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Today, the New York Times describes research by American economists in the last decade that purports to show that capital punishment does, in fact, have a deterrent effect on crime.  Supposedly, “for each inmate put to death, the studies say, 3 to 18 murders are prevented”.

This research is certain to be trumpeted by conservatives and “victims’ advocates” all over the country, who aren’t likely to consider one significant flaw in this new model:

To economists, it is obvious that if the cost of an activity rises, the amount of the activity will drop.

“To say anything else is to brand yourself an imbecile,” said Professor Wolfers, an author of the Stanford Law Review article criticizing the death penalty studies.

To many economists, then, it follows inexorably that there will be fewer murders as the likelihood of execution rises.

Exactly.  How often do murderers consider the economic ramifications of their decision paradigm?  Seldom, I imagine.  They are too busy thinking about murdering.  Seriously consider whether–to cite a random example–the D.C. snipers of 2002 worried at all that their actions might constitute a capital offense.  Certainly not.  Murderers are either totally oblivious to the real world around them, thus their actions are not governed by logic; or they know that they might be put to death, but simply do not care.  Do you think Ted Bundy, who admitted to murdering almost thirty women, wouldn’t have killed if he thought he’d be executed?  Bundy was a brilliant but evil person.  He knew exactly what he was doing, and he certainly didn’t want to suffer the consequences for his actions–his multiple jail escapes demonstrate that–but he had an overpowering impulse to do horrible things.  As a society, we might do better if we try to address the sociological issues that lead to homicide.  Executing Ted Bundy was not much different than closing a barn door after your horse ran away.

More than anything, however, what studies such as the one cited above ignore is the simple, unambiguous truth, which is this: capital punishment is, by its very nature, wrong.

As I wrote the other day, I am obsessed with How It’s Made, the show on The Science Channel–in HD–that takes viewers on tours of factories and workshops that make everything from halogen lightbulbs to aluminum ladders to carbon fiber cellos.

Tonight I watched as they made bamboo fly rods, and it was amazing.  I have no interest in fishing, but the craftsmanship that goes into a bamboo rod is something to behold.  Briefly, the rodsmith splits a cane into six thin strips, sands off the bumps, glues them together to form two long hexagonal prisms.  To this he adds several layers of lacquer, and applies a dozen or so small rings of cork which are glued together to make a handle, which is then smoothed out with a lathe, all placed above an exquisite walnut end-piece.  Finally the rings that guide the line are fixed with cotton thread and coated with lacquer, and, ta da, it’s a fishing pole.

Generally, it’s difficult to ascertain who is making the items profiled on How It’s Made.  They don’t show exteriors of a factory with a big sign out front.  But I happened to catch the name of the maker of the fly rods shown in this episode when the craftsman wrote the model name in perfect cursive above the handle in Indian ink.  The rods were made by Thomas and Thomas, and the particular model depicted was called the Hendrickson.  Guess how much… (more…)

It is the birthday of two of my friends today, so I wish them both another year of happiness.

It’s hard to believe how long I have known Steve and Jennifer, and it makes me feel old to consider it, but let me, anyway:

I met Steve in the Spring of 1992. He was a friend of a friend. I was 15, and I think he was 17. Steve liked skateboarding, rap and The Cure, whom I had heard of before, but never heard. Don’t ask how I had never heard them, but my uninformed idea at the time was that they might be a heavy metal band, like Poison. It just made sense to me. Steve had lots of bad friends at the time who took advantage of his family’s kindness and generous nature. Joe Lupico and I were bad friends who encouraged Steve to do things that would have dishonored his parents. Sorry about that, Steve.

I met Jennifer in 1996. She was a friend of my girlfriend at the time, and was only 16 years old, I think; just a girl. By the next year, when she graduated high school, we were close friends. I remember hanging out at her house in East Lake Woodlands (or maybe it was another neighborhood), and in the Summer of 1997, I drove to Tampa often to visit her when she lived with her aunt. One night we talked so long in her car that the ice cream I had just bought completely melted, and didn’t taste good later on. Thanks a lot, Jennifer!

Interesting fact about Steve and Jennifer: They both look better than ever. Happy birthday, guys.

Remember that great episode of Sesame Street where they went to a crayon factory? Of course you do; it was awesome. Well, if that had the same influence on your life as it did mine, you probably would love How It’s Made, my new favorite show, on The Science Channel. It’s everything I want in a television show, namely machinery and factories. Simply put, it’s edutainment made just for me.

I only stumbled across How It’s Made a week ago, while cruising for something to watch one evening, and I was immediately transfixed by the sight of a production line manufacturing heavy steel chain. Then I saw them making drums, then bagels, then wooden kayaks, and it just went on like that until I was in a daze. I panicked, because who knows how many of these I had missed. But, lo, the television gods were smiling down upon me, because I see now that the show airs every night at 8:30, and, better still, as of this evening we receive The Science Channel in high-definition. So, tonight while I dined on delicious Publix Pizza, I learned how they make metal springs (amazing!), cement pavers, and grand pianos. Freakin’ incredible.

Huzzah, How It’s Made!

The number and variety of activities and events in Gainesville is really quite something. If you pay attention to the calendar and have reasonably broad interests, you will seldom be bored.

This weekend was the Downtown Festival and Arts Show, which takes place every year in November. Mrs. Hill and I have been many times, and this year’s was much like the others, with countless booths of framed photographs, handicrafts, paintings, sculpture, and so on. There was also an array of unhealthy carnival-style food, like funnel cakes, and a booth that had just about everything people usually eat, but in fried form. There was free cheese, and even Sonic was there.

What was fun about this year’s festival was seeing so many people we knew. Dan and Heather were there with Ayler, looking happy as ever, and our other friend named Heather was there with her boyfriend Brian, enjoying an unusual day off from his job at Sweetwater Branch. Plus, on our bike ride downtown, we saw Danielle, our hairdresser, watering the plants in her front yard, and we stopped and chatted.

The weather was perfect, the dancing was entertaining, and the Spammobile was there.