The Off Topic Topic

[Ideologue]

So I'm trying nicotine gum.  It burns.

I also got some patches.

I'm not, at present, using both at the same time in the manner of the classic episode of Newsradio where Bill tries to quit smoking and winds up chewing on a nicotine patch.

[Josephus]

Just put the gum away and sweat it out for a week. Best way to do it, if you have the willpower. Good luck

[Ideologue]

I'm no Green Lantern, man.

[Ideologue]

I dunno how it is for others, but it's not purely or even primarily psychological: I get serious physical pains all throughout my head, especially my jaw, when I try to stop.  It's a little difficult to tell at this remove, but I'm pretty sure I started dipping, in particular, to medicate the jaw pain; and it does help, although it now marches in lockstep with the nicotine addiction.  Without nicotine, it's now insanely bad, like I-can't-function bad, and I have to function.

The pain is definitely why I grind my teeth (it's an almost involuntary response to the pain).  I probably should see an actual doctor about this rather than asking my dentist, who is more concerned about symptoms than he is causes and seems to lack any sort of expertise in the area.

Still, if it were the 1960s and my GP would happily prescribe some painkillers and sedatives I'd already have quit.  I'd also have a GP.  I'd also probably have a real job.  But I digress.

[Syt]

It's Krampus time over at The Atlantic.

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/12/krampus-saint-nicholas-dark-companion/100639/














Some postcards:

http://www.grussvomkrampus.net/

And of course Colbert's look at Kraumpus:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/258162/december-09-2009/the-blitzkrieg-on-grinchitude---hallmark---krampus

[Eddie Teach]

That kid is gonna grow up to invade Poland.

[CountDeMoney]

I dunno how it is for others, but it's not purely or even primarily psychological: I get serious physical pains all throughout my head, especially my jaw, when I try to stop.  It's a little difficult to tell at this remove, but I'm pretty sure I started dipping, in particular, to medicate the jaw pain; and it does help, although it now marches in lockstep with the nicotine addiction.  Without nicotine, it's now insanely bad, like I-can't-function bad, and I have to function.

The pain is definitely why I grind my teeth (it's an almost involuntary response to the pain).  I probably should see an actual doctor about this rather than asking my dentist, who is more concerned about symptoms than he is causes and seems to lack any sort of expertise in the area.

Still, if it were the 1960s and my GP would happily prescribe some painkillers and sedatives I'd already have quit.  I'd also have a GP.  I'd also probably have a real job.  But I digress.

When it comes to nicotine withdrawal, I get incredibly, incredibly violent.  It has not done me any favors in life.

Ideally, you don't want to use nicotine to quit nicotine, but in your case I don't recommend Chantix.  Try the nicotine lozenges.  Just don't pop them like Pez.  But they take the edge off.

[Ideologue]

Isn't Chantix the one that blocks dopamine receptors in the brain and causes you to kill yourself in hilarious ways like the people in The Happening?

[CountDeMoney]

I don't know about all that, but it makes your dreams feel like you snapped the TV cable off in your skull and left it on Cinemax.  But yeah, I heard it could induce suicidal.

Don't stay on it more than 3 or 4 months, though.  I was on it for 9 months, just because the Rx lasted that long, and I had to stop when I realized I was having hallucinatory ideations.  Hardcore ones.

[Ed Anger]

I had another midget dream tonight. I was in a meat processing plant and instead of cows, we were processing midgets. Chop chop, blood everywhere.

That is the 4th or 5th midget dream.

[Josquius]

Not as cool as it first appeared but cool nonetheless.

http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2013/05/28/tatsuo-horiuchi-excel-spreadsheet-artist/

[Razgovory]

I don't know about all that, but it makes your dreams feel like you snapped the TV cable off in your skull and left it on Cinemax.  But yeah, I heard it could induce suicidal.

Don't stay on it more than 3 or 4 months, though.  I was on it for 9 months, just because the Rx lasted that long, and I had to stop when I realized I was having hallucinatory ideations.  Hardcore ones.

That sucks.  It completely baffles me that people intentionally try to induce such hallucinations.

[Sheilbh]

England, this England:

A man who emerged naked from a storage cupboard at a Premier Inn with a fire extinguisher hose up his bottom walked free after he told a court: 'I'm truly ashamed of myself.' Joseph Small, 20, threw his clothes off and grabbed the appliance from the fourth floor of the budget Leicester Square hotel. He then rammed the hose between his buttocks and began touching himself, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. Small also urinated on the carpet and a lift door before having to be escorted down to reception by a member of staff who wrapped him in a towel. He then hurled abuse at the Bangladeshi man, barking at him: "This country has been taken over by Al-Qaeda - go back to Pakistan."

'While in the hotel lobby Small again urinated on the carpet in front of stunned tourists shouting proudly: "I come from Sheffield in England." His lewd acts caused £450 of damage to the lift door, carpet and the extinguisher. Small admitted criminal damage to property under £5,000, racially aggravated harassment, and outraging public decency. Prosecutor Darren Watts said that as well as telling Hassan to "go back to Pakistan", Small also called a special constable "Turkish" and his colleague "Romanian", before referring to another officer as a "paedo"'. Small had travelled down from his home in Sheffield with his uncle to do a deal on a used car. He told the court that he was "truly ashamed" of the October 31 incident and that he has many friends from different backgrounds.

[CountDeMoney]

I don't know about all that, but it makes your dreams feel like you snapped the TV cable off in your skull and left it on Cinemax.  But yeah, I heard it could induce suicidal.

Don't stay on it more than 3 or 4 months, though.  I was on it for 9 months, just because the Rx lasted that long, and I had to stop when I realized I was having hallucinatory ideations.  Hardcore ones.

That sucks.  It completely baffles me that people intentionally try to induce such hallucinations.

Yeah, it was really weird...I'd be thinking, damn, I have to call Rob back from the other day...and then realize I haven't spoken to Rob for 15 years.  Shit like that.  I was getting...foggy.  So I stopped it.

And once I stopped, I promptly started smoking again.

[CountDeMoney]