a drug for all things please.

yesterday i read in the new york times, an article about the design of new workplaces. the article was focused around one building in particular owned by sprint, which was being lauded for its innovation regarding the encouragement of physical activity. the stairwells had been designed with giant windows all along the sides, while the elevators were hydrolic {thus quite slow} which the designers felt would help to increase people's desire to walk rather than ride. there were also a few ping pong tables in the lunch room. jesus christ. the article was written with a positve angle. another company {i can't remember which, nor can i find the article this morning} was offering prescriptions free of charge to their employees, for weight loss drugs.

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

i cannot even begin to stomach the absurdity of this situation. how pathetic can people be? and then i read this morning in adbusters, that stanford scientists have found that a drug called citalopram {better known as the antidepressant celexa} can "nix the need for a shopping fix." "of the 24 patients in the study, only one of whom is male, 15 reported their condition after treatment as 'much improved' or 'very much improved.' three dropped out due to side effects. "patients said to me, 'i go to the shopping mall with my friends and i don't buy anything,' said dr. lorrin koran, the lead author of the study. 'i can't believe it and they can't believe it. they've been doing this for decades and now their urge to shop is gone."

i would laugh and laugh were this not so deeply indicative of the direction our modern world is taking. i think the doctors should prescribe jim harrison novles, good food, endless nights of music, trips to southern spain and wherever else, and a mandatory walking of the pacific crest trail in its entirety.

one cannot do much shopping, when walking through the woods.

Posted by jeff at October 16, 2003 12:15 PM

....................................