A con artist, a Saudi prince, a flight attendant, Jennifer Lynn Petkov (a must-see) and a comedian. Alcoholics end up in all walks of life.
Runners-up for top story of the month:
Rebecca S. Parrett, 62, who fled Ohio two and a half years ago after being convicted on a number of charges involving the nation’s largest fraud of a privately held company, National Century Financial Enterprises, arrested while on the lam in Mexico. She was one of the founders of the company, which financed accounts receivable of small hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. The company failed after executives loaned millions to providers without formalizing the loans and spent millions on lavish lifestyles for themselves. While fraud alone isn’t proof of alcoholism, committing fraud is compelling evidence that one is afflicted with the disease. However, she wouldn’t have made it to “runners-up” were it not for her six marriages which, since the odds of alcoholism in someone married four times is 85%, pretty much puts the nail in the coffin. Think: Elizabeth Taylor. By the way, Ms. Parrett, how do you live with yourself and why, in the face of all the evidence, do you try to convince everyone around you that you did nothing wrong? For a rhetorical answer, please see “Charlie,” above.
JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater, who took a joyride down an emergency chute, endangering and inconveniencing airline personnel and passengers alike, pleading guilty to two counts of attempted criminal mischief and agreeing to undergo counseling and “drug and alcohol” rehabilitation. “At the end of the day, I’m a grown adult and I must take responsibility for my actions,” a seemingly contrite Slater said outside Queens Supreme Court, flanked by his boyfriend, his lawyer and his publicist. However, the fact that one of his flankers was a publicist suggests he still wants to cash in on his criminality. And, he has never admitted to being drunk after launching into a profanity-laced tirade before sliding down the chute with a beer in each hand. Convince yourself of such a likely untruth, Mr. Slater, and you could end up becoming as crazed as Charlie, above.
Saudi Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud, 34, sentenced to at least 20 years in the beating and strangulation death of a servant, Bandar Abdulaziz. Al Saud, who apparently thought he was protected by diplomatic immunity, belongs to one of the richest families in the world, yet faces the possibility of execution for homosexuality if he ever returns to Saudi Arabia. (Lucky for him he didn’t get diplomatic immunity, since the sentence for murder here is mild in comparison with the sentence for homosexuality in his home country. But I digress.) It comes as no surprise that al Saud and his man-servant had been “drinking heavily” the night of the murder. He may have been “drinking heavily” whenever he engaged in “sadistic abuse” of Bandar, which reportedly occurred over a three-year period. Perhaps he could live with himself because “he drank,” like Charlie above.
Jennifer Lynn Petkov, 33, seen taunting a 7-year-old girl dying of Huntington’s disease in a video that must be seen to be believed, here. Days after the video was taken, Petkov allegedly tried to run a neighbor over with her car and, for other reasons, lost custody of two of her children. Just how do you live with yourself, Jennifer Lynn Petkov?
Comedian Andy Dick, 44, allegedly flashing patrons of the Café Audrey coffee house in a drunken stupor. A self-described bi-sexual, he has twice been arrested for lewd sexual advances towards both men and women and has quite a history of bizarre acting-out, an excellent summary of which can be found at Wikipedia. Obviously, his 2009 stint in rehab with Dr. Drew Pinsky on “Sober House,” a “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” spin-off, didn’t stick. While you weren’t completely nude like Charlie Sheen, there’s no need to ask how you can live with yourself, Andy Dick.