Answered Prayers &
Unintended Consequences . . .
Many residents of Miami Beach have been praying for the end of Urban Beach Weekend, a controversial annual festivity which has created some Quality of Life problems for them.
It looks like they may now get relief from an unexpected quarter: the head of an African-American lawyers organization has called for African-Americans to boycott tourism in Florida until the state repeals its Stand Your Ground law.
John Page, the current head of the National Bar Association, made a public appearance with Trayvon Martin's mother to outline their new strategy.
...
Tuesday, July 30
Friday, July 26
Fake Security -
Hundreds of people in Florida are alleged to have gotten phony credentials as armed security guards who could be hired for jobs in airports, courthouses, ports, jails, and other public places, according to WFTV.
# Young activists calling themselves the Dream Defenders are occupying the Florida Capital. They want lawmakers there to create a special Trayvon Martin Civil Rights Act which would repeal the state's Stand Your Ground law.
...
# Young activists calling themselves the Dream Defenders are occupying the Florida Capital. They want lawmakers there to create a special Trayvon Martin Civil Rights Act which would repeal the state's Stand Your Ground law.
...
The Trayvon Gateway III -
Yet, when the State prosecuted its case against George Zimmerman, it falsified the scene of the shooting by means of a trompe l'oeil trick witness who inserted spurious hearsay material into the proceedings, vilifying the Crime Watcher as a creepy stalker and a child rapist. This was the pernicious choreography of the malicious hoax:
1) Omit the conspicuous warning signs which identified Zimmerman and explained what he was doing on the telephone.
2) Introduce an illusory "witness" to suggest that Zimmerman was a criminal instead of a Crime Watcher.
3) And then, prosecute Zimmerman on this very basis, which was a deliberate hoax.
Even a week after the verdict, the cable TV networks are still using this case for decadent entertainment with CNN, the operator of both CNN and HLN, leading a rabid lynch mob of hyperbole and perverted disinformation. They should be prosecuted like the radio station in Rwanda.
This case, in my opinion, has considerably worsened race relations in America. And the more the race agitators keep trying to stir the pot, the more the white crackers here say they're stocking up on ammunition. This does not bode well.
...
1) Omit the conspicuous warning signs which identified Zimmerman and explained what he was doing on the telephone.
2) Introduce an illusory "witness" to suggest that Zimmerman was a criminal instead of a Crime Watcher.
3) And then, prosecute Zimmerman on this very basis, which was a deliberate hoax.
Even a week after the verdict, the cable TV networks are still using this case for decadent entertainment with CNN, the operator of both CNN and HLN, leading a rabid lynch mob of hyperbole and perverted disinformation. They should be prosecuted like the radio station in Rwanda.
This case, in my opinion, has considerably worsened race relations in America. And the more the race agitators keep trying to stir the pot, the more the white crackers here say they're stocking up on ammunition. This does not bode well.
...
The Trayvon Gateway II -
During the trial and before the verdict came in, I found myself, by chance, in a TV lounge frequented by some young women. As I entered, two young mothers left to check on their toddlers. While I was sitting there, enjoying a soft drink, a young African-American woman entered, quickly grabbed the TV remote control, and began surfing through the channel onscreen guide of program listings.
"Who is this George Zimmerman?" she asked rhetorically to no one in particular. And then she continued.
"I mean what is his problem? Everybody knows this trial is just a waste of time because we're going to kill him when it's over, no matter what the verdict is."
This was the state of mind in Fort Lauderdale FL at the time. One cannot fault the newly elected Sheriff of Broward County for trying to stay ahead of the curve by issuing videos in an attempt to keep the public calm. Although the situation here remained calm on the surface, troubled waters were roiling just underneath the relatively smooth surface.
The scene of the Trayvon Martin Shooting was a private estate called the Retreat at Twin Lakes which included on its campus many townhouses.
Prominently posted at the entrance to the estate was conspicuous signage warning: you are entering private property; you are being watched by neighborhood crime watch; and your behavior is being reported to the police. For the benefit of those who cannot read English, a large graphic of a watchful eye was displayed.
Would you have any reason to disbelieve these warnings?
Continued . . .
...
"Who is this George Zimmerman?" she asked rhetorically to no one in particular. And then she continued.
"I mean what is his problem? Everybody knows this trial is just a waste of time because we're going to kill him when it's over, no matter what the verdict is."
This was the state of mind in Fort Lauderdale FL at the time. One cannot fault the newly elected Sheriff of Broward County for trying to stay ahead of the curve by issuing videos in an attempt to keep the public calm. Although the situation here remained calm on the surface, troubled waters were roiling just underneath the relatively smooth surface.
The scene of the Trayvon Martin Shooting was a private estate called the Retreat at Twin Lakes which included on its campus many townhouses.
Prominently posted at the entrance to the estate was conspicuous signage warning: you are entering private property; you are being watched by neighborhood crime watch; and your behavior is being reported to the police. For the benefit of those who cannot read English, a large graphic of a watchful eye was displayed.
Would you have any reason to disbelieve these warnings?
Continued . . .
...
The Trayvon Gateway -
Now that George Zimmerman, America's foremost political prisoner, has been acquitted of the criminal charges against him, there are several points I want to address.
First, congratulations to the Zimmerman Defense Team for a successful defense.
Let's start out softly. It has emerged from this trial that many people, especially young people, do not understand profiling and why it cannot be made illegal.
Here is an informal example which illustrates profiling. A Crime Watcher in an enclosed private estate of townhouses has observed that around the same time of day every day at about 7pm the pedestrians he encounters in the southeast quadrant of the campus are dog walkers. This, then, is the profile of pedestrians in the early evening in that area of the campus.
The profile is the extrapolation of a pattern. The act of extrapolating a pattern cannot be made illegal. A pattern is simply fact-based and doesn't necessarily mean anything criminal is involved.
Will youngsters understand this? Many youngsters have been misled by unscrupulous leaders during the course of this case and, consequently, do not want to understand it.
Continued . . .
...
First, congratulations to the Zimmerman Defense Team for a successful defense.
Let's start out softly. It has emerged from this trial that many people, especially young people, do not understand profiling and why it cannot be made illegal.
Here is an informal example which illustrates profiling. A Crime Watcher in an enclosed private estate of townhouses has observed that around the same time of day every day at about 7pm the pedestrians he encounters in the southeast quadrant of the campus are dog walkers. This, then, is the profile of pedestrians in the early evening in that area of the campus.
The profile is the extrapolation of a pattern. The act of extrapolating a pattern cannot be made illegal. A pattern is simply fact-based and doesn't necessarily mean anything criminal is involved.
Will youngsters understand this? Many youngsters have been misled by unscrupulous leaders during the course of this case and, consequently, do not want to understand it.
Continued . . .
...
Monday, June 24
Doin' A Little
Disney on Zimmerman -
Cops here in SoFlo have a colloquial expression for Special Effects used on a crime scene: they call it "doing a little Walt Disney." This activity can range from simple cosmetic enhancement to flat-out fakery.
It has only recently emerged in reportage from The Washington Post that the State has a dirty little secret in the prosecution of George Zimmerman as depicted earlier today in the opening statement of John Guy. Zimmerman has been set up as a patsy and fall guy to cover up a scheme being used by the authorities to insert criminals into the gated communities in Central Florida.
Let's say you've invested over $250,000 for a townhouse unit in the Retreat at Twin Lakes. How much do you think that condo would be worth on the open market if it were publicized that criminals are being moved into that estate? It would be much cheaper and more convenient to blame George Zimmerman as a loose cannon for the trouble going on there.
It's all laid out in black and white by their own admission from none other than Sanford city commissioner Patty Mahany. Close readers need only reread the caption material accompanying Photo #9 of the photo essay I linked to in the previous entry and consider the implications.
Thus, in the end, this case is not
really about Race or even about Guns.
It's about Florida Real Estate.
...
It has only recently emerged in reportage from The Washington Post that the State has a dirty little secret in the prosecution of George Zimmerman as depicted earlier today in the opening statement of John Guy. Zimmerman has been set up as a patsy and fall guy to cover up a scheme being used by the authorities to insert criminals into the gated communities in Central Florida.
Let's say you've invested over $250,000 for a townhouse unit in the Retreat at Twin Lakes. How much do you think that condo would be worth on the open market if it were publicized that criminals are being moved into that estate? It would be much cheaper and more convenient to blame George Zimmerman as a loose cannon for the trouble going on there.
It's all laid out in black and white by their own admission from none other than Sanford city commissioner Patty Mahany. Close readers need only reread the caption material accompanying Photo #9 of the photo essay I linked to in the previous entry and consider the implications.
Thus, in the end, this case is not
really about Race or even about Guns.
It's about Florida Real Estate.
...
Sunday, June 23
Trayvon: Elastic Bracketing -
Marking the Monday morning kickoff . . .
of the George Zimmerman Trial, the WaPo is presenting this photo feature backgrounder essay consisting of 20 images accompanied by captions.
While it is a lovely project, it illustrates how obsessed the Mainstream Media is with steering this case often contrary to its facts. This photo essay may provide interesting geographic context to the trial, but the fatal encounter took place on Private Property, which most of the MSM still refuse to acknowledge.
Only Photo #9 seems somehow related to the fatal encounter, but its caption falls just short of explaining specifically how. Thus, each of my readers may take away something different from this caption.
I applaud the WaPo for putting their boots on the ground to produce this project; it is not a waste of space or time.
What we have here now is a push-pull effect, because in the May 28th hearing for pretrial motions, the judge attempted to narrow the scope of the territory to be covered in the trial and limit it to only the immediate circumstances of the fatal encounter.
Your field of vision is being expanded tonight with this photo essay, then it will be narrowed by Judge Nelson tomorrow morning.
* * * * *
"about 24 seats will be reserved
for randomly selected members
of the public who entered the lottery"
The Mainstream Media still wants to pretend there is a scarcity of trial availability limited to the physical space of the courtroom.
Actually, if you have a computer and an Internet connection you can probably find the proceedings being live-streamed somewhere online.
Most adults have to go to work or to school while the trial is taking place. Or they have other responsibilities to attend to.
But if you're retired or on vacation, it's all yours.
...
of the George Zimmerman Trial, the WaPo is presenting this photo feature backgrounder essay consisting of 20 images accompanied by captions.
While it is a lovely project, it illustrates how obsessed the Mainstream Media is with steering this case often contrary to its facts. This photo essay may provide interesting geographic context to the trial, but the fatal encounter took place on Private Property, which most of the MSM still refuse to acknowledge.
Only Photo #9 seems somehow related to the fatal encounter, but its caption falls just short of explaining specifically how. Thus, each of my readers may take away something different from this caption.
I applaud the WaPo for putting their boots on the ground to produce this project; it is not a waste of space or time.
What we have here now is a push-pull effect, because in the May 28th hearing for pretrial motions, the judge attempted to narrow the scope of the territory to be covered in the trial and limit it to only the immediate circumstances of the fatal encounter.
Your field of vision is being expanded tonight with this photo essay, then it will be narrowed by Judge Nelson tomorrow morning.
* * * * *
"about 24 seats will be reserved
for randomly selected members
of the public who entered the lottery"
The Mainstream Media still wants to pretend there is a scarcity of trial availability limited to the physical space of the courtroom.
Actually, if you have a computer and an Internet connection you can probably find the proceedings being live-streamed somewhere online.
Most adults have to go to work or to school while the trial is taking place. Or they have other responsibilities to attend to.
But if you're retired or on vacation, it's all yours.
...
Saturday, June 22
Old Heads on Young Shoulders -
I don't usually blog about
what's going on in my personal life . . .
because sometimes when people discover you're a writer, they confide weird things to you with the expectation that it is comparable to confiding in a priest, and I don't want to betray people's trust in me by being indiscreet about them, even if inadvertently.
But I do feel that I owe loyal readers some explanation for my lengthy absence from the Blogosphere recently.
Last fall I was called to do a project which I had never even considered before: be a house mother in a group home for young women. House mother??? I was never the stereotypical Leave It To Beaver maternal figure which I would associate with that role.
But one social worker believed I could do it and left me to consider how I would go about performing such a function. After mulling over the prospect, I decided I would adopt a kind of mentoring approach.
Thus, for about the last eight months, I have been supervising and mentoring a group of about a dozen young multicultural women with diverse issues. Some were in recovery from rehab, others had other problems.
Their average stay was supposed to be about three to six months. And the project afforded an unusual opportunity to make a positive difference in some people's lives, which tempted me.
Unfortunately, the woman who headed the social services organization which was operating the project had to shut it down because of a health crisis she experienced. Consequently, the young women were transferred to another organization.
In reflecting on the past several months, I was reminded of Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie:
"Little girls! I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the creme de la creme."
Although that now-defunct Fort Lauderdale group home was probably nothing like the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, I hope I contributed something positive to my gals' progress and evolution.
And now you know the
explanation for my recent absence.
...
what's going on in my personal life . . .
because sometimes when people discover you're a writer, they confide weird things to you with the expectation that it is comparable to confiding in a priest, and I don't want to betray people's trust in me by being indiscreet about them, even if inadvertently.
But I do feel that I owe loyal readers some explanation for my lengthy absence from the Blogosphere recently.
Last fall I was called to do a project which I had never even considered before: be a house mother in a group home for young women. House mother??? I was never the stereotypical Leave It To Beaver maternal figure which I would associate with that role.
But one social worker believed I could do it and left me to consider how I would go about performing such a function. After mulling over the prospect, I decided I would adopt a kind of mentoring approach.
Thus, for about the last eight months, I have been supervising and mentoring a group of about a dozen young multicultural women with diverse issues. Some were in recovery from rehab, others had other problems.
Their average stay was supposed to be about three to six months. And the project afforded an unusual opportunity to make a positive difference in some people's lives, which tempted me.
Unfortunately, the woman who headed the social services organization which was operating the project had to shut it down because of a health crisis she experienced. Consequently, the young women were transferred to another organization.
In reflecting on the past several months, I was reminded of Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie:
"Little girls! I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the creme de la creme."
Although that now-defunct Fort Lauderdale group home was probably nothing like the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, I hope I contributed something positive to my gals' progress and evolution.
And now you know the
explanation for my recent absence.
...
Wednesday, June 19
Don't Swat At My Dongle -
I'm on a dongle this week because I'm in transit. But I happen to be at Sbucks at the moment and wanted to check in. Normally, I don't blog much about my personal life; however, I may bend that policy to explain my blogging absence a bit further on.
Meanwhile, there's news
about The Perugia Slasher Case . . .
A dramatic 180 degree turn-about development for Amanda Knox. Judges for the court of cassation in Italy, who nullified her acquittal in March, have issued their treatise detailing their reasoning for that decision.
* * * * *
So much grim news; time for a hilarity break . . .
Ron Burgundy is back with a sequel. The legend continues, and, in a way, is the flip side to Life on Mars, which also had a sequel. Must be the right moment for it, since David Bowie is back with his sequel, Where Are We Now?
+ Will try to stay in touch more soon.
...
Meanwhile, there's news
about The Perugia Slasher Case . . .
A dramatic 180 degree turn-about development for Amanda Knox. Judges for the court of cassation in Italy, who nullified her acquittal in March, have issued their treatise detailing their reasoning for that decision.
* * * * *
So much grim news; time for a hilarity break . . .
Ron Burgundy is back with a sequel. The legend continues, and, in a way, is the flip side to Life on Mars, which also had a sequel. Must be the right moment for it, since David Bowie is back with his sequel, Where Are We Now?
+ Will try to stay in touch more soon.
...
Monday, May 27
Case Updates -
There has been a big information dump about the late Trayvon Martin which is under contention, as the nominal prosecutor wants to exclude it all from the court proceedings.
I believe we indicated here previously that Trayvon Martin appeared to be a Youth in Need of Adult Supervision (MINOS). It now seems that he should have been identified much earlier as an At Risk youngster and could have benefited from having a Guardian Ad Litem appointed for him long before he reached his majority.
:: WFTV :: - - - :: Hornsby ::
* * * * *
Andrea Vogt reported last week that Amanda Knox is experiencing mounting legal and financial problems as well as slow sales performance of her book. From that report:
"In Bergamo, anti-mafia magistrate Giuliano Mignini, who prosecuted the murder case against Knox and her one-time Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, [has] filed a defamation complaint... [which takes] ...issue with accusations that he intimidated, yelled and failed to protect Knox rights during his questioning."
It's been quite a while since I first harbored the suspicion that an Italian blogger who used to criticize Mignini about this case might be connected, but then a court in Florence squashed him like a bug. What happened to him then may happen next to Amanda Knox like a ton of bricks.
:: Andrea Vogt ::
+ Sorry for blogging pause, but
I've been a bit extra busy this past week.
...
I believe we indicated here previously that Trayvon Martin appeared to be a Youth in Need of Adult Supervision (MINOS). It now seems that he should have been identified much earlier as an At Risk youngster and could have benefited from having a Guardian Ad Litem appointed for him long before he reached his majority.
:: WFTV :: - - - :: Hornsby ::
* * * * *
Andrea Vogt reported last week that Amanda Knox is experiencing mounting legal and financial problems as well as slow sales performance of her book. From that report:
"In Bergamo, anti-mafia magistrate Giuliano Mignini, who prosecuted the murder case against Knox and her one-time Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, [has] filed a defamation complaint... [which takes] ...issue with accusations that he intimidated, yelled and failed to protect Knox rights during his questioning."
It's been quite a while since I first harbored the suspicion that an Italian blogger who used to criticize Mignini about this case might be connected, but then a court in Florence squashed him like a bug. What happened to him then may happen next to Amanda Knox like a ton of bricks.
:: Andrea Vogt ::
+ Sorry for blogging pause, but
I've been a bit extra busy this past week.
...
News Notes From Florida -
During a recent Wednesday evening rush hour, two women reportedly hailed a taxi cab in Fort Lauderdale and asked the driver to take them to several locations.
Then, events took an unexpected twist, when one of the women began choking the driver from the backseat while the other repeatedly struck him in the face before taking money out of his pocket.
The two women have been arrested for allegedly robbing and brutalizing the taxi cab driver and carjacking his vehicle, leaving him penniless and stranded.
The police have declined to
disclose how the women were found.
* * * * *
A French family's legacy may go
to the accused killer's wife in Florida.
* * * * *
Naples FL police have arrested a 12-year-old girl for placing a bomb threat note in the local public library's book return depository box.
...
Then, events took an unexpected twist, when one of the women began choking the driver from the backseat while the other repeatedly struck him in the face before taking money out of his pocket.
The two women have been arrested for allegedly robbing and brutalizing the taxi cab driver and carjacking his vehicle, leaving him penniless and stranded.
The police have declined to
disclose how the women were found.
* * * * *
A French family's legacy may go
to the accused killer's wife in Florida.
* * * * *
Naples FL police have arrested a 12-year-old girl for placing a bomb threat note in the local public library's book return depository box.
...
Sunday, May 19
Differently Knox -
James Raper, who has been described as a lawyer, has posted a study in which he carefully compares differing versions of Amanda Knox's story.
Does this mean that Amanda Knox is deliberately lying? No, not necessarily. There is another possibility which should be considered: that Knox may not be able to distinguish between what is in her imagination inside her head and what are independently existing facts in the external world.
It is my impression that Amanda Knox is an emotionally disturbed person. This is not an official disorder; it is, rather, an informal description of my impressions of her.
How can we evaluate the impressions we form of someone's state of mind? We can start with the Simple Two-Part Test:
1) Does the subject know right from wrong?
2) Can the subject appreciate
the consequences of their actions?
If someone cannot comprehend the causal nature of the connection between their actions and the results, reactions, or responses thereof, we may say that the person has a diminished capacity.
* * * * *
The Daily Mail is running an article in which Amanda Knox expresses her belief that the videotape clip of her and Raffaele Sollecito kissing in front of the cottage resulted in a misperception of her and had a damaging impact on her.
Actually, the videotape clip which had the negative impact was the "Wild Sex" CCTV footage of her and Sollecito laughing and joking and talking about "wild sex" in the lingerie shop only a day after her flatmate's corpse was discovered, not the images of their embrace in front of the cottage.
Can't Amanda Knox distinguish between these two videotape clips and the public's reaction to each of them? It is possible she cannot.
On what basis have I formed the impression that Amanda Knox is emotionally disturbed? There are several characteristics which I have observed over the course of time.
At the top of a potential list would be: inappropriate response. The behavior in the lingerie shop immediately after the ghoulish homicide of her roommate would be just one example of this characteristic.
...
Does this mean that Amanda Knox is deliberately lying? No, not necessarily. There is another possibility which should be considered: that Knox may not be able to distinguish between what is in her imagination inside her head and what are independently existing facts in the external world.
It is my impression that Amanda Knox is an emotionally disturbed person. This is not an official disorder; it is, rather, an informal description of my impressions of her.
How can we evaluate the impressions we form of someone's state of mind? We can start with the Simple Two-Part Test:
1) Does the subject know right from wrong?
2) Can the subject appreciate
the consequences of their actions?
If someone cannot comprehend the causal nature of the connection between their actions and the results, reactions, or responses thereof, we may say that the person has a diminished capacity.
* * * * *
The Daily Mail is running an article in which Amanda Knox expresses her belief that the videotape clip of her and Raffaele Sollecito kissing in front of the cottage resulted in a misperception of her and had a damaging impact on her.
Actually, the videotape clip which had the negative impact was the "Wild Sex" CCTV footage of her and Sollecito laughing and joking and talking about "wild sex" in the lingerie shop only a day after her flatmate's corpse was discovered, not the images of their embrace in front of the cottage.
Can't Amanda Knox distinguish between these two videotape clips and the public's reaction to each of them? It is possible she cannot.
On what basis have I formed the impression that Amanda Knox is emotionally disturbed? There are several characteristics which I have observed over the course of time.
At the top of a potential list would be: inappropriate response. The behavior in the lingerie shop immediately after the ghoulish homicide of her roommate would be just one example of this characteristic.
...
Thursday, May 16
In Some Little Corner of The World -
The other day I clicked on the TV
to catch the Noon News a bit early . . .
ABC's The View was still airing. I was taken by complete surprise when the Welsh crooner, Tom Jones, arrived in the spotlight and began singing Tower of Song by Leonard Cohen. It blew me away. I kept saying "Oh, wow!" It was an unusual treat, now being shared on YouTube.
# Easy Rawlins is back! Tanya Ballard Brown reviews
Walter Mosley's new mystery novel, Little Green at NPR.
# And Carl Hiaasen's newest
offering, Bad Monkey, is expected
to make its debut around June 11th.
...
to catch the Noon News a bit early . . .
ABC's The View was still airing. I was taken by complete surprise when the Welsh crooner, Tom Jones, arrived in the spotlight and began singing Tower of Song by Leonard Cohen. It blew me away. I kept saying "Oh, wow!" It was an unusual treat, now being shared on YouTube.
# Easy Rawlins is back! Tanya Ballard Brown reviews
Walter Mosley's new mystery novel, Little Green at NPR.
# And Carl Hiaasen's newest
offering, Bad Monkey, is expected
to make its debut around June 11th.
...
MIA Gold Heist -
It's the kind of crime
you have come to expect from SoFlo:
a shipment of gold bullion snatched from transit through the Miami Int'l Airport. Last seen being wheeled around a corner, then it seemingly vanished.
Half a million in gold from Ecuador has become someone's much dreamt of pot of enchanted fairy fortune somewhere over the rainbow.
Miami is certainly the setting for a number of TV series in which crimes like this so often take place: Burn Notice, CSI Miami, and other such weekly dramas, which usually solve the mystery within their allotted hour.
But, contrary to appearances in this caper, SoFlo law enforcement officers are no amateurs in the transmittal of valuable shipments, whether it be armored car cash pickups or precious metals. Generally accomplished via convoys with elaborate strategic planning and military precision execution, these operations are actually not so unusual.
Thus, there is no reason to believe that this gold can move through the ether into a permanent state of Oblivion.
South Florida is now necklaced by a network of high tech highways which may lack gun towers, but are embedded with highly sophisticated surveillance equipment. If satellite cameras can photograph a pack of cigarettes in your shirt pocket, a shipment of gold does not have much of a chance of going too far AWOL for very long.
The FBI is coordinating the investigation.
...
you have come to expect from SoFlo:
a shipment of gold bullion snatched from transit through the Miami Int'l Airport. Last seen being wheeled around a corner, then it seemingly vanished.
Half a million in gold from Ecuador has become someone's much dreamt of pot of enchanted fairy fortune somewhere over the rainbow.
Miami is certainly the setting for a number of TV series in which crimes like this so often take place: Burn Notice, CSI Miami, and other such weekly dramas, which usually solve the mystery within their allotted hour.
But, contrary to appearances in this caper, SoFlo law enforcement officers are no amateurs in the transmittal of valuable shipments, whether it be armored car cash pickups or precious metals. Generally accomplished via convoys with elaborate strategic planning and military precision execution, these operations are actually not so unusual.
Thus, there is no reason to believe that this gold can move through the ether into a permanent state of Oblivion.
South Florida is now necklaced by a network of high tech highways which may lack gun towers, but are embedded with highly sophisticated surveillance equipment. If satellite cameras can photograph a pack of cigarettes in your shirt pocket, a shipment of gold does not have much of a chance of going too far AWOL for very long.
The FBI is coordinating the investigation.
...
Tuesday, May 14
A Breezy Browse -
Matthew Walther reviews an enjoyable book of email exchanges between two literary figures: Frederic Raphael and Joseph Epstein at TDB.
# Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, a light and humorous beach read, is new in paperback for this summer.
# An essay about Italian caffe
espresso vs American coffee by Sara Davis.
# Patti Smith writes about a French
author who inspired her: Albertine Sarrazin.
# Mike Ripley's latest column.
...
# Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, a light and humorous beach read, is new in paperback for this summer.
# An essay about Italian caffe
espresso vs American coffee by Sara Davis.
# Patti Smith writes about a French
author who inspired her: Albertine Sarrazin.
# Mike Ripley's latest column.
...
Sunday, May 12
Truth or Consequences, Italian Style -
The Prosecutor from Perugia, Dr Giuliano Mignini (JD), has filed a complaint against the Italian magazine OGGI for publishing excerpts from Amanda Knox's memoir in Italy which are alleged to contain false and defamatory claims about him, according to a new report by Andrea Vogt. John Follain has filed a report about this, too.
:: OGGI article in English ::
...
:: OGGI article in English ::
...
Thursday, May 9
Knox: The CNN Interview -
As part of her ongoing Media tour to promote her book of prison memoirs, Amanda Knox recently sat for a CNN Cable TV interview.
In a prior interview with Diane Sawyer Knox adopted a mysterious new affectation: a suddenly swish lisp. If you were one of the viewers who was wondering what this mannerism was all about, you may discover the explanation in this subsequent CNN interview.
There are three characters in this interview: Amanda Knox, Chris Cuomo, and a Big Pink Dildo.
Whoa! Where did this Dildo come from?
Amanda Knox moved into the Pergola St cottage equipped with a Dildo which she kept in a transparent plastic toiletries kit bag and, arguably, flaunted by leaving it ostentatiously displayed in commonly used areas of their living quarters, according to the other gals who were her flatmates there.
CUOMO: So then that means, in your mind, you spent four years of your life in jail because of a perverted prosecutor?
KNOX: Yes, that's what I think.
I didn't watch this interview when it was aired.
I just read the transcript.
It wasn't the prosecutor's Dildo.
...
In a prior interview with Diane Sawyer Knox adopted a mysterious new affectation: a suddenly swish lisp. If you were one of the viewers who was wondering what this mannerism was all about, you may discover the explanation in this subsequent CNN interview.
There are three characters in this interview: Amanda Knox, Chris Cuomo, and a Big Pink Dildo.
Whoa! Where did this Dildo come from?
Amanda Knox moved into the Pergola St cottage equipped with a Dildo which she kept in a transparent plastic toiletries kit bag and, arguably, flaunted by leaving it ostentatiously displayed in commonly used areas of their living quarters, according to the other gals who were her flatmates there.
CUOMO: So then that means, in your mind, you spent four years of your life in jail because of a perverted prosecutor?
KNOX: Yes, that's what I think.
I didn't watch this interview when it was aired.
I just read the transcript.
It wasn't the prosecutor's Dildo.
...
Monday, May 6
Knox-Sawyer:
Some Staircase Thoughts -
Now that the much-touted ABC prime time interview and media blitz is over, it is an appropriate moment to reflect on what has happened here and to put some perspective on it.
The Amanda Knox book of prison memoirs is not the first time the Mainstream Media has made a big fuss about such an opus; the previous such event should present us with a cautionary tale. But has the Media learned anything from Jack Abbott and his book, In the Belly of the Beast? It doesn't look like they have.
Jack Abbott was a prison inmate; his book consists of his letters to Norman Mailer about his experiences in the prison system. On July 19, 1981, the New York Times published a rave review of it.
According to her remarks in the Sawyer interview, Knox seems to have developed an obsession with Meredith Kercher and the Kercher Family, expressing her aspirations to somehow contact them. The Kercher Family has made in very clear they do not wish to have any contact with Knox.
If Knox does not drop her obsession with them, it's bound to get her into even more trouble. When are her lawyers going to advise her to stop saying she's hoping to contact them?
Most of the young women who roomed together on Pergola St have moved on with their lives. Is Amanda Knox's life really so vacuous that Meredith Kercher's death is the only significant thing that has ever happened to her?
What will happen with Amanda Knox's case? I don't know. There are a lot of Italians who regard her as a toxic personality and they don't want her to return to Italy. Jack Abbott committed suicide. Sometimes these situations resolve themselves beyond the legal system.
...
The Amanda Knox book of prison memoirs is not the first time the Mainstream Media has made a big fuss about such an opus; the previous such event should present us with a cautionary tale. But has the Media learned anything from Jack Abbott and his book, In the Belly of the Beast? It doesn't look like they have.
Jack Abbott was a prison inmate; his book consists of his letters to Norman Mailer about his experiences in the prison system. On July 19, 1981, the New York Times published a rave review of it.
According to her remarks in the Sawyer interview, Knox seems to have developed an obsession with Meredith Kercher and the Kercher Family, expressing her aspirations to somehow contact them. The Kercher Family has made in very clear they do not wish to have any contact with Knox.
If Knox does not drop her obsession with them, it's bound to get her into even more trouble. When are her lawyers going to advise her to stop saying she's hoping to contact them?
Most of the young women who roomed together on Pergola St have moved on with their lives. Is Amanda Knox's life really so vacuous that Meredith Kercher's death is the only significant thing that has ever happened to her?
What will happen with Amanda Knox's case? I don't know. There are a lot of Italians who regard her as a toxic personality and they don't want her to return to Italy. Jack Abbott committed suicide. Sometimes these situations resolve themselves beyond the legal system.
...
Sunday, May 5
Weekend Browse -
Adam Woog reviews The Tooth Tattoo by Peter Lovesey which is set in the atmospheric city of Bath in England. Murder, string quartets, and fanatical groupies. Can Chief Inspector Peter Diamond solve the mystery?
# Red Handed: The Fine Art of Strange Crimes is a new graphic detective novel by Matt Kindt reviewed here by Doreen Sheridan.
# Ziggyology by Simon Goddard traces how David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust.
# Adam Morris reviews Cypherpunks by Julian Assange.
# An excerpt from The Annals of Unsolved Crimes.
# The 10 best magicians - in pictures.
...
# Red Handed: The Fine Art of Strange Crimes is a new graphic detective novel by Matt Kindt reviewed here by Doreen Sheridan.
# Ziggyology by Simon Goddard traces how David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust.
# Adam Morris reviews Cypherpunks by Julian Assange.
# An excerpt from The Annals of Unsolved Crimes.
# The 10 best magicians - in pictures.
...
Friday, May 3
Review: Knox TV Special -
The ABC TV Amanda Knox Prime Time Special with Diane Sawyer is over, and we can't call it Checkbook Journalism, because it wasn't any kind of Journalism whatsoever. It was a strictly promotional, hour-long commercial for her book.
You know those guest spots on late night shows where a movie star drops in to plug his latest movie? That's what the ABC Amanda Knox Special was, but dragged out and stretched to fill an entire hour. And, even then, ABC was not completely honest or straightforward about how much of this kind of content viewers should expect.
Not only was there an hour with Diane Sawyer, but after that, the Nightline program would be offering even more Amanda Knox content, which I wasn't able to catch. Moreover, the next morning, I was quite disgusted to discover that Amanda Knox was scheduled to invade GMA. At my age I have very limited tolerance for people like Amanda Knox.
How did Amanda Knox come off in the special? She came off as Miss Thing with the quivering lip who portrays herself as the principal victim whenever a plane crashes in Sri Lanka. Her posturings looked almost laughably ridiculous. The Drama Queen who thrusts herself into the center of every story, no matter how absurd it may be.
Were there any glaring errors in the special? Yes, I spotted one howler. ABC News felt compelled to include a clip of Elizabeth Vargas hectoring Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini with misattributed remarks she accused him of making.
A quick and simple Google search query yielded more accurate sourcing for such remarks: Amanda Knox was described as a "diabolical, Satanic, demonic she-devil" by Patrick Lumumba's lawyer, Carlo Pacelli, according to one newspaper article. When is ABC going to quit flogging this dead horse?
The Meredith Kercher Homicide was a ghoulish crime. The American Public should try to ignore this troubled young woman, give her some space, and let her get the professional help she needs away from the glare of the unblinking spotlight.
CBS has previewed their upcoming crime show for this weekend. It will be about a chef who ate his wife. I think I'll skip that one.
...
You know those guest spots on late night shows where a movie star drops in to plug his latest movie? That's what the ABC Amanda Knox Special was, but dragged out and stretched to fill an entire hour. And, even then, ABC was not completely honest or straightforward about how much of this kind of content viewers should expect.
Not only was there an hour with Diane Sawyer, but after that, the Nightline program would be offering even more Amanda Knox content, which I wasn't able to catch. Moreover, the next morning, I was quite disgusted to discover that Amanda Knox was scheduled to invade GMA. At my age I have very limited tolerance for people like Amanda Knox.
How did Amanda Knox come off in the special? She came off as Miss Thing with the quivering lip who portrays herself as the principal victim whenever a plane crashes in Sri Lanka. Her posturings looked almost laughably ridiculous. The Drama Queen who thrusts herself into the center of every story, no matter how absurd it may be.
Were there any glaring errors in the special? Yes, I spotted one howler. ABC News felt compelled to include a clip of Elizabeth Vargas hectoring Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini with misattributed remarks she accused him of making.
A quick and simple Google search query yielded more accurate sourcing for such remarks: Amanda Knox was described as a "diabolical, Satanic, demonic she-devil" by Patrick Lumumba's lawyer, Carlo Pacelli, according to one newspaper article. When is ABC going to quit flogging this dead horse?
The Meredith Kercher Homicide was a ghoulish crime. The American Public should try to ignore this troubled young woman, give her some space, and let her get the professional help she needs away from the glare of the unblinking spotlight.
CBS has previewed their upcoming crime show for this weekend. It will be about a chef who ate his wife. I think I'll skip that one.
...
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