Charlie, Charlie, Charlie

 Party like a rock star

Poor Charley

"Tiger blood and Adonis DNA"

More like Narcissus DNA. But Adonis or Narcissus, both stories ended badly. Normally the doings or mis-doings of celebrities don't interest me much but I couldn't stop watching Sheen's train wreck interview with Jeff Rossen. It struck a chord with me as I have some experience being on both sides of the addiction divide and while my misadventures were only "epic" on a seedier scale, I certainly can relate to trying to convince the world around me that I wasn't an alcoholic and that things weren't spiraling out of control. At one time I was even going to go to court to prove I wasn't an alcoholic. And if self obsession translated into self awareness Sheen and I would both be Buddhas. The "drug tests don't lie" mantra repeated during the questions about whether or not he has stopped using rings a little hollow. Besides he didn't really answer the question. And he didn't look all that healthy. If he didn't have the bucks to buy the good stuff I'd almost peg him as a low rent meth and booze hound.  A really fun combination, by the way, and despite my hippie libertarian leanings, one that I believe should remain illegal in the interest of domestic tranquility. Especially in a country where it's easier to buy a gun than a beer.

The one honest thing he said was that he took drugs because they "worked". It appears that they have stopped working, at least in the way he wants them to. After a while you feel good for a shorter period of time and stay sicker for a longer and longer period of time. Common to guys like us is the feeling that we are in control even when we realize we are out of control, the sneering condescension for those who have gone before and died with their boot on. The feeling that increased tolerance translates into increased knowledge and you can tip toe around death because you know what you are doing. The bone yards are full of experts.

And Sheen sure has a curious hard-on for AA, characterizing it as an ineffectual program written by a plagiarizing loser. Well, it saved my life. My guess is that someone hit a nerve with poor ole Charlie, someone called him on his bullshit and he knows it. Now the defenses are back up and he's cured himself through the power of his own mind. Sure he did. But I think Charlie is about ready to start to get better.