Was it as far back as January that the infamous Crack Amy video was released?  It seems that the authorities in the UK have been laboriously poring over the footage since then, desperately searching for any clues which might show that Amy was doing drugs, and they found enough tenuous evidence to bring her in on charges.  She had an appointment at a police station where she was arrested:

The arrest is a result of a video of the 24-yearold star that became public in January.

In the 19-minute film she is seen smoking crack cocaine and talking about taking Valium while appearing dazed and disorientated.

The star was originally questioned under caution in February and was due to return for further interview in June.

That date was then brought forward and she was asked to go to Limehouse police station in East London yesterday.

This is the latest in a series of incidents between Miss Winehouse and the police.

The Grammy Award winner went voluntarily to Holborn police station just ten days ago to answer charges of common assault.

She was arrested for allegedly attacking a man while on a drunken night out in Camden.

So let’s see…in the past ten days, she’s been arrested twice, once for assault and once for Class A drugs, and they let her out on bail?  While in the meantime her husband rots away in jail (where he’s been since November) for beating up a guy who was going to testify against him and then trying to pay him off?  He’s a notorious druggie and they didn’t even bust him on drugs charges!

The nineteen-minute vid, which showed Amy Winehouse lighting up and talking about drugs, was on a memory stick on which there had been a deleted video of Peaches Geldof buying drugs.  Police were able to use a program to recover the deleted information.  (Welcome to the twentieth century, guys…I’ve used a program that I found for free which does the same thing.)

The police released her on bail and she was out again last night, with the beehive on and a scarf with a “Blake” pin attached to it wrapped around her head.  Of course, it was just a couple of days ago that she had that same scarf wrapped around her breasts in a makeshift bikini top.  But hey, what’s a little  boob sweat between friends?  She was talking to the paps and discussing getting a new tattoo.  Because that’s just what she needs…more body ink.  I say this time she gets a tramp stamp with an arrow that says, “If found, please return to owner.”

It remains to be seen whether they can make these charges against Amy stick.  You know, since they have such a lack of real evidence that she even does drugs.  I’ll bet this all turns out to be a big misunderstanding…she drank too much Mountain Dew, she was on a sugar rush and caffeine high, they’ll all have a big laugh about it, and everyone will walk away happy.

Can’t the UK get anything right concerning these stars and their drug habits?

Serial druggie Pete Doherty was released from prison after serving a pittance of his original sentence, waving a piece of paper saying that he passed his drug test while locked up:

But Pete Doherty’s precious piece of paper proved only that he had passed a drugs test while in prison.

He seemed delighted to have it as he left just 29 days into a 14-week sentence, declaring he wanted to “keep it together and work on my music”.

The 29-year-old singer, who has been repeatedly arrested in possession of crack cocaine and heroin, was finally jailed last month for breaching his probation.

But yet again the law smiled on Doherty by setting him free early.

He emerged from Wormwood Scrubs in West London at 7.10am yesterday in a suit, tie, what appeared to be rosary beads and surprisingly shiny shoes.

Smoking a cigarette, he said he was looking forward to having a drink and seeing his pet cats.

Don’t let him near those animals…he gives them drugs!

So let’s get this right…he was supposed to serve over three months, and he ended up being in for fourteen days?  Who does this guy know?

Seriously…what is up with the courts over there in the Old Country?  Every time I turn around, people like Pete and Amy Winehouse are committing crimes like buying and taking drugs and headbutting people, yet they get let off with a slap on the wrist and a finger-waggle and a “No no no” from the authorities.  This guy has been arrested multiple times for drugs, yet they keep letting him go.  Even after he promises that he’s going to do better and get clean, he still relapses and they still slap him on the wrist and they still let him go.

He and Amy both need to go away for about a year and get totally clean and sober.  Of course, with the leniency of the court system over there, what’s the motivation?  They know they aren’t really going to be punished, so why bother?

Yet…Blake Incarcerated-Druggie beats up a guy and is STILL in jail, where he has been since November.  Yes, he deserves to be punished…yes, he threatened a guy with more beatdowns…yes, he offered the guy money if he’d shut up and go away…yes, Blake is a drug addict.  But is he any worse of a drug addict than Pete?  Is what he’s done that much worse than Pete continually flaunting the legal system in Britain by constantly and flagrantly taking drugs and violating his probation?

I’m definitely no fan of Blake, but the hypocrisy of the UK court system is astonishing.  Pete will probably put his certificate in a nice glass frame and then hoover up a line off it.

Oh wait, that was a different serial philanderer and liar.  My bad…they all run together after a while.

Roger Clemens is steadfastly denying that not only did he not take steroids and performance-enhancing drugs:

“I know that many people want to know what I have to say about the recent articles in the media,” Clemens, who has raised his four children with his wife, Debbie, in the Katy and Memorial areas, said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle. “Even though these articles contain many false accusations and mistakes, I need to say that I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry. I have apologized to my family and apologize to my fans. Like everyone, I have flaws. I have sometimes made choices which have not been right.”

While not admitting to any specific mistakes, Clemens did remain adamant that he never used steroids or HGH. He has been fighting to clear his name since Dec. 13, when he was implicated in the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the report former Sen. George Mitchell prepared for Major League Baseball.

“I believe my personal life has nothing to do with the accusations of steroid and HGH use,” he said in the statement. “I have already made clear that I did not use them.”

…but that he also did not have an improper relationship with country singer Mindy McCready:

“Now, I have been accused of having an improper relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Nothing could be further from the truth. This relationship has been twisted and distorted far beyond reality. It is just one of many, many accusations that are utterly false.”

McCready, however, told the Daily News that she “cannot refute anything in the story” about her relationship with Clemens.

…along with other (admittedly legal) women:

The Daily News also reported that Clemens had extramarital relationships with two other women, including the former wife of pro golfer John Daly.

Clemens is adamant that he won’t confess just so the scrutiny will go away.

“I realize that many people want me to simply confess and apologize for the conduct that I have been accused of, but I cannot confess to, nor apologize for, things I did not do,” he said. “I have apologized to my family for my mistakes. And having offered this apology to the public, I would ask that you let me and my family deal with these matters in private.”

Like I said before, had he just kept both his big mouth shut and his Rocket in his pants, this story about Mindy McCready might not have ever hit the press.  It seems that if she would have wanted to publicize it, she would have done so by now, and outside of one statement to the press when the story broke she has remained silent on the subject.  But because he filed a defamation of character suit against his former trainer, it all came out, and Roger has only himself to blame for it.  Yes, it might have come out anyway, but he could have then apologized and at least not looked like a lying hypocrite (yeah, as if he would have the humility to apologize).

Yes, we all make mistakes, and yes, we all have things in our pasts that we are embarrassed about and ashamed of.  But if you’re in the public eye, you need to make double sure that you’re not presenting yourself to the world as one thing, when you’re really another, because you will be found out.  Millions of dollars, a possible stint in the pokey, and his family are at stake, all because Roger Clemens is too arrogant to realize just what is going on.

(obviously taken in happier times…look how good she looks)

Wow.  I have been asking for a while now what has happened to the family of Amy Winehouse, and look at what I found…an explosive interview with her father Mitch where he lets loose on a whole number of subjects concerning his wayward daughter.  I know it sounds hypocritical, but as much as I wanted to know where they were in her obvious time of need, perhaps there was some of this info he could have kept to himself, y’know?

Well, anyway, he said it, I read it, and now I offer it to you.  So gird your loins, we’re gonna dive right in…

But wait, there’s more…

This whole Amy Winehouse thing just gets curiouser and curiouser.  On the heels of yesterday’s story where her mother said Amy had a new boyfriend and is fixing to kick hubby Blake Incarcerated-Druggie to the curb, now today we have Amy categorically denying it all and saying she and Blakey are tight:

It was reported at the weekend that the singer was romantically involved with her manager’s assistant, Alex Haines, 22, and planned to divorce Blake Fielder-Civil.

But at her home in North London, Miss Winehouse has insisted: “I am not divorcing Blake. I am totally in love with him.

“You’ve seen us together and you know how much we’re in love with each other. We’re going to be together for ever.” […]

She added: “We’re not splitting up. I don’t have a new boyfriend.

“I’m totally in love with Blake and I’ll be going to court with him every single day to support him throughout his case.”

Shortly after she spoke yesterday, Mr Haines arrived at the house. A source at Miss Winehouse’s management company denied any relationship between the pair.

Well well well.  So which is it…Amy’s denials that there is any new relationship and she and Blake are still together, or Janis Winehouse’s claims that Amy has a new man?  After all, Janis has her claims…but if you read carefully, you’ll see that she never actually comes out and says Amy has a new fella, just that she hopes Amy does:

“Blake has sent her down the wrong path - drugs and self-harm. She needs a man she can depend on, who can look after her.

“I’m praying Alex is that man.”

And y’know…right there is one of the keys to this whole thing.  Janis hopes Amy is changing while at the same time refusing to blame Amy for this whole mess that her life has turned into.  Of course, it could happen, but I seriously doubt that Blake forcibly held his wife down and made her take drugs against her will.  And from what I know of self-harming, that is something that is already inside a person…somebody else can’t plant that idea in your head and you just one day decide cutting yourself is a fabulous idea.

So what about this going to court every day and supporting Blake thing?  I wonder what Amy will do when she gets to court and sees her man making googly eyes at a blonde?  Don’t forget, it was just a few days ago that he was caught mouthing sweet nothings to a woman named Sophie, who was in the public gallery and who describes herself as Blake’s “best friend.”  Oh man…Amy will tear Sophie’s head off and snort her blood like a line of coke if she sees that happening.

But wait, one more thing…it seems Amy’s dad Mitch has finally resurfaced and he’s none too happy about the direction his daughter’s life has taken lately:

Miss Winehouse, who received a police caution for assault last week , was also visited by her father, Mitch.

An onlooker said: “You could hear screaming and shouting inside.

“He was telling her, ‘You’ve got to pull yourself together’.”

If there’s anyone who has been able to get through to Amy lately, it’s Mitch Winehouse, so I hope he continues with whatever it is that will get through to her, whether that be talking or yelling or tough love or gentleness or whatever it takes to break through to her.  Because, I’m telling you, she won’t last the year if she keeps this up.  I truly hope it doesn’t happen, and I’ll be thrilled to be wrong, but at the rate she’s declining I don’t see how she will be around if she doesn’t get serious help, soon.

I’m starting to think that if I ever wanted to do something like hoover up a line of coke or go all crazazy on somebody, I’d need to move to London to do it, because they seem to be pretty lenient on stuff like that over there.  Witness Amy Winehouse, fresh off a night in jail, who was let go after the face-punching/headbutting incident with a frowny look and a stern finger-waggle:

Winehouse was questioned about a street brawl in which she allegedly attacked two men in the early hours of Wednesday.

But when she originally arrived at the station, such was her state that a doctor deemed her “unfit to be interviewed”.

Her spokeswoman said today: “Amy Winehouse was questioned this morning at a London police station in connection to an incident in Camden in the early hours of April 23, 2008.

“She admitted to a common assault by slapping a man with an open hand and accepted a caution.

“Amy was fully co-operative with inquiries and apologised for the incident.

“She thanked the police for their professional handling of the matter. There will be no further action taken.

“Amy is looking forward to continuing her work on new music in the studio.”

“Unfit to be interviewed”?  What they probably meant was she was stoned off her face and had to have some time to detox that stuff out of her system a bit.

But on the news that husband Blake Incarcerated-Druggie has a new blonde woman in his life, Amy herself has picked up a new man:

Janis Winehouse told the Sunday Mirror: “I’d spoken to Alex [Haynes] a couple of times over the phone, but this was the first time I’d actually met him.

“He’s a lovely boy - gentle and sweet. He really looked after Amy popping out to buy cigarettes, papers, anything she wanted.

“He works for her manager so their relationship was professional to begin with but if they’ve made something of it, I’m thrilled.

“Blake has sent her down the wrong path - drugs and self-harm. She needs a man she can depend on, who can look after her.

“I’m praying Alex is that man.”

Oh…one of her family members finally emerges from the shadows to speak?

Look, I like Amy as much as the next person, but I also realize that no man is going to help Amy.  If Amy wants to be drug-free and clean, then Amy has to make that decision for herself.  Yes, having supportive people around you does help (isn’t that what one’s family is supposed to do?), but ultimately you have to make the decision to be clean because you want to be clean…just like you made the decision to take drugs in the first place.  I’ve no doubt Blake was a negative influence on Amy, but she’s the one who made the decision.

Oh well.  It’s always been Amy’s dad who has had to step forward and take charge.  He may have made mistakes in his life, but at least he has made attempts to help her (and I hope he is doing so now behind the scenes).  Her mom has usually sat in the background, wringing her hands and making pithy statements while Mitch has stepped in and done something:

Little wonder her father, Mitch, who remains devoted to his daughter but increasingly frustrated, is said to be “at the end of his tether”.

Together with some of her older, loyal friends, and Amy’s record company, Island Records, he is even considering mounting another drastic intervention and forcing Amy to rehab - or more pertinently back to rehab, as she has already been there on a number of occasions.

And what about, oh, I don’t know…this little thing called a marriage?  Couldn’t these two knuckleheads at least make an attempt at a divorce before they start picking up replacements?  And when’s she getting that “Blake’s” tattoo removed from her chest?  One more thing…you gotta wonder what it is about this guy.  Why take up with Amy now, if he’s so clean-cut?  Maybe he’s been assigned as her minder.

It’s pretty sad when the voice of reason in all this turns out to come from none other than Keith Richards, himself no stranger to the vices of drugs and alcohol:

Perhaps the best advice comes from a hell-raiser of a much older vintage, Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who has expressed concern for her future. 

“She isn’t going to be around long unless she sorts herself out pretty quick,” he has remarked. “She needs to get smart.”

UPDATE:  Amy has been arrested and is currently in custody.

Maybe, if what I’m reading on the internets is true.  She’s in big trouble for headbutting one man and punching another in the face while on a drug and booze-fueled frenzy, and word is the police are gonna come after her:

The troubled singer, 24, is expected to be arrested this afternoon after a 38-year-old man told police in Kentish Town she had allegedly assaulted him in Chalk Farm Road, Camden.

Winehouse, dressed in a Lacoste t-shirt and mini skirt, was driven from her Camden in a state of distress, with her make-up smeared across her face. [..]

The Met inquiry began after it was reported that Winehouse assaulted two people outside a bar early on Wednesday.

She faces up to six months in jail if convicted of assault.

But wait, there’s more…

Maybe they will let Amy and husband Blake Incarcerated-Druggie share a cell.

Yes, Amy Winehouse has really put her foot in it this time. She’s facing arrest after a booze-fueled attack on two men:

The junkie singer, 24, is to be quizzed by police after claims she HEADBUTTED a Good Samaritan who hailed her a cab outside a bar.

Rehab star Amy, said to have PUNCHED a second victim in the face, sank to a horrific new low while high on Class A drugs.

Onlookers told how the married singer also SNOGGED a mystery fella at a nightspot and shocked punters by overturning tables and drinks.

She was later seen smoking drugs in the street, walked into a lamppost, and riled a cabbie by paying only HALF her promised fare home.

It all started earlier in the night, when Amy and friends started drinking at home before heading out to a pub. While there, she punched a musician in the face who refused to give up his spot at a pool table for her. She played her game and returned home, only to come back out later and visit another pub:

But wait, there’s more…

I listen to Howard Stern whenever I can. While some people find him offensive, stupid, pointless whatever, I find his irreverent, smart, insightful and refreshingly honest. So I was troubled to find when I checked in this morning that Howard and his comedic side-kick Artie Lange had some sort of on-air conflict (sadly I missed it) and Artie is currently “resigned” from the show. In some ways I am not surprised.

Here’s more on the row from Pet Rock:

Lange, who became a part of the show’s daily routine in October of 2001, was spotted disputing with his assistant in the hallways off the air. When it was brought up to Stern, he asked the assistant Teddy to come into the studio and discuss the situation on the air.

Lange began to express his disdain for his assistant of nearly two years because of recent money issues. Teddy retorted by implying there’s more to the job than meets the eye.

The two are slated to travel to Amsterdam this evening and the squabble began over setting up Lange’s travel accommodations. However, the in-studio dispute quickly escalated into a discussion about how much Lange finances Teddy, who is affectionately called “Teddy Microphone” around the studio.

As the argument continued, Lange became enraged and physically lashed out at Teddy, but the physical confrontation was apparently diffused by other members in the studio.

When Lange returned, he said Teddy would be “dead” had he reached him and he would be in jail.

Stern then expressed his feelings on the situation, saying he cannot condone Lange’s actions. The comedian, who has had a similar outburst on the air in the past, said he cannot guarantee he can refrain from acting out in the future. Upon hearing that, Stern said he cannot have Lange around with the potential of such actions looming.

Artie then offered his resignation; Stern accepted, but told Lange to leave and cool off. Just before Lange left he told Stern: “I’m not a good person … I gotta leave … I love you”

Teddy returned to the studio several minutes later and said there was overreacting from everyone, but did not downplay the seriousness of the situation.

Show producer Gary Dell’Abate came in to analyze the situation, but he and Stern admitted they “did not know what to make of it all.”

Lately, Artie has seemed depressed, taken to eating his way through his problems, distracted, not up to snuff and sounds as though he has sunken into a drug and alcohol frenzy. All of these things could be smaller signs of a bigger problem. I think Artie might be suicidal, though I hope I am being an alarmist.

Howard and his co-host Robin sounded extremely distracted, rushing their usual morning routines, clearly wanting to be off the air to deal with this problem. Howard is no stranger to conflicts with his co-hosts, having parted way with his close friend and head writer for the show, comedian Jack Martling, who left the show in March 2001. Artie Lange, who got his start on the skitcom “MadTV” replaced Martling and has been a great addition to the show. Sadly, Lange has struggled to overcome substance abuse problems and has at times been absent on the show and as stated above, this is the not the first issue to arise during his tenure.

Hopefully Howard will be able to intervene and help Artie through this self-destructive/John Belushiesque phase. I really like Artie, it’d be sad it he didn’t get some help. We’ll keep you posted.

Well, they say the first step is knowing you have a problem, but then you actually have to do something about it.  Amy Winehouse apparently understands her need to return to rehab (and hopefully for more than a two-week clean-her-up dust-her-off make-the-junkie-pretty-for-the-cameras stay this time):

The singer is said to be close to returning to rehab, and has reportedly admitted that “she needs to check into rehab again”.

A source told The Sun: “There are too many temptations for her in the UK — people around her in London are making it impossible for her to stay clean for any length of time.

“Her management had considered flying her to a clinic in Israel but are now looking further afield. They are assessing a clinic in Cape Town in South Africa.”

Look, I don’t care if they fly her to Penguin Rehab Center in Antarctica, just get her out of London and into rehab somewhere, now.  Her previous two-week vacation spa treatment rebab stint was just to get her cleaned up and prettied up for the Grammys, but in terms of lasting effect it was obviously destined for fail.  But while getting her to an out-of-town/state/country/continent rehab is probably a good idea, at some point she will have to return home if she plans on continuing to live near her Blake Incarcerated-Druggie, who’s visiting hours she recently missed.  That’s the problem facing all recovering addicts…returning to daily life after rehab is over.

And it doesn’t look like her face is clearing up either:

[T]he heavy make-up could not hide the unsightly scabs on her face which some sources have blamed on her ‘drug-taking’ lifestyle.

The award-winning singer is in desperate shape and the pan-stick make-up failed to conceal the spots and scabs on her wrinkled cheeks, chin and nose.

Amy’s spokesman has insisted she is suffering from the bacterial skin infection impetigo - which is highly contagious and can develop by repetitive scratching of a sore.

He said the 24-year-old has been put on a course of antibiotics to clear it up.

But friends fear the scabs on her face are a sign that her drinking and drug taking is once again spiralling out of control.

Amy, if you do indeed have impetigo, do everyone in London a favor…STAY HOME UNTIL IT CLEARS UP.  Nobody wants your nawsty, scabby germs, okay?  How selfish do you have to be?  I mean, it’s not a personal thing…if it is in fact impetigo, that is highly contagious, and nobody else wants it!

Friends blame multiple sources for her facial problems, including drugs, medications, and diet:

Miss Winehouse’s spokesman has insisted she is suffering from the bacterial skin infection impetigo - which is highly contagious and can develop by repetitive scratching of a sore.

He said the 24-year-old has been put on a course of antibiotics to clear it up.

But friends fear the scabs on her face are a sign that her drinking and drug taking is once again spiralling out of control.

Her love of junk food has also not helped the condition of her skin. She was pictured emerging from a fast-food outlet with fish and chips and a bottle of Lucozade.

A source said: “Her friends are worried these sores have been caused by an excessive use of crack cocaine, which can cause these kind of blemishes.

“Pete Doherty used to have similar sores under his nose.

“Her skin also suffers because Amy takes in barely any nutrients. Fruit and vegetables never pass her lips.” […]

Another source said: “When Blake was in solitary confinement recently they both started self harming again.

“It is like some kind of pact to show how much they love each other.”

Sally Penford, of the International Dermal Institute, said: “This is very much what impetigo looks like. However your skin mirrors what is going on inside your body.

“If you are taking medication, or you are not getting any nutrients and toxins are not being flushed out of the body, it will show on the skin.”

Amy is a self-confessed junk-food junkie, and loves her crisps, candy, fish-n-chips, and KFC.  It’s true what is said about the skin being a mirror of what goes on inside our bodies…just this week, as I’ve been dealing with the flu and all its assorted deliciousness, my skin has looked dull and lifeless and I’ve had a few breakouts.  That always happens when I get sick.  But I also haven’t been eating right this week (or much at all, for that matter), so that hasn’t helped my skin either.  I don’t even take drugs, outside of OTC flu medication…I can’t even imagine what one would have to ingest to cause this sort of reaction to one’s skin, if indeed that is what it is, and not impetigo.

If it isn’t impetigo and it is some sort of reaction to illegal drugs, then she must be in more serious trouble than anyone thought.  Her lips alone show there is a problem…dry and scabby, they look like she possibly is dehydrated.  All told, it’s a far, far cry from what she looked like at the Grammy Awards just a couple of months ago.

It’s interesting to me how her family were always pictured with her in the weeks leading up to the Grammys, but they are nowhere to be found now.  Yes, they could be working in private to get her help, and I sincerely hope they are.  It’s just that before the Grammys, they preferred to do their good deeds before men.  Perhaps her going out with her scabs and her carved-up arms, presumably from self-harming, is a desperate and possibly unconscious cry for help.  You’ll notice in the photo above, taken just before the Grammys, she is wearing longer sleeves even though there were no marks to cover up, but now that she has marked up her arms (see previous photos), she’s got on short sleeves, with her scabs on display for everyone to see.

I hope something is done soon, before we’re writing her obituary.  That would be sad, indeed.