January 2013

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  Walk in Shadows

State District Judge Larry Mitchell, in Dallas, rescheduled Kimberly McCarthy's punishment for April 3 so lawyers for the former nursing home therapist could have more time to pursue an appeal focused on whether her predominantly white jury was improperly selected on the basis of race. McCarthy is black. District Attorney Craig Watkins said the 60-day delay was "appropriate." If no irregularities are discovered, he said he'd move forward with the execution.
"We want to make sure everything is done correctly," he said.

The evidence presented at trial established that McCarthy "entered the home of her 71-year old neighbor Dorothy Booth under the pretense of borrowing some sugar and then stabbed Mrs. Booth five times, hit her in the face with a candelabrum, [and] cut off her left ring finger in order to take her diamond ring."

McCarthy then left with Mrs. Booth's purse and wedding ring. Eventually, she "drove Mrs. Booth's Mercedes Benz to a 'crack house' where she attempted to purchase crack cocaine." She later "pawned Mrs. Booth's wedding ring for $200, and used the victim's credit cards at least four times on the day after the murder."

A jury convicted her of capital murder. She was indicted but not tried for the 1988 murders of Jettie Lucas and Maggie Harding, both 85-year-old friends of McCarthy's mother. Lucas was beaten with a hammer and stabbed to death in her kitchen.

Her lead attorney, Doug Parks, said drug use was McCarthy's downfall. "I think when she's off dope she's probably a pretty good person," Parks said. "I believe now, as I did then, that in the penitentiary, Kim would be absolutely no danger to anyone."

I would hope that in 60 days time, the executioner's needle will find it's mark deep into the vein of this walking turd called Kimberly Lagayle McCarthy. If there is truly any justice in this world, the state of Texas will make room on the gurney for this piece of shit attorney, Doug Parks. His legal presentation of this hideous, butchering monster is a splendid example of how the politically correct crowd is making the streets of this country a killing field.

God speed Ron. We are all pulling for you.

Horrible bad neck day. I did nothing but sleep. It's 3:00 am and I got up to eat something. Going back to bed for a few more hours of rest before I get up and drag my bone weary ass back to the salt mine. Today I have to make a commitment to myself. This is the only place I know where to begin. The rest will fall into place. I don't know a great many things but I do know this. No one gives a flying fuck about me. I can build on this. There are only three things I have to remember to do -- stay calm - stay focused - watch my back. I can get the things I want out of life. I have to do these things for myself.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Being an eternal optimist I still hold the idea that people are basically good deep inside. The sad truth is the deeper you go, the more profound the stench. The Great Unwashed are nothing but ignorant hillbillies. I have tried to find something noble in them but am unable to find anything but hatred. They hate everyone that isn't like them. They spend an inordinate amount of time looking for fault in others to bury their own feelings of inadequacy. They have the IQ's of a house plant. They hate and fear those of us who have grown spines. They can't understand how we have accomplished this. They only despise the obvious. My only course of action is the one I have found most beneficial -- run silent, run deep. My inclination to lean to the left hand is strong again. I don't really want to go down that path because there is no turning back once the commitment has been made. I am afraid this is the only true option I have.

Destiny can be changed but you you have to have the will to change it, even if it requires sacrifice. A power greater than myself has deemed that I live a life of hardship and frustration. I can't explain who or what this power is but I know I am at odds with it. Perhaps I am only tilting at windmills, never really combating the true enemy. Whatever, I'm still in the game. I have to remember one important thing --- tell no one what it is I am really thinking. This is hard given my nature for brunt honesty. This has to change. The change begins where I live. I begin by being silent.

It is nice having the day off, especially since my car battery died on me. This is the first time since I bought my Buick that I have had to get something done on it to keep it running. This isn't a major calamity. Batteries die all the time. I am concerned with how it died. I am afraid I have a short somewhere in the system. The boys at the shop can figure it out. I also suspect the battery in the car when I bought it in May 2010 was old. A new purchase was inevitable.

Looking at JavaScrip today. It is cold outside. In fact, this is the first time it has actually been cold here in Wisconsin in about two years. The last couple winters were mild. I dug my carhartt brand insulated bibs with matching canvas jacket out of storage. This rig is good to -30. Even at those extremes you are still toasty warm inside so it isn't bad being outside for short periods of time. I would not want to be outside at those temperatures for 24 hours. When I get the call from the shop to come pick up my car and pay the bill, I will get bundled up. The shop is about three blocks from my apartment. I hope they find out if there definitely is a short somewhere and they can fix the problem. I will find all this out in due time.

Like I mentioned, it is a good day to stay indoors and look at JavaScript. I also have some books on 'how to program' and a couple books on the Scheme programming language. It is all good. When I am finished with this stuff, I will be able to create state of the art, HTML5 - CSS3 - JavaScript enhanced web sites. Creating web sites has been a hobby of mine for sometime now. I never learned the true  black arts   that would qualify me as a  wizzard,   but I am making that effort now. I honestly don't need the 70-480 certification under my belt. I still may go down that road in the future but it isn't necessary to work my mojo. I have enough instructional video and book material on the theory of Object Oriented Programming, Computer Programming, and JavaScript (not to mention Scheme and Powershell plus HTML5 & CSS3 and jQuery) to keep me occupied for the next several years. Like I said, it is all good. This is my own private University. The proof will be in actually building something with this knowledge. This will come to pass. For now it is all academic.

*Note*
Just got back from picking up my vehicle. The man at the shop couldn't find any short or electrical leakage that might be draining my battery. The battery is located under the back seat so it is hard to judge what condition it was in. It didn't have a date on it. For all I know, it was the original that came with the car. My checking account balance was 1311.31 before I paid my bill. I love magic numbers. I hope my balance was a good sign that everything is well. All I can do now is hope the mechanic was right and that everything will be good here on out. It is supposed to be -30 with the wind chill tonight and early morning. I don't need any battery problems at this point. Back to the grind tomorrow. I will be wearing my heavy duty winter wear for sure.

**Note**
I went to the grocery store and picked up a few items and filled up my gas tank. I threw some HEET in the tank too. It is fucking bitterly cold! Damn. I definitely need the carhartt gear tomorrow morning. I have to park 6-8 blocks away from the Capitol Square so I can get a free spot on the street. If I don't, I have to park in a ramp and that cost $10 a day. It is a racket because everyone who works in downtown Madison has to park somewhere. The free spots are hard to get. I go to work an hour early every day just to snag one. In the long run, it is worth it. Here is the weather forecast for this evening and early morning.
Wind Chill Values with 22 Below To 30 Below Zero Later Tonight Into Tuesday Morning.

Congress prepares to slap down prosecutors linked to the suicide of Aaron Swartz

It looks good in print but we all have seen this song and dance routine before. The public has a short memory. Today people are outraged that scum bags controlling the legal levers stepped outside the boundaries of human decency, but what about next week? Pam Anderson's boobs might fall out again and that would grab the headlines. People would be asking, "what's happening with the Aaron Swartz investigation into judicial abuse"? The answer might well be, "Aaron who"? I hope not. I really do. The people responsible for the prosecution of Aaron Swartz and the exuberant and outrageous charges and penalties associated with them don't belong in the legal profession. They have disgraced themselves and the legal community at large. They need to be disbarred from ever practicing law again, in perpetuity.

Many of the great men and women of history who have tried to teach us something have been laid bloody and broken before us. Aaron Swartz isn't the first and he won't be the last.

After years of tenacious spin that he was innocent, Lance Armstrong has backpedaled in a confessional interview with Oprah Winfrey. He admitted unequivocally to using performance enhancing drugs in his seven Tour de France wins.

Armstrong described himself as "deeply flawed" and "arrogant," and spoke often of how so much was his "fault."

In the end, beyond the fame and the fortunes, we all have to live with ourselves. I'd like to think Lance Armstrong has come clean about using the blood enhancing hormone EPO, testosterone, human growth hormone, and illegal blood transfusions because he knew deep in his soul it was the right thing to do. Only he knows the total truth, if that is even possible. Do any of us really know what drives us to do the things and say the things we do?

I have found little joy reading the news lately. I still continue doing so out of a self obligation to stay informed. Sometimes the only thing I am keeping track of is how deep the shit is being shoveled by the mass media. Even keeping abreast of this fact has some value. That is why seeing this story about Roundys is something special. Once in a blue moon, the truth will raise it's ugly head in full splendor for all to see. How fitting it is to see Roundys put into the proper light. The 12 Worst Supermarkets in America

The Roundy chain of grocery stores is actually owned by Willis Stein & Partners, a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout transactions for middle-market companies. They don't know groceries. I don't think they really know anything. They are bean counters who practice slash and burn economics. They don't care about the people who work in their stores. They don't care about the people who shop in their stores. It's all about squeezing every last nickle they can out of anyone who has a nickle. Numbers don't lie.

These knuckle heads are running the chain right into the ground. I hope the $750,000,000 cash they paid for the stores in 2002 gets shoved right up their ass.

Farewell to Aaron Swartz, an extraordinary hacker and activis

The message is clear. Anyone who makes a stand against the status quo is going to get their balls crushed. People better informed than I have put things in context, so I am not going to state my opinion. You can research what Aaron Swartz did and come to your own conclusions as to what punishment fit the crime. It is certainly more convenient from the government point of view not having loose cannons like Swartz around to rock their boat. I don't think anyone can make a a strong argument against this observation. Rest in peace Aaron Swartz. The Internet needs people like you and your shoes can't be filled. We are less without you.

NFC divisional playoff: San Francisco 49ers 45, Green Bay Packers 31

The picture pretty much tells the story on how the Packers fared in the game. Hate to see them out of the Super Bowl hunt. They had a good season.

My Chinese horoscope really is a horror!
In a nutshell -- Goat 2013, you will suffer a great loss and you will have to deal with day-to-day turmoil in both your personal life and your job.
I never have put great stock in horoscope. Astrology is something different. Astrology is a science in the correct hands and when it come to divination, the Chinese have great knowledge. The stuff you see on the Internet is, for the most part, bullshit wrapped in cotton candy. But when I see predictions like this one, I will take heed. It doesn't hurt to watch your back. If I could impart one piece of advice to the younger generation this would be it. I have said this on occasion and it goes along with this philosophy; Run Silent Run Deep.

I don't condone what Lance Armstrong has allegedly done. To the best of my knowledge, it has not been proven in a court of law that he is guilty of the things he is being accused of doing. The evidence against him is stacked as high as Mt. Everest, but they are still only allegations. I do not appreciate the self righteous tone of this article. We are all human beings prone to the frailties that being a human being saddles us with. Not a single one of us has the right to point their fingers at anyone else and claim the right to ridicule anyone like this article ridicules Lance Armstrong. Remember this: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

Nothing new under the sun here. Lance Armstrong is not evil incarnate. He is only a man. Maybe he forgot this. Take this lesson and apply it to yourself. I'm talking to you Mr. David Steele.  Lance Armstrong Deserves No Sympathy

Happy New Year

Back to the grind tomorrow and back to a new year. I could have done better last year in many facets of my life but I always think this. I really do have to make an effort to stay on track in 2013. I have goals and they can be met. It is a matter of grinding it out on a daily basis. That is the key. Once you fall off schedule, it is difficult, if not impossible, to get back on track. At the end of this year I can look back and feel pride in my accomplishments. I really can't say I feel this way regarding 2012.