misc. death news

Death Happens

1)In the U.S., about 3,300 prisoners remain on death row nationwide. States have lifted the moratorium on executions, now that a divided Supreme Court has approved the lethal injection method most commonly used, so let the killing begin...

2)The U.S. Army has developed robotic exoskeleton suits...

3)Israeli "chess": the brewing storm
In Palestine, 22 are dead. In early March, at least 100 people were killed during operations launched by Israel after Palestinian rocket attacks on its territory. Today (yesterday?) though, at least 22 people, including 5 Palestinian children, have died in Gaza's worst day of fighting since those Israeli incursions in March. The recent spat started with a Hamas ambush in northern Gaza that killed three Israeli troops, Israel's highest daily loss in the area for 3 years. Israel retaliated. Life has never been easy in Gaza. It is a narrow, overcrowded strip of land, inhabited by 1.4mn Palestinians, most of whom are refugees from the land that became Israel in 1948. But life in Gaza has got much, much worse in the last few years. The world's biggest powers imposed sanctions against Hamas when it won elections in 2006. They regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation and demanded, still without success, that it recognise Israel, give up violence and accept previous Palestinian agreements with the Israelis. Since Hamas used force to take over from its Palestinian rivals Fatah last year Israel has allowed only the barest essentials into Gaza. The result is that Gaza is being cut off from the modern world. There is very little fuel, so the streets are full of carts pulled by horses and donkeys. One million people, 70% of the population, live on UN food aid. "The policy is failing because it is creating conditions on the ground that are not conducive to a peace process. "The mindset of the people here is becoming more and more frustrated, more and more desperate, more and more radical and it is all so predictable - that is the tragedy." Gazans, who are tough and resourceful people, are suffering severe privations. Most of them describe their home as the biggest prison in the world, and when you enter it from Israel it is hard to disagree. Hamas wanted a mutual ceasefire, that would also include the West Bank and which would reopen Gaza's borders. Anything else, he said, would be Israel dictating a Palestinian "surrender". "We said that if Israel commits itself to a comprehensive and mutual calm we are ready to co-operate - but Israel said no" says a Palestinian. "Israel's demanding that Hamas stops the rockets. Then it will decide what it will do." A recent Israeli study by a research group with close ties to Israel's defence establishment said Hamas was currently engaged in the broadest and most significant military build-up in its history. Some generals argue a major Israeli incursion will eventually be needed to prevent Hamas growing even stronger militarily. But they also fear the possible consequences of a lengthy campaign in the crowded cities and refugee camps of Gaza.

The Palestinian economy has collapsed - 87% of private businesses have gone bust - but while the people get poorer, Hamas, the target of the sanctions, is, if anything stronger.

4)In France, French authorities have detained Somali pirates. It is considered a criminal matter rather than one linked to terrorism. (I think terrorism should be a criminal matter). In any case, Somali coastal waters are known to be among the most hazardous in the world. More than 25 ships were seized there by pirates in 2007. Somalia has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity. Thus, international law steps in (but only to protect the French).The hostages of the pirates were 22 French citizens, six Filipinos, a Cameroonian and a Ukrainian. They were rescued. The Somali president gave his consent...

Speaking of chaos, the father of Chaos theory (i.e. "the butterfly effect" and "deterministic chaos"), Edward Lorenz, died at age 90.

5)A Detroit teenager (18) was found guilty of murder in the gory stabbing, beheading and torching of a Michigan man. I feel the defense attorney tarnished the legal system by saying "Where was his emotion when he testified that he had to kill Mr. Sorensen? When he had to cut off his head? He testified like he was ordering a pizza. A typical day. That's him. That's cold." Some people aren't emotional, and they shouldn't have to act like they are, I say. He may have been guilty, but screw you Mr. Moran. Emotion or lack thereof shouldn't be incriminating, or even a factor. Some people have a flat affect.

6)At least 44 children, and 3 adults, died when a school bus tumbled off a bridge in western India.

7)April 20 is coming up. 420, pronounced four-twenty, is the codeword for marijuana acceptance, because of meeting after a high school got out at 4:20 in the '70's. April 20 is also Hitler's birthday, and the date of the Columbine shootings. A comic documentary, “Super High Me,” the new “Harold and Kumar” release and the mockumentary “Totally Baked” all have marketing and advertising schemes linked to April 20. The trend disturbs anti-drug activists who say mounting scientific evidence indicates that Americans should reject marijuana use. I, for example, ended up with this stupid voice in my head after smoking pot...

8)And, of course, making a killing
Institutional Investor’s Alpha reported Wednesday the top 50 hedge fund managers earned a combined $29 billion in 2007. Five managers earned more than $1 billion.One manager — John Paulson of Paulson & Co. — earned $3.7 billion last year, by betting on the housing market's collapse, which management consultant Peter Cohan pointed out means Paulson in 2007 made 30 times in one hour what the median family made all year.Because hedge fund managers make their money by charging fees on investments from rich people, these fees represent the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the very rich, he said. By contrast, the income inequality plaguing many developing countries represents rich people profiting at the expense of the poor, he said. Many of these hedge fund managers, however, have a reputation for being philanthropic.

In other wealth news, http://yahoo.com/s/859655 talks of a super-big mansion (for a "single family"), with 23 bathrooms, in Greenwich..