Son prejudiced murder trial [Sunglasses]
A Chelmsford man convicted of choking and stabbing his estranged wife to death four years ago -- in front of their young son -- wants the state's highest court to reduce his first-degree-murder conviction.
Jeffrey McGee's attorney does not deny McGee killed his wife, Christine, but is arguing in court documents that the jury was prejudiced against McGee. Defense attorney Nona Walker, from the Committee for Public Counsel Services, added that Middlesex Superior Knife threat made in dispute over oven Court Judge Kathe Tuttman erred during the 2010 trial when she allowed prosecutors to bring a couch into the courtroom so McGee's then 6-year-old son could show the jury how his mother was laying while his father attacked her.
Christine McGee, who was living with her then-3 1/2-year-old son, Gavin, in Tyngsboro, took the boy to visit his father on the night of Nov. 19, 2007. Jeffrey McGee had moved to an apartment in Chelmsford three days earlier. Realizing his estranged wife had been seeing other men, McGee, 39, decided if he couldn't have her then no one could, prosecutors said.
Gavin McGee testified that he awoke in his father's apartment to see his father strangling his mother on the living-room couch. He watched his father go to the kitchen and get two knives, one of which he used to repeatedly stab Christine.
"My mom was getting killed," the young boy testified. McGee, with Gavin in the car, tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide by driving into an oncoming dump truck on Route 110 in Methuen.
Walker argues that the victim's sexual exploits were central to McGee's defense, yet the judge restricted the defense in its presentation. But Assistant District Attorney Hallie White Speight countered that Tuttman was correct in limiting testimony of the victim's supposed sexual activities because there was no evidence McGee knew about it.
Speight added that Tuttman "properly exercised" her discretion in allowing Gavin to demonstrate his mother's position on the couch since Gavin was limited in giving a verbal description.
McGee was sentenced to life without parole. At McGee's sentencing hearing, Donald Plouffe, Christine's father, said, "May he rot in hell."
A reduction of McGee's sentence to second-degree murder would allow him to be eligible for parole after 15 years; a reduction to manslaughter would set him free at some point. Tuttman also imposed a seven- to 10-year state prison sentence to be served from and after the life sentence on his conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Cultivating trees is a steady way of life [Sunglasses]
By Saturday, the holiday rush was over at Buck and Darlene Miller's 10-acre Christmas tree farm near Silver Lake, and they were wandering through the trees with Katie, their 6-year-old black lab. The customers had gone. Bright and pale sawdust scattered along the ground near stumps where families had found their perfect tree, sawed it down and hauled it away. There was hardly a sound on the farm. Over three decades, the Millers have fallen into a quiet, happy rhythm of cultivating trees on this hillside farm. They raised their two children here and stayed put even as Mount St. Helens covered them with ash in the early 80s. Ask Buck how to grow a perfect Christmas tree and he shrugs. Sure, there's science to it, but there's also art and mystery, he says. "You just do it," he said Saturday. "This whole thing is an educated guess."
Each year brings a long stream of cars up the Miller's gravel drive. It's a steady business, even when the economy is sour, Buck said. He said he hardly keeps track of how many trees he sells, but estimated customers bought between 300 and 400 of his trees this year. The cars seem to come all at once, in spurts, Buck said. There's a sudden rush, as many as 60 cars in a day. Then it quiets down until the next run of tree hunters. "I'll never understand why they come at the same time," Buck said. "I think it's moving through the air." The Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association estimates that growers in the region— both wholesale and "you-cut" — sold 2.3 million trees in Washington alone this Christmas season. Those numbers show that the market may be returning to its peak of 2.6 million trees annually in the late 90s and early 2000s after a glut of oversupply hit the market in recent years, said Bryan Oslund, the trade group's executive director.
"It's been a very good year," he said. "Demand hasn't been this high for a number of years. Growers are, if not sold out, pretty close to it." The Millers, both 66, owned Watkins Tractors and Supply in Kelso for years and sold the business in January. They bought their land, at 1251 George Taylor Road, in 1973 and began growing Christmas trees on it a decade later. Over the years, they've provided trees to local churches as well as the community tree in Castle Rock. Some trees are legendary. In a scene reminiscent of the holiday classic movie "Christmas Vacation," a regular customer discovered two squirrels loose in his home after he bought a 16-foot tree from the Miller's. The man caught one with a fishing net and nabbed the other with a live animal trap. Both were released unharmed, Buck said.
Sizing up gifts for the cooks on your list [Sunglasses]
With the holidays nearly upon us, many people find selecting gifts for folks who cook to as hard as an oak butcher block, especially if that giftee has been cooking for a while.
What I do when considering a holiday gift for well-seasoned cooks is to look at what cooking tools or books I appreciate. With that and my own 50 years of cooking experience, here are my top three gift ideas.
"Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan: I love cookbooks and am literally surrounded by them in my office. With hundreds of cookbooks hitting the shelves every year selecting the right one can be an arduous task. If the person to whom you want to give a gift loves Italian food you will not go wrong with Hazan's book (about $20).
Sadly, Hazan passed away this year, but her literary presence in the cooking world still shines a bright light on what authentic Italian food is all about and, most importantly, how it's prepared.
In "Essentials," Hazan combines two of her early books: 1973's "The Classic Italian Cook Book" (considered by many as a true "classic") and her 1978 follow-up "More Classic Italian Cooking."
Check the price online for an original 1973 copy of Hazan's first book and you'll discover they go for several hundred dollars. "Essentials" contains everything Hazan brought to the table in those two books and would definitely be appreciated by any good cook.
Balsamic vinegar: Hazan brought balsamic vinegar to American tables and I'd bring it to a cook in your life. I've tasted many balsamic vinegars and have found Calivirgin's Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar to be the best in terms of quality for the price. At $16 to $18 for a 250 mL bottle it's a bargain compared to imported balsamic vinegar.
For me, it's quite simply the best for the price and I guarantee it will bring a warm smile to whomever you give this gift.
Victorinox chef's knife: If you've got a guy on your list who loves to cook, I suggest what a Victorinox's 8-inch or 10-inch chef's knives.
Over the years, both knives have won several Cook's Illustrated magazine comparative competitions and rightly so. I own both sizes and they are my go-to kitchen workhorses.
I keep those and other knives sharp using a Chef'sChoice AngleSelect Knife Sharpener (about $169). This sharpener can get and keep 15- and 20-degree knife blades razor sharp. I lent my sharpener to a chef who uses knives that cost hundreds of dollars each and when he returned my sharpener he had a single comment: "Wow!"
If the price tag kicks that sharpener off your gift-giving list, I find Chef'sChoice's Manual 3-stage Sharpener ($29.95) does almost as good a job for a fraction of the cost.
The case is being investigated by the Homicide Unit [Sunglasses]
Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said officers responded to a domestic violence call at an apartment near 7th Street and McDowell Road where a man in his 30s was reportedly threatening to kill his father.When they arrived, the man who answered the door had two butcher knives raised in a threatening manner.Thompson said the man, 34-year-old Todd Allan Ferguson, told the officer who was moving back to kill him.The officer ordered Ferguson to stop but he continued to advance toward the officer outside the apartment and continued to tell the officer to kill him.Thompson said Ferguson got within several feet of the officer who then fired at him to end the threat.Ferguson died at the scene. The officer was not injured.During the investigation it was learned that Ferguson had been drinking and making threats toward his father.The case is being investigated by the Homicide Unit and the Professional Standards of Phoenix Police Department and the officer will be placed on administrative leave, Thompson said.
There was a time, not that long ago, when knife skills referred to being able to handle yourself in any situation. But the world has changed. Whereas promising college graduates once wanted to work for Davis Polk or Goldman Sachs, now their most fervent dreams involve chopping salad in sweltering restaurant kitchens in deepest Brooklyn.For the sake of full disclosure, my younger daughter Gracie is among them. So last week she and I attended "Knife Skills 1," a course at the Institute of Culinary Education on West 23rd Street. It's taught by Brendan McDermott, a chef who has worked at Mesa Grill, Patria and Alta, and whose course was called the Best Cooking Class of 2010 by New York magazine. I must admit that I was also attracted by the prospect of being able to chop, slice and dice like a pro. I wrote not that long ago about Ah Lun, a refugee from Myanmar who was working at David Burke Kitchen in SoHo. "I said, let's get an idea whether you know how to hold a knife," Mr. Burke told me at the time, referring to Ah Lun's audition. "One thing about cooking is you can't fake it."
Knife robber targets cash delivery driver in Staffordshire [Sunglasses]
It is important to treat the blades with the same preventative maintenance as the Classics.Ken Onion is known as one of the most famous blade creators in existence. His "Speed Safe" device was a radical new way to mechanically unfold knives. He has also designed numerous groundbreaking knives for Kershaw - most significantly, the Leek, Chive, and Blackout.Although Ken Onion had never designed a cooking blade previously, he enlisted for the undertaking. Ken alleges that his fresh thoughts about kitchen knife design actually come from this novelty, because it made him wonder about some of the ideas leading to usual kitchen knife design.The resulting Shun Ken Onion line sports a damascus-patterned VG-10 bladeNot everyone is crazy about the unusual form of the knives. Some users say that the ergonomic grip fails to conform to their hand size. However, celebrity chefs and knowledgeable cooks frequently rave about them, and the instruments have become very popular to the general populace also.The Benchmade 710 was designed by custom knife makers Bill McHenry and Jason Williams. It is the end result of their hard work over the course of 4 years.
It features the AXIS lock, which was also designed by Bill and Jason. The lock will allow for easy one-handed opening and closing of the blade, and is totally ambidextrous. The lock design is plain to manage with no instructions needed on how the knife functions.Simplicity of the lock is not the principal selling point, its brute strength is. In testing, the lock supported a negative load of over 200 pounds with no damage. At the time the lock does finally fail, the liners simply crack over the locking pin, but at no time in Benchmade's testing would the blade have closed on the users hand.The AXIS lock features two Omega shaped springs that provide outstanding functional redundancy. The springs are stressed a little bit. Several tests reveal they should last indefinitely. Even if one spring fails, another will still work without any problems.Is this the strongest lock made? That's quite hard to say for sure. Benchmade claims that it's surely more robust than many of the standard lock-back and liner-locking knives. For better cutting power, the substantial 3.9" blade of the Benchmade 710 features a reverse-curve grind.
Cool Item Spy Sunglasses [Sunglasses]
It is true. Even if you are not a guru in electronics, you can turn your run-of-the-mill sunglasses into a hidden spy camera! And all for a very low charge, with minimum action and familiarity on your component on the Spy Sunglasses Camera, and with just a small proportion rudimentary tools and parts. You will deficiency black sunglasses, preferably the breeding that wraps round object your eyes and can accommodate a mini camera on its side. The darker the sunglasses, the advanced to obscure the hidden spy camera. You will also deficiency a Spy Sunglasses Camera, which you can receive online or from auction houses. If possible, shut higher a mini spy camera with color competency and audio-recording capacities. This way, you will have higher quality cinema and audio footages.
Imagine this Sunglasses Spy Cam view if you can. Inside a very busy airport, an exchange between terrorists and gunrunners is taking place. The trade does not go unnoticed or unmonitored by some countries' intelligence bureaus. In sighting, staff is swarming all through the airport, all of them in various disguises. One of the Sunglasses Spy Cam goes undercover as a teenager. He sports pitch black, very sleek sunglasses. He bangs a conversation with one of the terrorists. Unbeknownst to the terrorist, the staff is recording his attributes, physique, voice, and movement. How? Through a cinema recorder implanted in the Spy Sunglasses Camera.
Does this view sense like something plucked right out of a James Bond flick? Yes, it does. Reality, however, has ultimately snatched higher with fiction. You also have to facade for a Hidden Spy Camera Sunglasses for recording the cinema and audio footages. Today, you deficiency not be a member of the private service just to become threadbare Sunglasses Spy Cam. Many businesses are manufacturing spy camera glasses. Opt for a gadget that fits basically into your pocket. With numerous kinds of camcorders, you might have to exercise cargo pants for Hidden Spy Camera Sunglasses wide pockets. In sighting, these are available on and off the Internet.Most colors are good in general, gray generally providing the best protection. However, blue and purple lenses are supposedly the opposite of protective, so you should steer clear of those, because of their lack of protection.Overall, when shopping remember that you're looking for the best sunglasses for you. Make sure you prioritize and don't forget that the main goal of sunglasses is to protect you from the sun. Though they can make a nice fashion statement, your first priority should be to find glasses that have the proper protection, fit your correctly, are comfortable, and look nice on you.
New,Fresh and Fashion sunglasses [Sunglasses]
People are so a lot into artist sunglasses most especially with designer sunglasses. artist sunglasses are among the most well-known add-ons individuals are recognised to. right here are some belonging to the primary causes why individuals favor artist sunglasses among the other add-ons readily available towards the market:Designer sunglasses can certainly give a more powerful appeal for each males and women. anytime individuals put on artist sunglasses, you cannot aid but stare. artist sunglasses can really make you a numerous particular person inside of a much more good way in conditions of looks beats by dr dre.Designer sunglasses women can safeguard astigmatism through the damaging rays belonging to the sun. Most individuals these days are a lot conscious of well being and wellness. That is why they frequently select to put on sunglasses not merely that it assists them search higher however it also assists them in maintaining a clearer vision.
Designer sunglasses can aid you hide any scar or mark close to astigmatism which could search unpleasant.New sunglasses help colourblind people experience a more colourful world.By putting on sunglasses, you can remove that flaw without having owning to exert as well a lot effort.There are quite a few sorts of artist oakleys sunglasses which are readily available today. among the most well-liked among the them is buckle design sunglasses which could certainly make you search much more classy and stylish.Here's beats powerbeats the purpose why you ought to go with ray ban sunglasses:
ray ban sunglasses certainly appears a entire lot much more advanced when in comparison with other sunglasses styles. Evident to this would be the well-known personalities noticed to put on ray ban sunglasses. These personalities have been frequently looked-up to by standard people.ray ban sunglasses eyeglasses are recognised for being much more durable than any other kind of artist sunglasses. You can invariably anticipate ray ban sunglasses to final lengthier given that it is created from high-quality steel.ray ban sunglasses may serve for its primary objective which would be to safeguard astigmatism through the sun.ray ban sunglasses have been completely the most recent craze in relation to fashionable sunglasses and awesome dre beats diamond accessories.Always cheap Supra Owen Mesh Shoes Men make certain how the form belonging to the frame will fixture the form of your face. You can refer to content articles about the internet and mags to understand a factor or two about matching sunglasses towards the deal with shape. This can be a extremely fundamental factor that you simply should know since it will aid you select the appropriate ray ban sunglasses to fixture your deal with and also your style.
Clearing Safety Issues With Night Vision Goggles [Sunglasses]
There are instances that pilots will have to fly their air crafts at night or during low-light situations. Pilots, including those who are considered experts, agree that it is one of the more difficult flying conditions. In order to reduce the occurrence of accidents due to pilot error, the Federal Aviation Administration has recently approved the use of night vision goggles. These special military grade binoculars are mounted on the flight helmets and draws power from a low-voltage type of battery pack. This modern gadget is an essential tool when flying an aircraft for medical missions, search and rescue operations, police operations and other tasks requiring high level of capabilities under low visibility flying conditions. The NVGs allow pilots to see clearly the terrain, stay clear of obstacles and manage the flight under changing weather conditions.The NVG works by sensing even the minutest amount of natural or artificial light. Complex electronic system enhances this light and magnifies it by a thousand times in order to produce a clear image of the terrain.
The FAA and the NTSB have expressed their strong recommendation for the adoption of this military grade NVGs in medical related flights. It is essential for pilots to use the gadget when flying in areas with poor illumination or those areas which are notorious for sudden weather shifts. This is specifically recommended for pilots whose ability to see clearly is seriously compromised by inclement weather or darkness.The safety of both the rescue teams and their patients are of highest priority and the NVGs are the most significant enhancements that have been so far added to the gadgetry of pilots to meet this end.
These medical flights will not be cleared to operate under unfavorable weather conditions without this modern gadgetry. With this modern equipment, aircraft pilots will be able to fly even under poor visibility and access unfamiliar territory, and land on rural sites.Majority of the pilot nocturnal glasses that are commercially available have two optional functions. These night and low light gadgets can be used by the pilot to enhance the image that he is looking at. Another variant of the device detects the heat that is emitted in order to produce the thermal image. There are also the more advanced versions of the gadget which now incorporates these two capabilities making them more flexible for varied flying conditions. Present models of the device allow the wearer to see over a distance of 250 feet making it very useful during low light flying conditions.
New sunglasses help colourblind people experience a more colourful world [Sunglasses]
Do you know anyone who's colourblind? Or maybe you're colourblind yourself? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you probably know that colour vision deficiency is not the end of the world. You can't tell apart some colours, and your general colour spectrum is somewhat smaller than others, but did you ever consider buying a pair of glasses to fix it? Apparently, now you can.The EnChroma sunglasses are designed to enhance colour vision for both the colour-vision deficient and for people with normal colour vision. They come in four different models: The EnChroma Cx-D and Cx-PT are designed for colourblind people who have the two most common forms of colour-vision deficiency, the Cx-NRG is a general colour enhancer for anyone, and the Cx-UV450 also contains comprehensive protection from UV rays.
"After more than 10 years of R&D in the color vision field and from my direct experience of working with color vision deficient (CVD) patients, it is apparent that CVD affects many areas of their lives", says Dr. Don McPherson, VP of Products for EnChroma, in a press release. "Being present when a CVD person tries our glasses and sees colors in a way that they never have before has given me a sense of great accomplishment."In short, putting on a pair of these glasses should change the way you see colours of they work as advertised.Pivothead HD Video Recording Sunglasses Now Available at Sunglass Hut.If you're colourblind, it should restore at least some of that colour intensity you've been missing, and the ability to differentiate between those confusing green, red, orange, brown, pink, and light blue colours.
The EnChroma sunglasses have a special coating that selectively filters the light to take out only the specific shades that are responsible for colour confusion. Even if you're not colourblind, seeing the world in more vivid colours could sure be nice.There's one catch: If you want a pair, you can preorder them for US$400 if you're not colourblind, and for US$600 if you are colourblind. The first pairs will ship on November 19. If you're still interested, you should also know that EnChroma glasses come in two stylish frames, the cool Explorer and the sophisticated Gamma. So you can look that much cooler when seeing your colours.Can't decide which one you need? The EnChroma product selection wizard includes a colour-vision test that can help you determine which type of colour-vision deficiency you have, if any. Too bad it can't help you choose the right colour for your frame!
Buying Sunglasses Online [Sunglasses]
Shades/sunglasses are considered more of a necessity than fashion accessories these days. Their widespread awareness and sales ratio has made it somewhat easy to find the best sunglasses store. Alternatively, you can also buy sunglasses online.The highest sales ratio is usually during summer, when people feel the necessity to shield their eyes from the scorching sun. But the question is, how do people know what sunglasses would suit them and which ones would protect their eyes effectively?A greater number of people will rather go for sunglasses that suit their personality and looks, without giving much thought to the protection aspect. Granted, looks do matter. But before you choose a sunglass, it is important you realize that this should not be the only criteria to base your choice on. Protection, make, and quality are equally important factors to consider. Besides these, there are a few other considerable factors discussed in this article.Peripheral sun intrusion and durable dual direction hinges are also important features to consider. These have to do with the width of the temples of the shades to block sun intrusion and the durability of the hinges.
Finding the best sunglasses store is the first thing you should be concerned about. Once you have chosen the shades to buy, the next thing to check is its protective elements. Find out whether they have polarized lenses, impact resistant polycarbonate and UV400. These protective elements help protect the wearer's eyes against harsh sun rays.If you fancy hand crafted accessories, buy handmade acetate frame sunglasses. They are not just comfortable, but also allow the replacement of regular lenses with prescription lenses.
If you are the sort who prefers going for branded accessories, take the time to compare different brands before making your choice. You will be surprised to see the price difference between some brands. While some are on the extremely expensive side, some are actually quite affordable. However, beware of brand imitators that produce sunglasses that look completely identical to original brands.Branded sunglasses are specially manufactured to meet US, EU and Australian guidelines. Check this with both online and retail sellers before making a purchase. Buy sunglasses online to buy sunglasses from the comfort of your home if you would rather avoid the stress of going to walk-in stores. This will allow you to place orders online and have your shades delivered right at your doorstep.
