Positive Sociology

During the past couple weeks, I've come across shocking stories of people who become ultra violent after ingesting hallucinogens.  These stories are a sharp contrast to the likes of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.  The two stories are something closer to scenes from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. For example, the Internet is filled with stories of Rudy Eugene, a man who was discovered eating another man's face in Miami.  Reports are linking his ultra-violent behavior to "bath salts," a mostly legal synthetic compound that is said to produce a wide array of intense hallucinogenic results in users after ingestion. After being summoned by a fellow motorist, police officers shot and killed Eugene who allegedly growled at officers and continued chewing on the victim's facial flesh until he was shot and killed.  In the media frenzy, Eugene is being called everything from a crazed "zombie" to a cannibal on the Internet. Ronald Poppo (victim) and Rudy Eugene...

The DEA is under fire again.  It's been a couple weeks since they raided a San Diego house connected to a suspected MDMA or ecstasy operation.  Agents reported that they seized somewhere around 18,000 ecstasy pills, guns, and other contraband from the house. Agents made several arrests.  7 other suspects were fingerprinted, processed, and then released to a county jail.  One suspect was released entirely.  Daniel Chong--a 23 year old student at UCSD--was "accidentally" left in his cell for a week. Daniel Chong, UCSD student and suspected Ecstasy distributor Reports by the LA Times show that Chong drank his own urine to survive, and at one point, attempted suicide by breaking his glasses to cut his own wrists. Zimbardo's Prison Experiments I'm not familiar with protocol or the administrative realities of federal agencies like the DEA, but it seems like it would be hard to just "forget" about a detained person from this kind of drug raid?  I...

Every once in awhile, I get the urge to bump some good ole fashioned country music.  I don't know where this urge comes from.  I didn't grow up listening to country music, and sadly, I've never been to a live country concert (this is something that I gotta work on). But, for whatever reason, there are days when I really enjoy listening to Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr., and a bunch of old 1960s-80s country musicians popularly linked to the "outlaw movement." Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson: Two Badass Country Singers Today was one of those days.  Sarah and I came back from seeing 21 Jump Street (which, by the way, is surprisingly funny and raunchy), and I had this urge to hear Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard's classic duet, "Pancho and Lefty."  Wow! What a great song!  One thing I love about Willie Nelson is that his voice evokes such pain and emotion. After listening to "Pancho and Lefty" a num...

I grew up in California, and didn't have any firsthand experience with guns until I was 30.  I didn't grow up in a military family and wasn't "packing heat" as a kid.  In fact, before moving to Philadelphia, most of my gun knowledge came from gangsta rap music and/or Xbox 360 games like Call of Duty. COD introduces the mass public to guns In this respect, my time in Philadelphia was quite eye-opening.  I first became interested in guns while talking with gunshot victims at the University of Pennsylvania hospital.  Many of the victims I met had guns and/or were looking for ways to get guns.  Although some were able to get guns via legal channels (i.e. at a store), others had criminal marks that prevented them from buying guns the legal way.  Through their experiences, I learned about the sometimes not-so-subtle ways in which racial profiling unfolds at gun shops; I also learned about the underground economy for guns; and I also gained insights into the ...

My Facebook feed has been filled with postings about the tragic shooting at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, FL.  Even though I didn't know many people or families from Episcopal, the news of this shooting cuts especially close to home.  I went to high school at the Bolles School, which is located across the street from Episcopal HS.  Even though I'm sitting at my desk in another country (Toronto, ON), a big part of me will always consider Jacksonville a "second home."  Tonight, my thoughts and prayers go out to families suffering in the wake of this tragedy. CNN reports that Shane Schumerth, a 28-year old former employee at Episcopal HS, shot and killed Dale Regan, the school's headmistress.  Reports suggest that Schumerth was fired today.  After learning of his termination, reports say that he returned to his car, grabbed a rifle, and then killed Regan, before killing himself. Reports are really thin at this point, but the reporting makes me th...

El Guapo I love Bas "El Guapo" Rutten.  The Dutchman was a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, 3-time King of Pancrase, and an all-around badass.  Following his illustrious fighting career, he transitioned into MMA commentary.  I've found his commentary insightful and think that he comes across as a very humble and approachable person. Recently, I learned that Fuel TV was producing a show for Rutten called "Punk Payback."  I immediately thought that the show would be a spin-off of MTV's "Bully Beatdown," a show in which professional MMA fighters confront and beat up bullies.   To me, this would make sense: Bas Rutten was bullied when he was younger and openly talks about developing self confidence/awareness through the martial arts. I just watched a 10-minute clip of Punk Payback and am surprised to report that it isn't this kind of show.  Instead, the episode I saw featured Rutten providing colorful commentary on how to resist/disarm armed...

In recent weeks, I've come across a number of stories on Asians and bullying.  I felt heartbroken while reading about Private Danny Chen, a young Chinese American soldier who committed suicide after enduring months of hazing and abuse from his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan.   RIP Danny Chen The reports of his physical and mental abuse are deeply saddening; in addition to being teased and humiliated because of his racial-ethnic identity, Chen was also forced to walk on all fours while fellow soldiers chucked rocks at him.  Other reports suggest that he was made to do pull-ups while holding water in his mouth.   I can only hope that his family is able to find some peace in the wake of his death.  It is a tragic loss and I hope that the military uses this event to take a serious look at bullying and hazing within its ranks.  I also hope that his tormenters get what is surely coming to them.   Chen's story reminds me of the story of Vincent Chin, a ...