Monday, 26 January 2009
OZ day arsonists
Today is a Monday holiday!!
WooHoo!!
Oh yes and it is Australia day as well.
The day we were colonised by our British ancestors. So the aborigines call it invasion day and want the holiday changed.
I have just been to a local recreation area to do some exercise and buy some supplies and there was every type of water craft known to mankind in use. Every one is having - fun. fun. fun!!!
I have never seen so many flags, cricket bats, Aussie tattoos, BBQs, eskies full of beer in one place at one time. This is a day to enjoy for many in Oz.
A bit hot as well today so we could have that old tradition of setting a bush fire or two. Each summer we Australians do that you know and the old arsonists crank up their lighters and head bush to start a blaze or two. Been a few good ones this summer already.
OK I will start banging on, what I usually bang on about!
Psychologically fire is most interesting because of its extreme destructiveness. If your house gets flooded it probably will survive, or if it gets caught in the wind of a cyclone then it probably will survive to some degree, or if there is an earthquake it may survive to some degree. But if you get a good fire going in the house then it is nitey night, sayonara and toodle-oo. Of all the elements fire is the one that will destroy more so than say wind or water.
So if a person destroys something with fire it is seen as the expression of an intense desire to destroy. Rage and all that sort of thing. We all know this and so when we see out of control fire it is attention grabbing and stimulating in that way. Hence we have the psychological basis of the arsonist or the pyromaniac.
As Freud would have said the pyromaniac lights the fire, then get sexually aroused and this is the nature of the true pyromaniac. Now we know he was a bit obsessed with sex but he was also a very good observer of human nature, so lets change what he said just a little bit.
When the pyromaniac lights a fire he gets physical arousal in his body. In some people that state of arousal will get sexualised and for others it will not. However they are all placed in a state of heightened physical arousal. Hence we have the addiction of the pyromaniac or the serial arsonist.
It is like the self harmer who is so continually numb or psychologically anethesitized that they cannot take it anymore. So they go and cut self in order to get some feeling (ie physical arousal). The serial arsonist can be the same. They get such arousal from lighting the fire, hiding and watching the destructiveness of the fire that the ever present numbness goes a way for a time. Problem is it comes back and thus the strong urge to do the same again.
The other reason why the career of an pyromaniac can be a short one is they have to hang around. It’s no use lighting the fire and then running away because you don’t get the same physical arousal which is the whole purpose of the exercise in the first place. So they lurk around and are often identified and caught. In some instances they will get so excited they will need to urinate which is very symbolic in itself.
There may at times be considerable advance preparation of the fire setting which of course adds to the tension build up and feeling. Then as the fire happens and the person watches there is the release of tension and a sense of normality appears for a period of time. The same can happen for others like the kleptomaniac. First the numbness, then the tension build up followed by the release and then a sense of normality or realness for a period of time.
I knew a serial arsonist once when I worked in a prison. He was brought to me because one day he trashed his cell and I mean he trashed his cell. Every possible thing that could be smashed, broken or ripped up was. I went and had a look at it and it was a demolition site.
So as the psych I am supposed to fix him up which really meant monitor him and act as a release valve so the next time he would only trash his cell a little bit rather than do a complete demolition job. So I got to know him quite well. Some other inmates had been picking on him for some time and finally he just exploded and wrecked his cell.
I found him to be nice man and we had many good conversations. But he looked like he had just come in from the jungle. One day I said to him that he looked like the “Wild man from Borneo”, which he found most entertaining and indeed would refer to himself as that from time to time.
Often prisoners will try and intimidate and threaten you so as to gain the upper hand in the relationship. He never did any of this with me and was pleasant and indeed polite to me most of the time. But he also had a rage deep inside him. If the rage button got pushed, out it would come and that was the time not to be around. Interestingly he never had any convictions for assault so it seemed he could direct his rage at property and with the use of fire. Which is good in a round about sort of a way. He would be out by now. Wonder if he has joined this years fire lighting season.
Graffiti
11:05 Permalink | Comments (28) | Email this
Comments
Tony,
Happy Australia Day!
Yeah - i heard on the news about the aboriginal thought - and i hear what they're saying but this land isn't theirs. No land is anyones. It's a nice idea that probably makes a lot of people feel safe and stuff but... its just pretend.
We paid alot of money for and on our home - the land and homes etc... but we're not silly enough to think its ours. We pay rates to someone. No... its not ours. Same with our car - what good is a car if you can't drive it on the road unless you pay the rta? Either is my town, either is are my sons, my husband, my dog - and as if money is real! I mean - really???
However (i said 'however' instead of 'but' just cause i could)... however, i really like Australia and i really like my home. I really like my town too - probably just as well.
Ohh, i'm leaving you alone for a bit... i forgot... sorry. I really wanted to say happy day to you and all! Cheers...
Posted by: roses | Monday, 26 January 2009
I do hope that the Aboriginal culture will be at some stage be at peace with the "white man" If we change Australia Day to cater for their sense of non inclusion will that fix their feelings of separativeness or will it be another politcally correct wash out?
What about the firemen who go out and light fires? Usually guys I have known with an enormous capacity for anger are quite scared about their rage emerging.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Monday, 26 January 2009
I hope he (safely) got some enjoyment too from the fires this Australia Day.
Posted by: Kahless | Tuesday, 27 January 2009
I assume he would Kahless,
Not so hot today and the holiday is over!!
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Hi guys,
Nice to hear your comments about the aborigine K. I remember watching a film called Walkabout when I was at school which I found very eerie and powerful and have always been pretty interested in things Australian since then, especially the outback, and the aborigine idea of walkabout.don't suppose anyone has seen the film? I like the piccy of the supermarket trolleys attacking the aborigines, Tony, it could have been taken from the film.
Best wishes
Nick.
Posted by: Nick | Wednesday, 28 January 2009
I don't remember that film Nick but there have been some good ones about the aborigines, like the Rabbit proof fence.
If you ever come to Australia Nick you could go and see the outback, there is plenty of it to see
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Happy Australia Day, Tony. We are just beginning our Scottish homecoming year, after the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth.
I see tartan, lots of it, cheap nylon fake tartan, stretching for miles. Should make for a jolly old year lol.
Hulla
xx
Posted by: Hullaballoo | Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Sounds delightful Hulla and a good homecoming year to you. I will have to look up who Robert Burns was. I am getting there! I now know who William Wallace was so I will find out about Mr Burns.
Speaking of fake nylon tartan. In OZ day there was truck loads of very cheap and very plastic flags, cricket bats and so forth
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 28 January 2009
When I was in my teens it wasn't unheard of for us to torch cars and vans, and I often wondered why I got a banging stiffy watching those flames dance ;-).
I have to say, I didn't really think of it as a sexual thing, but it was generally exciting. I think that there were several among our gang who 'cut' themselves to feel. You people watchers are always worth checking out - I'd never have thought about it in that way.
Posted by: Colin | Thursday, 29 January 2009
Hello Colin,
I would like to see a blog where all participants could state some of the less than favourable things they did in their youth. I am sure we would find some interesting contributions.
the things we would not tell.
Glad you like the posts
Cheers
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Thursday, 29 January 2009
Colin?
You got a 'banging stiffy?'
Man! That's gotta hurt.
roses
Posted by: roses | Thursday, 29 January 2009
Yeh Roses - a banging stiffy... nasty business!
Erm, Graffiti mate: just posted something on my blog which might make you smile... Click on my name below to get to it.
Cheers!
~ Colin
Posted by: Colin | Friday, 30 January 2009
Ok Tony! I can't stand it anymore...
Where did you go out for dinner? Was it nice? Did you have a heap of fun?
ALSO...
You had a movie night? Last night? What did you see? Did you go with someone nice or was it a whole group of you? Did you get popcorn or choc-topped-icecream?? Was it great?
By the way... hello
Posted by: roses | Friday, 30 January 2009
Roses,
Go to my Face Book and all your questions will be answered
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Friday, 30 January 2009
I've been there and i can't seem to find the door to get in and check up on you!
I will, however, give it another go.
Cheers...
Posted by: roses | Saturday, 31 January 2009
I did it! i got in - using my hubbies thingy. I don't understand how it works though. I might start my own up and learn or something. Gosh there are a lot of people on face book that i know. That's got to be they yuckiest place in the world!
So... maybe i won't.
What ever... have a lovely Saturday
Posted by: roses | Saturday, 31 January 2009
Have a lovely lunch tomorrow.
Posted by: roses | Saturday, 31 January 2009
How hot is it where you are? I heard on the news that some parts of Australia are experiencing phenomenol temperatures.
Cheers
~ Colin
Posted by: Colin | Sunday, 01 February 2009
It's as hot as! I remember it being this hot back when i was young but it hasn't been this hot (consistently) for a long time.
I don't know if the temps are phenomenal or not - i certainly remember being scorched when i was young like - 70's or so.
I think there's a lot to be said that the world goes around the sun while spinning with the moon going around the world while our solar system spinning going around the universe as the whole thing turnes on a dial. So this green house effect maybe just the fact that we've come around to a place we've already passed by some time ago.
Geez - sorry Colin - yes. It's hot where i am (East coast Aust). But i think where Graffiti is (West coast of Aust) has been scorching more than over here. But i'm not there so i don't really know.
Posted by: roses | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Yes in the West here we have actually had quite a mild summer. A few very hot ones but not many.
Today is to be 38 but that is our hottest in this batch and will only last one day so they say.
I will enjoy my lunch today. I might have a Dim Sum
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Sunday, 01 February 2009
I had a Dim sim on thursday night - that's our chinese food night. Lately we've been having Yaki Nori Rolls for lunch. Wasabi is totally and utterly dangerous and should be rated R - Rediculous in the extreme, condimental activity foods. Ewwww!
Please enjoy your Dim Sim...
Posted by: roses | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Roses,
It is not actually a dim sim, it is a dim sum which is the Sunday meal chinese often have
Graffiti
Posted by: Tony | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Hi Tony
I'm glad that your weather is not too wasabi. Hope you enjoyed your Dim Sum.
Here, we're expecting snow any time soon. No doubt it'll cause chaos, as England seems to fail as soon as the wind blows, the sun shines, or the rain or snow falls. For instance, it's not unheard of for the trains to be cancelled because of 'leaves on the rails' in Autumn. We do cope with 'drab and grey' weather though. Oh yeh, and moaning about the weather is - along with queueing - a national obsession.
Cheers
~ Colin
Posted by: Colin | Sunday, 01 February 2009
So...? How was your dim sum?
Posted by: roses | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Yes Colin,
It is wasabi weather today!
Good metaphor
Over here we bleat about it being too hot, so I guess that makes us like the poms only the other way around.
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Actually Roses at the last moment we canned the Dim Sum idea and went for the kebabs.
Now these are not your common Aussie type kebabs, this is a small out of the way kebab shop that is run by a bunch of middle eastern guys who battle with their english. They bake their own Lebanese bred, pita and so forth.
Best Kebabs I have ever had
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Wow! That sounds so great. We don't have that stuff here or even close to here. I am actually jealous of your lunch - i love kebabs! I love the tabooli (sp?) and the hommis (sp?) ohh my goodness - the garlic sauce!!
I hope you enjoyed some for me too!
Posted by: roses | Sunday, 01 February 2009
Yes Roses,
I did enjoy it for you too
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Sunday, 01 February 2009
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