i should be sleeping but i've been thinking a lot lately, and how i should really...do something with this site!! i suppose i am a little responsible for you'alls reading material. well, as you probably read on the "table of contents" page, i've done a 180. i've decided to throw away my dreams to become a forensic psychologist, and i've decided to follow my dreams to become a federal prosecutor...a US attorney if you will. maybe, one day, i'll be a judge :).

why? there are many reasons. i could write a book. many things have happened on a personal level, and on a societal level, and i feel that the best thing for me to do is to pursue a career in law. furthermore, the path to becoming a forensic psychologist has become so blurred & distorted, that even thinking about it made my brain ache, and my body shake with anxiety. dedicating 5 years to a far-off PhD in some far-off land to only realize that..migoodness, i still might be JOBLESS afterwards (!!) just really scared me. i'm in the last semester of my senior year now (psyc major, with minors in sociology and philosophy), and time is going FAST.......before i know it i will be the proud grandmother of 3...hehe..well okay, maybe not that fast. but, i am technically *pre-engaged* ...the financial situation and timing isn't perfect, so we've decided to wait til we both have jobs, are financially independent, and yadda yadda. you know what i mean, we're doing it the smart (rich) way, not the dumb (poor) way.

in my time away from this little place in cyberspace i have been keeping myself busy. i write regularly as a columnist for my school newspaper (if you are really that curious....collegiatetimes.com, however, you won't know what i've written because no one knows my real name.), and i also illustrate political cartoons. it has been a good time, although slinging mud at some people has been all too common. oh well...politics and social issues will always be entertaining, and debate is my middle name...

i've also made a major religious conversion in the past two years from being agnostic (of no religion) to Catholicism! yes! delano is getting baptized. why am i saying all of this? well..why not. i've shared so much of my personal life already, why stop now? i'm getting baptized. yay.

this site will probably get more personal. who knows? perhaps i'll "come out" and introduce the real me someday. you know, i only did all this pseudonym stuff to protect myself...when i built this i was the budding age of 16. i'm now 21, and while i'm probably not any bigger in size, i am a little smarter, and i'm technically an adult. i can buy beer! but who cares, i hate beer.

well now i'm just rambling and no one really wants to read pointless ramblings from the webmaster of this 5 year old site on supposedly, "criminal psychology." i will add good content soon, including good, legitimate links, and some more questions to the FAQ. i know everyone hates me because i don't email them back...so..i'm sorry. i'll try harder.

okay, bedtime. AMDG, del.

october 5, sometime before noon...

hiya. did some editing...erased some stuff, cleaned up a bit. the computer is still dead, so the revamping of this site will again have to be postponed. my organization on campus is about to have its first meeting - the Forensics Education Organization. i'm psyched. :) classes are good. i'm contemplating a career that is more neuropsychologically oriented... could be for me. doesn't mean the content of this site will change any. hope all is good - delano.

august 26, 814am

hello! welcome back students! i have just finished completing my first week of classes. needless to say, i am overwhelmed, and exhausted (already?!). it's been great though and i am really looking forward to the new semester. i think i will be dropping my sociology major - the sociology department here is just really not worth my time. i'll keep a minor in it, and i think i'll be taking some computer classes. i'm starting to think about graduate school and what kinds of things they'll be looking for, and i'm positive they're going to be looking at computer expertise/experience. this semester i'm changing routes quite a bit - with less of an influence in psychopathology, i've took a turn towards psychophysiology. which is excellent because this is what i might want to do for the rest of my life. neuroscience and criminals...see where i'm getting at? it's actually quite a combination, and i think i could really get some interesting experiments out of it. but anyway..... continuing on.
i apologize for coming to a halt with the site. the problem is, my computer is basically useless. however, i am in for an upgrade this following week, and if all goes well, i will have a rockin' computer by the end of the week. if that is so, well, you can foresee a number of changes on this site, including graphics and some content. until then though, no promises. now i have to go eat breakfast. cheers! delano.

update: sat july 2, 1220am

greetings from northern virginia! the summer is going by...going by...the internship at the Sexual Homicide Exchange is currently in the works. a small setback - nothing big. i really have NOT been updating the site - while i am away from HQ, my home, i'm unable to add articles to the site and do much work online. but, i'm still reachable through email, so email me anytime with those questions. ;) once i get back home and start preparing for school there will be more to say....anticipate the change. hope everyone is having a wild and safe summer. good things, delano.

update: mon april 17, 740pm

well, ain't i the updating machine?! ;) i just thought i'd update all of you on the recent occurrences here at the university. well, it seems that my classmate has failed to save my professor's position....i knew it was a stretch in the first place, but the principle she based her passions on still stands strong. she is correct in voicing out her opinion, and i strongly encourage all of you to do the same. anyway, she ended to event with an incredibly humorous letter to her professors and peers...apparently, the meeting with the interim head of the sociology department didn't go too well. to find out what all of that is about, click here.

amy, the webmaster of serialkillers.net, and also a good friend of mine, has an excellent quote by bruno jasienski on the main page. i'll share it with you, it goes like this, "Do not fear your enemies. The worst they can do is kill you. Do not fear friends. At worst, they may betray you. Fear those who do not care; they neither kill nor betray, but betrayal and murder exists because of their silent consent." i couldn't have said it any better. apathy yields the tolerance for an intolerable society. passiveness has the same effect. yes, i know, it is good to be a pacifist, but at the same time, it is not good to remain tolerant for things that should not be tolerated in the first place. a lot of people out there today think that, "oh, well, if i speak my voice, i might offend someone, so i'll just shutup." no..that's not the way to do it. that's called "copping out." if you choose that path you are only adding to the apathy that tolerates the sins of others, which are incredibly detrimental to our everyday lives.

unfortunately, i think our youth gets the impression that that is what is encouraged - to tolerate these sins that have become trivial. well, i'm telling you now that tolerance isn't the solution.

it's not as simple as, "teach tolerance." the message that motto gives has been misconstrued by its audience. initially, the motto means teach tolerance to kids who are violent and lash out aggressively at others for petty things. this is in reference to the violence that occurs among our youths - gang fights, shootings, etc. however, many people have received the message as being tolerant for everything, even things that should not be tolerated. unfortunately, it is this that yields the passivity of our society.

what my message to you is, to tolerate the right things, and to be intolerant of the right things. be tolerant - don't shoot your neighbor because his dog left feces on your lawn (don't shoot the dog either). don't encourage school fights, and instill in your children temperaments that are out of control. for those things, be tolerant. but also be intolerant - if you see injustice being done, don't just sit there and shake your head, DO something about it! do whatever is in your power to stop that injustice. because if you just sit there, that injustice is only going to continue, and sooner or later, people will be negatively effected by it. tolerance and pacifism aren't always key; in fact, a lot of the times, they are counter-productive agents.

anyway, enough of my soapbox ;).

my recent interests in forensic psychophysiology have led me to do some readings of the current research out there concerning sexual deviance. click here to read my review.

two more weeks...then, after exams, i am DONE. i hope all of you are doing well and discovering new things as well. best wishes to you all, and thanks for reading.

delano

update: thurs april 7, 1220am

my bestfriend phil's birthday was april 4th. phil died in the fall of 1998. i forgot about his birthday. wow. that's just weird. i remember his last year's birthday pretty clearly - and i can't believe a year has gone by so fast. in many ways though, my life has changed a lot, and i have matured...A LOT. it's incredible to reflect, and be happy with how far you've come now. i think regret is damaging and anti-progressive - if you have something that's stuck in your throat, i encourage you to let it go, and to look ahead. optimism actually has a function.

things right now are excellent. it's almost the end of the semester, and grades are looking pretty smooth (except for calculus..oops). in this semester, i have learned so much - i wish i could show all of you. it is liberating to feel strengthened and satisfied. work hard - delayed gratification is worth it.

my professor, on the other hand, is in trouble. his position at the university is in jeopardy. he is an adjunct professor, but he has been teaching here for over ten years and the department of sociology won't give him a permanent position because its cheaper (and more "rational") to have him working part-time (no benefits, hardly any salary too). anyway, i don't blame the department really - i blame the university, because unfortunately, this "technological school" doesn't value the social sciences, as it doesn't serve them economically as the other departments. thus, their justification of giving very little money to the department, causing the department to have to resort to cheaper labor in order to survive. sick, isn't it? push-button society..it's an illusion that we're on the rise - we're really falling. anyway, enough of that, i'm probably incoherent as it is....the point of the matter is, my professor is losing his job to money-grubbing businessmen who are running our university (when they shouldn't be in the first place), and in the meantime, trivializing my education. my classmate wrote a very fine petition. to read it, and possibly sign it, click here.

the site? ha! oh, sorry. well, i'm updating!!!! kind of. i'll be adding a sociological theory section at the end of the semester. i'm goign to seattle for vacation at the end of may, and shortly after that i'll be going to DC to work with P.I., Pat Brown (www.she-dc.com), on her non-profit organization, Sexual Homicide Exchange. after that i'll be roadtripping up the east coast with my love to visit friends and family..and then, classes start again at the end of august!! ugh.. i have my life TOO planned out. spontaneity is sometimes nice for a change. anyhooo..

i hope you guys are doing great! i'm reaching 100,000 visitors -- wow! that's amazing. keep it coming fellas!

all good things,
delano.

update: mon mar 6, 6:02pm

One more week and Spring Break will rescue me from all despair! I'm kidding you...This semester has been going very smoothly. I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying your studies too. As you know, I took a break from the Psychology Department and I'm getting in close with the Sociology Department here. Needless to say, it has been a wild and mind-expanding experience. I have a really excellent professor for Sociological Theory, so a class that I think is usually considered a snore is actually quite entertaining. I do have a lot of paper work this semester, but all of it is good and most of it will be posted on the site soon. I do have a new article up regarding Megan's Law for those of you interested in that. Enjoy.
As for other things concerning the site...I have updated most sections...There are new links, and I have also updated the papers section. Please check out the links I have provided for you. They are very resourceful. Soon I will also be linking the site to a very resourceful research engine that is run by the university here. This is for the more indepth students out there who are looking for journal articles and abstracts.
And now..it's time for me to eat dinner. Carry on folks! Best of luck to you and your endeavors....delano. ;)

update: tues feb 1, 3:40pm

Welp, it's the start of a new semester. It's looking good! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday...I most certainly did (so much that I had to push aside working on this site..oops!). This semester I'm taking a small break from Psychology and expanding my knowledge in the field of Sociology. I'm taking Individual In Society (kind of an intro to Social Psychology), Sociological Theory, and Criminology. I'm now into the third week of classes and already I am getting the vibe that this will be a very educational semester.

I'm taking calculus! *gulp* It's not so bad. Math is rare for those in Social Sciences, but it is more important than some believe. Calculus is an essential tool for those who want to do research in the field..so, I encourage all of you to expand your knowledge in math and to DO WELL!!

Research for me, has come to a halt. I will not be working with any professors this semester because it is imperative that I have my full concentration on the books this semester. I guess my freshman year experience with research makes up for this small break :).

Now, as for the site...All of you are pissed at me, I know. I'm supposed to have added a whole lot of stuff already and it never happened because something always comes up and I am never given the time to do it (excuses, of course). Well, I'd like to announce that I AM slowly updating the site (matter of fact, the intro to general psychology page is updated as well as the links page). More papers will be added throughout the course of the semester. As for the booklist....being that I don't have a lot of time right now, that will have to wait. If there is a need for a book recommendation please write to me and state specifically what topic you are looking for. In the links section I will also add a research section for your help.

Anyway, that's all for now! I got to get back to these calculus problems *eeep*. Keep shining!
all good things, delano.

update: wed dec 8, 6:43pm

Ugghh!! Finals SUCK! Ah...well, it will all be over within a week. In the meantime, I am feeling pretty suffocated by all this work. I did write a nice lengthy monster for my Abnormal Psych professor on pedophila...Click here to read that. As for my personal opinion on the topic...Can pedophiles / sex offenders be rehabilitated? HA! No. Those suckers are pretty manipulative beasts and have fooled many a mental health professional. Lock 'em up and throw away the key! Apologies, I'm in a verbal mood. I am anticipating the holiday.. I will get to do all the revisioning that I've been dreaming about doing. Anyway, I hope life is treating all of you well. Please don't hesitate to instant message me (my AOL IM is Karnaugh), ICQ me (#2393473), or email me (delano@vt.edu), although a response is not guaranteed. :) Best of luck to you all during finals or whatever your endeavors are!
cheers, delano.

update: fri nov 12, 3:20pm

Welp, progress on this site has definitely come to a halt. But not for long! I have just endured an entire semester of Abnormal Psychology. Surely something will come of it. Thanksgiving Break is coming around, so I might actually find some time to modify the site some. I apologize - sincerely, I do. I know a lot of you visit often in hopes to find something new or to expect that booklist I've been promising for so long. I have some grand ideas for the site...Some which will actually materialize probably during Winter Break. I'm thinking about putting up an internet-based Victims Of Violent Crime Center, where I'll have hotline numbers and addresses people can anonymously contact for help. I'm also going to revise the Intro Psych section (since it's so badly written and put together..I literally wrote that thing in five minutes), add a couple new papers to the Papers/Files section (sociological paper, abnormal psyc paper, and a biological/legal aspect of incest laws), and probably add in an Abnormal Psychology section. I may even add an Intro to Sociology section, but I haven't decided on that yet. And yes..I will add new links.. What else?
Research is going somewhere....Well, not as much as I am anticipating it going somewhere. I am currently working for my Abnormal Psych professor who is doing research on children's reaction to fires and the development of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). He's got 5 or 6 states covered...Pretty amazing. I'll be studying the literature on the project next semester as an independent study, and I might also be helping out a professor of sociology (he teaches the crime and deviance section) with his Drug Court project. Oh yeah! I've decided to double major in Psychology and Sociology with an emphasis in Crime and Deviance from the Sociology dpt. This will be fun. :)
On a more personal note, I am now the undeniable age of 19! Last year I felt the dawning of adulthood..this year, it's more of a weight than a "dawning." Time is starting to go by a little too fast for my taste, and I'm wondering just how fast life is going to pass me by from now on. The semester is nearly over, and I must say I went through many trials..emotional trials. Next semester, as most beginning-of-the-semester's are, will be about revision in discipline, maturity, and independence. I wish I would just stick to my guns and just advance instead of having to go through all these little setbacks. But such is life!! Atleast I'm taking 3 steps forward and 2 steps back, instead of 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. Progression is still substantial, no matter how little (or, atleast I keep telling myself that).
Am I still in love? Very much so. I've learned so much in the past month about myself, and what it's like to let someone else into your world. It is a humbling, maturing, and extremely postive experience. It is humbling in the sense that you are always self-evaluating your every move, and every selfish error you come upon you immediately realize and work on eliminating. A lot of the time you become faced with inner struggles you hadn't realized you had, and it gets pretty rough because these demons are often hard to get rid of. Nonetheless, all of it is positive because learning is continuous, and the greatest thing of all is, the love grows stronger with every trial. Anyway, enough of this lovey-dovey stuff, sorry to make you all sick to your stomach.
Welp, everyone have a great Thanksgiving! Cheers, delano.

update: sun oct 10, 11:11pm

Mmmm..I feel bad for not updating in awhile. I also feel bad because I haven't added that darned booklist yet and I also haven't emailed a ton of you back with answers to yuor various questions concerning the field. Let me re-emphasize the purpose of the FAQ and Questions & Answers on my site...The FAQ will answer your questions concerning the field, the education required, and networking. The Questions & Answers section include my answers/anecodotes/opinions regarding questions like, "Do you believe criminals are made or born?" I believe these two sections of the site will aid you in your quest for knowledge..if for some reason these two sections do not satisfy you, please email me @ delano@vt.edu.
Now that I have that squared away, things are going well...almost too well. On a more personal level, I'd just like to announce that I've recently fallen in love, and I must say, there is nothing quite like it. I have never been happier. I also just got a research position (my first meeting is the day after tomorrow) under my Abnormal Psychology professor. The project is focused on child reactions to traumatic events such as fire, and the development of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It should be quite a journey. This is ideal for my honors thesis.
Anyway, work calls....I must go. I hope all of you are doing well, and I must apologize for not getting back to you through email. I will....one of these days. ;) Best wishes. Delano.

update: fri sept 3, 1:12am

So, here I am, sitting @ my new desk in my new apartment, enjoying an after midnight snack of Lucky Charms w/ milk and a glass of OJ with a few dietary supplements. It is near the end of my second week of classes and I am already learning that it isn't easy being independent. Monetary issues, I've learned, have way more impact on my life than they should. Of course, I had to learn the hard way by acting foolishly with my "spending" behavior this past summer.
Classes, so far, are great. It will be a challenging semester. Between classes, work (I wait tables @ a nearby restaurant), and my daily workout (cardio & weights), there isn't really much time to chill...But being busy and under stress is all part of the growing continuum. I find the process amusing, and sickly, quite entertaining. :)
I just picked up my copy of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, IV (DSM IV) @ the bookstore. It's fascinating. My Abnormal Psychology professor suggested we get a copy if we were planning on going to grad school, so I did. I've skimmed through some of it, and a lot of it makes sense. Other things are wishy washy like the usual psychological jargon, and some definitions are so detailed and restricting that it makes you realize there's a lot of overlapping and ambiguity in the mental health world...
Things @ the lab are going slow. I'm hoping it won't take up too much of my time this semester, although I'm sure that's quite the contrary. I plan on getting my research assistant certification by this December. There are possible aspirations for an independent study starting Spring semester. I'll either work under the supervision of my Abnormal Psychology professor or my Sociology professor. Maybe this time I'll get to do something I want to do... :)
As for SITE UPDATES. There aren't really any. I realize I DO need to add my booklist because a whole lot of you keep emailing me about book suggestions. Let me give you a few smart suggestions regarding book choice: Don't waste too much time in the True Crime section. Unless the book is by a professional in the field (detective, PhD, psychologist, psychiatrist), don't bother. Reading True Crime books written by "journalists" and whoever else isn't going to enlighten your knowledge of criminology any. They're just basically summarized cases..and even worse, put in their point of view. Here's the key - pick up books by professionals, and preferrably not the mainstream rip-offs like John Douglas or Robert Ressler. Sure, pick up their earlier work like the Crime Classification Manual and Sexual Homicide: Patterns & Motives..but if you read beyond Douglas' Mindhunter you've probably learned all you're going to learn from Douglas. You don't want to get shaped by one person's way of thinking - you want to be able to taste several pieces of mind in order to add to your wealth of knowledge. Always keep an open mind and refrain from buying every book off the shelf because that's just a waste of money. Choose wisely. Check out the Psychology section more. Some professionals actually have research to back up their statements so you know they're not just blabbering on about their anecdotes or opinions. Hope that helps. Goodluck!
And yes..of course, last but not least - I have created another website on Forensis Psychophysiology. Do I know anything about that field? Hardly... I put up the site for my fellow mentor, Dr. Robert Lee - a fellow Forensic Psychophysiologist. It is brand new and has yet to be advertised on Yahoo!. Please give it a look if you're interested..it's still very under construction but throughout the year it will build just as this one has. Click here to visit.
Thanks to all of you who have written me in the past month. I apologize to those who I have not replied to yet - things are kind of hectic right now, but one day when have the time to catch my breath I will write back... :) Best wishes, Delano.

update: sat july 24, 9:53am

I was talking to my co-worker last night. She graduated from college over a year ago and spent a year applying to law schools and studying for her L-SATs. She will be leaving to study law in two weeks. She majored in Psychology. We were discussing a bit of psychopathology last night and she came upon this book she had read earlier this summer. "It was by this French guy and it was about this guy who murdered someone and just didn't even seem to care.." And immediately I said, "Camus. The Stranger." "Yes," she said, "that's it." We talked about that a little more, and then we wound up discussing existentialism and hedonism. She said, "The scariest thing to me is the people who have absolutely no remorse for hurting people." I nodded, and agreed.
This conversation got me thinking. I was a struggling existentialist deep in denial for most of the last year and a half. What a disease it was to my mind and my body! Existentialists consider themselves, if not anything else, gods of the world, who practice hedonism (pleasure-seeking) solely based on the idea that that was what life was all about. Life to an existentialist held no meaning, no black or whites...all grey. That is what plagued me the most. If everything is grey, what does anything matter? If you choose A over B, or B over A, what difference will it make if life holds no purpose? If we are just parasites living off a speck of dust in the universe?
I was cured of this idealism and sickness over a month ago. I realize now that existentialism was a retraction for me - a state of mind to dwell in in order to cope with the life events that had occurred earlier..But what of it? Why is it so dangerous to be a hedonistic existentialist? I write this now, because it is a danger. People who constantly seek pleasure without the voice of consequence will hurt people with little if any remorse. These people have developed psychopathic traits (if not being defined as a total psychopath) by just putting themselves in front of others. They are completely egocentric, and they see nothing wrong of it. I discovered this summer that there are black and whites - not that simple of course and not that concrete. There are multiple various shades that can easily be dismissed by the label of "grey." These shades are subtle, just like the frequencies on the radio. It doesn't take much to cross any line.
Del

update: fri july 23, 11:07pm

Well, this is a disappointment. I updated this thing maybe two days ago and it doesn't look like geocities saved it. Grrr! Oh well..C'est la vie!
I am back from my vacation in Canada..it was a wild time. I learned a great deal about myself, and my family, and I learned the depths of human frailties, humilities, and the depths of myself..It was the start of a long independent journey, and I am very grateful for all of this and all the people who have helped me along the way.
Now, I must put up a precaution. Beware of the wandering psychopath. Do not mistake this term as the stereotypical psychotic madman who who is easily pointed out in a crowded street going insanely out of control,...He is also not necessarily the dark stranger who lurks in the corners and probably has a head collection in the freezer of his mother's basement. He is everywhere. He could be your neighbor, your brother, your daughter, your uncle, your friend. You probably pass 15-20 psychopaths per day, per hour, AT THE LEAST. It doesn't take much to be a psychopath. All it takes is a void of empathy. He is impulsive, a seeking hedonist, possibly violent, and contains a self-contempt so unbearable that he must carry an inflated persona to hide it. He thinks of people as "things," as "dependencies" that he can just discard whenever he is finished with them. While I will not give a lesson here on psychopathology, I will in the least tell all of you to be cautious with who interact with, and who you will give your trust. I have learned my lesson the hard way.
So, as it is, the summer is coming to a closure.... I am going to be making a small move in August, and then classes will start back up at the end of August. I am looking forward to new adventures in the lab, more traveling and speaking at conferences with my teams, and of course, the main course itself, Abnormal Psychology.
I realize this site needs a serious overall update..and I apologize to those I never got back to throughout the summer - I have been very occupied and my net time was very limited on vacation. Keep writing and sharing your thoughts with me, and in my best efforts I will try to respond.
Thanks, and take care of yourselves...delano.

update: sat june 5, 2:47am

*phew* Finals ended a good 2-3 weeks ago, and I must admit..sloth had gotten the best of me. Actually, I got this horrible bug a week after school and was bedridden for an entire week which wasn't fun...and I've been working on recuperating since. Now that my immune system has regained back its strength, I can finally get on here and do some good... ;)
Anyway, things ended all right. Not as smoothly as I had hoped -- Things just happened so fast that I wasn't given enough time to think. That's the weird thing about life. Sometimes I'm so tired of anticipation that I get crazy and feel like nothing ever happens. And then..all of a sudden, pardon my french, life flashes by you and bites you in the a**. Yup. So anyway..that's sort of what happened.
Unfortunately, I am not going to be working any hours @ the lab due to some finance shortages. The lab is low on manpower (meaning graduate students) and also low on grant money - neither I can do much about. I am going to check in with my mentor pretty soon to ask if I can do anything for him this summer, but I doubt that will go anywhere either.
No pessimism. Just realism.
So..all the reason for me to JUST HAVE A GRAND OL' TIME this summer! Yes indeedy..and that's what I plan to do. I'll be doing some mondo-travelling starting July, and I'll be roadtrippin' all around the East Coast to see some fabulous shows and to visit some fabulous people. I'll be free this summer. That's my plan. So, if you notice that it's the middle of July already and this happens to be my last update, just think of me having fun, and understand that..well, the site's not going to be updated in awhile. :) I'm also making a small move in mid-August so there will be a couple thousand little changes in my life. Nevertheless, responsibility will call for me when it does (when classes start back up August 27th..so freakin' early), and the site will be updated monthly as usual (I realize now that I didn't touch this site the whole month of May..well, I did have exams..).
So, anyway, all you folks out there..Have fun. Enjoy your summer. If you do something really cool and interesting, drop me a note and let me know. If you have something you would like to contribute to this site, also drop me a note. I can't promise you I'll get back to you any time soon, but if it catches my eye, I will respond. Have a great summer! Be free!
Del

update: thurs april 29, 1999 11:53pm

Well, I've decided to add an "update" page so I don't have to keep erasing stuff and repeating things because it gets redundant. Plus, it saves room on the main page, so it's all good. Anyway, it's nearing the end of the semester..and finals are just around the corner. I'm seriously dreading them because, well, I've been a really bad slacker..It's all my fault! Never slack! It doesn't matter how unmotivated or uninspired you are -- think, DELAYED GRATIFICATION..Think about how you'll feel tomorrow, and do yourself a favor - DON'T SLACK (as I clearly have done)! Ah, I'll shetup, especially since I'll get flamed sooner or later for being the world's biggest hypocrite.

Anyway, I've met my rival. Well, I probably couldn't call him that because he's older and more experienced..There's no comparison. The man's got one hell of a site. Go check it out! Click here to check out The Ultimate Forensic Psychology Database. He's even got a list of several Forensic Psych grad programs in North America (how very non-discriminatory of him) which I know all of you are itching for. Go to that by clicking here. Yeah yeah, I'll add these links to my links site someday. Don't push. As for anything else that's new..Not really. I do have two new papers up discussing Freud's theories, ...They were for my English class, so, Freud = understandable. Do I recommend Freudian literature seriously as a psychological discipline? No. They are fun reads though. Click here to read about Freud's Eros and Thanatos and click here to read of the "human vampire."

What else? Summer plans! I'll be going to a few graduations in May,..saying my goodbyes, traveling..I'll be in Boston for a whole week. :) My kind of town. After that, I'll be working a full month in the psych lab and then...July 1st, I will arrive in Canada and party down with my brothers and sisters for an entire month..We may be crashing at Woodstock too, so keep an eye out! But anyway, that's enough about me... Hope all of you are doing fine. My current status --> VERY BUSY. Sorry. You can e-mail me, but chances are I won't get back to you till probably after the 10th of May. It bites, but I have to study! Anyway, best of luck on your exams. Ciao!
Delano

update: mon march 22, 1999 5:37pm

I got back from the SEPA (Southeastern Psychological Association) conference early Sunday morning. The entire trip was .. hmm, interesting. Savannah, needless to say, is a crazy crazy city.

I made a few contacts while down there. A lot of grad students and professors from the University of Central Florida seem to be doing a lot of studies involving the Forensic Psych area. I got to talking to a few of them but unfortunately, they do not have a Forensic Psych grad program (not yet). It seems their efforts are deserving of one though.

My presentation went well. I don't know if it was worthy of any awards (I will find out later) but it still went well, regardless. I wasn't nervous; it was just a poster presentation. All I did was stand there and answer questions. I think I am ready to do a talk at the next conference. Today at the lab's weekly meeting I got to talking with the professor that I work under and we were brewing some new ideas on a possible new study on shoplifting behavior. This will be in comparison to Megan's Law and its effects in the community - questions like, does individual prevention really deter the crimes, or does it just deter crimes in that one area, shifting the crimes over to an area without a prevention program? Okay, I know, you're probably like, "HUH?" Just brainstorming. I'll stop babbling.

Anyway, to summarize, the whole trip was a blast. I got to bond with the people in the lab, and I also learned a lot about the psychological community, ins and outs, and whatnot. It was cool. I definitely can't wait to go to another conference.

Advice? Get involved with research. It will do wonders for you. It will help you make connections and it will take you places. It will also beat you aside the head, remind you that you are error-prone, take up all your time to socialize and do other cool stuff, and serve as an agonizing tick for all those tedious tasks that you have to accomplish to do everything right. Hee hee. But..delayed gratification, right? That's what it's all about. It will get you ahead, and it will stick out on your vita/resume. It will make you look awesome. Do it! It's worth it!

Anyway, sorry for the junk talk, on to the good schtuff...

The site! I have updated some of the sections (yesh, I realize I have to update my links page, don't remind me!)... There are four new articles dealing with four different areas of psychology. I have also FINALLY finished the FAQ so please go there before emailing me your questions. In addition to the FAQ, a Q & A has been added to answer general questions regarding the subject matter (i.e., "What do you think is the best way to deal with criminals?")..So, please check that out before emailing me as well. And if you haven't been around much, I finally completed my biography. If you have any questions, please email me. Lately I have been extremely busy, so I apologize to those who I have not gotten back to. I will try my best to respond. Thanks, and best of luck this semester!

cheers to mental health,
Delano