Summer Days

Definition The guillotine was an apparatus designed for carrying out executions by beheading. This device is conformed by a tall and upright frame in which a weighted and angled blade is lifted to the top. The person to be executed is restrained below at the bottom of the frame. With the acceleration provided by gravity the blade cuts through the neck of the prisoner. The device was used widely in France, in particular during the French Revolution. It remained as the standard method in France to execute criminals until the abolition of capital punishment in 1981. First prototypes / Invention / Inventor For a short period of time after its invention, the guillotine was called a louisette. It was later named after a French physician proposed the use of a device with a less painful method of execution on October 10, 1789. His name was Joseph-Ignace Guillotin. It's important to mention that he did not invent it nor was in favor of the death penalty. The invention of the guillot...

Yesterday I listened to a podcast that revolved around the history of the electric chair. Yes, the one that is (or was) used to execute criminals that were on death row. Though the hosts spoke about many facts, one really got my attention: "electricians". They were in charge of basically moving a switch that closed the circuit and thus allowed the flow of electricity and kill the inmate. Allegedly, one electrician executed seven inmates on a single day. They even were in the same room waiting for their turn. I don't remember much, so here is where I begin my own research. John Hurlburt was a State Electrician who, according to my research executed 140 inmates. He was the second of New York's five electricians through history. He was born in New York, in September 1867, and was initially hired as an electrician at the Auburn Prison, which was the first to host an execution by way of electrocution on August 1890. Hurlburt slowly deteriorated while executing eac...

I promised myself that I would write every day, and I am aware that I haven't been able to keep up. 'been busy with work, exercise, and life in general. Who would have tought that building a good habit would be that hard. Tomorrow is my day off from work. I have already made a list of what I have planned to do. Regular stuff, like cleaning, and some shopping. I also have been writing a list of particular topics to do some research and write about. Today was a regular day at work. Nothing really interesting happened, not that I remember. Spent a few hours listening to some podcasts. First podcast I listened to was from a show called Punch Up The Jam. In it the hosts talk about a song by Green Day called 'Time Of Your Life'. They discuss the origins of the songs, talk about how some of the lyrics make no sense and try to give their own interpretation. By the end of the podcasts they played a new version of the song in which the lyrics have been re-written with a mor...

I spent the past two weeks listening to a lot of english-spoken podcasts on Spotify. When I say a lot , I really mean it. Last week I listened to thirty-three hours, but came to realise that it's not enough. Though my hearing is definitely getting better, it feels quite easy. I need something that pushes my limits in order to grow. I began to think about my options and after a while came up with the idea to start some kind of written journal or online blog. It would help me to improve my grammar and the way in which I explain my ideas. After a few days of excuses I finally gathered all my will and managed to get out of bed to begin this project. Not entirely sure what the end result will be, but I truly believe that it will help me achieve what I want to.