Never walk into a bar and give people clues to your blog, especially if the bar is one of the deeper dives in the Weirdness that is Washington.
Well, if you're me, you've had weirder things for breakfast than most of these people could ever hope to see, much less to be. But for the average person with the average idea of what constitutes sanity? Kiss your average ideas and average sanity goodbye. In particular, never let troublemakers mine your blog output for whatever will most annoy you, because Washington being Washington, and carpetbaggers being carpetbaggers, they will do whatever they can to get your goat.
That's okay... I've been a regular on the scene in the District since long before these kids were born, and while the respect I get from real District Denizens might be a bit grudging at times, since I know how to mind my manners, I have it.
And as for these kids from out of town who think they've got new tricks for the old dog, all I ever have to do is to mention that the only difference between a tourist and a carpetbagger is that the carpetbagger has an address, and make that mention to any of a large number of real District homeboys who have known me to have done them no harm in the 20 or 30 years they've known me.
If you think that the national sport of Washington DC is "fucking with tourists", that's nothing compared to what we got for carpetbaggers, and you'll be moving right along as people ask with big sorrowful eyes, "Leaving us so soon?" and then make damn sure the door hits you in the ass as you get the fuck out... but not fast enough.
A lot of carpetbaggers never quite understand that a real Washingtonian is never unintentionally rude. They then compound that mistake with mistaking politeness for weakness.
For example, it's exceptionally polite to say "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, do please be so kind as think up something appropriate in terms of a comeuppance for someone who actually made me mutter, every day in every way forces me to add to the very long list of people who can just kiss my fat ass". And you know what? If someone asks you politely like that, well, something's just got to be done, know-what-I-mean? Especially if you're one of those special people who remembers having the cartoon in question stapled to the fabric of their government cubicle.
Moving right along: the Washington Post reports on an increasing awareness of the profound dangers of atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants of the benzidiazepine class. Please see Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears ("Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears", Balestra, Katie, Washington Post, June 30, 2009).
Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling withdrawal.
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Some doctors have been turning to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Paxil, to replace benzodiazepines in the treatment of anxiety, although those antidepressants may also produce withdrawal symptoms. Steven Daviss, chairman of psychiatry at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, said SSRIs are a safer alternative for panic and anxiety disorders, with less risk for dependence and a less dangerous withdrawal.
The ordeal of withdrawing from benzodiazepines can rival that of kicking a heroin habit, according to some who have had success. Abrupt withdrawal can result in hallucinations, seizures and even death, experts say.
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