Love Addict Just Struck Me, TBC!

Whoa! I must have been all caught up in the serious biz of this blog for a while because I completely overlooked about a paragraph-length worth of words that TBC used to talk about LOVE ADDICT details...

TBC - do you know something about love addiction, or what (I think you do)?

Ya know...
I think that you are on to something again, my good American friend!

Cho got dumped - so he shot up the campus?

Well - not exactly. I'm not really taking this as lightly as it seems (however, you know that I am Canadian - and we Canadians do have a 'different' sense of humour eh?).

Cho was fried on prescription drugs - plus he got dumped by a pretty girl - so he shot up the campus.

Wait a sec...
There's more.

Cho was fried on prescription meds, was a visible minority who sometimes experienced the receiving end of bullying, was a loner, got dumped by his girlfriend - so he shot up the campus.

Cho was fried on meds, was sometimes bullied, was a visible minority, was a loner, was stressed at school, had financial problems, got dumped by his girlfriend, got his hands on guns - so he shot up the campus.

k - you know there's a LOT MORE, right?
However...the question is:

Which intervention - for which serious PROBLEM - could have been the solution to prevent the Cho-Vi-Tech Massacre?

I have decided to take just ONE DAY and not have an opinion on this matter anymore. This means - my TV channels will be promptly changed to an American Bandstand Re-Run station if any 'investigation updates,' any 'reports,' or any 'expert opinions' come on the Great White North Canadian Snow-TV-Broadcast News (haha - yeah that's our only station in Canada on Sundays - not) over here!

My mind is blown now by the sheer count of PROBLEMS that 'boy' was having - but moreso - by the fact that there are OTHERS in North America who are lonely, minority, have had their fill of being bullied, are on anti-depressants or other 'mood-affecting' medications, are having school difficulties, are having financial difficulties, have access to weapons - and of course - might have girlfriends who just don't understand them and who might break up with them tomorrow (Monday) - or Tuesday, Wednesday, you know - anytime.

I am going to retreat into my igloo very soon with the TV shut off so that I can think about the complexities of this whole deal.....(Or, I might nap for a while and take the sled dogs for a run later on lol)

In the meantime, TBC - please type me what you know about this 'love addiction' stuff! I think you're on to something.

And.....this is what has me the most WORRIED of all, TBC - your mention of this love addiction. How many people are out there who expect another person to make them happy, expect love relationships to be fulfilling? How many people do you think out in America and Canada alone have the traits of a 'Love Addict'?

I know an awful lot more than I need to about 'addiction,' myself - so I'm not taking your comments about love addiction very lightly. Partly, I don't think it's something that people think IS AN ADDICTION in the first place. Second thoughts have me wondering - where in the heck do ya go if you're a 'love addict' - to get help?

Not like you should ask someone for a supportive hug or what-not, eh?

So - when it all comes down to it - I am really retreating to my igloo all just to think about what 'love addiction' is - and about what Love Addiction might have to do with insane massacre crimes.


(Psssssssssst hey tbc - ya never figured for your whole life that we would have 'sled dog' as a keyword eh? lol)

teeray~~

As Usual, TBC, You've Foiled My Theory!

It's pretty obvious that I've taken a little while to respond to TBC's latest comments.

Actually - partly, this is because that Arianna Huffington article that TBC provided - to the article, "Virginia Tech Aftermath: Did Legal Drugs Play a Role In The Massacre?" - was very, VERY convincing!

And here, I thought TBC was busy working, SEO-ing and doing various multi-tasking so that he wasn't forming much of an opinion on this matter.....

Boy - was I wrong!

TBC brought me more up to date on the issue - about how Americans are INVESTIGATING this tragedy.

I have to say that in my Canadian coverage (news media, tv, radio, newspapers, mags) that I receive 'up North,' there are a lot of what looks to be 'objective' study about the Vi-Tech tragedy.

I expected a longer 'outrage' burst from the media sources I receive...perhaps this incident had brought a 'clarity' to the public - or - American voices aren't SHOUTING anymore - they are 'debating' and 'informing' and 'problem-solving.'

I have learned to expect many 'uninformed, emotional outbursts' from the North American public when dramatic tragedies occur. I say 'North American' to include Canada in the range of public I am speaking of - because Canadians are often mis-informed by our own media, too. "Drama" receives air-time and show time very often in North American culture - at the expense of 'the inherent facts.' Perhaps this is due to the similar 'freedom of speech' clauses in both American and Canadian Bills of Rights...of which - many North Americans use with abusive or ignorant purpose.

I stand corrected (maybe lol) by the Honorable TBC now - on my viewpoint concerning the 'why' of the Vi-Tech tragedy.

I have more reading to do yet from the excellent links in the Huffington article, and will be back to comment again later.

Another point of view on Cho, legal prescriptions, love, and more....

Ok, well strap on your seatbelts, because this post is about to go all over the place. I will start with my current point of view on Cho, and the Virginia Tech Massacre. First off let me say that what he did is truly horrible, and there is no excuse good enough for what he said. I have spent much time trying to figure out the question that seems to be on most people's minds, and that question is "Why". First off, if you have not seen the videos he sent to NBC news, you can view them here.
Video #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaBdMiJcl2Y
Video #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7V34jIypAU
Video #3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldjVrckeZFg

Ok, so a lot of the videos are really kinda hard to understand, and he seems to be talking very fast and all over the place, which I will use to make a point later, so remember this. Anyways, why would someone do something like this. Well I do agree with some of your points, Teeray, of being kind've an outcast, a minority, in a college setting with lots of stress. However, do you realize how many minorities there are in this country? Seriously the minority has become the majority in this country, and I don't believe race has anything to do with this. I think it lies more in the fact of psychological problems Cho was having. Of course all the things you mentioned, all of the predjudices that you claim Cho had issues with were probably partially there, but they do not explain why. Millions of people struggle with all of the same issues every day, however, they do not go shoot people. However, I have a few theories, which possibly both could be the cause or neither, really more of an opinion. My first theory is that Cho, is possibly a codependent person, or a love addict. Keep in mind his stalker tendecies, and that he seemed to be just trying to latch onto someone. He was looking for something outside of himself, to make him happy, because he was obviously not happy on the inside. This would also explain his need to create the video, to "justify" what he had done with excuses. Addicts are great with justification, it makes it easy to do things one would not normally do, always blaming the system or someone else. Just imagine you are Cho, a lonely introverted college student. For several years you have been looking for someone to connect to, even stalking in some cases, and you just can never connect to anyone. Now, remember all this started with a reported girlfriend that was shot first? This is where all of this ties in. Cho finally began seeing someone, and maybe the girl led him on for awhile, or maybe she didn't, but the point is I believe that Cho thought she liked him. Now imagine being in his shoes, and after looking for this person for so long, he finally believes he has found her. All his problems would seem to fade away, because now he has somewhere else to focus his attention, on the girl. Then, all of a sudden, the girl breaks things off, for whatever reason. For someone like Cho, this would be the equivalent of getting a glimpse of heaven, then shrewdly and abruptly being sucked back down into hell. Ok, so everyone goes through rejection and issues with love, but I believe there is one other factor to consider here. This is the fact that Cho was taking Legally prescribed drugs (although we don't know which ones for sure yet) for his psychological problems. Everyone knows that many times side effects of these drugs can be manic, suicidal, or even homicidal thoughts. Ok remember how I said about the video, he seemed to be in somewhat in a "manic" state. Thats where this comes into play. There is also the possibility that he could have been taking illegal drugs, although there is no evidence to support this yet. For a little discussion on legal drugs and the role they could have played read here. So I believe the "why" in this case is a mixture of psychological problems, addictive personality, as well as possibly legal drugs. Any thoughts anyone?

Okay - while you're still thinking about that...

Just a quick question...

Were you rooting for Sanjaya before he was eliminated from American Idol?

I think he'll still go places, anyhow - even thought he was eliminated. He's already scheduled to appear on several talk shows...I think the 'pony-hawk-hair' was awesome LOL kinda strange but he had a lot of guts to sport that 'DO,' eh?

Anyhow - now that Sanjaya is OFF - who are ya rootin' for now?

I kinda like Blake and Melinda.

You'll have to keep me updated next week 'cos I have heavy-duty review classes and study groups next week...finals are almost upon me! lol

Hey - aren't you a HUGE FAN of one of the 'eliminated' males from last session's American Idol? What was his name - Chris, right? Chris D?

The weather is good......

Well, I'm sitting here in Central Illinois Teeray, and the weather is not too bad. We just went through a cold spell here the past week or so, although by cold spell I mean 50 degrees fahrenheit. At the moment it is around 75 and sunny, and I think springtime is finally here, which is nice. Sorry about the weather up there, but its always cold in canada right? Haha, just kidding. Anyways, yes I will read the Kurt Vonnegut book too, although I've been researching on him a little and I kinda think I would like to read a book by him called "Breakfast of Champions". So anyways, I'm sitting here in a t-shirt and shorts in Illinois in quite a chipper mood at the moment. As far as your Virginia Tech post, I have to think about my reply for a bit longer. Rest assured it will be a good one though.

Safer Topic Than The Weather

So it will be safer to keep on discussing War and Terrorism today and stay away from 'the weather.'

Actually - I just trashed that thought because I am receiving, right now, another broadcast about the Virginia Tech shooting.

Topic: Virginia Tech shooting

I'm trying to think somewhat 'objectively' about this event (neh - just tryin' to be 'slightly numb' about this event because it is horrific), but it's difficult to put 'anger' on hold and to see certain details.

Maybe I'm playing "Devil's Advocate" here - but heck - I'm Canadian - it's what I do when I hear about things from the states.....(and, probably only possible because I am reasonably far removed from the 'suffering community').

Devil's Advocate stance:
Cho is a victim, himself, of American Capitalism, of skewed economic, educational, government, and social systems!

(I know, I know, Thomas - calm down...I am SURE you're not going to agree with this, but hear me out and don't delete this when you come in to make your post lol).

The one thing that is nearly always 'FIRST SAID' in media reports is that Cho blamed 'everyone else' and 'the system' for his financial/student problems.

I'm sorry if I can 'identify' with Cho - for I am a higher-education student myself. The details of my financial struggles cannot even be put on this blog because they are NOT BELIEVABLE, but they're true. 'Acquaintance-peers' do not believe my 'poor student status' is as severe as it is, but 'Friend-acquaintances' most certainly do, and those friends cannot believe that I haven't gone insane from stress yet - something as severe as Cho? I have obviously had better support than Cho - because many of the 'items' he speaks of in the home videos he made (I viewed them on the late night news last night) - I could identify with. I, however, am not a VISIBLE MINORITY, I am not Male (people don't expect me to 'suck it up all the time' like thy do with males - who are supposed to be strong, silent, problem-solving), and I am not part of a school with the kind of competition that must surface at Virginia Tech. My place of education is considerably smaller - with noticeable 'support' group information plastered on many walls.

The general public of North America is very MISINFORMED by the media about how things really are for students, minorities, gender, and other groups...and Higher Officials have not experienced the issues that affect students, minorities, gender and other groups, so they - try as they might, and as 'do-good' as they want to be - they cannot solve the problems of these groups! (The policy-makers aren't from the same generation as current students - they don't understand the 'issues' of current-day...they can only pretend to 'get it' and act according to their 'guesses').

SOCIETY and - especially - POLICY MAKERS - DO NOT KNOW the inherent difficulties of 'student life,' of 'insufficient funds' for students, of the sick environments that can - and invariably DO EXIST on most major campuses.

In reality, the student deals with HIGH STRESS individuals ALL THE TIME. They are his or her PEERS and everyone is in the same boat.

Competition is high, drug-use and alcohol abuse is high, and stress-levels are always consistently high on North American campuses. In short, higher-education facilities in North America (I include Canadian campuses, too - many are just as 'stressed.'), are full of high-strung people and this social or personal setting is NOT a healthy one.

Racism EXISTS
Class-distinction prejudice EXISTS
Gender prejudice EXISTS

Many other WRONGS exist.....and run rampant on University, College and other higher-education campuses.

Cho - committed an heinous crime.
He is guilty.
He is disturbed.

No doubts about that.

I'm just saying - while the world focuses on how awful Cho is, NOBODY IS DOING ENOUGH to set RIGHT the educational systems, make campuses safer in a PERSONAL WAY (comfort of students sharing WITH students - not 'guards,' and 'security,' and 'more restrictive rules.').

Also:
The families, friends, peers, and acquaintances of the victims killed by Cho - DESERVE for higher-education and the systems that support higher-education, (government MOST included), to get their 'systems' running properly.

Students like Cho was before this awful crime (he is now a KILLER, but he wasn't a killer last week - last week he was simply another faceless victim!) - deserve for higher-education and the systems that support higher-education - to get their systems running properly.

Cho - deranged, disturbed or not - is a victim of a different sort.......he is a 'SYMPTOM' of what is wrong in the educational, societal and government systems.

I just hope that people will think of these things - no matter how much they might dislike my current opinion and post!

Snowing In APRIL!

Thomas!

I'm comin' over!! Right away.......

So that I can ESCAPE CANADIAN WEATHER!!!

Oh wait! I cannot do that - there are weather warnings. LOL I am not supposed to travel unless it is absolutely necessary!

It's freakin' 2C (35F??) and nothing is really FREEZING, but we still have a 'Flyin'-freakin'-precipitation' warning!

Today's forecast: Snow
Today's Evening forecast: heavier Snow
Tomorrow's forecast: Snow!
Haha - check this out.....For Friday -
- forecast "day"=snow, "evening" forecast, 30% chance of Snow!
Saturday forecast: cloudy with chance of precipitation!

Lemme see - 'precipitation' might mean 'snow,' right?

Anyhow - hows YOUR weather, Thomas?

Hey Hippy Child!

So Thomas, I think that we should read Slaughterhouse 5 over the Spring/Summer - then come back and comment on it...

If you don't have the book, you non-liberal, non-conservative hippy guy - then I found the text at SparkNotes forya!

As a 'financially-challenged' student, I use SparkNotes a LOT!

I have to re-read Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 anyway - because I only got part-way through it back in my 'drunkzone' time of life haha! Because the story jumps around and doesn't follow a linear chronology of events, I think I got confused and planned to 'finish reading it later' LOL.

I decided that this will likely be a book that comes up in my studies (I'm a Lit-English Major). It has already come into conversation over the last year, though I haven't been asked to do a primary study on the book. I asked an instructor about it last week and he said, "Yes, READ IT, it will put a lot of things into perspective about American world-view from the 50's, 60's, and 70's." I was also told that works by Vonnegut 'will be coming up.'

So - Thomas - it would be in the interest of my future career as a writer, student, public-speaker, tutor, and person if you would study Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 with me before my next regular semester starts...just in case one of my pending classes targets an 'American Works' theme! (I believe there is an American Literature topic class - entirely for American material - coming up - and I will definitely get enrolled for that class once I figure out how to fit it into my schedule!).

So - How 'bout it, HippyChild?

Gonna help me pre-study?

Hmm actually I have never read any of his stuff. Although I remember my father being a big fan of his. Yes, I am a hippy child. Anyways, maybe I should read some of his stuff. I honestly think I would have fit right in with the hippies of the 60's and 70's though. I am really all about peace and love, and cannot see any reason for any kind of fighting that could not be resolved peacefully. I wish there was some kind of organization, worldwide, that would work on peace and poverty, as they are two biggest problems facing mankind at this point, in my opinion. I think I will read sone Vonnegut though, now that you mentioned it. So much for being labeled as liberal or conservative bloggers now, haha.

A Kurt Vonnegut Admirer?

Just wondering, TBC - if you were shaken by the news of the author, Kurt Vonnegut's death...

(Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle)

Perhaps this would be a reasonable topic - directly following our views about "War and Terrorism in the name of Religion!" I realize that Vonnegut had quite strong viewpoints about War in the '60's...

I'll let you voice your views first...

Good Questions, Thomas!

Imagine, Thomas C (who is an American citizen).....asking a Canadian (Peacekeeping) gal to comment about the topic of 'War'!

Actually - combination topic - 'War,' 'Terrorism,' and 'Religion.'

How perfectly CURRENT!

Like Thomas, almost everyone is always talking about, gaining an opinion about, changing their opinions about, standing up for their opinions about, and thinking about their opinions on these three topics!

I believe that it's hard to learn from mistakes and that, as Thomas said, "...if you don't then you are destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over."

I'm aware that I'm not in the position to be able to solve the world's problems - but if I was suddenly MADE TO (BTW, I would never ask for the job - it would be an overwhelming burden) FIND A PIECE OF THE SOLUTION that would help resolve global conflicts, counter terrorism, and allow various religions to exist peaceably side-by-side, I would only be able to point out several things for people to think VERY SERIOUSLY about...

Here it is:

Laws are made for individuals (all over the globe) so that each person has a guideline for behaviors and what is lawful - and mostly what is unlawful...

People know that if they cross the line and break the law, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES.

Individuals understand this. Most individuals remain within bounds of the law.

WHO MAKES THE GOVERNING BODIES, WORLD POLITICAL, TERRORIST, and RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS OR POWERS ADHERE TO THE SAME LAWS?

Is there anybody? Is there any organization? Is there any kind of power at all that can ensure that LAWS ARE MAINTAINED?

If there were - if there is - also then - WHAT WOULD BE THE CONSEQUENCES IF POLITICAL POWERS, TERRORISTS, AND RELIGIOUS POWERS WERE TO BREAK THE LAW?

Even if laws are made and even if a society believes they are living under a certain type of government rule, how can anyone be sure?

America is HOME OF THE FREE, but people are ENSLAVED in several realms of their existence - through jobs, families, races (segregated), status, all kinds of things (and each of these items, an unsolved issue in itself). WHERE IS THE FREEDOM? Where is the 'government elected by the people'? While America is collectively very unhappy with the way their country is run, the officials and authorities in power continue to emerge, effectively refusing and denying the will of the bulk of American population!

Canada has similar issues, a model closely resembling America's government, America's social structures, economy, and almost every other thing important in life.

In all this confusion and despite all the struggle in North America, I think that people need to STOP THINKING ABOUT who is right and who is wrong all the time. Instead, if they focus on just following the laws that are already in place, following the principles set in place within the 'code of conduct' of America and Canada, then perhaps some vast improvements would be made.

If you understand the documents that are the backbones of America and of Canada, you will see that despite a few inconsistencies, the PRINCIPLES outlined in the Constitutions of both America and Canada make SOME COMMON SENSE.

Most things written as the backbone guidelines for how Canada and how America should be governed, how the people should respect each other, how the government should enforce the law - IS MOSTLY COMMON SENSE.

The 'guidelines' have become insignificant, and have been blatantly IGNORED!

Even in this age we live in now - with its technology and scientific advances, I think that 'the guidelines' have intrinsic value, however, if they're not being followed or adhered to, they have no 'utility'! That is - they exist and are GOOD, but they're not being applied well, so the GOOD results they should offer - cannot be realized!

Ok, well here's the first post in my first shared blog, which I am sharing with a good friend of mine. If you have started reading this blog now, I will give you a warning that almost anything could possibly be discussed here, there is almost nothing which is off limits, although there are a couple things. Secondly I would like to state from the beginning that I hope not to be classified as a conservative, or a liberal blogger, simply because these classifications are thrown around so much on the internet, and I have many views which fall into both of these categories. There will probably be lots of joking, and lots of debating going on here. The U.S. and Canada are both represented in this blog, as well as male and female so we should get some pretty good discussion going on. Now that is out of the way, I would like to discuss something which has been on my mind, and although, I'm not sure its real good for the first post, I'm gonna do it anyways. Here is what has been on my mind. Wars, and terrorism, in the name of religion really bother me. I have studied a few different religions, and I can't see how this can be done. I understand that the terrorists who are muslim are extremists, but what about our own government, who is obviously christian, should they be classified as extreme as well? I like to consider myself a middle of the road type of guy, I identify with several different points of view, both liberal and conservative. However, I cannot see a reason for any war or act of terror being committed in the name of any religion. Now I realize that this has been going on for centuries, I mean basically the crusades were a war fought over religion. However, shouldn't we as a society, start to become more sophisticated at some point? When do we start to learn from the mistakes of the past, and not repeat them? I admit its been hard for me to learn from my mistakes, however at some point it does become necessary learn because if you don't then you are destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over. I don't know, just something thats been on my mind. Maybe Teeray has got some good insight into this.