The Mechanics of a Death Row Appeal

Over the last week or so, I've been reading about this guy on death row who thinks he shouldn't be executed. The headline of his story is that he's too fat to be executed. A little more reading relays that he's a changed man who is remorseful to the point of self-loathing, that he was beaten as a child, and that he was an alcoholic.

On the flip side of the coin, prosecutors say that he's never demonstrated remorse, and attempted to escape death row in 2005 with a homemade ladder of rolled-up magazines and sheets.

My take on the whole deal: Please don't kill me. I'm too fat to die humanely. By the way, I was beaten as a child, and I was an alcoholic.

Man, talk about the last pleadings of a condemned man. He was able to rape and kill two college chicks, but he seems to think that he shouldn't feel a few minutes of discomfort? Look, I'm torn about the whole idea of the death penalty. (That's another story.) But this guy saying spare me because I'm fat enough that I may feel a little pain while i die?!? Sorry, but the whole "humane death" thing isn't really part of my ambivilence. In fact, I think that people condemned to die should die in a manner similar to how they killed their victim(s).

Ye Old Family O' Nerds

Last weekend was our annual pilgrimage to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Four years ago we started the yearly ritual, where we travel for a few hours, stay in a kick-@$$ hotel, spent a little too much money at the RenFest, and slowly accumulate a full-fledged Renaissance costume.

This year I purchased the bracers in this picture, but while we were there, we talked about hitting the Iowa Renaissance Festival next month. With this in mind, I figured it was time to get a vest, but I didn't feel like buying one -- mainly because I'm too cheap. So I made the vest in this picture instead. I was going for a pirate-style look, but the result looks a little more gypsy-like. Either way, I think it's pretty cool. and I'm going to keep expounding on it for a while. As a work in progress, I'm not sure where it will end.

Another Family Adventure

This weekend we went to Chicago for a trip to Six Flags and a shopping trip down the Magnificent Mile. Here are a couple of pics from the trip.