...and I support Charlie Sheen's message.

's funny, I've only seen Two and a Half Men maybe twice, and didn't dig on it. Struck me as a fairly standard, kind of banal sitcom, but you know, that's the common denominator often rewarded - so continued success to anybody who's using it to as a vehicle for anything. The only real thing I ever dug on hard that Sheen was in was Major League, which was constantly running in the wardroom back in the college heyday. Still a great flick. So I've come at the Sheen thing the opposite of most, via the Alex Jones & Joe Rogan connection. A tweet from Rogan pointed the way to Sheen's interview on Jones' show - that everybody's calling a meltdown and the final straw that broke the back of whatever patience the network had. And the pull quotes making the rounds in the media of "Vatican Assassins" and whatnot lead you to think he's gone off the rails.

So I expected massive ridiculosity. But there really wasn't. I mean, the dude's ranty, abrasive and probably more than a little narcissistic [but wouldn't you have to be, to achieve any degree of success in entertainment?] but he's not wrong.

He's fundamentally talking about living his life on his own terms, unapologetically and saying "screw you" to anybody who doesn't like it. Good on him. And the "craziest" bits making the rounds in the media are pulled out of context or are clearly in-jokes between him and Alex.


That's part 1/3, here's the subsequent two portions of the interview.

And here's another thing, on a lot of the stuff pointed to by the tsk-tsk'ing nannies as clear signs of his addictions and denial - again - the thing is - he's not wrong.  At all.  The efficiacy of AA is highly debatable.  The very best #'s by their own organization shows success rates only in the mid 20% ranges - and those are really not all that solid, as far as stats go.  As an organization it is, basically, very religious and cult like.  And its founder was a fan and proponent of LSD as well as ouija boards and smoking while needing an air tank.

And personally, genetic predispositions and/or learned behaviors be damned, the disease model of alcoholism strikes me as a farcical cop-out for chosen behaviors.

And my opinions on that are the results of a tangled web of personal experience.  I've had a family member who's achieved 25+ years of sobriety via - initially - rehab, AA & 12 step style programs.  At the same time, their divergence from the accepted modality of treatment and retreat from the culture, at an early stage of sobriety, hasn't affected their success one bit.  There are far too many who make that particular modality their new god and their new addiction.  And you know what?  If that works for them and gets them to lead a better life according to what they want and they need - good for them.  But don't mistake that for some kind of TRUTH that needs to be applied to others.

And, personally, I don't think Bill W.'s endorsement of LSD is wrong...  because I think LSD, like most other entheogens/hallucinogens, can be extremely valuable learning tools.   But find his inability to reconcile the obviously hypocritical viewpoint on one mind altering/clarifying substance with another as incredibly obtuse and frustrating.  And the current orgs blatant denial and attempted whitewashing of both the religious and drugs history of AA doubly frustrating.  Not to mention modern AA would never even consider the fact that, you know what, maybe LSD would be helpful in kicking other addictions or psychological problems.  [See here for the use of MDMA/ecstasy in treating PTSD and ibogaine in the use of opiate addiction.]

We're such a puritanical, fear based, pleasure averse, judgmental culture, sometimes...

But when you do take it out of context, and add cats, well... that does equal brilliance.  And what the internets does best, clearly -  Cats Quote Charlie Sheen « Medium Large [more at the link.]