Last of the Laowai Part II: The Final Resort
Funny and frightening stories from an American expat who spent the pandemic in Mainland China.
top of page
Aug 96 min read
Snapshot: Does Anything Ever Really Change?
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends"
John Churton Collins
May 127 min read
Happy Mother's Day (From an Addict Son to his Long-Suffering Mom)
To the woman who taught me about the Golden Rule and the Rules of Evidence; how to walk the narrow path of righteousness and how to avoid...
May 12 min read
Off the Cuff, From the Heart
A subscriber who is a fellow writer and who suffers from a mental illness that isn't addiction emailed me with kind words about my piece...
Apr 308 min read
Medical-Grade Xylazine Product Review: Pure Garbage With No Place in the Recreational Pantheon
In which I discuss injecting xylazine sourced from a veterinary lab during my wayward youth, which was a lackluster experience if ever...
Apr 2412 min read
How Far Is Too Far and How Much Is Too Much? The Ethics of Mark Laita's "Soft White Underbelly" YouTube Channel
Does photographer Mark Laita's YouTube channel "Soft White Underbelly," which chronicles the lives of addicts and others at the fringes...
Apr 44 min read
International Love in the Time of COVID: Are "Long-Distance Relationships" Oxymoronic?
Some reflections on what a year and a half of involuntary separation due to the COVID pandemic has taught me about my relationship with...
Mar 316 min read
Nine Factors to Consider When Choosing an Inpatient Rehab (From a Pro!)
This picture has nothing to do with rehab; it's a seaside resort in Southern China. There are rehabs that look like this, though. On the...
Jan 1511 min read
Detox Playlist to Soothe the Soul (w/ Links and Lyrics)
What to listen to when the heebie jeebies are getting the best of you. These tracks are transcendental, poetic, wistful, sublime: A detox...
Jan 41 min read
Narco-Karma
Do we deserve the epidemic of addiction that's swallowing the U.S.? Dark thoughts for a dreary day. Beijing hood. I lived around the...
Dec 31, 202310 min read
Enough, Cat Marnell (Book Review)
Cat Marnell competing with yours truly for the Sloppiest Person of the Century Award (photo courtesy of Getty Images). *4/15/2024:...
Dec 14, 202320 min read
I Was Simon Song
This is the first installment of the China Chronicles (aka the Last of the Laowai or any other twee alliterative pair that you'd care to...
Dec 11, 20235 min read
First Step Part II: A Gut Punch to the Soul
First Step of NA / AA: We admitted that we were powerless over drugs / alcohol; that our lives had become unmanageable. I am the first...
Dec 11, 20235 min read
First Step Part I: Serenity, 1 Mg Tablet (Benzo Binge)
First Step of NA / AA: We admitted that we were powerless over drugs / alcohol; that our lives had become unmanageable. Doctor please,...
Dec 11, 20233 min read
What Is Hell?
Is it a fiery pit, eternal separation from God's love, or perhaps just insight into the true nature of things? I have spoke with the...
bottom of page