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Journalism of Courage
Boy8217;s suicide note states cartoon show as the clue
OCEAN CITY: A 12-year-old boy left a suicide note telling his parents to watch a popular but violent cartoon show to learn why he killed himself. The note mentioned the South Park cartoon character Kenny, a silent third-grader who is killed violently in every episode of the show, which appears on the comedy central cable channel.
The show has spawned hundreds of web sites and a video game and has been featured on the cover of Newsweek, Spin and Rolling Stone magazines. Maryland State Police said the note mentioned South Park, but refused yesterday to release a copy. The boy, Darron Lawrence Green, was found with a plastic bag over his head, sealed around his neck with masking tape and a tightened drawstring cord, police said.
South Park features four foul-mouthed 8-year-olds who frequently curse, pass gas and make crude jokes that target groups such as Jews, Blacks and Lesbians. The character Kenny dies a violent death each week, prompting the show8217;s most quoted line, 8220;Oh my God, they killed Kenny.8221;
Viagra8217;s fallout
WASHINGTON: The deaths of six men after using Viagra since the popular impotence drug was made available for sale in the United States are under investigation, news reports said today.
Federal regulators and the Pfizer Inc., the drug8217;s manufacturer, confirmed the deaths of the six men. Their deaths could be unrelated to the drug, but the news reports raised concerns that Viagra might have interacted with other drugs, and inspired some men with heart conditions to increasetheir sexual activities.More than 900,000 users have got prescriptions for Viagra since the drug was approved in April by the US FDA.
Pfizer sent a letter this week to doctors warming them about increased sexual activity by patients with heart conditions and the complications that could result in connection with other drugs.
Joseph Feczko, the top drug safety control officer for Pfizer, said complications so far were lower than we had expected, based on the number of prescriptions. The figures so far, he said, have given the drug company a reassuring feeling.
