NASA enables drunk astronauts; OK Magazine enables Britney
NASA, the space agency. An independent panel, created after Astronut Lisa Nowak (“Myth-of-the-Month” and “Antic-of-the-Month” in the February 2007 edition of the www.addictionreport.com) drove 900 miles to attack her romantic rival, found “heavy use of alcohol” by an unspecified number of astronauts within 12 hours of take-off. On two occasions, flight surgeons and other astronauts warned NASA that astronauts were so drunk they posed a safety risk yet were allowed to fly, again showing what functional alcoholics are capable of and what they can get away with. NASA will likely “protect” the offenders as they may have done decades ago with Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., who was plastered (hence, “Buzz”)until two days before lift-off for his lunar mission. This protects no one and only serves to prolong the agony and endanger the life and limb of others, not to mention taxpayers’ money. And, of course, as retired NASA executive Seymour Himmel pointed out, astronauts are “a bunch of brothers and sisters…and they’ll cover each other’s backsides…” You have a choice: be a snitch, or be an enabler. As long as you enable, you’ll continue to have that choice; by snitching, you reduce the odds of having to make the choice yet again and of the antics culminating in tragedy.
OK! Magazine, for picking up the $21,000 tab for the goods “lost” and damaged by Britney Spears at the shoot, and particularly editor-in-chief Sarah Ivens, who said, “I really think with celebrities, they’re offered so much so young, and it is a demanding life physically and emotionally.” Ok, Ms. Ivens, then would you please explain why the behaviors of such women as Hillary Duff (“Lizzy McGuire”), Mandy Moore (“License to Wed”, “A Walk to Remember”), Reese Witherspoon (June Cash in “Walk the Line”), Anne Hathaway (“Brokeback Mountain”), Raven Symone (“That’s So Raven”), Christine Aguilera (winner of “best new artist” at the 2000 Grammy Awards), Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore in “Gilmore Girls”), Amber Tamblyn (“Joan of Arcadia”) Rachel McAdams, Rihanna, Amanda Bynes, Natalie Portman, Rachel Bilson, Serena & Venus Williams, Shirley Temple, Emma Watson (“Harry Potter”) and Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) are not in the same league as those of Ms. Spears?
Note to family, friends and fans of the above: the benefit of the doubt is given by assuming alcoholism (they are either idiots and fundamentally rotten, or they are alcoholic/other drug addicts–which would explain the misbehaviors). If alcoholic, there is zero chance that behaviors, in the long run, will improve without sobriety. An essential prerequisite to sobriety is the cessation of enabling, allowing pain and crises to build. Thus far, many have done everything they can to protect the addict from the requisite pain, making these news events possible. The cure for alcoholism, consequential bad behaviors and, ultimately, tragedy, is simple: stop protecting the addict from the logical consequences of misbehaviors and proactively intervene.