No, I'm not hooked, but maybe these are gateway drugs

While my nasty cough has subsided, it hasn't gone away entirely. However, as I type away in a slightly high and dizzy state right now, I'm thinking about how much I'm going to miss taking NyQuil* before bed. It makes me so perfectly sleepy and cozy, I always end up getting a good night's sleep, despite my propensity to cough and toss and turn. As someone who has struggled with insomnia my entire life, finding a reliable sleep aide is a big deal.

*After plunking down way too much money on cough syrup and other remedies, I noticed that the generic DayQuil and NyQuil were ~60% less expensive than their name-brand counterparts (so I'm not technically taking NyQuil). [sarcasm] I, of course, am shocked that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry would gouge the sick and suffering [/sarcasm].

Actually Useful Research from Academia

Current drug laws are 'arbitrary' in nature and the typically condoned vices of alcohol and tobacco are among the most harmful. I kind of knew this already, but I found it especially jarring to read that tobacco is responsible for 40% of hospital visits and alcohol is responsible for almost half of emergency room visits. Meanwhile, acid and E users just stare up at the pretty colors...

Cough abatement is a lousy hobby

I've come down with a nasty cough that I can't seem to shake. Although I recently finally managed to get my circadian rhythm aligned in a somewhat normal fashion (even despite the daylight savings switch), it's been ruined by a couple of awful nights tossing and turning in bed and coughing. The only thing that seems to quell the coughing is going to sleep with a Halls in my mouth. However, Halls are full of sugar, and I can feel them corroding my teeth, and thus it's not something I want in bed all night. Further, I'm paranoid that I'm going to choke on one as if I'm fortunate enough fall asleep. I've also tried the sugar-free Ricola, but they have no real "bite" as medicine. I wasn't planning on being sick for a while, but I might have to become a connoisseur of the cough-losenge inudstry in the near future. I'm looking for something uber-potent, yet sugar free...

In the last four hours I've chugged half a bottle of Robitussin and Robitussin Nighttime respectively (which would make for an entire bottle in total), in addition to four DayQuils and Four NyQuils (on opposite poles of the four hours of course), yet I'm still coughing. This cough is annoying enough that I''m resolving to become Howard Hughes-esque in my germ prevention in the near future, so I don't get sick ever again. On the bright side, I just began to feel a nice high from the cough syrup....

Hmmmm

Had a fun night watching NCAA tournament games with a couple friends. Amid the chit-chat, I started to gripe that China got the 2008 Olympics, despite its record of human rights abuses, and general awfulness. My friend responded "yeah, I guess you're right, but as an American, I really feel hypocritical calling anybody out on moral issues, given the things we're doing all over the world right now." It's a shame, but he has a point....

Worse than having your fly open in public, but less conspicious

So, I was walking home today, and noticed what felt like my sock becoming "extra raggedy." I look down to investigate, and I notice a pair of boxer shorts in the pant leg. Apparently, after I took my jeans out, I managed to put them on without noticing my boxer shorts becoming wedged against my sock and leg. I guess this happened with stuff mixing up with static electricity in my laundry hamper, and persisted because I have horrible sensory abilities and don't notice these things until it's too late. While this incident was funny and innocuous, I do worry that these sorts of faux pas might occur in a more sensitive/problematic scenario some day.

Is Stupid Advertising False Advertising?

The latest Gatorade commercial tries to entrench the profoundly embedded history of the product in athletic culture. It emphasizes that the product was synthesized because the Florida Gators' performance was suffering because they were dehydrated in the Florida heat. While that is true, aren't the teams that were beating Florida at the time playing under those conditions as well? It's not as if they got to play in a climate-controlled dome while the Florida players wilted...

Adventures in Market Signaling

Over the weekend, it appears that I may have managed to impress a pretty non-sociologist love interest. Of course, this was the result of a fun, platonic acquaintanceship we've had for a few months. While on the surface, this seems to be serendipitous and fantastic, there's a small problem. Her ex-boyfriend is a total scumbag who is reviled by pretty much all of the women in my department for his lecherous chauvinism. He's the type of guy who women with low self-esteem and/or mental issues gravitate towards (incidentally, he had a one-night-stand a couple years ago with the aforementioned stupid cunt). I was always puzzled in regards to why this really cool chick would be attracted to and want to invest in someone so shady. In turn, I have a hunch that her recent interest in me was propagated by the demise of their relationship.

Given the inbreeding in social circles, and that she was so recently linked with the "scumbag" recently, my worries about STD's and just the notion that this woman's decisions may be indicative to qualities "beneath the surface" that I should be very wary of, this unfortunately isn't something I think I can pursue.

On the other hand, I am reminded of Jerry's diatribe on the Seinfeld episode that spoofed their negotiations with NBC, where George's crazy ego compelled him to decline an offer that he should have eagerly and gratefully accepted (and I'm paraphrasing of course), "We have nothing and no other offers! You're insane not to take this deal!"

The Axis of Evil

Israel and Iran edged out the United States for the ignominious distinction of being the country with the largest perception of "negative influence" in the world. However, even North Korea doesn't have as bad as a perception (or at least the degree of belief in "negative influence" as the Yankees do right now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6421597.stm?ls

This administration is so bad it continues to astound me repeatedly, even when I think I've become numb to its evil incompetence. I hope Bush Jr. and his legacy are vilified a million times worse than the benign Jimmy Carter's.

The Last Great Music Video

Thinking about how ancient I've suddenly become, I was wondering why I don't get into more new music these days. I don't have a radio, and since there aren't videos on MTV anymore, it's really tricky for me to be exposed to new bands now. I do attend a bar where the uber-hip DJ plays what sounds like modern indie rock, which I always enjoy, but never know the artists, albums or songs being played. I guess I haven't plugged into the MySpace networks that I presume most fringe artists use to promote and diffuse their work now.

I was thinking that the last "new" band that I got exposed to and enjoyed was Queens of the Stone Age. While their Songs for the Deaf album was hugely overhyped, it did produce what I think was the last great high budget music video entitled "Go with the Flow." With an awesome, rockin' song and psychadelic vivid, burning colors, this video oozes sex, drugs and rock and roll like few artistic works ever have.

Patience Monty, Climb the ladder...

I'm slightly stuck with my dissertation right now. I'm not hugely concerned at this point, since this was the first day that I realized I was stuck. I suppose a logical antidote might be to talk to one's advisor, but my current stalemate is largely due to an excellent two hour session with the advisor, where I as presented with difficult, but pressing questions I need to resolve before progerssing further. However, I'm keen to get to work and start knocking stuff off, yet my brain has yet to provide clear answers or plans of action in regards to how to deal with the stalemate.

Perhaps I should just start drinking at 10AM tomorrow and write Friday off, and let my subconscious sort things out?