False Accusations

Shameless self-plug:

"Simply stated, false accusations are aggressive lies, but we also know them in milder form as spin, slanting the facts, one-sidedness, tailoring the message, and so on.

"Note: I got the idea of the importance of false accusations from a book I am reading on alcoholism: Vessels of Rage, Engines of Power: The Secret History of Alcoholism.

"The author of this book, James Graham, makes the claim repeatedly that alcoholics very often engage in false accusations. In discussing this book with my partner, we came to conclude that Graham is right about this—false accusations do seem to be common among the alcoholics we both know."

My thanks to the author whose website is here.

Madonna

Swigging tequila from a fan's hip flask, Madonna suffered another onstage meltdown yesterday as she branded ex-husband Guy Ritchie a 'son of a b***h' ...

The 57-year-old singer, locked in a bitter custody dispute with Guy over their son Rocco, couldn't contain her emotions during a second mumbling show in Melbourne, Australia.

Her ‘chaotic’ appearance at the Rod Laver Arena included an emotional plea to the crowd, begging, 'Somebody take care of me please. Who is going to take care of me?'

... Erratic behaviour: Fans expressed their concern that Madonna was drunk as she performed in Australia. At one point she asked for a cosmopolitan cocktail to be brought on stage for her (circled)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3489697/Madonna-suffers-second-onstage-meltdown-swigs-tequila-Melbourne.html#ixzz42mwvsPgN

Retired-Alaskan-Airlines-pilot-pleads-not-guilty-flying-two-commercial-flights-drunk

• David Hans Arntson, 60, was charged in January with operating a common carrier while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Random test showed he flew two flights on June 20, 2014, with blood alcohol levels of 0.134 and 0.142; the legal limit for pilots is 0.04 
• Flights were from San Diego to Portland, Oregon, and then Portland to Orange County 
• Arnston could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges 

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3451630/Retired-Alaskan-Airlines-pilot-pleads-not-guilty-flying-two-commercial-flights-drunk.html#ixzz40Sey0uBg
 

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Leonard Nimoy

Alcoholic alien who was my worst enemy - and best friend: Star Trek's William Shatner tells the emotional story of his friendship with co-star Spock  

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy became best friends after Star Trek

• They had no idea they were creating two of TV's most iconic characters
• Shatner played constant pranks, and eventually won Nimoy's friendship
• Nimoy was an alcoholic, which he kept secret while filming the TV show 

By William Shatner For The Daily Mail

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3445111/Alcoholic-alien-worst-enemy-best-friend-Star-Trek-s-William-Shatner-tells-emotional-story-friendship-star-Spock.html#ixzz403ocFgvH

Downton Abbey star Brendan Coyle

Downton Abbey star Brendan Coyle got drunk on flight home from Thailand rehab centre, court hears

The actor who played Lord Grantham's valet Mr Bates in the ITV drama was pulled over by police in his his BMW convertible

Jimmy Fallon looks serious day after forced to deny he has a drinking problem

Jimmy Fallon looks serious as he steps out in New York one day after NBC boss forced to deny he has a drinking problem

By Caitlin O'toole For Dailymail.com

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3400326/Jimmy-Fallon-looks-steps-New-York-one-day-NBC-boss-forced-deny-drinking-problem.html#ixzz3xHKTMa8m
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For Donald Trump, Lessons From a Brother’s Suffering

From The New York Times of January 3, 2016:

 ... For Mr. Trump, a presidential candidate whose appeal is predicated on an aura of toughness, personal achievement and perpetual success, the story of Freddy, a handsome, gregarious and self-destructive figure who died as an alcoholic in 1981 at the age of 43, is bleak and seldom told.

In a telephone interview last week, Mr. Trump said he had learned by watching his brother how bad choices could drag down even those who seemed destined to rise. Seeing his brother suffering led him to avoid ever trying alcohol or cigarettes, he said.

I found it interesting that Donald Trump's brother had been an alcoholic air line pilot who had eventually stopped flying of his own volition. Having met more than one active alcoholic who was employed as an airline pilot, I believe he was an exception.

(For the skeptics: I learned many years ago that there is a sub-group within AA of pilots who were alcoholics in recovery. They call themselves "Birds of a Feather." Moreover, Buzz Aldrin, who was a test pilot before becoming an astronaut and going, literally, to the moon, has disclosed that he was an active alcoholic while performing those challenging jobs.)