Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Truck Solar Panel

I installed a solar panel on the roof of my truck so I could power things when I'm off camping. It also runs a fan in the back of the truck to keep the dogs and me cool. I wrote an instructable about it if you want to see how it was installed. The panel was ordered from Renology, they are a Canadian company doing some really cool things.




True Crime Podcasts and Domestic Violence

Since I'm all caught up on Undisclosed and I was sick of Bob Ruff's voice for the day, I started listening to Real Crime Profile. I skipped past all the episodes about Making a Murderer since I did not want to hear anymore about Stephen Avery, and started with the O.J. Simpson episodes. I guess there's a new TV show based on the case?

I was only 10 when the trial happened. We watched the verdict in school. I don't think that would be allowed anymore. I remember the usual excitement about the TV cart being rolled in and us not having to do school work, and then just being really confused as I knew nothing about the trial. I looked it up on Wikipedia earlier this year because I just didn't understand why the Kardashians were famous. But Wikipedia doesn't really go into the details.


In the second and third episodes criminal behavioral analyst Laura Richards takes apart detail by detail the 17 year history of domestic violence Nicole was subjected to. It's heartbreaking to listen to her 911 call (one of many) where the operator is totally un-helpful and asks all the wrong questions. OJ has just broken down her door and you can hear him shouting in the background and the operator asks "is he threatening you or just harassing you?" as if the distinction matters and "did you do something to anger him?" like that gives him license to break into his ex-wife's home and beat her senseless?


They also pick apart two of her letters to OJ and go through her diaries. She kept 14 years worth of diaries documenting the abuse she suffered in a safety deposit box that only her father had the key to. Can you imagine how isolated she must have felt, for over a decade?


At the end of the episode she talks about the DASH Risk checklist, which is something she developed after investigating over a hundred domestic violence homicides. It's a tool for people being abused or their friends and families. A good way to articulate what is going on and keep track of it. She also does training for law enforcement and others, teaching what not to ask and what to ask.