Archive for February, 2006
Amazing Antics: Stories of Alcoholism-Driven Behaviorsâ„¢
Stories from "This is True"by Randy Cassingham, with his "tagline:â€
"THAT WARM FEELING: Daniel Zeiszler, 22, pleaded no contest to a charge of manufacturing methamphetamine and was sentenced to five months in jail and three years of probation. Zeiszler didn't use typical methods to make the drug. He had just smoked some meth, so he tried to filter the residue out of his urine using solvent. The ‘methodology this guy used would work,' said San Mateo County, Calif., chief deputy district attorney Steve Wagstaffe, ‘but it would take bottles and bottles of urine.' (San Francisco Chronicle) ...Which of course will now have to be tightly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration."
When I first researched and wrote ...
Possible Financial Catastrophe
Dear Doug: Concerned for her Sister
Dear Doug:
My sister Lenore has been dating Benjamin for a year. While the family initially welcomed Ben, we have just learned of several pending charges and two convictions for forgery and writing bad checks. At the same time, Lenore discovered that credit accounts were recently opened in her name. When she accused Ben, he charmed her into believing he's innocent.
Although Lenore knows that Ben used her debit card without asking, she has forgiven him. She even asked him to forgive her for having accused him of identity theft. The rest of the family is doing what it must to protect themselves, including banning him"and, because she is forever at his side, her"from their ...
A Million Little Pieces: the Media has Missed the Important Pieces
Review: A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Good attitude; flawed analysis
Addict James Frey's story of his own "Leaving Las Vegasâ€-style bottom from which he recovered was originally marketed to publishers as fiction. It has been outed by www.TheSmokingGun.com as fiction. The trouble is that Frey had to call his story a "memoir"in order to sell it. Frey lied, even to Oprah, who is deeply "embarrassed and disappointed"and feels duped for recommending the book and making it the September 2005 Oprah book club selection of the month. While every word could have been real and forms a composite of the young late-stage poly-drug addict, the fact that so much was embellished has created one of the great literary scandals.
I read ...
Bode Miller, Olympian Skier: Alcoholic or ENTP?
Bode Miller: Olympian Skier, Party Boy and Likely Non-Alcoholic ENTP
Sometimes, personality type and upbringing explains what may appear to be alcoholism.
Bode Miller, reportedly the most naturally gifted American skier in decades and one of America's great hopes in the upcoming Olympics, recently made news with loose talk and foul language in a "60 Minutes"interview. He essentially claimed he once skied a World Cup event either while drunk or extremely hung over. He often peppers his speech with profanities, which is by itself a frequent early clue to addiction. According to Newsweek, he is an avid partyer and "often grumpy."He is an extraordinary overachiever, which as we know does not preclude alcoholism and may even be driven by it.
By ...
Runners-Up for Feb: Sutherland, Houston, Agca, Hatch and many others
Runners-up for top story of the month:
Actor Kiefer Sutherland, star of the hit series "24"and son of actor Donald Sutherland, reportedly seen downing a lot of booze at the Strand Palace Hotel in London, then refusing more alcohol because he could no longer stand up. Keifer, 39, was convicted of a DUI in 1992, has been involved in several barroom brawls, has been seen drinking at 9 in the morning and has reportedly shown up on the set of "24"hung over. As a strident fan of "24"and one who thinks it's the most suspenseful show ever on the small screen, I'd hate to see Kiefer go head first into the maelstrom of late-stage alcoholism. Unfortunately, he appears perilously close to ...
Amazing antics by addicts who lived
Amazing Antics: Stories of Alcoholism-Driven Behaviorsâ„¢
Stories from "This is True"by Randy Cassingham, with his "tagline:â€
In the spirit of the holiday season, even though it didn't occur during the holidays, here's a classic from August 18, 2002:
"MADE FOR EACH OTHER: A sheriff's deputy stopped a car in Spring Creek, Nev., after it nearly hit his patrol car. As he was pulling the car over, another car nearly hit him"and he got it stopped too. The first car was driven by Lynn Allen White, 31. Deputy Sean Murphy arrested him for drunk driving. The second car was driven by Denean Veronica White, 36"the first driver's wife. She also failed sobriety tests and was also arrested for drunk driving. (AP) '…Watch your ...
The Attack of the Cactus Plant. No excuse necessary.
"Authorities aren't sure why Radzicki allegedly attacked the woman.â€
So said Sheboygan, Wisconsin County District Attorney Joe DeCecco in describing an attack by Nathaniel S. Radzicki on his live-in girlfriend"with a cactus plant. According to the woman, Radzicki "went psycho. He acted like he was possessed, like he was the devil."He faces felony battery charges for the attack, during which he also bit his unnamed girlfriend, leaving her "covered in blood."She had half-inch cactus thorns stuck in her neck, face and arms that had to be removed by hospital personnel.
According to the complaint, Radzicki was upset over phone calls made earlier in the evening. Of course he had been, according to DeCecco, "drinking."While there were no previous convictions for violent ...
Dear Doug: Closet Abuser
Dear Doug: Closet Abuser
Dear Doug:
After 30 years of verbal, emotional and even occasional physical abuse, I have finally filed for divorce. I am looking forward to my new found freedom.
The trouble is that I have hidden the abuse all-too-well. Our friends and family, who see my husband as a wonderful, caring man, haven't a clue. I look like the wicked witch and have already lost several 30-year friendships, along with his side of the family.
What should I do with people who judge me without knowing the real story?
Signed,
Closet Abused
. . . . .
Dear Abused,
Other columnists would say that if others were told the whole story, many would believe you. They'd essentially tell you ...
My Name is Earl
Review: "My Name is Earlâ€
I admit to having seen this hilarious new TV show only a few times and to a gross failure to take notes. Hey, even I like to relax a bit sometimes.
For those few of you on Pluto who don't know the storyline, Earl was hit by a car, survived, and realized that by spreading bad Karma he was often on the receiving end of it. The spreading of good includes not only reforming himself, but also paying amends to victims of his prior misbehaviors. He carries a list of some 260 amends he must make, of which he gets to cross off one per episode. Hopefully, we'll get to see him right his wrongs for ...