A Special Guy From New Jersey Has Left The Stage

There was only one Frank Sinatra and thankfully he left lots of recordings and videos. Sinatra came to a Chicago Police Recognition Ceremony at McCormic Place. We all loved this guy.

Long ago he sang this sondheim hit, Send In The Clowns. Enjoy.

New Technology Crime Fighting Tools In Chicago

There are more new tools than just Ghettocams. Of course all this stuff has to be operational as advertised. George Orwell’s clock was just running a little fast when he wrote, 1984.

The first video can be found right here

The second video can is below:

Why I Don't Miss Being A Cop In Chicago…

I was looking for videos on You Tube and I found a heartwarming one featuring little neighborhood filmmakers expressing themselves!

Where Did The Telephone Booth Go?

They used to be everywhere, but not anymore. Today people with cell phones rudely share their conversations with anyone within earshot. If we brought back the phone booth, I bet people would like them and use them.

Its time for the restaurants, bars, hotels, and other businesses to bring these things back along with a little civilization and class.

We need to give Superman a break while we’re at it. Watch the below video...

Weller Guilty Verdict came from the paranormal

Let me first make no secret that I hate American juries. There are supposed to be comprised of our peers but they never are. The people ultimately seated are the factory and government workers who don’t have lives and don’t lose money for their duty. The others present are the fools who are just not smart enough to get out of serving. They don’t want to be there. The most frightening juror of all is the one that actually wants to be there. I call him or her the avenging angel that wants to help the cops and prosecutors put defendants away.

During the selection process it’s impossible to guess which jurors will be fair or at least leave their biases outside. One thing I’ve learned is that jurors too often lie under oath when answering the questions from the lawyers during the Voir dire.

Today the jury in the George Weller case convicted him for 10 counts of Vehicular Manslaughter With Gross Negligence. The 89 year-old man now is facing 18 years behind bars as a result of the conviction. Weller is in poor health and was not even required to face the inquisition beyond the opening statements.

The charges came as a result of that horrible accident killing ten and also maimed 63 others at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market three years ago. Experts agreed it was caused by, “Pedal Error”.

To find Gross Negligence, the jury would have had to been able to read George Weller’s mind. The prosecutor’s twisted Weller’s statements of remorse and sadness about the carnage into a confession. The jury bought the prosecutors’s theory and rejected their own common sense. Even when juries do the right thing it's almost always for the wrong reasons.

The jury was bombarded with the most ghoulish pictures and video the prosecutors could find. Yes, the results of the accident were as bad as it gets. The Guilty Verdict won’t bring the dead back or cure the poor bastards that were crippled.

It’s unlikely that Weller will live to see all of his appeals run or his conviction finalized. The jury has added some killer stress to Weller’s remaining time on this earth. The door is now open for the litigation parasites to loot Weller’s estate for every dime he has. They want to insure he gets a pauper’s funeral when that time comes.

Who ever said all men were created equal or that life is fair lied. My advice to everyone is to stay out of court.

October 21 update: The L.A. Times gave this story a lot of coverage and you can see it here.

Trunk Monkey Series Re-Dux

I have some repeated requests for the Trunk Monkey videos. Here they are!

A Pair Of Guns For Concealed Carry

Click on picture to enlarge.

Here are a couple of my favorites. On the left is a Sig-Sauer #P-245 .45 ACP. The pictured Sig has the short six shot magazine or you can used the extended eight shot version. This is a wonderful defensive handgun for your pocket or a suitable holster.

On the right is that little Smith & Wesson, Model #340 PD, five shot .357 Magnum with a great pair of Eagle Grips, genuine buffalo horn grips. This is light as a feather to carry. Don’t expect a lot of performance from the .357 round out of this tiny barrel. That little thing is so light it’s easy to forget your carrying a gun. That’s not so cool if you are about enter a TSA checkpoint at the airport!

All things being equal, I’d rather have the Sig in a tight spot any day. The Sig is equipped with fabulous night sights.

ABC Newsman Bob Woodruff Returning To News

I was getting very concerned that this ABC announcement would never come. But my friend Bob Woodruff is returning to reporting and will soon have a book out dealing with his life and injuries.

I wish Bob, Lee and their children the best as life gave a rare second chance to a talented lawyer turned gifted newsman.

NBC Universal Setting The Trend Of The Future

With 700 NBC Universal employees being paroled to the streets of America during the next year. Big changes are coming. The truth is that every established media company in America will be dumping employees at an equally fast and furious rate. The broadcasting world as we knew it is changing even more rapidly than anyone could have imagined.

I expect great Internet blogs, vlogs and video sites in Cyberspace. The quality of what we called mainstream news will be bottoming out soon. That, while the blogs and vlogs improve with more resources and talent. Operating a blog or vlog gives a journalist complete freedom to do whatever story’s desired. The days of pitching a story at morning or afternoon news meetings are over! The new bloggers will be independent business people responsible for promotion and selling advertising.

It’s clear that America has reduced their attention span to watching mindless, three-minute, really lame videos on You Tube rather than read books, newspapers or watch TV news.

Look for a new group of Internet personalities and celebrities to emerge thorough the age of You Tube. Here is a sad example of what you can expect:

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Brush With Crime

This morning, the good Mayor’s driver was beaten and carjacked by a pair of fine New Jersey citizens. They dumped the Mayor’s car in New Jersey where it was recovered.

Perhaps after the Billionaire Mayor gets a first hand account of personal violence from his own driver he may rethink his stand to strip law-abiding citizens of their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Does Bloomberg really want the law-abiding people defenseless?

It’s time for right to carry concealed weapons permits in New York too.

The Official Crimefile Review of, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

When I saw, Saving Private Ryan, I thought no World War II picture could top that. I was wrong. The biggest difference in this film was waiting for those familiar handsome major stars to show up but they never arrived. What I got were well established but lesser known actors who were probably cast in the best roles so far in their careers. Ordinary faces were cast to play ordinary young men

This is not so much a story about heroes but about American politician’s use and abuse of symbols and showmanship to lead the country in their desired direction. Such was the case for three of six ordinary young men who had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That place of course was Iwo Jima and their deed was being in Joe Rosenthal’s famous flag raising photograph taken Feb. 23, 1945. Rosenthal was an Associated Press photographer who took that Pulitzer Prize-winning picture. The three surviving boys' reward was being recruited help sell war bonds through an elaborate dog and pony show during the darkest time of the war.

These boys were revered as heroes not for their sacrifice and suffering but for raising the flag. The following outstanding young actors played the flag raising heroes:
Ryan Phillippeas, John "Doc" Bradley
Jesse Bradford as Rene Gagnon
Adam Beach as Ira Hayes

The most complex character of the film is the alcoholic and troubled, American Indian, Ira Hayes. I fully expect an Academy Award nomination for Adam Beach’s effort here.

I have to say that the period costumes and props were a realistic work of art. No expense was spared bringing the audience to Iwo Jima's ring-side seats.

The screenplay was first rate and the story perfectly told by those master film makers Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg.

Of course I fully expect too many of the politically correct mainstream reviewers, who hate war films to color their reviews with their personal baggage.

Yes, I recommend this film as one of the better offerings Hollywood has produced in the last several years.

You can find the trailer and additional information here.

Acquitted Taxi Driver Alexander Terminassian Will Never See Justice

52 year-old taxi driver, Alexander Terminassian just woke up at the end of a year-long nightmare. This all began when a drunken illegal alien assaulted Terminassian nearly a year ago in Hollywood. Terminassian fearing for his life used a Kahr 9MM to end the vicious assault, shooting his attacker in the abdomen. The attacker survived and Terminassian was jailed despite strong evidence that he was the victim of the crime.

The case finally worked its way through the system and after a week long trial a jury acquitted Terminassian of all charges this past Friday. Is this the end of this story? Not by a long shot. Terminassian spent a horrible amount of time in the L.A. County jail where he was held because he was unable to post the ridiculously outrageous bail that was demanded.

Before his arrest, Terminassian had to drive a taxi and worked two additional jobs in order to support his family. The ability for Terminassian’s wife to pay the rent, medical costs and other expenses ended while her husband was suffering in jail for using lawful self-defense.

Will Terminassian be able to collect his damages from anyone? I don’t see how. He could sue and get a whopping judgment against the criminal alien that attacked him but collecting that judgment will never happen.

Terminassian was clearly victimized twice, once by a criminal and once more by a flawed criminal justice system.

Here is my original story on this case.