Past and Future: A Tango She shifted on the sofa, settling her skirt over her knees, brushing imaginary lint from the dark linen to keep her hands busy. I sensed that it wasn’t every day that she invited strangers to her apartment for coffee. But her quip confession, “I never had any children,” took both of us by surprise, and as if it weren’t enough of a statement, she raised her chin in defiance, daring anyone to challenge her. But there was only an audience of one: me.

I've worked on multiple retail jobs and collected a lot of interesting stories. I still think back to the experiences... This particular story isn't really a retail story, as the setting is different, however, since it's still customer-facing and quite interesting, let's still keep it in this collection.

Have you ever trusted the wrong person? The uncertainty that comes with not being able to spot a liar is something we all know and sometimes trusting the wrong person can get you into very dangerous situations.

"You sure you want to do this?" Vin asked. I nodded. We were meeting the poor excuse of a female that had screwed my boyfriend despite knowing about our relationship.

The legal system in the United States is a complex one, with many components and layers. Attorneys and legal scholars spend years studying all of its nuances and subtleties and even then, they don't always reach consensus. If it's been a while since your last civics class in school, here's a brief refresher on one aspect of our courts: how a trial is processed.

Well, the algorithm and the waiter were by no means the most important features of The Undoing 1.5, on HBO last night, but I didn't want to give away the main thing, actually two main things, in the subtitle, and the algorithm and the waiter were nice touches. Finding that Jonathan's attorney uses Amazon-level algorithms to get the crucial characteristics of the jurors, that was cool. (And Haley's one one outstanding lawyer, isn't she?) And the waiter constantly interrupting the meal that Jonathan, Grace, and Henry were trying to have in the restaurant -- that was a metaphor for this whole little series, being interrupted by all kinds of things, so that after five episodes, we still can't be sure whodunnit.

The United States has the worlds highest wrongful conviction rate. What is worse is that there are far more false convictions than there are exonerations, creating a justice system that is not only flawed but one that is untrustworthy and unreliable.

Alcatraz The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, often referred to Alcatraz or The Rock was a maximum security federal prison built on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California. It operated from the 11th of August 1934 to March 21st, 1963.

In the 1980s crime in New York City had reached almost epidemic proportions. Apparently, New York was suffering by increased immigration and as a result a much younger population and, added to that, New Yorkers were hit hard by welfare cuts. It wasn’t safe to travel the subway and you would be advised not to go to certain areas, particularly after dark. Yet, by the end of the 1990s the city had cleaned up its act and saw a dramatic fall in the rate of crime.

So... when I saw this dramatic re-telling of the ordeal of the Central Park 5 being advertised on Netflix, I was already pretty sure that it was going to be must-watch television. I was also extremely apprehensive about seeing the events through the eyes of these five kids (now grown men) and being able to emotionally process it all. The case (and the legal and societal issues it brings to the forefront) kind of hits close to home for me as a parent, and as an African-American man. I'd seen the Ken Burns documentary on the Central Park 5 a while back, so I was already very familiar with the case, and some of the very problematic issues it brought to the table for the American public to address. Systemic racism, classism, and lack of accountability for law enforcement and agents of the legal system were all things that were at the forefront of the documentary. Ava Duvernay did an excellent job of showing the social and personal toll this case had on these men and their families, as well as the greater impact that the institutions of the law and media played in that accrued trauma. Every episode of this mini-series was visceral and traumatic. Whether it was the very public shunning of Yusuf Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, and Raymond Santana upon their release from custody as adults, to the entire fourth episode being devoted to the ordeal of Korey Wise's experiences at Riker's Island as an adult, the entire progression of the series takes a huge emotional toll on the audience watching it.

I am a criminal, I heard that so often that I believed it. My mother told me that my father was killed in a shootout with the police, so I grew up with this idea in my head of who I was based on things I was told. Turns out that my father died almost thirty years after my mother told me that he did. I grew up dirt poor and my step father was physically abusive to me and my sister. We moved to a new city every couple of years, I always felt that I did not fit in. Kids, being who they are, would tease me about my Goodwill clothes and my parents ugly car. I started to steal candy from the local store early on and I learned that if I gave candy to the kids that they would like me or at least pretend to. As I got older I began to associate money with acceptance. I never felt like I was good enough for people to just like me, so I bought friends often by stealing and hustling.

13. Montauk Beach Home—Bernie Madoff Now sold for $21 million dollars after Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history, this 3,000-square-foot home sits on a beachfront plot at the easternmost end of Long Island.

How is it a scenario that plays into our worst nightmare, ends up being one of the most successful formulas in story telling?

As I enter yet another week of lockdown here in Australia, during the pandemic, I thought to myself, what can I write about. The answer was staring me right in the face. Australian True Crime of course. Initially I thought I would write about my top five true crime books. I quickly realised there was more than five on the list. So here is my top ten list. There are some older titles, which hopefully you can still track down online.

I first read this book when I was about fifteen years’ old and it was because I had seen it in the local library but it was a tattered copy and so, I bought my own - intact. From not even opening the book, I felt like this was an important text. I wrote the following about it in my diary even before actually reading the book: “there’s something strange about this book. It’s as if it is asking me not to read it but it’s pulling me in. Something about the phrase ‘in cold blood’ sounds unnerving and dangerous. I’ve heard a bit about it but I was never sure to rely on other people’s verdicts of novels. Apparently though, according to some people - this isn’t really a novel at all. Then what is it?” That was the question I had asked: “What is it?” It isn’t really a novel because it isn’t really fiction and, as I know after many re-reads over the years, it isn’t entirely accurate either and so, it isn’t a non-fiction novel. It is an embellishment of the truth for the sake of entertainment and so, it is half and half, something that humans have been doing for centuries. Yet, it is entirely new. It is the new, modern version of criminal justice novels. It was true-crime and this is where I had first encountered a book of which the entire genre would come to change everything about what I believed literature could be. I would be obsessing over true crime for near a decade afterwards and it would be because of “In Cold Blood”. The first question you always ask yourself when you read “In Cold Blood” for the first time and that was the same question I asked myself when I finished the book. I wrote in my diary: “This was a strange book, I’ve never really read anything like it. The moment I finished it, I just sat there thinking about the same question over and over again - ‘what happens if it’s all entirely true?’”

The Rodney Reed case got national attention when Reed was en route to being executed on November 20th, 2019. Reed has made multiple attempts to file for a stay of execution. November 20th, 2019, was just his fourth time. Now, one could argue the evidence and update you about the case. However, I would like you to continue to read my articles. Also, listen to our podcast episode as well. Let's focus on Jimmy Fennell. If you have been following, then you know he is the alleged killer of Stacey Stites. Leaving Rodney to rot on death row for a crime he did not commit.

Margie Velma Bullard was born on October 29, 1932, in rural South Carolina. She was the second child born to a farmer, Murphy, and his wife, Lillian. When she was a child, her family moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where all accounts suggest that Velma had a difficult life. She was allegedly abused by her father, and her mother apparently did not intervene when he inflicted his abuse.

In the US, according to a recent report, blacks are overrepresented on death row, and blacks are twice as likely to face the death penalty as white people. The Death Penalty Information Centre report is a comprehensive look at the justice system in America and how discrimination permeates the entire criminal system.

In the wake of one of the most tragic and unexpected deaths of one of my favorite actors, Chadwick Boseman, I thought it would be fair to pay tribute to some actresses who weren't as well know and passed on way too early. We all know about Sharon Tate and Marlyn Monroe. But here are some actresses that you may not know, or remember, that tragically passed on before they reached their stardom. (Disclaimer: in order to provide organization, this list will be in a linear fashion starting with the oldest time of death to the most recent)

Inside of the Ring, Christy Salters-Martin was a champion. Overcoming some of the toughest lady fighters of her time, she dropped them like flies.

The expensive life of Otunba. Prior to this post, I had never heard about this person and was fascinated about him when I read his story. You know that if I find something that interests me, I have to share it with you. So today, I’ll be sharing with you the story of a very renowned and very popular 419 star (i.e. fraudster) who lived a very lavish lifestyle all around the world until a very unfortunate ending caught up with him.

I've worked on multiple retail jobs and collected a lot of interesting stories. I still think back to the experiences... This particular story isn't really a retail story, as the setting is different, however, since it's still customer-facing and quite interesting, let's still keep it in this collection.

"You sure you want to do this?" Vin asked. I nodded. We were meeting the poor excuse of a female that had screwed my boyfriend despite knowing about our relationship.

I've worked on multiple retail jobs and collected a lot of interesting stories. I still think back to the experiences... Today, as the first story in this series, I would like to share one that saddened my heart the most.

Past and Future: A Tango She shifted on the sofa, settling her skirt over her knees, brushing imaginary lint from the dark linen to keep her hands busy. I sensed that it wasn’t every day that she invited strangers to her apartment for coffee. But her quip confession, “I never had any children,” took both of us by surprise, and as if it weren’t enough of a statement, she raised her chin in defiance, daring anyone to challenge her. But there was only an audience of one: me.

Captain Trevor Hoskins stretched out in his seat, 25 minutes after commandeering his Air Pacific A330 aircraft out of the busy Kuala Lumpur airport vicinity and asked for an evening snack tray with coffee. His co pilot Venus Gladys smiled and settled for only a coffee. Both pilots had been rested well and were ready for their long haul to Auckland in New Zealand. They had forecasts of good weather in both hemispheres and the plane was cruising at its allotted altitude of 36,000 Feet when the Captain’s radio crackled into life.

Clayton Rifkin III crossed his feet on top of the battered desk and leaned back in the ancient office chair. He stared past his pointy-toed, snakeskin cowboy boots and surveyed his kingdom in the shadows of the late afternoon sun. Yes, sir, Clayton’s Autorama was the finest dealer of gently used vehicles in Harris County.

Hello ghosts, ghouls, and lovers of all things gruesome and scary. This is the first official episode of "The Fear You Can Hear" podcast, and I am your host Ophelia Black. Today's podcast is of the life and some of the most terrifying murders of Cannibalistic Killer, Albert Fish. Due to some of the extreme content in the podcast, listener discretion is advised.

Anatoly Moskvin’s obsession with death led him to bring the dead home with him. Yet, no one knew for years, not even his parents. His story and crimes beg the question: where is the line between “genius” and just plain “madness?”

On a warm and pleasant evening in June 2020, dozens of people were relaxing in Forbury Gardens, a park in Reading, England. People were sitting on the grass, in small groups of friends. Some were drinking a beer or a glass of wine: Some were having a picnic. England was gradually coming out of Covid-19 lockdown, and people were enjoying their renewed freedom. There had been a ‘Black Lives Matter’ event in the park earlier that day, and some people in the park had been in attendance.

During the Covid-19 epidemic, there was little heard of how the coronavirus has affected those in jail or prison populations, because most people tend to forget about those in these places. In addition, healthcare for these inmates are one nurse to one hundred on average. With this, the majority of "infections" in prison populations could have been other illnesses, such as the flu, the common cold, or a stomach virus. For example, in one United States prison, the infected population was 2000 people which was approximately 2/3 of the prison population (Oladeru & Al Tran, 2020). This could prove that any illness, regardless of survival rate could run rampant in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Present Kevin stared at an old mark on the wall made during a scuffle with his brother many years before. He rocked back and forth on his bed with slow rhythmic anger. He held his arms close and tight to keep from striking out in anger. Mark's accusations reverberated within his mind, twisting with other dark thoughts from his troubled past. His rage increased to the point that he needed to cry out, but he knew that this would be a sign of weakness and would frighten the girls as well.

Well I am aware that Pandemia is not a word yet... but the state of the world upon my release from incarceration this last April could only be described as such. The Pandemic and the mania etc. was a bit surreal. I mean toilet paper shortages?!? Come on is it really that serious? It sure seems that It is. Or is that all just the media blowing all of this out of proportion to distract the public from something else?

Twenty-seven years after the murder of two-year-old James Bulger, the mention of his murderers’ names still provokes hatred and vitriol in a large section of society. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were just ten years old when they committed their terrible crime, a fact which undoubtably added to the horror expressed by people as they struggled to come to terms with this most baffling phenomenon – children who kill. The Press brandished the pair ‘monsters’, and ‘evil’, but the psychological wellness, or otherwise, of these two young boys was left virtually unexamined at the time, and the question of ‘why?’ went unasked, and unanswered. Is it possible that abuse or neglect in their own lives could have played some part in altering normal development in these young minds, and could this have rendered them more likely to commit such a dreadful act?

Who is Allan Grimson Allan Grimson served 22 years in Britain's Royal Navy, having joined in 1978, rising to the rank of Petty Officer (about PO1/E6 equivalent in the US Navy).

Death is inevitable, we’re all destined to die one day; but for some, death lies in the hands of the ones we call family. Most often being the murder of a female by male family relatives, honor killings are acts of vengeance, usually death, committed by members of a family against a family member due to the belief of the perpetrator that the victim has brought dishonor upon the ménage (the members of the household) . Thus, in order to ‘purify’ the family name and prestige, they selfishly murder their own flesh and blood. It is often also referred to as ‘femicide’ since women represent the highest percentage of fatalities in this practice. Honor killing is especially prevalent in the Southern parts of Asia – Pakistan and India, and the Middle East , where women are at a great social and institutional disadvantage. In these societies this ferocious act is not viewed as murder; rather it is dressed up with a more refined and polished label: ‘honor killing’.

The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke is a documentary by Kelly Duane that is emotionally resonant but ultimately underwhelming. In essence, it rehashes the story of Cooke’s death and how it was shrouded in and remains shrouded in mystery. That is the first and obvious killing.

One thing you must get used to when writing about what you think something in a movie means is disagreement and derision. One must accept that there are those who will mock what you think is a fair rationalization of a piece of symbolism in a movie. Creators as well may mock your notion of what you think they meant when they created a piece of work. Bottom line, it takes confidence and a thick skin to read into a movie for a meaning that may or may not be there for others.

In this article, we will be looking at 2019’s book “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” and going through each film in a random order that I have chosen. We will be looking at what constitutes this film to be on the list and whether I think this film deserves to be here at all. I want to make perfectly clear that I won’t be revealing details from this book such as analyses by film reporters who have written about the film in question, so if you want the book itself you’ll have to buy it. But I will be covering the book’s suggestions on which films should be your top priority. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that everyone reading this article has probably watched many of these movies anyway. But we are just here to have a bit of fun. We’re going to not just look at whether it should be on this list but we’re also going to look at why the film has such a legacy at all. Remember, this is the 2019 version of the book and so, films like “Joker” will not be featured in this book and any film that came out in 2020 (and if we get there, in 2021). So strap in and if you have your own suggestions then don’t hesitate to email me using the address in my bio. Let’s get on with it then.

Well, the algorithm and the waiter were by no means the most important features of The Undoing 1.5, on HBO last night, but I didn't want to give away the main thing, actually two main things, in the subtitle, and the algorithm and the waiter were nice touches. Finding that Jonathan's attorney uses Amazon-level algorithms to get the crucial characteristics of the jurors, that was cool. (And Haley's one one outstanding lawyer, isn't she?) And the waiter constantly interrupting the meal that Jonathan, Grace, and Henry were trying to have in the restaurant -- that was a metaphor for this whole little series, being interrupted by all kinds of things, so that after five episodes, we still can't be sure whodunnit.

My wife and I caught David Kelley's Big Sky. He has a good thing currently going on The Undoing, check out my reviews. Big Sky, based on the pilot, appears to be another good thing. [Spoilers below.]

David Kelley's The Undoing mini-series debuted with a star-studded cast on HBO late last month. I mean, with Nicole Kidman as Grace Fraser a psychologist and Hugh Grant as her husband Jonathan Fraser an oncologist on the posh side of New York City, and a murder and a missing person, we can just stop there and how can you go wrong, right? You can't. The first episode was sleek and blockbuster powerful, an East Coast analog in many ways of Kelley's California Big Little Lies, which was pretty hot, suspenseful stuff, too, over two seasons.