Don't do drugs

Because they'll destroy your looks, as well as your health. Via American Thinkers:

Young people do foolish things because they can't foresee the consequences. For this reason, it is incumbent to offer them negative examples, vividly bringing to their attention the life outcomes a certain, superficially attractive, course of action entails.

The Multnomah County (Portland, OR) Sherriff has posted to the web a gallery of before and after mug shots of people with drug offences. This link ought to be shared with all young people.

Shocking, eh? You should go check out the rest. Very sad.

Dr. Sanity has some interesting thoughts on addiction:

Part of my job is dealing with chemical addictions and the addicts who have them. One definition of chemical dependency that I particularly like and have seen validated over and over again is this: "Chemical dependency is essentially a committed pathological love relationship to a mood altering chemical substance."

This reality is sometimes hard to believe, especially when you regularly observe the chaotic mess most of the lives of addicts are. Especially the chronically homeless (because of drugs); the chronically penniless (because of drugs); the chronically friendless and isolated (except for other addicts); and the chronically angry and paranoid (because of drugs). But, if you ask an addict why he takes drugs, he is very likely to tell that he likes or enjoys them.

She then goes on to talk about how so many in America are addicted to spending other peoples' money.

Their love of and dependence on your money is extremely strong. They feel they cannot live without it; and they will fight to keep on getting it--even behaving in ways that are deplorable and socially reprehensible. Like the biological addicts, they are willing to lie, cheat and do violence in order to remain in this committed and pathological relationship with your money. And, in addition, they have the delusional belief that they are entitled to it without question, without possibility of alteration for forever. Are you broke? Too bad. They are entitled to continue to get it.

Withdrawal or even detoxification efforts (gradual changes) are met with anger and rage and increasingly unreasonable demands and threats. Having had free access to your money for so long time, their perception of reality is distorted; their judgment is impaired. They can no longer see what is happening in the world around them and attempts to make them understand how their behavior is impacting the rest of the social network is met with utter and complete psychological denial.

Lately, we have been witnessing the rage of these addicts on a daily basis on our TV sets and even perhaps in our communities.