Late '70s. Lots of alcohol, so much that those of us who didn't drink (at least on weekends) were seen as odd.

Yeah. That was my high school. My girlfriend used to give me shit because I didn't smoke or drink - she said it made me look like I thought I was "better" than everyone.

Basically, I didn't drink in high school because I had to drive everywhere I went and I was paranoid about drunk driving.

Oh, and they hit us very hard with the anti-drug campaign when I was in 5th-6th grade (about 1972-74). No particular emphasis on avoiding any particular drug. Favorite vehicles were movies narrated by Art Linkletter and Sonny Bono.

Basically, I didn't drink in high school because I had to drive everywhere I went and I was paranoid about drunk driving.

I was focused on college, and I wanted to take no chances whatever of blowing it on an underage drinking arrest. So, since I didn't turn 18 until 3 months after graduation....

My throat hurts from the smoke, and I feel like I'm breathing mud.

Allyson, as soon as you can get in/out, I would like to loan you my air filter. It works really well, and I think it will really help you to breathe better in your apartment for the next few days as the smoke and ash settles. Can I please talk you into taking it?

Hee--the Queen arrives just as the US turns into a Monty Python state of being...

Went to HS from 1989-1993. We drank like fishes, smoked pot a fair amount (c'mon, this is Alaska, we've got some of the best dope ever), and my friends dropped acid or did 'shrooms quite often. There were a few kids who did coke, but they were the rich kids who could afford to burn out. Never saw crack or heroin or any of the super-hard drugs. I would have said that the drinking was the worst of our problems.

Now, of course, meth is huge and affecting a lot more kids.

There were drugs at my high school. It's where I tried pot for the first time. I didn't really become aware of other, harder stuff until after high school, and I don't remember what it was like for my sisters when they went through school after me.

Or how you, you know, take it.

It's okay shrift. Actually, meth can be snorted, smoked or swallowed, so just about any method you can imagine will allow you to successfully injest it. Meth is versatile.

Everybody in my high school and junior high school smoked a lot of pot. But this was in Florida (where the drugs came in) during the 70s.

ION...

A vegan couple was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for the death of their malnourished 6-week-old baby boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice.

Superior Court Judge L.A. McConnell imposed the sentences on Jade Sanders, 27, and Lamont Thomas, 31. Their son, Crown Shakur, weighed just 3 1/2 pounds when he died of starvation on April 25, 2004.

The couple was found guilty May 2 of malice murder, felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. A jury deliberated about seven hours before returning the guilty verdicts.

You know, it's not against vegan principles to breast feed, lady...

World's smallest cat

Meet Mr. Peeples, The world's smallest cat! The Guinness Book of World Records has verified that Mr. Peebles is two years old, weighs about 1 kilo, is about 15 centimeters long and perfectly fits in a 200 ml glass.

However, there may soon be a new smallest cat. [link]

Could this be the world's smallest cat? The Guinness Book of Records is waiting until this little Munchkin kitten is fully grown to decide if he is a record breaker.

But Heed is well on track. At 14 weeks old he is just 3 1/4 inches tall, and weighs just over 2lbs.

And... World's smallest dog

This Chihuahua, measuring only 4 inches tall and 18 ounces, is likely to be the world’s smallest dog. The dog’s owner, Jenny Gomes, says that Dancer will likely be named the world’s smallest living dog in the Guiness Book of World Records.

There were lots of drugs in my high school. Pot, cocaine, heroin. I actually saw those, so I know they were there. Alcohol was a no-brainer because it was legal to drink at 18 in Colorado at that time. We could buy it as seniors.

The school I did my student teaching in? I didn't see any, but I saw plenty of drug dealers in the neighborhood. I'm sure there was some at school.