Rush Limbaugh's wedding

[Monkeyleg]

Last week Rush Limbaugh got married for the 4th time, IIRC.

From what I read, it was a big bash. What really was odd, though, was that he paid Elton John one million to play at the party. Stranger yet, Elton John went for it.

Talk about odd couples.

[taurusowner]

Apparently James Carville was there.  Another odd appearance.

[AJ Dual]

Apparently James Carville was there.  Another odd appearance.

Not that suprising. Often the fame and noteriety is a bigger bond than the actual political leanings. And Carville is maried to Mary Matalin the big Conservative speech writer/strategist etc.

There's a certain attitude that's akin to them all being sports players but just on different teams etc.

[taurusowner]

I wonder if Rahm's invitation got lost in the mail 

[Perd Hapley]

Dude, it didn't work the last three times.  Why do it again?   

[Monkeyleg]

Dude, it didn't work the last three times.  Why do it again? 

I've never understood that, either. I sometimes think that some people don't want to have serial affairs, so they have serial marriages instead.

[MicroBalrog]

Dude, it didn't work the last three times.  Why do it again?   

Because people are not statistics.

My father's first two marriages didn't work. The third one did.

[grampster]

Heh heh.  Last night I asked Lynn where she thought Rush went on his honeymoon.  She said he's probably standing in line at divorce court.  heh heh heh.

[Hutch]

Dude, it didn't work the last three times.  Why do it again?

"The triumph of optimism over experience"

[Gowen]

I think the only reason his last marriage broke up was his drug addiction, with that being gone, this may last.

[Declaration Day]

I think the only reason his last marriage broke up was his drug addiction, with that being gone, this may last.

I listen to Rush regularly.  I know he went to rehab, but I never heard him say he actually kicked the habit.  Does anybody know for sure?

[Monkeyleg]

I listen to Rush regularly.  I know he went to rehab, but I never heard him say he actually kicked the habit.  Does anybody know for sure?

I remember him saying words to the effect that he wasn't taking the drugs any longer. Maybe he thought it would be disingenuous to say that he's "quit," much as it's not right for an alcoholic to say he's no longer an alcoholic because he doesn't drink. Once an addict always an addict, I guess.

[Sergeant Bob]

Addiction is highly overrated.

[taurusowner]

Speaking from  personal experience, I think I might be highly resistant to getting addicted.  I tried cigarettes when I was a kid, then just didn't feel like it any more.  Smoked cigars in my early 20s, then just stopped because I wanted to run faster.  Used to drink probably a liter of Coke a day plus coffee, then just stopped because I read in a sniper book that caffeine degrades shooting abilities.  Haven't had a caffeinated drink in about 2 months. And most recently, I will admit, I would go through a half gallon of vodka a week by myself for emotional reasons.  Last time I got drunk was probably 3 weeks ago.  I just didn't feel like it any more.  I dunno, it's just like substances that I know other people get addicted to, I can try and use, and then just stop when I want with no feelings of needing to go back.

I will say that I've never gone up against super addictive stuff like hard drugs or prescription meds.  And with someone like Rush who I imagine has more stress in his life than I can image, I can see an  addiction to that stuff being hard to get over.  I wish him well with ths marriage.  I know he's been losing a lot of weight, IIRC he gave up cigars as well.  It wouldn't surprise me to learn that he really is over his addiction to meds.  He's been out there in the thick of politics for decades.  If anyone deserve a bit of quiet, personal happiness, it's him.

[AJ Dual]

Speaking from  personal experience, I think I might be highly resistant to getting addicted.  I tried cigarettes when I was a kid, then just didn't feel like it any more.  Smoked cigars in my early 20s, then just stopped because I wanted to run faster.  Used to drink probably a liter of Coke a day plus coffee, then just stopped because I read in a sniper book that caffeine degrades shooting abilities.  Haven't had a caffeinated drink in about 2 months. And most recently, I will admit, I would go through a half gallon of vodka a week by myself for emotional reasons.  Last time I got drunk was probably 3 weeks ago.  I just didn't feel like it any more.  I dunno, it's just like substances that I know other people get addicted to, I can try and use, and then just stop when I want with no feelings of needing to go back.

I can relate.

Granted, I've never tried illegal narcotics, meth, crack etc.. But I've had more than my share of Rx ones for various mishaps, and I can see the appeal. A cocktail of Vallium and Oxycodone for a particularly nasty back injury was like being wrapped in uh.. love and a clean blanket just out of the dryer. 

However, stopping, or even bothering to finish the Rx was not a problem.

I love my alcohol too. But I'll go weeks or a month without a drink, only really ever thinking to socialy, out to eat etc.

[roo_ster]

RG:

I have family who consume much less than you did and I consider them drunks...becasue they can't quit despite it causing them problems. 

You were consuming a LOT of alcohol.  Assuming 80 proof (40% alc) and 1/2 gal / 64 oz, that translates to:
43 12 oz bottles of beer (5% alc) (512 oz total)
8.5 750 ml bottles of wine (12% alc) (213 oz / 6400 ml total)

Sure, some drunks consume more, but that amount of alcohol and brain pickling can be as powerful an addictive agent as others commonly thought to be harder.  I suspect, when it comes to addiction, it is very individualized.

That is a round 'bout way of saying that your drug of choice is legal and common, but don't discount your putting a stop to it.

[Balog]

Did his being an addict stop him calling for harsher penalties for those evil, evil potheads? Serious question, been a long time since I've had a chance to listen to him regularly.

[Perd Hapley]

Did his being an addict stop him calling for harsher penalties for those evil, evil potheads? Serious question, been a long time since I've had a chance to listen to him regularly.

Did he ever do that?  Serious question, I don't recall that he did.

[Fly320s]

Did he ever do that?  Serious question, I don't recall that he did.

Yes, I think he did.  I remember thinking what a hypocrit he is/was after I heard about his own drug addiction.

[taurusowner]

Yes, I think he did.  I remember thinking what a hypocrit he is/was after I heard about his own drug addiction.

I take a different view on that.

I don't think having shortcomings on your own removes your ability to say something is wrong.  Ex:  Do I think that young women and teens are overly sexualized and that it has a negative effect on the social fabric of the nation? Yes.  When I see an attractive college girl at school who is wearing something that could be considered slutty, do I feel outraged?  Nope.  I think it's awesome.

Or my own situation.  Do I think it's a good idea for people to get drunk all the time?  No.  But that didn't stop me from doing it.

I just don't think one has to be perfect before saying other things are wrong.  And I don't recall Rush ever saying his actions were right.  One does not have to be right to say someone else is wrong.  It's ok IMO to say "we're both wrong".  Let's face it.  We've all done wrong things before.  We've all broken the law in some way before.  That doesn't mean we can't say that those actions, actions we may have even committed ourselves, are good and right.  Having flaws doesn't mean you can't see and state that other people also have flaws. 

Whether you agree with drug laws or not isn't the issue.  You can disagree with Rush all you want.  That's ok.  But to say "I don't like him because he said something was wrong that he did himself" is a pretty strange attitude to have considering that every one of us has done something we have said is wrong, and will no doubt do so again many times.  Perfection is not a prerequisite for having a moral opinion.

[Declaration Day]

Well said, Ragnar.  I completely agree. 

[Monkeyleg]

Ragnar Danneskjold, what you've just described is part of the reason for the double standard when it comes to liberals and conservatives.

Many of us are frequently outraged when a conservative gets pilloried for having an affair or doing something else wrong that, if it were done by a liberal, wouldn't even get two column inches in the NYT.

The supposed newsworthiness of the story is that a conservative who supposedly stands for some ideals has betrayed those ideals. Since the liberal doesn't stand for those ideals, the affair or whatever isn't news.

What the critics fail to realize is that striving to achieve an ideal and failing is different from not striving to achieve an ideal at all. A conservative can talk about the sanctity of marriage, then have an affair and his career is ended. Bill Clinton can have a zillion affairs and everyone just says, "that's Bill."

[grampster]

Let he who is without a bit of hypocracy throw the first stone.

[Perd Hapley]

I take a different view on that.

I don't think having shortcomings on your own removes your ability to say something is wrong.  Ex:  Do I think that young women and teens are overly sexualized and that it has a negative effect on the social fabric of the nation? Yes.  When I see an attractive college girl at school who is wearing something that could be considered slutty, do I feel outraged?  Nope.  I think it's awesome.

Or my own situation.  Do I think it's a good idea for people to get drunk all the time?  No.  But that didn't stop me from doing it.

I just don't think one has to be perfect before saying other things are wrong.  And I don't recall Rush ever saying his actions were right.  One does not have to be right to say someone else is wrong.  It's ok IMO to say "we're both wrong".  Let's face it.  We've all done wrong things before.  We've all broken the law in some way before.  That doesn't mean we can't say that those actions, actions we may have even committed ourselves, are good and right.  Having flaws doesn't mean you can't see and state that other people also have flaws. 

Whether you agree with drug laws or not isn't the issue.  You can disagree with Rush all you want.  That's ok.  But to say "I don't like him because he said something was wrong that he did himself" is a pretty strange attitude to have considering that every one of us has done something we have said is wrong, and will no doubt do so again many times.  Perfection is not a prerequisite for having a moral opinion.

Wow.  Well said.  It's always surprising, when people actually know what hypocrisy isn't.

I don't think Rush has ever said that what he did should be legal, or that what he did was better than smoking pot.  Nor have I heard him complain about having to repay the state for their (pretty much fruitless) criminal investigation, or submit to treatment or drug testing, or give up his right to own guns for a year and a half.  The one thing he did complain about was the seizure of his medial records, which the court and the ACLU agreed was not kosher.

The larger point is this: whatever one might think about Limbaugh's drug use, or his views on drug laws, the pill addiction issue can only really be a nit-pick on an otherwise impressive record of service to his country and to the cause of limited government.

[MicroBalrog]

There's a lot more to whether a man becomes an addict than the physical qualities of the addictive substance in question. Some people do hve a greater predilection to ruining their lives through addicted behavior than others.

I was sadly forced to discover this on the fate of some of my friends and loved ones.