A DAMN CRYING SHAME – Sept. 15, 2021 – The NYC’s Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Thursday the officer died of an “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, diazepam, and tramadol.” The father of 11-year-old triplets was loved by his fellow officers, according to a GoFundMe set up for his family that has raised more than $31,000 as of Wednesday. “He was a man known for his humorous character that left all who encountered him with endless stories of the man he was,” the organizer wrote. “Unfortunately, Sergeant Kenny died unexpectedly in the 50th Precinct during his tour.”…
Author: Leonard Buschel
WATCH – TIME TO SAVE THE DYING – Sept. 17, 2021 – The amicus brief filed Friday, signed by dozens of current and former prosecutors and law enforcement officials across the country, said Congress never intended the crackhouse statute to encompass harm reduction efforts offered by medical personnel. Supporters in Rhode Island, where state law now allows it, and in California, New Mexico and several other states, hope to open pilot sites themselves. “People are in a bit of a waiting and watching game, to see whether the (Biden) Administration is going to criminalize it,” said Miriam Krinsky, executive…
MEDIA: BOOK RECOMMENDATION – Sept. 2021 – An elite, competitive figure skater growing up, Keri Blakinger poured herself into the sport, even competing at nationals. But when her skating partnership ended abruptly, her world shattered. With all the intensity she saved for the ice, she dove into self-destruction. From her first taste of heroin, the next nine years would be a blur—living on the streets, digging for a vein, selling drugs and sex, eventually plunging off a bridge when it all became too much, all while trying to hold herself together enough to finish her degree at Cornell. Then,…
FOR A FEW OF OUR READERS – Sept. 13, 2021 – I took a similar inventory of my life and started at the top, with my hair. I’d been coloring it for decades, lighter and lighter as I got older. But I noticed that during the pandemic, many people (men as well as women of all ages) had stopped covering their gray. And they looked just fine, sometimes better than they did with hair dyed dark above a wrinkled facade. Today, I too am gray and loving it, although I can no longer blame my dog for the white…
HAPPILY SOBER AFTER A TREATMENT – Sept. 19, 2021 – “My mummy and family were taking the kids and I was drinking for days on end. During the week I was fine but then the weekend came. When lockdown hit, my boys went to my family and I was drinking one day on and one day off and to be honest, I would have drank every day if I had the money. “There were times I’d wake up with bruises over my face because I would have fallen. There was one occasion where I fell down a full flight…
DANGEROUS CHOICES – Sept. 18, 2021 – Chantix was approved by the FDA in May 2006 as a prescription medication to help adults aged 18 and over quit smoking and is typically used for 12 to 24 weeks. The recall is for all lots of 0.5 mg and 1 mg varenicline tablets, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. Long-term ingestion of the drug can lead to a “potential increased cancer risk in humans, but there is no immediate risk to patients taking this medication.” For this reason, the FDA said on Friday that patients taking the recalled drug…
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER – Sept. 17, 2021 – “I’ve learned over the past year while I’ve been recovering that when you’re in it, addiction is like you’re having an affair. You’re doing this thing behind everyone’s back, it’s a secret and it feels like you’re cheating and betraying people. I never saw it in that way. I just thought I was harming myself and not other people … He told NME: “This song is triumphant for me in a way because it’s me finally accepting that I’m not someone who can drink alcohol, smoke weed or do any…
MORE WILL BE REVEALED – Sept. 13, 2021 – The people she interviews share gripping stories of violence, bigotry and shame – but also of courage, reclamation and strength. Osborne-Crowley cares deeply for her sources, and is clearly committed to giving them the space to tell their own stories, instead of being described by the systems that oppress them (in police reports, the news, even social media). We read about Rowan, who is hospitalised for an eating disorder as a teenager. While the patients are required to stay at the table until they finish their meals, they are mocked…
WHERE DOES YOURS RANK? – Sept. 14, 2021 – The big takeaway is that money can’t buy happiness, but it certainly helps. States with low unemployment rates, high income growth rates, and reasonable work hours (Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon, to name a few) were among the happiest. New Jersey had the lowest share of adult depression, with Hawaii not far behind. The Garden State also had the lowest suicide rate and ranked No. 3 for lowest divorce rate. Although Hawaii was dethroned and bumped to third place on WalletHub’s list of happiest states, the people there are…
DOES CAPITALISM CARE? – Sept. 15, 2021 – The demand comes as top lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee announced plans to investigate the company with the help of a “Facebook whistleblower.” “Children and teens are uniquely vulnerable populations online, and these findings paint a clear and devastating picture of Instagram as an app that poses significant threats to young people’s wellbeing,” the lawmakers said. The letter is signed by Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, and Representatives Kathy Castor and Lori Trahan of Florida and Massachusetts, respectively. The Wall Street Journal revealed Tuesday that researchers inside Instagram had studied…
SOBRIETY SHOULD BE THE GOAL – Sept. 14, 2021 – At Manchester Magistrates’ Court this week, Eagles claimed he needed his vehicle to take his two children to school. Eagles admitted being drunk while in charge of the Q7 vehicle and said he was attending AA meetings after splitting up with his Hollyoaks star girlfriend earlier this month following a series of rows. Once a rising star in Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad, Eagles has suffered a dramatic fall from grace with a flurry of controversies. From 2000, he spent eight years on the Red Devils’ books but Rio Ferdinand…
WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT’S NOT? – Sept. 16, 2021 – I am not of fan of movies that resort to breaking the fourth wall, as it were, and letting their key characters talk incessantly to the audience. It is a device that generally feels lazy, a writer’s crutch to explain away story points instead of letting us discover for ourselves. The recent annoying pandemic comedy Together, with James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan as a bickering couple who sell their sides of ongoing marital arguments directly to the camera, is an example of why overuse of this technique can be…
TIME TO LEGALIZE HEROIN? – Sept. 16, 2021 – It’s unclear exactly why xylazine is being added to the U.S. drug supply and whether the people who overdose are aware they are taking the drug. In Philadelphia, some focus groups have found that people who use illegal drugs report that xylazine makes the effects of opioids last longer, Live Science previously reported. In another study, also published Thursday (Sept. 16) in MMWR, CDC researchers examined how widespread these xylazine-associated deaths are in the U.S. as a whole. The researchers found that, out of 38 states, xylazine-associated deaths were identified…
ADDICTS’ LIVES MATTER – Sept. 17, 2021 – The United States is at a pivotal moment in its fight against drug overdose, with over 93,000 Americans having lost their lives to fatal drug overdose last year alone, making 2020 the worst year on record. In an article for The Conversation, Emily Campbell, visiting assistant professor of sociology at Holy Cross, analyzes the roots and ramifications of the overdose crisis in this country, an issue she has been studying since 2016. According to Campbell, today’s overdose epidemic is fueled by the implementation of policies that are not based on research,…
WE ARE ALL GOD? – Sept. 14, 2021 – Even very subtle actions—like moving together in time—can exert a significant effect on the mind. We see synchrony in almost every religion the world over: Buddhists and Hindus often chant together in prayer; Christians and Muslims regularly kneel and stand in unison during worship; Jews often sway, or shuckle, when reciting prayers together. These actions belie a deep purpose: creating connection. To see how it works, we asked pairs of strangers to sit across a table from one another, put on headphones, and then tap a sensor on the table…
WATCH – (NOT) USING HIS HEAD – Sept. 18, 2021 – Murdaugh’s attorneys have said their client suffers from an oxycodone addiction and was attempting to get off drugs when he started thinking about suicide. It’s unclear how his drug dependence began, and a lawyer for Murdaugh did not respond to questions about whether he previously sought treatment for his addiction or whether his family and his colleagues knew the extent of it. Opioid experts said painkiller addiction can get expensive, particularly after federal authorities and states like South Carolina have cracked down on prescriptions and sales through drug…
IT’S DOPE – Sept. 16, 2021 – Calipari emphasizes that “these data rewrite facts about dopamine, including what it encodes within the brain and how it drives behavior.” This is incredibly important as dopamine is dysregulated in Parkinson’s disease and in nearly every psychiatric disease: addiction, anxiety and depression, schizophrenia and others, she said. Understanding what these dopamine deficits mean will be critical in understanding patients’ symptoms and in developing better evidence-based treatments for these diseases. What’s Next? “We plan to research how this framework fits into our understanding of drug addiction and how drugs alter dopamine signaling to…
WATCH – GIRLS DON’T NEED FILLERS OR FILTERS – Sept. 16, 2021 – There’s a lot to unpack from the Journal’s investigation. But one thing that stands out is just how blatantly Facebook’s problems are documented, using the kind of simple, observational prose not often found in internal communications at multinational corporations. Here are some of the more jaw-dropping moments from the Journal’s series. In the Journal’s report on Instagram’s impact on teens, it cites Facebook’s own researchers’ slide deck, stating the app harms mental health. “We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls,” said…
FAME FLAME OUT? – Sept. 19, 2021- They added: “No one can tell her no. People are afraid to speak up.” A call to a rep for Wendy was not returned. Another show source previously disclosed to Central Recorder: “The staff has been back for weeks now anticipating to have the show return at the end of the month. “Now with the premiere pushed back, staff is increasingly concerned about the fate of the show.” Recently, an ambulance was pictured outside Wendy’s swanky apartment building. An NYPD spokesperson told Central Recorder: “There was a call for a 57-year-old…
“I don’t really feel like I belong anywhere, which makes me belong everywhere.” —Anya Taylor-Joy
WATCH – INSTADEPRESSED – THE YOUTH OF TOMORROW – Sept. 15, 2021 – Leaked documents from Facebook have revealed how the company’s picture sharing platform Instagram is pushing teenagers towards anxiety and suicide. But the company chose to keep the internal findings hidden. Palki Sharma tells you more. WION -The World is One News, examines global issues with in-depth analysis. We provide much more than the news of the day. Our aim to empower people to explore their world. With our Global headquarters in New Delhi, we bring you news on the hour, by the hour. We deliver…
WATCH – MEDIA: WORDS MATTER – Sept. 6, 2021 – It’s been my passion, it’s my relief. I would love to tell you I got clean and started my skateboard company and everything was happy, but it doesn’t work that way,” he said. Crucial Skate’s logo is a bear. It’s what sparked the pen name C.S. Bear. Come 2019, five years into his recovery, Keith decided to use that pen name and write a book, titled “Life After 40.” “It’s based on actual events with a touch of fiction,” Keith said. The book uses anecdotes and true stories, touching…
WATCH – UNBEARABLE TRAGEDY – Sept. 4, 2021 – “He stayed clean for about nine months then he relapsed, unfortunately,” Smith said. “People said, ‘well, did you try this and did you try that?’ I appreciate what they’re saying but I did. I did everything humanly possible to try to help him.” Prior to a wedding in Chicago, Michael noticed Daniel was high and had to leave him at his grandmother’s. “He called me in Chicago and said, ‘Dad you got to come home. You got to come home,’ and I said OK, and he said, ‘yeah, but I…
WATCH – IF FOOD BE THE FOOD OF LOVE, EAT ON – Sept. 5, 2021 – When she began her recovery, she was able to trace many of her challenges back to the impact of growing up with a difficult home life. She loved her parents very much, but they were troubled. “My father had lost both his parents at an early age and grew up in foster homes in the 1940s in the UK, so you can imagine what that was like,” she says. “Back then you just had a stiff upper lip, you pulled up your boot…
WATCH – WHY AMERICA IS SO SICK – August 18, 2021 – Snapple Apple We have the same concerns for Snapple Apple that we do for Minute Maid lemonade. Of the 47 grams of total sugar, 42 of them are added—that’s a lot considering this beverage is supposed to be apple juice. Not all fruit juice is bad, however, this one certainly shouldn’t be your go-to. Instead, consider buying Lakewood Organic Pure Apple Juice, which contains no added sugars. — MONSTER, PER 16 OZ. CAN: 230 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 370…
YOU FEEL WHAT YOU EAT – Sept. 9, 2021 – The old saying goes “you are what you eat,” but a recent study finds it may be more accurate to say your mood is what you eat. Researchers from Binghamton University find people can optimize their mental health through diet and lifestyle changes. “There is increasing evidence that diet plays a major role in improving mental health, but everyone is talking about a healthy diet,” says Lina Begdache, an assistant professor of health and wellness studies and co-author of the study, in a media release. According to the dietician,…
WATCH – DA BEST RAP IS SOBER RAP? – Sept. 10, 2021 – This is ‘Tiny Desk,’ the world famous ‘Tiny Desk,’ at the world famous Heaven Studios,” Royce said shortly after opening his 18-minute set with “God Speed.” “This is my sanctuary. This is where I spend all my time, and no, we’re not open to the public. You can’t come rap. I’m also celebrating eight years of sobriety. I decided that I didn’t want the game to chew me up and spit me out. I made a promise to myself — I was gonna leave this motherfucker…
WATCH – MEDIA TV: MIRROR, MIRROR – Sept. 8, 2021 – Early in the first episode, Sampson points to the crucial role the advertising industry has played in determing what is beautiful. The viewer is privy to a photo shoot, where we see an already very conventionally handsome male model subject to retouching. That adland has not just contributed to, but created, increasingly unattainable ideals of beauty and exported them globally is undeniable. However, Sampson is clear: “I don’t blame advertising for what we face. I don’t blame social media, for what we face as a society. In many…
NOTHING’S FUNNY ANYMORE – Sept. 12, 2021 – Quigley, 39, shared the statement on her Twitter and Instagram, along with a note that read, “Hi guys. Upon being released from the hospital, I’ve finally had the time & clarity to put my feelings on paper. Mean this from the bottom of my heart.” She began her statement by expressing gratitude to those who have reached out to her in the past week. “I feel overwhelmed by the outpouring of kind messages and am incredibly grateful to be surrounded by a strong community of friends, family, colleagues, and fans who…
WATCH – WHERE HE’S AT – Sept. 12, 2021 – The Chicago native also revealed that he was expecting his first child with Munn and reflected on his future, adding, “You guys saved me from drugs, and Olivia and this baby have helped save me from myself.” Scroll down for more of Mulaney’s honest quotes about his addiction journey and the road to recovery: “I don’t drink. I used to drink, then I drank too much, and I had to stop,” Mulaney said during his special New in Town in 2012. “That surprises a lot of audiences because I…