:
Bookish: UNDER SIEGE (3#) -
# About a couple of dozen Iraqi security soldiers have seized the building of Iraq's National Library, according to its director, Saad Eskander. He fears this will make it a military target, endangering the staff and the collections. [guard]
# Updated: Iraqi Military Storm Nat'l Archive.
# Peter Millar shares with us a nicely written book review of Spook Country by William Gibson, who will appear at the Edinburgh Book Festival on Monday, August 27th at 7pm.
...
Friday, August 10
:
FL: STEALING FROM CRIPPLES -
At what point during this strange encounter,
do you suppose, Daniel Kavanaugh began
waving his ding-a-ling at Bob Allen?
Further details in the case of Rep Bob Allen were distributed during the Deep-Six News Zone over last weekend. Although the discovery docs were released Thursday, the distribution was managed to drop into the Friday PM through Saturday period, traditionally used by movers and shakers to bury awkward information.
And the information was highly manipulated, as one would expect from the timing. One detail was dropped into the news hole like a piece of meat off the back of their sled: PO Kavanaugh does not look like Mr Clean; he is an African-American. So, he looks more like Mr T than like Mr C. Many naive youngsters became quite preoccupied with this red herring.
It is important to keep in mind that while audio and transcripts may have been released, they do not constitute a complete record of this chain of events; a vital dimension is missing from the package, viz: the visual content.
This encounter opened, we are led to believe, with the startling incongruity of an able-bodied guy discovered while he was occupying a stall that is designed to accommodate wheelchairs. Such stalls are usually considerably larger than the other stalls and usually have a graphic symbol on the door representing a wheelchair.
What was Kavanaugh doing in there? The PO's rationalization for his inappropriate and wrongful presence in there was: there were no paper supplies in the other toilet stalls. And what else was Kavanaugh doing there? He was shifting his equipment around. One wonders what that would entail. A demonstration in court might be necessary in order to more accurately visualize what that process might have looked like. It's just my conjecture that he looked like he was waving his ding-a-ling.
On what basis would I make such a supposition? In trying to reconstruct this chain of events, one must fill in the visual content with a pragmatic proofing in order to make sense of the rest of the remarks.
So, to begin with, Kavanaugh was pilfering paper supplies from the handicapped which is comparable to those able-bodied people who take parking spaces designated for the handicapped.
And then, somehow, he was giving Allen the impression that he was looking to be serviced. How would Allen get that impression, unless Kavanaugh was conspicuously communicating that message with his body language or gestures?
Do I have a bias in this case? Yes, I do: I don't approve of police playing dirty tricks on the public.
I may not agree with Allen's position on numerous issues, but I don't think anyone deserves to be lynched.
Maybe Florida police have switched from the old Southern custom of speed traps and are now ambushing the unwary in rest rooms. You may find it hard to believe, but something like this could happen to you, too.
Is my reconstruction of this chain of events outrageous? Well, I think this entire case is outrageous. I don't care for anything PO Kavanaugh said or did in this situation... and, so far, we have only his description, which may or may not be accurate.
Give Due Process a chance!
+ IMO Bob Allen: Phillip Lupo - presumed local assoc attorney /Greg Eisenmenger - consulting attorney.
+ Many news links available. Two follow:
:: Florida Today :: and :: TallyDem ::
...
FL: STEALING FROM CRIPPLES -
At what point during this strange encounter,
do you suppose, Daniel Kavanaugh began
waving his ding-a-ling at Bob Allen?
Further details in the case of Rep Bob Allen were distributed during the Deep-Six News Zone over last weekend. Although the discovery docs were released Thursday, the distribution was managed to drop into the Friday PM through Saturday period, traditionally used by movers and shakers to bury awkward information.
And the information was highly manipulated, as one would expect from the timing. One detail was dropped into the news hole like a piece of meat off the back of their sled: PO Kavanaugh does not look like Mr Clean; he is an African-American. So, he looks more like Mr T than like Mr C. Many naive youngsters became quite preoccupied with this red herring.
It is important to keep in mind that while audio and transcripts may have been released, they do not constitute a complete record of this chain of events; a vital dimension is missing from the package, viz: the visual content.
This encounter opened, we are led to believe, with the startling incongruity of an able-bodied guy discovered while he was occupying a stall that is designed to accommodate wheelchairs. Such stalls are usually considerably larger than the other stalls and usually have a graphic symbol on the door representing a wheelchair.
What was Kavanaugh doing in there? The PO's rationalization for his inappropriate and wrongful presence in there was: there were no paper supplies in the other toilet stalls. And what else was Kavanaugh doing there? He was shifting his equipment around. One wonders what that would entail. A demonstration in court might be necessary in order to more accurately visualize what that process might have looked like. It's just my conjecture that he looked like he was waving his ding-a-ling.
On what basis would I make such a supposition? In trying to reconstruct this chain of events, one must fill in the visual content with a pragmatic proofing in order to make sense of the rest of the remarks.
So, to begin with, Kavanaugh was pilfering paper supplies from the handicapped which is comparable to those able-bodied people who take parking spaces designated for the handicapped.
And then, somehow, he was giving Allen the impression that he was looking to be serviced. How would Allen get that impression, unless Kavanaugh was conspicuously communicating that message with his body language or gestures?
Do I have a bias in this case? Yes, I do: I don't approve of police playing dirty tricks on the public.
I may not agree with Allen's position on numerous issues, but I don't think anyone deserves to be lynched.
Maybe Florida police have switched from the old Southern custom of speed traps and are now ambushing the unwary in rest rooms. You may find it hard to believe, but something like this could happen to you, too.
Is my reconstruction of this chain of events outrageous? Well, I think this entire case is outrageous. I don't care for anything PO Kavanaugh said or did in this situation... and, so far, we have only his description, which may or may not be accurate.
Give Due Process a chance!
+ IMO Bob Allen: Phillip Lupo - presumed local assoc attorney /Greg Eisenmenger - consulting attorney.
+ Many news links available. Two follow:
:: Florida Today :: and :: TallyDem ::
...
:
FL: DOPE RULES -
The prosecutor indicated that he plans to pursue a second trial for O'Hara, who was accused of drug trafficking after authorities found 58 Vicodin pills in his truck. He had legal prescriptions for the drugs... But jurors weren't told that it is legal to possess the drug with a prescription....
O'Hara has already served two years in prison, even though an appeals court called the case absurd and ridiculous. [sptimes]
...
FL: DOPE RULES -
The prosecutor indicated that he plans to pursue a second trial for O'Hara, who was accused of drug trafficking after authorities found 58 Vicodin pills in his truck. He had legal prescriptions for the drugs... But jurors weren't told that it is legal to possess the drug with a prescription....
O'Hara has already served two years in prison, even though an appeals court called the case absurd and ridiculous. [sptimes]
...
:
THE NEWSPAPER NO ONE CAN READ -
Broward County's minority
population has now climbed to 51%...
"With seven out of 10 new residents coming from abroad, any number of external influences could have an effect on how this plays out," said Dick Ogburn of the South Florida Regional Planning Council.
+ One thing is for sure: this newspaper is doomed.
I am one of the few people left on this corner who can even read English. The clock is ticking on the Sun-Sentinel in Broward County FL.
...
THE NEWSPAPER NO ONE CAN READ -
Broward County's minority
population has now climbed to 51%...
"With seven out of 10 new residents coming from abroad, any number of external influences could have an effect on how this plays out," said Dick Ogburn of the South Florida Regional Planning Council.
+ One thing is for sure: this newspaper is doomed.
I am one of the few people left on this corner who can even read English. The clock is ticking on the Sun-Sentinel in Broward County FL.
...
Thursday, August 9
:
RIOT IN HYDERBAD PRESS CENTER -
A violent mob burst into the Press Club there, shouting slogans denouncing the female Bengladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin who was visiting to promote her new book. They ransacked the premises and roughed up the writer during the disturbance. The mob claimed her writings
insult Islam.
"After fleeing Bangladesh, Nasrin lived in Sweden for several years but eventually moved to India, where she has lived in Kolkata for the last two years."
She says she believes in Democracy. [guard]
...
RIOT IN HYDERBAD PRESS CENTER -
A violent mob burst into the Press Club there, shouting slogans denouncing the female Bengladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin who was visiting to promote her new book. They ransacked the premises and roughed up the writer during the disturbance. The mob claimed her writings
insult Islam.
"After fleeing Bangladesh, Nasrin lived in Sweden for several years but eventually moved to India, where she has lived in Kolkata for the last two years."
She says she believes in Democracy. [guard]
...
:
BOOKER PRIZE LIST (2#) -
The BBC's guide to the 13 authors who
have made it onto the list this year, and
the books they have been nominated for.
:: Booker longlist the most 'Asian' ever
...
BOOKER PRIZE LIST (2#) -
The BBC's guide to the 13 authors who
have made it onto the list this year, and
the books they have been nominated for.
:: Booker longlist the most 'Asian' ever
...
Monday, August 6
:
THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL (2#) -
Does comedy translate? Tim Cornwell reports:
"THE FAILED attempt to blow up Glasgow Airport has given comedians plenty of material this Fringe. Several stand-ups have ridiculed the terrorists involved, pushing the boundaries of taste as they always do - and not missing a few jibes at have-a-go baggage handler John Smeaton.
If comedians in Edinburgh thrive off heckles, shock and insults, they do not expect to be killed for it. But the Dutch comedians playing in a club off the Royal Mile this year may have a keener understanding of the risks of being a loudmouth."
:: And at The Guardian ::
...
THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL (2#) -
Does comedy translate? Tim Cornwell reports:
"THE FAILED attempt to blow up Glasgow Airport has given comedians plenty of material this Fringe. Several stand-ups have ridiculed the terrorists involved, pushing the boundaries of taste as they always do - and not missing a few jibes at have-a-go baggage handler John Smeaton.
If comedians in Edinburgh thrive off heckles, shock and insults, they do not expect to be killed for it. But the Dutch comedians playing in a club off the Royal Mile this year may have a keener understanding of the risks of being a loudmouth."
:: And at The Guardian ::
...
:
USF PAIR PRICEY TO BAIL (3#) -
Goose Creek Incident Update -
Ahmed Abda Sherif Mohamed's bond was set at $500,000 and Youseff Samir Megahed's was set at $300,000; they have been deemed flight risks. Mohamed is being described as a civil engineering graduate student.
Ahmed Bedier said someone from CAIR would accompany a family member to the bond hearing which was scheduled
for 3:30pm.
"The two men were pulled over for speeding Saturday night, and officers became suspicious when the men couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going."
A terrorism task force is still reviewing the contents of their car which included a laptop computer. My best guess: they have to get someone who reads Arabic to look at what's on their laptop.
They are being charged with "possession of an incendiary device." Court documents use the locution: "pipe bombs."
+ Blogger is not saving the formatting or links.
..... I've had to re-format and re-link 3 times over.
:: Timestamp on this report is 2:40pm ::
:: See also This Just In - 1:53pm perma ::
...
USF PAIR PRICEY TO BAIL (3#) -
Goose Creek Incident Update -
Ahmed Abda Sherif Mohamed's bond was set at $500,000 and Youseff Samir Megahed's was set at $300,000; they have been deemed flight risks. Mohamed is being described as a civil engineering graduate student.
Ahmed Bedier said someone from CAIR would accompany a family member to the bond hearing which was scheduled
for 3:30pm.
"The two men were pulled over for speeding Saturday night, and officers became suspicious when the men couldn't immediately say what they were doing in the area or where they were going."
A terrorism task force is still reviewing the contents of their car which included a laptop computer. My best guess: they have to get someone who reads Arabic to look at what's on their laptop.
They are being charged with "possession of an incendiary device." Court documents use the locution: "pipe bombs."
+ Blogger is not saving the formatting or links.
..... I've had to re-format and re-link 3 times over.
:: Timestamp on this report is 2:40pm ::
:: See also This Just In - 1:53pm perma ::
...
:
ANON NO MORE (2#) -
I usually like to start Mondays out with a lighter entry, although it isn't always possible if there is other more pressing or breaking news. Today, I came across this cyber-culture piece which has a rather personal flavor:
"Maybe it's the bookish idealist in me, but I considered "The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs" to be legitimately well-done satire that was deeply connected to the author's anonymity..."
I hadn't been following the afore-mentioned blog, but found Caroline McCarthy's piece to be a pretty good yarn.
What I don't understand is why a blogger's
anonymity is such a big concern.
Writers have been using pen names and nicknames in magazines and newspapers for generations and I don't remember anybody ever making such a big deal about it before. Why has this suddenly become such a big Problem?
Society columnist Aileen Mehle wrote under "Suzy" for years and it didn't seem to bother anyone. And there have been lots of others. Sigh; I really don't get it.
+ Thunderstorm rumbling in now.
...
ANON NO MORE (2#) -
I usually like to start Mondays out with a lighter entry, although it isn't always possible if there is other more pressing or breaking news. Today, I came across this cyber-culture piece which has a rather personal flavor:
"Maybe it's the bookish idealist in me, but I considered "The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs" to be legitimately well-done satire that was deeply connected to the author's anonymity..."
I hadn't been following the afore-mentioned blog, but found Caroline McCarthy's piece to be a pretty good yarn.
What I don't understand is why a blogger's
anonymity is such a big concern.
Writers have been using pen names and nicknames in magazines and newspapers for generations and I don't remember anybody ever making such a big deal about it before. Why has this suddenly become such a big Problem?
Society columnist Aileen Mehle wrote under "Suzy" for years and it didn't seem to bother anyone. And there have been lots of others. Sigh; I really don't get it.
+ Thunderstorm rumbling in now.
...
:
USF PRESSER inre:
GOOSE CREEK KIDS -
Hot off the This Just In blog,
Abbie Van Sickle at the
SP Times informs us that
"A 1:30 p.m. press conference
is planned at the USF campus."
:: Breaking News - SPT ::
...
USF PRESSER inre:
GOOSE CREEK KIDS -
Hot off the This Just In blog,
Abbie Van Sickle at the
SP Times informs us that
"A 1:30 p.m. press conference
is planned at the USF campus."
:: Breaking News - SPT ::
...
:
FL COLLEGE KIDS UP A CREEK (3#) -
Goose Creek Incident updated -
# "Police identified the men as Yousef Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 24, neither of whom is a U.S. citizen. They are being held at the Berkeley County Detention Center in Moncks Corner, South Carolina."
They're going to be formally charged on
Monday, but the specific charges are not clear yet.
# Ahmed Bedier, the CAIR director in Tampa, has been in touch with the men's families and explained to the Charleston newspaper that the two are college students at the University of South Florida.
The authorities have not formulated the specific charges yet because they want more time to investigate.
The paramount issue that usually looms over these situations these days is the concern that sociopaths are going to try to test the system in order to determine what security procedures are in place.
There should be more news
on this case at some point on Monday.
:: Ahmed Bedier's Blog ::
...
FL COLLEGE KIDS UP A CREEK (3#) -
Goose Creek Incident updated -
# "Police identified the men as Yousef Megahed, 21, and Ahmed Mohamed, 24, neither of whom is a U.S. citizen. They are being held at the Berkeley County Detention Center in Moncks Corner, South Carolina."
They're going to be formally charged on
Monday, but the specific charges are not clear yet.
# Ahmed Bedier, the CAIR director in Tampa, has been in touch with the men's families and explained to the Charleston newspaper that the two are college students at the University of South Florida.
The authorities have not formulated the specific charges yet because they want more time to investigate.
The paramount issue that usually looms over these situations these days is the concern that sociopaths are going to try to test the system in order to determine what security procedures are in place.
There should be more news
on this case at some point on Monday.
:: Ahmed Bedier's Blog ::
...
Sunday, August 5
:
FL CAR WITH EXPLOSIVES FOUND (3#) -
# South Carolina police pulled over a vehicle with Florida tags around 6pm Saturday evening and discovered explosive devices inside. The automobile was occupied by two men of possible Middle Eastern appearance. FBI and bomb squad were called to the scene. Investigation is ongoing.
# "By 11:20 p.m., there were more than a dozen police cars, fire trucks, and an ambulance surrounding a gray sedan."
# "Goose Creek is home to the Naval Weapons Station and the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants have been held."
-- The two men have been detained.
...
FL CAR WITH EXPLOSIVES FOUND (3#) -
# South Carolina police pulled over a vehicle with Florida tags around 6pm Saturday evening and discovered explosive devices inside. The automobile was occupied by two men of possible Middle Eastern appearance. FBI and bomb squad were called to the scene. Investigation is ongoing.
# "By 11:20 p.m., there were more than a dozen police cars, fire trucks, and an ambulance surrounding a gray sedan."
# "Goose Creek is home to the Naval Weapons Station and the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig, a military prison where enemy combatants have been held."
-- The two men have been detained.
...
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