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Short Takes

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Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
November
Year
1974
OCR Text

Mellow Yellow Remembered

The former Deputy Director of of the government's Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs reports the "mellow yellow" craze of the "mid 1960's sent dozens of government chemists scurrying to their laboratories.

As John Finlator tells it: "There was a story that came out of the Haight-Ahbury, that there were certain procedures by which you could process banana peels--dry them and smoke them and get a beautiful high."

He continues: "The story was covered by the underground press. "One magazine printed the process. AP and UPI  picked up the story, and people thought there was something to this banana story."

What did the drug authorities do?  Finlator told High Times magazine: "We didn't know what the hell is going on. So we bought 30 pounds of bananas, took them into our laboratories and cooked them and scraped them and smoked them and we did everything else the underground press told us to do."

He says "We really worked on the thing, and after about three months we found that it was a real put-on. It was a beautiful put-on," Finlator adds.--ZODIAC

Jackson State Revisited

A Federal Appeals Court in New Orleans has ruled that Mississippi Police grossly over-reacted when they fired at students on the Jackson State College campus four years ago, killing two students and wounding seven others.

However, the same three judge panel ruled that surviving victims of the shootings may not sue any of the police who were responsible.

The Jackson State killings occurred several days after the Kent State shootings of May 1970. Testimony at a Mississippi trial established that 43 local and state police fired their rifles into a dormitory of black students after several officers allegedly saw  a sniper lurking inside.

The shootings went on for more than a minute despite the fact that no shots were returned from the dormitory.

The Appeals Court panel ruled that although the police were responsible for the killings, they are protected by Mississippi state laws and the U.S. Constitution from being assessed for any damages that resulted. --ZODIAK

US Develops Computer To Control the Weather

The Pentagon is reportedly using a super-computer, known as Illiac IV, to coordinate weather modification as a possible weapon of war. 

The newspaper Newsday reports Illiac IV is part of a project-- code-named Climate Dynamics--which keeps track of 10 years worth of worldwide weather data,

According to Newsday , the Pentagon has already used weather modification to clear away clouds during bombing runs, create acid rain which foul up radar reception and create rains to slow down enemy troops and break up unfriendly demonstrations.

Newsday suggests Illiac IV gives the Pentagon the ability to spot rainstorms heading for enemy  crop areas. Then, says the newspaper, the storms could be intensified to wipe out the crops, or could be steered away so that droughts follow and crops die.--ZODIAC

Short Takes

Chile will receive $85 million in U.S. foreign aid this year, more than any other Latin American country and more than double the amount the U.S. gave Chile during the four years of the Allende regime.

The fascist military regime which rules Brazil will get the next largest amount in foreign aid, $70 million, most of which will be for military purposes.

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The so-called "natural cereals" being sold by the giant breakfast cereal manufacturers contain up to five times the amount of sugar as cornflakes, and are up to four times as expensive per unit of protein.

Of the five largest brands, General Mills' "Nature Valley," Kellog's "Country Morning," Pet's "Heartland," and Quaker Oat's "100%' Natural Cereal" contain at least 20% sugar.

Colgate-Palmolive's "Alpen" has a sugar content of 13% and no more protein per serving than corn flakes, but is three to four times as expensive.

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Bad news for tuna fans.

Consumers Reports says canned tuna fish s commonly contaminated with rodent hairs, pieces of feather and insect parts.

The magazine tested 52 brands of tuna from 16 major distributors, and says it found filth in at least one sample from all three distributors. -LNS

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A decline in the retail price of heroin to a 12-month low and an increase in its purity to a 24-month high indicate the drug's availability is on the upswing again, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration report.

The report, covering January-March 1 974, contends an influx of Mexican heroin into the U.S. has probably created the new availability.

As a result, the DEA contends that heroin-related deaths will probably go up over the next six months.

Wounded Knee Defendants Convicted

Four Wounded Knee defendants have been convicted of conspiracy to interfere with federal officers, the first four convictions the government has won in its 130-