Saturday, October 16, 2010

Off Topic: Take Me Out

All wrongful conviction work and no play makes Jack a jaded and bitter boy. Though I'm buried much of my time studying and writing of crime, tragedy, and injustice, I try to not lose sight of all that is wonderful.  Part of the wonder is that people are endlessly inventive. I am really impressed by people who can do things well.

This is a staged bit by the group Atomic Tom. The skeptical among you can just smile at the opening text explaining that their instruments were stolen and they were forced to improvise. The result is nonetheless wonderous. I appreciate the video as much for what it implies as for the music.

Think about it. The group is just a few iPhones away from being a true cyborg band. It won't be long before such a performance will be possible without the external devices.

For those who wish to view it on YouTube, please feel free. Others of you who just can't bear to separate from this blog, the embed follows.

Clueless in Texas

From DallasNews.com
AUSTIN – Members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission criticized their leader on Friday for calling Cameron Todd Willingham "a guilty monster" while they are still investigating the arson case that led to his execution.
Chairman John Bradley, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry last year, nevertheless defended his statement, saying it was his First Amendment right.

John Bradley should step down. He won't do so.

Rick Perry should replace John Bradley with a commissioner who will be more objective. He won't do that.

John Bradley and Rick Perry hope to keep the truth from coming out. They're too late. The cat is already out of the bag. They're now trying to convince you it wasn't a cat.

I don't dispute Bradley's First Amendment right to free speech. He is clueless to mention it, however, when the commission he chairs is charged with determining whether Cameron Todd Willingham ever received his right to a fair trial. John Bradley might want to keep in mind an even more fundamental right.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.