Sunday, June 16, 2013
Just a quick note....
I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Father's Day to all the dads, step-dads, granddads and step-granddads out there. Being a father is an important and integral part of a child's life. May you day be blessed with good company and tasty cookout food! Until next time......
Friday, June 14, 2013
The next big thing
Happy Friday all! As you may be aware, jury selection is under way in the George Zimmerman trial. A few people have asked me if I'll be watching and for my thoughts about the case. Here they are...
Let me say upfront that I have not watched or followed the proceedings in the Zimmerman case nearly as closely as I did with Jodi Arias. I do believe, however, I will watch some of the Zimmerman trial, I'm just not sure if I will be as glued to my TV screen or computer. I do believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty so I will reserve my final opinion until I get a chance to see all the evidence. That being said, however, there are a few conclusions I believe I have already drawn.
I do not believe that vigilante justice should be allowed in our country. Yes, I think that alert and proactive citizens are a necessary part of making our cities and towns safe for all of us but there is a reason that police officers are the ones tasked with upholding the law and a very good reason they are the ones who carry guns. They have endured rigorous training which prepares them for the types of situations that occur on a daily basis. Sadly, that is not even enough for some of them. I believe firmly in the United States Constitution and specifically the right to bear arms, although I personally have never owned a gun and don't plan on it anytime soon (potential burglars be aware....I'm still a very big guy and I have plenty of knives and a baseball bat). All that being true, however, I find it a scary thought to think of a bunch of armed individuals who take it upon themselves to administer justice. George Zimmerman had no right or obligation, in my humble opinion, to do anything more than dial 911. Once he proceeded to act past that, and indeed in direct violation of what the 911 operator had told him, I believe he stepped outside the bounds of what an ordinary citizen is expected, required or even allowed to do.
As such, George Zimmerman broke the law. I don't believe that anyone has a legal or moral right to provoke a confrontation and then to claim self defense. Had he done nothing more than call 911, Trayvon Martin would probably be alive and well today. But he didn't. He picked a fight, contrary to what he was told, and then finished the fight with an overwhelming display of force against a young man who carried nothing but a package of skittles and a bottle of coke. It really is of little consequence to me that George may have suffered wounds in the attack. Trayvon Martin had no idea who George Zimmerman may have been and, in fact, he is the one who would've been justified in claiming self defense. Given the same situation, I would have fought like hell if confronted by a mysterious individual.
I do believe that George Zimmerman is guilty of something. I'm not sure the prosecution will be able to meet the legal requirements to prove second degree murder however. It seems more like a reckless homicide to me. I'm not sure if there are lesser offenses included in the charge, but I just have a feeling the prosecution will have a hard time proving the elements of second degree murder.
Until next time.................this is Steve, over and out.
Let me say upfront that I have not watched or followed the proceedings in the Zimmerman case nearly as closely as I did with Jodi Arias. I do believe, however, I will watch some of the Zimmerman trial, I'm just not sure if I will be as glued to my TV screen or computer. I do believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty so I will reserve my final opinion until I get a chance to see all the evidence. That being said, however, there are a few conclusions I believe I have already drawn.
I do not believe that vigilante justice should be allowed in our country. Yes, I think that alert and proactive citizens are a necessary part of making our cities and towns safe for all of us but there is a reason that police officers are the ones tasked with upholding the law and a very good reason they are the ones who carry guns. They have endured rigorous training which prepares them for the types of situations that occur on a daily basis. Sadly, that is not even enough for some of them. I believe firmly in the United States Constitution and specifically the right to bear arms, although I personally have never owned a gun and don't plan on it anytime soon (potential burglars be aware....I'm still a very big guy and I have plenty of knives and a baseball bat). All that being true, however, I find it a scary thought to think of a bunch of armed individuals who take it upon themselves to administer justice. George Zimmerman had no right or obligation, in my humble opinion, to do anything more than dial 911. Once he proceeded to act past that, and indeed in direct violation of what the 911 operator had told him, I believe he stepped outside the bounds of what an ordinary citizen is expected, required or even allowed to do.
As such, George Zimmerman broke the law. I don't believe that anyone has a legal or moral right to provoke a confrontation and then to claim self defense. Had he done nothing more than call 911, Trayvon Martin would probably be alive and well today. But he didn't. He picked a fight, contrary to what he was told, and then finished the fight with an overwhelming display of force against a young man who carried nothing but a package of skittles and a bottle of coke. It really is of little consequence to me that George may have suffered wounds in the attack. Trayvon Martin had no idea who George Zimmerman may have been and, in fact, he is the one who would've been justified in claiming self defense. Given the same situation, I would have fought like hell if confronted by a mysterious individual.
I do believe that George Zimmerman is guilty of something. I'm not sure the prosecution will be able to meet the legal requirements to prove second degree murder however. It seems more like a reckless homicide to me. I'm not sure if there are lesser offenses included in the charge, but I just have a feeling the prosecution will have a hard time proving the elements of second degree murder.
Until next time.................this is Steve, over and out.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
BREAKING NEWS WARNING-this post contains some adult language and themes
Apparently, the dynamic duo of Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Wilmott of Jodi Arias trial fame are back at it again. In their bid to shatter the Guiness World Record for most non-sensical motions in a jury trial, Bigfoot and his teenaged sidekick have filed yet another ridiculous brief with the beleaguered court. Rumor has it, that Ms. Wilmott owns stock in several paper companies and is attempting to use her position to increase the value of her investments.
This time, Wilmott and Nurmi are attempting to have the new penalty phase of the Arias trial delayed until January of next year. The world's most infuriating defense team cites as excuses.....errr.....reasons for the proposed delay two separate items: 1) That Nurmi has been on a nonstop eating binge to soothe himself since his number one client was found guilty of premeditated murder. This has resulted in his gaining an additional 100 lbs and both rendering his fashionable wardrobe about 10 sizes too small and preventing him from finding his penis. He estimates it would take him at least until Christmas to remedy the latter problem and 2) that Jen has far too many sorority engagements this summer to be bothered by an annoying trial. As an alternative, Nurmi has proposed that a hearing be held where he gets to question all the witnesses. This should delay things at least until 2020.
This observer hopes that the judge has enough sense to see through these despicable ploys. My bet is that she grants it, at least to some degree, because she's so paranoid about appellate issues. My money is on starting around November, which is totally unfair to the Alexander family. But hey, this is America, the home of the brave and the land of free cable for inmates.
This time, Wilmott and Nurmi are attempting to have the new penalty phase of the Arias trial delayed until January of next year. The world's most infuriating defense team cites as excuses.....errr.....reasons for the proposed delay two separate items: 1) That Nurmi has been on a nonstop eating binge to soothe himself since his number one client was found guilty of premeditated murder. This has resulted in his gaining an additional 100 lbs and both rendering his fashionable wardrobe about 10 sizes too small and preventing him from finding his penis. He estimates it would take him at least until Christmas to remedy the latter problem and 2) that Jen has far too many sorority engagements this summer to be bothered by an annoying trial. As an alternative, Nurmi has proposed that a hearing be held where he gets to question all the witnesses. This should delay things at least until 2020.
This observer hopes that the judge has enough sense to see through these despicable ploys. My bet is that she grants it, at least to some degree, because she's so paranoid about appellate issues. My money is on starting around November, which is totally unfair to the Alexander family. But hey, this is America, the home of the brave and the land of free cable for inmates.
Some more oldies but goodies.....
Here are a couple of more parodies I created during the Arias trial.
The Duh-Fense (To the tune of the Flintstones' theme song)
The Duh-Fense (To the tune of the Flintstones' theme song)
Duhfense, meet the Duhfense,
they're a lesson in absurdity.
Led by, Three Hole Wonder,
Matching clothes and making up stor-ies.
Wilmott, with a less than cool haircut,
Nurmi, slow and dumb with a big gut.
When you're, with the Duhfense,
there really are no true words,
there are not true words,
they can't tell the truth!
Alyce the Buck Toothed Witness (To the tune of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer)
Alyce the buck toothed witness,
had a pile of lies to tell,
so she came to the courtroom,
from her smarmy place in hell.
All of the trial watchers,
knew she was a big nitwit.
They tried to keep from retching,
while she spewed a bunch of shit.
Then one "foggy" day in May,
Jodi came to say,
"Alyce, you've done me no good,
I'm stuck eating jailhouse food."
Alyce just laughed and smiled,
as she shouted out with glee,
"I'm gonna get my teeth fixed,
with your load of tax mo-ney!"
Love the ones you're with...
Good morning, loyal readers (or are we down to just one now?). I apologize for my extended absence. As I said, sometimes life with three young kids, a house, etc, gets in the way. But I'm back, and this time with an important message.
First, allow me to furnish you some background information. A couple of weeks ago, my wife insisted that our entire family start following what is known as the Paleo diet. In simplest terms, my wife told me, you are supposed to eat what the cavemen would.(In defiance, I told her I was taking it a step further and would be bathing as a caveman would. In other words-NEVER!). You see, Steve is, always has been, and (until last night) probably always would've been. a meat and potatoes kinda guy. My diet has never been the best. I eat a lot of junk, don't eat many fruits and vegetables and if you told me I'd die tomorrow if I continued eating red meat, well, then I'd probably die tomorrow. I don't take kindly to someone trying to take away my chips, chocolate, etc. In my defense, while I am overweight, my blood pressure continues to be steady and not a problem and the only aspect about my health that is even slightly concerning is that my triglycerides are a bit high (but not even close to high enough to require medical intervention). So, in short, I see no reason why I should have to change my diet, seeing as how it doesn't seem to be affecting me very much at all and I've been eating pretty much the same way for 43 years. I'm not in the best of shape right now, but there have been many times in my life when I exercised regularly and was fit and trim. So, of course, I said pshaw to my wife's newest diet fad (she's been through several of them. Hope she isn't reading this.) That was, until, last night.
I was informed last night that a high school classmate of mine had a severe heart attack. As of now, he's in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. And he's my age! Heart attacks (at least of the severe variety) happen to people much later in life, don't they? Well, apparently not. I have always considered Bill to be a great guy. He is admired by most of our classmates as far as I can tell and he's always been a friend to me. He started his own business awhile back and has built it to the point where it is much respected. In fact, he posted on his Facebook account just last week that his business would be listed as a preferred vendor on Angie's List and that he was opening an office (to this point, he has worked out of his home). And now this?
I have been unable to think of much else since I learned late last evening about Bill's condition. Most of that is because I consider Bill one of the good people on this earth and I sincerely hope that he is able to pull through and get back to his usual self. But I believe some part of my preoccupation has to do with my own mortality and the thought that someone my age could suffer such a serious heart attack. It really makes me think about my own situation.
I'm not intimately knowledgeable of Bill's diet or his exercise habits. I don't know if there are things he could've done to prevent this. All I know is that I am the father of two young sons and I want to be around for a long time, to watch them grow and someday start families of their own. I owe it to them to be here as long as I possibly can. And that's what I'm gonna do. Perhaps eating like a caveman won't be so bad, if it lets me spend just a little more precious time with my boys.
Today, I would like to ask each and every one of you to hug and kiss your loved ones and let them know just how much they mean to you. You never know when you won't get that chance again. Until next time, take care.
First, allow me to furnish you some background information. A couple of weeks ago, my wife insisted that our entire family start following what is known as the Paleo diet. In simplest terms, my wife told me, you are supposed to eat what the cavemen would.(In defiance, I told her I was taking it a step further and would be bathing as a caveman would. In other words-NEVER!). You see, Steve is, always has been, and (until last night) probably always would've been. a meat and potatoes kinda guy. My diet has never been the best. I eat a lot of junk, don't eat many fruits and vegetables and if you told me I'd die tomorrow if I continued eating red meat, well, then I'd probably die tomorrow. I don't take kindly to someone trying to take away my chips, chocolate, etc. In my defense, while I am overweight, my blood pressure continues to be steady and not a problem and the only aspect about my health that is even slightly concerning is that my triglycerides are a bit high (but not even close to high enough to require medical intervention). So, in short, I see no reason why I should have to change my diet, seeing as how it doesn't seem to be affecting me very much at all and I've been eating pretty much the same way for 43 years. I'm not in the best of shape right now, but there have been many times in my life when I exercised regularly and was fit and trim. So, of course, I said pshaw to my wife's newest diet fad (she's been through several of them. Hope she isn't reading this.) That was, until, last night.
I was informed last night that a high school classmate of mine had a severe heart attack. As of now, he's in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. And he's my age! Heart attacks (at least of the severe variety) happen to people much later in life, don't they? Well, apparently not. I have always considered Bill to be a great guy. He is admired by most of our classmates as far as I can tell and he's always been a friend to me. He started his own business awhile back and has built it to the point where it is much respected. In fact, he posted on his Facebook account just last week that his business would be listed as a preferred vendor on Angie's List and that he was opening an office (to this point, he has worked out of his home). And now this?
I have been unable to think of much else since I learned late last evening about Bill's condition. Most of that is because I consider Bill one of the good people on this earth and I sincerely hope that he is able to pull through and get back to his usual self. But I believe some part of my preoccupation has to do with my own mortality and the thought that someone my age could suffer such a serious heart attack. It really makes me think about my own situation.
I'm not intimately knowledgeable of Bill's diet or his exercise habits. I don't know if there are things he could've done to prevent this. All I know is that I am the father of two young sons and I want to be around for a long time, to watch them grow and someday start families of their own. I owe it to them to be here as long as I possibly can. And that's what I'm gonna do. Perhaps eating like a caveman won't be so bad, if it lets me spend just a little more precious time with my boys.
Today, I would like to ask each and every one of you to hug and kiss your loved ones and let them know just how much they mean to you. You never know when you won't get that chance again. Until next time, take care.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Okay, so I may have been a bit ambitious.....
Happy Tuesday to both of my loyal readers. I hope you're still there seeing as how it's been a few days since I graced you with something new. About that....
It seems my goal to write an entry every day may have been a bit ambitious. The responsibilities that come with raising three children and tending to a house and yard have sometimes left me wanting to do nothing but veg out. As such, I'd look for my entries to become just a bit fewer and far between. I'm not talking large tracts of time here, maybe just an entry every other day or so. This past weekend, I tackled some pretty big cleaning projects and it left me a bit weary. I love to write, but sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. So, I'll see you shortly. Until then, take care. Oh, by the way, if either one of you has a suggestion for a topic, I'm open. Thanks for all your patronage. Ta ta for now.
It seems my goal to write an entry every day may have been a bit ambitious. The responsibilities that come with raising three children and tending to a house and yard have sometimes left me wanting to do nothing but veg out. As such, I'd look for my entries to become just a bit fewer and far between. I'm not talking large tracts of time here, maybe just an entry every other day or so. This past weekend, I tackled some pretty big cleaning projects and it left me a bit weary. I love to write, but sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. So, I'll see you shortly. Until then, take care. Oh, by the way, if either one of you has a suggestion for a topic, I'm open. Thanks for all your patronage. Ta ta for now.
Friday, June 7, 2013
First degree, premeditated
I ventured over to Occupy HLN on Facebook several days ago and have started a back and forth with one of the obviously disturbed individuals there. I'm sure that any day now, they'll post on that page that the moon landing was indeed fake and that they have evidence that JFK and Elvis are really alive and well on some remote island somewhere. JFK might have a few motor skills issues though.
I am still amazed at the people who make asinine claims that Jodi is innocent or it wasn't premeditated or even that Travis abused her (including, apparently, 4 of the 12 jurors). I fail to see how these people were even watching the same trial I was. I'm convinced that they didn't, that they only saw parts of it. I mean, people can't really be that stupid can they?
One of the issues that always stuck in my craw was the fact that naysayers stated that the disorganization and messiness of the crime scene dictated that this could not have been a premeditated crime. Jodi is so smart and surely such an Einstein would not leave the scene in such disarray had she planned it. I have a theory about that and have had it all along. I was lucky to have an experience while finishing up my undergraduate degree that helped me to connect the dots. Jodi may be smart but apparently she watches too many movies and too much TV.
Let's hop in our time machine really quickly and head on back to the summer of 1994. A certain future blogger was taking two classes in each summer session in order to get his degree in August. All I had to take was electives. As most of you should know, I have a very keen interest in the law, so those are the classes I chose to take that summer. Among them were Trial Courts and Criminal Justice and An Introduction to Law Enforcement (both were senior level classes). A captain with the Indianapolis Police Department taught the Law Enforcement class and this is where I would learn the knowledge to help me refute those that say a messy crime scene leaned against premeditation. How? Well, I'll tell you.
The average person who watches TV or movies has a very unrealistic and sanitary view of the dying process for most human beings. In most cop shows or war movies, an individual takes one round, may make a slight sound and falls on the ground motionless in a neat, tidy demise. I grew up watching all the old war movies as a young man and one that sticks out quite clearly to me is the scene at the end of The Sands of Iwo Jima, where John Wayne's character Sgt. Striker takes a bullet to the back and goes quickly and quietly into the next life. This just isn't how it happens. Our good IPD captain endeavored to give us an education into that process. It was, to date, the most shocking thing I have seen.
The first thing the captain did was to tell us about an episode that has since come to be known as The FBI murders. This incident changed the way law enforcement across the country performed felony stops. There is a cheesy movie starring Michael Gross and David Soul as the bad guys that runs from time to time on one of the lesser cable networks. The basic details are as follows: in 1986, there was a rash of armed bank robberies in the Miami area. To make a long story short, the suspects were finally cornered by several cars full of FBI agents and a shootout ensued. When all was said and done, two FBI agents and both suspects lay dead. The part that is absolutely fascinating to me, relevant to the current discussion and would be mind-blowing to the average person is that both suspects each suffered several fatal wounds each. At autopsy, the coroner said the first bullet to strike one of them should've have killed him rapidly but he continued shooting it out with the FBI for several minutes afterward. This incident does an awesome job (if you can check out the movie, I would) of downplaying the average person's conception of what it takes to kill another human being. And lest you are thinking that drugs must've had something to do with it, both suspects were on NOTHING but adrenaline.
The second thing the good captain did was much more alarming, because it involved live people. He showed the class an actual surveillance video of a convenience store being robbed at gunpoint. And it wasn't a small gun either. The thief in question was packing a .357 magnum, the kind that blows big holes in anything it's used against. Unfortunately, this particular clerk went against the universal advice to give the crook whatever he wanted and began to argue with him. The villain was not amused and fired point blank into the woman's chest. She was not thrown back, she did not fall down immediately. In fact, the only way to tell that she'd been shot was the large hole that had appeared in her left shoulder blade. The robber ran and the rest of the tape played out as the woman pleaded with 911 to come and save her. She lasted about a minute and a half, with a point blank discharge from a .357 into her chest. To this day, it is one of the most horrifying and shocking things I have ever laid my eyes on. Absolutely disturbing.
So why has Steve regaled you with tales of his education? Let me bring it all back around, loyal readers. If you look at where Travis ended up on June 4, 2008, I believe you gain insight into Jodi's thinking. That's where she had planned on him staying all along. Relying on her false impressions from years of watching TV and movies, Jodi intended to get Travis in the shower in a vulnerable position, stab him or shoot him once, he'd die quickly, she'd wash him off and be on her merry way with no one the wiser. Except that people don't die in real life like they do in the movies and Travis didn't cooperate. He fought hard and created the messy and disorganized crime scene for which Jodi had not prepared. She had limited time to clean up what she could because Travis' roommate was due home soon. Her hurried and frenzied cleanup made her bound to make mistakes (like leaving the camera in the washing machine). So contrary to what some people have said, the condition of the crime scene does not mean she didn't plan to murder Travis, but rather that the plan she did have was flawed.
There you have it, loyal readers. Ammunition for the next time that a Jodi lover tries to work their magic on you. Until next time..........
I am still amazed at the people who make asinine claims that Jodi is innocent or it wasn't premeditated or even that Travis abused her (including, apparently, 4 of the 12 jurors). I fail to see how these people were even watching the same trial I was. I'm convinced that they didn't, that they only saw parts of it. I mean, people can't really be that stupid can they?
One of the issues that always stuck in my craw was the fact that naysayers stated that the disorganization and messiness of the crime scene dictated that this could not have been a premeditated crime. Jodi is so smart and surely such an Einstein would not leave the scene in such disarray had she planned it. I have a theory about that and have had it all along. I was lucky to have an experience while finishing up my undergraduate degree that helped me to connect the dots. Jodi may be smart but apparently she watches too many movies and too much TV.
Let's hop in our time machine really quickly and head on back to the summer of 1994. A certain future blogger was taking two classes in each summer session in order to get his degree in August. All I had to take was electives. As most of you should know, I have a very keen interest in the law, so those are the classes I chose to take that summer. Among them were Trial Courts and Criminal Justice and An Introduction to Law Enforcement (both were senior level classes). A captain with the Indianapolis Police Department taught the Law Enforcement class and this is where I would learn the knowledge to help me refute those that say a messy crime scene leaned against premeditation. How? Well, I'll tell you.
The average person who watches TV or movies has a very unrealistic and sanitary view of the dying process for most human beings. In most cop shows or war movies, an individual takes one round, may make a slight sound and falls on the ground motionless in a neat, tidy demise. I grew up watching all the old war movies as a young man and one that sticks out quite clearly to me is the scene at the end of The Sands of Iwo Jima, where John Wayne's character Sgt. Striker takes a bullet to the back and goes quickly and quietly into the next life. This just isn't how it happens. Our good IPD captain endeavored to give us an education into that process. It was, to date, the most shocking thing I have seen.
The first thing the captain did was to tell us about an episode that has since come to be known as The FBI murders. This incident changed the way law enforcement across the country performed felony stops. There is a cheesy movie starring Michael Gross and David Soul as the bad guys that runs from time to time on one of the lesser cable networks. The basic details are as follows: in 1986, there was a rash of armed bank robberies in the Miami area. To make a long story short, the suspects were finally cornered by several cars full of FBI agents and a shootout ensued. When all was said and done, two FBI agents and both suspects lay dead. The part that is absolutely fascinating to me, relevant to the current discussion and would be mind-blowing to the average person is that both suspects each suffered several fatal wounds each. At autopsy, the coroner said the first bullet to strike one of them should've have killed him rapidly but he continued shooting it out with the FBI for several minutes afterward. This incident does an awesome job (if you can check out the movie, I would) of downplaying the average person's conception of what it takes to kill another human being. And lest you are thinking that drugs must've had something to do with it, both suspects were on NOTHING but adrenaline.
The second thing the good captain did was much more alarming, because it involved live people. He showed the class an actual surveillance video of a convenience store being robbed at gunpoint. And it wasn't a small gun either. The thief in question was packing a .357 magnum, the kind that blows big holes in anything it's used against. Unfortunately, this particular clerk went against the universal advice to give the crook whatever he wanted and began to argue with him. The villain was not amused and fired point blank into the woman's chest. She was not thrown back, she did not fall down immediately. In fact, the only way to tell that she'd been shot was the large hole that had appeared in her left shoulder blade. The robber ran and the rest of the tape played out as the woman pleaded with 911 to come and save her. She lasted about a minute and a half, with a point blank discharge from a .357 into her chest. To this day, it is one of the most horrifying and shocking things I have ever laid my eyes on. Absolutely disturbing.
So why has Steve regaled you with tales of his education? Let me bring it all back around, loyal readers. If you look at where Travis ended up on June 4, 2008, I believe you gain insight into Jodi's thinking. That's where she had planned on him staying all along. Relying on her false impressions from years of watching TV and movies, Jodi intended to get Travis in the shower in a vulnerable position, stab him or shoot him once, he'd die quickly, she'd wash him off and be on her merry way with no one the wiser. Except that people don't die in real life like they do in the movies and Travis didn't cooperate. He fought hard and created the messy and disorganized crime scene for which Jodi had not prepared. She had limited time to clean up what she could because Travis' roommate was due home soon. Her hurried and frenzied cleanup made her bound to make mistakes (like leaving the camera in the washing machine). So contrary to what some people have said, the condition of the crime scene does not mean she didn't plan to murder Travis, but rather that the plan she did have was flawed.
There you have it, loyal readers. Ammunition for the next time that a Jodi lover tries to work their magic on you. Until next time..........
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