Weekend Roundup
July 29, 2007
Heatwatch: It hit 103 today, and was 102 yesterday. And no, I did not dare go out today.
Tadahito Iguchi deserved better than this. That’s all I’ll say on the matter. I’m still distraught.
Iraq just won a hard-fought Asian Cup final. Stay tuned for what should be a lot of feel good stories in the next couple of days. Here’s some very recent coverage of their win.
The dark side of Thomas Edison is revealed. The man was a maniac. Ok, maybe that’s taking it a little too far, but seriously…who electrocutes elephants? Or cats and dogs, for that matter?
Here’s a highly classified training manual for secret agents. It’s obvious that nobody was ever meant to see these documents. If my blog disappears tomorrow, you’ll know why.
If you’re reading this on Sunday morning, there’s still time to catch the World Series of Video Games (on CBS, of course). That’s it, CBS is no longer on my bad side…just for offering this. Somebody TiVO the Guitar Hero finals for me, please? Oh right, the tourney was held a month ago in Louisville (ha!).
An update from the first official Bears practice. Things are looking up. I mean, we got “Real Deal” on our side. How can we lose? Also, I predict good things from Greg Olsen. And so do Protraders, apparently, making him a huge price gainer. And oh, Protraders are usually right about these things.
-Jack
July 30, 2007 at 4:36 am
You should watch the newest episode of PurePwnage (I think you watch that). “Oh my god, even the biggest noob can tell the difference between RL and a game; this is like, DX-five thousand graphics!” Haha.
July 30, 2007 at 5:25 am
Electrocuting animals is wrong but that is the past and in the past it was probably a particularly effective marketing/propaganda tool against AC.
As far as capital punishment is concerned, well there’s nothing wrong with it. Criminals, once they kill someone, forgo their rights as human beings because they obviously didn’t care deeply about the lives of their victims. It is also cheaper than using tax dollars to support them in prison for “life.” GO TEAM EDISON!
July 30, 2007 at 10:07 am
@ Simon: I’ve actually never heard of it…but I’ll definitely go check it out.
@Mark: Well, how can you say that it was effective when AC won out in the end? And with capital punishment, how many people have been wrongly convicted and executed? I mean, I’m not exactly against the idea as much as how it’s been carried out in the judicial system. But, that’s an argument for another time I guess.
July 30, 2007 at 11:23 am
DX-five thousand graphics.
Well, AC was more practical for transmitting power at long distances. So, essentially, for long distances, it’s more efficient to have high voltage current than to have just a whole shitload of current (power is proportional to voltage linearly, but to the square of current). But you can’t use a 10kV source for your hairdryer, so we have step down and step up transformers. Those only work with AC voltage (since you need the voltage, and hence current, to change over time).
But since DC is simpler to deal with, you change to DC. I guess also to satisfy Edison.
July 30, 2007 at 1:15 pm
@Jack: at the time Edison probably thought it was an effective way to communicate to his audience how AC is dangerous. That is also what the talking cat said.
Regarding capital punishment, 0 (zero) people have been wrongly convicted and executed. If anyone can find names for me then show me the names. We have DNA evidence now these days so running a few gels can tell us whether or not this guy/gal was a rapist/murderer/criminal/etc. People always lie, but numbers and gels don’t. In modern times when we catch a criminal we will know it was Professor Plum in the observatory with the candlestick.
July 30, 2007 at 3:21 pm
@Mark: 0? You’ve got to be kidding. Look on “wrongful execution” on Wikipedia. There has been at least one person executed who was proven innocent by DNA. Not to mention the fact that 65 people have been released from Death Row and declared innocent since 1973. 65!
I hope you really don’t believe that the justice system, even with DNA testing, is infallible.
July 30, 2007 at 11:31 pm
@Jack: That one person was not ever proven innocent. The tests were inconclusive in determining his innocence. I am not for giving criminals “lighter sentences” if they murdered someone so unless the evidence proves they didn’t do it - which if they didn’t it would - then it doesn’t matter.
Released from death row and executed are two different things. Death row is so full that people will probably die before they even get to be executed. If we apply DNA evidence to many trials and crack down on corruption then things will be jolly.
I agree that the justice system isn’t perfect. However, I think capital punishment is a good thing. People aren’t perfect, but people drive cars that can potentially kill. And car accidents/hit and runs do happen. Should we get rid of all cars? We are still talking about life here. What about planes? There’s a risk of planes crashing here and there. Should we ban air travel?
Of course not. The mindset people have these days is that, if something is wrong, we get rid of it. That’s not how society should view things. If something is wrong, we fix it. The justice system isn’t perfect - we fix it. Capital punishment isn’t incorporated well - we fix it. And so on. If anything, get rid of corrupt cops and poor medical examiners or other PEOPLE who made mistakes regarding the case. But don’t blame a system made to punish bad people. If someone innocent ever does get executed, then that truly is a loss and a shame, but blame the people that let it get that far.
July 31, 2007 at 1:03 am
@Mark: your argument has a few holes in it. for one, i NEVER said get rid of capital punishment, i simply said “I’m not exactly against the idea as much as how it’s been carried out in the judicial system”. I agree it has to be fixed, but I don’t think banning capital punishment is anywhere close to banning air travel.
Also, you said that there have been “0 (zero) people have been wrongly convicted and executed”. First off, regarding the person I named as being innocent, the evidence would’ve overturned the conviction and led to a new trial, and who knows? Not to mention you said “(none) wrongly convicted”… 65 wrongful convictions since 1973?
If you want to talk more about this, we’ll discuss on AIM. This post isn’t really the place (as I never intended to open a discussion about capital punishment through the Thomas Edison Hates Cats video)
July 31, 2007 at 1:30 am
well I do not doubt that people were “wrongly convicted.” But I did not say that there were none wrongly convicted. I said there were none wrongly convicted AND executed. So you have to satisfy both requirements, whereas the people let free were only wrongly convicted and not executed.
Alright we shall discuss more on AIM. This discussion is clearly the cat’s doing.
July 31, 2007 at 1:36 am
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