A Case Against the Death Penalty April 25, 2009

If Death Penalty Advocates Had Their Way, This Innocent Man Would be Dead

On This Date In History:  Here’s an example of why I am against the death penalty.  Before you get too riled up, it’s mainly because it assumes a perfect system and the release of James Richardson from 21 years on Florida’s death row on this date in 1989 illustrates my point.  In 1967, his seven children were poisoned to death after his neighbor came over and heated up a meal for the seven Richardson children while Richardson and his wife were out picking fruit in the fields.  The kids all began foaming at the mouth and subsequently died.  The prosecutor told the jury how Richardson had met with a life insurance salesman just the day before about insuring his whole family.  They had found the poisoned food in the home and the poison behind in the family’s shed.  That’s it…guilty!!  Well, the prosecutor didn’t tell the jury that the insurance salesman came by unsolicited and that Richardson never bought any insurance because he couldn’t afford it.  The jury also was never told that…the neighbor was on parole for…poisoning her first husband to death!!! She was suspected of killing her second husband as well. 

Are All of These Men Guilty? Would You Bet Your Life on It?

Fortunately the truth came out and the Richardson got out of jail after 21 years but the man was supposed to go to the electric chair.  There was a mistake.  The prosecutor was a bum, the guy had a crummy defense attorney and the jury was wrong.  It happens in an imperfect system but the death penalty is irrevocable.  If this guy had been killed, what do you tell the family “whoops?”  Where does his wife go for justice?  If the guy was executed, why would a case like that not be negligent homicide for the jury and judge and murder for the prosecutor?  See…that is my point. It’s an imperfect system yet there is an ultimate penalty.  Before you get really really bent out of shape, consider the real problem with this story…the parole of a murderer.  Had that neighbor woman been left in jail to serve her sentence instead of being paroled, it wouldn’t have happened.

Capital punishment is perfect but the system is not.  One mistake is not worth it.  If judges, juries and prosecutors were told they would be held responsible for a mistake in a capital case, do you really think there would be many death sentences?  Life in prison is a greater punishment in my opinion and it at least leaves open a potential remedy in the case of a mistake or like this case, injustice by a wayward prosecutor.  Here’s something else that I find ironic regarding the capital punishment…ever notice the number of people who proclaim themselves as pro-life, yet support the death penalty?  If you say that all life is precious, then how can one be for the death penalty? 

Beautiful Story with Sad Ending

 Samantha Smith became an international celebrity on this date in 1982 as a 10 year old when the Soviet Union published a written response to her letter to Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov in which she asked if the USSR was going to start a nuclear war.  This is a cute, feel good, reflective story until you reach the end.  Samantha Smith died in a plane crash at the age of 13.  Try this link for more:

http://www.samanthasmith.info/

Crockett Tells a Bear Tale

Davy Crockett became famous on this date in 1831 when a play called The Lion of the West opened in New York. He was played by an actor who was famous at the time named Hackett.  Later on books and stuff came out and the mythology of Crockett was born, especially after he was killed at the Alamo.  But, one thing is for certain, PETA would not have been a fan.  Myths that are based on real people usually have a measure of truth.  In Crockett’s case, the references to him “skinning a bahr” (bear) perhaps came from the fact that he once killed 105 bears in Tennessee in one season.  If this is indeed a fact, then its no wonder we don’t see too many bears in Tennessee these days. 

Nice Shirt, Dick.

No Bowling Shoes!

President Truman put in a bowling alley at the White House on this date in 1947.  If you recall, during the election, then Senator Obama went bowling.  Perhaps he knew of the White House bowling alley and thought that practicing on the lanes was part of the audition.    If so, he needs a little help. I think he bowled something like a 37.  Turns out, Truman didn’t like bowling too much either but he had it installed so that staffers could recreate and start a league.  In 1955, the lanes were moved to the Executive Office Building but in 1969, President Nixon had a single lane put back in.  Before he took office, President Obama said he was going to give up on bowling and replace the lane with a basketball court.   Not sure if he’s gotten around to it yet.

Edward R. Murrow might be celebrating his 101st birthday today if he hadn’t smoked so much.

Weather Bottom Line:  If you look at the channel shown above with the slight risk and moderate risk in the middle in the plains, then you  get a fair idea of where the action should be for the next several days.  We’ve got a ridge over the Southeast and the weakness and the jetstream will be oriented from the Southwest through the plains toward the Great Lakes.  Impulses of energy will be ejected from time to time through the region and severe weather will probably break out in that area at varying times.  On Tuesday, we get a front coming through as the ridge breaks down a bit.   Until then, we will see lots of sunshine with highs in the low to mid 80’s.  Snow White and I went to the Reds and the Braves last night.  It was a wonderful night.  The weather for a baseball game in Cincinnati will be outstanding through Monday, when the Astros show up…they better hope for rain because the Astros suck right now.

http://alphainventions.com/

alphainventions

Mississippi River Flood Forecast; The Fastest Cat On Wheels! (not Toonces) June 24, 2008

My kitty cats are sisters…they were born on President Lincoln’s birthday in Cajun country in South Louisiana. They both are black and white and have very pretty markings with little black beards. So, one got named Mary Todd because she was clearly the nut-case of the two. Even at age 12 she still chases her tail. The more serene, and now fat one, is Abee. Couldn’t name her Abe. They both have different personalities and now have other names. Most notably, Nit and Wit. I also called them Fat and Cat, Fatso and kitty cat, Barfette and Poopalot and other names that etiquette prevents me from presenting. They are good watch cats as they growl at any disturbance out of the ordinary and they are good weather cats as whenever the weather gets bad, they come and curl up around Snow White’s feet like house slippers. When it’s really bad, they go to their shelters in the interior of the house. I once found Mary Todd(Nit) in the small closet in the bathroom and Abee (Wit) was behind the toilet. They may be smart, but I don’t think that they can perform as well as a certain cat on this date in 1928.

The above graphic shows the flood outlook for the week of the 23rd. Not suprisingly, the reds are along the mid Mississippi River Valley. If you look at the yellows though in the region, there is concern that rain this week may be sufficient to cause river flooding problems in other parts of the basin. The flooding that is going on is generally not comparable to 1993. For some it is, but not most places. However, in 1993 there was an extended period of rain in the plains and, if this pattern doesn’t change, then its not totally out of the question that this story isn’t over yet.

As far as we are concerned, we are in the midst of a shift. The big upper low around the Great Lakes is shifting Northeast as a high comes over the top of us. That started on Monday which is why the rain chances shifted east as the day progresses with parts of the eastern portion of the viewing area getting rain and t’storms…South and East early…East and northeast in the afternoon. Tuesday will be great. Look for Snow White and I in the sculls on the river. Heat and humidity return with a warm front early Wednesday. Highs in the low 90’s, overnight lows in the low 70’s. A shortwave that was progged to come through on Wednesday night has now shifted north of the area and there is consensus with this. We are on the tail end of the vorticity axis but its probably not enough to produce anything but maybe some storms north toward Indy. There may be convective stuff on Thursday. Friday perhaps something more scattered with a little upper disturbance and then Saturday a front comes in that will produce t’storms. That is the beginning of a shift back to a nice pattern similar to what we’ve had. In short, the hot and humid conditions do not look like that they will last more than about 4 days. Then we get a ridge in the west and trof in the east type long wave pattern.

On This Date in History: Rocket technology has some roots in America with Robert Goddard and in Germany with Werner Von Braun. Those names are relatively well known. But also in Germany, Fritz Von Opel was into rockets. He did quite a few tests in 1928 but he was more into cars and transportation than such fanciful things that Goddard and Von Braun were into, namely getting into space. The Opel RAK 1 was a rocket powered car driven by Kurt C Volkhart to a speed of 75 mph. He later drove the RAK two, featuring two rocket boosters, to 143 mph. Opel then bought a sail plane, put a rocket on it created the first rocket plane. It exploded on the second test flight before Opel himself could pilot it. No word on who the lucky pilot was. But, Opel bought another plane and flew it successfully in September 1930. But, he wasn’t done with rocket cars…on this date in 1928, he tested the RAK 3.

It was a rocket powered car on a railroad track. Opel didn’t drive it though…he left that to a cat! The cat passenger rocketed to a new record 157 mph! He was the fastest cat alive. But the second half of the statement soon was left untrue. Opel again put the cat behind the wheel but this time, the rocket rail car malfunctioned and all of the rockets fired at once sending the feline flying down the track until the vehicle crashed. The cat did not survive. In spite of the pictures above…never let the cat get behind the wheel. Good thing for Opel PETA wasn’t around. I’m not sure why Opel volunteered a cat to be the brave driver, but at least he could have put him in the promotional photo.