Yep, no prizes for guessing this week’s theme is fast gas canisters. But why you might ask? And even what? Well, they’re everywhere for one. After the weekend you always used to see the little metal containers of nitrous oxide in the gutters, scattered like ammo shells on the battlefield. And yet it revealed not fighting in the streets but people partying with balloons. And I know that sounds like an innocent kid’s party but it is far from it..although I do get the impression that it is mainly kids who are getting high with nitrous and when I say kids I mean late teens/20s (yes I am old enough to think of that demographic as kids).

But the little pellets of pleasure are no more and instead you now see these giant fast gas canisters instead. In case you are unaware of this intoxicating experience people are basically using them for a quick buzz. And it is very quick. It gives you a feeling of intense euphoria with a side order in oblivion but it only lasts about 30 seconds. Maybe that’s why they call it fast gas? For the record I have never actually seen anyone use one. I have only seen the leftovers but they sure are getting through a stack of ’em. Especially around here. I am assuming this is happening everywhere but I can’t say for certain. Can anyone confirm if they have found these in their hood as well? I’m just curious..this isn’t an official survey or anything.

The fact that people were getting high off nitrous for me always just proved that some folk will get high no matter what and if they are using products actually designed to make whipped cream then it just goes to show they will do whatever it takes. And that is why you should just legalise everything because illegality sure as shit not stopping anyone. its just driving them to bizarre practises like this.

And I’m definitely not judging anyone’s choice of stimulant, we all do what we gotta do. This ain’t a moral issue, it’s a insight into the needs of the human psyche. The fact that our species has got high since we evolved (and there is a strong argument that we evolved because we got high (( seeTerence Mckenna’s Stoned Ape theory)) just shows that it is integral to our existence.

But my real question is…are the makers of fast gas aware of the miss-use of their product? I mean, they have to be right? They’re making shitloads of sales and they must know that not that many people can be making whipped cream every weekend, right? I mean, we’d all be drowning in the stuff if that were true..they’re not that dumb or naive are they? So I decided to find out. I went onto their website to see what they maintained they were making their product for (yes i still have a lot of time on my hands).

According to the official blurb “one can use these CO2 gas cylinders in various applications, including home brewing, aquariums, specifically for paintball markers, and so much more!” Now to me “so much more!”(exclamation mark very relevant i think) means just one thing..you can get off your face with it too. Am I reading too much into it? I don’t think so. The website’s landing page has this photo on it..

…which to me looks like a girl out at a club raving rather than at home tending to her aquarium or providing cake toppings.

So I guess that concludes this little bit of investigative journalism. No real other purpose other than to shed a lil light on a modern phenomena and I’d amassed all these shots so needed to release them into the world. I find them very photogenic and I love the name which I find ironic as they are always very still when you find them. They actually look quite forlorn at their abandoned spot on the street, used and abused for people’s stimulation needs. Poor things…