tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38715222024-02-20T07:56:23.548-05:00The Eclectic Chapbookbuttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comBlogger5577125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-60736654543774296772020-04-20T01:05:00.000-04:002020-04-20T01:05:14.300-04:00Costly Foot Paths -In a grim coincidence, I came down with a bout of pneumonia around the same time the COVID-19 germ emerged and, as a result, I had to go into the hospital for treatment. My test results were due to be returned in three days, but didn't come back for five days.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Just giving you a heads-up; </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>not trying to alarm you:</em></span> <br />
<br />
I had a weird experience just before I left for the hospital when I tried to order pizza over the phone and got a loopy digital assistant "helping" me. Or maybe this is Domino's idea of a joke. What shall we call him - Dom? <br />
<br />
Well, Dom is no Alexa! Dom is not even ready for prime time. He reminds me of an ineptly programmed call director gadget we used to nickname "phone jail" which sent you around in circles, never reaching your intended destination. Similarly, I never got to order the pizza. <br />
<br />
Almost makes one nostalgic for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananova">Ananova</a> . . .<br />
<br />
# In the past, I have written here about a new kind of commodities stock exchange market established by the younger generation - trading or investing in and reselling sneakers (trainers) limited editions and collectors' designs by celebrity athletes, etc. <br />
<br />
Recently, a Miami area teenager, Andrea Camps Lacayo, was murdered over three pairs of Adidas Yeezy sneakers with the asking price of $935. The meeting was set to take place outside an abandoned house. And <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/fl-ne-shoe-robbery-fatal-arrests-20200413-3y45msmthnevtnsdt3xry6xye4-story.html">tragedy</a> ensued.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-51551143648292755762020-03-09T04:16:00.000-04:002020-03-09T04:16:46.480-04:00In A Mean Interval -Many writers who have aspired to write "The Great American Novel" have earned their daily livelihood first as reporters. <br />
<br />
For example, John Katzenbach worked as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Katzenbach">reporter</a> at the Miami Herald. His movie <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>The Mean Season</em></span> gives you a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mean_Season">glimpse</a> of the Herald's newsroom during an earlier era.<br />
<br />
American newspapers have encountered numerous challenges since the end of World War II when much of the population began migrating out to the suburbs. Whether they always made good choices or not can be endlessly debated.<br />
<br />
Newspapers are part of our cultural tradition. So it comes as sad news that the McClatchy Company, parent company of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Herald">Miami Herald</a> newspaper, has filed for <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/02/13/805760494/publisher-mcclatchy-co-files-for-bankruptcy-disrupting-30-newspapers">bankruptcy</a>. <br />
<br />
# CourtTV is back! <br />
And it's got the new Robert Durst <a href="https://www.courttv.com/news/bob-durst-killed-his-wife-prosecutor-says-at-his-trial/">Trial</a>.<br />
<br />
# Soccer luminary David Beckham is introducing his new Inter-Miami team. Its first home <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/02/25/beckham-introduces-inter-miami-cf-soccer-team/">game</a> is skeduled or SHED-YULED (!) for March 14th at 2:30 pm at the former Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.<br />
<br />
# Closer to home, a somewhat cold homicide case is getting attention again: the killing of 60-year-old Bruce Salituri in Fort Lauderdale last September. The alleged killer has been identified as 29-year-old Michael Schnitzerling. <br />
<br />
But Police Chief Maglione believes that this was a murder for hire scheme and wants to know who ordered the hit; so, he is inviting the public to send him more <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/police-search-for-clues-in-hit-killing-of-man-in-fort-lauderdale-home/2193975/">information</a> about the <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/2019/10/04/fugitive-arrested-in-murder-of-fort-lauderdale-senior/">situation</a>.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-58869539834394840292020-02-03T01:17:00.000-05:002020-02-03T01:17:03.991-05:00Past Perfect Or Not -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>It's been a while since I've dropped by . . .</em></span><br />
<br />
Christopher Fowler's redoubt, so I touched bases there to see how <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Brexit</strong></span> went. Turns out they're expecting to get chlorinated chickens as a result. <a href="http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/">More</a> on that further on, <br />
I expect.<br />
<br />
# <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Carter Page</strong></span> is suing <br />
the DNC for <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/30/carter-page-sues-dnc-for-defamation-following-bogus-campaign-to-tar-him-as-a-russian-agent/">defaming</a> him!<br />
<br />
# Patrick Modiano tells us about a woman who used to own a bookshop and the <a href="https://lithub.com/patrick-modiano-on-the-bookshop-owner-who-escaped-the-nazis/">world</a> she left behind.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-31418473661880126442020-02-02T03:38:00.000-05:002020-02-02T03:38:43.622-05:00Feb Fracas & Kerfuffles -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's Super Bowl Sunday!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>And what else is news? </em></span><br />
<br />
# A thirty-ish opera singer seen dancing on top of her vehicle then blew through two checkpoints leading up to Prez Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in <a href="https://www.850wftl.com/woman-who-breached-mar-a-lago-security-seen-dancing-on-vehicle-just-before/">Palm Beach</a>.<br />
<br />
# Venezuelan opposition leader <br />
Juan Guaido spoke at a <a href="https://wsvn.com/news/politics/guaido-addresses-venezuelas-struggles-at-rally-near-mia/">rally</a> in Miami.<br />
<br />
# Recent news about the <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-herald-layoffs-will-affect-70-workers-as-newspaper-closes-printing-plant-11453685">Miami Herald</a>.<br />
<br />
# Prof Jonathan Turley's <br />
comment on the impeachment <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/481015-how-the-house-lost-the-witness-battle-along-with-impeachment">outcome</a>.<br />
<br />
# Laura Ingraham Investigates: An email could<br />
show that a CIA analyst allegedly triggered<br />
the impeachment proceedings <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/laura-ingraham-congressional-investigators-seek-alleged-whistleblower-email-cited-in-mueller-report">and more</a>.<br />
<br />
# And then Senator Rand Paul <br />
(R-KY) tried to ask a <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/01/31/rand_paul_alleged_whistleblower_friend_plotted_for_over_a_year_to_bring_down_trump.html">question</a>.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-30732514537994323112019-12-09T08:32:00.000-05:002019-12-09T08:32:24.192-05:00Artificial Apocalypse II -I was born during WWII. Mention the term "Special Powers" to anyone in our generation and it carries very sinister baggage because that's how Hitler became the dictator of Germany. The German Parliament awarded him Special Powers. Awarding Robert Mueller Special Powers seemed ominous. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>And what were the results?</em></span><br />
<br />
A gaggle of Democrats have used Mueller to trash the sanctity of the Fourth Amendment - which was what the Church Committee was trying to protect us from. <br />
<br />
These operatives have expended vigorous efforts to obscure and obliterate the Church Committee and its Hearings altogether by claiming that this Trump situation is the sequel to the Watergate Hearings instead.<br />
<br />
There is no connection between the current Trump Imbroglio and Watergate. There is a direct link between this current situation and the Church Committee Hearings, as it was the Church Committee which established the FISA Protocols.<br />
<br />
Watergate was based on a Break and Entry Burglary. This situation is based on a Civil Rights issue focusing on the Fourth Amendment.<br />
<br />
In their obliteration of the Church Committee, this gaggle of Democrats have gone beyond mere Revisionist History and are engaging in the Falsification of History. So far, this gambit seems to have succeeded, and it may well be the insurance policy Peter Strzok claimed, since some have already begun to rationalize it as an example of "Mandela Effect." <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Pull the other leg!</em></span><br />
<br />
Then, after the first anecdote was popped on us, the second shoe dropped: Christopher Steele and his dodgy dossier. Did I read it? No. Long before Steele, British Intelligence had a rogue agent named Kim Philby, making us a bit mistrustful. <br />
<br />
And long before the Trump Dodgy Dossier there was the Margaret Thatcher Dodgy Dossier, which was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searchlight_(magazine)">similar stunt</a>. The details were updated to be more relevant to Trump. Thus, we can only wonder if anyone from the first cast of characters was also involved with the second dodgy dossier on Trump. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Hmmm...</em></span><br />
<br />
While we still don't know the details about the murky origins of this scheme, I don't see any serious basis for impeaching this duly elected president. There can be little doubt at this point that it is the Mainstream Media which are the biggest beneficiaries of <a href="https://jonathanturley.org/">these activities</a>.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-8082846417296325672019-12-09T07:38:00.000-05:002019-12-09T07:38:10.297-05:00Artificial Apocalypse -<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em><strong>Trump, Russia, Mueller, </strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em><strong>Schiff & Impeachment . . .</strong></em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></em><br />
It comes as welcome news that A.G. Barr is determined to get to the bottom of this mess. I'm looking forward to his findings. Meanwhile, I thought we might contribute some background and context from a different angle.<br />
<br />
Normally, I don't follow Politics very much. I'm not a Democrat or a Republican; I'm an Independent. But this situation is rooted in a Civil Rights issue.<br />
<br />
I first heard about this situation from an anecdote reported in the news. According to my best recollection, it went something like this: <br />
<br />
A CIA agent in their Virginia HQ was monitoring a Russian's activities on the Internet when an American suddenly appeared and began interacting with the Russian. Concerned about this pairing, the CIA employee forwarded an alert about the incident to the FBI.<br />
<br />
This is the original version of the anecdote which has changed or evolved over time. Currently, some people are speculating that Carter Page was the American; while others are speculating that it might be George Papadopoulos. There is yet a third possibility: the American in the anecdote could be a fictive composite.<br />
<br />
My first reaction to this anecdote was: it didn't seem very credible. But after a moment's pause, I did a double-take on it. And I thought: <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>Wow! If this really did happen, then this CIA agent just stepped on the Third Rail of contemporary intelligence!</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Let's unpack this puppy a bit:</strong></span> When this anecdote was first reported, it seemed strangely naked like a plucked chicken. It was very bare bones. The purpose of reporting this anecdote to the public was to justify a special FISA search warrant and/or the appointment of a special prosecutor, but on the face of it, there is nothing illegal about an American dating a Russian or socializing with a Russian or communicating with a Russian. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>What specific element of this situation constituted Probable Cause which would compel a special search warrant or special prosecutor?</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></em><br />
In the 1970's, one of the most vivid highlights of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Committee">Church Committee Hearings</a> was their robust rebuke of the CIA for engaging in surveillance on Americans. The CIA was told in no uncertain terms that they were to limit their surveillance to the foreign realm.<br />
<br />
In the anecdote above, the CIA agent appears to have violated the Church Committee Rules, but in order to circumvent the taboo, the agent may have grabbed an FBI agent as a fig leaf and used the FBI guy as his proxy to do his dirty work for him. Is this permitted? I think not. <br />
<br />
Also, it gives the appearance that the CIA guy may have suborned perjury from the FBI guy in a mutual agreement to leave the CIA out of the original discovery of the American connecting with the Russian, substituting the claim that it was the FBI guy who made the discovery.<br />
<br />
I understand that A.G. Barr is investigating whether any kind of monkey business was going on to get the special FISA search warrant. But the Special Prosecutor may be another matter.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Conclusion Follows in Part Two . . . </em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">...</span></em>buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-62641566600239548142018-04-18T02:02:00.000-04:002018-04-18T02:02:11.444-04:00Relentless Redux II -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>The Stormy Daniels Twist . . .</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
Clearly, the issue here is Boundaries which Daniels is conflating with her First Amendment rights. I recognize and try to respect the HIPAA rules - I am not going to tell you that Louise has Hepatitis, is taking medication for Depression, and suffered from a toe nail fungus a few months ago. I try to treat this topic with the utmost discretion. I do not believe that the HIPAA rules nullify my First Amendment rights. These rules cover only a very narrow scope of my general everyday discourse.<br />
<br />
Stormy Daniels' recent behavior offers a drastic contrast. She was free to book herself into Gentlemen's Clubs all over Florida and "express" herself. She could book her exotic dancing act into the Golden Apple in Miami-Dade, the Platinum Plum in Fort Lauderdale and the Silver Peach in Palm Beach Country. But the Media reported that she additionally advertised herself ostentatiously on a taunting billboard adjacent to the Trump Estate, making her objective obvious - to disrupt and destroy the Trump Family's domestic tranquility, to humiliate and drive Melania Trump (an innocent victim) out of her home, and to stalk and harass the Trump Family.<br />
<br />
It was this prospective projection of behavior pattern which lawyer Michael Cohen was trying to get a handle on, and I cannot criticize him for that. Cohen, I believe, is being scapegoated. Even worse, it appears to me that he is being stitched up. It looks like a rogue prosecutor is trying to gather as much material as possible in order to manufacture some bogus crime out of it.<br />
<br />
Daniels and her lawyer also seem to be coyly threatening to use some kind of recordings in hostile legal procedures. Florida, California and Nevada are Dual Consent states. If such recordings are produced in court, they are likely to be illegal. Once again: Boundaries.<br />
<br />
Alas, rarely have I seen so much vitriol for no legitimate reason from the Mainstream Media acting in unison. In a previous era of reportage, numerous angles and perspectives were provided to the public as valuable assets. Today, only one dogmatic viewpoint is being delivered via an echo chamber. How did we get here?<br />
<br />
When Google News was started as an aggregator, it gathered diverse news reports from far and wide. But legacy media organizations complained. So, Google re-tuned it and introduced their most potent weapon: the carousel. This is how we got the echo chamber. If you are not careful and resourceful, you can get trapped into this merry-go-round and read only the same thing over and over although it seems to be attributed to numerous sources.<br />
<br />
I strongly object to any efforts to forcibly turn this country into a totalitarian banana republic cesspool. In my generation we were taught to think for ourselves. But as an increasing number of Americans are being stupefied on drugs, few younger people seem to be aware of how they are being manipulated. Let us hope this situation improves soon!<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-55566847498576711372018-04-18T01:26:00.000-04:002018-04-18T01:26:03.091-04:00Relentless Redux -<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong><em>The Stormy Daniels Twist . . .</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
In the late 1980s, <strong>David Letterman</strong>, a CBS late night TV show host, began to experience a series of disruptions to his life. A woman stole his Porsche, camped out on his property, repeatedly broke into his house, and claimed to have a relationship with him or identified herself as his wife. She was suffering from Erotomania, among other things, and really believed her claims, which resulted in her relentlessly stalking the target of her attentions. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Letterman#Stalker">Letterman</a> finally got relief only when she ended her life in 1998.<br />
<br />
Have you ever experienced a <strong>relentless stalker</strong> or some variation thereof? Or have you been exposed to this phenomenon via a family member or friend? If so, a naive well-wisher might suggest you get a Restraining Order. Have you ever tried to get one? It's no cinch to get, but even if you do get one, it might not provide you with the relief you seek. Indeed, you could end up dead even with a Restraining Order.<br />
<br />
This is why a pragmatic lawyer might try a different approach called "Go Away" money. No sophisticated observer would presume this approach to be a permanent remedy; nevertheless, it could provide stop-gap relief to the target of a relentless stalker.<br />
<br />
It appears that lawyer Michael Cohen with his Confidential Settlement Agreement crafted for Stormy Daniels attempted to provide such relief to the Trump Family this way. And if you have ever experienced some form of relentless stalking, you might want to think twice before criticizing him for trying this approach.<br />
<br />
The CBS TV Network, however, did a complete about-face on this matter. Whereas they never featured Letterman's stalker, Margaret Mary Ray, on a prime time segment interview, they devoted their Sunday Family Hour to Stormy Daniels and her tale of woe. Anderson Cooper, looking like an autistic praying mantis, thoughtfully questioned her and invented a fatuous pretext of why this is very serious matter. No one I know watched it and later told me they don't care how many freckles Donald Trump has on his genitals. So much for Cooper's erstwhile gravitas.<br />
<br />
Inexplicably, instead of a very generous payment of Go Away Money providing some stop-gap relief to Melania and the rest of the Trump Family, the Media persistently referred to the $130,000 as "Hush" Money.<br />
<br />
During the CBS interview, Stormy Daniels presented herself as a soi-disant dominatrix, ordering Donald Trump to pull down his trousers and spanking him. She seemed very pleased with herself as she described this encounter and seemed to gloat at times or even smirk. Although she assumed a dominant and aggressive role for that occasion, she then complained to Cooper that she has been oppressed. <br />
<br />
Uh-oh! One of the signs of a sociopath is their aggressive behavior while casting themselves in the role of a victim . . .<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>Continued in Part II</em></span><br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-63406399976477275212018-02-14T05:42:00.000-05:002018-02-14T05:42:02.895-05:00The Markel Changelings -TV Channel Investigation Discovery recently aired a presentation of the Dan Markel Murder Case authored by its People Magazine Investigates group. <br />
<br />
The presentation, called MARKED FOR MURDER, was straight-forward and included cameo appearances by several of Markel's lawyer <a href="https://abovethelaw.com/2017/12/the-dan-markel-case-the-latest-developments/">friends</a>. It was formatted as a police procedural.<br />
<br />
The problem with this format is that the Markel situation is bigger than the resolution of some intriguing forensic evidence. Actually, it's practically operatic. Not only was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Markel">Dan Markel</a> murdered, but it seems like his children were stolen from him as well. <br />
<br />
Ironically, if Markel's Rolex or BMW were hijacked, this aspect of the situation might have received more publicity.<br />
<br />
Was any new information disclosed on ID? <br />
<br />
Yes! It was reported that the cell phone conversation Markel was having in his vehicle at the time he was shot was about a new school for his young sons. I suspect that this was what triggered Markel's murder, what we could call "the inciting incident."<br />
<br />
It seems likely to me that the school Markel chose would be a parochial or religious day school. And if this were true, too, than it would appear that his former wife and her family may have harbored strong anti-religious sentiments which Dan Markel did not know about at the time they were married.<br />
<br />
Exploring any such lead might yield <br />
an additional cluster of potential evidence.<br />
<br />
This <a href="https://forward.com/news/national/391556/who-had-dan-markel-killed/">situation</a> is moving <br />
through our <a href="http://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Suspects-facing-additional-charges-in-murder-of-Dan-Markel-473345133.html">court system</a> very slowly.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-29956469993803925902018-01-12T04:51:00.000-05:002018-01-12T04:51:54.629-05:00Comings & Goings -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>So many departures in 2017!</em></span> <br />
<br />
This is not meant to be a <br />
scientific survey; it's just an informal stroll . . .<br />
<br />
A fond farewell to Peter Capaldi. His stint as the Twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who TV series has <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2017/12/peter-capaldi-wrote-this-adorable-">ended</a>. I enjoyed his portrayal very much.<br />
<br />
In the last episode, which was written by Steven Moffat, David Bradley put in a wonderful appearance portraying The First Doctor. It was <a href="http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Twice_Upon_a_Time_(TV_story)">entitled</a> <em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twice Upon a Time</span></em> with a touch of nostalgia.<br />
<br />
I must admit that I had some difficulty understanding Pearl Mackie's heavy dialect in her portrayal of Bill Potts, but all's well that ends well.<br />
<br />
# Nat Hentoff left us early last year. He was a longtime columnist at the Village Voice newspaper. I didn't have much in common with him, but he sometimes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Hentoff">wrote</a> about First Amendment issues which captured my interest, especially because he wasn't a lawyer. Discussions about this topic in the public arena can be valuable.<br />
<br />
# Eric Schmidt has <a href="http://www.nasdaq.com/article/tech-roundup-amzn-advertising-googls-schmidt-steps-">stepped down</a> from his role as executive chairman of Google, Alphabet, and/or whatever letter salad those geeks try to throw against the wall. Well, I've had some differences with <a href="https://twitter.com/ericschmidt/status/943968260675866625">Eric</a> over the years.<br />
<br />
# The "Joan Rangers" signed off for the last time with the <a href="http://www.eonline.com/shows/fashion_police/news/896537/fashion-police-says-">ending</a> of the Fashion Police. They were sorely missed at the recent Golden Globes event. The female celebrities wore black as promised, but with varying effects.<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
Sorry you haven't heard from me in yonks, but I've been rather busy these past few months - too busy to suit me! I do hope to be more active as a Blogger in 2018.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-73839293418964477742017-08-01T01:15:00.000-04:002017-08-01T01:15:40.445-04:00SoFlo News Notes -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Need a gun that can drop </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>an angry elephant charging at you? </em></span><br />
<br />
Someone must have thought they did. A burglary at the Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach was recorded on surveillance video cams. The 19-year-old fellow who has confessed to taking part in the caper has been arrested. If they micro-chip toy poodles, they can probably keep track of elephant guns, too.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.local10.com/news/crime/thieves-steal-high-powered-rifles-shotguns-from-bass-pro-shops-in-dania-beach">:: Local 10 News ::</a> - / - <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/crime/1-arrested-in-connection-with-bass-pro-shops-burglary">:: Local 10 News ::</a><br />
<br />
......................................................<br />
<strong>Guy Eargle Jr</strong>, 68, described as a wealthy businessman and a retired telecommunications executive, was found dead inside his Fort Lauderdale home recently. The police said he was murdered. He was a part time resident here in South Florida and also lived in Atlanta.<br />
<br />
If you think you can provide helpful information about this situation, please contact Det. Mark Breen at 954-828-5708 or Det. Jason Wood at 954-828-5344.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Man-Found-Murdered-in-Fort-Lauderdale-Home-435460733.html">:: NBC Miami ::</a> - / - <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article162533533.html">:: Miami Herald ::</a><br />
<br />
.......................................................<br />
Controversy is swirling around Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz, because her recently employed IT aide, Pakistani-born Imran Awan, has been <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/25/feds-arrest-it-staffer-for-wasserman-schultz-trying-to-leave-country.html">arrested</a> at Dulles Intl Airport while he was trying to leave the country under questionable circumstances. A preliminary hearing is expected to occur on Aug 21.<br />
<br />
Luke Rosiak from The Daily Caller, who seems to be one of the leading investigative journalists on this <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/23/exclusive-fbi-seized-smashed-hard-drives-from-wasserman-schultz-it-aides-home/">story</a>, has <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/03/13/house-hacking-suspects-could-read-every-email-dozens-of-congressmen-sent-and-received/">additional</a> information.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-18047357833007681552016-12-09T05:11:00.000-05:002016-12-09T05:11:10.551-05:00Will There Be Mockingbird News? -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>From Creepy Pasta to </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Creepy Pizza, Conspiracies Abound . . .</em></span><br />
<br />
It seems somehow fitting that the contentious 2016 Presidential Campaign would culminate in a Super Full Moon. A nurse and I were speculating on whether lunar vibrations were contributing to the social unrest in the aftermath. <br />
<br />
Even if the moon were a contributing factor, it was not the main cause. The Democratic political machine's use of hard-boiled Identity Politics was the primary and direct cause.<br />
<br />
And the Mainstream Media hasn't helped. Many people are complaining about their skewed coverage of the campaign and the decline in their journalistic standards.<br />
<br />
There are numerous factors to consider in this realm.<br />
<br />
<strong># Consolidation:</strong> Media activists have warned for many years about the dangers of consolidating the ownership of media organizations into fewer and fewer hands.<br />
<br />
<strong># Chemistry:</strong> There has been a sharp increase in the percentage of Americans with chemically impaired judgment due to misuse or abuse of drugs and medications.<br />
<br />
<strong># Content:</strong> Publishers no longer refer to News, which is now often known as Content; instead of Editors, there are Content Managers.<br />
<br />
<strong># Childishness:</strong> In an effort to economize, the media organizations have laid off their experienced reporters who earned more money, leaving juvenile cubs to shoulder the load.<br />
<br />
From Identity Politics to Conspiracy Theories is not a long leap! I'm not a Conspiracy Freak myself, but I enjoy a good Conspiracy story now and then.<br />
<br />
Conspiracy stories have become part of our Mainstream Entertainment in recent decades: the Dan Brown movies like The Da Vinci Code and Chris Carter's X-Files TV series which featured a shadowy conspiracy. <br />
<br />
But sometimes conspiracies are real: Operation Paperclip, Operation Mockingbird, and what about Watergate? Now, we even have <a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2016/12/pizzagate-how-4chan-conspiracy-went-mainstream">Pizzagate</a>.<br />
<br />
Who hacked into the Democrats' Emails? "Experts" say it was the <a href="http://www.cjr.org/criticism/washington_post_fake_news_russian_propaganda.php">Russians</a>. That looks like Disinformation to me. I would speculate it was probably the Anonymous Lulz Crowd again, because they fancy themselves heroic rebels from Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism.<br />
<br />
Closer to home, Buddy Nevins <a href="http://www.browardbeat.com/sun-sentinel-abandons-downtown-fort-lauderdale/">reports</a> that the Sun-Sentinel is leaving downtown Fort Lauderdale:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"Speaking at a downtown Fort Lauderdale breakfast meeting in the summer, Sun-Sentinel Publisher Howard Saltz denounced much of the paper’s Internet competition. He branded it a bunch of out-of-touch bloggers secluded in their parents’ basement."</em></span><br />
<br />
Surely, he doesn't mean me.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-77797274896306946112016-12-07T02:51:00.000-05:002016-12-07T02:51:59.673-05:00Quick News Notes From Florida -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Daniel Markel Murder:</em></span> Katherine Magbanua is pleading "Not Guilty" to allegations of her <a href="http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Florida-Woman-Pleads-Not-Guilty-to-Killing-of-FSU-Law-Professor-405040126.html">involvement</a>.<br />
<br />
# <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Quintessential Fort Lauderdale:</em></span> The city issued numerous parking citations to a cadaver parked inside a <a href="http://www.local10.com/news/fort-lauderdale-issues-parking-tickets-to-suv-with-dead-man-inside">vehicle</a> for days near the courthouse.<br />
<br />
# <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Local Color:</em></span> "When Pigs Fly" Trump <a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/when-pigs-fly-donald-trump-mural-removed-for-safety-concerns-8922436">Mural</a> in Miami.<br />
<br />
+ Hope to post a longer blog entry soon.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-58409887875374674252016-10-12T03:01:00.000-04:002016-10-12T03:01:29.323-04:00Six Clicks to Murder -Now comes in due course the story of <br />
the curious murder of Florida Law Professor <br />
<strong>Daniel Markel</strong> by a maladroit hit man whose kill shot was placed far wide of the victim's brain stem. <br />
<br />
Who would do such a thing? And why?<br />
<br />
For those busy souls who are still interested in this case, <br />
ABC TV devoted an entire hour of its 20/20 <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/2020/episode-guide/2016-09/16-091616-In-Laws-&-Outlaws">program</a> to it recently.<br />
<br />
And, subsequently, a woman named Katherine Magbanua was <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/woman-charged-with-murder-in-connection-with-toronto-born-law-prof-daniel-markel-s-death-1.3788231">charged</a> in <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/third_suspect_is_arrested_in_slaying_of_law_prof_dan_markel">connection</a> to the case.<br />
<br />
Will there be more arrests?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-world_experiment">It's a small world</a>. Maybe so, if evidence <br />
is found in the social links of that community. <br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-27892493563477588852016-08-22T00:23:00.000-04:002016-08-22T00:23:40.316-04:00The Elusive Origin of ISIS -<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>When the real story </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>is much more interesting . . .</em></span><br />
<br />
A dispute erupted over the origins of ISIS when Donald Trump asserted that President Obama founded it. I casually presumed Trump was speaking figuratively and didn't give his remark a second thought. <br />
<br />
Then someone in the Mainstream Media asserted that it was Zarqawi who founded ISIS. And many others repeated that response like parrots in an echo chamber.<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, I remember this story quite differently. I blogged it as the story unfolded because I had to study Propaganda Analysis in college and because it seemed like a historic development. <br />
<br />
ISIS, I believe, migrated from a CGI animation.<br />
<br />
We tell stories to help us make sense of our experiences in the world. My own memory of the story may be imperfect because some of the story may be classified top secret and because of my own efforts to make sense of what was disclosed.<br />
<br />
There came a point in time when the Al-Qaida chapter in Iraq was having terrible problems. As I recall, every time the cult named new leadership, our team bumped them off. It became a kind of death sentence to be identified as one of their leaders. Consequently, the cult was having a hard time finding anyone willing to assume leadership.<br />
<br />
This is how the Al-Qaida brand went toxic. The cult needed to rebrand their group or face dissolution and extinction.<br />
<br />
And then, the second shoe dropped. Once they rebranded, how could they stop the Allies from assassinating the leadership of the "new" group?<br />
<br />
The terrorists devised a scheme which they believed would protect them. As many young men these days play computer video games, they were familiar with CGI animation. Some of the artwork in these games and movies can be quite lifelike and convincing.<br />
<br />
They had some friendly geeks create a CGI animation of an avatar who could appear in cyberspace on the Internet to make announcements or issue directives.<br />
<br />
Thus it was, they created the virtual Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Emir of the "new" group which they called the "Islamic State of Iraq." <br />
<br />
I would conjecture our geeks in the DIA and other agencies performed some packet traces to locate the group, but, eventually, the case was cracked wide open because our team tracked down the actor who was reading the avatar's script, and he publicly confessed what he had done.<br />
<br />
The following is an adaptation <br />
excerpted from my blog entries at the time:<br />
<br />
FAKE EMIR OF IRAQ: <br />
A Cyberspace Myth -<br />
<br />
The mysterious Abu Omar al-Baghdadi - the so-called "emir" of the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq" - apparently avoided capture so elusively through a very clever ruse: He didn’t exist... <a href="http://eclectchap.blogspot.com/2007/07/fake-emir-of-iraq-3-cyberspace-myth.html">(7/19/07)</a><br />
<br />
VIRTUAL SHEIKH: <br />
A computer-generated avatar -<br />
<br />
Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi's <br />
speeches were read by an actor.<br />
<br />
The ruse was devised by Abu Ayub al-Masri, and Mashhadani, who served as a propaganda chief in the organization, helped create the Islamic State of Iraq as a virtual organization that is essentially a pseudonym for al-Qaida in Iraq. <a href="http://eclectchap.blogspot.com/2007/09/virtual-sheikh-issues-wack-2-cyber.html">(9/15/07)</a><br />
<br />
The last word on this matter <br />
has probably not yet been written.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-21139935668589689312016-08-19T02:25:00.000-04:002016-08-19T02:33:41.908-04:00Some Strange Appearances -Another Florida Face-Eating Attack <br />
has been reported this week. Drug <br />
involvement is strongly suspected.<br />
<br />
::<a href="http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Two-Killed-Another-Injured-at-Martin-County-Home-Where-Man-Found-Eating-Victims-Face-390278492.html">nbcmiami</a>:: - - - ::<a href="http://wsvn.com/news/local/teen-on-hospital-ventilator-after-florida-face-biting-attack/">wsvn</a>:: - - - ::<a href="http://www.local10.com/news/crime/man-accused-of-fatally-attacking-martin-county-couple-tested-for-synthetic-drugs-">local10</a>::<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
A new Netflix documentary which will spotlight Amanda Knox will debut at the Toronto Film Festival [TIFF] next month before a global release at the end of September, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/10/netflix-documentary-amanda-knox-">according to</a> the British Press Association at The Guardian.<br />
<br />
Like <em>The Tunnel</em>, currently airing on PBS, which is a joint Anglo/French <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tunnel_(TV_series)">production</a>, the Knox movie was filmed in <a href="http://www.dfi.dk/Service/English/News-and-publications/News/August-2016/The-">collaboration</a> with a Danish producer.<br />
<br />
A few days ago while on a supermarket checkout line, I was surprised to see the image of Jodi Arias on the cover of a tabloid publication. <br />
<br />
Although I affirm the rights of the authors to express themselves with a movie spotlighting Amanda Knox, I think it is far too soon for such a documentary to have any serious credibility. Besides that, both Jodi Arias and Amanda Knox have been featured abundantly in the Media already. <br />
<br />
For me, the final court outcome on Knox was akin to the Scottish "bastard" verdict and was deliberately left ambiguous for the public to resolve for themselves within a more personal realm.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
A beautiful and intricate new <br />
crop circle recently appeared in Wiltshire. <br />
And it's definitely <a href="http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/amazing-crop-circle-appears-at-ansty-farm-shop/story-29616220-detail/story.html">worth a look</a>.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-81476857815152889622016-07-18T19:43:00.000-04:002016-07-18T19:43:31.505-04:00Pulse & Dogma -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong>Gimme A Fresh Angle . . .</strong></em></span><br />
<br />
If the Orlando terrorist attack had happened in the Fort Lauderdale area, it probably would have had a much different outcome.<br />
<br />
Every gay man I know in this area carries a small canister of pepper spray on his key chain or in his pocket when he ventures out after dark. Although the choreography of this crime may not yet have been fully reconstructed, it is possible the shooter could have been foiled early in his enterprise by someone spraying pepper spray in his eyes and blinding him.<br />
<br />
The Mainstream Media immediately jumped <br />
on the story with not one but two Treatments:<br />
<br />
First, they treated it as a Gay Hate Crime. Although it was experienced by the Gay community as a hate crime, it turned out to be a terrorist attack. The doctored 911 records were not appreciated.<br />
<br />
Then, they tried to treat the Pulse story as an argument for Gun Control. The jihadi terrorists do not necessarily use guns; they have been known to use other weapons. And, by the same token, you don't necessarily have to use a gun to counteract them. <br />
<br />
I understand that cell phones have been used to remotely detonate their bombs from a safe distance. Are we going to outlaw cell phones, too?<br />
<br />
According to reports, Omar Mateen repeatedly expressed his devotion to the leader of one of the Islamic-style terrorist cults, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi. This is a pronounced characteristic of cult activity, whether the devotion is to Charlie Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, or any other leader.<br />
<br />
ISIS is just one of a cluster of regional cults which have a long history. Many of them attribute their existence to the breakup of the Ottoman Empire which they fantasize as a Golden Age they wish to recapture. The Muslim Brotherhood, one of the earliest of these groups, was founded in Egypt in 1928.<br />
<br />
What should we call these groups? The nomenclature issue has become an unnecessary controversy. If you wish to avoid any mention of Islam, you can call them Militant Jihadis or Caliphate Militants. This controversy has become a red herring.<br />
<br />
The term "caliphate" is just a word which can mean many different things to many different people. For some, it may mean a kind of Shangri-la; for others, a Utopia. For a terrorist jihadi cult, it means the establishment of their own Slave Empire.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pulse-orlando-nightclub-shooting/os-orlando-">:: Pulse Orlando Shootings ::</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/20/fbi-doj-release-new-full-transcript-orlando-">:: Censored 911 Records? ::</a><br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-56977837569338907462016-06-06T00:11:00.000-04:002016-06-06T00:11:09.199-04:00Markel Murder: Not So Thin Air -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>More information about the murder case of <br />Law Prof Daniel Markel has been released . . .</em></span><br />
<br />
The investigation involved a lot of cyber sleuthing and digital bread crumb tracking, according to Mike Vasilinda at <a href="http://www.news4jax.com/news/probable-cause-document-reveals-details-about-fsu-professors-murder">News4Jax</a>.<br />
<br />
Then, too, Morgan Norwood points to the importance of cell phone pings when added to security and traffic camera video tape <a href="http://www.wtxl.com/crime/markel-murder-suspects-nabbed-via-cell-phone-pings/article_e8e76036-29d7-11e6-8ca3-e32a0e58c66e.html">evidence</a>, etc.<br />
<br />
Jose Lambiet, a well-known South Florida society diarist, has written up an <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3626464/Florida-State-law-professor-victim-murder-hire-plot-stemmed-desperate-desire-relocate-wife-young-sons-bitter-divorce-family.html">article</a> for The Daily Mail in their style, but don't jump to any hasty conclusions just yet!<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-2836127128458224442016-05-28T16:42:00.001-04:002016-05-28T16:42:23.934-04:00Law Prof's Murder: Update -A multi-agency arrest has been made<br />
at a Hallandale Beach gas station of <br />
a Miami Beach man for the murder <br />
of FSU Law Professor <strong>Daniel Markel</strong>. <br />
<br />
The 34-year-old man, <strong>Sigfredo Garcia</strong>, lists<br />
his profession as "heavy machine operator." <br />
<br />
The authorities have sealed the papers for the case <br />
which, they explain, is still active and ongoing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/South-Florida-Man-Arrested-in-2014-Killing-of-FSU-Law-Professor-380969431.html">:: NBC 6 ::</a> - - - - - <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/mystery-remains-after-arrest-in-killing-of-fsu-law-professor-daniel-markel/2279110">:: Tampa Bay Times ::</a><br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-57697457958327573342016-05-26T05:13:00.002-04:002016-05-26T05:13:51.819-04:00Rough Passages -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>ZombiCon Killer, BookSlut <br />Bows Out, and a Grotesque Diatribe . . .</em></span><br />
<br />
Last year, during a ZombieCon festivity in Fort Myers, a man fired a gun into the crowd, killing 20-year-old Expavious Tyrell Taylor. The shooter is still at large. If you have any information which could help the police, there is a $36,000 reward.<br />
<br />
You can call the Fort Myers Police Department at 239-321-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Florida-Police-Seek-Tipster-in-Fatal-ZombiCon-Shooting-380697541.html">::NBC Miami::</a> - - - <a href="http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2015/10/18/least-1-shot-zombicon/74163952/">::News-Press::</a> - - - <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/zombicon-shooting-witness-gunman-looked-he-didnt-care-n448926">::NBC News::</a><br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
The Literati on the Internet <br />
are losing a valued contributor. <br />
<br />
<strong>Jessa Crispin</strong> has announced that she has decided to end her <strong>BookSlut</strong> project, which included a Blog and a monthly online literary magazine. While I was reading her <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/09/jessa-crispin-bookslut-publishing-new-york-literature">remarks</a> about the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/may/16/bookslut-was-born-in-an-era-of-internet-freedom-todays-web-has-killed-it">finale</a> of the project, I was remembering David Bowie's poignant song <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Where Are We Now?</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
Much has changed since the early days of the new century as far as writing online. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Feed Magazine</em></span> was an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_Magazine">example</a> of less emphasis on form and more of a focus on content. Experts advised us to make our landing page load as quickly as possible. <br />
<br />
Today, a typical online "magazine" is often heavy with an over-abundance of fancy computer code in its format, but contains thin contents, which may be there simply to promote something else the writer is selling.<br />
<br />
Maybe Jessa could still contribute an <br />
occasional piece to The Guardian Book Blog.<br />
<br />
* * * * *<br />
A vile agitprop piece worthy of Der Sturmer, demonizing <strong>George Zimmerman</strong>, was posted at The Daily Beast recently. The poison pen involved was <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/17/george-zimmerman-taunts-trayvon-martin-s-parents-they-didn-t-raise-their-son-right.html">wielded</a> by a writer named Gideon Resnick, who seemed to be trying to incite some loose screw into killing the former NCW.<br />
<br />
Have a nice holiday weekend!<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-10838911592870919222016-05-13T01:49:00.000-04:002016-05-13T01:50:17.772-04:00Some Wizards Behind The Curtain -Although I haven't had much time for surfing lately, <br />
I still have an inclination to collect links like a magpie.<br />
<br />
I'm no couch potato, but for this year's open house week on Cable TV, I browsed a bit and impulsively decided to watch the first season of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Detective_(season_1)">True Detective</a> on HBO.<br />
<br />
It required binge-watching 8 episodes within a few days, and somehow I managed to slog through it all. The story involved the gradual discovery of a serial killer.<br />
<br />
I'm still not into binge-watching, but it was pretty good.<br />
<br />
Also just noticed that Sarah Weinman has <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahw/status/728299961025212416">linked</a> to a newly discovered serial killer story. <br />
<br />
I admire her commitment to the genre.<br />
<br />
# Along the way, it came to my attention that Christopher Fowler has produced a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/11/the-best-recent-crime-fiction-novels-review-roundup">new book</a> of short mystery stories called <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em><strong>London's Glory</strong></em></span>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>Try not to notice </em></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>the men </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>behind the curtains pulling the strings . . .</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></em><br />
# Some people are surprised that F*cebook allegedly <a href="http://gizmodo.com/former-facebook-workers-we-routinely-suppressed-conser-1775461006">manipulates</a> its news feed. If that's your only news source, you are seriously shortchanging yourself.<br />
<br />
# <a href="http://www.link-assistant.com/news/google-updates.html">Here</a> are some of our new Gate-Keepers <br />
who worship the false idols of algorithms.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-71713831606443782612016-05-13T00:59:00.000-04:002016-05-13T00:59:52.969-04:00When Hecklers Veto Trump -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Over the past decade </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>there has been a surprising increase </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>in </em></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>the number of cases belonging to </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>the genre of <strong>Heckler's Veto</strong> . . . </em></span><br />
<br />
It's been surprising for two reasons. First, many of these cases have occurred on American college campuses, an environment previously regarded as a bastion of Intellectual Freedom; and, second, because most of us older adults don't generally find ourselves in that environment, so that we are not usually aware of what's going on there.<br />
<br />
A hypothetical case which illustrates this kind of incident might go like this: A campus organization invites a prestigious figure to give an address, but a group of protesters show up at the venue and make such a racket that the prospective speaker is forced to withdraw.<br />
<br />
What is Heckler's Veto? <br />
There are two basic definitions.<br />
<br />
The first definition is a narrow legal definition. Take the hypothetical situation above, when suddenly the police appear on the scene. They unplug the speaker's microphone and tell him to pack up and shut it down. Why? The cops tell him that they don't want any trouble here and that there are angry people outside trying to get in who say they are going to rip the place up and riot if the speaker is allowed a forum here.<br />
<br />
In this first definition, it is the government or its representatives, the police, who abrogate the speaker's First Amendment right to speak. Such behavior by the police may also raise the issue of Prior Restraint.<br />
<br />
In the second definition, which is broader and more informal, it is the protesters themselves who silence the speaker.<br />
<br />
Why the rise in such incidents on American college campuses in recent years? That's a good question! <br />
<br />
When we were youngsters, we were taught that we should not infringe on the rights of others. "You have the right to swing your arm as far as the tip of the next guy's nose." We were taught to respect the rights of others. <br />
<br />
When did this change?<br />
<br />
The increase in this type of situation seems to coincide with the ascendancy of Cable TV News.<br />
<br />
Today, Cable TV News provides a potential 24/7 Media Environment capability. And CNN can be considered the leader of the pack, because its "Reach" exceeds its subscription base. If you walk into many fast food outlets, there is a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. And, odds are, it will be tuned to CNN.<br />
<br />
CNN readily acknowledges that Breaking News is its stock in trade. When something happens which a lot of people are interested in, viewership rises. But when the world is quiet, viewership tends to decline. Since its advertising revenue is based to some degree on how many viewers are tuned to their channel, the organization has to have strategies to help them maintain a higher level of viewers. More viewers equals more advertising revenue.<br />
<br />
It's my impression that one of the strategies CNN has been using recently is to adopt some of the techniques used with successful effect in Reality TV Series. We find Story Arcs, attenuated Drama/Conflict, and Treatments. We even find the classic Unreliable Narrator being featured and given airtime. <br />
<br />
These techniques are integral to Hollywood machinery. So, has CNN simply gone Hollywood?<br />
<br />
If their recent Treatment of civil disorders and riots is any barometer, maybe it has. <br />
<br />
They assigned Don Lemon to act as Master of Ceremonies, giving the disorder an Academy Awards worthy Red Carpet runway approach on which Lemon, who has all the gravitas of a hair stylist, was interviewing anyone with a wild fairytale to tell - the wilder, the better - seemingly, solely for its entertainment value. <br />
<br />
Even if you don't subscribe to Cable TV, you might be exposed to it while you're grabbing a bite in a restaurant. It behooves you to keep your wits about you in order to avoid getting bamboozled by CNN et al. <br />
<br />
Some of the talk they are airing on the pretext that it is commentary about the News has very little connection to any of the actual facts in the events - maybe no connection at all. <br />
<br />
Do try to keep that in mind, even if it seems entertaining at the moment.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler%27s_veto">:: Wikipedia: Heckler's Veto ::</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/03/14/is-it-a-crime-to-heckle-at-a-campaign-rally/">:: Law Prof Eugene Volokh ::</a><br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-66013909218487409012016-03-06T07:22:00.000-05:002016-03-06T07:22:28.772-05:00Threatening To Brick It -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong>Standoff: Apple vs FBI . . .</strong></em></span><br />
<br />
The FBI wants and needs Syed Farook's material from an Apple gadget he used before he died. The gadget is a mini-computer which includes a telephone function called an iPhone 5c.<br />
<br />
These mini-computers known as smart phones often include other functions and applications such as calendars, cameras and photo galleries, alarm clocks, contact lists, music players or FM radios, space for notes or memos, etc.<br />
<br />
I would like to explore this situation and advance the discourse on it here if it's still at all possible.<br />
<br />
I think Apple should hoover up all of the material which was stored on that gadget after it was delivered in pristine virgin condition to the purchaser, a local government agency in California. Then, I suggest, Apple strip its proprietary computer code from the material. <br />
<br />
Apple's special computer code is their intellectual property which we would not want to touch with a barge pole. The Apple system is the conveyance upon which the Farook material rides and should be separated from this material which the FBI needs.<br />
<br />
Then, I suggest, the material could be reformatted into a long-established neutral computer code or markup script. The material on the calendar could be formatted into the simple basic calendar format or a database kind of arrangement. There is a similar basic format for contacts. <br />
<br />
The rest of the material such as notes and memos could be formatted into Rich Text Format or some other neutral presentation. All of this Farook material can be ported over to a thumb drive and delivered to the FBI, according to Mr Comey's preference.<br />
<br />
I would like to sidestep all this password guessing. My own passwords are often in Hebrew. It seems quite possible to me that Farook's passwords might be in Urdu or even in Arabic. I really believe it would be best for everyone to avoid this issue altogether. <br />
<br />
I presume that Mr Farook's right to privacy expired along with him. It wasn't even his mobile phone; it was his employer's gadget. Thus, whatever Mr Farook left on the gadget constitute ordinary business records. Could there be clues to terrorists on there? Perhaps.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I understand that Tim Cook has gone apocalyptic; viz: he is threatening to turn the phone under contention into a useless brick. If he does that to enough people at least some of them might be charmed into spending another $500 for another iPhone to replace their useless brick.<br />
<br />
And when Tim Cook uses the word privacy, why does it seem like he really means secrecy? I don't understand why ordinary law-abiding citizens need so much secrecy on their telephones. I mostly just keep my grocery shopping lists on my smart phone. But since so many young people have been sending pix of their genitals lately, maybe there are widespread feelings of inadequacy in the population.<br />
<br />
I hope this exploration and these suggestions encourage people to generate some more creative approaches to resolving this situation. <br />
<br />
I am very unhappy that Apple seems to consider itself an autonomous nation state beyond the sovereignty of our government, since Civilization is currently under attack by a group of rogue cult organizations which seems to share Apple's illusion. <br />
<br />
Let's try to emphasise more cooperative attitudes!<br />
<br />
:: FBI Director James Comey <br />
<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-director-comments-on-san-bernardino-matter">Comments</a> on San Bernardino Matter<br />
<br />
:: I am a former participant <br />
in a <a href="https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/">Berkman Center</a> group blog.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-4389623640890913732016-02-15T03:20:00.000-05:002016-02-15T03:22:17.302-05:00Some Weekend Lit Links -An interview which explores the process of adapting <br />
Lev Grossman's <em><strong>The Magicians</strong></em> <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/interview/adapting-magic-an-interview-with-tv-writer-henry-alonso-myers">from print to TV</a>.<br />
<br />
# From beyond the grave, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-charb-20160110-story.html">Charb wrote</a> an <br />
Open Letter on Free Speech and Islamophobia.<br />
<br />
# The Art of Short Travel <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/review/vintage-shorts-wanderlust-edition">Sketches</a> by Peter Lewis.<br />
<br />
# The <a href="http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/the-danger-of-equating-speech-with-violence/17988#.VsF-taRwVLM">danger</a> of equating speech with violence.<br />
<br />
# A <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/01/31/463861168/a-sampler-of-web-comics-to-keep-you-clicking">Sampler</a> of Web Comics.<br />
<br />
# Twitter <a href="http://www.infowars.com/twitter-characterizes-criticism-of-islam-as-hate-speech/">Characterizes</a> <br />
Criticism of Islam as "Hate Speech"<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871522.post-21898646622368118312016-02-08T04:09:00.000-05:002016-02-08T04:09:02.265-05:00Into A Tartan Labyrinth -<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Interesting bit of jiggery-pokery </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>in the British Parliament recently, </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>revolving around <strong>Donald Trump</strong>.</em></span> <br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Or maybe it wasn't really about Trump at all . . .</span></em><br />
<br />
Who is Donald Trump? In case you've just arrived from a different planet, he is an American property developer known for large commercial projects, rather than private residences. And he is currently running for high public office.<br />
<br />
The newly-established Petitions Committee in Parliament received a petition signed by about a half-million people, proposing to bar Donald Trump from entry into the UK, because his presence wouldn't be conducive to the public good. The counter petition opposing the bar, proposed to "mind our own business" and refrain from meddling in the internal politics of the US, which garnered a scant 44,000 signatures.<br />
<br />
What appeared to be a few dozen MPs gathered together in Westminster Hall to conduct a moot debate and discussion about the matter; the session lasted for three hours and was then aired over here in the States on <a href="http://www.c-span.org/video/?403099-1/british-house-commons-debate-barring-">C-SPAN</a>.<br />
<br />
Paul Flynn (Labour) delivered the introduction. He indicated that the petition was inspired by Trump's proposal for a travel ban on Muslims entering the United States, but I don't recall Flynn mentioning what prompted Trump's remark. Trump was reacting to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_San_Bernardino_attack">terrorist attack</a> in California.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On December 2, 2015, two ethnic Pakistanis murdered 14 people and seriously wounded 22 others who were gathered together to celebrate an informal Christmas holiday party in San Bernardino, California.</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Pakistan">Anti-Christian</a> attacks are not unknown in contemporary Pakistan where rogue elements who are Muslim Supremacists have sometimes terrorized the Christian minority. And these well-documented events have been duly reported in their news media. <br />
<br />
They also have an ongoing Blasphemy problem in Pakistan which Muslim Supremacists can use to intimidate the Christian minority. It appears they are now trying to impose it on the UK, too.<br />
<br />
Perhaps, the most vociferous proponents of the Trump Entry Bar were Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (SNP), an ethnic Pakistani, and her colleague, Tulip Siddiq (L), an ethnic Bangladeshi - Bangladesh used to be East Pakistan. <br />
<br />
What a remarkable cluster of Coincidental Pakistanis! <br />
<br />
The woman who generated this petition believes that Donald Trump is just a character in a TV series. To the best of my knowledge, Donald Trump has not urged his followers to go out and kill the Muslims or rape their wives or burn down their houses. I haven't heard him say anything that approaches the threshold of so-called "Hate Speech." <br />
<br />
Usually, when there is a terrorist attack, we would expect the British government to offer condolences.<br />
<br />
Instead, this time, we've got: 14 murders committed by two ethnic Pakistanis and these two women ranting in the British Parliament about the American Public's reaction to these 14 bloody corpses.<br />
<br />
This was a disgraceful spectacle.<br />
<br />
...buttonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03961050961899193539noreply@blogger.com