Oy Veh! At long last, a haven for the riff-raff! I guess a good way to start the page would be to describe just what it takes to be considered riff-raff. I have a few things to relate - more once the statute of limitations is passed.... 73 de Mike riff-raff #39

#55 checking in.

I think we should open this up to net riff-raff as well. What would constitute net riff-raff-ism? 73 de Mike

I think we could prequalify some folks.

OK, I can probably come up with a few that qualify - need some definition of a net riff-raff. de Mike

One of our repeater guys was on the front page of the American Statesman today, Michael Dow, N1JCX. It appears his wife was found guilty of trying to hire a hit man to knock off her ex, another Austin ham, Gary Peterson. Ex-wife guilty in murder-for-hire West Austin mother of four could receive life in prison By Jason Spencer AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, April 30, 2002 A jury will begin deciding today whether to send West Austin mother Laura Dow to prison after convicting her Monday of trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband. The jury of nine women and three men could sentence Dow, 38, to probation or up to life in prison. They deliberated a little more than two hours Monday before finding her guilty of the August 2000 crime. Dow showed no reaction as she stood to hear the verdict. She remained free Monday night on $100,000 bail, despite a request by prosecutors that state District Judge Jon Wisser order her jailed until the sentencing. Michelle Hood, an Austin resident who served as an alternate juror and heard the same evidence as the 12 people who will decide Dow's punishment, said a prison sentence is appropriate. "At least 10 years," said Hood, 41. "It's the principle of the thing. At least she would be in a place where she knows that what she did was wrong. Trying to have someone killed, you just shouldn't be on probation." Dow and Gary Peterson married in 1983, and their five-year divorce and custody fight ended in April 2000 with each taking custody of two of their four children. Legal bills in the case topped $200,000, and each parent accused the other of sexual abuse. After the verdict, prosecutors called Dow's half-sister, Helene Schmidt, who testified that Dow had asked her to kill Peterson so she would receive all their property, including their Tarrytown home. As the trial entered the punishment phase, Peterson took the witness stand to tell jurors what life has been like since he found out several years ago that Dow was trying to have him murdered. "You wonder when you walk out the door if someone will be waiting there for you," he said. "It makes it hard to sleep sometimes at night." Peterson denied ever molesting their children. "Not ever. Not at all. Not in any way," he said. A grand jury that had looked into the allegations declined to indict him. A Texas Child Protective Services supervisor testified Monday that she found more than 50 dogs in small cages with no water and little food inside Dow's home in March 2000. Dow was breeding the dogs to sell. "I've been in with the department quite a number of years, and I've never smelled anything that severe," Kathryn Burke said of the odor inside Dow's home. In his closing argument, defense lawyer Ray Bass told jurors his client was coaxed into agreeing to pay an undercover law officer $3,000 to travel to Abilene to kill Peterson. Officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety and a woman who pretended to be Dow's friend told her she had a moral obligation to kill Peterson because he sexually abused their children, Bass said. "This woman was ensnared and entrapped into committing this offense," he said. "No matter how reprehensible you think Laura Dow is, whether you like her or not, if you have a reasonable doubt whether this poor woman was entrapped, you have to find her not guilty." Last week, Dow testified that while she often spoke of wishing Peterson dead, she never asked anyone to kill him. Prosecutors reminded jurors of testimony that Dow approached several men during her tumultuous marriage and divorce and asked for help finding someone to kill Peterson. "You can't entrap somebody who had already been planning this for years," Assistant District Attorney Judy Shipway said. "What DPS did was give her an opportunity to do what she was planning. Sooner or later, given an opportunity, she was going to kill Gary Peterson." Shipway then replayed Dow's videotaped meeting with the undercover officer at a North Austin motel, where she gave the supposed hit man a $1,000 down payment and instructions to make Peterson's death look like a suicide. Shipway turned off the television and walked to the defense table, where she dropped the stack of fifty $20 bills in front of Dow. "Ladies and gentlemen, after you think about all of the evidence, after you think about her performance here on the witness stand, you will have no doubt that the real Laura Dow is the one on the videotape, the one who believes a human life is worth no more than that." jspencer@statesman.com; 445-3694

I think the law needs changing about entrapment so they that put the sugestion into the mind of that lady get the same sentence as her maybe then the law will start looking for real law breakers and not the ones that are traped into something that is make believe. Joe G0PWE England

Hey Joe, good to see you showing up here. (Joe's been showing up on our 442.15 repeater from Northern England and is "one of the guys" now, I just got done talking to hime on my commute home). I can understand your astonishment at our legal system, Joe. Hope you poke around the spring a bit more, what are your interests?

Hi Paul My interests are WOMEN RIFF-RAFF WOMEN RADIO WOMEN AIRSHOWS WOMEN CAMPING WOMEN FISHING WOMEN plus a few more and did I say WOMEN? but do not tell my XYL about WOMEN HI. I like this setup and the way you can put your point of view on here. Joe G0PWE North East England and Proud to know the RIFF-RAFF

Sounds like you need to go camping at an air show with some women, as long as theirs a lake nearby for fishing, right Joe? You say you're in North East England, could you give us some reference points. Have you poked around the Spring? What do you think of the drool and geo conferences?

Hi I am from Ashington Northumberland it is 15 miles North of Newcastle upon Tyne and about 50 miles south of the border with Scotland. Ashington used to be the biggest coalmining Village in the world till the powers that be in London decided to shut all the coalmines down up here, but we still have the best county in England roving Hills, Sandy Beaches, old Roman Ruins, plenty of Old Castles from the days when the Scots and the English used to chop each others heads off as a hobby now we try to drink each other under the table. Just a small bit of info it is just in the last few years that they allowed women into our drinking clubs now they rule the clubs. 73 Joe G0PWE England

Careful about your wording Joe! "and the English used to chop each others heads off as a hobby . . ." see what happens if you get quoted out of context! It sounds like you are in very picturesque country there, Joe. Were the coal mines shut down for environmental reasons? There's a big controversy out in Bastrop county near Austin about shutting down the coal mines run by Alcoa, they're sucking a lot of the underground aquifer water to run the operations. So, how do you like the oddball bunch of folks you're talking to on the 442.15 repeater. You're becoming a regular.

For the ignorant amongst us (ie; me.) Would somebody explain what 442.15 is please! btw- hello Joe. :-D Your WIDE varity of interests had me laughing Have you discovered the Babes conference? (dont actually go there myself -for all i know you post there regularly)

It's our Austin ham radio repeater. See http://www.repeater.org/442.15

Hi S B ROBINSON You wiil have to show me where it is it looks like your to modist to admit using the babies conferance?. 73 Joe

looks like your to modist to admit using the babies conferance?. LOL - as i am one of the Women you claim such a deep interest in, i hang out at Drool (where ladies drool over Colin Firth -and occasionally others), rather than Babes *grin* Have no idea how to post a link to the Babes Conference, but i'm sure Terry can provide it for you... (hint, hint, Terry!) btw- am very jealous of your location. To live so close to Scotland!!!

Hi SB Nice to know you are a Women who can have a laugh Northumberland is in My mind one of the best countys in the UK. I would offer to show you round but my Wife of 36yrs I think would object?. cu around Joe from England

Hi All Glad that Joe has had a chance to witness the great minds at work on 442.150 Terry, I downloaded the software - just need to dial in and chat via the i-net. 73 de AA9IL Mike r-c-i Riff Raff #39

I'll look for you on echolink. Riff Raff 55.

I also will look for you on echolink Mike It is a great program Just like the group on 442.150 Joe G0PWE Riff Raff #??

Talking to Joe on Echolink is definitely worth the price of admission. He's one of our "regulars" now, all he needs is a Riff Raff Number.

I think I heard Joe link in when I was driving back to the airport on my last visit down. Anyway, I picked up a microphone for the laptop today so will be able to test. I guess King George or Bob can give out the newest number since Buddy use to do that and last I heard he was in Dallas.

I think the Riff Raff numbering list got lost when n1aac left town. Buddy might have a copy.

Ok, got 'approved' for ilink and can now log in - will try tonight and various other evenings. 73 de Mike AA9IL

I just posted the new echolink software on http://www.repeater.org . It's the "dot nine" version that just came out. I talked to Bob Hearrell this morning, he was down at Padre Island and used to be a manager of several divisions of IBM in Austin. Neat guy. And I already mentioned the guy in Vancouver who is a union organizer and the guy in Honolulu. I'm working up a "top twenty" list of stations that we've especially enjoyed talking to on echolink. Too bad they don't have something for the swl'ers of the world, a "listen only" version.

Debra and Mark Goldstein had a great party for George at their digs in West Austin. It was a nice backyard barbecue. The fish was good, the little boiled ptatoes were great, and it was a fun time for the guys on the repeater and George's friends.

I know a lot about that Tarrytown mom that tried to get Gary Peterson hit. I didn't know that Gary and Michael both were ham radio operators though. It's amazing that you have two brothers-in-law and never know what their hobbies are. I was thinking about getting into it myself! I am thinking about writing a book about the attempted murder. You know, after she had Gary killed, she was going to come after me next!

Details?

Talked to Jacob. Had a wreck. Heading to windsurfing. We talked servers. It was like old home week with Bob, Jacob, Mickey, Bill, and Bob.

We're going to miss Joe Lloyd, G0PWE. Joe passed away a few days ago and today is his funeral. Joe was a steady companion on our 442.15 repeater in Austin and it's said he never got to make it to the USA to visit us. All those years of coal mining took their toll on poor old Joe. He was a great friend, a friendly voice on our airwaves. We'll miss Joe.

Hi all I spoke to Joe and heard him a couple of times both via the internet and on the repeater when I was in Austin (years ago). 73's to Joe Mike AA9IL p.s. checked in on the repeater briefly last week while in town for work but didnt hear any one - will try again next time Im in town.

Give us a heads up online next time. I'll get on the repeater if I know you're going to be around.