Certain Side Effects May Include Screaming at People

Anyone who smokes, or who has ever smoked, knows quitting smoking is a state of mind. That's why smokers always say, "I can quit anytime I want." They just don't want to yet. Or they haven't psyched themselves up enough. Or they're planning on drinking tonight and cigarettes go great with alcohol. Or things are stressful and they know a smoke will calm their nerves. They were going to quit when cigarettes went over $5 a pack, but that day is long gone. They tried the gum, the patches, the slowly-weaning-themselves-off-method, but they didn't succeed. Even the nightmare-inducing, make you fart and barf drug from Pfizer didn't do the trick. And none of those edgy, million-dollar scare and shame tactics do a damn thing.

They hold to their excuses. They buy into the gimmicks. But they're just chicken-hearted, gutless pussies. I know because I smoke. And I'm psyching myself up for the day I lay them down with this mock ad. It will be my motto to myself.

FACT: Cold-turkey is the most effective stop-smoking method.

Antique Rocker: Needs Refinishing

Having failed to pen a decent hit in decades, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has checked himself into rehab - again - in the hopes that sobriety might find him able to regain his once prolific abilities. The singer has stated that addiction to prescription painkillers is his current problem.

“With the help of my family and team of medical professionals, I am taking responsibility for the management of my pain and am eager to be back on the stage and in the recording studio with my band mates,” the 61-year-old Tyler said in a statement.

Some medical professionals are urging caution, saying that if Tyler ever hopes to be relevant again, he might consider what helped him in his heyday.

"If you take an album like 'Rocks,' or 'Toys in the Attic,' you find Tyler at his most creative," said Dr. Lex Leather, a specialist in the management of addictions at UCLA and a rock history professor at West Covina Community College. "During that time, Tyler was using heroin, cocaine and he was drinking daily. A couple years later, we find his skills have diminished on 'Draw the Line' and 'Night in the Ruts.' So, by this time he was abusing, instead of just using. Clearly what Steven needs to do is get back to heroin, cocaine and alcohol, but under supervision from a professional."

Leather continues, "When he's sober, Tyler writes stuff that is more suited to Whitney Houston or Andy Williams. It's not good, and to see talent like his wasted is a sad thing."

Others say the old rocker just needs to hang it up.

"It's embarrassing as all fuck," said one industry insider with ties to the band, "Skin-tight pants on a grandpa as he thrusts his crotch at a crowd? That would get most old men arrested."

Determined not to be cast to the pages of history, the rest of the band are supporting Tyler in his effort to get clean.

"Look," said guitarist Brad Whitford, "I'm not going to play the state fair circuit with REO Speedwagon and Loverboy. Once you've done a huge arena, a rodeo is a giant buzz kill. And if we have to perform recycled schlock rock from a team of LA songwriters, then so be it."

MOST OF THE PEOPLE QUOTED IN THIS ARTICLE DID NOT SAY THE THINGS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM, IF THOSE PEOPLE EVEN EXIST. I KID BECAUSE I CARE. DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION ARE NO LAUGHING MATTER, BUT A LITTLE HIT OF WEED AND A BEER CAN SOMETIMES BE THE IMPETUS FOR A GREAT SONG. UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION, OF COURSE.

Amish Rehab

"I spent a ton of money on that clinic that just let me go," said Eddie Van Halen, "But then the cravings started up again and I needed to get away. Yeah, I got new teeth and a haircut, but I thought they were gonna fix me, ya know?"

That's where Amish Rehab came in. A simple program, Amish Rehab strips its patients to the bare minimum for one month, where they are expected to perform daily chores on an Amish farm and live among the Amish.

"It's hard-core," said Van Halen, "But they're pretty cool. I had an encounter with this one dude named Johann - seems they're all named Johann or Hans - and he was all up in my face, waggin' his finger and tellin' me to pull my weight. Last person to do that to me was David Lee Roth, and where is he now?"

"Mr. Van Halen has had some trouble adapting," offered Johann Schilling, in whose home the rock star is staying, "He had difficulty understanding that we don't mingle with the womenfolk until mealtimes and that men around here don't take kindly to outsiders casting longing looks at our ladies, even those who have not been betrothed. He slept very much his first week here, but then he started to pitch in more. The resentment of him has subsided among the menfolk, and we are hopeful that he is making progress."

"Dude, no electricity! That's f***ing WILD, isn't it?" asked Van Halen, his eyes simultaneously wild and tired, "And these dudes BUST ASS all day long. I thought touring was a bitch. I'm gettin' in shape. And this is so much more affordable than those Hollywood or Caribbean clinics. Come sundown I'm WASTED, and I mean wasted like in really f***ing tried, man. Who has time to party when you're working your ass off all day long and when you get home there's no AC? The biggest luxury here is lemonade, and that's only like three times a week."

"We accepted Mr. Van Halen into our community in order to help him. We hope that his experiences here will prove lasting and help him to overcome his worldy cravings. We have extended similar offers to a Mrs. Federline of California and a Mr. Richards of England," said Schilling.