Do You Know A Psychopath?

A couple of years ago, I read a crime novel about a murderer or serial killer of something like that. I don't even remember the name of the book or the author's name, but I do remember one statement the author made in the book. The author stated that one person out of one hundred people is a psychopath. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but later on I had a conversation with a friend who is a psychologist, and he confirmed to me that about one percent of the population exhibits the traits of a psychopath.

This doesn't mean that one out of a hundred of us is running around killing and eating his victims, it simply means that one percent of the population, to a greater or lesser degree, lacks a conscience. There is actually a test (The PCL-R) developed by psychiatrist, Robert Hare, which rates the antisocial behavior of people on a one to forty scale. I read that about twenty percent of the prison population exhibits these traits, with an average score of about 23. Here's the scary part, I also read that a survey of CEO's produced about the same result.

There are about eight specific traits that indicate whether or not someone in the business world might be a psychopath. They are, briefly, a combination of several or all of the following traits.

1. Glib/charming
2. grandiose
3. pathological liar
4. manipulator
5. lack of remorse or guilt
6. cold and detached
7. lack of empathy
8. fails to accept responsibility

Does this sound like any employer you've ever had? Does this sound like anyone you've heard of who is the CEO of a large company, or someone who has ripped off his clients for his personal gain?

Here are two more characteristics of psychopaths. They tend to be highly intelligent and strongly motivated. Do you see what I'm saying here, the inmates are running the asylum.

I'm going to go one step further. I have no scientific basis for this belief, but I suspect that a type of Social Darwinism has been created which actually favors the behavior of a psychopath. If you look at not only the current corporate world, but also think about the examples of history where psychopaths came into power, you see that not only the leader himself, but also his underlings are also cut from the same cloth. Hitler and Saddam Hussein are prime examples. Had Hitler been assassinated early in the Second World War, would Germany, under Goebbels, Goering, or Himmler, have changed course?

The Campaign Lottery

This past week, the right leaning Supreme court essentially threw out most restraints on campaign contributions by individuals, corporations, and Unions. This will lead to outright bribery and extortion of our nation's politicians. The corporate ability to influence individual politicians is particularly troubling. The banking, insurance, and other corporate lobbies will be able to threaten and coerce individual politicians into voting against the public good. If you God fearing, gun toting, queer hating republicans are wondering why I'm not happy that the unions have the same ability; I'll tell you. it's simply because the unions do not have enough cash to directly influence very many local elections, especially in states where union representation is low. As Jon Stewart said on the Daily Show the other night: "My banker, Morgan Stanley, and my Barber, Stanley Morgan, are now equally allowed to contribute millions of dollars to the candidate of their choice."

Here's a related personal story. I was at a party last week, where I got into a discussion with a member of Larry Kissells' staff about Kissells' vote on health care. I believe that he made a huge mistake in voting against the house version of the bill under the guise of protecting medicare, and I think that he might lose the next election partially because of his vote. Anyway, I'm having this friendly, but some what loud give and take with Kissells' staff member, when someone else joins the discussion and immediately raises my hackles by saying that federally mandated health care is not mentioned in the Constitution, and therefore, like social security, and medicare should not be the law of the land.

Now, here's my take on this. This view of our founding father's intent is analogous to the Bible thumpers view that the Bible is the absolute word of God, and that the Earth was created in a week and is 6000 years old, and fossil remains of sea creatures were created and placed on mountain tops by God to confuse us. Our founding fathers lived in a time when, as Stephen Ambrose said about Thomas Jefferson, it was possible for an educated man to know everything. But, it was not possible that the framers of the constitution could anticipate the trajectory and every vector of modern society. While the basic framework of the constitution should remain intact, it is the responsibility of modern lawmakers, and the courts to determine the best course of action to insure that the goals stated in the Preamble to the United States Constitution are met. I don't think that our founding fathers would have approved of interpretations of the law which stack the deck against the majority of the citizens of the country.

Let me come up for air, take a deep breath, and get back to were the title of this blog leads. Had the Supreme court not struck down most campaign finance law, here is my idea of how to finance federal election campaigns. There is a widely ignored section at the end of your Federal tax return where you can contribute two bucks toward Presidential election campaigns. Why not change this number to twenty dollars, with half the money going to the financing of campaigns, and the other half going to a national lottery pool which would be allocated to the States by population, and meted out as prizes in million dollar increments. With nearly eighty million tax returns filed annually (I looked it up), and the vast majority of those returns calling for a refund, there is potential for 1.6 billion dollars in donations, with eight hundred million each going to campaign financing and lottery winning. This works out to an average of sixteen, one million dollar prizes for each state. Compared to Power Ball or Lotto, I think that's a pretty good return on your gambling dollar.

Paper Clips

A secretary is asked by her boss to stay and work over time. She's a competent and reliable worker who always goes the extra mile to get things done just as her employer requires. So, here is this woman, working overtime, her boss has already left the office, she's going to be late starting supper, and she also had planned to stop by Office Max to pick up a box of paperclips. She thinks to herself: "I really need those paper clips so that I can start working on the paper work for the church. I'll just take a box from the office supply room here at work. They won't be missed, I work really hard for this company, I deserve this box of paperclips for all the extra things I do, and besides, it's for the church."

This, in a nutshell, is why so many politicians become involved in financial scandals while they are in office. It's not that they are crooks, (though some are) it's because they rationalize that they deserve special rewards for the fine jobs that they do. They look at the sometimes billions of dollars in federal spending they bring home to their constituents. They look at executives of major corporations that make millions in salaries and bonuses. They look at the cost to finance their election campaigns, and believe that it is vitally important to their city, county, state, or nation, that they be reelected. And, it's true, many politicians make huge financial and personal sacrifices, and they are often very effective and respected politicians. So, they cheat on their franking privileges, they take a special financing deal on their new house, they accept campaign contributions from people whose agendas they would rather not support, but they feel that, in order for them to be reelected, it is better to support the contributor's agenda so that, as politicians, they can continue their good work. Unfortunately, like the woman who takes the paperclips, or later on, twenty dollars from petty cash, or cooks the books at her church, politicians often use the paper clip rationalization over and over again until they become totally corrupt.

Our Political Imperative

Okay, so tonight I'm going to piss off at least three quarters of my friends. I'm talking about my Republican friends. I personally know only a few Republicans wealthy enough to correctly believe that the Republican party is looking out for their best interests. All of the rest have been duped into believing that their party actually represents them. The true Republican power brokers don't care if your daughter, sister, or wife has a abortion. They don't really believe that giving homosexuals the right to marry undermines the sanctity of marriage. Their moral compass is no truer than mine, regardless of whether they claim to be born again or not. All of these things are just side issues designed to keep voters on their team. The real issue is the amassing of wealth, and hanging onto to that wealth no matter what happens to the country.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against wealth. I understand that our prosperity depends upon people, and institutions, and corporations with vast amounts of capital. Without that capital, we would stagnate, nothing would be built, no new products would be introduced, research and innovation would die. But, money is power, and can be used for good or evil. The evil that see taking place, is the conversion of our country to third world status where there are only two classes, the ultra rich and the very poor. This is an insidious objective that affects more of us every year.

After suffering through 12 years of Republican legislative rule, and eight years of the dismal failure of the Bush administration, the Democrats finally returned to power under President Obama. Now, only a year after his election, the Republican party threatens to regain it's lost power. It's time to forget about the Trojan horses of homosexuality and abortion. We cannot allow the Republican party to regain power in this country. Our children's and grand children's future depends on us.

Wild Dogs

I've been watching two feral dogs that have been ranging the South Union area for going on a year now. I suspect that a lot of you have seen them. One is a female, medium sized, kind of a golden retriever mix, with a reddish coat. The other is a little larger white dog that looks to be a lab mix. These are the most street smart dogs I have ever seen. I've seen the red one dart out into traffic on South Union to retrieve a freshly run over squirrel, which is apparently a large part of their diets. I watched them lying in the grass across the street from my house one day. They were both lying within a few feet of the sidewalk, and would remain calm as people walked by, but as soon as someone would approach them, they would trot off into the woods. As soon as the coast was clear, they would return to their spot.

I noticed the the red dogs' teats were swollen a couple of months ago, so apparently she has whelped a litter of pups. I'm sure that the dogs have not had rabies shots, or are taking their heart worm medication. I suspect that animal control is hot on their trail and will consider their capture a major coup. I know that we should not return to the past, when there were many feral dogs running loose through out the county. I 'm sure that these two dogs will not be adopted if they are ever caught and taken to the pound. I just hope they can hang on to their freedom until they die of whatever takes them, and I will smile every time I see them.

Sleepless

It's four o'clock on Saturday morning, and I can't sleep. I would probably still be lying awake in bed, cursed with random thoughts about the human condition, but my musings were interrupted by the sound of my dog throwing up on the bed room floor. It was a pile of puke about the consistency and color of soft chocolate ice cream. After about ten minutes of gagging and dry heaves, I had scooped up and scoured most of it from the Berber carpet, and I'm no longer the least bit sleepy, so here I am. Actually, I'm expecting a phone call from Tim at any minute. He's likely to be awake, futzing around the house, waiting to call me and go to Starbucks as soon as it opens. He suffers from the same insomniac condition as me.

I love to sit in public places and watch the characters stream past. Years ago, I traveled a good bit for the company I worked for, and I never minded layovers, because I could sit and read, and watch a never ending variety of travelers. I could sit there, glance up, and speculate about their stories, observe how they were dressed, and occasionally get to witness their odd behavior. Airports are not nearly so entertaining now, although I think a job screening the passengers would be fun. The county fair, the Walmart at three in the morning, or the Department of Motor Vehicles, are also excellent places to observe the aliens that the men in black keep watch on 24/7.

There,s a lot to be said for being awake at four or five in the morning. Things are quiet, no traffic, TV or radio on, and the rest of the house still asleep. I worked with a guy years ago, who saw a PBS Nova program about sleep. This show premised that sleep was just a primitive way to keep us out of trouble at night. As in not being eaten by predators with better eyesight. I think science has debunked that theory now, but anyway, my friend decided that he would ween himself from sleep. The thing that really encouraged him to try it was that another fellow in our office only slept a couple of hours each night, and as a result, was incredibly productive. For a month or so, Rob went to bed a little later each night, until he was down to about three hours of sleep per night. I guess I should also mention that each morning he increasingly looked like shit. Predictably, Rob finally gave up his quest for around the clock awareness, not because he needed the sleep, but because he became bored. I guess, if there had been an Internet back then, he would have started a blog.

Haiti

I was watching the news this afternoon, and while I was watching, Chris Matthews played a clip from the 700 Hundred Club, in which Pat Robinson gave his views on the Haitian Earthquake. I've looked for a You Tube video of this clip, so that I can create a link to it, but the clip has not yet been posted. He held his head down with half closed eyes and in his most pious manner said:(I can't quote him word for word until I can see the video again but this is close.) "Well you know, the Haitians made a pact with the devil in the eighteen hundreds for help to overthrow the French rulers, and they have been plagued with one disaster after another ever since." I take what he said to mean that he believes that God is punishing the Haitians for asking Satan to help them throw out the French.

My question is: How can Pat Robinson or anyone who believes in a benevolent God that created Heaven and earth, possibly believe that same God would arbitrarily punish over nine million Haitians (and non Haitians, including many American Christians there on humanitarian missions), by evoking a devastating earthquake, simply because their ancestors overthrew their French oppressors and slave masters. It makes me wonder what Pat is praying for when he bows his head. Does he pray for salvation, exemption from God's punishment, or is he praying for the punishment of anyone who does not see things as Pat sees them?

Haiti

Lake Howell

I'm an avid sailor, I've owned and sailed a number of boats over the years. A couple of years ago my wife and I took our Flying Scot to Lake Townsend in Greensboro to race in a regatta. I was surprised to find that lake Townsend is a city owned water supply reservoir that not only stores water for the city of Greensboro, but also provides recreational opportunities for it's citizens.

The city maintains a beautiful park around the lower end of the lake. It provides a marina, with docking and ramp facilities. It provides dry storage for boats and some limited wet storage for sailboats. The city allows launching for boats with outboards and sailboats. It has a sailing club on its' premises, which sponsors several regattas each year. The city also sponsors several fishing tournaments each year. The park rents canoes, kayaks, sailboats, and john boats. The city does not allow swimming, wading, or fishing from the bank. The lake itself is very similar to Lake Howell(Coddle Creek Reservoir). Lake Townsend encompasses about 1500 acres, and Lake Howell is about 1300 acres in size. Both lakes have the same North Carolina water quality classifications.

The main difference between Lake Townsend and Lake Howell is that Lake Howell is completely off limits to the citizens of Cabarrus county. No boating, no fishing, no hiking, nothing. It is a prime example of our county governments' complete disregard for the quality of life of its' residents. The commissioners might tell you that the restrictions are there to protect the water quality. Don't believe it. Recreational use such as that on Lake Townsend has virtually no impact on water quality. The real danger to water quality is run off from farms, housing, and commercial development. The truth is, that the county is unwilling to expend the resources necessary to develop and maintain a park on and around the lake.

I hope that you will pass this along to your friends and neighbors, and insist that our county open up this resource to its' citizens.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Did you ever notice how a group of women talk among themselves. They just seem to twitter back and forth to each other, their high pitched voices flitting from one vapid statement to the next. Not so with men. We men tend to be more serious, our low register, but stentorian voices echoing our deepest thoughts. For example, here's a typical bit of conversation from our coffee klatch on Monday and again today. I can't remember how we got on this subject, and I didn't record it, but it went something like this.

Monday morning:

Mike: "I don't think that Jamie Lee Curtis is all that attractive. She reminds to much of her dad in that movie......"

Tim: "Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe"

Mike" Yeah, that's it, she looks like Tony Curtis in drag."

Howard: "I heard that she's a......., you know, has extra parts."

Mike: "You mean a Penis? She's a hermaphrodite?"

Howard: "Yeah, that's what I heard."

Tom: "I saw some pictures on line of her in a x-rated movie when she was young. She was pretty hot."

Mike: "Did she wiggle her Willie at you?"

Tom: "No they only showed her from the waist up."

Mike: "Not a good sign."

Gordon: "Who was her mother, wasn't she an actress too?"

Along silence; then:

Tom: "I'll look it up tonight"

Tuesday Morning:

Tom: "I checked it out. Jamie Lee Curtis is not a hermaphrodite. That's just an urban legend. And, her mother was Janet Leigh."

Mike: "How old is she, got to be in her fifties?"

Howard: "I saw her in that movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the one where she's a spy. She still looked good in it."

Tom: "She's the spokesperson for Activia."

Mike: "Great, good looking and regular too."

Winter Hike

Kathy and I went to Morrow Mountain State Park for a hike on Saturday. It was a cold afternoon ( high in the mid thirties), but not uncomfortable. I read somewhere that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. We were layered up pretty good, and had hats to protect our ears. The sky was clear, just high cirrus clouds, and a thin white sun, low on the horizon. The winter is the best time of the year to hike. There are no bugs, or snakes, and you get a much better feel for the area you are hiking in. If you look carefully, you can usually spot old road beds, abandoned home sites, and other features you would miss in the summer.

Morrow State Park is another one of those national rewards from the great depression. The roads and walls and buildings were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, under the Works Progress Administration, which put millions of Americans back to work during the late thirties. It encompasses about 5000 acres of land that is a part of the Uwahrrie Mountain Range, which, some 500 million years ago reached heights of over 20,000 feet. The whole range has now been worn down to a series of puny hills less than a 1,000 feet tall. A nice place to take a walk.

We decided to take the Falls Mountain Trail which starts at the boat landing, winds around and over Falls mountain, then drops down to the Pee Dee River right at the base of the Falls dam. The area just below the dam is the site of an extensive Indian settlement that dates back nearly twelve thousand years. The Hardaway site( a famous archaeological site) lies just a couple of miles up river on the banks of Badin Lake. Years ago I visited this area during a severe summer drought. You could walk out into the river bed below the dam and find pieces of pottery, and arrow heads. It is a big no no to do that now however. Just above and west of the dam you can find where the Indians mined the ryolite to make their stone tools.

We had decided to take lunch, so we packed a thermos of coffee, another thermos of soup, cheese and crackers, and a squeeze bottle of wine. The wine is against park rules, so please don't rat me out. I need to find one of those Botta bags that we carried back when we were hippies. Do you know what I'm talking about? Originally they were wine skins made solely of leather, but I used to be able to buy the ones with the plastic liner, and the fake leather exterior, and the red string strap to carry it over you shoulder. Nothing beats lunch on the trail like cutting hunks of cheese with your pocket knife and washing it down with squirts of wine from a botta bag. The bicycle water bottle we used this time was a poor substitute, but I wiped my pocket knife off on my pants leg, cut the cheese, and made do as best I could. We set an a downed log at the top of the mountain, had a fine view, and I caught a good buzz (from the wine).

After lunch, we made our way down to the dam, and then on down river and back to our car. The round trip was only about four miles, but it was enough to make my right knee sore, and once again remind me that I'm never going to be able to hike the entire Appalachian trail like I've always dreamed.

Happy New Year 2010

I was a terrible kid. I don't think that I was especially mean, I was just out of control. I got into trouble for a lot of little things, and could have gotten in some pretty serious trouble for some things if I had been caught. Do you remember the worst thing you ever did? Did you shoplift, steal money out of your mother's purse, brake Danny Cagle's arm? I'm guilty on all counts, and many many more. But here is the worst thing I ever did, and it 's a generic thing, although I remember many specific incidences. I was cruel to, and unkind to the misfits that I knew. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, you might have been a misfit yourself, but more likely, you behaved the same way that I did. You remember the kids, maybe they were a little slow, or clumsy, poor, ugly, or just a good target. I could name at least a half of a dozen kids in elementary school that probably have permanent mental scars from their treatment in school.

The funny thing is, I don't remember ever being punished or even reprimanded for my behavior. I don't remember anyone getting into trouble for it, and I was far from the worst culprit. I think that now, teachers are more attuned to the bullying, and more likely to intervene. I certainly hope so. I hope that if you catch you children or grandchildren behaving in such a manner, that you set them down, explain to them how badly it hurts other children, and then beat them to with in an inch of their lives for reinforcement.

On this first day of a new year, and a new decade, I extend a sincere apology to everyone I was ever unkind to , and a Happy New Year to All.