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Columbus Dispatch

U.S. death sentences fall again; OhioA A A A hasA A A A 1 | The...

While violent crime (fortunately) hasn't touched my family,I am all for the open propped up casket with photographs of the deceased criminal posted in the local paper type executions.I feel that other criminals and those lowlife sewer scum that are *thinking* about choosing the life of a criminal should see the firsthand results of what happens when a murderer is proven guilty of the crime and goes from conviction to casket within a short time.An actual visual aid goes a LOOONG way in swaying decisions.Oh yes,I might add that when a killer sees that going from conviction to casket would be 12 months or less because of appeals being taken away after proof positive conviction,this might make the choice easier for them to keep in line with the laws.At current,the killer knows he usually will have at LEAST another 20 years of 3 hots & a cot living while waiting for appeals.Let's take that assurance away from the criminals,just like they take the lives away from innocent victims.  (Friday Dec 18 | post #10)

Columbus Dispatch

Cheer up -- you could live in New York | The Columbus Dispatch

While I have some razor sharp sarcasm that I LOVE to use, and I am not in love with the cold or the football team here,I have plenty good to say about Ohio.Here,at least where I live in central Ohio we *rarely* have:tornadoes,lar ge or baseball sized hail,earth quakes,massive floods and poisonous snakes.Might be more tornadoes to the west of the state and flooding to the south at the Ohio river tho.We never have: tsunamis,hurricane s,alligators,sink holes,avalanches,c oral snakes and other extremely poisonous nasties.But we DO have a few species of somewhat poisonous spiders and a few species of poisonous snakes,but they are rare. We DO have:heavy traffic,slow drivers,snow and ice,lots of cloudy winter days,GREAT hunting and fishing,a great mix of terrain from flatland to foothills,heavy timberland and caves, and lastly large,noisy but entertaining cities which I prefer to stay out of because I do not like cities.I grew up in wide open places and like quite country living.But then again,I don't know of any state that doesn't have big noisy cities,litter,crim e and SOME lousy schools. Cost of living is lower here than other places but not the cheapest of all places and there's enough retail competition to help keep prices lower on alot of items. Would I move away from here? Possibly but no matter where you go,there will always be crime and other issues and negatives.I just try to see all the good things this state has to provide.  (Friday Dec 18 | post #23)

Columbus Dispatch

AgedA A A A elmA A A A yields toA A A A higherA A A A power | T...

The sad and unfortunate parts are that AEP deems ANY tree a nuisance and is usually granted permission to timber them as needed.These Elm trees ,like the Ash are a threatened species because of an unstoppable pest and should be given the exact same protections as all other threatened and endangered species.Heck,someo ne finds a home of Indiana bats living in a barn destined for destruction.The companies are stopped cold in their tracks until either the animals move or they find an alternative that doesn't require destroying the specie.What this means is,since trees do not move easily and they are endangered,AEP should move,OR,if AEP is so adamant about line placement,then AEP should have to pay to relocate said tree. It's time the government stopped turning a blind eye to endangered trees just because they are not cute,fuzzy and cuddly.They sure as heck move fast to stop progress when it's a kangaroo rat being threatened. I grew up with the majestic elm tree and it has assisted my family in many ways,one way as shade and beauty,and another as firewood once an old tree died.I have cut many elms down in my life and they have always kept my family warm in the cold months but never have cut a live one down just because I needed it's space,for one, because that tree has just as much purpose on this planet as any person AND mainly because it's endangered.Yes,I have trimmed them,but never downed a live elm.These companies need to start remembering that these grand old trees have value other than dollars.  (Friday Dec 18 | post #23)

Columbus Dispatch

LED bulbs come with downside for drivers | The Columbus Dispatch

I have never had a problem with what we have now,standard filiment bulbs,but....they are going to eliminate incandescent bulbs within several years and go to all CFL spiral bulbs which DO save energy but generate less light per watt than a comparable wattage incandescent light.On the plus side,the CFL's at 100W output DO produce enough heat to burn your hand so they might be adequate for traffic purposes if they can develope them to withstand the hard conditions the standard filimented bulbs endure.The main problem with the CFL's is that they are a ballasted bulb,same as the tube flourescents and the ballast will have to be designed to work in extreme cold conditions. I currently own a traffic light and use CFL's in it and it works good for my personal home use purposes as far as reflectivity of the light is concerned.I can see it from a mile down the road with no issues. Lastly,I DO think that the LED traffic lights are propbably a good choice for warm weather locations.Also,the y would make excellent party lights and could be sold as such to clubs and suchlike that use party lighting after their traffic functionality ended.  (Friday Dec 18 | post #2)

Columbus Dispatch

COMMUNITY NEWS | The Columbus Dispatch

I spent all of my teen years in J Town(1984-93') and never saw the need for additional sidewalks.I walked home,was bussed home and drove home and I lived 3 miles outside of town without a problem other than boredom.They DO need to upgrade children's and disability crossings on both main streets because of much increased traffic from Wexville heading north(New Albany to those who never witnessed how he raped the land around there and forced taxes up exponentially).The y also need to boot the oldtimers out of city council and get more new blood into city council.The town needs to grow jobwise and entertainmentwise, and thankfully over the past 10 years,they have grown outward some because some new blood HAS entered city council. My overall opinion of J-town is that it's a nice rural town for older folks whose kids have grown *IF* you live outside of town.There is very little for kids to do and friends are F A R apart unless they drive.If you live INSIDE town,it's a nice,small town community for kids but there is still little for kids to do to keep out of mischief if they do not have a driver license.Again,the town DOES need to expand some,but not so much in sidewalks.  (Thursday Dec 17 | post #9)

Columbus Dispatch

Inattentive pilots truly were unaware of goof | The Columbus Di...

It's nice to know that we're entrusting our lives and families lives to goofs like this.Inattentive pilots...just about as bad as flying drunk.It kind of makes a person think about exactly *how* something this erronous could happen.How could this happen when they have..... a pre-programmed flight path,computer mapped and guided course assisted with GPS and approach indicators,and yes,those things CAN falter but....when the pilot looks at his laptop and screen controls and sees NO flightpath information and only a blank screen,it's not rocket science.Either you have a computer equipment malfunction somewhere OR the other possiblility is you have overflown your pre-programmed route?Next I find disturbing is that they're spending their flight time looking at and reading guidelines about a company buyout last year and crew schedualling instead of paying attention to flying the plane.Just what I want to know while my life is in their hands at 30,000 feet is that the pilots are reading a rulebook while a jet literally flies itself blind.Yes,the jets are sophisticated and CAN basically fly themselves to a certain point,but c'mon,if we REALLY didn't need pilots to fly and land these planes,they wouldn't be there in the first place and the planes would do everything automatically. Just as bad as texting and driving.One ill fated screwup and alot of people die that shouldn't have.They should be fired.  (Thursday Dec 17 | post #1)

Columbus Dispatch

Planned mustang roundup draws growing opposition | The Columbus...

Lessee here....It's OK to swoop in and round up and export a bunch of NATIVE wild animals that are existing peacefully and self sufficiently in their environment as they have done for thousands of years,and keep in mind that a few might die or be wounded,yet,we cannot take any actions against illegal immigrants who slink in here by the thousands each year,take what few jobs we have left IF they do work,push up the welfare defecit,demand equal benefits and privileges that even a working family has to kill themselves for and of course,let's not forget about the baby explosion from said illegals too.Oh yes,and if a few illegals die or are wounded while being rounded up by the INS,the family members back in wherever sue America to the max.Let's not forget that,because if they had stayed where they belonged,they'd still be alive. C'mon folks!Who are we kidding???The Mustangs BELONG here. WHO really needs to be reduced to a "managable level"??? Wild horses or illegal immigrants???What a waste of taxpayer money!  (Tuesday Dec 15 | post #1)

Columbus Dispatch

Melting of polar ice accelerating, Gore says | The Columbus Dis...

Of course the ice caps are going to melt.The earth goes in cycles as it has been shown with core samples taken from various places around the world.They have discovered pollen and ancient plants(peat,fossil s,oil & coal) under the ice caps and in the arctic proving that these places at one time were warm,free of ice and had vegetation.This doesn't mean that the whole world was always tropics,but judging by what scientists have shown with these core samples,the planet goes thru freeze and defrost cycles like a freezer does and that the poles had trees and vegetation growing in a temperate climate. Obviously,no one can say that the actions of us burning fossil fuels has done anything to prevent or reverse global warming because we HAVE been putting more warming gasses in the atmosphere,but I think it would take more than 50-70 years for man to cause this amount of thawing alone.I really think that it's a combination of both world thaw cycle AND man made greenhouse gasses that are causing this.It is my educated guess that the last time the earth had a massive thaw,it took a couple hundred years rather than say 50 or 80 years,so I would say that we have accelerated the process a bit with the addition of more gasses. For us to make any kind of possible tiny dent in the global warming issue,we would have to completely go green energy world wide.No fossil fuels,no CFCs,no ozone,carbon dioxide,nothing... ..it could probably be done with ALOT of money and sacrifice,but no one wants to step up to the plate and say "I'll fund and start this", and get the ball rolling.No one wants to be the pioneer because it's not cheap to be the leader and trail blazer of a new frontier,plus,no one want's to sacrifice "convenience ".Currently, the way it is right now with fossil fuels and technology we have,life is fairly easy and people continue to think,"aw,som eone else will make the sacrifice and soon will develope something". As long as people continue to think,"someon e else will invent something", we'll continually push finding alternative fuels to the wayside. Finally.Can we stop global warming? Doubtful....it's the natural cycle of things,but we COULD contribute much less to it if the sacrifices were made to free ourselves from fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas makers.  (Tuesday Dec 15 | post #140)

Columbus Dispatch

Deputy arrested for assaulting naked man she found with her dau...

Wow! What a turn of events.For once SHE has a bigger nightstick than HE does!;~D  (Wednesday Dec 9 | post #16)

DispatchPolitics

Bin Laden was within U.S. grasp, report says

That part I cannot figure out is,we have satellites that can spot a hair on a gnat's rump in a wheat field,yet we cannot locate this guy???Even with the technology we have,he continues to slip thru the military fingers like nut butter thru a teenage boy's hands.  (Monday Nov 30 | post #11)

Ohio

Concealed carry does not make us safer

In a short statement. I fully support the CCW laws and those that carry. I have a business that requires travel,sometimes to less than hospitable places.SO, I carry a gun with me because it's too heavy to carry a cop.;-)  (Monday Nov 30 | post #253)

DispatchPolitics

'Beautiful Ohio' license plates finally set for sale

My biggest problem with buying new plates is not so much the design or the $2.50 they charge for the plate,but the $25 tax on the sticker and all the other piddling fees that they assess that add up to a $65 to $85 ding yearly depending on what you drive.Also,remove the front plate.It disfigures a classic or streamlined car and it's a mirror for police lasers unless they'll let you use laserplates.  (Sunday Nov 29 | post #38)

DispatchPolitics

Inmate tries to halt execution on Dec. 8

Well,everyone's entitled to their opinions and that's fine,but when that perp sneaks into your house,kidnaps your wife or kids and does unspeakable things to her or another loved one.Then...THEN, are you going to go to bat for him???Are you going to give your all & all to aquit him of the crime if it was YOUR family? I can see it now,this scenario,you in court.... "Your Honor, my client states that,even tho he broke into my house and slaughtered my family like sheep,he feels a needle in the arm & that he's the first to try a new drug is cruel and unusual punishment and should be spared because he's scared and was insane at the time".AND your Honor,with this in mind,and knowing my family suffered terribly at his merciless attentions,I am prepared to defend my client and his reasons for what he did to my wife and kids. Yes,the work IS important...But,to give support to a proof positive killer who showed ZERO mercy & tortured his victim is just not right.Especially when you KNOW he did it from the irrefutable evidence.Just like a proof positive convicted terrorist.Once the evidence is undeniable against them,all bets are off and that killer or terrorist is terminated.No 12 appeals,no clemency,just casket.  (Sunday Nov 29 | post #34)

Ohio

Concealed carry does not make us safer

Hmm...interesting topic.Lessee,we have the deeply ingrained fear of a wild west shootout at the Winn-Dixie grocers.How many states have the CCW law now???How many REAL shootouts between the Billy Bobs & McCoys have we read about?I have been reading the paper for years and I have never to this date heard about a high noon challenge and resulting spray & pray at the watering hole that SO many have feared would surely happen when CCW passed.Statistics have shown that crime levels HAVE lowered in CCW states.Sure,it won't ever completely stop crimes and accidents with guns DO happen,but it DOES make a strong positive influence. Several months ago I heard about a granny who blasted the crap out of a perp who crashed into her hotel room to rob her and her visiting family.No multiple exchange of bullets there.Just 1 bullet being given to the perp who was really getting what he rightly deserved for assaulting an elderly lady.He got a 45 cal sleep aid. Quite frankly,I believe that the fear of CCW is over inflated.In my honest thinking,if "I" were a criminal living in and employing my "trade" in a CCW state,I'd have SERIOUS second thoughts about my career.In a CCW state,one has no idea if that sweet little 75 year old gramma is keeping something stronger than lipstick in her purse and the odds of her doing so are definately stacked more in her favor.If the media would publicize all the positive CCW stats in the news instead of keeping them covered up,I think that it would have a goodly effect on crime.Criminals NEED to be shown that CCW/criminal deaths will continue to rise as more law abiding people carry.  (Sunday Nov 29 | post #128)