The Economist—the most serious magazine in the world—argues today that America's smoking bans have killed untold numbers of innocent people. While bans on smoking in public places are in place theoretically to save us from ourselves, the piecemeal approach America has taken to instituting them has led to huge leaps in fatal accidents involving alcohol.
Even with the demise of print journalism and the so-called end of journalist watering holes, writers still drink quite a bit. Gridskipper has done pieces on blogger bars, and we've made references the New York Observer's predilection for Old Town Bar before, but I'm going for a full list of drinking places, so you, the media adoring public, can do a little casual stalking. A cursory Google search leads me to believe this hasn't been done before, but I could be wrong. Feel free to object to my ignorance in the comments. But after that, let me know where your staff drinks. The office is not an acceptable answer. Every writer drinks in the office.
The Lower East Side, a Manhattan quarter now overrun by bars for hipsters and drunken yuppies from Murray Hill, was once an authentic working-class neighborhood. And it had even more lager dens and other drinking establishments than it does now, as demonstrated by this 1882 map of New York's "liquordom". So shut up already about the ruin of the Lower East Side. [via Time Out]
We've laughed it off for months now but maybe Mayor Bloomberg is idiotic enough to run for president. How else to explain the formerly bland technorat's suddenly strained attempt to transform himself into similarly rich and short crank Ross Perot? Asked about Bush's economic stimulus plan (he is going to send us all checks!!!), Bloomberg said it was "like giving a drink to an alcoholic." He meant because Congress is addicted to spending, but the analogy seems to actually say that Americans are addicted to having money. Or maybe he is actually just saying that Americans will actually spend their entire stimulus checks on booze? Some of them will, sure. But some of them will spend it on drugs! Besides, Americans aren't addicted to cash. We're addicted to running up debt! [NYSun]
According to her blog, Rosie O'Donnell will stop drinking, and the comedian appears to have taken all the critical early steps. Step 1, admit that you really, really want to lose weight in order to become happy, and acknowledge that alcohol is standing in your way. Step two, blog a freeform poem thing about it on your crazy website. The full, heart-warming Q&A about Rosie's beery awakening, from the "Ask Ro" section of Rosie's website, after the jump.
FINALLY, medical researchers have completed a detailed study of popular music. But the results are staggering: American music is "awash" with lyrics about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Rap music was the most high, at a 77% drug-mentioning clip; Country came in second at 36%. Reuters shows its cute fairness agenda by quoting both Three Six Mafia and country singer Joe Nichols. It's a party for everyone! The bad news in all this? "The study did not quantify references to sex, violence, or expletives." [Reuters]
Paris and Nicky Hilton's little brother, 18-year-old Barron Nicholas (he uses his middle name for his last on his high school Facebook page), wants you to know that he is a total badass. No really! This apple is totes not going to even think about falling far from the tree! Barron smokes pot! Barron drinks what might be champagne while wearing suits! The youngest Hilton tosses 'em back in his pool! Or at least, he pours Captain Morgan's down his front for the camera, but that's fine—we're sure the help won't mind cleaning it up later.
The South Pole, being the single furthest point anyone on Earth can ever be from Santa Claus, is usually sadly bereft of Christmas cheer. This year, though, our intrepid and insane Antarctic-dwelling scientists had a booze-fueled Holiday Fistfight and now two have been evacuated. The injured party was a Raytheon contractor, so it's not particularly surprising that his jaw intercepted that friendly fist. [Guardian via Drudge]
Breaking news! People who drink Red Bull and vodka are rapists and friends of drunk drivers! It's been proven by science. Researchers at Wake Forest surveyed 4,300 students on their drinking habits, and of the 2,900 who didn't lie about their sobriety, 700 admitted to using energy drinks as mixers. Which led to even more bad decisions!
And we have a winner. Ya know, if we knew you people would do this kind of thing for us, we never would have looked for another job in the first place.
From the mailbag: "DO NOT LEAVE US." Couple more cleavage-and-booze shots like these, possibly more revealing, and possibly with the brown liquors, and I'll consider it.
Remember how on her last day as Gawker Editor Jess Coen posted lots of pictures of adorable puppies and kittens? Well, it's my last day but I fucking hate animals. So here's a picture with two of my favorite things: cleavage and alcohol. Enjoy! If anyone out there has a picture of hot nude girls drinking Wild Turkey straight from the bottle, send them along and maybe I'll put 'em up. Either way, I'll make use of them. [Full Bodied]
"As cable networks pump out more original programming, a surprising number of drug users and problem drinkers are wobbling into the summer lineup.... Some watchdog groups say they are uncomfortable with the spread of drugs and alcohol on cable. 'To continue to just portray the drama of active addiction is just destructive. What we need is some stories that tell us about the positive side, and that's what recovery is,' says Robert Lindsey, president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, an education and advocacy group." That's the positive side? We thought it was the whole "feeling great," "having fun," and "forgetting about your problems" thing. Maybe we've been doing it wrong. [WSJ]
