Washington Post today featured this surprisingly detailed account of only the fourth execution by electric chair to occur in Virginia since 1995. Counter to my bloodthirsty neo-con reputation, I'm actually opposed to the death penalty on two accounts, one practical, the other religious.

It's been widely accepted for decades that it is in fact more expensive to execute a criminal in the US than it is to house them for life. Getting those last three decimals of certainty takes decades and costs millions. Anyone who doesn't want to be as certain as humanly possible risks becoming a murder by proxy themselves.

Spiritually, one of the reasons behind the special sanctity of human life in Buddhism is humans are held to be the creatures that, given enough time, have the greatest likelihood of finding enlightenment. Shortening that rare and all too brief span is beyond abhorrent.

That said, Buddhism also believes it is possible, even desirable, to find enlightenment even on a godforsaken mountain peak or a deep dark hole. Which is where I think the worst of the worst, suitably secured and provided with the tools for their own survival, should end up.

In other words, karma's a bitch.