More Fallout From
The Trayvon-Zimmerman Affair . . .
George Zimmerman, the former Crime Watcher who was violently attacked by teenager Trayvon Martin inside the Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community in Central Florida and, as a result, fatally shot the juvenile in self-defense, is asking the state to reimburse his legal costs, as Florida law allows.
# Recently it was reported that Zimmerman visited Kel-Tec, the gun manufacturer in Cocoa FL, to thank them; they produced the gun which saved his life.
# CNN-HLN TV's Talking Head Jane Velez-Mitchell is often completely out of control these days; viz: screaming, ranting, demonizing people, and generally berserk. She should not be shown on TV in such an agitated and demented condition.
# Townhouse units in the RTL gated community which were originally priced at $250,00 are reported to have plummeted in value to only $80,000 in the wake of the teen's violent ambush of the Crime Watcher.
No estimate has been made public yet as to how much it will cost the State of Florida to completely demolish the multi-residential complex or whether a real estate deal is in process to convert it to a Section 8 secure facility for prison convicts attached to electronic monitoring devices.
...
Tuesday, August 27
Witness Threatened -
With the 24/7 news and commentary cycle we now have, TV Talking Heads can scream and rant and demonize people over and over and over again both live and then on repeat airings. Add the Internet and Social Media and we have a very combustible brew.
So, it shouldn't be surprising that the coverage of some featured cases such as Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox, George Zimmerman and Jodi Arias has ignited heated emotions producing an atmosphere of menace which can even potentially impact Due Process.
Trial witness has received hate mail and
death threats in response to her testimony.
"People were filled with such
hatred for someone they didn't know."
* * * * *
Media Criticism: Howard Kurtz has moved from CNN to a new Fox News show, Media Buzz, which will debut on September 8th at 11am.
...
So, it shouldn't be surprising that the coverage of some featured cases such as Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox, George Zimmerman and Jodi Arias has ignited heated emotions producing an atmosphere of menace which can even potentially impact Due Process.
Trial witness has received hate mail and
death threats in response to her testimony.
"People were filled with such
hatred for someone they didn't know."
* * * * *
Media Criticism: Howard Kurtz has moved from CNN to a new Fox News show, Media Buzz, which will debut on September 8th at 11am.
...
Saturday, August 17
Whilst Perusing The Net -
Have been catching up with some of
this summer's literary activity on the Net . . .
If you're looking for a quiet evening read this weekend, you might want to delve into The Guardian's Edinburgh Int'l Book Festival Blog.
Hopped over to some of our Internet pals in Cairo via their Twitter feeds this afternoon, and it's a horrible mess over there right now. Doesn't make for very pleasant reading.
Have you ever seen the movie
The Night Listener (2006)
starring Robin Williams?
It is an exploration of
our threshold to tolerate Ambiguity.
Some people can tolerate more Ambiguity than other people can. For some folks Life has to be formulated in black and white; while others seem to dither in infinite shades of gray.
Lately, some of the Talking Heads on TV have been banging on about ranters and haters on the Internet and attribute this behavior to bloggers, but it turns out they are actually referring to commenters on the comment threads of some news stories.
This weekend I happened to come across such a commenter who seemed somehow suspect to me. Was this an authentic person or a spoof? The more I read of her comments, the more skeptical I became that this was a spoof.
Regardless of which it is, I lack the motivation to investigate further and am content to just leave it at face value. I simply don't have a need to resolve the matter.
But the encounter reminded me of the movie.
...
this summer's literary activity on the Net . . .
If you're looking for a quiet evening read this weekend, you might want to delve into The Guardian's Edinburgh Int'l Book Festival Blog.
Hopped over to some of our Internet pals in Cairo via their Twitter feeds this afternoon, and it's a horrible mess over there right now. Doesn't make for very pleasant reading.
Have you ever seen the movie
The Night Listener (2006)
starring Robin Williams?
It is an exploration of
our threshold to tolerate Ambiguity.
Some people can tolerate more Ambiguity than other people can. For some folks Life has to be formulated in black and white; while others seem to dither in infinite shades of gray.
Lately, some of the Talking Heads on TV have been banging on about ranters and haters on the Internet and attribute this behavior to bloggers, but it turns out they are actually referring to commenters on the comment threads of some news stories.
This weekend I happened to come across such a commenter who seemed somehow suspect to me. Was this an authentic person or a spoof? The more I read of her comments, the more skeptical I became that this was a spoof.
Regardless of which it is, I lack the motivation to investigate further and am content to just leave it at face value. I simply don't have a need to resolve the matter.
But the encounter reminded me of the movie.
...
Friday, August 16
Dreaming Of No Consequences -
Some people dream they can fly, while others
dream they can act without consequences . . .
Protesters, angry about the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who have been occupying the Florida Capitol, are finally leaving the building despite their inability to achieve their goals thus far.
They have been calling for repeal of the state's SYG law and the enactment of a special Trayvon Martin Law, which, we can only presume, may enable any teenager to violently assault, batter, and kill Neighborhood Crime Watchers with impunity.
But that was just the beginning.
Trayvon Martin's birth mother and father gave away school backpacks earlier today, not in their own reputed community of Miami Gardens, but in nearby Opa-locka.
Sybrina Fulton said on TV that they are going to contribute financially to the funeral costs of an innocent little girl who was fatally shot, because her son Trayvon was killed by senseless violence, too.
Trayvon Martin was killed as a consequence of his violent assault and battery on an officially designated Neighborhood Crime Watcher in a gated community where he was wandering around without any adult supervision despite conspicuous warning signs posted at the entrance.
...
dream they can act without consequences . . .
Protesters, angry about the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who have been occupying the Florida Capitol, are finally leaving the building despite their inability to achieve their goals thus far.
They have been calling for repeal of the state's SYG law and the enactment of a special Trayvon Martin Law, which, we can only presume, may enable any teenager to violently assault, batter, and kill Neighborhood Crime Watchers with impunity.
But that was just the beginning.
Trayvon Martin's birth mother and father gave away school backpacks earlier today, not in their own reputed community of Miami Gardens, but in nearby Opa-locka.
Sybrina Fulton said on TV that they are going to contribute financially to the funeral costs of an innocent little girl who was fatally shot, because her son Trayvon was killed by senseless violence, too.
Trayvon Martin was killed as a consequence of his violent assault and battery on an officially designated Neighborhood Crime Watcher in a gated community where he was wandering around without any adult supervision despite conspicuous warning signs posted at the entrance.
...
Tuesday, August 13
SoFlo Collectibles -
Monday, August 12
The Trayvon Tipping Point -
Kin Yoo Rede Diss?
Now that the Sanford Shooting Case is over and George Zimmerman has been acquitted of the charges against him, we are facing the aftermath of repercussions and ripple effects.
During the trial there had been some discussions about possible Brady violations, and Zimmerman's attorney is following up on some loose ends. Zimmerman himself has some developing litigation which involves mainstream Media treatment in association with another lawyer who specializes in that area.
We are also being subjected to numerous celebrities' comments expressing their perspectives on the situation, but I'm not going to comment on their comments here.
You may or may not have noticed something very peculiar about the MSM's treatment of the gated community where the shooting occurred: there are huge and very conspicuous Warning Signs at the entrance to that estate. You may have noticed warning signs at the entrances of shopping malls.
Here in Florida many establishments have warning signs posted on their doors informing you that the management reserves the right to eject you from their premises for any reason or no reason at all at their discretion and that the police may be summoned to remove you by force if necessary.
Why were the Warning Signs at the entrance to the RTL estate so persistently disregarded by the MSM? It is probably the same reason why the Aventura Shopping Mall and other area shopping malls have had to establish curfews for unescorted teenagers on their premises.
I would estimate that about 97% of the population of Broward County is borderline illiterate at best. Many of these people cannot accurately copy your name clearly printed on your bank check to give you a receipt or other document, and it is one of the principal reasons why so many people and situations get "lost" in the "system." Records are frequently misfiled due to illiteracy, since at least some of these people work for the government here.
This is the Tipping Point which represents
the triumph of Depravity over Civilization.
Nearly every week we see peculiar news and crime stories rooted in this issue. And I do not use the term "Depravity" lightly, as you are about to discover.
Recently, WSVN TV reporter Carmel Cafiero presented the plight of a disabled lawyer who is unable to find a parking spot for the handicapped because all of the designated spots were taken by drivers who were not handicapped.
As the actual video unfolded while Cafiero was investigating, all of those found on camera who were abusing the spots allocated for the use of the handicapped were Black Females with only one exception.
What is going on? There seems to be a guerrilla war against Literacy being conducted around here by the Black population which is often being used to sabotage the "system." It seems to me that it requires real Depravity to rob a cripple, which is what has happened to the disabled lawyer.
More fallout from the case: The Chicago-based Tribune owns both the Orlando Sentinel and the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel newspapers. The Orlando Sentinel was covering the Sanford Shooting Case in Central Florida. The Tribune economized by sharing some of that content with the Sun Sentinel.
You may have noticed that I eventually stopped following their coverage of the case. I decided midway through that Character issues were distorting their Reportage so egregiously, it wasn't worth the time spent in reading it.
While it wasn't as inflammatory as the coverage of The Miami Herald, it was just a waste of valuable time.
Turning The Page: According to Jim Romenesko, Orlando Sentinel Editor Mark Russell has been sacked.
Is it possible for us to have a national conversation about Racism right now? No, I don't believe it is currently possible.
In order to do so, we would have to have a common frame of reference based on a shared set of core values, which we no longer have.
Maybe at some point
in the future it will be possible again.
...
Now that the Sanford Shooting Case is over and George Zimmerman has been acquitted of the charges against him, we are facing the aftermath of repercussions and ripple effects.
During the trial there had been some discussions about possible Brady violations, and Zimmerman's attorney is following up on some loose ends. Zimmerman himself has some developing litigation which involves mainstream Media treatment in association with another lawyer who specializes in that area.
We are also being subjected to numerous celebrities' comments expressing their perspectives on the situation, but I'm not going to comment on their comments here.
You may or may not have noticed something very peculiar about the MSM's treatment of the gated community where the shooting occurred: there are huge and very conspicuous Warning Signs at the entrance to that estate. You may have noticed warning signs at the entrances of shopping malls.
Here in Florida many establishments have warning signs posted on their doors informing you that the management reserves the right to eject you from their premises for any reason or no reason at all at their discretion and that the police may be summoned to remove you by force if necessary.
Why were the Warning Signs at the entrance to the RTL estate so persistently disregarded by the MSM? It is probably the same reason why the Aventura Shopping Mall and other area shopping malls have had to establish curfews for unescorted teenagers on their premises.
I would estimate that about 97% of the population of Broward County is borderline illiterate at best. Many of these people cannot accurately copy your name clearly printed on your bank check to give you a receipt or other document, and it is one of the principal reasons why so many people and situations get "lost" in the "system." Records are frequently misfiled due to illiteracy, since at least some of these people work for the government here.
This is the Tipping Point which represents
the triumph of Depravity over Civilization.
Nearly every week we see peculiar news and crime stories rooted in this issue. And I do not use the term "Depravity" lightly, as you are about to discover.
Recently, WSVN TV reporter Carmel Cafiero presented the plight of a disabled lawyer who is unable to find a parking spot for the handicapped because all of the designated spots were taken by drivers who were not handicapped.
As the actual video unfolded while Cafiero was investigating, all of those found on camera who were abusing the spots allocated for the use of the handicapped were Black Females with only one exception.
What is going on? There seems to be a guerrilla war against Literacy being conducted around here by the Black population which is often being used to sabotage the "system." It seems to me that it requires real Depravity to rob a cripple, which is what has happened to the disabled lawyer.
More fallout from the case: The Chicago-based Tribune owns both the Orlando Sentinel and the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel newspapers. The Orlando Sentinel was covering the Sanford Shooting Case in Central Florida. The Tribune economized by sharing some of that content with the Sun Sentinel.
You may have noticed that I eventually stopped following their coverage of the case. I decided midway through that Character issues were distorting their Reportage so egregiously, it wasn't worth the time spent in reading it.
While it wasn't as inflammatory as the coverage of The Miami Herald, it was just a waste of valuable time.
Turning The Page: According to Jim Romenesko, Orlando Sentinel Editor Mark Russell has been sacked.
Is it possible for us to have a national conversation about Racism right now? No, I don't believe it is currently possible.
In order to do so, we would have to have a common frame of reference based on a shared set of core values, which we no longer have.
Maybe at some point
in the future it will be possible again.
...
Tuesday, July 30
SYG: Black Lawyer Blowback -
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.
...
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.
...
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.
...
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