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Is Celebrity Rehab Just Another Voyeuristic Reality Show?

DearSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

One of my favorite shows is back for its second season tonight and I'm already gearing up for it! If you didn't catch season one of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, tonight's the night to get hooked. As a self-proclaimed reality TV junkie, I've seen a lot, but this show takes an incredibly serious look at the lives of these celebrities and exposes their insecurities and weakness. Just like Intervention, Celebrity Rehab is an effort to get them off the drug of their choice, but throughout the season we get to see them rehab not only through detox, but through therapy as well. Sure, I feel a bit voyeuristic watching these individuals experience such pain and heartache, but seeing the realistic side of fame makes each of the celebrities seem a little more human — just like you and me.

Have you ever seen the show? If so, do you think it's just another attempt to pry into the private lives of celebrities or do you think it's an interesting way to get them clean and sober?

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Parents Hire Drug-Sniffing Dogs to Check Up on Their Kids

CitizenSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:03:58 -0700

Apparently cheeky or cheesy PSAs are no longer enough ammo in helping parents keep their kids off of drugs: they're resorting to hiring K-9 units of their own. A New Jersey company called Sniff Dogs rents out retired, trained drug-sniffing dogs to parents suspicious that their kids might be involved in drugs.

The dogs rent for $200 an hour and can detect heroin, cocaine, meth, and ecstasy — not to mention pot-residue on clothes even if the drug was smoked two nights before. That knowledge alone might be enough to spark sparking up teens into doing their own laundry.

To see the conflict behind the good intentions,

A Model For Other Courts? Addicts Get Treatment Over Jail

LibertySugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:30:08 -0700

Drug diversion courts around the country offer offenders a chance for redemption, rather than recidivism. After acknowledging guilt for crimes like low-level dealing or stealing to support addictions, addicts can volunteer for nine to 18 months of urine testing, group therapy, mandatory sobriety meetings, intensely supervised by a judge. Those that don't make it through, can end up in jail. But if the program is completed, the offender transforms from a criminal to a drug court graduate, supported by invested judges, and congratulated by a supportive courtroom.

Today's New York Times weighed the pros and cons of the program. Proponents of that drug court say that not only is treatment more compassionate than prison, but it saves taxpayers money! To see how, and for some arguments against the practice

France Wants Lance to Prove He Was Clean — Should He?

LibertySugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:00:16 -0700

Lance Armstrong announced that he's coming back to the Tour de France next year, and he plans on mixing in some charity work on behalf of the Clinton Global Initiative while he's in Paris. Well France's anti-doping chief wants to add something else to Lance's agenda: clearing his name. Here's the challenge: Lance should agree to retesting his 1999 urine samples, in order to disprove reports that they contained traces of banned endurance enhancers. A positive test from 1999, the year Lance won his first of seven titles, couldn't result in disciplinary action as too much time has passed. The urine samples are currently kept frozen in a French lab. Should Lance take France up on its challenge?
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France Wants Lance to Prove He Was Clean — Should He?

Yes! He could silence his critics, and bring back faith in cycling.

Yup. The public and his competition deserve to know if he cheated.

No! They're on a witch hunt, and he'll prove them wrong this time by winning clean.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Front Page: Biden Says Higher Taxes Patriotic, Stocks Tumble Despite Bailout, 175 Arrests in Drug Ring

CitizenSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:00:30 -0700

Biden: Higher Taxes Patriotic:
Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden said today that paying higher taxes is a patriotic thing for wealthy Americans to do. Acknowledging the plan for a higher tax rate for those making over $250,000, Biden said on Good Morning America, "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

Stocks Tumble Despite Bailout:
US stocks hit a three-year low despite the $85 billion government bailout of insurance giant AIG. Acknowledging continuing concern, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "Our economy has the strength to be able to deal with these shocks." President Bush has canceled a trip today to focus on the economy. He's expected to speak at 10:15 ET.

175 Arrests in Drug Ring:
US officials announced arrests of 175 people in connection with Mexico's largest drug ring. The arrests took place this week after 15 months of investigation into the Gulf Cartel, a group which plays a major part in the levels of violence in Mexico. A DEA spokesperson said, “We successfully completed a hard-hitting, coordinated and massive assault on the powerful and extremely violent Gulf Cartel."

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Lil Links: Suburban Moms on Ecstasy

lilsugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:00:19 -0700

Suburban moms on ecstasy — Parent Dish
Early lessons in sex — The Poop
Sasha Schreiber is walking! — Celebrity Baby Blog
Helena Bonham Carter's kids share a kiss — Celebrity Baby Scoop
How to make a rice pillow — Ohdeedoh
Eco-friendly art supplies — Inhabitots
Political party neckties — Alpha mom

US Department of the Interior: Sex, Drugs, and Oil

LibertySugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The Interior Department, which controls oil and gas collected from US taxpayer-owned coastal waters, has been plagued with shocking ethical abuses, according to a government investigation. Violations range from giving contracts to a retired employee instead of allowing for competitive bidding to substance abuse and promiscuity.

The report states that officials “frequently consumed alcohol at (oil) industry functions, used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.” Officials also allegedly accepted gifts from energy companies that exceed ethics rules, such as golf, meals and drinks, and tickets to a Toby Keith concert. In addition, oil companies were allowed to purchase oil and gas at a lowered price, after they had won contracts.

The alleged ethics mayhem took place in the Mineral Management Service (MMS) and Royalty In Kind Programs. The MMS brings in $10 billion for the federal government each year. It's the second biggest revenue maker after taxes. To find out what the investigation recommends now,

Missouri County Posts Meth Lab Locations Online: Good Idea?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:45:51 -0700

If you're looking to move, chances are you suss out a neighborhood first: schools, crime rates, sex offenders nearby, and the like. If you live in Jefferson County, MO, you can add another criteria to your info gathering: whether a meth lab is located nearby. Not limited to hardcore crack houses, the sheriff's department is listing places where it's seized any materials tied to meth production that indicate a past presence of a secret drug lab in the past two years. Real estate agents are thrilled by the new development though schools and house size still top the list of important area details. With the release of the info however, nearby homeowners might worry that the released info could wreak havoc on their own home's value. The sheriff says, "We keep raising the bar on awareness. You either do something about it, or you stick your head in the sand." Jefferson County has one of the worst meth problems in the United States. The state of Missouri recorded 770 meth-lab incidents in the first six months of this year. Is their criteria too broad? Should a house be listed as a meth lab just for having evidence gathered? Is privacy at stake or is this progressive crime fighting?Source

Missouri County Posts Meth Lab Locations Online: Good Idea?

Privacy's at stake. Crime details shouldn't be on the web, it's a threat to the area.

Progressive crime fighting! Good for them for getting the info in the open and accessible.

Other. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

California Cracking Down on Pot Clubs High on Profits

LibertySugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:03:54 -0700

He may have been Governor Moonbeam in the '70s, but today California Attorney General Jerry Brown has cracked down on the state's pot clubs. When California legalized medical marijuana 10 years ago, medical dispensaries started popping up, only to see profits as high as a kite.

AG Brown said, "The voters wanted medical marijuana dispensaries to be used for seriously ill patients and their caregivers — not as million-dollar businesses."

Brown may be correct, but couldn't he apply his logic to other pharmaceutical companies? Pot wouldn't be the first drug to help businesspeople get rich. Even so, Brown has a new set of rules for these medical dispensaries. To see what they are,

Judge Orders Company to Give Test Drug to Dying Teen

LibertySugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:22 -0700

Doctors aren't the only ones who can write prescriptions in the US. Yesterday, a federal judge ordered a research group to provide experimental drugs to a terminally ill teen suffering from a fatal type of muscular dystrophy.

The family of Jacob Gunvalson sued PTC Therapeutics alleging that the company led them to believe that Jacob could participate in a trial of the drug necessary for his survival. The company says it denied Jacob because it worried that unsafe results could taint the reputation of the new drug and hold back research. Since Jacob wasn't part of the preliminary trial, he did not qualify for the second round of the drug trial.

PTC maintains that it never promised Jacob an exception. The company's lawyers also argued that terminally ill patients do not have a legal right to unapproved drugs. But Jacob isn't just any terminally ill American. The judge said this case was different because PTC has a particularly close relationship with Jacob and his family, who even stayed overnight once at the company's VP's home.

Should we just take away the need for a lawsuit all together, and allow access to any terminally-ill patient willing to pay for experimental treatment?

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