Do the Right Thing: It’s not just extreme heat that drives people insane
Many of us have been stuck in our homes for over a year due to a plague spreading across the globe. This is compounded with snow storms sweeping the nation and keeping us inside for even longer. I suppose I’m lucky not to be snowed in now, we are just facing floods similar to Noah’s in weather that is less than warm. As for the quarantine, I live in a state where stupidity prevails and the lockdown was barely a thing here. So I’ve been braving the world with a mask and hope in the foolish pursuit to make a dollar or two.
I have to admit that the weather here does inspire a little bit of rage. We’ve had months of drizzly grey weather that would give England a run for its money. I’m luckily able to channel my rage into Yakuza and only bash digital video game heads in. For those of us who are snowed in, the anger may not be able to be contained within the avatar of Kiryu Kazuma.
In the past few weeks, we’ve had a few snowy murders (one ending in suicide) and even a man who claimed to be a killer, just to get rid of some of the white stuff.
In early February, two Pennsylvania men got into a dispute while shoveling snow that involved property lines. Enraged that piles of the powder were crossing property lines, an argument ensued. The men called each other “pussy” and “dickhead”. They were flipping each other off and yelling obscenities whilst making obscene gestures. Unable to stand any more of the escalating fight, Jeffery Spaide shot neighbors James and Lisa Goy multiple times before going into his home to shoot himself with another firearm. It’s hard to imagine how snow crossing over property lines and a few hateful words can lead to the end of 3 lives, but the tension and unease caused by the winter blues can definitely have adverse effects. Lethargy and an overall run-down feeling are not uncommon in Winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real condition that may be harder to catch than other forms of Depression since more feelings of sadness and lethargy are so common.
Today (February 18) a woman’s body was found in the snow in Nashville. Charges were issued against Andrew John-Lafey. The woman was beaten and shot before being hidden in the snow.
On the lighter side, a Ukrainian man called the police to turn himself in as a murderer. No murders had been committed. The man said that it would be necessary to bring a snowplow to arrest him. The man was apparently not happy with the job that the municipal services had provided that morning. Instead of jumping through the hoops that calling the city to complain would involve, the man decided to take a shortcut and call the cops to see if they could do a better job. The only thing the man is guilty of slaying is the self-esteem of the brave men or women that drive the municipal snowplows for his city.
The moral of this story is to be careful in this woeful winter weather. Look out for slippery roads, frostbite, and maybe… murder.
Sources:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/15/ukraine-man-invents-in-attempt-to-get-police-to-clear-snow, https://nypost.com/2021/02/04/video-shows-snow-shoveling-fight-that-escalated-to-murder-suicide/, https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/female-body-covered-in-snow-found-in-maple-grove-township/69-22712574-57fd-4a01-93c3-80fef14c0bdb, https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/winter-blues-or-seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=The%20winter%20blues%20are%20very,your%20ability%20to%20enjoy%20life.
