Browsing Around -

Cartoonist and Metro Archeologist Ben Katchor has a new book out called Hand-Drying in America which is reviewed by David L Ulin at the LAT.

# Adam Woog reviews Cara Black's latest
Aimee Leduc Mystery, Murder Below Montparnasse.

# James McGrath Morris reviews a gripping new
memoir, After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey.

# The Infatuations by Javier Marias is a murder mystery
novel which, Robert McCrum claims, is never boring.

...

Trayvon: Tainted Testimony -

It was disclosed in Tuesday's court hearing that the state's star Witness 8 lied about being so distraught over Trayvon Martin's death that she had to go to the hospital.

Ever since the Dr Phil program presented Alicia Martin, Trayvon's stepmother who raised him on an everyday basis for most of his life, the credibility of this story has not been able to withstand close scrutiny in strong sunlight.

Even if DeeDee's story turns out to be little more than a tissue of similar lies, her story does not directly impact on the central credibility of the story of Trayvon Martin's death.

Most normal American parents treat their animal pets better than Trayvon was treated by his father, because most pet owners provide an ID tag to their dogs and cats.

Every year many elementary schools hold an ID Day. Mothers bring in a recent photo of their child and help make up a kit which can be used by police or the media in case a child gets abducted or goes missing.

Do you believe any father would dump his son without identification a hundred miles away from home on someone else's private property and without any adult supervision? Couldn't a mature adult parent anticipate the possibility that his son could get arrested for trespassing? Are these people for real?

This story was originally released to the Media and then to the public based on the presumption that the America public has no life experience or common sense.

:: ClickOrlando ::

...

Perugia Slasher Update -

Amanda Knox is giving her first American television interview to ABC News in an on-camera sitdown with Diane Sawyer which is scheduled to air April 30th.

The interview is timed to promote the publication of Knox's book of memoirs which will debut simultaneously.

...

Trayvon Death: A Year of Slippery Boundaries -

The anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death passed with peaceful gatherings in his name in Sanford, Miami, New York City, and elsewhere.

Nevertheless, the Mainstream  Media have installed Race Czars performing as Black Spokesmen to tell us how we must think about Race in the News Media so that everyone can be politically correct.

Since Race is mostly an intellectual construct combined with a generous dose of subjective perception, this has incited an angry backlash of its own which is often reflected in the comment threads to their news stories. Just as responsible reporters insert the descriptive qualifier "alleged" into their stories, they may need to start adding "perceived" as well.

*  *  *  *  *
The FBI is refusing to disclose their records on the Trayvon Martin Shooting without the DOJ's approval.

There are two things you should keep in mind about this:

First, the FBI is not called in for every shooting incident. This was a local event which occurred on a private property multi-residential estate displaying conspicuous warning signs that you are entering Private Property, you are being watched, and your behavior is reported to the police.

The second thing to keep in mind is The Big Picture. The DOJ already made the decision to send in their Community Affairs Unit, which is how they wanted to handle this situation.

*  *  *  *  *
Talk Show Host Steve Malzberg touched bases with Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz day before yesterday about the ongoing legal process in the George Zimmerman Case.

*  *  *  *  *
:: News organization turns off online
commenting for most crime stories. ::

:: Black Journalists at CNN ::

...

Fragile Veneer -

Tomorrow is being commemorated as the anniversary of the Trayvon Martin Shooting in Sanford FL, where life will never be same again.

The town has sacked its white police chief and hired an African American for the job. And a native of Sanford is working at the law firm which has produced the state's
Star Witness #8 in the criminal prosecution of the accused shooter, George Zimmerman.

The town of Sanford, it has emerged, is actually two towns combined. The other town called Goldsboro was a historically black town which was absorbed by Sanford. Some black residents still harbor resentments about it, feeling that the merger stripped them of their identity and history.

This resentment roils just under the surface there, where the racial fissures that divide the two towns were papered over for cosmetic appearance and prospective prosperity. In retrospect, that merger may have been a mistake, because it left many black residents feeling robbed.

The story was originally introduced into the Mainstream Media by a well-connected Press Agent, after which it was ruthlessly exploited by the Press which has largely replaced accurate reportage about it with worthless or incendiary propaganda.

:: A Year After ::

:: Transcripts of Witness 8 ::
--- via TalkLeft Discussion Forum ---

...

Blackwell's Own Goal -

Trayvon Martin Shooting;
George Zimmerman Accused . . .

The leitmotif of Friday afternoon's court session was the state's Star Witness #8. I followed the live-streamed proceedings on my laptop, but the quality of the audio I received was rather poor.

The Defense Team fielded two principal motions. The first motion was an effort to depose Benjamin Crump who was being represented by Bruce Blackwell. The second motion was an effort to get the addresses of Witness #8 and several other witnesses as well.

Benjamin Crump's role in this matter is highly ambiguous. I would describe his role as that of a deus ex machina because it was he who inserted Witness #8 into this case. If it weren't for Benjamin Crump, there would be no DeeDee. Her entry into this case was critically contingent upon Benjamin Crump producing the largely unintelligible tape recording of her alleged ear witness of the incident. The problem with this is that deus ex machina is not a legally-defined role.

Bruce Blackwell argued that his client Benjamin Crump should be immune, exempt, and insulated from deposition. And, according to my best understanding, Blackwell, at one point, argued that Crump's role was that of a Qui Tam, which I did not find credible at all. From where I sit, Crump's role appears to be, at best, that of a friend of the court or amicus curiae. It is what it is and quite simply just that.

As far as Don West's questions about the provenance of Witness #8 which can impact upon DeeDee's authenticity and veracity, Blackwell seemed to argue that such discourse would be privileged "work product." Thus, as a direct result of Blackwell's argument, DeeDee herself now appears to have been the "work product" of Benjamin Crump who may have entirely manufactured her.

Blackwell bloviated to such a degree about this that I believe he scored an "own goal" with it. In using this "work product" concept, Blackwell seemed to have completely rubbished DeeDee's credibility altogether. At this point, Tinker Bell might be more credible.

One is obliged to wonder why Blackwell was trying so hard to shield Crump from scrutiny concerning the provenance of Witness #8 - the obvious probability would be: because Crump suborned this witness. I hope that's not true.

I agree that DeeDee's identity should be protected and I expect her to testify in court in silhouette behind a screen. It's my impression that she speaks only an African American subculture patois, a dialect which is so distinctly different from mainstream American English so as to be incomprehensible to 300 million other Americans. Thus, DeeDee is entitled to be furnished with a court-appointed interpreter.

I agree that her address should be shielded from the Media and the random Public, but it is my understanding that the law clearly affords Defense access to it.

In the end, Judge Nelson ruled that Defense may not depose Benjamin Crump because he has nothing relevant to contribute. I think he does have relevant information about the provenance of this magic rabbit he pulled out of his hat which directly impacts upon the authenticity and veracity of Witness #8, but I won't miss his deposition, since Blackwell has already all but destroyed her credibility anyway.

This case has suffered mightily in the Public's understanding from shoddy reportage which mostly looked like the product of some exotic Institute of Propaganda. Even a year later, some reporters still haven't accurately nailed down the basic "W" issues.

Thus, I was happy to see that TV Station WKMG in Orlando commissioned a competent person to write a summary of this hearing which is distinguished by the absence of such batsh*t crazy nonsense. Kudos to this organization! I can only hope that other news organization will now follow suit. It's about time; don't you think?!

:: WKMG Summary of Hearing ::

:: TalkLeft Discussion of Hearing ::

...

Hole In The Wall Furor -

A Banksy mural called Bunting Boy which was hacked off a wall in north London is being put up for auction in Miami with a guide price of $500,000 to $700,000, much to the consternation of local residents across The Pond.

:: Guardian :: - - ::WSVN ::

:: BBC :: - - :: Haringey ::

...

SoFlo Using Social Media -

The Miami Herald is changing
its internet commenting system . . .

"Readers who want to comment on stories will be required to log in using a Facebook account... The cloak of anonymity stifles respectful debate. We believe this change will encourage conversation - but in a safer, civilized space."

Social Media is a safe place?

A South Florida man used Facebook to recruit a local 16-year-old girl to "join da team" and work for him in the flesh industry, telling her she could make as much as $3,500 a week for selling her services, according to court records.

Meanwhile, WPTV is reporting that Facebook may be working on an app that tracks users' locations, but James Ball is not convinced this concept is so nifty.

...

Weekend Browsing -

Famous Literary Agent Sterling Lord has published his memoirs at the age of 92 in paperback and e-book formats, Carolyn Kellogg reports.

# Rage is Back is a novel by Adam Mansbach about NYC's Graffiti Subculture; reviewed here by Geeta Dayal. An interview with the author by Jonathan Donaldson.

# Adam Woog reviews a clutch
of new Nordic noir mystery novels.

# Nicolas Lezard reviews
 Forever Rumpole by John Mortimer.

# An unusual graphic novel about
architecture, Batman: Death by Design.

# Letter from the Jaipur Lit Fest from JD Daniels.

# Jake Kerridge picks some new detective novels.

# Geoffrey Wansell reviews
a trio of crime fiction novels.

# The Uninvited by Liz Jensen
reviewed here by Anna Mundrow.

...

Six Degrees of Ambiguity -

IMO: Trayvon Martin, A Death By Misadventure vs
George Zimmerman, Accused 2nd Degree Murder . . .

A seemingly voluble old-fashioned Southern country lawyer put in a dramatically late appearance during the Tuesday morning proceedings which could have been straight out of Perry Mason. He had the entire courtroom riveted on him when he introduced himself as Mr Blackwell, according to my notes, and announced that he was there to represent Bernard Crump, lawyer for the birth parents of the decedent.

With a collegial nod to Mark O'Mara, he apologized for being late, explaining that his client, Mr Crump, was based at a distance in Tallahassee. Mr Blackwell wanted to submit an affidavit on behalf of his client whereupon a back-and-forth erupted about the use of the affidavit and/or the deposing of Mr Crump. Don West for the Defense argued that since he hadn't had an opportunity to look at the 15 page affidavit, it would be premature to decide about a deposition; however, Don West also introduced a point of law about this matter.

Does Mr Crump's affidavit satisfy all our questions about Witness #8? No, it didn't answer all my questions. I still feel unclear about how many DeeDees there may be; whether the DeeDee interviewed by Mr Crump and the DeeDee recorded by Matt Gutman are one and the same; whether any of the DeeDees is substantially as Mr Crump depicted her; and whether this conversation actually took place at all.

Already a possible discrepancy has arisen in discussions about this case; viz: Mr Crump claimed DeeDee was a juvenile of tender age and a legal minor, but an alternate source of information claims she was not a minor and that she was already 18 years old or more.

Witness #8 aka DeeDee appeared in this case like the quintessential legerdemain white rabbit from out of the cloak of Benjamin Crump Esq, but since then has been mostly just magic with scant documentation.

If the State cannot nail down a palpable one-and-only DeeDee, I expect that failure would significantly erode the credibility and efficacity of its case against George Zimmerman.

Further to Defense's crucial question: what were the circumstances of the State's first contact with Witness #8?  Someone - I believe it was Bernie de la Rionda - mentioned that it was Martin Spoffard who was the State's first contact with Witness #8. Thus, observers were left to assume that Don West will have to locate this individual on his own and depose Spoffard himself for further information.

Undoubtedly, Mr Blackwell's belated entry with sizzling affidavit in hand was the highlight of the hearing, although there had been some chatter on the Internet which predicted that Mr Crump would be represented by a spectacular
Jackie Chiles.

Judge Nelson refused Defense's effort to delay the trial, and I formed the impression that she wants to wrap up this trial as speedily as possible.

From the Stuff Happens Dept: my Internet connection was disrupted due to some mysterious red tape snafu; sorry for the delay in posting this entry. I watched the proceedings streamed over Click Orlando, although I arrived a bit late.

TalkLeft has a recap of the legalities covered in the foregoing session and a link to a copy of the aforementioned affidavit.

The next hearing may be on March 5th.

...

Poking The Peacock -

NBC News Chief Steve Capus is stepping down from that position and will be leaving the organization altogether in the near future.

NBC is the target of a lawsuit by George Zimmerman's Defense for maliciously manipulating a tape recording in order to give viewers the false impression that Zimmerman is a racist who shot Trayvon Martin because the juvenile was Black.

Speaking of Zimmerman, a hearing will be held on this coming Tuesday, February 5th, before the judge.

Also of interest to those following the case, Defense has filed a Motion for Specific Discovery.

...

News Notes From Florida -

All they ever found of Lorraine Hatzakorzian's remains was her head. No one knows what happened to the rest of her. But the authorities did discover who was driving her blue Dodge pickup truck.

# George Zimmerman's lawyer has released what the defense says is a new picture of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Wednesday. Mark O'Mara has filed for a continuance, asking for more time to prepare the case, as it has been a protracted struggle to get prosecutors, who seem to be dragging their feet in slow motion, to turn over evidence.

# An elderly Canadian snowbird couple were found slain inside their Hallandale Beach condo earlier this past month. David Pichosky, 71, and Rochelle Wise, 66, from Toronto were the victims of a double homicide, but the police have not disclosed much information about the circumstances, which has left the couple's neighbors feeling very uneasy.

...

Brief Browse -

Fans of Miami's Wacky Factor . . .

will be delighted to learn that Dave Barry has a new novel making its debut called Insane City. And NPR has posted a recent interview with him.

# Laura Wilson briefly reviews a clutch of crime fiction picks, including The Man from Primrose Lane by James Renner.

# The Future of Davos:
Is a Hipper World Forum On Its Way?

# Man Booker Prize Finalists announced.

# Jaipur Literature Festival

...

Chasing Media Phantoms -

"Trust your mother, but cut the cards,"
as the late Sidney Zion used to say . . .

The story about the football player's girlfriend who turned out to be a hoax, which the Mainstream Media went along with, is a cruel story, but not more cruel than the MSM's shoddy reportage of the Trayvon Martin shooting.

"The tissue of lies in the Notre Dame star’s personal life would have been easy to unravel, but few tried. How the mainstream press fell for the story of an imaginary tragedy."

# How does a five-month-old baby go missing for 15 months and no one look for him? the High Priests at The Miami Herald cogitate. Yeah, that's a real thumb-sucker.

A five-month-old child named Dontrell has gone missing for 15 months. What went wrong here? Well, we can guess: the young mother should have been plugged into the long-established Baby Be Well Program sometimes known as the Well Baby programs.

It starts when the young mother is giving birth in the hospital (if not in the pre-natal phase). A Registered Nurse Practitioner comes around and solicits the young mother by offering her a range of irresistible services while getting the mother's contact information, home address, etc.

Then, when the young mother leaves the hospital, the RNP takes the initiative to travel out into the field and visits the young mother in situ. The RNP is able to answer all sorts of questions, has resources available for vaccinations, and can spot any basic problems which may arise.

# It Came Outa Boca Loca: The Weekly World News is going behind a paywall! Their website now has twice as many visitors per month as its former print edition, so they have decided to follow the leadership of The Miami Herald.

...

Trayvon Case: Backing Down (3 of 3) -

What about this "Duty to Retreat?"

"You either have the ability to defend yourself without the duty to retreat or you don't," explained Jacksonville attorney Mitch Stone.

How does that premise relate to this case? I believe the State could try to take it in potentially two differing directions.

First, they might argue that Zimmerman should have tried to disengage from the physical struggle with the teenager, but, in my opinion, this line of argument is a cul-de-sac, because Zimmerman's back was up against concrete which was being used by Trayvon Martin as a weapon, so that Zimmerman had no egress available to him.

A possible second direction the State may try to advance here could be the premise that Zimmerman was obliged (by the illusory Duty to Retreat) to stay in his vehicle and should not have questioned the teenager.

This is a fundamentally flawed line of polemic, I believe, because the encounter took place on private property, the owners and management of which have a right to know who goes on their property and what they are doing there.

Any prosecutor who expects to abrogate the rights of private property, including estate and shopping mall owners and management, in this way is headed toward doom, I am inclined to believe.

End of Part 3 of 3 Here.

...

Trayvon Case: Backing Down (2 of 3) -

I have no interest in demonizing a juvenile minor; my point here is that there may have been overly lax supervision of a minor, which was evinced in the youngster's strange reaction to his encounter with a resident of the estate, George Zimmerman.

Instead of simply explaining to Zimmerman that his father left him there to babysit a younger child named Chad, Trayvon reacted by violently assaulting the resident Zimmerman.

On the face of it, Trayvon Martin's reaction doesn't make any sense, and we have struggled to figure out what Trayvon's state of mind could have been to motivate such a weird reaction. Over time I have come up with several tentative theories, but none of them satisfy me. Properly done, this is known as a psychological autopsy.

Wasn't Trayvon Martin just minding his own business at the time of the fatal encounter? Trayvon Martin was on someone else's private property. Speaking from practical experience, I would say: when you are on someone else's private property, your business very much becomes their business.

Do we have a right to wonder about someone's state of mind? Sure we do. If you ask someone whether they are lost, you don't expect them to punch you in the nose.

Attorney Jeralyn Merritt explains the legal aspect
of this issue in extensive detail in her blog post today.

Continued . . .

...

Trayvon Case: Backing Down (1 of 3) -

The Birth Mother of slain juvenile Trayvon Martin has called for the repeal of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. Sybrina Fulton, accompanied by a group of state legislators, appeared at a press conference in Tallahassee earlier today.

The defense team for George Zimmerman has received Martin's school records, but won't release them to the public.

Despite that, it has come to light that the youth attended numerous schools, which is not even possible in other parts of the country under normal circumstances, where communities routinely send out detectives to verify the residence of parents in their district and may sue them for fraud or theft of services in order to recover expenses of student tuition.

To date, we do not know where Trayvon Martin was actually residing, who his legal guardian was, or what relationship - if any - Sybrina Fulton had with him. A different woman named Alicia Martin appeared on the Dr Phil TV Show as his stepmother and claimed to have raised him on an everyday basis for much of the teen's life.

The father appears to be an itinerant truck driver, who may or may not have been Trayvon's legal guardian. The peripatetic Tracy Martin dumped Trayvon on an alien private estate in a universe far from home without instructions, rendering his son a possible Youth in Need of Adult Supervision.

Sometimes it seems like the more
we read about this case, the less we know.

Continued . . .

...

Browsing Around -

Murder off Miami by Dennis Wheatley was originally published in 1936 and then reprinted in the 1970s. Today, it has become a collector’s item. Christopher Fowler wrote about it recently on his blog.

# Anyone miss Max and Freddy, the bicker team of Cologne detectives, from the German Tatort TV series shown here on the MHz Network? Alexandra Alter reviews Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus, newly translated from German.

# Adam Woog's Mystery column this month includes the return of the precocious detective Flavia de Luce.

# British author Warren Ellis debuts his novel Gun Machine which Douglas Wolk reviews at LAT.

# Hatchet Job of the Year: "searching for the angriest, funniest, most trenchant book review of the past twelve months." Shortlist of nominees for the past year revealed.

...

New Spree Groupies -

Serial and Spree Killers
have attracted groupies before . . . 

Such a retinue or fanbase has emerged around the accused Colorado movie theater shooter James Holmes called the Holmies, which is beginning to attract attention from the Mainstream Media.

Trench Reynolds gives his picks of Best and Worst for the past year, including the new teen group called the Holmies, which he has blogged about before.

# The Watson Computer
couldn't cope with the Urban Dictionary.

# Dan Kennedy in Boston blogs an entry
about the ongoing collapse of corporate radio.

...

Firestorm Over Boca U -

James Tracy is a tenured Media and
Communications professor at FAU in the
land of the shopping zombies, Boca Loca . . .

Apparently, Tracy has dared to suggest on his blog that alternate theories of what happened in the Sandy Hook mass shooting are possible. Moreover, he has allegedly asserted that there are: Unanswered Questions and Missing Information. OMG!

Thus, Tracy has committed an American version of blasphemy by challenging the self-appointed high priesthood of the Mainstream Media who have now whipped up a hysteria about him.

...

A Breezy Browse -

Alex Harvey has written a feature piece about singer/song writer Tom Waits for the LA Review of Books describing the life Waits once had in Los Angeles which informed the kind of songs he was writing.

# Thomas Pynchon will debut his new novel called Bleeding Edge this fall via Penguin Press, according to Jason Boog.

# Amy Wilentz revisits Haiti in her new book Farewell, Fred Voodoo, which is reviewed by Hector Tobar at LAT.

# Tom Slater reviews Sam Thompson's Communion Town, a story which unfolds via multiple points of view in a post-modern construction.

# Alex Hern writes that the graphic
novel Scene of the Crime is back in print.

# Sarah Ward reviews Bed of Nails by
French Mystery author Antonin Varenne.

...

Strangers In The Night -

. . . shoobee shoobee doo . . .

Some of the people you see on the streets here in South Florida may be your neighbors, but some may be just passing through. Some may be roofless, while others may be enslaved. Appearances can be misleading.

An elderly man was catching a bite to eat one evening at a Wendy's branch in Fort Lauderdale when he met a young couple there. They all got to chatting during which it emerged that the couple needed a place to stay.

The elderly gent impulsively offered to put them up in his apartment, whereupon the trio was observed leaving the restaurant together. The seventy-year-old man was never seen in public again. That was on Oct 15th.

At the beginning of November, police were called to his apartment complex because a foul odor was detected there. It was only then that the body was discovered. Arrest warrants were issued.

The hold-back and big reveal turned out to be that no gun or knife was used to commit this homicide; instead, a plastic bag was allegedly used by the young couple to suffocate their host.

*  *  *  *  *
A young woman enrolled in a drug rehab program disappeared. The ensuing investigation into her fate yielded the information that she had found a dubious benefactor. It was only then that the entire sinister pattern began to emerge.

She had become ensnared in a sex slavery racket. Sadly, this is not a unique case. A higher than average percentage of transients in the area permits this kind of traffic to blend in with more conventional guests. And don't be misled by the dreadlocks - this is a multi-ethnic problem.

*  *  *  *  *
American medical schools customarily locate many of their training facilities in urban areas because the population density there affords more of a concentration of opportunities for physicians to acquire experiences which will develop their skills.

Thus, a young Canadian physician who wanted to specialize in trauma surgery moved from her relatively sedate environment in Toronto to South Florida.

She writes a muddled-minded Op Ed piece in The Miami Herald in which she laments that she has encountered a level of Cruelty here among her patients, who are often the victims, which she was unprepared to deal with.

Maybe she picked the wrong specialty.
How about switching to Dermatology?

If we reduce the numbers of guns on the streets, the psychopaths will probably use knives instead. Or maybe even plastic bags.

...

Novelist Gets Slammed -

The Saudi novelist Turki al-Hamad has been arrested by KSA authorities for emitting provocative tweets.

It appears (albeit at long distance) that Prince Nayef, who has been serving as Interior Minister lately, may have been pressured by prickly religious elements to go after Perceived Insults to Islam.

Well, you know how it is with Perceived Insults:

The color Aqua can be perceived as Blueish Green or Greenish Blue. But then you have to choose how you will interpret it.

You have to choose to be insulted. Then, on second thought or review, you can make a different choice that maybe you were not insulted.

For what purpose do you choose to be insulted?

"His novels have dealt with political and social matters long considered taboo in the religiously conservative kingdom."

What happened to the approach of convening a panel of scholars to discuss these issues with those who deviate from the Kingdom's official interpretations? Where is the shura on this matter? Looks like a lot of intermediate process is missing here.

Was this arrest the result of one individual's personal grudge or vendetta?

Saudi intellectuals have accumulated at least 500 signatures on a petition for Al Hamad's release, according to the latest AFP report.

:: GlobalVoices :: - - - :: Volokh ::

...

The Case of The Naked Roofer -

It's raining men!
Hallelujah! It's raining men!

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood is seeking TIPS concerning the beating death of Dylan Thomas Tharp, whose nude body was found on top of the Peabody Auditorium on November 3rd.

Chitwood is convinced that somebody out there knows something, so a $5,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest of Tharp's killer.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call detective Dale Detter at #386-671-5218.

:: It's Raining Men ::

...

SoFlo Paper To Be Orphaned?

Sun Sentinel parent company, Chicago-based Tribune, is undergoing a makeover as a TV organization poised to sell off its newspapers, according to Reuters.

It's anyone's guess whether a prospective buyer would be interested in buying the Broward-oriented print publication set in the context of a literacy rate reputed to be comparable to that of backwoods rural Mississippi.

 If Tribune cannot find a buyer for its Broward outlet, will the orphan newspaper have any future at all?

:: Reuters ::

...

End of Year Browse -

If you've sensibly decided to stay off the roads tonight and safely away from erratic drivers, you can curl up somewhere cosy and enjoy a bit of literary lagniappe . . .

# Rachel Arons has compiled some of the
most notable Literary Feuds of the past year.

# The Spectator's Best Book Picks of 2012:
:: Part One :: and :: Part Two ::

# Emily Temple gives us a peek at some
books scheduled to make their debuts in 2013.

# Murder at Locker 02-069 - one of
America's first school shooters - written by
Susan Taylor Martin - via Gangrey Blog.

...

FL Top of the Pop 2012 -

Florida's top news story of this past
year according to the vox pop around
here was the Causeway Cannibal Attack . . .

A Haitian man, who had been circulating in an outdoor social gathering where someone could have slipped a strange mickey into his drink, attacked a homeless man who was sleeping on the MacArthur Causeway and then gnawed off most of his victim's facial features. Even Carl Kolchak couldn't have made it up!

In sharp contrast, newspaper members of the Associated Press chose the Sanford Shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman as Florida's top news story.

That story may have been distinctive because it had the worst quality reportage of any American news story over the year.

...

Paper or Virtual Elves -

It's Christmas Eve 2012 as I write this entry
or, as the Cuban Spaniards call it, Nochebuena . . .

Newsweek Magazine is saying goodbye to its print
artifact. And the Tribune newspapers are dropping the Associated Press.

Tribune is the parent company of the Sun Sentinel newspaper in the Broward County area, but it is not a local company. The Tribune company is based in Chicago.

Meanwhile . . .

The Miami Herald has just put up a paywall.

According to their website,
today their special holiday feature was:

It's all about the pig.
How to roast a pig, Cuban-style.

Their central photo above the (virtual) fold looked more like a Three Kings Day religious drama than an American-style holiday, but perhaps that's just quibbling.

The Miami Herald has a Spanish language edition which is reported to be doing very well. It also has an English language edition which is like an atrophying vestigial organ.

Locally, the situation is complicated. Many people in South Florida get much of their news from TV. Although many of them have so-called smart phones, a large percentage of the population seem to be borderline or completely illiterate.

I don't want to get nostalgic.

Have a Merry Christmas!

:: PandoDaily :: - - :: BrowardBeat ::

...

Browsing Around -

An informal chat
with writer Michael Chabon . . .

about some of his favorite pop culture this past year. He is currently engaged in creating a project for HBO Cable TV about a team of charlatans who are recruited by British intelligence to perpetrate deceptions against the Nazis.

# Toby Keats is the Paris reporter for a fictional American newspaper in the 1920s when he becomes involved in some kind of mysterious intrigue and a competitive chase for strange automatons. Peter Lewis reviews The Paris Deadline by Max Byrd.

# Maureen Corrigan shares her picks of the Best Mysteries of the past year with an emphasis on the female perspective.

# Tom Nolan shares almost a dozen of his favorite Mystery reads from the past year with a brief but effective description of each one.

# A Gothic Tale: The Beautiful Child by
Emma Tennant is reviewed by Frances Wilson.

# Alison Flood at The Guardian reviews
Harbour Nocturne by Joseph Wambaugh.

# Willie Nelson has a new book of memoirs.

# Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley,
Alan Light and more at Our Man in Boston.

...

Sneakerhead Uproar -

There's big money in celebrity athlete sneakers,
especially when a limited edition is issued . . .

In Miami Gardens many youngsters who are fans of Air Jordan were disappointed because burglars got to the available sneaker supply of Air Jordan XI "Breds" before the kids could take them home.

:: ABC Local 10 ::

:: BizJournal ::

...

Spoofing on Tragedy -

William Henderson is reporting that there are fraudsters posting fake messages on the Internet who are pretending to be the Sandy Hook school shooter.

I have lived through a number of these school shootings, shopping mall shootings, and similar events. The Mainstream American Media has settled into a formula for covering these events which I often find distasteful by now. In an effort to avoid glorifying the shooter and turning him into a celebrity they have tried to create a hagiography of the victims.

It would be interesting to learn more about the shooter and his mother, his activities on the Internet, and other circumstances surrounding this event, but people need to be patient and give the detectives some time to investigate.

:: The Telegraph ::

...

Witness #8 Speaks -

A Discovery Hearing was held yesterday morning in the Sanford Shooting Case which I watched on the InSession TV program. The most interesting part of their coverage for me was the material about Dee Dee.

First, they played the recording which was given to Defense; it was unintelligible and almost inaudible. Then they played an excerpt from an interview she did with the Prosecution. In the latter excerpt, the person identified as Dee Dee could be heard, but her voice did not seem like that of a 16-year-old; she sounded older.

We have no way of easily ascertaining if the Dee Dee character on the first recording is the same as the Dee Dee character on the second recording. Even so, I was quite intrigued.

What did Dee Dee have to say?

The 2nd Dee Dee claimed that Trayvon said "Get off!"

Sorry, but that didn't make any sense to me.

*************************
:: Refer to 8:59am and 9:03am on
their blog entry for this court session.

It emerged during the court proceedings that someone from ABC News was present during Mr Crump's interview with one of the possible Dee Dee characters. I assume the reporter was Matt Gutman who once bragged about getting this exclusive:

"ABC News was there exclusively as the 16-year-old girl told Crump about the last moments of the teenager's life."

I'm just guessing that either his recording of the occasion could get subpoenaed or he may have involved himself as a witness. Has this ever happened to a reporter before?

Yes, it has. The most famous case that comes to mind, off the top of my head, was the Son of Sam Case, which Jimmy Breslin got sucked into. Breslin received a note which became part of the news coverage.

Sometimes, reporters can get sucked into
these cases - whether they like it or not!

...

Miami: Chasing Bygone Lights -

The Miami Herald building has been denied landmark preservation status; it will be demolished. The property was sold by McClatchy to the Genting Group.

"The building became home to The Miami Herald when the newspaper outgrew its original building, and it became the birthplace of El Nuevo Herald, the second largest Spanish publication in the country, which again is significant because of how Miami's demographics have changed."

This coming spring the Herald's personnel are expected to move into a building located in Doral.

Meanwhile, LED lights across the face of a building in Miami portray a suggestively wriggling woman reminiscent of ads for seedy Times Square peep shows of a previous era.

The display looks terribly tawdry and seems to be inaugurating a Red Light District which Miami doesn't need.

I wish they'd change the display to a pouncing big cat silhouette or a Pac-Man type video game chase - anything but the tacky eyesore they've just introduced.

...

SoFlo Local Notes -

For the rest of us . . .

Some people have become fed up with the over-commercialization of the winter holidays, while others have become antagonized by the proliferation of cultural diversity gestures lately. For the sake of those who are disgruntled, disaffected or just plain grumpy, one gutsy rebel has installed a Festivus Pole in Deerfield Beach.

Victim Disempowerment: Residents of Trayvon Martin's neighborhood, Miami Gardens, are marching to protest senseless and excessive violence in their community, which, they claim, can be prevented through education.

The Wrong Write: Here's a daffy preoccupation to get your knickers in a twist: Is Nathan Fillion really Richard Castle, the character he portrays on TV?

...

Sanford Cache-Cache --

George Zimmerman Case --

The true identity of Witness #8, who has been nicknamed Dee Dee for this case, is being protected by the Court. I don't feel I need to know her true identity, but she has been such a nebulous presence so far that she doesn't seem real at all. 

Thus, I welcome the information about her which lawyer Jeralyn Merritt has been able to gather for us.

George Zimmerman has filed a lawsuit against mainstream media giant NBC Universal. His lawyers are Mark O'Mara and The Beasley Law Firm of Philadelphia.

:: [guardian] - - [poynter] - - [hwoodrptr]

...

Mammary Miami News -

In Miami's latest bid to recreate pre-Castro Havana sleaze here on the Florida peninsula, it seems like anything connected to prostitution is irresistibly attractive, whether it's boob enhancement surgical procedures or soft porno production.

Thus, with a gambling casino on its way to replace their newspaper building, all residents will be able to become the celebrities they want to be and a legend in their own minds.

According to recent reports, The Miami Herald newspaper will be going behind a subscription wall on December 18th.

Meanwhile, in a recent editorial they are promoting the establishment of a movie studio or entertainment production facility in their backyard. Some locals suspect that current management is planning to turn the newspaper into a Reality TV show or Telenovela.

And, according to reliable sources speaking strictly on background but not for attribution, Miami Herald reporter Frances Robles is following her imaginary cockatoo friend over to The New York Times. Now, perhaps, Miami-Dade will be spared a race riot from the George Zimmerman case.

...

During Austerity or Disorder -

Does anyone still remember
Inspector Fabian of Scotland Yard?

I must admit that he had faded almost completely from my memory until I came across this book review.

Murder at Wrotham Hill by Diana Souhami is a True Crime account of a real life murder reconstructed from the post-WWII years in England which presents a lot of the color and atmosphere of the era and includes the aforementioned Fabian of Scotland Yard.

If this book revives sufficient public interest in Fabian, a TV mini-series about him might make an intriguing successor to the British production of their Foyle's War series.

:: It is reviewed here by Blake Morrison.

And Paula Woods reviews Michael Connelly's new detective novel, The Black Box, which involves the 1992 killing of a young Danish photojournalist during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles.

...

The Dee Dee MacGuffin -

Trayvon Martin Shooting . . .

Has this witness been suborned?

Don West from the George Zimmerman Defense Team has done due diligence by initiating an investigation into the authentication of Witness #8 aka Dee Dee, who remains a murky presence in this case due to lack of establishing the Sacred Chain of Evidence, which raises numerous crazy prospective scenarios.

You may remember that Dee Dee was the MacGuffin which was used, in effect, to trigger this prosecution and still constitutes the State's star witness.

Some of the questions raised by various versions
of the audio recording include the following:

Is Dee Dee some form of CGI or a real human being? Is she really as represented: a 16-year-old tender teenager from Miami Gardens? Or could she be a 23-year-old hooker from Daytona?

Was she personally acquainted with Trayvon Martin? Or is Dee Dee a spoof in some way? How many versions of Dee Dee exist? How many Dee Dee Entities are out there?

Was the extended telephonic conversation verified at the phone companies or was it lowered from a basket in the sky after Martin's death?

Will Dee Dee appear in court as a shrouded hologram?

:: Orlando Sentinel ::

...

Writing Thru The Funky Blues -

A landmark newspaper strike
in the early Sixties presaged the
trouble the American Press is in today . . .

I had been a very active student journalist under the aegis of Columbia J School no less as background to the event when I found myself in the Port Authority Building in midtown Manhattan where thousands of newspapers were normally distributed. An eerie atmosphere pervaded the building devoid of its printed products which I have never forgotten.

:: The Long Good-Bye ::

-- By Scott Sherman --
......... via romenesko .....

*  *  *  *  *

:: Marking the close of NaNoWriMo 2012,
we congratulate those who have fought the
good fight and are currently wrapping it up.

...

The Last Orange -

Who Lost Miami?

Miami's Big Orange icon is being renamed La Gran Naranja this New Year’s Eve, leaving many North Americans in SoFlo feeling disgruntled. It's the end of an era.

# Another case of rental ambiguity.
This is only the tip of a much larger iceberg.

# There has been much chatter lately
about alleged voter suppression in South Florida.

PS: I have been unusually busy this past week.

...

News Notes From Florida -

Jeffrey Soffer, a principal in Turnberry Associates, survived a Thanksgiving helicopter crash in the Bahamas. His company is most well known in SoFlo for the Aventura Shopping Mall and the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel.

# A chronic problem in law enforcement: the potential theft of drugs being kept for use as evidence, which can create a revolving door of corruption. This case allegedly occurred recently in nearby Palm Beach County.

# Condo owner discovers her unit is
already occupied - not so unusual in SoFlo.

...

Cyber Antics -

A Taliban official
has inadvertently leaked . . .

his mailing list of more than 400 email
contacts, Neil McAllister reports at The Reg.

# Max Fisher reveals the e-mail trick
Petraeus and Broadwell used to communicate.

...

Who Said What -

Tell me, Show me, Listen . . .

Hillel Italie reports on the new 18th edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, the first in a decade. Bartlett's was originally published in 1855.

# Graphic attempts to diagram those believed
to be involved in the current Petraeus affair.

# Browse the FreeSound library.

...

Missteps & Misdirections -

Diabetes is the cause of most lower limb amputations in the U.S., but you would never know that if you were watching American TV in recent weeks.

In heavy rotation is a commercial featuring scary amputation portraits which are designed to persuade viewers that Smoking is the most common cause of such amputations.

Diabetes is rampant in this country, but it is also a billion-dollar profit-making business here with an entire industry pandering to it.

This "PSA" is part of a current propaganda campaign to pressure people to switch from tobacco products to proprietary replacement products belonging to the American Pharmaceutical Industry in order to increase their profits.

# Although the Homeless in Florida do not constitute a monolithic group of people, they are often abused in a dehumanizing manner, because they make easily accessible scapegoats. Florida has one of the highest Foreclosure rates in the country.

The reality is that thousands of homes stand empty and can be invaded by rats, lizards, and even coyotes, while some people seem to spend a lot of their time inventing new ways to abuse those who are less fortunate than they are.

For example: a homeless man has just been arrested in Florida for trying to recharge his mobile phone at a charging station located in a public park.

# Via Romenesko we learn that Jen Campbell, a blogger in London who works in an antiquarian bookstore, has a new book making its debut called Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores. Jerome Ludwig muses about that in Chicago.

...

Weekend Browsing -

Today is Remembrance Day . . .

The morning began badly; it got off on the wrong foot because the yammering bobble heads on American TV aggressively tried to ruin the occasion by inserting yesterday's news into their program. The resignation of a general was not an appropriate topic for them to rant about at the start of  this commemoration. I was very offended and walked out of the room.

"What images or types of information might communicate to intelligent voyagers from the great beyond something of the world our kind created (and lost)?" The Last Pictures by Trevor Paglen is reviewed by Kenneth Baker.

# A new book of essays by Julian Barnes called Through the Window is reviewed by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst.

# Punk Power: Hardcore Punk Scenes from 1980s Southern California is reviewed at the LAT.

# Fault Line by Robert Goddard is reviewed by Barry Turner.

# Sergio at his Tipping My Fedora blog explores The Yellow Dog by Georges Simenon, which was one of the first Maigret novels. And he includes some hyperlinks to other resources.

# Reminder: Miami Book Fair November 11-18th.

# Mr Rocky Books sought refuge from Hurricane Sandy at a Queens NY library where he is currently ensconced as a pampered guest.

...

Knocked Out of Top Spot -

Broward County FL has just experienced a major upset in its power structure with the ouster of Al Lamberti from the office of Sheriff.

The BSO is probably the largest such office in this country and can have a significant impact on the quality of life here.

Since I moved down to South Florida this time, I have become concerned about the organization's apparent drift into the direction of the kind of gendarmerie we would more likely associate with a foreign banana republic.

Longtime residents in the county have told me that this seemed to have started with the Cuban Nick Navarro. I don't know because I wasn't living down here during Navarro's tenure as sheriff.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

John Geraci pays tribute to Fort Lauderdale sleuth Travis McGee who lives on a houseboat called the Busted Flush.

...

Been Away For Yonks -

The elegant and witty bicker team of
Nick and Nora Charles, along with their clever
dog Asta, visited us in several Hollywood movies.

They were originally created by Mystery writer Dashiell Hammett. The movies were followed by an American TV series. The stories from The Thin Man movies are now being published as novellas.

...

Late Notes (2#) -

Bal Harbour's Police Department may have a small footprint, but apparently, it's had a very long reach nationwide.

It has been ordered by the DOJ to end its Federal Forfeiture Program after that enterprise allegedly seized millions of dollars worth of drug money.

# NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)
has just started. Are you up for it this year? Here
is the local connection to inspire you.

...

Visiting & Revisiting Crimes -

Revisiting The Perugia Slasher Case: On the Fifth Anniversary of Meredith Kercher's death commemorations are being held and tributes to her are being published. The case continues to make its way through the Italian legal system. It is the kind of story that never really ends - like a teen slasher movie which has been left unfinished.

# A new version of Georges Simenon's Maigret is being cooked up for a prospective TV series. The old series with subtitles has been a cultish hit on Mhz late night American TV recently.

# A new series about European Crime Writing has started on BBC Radio called Foreign Bodies which is available for downloading.

...

Media Notes -

Welcome News:

Judge Debra S Nelson declined to
impose a gag order on George Zimmerman's
Defense Team at this time.

::TechMIT:: -- ::NewsMax:: -- ::TalkLeft::

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Super-Storm Sandy knocked out some
popular websites based in Manhattan.

...

A Quick Browse -

Those of us who were fans of Charles Aznavour's oeuvre didn't have much comparable in English until Canadian poet and song writer Leonard Cohen came along in the late Sixties. You can read more about him in a new biography called I'm Your Man written by Sylvie Simmons, which is reviewed here by Fiona Sturges.

# Fans of Edward Gorey will find new publications of his work described here by Mark Dery.

# European detective fiction explored by Mark Lawson.

...

Puppet Fever -

At yesterday's afternoon hearing, Bernie de la Rionda, representing the State, denied that Bernard Crump has been speaking out publicly on the George Zimmerman Case as a surrogate for the Prosecution.

I believe that what the Cyberspace Commentariat has been chattering about may be more like a Sockpuppet than a Surrogate; viz: "A sockpuppet poses as an independent third-party unaffiliated with the puppeteer."

Be that as it may, DLRionda publicly disavowed that Crump was the Prosecution's Charlie McCarthy and he disclaimed any responsibility for Crump's utterances.

Although Surrogate, Sockpuppet, and Charlie McCarthy can be grouped together, they each have subtle distinctions which differentiate each from the others.

# DLRionda requested that Judge Nelson issue a gag order on the Defense team, voicing a concern that the Defense website would poison the potential jury pool.

Mark O'Mara for the Defense counter-argued, bringing in statistics to bolster his position. Mining the database of the website's visitor meter shows that only a relatively small number of visiting readers come from Central Florida, the region from which the jury pool would be drawn.

Defense contends that the Voir Dire might take somewhat longer than average to accomplish, but, according to that statistical abstract, it would not be a futile process. Thus, the remedy sought by the State would be far too extreme for the demonstrable statistics involved.

# Since a lawyer's discourse is held to a higher standard of decorum, how is a lapse in decorum usually handled? Here in Florida, the Bar Association usually handles this issue.

But they have been strangely silent in this case. As far as I could tell, it's been strictly cricket chirps from the Bar Association about any lapses in decorum on the part of Crump and his associates who have been running their mouths on every possible public forum.

The alternative approach proposed by DLRionda is abhorrent to me. I don't want any prosecutor censoring my reading material.

# DLRionda indicated that he feels comfortable with the legacy mainstream press. He believes that the reportage at The Tribune Company's Orlando Sentinel and The McClatchy Company's Miami Herald has been fair. I strongly disagree. This case has seen one of the worst outbreaks of yellow journalism in recent history.

In their latest slipshod performance, so typical for this case, the reporters failed to provide us with the list of interested parties who submitted Friend of the Court briefs on the gag order. While watching the Friday hearing being livestreamed, identification captions were absent, so that I do not even know who spoke in court about this topic.

I did not submit an amicus on this issue as a Blogger or even as a member of the reading public; I was hoping that the ACLU would send one in on behalf of the public. I don't know whether they did or not.

# One of the reasons that DLRionda feels comfortable with those media organizations is because they have a hierarchy of control. He indicated that he is not comfortable with the discourse in Cyberspace because it seems to him that it is out of control.

No one can control all the chatter on the Internet.
That is true, but these things are also true:

No one controls what I say or should not write on my Blog. Scary? No one controlled what Benjamin Franklin wrote either, yet our country survived.

Although there are some comment threads gone wild with free-wheeling remarks, other comment threads at other websites are better moderated.

I expect we all will somehow adjust to the Internet, too, and eventually take it in stride.

Judge Nelson will issue her ruling
about the gag order on Monday.

:: OSentinel :: - - - :: MHerald ::

...

Browsing Around -

The largest US bookseller underwent a data hack on keypads in 63 of its stores, including some in South Florida, such as the Fort Lauderdale branch on N Federal Highway.

Barnes & Noble notified the FBI which has been investigating.

:: WSJ :: - - :: BBC :: - - :: BizJ ::

# A reporter who is assigned to cover a blighted neighborhood exposes a network of corruption. The Streets by Anthony Quinn is reviewed by Holly Kyte.

# Akashic's latest: Kingston Noir edited by
 Colin Channer is reviewed by Paula L Woods.

# The local review of
Tom Wolfe's Miami Book by Connie Ogle.

# A Stephen King story has
been adapted as a free web comic.

Vienna, Real and Imagined . . .

# The memoirs of a Viennese milliner, Trudi Kanter, who survived the Nazi Holocaust. Some Girls, Some Hats & Hitler is reviewed here by Caroline Moorehead.

# Murder Mystery: Death and the Maiden by
Frank Tallis is reviewed by Anna Mundrow.

...

Zimmerman: Forward Movement -

Benjamin Crump convened a press conference to say that George Zimmerman's medical records should be subpoenaed. I don't usually comment on Mr Crump, but since he inserted himself here, I shall comment this time.

From the beginning, Mr Crump and the Trayvonistas have tried to supply a series of malicious reasons that would explain why Zimmerman shot the Trayvon Martin. Trouble is, each of those explanations they have supplied has fallen apart under closer scrutiny when examined in full sunlight.

First, Zimmerman shot the teenager because it was implied that Zimmerman was a White Supremacist. But it turned out that Zimmerman does not look even remotely White or European. Next, they tried to supply the reason that Zimmerman is an overly gung-ho gun nut, but this claim had no foundation in demonstrable fact either. This press conference seemed to be Crump's latest attempt to attribute a malicious reason to Zimmerman; viz: he is a hopped-up speed freak nutjob.

# In my last entry I stated that there is a persistent mystery in this case which we need to get to the bottom of. In this entry I am going to present that mystery in a different way.

A visitor returns to a townhouse campus in which numerous blocks of attached townhouse rows look pretty much alike. For a moment he may be a bit confused or disoriented in trying to determine which townhouse is his proper destination.

Now, try to put yourself in his shoes. You spot a resident of the estate. What would be your first impulse or inclination? You would probably ask him to help you find your host's correct residence because "they all look alike to me." Why would a visitor to an unfamiliar complex become involved in a physical altercation with a resident?

There is no apparent reason for Trayvon Martin's combative struggle with the resident of the Retreat at Twin Lakes. The teenager's behavior does not make any sense whatsoever.

In all these months I could come up with only one possible reason for Trayvon Martin's inexplicable combative behavior: the youth guessed that Zimmerman might have a gun and went after it as a trophy or prize. Maybe you can come up with a better reason, but that's the best I could do.

# The judge will authorize the defense subpoenas for Trayvon Martin's school records and more.

Last evening, The Miami Herald's reporter Frances Robles, with all the charm of a cottonmouth moccasin which we have come to expect from her, may have given their readers the impression that a muzzle will be imposed on defense counsel Mark O'Mara, leaving only Benjamin Crump and his sock puppets to comment publicly on this case. I don't expect such a gag order to be issued. You can read lawyer Jeralyn Merritt's comments on this matter here.

# Websleuths is a very active and comprehensive True Crime message board. Although I don't link to them on my sidebar, they are often a pit stop for people who want to follow diverse cases. Apparently, they have shut down their threads on this case until the trial starts, except for the collection of Media updates. This may be a wise move on their part so that they can avoid becoming a toxic waste dump for the noisy crazies who are attracted to situations like this one. Their comment threads are usually very well moderated.
...

A Definite Maybe Court Date -

A tentative trial date has been set
for George Zimmerman on June 10, 2013 . . .

Zimmerman, a mixed-race Latino with a distinctly Native American Indian appearance, has been charged with second-degree murder in the February shooting of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin from Miami Gardens when they had a fatal encounter within a gated community on a private estate in the vicinity of Sanford in Central Florida.

Trayvon Martin travelled there with his father who was visiting a resident of the community. After the adults departed for a social occasion, Trayvon was left behind to supervise a younger child but stepped out for refreshments purchased at a nearby convenience story.

The youth was far from home in an unfamiliar environment where blocks of townhouses often seem identical and he may have become momentarily disoriented in determining his correct destination.

A persistent mystery in this case is what happened when the two met. Some form of miscommunication may have led to a struggle between them with a tragic outcome for the teen. It is hoped that in the course of court proceedings some clarity about this will emerge.

Unfortunately, this case has been one of the most ineptly reported American news stories in recent memory.

:: Local 10 ::

...

Apocrypha Slam (4#) -

almost all things considered except
- OMG! - this one: Sudden Indian Syndrome . . .

Over the weekend, the Orlando Sentinel published an article which they used as a pretext to gratuitously spread more inflammatory material against George Zimmerman.

The article discusses the diverse racial and ethnic mixtures of some Hispanic people, but, strangely, the newspaper omitted Native American Indians from the menu. Sometimes known as indigenous people or First Peoples, American Indian is a frequent ingredient in Latinos' mixed heritage or ancestry.

Don West from the George Zimmerman Defense Team has filed legal papers on two topics:

Topic #1) West is requesting that the State make an accurate inventory of the material they have as prospective evidence and share it with Defense. This is supposed to be standard protocol; it should not be an agonizing ordeal. Seems reasonable to me. Details here.

Topic #2) West proposes that a retired judge be appointed to manage the Discovery issue, due to its complexity in this case. Details here.

What could come out of all this? Upon closer scrutiny some prospective evidence might not survive the process. The TalkLeft Blog has an entry and comments posted about this.

...

Weekend Browsing -

True Crime may be the redheaded stepchild in the Mystery stacks at some bookstores, but it can be quite illuminating when done well. Lost Girls by Caitlin Rother is about John Albert Gardner, who raped and murdered two teenage girls, and his mother's valiant efforts to help her son. Tony Perry gives the book an affirmative review at the LAT.

If fictional Mystery is your preference, Ruth Rendell's novel The St Zita Society is reviewed there as well.

# Margaret Cannon reviews Trust Your Eyes, a new mystery by Linwood Barclay, and a few other books at the G&M.

# What was the origin of Junot Diaz's recurring character Yunior? Jen Graves at the Slog shares the author's response.

# Clea Simon discusses Lena Dunham's $3.5 million book advance against royalties from the publisher Random House. Dunham is the creator of the HBO Cable TV hit Girls.

...

If Brought To Light -

The Mainstream Media, represented by Miami's Scott Ponce, wants access to whatever evidence is discovered by George Zimmerman's defense team with regard to the team's subpoenas for Trayvon Martin's school records.

 I have no idea what, if any, kind or pattern of behavior might emerge from the youngster's school records, but one thing we do already know without them: on the evening of his fatal encounter, Trayvon Martin abandoned his responsibility to babysit a younger child (Chad) and absconded from his host's condo. I don't recall the Mainstream Media ever reporting this aspect of the situation thus far.

At the same time, Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, has demanded the results of Civil Rights investigations into the case; he wants both FBI and FDLE reports finding whether or not Zimmerman violated Martin's civil rights while the pair were located within the Retreat at Twin Lakes private estate property.

:: Rene Stutzman: OSentinel ::

...

Space, Not Race (3#) -

Benjamin Crump, attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family, made a comment that Race is "the elephant in the room" in this case. George Zimmerman's legal team has responded.

I would argue that there is an elephant in the room, but it isn't Race. In sharp contrast to the Howard Beach situation, about which I have blogged here before, the Sanford encounter did not take place out on a public roadway; it took place on private property.

The Crump Team has obdurately refused to recognise this inescapable fact because they realise that their spurious arguments of Racism are based on a foundation of quicksand. George Zimmerman is a Mestizo Latino - a person of mixed heritage. He is definitely not a White Man.

And all the bloviating in the
world is not going to change that.

 :: Crump :: - - - :: Zimmerman Team ::

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

The dark underside of the Mighty Wurlitzer Mockingbird machine has created a sulfurous crater on the edge of Biscayne Bay, erupting sporadically in malicious poisons that are destructive to the social fabric of Miami. In the latest eruption, enemies of the state who are trying to sabotage and disrupt Due Process are operating like a runaway train carrying increasingly fanciful versions of this case which depart from the facts.

"about a 2010 case of a homeless
black man beaten by a Sanford cop’s son"

The homeless black man's name was Sherman Ware. The malicious writer does not want you to know that because she doesn't want you to be able to research that situation yourself and make up your own mind.

This is, sadly, what The Miami Herald has come to: an institution whose main purpose is to hide the truth and replace it with dodgy propaganda.

...

The Shimmer on Biscayne Bay -

Much of the reportage of the Trayvon Martin & George Zimmerman Situation so far has consisted of hate-mongering only thinly disguised as Journalism. In the Middle East, this type of effort is known as "boiling the street."

Nowhere, perhaps, is this dynamic as aggravated as it is at The Miami Herald newspaper, where a peculiar psychodrama is being acted out.

The newspaper these days is mostly being managed by White Hispanics. They are Cuban Spaniards whose ancestors emigrated from Spain in Europe to Cuba and eventually ended up in Miami. They have been using the description of White Hispanic as a mysterious pejorative to describe George Zimmerman, who is not a White Hispanic at all.

I really wish they'd leave their private psychodrama at home and not contaminate the coverage of this case with their own personal problems. Editors there should simply blue-pencil this persistent nonsense out of the reports.

# Piers Morgan interviewed both George Zimmerman's mother and brother on his TV show. Morgan was a good choice to succeed Larry King because Morgan uses an affable approach in chatting with guests.

# Local Blogger Alesh Houdek
comments on a related issue in this case.

# Jeralyn Merritt has posted a new
blog entry about the case at TalkLeft.

# The Miami Book: James Wood, a respected Literary Critic, has written a review of Tom Wolfe's Back to Blood which is already posted at The New Yorker website.

...

Weekend Browsing -

As Broward County reverts
further back into Third World narcolepsy . . .

there is no longer any Book News, which has been replaced with LeBron Sneaker News, even though the vendor is actually located across the county line in Aventura. Thus, we venture further afield in search of some literary delights.

# Robin Sloan's charming new fantasy novel fuses a magical version of the SanFran Bay area with contemporary technological accoutrements to delve into hermetic secrets when the protagonist takes a job in a strange bookstore.

Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
:: is reviewed here by Tess Taylor.

# Paul Constant reviews Sherman Alexie's
new book of short stories called Blasphemy.

# Cotswold Cosy: James Kidd
chats with Mystery author MC Beaton.

# Christa at Minn Reads reviews
Triburbia by Karl Taro Greenfeld.

# FreeWord Centre Lit News

...

SoFlo Reality Video Attack -

Peter Rosello, the 20-year-old son of local Reality TV star Alexia Echevarria, has been accused of an unprovoked attack on a homeless man.

Police learned of the alleged attack from TMZ. Battery on a homeless person is a third-degree felony. The 62-year-old homeless man told police he wants to press charges.

Alexia Echevarria is featured in Cable TV Bravo's Real Housewives of Miami series, now in its second season. Police are in negotiations with her son's attorney, even though they claim they have probable cause to arrest the 20-year-old.

:: Local 10 :: - - - :: NBC Miami ::

:: Miami Herald :: - - - :: Miami Herald ::

...

Sailing Capers (3#) -

Thomas A Siracuse, 55, was sentenced yesterday to more than 10 years in federal prison for his part in a conspiracy which imported millions of dollars worth of marijuana mostly from Jamaica into the U.S. inside his specially outfitted 52-foot sailboat apparently based in a Fort Lauderdale marina.

Also reportedly involved in the caper was Nicolau Duailibi, 59, a boat captain from Broward County, and 49-year-old Robert Fleishman.

We're gonna missya, Special Agent
John V Gillies - mon petit doigt me l'a dit.

# ART BOLO: A reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for information leading to the recovery of a Renoir oil painting which was stolen during an armed robbery last year from a Houston home. It's known as Madeleine Leaning on Her Elbow with Flowers in Her Hair. The 1918 painting was taken with its frame intact.

# Local SoFlo Blogger Ferfe LaBat, who has been mysteriously AWOL from the Blogosphere for a while, has resurfaced with an E-Book called Revenge Gifts, as noted on her blog.

Congratulations to Cindy!

A rising tide lifts all boats.

...

Confusing Trayvon Narratives -

Hal Boedeker and Martin E Comas offer a sweeping survey of how Media coverage of the Trayvon Martin Shooting has impacted on the public's perceptions or misperceptions of the case.

"But it falls to the public to recognize the difference between commentary and fact-based journalism."

As you may have realized by now, I have tried to provide my readers with an alternate perspective, especially because of the herd or pack journalism phenomenon which has increased so much lately.

Verklempt? Discuss amongst yourselves!

...

Weekend Browsing -

Singer-songwriter Neil Young . . .
pens his memoir Waging Heavy Peace in an informal, rambling way which many of his fans may find irresistible, according to this review by Wesley Stace at the WSJ.

# Joyce Johnson's new book
The Voice Is All is about Jack Kerouac.

# A stolen Renoir painting
 is found at a flea market from NPR.

# An old-fashioned love story
set in 1940s New York City:
In Sunlight and Shadow by Mark Helprin
is reviewed by Ellen Emry Heltzel.

# A long-lost essay
by Agatha Christie surfaces.

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