AZDana

Archive for the ‘Arizona News’ Category

I think it is officially monsoon season here in the Valley, which means that I will get a thimbleful of rain while someone on the next block over gets a massive downpour that floods their yard. I was hoping for a real deluge tonight, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I should be glad that the weather’s pretty quiet in my area. In Gila Bend and Ajo, 2,300 people have been without electricity since Sunday because of the monsoons. They got hit with a storm with wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour. 47 power poles were knocked down and nine transmission towers were damaged in the area. Some are saying the power won’t be 100 percent restored till Wednesday. Thankfully, they’ve set up a temporary shelter in a local high school, and a local agency is sheltering the pets of the people that are staying at the high school.

Can you imagine what it would be like to sleep in a high school gym in the middle of summer? It’s one thing to rough it when you go camping, but I don’t think anyone would enjoy sleeping in a gym with a bunch of strangers. I guess I should be glad that the little storms I’ve seen so far haven’t turned into anything big.  I’d hate to have to sleep on a cot away from home and not even have a batch of fresh s’mores to show for it.

For those following the Carol Gotbaum story, I just read that Thomas announced that there will be no charges filed against the officers involved in her death. In case you don’t remember the incident, she was the drunk out-of-control woman that strangled herself while in custody at Sky Harbor Airport. Of course, her husband has filed an $8 million dollar claim against the city of Phoenix, claiming wrongful death, etc, etc. I just hope Phoenix stands firm and does not offer any sort of settlement on this. I’ve read a lot about the case, watched the videos, and I believe the cops handled the matter correctly.

Gotbaum was drunk and disorderly, and was put in a holding cell according to procedure.  The cops checked on her at appropriate intervals, and it was her choice to entangle herself in her restraints, causing her own death.  I feel sad that her children have to grow up without a mother, but considering her blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit for driving and that she had taken prescription antidepressants, I think the responsibility for her death lies with her actions that day, as well as the choices of her husband, Noah Gotbaum, and family that allowed her to fly alone.

Looks like Sheriff Joe is serving cake to a few of those serving time at the local lockup. I know a lot of people say that putting inmates in tents is cruel and unusual punishment, but I say that if it’s good enough for our soldiers, then it’s good enough for criminals. Here’s a photo essay of what life is like on the inside, for those of you that are curious, yet law abiding citizens. And for those of you that don’t believe in following the laws, well, the vacancy sign outside the jail is always on.

Horse owners, watch out for the Amsinckia Intermedia weed (variant sp: Amsinkia intermerdia Common Names: Tarweed & Fiddleneck.) I just read a very informative post on on the blog of Sensation Sport Horses, talking about how this is causing great problems for some horses. The article’s very concise, so if you own a horse, read the article carefully and if you have any concerns, make sure to bring this up with your veterinarian

Anyone want to pitch in and buy Ms. Jackson the latest Prada Vernice Gauffre Large Satchel Hand Bag for her next trip to Wally World?

I swear half my brain cells disappear when the clouds show up. I like rain, I enjoy the changing weather, but I feel so lethargic when it rains. I just checked wunderground.com and it says the area has a

“Flash Flood Watch in effect until 11 am MST this morning…
Wind Advisory in effect from 10 am this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon.”

I’m also feeling crabby today. I usually manage to stay on an even keel, but this morning I got an email that put me in a bad mood. A longtime friend of mine sent me a message that was actually quite rude. So now, I have to decide what to do about his email. Do I ignore the rudeness and chalk it up to a bad day? Do I challenge him and tell him I find his conduct unacceptable? I’ve known him for eons, this is the first time I have ever seen him do anything like this. Did he have a bad day while shopping at the mall?

I don’t have a clue right now as to how to handle this, so maybe Karen and I will just lie down and listen to the rain fall and the wind blow. One thing’s for sure, Karen doesn’t seem to mind the weather, it only makes her even more cuddly, as if such a thing were even possible.

I was reading a news story about a murderer in prison, clicked on a link, and next thing I know, I’m reading the various last meals of criminals executed in Arizona. I don’t know why the Arizona Department of Corrections put that information on their website, maybe they get a lot of requests for that type of information. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with putting the information online, its just that I don’t understand why they included so much detail. For example, one piece of scum, before his execution, ate “Six fried eggs, cooked over-easy, 16 strips of bacon, one large portion of hash-browns, one pint of pineapple sherbet ice cream, one “breakfast steak” well done. One 16 ounce cup filled with ice, one 7UP, 1 Dr. Pepper, 1 Coke, one portion of hot sauce, one cup of coffee, two packets of sugar and four Rolaids tablets.” Nice to know that Arizona didn’t want him to have heartburn before his lethal injection, eh?

Personally, I pretty much support the death penalty, UNLESS the family of the murder victim is opposed. I know all about the studies done on recidivism, have read the arguments that it makes us look barbaric, and have considered the opinions of those opposed to the death penalty. I’ve never had a loved one murdered, and I can’t even begin to contemplate the torture their families endure. I feel if the victim’s next of kin need restitution, and the only way we as a society can provide that for them is by lawful execution, then I see no reason to stop executing murderers.