Amanda Knox,
China Arnold and
Samantha Lewthwaite . . .
Does leafy ennui transform some
suburban housewives into terrorists?
Lots of speculation now in the international media about whether Samantha Lewthwaite was involved in the Kenya shopping mall attack.
# Here in the U.S., the cable tv talk shows, which frequently spotlight mothers accused of killing their adorable little children, are preoccupied with China Arnold, dubbed The Microwave Mom, a young mother who is accused of cooking her baby in a microwave oven.
# And the do-over appeal trial of Amanda Knox in Florence is scheduled to begin September 30th. Andrea Vogt has been reporting on it lonterm and continues to keep track of it.
The Seattle native recently gave an interview to the British media, explaining why she won't travel to Italy for the proceedings.
...
Wednesday, September 25
Monday, September 23
Is That For Real? -
Harry the CGI Lizard . . .
is a lovely piece of work who has charmed many TV viewers. Rushes, the company which created him, has posted some information about him. He looks like a relative of the Anole family of lizards.
* * * * *
Aaron Alexis carved two cryptic phrases on the stock of his shotgun. One phrase was "Better off this way" and the other was "My ELF weapon."
What does ELF mean?
I think it means
Electronic Life Form in this context.
Schizophrenics sometimes refer to
themselves or others as dolls, robots, or puppets.
There have been a number of SciFi movies based on the premise that CGI figures from cyberspace have passed through a "membrane" from the computer screen or TV to our earthly reality space.
Alexis may have come to suspect that some of the people he was working among at that facility were not real people, but, rather, were like digital facsimiles. Or maybe intrusive aliens or invading ETs. Or hostile entities of some kind who were masquerading as humans.
Add some paranoia to that state of mind and he may have believed he needed a shotgun to exterminate them.
Just guessing. [two messages]
* * * * *
Zombie has posted an analysis
of some BBC reportage about
the shopping mall attack in Kenya.
...
is a lovely piece of work who has charmed many TV viewers. Rushes, the company which created him, has posted some information about him. He looks like a relative of the Anole family of lizards.
* * * * *
Aaron Alexis carved two cryptic phrases on the stock of his shotgun. One phrase was "Better off this way" and the other was "My ELF weapon."
What does ELF mean?
I think it means
Electronic Life Form in this context.
Schizophrenics sometimes refer to
themselves or others as dolls, robots, or puppets.
There have been a number of SciFi movies based on the premise that CGI figures from cyberspace have passed through a "membrane" from the computer screen or TV to our earthly reality space.
Alexis may have come to suspect that some of the people he was working among at that facility were not real people, but, rather, were like digital facsimiles. Or maybe intrusive aliens or invading ETs. Or hostile entities of some kind who were masquerading as humans.
Add some paranoia to that state of mind and he may have believed he needed a shotgun to exterminate them.
Just guessing. [two messages]
* * * * *
Zombie has posted an analysis
of some BBC reportage about
the shopping mall attack in Kenya.
...
Saturday, September 21
Other Uses of Legacy -
-- Trayvon Martin, Rev ML King Jr,
& Detective Inspector Richard Poole --
This may be the first positive development in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin's tragic death by misadventure . . .
An announcement was made last week of an assembly of students at a Fort Lauderdale high school presided over by many black officials, including at least one Christian clergyman and the local black police chief, to discuss the circumstances of the teenager's death and techniques to avert such violent confrontations in the future.
One aspect of Rev Martin Luther King's legacy which received no press attention at all during the recent commemorations: teaching skills in nonviolent conflict resolution. In all likelihood, if Trayvon Martin had been taught these skills, he would have survived that fateful encounter without untoward incident.
Kudos to whoever brought this initiative to these black youngsters. Did the kids get any exposure to this approach when the meeting occurred? We cannot ascertain what actually transpired there due to inadequate MSM reportage.
You can look up the mainstream press reports about the meeting, but they yield little useful information in this vein. Whenever Trayvon Martin's name is mentioned, it is usually used as a lightening rod to evoke a twisted propaganda spin and/or race-baiting.
We welcome this initiative which we believe moves the focus of the case into a more helpful and constructive direction.
* * * * *
You would think that the BBC TV mystery series Death in Paradise airing on WPBT2, would be very popular here in SoFlo. It is an offbeat police procedural set on a fictional Caribbean island which features a displaced quirky UK detective from Croydon. I've watched a few episodes, though, I confess, I haven't followed the story arc religiously.
So, is it popular around here? That's hard to determine, but it brings me to another current issue in the black community, which I've seen up close.
African-Americans are no longer the only black people living here. Broward County has experienced an influx of immigrants from the Caribbean. They are here by choice; no one dragged them to Florida in chains.
And in many cases they have advanced qualifications for jobs which may put them in a supervisory capacity over local residents of color. Rather than viewing them as inspirational role models, some African Americans may develop resentments, and conflicts in cultural values may ensue.
One example of this issue impacts young African American gay people, who have had problematic interactions with Haitians who, they allege, demonstrate bigotry against gays.
Thus, it is not only White people, Latinos, Asians or Russians, that African-Americans youngsters have to learn to get along with. They may have to learn to cope with other black ethnicities who have strongly held but significantly different cultural values.
...
& Detective Inspector Richard Poole --
This may be the first positive development in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin's tragic death by misadventure . . .
An announcement was made last week of an assembly of students at a Fort Lauderdale high school presided over by many black officials, including at least one Christian clergyman and the local black police chief, to discuss the circumstances of the teenager's death and techniques to avert such violent confrontations in the future.
One aspect of Rev Martin Luther King's legacy which received no press attention at all during the recent commemorations: teaching skills in nonviolent conflict resolution. In all likelihood, if Trayvon Martin had been taught these skills, he would have survived that fateful encounter without untoward incident.
Kudos to whoever brought this initiative to these black youngsters. Did the kids get any exposure to this approach when the meeting occurred? We cannot ascertain what actually transpired there due to inadequate MSM reportage.
You can look up the mainstream press reports about the meeting, but they yield little useful information in this vein. Whenever Trayvon Martin's name is mentioned, it is usually used as a lightening rod to evoke a twisted propaganda spin and/or race-baiting.
We welcome this initiative which we believe moves the focus of the case into a more helpful and constructive direction.
* * * * *
You would think that the BBC TV mystery series Death in Paradise airing on WPBT2, would be very popular here in SoFlo. It is an offbeat police procedural set on a fictional Caribbean island which features a displaced quirky UK detective from Croydon. I've watched a few episodes, though, I confess, I haven't followed the story arc religiously.
So, is it popular around here? That's hard to determine, but it brings me to another current issue in the black community, which I've seen up close.
African-Americans are no longer the only black people living here. Broward County has experienced an influx of immigrants from the Caribbean. They are here by choice; no one dragged them to Florida in chains.
And in many cases they have advanced qualifications for jobs which may put them in a supervisory capacity over local residents of color. Rather than viewing them as inspirational role models, some African Americans may develop resentments, and conflicts in cultural values may ensue.
One example of this issue impacts young African American gay people, who have had problematic interactions with Haitians who, they allege, demonstrate bigotry against gays.
Thus, it is not only White people, Latinos, Asians or Russians, that African-Americans youngsters have to learn to get along with. They may have to learn to cope with other black ethnicities who have strongly held but significantly different cultural values.
...
Saturday, September 14
Zimmerman:
From The Distaff Side -
The Shrieking Fake News -
Shellie Zimmerman's attorney, Kelly Sims, convened a press conference with Shellie at his side supposedly to discuss the rather commonplace domestic disturbance which occurred during the the dissolution process of the Zimmermans' union, viz: dividing up their property.
Sims, however, then danced around and around any of the real legal issues which may be involved. So, I am now going to address a crucial legal issue involved in this matter . . .
According to my best understanding of the circumstances, Shellie Zimmerman was recording George Zimmerman, who terminated and destroyed the videotape recording of him.
Florida is a two-party consent state. If George did not give his permission to be recorded, it may have been his legal right to terminate Shellie's illegal recording of him.
From where I sit, the recording - if it still exists at all - would not be admissible as evidence because it looks like poison fruit from a poison tree.
I would suggest the authorities forget about the videotape and just let the couple get on with their lives.
If anything about my understanding of the Law is incorrect, Mark O'Mara or another Florida lawyer can correct it.
Thanks to Kelly Sims for wasting our precious time. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, someone died here and an amazing amount of time-consuming bureaucracy and red tape ensued from the event. Thus, my delay in posting on this topic. He was in very poor health.
This group house has a different demographic mix from the previous group house in which I mentored about a dozen young multicultural women. There are a number of EDPs here.
CNN's HLN TV channel has apparently accumulated a repertory company of Shrieking Black Women they feature sometimes. When given a live camera and a microphone, they immediately start screaming TRAY-VON at TV viewers. I can't stand listening to shrieking people and usually turn them off.
I have come to believe that this channel in particular has been trying to use the shooting of Trayvon Martin to trigger a race war in an abuse of the First Amendment.
Thorny Question: Which of the Apostles of Jesus was named Trayvon? I can't even pronounce the names of some of his half-siblings.
Trayvon Martin was NOT MURDERED! He brutally assaulted and battered George Zimmerman who shot the teenager in self-defense. This was not an example of "senseless gun violence." It was an example of a gun saving a man's life.
African-Americans constitute no more than 15% of the U.S. population. I hope they eventually learn to get along more harmoniously with the mainstream majority.
...
Sims, however, then danced around and around any of the real legal issues which may be involved. So, I am now going to address a crucial legal issue involved in this matter . . .
According to my best understanding of the circumstances, Shellie Zimmerman was recording George Zimmerman, who terminated and destroyed the videotape recording of him.
Florida is a two-party consent state. If George did not give his permission to be recorded, it may have been his legal right to terminate Shellie's illegal recording of him.
From where I sit, the recording - if it still exists at all - would not be admissible as evidence because it looks like poison fruit from a poison tree.
I would suggest the authorities forget about the videotape and just let the couple get on with their lives.
If anything about my understanding of the Law is incorrect, Mark O'Mara or another Florida lawyer can correct it.
Thanks to Kelly Sims for wasting our precious time. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, someone died here and an amazing amount of time-consuming bureaucracy and red tape ensued from the event. Thus, my delay in posting on this topic. He was in very poor health.
This group house has a different demographic mix from the previous group house in which I mentored about a dozen young multicultural women. There are a number of EDPs here.
CNN's HLN TV channel has apparently accumulated a repertory company of Shrieking Black Women they feature sometimes. When given a live camera and a microphone, they immediately start screaming TRAY-VON at TV viewers. I can't stand listening to shrieking people and usually turn them off.
I have come to believe that this channel in particular has been trying to use the shooting of Trayvon Martin to trigger a race war in an abuse of the First Amendment.
Thorny Question: Which of the Apostles of Jesus was named Trayvon? I can't even pronounce the names of some of his half-siblings.
Trayvon Martin was NOT MURDERED! He brutally assaulted and battered George Zimmerman who shot the teenager in self-defense. This was not an example of "senseless gun violence." It was an example of a gun saving a man's life.
African-Americans constitute no more than 15% of the U.S. population. I hope they eventually learn to get along more harmoniously with the mainstream majority.
...
Thursday, September 5
What's Goin' On? (#4) -
In a piece of moving nostalgia, Juan Williams writes about the music then and now, which compares some of the songs from the summer of 1963 with what's being written today.
His piece inspired an interlude
of related reverie on my part, too . . .
One of my favorite songs from popular music over the past several decades is Nightshift by The Commodores. It refers to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye. Both of them represent notable thematic threads.
Much of the music we remember from the Sixties was associated with Berry Gordy's Motown which generally had an uplifting tone because of a strong Gospel component. Jackie Wilson ("higher and higher") came out of Gospel Music. He, in turn, became an inspiration to others.
And then there was Marvin, who started out conventionally enough, but veered into a distinctly different direction; his later work became the germination of the more serious forms of Poetic Rap which led to Gil Scott-Heron.
"What happened to our upbeat Motown Revolution?" a mature black friend asked me a few years ago, shaking his head. "I'll tell you what happened," he continued. "It got hijacked by dark, evil forces, so that now all we've got is ho's, bitches, and the n-word. But who are these people who hijacked it and how did they do that?"
I had no clear answers for him since I've never followed popular music and the music industry very closely. I do remember, though, that somewhere seemingly between Marvin Gaye and Gil Scott-Heron there was a song being played on the radio quite a bit called The Message. Maybe those lyrics influenced the direction this musical genre took and led to where the situation stands today.
Poetic Rap seemed to decline after Gil Scott-Heron's success. But that kind of lyrical tone once more became popular with Bob Marley's songs which came out of a series of crossover reggae albums and are still heard today. Marley's No Woman No Cry was later adapted by The Fugees from New Jersey, its settings transposed to America, and it became a kind of nostalgic favorite of mine for a while.
Rap Music seems to have exploded since then, but I no longer keep up with popular music. If I am around young people while they're listening to it, I'm exposed to some of it, but I often don't understand the lyrics, and don't pay much active attention to it. It just doesn't appeal to me.
I, too, hope the more negative music fades away.
* * * * *
# "And who shall I say is calling?"
:: Who By Fire :: by Leonard Cohen ::
* * * * *
# A worthwhile preview of Fall Books.
...
His piece inspired an interlude
of related reverie on my part, too . . .
One of my favorite songs from popular music over the past several decades is Nightshift by The Commodores. It refers to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye. Both of them represent notable thematic threads.
Much of the music we remember from the Sixties was associated with Berry Gordy's Motown which generally had an uplifting tone because of a strong Gospel component. Jackie Wilson ("higher and higher") came out of Gospel Music. He, in turn, became an inspiration to others.
And then there was Marvin, who started out conventionally enough, but veered into a distinctly different direction; his later work became the germination of the more serious forms of Poetic Rap which led to Gil Scott-Heron.
"What happened to our upbeat Motown Revolution?" a mature black friend asked me a few years ago, shaking his head. "I'll tell you what happened," he continued. "It got hijacked by dark, evil forces, so that now all we've got is ho's, bitches, and the n-word. But who are these people who hijacked it and how did they do that?"
I had no clear answers for him since I've never followed popular music and the music industry very closely. I do remember, though, that somewhere seemingly between Marvin Gaye and Gil Scott-Heron there was a song being played on the radio quite a bit called The Message. Maybe those lyrics influenced the direction this musical genre took and led to where the situation stands today.
Poetic Rap seemed to decline after Gil Scott-Heron's success. But that kind of lyrical tone once more became popular with Bob Marley's songs which came out of a series of crossover reggae albums and are still heard today. Marley's No Woman No Cry was later adapted by The Fugees from New Jersey, its settings transposed to America, and it became a kind of nostalgic favorite of mine for a while.
Rap Music seems to have exploded since then, but I no longer keep up with popular music. If I am around young people while they're listening to it, I'm exposed to some of it, but I often don't understand the lyrics, and don't pay much active attention to it. It just doesn't appeal to me.
I, too, hope the more negative music fades away.
* * * * *
# "And who shall I say is calling?"
:: Who By Fire :: by Leonard Cohen ::
* * * * *
# A worthwhile preview of Fall Books.
...
Wednesday, September 4
Clad in Plaid -
Would you believe . . . ?
George Zimmerman, stuck in the starving MSM spotlight since his acquittal for the Sanford FL shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin, was pulled over for speeding again!
Naturally, the incident has generated lots of "news" for the edification of those counting blades of grass on their lawns or otherwise busy watching paint dry on their cottages.
The comment threads attached to
some of these articles are downright antic.
# Jonathan Cohen has written a very thoughtful and eloquent essay about the Trayvon-Zimmerman affair.
:: Recommended ::
...
George Zimmerman, stuck in the starving MSM spotlight since his acquittal for the Sanford FL shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin, was pulled over for speeding again!
Naturally, the incident has generated lots of "news" for the edification of those counting blades of grass on their lawns or otherwise busy watching paint dry on their cottages.
The comment threads attached to
some of these articles are downright antic.
# Jonathan Cohen has written a very thoughtful and eloquent essay about the Trayvon-Zimmerman affair.
:: Recommended ::
...
Tuesday, September 3
More Trayvon Agitprop -
The recent commemorations of the 1963 Black Civil Rights March on Washington were substantially marred by the propaganda campaign throughout the week leading up to the ceremonies.
Sybrina Fulton, birth mother of Trayvon Martin, Tracy Martin (reputed to be the teenager's father), and their whiplash lawyer, Benjamin Crump, were traveling around and making so many appearances on TV talk shows that they were very hard to miss. And their message was:
Trayvon was not doing anything
wrong. Trayvon was racially profiled.
I don't see the Sanford shooting incident that way.
At the risk of over-simplification: Profiling is when the FBI takes a group of crimes which they feed into a computer data base, then performs a grep query, and then analyzes the results in an effort to determine any elements these crimes share in common in order to establish whether there is a recognizable pattern in this group of crimes. Perhaps they are looking for a serial bank robber or serial killer. Trayvon Martin was not reported to be part of such a process. He was not racially profiled or profiled at all.
In contrast to the above, Crime Watching involves exactly the opposite process: recognizing pattern disruption. For example, if a homeowner always keeps his basement window locked, but one evening the CW notices it is open.
I believe what the Trayvon Trio really mean to
say is that Trayvon was stereotyped, not profiled.
As far as their contention that Trayvon was not doing anything wrong, I disagree. Since I wasn't there, all I have to go by are the transcripts and testimonies. According to those, Trayvon may have been loitering at other people's mailboxes. I believe this was mentioned in Rachel Jeantel's testimony. Had I been the CW there, I probably would have reported that to the police.
The commemorations of the 1963 Black Civil Rights March on Washington may have given many younger people the incorrect impression that ML King was the singular leader of that movement. Actually, the movement was led by a group of Black Christian Clergymen.
One of those clergymen, Rev Abernathy, recruited me into their struggle. I was persuaded as to the merit of their cause because Rev Abernathy struck me as a real Christian with a strong commitment to his faith.
Most Americans are Christian. This formed the common frame of reference which resulted in the success of their movement.
While I would agree that MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech was very inspirational, we are no longer living in the Sixties. MLK's dream was fulfilled, and it's time to move on to the next chapter of history for the 21st Century.
Yesterday's Christian leadership seems to have been replaced mostly by race-baiting racketeers.
The Sanford Shooting Hoax will go down in the annals of American Legal History in ignominy together with the Tawana Brawley Hoax and the Duke Lacrosse Hoax.
No amount of propaganda is going to change that in my opinion, although some keep trying.
For example: A Hallandale FL woman, Sherry Suttles, has made a 45-minute movie about the shooting of Trayvon Martin called 44 Daze. The focus of her movie is on Sanford town officials and their reactions to the shooting incident. Of course, she's entitled to her opinion. I believe the public benefits from reading or viewing multiple and diverse points of view.
I don't think the Sanford FL shooting of
Trayvon Martin had anything to do with Racism.
Sorry about my lack of blogging
lately, but I've been very busy.
...
Sybrina Fulton, birth mother of Trayvon Martin, Tracy Martin (reputed to be the teenager's father), and their whiplash lawyer, Benjamin Crump, were traveling around and making so many appearances on TV talk shows that they were very hard to miss. And their message was:
Trayvon was not doing anything
wrong. Trayvon was racially profiled.
I don't see the Sanford shooting incident that way.
At the risk of over-simplification: Profiling is when the FBI takes a group of crimes which they feed into a computer data base, then performs a grep query, and then analyzes the results in an effort to determine any elements these crimes share in common in order to establish whether there is a recognizable pattern in this group of crimes. Perhaps they are looking for a serial bank robber or serial killer. Trayvon Martin was not reported to be part of such a process. He was not racially profiled or profiled at all.
In contrast to the above, Crime Watching involves exactly the opposite process: recognizing pattern disruption. For example, if a homeowner always keeps his basement window locked, but one evening the CW notices it is open.
I believe what the Trayvon Trio really mean to
say is that Trayvon was stereotyped, not profiled.
As far as their contention that Trayvon was not doing anything wrong, I disagree. Since I wasn't there, all I have to go by are the transcripts and testimonies. According to those, Trayvon may have been loitering at other people's mailboxes. I believe this was mentioned in Rachel Jeantel's testimony. Had I been the CW there, I probably would have reported that to the police.
The commemorations of the 1963 Black Civil Rights March on Washington may have given many younger people the incorrect impression that ML King was the singular leader of that movement. Actually, the movement was led by a group of Black Christian Clergymen.
One of those clergymen, Rev Abernathy, recruited me into their struggle. I was persuaded as to the merit of their cause because Rev Abernathy struck me as a real Christian with a strong commitment to his faith.
Most Americans are Christian. This formed the common frame of reference which resulted in the success of their movement.
While I would agree that MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech was very inspirational, we are no longer living in the Sixties. MLK's dream was fulfilled, and it's time to move on to the next chapter of history for the 21st Century.
Yesterday's Christian leadership seems to have been replaced mostly by race-baiting racketeers.
The Sanford Shooting Hoax will go down in the annals of American Legal History in ignominy together with the Tawana Brawley Hoax and the Duke Lacrosse Hoax.
No amount of propaganda is going to change that in my opinion, although some keep trying.
For example: A Hallandale FL woman, Sherry Suttles, has made a 45-minute movie about the shooting of Trayvon Martin called 44 Daze. The focus of her movie is on Sanford town officials and their reactions to the shooting incident. Of course, she's entitled to her opinion. I believe the public benefits from reading or viewing multiple and diverse points of view.
I don't think the Sanford FL shooting of
Trayvon Martin had anything to do with Racism.
Sorry about my lack of blogging
lately, but I've been very busy.
...
Tuesday, August 27
The Sanford Legal Sinkhole -
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.
...
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.
...
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.
...
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