This is what I heard through the horror-movie-grapevine, anyway.
Apparently, the 29-year-old significant other of “Captain Spaulding” got quite upset at something I wrote about one of the Rob Zombie movies. I don’t know exactly what it was, but man, I’d hate to hear how she’d react if she were dating someone that I actually dislike.
I don’t dislike Sid at all; I even own an action figure of him in clown make-up. I may have said that he looks better with the makeup than without — in my defense on that score, I say wait until NECA puts out the toy of him without makeup, and see if it sells better than the clown version. I bet it won’t.
As for the movies: I actually own House of 1,000 Corpses on DVD. It has problems, notably that it ends right when things finally get really good. I didn’t care much for the first Devil’s Rejects trailer, which looked like a road movie, and didn’t seem to address the ending of Corpses at all. I don’t like Rob Zombie’s music very much, but I do like his artwork. And he was probably the least fun person to interview that I’ve ever encountered as a journalist.
But Sid’s cool. I got no beef with him. If Sheri Moon wants to get mad at me, fair enough.
Meanwhile, I saw the doctor again, and I’m sure it will surprise no-one to hear that I do not have HIV or hyperthyroidism. My liver is over-active, probably because it was forcibly shut down not long ago. Oh yeah, and I have a case of allergic dermatitis on my penis. It never ends.
The doctor says I’m not an alcoholic, just “alcohol-dependent.” I asked him if he could ration my drinking, what level he would set, and he basically said that if I don’t quit altogether, it doesn’t matter, because I would still be “dependent.”
I find it hard to believe that drinking less would make no difference. Anyway, cutting it out altogether is not a strong likelihood right now. If the liver persists in being overactive, then it might be mandatory, I suppose. That would suck.
Anyway, we’re testing for hepatitis now. Much like HIV, I’d say my likelihood of having it is very slim.
So what exactly is the difference between an alcoholic and an alcohol-dependent person? The first is addicted, the other is just ‘dependent’? Sounds the same to me.
It’s probably worthwhile to cut back, if you don’t plan to cut it out entirely. Just like my current caffeine-dependency–I’m slowly weaning myself off, getting used to smaller and smaller doses. So now I have fewer headaches and I sleep better. Eventually, I will be entirely free, but I’m waiting till my trip next week is over before I completely cut it out. I want to be completely free of it before next semester, relying only on good old-fashioned slumber to keep me functioning.
Bummer about the dermatitis. Makes the good news of no HIV a little less useful, huh?
I’m not exactly sure — he said to look on webmd.com, and I found no distinction there. I think it’s just terminology for a lesser degree.
As far as I can tell, “dependence” is psychological and not physiological. And he claims it is impossible to slowly cut it out, as you are doing with caffeine — that he’s never in his entire career seen anyone do it successfully.
Still, I’ve read the 12 steps, and don’t think they apply to me — most of them are about figuring out who you’ve hurt, and I’m fairly sure I’ve hurt nobody by drinking alcohol, except one time in college when I stepped on Krista’s fingers by accident. I also don’t believe in just giving up and putting it all in God’s hands.
I had to pretty much give up drinking after waking up one morning and remembering speeding down residential streets at 80 miles per hour while drinking from an open vodka bottle and with a drunk 15 and 16 yr. old in the back seat. I always thought I was fine, that I was just pretending to be drunk, but I’d get in fights and all that, too.
Eh, Grandma and Grandpa more or less smoked and drank themselves to death at 60ish, so it wasn’t surprising…
I guess that doesn’t count as ‘dependency’, though. Straight-up alcoholic, more like. Allergic dermatitis on your penis? Nasty.
You don’t like White Zombie? That’s too bad.
Can you tell I just had coffee?
I mostly gave up on the alcohol after I almost died in an alcoholic coma. (David was there, and kept me from dying, but that’s another story). Anyways, it sucked. I still drink occasionally, but I haven’t been “drunk” in a very long time. So, hah! I cut it out mostly without cutting it entirely. But it does suck. I’m here for moral support if you wanna try though, ’cause I’ve been there.
But I love a good portion of Rob Zombie’s music, though, so you won’t get much sympathy there. Though from interviews I’ve read he always seemed like a self-absorbed jerk. (Then again, I’ve noticed most talented musicians are, maybe it’s a requirement or something)
To clarify my Zombie stance…I did actually see White Zombie in concert once. Visually a cool show. Musically, it was like one 50-minute song. I think his singing voice is terrible, and apart from “Living Dead Girl” have a lot of trouble telling his songs apart.
Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds is one I do like, because ambient mixes of heavy metal are just such a strange concept that it works.
My dad was an alcoholic–died at 53. My grandfather and 3 of my uncles were also alcoholics. Too many addictive personality traits in the family for me to risk starting. Plus, I can’t stand the taste of it, so why bother starting?
I’m surprised that they’d say cutting back ‘doesn’t work’. Less of anything toxic has to be good, no? Maybe not ideal, but better than nothing.
“Still, I’ve read the 12 steps, and don’t think they apply to me — most of them are about figuring out who you’ve hurt, and I’m fairly sure I’ve hurt nobody by drinking alcohol, except one time in college when I stepped on Krista’s fingers by accident. I also don’t believe in just giving up and putting it all in God’s hands”
Could be you’re not a real alcoholic. Try controlling or “rationing” your drinking for awhile and see how it works out. If you are an alcoholic, you’ll either fail after the first couple of tries or manage through sheer willpower, but be utterly miserable (it’s called “white knuckling” and it’s no damn fun.) You might become reliant on other drugs, like pot. Give it a try – if you’re not an alcoholic, it should be easy. Just quit.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in that old “grapevine”. Maybe if I had the slightest clue who you were or what I supposedly did or said, I could figure this out. Please feel free to contact me to discuss this.