Band Width
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 10:17AM [UPDATE! SNOPES HAS DEBUNKED THIS IMAGE: SNOPES]
I belong to a private group on Facebook that’s set up exclusively for residents of Flemington, New Jersey and surrounding areas. By that, I mean past and present citizens, and it encompasses nearby towns like Ringoes, Three Bridges and Frenchtown. Plenty of people, like myself, do live out of state now, but Flemington will always be my home.
There were plenty of thoughts and prayers regarding the safety of everyone along the path of Hurricane Irene as it etched its way up the east coast. There still are. Many of us were able to communicate our concerns on the Flemington page and elsewhere, where others were in harm’s way. As much as some people may feel negative about Facebook and social networks in general, there are some benefits, such as reconnecting with old friends and keeping in touch in real time. In this case, until power went out.
Where this picture originated, I do not know. If it is copyrighted, I apologize for republishing it here. I don’t know if it is fake or not, either. If it’s real, all I can say is that it is one INCREDIBLE photograph that illustrates the forces of nature at work - something we have no control over whatsoever.
Wildwood, NJ
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©David B. Knechel. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this site can be reproduced in it's entirety or in part without expressed written permission by the owner/administrator of this site in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Section 512(c)(3) of the U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3). The charges against defendants are mere accusations and the subjects are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
Reader Comments (72)
Dave~~you have no need to torture yourself. Don't you think I am doing a pretty good job of it?
Yes, but I seem to do a pretty good job of self-flagellation.
Marinade, why do you think anyone owes any-thing to themselves to read a self-serving article authored by Mason Jar, but penned by someone you know from the Orlando Magazine? Whoops, I don't mean to insult your comrades, but really? What's wrong with me? I just don't think that Mason is all that.
Mason's history is sad. Absent father, mother who committed suicide, High School drop out, married young without a way of supporting his kids, joined the forces, furthered his education through the armed forces (good thing for Mason there were no wars going on after Viet Nam) and the rest is history as told by Mason jar. I just don't think he's all that. Neither did Judge Strickland. Unfortunately, Judge Perry did and Casey Marie Anthony certainly should. I can't stand hearing his phony southern drawl, that peeps from Florida do not learn to speak with and is completely contrived IMO, and I just can't stand him as a person. Who cares what I think other than me? No body and that's okay with me.
Hello, Terry Tsk - I've lived in the Orlando area for 30-years now and one of the things I've noticed is that some people born and raised here have a southern drawl, and some don't. Why is that? I can't explain it, but Mason isn't the only person down here who talks like that. Trust me, I am not attempting to defend him. My guess is that many of these Floridians, born and raised, have (or had) parents that came from elsewhere in the south, like Georgia, and that's how they learned to speak - by mimicking their parents. As for the magazine interview, no, I wasn't trying to promote the publication or the editor-in-chief. While it was a darn good interview, and I do recognize Mike Boslet as the person who asked Mason some very good questions, my intent was to humanize the attorney. Of course, that's not to create any pity for his upbringing. It's merely to give insight into what makes him tick. To me, if I can learn something about Mason, the man, then I can render better opinions about him. The more I know, the more I can formulate why I respect him or why I don't. I cannot look blindly into the face of the defendant and hate her defenders purely because of hatred for her. At the same time, I can take into consideration how he is regarded among his peers. What do they think of him? In order to render any type of credible opinion, the more I know about him, the more qualified I should be. Believe me, he is a legend in his own mind, but prior to defending Ca Ca, most of us would not be looking at him in the same light as today, and one client a career does not make. If that makes sense.
Dave, I wonder if a piece that honors the fallen and the heroes that saved countless lives in the 911 tragedy would be way more appropriate and appreciated by your old faithfuls and new readers alike. It's been 10 years since the unthinkable happened. Many brave men and women who served their country lost their lives. Many men and women who were innocent of all but being citizens of this great country lost their lives for no justifiable reason. Unfortunately, there were many civilian innocents (and many were only babies) who happened to be in the Twin Towers when this atrocity against mankind was occurring.
Ensuring that your personal touch, through your writing, is used to memorialize or remember any of the victims just may be your own salvation.What you choose to do is up to you and not my business.
10 years later, September 2011 is approaching. Casey Anthony, her parents, her brother, her supporters, her attorneys are but a grain of sand in time. They are nothing. They offer nothing. We must remember that as they earn big bucks and appear to be living the high life.
CAYLEE ANTHONY 2 YEAR OLD CHILD IN FLORIDA IS STILL DEAD AND NO ONE HAS OR EVER WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR HER UNTIMELY DEATH. IT'S LIKE SHE NEVER EXISTED OTHER THAN TO EARN MONEY FOR DEGINERATES
Every year, I put up an article on Rick Rescorla, a true hero of 9/11. He died saving hundreds of lives. No, he's not the only hero, but he is the one I chose to remember and recognize for what he did. I will put that post up on Friday morning, and on the eleventh, there will be one picture with two words. That's all. By the twelfth, the picture will come down, but Ricks story will remain.
Poor Caylee. You're right, there will never be justice for her, other than the millions of people who will never forget her. She existed, alright, because we know she did. We will always give her the respect her mother never gave her.
My 3rd comment tonight. Why would Casey Anthony's mission be to find the person who killed her daughter? During Opening Staements, Jose Baez said Caylee Marie Anthony was never missing and Casey Anthony cried and sobbed and shook her head in agreement appearing pathetic. Baez stated Caylee Anthony drowned in the "family pool". George Anthony "yelled" at her and told her she would go to prison forever and her mother would never forgive her. SOOOOOO, what did Casey Anthony do? She drove over to her boyfriends house and rented movies about a kidnapped child and some other movie with a violent premise. I seriously can't remember. Then she spent the night and the next morning in her boyfriends bed without a care in the world. Her boyfriend played hookie from college in the morning because he was having such a good time. Was this information presented to the jury? Of course not. It would be too prejudicial, along with a whole lot of other damning, incriminating evidence against the biotch.
I ask again, why in god's name would Casey Anthony look for the murderer of her drowned baby? It was an accident, don't ya know? Just ask the jury.
Yes Terry, and in all of history, not a more incompetent jury has ever existed....still can't believe what a pathetic job they did. No one in that room went over the evidence. They either made up their minds already during the trial or they were (too easily) convince by the ones who had.
For the life of me, I will never figure out why the jury rendered those verdicts. We can all second-guess them, but will we ever know for sure? One thing I do know - I will never buy a book written by any of them. They can all fade into oblivion as far as I'm concerned. To think... not even MANSLAUGHTER!
Dave; I will look forward to your next article. After 911 and its' duly respected anniversary, will you be covering the trial of the Dr. versus the State for Michael Jackson? I know it will be televised and I'm sure there are some interesting aspects to WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE for Michael's untimely death. I do have my opinion on it, but I would like to know if there are some legal facts not yet imparted to the public. There was a timeline of the Dr. leaving Michael's bedroom but I thought he was gone for longer than what he said. (time in the potty). Understood it to be a long phone conversation? Just wondering????
About the Casey Anthony jury.... How is it the jurors believed Baez's opening statements, which were not to be considered in their deliberations, by the way, and get away with that!!! Shouldn't the judge have made sure they were following his instructions? It was irresponsible behaviour to rush the verdict in the name of "getting home", because they were fed up with hotel life. I can understand they were likely under duress, but if I recall, all of them said they had no problems in serving as sequestered jurors, not being able to go home daily. Maybe some of them lied about that, maybe some of them had already decided that George was untrustworthy, that Cindy was a liar, that Casey was a victim of an over zealous media who made her out to be guilty before a trial was held. It's hard to get the truth from them anymore then it was to get it from Casey. Each one cancelled the other out. That meant no verdict in my mind. Noone wanted a hung jury so the respnsibility was to make a decision, but making it so quickly was wrong and they know it. The look on the Defence Team and Casey was more than surprise, they were shocked as was the world at large. It's over, really over. What's left is a legal system that needs a good overhaul. Dave what would you change? How about a post on what people would do to change the system for more equal rights for the victims?
Hello Weezie! What a pleasure it is to see you! I had planned on putting up a post this morning about my day in the courthouse last week, but personal matters took up a lot of my time. Instead, I will wait until tomorrow and put up my story on Rick Rescorla, followed by something else on Sunday.
Will I write anything about Michael Jackson's doctor's trial? To be honest, I don't know enough about it or the defendant, Conrad Murray, to do anything now, but I may look into it. I know I had a huge advantage living in Orlando when the Anthony fiasco burst on the national scene, but that one is on the west coast. If I could travel, I would do it, but that's not in my immediate future.
Speaking of the Anthony fiasco, Judge Perry made his jury instructions quite clear and easy to understand. It's a standard that's followed in every criminal jury trial in Florida. Bear in mind that no one in the jury made any claim of getting antsy to return home. I was no more happy with the verdicts than you or anyone else, but for whatever reason, that's what we got and there's nothing we can do about it now. In my opinion, the main problem was the death penalty. Had it been a life sentence instead of death, the jury would have been made up of people who need not be death penalty qualified, and the higher standard for proof to support it wouldn't have been necessary. Also in my opinion, what the state presented would have been enough to find her guilty if the penalty was life instead. Believe me, it would have been a totally different jury make-up. We can't forget that, unfortunately, at every twist and turn, the defendant got breaks. This was a highly unusual case. No fingerprints, no clear motive, although LDB finished the state's case VERY strongly and convincingly; no murder weapon, no cause of death, and a string of lucky strokes throughout the long ordeal. Even Judge Perry, who picked the jury, never saw the crazy train coming.
What would I change in the legal system? To be honest, we have one of the best legal systems in the world. Most of the time, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't, but I would be hardpressed to change anything because of one jury most of the free world disagrees with. Why not with OJ? Here's one thing I would change, though, if I had my druthers. Eliminate the death penalty. It is way too expensive. If we look at this trial alone, how much did the state spend, only to get an acquittal? I would be happy to write something about it if the demand is there, but think about it. How can we have one political party cutting taxes while at the same time, fully supporting the DP, which is much more expensive to try and maintain upon conviction? Who's supposed to pay for it if the tax revenues aren't there?
Oh well, enough drivel. Hey! Thank you.
Dear Dave,
I am still reading here and "checking" on you. Yes, living north of Houston, we know about hurricanes. I prayed for all those people involved and also with the earthquake because a lot those people had never experienced either one. And it is a very hard thing to go through as you know living in Florida.
Hope you are well.
Your friend always
Oh Martha... I so look forward to your friendly and calming comments. You are a wonderful person and friend and that's the truth. I wish the world had many more people like you. I prayed for all those in the path of destruction, too, and I continue to do so. I have a lot of friends in New Jersey, and in some areas, they got hit very, very hard and many cannot go home to what's left.
Yes, I know all too well about hurricanes, just like you, and I've been to Houston, and to Galveston. I've never experienced an earthquake, but one of the reasons why I don't believe in karma is because of this - What did millions of people in the northeast do to deserve bad karma? Earthquakes, hurricanes, and massive flooding, oh my.
Oh well, I am doing fine right now. I hope your world is just as pleasant as you are in life. I am very proud to call you my friend. Thank you, Martha!
Dave: Your new banner is great. It reminds me of Star Trek ~ "To boldly go where no man has gone before." ;-)
I see you said that CaCa never took a shower at Jesse's. Well, I have deleted all my bookmarks to do with the case but I seem to remember that Jesse did say that she did. He even said that she left the door open while she was in there (halfway, iirc). I only bring this up because I'm not sure what your implying there. I'm curious.
I haven't read Mr. Boslet's article on Mason yet. I don't care if he is Robert Redford in disguise--seeing him attempt to physically assult Kathi Belich with his umbrella told me all I need to know about the 'gentleman'.
There were no winners or losers in this case, Dave. The Pinellas 12 denied justice to a 34 month old baby. She had already lost her life. No one needs to look for the killer--we all know who it is.
Nope, I'm not going to watch Dr. Phil. I will have floors that need scrubbing or toilets that need cleaning--anything would deserve priority over the garbage that will be spewed during that hour.
MOO, of course.
Hi nan11, it's great to see you! I wanted to do a banner that was so far removed from my succession of earlier ones. I never thought about Star Trek, but I like your way of thinking. Maybe my motto should be, "To go baldly where no man has gone before."
I don't recall ever saying the Ca Ca never showered at Jesse's. As a matter of fact, she did, and Cobra advanced the theory that she was trying to plant evidence in his apartment to implicate him. Now, that is something I could really believe. Yup, she left the bathroom door open for his perusal and arousment, which he scoffed at. Jesse was no dummy and had she tried it on me, I would have done the same thing. She made the rounds too many times to ever think about her like that again. What he once had, he lost complete interest in.
About Mason... One of the recurring issues I had with readers dealt with where I sat in the courtroom during hearings. As far as I'm concerned, I will sit where I please and no one is ever going to dictate anything to me. (I'm not trying to implicate you in anything!) At the same time, I am a writer. Imagine if I only wrote what everyone wanted me to write. All I would do is crap all over the defense and never make any comparisons. That's not what attracted so many people to my blog. Countless readers told me they enjoyed reading my site because I was fair to everyone involved. I had quite a few attacking me from both camps, too. Vinnie Politan told me, if you can get both sides after you, you've got to be doing something right. And you know what? Part of it had to do with sitting where I darn well wanted to. How could I pick up on innuendos if I wasn't there to see and hear? That means paying attention to both sides. No matter what I personally felt about any of the players, including Mason, he was the news, and when he's the news, I'm going to be there to write about it, no matter how anyone else feels. As I said to Terry Tsk, I can't just ignore him. Everything piece, good and bad, makes up the whole, and I've got to be there. That will include, I'm afraid to say, the Dr. Phil Show. If I decide to write about it, I want to see and hear it myself, not read it from someone else doing the same thing I might do.
No, there will be no winners for Caylee, nan11, but unlike OJ, her mother won't go looking for the killer on any golf course. Nightclubs, maybe. Still looking for the nanny that never was.
Thanks, it's a real pleasure, and I mean that.
Snoop: I can't revise my comment. I wonder if that means I need a new monitor. ◐.̃◐
(Sorry about the typing errors, Dave.)
Typos don't bother me as long as they're not mine, and I didn't really notice any. I don't know what's wrong with the editing problem, but it's been off and on for some time now. Sorry about that because I have no control over it.
Here are a few things that I would like to see changed in the justice system.
1. Unless a juror believes in the death penalty, they will be excluded from being on a 'death penalty jury.'
2. If a potential juror admits that they cannot sit in judgement of another human being, they shall be excluded from sitting on any jury even DUI's if it a trial by jury.
3. An attorney will not have immunity in a court of law if he accuses another person of a crime, (in his opening statements), unless he provides proof of that crime during or before the trial has ended.
4. All potential witnesses should be sequestered and not permitted in the courtroom until after they testify. This includes next of kin of the victim and any members of the extended family. No exceptions should be made.
5. A change of venue in picking a jury should be abolished. The jury should be picked in the county where the crime took place. Since the internet and media has become national, a change of venue in panelling a jury should become obsolete.
6. If I had my way, all potential jurors would be hooked up to a polygraph when being questioned as potential jurors.
Nan11~~please don't rush out and buy a new monitor. The gremlins will not let me revise or paste a comment this evening.
I think it would be a marvelous idea to discuss the merits of Snoopy's proposed changes in the legal system. No matter what, there's an awful lot to discuss.
Snoopy - I have no idea what's wrong with comments.
Dave~~I am in total agreement with you that the death penalty should be abolished. I am not saying that because we do not have the DP in Canada. In some cases, like the Jessica Lumford's case, I would have administered the injection to that sick SOB myself.
I don't believe the death penalty is a deterrant. If someone is going to murder, they will do it regardless. It cost a lot of money to try a dealth penalty case and to house a criminal on death row. Most of them die of old age before they reach the gallows. I wonder how much Scott Peterson's hotel bill is to date.
I am also in agreement with you (twice in one day. I am breaking a record) that, had the death penalty been taken off the table and a jury picked, Ca Ca may be enjoying her new digs at Lowell Women's prison instead of whereever.
Twice in one day? SHOCKING!
I don't believe the DP is a deterrent, either. My belief stems from logic, though, and the morality of taking a life. How can a person be against abortion and for the death penalty? It's illogical. At the same time, how can someone be for abortion and against the death penalty? Both equations are illogical. If I am against abortion, I am against taking a life. Period. No in betweens. A death sentence is taking a life, hands down. Let God decide.
Personally, I feel that some of the jurors answered the judge's questions to be able to sit on the jury. I don't think, at that time, they cared one way or the other about the death penalty. They wanted to sit on that jury, DP qualified or not.
Dave; You might want to incorporate this website page in your upcoming 9 1 1 article. It really illustrates the enormity of loss.
September 11 | A Memorial
Also, I was communicating on another blog about WHY the date of 911. It's pretty interesting what came out of that. Perhaps a new set of readers could come up with their theory. Mine was 9 1 1 was chosen because of its' EMERGENCY, ASAP factor. Others cited dates going back to 1400, camp David etc. What do you think??????
Hi Weezie - That's a fascinating list and it will be a link on Sunday's post, if it works out. Or, it could be placed in a comment, like yours. My post will be quite simple, if Squarespace allows me to do what I want to do with it.
If you go to my Rick Rescorla post from this morning, dadgum provided me some information on why 9/11 (or 911) was important to Islam. Do I know for sure what significance the date actually had? No, not really, but I'm open to all suggestions on that post.
Believe me, I'm all eyes and ears. Meanwhile thank you, I am going to study that link, and I'm going to add it to the post.
Hi Dave! So nice to have something to read this morning - it's amazing how every "anniversary" of 9/11 still conjurs up the same sad emotions, no matter how many years its been. Seeing our country come together, black, white, red, green, etc. for those weeks and months following made me so proud - goodbumps proud. How quickly we become complacent though - I know 10 years is a relative normal time of healing but sometimes I see us right back to the back stabbing, nasty and every man for himself society that we were before this tragedy happened, and that makes me sad. I try to make it an effort to always smile at a stranger or if I see someone looking down say something encouraging but then when I see all the whacko's (excuse the term) that hurt children, that murder their spouses, that abuse and kill elderly people I get cynical and think, is there really anything that will ever soften us? Tomorrow will be a somber day of rememberance and for me personally, I think I'll say a few prayers and do my hour of silence for the victims while sitting somewhere quiet and peaceful with just my thoughts. I wish there were more I could do for the families of those lost. On another note, I know that the Dr. Phil show is airing on Monday and I have made a promise to myself not to watch it but then of course I figured well, what if a friend DVR'd it, then technically I could watch it but I really wouldn't be "watching" it LOL - make sense? The latest I heard from grumblings is that Cindy has said that Casey could have been having a seizure while Caylee was swimming in the pool and therefore had no way of saving Caylee while she was drowning because Casey herself was in trouble - OMG, do the tales ever end! Is there nothing this woman can accept. In one snippet I saw Dr. Phil says "do you know how many people want to shake you" LOL! I am sure like every other interviewer although the snippets show a "tough" interview - it will be soft as noone wants the wrath of Cindy Anthony. I heard that George did speak out of line once LOL. Apparently he said something and then Cindy turned and said to him "you never told me that" - Oops, George is going to be grounded when he gets home LOL. I'm sorry - I know we are supposed to be so over this case but it just keeps getting regurgitated, like a fly with food!!!! I hope you are well! I was chased from the Outerbanks in NC (where my family and I were evacuated during our vacation) all the way up the east coast to Massachusetts where the bullseye hit us! We lost power for 3 days but all is well, we are all safe and sound - Mother nature is not to be wrestled with! Take care and sorry for the long post, I have to slow my caffeine intake down this AM LOL! Be well, Lisa
Hi Lisa - I say if you want to watch the Dr. Phil interview, then by all means, do it. Personally, I wouldn't hold to any group boycott of the show. I may watch it so I can formulate my own opinion in order to write about it if I choose. I probably won't, but I want to leave my option open. If anything, it will probably be a comedy of errors, but in the end, there is nothing funny about Caylee's death.
I feel badly about the unfortunate people living on and near the east coast after Irene went through. I'm sorry it followed you from NC all the way up to MA. What a mess, but I'm glad you're alright. That's the main thing.
You know, there's that old saying, the more things change, the more they remain the same. How true in the case of complacency since 9/11. Not just that, how many people went back to their prejudiced way of thinking? I'm not talking about Islamic fanatics. We have every right to abhor them. I mean, we, as a nation, joined hands and showed each other compassion. Just look at how the Anthony case made people who don't know each other bitter enemies. Yes, it's the same old back stabbing, nasty and everry man for himself mindset that you described. What that tells me is that many people are selfish and self-centered and any compassion they show is all for nought.
At least, we have tomorrow to refect once again. Yes, it's hard to believe it's been 10-years. The rules changed on that fateful morning. We went to war on an enemy that is more of an enigma than anything else. There are no rules, no Geneva Accord, and no set nation. These Islamist extremists are like a spreading cancer. We will never be able to eradicate them, but we can do our best to limit the disease they spread.
Thanks, I enjoyed your comment tremendously.
Hello Dave
I posted something the other day to you and to Snoopy but it wouldn't post. Unfortunately its set up here that you can't even copy your own posts to a document to save for later if something goes wrong. Its happened several tmes over the past year. I'm not sure why but even if I try to copy what I'm posting right now it will not work. Its very frustrating because they are usually too long to retype. (do ya think it's trying to tell me I'm too long-winded?)
Anyway just wanted you to know I read the article you suggested in the Orlando Magazine. It was excellent. I could almost see Cheney Mason squirming during that interview.
I love the new banner too. I didn't see it because when I hit the link to come here it always puts me at about 1/2 way down the page. I have to scroll up to see it. I didn't realize it was there until Snoopy mentioned it.
And I jokingly said to Snoopy:
Hey Snoopy if you think the banner is moving I want what you're smokin!!!
Hello mystical pippin - I'm sorry you lost a comment the other day. I've had it happen to me before and it's not a happy moment after you put so much into it and, POOF! It's gone. Generally, I type out a comment in Notepad so I have the original. Then, I copy & paste it into the blog post. I just deleted the HTML code that restricted C&P on all text, so you can now copy your comments in the post. I still think the best bet is to use Notepad to generate your comment. That way, you will never have to risk another comment.
About the magazine interview, I agree with you. Mike Boslet did an excellent job and it really offered a great insight into Mason's mind. I saw no harm in reading it.
Hopefully, the comment problem is now resolved. I am sorry for the aggravation, and if anything happens again, please let me know.
Ya Dave, you're right about using notepad/wordpad for posts. And sometimes I do when I know a site has a problem. But, I also forget too. Sometimes when I have something I want to say I'm so driven by that that I forget there's a problem. I just do it and then its too late. I thought it was kind of funny in your other blog post people were saying something about the "Preview" wipes out the post. Well that's exactly what happened to me. I hit preview and it disappeared! I've always thought it was my pc or the server. I have a lot of problems with my server in regards to javascript and it only seems to effect forums - because of these javascript errors it prevents me from being able to use all the features in WSIGY editor. I've tried writing to them but no one ever responds.
I'm just grateful that you fixed it so I can copy the post in case I need to and I will try to remember to use my wordpad in the future.
Good morning, mystical pippin - Over the years, I've had problems commenting, but it goes beyond that. It happens sometimes when I'm working on something not online. I guess it's one of those quirks computers are notoious for. That's why I use a text editor on all comments unless they're short and sweet, and no problem to rewrite if necessary. As a matter of fact, I am typing this comment on Notepad, just in case. I hope it solves your problem because when all that type up and disappears, you're suddenly left with a sinking feeling. Not good!