"Bigfoot Global LLC."

Atlanta, Georgia--When I was around 7-years-old, I saw one of these examples of pure hokum: it was an allegedly "bigfoot" frozen in a block of ice. Predictably, you could barely see any features of what was inside the block, and the owners of the artifact were refusing to let any real scientists near it.

The vendors had merchandise and the viewing fee was stiff. It was the 1970s. You would think that after all the debunkings over the last 30 years it would scare-off the gullible, but we're an ignorant culture, so it's go-time. Add to that the hopelessness of this era, and you have some craning-necks. Besides, isn't it looking like the 1970s again anyway? OK, without Hans Holzer and Leonard Nimoy and "In Search Of," but the cruddy History Channel covers that gap.

All we're seeing today are some photographs of what is either the carcass of an monkey, or a very cheesy ape suit. The orangey-haired creature looks an awful lot like an orangutan.

There's a reason: it's utter bullshit, though it could be a distant relation of late President Gerald Ford.

These bozos from Georgia regularly suck money from the gullible, taking them out on "bigfoot expeditions," and somehow have concocted this newest scam...except someone whom I now love hacked into their site this last week and stole some of the unconvincing photographic scans and published them wide over the internet. So, the bozos from Georgia (not the nation) had to hold their worthless press conference today, and astonishingly, Obama accuser Larry Sinclair was nowhere in sight.

CNN and other television news outlets (and all of the rest) have given this story about as much time and credence as the Russian incursion into the breakaway nation of Georgia. That should tell you how much credibility they have.

As far as I can tell, absolutely no major media outlet has commented on how obviously craven and exploitative this bigfoot venture is, but if you look at all of the information, "Bigfoot Global LLC." should have raised some alarms that this is nothing but a scam for money. The media's often difficult position is that they're the same kind of creature--a genus know for its lowliness and guile, as well as an overdeveloped lust for money and privilege.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Reserve aren't taking it seriously, which should also tell you something. "The most trusted name in news?" I've never trusted or respected CNN, and neither should anyone else for that matter. Our press is a shambles, but that's nothing new. You don't need a 24/7 news network, not at all. They need to all get a real job, whatever that is these days. Besides, there is no Easter Bunny on all stations of the Cross. Get a clue.

Late DC Madam's mother Blanche Palfrey breaks down in court

"Up the close and down the stair,
In the house with Burke and Hare.
Burke’s the butcher, Hare’s the thief
Knox, the man who buys the beef."

--An Edinburgh children's song about Burke and Hare,
both 19th century grave robbers, murderers,
and all around exploiters of the dead.

Pinellas County, Florida--It's all about money, not about the truth, but the press are expending more effort on obtaining access to 288 death photos of Jeane Palfrey than they ever were at getting to the bottom of her story when she was alive. That's what they do.

Additionally, you have various "players" like former counsel Montgomery Blair Sibley, Preston Burton and Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe [Ed., 08.29.2008--In the spirit of fairness, it should be conveyed that counsel Sibley has written to myself via e-mail that the photos will not be published and that he's only looking to confirm the cause of death.], and bottom feeders like Alex Jones and Jeff Rense who are jockeying for a view of the goods. They don't care how they affect the 76-year-old mother of the deceased. What you have are a lot of agendas, and as Jean Renoir and Alexander Sesonske wrote in the screenplay for "Rules of the Game," "people have their reasons. They sure do.

There are no words for the craven attitudes of these people who had no genuine respect or concern for this late, troubled woman. They forgot their and her humanity a long time ago. Today, they caused the woman who gave birth to Palfrey to break down emotionally:

"This is the last thing I can do for my daughter," Palfrey said. "Please don't let these pictures get out in public."
News organizations have asked under Florida's public records law to inspect the photographs, a request opposed by Palfrey as a violation of her privacy. She filed a lawsuit against Tarpon Springs to prevent release of the photos.
Circuit Judge Linda R. Allen declared a break just before 11:30 a.m. so she could review the 288 photos in private.
The photos would not be released until after the investigation of the death. (" 'DC Madam's' Mom Breaks Down During Suicide Photo Hearing," The Suncoast News, 08.15.2008)

We might have a decision later today. My feelings are that they will be released to very hungry media and lawyers, and a gaggle of other opportunists who never cared to help Palfrey in any substantial sense. I lay no claim to a right to see these photographs, and would prefer not to ever see them.

It doesn't strike me that they'll offer anything new to the record or any understanding. What they will offer is the opportunity for those with book deals to have some nifty images for their tomes, and Blanche will just have to "accept" it "in the service of the truth." But the truth isn't what they're interested in, just the aforementioned money. Then, there are other issues at-play.

It was known by a number of individuals that Palfrey was threatening suicide during her proceedings, and nothing appears to have been done about it. This, then, could be one of the reasons Judge Gladys Kessler was removed from the case. If the judiciary knew of Palfrey's suicidal tendencies, they didn't act on it and never ordered a competency evaluation to see if she really was fit to stand trial. Various counsel at all points in the proceedings might have considered calling for one as well. Also, sources are saying that Blanche Palfrey is becoming "forgetful," which raises a number of legal issues regarding the Estate of Jeane Palfrey if it's true.

At-minimum, if the judges and the Justice Department knew about it, you have an incredible example of gross negligence. There was no call for a competency evaluation. A number of sealed records generated during pretrial legal proceedings could clarify this. The issue of competency over-complicates an already complex case, and it wasn't merely Palfrey who dragged-out her legal ordeal. She had a lot of help along the way from counsel and the prosecution.

Now, some of them outside of the prosecution (primarily in the media) want to continue exploiting Palfrey, even in death. What do you call exploiting the troubled life of a dead woman who might have been mentally unbalanced?

It can't be good, so let's call it "paying the mortgage" or the "bills." Granted that it's usually to pay for future investigations, but then, there's that lifestyle to pay for, or the fact that the bathroom needs retiling.

This writer wishes author William Keisling all the best of luck in his association with Montgomery Blair Sibley [Ed., 08.29.2008--They might both need that luck.]. He's going to need it. Burke's the butcher, and Hare's thief, and the publishers (and the public) are the ones who will buy the beef.

Revised, with comments, 08.29.2008

" 'DC Madam's' Mom Breaks Down During Suicide Photo Hearing," The Suncoast News, 08.15.2008: http://suncoastpinellas.tbo.com/content/2008/aug/15/mother-dc-madam-wants-suicide-photos-kept-private/?news