Re: WalMart's War on NyQuil
>And this has been going on for a while. I used to be able to buy 50- and >100-count bottles of generic pseudoephedrine (IIRC this was it...don't >quote me on it), the same ingredient in Actifed, a cold/sinus pill. >These generic bottles have vanished, to be replaced by blister packs of >vastly more expensive pills containing the same ingredient. > I noticed this a few years ago. I occasionally get hit by mold spores. I never considered for a moment that it was a fascist plot ( the pseudafed thing, not the mold spores, but I wonder now. ). I though it was simply a profit-gathering method. I guess it's both. Funny how that works. >Pseudoephedrine is related to speed, and I presume can be used to make >purer forms of speed. > http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/2907-30.html Real ephedrine is easy to grow. Available OTC in most states. Not sure how easy it is to separate ephedrine from a natural source but I'm sure it can be done. Probably too involved for the typical meth-hacker. Other natural plant materials, especially the belladonna alkaloids ( there are three primary ones ) have been used in cold medication in the past ( Contac? ). >We are hurtling toward a full surveillance state. > Yes we are and those responsible deserve, well, what they deserve is your favorite phrase. >--Tim May > Mike
Re: WalMart's War on NyQuil
On Saturday, February 2, 2002, at 12:52 PM, Neil Johnson wrote: > Still believe that the government doesn't snoop in your private life ? > Read > on: > > Everyone in my Family has a bad cold this week. > > So my wife is in Wal-Mart and she has in her cart (among the usually > household items): 1 Box of Advil Cold & Sinus (for my Wife), 1 Bottle of > Children's Tyenol Cold with Cough (for our youngnest), 1 Bottle of > NyQuil > (for me), and 1 Bottle of Children's NyQuil (for our oldest). > > She's checking out when when the words "Limit 3" appears on the cash > register display. The check-out person informs her that this is because > Wal-Mart (in co-operation with law enforcement) is limiting the amount > of > over the counter cold remedies one can buy to prevent their use in the > manufacturing of meth. > > A Friend of my wife's is behind in line and offers to purchase one of > the > cold medicines with her stuff so my wife can check out. The clerk > says to > my wife "I trust you" and let's her pay for 1 bottle as a separate > transaction. > > Needless to say my wife was pretty embarrassed. Why would she possibly be embarrassed over something like this? And this has been going on for a while. I used to be able to buy 50- and 100-count bottles of generic pseudoephedrine (IIRC this was it...don't quote me on it), the same ingredient in Actifed, a cold/sinus pill. These generic bottles have vanished, to be replaced by blister packs of vastly more expensive pills containing the same ingredient. Pseudoephedrine is related to speed, and I presume can be used to make purer forms of speed. But all of the pills I saw were in blister packs, in big boxes, with a limited count. (My guess is that there is some packaging rule and "bulk" rule, to blister pack and "fluff up" the package. I recall the blister packs I bought had 3 sheets of 6 or so pills, for a total of about 18 pills. All for much more than the 50-count bottles used to sell for at Long's or Sav-On stores.) Perhaps the manufacturers are happy: no longer are the generic bottles competing with them. What would happen if a manufacturer sold the 18-count packages at the same per--pill price as they used to sell for? I wonder if there are price controls in effect, or other limits besides just the obvious packaging and total count limits. > > I've got to wonder how effective this really is, and if now my family > is some > sort of "potential drug manufacturers" database with the government. Unlikely, but this should be a reminder to you and others not to pay with credit cards and not to use a store's "Frequent Shopper" surveillance card. (I wonder what happens if one "seeks to evade tracking" by using someone else's card, or a card with a phony name, or one swapped with others? Nothing now, as there is no legal requirement nor verification system in place to stop people from using "Random J. Cipher" on their Frequent Shopper cards...that happens to be what's now on my Safeway card, courtesy of a "mix" we did a few years ago at a Cypherpunks meeting.) We are hurtling toward a full surveillance state. --Tim May "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists." --John Ashcroft, U.S. Attorney General
Re: WalMart's War on NyQuil
At 02:52 PM 2/2/2002 -0600, Neil Johnson wrote: >Still believe that the government doesn't snoop in your private life ? Read >on: > >Everyone in my Family has a bad cold this week. > >So my wife is in Wal-Mart and she has in her cart (among the usually >household items): 1 Box of Advil Cold & Sinus (for my Wife), 1 Bottle of >Children's Tyenol Cold with Cough (for our youngnest), 1 Bottle of NyQuil >(for me), and 1 Bottle of Children's NyQuil (for our oldest). Suggest you bypass these symptomatic cold remedies and choose the only current one which really has the promise of treating the illness: Zicam gel zinc nasal spray. Carried by almost all druggist and many supermarkets (cheapest at Costco, 2 for about $12.50). My understanding is that the zinc coats and blocks the surface of the membranes targeted by the viruses. My wife tried it last month and it reduced her cold to only a few days with few symptoms (besides sneezing brought on by the spray). Your mileage may vary. steve
WalMart's War on NyQuil
Still believe that the government doesn't snoop in your private life ? Read on: Everyone in my Family has a bad cold this week. So my wife is in Wal-Mart and she has in her cart (among the usually household items): 1 Box of Advil Cold & Sinus (for my Wife), 1 Bottle of Children's Tyenol Cold with Cough (for our youngnest), 1 Bottle of NyQuil (for me), and 1 Bottle of Children's NyQuil (for our oldest). She's checking out when when the words "Limit 3" appears on the cash register display. The check-out person informs her that this is because Wal-Mart (in co-operation with law enforcement) is limiting the amount of over the counter cold remedies one can buy to prevent their use in the manufacturing of meth. A Friend of my wife's is behind in line and offers to purchase one of the cold medicines with her stuff so my wife can check out. The clerk says to my wife "I trust you" and let's her pay for 1 bottle as a separate transaction. Needless to say my wife was pretty embarrassed. I've got to wonder how effective this really is, and if now my family is some sort of "potential drug manufacturers" database with the government.
