Is this bad?

Is it bad when I've lost enough interest in ATS to only occasionally come on to check out threads, and typically only respond when I'm drunk (which is a WHOLE lot less often than previously)?

On the drunk issue, I'm only drinking in social situations at the moment, because for a while my drinking got REALLY out of hand (and that's not a bad thing - the more common sobriety, that is). Still, I'm finding it amusing that I really only comment on ATS threads (or even start new ones, as seen here: Political Correctness Op/Ed thread) when I'm drunk.

Perhaps it's because my mind is more willing to let free thought flow when I'm drunk, or perhaps it's just because I've become bored with ATS when I'm sober (the recent onslaught of partisan threads and hoaxes have kind of turned me off).

Whatever the reason, I think ATS needs to get back to the website I once loved, regardless of being sober or drunk.

Just because I'm drunk tonight doesn't mean anything (except that I've been replying to threads in record numbers - partly because I'm an opninionated asshole when I'm drunk).

ATS just isn't as interesting as it used to be. Too many partisan threads (which I hate), and too many hoaxes (which I'm sick of debunking).

Members, please post some good, interesting topics that don't lean towards partisanship or hoaxes. I used to be active in the ATSNN, UFO, Paranormal, and Spirituality forums, but lately, I haven't seen anything decent to post on.... at least not when I'm sober (my numbers for tonight are all while drunk, so don't rely on that).

I may still be able to post well while drunk, and certain topics, I'm more likely to post on while drunk, but on the whole, drunk or sober, I've been apt to stay out of discussions, mostly for fear that they'll become partisan or biased, and not wanting to deal with people that are unwilling to debate an issue, and rather just want to state their views and be unrelenting in that view. I can't stand when someone isn't willing to debate. Debate is the reason I originally joined ATS. I love debating, and am more than willing to accept a point of view that I can't out-debate. But in recent times, ATS has become much more of a political sounding box for people that are unwilling to debate an issue, and more likely to insult someone for their politics, even when said someone doesn't even state their politics on an issue.

There's no room here for "devil's advocate" anymore. This was originally a forum for debate, fact-finding, and discovery. Now, it seems like this is more a forum used by those that are not willing to hear anyone else's point of view, and only want to further their own agenda.

Those that do try to offer differing points of view (irregardless of my agreeance or not), I appreciate. Discussion is what this board is about. Not feuding between political agendas or personal beliefs. Discussion is the height of education. I just qish more people here would accept discussion over negligent abuse of one's own opinion.

Ahh, I think I know how you feel. I used to hit the bottle a bit too often, which always induced a "posting frenzy". Once I gave up the drinking (read:cut down heavily), not only ATS, but EVERYTHING became less interesting and seemingly less worthy of attention. I couldn't be bothered to post anyhting or even read many of the threads at all. But slowly but surely, by keeping away from drinking binges and getting "drunk", things got better and better until it was no longer necessary to have a drink before making a post or reading a long thread. It sounds awful, but thats what Alcohol does to you, there's no escaping that out of all the recreational drugs, Alcohol is among the worst.

I'd say it's the drug, Alcohol, that's got you in this state. If you've only recently stopped boozing so much, it'll take a long time for things to seem "interesting" again. I'd suggest exercise, which gives you a natural buzz and helps in ways you wouldn't imagine. I still have a drink everyday, but it's just one or two at night to relax, and I don't need them to make thing's "interesting", but it took a long time to get to this stage from the initial cutting down.

If you really have been hitting the bottle too much and you know you have, then I'm certain that all you need to is to keep of the booze (not entirely, thats not good for your liver if you've been drinking heavily) and start getting in some exercise. It'd be slow, but you should start feeling better and more interested, despite the amount of Hoax Threads and partisan nonsense. Trust me!

Of course, I could be wrong. But your experience sounds a lot like mine, so I thought I'd give you advice having recently made my "own way out" of it It's never good to think that a harmless bit of drinking has become the edge of alcoholism, but it happens to a lot of people when they don't realise how much of a hold the drink has over them.