Base10Blog
Monday, May 31, 2004
 
WELCOME TO ROCKAWAY or WHY IT SUCKS TO BE A LIFE GUARD


As promised, Base10 did make it out to the Rockaways on Monday. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate completely. All is not lost however, Base10 has found a cozy bar, the Mets have returned to play and are actually winning. But this is certainly not the proper time for a beach blog or Rockaway bar tour. Base10 will provide these things at some point, but right now sees a frozen margerita in his near future in Connoly's.
Sunday, May 30, 2004
 
Shocking! Absolutely Shocking!
Realbeer.com reports that Montreal Police have declined to accept discounted beer. The discounts, offered by LaBatt's Brewery are apparently still being accepted by firefighters.
 
Big Screen for NYPD
An item on Slashdot reports that the NYPD is purchasing a state-of-the-art visualization system for the Command Center. The above link has some interesting comments by readers. Base10 finds the funniest one to be the "'NYPD Blue' screen of death" concept. Seriously, Business Week reported the story this week. There's also a cool link with photos of existing systems here.

Who knows? Maybe someday a scientist will invent some sort of smart bullet.
 
Police News Roundup.
In what can only be a follow-up to the 9/11 Commission, the FDNY acquired new portable command post radios. The Fire Commissioner says it's still not enough.

Police Officer Ronald Shepard, who was thought to have committed suicide on May 22 after his car was found empty near the waterfront on Staten Island, has turned up at the 122 Precinct in good pysical condition. Base10 is glad the officer is okay and hopes he gets whatever help he needs.

More evidence was recovered related to the murder of Sarah Fox in Inwood. Clues emerged when officials recovered what may be her running clothes. Base10 has decided not to link to stories about Sarah Fox from now on. The Fox murder is taking on a circus-like quality in a news media. Reporters seem to be actively rooting for this crime to be the work of a serial killer. Base10 doesn't want to encourage that.

The 1975 murder of Teamster president Jimmy Hoffa may have finally been solved. A Detroit man, Frank Sheeran, who was one of the original suspects reportedly confessed to Fox News that he committed the murder. Sheeran, 83, recently died. Detroit Police found traces of blood in the floorboards of the house where it supposedly happened.

Port St. Lucie Police Chief John Skinner fired back at the Daily News today. A Daily News story last week characterized his town as having a higher crime rate than our fair city in the aftermath of the release of the FBI crime numbers for 2003. "I just don't want people thinking this is Beirut," said Skinner. Surely a worthy goal for all American police officials.

Heroes:
Goats:
And finally in the "moonlighting gone mad" department, two San Francisco police officers are being investigated for their roles in a porn film entitled "Bus Stop Whores." One of the officers portrayed a john and the other portrayed--well, you get the idea.
Saturday, May 29, 2004
 
Sunday Morning Shoutfest Preview.
Appearing Sunday on the eponymous This Week with George Stephanopoulos is Iraqi Governing Council member Adnan Pachachi, Retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, Richard Perle, Rep. Chris Cox and Rep. Jane Harman.

On Fox News Sunday, Cris Wallace interviews former Sen. Bob Dole, George McGovern and Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

As of this writing, Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer was interviewing the same people as last week. (Shame on you CBS)!

Tim Russert interviews Rep. Nancy Pelosi and former Sen. Bob Dole on Meet the Press.

Base10 is not so interested in the shrill outcry of Nancy Pelosi. (How often do you think she'll say the name "Abu Ghraib" during the interview)? Since ABC is on first in Base10's jurisdiction, he will probably watch that followed by Chris Wallace, with an dessert course of the last half-hour of Russert (Dole will probably be on by then).
 
Police News Roundup.
In contract news, the Teamsters have rejected the pact agreed to by DC-37 a few weeks ago. It really only effects the police indirectly, if this pact does not in fact become the pattern.

The Department is asking the public to help in investigating the disappearance of Police Officer Ronald Shepard, a possible suicide victim Base10 noted a few days ago.

There appears to be a break in the case of the murder of Sarah Fox in Inwood earlier this week. Police have recovered the victim's CD player and are hoping it will lead to some forensic evidence.

Security is tight in light of the holiday weekend, and the NYPD is starting a terrorism training program for New York's doormen.

Heroes:
Goats:
And finally, in the "we prefer the term chicken lover" department, a Zambian man who was discovered by his wife having sex with a hen tried to kill her and later committed suicide. The wife discovered the amorous man and his poulet when she heard an unusually loud squawk. Base10 finds it particularly interesting that Reuters included the fact that the chicken was slaughtered after the incident. Shocking! The chicken should have gotten counseling.
 
It's Not the Craw it's the Craw!



C'mon if you can't make fun of terrorists, who can you make fun of?


Click here and find "craw" on the page for an explanation of what is now surely an obscure reference.

Friday, May 28, 2004
 
Memorial Day
Base10 is getting ready for the weekend and promises biting political analysis, witty commentary on the events of our fair city and brilliant repartee for the pompous, the untruthful or the traitorous. More likely, he will produce the same old crap he always posts. Still, one must aspire to greater things.

Among other things, Base10 intends to catch up on his reading--the actual paper book kind. In addition, he will also partake of the traditional Memorial Day meal of hamburgers and hotdogs while at the same time drinking substantial amounts of beer. (This is called "multitasking").

Weather permitting, Base10 will also make best efforts to Beach Blog over the next few days. ("Beach Blog," hmm... I like that! That phrase could catch on)!

Happy Holiday Weekend to All!
 
Police News Roundup.
In the biggest story of the day, the Post revealed it was an NYPD detective assigned to the Joint Terrorist Task Force who broke the case against British Moslem Cleric/Homicidal Maniac Abu Hamza al-Masri. Kudos to all those involved.

Still a good job but somewhat less exciting was what Emergency Service and Bomb Squad cops found on a call of a suspicious package in a Brooklyn subway station. No bomb here, just two sleeping kittens.

Police are also on the lookout for a new commercial robbery/larceny tactic. Gangs of thieves enter stores in a wolfpack, overpower staff and flee with as much as they can carry.

The City is also offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the murderer of Sarah Fox who was killed in Inwood this week.

Heroes:
Goats:
And finally, in the "this can't possibly be true" department, a Swedish aid organization is sponsoring a "condom ambulance" which will respond to anonymous couple's calls and sell them condoms at below market rates. The "emergency service" will be provided by a white van adorned with a logo featuring a large red condom with wings. No handske, no kärlek, Base10 supposes.
Thursday, May 27, 2004
 
Sports Odds and Ends
The Maurice Clarett saga finally appears to be over. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in the NFL's favor on the merits, meaning Clarett won't be eligible for the NFL Draft until next year like everyone else in his age group. The same court had previously vacated an order compelling the NFL to allow Clarett in the Draft arguing that Clarett was unlikely to succeed on the merits. Clarett's only recourse now is an appeal to the US Supreme Court. He is unlikely to succeed there since the Supreme Court already declined to review the original order's revocation. Clarett's options appear limited. He is unlikely to be allowed back into the NCAA. He will be eligible next year, but his stock will certainly fall considerably without playing time. He does of course have the option of going to Canada for the year.

USC wide receiver Mike Williams, on the other hand, is still in limbo. Base10 feels much more sympathetic to Mike Williams than he does for Clarett. USC is reportedly beginning the process to allow him to return following the Clarett ruling.

How 'Bout Them Mets! The New York Mets are playing .500 ball. Hurrah! New York's second city baseball team has finally achieved mediocrity. Now if only we can maintain it. The Mets are actually in a good position, last night's typical collapse at middle relief not withstanding. They are only two games out of first place in a weak NL east. Apparently mediocrity can be quite dominating in some circumstances. The Mets play the Marlins and Philly over the next ten games. A winning streak here could propel them into a solid leading position that can be sustained until the All Star break. Will they win? Will they lose? Will they play .500 ball? Base10 thinks the latter. No clear leader will emerge from the East and the Mets will continue to play .500 ball. After the break, it's anybodies game, and the Mets can make a run for it.

How 'Bout Them Jets! The media has been strangely devoid of content concerning the Jet's off-season football activities, but has been lousy with articles about the West Side Stadium proposal. The Jet's website is reporting that a letter sent to Mayor Mike and Governor Pataki indicates that a New York Superbowl could happen in 2010. The Jets are also planning a rally on June 3 at City Hall Park to support the stadium. Base10 may attend.

The Jets have reportedly hired an elite group of lobbyists to help secure their stadium. Those opposed to the stadium are certainly not holding back either. The Times has an interesting piece that notes New York's 2012 Olympic proposal might be more helpful to the Jets than getting any lobbyist's help. By far the funniest piece seen by Base10 is Ralph Nader's staunch opposition to the plan. Now there are many rational reasons to be opposed to the stadium, but Mr. Nader's assertion that the Jet's should pay for their own stadium is ridiculous since they are $800 million. The city and state are picking up costs for infrastructure improvements including the platform over the West Side railroad yards.

 
Police (and Other) News Roundup.
There's lots of good stuff today in the Opinion Journal:

First: WSJ editheads have a good piece about actual connections between al Qaeda and Saddam's Iraq. They point to "The Connection," by Stephen Hayes of The Weekly Standard as a source and look at one individual, Ahmed Hikmat Shakir, who was probably active in both al Qaeda and Saddam's Fedayeen.

Second: The Journal also has a nice piece explaining what shouldn't have to be explained, that outsourcing is ultimately a good thing for the U.S. economy. This is indeed one of the immutable laws of economics. Trade is good. The article explains and counters the only rational (if weak) justification for being protectionist.

Third: Robert D. Kaplan of the Atlantic Monthly has a nice piece about the realities of fighting in Fallujah. This is not a pro-Bush feel-good piece. Kaplan is actually very critical of the administration in its failure to articulate the tremendous care and restraint that has been employed by our soldiers.

In other major international news, Britain has arrested radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri based on US terrorism charges stemming from a 1998 incident in Yemen.

There also seems to be some kind of cease-fire brewing in Najaf between insurgents and U.S. troops. The sticking point appears to be what happens to al Sadr.

On to the Police news...

In probably the biggest story of the day, the US Attorney General and the FBI director released photos of seven suspected al Qaeda operatives who may be planning an imminent terrorist attack in the United States. Commissioner Kelly was in attendance. One of the individuals is a US citizen. Base10 is shocked that some Democrats are accusing the administration of releasing this information for political reasons. Here is a link to the FBI site and the pictures.

A federal judge has ruled that Commissioner Kelly can be deposed about police counter-demonstration tactics. The group is seeking a demonstration permit. The city had argued that the release of this information could aid terrorists and the judge allowed the questioning buy agreed that it should be limited to that consistent with public safety and only what has been done in the past.

Vernon Geberth, a retired NYPD Lieutenant noted for his expertise in homicide investigations, is speculating that the murderer of Sarah Fox may be a sociopath. The Post is reporting that the murderer visited the body shortly before its discovery, spread flower petals in the area, and may have "posed" the body.

Apparently, corruption is not limited to the Police Department. A teacher was fined for basically having a no-show job in charge of after school programs. As part of the settlement, Assistant Principal Jacqueline Serna will pay back $22,000 over two years, but will be allowed to keep her job. Surveillance and EZ Pass records showed Serna collected almost $14,000 in pay when she was home.

Newsday is reporting that Kimberly Diaz, the mistress of slain PA Police Officer Liam Callahan, is suing his widow for a greater share of benefits due to the child she had with the officer. Callahan died in 9/11.

Heroes:
Goats:
Maybe Not a Goat Just Yet:
And finally in the "but this is New York City, damn it" Department, Slashdot reports that farmers in Nepal, who have no telephones, are utilizing wifi technology to keep in touch with families and do business. Base10 doesn't even have wifi at work, but Nepalese farmers have it? How very twenty-first century!

Wednesday, May 26, 2004
 
Police News Roundup.
The City's Chief Medical Examiner is planning to open up a DNA lab in the near future enabling the use of DNA matching technology to solve more mundane crimes like burglary and other property crime.

Base10 offers his condolences to the family of missing Julliard student Sarah Fox. Her body was discovered in a secluded section of an Inwood park on Monday.

Deep sympathies also for missing Police Officer Ronald Shepard, a possible suicide/drowning victim on Staten Island, who has been missing since Saturday.

While crime maybe down, police union officials are still claiming that local police commanders are cooking the books.

In a somewhat bizarre story, the CEO of the Drake Business School was shot in the leg on the Steinway Street subway platform in Queens. No motive was given but there are rumors of disgruntled former employees.

Various officials are warning about an imminent terrorist attack in the summer months. No specific threat has been detected.

A NYC Traffic Agent had a confrontation with a suspect who struggled with the agent and then stole his car and struck him with the door as he was driving away.

Heroes:
Two Hartford Conn. Detectives shot by a suspect on Tuesday. The suspect was killed in the shootout.
Berkeley Police officials who arrested Don Juan Warren Graphenreed for the murder of Police Officer Ronald Tsukamoto in 1970. No, that is not a typo, Officer Tsukamoto was killed by a Black Panthers thirty-four years ago.
The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan for an acerbic piece about E.L. Doctorow's heckling at Hofstra over the weekend. (Best Line: "Hofstra students use boos responsibly").
Comedian Bill Cosby for some frank and truthful talk at an NAACP dinner celebrating the anivesary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
Berkeley Law Professor John Yoo for an insightful analysis about why the Geneva Convention does not apply to terrorists.

Goats:
Berkeley law students who have petitioned for Yoo's ouster as a result of his well reasoned legal opinion.
Disgraced former head of NYSE, Dick Grasso, who is vowing to sue to receive his ill gotten compensation.
Clueless New Jersey bank robber Ernest Di Falco who stuck up a bank with a fake gun in Rutherford on Monday. Di Falco was apprehended while waiting for a taxi following the robbery.
Creepy Ringling Bros. Circus clown Thomas Riccio, who even more creepily played the character "Spanky the Clown" for being arraigned on federal child pornography charges.
Amnesty International for their ridiculous "report" condemning the US led war against terror.

And finally, in the "is that a stick shift in your pocket or are you just happy to see me" Department, in a somewhat unsurprising German study, researchers found that drivers of Porsche automobiles were the least faithful, with a whopping 49% of males admitting to having affairs. Not far behind were BMW drivers and Audi drivers among women. The most faithful subset was Opel drivers for both men and women. This seems to be another example of "auto" eroticism. (See the last paragraph of this post for a prior instance).

Monday, May 24, 2004
 
Police News Roundup.
The Times had an interesting piece about Commissioner Kelly and his increasing influence with the administration. The Times also has a story about protesters determined to make a statement at the Republican National Convention in August.

Not everybody is so mad at the Republicans. Newsday reports that a crowd gathered for the commencement address of E.L. Doctorow at Hofstra University nearly shouted him out of the auditorium after he engaged in a diatribe about the President.

Crime has dropped yet another consecutive year in both the state and the city. This is getting boring!

Mayor Mike is insisting that new emergency management rules are not a slight against the Fire Department.

Condolences to the family of Detective Vincent Suppa. Suppa was killed after a collision with a drunken driver on Long Island last night as he was riding his motorcycle.


Heroes:
Police who saved a deranged man threatening to jump from Seth Low Houses in Brooklyn.
Westchester County investigators for breaking a 1998 murder case against Robert DeRosario, currently doing time for sexual abuse.
The Georgia Supreme Court for keeping convicted cop-killer H. Rap Brown in jail where he belongs.

Goats:
Sheldon Silver for taking gratuities from Avis Rental Cars.
The Daily News for inaccurately claiming there were 1700 lawsuits filed by emergency workers in the aftermath of 9/11.
The State Parole Board for releasing convicted sex offender Vincent McCollum who promptly forced his way into his girlfriends house, beat her and repeatedly raped her 15 year-old daughter and then set fire to the house.

And finally, in the "when you gotta go, you gotta go" department, Utah Department of Transportation workers are complaining about truckers contributing to the accumulation of human waste outside a truck brake check in Utah's Parleys Summit. The DOT categorizes this material as hazardous waste and requires the use of protective suits and tongs. (They must have eaten at the Indian Restaurant Base10 frequents). Base10 is sympathetic to the DOT workers. Judging by the quantity of material, they must be pooped.
 
Shoutfest Aftermath.
Base10 watched Hillary Clinton on Fox News Sunday when she appeared with Lindsey Graham and they both just reeked of bipartisan good feelings. Toward the end of the broadcast, Chris Wallace congratulated the former First Lady on her first appearance on Fox News Sunday, but also reminded her that Lindsey Graham was one of her husband's prosecutors and asked her about her characterization of the Republican's at the time to have been in a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Mrs. Clinton first joked that she was "sitting right in the middle of it" but then made some remarks Base10 felt were very telling. She words to the effect that she didn't want to be overly confrontational and that all politicians have to put on their "political hats" sometimes. The implication, which should have been followed up by Mr. Wallace, is that Mrs. Clinton spoke blatant falsehoods during the impeachment period, and did so for base political reasons. (Remember, accusing someone of conspiracy with no evidence or other basis merely to get your weasel of a husband off the hook is about as base as you can get). Click here for the transcript.
 
New & Noteworthy (at Least to Me).
Base10 actually made the Rockaway trip over the weekend, but to his surprise, there was no early start to summer. A live Rockaway blog will have to be done after the Memorial Day weekend.

In other news, Base10 actually got Mrs. Base10 out on her bicycle on Sunday. What followed was a nice ride to Williamsburg and Park Slope. This may warrant blogging from the field as well.

Base10 has come across a couple of websites of note:

The Gotham Gazette is a nice web-only news site about contemporary issues in New York City. I like that they often have more thoughtful pieces on police issues instead of the usual newspaper soundbites. While I like the site, I have to admit they seem to cater to the more liberal elements of our city. For example, check out this piece about whether tax cuts are always good. Base10 suggests the reader (and author, for that matter) take an introductory course in micro- and macroeconomics. Tax cuts are always good. Unless there is a rare instance of a market failure, the private sector does everything more efficiently than the public sector. Let me reiterate TAX CUT = GOOD. But check out the Gotham Gazette anyway. It has a great collection of links and very thoughtful articles.

Base10 doesn't usually like "buff" sites, i.e. those run by webmasters with an unhealthy fixation of law enforcement. He is however willing to make an exception here. Officer.com is a pretty good site, but obviously is relying on ad revenue to stay afloat and this is certainly going to color their content. Here is link to the news page.

Speaking of "buff" websites, here is one that is actually very good. While Base10 is not a buff, he does enjoy the items about the history of the Department. The Squad Room is a pretty good site that appears to be written by active members. Note though, that the author appears to only post once a week (but with a good deal of content) and does not seem to provide live links.

New York City also has recently acquired a pair of morning dailies: AM NewYork and Metro. AM NewYork is a subsidiary of Newsday. Base10 can't say yet whether this has influenced its editorial choices. Base10 thinks Metro is owned by a Luxembourg company (hence the .lu top level web address), but publishes morning editions all around the world. They have a really nice feature that allows you to download PDF versions of their editions.

Another NYC news aggregator is NewYorkCityNews.net. This cite is pretty good and provides one-stop shopping for city news.

Sort of a website, sort of a blog, is the Gothamist. It's an intriguing website and worth a visit.

Mrs. Base10 recently discovered a humor magazine called Jest. Base10 has been disappointed with The Onion lately. I suppose all those funny people had to do something. I particularly like this article in this week's edition about what your books say about you.

Finally, a site which continually gets Base10 depressed, but nonetheless provides useful information is PolicePay.Net. It's nice to see how the other half live sometimes...
Saturday, May 22, 2004
 
Police News Roundup.
Commissioner Kelly will appear on News Forum on Sunday. (Hey, this could be a new addition to the Shoutfest). He will reportedly speak about increased security in anticipation of the Republican National Convention.

In related news, the city is banning all street fairs during the convention, blaming the lack of law enforcement resources while the convention is going on. Base10 will sure be upset when he can't get that $8 sausage and pepper sandwich that week.

A Times article examines enforcement of proposed rules by the MTA banning picture-taking and filming on the subway system. While at first this may seem draconian, there is a certain logic to the proposal, allowing police to arrest a suspicious person in the system taking pictures. The Mayor has come out against the ban.

In an unrelated item, the Mayor also announced a video system deployed in Police helicopters allowing firefighters to have a bird's eye view of fires during FDNY responses.

FDNY DWI Watch. The arrest of Lt. August Orlando brings to 25 the number of firefighters arrested for DWI so far this year.

Celebrity Crime Watch. New Jersey prosecutors have announced that they will retry Jayson Williams for reckless manslaughter. A government witness in the Martha Stewart trial has pleaded guilty to perjury based on statements he made during the trial. Defense attorneys look at this as an opportunity to mount an appeal, but prosecutors downplay the effect of the statements on the convictions.

Speaking of celebrity crime, for once a celebrity is a witness not a perpetrator. Actresses Lorraine Bracco and Candice Bergen were among the first to respond to the murder scene of Eduard Nektalov, a midtown jeweler. The plot is certainly getting thicker here. Nektalov was facing federal charges for money laundering. Can anyone say Russian Mob?

Oh and Ms. Bergen et al, were doing a police ride along to prepare for their roles in a new "Law and Order" series. Base10 is trying to think of a title. "Law and Order: Traffic Control Division" tells the story of the dramatic life of a cop engaging in directing traffic. It's a jungle out there on the city streets, and our traffic cops are the lion tamers. Or, how about "Law and Order: Summons Enforcement Unit." L&O:SEU tells the story of the exciting world of summons writing. Detectives may be arresting murderers, but do you think they can bring them to jail if the streets are filled with double parked cars?

Self-style police beat reporter Lenny Levitt had a Friday story about Commissioner Kelly. Well maybe story isn't a good description. It's more of a rant. Among other things, Levitt states Kelly hates: (1) Giuliani, for firing him, (2) Bratton, for replacing him, (3) Kerik, for some unspecified reason, and (4) the FBI, because Levitt says Kelly thinks they're incompetent. Levitt also blamed Kelly for (1) inactivity regarding use of "no-knock" warrants following the death of Alberta Spruill, and (2) lax security causing the death of City Councilman James Davis. Base10 particularly likes the last suggestion, since the security guidelines in place were created by the direction of the Council itself.

WABC is reporting that railroads are coming under increased security scrutiny. They note that three trains were stopped and searched last night. The heightened security began when workers discovered a commercially available motion detector in a Pennsylvania rail yard. Trains aren't the only things to be concerned about however. NY1 believes the focus should be on trucks.

And finally, in the "thank god for federal grant money" department, officials in the Kansas city of Blue Springs returned $132,000 of $273,000 in grant money awarded the town to combat the "Goth" phenomenon. Officials cited an overstated problem and a lack of interest in the community. Base10 is wondering exactly how the other $141,000 was spent. Base10 knows there is a Grant Wood pun in here somewhere but is just too tired to think of it.

 
Sunday Morning Shoutfest Preview.
Fox News Sunday has Senators Hillary Clinton and Lindsey Graham and former US ally in Iraq, Ahmad Chalabi. On Meet the Press, Tim Russert interviews Ahmad Chalabi, Former presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich, and Rep. Duncan Hunter, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Appearing on the eponymous This Week with George Stephanopoulos, are Ralph Nader, Sen. Evan Bayh, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Alas, Face the Nation's server appears to be down.


Wednesday, May 19, 2004
 
Police (and Other) News Roundup.
The 9/11 Dog & Pony show is in New York. After some pretty tame testimony yesterday, today's testimony involved mostly Rudy Giuliani. Base10 for one is sick of this commission and wish it would die a quick death. But let's just say the questioning of the former mayor was less than enthusiastic. One of the key issues was the lack of coordination between the police and fire departments--most particularly the lack of efficient communications between them-- in the aftermath of the attack. One of the repeated questions has been whether the deaths of dozens of firefighters could have been prevented. It appears to have been largely due to deficiencies in the FD radio system, but there are other theories. While Base10 is sympathetic to the family members who want answers, he is also tired of having political hacks criticize the response to that incident. Base10 has been to many large scale incidents, some are run well, some less well. What amazed Base10 about 9/11 was how outstanding the response and organization was. Base10 saw it. What is even more amazing is that efforts were well coordinated in spite of facing an unprecedented incident and the uncertainty of whether more bombs were on the way.

Garry Kasparaov has an excellent article in the WSJ about terrorism. Yeah, that Garry Kasparov, the chess guy. Basically he argues that while we expect Al Jazeera to refer to terrorists as "militants" and "insurgents" we do not and should not expect the same from CNN. In an effort at political correctness, mass media is engaging in morally equating the two competing movements. It's a good piece.

Jets Fans Cheer. The Times reports that New York made the final cut by the IOC for the city to host the 2012 Olympics. Other cities are Paris, London, Madrid, and Moscow. The Times states that Paris is the front runner, so we have yet another reason to loath the French. But Jets fans are happy. This is another step toward a new home of our own in the city after which we are named. Meanwhile the Jets organization released plans for the proposed stadium. It seems to be a very green project and incorporates windmills and solar panels that will supply most of the facilities power.


Farewell Felix. Tony Randall, a New York icon, passed away yesterday. Base10 was once told in Chicken Soup for the Soul fashion that all he needed to know about life was contained in the Odd Couple and the Honeymooners. Although meant in jest, there is a certain amount of truth in this. Tony Randall's work has given me great pleasure over the years and New York has definitely lost one of its nicer spirits.

One of FDNY's sons was arrested on federal child porn charges after an internet watch dog group caught him in a sting. He was allegedly sending a video feed of himself--how shall we put this delicately--polishing his hose nozzle to what he believed was a 14 year-old girl. Oh yeah, and he was wearing an FD shirt on the video! Nice.

In a footnote to the 1993 terror bombing of the World Trade Center, jurors are being interviewed in the trial of attorney Lynne Stewart, who is accused of conspiring to passing information from Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman to his terrorist minions in the outside world. Base10 loves the way Newsday describes Stewart as an "activist lawyer." Base10 would prefer the phrase "alleged terrorist conspirator." Lynne Stewart may be a darling of the limousine liberal set, but her actions violated a court order and allowed an Islamic terrorist to continue his sick mission.

Constable John Miller who was killed in the line of duty will be honored by the Springfield Police, who will add his name to their police memorial. Interestingly, his death is the earliest known account of a law enforcement officer being killed in the line of duty. Miller was killed defending the town against Indians in 1675. Even this is not without some bit of controversy. An application to include Miller in the national police memorial was rejected since that memorial honors American law enforcement officers, and the US did not exist then. The previous oldest line of duty death included in the national memorial is New York City Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith, who was shot May 17, 1792.

Base10's favorite recent item is the creation of a memobook insert to be distributed to all police officers. The subject is the recognition of terrorists. Factors include carrying driver's licenses from different states, videotaping utilities and tunnels or wearing fake uniforms.
also suspect are those who "express hatred for America and advocate violence against America and/or Americans." Amazingly, the ACLU is complaining that the cards go too far. Base10 thinks they should also include anyone wearing a dynamite belt and screaming "Allah Akbar!"


And finally, in the "is that a Chevy in your pocket or are just happy to see me" department, a German men's magazine is reporting that the drivers of certain cars seem to be having sex more than others. Not completely surprising, BMW owners seem to have the most sex with Audi and Volkswagen drivers coming in second and third (no pun intended). Remarkably, Porsche drivers seem to be having sex only 1.4 times per week and didn't even make the top five. Base10 suspects this may be a case of "auto" eroticism. (Ah come on, how could anyone resist that?)
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
 
Rare Example of an Ethical Politician
Hats off to Sonia Ghandi, India's PM heir apparent. The AP is reporting that Gandhi walked away from the job. Recent instability in Indian markets had been blamed on both Ghandi's socialist politics and on the fact that she is Italian born. Apparently aware of these issues, in a shocking development, Ms. Ghandi declined the Prime Minister position. Base10 does not agree with Ms. Ghandi's politics, but he does admire a political leader who would decline something in his or her own self-interest for the good of their country. Base10 wishes this spirit would infect American politics.
Monday, May 17, 2004
 
Loathing the Media
Base10 has been a little introspective of late. There are major things going on in Iraq and elsewhere. Base10 had the usual shoutfest with the Sunday morning pundits yesterday. Remarkably, Colin Powell was able to appear on every major talk show! This in spite of being in Jordan! I guess those wacky guys over at DARPA have finally gotten the bugs worked out of that space/time continuum teleportation device. The biggest thing about Powell's appearances was the abrupt attempt to cut Tim Russert's interview short by one of Powell's press flak's. I didn't see this, but Russert's reaction was a little overblown since it seemed to be a misunderstanding over NBC going over it's allotted time.

But what is going on? The press has been curiously MIA on a lot of issues. But why is there this continued outrage about the Iraqi prisoner scandal and a complete failure to cover the following?

Nicholas Berg. Before I write anything, I just want to say that no one deserves to be executed like Nicholas Berg. The US would not have treated its worst enemy this way. Even Osama, should he be captured alive, will be given a trial. Saddam sure is. Assuming that the facts about 9/11 are as true as they obviously are, when Osama receives the death penalty, he will likely be given lethal injection. The most powerful nation on earth does not engage in brutality for brutality's sake. Kudos to Colin Powell on Sunday for criticizing the Arab world for its insufficient reaction to the tragedy of Nicholas Berg. (And don't forget Daniel Pearl, who suffered the same fate, though less publicized). Mr. Powell, didn't you know? The Berg execution didn't happen.

That being said, who is this guy Berg? What was he doing in Iraq. A couple of facts just begging for explanation:

- His father is obviously a left-wing nut-job. In the immediate aftermath of his son's death in hideous fashion at the hands of Arab extremists, the senior Berg placed blame squarely on the President and the Secretary of Defense. I realize people as upset as this can say dumb things, but after a career's worth of seeing people react to the deaths of loved ones, Base10 thought his reaction at a press conference was a little unusual.

- The senior Berg also had "proof" that Nicholas Berg had been in US custody and warned to leave Iraq. After his release, Berg fell into the hands of his executioners. It is possible that Beg was in the custody of Iraqi security forces. Where is the investigation?

- What exactly was Berg doing in Iraq? He has been described as an adventurer and entrepreneur. Right. This is like Base10 describing himself as a "noted political commentator." In any event, the few media outlets picking up on this have largely ignored the obvious questions.

- Don't forget the granddaddy of all coincidences. Berg had contact with Zacarias Moussaoui and even gave him his email password. His father's response, "It turned out this guy was a terrorist and that he ... used my son's e-mail, amongst many other people's e-mail who he did the same thing to" is retarded. The answer is no; rational college students do not give their email passwords to total strangers.

Where is big media on this? Doesn't this issue cry for further investigation?

The DoD Program to Interrogate Terrorists That Was So Secret, Even the Pentagon Didn't Know About It. In a story breaking Sunday, Seymour Hersh in Monday's New Yorker, cites unnamed officials in new allegations that the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal was due to the application of a top secret intelligence gathering program designed for use against top al-Qaida operatives. The use of intimidation techniques as shown in the digital photos was expanded to Iraqi prisoners as the insurgency became more widespread. The expansion of this program was reportedly due to--a drum roll please, as if you didn't already guess--Donald Rumsfeld. (Oh and the President knew about it too). Of course this story was immediately picked up by Al Jazeera and reported as fact.

Gay Marriage. Today a small part of democracy died in Massachusetts. A group of unelected judges decreed that gay couples can get married. I've written about this before. To reiterate, Base10 does not have strong feelings about the substantive issue of allowing gay couples to marry. He has seen the widespread acceptance of the concept of domestic partners in his field, and it did not result in the end of civilization as we know it. Base10 sees two issues here, again ignored by big media, which basically reflect his reservations about the gay marriage issue:
(1) What Happened to Democracy? The infuriating thing about the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court's ruling is that it seems to take all authority away from the elected representatives. Under the seemingly bizarre legal system of the Bay State, no law overturning the court's ruling can take effect until 2006! However you look at it, this is not in any way democratic.
(2) Coverage of this issue is broken down into two halves. The first half has a quote or sound-bite from an articulate and respected and reasonably sounding member of the gay rights community. The "opposition" quote is from some yahoo far-right religious zealot claiming that gays are evil. For example, check this out in Reuters:

First Quote:
"This is a great moment for equality and liberty that will have tremendous significance for families across the country," Compton [one of the named party in the original lawsuit] told reporters.

Second Quote:
"[A] handful of anti-gay protesters turned out with signs like 'God Hates Fags' and one conservative activist said a 'death certificate' had been issued for the institution of marriage.

The media seems to have forgotten that there are thoughtful sincere people who are not evil but are uncomfortable about the idea of gay marriage. These people have not only been disenfranchised by the usurpation of political power by the courts, they have even been denied a right to be heard by the media. People opposed to this measure are not evil simply by virtue of their opposition. And if you can't feel strongly about a moral issue or have your elected representatives act upon it prior to 2006, can you really expect anything from civil government?

The Death of Democracy? Not so fast!
Another thing that made Base10 angry during the Sunday Morning Shoutfest was the suggestion by Senator Joe Biden on Meet the Press, that we might as well give up on democracy in Iraq. He said the most we can hope for is a "stable" and "representative government." Stupid Arabs! They can't possibly be civilized enough to appreciate democracy and the feckless politicians that go along with it. Fledgling Arab democracies like Iraq only have politicians that are willing to die to save their country from extremists and dictators. Interim Council Chief Izzadine Saleem was killed during a terrorist attack. He was quickly replaced by Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer who apparently isn't petrified by fear like his American political counterparts since he stated that "the march toward building a democratic, federal, plural and unified Iraq" would continue. "God willing, the criminal forces will be defeated despite all the pain they are causing to our people and their heroic leaders." Here here, sir! Let's hope Senator Biden remembers to send a sympathy card.

Those Pesky Weapons of Mass Destruction.
In a breaking story, military official are investigating reports of the use of a sarin gas laden artillery shell in a roadside booby-trap in Iraq today. Of course, the reporters were careful to point out that the bomb maker may not have known the artillery shell contained sarin.

For the Love of the French. Film Director/Imbecile and Ruthless Self-Promoter Michael Moore got standing ovations at Cannes today after the screening of his new movie. He gave a speech excoriating George Bush, which naturally played well to his French audience. If there's one thing worse than an actor making a comment about politics, it's a director making a political statement. I suppose when Michael Moore went to film school he took courses in such things as "strategic deterrence" or "political theory" between courses in "film composition" or "history of cinematic expression." Of course, since my educational background obviously makes me an expert in film making, let me say it right now. Your movies suck.
 
Random Ramblings.
There is a rumor going around that Commissioner Kelly is interested in the Democratic nomination for Manhattan District Attorney pending of course the death or retirement of the aged Robert Morgenthau. I've heard and read about many rumors concerning the Commissioner, but not one has proved to be accurate. Some examples: The PC is actually in ill health and will imminently retire. The PC will pack it in after the Republican National Convention. The PC will bail at the end of Mayor Bloomberg's first term.

Every week there's a new rumor. But it seems to me that anyone starting this talk is not in a position to know. The one thing I can say for a fact is the closest advisors to the PC are not able to read the man and have no idea what he is thinking. It does make you think about leaving the job, though. For the rest of us this involves simple retirement.

Myself, I have sort of a love-hate relationship with the Department. There are some very talented people out there, but the odds are often stacked against them. I've made some great friendships over the years, but the job just takes too much out of you. There are too many abuses: low pay, nepotism, a management system that rewards indecision and seems to punish innovation. Now that I'm in the twilight of my career, retirement looms and I can't think of many good reasons to stay.

On top of everything else, I think we're headed down the road to a major police scandal along the lines of the Knapp commission. Jimmy Walker reportedly once said about the cops, "I can't pay them, but they can keep whatever they can make on their own." Every major police scandal since the Lexow Commission in 1894 has noted poor police pay as a contributing factor in the rise of organized corruption. The funny thing is how these statements are repeated every twenty years or so when a major scandal erupts.

I think a new one is coming. A big one. The main reason I think this is the 9/11 generation. New cops at that time were basically taught that the "store was open" and could take whatever they wanted. This attitude was tolerated and even encouraged by high-ranking members of the Department, including then Commissioner Kerik. The public actively supported this for a time. But mark Base10's words: in 2012, when these kids have about ten years on, the level of organized corruption will be astonishing. All because they never learned at the very beginning that there is no tolerance for it.

The city still looks at its police as if they are somehow self-supporting. I tend to think political people in other agencies simply assume that the police are as corrupt as they are. The city should take a lesson from other municipalities. In Singapore or Hong Kong, a police job is very lucrative and hence highly desirable. Civil service examinations are extremely competitive and people study for years to become a police official. The reason for the high pay is to attract the best and brightest and also to eliminate the temptation toward corruption.

It's wrong to simply equate only salary with corruption. There are other factors at work. When does a politically ambitious person attack the legal or medical profession? In Singapore, the social status of a police official is quite high. Here, whether some cops deserve it or not, PO's are treated with disdain. When did a law degree give the bearer expertise in law enforcement? I think the educational requirement for admission to the Department should be a law degree. There would cease to be complaints, unfortunately recruitment would plummet and crime would skyrocket.

People constantly ask me these days, "Are you staying?" meaning past the twenty-year retirement. I have mixed feelings. Staying is not as economically stacked against you anymore. In fact it's a big boost to your pension if you stay to twenty-five years. You get to bank your pension supplement as if you retired.

But even an extra five years would have to be sweetened in some way. I wouldn't even consider it unless there was increased pay or an absolutely dead job market next year. But it's not worth it to stay longer, unless you're a Chief and have made the conscious decision to make the Police Department your second career. The rest of us just want to get on with our lives.

But wait, "are you staying?" I don't know yet. I don't feel the itch to get out just yet, and I think the future job or other activity has to be right. Base10 would really like to finish his PhD. The clock is ticking. I suppose I'll do a job search sometime next year. My goal is to retire on a Friday and start a new job on the following Monday. (Okay, maybe I'll take the Friday off).

Friday, May 14, 2004
 
The Base10 Range Experience.
Base10 went to the range today. Not the cooking range. Or the home on the range, but the "shootin' range." Going to shoot is part of the annual ritual (historical note: it used to be twice-yearly). The best part about it is that the range is egalitarian. Your age, your politics, your race, your gender simply do not matter. This is the one time during the year (for many of us at least) that combat skills rule the day.

Base10 has an odd feeling this year though. It is likely the last time he will go to the range. This brings us to the "smurf"/"dinosaur" analogy. When Base10 was a young cop, there was a vast disparity in age groups. There was a large group of people that were at or close to retirement age and a small but rapidly growing group that had just come on the job. (In truth, there is a very small middle group, but they can get their own blogger). The dynamics of the job were set. You were either a "dinosaur"--a rigid thinking old-timer with no creativity or drive--or a "smurf"--an inexperienced turk that had absolutely no understanding of how the job worked. This paradigm worked for a long time.

The thing Base10 finds difficult to deal with is the idea that at some point he changed from smurf to dinosaur. He does not know exactly when this happened and as much as he searches his memory, he cannot exactly locate that instance. It's in there somewhere. Somehwere between when he stopped asking questions about how to do things and when he started telling people how to do things.

But anyway, the range brings this back to you. It's all about how (and in some cases whether) you can shoot. They give you the usual spiel about stance, grip, site alignment and site picture (Base10 thinks these latter topics could be an analogized to websites, but that's another post).

Base10 has always been a good shot. This time was no exception. It greatly pleases him that in spite of losing his hair, his eyesight, his physique and his short term memory, Base10 can still manage to do a little damage to the bad guys.

I'll miss the range. Every company should have their employees take off from work one or two days a year and engage in manly (no offense to girls--they can be good shots too) competition. The outcome is a core value, and the top executives do their shooting along with the newest and lowest level employees. (This isn't strictly true, but you get my point). The range is one of the leveling aspects of the Department and should be continued.
 
Internet Training and XML
Base10 had the opportunity to take a training class on Thursday. He rarely gets to take outside training, so this was a treat. The class was in XML, the alleged heir apparent for internet communications. I found it interesting, but XML is weird.

Base10 is not a programmer, but he is a techie and knows his way around a computer network. Now a caveat here, he was a last minute fill in for someone that couldn't go to the class. It was the second class in the series, but talking to the other students, he didn't miss much. Base10 won't mention the firm that does the training, but they had a nice facility. Unfortunately the course material--not necessarily the fault of the instructor or the company--was somewhat wanting.

XML stands for "eXtensible Markup Language" and judging by what Base10's been reading, XML is the next big thing in distributed computing. In my view, XML allows you to create a website and relate this site back and forth to a database with the greatest of ease.

The class dealt with issues like validating your XML and creating DTD's (document type definitions) and at the end schemas. The creation of schemas was very complicated, but ultimately based upon the DTD's.

For the uninitiated, a DTD is a specification. It's sort of the recipe for a markup language. If you've ever done any HTML coding, you know about tags and attributes. HTML is only one DTD that is derived from the parent language SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). XML is pretty much SGML for the masses. I create a document specification (a DTD or a schema, the key difference is the ability to recognize data types) with all the tags that I'll be using in my markup. The syntax becomes very complicated, very quickly.

Now the natural question you come to in this is, "Why am I doing this?" Here the training--and the language itself--seems to fall apart. Don't get me wrong, like I said before, XML is the "next big thing" on the web. It's just that like say, Bluetooth, it is a technology that is waiting for a killer app. The training did not provide a bridge from syntax to actual applications. But don't blame the course. I went to Borders during lunch and validated (ha ha) the XML books. Most covered the subject much like the material that I had learned. Not only was there no particular emphasis on applications, there was not an application to be seen (except for one book which I may buy after a longer perusal--review to follow).

Why is this such a hot topic? Well, XML is the next logical step in the life of HTML, which everyone agrees has outlived much of its usefulness. HTML was, after all, not designed in any way shape or form for the uses to which it is being put today. Maybe the computer pundits are wrong, but I think XML is the future. (As a matter of fact, I can think of a few applications already for the office).

But caution! The instructor noted that some of the XML standards have not yet been set. In addition, she pointed out that Microsoft Office 2003 (I guess it's numbered by year now) is practically based on XML. This in itself is the cautionary tale. If Microsoft has wholeheartedly adopted this technology, it is doomed. But there is hope, from what Base10 understands there is plenty of XML development going on in the Linux world.

All in all, I can't say that I've come to a well defined conclusion about XML. I haven't learned enough about it. Now this says something after eight hours of training. I don't expect to be an expert, but I at least expect to form an opinion. Base10 promises to further document his experiences in this field.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
 
Rockaway Temptation.
It's a hot and sticky NYC morning. Maybe not hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, but plenty hot just the same. It would make a lovely beach day!

When Base10 goes to work every day, as he walks to the subway he passes the bus stop for the express bus to Rockaway Beach. A buck and a half gets you to the beach more or less non-stop in about 20 minutes. No driving and no parking hassles. New York is such an efficient place! Anyway, as the weather gets warm and sunny and as summer wears on, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make that right turn to work rather than the left turn to the beach. If I didn't have a presentation to give at noon, I might very well be getting on that bus today.

Base10 likes Rockaway, too. He worked down there for some time. The Rockaway Peninsula (it's not an island, darn it) is home to one of the few "communities" left in the city. Base10 feels compelled to Rockaway blog before the season is out.

If you're a little more daring, you can ride a bicycle there. The traffic down Woodhaven Boulevard can be difficult, but you're rewarded by a lovely flat stretch through the Jamaica Bay wildlife preserve. Then it's Broad Channel, the bridge and the beach!

I'm writing this on the subway and have decided to give it a rest since I'm starting to pine for sand and surf. More later.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004
 
Random Thoughts.
Base10 had another hard day today. Although it's not as if I'm being whipped to perform manual labor, brain work can be hard. What's worse is that after staring at a computer screen for most of the day, my eyes are killing me. For that matter, it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus. But how can I refrain from the blog?

The things I did today: a powerpoint presentation for the commanding officer (which I'm told went very well), laying out a personnel allocation model to a prospective "client" in another unit, using job control language to pull some personnel information off the mainframe, pestering a more experience programmer when the aforementioned JCL didn't work (curse that language), spending the better part of the day wrestling with GIS software to create some specialized maps. (GIS stands for "geographical information systems" and you should count yourself lucky if you've never heard that phrase). Lunch was a fleeting memory of lunches past. I shouldn't complain though. There are lot of people that work their heart out every day for the Department and get little if any credit. I just never thought I'd be one of them.

Random thoughts for the day:

(1) The blogs are all over Senator/National Disgrace Ted Kennedy and his awful comparison between the United States and the torture chambers of pre-war Iraq. Way to go Senator! We all know how railing against our troops on the Senate floor does such wonders for morale. What's the matter, couldn't you find any state secrets to pass on to Osama? How about some aid and comfort?

(2) Speaking of Osama, his right-hand man Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and a group of Iraqi insurgents filmed and released on the web a depiction of them beheading a US civilian held prisoner in Iraq. The appalling act included severing the man's head with a large knife and holding it up for the camera claiming it was retribution for US prisoner abuses. What, no apology? The Democrats are really pushing for al-Zarqawi's resignation after such atrocities were committed on Osama's watch.

(3) In another ghoulish event, Palestinian militants attacked an Israeli armored vehicle using a very powerful roadside bomb. The explosion killed six Israeli soldiers and destroyed their vehicle. Their remains were scattered over a wide area. Now up until this point, you can't condemn the Palestinians--they attacked a military target in Gaza. But some time later, Hamas members were shown laying out pieces of the soldier's remains for cameras. Press coverage also showed an individual with a burlap bag containing body parts. In addition, Al-Jazeera reportedly showed video of the head of one of the soldiers on a table apparently taken as a prize by the militants. It sure is nice to hear that Kofi Annan was concerned about "the heavy fighting in densely populated neighborhoods, which is exposing more Palestinian civilians to death and injury," while apparently avoiding any condemnation over the body parts thing.

(4) Isn't it wonderful to hear that Iran has finally passed a law prohibiting torture? It only took them, what? Thirty-five years? I guess it was getting increasingly ridiculous to condemn the Great Satan for prisoner abuses when Iranian law allows even worse. But don't be too disappointed, Iran has not turned into a nation of pansies. After all, Iran is still willing to impose the death penalty for blasphemy on those critical of the regime. The sentence against liberal Iranian history professor Hashem Aghajari not only includes the death penalty but in addition, he could face further sentences of a 10-year ban on teaching, eight years in jail and 74 lashes for lesser offences. At least he won't be tortured! (Base10 hopes Mr. Aghajari makes it through okay).

Monday, May 10, 2004
 
Base10 Returns!
Due to a confluence of unrelated events, Base10 has not been posting recently. Blame this on (1) a series of hellish work assignments, (2) a Mets sweep of the Giants conducted largely late at night, (3) a general sense of weariness and malaise, and most recently (4) Base10's mother being in the hospital. Thankfully, Base10's mom looks like she's going to be okay. Base10 promises new, exciting and thoughtful posts (well at least new), but will make the following random observations, (links to follow):

(1) In the midst of unrelentingly good economic news, Base10 still notices that the media does not seem to give any credit whatsoever to the president. The most the media outlets say is something like "GDP up three quarters, but jobs still a worry" or "Economy recovering but joblessness dogs Bush." Check these real examples here, here, and here. I had a discussion about this with a person whom I respect that is fairly well educated (okay it was one of my bar buddies, but he really is smart and well educated) who insisted that the economy was in the toilet, apparently based on what he has been told in the popular media (or maybe because he doesn't get to the last part of the story below the fold in the Times). I pointed out that the US has had three consecutive 4.4% plus quarters of GDP growth. Of course I got the response that there are no jobs. I pointed out that the jobless rate was the same now as it was during the run-up to Clinton's reelection. I know this is true because I checked it with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the arbiter of such things. I'm just amazed that an otherwise intelligent and literate person could be so misinformed by the media.

(2) Speaking of media misinformation, the editor-in-chief of the LA Times gave a speech about ethics in journalism. His remarks were a thinly veiled diatribe against Fox News. He noted some study I have not heard of or read about that suggests Fox viewers are grossly misinformed about international affairs. I wonder if he has been talking to my friend mentioned above, who apparently gets his information from the LA Times' New York cousin. The best thing about this speech is that this is the same paper where an opera critic claimed a particular operatic production was "pro-life" and a nameless editor changed the phrase to "anti-abortion" without regard for the context of the article or content of the opera since this phraseology is the editorial policy of the paper.

(3) Is there a level of media hysteria going on about the Iraqi prisoner affair? I'm not excusing the conduct. But let's be serious! I read a commentator in the NY Times call any activity that intimidates a prisoner "torture." That's a rather broad definition and if true Base10 can think of many times at work when he was "tortured." Will the Red Cross write a letter for him? Yet the media continues to bandy the torture word around like US forces are little different than Dr. Mengele. When I think of torture, I think of the infliction of physical pain. So far, I have not seen pictures depicting anything like this, although I have read about some incidents and these should be punished to the fullest extent of military law. The revealed stories so far revolve around humiliation, the inducement of fear, and legitimate but distasteful techniques like sleep deprivation. I'm not suggesting that some of these things didn't go too far, but let's remember who these people are: vicious killers. I don't think torture should be used against any prisoner (with the possible exception of the use of physical force against a prisoner with knowledge of an imminent attack against civilians). As far as conduct that amounts to less than physical force, although the civilian population may find it distasteful, I trust the military justice system to sort out what laws were violated. One result predicted by Base10 is the banning of digital cameras from all prisoner facilities.

(4) There is not too much going on in the NYPD world. Things of note are obviously the Republican National Convention, the coming to New York of the 9/11 Commission and a few recent legal cases. Frankly, nothing earth shattering other than the daily heroics of our boys (and girls) in blue.

Base10 promises best efforts to add links and to post more frequently and wishes all a happy Mother's Day!
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
 
Police News Roundup.
The Times reports that Louis Pepe, a Federal Corrections Officer brutally stabbed, beaten and left for dead by Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, a founding member of Al Qaeda was ejected from a Southern District courtroom after giving a victim impact statement at Salim's sentencing. Salim was sentenced to thirty-two years for the assault. Officer Pepe apparently suffers from severe neurological and congnitive damage as a result of the attack. The unfortunate thing about this event is that Salim will be written about in the future much more than his victim.

Kudos to the Boca Raton cop that recognized wanted murderer Tracey Boyce in Florida gym after seeing him profiled on "America's Most Wanted." Note to Daily News: How about putting the cop's name in the next time? Also, Boyce is described as a sometime "rapper." This reminds Base10 of the practice in the 80's of labeling any unemployed minority member as an "unemployed construction worker" by the media.

In what is likely the final chapter in the Etan Patz story, a judge entered a civil judgment against suspect Jose R. Ramos after Ramos refused to answer questions at a deposition in the wrongful death suit against him. While this judgment is essentially toothless, Base10 hopes it offers some closure to the family. Base10 also it offers some closure to the law enforcement people that worked diligently on this case.

And finally, in the "take a bite out of crime" department, a man was arrested when German police matched his DNA with that of a half-bitten meatball at the scene of sandwich shop burglary. Let this be an apt lesson for those that hunger for a life of crime.
Monday, May 03, 2004
 
Police News Roundup.
The Times has an interesting story about the rising cost of fighting crime. The article cites a 150% inflation adjusted increase in the cost of the criminal justice system over the last five years. Most of the increased cost, according to the article, was the drastic increase in the costs of prisons, itself due to the rising numbers of incarcerated individuals--a staggering 1.3 million in 2001. The article attributes this steep rise to the use of mandatory sentencing. Base10 thinks the use of mandatory sentencing has created exactly the situation that the taxpayers want--instead of a carousel, the criminal justice system is keeping criminals incarcerated. That's a good thing, in spite of the cost.

Also in the Times, a report that the UFT, PBA and UFA are all against applying the "pattern" of the new DC-37 pact to other labor negotiations. Chief among the complaints--and particularly appropriate in the case of teachers and police officers--the pact's use of reduced starting salaries to finance raises would harm the police and teacher's already limited ability to recruit.

In the Post, a good job by Bronx and Brooklyn cops in an operation targeting illegal street drag racing. Plainclothes officers infiltrated the crowds at two events, making several arrests and seizing several cars. In addition, the officers issued citations to the crowd for quality of life violations they observed waiting for the races. Good creative job!

Also in the Post, there are reports that the article appearing in Friday's Daily News may not be entirely accurate. In a Friday exclusive, the Daily News interviewed rogue ex-cop Michael Dowd who has been released from prison and is living in a half-way house. The Post reports the person appearing in the picture accompanying the article is not Michael Dowd. The News is sticking by its story and the veracity of its interview.

Elsewhere in the Daily News, Murray Weiss reports that a grand jury is investigating the 2003 fatal shooting of Ousmane Zongo in Chelsea warehouse. Police Officer Brian Conroy will reportedly testify the shooting occurred after a hand-to-hand battle over the officer's weapon.

Newsday's editors have a curious set of concerns for the NYPD. They believe the Department should not bother appealing last week's misguided decision by an administrative law judge with the City Commission on Human Rights that allows a Sikh Traffic Enforcement Agent to wear a turban in lieu of his uniform hat. The gist of their argument is that uniform regulations allowing such religious expressions are routinely allowed in Canada. Readers should note the failure in the piece to mention that no US jurisdiction allows this practice. With all due respect to our cousins in the Great White North, it would be one thing if this were a widely accepted practice within this country, but somehow Newsday and ALJ Donna Merris believe this city should be the first to extend such a right. Both the judge and Newsday give short shrift to the officer safety rational for wearing the uniform hat. Another thing they do not mention is the separation of church and state. A public official engaged in official business should not be clothed in symbolic religious attire. (In case you're wondering, a yarmulke is not allowed either, but will be if this ruling stands). Apparently a degree in journalism or law also confers on the bearer an automatic expertise in police operations. Who knew?

On the terrorism front, NY1 reports a disturbing story about five pieces of abandoned luggage found at the end of March and the beginning of April. The empty luggage was found by the MTA at several locations including Penn Station. While officials warned about jumping to conclusions, the worst case scenario is that the planting of these items was a dry run.

Also on NY1, there is a report that the NYPD is planning on installing a series of surveillance cameras throughout the city. The system will reportedly utilize facial recognition technology to identify terrorists. The price tag: $1billion.

And finally, in the "I wish I had that job" department, the Post reports that NYPD Detective Ann Marie Moloney has a rather special bit of off-duty employment. She is the new announcer for the New York State Lottery. An aspiring actress, this job may be Det. Moloney's big break. In the most positive sense, Base10 sincerely hopes that her number comes up.
Saturday, May 01, 2004
 
Police News Roundup (Special Boston Edition).
Base10 is visiting Boston this weekend and is temporarily changing jurisdictions:

Two Boston PD members were placed on administrative leave pending the investigation into misconduct allegations involving the wrongful conviction of a man following the 1997 shooting of a police sergeant.

Boston Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of a high school student at East Boston HS yesterday. The assailant, Chris Manning, 19, stabbed Ann Marie Reyes, 17, after being spurned for a prom date. Manning then tried to slit his own throat before being captured.

Boston jurors acquitted Kyle Bryant at his trial for the brutal murder of a pregnant 14-year-old girl. The horrific crime involved the beating, stabbing and ultimately the burial alive of this victim. (That's really what it says!) This acquittal came in spite of the existence of a detailed confession to the act. Commentators believe this is evidence of growing skepticism about police interrogation techniques.

Unlike their brethren in NYC, members of the Boston Police department are among the highest paid police officers in the country, the Globe reports.

In spite of the large salaries, Boston Police members are threatening to demonstrate at the Democratic National Convention in Boston this summer unless the city agrees to their salary demands. The Globe reports that this is only the latest in the history of political statements made by Boston PD at critical times for the Democrats.

Boston PD may be looking for another chief of Police according to this article, Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske was contacted about the job.

In the final event of a controversial criminal case that occurred eighteen years ago, Gerald Amirault, 50, was released from prison yesterday after being granted paroled. Amirault has maintained his innocence all these years. He, along with two of his family members were convicted of child molestations charges involving eight children in 1986. (These family members--his mother and sister--were released after their convictions was overturned in 1995). The children were between the ages of three and four at the time, and many people, including the Wall Street Journal, are highly critical of the way the convictions were obtained citing overzealous prosecutors,inappropriate interview techniques, politically motivated elected officials, and a wave of fanciful and conspiratorial allegations of child molestation during the eighties. The Journal calls it a miscarriage of justice.

And finally, in the "I guess you can buy anything by the pound" department, Serbian authorities are investigating what happened to two tons of Tanzanian monkeys shipped to the Balkan state two years ago. Some 400 hundred of the simians were sold for medical research, but officials are skeptical that the other 600 were accounted for by individual pet sales. Simple arithmetic dictates that one thousand monkeys weigh two thousand pounds. How many barrels is that? Base10 suspects some money business is going on here.

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