:
WHERE WE LIVE (3#) -
Do Your Hands Glow in the Dark?
# HAZMAT: It's 10pm; do you know
where all of your radioactive devices are?
Because there's a radioactive device
missing from a Coral Gables construction site.
And guess what: it is bio-hazardous!
It will give you radioactive poisoning.
Yes, another typical day in SoFlo -
where morons will steal anything that isn't
nailed down, no matter what it is, even if it kills them.
# FORCED OUT: If foreclosure doesn't get you, you can still find yourself up a canoe without a paddle in Florida, where developers are reversing condo conversions.
Maybe you thought you owned your condo, but now it turns out that was just a transitory illusion. Of course you can still live there, but only as a vagrant. Not to worry, though, because you can always live under bridge where there is a spot already reserved for you.
# TRUCKTICLES: In some parts of Florida there is currently a fad to hang replicas of bull testicles on the back of pickup trucks and other vehicles. This past Thursday, the FL State Legislature discussed whether this practice should be banned by law.
Newspapers in SoFlo now increasingly feature videos instead of stories because of the drastically dwindling population base here who can read English - just like in the Third World.
...
Saturday, April 19
:
KERCHER FAMILY AT HEARING (4#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
A closed-door court hearing took place in Italy around midmorning local time with Mez's mother, sister, and brother in attendance. One of the suspects was in court with them: Sollecito attended, the other two did not.
NB: I suspect much of the Press may be saving some good stuff for their big Sunday editions.
As an exception to the foregoing, Richard Owens filed a scathing dispatch for the The Times of London. Excerpts follow:
Behind growing criticism of the Italian investigation into the murder of the British student Meredith Kercher lies an energetic campaign by Joe Tacopina, a dapper, top-flight New York lawyer...
Mr Tacopina has been at pains... to counter the widespread image in the Italian and British press of Ms Knox as "the angel-faced killer with ice-cold eyes" who indulged in a life of sex and drugs.
The emerging strategy...
is to pin the blame exclusively on Mr Guede...
With a "tabloid-touch," Owens associates
Tacopina with Michael Jackson and Bernard Kerik.
And Owens contends that "a plausible motive" has not yet emerged. But, I believe, over the course of time, I've pointed to a number of possible motives.
::ABC:: ... and ... ::IHT:: ... and ... ::SKY::
...
KERCHER FAMILY AT HEARING (4#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
A closed-door court hearing took place in Italy around midmorning local time with Mez's mother, sister, and brother in attendance. One of the suspects was in court with them: Sollecito attended, the other two did not.
NB: I suspect much of the Press may be saving some good stuff for their big Sunday editions.
As an exception to the foregoing, Richard Owens filed a scathing dispatch for the The Times of London. Excerpts follow:
Behind growing criticism of the Italian investigation into the murder of the British student Meredith Kercher lies an energetic campaign by Joe Tacopina, a dapper, top-flight New York lawyer...
Mr Tacopina has been at pains... to counter the widespread image in the Italian and British press of Ms Knox as "the angel-faced killer with ice-cold eyes" who indulged in a life of sex and drugs.
The emerging strategy...
is to pin the blame exclusively on Mr Guede...
With a "tabloid-touch," Owens associates
Tacopina with Michael Jackson and Bernard Kerik.
And Owens contends that "a plausible motive" has not yet emerged. But, I believe, over the course of time, I've pointed to a number of possible motives.
::ABC:: ... and ... ::IHT:: ... and ... ::SKY::
...
Friday, April 18
:
From: THE INTERNAL AL QAEDA MEMOS -
A few days ago, I happened across a story by Sebastian Rotella of LAT about some of the Al Qaeda characters and their culture. The article transcended the prosaic. It was charming and well-written. It made the people who were depicted in his dispatch come alive for us as "real people."
From recently declassified documents that were captured in Afghanistan and Iraq, a fascinating picture emerges.
In the interim, the LATimes changed the URL on this article, and I don't know how much longer it will be available to readers from their archives. But I did not want to let it pass without noting it. And I hope it doesn't just disappear into the ether.
...
From: THE INTERNAL AL QAEDA MEMOS -
A few days ago, I happened across a story by Sebastian Rotella of LAT about some of the Al Qaeda characters and their culture. The article transcended the prosaic. It was charming and well-written. It made the people who were depicted in his dispatch come alive for us as "real people."
From recently declassified documents that were captured in Afghanistan and Iraq, a fascinating picture emerges.
In the interim, the LATimes changed the URL on this article, and I don't know how much longer it will be available to readers from their archives. But I did not want to let it pass without noting it. And I hope it doesn't just disappear into the ether.
...
:
Bookish: LIBRARY
HAUNTS & Elsewhere (4#) -
# Harvey Varnet, the new University of South Carolina Beaufort's library director, helped train Iraqi librarians in updated methods such as electronic cataloging... Varnet calls the condition he found them in the "Rip Van Winkle effect."
"You fall asleep in 1980 and wake up
in 2003, and suddenly everything's different."
# Bob Minzesheimer reviews two books about libraries which we have mentioned here before, I believe: The Library at Night and Quiet, Please.
Some light reading from the weeklies:
# Otto Penzler's column this week touches upon Ellery Queen, Ben Hecht, Kingsly Amis' relationship with James Bond, how Emma Peel got her name, and Michael Crichton's mysterious undercover career.
# Begley the Bookie reviews
a spring trio of books about some Glitzy Gals.
...
Bookish: LIBRARY
HAUNTS & Elsewhere (4#) -
# Harvey Varnet, the new University of South Carolina Beaufort's library director, helped train Iraqi librarians in updated methods such as electronic cataloging... Varnet calls the condition he found them in the "Rip Van Winkle effect."
"You fall asleep in 1980 and wake up
in 2003, and suddenly everything's different."
# Bob Minzesheimer reviews two books about libraries which we have mentioned here before, I believe: The Library at Night and Quiet, Please.
Some light reading from the weeklies:
# Otto Penzler's column this week touches upon Ellery Queen, Ben Hecht, Kingsly Amis' relationship with James Bond, how Emma Peel got her name, and Michael Crichton's mysterious undercover career.
# Begley the Bookie reviews
a spring trio of books about some Glitzy Gals.
...
:
NEW DIALECT: Nerdic - (2#) -
Time was, when we were startled to discover that Klingon was considered an accepted lingo and some exotic st*rwars philosophy was claimed by many across the Pond to be their newly adopted Faith. Now this:
Nerdic is now Europe's fastest growing dialect.
"Technology has infiltrated our lives in many ways and at such a pace it's natural that it has developed a language of its own."
I guess I'm behind the times again this week, because I've been under the impression that Textspeak is the premier dialect lately.
...
NEW DIALECT: Nerdic - (2#) -
Time was, when we were startled to discover that Klingon was considered an accepted lingo and some exotic st*rwars philosophy was claimed by many across the Pond to be their newly adopted Faith. Now this:
Nerdic is now Europe's fastest growing dialect.
"Technology has infiltrated our lives in many ways and at such a pace it's natural that it has developed a language of its own."
I guess I'm behind the times again this week, because I've been under the impression that Textspeak is the premier dialect lately.
...
:
CUTTING EDGE: Updated! - (3#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Here come the TV Ratings:
"Channel 4's one-off Cutting Edge documentary Sex, Lies and the Murder of Meredith Kercher, about the killing of the British student in Perugia last November, averaged 1.1 million viewers and a 5% share in the 9pm hour." [dowell]
Sam Wollaston's article has been moved into a blog slot to allow for a comment thread which now includes a few comments about Sex Lies etc. The most articulate reaction was written by ilfordpeach:
Peach noted the use of Americanisms such as "dumpsters" and surmised that this docu was actually made with an eye toward subsequently reselling it to an American TV organization for broadcast in the US.
Peach regarded the colorful characters used in the program as rather freakish. A bit harsh, isn't that?
Peach still has many questions which remain unanswered about the story, which is part of what make this an intriguing case - we all still have many unanswered questions.
Thank you for sharing, ilfordpeach!
It is much appreciated.
...
CUTTING EDGE: Updated! - (3#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Here come the TV Ratings:
"Channel 4's one-off Cutting Edge documentary Sex, Lies and the Murder of Meredith Kercher, about the killing of the British student in Perugia last November, averaged 1.1 million viewers and a 5% share in the 9pm hour." [dowell]
Sam Wollaston's article has been moved into a blog slot to allow for a comment thread which now includes a few comments about Sex Lies etc. The most articulate reaction was written by ilfordpeach:
Peach noted the use of Americanisms such as "dumpsters" and surmised that this docu was actually made with an eye toward subsequently reselling it to an American TV organization for broadcast in the US.
Peach regarded the colorful characters used in the program as rather freakish. A bit harsh, isn't that?
Peach still has many questions which remain unanswered about the story, which is part of what make this an intriguing case - we all still have many unanswered questions.
Thank you for sharing, ilfordpeach!
It is much appreciated.
...
Thursday, April 17
:
CUTTING EDGE TV REVIEWS (2#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Gerard O'Donovan reviewed the UK CH4 show:
"We still know nothing with precision. We have no motive and don’t even have a dynamic of the crime," said Meo Ponte, chief crime correspondent of the Italian daily La Repubblica, who dismissed the scenario put forward by the investigating magistrate in Perugia as "fiction."
But, at least, the case is selling a lot of newspapers and other media. And, regardless of his reservations, O'Donovan described it as an "engrossing documentary."
Sam Wollaston watched it, too, and his reaction was:
"God, I hope I never get murdered in Italy."
Did we miss out on anything here on this side of the Pond? Maybe we missed out on Sociology Professor Ferrarotti, who sounds like a real character.
Look, this case has everything going for it: atmospheric environment of a medieval city; dark shapes floating through its streets in dominos, masks, and disguises; and a mysterious mushroom caught in the throat of the victim which she did not eat for dinner.
And, by the way, what did they use to transport
the 8-inch knife - a guitar case? Just wondering.
Ah, so many loose ends... I hope that after the hearing on Saturday this case recedes into the background until the trial, because it really is a strain on everyone.
...
CUTTING EDGE TV REVIEWS (2#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Gerard O'Donovan reviewed the UK CH4 show:
"We still know nothing with precision. We have no motive and don’t even have a dynamic of the crime," said Meo Ponte, chief crime correspondent of the Italian daily La Repubblica, who dismissed the scenario put forward by the investigating magistrate in Perugia as "fiction."
But, at least, the case is selling a lot of newspapers and other media. And, regardless of his reservations, O'Donovan described it as an "engrossing documentary."
Sam Wollaston watched it, too, and his reaction was:
"God, I hope I never get murdered in Italy."
Did we miss out on anything here on this side of the Pond? Maybe we missed out on Sociology Professor Ferrarotti, who sounds like a real character.
Look, this case has everything going for it: atmospheric environment of a medieval city; dark shapes floating through its streets in dominos, masks, and disguises; and a mysterious mushroom caught in the throat of the victim which she did not eat for dinner.
And, by the way, what did they use to transport
the 8-inch knife - a guitar case? Just wondering.
Ah, so many loose ends... I hope that after the hearing on Saturday this case recedes into the background until the trial, because it really is a strain on everyone.
...
:
CASO CHIUSO & THE
CHEERLEADER PLOT (4#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Across the Pond, Prof Greenslade catches us up with some fresh links to the case just ahead of the UK Channel 4 broadcast of their documentary on it:
"it now appears that the cast-iron evidence
against the three suspects is anything but conclusive."
And that's a definite maybe! He also includes a note about the role Public Relations may play in the News Media while linking to a column he recently wrote on that topic. Via Prof Greenslade, we note the following:
"Last night, a source close to case prosecutor Giuliano Mignini said that 'the Americans' and others were simply attempting to 'destabilise' the investigation. 'We are more than happy with how things are proceeding,' he said. 'The DNA of all three suspects is at the house, we have them at the scene and one admits to being there while Knox and Sollecito do not, and this is a lie."
* * * * * * * * * * *
And anyone who found the tone of CBS 48 Hours' A Long Way From Home odd, is probably unaware of the reservoir of similarly odd cases we've had here in the USA. For a well-known example, see:
The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot
In 1991, Channelview, Texas, was the
site of a bizarre attempted murder plot.
"Wanda Webb Holloway was upset that her daughter, Shanna, had failed two consecutive years to make her junior high school's cheerleading squad. Holloway came to believe that the fault lay not with Shanna's inability to make the squad, but with Verna Heath, mother of Amber Heath who was a main rival of Shanna's."
This case was then made into a movie:
The Positively True Adventures of
the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom
+ It's a big country!
...
CASO CHIUSO & THE
CHEERLEADER PLOT (4#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Across the Pond, Prof Greenslade catches us up with some fresh links to the case just ahead of the UK Channel 4 broadcast of their documentary on it:
"it now appears that the cast-iron evidence
against the three suspects is anything but conclusive."
And that's a definite maybe! He also includes a note about the role Public Relations may play in the News Media while linking to a column he recently wrote on that topic. Via Prof Greenslade, we note the following:
"Last night, a source close to case prosecutor Giuliano Mignini said that 'the Americans' and others were simply attempting to 'destabilise' the investigation. 'We are more than happy with how things are proceeding,' he said. 'The DNA of all three suspects is at the house, we have them at the scene and one admits to being there while Knox and Sollecito do not, and this is a lie."
* * * * * * * * * * *
And anyone who found the tone of CBS 48 Hours' A Long Way From Home odd, is probably unaware of the reservoir of similarly odd cases we've had here in the USA. For a well-known example, see:
The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot
In 1991, Channelview, Texas, was the
site of a bizarre attempted murder plot.
"Wanda Webb Holloway was upset that her daughter, Shanna, had failed two consecutive years to make her junior high school's cheerleading squad. Holloway came to believe that the fault lay not with Shanna's inability to make the squad, but with Verna Heath, mother of Amber Heath who was a main rival of Shanna's."
This case was then made into a movie:
The Positively True Adventures of
the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom
+ It's a big country!
...
Wednesday, April 16
:
Smells Like
TEENSPERRIT or ASTROTURFING? - (5#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Several days after the CBS 48 Hours program on the Giallo di Perugia, and I am left with the increasing feeling that what I viewed Saturday evening was an oddball industrial video just short of John Cleese as the narrator host. Was CBS conned into this venture? Or did it knowingly go along with some corporation's attempt to hijack their documentary? Which corporation could that be - Macy's? Cynics among us might suggest it was the Jesuits - but I jest.
Superficially, the Perugia Case has some similarities to the Napa Case which the series had previously covered. And that's the tone I expected to see. If you have the time and the inclination, you might want to read the 48 Hours recap of the California case. They called the case:
Nightmare in Napa.
Until Nick Pisa's dispatch on the leaked forensic report, I hung on to the hope that there was an intruder who had come to visit the Boys Downstairs who were all away for the holiday. The intruder then decided to go upstairs where the girls were living. This scenario seemed possible to me until... Pisa and The Knife.
What initially captured my attention about The Knife was its peripatetic destiny. From my understanding: this knife was confiscated by the police from Sollecito's kitchen drawer; it was reported to have Meredith Kercher's DNA on it, but she had never been in Sollecito's home. We can infer from this that the 8-inch knife must have travelled. But what was its conveyance? How would you transport an 8-knife through a metropolitan area - inside a violin case? Why would anyone be carrying around an 8-inch knife through a metropolitan area? Do you think you could carry an 8-inch knife around with you openly in your hand in public? How would you transport it? What would you put it in? The very logistics of the presumed path of this big knife give one pause
to wonder.
Added to the peculiar migratory habits of this knife, the DNA of Meredith was supposedly found on its blade and the DNA of Amanda on its handle - if so, and supported by enough credible evidence, this report is a damning document. Pisa's impression of the leaked material in that report shredded my hope that the murderer was a stranger who had initially come to visit the Boys Downstairs.
* * * * * * * * * *
Noted Elsewhere:
In a dispatch from Perugia for
La Stampa, Guido Ruotolo writes:
"The choking lasted 'seven to ten minutes.' Poor Meredith Kercher. They first tortured with a knife, six, seven cuts. Then, suffocated... The experts' report is chilling."
+ What could Meredith Kercher have
possibly done to deserve being tortured?
::La Stampa:: ... and ... ::G translation::
* * * * *
Also Noted:
Margaret Ganong, who is a contributor to
Frank's Perugia Shock Blog, shares her
reaction to the 48 Hours program in her entry:
A Long Way From Truth
48-hour mystery train to Perugia
Tomorrow evening, UK Channel 4 TV will present their version of the case. I hope they post a recap on the Net. And I hope it is more balanced than the CBS version.
...
Smells Like
TEENSPERRIT or ASTROTURFING? - (5#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Several days after the CBS 48 Hours program on the Giallo di Perugia, and I am left with the increasing feeling that what I viewed Saturday evening was an oddball industrial video just short of John Cleese as the narrator host. Was CBS conned into this venture? Or did it knowingly go along with some corporation's attempt to hijack their documentary? Which corporation could that be - Macy's? Cynics among us might suggest it was the Jesuits - but I jest.
Superficially, the Perugia Case has some similarities to the Napa Case which the series had previously covered. And that's the tone I expected to see. If you have the time and the inclination, you might want to read the 48 Hours recap of the California case. They called the case:
Nightmare in Napa.
Until Nick Pisa's dispatch on the leaked forensic report, I hung on to the hope that there was an intruder who had come to visit the Boys Downstairs who were all away for the holiday. The intruder then decided to go upstairs where the girls were living. This scenario seemed possible to me until... Pisa and The Knife.
What initially captured my attention about The Knife was its peripatetic destiny. From my understanding: this knife was confiscated by the police from Sollecito's kitchen drawer; it was reported to have Meredith Kercher's DNA on it, but she had never been in Sollecito's home. We can infer from this that the 8-inch knife must have travelled. But what was its conveyance? How would you transport an 8-knife through a metropolitan area - inside a violin case? Why would anyone be carrying around an 8-inch knife through a metropolitan area? Do you think you could carry an 8-inch knife around with you openly in your hand in public? How would you transport it? What would you put it in? The very logistics of the presumed path of this big knife give one pause
to wonder.
Added to the peculiar migratory habits of this knife, the DNA of Meredith was supposedly found on its blade and the DNA of Amanda on its handle - if so, and supported by enough credible evidence, this report is a damning document. Pisa's impression of the leaked material in that report shredded my hope that the murderer was a stranger who had initially come to visit the Boys Downstairs.
* * * * * * * * * *
Noted Elsewhere:
In a dispatch from Perugia for
La Stampa, Guido Ruotolo writes:
"The choking lasted 'seven to ten minutes.' Poor Meredith Kercher. They first tortured with a knife, six, seven cuts. Then, suffocated... The experts' report is chilling."
+ What could Meredith Kercher have
possibly done to deserve being tortured?
::La Stampa:: ... and ... ::G translation::
* * * * *
Also Noted:
Margaret Ganong, who is a contributor to
Frank's Perugia Shock Blog, shares her
reaction to the 48 Hours program in her entry:
A Long Way From Truth
48-hour mystery train to Perugia
Tomorrow evening, UK Channel 4 TV will present their version of the case. I hope they post a recap on the Net. And I hope it is more balanced than the CBS version.
...
Tuesday, April 15
:
MEZ: A KNIFE APART (2#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Nick Pisa has filed a dispatch from Rome about the new forensic report requested by Judge Claudia Matteini. According to some advance leaks, which may not all be precisely accurate, the experts have zeroed in on a Sollecito knife - but can the Prosecution support that with credible evidence?
Sensitive readers are cautioned: this report
is tough to read. Here are a few brief points:
Probable cause of death: "strangulation and from choking on her own blood as a result of the knife wound to her throat."
Weapon: "an eight inch kitchen knife found in the kitchen of Mr Sollecito... was compatible with the murder weapon."
Estimated window for time of death:
between about 8:30pm and about 1am. (?)
:: Nick Pisa - Telegraph ::
* * * * * * * * * *
"Medical experts... have filed papers to Judge
Claudia Matteini that have been leaked to
Italian media ahead of a hearing on Saturday."
:: Croydon Guardian ::
...
MEZ: A KNIFE APART (2#) -
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
Nick Pisa has filed a dispatch from Rome about the new forensic report requested by Judge Claudia Matteini. According to some advance leaks, which may not all be precisely accurate, the experts have zeroed in on a Sollecito knife - but can the Prosecution support that with credible evidence?
Sensitive readers are cautioned: this report
is tough to read. Here are a few brief points:
Probable cause of death: "strangulation and from choking on her own blood as a result of the knife wound to her throat."
Weapon: "an eight inch kitchen knife found in the kitchen of Mr Sollecito... was compatible with the murder weapon."
Estimated window for time of death:
between about 8:30pm and about 1am. (?)
:: Nick Pisa - Telegraph ::
* * * * * * * * * *
"Medical experts... have filed papers to Judge
Claudia Matteini that have been leaked to
Italian media ahead of a hearing on Saturday."
:: Croydon Guardian ::
...
:
INT'L MEDIA NOTES (13#) -
# Battle of the Titans: The Times of India vs The Hindu;
each wants to be regarded as the "national" newspaper.
# Uh-oh! The jihadi website Ekhlas
has opened an Italian edition. [aki]
# Blocking: Life and Internet surfing
are about to get a lot duller in the UAE
as many websites may be blocked.
.......... [xprs] ..... [abiz] ..........
# Downsizing Conflict at Le Monde:
[spiegel] ... [france24] ... [fr24blog]
# No Soaps For You: The Afghan Gov't has asked TV stations to stop broadcasting Indian soap operas, but
Tolo TV is resisting the ban, claiming it is illegal.
# Gulf Blogosphere for April 15th by Adam Flinter.
# Brownbook Magazine ::Blog::
..... M.E. urban lifestyle guide ..... [via]
# Sources Tell Us: Tzipi Livni attended the opening of a forum on democracy in Qatar on Sunday, according
to Al Arabiya TV Net.
# Iraq: The Awakening Council groups announced on Monday the formation of a political party called the Karama (Dignity) Front to ensure Sunni participation in the upcoming local elections.
...
INT'L MEDIA NOTES (13#) -
# Battle of the Titans: The Times of India vs The Hindu;
each wants to be regarded as the "national" newspaper.
# Uh-oh! The jihadi website Ekhlas
has opened an Italian edition. [aki]
# Blocking: Life and Internet surfing
are about to get a lot duller in the UAE
as many websites may be blocked.
.......... [xprs] ..... [abiz] ..........
# Downsizing Conflict at Le Monde:
[spiegel] ... [france24] ... [fr24blog]
# No Soaps For You: The Afghan Gov't has asked TV stations to stop broadcasting Indian soap operas, but
Tolo TV is resisting the ban, claiming it is illegal.
# Gulf Blogosphere for April 15th by Adam Flinter.
# Brownbook Magazine ::Blog::
..... M.E. urban lifestyle guide ..... [via]
# Sources Tell Us: Tzipi Livni attended the opening of a forum on democracy in Qatar on Sunday, according
to Al Arabiya TV Net.
# Iraq: The Awakening Council groups announced on Monday the formation of a political party called the Karama (Dignity) Front to ensure Sunni participation in the upcoming local elections.
...
Monday, April 14
:
CBS PEDDLES CO-VICTIMHOOD --
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
The CBS TV 48 Hours series presented a program Saturday night about "Giallo Perugia," that penny dreadful mystery that's been going on in Italy since last November. They called it A Long Way From Home.
The program's story hook for why viewers should care about the murder of an English girl in a faraway country was that one of the suspects, Amanda Knox, is an American college girl from Seattle who could be your daughter, classmate, friend or associate. While this may be a legitimate storytelling device theoretically, it flopped for me in this case.
I expected them to present a reconstruction of the crime scene and related material that would help clarify the situation for us. They did less of that and spent most of their efforts, it seemed, on a promotional video glorifying
Amanda Knox.
What actually offended me was their introduction of the argument that Knox is a "Co-Victim" in this case along with the murdered Meredith Kercher. This argument is simply unacceptable. And it's quite obnoxious. Meredith Kercher is the victim in this case. But their approach may provide some weird insight as to a possible motive in this murder. Their efforts to compete with Kercher even in death and victimhood do not paint a very pretty picture on TV about the girls' relationship. Even post mortem they are still trying to best her. This is a rather grim picture.
The promotional aspect of it all seemed somehow out of control, over the top, and the equivalent of a mad rant from the underground man just surfacing. Was this just some misguided info-mercial or outright propaganda swill?
One of the program's private investigators claimed that the Prosecution doesn't have a "shred of evidence." At the very least, the Prosecution has all the phone records; we don't. But the Prosecution has no obligation to share their evidence with the Public.
How comprehensive was their coverage of the situation? I was disappointed about one specific point: The Boys DownStairs. They explained that Rudy Guede was somehow acquainted with the BDS and then dropped the subject. They did not mention that Meredith's boyfriend lived downstairs - and he was conspicuous in his absence. There seems to be a red line beyond which the News Media will not venture. Do the BDS enjoy some kind of Diplomatic Immunity?
:: CBS Recap of program ::
A Long Way From Home
...
CBS PEDDLES CO-VICTIMHOOD --
Meredith Kercher Murder Case -
The CBS TV 48 Hours series presented a program Saturday night about "Giallo Perugia," that penny dreadful mystery that's been going on in Italy since last November. They called it A Long Way From Home.
The program's story hook for why viewers should care about the murder of an English girl in a faraway country was that one of the suspects, Amanda Knox, is an American college girl from Seattle who could be your daughter, classmate, friend or associate. While this may be a legitimate storytelling device theoretically, it flopped for me in this case.
I expected them to present a reconstruction of the crime scene and related material that would help clarify the situation for us. They did less of that and spent most of their efforts, it seemed, on a promotional video glorifying
Amanda Knox.
What actually offended me was their introduction of the argument that Knox is a "Co-Victim" in this case along with the murdered Meredith Kercher. This argument is simply unacceptable. And it's quite obnoxious. Meredith Kercher is the victim in this case. But their approach may provide some weird insight as to a possible motive in this murder. Their efforts to compete with Kercher even in death and victimhood do not paint a very pretty picture on TV about the girls' relationship. Even post mortem they are still trying to best her. This is a rather grim picture.
The promotional aspect of it all seemed somehow out of control, over the top, and the equivalent of a mad rant from the underground man just surfacing. Was this just some misguided info-mercial or outright propaganda swill?
One of the program's private investigators claimed that the Prosecution doesn't have a "shred of evidence." At the very least, the Prosecution has all the phone records; we don't. But the Prosecution has no obligation to share their evidence with the Public.
How comprehensive was their coverage of the situation? I was disappointed about one specific point: The Boys DownStairs. They explained that Rudy Guede was somehow acquainted with the BDS and then dropped the subject. They did not mention that Meredith's boyfriend lived downstairs - and he was conspicuous in his absence. There seems to be a red line beyond which the News Media will not venture. Do the BDS enjoy some kind of Diplomatic Immunity?
:: CBS Recap of program ::
A Long Way From Home
...
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