VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – Jan. 7, 2025 – Today Somewhere – There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose. Sam Stone was alone When he popped his last balloon Climbing walls while sitting in a chair Well, he played his last request While the room smelled just like death With an overdose hovering in the air CONTINUE@YouTube
Author: Leonard Buschel
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Issa Ibrahim is a visual artist, author, musician, and filmmaker born and raised in Queens, New York. He is the author of the memoir ‘The Hospital Always Wins’ published by Chicago Review Press and has been featured in an HBO documentary and an award-winning NPR audio story. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date? A. Marijuana. Thanksgiving 2017. Q. What do you like most about 12-step meetings? A. It’s a leveling of the field. We’re all wounded and damaged and in need of help.…
VIDEO – HE DOES IT ALL – Jan. 2, 2025 – Now 86, Anthony Hopkins took to social media (via Entertainment Weekly) to share his anniversary. “Well, 49 years ago today, I stopped [drinking]. I was having such fun, but then I realized I was in big, big trouble because I couldn’t remember anything and I was driving a car, drunk out of my skull…I phoned up a group of people like me — alcoholic — and that was it. Sober. I’ve had more fun in these 49 years than ever.” The time between Christmas and New Year’s is a…
KEEP IT SIMPLE – Dec. 28, 2024 – The study examined 17 individuals who had been asked these two questions by their doctors. The results showed that asking about the frequency of drinking six or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting identified alcoholism with 54% accuracy. … However, when the second question was added — asking if someone has ever consumed alcohol first thing in the morning to steady their nerves — the accuracy of the diagnosis increased to 87%. This question, part of the CAGE test used to detect alcohol use disorder in adults, is particularly effective in revealing…
GET MEDICARE – Jan. 1, 2025 – In your 40s, more health risks begin to pop up, Landsverk explains. “Obesity, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol all increase the risk for heart attacks, strokes and small stroke dementia,” she said. If you’re living with any of these conditions, even a small amount of alcohol can further increase your risk of events like heart attacks or strokes, so keep that in mind. Once you hit your 50s, Landsverk says, even moderate drinking can wreak havoc on the body. “Alcohol, besides the vascular damage and dementia risks, increases the risk of breast cancer,…
VIDEO – ANNE DOES IT AGAIN – Jan. 3, 2025 – From drawing lessons from regret to focusing on one resolution and more, authors Daniel Pink and Anne Lamott stop by Studio 1A to share tips for how to begin the new year with a fresh perspective. CONTINUE@Today
DID HE LIVE? – Jan. 3, 2025 – The 76-year-old — who has been open about his struggle with alcohol and drug addiction throughout his life — recently revealed a very specific way he once got through the Christmas season, a time of year he said “gets right up my a–hole.” “When I used to do booze and get f–ked up,” he told The Sun in an interview published Dec. 31. he Black Sabbath frontman — who shares kids Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39, with wife Sharon Osbourne, 72 — added, “I f–king hate Christmas.” While his holiday…
AUDIO – FAILURE IS DYING – Dec. 26, 2024 – The cartel operatives came to the homeless encampment carrying syringes filled with their latest fentanyl formula. The offer was simple, according to two men living at the camp in northwest Mexico: up to $30 for anyone willing to inject themselves with the concoction. They inject their experimental mixtures into human subjects as well as rabbits and chickens. If the rabbits survive beyond 90 seconds, the drug is deemed too weak to be sold to Americans. The American officials said that when Mexican law enforcement units have raided fentanyl labs, they…
NEGLIGENCE – Jan. 3, 2025 – In September 2024, American Addiction Centers suffered a cyber-attack that led to the unauthorized access to sensitive personal information and protected health information of over 420,000 individuals. The information included names, Social Security numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, medical information, and health insurance information. The class members allege that they face the threat of identity theft and misuse of their data by cyber criminals. The lawsuit includes claims of negligence, unjust enrichment, and breach of implied contract, as well as monetary and injunctive relief. CONTINUE@JDSupra
TASTY POISON – Jan. 3, 2025 – Consuming alcohol raises the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer diseases, including liver, breast and throat cancer. Any effort to add a cancer warning label to alcohol would face significant push back from a well-funded and powerful beverage industry, which spends nearly $30 million every year lobbying Congress. Other research around alcohol, including reports that moderate drinking can be associated with lower risks to of heart disease compared to no alcohol consumption, should be considered, said Amanda Berger of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. “Many lifestyle choices…
IT’S TRIPPY – Jan. 1, 2025 – (Lane Belone poses with Pikes Peak in the background ) Colorado residents voted to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin, the chemical compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, in a 2022 ballot measure, launching two years of rulemaking before it could be used to treat conditions such as depression and PTSD. “We have an opportunity to support veterans, and it’s a really easy one to say ‘Yes’ to,” said Lane Belone, a special forces veteran who said he’s benefited from his own psychedelic experiences. Belone argued that the restrictions effectively limit the number of…
GAME CHANGER? Or CASH GRAB? – Jan. 3, 2025 – “San Francisco is a city of compassion, but also a city that demands accountability,” Breed said in a statement. “We fund a wide range of treatment and recovery services that are helping people every day, but it can be difficult to get everyone to accept the help they so badly need.” Breed’s office noted homeless individuals who get the lower $109 per month payment also receive “guaranteed shelter and meals.” The new Treatment Pathway Initiative program will require individuals who are even suspected of a substance abuse disorder to continue…
SOBERSTARS! – Jan. 2, 2025 – After successfully completing Dry January, when one gives up alcohol for the entire month, Bertinelli decided to make a lifestyle change and is approaching her one-year sobriety milestone. Bradley Cooper discussed his journey to sobriety during an appearance on… CONTINUE@News
“You can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.” – Demi Moore
DEAD BUT NOT FORGOTTEN – DEC 14, 2024 – Parade annually celebrates the lives of celebrities recently lost but not forgotten, including famous names on big screens, music legends, cultural pioneers and those who left indelible memories in the public consciousness. These people, who died in the year 2024, are honored here. CONTINUE@Parade
VIDEO – SHARING THE MESSAGE – Dec. 24, 2024 – “My husband’s great uncle drank himself to death in the 70’s, it wasn’t until decades later when anyone realized he had probably been gay and unable to face it,” said one woman. “Thank you for showing people that they have value, and a future.” “Almost 21 years sober now so I get that feeling when this happens. We never know who hears us talk about sobriety but it’s beautiful when it happens,” said one man. “Well, I wasn’t expecting to be crying in my coffee this morning. Yet, here I…
SHE’S BAAAACK – Dec. 24, 2024 – Britney is moving into 2025 determined to stay sober and get her career back on track. A source exclusively tells In Touch that she’s bringing in a new squad of helpers to keep her on the straight and narrow and avoid those dark old demons at all costs. “Britney seems to be very serious about getting her life together, she’s really showing great signs of being on track and committed to staying healthy. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a 24-hour battle to keep her away from her demons,” the insider says. “The…
VIDEO – SAMPLING NOTHING WORKS – Dec. 25, 2024 – Andrea McCarthy told friends and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart. ‘At midnight, I’m having a shot at tequila to celebrate not having a drink for the entire year.’ But now that I’ve gotten to an entire year, I couldn’t think of anything worse than drinking,” “The feeling that I thought I…
“People can become psychotic.” – Dec. 22, 2024 – Heidi Lawrence’s daughter was 14 when she began dabbing—heating and inhaling the fumes from powerful globs of marijuana extract. By 15, the girl couldn’t resist the quick, intense highs and was dabbing every half-hour from school bathrooms to her bedroom. Smoking the potent cannabis concentrates “has almost broken her brain,” said Lawrence. Dabbing has emerged in recent years as a popular way to consume marijuana, especially among youths. But it is dangerous. Like other new forms of marijuana use that have proliferated in recent years, dabbing involves highly potent concentrates of…
THEN WHAT? – Dec. 25, 2024 – As many of us prepare to enjoy the holidays in our snug homes, let’s pause to remember those without such amenities. And to review the approaches we have been taking to reduce the population of homeless individuals. Apologies for not using the “unsheltered” term du jour; I have never been much for parsing politically correct words. We probably are all aware of individuals who live in vehicles or on the street for purely economic reasons. It’s not hard to understand when one considers the cost and availability of housing, which can easily outpace…
DOES THAT MAKE THE FRENCH SMARTER? – Dec. 25, 2024 – …the researchers examined changes in brain chemistry. They analyzed the expression of neurotrophic factors—proteins that support brain cell growth and repair—in the hippocampus, a region critical for memory and learning. These molecular analyses aimed to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying any observed cognitive improvements. Camembert stands out among cheeses due to its fermentation with white mold (Penicillium camemberti), which gives it a distinct biochemical profile. This fermentation process produces fatty acid amides like myristamide, which are rarely found in non-fermented or differently fermented cheeses. These compounds are increasingly recognized…
JUST PLAIN SAD – Dec. 24, 2024 – The holidays are a particularly tough time for those living with addiction. After their own family tragedy, one mom and dad are working to provide a place for those who are struggling. “This is a haunted movie, only you’re in it,” Michael Owen said. CONTINUE@WSBTV
VIDEO – WHAT FAITH? – Dec. 25, 2024 – Two men were taken to the hospital after being shot inside a faith-based addiction recovery facility in Mount Vernon. Responding officers and deputies with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene and found two men inside the facility who had been shot. The MVPD said a 50-year-old man and a 53-year-old man were taken to the Hospital . Officers contacted a 49-year-old man outside the facility who is believed to be the suspect and took him into custody without incident. A gun was located at the scene and collected…
CLEANING DIRTY MONEY – Dec. 24, 2024 – (Valerie Mangskau has battled addiction and is nine years sober) Looking ahead to 2025, DART will spearhead efforts to keep low-level substance abuse offenders from receiving criminal convictions if they follow treatment plans. The $7.2 million in opioid settlement funds is part of a $26 billion settlement agreement that was reached in 2022 between 46 states and drug makers Johnson & Johnson and drug wholesalers AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. The settlement funds is part of a $26 billion settlement agreement that was reached in 2022 between 46 states and drug makers…
WHAT GOES AROUND… – Dec. 24, 2024 – Michael Miske, 50, died of ‘’toxicity of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl,’’ the medical examiner’s office said in a statement. The death appears to have been accidental but the case is still under investigation. It’s not clear how Miske got ahold of fentanyl or para-fluorofentanyl while at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center. Para-fluorofentanyl is a synthetic opioid that appears in illicit drugs and is more potent than fentanyl. The Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Miske was found unresponsive at the lockup on Dec. 1. Efforts by staff…
VIDEO – NOT TO DO LIST – Dec. 26, 2024 – For those with a drink problem though, the party doesn’t end on New Year – even if the fun stopped a while ago. If that’s the case with one of your loved ones, it’s easy to stick your head in the sand and just write their behaviour off over the festive period. After all, isn’t it normal to have one too many drinks at the work do and embarrass yourself? She says: “People without a problem with alcohol are usually aware of their limits and know when it’s a…
HOLLYWOOD SHENANIGANS – Dec. 26, 2024 – Ridge offered alcohol to Taylor who has history of alcoholism on The Bold and the Beautiful. “Because writers forget past history”—The Bold and the Beautiful fans criticize Ridge for offering alcohol to already alcoholic Taylor. FAN: I wish Tyler would leave the show for good.! That one isn’t an actor at all. She talks about Brook and Hope But look at her like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting to jump on Ridge.. She and Stephanie are the same. They both have skeletons in there closets … They play leap frog…
MANTRA – Make More Money – Dec. 12, 2034 – The first order of business was a microdose, 0.25 milligrams, of psilocybin (the main psychedelic substance found in hallucinogenic mushrooms), which was child’s play compared with the dosages they would take the next day. After handing out the psilocybin pills, Mr. Rodgers brought out a map of consciousness …which displayed a range of mental states the entrepreneurs might be experiencing, as varied as shame, guilt and enlightenment. He used a marker to jot down each entrepreneur’s current state of being, giving the room the temporary feeling of a corporate off-site…
THANK GOD – Dec. 27, 2024 – Overdose fatalities in Brown County decreased by 73% between 2023 and 2024; the result of increased efforts to address fentanyl and other drugs in the community, County Executive Troy Streckenbach said. In 2021, 69 people in Brown County died from drug overdoses, with more than half involving fentanyl. It…
AMAZING TALES – Dec. 27, 2024 – The Washington Post spoke with more than a dozen people who responded to an overdose or were revived from one about what the experience is like. Here are some of their accounts. If you think someone might have overdosed, first do a verbal test, loudly talking to the person to see if they’ll respond. Say something like: “Hey! Are you okay? Hi, friend. Are you good?” If someone is responsive, they’re not overdosing, said David Juurlink, a physician and professor of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto. Beyond that, Juurlink…