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1. decompressing - noun
· relieving pressure (especially bringing a compressed person gradually back to atmospheric pressure)
Synonym(s): decompression
Hypernym(s): easing, easement, alleviation, relief
2. decompress - verb
· restore to its uncompressed form; "decompress data"
Synonym(s): uncompress
Hypernym(s): restore, reconstruct
Antonym(s): compress
3. decompress - verb
· decrease the pressure of; "depressurize the cabin in the air plane"
Synonym(s): depressurize, depressurise
Hypernym(s): adjust, set, correct
4. decompress - verb
· become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work"
Synonym(s): relax, loosen_up, unbend, unwind, slow_down
Hypernym(s): change_state, turn
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Gary W. Stanley is a nationally known professional nature, landscape and wildlife photographer based in New England. Gary leads popular photo tours throughout North America. He has been teaching seminars and workshops for over 12 years.
Gary is a popular speaker at many photo conferences and camera clubs around the US and Canada, and is part of Fuji's 'Talent Team' of professional speakers.
Gary has numerous photo and writing credits including national magazine articles, covers, and advertisements. Much of Gary's landscape and nature photography can be seen in New England calendars, and post cards.
Gary is Senior Editor for the on-line photography magazine, Vivid Light Photography and has recently joined the staff ofNPN (Nature Photographers Network) as a contributing editor.
Gary writes monthly articles on both traditional and digital photography. Gary's own site www.light-chasers.com features on-line articles, product tests, favorite places, news and happenings, a tour and seminar schedule, a photo gallery and more.

subset: commoncrawl


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Products You May Like
Marabou String Feather Boa 10m Mid Brown
Price: £11.99
Product ID : SS536
Marabou String Feather Boa
Colour Mid Brown
Made from swansdown.
Approx 10 Metres x 2 Inches Wide
Used widely for fancy dress costumes, lingerie garments, hats, bags and many other craft projects.
(This marabou string comes in a 10 metre length - please note if ordering more than 10 metres it will be separate pieces).


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At 56, it's not every day I spend the night with a 25-year-old woman, and if it ever did happen, you'd normally be the last person I'd tell.
But, on Thursday night, that's exactly what I did.
A "complete stranger" invited Ace and me into her home in Albuquerque, went out to dinner with us at a dog-friendly restaurant (Kelly's Brew Pub) and, though still a kid (relative to me, anyway) taught me a few things about trust and keeping the doors to one's life open enough that new people can get in.
And she saved me a few bucks, as well.
For this, I can thank couchsurfing.org, a website that, realizing not all of us have money to spare for mint-on-the pillow accommodations, unites people looking for a place to stay with local people kind enough to offer one — on a global scale.
I first heard about it through a comment left on ohmidog! — offering me, a penny pinching traveler with a dog at my side, some advice on finding dog-friendly, cheap, even free, lodgings.
I went to the website, created a bare bones profile, paid a $25 verification fee (though they — see comment below — prefer to call it a donation), and explored the options, especially those members who lived along my somewhat fuzzy route who were open to opening their homes not just to travelers, but their dogs as well.
Jen Walker in Albuquerque was the first one I found. Through the website, I sent her a message, told her a bit about myself, and what Ace and I are up to, and inquired as to whether I might crash — a word I haven't used in 25 years or so — on her couch.
Sure, she wrote back. She was cool with that.
She's got a charming little dog of her own, an Italian greyound-Chihuahua mix named Cali who likes to hang out on the roof of the apartment that joins hers, and a cat named Autumn, who likes to crawl into suitcases and more than once has almost been accidentally abducted by a departing couchsurfer.
Ace, once spotting Autumn behind a pillow, immediately hopped in Jen's bed to better stare at her. Jen was cool with that.
Jen, as she has been with the 67 previous couchsurfers she has taken in, was the consumate host — and even supplied an air mattress for me to sleep on instead of the couch. She's working, and going to school at the University of New Mexico, and is a delightful young woman — God, how old do I sound? — with a laid back aura, a kind heart, and a curious and open mind.
Taking new acquaintances into her home, she says "allows me to meet people I probably otherwise would never meet."
It occurs to me that, by hosting couchsurfers, she's doing what I'm doing — both by taking this trip, and when I made the career choice to be a journalist: ensuring I would see new things, meet new people, keep learning, and not live the insulated life.
She's made some lasting friends, and — one of the big side benefits — accumulated a long list of places to stay around the globe. As with those who stay with her, she knows those she stays with will offer her much more than any hotel, or even hostel, ever could. Staying with a local person or family provides much better insight into local culture, far more tips on where to go and what to see and allows one to make a more intimate connection with the place they are visiting.
The concept is based on a slightly hippyesque, pay-it-forward kind of philosophy — taking in others leads others to take in others, and so forth. And it gives credence to the belief that in this world there are no complete strangers, only partial ones … friends we haven't met yet, as I like to think — at least when the cynical journalist, untrusting, worst-case-scenario side of me doesn't get in the way.
Jen, in her two years as a member, has only couchsurfed once, in Durango, Colorado, but she's hosted close to 70 times, many of those being visitors from other countries. They might stay a day, or even a week. (Jen is cool with that.) For her, it has led to many long term friendships and not a single negative experience.
In college, and even afterwards, she notes, she had a core group of friends — all with similar backgrounds and interests. Through couchsurfing, she has expanded her friend horizons, and met lots of different types of people.
Jen grew up in Hastings, Nebraska and at first was hesitant to tell her parents about her involvement in couchsurfing. When she finally did, "they thought it was great," she said. "Some of my friends think I'm crazy, but I've met a lot of cool people."
She's now averaging two to six visitors a week, and I — who am sitting, not surfing, on her couch right now, Cali on one side of me, Ace on the other (Jen is cool with that) — am number 68.
As couchsurfing.org explains on its website mission statement: "For one reason or another, some of us may not have the opportunity to explore. There could be any number of obstacles that keep us from venturing as freely as we might otherwise, whether it's economic limitations, cultural constraints, or simply fear of the unknown … If we could address and overcome those barriers, more of us would naturally tap into our own curious nature and actively explore the world."
That philosophy, too, is sort of similar to the one behind my current journey — having no money is no reason not to travel; maybe, even, it can be a reason to travel. (Bear and his famiy notwithstanding.)
Couchsurfing.org got its start when founder Casey Fenton bought a cheap ticket to Iceland for a long weekend. Rather than stay at a hotel or hostel, he came up with idea of e-mailing over 1500 Icelandic students in Reykjavik and asking them if he could crash on one of their couches.
That led to numerous offers from Icelanders offering to show "their' Reykjavik." After his week in Iceland, he vowed to never again get trapped in a hotel and tourist marathon while traveling.
Originally, I planned to stay two nights, but after one I'm heading to Santa Fe to see an old friend who — assuming her three dogs get along with mine — might let me house/pet sit when she and her veterinarian husband are out of town for a week in July.
I'll send Jen an email, and leave her a note — in case she's not back from work by the time I have to leave. I'm sure she'll be cool with that.
(To read all of "Dog's Country," click here.)


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A number of countries are starting to change those outdated rules on the use of personal electronics on flights, with some places taking slightly longer than others. The latest to follow suit, in a gadget-friendly list mostly comprising of US-based airlines, is Australia. Earlier today, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority finally approved the request from Qantas and Virgin Australia to allow passengers to keep their devices on at all times while traveling, from liftoff to touchdown -- so long as they are kept on Airplane Mode. As expected, this only applies to handheld electronics, such as smartphones, tablets and e-readers; anything that weighs more than 1kg (2.2 lbs) will need to remain stowed during takeoff and landing. It is effective as of tomorrow, so now you won't have to throw a fit the next time your Virgin Australia steward tells you to turn that phone or slate off.
Sponsored Links
From tomorrow, you will be allowed to use your hand-held electronic device on most flights at any point during your journey with us.- Virgin Australia (@VirginAustralia) August 25, 2014
[Image credit: Virgin Australia]


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Asia Internship Program 2018 - Indonesia
Application for summer internship at Expedia is open now! There will be three main components to the Internship Program at Expedia:
- Training: various training sessions, inclusive of business skills training and Expedia-specific trainings
- Project: the project will be assigned during the latter half of the internship. Interns will be asked to complete the assignment and make a presentation during the last few weeks of the program.
- Understanding Daily Tasks: learn, understand, and experience first-handedly the daily tasks
Those that are successful in our internship program will be eligible for a full time opportunity at Expedia!
Market Associate Intern (Account Management)
Working with hotels to bring travelers to them is Expedia's bread and butter. Our global reach can help a hotel that's at half-capacity at noon be full and bustling by sundown. That power is driven by systems, which provide streamlined bookings and access to global consumers, so our partners feel the value of working with us. Lodging Partner Services covers anything that has to do with hotels. We're there to create customer-hotel relationships that couldn't have existed without our systems. Our technology acts as a matchmaker, giving clients that perfect weekend getaway and ensuring that dust never has time to settle in our partner hotels. Our technology results in continually improving platforms that hotels use to interact with the Expedia database to increase their inventory and content. It's exciting and it's important. These partnerships are what fuel us forward as we connect people and places around the globe.
To learn more about the job duties and start your online application, please click the following link according to your location of interest:
- Job type:Internships
- Locations:
Jakarta (Indonesia)
- Closing Date:31st May 2018, 3:59 pm
Enter an employer or university you want to find in our search bar.


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Inordinate and unpredictable delay has resulted in a death penalty system in which very few of the hundreds of individuals sentenced to death have been, or even will be, executed by the State. It has resulted in a system in which arbitrary factors, rather than legitimate ones like the nature of the crime or the date of the death sentence, determine whether an individual will actually be executed. And it has resulted in a system that serves no penological purpose. Such a system is unconstitutional.
-Federal Judge Cormac Carney, striking down California's death penalty as unconstitutional (Jones v. Chappell (2014), reversed by 9th Cir. on procedural grounds)
Imagine that speeders who drive yellow cars are ticketed but speeders who drive other colored cars are not. Even if the law does not explicitly single out yellow cars, a system that consistently fines only the drivers of yellow cars would be unfair. In a death penalty system in which less than 2% of known murderers are sentenced to death, fairness mandates that those few who are sentenced to death should be guillty of more heinous crimes or have worse criminal records than those who are not. A system in which the likelihood of a death sentence depends more on the race of the victim or the county in which the crime was committed, rather than on the severity of the offense, is also arbitrary.
Legal and Historical Background
Arbitrariness News & Developments - Current Year
Arbitrariness News & Developments - Previous Years
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
Legal and Historical Background
In 1971, death row inmates from California and Ohio argued that the lack of standards for imposing the death penalty denied them of due process as guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment. McGautha v. California, 402 U.S. 183 (1971). The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that it would be virtually imposssible to construct beforehand the standards for sentencing to death:
To identify before the fact those characteristics of criminal homicides and their perpetrators which call for the death penalty, and to express these characteristics in language which can be fairly understood and applied by the sentencing authority, appear to be tasks which are beyond present human ability. (at 205).
In McGautha, the Court valued jury discretion over the prospect of mandatory sentencing, noting that broad jury discretion allows the jury to consider every circumstance found in the wide variety of cases. The Court found no due process violation. However, the following year in Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972), the Court held that the arbitrariness of existing death penalty procedures violated the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishments.
In a 5-4 decision, the Court in Furman held that the death penalty was being applied in an arbitrary and unconstitutional manner. Each Justice wrote a separate opinion, but the consensus pointed to a lack of standards for imposing the death penalty, enabling it to be selectively applied based on improper criteria. The concern was that the death penalty was being imposed unevenly, infrequently, and often selectively against minorities. A penalty is considered cruel and unusual if it is administered arbitrarily or discriminatorily.
In Furman, the Court effectively voided every state's death penalty law, commuted the sentences of all death row inmates around the country, and suspended the future use of the death penalty.
Following Furman, many states enacted new statutes that they believed would decrease arbitrariness in capital sentencing. To address the unconstitutionality of unguided jury discretion, some states removed all of that discretion by mandating capital punishment for those convicted of capital crimes. However, this practice was held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976) because it did not allow for consideration of individual differences among defendants.
Other states sought to focus the jury's discretion by providing sentencing guidelines to direct the jury when deciding whether to impose death. Georgia provided bifurcated proceedings, in which guilt and sentence are determined in separate trials. In the penalty phase, the jury must find at least one aggravating circumstance (characteristics that make certain murders worse than others) beyond a reasonable doubt before considering other evidence and making a decision between life or death. In an effort to safeguard against arbitrary sentencing, Georgia also created specialized appellate review. In 1976, Georgia's guided discretion statute, as well as statutes in Florida and Texas, were approved when the Supreme Court decided Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153. This landmark decision held that the new death penalty statutes were constitutional, thus reinstating the death penalty in those states. The Court also held that the death penalty itself was constitutional under the Eighth Amendment.
Eleven years after Gregg, the Supreme Court examined whether statistical evidence linking race to the outcome of cases established a constitutional violation. McCleskey v. Kemp, 481 U.S. 279 (1987). McCleskey, an African-American death row inmate, presented the Court with a sophisticated statistical analysis showing a pattern of racial disparities in death sentences, based on the race of the victim. The study, conducted by Professor David Baldus, examined the death penalty in Georgia and found that the statistical evidence showed that defendants charged with killing white victims were 4.3 times more likely to receive the death penalty than defendants charged with killing African-American victims. McCleskey asked the Court to find that his death sentence was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held, however, that racial disparities would not be recognized as a constitutional violation of equal protection unless intentional racial discrimination against the defendant could be shown. McCleskey further argued that when race is a factor in selecting who will die, the death penalty is unconstitutional under the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment. The Court also denied this claim, reasoning that the study offered was insufficient to prove that the death penalty was being applied in an arbitrary manner.
Three decades after sentencing guidelines were approved by the Court in Gregg, the death penalty is still being unpredictably applied to a small number of defendants. There remains a lack of uniformity in the capital punishment system. Some of the most heinous murders do not result in death sentences, while less heinous crimes are punished by death.
Ineffective guidelines and constraints in the capital sentencing process can result in decision-makers falling back on their prejudices about who are the worst kind of criminals or who are the more sympathetic victims. Many factors other than the gravity of the crime or the culpability of the offender appear to affect death sentences, including geography, race, gender, and access to adequate counsel.
Regional variation in death sentences suggests arbitrariness in application. While one expects to see some variation from state to state, given differences in population, crime rates and laws, one also expects that in a just system, the law of a particular state would be applied uniformly in that state. (See, e.g., Frank R. Baumgartner, "The Geography of the Death Penalty," (2010) in Resources below).
A just system ought not to have death sentences concentrated in only one region. However, whether a person receives the death penalty depends heavily on where the crime was committed.
About one-quarter of Ohio's death row inmates come from Hamilton County (Cincinnati), but only 9% of the state's murders occur there. (R. Willing and G. Fields, Geography of the Death Penalty, USA Today, Dec. 20, 1999).
Baltimore City had only one person on Maryland's death row, but suburban Baltimore County, with one tenth as many murders as the city, had nine times the number on death row. (L. Montgomery, Md. Questioning Local Extremes on Death Penalty, Wash. Post, May 12, 2002).
An investigation by seven Indiana newspapers in 2001 found that the death penalty depended on factors such as the views of individual prosecutors and the financial resources of the county. Two Indiana counties have produced almost as many death sentences as all of the other Indiana counties combined. (S. Bend Trib., Oct. 21, 2001).
In New York, which abolished the death penalty in 2007, upstate counties experienced just 19% of the state's homicides, but they nonetheless accounted for 61% of all capital prosecutions. Three counties (out of 62 in the state) accounted for over one-third of all cases in which a death notice was filed. (Capital Punishment in New York State: Statistics from Six Years of Representation, Report from the Capital Defender Office, Sept. 2001 (data through June 30, 2001)).
Although one would expect federal law to be applied evenly, an investigation into the use of the federal death penalty by the Justice Department found significant geographic disparities in prosecutions. The country is divided into federal districts, and local U.S. Attorneys are required to submit all potential death penalty cases to the Attorney General for review and may make a recommendation about seeking the death penalty. The survey reported large disparities in the geographical distribution of federal death penalty recommendations.
From 1995-2000, 42% of the federal cases submitted to the Attorney General for review came from just 5 of the 94 federal districts.
Including the 21 districts that have never submitted a case for review by the Attorney General, from 1995-2000, 40 of the 94 federal districts never recommended seeking the death penalty for any defendant.
The Federal Death Penalty System: A Statistical Survey (1988-2000), U.S. Dept. of Justice (Sept. 12, 2000).
In 2001, five days before the first federal execution in 38 years, Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a follow up report concluding there was no bias. The Federal Death Penalty System: Supplementary Data, Analysis and Revised Protocols for Capital Case Review, U.S. Dept. of Justice (June 6, 2001). Ashcroft, who claimed that broader use of the federal death penalty would redress the documented geographic disparities in federal capital sentencing, was a long-time supporter of capital punishment. (Wash. Post, 6/7/01).
The Ashcroft report was widely criticized. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold noted that the Justice Department had failed to complete a thorough analysis of the racial and regional disparities with outside experts.
See Senator Feingold's complete statement, in response to the report.
Professor David C. Baldus, law professor and statistician, reviewed the follow up report and its conclusions, noting that the report provided no explanation for clearly documented geographic and regional disparities in the administration of the death penalty:
The September 2000 report clearly showed that in practice the federal death sentencing system was largely a Southern program. Twelve of the 19 men on federal death row as of September had been sentenced in the South, including 6 from Texas and 4 from Virginia. The Ashcroft report, however, focused on regional differences in the racial composition of the pools of potential capital cases that the districts had generated (p. 17). This had nothing to do with the regional disparities in the rates at which death eligible defendants in the system had been capitally charged and sentenced to death.
Statement of Professor David C. Baldus to the Honorable Russell D. Feingold
Committee on the Judiciary, U. S. Senate, June 11, 2001.
In November 2015, a federal capital defendant, Donald Fell, filed a motion challenging the constitutionality of the federal death penalty, alleging, in part, that "the persistent capricious circumstance of region" established that the federal death penalty has been arbitrarily applied. Fell alleged that the Federal Death Penalty Act "remains a largely Southern phenomenon. Nearly two-thirds of federal death verdicts have come out of the traditional 'death belt' states[, which] sentence federal defendants to death at a significantly higher rate than elsewhere in the country." He presented data showing that "49 of 81 federal death verdicts have come out of the states that formed the confederacy, more than 62% of all federal capital verdicts." Three of those states – Texas, Missouri, and Virginia – by themselves accounted for 32 federal death verdicts, or 40% of the total.
This geographic arbitrariness contributed to racial disproportionality in the use of the federal death penalty as well. A review of federal death row by Federal Habeas Corpus Resource Counsel in February 2017 showed that more than 1/3 of federal death row came from Texas, Virginia, and the Eastern District of Missouri. More than 90% of the death-sentenced prisoners in those jurisdictions were defendants of color.
When sentencing standards fail to adequately guide sentencers, decision-makers may fall back on conscious or unconscious prejudices about who are the worst kinds of criminals or who are the more sympathetic victims. Modern studies of the death penalty continue to find a correlation between sentencing and race. The studies consistently show that those who kill white victims are much more likely to receive the death penalty than those who kill black victims. Racial disparities in sentencing and executions suggest that race plays a role in the application of the death penalty.
In 96% of the states where there have been reviews of race and the death penalty, there was a pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination or both. (David Baldus, et al., In The Post-Furman Era: An Empirical And Legal Overview, With Recent Findings From Philadelphia, 83 Cornell L. Rev. 1638 (1998)).
According to the findings of a Governor-commissioned death penalty study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland, defendants in Maryland are much more likely to be sentenced to death if they have killed a white person. (Prof. Raymond Paternoster et. al., An Empirical Analysis Of Maryland's Death Sentencing System With Respect To The Influence Of Race And Legal Jurisdiction, Jan. 7, 2003).
A report released by the New Jersey Supreme Court found that, "There is unsettling statistical evidence indicating that cases involving killers of white victims are more likely to progress to a penalty phase than cases involving killers of African-American victims." (Asbury Park Press, Aug. 13, 2001).
A study in North Carolina found that the odds of a defendant receiving a death sentence were three times higher if the person was convicted of killing a white person than if he had killed a black person. The study, conducted by Professors Michael Radelet and Glenn Pierce, examined 15,281 homicides in the state between 1980 and 2007, which resulted in 368 death sentences. Even after accounting for additional factors, such as multiple victims or homicides accompanied with a rape, robbery or other felony, researchers found that race was still a significant predictor of who was sentenced to death. Michael L. Radelet and Glenn L. Pierce, Race and Death Sentencing in North Carolina 1980-2007 (89 N.C. L. Rev. ___ (Forthcoming 2011)).
Race-of-victim bias in the death penalty has been a persistent problem. In 1990, the U.S. General Accounting Office reviewed the research on this issue and found that in 82% of the studies, race of victim was found to influence the likelihood of being charged with capital murder or receiving a death sentence, i.e., those who murdered whites were found to be more likely to be sentenced to death than those who murdered blacks.
Some studies have also found bias against non-white defendants.
A sophisticated statistical study in Philadelphia by David Baldus found that for similar crimes committed by similar defendants, blacks received the death penalty at a 38% higher rate than all others. (Richard C. Dieter, The Death Penalty in Black & White – Death Penalty Information Center, 1998).
See also Race.
The quality of legal representation is related to the arbitrary application of the death penalty in that inadequate representation contributes to mistakes in capital sentencing.
The National Law Journal, after a study of death penalty representation in the South, concluded that capital trials are "more like a random flip of the coin than a delicate balancing of scales," because the defense attorney is "too often . . . ill-trained, unprepared [and] grossly underpaid." (M. Coyle, et al., Fatal Defense: Trial and Error in the Nation's Death Belt, Nat'l. L.J., June 11, 1990). States vary enormously in the quality of representation they provide to indigent defendants.
In Washington state, one-fifth of the 84 people who have faced execution in the past 20 years were represented by lawyers who had been, or were later, disbarred, suspended or arrested. (Overall, the state's disbarment rate for attorneys is less than 1%.) (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Aug. 6-8, 2001).
In North Carolina, at least 16 death row inmates, including 3 who were executed, were represented by lawyers who have been disbarred or disciplined for unethical or criminal conduct. (Charlotte Observer, Sept. 9, 2000).
In Texas, about one in four death row inmates has been defended by lawyers who have been reprimanded, placed on probation, suspended or banned from practicing law by the State Bar. (Dallas Morning News, Sept. 10, 2000).
In Alabama, about 40 of the approximately 185 death row inmates – some within five months of filing deadlines for state appeals – do not have counsel. (N.Y. Times, July 5, 2001). See also Representation.
The Capital Jury Project studied more than 1,200 jurors from 14 states. Based on this research, Professors Bowers and Foglia conclude that the constitutionally mandated requirements established to guide juror discretion and to eliminate arbitrary sentencing are not working. The study identified the following constitutional problems:
Premature Decision Making - Interviews with jurors found that approximately 50% of those interviewed decided what the penalty should be before the sentencing phase of the trial. This is before they have heard penalty phase evidence or received the instructions on how to make the punishment decision.
Bias in Jury Selection - Researchers found that jury selection methods resulted in disproportionately guilt-prone and death-prone juries.
Failure to Understand Jury Instructions - The study found that 45% of jurors failed to understand that they were allowed to consider any mitigating evidence during the sentencing phase of the trial. In addition, two-thirds of jurors failed to realize that unanimity was not required for findings of mitigation.
Erroneous Beliefs that Death is Required - 44% of jurors said that they believed the death penalty was required if the defendant's conduct was heinous, vile or depraved, and nearly 37% of respondents said that the death penalty was required if the defendant would be dangerous in the future. The Supreme Court has ruled that no state can require the death penalty solely on the grounds that specific aggravating circumstances have been established.
Influence of Race - Researchers revealed that the chances of a death sentence in cases with a black defendant and white victim increase when there are five or more white males on the jury, and the chances decrease when there is at least one black male on the jury. These jurors have very different perspectives regarding lingering doubt, defendant remorsefulness, and defendant future dangerousness.
Underestimating the Death Penalty Alternative - Early findings of the study found that most jurors grossly underestimated the amount of time a defendant would serve in prison if not sentenced to death, and that the sooner jurors believed (wrongly) a defendant would return to society if not given the death penalty, the more likely they were to vote for death.
William J. Bowers and Wanda D. Foglia, Still Singularly Agonizing: Law's Failure to Purge Arbitrariness from Capital Sentencing, 39 Crim. L. Bull. 51 (2003). A list of the publications reporting findings from the Capital Jury Project can be found here.
The number of women on death row is very small and hence it is difficult to draw any statistical conclusions about gender bias.
Justice Marshall cited the disparity in the number of death sentences imposed on men over women when the Court found the death penalty unconstitutional in 1972:
"There is also overwhelming evidence that the death penalty is employed against men and not women. … It is difficult to understand why women have received such favored treatment since the purposes allegedly served by capital punishment seemingly are equally applicable to both sexes."
Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238, 365 (1972) (Marshall, J.,concurring).
Death sentences and actual executions for female offenders are rare in comparison to such events for male offenders. In fact, women are more likely to be dropped out of the system the further the capital punishment system progresses.
women account for about 1 in 10 (10%) murder arrests;
women account for only 1 in 50 (2.0%) death sentences imposed at the trial level;
women account for only 1 in 60 (1.7%) persons presently on death row; and
women account for only 1 in 100 (1%) persons actually executed in the modern era.
Victor L. Streib, "Death Penalty For Female Offenders, January 1973 through October 31, 2010".
See also Women.
The death penalty is not necessarily applied to the worst of the worst offenders:
9/11 Conspirator Moussaoui Receives Life in Prison Without Parole
A federal jury failed to impose a death sentence on Zacarias Moussaoui resulting in a sentence of life in prison without parole. The government asserted that his lies to FBI officials contributed to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Earlier the jury had found that Moussaoui was responsible for some of the deaths that took place on September 11, and that he was eligible for the death penalty. (CNN & Associated Press, May 3, 2006).
Prosecutors Agree To Life Sentence For Nurse Guilty Murdering 13 Patients
Charles Cullen, a former nurse, escaped the death penalty in an agreement with prosecutors in which he pled guilty to killing 13 hospital patients. (D. Kocieniewski, N.Y. Times, Apr. 30, 2004).
Man Who Admitted To 48 Murders Will Serve Life Sentence In Exchange For Cooperation
In a plea agreement reached with Washington state prosecutors, Gary Ridgway, a Seattle-area man who admitted to 48 murders since 1982, will serve a sentence of life in prison without parole. Prosecutors spared Ridgway from execution in exchange for his cooperation in leading police to the remains of still-missing victims. (Associated Press, Nov. 5, 2003).
J. Donohue, "An Empirical Evaluation of the Connecticut Death Penalty System Since 1973: Are There Unlawful Racial, Gender, and Geographic Disparities?," 11 Journal of Empirical Legal Studies (Dec. 2014).
Frank R. Baumgartner, "The Geography of the Death Penalty," (Univ. of North Carolina, Oct. 17, 2010) - U.S. executions since 1976 by county
John Blume, Theodore Eisenberg, and Martin T. Wells, "Explaining Death Row's Population and Racial Composition," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1,165-207, March 2004.
Samuel R. Gross, Still Unfair, Still Arbitrary - But Do We Care?,Keynote Address, 26 Ohio N.U. L. Rev. 517 (2000).
Ben Steiner, Still Arbitrary: Capital Sentencing in the Post-Furman Era, 10 Crim. Just. Pol'y Rev. 85 (1999).
Michael Burkhead & James Luginbuhl, Sources of Bias and Arbitrariness In The Capital Trial, 50 J. Soc. Issues 103 (1994).
Vivian Berger, Black Box Decisions On Life Or Death - If They're Arbitrary, Don't Blame The Jury: A Reply To Judge Patrick Higginbotham, 41 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 1067 (1991).
Ronald J. Tabak, The Death of Fairness: The Arbitrary and Capricious Imposition of The Death Penalty In The 1980s, 14 Rev. of L. and Soc.Change 797 (1986).
David Baldus, et al., Arbitrariness And Discrimination In The Administration Of The Death Penalty: A Challenge To State Supreme Court," 15 Stetson L. Rev. 133 (1986).
Last Updated July 16, 2015
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Sunday, 4 December 2011
Cheap, cheery and chic - Christmas Tutorial 15
Firstly the gift bows, you will need:
An old map book (charity shops are brill for these) or magazines - or double sided paper
A stapler
Cut out 9 strips 3/4" wide and 11" long (about the length of a magazine page), then cut an inch off three of the strips and two inches off another three strips.
Fold the strips into a figure of eight and staple them together.
Lay the strips on top of each other and pop a tiny bit of glue in the centre of the strips.
Now repeat this for the next two groups of paper, leaving one of the small pieces aside.
With your left over small piece make a loop, trimming off the excess and glue it together holding it in place with a paper clip.
Pop the final loop into the centre with a dab of glue and there you have a cheap and cheerful bow, this looks brilliant if you wrap your gift in either newspaper or brown paper. If anyone challenges you either raise your eyes and mutter global warming or ask them if they do not understand irony and look disappointed!
Now, onto the candle holders, I first used these for my first Christmas dinner in my house and over 10 years later I still use them! You will need:
Empty jam jars
Shoe whitening
Stencils or pastry cutters and cardboard
Wash the jars, dry them and put the lids somewhere safe.
Use the shoe whitener pad to create decorations, just using it on its own without stencils and the circles will make a flower. Or if you are getting small children to do this when they are on hols, just dobbing the foam top of the whitener over the glass will look like snow. If you do not have any Christmassy stencils then use your pastry cutters to create some by tracing them onto the card and cutting them out. Pop the stencil against the glass and dob the whitener onto the jam jars.
I put these all over my dining room to light it for Christmas Day, they look lovely with the tea light candle behind them and the great thing is that you can wash them after and use them for jam. The other good thing is that the candles are really safe in the jars especially if you have ever suffered from a tea light flaring up, but do remember to always snuff out candles if you leave a room.
And finally, an idea that I had for place mats, which I will be making for myself later and will post pics... using mirror tiles (I found these at Wilkinsons for £4.95 for four) make sure that the edges are rounded/bevelled as I do not want to be sitting with you in Casualty on Christmas Day. Cut out four small squares in felt and glue them onto the corners so that the tiles do not scratch your table. Stencil or paint a decoration in acrylic/poster paints around the edge or in just one corner. Now as we are being very thrifty, you will be able to wipe the paintwork clean and recycle them for Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays and other special occasions.
Now off you go and take a look at Handmade Monday to see how all the other crafters are preparing for Christmas.
22 comments:
I love the bows and have plenty of old pages from books to try this with - good thinking!
- 5 December 2011 at 14:07
- Polly Polkadot said...
You had my attention the moment maps were mentioned! I had never thought of trawling through the charity shop for them though, thanks.
- 5 December 2011 at 14:22
- Ros Made Me said...
Shall I make you all really jealous, it was an AA book and cost me a pound! I am now working on another project using it :)
- 5 December 2011 at 14:37
- Caroline Lovis (Redneedle) said...
Maps! Brilliant! My mind is now in overdrive thinking of maps and masculine cards. You are amazing!
- 5 December 2011 at 15:39
- Caroline Nash said...
I like the idea of the map bows and as we have satnav think the maps are now fair game, lol. good ideas for a thrifty Christmas
- 5 December 2011 at 15:44
- Sarah - Dragonfly-Jersey said...
Fantastic ideas Ros....the bows are super! xx
- 5 December 2011 at 16:48
- mcrafts said...
Really great ideas Ros - I know that I for one am looking to save where I can just now. Mich x
- 5 December 2011 at 19:28
- Emma Tustian said...
These are great. If I can find some jam jars I think I'll try the tea light jars.
- 5 December 2011 at 19:47
- Stocki said...
Who would have thought of that? Shoe whitener on jam jars..perfect! Thanks Ros...brilliant idea...I shall start immediately :)x
- 5 December 2011 at 20:12
- CHRISTMAS PIE CRAFTS said...
Really great ideas Ros - many thanks. Like the newspaper wrapping paper - a double pressie coz the recipient can have a read too. I am in the process of getting together the materials make the wreath you had on your blog recently - looked so good. My plan is to use red and white striped material
- 5 December 2011 at 21:08
- Annie and Lyn said...
The bows are really pretty made from old maps and the idea of using shoe-white on the jam-jars (so that you can then re-use the jars) is not one I'd have thought of. Simple yet brilliant!
- 5 December 2011 at 23:20
- Mrs A. said...
Really brilliant ideas here. Especially like the road map bows. Hugs Mrs A.
- 6 December 2011 at 02:13
- Susie said...
Saved! I think I save more of your pages than anything else. You do the best tutorials of practical stuff I can use. :) Thank you! Oh, btw, YOU ROCK!
- 6 December 2011 at 06:07
- Adaliza said...
What a super idea - love the bows and they're not girly either which solves a lot of problems for all the boys in our house. You get to wear the 'Great Idea' badge for the day! Ta x
- 6 December 2011 at 06:16
- Wendy said...
I love using old maps and books in projects and this one is perfect for them.
- 6 December 2011 at 07:22
- Pretty Shabby UK said...
I love the bows. My hubbys has plenty of books to choose from LOL
- 6 December 2011 at 08:09
- Helen said...
Fantastic ideas as always ros. I wil be trawling the chaeity shop at the next opprtunity!
- 6 December 2011 at 08:52
- Jam Dalory said...
Great tutorials, I like the bows, I have a couple of old AA maps I got free with car insurance quotes so i'll have to dig them out. x
- 6 December 2011 at 10:34
- Picto said...
The bows are great Ros. Pages from magazines are good too, especially as there are usually car adverts you can use for the chaps.
Thanks for popping over to my blog and leaving a comment, much appreciated :o)
Jan x
- 6 December 2011 at 21:40
- GiftsByJenny said...
What a brilliant idea! Thank you so much for sharing - the bows are fab x
- 6 December 2011 at 22:07
- Whitney-Anne Baker said...
that is awesome!! I've bookmarked this page for future reference. Even though we don't have any gifts to give out this year I think I'm going to try some anyway. I also make stuff for one of the local chairty shops so they would be perfect. Now, where are my scissors?
- 7 December 2011 at 16:36
- Martha said...
Clever you! thanks for sharing with us that tutorial :)
like the tealight candleholders, anything glassy with a candle inside always catches my eye! :)
- 7 December 2011 at 18:26


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It's not everyday that the tech industry sees two of its giants fork over $1 billion, especially for things that (at least at this point) have so little impact on the everyday technology consumer.
But such is life in the wild world of tech where an aging company like AOL can sell a patent portfolio to Microsoft and an emerging upstart like Instagram can double its valuation almost overnight (without any real business model behind it).
Acquisitions are exciting, the tech industry's equivalent of the Super Bowl. That's especially the case when the deals hit the magic number of $1 billion, sending the tech blogosphere into an uncontrollable tizzy.
But the craziness of the day — highlighted by the disparate nature of the two deals — shouldn't necessarily be greeted with cheers.
In the case of Microsoft's patent buy, it's unclear exactly what the software giant intends to do with the intellectual property.
But the competitive bidding process and high price tag once again raises concerns about the litigious nature — the ugly underbelly if you will — of the industry. Using patents as defensive or offensive weapons may help employ a few extra lawyers and drive some revenue (as it does in Microsoft's Android-related licensing deals), but it's unlikely to spur the type of innovation that technology companies once prided themselves on.
As GeekWire reader Christopher Budd commented today:
"I'm all in favor of intellectual property, but I admit I'm distressed at how tech seems to be turning away, generally, from innovation and competition and towards acquisition and litigation," Budd wrote.
Nicely said.
Facebook's $1 billion purchase of Instagram, meanwhile raises an entirely different set of issues. Sure, some people love the photo sharing service. And with roughly 30 million iPhone users, it is an emerging force with GigaOm's Om Malik suggesting that the company may have even sold too early.
But the wild fluctuation in valuation, mushrooming from a reported $500 million last week to $1 billion today is simply insane. And while it may be good for Instagram's venture backers and its 13 employees, it's hard to really get your head around the economics of the deal. In the course of human history, has a 13 person company ever been worth $1 billion?
Or, as another GeekWire reader, noted:
"On what strange planet is Instagram worth $1 billion? Good to see that nothing was learned from the dotcom fiasco and paying too much for today's flavor of the week is alive and well."
What do you think? Are these the best of times or the worst of times, the age of wisdom or the age foolishness for the tech industry?
FOLLOW-UP: The battle to train a market: Instagram is what Facebook has been telling you guys to do for like a year, okay?


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Christopher J. Warren, 29, Folsom, California, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft related to a $19 million fraud scheme.
As previoulsy reported by Mortgage Fraud Blog, Warren was indicted in 2009 after defrauding lender Taylor, Bean & Whitaker of over $7 million and fleeing to Beirut, Lebanon, on a privately chartered jet. Warren was arrested attempting to reenter the United States under a fraudulently obtained passport with tens of thousands of dollars hidden in his cowboy boots.
Warren's plea covered both the $7 million fraud against lender Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, and an additional $12 million in fraudulent loans involving his employment at Loomis Wealth Solutions, Roseville, Calif., in 2007 and 2008. He also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulently obtaining passports in the names of real persons without their approval. Warren used the stolen identities to purchase gold and to flee abroad.
Warren is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on April 24, 2012. The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or twice the loss caused or gain received, and a three-year period of supervised release. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other sentence. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal sentencing guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
A co-defendant, Scott Cavell, remains a fugitive. The charges against him are only allegations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Benjamin B. Wagner, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, announced the guilty plea.
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Wildlife Conservation in northeast Oklahoma to benefit from agency partnership
Wildlife Department hosting public hearings and online public comment period
New compact helps sportsmen get most from resources while holding wildlife law violators accountable
Four Oklahoma youth win outdoor getaways through writing contest
Waterfowl Report to help hunters plan second half of season
The second portion of the Oklahoma waterfowl season in Zones 1 and 2 will reopen Dec. 11, and hunters can receive updates on their favorite hunting spots from home by e-mail.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's weekly news release includes periodic waterfowl reports throughout the entire waterfowling season, and sportsmen can receive the information in their e-mail box by signing up on the Department's Web site at wildlifedepartment.com. The next Waterfowl Report is slated for the second week of December.
The Wildlife Department works with cooperators across the state that help compile the reports. As a result, waterfowlers get the most up to date information. According to Alan Stacey, wetland development biologist for the Wildlife Department, the waterfowl report is useful for hunters who have inflexible work schedules. He also advises hunters to watch the weather to increase their chances of picking the right day to go waterfowl hunting.
"Northern cold fronts approaching our state during the hunting season are the 'triggers' which can increase bird numbers overnight," Stacey said. "Bird movements moving just ahead of or during the front are common, and choosing the right day to go afield can often be critical."
Stacey also said hunters benefit from "fresh" birds moving through the state, since many have not yet been conditioned by local hunting pressure.
Waterfowl hunters can sign up to receive the entire weekly news release by e-mail or choose to only receive the waterfowl reports. Stories in each week's news release provide subscribers with timely, local information on everything from hunting and fishing news to eagle and bat-watching activities, and they refer readers to additional sources of information on topics relating to Oklahoma's outdoors.
Hunters who wish to participate in the waterfowl season must have a resident or non-resident hunting license. Additionally, waterfowl hunters must have a current Federal Duck Stamp and an Oklahoma Waterfowl License, unless exempt. The federal duck stamp costs $15 and is available at U.S. Post Offices. Hunters pursuing sandhill cranes must also purchase a separate sandhill crane hunting permit.
Hunters should consult the current "Oklahoma Waterfowl Hunting Guide" for complete hunting regulations and license requirements. The guide is available free online at wildlifedepartment.com or at locations across the state that sell hunting licenses or other sporting goods gear.
Oklahoma grown seedlings available online
All landowners can do something for wildlife, even if it just means planting some trees. And they can start by ordering tree seedlings from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma Forestry Services is offering three different packages of seedlings, called wildlife habitat improvement packages, that will enhance the habitat of deer, songbirds, turkey, quail and a variety of other wildlife. Each wildlife packet is made up of 25 each of four different species of trees and shrubs chosen specifically to improve the wildlife habitat of your property.
"Planting the appropriate trees can be a great way to enhance wildlife habitat on your property," said Mike Sams, private lands biologist for the Wildlife Department. "Planting a tree today can be a long-term investment for future generations."
According to foresters, the fall is the best time for preparing planting sites for seedlings, and the best time for planting seedlings spans from December through early April.
Oklahoma grown seedlings are available to landowners for a broad range of conservation projects. Landowners use the trees for windbreaks to protect crops and livestock, timber production, water quality protection, erosion control or other natural resource projects such as firewood plantings and Christmas tree production.
An online store is available where landowners can purchase their wildlife habitat improvement packages, as well as choose from over 35 species of trees and shrubs. Seedlings are one year old, bare-root, and each species is packaged in multiples of 50 with a minimum order of 100 trees. They are to be used in rural conservation plantings and cannot be used for ornamental plantings or resold as living trees.
All orders will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis, so landowners are encouraged to visit http://www.forestry.ok.gov today to choose their tree seedlings for planting this winter. The seedlings will be available for pickup or shipment starting in early January 2011, but orders are being taken now via the online store or you can request a paper order form by contacting the Department's Forest Regeneration Center at 800-517-FOREST.
Wildlife viewing in Oklahoma is just a drive away
Oklahomans who have ever noticed the small brown signs along roadsides across western Oklahoma depicting the silhouette of a scissortail flycatcher and the words "Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma" may wonder what the apparent road marker is communicating to drivers. But those traveling a loop of the Great Plains Trail already know that the signs serve as route markers for tourists looking for wildlife and unique landscapes throughout western Oklahoma. And since the upcoming holiday season centers on family, traditions and memories, a road trip on a system of routes designed especially for the chance to view wildlife may be just the way to encompass all three.
The Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma links travelers of western Oklahoma on an auto-driving trail to destinations that offer a wide array of unique and interesting wildlife species while taking advantage of western Oklahoma's small-town hospitality. The Trail includes 13 loops, each loop designed to provide the traveler with three days of accessible wildlife species, unique geologic features, large-scale prairies, brilliant starry skies, and gorgeous sunsets and sunrises.
Destinations along the loops are diverse and include wildlife management areas, state parks, private ranches, bed & breakfasts and national wildlife refuges. All have been assessed for their wildlife viewing opportunities and carefully coordinated throughout the 13 loops to help tourists get the most from their drive.
The coming months are ideal for wildlife viewing and for taking in breathtaking landscape views. Oklahoma's more temperate winters means most reservoirs are ice-free and are attractive to wintering bald eagles, ducks and geese. Relatively snow-free prairies attract raptors to Oklahoma, as the hunt for rodents is much easier than farther north. This causes a substantial increase in red-tailed hawks perched on utility poles and Northern harriers soaring over the grasslands.
Other common wildlife along loops of the Great Plains Trail include whitetail deer and winter bird visitors such as white-crowned sparrows and dark-eyed juncos. Mountain bluebirds can be found at the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area on the Quartz Mountain Loop and Roman Nose State Park on the South Canadian Loop. American white pelicans are numerous at the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge on the Salt Plains Loop. Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area on the Hackberry Flat Loop has multitudes of ducks and geese, while the nearby Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge has bison, prairie dogs, elk and short-eared owls. Hibernating bats can be seen in large clusters as you tour Alabaster Caverns on the Bats and Bluffs Loop. And awe-inspiring landscapes can be enjoyed on the Cimarron Loop and Gloss Mountain Loop.
To start a new family tradition of touring a loop of the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma during the holidays, log on to greatplainstrail.com, or contact Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department, at (405) 424-0099 to request a roadmap of the loops that make up the trail.
Wildlife Conservation in northeast Oklahoma to benefit from agency partnership
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a memorandum of understanding between the Wildlife Department and the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) that could lead to new public hunting opportunities in northeast Oklahoma.
The new memorandum, approved by the Commission at its December meeting, could lead to the acquisition, development and management of up to 20,000 acres of land in the Neosho River watershed above Grand Lake.
The GRDA operates hydropower facilities at Grand Lake and has historically provided in-lake mitigation for adverse impacts of their operations on fish and wildlife resources. These mitigation projects have included in-lake millet plantings for waterfowl and financing $100,000 a year for enhancing aquatic vegetation for fish habitat in the lake. Such efforts have proven to be only marginally successful and unpopular with some people who enjoy using the lake, but mitigation efforts under the new memorandum are expected to yield better results that are more beneficial to wildlife and more useful for sportsmen.
"For the past several years the Wildlife Department has suggested that mitigation efforts could be better accomplished at sites adjacent to the lake," said Barry Bolton, chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department. "To that end, GRDA has recently begun to acquire acreage in the Neosho River drainage upstream from the lake. This effort would help GRDA meet their mandated mitigation requirements, but also — from our standpoint — would provide significant waterfowl and upland hunting opportunity in northeast Oklahoma where we don't have a lot of acres of wildlife management areas."
To date, the GRDA has already acquired over 3,000 acres from willing sellers to be managed as part of the project.
According to Bolton, the next step in the process is to continue land acquisition efforts and work to create management and wetland develop plans that would someday provide functional wetland units and hunting opportunities.
In other business, the Commission accepted a bid from Devon Energy to purchase water from American Horse Lake. The Wildlife Department owns the lake, and the water must be drained to allow for repairs.
"Since we are going to be renovating the dam and lowering the lake water level anyway, this one-time sale will help us get the most out of the excess water resource instead of releasing it downstream," Bolton said.
The Commission also heard a presentation from Jim Edwards, assistant director of operations for the Wildlife Department, on a resolution to adopt a wildlife restitution schedule that assigns a recommended dollar value to a number of wildlife species that violators could be held responsible for in the event one of the animals is killed illegally.
Edwards also announced to the Commission his retirement effective Dec. 31.
"The people of the Wildlife Department are what makes your agency so great," Edwards told the Commission. "The people that work for the Wildlife Department are not recruited by the Wildlife Department. The people recruit the Wildlife Department as their employer."
Edwards relayed a story from his childhood when his grandfather urged him to be a game warden, and Edwards made that a reality in 1982. In 2006, he was promoted to assistant chief of the Wildlife Department's law enforcement division, where he remained until July 2009 when he promoted to assistant director of operations.
The Commission also adopted a procedures manual for the Wildlife Department's reserve game warden program and recognized Steve Bray, wildlife technician stationed at Deep Fork, Heyburn and Okmulgee wildlife management areas, for 20 years of service to the Wildlife Department.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for 9 a.m., Jan. 3, at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
Hunters to enjoy 10-day holiday antlerless deer gun season
New this year, the holiday antlerless deer gun season will be increased to 10 days and will run Dec. 17 through Dec. 26 in open areas.
Last year, the holiday antlerless season took place the weekends just prior to and immediately following Christmas Day, for a total of just six days.
Most of the state will be open to antlerless hunting those days, excluding most of the panhandle and portions of southeast Oklahoma. All public hunting areas and private lands in southeast Oklahoma's zone 10 are closed to the holiday antlerless deer gun season, except for Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area, which will be open to antlerless gun hunting during the 10-day season. Seasons on other public lands also may vary from statewide season dates. For a map of Oklahoma's antlerless deer hunt zones and to see which counties will be open for the holiday antlerless deer gun season, consult page 23 of the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide," as well as the "Oklahoma Public Lands" section in the back of the guide for seasons on specific public areas.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's annual Big Game Report, written by big game biologist Jerry Shaw, doe harvest reached an all-time high last season.
"Doe harvest has reached its all-time highest mark in state history," Shaw writes in the report. "With all the hunting seasons combined, Oklahoma hunters harvested 50,420 female deer."
This record is over 2,000 more than the previous record of 48,358 set in 2008.
According to Shaw, high doe harvests help accomplish several important management benefits such as preventing localized overpopulations, improving buck:doe ratios for a more healthy herd, reducing competition for forage to promote greater antler growth in bucks, reducing the potential for deer/vehicle collisions, and lessening the extent of potential crop depredation.
To participate in the holiday antlerless deer gun season, resident hunters must possess a valid hunting license. Additionally, they must possess a holiday antlerless deer gun license, unless exempt. Resident youth hunters 16 or 17 years old must purchase a hunting license, and a $10 youth holiday antlerless deer gun license is available for all youth under 18 years of age.
Nonresident deer hunters are exempt from a hunting license while hunting deer, but they must possess a nonresident holiday antlerless deer gun license or proof of exemption. Nonresident lifetime license holders are not exempt from purchasing deer licenses.
In addition, hunters participating in the holiday antlerless deer season must comply with the hunter orange requirements for the regular deer gun season. Archery hunters and those hunting most other species in open holiday antlerless zones must wear either a hunter orange hat or upper garment while hunting.
To learn more about this year's antlerless deer season, consult the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide" or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Wildlife Department hosting public hearings and online public comment period
Sportsmen have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on wildlife, hunting and fishing related rule change proposals under consideration at public hearing meetings in January or online now through Jan.
Several of the proposals involve adjustments to hunting season and regulations — particularly turkey season in southeast Oklahoma.
To address population declines in southeast Oklahoma, one proposal would shorten turkey season in several southeast counties and wildlife management areas from the usual statewide season of April 6 through May 6 to the Monday following the third Saturday in April through May 6. Additionally, season bag limits in those southeast counties would be reduced to one tom and then determined annually and published in the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide."
Sportsmen can view a complete listing of proposed changes online at wildlifedepartment.com.
"Public hearings are an opportunity to discuss items on an agenda that could lead to changes in our hunting and fishing regulations," said Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "We feel strongly that our constituents should have every chance to provide their comments, so we are pleased to again offer an e-mail option for those wanting to be heard on these specific subjects."
Hearings will be held at 7 p.m. at the following locations:
January 4, 2011, 7 p.m.
McAlester – Kiamichi Vo-Tech, 301 Kiamichi Dr. (SW corner of Hwy 69 and Carl Albert Dr.)
January 6, 2011, 7 p.m.
Idabel – Kiamichi Vo-Tech, 3205 Lincoln Road NE (three miles north on Hwy 259)
Oklahoma City – Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters auditorium, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.
"If you are not able to make one of the public hearings, we encourage you to provide your comments through wildlifedepartment.com anytime before 4:30 p.m. Jan. 7, 2011," Rodefeld said.
Additionally, those interested can submit written comments by mail to the Wildlife Department's main office in Oklahoma City (P.O. Box 53465, OKC, OK 73152).
To log on to the online public comment forum or to view topics open for comment, log on to the Wildlife Department's website at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
New compact helps sportsmen get most from resources while holding wildlife law violators accountable
Recently the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation joined a compact with 34 other states to discourage illegal taking of wild game and hold wildlife law violators accountable, thereby better conserving resources enjoyed by sportsmen and other wildlife enthusiasts.
The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is now in effect in Oklahoma and assures that Oklahomans who violate certain game laws in other member states will not only receive the same treatment as residents of that state, but it also includes a provision that affects violators' privileges in all participating states.
"In other words, wildlife violators cannot escape consequences just by crossing a state line," said Capt. David Deckard, administrator of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact for the Wildlife Department. "Oklahomans who lose their hunting license or hunting privileges in other member states can lose them here in Oklahoma as well."
Nonresidents from member states who commit certain wildlife violations in Oklahoma would also be subject to the same consequences in their home states. For example, under the compact, a hunting license suspension in one member state would be recognized in all member states.
"Wildlife law violators will be held accountable due to the fact that their illegal activities in one state can affect their privileges in all participating states," Deckard said. "This cooperative effort will enhance our ability to protect and manage our wildlife resources for the benefit of all residents and visitors."
Additionally, the compact establishes a process that allows Oklahoma game wardens dealing with nonresident wildlife law violators to handle such cases in the same way they would handle violations by residents.
"This increases efficiency of Oklahoma game wardens by allowing more time for enforcement duties, rather than processing procedures required for dealing with non-resident wildlife law violators," Deckard said.
According to Deckard, Oklahoma's long-standing outdoor heritage is largely respected by the hunters and anglers of the state, and that violators make up only a small number compared to the thousands of sportsmen who respect and follow the state's wildlife laws designed to conserve wildlife resources.
Game wardens for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are stationed in every county in Oklahoma, and they must undergo extensive training to become law enforcement officers for the Department.
The work of a game warden involves everything from public service to providing lake reports. The primary role of the job is to ensure compliance of wildlife laws and ensure sportsmen have an equal opportunity to enjoy hunting and fishing.
In addition, game wardens are some of the most recognized employees of the Wildlife Department and help at a range of public events, such as hunter education courses, sportsmen's club events, the Department's annual Wildlife Expo and others.
Game wardens start their training at the Wildlife Department's headquarters in Oklahoma City. There they receive five weeks of training in criminal law, arrest procedures and how to professionally contact the public. Then they move on to a 10-week field training and evaluation program in which they are paired with veteran officers for field training. Once they have completed that, they attend 600 hours of training through the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training Academy (CLEET). Only after completion of all training will the wardens begin their first solo assignments.
The first step in becoming a game warden in Oklahoma is to take the Department's Standardized Employment Exam. This exam consists of 100 questions covering state and federal wildlife laws and regulations, Oklahoma geography, biological and environmental sciences relating to fish and wildlife, environmental education and communications, general journalism, photojournalism, technical writing and editing.
To take the exam to become a game warden, you must be at least 21 years of age and have a bachelor's degree with at least 16 credit hours in wildlife or biology-related coursework. A bachelor's degree in a wildlife-related field is preferred.
Those selected for a game warden position are interviewed and submit to psychological and physical exams, a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use, and a thorough background investigation. Wardens must be able to meet a physical ability standard, jog/walk over rough terrain, swim, be able to physically control and arrest law violators, operate a boat and operate 2/4 wheel drive vehicles.
Oklahoma game wardens are able to handle almost any problem that comes up during their workday. They are able to render first aid service, assist in lifesaving and water safety, and assist stranded motorists along roadways. They investigate illegal hunting and fishing and help landowners improve wildlife habitat.
For more information about Oklahoma game wardens or employment at the Wildlife Department, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Four Oklahoma youth win outdoor getaways through writing contest
Youth from Eufaula, Hominy, Porum and Owasso schools have been awarded outdoor getaways for winning an outdoor writing contest designed to help youth share their hunting heritage.
Contestants in the annual youth writing contest — sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International — chose between two different topics and submitted entries to not only share their interest in the outdoors, but also to compete for a chance at a unique outdoor trip. Topic choices included "Hunting: Sharing the Heritage" or "What I like about Archery in the Schools and Bowhunting."
Winners in the age 15-17 category will receive an all-expenses-paid antelope hunt in a western state. They were Calahan Henry of Eufaula High School and Amanda Swanson of Hominy High School. Winners in the age 11-14 category receive a scholarship to the YO Ranch Apprentice Hunter Program in Texas. They were Tucker Boland of Owasso Middle School and Gabriella Peebles of Porum Middle School.
"This has become a popular contest," said Colin Berg, education supervisor for the Wildlife Department. "We always enjoy the process of going over each essay and trying to select winners It can be challenging because there are some talented youth who are passionate about the outdoors who submit essays to this contest."
The scholarship to the YO Ranch Apprentice Hunter Program and expenses for the antelope hunts are covered by the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International with funds raised at the Chapter's annual banquet.
The youth writing competition is designed to promote America's hunting heritage among Oklahoma's youth. It provides them an opportunity to express the importance of hunting in their lives and to affirm their commitment to carrying on the hunting tradition. Students use the essays or short stories to relive memorable hunts, to explain why hunting is important to them and to recognize mentors who have influenced them to grow as hunters.
The contest winners will be eligible for entry in the Norm Strung Outdoor Writers Association National Youth Essay Contest, whose winners are awarded cash prizes and scholarships.
Students are not the only winners, however. Educators Jerry Hays from Hominy High School and Chris Dobbins from Comanche Middle School have been awarded an all-expense-paid scholarship to attend an eight-day conservation education school at Safari Club International's American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) at Granite Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming. The AWLS program is conducted during the summer and presents an outdoor program for educators that concentrates on natural resource management. Participants learn about stream ecology, map and compass usage, fly tying, shooting sports, wildlife management, the Yellowstone ecosystem, camping, white-water rafting, educational resources, how to implement outdoor education ideas and language arts and creative writing in an outdoor setting.
"Each year we find that Oklahoma students step forward and reach new pinnacles of success not only through their writings and sharing of their experiences through prose, but in establishing lifelong relationships with others they meet and become acquainted with through this writing adventure," said Sam Munhollon with the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International. "One of the more exciting developments has been the interest not only in the essay contest but wildlife management and appreciation of the outdoors by those students being home-schooled as well as those who attend more traditional schooling venues. We are very proud of the Oklahoma youth and look forward to sharing their experiences and accomplishments now and in the future."
The Wildlife Department and the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International will submit the winning essays to the National Youth Writing Contest held annually by the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
Winter Bird Feeder Survey offers chance to help conservation
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Winter Bird Feeder Survey starts Jan. 6 and gives wildlife enthusiasts and their families an exciting way to kick off the New Year.
Attracting birds and maintaining backyard feeders for wintering birds is popular in Oklahoma in both urban and rural areas, and people in both places can help the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation by participating in the survey while also getting close-up views of a number of unique birds.
Any Oklahoman with a backyard bird feeder can participate by choosing any two days between Jan. 6-9 to count birds at their feeders and record their observations. And according to Lesley Carson, wildlife diversity information specialist for the Wildlife Department, attracting birds to backyard feeders is not difficult.
"All you really need is food, water and a little cover," Carson said.
With participants observing birds across the state for four days straight, biologists can obtain important information that can help the Department better understand bird ranges and populations.
"By asking bird watchers across Oklahoma to take the survey, biologists can accomplish more in four days than they ever could have on their own," Carson said.
Currently biologists have a 21-year history of the upward and downward trends of birds visiting winter feeders thanks to the support of avid birders across the state.
The survey includes counting birds at backyard feeders at least four times a day for two days during the survey dates and completing a form provided by the Wildlife Department. For detailed instructions and to take the survey, log on to the Wildlife Department's Winter Bird Feeder Survey website at okwinterbirds.com. The website is an extensive bird-watching resource that provides species identification tips, bird diets, feeding behaviors and winter ranges as well as links to other birding websites. The site also details how to draw birds to backyard feeders using homemade bird attractants that are both healthy and beneficial to wintering birds.
While anyone who has a bird feeder can participate in the 2011 Winter Bird Feeder Survey, certain efforts can be made to attract more birds to feeders. Black-oil sunflower seed is a good choice for bird feeders because of its high nutritional value that birds can use during the winter and because virtually all seed-eating Oklahoma songbirds will eat it. Other seed options are white proso millet, nyjer or safflower. Suet cakes — animal fat that is sometimes mixed with grains or peanut butter, are good for drawing in species such as woodpeckers and birds that do not primarily eat seeds. Finally, a source of water and cover such as brush piles or dense shrubs located near the feeders help to draw more birds.
Though the highest numbers of birds were seen representing species such as the American goldfinch, dark-eyed junco, and northern cardinal, participants also saw a range of other species, among them bald eagles, American robins, cedar waxwings, roadrunners, brown thrashers, great horned owls and more.
To learn more about the survey or to participate, log on to okwinterbirds.com.
2011-2012 Waterfowl Stamp artwork selected
The 2011-2012 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp design competition results are in, and first place goes to George Lockwood of Santa Ynez, Calif. The wildlife artist's winning painting portraying the blue-winged teal will be featured on the 2011-2012 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Richard Clifton of Milford, Del., Tom Morgan Crain of Branson, Mo.,
and Wes Dewey of Chanute, Kan.
"We had 32 entries this year, and for the first time, we provided an opportunity for the public to vote on their favorite through an online survey," said Micah Holmes, information and education supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Duck stamp sales help finance many projects that benefit ducks and geese. Since the duck stamp program began in 1980, thousands of acres of waterfowl habitat have been enhanced and restored through duck stamp revenues.
Entries were judged on public input, anatomical accuracy, artistic composition and suitability for printing. The winner and honorable mentions also will appear in a future issue of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.
The white-fronted goose will be represented in next year's contest and will be featured on the 2012-2013 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp.
For more information, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
George Lockwood, 1st place
Caption: The artwork of George Lockwood of Santa Ynez, Calif. portraying the blue-winged teal will be featured on the 2011-12 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp. Lockwood's painting was chosen out of 32 entries in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's 2011-2012 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp design competition.
Richard Clifton, honorable mention
Tom Morgan Crain, honorable mention
Wes Dewey, honorable mention
Wildlife Department hosting public hearings and online public comment period
Sportsmen have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on wildlife, hunting and fishing related rule change proposals under consideration at public hearing meetings in January or online now through Jan.
Several of the proposals involve adjustments to hunting season and regulations — particularly turkey season in southeast Oklahoma.
To address population declines in southeast Oklahoma, one proposal would shorten turkey season in the eight southeast counties and wildlife management areas from the usual statewide season of April 6 through May 6 to the Monday following the third Saturday in April through May 6. Additionally, the bag limit would be reduced to one tom total for the eight southeast counties and then determined annually and published in the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide."
Sportsmen can view a complete listing of proposed changes online at wildlifedepartment.com.
"Public hearings are an opportunity to discuss items on an agenda that could lead to changes in our hunting and fishing regulations," said Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "We feel strongly that our constituents should have every chance to provide their comments, so we are pleased to again offer an e-mail option for those wanting to be heard on these specific subjects."
Hearings will be held at 7 p.m. at the following locations:
January 4, 2011, 7 p.m.
McAlester – Kiamichi Technology Center, 301 Kiamichi Dr. (SW corner of Hwy 69 and Carl Albert Dr.)
January 6, 2011, 7 p.m.
Idabel – Kiamichi Technology Center, 3205 Lincoln Road NE (three miles north on Hwy 259)
Oklahoma City – Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters auditorium, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.
"If you are not able to make one of the public hearings, we encourage you to provide your comments through wildlifedepartment.com anytime before 4:30 p.m. Jan. 7, 2011," Rodefeld said.
Additionally, those interested can submit written comments by mail to the Wildlife Department's main office in Oklahoma City (P.O. Box 53465, OKC, OK 73152).
To log on to the online public comment forum or to view topics open for comment, log on to the Wildlife Department's website at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com


text:
Yale Teams Combine to Add to Be The Match Registry® in Memory of Bulldog Ice Hockey Player
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A year has gone by since Mandi Schwartz '10 (1988-2011) passed away after battling cancer for more than two years. Yet her impact remains evident in the annual marrow donor registration drive at Yale that is named in her memory. Thursday, her Yale women's ice hockey teammates once again worked together with the football and field hockey teams in an effort to save the lives of patients with illnesses similar to Mandi's. Yale's drive, part of the nationwide "Get in the Game. Save a Life." campaign, added more than 500 potential marrow donors to the Be The Match Registry® Thursday.
With an unofficial count of 515 registrants, Yale has now added more than 3,000 potential donors in Mandi's name through the four drives it has held. To date, those drives have located at least six genetic matches for patients with life-threatening illnesses in need of transplants.
While the process is simple for registrants -- paperwork and cheek swabs that take approximately 15 minutes -- the challenge for drive organizers grows every year. Once an individual has joined the registry there is no need for him or her to join again, so each year the Bulldogs have to find hundreds of new donors in addition to the ones that have signed up in previous years.
And yet, each year the three teams find a way to sign up enough of their classmates, family members, friends -- and even total strangers -- to make a major impact on the registry. Yale's drive has been the largest of its kind in each of the three previous years, including a record total of 921 registrants two years ago.
After so many years of doing drives, the Bulldogs are now very familiar with the elements needed to succeed. Planning starts month in advance, and members of each team are asked to get a certain number of people to commit to registering at the drive. Promotion and publicity on campus in advance of the drive helps, and when Drive day finally comes many donors know to head right to Commons.
But a key part of the drive is the work of the "hawkers" -- members of each team, assigned 90-minute slots throughout the day, who spread out across the campus to spread the word about the drive to those who may not have been aware of it otherwise.
"My favorite part of the drive is finding someone on the street who has never even heard of signing up to be a marrow donor before," said Aleca Hughes '12 (Westwood, Mass.), senior captain of the women's ice hockey team, who was recently honored with the 2012 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award for her efforts on previous drives. "Then you explain to them how easy it is to help save someone's life, their face lights up, and they go register. And then you watch them come out the exit door knowing that they contributed to something so great."
One of the Bulldogs' key players in that regard is Lexy Adams '13 (Lancaster, Pa.) of the field hockey team. After signing up at the 2010 drive, Adams was identified as a genetic match and donated marrow to a patient with cancer a little more than a year ago. Now, on the day of the drive each year, she takes the role of "hawker" to another level by staking out a spot right in front of the drive entrance, where she can tell anyone who may be hesitating at the last minute just how easy the donation procedure is. Admittedly terrified of needles, Adams nonetheless went through with the donation and now helps convince others to do the same. One of Yale's other recent donors ran a marathon 11 days after donating, a fact which helps further allay any fears of potential donors.
In addition to the three Yale teams, the drive also included free food and appearances by Yale's live bulldog mascot, Handsome Dan, and Yale's costumed mascot, Boola. Tony Reno, Yale's new Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of Football, came by during lunchtime to join the registry. Coaches from all three teams assisted with the drive throughout the day.
Drives at other schools in the "Get in the Game. Save a Life." campaign averaged 230 registrants in 2011, but the Bulldogs had passed that number by 1:30 on Thursday. Yale's drive was initially scheduled to end at 4:00, but donors were still coming in at that time -- including two members of "Sports Team 8" from WTNH, the local ABC affiliate, who were there to report on the story and then joined the registry themselves. The drive finally wrapped up at 4:30.
Mandi's story has been one of the driving forces behind the success of the Yale drives. In September 2010 she required a stem cell transplant that was designed to give her a new immune system using two anonymously donated units of umbilical cord blood. A biopsy in December 2010 indicated that she had relapsed, and she passed away at home in Saskatchewan on Apr. 3, 2011 at the age of 23.
The "Get in the Game. Save a Life." program started in 1992 at Villanova under the guidance of head football coach Andy Talley. The program, involving dozens of football teams organizing drives on their campuses, has resulted in tens of thousands of potential donors being tested. Larry Ciotti, an assistant football coach at Yale and former head coach at Hand High School in Madison, Conn., is a friend of Talley's and brought the idea to Yale.
That has resulted in a friendly competition between the two, and after Yale's drive concluded Thursday afternoon Ciotti was on the phone with Talley because Villanova had its drive on Thursday as well. The Wildcats have been one of the few teams to challenge Yale's spot at the top, topping out at 701 a couple years ago. The good news is that the two schools combined to add approximately 1,000 registrants Thursday. Villanova edged Yale by 20 for the "most donors" crown.
Yale also held a competition among its 12 residential colleges to see which could add the most donors, and Timothy Dwight college came away as the winner.
Hughes, who is part of the last class of women's ice hockey players who played alongside Mandi, summed up the feeling of the day while also turning attention to the future of the drive.
"Thank you to everyone in the Yale community and in the New Haven community that came out today to support the drive," said Hughes. "I hope in coming years people keep supporting this great cause. So many of the people that we talked to today were already registered, so it is important to get creative in finding ways to reach untapped sources of potential registrants."
Be The Match Registry®:
- Be The Match Registry® page: http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/mandi
- Be The Match Registry® Website: http://www.bethematch.org
Mandi Schwartz:
- AOL News: Yale Athlete's Plight Gives Another Chance to Save Life
- More information: http://www.yalebulldogs.com/mandi
Report by Sam Rubin '95 (email@example.com), Yale Sports Publicity