#*alcohol

[brostateexam]

The decline of drinking, explained in one chart

Science says that even moderate drinking is bad for you — and Americans are listening.

[doctorguilty]

Taking donations to get absolutely wasted on my family beach vacation. To cope

[brostateexam]

state school vs private liberal arts school

[brostateexam]

Life After Food?

A diabetes miracle drug has become an off-label appetite suppressant, changing the definition of being thin and what it takes to get there.

It turns out she’s down about ten pounds and happy about it. “Somebody once told me I had a size-zero personality, and they assumed that I was thinner than I was,” she tells me. “We don’t talk about it, but everybody knows it. Thin is power.”

Allison isn’t alone in seeming to be suddenly, unaccountably slimmer of late. She admitted to me — with the provision that I not use her real name — the reason, one that is increasingly common if still not quite openly discussed. For the past month, she’s been jabbing herself every week with Ozempic, the heavily advertised (“Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic,” to the tune, none too subtly, of the ’70s classic-rock hit “Magic”) diabetes miracle drug, which works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide one), to manage hunger and slow stomach emptying.

For diabetics, it lowers blood-sugar levels. It also subdues the imp of appetite. The pounds fly off. That’s why Allison, who is not diabetic, prediabetic, or even overweight, is on it. Doctors have wide latitude to prescribe drugs off label for anyone they think may medically benefit, and many patients have found doctors — or, failing that, nurse practitioners or medi-spas — ready to certify that they would. Or some, like Allison, find it through a peddler not particular about a prescription or in the web’s dark morass.

To get hers, Allison calls up a Los Angeles–based provider she has never seen or met, sends over $625, and is shipped a monthly supply. What she calls Ozempic is not the brand-name product pre-packaged in a sky-blue injector pen by Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company that makes and markets the drug. She receives generic semaglutide, the active ingredient in the medication, and has to mix and prepare it for injection herself, which — since semaglutide is under patent by Novo Nordisk until 2032 in the U.S. — suggests her meds are likely coming from a compounding pharmacy or a vendor selling research-grade ingredients. The lower price is also a tell: Ozempic retails for about $900 a month if your insurance doesn’t cover it.

[sezja]

Perhaps for my long weekend, I deserve. A Treat*.

[bedbugbiting]

I have no idea if I'm the asshole or not. Ugh. There is a woman I've mentioned before as the volatile person in my art class. She has this chaotic energy that I find unsettling, but she also has self-described "anger issues" and she gets verbally abusive with absolutely no provocation. She has never said anything to me, but I've seen this happen and it is disturbing. She is very new to Art Group and she is always with this guy (I don't know the nature of their relationship). He's the guy who cried in class about his wife dying of covid. I was at this fundraiser and there was a small handful of long-time dedicated students there. But then those two showed up. It was strange because they're both new and...they don't have a good track record in terms of their behavior. There was one other student there who knew them, and she and I were immediately disturbed that these two were at a fundraiser where we try to impress potential donors. But THEN the two of them immediately hit the bar. It was an open bar, but there is a strict code of conduct and students aren't allowed to consume alcohol at events, regardless of what the event is. They were each getting two drinks at a time and drinking really fast.

So...the other woman who knew them actually went to talk to an employee (I encouraged this). She told the employee who told us TWICE that we weren't allowed to drink. The employee went off to check on the situation, but then she came back and said that it was fine because they weren't volunteering. But we couldn't figure out why they were there. They weren't volunteers. Their art wasn't on display. They weren't speaking. It cost $125 to register. The employee essentially said that if they paid to get in, they can drink what they want. They're on state assistance and live on under $200 a month and food stamps, so I find it difficult to believe that they're shelling out $250 just to drink at an open bar. However, even if they did, I still think they should have abstained for the evening. Maybe I'm a dick. I was volunteering, so it would have been inappropriate to drink, but there were many students there who weren't volunteering, and they weren't allowed to drink. I mainly have a problem with students being expected to follow a rule unless they pay. There are people who are former students and they may transition to a teaching assistant or mentor role. They are no longer allowed to take classes at that point, but they also have a different set of conduct rules. I just think that if you're a student at an event you should adhere to the rules for students. But also, I can't imagine that they paid. Surely someone paid for them. But why them? Every other student there had been in the program at least a couple of years and these two have only been there one term and they immediately caused problems.

This isn't a normal art school.

The students are struggling with mental illness or addiction or some other thing and I feel it could be triggering to see your peers double-fisting cocktails at an open bar.

Anyway, Angry Girl and her friend make me extremely uncomfortable, so the fast drinking set off all of my alarm bells.

I don't think anything bad happened, but I didn't see them after we sat down to eat.

[brostateexam]

Comedian John Mulaney has checked into rehab for 60 days for alcohol and cocaine addiction.

A source exclusively confirmed to Page Six that the 38-year-old golden boy of comedy checked into a Pennsylvania rehab facility this past weekend.

Netflix stand-up star and “Saturday Night Live” alum Mulaney has been open about his past struggles with sobriety, telling stories of his partying and prescription and illegal drug abuse from a young age. He first became sober at age 23.

The source said, “John’s friends and family are happy that he’s finally getting some help and focusing on his health.

“His fans know he’s struggled in the past with sobriety, he has talked about it openly. Unfortunately he has struggled again during the pandemic.

“He’s on board with his recovery, he’s not fighting against rehab.” (x)

Mulaney checked into rehab. I hope it works for him. Routines are a great way to stay out of trouble, and for us non-essential workers who are either not working for long spells or working from home, I think quarantine has been tough in that way because suddenly there’s this free time that can be filled up by getting high all the time.

The holidays are also a fraught time for many people. If you feel like you are struggling with your sobriety, or if you’re imbibing a little more than you’re comfortable with, here’s a reminder that cutting back is rarely a bad thing to do. Stay safe, and message me if you wanna chat.