Russell Brand is an English actor and comedian who recently married the American pop star Katy Perry.  I saw an interview with him by Larry King on CNN Sunday.  I liked how he described himself as a S&M Willie Wonka. We live in Paris and recently changed internet providers and now have cable where I got my very first English speaking station in five years since living here, which happens to be CNN.  After french dubbed old, American sitcoms and assorted French programming, game shows and european series, I am relieved although not thrilled, it is only CNN afterall. 

My favorite program is a french speaking talk show called "The Grand Journal", it is a miramax affiliated with a mix of French and international celebrities, many American due to the connection with the Hollywood movie industry.  I find it entertaining and fun.  My other favorite show is Monk dubbed in french on Sunday afternoons.  So this little foray into CNN-landia is not common for me.  Due to the shootings in Arizona and the overwrought political climate created, I am watching CNN for the first time.  The NYT's editorials will be telling.

Back to Russell Brand.  He really cheered me.  He was candid about his sobriety.  What struck me most where several things.  Larry King asked him two times how he got sober after a longst anding history of marijuana, cocaine, heroine, alcohol etc addictions, also sex and bulemia during his youth.  Russell said, well Larry I went to a three month treatment center where they didn't give me any drugs and when I left there are support groups to deal with addicitons one day at a time.  He never mentioned what kind of support groups which I admire him for as so many celebrities practically flash their affiliation flags.  I was pleased by this.  Also Larry not pressing the matter and respecting this.  As the interview continued Larry asked a second time, how did you do it get sober and are sober for so long?  And again Russell Brand matter of factly said, I went to a treatment center and...where Larry cut him off.  As if this explanation where not profound enough.  Education and support is really effective.  

He was thouroughly entertaining.  Charming and funny.  Even Larry King laughed when they both took off their wedding rings and examined each others, with Russell saying that his looked like Houdin's wedding ring in easy to hide or something or other and in fact looked like Houdin's fourskin which actually made him guffaw a tad.  I was happy to see Russell get that out of Larry. They showed a film clip of a movie he had made about two years ago, I forgot the movie title but I had actually seen it and that was when I had first noticed him a while back.  Overall, a very interesting and charasmatic person.  He was able to find something funny to say about almost everything Larry mentioned in the interview.  I was impressed with his making quite a success of his life and felt really good and happy after seeing him.

My revisions make me realize how far I have to go although reading the experiences and stuggles the other writers are having I don't feel so odd.  I am tremendously proud of my first two pages.  The rest is schmaltz.  Yikes.  

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and people hurt or dead by the shooting in Arizona.