Clear Intent – Anna Nicole Smith

May she rest in peace, damn it!

Very few parents bury their children in one location then only months later decide to leave them alone, while adjacent gravesites are left empty. This is a no-brainer and it has taken much too long for the final decision to be made.

Information is also starting to drift in that Anna Nicole actually died due to complications of pneumonia. The greed and mockery of this woman’s memory has gone too far.

Let her Rest In Peace!

American Idol – “Top Dawgs”

The guys upped the ante last night and improved their performances across the board! Even Sundance redeemed himself with a bloozie rendition of “Mustang Sally.” Quirky talent still seems to dominate the competition between the males and two names quickly come to mind, Chris Sligh and Blake Lewis.

Strictly my opinion, but the weakest performances last night came from Brandon Rogers and Sanjaya Malakar.

High drama lingers tonight, because of recent revelations about Antonella Barba. The pictures I have seen appear to be artistically done and showcase a young, aspiring Antonella. The apparent wrongdoing is that she is a young, beautiful female desirous of a modeling career.

The more explicit pictures do not appear to be authentic and should definitely not be factored into anyone’s opinion of the young woman's musical talent.

Let the games begin!

After watching the girls on tonight’s American Idol, only two words really stick in my mind, Funny Valentine.

American Idol – Season 6

This week the gun fired, the gates opened and the top 24 came out running… hmmm, walking… hmmm limping…

Hey, I know they were crawling with the breath-taking speed of a snail race. Thus far, this probably has been one of the weakest seasons yet and excruciatingly boring. The comments coming from the renowned judges have become so predictably familiar they seem trite and cliché. Even though the numbers are still astronomical for the program, my gut feeling is that the concept has run its course.

So far this has to be the year of the girls, unless there are some surprises in the future. It IS early in the season and nerves would have to be raw for the contestants. Maybe the comfort level will increase and a true contender will come out of no where and overtake the pack, but I’m not holding my breath.

Strictly my opinion, but the ones to watch this year, in each gender:

Male


Female

Surprise Me!

Judge Larry – Part Trois

Infant daughter to get custody of Anna Nicole’s body!

The spark seemed to glow less brightly in the Florida courtroom today. Fatigue and stress had apparently gripped everyone that has been present over the past several days. One of Virgie’s attorneys (a diabetic) had a fainting spell as he stood to offer yet another objection.

At the end of the day Judge Larry announced he would be giving his ruling after a 15 minute break. He returned to the bench and gave a rather emotional announcement that Anna’s baby daughter would have custody of her Mother’s remains. He went on to say that he wanted Anna buried in the Bahamas next to her son.

Personally, I think he made the right call under the very onerous circumstances. This will not end the raging battle between all the interested parties, but maybe it will finally give Anna Nicole Smith an eternal resting place.

Something tells me we have not seen the last of Judge Larry and I will be watching for his next move!!!

CTV’s Haunting Evidence

The program premiers around the 20th of June with a trip to Aruba, according to Carla Baron and her associates. Hauntingly, the premier is almost a month to day, after the anniversary of Natalee’s disappearance. Does Carla Baron know something? Or, is it pure coincidence that her program makes its debut a month after Natalee walked out of Carlos-n-Charlie's?

Yours truly made contact with Carla Baron, but I learned little more than the premier date. In essence, Carla Baron said she was under contract with Court TV and could not give details about an investigation before the program aired. She went on to say that she felt it less than productive to speak with me, because she didn't know me, or recognize my little blog. Of course, I can understand her feelings, but turn-about is fair play, right? I don't really know her either.

Just who is Carla Baron and what is her success rate? Fair questions, I would presume...

http://www.iigwest.com/carla_report.html

Judge Larry – Part Deux

What can I say? Day two and I am already adjusting to Judge Larry’s style!

Today’s marathon began with Virgie on the witness stand, while no less than 18 lawyers encircled the judge’s bench. The Mother’s testimony brought no surprises this morning, but after an extended lunch break fireworks almost erupted. The implication was that Virgie informed the media that she was going to the morgue during the break and media helicopters were circling overhead before any family member arrived. Judge Seidlin chose not to dwell upon the issue and Virgie’s testimony closed unceremoniously. Unless eighteen lawyers objecting in unison is considered ceremonious. Make no mistake that Virgie’s personality can be tougher than leather and her sincerity is harder to swallow than a bucket of nails. But, she is the Mother and does have a "dog in this fight" as I have heard repeatedly over the past two days.

Next, Howard K. Stern graciously approaches the witness stand and begins to spin a tangled web. The opposing lawyers quickly focused upon potential monetary gains for Stern, if he should be given custody of Anna Nicole’s remains. Again and again he declared that he would not prosper from such a decision.

Predictably, Seidlin asked the lawyers to warm their butts on the chairs provided and began to ask questions about Stern’s financial status. The answers, though not forthcoming, painted a grim picture of Mr. Stern. According to his testimony, he must be the least paid lawyer in the country, because he was making less than minimum wage for several years prior to his exclusive professional relationship with Ms Smith (other names may apply, many other names). Afterward, his income dropped to zero, according to his assertions. Seidlin then asked Stern a series of questions:

Who pays the rent?

When you go out for dinner, who picks up the check?

When you get a new pair of shoes, just who pays for them?

The answer to each question was a resounding “Anna.”

Stern leaves the stand with a promise to be in Seidlin’s court tomorrow.

The next witness surprised me, because I had preconceived notions about the young man. He has been depicted in the media as a young, worthless gigolo poised to pounce upon the possible millions left behind by Anna Nicole. Most viewers were pleasantly surprised by his demeanor, including me.

Larry Birkhead told of his initial involvement with Anna Nicole and how that contact grew into a personal more intimate relationship. When he could be heard over the constant objections by some very vocal attorneys, the kid made sense. His words also began to make Stern look like a modern-day Svengali.

It was apparent Judge Larry liked the witness and that was what was tumbling off of his lips, when the court ajournred. Larry B saved the day and made a minutia of sense out of all this drama.

Eighteen lawyers looked at each other with a smirk and jaws slightly agape. Then the gavel hit the hickory and the cameras went quiet. The day ended with the promise that a ruling would be issued early Friday morning! That leaves us with one more day of pure courtroom entertainment!

It's not my job to decide and I am one happy SOB about that! Bring it home Judge Larry!

Anna Nicole Smith

Just when one thinks they have seen it all enters Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin stage left! Is this guy auditioning for the next Judge Judy spin-off, or is this for real?

Jurist all across the country will be bald by the close of business today February 20, 2007, because they will have pulled their hair out by the roots!

The details of Anna Nicole’s life really do not interest me and I see it as just another sad, tragic life of a celebrity out of control. The most regrettable aspect about most of the cases the public has witnessed is the lack of anyone to step forward and intervene on their behalf. However, this Florida hearing is a three ring circus worth watching, even though it is already so flawed that appeals will be automatic. True this is not a criminal trial, but today's hearing went beyond the realm of anything most of us have ever witnessed within the confines of a courtroom. This thing would not even pass as an informal mediation in the eyes of most. However, I will be tuned in tomorrow just like most viewers to watch Act II.

Above all else the begging question remains. Could we be seeing The Judge Larry Show next season? Better watch your back Judge Judy, because the Honorable Larry Seidlin wants his 15 minutes!

Has The Tide Turned?

This blog does not purport to be of the “breaking news” variety, but more a periodic journal. However, new developments have surfaced in the past few days that deserve acknowledgment. Paulus Van der Sloot did not prevail in his quest for the monetary damages he proclaimed were caused by his incarceration during the summer of 2005.

Three Dutch judges made the ruling that the incarceration was understandable and acceptable based upon information obtained shortly after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Judge Mezas, Judge De Kerpel-van de Poel, and Judge Mijnssen, all members of the Joint Superior Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, declared that sufficient evidence was gathered prior to the arrest and detention was justified.

The following is an article that appeared in the morning edition of DIARIO, February 15, 2007. The English translation was kindly provided to me by the Managing Director, Jossy M. Mansur:

**********************

New information coming out of the Superior Court of Justice

PAUL VAN DER SLOOT HAD TWO PERSONAL CONTACTS WITH NATALEE THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED

ORANJESTAD (AAN) On the 13th of February 2007, the Superior Court dictated sentence against Paul van der Sloot in the case that he appealed with regards to the damages that his person as well as his family members asked for, seeing that in the Primary Court (Court of First Instance) Paul van der Sloot alone (no one else in his family) got a reward of 40,000 guilders for damages and 1500 guilders to cover the costs of the lawyers, court clerks, etc.

The sentence of the Superior Court fell like a bomb on Paul van der Sloot and his defense attorney because, according to the attorney, the Court made use of information’s that do not agree with the truth.

The Court dictated that Paul van der Sloot fetched Joran and Natalee at the McDonald Palm Beach branch and took the two of them to the Holiday Inn, according to declarations by witnesses and also information’s obtained from a phone tap carried out by the police.

Until recently, this key information was not known in the press and apparently only by the Police and Dept. of Justice.

The whole case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway gets a different twist now that the information has come out from no less than the Superior Court, and in which mention is made of the declarations of witnesses and a phone tap that show or give an indication that Paul van der Sloot had on two occasions personal contact with Natalee during the night that she disappeared.

Mention is made that, according to one or more official reports of the phone tap and also the declaration of Paul van der Sloot himself, that Paul fetched Joran and Natalee at McDonald and took them to the Holiday Inn.

Based on this information, the judicial authorities and the police had at that time a justified basis to arrest Paul van der Sloot based on different suspicions.

According to the Superior Court, Paul van der Sloot himself is guilty, he made possible or caused (depends how every one interprets the grammar in the sentence of the Court’s) himself to be arrested and that Aruba cannot be held responsible for the damages that he suffered and for which he was demanding damages, which he won in First Instance, but appealed to get more, and now has lost everything.

In the sentence there are various points and aspects that brought a different view on the Natalee Holloway case and that in the coming days will be analyzed, but the most important information is the matter of fetching Natalee and Joran at the McDonald, Palm Beach, and also that Paul had on two occasions personal contacts with Natalee on the night that she disappeared.

The cardinal question now is: what did the police authorities hear on the tapped phone of Paul van der Sloot, and the next question is hotter still: at what time, under what circumstances, and where did Paul van der Sloot as the father of Joran van der Sloot have contacts with Natalee Holloway the night she disappeared?

If the Superior Court says that in the official report mention is made that Paul van der Sloot fetched Joran and Natalee on the aforementioned night at McDonald Palm Beach, that is the first contact, but where did the second contact take place?

On the night of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Paul van der Sloot met again with Natalee after he left Joran with Natalee at the Holiday Inn? If that is the case, then where and at what time did Natalee disappear that night?

In the declarations of Joran and the Kalpoe brothers there was a heated discussion amongst them, with formal denials as to whether they went with Natalee to the house of Paul van der Sloot on the night of her disappearance
.
That’s why it is important to get clarity on the two occasions that Paul van der Sloot had personal contacts with Natalee on the night in question and where and under what circumstances they occurred.

The lawyer for Paul van der Sloot denies that Paul declared that he fetched Joran and Natalee at McDonald Palm Beach, and that he had contacts with Natalee the night she disappeared, but the Superior Court of Justice based its sentence on the information presented by the interim Attorney General of Aruba.

Now, who is lying and who is telling the truth?

************************

Why my interest in the Natalee Holloway case?

Years ago I lived in an apartment situated on Red Mountain. Every morning I would walk onto my little balcony and take in the surroundings. The sky was usually brown from the steel mills.

As I looked across Birmingham, I could hear the radio blasting in the background, telling me not to breathe the brown air.

Typically, I would look to my left and nod at the Vulcan. He was a big creature, but rusting away with the southern climate. He stood tall atop Red Mountain. His cavernous extremities were filled with graffiti and the tainted smell of rust. The radio blared “Maggie May” and we sang along.

Thirty years later, I live in Alabama again and have grown children. If one of them were harmed, I would dig deep to find answers.

That is where I am now! In a nutshell that is an effort to separate fact from fiction and present it in a readable format. My gratitude to those that appreciate the effort is never-ending. To those of you that have become suspicious of everything published across the web that does not agree with your preconceived notions about the Natalee Holloway case, I urge you to check the facts for yourself.

About Comments:
There are many blogs and message boards across the Internet catering to every imaginable mindset. The purpose of this little blog is not to provide a platform for people to spew hatred about anyone, or make personal attacks against me. As I previously stated, there are other places that such things are gladly welcomed. For some of you that have sent me some rather bizarre comments, I would recommend checking out some of the mental health sites. A quick Google should quickly return a list of web sites dedicated to your particular need.

Comments are moderated on this blog and will continue to be as long as the blog exists. If anyone reading here has legitimate comments or questions about this series of articles, those comments and questions are very much welcomed.

There will be one more entry about the spin machine that orchestrated the dissemination of information in Aruba after Natalee Holloway disappeared. It will conclude with a list of pertinent links that can be further explored by interested readers.

Thank you for your consideration!

Spin Cycle – Round and Round We Go

“…the Prime Minister went public to say that the person and/or newspaper that keeps the Natalee Holloway case alive are traitors to Aruba!”

The mission was clear and the purpose succinct. Stop media access to the island. Stop it now! Dilella and Cohen began their campaign by encouraging the increase of satellite uplinks from $800.00 to $4,000.00. The next move was to encumber the movement of electronic equipment through the airport. Every item was to be weighed, examined and weighed again. Movement through Aeropuerto Internacional became so inhibited that it became pointless to try and bring camera equipment.

It was media shut-down and the island bought it lock, stock and barrel. What a horrendous mistake!

Eyewitness accounts place Robert DiLella in Aruba only days after Natalee’s disappearance. He met with his primary Aruban clients, Nelson Oduber and the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association. With his guidance, the Strategic Communications Task Force was formed. Its sole purpose was to control media coverage of the Natalee Holloway case. The spin cycle officially began!

SMDG offers two services to its clientele, political campaign management and crisis intervention. The former boasts an array of political characters from assemblymen to senators. Their strategy runs the gauntlet, but most importantly they claim specialty in political “attack” campaigns. The following is a snapshot of SMDG’s client list:

POLITICAL CLIENTS:
Rob Andrews.............................. Congressman, NJ
Sharon Bock............................... Clerk Circuit Court, Palm Beach FL
William Brooks........................... Palm Beach Town Council, FL
Blondell Reynolds Brown.......... City Council Philadelphia, PA
John Burzichelli.......................... State Assemblyman, NJ
Wayne Bryant..............................State Senator, NJ
Glenn Cunningham................... State Senator, NJ
Mandy Dawson........................... State Senator, FL
Josephus Eggellettion............... Broward County Commission, FL
Lois Frankel ............................... Mayor West Palm Beach, FL
Chaka Fattah ............................. Congressman, PA
Doug Fisher ............................... State Assemblyman, NJ
Kristen Jacobs .......................... Broward County Commission, FL
Ken Jenne .................................. Sheriff Broward County, FL
Charlotte Rodstrom .................. Fort Lauderdale City Commission, FL
Laura Johnson .......................... Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge, FL
Joseph Roberts ........................ State Assemblyman, NJ
Sandi Love ................................. Mayor Gloucester Twp., NJ
Lou Manzo .................................. State Assemblyman, NJ
Lori Moseley ............................... Mayor Miramar, FL
Nelson Oduber .................. Prime Minister, Aruba
Nilsa Cruz-Perez ....................... State Assemblywoman, NJ
Alvin Penn .................................. State Senator, CT
Gisele Pollack ........................... Broward County Circuit Court Judge, FL
Miguel Pourier ................ Prime Minister, Curacao
John Rayson .............................. Mayor Pompano Beach, FL
Stacy Ritter ............................... State Representative, FL
Andrew Siegel ........................... Broward County Circuit Court Judge, FL
Steve Sweeney .......................... State Senator, NJ
Jack Seiler .................................. State Representative, FL
Lois Wexler ................................ Broward County Commission, FL

CORPORATE CLIENTS:

Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association
Center for International Studies
China Cable Consortium
DNN - Dyson News Network Real Estate TV
Guondong Trade Group - China
Blue Water Wind Inc.
Bill Johnson & Associates
Palm Beach Civic Association
Rutgers University
Wiznet Corporation

DiLella along with Stephen Cohen met with AHTA and ATA and urged them to form the Strategic Communications Task Force in June of 2005.

The task force included many notables in Aruba. Most were connected to tourism and politics. The membership list is telling:

Steering Committee of the Strategic Communications Task Force:

Myrna Jansen, chairperson ..... Aruba Tourism Authority
Serge Mansur, chairperson ..... Aruba Trade & Industry Association
Jorge Pesquera, chairperson ... Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association
Edwin Roos ................................. Chamber of Commerce
Jaap Beaujon ............................. Advisor
Agustin Vrolijk ........................... Department of Foreign Affairs
Frits Israel ................................. Aruba Tourism Authority
Gina Lopez-Gnecco ................... Aruba Tourism Authority
Rob Smith ................................... Aruba Hospitality & Security Foundation

Additional members :
Greg Peterson ............................. Aruba Trade & Industry Association
Olindo Koolman .......................... Former Governor of Aruba
Alfonso Riverol ........................... Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association
Andy Osbourne .......................... Aruba Timeshare Association
Jan van Nes ................................ Aruba Timeshare Association
Bill Carson ................................... Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association
Erik Brete .................................... Liaison to the office of the Prime Minister
Henry Baarh ............................... Minister Plenipotentiary Washington
John Merryweather .................. Former Government Official
Tamara Waldron ....................... Ministry of Tourism and Transportation
Ruben Trappenberg ................. Aruba Airport Authority

Contributing participants:
Helen Bautista ........................... Fitzgerald and Co.
Kelly Marshal ............................ Fitzgerald and Co.
Florence Quinn .......................... Quinn and Co.

The preceding list contains many of the movers and shakers of the island of Aruba. Each one of them turned a blind eye toward the crime against Natalee Holloway and focused upon preserving a false image of the island. It was a very foolish tactic, but they were led down the garden path by a couple of American spin doctors with academic credentials and a vast history of media experience.

How important is Dilella in all of this miss-information campaign? He was so key that George (Jug) Twitty cc’d him when he sent his letter to Governor Bob Riley.


(cont.)

Spin Cycle - The Media and Natalee Holloway

In late spring, shadows lengthen and dance with the prevailing winds while the sun drowns in the azure waters that surround the tropical paradise of Aruba. Surf and sand yield to clinking slot machines, laughter and music in a usual scene for an island that has promoted itself as a crime-free tourist haven in the Caribbean. On May 30, 2005, however, the serenity of this island paradise is changed forever by a solitary incident. For over twenty months the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of an 18-year-old girl from Alabama named Natalee Holloway has been the subject of numerous articles and news reports across international boundaries. The crime against this young, defenseless American girl has captured world wide attention and exposed the truth behind the façade that is Aruba.

As tragic as the Natalee Holloway disappearance is, such happenings are not uncommon elsewhere. Almost daily we read, or hear of some young life being stolen from those that cherish them so dearly. It is an all too familiar chronicle of our times. However, the Holloway story is set apart from others because of what happened during the following days, weeks and months after she vanished.

This will be the first in a series of articles that examine what took place behind the scenes in Aruba after Natalee Holloway’s disappearance. From top to bottom a concerted effort was orchestrated by a group of media specialist and their primary mission was to besmirch the character of the victim and persistently defame members of her family. Knowing the cast of characters in this drama of misinformation is vital to our efforts of understanding what transpired during the summer of 2005. The list is long, but we will begin with a media consultant group headquartered in the U.S.A.

In 1989 the MEP party was struggling to regain power on the island of Aruba and win a political majority they lost with the demise of the party’s leader and founder, Betico Croes. Enter Mr. Robert DiLella, founder of Strategic Message Design Group, Inc. (SMDG), with a promise that his media savvy group could turn things around for the party. MEP obtained a decisive victory in those elections. This result cemented the relationship between DiLella and the leadership of MEP. It also established a precedent for the conveyance of information.

SMDG’s tactics during that election were very simple. Use every available means to cast doubt upon the character of anyone that opposes the party’s point of view. This wholesale character assassination was so cleverly done that no one individual could be held accountable for the many inaccuracies and slanders propagated as truths. Rumors were sown, nurtured and sent through an invisible word-of-mouth pipeline. The rumors began to breathe on their own and started to live as fact without source, or confirmation.

Robert DiLella began his media endeavors in the early 80’s as a part-time campaign strategist in New Jersey. In 1982, Mr. DiLella served as a staff member for Matt Reese and Associates assisting campaigns in Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan and Nevada. He later joined Cook Reuf and Associates a South Carolina based advertising and public relations firm. DiLella was the Director of the Political Division in the Washington DC Office where he developed communications plans for public offices in Georgia, South Carolina, New Mexico, Delaware New Jersey and Alabama. He also represented several corporations thrust into the political arena in initiative and referenda throughout the United States.

In 1987 Robert N. DiLella formed Strategic Message Design Group and later partnered with Stephen Cohen, Suzanne Dalton and Robert Colella.

Mr. Cohen has a broad background in handling high profile cases as a journalist and as a crisis manager. He has operated, as a senior news executive, for many of the most prestigious and largest local newsrooms in the United States. While at CBS, he was the news director of both WCBS TV and KCBS TV, later he served as Vice President and General Manager of WCAU TV in Philadelphia.

Throughout those years, he mentored; hired and guided the careers of many of today’s best known electronic journalists. Mr. Cohen was also the founding executive producer of Court TV, and was responsible for the launching of the network and the selection and coverage of many high profile cases from William Kennedy Smith’s rape case to the trial of Rodney King. He also oversaw the coverage of the Clarence Thomas hearings and the resultant Anita Hill testimony in the confirmation hearings.

As a consultant, Mr. Cohen developed non –state run media opportunities in China for investors; opened new markets for film production in Beijing; and created new network cable concepts for emerging media interests. He has also advised Aruba on crisis management and assisted in the creation of a planned approach to protect economic interests while dealing with outside media pressures.

He holds three degrees, including a B.S. in Education, a Master’s in Modern History, and an M.A. in Journalism. He is the recipient of numerous journalism awards including Emmy’s for excellence in television journalism.

(cont.)