because the world really doesn't work right

I cherish the days I get to complain about jerks on the metro and people driving SUVs in the left lane going slow while talking on their cell phone.

I try to block out the bad news in the world - like what Israel is doing or the guy who was killed in Georgetown last weekend. For all the wonderful niceness, there is also a lot of terrible stuff in the world.

But you can only block out so much when something terrible happens close to home. I never had a class with Prof. Lash, but some of my best friends did. I often saw him standing outside on the common-area balcony rocking a purple suit and smoking a cigar before class. There really is nothing to say about this. It's just beyond comprehension.

Father Kills Self After Shooting Son
By Tom Jackman, Stephanie McCrummen and Daniela DeaneWashington Post Staff WritersFriday, July 14, 2006; 3:28 PM

A George Mason University law professor shot his 12-year-old son dead and then killed himself at their home in McLean after an apparent domestic dispute with his wife, police said Friday.

Fairfax County police identified the victims as William Lash III, 45, a GMU faculty member and a former Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and his 12-year-old son William Lash IV, known as "Will."

Police found the two before dawn Friday after hearing gunshots from the house hours before. They were called to the residence in west McLean by Lash's wife, they said.

Police said in a statement that a "preliminary investigation indicates this case is a murder/suicide with William Lash III shooting his son, William Lash IV, and then himself."

. . .

Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez issued a statement this afternoon that said: "Bill was a passionate, committed and hard working individual who was much loved and respected by his colleagues at Commerce. He was a vivacious, expansive, and tenacious Assistant Secretary who served this department and his country with dedication and extraordinary effectiveness. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

"This just doesn't belong to the normal range of human experience and we're all just heartbroken for his family, his community and for ourselves," said Daniel D. Polsby, dean of the George Mason University Law School.

Full article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071400502.html