One thing leads to another

On my way home tonight, I was greeted by a radio ad for an Aerosmith show that is coming to The Borgata in beautiful Atlantic City. It got me to thinking [it doesn't take much] that Steven Tyler is 59 and Joe Perry is 57, and they abused themselves mightily for several years and yet they are still touring and earning a living as musicians. It got me thinking about the amazing resiliency of the human body and how much abuse it can withstand without either collapsing under its own stress or merely giving up completely. The Aerosmith boys put that idea to the ultimate test and lived to tell about it. Others, like Jim Morrison, Nick Drake and Lenny Bruce tested the body and the body failed, due to its intolerance for abuse. Maybe the ones who are still alive knew when to stop?

Immediately after the Aerosmith ad came the news that Britt Reid, one of a pair of the troubled sons of Eagles coach Andy Reid, was arrested yet again. This time, he drove his car into a few shopping carts at a Dick's Sporting Goods store and later failed a field sobriety test and is now facing a charge of driving while under the influence [of something].

For those of you who may not know, on July 27th Britt pled guilty to gun and drug charges stemming from a road-rage dispute on January 30th. Reid, 22, pled guilty to a string of pending charges - including carrying a firearm without a license, a felony - as his trial was to start. Strike two.

One thing I know about being intoxicated is that the first thing that goes is ones judgment. That's the joke about "Beer goggles" and the reason we do stupid things when drunk that we wouldn't do when sober - like going to a sporting goods store drunk and driving around. People like Steven Tyler and Joe Perry survive somehow, mostly because they restrict their stupid behavior to concert stages or hotel rooms, and are smart enough to be driven around by someone else. Others, like dumbasses Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and Britt Reid don't seem to have the brains they were born with, and the influence of alcohol detracts from the already low brain cell count. Which reminds me of a line from Bill Cosby:

He once asked someone "Why do you use cocaine?" The answer came back, "Because it enhances my personality."

Cosby paused for a second, and replied, "Yes, but what if you're an asshole?"

So, we have the general party crowd, headed by people like Tyler and Keith Richards; and the lesser lights who are assholes to start with and are edged along by the influence of alcohol - judgement impairment notwithstanding. The lesser lights should restrict their self-destructive behavior to their home and leave society to fend for itself.

Generally, they are just irresponsible assholes who have alcohol and other such party drugs to blame for their stupid behavior. Society looks at them and reviles in their drunken behavior, when in fact their inner personality has been magnified to the extent that they have broken a law (or two) and as such, have attracted the attention of the media. Drink at home, fall over and pass out and no one knows or cares. Do it in public and it's our business.

The assholes will check into rehab or be convicted and make a lame attempt to change their sodden lifestyles, but the vehicle (drugs or alcohol) is merely the excuse. The asshole lurks within.

There isn't enough rehab for that.