Scientists Warn Flushing Unused Meds May Lead to Fish Losing Creativity and Ability to Get Hard

Posted on by Adam Frost-Venrick

SALEM, Ore. — Local scientists at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) warned this week that flushing unused and expired SSRIs, anti-anxiety meds, and anti-psychotics may lead to a serious crisis in the creativity and sexual potency in marine life, confirmed sources.

“We’ve all seen ‘Finding Nemo.’ Now picture that movie with less fish boners. That’s what we’re dealing with here,” said Dr. Mariclare Berendo of the ODFW. “All drains lead to the ocean and flushing unused head-meds really robs the fish population of their creative spark. They can’t make their little fish music. They can’t paint their little fishy paintings. They can’t tell their little fishy stand-up jokes. All they do is go through long bouts of depression where they can’t seem to get themselves out of their coral reefs in the morning. Plus, at night, their eyes roll around in their heads, which is real weird.”

While Dr. Berendo provided no explanation as to how fish could paint before, this news has nevertheless been a shock to locals.

“Look, family court made me go on meds to see my kids,” said Kyle Wendice. “Something about my clinical paranoia and constant mood-swings didn’t gel with the judge for a safe upbringing. But I don’t take that shit. It all goes straight from the pharmacy into the toilet. I always assumed it would be no trouble to flush the meds. After all, I flush most of my garbage and recyclables down the john. But now I know I’d be better off taking those expired meds myself.”

This has come as a surprise to local fish merchants as well, such as Daniel McGuirken, head fish-monger of Beaver State Seafood Market.

“It ain’t what it used to be,” said McGuirken. “Used to be they’d haul in the catch of the day with bloodshot eyes and huge, swollen cloacas, stuck out like any man’s rosy pecker. Boy, you’d never seen randier fish. We’d have to chop ‘em right off before we’d show ‘em to people or the city’d come down on us. Nowadays, I bet most of you’ve never even seen a fish’s massive hard-on. It’s a travesty.”

At press time, scientists at the ODFW were preparing final edits on a new study on the effects of over the counter pain killers on the state’s massive beaver population.

As the Proud Owner of a $3,200 St. Vincent Signature Guitar, I Think I Know a Thing or Two About Feminism

Posted on by John Danek

My life’s march towards being the male embodiment of fourth-wave feminism began the moment I was born. I opened my placenta-soaked eyes, looked up at my mother, and thought “Wow, we truly are equal.” And that journey culminates today with my purchase of a brand new Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent Goldie Signature 6-string electric guitar in a Velveteen finish with 3 gold-foil mini humbuckers and whammy bar.

I no longer have to couch my verifiably correct opinions with “Look, I know I’m a dude and this isn’t necessarily my place to speak,” or some bullshit like that. I can just launch right into it. Why? Because I am literally financially supporting women in one of the most expensive ways possible. Just peep my phone background of the guitar being held up against the sky. So yes, I think I know how to represent women and their needs.

I bought the guitar this morning. As I waited in Guitar Center for them to fetch me an untouched model from the back of the store, I pulled bell hooks’ “Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center” out of my backpack, which I’ve been reading for the last 6 years or so. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from her, it’s that capital letters are the patriarchal devil made flesh. so fuck you, mr. grammar man. i am not using any in the rest of this article.

the guitar center employee finally returned, rang me up at the register, and said “dude, this is a sick guitar.” i responded with a curt “dude? women can play guitar too,” then looked around the room for a woman to make knowing eye contact with and eventually start talking to. alas, there were none. the patriarchy strikes again.

feminism only has a chance if we are honest with ourselves. and in the nature of pure honesty, i am going to be fully transparent. tax was an additional 312 dollars. so i need you to understand that i actually spent $3,512 on this piece of women’s herstory.

for anyone saying that feminism isn’t measured by the amount of money you spend and that you could have gotten the sterling model for a fraction of the price, i think you should susan b. minding your own business. now excuse me while i go make some pinch harmonics that are so nasty, they shatter glass ceilings.

Crust Punk Worried His Drugs Aren’t Laced

Posted on by Dom Turek

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Local crustie Hank “Spew” Collins was shocked and appalled to discover the cocaine he’d been snorting all night and well into the next afternoon wasn’t laced with a single additive, reports confirmed.

“I got ripped off,” said Collins. “To think I panhandled and stole money to afford drugs, only to discover they weren’t cut with meth or even a common household cleaner, is honestly embarrassing. I knew something was off when I didn’t feel the intense urge to cover my windows with newspapers or accuse my friends of plotting to murder me. You have to be really careful about who you get your drugs from these days.”

Unlaced narcotics are causing noticeable apprehension in some drug-addled communities, but users maintain the trick to finding good drugs is to get them from someone you don’t know and don’t trust.

“My product is totally and completely impure, guaranteed,” said Chris Atkins, a small-time drug dealer for the lower Ogden area. “Scouts honor. If anyone says otherwise, they’re either lying or died immediately after buying drugs from me. If you’re looking for safe, reliable drugs, go to a hospital or Lollapalooza. When people snort or shoot my stuff, I want their first reaction to be, ‘Ow, was there glass in that?’”

Despite the stigma associated with hard drug use, experts say the availability of laced drugs and the demand for them are signs of an ailing society.

“Back in my day, if you wanted to see God, you had to chug a gallon of orange juice and use a pipette to mainline LSD straight into your eyeballs,” said Ruth Jett, recovering addict and founder of the sober living facility, Freedom House. “Now, you do one bump of coke at a Sabrina Carpenter concert, and ‘Espresso’ could be the last song you ever hear. Having to numb out on a budget so badly that death no longer scares you indicates a nationwide dissatisfaction with our standard of living, but the blame will likely be pinned on rap music or drag queens.”

During press time, Collins was seen beating the piss out of his drug dealer for selling him heroin that had no fentanyl in it.

Six Songs We’re Listening To This Week While Desperately Waiting For The Interstellar Probe To Take Us All

Posted on by Corey Montgomery

There’s a new kid in town. 3I/ATLAS – an interstellar object that many ‘scientists’ are calling a ‘comet’ – has just recently entered our galactic backyard. At least one person is already raising the alarm that it’s most likely a malicious alien probe sent to doom humanity, to which we say: ‘about damn time.’ According to this lone report, we’ve got just over two months to enjoy the spoils of Earth before the stock market crashes, money is irrelevant, and we welcome our alien overlords to a new era of humanity. Here are six songs we’re listening to this week to help ease the wait.

AFI ‘Behind the Clock’

If you’ve seen a photo of Davey Havok’s illustrious new mustache and mullet combo, you’d think AFI were prepping the soundtrack for the next season of Monster Jam. As glorious as that sounds, the goth-punk legends are digging their heels into – you guessed it – more goth music. ‘Behind the Clock’ is the first single from the band’s forthcoming album ‘Silver Bleeds the Black Sun’ and it’s sure to have you dancing under a bridge with a bunch of weirdos in no time.

Algernon Cadwallader ‘Hawk’

Legendary emo-revivalists Algernon Cadwallader had already stunned fans enough: first when they announced a slew of reissues, then with a month-long reunion tour a couple of years later. It would be greedy to expect a new album from the Philly legends, but they’re doing it anyway. ‘Trying Not To Have A Thought’ will be the band’s first album in 14 years. The lead single ‘Hawk’ makes that long stretch feel more like a blink of an eye, and finds the group having not skipped a single beat if you don’t count all the time signature changes.
Trying Not to Have a Thought by Algernon Cadwallader

Deftones ‘milk of the madonna’

All legendary bands find themselves the victims of product placement at one point or another. It’s just an inevitability. The latest in a long line of mighty who have bent the knee to corporate interests is unfortunately, Deftones. Their latest, ‘milk of the madonna,’ is nothing short of a blatant advertisement for Madonna’s new health product line ‘Madonna Milk.’ While they do their best to hide this opaque cash grab with brilliant guitar work and vague lyricism, we at the Hard Times know the truth. Killer song though.

Snõõper ‘Worldwide’

Snõõper, a band whose genre can only be described as ‘short-circuiting Devo,’ is back with their latest single ‘Worldwide.’ It’s a psychotic romp that maintains the band’s signature deranged sound that has contributed to their status as one of the most exciting new voices in punk. This song will have you asking the big questions like: ‘Are my speakers broken?’ and ‘Is it supposed to be this tempo?’ Their new album ‘Worldwide’ will be crashing into your stereo or headphones in October so you still have time to figure out your jerky dance moves.
Worldwide by Snooper

Brian Damage ‘King Of The Opera’

Midwestern power-pop freaks, Brian Damage, just released their fourth album ‘All Hell Broke Loose’ via Anyway Records. It’s a pandemic driven DIY masterpiece that will have you wondering how it’s possible to have so much fun while hearing so many horrifying synth sounds and chord changes. That’s a compliment for those wondering. If you’ve been itching for an album that sounds like The Rentals desperately trying to break their contract as Hell’s house band, this one is for you.
All Hell Broke Loose by Brian Damage

OSEES ‘Abomination’

Can someone do a wellness check on Jon Dwyer? We’ve reported on this before, but there’s no way a healthy individual can be making this much goddamn music constantly. Our only hopeful guess is that he’s some sort of half-man, half-cyborg, half-Casio-keyboard-demo type deal. We understand no one can be three halves, but we have to believe Jon Dwyer is capable of this mathematical impossibility as there is no other plausible explanation. Anyway, OSEES’ 4,578,942nd album ‘Abomination Revealed At Last’ dropped on Friday and it rips as per usual.

We cancelled our Spotify account, so you’ll have to make your own playlist. We’d say sorry, but it’s probably a good thing to force you to take some agency in your own life for once.

Aging Killer Knows What You Did But Can’t Recall If It Was Last Summer or the Summer Before

Posted on by Greg Heller

SOUTHPORT, N.C. — A veteran Southport slasher slash longshoreman is “beyond embarrassed” after botching the timeline in a series of threatening missives mailed to local youths, confirmed sources.

“As I get older, the years are just sort of blurring together,” said the killer. “I actually suspected I might be a little confused and had an early draft that read, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer Or Perhaps The Summer Before,’ but that just felt so, I don’t know… clunky. You know, I do sometimes find myself reeling in a marlin or standing over a mutilated human corpse with no idea how I got there. And just last week I asked my wife where my shiny black head-to-toe foul-weather gear was and she was like, ‘Um, honey, you’re wearing it.’ But some things you never forget, and I am positive that at some point over the past few years, I was involved in some sort of traffic accident.”

The killer’s warnings were meant to reference an event in which he says 23-year-old Caitlyn Cline and a group of fellow Gen Z dickheads ran him off a winding road on the outskirts of Southport, plunging him down a steep ravine to his apparent death—an event he now realizes transpired the TWO summers prior.

“A note that was under my windshield wiper just read, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer,’” said a very puzzled Cline. “But I spent last summer yachting through The Med with my parents. I guess the sender could somehow know I blew that random German guy at a club on Mallorca, but what… he’s gonna kill me for that? I don’t get it.”

Neurologist Dr. Jorge Kwan noticed an alarming trend among those in the vengeful murderer community.

“Cognitive decline is a real issue in the slasher population,” said neurologist Dr. Kwan, whose book, “Have You Seen My Machete?: When Psychopaths Lose Their Minds” is the definitive tome on the topic. “We’ve seen this recently when both Candyman and Freddy Krueger were hospitalized for forgetting which hand they wipe with. And Jason Vorhees often can’t remember if his signature outfit uses a hockey or baseball catcher’s mask.”

At press time, the killer hoped the recipients of his letter can both forgive him for the error and also prepare to die via fishhook to the midsection.

These Losers Are Paying $15 for a Cocktail Where 2 Ativan and a Modelo Tall Boy Is Like $3

Posted on by Dan Kozuh

You know what’s truly pathetic? The crowds of trust-fund influencers desperately trying to get a bartender’s attention, only to drop fifteen bucks (plus tip) on a watered-down lavender-ginger cocktail with crushed pink sea-salt on the rim and a splash of Grey Goose. Meanwhile, there’s a far more effective and much cheaper solution available to have a great night: two Ativan and a Modelo tall boy. You could even save another 75 cents if you switch to a Milwaukee’s Best, but it’s good to have some standards.

Let’s crunch the numbers: even if you don’t have health insurance, or your doctor refuses to give you a script because you’re “Just fine” it wouldn’t take but 5 minutes to find someone in the Rite Aid parking lot selling benzos dirt cheap. Meanwhile, these idiots line up outside bougie bars to drop their rent checks on drinks named after fuckin’ characters from The Goonies or whatever the shit.

“Oh, but it’s about the experience,” they whine. Sure, if your ideal experience involves a crowded, unlit “speakeasy” with a garbage early-2000s indie-folk playlist berating your eardrums while you sip on a $19 Pineapple Macha Rum Punch. You know what’s a great experience? Dissolving a few Xanax in a box of wine and floating on my back in a public fountain until the police escort me away.

Let’s be honest — bar culture is a scam. They charge you $5 to strain jackfruit pulp through a mesh screen and garnish your drink with a sprig of rosemary. You know what garnishes my drink? Crushed Ambien on the rim of a Gatorade bottle spiked with homemade potato vodka, enjoyed on my fire escape as I shout incoherent insults at passersby. Assuming I stole the Ambian from my mom and the Gatorade from 7-11, the entire evening is free. And I did!

“But what about the community atmosphere?” These hashtag-trend-chasers protest. Please. The true social butterfly knows nothing brings people together better than the thrill of mixing Zippo fluid fumes with the questionable Vicodin a guy just handed to you on the subway, then asking strangers if they have any strong opinions on Israel.

So keep your $26 turmeric-cayenne Mezcal concoctions on your carefully curated TikToks feeds, losers. I’ll be out here pioneering the real artisanal cocktail movement. One that involves stealing mini-bar shooters from housekeeping carts, forging an Oxycodone prescription, and having a nightcap at the most exclusive club in town — the floor of a Taco Bell bathroom — knowing I’m smarter than all of you.

Experts Warn Education Cuts Could Lead to Even More People Thinking Ghost Is a Metal Band

Posted on by Steve Packosky

WASHINGTON — Experts at the Department of Education (DoE) have issued a dire warning that further cuts to their institution could result in even more people thinking Ghost is a metal band, sources report.

“Education cuts by this administration will cause issues we could not have foreseen,” advised DoE official Shemeca Anderson. “Currently, roughly 36% of the American public believes Ghost is a metal band despite their music clearly being synth-pop. We have reason to believe that number can as much as double in the next ten years without desperately needed funding to music education. Now more than ever, children need to be given the tools that enable them to discern between genres of music so this trend can be halted, and that absolutely cannot be accomplished with money instead being diverted to give tax breaks to billionaires.”

Concerned parent Beverly Horwitz expressed her consternation at the news.

“I don’t think this was such a profound issue when I was growing up,” Horwitz mentioned. “I don’t have a musical bone in my body, but I was able to obtain a basic rudimentary understanding of what constitutes different music genres through what I learned in elementary and middle school. Now I fear that my six-year-old son Heath won’t be afforded the same experience in the coming years. The thought of him growing up to think that Ghost is a metal band doesn’t sit right with me. It just seems so tragic and preventable.”

Ghost fan Dom Serris did not see the issue with the cuts.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Serris said. “I grew up going to public school in Mississippi, so I barely had any music education whatsoever. However, I know enough to consider Ghost a metal band. In fact, they’re one of my favorites. Just look at how the lead singer dresses like an evil pope and sings about Satan. What more information do you need to conclude that they’re a metal band? Also, they won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2016 for their song ‘Cirice,’ and who knows metal better than the people who decide the nominees and winners for those awards? I think these DoE dweebs are just freaking out over nothing, like they always do.”

At press time, experts were further concerned that the funding cuts would result in people thinking synth was a necessary part of all metal music.

Sleepytime Tea Bear Dies in House Fire After Once Again Falling Asleep, Leaving Fireplace Unattended

Posted on by RJ Atkinson

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. — Beloved slumber icon Sleepytime Tea Bear reportedly died in an apparent house fire after falling asleep and leaving the fireplace unattended, grieving sources confirm.

“It’s a well-known fact that wildlife have a difficult time grasping proper fire prevention safety tips,” exclaimed Brian McMillian, friend and neighbor of Sleepytime Tea Bear. “I always told him he needed to throw some water on it before going to bed, but he would just kind of doze off whenever I started talking to him. At first it kind of annoyed me, but after getting to know him I realized he was just a master at his craft. I mean the guy would fall asleep during game nights, block parties, fire alarms, 4th of July fireworks, you name it. The real tragedy is that a true prodigy was cut down in their prime.”

Local authorities are issuing guidance to residents on how they can prevent future house fires.

“First and foremost, I recommend heating your home with literally anything other than an exposed fire in the middle of your living room,” chirped Sleepy Hollow Fire Chief, Stan Windhorst. “It’s the 21st century for Christ’s sake, and the only people who still heat their homes with a fireplace apparently are backwoods weirdos and brown bears with Ebenezer Scrooge-style pajamas. I don’t wish to speak ill of the dead, but I mean, come on. I could stand here all day and tell people to check the batteries in their smoke detectors, but that’s not why this tragedy happened.”

The blaze that has rattled the community has prompted a federal investigation as well.

“We’re taking this incident very seriously,” said FDA spokesperson Sarah Moreno. “The tragedy that befell Sleepytime Tea Bear has prompted us to take a look at the potency of Celestial Seasonings Tea, along with other tea brands used to promote sleep. Simply put, if a product is too strong to be consumed safely, it needs to be regulated. We know these products are generally considered safe, but if their effects are so strong they cause you to sleep right through your body being engulfed in flames, that’s something that needs to be looked into.”

In related news, the Serta Mattress Sheep reportedly died in its sleep.

I Don’t Know What Shoegaze Is and at This Point I’m Too Scared To Ask

Posted on by Sarah Cortina

Look, I’ve done some things I’m not proud of in this life. We all tell little white lies to get by, don’t we? Smile and nod, feign competence rather than be looked down upon with disdain and disappointment? We all gotta fake it til we make it to a certain extent. But I’ve gotten to my breaking point and I have to tell someone. I don’t even know what shoegaze fucking means. God, this feels so embarrassing to admit, it’s like I can’t look you in the eye, like I can’t look up from my feet.

You might think this is trite, “Oh boo hoo you don’t know what shoegaze is, so sad you bitch ass indie poser!” Well guess what. I’m the VP of Growth at Interscope Records.

I don’t even know what that means either. All I know is we were sitting in a meeting and we were talking about genres we should invest in that we have a notable gap in and ChatGPT suggested that Interscope could use some shoegaze artists and I blurted it out in the meeting. Now I’m stuck asking my social media intern to scroll TikTok for 8 hours to find me a shoegaze artist that will appeal to both the male 18-24 year old and female 30-35 year old age ranges.

I know that “male gaze” is a critique of the way men write for women in film, so maybe shoegaze is how shoes… think music is? That can’t be right. Fuck.

I know. I have a problem. But I keep getting away with it so I just can’t stop. You know it’s actually crazy how far you can take being completely full of shit if you just speak with authority. No one wants to be that guy and call you out. I’ve gotten 12 years into my career with nothing but a firm handshake and a dream. And my female coworkers. I know, I know. This might sound tone deaf. Wait. Tone deaf. Deftones!! See. I got one!

I think the jig might be up soon though. They’re going to figure out I’m full of shit. Someone mentioned my bloody valentine and I thought they were talking about the Machine Gun Kelly song. Or was it that U2 song? Bloody…bloody…Bloody Sunday? Fuck!!!

Maybe this is a prank, like that time the intern tried convincing me “darkwave” was a thing.

Dave Mustaine Suggests Starting “Supergroup” With James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo

Posted on by Steve Packosky

LOS ANGELES — Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine suggested starting a “supergroup” with Metallica members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo, sources report.

“I haven’t heard back from them in three weeks. They must be so excited that they forgot to send confirmation,” said Mustaine. “Our respective bands are both very established, so for members of each to join forces in a supergroup would be a match made in Hell. After all, I’ve known James, Lars and Robert for decades now, and we play a similar type of metal. It’s just a perfect fit, and who knows? Maybe we can do some covers of some classic Metallica songs as a goof, or something more serious like the entire Megadeth discography. Just spit-balling here. I certainly wouldn’t want this to interfere with our primary projects. We’d just play it by ear and have some fun with it.”

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was not receptive to Mustaine’s suggestion.

“This is clearly just Dave trying to get back into the band,” Ulrich sighed. “He’s been doing this for the past 40 years. It started shortly after we released ‘Ride the Lightning’ when he would try to double-book Megadeth at the same venues as Metallica. Then there was that time he dyed his hair black and impersonated Kirk before our 2011 Big Four of Thrash show at Yankee Stadium. I keep trying to tell him to give it up, especially because Megadeth is one of the best thrash acts of all time. He can totally be happy if he just lets himself feel content in his own band.”

Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett did not seem to take issue with the proposition.

“I think it’s a great idea!” Hammett said. “Ever since our documented therapy sessions during the recording of ‘St. Anger,’ I’ve known that we need to place emphasis on time away from Metallica. I have my horror memorabilia and surfing, so if James, Lars and Robert want to start a side project, I’m all for it. It would be super cool for them to play with Dave, too. He’s a hilarious guy who’s always calling me funny nicknames like ‘The Usurper’ and ‘Shitty Replacement’ while joking about how I’m not a good enough guitarist for the band. He just cracks me up. It’d be awesome to see what kind of music the guys would make with him.”

At press time, Mustaine had sent Hetfield, Ulrich and Trujillo some “song ideas” composed entirely of “Kill ‘Em All” riffs.