The "Cleaner"

Today I was looking for good places in our apartment to store the vacuum cleaner. I finally picked a place to the right of the refrigerator but I was worrying that it was an eyesore. Guy asked me if I wanted to get a "vacuum cleaner cozy." Old ladies sometimes put twee coverings over their vacuums to whimsically disguise them as butlers or grannies. See also: toilet paper cozy. These products usually involve crochet and/or yarn (to represent granny hair).

Then Guy came up with the concept you see here: The Ax Murderer Vacuum Cleaner Cozy! He's lurking in the shadows to the right of your fridge, waiting to kill you.

Blago Spazzing Out In Courtroom

This is the kind of story that really makes you wish you could be there. (The photo at left represents my casting suggestion for the Lifetime movie.):

Judge to Blagojevich: Stop gesturing at trial

CHICAGO – A federal judge is warning former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to sit still and control his emotions during his corruption trial.

Prosecutors complained Thursday that Blagojevich made gestures and comments the day before during testimony by his former chief of staff, Alonzo Monk — and that several jurors clearly took notice.

Monk testified that he, Blagojevich and two others allegedly concocted a scheme to make money illegally.

Judge James Zagel admonished Blagojevich to avoid making any facial or other expressions during the trial.

Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to scheming to profit from his power to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama and squeezing people for campaign contributions.

Hoarding Gone Wild

From today's AP news:

Alligators, snakes, rodents rescued in Milwaukee

Fri May 14, 12:32 am ET
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police were called to investigate an alleged sexual assault and stepped into a crime scene crawling — in some cases literally — with hundreds of reptiles including alligators and snakes.

Police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz says the reptiles and rodents were found in a home and inside a building doubling as a storage facility and residence. The initial discovery was made Wednesday, and officers remained at the scene Thursday.

Lt. Paul Felician told WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee at least five anaconda snakes 20 to 30 feet long were found, along with spiders and a chicken.

Some animals were stored in containers; others roamed.

Officials from nearby zoos, an animal control unit and other agencies helped police. A 50-year-old woman was arrested and could be charged.

Beebo Shares 2 Controversial Opinions and One Not So Controversial

Artyom Savelyev: Russia May Freeze All Child Adoptions By U.S. Families After Tennessee Woman Sends Boy Back

MOSCOW — Russia threatened to suspend all child adoptions by U.S. families Friday after a 7-year-old boy adopted by a woman from Tennessee was sent alone on a one-way flight back to Moscow with a note saying he was violent and had severe psychological problems.
The boy, Artyom Savelyev, was put on a plane by his adopted grandmother, Nancy Hansen of Shelbyville.
"He drew a picture of our house burning down and he'll tell anybody that he's going to burn our house down with us in it," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It got to be where you feared for your safety. It was terrible."

Beebo says: As sad as this story is, I can sympathize with wanting to un-adopt a severely damaged child, especially if you didn't know that's what you were getting into.

Kennedy cousin loses appeal in murder conviction
AP – Mon Apr 12, 7:10 pm ET
AP NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The state Supreme Court on Monday rejected Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel's bid for a new trial in the 1975 killing of his 15-year-old neighbor, ruling that a claim implicating two other men, including a large black man, was not credible.

Beebo says: Good! He is soooo guilty.

Inquest begins in Mass. shooting by Ala. professor
By DENISE LAVOIE, AP Legal Affairs Writer
QUINCY, Mass. – One of the first officers on the scene after Amy Bishop fatally shot her teenage brother in 1986 still believes "in my own heart" that it was an accident, he said Tuesday, even knowing now that the woman is charged with killing three colleagues at an Alabama university.

Beebo says: She...is...a WACKADOODLE.

I Like the Cut of His Jib

Why are those whiny tenants getting all upset about a whole bunch of nothing?:

Landlord sued by city, tenants: 'Nothing wrong'
Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

To say that landlord James P. Quinn is unapologetic about conditions in his Tenderloin apartments is an understatement.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera has filed suit against him, and the San Francisco building and health departments have filed more than a dozen notices of violation and orders of abatement. Tenants have had issues of their own - cockroach and bedbug infestations - and have filed a civil lawsuit, claiming that some residents with medical problems have been trapped in their apartments for more than a month because the elevator doesn't work. But Quinn insists he's the victim.

"There is nothing wrong with this building," sputtered Quinn. "This is a game being played by the tenants. They are just deadbeats who are getting evicted. I don't know what you are getting so excited about."

What about the city attorney and the Building Inspection and Public Health departments?

"Don't believe what you get from those people," Quinn said. "This is just a phony, make-work thing. They're all afraid of losing their jobs. It's a regular WPA over there."

I'd defy anyone to pay a visit to 850 Geary and say there's nothing wrong. Karen Lynch, who is in a wheelchair, has a broken toilet that is flushed by pulling a string. If it catches, the toilet overflows. Her floor is warped, and she says her oven is full of cockroaches. (The city attorney's suit lists "a severe cockroach problem" in the building.) Her monthly rent is $1,203.

Her neighbors, Renee and John Valentine, say they have such a severe bedbug problem that they've sealed off their 8-year-old daughter's room in hopes of containing them. They've had it even tougher since John underwent two separate hip surgeries, one in January and one in March.
The day after his January surgery he came back to find that the elevator was broken - again. He had to scoot up five flights of stairs on his backside.

"It took about 45 minutes, maybe an hour," John said. "And I still had my sutures in my side."

The Valentines' rent is $1,193 a month.

The complaints bounce off Quinn. Court records show he's been named in dozens of lawsuits going back to 1996. Those who have dealt with him say he generally represents himself, and his defense is almost always the same - it is the tenants' fault, the claims are bogus or city agencies are making it all up. He says city officials were prowling the halls, asking if anyone had complaints, to drum up business.

"That's ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous," said attorney Scott Weaver, who is representing 11 tenants in a civil suit against Quinn. "I've interacted with the building department a fair amount, and they don't need to look for work. They're plenty busy."

The deeper you dig into the situation at the five-story, 24-unit building, the worse it sounds. The building maintenance manager, Steve Knittle, is a registered sex offender who is listed on the California Department of Justice's Megan's Law Web site. His offenses the Web site lists are rape and oral copulation with a person under 14. The San Francisco Police Department said Knittle is not violating the terms of his probation. But because Lynch, Valentine and tenant David Perdue all have young daughters, they are concerned about having Knittle in the building.

Quinn says the Department of Justice's information is incorrect.

"That was a mistake that was made 20 years ago that never got straightened out," he explains.

As for Lynch's complaint that she's been trapped in her apartment for more than a month because she's in a wheelchair and the elevator is broken, Quinn says she has only herself to blame.

"She weighs over 200 pounds," he said. "With that wheelchair, she's overloading it."

Quinn says Lynch is just a "troublemaking tenant." Clearly, this is not going to be settled with a chat over coffee. At this point, the city is making Quinn a focus of attention. Quinn obviously doesn't understand that these violations are his violations to correct.

"We are holding these owners accountable every step of the way until all the problems are solved," Herrera said.

That will almost certainly mean a brass-knuckles court case. As one attorney said, "trials happen when one side has unrealistic expectations." That sounds like Quinn.

"This better not be in the paper," he told me as we concluded our interview. "I'll sue."

Beef Jerky Criminal

For some reason, I've been intrigued by the concept of beef jerky lately. So naturally this news item caught my attention. George definitely lives by the motto "go big or go home"--in more ways than one:

"A 43-stone man found guilty of scamming restaurants out of food has escaped a jail term - because he is too fat.

"Morbidly obese George Jolicur ordered huge meals and ate most of them before complaining about the products and sending them back. He would then refuse to pay.

"In one episode he scammed five free milkshakes from a restaurant after consuming an entire drink before complaining that the milk was off.

"Jolicur, 38, was finally caught after eating almost £30 worth of jerky in a restaurant before returning the last few pieces, claiming they were mouldy. The shop owner went to police.

"When officers went to his home to arrest him, they described hearing 'what sounded like a male trying to cover his voice as a female.'

"The person told police Jolicur was not there - but policeman Jeff Sabounji then heard a woman inside the house saying: 'George, just turn yourself in.'

"On the way to prison, Jolicur, of Sandford, Florida, turned to Sabounji and said: 'The beef jerky got me.'

"He avoided jail because he is so fat the medical costs of imprisoning him would be too great. He is now bedridden, breaths with the aid of a respirator, and could not even attend court to be sentenced. Prosecutors said it would cost thousands in medical fees just to bring him before a judge.

"They offered his lawyers a plea deal that in return for avoiding prison he would plead guilty to five charges. Lawyers for Jolicur accepted thedeal and he was fined £800. Prosecutor Kyan Ware said: 'He's got his prison cell. He's not getting out of that bed.'"

Art credit: 'Jerky George Jolicoeur' by Lauri Apple [food art]

Taliesin

An acquaintance of mine has a daughter named Taliesin. Initially, I didn't think too much about it, I just thought, "Oh, that's some made-up hippie name." (The acquaintance in question is a bit crunchy.)

But for some reason, I recently began to idly wonder about the name, so I did an online search. It turns out that Taliesin was an ancient Welsh poet who captured the imagination of some of the later Romantic poets, like Tennyson. Going along with the "hippie" theory, this entry from Wikipedia sounds like something straight out of Lord of the Rings:

"According to legend, Taliesin was adopted as a child by Elffin, the son of Gwyddno Garanhir, and prophesied the death of Maelgwn Gwynedd from the Yellow Plague. In later stories he became a mythic hero, companion of Bran the Blessed and King Arthur. His legendary biography is found in several late renderings, the earliest surviving narrative being found in a manuscript chronicle of world history written by Elis Gruffydd in the mid-16th century)."

I know what you're thinking: Whatever. However, there was another (but related) entry in Wikipedia under "Taliesin." It's the name that Frank Lloyd Wright gave to his Wisconsin estate.

What comes to your mind when you think about Frank Lloyd Wright? Everyone knows he was a great architect. But when you think about him as a person, who do you imagine?

For me, I never knew a lot about him, but I always assumed he was probably a respectable, mild person who, apart from his architectural achievements, led a fairly dry, boring life. But as it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth.

I was surprised to discover that, in his own time, Frank was an incredibly controversial and scandalous public figure. He left his wife and six children to run away with the wife of one of his clients, Mrs. Mamah Cheney (pronounced "May-muh Chee-ney"). Mamah happily left her own spouse and two children to run off with Frank. They moved into Frank's Wisconsin estate together and lived in open adultery from 1911-1914. Mamah spent her days translating the works of Swedish feminist Ellen Key.

The rural Wisconsin neighbors were completely horrified and appalled by all this, and even tried to get Frank and Mamah evicted, but to no avail. The local papers published scathing editorials condemning the couple.

Here's the part that really shocked me, though:

"Wright and Mamah Borthwick (now going by her maiden name) moved into Taliesin shortly after Christmas, 1911. On August 15, 1914, while Wright was in Chicago completing a large project, Midway Gardens, Julian Carlton, a manservant whom Wright had hired two months earlier (along with his wife, Gertrude, who served as cook), set fire to the living quarters of Taliesin and murdered seven people with an axe as the fire burned. The dead were: Mamah; her two children John and Martha; Thomas Brunker, the foreman; Emil Brodelle, a draftsman; David Lindblom, a landscape gardener; and Ernest Weston, the son of the carpenter William Weston. Two victims survived the mêlée—William Weston and draftsman Herb Fritz—and the elder Weston helped to put out the fire that almost completely consumed the residential wing of the house. Carlton, hiding in the unlit furnace, survived the fire but died in jail six weeks later; Gertrude also survived, having escaped the burning building through the basement; she denied any knowledge of her husband's actions."

Holy shiz!! When I read this paragraph, I couldn't believe I had never heard of any this. It made me curious to learn more.

So I checked a book out of the library called Death In a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders by William Drennan (published 2007). One of the points the author makes is that this major event in Frank Lloyd Wright's life has been more or less lost to history, even though it was huge, huge news at the time (and Julian Carlton is still Wisconsin's greatest mass murderer). He theorizes that perhaps, as time went on, architectural historians didn't think this lurid chapter in Wright's personal life was relevant to his work.

But the author argues that these murders might have, in fact, changed the course of history. Wright went from designing houses with huge windows and walls that were open to nature, to creating spaces that were much more guarded and fortress-like, with hidden front entrances (or no front door at all). Because Frank Lloyd Wright's work was so influential, it's possible that the grisly events of one afternoon in Wisconsin forever altered the American architectural landscape that we live in today.

I learned a lot about Frank Lloyd Wright from this book. He was so loathed in his own town that the neighbors nicknamed him Frank Lloyd Wrong. There's no getting around the fact that he was kind of a dick. He was lots of bad things: arrogant, self-aggrandizing, cruel, insensitive, constantly in debt, irresponsible, deceitful. And he was some good things: extravagant, passionate, individualistic, visionary, hugely talented, resilient, charismatic. But he was definitely not boring.

Chicken Soup for the Homicidal Soul

"Sometimes when I feel like killing someone, I do a little trick to calm myself down. I'll go over to the person's house and ring the doorbell. When the person comes to the door, I'm gone, but you know what I've left on the porch? A jack-o-lantern with a knife stuck in the side of its head with a note that says "You." After that I usually feel a lot better, and no harm done."

--Jack Handy

Dave's Killer Bread

If you live in the Northwest, you may recently have noticed a new product in the bread aisle. Initially, I noticed "Dave's Killer Bread" primarily because I find the name Dave inherently funny, and there's also a doofy portrait of him on the label.

Still, in the frenzy of post-work grocery shopping, I didn't really give Dave much of a second thought, until one day my friend John conversationally mentioned, "Have you tried Dave's Bread? It's really good!"

He went on to describe Dave's backstory, about how Dave is an ex-con who has changed his life for the better, partly through his new vocation of baking bread.

I could ignore Dave no longer. How many loaves of bread have this much personality??

So, the next time I was at QFC, I went straight for Dave's Killer Bread. I excitedly read Dave's "origin story" to Guy, who agreed that it was cool.

Meanwhile, I noticed a tall long-haired beefy guy shopping a few steps away from us, and in my weird delusional mind, I said to myself, "Hey, that's Dave." I made eye contact with him and we exchanged a polite smile; so now I was having a little fantasy that Dave was overhearing our conversation and thinking, "Hey, they like my bread! Right on, man!"

Clearly, I'm insane. But the funny part is that when I told this to Guy later, he said he'd been thinking the same exact thing. Except he's even crazier than me, because right after discussing the bread, I was choosing a peanut butter, and Guy suggested Adam's, and I said, "No, I'm sick of Adam's." Guy said that, at that moment, he had a paranoid fear that "Dave" was actually "Adam" and he was now mad at me for insulting his peanut butter. He imagined him saying, "Thanks a lot, lady!" before storming off.

In conclusion: I am crazy, but Guy is crazier. Oh, and also--John was right! It is really good bread!

Note: I had to do a close-up of the cute graphic below. It looks like a slice of bread playing cards with...some grains?? Well, Dave was a drug addict for many years. I guess we have to cut him some slack.

Read more about Dave at: http://www.daveskillerbread.com/

Are They Putting Crack In the McNuggets?

Florida woman calls 911 3 times over McNuggets

March 4, 2009 FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Authorities say a Florida woman called 911 three times after McDonald's employees told her they were out of McNuggets. A police report said 27-year-old Fort Pierce resident Latreasa L. Goodman told authorities she paid for a 10-piece last week but was later informed the restaurant had run out.

She says she was refused a refund and told all sales were final. A cashier told police she offered Goodman a larger portion of different food for the same price, but Goodman became irate.

Police say Goodman was cited on a misuse of 911 charge. A current phone listing for Goodman couldn't be found.

A McDonald's spokesman says Goodman should have been given a refund, and she's being sent a gift card for a free meal.

"Lack of Nuggets"

Wow! This nutball really wanted those Chicken McNuggets!

This sort of puts the Oklahoma girl to shame. Sorry, but your "mental problems" don't look so impressive now, Mindy!:

January 4, 2010- AP News
Police: Ohio Woman Hit Window Over Lack of Nuggets

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Police say an Ohio woman punched through a McDonald's drive-through window because Chicken McNuggets weren't available. Police were called Friday to the restaurant in Toledo.

Police say 24-year-old Melodi Dushane was treated for injuries, then jailed. She pleaded not guilty to a vandalism charge. She was released on a recognizance bond and ordered not to have contact with the restaurant. The phone number for her home address isn't listed.

A manager at the McDonald's declined Monday to discuss the incident.

I Wish They All Could Be Oklahoma Girls

Don't you love this girl?? I have the inside scoop on this story--a friend of a friend of a friend knows the ex-boyfriend in question and asserts that he totally had it coming!:

Ambulance Stolen From Okla. Hospital
Driver Arrested In Del City
December 11, 2009
DEL CITY, Okla. --
A woman is in the Oklahoma County jail after allegedly stealing an ambulance early Friday.

State troopers said Mindy Jones, 28, took the $120,000 emergency vehicle from the hospital. Jones was supposed to undergo a blood test after she was arrested for a hit-and-run crash earlier in the night, authorities said.

Investigators said she slipped past security and got into the ambulance, which was left running with the keys inside.

A trooper spotted the stolen ambulance east of Oklahoma City and tried to pull over Jones.

The short chase ended when Jones parked the ambulance in the front yard at a house. Troopers said Jones was trying to find her ex-boyfriend.

Jones admitted to Eyewitness News 5 that she took the ambulance.

"I had the ambulance and I had a pretty good time driving it," Jones said.

Jones faces several charges. No one was hurt and the ambulance was not damaged.

A representative for React EMS said it was an oversight to not have the ambulance doors locked. "It's one of those bizarre incidents," said Shawnee Police Chief Russell Frantz. "The officer was a few feet away doing some paperwork and didn't hear her slip out. (The officer) thought she was passed out on a gurney."

In an interview with Eyewitness News 5, Jones explained why she did it.

"I have mental problems," she said.

Jones is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and stealing a vehicle.

Bad Date

Police: Woman seduced date out of clothes, then robbed him
By MARLEE GINTERKOMO-TV STAFF

EVERETT -- How's this for a date from hell? A woman seduces you, leaves you naked and takes off with your valuables, including your car.

Police say that's just what Ashley Dawson did to an unsuspecting man.

The alleged victim, Andrew Scarbrough, says it appears he went looking for love in all the wrong places, including the Internet. He hoped he'd found love when he met a woman on MySpace.

The two met in person and went back to his place. He says they began to get intimate and shed their clothes. That's when things went wrong in a hurry.

"We went back to my house and next thing I knew she took my car, my cell phone, my wallet, my keys and my laptop," he said.
Scarbrough says 19-year-old Dawson lured him into the shower and told him she had a surprise.

"After about a minute, I went, 'Wait a second, something's not right here.' Jumped out and she was already gone," he said.

Dawson never came back, but the bad date wasn't over yet.

Police found Scarbrough's Mustang and towed it back to him. But Dawson stole it again a month later while it was parked outside Scarbrough's workplace, according to prosecutors.

Investigators found the Mustang at a Red Robin restaurant. They also found Dawson getting out of the car and placed her under arrest.

Dawson appeared in court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to theft charges.

Scarbrough says he would've run after Dawson the first time around, clothes or no clothes, if he'd caught onto her just a few moments sooner.

"I have no problem doing that," he said. "I'd be like, 'Nope, my car.' I'll take the indecent exposure. I'll chase her down."

But Scarbrough, once bitten and twice shy, isn't so bold about dating again.

"Just reinforce that you can't trust anyone anymore. There's just no point," he said.

Scarbrough says he "feels bad" for Dawson.

Dawson was convicted of residential burglary two years ago. Her trial for this alleged romantic ripoff starts in February.

Lizzie Borden: Whack Job

I like to read true crime books once in a while; for some reason, I find them relaxing.

Yesterday, I got the idea to look for a book about Lizzie Borden. I was surprised by the sheer number and variety of books available. I shouldn't have been surprised, her murder trial was one of the most infamous in American history. Also, I was surprised by the widely divergent theories about "who did it"--I always assumed that it was generally accepted that Lizzie did it.

I still think that's mostly the accepted version, but I was surprised to see a lot of wacky titles like Lizzie Borden Didn't Do It! and even Did Lizzie Borden Axe for It?

To my mind, even without reading any books on the subject, she's indisputably guilty. Why? Just look at her. She's got the Crazy Eyes, people.

From Wikipedia: Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was a New England spinster who was the central figure in the hatchet murders of her father and stepmother on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts in the United States. The murders, subsequent trial, and following trial by media became a cause célèbre. The fame of the incident has endured in American pop culture and criminology. Although Lizzie Borden was acquitted, no one else was ever arrested or tried, and she has remained notorious in American folklore. Dispute over the identity of the killer or killers continues to this day.

Over a period of years after the death of the first Mrs. Borden, life at 92 Second Street had grown unpleasant in many ways, and affection between the older and younger family members had waned considerably if any was present at all. Meals were not always eaten together. Conflict had increased between the two daughters and their father about his decision to divide valuable property among relatives before his death. Shortly before the murders, a major argument had occurred which resulted in both sisters leaving home on extended "vacations". Lizzie Borden, however, decided to end her trip and returned early.

She was refused the purchase of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) by local druggist Eli Bence, which she claimed was for cleaning a seal skin coat.

Shortly before the murders, the entire household became violently ill. As Mr. Borden was not a popular man in town, Mrs. Borden feared they were being poisoned, but the family doctor diagnosed it as bad food.

No blood-soaked clothing was found as evidence by police. A few days after the murder, Borden tore apart and burned a blue dress in the kitchen stove, claiming she had brushed against fresh baseboard paint which had smeared on it.

Despite incriminating circumstances, Lizzie Borden was acquitted on June 20, 1893 by a jury after an hour and a half's deliberation. The fact that no murder weapon was found and no blood evidence was noted just a few minutes after the second murder pointed to reasonable doubt. Her entire original inquest testimony was barred from the trial. Also excluded was testimony regarding her attempt to purchase prussic acid.

Though acquitted for the crimes, Lizzie Borden was ostracized by neighbors following the trial. Lizzie Borden's name was again brought to the public forefront when she was accused of shoplifting in 1897.

Signs of a Psychopath

Signs that Suggest Amanda Knox Is a Psychopath

The narcissism and the nonchalance are both indicators, says The First Post’s psychoanalyst.

Much has been made of the fact that Knox was caught giggling and seen performing a cartwheel during her first visit to the police station following the discovery of her housemate's brutal murder. When she was arrested, her manner was described as cold and detached. During the police investigation, a friend expressed the hope that Kercher had not suffered. Knox exclaimed: "What do you think? They cut her throat... She fucking bled to death!"

A short story, entitled, Baby Brother, written by Knox when she was at the University of Washington in Seattle, also prompted suspicion. In the story, Knox writes about a young woman, drugged and raped by another young woman, and describes the victim's pain in lurid detail.

However, it was Knox's behaviour in court that was most bizarre. At no point - until the verdict - did we see Knox protesting her innocence or fraught with anxiety. Instead she seemed disconcertedly dissociated from the gravity of what was going on. During the initial period of the trial, she appeared relaxed and cheerful, light-heartedly talking to her lawyers and guards while gesticulating, Italian-style, with her hands.

After her behaviour was unfavourably commented on in the press, she became more serious, nevertheless very conscious of the media attention she was receiving. She seemed to play up to it. This was most apparent when Knox appeared in court on St Valentine's day wearing a large T-shirt printed with the Beatles' lyric, 'All you need is love'.

Knox's narcissistic pleasure at catching the eye of the media and her apparent nonchalant attitude during most of the proceedings show the signs of a psychopathic personality. Her behaviour is hauntingly reminiscent of Eichmann's arrogance during the Nuremberg trials and most recently of Karadzic's preening before the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

The psychopath is someone who has no concern or empathy for others, no awareness of right and wrong, and who takes extreme pleasure in having power over others. The psychopath has no moral conscience and therefore does not experience guilt or remorse.

Most psychopaths are highly skilled at fooling those around them that they are normal by imitating the emotions that are expected of them in different circumstances. They are consummate at charming people and convincing them they are in the right. It is only when they reveal a discrepancy in their emotional response that they let slip that something may be wrong with them.

Whether or not Knox, who is appealing her verdict, is ultimately found guilty, her chilling performance remains an indictment against her.

Full article at: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/57043,news-comment,news-politics,a-psychoanalyst-on-the-signs-that-amanda-knox-is-a-psychopath

Amanda Knox Found Guilty

American student Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend have been found guilty of murdering her flatmate Meredith Kercher after an 11-month trial in the Italian city of Perugia.

Knox, 22, and 25-year-old Raffaele Sollecito were in the dock to hear the jurors deliver their verdict. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison and Sollecito 25. The pair are expected to appeal against the decision.

Meredith Kercher, 21, from Coulsden, Surrey, had been studying at Perugia's University for Foreigners. She was found dead on 2 November 2007 in the bedroom of the house she shared with fellow student Knox.

Prosecutors alleged that Sollecito held Kercher down while Rudy Guede, a 22-year-old Ivory Coast-born drifter, tried to sexually assault her and Knox stabbed her. In October 2008 Guede was given a 30-year sentence for the murder after opting for a fast-track trial. He is appealing against his conviction.

Knox, from Seattle, denied murdering Kercher, and on Thursday appealed to the jury not to convict her, saying she "was confident my conscience is clean."

Using the fluent Italian she has learned during two years in jail, Knox said: "I could be pulling out my hair, taking apart my cell but I don't do these things. I just take a breath and try and be positive in moments like this." Turning to the judges and jury, she said: "Now it's your turn and I thank you."

Prosecutors claimed that Knox's DNA was found on the handle of the likely murder weapon – a kitchen knife found in Sollecito's house – and that traces of Kercher's DNA were on the blade. Knox said she had spent the night before Kercher's body was found at Sollecito's flat, and was shocked when she realised police suspected her.

Knox and Sollecito were remanded in custody shortly after the killing, when they gave conflicting statements over their whereabouts on the night of the murder. Sollecito said he was at his flat in Perugia using his computer, and he did not remember whether Knox spent the whole night with him or just part of it.

During the trial, Knox claimed that she had been mistreated by Italian police who questioned her. She said a policewoman hit her on the head twice during interrogation. Knox claimed police pressure initially led her to name Diya "Patrick" Lumumba as the culprit.

Lumumba, a Congolese man who owned a pub in Perugia, was held briefly in the case but later cleared. He is seeking damages from Knox for defamation.

"It was always a crescendo," Knox told the court. "When I said I was with Raffaele all the time they told me I was a liar. I was scared, I thought: maybe they are right."

Nazi Mystery: Twins from Brazil

This is airing Saturday, December 5. Sounds interesting!:

Joseph Mengele, the escaped Nazi war criminal and SS physician, known as the Angel of Death, spent years doing bizarre medical experiments on twins at Auschwitz working to determine if twins held the key to building a blond-haired, blue-eyed master race for Adolf Hitler. Now a historian says he has evidence that Mengele's attempts may not have ended at Auschwitz, and that his obsession to engineer an Aryan master race continued, and that succeeded while he was on the run in South America. Deep in the Brazilian outback in a tiny town among the 80 households in a one-square-mile area are reportedly some 38 pairs of twins. Blond, blue-eyed twins. Bizarre and inexplicable, could they be the product of Mengele's machinations? Now, with exclusive access, EXPLORER goes inside the investigation; From the secret agents who trailed him, to the scientists now uncovering the facts behind the fantastical phenomenon, no stone is left unturned.

Photo: Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil: Twins Fountain in Linha Sao Pedro, rural area of Cândido Godól - where many twins come from.

From: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/4087/Overview?source=link_tw_02#tab-Overview#ixzz0YfTNbkNL

Beautiful Child

The other book I read last week was called Beautiful Child. It was a page-turner, and I knew it would be because I read another of her books (called Ghost Girl) and I could hardly put it down. She's one of those writers who writes non-fiction but in a way that is very dramatic and suspenseful. The downside is that all her books are about child abuse, so it can be disturbing to read about. I recommend her books to anyone who is looking to read something fascinating and engaging, as long as the subject matter isn't too upsetting to them. One good thing is that her books always have (relatively) happy endings:

"Victoria Lynn Hayden, known as Torey L. Hayden (born May 21, 1951 in Livingston, Montana), is a child psychologist, special education teacher, university lecturer and writer of non-fiction books based on her real-life experiences with teaching and counselling children with special needs. Subjects covered in her books include autism, Tourette syndrome, sexual abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, and elective mutism (now called selective mutism), her specialty.

"Hayden attended high school in Billings, Montana and graduated in 1969. She then attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. A little time after having written her most famous book One Child, Hayden moved to Wales in 1980 and got married to a Scot called Ken two years later. In 1985, she gave birth to her daughter Sheena. Hayden is now divorced."

I like her answer to this question (from her official website) because I am a process oriented person too:

Don’t you get depressed because so often you can’t make things better?

I am a “process oriented” person, as opposed to being a “goal oriented” person. I enjoy the process of doing things and as a consequence, the outcome does not matter as much to me. Hence I enjoy being in the classroom, being with the children and am very much in the present when I am working. Of course, I hope for the children’s sake that I will be able to help them and that their futures will be better, but for my own sake, the outcome and the future are not very important. I’ve noticed that the people who tend to feel depressed or who “burn out” are often those who are more goal oriented. They find it harder to enjoy the same experience when there are so few positive results.

Weird News of the Day

My heart really goes out to this poor guy. If you were searching for your biological father, this would be about the last person in the world you would hope to find:

A man who went in search of his biological father was shocked to learn it was famed serial killer Charles Manson.

Matthew Roberts, a 41-year-old DJ who lives in Los Angeles, said the shock of discovering his father sent him into depression. "I didn't want to believe it. I was frightened and angry. It's like finding out that Adolf Hitler is your father,” Mr Roberts told The Sun.
"I'm a peaceful person - trapped in the face of a monster."

Despite his revulsion Mr Roberts has been exchanging mail with Manson, who is serving life in Corcoran State Prison in California over nine murders committed by his “Family” of followers in 1969. “He sends me weird stuff and always signs it with his swastika,” Mr Roberts said.

“At first I was stunned and depressed. I wasn't able to speak for a day. I remember not being able to eat."

Mr Roberts grew up in Rockford, Illinois but didn’t know he was adopted until his sister told him at age 10. Despite his adoptive father telling him “nothing good” would come of discovering who his real parents were, Mr Roberts used a social services agency to locate his mother, Terry. She confirmed Mr Roberts was adopted and told him his birth name was Lawrence Alexander but would not reveal the last name.

Eventually Terry relented and revealed that Mr Roberts' father was Manson, who she claims raped her in 1967 after she had succumbed to his manic charisma. "She even said, 'You look just like him'," Mr Roberts said recalling the shocking revelation.

Manson has confirmed that he could be Mr Roberts’ father and that he remembers Terry. The former cult leader wrote to Mr Roberts that: "The truth is the truth. The truth hurts."

Mr Roberts fears he may have inherited some of Manson’s characteristics but insists he is a very peaceful person.

"I'm not nuts but I've got a little bit of it,” Mr Roberts said. "It's scary and upsetting. If I get worked up, my eyes get really big and that's really freaked some people out before. I've tried to tone that down quite a bit. I don't like having that effect on people.

"I don't even like the fact that I'm big. It makes me even scarier. My hero is Gandhi. I'm an extremely non-violent, peaceful person and a vegetarian. I don't even kill bugs. I've had long hair all my life. I could make it go away, but I can't let the world and their fears change me."

Mr Roberts has a prison phone number for Manson but says a “subconscious block” stops him from calling." If I did talk to Charlie on the phone, I would say, 'I truly understand what it's like to be you, more than anyone could ever imagine on so many levels,'” Mr Roberts said.

"He's my biological father - I can't help but have some kind of emotional connection. That's the hardest thing of all - feeling love for a monster who raped my mother. I don't want to love him, but I don't want to hate him either."

From: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2740414/I-traced-my-dad-and-discovered-he-is-Charles-Manson.html

Bagels

Update: My first attempt to make bagels failed. I didn't get very far--my yeast failed to froth up and I realized my mistake. I should have bought new yeast but I had a big container of yeast in my freezer that I've been waiting to use. However, I think I waited too long and it had expired. But I am going to try again next week!

Every now and then, I like to wind down by reading a true crime book. For some reason, I find them relaxing, probably because the criminal always gets caught and brought to justice in the end.

This last one I picked up, The Surgeon's Wife, is a pretty good read. What was interesting about this case was that the prosecution managed to get a guilty verdict on this guy based solely on circumstantial evidence. They never even found his wife's body, but they argued convincingly that he dumped her out of his private plane (flying was one of his many hobbies). If you read the book, there will be no doubt in your mind that he was guilty, but legally, it's almost impossible to prove murder without any forensic evidence.

Anyway, reading this book had the weird result of giving me the idea to bake bagels! The evil surgeon in the book is one of those high-achievers with very low social intelligence--so even though he was malevolently narcissistic at best, and a sociopath at worst, he was very intelligent and high-achieving in his career and with impressive hobbies such as speaking multiple languages, flying a plane, and gourmet cooking. He was known (among friends and neighbors) for his delicious homemade bagels.

It gave me the idea to try to make bagels this weekend. I don't think they're probably that difficult, just time-consuming (because the dough needs time to rise and all that). I'm going to try a Williams-Sonoma recipe, since I've had luck with their recipes in the past:

In a large bowl or mixer, combine 1 package quick-rise yeast (2 1.4 tsp) and 1/2 cup bread flour. Stir in 1 cup lukewarm milk and let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, beat in 1/4 cup corn oil, 1 tsp salt, an egg yolk (save the white) and 1 tablespoon sugar. Gradually beat in enough bread flour (2-3 cups) to make a stiff but workable dough.

Knead by hand or with a dough hook, adding flour as needed. Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; knead by hook until the dough is not sticky and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, 6-7 minutes. Form the dough into a bowl and place in a clean, greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press flat. Roll into a log about 8 inches long and cut into 16 equal pieces. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. One at a time, form each piece into a ball, then flatten it into a round 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a hole through the center of each round, then gently widen the hole to 1 inch in diameter. Place the rounds on the work surface, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a baking sheet.

In a pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Reduce head to low. Slip 3 bagels at a time into the simmering water. Poach, turning once, for 3 minutes on each side; reform the holes if necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared sheet.

Lightly beat the egg white and brush over the bagels. Sprinkle with seeds (poppy or sesame) or coarse salt. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes 16 bagels.