The crumpled up notes of my life
These videos tell an amazing story of Ben Breedlove’s life. There isn’t much more to say except watch this this two part video.
Part 1
Part 2
It also tells an amazing story of his death. Ben Breedlove died this past Christmas, 2011, just one week after posting these videos on YouTube. To me, it seemed as if he knew there was another place for him; a better place, and that he was as ready as any 18 year old kid can be. What an amazing and courageous young man.
Ben, you’re my hero.
Lawmakers Propose Bill To Make Lip-Syncing Online Illegal…as if they have nothing better to do. Of course, remembering some karaoke night experiences I’ve at the Mucky Duck, this could be a good thing if people aren’t allowed to record and put online.
Weinergate: Really, CNN? – Someone’s getting in trouble! (PG-13)
Burnin’ Down the House! – Ricki Lake gets sued. I say accidental. How about that lady just gets insurance like a normal person who owns a house in Malibu?
Kids on Probation Get Screwed = We All Get Screwed – You’d think for a county overrun with gang problems and an extremely high murder rate due to gang violence, you’d maybe want to consider this a last case scenario. You’d think, but you’d be wrong. Guess I shouldn’t be in any hurry to finish my Master’s in Criminology.
I was going to include Chipper Jones’ comments about Jason Heyward from last week, but I may just make that a full post.
Here’s all the best stuff I’ve come across since yesterday. I share a lot of stuff on Facebook, but sometimes I don’t share some things because I simply don’t want to over share, or I just don’t have the time at the moment. So, here’s yesterday’s news…
The most stylish state in the U.S. is…KENTUCKY?! So says the Chicago Tribune, via the Sun Journal. I’ll give you George Clooney and Johnny Depp, but the rest of those people, really? I don’t know. Do you think they made a good case for Kentucky? I’ll claim it all the same. (via @jefftb)
New Yorker Crashes Bike On Purpose to Prove a Point (via 22 Words) – This guy must have some good health insurance…or a lot of time on his hands. At any rate, guy rides bike. Guy gets ticket for riding outside of bike zone. Guy argues that the bike zone is frequently blocked. Guy still gets $50 ticket. Guy make video of himself crashing into EVERYTHING in the bike lane, so not to ride outside of the lane. Guy ends up with funny video. Guy proves his point (at least to me).
Oakland A’s Fired Manager Bob Geren (via KSBW) – Looks like despite apologizing to him, maybe Brian Fuentes was right. Maybe he shouldn’t have criticized Geren so publicly, but bad and uncommunicative managers are the worst…in baseball and in the real world. Can you blame him?
This is pretty cool. Short video so definitely worth the watch.
I’ve been getting a bit frustrated with some comments and judgement being thrown out in the wake of the announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden. I’ve seen a lot of posts from the Christian (and non-Christian) community about it not being right that we are celebrating the death of an individual. There are a ton of Bible verses both ways that people have thrown out. I won’t do that now. Let me be clear off the bat though: I don’t believe death should ever be celebrated. [Read more...]
BigAls Books and Pals: The Greek Seaman / Jacqueline Howett.
Here is the gist. Big Al reviews this lady’s kindle book (self-published, I think hope). Lady doesn’t like his review. Lady tells him she doesn’t like it. Lady looks incredibly ignorant.
So, it turns out those bags we use so we don’t kill the environment could actually kill us. Now that’s a catch-22. Great….
A new study published today by the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) based on testing done by Frontier Global Sciences in Seattle, found that many reusable bags sold by major U.S. retailers today contain unsafe amounts of lead.
via Study Finds Unsafe Amounts of Lead In Reusable Bags Sold By Major Retailers.
I think this is fantastic on the part of other countries, though I’m sure another method will prevail. It is ridiculous that our country still allows the death penalty.
US states are facing a new obstacle to enforcing the death penalty after the sole American manufacturer of a drug used in lethal injections announced it was ending production.
via Lethal injection drug production ends in the US | World news | The Guardian.
Justin Bieber is to Kurt Cobain
as
Donny Osmond is to John Lennon
Yeah, I really don’t care if he said it or not, or what you think of Kurt Cobain. But, You, Mr. Bieber, are no Kurt Cobain.
A 1973 Texas prosecutors’ manual for jury selection provided the following advice:
- You are not looking for a fair juror, but rather a strong, biased and sometimes hypocritical individual who believes that defendants are different from them in kind, rather than degree. You are not looking for any member of a minority group which may subject him to oppression–they almost always empathize with the accused. You are not looking for free thinkers or flower children.
- Observation is worthwhile … Look for physical afflictions. These people usually sympathize with the accused.
- I don’t like women jurors because I can’t trust them. They do, however, make the best jurors in cases involving crimes against children.
- Extremely overweight people, especially women and young men, indicates a lack of self-discipline and often times instability. I like the lean and hungry look.
- If the veniremen have not lived in the county long, ask where they were born and reared. People from small towns and rural areas generally make good State’s jurors. People from the east or west coasts often make bad jurors.
- Intellectuals such as teachers, etc. generally are too liberal and contemplative to make good State’s jurors.
- Ask veniremen their religious preference. Jewish veniremen generally make poor State’s jurors. Jews have a history of oppression and generally empathize with the accused. Lutherans and Church of Christ veniremen usually make good State’s jurors.
SOURCE: Albert W. Alschuler, “The Supreme Court and the Jury: Voir Dire, Peremptory Challenges, and the Review of Jury Verdicts,” University of Chicago Law Review 56 (1989): 153.
I really hope this was just one person’s opinion and not the entire state. I also realize that the same thing goes for the defense, but it really amazes me how short of time ago that was and that, even if it isn’t written, it still happens.
