When they flashed that mug shot pic on the news, I thought it was Heidi Fleiss at first!

... but, why is this necessarily drug-related? Mug shots are hardly pro photography sessions, and she doesn't look any more thin (or less healthy) than the previous photo. One would assume that the trip alone -- an endeavor in itself, one that could have been easily managed with the aid of energy supplements or lots of caffeine to someone used to odd hours, like an astronaut -- is sufficient to account for the disheveled look. It is unlikely that she would want to smile for the camera and show teeth under such circumstances, either.

@4 - "... but, why is this necessarily drug-related?"

Well, any of the details by themselves might not point to drugs. But you have a successful, happily married mother of three, working in an institution which has apparently been known to give its workers amphetamines to keep them functioning for long periods, and then later suddenly she takes to her car with guns and diapers and crazy love letters and looks skinny and ashen in her mug shot ... well, apply Occam's Razor.

Every decade has its scapegoat drug. Whether it's pot, acid, coke, crack, ecstasy or meth, there are always riders to jump on the bandwagon of hysteria. People have always done freaky shit like this - regardless of whether drugs were involved.

Millions of people have used meth and just gone about their high-as-a-kite business. But only this lady made a predatory pilgrimage in a diaper to kill her crush. Even if she was on meth, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that she is batshit crazy.

We should recognize this pattern and resist the temptation to blame bizarre behaviors on drugs in such away that it reinforces unrealistic fears. Such phobias have historically been the impetus for passing harsh laws that do more to exacerbate society' problems than to solve them.

If you look beyond this one photo, she looked like a normal woman for her age (albeit tired and like an unmade bed) in court today.

I'm not saying she's NOT on meth, I'm just sayin' this one photo is proof of nothing. All we know at this point is portions of a very sad story.

And rehab by the end of the week, meth or no.

At any rate, I suspect her defense lawyer will advance this theory, even if no one else does.

Pot....fucking....kettle!!

sheesh!

How many miles per gallon did she get?

Because you don't need drugs to think driving a thousand miles to confront the woman who is messing with your man is a brilliant if you've obsessive enough. Haven't quite done that, but certainly thought some crazy shit.

WTF? There are no good or bad drugs. There are good and bad RELATIONSHIPS with drugs, and there are some drugs that are particularly hard to have a good relationship WITH. Meth is a fine example of a drug which many people have hard times with. Millions of people have used methamphetamine or amphetamine casually, recreationally, with no long-term adverse effects. There are NO drugs that automatically enslave their users. Addiction is a multi-faceted thing, and casting the blame on the demon drug of the moment will get us no closer to solving the problems of drug abuse and addiction in our society. I encourage you to rethink your statement in the light of similar statements made in the past with regards to alcohol, coffee, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, acid, rock and roll, dancing, and nearly every other intoxicant known to humankind.

We had a recent murder in our area, white woman on white woman, both married to cops, hubby of woman shot in head at close range had knocked up woman who did close-range shooting. No drugs involved. Just a love-crazed bitch.

Well, or chocolate. Both are good, but both together are wonderful.

Maybe she was doing meth...maybe she was addicted to secret government uppers made of Iraqi baby pituitary glands. But -- while certainly on the extreme end of the spectrum -- this can't be the weirdest thing anyone has ever done for love. Am I right, Dan?

Here you go having an interesting theory, and then you fuck it up with being an idiot.

She won't be punished, and probably not even prosecuted. Capt. Shipman will be persuaded to drop all criminal complaints against Capt. Nowak as being in the best interests of the service and the space program. That will occur quietly not long from now. The court will treat this experienced and obviously tragically afflicted astronaut--and let's not forget that--with considerable deference and compassion. She will be allowed to retire with dignity. Neither NASA, nor the Navy will allow anyone to hang this lady out to dry.