An article about personality disorders crossed my desk this morning. Rather serendipitous considering I just blogged about parental (and child) conditioned responses… and how difficult it is living with someone who responds negatively to nearly everything you do.

The author of this article, Gary Direnfeld, puts out regular snippets of information about parenting... more

The other night when Beth returned from swim practice, she informed me, “A lady in the bleachers said I was a really good swimmer!”

“You ARE a really good swimmer!” I replied.

“How would YOU know? You never watch me!”

Busted!! But the truth is, they discourage parents from watching regularly. And I watch her year round during three different meet seasons. But… here I sit tonight, watching her…

I brought my laptop for the repetitive times and was contemplating what to write about tonight. I also... more

My friend Julie has become quite the expert on the inner workings of the brain. She has been to neuropyschiatrist Daniel Amen’s clinic and has an incredible working knowledge of various parts of the brain and how they function. While I loved neurology in veterinary school, we didn’t get much into “executive functions” of the brain (prefrontal cortex) or the limbic system (emotional center of the brain.) While I am certain there... more

Continuing on with some thoughts on what creates a violent person who has no hesitation when it comes to committing mass murder…

I mentioned previously that the Newsweek article describes mass murderers as consumed with “misery, hatred, resentment and anger.” The article postulated that examining the killer’s childhood would be a reasonable place to start in an effort to discern where all that venom originated.

The theory... more

I want to address a few more thoughts from the Newsweek article before I close this interesting but scary and depressing topic. The article quotes numerous “folks in the know” who label mass killers as “paranoid”. I didn’t get that at first, as I have met a few kids I thought might grow up to be like Cho, but I wouldn’t have labeled them as paranoid. Of course, I’m not a p-doc (psychiatrist) either. But I understand more of what they mean now, because the article... more

The Anatomy of Violence article in Newsweek is an exploration of the various factors that contribute to the formation of an individual who is capable of doing what Cho, Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, Kip Kinkel and other young mass murderers have done. It asks the question… Is there a genetic basis for sociopathy? One study thought it had found a link… but it didn’t pan out. Is it related to our gun culture? Not exclusively, for not everyone who has access to guns... more

My friend Julie sent me this link today… an extensive article in Newsweek about the Virginia Tech shooter, Cho. It is a long and sad read. There are many companion articles, one of which describes the victims. It seems like much more than a week ago that this tragedy occurred. So many families are still in a state of shock, not yet able to grasp the unexpected and violent death that befell their loved... more

I was going to give you all a break and move on to something else… but jeezzz, there is so much fodder for blogging in this examination of the Virginia Tech killer. One reader just asked if it was likely we would learn more about his life in high school or earlier. Well, it just so happens I watched some coverage last night that can answer that very question…

Two girls that attended his high school were interviewed, as well as a boy that attended high school with him and also attended Virginia Tech, and another male... more

I receive a plethora of electronic newsletters. I just wish I had 48 hours in each day so I could read them all carefully. Anyway, one that is very valuable and very quick to read is the Love & Logic Insider’s Club. This week’s topic was The Path to Positive Self-Concept.

Since there are suggestions all over the email that you can forward it to friends, I’m going to forward it to LOTS of friends! Here’s what it says:

Over the past three decades,... more

Like the reader who commented on my last blog, I am interested in learning more about the Virginia Tech shooter. I heard something this morning about how he never gave anyone eye contact and wore sunglasses all the time, even indoors. Gee, do we ever talk about eye contact when addressing issues of esteem, intimacy, respect and social awareness?

Yesterday I heard an interview with Rich Petrone, the stepfather of one of the Columbine High School victims. He refuted the popular (but incorrect) belief that the Columbine... more