Boy! The Broziks are having a wee lad. Went to the doctor this afternoon and had the ultrasound.
We then went and bought him his first wee kilt, to match his daddy's. I am completely exhausted between nervous excitement and the shittiest weather to drive in. I am ready for a nap!
4.24.2007
4.18.2007
It's a mad mad mad mad world
Detention order issued As early as 2005, police and school administrators were wrestling with what to do with Cho, who was accused of stalking two female students and was sent to a mental health facility after police obtained a temporary detention order.
The two women complained to campus police that Cho was contacting them with “annoying” telephone calls and e-mail messages in November and December 2005, campus Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said.
This is posted on the MSNBC website today. Apparently the gunman took the 2 hours between his 2 rampages to mail a package to NBC full of pictures, video clips and a rambling manifesto. After reading the above, I think it's sad that more wasn't done before the 14th. It's one thing when it's writing in a classroom. He was reported for stalking. That's a crime. I wonder why he was still attending class -- why he was still a student of the University. You can't suspend someone for writing weird class assignments, but stalking students, I would think so. Had that actually been reported and placed in his record, he wouldn't have been able to buy those guns.
It's sad that this person who was obviously very sick wasn't really acknowledged. I am not necessarily he should be pitied, I don't honestly know; obviously something was missed.
The article goes on to state that the administration could have forced inpatient care for him. It's horrible to hear these sort of things now -- because I cannot imagine the feelings of guilt anyone involved in those decisions must feel dealing with the "if onlies." The whole thing is gross and horrible. Hind-sight sucks. How do you move on from anger if you lost someone you loved?
And now other schools have received bomb threats. Wheatridge high school had specific students named today. Where do you start to address this?
4.17.2007
I've seen your flag on the marble arch and love is not a victory march
This is a little disjointed -- but I have about a million different thoughts running through my head at the moment, so for now, I have this.
Before I get started on this, heck I have been writing and rewriting this for over 2 hours -- I am going to include a disclaimer. It goes against my first instinct, I should be able to state my opinion without (hopefully) giving anyone the impression that I condone killing, that I hold anyone who takes the life of another human being in any sort of regard. It shouldn't be necessary, but I have been alive through enough of these sort of incidents to know that people react with their gut and I understand people are not going to agree with me.
A couple facts about myself and my experiences that play into what I am going to say. I am a gun owner. I own a semi-automatic 22 pistol, and I have gone to shooting ranges with my dad several times. I am a damn good shot, and I have experience loading and shooting my dad’s 9mm semi automatic pistol, a 22 pistol, as well as rifles. I know how easy it is to expel an empty clip and reload. It’s quick, with any practice at all, it’s almost instantaneous. I also know how much ammo that man had to be carrying. A standard 9 mm clip carries 15 rounds which means he was carrying several, all preloaded. He had thought this out. I do not think guns are inherently evil, nor do I think that law-abiding citizens should be stopped from purchasing guns.
I have also been the kid who wrote violent pieces for class. In the 6th grade for a book writing/binding project, I wrote a violent book. It included murder, revenge, hell I beheaded a fellow classmate with an axe and then ended up destroying her reanimated body and setting it on fire before being locked away in a mental institution. I was 12. I know were I in school post-Columbine, I am sure it would have been seen as more than a creative project. I also take anti-depressants. Add those up without any other details -- I probably fit the profile.
My brother went through elementary school and junior high being tortured by other kids.
I am not talking about teasing. Yes there was that, but it went much further -- he was pushed, shoved and harassed. Not good natured ribbing. Yes, he was a nerd, yes he was smart and stood out because of that. He is know a Phd teaching early American Literature at a university and he’s a father of 2. He wrote pieces in junior high about suicide.
My sister wrote a piece in high school (a play I think) about killing her band teacher. She now has her Master’s in percussion and is a lawyer.
I wish there was a standard answer to why things happen. I wish there was a quick answer as to why some people go on to hurt others. Frankly, no matter how badly we want that, there isn’t.
This is one of those things that every one writes about when it happens. A thousand different experiences and thoughts. I do not know any one who attends or has attended Virginia Tech. I haven't been a college student in over 10 years.
What bothers me about situations like this is the debates that re-ignite when it happens. You have a "loner shooter" they are quiet, no one knows them, they have no known group of friends, except people find something about them "disturbing."
I am no expert on anything. I don't claim to be. I have read the "violent plays" that are now over the internet that supposedly point to a disturbed person. I have read that his writing teacher suggested he go to counseling. Here is my thought on this -- regardless of what we think, this person was an adult. You cannot force anyone to go to get help. You also in my opinion, cannot expel someone for what they write. To me, to start talking about this kind of thing, starts to smack of thought crime. You cannot decide that someone is disturbed, potentially violent without something more than a badly written violent play. We cannot start following people around waiting for them to do something. We cannot fit people into a “profile” if they take anti-depressants, express anger or anything else for that matter through writing. I certainly don’t want my personal things monitored in “case” I might go off the deep end. We run the risk of alienating even more people and keeping those who need help from getting it because of a stigma that frankly already exists. If only it were that easy to see who was going to turn out a certain way.
My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones. I am honestly sorry they are in pain. I just hope that we don’t create reactionary “solutions” that will give a false sense of security until it happens again.
Before I get started on this, heck I have been writing and rewriting this for over 2 hours -- I am going to include a disclaimer. It goes against my first instinct, I should be able to state my opinion without (hopefully) giving anyone the impression that I condone killing, that I hold anyone who takes the life of another human being in any sort of regard. It shouldn't be necessary, but I have been alive through enough of these sort of incidents to know that people react with their gut and I understand people are not going to agree with me.
A couple facts about myself and my experiences that play into what I am going to say. I am a gun owner. I own a semi-automatic 22 pistol, and I have gone to shooting ranges with my dad several times. I am a damn good shot, and I have experience loading and shooting my dad’s 9mm semi automatic pistol, a 22 pistol, as well as rifles. I know how easy it is to expel an empty clip and reload. It’s quick, with any practice at all, it’s almost instantaneous. I also know how much ammo that man had to be carrying. A standard 9 mm clip carries 15 rounds which means he was carrying several, all preloaded. He had thought this out. I do not think guns are inherently evil, nor do I think that law-abiding citizens should be stopped from purchasing guns.
I have also been the kid who wrote violent pieces for class. In the 6th grade for a book writing/binding project, I wrote a violent book. It included murder, revenge, hell I beheaded a fellow classmate with an axe and then ended up destroying her reanimated body and setting it on fire before being locked away in a mental institution. I was 12. I know were I in school post-Columbine, I am sure it would have been seen as more than a creative project. I also take anti-depressants. Add those up without any other details -- I probably fit the profile.
My brother went through elementary school and junior high being tortured by other kids.
I am not talking about teasing. Yes there was that, but it went much further -- he was pushed, shoved and harassed. Not good natured ribbing. Yes, he was a nerd, yes he was smart and stood out because of that. He is know a Phd teaching early American Literature at a university and he’s a father of 2. He wrote pieces in junior high about suicide.
My sister wrote a piece in high school (a play I think) about killing her band teacher. She now has her Master’s in percussion and is a lawyer.
I wish there was a standard answer to why things happen. I wish there was a quick answer as to why some people go on to hurt others. Frankly, no matter how badly we want that, there isn’t.
This is one of those things that every one writes about when it happens. A thousand different experiences and thoughts. I do not know any one who attends or has attended Virginia Tech. I haven't been a college student in over 10 years.
What bothers me about situations like this is the debates that re-ignite when it happens. You have a "loner shooter" they are quiet, no one knows them, they have no known group of friends, except people find something about them "disturbing."
I am no expert on anything. I don't claim to be. I have read the "violent plays" that are now over the internet that supposedly point to a disturbed person. I have read that his writing teacher suggested he go to counseling. Here is my thought on this -- regardless of what we think, this person was an adult. You cannot force anyone to go to get help. You also in my opinion, cannot expel someone for what they write. To me, to start talking about this kind of thing, starts to smack of thought crime. You cannot decide that someone is disturbed, potentially violent without something more than a badly written violent play. We cannot start following people around waiting for them to do something. We cannot fit people into a “profile” if they take anti-depressants, express anger or anything else for that matter through writing. I certainly don’t want my personal things monitored in “case” I might go off the deep end. We run the risk of alienating even more people and keeping those who need help from getting it because of a stigma that frankly already exists. If only it were that easy to see who was going to turn out a certain way.
My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones. I am honestly sorry they are in pain. I just hope that we don’t create reactionary “solutions” that will give a false sense of security until it happens again.
4.08.2007
What a wonderful time of year
Happy Easter!
So now that I am not barfing all the time, I am starving constantly it seems. Every couple of hours like...hmm like an infant! With the laziness and Tom's overnight shift schedule, the grocery store is a virtual stranger. I hate the idea of hauling bags up 3 flights of stairs by myself. Oh for the day that we do not live on the 3rd floor of anywhere!
Got the results of the genetic screening and all looks good for the bean. They are not recommending an amnio or other testing which is a relief -- especially if you do any reading about the risks of having a baby after 35. I should really not ever research on the internet. I manage to find things to fret about. At least as far as the pregnancy is concerned. We have an ultra-sound on the 24th and should be able to find out if it's a girl bean or a boy bean. I have decided to start telling people who ask me what I am hoping for that I am hoping for a puppy. I understand the question, I really do, and honestly, we would love to have a girl. It seems like everyone around us has boys so to get some added estrogen in the environment would be lovely. However, like most people -- healthy is awesome and really all that matters.
I have become so lazy on the weekends! I have a really hard time sleeping and getting comfortable so I am up to all hours which kills during the week since I have to be at work at 6 am. So on the weekends, I tend to be a bump all day long. Course Tom is also sleeping since he gets home at 7 am and I try not to be too loud. I need to get my ass painting again. I love doing it and just have been neglecting it for sitting around on my bum. I was so excited to get past most of the morning sickness and have not taken advantage of it. Although last night we did go to a hockey game. One of the perks of working for the Pepsi Center is the chance for free tickets. So we got to sit 22 rows behind the goal in some really great seats and had a great time (even though they lost and ended their play-off chances) Ah well.
So another week starts tomorrow. Meh. That and I still have to do our taxes. See? Lazy.
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