SoFlo: Peddling Phony Solutions -

The Herald's Voodoo Employment Program . . .

With an air of smarmy self-righteous arrogance, a Miami Herald columnist urges us to grant Haitians special permits to get jobs here, and if we don't, maligns us as racists.

Florida is currently experiencing a grim economic downturn. Thousands of Americans living here have lost their jobs and are unemployed. Many have also lost their homes in foreclosures. There are people out on the street publicly begging for food. And there are people sleeping in their cars. There are derelict buildings here and emptied neighborhoods. There has been a noticeable rise in armed robberies. Clearly, this is not an opportune moment to bring foreigners here who are seeking jobs.

Yet, in this entire column Cuban-born Myriam Marquez does not express even a jot of sympathy or compassion for the thousands of Americans already living here in Florida who are out of work or homeless. Why should she? As long as she's got a job, screw you.

This column illustrates the vast disconnect between the Miami Herald newspaper and the shared reality the rest of us are actually living in, otherwise known as the "facts on the ground."

This column contributes nothing constructive to public debate; instead, it injects poison into the public discourse. And it is clearly intended to foment civil disorder.

The Cubans maintain their own private militia here which is based in Broward County. They hire themselves out as "security" personnel. Thus, they stand to financially profit from civil disorder. The more disorder there is here, the more they stand to benefit.

That's what the Miami Herald
is promoting. And I think it's disgusting.

:: Marquez at the Herald ::

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Mez: Doorstep Services -

Meredith Kercher Murder Case -

What are we to make of Rudy Guede
and the story he tells? Is his story credible?

According to Rudy Guede, he became intimate with Meredith and then went to the bathroom. But, I have my doubts about this order of events. It seems to me that he became intimate with Meredith after he emerged from the bathroom and while she lay dying.

On the other hand, I do not see as yet any compelling evidence that Rudy Guede actively participated in this homicide. It seems possible at this point that Guede may have been overcharged in order to pressure him into making more disclosures. I don't think the other defendants would have needed the extra help of a third party to accomplish killing Meredith.

Andrea Vogt has a new article posted at the Seattle PI which discusses Guede's case. And I still have mixed feelings about Guede.

I remain uncertain about what part he may have played in this murder, although I do believe he was designated as a patsie for racist reasons. I feel there is a continuous filament of racism that runs as an undercurrent throughout this case from start to finish.

In Rudy Guede's story, he features himself as a kind of male version of the Avon Lady or a pizza delivery man who drops into a young woman's home and then sexually services her. That may be a male erotic fantasy or even a p*rno movie scenario, but it's not very believable in real life. I remain doubtful that Meredith would have opened her door to anyone after dark while she was alone in an isolated cottage, let alone casually slide into intimacies with a pizza delivery man.

So far, I find only some of Rudy Guede's story credible.

:: Andrea Vogt at SPI ::

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LOOSE LINKS (4#) -

In a somewhat lengthy article, Omar, son of cult leader Osama bin Laden, describes how he grew up. He and his mother Najwa have written a book with the help of writer Jean Sasson, which will debut November 12th in the UK.

# John le Carre has left his longtime
publisher to join Penguin, Ellen Widdup reports.

# Hello, he must be going . . . Tom McGeveran has been editor of the NY Observer for only five months and is quitting already! I can't say I am very surprised.

Ever since Jared Kushner became the owner and publisher their website has been a disaster; I've found it very user-unfriendly.

And I get the impression it's been turned into little more than a throwaway shopper for pricey real estate with some incidental filler material between the curb appeals. I feel that it's really deteriorated and I've been very unhappy about it. I can only hope the next editor restores some quality to it.

McGeveran will be leaving by the end of the year.
Too bad he can't take the shitty website with him.

:: NYO :: - - - [via] :: Romenesko ::

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Iran: Still Roiling (3#) -

Hostilities erupted between regime supporters
and reform movement supporters during a
News Media Expo in Tehran, WaPo reports.

:: Leaked: gag order for November 4th [irnn]

I tried to post the above entry last night, but . . .
Blogger was performing strangely, so I had to delete it.

:: And in this morning's update: the Supreme Leader
says that merely questioning the election is now a crime.

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The Virtual Gary Problem -

Iranian officials created a CGI-enhanced cartoon character version of Middle East Professor Gary Sick and cast the character in a sinister light.

"The Gulf/2000 network is an Internet project that began 16 years ago to facilitate communication and information sharing... And it is not engaged in overthrowing governments."

Now, the real Professor Gary Sick vehemently insists that he is not a CIA agent. But, he asks, how can he prove it?

It seems like he lost control over his avatar.

:: Sinister Puppet ::

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