Two heads are better than none.

tangentially related, i started thinking, and looking up quotations (because who actually WANTS to study for their finals?), and found this, which made me laugh. i somehow think Zaphod would be a better (or maybe less harmful at least) option than the current one:

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President
should on no account be allowed to do the job.

Douglas Adams

'Sall good, AD. Perhaps next time.

Readings:

sorry to say this Par, but I was checking into my equipment and I'm missing some rather important pieces. Pieces important enough that I don't think I'll be able to join you. If I had a few more days I'd be able to get them together but sadly I don't. So, yeah. Have fun.

Followup: U.S. networks to limit use of Virginia Tech killer video:

NBC News — which received the package of videos and documents — and its cable outlet MSNBC said in a news release that it would limit the use of the images to not more than 10 per cent of its airtime.

...

Fox, ABC, CBS and CNN issued similar broadcast restrictions on Thursday, with a Fox spokesperson saying: "Sometimes you change your mind."

ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said the tape had breaking news value but the constant repetition made it seem "practically pornographic."

Video clips and photos remained on most of the networks' websites on Thursday afternoon.

Why CBC News won't broadcast the material:

At the CBC, we debated the issue throughout the evening and made the decision that we would not broadcast any video or audio of this bizarre collection.

On CBC Television, Radio and CBC.ca, we would report the essence of what the killer was saying, but not do what he so clearly hoped all media would do. To decide otherwise — in our view — would be to risk copycat killings.

I had this awful and sad feeling that there were parents watching these excerpts on NBC who were unaware they will lose their children in some future copycat killing triggered by these broadcasts.

Tony Burman, editor-in-chief, CBC News

Hey, AD, if you've got skates and are willing to go out and buy a cup, seems we could always use another player for this weekend.

I'm hoping you're right about having everything else, though, because our designated equipment pickup time is today from 4:30 - 6:00 at Pam's hockey cave.

That goes for anyone else who has skates, feels they can qualify under the "Boys Who Can Barely Skate" banner and doesn't mind losing to girls teams. Gimme a shout if you want to play (619-5571). Our games are tomorrow at 10:00PM and Saturday morning at 10:15. If you don't have equipment though, you're going to have to come by the University by 6:00 today. (The only equipment they won't provide are skates, a stick and a cup.)

(Sorry for the short notice, but I just got the email saying we have enough players, but we could use more.)

Mea culpa, Al. Still, the point remains.

Um... It's a korean name not a chinese name. Just to be factually accurate.

i watched a bit of cnn last night, with Anderson Cooper interviewing a criminal psychologist and an FBI specialist, and one of the two guests, amidst CNN's continual paging though of the posed pictures, said that there's always a risk of the copy-cat effect (especially since he mentioned the Columbine killers in his 'manifesto'), and that we shouldn't be glorifying his actions by continually showing his pictures and playing the video etc. so... miracle of miracles, CNN cut them out.

I don't think I've ever seen a news talk program respond that quickly to a suggestion by their guests as to how they present a particular story, and maybe attempt to de-sensationalize the individual involved.

you're absolutely right, though, this glorification (because that's what it is) is only going to serve to inspire someone else

Okay, Beck, I'll concede the point that you can't not print the name of a man who kills 32 people on the campus of a large university. (I still maintain that the only reason that his isn't a name everyone knows instantly is that it's a Chinese name; though I'm pretty sure that more people would be able to identify his name as that of the killer than "Ed Stelmach" as the name of the premier.)

But, if his actions between the two killings (ie. after he killed the girl and the RA at the dorm, but before he went to the lecture hall) included making up what amounted to a press release, one might reasonably assume that his motive for going back to kill 30 people at the lecture hall was to go out in a blaze of glory; so that everyone would know him and what he had done.

In such a case, should pictures from his press release really be on the front page?