I just ran across this article while surfing teh interwebz...
I know it's easy to look for something to blame rather than believe a person you know and/or care about could commit a bizarre/heinous/sad act, and I'm all for outlawing sparkly vampires, but really? Twilight made me do it? Really?
OK, I realize the suspect himself is not claiming this, but haven't we (particularly in the role-playing community) been down this road already? How hard is it to believe this guy is just a loon and acted as such?
Thoughts/comments?
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Thoughts/comments?
Vampires suck.
.
I am trying to imagine what must have been going through that dudes
head. (As an aside, if he had been a bug hitting the windshield of a car
going 50mph I would have to think his ass.) But I digress.
That dude must have lost contact with reality. His mind must have been
operating in a way such that reality was no longer concrete.
I suppose playing some types of games may exacerbate this type of
mentation (I think i just made that word up. I am trying to combine
cognitive skill with imagination in a way that correctly maps/models
how reality actually works. At least, in a first-approximation kinda
of way.) Anyways, he must have believed the person he attacked could
not suffer from his actions. I'm only beginning on this analysis.
As to motivation, he must have believed blood has the blood-powers.
Blood is the stuff of life, but the machinery of our human bodies can
not take blood of another and combine it with, or enhance, personal
affect. Once again, I have no idea what I am saying, so let's move on.
Let's talk about games. How can games fit into all of this. I suppose
if a the game's system is good enough to simulate another world, and
one plays enough of it, one may begin to act in accordance with the
games' rules at the expense of how our universe actually functions.
A good example of such games is religion. Religion is a game for sure.
And it is easy to see examples of people who take on the mental mind
set created in the rules of their religion, and then begin to project
those rules and that game onto reality -- regardless of experiencing
real-world contradiction(s).
Anyways, did you notice that guy looks like Jason Borne? I wonder if
there will ever be a Jason Borne vampire movie. I think such a movie
would be cool. But after this crazy dudes actions it wouldn't surprise
me if critics would say, "This is exactly the problem." Vamparism is
put on a high pedestal, and no wonder some humans get lost in its
world with all of its rules that closely simulate a reality born of mind
and thought... I forgot where I was going with this. (I think I just
made up another word, 'vamparism').
It looks to me like that man is wearing eyeshadow. Why do vampires
wear eyeshadow? Oh wait... I know. To cover up the unnatural
whiteness of their dead skin. Hmm... good idea. I'll have to use that
one.
I have seen the first Twilight movie, but not the next two. They keep
showing the first one on TV and not the last two. Will someone get
this fixed, so I can watch them on TV. I mean, there is no way I would
pay money to see these movies.
This is kinda like Lord of the Rings. 'Fellowship' is showed aaalll
the time, and we never see on TV 'Towers' or 'Return of the King'. It
would be cool if they always played them together, one after the other,
from part 1 to part 3. Then, sitting and watching TV the full effect
could be had. (I understand this is a movie of the revised books.)
Well, I'm kinda tired. Think I'll go home now.
.
Oh yay. Vampires suck.
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Thoughts/comments?Vampires suck.
Also Twilight sucks.
Also Twilight sucks.Thoughts/comments?Vampires suck.
+1
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My first thought: Sports.
Why do certain types of books, video games, the internet and what have you get blamed for the actions of clearly deranged individuals but sports get a free pass.
Sports lead to things like physical violence, gambling, going hand in hand with substance abuse, and leads to regular city wide riots in some places. People who can barely afford food will spend money on sport merchendise. My own experience in education has been that normal rational people will go nuts at children's game, threatening people, yelling profanities (at children sometimes), and getting physical.
So why do we, as a lawful and organized society, allow this cancer that is sports to go on?
It makes no sense to ask the question about the social effects of vampire books after the actions of a single person (who doesn't seem to have meantioned it him-self), but turn a blind eye to sports.
This isn't to say I'm opposed to sport, not a fan either, but rather about the unequal treatment of media and entertainment types.
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I once killed a man because I'd convinced myself I was Gargamel. That's what got the Smurfs taken off Saturday morning NBC programming.
Then I shot a foreign diplomat in the arm because he said he didn't like Sigourney Weaver and I'd convinced myself I was the demon Vinz Clortho, AKA "The Keymaster." That's why there was never a third Ghostbusters film.
In the years that followed it was me that blamed my string of cannibalistic homicides in the fashion district on Crocs footwear, because I though I was a werecrocodile when I wore them. Why the hell they haven't banned that soul/sole corrupting shoe is beyond me. Some politician is probably a shareholder.
I hope so. The old school monster manual was a GREAT place to keep my lunch money when i didn't feel like locking my locker.
"you take the lunch money out of the book with a demon and a pentagram...."
"No way Yoouuuu do it"
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I once killed a man because I'd convinced myself I was Gargamel. That's what got the Smurfs taken off Saturday morning NBC programming.
Then I shot a foreign diplomat in the arm because he said he didn't like Sigourney Weaver and I'd convinced myself I was the demon Vinz Clortho, AKA "The Keymaster." That's why there was never a third Ghostbusters film.
In the years that followed it was me that blamed my string of cannibalistic homicides in the fashion district on Crocs footwear, because I though I was a werecrocodile when I wore them. Why the hell they haven't banned that soul/sole corrupting shoe is beyond me. Some politician is probably a shareholder.
Did you ever shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die?
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Did you ever shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die?I once killed a man because I'd convinced myself I was Gargamel. That's what got the Smurfs taken off Saturday morning NBC programming.
Then I shot a foreign diplomat in the arm because he said he didn't like Sigourney Weaver and I'd convinced myself I was the demon Vinz Clortho, AKA "The Keymaster." That's why there was never a third Ghostbusters film.
In the years that followed it was me that blamed my string of cannibalistic homicides in the fashion district on Crocs footwear, because I though I was a werecrocodile when I wore them. Why the hell they haven't banned that soul/sole corrupting shoe is beyond me. Some politician is probably a shareholder.
I once shot a man in Reno just to knock out the bullet that you put in him just cuz you wanted to see him die. Firearms bocce ball, I call it.
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I once shot a man in Reno just to knock out the bullet that you put in him just cuz you wanted to see him die. Firearms bocce ball, I call it.Did you ever shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die?I once killed a man because I'd convinced myself I was Gargamel. That's what got the Smurfs taken off Saturday morning NBC programming.
Then I shot a foreign diplomat in the arm because he said he didn't like Sigourney Weaver and I'd convinced myself I was the demon Vinz Clortho, AKA "The Keymaster." That's why there was never a third Ghostbusters film.
In the years that followed it was me that blamed my string of cannibalistic homicides in the fashion district on Crocs footwear, because I though I was a werecrocodile when I wore them. Why the hell they haven't banned that soul/sole corrupting shoe is beyond me. Some politician is probably a shareholder.
Lies! Damn Lies! Statistics! I wasn't even in Reno that Saturday!
Edit: Ack! Smurfette again!
shakes fist
Lies! Damn Lies! Statistics! I wasn't even in Reno that Saturday!shakes fist
Janet begs to disagree.
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Janet begs to disagree.
Lies! Damn Lies! Statistics! I wasn't even in Reno that Saturday!shakes fist
Aaaahhhh.....My eyes!!!!
I like how sometimes you see headlines like that, where they say something like "Game Blamed for Man's Death," and then you read the article, and he was playing a game or involved in one at the time of his death, but it turns out nobody really thinks whatever game he was playing was the cause. It's just that whatever paper/site it appeared on probably just figured a headline like that would attract more attention.
Yeah.
People are stupid. And they do stupid things with flair and style. But the flair and style is just window dressing. The real "reasons" they do stupid things are totally internal. Bad wiring and bad programming. This dork could just as easily have broken in dressed as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
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Janet begs to disagree.
Lies! Damn Lies! Statistics! I wasn't even in Reno that Saturday!shakes fist
It is moments like these when I think maybe it is not a bad thing to
have insane people around. I mean if we can harness their power ofmayhem, and figure out a way to aim them we indeed have a great tool.
Maybe the word 'weapon' fits better.
Janet Reno has charisma of about 5. Some dudes are turned on by her
(by turned on I mean they look at her and start getting a boner, and I
have to hope that these same men also get turned on by sheep and large
dogs. Because then my world has logical consistency.) Anyways, I hope
to combine these two concepts: insane people who are used as a weapon,
and Janet Reno atrociousness.
This is how it can work. Janet Reno can walk casually through a city
landscape all the while scantily dressed. This will draw all the men
who are attracted to her out into the streets. We can use our insane-person
weapon system and shoot all these men at people who pretend to be vampires.
There. My secret plan has been revealed.
Vampires beware.
Now I'm wondering how this aiming system operates. I mean, is it like
mind control. You turn some dial and press some buttons causing
radio waves to emanate from a pointy antenna. These radio waves then
affect the thought-processes of insane people in a manner that allows
you to control them, and direct their actions. Bull shit! That is
1950's sci-fi crap. I loathe that kind of crap. Radio waves, ray guns,
etc. We may as well invent time-travel and go back to the future.
I think it will have to use quantum radio waves. Yay, that's much better.
Some how the word quantum makes everything better. Perhaps it does not
make things more understandable, but it makes imaginary concepts hip and
up-to-date.
Still, using quantum radio-waves can not work. Because, again, that makes no sense.
Does anyone know how to build a mind control device? I have to assume
that if you do you will not post directions to assemble one here. But
maybe you will. I think you will.
I bet pmg knows how to build mind control devices. He built this web site
and as far as I can tell many, many people are being held in thrall.
Hee.. "in thrall". I like it on Firefly when Mal yells at Inara for
holding Kaylee in thrall. I really like the TV show Firefly...
I don't remember any mind control devices being used, or Janet Reno
being used as a defensive barrier.
Ok. Thanks for your assistance.
I do not think there is anyway to stop nutcases. I believe this guy is a loon. I think we may help some of them if we had a national system for mental health care and stop this.
Also Hitler breathed air should we all stop breathing? </rhetorical question>
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Also Hitler breathed air should we all stop breathing? </rhetorical question>
Also, a three party political system put Hitler into power. Therefore,
we should never have more than two parties (the Democrats and the Republicans.)I'm glad we got this straightened up.
Quite frankly I think the Democrats and Republicans a very similar in
what they want to accomplish. Plus, they are ALL American. So, as long
as we have Americans in power over America things should be fine.
It would be bad if we had to bend to the will of another country. I guess
this could only happen if they have more money than us. It is a good thing
we have printing presses. This way we can print more money whenever we
want to and be rich.
Now some people think this is crazy talk, but I just point out to them that
vampires do not really exist. Real crazy people are running around
pretending to be vampires and attempting to drink other people's blood.
We all need money, so should we not print money and pretend to be vampires??
.
Now you have me thinking... do vampires need money? I guess they do in
order to influence their mortal helpers. I don't know much about vampires,
but I did see that movie "Escape from the Vampire Lestrat". (wait...
maybe it was the movie "Escape from New York".) Well, speaking of movies
did you see the movie "Big Trouble in Little China"? I love that movie.
Recently, I was in San Fransisco. I went stomping around China Town
looking for Lo Pan's hide out. I walked a good three miles before it
occurred to me that Lo Pan has a secret underground lair. Oh man!
That would be cool to see.
Was Lo Pan a vampire??
Head meet desk. There is crazy people everywhere, doing stupid stuff all the time. But one decides to channel his psichosis through a fantasy based on a game book or movie and suddenly the whole industry and all the fans are psichos waiting to happen. But when a riot breaks out after a soccer game? It's the fans fault, obviously, not the game, never the game, the game is HOLY.
Lies! Damn Lies! Statistics! I wasn't even in Reno that Saturday!
Oh hey! Someone else uses that expression. Cool!
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Does anyone know how to build a mind control device? I have to assume that if you do you will not post directions to assemble one here. But maybe you will. I think you will.
Wanna see a mind control device? Turn on the TV and wait for the lesson... it will surely come.
I'm staring at it right now. The thing's hollow... it goes on forever... and... oh my God... it's full of stars... stars with surgical enhancements.
Does anyone know how to build a mind control device? I have to assume that if you do you will not post directions to assemble one here. But maybe you will. I think you will.
Wanna see a mind control device? Turn on the TV and wait for the lesson... it will surely come.
I'm staring at it right now. The thing's hollow... it goes on forever... and... oh my God... it's full of stars... stars with surgical enhancements.
Those surgical enhancements do what? Make a person look young and sexy?
Why is this so important? I guess if you are in the business of makingbabies and spreading your genes, then it is obvious. But, I don't think
most of these surgically enhanced stars are doing it to gain reproductive fitness.
My guess is they are doing it for power.
A sexy woman has a lot of power, and a sexy man has even more power than
a sexy woman, because, for reasons I don't understand, other men will go
to war fighting and dieing for him. Ah... Charisma.
It is all about Charisma isn't it? For a man, with high charisma he
can influence others. Not only can you send other men off to battle,
but you can lay many women and spread your seed.
For women, high charisma begets security. She can control those around
her, of course for benefit. This is what we all want. I like that
scene from the move "Fellowship of the Rings" where after being offered
the ring that elf queen goes all dark and scary, and screams, "All
shall love me and despair". (That is actually my favorite scene out
of all three LoR movies -- but I do like when Gandolf fights the fire
deamon. Oh, and when the sapper blows up the wall of Helms Deep. The
explosion was so unexpected it took my breath away.)
TV is a funny thing. I mean watching the world in only 2-dimensions, all
while sitting in a chair. Ha! This is a testament to the ability of
our brains to model the world around us.
This TV-sitting skill can also be used poorly. For example, when some
crazy dude begins to imagine the TV-world is the correct model, and then
jumps through a woman's window trying to drink her blood directly from
her neck. wow.
So is TV to blame, or the quest for charisma, or are we captive to our
own brain's ability to make up fantasy worlds.
I'm leaning towards the latter of these three things. But the debate must go on.
TV
I've always watched TV with an active mind. Picked up a lot and learned to sift through most of the mind control... or so I think.
Beep beep... Boop boop... Sleeper operative Rone Barton activated... Must kill targets.
TV doesn't just rot your brain! It actively replaces it! The invisible waves sent forth by various programs are designed to trigger biochemical reactions on a genetic level. These reactions serve to restructure your mental faculties in order to make you more receptive to the eventual hive-mind that the Hollywood elites have planned. Of course, those "elites" aren't even human, but that's a truth for another time. I've got to keep moving now.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Things I've seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (in my lifetime only):
• Rock music
• DnD
• Religion (in general)
• Religion (Christianity)
• Religion (Islam)
• Video games (in general)
• Video games (Grand Theft Auto)
• Video games (World of Warcraft)
• Video games (Some FPS that I can't remember (maybe Doom?))
• And now Twilight
Things that I haven't seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (again, in my lifetime):
• Sports (in general)
• Sports (any in particular)
• Books (in general)
• Some book (whose title escapes my memory) about how to commit a perfect murder, followed to the letter by some guy who murdered a whole family in cold blood
• Politics/power
• Being a lunatic
Things that I haven't seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (again, in my lifetime):
• Sports (any in particular)
• Books (in general)
Soccer Hooliganism leading to crowd hysteria - aka The Manchester United made me do it defense ;)
and
the insinuation that Catcher in the Rye may have contributed to John Hinckley's attempted assination of Ronald Reagan spring to mind.
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For my Delta Green Campaign I just translated/overhauled the scenario "The Wild Hunt". Among the Handouts is a list of "vampiric" killers, dating back well into the 16th century, none of them made up by the scenario writer but taken from criminal history.
All considered, the drinking of blood must be one of the best documented and oldest known recurring motive/element of serial murders. Blaming the influence of Vampire novels on our generation for a crime like this is beyond ridiculous.
(I'm also translating the Lanning Report for a university paper. Although it is about 'satanic crimes', it highlights the mistakes that are, sadly regularily, made by confusing cause, motive, attendant circumstance and random connection, makes a very good read for press and police officers out there ;) )
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Things that I haven't seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (again, in my lifetime):
• Sports (any in particular)
• Books (in general)
Soccer Hooliganism leading to crowd hysteria - aka The Manchester United made me do it defense ;)
and
the insinuation that Catcher in the Rye may have contributed to John Hinckley's attempted assination of Ronald Reagan spring to mind.
Anything with Reagan is effectively before my time (I'm not quite 30 yet).
As for soccer: sure, you and I know that soccer is famous for riots. But (at least in what I've seen) it's typically just reported that it happens, without all the finger-pointing and connection-making that goes on with the topics in my first list.
Things that I haven't seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (again, in my lifetime):
• Sports (any in particular)
• Books (in general)
Soccer Hooliganism leading to crowd hysteria - aka The Manchester United made me do it defense ;)
and
the insinuation that Catcher in the Rye may have contributed to John Hinckley's attempted assination of Ronald Reagan spring to mind.
Anything with Reagan is effectively before my time (I'm not quite 30 yet).
As for soccer: sure, you and I know that soccer is famous for riots. But (at least in what I've seen) it's typically just reported that it happens, without all the finger-pointing and connection-making that goes on with the topics in my first list.
I completely understood you were qualifying your statement based on what you knew. I just wanted to point out a couple of examples I thought you might find interesting becaue they were on your never seen list.
Not everyone who commits a violent act at a soccer game is with a firm. Sometimes it just catches on... a wendigo wave of hysteria. But does that have anything inherently to do with the sport, or how suggestible some stupid folks are no matter where you find them? I'm reminded of a scene in Hot Rod where Danny Mcbride throws a trash can through a store window during a peaceful march... a non sequitur that sparks a flash mob looting of the town.
Was Lo Pan a vampire??
Naah, he was the ultimate evil spirit*. But a magic potion and six-demon bag should be protection enough against his power.
*note - ** spoiler omitted **
"Now this REEEAAALLYY pisses me off to no end!"
- Said basketcaseEDIT: I had this as a .wav file associated to ! in Windows...
TVI've always watched TV with an active mind. Picked up a lot and learned to sift through most of the mind control... or so I think.
Beep beep... Boop boop... Sleeper operative Rone Barton activated... Must kill targets.
Kill is a euphemism, correct? Because at the start of an evening out, I slay the babes. And I have the assphyxiatingly tight leather pants to prove it.
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My first thought: Sports.
Why do certain types of books, video games, the internet and what have you get blamed for the actions of clearly deranged individuals but sports get a free pass.
Sports lead to things like physical violence, gambling, going hand in hand with substance abuse, and leads to regular city wide riots in some places. People who can barely afford food will spend money on sport merchendise. My own experience in education has been that normal rational people will go nuts at children's game, threatening people, yelling profanities (at children sometimes), and getting physical.
So why do we, as a lawful and organized society, allow this cancer that is sports to go on?
It makes no sense to ask the question about the social effects of vampire books after the actions of a single person (who doesn't seem to have meantioned it him-self), but turn a blind eye to sports.
This isn't to say I'm opposed to sport, not a fan either, but rather about the unequal treatment of media and entertainment types.
I have to agree with you about the whole sports double standard.
I get dressed up as my favorite LOTR character for the local con and walk down the street I get made fun off.
I spray paint my chest and back, dye my hair the colors of my local NFL team, walk to the stadium with no shirt in the middle of a snowstorm and I'm cool.
Don't get me started on Micheal Vick. Guy admits to killing animals in cold blood, so they give him a multi million dollar contract because he can throw a football good.
Kill is a euphemism, correct? Because at the start of an evening out, I slay the babes. And I have the assphyxiatingly tight leather pants to prove it.TVI've always watched TV with an active mind. Picked up a lot and learned to sift through most of the mind control... or so I think.
Beep beep... Boop boop... Sleeper operative Rone Barton activated... Must kill targets.
I saw that deadly pair in the other room last week (thought I'd tossed 'em) and experienced a PTSD moment (for those not connected to me via Facebook, I once wore a pair of pants at a performance that didn't allow my skin to breathe and it turned into a whole big thing). That's some bad pants, man... Like wearing trousers fashioned from hot water bottles.
But you're right, dopplebender, what woman doesn't want to bed a corpse in a tight pair of plastic pants? He just sits quiet and doesn't talk about himself... he'll go wherever you want to go (bring a hand truck)... and when you're done with him he can act as your futon.
PS. This isn't a threadjack. I blamed those pants for my slay spree in the gulf states back in '01. Jury was going to convict until we forced each of them to try and fit into the things.
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TVI've always watched TV with an active mind. Picked up a lot and learned to sift through most of the mind control... or so I think.
Beep beep... Boop boop... Sleeper operative Rone Barton activated... Must kill targets.
I actually do not think there is a correlation between mental illness
and TV. I have no data to support this, but I do have highly honedintuition. Now follow me here, my thinking may get a bit circular. But
that's ok. You're smart.
See, brains have existed for a long time before any particular brain
invented the TV. And all these brains in history had to come from somewhere.
I mean, they didn't just appear out of nowhere... wait. They kinda did.
Yes you were beget from the union of your father and mother, but, damn,
where did they come from?
This is getting creepy. Where did anybody come from? I mean, forget about
TV. I kinda know where that came from. TV came from a lab in Amercia.
But where did brains come from?
I'm going to put that question down for a minute, and go back to my
original idea about mental illness and TV and brains. Ok, we don't know
where brains come from, but lets assume that they are manufactured. By
manufactured I mean there is a physical process, or formula, that is followed
again and again. And the end result of this process is a brain.
Now, nothing is perfect (even if we all agree The Jade comes closest) and
when an imperfect process is done over and over errors pop up. I'm
saying it is the errors that result from the repeated manufacturing
process of brains that give rise to mental illness.
I guess I am further implying that all mental illness is 'organic'.
You can point to a spot in a brain and say, "Now there's your problem."
And for the vast majority of mental illness my intuition says this is
correct.
As an aside, I don't believe that 100% of mental illness is organic. I
do believe (again from my intuition) that some errors in mentation arise
from cognitive processes not quite working correctly. A good analogy,
to me at least, is that of software bugs. (Sometimes a program doesn't
run well because of misinformation in the window's registry -- this is
not hardware, it is software.)
Ok. This is the kicker. All my ideas are being generated by my brain.
So here I am, brain in hand (in head), using my intuition in an
attempt to figure out why TV is not a likely cause of mental illness.
And that it is because errors arising from repeated manufacturing
mistakes seems more plausible.
Well... I still don't know where brains come from originally, so maybe
brains do *not* really exist, and we are all just figments of imagination.
Wait! If brains do not exist how can we be figments of imagination???
Oh, no. This is a contradiction. I may have a cognitive error in my
brain's software. This is getting scary.
Could *I* be a Vampire and not know it??
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Was Lo Pan a vampire??
Naah, he was the ultimate evil spirit*. But a magic potion and six-demon bag should be protection enough against his power.
*note - ** spoiler omitted **
"Now this REEEAAALLYY pisses me off to no end!"
- Said basketcaseEDIT: I had this as a .wav file associated to ! in Windows...
Sweet! I should try to get some quotes from that movie as ringtones or something.
I'm good by circular. :)
I'm right there with you in seeing most mental illness as organic. The way we habitually think and react emotionally can physically rewire the brain (never thought I could so overload a sentence with adverbs). I became far less nuts the minute I stopped trusting my brain to always be a reliable reporter. I understood it for the flawed instrument it was. Speaking of which, here's the last stanza from my tongue-in-cheek 2002 poem MY BASTARD BRAIN, where I announce my coming secession:
I'll have you know I’m saving for a lobotomy
Let’s see you catch me in an esoteric mousetrap
When I have the IQ of a cigarette butt fried in yesterday’s grease
From a wheelchair my only existential wrestling match will be
To blink or not to blink, you dictatorial head squid!
My brain doesn't want me to sleep. It wants me to worry and overanalyze. Rather than get caught up in all that I just tell it the STFU of late and that seems to work. I've come to understand these thoughts are more a physical reaction than a useful and necessary process. Yes, the rational part of my brain converses with the fearful chunk to quell its oddly timed buzzing. I find that when one rather familiar part of me is helplessly entangled, another part always flies above freely, and I've learned to trust and incorporate the help of that bird's eye view when mired. So yes, your thoughts may manufactured by a buggy software program, but what if your mind is more like a web page with a lot of plug-ins, and only some of the plug-ins are broken? What if reason and creativity are doing fine, but fight or flight shows up red on an MRI? I'm guessing that it may not be so all or nothing.
I don't think art or media transforms regular folks into crezzy killifiers. I think killers or the suicidal are tuned into certain information feeds of any stripe (anything mentioned thus far), and that they use these voices, words, and images to back up whatever it was they were already inclined to do.
That's not to say that kids watching and being desensitized by violence on TV don't take that violence out onto the playground similar to how a kid might after witnessing actual violence in his or her own home. That one suggestible kid is now hitting another kid who may not have picked it up from TV, but he or she undoubtedly just picked it up from an actual beating. Extrapolate the growth from a few wedgies to global thermonuclear war, WOPR. But I don't know the figures on that stuff. I'm not for censorship, and clearly I indulge and enjoy violence in my own art and in my play, but looking hard and scientifically at possible causative factors that unlock extreme aggression even in the few trouble cases doesn’t rattle me. I don't want us to not have our fun, I want those trouble cases to be discovered young and sent to a farm to pet rabbits.
I just ran across this article while surfing teh interwebz...
I know it's easy to look for something to blame rather than believe a person you know and/or care about could commit a bizarre/heinous/sad act, and I'm all for outlawing sparkly vampires, but really? Twilight made me do it? Really?
OK, I realize the suspect himself is not claiming this, but haven't we (particularly in the role-playing community) been down this road already? How hard is it to believe this guy is just a loon and acted as such?
Thoughts/comments?
You'd think with him being 500 years old and all he'd have the IQ above that of a halibut.
Things I've seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (in my lifetime only):
• Rock music
• DnD
• Religion (in general)
• Religion (Christianity)
• Religion (Islam)
• Video games (in general)
• Video games (Grand Theft Auto)
• Video games (World of Warcraft)
• Video games (Some FPS that I can't remember (maybe Doom?))
• And now Twilight
I've seen violent movies blamed as well. Can't remember the particulars, but there were at a couple of murder cases where the culprits apparently reenacted scenes from movies.
Things that I haven't seen blamed for lunatics' antics so far (again, in my lifetime):
• Books (in general)
There was a school shooting here in WA state where some of the media made much ado about the kid being an avid Stephen King fan, much more so than the large amount of guns in the household that the kid had easy access to.
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I read articles like this about a dozen times a year. Fortunately, the days of the Satanic Panic are long gone.
Those poor kids from the 80s are now the functioning junior leadership in charge. And another condition of the times--Twilight and the like are very mainstream today, whereas we were all on the fringe of society 25 years ago.