News and Views

Our electric bill for July was $417.10. This is the first time we’ve been over $400 for one month.
It’s been a hot, humid month, fuel rates are up, and somebody keeps turning the thermostat down…

There is a new version of Gaim available, but it’s no longer called “Gaim”. I think AOL was threatening to sue them because “Gaim” sounded too much like “AIM”.
Anyway, the new version is called “Pidgin”, and it’s available here

If you don’t know, Pidgin (Gaim) is a free, advertisement free replacement for several instant message programs, including AIM, ICQ, MSN, Google Talk, IRC and many others.

This new version seems pretty stable.

There’s a new version of Firefox web browser here.

Bug and security fixes; no new features.

Devon found an apartment in Pasadena, so Gisele and I (and Derek? He hasn’t decided yet!) are leaving for California this (Friday) morning to take a load of his stuff over and help him move in over the weekend.

We hope to be back on Monday.

I heard back from the court today, and as I expected they do not want me for the case. The case is described in the Tempe Tribune.

The defendant is charged with murder and the prosecution is seeking the death penalty. In Arizona (and I think every state after a recent Supreme Court ruling), the jury has to decide the penalty, not just guilt. A death penalty has to be a unanimous jury decision. I stated on the questionnaire that I do not support the death penalty and would not vote for it, so obviously the prosecution would reject me.

I can understand feeling so badly about a crime that you want the perpetrator to die, and if this guy is guilty he is a real scumbag. However, data shows that the death penalty is not a deterrent, and the only other reason would be revenge. To me, that results in the state itself committing murder.

Data shows that a large percentage of the people in the US feel the same way I do. When asked if they would support the death penalty when there was an alternative such as life without parole plus restitution, more people chose that alternative than the death penalty. That’s probably one reason why they had a pool of 80 people to select 12 jurors and 4 alternates.

So I still have never got to serve on a jury! Maybe next time…

Gisele is back from France! I picked her up from the airport last night. I don’t expect to see her much the next few days, as she will be sleeping while I am up, and up while I am sleeping.

Devon started his new job this week. He worked Monday and Tuesday, and now has two days off. He’s just learning about the company and their technology right now. He’s staying in a hotel until he finds an apartment. A friend has an apartment nearby, and they may have an empty unit to rent. He hopes he can get in there.

Devon left today about noon for his new job in California. This is his first trip to California alone — always before somebody was with him (usually either I or Keri). I just talked with him by cell phone and he is just over the border into California.

His new job with SECo starts tomorrow (Monday). The company is providing him with a long-term hotel room for two weeks until he can find an apartment. (We’re assuming the hotel room is a kitchenette.) Once he figures out his schedule moving into an apartment, we will know if he can come home for the graduation party on the 7th. But if he has to move in that weekend he won’t be able to come.

I’ve been summoned to jury duty tomorrow, Wednesday. I called in this evening, and was told that I should appear.

This will be the first time I have appeared for jury duty. I have been summoned 2 or 3 times before, but in the phone call the night before was always told that I wasn’t required.

It’s with the Arizona Superior Court, so it could be interesting. I’m looking forward to it, which some of my friends think is strange. I guess a lot of people work hard to get out of jury duty, but I’ve always wanted to serve.

I’ll report back once I am free to discuss it.

Devon has accepted a position with SubSurface Exploration Company, in Pasadena. SECo “provides high quality seismic data acquisition and data processing services to clients in the oil and gas industry.”

Devon will be a Geophysicist, utilizing his expertise at signal processing and mathematical physics to help interpret reflected and transmitted sound waves and analyze the underground structure.

He starts on July 2, plans to stay with them for a year, and then in the fall of 2008 pursue a doctorate in Physics, college TBD.

This is a fascinating article on a woman’s experiences in Saudi Arabia.