Prescription drug addiction Sep 5, 2007
I keep reading stories about the vast number of people addicted to prescription drugs.  To be honest, it's not surprising in the least.  We as humans are great at finding ways to enjoy ourselves while simultaneously destroying our bodies. 

But I think it also has something to do with the plethora of billion-dollar drug companies in our country and their legitimate desire to make money.  Companies exist to make a profit, and drug companies happen to do that by inventing drugs.  The problem is, I think their practices are sometimes a little questionable, especially since they're leveraging peoples' health for a profit.  Plus, their advertising is a little overboard.  Walk into any doctor's office in the country; what do you see?  Pens, pads, clipboards, magnets, clocks, and a host of other objects with prescription drug advertising on them.  While these objects are generally trivial and are used merely for promotion and marketing, it's naive to think a doctor can be completely neutral when they're obviously so heavily influenced by drug companies.  In addition to the marketing materials, doctors get all kinds of free samples.  I know this because I've been given a free sample in lieu of a prescription.  I appreciated it because it saved me some money, but it scared me because of how simple it was to obtain. 

Another problem is that doctors have an eager willingness to push pills.  The main reason I hate going to doctors is because they always focus on the symptoms and never on the problem.  Symptoms can be easily eliminated with drugs, and that's what doctors try to give me.  "I'll just give you a cortisone injection and then a prescription for pain killers."  No, idiot, I said my shoulder hurts, which means I should stretch it and exercise, not fill my body with pills so I won't feel any more pain.  I find it hard to believe doctors don't receive some sort of kickback for so readily pushing pills. 

Perhaps it has something to do with many Americans' mindset that simply seeks a quick fix.  They want a drug to lower their cholesterol so they don't have to change their diet.  They want a pill to make them feel better after they get drunk so they can continue getting drunk.  But I also have a hard time believing the overabundance of pills is entirely due to human stupidity and greed. 

I think the cause of prescription drug addiction is some sort of combination of the three:  People are human, humans are stupid, drug companies want money, and doctors want money too. #health
The fall of our nation Sep 5, 2007
America will eventually crumble and fall.  All great nations do.  There's no such thing as an everlasting nation or kingdom.  The Romans, the Greeks, the Arabs, the Chinese, and the British died out after decades or even centuries of success and prosperity. 

You have to wonder how our nation will fall.  Will it be because of an outside attack, such as from the Russians or the Iranians?  Or will it be from within?  People in our country used to work hard and take responsibility for their actions.  These days, people sit around and play video games and then blame their problems on those same video games (Note:  I'm not blaming video games).  People eat food at McDonald's and then sue McDonald's for getting fat.  And then they sue the video game creators for making them compulsive eaters.  And all this is protected by our rights and liberties, which are enforced by groups like the ACLU.  Anybody can do anything, and they can get away with it legally, and usually with considerable gain. 

I can easily envision our nation crumbling from within, and it'll most likely have something to do with our rights (Note:  I don't think we should have less rights).  Perhaps a certain people group will take over the government and protect their actions with litigation.  Perhaps riots will break out and a group will form that protects the civil liberties of the rioters.  Or maybe our economy will simply fail because our nation is in so much debt and our corporations have to fund the health benefits and retirement programs of countless early retirees while competing with harder-working nations that produce quality products and services quicker and cheaper (Note:  I don't feel bad for corporations). 

Whatever the case may be, I plan to stake a claim of land in the middle of some mountains and defend my fortress with automatic weapons and explosives, which are probably legal in the states I'd like to move to.  God bless America while it's still around. #psychology
Miss Teen SC Sep 5, 2007
I don't usually like to talk about current events because they're overdone to begin with.  But that Miss Teen South Carolina thing makes me laugh every time I hear it.  If you haven't seen the video, here it is.  My favorite part about the whole thing is reading it written down.  It's just so eye-opening and fascinating. 

Q:  Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the United States on a world map. Why do you think this is?
A:  I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children. #entertainment
Best shoes ever Sep 5, 2007
The best shoes ever in the history of the universe are gray New Balance 477s.  They're comfortable, roomy, attractive, and cheap.  I went and bought a second pair for when the current pair dies.  That's a first for me.  New Balance shoes are kinda tricky because one size is usually too small and the next size up is usually too big.  But these shoes came in the appropriate half-size, so they fit perfectly.  They're actually a little big, but for me, that's perfect. #lifestyle