23-11-2004 01:08									#1
	Remember the nutballs who burned down HUMMER dealerships? Increase Your PM Length

So of you may remember the threads we had last August about several far left nut cases who went on an arson spree burning down several SUV dealerships in southern California. Well, yesterday one of them was convicted on multiple charges of Arson doing a total of $5 million worth of damage.

It seems this guy could get five years in jail and his friends have all fled the country and left him there holding the bag. The really funny part is he's claiming he should get a reduced sentence because of mental disability! I believe several posters here at Apolyton made comments about the mental abilities of people who burn down car dealerships.

quote: HUMMER Firebomber Could Get Five Years A 24-year-old doctoral candidate at the California Institute of Technology could be headed to prison for five years or more, after being convicted on Friday of firebombing vehicles at a HUMMER dealership on Aug. 22, 2003. William Cottrell, a physics student at CalTech, was found guilty of seven counts of arson and one count of conspiracy, the Los Angeles Times reported. Cottrell testified during his trial that SUV dealers were "evil," the paper says. Cottrell's two accomplices, Tyler Johnson, a Caltech graduate, and his girlfriend, Michie Oe, have not been indicted and are believed to have fled the U.S. On the night of the incident, four SUV dealers across southern California were targeted and vandalized, with about $5 million in damage being claimed and 125 vehicles lost to the terrorist acts. Cottrell's lawyers are already planning on asking for a new trial, based on their claim that the convicted man suffers from a form of autism called Asperger's syndrome, which is characterized often by high functioning in school situations but stunted social capability.

	23-11-2004 01:11									#2
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Before you know it, we'll have a full fledged 12 Monkeys scenario on our hands.

	23-11-2004 01:11									#3
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My cousin (age 16) has Asperger's. You will NOT see him burning anything down. Great kid.

-Arrian

	23-11-2004 01:12									#4
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@ Dan. Great movie.

"I am insane, and you are myt insanity."

-Arrian

	23-11-2004 01:15									#5
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Asperger is not a mental disability

	23-11-2004 01:18									#6
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It's like an LD, as I understand it.

Matt, my cousin, is excellent at math, but several years behind his age group in communications skills. Originally they thought he might be Autistic, but the diagnosis was changed to Asperger's. They seem somewhat similar, but Asperger's being quite a bit milder.

-Arrian

	23-11-2004 01:19									#7
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Most of the great scientists are suspected of having had it. The main problem with people with Aspergers is that they find it hard to make any friends or new relationships. Also the scope of their interest it very very narrow, wich allows them to concentrate on some specific area of interest, thus enabling them to be the superb expert on that subject.

	23-11-2004 01:20									#8
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Yes Arrian, aspergers is a mild form of autism.

	23-11-2004 01:20									#9
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So what is it if not a mental disability?

	23-11-2004 01:21									#10
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Its a different mindset from the rest of us.

	23-11-2004 01:22									#11
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Matt just seems to think differently than the rest of us. Hell, when he was a little kid he invented his own language. He had his own words for all sorts of stuff (and his sounded NOTHING like English), until my Aunt & the doctors she took him to caught on and figured out that it wasn't just a cute phase.

Smart kid, but he's definitely had a tough time with language/communication skills.

-Arrian

	23-11-2004 01:24									#12
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Well, lets compare Aspergers of being blind. You cant see but you can hear and use your other instincts like noone else.

	23-11-2004 01:26									#13
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Arrian, I wish well for Matt. The best thing you can do is encourage his areas of interest. If he is into something, he probably is into it BIG TIME. And thats exactly what makes him unique and a scarce resource on the employment market as well

	23-11-2004 01:34									#14
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He's doing fine, laurentius. My Aunt has done battle with the State about his education (it's tough when your kid is both gifted - math - and LD - language/etc). It didn't help they were in semi-rural North Carolina. That notwithstanding, it's worked out pretty well. He's a couple years back in English skills and very good at math/science. As such, he can function reasonably well in society.

After all, his dad probably has really mild Aspergers. Never diagnosed, but Uncle Mike is not the most sociable guy (quasi hermit, really) but is otherwise utterly brilliant. This guy studied to become a dentist only to get blocked at the very last moment because he turned out to be a Hepotitus (sp?) carrier. So he became a stock broker (just like that *snap*), and then managed to get a research grant at the University of North Carolina to do research on - what else - Hepotitus. Then, 15+ yrs down the road, he suddenly tests negative for Hepo, re-takes the dental exam (w/o really studying) and blows it away. He now works for the state of NC as a dentist.

-Arrian

	23-11-2004 01:39									#15
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That sounds kewl. If I had to have any mental disability, I want that one.

	23-11-2004 01:40									#16
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I'm glad to hear that. He'll prolly end up just fine then.

	23-11-2004 01:40									#17
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Smart but with no social skills? That sounds like some people here at poly.

	23-11-2004 01:41									#18
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I don't think it's anything like terets (sp?)

	23-11-2004 01:41									#19
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Eh, While people with Aspergers do need the help with the language skills, aren't they also more likely to be bullied when at HS?

Arrian, you seem to have great family

(yeah, this is just a little OT, but it is in the right place...)

	23-11-2004 01:42									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Japher That sounds kewl. If I had to have any mental disability, I want that one.

Its not a disability

	23-11-2004 01:43									#21
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quote: Its not a disability

Yes it is. If they have to give it a name, it's a disability.

	23-11-2004 01:44									#22
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Why do we call it normality then?

	23-11-2004 01:44									#23
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Japher: A different view of a world from yours is automatically a "disability"?

	23-11-2004 01:47									#24
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I'm sure there are some people with aspergers here also.

	23-11-2004 01:47									#25
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Exactly Krill, if he were normal they would say "he's normal, just a reclusive geek, that's all" not "he has blibity blop syndrom" and "there are support groups for this"...

maybe not disabled, but lessabled, or a disorder

	23-11-2004 01:50									#26
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quote: Eh, While people with Aspergers do need the help with the language skills, aren't they also more likely to be bullied when at HS?

Perhaps... although my Aunt has never really said anything to me about that, and this is the woman who calls me up to ask me what I remember about being 18 because she overthinks her kids (in a good way - she's a really good mom, she just jumps at shadows sometimes). I'm the closest "grown up" person to their age, and we get along well, so I'm a source of info for her. Although I think I scared the **** out of her when she called to talk about Chris' (her oldest) driving. The kid sounds like a saint compared to me (maniac, 3rd degree)

quote: Arrian, you seem to have great family

This particular part of the family is great. There are less great parts... or at least nutty parts. But that's all families, I'm convinced.

-Arrian

	23-11-2004 01:52									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Japher Exactly Krill, if he were normal they would say "he's normal, just a reclusive geek, that's all" not "he has blibity blop syndrom" and "there are support groups for this"... maybe not disabled, but lessabled, or a disorder

Well its only because aprerger is quite a new thing and its an easy target to blame. Its basicly just a different view of the world based on physical difference from us. Its funny how most of the so called "sane" people in the states use excessively mental drugs and all other kinds of stuff to cope with the world, but aspergers seldom need any drugs.

	23-11-2004 01:52									#28
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Did they charge him with the environmental damage that the fire caused?

"Asperger". That is bovine feces.

	23-11-2004 01:53									#29
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Yes aspergers are either seen as "geeks" or "freaks" at HS

	23-11-2004 01:57									#30
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quote: Originally posted by laurentius Its funny how most of the so called "sane" people in the states use excessively mental drugs and all other kinds of stuff to cope with the world, but aspergers seldom need any drugs.

Most? What crack have you been smoking?