Apparently, there was an absinthe party at the Bowery Hotel last night, attended by some Gawker staffers. (Thanks for the freaking invite!) They report that they each drank a shitload of absinthe and were totally retarded, yet not drunk! Slurring words and strange thoughts were reported (our videographer Blakeley thought it perfectly logical to want to steal a car), yet: "I could still walk in a straight line," even after having "8 to 10 drinks in a 2 hour period." Their memory and ability to remember words was totally shot. Yet, no hangover occurred. They didn't feel high, exactly, yet were thinking and acting strangely. The following party pics of the event, from RandomNightOut (plus an informative History Channel vid) are not hallucinations.

[Photos: Nick McGlynn for Random Night Out]

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