White privilege and BLM collided a couple of days ago. President Donald Trump's home and signature building, Trump Tower, got tagged. None other than Democrat Mayor of New York City, Bill deBlasio (tall guy in blue shirt below), helped paint Black Lives Matter on the street in front of Trump's home. Republicans thought the tag job was bush league, but Democrats felt it wonderful that what started in Washington, D.C. a while back had made it to Trump's … [Read more...]
Crime – Car repair fraud – Tutorial for all of us & True-Crime Writers.
As I've noted in prior blogs, there's all manner of fraud abroad in the land.* True crime fans and writers might want to bone up on car repair fraud. Most of us lucky enough to own vehicles have experienced such fraud. Thus many readers can relate to it. And car repair fraud sometimes has a "wow" factor that writers strive for. Car repair fraud can even be elegant in its simplicity as the video below shows. A trend in writing true-crime stories is to make criminals so clever and resourceful … [Read more...]
“Just Mercy” author addresses issues raised by George Floyd’s death.
In my last blog, I passed along a progressive black man's take on the massive George Floyd protests. It was written by a Harvard Law grad who is a proponent of nonviolence. I'm giving time in today's blog to a moderate black man's take on the issue of racism raised by the protests. Attorney Bryan Stevenson, also a Harvard Law grad, is having a bit of a moment. The movie of his book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption has just been released. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, … [Read more...]
Unusual and Usual discrimination in America – George Floyd’s death.
My blogs and this website concern themselves in large part with unusual types of discrimination. So I write about the discrimnation in favor of wealthy, smart, or talented people. For example, the criminal justice system is biased towards many celebrities. They essentially get away with murder, as I explain in my forthcoming book, Privileged Killers. But recent weeks have shown me that we must deal with the usual kinds of discrimination in the U.S. And it's not just the underprivileged … [Read more...]
Lori Loughlin getting less prison time ‘n other Admission Cheats!
A quick update in the long-simmering college admission scandal. The Lori Loughlin shoe has now dropped in the scandal, long after the Huffman one did. See my blog here for my predictions about this case would turn out for privileged celebs. Lori Loughlin, designer hubby, spent months fighting charges In a stunning development Hollywood star Lori Loughlin and her husband signed plea deals and admitted guilt yesterday. Her attractive face frowning at times, and nodding sadly at others, … [Read more...]
Answering the question, Is the Joker a Psychopath?
I noted in a recent piece that I'd deal with the question, is the Joker a psychopath? Of course, it matters a lot which portrayal of the Joker we're talking about. Sheltering in place has given many people time to watch various movies. Of the many featuring the Joker, most have probably see Heath Ledger's The Dark Knight and/or Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. To keep things manageable, let's choose Ledger's version in The Dark Knight, knowing there's nothing ever definitive about a fictional … [Read more...]
Celebrate a killer or his victim on Earth Day? Ira vs Holly.
Who're you supporting if your choices are Ira and Holly? National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) is this week. So is Earth Week which features today, Earth Day, which celebrates its Golden Anniversary. Earth Week There are stories looking at the silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic. It's the seeming lack of pollution globally. Though some claim hi up atmospheric gases still loom ominously. And there are also stories … [Read more...]