DJ David's Blog

What animal would you totally love to have as a pet?

2011-01-10T13:11:00.003-05:00

My dog who died last year.

Ask me anything

Are you acutely aware of ?how fortunate you are to be alive, and to live as you do

2011-01-10T13:11:00.001-05:00

Of course I Am.

Ask me anything

What would you do if your home came under attack suddenly, either because of war, or because a crazy person was simply wanting to wreak havoc and hurt you and your family?

2011-01-10T13:10:00.007-05:00

I would defend myself.

Ask me anything

If you knew someone was "out to get you" for something they perceived as a wrong done to them, what would you do?

2011-01-10T13:10:00.005-05:00

I would kill them in their sleep.

Ask me anything

Are you being affected by adverse weather? How are you coping?

2011-01-10T13:10:00.003-05:00

I meditate daily, and affect the weather I am a part of.

Ask me anything

Why would you "waste your time" answering the horrible questions I am asking? (someone just answered one of my questions this way)

2011-01-10T13:10:00.001-05:00

Maybe someone will pay me to.

Ask me anything

What is the biggest fear you have about selling or sales?

2011-01-03T20:38:00.001-05:00

In sales, I am fearless.

Ask me anything

An Partial Outline of the Struggle of DavidJoshua Artful

2010-11-27T12:57:00.001-05:00

CONTAINS BACKSTORY INFORMATION. PLEASE DON’T READ IF YOU METAGAME.

1—I had come to the City of Lost Angel’s after a great rapture of sorts near the Everglades Swamps in Southern Florida. I had fallen asleep one night after struggling with Online Surveys, Work-at-Home Schemas and scams, and developmental programming patterns that seemingly always left me with less available bandwidth – and far less money -- than when I started. The next morning when I woke up with my head on my desk *headdesked #_#* as had been the norm, my calendar read thirty years later (not 2009 but 2039), my every bank account was emptier than a spent coal mine, and my Swamp-Shack internet connection had disappeared; along with my meager wireless router, which had – upon closer inspection – vanished along with my very Internet Protocol address. Finally fed up with lower rung development that somehow always got credited to the Federal government and not to myself, also meanwhile with an overdrawn series of accounts that looked and behaved similarly un-credited, I decided to leave my Everglades shanty-shack and go on the road, hoping for better days ahead. Seeing no-one on the familiar Florida highways, byways, boulevards and thoroughfares, avenues and freeways, streets and street-corners, I decided to trek up north to one of my old favorite hangouts, the Big Apple herself, Manhattan Island, New York City; then upon arrival seeing it in a state of Cold Frozen Wasteland no better than a Siberia of Nightmares, I decided to trek west to another of my favored habitats of many eons gone by, Old L.A. – Going back to Cali.

Upon arrival in West Hollywood just before midnight on June 1^st 2039, I noted its similar theme of post-apocalyptic decay, but seeing a good number of people milling about who seemed used to the Decay and who were not panicking like an angel on a prodigal who was about to Stray, I decided to Stay, and see what I could make of my Day. I even located the hospital that was literally listed as the place of my mortal birth on my circa-1983 A.D. birth certificate, when I had been given the name DavidJoshua Artful, which rang a bell for me and clearly stuck, although my thirst for blood could not decline even at the blood-risk of being born into a new family of mortals, who unknowingly considered me a newborn. They couldn’t even register my concealed adult Vampire consciousness.

So anyway, upon my arrival in the City of Lost Angel’s late June 1^st 2039, I quickly made friends with one Karoline Merlin who picked me up in the Subway, and forwarded me to one Selene Narcissus, who taught me everything I would need to know about the way the city was run, including blood-bank economics and the sovereignty of its great Regent Suzanna Soyinka and the Laissez-Faire ruling style of her Coven, which initially behaved to me in a very welcoming manner. Within a few days, I found a pick-up job as wedding photographer for the Bravehearts, owners of the Rampart medical facilities and the esteemed O-Club bondage venue and street level nightclub (whatever goes on upstairs, stays upstairs). The reception happened there, after the wedding which occurred in the Little China Church, and I felt grateful indeed to Missy and Arsene who familiarized me with the new layout of the city which I previously had spent so many nights in as one John Dillinger, many moons prior to the great Wormwood apocalypse which somehow put me into a thirty year sleep, just before my re-arrival in town.

At Club O, besides meeting Jenny of the Syn -- many of whose female escorts I would later go on to fuck -- I found a business card of someone I had never met prior – that of my now esteemed colleague and fellow CoLA DJ, Ishtar Heartsdale. I expressed interest in joining her Coven, the Coven of Suz, and Ishy took me under her great pale wing to become an Aspirant and further learn the ways of the city, along with recognizing the other city Factions and the way they were handled. She introduced me to my Liason Malachi Rechkalov, advised me to meet as many of the Coven elders as I could – most of whom I did manage to meet face to face -- and I even managed to interview a good amount of them. She even taught me the Art of Modern Phlebotomy in the Good Gensa’s Burlesque Auditorium just days after the Great Shyann the Marquise evicted me from the Coven, assuming I was someone other than who I am, in a classic case of mistaken identity.

I’ll now elaborate a bit on what transpired in those days, the days after my Great Coven Interviews, my Feasts on the Blood of the Dolls whom I also body-guarded, stood sentry for, and escorted from place to place with The Great Shyann; Coven Ceremonies, shopping sprees for new garb, kicks, and tricks funded by gifted money from senior Coven members, Visits to the Houses of the Elders, and field and training Combat Experiences and Scenarios; even defending Shyann the Great against a horde of vicious Lycans of a vicissitude, tenacity, and voracity veracious – against the direct orders of my Liason Malachi – just East of the Coven Blood Bank and south of The Yard Of The Tribe.

Shortly after the extravagant CoLA celebrations of July 4^th, 2039, I experienced my eviction from the Coven.

2—Like I said, she must have mistaken me for someone else. Shyann told me I called all the male Coven members “scumbags” and “f4ggots”, which I clearly never said, and she carved those words into my back with a stake, both of us standing on the monumental graveyard dirt bin cum flower pot planter located in front of Cedars Sinai Hospital, across the street from the BB lot. She poured silver into my wordly wounds, and I howled like a banshee, soon to be drug *coughs* – excuse my Französisch – “dragged” by her and Ren to my new locale in front of the Den, to just mingle with my old Pack friends, for only a few minutes, and to find my eventual way over to the Clan, whom I would peruse their ranks as a member of shortly thereafter, intrigued with what they called their own brand of supernatural magick. One of their elders helped me brush up my Egyptian Tarot skills, putting a few of the remaining pieces into place, thusly allowing me to become the Master Tarot Spread Reader that I am today. I soon quit their group though, after their Prime Trix left the group previously, infuriated that they removed the Mage branch from among their rankings, which was the reason I joined the Clan in the first place, post-Coven eviction.

Then, I wandered the streets of L.A. in a Melancholic depression stemming from the eviction of not one, but by then now two social groups of L.A., I spent a few weeks doing nothing but DJing for the after-hours CoLA Brood crowd which I had become friendly with, from my immobile position at the Zodiac Bar & Lounge, and also DJing mobile, often spinning in front of the BB for my dear friend the Ancient Vylna “Vyl” Daviau, who had never ceased being my friend, even after my eviction from the Coven.

One night on X-Mas Eve 2039, while DJing one of my infamous 14-hour DJ sets at the Zodiac, I overheard a conversation in the bar between one noted unruly Clan member and another who would later reveal herself to me as a merc, Juicy Redstar, who was tripped off her gourd on Acid or another hallucinogenic or psychotropic substance. The very next day, or a few days later, honestly, as my memory permits, I approached the woman from the bar to initiate myself as a Collective merc. Indeed, I was accepted into her ranks, learned a great deal of merc tactics during my time spent there, also becoming bestest friends with Raelyn Diavolo, one of the greatest mercs of all time, formerly the Commander of the Collective. Rae eventually quit the Collective though, due to annoyances with the bureaucratic bullshit propaganda of their more senior members, and shortly thereafter I was handed a pink slip myself, detailing that I was fired from the Collective, while not even delineating my “official charges”, not even after I asked what their reasoning was in firing me and asking me to turn in my comm. unit. I was pissed off at the higher ranks of the Collective, myself being neglectively fired at the personal ranking of COLLECTIVE ASSASSIN, needless to say, who had recently hired a generic trade union group for no real purpose, as far as my digits would allow me to read. The rest is in the details of my allegiance and dedicated nature as an official merc and my multitude of experiences in regard to that time period. Yes, I am still in contact with Raelyn, despite the bitchy emo attitudes of our former Collective colleagues; yes, I still own my bootleg Collective PDA which I have used to upgrade my iPhone (brought from the Florida Swamps), so my CoLA floater DJ sets can be more efficient and glitch-free. I so need a Windows 7 Phone.

3 – Since then, I have fucked Maljai of the Syn as well as other notable female escorts, and hung around factionless, mostly just DJing floater sets of various genres at the Z under the DJ management of my great CoLA Compatriate the Overfiend Sloan McCoy. Otherwise, I have donated my personal own blood to the Coven and her viable female phlebotomists on more than one numerous occasion, and even gotten to hang out with my old friend Ancien’ Selene of the Coven again a few notable times.

The last time I saw Shyann, I brought a man to her at the Blood Bank who had been whining to me, asking to become a Vampire. Anyway, he began harassing Shyann, as I had seen many do before, including the five-or-six reprobate younger-than-me-Aspirants who blamed me for their sins, out of their sheer jealousy. I told him to shut the fuck up, and Shyann asked me to turn him into a Vampire, since that is what he had requested. I bit his wrist and nearly drained him dead, wasting his blood by pouring it into the concrete below, then offered a few drops from a wrist of my own which I had fanged myself. Paragraphs of speech aside, I created a new Vampire that day at Shyann’s request. I can only hope he is not giving her too much grief today, whining like the others who followed me.

Beyond that, has everyone forgotten their dear friend DavidJoshua Artful? Many have later cast me aside as though I were common plebian rubbish of the street.

Do they not remember me from my reign as Alexander III, the great Macedonian king of Greece? From all the Neko Tribe babes I fucked under the bar at the Zodiac and elsewhere? From generating income to Matriarch Tempest and the A.R. in copious sheer amounts of dead and living bodily organisms and parts thereof? From my tenure as Kayin bin Adahm PBUH nor Saturn ben URHANATI e Tiamat nor Josef bin Jacob of Israel nor Set-Joshu bin Nun of the Japanese Hebrews PBUH, holder of the magic which Moshe duly forgot in his intemperate rage unbefitting of Zen, the rest is up for dispute? From my lifestyle as Judah Maccabeus nor Judas Iscariot, the one who sold the Christ Jesus to his cruci-fiction by the Pharisees and Sadducees upon the Semitic mount of Golgotha, as well as crucifying the bastard a second time in the blood-soaked battle-scorched fields of Akeldama? From the days when I worked to earn my title of the Rabbeinu HaKadosh, as Judas HaNasi (Judas the Dark Prince of the Unholy Name) a master of the Hasidic Alchemy a la los Kabalistos beneath another of my former personaes the Baal Shem Tov petit the Virgin Mary, whose return had been prophecied many countless times by sages and scholars of the CBD which is up for dispute? From my brief tenure as Tut the youngest Lukumi Brujo Yoruban Pythagorean Kemetic Pharoah?

Do they not remember me also as the great Samuel Clemens also known as Mark Twain, nor as Rudyard Kipling? Have they forgotten me as King Chango, the Third Emperor of the Yoruban Dynasty? As Ra-el the Vampire Alien father of the Abramelinite Jews and Mohammedans of Isaac, Esau, and Ishmael? As King Ahab, the wisest and wickedest of the Israelite and Judean Rulers, wed only to the esteemed Queen Jezebel? As Ahasueras-Xerxes, King of Medo-Persia and henceforth then known as the Emperor of Babylon the Great? As Augustus Constantine John over John, High John the Conqueror, who procured his titles of Baal Z’Vuv Lord of the Flies and THOTH-CRONUS SATURN SATURNUS Lord of Wrath from the Archangel Gabriel bat Lucy Fir from within the dark pit of She’ol? As Thomas Jefferson, the only one of the American Presidents who created thusly and henceforth the great and esteemed Virginian and not-to-mention-also-American Library of Congress (LoC), as well as the quote-unquote “Democratic-Republican” political party of the United States of the Americas, besides signing the pre-Federalist party over to the plebian “Republicans”, creating a new lobbyistic regime due to their lack of knowledge and consent under an increasing scientific manifesto of Franklin over Faith? How could they forget me as the great Artful Dodger who overthrew the corrupt senile Feigin to encapsulate his very name and henceforth renew and reform the Bobbies and the Scotland Yard which so many deficient juveniles would spring up from and fail miserably with their reputations skewed even uglier, even unto centuries later, also even going up unto the hangings and eviscerations of their so-called “Saint Oliver”, another miscreant who is ever easily targeted?

If you think about it…

Was I not the great humanist Desiderius Erasmus to those who would soon forget me? The freedom fighter Guy ‘Guido’ Fawkes against the unruly king? Not the author Voltaire? Never been Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Freiherr von Münchhausen, who pretty much wrote the book?

Was I not Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, who would have foreseen the fall of Imperialist Russia, were he not too drunk on booze and women to tell the difference? Not Heinrich Luitpold Himmler, the great flesh-crafter who would deny his maker? Was I not Walter Elias Disney before them, the rest is up for dispute? I had more lives under my belt, by this time… no, not all the lives, for that would be god-modding, a deep no-no. *shrugs and rolls eyes*

If you think about it…

“Over these, and many more; Rules the King Ahab, whom thou doth abhor.”

The naysayers must have confused me with another individual.

*Dreamily trails a path of blessed sand before thou from his gray velvet pouch,

So they doth fall asleep, and remember me not henceforth*

David playing Defense Attorney to his client, a suspect of Armed Robbery

2010-11-26T18:08:00.001-05:00

As Mr. Crook’s lawyer, explain the advice you will give him both pre-arrest and post-arrest.

Dear Mr. Crook, I am the defense attorney assigned to you for this case, and am fully trained to handle the case at hand. As your attorney, I advise you to remain silent when the officers first ask to interrogate you, and to not waive your rights to have me present at the interrogation itself. Finally when I am called in to be present at your actual interrogation, at the time of the interrogation you will be allowed to ask me for advice on how you should answer every question. I urge you to take this opportunity to consult me before answering every question you wish to answer, so you do not give the investigator reason to believe that you are the suspect of the charges you were arrested under.

Chief Justice Rehnquist once stated in the case of Dickerson V. United States (Law.cornell.edu, “DICKERSON V. UNITED STATES” WEB PAGE) that, “In Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), we held that certain warnings must be given before a suspect’s statement made during custodial interrogation could be admitted in evidence.” This is the type of expert wisdom I am banking on in my advising you to not speak to your investigator unless I, your defense attorney, is present at their investigative interrogation of you.

Identify all major steps you will take to prepare a defense for Mr. Crook, including investigation of evidence and witnesses, should Mr. Crook be arrested for a felony such as Armed Robbery.

Should you be arrested for a felony such as Armed Robbery, I will take every measure possible to ensure that you will not be convicted of the crime you are charged with, even to the extent of petitioning the judge for a lessening of charges if those you were charged with seem too extreme for the evidence that is clearly at hand. I will be interviewing the witnesses, asking them questions such as any fond memories they have of being your friend, such as asking them what they believe to be your strongest character qualities, such as asking them how long they have known you and what types of business and pleasure activities they have experienced specifically with you. I will also ask them if they have any evidence to prove your innocence, such as documentary evidence including ATM receipts, credit card transaction records, or photographic evidence to be useful in proving you were elsewhere at the time of the crime. I will also be asking the witnesses if they would like to testify on your behalf in the court of law when the time for trial comes along, and if that is the case, I will talk to the judge about sending out correspondence of summons to ensure that they will be present in the court for your trial.

Just to help inform you of the accurate definition of what Armed Robbery actually is, Matthew Bender states (Bender, p. 443), “Robbery involves either violence or the threat of violence, and the theft of property.” Since you may have been charged with using a firearm -- your BB gun in this case -- in the commission of robbing a gas station for $130 dollars as has been brought to my attention, that’s why Armed Robbery might be the charge which may be placed upon you.

Explain to Mr. Crook the pre-trial process and any motions you would file on his behalf (including your reasoning for filing these motions).

I would like to file a pretrial right of discovery motion on your behalf, in order to fully investigate the prosecutor’s evidence in order to prepare my defense examinations on his evidence ahead of time. If any of the prosecutor’s evidence is objectionable in accordance to the right against illegal search and seizure or the fruit of the poisoned tree doctrine, I plan to file a motion to suppress evidence in order to have the judge discard the evidence as objectionable and inadmissible as evidence in the court of law. If the motion to suppress evidence is sustained, then we will hold a hearing to suppress evidence, to determine whether the evidence was indeed illegally obtained or not. If the case was not brought to trial or the prosecutor’s evidence was seriously defective, then I will file a motion to dismiss the charges. If we cannot locate a material witness before the trial, and you provide evidence why the material witness must be maintained, after considerable effort to locate the witness, and if no other witness can present this particular testimony, then I will file a motion of continuance in order to attempt to secure a material witness.

If they charge you for more than one offense such as the multiple charges of assault and armed robbery, I will file for a motion for severance of offenses so they can be tried as two separate cases, if that is your wish. If your mental state comes into question, I will file a motion to determine competency, in order to possibly lessen the charges as applicable or to call for a retrial at a later date. I may also attend a pretrial conference where the adversary and the judge are present, in order to determine if the case even needs to go to trial. The prosecutor may offer you a plea negotiation, which you are free to decline if you wish. If you choose to enter into a negotiated plea, you may also later retract the negotiated plea if it becomes apparent that either the judge or prosecutor do not agree with the plea.

For further information on what occurs during pretrial conference hearings, as Cliff Roberson put it (Roberson, p. 243), “These conferences are informal meetings, usually in the judge’s chambers, between both attorneys and the judge. The strong and weak points of the case are discussed in an effort to arrive at a settlement without going to trial.” So, as you can imagine, pretrial conferences are much more informal than are preliminary hearings or grand jury proceedings.

Describe to Mr. Crook his trial options.

When the time for trial comes along, you will be given a number of options as to how you can plead. As I mentioned earlier, the prosecutor may be allowed to offer you a plea bargain, and you can accept or decline that as you wish. On the other hand if you decline any plea bargain the prosecutor provides, you will be given the opportunity to plead one of the following pleas. If you plea Nolo Contendere otherwise known as No Contest, that would mean you either prefer not to say if you committed the crime or not, or it would mean that you committed the crime but refuse to consider it is a crime from within your chosen system of understanding. If you plead innocent, the case will go on as planned, and I will be required to attempt to prove your innocence before the court and jury. You may also choose to take the stand and testify yourself if you choose to defend your own innocence in such a manner. If you stand mute and refuse to enter a plea, your lack of plea will probably lead the judge to assume you would have chosen to plead innocent if your tongue allowed you to, and the trial will go on as would be desirable. If you plead guilty, your sentencing will follow as according to state law, as this is a state case and not a Federal case.

To help you understand the plea of Nolo Contendere or No Contest a little bit better, the editors of Merriam-Webster Dictionary define it this way as their primary definition, saying (Merriam-webster.com, “Nolo Contendere – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary” WEB PAGE), “a plea in a criminal prosecution that without admitting guilt subjects the defendant to conviction but does not preclude denying the truth of the charges in a collateral proceeding.”

That, in a nutshell, is the legal definition of Nolo Contendere.

If this case goes to trial, discuss with Mr. Crook the possible sentence he could face based upon a review of your own state’s criminal laws.

If this case goes to trial, here is the possible sentence you could face based on the criminal laws of our state Florida. In 1998, Florida Governor Jeb Bush brought to legislation a new gun-law statute aimed to deter violent crimes, notably acts of armed felony. Since you are charged with the armed robbery of a gas station for the amount of $130 dollars, it would indeed be considered a felony, if you are convicted and the 10-20-LIFE legislation in our state would offer you a mandatory minimum sentence if you are proven guilty as charged, along the following guideline of determinate sentencing.

If a firearm was in your possession but not discharged at the scene of the crime, you will be faced with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

If you possessed a firearm at the time of the robbery and it was discharged but did not injure or kill anybody, you will be faced with a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

If you possessed a firearm at the time of the robbery and the gun was used by you to injure or kill someone, you will be faced with a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.

I am aware that the weapon you have been charged of being in possession of is a BB gun, but whether the state considers it a firearm or not is considerably up for dispute. In the long run, that is for the judge alone to decide. It is also the decision of the judge as to whether or not your sentence will be only the mandatory minimum if you are convicted, or if he will tack on additional time for reasons he might define during the course of the trial, if this case passes the preliminary hearing or grand jury proceeding and makes it to court.

(Info on current Florida legislation derived from the following web page:

“Florida 10-20-LIFE – Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences”

http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/10-20-life/ )

Define key legal terms to Mr. Crook so he has an understanding of the legal principles involved.

Interrogation – A custodial investigation where an investigator or investigators ask a suspect for information regarding whether they were involved in the commission of a crime, and if they admit guilt, also to determine a testimony of exactly how the crime took place, if possible.

Investigator – The investigator is the police officer who conducts the investigation of the crime, and also who can conduct witness, victim, and informant interviews, as well as suspect interrogations, among other duties such as the discovery, collection, preservation, and transmission of evidence from the scene of the crime.

Felony – A felony is the grade of crime considered of higher offense than a misdemeanor. Felonies include slayings, armed robberies, larceny, and other higher offense grade crimes, whereas misdemeanors include lesser offense violations such as petty shoplifting and petty drug charges.

Armed Robbery – Armed robbery is the felonious act of committing robbery while in the possession of a drawn weapon, whether the weapon was fired -- used in an attacking gesture -- or not.

Interviewing – Interviewing is what takes place when an investigator or attorney asks witnesses, victims, or informants for information to be used as witness testimonial evidence in a criminal trial or pretrial.

Documentary evidence – Documentary evidence is evidence which exists in the form of records such as photographs, letters, receipts, and even computer files. It’s different from Physical Evidence and Verbal Evidence.

Testify – To testify is to give one’s opinion in all honesty and to the best of one’s knowledge regarding a case at hand.

Judge – The judge is the one, often referred to as “the court”, who presides over the courtroom proceedings, who ensures that order be kept in the court, who advises the jurors of their responsibilities, and who usually determines the sentence to be given if the suspect is found guilty as charged, beyond any sentencing matrices.

Summons – A summons is a court order similar to a subpoena or citation, which asks someone to appear in court.

Right of discovery motion – Right of Discovery is a pretrial adversarial motion which asks permission of the court for the opposing side to present the evidence they plan to use in the case which is about to occur.

Prosecutor – The prosecutor is the attorney in criminal justice proceedings whose duty is to state the nature of the crime with which the defendant is charged, as well as to present the evidence leading to the defendant’s possible conviction on behalf of the state or Federal government, and to also interview witnesses in the courtroom on the state’s behalf.

Right against illegal search and seizure – This law is set forth in the 4^th Amendment of the Bill of Rights in order to prevent evidence from being admissible in a court of law if it was obtained via illegal means.

Fruit of the poisoned tree doctrine – This works hand in hand with the 4^th Amendment’s stance against illegal search and seizure to also prevent testimonies which are based on evidence illegally obtained from being used as evidence .

Motion to suppress evidence – This is a common defense motion which is used when the defense believes that certain articles of prosecutorial evidence were illegally obtained, or if certain testimonies violated the Fruit of the poisoned tree doctrine.

Hearing to suppress evidence – This is the hearing which follows a motion to suppress evidence, in order to determine if the evidence is truly inadmissible in a court of law or not.

Motion to dismiss the charges – This is a motion to dismiss the charges and thus to dismiss the case at hand, when there is a belief that the prosecutor’s evidence for the case is seriously defective.

Motion of continuance – A motion of continuance is usually placed to the judge by the defense attorney when a material witness is required for the defendant’s case, but if it would take a longer amount of time for the material witness to be located and subpoenaed to court.

Motion for severance of offenses – This motion is used to petition the judge to split a case of multiple charges into several cases of one charge each.

Motion to determine competency – This is a motion which petitions the court to determine if the defendant is mentally capable to stand trial, and must be accompanied by evidence of the defendant’s current incapability in order for the motion to be honored by the judge.

Pretrial conference – A conference between the prosecutor, defense, and judge, sometimes held before the case in order to see if the case truly needs to go to trial or not.

Plea negotiation – A common pretrial procedure in many states, where the prosecutor offers the defendant a lesser sentence (or lesser charges) in exchange for an admission of guilt, usually in order to decrease trial expenses; this is also commonly referred to as a Plea Bargain.

Nolo Contendere – Also known as a No Contest plea, this can be plead by the defendant when they prefer to not plead guilty nor innocent, or if they believe that they committed the crime but do not believe the criminal offense is a crime.

Plead innocent – When a defendant pleads innocent, they do not feel they are guilty of having committed the crime(s) they had been charged of committing.

Plead guilty – If a defendant pleads guilty, they are stating that they are guilty of committing the crime(s) they were charged of having committed.

Mandatory minimum sentence – A guideline of determinate sentencing, mandatory minimum sentences are a guideline to help the judge decide upon the sentence of the suspect if they are convicted of all crimes as charged.

Determinate sentencing – This is a method to assist the judge in coming to a conclusion of how to sentence the suspect if they are found guilty. Charts of determinate sentencing often include sentencing matrices which show common sentencing options in a diagrammatic form.

Preliminary hearing – These take place before a criminal trial, including the adversarial process, in order to determine if the case should go to full trial. The accused is usually present at a preliminary hearing.

Grand jury proceeding – Grand jury hearings also take place to determine if a case should go to trial, but are non-adversarial, and usually consist of the prosecutor handing the indictment or true-bill of the crimes the suspect has been charged with to a grand jury panel, in order for them to determine if the case will go to trial or not. The accused is generally not entitled to be present at a grand jury proceeding.

Cite all legal authority used in giving advice to Mr. Crook.

I come from a family background of a highly religious former entertainment attorney father and a shrewd taxpaying psychologist mother. In high school I excelled at Law, Government, and Economics classes, and I did very well in Criminal Procedure, Criminal Investigation, and sundry other Criminal Justice classes in college as of the time of this writing, as well as performing a great deal of internet research on contemporary law and criminal justice, and on the historical development thereof.

Besides being an attorney, I am also a musician.

References:

1. Law.cornell.edu, “DICKERSON V. UNITED STATES” WEB PAGE.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5525.ZO.html

2. Criminal Investigation: A Method for Restructuring the Past, by Matthew Bender.

Licensed to Kaplan University in Agreement with LexisNexis Anderson Publishing

3. Procedures in the Justice System, Eighth Edition, by Cliff Roberson, Harvey Wallace, and Gilbert B. Stuckey. Published by Prentice Hall.

4. Merriam-webster.com,

“Nolo Contendere – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary” WEB PAGE.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nolo%20contendere

5. Florida Department of Corrections web site,

“Florida 10-20-LIFE – Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences” WEB PAGE.

http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/10-20-life/

Offense Issues: Illustrating the ethical and legal preparations required for successful prosecution of a case.

2010-11-26T18:06:00.001-05:00

The two crimes I have chosen to outline the investigative and prosecutorial process of for a successful case would be those of Homicide and Rape. Technically speaking, the offense of Homicide is the unlawful yet unpremeditated voluntary killing of another, which might earn the convicted of such an offense a sentence greater than that of manslaughter (involuntary killing of another), yet lesser than that of murder (voluntary killing of another including premeditation). On the other hand, when a crime of Rape has been committed, it means that the victim was forcibly penetrated in a sexual manner without mutual consent. I’ll be speaking about the specific natures of the investigations of these crimes, the sensitivity that would be required of the investigator of these crimes, the nature of the prosecution upon the suspects of these crimes in a court of law setting, and including ethical considerations for the successful investigation and prosecution of cases where these two crimes occur.

1. What are the specific ethical considerations that need to be addressed when investigating the specific crime?

In the case of a homicide, extreme compassion and sympathy should be shown to the relatives and friends of the victim, who would likely be very upset that the victim was killed, and who might also act as witnesses and even informants for the case. For the investigation of a crime of rape, the investigator has to be very sensitive to the rape victim, understanding that they may be in a state of emotional shock, and to sensitively ask the victim for the information necessary to investigate the suspects, as well as for their testimony which may later be used as evidence when the trial goes to court. Furthermore, beyond the interviews and interrogations, an element of sensitivity must be in place for the collection, preservation, and transmission of evidence from the beginning of this process at the scene of the crime. Painstaking care must be taken to avoid the degradation or contamination of the evidence, not only in its collection, but also while transferring the evidence to the respective labs where it would be further analyzed by evidence specialists, including fingerprint technicians, forensic pathologists, and DNA specialists – especially the latter in regards to the analysis of biological evidence of a rape, including skin cells from under the victim’s fingernails, blood stains on their body from defending against the assailant, and semen residue collected at the hospital from within the victim’s bodily orifices. Also, the investigator’s ethics require that they keep their journal in an orderly way, in a careful chronological order, using pen ink as opposed to pencil to prevent the situation that occurs when it becomes apparent that incorrect assumptions had been erased, and the question arises as to whether the investigator’s notes had become tampered with where erasures are present, leaving them up for dispute as to whether they prove fully admissible as evidence in a court of law. To prevent this assumption from occurring, it would be wise for the investigator to simply cross out any errors with a single pen stroke, so the error can still be visible, then to simply write the correction to the right of the strikeout, not leaving any room for doubt that any information had been erased by the investigator in order to outfit the case in an untruthful manner.

2. How can we reduce the ethical problems involved in the investigation of the crimes you selected?

For homicide and rape cases, the suspects should of course be treated as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. They should not be coerced unduly for information, but should definitely be advised of their Miranda Warnings before the commencing of the interrogation, proving that they understand that any admission of guilt and/or testimony that they provide the investigator during the course of the interrogation can and will be used against them in a court of law, and also that they have the right to remain silent, and that they have the right to have an attorney present, even if they cannot afford one, as well as having the right to end the interview at any time once it has begun. In the case of a rape, the victim should not be distrusted, and their testimonial evidence should be treated as one step of continuing the case along the course toward the perpetrator’s eventual conviction. Any interplay between the victim and their parents – in the case of a child rape victim – should be monitored for any unusual signs, such as the child flinching whenever the parents make eye contact with them, or flinching when the parents gesture in the child’s direction, since it is a proven fact that many child rapes occur in the vicinity of the child’s own home. Often, investigators will have a child psychologist present at the scene of the interview, which may occur in the victim’s hospital room, in order to ensure that the child feels safe to inform the officer of what happened, and doesn’t feel intimidated because of the nature of the interview. On the other hand, some investigative units have officers specifically trained in child psychology, including female officers for the interviews of female victims and male officers for the interviews of male victims, to ensure that the utmost sensitivity is evidenced in regards to compassion and sympathy toward the rape victim at the time of interview.

3. What prosecution problems could arise when the case is presented for trial if the investigator was unethical?

If the investigator was unethical, a number of prosecution problems could arise. The prosecutor could file a pretrial motion for the suppression of charges, if he or she feels the charges were incorrect. Otherwise, for homicide, the prosecutor could strike up a plea bargain for the lessening of charges from that of homicide to that of manslaughter. In the case of rape, if the prosecutor finds that the investigator was unethical, he or she could state that the sexual contact was not rape, but was mutual, and the charges could be dropped, if the evidence were to point in such a direction. Regarding demographics, if the prosecutor of a homicide or rape case were to point to a suspect who had nothing to do with the case, simply because they were nearby and matched the demographic of a type who the investigator might have said would be more likely to have commit the crime simply because their racial or financial type matched that of a group which demographic statistics charts stated had been recently found guilty of having committed such crimes more so than other racial or financial groups, the investigator could be found guilty of fraud, unless they have credible evidence to back up their investigation of such a suspect. Matthew Bender states (Bender, p. 352), “Of all crime statistics, those on homicide are probably the most reliable. This is because two agencies of government -- the police and the medical examiner (or coroner) -- have jurisdiction, file separate reports, and compile data.” Just because crime statistics are reliable, however, would give an investigator no legal license to point to a suspect just because they match a demographic which ranks high among current perpetrators of such a crime, and not based on significant circumstantial evidence, including at least witness, victim, or informant testimonies, physical evidence, or documentary evidence (records) which would lead a jury to believe that the suspect was guilty of the crime, beyond seeing the suspect as being outfit based merely on statistical profiling.

4. What ethical issues are directly related to the prosecutor in the case?

In regards to the prosecutor of the case, a number of ethical issues exist in a similar way to the way that ethical issues play a part in the investigator’s job. Of course the defendant would be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, so the speech of the prosecutor should not be excessively biased in favor of the guilt of the defendant; the prosecutor’s statements and arguments should be limited to only the evidence at hand for the case at hand, and not clouded by the bias of preconceived notions in regard to the defendant. In the case of a homicide, the prosecutor would have to study all the evidence, and if the evidence is not complex, sophisticated, or clear enough to specifically point to the defendant as being the perpetrator of the crime beyond the shadow of a doubt, they may consider motioning for the judge to lessen the charges, or to suppress the charges altogether. In the case of a rape, on the other hand, the prosecutor should bear in mind, in a similar way that the case should only be prosecuted on the basis of the evidence at hand, and not prosecuted based on a personal bias against the defendant of the case. The prosecutor should restrain themselves to not pose questions that would put the defendant under double jeopardy, so as not to violate the defendant’s Fifth Amendment Rights. In this vein, they should allow enough space in their arguments for the defense attorney to have a chance to prove the evidence unsound, from the beginning of the trial to its closure. Furthermore, it is the ethical duty of the prosecutor to ensure that whatever evidence the investigator provides would be entirely relevant to the case at hand. For instance, Cliff Roberson states (Roberson, p. 261), “To identify logically irrelevant evidence, ask, “Does the evidence assist in proving the fact that one party is trying to prove?”; otherwise, the prosecutor may have to file a motion for the evidence to be dismissed as irrelevant to the case at hand.

References:

1. Criminal Investigation: A Method For Restructuring The Past, by Matthew Bender.

Licensed to Kaplan University in Agreement with LexisNexis Anderson Publishing

2. Procedures in the Justice System, Eighth Edition, by Cliff Roberson, Harvey Wallace, and Gilbert B. Stuckey. Published by Prentice Hall.

Regarding Investigative Practice and Methods

2010-11-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

In this, my Midterm Essay, I will answer a series of questions regarding investigative practice and methods, explaining the answers to each, as well as providing some examples of how each makes sense in practical application. The questions cover elements of investigation that we discussed in Criminal Investigation class during the first 5 weeks of the semester. The textbook reading, seminars, and discussion board conversations all helped me learn this material, so without further ado, here are the questions, as well as my answers to them.

1. What are methods of inquiry and how are they used in criminal investigation?

The methods of inquiry, at their most basic level, include Interviews and Interrogations, and on a crime-scene specific level also includes Canvassing, which involves going through the neighborhood, often door to door, to find witnesses who hopefully will give the investigators information on what they saw transpire at the scene of the crime. Interviews are non-custodial, and are the common way to gather information from crime victims and witnesses, or even from Informants who might possess further information to help shed light on the facts of the case. Interrogations, on the other hand, are custodial, meaning they are conducted on people who have been arrested as suspects who may have perpetrated a crime, when an investigator is seeking a testimony, if not an admission of guilt or a statement of innocence. While Interviews and Interrogations are two different methods of information gathering, each with its own purpose, they can easily shift from one to the other. For instance, if an interviewee gives information that would lead the investigator to believe that the interviewee may be a suspect of the crime, the investigator can arrest them, converting the Interview into an Interrogation. When this happens, it would be a good idea to read the suspect their Miranda Warnings, so that any testimony that ensues would be admissible as evidence in a court of law, and would not violate the terms of the Miranda Decision (Miranda v. Arizona). Conversely, if during an Interrogation, the investigator finds reason to believe the suspect is being detained in error, the investigator can at their discretion consider reversing the Interrogation to an Interview.

2. What is the optimal mindset of an investigator and how are the concepts associated with the optimal mindset of an investigator manifest?

The investigator has to be sober-minded, inquisitive, and physically able to do his or her job of collecting and analyzing evidence. They have to have a sense of fidelity, ensuring that they act honestly in their job as an investigator, that they will not tamper with the evidence, and thus not commit perjury. They have to show the character trait of bravery, not being frightened by the duties of their job. They have to exercise regularly to maintain their physical health, so that they are fit enough to do the investigative work they are called to do, and also need to be able to relax and stay calm, so they don’t become overburdened with the stressors that come along with their investigative job. They have to have a thorough knowledge of the criminal justice system, including the branches of the criminal justice system, how they interrelate, and the intricacies within the system which the investigator needs to know to excel with their investigative prowess. They need to show a natural integrity, a firm ethical background, and a propensity to only work for the benefit of society at large and not for its degradation.

Here are a few examples of how these traits can be used in practical situations. The investigator can work out daily at the gym before going to work, and they can go to a daily yoga or tai chi class after work, in order to relax. In regard to their personal fidelity, they can refuse to accept bribes from criminals who ask the investigator to discard evidence that could possibly lead to their conviction at a later trial. If the investigator needs to use firearms on the job, they need to show a natural bravery to do their job and not let the perpetrator who attacked them overtake them. Regarding their personal integrity, they would have to be kind to the victims and witnesses they interview, and show patience when conducting interviews. These are a few examples although there are many other ways that the investigator could use these traits while on the job.

3. What is the scientific method and how is it applied to criminal investigation by criminal investigators?

The scientific method means to carefully analyze evidence, to examine a case from every possible angle, to not cease the investigation until all the angles are covered, and to not let personal emotions cloud their mind with bias. Here are several practical applications of how an investigator would use the scientific method while on the job. When they arrive to the scene of the crime for investigation, they would have to scan the area around the scene for clues as well, since there may be footprints around the general area of the crime, not only within the yellow tape. They would have to search for trace evidence, as well as the more traditional forms of evidence, since trace evidence can provide DNA evidence which can also prove who the perpetrator is, when the case is taken to trial. If there is a broken window that the perpetrator came in through, there may be blood near the window which contains DNA evidence; if no blood is present, there may be skin cells near the window which can provide DNA evidence. These are a few examples, but in practical application of investigative practice, there are many different avenues for the investigator to analyze before the case can be closed.

4. Discuss the three primary sources of information for criminal investigators and provide detailed practical examples of each source listed.

The primary three sources of the information investigators need are People, Physical Evidence, and Records (Documentary Evidence). The people investigators would look to for information include Witnesses for interview, Victims for interview (if they are still alive), and of course Suspects for interrogation. An interview could become an interrogation if the witness becomes hostile and leads the investigator to believe that they are a suspect; in the case of a rape victim, the investigator needs to show extreme courtesy, while still proving they understand the sexual jargon they speak with. The type of Evidence (Physical Evidence) an investigator would use as information include Fingerprints, Firearm Evidence, Evidence of Breaking and Entry at the Point of Access, DNA Evidence, Biological Evidence such as what Forensic Pathologists would analyze, and more. For instance, the investigator would have to carefully preserve all the evidence at the scene of the crime, in order to prevent degradation and contamination on its way to the lab for further analysis, and later on the way to the trial where it will be presented as courtroom evidence after the opening statements of the Prosecutor and defense. Documentary Evidence (Records) include identification records such as social security cards, drivers’ licenses, and passports; bank statements, letters of correspondence, receipts, press releases, and more. For example, in practical application an investigator would have to examine these soberly, taking into account any tears, wrinkles, or erasures that would make portions unreadable; if portions are indeed unreadable, they would have to transmit the records to a graphologist lab for further analysis after its careful collection and preservation.

formspring.me

2010-11-26T07:38:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/LeBlaqueCrimson

Hi David, you might not remember me but I have had a crush on you for the longest time but was too shy to say anything. Can you guess who I am? Here is a hint, look for xSweetxCakesx at http://bit.ly/decmrw Hope to hear from you soon!

2010-10-10T08:57:00.005-04:00

Um, is this a solicitation?

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what is your sole purpose in life?

2010-10-10T08:57:00.003-04:00

To educate the masses.

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Do you rp cause it's fulfilling or the fact that you are insanely bored?

2010-10-10T08:57:00.001-04:00

Well, it is a method to express my "actor side" of my persona in a creatively fulfilling way, and of course also, as you say, because I do not wish to drive myself mad with boredom. (le lol!!!)

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Do you hate when i flood your page with prince videos? (sorry by the way lol)

2010-10-10T08:56:00.001-04:00

Lol. Well, Prince I do not mind so much as ill-produced Nickelback. *smiles*

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A Message from our Sponsor

2010-08-14T17:27:00.001-04:00

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Hey mr #dj, where are you from?

2010-06-20T14:08:00.001-04:00

Innocent question. My parents told me I was born in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, but we migrated to Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City, when I was age 1. I don't have any memories of CA from that early, but my earliest memories were being in Dominican Jewish neighborhood, hearing the sounds of Merengue, Salsa, y Reggaeton Musica from my baby crib..hearing about how there was a huge problem of car theft in the neighborhood..but waking up to Sesame Street everyday y Mi Madre dressing me for Magnet School @ P.S. 199, & nursery school before that. I loved playing Mario Bros 1, Ninja Gaiden, Rad Racer, et al on Nintendo Entertainment System game console. After school I loved playing Ninja Turtles arcade game at the local Blimpies, y collecting baseball cards Con chewing gum, y ring pops @ the local Bodega, having an icey from the vendor cart outside, y taking school field trips to the Cloisters y American Museum of Natural History Museums. Also, always watching The Muppet Show on TV before going to bed every noche. Loved Halloween parties with friends from school, y seeing a few Broadway shows.

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What if you were born in the Dominican Republic instead of Washington Heights, NY?

2010-06-20T12:24:00.001-04:00

Well, they would have told me you are Dominican. Spanish, mas o menos. Your dad was from Russia, but his dad was from the Ukraine, and their Abuelo was from Romania, but he moved to the Ukraine because they were about to burn him at the stake in his weakened state. They would have said my mom was of English, French, Scots-Irish, Welsh, and German descent, but her Abuela was burned at the stake in New Orleans, for being Sicilian and of the Bourbon Dynasty. Then her daughter moved to the Dominican Republic where my mom met my dad, and the rest is history.

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What the hell happened to you?

2010-06-13T03:38:00.001-04:00

Sorry, I froze and had to reboot. What happened to you? Is this Osama on the other end of the line? Got some hungry gators lookin' for you.

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Are you dating any women?

2010-06-12T22:48:00.001-04:00

Are they dating me?

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Is Joe McCarthy the Anti-christ?

2010-06-02T18:58:00.001-04:00

Absolutely. In preparation for hordes of McCarthy clones coming direct from his retarded grave in Wisconsin, I have in my arsenal a number of martial-arts techniques to fend off these Revived Republican Robots, to defend my life and freedom from this inane monstrosity.

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What on Juggler, Trump I?

2010-06-02T14:59:00.001-04:00

On the Trump card I, the Mage or Juggler:

The Mage represents the Wisdom, the Will, the Word, by which the universe was created.The bearer of the baton, Mercury, to whom was attributed the act of Creation. The dynamic theory of the universe, the language of modern physics. He represents both Truth and falsehood, Wisdom and folly. He is little more than the Ape of Thoth. His legends are of youthful cunning. His Ankh represents a means of progress through the worlds. His phoenix wand symbolises resurrection through the generative process. The Lord of Illusion.

"With the Wand createth He.
With the Cup preserveth He.
With the Dagger destroyeth He.
With the Coin redeemeth He."

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What on High Priestess, the Trump II of the Egyptian Tarot?

2010-06-01T21:46:00.001-04:00

In this poem is revealed the doctrine of Isis/Artemis as she appears on the High Priestess card of the Egyptian Tarot. The entirely feminine eternal virgin, or goddess of the hunt. This symbolises the beginning of all life, how anything came to being from stagnant nothingness in the first place. How murky primordial filth became sublimated to become living life.

"Dust Devils"

In the Wind of the mind arises the turbulence called I.
It breaks; down shower the barren thoughts.
All life is choked.
The desert is the Abyss wherein is the Universe.
The Stars are but thistles in that waste.
Yet this desert is but one spot accursed in a world of bliss.
Now and again Travellers cross the desert; they come from the Great Sea, and to the Great Sea they go.
And as they go they spill water; one day they will irrigate the desert, till it flower.
See! Five footprints of a camel! V.V.V.V.V.

~ Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley

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?Which tarot card represents you?

2010-05-28T16:48:00.001-04:00

The Empress. Major Arcana Card III. Love. Beauty. Happiness. Pleasure. Success. Fruitfulness. Good fortune. Graciousness. Elegance. Gentleness.

The Gate of Heaven (Arch or Door). Daleth. Alchemical symbol of Venus. Lotus of Isis, a living form of the Holy Grail, sanctified by the Blood of the Sun. The sparrow and the dove; The Pelican. Natura non f...acit saltum. The White Eagle and the Red Eagle; The Empress and her complement, the Emperor.

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#comicbooked We love your superhero slide show you compiled, set to the music of Mozart's "Dies Irae". The lyrics are in Latin. Do you have a translation? http://www.comicbooked.com/slide-show-of-some-favorite-superheroes-to-mozarts-dies-irae/

2010-05-27T17:55:00.001-04:00

*has a sip of milk and a bite of strawberry rhubarb pie* "Certainly" ...
The day of wrath, that day
Will dissolve the world in ashes
As foretold by David and the sibyl!
How much tremor there will be,
when the judge will come,
investigating everything strictly!
The trumpet, scattering a wondrous sound
through the sepulchres of the regions,
will summon all before the throne.
Death and nature will marvel,
when the creature arises,
to respond to the Judge.
The written book will be brought forth,
in which all is contained,
from which the world shall be judged.
When therefore the judge will sit,
whatever hides will appear:
nothing will remain unpunished.
What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
when the just are mercy needing?
King of tremendous majesty,
who freely savest those that have to be saved,
save me, source of mercy.
Think, good Jesus, my salvation
cost thy wondrous Incarnation;
leave me not to reprobation!
Seeking me, thou sat tired:
thou redeemed [me] having suffered the Cross:
let not so much hardship be lost.
Just judge of revenge,
give the gift of remission
before the day of reckoning.
Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
all my shame with anguish owning;
spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning!
Thou the sinful woman savedst;
thou the dying thief forgavest;
and to me a hope vouchsafest.
My prayers are not worthy:
however, thou, Good [Lord], do good,
lest I am burned up by eternal fire.
My prayers are not worthy:
however, thou, Good [Lord], do good,
lest I am burned up by eternal fire.
While the wicked are confounded,
doomed to flames of woe unbounded
call me with thy saints surrounded.
Low I kneel, with heart submission,
see, like ashes, my contrition;
help me in my last condition.
Tearful will be that day,
on which from the ashes arises
the guilty man who is to be judged.
Spare him therefore, God.
Merciful Lord Jesus,
grant them rest. Amen.

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#NRA Do you own a gun?

2010-05-24T23:41:00.001-04:00

Not yet. But I do prefer to go unarmed anyway.

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#SecondAmendment. Do you believe in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms?

2010-05-24T23:39:00.001-04:00

Absolutely. Just please there needs to be GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED BACKGROUND CHECKS on anyone who is purchasing a weapon or who is to receive one as a gift.

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What's your #Genealogy?

2010-05-24T09:14:00.001-04:00

#BLACK Good question... The way I learned it from my dad, 1st thing: Dad's side, Russian jew. Mom's side, German (Deutsch) jew. Continuing with the deeper study. Dad's side. Russian, Ukranian, and some other eastern European from what I understand, although Ginsberg is a German last name. The other european I like to think as ROMANIAN, because i am for some reason so into that culture. Mom's side: German jews. English. French. Scots-Irish. Welsh.

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DO you remember the smell at least?

2010-05-24T08:12:00.001-04:00

#HEMP Yes, of course. I liken the smell of marijuana to chloroform, good to wake someone up from unconsciousness, perhaps? Just please don't put me in a cloudy room anymore, I would cough up a lung.

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#IDF Do you smoke weed?

2010-05-24T08:04:00.001-04:00

No. I quit drugs 'bout 2 yrs ago. Now I only moderate drink, and I do like to smoke Backwoods™ Cigars. I cut them in half, and I smoke 1/2 cigar @ each smoke break, no more than one smoke break per hour. http://www.backwoods-cigars.com #CrackerBarrel

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#SL Got any plans for 2098?

2010-05-23T16:25:00.001-04:00

To turn the clock back to 2094. Then to repeat again next time we reach 2098. That... is HeaVen. God, I love Windows™. Even got a leap year up in that year sequence (2096).

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dogs or cats?

2010-05-22T17:14:00.003-04:00

Kanga-Roos. #POOH

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Is Osama Bin Laden the antichrist?

2010-05-22T17:14:00.001-04:00

No Comment.

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So, what's your favorite song right now?

2010-05-22T04:22:00.001-04:00

#PATD The Only Difference Between Martyrdom & Suicide is Press Coverage, by Panic at the Disco

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Will u play live gigs out&about soon?

2010-05-21T17:49:00.001-04:00

I'd rather not. I've been to way too many concerts seeing crap thrown at the band, seeing girls get beat up in tha mosh pit. I loved playing live concerts with bands and solo while growing up, but I worry if I were to play out anymore, I'd suffer a panic attack regression, which is the worst, aka "The Fear" as Beatnik author William Burroughs called it. I will, however, play live gigs in Second Life virtual community (free to join), and with other musicians in live global internet jams... and I love to produce.

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Did you write these questions yourself? Last question, and thanks for today's interview.

2010-05-21T16:37:00.001-04:00

Green_October laughs, "I'd rather answer that question at a later interview, and you're welcome." *he escapes thru an open Window*

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We love you as Gambit, from the pics you've shown us so far. His abilities are often referred to as "superhuman", "mutant", and even "vampiric". Do you have these abilities in real life?

2010-05-21T16:07:00.001-04:00

In my mind I do. I've read about and started practicing creative visualization, and astral projection exercises. For instance, this involved sitting very calm and still, visualizing the red kinetic energy, and with my physical hands on my lap, imagining a second set of hands -my astral hands- charging a card with explosive energy, and throwing it at a target in my room, such as the doornob or a point on the wall in front of me... only I have never done this with the Intent of physically exploding the cards. I have also practiced throwing cards from an old blue deck, aiming for Accuracy above all else. I also like to practice martial arts moves astrally. This art of using an astral body is often referred to as Alchemical Bi-Location, holding still with your physical body, and doing uncanny things with your secondary (astral) body.

Ask me anything

We love your work with #comicbooked! When do you think your next installment of The Briefcase Collection Files will be posted?

2010-05-21T15:48:00.001-04:00

Soon™ ... I'm a fairly swift writer in terms of speed, but I don't want to upstage the other great Bookers who also contribute on a regular basis at Comicbooked.com. I'm thinking, maybe a weekly. Also, I hope you enjoy my other posts, especially the ones about Comic Book character roleplay in Second Life's virtual community, free to join. I predict SL will grow in popularity very soon... virtual reality is such an interesting concept.

Ask me anything

I'm thinking of more questions. Do you have a little time to continue with the Interview?

2010-05-21T15:41:00.001-04:00

Absolutely. *winks his left eye*

Ask me anything

Your lyrics are amazing. Where do you draw lyrical inspiration from, DJ?

2010-05-21T15:17:00.001-04:00

Good question. Well, I was interested in the mighty men of the bible when i was very young... King David, Joshua, Joseph, Judah maccabee, the prophetesses and so on. I loved the beatnik kerouac stream of consciousness style of writing, the Beatles abstract poetry and lovesongs... then I got into studying meditation, kabbalah, martial arts, numerology, and so on. Oh, and #Disney movies.

Ask me anything

Is "Joshua" your middle name?

2010-05-21T14:24:00.001-04:00

Y & N. Because David-Joshua is a hyphenated name... the way my dad explained it when I was younger, it can be considered the second part of my first name, "David-Joshua".

Ask me anything

Have you ever taken classes on typing skills?

2010-05-21T13:57:00.001-04:00

Yes. I took classes on typing skills at Atlantic Vo-Tech for a little bit, and I also studied typing skills at home using a typing skills course program I found.

Ask me anything

Do you keep a dagger in your boot?

2010-05-21T13:54:00.001-04:00

Isn't that illegal?

Ask me anything

Who's the sexiest woman alive?

2010-05-21T13:45:00.001-04:00

Angelina Jolie.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-05-21T13:44:00.003-04:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/LeBlaqueCrimson

What was your favorite birthday gift?

2010-05-21T13:44:00.001-04:00

A USB Hub.

Ask me anything

Do you believe in angels?

2010-05-21T13:43:00.001-04:00

Absolutely.

Ask me anything

Green October for Comicbooked.com!

2010-05-18T10:53:00.004-04:00

Check out my articles @ http://comicbooked.com, where I am now a "Booker" (contributor), writing comic book reviews and more!

Here is a video I made and posted to my Youtube channel last night, talking about this awesome new site. It's titled, "Green October for Comicbooked.com!" (Green October is my alias there)

While Googling Around...

2009-05-17T21:25:00.005-04:00

While googling around a few minutes ago, I came upon the script for Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride! I felt like posting it in a quick blog, for our enjoyment! Here it is…

Disney's Haunted Mansion Ride Script:

Written by Xavier Atencio.

GHOST HOST:

When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker, where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host,your Ghost Host. Kindly step all the way in please, and make room for everyone. There's no turning back now.

Our tour begins here in this gallery, where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state. Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis. Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination? And consider this dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows, and no doors. Which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way. Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely. The real chills come later. Now, as they say, "look alive," and we'll continue our little tour. And let's all stay together, please.

There are several prominent ghosts who have retired here from creepy old crypts all over the world. Actually, we have 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for a thousand. Any volunteers? If you insist on lagging behind, you may not need to volunteer.

(The following two paragraphs alternate, depending on which expanding room you come down in. If you linger and wait for the next expanding room, you can hear both spiels.)

(Version #1) The carriage that will carry you into the moldering sanctum of the spirit world will accommodate you and one or two loved ones. Kindly watch your step as you board, please. We spirits haunt our best in gloomy darkness, so remember, no flash pictures, please.

(Version #2) And now a carriage approaches to take you into the boundless realm of the supernatural. Take your loved ones by the hand, please, and kindly watch your step. Oh yes, and no flash pictures, please. We spirits are frightfully sensitive to bright lights.

Do not pull down on the safety bar, please; I will lower it for you. And heed this warning: the spirits will materialize only if you remain quietly seated at all times.

We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat. Every room has wall-to-wall creeps and hot and cold running chills. Sh, listen.

All our ghosts have been dying to meet you. This one can hardly contain himself. Unfortunately, they all seem to have trouble getting through. Perhaps Madam Leota can establish contact. She has a remarkable head for materializing the disembodied.

MADAM LEOTA:

Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat call in the spirits wherever they're at.
Rap on a table, it's time to respond, send us a message from somewhere beyond.
Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween awaken the spirits with your tambourine.
Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond, let there be music from regions beyond.
Wizards and witches wherever you dwell, give us a hint by ringing a bell.

GHOST HOST:

The happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They're assembling for a swinging wake. And they'll be expecting me. I'll see you all a little later.

GRIM GRINNING GHOSTS:

When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake
Happy haunts materialize
And begin to vocalize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide
Or a silly spook may sit by your side
Shrouded in a daft disguise
They pretend to terrorize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
As the moon climbs high over the dead oak tree
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes
Start to shriek and harmonize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
When you hear the knell of a requiem bell
Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell
Restless bones etherealize
Rises spooks of every size

GHOST HOST:

Ah, there you are. And just in time. There's a little matter I forgot to mention: beware of hitchhiking ghosts. They have selected you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return. Now I will raise the safety bar, and a ghost will follow you home.

GRIM GRINNING GHOSTS:

If you would like to join our jamboree
There's a simple rule that's compulsory
Mortals pay a token fee
Rest in peace; the haunting's free
So hurry back we would like your company

LITTLE LEOTA:

Hurry back, hurry back. Be sure to bring your death certificate if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We've been dying to have you.

Until next time,

~ David-Joshua ‘DJ’ Ginsberg
djginsberg@yahoo.com
http://DJGinsberg.com

The 1 Month Anniversary of DJGinsberg.com!!!

2009-05-03T17:41:00.010-04:00

The 1 Month Anniversary of DJGinsberg.com!!!

Hi, everyone, and welcome to my 3rd blog post! I am happy to announce that today, May 3rd, 2009, marks the one month anniversary of my new homepage http://DJGinsberg.com – I started creating the site on April 3rd, 2009! When I first started adding pages, my initial idea was to make a page for music, videos, and artwork by me. Now -- one month later -- I have media files on subpages so you can easily find a track or clip by me in each of several genres. I also developed new pages for Games, DJGRadio, & DJGTV! Let me explain:

Looking for music, videos, or artwork by me?

Click on the Media tab in the navigation bar on the left side of my Home page @ http://DJGinsberg.com to get started. From there you can find several sub-categories found within the Media page: Music, Remixes, Videos, and Artwork. I will now explain the contents of the sub-pages found within the Media page:

1. Within the Music page, you can find links to 3 music pages: Originals (songs I wrote & performed), Jazz Tunes (my versions of classic jazz songs), and Cover Songs (songs written by others, but performed by me.
2. Within the Remixes page, I have 2 sub-pages so far: Remixes of Disney Songs, and Remixes of Jeremiah Ginsberg songs (from Biblical musicals by my dad, Jeremiah Ginsberg). I intend to create additional interesting remixes in the future!
3. Within the Videos page, I created 3 sub-pages: Concert Videos (video clips of me playing live in concert), Creative Videos (artistic videos I made), and Music Videos (music vids of me performing my original songs, coming soon!)
4. The Artwork page hasn’t been subdivided yet – I intend to create some cool Flash slideshows for this area of my site soon! You can find the Media page on my site @ http://DJGinsberg.com/Media.aspx ! Next I will tell you about some cool Flash games you can play on DJGinsberg.com!

The ‘Games’ Page:

A few weeks after I started my site, I had the idea to create a few pages for interesting embedded Flash video games that visitors to DJGinsberg.com can play while relaxing and listening to some of my music! These pages can be found by clicking on the Games link on the Home page of http://DJGinsberg.com ! Now, I will explain each of the different games that I embedded in pages on my site so far:

1. Breakout: Remember the game, kind of like ping-pong, where you move a paddle on the bottom of the screen to prevent the ‘ball’ from leaving the screen, and to break all the bricks at the top of the screen so you can beat the level? Well, here it is in Flash format: just use the mouse to move the paddle!
2. Frogger: In ‘Frogger,’ the goal is to move the frog across the street, hop logs and alligators in the stream, and navigate into one of the caves! After you navigate the frog successively into each of the caves, you move on to a more challenging level!
3. Sonic the Hedgehog Flash: In this Flash remake of the classic Sega Genesis game series ‘Sonic the Hedgehog,’ you dash around defeating enemies, saving peaceful critters, and battling the diabolical boss, Dr. Robotnik! This is one of my favorites!
4. Super Mario Flash: This is a Flash remake of the Nintendo classic ‘Super Mario Bros,’ where you progress through levels hopping on enemies, using fireballs, and invincibility to beat enemies. You also explore underground areas and defeat the evil boss Bowser Koopa to beat the game!

You can find these games (more coming soon) on my Website @ http://DJGinsberg.com/Games.aspx ! Next I’ll tell you about my site’s most recent addition, DJGLive!

Enjoy DJGLive!

The most recent updates I made on DJGinsberg.com were adding pages for DJGRadio and DJGTV, both accessible through the DJGLive link on the left side of the Home page! In DJGRadio, you can hear my most recent ten tracks that I DJed live on Blip.fm. On the DJGRadio page there is also a link directly to my Blip.fm profile, where you can listen to all the tracks I DJed there to date! My DJGRadio page is on the Web @ http://DJGinsberg.com/DJGRadio.aspx !

In my last blog, I mentioned that I started a new page, DJGTV, powered by Mogulus.com where I keep a playlist looping at all times of concert videos and creative videos by me! Since then I added 2 concert clips of me performing at Temple Beth Hillel, and a 30 minute Batman silent film that I soundtracked using audio clips from classic Disney short cartoons! You can visit my DJGTV page @ http://DJGinsberg.com/DJGTV.aspx !

Well, that’s all for now!

In the future, expect to see blogs about further updates to DJGinsberg.com, as well as interesting technology articles and opinion pieces written by me – as well as blogs about one of my favorite subjects: all things Disney (Disney movies, music, and theme parks topics)! For now, enjoy my new homepage, http://DJGinsberg.com !

Sincerely,

~David-Joshua ‘DJ’ Ginsberg
djginsberg@live.com
http://DJGinsberg.com

DJG Updates!!!

2009-04-28T00:04:00.005-04:00

DJG Updates!!!

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy my second blog!

I just felt like writing a quick one about some recent updates to my site http://DJGinsberg.com , and some new online services I started using! Twitter… Blip.fm… Windows Live Spaces… my own webTV station, DJGTV – read on and I’ll tell you about these!

On Twitter:

You may or may not have heard of Twitter.com, but it’s a really interesting networking tool which is built on letting your friends know what you’re up to! You basically post “tweets,” which are short blurbs of 140 characters or less which people use to chat with friends, post links to news articles, tell jokes, etc. I’ve been posting updates of http://DJGinsberg.com (where I also installed a Twitter flash box displaying my most recent updates), sharing interesting online articles, and recently “Blipping” links to songs I choose! What’s a “Blip”? Read on to find out more…

On Blipping:

On Twitter, I noticed people linking to tracks using an online service called Blip.fm. I decided to give it a try myself, and here’s how it works:

You start up a profile at http://Blip.fm , and you begin “Blipping” immediately! What’s a “Blip”? A blip is a short post of 150 characters or less where you send a link to a song you choose, usually accompanied by a short note to your listeners giving the song’s title, and sometimes a short message! It’s fun and easy! You can check out my station on Blip.fm at http://blip.fm/DJGinsberg!

On Windows Live:

I recently wondered about how to post music playlists I’ve been compiling to the web for easy sharing with friends. Just today I noticed a link to Windows Live Skydrive in an e-mail I was reading. I followed the link to find out that if you have a Windows Live profile -- which I do – you can store up to 25 gigabytes of any file types to your own “Skydrive” – an online hard drive that you can access from any computer! You can choose which files and folders to share and give your friends a direct link to your Skydrive! Mine is located on the web at http://djginsberg.skydrive.live.com/ (which I am now uploading my playlists to in the background)! Feel free to give them a listen; they’re located in subfolders in the DJ’s Playlists folder! I also plan to upload my favorite videos soon, and already have a small photo album uploaded! In case you’re not familiar with Live Spaces, Windows Live offers Live Spaces for free, allowing you to network in an interesting new way!

On DJGTV:

I am happy to let you know that I’ve started my own online TV station! It’s called DJGTV and it’s embedded in my homepage at http://DJGinsberg.com/DJGTV.aspx -- you can also watch at http://mogulus.com/DJGTV! Mogulus.com offers free channels to everyone, and mine is now looping at all times concert videos of me and creative videos I made! I plan to do live broadcasts sometime in the near future of me playing great music! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Well, I just wanted to let you all know what I’ve been up to and share some of my excitement with you! My Twitter profile is at http://twitter.com/DJGinsberg , my Blip.fm profile is at http://blip.fm/DJGinsberg, my Windows Live Space is at http://DJGinsberg.spaces.live.com/ , and DJGTV is now broadcasting at http://DJGinsberg.com/DJGTV! Have fun!

Until next time,

~DJG

http://DJGinsberg.com
djginsberg@yahoo.com

About DJG: A Brief Bio

2009-04-07T07:31:00.007-04:00

Playing guitar (and other instruments) and composing original songs since age 12, I also enjoy writing, cooking, studying web development, and creating multimedia artwork, in digital, painted, pasteled, penciled, video, and other forms...

Born in Cedar Sinai Hospital of Los Angeles, CA, I moved with my parents to Washington Heights (upper west Manhattan), NY when I was one year old. Some of my earliest memories were of attending magnet school in New York City, and enjoying the music of "Rabboni", a Broadway-style musical by my dad Jeremiah Ginsberg. I was interested in learning to make music myself, and my dad showed me how musical notes were arranged on the piano. When I was eight, we moved to the Ft. Lauderdale area of South Florida, where I finished elementary and middle-school at Sar Shalom Academy. I started playing guitar and writing songs in sixth grade with my best friend from school, and we soon had our first gig at a school lock-in!

Advanced High School Training:

I began high school in 1998 at Coconut Creek High School in Coconut Creek, FL, where I trained for writing in Honors English 1 & 2, and AP English 3 & 4 classes, which covered Creative Writing, Essay Writing, and Literature (non-fiction, plays, poetry), as well as grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.

I joined the staff of our school's monthly newsmagazine, "The Coconut Creek High School Harbinger", as a staff writer, and I soon received the position of Entertainment Section Editor, where I contributed articles on the arts (concert reviews, local events, etc.) and edited articles written by the other staff members.

Soon I was given a monthly editorial column on the back page, where my writing style really shined!

I also joined the German club, where I eventually tutored beginning German students on basic German language skills -- my German teacher was Mrs. Anne "Frau" Humphreys, who I met in her Honors World History class.

Later, she introduced me to her husband, Richard Humphreys, who I taught basic guitar to, and who's been a close friend ever since. He runs a South Florida storm shutters installation company.

My First Bands:

When I was a freshman at CCHS, I joined the school's jazz band on electric guitar. There I gained experience playing a few jazz standards in a big band setting, and had fun using my wah-wah pedal on the funk tunes!

I met some older students in the jazz band who admired my guitar-playing style, and they invited me to join a rock band they were forming called "Eat @t Joe's", on lead guitar. We began working on original songs together, and soon, one of the members left due to heavy work constraints, and I agreed to become the lead vocalist and also take over rhythm guitar responsibilities. Soon we started gigging at places like a local donut shop, a rehearsal studio, and Young Circle in Hollywood Beach, FL.

At an evening gig in front of a jeans shop in Young Circle I met Juergen Kerth, a talented blues-rock guitarist from Germany, who really enjoyed our music and invited me to join his trio on bass guitar for gigs in the area. I had fun on these gigs and learned a lot!

While in high school, I also played bass for a local progressive rock band, "The Vovniks". Later, I formed "The Bark The Dog" with my bandmate from Sar Shalom and members of Eat @t Joes, and often jammed with friends at the local rehearsal studios, and at after school parties!

College Years and Beyond:

After graduating from CCHS in 2001, I began college studies at Florida International University in Miami, FL, less than an hour south of my home in Tamarac. My tuition was fully covered by the Florida Bright Futures academic scholarship, which awarded me based on my excellent high school grades. My chosen major was Jazz Performance, with guitar as my principal instrument.

My curriculum at FIU included Music Theory/Ear Training, Class Piano, Jazz Arranging for Big Band, Jazz Improv, as well as playing guitar in various student jazz combos (small jazz groups of 4-8 members), Big Band, and Guitar Ensemble. Each semester, every student band played at least one concert for the entire group of jazz majors and their teachers, and we often had student/professor jam sessions at our Friday morning Jazz Forum. I received weekly private guitar lessons first with Lindsey Blair, and then with Richie Zellon, who I had previously met through my parents and taken early jazz lessons with while finishing high school.

Some things I gained through my jazz training at FIU were good note-reading skills, a strong repertoire of jazz "standards" (classic jazz songs, or "tunes" as they are usually called), firm harmonic/rhythmic knowledge and technical skills, how to craft an interesting jazz solo, and how to create a chord-melody style arrangement (where the guitarist plays several parts at once, including the chords, the melody/solo, and the bass line).

I also got some jazz gigging experience while attending FIU, playing concerts with student friends at places such as Bougainvillea's Tavern of South Miami, the student chapel at University of Miami, and a few other venues. Frequently, other jazz students and I got together for extra-curricular jam sessions in dorm rooms, practice rooms in the music building, and home studios, where we practiced the tunes we were working on, practiced our arrangements, and exchanged musical ideas.

When I returned home to Tamarac for the weekends and holidays while going to FIU, I often got together with local musicians and made improvised recordings based on new ideas we came up with. I worked on these recordings with friends including DJ Immortal, Sensei Jean LeGrande (who trained me in mixed martial arts fundamentals), DJ Trails (also a member of our martial arts team), Brett Segal (a jazz drumming major from FIU), and my friends since high school, Jared Cole, Daniel Gardner, and Rusty Ellison.

In March of 2006 I noticed that I worked most nights a week as a local pizza delivery driver earning finances for gas, food, and other expenses while going to school, and I wound up with very little time to practice based on the commute to Miami and the delivery work. I decided to withdraw from FIU, continue studying music at home, and to begin to focus on learning advanced computer skills such as multimedia design and network management.

I wrote several new songs since withdrawing from FIU, created a series of song demos, and created my first remixes on the computer. I recently purchased a Yamaha MO6 synthesizer workstation and started working with the Steinberg Cubase AI 4 studio software that it came bundled with, and I'm working on producing lots of great new music! On the information technology side, I am currently studying for my first Microsoft Certification Test (on Windows Vista Fundamentals).

For more info: visit http://DJGinsberg.com/!
djginsberg@yahoo.com