There's nothing to know #5.

Drugs and alcohol.

On the one hand, I'm on the side that thinks "the war on drugs", has been a miserable failure, and a pathetic joke, that's ruined lives, and killed thousands for absolutely nothing.

On the other hand, the CULTURE built up around these substances leaves a lot to be desired.

A bunch of good rock songs, and some cool paintings, and a couple trippy films, sure.

Everything else has been pretty fucking stupid.

Especially the day-to-day stuff from average fuckin' dipshits.

Let's focus on alcohol for a bit, cuz that's the one this culture will beat you over the fuckin' head with.

You can pass on heroin, and coke, no prob.

Those are evil fucking drugs with no benefit, you just end up a junkie hugging a toilet, or moaning in an alleyway, so no one gives a frig if you flip those off, not even the fuckin' junkies offering it.

But fuckin' booze, your own goddamned parents will think you're weird avoiding that shit.

And it actually fucking kills more people.

Where's the logic in that?

None.

No fucking logic at all, don't look for it, it's a waste of time.

Trust me, I've picked it apart for years, it ain't there.

Well, one of the "reasons", if you can call it that, is the "social lubricant", factor.

Which is one of those quaint little euphemisms people like to make up to conceal the truth.

This particular one translates to "if you have a decent buzz-on, you can tolerate assholes, and it lets you get away with behaving like an asshole, because you can just go 'oh, wow, I was so drunk!', the next morning".

And those loud boring phony assholes, that's rocket fuel for them.

And if you make a habit of this behavior, you're not "better than anybody", and that's something that has to be destroyed immediately, because most people are insecure little rats.

So yeah, there's that whole deal.

But, for most, it doesn't go any deeper in their tiny little minds than "everyone else is doing it".

And all that bullshit is why parents will start to give you shit if you haven't been plastered by 22.
You're a nerd, and they want grandchildren.

Well, sorry, drink all the Rolling Rocks you want, buddy, if you can cite episodes of Trek by both title and number, and own a shitload of horror movies from before you were born, you're not going to the football player's parties.

Like I said in this one, go to conventions.
You are what you are.
The truly lamest people are the ones who can't face that, and try to artificially mutate into an average asshole.

Oh, yeah, then there's the whole "you got some living to do", deal.

Apparently, there's not much on "the ride of life".

Be born, play with toys, put away the toys for chicks, fuck, consume substances, hold down a mind numbing job to fund your own ugly kid, die.

Jayzus, no wonder people run away to the circus, try to become rock stars, or join Greenpeace.

Well, I'm not gonna try to talk anyone down from the whole booze thing.
If it appeals, have at it.
I don't really care.

But if you find yourself becoming a teetotaler nerd, just know you're in for shit, and that, there's no deep mystery you're missing.

No deep philosophical argument, either.

It's all visceral shit.

And okay, I'm no fuckin' role model, but...hey, Penn is a teetotaler.

He's cool, right?
Okay then.
There's your guy.

Okay, that's booze, on to pot and acid.

Hey, unlike booze, pot's never made anyone a violent punchy asshole.

That oughtta be America's drug, not fuckin' Budweiser.

Well, statistically, it's getting up there.

Now if we could just stop locking people up for it.

Acid?
I haven't heard any story from anyone coming out the other end of the Willy Wonka Freakout Tunnel that was significant.
Not like the alterna-verse gave them the plans for transwarp drive or nothin.

But, whatever, never seen a trip make someone an asshole that already wasn't one.

Never seen gang shootouts over acid.

Not for me though.
There's enough horror inside my head, I don't need to add graphics.
And I don't need my demons TALKING to me.

Anyway, these are all choices for you to make for yourself, just know that, there's really nothing more to know than what you've already heard.

The subtle implication that there is, has been bullshit.

But this is a culture that's full of bullshit, so are you surprised?

Yhep, nothing to know, move along...