Eff it, you've inspired me even if you didn't mean to. I haven't exercised almost all this semester, but tomorrow - up at 6 AM swimming!!! Big changes, possibly followed by cursing.

Any non-Steam, non-SC2 suggestions?

Turn based strategy: Alpha Centauri
http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/sid_meiers_alpha_centauri

Real time strategy: Age of Empires 2 (1 is good too, 3 is horrible)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Age-of-Empires-II-JC-PC-Mac-PC-Games/16874221

I own all these, though I've played very little Alpha Centauri, perhaps it is time.

This came to mind watching the police crackdown on the media around Occupy Wall Street last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY57ErBkFFE

It's my least favorite project in Alpha Centauri, just potentially relevant.

It's not really a matter of whether or not a drug passes through the liver- for any oral medication the liver will be the very first organ the drug sees (blood from the gastrointestinal tract goes through the portal vein, which feeds directly into the liver before going to the rest of the body). It's more a matter of whether the drug or any of its metabolites are toxic to the liver to a meaningful degree, or whether rapid metabolism in the liver is needed to prevent the buildup of toxic metabolites (a good example of this is with acetaminophen). Alcohol puts a fair amount of oxidative stress on the liver, so it's not able to metabolize drugs as quickly (which causes problems if a certain rate of metabolism is necessary to keep the drug or its metabolites from building up to toxic levels).

Commonly used antibiotics, such as many beta-lactams, are very safe with almost no associated tox, so drinking alcohol while taking them isn't much of a concern. However, for a while small amounts of acetaminophen were often included in the formulations of many drugs (including some antibiotics), so drinking while taking these formulations actually would be a problem (due to the acetaminophen); this practice has been in decline, though, so isn't as much of a concern anymore. It's still a good idea to avoid drinking while on anti-biotics, though, for the reason that orcishgamer mentioned- it's just not a good idea to put your body under additional stress while it's trying to recover from an illness.

Well, again - if a certain scene is only bearable / enjoyable when drunk, I'd suggest switching to a different one. It's not that there's only one group of people one could be socializing with. Honestly, if I felt that I had to drink in order to enjoy an experience, or "fit in", I'd feel terribly sad.

I'd suggest enjoying it while drunk. Avoid the sadness, and simply enjoy things. There are obvious limits, I wouldn't advocate taking heroin, even though it is apparently incredibly pleasurable at the time. However everything has to be taken in moderation, we need to balance. There was an article just posted that I read relating to this: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/15/beer_is_good_for_you/

I don't see the logic, sorry. The whole notion of voluntarily going to an unenjoyable experience, and then taking drugs in order to make it enjoyable, defies any logic I apply to it. I'd rather find me something that I enjoy in the first place. Even if I _wanted_ to drink, I'd prefer to do so in an environment that I enjoy anyway.

In my experience, if I enjoy something only when taking mind-altering substances, this is a clear indication that either I shouldn't be doing that activity in the first place (as there are definitely better alternatives around), or that I need a better way to lose my inhibitions (which exists as well).

Each to their own. I can't explain further, so lets just leave it there.

You could smoke pot.

I'm one of those rare people that doesn't enjoy that, which makes me somewhat of an outcast around here.

You're at least allowed to open the bottle and sniff the golden elixir, yes? Sounds stupid, but I'll sometimes just take a big whiff of tequila and get a nice "Aaaaahhh" feeling. Of course, it might also have the effect of, "While the bottle is open, may as well pour a shot."

It's not really my cup of beer either. Just thought it could help fill the void in the short term. And, sadly, that was my best idea. Have you considered N2O cartridges? Nutmeg tea?

Hmm, an orc smoking pot...