Ali Kamara Beating: Two Teens Arrested

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The police have arrested two teens yesterday morning in connecting with the beating of Ali Kamara, a Liberian emigrant from Staten Island, who was attacked on election night by four men wielding bats and yelling “Obama”.

I wrote about Ali Kamara on Friday, November 7th here, and I stated that Kamara raised my eyebrows. I found Kamara’s limp to come and go in the video I watched of him which is quite peculiar. I don’t know if he is exaggerating, or if there is more.

What is also interesting is in the original video that I watched of Kamara shortly after the crime occurred, the reporter says Kamara said the car from which the attackers got out of was “gold”. Now in the latest news reports, they are saying the car was a “black” sedan (I’ve seen at least two reports say”black sedan”). I’d be curious to know if this is an inconsistency, a reporting error or if something else is going on here.

If anyone sees video of the two arrested suspects talking, Ralph Nicoletti and Bryan Garaventa, please let me know.

48 Hours: Karen Tipton Case

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This weekend on Saturday night is a must see TV show: Truth on Trial by 48 Hours.

(CBS) In March 1999, Karen Tipton, a mother of two and the wife of psychiatrist Dr. David Tipton, was found stabbed 28 times in her Decatur, Ala. home. And for the last nine years Daniel Wade Moore, who was convicted of the crime, has been at the center of an unprecedented legal battle, one that has his life hanging in the balance.

…Karen Tipton’s tragic murder has left many victims in its wake – two children forced to grow up without their mother, a husband who mourns his wife, a mother who stands by her son in his fight for freedom and Daniel Wade Moore who may be a casualty of the justice system.

I wrote about this case on my blog nearly three years ago to the day, and what I saw gave me great pause. I have written several posts about this case, taken polls and even heard from Juror #2 in the trail of Daniel Wade Moore (for Karen Tipton’s murder). Click on a label below to read all my posts on the topic.

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Erin Moriarity talks about the case…


Don’t forget to setup your recorder for this one!

Keith Olbermann Speaks Passionately

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Here is a man who is passionate, whether you agree with him or not.

I couldn’t help but feel Keith Olbermann’s emotions last night when he gave this speech on his show about Proposition 8. It was deeply passionate for him, and quite moving. His emotions, while held in check, are nearly bursting at the seams.

“This is about the human heart.”

Off Topic: I Smell Gas

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It was one of those days. My dad had outpatient surgery in the morning, and after all went well, I came home to relax and rest, but that wasn’t in the cards. It wasn’t long after I arrived home, I smelled gas after returning from the chilly outdoors to let the dogs out. For the doggies, I am thankful.

I decided to relax, and clean my nose out with another dose of fresh air and upon returning to the indoors, there was no mistaking the strong scent. Nonetheless I repeated the exercise one more time–leaving me no doubt there was a leak in my house. I definitely smelled gas in two locations.

My heart started to pound and I got nervous because this was the strongest leak I have ever smelled, and of course, I wasn’t able to find the gas company’s number in the phone book. I then called 411 and they connected me to the electric service in my town. Hello?!

Stressed out and getting more tense by the moment, I hung up and called my mom and asked her to locate the number for me so I could tend to my dogs and start to air out the house.

The gas man arrived within 30 minutes and I was shocked to hear that we had three leaks in the house! Two were on the water heater which sits in an enclosed area. The gas guy said we were at risk for an explosion as the room was small and enclosed and it doesn’t take long for the gas to build up. The third leak was by the fireplace in another room, and no matter what he did, his meter kept going off. He told me that he soaped it and didn’t see any “fizz” so it likely wasn’t leaking, but upon checking it later this evening with my omni-potent nose, there is no doubt it is still leaking. I suspect it is a small leak, but a leak we need to tend to regardless and soon.

I am thankful for my nose tonight, and a bit more grateful for all that surrounds me.

Holloway Suspect Trafficking Women?

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There is news circulating in the Netherlands (thanks to Louana from The Loulogue for telling me) that Peter de Vries, the famous reporter who brought us the confession of Joran van der Sloot earlier this year, has been secretly following Joran van der Sloot again.

This time, however, he found Joran in Thailand, and he is claiming that Joran is involved in trafficking Thai women back to the Netherlands:

[NIS News Bulletin, article] This Sunday (9 November), De Vries will show in his TV programme…that Van der Sloot offers women for sale in the Thai capital Bangkok for the Dutch prostitution market. On hidden camera he explains how he supplies girls for 10,000 euros each, who work for 300 dollars a month in Dutch brothels.

Joran supposedly is telling the girls they will work at dancers, but the truth is they will be sold as prostitutes.

De Telegraaf, for which De Vries is a columnist, disclosed Friday that the film that will be broadcast on Sunday shows Van der Sloot doing business in a hotel room, in the presence of two Thai prostitutes, with what he thinks is a Dutch sex industry entrepreneur who was in reality working for De Vries. The reporter, with a star reputation, said in the newspaper that the film provides evidence of preparations for human trafficking.

Maybe the Thai government will step in and take action this time and hold Joran accountable for his actions.

You can read my original opinion of Joran van der Sloot here, or you can click on a label to read all my posts on the topic.