed with them comes first
From p. 47 of "The Hallucinogens", by A. Hoffer and H. Osmond, 1967,
Academic Press.
KHAT (KAT)
Because khat contains ephedrinelike compounds it seems best included
in this section [a setion on Amphetamines]. Lewin (1931) gave a brief
account of khat and how it was used. Apparently it was taken socially
to produce excitation, banish sleep, and promote communication. It was
used as a stimulant to dispel feelings of hunger and fatigue.
The natives chewed young buds and fresh leaves of catha edulis
(_Celastrus edulis_). This is a large shrub which can grow to tree
size. It originated in Ethiopia and spread until its use covered Kenya,
Nyasaland [now Malawi], Uganda, Tanganyika [now Tanzania], Arabia, the
Congo, Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe and Zambia], and South Africa. The khat
trees are grown interspersed between coffee trees.
Khat was used in Yemen even before coffee and it was immensely
popular. Lewin described khat markets to which khat was brought in
bundles of branches from the mountains.
Khat contains cathine (d-norisoephedrine), cathidine, and cathinine.
Cathine is also one of the alkaloids found in _Ephedra vulgaris_. It is
fortunate, perhaps, that khat is also very rich in ascorbic acid which
is an excellent antidote to amphetamine-type compounds.
In animals, khat produces excitation and increased motor activity. In
humans, it is a stimulant producing a feeling of exaltation, a feeling of
being liberated from space and time. It may produce extreme loquacity,
inane laughing, and eventually semicoma. It may also be an euphorient
and used chronically can lead to a form of delirium tremens. Galkin
and Mironychev (1964) reported that up to 80% of the adult population
of Yemen use khat. Upon first chewing khat, the initial effects were
unpleasant and included dizziness, lassitude, tachycardia, and sometimes
epigastric pain. Gradually more pleasant feelings replaced these
inaugural symptoms. The subjects had feelings of bliss, clarity of
thought, and became euphoric and overly energetic. Sometimes khat
produced depression, sleepiness, and then deep sleep. The chronic user
tended to be euphoric continually. In rare cases the subjects became
aggressive and overexcited. Galkin and his colleague observed 51
subjects who had taken khat. Of these, 27 became excited, 18 became
somnolent, and 6 remained unchanged. The respiratory rate and pulse
rate were accelerated and the blood pressure tended to rise. The
subjects also had a decrease in the functional capacity of the
cardiovascular system.
Euphoria...........((ping)).......(((ping)))........((((ping))))
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