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 ::
...
Saturday, October 27
Wednesday, October 24
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.
...
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.
...
Friday, October 19
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.
...
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.
...
Thursday, October 18
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 ::
...
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 ::
...
Tuesday, October 16
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.
...
- 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.
...
Sunday, October 14
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 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.
...
Thursday, October 11
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 ::
...
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 ::
...
Wednesday, October 10
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.
...
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.
...
Tuesday, October 9
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.
...
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.
...
Monday, October 8
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
...
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
...
Friday, October 5
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 ::
...
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 ::
...
Wednesday, October 3
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.
...
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.
...
Sunday, September 30
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!
...
"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.
...
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.
...
Saturday, September 29
Different Wavelengths (3#) -
Scooped or Swooped?
Associated Press broke the embargo on the new Rowling book by producing a review on Wednesday ahead of the publisher's official debut date. Poynter has posted a discussion about the practice of these embargoes.
In an update, Poynter informs us that AP never agreed to the publisher's embargo in the first place and, therefore, didn't violate it. There are some interesting comments there in reaction to this story and plenty of links as well.
# The Iranian FARS news agency ran an Onion
satire opinion poll as if it were a real American
vox pop, Jim Romenesko reports.
# A High Frequency sound device is being used in some locations to disburse crowds of loitering teenagers.
...
Associated Press broke the embargo on the new Rowling book by producing a review on Wednesday ahead of the publisher's official debut date. Poynter has posted a discussion about the practice of these embargoes.
In an update, Poynter informs us that AP never agreed to the publisher's embargo in the first place and, therefore, didn't violate it. There are some interesting comments there in reaction to this story and plenty of links as well.
# The Iranian FARS news agency ran an Onion
satire opinion poll as if it were a real American
vox pop, Jim Romenesko reports.
# A High Frequency sound device is being used in some locations to disburse crowds of loitering teenagers.
...
Thursday, September 27
Quick Browse & Brief Note -
Is there life after Harry Potter?
Theo Tait reviews The Casual Vacancy
by JK Rowling at The Guardian.
# Raffaele Sollecito publishes a memoir
about his adventures with Amanda Knox.
Honor Bound written with Andrew Gumbel.
# Why is the Arab world so easily
offended? By Fouad Ajami at WaPo.
:::: I was in transit last weekend and caught a terrible cold - the first in many years without one. Then, this past week, things around me became rather turbulent. I'm hoping the situation will settle down next week.
Meanwhile, hang in there!
...
Theo Tait reviews The Casual Vacancy
by JK Rowling at The Guardian.
# Raffaele Sollecito publishes a memoir
about his adventures with Amanda Knox.
Honor Bound written with Andrew Gumbel.
# Why is the Arab world so easily
offended? By Fouad Ajami at WaPo.
:::: I was in transit last weekend and caught a terrible cold - the first in many years without one. Then, this past week, things around me became rather turbulent. I'm hoping the situation will settle down next week.
Meanwhile, hang in there!
...
Tuesday, September 18
Journos In The Flow -
Edward Wasserman writes occasional "think" pieces for The Miami Herald which usually have some connection to Journalism. In his latest piece, though, he conflates two different types of writing: factual reportage vs point of view (op-ed) news columnists. I am utterly baffled as to why he did that.
# An intriguing glimpse inside the Al Jazeera English (AJE) newsroom in Doha which focuses on the process of techno-interactive journalism by Nikki Usher and Seth C Lewis at the Nieman J Lab.
# Muslim Rage at Romenesko:
Shawarma with no garlic sauce and more.
...
# An intriguing glimpse inside the Al Jazeera English (AJE) newsroom in Doha which focuses on the process of techno-interactive journalism by Nikki Usher and Seth C Lewis at the Nieman J Lab.
# Muslim Rage at Romenesko:
Shawarma with no garlic sauce and more.
...
Friday, September 14
Most Hated: Part 4 -
How good was Dr Phil's
presentation of this story?
I'd say it was only so-so. Dr Phil is a psychologist who became a Television Agony Aunt. His staff prepares and gives him his poker hand for the show, which he plays out as best as he can.
I was disappointed that in his role as a psychologist, he missed a legitimate issue which should be explored in this case: it's not whether Zimmerman should have exited his vehicle that is the crucial question; it is, rather, whether the father of the young victim should have walked away from his son, leaving the teenager to his own devices.
The father in this case seems like a bit of a rolling stone. There is nothing wrong with having more than one maternal figures in a child's life. In my own personal life, I had three aunts who supplemented my mother's efforts at raising me, and I do not feel that was to my detriment. But it was the father who had custody of the teenager that night. And a juvenile is not considered responsible for making adult decisions.
Where was Tracy Martin when his son really needed him? Does Tracy Martin have any regrets about his decision to leave the children alone that night. If he could do it all over again, would Tracy Martin make the same choice? Unfortunately, we do not often have the opportunity for do-overs in Life. Has Tracy Martin learned anything from this tragedy? And, if so, what has he learned?
This afternoon, I understand, Dr Phil will present another show on the case. I'll try to catch it if I can, though I am not a fan of this practice. After a while, my patience tends to wear thin. And I don't like to get obsessed with any one case. Dr Phil's Staff maintains a discussion forum, also, for those who wish to express their reactions.
I don't expect to win any popularity contests by writing this. I am quite confident that Dr Phil already knows he has viewers who watch with a critical eye. If we can agree on anything, let's agree to support giving Due Process a chance.
Blog when you can!
...
presentation of this story?
I'd say it was only so-so. Dr Phil is a psychologist who became a Television Agony Aunt. His staff prepares and gives him his poker hand for the show, which he plays out as best as he can.
I was disappointed that in his role as a psychologist, he missed a legitimate issue which should be explored in this case: it's not whether Zimmerman should have exited his vehicle that is the crucial question; it is, rather, whether the father of the young victim should have walked away from his son, leaving the teenager to his own devices.
The father in this case seems like a bit of a rolling stone. There is nothing wrong with having more than one maternal figures in a child's life. In my own personal life, I had three aunts who supplemented my mother's efforts at raising me, and I do not feel that was to my detriment. But it was the father who had custody of the teenager that night. And a juvenile is not considered responsible for making adult decisions.
Where was Tracy Martin when his son really needed him? Does Tracy Martin have any regrets about his decision to leave the children alone that night. If he could do it all over again, would Tracy Martin make the same choice? Unfortunately, we do not often have the opportunity for do-overs in Life. Has Tracy Martin learned anything from this tragedy? And, if so, what has he learned?
This afternoon, I understand, Dr Phil will present another show on the case. I'll try to catch it if I can, though I am not a fan of this practice. After a while, my patience tends to wear thin. And I don't like to get obsessed with any one case. Dr Phil's Staff maintains a discussion forum, also, for those who wish to express their reactions.
I don't expect to win any popularity contests by writing this. I am quite confident that Dr Phil already knows he has viewers who watch with a critical eye. If we can agree on anything, let's agree to support giving Due Process a chance.
Blog when you can!
...
Most Hated: Part 3 -
What did I think about Mr and Mrs Osterman?
I respect their Freedom of Speech. TV Talk Shows depend to a large extent on guests plugging their new movies or books. But, regardless of anything they may have said, I did not appreciate being shown photos of Trayvon Martin at eleven years old or photos of him which appeared to be flagrantly manipulated.
This started out as what appeared at first to be a simple shooting, but the victim's father quickly got lawyered up, and the lawyer jumped into his advocacy role in a rush while making some very wrong guesstimates about what had happened. For example, it may have seemed like a White on Black Crime initially, but later turned out that the shooter is not a Caucasian; he is a mestizo or mixed-race Latino. The lawyer guesstimated that the underlying root cause of the shooting was Racism. Wrong again.
Then, the "aboutness" of this story started slipsliding away. Instead of Racism, it slowly emerged that the teenager was lacking adult supervision and was left to make his own juvenile choices.
If only teenager Trayvon Martin had never left that condo, he would certainly still be alive today. If only his father had sternly instructed him not to leave little Chad alone and not to go outside. But his father was busy somewhere else and was not there to instruct Trayvon. Perhaps, that decision to leave Trayvon behind will haunt his father for the rest of his life. Or perhaps not.
Continued . . .
...
I respect their Freedom of Speech. TV Talk Shows depend to a large extent on guests plugging their new movies or books. But, regardless of anything they may have said, I did not appreciate being shown photos of Trayvon Martin at eleven years old or photos of him which appeared to be flagrantly manipulated.
This started out as what appeared at first to be a simple shooting, but the victim's father quickly got lawyered up, and the lawyer jumped into his advocacy role in a rush while making some very wrong guesstimates about what had happened. For example, it may have seemed like a White on Black Crime initially, but later turned out that the shooter is not a Caucasian; he is a mestizo or mixed-race Latino. The lawyer guesstimated that the underlying root cause of the shooting was Racism. Wrong again.
Then, the "aboutness" of this story started slipsliding away. Instead of Racism, it slowly emerged that the teenager was lacking adult supervision and was left to make his own juvenile choices.
If only teenager Trayvon Martin had never left that condo, he would certainly still be alive today. If only his father had sternly instructed him not to leave little Chad alone and not to go outside. But his father was busy somewhere else and was not there to instruct Trayvon. Perhaps, that decision to leave Trayvon behind will haunt his father for the rest of his life. Or perhaps not.
Continued . . .
...
Most Hated: Part 2 -
Instead of exploring this issue . . .
Dr Phil attempted to Define Deviancy Downwards. Isn't the normative standard among the Black population to dump their kids somewhere and walk away from them? No, it isn't. Most of my longtime African-American friends came out of strong Baptist home environments. They represent a very large chunk of the Black population. They maintain more normative standards of parenting and child rearing.
By the traditional normative standards of a very large percentage of the African-American population and by virtue of some common sense, Trayvon was on that evening a "wayward youth in need of adult supervision." While the situation may not rise to a legalistic level, most adults should be able to recognize what has happened to the discussion of this case.
What is the predominant concern of the mainstream African-American family? Among my Black friends over the course of many years, one topic that often arises among African-American women is the thought:
Am I being too overly protective of my son
in light of the potential perils that may await him?
Youngsters need to learn to make choices and decisions; they learn from their mistakes, but the cost of my son making a poor choice may be too dear.
If I am too overly protective of him, he won't be able to learn from his experiences in making choices.
Over a long period of time, I have sat in on countless discussions about this topic, sometimes lasting until the wee hours. It is an often painful topic.
The Trayvon Martin situation deviates from the above mainstream template in one notable way:
It was the father, Tracy Martin, who was the custodial parent that night, not a maternal figure.
I honestly cannot imagine any Black mother I've known simply dumping their son in a strange place and then just walking away from him, leaving the kid to his own devices. To begin with, there is a long list of social signals such mothers are concerned about, trying to avoid taboo signals in order to avoid anticipated trouble or misinterpretation and emphasizing more positive social signals. Yet, even under the best of circumstances, a mobile phone device could be misapprehended as a weapon.
Happily, on that ill-fated evening, little Chad who was left behind all alone, did not stick his finger into an electric socket or drown the hamsters in the toilet bowl.
Unfortunately, the outcome for the teenager Trayvon was not so felicitous.
Continued . . .
...
Dr Phil attempted to Define Deviancy Downwards. Isn't the normative standard among the Black population to dump their kids somewhere and walk away from them? No, it isn't. Most of my longtime African-American friends came out of strong Baptist home environments. They represent a very large chunk of the Black population. They maintain more normative standards of parenting and child rearing.
By the traditional normative standards of a very large percentage of the African-American population and by virtue of some common sense, Trayvon was on that evening a "wayward youth in need of adult supervision." While the situation may not rise to a legalistic level, most adults should be able to recognize what has happened to the discussion of this case.
What is the predominant concern of the mainstream African-American family? Among my Black friends over the course of many years, one topic that often arises among African-American women is the thought:
Am I being too overly protective of my son
in light of the potential perils that may await him?
Youngsters need to learn to make choices and decisions; they learn from their mistakes, but the cost of my son making a poor choice may be too dear.
If I am too overly protective of him, he won't be able to learn from his experiences in making choices.
Over a long period of time, I have sat in on countless discussions about this topic, sometimes lasting until the wee hours. It is an often painful topic.
The Trayvon Martin situation deviates from the above mainstream template in one notable way:
It was the father, Tracy Martin, who was the custodial parent that night, not a maternal figure.
I honestly cannot imagine any Black mother I've known simply dumping their son in a strange place and then just walking away from him, leaving the kid to his own devices. To begin with, there is a long list of social signals such mothers are concerned about, trying to avoid taboo signals in order to avoid anticipated trouble or misinterpretation and emphasizing more positive social signals. Yet, even under the best of circumstances, a mobile phone device could be misapprehended as a weapon.
Happily, on that ill-fated evening, little Chad who was left behind all alone, did not stick his finger into an electric socket or drown the hamsters in the toilet bowl.
Unfortunately, the outcome for the teenager Trayvon was not so felicitous.
Continued . . .
...
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