I don't get the impression that this guy thinks killing people and eating them is wrong, though.

perhaps, but the question is does he know that it's against the law?

does he know that it's against the law?

Is that the dividing line?

And now I have to go to four hours of meeting. At least there's food.

But why only part of a break? I feel very binary about this--either it's okay to kill someone willing, or it's really not.

I see your point. But, I doubt that anyone ever really thought about it. I suppose that a corollary would be a failed suicide pact (i.e. where two people are supposed to shoot each other and one misses)

I think a closer corollary would be euthanasia.

To my obviously unschooled eyes, he sounds like he's crazy by American standards. Isn't it about not being able to recognise what you're doing is wrong? Or is that Law & Order boiling it down and losing the nuance?

Like Vortex already noted, that's close enough definition for a discussion, since every state will be somewhat different. I think it's hard sometimes to separate out the already craziness you need to actually commit a crime, let alone a horrifying murder, and the craziness you need to not know that intentionally killing someone is wrong. I think this guy knew what he was doing was intentional homicide, whether the other guy wanted it or not. BUT this is a great 2-minute L&O legal question.

Is that the dividing line?

pretty much. My use of the "wrong" is synonymous with "illegal"

I think a closer corollary would be euthanasia.

oh, that's even better.

And now I have to go to four hours of meeting. At least there's food.

Your coworkers do not count as food. Unless there's ketchup.

Concept toaster.

Toasts between two pieces of heated glass so you can see when your toast is done. Brilliant!

Co-workers can be a good source for food--I just got a mini-Nestle bar from just down the aisle. First thing I've eaten since last night; I've got to finish unpacking the kitchen stuff tonight so I can make up some tuna casserole for dinner and lunch for the next few days.

Whiny first-world sulk:

Yesterday morning I brought Monday night's fancy-dinner-out leftovers for lunch (potato gnocchi in a possibly vodka-spiked cream marinara sauce with spinach and mushrooms), and then there was unexpected free food at lunch, so I left the leftovers for today. Now they're gone. The fridge presently contains food dating back from last November, so thrown-out is unlikely. Someone just stole my tasty leftovers! Stole them! Out of the department chair's office!

Also, the cafeteria is really smelly today and all the lines will be really really long until well past 1:00, so now I'm screwed. Well, I have an apple, so I'm not totally screwed. But an apple is thin consolation when one was expecting potato gnocchi in vodka cream marinara sauce.

If I find out which cow-orker poached from me (I suppose I can just wander the hallways looking for someone in a blissed-out food stupor), I'm eating the poacher. With or without ketchup. I'm not fussy.

Kathy, if I Paypal you some money, would you promise to eat something healthy?