Such Is Life

[Q.]

Ben let his partying (drugs) get in the way of his footy

Didn't seemed to affect his on-field performances at all.

The problem was not his on-field performances, but the league wringing their hands at one of their star players publicly getting wasted every three or four weeks. Don't **** with the AFL image.

[Q.]

I found the footage of him smoking a crackpipe sickening.

Why?

Are you also sickened by watching people do tequila shots or drink cups of coffee?

[FlyingHigh]

Fell asleep just after 9.

Far too often when discussing his addiction I felt the smirk on his face did no justice to the story he was trying to relay. Too many occasions he justified his drug use by coutering it with sound on field performances. Perhaps I missed his message but thats how I viewed it.

I missed part of Part 1 and I dont think I'll bother with part 2. Especially if it is twice as long. Mrs.Boon has recorded the two and we will decide if we sit with Junior Boon ( 14 ) and watch it together. I doubt it.

Dutchy, Part 2 only captivates you if Part 1 is worthy.

Thats exactly what he was trying to get across, he was justifying his drug taking as his form on the field was great. His justifications as a drug addict was that he could train hard as hell, play well and reward himself with drugs and no ill effect would result. He is purely stating what his thought process was and while it worked for a while and he thought everything was fine and great it was inevitably fraut with danger.

I think cloesed minds have clouded some peoples identification of facts and points he is trying to get across in the docco. Although i do think its good you watched the forst 10 mins booney

Yeah, that's how he tried to justify it to himself in his own mind.
Found it interesting that he started to use at such a young age, so it was more than just a fall from grace, it had been an entire way of life for almost a decade before the events of 06-07, which makes it astounding that the WCE or those close to him were unaware or took no action. Not sure what to make of his sisters comments that they all used to go out together each weekend. She didn't say she ever did drugs, but it was implied that the group they were with did. One part of me wants to think what the f*ck was she thinking, and the other that she was just naive.
Also, a bit unsure about the parents, whether they were just naive, or there was a real lack of discipline as they said he hung around with a few rough kids, or because they saw him push himself so hard in his footy from his teenage years that he must be a good kid on the straight

[OnSong]

I found the footage of him smoking a crackpipe sickening.

Why?

Are you also sickened by watching people do tequila shots or drink cups of coffee?

I'm not sure how to respond to the question.
Is it rhetorical or are you really comparing smoking crack to drinking coffee?

[AFLflyer]

I found the footage of him smoking a crackpipe sickening.

Why?

Are you also sickened by watching people do tequila shots or drink cups of coffee?

I'm not sure how to respond to the question.
Is it rhetorical or are you really comparing smoking crack to drinking coffee?

[Q.]

I found the footage of him smoking a crackpipe sickening.

Why?

Are you also sickened by watching people do tequila shots or drink cups of coffee?

I'm not sure how to respond to the question.
Is it rhetorical or are you really comparing smoking crack to drinking coffee?

I was just wondering why you'd be specifically sickened by someone smoking ice and then floated the idea that perhaps you are sickened by the consumption of all mind-altering substances.

[OnSong]

I found the footage of him smoking a crackpipe sickening.

Why?

Are you also sickened by watching people do tequila shots or drink cups of coffee?

I'm not sure how to respond to the question.
Is it rhetorical or are you really comparing smoking crack to drinking coffee?

I was just wondering why you'd be specifically sickened by someone smoking ice and then floated the idea that perhaps you are sickened by the consumption of all mind-altering substances.

So, you're serious. You are actually comparing coffee to crack?

[Hondo]

After watching last night I am coming to the conclusion that the smirk may be a nervous habit or just his way of dealing with speaking publicly about these issues.

I used to think the smirk was all because he was a smart-arse but now I'm not so sure. In the doco I interpreted the smirk as self-deprecating if anything.

I almost laughed with him at the absurdity of the booze bus run-off story. He ended up swimming half way across the 1km Swan River at night time after drinking for 12 hours before he contemplated the risk of drowning and turned back! He had got himself into a deluded state of mind regarding his invincibility at the time. I felt he was looking back now and shaking his head at it all rather than making his actions out to be heroic.

The other big thing I took from it was that despite the media sensationalising some of the public incidents there actually was truth to the reporting, albiet heightened truth. At the time it seemed some felt the media were making it all up. eg, He now admits that the Northbridge incident was day 3 or so of a 5 day bender despite the police not laying any charges (for whatever reason).

[Footy Smart]

After watching last night I am coming to the conclusion that the smirk may be a nervous habit or just his way of dealing with speaking publicly about these issues.

I used to think the smirk was all because he was a smart-arse but now I'm not so sure. In the doco I interpreted the smirk as self-deprecating if anything.

I almost laughed with him at the absurdity of the booze bus run-off story. He ended up swimming half way across the 1km Swan River at night time after drinking for 12 hours before he contemplated the risk of drowning and turned back! He had got himself into a deluded state of mind regarding his invincibility at the time. I felt he was looking back now and shaking his head at it all rather than making his actions out to be heroic.

The other big thing I took from it was that despite the media sensationalising some of the public incidents there actually was truth to the reporting, albiet heightened truth. At the time it seemed some felt the media were making it all up. eg, He now admits that the Northbridge incident was day 3 or so of a 5 day bender despite the police not laying any charges (for whatever reason).

Exactly the smirk and smile he has had since he was a child. The family photos show that!

The drugs he had in the car were Valium and .... cant remember but he had full scripts for them hence cannot be charged.

[Q.]

So, you're serious. You are actually comparing coffee to crack?

Why not? They're both stimulants. Wouldn't it be more absurd to compare ice with tequila?

Anyway, it's not the point of why I selectively quoted you. I was just using you as an example of how the State, media and society have constructed stigmas around various substance use and that we can't objectively tackle substance abuse until we tear down these stigmas.

[Gingernuts]

I found it very interesting last night, but it hasn't changed my opinion of Ben Cousins the man.

He's just another Wayne Carey, brilliant on the paddock, but not much chop off it.

I will be watching it again tonight, but mainly for the purpose that A Mum has suggested - as a parental aid.

It concerns/intrigues me that unlike Carey, Cousins seems to have a loving and supportive family and yet still ended up on the wrong path. I want to know why, and that's why I'll be tuning in again.

[Footy Smart]

So, you're serious. You are actually comparing coffee to crack?

Why not? They're both stimulants. Wouldn't it be more absurd to compare ice with tequila?

Anyway, it's not the point of why I selectively quoted you. I was just using you as an example of how the State, media and society have constructed stigmas around various substance use and that we can't objectively tackle substance abuse until we tear down these stigmas.

I have seen people have worse reactions to Tequila/Absenth than Ice. While severity of the different chemicals is different it still has the common denominator of it being a mind/mood/sense altering stimulant!

[Footy Smart]

So, you're serious. You are actually comparing coffee to crack?

Why not? They're both stimulants. Wouldn't it be more absurd to compare ice with tequila?

Anyway, it's not the point of why I selectively quoted you. I was just using you as an example of how the State, media and society have constructed stigmas around various substance use and that we can't objectively tackle substance abuse until we tear down these stigmas.

I have seen people have worse reactions to Tequila/Absenth than Ice. While severity of the different chemicals is different it still has the common denominator of it being a mind/mood/sense altering stimulant!

edit. and im in no way saying that for some people Ice would be a better option than Tequila just purely the effects can be just as destructive. Alcohol addicts have very similar charactericstic traits and many quality AFL players have fought that addiction while turning out great careers. I dont see or think you would treat them as harshly as people have Ben.

[OnSong]

A list of the top 20 drugs for ADDICTIVENESS.

Not surprisingly, caffeine and alcohol feature but take a look at the top three.
I forgot all about number one!!!

http://www.blurtit.com/q3150977.html

[Footy Smart]

A list of the top 20 drugs for ADDICTIVENESS.

Not surprisingly, caffeine and alcohol feature but take a look at the top three.
I forgot all about number one!!!

http://www.blurtit.com/q3150977.html

No one has doubted/questioned the addictiveness and severity of these substances.

[OnSong]

I dunno, I guess I believe that alcohol and caffeine addiction is much more avoidable/controllable than crack/ice addiction.
I don't see caffeine addiction as a genuine issue/health risk in society.
Alcohol can be, certainly, but again, I don't believe alcohol is more dangerous or even equally as dangerous as ice.
Maybe I'm wrong. But I'm surely no orphan to find images of someone smoking ice to drinking a tequila shot a little confronting.

[White Line Fever]

Line up three blokes.

Every 15 minutes ones has a shot of expresso, one a shot of tequila, one a puff of a crack pipe.

I wonder who would be most affected after 3 hours...

[OnSong]

Line up three blokes.

Every 15 minutes ones has a shot of expresso, one a shot of tequila, one a puff of a crack pipe.

I wonder who would be most affected after 3 hours...

Line up four blokes and the fourth guy gets all three.

[Dutchy]

Ill also add that he may well have had up to 2 positive drug tests during his career and we will never know under the 3 strike AFL policy

[Footy Smart]

Line up three blokes.

Every 15 minutes ones has a shot of expresso, one a shot of tequila, one a puff of a crack pipe.

I wonder who would be most affected after 3 hours...

Naturally Crack as it is stronger.

But the main issue is that no matter what stimulant you take and or are addicted to the same behavioural/health issues occur.