‘Blade Runner’ trial could go either way with existing evidence

 Good Day World!

 I’ve never had more conflicted feelings about a famous murder trial than the one involving Oscar Pistorius, and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, sometimes called “Blade Runner” says he accidently shot Steenkamp last Valentine's Day thinking she was an intruder.

Prosecutors said he intentionally shot and killed Steenkamp , 29, through the locked door of his bathroom following a domestic dispute.

There’s evidence supporting both Pistorius, and the prosecution’s claims.

Pistorius told security guards that nothing was wrong after he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, according to leaked prosecution evidence ahead of his murder trial, South African media reported Friday... news channel eNCA reported – citing prosecution documents in its possession.

Prosecutors will also argue that ballistic evidence suggests the amount, trajectory and grouping of the shots fired through a locked door can only indicate a direct intention to kill, according to a similar report by Eyewitness News.

Pistorius trial: State to rely on '13 facts'

This article supports Pistorius’s story:

Oscar Pistorius trial: Prosecution setback as new documents reveal athlete was 'most likely on his stumps'

The trial begins on Monday, March 3rd. There’s going to be a dedicated 24-hour television channel in South Africa, the country's top cable provider has said, promising "round-the-clock" coverage of one of the blockbuster stories of the year.

MultiChoice said the temporary "pop-up" channel will launch on Sunday, March 2nd, the day before  Pistorius goes on trial in a high court in Pretoria.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Ragnarok: The Viking Apocalypse Is Almost Upon Us

Good Day World!

Here’s a TGIF for you:

Now's the time to cash out your life insurance policy and have a little fun, because, according to Norse mythology, the world is ending this Saturday.

Sorry to be a bummer, but you should know we're about 100 days into an epic battle that will culminate with the earth falling into the sea, NPR explains.

For those whose understanding of Norse mythology begins and ends with the Marvel Comics' version of "Thor," the story behind Ragnarok, aka the "Viking apocalypse," or "doom of the gods," is arguably more spectacular and imaginative than anything Hollywood could dream up.

Here's what's coming, according to Time magazine. On Saturday a huge battle commences among the various Norse gods. All the heavy hitters will be in attendance — Thor, Odin and Loki to name but a few.

They'll fight (and when gods fight, it gets messy). Eventually, the Earth will split open, Viking-Mythlogy.com explains. Residents of the underworld will surface.

Fortunately, you'll be long gone — meaning all your worries about mortgages and breakups and thinning hair will be but a sweet memory lost to the mists of time. (info via NPR)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Derek Jeter & Kobe Bryant: Future Hall-of-Famers Face Retirement

Good Day World!

 Time catches up to all of us, but sometimes it’s hard to watch. Especially when you’re talking about professional athletes who you’ve followed throughout their careers.

Future Hall-of Famer Derek Jeter recently announced that he’s calling it quits after 20 sensational years. The New York Yankees captain really didn’t give a reason for why he’s retiring now. He told the Yankee management, team mates, and fans, that “20 years was enough,” but shied away from saying why.

Jeter is a 13-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove shortstop who led the Yankees to World Series titles in 1996, '98, '99, '00 and '09. He enters his 20th big league season with a .312 average, 256 homers and 1,261 RBIs.

The bottom line for Jeter is that he’s ready to do something else in his life. And he’s doing it on his own terms.

Another great athlete, Kobe Bryant, of the Los Angeles Lakers, is facing retirement. But he’s NOT ready to call it quits…yet.

Where there was once inevitability and sureness, there is now an uncertain and contemplative Black Mamba, working toward a 2013-14 return that is no longer guaranteed.

Age has caught up with him, though, diminishing the impact of his usual defiance and truculence, making it so Bryant is at the mercy of his body, and not his will, for the first time of his career.

That's something he must become accustomed to, a reality he must live with. Having already missed 47 games this season, Bryant is roughly six months away from turning 36, rapidly approaching the end of an incredible run.

The question is two-fold: ONE, will he be able to come back for one more season? And TWO, will it be hard to watch him with diminished skills if he does? Unlike Derek Jeter, Kobe’s retirement depends upon when his worn-out body can no longer compete.

Derek Jeter has chosen to go out at the top of his game, under his own terms. Kobe is not going to have that opportunity as his best days are gone. He’s assured a place in the Basketball Hall-of-Fame, however.

In the end, both men are legends in their sport, and it’s going to be sad to see them go.

Time for me to walk on down the road…  

Moo Money! Cost of a gallon of milk going up 50 to 60 cents in March

Good Day World!

When I heard that the price of milk was going up this year I assumed it mostly had to do with California’s drought.

It wasn’t a crazy assumption, however. California leads the nation in milk production. But the following article gives another reason why we can expect a gallon of milk to cost more by March:

“Dairy analysts estimate store milk prices could go up 60 cents in March, reaching their highest ever.

"The cupboards are dry," said dairy economist Mary Ledman.

Blame cheese. Short supply pushed cheese to a new peak in January, going from $1.80 to $2.36 a block. That jump is driving the March increases for "fluid milk."

Moreover, in early 2013, farmers responded to higher feed costs by cutting back on herd growth. Coupled with growing international appetite, especially from China, that's led to tighter supplies and higher prices.

But not every fridge will feel the pinch. Some stores may choose to eat the 30-cent increase in farm level milk prices occurring from January to March. In other areas, families could see their milk bills going up 50 to 60 cents a gallon.

The average price for milk was $3.50 in December, according to the most recently available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Brian West, a spokesman for the Publix supermarket chain based in the Southeast, said the store expects milk prices to rise in the next few months.

Supplies will shoot up soon after the new batch of calves are born and cows reach peak milk production 60 days later. After that, milk prices should begin to taper, falling 20 percent through December, said dairy analyst Jerry Dryer.

The current California drought, however, is the bad news. Without relief, production of alalfa, a key feed for cows, could be curbed, pushing up milk prices even higher in late 2014 and early 2015, said Ledman.

Dry fields now, dry cereal bowls later. (via NBC News)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Restaurant features rocking robots with hot humans!

                                        Good Day World!

All the world’s a stage, and robots are playing a bigger part in it, working alongside employees in factories and labs.

So it may make sense that drones and droids are joining their human creators in some of mankind’s oldest art forms, performing in front of audiences from the United States to the nightclubs of Japan.

But there’s scientific value to the acts, too, and stage-ready robots — including fire-breathing carnival acts, and chatty humanoids who’ve entertained audiences from Abu Dhabi to Vietnam — are aiding researchers who want to build robots people find less, well, robotic.

(Read the whole story here)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Satanism Gone Mainstream? It Appears that Way

Good Day World!

Satan still gets his due in the 21st Century.

It use to be difficult to find news stories about satanic practices, covens, and witchcraft.

It’s practically mainstream now. Case in point:

Satanists Unveil Statue for Oklahoma Capitol

Here’s a recent case of devil-worshippers admitting they’re murderers, with at least 22 victims. 

“A teen Satanist in a Pennsylvania prison claims she has killed nearly two dozen people in different parts of the country, according to a report in a local newspaper.

"When I hit 22, I stopped counting," Miranda Barbour said in an jailhouse interview with local newspaper the Daily Item in Sudbury. She added in the interview that ran on Saturday that she just wanted to be honest.

Barbour, 19, has been charged with the murder of a man allegedly lured to a rendezvous through Craigslist.

Here’s a link to an article which asserts:

Why American Christians Love Satan

“Just like their historical forbears, American believers like to blame bad things on the devil. But what if he’s just a convenient way to hide from the truth?

In America, much like God, Satan works in mysterious ways. Just how mysterious depends on who you talk to.

For instance, a good number of Christians became convinced that Satan made an appearance at last month’s Grammy Awards. While Christians detecting Satan’s presence at large music gatherings is hardly novel, the fact that Satan showed up right smack in the middle of a performance by Katy Perry and Juicy J. caused this particular sighting to be deemed more buzzworthy than most.

Some evangelicals even speculated about whether or not Perry, while singing “Dark Horse,” had enacted an ancient satanic ritual, one that had actually summoned the Prince of Darkness to join her on the Grammy stage.”

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Driving deaths while impaired on pot are increasing

Good Day World!

I don’t mean to harsh your Sunday high, but there’s something I want to talk to you about: the dangers of driving while flying high on marijuana.

Let’s start off with the fact that driving while impaired by alcohol, and or drugs, is simply stupid. There’s no other way to put it.

As medical marijuana sales expanded into 20 states, legal weed was detected in the bodies of dead drivers three times more often during 2010 when compared to those who died behind the wheel in 1999, according to a new study from Columbia University published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Cannabinol, a remnant of marijuana, was found in 12.2 percent of those deceased drivers during 2010, (up from 4.2 percent in 1999). Pot was the most common non-alcoholic drug detected by those toxicology screenings.

On the other hand, a separate study - also based on FARS data - found that in states where medical marijuana was approved, traffic fatalities decrease by as much as 11 percent during the first year after legalization. Written by researchers at the University of Colorado, Oregon and Montana State University, the paper was published in 2013 in the Journal of Law & Economics.

Proponents of marijuana think it’s unfair that state’s are taking THC levels right after accidents because pot can be detected in the blood for one week after consumption, which could lead to chronic consumers being wrongly arrested.

My whole point is driving impaired on anything is beyond stupid…it’s criminal. I have nothing against marijuana or alcohol when used properly and safely.

Time for me to walk on down the road…