Friday, February 22, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Warm weather makes me nutty...
This weekend was a dream...with weather in the high 70's-low 80's and my mom in town, I was in heaven. We stayed at a friend's beach house on Lido Isle, right on the harbor, it was splendid. We went kayaking in the harbor, running on the boardwalk, and had a picnic and competitive basketball game of "PIG" at the park. Just enough of a taste of the summer to make me acheing for more. Luckily this week has stayed warm, and just when it's about to cool down later this week, Mark and I are headed to Arizona to stay in the sun.
We are going to Arizona with another friend couple. I can't wait for couples tennis matches, thrift shopping, swimming and frozen yogurt. I will try and post pictures of our trip when we get back.
Let's all cross our fingers that summer comes quickly...
We are going to Arizona with another friend couple. I can't wait for couples tennis matches, thrift shopping, swimming and frozen yogurt. I will try and post pictures of our trip when we get back.
Let's all cross our fingers that summer comes quickly...
US: Electric Chair Banned as Cruel, Unusual Punishment
Nebraska Ruling Brings US Closer to Ending This Inhumane Form of Execution in US(New York, February 8, 2008)
The Nebraska Supreme Court’s ruling today that use of the electric chair violates the state constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment is an important step toward eliminating inherently inhumane executions in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. Nebraska is the only state to use the electric chair as its sole method of execution; all other US death penalty jurisdictions use lethal injection. “This ruling abolishes the barbaric practice of electrocutions in the state of Nebraska,” said Sarah Tofte, US researcher at Human Rights Watch and co-author of a 2006 report on executions by lethal injection in the United States. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled today that execution by electrocution violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment found in Article I, section 9 of the Nebraska Constitution. “Condemned prisoners must not be tortured to death, regardless of their crimes,” the court wrote. Since 1994, Nebraska has electrocuted three condemned prisoners. Since the death penalty was reinstated in the US in 1976, there have been at least 10 visibly botched electrocutions, including the 1997 electrocution of Pedro Medina in Florida. During his execution, flames shot out from the headpiece, filling the execution chamber with a cloud of thick smoke and gagging the two dozen official witnesses. An official then threw a switch to manually cut off the power and prematurely end the two-minute cycle of 2,000 volts. Medina’s chest continued to heave until the flames stopped, and then he died. As a result of today’s ruling, the task falls to the Nebraska legislature to consider an alternative method of execution if it wishes to retain the death penalty. Although the court contends that lethal injection “is universally recognized as the most humane method of execution,” Human Rights Watch urged the Nebraska legislature to carefully examine the risk of suffering posed by the three-drug protocol currently used in lethal injections in other states. In January, the US Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of lethal injection. Pending the court’s decision, there is a de facto moratorium on lethal injections in the country. “Lethal injection is not as humane as it might appear to be,” said Tofte. “There is mounting evidence that condemned prisoners are at risk of suffering excruciating pain. With today’s ruling, the Nebraska legislature has an opportunity to reject methods of execution that cause inhumane pain and suffering.” Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as an inherently cruel and unusual form of punishment and a violation of fundamental human rights. To view the Nebraska Supreme Court opinion, please click here.
The Nebraska Supreme Court’s ruling today that use of the electric chair violates the state constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment is an important step toward eliminating inherently inhumane executions in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. Nebraska is the only state to use the electric chair as its sole method of execution; all other US death penalty jurisdictions use lethal injection. “This ruling abolishes the barbaric practice of electrocutions in the state of Nebraska,” said Sarah Tofte, US researcher at Human Rights Watch and co-author of a 2006 report on executions by lethal injection in the United States. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled today that execution by electrocution violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment found in Article I, section 9 of the Nebraska Constitution. “Condemned prisoners must not be tortured to death, regardless of their crimes,” the court wrote. Since 1994, Nebraska has electrocuted three condemned prisoners. Since the death penalty was reinstated in the US in 1976, there have been at least 10 visibly botched electrocutions, including the 1997 electrocution of Pedro Medina in Florida. During his execution, flames shot out from the headpiece, filling the execution chamber with a cloud of thick smoke and gagging the two dozen official witnesses. An official then threw a switch to manually cut off the power and prematurely end the two-minute cycle of 2,000 volts. Medina’s chest continued to heave until the flames stopped, and then he died. As a result of today’s ruling, the task falls to the Nebraska legislature to consider an alternative method of execution if it wishes to retain the death penalty. Although the court contends that lethal injection “is universally recognized as the most humane method of execution,” Human Rights Watch urged the Nebraska legislature to carefully examine the risk of suffering posed by the three-drug protocol currently used in lethal injections in other states. In January, the US Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of lethal injection. Pending the court’s decision, there is a de facto moratorium on lethal injections in the country. “Lethal injection is not as humane as it might appear to be,” said Tofte. “There is mounting evidence that condemned prisoners are at risk of suffering excruciating pain. With today’s ruling, the Nebraska legislature has an opportunity to reject methods of execution that cause inhumane pain and suffering.” Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as an inherently cruel and unusual form of punishment and a violation of fundamental human rights. To view the Nebraska Supreme Court opinion, please click here.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Click the website to help End Domestic Violence
With your tremendous support, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Fund and The Allstate Foundation's "Click to Empower" campaign is off to a great start! More than 20,000 clicks have been counted in the past week!
If you haven't done so already, please click today and invite others to join this effort!
By visiting ClicktoEmpower.com and clicking the "Click to Empower" button, The Allstate Foundation will donate $1 to the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund (up to $300,000). This fund expands opportunities for survivors to achieve long-term financial security by providing direct grants to help them pursue their educational and professional goals. In 2007 alone, the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund provided $297,864 to support survivors.
Please visit ClicktoEmpower.com DAILY and click on the “Click to Empower Now” button. Every click counts!
Need help remembering to click? Try setting your internet browser's home page to ClicktoEmpower.com. Also, don't forget to click from your home computer and your web-enabled Blackberry or mobile phone!
If you haven't done so already, please click today and invite others to join this effort!
By visiting ClicktoEmpower.com and clicking the "Click to Empower" button, The Allstate Foundation will donate $1 to the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund (up to $300,000). This fund expands opportunities for survivors to achieve long-term financial security by providing direct grants to help them pursue their educational and professional goals. In 2007 alone, the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund provided $297,864 to support survivors.
Please visit ClicktoEmpower.com DAILY and click on the “Click to Empower Now” button. Every click counts!
Need help remembering to click? Try setting your internet browser's home page to ClicktoEmpower.com. Also, don't forget to click from your home computer and your web-enabled Blackberry or mobile phone!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
So Long as They Die
Check out the link if you have any question in your mind if lethal injections or what they call "humane execution" (which is seemingly contradictory) is not an obscene violation of human rights.
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/us0406/
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/us0406/
Monday, November 19, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
LOL
No, it's not the popular acronym that you're think of, laugh out loud, it stands for Live On Less. It's been a popular phrase lately in the Mayotte household. A couple of weeks ago at a Lydia meeting, the human rights group Mark and I volunteer with, Sandie, the founder was talking about her experience living in Greece. After 13 years of living overseas she was shocked to move back to see how much excess we live in.
This is an obvious concept to anyone with the slightest awareness. And I have always tried to remain conscious of my consumption and waste, but Mark and I have made it into a game in our house, to see who can come up with the most Eco friendly idea. Here are a couple:
-Burying our dogs waste to naturally biodegrade instead of throwing it away to fill up already over-full land fills.
-Hang drying our clothes on the clothes line
-Saving left-overs and making new meals with them
-Shopping primarily at thrift stores for clothes, furniture, art, or presents, or trading clothes at vintage shops
-Trading old CDs for new ones
-Picnics at the park/beach/anywhere instead of eating out
-The crock pot
-Making gifts instead of buying
These are just a few fun ideas, post some if you have some other ideas!
This is an obvious concept to anyone with the slightest awareness. And I have always tried to remain conscious of my consumption and waste, but Mark and I have made it into a game in our house, to see who can come up with the most Eco friendly idea. Here are a couple:
-Burying our dogs waste to naturally biodegrade instead of throwing it away to fill up already over-full land fills.
-Hang drying our clothes on the clothes line
-Saving left-overs and making new meals with them
-Shopping primarily at thrift stores for clothes, furniture, art, or presents, or trading clothes at vintage shops
-Trading old CDs for new ones
-Picnics at the park/beach/anywhere instead of eating out
-The crock pot
-Making gifts instead of buying
These are just a few fun ideas, post some if you have some other ideas!
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