Tue, Jun 3, 2014 at 7:03 AM

 click to enlarge Shulgin, left, via Charlie Llewellin/Flickr

 Before Pihkal, we had a real good relationship with the DEA. They have few people they can talk to who are on the other side of the fence who are honest.

 click to enlarge Shulgin in younger days via Lorenzo Tlacaelel/Flickr

 Sasha Shulgin died at 5pm this afternoon. He was a psychedelic chemist, a visionary, and a cognitive liberty advocate. He was also a dear friend, mentor, and role model to Earth & me (Fire).

 We were lucky to know him.

 He spent three decades synthesizing new psychedelic drugs in his California backyard lab, and he was credited with creating more than 100 previously unknown psychoactive compounds, but he was best known for a drug he didn't invent:Ecstasy.Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, who in the 1970s rescued the circa-1912 pharmaceutical from obscurity by suggesting it would be viable for mental therapy, died yesterday at the age of 88, the organization Erowid announced:The former Dow Chemical Co. research chemist synthesized drugs with the approval of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which gave him a license to analyze narcotics so that he could be an expert witness.He said he invented more than 150 drugs while he also worked a day job as a scientific consultant after leaving Dow.The Bay Area resident was of particular use in cases where the compounds were exotic or rare: Few "designer drugs" appeared to be outside his expertise and, often, he was their inventor."A lot of the materials in Schedule I are my invention," Shulgin once told us. "I'm not sure if it's a point of pride or a point of shameThe booksandcataloged Shulgin's recipes. But after this reporter profiled Shulgin in the Los Angeles Times the DEA got cold feet about the arrangement.Wife Ann told us back then that the souring had been a few years in the making:The feds' objections were too late, though, and the chemist became an icon just as the rave scene - particularly massive in L.A. - adopted the tactile, feel-good drug as its own."I still haven't found anything like it to this day," Shulgin told us in '95.Ecstasy was outlawed by the federal government in 1985 , after it had already become somewhat of a club drug in Dallas and beyond.Shulgin moved on to other compounds, trying each one himself or allowing trusted friends to partake for research purposes."Inventing new psychoactive drugs," Ann said to us, "is like composing new music."One drug that Shulgin called 5-TOM had a paralyzing effect, he said. But he wasn't afraid. He believed it was all worth it in the name of human discovery. And he wanted drugs like ecstasy legalized.Erowid said Shulgin had been "battling various illnesses" for several years and was recently diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He had a stroke in 2010, the organization said.In announcing his death, Erowid described him this way: Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Dennis Romero on Twitter at @dennisjromero . Follow LA Weekly News on Twitter at @laweeklynews ||||| Alexander Shulgin and the author.

 A collage entitled Psychedelic Cuddle by Shulgin enthusiast William Rafti. Rafti also designs tattoos and blotter art.

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 1 A place where, I have a feeling, he has “tasted” many a psychedelic with various captains of industry. According to one friend, he was spotted offering to teach the head of Boeing “a new way to fly.”

 π

 π

 π

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 2 “Fungi,” “fungus,” and “funguses,” with special attention paid to the variant pronunciations of “fungi”—“fun-gee” and “fun-guy.” It should be noted these questions come from a man who published a two-page editorial in the Journal of Clinical Toxicology dedicated to how irksome it is when people incorrectly pluralize the word “amphetamine.” The implication being that this grammatical error is the most heinous amphetamine abuse of all. So please, in the future remember Adderall contains amphetamine, not amphetamines.

 A friendly reminder to the DEA should they try to harass Shulgin.

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 3 Shulgin’s first chemical modification to the mescaline molecule was the addition of a single carbon atom to the ethylamine side chain, which produced an amphetamine called TMA. From there he developed TMA-2 through TMA-6. They became moderately popular psychedelics in Japan and the US, and TMA-6 remains an unscheduled substance. Shulgin enjoyed TMA-6, although he felt “toasting the toast in the toaster was difficult.”

 Inside the Pyrex jungle.

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 4 Shulgin created a series of sulfur-containing psychedelic amphetamines named after the Hebrew letter א . ALEPH-1 was the first. True to his method of vigilant titration, his first dose was 250 nanograms. Over the course of 18 trials he worked up to a single milligram. It detonated an intellectual hydrogen bomb in his prefrontal cortex.

 A shelf of reagents, solvents, and a large jar of piperonal—one precursor for MDA.

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 5 2C-B is the archetypal Shulgin psychedelic. It possesses all the qualities he searched for throughout his carrier. 2C-B is potent, warm, corporeal, associative, shows no signs of physical toxicity, and has a short duration, ideal for psychotherapy. It is also extremely “erotic.” Shulgin said, “If there is anything ever found to be an effective aphrodisiac, it will probably be patterned after 2C-B in structure.” It was, unfortunately, made illegal after a brief stint as a legal sex enhancer and widespread distribution under the name Ubulawu Nomathotholo by South African shamans (an incredible story for another time).

 The author touching a specimen of Trichocereus bridgesii forma monstrose, aka the penis cactus. It was very “erotic.”

 It’s never easy to say goodbye.

 I love Alexander Shulgin. I’ve loved him from the first moment I read about him. He is my idol, my hero, my sun, my O2. I love each of the 978 pages of his phenethylamine magnum opus,), and every milligram of his 1.13-kilogram tryptamine treatise,). Above my bed I’ve pinned a large picture of Shulgin cuddling with his wife, Ann. I often sleep with a copy ofnot under my pillow, buta pillow. He is the grandfather of Ecstasy, the molecular magician, the atomic conquistador. Over the span of 50 years he has created more new psychedelic drugs than the Amazon jungle ever has. He is more of a mythological creature, a chemical centaur, than he is a real person. But he does exist, as I am about to attest.After years of preparation I called the Shulgin residence, ostensibly for an interview. It was the sort of call that you prepare for by jotting down an index card’s worth of dialogue. The type of event that requires careful pre-call meditative deep breathing, positive affirmation, autohypnotic closed-eye success visualizations, and as many as five throat clears. I somehow managed to dial the number and, while I listened to the ring-back chirp two-second bursts of perfectly overlapping sinusoidal waves followed by four-second stretches of exophthalmic silence and yet another sinusoidal ring-back tone, my nose actually began towith anticipation. The call was answered by Ann.We had a conversation; she called me “honey,” which I enjoyed tremendously, and unexpectedly had a New Zealand accent. Ann told me that Sasha (Shulgin’s friends call him this) no longer grants interviews—he’s conserving his limited energy to finish his last book and work in the lab. After hearing this, I carefully explained that I did not specifically require an interview. I just wanted a meeting, an informal conversation. Eventually it was decided that I could visit for a few hours before an electrocardiogram appointment. She reminded me that he really does not give interviews anymore and if my meeting with him were to turn into one, it would be his last. I was elated.Although Alexander Shulgin is not exactly a household name, he is unquestionably the most important psychedelic chemist who has ever lived. Those who do know of him are usually only familiar with his role in the rediscovery and popularization of MDMA. But MDMA is just one of 100-plus unique chemicals that compose Shulgin’s pharmacopeia, which extends so far into the unknown that he often has to invent new terms to describe the effects (“eye romp” is one of my favorites). The drugs are selective auditory and tactile hallucinogens, psychedelics that dilate time or send the user into a state of amnesiac confusion, antidepressants, aphrodisiacs, stimulants, empathogens, entactogens, neurotoxins, and at least one very profitable insecticide. They are also some of the most valuable medicines known to man, and although only a fraction of them have been formally studied, they are the best tools we have for understanding the chemical composition of the human mind.Shulgin’s career started at the Dow Chemical Company, where he made a name for himself synthesizing Zectran, the first biodegradable insecticide. After this success he was given freedom to work on chemicals of his choosing. He chose psychedelics and went on to create an amphetamine called DOM, which at the time was second only to LSD in potency. A single large dose could last a solid 48 hours. In 1967, Brooklynite chemist Nick Sand realized the drug’s market potential. He built an industrial laboratory in San Francisco where he cooked DOM in a 150-gallon soup vessel and sold it by the kilo to the Hells Angels, who rode across America unleashing tens of thousands of excessively potent 20-mg DOM tablets on the public. The influx caused hordes of hippies to freak out at the Golden Gate Park Human Be-In.Meanwhile, less than a block from Tompkins Square Park, the NYPD busted down the door of a psychedelic chapel called the Church of the Mystifying Elation in an early-morning raid. Police seized $8 million worth of psychedelics, including 1,500 doses of DOM, two marijuana plants, and “numerous mattresses.” Stories of emergency-room DOM freak-outs abounded in the press; one user in Manhattan ingested a dose and ritualistically performed seppuku, disemboweling himself with a samurai sword on Mother’s Day. At this point the drug was still largely unidentified and was alternately reported in theto be a relative of a secret military nerve gas or as the “caviar of psychedelic drugs.” Eventually it was realized that DOM was the product of legitimate pharmaceutical research conducted by a then-unnamed chemist at Dow. Unsurprisingly, this made Dow very unhappy. Once the source was identified, Shulgin’s ties to the company were severed.Free from Dow, Shulgin set up a personal laboratory in his backyard and began researching drugs with complete independence and with the realization that the chemicals he created had the potential to find their way into the heads of at least 1 million people. He tested each new compound personally and, if he deemed it worthy, on his wife and friends, with a special emphasis on the sex-enhancing properties of psychedelics (or as he calls it, “the erotic”). Over the course of 50 years, he completed the most exhaustive examination of psychedelic structures ever accomplished and manufactured an array of drugs that rivals the output of many large pharmaceutical companies. All the while he has maintained his sanity and gentlemanly composure by playing the viola, teaching university classes, and attending elite soirees at Bohemian Grove.When I arrived at Shulgin’s home in Lafayette, California, he was peacefully sitting at the kitchen table. I walked through the sliding glass door, greeted him, and then embraced him, which produced a euphoria far greater than that of MDMA and a time dilation more profound than the effects of 2C-T-4. We disengaged and, without pause, he began to riddle me: “Can you name the two words in the English language that begin with two consecutive a’s?”I thought for a moment before answering, “Aardvark is one…”“Yes, good, and the other?”“I don’t know, I can’t think of another.”He bent down his head and said in a low whisper, “.”“Aardwolf?” I asked, and with that he had already risen from his chair and shuffled into the hallway to retrieve a giant yellow dictionary, which he dropped onto the kitchen table and pushed toward me. Sure enough, it’s there, and on his prompt I read the definition aloud:-'wu·lf·-lvz [Affric, fr.earth + wolf; akin to OEwolf–more at WOLF]a hyenalike quadruped of South Africa having a striped coat, five-toed forefeet, and a distinct mane, feeds chiefly on carrion and insects (as termites), and is usu. placed in thethough formerly separated in another family ().an (extremely) unexpected nonpsychedelic-related thing, which confuses me [see more at I’M NOT PREPARED FOR THIS].“OK,” Shulgin said, satisfied. “We’ve solved that problem. But now, for example, do you know what a lowena is?”“No, what’s that?” I asked credulously.“It’s the opposite of a highena.”“Aha!” I urinated a microliter in my pants and changed the subject. “I brought you a peach pie. Would you like a slice?”He answered the question with another question: “How many numbers are to the right of the decimal point in?”“Just one.” I had nervously confused right and left, but Shulgin immediately adjusted his line of questioning.“OK, so what is the value of? 3.14159265… But how many numbersappear in front of the decimal point inor in any rational number?”“Potentially an infinite amount of numbers.”“Right, and how large is this infinity?”“Excuse me?”“Howis this?”“That’s a difficult question to answer,” I replied.“I’ll give you another question and let you do a comparison: How many numbers are there to the right of the decimal point? One? An infinite number? Not only an infinite number but an infinitely larger infinite number.”“How can? OK, wait…”From there on our conversation wound through similar territory. We spoke mostly in riddles, including but not limited to numerical palindromes, hyphenated palindromes (or the lack thereof), SI units of mass with an emphasis on the femtogram, words that begin with the letterand words that begin with the sound, the ambiguities of cactus identification, the correct pluralization of the word “fungus” (of which there are three variations and four pronunciations), and an analysis of the peach pie I brought as a hypothetical new psychedelic drug (5-MeO-PEACHPIE). I was asked to calculate an appropriate portion for my first taste. After extrapolating data from its closest analog (5-MeO-APPLEPIE), we decided on a one-femtogram slice (for safety reasons). Then he put his sandals on over his black socks, picked up his silver cane, and asked, “Should we go to the lab?”Before we left, Ann brought out a large, frosty pitcher of strawberry lemonade. I had to remind myself that this was Ann Shulgin—the woman who pioneered the practice of MDMA psychotherapy—who in this very house, perhaps in this room, used MDMA and 2C-B to treat everything from nitrous-oxide addiction to demonic possession (or, technically, postexorcism demonic harassment), often with patients finding themselves cured in ways that years of conventional talk therapy could have only begun to remedy. I sipped some of her lemonade, gazed past their Huichol yarn paintings through a window that perfectly framed the two-humped Mount Diablo, and sighed. “I hope you don’t mind my using my bare hands,” Ann said as she dropped additional ice cubes into my glass. “Not at all,” I said. I wouldn’t have minded if the ice cubes were dropped into my cup with her bare feet.After sipping and savoring some lemonade, I took a nystagmic walk down the hall and entered the bathroom. The wallpaper’s lattice of black diamonds is the very same pattern that reached out and shook Shulgin’s hand during the first trials of TMA-6.As I stood over the powder-blue toilet attempting to pee, I pondered the contents of his septic tank—a pharmacokinetic treasure trove, which undoubtedly contains the world’s most diverse collection of psychedelic urinary and fecal metabolites!Even Shulgin’s modestly sized burgundy terrycloth hand towels and wintergreen mouth rinse demanded my attention. I could hardly pee.I left the bathroom to find Shulgin waiting in the backyard. We walked down the glittering stone path to his laboratory. The sun was shining through the leaves, casting shadows on his gargantuan collection of psychedelic cacti, including an enviable(a spineless phalliformic mescaline cactus, also known as the penis plant). We passed a coiled garden hose, which Shulgin once notionally unraveled while testing the effects of ALEPH-1, and crossed over a small metal bridge as the lab became visible. Overgrown with vines, it was a patchwork cottage of corrugated metal and plastic that emanated the sharp, musty scent of DMT. As he opened the door, he exclaimed, “Ho-ho-ho!”The lab was a Pyrex jungle, a barrage of borosilicate, a bevy of beakers, a bouquet of burettes, all manner of vulcanized rubber bung. Desiccation bells, pinned butterflies, and mason jars crammed with a slurry of what I could only guess were pickled mushrooms. Pressed behind a sheet of glass were three blades of ryegrass infected with deep purple fingers of, the fungal precursor to LSD and the mold responsible for the medieval scourge of Saint Anthony’s Fire. On his blackboard was a diagram of a yet-to-be-synthesized molecule, which I recognized as 3,4-MD-4-methylaminorex—a derivative of the highly euphoric psychostimulant 4-methylaminorex that, in the mid-80s, attained cult-drug status under the name U4E-uh. Beneath the molecular diagram was the simple caption “MAKE ME!”There was a collection of round-bottomed flasks on the table, each containing a small scab of impure tryptamine crust. One flask was labeled 5-MeO-MALT, another 5-MeO-NALT. Shulgin began to explain, “DALT is the first one—it’s the diallyl—and the methylallyl is MALT. Then EALT and then,” he puckered his lips and pushed out a plosive, “PALT and iso-PALT and so forth. 5-MeO-DALT was an active compound, so I’m pursuing that line further. Usually they wait about four years after I get something out that becomes popular, and then they make it illegal. But I sent the synthesis for 5-MeO-DALT to a friend. He put it on the internet, and one month later it was synthesized in China and sent via Europe to this country. Now it’s available on the street!”A bit of background on that statement: On May 24, 2004, Shulgin sent an email to a psychonaut named Murple regarding the synthesis and effects of 5-MeO-DALT. He formatted the description in the style of aentry and said that it would be included in his forthcoming book. That same day, Murple posted the 5-MeO-DALT synthesis on his personal website. On June 25, it became openly available from a gray-market laboratory for $200 per gram. On September 25, 2004, three months after the chemical hit the market, the first-recorded 5-MeO-DALT overdose occurred when a Floridian user accidentally ingested 225 mg (more than 11 times the maximum dose Shulgin tested) in the midst of Hurricane Jeanne. He survived the experience and shared numinous insights such as “Ozzy and the like do not mix well at all with this substance.”If Shulgin whispers even a word of praise about a new drug, it is almost guaranteed to traverse international borders within a few months. If someone dies after taking one of these substances, there will be irresponsible media coverage, public outrage, and hurried scheduling by various drug-enforcement agencies. The UK went so far as to ban the entire roster of drugs presented inin a single act. Despite his detractors, Shulgin firmly believes that his research must remain openly available for educational purposes—whether it’s DEA officers or DXM addicts. But there is one instance where Shulgin deemed his chemical revelations too enlightening for public consumption. While testing an amphetamine he christened ALEPH-1, he wrote in his notebook, “Tell NO ONE about this drug so that it can never be identified and there can be no moves made to destroy it… Persisting in scientific publication in all peripheral areas as subterfuge, diversion. Keep all progressive work in my appendices. Code them ‘SH’—too informative.” It was “too informative” because Shulgin believes ALEPH-1 is the “essence of power”and if the DEA discovered it they would attempt to destroy it. When I asked him whether he has ever felt that way since, he quickly said, “No, you must publish.” But part of me wonders whether there is in fact a special notebook labeled “SH” stashed away somewhere on a cobwebbed shelf.Later in the day, Paul D., Shulgin’s collaborator, joined us. He has known Shulgin for decades and began assisting him in the lab last year. I asked Paul whether he had tried any of the new tryptamines they were currently working on, and he shook his head, “No, Sasha isthe first to taste new materials.” The reason Shulgin is always the first to experience his creations is completely altruistic. Should a chemical have an unexpected toxic effect, such as inducing a seizure, he wants to protect his family and friends. Although I suspect there is another reason Shulgin likes to have the first taste: The sensation of synthesizing a completely unknown drug and ingesting it, a sensation that can only happen one time, is clearly druglike in and of itself. It’s the breaking of a transdimensional, neurochemical hymen. In a sense, it’s the one drug he keeps coming back to. Ask Shulgin what his favorite psychedelic is and he will say “2C-B”without hesitation. Ask him how many times he has taken it and he’ll say “a few.” This is a guy who has had approximately 10,000 psychedelic experiences. No drug, not even his cherished 2C-B, tastes better than the untasted.Eventually Paul brought in dozens of green cardboard boxes full of chemicals. They contained a physical history of Shulgin’s entire pharmacopeia. A life’s work corked up in three-dram vials. The collection wastantalizing and borderline pornographic. My heart rate increased and my brow began to perspire, as I tried my hardest to avoid undignified Tex Avery-type behaviors like panting, making ansound, or letting my eyeballs fall out of my head. He removed the lid, revealing 100 alphanumerically indexed cells that housed glass vials, with conspicuous lacunae once occupied by Schedule I drugs. Each vial’s gummed label was hand-inscribed with a small molecular diagram. Many of these substances don’t exist anywhere else in the known universe. Shulgin is not only a chemist, he is a collector. Early in his career he ambitiously sought to accumulate every psychoactive drug in the world but eventually realized he couldn’t keep up. According to the index card, the (partial) contents of the single box Paul opened included trichocereine, crude curare, isomescaline, amphetamine, R-DOM, MDMA, DET, DiPT, scopolamine, benz-phetamine, d-methamphetamine, aspirin, berberine, physostigmine, papaverine, pipradol, aconite, thebane, pilocarpine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, several forensic samples of PCP dated and labeled “illicit PCP 1975,” and my dear old friend Ritalin.Outside the lab Paul was sorting through another box of boxes, which contained at least 1,000 additional vials. “These are mostly chemical intermediates—a trimethoxybenzaldehyde oil,” he said as he uncorked one and held a sample of black goo to his nose for a sniff. “It has an interesting smell,” he remarked as he passed it to me. I closed one nostril and took a hard whiff. It smelled like Vicks VapoRub and sent a horrific pulse of nausea through my body, which was accompanied by an instantaneous pounding headache. Still, I’m glad to have allowed a few femtograms of chemical from Shulgin’s collection into my bloodstream. Paul continued, “This is 2-ethoxy-benzaldehyde.” He took another sniff and passed the vial to me as if we were assessing the bouquet of a fine wine. “More intermediates in the production of amphetamines and phenethylamines…” He pulled out a vial full of canary-yellow crystals and began deciphering the molecular structure on the label. “This is a diphenyl…” I craned my neck over the vial, totally hypnotized until Shulgin exclaimed, “Let’s go and have some lunch!” Paul stayed behind while we walked back to the house and I enjoyed a piping-hot pizza with Ann, while Shulgin opted for an egg-salad-on-white-bread sandwich. It was a very casual, nervous, and astonishing midsummer lunch with the greatest psychedelic chemist in the world. Suddenly Paul burst into the room, short of breath: “A team of scientists in Japan just discovered a 12-step total synthesis of Salvinorin A!” Everybody began to murmur; Shulgin was impressed. “Oh my, that’s a difficult one,” he said. “A real treasure of symmetry. You know, Salvinorin has 128 possible isomers.” I wished the day would never end.I sat looking at (and possibly ogling) Shulgin chewing his egg-salad sandwich and thought about the superhuman influence his work endued on the world. The hundreds of deaths, millions of freak-outs, tens of billions of dollars exchanged of which he has not received a dime, cumulative millennia of prison sentences, trillions of transformative experiences, decaliters of joy tears, decibels of laughter, and so forth. I wanted to tell him how much he has changed my life; I wanted to offer him 1,000 screaming genuflections of gratitude for everything that has happened to me on substances he has created and championed. My bed collapsing while I was on 2C-B. Being cradled like a child by a computer programmer as I lay dying on DOC. Biting a crisp Red Delicious in the seminary on 2C-E. Finding a nippy jug of milk on a stoop and being attacked by a dog on DiPT. The Central Park portrait artist who drew me as if I were Enrique Iglesias on 4-HO-MiPT. Memorizing the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram on 2C-D. Burying my face in a sopping-wet wig I found on the floor of a taxi on 4-HO-MET. These were all holy and wonderful things that I wanted to tell him. I would not be capable of giving him enough thanks.Near the end of our meeting, I asked whether I could look through the lab once more while the Shulgins finished their meal. I was granted permission and went back to touch and smell and examine things in silence. There may be empty slots in the green boxes where the 5-MeO-DiPT, 2C-B, DOB, and DOM once stood—they are the scars that his collection bears—but there is no way to retract a molecule. The fact that he has created these chemicals and published their syntheses ensures their survival. It’s no wonder he is still tripping at 84. In fact, he said that his newest creation, 5-MeO-MALT, is showing activity at 1.8 mg, which suggests it may be quite potent. But he also said that, as he has grown older, the dose required to produce an effect has decreased significantly. “Threshold effects?” I asked. He pauses for a moment. “Oh, ‘effects.’ I thought you said ‘sex’!”If, indeed, this non-interview was Shulgin’s last interview, it left me partially unfulfilled. I still have so many questions. But my visit with the Shulgins made me realize that maybe it’s time to answer my own questions. Which is fair and good, a gift even. He has, after all, answered more than enough. Regardless, it was difficult for me to leave his lab. I wanted to hide in the trash can or climb a tree; I really didn’t want this story to end. ||||| It's quite a trip to visit maverick pharmacologist Dr Alexander Shulgin and his collaborator and wife, Ann, at their rustic home in California. It is a warm secluded place far from the UK's current controversy over drugs, fuelled by newspaper campaigns to legalise cannabis backed by Richard Branson, by Kevin Williamson's book Drugs And The Party Line (a scathing attack on drugs policy printed on hemp) and the Scotland Against Drugs campaign.

 Sasha Shulgin, as he introduces himself, is the proud godfather of Ecstasy, the hit drug of so many raves. A respected chemist, his relationship with the substance started surprisingly long ago, in the 1970s, when a colleague sent him the 1912 German patent for what was then a little-known drug called methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). He synthesised and tested the orphan compound - Merck, the drug company, had never used it commercially - and has been raving about it ever since. Three years ago, for example, it was Sasha's expert testimony that led Spanish authorities to categorise it as one of the least harmful drugs.

 Sasha has invented about a hundred other mind-altering substances, no mean feat since there may only be around 200 synthetics out there, not counting nature's own hallucinogens - magic mushrooms, peyote cacti, toad venom and the red beans of the Arizona and New Mexico Indians, among others. And for decades Sasha, 72, and Ann, a 66-year-old writer and researcher originally from New Zealand, have also imbibed psychedelics. In the name of science, they have taken assiduous notes on their trips, especially the benefits, ranging from increased self-awareness, compassion or spirituality to relaxation and great sex.

 Indeed their 'Farm,' as they jokingly call the shambolic place, has been the site of years of radical group research. After they had worked up a new mind-expanding compound, they would bring in eight or so fellow believers - from physicians to psychologists, scientists to businessmen - to test it and record their reactions. Until recently, however, the Shulgins were barely known beyond the world of government-controlled psycho-pharmacology.

 Their white wooden home, with a panoramic view to the east, sits atop the dry hills that stretch inland from the college town of Berkeley. Suburban drivers whiz down the four-lane road at the end of narrow Shulgin Road, so named because Sasha's family has owned the land since leaving Russia 50-odd years ago.

 For more than 15 years, Sasha held a rare government licence allowing him to study and synthesise illegal drugs. He has testified as an expert on both sides of drug trials and wrote the classic reference book on US law and drugs, Controlled Substances: Chemical And Legal Guide To Federal Drug Laws. Then, six years ago, and to the dismay of the authorities, the Shulgins declared their love of psychedelics and belief that all drugs should be legal.

 Adamant that their life's work should never disappear, they published a landmark book, the 1,000-page, oddly-titled Pihkal: A Chemical Love Story. The acronym stands for Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved, and refers to a drug family that includes Sasha's beloved and already-illegal Ecstasy or MDMA. It contains recipes for 180 mind-bending chemicals and notes on the 'highs', often with artistic references and Ann's Jungian take on experience. Pihkal gained a cult readership, although the recipes are gobbledygook for amateurs. In its third print run, it has sold more than 21,000 copies, which is remarkable for a self-published book.

 The Shulgins are now in the news again. To the fury of drug officials on both sides of the Atlantic, they have just published a second book, Tihkal: The Continuation, which covers the 'tryptamines' from toad venom and magic mushrooms to LSD. In the first month, they sold 3,500 copies through their Transform Press in Berkeley, a figure boosted by a rave review in New York's Village Voice. At a certain point, they say they will simply publish it on the Internet as they did with Pihkal. Their aim is not to make money but to release the psychedelic genie from the bottle by disseminating their know-how irreversibly. They give copies out, only asking you to pass them on to others who might be interested. 'It can't be exterminated now,' says Sasha.

 Perhaps it's not surprising that the late Timothy Leary said the Shulgins are among the century's most important scientists. And Albert Hofmann, the inventor of LSD, is a friend with whom Sasha co-wrote the introduction to a 1977 book on hallucinogens by Aldous Huxley entitled Moksha, from the Hindu term for spiritual awakening.

 Drug-induced states, argue Sasha and Ann, are so intrinsic to human nature that the use of intoxicants such as tobacco, opium, cannabis, coffee or alcohol can be traced back to the dawn of time. They advocate legalising all drugs, addictive or not. It should be a matter for personal choice, they say, something that is taxed but as available as tobacco and booze. Drug-related crime would drop, drug-fighting money would be saved and drug use might even fall without the attraction of illicitness. The only laws needed, Sasha says, would be to prevent people driving when high, drugging someone else without their permission, or giving substances to children. Drug users who get into trouble should be helped, not treated like criminals, adds Ann, as are people addicted to valium or alcohol.

 Shulgin with his wife Ann at their home in Lafayette, California, USA in 2002. Photograph: Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns

 Has this argument become truly prophetic, a much-needed scientifically-informed salvo in a one-sided debate? Perhaps spiritual awakening, relaxation and chemical freedom should be within everyone's grasp, especially since life is so harsh. Or is the Shulgins' view well-intentioned but irresponsible - a sort of heroin chic for middle-class libertarians, another take on Andre Breton's 'derangement of the senses' from two utterly charming but idiosyncratic advocates? After all William Burroughs, trying to kick junk, tracked down the psychedelic 'ayahuasca' in South America in the hopes of substituting a new addiction. The 'yage' ceremonies were like night-long raves. But he later asked if dropping acid is like opening a door: once you've found it why keep reopening it over and over again? On a sunny afternoon, Sasha and Ann serve sandwiches and cake on their patio. In the middle of the table, next to the potato salad, is a Bolivian cactus growing in a pot. It's hallucinogenic rather than decorative, something you learn is true of almost every plant within a stone's throw of their house.

 Sasha's pharmaceutical calling came in, of all places, Liverpool. Two decades before the psychedelia of the 1960s, his epiphany was nothing to do with the Beatles' Yellow Submarine or Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds. He was in the US navy and had been whisked to hospital for an emergency operation. 'Goofed up' on Royal Navy rum, morphine and a barbiturates, he says he was given orange juice and was so convinced he was being re-drugged, he fell unconsciousness for too long. 'It was the ultimate placebo effect,' he recalls excitedly. 'I got interested in how you can modify the mind, how you can find out what's going on.' For years, Sasha worked as a scientist at Dow Chemical, although he had taken a psychedelic, mescaline, back in the 1950s. 'I saw colours I had never seen before,' he says.

 Ann, who experimented with mescaline-laced peyote at around the same time, adds: 'It opens up doors you wouldn't even know were there otherwise. It was a very extraordinary, sacred experience - everything you look at is infused with light.' On the way to Sasha's laboratory, he points out an acacia tree with psycho-active bark - DMT, often the source for an intoxicating snuff in the Caribbean and South America - and a mint used by Mexican Indians that he says often gives the user an 'out of body' or astral experience.

 His lab is cobweb-entangled and autumn leaves are piled in the corners. Drawers are crammed with beakers and test-tubes. On the wall near an old fireplace is a Voodoo doll Sasha says he uses to invoke a certain copper reaction.

 What about bad trips? I ask 'Oh, they're real,' he replies. 'Even in the research group, we'd have idiosyncratically-sensitive people.' Once, a friend became temporarily paralysed on one of Sasha's creations, 5-TOM. 'A pretty heavy-duty experience,' says PIHKAL. 'The consensus is that it wasn't worth the struggle.' The war on drugs, he says, is a waste of money, more to do with political control, profit-making and fear of the unknown than medical or social concerns. 'Is MDMA a dangerous drug?' he fumes. 'It's been used so much in the UK, and there's been one death in a million.' 'Recreational' heroin at your local off-licence? 'It's highly addictive, but perhaps not quite as much as tobacco,' he says.

 Think about recreation, says Ann. 'Re-creation. Young people grow up in big cities, they have to be so street-wise and untrusting. At a rave, that can drop away, leaving a sense of sharing and commitment with people they just met.' As if on cue, one of their fellow researchers drops by. Tony Sargent is a retired chemist who used to run radiology experiments at the respected Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. He's now a wine-maker, and is dressed with a casual conservatism- quite a contrast to Sasha with his Einstein hair and baggy ethnic-patterned shirt. They talk about psychedelics and how pharmacologists used to describe them as creating a temporary psychosis. Sasha is recalling a scan on the brain activity of schizophrenics, or 'schitzies' as he calls them. But surely you can't liken taking a drug voluntarily to a psychosis that can condemn someone to a life of isolation? Later, Ann will announce that a new crate of cacti has arrived. One of the Shulgins' means of staying ahead of the authorities is to work with psycho-active substances that are not yet categorised or outlawed. They are preparing their third book, tentatively called Qihkal, the 'Q' standing for quinolines, the hallucinogenic substance in cacti. Since many of the plants originate in Central or South America, they are not properly classified by Western botanists let alone pharmacologists.

 A few days later, we talk on the phone. The Shulgins are excited about reports from a forum for police on 'more pragmatic approaches' to substance abuse at the conservative Hoover Institution, at Stanford University. Former Secretary of State George Shultz and Nobel economist Milton Friedman had told the police that America's war on drugs is a failure that has led to massive, cruel imprisonment, inner-city destruction and widespread drug gangs that thrive on high profits and violence.

 For all their shamanistic talk, the Shulgins have experienced the war on drugs first-hand. Twice in 1994, US agents searched their home and lab, in part because drug officials were livid about the publication of Pihkal. Unable to halt the Shulgins' books because of the First Amendment, the authorities instead fined them Dollars 25,000 and made Sasha relinquish his drug-handling licence.

 They might have had cold feet sooner had they known his dedication. Sasha estimates he has popped 200 or so psychedelics not of his own invention. And he has invented 100 or so psychedelics, some potent enough to get street credibility or to be used by maverick psychotherapists - 2C-B, DOM or STP, the now-illegal DOB and DOI. Ethical and sincere in his beliefs, Sasha tried them first on himself, as did Hofmann with LSD and Salk with the polio vaccine. With a subversive-sounding chuckle, he makes a final charming quip: 'Oh, so many drugs and so little time.' So little time indeed, and there must quite a few out there who wish his calling were inventing a vaccine for Aids. ||||| Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, psychedelic pioneer, RIP

 Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, maverick chemist, psychedelic pioneer, and inspiring human being, died yesterday at 88 years old. Sasha is best known for popularizing MDMA (Ecstasy) and introducing it to the psychological community, and synthesizing hundreds of new psychoactive chemicals that he first tested on himself. His scientific research is detailed in a huge output of papers and books including the seminal tomes TIHKAL and PIHKAL, co-authored with his wife and research partner Ann Shulgin.

 As Sasha once said, everyone deserves "the license to explore the nature of his own soul."

 Sasha, you will be missed, and rest-assured the research will continue.

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What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– A chemist named Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin has died at age 88, notes Gawker, and while that might not be a household name, his nickname explains the attention: "godfather of ecstasy." Shulgin didn't invent the drug otherwise known as MDMA, but he "rescued the circa-1912 pharmaceutical from obscurity by suggesting it would be viable for mental therapy," explains LA Weekly. The rest is rave history. Shulgin did, however, invent somewhere around 150 psychedelic drug compounds with his wife, Ann, using themselves as test subjects. The respected chemist began his career with Dow Chemical and eventually authored two books with his wife titled TiHkal (Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved) and PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved). The Guardian and Vice have resurrected their interviews with Shulgin from years past. In its tribute to this "maverick chemist, psychedelic pioneer, and inspiring human being," Boing Boing quotes Shulgin himself: Everyone deserves "the license to explore the nature of his own soul."


Summarize this article:

Move Comes as Part of FDA’s Safety Advisory Regarding Grain Craft Flour Recall

 Hostess Brands, LLC is voluntarily recalling 710,000 cases of select snack cakes and donuts as a direct result of the recent recall by our supplier, Grain Craft, of certain lots of its flour for undeclared peanut residue. The Hostess Brands products subject to the recall were produced using the Grain Craft flour that has now been recalled and, as a result, these products may contain low levels of undeclared peanut residue. More information about the Grain Craft recall can be found on the FDA’s website at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm504002.htm.

 While those who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume products containing peanut allergens, the amount of peanut exposure from use of the flours and affected products is considered to be low and not expected to cause adverse health effects in the vast majority of peanut allergic consumers. To date, Hostess has received notice of two allergic reactions related to the product covered by this recall. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling the specific products listed on the attachment.

 This recall applies only to the products listed. This recall does not affect any other Hostess Brands products.

 Variety Item UPC Batch Best Buy Date Chocodile Multi FSH 888109110499 D033124000 6/4/2016 D040624000 6/10/2016 D040724000 6/11/2016 D041324000 6/17/2016 D041424000 7/6/2016 888109110499 D033124000 6/4/2016 D041324000 6/17/2016 D041424000 6/18/2016 Chocodile Multi FZN 888109110499 D033124000 N/A D040624000 N/A D041324000 N/A Chocodile Snack FSH 888109010492 D033124000 6/4/2016 D040624000 6/10/2016 D041324000 6/17/2016 D041424000 6/18/2016 888109010492 D033124000 6/4/2016 D040624000 6/10/2016 D041324000 6/17/2016 Chocodile Snack FZN 888109010492 D040624000 N/A D040724000 N/A D041324000 N/A Ding Dong Multi FSH 888109110611 D032924000 6/2/2016 D033024000 6/3/2016 D040424000 6/8/2016 D040524000 6/9/2016 D040624000 6/10/2016 D041124000 6/15/2016 D041224000 6/16/2016 D041324000 7/6/2016 888109110611 D040424000 6/8/2016 D041124000 6/15/2016 Ding Dong Multi FZN 888109110611 D040424000 N/A D041124000 N/A D041224000 N/A Ding Dong Snack FSH 888109010027 D032924000 6/2/2016 D040424000 6/8/2016 D041124000 6/15/2016 888109010027 D040424000 6/8/2016 D041124000 6/15/2016 Ding Dong Snack FZN 888109010027 D040424000 N/A D041124000 N/A Zinger Chocolate Multi FSH 888109110581 D040124000 6/5/2016 D040824000 6/12/2016 D040924000 6/13/2016 Zinger Chocolate Multi FZN 888109110581 D040124000 N/A D040824000 N/A Zinger Chocolate Snack FSH 888109300036 D040124000 6/5/2016 D040824000 6/12/2016 888109010058 D040124000 6/5/2016 D040824000 6/12/2016 D040924000 6/13/2016 Zinger Chocolate Snack FZN 888109300036 D040124000 N/A D040824000 N/A 888109000202 D040124000 N/A 888109010058 D040824000 N/A 888109000356 D040124000 N/A Zinger Ras Multi FSH 888109110604 D040924000 6/13/2016 D041024000 6/14/2016 D041524000 6/19/2016 D041624000 6/20/2016 Zinger Ras Multi FZN 888109110604 D040924000 N/A D041524000 N/A Zinger Ras Snack FSH 888109010089 D041024000 6/14/2016 D041524000 6/19/2016 D041624000 6/20/2016 Zinger Ras Snack FZN 888109010089 D040924000 N/A D041024000 N/A D041524000 N/A Zinger Van Multi FSH 888109110598 D033124000 6/4/2016 D040124000 6/5/2016 D040724000 6/11/2016 D041424000 6/18/2016 D041524000 6/19/2016 Zinger Van Multi FZN 888109110598 D040724000 N/A Zinger Van Snack FSH 888109300029 D033124000 6/4/2016 D041524000 6/19/2016 888109010119 D040124000 6/5/2016 D040724000 6/11/2016 D040824000 6/12/2016 D041524000 6/19/2016 Zinger Van Snack FZN 888109300029 D041424000 N/A D041524000 N/A 888109010119 D033124000 N/A D040124000 N/A D040724000 N/A D041524000 N/A Chocolate Donut BG FSH 888109150020 D031821000 5/22/2016 D031821001 6/22/2016 D031824001 6/29/2016 D031921000 5/23/2016 D031924000 6/29/2016 D032021000 5/24/2016 D032024000 6/29/2016 D041124000 6/15/2016 D041224000 6/16/2016 888109150020 D031824000 5/22/2016 D032124000 5/25/2016 D032224000 5/26/2016 D032324000 5/27/2016 D032424000 5/28/2016 D032424001 6/22/2016 D032524000 6/22/2016 D032524001 6/22/2016 D032624001 6/22/2016 D032824000 6/1/2016 D032924000 6/2/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 D041224000 6/16/2016 D041324000 6/17/2016 D041324001 6/29/2016 D041424000 6/29/2016 888109150020 D032121000 5/25/2016 888109110239 D032021000 5/24/2016 D032121000 5/25/2016 Chocolate Donut SS FSH 888109300067 D032121000 5/25/2016 888109050023 D032121000 5/25/2016 888109050023 D032121000 5/25/2016 Chocolate Donut SS FZN 888109300067 D032121000 N/A 888109050023 D032121000 N/A 888109050023 D032121000 N/A Crunch Donut BG FSH 888109110642 D031924000 5/23/2016 D032524000 5/29/2016 D032624000 5/30/2016 D041424000 6/18/2016 D041524000 6/19/2016 888109110642 D031824000 5/22/2016 D031924000 5/23/2016 D032024000 5/24/2016 D032424000 5/28/2016 D032524000 5/29/2016 D041424000 6/18/2016 888109110642 D031824000 5/22/2016 D031924000 5/23/2016 888109110659 D041324000 6/17/2016 Crunch Donut BG FZN 888109110642 D031924000 N/A D032524000 N/A D041424000 N/A Crunch Donut SS FSH 888109300081 D031921000 5/23/2016 888109050054 D031921000 5/23/2016 D032021000 5/24/2016 D040221000 6/6/2016 888109050054 D031921000 5/23/2016 D040221000 6/6/2016 Crunch Donut SS FZN 888109050054 D031921000 N/A D040221000 N/A 888109000332 D040221000 N/A Devils Food Donut BG FSH 888109150037 D040221000 6/6/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 Glazed Mini Donut Bag FSH 888109110659 D032124000 5/25/2016 D032824000 6/1/2016 D032924000 6/2/2016 D041124000 6/15/2016 D041224000 6/16/2016 888109110659 D032224000 5/26/2016 D032324000 5/27/2016 D032424000 5/28/2016 D032924000 6/2/2016 D041224000 6/16/2016 D041324000 6/17/2016 D041424000 6/18/2016 888109110659 D032224000 5/26/2016 Glazed Mini Donut Bag FZN 888109110659 D032124000 N/A D032224000 N/A D032824000 N/A D041124000 N/A Maple Donut Bag FSH 888109111243 D032424000 5/28/2016 Powder Donut BG FSH 888109150044 D031821000 5/22/2016 D031821001 6/8/2016 D031824000 6/8/2016 D031921000 5/23/2016 D031921001 6/8/2016 D040221000 6/6/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 888109150044 D032121000 5/25/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 888109110246 D031921000 5/23/2016 D032021000 5/24/2016 D032121000 5/25/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 Powder Donut BG FZN 888109150044 D032121000 N/A D040821000 Powder Donut SS FSH 888109050047 D031821000 5/22/2016 D031921000 5/23/2016 888109050047 D031921000 5/23/2016 D040221000 6/6/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 888109050047 D031821000 5/22/2016 D040821000 6/12/2016 Powder Donut SS FZN 888109050047 D031821000 N/A D040821000 N/A 888109050047 D040821000 N/A

 The Hostess Brands products affected by the recall include single serve (snack cakes and donuts), multipack boxes and bagged donuts. The products were sold to mass merchandisers, grocery stores, distributors, dollar stores, drug stores, and convenience stores throughout the United States and Mexico.

 Anyone who has purchased an affected product and who has a sensitivity or allergy to peanuts is encouraged to discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

 Consumers with questions may contact 1-800-686-2813 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 8 pm Central time, and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 7 pm Central time. Consumers may also visit www.hostesscakes.com .

 FDA Advisory

 ### ||||| Hostess Brands and Frito-Lay are recalling some popular snack foods because they may contain undeclared peanut residue, which could be hazardous to people with peanut allergies.

 Hostess is voluntarily recalling 710,000 cases of certain snack cakes and donuts sold nationwide, including Ding Dongs, Zingers, Chocodiles, and chocolate and powdered donuts. A complete list of the recalled products can be found on the FDA's website.

 Hostess said in a statement that it is recalling the products "out of an abundance of caution" after its supplier, Grain Craft, informed the company of its own recall of certain lots of flour for undeclared peanut residue. The Hostess products subject to the recall were produced using the now-recalled Grain Craft flour.

 Frito-Lay issued a voluntary recall of four varieties of Rold Gold pretzels, including select sizes of Tiny Twists, Thins, Sticks and Honey Wheat Braided, which were also made with Grain Craft flour.

 People suffering from peanut allergy or severe sensitivity run the risk of serious and even life-threatening allergic reactions if they eat products containing peanut allergens. However, the amount of peanut residue in the flour of the affected products is thought to be low and not expected to cause adverse health effects in the vast majority of peanut allergic consumers, Hostess says.

 To date, Hostess has been notified of two allergic reactions related to the products covered by the recall. ||||| HOSTESS BRANDS, LLC ISSUES RECALL ON POSSIBLE UNDECLARED PEANUT RESIDUE IN CERTAIN SNACK CAKE AND DONUT PRODUCTS

 Move Comes as Part of FDA’s Safety Advisory Regarding Grain Craft Flour Recall

 June 3, 2016 -- Hostess Brands, LLC is voluntarily recalling 710,000 cases of select snack cakes and donuts as a direct result of the recent recall by our supplier, Grain Craft, of certain lots of its flour for undeclared peanut residue. The Hostess Brands products subject to the recall were produced using the Grain Craft flour that has now been recalled and, as a result, these products may contain low levels of undeclared peanut residue. More information about the Grain Craft recall can be found on the FDA’s website at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm504002.htm.

 While those who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume products containing peanut allergens, the amount of peanut exposure from use of the flours and affected products is considered to be low and not expected to cause adverse health effects in the vast majority of peanut allergic consumers. To date, Hostess has received notice of two allergic reactions related to the product covered by this recall. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling the specific products listed on the attachment.

 This recall applies only to the products listed in the attachment. This recall does not affect any other Hostess Brands products. The Hostess Brands products affected by the recall include single serve (snack cakes and donuts), multipack boxes and bagged donuts. The products were sold to mass merchandisers, grocery stores, distributors, dollar stores, drug stores, and convenience stores throughout the United States and Mexico. Anyone who has purchased an affected product and who has a sensitivity or allergy to peanuts is encouraged to discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

 Consumers with questions may contact 1-800-686-2813 Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Central time. Consumers may also visit www.hostesscakes.com.

 For a complete list of recalled products please click here.

 To leave us your information for product replacement coupons, please visit www.hostessinfo.com |||||

– If you have a peanut allergy, you may want to hold off on opening that box of Ding Dongs. Hostess is recalling 710,000 cases of some of its products over undeclared peanut residue they might contain, CBS News reports. In addition to Ding Dongs, the items being recalled include Zingers, Chocodiles, and a number of different kinds of donuts; the FDA has a complete list including UPC and batch numbers. A Hostess supplier, Grain Craft, told the company it was recalling certain lots of flour due to undeclared peanut residue, and Hostess decided to recall its own products made with that flour "out of an abundance of caution," it says in a statement. Two allergic reactions have been reported so far related to the recalled products.


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Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. |||||

– An Italian WWII pilot who died battling US pilots 70 years ago has been found 13 feet underground, his remains still at the controls of a fighter plane armed with machine guns and cannons, Discovery reports. Lt. Guerrino Bortolani went down in a losing battle against Allied planes on March 11, 1944, and hit the ground so hard that he literally vanished into the countryside outside Padua in northern Italy. "The crash site is now a cornfield," says a member of the wreck-hunting crew that found Bortolani. "We were able to find the remains with the help of an elderly man, who on that day witnessed the fighter going into a nosedive and hit the ground." Bortolani was flying the best Italian fighter plane (the Macchi C.205) in a squadron led by the renowned Italian ace Adriano Visconti. But they went up against a daunting strike by the Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force—which had sent 111 B-17 planes over Padua to drop more than 300 tons of bombs. Allies said the Axis defense was "aggressive," but five German planes and four Italian planes went down. Bortolani was "dutiful until the end," the Week notes, sitting on his closed parachute and wearing a ring given him by a fighter pilot academy. Wreck-hunters found several parts of the plane as well, including the tail wheel, control stick, and pieces of the engine. Bortolani is expected to have a proper burial once relatives are found. (Read about a German U-boat found off North Carolina.)


News article:

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 Remember the brand new 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible body shell unveiled at the 2011 SEMA show?

 Well, now you can add this 1967 Mustang Convertible body shell to the growing stable of Ford-licensed restoration parts as well.

 This means that classic Mustang fans can now build or restore the ’65 convertible, ’67 and ‘69 fastbacks and the ’67 convertible versions of the iconic muscle car with the safe knowledge that their vehicles have a body that’s literally good as new.

 To qualify as an official Ford-licensed restoration part, the ’67 body shell has to meet or exceed the fit, finish and quality of the original. That challenge was met once again by the guys at Dynacorn, which have not only replicated the original ’67 convertible, but made it better.

 The body panels, for example, are stamped from modern automotive-grade ‘virgin’ steel that’s slightly thicker than the original. Then, to further add strength, the panels are assembled using modern welding techniques.

 To build up a Mustang using the body shell, the powertrain, suspension and brakes, the electrical systems, the interior and trim can either be bought new or transferred from an existing car to the new body. The good news is that more than 90 percent of the parts needed to restore a 1967 Mustang convertible are available new as Ford-licensed reproduction components.

 This means that the ’67 convertible body can be built to just about any specification that was available when the car was new. Ford’s big-block engines from that era, including the 390, 427 and 428-cubic-inch motors, bolt right in with no modifications necessary. Also, the ’67 body can be used as a basis to build a replica of the Shelby GT350 or GT500 convertibles.

 The 1967 convertible body shell is now available to order from the Ford Restoration Parts catalog and is priced at $15,995. And while this may seem steep for what is essentially an empty shell, the chances of finding a rust-free ’67 Mustang that’s never been wrecked will be next to impossible. As the value of classic Mustangs has increased over the years, garages, barns and junkyards have mostly been picked clean. |||||

 Here’s the latest gift for the car enthusiast on your Christmas list -– a brand-new body shell for a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible.

 Even better, this car body will match or improve on the fit, finish and quality of the original, said Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager.

 The $15,995 auto part is the fourth reproduction classic Mustang body available to restorers, joining the ’65 convertible, the ’67 fastback and the ’69 fastback.

 Made by Dynacorn International, the body panels are stamped from modern automotive-grade steel that is slightly thicker than the original, according to Jim Christina, Dynacorn’s general manager. There are also newly engineered reinforcements in known stress areas to add strength and rigidity to the body, he said.

 “These days, the chances are fairly slim of finding a restorable, rust-free ’67 Mustang that has never been wrecked,” said Mondrach of Ford. “As the value of classic Mustangs has increased over the years, garages, barns and scrap yards have been picked clean.”

 The automaker said the body can be built into a functioning car using one of the six engines the original vehicle was offered with or with a modern powertrain. It is rustproofed and primed and is otherwise ready for painting and assembly, Mondrach said.

 More than 90% of the parts needed to restore a 1967 Mustang convertible are available new as Ford-licensed reproduction components, allowing enthusiasts to basically build from scratch a new Mustang of that era.

 RELATED:

 End of road for Saab

 Drivers change motor oil too often

 Insurance group lists safest vehicles

 -- Jerry Hirsch

 twitter.com/LATimesJerry

 Photo: A brand-new body shell for a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible. Credit: Ford Motor Co.

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What is a shorter version of the above article?

– The 1967 Ford Mustang is no longer an endangered species. Just in time for classic car buffs' Christmas, Ford has added a brand-new shell for the '67 Mustang convertible to its Ford Restoration Parts line, giving enthusiasts a chance to build their own from scratch, the Los Angeles Times reports. The $16,000 auto part is built with modern techniques that make it stronger than the original, Motor Authority notes. "These days, the chances are fairly slim of finding a restorable, rust-free ’67 Mustang that has never been wrecked,” a Ford exec says. “As the value of classic Mustangs has increased over the years, garages, barns, and scrap yards have been picked clean.”


Here is a news article: Kelly Preston Explains Baby Benjamin's Silent Scientology Birth

 Email This Kelly Preston and

 In an interview with '

 Preston credits the silent birth technique for the peaceful demeanor of her children, saying, "My kids have always been amazing. Just very calm, very peaceful, happy and I absolutely know it's very much because of that."

 Check out Preston's interview inside. Kelly Preston and John Travolta are still celebrating the November birth of their son , Benjamin, and now the proud mom is opening up about how Scientology has influenced both her birthing style and her choices as a parent.In an interview with ' Today ' host Natalie Morales, the actress discusses the " silent birth " technique commonly employed by Scientologists, a practice where "everyone attending the birth should refrain from spoken words as much as possible ... chatty doctors and nurses, shouts to 'PUSH, PUSH' and loud or laughing remarks to 'encourage' are avoided." Preston explains, "Silent birth is basically just no words as much as possible. If you need to moan, if you need to cry out ... of course that's normal. But, it's just bringing them in, in as peaceful and gentle a way as possible."Preston credits the silent birth technique for the peaceful demeanor of her children, saying, "My kids have always been amazing. Just very calm, very peaceful, happy and I absolutely know it's very much because of that."

 "It's been wonderfully healing. Of course, you know, we still -- it's still every day. But it's been, I think, a really nice gift for a lot of people throughout the world. We've gotten the most beautiful letters. And the most beautiful notes of happiness."

 I didn't [consider this risks]. I just considered that it was difficult," she says. "

 Preston and Travolta, who are parents to daughter Ella, 10, as well as baby Benjamin, tragically lost their 16-year-old son, Jett, in early 2009 after he suffered a fatal seizure while the family was vacationing in the Bahamas.The actress says that the birth of Benjamin has been an integral part of helping the family through their grief, telling Morales,While Benjamin's birth posed potential risks for both mother and baby due to Preston's age, the 48-year-old actress says that her excitement outweighed her concern. ""For us it's been uplifting ... He's given the house a renewed spirit and purpose." ||||| When Kelly Preston decided that she and her husband John Travolta would have another baby, the 48-year-old mom tells TODAY that the risks of having a baby later in life didn't come to mind.

 "I didn't (consider this risks). I just considered that it was difficult," Preston told TODAY's Natalie Morales. It took Preston three years to conceive. "I never thought that would be me at all. So, I think we're just really happy that we're so fortunate," Preston said.

 Baby Benjamin is the couple's third child. Their son Jett died tragically of complications of a seizure disorder in 2009 at the age of 16. Preston said that Benjamin is helping the family to heal.

 "It's been wonderfully healing. Of course, you know, we still -- it's still every day. But it's been, I think, a really nice gift for a lot of people throughout the world. We've gotten the most beautiful letters. And the most beautiful notes of happiness," Preston said. "And I think -- just sort of a sigh of relief, a bit. And that's been really nice to sort of share that with people."

 Preston was on TODAY also to promote her new film, "Casino Jack," which co-stars Kevin Spacey. The actress said that returning to work after Jett's death was difficult, but Spacey helped her through it.

 "(Spacey) was a lifesaver, really. I mean, at that point, I really didn't want to go back to work. But each day, and they condensed my work down to a couple of weeks, which was really nice. But every day, he's so ... he's so naturally funny. And he made me laugh. And that was the greatest -- the greatest gift he could've given to me while we were working," Preston said.

 Watch the video to see the entire interview, and Preston's explanation the ideology behind Scientology's "silent birth."

 Related slideshow: John Travolta |||||
A summary of this is?

– John Travolta's wife gave birth to new son Benjamin in total silence because that's what Scientology demands, right? Well, sort of. "It's just no words as much as possible. If you need to moan, if you cry out or all of that, of course, that's normal," Kelly Preston said on the Today Show. "But just bringing them in as peaceful and gentle a way as possible." Why? She explains, somewhat confusingly, that Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard found that "stress, fears, worry, things like that have to do with the reactive mind and in that part of the mind is different words and commands that can come back to affect you later in life." And she thinks that birthing approach works: "My kids have always been very calm, very peaceful, happy, and I absolutely know that it's very much because of that." In the rest of the interview, Preston goes on to talk about the baby's chosen name (Benjamin is "gentle"), her age (she didn't consider the risks), and her new film. Click for more from the interview.


Two rare Sumatran tiger cubs snuggle and nurse with their mother at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. (Smithsonian’s National Zoo)

 Two rare Sumatran tiger cubs snuggle and nurse with their mother at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. (Smithsonian’s National Zoo)

 The keepers knew that their Sumatran tigers had last mated in April. They knew the gestation period for tigers was just over 100 days. And they had been glued to the tiger webcam to see if they could catch the birth live.

 On Friday, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s female Sumatran tiger, Damai, started to show signs of discomfort. Her appetite declined. On Sunday, she refused all food.

 On Monday evening, keeper Kristen Clark Beatty summoned curator Craig Saffoe to the video feed in her office, saying, “You need to be watching the camera. There’s something really happening.”

 There was. At 6:08 p.m., as the keepers watched, Damai delivered her first cub, followed at 8:24 by a second.

 “It was a pretty powerful scene to watch,” Saffoe said. Sumatran tigers are listed as critically endangered: Only 400 to 500 exist in the wild. And there are only 65 in accredited zoos in North America.

 The Zoo’s female Sumatran tiger, Damai, gave birth to two cubs Monday, August 5. (Smithsonian's National Zoo)

 “How many people on the planet have seen this kind of thing happen before?” Saffoe said. “You count yourself lucky to be a part of it.”

 Saffoe spoke after the zoo announced the births Thursday.

 The cubs were described as weighing about two pounds, and their eyes were not yet open. Saffoe said the births followed a very calculated, months-long keepers’ vigil, which involved color-coded calendars. “We really did kind of geek out,” he said. “We had plotted out roughly when she should give birth.”

 He described a tense scene as the tiger delivered her cubs. Damai accidentally flung the first cub against the wall, where it hit with an audible smack.

 “The keeper and I were sitting there watching, and we both kind of looked at each other as if to say, ‘That can’t be good,’ ” Saffoe said.

 For a few moments, as the mother groomed the cub, the keepers couldn’t tell if it was alive.

 “We’re just sitting there holding our breath,” he said. They thought they saw the cub’s tail move, then its head. “We knew at that point, ‘Okay, it's alive.’ ”

 1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × D.C.’s zoo babies View Photos Take a look back at some of the animals born at the National Zoo. Caption Take a look at some of the animals born at the National Zoo. Keepers are hand-raising this female sloth bear, seen March 18, 2014, cub at the National Zoo. The mother, Khali, gave birth to three cubs Dec. 29. She ate two of the cubs — it’s not uncommon for carnivores to ingest stillborn cubs or live cubs if they or the mother are compromised in some way. The keepers decided to hand-raise the surviving cub, which was sick. Linda Davidson/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

 It was a huge relief, he said. “One of the things that makes us so anxious . . . is that we can’t do anything to help,” he said. “It’s way too dangerous to get in there and try to help. . . . We just have to watch.”

 As the keepers watched, Saffoe said, the mother groomed “the bejesus out of the cub.” But Damai also seemed restless and distracted. “It suddenly dawned on at least Kristen and me . . . that she may still be in labor,” he said.

 The second cub arrived shortly afterward. The mother then “sacked out,” Saffoe said.

 This is the first litter for Damai, 4. The cubs were sired by the zoo’s male Sumatran tiger, 12-year-old Kavi. The cubs will not go outside for about 16 weeks. They must undergo a series of health exams and get vaccinations. But tiger fans can see the cubs on the zoo’s live webcams, and Kavi will be on public exhibit as usual.

 The zoo said the cubs, who have not been named, seemed healthy. Their sexes will not be known for four to six weeks, when they’ll get their first physical exam, Saffoe said.

 The cubs will be examined when the keepers are able to lure the mother outside or into a separate enclosure. The cubs will then be given a quick exam in a corridor outside the den.

 Damai came to the zoo in 2011, and Kavi arrived a year ago.

 They mated several times in the past nine months. The zoo confirmed that Damai was pregnant on June 21.

 “There’s nothing like having cubs,” Saffoe said. “Besides it being cute, it’s a huge conservation plus for us. You feel like you’re on top of the world.”

 The Sumatran tiger is relatively small, weighing up to 300 pounds. Male Indian tigers weigh almost twice as much.

 Last month, a group of Sumatran tigers reportedly killed one man and treed five others in Indonesia after the men accidentally killed a tiger cub in a jungle deer trap. The men were eventually rescued by police and soldiers after several days in the trees.

 Tigers can live up to age 20 in zoos, but most live only about 15 years in the wild.

 On Nov. 16, the zoo had to euthanize its elderly Sumatran tiger, Soyono, who was suffering from arthritis and a severe spinal malady. She was 19.

 “That was sad to see her go,” Saffoe said. “But, oh my gosh, you can’t follow up the circle of life, of having the sad event losing a good friend, better than having new friends born.” ||||| Two Sumatran Tiger Cubs Born

 Sumatran tiger Damai gave birth to two Sumatran tiger cubs on Monday evening, August 5, 2013! These cubs are a conservation success. Sumatran tigers are critically endangered in the wild, so every cub counts.

 Damai gave birth to the first cub around 6:15 p.m. and the second around 8:23 p.m. Keepers have been monitoring the cubs and both appear healthy. Damai is being a great mom, and is nursing and grooming both cubs.

 We are giving Damai time to bond with and care for her cubs. They most likely will not be on exhibit until late fall. In the meantime, you can watch them grow on the Zoo’s tiger cub cams!

 July 28, 2014: Tiger Cubs Turn One Year Old

 The Great Cats exhibit is celebrating two very special birthdays on August 5: Sumatran tigers Bandar and Sukacita are turning one year old! Keepers Marie Magnuson and Dell Gulglielmo have cared for the cats and their mother, Damai, since they were born. In the latest Keeper Q & A, they reveal birthday plans, presents, and their hopes for the cubs’ future.

 How will animal care staff celebrate Bandar and Sukacita’s first birthday?

 Marie: Our Nutrition Department is very creative and inventive when it comes to creating cakes for our carnivores. I expect they will come through with one of their delectable bloodsicle cakes for the cubs.

 What has been your favorite memory of working with these cubs?

 Marie: The way the cats interact with one another has been fun to watch. Damai was only 2 years old when she came to the National Zoo. Now, she’s transformed into a superb mother raising her cubs!

 It’s amazing to watch her maintain the delicate balance between protecting her cubs from possible danger while encouraging them to be independent and confident. She will wrestle their enrichment keg out of the water for her cubs. But when the keg blocked the door inside and Sukacita was afraid to approach it, Damai came back outside to encourage her daughter that the keg was not something to fear.

 Dell: My favorite moments are when all three cats are in the moat! One day, Bandar was on the land waiting for the floating keg to drift towards him. As soon as it was within reach, he lunged for it—only to push it out further!

 A few minutes later, the keg started drifting back to the side of the moat. He patiently waited for it to get right up to the edge instead of lunging for it. As he pounced on it and got a firm grasp, I could see how proud he was of himself! Sukacita joined in, and they both pounced and played in the water. It was a great lesson in patience for them both.

 What do you find surprising about the family’s interaction?

 Dell: For being a first-time mom, Damai has been great and has a lot of patience with her cubs. What’s most surprising to me is that, even though the cubs are older, she will still offer them her “high value” treats, such as bones and frozen-thawed rabbits. Recently, she started eating only the ears off of her rabbit and leaving the rest for her cubs, even though they get their own, too!

 What can Zoo visitors expect to see at the tiger exhibit?

 Marie: The cubs are still at an age where everything is a toy to them. With the hot D.C. weather, we’ve seen them take dips in the moat frequently.

 Dell: Keepers give the cats various enrichment items—these could be boxes, burlap sacks stuffed with hay, or even the floating keg! Recently, we crafted a large rattle out of PVC pipes for the cats, and they love it!

 Marie: Often, we’ll add scent enrichment to these items to make them even more enticing. Spices and extracts are particularly popular with the tigers.

 Dell & Marie: As one can imagine, the tigers are pretty tough on their toys. If readers are interested in giving the cats a birthday gift, we would love either 8-inch or 10-inch round PVC pipe that we can turn into moat/float toys or rattles! A 10-foot rattle costs about $80 to make. A donation (of any amount) to the Enrichment Giving Tree would help animal care staff purchase all the necessary pieces. Old kegs also make great floating toys for the moat!

 How are training sessions coming along?

 Marie: Both cubs can lie down, sit, touch the target, and jump up on the bench on cue. They will also line up parallel to the front of the enclosure for injection training. Bandar is more willing to be touched with the training poll than Sukacita is. He also allows keepers to touch his paw pads (always through mesh, of course!) Sukacita is mastering the “open mouth” cue. Her adult fangs are coming in!

 How much do the cubs weigh?

 Marie: Bandar now weighs in at 160 pounds! Sukacita is about 125 pounds.

 What are their personalities like?

 Marie: Sukacita has been feisty since the day she was born, and that hasn’t changed! She will go toe-to-toe with her brother (who is much larger than she) over food and enrichment items. She is always working her angles during training to try and get the maximum number of treats for the minimum numbers of behaviors!

 Bandar is sweet and confident. He greets keeper with a friendly “chuff” in the morning. He’s also a great student during training sessions!

 How long will the cubs stay with Damai?

 Craig Saffoe, Curator: We will separate Bandar from the girls once he shows an interest in breeding (likely by spring 2015). Sukacita will remain with Damai until they choose to spend much of their time apart from one another or show aggression towards each other.

 How long will the cubs stay at the National Zoo?

 Craig: The cubs will stay at the Zoo until they are about three years old. The Species Survival Plan has seen a good number of Sumatran tigers born lately. That’s terrific for the population, especially because these species is so endangered (fewer than 500 remain in the world!) But that also means there isn’t a high demand for cubs at this time because zoos have reached their cat capacity.

 Once Bandar and Sukacita are ready to be paired with mates of their own, we’ll bring in a new male to breed with Damai.

 April 25, 2014

 Sumatran Tiger cubs Bandar and Sukacita turn nine months old on May 5—how time flies! One sign that they are making the transition from cubs to sub-adults is that both have started to lose their “baby” incisor teeth. Their adult fangs will take a few months to grow out.

 It’s all a part of growing up—and it certainly hasn’t curbed their appetite. In their native habitat, a Sumatran tiger mother and her cubs would eat their prey together as a group. To align our tiger’s experience with those of their wild cousins, keepers also feed Damai, Bandar, and Sukacita as one group. They receive about 77 pounds of meat each week (about 11 pounds per day). In addition to their normal diet, the cubs also receive bones and frozen-thawed rabbits once a week. Although we can’t measure exactly how much each cat consumes, keepers can tell from the cats’ weekly weigh-ins that Damai is maintaining her weight and the cubs are growing. Bandar now weighs about 120 pounds and Sukacita about 96 pounds!

 As we mentioned in the previous update, Bandar and Sukacita had just started training and had mastered “shifting”—going outside and coming inside when called. The cubs are also learning behaviors that help animal care staff evaluate their health, including touching their nose to a target, jumping up on their sleeping bench, as well as laying down and sitting on command.

 Recently, keepers began training the cubs to prepare for vaccines and blood draws. The first step was to get the cubs to line up parallel to the front of their indoor enclosure. Both cubs quickly got the hang of that command. The next step (and bigger challenge) is for the cubs to get comfortable with vaccinations. To simulate the prick of a needle, keepers lightly press a stick against the cats’ hips. Bandar is much more comfortable with this training than Sukacita at the moment, but she has always been a bit feistier than he! Each time the cats do the action asked of them, they are rewarded with a tasty meatball. This positive reinforcement builds trust between the cats and their keepers.

 Aside from interacting with keepers, the cubs enjoy play time with mom in the yard. Socializing with Damai seems to be their favorite past time—and mom seems to enjoy teaching them hunting skills as much as they enjoy learning them! Bandar and Sukacita also enjoy some youngster-friendly enrichment—objects such as boomer balls, burlap bags filled with hay, and empty kegs—and they seem to have a good time batting then around. If you’d like to purchase toys for the growing cubs, check out our Wish List.

 On Earth Day 2014, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute launched the “Endangered Song Project,” an analog-meets-digital outreach campaign that asked 400 participants to help raise awareness about the fact that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. We partnered with Atlantic Records’ indie band Portugal. The Man to distribute a previously unreleased song titled “Sumatran Tiger.” The song was lathe-cut onto 400 custom poly-carbonate records designed to degrade after a certain amount of plays.

 So what can you do? Follow the National Zoo on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Scour the internet and search for the song using the #EndangeredSong on sites like SoundCloud, Radio Reddit, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook. Retweet, repost and tell everyone you know. Visit www.endangeredsong.si.edu to watch a video PSA and to learn more about how you can perpetuate the song and our message.

 March 6, 2014

 Sumatran tiger cubs Bandar and Sukacita turned seven months old yesterday! Both are growing fast—Bandar weighs 88 pounds, and Sukacita weighs 73 pounds.

 The Washington, D.C. winter weather has been particularly cold and snowy this year. On days where it’s too cold to go outside, we give the cubs a few enrichment items to play with indoors to keep them active and engaged.

 In the video below, you’ll see Bandar is having a grand old time with this burlap sack (stuffed with hay). To ensure each enrichment experience is new and exciting—we vary the types of items they get. On any given day, the cubs could receive a water tub to play in, boomer balls, or scented enrichment. And depending on their mood, one cub may want an item more than the other cub. Or, they may want it equally and play tug-o-war for it! Sukacita doesn’t appear to be interested in the sack in this video. But if she wanted it, she would have put up more of a fight and wrestled with her brother for it.

 We’ve had several days where the bitter cold of winter was broken with some welcomed sunshine and warmth. Mom Damai and the cubs certainly enjoy their time in the yard. The cubs are still honing their hunting skills by sneaking up on one another and mom—who seems to enjoy the chase as much as they do! Visit the Zoo and see them every day from noon until they are ready to come inside (weather permitting).

 January 30

 January’s bouts of winter weather have kept our tiger cubs, Bandar and Sukacita, on their toes! The cubs seem to have a heap of fun pouncing in the snow. While we want them to enjoy their time outside, we are mindful to let them out for just a short time. That way, they aren’t overexposed to the elements. Given the opportunity, they would probably play in the snow all day! Their parents—who have experienced snow many times over—tend to spend less time in the snow and more time in the comfort of the heated dens. We are training the cubs to come inside when the shift door opens. So far, they’ve been responding well, especially because they know their reward for doing so is a tasty beef chunk! Days when the temperature is in the teens and single digits, we keep the cubs inside. Mom and dad, though, have the choice of whether to go out or stay in. So, if you visit on a day that is not quite so bitterly cold, there is a good chance you’ll see them in the yard!

 Bandar and Sukacita are nearly six months old. They’re still at the age where playing with each other is their favorite source of entertainment. On those colder days when the cubs are inside, we’ve also introduced them to some youngster-friendly enrichment—objects such as smaller versions of the adults’ boomer balls, balls with catnip inside, logs with different scents—and they seem to have a good time batting then around. Luckily, the cubs’ little teeth and claws are much more gentle on their toys than their parents’ are! If you’d like to purchase toys for the growing cubs, check out our Wish List. They’ve started basic target training and are both very enthusiastic students—so enthusiastic that we could not get a picture of Bandar that is not blurred or one of Sukacita sitting down!

 Bandar and Sukacita have started basic training—shifting inside when called and teaching them to eat on their own and become less dependent on mom. We haven’t observed nursing for some time now, so we are almost certain they’re weaned off Damai’s milk. As part of their diet, they each eat about 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of meat per day, which is 15.4 pounds per week. They’re gaining weight steadily and, as of last week, Sukacita weighs about 51 pounds and Bandar weighs about 60 pounds. They’ve doubled in size since their November debut!

 Thinking ahead, we’ll be watching the cubs’ interactions with mom and each other in order to determine the best time to separate them. Usually, tigers start showing signs that they’re ready around 1 year old. We will have more updates, photos, and videos as the weather warms!

 December 17, 2013

 Our Sumatran tiger cubs just turned four months old! Bandar and Sukacita quickly took to their yard. In fact, the first day we opened the door, both cubs fearlessly bolted out—climbing, hiding in the bamboo, and trying to sneak up on mom Damai (and each other)! They’re great fun to watch. Right now, the best time to see them is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every day, depending on the weather.

 Behind the scenes, keepers have started basic target training with the cubs. In target training, we ask the cubs to move the body part to the end of the target. We are starting with just one command—the cubs must touch their nose to the end of the target—and, so far, they’re doing really well. This is the building block for other behaviors that will help animal care staff evaluate their health.

 November 18, 2013

 Damai's two cubs Sukacita and Bandar will have access to the yard and will be on exhibit to the public for the first time today at 10 a.m.!

 As they are still quite young, the tiger team anticipates that they will be on exhibit for about one hour. They will be on public exhibit each day but this may vary depending on the weather and on the animals themselves.

 November 6, 2013

 Our two Sumatran tiger cubs took a brisk doggy paddle at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo today and passed their swim reliability test! The cubs also now have names: the male is Bandar and and the female is Sukacita (SOO-kah-CHEE-tah). All cubs born at the Great Cats exhibit must undergo the swim reliability test and prove that they are ready to be on exhibit. Bandar and Sukacita were able to keep their heads above water, navigate to the shallow end of the moat and climb onto dry land. Now that they have passed this critical step, the cubs are ready to explore the yard with their mother, 4-year-old Damai.

 “Tigers are one of the few species of cats that enjoy taking a dip in water,” said Craig Saffoe, curator of Great Cats. “The moat exists for the safety of our visitors, but it could present an obstacle for young cats. Our job is to make sure that if the cubs venture into the moat, they know how and where to get out. These cubs represent hope for their critically endangered species’ future, so we need to take every precaution to ensure their survival.”

 Both cubs took the test under the guard of animal keepers Dell Guglielmo and Marie Magnuson, who gently guided the cubs in the right direction. The shallow end of the moat is approximately 2 ½ feet deep. The side of the moat closest to the public viewing area is about 9 feet deep and is an essential safety barrier that effectively keeps the cats inside their enclosure.

 Friends of the National Zoo hosted an opportunity to name one of the Zoo’s tiger cubs on the website Charity Buzz. On Nov. 1, the winning bidder elected to name the female cub Sukacita, which means “joy” in Indonesian. The $25,000 donation supports ongoing research and education outreach at the Great Cats exhibit. Keepers selected the male cub’s name, Bandar, in honor of Bandar Lampung—a southern port city in Sumatra.

 Starting Monday Nov. 18, keepers will decide on a day-to-day basis whether Sukacita and Bandar will spend time in the yard and for how long they will be out. This decision will be based on weather and how the cubs adjust to being outdoors. The Zoo will continue to share the latest updates and photos on Facebook and Twitter.

 November 1, 2013

 The cubs continue to grow and thrive. At this age everything can be a toy, including pine cones. This is the boy practicing his hunting skills with one while his sister watches. They had another round of vaccinations and as you can see in the picture of the girl, no one enjoys getting an injection. But she was a brave little tiger and now they are one step closer to going outside!

 October 17, 2013

 The shutdown has not affected the cubs at all—they didn’t miss a beat! Each day they are getting bigger and bigger. They had a wellness exam on October 15, when they received routine shots and vaccines. The male cub weighs about 21 pounds and the female weighs about 19 pounds.

 Damai is spending more and more time away from the cubs during the day and rotating yard access with Kavi. She and the cubs have settled into a routine where the cubs spend most of the day in the cubbing den and all three spend the evening hours with mesh access next to Kavi. We are still hoping for a debut just in time for Thanksgiving!

 September 13, 2013

 Damai brings the cubs up to see Kavi most mornings now. Traveling around the building is a great way to develop their strength and coordination. We are even starting to see the cubs playing together. They are not very good at pouncing on each other yet, but it’s a lot of fun to watch them try! They are growing very quickly and the boy is a tad under 14 pounds while his sister almost 12 pounds. They are still getting all their nourishment from their mothers’ milk and that will probably not change for at least another month.

 September 7, 2013

 The tiger cubs continue to thrive and are steadily gaining weight. Their coordination is improving as well, and they are exploring all five of the rooms that are available to them. The little girl came out into the runway yesterday afternoon and saw her mother Damai engage in a training session with one of her keepers. Damai has shown signs of wanting to bring the cubs up to the mesh door to show them to Kavi. This is normal tiger behavior that we have been expecting. There is no webcam in this area, but we will try to get some video to show everyone when the cubs see their dad for the first time.

 In this photo, the little girls is in front and her brother is behind her.

 Photo by Karen Abbott.

 September 5, 2013: Cubs are one month old

 The tiger cubs are one month old today. And Damai has moved them back into a den on the tiger cam!

 August 26, 2013: First Vet Exam

 Our tiger cubs are 3 weeks old, and this morning they got their first veterinary exam—and passed with roaring colors. Veterinarians determined that the 2 cubs are a male and a female. The male cub weighs a little more than 8 pounds and the female weighs 7.5 pounds. During the exam the cubs received transponder microchips, and veterinarians collected blood and fecal samples from them. Veterinarians and keepers report the cubs are healthy, plump and growing quickly.

 The cubs will not be on exhibit for several months until they have completed a series of four additional health exams, during which they will receive all necessary vaccinations.

 The male cub (on the left) and the female cub (on the right.)

 Photo by Connor Mallon, Smithsonian's National Zoo.

 August 24, 2013

 Photo by Marie Magnuson, Smithsonian's National Zoo.

 Look at these pictures of the cubs the keepers got this week. The keepers can already tell which markings they'll use to tell the cubs apart.Can you find one or two distinctive markings to distinguish one from the other?

 August 15, 2013

 Photo by Karen Abbott, Smithsonian's National Zoo.

 While Damai was enjoying a break from the cubs this morning, our keepers were able to continue desensitization training with them. And they were able to take some photos of them! The training is going well and will help get the cubs used to the keepers' smell and presence.

 As you may have noticed, Damai and the cubs aren't on the cams at the moment. When she was pregnant, she had access to three possible cubbing dens, two of which had cams. Animal care staff did their best to make the two dens with cams as inviting as possible, to encourage her to stay there when she had her cubs.

 Today, though, we opened up two other dens for her, which are farther back in the lion/tiger house as well as being a little darker. These are also the dens she was in for her quarantine period when she first arrived at the Zoo. She didn't move the cubs back there right away, but this afternoon she did choose to move the cubs back there.

 Since she didn't move the cubs as soon as she was given the option, we do not think that her moving the cubs had anything to do with our keepers' sitting with the cubs as part of their desensitization training. If Damai had been upset about smelling the keepers on the cubs or the dens, she would have moved the cubs as soon as she had the chance. Since she waited, we think it's likely that she simply prefers those two dens as being slightly more comfortable, familiar, or protected-feeling.

 Damai always has the option of moving the cubs back to the dens with the cameras, but we want that decision to be hers. Animal care is our first priority. We can't move the cams back to the den where she and the cubs are now. For the meantime, we promise to keep you updated with news and photos as soon as possible, and we'll be sure to let you know when and if she and the cubs move back to one of the dens with the live cams.

 August 8, 2013

 Damai came out of her den on Tuesday while keepers were in the Great Cats building, which is a good sign! That means she is comfortable with the keepers being near her cubbing den. While she was out she appeared very calm and stayed out for quite a while. She ate all of the meat keepers had offered her, and did not seem overly concerned about the cubs.

 Eventually she made her way back into the den, and when she got there she didn’t move the cubs. That tells keepers that she didn’t feel anxious or threatened by their presence.

 First time mom Damai is a natural with her two newborn cubs. The Sumatran tiger cubs’ eyes have not opened yet, so Damai is spending most of her time grooming and nursing them. Damai lets the cubs crawl all over her, as if her body is a jungle gym.

 Damai is spending almost all of her time with her new cubs and who could blame her, they’re adorable! Bonding time is critical for mom and her cubs, so for a few weeks they will be off of exhibit spending time together. In the meantime, visit the cubs’ dad, Kavi, at the Great Cats Exhibit.

 Not only are our two new Sumatran tiger cubs the cutest cubs in town but they are also a huge conservation success. With fewer than 500 Sumatran tigers in the wild, the birth of these cubs makes a stride in the direction towards saving this critically endangered species.

 “It’s taken more than two years of perseverance getting to know Damai and Kavi and letting them get to know each other so that we could reach this celebratory moment,” said Craig Saffoe. “All I can do is smile because the team has realized our goal of producing critically endangered tiger cubs. Damai came to us as a young tiger herself, so it’s really special to see her become a great mom.”

 Keepers and veterinarians began monitoring Damai closely in June after she began gaining weight and exhibiting behaviors that indicated she could be pregnant. Staff trained Damai to participate in ultrasound procedures, which allowed them to confirm her pregnancy on June 21, 2013. Keepers prepared for the arrival of cubs after Damai became restless and began showing signs that she would soon give birth. This is Damai’s first litter of cubs, sired by the Zoo’s 12-year-old male tiger, Kavi. The two bred several times from December 2012 through mid-April of 2013.

 Tiger fans may be able to watch the newborn tiger cubs at the National Zoo reach every milestone for the next several weeks via live webcams on the Zoo’s website. Damai has the choice of moving her cubs to dens in the indoor tiger enclosure that do not have webcams. If she chooses to move them, they may not be visible on the webcam. Viewers can toggle between two webcams in the cubbing dens. During the next few weeks the cubs will open their eyes, become more mobile and potentially even start to explore the other dens that Damai can access.

 The Zoo will provide updates on the cubs on Facebook and Twitter.

 Read past tiger updates for Damai and Kavi's story. |||||

Write a summary.

– Endangered Sumatran tigers got two new additions this week: A female named Damai at the National Zoo in DC gave birth to a pair of healthy cubs on Monday. Only about 500 of the tigers exist in the wild, with 65 in zoos in North America, notes the Washington Post. (That includes Damai's mate, Kavi.) The cubs won't be on exhibit for a few months, but you can check them out via a webcam at the zoo's website. "All I can do is smile because the team has realized our goal of producing critically endangered tiger cubs," says a zoo biologist. "Damai came to us as a young tiger herself, so it's really special to see her become a great mom."