Boston Terrorist On the Cover of the Rolling Stone...and 911 calls

There's been an outcry both on social media and in political circles( Boston Mayor letter of criticism)  on Rolling Stones magazines cover showing the Boston bomber on it's latest issue.

I guess the question I have is, history has shown that magazines have covered similar subject matters, was there an outcry then? I don't know, just asking.  Hitler, Bin Laden, Charles Manson come to mind.

What's different from Rolling Stone vs Time Magazine? Time Magazine did the same thing with the Columbine shooters. What am I missing here? Journalistic freedom or abuse there of or blatant insensitivity?

Either way, TV, Newspapers, Magazines 'celebritize' violent acts by reporting names of the perpetrators in their issues and covers. Unfortunately we see it time and time again. Columbine, Newtown CT,  Tucson AZ, Aurora CO, Virginia Tech,  how's RS's decision  any different? Perhaps they're providing rock star treatment? Or as this subscriber has witnessed, RS has been making a much stronger play to report on more than just music for years.

Is Rolling Stone considered a news publication? Review the many years of past issues and decide. Entertainment photos, musically and cinematically as well as politically. Their interviews and articles have ranged from the Vietnam war to politics to drugs to sex and of course music,  you name it and they've probably covered it.

Their name and history alone speaks to rock stardom and celebrity. Have they crossed the line?

If we're angry at RS, we should be angry with TV and other media outlets and prohibit the release of photos/names of those criminals and instead of 'promoting it' and be more sensitive.

By no means do I condone it( and no I'm not cancelling my subscription), I'm just stating a fact: Sensationalism sells and good journalism does to.  The mere fact that social media is discussing it is in itself doing what RS wants, publicity, directly or indirectly.  How's the saying go? "There's no such thing as bad publicity" as associated with PT Barnum. Well, relatively speaking any way.  But it's a sad fact, sensationalism sells. Unfortunately, it comes at the price of sensitivity and respect to those that have suffered from acts of violence. Could they have shown photos of the victims, sure, but would that have garnered as much attention? Again, it speaks to publicity.

Or are they wishing to debate a cultural issue:  "How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster",  as the cover states.

Sensitivity and journalism can long be debated, it has for many years and will continue. Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Information Act allows our American society to speak, either verbally or written; freely.

Let's take 911 calls for instance, what's the real value of releasing to the general public the sometimes gut wrenching recordings of victims on 911 tapes?  What social value does that bring? Freedom of Information act? Please!! 

Imagine you're a victim or you've lost a loved one or a friend by the result of a violent act and the 911 call for help is re-broadcasted on your local and national news.  Do we need to relive these moments? There's sensitivity and privacy at stake here. What's the real social value here? My view is we prohibit the airing of these calls, period.

A magazine decides to sell their publication with a terrorist on the cover and other news organizations, TV and internet are doing the same thing, so the questions remain:

What's different and where do we as a society draw the line?

Live at the Troubadour

As complex as the times were, the music was simple in its purity.

 

Carole King, James Taylor, Jackson Browne,  Crosby and Nash, Eagles, Cheech and Chong ( yes, really) and more took part in the platform of Doug Weston's Troubadour.

 

Weston - complex; the music - pure.

 

Think of your favorite faded jeans, your favorite shirt, your favorite shoes or chair and bury yourself in the comfort of a look back to a time when the country was changing and music was changing too.

 

To this music fan, there's nothing more innocent than the soft strum of an acoustic guitar and lyrical messages that comfort ones soul during reflection, bad times or good, and the pleasure of the company of an old friend.

 

History of music, history of our country, an education of music royalty, watch "Troubadours - The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter"  and transform yourself back to the rage and age of innocence of the late 60s and early 70s.

 

For lovers of this musical history era and for those lovers of music in general, your library isn't complete nor are you doing your musical knowledge justice if you don't own this CD/DVD treasure.

 Peace, Love and Happiness.

The Voice has been silenced..

...well at least one of them.

With the recent announcement of Amazon ending it's affiliate program in the State of Minnesota, the ability of earning money for bloggers has been severely limited.

Good or bad, the decision does ponder a question of creativity and money making.

As the saying goes, " ...follow your passion."  One of my passions is writing. But as I would blog or write, that little dollar sign voice in my head would scream 'how should I write this post in a way that could make me money?'.

Well that voice has been silenced.  Now, some people may point out that I still hear voices in my head, perhaps that is true, however, with Amazon's decision, my motivation has been cleansed of any 'doing it for the money' virus and purifies my creativity back to my original passion, free of any thoughts of how to write to make money and do just that....write.

If the stars were to align in the great cosmos in the skies, perhaps my blog, writing skills and content would one day be noticed and someone would find it worthy of more than a few shillings and pence. 

For those that did support my blog by purchasing books through it, I thank you.  For those that continue to read and comment, I thank you even more.

So it's onward with my passion and now a bit quieter with one less voice inside my head.

Huh? What was that, did you say something?  Shh...I'm writing.

Thank you.

Is the truth stranger than fiction? NSA, Verizon and The Broken Window

Back in June of 2011, I blogged about a novel by Jeffery Deaver called, The Broken Window.  The recent leak or discovery of  the National Security Administration tracking cell phone calls, records, etc. reminded me of this great thriller. 

Fictitious in nature, Deaver digs into data mining and the consequences of that data if it were to fall into the wrong hands. Every phone call, web search, GPS route and destination and credit card scan is tracked by one company. A very timely read, leaving one to wonder what if?

Out of the many fictional books I've read, this is by far  one of the most intriguing and thought provoking novels leaving the reader to think, ....to think about every phone call, text, tweet, Facebook post made, every credit card scan and web search. Where does all that data go and who's looking at it, and even more importantly, how's it being used!

Highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 bookmark rating!

From June 2011:

Bond James Bond.


I hadn't read Jeffery Deaver in a few years, 07/18/09 to be exact. I'd pick up a book that I hadn't read of his, think about it, then put it down, my uncertainty would then continue. But this week,  I decided to and as I read, The Broken Window, I couldn't understand why I ventured away from his books. Cause he's a great author of suspense and who done it's! 

In The Broken Window, join Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs as they dig deep into the world of data mining and personal identification  to solve despicable crimes in Deaver's eighth installment of these extraordinary detectives. Somewhat George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four-esque with a touch of Huxley's Brave New World, The Broken Window raises questions about personal privacy and how much anyone should know.. how safe is your data? Who sees it and what do they do with it?

Now you may ask, why did I entitle this post, Bond, James Bond. Well the reason is, Jeffery Deaver has been commissioned by the estate of Ian Fleming to continue the James Bond story. His first book, Carte Blanche was released this week. Do you prefer yours shaken or stirred?

Sixty nine years ago, on a beach...

Sixty-nine years ago, boys soon to be grown men, landed on a beach they've never seen and most likely never heard of.

As we turn the calendar  on another anniversary of D-Day, these men fought for the freedoms we have today, some freedoms cherished, some taken for granted, but there's no denying without these courageous young men, our liberty to Facebook, tweet, blog, text, and email may not have been realized.

Steven Spielberg, in Saving Private Ryan , reminds us of a Mrs. Bixby:

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,-- I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

Although Memorial Day has passed and we remembered those from all conflicts, lest not forget those soldiers both foreign and domestic who joined the fight to defeat dictatorship, Fascism and Nazism some sixty-nine years ago.

God Speed to those that serve; pray that they'll arrive home to their own Mrs. Bixby, safe and sound.

Great Scott! The Masters and a Downhill Lie...

Through the rain in Augusta Georgia yesterday, while a distant purr from a tiger could be heard, an Argentinian made the turn at Amen corner.  A figurative papal whisp of smoke rose from the chimney of Butler cabin signaling we may have a new Masters Champ. But a man from down under sprang to life like a kangaroo and Great Scott!, an Aussie is wearing a green jacket for the first time in Masters history!

There were no green jackets the previous weekend in Florida during a respite from this laughable 'spring' weather we're having in Minnesota.

Yes, my first official round of golf this year was just that... laughable.  To ease my pain and looking for empathy, I began reading a highly recommended  book written by fellow ball striker Carl Hiaasen called, The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport



Toads and Monkeys.  From shanking toads to being chased by monkeys; to sinking putts and even a golf cart,  Hiaasen's Downhill Lie is a sanctuary for all us hackers and duffers. A book recommended to me by someone who has yet to see me play golf. Perhaps this person is clairvoyant and by my mere physical appearance realizes I'll never break 80 and thought a humorous story will see me through the sand traps of this season.

Downhill Lie is Hiaasen's journal of resurrection. Resurrecting his game of golf, returning to it,  a frustrating tough love of a game he gave up  thirty years plus ago.  Perhaps I should do that, give it up for thirty years, but given I'm a half century old, taking up the game again at 80 doesn't sound too appealing. But then maybe I'll be able to shoot my age?

In reading Hiaasen's hilarity thus far ( I'm about to make the turn as they say in golf lore) I can safely say I'm not alone in the world of foot wedges, training aides both practical and medicinal, and little red books and zen theologies. I find comfort that this singular game, where a club and a dimpled ball is played on a meticulously manicured field of sod, can be as frustating to others as it is to me.

And just as the golf devils divot our games into the hazzards of embarrassment, blind squirrels find a nut every once in a while and we make that great drive, chip in or long putt to rehab us through the lovely sometimes laughable addiction we call, golf.

Thanks to the empathizer( or sympathizer?)  who recommended this book and thank you, Mr. Hiaasen, I hope the back nine is just as funny and entertaining as the front nine.

Harlan Coben's Six Years a real line jumper?

Ever find yourself, fast forwarding to the good parts of a recorded, or in these days, dvr'd or tivo'd TV show? Skipping through the mind numbing potpourri of advertisements?   Well, when it comes to books, there are no ads, its the complete opposite. What we have in mysterys and thrillers are spine tingling plots and hair raising ploys. Such is the case in Harlan Coben's Six Years.  No skipping through the commercials( there are none, it's a book!) for the good parts, but several times one is tantalized to skip ahead. 

A real line jumper as a moniker doesn't sound very, well, euphonious. ( I use this word a lot 'cause I like the sound of it.) but page turner is so overused. But my  vocabularic limitations leave me with...line jumper.  Speaking of jumping, Coben's characters jump right off the page and right at you. His creativity leaves you hauntingly breathless.

So, line jumper it is...

Having read my fair share of crime thrillers, mysterys and suspenseful intrigues, Cobens latest was just that a line jumper. One finds themselves so enthralled, the plot being so intense, that one fights the urge to jump a line or two or three to see what happens next, literally, holding back.

The talent of writing and forming complete sentences in a logical, thrilling way is one thing, but the ability to create a story or novel is truly awe inspiring. Coben does this very well in all his books. How do people think these things up?! Amazing!

Six years its been. Six years based on a promise. Six years of no contact because a promise is a promise, right?

Coben's Six Years is a one bonafide,  line jumper with more twists and turns than Texas tornado! 

 4.5 bookmarks on a scale of 5.

 

 

After finishing Cobens new book, I caught myself staring at about 20 books of Iris Johansen that I've never read, only collected or saved until a day when I was ready to try a new author.

 Thinking that Body of Lies was the first in the Eve Duncan series, I grabbed it to read.

But something pulled me to the web.  Was I a victim of my own deception or faultering recollection? Had I formed my own conclusion as to what was the first book? I scanned the many web sites of authors I favor and clicked on Iris Johansen's.

I was grateful. For Body of Lies wasn't the first. The Face of Deception was indeed the first of sixteen of a series with #17 and #18 to be released this year, Hunting Eve ( July) and Silencing Eve  (October).

 The Face of Deception  is where the world is introduced to Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor. With little or no evidence other than a skull, Duncan recreates a persons identity through science to solve a crime and with Face of Deception the construction of a character begins. And begin it does.

One takes a chance when buying an authors books based solely on "wow, look at all of these on the shelf,  the author must be good so I'll buy or 'collect' all of them." Or you're just plain crazy like me and will buy a book based on cover or genre then feed your obsession and continue to buy more. ( Similar to wine, but that's a story for another day.)

 98 pages, now over 170 pages, into the life of Eve, and now having finished it,  I'm completely sold.

Finding a new author is like opening presents on Christmas day, Iris Johansen's books leaves this reader...jumping for joy!



(Books # 10 and #11 read this year)