Middle age, it is so wonderful. One is able to say, “I don’t have a clue” with no trace of embarrassment or self-consciousness. One is not surprised by one’s own cluelessness, nor is one distressed by it. On some things, we Simply Don’t Know.
All this by way of saying I have no clue what’s going on in this Ramsey case thing, other than perhaps this: John Mark Karr is a dark angel sent from hell to prove that watching cable news is a total waste of time. For once, this may be a case where it pays to wait for the Time/Newsweek version. Let them sort all this crap out. But my own clueless gutcheck says this guy is your basic crazy creep, and he probably didn’t do it, although he did lots of other things he should be locked up for.
I’m glad I got to see his pictures, anyway. It’s not every day you get to gaze upon a real live pencil-neck geek. Some miscellaneous bloggage before you Jessica Fletcher types work out the case in the comments:
As usual, Dahlia Lithwick is a treasure: You have to feel sorry for John and Patsy Ramsey. They were overmatched by forces outside of their control from the get-go. If the initial police investigation in 1996 into the murder of their daughter, JonBenet, had been competent, or even minimally professional, they might not have spent the last decade under an “umbrella of suspicion.” If Patsy had been less viscerally creepy—instead of a pageant queen who seemed to be living vicariously through her tricked-out daughter—and if both parents’ demeanors had been slightly more in keeping with what we expect from the grief-stricken middle class, the Ramseys might not have lost the national media at “hello.” If only they’d recognized early on that they couldn’t outsmart, outfox, or outmaneuver that media, they might have found some peace.
Jack Shafer exonerates the media.
The WashPost’s roundup is pretty comprehensive.
Ready, set, go get ’em tigers.
brian stouder said on August 18, 2006 at 9:15 am
So, the first concert I ever attended was Chuck Mangione at the Embassy (which was marvelous!). Probably the grand total of ‘Big Time’ concerts I’ve been to is less than 10 – inlcuding Sting (sans the Police) at Deer Creek, John Mellencamp at the same venue, Judy Collins (Send in the Clowns) at the Embassy, some C&W woman who was quite pretty at the Embassy – and the apple of gold in the platter of silver – Pearl Jam at a West Lafayette (Elliot Music Hall?)
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Danny said on August 18, 2006 at 11:37 am
I still have all my ticket stubs. My first one was Ted Nugent. Probably been to a couple dozen in all. Standouts are Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush (4 times in their hay day), Yes, REO, Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Heart, The Who, and AC/DC.
Brian, I saw your last comment in the previous thread. First thing I thought when I saw that guy was that he was auditioning for the role of Lee Harvey Oswald. Creepy.
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Jeff said on August 18, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Nancy —
Cable news is a test sent from a) Hades or b) the Other Place to see if we really want to work from home as freelancers, or need the twisted discipline of an office around us to be productive. Daryn Kagan and Kyra Phillips are whispering “turn to the dark side, Jeff, let go of your deadlines . . .”
So far, output is winning, but CNN still calls to me.
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mary said on August 18, 2006 at 2:19 pm
I think I’ve said it before, but I agree about Dahlia Lithwick. I see her byline and must read that story. I recall one time she wrote about a TV show that portrayed the Supreme Court. It had Sally Field in it and didn’t last long. Dahlia gave a scenario for a more realistic show which was wonderful. It included “press, quietly sleeping through the proceedings..”
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brian stouder said on August 18, 2006 at 3:31 pm
The myth of almighty, invincible, and alluring “CSI” techno-sleuths will surely take a hit, if it turns out that nobody even confirmed whether this sicko-from-Central-Casting was even IN Colorado at the time the murder occurred! –
nevermind pursuing anything high-tech like surreptitiously lfting a sample of the guy’s DNA from a discarded lollypop (or whatever) –
before arresting him and dropping the bombshell JonBenet Ramsey name. (that will be the story I want to read, if/when this all collapses; who orchestrated that press gaggle in Thailand?)
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