[dighton]

And a third, trying to explain why she had bought several puppets that she did not want or need from a television shopping channel, spoke of feeling sorry for the toys when no one else bid on them.

[aculeus]

... Randy O. Frost, a professor of psychology at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and a national authority on the disorder who helped a group of medical, legal and social service agencies establish the New York City Task Force on Hoarding a year ago.

Similar groups exist in a dozen places, Dr. Frost said, including Seattle, Ottawa, Fairfax County, Va., and Dane County, Wis.

Doctor Frost, Title Hoarder.

[BlueLancer]

"Like the elderly tinkerer, the Bronx man, Patrice Moore, 43, saw treasure where others saw mainly trash."

"Life, as it is."
I have lived for over 40 years and I've seen "life, as it is": pain, misery, cruelty.

I've heard all of the voices of God's noblest creature: moans from bundles of filth in the streets.

I've been a soldier and a slave.
I've seen my comrades fall in battle or die more slowly under the lash in Africa.
I've held them in their last moments; these were men who saw "life, as it is".
But they died despairing. No glory. No bray of last words. Only their eyes filled with confusion, questioning "Why?"
I do not think they were asking why they were dying, but why they had ever been born.

Life itself seems lunatic. Who knows where madness lies?
Perhaps to be too practical is madness.
To surrender dreams, this may be madness;
To seek treasure where there is only trash.
Too much sanity may be madness.

But maddest of all, to see "life, as it is" and not as it should be!
("Man of La Mancha")

[Cogadh na Sith]

And a third, trying to explain why she had bought several puppets that she did not want or need from a television shopping channel, spoke of feeling sorry for the toys when no one else bid on them.

Sounds just like my ex-wife... It nearly drove me mad. I guess it finally did drive her mad...