Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Need To Confess

My mother always told me, from the time I was kid, that I had a "need to confess."
I wasn't one of those who lied, hid or shared untruths.
I told it like I saw it and tended to be honest to a fault.
Still am.
And if I did something wrong, I  fessed up, every time.
I have discovered, among the countless varieties of life-forms on this planet, I am not alone.
It appears there are not only other humans who share my "need to confess."
It also occurs among llamas.
Though my offenses have never come close to the criminal nature of Carl's.
He is a breed apart.
One disclaimer/confession:
"Llamas with Hats" (below) is not intended for kids or anyone who does not appreciate sick humor.

Llamas with Hats

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

"How To Win Friends And Influence People"

I have observed as of late, some people lack basic social skills required to succeed in life.
Especially among the young, the computer now outweighs real life statistically as being a "social life."
However, success in business requires certain social skills.
Having friends requires you know how to be a friend.
That's why  I've included a summarized excerpt from one of the greatest teachers of all time, Dale Carnegie.
With the skills his message has taught me, this investigator has entered many doors that would otherwise remain closed.
To "Learn How To Win Friends And Influence People, just go  this link: http://www.westegg.com/unmaintained/carnegie/win-friends.html#one

Sunday, July 25, 2010

10 Things PI 's Know That You May Not

1. You never know what goes on behind closed doors. Do not envy another person, couple, family; their good lucks, fancy houses, vacations, spa getaways and expensive toys because they may not be what they appear to be. It is only when people are safely hidden from public view do they remove their masks and allow their true essence to emerge.

2. You can not change other people, you can only change yourself and change your response to the negative behavior of others. Sometimes, that negative behavior changes because you've changed. Sometimes it doesn't. The people who don't change are probably toxic and you don't need them in your life anyway.

3. People lie all the time. Insurance companies lie. Politicians lie. Family members and friends lie. Some lies are harmless, meant to make you feel better about yourself when you don't feel good about your self image. Other lies more deliberate and self-serving. Some people are such good and frequent liars, they truly believe their own lies.... because they can't cope with the truth.

4. There are many truths in silences. Usually if you don't fill in the silence, the person you are talking to will. And if they don't, the silence has meaning in it.

5. It is easier to tell the truth than it is to lie. People who lie talk more and their story changes in the telling. People who tell the truth tend to act indignant when falsely accused and tell the true story, consistently.

6. Most of us are a whole lot better than our last bad act. Some of us are not.
Some people made mistakes, acted badly and  are worthy of forgiveness.
Other behaviors are unfathomable and unforgivable.               

7. People with nothing to hide, hide nothing.

8. The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior.

9. Abusive behavior is cyclical. The abuser is a charmer at first to lure the bait to the hook. Then the abuser does his/her user/abuser thing. This usually occurs after drinking and/or drugging. Sometimes alcohol and drugs aren't involved, sometimes its the own chemicals in our body -- or learned behavior -- that make some of us go ballistic.
The abuser will then sober up or straighten up; apologize; exhibit real or feigned humiliation and remorse; then charm...and entice the abused.
Then the cycle of abuse begins again.
If you are being verbally, emotionally and/or physically abused you have two primal responses -- fight or flight.
I believe it is best to chose flight.
Once a person is angry, you can not reason them because their emotions and rage are engaged...
not their brain.

10. Drinking distorts the lenses of our perceptions. It is a depressant and therefore, makes some people very depressed and some very angry, aggressive, violent, or feeling desolate and abandoned.
Alcohol also causes some people to have conscious "blackouts." Many people under the influence of alcohol  appear normal... yet engage in  atypical or bizarre activities without being aware of it.  It causes untold deaths of drinkers and the people they drive into or harm in an outburst of alcohol induced violence or madness.

To find out if you have an issue with drinking, just go here. You'd be surprised how many people are alcoholics and don't know it.
 http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tests/l/blquiz_alcohol.htm?lastQuestion=0&answers=1&submit=Next+Question+%3E%3E&ccount=0


Friday, July 23, 2010

Another Gibson Mother Sighting?

This was sent to me by a source who said he could swear it's Mel Gibson's mother in this clip that follows.
While I wouldn't swear by the mother part, I'm certain the footage itself is real...
though the identity of the old woman in it is likely known only to the parties involved.

While she is true to behavioral form, that alone does not make her Mel's mother.
However, she could be. She's got those Lethal Weapon moves.
Regardless, it is not okay to hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
It's also  not okay... and not too wise... to hit a car when you are the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
However, this guy appeared to be asking for it.
At least the old lady thought so.
When some people grow too old, or tired, to rant with with words...
they find another way.
I think its was the last honk of his horn that pulled his trigger.
She launched that shopping bag, the airbag deployed.
The rest is history.

Mel's Mom vs. Car?

Exciting Links for Boring Days

A great little spot for some real entertaining info. Here you go:
http://also-online.com/links/

Thursday, July 22, 2010

RE: Gas Leaks

Could She Be Mel Gibson's Mother?

Every now and then, you look for one thing and find another.
So in the course of doing some investigation last night...
I came across this recording and I thought, wait a minute...
there's something familiar about this gal.
And the more I listened, the more she reminded me of Mel Gibson.
I mean she's so much like him.
Give her a beard, brown hair and the resemblance is there.
She uses the same words. The same threats.
She hisses and breathes heavy and screams just like him.
It felt like the dawn of discovery.
I may have discovered Mel's missing genetic link!
Only thing missing is the Aussie accent, but then, there can be explanations for that.
None of which involve the word "evolution."
Her rant comes in a full installments instead of the 6... no.... I think it's 7... Mel Rants.
I suspect there are more Mel tapes, btw. But that's another blog post.

In my opinion, the telemarketer guy listening is so good,  he's even better than Oksana.
And while the courts will determine whether the the Mel tapes are real or not...
admissible or not....
I will stand on my sword for this one.
The recording is 100% real. 
Mel's alleged Mom takes a full 8 minutes before the siege ends....
so carve out a little time to you can take the clip that follow this post all the way to the end and see how one savvy man enjoyed and flowed with the absurdity of it all.

crazy old woman vs telemarketer ( warning hilarious)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Who Really Owns Facebook?

Trouble's brewing.
Fascinating news today about Zuckerberg and a silent partner who spoke up.
Check out this article from DailyFinance

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Matches Made In Hell

I really didn't want to do this.
I  promised myself I was done with blogging about the Mel Gibson and Oksama drama.
Especially since I see other people's walls that say how sick they are of hearing about it.
How the media distorts it.
How it's all probably her fault.
Yet here I go, posting Tape Six, released today, just below this post on this blog.
I'm doing this because I believe information is power and this information could empower someone out there.

Of course I hold Oksana partially liable for arming this legal and emotional minefield.
She was the one who chose to become involved with a married man with a gaggle of kids.
She was implicit in the destruction of a marriage that lasted a long time.
She was the one to knowingly conceive their baby.
At their age, it was no mistake.
She could've used birth control.
So could he.
He had enough kids, she had none.
He had a wife, she wanted to be one.
It was a match made in hell.
However, Mel went way over the line once the hormones wore off.

Hormones run rampant in the beginning of relationships. Some experts say the biochemical intoxication of new love is just like the high of a drug, which causes people to act with reckless abandon for an undetermined initial period of intoxication.
Allegedly, the high lasts 9-12 months.
If you add a certain element of illicitness, it becomes even more exciting to the players and can stretch out the scenario for much longer.
But then...inevitably.... the hormone level begin to drop and what's new and exciting grows stale and annoying.
The things that first attracted you to someone in the beginning are the exact same things that repel you later on.

Now to the point of tonight's diary entry.
I've spent the past few days traveling the state working mixed cases -- injuries and domestics.
The domestics are very strange to the point of disturbing.
Always have been, always will.
If someone says it was an amicable split, don't believe them.
There is almost always a "leavor"(the one who leaves) and a "leavee" (the one left).
And one or both of those is an aggressor.
Sometimes, there's a provocateur...
Other times, there's a hair-trigger response to what is perceived as the ultimate betrayal.

So sometimes, as a P.I., you wonder if you're really helping the right person fight for custody.
Sometimes you wonder if maybe, you're client is wrong.
Sometimes you step away from that case for precisely those reasons.
That's the difficult part about being a good P.I.
Your job is not about what people WANT to hear, you get paid for the TRUTH, whether your client likes it or not.
And sometimes, this disappoints the less professional attorneys who are willing make up some transparent defense a jury will see through.

Which brings me to the point of yet another Mel Gibson related post.
I think its a given that Mel and Oksana are history.
I think it is also a given there will be financial battles.
However, their ultimate conquest  is currently about one innocent victim, a baby.
They are using her as a rope in their emotional tug of war.

So it's late and I have been away from the blog too long.
Coming home to the latest Mel tape, (I believe it is tape six),  released today, I couldn't help listening to the whole thing.
And I thought about their baby while I did.

If the tapes are admissible, I don't think Mel stands a chance of custody.
If they aren't admissible, I don't think the baby stands a chance.
Either way Mel needs professional help.

Wouldn't it be great if two ex's could drop their swords and just walk away from each other yet remain amicable?
That's possible with no children.
It sometimes is possible with ex's who put the children before their dispute. 
With Mel's rage ruling the kingdom, the children become the pawns in the emotional chess game played by a dethroned king and a two demeaned queens.
On this latest tape, it is apparent Mel is unwell and Oksana's responses are rational under the circumstances.

Please understand I am not posting this for sensationalistic purposes.
I have grown up around rage and it took a lot for me to get past it enough to write about it.
But then again, I was not the spawn of Satan and his misguided  mistress.

I'm  also adding a link to a magazine article about Mel's psychology here.

The rant will follow this post. Please do not play the Mel rant if you are a domestic violence victim who experiences PTSD... or if you are near children. This rant is extremely disturbing.  A few of the psychologists who have listened said they wished they hadn't because it is so disturbing.

The psychology of Gibson's rage

Some say rage is fear turned outward.
And fear is rage turned inward.
All I know is when someone tweeks emotion rules, not reason.
Add alcohol to the mix and you've got a combustible equation
Link to: The psychology of Mel Gibson's rage

Repeat Warning RE: The Sixth Tape.
Do not play if there are children who can hear nearby.
If you are a domestic abuse victim, male or female, this could trigger PTSD.
The purpose of adding this tape is to open a door that is normally closed in domestics.
If there's any chance you might regret listening, don't.
If there's any chance you could learn something by listening, do.
Its both grim and enlightening.

Mel Gibson's Sixth Audio Tape: (Oksana accused Mel Gibson of hitting her...

Monday, July 19, 2010

Today's Assignment

Before I head south for the day, I am linking you to the song below. Not to ask you to send money to Haiti.
It is a newer version of an older  Michael Jackson song that has always touched my heart.
It is a perfect counter-point to the "Thriller" epic played out by real  prisoners in a disturbing way further down this blog.
In this P.I.'s opinion, Jackson's bizarre behavior, physical persona, and questionable appetites were his own undoing.
What can not be undone is the legacy, the gift in this re-make of his song.
Those of us ex-hippies remember the original version well.
It is about unity in the face of darkness.
Compassion defeating desperation.
It is about a world in crisis.
And whether you help quake victims; west coast fishermen; our soldiers; police; teachers; a friend; family member; or a stranger; all that matters....is you help.
 Remember, homeless people are not "failures" or "bums."
They have been brought down by medical bills, lost jobs and no safety nets.
(Last week I interviewed a homeless couple and baby in their car turned home)
Help whenever you can, by giving what you can spare.
Money, food, two helping hands, a phone call, email, a smile, hug, compassion. Respect.
That is the message in the song below.
That is the message in this post today.
Life is fleeting and often ends unexpectedly.
So why not.... today... try just one random act of a kindness. Can't hurt
And who knows?
It could just rock your world.

We Are The World 25 For Haiti - Official Video

Sunday, July 18, 2010

RE: Prison "Thriller"

Before heading out for the day, I thought I'd post a video that takes the concept of prison rehabilitation to new levels.
I'm not sure which level it takes things to.... new highs or new lows.
Either way I find this performance creepy, bizarre and oddly captivating.
Obviously this is not an American Prison.
We do things differently in our penal system.
We lean more towards punishment than song and dance.
But then again, what do we know? 
This version of "Thriller" was performed by the Cebu Provincial Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center...in the Philippines.
Enjoy or hurl, the choice is yours.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Annoying Orange, Poor Apple

"Four Finger Discount: Klepto Kitty"

If you haven't heard about this cat burglar yet, allow me to introduce you to Oscar.
I just heard about him myself.
Among the many items this rescue cat has stolen, he appears to have developed a penchant for underwear.
So when his owners found 10 pairs of undies in Oscar's stolen stash, they did the right thing, though I'm sure the decision was anguishing.
They turned their beloved bottom feeder Oscar in to local police.
The police, while amused, are actively seeking  the owners of the the purloined underwear.
Meantime, Oscar is in a whole heap of trouble.
Here's one link to the cat burglar story.
Four Finger Discount: Klepto Kitty Swipes Skivvies - The Daily Treat: Animal Planet

Friday, July 16, 2010

RE: Caylee Anthony 911 Call

In my mind, no case is an old case.
So I added this 911 call to my blog tonight because today, little Caylee's Anthony's accused killer....
her very own baby mama Casey Anthony and her attorney.... went before a judge and camera to request that the jury to hear her mother's panicked voice on the 911 tape.
On the tape you hear grand mom report the missing grandchild and the smell of death in the car trunk, among other things. It is quite credible and convincing.
No wonder Casey didn't want anyone to hear it.
Fortunately, justice prevailed and the judge ruled it admissible.
Now Kyron Hormon's step mom is being compared to Casey Anthony.
Read his case update after this blog post.

Tot's Grandmother to 911: Dead Body Smell in Car

RE: Missing Kyron Horman

Link to Case on "Interceder:" Real Time News"-

I wanted to blog about the Kyron Hormon Case.
Then I realized, this is going to be one short blog post because the link just above these words tells you everything I would... times ten.
If you're anything like me and you've been following Kyron's case, you have your suspicions on whether Kyron  was taken by a stranger or his allegedly wicked stepmother.
In checking the case status today, I discovered  the Interceder for the first time.
I haven't seen a database on the net like this before and thought it would be the perfect tool for telling Kyron's story.

I told a potential client today, the hardest part of being a PI, or hiring one, is knowing we may not come up with the answers they seek.
We may find something big, something small or nothing at all.
And either way they have to pay.

Every ounce of financial energy Kyron's family has, has gone into their quest.... and their lives have already been inextricably altered.
Give it enough time and ultimately, all the emotional and financial juices will be sucked out of yet another family desperate to save or find a loved one.
There is still room for a miracle in Kyron's story.
Though day by day, it appears more unlikely

Personally, I think the step-mom is just like Casey Anthony.
She knows everything and tells nothing.
While I have never been there, I think not knowing where your child is... is worse than knowing your child is dead.
My heart and soul go out to Kyron, wherever he is....
and his parents.
Immerse yourself in the Interceder link above.
And if in doing so, anyone comes up with a clue that might help his family, share it with them.
Or share it here.
Remember, information is power.
So go to the link above.
Then, consider yourself... empowered.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

A Goodfella Gets Married

A Facebook friend of mine just got married and I'd like to congratulate him and his new missus here.
You may or may not have heard of him, it depends how old you are...or what movies you've seen.
He was played by Ray Liotta in "Goodfellas."
His name is Henry Hill and he's a former mobster-turned-informant; an associate of New York's Lucchese Crime Family.
He's been in and out of witness protection, has always been controversial.
He's done things in his professional life many call despicable... while others embrace the side of him that stepped forward and risked his life to turn informant.
Evidently, his new wife leans towards the latter.

I don't think Henry has killed anyone, or has any interest in doing so, since his Mafia Days... and we're talking real Mafia, not Mafia Wars.
Though if you look at Henry Hill's art work (he's an artist with his own gallery and work for sale on the web),  you kind of wonder if some of his graphic images are wishes or reflections.
I've read every book about him, by him, by his family members. I've read all the articles, seen all the documentaries, drawn my own conclusions.
And never in my life could I have imagined we would be Facebook friends one day, lol.
To me, Henry Hills demonstrates the ability to not only persevere, but evolve and thrive.
I'll take you to his website.... which I think has one heck of an opening page.
I picked the right door first.
What a hoot.
http://www.goodfellahenry.com/

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Today's Slice Of A PI's Life

"Before he stabbed me, he told me he loved me," she said.
"The second time he stabbed me,"  she continued from her hospital bed while I captured her every word with my speed-demon pen, "that's when he said if he couldn't have me, no one would."

So when he left her, motionless in a pool of her own blood, he thought she really was dead.
And he probably thought his mission was accomplished. Now, no one would have her, except the coroner.
Wrong.
She was smart and just pretended to be dead.
See, it's not always as easy to kill a person as one might think.
There's a lot to be said for the will to survive and the power of the mind over body.

She lived to tell me, the police, other investigators and ultimately, a jury her story.
He was convicted,  locked up in prison..... but he will get out one day.
By then, she said, she will be out of state, in a secret location with a new name and social security number.
 I'm writing this recollection now because I am heading over to the same prison the guy who stabbed this woman is at. He doesn't know me because my profile was kept low in the case that convicted him.
Not that it would matter anyway.
I'll be there to interview a different prisoner, on a different case, in one of those rooms with the glass and the telephones.

Meantime, I've left Detective Mittens in charge of the shop.
Hopefully, he'll behave himself.

Detective Mittens: The Crime Solving Cat

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Mel Gibson and Jesus Have a Chat About Drunk Driving

Mel and Diane Sawyer Have A Chat

Whoever they is, they say hindsight is 20/20 vision. And they are correct. You can see this train wreck coming, especially at the end of this clip. Kudos to Diane Sawyer.

Mel Gibson The Real Interview

RE: Mel's Rant

Do play it this clip when children are present or can hear it. It is vile, foul and contains death threats. And for anyone who has been a victim of this sort of abuse, hearing it could go either way. It could show an abuse victim they are not alone and they must escape. Or it could be a PTSD trigger.
So please... listen with discernment, with caution and learn.

Mel Gibson Threatens Oksana Grigorieva

Career Ender: Mel Gibsons Taped Rant

I had a much lighter blog to post today, however, now that this audio had been officially released, I felt a compulsion to post it. The reasons for my posting it here are not sensationalistic in nature. That's what the main media is for.

Instead, I post the You-Tube clip above because it lets you actually witness what PI's and police deal with all too often. Domestic disputes that make people so crazy that many, like Mel cross the line and destroy their families, reputations, career, and futures.
What's so bad about this whole thing is Mel's kids.
He's got a herd of them. Including a new baby. And now, this is a burden they must bear.
To hell with Mel. He crucified himself in the name of narcissim, not God.

While I could write about this subject forever, that would make me late for my first case.
Just want to add one thing before I head out on my investigative rounds.
When I do encounter angry  folks like Mel, and I have attempted to talk to them like Oksana did, calmly...slowly... it doesn't help. It will only cause them to escalate.
I just step out of the equation until the anger dissipates.
There is no reason when anger or rage is present.
If you have as temper or are the target of one, may I suggest you get a grip on it.
Before it crucifies you.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Rants

Most of my clients are victims of something -- they've been robbed, hurt, attacked, deceived, defrauded you name it.
It's much more empowering, however, for the "victim" to transition to "survivor."
Many turn to the justice system for help with that.
The smoking gun in any judicial proceeding is the evidence.
Without it, there will be no semblance of justice
The thing is.... when you have real people as clients, vs. attorneys, their outrage at being victimized takes on a whole different "pallor"  or tone.
You walk into a room, you see, hear, taste and feel the pain and/or outrage.
Then you hear "the rant."
The challenge for the P.I. is to hear that rant out.
Not just once, but every time that client brings it up.
Which is all the time.
Because for many victims who are civilian clients.... the crime, incident, accident, betrayal, event... it becomes a theme that plays throughout their lives.
The You-Tube clip that follows is part of Project Rant.
It is a real rant...meaning the real words, of a real victim, channeled through an actor.
I love this one because this mom knows her stuff.
She'd make a great P.I. lol.

Project: Rant :You Stole My Daughter's Bike!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Colton Harris-Moore's Messed Up Mama

This is an interview you must hear to believe.
There's a link to Colton's full story on this blog. Just search the google blog search box or archive on the left side of this blog to find it.

Mom of teenage robber blames insurance companies

Saturday, July 10, 2010

About "The Three Terrors"

They are allegedly, Iran, Syria and Turkey.
I am fairly certain I will offend someone, ok many, posting this parody. So my apologies in advance.

 I love this because of the humor, because of the message... because there is always room for creativity in  a world run by machines, corporations, religious institutions and some real loony tunes.

"The Three Terrors"

Friday, July 9, 2010

Car Jack

The heat in the Pacific Northwest is cooling tonight.

It's not as hot here in the boonies where I live.... which is across the water from the big cities where PI's like me find most of our business.

I take a boat every day from my predictable, isolated, little beach house...
to unpredictable heated streets where people get smashed, tempers flash and vehicles crash into each other all day, every day, day in, day out.
In the city, angry horns toot, guns shoot. Life's a crap shoot

It's like the the Wild West with a technological twist when you work big cities like Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue...
and some of the most rural areas imaginable.
Some of the places I go are like being in a Norman Rockwell painting.
Others are like being in Deliverance Land.

The minute my Trailblazer exits our nearly mile-long dirt road headed to the highway and the 7 minute drive to the ferry, my mindset immediate flips and the mood slips into a whole new trip.
The tree-hugger becomes the road warrior.
All senses go on high alert the minute I cross the soothing and surreal Puget Sound for the concrete seas called I-5, 405, 167 and all the numbered freeways I have come to know like an archeological grid.
It would all be fine and dandy were it not for the fact the roadway is a minefield filled with missiles,
Only these mines are visible.
So if you keep your eyes open, mind alert, both hands on the wheel... and pedal not too close to the metal, you got a fairly good shot of survival.

Today was unusual in a business that is always unusual...
except the "unusual" part was a personal case, not a business one.
Here's what happened.

I had to be in Seattle, then south, back up north and ultimately east.
The GPS and I figured maybe 120 miles round trip.

I launched on the first boat this morning when everyone was just waking up.
Including the sun.
First stop was a luxury I have been denying myself lately.
Starbucks drive thru.
Venti vanilla latte, two shots less vanilla, one extra shot expresso.
Then to work...
which began with a stop by one law firm that trusts me enough with a set of keys to drop off cases when they're closed.
I took the photos I needed at dawn.
Measured and sketched a scene before the traffic and the street people found their way there.

I stopped by one closed business to photograph it, it's exterior surveillance system and the building itself.

When I headed home, the ferry line was huge because my homelands are a tourist destination. The heat was an annoyance more than a problem, my car is always an office when there's a long wait.
I came home to an empty house and happy animals, ready to decompress when a knock came to the door.

It was friend of my ours, though really my husband's friend, who came by to borrow some tools.
He's one of those rare mountain guys, mostly ex-military or ship workers, who live by themselves on the raw and rugged Olympic Peninsula about 45 minutes to an hour away.
When they pass through they come by.
Unfortunately my husband was gone and he left his cell home.
The two couldn't connect so I opened the garage and helped him gather the tools.
When I asked Mark (a pseudonym) how he was, I got two words.
"Not good."
I gave two words back.
"What happened?"
"Just found a buddy of mine this morning dead under his truck this morning. He was all the way under it, damn jack failed."
"Whoa..." I said, "I'm so sorry. How old was he?"
"25 goddamn years old".
It is the silence, the truth usually emerges.
We waited, he talked.

"You know, the kid was like an apprentice to me. Knew him forever. And if there's one thing I said to him is this:

"You NEVER get under any car or truck that's jacked up WITHOUT your spare wheel in place against the frame in case it slips. The kid had nothing there. Just one flimsy floor jack. Hell, I even use a jack stand. I have one, he could've used mine"

"But noooo" Mark continued, "Instead of changing the tires in his own yard the right way, the kid did it the wrong way. He took a short cut. The car fell on him, crushed his rib cage, his sternum, and who knows what else. They found him three hours later."

"Rigor set in when they found him," Mark continued. The kind was totally blue. His legs were curled up underneath him. There was nothing they could do. "What a waste," Mark said as he lowered his head and shook it from side to side.

There was nothing else to say except, "I'm so sorry."

Mark thanked me, told me he'd  known the kid since his single mom moved into a trailer next door. Mark said the victim was an only child, who left the area for the city, but then returned and stayed close to home to take care of his aging mother.
It was her car she was fixing.

The lesson is this story is obvious.
Take every safety precaution possible to protect your very fragile body.
Because we only get one body, one life.

It's ways wise to expect the best and prepare for the worst.
All it would have taken to save the young man's life was the rubber tired he removed placed against the car frame.
He knew that.
Why he did not do that will remain a mystery.
Though I think it had something to do with being young and feeling invulnerable.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Good Cop, Baby Cop

The Interrogation

There is a fine line between interviewing and interrogating.
Being a P.I... I generally interview, or at least appear to, and tend to leave the interrogations to the police.
Yet on those rare occasions when I need to extract some info from someone from someone who could be defiant or hostile, I tend to take the good cop route.
And I'm not bad at getting and gathering info.
However, I've done a lot of interviews in the span of my long career... and I must confess this kid is good.
Even though he's just a babe in the woods.
Enjoy!
Just a little humor to take the heat off.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Funny Or Die Presents: Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile

Mel's Confessional

Just passing through cyberspace and felt compelled to add another piece to the Mel Gibson puzzle/equation/witches' brew.
There's an update.
What were "alleged" tapes and now appear to be "real" tapes.
A source I consider mostly reliable, says they will be released. Soon.

I think being a movie star gives some people a god complex.
Gibson is the perfect example of this.
I observed he started going downhill about the time of "Passion of the Christ."
He decided he was chosen.
And he chose to drink again, then chose to do and say whatever the heck he wanted.
Which exposed the bigot/racist behind the handsome mask.

Not only did he want his build his own church so he could have his marriage of umpteen years annulled, which also produced a gaggle of kids...
he had an affair...
then he turned on his baby mama and punched her in the mouth, among other things.
He had planned to marry the target of his latest attack in his church. 

I have a case I have to get to. Though I do want to get this story up.
I am so sick and tired of these celebrities raking in huge bucks and destroying lives and families, especially their kids' lives.
Let's take the celebrities' huge sums of money and give it to our soldiers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics.

Okay enough ranting for now.
Here's the article which, among other things, has me fairly convinced the tape is real.
Before you know it, my guess is Mel Gibson will be in rehab.

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2010/07/07/mel-gibson-refers-to-punching-ex-girlfriend-on-tape/.

The Back Story To Mel's Song

For those of you who've been too busy watching or worrying about oil spills, our current economic holocaust and/or Lindsey Lohan's trial, here's a link to a great story about the fine mess Mel Gibson has gotten himself into this time.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/caught-on-tape-mel-gibson-race-rant-to-wife-2017256.html
It'll help you understand the song -- which has all the ethnic and  racial slurs Mel has used. So the song itself is not something you'd want to play with kids in the room.

Mel Gibson's Alleged Love Song (Jon Lajoie)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

From PI Newswire: How Dumb Russian Spies Outwit The NSA

Speaking of secrets and the people who keep them, this story fascinates me. And this update  it comes from one of my my favorite sites,"PI Newswire".
You don't have to be a P.I. to witness stupidity.
We P.I's just see more of it on a daily basis.

This ring of spies kept a major secret long time.
Though word in the wind was they weren't the brightest bulbs in the pack.
This article proves it.
The story is short, so take some time explore the links below it for further insight into the world of corporate/internationl espionage.
To Article From PI Newswire: "How even the dumbest Russian spies can outwit the NSA"

Monday, July 5, 2010

Secrets

Somewhere between the late 1700's and the early 1800's, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe said:
"Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that he possesses one."

The guy wasn't a P.I., though he might as well been one.
He was a poet, dramatist, novelist, observer of human nature.

Information is power, and secrets are the currency in that power system.
As you'll note, many celebrities have lost power lately because their sordid secrets have been exposed.
And for us normal folks, for individuals and families, both the keeping...and the revealing... of a secret can be earth shattering.
Not just a breech of trust or faith...
an exposed secret exposes viscera and hearts strings, it shatters friendships, marriages, families, ruins lives.
Some secrets -- like fraud, affairs, addictions --  end in divorce, damaged children, financial ruin, or worse... violence and/or death.
Other secrets are so unbearable they end up in suicide.

One of my all time favorite books and Websites is PostSecret.
It's an amazing concept.
It's not quite as old as I am, which is ancient... yet it's been around a long time.
Long enough, that I suspect you've been to the site or read one of the books.

It all started with one very humble, normal guy who handed out or left blank postcards, with postage, addressed to him wherever he was.
That's what started PostSecret.

In the unlikely event you are the one person who has not discovered PostSecret yet, I am posting the the link to the site here.
TopSecret is now rated the second best blog of 2010.

If you haven't gone there yet, I am excited for you already.
You are about to enter a house of secrets that is captivating and profoundly mind-altering in the revealing.

We all have secrets.
If you say you don't have a single one, I'd say you're lying.
But that's not the point of today's blog.
The link to PostSecret, which follows next is.

Just do yourself -- and me-- a favor.
After you discover the website.... go to the link I next provide which is a  YouTube story from "Time Magazine" about a PostSecret Postcard that went viral.

Step #1: Go to PostSecret Website Here
http://www.postsecret.com/

Sep #2: Go To You Tube/Time Artcle "Post Secret Suicides"
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,97606066001_1998352,00.html

As you will learn, Facebook helped pump the heart in that YouTube video.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

INVESTIGATIVE TV!

Gotta love it. Some of this is still in development stage, thought I'd link you to it anyway.

INVESTIGATIVE TV!

A Change Of Pace

Whoever you are reading this blog, you may begin to notice less lengthy, more succinct writing from here on for a spell.
More cutting direct to the chase.
More content from sources I find helpful, educational and hopefully, life-altering.
You'll find less lengthy ramblings on day-to-day exploits and see this spot as I would see a real diary.
From soliloquy to summary, the writing will now go.

The reason for this is, I have decided to write a book about Private Investigation.
I have set a deadline for myself of September 1, though everyone around me says that's nuts, give yourself until December.
And maybe they're right, maybe I am too ambitious.
Maybe I might consider taking everyone's opinions into consideration, using their data, to ultimately make my own decision.

I always tell people I talk to on behalf of an attorney this: 
"They call an attorney counsel.... as in  legal counsel... for a reason."
I emphasize the word "counsel."
I always say, "take counsel in your attorney's advice."
So I am following my own advice.
I will both hear, listen, and consider the counsel of those who know me.

I have decided to go somewhere I seldom go...
to the gray space, the middle ground.
And maybe I'll get this book out by September. Or maybe it will be December, however...
it will be written.
And I'll get to mark one more thing off the bucket list.

According to the multitudes of gurus milling about (media and other-wise),
"you have to name it to claim it."
"You have to go through it to get to it."
"A goal without a deadline is just a dream."

So that would be what I am doing, right here, right now.
Rather than abandon the blog to intermittent posts, I will just write shorter ones for a spell.

In addition, I'll add daily to my list of links on the blog (see left column), which is really full of some great free sources.
It was suggested by world famous investigative reporter Diane Dimond -- and FB friend (note how I brag) --  that I alphabetize the links, I just haven't figured out how yet.
I just keep adding links to the wall in alphabetical order until that book I write affords me "people" who know how to do such things.

I don't want an entourage.
Just "people".
The kind who do things for you.
Like an army of loyal personal assistants, who organize blogs, websites, do your driving, shopping, hire house cleaners, cook or bring you meals, take your calls.
Once I have "people" I will, be able to keep this  blog advertising and its affiliates fed, write a book, investigate,  teach, live, play, parent, be a wife, walk my dogs, clean my house, cook the meals, do the laundry, pay the bills.
Until then most of my time is spent investigating paying the bills.

So back to the blog subject d'jour.
I think Gary Coleman is old news to too many.
Though I had worked with him once years ago and have a special affinity for him, I can understand others seeing his ugly side, particularly if you caught his last mugshot.
Coleman's Mug Shot

Today, I link you to something totally different.
A bit more "tony", more upscale in the investigation department.
It's about a gal named Terri Horton.
She was trucker in California who bought a painting at a thrift shop for 5 bucks that may be worth 5 million because she and other more credible sources believe it is an original Jackson Pollock.
About Jackson Pollock

The page I am taking to you about the case is intriguing, at least to me
It's from the "Fine Art Registry" and written by Anayat Durrani, providing investigative insight that offers transparency, clarity and dignity.
I find Terri's tenacity inspiring and  fascinating... yet I really doubt anyone is willing to hand her $50 million for what they believe is a $5.00 fraud
Not in her lifetime.

So far, the Naysayers concur.
Nay, they say, it's a fraud.
I say... the jury's still out.
 Here It Is: "Fine Art Registry" Story On Disputed Painting Investigation by Anayat Durrani

Friday, July 2, 2010

Gary Coleman 911 Call



To Story One Year Ago: Gary Coleman's Wife Arrested - NY Daily News

Scalped

He was driving one of those little sports cars you don't see many of here in the rugged, wet and muddy Pacific Northwest.

Despite the low mileage and the high cost of fuel, plenty of us in the Great Northwest who drive for a living  prefer to remain alive than "go green".
So we drive bigger gas guzzlers like SUV's and Pick-Ups.
We do so for at least two purely tactical, selfish reasons: more room in the vehicle to stow our gear... and a better chance of surviving a crash.

He too, had a Pick-|Up, a big-350.
However, he loved his little vintage sports car and it was one of those perfect sun-kissed days.
He had the convertible cover off.  
He told me he was "high as a kite being in that car, even though I was straight as a nail. Been stone cold sober 10 years."
Then he reached into his pocket and showed me his AA medal.

"Impressive" I replied, though I was far more interested in the crown of medical gauze and tape that gave shape to the top of his skull.

"Yeah but my head's more impressive huh?" he said.
"I slid right under that semi and it shaved the top of my skull off in one piece, just missed my brain. I was told you could see it, you know. My brain. You could see the whole top of my brain."

As he spoke, I flashed to that scene from a "Silence of the Lambs" sequel with Ray Liotta's skull cap removed.... as he sat with his brain exposed,  at a luxuriously set dinner table... conversing in a zombie-like, yet civilized manner with Anothony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector.

The sport's car guy snapped me back to reality. No gory brains to look at. Just a skullcap of gauze and tape that started just above his eyebrows. And a neck brace.

He explained there were witnesses all around. One or two even came to see him at  the hospital because they wouldn't believe  he was alive until they saw it for themselves. They saw his sports car lodged under the semi as it was dragged along the ground.

I will spare you the details of his dislodging from the truck.
That alone, I assure you, was a feat of physical prowess and technical genius.
However, when a crisis hits, like a small car stuck under a semi after being sucked into it from behind...
I have such respect for the first responders and the second third, fourth, etc.
There are heroic  rescue teams and an army of Good Sams who appear to materialize from nowhere with the simple pushing of three numbers on a cell phone.
911.
(Just an aside, but I think 911 happened on 911 because the date/ number signifies an emergency call. And that of course was America's biggest 911 call).

911 is such a powerful number for a P.I. and his/her attorney.
It opens doors to phone calls and what we call "excited utterances".
911 calls are public record and standard fodder in civil and criminal case files.
There are also police computer printouts, logs, of what calls came in, when...
and what transpired every second, minute, hour.

Police,  firemen, paramedics, aid cars, tow trucks, spill trucks, crisis managers, converged on this semi v. sports car accident scene with a stunning immediacy and synchronicity from out of nowhere.

While I have done several cases similar since... because its easy for a small car to get pushed/rear-ended or sucked under a bigger vehicle... this case stands out.

I remember it now because it was a July 4th weekend, it could have been a Friday afternoon, maybe four, five years ago.
The victim has since healed with only a lingering neck ache and a specially designed steel skull cap. Before the accident, he was losing his hair. Now he has a wig.

Yet the images taken on the hard disc of my both my camera and brain have only been partially erased.
I can get rid of camera images on a tiny disc by pushing "delete" on a button.
The other images, the ones one the mental hard drive in my head, linger. Like here, for instance.

Under the mysterious, grooved grey shroud, I see the secret inner workings of the mind as fluid and lava-lamp-like... filled with  multiple-sized bubbles of memories  in constant motion. The bubbles surface or sink depending on what triggers and colors their neurons.

The end of this story is what the man in the sports car stuck under the semi truck told me.
He was conscious the whole time.
His first thought was "Holy Sh*t, somehow I got sucked under this truck! What the F?"
His second thought was "How come I'm not dead yet?"
He yelled. No one heard him.
He said he just sat there, his hands in a death grip on the steering wheel, waiting to die to the tune of what sounded like jet engines in his head and all around him.
No long white tunnel.
No images flashing before his eyes.
Not even terror.
Just a waiting for it to end.
Then it did.

The trucker didn't know anything was wrong until he was surrounded by cars that waved him down to stop.
That big burly muscled trucker with a military tattoo cried when he saw the wounded man he helped extricate from under his truck.
"His car was so small," he told sympathetic police, "he was in my blind spot."

"I had to tell him, I was fine, that it was just an accident," the injured man in the Sports Car told me.
"I didn't know I was scalped."

After he told me his story and we said our good byes, I said one last thing to him.
"You have an angel," I said.
"I can't see any other way someone would survive what you did"

He smiled and said, "I did. I lost my mother just two months earlier from heart disease. She once told me the dead live on as angels who will always protect them until it is time to join the other angels. She was there that day... I know it."

The end of this story is that it never ends.
The intentional and uncontrollable dramas and traumas in this relatively short span of existence we have chosen to call life...
the challenges never end.... until our last breath is taken.
And even afterward, maybe the end isn't really the end?

I doubt there are over 70 plus virgins waiting for suicide bombers who blasts buses filled with locals, kids, tourists, innocent people.
Its nicer to think of angels... loved ones wearing huge pure white wings lounging on puffy white clouds....
all accessible via pearly gates  manned by a huge handsome angel/bodyguard combo, with a checklist who says,
"Yep, you done good. You're in."

Though truth be told, me... I, being ever the skeptic... have considered multiple scenarios. I lean heavily towards the Big Sleep school of thought.
No alarm clocks, no nightmares, no bills and no Housewives of New Jersey.

However it plays out, it will play out.
Play it right, and it usually works out all right.
There definitely is something to said for karma.
And angels.