Two pieces of news found there way into my email this week. Both items left me concerned – and disturbed.

The article alerts readers of our area that an invasive plant, when in contact with humans, is known to cause third degree burns or blindness.

The giant hogwood plant, which looks very similar to cow parsnip is being tracked by the University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health. The center runs an online mapping system which records where and when it is found. If that isn’t “sci-fi movie” scary enough for you, the article cited several places in our county where it’s found. This invasive plant, has been discovered a mile from my home and just blocks from my childhood home.

This the stuff of childhood nightmares – caustic plants climbing through the bedroom window…

The next article was that Illinois is among the states with the most number of psychopaths.

Like Illinois needs another problem.

A recent study conducted by Southern Methodist University stated this could be explained by high population density or by the type of person who may be drawn to a literal seat of power. Which would explain why Washington D.C. was ranked number one. Illinois landed at number ten.

Knowing this, will the state legislators take this information into account when doing their job? I mean, if we’ve been consistently losing 34,000 people every year for the past few years, does that mean the sane are leaving? Perhaps this explain why our psychopathic population density is greater than Idaho.

The top ten psychopathic states in the U.S. are:
10) Illinois
9)Nevada
8) Wisconsin
7) Maine
5) New York and Wyoming (tied)
4) New Jersey
3) California
2) Connecticut
1) District of Columbia

Personally, I find Connecticut the second highest curious. Isn’t that part of quintessential New England?  The most disturbing thought is how many of those people with psychopathic tendencies in D.C. currently hold office?

Let’s review what psychopathic tendencies are – we aren’t talking “Mind Hunters” types – more like everyday people psychos.

Scientific American magazine states psychopaths are superficially charming, tend to make a good first impression and comes across at as quite normal. They are self-centered, dishonest and undependable. Irresponsible behavior for no apparent reason is another trait. These people also never feel any sense of responsibility, remorse or guilt. They are void of empathy and love. The more you peel away from the outer layer, you discover their reckless and callous relationships – even romantic ones. They offer excuses and often blame others for their own actions.

So this got me thinking: how many people do we know like that? Chances are if you live in Illinois, it’s pretty high that you do!