May 8

According to the Nova documentary, the Mayans tore themselves to pieces with constant warfare. Watching the documentary, all I could think of was those far away planets that the original Star Trek used to visit, who had consumed themselves with warfare. This was during the Vietnam war.

Midnight between Thursday and Friday
I must go to bed but I cant put *Columbine* down. One fact I did not realize. The massacre was not planned as a shooting. The two boys had placed bombs all over the school but the bombs did not go off. The idea was to make a bigger bomb than Timothy McVeigh.

Got up and off to tai chi. We are now doing Tai Chi for Health. This was devised to help with arthritis, to work various muscles. Our teacher will be ninety this summer. We did it slow today but I am sore.
Came home and determined to sit down and stitch on blocks. Now for lunch and a nap.

After a nap we went to the dog park, saw Ray and Marcie. Tornado watch right now. 89 degrees. I am sending at 7:22 PM. I intend to watch Bill Moyers and Waking the Dead.

Mark: I am starting to read Guns, Germs and Steel. it is exciting!!

Lady Chica's Tale
It seems to me I slept most of the day. Sort of a dull day.

Blitzen's Tale
Not much going at the park. Everybody seems sluggish except that little Italian greyhound. he kept following me around wanting to play.

BOOK REVIEW
Dave Cullen, *Columbine*
On April 29, 1999, Eric and Dylan killed 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Colorado. Cullen is a journalist who has spent ten years researching the event after being present during the shooting. Eric and Dylan left extensive documentation during the year before the shootings.
Extensive research has been done on psycopaths (sociopaths in my vocabulary -- it depends on whether one is a psychologist or sociologist). Apparently psycopaths have reduced brain activity. They do not feel emotions. They may be born that way. Eric was a psycopath. Dylan was a depressive who followed the leader.

The book alternates chapers between the year leading up to the shootings and the aftermath. Thus it generates tension.

The book explodes various myths generated about the two boys. Police tactics have changed as a result. When there is an active shooter police go in. This was demonstrated recently when a lone policeman entered a nursing home and stopped a shooter.


Hugs, Dr. Liz