http://www.cocomment.com/comments/billguinee Copyright 2007 coComment.com 2009-11-23T09:08:37.046+01:00 http://www.cocomment.com/images/logo4rss.gif http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2537561&comment_id=116185719 Bill G. Thanks, Brett for your interesting comment. Perhaps the important thing is the context of advice. It seems to me that Bill C. is primarily talking about the relationships and interchange between sponsor and sponsee, and you are pointing out that perhaps the best practice is different within the context of a discussion meeting. What do others think? Is it alright to directly confront someone in this fashion during a meeting. One of the guys in my home group frequently says that he was fortunate that the older members were more interested in saving his life than being liked. Does this excuse the potential for public humiliation? 2009-07-07T03:14:48.908+02:00 2009-07-07T03:14:48.908+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2536030&comment_id=115385644 Bill G. I have no idea how it all happened. I saw a twitter post yesterday that led me to Amazon, and I was delighted to be able to buy the Kindle edition. It looks great. 2009-07-04T07:03:50.664+02:00 2009-07-04T07:03:50.664+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2535936&comment_id=115326680 Bill G. Friendthegirl, Let me give you my honest response. I have just started this blog recently, and I started it because I was interested in storytelling and the narrative tradition in AA. I am certain that even you would agree that there is incredible storytelling in AA (though we might disagree on the motives for the tales). Then, I made a mistake, by raising this issue. It is an issue of interest to me, but is not really within the realm that I intended for this blog. I didn't really want to get into the controversy about whether AA was successful or a good thing here; I just wanted to talk about the stories. So, I shouldn't have gotten carried away and made the post which has prompted our debate. I apologize to those who are coming to this blog for its intended purpose. Nonetheless, it is an interesting issue. I propose the following. First, I will examine your blog more carefully (in the next few days) and try to get a deeper understanding of where you are coming from. Then, perhaps we can carry on with this debate on your blog, which seems much better suited to this topic. Readers that wish to follow this further then would go to http://donewithaa.wordpress.com/ 2009-07-04T03:54:36.236+02:00 2009-07-04T03:54:36.236+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2535936&comment_id=115296904 Bill G. Friendthegirl's most recent comment has provided perfect illustrations of the kind of rhetoric with which I was concerned. AA is described here as a monopoly, pumping sewage into your water supply, and a big business. The amazing thing is that Friendthegirl seems to take this calumny seriously. This reiterates the precise point at which I began this query. Note also that the discussion inevitably moves from a discussion of why there is so much venom directed at AA to the casting of even more aspersions and an attempt to denounce and defame AA. 2009-07-04T02:10:52.172+02:00 2009-07-04T02:10:52.172+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2535936&comment_id=115294329 Bill G. It is precisely the use of analogies such as "pumping sewage into your water supply" to describe AA that have been asking about. 2009-07-04T02:02:04.541+02:00 2009-07-04T02:02:04.541+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2535936&comment_id=115278470 Bill G. Both of the previous two comments indicate that AA is ineffective in the treatment of alcoholism. The reality is that the success rates of AA are very debatable and not well established by any kind of rigourous statistical methods. There is a highly touted and endlessly copied (from writer to writer) "statistic" of a 5% success rate but it derives from colossal misinterpretations of data. The fact seems to be that right now we just don't really have sound numbers. Here is what I do know. AA has completely changed my life. After trying everything that I could, I finally attended an AA meeting and I have not had a drink since that first meeting 27 years ago. Over the years, I have known thousands of other people that have found sobriety and fulfillment in AA. I also know that other people just don't seem to get sober in AA. Many AA members would claim that this is because they didn't really work the program. I am not so sure. I am by no means convinced that AA is the right path for everyone, and I personally would welcome other approaches. If RR or therapy or anything else works for you, that is great I must admit that I am skeptical about treatments that suggest that a real alcoholic can learn to drink normally -- but by real alcoholic I mean someone who has physiologically different reactions to alcohol than normal people. Such treatments might work well for many heavy drinkers. It would be really useful if we could come up with some significant understanding of who AA would work best for and who would be best served by alternate treatments -- such information might save lives. But, it is not a simple question. For example, I initially had difficulties with AA due to being an atheist, but I was able to find a way to make the program work for me. What particularly baffles me, however, is still why some of these sites are so dedicated to attacking AA. Is that the only way to talk about the value of other alternatives. I realize that the Alcoholics Anonymous is the big guy in the room, but AA has repeatedly not taken a stance on any other treatment method -- it is not on the attack. Nonetheless, the militant defense goes on. Would it not make more sense to simply tout what is good about your favored alternative, to talk about the finely honed statistics on success rates in the alternate organization, or the features that make it appropriate for some alcoholics? If you are advocating Tylenol is the only approach to talk about the evils of Aspirin? BTW -- this comment is obviously not official AA, just my own opinions -- AA as such doesn't get involved in controversies like this -- it simply tries to help alcoholics. 2009-07-04T00:55:51.383+02:00 2009-07-04T00:55:51.383+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=billguinee&conv=2531433&comment_id=112664247 Bill Guinee Thanks, Sue, for getting this posted. The Elluminate session was quite useful. Do you have (or could you point me towards) a clear guide towards when to use a wiki, a discussion forum, a blog, etc. for student learning? What kinds of learning goals is each better for? I am really looking for some kind of comparison chart, though it need not be in the form of a chart. Thanks. 2009-06-26T22:39:11.748+02:00 2009-06-26T22:39:11.748+02:00