Category: Uncategorized

“Are you hungry?”

“Not for food, ” he/she said.

 

“Hello!  I’m here because I’ve got a night free and I’m looking for a sexy young lady who likes to have a good time.”

How nice.

“Well, what do you say?”

To what?

 

Those are recreations of lines from an episode I had not seen in a long time from my favorite sitcom.  They are a lot funnier if you consider them in terms of the sexual innuendo.  In fact, they are not funny at all if you do not consider them in terms of the sexual innuedo.

 

How do you shut-up a lawyer?

Ask him or her about small claims court.

That one’s original.

(more…)

I cannot really do anything about it.  And I hope I never have to experience it.

But I have to steal some of the language.  NY Times and Washington Post have it.

Since this site is about writing–it is about me too, but not all of me–I’ll take a stab at it before I cut and paste.

“Your willful ignorance, obfuscation, and obstruction have resulted in serious concerns including safety, public corruption, and harm to local residents.  You have been told and it has been reported before and you either deny or evade.  You are responsible and these severe conditions must be addressed immediately.

End quote.  Don’t need to close the quotation marks because it is me writing and I don’t need them.  It is always an open quote.

I think that is a fairly bad stab.  That is why I need the original.

It is particularly appropriate as my legal education continues.  First up:  Chris Long and Longevity.

—

“In particular, we have reasonable cause to believe that Alabama routinely violates the constitutional rights of prisoners housed in Alabama’s prisons by failing to protect them from prisoner-on-prisoner violence and prisoner-on-prisoner sexual abuse, and by failing to provide safe conditions,” Justice Department officials wrote in a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. “The violations are exacerbated by serious deficiencies in staffing and supervision and overcrowding.”

That does not really apply.  But we are getting closer.

The department notified the prison system that it could sue in 49 days “if State officials have not satisfactorily addressed our concerns.

“The violations are severe, systemic, and exacerbated by serious deficiencies in staffing and supervision,” the report said, noting that some facilities had fewer than 20 percent of their allotted positions filled. It also cited the use of solitary confinement as a protective measure for vulnerable inmates, and “a high level of violence that is too common, cruel, of an unusual nature, and pervasive.”

This one, not exactly relevant but a blueprint nonetheless.  Remember, artists steal.

“For more than two years, the D.O.J. pursued an investigation of issues that have been the subject of ongoing litigation and the target of significant reforms by the state,” a statement from the office of Gov. Kay Ivey said. “Over the coming months, my Administration will be working closely with D.O.J. to ensure that our mutual concerns are addressed and that we remain steadfast in our commitment to public safety, making certain that this Alabama problem has an Alabama solution.”

I cannot stop.  Helps to go right to the source, the Times:

But the report called the state “deliberately indifferent” to the risks prisoners face, and said, “It has failed to correct known systemic deficiencies that contribute to the violence.” Legislative efforts to reduce overcrowding through measures such as reducing sentences were not made retroactive and have had “minimal effect,” the report said.

“They’re not fixing them,” and we’ll leave it at that.

 

And we’re back because the HBO Elizabeth Holmes shtick is on youtube, probably not for long, and I couldn’t help myself.  Rather I did help myself.

Did that guy really have a beard on half his face?  I don’t mean a light beard, it was half of his face shaven and the other with a beard.  Who is he?

Still, they get better at telling their stories.

 

What I am best able to add is mostly unrelated experience.  I worked in some big company marketing departments.  Besides, I was 19 at one point.

There was a strange comment in the 20/20 doc from a NY Times reporter:  ‘I am always suspicious of big marketing expenditures,’ she said something like, referring to the hiring of Chiat Day advertising and the $6 million dollar retainer.  That is nothing for a national advertising campaign.

That was a turning point in the rollout in that the two ad execs went on camera to tell the story.  They are trying to make advertising claims like “pin prick Walgreen’s blood test,” “4-hour turnaround,” and “200 tests” when this product did not exist.  There was no history of developing such a product either through science or consumers.  There were no defense department contracts, secret or otherwise.  It is not clear at all if Theranos even had a marketing department or customer service department.  They did not even have a website.

Holmes had a $25K a month personal promotions person.

Sunny and Theranos had mounds of data but his role was not to hide it for proprietary or legitimate secrets purposes, it was to hide the cover up.

[The guy’s name is Dan Ariely, behavioral economist.]

What happens when you watch Elizabeth Holmes videos on Youtube?  “How to spot a liar” videos pop up.

She is a con artist like all the rest and she got caught.  I don’t know about the San Francisco district, but I learned from good ‘ol Frank Parlato and NXIVM that the EDNY has a 97% conviction rate.  She is very similar to Bernie Madoff, right down to the visible company and the actual back room offices.

An important learning here is the one really boring vid that popped-up:  A psychopath is always a narcissist, a narcissist is not always a psychopath.  Psychopaths are born; sociopaths are learned.

She continued:  Psychopaths in business are those people who buy a company and say ‘I am going to gut it and take the money.  They say they don’t care and they mean it.’

Anyway, Elizabeth Holmes is one of those.

Another thing that came out is the word “titlement.”  That is a part–maybe the last part of a the series below on this blog–on narcissism on entitlement.

—

As part of my marketing research career I used to do cell phone tests.  We spent a lot of time developing new phones with Motorola when I was with Nextel (a cellular company that later merged with Sprint).  We tested new models, competitors, details around screen size, ergonomics, typing, performance, battery life, and everything else.  Motorola obviously also designed and tested everything having to do with technical performance; my role was, we also tested everything with customers and prospects.

Just like in everything else associated with tech product development, in my experience, we all had spreadsheets surrounding each potential flaw in every beta or further development of a product.

Then there is much further research in terms of marketing.  I’ll just say the 4 P’s, product (above, supposedly developed for a customer need with prospect input), place, price, and promotion.  We did research around everything, including every word in major advertising campaigns.

As far as I can tell Theranos did not really have a marketing department.  Their research was in order to try and develop their machine.  That was Holmes’ mission, to use the company to develop the machine, a machine that could not be made.  The company was basically a(nother) testing lab with a sideline of fraudulently pushing this non-working technology.

That is the part of big company national roll-outs that I know.  There are certainly many aspects of managing a big company that Holmes and Sunny were very bad at.

The rest of it was all fluff and narcissistic visions.

“Miss Holmes, you are magnificent!”  (Watch the HBO doc on youtube too.)

P.S.  I’m not an expert but I think Edison more or less changed the way electricity is delivered to households.  I do not know if that was before or after he invented the light bulb, or how that relates to Holmes.  I’ll have to look into the chronology there with Edison, plus whistleblower laws.

https://www.azag.gov/press-releases/ag-brnovich-obtains-465-million-arizonans-who-purchased-theranos-blood-tests

Link doesn’t work here; it is possible to find the original WSJ article through a PDF online, especially on an Android phone.  It is unspectacular now, but at the time statements surrounding fraud were a very big deal.  Also, excerpts of the book are available through Google books.  The book did not do much for me; I think the writing is ordinary and now, after all the documentaries, it seems most of story has been presented.

But I’ll say this for Mr. Carryrou:  his performance against Boies and the other suits was brilliant.  He had done his homework.  Fraud is not a trade secret.

 

https://abc.go.com/shows/2020/episode-guide/2019-03/15-the-dropout

 

Wow.  I am going to write a little more–narrate, if you will–because this is worth it.

I wouldn’t call her a dropout because two years at Stanford in the pressure cooker she made for herself is more or better higher education than probably 90% of people receive.

But she had no other knowledge or experience.  Worse yet, she had no product.

I defer.  I will not write for now because this is outstanding:

“Just beyond the darkest hour, just behind the dawn.”

I still say it is a happy song.

Duncan, Paul Simon.

Leaves.

 

 

1260 Little Brave Drive

O’Fallon, MO

Home of Mark and Pamela Hupp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I’m confused.  170 Sumac Drive, Troy, MO.  130 Sumac Drive.  One of those is or was the Faria home.  Obviously, they are very similar.  [edit:  I think it is 120 Sumac Drive!]

The one above is the home of the murderess Pam Hupp.  She bought a new car and home shortly after the insurance payout.  I believe the house above is the upgraded one.

These are serious row houses.  The pictures are almost misleading in that there is just enough room to make it look like they are not right on top of each other.  In the back it is not open space or woods, there is a privacy fence.  If you subtract 3 bedrooms from 1300 square feet, there is not a lot of space left.  It is not as if it–the space–is outside either.

If it was Florida, or the mountains, or even California it might be worth it.  But this is Missouri.

(more…)

It is good to be back in the airplane game again because I think I have a solution.  At least I have a course of action.

I’m getting closer to a demand letter.

The legal aspects are challenging, but I know customer satisfaction and there is something very suspicious about D.I.
A.  They have a lot to hide and they are doing it.  Next up we’ll take a look at their website two years after the complaints around her started.

They were all screaming because that is their world (noise).  I’ll refresh their customer satisfaction process in terms of their noise complaint department and their VP of Sustainability.  I’ll see what kind of progress they have made in measurements, community interactions, and all the rest of the things going on that don’t really matter.  I’ll also see what they have done–these actions are only an indicator–in terms of the FAA, who they blame.

“They are designed to fly at 30,000 feet,” he said.  But I digress for now.

The whole thing is a scam reminiscent of American Greed.

Why would they blame the federal government when they are the ones facilitating and allowing it and the FAA says they are responsible?

(more…)

Palo Alto may sue over airplane noise

 

Bonus update.

Lawrenceville, Georgia and Gwinnett County.  Mattew Leili and Nique.

I am getting better at predicting Dateline.  ‘Sometimes she would run away from home.  Once 1 hour.  2 hours.  Once 4 hours.’

“Why do you have 21 surveillance cameras?”

“I sell them.”

For her, two divorces and two daughters by about 30.  They met online, he from NY and she in Georgia.  That he sold pallets of junk on eBay is a euphemism for unemployed.  She was the breadwinner/life insurance holder.  She was annoying and violent but she had the date rape drug in her system!  Let me see…  It was after the Great Recession and they were in debt with two daughters–she had two more–approaching high school.  eBay doesn’t pay much, let alone benefits.

Someone had to do it.

Lest I forget, the Miami pawn shop owner (belongs in the summary below) who also knew fast boats and the drug trade killed his ex because no one is going to take the son out of state.  There is something more, and why they look there, when it comes to kids and domestic relations.

Pawn shop owners and car alarm installers may not make good second husbands.

[ This is what I was looking for.  “The coroner notes that Nique’s feet are completely clean.” ]

***

These stories are fascinating.  Sometimes, in order to really get closure, I look up the homes–I mean pictures of the actual house; the address; search on Google and look at a map to see where it is, the nearest city, real estate prices, etc.  It is like traveling, but it goes a million times further into the lives of people.  They are murderers whose lives are ruined but they are similar to you and me.  They are real families, high schools, neighborhoods, etc.

That is why they resonate, they are real people.  They are also great storytellers.  In the Leili case I thought he was going to go free and it was a crummy prosecution because Dateline really didn’t explain the facts.

But still, it made me want to dig deeper into the real point.  What really matters?

So I didn’t really follow the Leili case.  But the jury convicted him in 3 1/2 hours.

I’m dawdling too.  It is possible everyone made a mistake and Matthew Leili is innocent.  It is almost certain he is guilty.  A) he did it and b) he looked everyone in the eye, including his daughters, and lied.  Maybe it happened accidentally–a rough sex game or other negligent “accident”–in which case he needed to report it, perhaps risk manslaughter or some lesser crime, and thereby get a much lighter sentence.  Also, he would come to grips and admit.

The only other alternative is that he did it intentionally or it was premeditated.  Probably it was the former–they went out on a dinner and movie date that night, she was drugged and here body was dumped naked nearby.

Still beating around the bush?  What does that mean?

The murderers are both violent and con artists.  I guess there are more murders; I prefer just the con artist part and American Greed

Con artists.  They go through their life conning people.  Usually narcissism is a huge part of it.

Just one more…  Russ Faria is not a con artist, but Pamela Hupp is.  Let me see, we’ve already covered Pamela Phillips and we started with Pamela Smart a long time ago.

—

Aurea Vazquez Rijos

It was on the frontpage of the Washington Post.  It is not my fault!

This week’s winner is Aurea.  Only this week was she sentenced to life.

The case is similar to Nanette Johnston — Latin, considered attractive, money hungry, and ruthless.  For both a marriage to a wealthy American or Canadian was cause for the whole family to get behind fortune hunting and murder.

Like the Gary Triano case, the woman fled to Europe.

This one has a bit of a Jewish Nazi hunter angle to it.  And what is just off-the-charts diabolical, she actually sought asylum in Israel as a Jew.  But the absolute kicker is mothering a child in a Spanish jail to try and avoid extradition by having a Spanish citizen child.  She became pregnant while in prison by an inmate; they were married (allowed in prison) and thus conjugal visits?  Anyway, she was hunted down for years, finally extradited, and just now thrown in a Texas slammer for life.  She is Puerto Rican, the murder occurred in old San Juan, and Adam Anhang was Canadian.  The FBI–in Puerto Rico–solved it after the local police bungled it by arresting, charging, and convicting the wrong man.

Elsewhere, German exchange student kangaroos in Missoula.  Sorry, garage hoppers.  If you leave your garage door open and have a big refrigerator full of beer, they will take it.  Not a good idea because they also target the same houses and steal cell phones and cash.  If one is driving and another sneaks in with a flashlight, I can see how they would do it and get away with it.  Cruising around it doesn’t take a genius to tell a open door from a closed ones.

There is something somewhere in the law addressing proportionality.  Who gets to decide when something important becomes a concept?  For now, this is literature and not legal writing.

I have never been to Montana.  Some day I will get in the car and drive there.  I live in Colorado and I understand the problem of law enforcement not doing anything.

Once again, just spending time watching Dateline NBC is infectious.  But I cannot always find what I am looking for and freebies on Dailymotion are a crapshoot.  I doesn’t matter as they are all interesting.  Most of the time they are different.  And it is fun to watch the new ones, versus the old ones.  Criminals adapt to technology and things like social media.  Certainly cell phones…  Use a burner!

Last word?  $3 million for the killing.  She wanted $8 million.  It sounds like a high-level negotiation.

Jacinda Ardern

What am I reading?  Jacinda Ardern photos.  Videos are no fun either.