[Gets divorce papers from wife]

“I’M FREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!”

Well technically Videogum is only two years old, so you’ll probably get a jail cell.

I think the new name for smoke monster Locke should be UnLocke. GET IT? You do. thoughts?

“very real anti-human atrocities that occurred in Abu Ghraib for which all of America should probably go to jail and the blood of which will take decades to scrub from our collective hands”

Um, No.

The love – quadrangle is their constant

Not at all, I completely agree that it is a disease, and a terrible thing for anyone to have to go through. I was simply clarifying the point etc was attempting to make in that ‘disease’ and ‘addiction’ are different in nature, using alcohol and cigarettes to illustrate my point since they are the most common, but any substance that causes addiction can be used, ex. Heroin and Cocaine. Emotion had nothing to do with what I was saying, and certainly those who deserve our compassion should receive it (as long as pity drives us to good works). I was just showing that, while disease and addiction are certainly both terrible things, they are different. Another example may be (accept or reject it as you may) homicide vs. suicide. Both fall under the definition of murder, but are very different from one another. So I guess to answer your two questions, 1) It does not, both are very horrible. 2) Their disease is equally as valid, but it is *not* the same.

@ Heinous – I wasn’t writing about expectations. I can’t predict the future, so I don’t know what any person may or may not do. I was just saying that Alcoholism CAN be prevented, just like Heroin addiction can be, to show the difference between a disease you catch and a disease you essentially give yourself. So yes, it can be avoided by anyone. Whether or not it *will be* isn’t my concern.

Yikes this is long, sorry guys. Just think this is an interesting topic.

Although communicated in foolish manner, I think the point ‘etc’ was trying to get at was involuntary nature of disease vs. the voluntary (in a sense) nature of addiction. A man who has never smoked a cigarette (or cigar etc.) can still get lung cancer, but can never become addicted to cigarettes. While I do agree with Gabe and Constantinople that addiction does fall under the definition of disease, only addiction can be completely avoided by ones behavior. Even in Constantinoples own example, the man afflicted with alcoholism could’ve prevent it by choosing to never drink, the man with ocd could never have acted in such a way to prevent it.