Showing posts with label what really happened. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what really happened. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
What Really Happened
Shortly after 5pm on Saturday June 9th in California, a car being driven by Commerce Secretary John Bryson rear ended another car that was stopped at a railroad crossing waiting for a train to pass. He got out of the car, spoke to the passengers in the car he hit, presumably exchanged insurance information and then got back in his car. He hit the car again as he drove away. And five minutes later crashed into a different car. When police found him he was slumped over the steering wheel. He was taken to the hospital where I suppose it was determined that Bryson was not under the influence of drugs of alcohol. So what happened? Here’s the terse statement from the Commerce Department:
Secretary Bryson was involved in a traffic accident in Los Angeles over the weekend. He suffered a seizure. He was taken to the hospital for examination and remained overnight for observation. He was released and has returned to Washington. The investigation is ongoing.
It sounds to me like that statement was trying to convince people he had a seizure which caused the first accident, without actually coming out and saying it. I just don’t believe it’s possible that he could have blacked out and had a seizure causing the first accident. And then seemed normal enough that the people he hit let him get back in the car.
I think it’s more likely that Bryson was on the phone or texting while driving and crashed into the back of the first car. After that, he was so disoriented, or perhaps nervous, that caused the other two accidents. If he had a seizure (I would hate to think they would make that up), I think it would have come after the second accident (though it will almost be impossible to ever know for sure). But now Bryson has taken a leave of absence for the Commerce Department while doctors monitor his health for more unexpected seizures (he had never had one before).
Monday, June 14, 2010
What Really Happened
Here’s what really happened the night Ben Roethlisberger had his bathroom encounter with a 20-year-old college girl. Thanks to evidence released by the prosecutor we now have a better understanding. But first you have to understand the mindset of the two individuals involved.
First is a professional athlete who is rich, successful and obviously feels like he can have any woman at any time.
Then you have a 20-year-old college student, perhaps a little insecure about her weight (140 lbs) and totally starstruck by the big NFL star visiting her tiny little college town. She might also have been a little slutty, based on the nametag she was wearing when she first met Roethlisberger.
It said “DTF,” which stands for “Down to Fuck.” Roethlisberger told her “I’m into fucking girls” when he saw her name tag.
There was obviously a mutual interest because the two groups ended up at three different bars together, I think she followed him to the second one and thinking he was going to get some, he followed her friends to the third.
At the last bar, The Capital, Roethiseberger got a back VIP room and invited the girls. He bought them a bunch of shots and said “All my bitches, take some shots.”
After she was sufficiently drunk Roethlisberger’s bodyguard escorted her by the arm to a hallway and told her to sit on a stool and wait there.
When Roethlisberger approached her (with his penis already out of his pants) she bolted for the first door she saw. Unfortunately this was the bathroom. Roethisberger might have taken this as a sign she was inviting him in, and he followed her.
Here’s where the accuser’s story gets a little fuzzy, and the reason prosecutors didn’t press charges. Her story is pretty detailed up until this point when she abruptly says “and then he had sex with me.” She says he penetrated her (no condom) but she can’t recall what position they were in. Was she bent over, or forced up against the wall? And the cop didn’t ask what happened to her underwear, though I’m sure she didn’t know.
She says she told him the entire time “this isn’t ok, we can’t do this” but she never fought him off, never screamed and was so drunk and flustered she couldn’t even recount enough of the assault to convince the police to press charges.
But to me it’s clear Roethlisberger raped her, but she did so many things to put herself in a dangerous position, which allowed her rapist to get away with it.
First is a professional athlete who is rich, successful and obviously feels like he can have any woman at any time.
Then you have a 20-year-old college student, perhaps a little insecure about her weight (140 lbs) and totally starstruck by the big NFL star visiting her tiny little college town. She might also have been a little slutty, based on the nametag she was wearing when she first met Roethlisberger.
It said “DTF,” which stands for “Down to Fuck.” Roethlisberger told her “I’m into fucking girls” when he saw her name tag.
There was obviously a mutual interest because the two groups ended up at three different bars together, I think she followed him to the second one and thinking he was going to get some, he followed her friends to the third.
At the last bar, The Capital, Roethiseberger got a back VIP room and invited the girls. He bought them a bunch of shots and said “All my bitches, take some shots.”
After she was sufficiently drunk Roethlisberger’s bodyguard escorted her by the arm to a hallway and told her to sit on a stool and wait there.
When Roethlisberger approached her (with his penis already out of his pants) she bolted for the first door she saw. Unfortunately this was the bathroom. Roethisberger might have taken this as a sign she was inviting him in, and he followed her.
Here’s where the accuser’s story gets a little fuzzy, and the reason prosecutors didn’t press charges. Her story is pretty detailed up until this point when she abruptly says “and then he had sex with me.” She says he penetrated her (no condom) but she can’t recall what position they were in. Was she bent over, or forced up against the wall? And the cop didn’t ask what happened to her underwear, though I’m sure she didn’t know.
She says she told him the entire time “this isn’t ok, we can’t do this” but she never fought him off, never screamed and was so drunk and flustered she couldn’t even recount enough of the assault to convince the police to press charges.
But to me it’s clear Roethlisberger raped her, but she did so many things to put herself in a dangerous position, which allowed her rapist to get away with it.
Monday, January 25, 2010
What Really Happened
Thanks to the Daily Beast we finally know what happened the night Tiger Woods crashed his SUV. The article isn't all that long so I post the entire thing here. Most of it fits with what we already thought but there are some new details about the text messages that make this a compelling read.
While the Tiger Woods drama has played out in an extraordinarily public way, the details from before and after the golfer’s Thanksgiving night car crash—the trigger for one of the costliest sports-related scandals ever—have remained shrouded in mystery. Two sources who know Tiger’s wife, Elin Nordegren, and have discussed various details of the story with her, have corroborated a minute-by-minute account that answers the majority of the questions surrounding what might be the most expensive car crash in history.
Among their revelations:
•Just before Tiger’s affair with Rachel Uchitel was reported in the National Enquirer, he put Uchitel on the phone with his wife for a half-hour, so she could convince Elin the relationship was platonic.
•Elin confirmed her lingering suspicions about Tiger’s affair with Uchitel by impersonating her husband in text messages with Uchitel, prompting the rage that led to Woods fleeing his house.
•Tiger had taken the sedative Ambien that night, and was in a stupor when Elin woke him following her sting operation on Uchitel.
•After his wife’s wakeup, Tiger sent Uchitel a panicky text warning her that Elin had discovered the affair and implying that divorce was imminent. Elin quickly found this text as well, which precipitated her chasing him out of the house with a golf club.
•Tiger did not immediately return home when he was released from the hospital, likely explaining why Elin did not accede to much-publicized requests from visiting police officers to chat with Woods.
Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, because Elin Nordegren did not give them permission to discuss her conversations with them.
During the run-up to Thanksgiving, these sources say that Tiger gave Elin advance warning that the National Enquirer was about to run a story claiming that he had an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York- and Las Vegas-based nightlife entrepreneur, who had just reportedly finished a torrid affair a few months earlier with married actor David Boreanaz. Woods swore to Elin that the Enquirer story was false and that he had only met Uchitel once or twice at social outings.
Elin remained suspicious, according to one of the sources. On November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, as Internet rumors spread of the about-to-be-released Enquirer story, Tiger convinced Uchitel to talk to Elin. The two women spoke by phone for about half an hour, and after the conversation, according to this source, she was satisfied that the relationship was platonic.
The next day, Thanksgiving, Elin learned some of the Enquirer’s specifics about the purported affair, including a recent rendezvous in Australia. That evening, the two argued. Tiger decided to end the bickering , both sources confirm, by taking Ambien and going to sleep. (According to what Elin has told one of the sources, Woods regularly had trouble sleeping, and Ambien was his primary sleep aid.)
After Woods fell asleep, Elin looked through his cellphone, both sources confirmed. There she found text messages to Uchitel’s number—Uchitel was apparently listed in Tiger’s cellphone under her real name—and among them she discovered one that said, “You are the only one I’ve loved.”
Shortly after 1 a.m. in Florida, Elin began texting Uchitel, pretending to be Tiger, according to both sources. Elin wrote, “I miss you,” and asked, “When are we seeing each other again?”
Uchitel texted back, seemingly surprised that Woods was awake. Elin specifically felt, one source told me, that this response indicated that the two of them spoke earlier that night, before Tiger took his Ambien. At that point, Elin called Uchitel, who answered thinking it was Tiger calling. Both sources said that Elin said something approximating, “I knew it was you.”
Uchitel’s surprised reply, according to what Elin told one source: “Oh f--k.” She immediately hung up.
Normally quiet and controlled, Elin later told one source she became enraged and woke Tiger by screaming at him. He seemed disoriented, still in a stupor from the Ambien. The fight ratcheted up quickly.
But then chaos ensued when she grabbed his cellphone when he came out after locking himself in the bathroom for several minutes. Both sources confirm that Tiger had apparently, shortly after waking up, sent another short text to Uchitel warning that Elin had uncovered the affair, that he was about to pack, and that a divorce might be imminent.
Elin didn’t tell Woods what she’d seen, one source says. She simply exploded, trying to hit him on the chest and arms with her fists, and then finally chasing him from the house while she wielded a golf club. Shoeless, he ran into the car and barreled out of the driveway before careening off a fire hydrant and then smashing into a tree. Neither source said they knew the details of how the rear windows in the Escalade were knocked out, though one source says that the story Tiger told police at the accident scene about Elin smashing them in an attempt to free him from the wreck was a lie designed to protect his wife.
When he was released later from the hospital, Tiger was whisked off to an undisclosed location, Elin too furious to allow him back that afternoon. This likely explains why Elin told police who arrived at their mansion outside Orlando that Woods did not care to speak with them then, once saying he was asleep and couldn’t even see them.
Woods’ representatives did not reply to multiple requests for comment. Sorrel Trope, the 82-year-old dean of Los Angeles celebrity divorce lawyers, who has been advising Elin, also did not answer a request for comment. Gloria Allred, the attorney for Rachel Uchitel, wrote by email, “We have no comment on this.”
According to one friend, Elin remains furious about the events on Thanksgiving, but will wait for the golfer to finish any rehab treatment he’s undergoing before making a final decision on whether to pursue a divorce.
While the Tiger Woods drama has played out in an extraordinarily public way, the details from before and after the golfer’s Thanksgiving night car crash—the trigger for one of the costliest sports-related scandals ever—have remained shrouded in mystery. Two sources who know Tiger’s wife, Elin Nordegren, and have discussed various details of the story with her, have corroborated a minute-by-minute account that answers the majority of the questions surrounding what might be the most expensive car crash in history.
Among their revelations:
•Just before Tiger’s affair with Rachel Uchitel was reported in the National Enquirer, he put Uchitel on the phone with his wife for a half-hour, so she could convince Elin the relationship was platonic.
•Elin confirmed her lingering suspicions about Tiger’s affair with Uchitel by impersonating her husband in text messages with Uchitel, prompting the rage that led to Woods fleeing his house.
•Tiger had taken the sedative Ambien that night, and was in a stupor when Elin woke him following her sting operation on Uchitel.
•After his wife’s wakeup, Tiger sent Uchitel a panicky text warning her that Elin had discovered the affair and implying that divorce was imminent. Elin quickly found this text as well, which precipitated her chasing him out of the house with a golf club.
•Tiger did not immediately return home when he was released from the hospital, likely explaining why Elin did not accede to much-publicized requests from visiting police officers to chat with Woods.
Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, because Elin Nordegren did not give them permission to discuss her conversations with them.
During the run-up to Thanksgiving, these sources say that Tiger gave Elin advance warning that the National Enquirer was about to run a story claiming that he had an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York- and Las Vegas-based nightlife entrepreneur, who had just reportedly finished a torrid affair a few months earlier with married actor David Boreanaz. Woods swore to Elin that the Enquirer story was false and that he had only met Uchitel once or twice at social outings.
Elin remained suspicious, according to one of the sources. On November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, as Internet rumors spread of the about-to-be-released Enquirer story, Tiger convinced Uchitel to talk to Elin. The two women spoke by phone for about half an hour, and after the conversation, according to this source, she was satisfied that the relationship was platonic.
The next day, Thanksgiving, Elin learned some of the Enquirer’s specifics about the purported affair, including a recent rendezvous in Australia. That evening, the two argued. Tiger decided to end the bickering , both sources confirm, by taking Ambien and going to sleep. (According to what Elin has told one of the sources, Woods regularly had trouble sleeping, and Ambien was his primary sleep aid.)
After Woods fell asleep, Elin looked through his cellphone, both sources confirmed. There she found text messages to Uchitel’s number—Uchitel was apparently listed in Tiger’s cellphone under her real name—and among them she discovered one that said, “You are the only one I’ve loved.”
Shortly after 1 a.m. in Florida, Elin began texting Uchitel, pretending to be Tiger, according to both sources. Elin wrote, “I miss you,” and asked, “When are we seeing each other again?”
Uchitel texted back, seemingly surprised that Woods was awake. Elin specifically felt, one source told me, that this response indicated that the two of them spoke earlier that night, before Tiger took his Ambien. At that point, Elin called Uchitel, who answered thinking it was Tiger calling. Both sources said that Elin said something approximating, “I knew it was you.”
Uchitel’s surprised reply, according to what Elin told one source: “Oh f--k.” She immediately hung up.
Normally quiet and controlled, Elin later told one source she became enraged and woke Tiger by screaming at him. He seemed disoriented, still in a stupor from the Ambien. The fight ratcheted up quickly.
But then chaos ensued when she grabbed his cellphone when he came out after locking himself in the bathroom for several minutes. Both sources confirm that Tiger had apparently, shortly after waking up, sent another short text to Uchitel warning that Elin had uncovered the affair, that he was about to pack, and that a divorce might be imminent.
Elin didn’t tell Woods what she’d seen, one source says. She simply exploded, trying to hit him on the chest and arms with her fists, and then finally chasing him from the house while she wielded a golf club. Shoeless, he ran into the car and barreled out of the driveway before careening off a fire hydrant and then smashing into a tree. Neither source said they knew the details of how the rear windows in the Escalade were knocked out, though one source says that the story Tiger told police at the accident scene about Elin smashing them in an attempt to free him from the wreck was a lie designed to protect his wife.
When he was released later from the hospital, Tiger was whisked off to an undisclosed location, Elin too furious to allow him back that afternoon. This likely explains why Elin told police who arrived at their mansion outside Orlando that Woods did not care to speak with them then, once saying he was asleep and couldn’t even see them.
Woods’ representatives did not reply to multiple requests for comment. Sorrel Trope, the 82-year-old dean of Los Angeles celebrity divorce lawyers, who has been advising Elin, also did not answer a request for comment. Gloria Allred, the attorney for Rachel Uchitel, wrote by email, “We have no comment on this.”
According to one friend, Elin remains furious about the events on Thanksgiving, but will wait for the golfer to finish any rehab treatment he’s undergoing before making a final decision on whether to pursue a divorce.
Monday, January 11, 2010
What Really Happened
According to the Washington Post this is what really happened in the Gilbert Arenas gun incident:
"The dispute between Arenas and Crittenton began on the team plane during a popular card game between players called "Boo-ray." Crittenton lost roughly $1,100 to JaVale McGee, a Wizards center, in the game, according to a player who watched the game and who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Crittenton, already angry over a dispute over the game's rules, became irate when Arenas began needling him.
Their barbs escalated to a point where Arenas, smiling, said he would blow up Crittenton's car, according to two players on the flight, who requested anonymity. Crittenton replied that he would shoot Arenas in his surgically repaired knee.
Walking into the locker room two days after the dispute on the team plane, according to two witnesses, Arenas laid out the guns in Crittenton's locker. Two other teammates eventually sauntered in and, while Arenas was writing the note in front of Crittenton's cubicle, in walked Crittenton, according to their account.
Asking Arenas what he was doing, Arenas replied, "If you want to shoot me, I'd just thought I'd make it easy for you." As other teammates laughed, Crittenton crumpled up the paper, tossed one of Arenas's guns across the room, where it bounced in front of a team trainer, and said he didn't need any of Arenas's firearms because he had his own, according to the witness accounts.
Crittenton then drew his weapon, loaded it and chambered a round, the witnesses said.
Neither witness said the gun was ever pointed at Arenas, but both said Crittenton began singing as he held the gun.
Arenas began laughing, the witnesses said, telling Crittenton, "Look at that little shiny gun," as two other players slowly retreated to the training room.
Arenas eventually followed. By the time the players came back out, Crittenton was gone."
If this version is accurate it doesn't seem that bad for Arenas, and it's really bad for Crittenton. It's actually kind of noble that Arenas lied about it to protect Crittenton.
Either way, both guys are incredibly stupid for bringing guns (even licensed, unloaded ones if that's the case) to the workplace. And then joking with them and leaving them out. Incredibly stupid. But if this version is accurate Crittenton should be out of the league forever. You can not load a gun and threaten someone with it. As his employer, the Wizards cannot allow that.
As for Arenas, I think he may done in the NBA for his career. I think the Wizards could definitely seek to void his contract and legally I'd have a hard time seeing how a judge could say the Wizards wouldn't be within their rights to do so.
But Arenas's coup de grace of stupidity, which finally forced David Stern to suspend him is two weeks after the incident he pantomimed shooting his teammates with finger pistols in a pregame huddle.
Just for the record I think this ranks second in terms of worst, most serious behavior by an NBA player in a league facility in a recent memory. I would put this just above Sprewell choking PJ Carlesimo and right below Ron Artest attacking the fans.
"The dispute between Arenas and Crittenton began on the team plane during a popular card game between players called "Boo-ray." Crittenton lost roughly $1,100 to JaVale McGee, a Wizards center, in the game, according to a player who watched the game and who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Crittenton, already angry over a dispute over the game's rules, became irate when Arenas began needling him.
Their barbs escalated to a point where Arenas, smiling, said he would blow up Crittenton's car, according to two players on the flight, who requested anonymity. Crittenton replied that he would shoot Arenas in his surgically repaired knee.
Walking into the locker room two days after the dispute on the team plane, according to two witnesses, Arenas laid out the guns in Crittenton's locker. Two other teammates eventually sauntered in and, while Arenas was writing the note in front of Crittenton's cubicle, in walked Crittenton, according to their account.
Asking Arenas what he was doing, Arenas replied, "If you want to shoot me, I'd just thought I'd make it easy for you." As other teammates laughed, Crittenton crumpled up the paper, tossed one of Arenas's guns across the room, where it bounced in front of a team trainer, and said he didn't need any of Arenas's firearms because he had his own, according to the witness accounts.
Crittenton then drew his weapon, loaded it and chambered a round, the witnesses said.
Neither witness said the gun was ever pointed at Arenas, but both said Crittenton began singing as he held the gun.
Arenas began laughing, the witnesses said, telling Crittenton, "Look at that little shiny gun," as two other players slowly retreated to the training room.
Arenas eventually followed. By the time the players came back out, Crittenton was gone."
If this version is accurate it doesn't seem that bad for Arenas, and it's really bad for Crittenton. It's actually kind of noble that Arenas lied about it to protect Crittenton.
Either way, both guys are incredibly stupid for bringing guns (even licensed, unloaded ones if that's the case) to the workplace. And then joking with them and leaving them out. Incredibly stupid. But if this version is accurate Crittenton should be out of the league forever. You can not load a gun and threaten someone with it. As his employer, the Wizards cannot allow that.
As for Arenas, I think he may done in the NBA for his career. I think the Wizards could definitely seek to void his contract and legally I'd have a hard time seeing how a judge could say the Wizards wouldn't be within their rights to do so.
But Arenas's coup de grace of stupidity, which finally forced David Stern to suspend him is two weeks after the incident he pantomimed shooting his teammates with finger pistols in a pregame huddle.
Just for the record I think this ranks second in terms of worst, most serious behavior by an NBA player in a league facility in a recent memory. I would put this just above Sprewell choking PJ Carlesimo and right below Ron Artest attacking the fans.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
What Really Happened
The biggest story in the world right is now is the mysterious car accident of Tiger Woods. Everyone wants to know what really happened, and a pretty obvious picture is surfacing.
Recent rumors of Tiger having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel surfaced. Tiger and Elin were obviously fighting about it, maybe Tiger got a strange text.
It was 2am the night after Thanksgiving and Tiger was taking some painkillers. They had a fight and Elin went crazy, she attacked him and scratched his face up pretty good. He tried to leave the house to go for a drive. She chased him down with a golf club (oh the irony) and at some point smashed the back window.
Distracted by the crazy woman chasing him, perhaps bleeding from scratches to his face, perhaps a little foggy due to painkillers Tiger crashed his car into a fire hydrant and then a tree.
But there are a few questions still unanswered.
First, why do the Woodses keep putting off their interview with the cops? Some say they are waiting for Tiger's injuries to heal so he can blame his facial scratches on the accident and the broken glass, but if he was already treated at the hospital those injuries would likely be photographed and documented and I believe that could be shared with the police in an ongoing investigation. Another possibility is that maybe Elin has a black eye or something that would incriminate Tiger.
And the second, and more puzzling question, why would Tiger cheat on Elin, his swedish bikini model wife?
I guess the old adage is true, "everywhere there's a beautiful woman, there's a guy tired of fucking her."
Recent rumors of Tiger having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel surfaced. Tiger and Elin were obviously fighting about it, maybe Tiger got a strange text.
It was 2am the night after Thanksgiving and Tiger was taking some painkillers. They had a fight and Elin went crazy, she attacked him and scratched his face up pretty good. He tried to leave the house to go for a drive. She chased him down with a golf club (oh the irony) and at some point smashed the back window.
Distracted by the crazy woman chasing him, perhaps bleeding from scratches to his face, perhaps a little foggy due to painkillers Tiger crashed his car into a fire hydrant and then a tree.
But there are a few questions still unanswered.
First, why do the Woodses keep putting off their interview with the cops? Some say they are waiting for Tiger's injuries to heal so he can blame his facial scratches on the accident and the broken glass, but if he was already treated at the hospital those injuries would likely be photographed and documented and I believe that could be shared with the police in an ongoing investigation. Another possibility is that maybe Elin has a black eye or something that would incriminate Tiger.
And the second, and more puzzling question, why would Tiger cheat on Elin, his swedish bikini model wife?
I guess the old adage is true, "everywhere there's a beautiful woman, there's a guy tired of fucking her."
Monday, August 17, 2009
What Really Happened
Long overdue, I know, but here's what really happened when Sgt. James Crowley arrested Henry Louis Gates.
Gates forgot his keys and tried to break into his own house.
A neighbor saw two guys trying to kick the door in and called the cops.
Crowley responded to scene where he was confronted by an already agitated Gates, who was pissed he forgot his keys.
And here's where the thing went off the rails.
Because Gates has spent years studying racial injustice he immediately had it in his head that the cop was there to harrass him because he's black.
In fact, according to the police report, when the cops rolled up to his house and asked him for his ID he said "why, because I'm a black man in America."
And at first Gates refused to show his driver's license, only offering his Harvard ID which didn't have proof of home address.
Gates was screaming and threatening Crowley, when Gates should have known he wasn't being targeted, someone had actually called 911 to report a suspected burglary in progress.
And here's the kicker, when Crowley asked to speak to Gates outside Gates said "I'll speak to yo' mama outside."
The reason why I decided to complete this post which I started about three weeks ago, is because that classic line wasn't reported in the mainstream media.
I had to read it in the police report. Well maybe you will say the police report contains inaccuracies, but Gates doesn't dispute any of this. Even at the famous beer summit he contended he was targeted because he was black.
So here's where the blame lies in this situation:
100% of the blame for his arrest goes to Gates. I don't care what color you are or how many years of oppression your people have suffered, in this situation Gates should have said "sorry officer, I forgot my keys, here's my driver's license to prove this is my residence. Thank you." Had he said that, this whole mess likely would have been avoided.
Blame also goes to the person in the Cambridge Police Department who said the 911 caller had identified the suspected robbers as black men. That wasn't true.
And last but not least, the President who turned the whole thing into a national shitstorm by taking his friend's word and making a half-cocked comment before he had any of the facts.
Gates forgot his keys and tried to break into his own house.
A neighbor saw two guys trying to kick the door in and called the cops.
Crowley responded to scene where he was confronted by an already agitated Gates, who was pissed he forgot his keys.
And here's where the thing went off the rails.
Because Gates has spent years studying racial injustice he immediately had it in his head that the cop was there to harrass him because he's black.
In fact, according to the police report, when the cops rolled up to his house and asked him for his ID he said "why, because I'm a black man in America."
And at first Gates refused to show his driver's license, only offering his Harvard ID which didn't have proof of home address.
Gates was screaming and threatening Crowley, when Gates should have known he wasn't being targeted, someone had actually called 911 to report a suspected burglary in progress.
And here's the kicker, when Crowley asked to speak to Gates outside Gates said "I'll speak to yo' mama outside."
The reason why I decided to complete this post which I started about three weeks ago, is because that classic line wasn't reported in the mainstream media.
I had to read it in the police report. Well maybe you will say the police report contains inaccuracies, but Gates doesn't dispute any of this. Even at the famous beer summit he contended he was targeted because he was black.
So here's where the blame lies in this situation:
100% of the blame for his arrest goes to Gates. I don't care what color you are or how many years of oppression your people have suffered, in this situation Gates should have said "sorry officer, I forgot my keys, here's my driver's license to prove this is my residence. Thank you." Had he said that, this whole mess likely would have been avoided.
Blame also goes to the person in the Cambridge Police Department who said the 911 caller had identified the suspected robbers as black men. That wasn't true.
And last but not least, the President who turned the whole thing into a national shitstorm by taking his friend's word and making a half-cocked comment before he had any of the facts.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
What Really Happened
Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, ESPN's Outside the Lines and the tireless efforts of SCZA we are finally understanding what happened that night in the Minxx strip club in Las Vegas the night Pacman Jones made it rain and eventually got charged in the shooting incident that would get him suspended from the NFL for an entire season.
Amazingly someone in the strip club had a handheld video camera, so we get high quality images (not grainy surveillance footage) of what went on -- at least until the alleged incident began.
In this NSFW video posted on the Review Journal's website we see Pacman with a Louis Vuitton backpack which had $100,000 in singles in it. You have to watch the video, it really is amazing to see. Nelly was there, and so was Jermaine Dupri (more on him later) and they were throwing around so much money that the girls were using champagne buckets to scoop it up. This is a once in a lifetime haul for a stripper, so there were no girls in the back, no girls in the VIP, no girls paying attention to any other customers (at least it seemed that way) they were all on the main stage trying to get a few of the dollars being showered down by Pacman.
But that's when the trouble started. Jermaine Dupri took the microphone and told the strippers not to pick up the money. He paid to see them dance, not to see them bend over and pick up money. He implored the women not to pick up the money until they were told.
When one girl disobyed Pacman grabbed her by her hair and punched her in the face. That's the story according to the club staff, who eventually threw Pacman out. They also say Pacman threatened to kill them as he and his entourage were being ejected from the club. That's when someone, believed to be an associate of Pacman's shot three club employees, leaving one of them paralyzed for life.
Amazingly someone in the strip club had a handheld video camera, so we get high quality images (not grainy surveillance footage) of what went on -- at least until the alleged incident began.
In this NSFW video posted on the Review Journal's website we see Pacman with a Louis Vuitton backpack which had $100,000 in singles in it. You have to watch the video, it really is amazing to see. Nelly was there, and so was Jermaine Dupri (more on him later) and they were throwing around so much money that the girls were using champagne buckets to scoop it up. This is a once in a lifetime haul for a stripper, so there were no girls in the back, no girls in the VIP, no girls paying attention to any other customers (at least it seemed that way) they were all on the main stage trying to get a few of the dollars being showered down by Pacman.
But that's when the trouble started. Jermaine Dupri took the microphone and told the strippers not to pick up the money. He paid to see them dance, not to see them bend over and pick up money. He implored the women not to pick up the money until they were told.
When one girl disobyed Pacman grabbed her by her hair and punched her in the face. That's the story according to the club staff, who eventually threw Pacman out. They also say Pacman threatened to kill them as he and his entourage were being ejected from the club. That's when someone, believed to be an associate of Pacman's shot three club employees, leaving one of them paralyzed for life.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
What Really Happened
While I'm loathe to defend Bill O'Reilly who I agree is a pompous jerk, albeit an entertaining pompous jerk, he's definitely getting a raw deal from the liberal media who seeks to destroy him.
Left wing websites are taking O'Reilly's comments about his lunch with Al Sharpton out of context.
O'Reilly and Sharpton ate lunch at Sylvia's a famous soul food restaurant in Harlem.
O'Reilly discussed his lunch on NPR and his comments were taken completely out of context.
Here's what the media says O'Reilly said "I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship. It was the same."
"There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' You know, I mean, everybody was—it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
What they missed was that O'Reilly was describing the fact that there is no cultural divide in America. There was a hint of sarcasm which makes his comments easy to misconstrue but his point was a great one, black people are just like everyone else.
And his other point was that some people in America who don't know a lot of black people see rappers on TV and think that's the way black people are, O'Reilly was pointing out that rappers are not at all representative of black culture.
Left wing websites are taking O'Reilly's comments about his lunch with Al Sharpton out of context.
O'Reilly and Sharpton ate lunch at Sylvia's a famous soul food restaurant in Harlem.
O'Reilly discussed his lunch on NPR and his comments were taken completely out of context.
Here's what the media says O'Reilly said "I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship. It was the same."
"There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' You know, I mean, everybody was—it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
What they missed was that O'Reilly was describing the fact that there is no cultural divide in America. There was a hint of sarcasm which makes his comments easy to misconstrue but his point was a great one, black people are just like everyone else.
And his other point was that some people in America who don't know a lot of black people see rappers on TV and think that's the way black people are, O'Reilly was pointing out that rappers are not at all representative of black culture.
Monday, June 25, 2007
What Really Happened
Monica Emerson was trying to take her young son through security at Reagan National Airport. Her son had some water in his sippy cup and she was told that she couldn't get through security with the water still in the cup. No liquids past the checkpoint. The rules apply to everyone, even former Secret Service like Emerson.
The rule is a bit much, but there's no selective enforcement, everyone has to abide by it. Even two year olds, no liquids means no liquids, for anyone.
So Emerson got pissed and said "ok, I'll spill it out," and she dumped the water right on the floor. That of course only caused more trouble and she was detained even longer.
After the incident Emerson told everyone in the media that she was picked on, and all she had was water for her two year old son, and it accidentally spilled and the big bad TSA hassled a poor innocent mother and her young child and why don't they catch some real terrorists.
Sounds like a great story, except for one thing. The TSA said "oh yeah bitch?" The TSA released the surveillance video of the incident, something they NEVER do, and it clearly showed Emerson purposefully dumping the water on the ground in the security checkpoint area.
So she bitched about having to follow the rules, then she flashed her Secret Service badge, then she spilled the water on the ground and finally she lied about the whole incident.
Put her on the permanent no-fly list.
The rule is a bit much, but there's no selective enforcement, everyone has to abide by it. Even two year olds, no liquids means no liquids, for anyone.
So Emerson got pissed and said "ok, I'll spill it out," and she dumped the water right on the floor. That of course only caused more trouble and she was detained even longer.
After the incident Emerson told everyone in the media that she was picked on, and all she had was water for her two year old son, and it accidentally spilled and the big bad TSA hassled a poor innocent mother and her young child and why don't they catch some real terrorists.
Sounds like a great story, except for one thing. The TSA said "oh yeah bitch?" The TSA released the surveillance video of the incident, something they NEVER do, and it clearly showed Emerson purposefully dumping the water on the ground in the security checkpoint area.
So she bitched about having to follow the rules, then she flashed her Secret Service badge, then she spilled the water on the ground and finally she lied about the whole incident.
Put her on the permanent no-fly list.
Monday, April 23, 2007
What Really Happened
You are going to hear a lot about what happened between Sheryl Crow and Karl Rove at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Don't believe the liberal media, believe me:
Laurie David, wife of Larry and Producer of "An Inconvenient Truth," and Sheryl Crow approach Karl Rove demanding to talk about global warming. They asked him what the administration has done. He compared the United States to other countries that do much less to fight global warming. They persisted. Rove decided he no longer wished to discuss the matter with them. Remember, this is a formal dinner, but it's supposed to be informal. When Rove went to leave, Sheryl Crow grabbed his sleeve. He said "don't touch me." She said "you work for me." A very arrogant and condescending thing to say.
You are going to hear that the obnoxious Karl Rove and the arrogant Bush Administration beating up on two poor little women. Don't believe it. You all know how self-righteous liberals can be. Trust me on this one, it was Sheryl Crow's fault.
Laurie David, wife of Larry and Producer of "An Inconvenient Truth," and Sheryl Crow approach Karl Rove demanding to talk about global warming. They asked him what the administration has done. He compared the United States to other countries that do much less to fight global warming. They persisted. Rove decided he no longer wished to discuss the matter with them. Remember, this is a formal dinner, but it's supposed to be informal. When Rove went to leave, Sheryl Crow grabbed his sleeve. He said "don't touch me." She said "you work for me." A very arrogant and condescending thing to say.
You are going to hear that the obnoxious Karl Rove and the arrogant Bush Administration beating up on two poor little women. Don't believe it. You all know how self-righteous liberals can be. Trust me on this one, it was Sheryl Crow's fault.
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